Don’t call it a comeback! I took a breather from the blog for several months to focus on a few personal and work endeavors (and of course some travels), but now I’m raring to dip my toes back into the blogosphere. And what better topic to begin with than my latest obsession, the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

There’s a lot to love about Santa Fe–the beautiful, otherworldly landscape, laid back atmosphere, huge artist & gallery community, rich history, strong sense of place, local artisans–but today I wanna focus on the food! It’s well established that I seriously love brunch, so here are a couple recommendations on where to pick up tasty breakfast+lunch while exploring the city:

The Tea House: This place is on Canyon Road (which is home to a bunch of art galleries), so it’s a great pit stop during a day of gallery hopping. True to their name, they have a huge selection of high-end teas, and also really good comfort food classics like organic breakfast burritos, baguettes w/Brie and jam, hot soups, fresh pastries and more. It’s cute and toasty inside during the winter months!

Cafe Pasqual’s: A staple of the Santa Fe Plaza that’s been around for over 30 years, this tiny little restaurant is definitely worth a look. They proudly serve local organic fare, and offer a satisfying array of breakfast choices with New Mexican flavor. My picks are the huevos motulenos or the chile relleno con huevos. Save room for dessert though because they DO NOT MESS AROUND when it comes to the sweet stuff! There are various specials every day–I had the strawberry shortcake on cornmeal biscuit with chantilly cream, and it was a total “I’ll have what she’s having” moment for all the diners surrounding me. So good.

Keep in mind: If a server in New Mexico asks you “red or green?” they’re referring to chiles. I can’t get enough of the spicy chile kick, so I ask for Christmas style (red AND green).

Bonus tip(s): For a great fancy pants dinner in Santa Fe, I recommend Epazote. They specialize in super complex mole sauces, but also give their crab soup and cuitlacoche (Mexican “truffles” a.k.a. corn fungus–sounds weird but tastes delicious) a try.

Photo via Yelp user Hana V.