Guadalupe Café <i>Dinner review</i>

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Love-hate is a good way to describe our feelings about Guadalupe Café. But can’t the best relationships be described that way? Who wants steady when you can have stormy, even fiery?

When we first moved to Santa Fe, we loved this quaint old adobe (a former residence near the Roundhouse) and its rellenos, stuffed poblanos and burritos, and chile-drenchiladas. Several subsequent high-tourist-season run-ins left us cold: waiting in long lines, unattended, stomachs growling, drinks unfilled, cranky. But a recent visit has restored our affection for this staple in the Santa Fe culinary landscape — 20 years on Guadalupe Street and seven at its current location.

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to wait in line for any meal. Head to Guadalupe in the sleepy seasons for its sizzling chile. We hadn’t tasted anything so shocking to the nervous system since a double-Tagamet helping of tamales at Leona’s in Chimayó. The difference is Guadalupe’s chile is high-octane and flavorful, a blend of pleasingly bitter and woody cinnamon, once the red heat dissipates. For newcomers, I recommend the kinder green, more a simmer than a scorch: a smooth and creamy hickory flavor that tricks you with a gentle nip just before the tingle kicks in.

We admire Guadalupe for sticking to its chile puro despite its tourist bent. A hand-painted warning on the host’s podium clearly states that the chile is HOT: you order it, you eat it. Don’t send it back. They don’t want it. (The restaurant offers chile samples in advance.) On the side? Forget it. The kitchen wisely realizes an enchilada sans chile translates into layers of cardboard.

On the weeknight we dined, Guadalupe felt bustling yet relaxed and cozy. The back dining area (three intimate, curvy rooms with low ceilings and kivas) is noisy, but we felt pampered, seated in a corner nook on cushioned bancos at a roomy table for four. (Some of the two-tops look pretty cramped.) Drinks arrived promptly along with our dreadlocked server — wry, down-to-earth, and no-nonsense. We enjoyed her company and attentive service immensely.

A Bargetto Pinot Grigio from California ($6) delivered a sweet grapefruit zing while a Flying Dog Doggie Style (pale) Ale from Colorado ($3.50) proved full of character: crisp, lively and lip-smackingly coppery. Famished, we tried ordering too many appetizers, but our server gently nudged us toward restraint. So we settled on an Anasazi black bean quesadilla ($5.95), a thick, warm grilled flour tortilla filled with smoky, crunchy black beans and pintos and melted white cheddar. The creamy guacamole topping lent the right notes combined with the requisite sour cream, lettuce, tomato and black olives.

A quibble: the dog-eared menu came in a ripped and greasy plastic cover. Specials were scrawled on a board in the lobby. I tried to order the special pork chop with sage and black pepper, corn pudding, mashed potatoes and Hollandaise — sold out. So I opted for the grilled rib-eye steak ($14.95). Served on a steel platter, the peppery mashed potatoes rated noteworthy; the spongy Mexican corn pudding added a sweet cinnamon contrast.

I would, however, have preferred the crisp and fresh asparagus with butter rather than Hollandaise. A mealy texture spoiled the generous rib eye, which arrived juicy and at the ideal temperature. A delicate blue corn cheese enchilada stole the dish’s starring role.

Our advice: stick to Guadalupe’s New Mexican platos. The sour cream chicken enchilada ($8.95) was among the best we’ve sampled — delicious, gigantic blue corn tortillas layered with moist white chicken meat, tangy white cheddar and chile, with beans, salsa and guac. This dish rated rich, warm and comforting — perfect for a frigid winter night.

Dessert? We adored the special raspberry-peach pie sprinkled with crispy oats and brown sugar, plus an ideally doughy bottom crust and sweet-tart filling of juicy berries and whole peach wedges. Adobe Pie ($4.25) proved a winner. After this titanic slice thawed, it revealed layers of coffee and vanilla ice cream, a substantial dark-chocolate cookie crust and thick fudge top. The gratis sopaipillas, dipped in clover honey, were nicely pillowy without a hint of grease.

Dinner for two, with one appetizer, two entrées, two desserts and two drinks, amounted to $52.95 before tip.

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422 Old Santa Fe Trail, 982-9762

7 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday

8 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5:30-9 p.m. Saturday

8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday

Beer & wine

Handicapped-accessible

Reservations accepted for parties of six or more

DISC • MC • V • Local checks