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The Santa Fe Reporter

Primed and Ready

Palace Prime surpasses our expectations across the board

Salmon forever! (Alex De Vore)

By Alex De Vore

June 29, 2022 at 12:00 am MDT

That one spot on Palace Avenue downtown has seen a lot of businesses come and go. You know the one—it housed the Palace Saloon, Señor Lucky’s (with the mechanical bull) and, likely, lots of other things in its aged and storied history. What’s in there now, though, is the kind of thing that likely has staying power, and having eaten at Palace Prime (142 W Palace Ave., (505) 919-9935), let me tell the community that we’ve gotta hold onto the place.

A little history: Palace Prime opened in January last year, right around the time we were all starting to think we’d never come out of the pandemic. At the time, the restaurant had tapped local celeb chef Fernando Ruiz to run the kitchen. Ruiz wound up leaving for reasons still unknown a few short months later (though he’ll open Midtown eatery Escondido soon, likely in the spring), and Blue Heron chef Rocky Durham took over some months later. Durham, then, moved to Poland with his wife last March to aid Ukrainian refugees, once again leaving Palace Prime in flux—but you needn’t worry, Santa Fe, because new chef Doug Hesselgesser has things well under control.

Before we get further into the review, it’s important to note that our meal at Palace Prime was comped. Generally speaking, SFR pays its way, and though myself and my dining companion did offer to slap down some cash or plastic, maître d’ Austin Flick kindly heard none of it. Still, the gesture in no way affects our experience, which Flick, Hesselgesser and general manager/wine director Julian Martinez more than understand as long-serving members of the restaurant world. But it’s not like they (or bar director Todd Walker) have anything to fear, as our dinner at Palace Prime was one of the best I’ve had in Santa Fe bar none, and I’d say the same even if I’d sold my own kidney to get it—which I think I’d seriously consider going forward.

Palace Prime is not cheap, that’s for sure, though with prime meats coming in through Hesselgesser’s connection with meat distributor Pat LaFreida, that’s hardly shocking. Additionally, Marintez’s wine selection is inspired with literally dozens of options by the glass or bottle, plus a handful of fresh seafood options, a concise but enticing dessert menu and, perhaps most importantly, a killer vibe.

We dined in the lounge to maximize a more laid-back counterpoint feel to the fine food. If you’re like me and find yourself engaging with fine dining only rarely, you know what I’m talking about. Our server Sasha was among the most excellent I’ve had anyplace—a combination of knowledgeable and professional and relaxed enough that we didn’t feel like we’d get in trouble for cracking jokes. As we perused the food and wine menus, she patiently listened to our questions and had answers for all of them, making suggestions here and there, but never pressuring us.

While we started with calamri ($18) and hamachi sashimi with ponzu, serrano chile and local micro greens ($16), Sasha suggested a mocktail of simple syrup and lemonade for me ($16, and yes it did come with a dehydrated, candied lemon slice) and a rich Alexana pinot noir from the Willamette Valley for my companion ($17), who was dead set on a nice steak for his main course.

A New York strip steak that turned a mushroom skeptic into a full-on believer. (Alex De Vore)

The sashimi came ice cold and buttery, the exact kind of melty goodness you want from a good bit of raw fish. We didn’t much expect to find it on a steakhouse menu, but Palace Prime is the home of the $130 seafood tower, so...live and learn. Hesselgesser’s calamari was a revelation of crisp textures and subtle flavors served with a Thai chile aioli that kicked things up a notch. Flick appeared at the table to let us know it was made with a brown rice breading, which eliminated greasiness; a genius move, honestly.

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Selecting a main course proved challenging, what with the myriad cuts of beef and housemade pasta selections. Ultimately, my companion landed on a New York strip served with pickled mustard seed gnocchi and smoked mushroom ($65). He wondered aloud to Sasha whether someone who didn’t like mushrooms would be OK with this particular dish, and she gently suggested that he’d love it if only he tried it. She was correct, and he remarked how glad he was to have listened.

Flick tells me the steaks are butchered in-house and that Palace Prime sources vegetables fresh from the Farmers Market. The latter item was readily apparent in my dish, a Scottish salmon served with fiddlehead ferns and an English pea -puree alongside a kohlrabi salad and beurre blanc. Hesselgesser’s chops with fish are no joke, either, and the crusty exterior giving way to the somehow-all-at-once soft and firm fish proved an utter delight. He even included the skin on the plate, which appeared grilled down to an almost chip-like texture. This was not for me, though I could see others loving it for some added salty crunch.

Hesselgesser comes to Palace Prime after time as a sous at Arroyo Vino (where Martinez formerly worked), but Flick told me some days later that this titan among chefs also came up opening restaurants along the East Coast and in the South. I’m shocked the dining public of Santa Fe hasn’t been clamoring for more from Hesselgesser so far, but consider this your warning that you’d better make it happen.

We closed the night with bread pudding and creme brulee ($8 and $12, respectively). It’s been ages since I’ve seen a bread pudding on a menu, but there it was, and it was sublime. Ditto the brulee which, to my surprise and enjoyment, was served in a ramekin more shallow than I’ve found elsewhere in Santa Fe. The thing with custards and chantillies is that you want to leave wishing you’d had more, not the other way around. Perhaps if we’d tried one of the digestifs suggested on dessert menu, a larger serving would have worked. We didn’t imbibe, but will next time. I was later surprised to learn the restaurant doesn’t currently have a dedicated pastry chef, though it’s comforting to know Hesselgesser runs that department, too, for the time being.

And as I racked my brain looking for anything to nit-pick, any flaw at which to pick, any misstep on which to pounce, I kept coming up blank. No notes, Palace Prime. No notes.

Edible Magazine

GOOD VIBES

Jan 17, 2022 | Eat, Late Winter 2022

COME FOR THE FOOD AND STAY FOR THE BAR AT PALACE PRIME

By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron

Left: Bluenose bass with roasted carrots and potatoes and a cauliflower puree.
Right: The Mayan Monk with mezcal and Green Chartreuse.

The first time I stepped foot in Palace Prime, located on Santa Fe Plaza, I felt woefully underdressed. I had been invited to a friend’s birthday party in the bar/lounge area and, picturing the restaurant’s previous incarnation as the Palace Restaurant & Saloon, I wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a cowboy hat (it wasn’t even my good cowboy hat). As I walked through the entrance’s heavy brocade curtains, though, I was not transported to the Old West as expected, but to a time and place decidedly more chic. Thankfully, I soon discovered that despite its elegance, the new space fosters a fun and congenial atmosphere, which helped assuage my insecurities about being dressed for the county fair.

Since opening in late 2020, Palace Prime, and especially its lounge, has become a go-to spot for locals looking for upscale food and drink in an atmosphere that feels hipper and less stuffy than many of its fine-dining contemporaries. “We want to be the spot where people
celebrate special occasions, but also just come get a drink after work,” executive chef Rocky Durham tells me during a subsequent visit. “Locals have really responded to the bar and we want them to be our bread and butter. People come in with friends or make some new ones. It’s open and welcoming . . . with a youthful energy.” Palace Prime’s general manager, Julian Martinez, agrees, adding, “I like to think of [the bar] as an industry space or where people can come [late night] after a show and get a high-quality cocktail at an approachable price point.”

The restaurant’s aesthetic is an eclectic, yet cohesive, blend of upscale midcentury design (velvet booths, drum-shade light fixtures, bold colors), contemporary Southwestern art, and nods to the legacy property’s 170-year history (antique gold-framed mirrors and a wall preserving the former saloon’s signature flocked red wallpaper). The restaurant has three main sections, allowing patrons to “choose their own adventure,” if you will. The white-tableclothed formal dining room is perfect for intimate date nights, anniversary dinners, or, in my imagination, meetings between Madison Avenue ad men and their clients. Meanwhile, the dimly lit lounge is more casual. Diners often abandon their tables to go mingle at the long, backlit bar or, on Vinyl Sundays, put on a record of their choice. (Available LPs range from The Clash to Prince to Lana Del Rey, and guests are also encouraged to bring in their own.) Finally, a large outdoor patio makes for charming al fresco dining or can become a private party space—and a rowdy one, too, as I witnessed a few months back during a Wine and Chile Fiesta event.

“[As a new restaurant,] we’re still figuring out our identity and evolving all the time,” says Martinez.

Uniting the sections is the thoughtfully prepared food of Chef Durham. A veteran of the local fine-dining scene, Durham explains that after decades of training in the French technique, working in restaurants all over the world, and helming some of Santa Fe’s finest kitchens, he ended up working on the very street where he was born—Palace Avenue. (“Like a salmon coming back to spawn,” he quips.) His ever-changing menu encourages frequent visits to try seasonal dishes or the catch of the day. Seafood dishes have recently included a delectable crispy-skin bluenose bass with roasted carrots and potatoes and a cauliflower puree, and the meatiest mussels I have ever seen, paired with perfectly crisp french fries and Texas toast–like slices of buttered baguette. Turf is also well represented with items such as the herb-cured bison carpaccio, Prime steaks, and what Durham not-so-humbly refers to as “the best cheeseburger in town.” (As the saying goes, it ain’t bragging if it’s true.)

Left: Palace Prime dining room. Right: Butcher’s Martini,
and West Knoll Negroni with Ilegal Mezcal.

Durham says that while Palace Prime has been labeled a “modern steakhouse,” he feels the categorization is a bit misleading—almost every fine-dining restaurant has steaks and seafood, he points out. “I feel like we transcend that. It’s a dynamic menu of composed, contemporary cuisine made from high-quality ingredients.” Currently, the same menu is available in the lounge, though Durham and Martinez are planning a separate bar menu with late-night offerings in the near future.

Complementing the food is a stellar wine and cocktail menu, curated and concocted by Martinez and mixologist Todd Walker. Martinez raves about Walker’s “creative mind” for custom cocktails, cordials, garnishes, and infusions, whereas Martinez’s speciality is in the classics and revivals. As a devout mezcal drinker, I particularly enjoyed the sweet and smoky Mayan Monk: mezcal, Green Chartreuse, pink peppercorn-and-pineapple reduction, citrus, and frothy egg white. And I decided that the next time I get the burger, I’m pairing it with a Butcher’s Martini (with horseradish-infused vodka and house-made pickle and brine).

Executive chef Rocky Durham and general manager Julian Martinez at Palace Prime.

For Durham and Martinez, the service at Palace Prime is just as important as the food, drink, and ambience. “We wanted fresh minds and energy, and there are diamonds here,” Durham says. “Our servers are not [simply] order takers. They have great product knowledge and are there to inform and navigate.” The same is true of the kitchen staff. “There’s great energy all around and they keep me young,” the chef says. “Deep down inside, I’m a line cook. I love working with my crew.” That work culture, with Durham’s and Martinez’s reputations, have made the restaurant a desirable place to work. In a time when the vast majority of establishments are struggling to fill positions, Palace Prime is fully staffed.

On my most recent visit to Palace Prime, I once again sat in the bar (this time in a slightly nicer outfit). The lounge was leaning into its midcentury vibes that night with a playlist full of Mad Men-esque songs from Sam Cooke, Mel Tormé, and Ricky Nelson. At one point, I overheard a gentleman at the table next to me exclaim, “My God, the music is fantastic. It feels like Brooklyn, 1967.” As I sipped on my West Knoll Negroni (Ilegal Mezcal, Cappelletti, and house-blended vermouth), I realized the cocktail was analogous to Palace Prime—it’s a classic with an update.

142 W Palace, Santa Fe, 505-919-9935, palaceprimesf.com

The Liquid Muse

PALACE PRIME: LIVING ITS BEST LIFE

February 7, 2022

by Natalie Bovis

When my family moved to Santa Fe in 1974, I remember my parents springing for a babysitter so they could celebrate in one of the town’s iconic restaurants. At that time, the Palace Restaurant was a white tablecloth sort of establishment. A century before, it housed a legendary gambling hall and brothel. In the 1990s it had a stint as gaudy taco joint, and in more recent years, it found wobbly legs as a restaurant-slash-nightclub for the barfly scene. So, a few years ago, when the venue was sold, partially gutted and reinvented, yet again, the town was curious. A couple of notable chefs were attached, and then not… and then the pandemic shuttered everything, everywhere.

What has been born from the cocooned Palace Prime is exactly what Santa Fe has been needing. One step through the thick, embroidered curtains at the front door, a moody atmosphere with tendrils of its old west roots emerges. Softly lit red velvet swirls around cozy tables in the bar, and the modernized dining room hasn’t lost its sense of place or history. The vibe is upscale without being boring. It appeals to well-heeled retirees and also shimmers with a sexy amount of fun to attract younger people, too.

Julian Martinez, previously at Arroyo Vino, brings his wine, bar and hospitality knowledge to lead an array of respected professionals, several of whom also grew up in Santa Fe and have a special affection for the legendary space. Charles Dampf who is part of the management team is often found welcoming guests, and his made-to-order pasta business Quattro Mani will soon supply the restaurant with its doughy ribbons of delight. Todd Walker, one of Santa Fe’s favorite barmen, is back behind the bar after a few years away in Los Angeles. He is joined by a gracious and talented crew of bartenders. And, Executive Chef Rocky Durham has settled in with a sophisticated yet approachable menu that features classic delicacies such as escargot and steak tartare as well as unique bison carpaccio and a selection of steaks, seafood and sumptuous sides.

The drink menu is a thoughtful blend of classic drinks invigorated with creative twists and the offerings will expand once the warm weather allows for entertainment on the front, back and side patios. The outside spaces will certainly add to downtown’s must-do brunch and happy hour spots when the sun comes out and the DJs return to spice up the social scene.

On my first visit to Palace Prime, I paired the Butcher’s Martini with fresh oysters. The horseradish in the drink provides just enough of a kick to be an appropriate accompaniment to the mollusks without overpowering them.

When I visited Palace Prime again, recently, I started off with the Mayan Monk featuring mezcal, green chartreuse, pink peppercorn-pineapple reduction and egg white. It was a fun little aperitif and got my party started along with a sashimi special. I also had to try the escargot which were as herby, buttery and garlicky as I had hoped.

I also selected the Duck Confit special and Chef Rocky’s expertise with classic cuisine shone through, yet again. With this, I sipped a Greenpoint (a modern twist on a traditional Manhattan first created in New York around 2006) which was not on the menu. It is a rare delight to come across bartenders who actually know the modern classic cocktails, especially the stirred ones, so this pushed my already delightful experience at the bar into the realm of “oh, hell yes!”

My dining companion got an impressive pork dish which came with the green chile mac-n-cheese, the quintessential Santa Fe-inspired side dish populating high-end menus around town. On my next visit, I’d add Asparagus Bearnaise as a side because I’m a sucker for Continental dishes done well.

When splashing out, go for the Siberian Sturgeon Caviar served with properly with blini, egg, shallot and crème fraiche. More casual fare includes a house ground burger or shrimp cocktail. The excepted array of desserts include flourless chocolate cake, bread pudding, tiramisu, and so on - with green chile ice cream from La Lecheria as the most unique offering. And, the extensive, curated wine list has something exceptional for every taste.

Palace Prime is what locals asked for downtown. It can be a cozy neighborhood bar and fine dining restaurant in the winter months, and a lively indoor-outdoor day and evening hang out with great food and drinks in warm weather. It’s an upscale see-and-seen sort of place without being either trashy or snobby.

After the pandemic made socializing feel uncomfortable for the last couple of years, I’m excited to take my fully-vaccinated and boosted self out and about more often in the months to come. I hope to cross paths with everyone else living their best lives at the beautifully reimagined hot spot on Palace Avenue.