Cafe Grazie — Restaurant in Santa Fe

tl;dr 4.1 stars rating for the price

Complimentary bread was given to us, an excellent sign good food is coming. The bread was lightly toasted, and was simple compared to the O Eating House's lemon focassia but still was wonderful as a starter with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil provided at the table. 5 stars as it is good and free.

My partner had their Ravioli with a sage cream sauce, which was immaculate. 5 stars, way above expectations. It came with a simple salad that looked pretty, but without the bread dipping balsamic and olive oil, salt and pepper, it would be terribly bland. Without dressing as server, 2 stars, with dressing 3. Overall the ravioli still maintains 5 stars as a meal.

I had the Frito Misto which was similar to the O Eating House's Calamari, but unfortunately the cooking times need to be adjusted, as the scallop was perfect, but the shrimp and squid tubes and tentacles were overcooked, and the breading was not light and crispy, but rather hard and stuff and crumbly which kinda worked after softening in the wonderful sweet marinara. However the breading also was slightly off, in flavor. Though all of these criticisms are minor, this dish was average, 3 stars.

The soup of the day was simple and 4 stars, exceeding the average, but could use some basil to compliment the tomato.

My mother had the Goat Cheese Salad which was also above average at 4 stars.

The Tiramisu was small, but of high quality. It was the first time my partner had tiramisu. (I have had it at multiple pizzarias across New Mexico). I'd say for the price it is well above average for the Tiramisu based on taste alone, but due to the size it is above average. 4 stars as well.

All these ratings are based on the price point for each menu item as my partner and mother encouraged me to taste everything they ordered. For the price, the Frito Misto is still ok, but everything else was exceptional. The service was above average as well, few staff but very active and friendly.

Overall I would say 4.4 stars for the price point, will update when I eat there again which I plan to soon!

Edit: (late review since I didn't know I could edit this review until now) I returned and ate again with friends, having the scallops, but it was dry and overcooked and bland. I noticed none of the fish dishes seem to be cooked properly, always overcooked and underseasoned.

My thoughts are that the food is still really good, but avoid the fish and seafood dishes as either the ingredients are like this due to being improperly frozen/ stored, or really messed up when cooking, though sadly this is normal for the New Mexico area. Everything else is still good however! Still recommend the...

Thursday, December 22, 2022 12:00 pm

Restaurants often have one outstanding feature whether ambiance, cuisine or service, Cafe Grazie has all of these. We celebrated the Holiday Season with lunch at this intimate Italian restaurant with a big personality. Don’t be put off by the location next to Dominos Pizza and overlooking the Albertson’s parking lot. Once through the front door you smell the sauce cooking and see the white tablecloths and contemporary art on the bright white walls, the exterior is forgotten. I ordered Salciccia Di Vitello (Ground Pork seasoned with Chili Piquin, Rosemary and Thyme and a Basil Garlic Marinara sauce,) a house salad and a glass of chianti. The sauce had the deep rich flavor that comes when it cooks for hours over a low flame. Outstanding! My husband had the Prosciutto Caprese Panini with thin slices of Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic Glaze on House Made Bread (very flavorful) with Tomato Garlic soup (especially good.) For dessert we shared Tiramisu and Panna Cotta. The savoiardi (ladyfingers) in the Tiramisu were moist with a hint of wine and the cheese layers were light and fluffy. It was topped with red and black raspberries on a white serving plate dotted with chocolate. The panna cotta (cooked creme), similar to creme brulee, was drizzled with raspberry sauce and a sculpted strawberry on the side. An upscale restaurant without upscale prices lunch ranges from $12 to $19 with $7 desserts. We are sure to be back for other lunches...

It's not really fair to judge any place based on a New Year's Eve first visit so take this review with a grain of salt. Overall, it's a good, solid neighborhood Italian spot but there is room for improvement.

The service was not great but they were trying. Two items in our order were incorrect and one of our items was delivered to someone else's table. But on the plus side, no one seemed stressed or irritated even though it was a completely full house.

The wine list is basic but adequate. The food, overall, was a B. But this is a pleasant, inexpensive place and a very good value. That said, my honest assessment of the food is this. The calamari rings in the Fritto Misto were very overcooked but the larger pieces (like the shrimp) were perfectly done. But it was all swimming in a very liquid sauce that was much too citric and acidic for my taste and turned things soggy. The Chicken Parm was a solid B and a large portion. The Risotto de Mare was one-dimensional with heavy saffron and not much other flavor -- but the rice itself was perfectly cooked. The star of the night was the Salsiccia di Vitello -- truly an outstanding, top-notch sauce. The critic in me thinks that such a hearty sauce would be better paired with a more robust pasta, like a rigatoni, rather than the over-cooked mini penne it was served with, but it was absolutely delicious and we ate every bite.

In summary, some things could be improved but this seems like a solid, good value spot that we will...