2 Best Restaurants in Day Trips from Santa Fe, New Mexico

On the Low Road to Taos just a five-minute drive from the center of Dixon, New Mexico's oldest woman-owned brewery dispenses not only nicely crafted ales—the crisp Rinconada Raspberry Rye and malty La Llorona Scottish Ale are great choices—but also tasty pizzas, salads, and desserts. Have a seat in the art-filled dining room, where you can also taste wine from the nearby La Chiripada Winery, or out on the cottonwood-shaded patio. There's a second location in Española.

In a century-old adobe hacienda tucked into the mountains, with whitewashed walls, hand-stripped vigas, and cozy dining rooms, the Rancho de Chimayó is still owned and operated by the family that first occupied the house. Consistently good, reasonably priced New Mexican fare is served (the carne adovada with posole is especially good), and it's hard to deny the enchanting ambience of the place. There's a fireplace in winter and, in summer, a terraced patio shaded by catalpa trees. Breakfast is served on weekends. The owners also run a charming four-bedroom B&B, Hacienda de Chimayó, across the road.