Some longtime Santa Feans, such as yours truly, sometimes find ourselves suddenly realizing we’ve never been inside such-and-such business/shop/restaurant. At least for my own part, this happens when I’m wandering downtown and happen to look into some window and think, “Oh, right, that’s that place.” But the longer I write about food in town, the more I find myself looking to fill gaps with restaurants of which I’m aware yet never made the time to visit. This week, that restaurant is Apothecary Dining (133 W San Francisco St., (505) 986-5037).
Owner Kadimah Levanah runs the business under her One Sacred banner, which also includes a nearby day spa, the Santa Fe Oxygen and Healing Bar, what is apparently an events space called The Kaverns (into which I must admit I’ve also never tread) and the restaurant, where at long last I dined.
Full disclosure, I have a bit of an immediate ick when it comes to businesses that lean into…shall we say the hippie-ish arts—or that even seem kind of hippie-ish. Blame my folks, blame the people who write me every August to remind me Woodstock was awesome, blame the panic attacks cannabis started to give me, blame what you like; usually I’m looking for something a little less crystal-worshipping when it comes to dining, but I have to say that Apothecary itself does a wonderful job with ambiance, aesthetic and all-around dining room comfort at that little Plaza-adjacent spot. The lighting is romantic, the eclectic vibe of the decor is charming and the air is one of carefully considered food that is gluten-free, sourced regionally whenever possible and served up a little more mindfully than food-hits-plate.
That said, the menu is a tad daunting. This isn’t a negative by any means, but rather a challenging element that might find diners second-guessing their orders because that other item sounded so good, too. Diners with health-based, personal or even self-imposed restrictions might also be glad to know Apothecary is all about sustainability, vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options, substitutions for those with allergies and, at least during our meal, highly focused on freshness.
My companion and I began with chips and a trio of salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole ($16), a nice little amuse that might best be described as chunky-in-the-best-way. I’ve grown tired of pureed guacs and I want my pico to have a bright zing, and these certainly had that. The app also piqued our appetites and throttled us full-tilt into a menu that touched upon anything from salads and soups and an enticing grilled cheese sandwich to a Christmas chile cheeseburger, bison ribs, sandwiches, yucca-based flatbreads and more. While toiling over that, I enjoyed a zero-proof 02 Mojito Boost (or faux-jito, if you will) that featured fresh pineapple and lime juice, a bit of mint and chloroxygen, a supplement/combo of oxygen and chlorophyllin that apparently helps with oxygenation in the blood. My knee-jerk reaction was to ponder the history of snake oil, but I actually did feel pretty sporty after downing that mocktail, even if its $12 price tag seemed kind of steep.
By the time we were ready for entrees, I’d second-guessed myself about a hundred times, but ultimately landed on Lady Nada’s Lemon Chicken ($33). This dish featured chicken from organic brand Mary’s, plus ghee (a type of clarified butter if you’ve never looked into Indian cuisine or hippie-core food) and garlic served atop what Apothecary’s menu described as “Greek” fries (Bulgarian feta, paisley and tomatoes plus Mediterranean herbs). Like my drink, I found the price of the dish just a little bit high, and having envisioned a chicken breast atop those fries, I was surprised to instead get pre-cut bites. Any trepidation quickly faded, however, as this was easily some of the best-prepared chicken I’ve tasted in some time. Crispy on the outside and bursting with tenderness and flavor on the inside, each little bite worked so brilliantly with the fries, not to mention the impossibly crispy Mediterranean salad that came on the side. Thinking back to almost ordering the burger made me feel silly that I might have missed out on a new local favorite chicken dish.
My companion waffled between vegan and not-so-vegan enchiladas for a time before settling on the house-made sprouted falafel ($24). Apothecary’s menu features a little “Award Winning!” logo next to its falafel text, though our server couldn’t quite tell us what award that was—perhaps something to do with Santa Fe Restaurant Week, he thought. Given how efficiently and friendly he was the rest of the evening (same goes for the worker who sat us and then diligently researched and taught us about chloroxygen when we asked about its presence in the drinks), we let it slide. Once again, I must point out what I consider a high-ish price for a dish, but we are, of course, talking about downtown dining here—and it’s pretty much worth it in this instance, too. Each little falafel was satisfyingly crunchy on the outside, and their innards were seasoned and executed quite well. Santa Fe has some pretty awesome falafel options, honestly (SFR’s offices are in the same building as Cleopatra, so…), but I’ll put this one on my recs list for anyone who asks if there’s falafel in a restaurant that also feels cool to hang around.
I’ll also tout Apothecary’s desserts here, as they’re not only well-considered, they’re sweetened with natural stuff like honey and maple syrup in most cases. We once again waffled between choices like a chia pudding made with coconut milk and a chocolate mousse served with house-made coconut-based whipped cream and granola. We opted for a dessert of fresh berries and coconut cream itself served atop a raspberry puree ($15), and this was a wise choice. Not only was the cream vegan, it featured notably nuanced vanilla notes and a thick texture akin to frosting, only so much more delicious. As a bonus, we got to eat a little something sweet without feeling overstuffed or the slightest tinge of regret that can come from ordering desserts. Don’t get me wrong, I never think of dessert as a hunger-based choice, it’s just nice to not regret it.
Including tip, our entire meal ran just over $130. At the time, I surely felt a bit of sticker shock. But when I consider the shape of the world right now, the quality of the ingredients at Apothecary and what I can only assume is the type of overhead that might drive one mad, I’ll concede that the cost was not particularly shocking. Still, this makes it a little hard to recommend the spot to every diner across the board. Apothecary has breakfast and lunch options that skew a more affordably, however, so take solace there. If you’re looking for a nice evening out with a partner or potential lover or something, though, this is a smart choice. You’ll get a solid meal that won’t leave you feeling too full, and that, friends, is the first step on the road to Smoochtown.
Dining and Cooking