Eat in Southside, Santa Fe

Arroyo Vino ★ 4.6

Arroyo Vino pairs a 600-bottle wine shop with a Contemporary American kitchen ten minutes west of the Plaza; bottles are retail-plus-$20 corkage.

Signature: Housemade spaghetti al Amatriciana, Stracciatella with pickled strawberries and prosciutto, Classic meatballs with grilled focaccia

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen ★ 4.4

Maria's has anchored Cordova Road since 1950 with 150-plus hand-shaken margaritas, 170 tequilas and chile-laced plates served with hand-rolled tortillas.

Signature: Green chile enchiladas, Carne adovada plate, Hand-rolled tortillas

Clafoutis French Bakery ★ 4.7

Philippe and Anne Laure Ligier bake 800 to 1,000 hand-rolled pastries daily at Clafoutis on Cordova Road, a hard-French operation in a southwestern adobe.

Worth the queue: Almond croissant and the namesake clafoutis

Chocolate Maven Bakery & Cafe ★ 4.4

Chocolate Maven has run a brunch-and-cake operation in Santa Fe around three decades; an open kitchen lets you watch the pastry team while you eat.

Worth the queue: Green chile croissant and Nutella banana waffle

Arroyo Vino Wine Shop ★ 4.6

The Arroyo Vino wine shop houses 600 bottles next to the restaurant; the on-list corkage is bottle price plus $20, the kitchen plates while you sip retail.

Signature pour: By-the-glass natural Burgundy

Wine focus: Old World and natural, 600 bottles available retail

Food: Snacks and full-menu access from the attached restaurant

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen Margarita Bar ★ 4.5

Maria's pours over 150 hand-shaken margaritas and stocks 170 tequilas in a Cordova Road cantina since 1950; former owner Al Lucero wrote the Margarita Book.

Signature drink: Maria's Special margarita (Casa Noble Crystal and Cointreau)

Food: Full New Mexican menu

Santa Fe Bite ★ 4.4

Santa Fe Bite, the employee-owned heir of the iconic Bobcat Bite (opened 2013), grinds 10-ounce green chile cheeseburgers in-house on St. Michael's Drive.

Try: Green chile cheeseburger

Santa Fe Bite ★ 4.4

Santa Fe Bite, employee-owned heir to the iconic Bobcat Bite chile-burger lineage; the 10-oz patty under $18 pulls St. Michael's Drive crowds Tue through Sun.

Try: Green chile cheeseburger

Arroyo Vino ★ 4.6

Why locals love it: A 10-minute drive west of the Plaza on Camino La Tierra puts most visitors off; the 600-bottle list at $20 over retail makes the trip pay back fast.

Tip: Pick a bottle in the shop, walk it next door to the table, pay retail plus $20; the kitchen plates around it.

Chocolate Maven ★ 4.4

Chocolate Maven has run a Santa Fe brunch around three decades; the open pastry kitchen and a long Best of Santa Fe streak are the morning draws.

Order: Green chile quiche or Nutella banana waffles