I have wanted to go to Fiesta Qaxaca for a long time. It is in downtown Santa Fe close to the Plaza. I don’t usually go that far into town. I tried going to Santarepa Cafe, but it was closed. Santarepa Cafe has been closed since March 21, 2020 even thought their website stated that they were doing carry-outs.
Fiesta Oaxaca serves Vegan Mexican food as well as regular Mexican Food. I called and asked the owner what he would recommend of his vegan choices. I was already set to order the enchiladas suizas and the Mole de Oaxaca. He suggested that I try his Chile en Nogada. I said ok. All I knew about this dish was there was a chile involved and it was vegan.
First of all enchiladas suizas are my favorite Mexican Food. When I lived in Chicago, Lydia’s was the place to get them. The cook would see me enter the small restaurant and know that was what I was going to order, enchiladas suizas with cheese. Yes, once I find a food item I like, that’s how it is.
I haven’t tried enchiladas suizas(11) since Chicago. These enchiladas were worth the wait. Wow! The house made filling was vegan. The filling had carrots, apple, and I think plantains. It was incredible! The sauce on top of the enchiladas was a delightful green. It was a very sophisticated sauce with lots of flavors and taste. My taste buds were very happy. The enchiladas came with rice and beans. Once again, I had black beans with perfectly cooked rice. It was the best! I thought that the beans were cooked with salt but it wasn’t a lot of salt. I am very sensitive to salt. I can taste it immediately. The rice tasted of salt as well. But you know what, there really wasn’t very much salt involved because my fingers did not swell. the beans and rice were the perfect accompaniment to the suizas. The enchiladas were quickly devoured.
I was told that the Mole de Oaxaca(12) was also incredible. I tasted the mole which I thought was very good. I am not a mole fan so that was very high praise coming from me. The mole fan was extremely impressed. I was told that each family from, and in, Mexico has their own version of mole. Once again there was the house-made vegan meat topped with mole that was made with chocolate, peppers, seeds, plantain, tomato, garlic and various spices. It looked impressive and was absolutely wonderful. So much so that I have to figure out a real good reason to go back.
But I hadn’t even tried the Chile en Nogada, which was a roasted poblano pepper. I hate fried and coated with bread crumbs peppers. It just doesn’t work for me. Plus it is greasy, I love greasy as much as the next person but it doesn’t like me. The house-made vegan meat filling was the same as noted before. This delicious filling was placed inside the roasted pepper. The roasted pepper was topped with a creamy vegan almond and walnut sauce. On top of the sauce were some artfully placed pomegranate seeds. It tasted as good as it looked. Yes, it was the most expensive items of the menu(14) but it was really worth it.
I thought it was a very clever marketing tool to have photographs of your take out items posted on the door. Hours are:12-7 except Sunday and Wednesday. Credit cards are accepted. You can also get delivery by Fetch.
Santa Fe City Different Foodie 