In my continuing quest to find Italian food, I was delighted to hear that a new Italian food truck, Il Encanto Pasta & Grill is in Santa Fe near the Round House.
We really had to try this place. The menu consists of pastas, panini, salads, a build your own pasta, and specials of the day.
I was kind of overwhelmed with my choices so this time I decided to try the al funghi (mushroom) panini(12.50). I enjoy panini. I was excited that the panini came with house made focaccia. The made the deal for me. It was an easy choice. I figured I could build my own pasta on the next visit.
Ok, the focaccia was unlike any kind I have ever had. I haven’t been to many cities in Italy so I’m not sure of the different variations. This focaccia reminded me of a flat bread. It was good but not what I was expecting. There were also no press marks on the focaccia with was puzzling to me. This meant that the panini wasn’t grilled. The portabello mushrooms were oven roasted and tasted very good. The caramelized onion definitely added to the favor as did the roasted red peppers. The goat cheese added a nice tang as did the fresh mozzarella. But the Balsamic glaze was the icing on the cake. Wow! That was so good at tying the entire panini together. However the star on my meal was the potatoes with red pepper flakes. What a fabulous idea! I was given an extra packet of red pepper flakes to spice up those potatoes.
We also had number 3, Linguine with grilled eggplant (13.95). The pasta was delicious. It was also a good sized portion. The eggplant were a little tough because the skin was left on the eggplant. Again something I wasn’t used to having. We were given a slice of bread with a container of extra cheese. Both were nice touches.
When I am in the neighborhood again I would definitely try the build your own pasta(starting at 10.99). I think it would be interesting to have their penne with Arrabiata sauce.
Hours: 11-8 Phone: (505) 470-2684) You can also order on-line on square site.
Il Encanto has a loyalty program for locals. I think after 10 times, you get a free dish.
This is a very tough call because Bruno’s Pizza is in the same vicinity. Il Encanto is located near Kaune’s Neighborhood Market on Old Santa Fe Trail and Craft Donuts.
