Saturday, December 6, 7:00 pm
Members $90, guests $115

“The city of Santa Fe is simply perfection at Christmastime,” Maria Sutherland wrote on SantaFe.com. “The crisp air is filled with the scent of piñon, stars pinpoint a midnight blue sky, softly glowing farolitos line adobe buildings and streets, and carolers’ voices waft around a bonfire.” Drawing on its heritage of Native American, Mexican, and Spanish flavors, Santa Fe’s chile-accented cuisine is especially well suited to Christmas as well. Preparing a Santa Fe Christmas for us will be Kelly Rogers, who opened Railyard Restaurant and Bar this fall.

Last time Rogers came to the House, it was as the chef of La Casa Sena, where he worked for nine years; the Albuquerque Journal described his menu there as “a symphony of dining pleasures.” It comes as no surprise that at Railyard, he is already receiving raves. Lynn Cline, critic for The New Mexican, gave Railyard four stars in all categories—food, service, atmosphere, and value—writing, “Sometime after my second or third bite…I decided that the Santa Fe Restaurant and Bar is going to be a hot spot.” Along with a picturesque setting and mountain and sunset views, the key ingredient for this hot spot is the “really great food,” per Cline. Highlights include the “perfect autumn dish” of slow-roasted achiote and orange-brined pork loin, the “rich, tender, and juicy” hanger steak with shallot butter and asparagus, and the desserts that Rogers prepares himself such as chocolate bread pudding with white chocolate sauce and red chile–piñon brittle ice cream.

Rogers has been a part of the Santa Fe restaurant scene since he moved there in 1988 to run the kitchens of the Inn of the Governors. Since then he has worked at some of the city’s top restaurants—Coyote Café under Mark Miller, Beard Foundation America’s Classic’s winner Café Pasqual’s, and the historic Santacafe. Rogers is a board member of the Santa Fe Area Farmer’s Market and the annual Santa Fe Fiesta. He has also participated in the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta and Taste of Summer festivals for many years. Over the years, Rogers has shown his strong ties to the farm and restaurant communities of Santa Fe, which have now embraced his latest venture.

Railyard Bar and Grill, Cline wrote, “might just be exactly what I’ve been missing.”