February 2024 - The Cut: Carmelita's Greek Restaurant
Tucked away in the Agora shopping Center in the sleepy Santa Fe suburb of Eldorado is a culinary treasure. Carmelita's Greek Restaurant is a refreshingly unpretentious, welcoming, reasonably-priced eatery that will please even the pickiest pallets. Finding a place to feed a family made up of carnivores, vegetarian, gluten intolerant, and fat-restrictive diets is always a challenge, but Carmelita's steps up to the challenge and knocks it out of the park. Speaking of "knocking it out of the park," an eon ago, as a teenager, I worked at a Home Run Pizza, where Carmelita's now resides. I digress. Let's return to the topic at hand, the mouthwatering cuisine.
I am a sucker for a good vegetarian burger, and boy, does she make a mean mushroom swiss. The Beyond Beef patty is grilled-to-perfection with sautéed mushrooms and onions, settled into the melty, gooey, sharp swiss. The pickles taste homemade, and she doesn't skimp on tomatoes. Like meat? Of course, she has regular burgers that get two thumbs up from my carnivore dad. The French fries come in "regular" and "extra crisp." Frankly, I can't decide which is better. For those that want the taste of Greece, she has something called the Greek Feast, which is a heaping portion of Greek salad covered in roasted red peppers, olives, dolmas, feta, hummus, pita bread, and your choice of lamb and beef shawarma, chicken souvlaki or falafel. Now for the Gyros - with gyro meat, chicken souvlaki or falafel, delectable tzatziki, lettuce, and tomato. Whatever you decide on, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Carmelita’s is poli kala (Greek for so damn good)! The next time you're cruising to Colorado via I-25 or taking a leisurely drive along 285, take the 5-minute detour to Carmelita's and experience the best Greek food in Northern New Mexico.
Open Wednesday Through Saturday, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.