Whoa, he sounds like Tracy Chapman

After cocktails, we went to the Inn and Spa at Loretto on the Old Santa Fe Trail for dinner. We sat outside on the patio of the hotel’s restaurant, Baleen Santa Fe. The patio had a white canopy and it looked like the kind of place where you could have a small wedding.

Matthew Andrea played guitar, and if you closed your eyes, he sounded like a less-raspy Tracy Chapman. Andrea played covers, originals and instrumentals. He complemented the vibe with a soothing set that wasn’t too loud, but still audible enough to sing along if you wanted.

The hotel is one of those fancy places where the food looks pretty, the portions look small and your bill looks big. I ate the giant sea scallop with mussels in a broth. My mom tried the poached Halibut with forbidden rice. (It’s dark purple and sweet. The waiter said ancient Chinese emperors served it to their concubines.) My girl and Sue ate the salmon.

After eating, I was surprisingly stuffed and had little room for sopadillas (a fried pastry square filled with rich dark chocolate) for dessert. I preferred my mom’s hot doughnuts and my girl’s apple tart topped with ice cream.

If you’re going to Santa Fe, the Loretto is definitely worth a splurge. And they don’t have any mosquitoes in Santa Fe, so you can sit outside without dousing yourself in Off.