Blue Adobe

Santa Fe has the Pink Adobe.

Scottsdale and Mesa have the Blue Adobe. While the two are not related, both feature New Mexico-style Mexican food. The blue version provides the distinctive flavors of Santa Fe, a culinary Mecca for sure.

“The food is hot only to the point that it can be enjoyed,” said Managing Partner Jose Leyva. “If you like the food less spicy we can tone it down.”

The Blue Adobe Grille is an upscale restaurant and features a combination of New Mexico style dishes, along with Southwestern fare. The establishment differentiates the food with “blue plate” offerings of Southwestern cooking, while the “adobe plates” highlight food from New Mexico.

The menu provides a wide variety of dishes from meat, fish, sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads. On the Southwestern side, such items as pecan grilled pork tenderloin, chorizo stuffed chicken and ancho salmon are offered.

The adobe plates include lobster tamales, enchanted garden enchiladas and blue seafood enchiladas. There also are combination plates to give diners a chance to try more than one entrée.

“I think people who eat our food have a hard time going back to the standard type of Mexican food served in the Valley,” Leyva said. “Our menu gets great feedback from our customers.”

While the “typical” style of Mexican food in the Valley is Sonoran, Leyva said New Mexican style is a variation of that type. There are enchiladas, tacos and burros, but with flavors more common in New Mexico. Smoky flavors of cumin and chipotle chiles are popular, as are Hatch (N.M.) chiles. Cilantro also is a favorite flavor in New Mexico.

Leyva said lobster, salmon and halibut would be unusual in Sonoran-style food, but they are common in New Mexican provisions. Instead of refried beans popular in Sonoran meals, New Mexican fare favors pinto or black beans. A feature at the Blue Adobe is its pinto beans, which are spiced “to perfection,” Leyva said.

Leyva said his favorite menu item is the “land of enchantment.” The dish features pecan grilled beef tenderloins topped with jumbo chipotle shrimp and jalapeño hollandaise. The special is accompanied by a chicken enchilada smothered in red chile sauce, a green chile potato and sautéed vegetables.

“It’s a delicious dish,” Leyva said.

In addition to a wide selection of entrees, appetizers, soups and salads, the Blue Adobe has a full bar with a “margarita of the month” special, as well as an eclectic wine list. Featured tequilas range from Cuervo Gold to Patron Anejo, with all types in between. The bar features strawberry, mango, prickly pear and lime margaritas, along with draft and bottled beers.

All the wines are available by the glass, as well as by the bottle. The house wine is Copperidge, featuring a full flight of Chardonnay, white Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot.

The restaurant also offers Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, as well as Pinot Noir, Shiraz from Australia, a Syrah from Mendocino County (California) and a Zinfandel from Lodi, Calif.

“We have a really nice wine list that has recently been upgraded,” Leyva said. “The prices are reasonable, and the selection is excellent.”

Happy Hour is featured Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. There are drink specials, along with half price on select appetizers.

The original Blue Adobe opened in June 2000 at 144 N. Country Club in Mesa. The Scottsdale restaurant, located at 10885 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., opened in April 2004.

The Scottsdale location is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Call (480) 314-0550 for reservations in Scottsdale. The Mesa store can be reached by calling (480) 962-1000.

This story was featured February 2007 .