Hike + Tacos: Rio en Medio and El Parasol
The other morning, Rose and I hopped into the car with my friend Barbara and Lucy, her sweet red Labrador puppy, and went for a hike — to Rio en Medio, east of Tesuque and just a mile or two past Ali MacGraw’s house. In other words, way outside of the city limits of Santa Fe.
Our hour and a half or so hike was spectacular, and a wonderful test for my newish boots, which stayed dry despite our numerous river crossings, many of them right into the water…which as you can see, didn’t bother Rosedog one bit.
We walked and walked and sat near the waterfall while Rose barked and she and Lucy played tug-a-war with a stick.
All of that natural beauty really made us hungry, so afterwards, Barbara suggested we go to the best taco place around — El Parasol in the nearby town of Pojaque. It’s slightly fancier than the one in Santa Fe that’s just a to-go place, Barbara told me. They have a patio.Which is where we dined.
The lowdown on the tacos?
They were:
1. Fried.
2. Cheap — just $2.5o for a chicken taco with guacamole.
3. Crazy good.
El Parasol also offers chile cheese fries, which I saw a couple of people eating, which I may need to try the next time. For research, mind you. They also have breakfast burritos of all kinds — with potato and cheese, bacon, ham, chorizo, or sausage–which I could eat every day. I LOVE breakfast burritos.
El Parasol has two locations in Santa Fe (one’s eat-in — yay), and in Los Alamos and Española, where the little chain began in 1958. I like the idea of stopping in for breakfast or a late lunch on the way to Taos. Or on the way anywhere.
El Parasol
30 Cities of Gold Road
Pojaque, NM
505/455-7185
