Chef James Campbell Caruso was one of the first local chefs to spring into action when our culinary community was crippled by the pandemic in 2020. I marveled at how quickly he adjusted to take out, and even constructed his own charming sidewalk patio as most of us were still riding the mind-boggling waves of uncertainty.
A favorite amongst locals and visitors since 2006, La Boca is his cozy downtown eatery offering an appetizing selection of tapas, paella, Spanish wine and sherry, which I especially enjoy. Chef Caruso is inspired by the bold flavors and exuberance of Spanish gastronomy, featuring imported ingredients while still celebrating locally-grown foods of New Mexico.
His swift ability to transition to a most unusual year allowed La Boca to keep generating revenue for his 40-person staff, which is something Caruso takes very seriously.
“We have watched our staff grow, get married, have children, grieve, face challenges, start their own businesses, navigate difficult times, etc. I have always proclaimed that we, the small businesses, are the job creators, not the big corporations. Especially in hospitality, we offer good paying jobs with room for advancement and on-the-job training that many sectors or our economy no longer offer. When the pandemic hit, my biggest concern was the staff. How will we keep people employed and give them the opportunity to make money to pay bills and rent? We had to find creative ways to keep everyone afloat. We had mixed success, but I was happy that during the Summer and Fall we were able to keep servers and cooks working for wages and tips. We did everything in our power for the team and found various ways to keep payroll flowing.”
Pictured above: La Boca’s Spanish cheese & meats platter and classic Paella.
Originally from Norwood, Massachusetts, James moved to Santa Fe in 1996 when he took a Sous Chef position at La Casa Sena. He credits his wife, Leslie, herself a passionate pastry chef and culinary instructor, as his inspiration in the culinary arts. I have long appreciated Chef Caruso’s sincere concern for people and community. And, if cooking is an act of love, James loves deeply. When asked about a life-changing moment in his career, he shared this memory:
“A customer who had a terminal illness asked me to cook paella for her and deliver it to her house. She knew it was going to be one of her last meals and she passed away a few days later. This was one of those “flash of lightning” illuminating moments that allowed me to clearly see some truth. It made me feel the connection to humanity and community. I realized at that moment that I am not doing this for accolades, awards, money or competition with other chefs. I honestly don’t care about any of this. She inspired me to form my philosophy about what I do, which is [that] food matters, hospitality matters, the social aspects of dining out and sharing food and drink are an important part of how we interact with each other as a community. At La Boca, we are engaged daily in making decisions about the ingredients, preparation, freshness of meals for other people. That is a very intimate relationship which we take very seriously. We also genuinely want our guests to enjoy their time with us and with each other, so everything we do, every decision we make before our guests arrive is inextricably fused with that goal. "
After ploughing through a hellova year, Chef James took a brief hiatus to revamp the restaurant and menu, and will reopen on Wednesday March 3rd. There will be seating on two patios, limited indoor seating, and they hope to start expanding hours and tables as soon as possible. Several mouth-watering new dishes will be available some of which are listed below - I cannot wait!
Fideua, squid ink angel hair cooked in the style of paella with calamares and saffron aioli
Rabo de Toro, Tempranillo slow braised oxtail with Spanish Bomba Rice
Slow braised pork ribs with membrillo glaze that has ginger, clove, Sherry vinegar and smoked paprika
Catalan Spinach Salad
A new section of Basque style Pintxos. La Boca is partnering with Sage Bakehouse for the Pintxos toasts and Baquettes for the table AND with Revolution Bakery for Gluten free Pintxos options.
Lots of new wines, sherries and vermouths
Now is the time for locals to support our restaurant industry by ordering out, and when safe, dining out. The future of Santa Fe dining depends on both the community and local government. While tourism is the city’s main industry, local customers keep restaurants alive year-round and provide the labor force. We have many issues to address in Santa Fe as the continued influx of newcomers drives up real estate prices and the economy is still quivering in the aftermath of the pandemic. Our restaurants have always been the economic glue holding this town together. Chef James shares his thoughts on this topic:
“I am proud to be a part of our culinary scene. There is a fierce energy and supportiveness within the independently owned and operated restaurants, chef community, wine professionals, journalists and event coordinators. The scope seems to be getting more diverse with exciting new concepts coming into play. This is a challenging business, and my hope is that City and State leaders can get more involved in the economic development and recovery of this important part of our strength as a tourist destination. For example, we need to seriously examine some of our archaic, restrictive and cost prohibitive liquor license issues. Many of these laws and restrictions cause restaurants to close very early while we spend millions of dollars in Tourism to try to attract visitors from all over the globe. I feel like we could offer these folks, and locals too, more if we could develop a more vibrant nightlife in Santa Fe.”
I could not agree more, James.
Check out the website for menu offerings and book a table or order take-out. The restaurant will be open Wednesday thru Sunday 3-8 pm.
And - did you know that Chef Caruso is also a musician? Check out his fantastic band, The Long Gone.
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