TAOS, NEW MEXICO, USA -- Taos has lots of terrific places to eat, and two were so outstanding, it was impossible for me to choose my favorite Taos restaurant between Villa Fontana and Lambert's - two very different styles of restaurants with different menus, but equal levels of quality. (Local friends tell me that had not Chef Joseph Wrede been on vacation the week I visited, his Joseph's Table Restaurant would have surely made the top list too - so I'll have to go back and report on that in the future.)

Villa Fontana

It's difficult to define Villa Fontana's chef/owner Carlo Gislimberti, for he's a man of many talents and accomplishments -- world acclaimed Italian chef (who has, surprisingly, settled in the small, albeit hip, southwestern haven), fine art painter, successful restaurateur, mycophogist, teacher, Cavaliere (the Italian equivalent of Knight) and (most recently) nude calendar model!

But perhaps it's not so surprising after all that a chef who considers his cooking art would settle in a town that so reveres art, in all its glorious forms. While Gislimberti admits that painting helps him relieve the stress of hectic restaurant life, especially since recovering from cardiac bypass surgery, he approaches art like cooking.

"Before I begin a painting I prepare everything, much like mise en place in cooking. Once I begin I have to continue until I finish, I can't stop until it's completed," says Carlo.

But despite the beauty of the colorful paintings that adorn Villa Fontana's walls, Taos regulars know Gislimberti primarily by his kitchen prowess. His restaurant manages to mix old world European elegance with a comfortable homey hospitality - it's the kind of place where if you visit more than once, they'll remember you the second time.

From the outside, Villa Fontana looks any number of other southwestern pueblo style houses that dot the landscape around this part of the world. Inside, it's easy to forget you're actually in New Mexico and not somewhere in Carlo's native northern Italy.

Diners feel as at home here, as if they were guests in the actual home of Carlo Gislimberti and his wife/business partner Siobhan. And in fact, they are. Villa Fontana is housed in a former residence and its proprietors still live on premises in an upstairs apartment -- trés European.

Carlo and Siobhan can frequently be spotted flitting around the dining room, greeting and genially interacting with regular customers, along with newcomers experiencing the delight of discovering -- for the first time -- this Italian culinary treasure in the heart of the New Mexico dessert.

One epicurean infatuation that rises above all others for Carlo Gislimberti is his love of wild mushrooms. He first learned to appreciate fungi as a child growing up in the Dolomite Mountains of Northern Italy and continued his education in mushrooms while studying at the Culinary Academy in Italy. Business opportunities may have first brought Carlo Gislimberti to the Southwest, but it was the abundance of wild mushrooms growing in the nearby mountains that enticed him to stay.

According to Carlo, "Mushrooms cross all lines of ethnicity. Almost very culture uses them in their cuisines."

Depending on the time of year, Gislimberti can be found foraging in the woods surrounding Taos for Porcini, Chanterelles, Morelles, Shaggy Manes and other mycological treasures. The skills he started learning as a child in his native Italy still serve him well in his new home. He initiated a state certification program in New Mexico for those qualified to identify edible mushrooms. So far he is the only trained chef to qualify. That's good news for patrons of Villa Fontana who can feast on a host of menu offerings made with the fruits of Carlo's foraging labors. Try the Crema di Fungi di Bosco (Cream of Wild Mushroom Soups) -- a house specialty; Porcini di Bosco alla Milanese (wild porcini mushrooms breaded and lightly sautéed; Ravioli di Fungi al Gorgonzola (mushroom ravioli served with gorgonzola sauce); or Risotto con Porcini Calleverde (arborio risotto with porcini, radicchio and salami).

All the mushrooms served at Villa Fontana are hand picked by the chef himself. He carefully dries and freezes the mushrooms to preserve them for use at the restaurant throughout the year.

Carlo and his restaurant have won countless awards and accolades -- including recognition by the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa) and being named by prestigious Italian guidebook author Luigi Veronelli as one the top ten Italian chefs in the United States. In 1999 in Rome, for his service to the culture and cuisine of Italy, Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalforo knighted Chef Carlo Cavaliere.

At Villa Fontana, Gislimberti meticulously prepares classic Northern Italian dishes with a playful southwest flare. For instance -- Parma Prosciutto and fresh melon are formed into a Tee Pee for a distinctively Taos take on a traditional favorite (click for our cooking tutorial with Chef Gislimberti to make it at home). Stop in any time you're craving Italian food in a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

Lambert's

While generally trendier and more on the culinary cutting edge than Villa Fontana, Lambert's is nonetheless also housed in a Spanish style adobe structure (as are most buildings in this part of the world). The fare is innovative yet approachable, and pulls its roots from culinary cultures the world over (ie: lamb Taquitos with Tomatillo Sauce, Greens and Pico de Gallo; Dungeness Crab Cakes with Thai Curry Sauce and Pickled Cucumbers; or Pistachio Crusted Chicken Breasts;) as well as fare with the local Southwestern flair (like Chile Rubbed Flat Iron Steak; or Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Cream Sauce). There's always at least one wild game dish on the menu as well.

The wide open main dining room looks onto the open kitchen where diners can see and smell their dishes being prepared by resident chef and owner Zeke Lambert(photo right). Small lounges and private dining spaces are available for those wishing a more intimate experience.

Lambert's bar offers a respectable number of designer Margaritas and Martini's, and offers a nice array of "bar food" - small plates, snacks and appetizers (most are small versions of what's on the main menu, so this is a good way to try lots of tasty dishes).

Be sure to leave room for desserts at Lambert's too - they are individual sweet works of art in presentation, and everything is homemade, making this a truly celebratory way to end a special meal.

Bravo! -- A Great Lunch & Shopping Spot

Whether for a great casual lunch of real food with a gourmet flair, or to pick up provisions to take back to your hotel to snack on later or for impromptu picnics, a stop at Bravo! Is a must. This combination store and restaurant offers fine wines and spirits, as well as quality groceries and prepared food for dine in or take out. Chef/owner Jo Ann Carola (photo left) always makes sure there are homemade soups available, a nice selection of gourmet salads, sandwiches, appetizers, spectacular desserts and lots of creative entrees from pastas, pizzas and quesadillas to crab cakes, roast duck and porterhouse steak. There's even a daily "Blue Plate Special" - comfort food at it's finest with a gourmet touch. Examples include Housemade Mushroom Ravioli served on a bed of spinach and truffle jus; or Seafood Bouillabaisse - a Provence style seafood stew. There's a large selection of draft and bottled beers, single malt scotches, and lots of wines by the glass. And since Bravo is part store, you can purchase a bottle of wine and take it into the restaurant portion of the store and enjoy wine with your meal - no corkage charge!

Dinner with Doc and the Adobe Bar

Doc Martin's Restaurant in the historic Taos Inn offers diners in the historic district a casual gourmet option accented by a fabulous wine list (winner of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for the past 19 years) of over 400 wines.

The restaurant's buildings have a long and colorful history, being the one time home and office of Taos first doctor and legendary western character "Doc Martin." Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein founded the original Taos Society of Artists back in 1912 in what is now the restaurant (then the good doctor's living room). Prior to Doc Martin's purchase, the place was owned by Arthur Manby, whose headless body was found on the floor of a building that shares a wall with the kitchen at Doc Martin's restaurant. It is said that Manby still haunts the restaurant to this day (click for more details). Pots, pans and kitchen appliances have been known to fly from their resting places and crash unexpectedly on the floor. Lights flash, doors open and close of their own accord, and chilly breezes that come out of nowhere have been known to whoosh past restaurant visitors and staff alike. Sightings of a man in a tall brown hat and faded leather jacket, matching Arthur Manby's description, have been seen in the restaurant and the kitchen.

But most restaurant guests are too busy enjoying chef Patrick Hartnett's innovative cuisine, inspired by the flavors of the Southwest, Mexico and the Caribbean. Also in the Taos Inn is the intimate Adobe Bar, also known as the "living room of Taos" as locals and visitors alike use it as a popular meeting spot. Enjoy live entertainment in the lounge 5 nights a week, or take your drinks and sit by the lobby's wood burning fireplace. The Adobe bar serves a nice variety of Margaritas and has a respectable fine tequila cellar, and the bar food prepared by Doc Martin's restaurant is terrific.

Practicalities

Villa Fontana is located at 71 Highway 522 in Taos 87571. Call 505-758-5800 or visit www.villafontanataos.com.

You can find Lambert's Restaurant at 309 Paseo del Pueblo Sur in Taos 87571. Call 505-758-1009 or visit www.taosweb.com/menu/lamberts.

Joseph's Table is at 108-A South Plaza (inside the Hotel La Fonda) in Taos 87571. Call 505-751-4512 or visit www.josephstable.com.

Bravo! Store and restaurant is at B53-A Paseo del Pueblo Sur in Taos 87571. Call 505-758-8100.

Doc Martin's Restaurant and the Adobe Bar are both located in the Taos Inn at 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte in Taos; call 888-458-8267 or 505-758-1977 or visit www.taosinn.com.

For more information about planning a visit to Taos, New Mexico contact the Taos Chamber of Commerce at 877-587-8915 or visit www.exploretaos.com.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.