South By Southwest offers upscale dining wih Santa Fe kick
By Hayley Sanders
Contributing Reviewer

The tangerine-colored interior, Latin guitar music and the brightly strung Christmas lights, which adorn the bar contribute to an inviting atmosphere to warm up to on chilly fall nights. The owner went to great lengths to give the interior a genuine Santa Fe feel, as Southwestern paintings, cacti and chiles hang from the walls.

Only open for dinner, this place regularly brings in quite a crowd. We came on a Saturday night and waited at least half an hour before we were seated, so come prepared for a lengthy wait, especially on the weekends. While we waited for a while, we were able to snag a small table by the bar, where we ordered appetizers.

The bar itself opens at 5:30 p.m., offering a variety of imported and domestic beers, as well as some specialty drinks including their version of the classic margarita with Sauza Giro Silver, Triple Sec and lime juice. They also make Sante Fe sun tea, a blend of light and dark rums, fresh pineapple juice, brown sugar, lime juice and vanilla bean tastes.
For appetizers, we sampled their homemade queso, which tastes incredible with their salted tortilla chips to begin the meal. It is made up of solely monterrey jack and asiago cheeses melted together (thankfully no Velveeta), with some finely chopped jalapenos, green chiles and tomatoes to add a spicy twist to the ingredients. The mild taste of the cheese counters the subtle spice of the jalapenos and tomatoes.

They also make fresh guacamole from scratch and other items, including the notable honey-and-chile-glazed grilled shrimp and supreme nachos with beef tenderloin. Both appetizers are ideal to share with a large party.

Their service also was commendable. Each entrée my party ordered came out promptly without delay. Notable dishes include the delicious enchiladas with hickory-smoked chicken (they smoke all of their meat) on blue corn tortillas with a tangy green chile tomatillo sauce. The smoked flavor of the chicken created an interesting flavor contrasted with the spicier tomatillo sauce. They balanced each other well.

Another notable dish includes the saguaro shrimp with scallops, red chile, sweet corn, melted cojack cheese and a green chile tequila sauce. The shrimp were fresh and juicy, and scallops and red chile added a pungent bite. Finally, the pepita-crusted salmon tasted tender and was crusted in pesto, served with a sweet corn pepper relish and came with black beans, rice and hominy.

While still having a laid-back and casual atmosphere, this restaurant is more upscale, so be prepared to pay at least $10-$20 for the entrée. While not exactly in Taco Bell’s price range, the quality of their food makes the steeper price highly worthy of a special treat, if you’re venturing out into Winston-Salem. They have a vast selection and serve up extremely generous portions, which will satisfy even the hungriest patron.

Make sure to ask the waiter about dessert as well. The night I ate there, they offered a decadent dessert called a chocolate overload, which included homemade ice cream in a fried cinnamon tortilla with melted caramel and crushed Kit Kat, Heath Bar and Reese’s candies on top. While their food generally doesn’t have a spicy kick to it and thus remains relatively mild, all of it tastes exceptional and demands a visit to South by Southwest to sample.

South by Southwest is located at 241 Marshall St. and is open Monday through Saturday for dinner at 6 p.m.