Tanti Luce 221, Santa Fe

The restaurant Amavi was in a rough spot. It was in serious need of new ownership and quickly found a savior in Rick Smith, who bought the restaurant within 10 minutes of stepping inside. Over five weeks, Rick and his team renovated the 100-year-old adobe hacienda's interior, as he told the Santa Fe Reporter, creating brand-new bar and restaurant menus. He added atmospheric touches and rebranded the eatery Tanti Luce 221. Along with the new look and menu came a new executive chef, Tom Kerpon, who adds a regional influence to classic Italian, French, and Spanish small plates and entrees. In the kitchen, he directs the careful construction of inventive dishes such as the housemade ravioli stuffed with beer short rib and the gorgonzola crusted petite filet served with almond green beans. Over in the adjoining Bar 221, barkeeps fill patrons' glasses with 100 wines and specialty cocktails, including the Salad in a Glass, which imbues imbibers with a spa-like feeling using the flavors of cucumber vodka, far preferable to clods of alcohol-infused soil.