Sunday is a day for rest, naps, and in Taos, two-step dancing.
Daleee (the venue and event producer) at KTAOS Solar Center hosts a weekly two-step series, which includes two-step dance lessons and a concert performance to put those new two-stepping skills to use.
The series began in late 2023 after dance instructors Jerry Rea and Linda Todd approached Daleee at KTAOS owner Ricky Carlini with the idea, knowing that two-step dancing is a fun but simple dance that is accessible for a broad audience. Carlini loved the idea and says the series has been a popular addition.
The lesson portion of the evening is led by Rea and Karla Demers from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a 30-minute break before the band begins at 6 p.m.
The event is open to everyone, from beginners to expert two-steppers as well as locals and out-of-towners. “It’s open for the whole community,” Carlini says.
This week’s Two Step Sunday will feature The Rifters, who formed in 2002. The three-man band performs at KTAOS once a month and is regarded as “a legend in this area,” Carlini says, due to the band’s unique rhythmic bluegrass sound that features multiple instruments, harmonies, and seasoned musicianship. The Rifters have ties to towns across New Mexico and Colorado.
“I think it’s something different; it’s a good way to socialize,” Carlini says, reflecting on what the series has offered the community. “I love to provide a space for people to socialize, to get out of the house, to see some old friends, to move the body.”
Rea, who, like his fellow instructors, has years of experience dancing and teaching dance, says the style of two-step dancing taught is different from some of the two-step dancing found elsewhere. It includes a four-step process that has a variation of movements and short and long strides. Rea says lessons are tailored to the group’s abilities and that the dance is complex enough to be interesting but simple enough for everyone to learn.
Before the Two Step Sundays began, Rea says the local two-step community had to travel as far as Garcia, Colorado, to fulfill their two-stepping hankerings. Now, the Taos two-step community has a place to gather, socialize, and exercise. — Kylie Garcia
RANDOM ACT
Surround sound (and sights)
Call it 360-degree flamenco.
The show Acapella features both a flamenco art show and a performance by AMFlamenco Dance Company. The company was founded in Spain in 2009 by Adriana Maresma Fois, whose art and dancing are featured in Acapella. The show also features happy hour tapas, dancer Marta Roverato, and singer María del Mar Fernandez.
Fois holds a bachelor’s degree in photography and dance from the University of New Mexico and made her professional debut at the Festival Flamenco Alburquerque.
Teatro Paraguas regularly hosts flamenco events and poetry readings; co-founder and artistic director Argos MacCallum is a fan of both. — Brian Sandford
IN GOOD TASTE
Gone to the dogs
If you’re watching TV in the run-up to the Fourth of July, you may find yourself with a hankering for a hot dog.
The good news is that you’ll have plenty of options to scratch that gastronomic itch in Santa Fe. But if you’re going to try to catch up to competitive glutton Joey Chestnut, it could be expensive.
Joey Chestnut is an eight-time champion of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Michael Bisberg
Chestnut, the eight-time defending champion of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, wolfed down 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes last year. And just three years earlier, he set a record by eating an incomprehensible 76 hot dogs and buns.
Chestnut, of course, doesn’t have to pay for his hot dogs, unless you count the inevitable gastric distress he puts himself through. (However, he won’t be competing this year; Major League Eating has banned Chestnut from the Nathan’s contest after the professional eater signed a deal to endorse a rival brand, one that makes plant-based franks.)
In Santa Fe, a little restraint is recommended. Here are some of your best bets for hot dogs locally this week and beyond.
Chicago Dog Express, 600 Cerrillos Road; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sunday
This small stand bills itself as offering “Santa Fe’s Best Hot Dog,” and as far as we can tell, it’s the only place in town with hot dogs in the name. A single dog — which is served with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions — costs $4.56 for a regular size and $6.69 for jumbo. You can also order specialty dogs, which range in price from $6.29 to $9.53 per dog. The Santa Fe Dog has cheese, onions, and your choice of red or green chile, while the Chicago Dog is served with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickle, and peppers. Chicago Dog Express also serves Polish kielbasa for a change of pace.
El Chile Toreado, 807 Early Street and 1311 Siler Road; hours vary by location
This local institution started out as a food cart 20 years ago, and it’s evolved into twin locations serving burritos and tacos for breakfast and lunch. But there’s also a signature hot dogs section of the menu where you can choose between all-beef dogs or spicy kielbasa. The dogs range in price from $8 for the jumbo all-beef hot dog or the classic spicy sausage, both of which are topped by pinto beans and Monterey Jack cheese, to $12 for Luis’ Special, which is a kielbasa topped with sauerkraut, onions, mustard, and Hatch chile.
Brochachos’, 851 St. Michaels Drive; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
This food cart, brought to town by two best friends, serves a variety of different dogs ranging in price from $4 to $9. They even have a build-your-own option, which allows you to choose from a variety of toppings including chile, cheese, bacon, japaleños, and more. One dog, the $6 Brochacho Nacho, floods the meat and bun with nacho cheese plus bacon, japaleños, and fried onions. The most expensive item on the menu, the $9 Leyba, is a combination of a chili dog and a Frito pie with the chips served on the side.
Note: Brochachos’ will be closed July 3 and 4 but hopes to be open July 2 and July 5.
The Burger Stand, 207 W. San Francisco Street; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Sure, this place near the plaza has burgers in the name, but they also serve hot dogs. Choose from three $10 Fryer Dogs. The classic comes with pickle relish, white onions, and spicy mustard, while the Chicago comes with all those ingredients plus tomatoes, peppers, and celery salt. There’s also a chili cheese dog on the menu. — Spencer Fordin
EXHIBITIONISM
Materiality’s world
The contemporary fine art gallery Materiality has had a long on-ramp to its current grand opening celebration.
The gallery, owned by Blair Vaughn-Gruler, Ernst Gruler, and Ginnie Cappaert, opened February 1 and had an open house nine days later. Its grand opening celebration, Material World, has been in the works since; it runs through July 15 and includes work by the gallery’s owners, as well as creations by artists Jeffie Brewer and Oliver Polzin.
Gruler and Vaughn-Gruler also operate GVG Contemporary on Rufina Circle near Meow Wolf. Materiality marks a return to Canyon Road, where they’d previously operated a gallery for 12 years. It features paintings, sculptures, and fine art furniture.
A reception for the grand opening celebration is from 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 28. — B.S.
Eldorado’s days as a dessert desert are over (or at least improving) with the addition of small-batch ice cream maker Hello Sweet Cream, which opened at La Tienda in May. A rotating lineup of six flavors, all hand-churned, including such offerings as Gooey Butter Cake, Basil Berry Cheesecake Crumble (swaps with Strawberry every other week), Vanilla Bean, Blue Ribbon Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and nondairy Coffee Cold Brew are all created by Eldorado couple Ryan VanderGiesen and Ryan Craig.
VanderGiesen says the ice cream venture officially started in 2014 when he opened a nondairy ice cream shop in Denver, but he jokes that the ice cream gene runs in his DNA since his grandparents sold ice cream at a Kansas cafe they owned in the 1960s. After moving to Atlanta and then New Mexico to be closer to family, they decided now was the right time to pursue what VanderGiesen calls “phase two” of their ice cream dreams.
Hello Sweet Cream’s hand-churned process creates a creaminess and density that machine churns cannot emulate, VanderGiesen says. Customers have welcomed the venture with open arms, causing the shop to frequently sell out.
“It just means the world,” VanderGiesen says of the support. “I think it also just goes to show that whenever you’re really passionate and you put a lot of energy and care behind your product that it resonates with people, and they taste the quality.”
He says they hope to meet the increasing demand by hiring additional employees to help churn enough ice cream to offer their flavors by the pint.
VanderGiesen is grateful for the opportunity to create ice cream experiences and memories. “I’m literally scooping happiness,” he says. — K.G.
LOCAL BOOKSHELF
Tome with teeth
Did you know that biologists can determine the age of a black bear, which became New Mexico’s state animal in 1963, by looking at a cross-section of a vestigial molar? Or that Canada lynx have adorable ear tufts, don’t live in dens, and tend to stick to the forested habitats of northern New Mexico to hunt their favorite food, the snowshoe hare? And that New Mexico is also home to weasels, coatimundi, North American red foxes, and wolverines?
The densely packed, three-inch thick Wild Carnivores of New Mexico (University of New Mexico Press, 2024, $49.95; unmpress.com) gives readers the lowdown on the state’s 28 known species of furry and occasionally lethal meat-eaters, with deep dives into those critters’ habitats, mating habits, and other intriguing facts. Scattered between an array of well-documented details on each animal are color photographs, maps, and other helpful visuals.
The 1,144-page reference book was compiled, written, and edited over a 10-year span by Jennifer K. Frey, a professor at New Mexico State University’s Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology, and University of New Mexico research professor of biology Jean-Luc E. Cartron.
The authors’ love for New Mexico’s diverse and often surprising biodiversity is infectious, even when the tone strays into scientific terminology (the book has a thorough glossary of terms to help with that). It’s a tome every New Mexico nature lover should have handy — just make sure you have a sturdy bookcase to hold it. — Carolyn Graham
