Take US84 nw of Santa Fe, and turn ne on 554. Just a few miles to El Rito. What a funky place! You’d never eat in this little shotgun house restaurant without a recommendation, lemme tellya! Can’t even remember the name (El somethingorother), but it was FABULOUS! The only restaurant in town-you can’t miss it. Just don’t call it Mexican-they bristle a little at that. It’s Northern New Mexico cuisine. Well worth the side trip.
Didn’t get to take the Frijoles Canyon hike (next time), but I did take the Falls Trail and the Main Loop. Fell in love with Bandelier.