Blue Corn Café (Santa Fe)
I was running late as usual after watching the sun set, so I was glad to find a place that was open until 10PM—pretty amazing in Santa Fe for a place that isn't also a bar. Since I wasn't spending much time in the city, Blue Corn Café also gave me the opportunity to see a bit of the adobe-brick downtown area, albeit at night.
On first glance it looked like parking would be a nightmare; my guidebook map didn't indicate which streets were one-way and there was a market set up in the plaza leading to some street closures. Luckily I found a spot around the corner from the St. Francis Cathedral which only a few blocks' walk from the restaurant.
Blue Corn Café brews its own beer. I'm not a big beer drinker but I really enjoyed their Honeymoon Wheat Pale Ale, which was citrusy and sweet, and a pretty good deal at $4 for a pint. I started with another Chowhound.com recommendation, the corn-chipotle chowder. Quite tasty, but there was something in there that overpowered any chipotle flavor...I think it was red peppers. Pretty filling for only $3.50.
My guidebook described the restaurant as having a slight chain-restaurant feel, and I can't disagree. It's a large place, very brightly-lit with rather ordinary décor. The service was a bit inattentive...all the guys I saw working there looked college-aged or younger.
The menu is extensive. I waffled on the stuffed sopaipillas for a long time, but eventually chose one of their combos—it was the only way I could narrow down! Plus my combo of green chile cheese tamale and a blue corn taco with ground beef was actually cheaper than plates of only tacos or tamales.
The last time I had a tamale was in Oaxaca, so there really was no comparison. This one was OK, but in comparison to the gold standard it was a bit too mushy and lacking real flavor in the masa itself, instead relying on the green chile again. But I'm still not seeing the appeal of green chile. The taco was so-so as well...I think I should have gotten something other than ground beef. 
Since I'd had soft blue corn tortillas a few times and not seen anything special, I thought the hard taco shell, not smothered in sauce, would help me see the light. No dice. The sopaipilla I got on the side was excellent...how could fried bread with honey not be?
As I said, the menu is extensive and much of it sounds appealing. I would definitely give Blue Corn Café another shot next time I'm in Santa Fe, now that I know which two items I can leave off my list!