Welcome to the historic
El Portal Hotel
Home Raton Accomodations History Attractions Park Avenue Cafe Map/Directions Contact Us
|
In a small town, when you open a restaurant menu and see selections such as asparagus and mushroom strudel, pan-seared salmon, and bow-tie pasta tossed with artichokes, asparagus, carrots, roasted red pepper and onions, your first question is "Who’s behind all this?" In Raton, the answer is Marsha Merkel, chef of the Park Avenue Café. That old saying goes, "A woman’s place is in the kitchen." Well, if Marsha’s the woman, and if it’s your kitchen, you’ve got a good deal. Cases in point: John Wayne, Jimmy Dean, George W. and George Bush, Sr., Princess Margaret and the King and Queen of Sweden. A 40-year veteran of the culinary arts, Marsha has cooked for all these people - on their private yachts. On dry land, she's been executive chef and co-owner of the Old Stone Church restaurant in Castle Rock, Colo.; executive chef at The Canfield House in Newport, R.I., and the Harborview Restaurant in Stonington, Conn.; and executive sous chef at California Café locations in both Denver and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Your next question might be "How does a person with these credentials end up in a café in beautiful but very out-of-the-way Raton, New Mexico? "Actually, I had retired," Marsha says. "My husband and I came down here to live the retired life, but I got bored. Cooking is my passion, it’s what I love. Now I’m not bored." Items on the café's menu are diverse; many are downright flamboyant. Marsha oversees all back-end operations, spending her time cooking, planning menus, experimenting with presentations. She also up luscious pastries and deserts that in themselves are worth a visit. "I like a lot of color on the plate," she says. "Appearance is very important to me." Marsha’s soups, which change every few days, are a popular menu item that can compliment a main dish or serve as meals themselves. Examples include Jamaican pumpkin pineapple, watermelon gazpacho, curry chicken with apple, and roasted red pepper with fennel. She creates everything from scratch. She’s a stickler for freshness. "The closest thing I get to frozen is french fries," she says. With literally a world of experience that she’s brought to the café - which is connected to the El Portal Hotel - Marsha has, in the words of another accomplished chef, "Kicked it up a notch" in Raton. Yet certain good business principles apply, whether you’re serving John Wayne or the mayor of Raton. "I emphasize to my staff that this is like our house," Merkel explains. "You come into our house, and you’re our guest. Friendly service is so important. And, of course, you have to have great food." The Park Avenue Café is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. Marsha is available for private parties and catering. Guests of the El Portal receive 10 percent off on all meals served in the cafe. Reservations are not required.
|