Cowgirl BBQ & Western Grill.
Santa Fe's hopping après-ski restaurant and saloon offers live music nightly — think jangly singer-songwriters. Grab a margarita or one of a dozen tap brews, and warm your chaps alongside either of two roaring fires. $. 319 Guadalupe St. S.; 505/982-2565.Dragon Room Bar. The eclectic joint — attached to the Pink Adobe restaurant — fills with a noisy, welcoming crowd peppered with local politicos. The fireplace is eclipsed only by the tree growing out of the brick floor and up through the roof. $$$. 406 Old Santa Fe Trail; 505/983-7712.
El Cañon. First impression: The decor in the downtown coffee-and-wine bar (26 by-the-glass wine options) is too Southwest for its own good. But the large sheepherder's fireplace — with a flat adobe sleeping platform over the hearth — is too inviting to pass up. $$. 308 San Francisco St. W.; 505/986-6417.
Geronimo. Starting — or rekindling — a love affair? Claim one of the five brass-top tables near the tiny corner kiva in this restaurant's intimate lounge. The lighting is low, and the vibe in this historic adobe casa is Norah Jones meets modern leather. $$$$. 724 Canyon Rd.; 505/982-1500.
Staab House. The elegant series of connected salons in an 1882 home sets the mood with numerous fireplaces. Some are marble, others masonry, and out on the patio, a classic adobe kiva crackles. $$$. In La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, 330 Palace Ave. E.; 505/986-0000. — James Glave
