Many years ago, friends took me for an overnight stay at Rancho de San Juan for a birthday celebration that still stands out as a candidate for best birthday. Situated on a quiet stretch of the road on the way to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, the area’s well-known soaking resort, Rancho de San Juan was a polished inn and restaurant in an off-the-beaten path setting. I was sad when it closed years ago. Owners of the newly dubbed Nosa Restaurant & Inn revamped and reopened the property this summer, and they are maintaining its identity as a sophisticated oasis. Chef Graham Dodds, who hails from Dallas, not only creates the menu for the stylish dining room but also runs the four-casita inn. This summer Dodds offered eclectic weekly brunch menus with dishes such as cioppino (an Italian American fish stew), curried mussels Rockefeller, pork shoulder agnolotti (pasta), and cherry poppyseed bread pudding. This winter, with his beer and wine license in place, look for parsley root bisque with roasted bone marrow and sourdough croutons; braised lamb shank with cauliflower purée, dates, and pine nuts; and his famous tarte Tatin with hazelnut, caramel, and crème fraîche ice cream. Decadence! The restaurant and accommodations sport fireplaces for warming up after the slopes, and if your muscles need soothing, the healing waters of Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa are a mere 13 miles down the road. Taos Ski Valley is 65 miles from here, and Ski Santa Fe is 52 miles away, making

Nosa an ideal ski-cation destination.