JULIAN LUJAN
The Stakeout, Taos
Just south of Taos, the Stakeout sits atop Outlaw Hill among a forest of piñon and juniper. Known primarily as an events venue—where couples often exchange vows against the dramatic backdrop of the Río Grande Gorge—the restaurant is garnering new attention for its seasonally driven cuisine from chef Julian Lujan. A member of Taos Pueblo, Lujan joined the kitchen last year, returning home from a far-flung journey. He attended culinary school in Italy before landing in demanding California kitchens, where he became an executive chef at just 21. After several years cooking in Oakland and San Francisco, a move to Maui reshaped his perspective. When the pandemic shuttered restaurants, Lujan taught himself to farm, eventually managing an 80-acre operation growing herbs and vegetables shipped across the Hawaiian Islands. That experience now anchors his cooking, which weaves Native food traditions, fermentation, whole-animal butchery, and small-farm produce into artfully plated dishes that feel both grounded and exploratory. “If you put good energy into what you’re growing,” he says, “it will grow right back.” —Jim O’Donnell
101 Stake Out Drive, Ranchos de Taos; 575-425-0065
Editor’s note: We are saddened to hear of the passing of the Stakeout executive chef Julian Lujan, whose talent and generosity will leave a lasting mark on New Mexico’s culinary community. To read more about Lujan and contribute to his family’s GoFundMe, visit .
