Founded in 1998 by Chicago native Karen Todd, The Dragonfly Cafe and Bakery is the result of Todd's 20 years of experience in restaurants and bakeries. Todd also spent several years traveling the world familiarizing herself with many types of cuisine, influences now reflected in today's menu.

The Dragonfly Cafe is committed to providing the highest quality ingredients, procured locally and organically whenever possible. All of the dairy and non-cured meats are hormone and antibiotic free, and all of our baked goods are made in-house using local organic flour, the highest quality sweet cream butter and natural sweeteners. Taos Roasters supplies the Dragonfly with organic fair-trade coffee, and the local Rasband Creamery provides  RBGH free dairy.

The Food — Lunches

Bison Burger with Jack and Avocado

Bison Burger.  If you think that Bison Burgers are tough, dry, and tasteless, you have been going to the wrong places. You need to try this excellent creation at Karen Todd's Dragonfly Cafe & Bakery in Taos.
This is a large and very tender patty cooked to your specification — medium rare for me, which maximizes the taste and the juiciness. Served with expertly caramelized onions and blue cheese on organic foccacia, it is one of the very best burgers you will find anyplace near Taos. Juicy? Dripping from your chin juicy. Three napkins juicy. It is accompanied by a small salad of organic mixed greens that have been lovingly dressed with a daily vinaigrette.
Try it. You will be disabused of the lie that bison is tough and dry. This, like everything else at Dragonfly, is among the best food in a town usually known for its substandard tourist fare.

Gumbo

Gumbo.
Yeah, gumbo. Right here in northern New Mexico.  Gumbo is a stew or soup that probably originated in southern Louisiana during the 18^th century. It typically consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat. The dish likely derived its name from either the Bantu word for okra (ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo).
Karen's version is flawless. Closest gumbo to Cajun country that I have yet found in New Mexico.

French Country Beef Stew

French Country Beef Stew.
Beef simmered with winter vegetables in a Dijon red wine broth, served with house made organic bread.
Yeah, your mom made this too, but it was probably not French country style.  Most likely something made from leftovers. And then Dinty Moore gave beef stew a bad name.
Karen to the rescue. Hers is a simple dish, nicely herbed, with just-right root vegetables in the thick broth.  I really want to eat this by the fire with a raging snowstorm outside (this does happen in Taos).

Bibimbap — a Korean rice dish

Bibimbap.
Two eggs over easy with rice, vegetables, house made kim chee and garlic chili sauce.
Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal" or "mixed rice." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white or brown rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot.
Karen's version is served over brown rice, and she ads extra chili paste for me (some like it hot...). Unusually tasty dish that you won't find everywhere.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie.
Creamy organic chicken and vegetables topped with flaky butter pastry.
Everybody's mother made chicken pot pie, usually with leftovers. Then we all got lazy and began to pick them from the freezer case in the local supermarket. Shame on us.
Karen will restore your faith in that humble dish. Her version is creamy, properly herbed and spiced, and topped with a flaky  pastry rust that only a master baker can fashion. There is even a pastry medallion in the shape of a dragonfly atop the crust. You won't find this in Trader Joe's.