I consider dining out
homework. When faced with the question of where to eat, you've got to love
the smorgasbord of choices in San Miguel.
Living in a town the
size of San Miguel, we’ve never been deprived of anything except perhaps an
occasional lemon. Even home cooks are challenged not to ultimately find
ingredients or substitutes. With a large number of American and Canadian
expatriates, entrepreneurs, and foreign professionals relocating to our city,
you can savor classic Mexican dishes as well as international and gourmet
cuisine. We’ve
got everything!
I usually go to a
restaurant based on recommendations from friends. I’ll admit that it does take
three favorable ones to get me there.
If I'm new in a town,
I do additional research BEFORE I go based on blogs and other food and
restaurant websites. I put a list together and stick to it unless someone or
something local tells me to do otherwise. That happens often. By asking the
locals, you'll always find yourself in the best food spots.
In Mexico, you get a
real feel of local life with the ritual of a Sunday dinner. Mealtime
is treated as sacred. Gathering to dine with my Mexican friend Lilli's family is a window
into everything I love about feasting in Mexico.
This week, we dined
from the high end to the low at old standbys and great new restaurants and
realized one thing: you don't have to spend a lot of money to score a great
plate of food.
Old Standards…
Honestly, some of my favorite eats are inexpensive like El Tucan's Flautas for 35 pesos for 5/$2.41 a plate or a Torta for 29 pesos/$1.98;
Andy’s where Tacos al Pastor are a passion for just 10 pesos each/69 cents; and
Broaster Chicken, 25 pesos for a breast/$1.71. There are dozens of rotisserie chicken places around and I really like them but nothing is better or healthier than just-broasted chicken with the skin off.
I will occasionally skip a meal and juice it at Raymundo’s on Quebrada across from Callejon de los Muertos. Raymundo has a knack for picking the best fruit and vegetables to make his juices.
I can’t forget the Mixiotes on Canal at El Pato (Calzada de la Estacion 175); my mothers’ pot roast on overdrive or
the Jicama Tacos at La Azotea.
New Favorites…
I also loved Firenze‘s short ribs for 185
pesos/$12.73. This is the prime four star ticket in town.
One of the best ways to digest Mexico's rich food history is to go to a restaurant like Salsabor. I didn’t know that the majority of Mexico's contemporary African descendant population lives in a region which includes the Caribbean coastal area of the southern state of Oaxaca and are responsible for bringing complex dishes like Estofado del Istmo de Tehuantepec stew to Mexico. Chef Alfonso made a great pot this past week.
There are meal deals everywhere around town; some of them you'll stumble upon like the food trucks we found in Juarez Park on Saturday that are our latest food crush.
A culinary happening
named Aperi pushed SMA's food
boundaries up a notch and now challenges other higher-end restaurant to deliver
food that is both consistent and delicious. Yes, no more trips to Mexico
City just to get that 5 star experience where dining at the chef's table is
your ultimate food adventure. Third time’s a charm? Chef Matteo Salas came out
of the kitchen not once, not twice but three times to check on his guests in
the dining room when I was there for breakfast. Salas is a graduate of the Paul
Bocuse culinary institute in Lyon, France and the master of some pretty
memorable Hollandaise sauce.
Although we had
different reasons for liking all the restaurant we tried this week, you
decide.
We savored every bite
whether we paid 10 pesos or 1000.
Buen Apetito!
Áperi Restaurant
Quebrada 101 in Dos Casas
This kitchen struck gold with the arrival of Chef
Matteo Salas. With the Sous Vide going 12 hours for sea bass, 24 hours for
suckling pig and 36 hours for short rib, he’s managed to convert every one of these dishes into rave reviews.
Book the Chefs table for a singular dining experience.
I went for breakfast
and most items were in a price range that most people can afford but be
prepared to pay $330 pesos for Short Rib at lunch… just in case you decide to
splurge.
The Huevos
Benedictinos catered to both expat camps with bacon AND Canadian bacon, spinach
with pepitas and a perfect oven roasted tomato. What made this dish worth $130
pesos? The hollandaise sauce was lighter than you can imagine with the perfect
hint of lemon.
I also
wondered how soon before we could make a return trip.
Café Firenze
Recreo # 13
Want a meal that loves
you back? On a low, slow braise for 6 hours, the real finish to this dish
was in the glaze. Sit back and take in the ambiance of Firenze’s new
neighborhood. We love the outdoor patio. Indulge in a glass of wine or two.
It's a delicious pairing for the best piece of meat in town.
If you try this at
home, Glacé de Viande is not the easiest thing to do your first time out but
once you rule the technique, everyone will be begging you for an invitation to
dinner.
Just ask local home chef Melissa Barnett who used the technique on pork
tenderloins at a dinner she hosted this week. I was lucky enough to score an
invite.
Salsabor Prehispanic Delicatessen
Calle Antonio Plaza 21A Col. Guadalupe.
That taste of Oaxaca
has been lingering in my head ever since I visited last year. Yes, their food
is one of those things that will stay with you forever.
Located in their home
in Colonia Guadalupe, this restaurant embodies the soul of a good neighborhood
restaurant.
Mexican-Italian born Chef Alfonso Lopez de Anda is at the helm of the kitchen and works with his wife, local cartoonist Isis Rodriquez to put out some pretty interesting food.
We got a taste of Memelitas which were 2 copal toasted tortillas, one with dark Mole Sauce and the other made with flavorful Black Bean Sauce...both with Queso fresco and lettuce ($30 pesos) and Tlayudas...a large copal toasted corn tortilla with string cheese, black bean epazote sauce and grilled marinated arrachera with lettuce and tomato ($85 pesos).
Both dishes tasted different from the ones we had above in Oaxaca last year proving once again that it all comes down to the chef’s culinary roots and his interpretation of the dish.
Café Mesones
Is it time
for dinner or breakfast? This San Miguel version of the Southern standby is a
sweet-and-savory concoction that is fit for anyone who really doesn’t know the
difference…or doesn’t care.
The best things in life come in pairs and this one is not
just all hype… it happens to be the most popular item on the menu.
A crispy outer layer of chicken balances out against a waffle that is all buttermilk and drown in a pool of warm, buttery syrup. Even the most purebred Southern eater will be won over on their first bite.
Having
a Southern menu on location is just another option to add to your immense
assortment of choices and I’m a firm believer that one can never have too many
choices…especially when it comes to eating.
La Agustina Food Truck
Partners Monserrat,
Chef Francisco and sister Mariana have the corner on serving good food on the
go. Their menu is small but they have mastered the list of some very good eats.
Try their signature
dish, the Augustinas sell for 50 pesos; a pork shank taco dressed in tomato,
cheese, onion, lettuce, crema and chilies.
They are currently
looking for a new spot to park.
Friend them on
Facebook to get the latest information on where they are going to be next.
Chef on Fuego Food Truck
I was particularly
interested in this food truck because I heard the restaurant, Chef on Fuego Bar
and Grill, features really excellent lamb.
The restaurant is
located at Carretera SMA a Dr. Mora Km 1 Junto Asociación Ganadera 37748 San
Miguel de Allende.
Chef Jose Castle,
worked at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida and the most recently at Wolfgang
Puck's Spago at the Ritz Carlton in Colorado.
We loved the Tacos
Pescado with a perfect finish of pickled red onion at 20 pesos each or
$1.36.
Who said $1 and a few
pesos doesn't get you lunch anymore?
El Huarache Veloz
This popular Mexican
breakfast stop may convince you to give up that bowl of Zucaritas once and for
all. Since 1986, this stand in the Mercado San Juan de Dios makes fresh
huaraches; an oblong, masa base that is dressed with selected toppings such as
salsa, potatoes, onions, or meat then covered with a pile of Ranchero cheese.
Unfathomably delicious with a whisper of homemade salsa. 23 pesos each.
Independencia just north of Canal, San Miguel de Allende.
Tacos en Mesones
This place packs more flavors
into your spare change than any other spot in San Miguel. They have a cart on
Mesones and Pepe Llano and one on San Francisco, across from Intercam (San
Francisco 4).Other than having two of the best locations in town, there is a
reason these street carts have a huge fan base. The Holy Grail of cheap eats in
Centro, the Tacos al Pastor are just 10 pesos each/$0.69 and they hold up to
some of the best in town. A pile of beautifully seasoned, succulent pork
covered with grilled pineapple and onions are splashed with fiery hot sauce. Perfect for
soaking up too many late-night tequila shots.