San Miguel’s culinary base is growing. From street food to five-star dining, we found culinary treasures everywhere this year.
When
naming our favorites for 2015, it was easy. We ate at every one of these
restaurants at least a half a dozen times and kept pretty extensive tasting notes,
ordering new dishes most of the time. There were times that we went back to
ordering our favorite things simply because no other place in town made it better.
So
what makes a restaurant stand above the rest besides who is doing the cooking?
In-season, local ingredients, consistency, and service are important requirements
for us.
A dining experience is very personal. It’s all about the
people you’re with or even the mood that you’re in. A number of variables influence
whether or not you’re going to have a fantastic meal. Make it one! A huge part
of the entire experience is controlled by you and this is one of the many reasons
that we did not have a bad meal this year, eating out multiple times a day.
We’ll admit that some were better than others.
Passion breeds consistency and the restaurants listed below
delivered every single time we ate there. Some of them are listed for the second year in a row.
Whether your experience brings you back to the same taco cart
week after week or a remarkable burger every Thursday night, one thing’s for
certain: Big budget or small budget, San Miguel provides plenty of dining
options for anyone who savors the experience of great food.
Bon Appétit!
Best Restaurateur
Photo: Angela Lewis Serrano
Chef Donnie
Masterton
The
RestaurantSollano #16
Blame the food
revolution in San Miguel on Donnie
Masterton, Chef-Owner of The Restaurant and one of the producers of the
highly successful food festival, Sabores San Miguel.
Having built his
reputation slowly and steadily since The Restaurant opened in 2008, Chef
Masterton always makes dining an interesting and delightful experience. His
food has been creative and consistent since the start.
Masterton’s formula is
simple: passion and fresh, local ingredients.
From training a legion
of talented chefs to his latest ventures, Tacolicious and Birdie’s Burgers,
opening in 2016, Chef Donnie Masterton has the Midas touch.
No chef has done more
to influence a community and its’ food culture than Masterton. He has elevated the
international profile of San Miguel cooking and has led the way to establishing
SMA as a new culinary center in Mexico.
Best Restaurant
B’ui
cocina de campo
Owner:
Daniel EstebaranzOn the equestrian grounds at Otomi’s residential area outside of SMA Km 2 Camino a San Miguel el Viejo
I call it “The B’ui Experience” because I was captivated, not
just by the setting - in stunningly beautiful Otomi, just outside of San Miguel
de Allende - but by everything… from the outstanding food and wine, to the
extraordinary service and the state of its’ simple, country elegance.
I ate there a dozen times in 2015 and each meal reached the
same, consistent level of excellence.
Owner Daniel Estebaranz provides everything you dream about what
a restaurant experience should be…and then some.
Best Dish
Beef
shoulder, carrots and onions, burned cabbage, wine reduction and burnt bread
infusion
Chef
Matteo SalasAperi
Dos Casas Boutique Hotel and Spa
Quebrada 101
The first time I had this meal, I wrote: “When did I ever like a main course more than the
dessert? Yesterday, at Aperi, Chef
Matteo Salas stunned me by a simple ingredient, a carrot, that completely
altered my view of vegetables and how chefs cook them. It’s a day later
and I can still taste the flavor.”
Why is this dish so good? Because it’s been
delicious every time I’ve ordered it…and Chef Matteo Salas cooked it.
If I could pick my last supper, this would be it.
Best Chef
Chef Marko Antoine Cruz SanchezBu’i – cocina de campo
On the equestrian grounds at Otomi’s residential area outside of SMA Km 2 Camino a San Miguel el Viejo
Executive Chef Marko Antoine Cruz Sanchez not only worked at Au Pied du Cochon, a
highly rated restaurant in Mexico City’s Polanco district that is noted for its
French food, but he managed Hotel Condesa DF, and was part of Chef Enrique
Olvera’s team.
After a short stint with Chef Enrique Olvera at Pujol, he joined
Daniel Estebaranz to open La Estacion. In the beginning, Olvera created
the menu and Marko applied his recipes and techniques. Two and a half years
ago, Marko took control of the kitchen and is the now Executive Chef at both
B'ui - cocina de campo and La Estacion.
After a dozen meals, Chef Marko Cruz has missed the high spot
only once which is quite remarkable. Marko is shown here with his young son.
Be sure to order the tasting menu, which provides
the best sampling of his high-quality cooking. Mind-blowing food is always
served and expected.
Study his plating techniques and you’ll
understand why no one comes close to his genius. We think this chef is missing
a Michelin star or two.
Best Private Chef
Chef Michael
CoonCasa de Cocinas
insiderroute@aol.com
Michael Coon is a chef who understands the flavors deeply
rooted in other cultures. The world renowned food and
travel expert is the former Travel Director and Co Creator of the
Culinary Institute of America’s World's
of Flavor tours.
Michael
owns the Inside Route Tour Company. He’s a respected teacher, favorite guest
chef, seasoned MC at the Napa Valley Film Fest, expert culinary leader and is currently
working on his first book.
He makes
food
entertainment beyond the momentary experience of food. If you want to know the
dishes and flavors that will find their way into mainstream dining in the next
six months, just ask Michael. I often wonder where he hides his crystal ball.
Best Food Festival TIE: Sabores San
Miguel and SMA Food Festival
It's hard to believe that San Miguel put two food shows, two
weeks apart, into the record books this past year thanks to Sabores San Miguel producers Donnie Masterton and Angela Lewis Serrano and SMA Food Festival's principal trio: Ricardo Pare Trejo, Daniel Estebaranz and
Jorge Alarcon L.
Although some people made an effort to compare the two shows,
they were both very different; Sabores highlighted San Miguel’s restaurants and
the SMA Food Festival was a celebration of its chefs.
Both shows did a remarkable job to further position San Miguel
as an emerging culinary center in Mexico.
Look for the 2016 event dates at:
Best New Restaurant
Chefs Bricio Dominguez and Paco
Roncero
La Canica
Pila Seca #2
Chef Bricio Dominguez is a driving force in the culinary landscape
in San Miguel. Pair him with a 2 star Michelin chef from Spain and you have an
instant recipe for success.
La Canica is beautiful, whimsical and distinctively different from
any other restaurant in SMA. The converted old mansion makes an inconspicuous statement
that other restaurants just don’t communicate.
With tapas,
a bottle of wine and a seat in the window of the light-filled front room,
you’ll wonder if you’ve been transported to Spain.
It’s a
diversion that I could repeat daily.
Best Mixologist
Miguel BastidaZUMO
Orizaba 87-9
Stewart Haverlack’s ZUMO is a beautiful restaurant with a killer
view. Pair it with a Mixologist like Miguel Bastida and you have a place to
write home about.
Starting as a bar helper
in Cuernavaca when he was just 14, he has risen through the ranks; did a stint
at Rosewood, Patio 3 and Hotel El Palomar before landing at ZUMO.
What’s on Miguel’s
cocktail menu changes daily and he adapts his drinks to the taste of the amuse
bouche; the time at which the cocktails are first served to the guests as an
introduction to the dinner. We think his cocktails are unmatched. Photo of Miguel: Cindy Buhle
Best $3 Lunch: El Tucan, Hernandez
Macias #56
At
SMA's favorite cheap eat, these rolled tacos are overstuffed with chicken and
topped with so many healthy vegetables you'll forget they were ever fried in a
pan of oil to begin with.
Bring
a hearty appetite and leave your Spanish dictionary at home. Alex cooked for
many years back in Chicago and speaks textbook English.
Don’t
be put off by this little dive. Alex cooks everything fresh and made to order.
Best Asian: Aguamiel cocina
rustica, Pipila 3A, Colonia San Antonio
The
best Asian dishes should come from an Asian restaurant, right? Wrong.
Chef Gaby Green’s Asian creations are some of her best.
Gaby has that innate feel for what pairs well together. She understands how to
blend and balance flavors which is especially noticeable in Asian food.
We can’t think of one Asian dish we’ve tried here that we
didn’t love.
Best Appetizers: The Restaurant
Sollano #16
Give
into temptation. At Donnie Masterson's restaurant, known for its anything but
predictable offerings, you can order a bunch of really terrific appetizers and
call it a meal.
From
the BBQ ribs that are now back on the menu to dumplings and duck egg rolls, we
guarantee this feast will be one of your best.
Consistently
superior because they’re all made with locally sourced ingredients.
Best Bakery: El Petit Four, Mesones
99-1
San
Miguel is filled with bakeries and restaurants serving desserts that are often
just too beautiful to eat. Petit Four Bakery turns two of our
favorite indulgences, chocolate and tequila, into desserts to write home about.
This is the only bakery in town that makes authentic, French pastries.
Take
a cooking class from Chef Paco Cardenas. He provides an inspired culinary
introduction to the city.
Best Barbacoa: Rodriquez Family
Barbacoa, Tianguis de Martes
Imagine
barbacoa, lamb wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked in the ground overnight.
It's on the breakfast menu and this stand is an early morning favorite at San
Miguel's Tianguis de Martes.
Grab a
half cup of caldo and an extra helping of Barbacoa, then load up with chopped
cilantro, onions and a squeeze of lime. You wouldn't crave another thing all
day.
How
many times will you have to go in order to name every Rodriquez family member?
I bet you can’t do it the first time around. That’s OK though; It’s well worth
it to make this a weekly routine.
Best Beef Taco: Don Santos Tacos Clavel 8 off Refugio Sur
Don Santos earns its
accolades with authentic Mexican food at this location and a satellite at the
Tianguis on Tuesday. The thin strips of beef
are cooked in a pile of intestines and chorizo. It’s so well flavored and
tender you can’t stop eating them. Honestly, I could pull them right off the
grill they are that good.
Heap on a mound of
onions, cilantro and some of their remarkable salsas. There is a reason Aprei
chef Chef Matteo Salas wants to stage here.
Best Beer: Diablos, Cerveceria Dos Aves
We recently attended the 3rd Anniversary of the Gold Metal
Brewery Cerveceria Dos Aves for the release of Diablos, a Belgian Golden Strong
Ale.
Hands down, it’s my new favorite beer…a pretty bold statement for
someone who’s not even a beer drinker.
Best Birria: Birria Xalisco, Salida a Celaya
#81
Birria Xalisco, a restaurant in Celaya, just opened a location in San Miguel.
Birria, a spicy stew from the state of Jalisco, is made with goat
meat that is marinated in adobo spices. It’s another reputed hangover remedy
that apparently works according to my amigo at the neighboring table. It
brought him back to life after just two helpings.
Get a double on the meat and you’ll be full and happy when you hit
the bottom of the bowl. There’s an array of salsas on the table to spice
it up to the level of heat that you can’t resist.
Best Breakfast: Huevos Mexicanas, Café
Oso Azul, Zacateros 17
The
cafe looks typically Scandinavian with its white walls and blue-washed wooden
tables and chairs; you might even think for a moment you're in Denmark.
Denmark's
diet is among the healthiest in the world, so it is no surprise that Jens, the
Danish owner of this Mexican restaurant, is trying to create a healthy menu
with simple food.
This little
cast-iron skillet, sizzling to the touch, is filled with a combination of eggs,
tomatoes, onion, cilantro and cheese. Add on a side order of delicious, homemade
Italian sausage.
The
dish will delight even the hard-to-please breakfast buff looking for a solid
meal after a high-spirited celebration the night before.
Best Cajun (Gumbo): Hanks New Orleans
Café and Oyster Bar Hidalgo #12
It's
not my Gumbo but hey, 1219 miles from New Orleans it's the closest thing you're
going to get this side of the border.
This
Creole in a cup is made with chicken, sausage and shrimp and just like New
Orleans, it's a warm-up before you go dancing in the parade.
Do I think
I’m in New Orleans when I eat it? Only during Happy Hour.
Best Caldo: Andy’s Tacos, Insurgentes
y Hidalgo
Now I have two good reasons to go to SMA’s most
celebrated street food cart.
The latest delight to come out of Andy’s portable
kitchen is caldo made with the scraps, bones and drippings of the meat.
Comfort food pleasurably simple, it wowed
everyone who was eager to get an instant cup of warmth on a cold December
night. With no exception, everyone who tried it loved it.
Like the old proverb goes, “I now believe that good broth will
resurrect the dead.” Just don’t wait for Day of the Dead to try it. It’s as
delicious and intense as it looks.
Best Carnitas: Bautista Brothers, Guadiana #2
If you saw carnitas
being cooked in large vats of fat, I’m sure you wouldn’t make a steady diet of
this street treat…or would you? The flavor is unmatched so you will be tempted.
Bautista Brothers is an
institution in San Miguel. I recently was reunited with the original at
Guadiana #2.
Guadiana #2 is the heart
of the Bautista Brothers operation. The carnitas are cooked here, along with a
house down the alley and up the stairs where you can also buy bones to make
soup.
The tortas made here are
so much better than the ones at Tianguis de Martes. They come straight out of
the fryer into your sandwich. The bread is also made by a commercial baker and
is like no other torta I’ve had in San Miguel.
Bautista Brothers has
pop up stands all over SMA that serve late night and two stands at Tianguis de
Martes that are serving when I get there at 9:00 AM.
In a torta or on a fresh
tortilla, carnitas is at the top of my list of the best street food in SMA.
Now, let’s see if you can resist going back for seconds. I never can.
Best Cheese: La Cava, Los
Frailes, Real de La Canada #3 also try their bacon
Sometimes,
you’ve got to go a long way to get the best. This place is one of them.
It’s
in Los Frailes now so it’s not as accessible as it use to be but their Blue
Cheese is still one of my favorite addictions. You’ll be enthusiastic about
every other selection too.
When it comes to Blue Cheese, this cheese store has no competition in town.
Best Churros: San
Agustín Chocolates & Churros, San Francisco 21
San
Agustin’s is an institution with cult status. The dueña, Margarita Gralia, is a
beloved telenovela star and the walls in this restaurant are a shrine to her
career.
The
deep-fried pastries, a relative of the doughnut, come in a variety of flavors;
chocolate, strawberry, dulce de leche and cajeta. They are usually served plain
or sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar when they come out of the fryer.
Order
a side of Mexican hot chocolate for dunking. Trying to sink every, tiny
multi-colored marshmallow that floats on the top of your cup will make you
question whether you ever want to grow up; I didn't think so. Life's too much
fun as a big kid.
Best Cocktails: ZUMO, Orizaba 87-9
ZUMO has the best
cocktail menu in town. Amen.
Mixologist Miguel
Bastida is the imagination behind the infamous Flaming Zumo, a combination of
Mezcal, apple liquor, fresh pear, orange and chili ancho. It’s a drink I call
the upscale version of a perfect margarita.
Best Cocktails - National: La Mezcaleria
Correo #47-A
This
Pepino y Cilantro Margarita, made with cucumbers and cilantro, will make you
wonder why you ever drank Margaritas made with anything but fresh fruits and
vegetables.
In the
traditional style, you’re served fresh orange slices and chapulines on the side.
The combination of the salty, sweet and tart highlights the smoky flavor of the
mezcal. You might need another shot just to wash down the idea of eating small
grasshoppers that are toasted with garlic and lime, and seasoned with powdered
chili, salt and gusano, the caterpillar that lives off the agave plant.
A
delight for the adventurous traveler whose taste buds are looking for something
typically Mexican.
If
you’re a die-hard, skip the mix and go straight to the Mezcal.
Best
Coffee: Lavanda
Café, Hernandez Macias #87
Do
people come here for the coffee or the breakfast?
Lavanda
was created by Chef Karla Becerra Martinez and her partner Victor, who is the
head barista and will be representing Lavanda in a major coffee competition
this coming February.
Lavanda
buys two coffees from Oaxaca and surprisingly, one from Guerrero. The state
coffee association asked Guerrero farmers to adopt a natural process for their
coffees in order to distinguish them from other Mexican coffees. The result is
a full bodied coffee with a surprising finish.
Those
who like it claim it’s some of the best coffee in Mexico. I am one of them.
Best Consistent Cuisine: Hecho en Mexico
Ancho de San Antonio #8
Hecho
en Mexico has one great thing going for it: a level of
performance which does not vary greatly in quality over time. When you order
the Cobb Salad, you get the same Cobb salad that you ordered last week.
This
is the main reason that Hecho en Mexico is one of San Miguel’s favorite
restaurants. It’s consistent and that’s saying something in a town where consistency
is not always a priority.
Best Croissant: Cumpanio Correo 29
Butter,
Butter and more butter. The better-than-Paris croissants at Cumpanio are no longer. Cumpanio changed their recipe and we’re beyond disappointed.
We are on the hunt for a standout in this category.
Stay tuned.
From
Bianco e Nero, individual lemon pies and dazzling Panna Cotta, Laura Buccheri
is the master of great desserts.
The
first time I went to La Cucina di Afrodita, Laura served 6 desserts. I ate
every one of them. Yesterday, she served five. I did it again.
Give
into the delicious homemade Limoncello but don’t blame it on me when you end up taking a
few dozen bottles home.
Best Doughnut: Panaderia La Buena
Vida Hernandez Macias #72
This
doughnut on steroids tempts me every Saturday morning. I’m not exactly sure what
Melissa does but they’re the best and biggest doughnuts in town. The texture is
just different and nothing like anything I’ve eaten before.
I love
the orange but the sugar and chocolate have become cravings as well.
Why fight it. This is an infatuation I can’t seem to get past. Once you’ve tasted these English muffins, you’ll never want to buy them at a supermarket again.
Eat them the day you buy them.
They’re fresh and do not keep.
Best Enchiladas: Tacos Don Felix En
La Casa, 15th Fray Juan de San Miguel
For
someone who never liked enchiladas, the Enchiladas Gloria transformed me. These
Tortillas,
stuffed with chicken AND pork, covered in red and green sauce and swimming in
melted cheese are my new favorite craving. Now this is how you make an
enchilada!
Best
French Fries: Moxi at Hotel Matilda, Aldama 53
Pure indulgence; truffled
and covered in parmesan cheese.
Close your eyes because this is what heaven tastes like.
Best German: Berlin Bar Umaran
#19
We
love this restaurant for its German comfort food; try the Oven roasted pork
shank, served with spinach and herbed mashed potatoes.
A fun
happy hour with a Cheers-like atmosphere, this bar just might become a habit
after going just once.
Best Gordita: Gorditas de Migajas at Bautista Brothers, Guadiana #2
Gorditas de Migajas y Queso
are typically made in Queretaro but the last time I was in Bautista Brothers at
Guadiana #2, they were making them there without the cheese.
Crumbs or migajas are what’s
left in the bottom of the pan after cooking the carnitas. They are tucked into
a pocket of masa and hand-formed into a neatly stuffed gordita. Watch them
being pulled off the hot comal without even burning a finger and you’ll
understand that this is a skill that takes plenty of practice to master.
I’ve always favored costillas
but migajas are the real jewel of the mix. Full of magnificent pork flavor,
it’s now one of my favorite street eats in San Miguel.
Best Hamburger: The Restaurant, Sabores
San Miguel
Every Thursday
night, you get to select from a long list of delicious, gourmet burgers. This
simple In and Out Burger with a secret sauce is one of my favorites. The fried
potatoes are a superb substitution for french fries.
Burger
night has become so popular, a new burger restaurant, Birdie’s Burgers, is in
the mix of Masterton’s openings in 2016.
Best Happy Hour: TIE: Aguamiel cocina
rustica, Pipila 3A, Colonia San Antonio and Hanks New Orleans Café and Oyster
Bar Hidalgo #12
Aguamiel offer a different special from 3-5pm. Sometimes it’s a
drink and botanas and other months it is an early-bird dinner special. No
matter the offering, it’s always a great buy.
Hanks? Not only 2x1 drinks but some of the best people watching in
SMA.
Best Huevos Rancheros: Lavanda Café, Hernandez Marcias # 87
How
does this popular restaurant make perfect poached eggs look like little balls
of Oaxaca cheese? Chef Karla's drop-dead gorgeous presentation comes from her
training as a graphic artist. She's armed with a portfolio of her mother's
classic recipes including this picture-perfect version of the dish.
The
taste will astonish even the most die-hard Eggs Benedict lover who has never
given a second look at this Mexican standard.
Best Huarache: Huarache Rancheros, El Huarache Veloz, San Juan de Dios
27
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. Spice it up with a dose of peppery salsa.
Photo: Valen Dawson
Best Ice Cream: Cherry-wood
Balinese Vanilla Ice Cream with Apple Wood Smoked Sea Salt and Lapsang Souchong
Caramel Swirl
Travel
and Food Blogger Valen Dawson’s homemade ice cream is not just the best ice
cream I’ve eaten all year, it’s the best ice cream I’ve eaten ever… and I eat a
lot of ice cream.
Best Japanese: Delica Mitsu San
Miguel de Allende, Calzada de Luz #49, Guadalupe
If the
Asian Salad doesn’t get you, the Fried Curried Rice
Ball will. Go early. They frequently have a line and always run out of food. This
is the freshest, simple food in San Miguel.
Italian
food isn't just nourishment, its life and everything at La Cucina di Afrodita
is Italian at its best.
Chef Laura
Buccheri has the wonderful ability to create beautiful and inspiring dishes
such as this homemade cocoa tagliolini with walnuts, gorgonzola sauce and
mesquite smoked bacon. It was an unusual combination of ingredients but the
flavors worked so well together.
This
hike to the country is so worth it for both the food and the vistas.
Best Liquiado: Osvaldo's, Independencia #47
Call this place unpretentious.
At this dog friendly restaurant, 90% of the customers are Mexican. Mix that
with good food, cheap prices - everything on the menu is about 50 pesos- and a
charming owner with 6 beautiful kids and you get a place where you want to go
as often as you can hike up the hill.
Go for the tasty
liquiado which on a split 15 pesos. I'm trying to remember the last time I got
anything this good for $1.
Best
Local Spirit: Casa Dragones
It’s no secret I like
tequila. Good tequila. Casa Dragones is a
handcrafted, small batch, luxury tequila and was rated by Wine Enthusiast at
96/100 – the magazine's highest tequila rating. Its’ spiritual home is in San
Miguel.
It’s one indulgence
that’s worth the price tag. It’s available for purchase at La Europea or sip it
on the rooftop at La Azotea.
Best Margarita: Aguamiel cocina rustica, Pipila 3A,
Colonia San Antonio
I was not a fan of tamarind or flavored margaritas for that matter until
I tasted Aguamiel’s Tamarind Margarita. It tastes like a margarita and that’s
what I liked about it. Most tamarind margaritas in SMA do not.
According to Aguamiel, their secret starts with good
tequila because it changes the flavor and the hangover factor. They use only
fresh ingredients in all of their margaritas and that is the difference.
Their mango margarita takes the number two spot.
Best Market Cook: Fonda Dona Reyes at Mercado Ignacio Ramirez
Dona Reyes is your
beloved grandmother reincarnated. She’s owned this stand for over 46 years and
she’ll fuss over you until you cry uncle and can’t eat another bite. Such is
the case with the Caldo de Pollo con Arroz with a whole chicken leg and a
bouquet of fresh cooked vegetables. Smother with chilies and condiments to ramp
up the heat. You’ll get a jolt you’ve never experienced at breakfast before.
Better than a sweater on
a cold December morning, you get extra hugs for eating everything in the bowl.
It’s mandatory; it’s your grandmother.
Who said you can’t get
an adopted family and a warm meal in SMA for 50 pesos?
Best Menudo: Dona Bola, On the corner of Calle Calzada de La Luz and
Calle Amado Nervo
Menudo; Mexico's cure for a hangover. With
50 kilos of tripe each week, Doña Bola's starts the cooking process every
Thursday morning with both tripe and pork trotters (pigs’ feet).
This SMA institution, located on the Calzada
de La Luz, began as an unpretentious street stand. It's now a thriving
restaurant that's packed every Sunday with Mexican families savoring a 'home
cooked' meal.
You wouldn't find this one in the
guidebooks. It's all word of mouth.
Best Mixiotes: El Pato Barbacoa y Mixiotes, Calzada de la Estacion #112
The next best thing to your mother's pot roast, Mixiotes is a traditional, pit-barbecued meat dish made of lamb that is cut with the bone and seasoned with pasilla, guajillo and spices like cumin, thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, cloves and garlic. It's then wrapped in small bundles and cooked in the ground overnight.
At this thatched-roof palapa at the end of Canal Street, Pilar and Jose Luis will convince you there is no better comfort food anywhere in Mexico. If it weren't for the location, this spot would have a line around the block every day.
Take a doggy bag because it's even better the next day. I said it was in 2014 and I’m saying it again this year: It’s one of the best dishes around.
Best Mushrooms: Simbiosis, Saturday Organic Market, Ancha de San Antonio and Cardo on the grounds of the Rosewood
I never use to be a mushroom lover until these exotics showed up at the Saturday Organic Market. They have a wide variety of options so ask them to give you a visual tour.
Just how good are they? You’ll always end up buying more than you planned on.
Best Newcomer Chef:
Who is she? You’ll find out soon enough. Look for a post soon. This East Coast transplant will surprise you in 2016. You can count on it.
Best Onion Rings: Hanks New Orleans Café and Oyster Bar Hidalgo #12
Crispy and light, that’s our only criteria. We haven’t found any better than Hanks.
Sorry, I don’t split an order. Just ask my lunch partner who always gets his hand slapped if he even thinks about it. Too good to eat with Ketchup. Hold the salt!
Best Parrillada: Don Lupe Grill, Pila Seca 34-B
The Parrillada proves that there is nothing like a combination of steak, chicken, and chorizo with a smidgen of shrimp, to get you excited about BBQ. Don’t forget to request an extra order of tortillas because this mixed grill is large enough for a three-way split.
An addiction worth giving up almost everything for including the ice-cold cerveza you wash it down with.
Best Pasta: Bacco at Hotel Sautto, Hernandez Macias #59
The chefs at Bacco Restaurant in the Hotel Sautto have a talent for creating authentic Italian food with seasonal produce. Richard Sautto plays the perfect host at this beautiful, old world patio that is lit up like Christmas nearly every evening.
Amatriciana, the southern Italian favorite, is made with fresh tomatoes, smoked pancetta, garlic, onion and Italian basil. Pair it with the house wine and have a second glass to celebrate the fact that in your next life, you’re coming back as an Italian.
Best Peruvian: Ceviche, La Parada Recreo #94
With the beach a seven-hour drive from San Miguel, the most sought-after dish in town is seafood. At La Parada, the ceviches are legendary. Ceviche is raw fish or seafood that is “cooked” by marinating in citrus juice. La Parada does a novel take on conventional ceviche by using salmon in the citrus, then topping it with snow pods, seaweed and cucumber. Wash it down with a cool Pisco Sour and you’ve just taken a quick trip to Lima, compliments of Chef Alexandra Gutt, who is responsible for heightening the profile of mouth-watering, Peruvian flavors in San Miguel.
Best Pie: Claudia’s, Phone 415-151-0146
I've taken high altitude baking classes but I’ve yet to make a respectable pan of popovers, cornbread, pie or anything for that matter. I’ve added flour, decreased sugar, cut my butter and still haven’t figured out the formula. So last year, I bought rather than made a lemon meringue pie. I never liked lemon meringue but this one was exquisite and like every other American in San Miguel, I was going through lemon withdrawal. This pie was so artistic, especially the layer of light and almost fluffy meringue on top.
You’ve probably eaten one of Claudia’s pies at some of the better restaurants around town or at La Pulga. Sweet or savory, they are the best around and I’ve devoured enough of them to validate that statement.
Best Pizza: Casa Chiquita Pizza, Correo #45
The Cipriani,
a perfect pairing of Cheese, Beef Carpaccio, Arugula and Parmesan. It’s my
favorite and can be ordered as an individual pizza with four slices.
Head to the rooftop. The view is almost as good as the pizza.
In a
tiny pozoleria with an open kitchen, cooks creates this beloved Mexican dish
with hominy, chicken, pepitas, tomatillos, epazote and a handful of fresh
jalapenos. A cure-all, the medicinal brew once had ritual significance and is
so good you'll want to skip dinner and have a second helping. A medley of
toppings adds to the experience.
Best Produce: Saturday Organic
Market, Ancha de San Antonio and Cardo on the grounds of the Rosewood
A
market or a meeting place? Hands down, the best produce and people watching in
town.
Best Rooftop La Azotea, Umaran #6
Food: The Jicama
Taco…the shell is a thin slice of Jicama that is topped with lightly
breaded shrimp, fried leeks, chipotle mayo and a tamarind sauce. It’s one of
the most delicious and creative tacos in SMA.
Service: The best in town, compliments of Ram, Eduardo and the remarkable
staff.
Drinks: Biggest wine pours; best house wine.
View: When was the last time you saw a pink sky?
People-Watching: The list of personalities who frequent this high-style
eatery goes on and on.
Best Salad: Shaved Brussels
Sprout and Kale Salad,The Restaurant Solano #16
You
haven’t tasted a salad this good ever…even if you don’t like Brussels sprouts.
I’ve
tried to recreate it at home but somehow it always tastes better at The
Restaurant.
Best Service: TIE: La Azotea, Umaran #6 and B’ui cocina de
campo, on the equestrian grounds at
Otomi’s residential area outside of SMA Km 2 Camino a San Miguel el Viejo
It takes a team
and in both cases, it’s a duo that leads them…
Ram and Eduardo
at La Azotea
Gabriel and Angel
at B’ui
How can anybody
this young know so much about good service.?
Who you share your table with is just as
important as what is on it.
Not
because she’s got enviable taste buds, is a great cook or happens to send me
everything I possibly want to know about in the world of food.
She was
a foodie before the word was ever invented.
Best Soup: Muro Loreto 10B
As advertised, this Azteca soup IS the best and biggest bowl in
town. Also try their chicken…and, the list goes on and on.
Best Steak: Buenos Aires Bistro
Mesones #62
One thing for sure: Chef Mariano is committed to the quality of his products and it shows. Watch for a post on Chef Mariano next week.
Best Street Food: Andy’s Tacos, Esq
Insurgentes y Hidalgo
Andy
is easily the King of SMA Street and anyone who has indulged there agrees. Every
evening at 7pm, there’s a long line at his taco cart in Centro. The mere aroma
attracts aficionados who jockey for one of the few seats and a small plate of
savory Tacos Al Pastor. The pork is marinated in dried chilies, spices and
pineapple and is slow-cooked on a vertical rotisserie then covered with a
spicy, red chipotle salsa. Andy's is a favorite of partygoers looking for an
after-hours feast and still intoxicated by the magic of the fiesta.
This
is the place I want to stage, especially at around 3 AM.
Best Sushi: 1826 Tequila Bar
Rosewood Hotel
The
Rosewood sent their sushi chefs to train in Japan. You can tell. Sushi is
served every Friday and Saturday night in the 1826 Tequila Bar. The freshest
raw fish in San Miguel and the only place I will eat inland seafood.
Best Sweets: Artesana Boutique, Rosewood Hotel
Open for over a month, this new little shop, tucked away inside the
Rosewood Hotel, sells Salvador’s baked goods including the most decadent
chocolate that looks like a taco topped with fruits and nuts.
Designed by Tables and More out of Guadalajara, the shop is
drop-dead gorgeous and has outdoor seating. You’ll likely find the coffee crowd
here as they also serve Starbucks for the same price as the Starbucks in town.
Best Tacos al Pastor: Andy’s Tacos, Esq Insurgentes y Hidalgo
Unlike the other
pastor vendors in town, Andy will caramelize his meat to an almost-crunchy
texture. That process makes it picture-perfect when he shaves it off the
vertical spit, fries it, splashes it with a somewhat fiery salsa, kisses it
with thin slices of pineapple and hands it over with a grin.
If you blink twice
from the sweet-smelling smoke in your eyes, you'll swear that Elvis is alive
and well and living in San Miguel. That's part of the reason you come here.
Call it a religious
experience that happens as it moves toward the midnight hour. I’ve looked for
his equal at nearly every taco place in town. There isn’t one.
Best Tamales: Tamales La Chappis, Insurgentes by Templo del Oratorio
I hate tamales. That was
until I discovered street cooks Maria de la Luz Tovar Hernandez and Educardo
Alonzo Zarate Cruz making fiery tamales laced with spicy, green chilies. The
tamales are offered several different ways and always sell out early so get
there when the sun comes up.
The blissful part of
this breakfast is watching San Miguel come alive in the morning as you savor
every spicy bite.
Sunrise isn’t suppose to
taste this good. An 8 pesos experience that’s pretty darn hard to beat.
Best Tequila Tasting: 1826 Tequila Bar
Rosewood Hotel Calle Nemesio Diez #11
There
are plenty of tourist attractions in San Miguel, but none of them are as
enjoyable as the tequila class at the
1826 Tequila Bar
in the Rosewood Hotel. Grab at least two friends and you get a
private class with the resident Tequilier (tequila sommelier). The bar has
120 varieties of tequila and 20 brands of Mezcal to choose from, including Casa
Dragones.
One
of my favorite Extra Anejos, a tequila aged for at least three years, is the
Atelier Del Maestro. I love the hand-painted bottles. At 1826 Tequila Bar, the
person to take the last shot gets to keep the empty bottle.
Another
perfectly good reason to drink up.
Best Up-and-Coming Chef: Gabriel Ordonez,
58, Mesones #58
It’s rare to find a bar with imaginative food but Chef Ordonez
is creating small plates that are worthy of a cult following.
A gifted chef with a talent for integrating flavors, Gabriel
trained in the acclaimed Peruvian kitchens at both Malabar and
Central Restaurante. Both restaurants earned spots on Latin America’s 50 Best
Restaurants this past year. Malabar captured the number twenty position, while
Central Restaurante took the top spot for the second year in a row.
We’re currently headed
back to search his kitchen. We know where his spoon is…we’re looking for his
magic wand.
Best View: Luna Rooftop Bar,
Rosewood Hotel
A feast
for the eyes, devouring the beauty of San Miguel is on the top of my list of things
to do. Travelers maintain it’s their favorite activity, especially while
enjoying the tapas and tequilas at their favorite rooftop bar.
The Luna
Rooftop Tapas Bar at the Rosewood Hotel shows off the best views; a
360-degree spectacle certain to take your breath away, especially at sunset.
Best Wine Cellar: Cava Sautto, Hotel
Sautto, Hernandez Macias #59
This wine store, hidden
behind the registration desk in Hotel Sautto, has a remarkable cellar that is
stocked with well-known labels, including Casa Madero and other fine wines from
Mexico, South America and Europe.
You could spend hours
hanging out in the cellar studying labels but you’ll have more fun taking them
home and tasting them.
Don't miss the Cava Sautto Wine Festival on February 6th.
Arael Gómez Tello is a sommelier from the University of
Tourism and Administrative Sciences by the Mexican Association of
Sommeliers. Graduated from the Turquois Mónaco-México Foundation in
Restaurant and Bar Operations and Customer Service in 2003. Founder and
proprietor of Arggot del Vino, a wine distributor serving the market in San
Miguel de Allende, Querétaro, and the Bajío region. Gastronomy instructor
at the Instituto de Artes y Oficios de Querétaro for seven years.
He is currently teaching a six week course, MASTERING WINE: A
Practical Wine Course.
Arael distributes over 300 labels.
Best Wine Store: Carnevino, Ancha de San Antonio
#22
If you can’t find a wine at one of the most interesting and well
stocked wine store in town, owner Jorge Alarcon L can get it for you. Expect to
see a restaurant in the store this year.
We love the variety of wine, liquor and gourmet food that he
sells.
Jorge Alarcon L is another one of the most knowledgeable wine resources
in town.
Photo of Susan York by Melissa Perry Barnett