Sollano 18 by Vincente Asador De Brasa

Sollano 18 by Vincente Asador De Brasa is SMA’s newest restaurant, opening on June 11 in the house that Sofia built. The conversion is beautiful; the food, service and the view are impeccable. With seven restaurants either open or in progress, Vincente Asador De Brasa, is known for its grilled meats; the quality of the beef is silver from Canada and the Waygu is from Australia. A Tomahawk will set you back $3100 pesos. Don’t ever let the prices stop you from trying a new restaurant. My advice: get online and study the menu BEFORE you go. You’re likely to find a lot of items in your price range. Look for what are considered “house specialties”- in this case like the Short Rib Soup. I was after a soup and salad that day and what I got was an exceptional version of both. If I hadn’t ordered the biggest and best dessert on the menu, the White Chongos ice cream with Campechanas and caramel for $290 pesos (feeds 4-6 people or a hungry group of waiters), my bill would have been $135 pesos for the Short Rib Soup and $155 pesos for the Cesar Salad. Coincidentally, that’s the same price as the dessert/$14.50 USD. In reality, the portions are generous so split lunch with another food lover or bring the leftovers home and the cost of your lunch is now at $7.25 USD. Remember, anything under $10.00 USD is a bargain these days, especially when it’s from a top quality restaurant that serves high-quality food.

If you’re not sure what Campechanas are, read about them here. (https://patijinich.com/campechanas/). Thanks to Mexican food expert, Christina Potters, I got a lesson in Mexican cuisine. Food is my thing and typically, I learn something new every day. Over the course of 10 years, that’s a lot of knowledge accrued in a couple of hours each day.

I love soups and this Short Rib soup is now at the top of my list of favorites. It’s loaded with meat and the rest of the preparation - sherry, cilantro, onion, Serrano pepper, black sauce, lemon juice, pepper spices and other condiments are done tableside; unlike the Cesar Salad, which is prepared in the kitchen. Tucked under the Cesar Salad is a large slice of cheese chicharrón made in their Josper oven. Practically everything is made in-house, including the fresh Ranchero cheese topped with mushrooms and pumpkin flowers; a treat they give you at the start of the meal. The salsas are made from Serrano pepper with lemon juice and mayo; ashed Serrano with onion and garlic; Salsa macha with olive oil and a peanut sauce with tomato and dried chili. Chef Christian Maldonado received his degree in Gastronomy and Tourism from the Instituto Universitario del Estado de México and worked at the JW Marriot, Sonora Grill and 52-60 Open Kitchen Steakhouse before he came to Vincente Asador De Brasa.

Also on their menu are a lot of other inexpensive dishes - all under $210 pesos or $10.50 USD: Inverted Lasagna with Rib Eye Bolognese And Pomodoro sauce; Fried Rib Eye Skin; Watermelon And Passion Fruit Salad; Smoked Rib Eye Burger with Cheddar or Roquefort Cheese (pictured) ; Rib Eye or Bull’s Head Tacos; Vincente Potato baked in the Josper oven that looks a lot like the potatoes au gratin at Ruth Chris Steakhouse and Banana Cake served with black vanilla ice cream. They also have a go-to, healthy lunch of char grilled chicken and vegetables for $210.00 pesos. When was the last time you had food this good for $10 plus a tip? See, Vincente Asador De Brasa wasn’t so pricey after all. Sollano 18 by Vincente Asador De Brasa Sollano 18 San Miguel de Allende Centro Open: 1:00 PM Chef Christian Maldonado