There’s nothing better than a total surprise from a chef and Chef Jorge Avendaño has done it again!
Salvajes Brassiere, his new restaurant at #92 Hidalgo, is in an old house with small, intimate rooms and has a 5-star menu. On the second floot, there’s a cozy, private room for ten and a no-odd-man-out chefs table for 3 that looks straight into the kitchen; the only chefs table these days besides Aperi. The floor is typically French with black and white tiles like my kitchen back in Chicago; one of the many reasons I instantly fell in love with the space and felt like I had been going there for years and years. I felt totally at home the minute I walked in the door. They are still decorating and expect to be done soon but the food was so good, I actually never noticed.
Chef Jorge Avendaño is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Mexico and has worked in restaurants around the world including Noma, a two Michelin star restaurant run by Chef Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen, Denmark. Jorge’s wife, Aida Alaya Garcia, is the front-of-the-house dynamo behind chef Jorge’s kitchen, along with his partner, the delightful Alejandra Cortina.
We’ve always been a huge fan of Chef Avendaño’s cooking and every dish is beautifully presented; a signature of this chef. His cooking at Salvajes Brassiere is contemporary French with Italian elements and he’s very selective about the ingredients. His salad, for instance, is made with high-quality essentials from Chinaberry Farms, using French mustard, sage vinegar and Grana Padano.
La belle cuisine…
Berkshire Pork: The Kobe beef of pork, we made Berkshire pork at least once a week in Chicago and this chop will be your ultimate, weekly fix. It’s juicy, dark, and heavily marbled. We’ve actually never seen it on a menu anywhere in San Miguel de Allende.
Coq Au Vin: Coq Au Vin is one of our long-time favorites; a timeless stew that’s filled with intense, classic French flavors. I have an emotional attachment to this dish as it was the first one I ever cooked to impress a guy without knowing much about French cooking. I was 20.
Braised Short Rib: this is the chef’s secret weapon for wooing diners. It’s superbly prepared with creamy, russet potatoes – something that’s been MIA in the grocery stores lately. The serving plates are eye-catching; complimenting every dish that comes out of the kitchen.
French toast with Buttered Lobster: who would ever think to marry the flavors of French toast and buttered lobster and pull it off? The dish was a total surprise; just one of the many things this chef does with French toast like the French toast with Lavender Ice Cream, whipped cream and Marmalade – a beautiful dessert at his other restaurant, Bastardo.
Gnocchi with Clams: Gnocchi Parisienne, a French spin on rustic Italian gnocchi. In this preparation, the texture is much lighter; sautéed in butter for that browned, crunchy exterior to contrast the baked clams. Our top choice, we loved this dish.Posted at the top of the page.
Home made ice cream: smoked cream over cedar wood and a 70% cacao with white truffle oil were both superb, served in a covered, green Parisian glass bowl along with another alluring ice cream made from delicate, fresh berries the color of beets.
Our service was great thanks to Maui, who looks more Hawaiian than Mexican and had a very attentive demeanor. Breakfast and brunch will be served on the weekends when Salvajes is fully staffed. Jorge is currently looking for a Sous Chef for Bastardo/Salvajes with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the kitchen.
The one thing that impressed us overall was the fact that Chef Jorge Avendaño was totally overjoyed and captivated; he raved about his new kitchen, the equipment (a brand new green egg and stainless food mill) and literally every dish that he made.
A passionate chef will get you every time and we’ll admit that we were totally taken. Salvajes Brassiere is one of our favorite, new restaurants in 2022.
Salvajes Brassiere
Hidalgo 92
Thursday - Saturday: 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Chef Jorge Avendaño
Partner: Alejandra Cortina
