CupCakes and CrabLegs: April 2023

If you didn’t get the memo, the hottest seat in the house right now is Aldama 53.

Chef Vicente Torres has officially taken over the kitchens of Moxi and Bovine, changing the menus and teaching new techniques to the staff. Of the six dishes he served at lunch today, we loved every one of them including the Pulpo with an exquisite Ink Emulsion, thick and beautifully seasoned. Chef Vicente Torres food touches on the Mediterranean, using the best local ingredients.

Chef Vicente Torres was awarded a Michelin star at La Sucursal, in the Valencian Institute of Modern Art in Spain and studied under famous chefs Frédéric Anton, Martín Berasategui and Alain Senderens. Millesime named him their Top Chef in 2011, where some of SMA’s best chefs, Marco Cruz of Nómada Cocina de Interpretación and Chef Marcela Bolaño of Marsala cocina con acentos, also cooked.

His SMA History… Chef Torres was a guest chef back in 2017, when he was part of the Weekends event at L'Otel. In November, 2019, he briefly opened Oli Tapas here in the old Jacinto 1930 space in Doce 18. The food was Spanish, a tapas restaurant, but then along came Covid and it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Our passion for this chef’s creations began when we were a guest at GARUM, his restaurant and one of Mexico City's best, back on March 5, 2020. Weeks later, Covid shut down many of the restaurants in Mexico City but Chef Torres remained loyal to both his craft and customers. He chose a delivery option and remained open during the entire pandemic..

In his absence, Chef Claudio Castillo will be cooking at Moxi, under his direction, as part of the evolution of these prestigious restaurants.

Making the meal an unforgettable one was the staff from Bovine - top SMA Mixologist, Uriel Jonathan Frausto Tabares and his apprentice, Alex Cotes, (who keeps his I.D. in his pocket just in case) and always-on-his-game, the chief concierge, Aaron Garcia Luna. Besides the over-the-top food, the pairing with two exceptional, Mexican brands - the fine wines from Casa Madero, the oldest winery in the Americas, and the superior Tequilas from Casa Dragones - made it the best meal this year. It was truly a winning combination.

The meal…

Tomatoes + Peaches is my favorite Bovine salad and this one was an organic tomato salad with a variety of Basil, Stracciatella and Pinion and was slightly more incredible with all the added extras. It was paired with Casa Dragones Joven, made from blanco and extra anejo tequilas, with the flavor of vanilla, a bit of spices and balanced with a trace of pear.

Next, one of our favorite courses, the Green Aguachile made with Crab, Tangerine, Pickled Carrots, and Ginger Air with a beautiful, green sauce of parsley and spinach that was ever so slightly sweet. A pan of delicious, homemade bread was not enough to sop up the flavors so we ordered another and also indulged in a plate of delicious, homemade crackers; impressed with the fact that the kitchen also does their own bread. We can’t say enough about the Crab – one Aguachile we never tried and hardly ever get that often. The dish was paired with a light, spring Casa Madero V Rosado Shiraz with notes of Peach, pink guava, melon, nectarine and papaya with honey and pink grapefruit.

Chef Michael Coon, who was also impressed with this dish, was pickling and candying carrots in his kitchen early the next morning, trying to recreate the flavors of this Aguachile. It’s so inspirational when chefs inspire other chefs.

Next was a divine, Butternut squash soup with Pumpkin Seed Praline, flower ravioli and marinated Yolk. This is now our favorite soup in SMA; its complexity simplified by using really, exceptional ingredients. The soup was paired with a full-bodied, Casa Madero Gran Reserva Chardonnay – in French and American oak barrels for 6 months with the aromas of fruits, white flowers and nuts and had a creamy, elegant finish. We’re a Chardonnay drinker and this is one of our favorite, Mexican wines; manually harvested in the early morning to maximize the concentration of aromas.

The next course, Pulpo with grilled Piquillo sauce, was complimented by the Ink Emulsion, guillio Chile sauce and green, mashed potatoes. This dish was paired with a Casa Madero Cabernet Sauvignon Organico; a gold metal wine with notes of blackberries and blueberries, oak, vanilla, chocolate, rosemary and cinnamon as well as roses and violets.

Next came the Tajine style lamb – one of the best ways to cook meat because the food comes out moist, tender and full of concentrated flavors. It was accompanied by sesame pure, Kalamazoo Olives, Orange and Honey and paired with our favorite Casa Madero; the intense Gran Reserva 3V with an expression of fresh red fruits. Casa Madero celebrated its 425^th anniversary last year by creating a special, limited edition of their most iconic wine; a blend of three grapes: Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc and Shitaz, with two years of aging in the barrels and 12 months of aging in the bottles.

He closed out the meal with a Cheesecake of Ocosingo Cheese - produced in Chiapas - red fruits and Cherry Ice Cream. It was served with Casa Dragones Anejo for the signature taste of floral with hints of figs and almonds and flavors of nutmeg, macadamia nut and blackberry.

Chef Torres is committed to making Moxi and Bovine two of the best restaurants in SMA and with so many eating places here, he’s unquestionably raised the bar a whole lot higher. Some have come close but this was one of those meals of the decade you just can’t forget.

Some 10 years and 5,700 seating’s later, we can’t wait to sit at his table again. Chef Vicente Torres is the new chapter for San Miguel de Allende.

Buen Provecho!

Moxi Restaurant at Hotel Matilda

Aldama 53, Zona Centro 37700

San Miguel de Allende, GTO.

Phone: 415-152-1015

Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Chef: Vicente Torres

Bovine

Canal #16, Zona Centro 37700

San Miguel de Allende, GTO.

Phone: 415-121-6787