There
are many new interpretations of Mexican food that embrace authenticity. Some
chefs are incorporating plant-based ingredients into more traditional
recipes. New food sources, like Chinaberry Farms, who has hydroponic and
aquaponic greenhouses, grow produce that makes eating Vegan really easy,
especially when it’s cooked by the culinary master himself, Chef
Jesus Vasquez Reyna of Aperi. He prepares an all inclusive menu at Aperi
and offers a strictly Vegan menu at La Cabra Lluminada; a little café on
Hidalgo he and his wife opened during Covid that has a large following today.
If you’re a food lover who’s been exploring new flavors from different states
in Mexico, not just Guanajuato, you’re not alone. Chefs are doing that every
day. Our Habitas San Miguel introduced us to a new dish from Chef Jonathan
Navarrete’s home state of the Yucatan: Marquesitas - a crepe
rolled like a taco that was stuffed with cheese. We’re about to get a better
look as we prepare to embark on a two year journey through 12 different regions
of Mexico.
Here are 7 new spots for you to check out; one for every day of
the week. With the exception of Sunday brunch ($700 pesos) most of the items on
these menus are under $200 pesos.
From a taco stand off the
road to Mexiquito which fulfills a chef’s childhood dream to a restaurant that looks more like Tulum
than San Miguel de Allende, every one of these restaurants has a distinctive
quality that makes their offerings both new and unique. It’s a quick reminder
that good food is just one of the many reasons we moved to Mexico in the first
place.
Buen Provecho!
MONDAY - CAFÉ ALDAMA 57
Aldama 57, Centro
Daily 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Closed Tuesday
Phone: 415 688 2284
Chef: Juan Carlos Hernandez
We love Cafe Aldama 57, just a few doors down from Hotel Matilda. The old walls of simple beauty are capped off by a wooden ceiling that makes this cafe seem both spacious yet cozy. The menu has a great selection of salads, Mexican breakfast items and delicious sweets.
Juan
Carlos Hernandez is the restaurant’s chef and did a spectacular job on our new
favorite - an Arrachera sandwich served with Matilda French fries with Parmesan
cheese. It’s on a crunchy baguette with flawlessly cooked Arrachera, mustard,
caramelized onions and fried leeks.
This
spot is worth repeating weekly. It’s one of the best, new cafes in SMA, opened
by the chefs at Matilda.
TUESDAY - LOS ORIGINALES DE SAN MIGUEL
Salida a Celaya 69
Centro, San Miguel
de Allende
Daily: 12:00 Noon -
12:00 PM
Closed Mondays
Phone: 415 109 4848
Taqueria Los Originales de San Miguel is owned by an old friend, Jenaro Arroyo,
who opened Zibu in Acapulco and worked for Chef Eduardo Palazuelos for ten
years. He went on to open Zibu in Guadalajara, Monterrey and in San Miguel de Allende
at Live Aqua. Jenaro worked in Cabo for thirteen years at Lorenzillos, the live
lobster house and was the GM of Kookaburra in SMA until COVID shut it
down.
In January of 2023,
he opened Taqueria Los Originales de San Miguel and offers dishes that are not
available at other Mexican restaurants in SMA. We loved the fried Cheese
Chicharron, the Sirloin and Suadero tacos but my new favorite is the Pastor
Arabe, made of pork cooked on a trompo, then cut super thin and dressed with a Habanero
salsa with pina and a white salsa of pure garlic, lemon and salt. We give it a
perfect 10 for the flavor. They also serve a steaming Queso Fundido with or
without chorizo. Both the Pita and flour tortillas are brought in from Puebla.
A family affair, his
sons, Mauricio and Gerardo, work with him at the restaurant along with his
wife, Claudia, who makes all the delicious salsas.
Taqueria Los
Originales de San Miguel also has a dark kitchen in the back where Davide
Hidalgo is the chef and will offer all sorts of fresh seafood shortly. After
23 years of working with seafood in Acapulco and Cabo, we’re excited to see
what Jenaro Arroyo will offer next.
WEDNESDAY - LA CABRA LLUMINADA
Hidalgo
13
Centro
37700, San Miguel de Allende
Daily:
9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Chef
Jesus Vasquez Reyna of Aperi and his wife, Josefina, own this café; partnering up
with Alain from Don Taco Tequila. The restaurant is pure delight for Vegans who
are looking for a healthy dose of some of the most interesting food in SMA. The
small coffee shop located up front has a large following of regulars and serves
wonderful coffees from Chiapas.
Kicking
off breakfast was an Affogato made with Hazelnut gelato. In the back, there’s a
restaurant located in a small garden where you can take in nature while feasting
on a variety of Mexican dishes. At breakfast, I had the Mexican pancakes served
with flavorful, blueberry compote and at a later date, the French toast, which
was made with Soy milk, dark chocolate and fruit. Chef Jesus Vasquez Reyna is
there every morning to check on the chefs so you’ll get to say hello if you’re
an early bird like me.
I liked
the food, the tranquility of the space and the service so much, it’s now on my
list of places to go when I want to dodge the crowds and actually get some work
done. One of SMA’s best kept secrets, the menu is totally Vegan.
THURSDAY - LOS DEL BARRIO TAQUERIA
Fray
Juan de San Miguel #19 on the road to Mexiquito
Thursday – Sunday/ 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Chef: Luvia de La Rosa
Chef Luvia de La Rosa trained with some of the best chefs in Mexico including Chefs Matteo Salas and Enrique Olvera. She proudly calls Chef Luis Arellano of Criollo in Oaxaca her long-time mentor and friend. This former chef from Oaxaca, who also worked locally under talented chefs Israel Loyola at Jacinto 1930 and Davide Giribaldi at Cien Fuegos, has opened a taco stand; a profession that’s deeply rooted in the food culture of Mexico. Los del Barrio Taqueria fulfills a childhood dream; seven of her uncle's were Taqueros, some of which are still in operation today. Her specialties include Chamorro and Suadero - a Mexican taco where the fat is key because where there's fat there's flavor. She also serves Barbacoa de setas (a vegan option) and Longaniza. Friday specials are Cabeza de Cerdo al Vapor (steamed Pork) and Consomé de Costilla (Rib consommé).
Chef Luvia de la Rosa is the official chef to French Doors
where she meets the artist before the dinner and makes dishes to inspire their
art. She
also does private dinners under her catering company, La Mesa de Lu Catering.
1ro de Mayo 22
Ignacio Ramirez, 37748
Monday – Saturday 12 Noon – 8 PM
Sunday: Closed
415 100 3703
Delivery Service
If
it’s Friday, it’s time to try the new food truck located in the garden called
Lunch Box. The owners are two of our favorite food people: Daniela Flores, the
daughter of Lolita restaurant owner, Lizette Angel and Nacho - Jose Ignacio
Avila Padilla, the former Mixoligist at Pork Belly and Lolita. You’ll get lots
of great, authentic border-style Mexican food here – border style as in
mesquite-grilled meat, fresh ingredients, hand-pressed tortillas and sauces
made in small batches.
Customers
from California say Burritos Coronado is truly a taste of home.
Try
the California Burrito with carne asada, guacamole, and French fries with cheese
and cream or our new favorite: the Papas Coronado: a delicious batch of French
fries covered with steak, grilled cheese, sour cream and guacamole. It’s a
weekly fix that beats my old standby of chips, salsa and cheese. Burritos
Coronado is the perfect taste for your next, Mexican fiesta so ask about their
catering services.
SATURDAY – LA ROMERO
Calzada de la
Estacion #185
Centro, San Miguel
de Allende
Wednesday – Monday
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Chef: Vanessa Romero
This is the Vanessa
Romero that we’ve known and loved for ten years now since she came to SMA. She
was born in Mexico City and was educated at the Higher College of Gastronomy
and the International School of Tourism. For 18 years she cooked for ministers
and judges of the courts in Mexico City. She spent most of her time cooking
with her grandmother when she was growing up. The cooking comes naturally; the
recipes are in her head and she could cook them all with her eyes closed.
Her second
restaurant, La Romero, is authentically Mexican – featuring the iconic dishes
of Raices SMA, her restaurant on Salida a Celaya. The new location is inside
the Hotel Arcada and features delicious Mexican fare, a full menu of cocktails
and live music.
As with Raices SMA,
anything you try at La Romero will be exceptional. Afterall, it’s cooked by one
of the best Mexican chefs in SMA. We love anything smothered in her mole.
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SUNDAY BRUNCH - OUR HABITAS SAN MIGUEL
Carretera
San Miguel de Allende
A,
Dolores Hidalgo KM 3.5 37713
San
Miguel de Allende
Inside
Los Senderos
Daily:
8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday
Brunch: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Chef:
Jonathan Navarrete
We’re
pulling inspirational quotes from the trees at Our Habitas San Miguel after
Sunday brunch, where a quick trip to Tulum is the order of the day at this
beautiful sanctuary outside of San Miguel de Allende in Los Senderos.
Their
farm-to-table restaurant, Comunidad, offers a menu that showcases fresh,
locally-grown ingredients. They have an amazing Sunday brunch that’s truly a
Mexican feast, including Marquesitas from the Yucatan, where Chef Jonathan
Navarrete is from. They also incorporate some outside, local ingredients into
the mix, like the Ice Cream from La Michoana del Porton.
Our
favorite eats were the Pozole with smoked Portobello mushrooms – a very
different and delicious dish, the beautifully prepared and super-moist corn
bread, Elotes and Chicharron Quesadillas – Chef Magda Pablos’s favorite dish. Any
time we’re seeking a bit of harmony, this is where we head. The food, service
and atmosphere are some of the best in SMA. It’s a trip to the beach without
having to pack your bags.
Chef Jonathan
Navarrete is also one of the owners of Ancestro.