Mesa Larga

Mesa Larga, with chefs Jorge Avendano of Bastardos Restaurante and Beer Garden and Salvajes Brasserie AND Paulina Carreno of Panina was nothing short of PERFECT. Lingering next to a field of grape vines, surrounded by friends, sharing a glass of good wine in pristine fall weather with a fire sizzling comfort foods prepared by two of the best chefs in SMA was a pinch-me-when-it’s-over moment that any real food lover could not resist. How did we pick this dinner? At a gorgeous venue I had never been to before called Rancho Tierra Y Amor with an A-list of guests, Chef Avendano cooked over wood and fire - his signature preparation and the one thing he happens to do better than most. A seasoned expert; the embers at Bastardos reach 1200 degrees F on any given day and much to my delight, everything had the flavor of wood fire and smoke. The first meal the chef ever made for me featured a lot of great dishes but the high point was the ice cream cooked over smoke; a pinnacle culinary moment for me. Every dish I’ve ever had from his kitchens has been memorable, including the dishes he cooked today with his good friend, Chef Paulina Carreno. The dinner itself was so Avendano. The grill was homemade by the chef that morning, supported by piles of bricks to steady it from the sheer weight of the food. How he ever got all of the dishes on to the grill’s surface I’ll never guess but I’m certain there was a fair amount of comedy that blessed the construction. Don’t ever think that a bakery chef only does pastries and breads. Chef Paulina Carreno demonstrated her versatility but it was no surprise to those of us who know she worked her way through many of the famous kitchens across Europe and Mexico and then launched Panina SMA in the middle of the pandemic. High risk for the chef, the bakery has turned out to be one of the best in SMA; known for their sourdough products, their creative pastries and just about every breakfast item on the menu. Chef Avendaño’s cuisine is characteristically international, with a talent for creating Vegetarian. Who doesn’t love a head of Cauliflower dripping in burnt butter and nuts; one of the first in SMA and a dish he also fed to his guests at the dinner. Chef Jorge Avendano is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Mexico and has worked for over 20 years in restaurants and hotels around the world. Just in Mexico, he was Executive and Creative Chef at Parker & Lenox, Puebla 109, Corredor Tonala and Catalinam and others. One of his life changing moments was when he worked at Noma, a two Michelin star restaurant run by Chef Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen, Denmark. Chef Avendano owns two restaurants in SMA: Bastardo, where he also cooks over charcoal and wood and Salvajes Brasserie, where Miguel, his Sous chef at this dinner, makes a Coq au vin that’s almost as good as Jorge’s; a testimony to the fact that he’s trained his staff well. He also has a popular cantina in Polanco in Mexico City called La Sotomayor Cantina. Chef Jorge Avendano is currently in Japan on a culinary trip through Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama and Nara. He’s attending a Noma pop up (where he previously worked) in Kyoto, Japan. We can’t wait to see the dishes he comes up with once he returns. As the light hit the golden hour, the guests - including chefs, restaurateurs and food lovers - celebrated this one perfect day. I’m all for perfect every chance you can catch it and it happens more often than not when you’re living in the magic of San Miguel de Allende. Bastardo Restaurante and Beer Garden Hidalgo 66,Centro 37770 San Miguel de Allende Phone: 984 156 1865 Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 2:00 PM – 10:00 Sunday: 2:00 PM - 8:30 PM Monday closed Chef: Jorge Avendano Salvajes Brasserie Hidalgo 92, Centro San Miguel de Allende Phone: 55 4177 2709 Tuesday - Saturday 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sunday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM Monday closed Chef: Jorge Avendano Panina Stirling Dickinson #3 San Antonio, San Miguel de Allende 37700 Hours: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM except Sunday opens at 9:00 AM Phone: 415 107 6825 Chef: Paulina Carreno