Can You Eat Healthy and Still Write A Food Blog?

Who said you can eat healthy and still write a food blog? Dr. Leslie Flores. I would never have believed it but since May of 2024, I’ve been eating healthier; a year now, thanks to Dr Leslie Flores, who talked me into trying more fruits, vegetables, seafood, superfoods and less red meat. I also cut out alcohol, which has been more of a blessing than a curse. In addition to saving close to half of what I use to spend, I dropped 10 pounds and my cholesterol is down from 380 to 167; the best reading in years.

As a food writer, my new discipline includes regular cheats - I just tasted Chef Paulina Carreno’s desserts this week for Mother’s Day - but I’ve learned to go right back to healthy eating afterwards; something I’ve trained myself to do over time without even thinking.

All of a sudden I crave good vegetables; you know, the kind that Chef Donnie Masterton of The Restaurant and Jim McKeever of Nectar plant and serve every day. Chef Arturo Sandoval has a list of great vegetable dishes on his menu at Atrio as well as Chef Jorge Avendano at Altar. Chef Regina Aguilar of Hacintto features a gorgeous plate of vegetables with pistachio sauce as her signature dish. It’s my favorite dish in SMA right now.

My favorite meal at home is a chicken breast and a fresh fruit salad. The key to this meal is buying chicken at the Gerez family’s Rancho Viejo store on Insurgentes #168. It doesn’t have a number posted outside but it’s right next to #170. Maribel cuts the breast fresh every day and it’s much juicer, more tender and has a less fibrous taste. The free range chickens roam the farm that Don Luis Gerez founded years ago after he came to SMA from Spain, which his daughter, Angeles, now runs. His son, Luis is using new methods for feeding and reduced water use by applying techniques he learned at the University of Guadalajara. I also buy items at my local fruit and vegetable store at Insurgentes #103, near Quebrada, owned by the Galicia Licea family. I asked the Senora to pick out an avocado and mango to use in a salad that day and over time, I discovered that the produce she picked for me are always perfect. She’s also passed this talent down to her staff. My new motto is BUY LOCAL and plan ahead. Save your cheat days because we’ve got Millesime weekend (May 22-25) and San Miguel y Sus Sabores (June 27-29) coming up in the next two months and if you love food, you don’t want to miss either festival. They both feature all the great food you find in SMA.

The Tea Room

Eve Mickendrow’s story is a stroke of SMA serendipity: a southern girl moves to Mexico, meets a Yorkshire chef and opens an English tearoom. Sounds like a bit of a fairytale, right? For over 25 years, Eve owned another successful tea room outside of Charleston called Time Well Spent. She moved to SMA eight years ago to spend more time with her sister, Deborah Richards, who owns Chinaberry Farms; a favorite of many of the chefs in town.

I first met the chef, Ryan McNab, a certified Naples Pizza maker, back in November, 2022 when he was visiting San Miguel de Allende. Returning permanently that following year, he called himself Mr. Crumpet, taking on the role of providing England’s best eats, such as Crumpets and Shortbread, to the hundreds of Sanmiguelenses who had a taste for all things British. I was one of them.

In October, 2023, he did a chef collaboration with local SMA chef, Pablo Gil, of Bennu and brought something new to the table: Panuozzo; a street food from Italy. As a chef first in England, we’ve followed his career, most recently working in the kitchens at Marulier, but his talents caught the attention of Eve Mickendrow and the two have paired up at The Tea Room; opening May 1st. The restaurant is beautiful with lots of natural light, dark wood with contrasting neutral walls, and jars of loose tea, lounging fairies and vintage tea sets scattered throughout the restaurant. I thoroughly expected Fancy Nancy to be there throwing a tea party for all her friends.

There’s all sorts of fabulous teas like Earl Grey, British Breakfast, Passionate Mango, Ginger Peach, Lavender Lemon and Jasmine Green…just to name a few.

The menu is typically English: Quiche, Sausage rolls (English sausage meat mix wrapped in golden flakey puff pastry); Potted pork with toasted sliced bread which is an almost pate style spread made by slow cooking belly pork with a mix of herbs and spices and hand mixing it all back together with the rendering Jus from the cooking process; traditional scones with jam and clotted cream and finger sandwiches: Smoked salmon and cream cheese, traditional cucumber sandwiches, Cheese savory sandwiches which are a blend of blend of mixed grated cheese, herbs and spices, charred pimento peppers and wholegrain mustard.

Also opening May 1: The Fairy Garden, a special place for little girls to play dress up before afternoon tea is served at the children’s table right outside the dressing room. There’s no such thing as being overdressed for this party.

The menu is made fresh daily and is reasonably priced using high quality ingredients from Chinaberry Farms and other local suppliers. High Tea is just $400 pesos.

When you feel like doing “absolutamente nada”, which, by the way, is a very respectable thing to do at high tea, or any tea for that matter, come down and catch the magic that awaits you at The Tea Room; a unique addition to San Miguel de Allende’s collection of new restaurants.

The Tea Room Salida a Celaya 6, 2nd Floor San Miguel de Allende, GTO Mexico Opening May 1st Thursday -Sunday 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Phone: 415 216 9381 +1-843-797-8500 Chef: Ryan McNab

The 2024 Picture Book of Favorite Foods in San Miguel de Allende

It seemed like new flavors popped up everywhere last year when we finally arrived at the best part of the 2024 season: selecting new dishes to add to the ongoing list of our 150 favorites that were published last February.

The list would be longer with our on-again-off-again culinary tour because for nearly four months, we were evaluating a steady stream of Birrias, Moles, Tlayudas, Tamales, Chapulines,Torta Ahogadas, Pozoles, Barbacoas, Quesadillas, Sopa de Lima, Lechon, Cochinita Piibil and other regional specialties in Guadalajara, Merida and Oaxaca. We were a bit surprised when we finally totaled up the list of favorites for SMA but we did a lot of research and poured over menus most of the year, allowing us to narrow down the SMA restaurants to the ones that had the best profiles for the most reliable eating in the eight months we were here. In other words, we went straight to the good stuff and had plenty to choose from.

SMA has the best variety of food in Mexico of any city we’ve traveled to last year and that gives our chefs plenty of inspiration to introduce more. So eat with your eyes and enjoy the feast. In no particular order, take a trip through what we loved about eating out in SMA last year.

Buen Apetito!

APPETIZERS AND SIDES Bao Buns (a.k.a. Bacon Bath) by La Azotea; the best appetizer in SMA Seasonal Vegetables with Pistachios Sauce by Hacintto Green Fava Bean Hummus by Altar Esquites by La Azotea Smoked Beet Rolls at Atrio Foie gras with wine bread, butter and red wine reduction by Cumpanio; an anniversary special Queso Fundido by Pirules Garden Kitchen at the Rosewood Provoleta Cheese and sun-dried Tomatoes by Serrano 82

BREADS Gugers by Cumpanio Danish Bread at Artio Pulque bread by Altar at Doce 18 Concept House Fried Pizza Bread by Hacintto Brioche Balls with Butter and Rosemary Honey at Atrio Pink Peppercorn Bread at Salvajes Brasserie Split Top French Roll by Panio; for dipping

BREAKFAST Avocado Toast and Lechon by Café Aldama 57 Choripan by Cumpanio Barbacoa by Barbacoa Hnos. Rodriquez ; the original! Birria by Café Aldama 57 Torta Ahogada by Café Aldama 57 Pancakes by Café 1910

BURGERS Burger Steak au Poivre by San Mezcal Juicy Lucy platter at the NEW Bastardo

COFFEE AND DRINKS Coco, Coffee and Milk by Cumpanio Fresh Squeezed Juices and Smoothies at El Compita Caramel Latte by 20 Trece Expresso with Milk by Cumpanio Latte by Dulce 1810 Affogato by Lukrezia SMA - try this for a special surprise!

DESSERTS AND SWEETS Santiago Lava Cake with Caramel by Serrano 82 Basque Spanish Cheesecake by Atrio Wedding Cookies by Alfredo García-Lucio at Nectar Easter Cookies by Chef Patsy Dubois Churros by Churro Bonfi at Tuesday Market Pastries by Dulce 1810 Flan with 70% Tabasco Chocolate Ganache by Altar at Doce 18 Dulce de Leche Gelato by Amorino New York Style Cookies by Joleisa Bakery Cannoli, Profiterole - really any dessert by Chef Laura Buccheri at Sikelía by La Cucina di Afrodita

ENTREES Sea Bass Collar by Hacintto Pasta with Guanciale at Sikelía by La Cucina di Afrodita Shrimps in salmorejos and yellow lemon marinade by Hacintto Oxtail with Mole by Hacintto Roasted Cauliflower with Mole Coloradito by Altar at Doce 18 Swedish Meatballs by the NEW Bastardo

HANDHELDS Pizza Fritta by Fari CarnitaTorta by El Moto Bautista - Independencia Hojaldra de Mole Sandwich by Lolita Oaxaca Cheese Flautas by Altar at Doce 18 Pastrami Sandwich at the NEW Mesa Marrakesh Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Arugula Pizza by Cumpanio Chicken Sandwich by Trakaloso Pepitos Prime Rib Eye Beef Sandwich by Trakaloso Pepitos Prime

SALADS Ensalada King Crab by Atrio Tomato Salad by Atrio Salmon Salad with Trout Caviar by Pirules Garden Kitchen at the Rosewood Clementine Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Sheep Cheese by Altar

SOUPS French Onion Soup by Salvajes Brasserie Gazpacho by Cumpanio Roasted Tomato Soup at the NEW Bastardo

SPIRITS Affogato by Ziracco Marshmallow Espresso Martini by Mike Esponosa of Tobala Mixology Margaritto at Hacintto by Garnish Chef and Mixologist, Yuranzi Silva Martha Esperanza by Atrio Wine at El Estoril; as recommended by owner, Guiillaume Martin Blue Cheese Negroni by Mike Espinosa at Salvajes Brasserie Codigo 1530 Rosa-Blanco Tequila Heineken 00 Código 1530 Anejo Sherry Finish Barrel Select Tequila Virgin Cocktails by Serrano 82 Tito Martini at Atrio Corona 00

TACOS Don Santos Tacos at Tuesday Market Matador Tacos at Lolita

EXPERIENCES Codigo 1530 Tasting Room at Hotel Casa Blanca 7 While most tequila is aged in American whiskey barrels, Codigo 1530 tequilas are aged in French White Oak barrels from the Napa Valley resulting in a uniquely, delicate finish. This eye-catching tasting room is located in the Casa Blanca 7 Hotel in Centro, San Miguel de Allende.

HALL OF FAME

Tito Martini + Rib Rice by Chef Arturo Sandoval at Atrio Since they opened in 2017, Atrio’s chef, Arturo Sandoval, has been on top of his game and Atrio has been a #1 restaurant in SMA; whether it’s Tito’s Martini made tableside by Abraham or a piping hot plate of Rib Rice that’s always cooked to perfection.

Hamburger Night every Thursday by Chef Donnie Masterton at The Restaurant Still going strong after 16 years, there’s no argument with this choice; it’s a given. Chef Donnie Masterton won the burger race a long time ago.

Chocolate Truffles with Whiskey and Tequila by Panio The first sweet treat we ate four days after we arrived 13 years ago also happens to still be the best bite of chocolate in SMA.

Vegetarian Food by Nectar at Camino Silvestre NECTAR went straight to the Hall of Fame because it taught me to love vegetables again; something that only can be achieved by owners who really understand and love vegetarian food.

NEW OPENING LOCAL This new hot spot by Chef Paulina Carreno of Panina will open soon. It promises to be one of the best restaurants in SMA and you’ll be amazed by the prices; we did tastings back in January. Much to our surprise and delight, there’s a chef’s table - the first by a female chef in SMA. Stay tuned!

Local SMA Guide

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Local SMA Guide for featuring me on their April cover and acknowledging my work in documenting the gastronomy of San Miguel de Allende for the past 13 years. I follow in the footsteps of good friends, Journalists, Storyteller and PR Executive, Rose Ruiz and Chef Ana Martinez of Cumpanio, who recently graced the cover with their amazing contributions to SMA. A special thanks to Designer Merely Claudia for the exquisite, Claudia Bo Mexican design I am wearing in the picture, to SMA’s community of talented chefs and to my readers. Thank you to #MyrnaCamacho and the entire #localsmaguide team; it’s both an honor and a privilege to be celebrated in this way.