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Monday, April 27, 2020

Some Things Never Change…


Despite the fact that I’m in Quarantine, the highlight of my day is still planning my next meal.

Delivery…

 Last week, it was Nomada, Rustica and Smoked’ N Low. The surprises:

A totally elevating apple caramel sea salt and cinnamon tart from Chef Sofia Antillon at Nomada. After not having sweets in the house all week, I hoarded this – which was a first – and it lasted for 4 meals.

When the experts tell you never to get a steak delivered, you reply “except one from Chef Marco Curz’s kitchen at Nomada.” Even the French fries were perfect, after a little magic from my own oven.
Ice Cream delivered right to your front door. Not sure I ever want you to wake me up from this one!
Real, authentic BBQ from a pit master trained in Texas. When the ribs are as good as the brisket, you know you’ve got a winner.

Nomada
Nomada has a long history of great food in SMA and with a limited delivery menu, you can bet that Chef Marco Cruz is going to hit the mark every time.

My body needed beef so I ordered a steak and French fried potatoes; something the experts tell you never to order for delivery except they were wrong when it comes to the food that comes out of Nomada’s kitchen. The feast was perfect after popping it in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. I asked for the fries extra crispy so they were spot on when they were reheated, too.

NOTE: When you order delivery, it’s not always going to be hot, even from some of the best restaurants, most of which are use to running the plate from the kitchen to the table. As this is a time of change, many of the restaurants are on a learning curve when it comes to delivery. Cut them some slack and pop it in the oven for a few minutes if you want it to be warmer. It’s going to take many of these restaurants a bit of time to work out cooking for delivery.

The best surprise: Chef Sofia Antillon’s definition of comfort food - an Apple sea salt caramel and cinnamon crumble; testimony to the fact that she’s the best pastry chef in town.

Rustica
Ice Cream delivered to your door; it’s a dream come true! It’s no secret that we love Rustic’s food. Always healthy and delicious, it’s one of the restaurants we frequent often so when Eduardo opened up for delivery, we were delighted. We ordered comfort food: the Chicken Milanesa and the Hummus toast with beets, goat cheese, avocado and greens. The order was large enough for two meals and at Rustica’s same great prices.

As the current new realities are forcing restaurant businesses to adapt, Rustica was brave enough to include Ice Cream on their delivery menu; the sweetest news this ice cream snob has had all month. But don’t make Eduardo run out every time you need an ice cream fix; it’s only 40 pesos.

Smoked’ N Low
When I lived in Chicago, I had both a smoker and a grill on my front porch and it was used often, even in the dead of winter. To me, BBQ is one of the most comforting foods around. I first tried Smoke n’ Low BBQ back in 2017 at the SMA Food Festival and have been meaning to get out there but now they deliver.

The food truck, owned by BBQ lover, Diego Bautista, who studied BBQ cooking from many the best BBQ chefs in the Texas, is located on the Carretera Dolores Hidalgo-San Miguel de Allende at Km 7.4. Amazing that a restaurant this far away from SMA still delivers to Centro. No matter what you order, if it’s been inside Smoke N-Low’s smoker pit, you know it’s going to be authentic.

Enough for 2 meals was the Two Meats plate – BBQ Ribs and Brisket – and 2 sides – beans and coleslaw.

$200 pesos Food + $100 peso delivery + $100 peso tip. This will be the best $400 pesos you spend all week.

Back this week:

KFC - Chef Kenten Marin’s hand was stitched up last week so he’s been off but back in the kitchen on Tuesday, April 28th. The latest addition to his menu is his Smoked Beer Can Chicken with White BBQ sauce; one of my favorite dishes in SMA.

With Buenforno coming up on April 29th and doing delivery, take a guess just how many almond croissants they’ll sell this week?
It’s was a long April without them.

Chef David Jahnke’s online cooking classes start today.

Monday 27.04.2020 - 01:00 PM
Class subject: Quarantine Cooking – CLASS IS FULL

Email the chef at david.jahnke@gmail.com to register and for a list of all his online classes; many of which are for cooking great foods while you’re in Quarantine.

His curriculum, many of which are new, include: Pasta; 10 Ways to Cook Chicken; French Mother Sauces; Side Dishes; Nutritious, Healthy and Flavorful Dishes; Home Fermented Products; Vanilla Desserts; Sweet Comfort Treats; UMAMI - The Savory Fifth Taste; the Medicinal Kitchen; Summer Snacks; 30 Minute Meals; Homemade Comfort Foods and Nutritious and Refreshing cooking.

Chef David Jahnke Cooking Classes Lab is the top cooking school in SMA and was recently voted one of the best cooking schools in Mexico.

El Pato Barbacoa and Mixiotes, perhaps some of the most comforting food in all of SMA, now delivers.

Recipes…

Potato Soup with Ham and Fresh Green Beans
Even at 91 degrees, we do soup. Great comfort food for quarantine, you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen.

This soup recipe has been passed down in my family for generations, it’s an easy recipe you can put together in a matter of minutes.

The flavor enhancer of this soup is the apple cider vinegar. If you love vinegar, add 2-3 heaping tablespoons to your bowl when it is served.

Directions:

Peel 3-4 medium potatoes, dice and cook until almost done (5-10 minutes) in water just to cover potatoes.

In a small bowl, put 1 ½ Tbsp. of flour. Add enough water to make a thin paste. Add 1 small carton half and half and stir to smooth. Add to the potatoes (do not drain) and stir until boiling – simmer 5 minutes.

Add 2-3 eggs drizzled into soup (break the yolk) and cook another 5-7 minutes.

Now the most important ingredient: Add vinegar to taste. I love adding lot's of vinegar and add it at the table, counting 3 tablespoons I added to my bowl.

I also love to add fresh green beans and ham to this recipe for another adaptation of delicious and a more hearty version of this soup.

Spaghetti Bordelaise
When you just want the taste of good pasta, without the red sauce and meatballs, this is my go-to recipe.

I’ve added chicken or even bacon, pancetta or prosciutto; the possibilities are endless but I really like it without meat, so you can savor the clean, rich taste of the oil, butter and pasta. Don’t skip the shallot; it’s the source of a lot of the flavor in this dish.

I serve it with a loaf of good Italian bread and you’re in luck - Panio now delivers!

This is one of my top twenty best and easiest recipes.

1 Cup Bordelaise Sauce (see recipe below)
12 Oz. spaghetti
4 quarts boiling water
Freshly grated Romano
Black pepper

Prepare the Bordelaise Sauce. Note: Don’t cook the garlic too long; once it browns, the flavor gets milder the longer you cook it.

¼ C. (1/2 stick) salt butter
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
3 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, chopped
½ tsp. freshly ground sea salt

¼ tsp. ground white pepper

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add olive oil and warm 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic, shallots, salt and white pepper. Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes, or just until garlic begins to brown. Some recipes call for removing garlic – I leave it in.

Turn off the heat. Cover the pan and set aside.

Cook spaghetti in the boiling water with olive oil added for 7 minutes. Drain. Return spaghetti to the pot. Pour the sauce over it and mix. Cover the pot and let contents steep for about 5 minutes. Uncover and mix again.

Serve in wide, shallow bowl with freshly grated Romano cheese. I didn’t have Romano cheese and used Parmesan instead.

Sprinkle each bowl with freshly ground black pepper.

Baked Beans
with a flavor bomb of green pepper and onions cooked in bacon, this is the best baked bean recipe I’ve eaten besides Chef Patsy Dubois’s.

2 – 16 ounce cans beans (B&M or Bush’s)
4-8 slices of bacon
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup bell pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheese
½ cup brown sugar
¼ mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. salt

Fry bacon. Set aside. Wilt onion and pepper in bacon grease. Add brown sugar. Add rest of ingredients except bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Put bacon on top before serving.

Smoked Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad
This recipe is so good, I make a double batch; some for every meal until it’s gone. The key to making a great potato salad is to dress it while it’s warm, so that it can absorb all the flavors.

Potato Salad:
3 pounds baby red potatoes or Yukon Gold, cut in half
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Dressing:
1 Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Topping:
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Blue Cheese, crumbled
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 

Put the potatoes in a single layer in center of a large piece of aluminum foil.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bring foil up and seal the edges making a large packet. 

Grill potatoes at least 30 minutes on each side.
Remove packet.

Open packet and let potatoes cool 10 minutes.

Whisk together ingredients for the dressing. Add dressing to potatoes (I used half as I don’t like my potato salad wet) tossing gently to coat. 

Top with onion, blue cheese, and bacon.

This week: Marsala, Berlin, Lima 502, Buenforno and Panio.

Stay hungry SMA - Missing the food from Chef Gerardo Contreras Michel at Bovine.

SMA RESTAURANTS AND GROCERY – Status and Delivery Options as of April 25, 2020

The quickest way to reach the restaurants is to call but I also use Facebook messenger because the menus are posted on their page. Delivery phone numbers are also listed below. If you have an update, send it to me by messenger. THANKS!

Andanza – Closed Temporarily
Antonia Bistro - Closed Temporarily
Antigua Trattoria Romano – Delivery 415-152-3790
Aperi - Closed Temporarily - Delivery service starting in May
Atrio - Closed Temporarily
Bacco – Delivery 415-154-5513
Bhaji Curry House – Delivery 415-152-6439
Bar Margaret - Closed Temporarily
Bella Italia – Uber Eats Delivery 415-514-6758
Birdies Burgers – Uber Eats Delivery 415-154-8317
Berlin – Delivery 415-154-9432
Bonanza Grocery- Delivery 415-152-1260
Bovine - Closed Temporarily
Buenos Aires Bistro – Delivery 415-154-6390
Buonforno Bakery – Opening Wednesday, April 29. Delivery 415-154-0809
Bui - Open to Otomi residents- Delivery 415-688-0021
Café Buen Dia - Closed
Cafe Casa Blanca 7 - Closed Temporarily- See The Restaurant listing
Cal’eh – Delivery 415-111-4811
Café Monet – Delivery 415-121-1229
Cafe Muro – Closed Temporarily
Café Verintort – Delivery 415-121-4398
Canada de la Virgen – Delivery 415-154-8771
Casa Nostra - Closed Temporarily
Casa Secretos- Delivery
Cava Sautto - No Delivery. Pick up 415-152-0052
Cent’anni – Delivery 415-154-8044
Chef David Jahnke – Online cooking classes - david.jahnke@gmail.com
Chef Gabriel Ordonez – Delivery 415-216-5195
Chikatana – Delivery 415-100-1286
Chiquita’s Food Delivery – Delivery 415-177-0865
Chocolates Johfrej - Delivery area. Call 415-152-3191
Claudia’s Bakery – Delivery 415-151-0146
Cumpanio - Closed Temporarily. Delivery service starting in May
Curry A Domicilio – Delivery 415-152-6439
Delices-Chateau – Delivery 52 55 5989 5606
DeliQ – Delivery Call button on http://deliqsma.com
Denise Rosenfeld@Postres Artesanales- Delivery 415-113-9679
Denver’s Los Olivos – Delivery 415-150-0539
Dilas – Delivery 415-154-1212
Don Lupe Grill – Delivery 415-121-3820
El Café de la Mancha - Closed
El Correo - Closed
El Liquor Store - Delivery contactosma@elliliquorstore.com 55 5965 6462
El Manantial – Delivery 415-111-0007
El Maple – Open. No Delivery  415-185-8859
El Parque - Closed Temporarily
El Pato Barbacoa and Mixiotes –Pick up and Delivery 415-150-7613
El Pegaso - Closed Temporarily
El Pegaso Bakery – Delivery 415-114-0766
El Vergel – Delivery  415-110-2063
Enamota – te – Uber Eats Delivery 415-120-5190
Fat Boys - Closed
Fatima 7 -Closed Temporarily. See listing for The Restaurant
Firenze – Closed Temporarily
Grandpa and Son - Closed Temporarily, Working in delivery
Greece on Wheels – Delivery 415-111-0649
Grille Torres- Closed
Hanks - Closed Temporarily
Hand to Hand Fresh Market – Delivery 415-177-8449
Hecho en Mexico – Closed for the month of April
IL Castello Pizzeria – Delivery 415-121-7730
Inside Cafe – Delivery 415-152-3999
Juans Café – Open
KFC - Kenten’s Fried Chicken –  415- 151-7505 starting 4/28
La Azotea - Closed Temporarily
La Casa de Diezmo - Closed Temporarily
La Choperia – Uber Eats Delivery 415-154-4545
La Cucina do Afrodita – Delivery 415-124-2435
La Comer Grocery Store – Delivery 800-377-7333
La Dona - Closed Temporarily
La Europea - Delivery 415-152-2003
La Frontera – Delivery 415-152-4265
La Lonja Carnicería – Delivery 415-152-4124
La Mesa Grande – Closed Temporarily
La Mezcaleria – Open. Delivery 415-121-5354
La Pezcadeldia Fish Market – Delivery 415-154-8498
La Posadita - Closed
La Prada - Closed Temporarily
La Sabina – Delivery 415-688-2619
La Unica - Closed Temporarily
Lavanda - Closed Temporarily
Lima502- Delivery 415-566-4782
Live Aqua - All restaurants closed temporarily
Lolita Cocina Mexicana –Delivery
Los Milagros – Open and Delivery 415-152-0097
Luna de Queso – Delivery 415-154-8122
Luna Rooftop Bar - Closed Temporarily
Mama Mia Express – Delivery 415-150-1791
Mare Nostrum - Closed Temporarily
Marsala – Delivery 415-152-0080
Mercado Sano – Delivery 415-121-3623
Merken Campestre – Delivery 415-152-8900
MiBistro 300 – Open. Delivery 415-121-7979
MiVida - Closed Temporarily
Mío Bistrock – Delivery Thursday – Sunday 554-505-9212
Mon Bistro – Delivery 415-688-1989
Moxi - Closed Temporarily
Nectar – Delivery 415-152-3918
Nirvana - Closed Temporarily
Nogal- Delivery 444-165-8406
Nomada – Delivery 55-554-084-7701
Ocre - Closed Temporarily
OKO – Delivery 415-110-3283
Ojo de Agua – Uber Eats Delivery 415-150-1389
Ole Ole – Delivery 415-688-1219
Orquidea Thai – Delivery 415-150-7606
Panaderia la Buena Vida – Open and Delivery 415-152-2211
Panio – Delivery 415-185-8750
Petit Four - Order 48 hours in advance 415-154-4010
Pizza Guy – Delivery 415-110-2153 Wednesday - Sunday
Polp - Closed Temporarily
Querencia – Delivery 55 4503 6762
Quince - Closed Temporarily
Restaurante 1826 - Closed Temporarily
Rosewood - Closed Temporarily
Ruby Joy – Delivery 415—690-7829
Rustica - Delivery 415-121-1406
Soriana Grocery – Deliver 415-120-7411
Smoke n Low – Delivery 415-177-4491
Soul Kitchen Delivers – 832-457-7411 Delivery orders@soulkitchendelivers.com
Starbucks – Delivery 800-288-0888
Tio Lucas – Open 415-152-4996
Thai Kitchen – 415-101-4567
The Restaurant – Delivery 415-154-7877
The Soup Lady – Delivery 322-118-9129
Tacos Don Felix - Closed Temporarily
Taco Lab – Uber Eats Delivery 415-154-7877
Tostévere – Delivery 415-121-3075
Trazo 1810 - Closed Temporarily
Turk – Delivery 415-109-6287
Vivoli - Closed
Zenteno – Coffee Delivery 415-150-0135
Zibu Allende - Closed
Zumo - Closed Temporarily