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