Millesime GNP Weekend

Both locals and vistors LOVED Millesime GNP Weekend, a unique culinary celebration that recently took place at The Rosewood, with other events at the Plaza de Toros, Bulla restaurant and Tene Latin Cuisine at Casa 1810 Parque Hotel Boutique. Millesime has been successful since it was created in 2007, as a concept to promote the best cuisine in the world. Unlike the previous editions, Millesime GNP Weekend was more social than corporate and was open to the public with thousands of people coming in from CDMX, Querétaro, Guanajuato , San Luis Potosí and Guadalajara in order to be part of the culinary experience. To tell you the truth, I never got tired of everyone telling me how great the food is in SMA and how much they love to come here, especially to eat. We especially loved the attention that was given to our local chefs: Marcela Bolano of Marsala, cocina con acentos; Abel Hernández of Restaurante The Rooftop at Selina, SMA; Irving Cano of Restaurante Trazo 1810 and Tene Latin Cuisine; Omar Alejandro Henríquez Martintz of Restaurant Áperi; Pedro Martin and Francisco Jose Jimenez (Kiko) of Restaurant Bulla, SMA; Vincent Wallez of the Rosewood and José (Paco) Francisco González of Restaurant Tarragón. Here are some of the faces of Millesime – the chefs, press, wineries and products that made Millesime a huge success this year. I am reminded once again that SMA needs a food festival. The last one we hosted was in 2017; way too long ago for a city whose culinary offerings are some of the best in Mexico.

Marsala, cocina con acentos

This is not the time to pretend you want to eat a big salad. You don’t. You want a big bowl of comfort food.

We’re not exactly sure if it’s the comfort food at Marsala, cocina con acentos that keeps us coming back, the reassurance of knowing that Chef Marcela Bolano is always in the kitchen – either at Marsala cocina con acentos or Kouyin Asian Eatery - or this time, the comforting surprise that baby Lia, Marcela’s granddaughter, has finally made her arrival in SMA. Whatever it is, you’ll find Chef Marcela Bolano smiling from ear-to-ear these days and me? Well, I’ll be eating another big bowl of Marcela’s creamy Carbonara. After all these years, it’s still the best comfort food in SMA. Can you think of a better way to start out your Monday? Marsala, cocina con acentos Hernandez Macias 48, Centro San Miguel de Allende, GTO Phone: 415-152-0080 Chef: Marcela Bolano Hours: Monday – Thursday 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM Friday – Saturday 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sunday Brunch 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Estoril

Estoril: Finally, SMA Gets the French Restaurant It Deserves

I’ve always eaten like I’m French; meals have always been the highlight of my day. I recently gave up the thought of flying back to Paris just to eat again when Estoril opened in SMA. The restaurant is French; one of my favorite places to eat in SMA. When you taste the food, you’ll know why; it’s in a class by itself. The original restaurant was founded in Mexico City in 1971 by Guillaume and Rosa Martin, gradually evolving into fusion cuisine at the request of its regular diners, compiling iconic dishes such as this delicious Fried Parsley Taco and a tableside presentation of the classic, Cesar salad. The amazing thing is that the restaurant has survived for over 50 years. We eat with our eyes and Chef Angel Pacheco’s presentations are always spot on and beautiful. We love that Estoril does the tableside presentation of the Cesar salad; a tribute to a dish that made culinary history when it was crowned ‘the greatest recipe to originate in the Americas in 50 years’ by the International Society of Epicures in Paris in 1953.

Sometimes, the performance is not so much a statement of refinement as it is a gesture of hospitality; a response to the pent-up demand for over-the-top experiences in 2022. From the Waygu beef at Alinea in Chicago, the Dover sole at the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, the Bananas Foster Flambe at Commanders Palace in New Orleans and at Edith’s in Cabo San Lucas, the flaming Saganaki at the Parthenon Restaurant in Chicago, to the less flamboyant but always delightful guacamole by Chef Alejandro Ruiz at Casa Oaxaca and more, we remember every one of the tableside presentations we’ve seen; a culinary experience in itself. Chef Angel Pacheco, 32, is an amazing French trained chef. A 2006 graduate of CONALEP, he cooked at Champs Elysées, Arturo’s and Bistro Noisette in Mexico City, spending time in France with Chef Franck Mishler and is also trained in Oenology. Our feast consisted of five perfect courses: Cesar salad, Fried Parsley Taco, Escargots Estoril, Veal Sweetbreads, and Sea Bass. Que voulez-vous pour le petit-déjeuner? A Breakfast menu is now being offered on the weekends; everything priced under $200 pesos. American food writer, Alex Lobrano, moved to Paris in 1986 and recently wrote in his book “the best day to go out in France is Thursday. Chefs have already made all the bouillons, the kitchen is well-stocked, the whole thing is working well, they have everything they need to cook well and they are cooking for a local clientele, whether in Avignon, Paris, Strasbourg.” And Thursday it is that Chef Angel Pacheco will cook for the locals in SMA – a Prime Rib night. Remember, good Prime Rib disappeared when Hansen’s restaurant closed in December of 2015. The first Prime Rib night at Estoril will be July 7. Details are in the works. Estoril y Murasaki San Miguel de Allende Hidalgo 4, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende, Gto. Hours: Monday – Wednesday 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM Chef: Angel Pacheco

La Parada

Peru on a Plate; she’s got this! Chef Alexandra Gutt is solely responsible for heightening the profile of mouth-watering, Peruvian flavors in San Miguel de Allende. It’s been 10 years this year that she opened La Parada, one of the landmark eateries in San Miguel de Allende. As many restaurants slowly come back from the pandemic, Chef Alexandra Gutt and Juan Leon De Vivero took their usual time off in May to make improvements. Chus and Chema, owners of the popular SMA restaurants Atrio, La Azotea, Aquilla Brasa and Pueblo Viejo, have been friends with Juan and his family for over seventeen years; in Mexican terms that’s family. They sent over their chef, one of the best in SMA, Arturo Sandoval, to help develop new dishes for La Parada’s anniversary menu. We support chefs who use the best local ingredients and La Parada has always done that only now they’re even better. La Parada has added seafood dishes, many of them done on the grill, and made changes in the kitchen and the products they use. The results are obvious in many of the new dishes you’ll taste. The Ceviche options have recently been expanded. We tried the Tiradito Buena Vida: thinly sliced sea bass, aji amarillo leche de tigre, corn and glazed sweet potatoes. Thanks to Chef Sandoval and Chef Christian Herrera of As De Guia, I’m now eating raw sea bass like I’ve done it all my life. Actually, it wasn’t until recently that I even tried it.

La Parada adds new specialties to their menu to keep their offerings fresh. Sandwiches are popular in Peru and two of La Parada’s that we love are the Shrimp and Pork. The shrimp sandwich is so big, they serve it in a bowl. I usually only taste but in this case, I ate the entire dish myself. It’s served on a soft Ciabatta with fried shrimp, and lots of it, piled high with lettuce, pickled onions, tomatoes, avocado and a tartar sauce. La Parada’s slow-cooked, pork sandwich is topped with an Oregano cream sauce and Salsa Criolla and served with smashed potatoes. I’ve tried to make the smashed potatoes at least a dozen times at home and they never turn out quite like those made by the chef. Portions are generous and the flavors will make you want to travel to Peru just to eat. I went to Lima for a month and ate at a different place every day; from world famous Central, Astrid y Gastón, Maido and other top 50 to the street food at Al Toke Pez and everyday fare at Canta Rana. Chefs Alexandra Gutt and Michael Coon were responsible for that trip, which included Mistura, South America’s largest food festival; a colossal 10-day annual experience celebrating Peru’s biodiversity, cuisine, culture and traditions. La Parada has been one of San Miguel de Allende’s favorite restaurants since they opened on October 12, 2012 and the closest thing to actually eating in Peru without having to pack your suitcase. La Parada will celebrate their ten year anniversary later this year. Buen Apetito! La Parada Recreo #94 San Miguel de Allende Phone: 415 152 0473 Hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM Friday and Saturday 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM Closed Tuesday Chef: Alexandra Gutt