La Dona

 

Chef Juan Manuel Galvan Lopez

Five years ago, San Miguel de Allende was a tough place to find a good, vegetarian dish, other than beans and tortillas, but now, things have  changed as the city’s best chefs are putting new and exciting dishes on their menus; many of which are vegetables.  

Chef Juan Manuel Galvan Lopez has a new menu at La Dona and many of the dishes we tried were vegetarian… and really delicious. Remember, this chef was the first one to put roasted cauliflower on a menu - in a wood fire oven marinated in dehydrated tomato chimichurri with seasoned Gorgonzola cheese dressing. It’s still the best cauliflower in SMA.

Our favorite new dishes were many - the Portobello mushroom tartare, mushrooms and roasted shitake lined with vegetables from the garden with Pineapple, avocado and citrus sauce; the picture-perfect calamari with a shrimp stuffed pasta – an unexpected flavor that surprised and delighted our palate; the Buffalo Burrata on tomato jam with roasted cherries, balsamic honey, praline seeds and baby arugula and the San Mike salad: a mix of organic lettuce lined with Jamaican reduction, strawberry sorbet, blackberries, roasted peaches, sliced ​​almonds and slices of provolone cheese.

La Dona’s partner, Miguel Sacal Micha, says if you plan to serve great pastries, you need a pastry chef and we totally agree. La Dona’s new pastry chef is Liliana Ofelia. Some of her new dishes included a plantain semifreddo covered with campechanas, dulce de leche, banana sauce and caramelized cashews and an Oreo cookie brownie filled with rich, dark chocolate ganache, raspberries, grain salt with gelato and oreo cookies.

We’re also a meat lover too and can’t get enough of La Dona’s Pork Chamorro cooked for four hours over low heat, barbecue style accompanied with rustic mashed potatoes. And of course, we also like the lamb chops; a specialty dish of La Dona.

Several of chef Juan Manuel Galvan Lopez’s dishes will be on our new restaurant list at the end of May - a special section at the end called What’s New on the Menu, which features new dishes that chefs will be adding to their menus this summer. Stay tuned.

La Dona

San Francisco 32, Centro

San Miguel de Allende 37700

Sunday 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Monday – Wednesday 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Thursday – Saturday 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Phone: 415 688 3131

Chef: Juan Manuel Galvan Lopez

Pastry Chef: Liliana Ofelia

 

 

Tuesday Market Feasts

 

Rise and Shine…we have certain rituals and breakfast at the Tianguis is one of them.

One thing for certain is that Mexicans do not lack imagination when it comes to breakfast and at Tuesday Market, you have unlimited options, including fish and pizza. I can eat a lot of things for breakfast but I’ll be the first to admit, I’m still working on the fish.

We get there early so we can grab a seat at the breakfast table but no matter how early we arrive at Don Santos, the line is always long…really long. I remind myself that patience is a virtue - the line moves really fast.

Our Tuesday morning breakfast cheat this morning is two Don Santos Tacos de Costilla (Don Santos also has the best beef tacos in SMA) followed by dessert - two Churros Bonfi. Churros Bonfi has always made their churros hot for us (all you have to do is ask) and lightly sugars them…sweet but not too sweet. On the way out, Bautista Brothers is our first choice for a take home torta, piled high with Carnitas and sauce on the side.

It’s easy to get lost if you don’t know the ropes so take a tour of the market by contacting Chef David Jahnke, who will show you the best vendors and places to eat – like Tacos Don Santos, Bautista Brothers Carnitas and Churros Bonfi.

Chef David Jahnke has been doing tours at the Tianguis – the size of 6 football fields - since 2017 and knows most all of the vendors in the market. He explains how the market works, where things come from and how they are distributed. Much of the produce is picked that morning and some vendors sell at prices substantially cheaper than in some of the stores. You can save a lot of money in the long run just by taking this tour. Phone Chef Jahnke at 744-136-3963 or email him at david.jahnke@gmail.com.

Tianguis de los Martes – La Placita – Tuesday Market or whatever you want to call it, it’s one of the best markets in SMA for that real, Mexican experience. 

Tacos Don Santos

Bautista Brothers Carnitas

Churros Bonfi

Opens: 9:00 AM… mas o menos

Tacos Don Santos and Bautista Brothers Carnitas are located in the front, middle section on the parking lot side. Churros Bonfi is also in the middle section on the side by the highway.

 

 

 

Celebrating Chef David Jahnke

 

When Chef David Jahnke told me he was cooking his own birthday dinner, he said he was going to make all of his favorite things for many of his favorite people. Little did I know that they were going to be 3 of my favorite things, too: Lobster, Blue Crab and BBQ Ribs. 

The lobster was blanched in a French-style broth and then baked with garlic butter. This best version of lobster was perfectly cooked and had an insanely sweet aftertaste.

The blue crab was cooked Mexican-style with smoked chilies, epazote, roasted onion, garlic and more then served with a homemade truffle/ saffron mayonnaise. It literally melted in your mouth.

The sous vide cooked beef ribs had a BBQ sauce that was based on organic ketchup plus 20 more ingredients including charred onion, oranges, mesquite, maguey honey, ginger and more. It was impeccably spiced to compliment the meatiest ribs I’ve seen. The bulk of the ingredients were purchased at City Market where David has a relationship with the butchers.

Pair this holy trinity with blanched white, purple and green asparagus, the best potatoes cheese gratin, herbcrepes rolles stuffed with garlic cream cheese and smoked salmon, steamed crawfish and jumbo shrimp, cold served with a truffle/ saffron mayonnaise, black forest cake and the most divine egg free, no baked lemon cheese cake with a gluten-free almond pie crust.

We think Chef David Jahnke needs to add a “How I Cooked my Birthday Dinner” class to his culinary curriculum. My goal this year is to master those lobsters; they were the best we’ve eaten in SMA.  

Chef David Jahnke Cooking School

C. Del Tesoro 23

San Antonio

San Miguel de Allende, GTO

Open: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Closed Sunday

Phone: 744 136 3963

 

 

If you didn’t get the memo, the hottest seat in the house right now is  Aldama 53. 

Chef Vicente Torres has officially taken over the kitchens of Moxi and Bovine, changing the menus and teaching new techniques to the staff. Of the six dishes he served at lunch today, we loved every one of them including the Pulpo with an exquisite Ink Emulsion, thick and beautifully seasoned. Chef Vicente Torres food touches on the Mediterranean, using the best local ingredients.

Chef Vicente Torres was awarded a Michelin star at La Sucursal, in the Valencian Institute of Modern Art in Spain and studied under famous chefs Frédéric Anton, Martín Berasategui and Alain Senderens. Millesime named him their Top Chef in 2011, where some of SMA’s best chefs, Marco Cruz of Nómada Cocina de  Interpretación and Chef Marcela Bolaño of Marsala cocina con acentos, also cooked.

His SMA History… Chef Torres was a guest chef back in 2017, when he was part of the Weekends event at L'Otel. In November, 2019, he briefly opened Oli Tapas here in the old Jacinto 1930 space in Doce 18. The food was Spanish, a tapas restaurant, but then along came Covid and it disappeared as quickly as it came.

Our passion for this chef’s creations began when we were a guest at GARUM, his restaurant and one of Mexico City's best, back on March 5, 2020. Weeks later, Covid shut down many of the restaurants in Mexico City but Chef Torres remained loyal to both his craft and customers. He chose a delivery option and remained open during the entire pandemic..

In his absence, Chef Claudio Castillo will be cooking at Moxi, under his direction, as part of the evolution of these prestigious restaurants.

Making the meal an unforgettable one was the staff from Bovine - top SMA Mixologist, Uriel Jonathan Frausto Tabares and his apprentice, Alex Cotes, (who keeps his I.D. in his pocket just in case) and always-on-his-game, the chief concierge, Aaron Garcia Luna. Besides the over-the-top food, the pairing with two exceptional, Mexican brands -  the fine wines from Casa Madero, the oldest winery in the Americas, and the superior Tequilas from Casa Dragones - made it the best meal this year. It was truly a winning combination.

The meal…

Tomatoes + Peaches is my favorite Bovine salad and this one was an organic tomato salad with a variety of Basil, Stracciatella and Pinion and was slightly more incredible with all the added extras. It was paired with Casa Dragones Joven, made from blanco and extra anejo tequilas, with the flavor of vanilla, a bit of spices and balanced with a trace of pear. 

Next, one of our favorite courses, the Green Aguachile made with Crab, Tangerine, Pickled Carrots, and Ginger Air with a beautiful, green sauce of parsley and spinach that was ever so slightly sweet. A pan of delicious, homemade bread was not enough to sop up the flavors so we ordered another and also indulged in a plate of delicious, homemade crackers; impressed with the fact that the kitchen also does their own bread. We can’t say enough about the Crab – one Aguachile we never tried and hardly ever get that often. The dish was paired with a light, spring Casa Madero V Rosado Shiraz with notes of Peach, pink guava, melon, nectarine and papaya with honey and pink grapefruit. 

Chef Michael Coon, who was also impressed with this dish, was pickling and candying carrots in his kitchen early the next morning, trying to recreate the flavors of this Aguachile. It’s so inspirational when chefs inspire other chefs.

Next was a divine, Butternut squash soup with Pumpkin Seed Praline, flower ravioli and marinated Yolk. This is now our favorite soup in SMA; its complexity simplified by using really, exceptional ingredients. The soup was paired with a full-bodied, Casa Madero Gran Reserva Chardonnay – in French and American oak barrels for 6 months with the aromas of fruits, white flowers and nuts and had a creamy, elegant finish. We’re a Chardonnay drinker and this is one of our favorite, Mexican wines; manually harvested in the early morning to maximize the concentration of aromas.

The next course, Pulpo with grilled Piquillo sauce, was complimented by the Ink Emulsion, guillio Chile sauce and green, mashed potatoes. This dish was paired with a Casa Madero Cabernet Sauvignon Organico; a gold metal wine with notes of blackberries and blueberries, oak, vanilla, chocolate, rosemary and cinnamon as well as roses and violets.

Next came the Tajine style lamb – one of the best ways to cook meat because the food comes out moist, tender and full of concentrated flavors. It was accompanied by sesame pure, Kalamazoo Olives, Orange and Honey and paired with our favorite Casa Madero; the intense Gran Reserva 3V with an expression of fresh red fruits. Casa Madero celebrated its 425^th anniversary last year by creating a special, limited edition of their most iconic wine; a blend of three grapes: Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc and Shitaz, with two years of aging in the barrels and 12 months of aging in the bottles.

He closed out the meal with a Cheesecake of Ocosingo Cheese - produced in Chiapas - red fruits and Cherry Ice Cream. It was served with Casa Dragones Anejo for the signature taste of floral with hints of figs and almonds and flavors of nutmeg, macadamia nut and blackberry.

Chef Torres is committed to making Moxi and Bovine two of the best restaurants in SMA and with so many eating places here, he’s unquestionably raised the bar a whole lot higher. Some have come close but this was one of those meals of the decade you just can’t forget.

Some 10 years and 5,700 seating’s later, we can’t wait to sit at his table again. Chef Vicente Torres is the new chapter for San Miguel de Allende.

Buen Provecho!

Moxi Restaurant at Hotel Matilda

Aldama 53, Zona Centro 37700

San Miguel de Allende, GTO.

Phone: 415-152-1015

Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Chef: Vicente Torres

 

Bovine

Canal #16, Zona Centro 37700

San Miguel de Allende, GTO.

Phone: 415-121-6787

Hours:

Tuesday: 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM

Wednesday – Sunday: 1:00 PM – 10:30 PM

Closed: Monday

Chef: Vicente Torres

 

 

 

 

 

Mexicans are obsessed with breakfast but a traditional breakfast in Mexico? There is none! Lamb? Take your choice of Barbacoa or Mixiotes - they’re both delicious. Tacos? Dig in - there are plenty on the street including this tiny spot on Calzada de La Luz. Tequila?  Well, we do that for breakfast too!

 

Getting it off the street? Here’s a short list of some of the best street food in SMA for breakfast.

 

Barbacoa: Rodriguez Brothers 

How can you find the famous Rodriguez Brothers Barbacoa stand in the congested, Tuesday market? Easy, just look for the busiest spot or follow your nose or hit up Robinson’s newest place this Sunday morning at 71 Insurgentes, just steps from my house.

Mixiotes: El Pato

This little bundle of lamb is cooked in broth and has such a rich taste that even I wouldn’t try to duplicate it. The meat is slow-cooked in a pit every night and the owner, Jose Luis, never buys a lamb that is over 6 months old so the food is consistently rich and sweet. I did not find it too rich to have a second helping however.

Only Jose Luis knows the secret blend of spices that makes it the best Mixiotes in SMA. At Calzada de la Estación #121 open Wednesday – Sunday from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM. 

Chamorro: Las Marias

Las Marias got my attention because they’re one of the few places in SMA that serves Chamorro Tacos in SMA. The owners are from Queretaro and open their street side restaurant on the weekends. They also serve carnitas; one of our favorite breakfast foods. They taste different from the other carnitas - Apolo XI and Bautista Brothers - we know and love and thought that was reason enough to try them.

Next time around we’re going for the Guacamayas, a Mexican torta we ate at the market in Guanajuato, made by filling a bolillo roll with crispy chicharrón pork rinds and avocado and topping it off with spicy salsa.

This tiny spot is another great addition to the bustling, Guadalupe neighborhood.

At Calz de La Luz #41 open Thursday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

SMA Newest Pizza Restaurant: The Pizzeria

We stopped at The Pizzeria to talk with Giovanni Finotto, a charming pizza maker from Italy who also builds specialty pizza ovens for restaurants and private homes.

Giovanni is working with Chef Donnie Masterton at The Pizzeria, Donnie’s new restaurant, at 53 Mesones, to make last minute changes to the menu and put the final touches on the crust. We were thrilled to see that the Brussels sprout and red onion and the honey and jalapeno pizzas made the cut.

He’s taken his time to make things perfect but everything is finally open for pizza lovers who want something out-of-the-ordinary. Even his Margherita pizza doesn’t taste like the typical Neapolitan pizza, made with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. He definitely has that magic touch, using ingredients from the best farms around San Miguel de Allende. And of course, there’s always that one ingredient that no one can guess.

We certainly never would have named Chef Donnie Masterton one of SMA’s best pizza makers a year ago but it’s funny what 365 days and a little imagination can do when one of SMA’s best chefs is involved.

The Pizzeria is open at 6:00 PM for evening service. Other shifts will be added soon.

Antigua to Chichicastenango: Katok Restaurant

 

In Guatemala we ate at many restaurants and one of the best meals we had was at an large, wooden cabin on the side of the road going from Antigua to Chichicastenango. Everything was so Guatemala.

Katok restaurant was selected by our Mayan guide, Bryan, a former high school teacher who was never stumped by the hundreds of questions we asked him along the way. The restaurant has its own pig farm, slaughterhouse and processing plant and sell meats and sausages in the restaurant.

I know what you’re saying – this breakfast looks pretty ordinary and it was for Guatemalans and it was but the flavors were exceptional, especially in combination with one another.

So how do you make a menu selection when you just don’t really know the ins and outs of Guatemalan food? Easy!  I had what he had!... two fried eggs with a thin, grilled steak, tortillas with cheese, volteados (boiled, mashed, and then refried) black beans, the most delicious fried plantains I’ve ever eaten, sweeter than sweet pineapple and, as usual, fabulous Guatemalan coffee. In the states, I drink 1 cup of coffee a day but in Guatemala, try 5-6.

By this time, just like the natives, I was already craving the refried black beans and the Guatemalan coffee for breakfast every morning. The breakfast also included mosh, which I didn’t get a picture of, but is made with milk and oats and tastes like porridge; the ideal preparation to take off the early morning chill that was with us 24/7 that day. We also lucked out - our table was located right next to an oversized heater so Bryan had to practically pull us from the table after breakfast because it was so cozy warm.

Later, I found out that in 2010, Katok was awarded a golden fork by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism, the Restaurant Guild and the committee for the Guatemalan Food Fair for culinary excellence in Guatemala.

My head is still in that spot on the highway to Chichicastenango, ready for another breakfast; perhaps this time the breakfast soup I didn’t try with a raw egg floating on the top.

Katok Restaurant is open daily from 5:30 AM – 9:00 PM daily and both Patsy and I thought it was one of the best finds of our entire trip. It’s located at Km 87 Pan American Hwy to Tecpan, Chimaltenango 04001 Guatemala. Phone: +502 7840 3387. You don’t want to miss it.

Amorino: San Miguel de Allende's Healthy Ice Cream

I’m pretty sure if I haven’t had at least one scoop of ice cream before breakfast, I haven’t started my day yet. What else would you expect from someone who carries around an ice cream freezer disguised as her camera bag? Pure and simple, I’m obsessed with Ice Cream. My father’s stores had Bridgeman’s fountains in them so when I was growing up, I ate the best ice cream on the planet. When I was living in Guadalajara in the late 60’s, there was a Bing’s ice cream store just around the corner from school. Eating Flan de Lemon every day after class was part of the sweet experience. In my 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, David Lebovitz's homemade vanilla ice cream took me through 30 years of cooking and entertaining. By the time my granddaughter Olivia came along, I bought the ice cream attachment for the Kitchen Aid so she would know the delights of homemade ice cream. Dipping her long handled, silver spoon into the mixing bowl before it was even close to being done was the ultimate pleasure of our ice cream culture together. I’ve never claimed that ice cream is healthy but Armorino, the new gelato store in Doce 18, is as close as it gets. Besides having AMOR in its name, Amorino: has made Gelato without flavor enhancers or artificial colorings for more than 15 years. has promoted Organic since 2002, proudly integrating organic ingredients into its recipes like fresh, free range, organic eggs and the highest grade of whole, organic farm milk. has developed more than 20 organic flavors; all of them USDA Organic and ECOCERT certified. sorbets and cones are vegan and certified by The Vegan Society. Since 2017, all of Amorino’s Sorbets and Gelato have been 100% gluten-free. We found the Amorino management team, brothers, Christopher and Christian Roldan, sitting in the living room of the Amorino’s store at Doce 18, contemplating their next flavor fix. Christopher fell in love with the combination of lemon and chocolate when he was working in Paris and brought Amorino to the states and ultimately to Playa del Carmen, Amorino’s first property in Mexico. He lives in my hometown of Chicago with Amorino stores on Michigan Avenue and at both the airports. San Miguel de Allende became their 16th property in Mexico with 218 stores in 18 countries. Our current, flavor favorite is the Dulce de Leche but we’re not stopping there. We plan to eat the entire menu over the next month. An ice cream purist, I only eat one flavor at a time but you can pile on as many as you’d like, all formed into a flower, Amorino’s signature shape for the past twenty years. Amorino also has Borbone coffee from Naples, Macarons filled with Gelato, Waffles, Tarts from Reggio Emmilia and 10 types of authentic, Italian hot chocolate. How’s that for having your sweet tooth covered? Open from 10 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, Amorino is located in Doce 18 at Relox 18.