Having good food and
service meets a minimum requirement when it comes to dining out these days. A
restaurant has to offer more.
These SMA restaurants
are all very different but have one thing in common; they know it's the little
things that differentiate their restaurant from the next.
I am as dedicated to
the owners as I am to their food…one of the many reasons that these restaurants
feel just like home.
Buen Apetit!
augamiel cocina rustica
Pipila 3A
You all know Chef Gaby
Green, a restaurant legend in San Miguel forever. Chef Sandor Rodriguez spent
time at The Restaurant as sous chef to Donny Masterton and recently worked with
ex-Cafe Rama chef Jason Mallof in Nelson, BC. Together, with media savvy
co-owner Jennifer Posner, you get a fine-tuned team that not only understands
good food but also knows how to make a table full of customers happy.
They begin your meal with great bread; augamiel buys theirs from the bakery down the street, Buonforno, and then pairs it with a delicious Baba ganoush; a Levantine dish of cooked eggplant mixed with olive oil and various seasonings. They've kept it secret and little wonder since this one is superb.
I tried their signature dish, the Fried Avocado Taco. Slather black bean spread on a taco, top it with a fried, panko-crusted slice of avocado, kimchi and a touch of spicy mayo for just $30 pesos. This is one of the best new takes on a taco that I've had recently.
The Panuchos are tortillas with a spread of black beans, cochinita pibil, habanero sauce and pickled red onions. This gets high marks as the combination of flavors was surprising and delicious. In fact, nothing we ate at augamiel cocina rustica was predictable. That’s one of the many things I like about this place.
The next day, we came
back to order Chef Sandor’s BBQ Ribs. The sauce was the perfect blend of 15
ingredients. It was so good that it made us wish they were on the menu every
day.
Happy Hour is from 4-6
PM; Dos Aves Cerveza or 2x1 Margaritas with three Argentinean Empanadas for
$120 pesos. Without a doubt, this is one of the best fiestas and deals in town.
We tried the mango,
tamarind and the not-so-standard Margarita and all of them were magnificent…and
strong. Hats off and good night to friends who could drink more than two.
The empanadas were a
mix; one stuffed with corn, one with meat and one with cheese. I’m not sure any
of us could decide which one was the favorite. All of them are worth another
order just to figure that one out.
The restaurant is just
off Sterling Dickinson; it’s the little street with the tree in the middle of
it. Walk up the hill and the restaurant is on the left.
I love a restaurant
that starts out running. This one is already on my top 10 list.
garambullo fonda gourmet
Animas 46
Team up mother and
daughter Maye Cordova and Jimena Tamayo Cordova and you get a made-for-locals
hang out with strong coffee, great conversation and really good food.
Maye was at Cumpanio
and has been a catering maven in Mexico for years, delivering some of the most
creative and beautiful dishes in San Miguel.
Try my favorite, the
poached eggs and beans with spinach (a substitute for nopales) green sauce, and
toast points.
Look for the signature
pink door, and interior pink wall, on the right-hand side of Animas. It’s the first left as you head
down Colegio around from Mercado Ignacia Ramirez.
Casa de Cocinas
San Antonio, San Miguel de Allende
Casa de Cocinas is
part of my monthly culinary tradition that is anything but routine. Its tasting dinners make it one of the best "restaurants" in town.
If you don't know
owner Michael Coon, he's the former Travel Director and co-creator of the
Culinary Institute of America's Worlds of Flavor tours.
He now owns and
operates The Inside Route at Casa de Cocinas here in San Miguel.
Michael is one of the
top chefs in SMA. Ask him about any place in the world and he’s likely been
there. He a dedicated scholar of global cuisine and works his magic in the
kitchen at Casa de Cocinas.
On the first bite at every
tasting, I wonder what backstreet he traveled down to inspire the recipe. His
gift is innate. I’m certain if he were handed a golden beet, he would do
something astounding with it. There’s something totally stimulating about
watching a really great chef at work.
When he’s not out
leading culinary tours, he’s in his kitchen doing tasting dinners and teaching
classes. His talent is so broad, you’ll never have a repeat adventure.
If you want to get on
his mailing list for tours, classes and dinners, email him at: nsideroute@aol.com
No surprise that all
seven of the meals I've had at Casa de Cocinas have been among the best I've
had in San Miguel. Go once and I guarantee you’ll become a regular.
Oliver's
Refugio Sur no. 28
You'll likely see your
country's flag in their front yard when they come out of the house to greet
you.
The tables are just
close enough together to get to know the people sitting next to you. It’s like
dining with one, big, happy family.
They are doing
everything right these days…
Having moved around
for many years because of increasing rents, they've found a little piece of
heaven with their own space where the garden is overflowing with fruit and
flowering trees.
La Lonja Carniceria is
their meat supplier and the meat is delivered fresh every day. I've bought from
La Lonja since the first day I came to San Miguel.
I go there because I like their burgers. They have added steaks and chicken to the menu.
I love to spend time
with Oliver and Ellie, who both love to talk food.
Dog friendly.
Andy’s Tacos
Hidalgo and Insurgentes
Every evening at 7PM,
there’s a long line at Andy's Taco cart. The smell is a magnet for aficionados
who jockey for one of the few seats and an overflowing plate of savory Tacos Al
Pastor.
The pork is marinated
in dried chilies and spices then slow-cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Cover
the taco with a spicy, red chipotle salsa and slices of cooked pineapple and you’ll
likely be totally unaware of when to stop eating. This stuff is habit forming.
Andy's is also a
favorite of partygoers looking for an after-hours feast and still intoxicated
by the magic of the fiesta. A bargain at 10 pesos each or 67 cents; have 3
and you’ve spent $2.01.
I need a frequent
Pastor fix so you’ll find me there at least once a week just as they open. It’s
a great time to chitchat with Andy as he caramelizes the Al Pastor to the stage
of almost-burnt perfection.
I have the recipe which
I am going to make this weekend. It’s pretty complicated so I can’t imagine I’m
going to give up going there any time soon.
It’s the only food I
missed when I was in Guatemala.
Dog friendly.
Lavanda
Hernandez Macias # 87
This is my go-to place
for an outstanding breakfast. I’ve eaten the old menu and there was not one
dish I didn’t like. There now have several new items on the menu.
This is the place to
go when you have out-of-town guests and want to make an impression. You can
always count on fresh ingredients and a more than attractive presentation. In
my world, presentation counts just about as much as the food itself.
Straight-up best? It
will always be their signature Huevos Rancheros. Died and gone to the food
heaven of my dreams every time I taste them.
Karla is one of the
most consistent and talented chefs in SMA.
Provecho
Ancha de San Antonio #10A
Nobody in SMA happens
to be more charming than these two…
Add this lovely
owner/mother Siobhan with daughter/Chef Joanna Bryne, and you get a culinary
dream team; a match that knows exactly what to give to their customers.
On the grounds of this
former 17th century palace of the Counts of Canal, the restaurant is not only
visually beautiful but the food is splendid as well.
The dishes are layered
with such amazing flavors that it always surprise me. Joanna is a chef that
knows how to get the best out of all the seasonal ingredients that she uses.
The soups are a stand
out and they change up their specials every week.
Call it your everyday
Irish home away from home.
El Tucan
Hernandez Macias 56
Dog friendly
Since I came to San
Miguel, I’ve been friends with El Tucan owner, Alex, who cooked in Chicago for
11 years.
He’s got inexpensive,
Mexican items on his menu. My favorite is the flautas; 5 for 35 pesos. Knowing
that something deep fried has been covered in a pile of healthy vegetables
takes away at least half the guilt for eating them.
This is a guy who not
only will cook anything you’re hungry for on any given day – just ask him- but
he will also do anything for you as well. He a shirt-off-his-back kind of guy.
Want to know something
or just get something done? Ask Alex, a SMA native with a remarkable network of
contacts.
Last year, when
several of us were on the hunt for pork cheeks, Alex not only told us where to
get them but he also went with us to Comonfort and introduced us to the
butcher. Turns out Alex use to buy all the meat at the Longhorn when it was in
its’ prime.
His English is
textbook perfect. Don’t let the dive surroundings throw you. This place is
as local as it gets.
If you get it to go,
you’ll miss the “Alex experience”.
Osvaldo's
Independencia #47
Call this place unpretentious.
At this dog friendly restaurant, 90% of the customers are Mexican. Mix that
with good food, cheap prices - everything on the menu is about 50 pesos- and a
charming owner with 6 beautiful kids and you get a place where you want to go
as often as you can hike up the hill.
Go for the tasty
liquiado which on a split 15 pesos.
I'm trying to remember
the last time I got anything this good for $1.
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