72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 3 Visited 4/10/-4/12/2018 3.5 - 4 Forks

Ignacio Ramirez Mercado Colegio s/n, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                      3.5 Forks

One of my favorite things to do when I'm traveling in another city is going to their local markets - super markets, flea markets or farmers markets, really any market.  You get a great view into more authentic local life and usually there are lots of fun unique local food stalls there.  Ignacio Ramirez Mercado in San Miguel de Allende is no different.  It's a pretty huge local market with your usual tchotchkes but they also have a decent food scene in the middle of the market.  Mind you, it's Mexico so it's not a nice fancy food court but more laid back stalls.  We didn't really know what was what so we randomly picked a place that looked good and had a few locals eating there.  I don't really know what it was called except there was a sign that said Birrieria 71 next to it (which I read is a spicy Mexican stew - which makes sense because there were a lot of locals eating some kind of soup dish).   

We got there early enough for breakfast but I went with a chicken enchilada and Kevin and Jen had chilaquiles.  It's a small stall with one communal bench outside but you can see them making the food so you know it's fresh and homemade.  It was a solid enchilada with verde sauce, although the shredded lettuce and tomato slice was kind of meh  - the dish tastes similar to some of the other Mexican food I've had in the States.  While I was totally happy with my meal, I felt like compared to the other food we had while in Mexico, I wasn't overly in love with it but I did love that it was a very local and authentic place.  Total bill: $10 USD for 3 people 

Aperi Quebrada 101, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                              4 Forks

Another day, another fancy tasting menu.   This one was in another beautiful boutique hotel, Dos Casas Hotel where dinner was in their gorgeous open air courtyard.  Of course we came here for the tasting menu but in hind sight, we all wished we had ordered a la carte because the 8 courses ended up being waaaay too much food.

We started with a lovely beet salad, moved on to an artichoke and fennel dish, an entire hunk of duck foie gras (note that if you plan on tasting all of your dishes, don't finish all of them like we did.  Eating all of the foie gras was a big mistake for stomach space), an octopus tacos with black bean pure, corn fungus with smoked trout, an enormous piece of pork belly with sweet potato puree and roasted zucchini, and THEN another giant piece of pork with scalloped potatoes and carrot puree - this is where we all pretty much felt like we were going to keel over and explode.  We were so full, it was actually painful.  Being this full prevented us from really enjoying most of the dishes that came after the smoked trout dish.  Of course, they ended with dessert which was a piece of chocolate cake but at this point, they could have served anything and I would have wanted to throw up. 

In the end, we all felt like we had pushed our stomachs to the limit.  That being said, I really enjoyed the octopus taco and the pork belly.  Similar to the other tasting menu, they really need to reduce the portion sizes so that people can fully enjoy all the dishes.  I think 5 dishes is the right amount for a tasting menu otherwise it's just too much.  We all thought that the tasting menu at Moxi was a bit better but it might have also been because it was a few courses shorter.  That being said, Aperi is still worth a visit.  One note, since Kevin doesn't eat seafood, he got a brown butter sage pasta dish that was out of this world - so if you come, definitely check out the pasta dishes here.  Total bill: $396 USD for 3 people including tax, tip and cocktails

72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 2 Visited 4/10-4/12/2018 4-4.5 Forks

Carnitas Bautista  Salida a Celaya #55, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                    4.5 Forks

After our successful street meat adventure the night before, Jen, Kevin and I were all about finding more delicious street meat options.  Jen had read about this place on another travel blog (While Yelp and TripAdvisor are still great research options, I love reading other people's travel blogs for ideas) and since carnitas wasn't an option at the last place, we were jazzed to try this place out.  A word of warning, it's quite the hike out of town - we may have taken the long way there and it was hot AF the day we decided to go, but it felt like we had walked to another town to get there.  It's located in the 'burbs of San Miguel - it's an interesting walk because you get to see real life and lots of school kids running around but just be sure to have your walking shoes on. 

But the reward is some of the most succulent pig you've had in a while.  The place is pretty much a shack and zero English is spoken.  Your choices are pretty much tacos, tortas and gorditas - all stuffed with carnitas.  The entire pig is sitting under a heat lamp and it's already been butchered and shredded but you can see the crispy skin and elements of certain body parts.  There are 3 women who sit there hand making the masa and tortillas in front of you so you know it's fresh.   We opted for the torta and gordita as our first round.  She asked us if we wanted white meat and I reluctantly agreed but that ended up being a BIG MISTAKE.  While I know that dark meat isn't as good for you health-wise, it's by far the tastiest part of any animal.  But we were trying to be healthy and had good intentions.  The torta was basically a huge sandwich with nothing but white meat stuffed inside.  Honestly, if the meal were just this dish, I would have given the place 3 forks.  The bread was dry as was the white meat - it needed more moisture and flavor to it.  Luckily the gordita turned things around for us.  I had actually thought gorditas were things that Taco Bell made up, but I guess it's a real thing. The masa for the gordita was super tasty, crunchy and held the meat in well.  Based on this delicious bite, I felt like I had to round out the experience and get a taco.  Since I don't speak Spanish very well, I had to do a lot of pointing and said "no blanco" which I'm not even sure if the right terminology.  The woman pointed to her stomach which I interpreted as tripe which is really the one part of an animal I'm not down with.  I ended up pointing to a bunch of dark looking meat and she threw it on a taco for me.  After my bite, I confirmed that dark meat is the way to go.  It's juicy, tender and holds much more flavor to it than white meat.

I noticed that other locals were just buying platefuls of carnitas and then making their own meals from it - something I wish we had done but lesson learned.  Despite the long hot walk, this was a wonderful experience.  You can probably just as easily take an Uber there too.   Total bill:  185 pesos or $10 USD for 3 people.

Moxi  Aldama 53, Centro, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                     4 Forks

Despite all the great street meat options in San Miguel, there are quite a few high end places you can go for dinner.  Moxi was our first foray into fancy pants dining in San Miguel.  It's located inside the gorgeous Matilda Hotel - I will say that San Miguel may have the highest number of beautiful boutique hotels per capita I've ever seen in any city.   Except for the Rosewood, there aren't a ton of large chains and every hotel seems to have a either a cute courtyard or rooftop bar.  

Unfortunately the night we had dinner here it was pouring rain, but we had an awning to cover us for most of the night.  Most of the luxury restaurants in town have a tasting menu and that's what we decided to do here.  Compared to the tasting menu prices in NYC, these meals are a total steal.  It was a 6 course meal for $53 USD.  Yes, you read that correctly.  You can also get a wine pairing but we decided to stick with cocktails instead.  The courses were as follows:  beef taco amuse bouche, then the actual dishes (1) mushroom tamale (2) French onion soup with zucchini blossoms (3) corn risotto (4) striped sea bass (5) mandarin orange sorbet (6) chocolate mousse. 

There wasn't a huge Mexican flare to the meal but it was all executed perfectly and had great presentation.  The one thing we all noticed was that despite this being a tasting menu, all the portions were real entree sizes.  Usually when I get tasting menus, the portions are smaller because you know you're eating many more dishes than normal.  Needless to say, by the time we got to dessert, we were all stuffed to the gills.  The mushroom tamale was the winner of the night although there weren't any complaints about the other dishes. 

Overall for the ambience, quality and amount of food, it's most definitely worth the price even if it's on the pricier side of town.

72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 1, Visited 4/10-4/12/2018 4-4.5 Forks

Luna Rooftop Bar   Nemesio Diez 11, Colonia Centro, San Miguel de Allende                       4 Forks

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was thrilled when Kevin, Jen and I finally made it happen this year.  It's a 1.5 hr drive from the Leon airport (or 3 hrs from Mexico City) and the entire town is the definition of adorable.  Cobble stone streets everywhere, gorgeous rooftop bars and restaurants and picture perfect weather.   The most famous place in town is the Rosewood Hotel - it's super swanky/gentrified compared to everything else in town but it's definitely worth a visit just to see the views from the rooftop bar.  It is simply breathtaking and even though the cocktails and food are triple what you would pay at a local joint, if you're from NYC or any major US city, the prices are totally manageable.  We got a few delicious margaritas, guacamole and fries because we were staving but planned to get real food elsewhere.   I wouldn't stay here for dinner as you can get much cheaper and more authentic food elsewhere but you must come during sunset and get a few cocktails and nibbles.  Total bill:  $78 for 3 people

Andy's Pastor Taco Cart -  Insurgentes 85, Centro, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende 
4.5 Forks

Now this is why you come to Mexico.  If I haven't already mentioned it before in my other entries, I think the food scene in Mexico is seriously some of the best in the world - especially the street food.  I know some people are squeamish about eating street meat but you are seriously missing out if you don't eat it in Mexico.  Andy's is exactly the type of place I love.  We had a hard time finding it at first - they don't set up until past 7pm and it's not like they have a sign or anything.  We just patiently waited next to a bar where we thought it was and soon enough we smelled the sweet smell of meat being cooked.  If you're looking for it, it's on the major street right off the Square next to a garage. 

It's a small cart with 4 plastic chairs max, so get there early.  They basically have tacos al pastor, beef tacos and quesadillas.  We were pigs and we each ate 3 of almost everything.  Most locals come and grab 1-2 tacos, but we ordered everything we could get our chubby American hands on.  If you don't know what al pastor is, it's pork on a spit covered in adobe spices and served with onion and pineapple.  It's got a delicious sweet and salty combination.  The corn tortillas were clearly home made and held up well with all the meat stuffed in it.  While the tacos were good, we all commented that we loved the beef quesadillas the best because of the amazing oaxaca cheese they used - the key being that they slightly burn it on the grill before putting it in the tortilla.  We could have eaten here every single day and been incredibly happy.  I didn't try all the salsas but obviously they have a line up of mild to hot AF salsa for you to choose from.  The only complaint was the limes were super dry (they were all dry in San Miguel for some reason) and we had a feeling that we were maybe being overcharged because we were tourists but in the end it was still worth it.  Total bill:  400 pesos or $22 USD for 3 people