In the midst of America’s current search for the root of the I.B.S.-I mean Salmonella Outbreak I thought it might be a good idea to head down to Mexico, specifically, San Miguel de Allende. Actually, I was invited to a Gringo wedding chock-full of surprises which included a donkey bearing bottles of Tequila.
In my first exposure to Mexico, here are some of the gems I discovered amidst the blue-haired Texan women and Carnitas stands:
Ole Ole!
If you are in search of a Liberace suit or all things bullfighting, bring your red cape and a sword to Ole Ole! Nestled in the “locals” neighborhood off of the main square in San Miguel de Allende, this vibrantly decorated restaurant celebrates the annual bullfighting festival of San Miguel with hundreds of posters, costumes, flags and stuffed animals adorned on the walls. There are enough stuffed and mounted bulls on the walls to make you feel that you could be in a Toreador’s dressing room.
The menu is simple here-a few appetizers, fajitas, fajitas, and more fajitas. Beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, even ostrich are all available for your grilling delight. Their signature dish, “Ole Ole Fajitas”, covers most of the items found on the menu: beef, chicken, and shrimp.
The fajitas are satisfying-simply grilled and hit with limejuice, served in warm corn tortillas, but the real mouth wonder is Chistorra, small Spanish style sausage similar to Chorizo.
The dish is prepared by sautéing the sausage, and then onions and bell peppers are added to absorb the last bits of salty, spicy flavor from the pork fat, and caramelized. It’s finished with a garnish of fresh sliced cucumber and a little bit of carrot, served in corn or flour tortillas.
The key to eating this dish is as follows: take a warm corn tortilla, place a fresh slice of cucumber inside, pile the Chistorra on top with a little onion and bell pepper, and take a big bite. The smoky, salty, spicy flavor from the sausage finds a balance with the sweetness of the onion. Who would’ve thought that cucumber would become the magic element of the plate, as it cuts through the heavy nature of the fat to leave you feeling refreshed after every bite.
Ole Ole!
Loreta #66
Between Insurgentes and Calzada de la Luz
Phone: 415.152.0896
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Chocolates y Churros San Agustín
Mexican actress and former Playboy bunny, Margarita Gralia, moved her fame and fortune from Mexico City towards San Miguel de Allende. Opening the most popular churros shop in the heart of downtown San Miguel de Allende, this café is as much of homage to Gralia’s life work, judging by the multitude of Margarita Gralia pin-up shots and magazine features dressing the walls.
While you can choose from a varying menu of tacos, enchiladas, deserts and refreshments, the churros cannot be overlooked. In a prominent area of the café, the chef carefully makes warm, crispy, sugar rolled churros all day long. There are a few avenues for desired flavor and variation- warmed Mexican, Spanish, Dutch and French chocolate are dipping choices as an accompaniment. In the summer time heat, ordering the cold Mexican dipping chocolate is unusually refreshing. Every bite has the necessary balance of puffy, savory fried dough, sweet, crunchy sugar crystals, and a heaping dive into the chocolate sauce brings the experience up to an all time sugar high.
San Agustin
San Francisco No. 21 Col. Centro
Phone: 415.154.91.02
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
August 20, 2008 at 11:51 am |
You found two of my favorite places in San Miguel! My favorite among the churros are the ones filled with cajeta–a rich, gooey caramel sauce made of burnt sugar and goats milk.
And when at Ole Ole, don’t forget to try the mango mousse!
If you’re interested in San Miguel websites, check out the reviews on this San Miguel Restaurants page.
And while you’re there, click on the link to add your own San Miguel restaurant reviews.
Donna M