Inside San Miguel de Allende’s New Culinary Culture

hace 23 horas
4 Min. de lectura

By Susan Knight York

Creating hallowed ground for people who love to eat is a full-time job. When competition gives way to collaboration, creativity explodes, rules get rewritten, traditions are reimagined, and the results aren’t just better restaurants but a culture built by people who know their future depends on just how well they take care of each other. The risks for chefs are real; betting their reputations on ideas that don’t come with safety nets. What we found when we went looking were remarkably talented people changing the food scene in San Miguel de Allende for the better.

Here’s a rundown of who’s pushing it into the next chapter.

Chef Jorge Avendaño’s new restaurant, Cabra de Monte, shares family-style comfort food; what’s on the table ties directly to what’s growing in the fields that morning. It takes a certain kind of chef to open a restaurant in the country and tell his guests nothing in advance; no menu - just an invitation to sit down and trust him for three hours. This model changes everything just by being different. You’ll dive into global dishes with a chef that cooks outside the margins in the very best possible way.

Chef Donnie Masterton’s 18^thyear anniversary celebration for The Restaurant on March 5^th – 8^th starts Thursday with Burger Night. With more guest chefs on Saturday at the fine dining dinner and at the cookout at his ranch on Sunday, 50% of the profits will go to his new NGO, Let the Kids Cook; the chef’s love letter to a community that has always loved him back. Call Janna Jimenez 414 117 6443.

Celebrating an eight-year anniversary, Atrio and Chef Arturo Sandoval have rewritten what fine-dining looks like with Mesa Epicure, the new chef’s table, where his expertise of world food is the gold standard. They now use Mizrahi Meats, some of the highest quality cuts in México.

The story behind Local, Chef Paulina Carreño’s new restaurant, is the food; transformed somewhere between the soft opening and the official opening in December, with incredible flavors and a whole lot of magic from this chef. At Local, the food isn’t just good, it’s amazing, with all dishes under $260 pesos. The chef also owns the popular restaurant, Panina, celebrating its fifth anniversary in June.

Chef Davide Giribaldi, along with restaurateurs, Toño Aranda Lavalle and Andres Aranda Lavalle, opened Zorra LanzaFuegos; cracking the code for delivering yet another total package to San Miguel de Allende diners. With a stunning remodel and a brilliant approach to specialties from this Italian-born chef, it may be the best new restaurant but don’t blink: another award-winner is coming soon.

Chef Silvia Cadena has cooked Mexican food at the Agua Santa Hotel for four years and had her own restaurant for seven years before. We’ve taken many culinary die hards there six Sundays in a row and Silvia, a first generation culinary student at UTSMA, is the real deal. At $295 pesos, this all-you-can-eat breakfast is the best bargain in town.

Chef Raymundo Gutiérrez is the recipient of the Ricardo Muñoz Zurita Scholarship and recently introduced his second book, San Miguel del Alma, at the Puebla event honoring the 250 Best Restaurants in México. A culinary researcher at the University of Celaya, he’s recognized as one of the best chefs in Latin America for regional cuisine. His company, RG Catering and Events, is the only catering company that offers Sanmiguelense cuisine. He’ll represent México in a world culinary competition in Russia this October.

Every Saturday in front of Mercado Sano, Arif Towns Alonso of Simbiosis makes his “community mushroom soup” with an eye on who needs it the most.Pay what you can is a community focus with its sleeves rolled up and the very best kind of giving. A special thanks to Arif for making every cold morning so much warmer.

Cristina Gerez owns an urban goat farm and has made cheese for 21 years, including Cheddar Peppercorn, under the La Estrella SMA brand. Come celebrate her farm and family every month; the next one is on March 6^th. At last count, there are 135, four-legged beauties to entertain. With cult favorite written all over it, she celebrates her 25^th anniversary this year.

La Crema offers Basque Cheesecakes and other delights, opening their store in late 2025.

Chef Jorge López has 15 years of experience working in kitchens with Chef Gabriel Ordóñez. Yamila Robinet runs the bakery and his lengthy list of aficionados includes Chef Priscila Satkoff and Chef Michael Coon, San Miguel’s most trusted palate.

I was first introduced to La Crema by Juan José Miguel, one of the principals at the new rooftop, Malasala, now serving Sunday brunch with a view, along with crab claws, mimosas and more crave-worthy desserts from Joleisa.

Panio extends its wine offerings with non-alcoholic French wines for more inclusive and mindful options. Enjoy them at morning sobremesa. Panio Lab workshops kick off in March with “Biomaterials: Transforming Bakery Residues into Materials and Products,” and Hortus will launch a playful, new mixology experience.

Want a first? Cook Korean BBQ at your table by Chef Satoru Takeda of Kokumi; try the new tea room this spring at Haus Wellness or take a tour of Mercado Central Abastos Querétaro with Chef Patsy Dubois. Other unforgettable choices include Viñedos Patria’s 3 year old bottle of Tempranillo from Zsuzsa Baros or Munay, with Chef Erick Rojo, Ram Ramírez and Mariana Carrillo, one of the hottest new restaurants in town.

Chef Juan Carlos Hernández opens Bovine March 5^th at Hotel Matilda upstairs and Chef Erick Martínez has added a new chef to team Tené/Trazo 1810, Chef Maximiliano Del Sol Cordero, a native of San Miguel.

Hello Farmers Market, those wonderful Salamanca doctors turned farmers, will deliver a head of lettuce to your door, big enough to feed your entire block.

Finally, now that Dulce SMA is behind us, where Sofia Pedrazzi and Leticia Oldoni introduced San Miguel de Allende to a long list of new, young entrepreneurs, CANIRAC’s San Miguel y sus Sabores is coming back for a repeat in June.