San Miguel Taste: Flavors Of Memory, Hacienda El Santuario’s Seeds Of Life Festival

By Amy G. Rothlin

November has always been one of my favorite months, it’s a season of crisp light, color, and memory. As we begin the month honoring our departed loved ones, the city transforms into a living altar. This year, I found myself drawn to one of the most beautiful celebrations of Día de Muertos in town: Seeds of Life at Hotel Hacienda El Santuario. If you’ve ever stepped through the doors of Hacienda El Santuario, you know what I mean when I say it feels like entering another world, where history and mexican Folk Art intertwine. Like a traditional Spanish Colonial San Miguel home, tucked within the hotel’s main courtyard is its restaurant, a real hidden gem that locals and travelers alike should not overlook.

This season, the restaurant presents a special Day of the Dead menu that beautifully ties together culinary tradition and ancestral homage. Created by Chef Alexis Zavala, the menu is aptly named Flavors of the Altar: Cuisine that Honors Memory. Each dish tells a story one that connects the harvest, the land, and the people who came before us.

The journey begins with inspired starters: a stuffed chile güero taco, a tender lamb quesabirria, and a comforting cornfield soup, dishes that evoke abundance, warmth, and the heart of Mexican kitchens. For the main course, Chef Zavala’s creativity shines with Copal, a beef filet marinated in ashes, paired with roasted peach and pumpkin flower sauces, an homage to the sacred incense used in altars, now reimagined in flavor. Another standout is the Totoaba and Sikil Pak, a dish that merges the freshness of the sea with the earthy richness of Yucatecan tradition. And then, the sweet finale: a mandarin tart, delicate and aromatic. For those craving something more traditional, don’t miss the seasonal tamales, crafted with ancestral ingredients such as local xoconostle (a tart cactus fruit native to this region), green peas, and a hint of mezcal - a taste of the past beautifully reimagined for the present.

Of course, no culinary journey at Hacienda El Santuario would be complete without a visit to La San Miguelada Bar, where art and mixology meet in a symphony of flavors. Here, Ulises Ruíz, the creative force behind the bar, offers signature cocktails that tell stories of their own. Each drink captures an emotion, a season, a memory:

Sweet Offering, a mezcal-based creation with guava and orange concentrate, smooth, smoky, and bright.

Seeds of Life, the festival’s namesake cocktail, blending corn liqueur and dried fruit liqueur, topped with a delicate cocoa air, as poetic as it sounds.

Beguina, where the warmth of rompope meets the gentle sweetness of Tennessee whiskey, creating a drink that feels like a toast to both worlds.

Adding to this celebration of flavors are the Aguas de la Samaritana, crafted by Noemí López. These refreshing beverages with pozol (a traditional drink made from fermented corn dough and cocoa), peanut drink, and cempasúchil (marigold) water bring back the essence of México’s rural traditions, where every sip connects us to the harvest and to home.

While the Flavors of the Altar menu is only available for a limited time, Hacienda El Santuario’s regular offerings are equally worth discovering. Whether you’re stopping by for breakfast, brunch, or a leisurely afternoon meal, there’s always something to savor. I especially recommend their traditional red chilaquiles topped with chorizo, yes, chilaquiles! Simple yet soulful, layered with the kind of authentic flavor that only comes from a kitchen that cooks with heart.And here’s a pro tip: their Sunday brunch is not to be missed. Picture freshly baked pan dulce, all your breakfast favorites, sparkling mimosas, and live music filling the patio with that unmistakable San Miguel charm. It’s the kind of meal that lingers with you long after you’ve left.

Dining at Hacienda El Santuario is more than just a meal; it’s an experience. It’s the perfect place to gather with friends, to share stories. Seeds of Life at Hacienda El Santuario reminds us that every flavor, every aroma, and every shared meal is a seed one that keeps the memory of our roots alive.

Reserve: +52 415 104 1602

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