Cheap Eats
By Carol Schmidt
December 12, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

La Crêpe, 20 years between restaurants—worth the wait

I'd only heard how good Vendi Mia was, a very popular restaurant in San Miguel 20 years ago, in the spot where Harry's New Orleans is now located.

And 20 years later landscape designer Alfonso Alarcon Gonzalo O’Donoghue, joined with artist Sioban O’Donoghue, has opened another restaurant that has become the latest "hot spot" in SMA.

La Crêpe opened at Hospico 37 in mid-October and already you may have to wait for a table, especially for Sunday brunch 11 am to 4 pm (better call for reservations at 154-9435). The rest of the week (closed Wednesday) hours are 1 -10 pm. Both Alfonso and Sioban are on hand 90% of the time to make sure the restaurant keeps up its consistency, value and service at reasonable prices.

The small menu isn't all "cheap eats"—the best-selling item is the Matisse, a smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese and caviar crêpe for 75 pesos, and you can get a champagne mimosa at Sunday brunch for 90 pesos (or made with sparkling wine for 50 pesos). I splurged on the Matisse and am glad days later that I did. Even a teaspoon of caviar adds such a touch of luxury. Norma is still talking about her San Miguel crêpe for 65 pesos, stuffed with eggs, baked ham and salsa. 

The crêpe batter was not too eggy, not too floury, not too pale, not too dark—perfectly even and just right.

Lower priced items include waffles at 45 pesos and eggs Benedict at 55 pesos for brunch, and on the regular menu crêpe Naomi (mushrooms, caramelized onions and a sherry sauce) for 60 pesos, Nicoise salad at 55 pesos, and quiche Lorraine, 40 pesos. 

French onion soup is 45 pesos, flan is 30, and if you really want to set off your sweet tooth, try the 45-peso crêpe Lillian (filled with apple compote, raisins, cinnamon and whipped cream) or Besos Frances (nutella, chocolate, nuts and whipped cream), 50 pesos.

Between restaurant stints Alfonso went on to become a noted landscape designer whose work has been in international publications, and the couple opened Terra ( www.terracasayjardin.com ) at the site across from the downtown Sierra Nevada.

"We had this extra space inside Terra and I'd always wanted to open a restaurant because I love to cook," Sioban explains. "There was no crêpe restaurant in San Miguel and I especially love crêpes.

We wanted a place where you can come all day long through to the evening, any time you want a delicious meal that wïll be served well and presented beautifully. Quality is our highest concern." 

The patio dining area shows that a landscape designer created it, and there is also an enclosed dining room for inclement weather, though white table umbrellas and gas heaters made the patio comfy even on a cold snap morning.

Alfonso was born in Mexico City and Sioban in Ireland, though she grew up in San Miguel. In addition to the landscape design business and home and garden shop, Alfonso is known for his bonsai tree demonstrations at the SMA Garden Club and other organizations. 

Besides knowing that you are going to get a consistently excellent meal at La Crêpe, you can also feel good about the fact that a percentage of the profit goes to Centro de Crecimiento to assist handicapped children. Just call for a reservation first—the word is out.

Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair run www.fallinginlovewithsanmiguel.com  which includes 70+ "Cheap Eats," blogs, forums, 1,000+ plus photos, SMA FAQs and Mexico news.

House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton

Hilltop home high above the town in Rizzoli’s Haciendas 

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Dec 14, tour departs at noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am


1. This outstanding home was merely an empty lot when it was purchased but the owners integrated their own plans to obtain the look they sought after. The result is a light, wide-open, hilltop home filled with antiques, paintings, sensual colors and tasteful embellishments. The arresting curved stairs topped by a beautiful arched ceiling leading to the living quarters takes advantage of the fantastic views toward Dolores Hidalgo and all of San Miguel. French doors on all sides allow for light, and access to front and back gardens filled with bougainvillea, geraniums, herbs, fruit trees and palms. Vines cling to the outside walls. The home is formed with soft curves and arches. One of its most alluring features is the amount of cantera used for columns, countertops, fireplaces, shelves and fountains, which were quarried and carved from Escolasticas. The master suite contains a library/office/sitting area, bedroom and separate his-and-hers baths and dressing rooms divided by a shared shower. All the lower-level 
flooring is painted pulido polished cement for a dramatic, warm look. Two captivating guest bedrooms are on the lower level, as is a sizeable wine cellar and large game room with billiard table, dartboard, old radio, and a built-to-order bookcase with an outstanding painting in its center. 



2. Located high above the town in Los Balcones, the terraces of this house offer beautiful views. Built in the late seventies (many additions and changes over the years), it has an ultramodern kitchen, an awesome formal dining room, several salas and three bedrooms. The master bedroom upstairs is flanked by two bathrooms. Fine antiques, sculptures and paintings give the home a warm, cozy feeling. The owner created the impressive photographs. Nearly every room has a vaulted brick ceiling which neatly mirrors the brick floors. Two magnificent gardens feature a vast variety of plants, flowers, vines and statuary. The west one offers splendid views over San Miguel, the lake and hills to the west.



3. This once-colonial property has undergone several reconstructions and additions over the last 10 years. The home was featured in the newly published Rizzoli book Haciendas in October 2008. A spacious dining room was finished in 2008 after the owners finally were able to acquire the needed land from a neighbor. It features an incredible hand-carved wood fireplace with a 1560s map of the world. The beamed ceiling “floats” with skylights on all sides. An elegant living room features unusual double-height carved corbels and leads out to a grand outdoor sala with an enormous chandelier, fireplace and seating areas overlooking the walled-in garden, pool and guest casita. Antique Mexican doors in the bedroom and Dutch doors leading into the kitchen were brought in from Lagos de Moreno. The guest casita was built around a huge pepper tree and features distinctive marble mosaic work with a Moroccan flavor. Mexican artists are featured in the home, as are textiles from South America, inherited antiques and custom furniture. The oldest part of the house is in the front and contains the owners’ offices, both of which open to the patio.