Chef Juan José Gomez: Finding his true path
By Kathleen Mulligan July 18, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

After a friendly challenge on the adjacent bocce ball court, chef Juan José Gomez and I sit down to a glass of wine and an afternoon that exemplifies exactly what El Bistro at Los Senderos is all about— unhurried hours spent enjoying exquisitely fresh food, good drink and good company. My first question to the chef is, “Why here?”

“I’m feeling Los Senderos is part of the nature I lost a long time ago. I’ve been too urban; I was dedicated only to sophisticated cuisine and suddenly I have my own vegetables here, my own wine. I feel born again, as if I were free to do whatever I want to do and present it to your table. I feel like I’m again finding my own track, a track I left a long time ago.”

We chat about the chef’s youth in Guadalajara and his original artistic passion, dancing jazz and the flamenco that he still loves. He shares with me an experience he had at 13 or 14 years of age when he was “playing” in the kitchen of a restaurant owned by his best friend’s father. “I was standing in front of the stove and I felt something strange inside me, as if I were dancing for the people in the theater. It was in that moment I felt my call.”

“I am here eating this marlin and drinking this wine, sharing this afternoon with you. It is part of the sensation and the feeling and emotion that I am trying to put on the plate. I am trying to translate these emotions and involve the people who will be visiting us here at El Bistro.”

Nice. When I ask him how he describes El Bistro cuisine, he grins. “No labels. More ‘freestyle,’ reflective of my emotions, the seasons and our guests’ desires.”

About the increasing trend in San Miguel and Mexico toward organic and sustainable farming, he feels, “Perhaps it’s more a return to something we have forgotten. I can imagine my great, great grandfather sitting here now and watching the rabbits running through these fields, deciding which of the greens he will pull from the garden to put on the family table tonight. We need to return to simpler and healthier ways.”

Juan Jose sees himself and the San Miguel gastronomic scene in transition. “Right now, I am an outsider, but with time I hope to be invited in. There is so much we can do to make San Miguel a culinary destination and to make room for our young people who want to learn this profession.”

I remember the important role he played in creating the Chef’s Association of Northern Baja California, an unprecedented collective effort by the chefs of Baja to award culinary scholarships and offer free training to young Mexican men and women who had the same “calling.” How wonderful it would be recreate that effort here. As if reading my mind, he continues, “In the near future, we’ll offer cooking classes.”

As the sun sets, Juan Jose shares some details about El Bistro and what makes it different. “Gourmet picnics,” he ruminates (always the romantic). “Right now, we have guided horseback tours and bicycles to explore Los Senderos. Like the seasons, we’ll always be changing, seeking fresh experiences.”

I ask him to sit back and imagine all the hard work of opening El Bistro is long behind him. The spa restaurant and resort are open and in full swing, the film village and arts campus are buzzing with artistic energy, the organic gardens and farmers’ market are among San Miguel’s favorite excursions, the grapes are harvested and bottled and begging to be enjoyed. I ask him to look out over Los Senderos as though it is five or six years from now and to tell me just what it is that he sees.

He replies without so much as a pause, “I see my children chasing the rabbits in the fields, I see my wife drinking the wine I have made, I see myself cooking for ‘you.’ I see myself feeling like I did a long time ago. I see myself free.”

El Bistro is open Monday–Friday, 11am–sundown, and on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. For reservations, call 155-9594.

Kathleen Mulligan is the proprietor of Epicurean Escapes and a native of Napa Valley.

Mexico by the Glass
By Dick Avery; photos by Janet Avery

Lost in the Valle

When zooming up the Ruta del Vino in the “Napa Valley” of Mexico, the Valle de Guadalupe, in the eternal quest for delicious vino mexicano, it is easy to miss some of the out-of-the-way wineries. That’s exactly what I, with my intrepid “staff photographer” Janet, did and almost missed excellent examples of the smaller, artisanal producers of the good juice.

Vinisterra Winery was founded in 2002 by a local businessman, Guillermo Rodriguez, and his winemaker/partner, Christoph Gaertner. They combined their talent, money, and expertise to produce 4000–5000 cases per year of a remarkable array of wines.

About 60 percent of the grapes are sourced from local growers, the balance coming from the winery’s own vineyards. All display their youth in their styles. We tasted the line across the board (have to do the research, you know!).

We led off with a Domino Blanco, 65 percent Viognier, 32 percent Palimino, and 3 percent Muscat. Flavorful and crisp, it’s reminiscent of a superior blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. This was followed by the Domino Tinto, a fresh, flavorful field blend of various Rhone varietals, plus some Tempranillo. The Domino rosé offered a light, floral, perfumy, rosé blend of 60 percent Grenache, 35 percent Tempranillo Blanc and 5 percent Muscat. Definitely different from the run-of-the-mill rosé. The Domino line recalls Guillermo’s passion for the game of dominos. The reds, though youngsters, displayed nice balance and stuffing, with chalky tannins. They’ll be delicious in three to five years. The ‘03 Grenache/Tempranillo blend impressed me with rich, muscular, intense, earthy flavors of 
dark fruit, spices and herbs. This could be Sylvester Stallone’s house wine. Definitely an up-and-comer on the Mexican wine scene.

J.C. Bravo Winery is a classic textbook example of the small family-owned and operated niche winery. This was also difficult to find—most of these outfits don’t receive the public and don’t spend a lot of money on signs, but I, being ever the intrepid reporter, used the power of the press.

Located after several calls by a helpful hostess at another winery, we were advised to “go to the end of the road, turn right, at the next stop sign look for the beige house with the big tree.” There, standing around a couple of elderly pickups were several guys, pounding down the brews, waving us into the driveway. Hey, we thought, this has got to be the place.

The very affable Juan Carlos Bravo received us on the back porch of his house, and we were joined by the beer lovers, one of whom was Juan Carlos’s brother, Martin. That turned out to be fortuitous, since Juan’s English was on a par with my Spanish, and Martin’s English kind of saved the day.

The star here is the Rhone varietal, Carignan. Actually, it’s the only wine Juan Carlos produces. Production is miniscule compared to the big guys, only 400–500 cases a year. Almost never seen as a stand-alone varietal, Carignan is usually blended with other red juice to form various Rhone blends. Earthy, intense, with aromas of ripe berries, plums, and spices, it’s a fruit bomb on the palate! This is a full-figured girl who matches well with grilled meats on the barbie.

Juan Carlos is a student of local wine guru Hugo D’Acosta, who has guided many of the Valle’s smaller wineries from idea to reality. He might be considered the Andre Tchelistcheff of the Valle (Tchelistcheff was a consultant and advisor to many of the early and now famous Napa Valley wineries). He shows the “newbies” how to get the most from their vineyards, what varietals work best with various soils, etc. Many of the relatively new producers have started out under his guidance.

Juan Carlos is a prime example of the “new wave” of local winemakers in the region who have learned the art and skill of hand-crafted, extremely well-made vino, and who are carving a niche market among wine lovers. Salud!


Dick Avery is head sipper at VinoClubSMA, a local wine club devoted to the enjoyment of “boutique” vino mexicano through free wine tastings. His website is www.vinoclubsma.com. He can be reached at vinoclubsma@yahoo.com.







House & Garden Tour
African violets, Admiral Bonifaz, carved wooden beams

House & Garden Tour
Sun, July 20, noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starting at 9am

1. The architect/owner designed this spacious home for his wife and family in the early 2000s, making it appear as a centuries-old hacienda. You enter through a long passageway of arches and columns, with all rooms facing the patio. The home is notable for careful detailing, ceilings painted in rustic colors and richly stained wood beams. All the beautiful wood doors were designed and carved locally. 

The first floor contains an office, a living room with a large fireplace, a bright kitchen and a dining room which seats 12. An African violet collection sits on north-facing window ledges. The master bedroom has a painted vaulted ceiling and Jacuzzi in the light-filled bathroom. The rooftop garden is filled with flowers, plants and fruit trees as well as a barbecue and bar area. 


2. A long passageway leads into this elegant home, with all rooms facing the patio. Alongside the passageway are both a guest bedroom and the master suite containing an office, entertainment area and outdoor seating with fountain, beams and climbing vines.

Above the headboard are Spanish Admiral Don Ramon Bonifaz’s coat of arms and on another wall a parchment signed by Napoleon. The generously proportioned bathroom, with a copper tub from Santa Clara de Cobra, leads to a walk-in closet. Stone arches separate the sala from the dining room with its table base created from a pipe organ cactus skeleton. Outside, arched porticos are thickly covered on three sides by vines and bougainvillea. The bar, originally a pulpit, was widened to accommodate the bottles and glasses needed for big-time entertaining! A smaller courtyard with Jacuzzi and an angel statue are on the far end of the patio. There are six bedrooms, a 2,000-square-foot casita, a studio and three rooftop decks, all perfect for that evening margarita watching one of San Miguel’s sensational sunsets. 



3. This great example of a colonial-looking home has grand spaces and added light. The entranceway, laid with small stones and filled with plants, leads to a charming cantera fountain. The owners raised ceiling height to add light and spaciousness and inserted new wood beams carved locally. The living room overlooks the walled-in garden with its view to the west. The master bedroom is intimate and tranquil with its soft green walls and a window inset into the thick walls above the bed to again add extra light. Many of the stone walls were quarried locally and Dutch doors leading into the kitchen were brought in from Lagos de Moreno, with a beautiful collection of plates from Michoacán. The oldest part of the house is in the front and contains a comfortable guest room and office which open through old doors to a patio with original flooring.