Cheap Eats
By Carol Schmidt
November 14, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

“Unhappy Hour” at Café Monet

The most beautiful “Cheap Eats” restaurant in San Miguel is Café Monet, Zacateros 83. It could be a high-end big-city steakhouse or English tearoom, but instead its claim to fame is “Unhappy Hour,” 7–11am featuring breakfast for 25 pesos.

For that price you choose between espresso, cappuccino, latte, Americano or French press coffee, with either a baguette with marmalade, oatmeal with dried cranberries and walnuts, buttermilk or wheat pancakes, cupcake or muffin, or cinnamon coffee cake. The oatmeal has the most devoted fans, but I vote for the cinnamon rolls, sticky and laden with frosting, just as good as my French grandmother pulled out of her oven Sunday mornings.

A side of bacon is 20 pesos. Sandwiches for 30–35 pesos include turkey pastrami and cheese, black forest ham and cheese, or egg salad “with a hint of curry.” Soup of the day with corn bread or garlic bread is 30 pesos. The day’s specials are listed on the chalkboard outside.

Owners Bill Mendenhall and his sister Kathy Harburg have created an oasis of deep rose, rich dark carved woods, overstuffed chairs, stone statues, alcoves, ornate gold-framed good art, directed lighting and greenery for a masterpiece of contrasts in colors, shapes and textures. Such a scenario cries out for equal attention to food presentation and consistency, but not every dish is memorable.

Some plates call out for a splash of color—my perfectly cooked eggs Benedict and potatoes were white on a white plate, only a sprinkling of dried parsley as contrast, for example.

And I’d like stronger flavors and textures on some dishes myself. But then there are those cinnamon rolls that are calling to me right now as I write.

Café Monet is open Monday and Wednesday, 7am–3pm; Thursday–Saturday, 7am–3pm and 5–9pm; and Sunday, 9am–9:30pm. Sunday at 6:30pm they offer a movie and dinner for 140 pesos, but call 154-8348 for reservations since the restaurant only seats about 28. A recent Sunday dinner included a guacamole appetizer, salmon with rice, one free drink and, at intermission, berry cobbler for dessert.

Our friends either love or hate Café Monet. For the decor, the concept of 25-peso “Unhappy Hour,” and the cinnamon rolls, I’d vote for love.

Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair run www.fallinginlovewithsanmiguel.com,  featuring 70+ “Cheap Eats” restaurants, 1,000+ photos, Carol’s Blog, forums with 700+ registered members, San Miguel FAQs and Mexico news.

House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton

Moroccan pillows and eight handmade conchas

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Nov 16, noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starting at 9am

1. This homeowner built a unique country house among the rolling hills of Candelaria. Architecturally, countless arches add a soft, gentle look. The entrance archway is hand-stenciled, as is the ceiling in the living room which is interspersed with wood beams and is an exact copy of the tiles surrounding the fireplace. The living/dining rooms contain embossed tin lamps with painted silver leaf inside them and an unusual Asian coffee table filled with candles. The hallway to the right of the entranceway has glass windows on the left looking out to the beautiful garden and fountain, with cement dogs surrounding it. A game room to the right contains dramatic tin cabinets, luscious dark green walls, colorful paintings and Moroccan pillows throughout this intimate room. Next door, differently shaped and colored pillows are scattered on the guest bed—very romantic and cozy. The master suite is a dream, with its large bed, many family photos, an arched ceiling and a view to the garden. A Moroccan-styled open wall wa
s added outside to the back of the pool for extra “oomph,” with water flowing down the steps at the far end. The entire garden is a lush green with trees, flowers, soft grass and a shower hidden behind the bamboo wall. Spectacular bronzes were created by the owner’s late husband and she remains an avid collector of art and sculpture, continuing her world travels in search of yet more extraordinary pieces to add to her already outstanding collection.



2. This lovely home, the site of a former tannery, was purchased in 1992 and renovated in the Mexican style. The entry has a cactus garden filled with field rocks. A dining room display case shows off the more fancy specimens, many local. All the furniture in the house was custom made by Mexican craftsmen. The long walls of the open, well-lit interior provide ample room for gallery-like presentation of paintings by many San Miguel artists. A long hallway contains a collection of more than 100 masks from Mexico and other countries. The patio-garden sports a fountain and impressive specimens of hanging burro tails and other succulents. The home also features three fireplaces and an inviting outdoor living area. On the top terrace is a studio, a sun terrace and a garden house converted into a computer room and study. Over the dining and living rooms are vaulted ceilings built in the traditional way without scaffolding. The home also has an impressive eight conchas handmade from wet concrete in the shape of a scallop shell over niches and elsewhere. The scallop shell is the emblem of St. James, patron saint of Spain.