July 31, 2009, House & Garden Tour, By Jennifer Hamilton, A collection of cacti, tejamanil ceilings and cantera staircases, The Restaurant goes ''bamboo'', By Alice Sperling; Photos by Holly Wilmeth, Taste of San Miguel

THE HOUSE & GARDEN TOUR
THANKS THE FOLLOWING FOR OPENING THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOMES On Sunday, July 26, 2009

Alejandra Riveroll
Sally & Jim Osbon
Bobbi Pyfrom

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4th Sunday in July for 2008 194 visitors on tour

4th Sunday in July for 2009 99 visitors on tour

Year to Date 2008 5,792 visitors on tour

Year to Date 2009 4,909 visitors on tour

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House & Garden Tour

Sun, Aug 2, tour departs at noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am

House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton

A collection of cacti, tejamanil ceilings and cantera staircases

1. The entranceway of this charming house leads down through a cactus-filled front garden into a two-story hallway with bóveda ceiling, and a high bookcase next to the stairwell.

The home is decorated with beautiful objets d’art acquired during the many years the owner spent working for the BBC in the UK and Japan. More recent additions include art works by leading Mexican artists, such as Tamayo and Francisco Toledo. The dining and living areas afford extraordinary views north to the countryside and undulating hills. The bright kitchen is decorated with tiles from nearby Dolores Hidalgo. The spacious master suite with its wood-burning fireplace is home to more artwork and commands further outstanding views. Outside, one finds a delightful sombrero fountain on one cozy terrace. A small gym makes good use of another, previously unused terrace. The sizable bathroom has a tiled Jacuzzi bathtub and freestanding sink area. Ceilings throughout the home, with tejamaniles (wood strips) between wooden beams, emanate w
armth and tranquility. The walled-in rear garden hosts another profusion of cacti reached by winding pathways.

2. Finished in 2009, this home was designed by the owner to incorporate wide open spaces, high ceilings, lots of light and views from every room.

This home features substantial use of stone walls, wood ceilings, cantera and tile flooring. From a small bóveda ceiling in the vestibule atop the front door, one can see the living room backed by the entranceway’s small garden and master suite beyond it. All the doors throughout the main floor are handmade from old vigas (beams) and the ceilings vary between tejamanil and beams, tile and bóvedas. A large guest bath on the main floor is lit by a skylight. The sala features cemento pulido (polished cement) counters and recessed lighting. Outdoors is a covered entertainment area and a high wall including a fountain and palm trees—one can only imagine how beautiful it is at night with clandestine lights around the grassy garden. Leading to the office and master suite is a long hallway with a dramatic bóveda ceiling, valance lighting and beveled glass doors looking out to the garden. A cantera stairwell leads up to the two guest bedrooms with beautifully carved and painted wood beds. An oversized terazza with service area offers comfort and unparalleled views over the city.

3. The owner of this house has designed and built seven homes in this very quiet Mexican colonia, and here we see what can be accomplished on a relatively small lot. A small entrance patio filled with clinging vines on the high wall leads to the front door. In the living room, one finds a cantera fireplace and many structural touches such as tejamanil and beamed ceilings, and a large arched window/doorway facing a garden patio. Light entering from three sides gives the house an open feel.

The dining room overlooks the custom-designed kitchen and main patio. The spacious master bedroom contains wood beams, a tiled ceiling and cantera flooring, a corner fireplace and a brightly lit bathroom with glass skylights, large bathtub and built-in closet. A nicho with recessed lighting above is found on the cantera staircase leading up to two guest bedrooms and an entertainment room. The roof deck is filled with potted plants, a covered roof area with service bar and an open entertainment area. Outstanding views to the
Parroquia and western sunsets are perfect for ending another beautiful day in San Miguel with a tasty margarita in hand!

Food & Wine

The Restaurant goes “bamboo”
By Alice Sperling; Photos by Holly Wilmeth

Donnie Masterton, innovative mastermind and owner/chef of The Restaurant at Sollano 16, has reinvented his lunch menu, serving small Asian plates. As an avowed fan, I sat down with him to chat about this new take.

Alice Sperling: Why this new concept?

Donnie Masterton: This idea is one we have been in love with for some time. When we first began looking for a space for a restaurant, this is one of the concepts we had in mind—a small space where we could toss out great small plates. When our Sollano space became a possibility, it was too wonderful to pass up. We had another idea tailor-made for this environment: seasonal, chef-driven, local product, as organic as we could make—truly beautiful food, a very new concept here, but one that’s flying all over the world now.

AS: Why now?

DM: More like, why not now? These times, economic and otherwise, are a challenge, but give us the opportunity to rethink what we are doing. And simply, how do we keep our customers excited about what we can offer at The Restaurant, because the bottom line is still the bottom line.

AS: What’s on the new menu?

DM: Asian inspired soups and noodle bowls like the Pho Ga chicken noodle bowl and the classic Vietnamese Pho Bo; roasted vegetable, or chicken or garlic-shrimp skewers with dipping sauces; pork and shrimp or vegetable pot stickers, chayote and three onion dumplings; salads of all varieties; teriyaki flank steak, pork riblets, miso-marinated salmon; and egg rolls or Vietnamese spring rolls, all with an emphasis on freshness and quality.

AS: I have to be honest, just reading the menu made me salivate. What’s the price range?

DM: Nothing will be priced over 100 pesos. Most dishes are 50–60 pesos.

AS: Is it going to be difficult to source your ingredients?

DM: So far, it hasn’t. More becomes available every day, in the organic community or with other purveyors.

AS: What are some highlights of your career?

DM: Having Patrick Clark as a mentor, the presidential dinner at the White House for Nelson Mandela and the Clintons, opening Azie in San Francisco and Moomba in LA, and having The Restaurant named one of the top 105 restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveler.

AS: Bravo! Who are your clients? Locals, visitors or a mix?

DM: Happily, a mix. We have a good, steadily growing Mexican clientele. We still have no sign on the façade. Much of our clientele comes to us by word of mouth, the best advertising anyone could want.

AS: I was talking to a friend, an avowed non-foodie; I didn’t even know such people existed. She is intimidated and never knows what to order and would like some hints. What do you suggest?

DM: I don’t think anyone should be intimidated by food or menus that seem exotic. Go for what you like, and if you’re still not sure, keep it simple. Order the mixed green salad or the soup and the chicken or salmon for your main course. I also think it is a good idea to try a taste of what the other people at your table ordered, so next time you might be more adventurous.

AS: What are The Restaurant’s hours of operation?

DM: We’re open Tuesday–Saturday, 12–4pm for lunch. Happy Hour runs 5–7pm with 2-for-1 drink specials. Our dinner menu runs 6–10pm. The bar menu is fabulous—completely satisfying Thai-inspired dishes, running all night until closing, midnight on weekends.

AS: Anything else you would like to add?

DM: Come and get it.

Alice Sperling is an enthusiastic worldwide eater and pretty good home cook. She “speaks food” in many languages.

Feed the Hungry has published a fantastic cookbook as an ongoing fundraising project. Faced with the continued worldwide escalation of food prices and the ongoing decrease in charitable donations resulting from the economic downturn, it was time to start a new effort. And it seemed like a good fit since FTH delivers hot, nutritious meals every school day to 4,000 kindergarten and primary school Mexican children. Who knows more about food than Feed the Hungry?

Taste of San Miguel: The Cookbook is the result of a group of determined volunteers who elicited great recipes from restaurants, caterers, residents, visitors and friends of Feed the Hungry. The book includes 200 of the best recipes from these contributors and it is all bilingual.

FTH extends hearty thanks to everyone who contributed to this book. The names are printed, too, so as you browse your book, you will find some celebrity recipes. From Frida Kahlo’s “Quail with Rose Petals” to Lady Bird Johnson’s “LBJ Ranch Spiced Tea” to “Old Mexico Margaritas,” a favorite of Anthony Quinn’s, the book has some of the rarest recipes available today.

Section dividers feature six beautiful color photographs by Janet Jarman, including scenes from FTH kitchens, cooks and kids. Also included is the latest information about FTH’s program and how it works. Scattered throughout the book are little drawings and notes by the children who are thankful for their hot lunches.

Taste of San Miguel makes a perfect gift for birthdays, holidays, hostess gifts and for friends who want to know more about why you visited San Miguel and/or chose to live here. The book is 300 pesos, or US$22.50, and is available on FTH’s website, or at the bodega on the corner of Las Moras and Cinco de Mayo.

It’s also available at an ever-widening group of local retailers, restaurants and mail stops like La Conexión in Centro, Solutions, El Rinconcito, St. Paul’s Church, Hotel Dos Casas and Hotel Casa de Olivos. Many of these outlets stock and sell it sans commission as their way of helping FTH continue its work of feeding children.

Buy one for yourself, your daughter, your mother and any friend who cooks! All profits help feed hungry Mexican children. Contact Feed the Hungry at (415) 152-2402 or contact@feedthehungrysma.org or www.feedthehungrysma.org.