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Readers’ Choice eats and drinks favorites,
Jan, 5 2007
In the December 1 edition of Atención we asked readers to voice their choices for favorite local eats and drinks. You responded noting you favorite restaurants—some large and some small, some expensive and some barato, some famous and some soon-to-be famous.
Here are your selections in the six categories of breakfast, lunch, dinner, street food, bar, coffee (runners-up are listed in no particular order):
Breakfast
Winner: Café de la Parroquia, Jesús 11; favorite item, chilaquiles, “El Ambiente es muy agradable.”
Runners-up:
El Pegaso, Corregidora 6; favorite item, eggs Benedict, “Fernando is the best waiter in town.”
El Jardín, Plaza Allende; favorite item, eggs Benedict, “Great place for people-watching.”
Posada Corazón, Aldama
Bagel Café, Correo 19
Ruchis, Correo 39; favorite item, huevos a la mexicana, “Consistently great!”
Lunch
Winner: Hecho en México, Ancha de San Antonio 8; favorite item, shrimp po' boy, “Nice outdoor setting.”
Runners-up:
Ristorante Bella Italia, Canal 21; favorite item, oysters
Posada Carmina, Cuna de Allende; favorite item, chicken flautas
El Rinconcito, Refugio Norte 7; favorite item, shrimp/bacon rolls, “Delicious.”
Nirvana, Mesones 101; favorite item, quesadillas de jamaica
Quinta Loreto, Loreto 15; favorite item, chiles en nogada, “Don’t forget to order the coco pay.”
TAO, Pila Seca 16
Ruchis, Correo 39; favorite item, bistec a la mexicana, “If you have not eaten here—you must!”
El Rinconcito, Refugio Norte 7; favorite item, shrimp quesadillas, “Wonderfully friendly owners.”
Gorditas Estilo Querétaro, Calzada de la Luz; favorite item, gorditas con migas
Meson de San José, Mesones 38; favorite item, ensalada turca
Ten Ten Pie, Cuna de Allende 21; favorite item, veggie burrito
Dinner
Two winners-a tie!
El Campanario, Canal 34; favorite item, lobster, “Great place for special occasions.”
Berlin, Umarán 19; favorite item, sardines
Runners-up:
L’Escargot, Hernández Macías 66; favorite item, salmon filet
L’Invito, Ancha San Antonio 20; favorite item, pasta with mussels, “Best meal in a city where you can’t get a bad meal.”
La Cava de la Princesa, Recreo 3, “Incredible food.”
Tío Lucas, Mesones 103; favorite item, steak arrachera
Restaurante Alfredo, Plaza Principal; favorite item, enchiladas de la Plaza
Dila’s, Ancha de San Antonio 31
TAO, Pila Seca 16
Nirvana, Mesones 101; favorite item, soup
Street Food
Winner: Mercado San Juan de Dios, Indio Triste; favorite item, quesadillas, “Awesome!”
Runners-up:
No name stand, Jardín at night only; favorite item, hamburgers
Tortillas Arena, Mesones
Taco stand, Mesones and Pepe Llanos at night only
Bar
Winner: Harry’s, Hidalgo 12; favorite items, martinis and crab cakes
Runners-up:
Mechicanos, Canal 16; favorite ítem, michelada, “Excellent music and ambiance.”
La Cava de la Princesa, Recreo 3; favorite item, Caribe Maya
El Gato Negro, Mesones
Berlin, Umarán 19
Romanos, Hernández Macías 93; favorite item, martinis, “Best in town.”
Coffee
Winner: Casa de Café, Hidalgo 18
Runners-up:
La Ventanita, Sollano 11; favorite item, cappuccino
San Agustín, San Francisco 21; favorite item, churros
Café Etc., Reloj 37
Café Monte Negro, Correo 14; favorite item, capuchino
The people and town are so wonderful ...just wish the food was the same
Only one response to Atención’s first Readers’ Choice favorite restaurants dared to voice a critical opinion. Alice Sperling wrote:
Let me start off by saying that San Miguel is a world-class gem of a small city with the most disappointing, mediocre restaurants mired in the 1980s. They lack innovation, creativity, and don’t use seasonal foods to their best advantage. We are a sophisticated lot of urbanites who chose to moved to this lovely town. We have eaten and traveled worldwide and have discerning palettes. We are being underserved. There is a direct inverse proportion to the quality of the food and price.
By far the best places to eat are the street side stands—Felix’s on Avenida Independencia, the taco stands around the corner from Espino’s and the gordita place across from the Biblioteca are all wonderful. They prepare fresh food. They care. They know their customers.
The expensive restaurants have one or two dishes on their menus that are OK, nothing fabulous, and seemingly are totally uninterested in cultivating the
repeat local market. Their menus are stagnant and boring. If there is something very tasty, such as the red snapper, it is served with a watery julienne of uninspired vegetables and a potato that has not been baked long enough. Why oh why?
I am sure that there are many residents out there who long for good food like I do but do much better by cooking at home.
The best meal by far are the breakfasts. Excellent meals can be had at La Buena Vida (Hernández Macías 72), La Piñata (corner of Jesús and Umarán), and Medio Naranja (Hidalgo near Calzada de la Luz ). Lunch: sopa azteca at Rincon de Don Tomas in Portal Guadalupe. Dinner: mussels at Bella Italia (Canal 21) Bar: Tapas & ‘Tinis (Umarán). Coffee: Spanglish Café
Why no great seafood restuarants, Vietnamese, better Chinese, Indian, Thai, sushi (I mean real sushi), northern Italian, and so on?
Please make this a better restaurant town.
Thank you,
Alice Sperling
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