Here is a list of restaurants, pools, markets, and stuff you might want in SMA. It’s not all-inclusive, just some suggestions. Go to the City Building just north of the jardin and get a map. It’s pretty easy to find your way around.

 

RESTAURANTS:

 

Baan Thai Restaurant

Quebrada 12 Centro (n.w. of jardin)

152 7292

baanthaisma.com

green fish curry and Thai noodle salad, both very good.

There’s supposed to be another Thai restaurant on Ancha de San Antonio, but is more expensive and we hear, not as good as this one. We loved this for lunch.

 

Buganbilia

Calle Hidalgo 42

Regional relleno with beef and pomegranate seeds sin (without) crema; I don’t eat cream, but I hear that with the cream it’s just too rich – excellente

Margaritas, strong and terrific (no syrupy mix)

Tilapia with orange sauce – grand

Great atmosphere, mature climbing flowering vines inside

Classical Guitarrista es bueno

 

Capilla roof terrace restaurant,

Aldama, maybe 14, across from Posadita.

Capilla means chapel and is built into the great parochial church.

So spectacular. The food is great, the views are even better

Expensive for SMA, but we’re going for a belated Valentine’s date. It was full up on the 14^th so we went a few days later.

My roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese and Morgan’s spinach salad with goat cheese and pecans were both terrific. He had salmon, I had crab/scallop cakes which were good, if you like slightly sweet entrées. I don’t. But it was complex, with both picante and sweet, which I can appreciate even if I don’t like it. My margarita was very good. And more like two margaritas because they give you a little frosted pitcher with the remainder of the drink in it. Morgan’s vodka martini and his wine were very good. It cost $815 pesos (now: US $ 54) plus tip (they say don’t tip 20% but I did). The place is absolutely sublime. We took a load of photos to prove it. Our Valentine’s Date was the best Valentine’s date ever, even if it came 5 days late. A pianist plays in the indoor dining room/bar, but we were on the magnificent terrace. Very pleasant. Esplendido!

 

Hecho en Mexico

Zacateras

Lots of people like this. We’ll go tonight and see.

 

Mercado north of Canal one short block and west of San Antonio Abad a few blocks.

Middle stall on north side. Terrific and costs hardly anything. Different specials each day include posole, menudo (stomach—can’t manage that), pollo con salsa verde, meatballs, mole; and always with condiments like salsas, peppers, onions (we avoid the lettuce and tomatoes due to not thinking they’re washed with iodine) and always fresh made tortillas. I think we pay about $3 or less for a big meal.

 

Posada Corazon B&B

Aldama, south of Cuadrante, 2 blocks from jardin, red house, ring timbre (doorbell)

Desayuno (breakfast and brunch, but still open at noon) go for comida (lunch)

Enhojado huevos, specialty wrapped in leaf, chilaquiles

Huevos Tibetano, all wonderful, mostly organic. Home made whole grain breads, local herbal teas

Gardens are just gorgeous. Library is fantastic. A real treat. About 120 pesos ($8-9 now) (apiece, fixed price. Not to be missed.

 

Posadita

Aldama #13

Alongside to west of the parrochia

3^rd floor terrace dining, great view, great food. Fairy lights at night. Lovely for lunch or dinner.

 

La Tecolote

on Jesus.

For lunch, takes too long to be served, both times we’ve been there. Very gringo clientele. So loads of people like it but I won’t rush to revisit it.

 

Mostly we eat in, but here are a few places where we’ve gone. More in text (below) from previous visit.

 

MARKETS, OTHER ONES

 

Mercado de Artesanias

Walk north and east of the jardin. Be sure to walk north on Loreto as there are wonderful shops for needlework hangings, Oaxacan rugs, mirrors and metal work frames. But the best prices are generally in the market itself.

 

Talaveras (ceramics). My favorite dishes, bowls, serving platters are on the north (I think wall) in the center. They have the best quality and the loveliest painted designs and they’re not expensive. To get more variety and even better prices travel to the town of Dolores Hidalgo (I write about it below in the September visit to SMA).

 

I bought two Oaxacan rugs in the market where I found the best designs at the best prices. If you buy more than one, you can generally round down the price and get a better deal.

 

Instituto Allende

On Ancha de San Antonio and was created by Sterling Dickinson just after WWII along with Bellas Artes on Hernandez Macia (I think) and really is what makes San Miguel the attraction to American and Europeans that it is. He started art schools that were attended by American GIs, hence, all the art and gringos here now.

During two of my 2 visits here (the month long ones) the Instituto has sponsored a huge art show where you can buy jewelry, ceramics, rugs, bags, clothes, so many different artesanias (arts, crafts, folkoric art). Most towns have only their indigenous arts—if they have them–and junk made in China with Mexican slogans written on. San Miguel, catering to the gringo population, is pretty much junk-free, yet has folkloric art from all over the country. For instance I bought a beautiful turquoise needle worked bag from Chiapis, which you can buy in the stores in town for $350-480 pesos, but I bought in the market for $150 pesos (ten dollars right now). I can got an exceptionally good deal, because the dueño (owner) and I hit it off and it was his first sale of the day. He blessed me. It’s a VERY Catholic country.

 

LIQUOR STORE:

 

Las Barricas Vinos y Licores

Quebrada #20 (n.w. of jardin)

154 8280

deliver for free

 

GROCERIES

Bonanza

Mesones, east of Relox

Small, locally run, lots of stuff you’d need including American things like soy milk, peanuts)

2 doors up is a good Mexican green grocer

 

Mega

Is a super story (groceries and clothes and you name it) south out the Ancha de San Antonio. I don’t approve, I think we should be shopping in the little family-run businesses in town. But, I must admit, it makes life much easier on occasion to get a load of groceries and take them home by car or taxi (which wait outside in abundance). You get a card from them the first day and get a discount on each subsequent purchase, but of course, we forgot to use it. Oh well.

 

MASSAGE THERAPIST

Lynea Nagle from Boston

Comes to your house with your table, riding a 4 wheel Honda cycle thing. Yahoo.

$350 pesos (US $25)!

cell 415107 3511

lyneazealand@yahoo.com

Fine massage with a really fun lady. I hope to see her again.

 

POOLS (ALBERCAS):

 

Club Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo # 55 (up from the jardin – Correo becomes Santo Domingo)

Pool and gym, very slightly funky, but fine.

Warm and lovely in June through September (and probably beyond), but I’m speaking first hand

Pretty dang cold in December –January, 65 F I hear.

February, started at 68 degrees (which I could barely manage) by mid Feb 74 degrees F. Getting better. Dia: $60 pesos/ semana $200 pesos / mes $400; with today’s exchange, less than US $30 per month.

 

Escondido Place Balneario.

10 kilometers on Carretara San Miguel-Dolores Hidalgo are a number of natural hotsprings. The other well-known place is La Gruta, but we like Escondido. $90 pesos (now about US$6). They have foot available and various tubs of various degrees of warm, hot, and cool. Like the Roman Baths of yore but everyone wears swimsuits.

 

We hear there’s a pool to be used for $50 pesos ($US 3.50) at the Aldea Hotel on the Ancha. Since I have a pass at Santo Domingo, I won’t check it, but the Aldea is closer to us.

 

Out of Town Day trips or Overnighters: see above blog entry for these.

 

Queretero

 

Tequisquiápan a pueblo north and east of SMA.

 

We’ve tried to make reservations to stay in the Plaza of Tequisquiápan. We’ll see if they’re honored. No, they weren’t but we got the last two (of 16) rooms. Wowwee. Read more soon.