UNO: Study Abroad in Writing

This is a wonderful spot for breakfast!  The specialty here is hand made – the old fashioned way! – churros con chocolate.  Churros are long thin falky fried pastries dusted with sugar.  They are dipped in thick molten chocolate, and you can decide between three different kinds.  The difference is the amount of sweetness in the chocolate.  I went for the Chocolate Espanola, which was the least sweet, and more of a dark chocolate.  As we were there bright and early, we got to watch the churros preparations, and it was really cool to see the guys behind the counter stirring the dough with huge wooden sticks.  We also had fruit and yogurt here, and coffee and tea juice, and the entire bill for 2, here, was $208 pesos, or less than twenty dollars.  This is a nice treat, and a great pick me up after a late night….

A Fan of Churros?  Want to learn how to make your own?  Click here.

Tags: San Miguel by jeni
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The market in San Miguel is actually pretty awesome. You can get everything from the typical touristy stuff here, to fine jewelry, handmade crafts (pottery, baskets, tiny beaded items, etc), to food. It stretches on for what seems liek an eternity. I lusted after a chunky red necklace of fine coral. Prices for that ranged from about six hundred pesos (about $60) on up to about $1500 pesos. It is the real thing, and coral has gone up a lot. I refrained from purchasing it, much to my chagrin. But you can get necklaces of coral, turquoise, jade, amber, jet, and jasper, and just about everything in between. The colors are gorgeous, and while the craftsmanship varies, everyone seems open to bargaining. Go to the market, but don’t go on an empty stomach, like I did. You’ll want to give yourself time to find what you like, and then make sure you can’t find the same thing two stalls down for two hundred pesos less…. We bought everything frombarrettes made of abalone shell and mother of pearl, to chip and dip pottery trays. I did get two handmade journals for two of my roommates, both of whom are graduating. They were made of fine paper, and were handpainted with Dia De Los Muertes scenes on the front. I think my roommates liked them alot, and I plan on getting one for myself when I go back. These journals were all of 6o pesos (less than 6 dollars) each…. One thing to remember, though – this market is more what we would call a flea market. Its cash only ladies and gents! And also, may of the people selling these wares made them themselves. And they all seem quite desperate for the sale, which can be a bit hard, as nobody can buy everything, nor even something from everyone.

Tags: San Miguel by jeni
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Photo Above was actually taken in Guanajuato, and is of a mother and son.  The mother is scraping the thorns off oc cactus leaves, preparing them to eat…. 

Ok, this was probably one of my favorite places that I have eaten at in San Miguel.  The restaurant is run by an expat, and the food is delicious, and you can get stuff on the lighter side here.  The place serves breakfast as well.  Tea drinkers will be glad to know that they can find Stash and Constant Comment teas for sale here (by the box or to drink).  Vegetarians will be glad to know that they have a wider selection of food choices here, and can get some delicious fruit and vegetable juices as well.  But don’t worry carnivores, you can also get an hamburguesa (a hamburger) here, with a choice of fixins, and even a salmon with a guava chipotle marinade.  They have tacos, pasta, some delicious spinach and mushroom quesadillas, and the menu boasts a green salad with Roquefort, pears, and spiced pecans.  I had the shrimp and coconut empanadas, and they were incredibly tasty.  I would definitely order them again.  And probably again.  And a warning to anyone trying to watch their figure – here the sight of big homemade chocolate cakes and pies will probably having you watch that waistline expand .  And if you like what you eat, you can buy one of Kris’s cookbooks, which are on display in the restaurant and are also available for sale.  Prices are excellent, the location (just a few blocks off the Jardin) is convenient, and I foresee many happy lunches at El Buen Cafe!

Tags: San Miguel by jeni
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No, I’m not talking about dancing. I’ll get to that part later. I’m talking about one of my delicious meals in San Miguel. While this restaurant is definitely off the beaten path, it has a good selection of traditional Mexican fare, and is served in a lovely courtyard. Like many places, they start you out with a lovely presentation of chips and guacamole, and the ice tea, or te helado, was very refreshing after our walk there in the hot sun. Here you can get quesadillas of many different kinds – vegetarians will want to try the rajas en crema (poblano chiles and cheese – which can sometimes be a bit spicy, and sometimes will be very mild). Non-veg people will want to try the pollo con mole (chicken in mole sauce) – which I have to say was delicious, and I am really not a fan of chicken. An order of quesadillas will get your four – and you can mix and match from about six different kinds. At 58 pesos, it was delicious and a great deal! Also, Alea, my travelling companion, had a dish that was very good, but the name, unfortunately, I did not catch. It was a type of corn dish covered by a thick dark green sauce, and I highly recommend it. I will get the name for you when I go back this summer, because despite the walk this place incurs – it was well worth a second trip!

Also, for those of you interested in visiting a gym, there is one with daily rates near by – I will post on that in a bit.

Tags: San Miguel by jeni
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So in many of my culinary searches about San Miguel this particular restaurant comes up. They re known for their chiles en nogada frios: marinated poblano chilies filled with chopped beef, pecans, almonds, and dried fruits and topped with cream sauce and a spray of pomegranate seeds. I didn’t have these, actually, as we had snacked a little too heavily on chips and guacamole at La Pamplonada, the palce where we will have the readings. However, I did have Quesadillas de Flor de Calabzas - quesadillas with zucchini flowers, which were about 70 pesos (between 5 and 6 dollars). I thought they were awfully heavy on the cheese (but what did I expect?) and actually a little bland. With a little salsa picante, though, they were filling and good. Also, the sopa azteca, known to us gringos as tortilla soup, was quite good, although again, definitely a bit on the cheesy side. By far the culinary winner was the cerdo in chile negra – pork in a dark sauce, similar to mole, and apples. It tasted surprisingly light, and the combination of the apples and the mole were delicious. I would highly recommend this dish…. You can get it for 110 pesos, which s about 9 dollars US. Bugambilia is a bit on the pricey side, for San Miguel, but the ambiance makes it worthwhile. There was live music playing quietly throughout our meal, which was served in a lovely courtyard, centered around a large and colorful bougainvillea plant…. I would definitely go there again, and I can’t wait to try the chiles en nogada….

Want to read a review of the restaurant by the NY Times?  Click here.

Tags: San Miguel by jeni
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