Beyond the Burrito: Decadent Mexican Cuisine Page 4

Join our sophisticated foodie tour of Mexico's culinary wonders.

By: Karen Tina Harrison

San Miguel de Allende

This baroque jewel near Mexico City was once nearly abandoned, but in the 1940s San Miguel became a haven for foreign artists and writers. Today, the colonial city is uniquely multicultural yet still deeply Mexican, and its cobblestoned, 18th-century city center has been gorgeously preserved. San Miguel’s Spanish courtyard-style restaurants serve the old with the new, from hearty miners’ enchiladas to sushi with chile peppers. And because San Miguel is a favorite of North Americans, you’ll find a variety of vegan cafés, pizzerias and hamburguesa joints.

How do you say "delicious in San Miguel de Allende? Delicioso!

Organic dining is a priority at the new Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, set smack-dab in the historic center and just a short walk to El Jardin, San Miguel’s vibrant town square. With 67 lovely suites, this boutique hotel complements the city’s family-run inns and guesthouses, but here, you get artisan chocolate cake and champagne at check-in. Even the hotel’s Sense Spa gets into the tasty vibe, offering Signature Mole, a cocoa-spice body scrub. Executive chef Carlos Hannon’s innovative cuisine updates San Miguel’s fresh-food traditions. Many provisions are grown on the premises or sourced from the local organic farmers’ market, held weekly at the hotel. At the 1826 Restaurant, there’s a wine sommelier who doubles as a tequilero, curating over 100 tequilas for your blissful sipping. (Further investigation can be conducted at the Rosewood’s tequila appreciation class.) Luna, the hotel’s rooftop tapas bar, serves up pan-Latin snacks and a breathtaking view of soaring La Parroquia, San Miguel’s nearly 300-year-old church (room rates start at $450 a night; rosewoodsanmiguel.com).