[MX] San Miguel de Allende

[Rail Paul]

NY Times has a visitor's guide to this lovely town...

 

The city’s food scene is less riveting than one would expect from a melting pot of Mexican and expat cultures, but one exception is Tio Lucas Restaurant & Bar (Calle Mesones 103; 52-415-152-4996). The steakhouse extends to a crowded patio for outside dining under strings of warmly lighted star-shaped lanterns. Toothsome steaks, strong margaritas and warmed beet root and goat cheese salads mixed tableside by the chef are what attract return customers. Dinner for two with drinks is about 600 pesos, or about $48 at 12.45 pesos to the dollar. The restaurant is decorated with Mexican crafts and stenciled cutouts of dancing skeletons. Tio Lucas doubles as a jazz joint, with nightly performances at 9 p.m.

 

36 hours isn't enough

 

Down a narrow alley behind the city’s main fruit and vegetable market is the Mercado de Artesanias (between Calle Colegio and Calle Loreto), a vibrant mash of artists’ stalls where you’ll find everything from flossy fringed piñatas and punched-tin lanterns dangling overhead to baskets of cobalt blue glass beads and silver necklaces. Its offerings are more authentic than the trinkets and curios sold in the historic district, and possibly half the price.

 

8 p.m.

8) WORLD SPICES

 

Follow the well-heeled expats to the flagstone courtyard at The Restaurant (Sollano 16, Centro; 52-415-154-7862; www.therestaurantsanmiguel.com), an elegant and candlelit restaurant that serves international comfort dishes using organic ingredients from local ranchers, growers and dairy farmers. Donnie Masterton, the chef, changes the menu frequently. Recent dishes included a miso-marinated and broiled Pacific salmon with soy, ginger green beans, and grilled pork chops with white bean and cherry tomato ragout (each 200 pesos).