With huge thanks to photographers Yannis Jan Dettingmeijer, Richard Smerdon and Philippe Visintini. Though I’ve been called a real winner a few times in my life, I’ve never really won much in my life. Particularly in sports. I made my little league...
Once upon a time, there was a handsome man named Antonio. He went for a walk in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and soon came upon a building. He said this might make a good restaurant. But the space turned out to be too awkward and too small. So Antonio went for a...
Gaby Green has been cooking in San Miguel de Allende longer than I’ve been eating. She’s had restaurants in at least three locations. La Fonda and La Fonda Rosa are two names I remember. She’s had a catering biz. At least one cooking school. And most...
It’s a shame really. That some people don’t eat tongue. That they become tongue-tied when someone asks if they’d like some. In countries like the United States, in fact, it’s better to lead a dog’s life. Because a lot of beef tongue ends...
It was one of the first big words I learned. Other people called it glue. But that’s not what it said on the bottle. On the bottle it said mucilage. So that’s what I called it. I remember smart-assing my mother. Even giving it the French pronunciation so...
I’ve never eaten a lot of Peking Duck. Because Peking Duck requires planning. And I’ve never been very good at planning. In Toronto, Chinese was usually something done on a Saturday night, after Ronnie Hawkins closed his last set at Le Coq d’Or with...
Pinot Noir is a serious stage actress. Cabernet Sauvignon is a Hollywood goddess. Malbec is a hardcore porn star. The World Wine Awards. They were the brainchild of the excellent Canadian website Wine Align. For the last two years, about 20 wine experts have been...
It’s a coin toss. As to whether tacos or tamales are Mexico’s favorite comfort food. Except at this time of year when Candelaria is approaching. At this time of year, tamales are the clear favorites. I’ve always been confused about exactly what...
Did you notice anything different about the sound of the rooster? Did you notice it wasn’t the typical call of a San Miguel rooster? The kind of cock-a-doodle-do that could wake up Rip Van Winkle at 5:00 am from six blocks away. No, that was the sound of a...
It’s been a tradition in Mexican restaurants since the first day I walked into one. It was back in 1974. In Toronto. It was called The Peasant’s Larder. It was where the Carlton streetcar bent around and down Parliament Street. In the days when Cabbagetown...
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