Announcing San Miguel’s top ten rated restaurants for 2026.

Announcing San Miguel’s top ten rated restaurants for 2026.

It was the night of the 13th Annual Smart Awards dinner, the celebration of a little competition I started back in 2014 to give some deserved recognition to the places where you and I most like to break bread here in San Miguel. My ultimate and, hopefully successful...
An old foodie discovers some new dishes. At Trino.

An old foodie discovers some new dishes. At Trino.

It was March 21, the day after the deadline for submitting votes in the SMART awards, our way each year of honoring San Miguel’s favorite restaurants. It was time to tally up all of those votes. It’s always an ugly job. Best done without anything that needs...
You’re invited to the 2026 SMART Awards gala dinner.

You’re invited to the 2026 SMART Awards gala dinner.

The dinner is being held at Firenze, in honor of them receiving the most votes in the previous year’s competition. The date is Wednesday, April 1. The start time is 6:30 pm. The address is Recreo #13. The price per person is $900 plus beverages and gratuity. Please...
You’re invited to the 2026 SMART Awards gala dinner.

San Miguel’s very best favorite restaurants.

No, I’m not going to tell you which restaurants they are. You’re, hopefully, going to tell me. For it’s time again for the SMART awards, the annual event where I ask Don Day in SMA readers to share with me their very best favorite places to eat. SMART stands for San...
Mesa Marrakesh. “Why did it take us so long to get here?”

Mesa Marrakesh. “Why did it take us so long to get here?”

Guilt. Extreme guilt. That was what we were feeling when we arrived at Mesa Marrakesh. It had been over four years since we had eaten any of Chef JJ Castañeda’s food. It had been five years since we had tasted his Mediterranean/North African/Middle Eastern cuisine. We...