La Romeria-The Yucatan but in Morelia

          By Alma Maria Rinasz

Chef Freddy Martinez and La Güare. 

Relocating to another country different from the one you were born is a real adventure but there are times when you might not want so much adventure and chose to stick close to home. And just because you live in Mexico doesn’t always mean you get a chance to travel around the country. I’ve found that one of the best ways to “travel” on a budget is to go to specialized restaurants.  La Romeria (Facebook page), is a small restaurant featuring Yucatan cuisine. Chef Freddy Martinez began La Romeria in Santa Maria de Guido (My Mexican Kitchen review) but recently moved the restaurant downtown to the picturesque but often forgotten Jardin Artilleros (map). 

Photo Source: http://www.panoramio.com/user/3735320?with_photo_id=44060378

Comfortable, lightweight chairs and square tables for four are clustered together on the cobblestoned street that has been closed off from traffic.  The menu is simple but seems to give a good basis in Yucatan food.  Sopa de lima, cochinta pibil, frijol con puerco, pan de camaron are featured on the menu. When we ask about my dining companion's sopa de lima, Chef Martinez explained “this isn’t a traditional sopa de lima, it has a base of turkey broth and it’s made with a tomato reduction”.  It is one of most soothing, soul foods I have tried. The next time I have a cold or another hurricane blows through Michoacan (Tormenta Tropical Fernand) I am getting this soup. For dessert, I shared a slice of chocolate heaven, with my mother who joined me at La Romeria. Otherwise known as Pastel Limatour, this edible piece of paradise is from the delectable, local chocolatier Gerardo Torres's pastery shop, De la Calle Real.

Limatour from De la Calle Real Photo:A.M. Rinasz

Chef Martinez doesn’t limit his offerings to just Yucateca food. I ordered chile en nogada, a typical dish from Puebla. A roasted poblano chile, sweated out and seeds removed, is stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, raisins, chopped nuts and seasoning. It’s the smothered in a rich, thick cream that has been mixed with walnuts and topped off with ruby red pomegranate seeds.  Whether in Michoacan, Yucatan or New York, a chile en nogada is hands down one my favorite Mexican dishes. ¡Buen provecho!

Chile en nogada  Photo: A.M.Rinasz

La Romeria is located in Morelia, Michoacan on Bartolome de las Casas #565, Centro Historico (443) 233-7000 (right in front of Jardin Artilleros).

Tata Mezcalería

After attending Morelia's Miguel Bernal Jimenez Music Festival and Contenedor de Arte's second annual exhibition entitled Transcripciones Musicalograficas, at Palacio Clavijero, the public and many of the artists converged on Tata Mezcaleria.  Reminiscinet of Prohibition Era speakeasies, patrons ring a doorbell on the limestone door and are ushered in by smiling faces.

A welcoming atmosphere is created through a fun mixture of Mexican modern crafts and art; handmade, miniature toy furniture line a section of a shelf behind the bar and the agave-inspired painting by Rodrigo Treviño hangs in the entryway, as if to say "bienvendo, try some mezcal and here's to your health ". The shelves of the bar are lined with gleaming, crystal clear mezcal bottles, some with monochromatic labels, while others catch the eye and make you want to take a closer look. Mezcal isn't the only thing on the menu; sopes, enchiladas, taquitos, mole, local meats like rabbit and lamb, as well as salmon and chicken are incorporated into Tata Mezcaleria's take on Mexican nouvelle cuisine, or should I say, la nueva cocina mexicana.  Locally brewed La Bru and Mytika beers also are on the menu.

Located on Bartolome de las Casas number 511, several blocks from El Barrio de los Negros, Tata Mezcaleria is definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in artisanal foods, drinks, and a relaxed, colorful setting.

For more information, visit www.tatamezcaleria.com.mx

Review of Il Belcanto

Il Belcanto



A couple of weeks ago I ate at a new Italian trattoria here in town. Il Belcanto, true to it’s name, has a guitar playing crooner strumming songs in Spanish and Italian.



Guitar playing at Il Belcanto

Located on Rey Ticateme #464 in Morelia, the atmosphere is very urban. How more urban can you get by having dinner in a gargage, sitting on plastic chairs and eating at a plastic table?

Street front of Il Belcanto 

Street sign that reads "pasta and salads, Tuesday-Sunday 1-6pm, Sundays live music. Cash only, reservations 443-200-4895"

Joined by my mother, we ordered spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti al pesto with shrimp (with four, yes four, shrimp). The pasta was, a las, far from al dente but the sauce’s seasoning was decent. The prices were not unreasonable at all, $70.00 pesos MXN per pasta dish that included a salad with unlimited bread (sliced bolillo) plus $35.00 MXN per glass for overly sweet sangria. The salad had  a house dressing that was a bit watered down. Over all I would say that Il Belcanto offers Italian food at cocina economica prices and that is pretty much what you get, fresh food that can be a little over cooked with quick, friendly service.