Before I’d moved to San Miguel de Allende. Before I could say I was a Mezcal Maniac. Before my eyes had been opened to this remarkable Mexican spirit…
There was La Mezcalería, at Calle Correo #47.
Cecilia and I used to go there when we were first dating. Most Wednesdays. We’d share the Roasted Veggie plate, I’d normally get either the Grilled Filet Strips or the Tuna Tartar and Cecilia would choose from several of their delicious tapas. A ton of great memories… Like the time, after parking my car a fair distance from the restaurant, we fell in step with a Callejoneada. It’s a common wedding procession through centro’s streets, which usually involves a tequila-carrying burro and free pours for those following along, friends of the new couple or not. I thought that was pretty cool!
A couple of months ago we heard the owner, Mónica Morena, had closed the doors. I felt a little guilty since, in recent times, we only went on a couple of occasions per year. 😟 But the good news? They were merging with Venencia Restaurant, a newer mezcal-spotlighting restaurant in town at Zacateros 81B. In fact I’d just written an article about them five months ago. Owner Mario Iribe-Benitez has been my friend since our Friday mezcal group met pretty regularly at his former Salón Oaxaca. It’s good to see good things happen to good people.
La Mezcalería has been open for 10 years, (since 2013), so this can now rightfully be considered the oldest mezcalería in San Miguel. Venencia had been going for a somewhat more strictly Oaxacan food theme, and while everyone is delighted that many longtime La Mezcalería favorites are back, I’m also grateful they’re retaining my Oaxacan choices too!
Randy Kremlacek and his wife Mary Finley are partners in this exciting, new spot; so they were there, hustling this way and that to accommodate the gaggle of guests.
The Grand Reopening was this past Thursday, Sept. 21st. I don’t normally go into town much during the week, but Cesy and I decided to make an exception for this. What a crowd! We almost didn’t get seated ourselves, but Randy found us a couple of spots at the bar. After that: there was Standing Room Only while we ate.
The Roasted Veggies were back and beautiful, the Tuna Tartar was back and terrific, and the Ribeye Tostada was just smashing! But, for me, the star of the show was the mouthwatering Pork Belly with Black Mole. Good Lord; the first one was so good I had to order a second!
My hunch is that this merger may well produce a “greater than the sum of its parts” result. If La Mezcalería can retain much of the same menu, same black Oaxacan clay decor, tables & chairs, but can also keep Mario’s Oaxacan specialties, keep the high quality mezcal coming—and considering the outstanding location…I can’t see why it won’t do very well.
And speaking of the mezcal.
Spot on. Obviously I couldn’t try all 9, but everything I tasted was delicious, artesanal mezcal. The Espadín, the Tobalá—but for me especially the Tepextate! Herbal, green—almost piny flavors bouncing all over my tongue!
One surprise: La Mezcalería also has a nice sized menu of pulques. I’ll have to jump into that on a weekend return trip—when I’ll order the Tlayuda again too.
You probably already know it, but in case it passed you by, mezcal is hot. So, sitting there with Cecilia at the bar and watching the various folks file in, I realized a fair number of my acquaintances in San Miguel de Allende are directly related to our mutual appreciation for the spirit. Mezcal Maniac George Fields and his wife Lauda were there, with a number of other agave aficionados. And we were introduced to a number of others who are coming around to it as well.
And so it goes here in San Miguel de Allende in the mountainous central state of Guanajuato. There is now a good handful of legit mezcal bars, and unlike some years ago, being able to order a very nice artesanal or ancestral mezcal just isn’t difficult anymore. Congratulations to Mario, Mónica, Randy and Mary for a blowout reopening!
So come visit us if you’ve been meaning to. You’ll have all the mezcal experiences you like—and will even be welcome for a tasting at my house. Until then: salud!
I love mescal!