ECLECTIC EPICURE
Vinos y Paella (Wine and Paella) will be the theme of the Fifth Annual San Miguel de Allende Gastronomic Festival in April.
The one-day festival, which is organized each year in conjunction with the Guanajuato State Tourism Secretariat and local eateries to help promote the city as a culinary tourist destination, will include the participation of 19 national and international chefs, as well as six vineyards, three artisan beer brands and three mezcal labels.
More than 800 people are expected to attend the festival, which organizer Laura Torres Septién said would be about 25 percent larger than last’s year event, themed Pínches y Tapas (Snacks and Tapas).
“We will still include snacks and tapas in this festival, but we wanted to expand this year to focus on a classic main dish,” Torres Septién said during a press conference to announce the festival at the Bistrot Revolución restaurant in Mexico City’s Colonia San Ángel earlier this week.
“What makes this event different from other food festivals is that the chefs are the
stars of the day. They will be preparing the dishes in front of the guests and people will be able to interact with them and see how the food is prepared.”
Sergio Salmón, head chef of the El Caserio restaurant in Queretaro, who will be among the participating chefs, said that “this is a unique opportunity for us to have some personal face time with the people we cook for.”
“I like the idea of interacting with the guests and letting them give feedback on the food we prepare,” he said.
Also this year, the festival will showcase and help raise money for the nonprofit Iluminemos de Azul Foundation, which supports children with autism.
“These kinds of events help get the word out about autism, which is very misunderstood in Mexico,” said Iluminemos de Azul spokesperson Gerardo
Gaya.
“We want to dispel myths about the condition and help develop programs to support these children.”
Guanajuato Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez is expected to inaugurate the event, along with the state’s Secretary of Tourism Fernando Olivera.
In addition to food and drinks, there will also be stands selling local handicrafts and artwork, as well as jewelry and clothing, and a concert of regional music in the evening.
The festival will be held at the Casa de Aves Hotel in San Miguel on Saturday, April 16, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and entry tickets, which will cost 1,200 pesos ($68) per person, will entitle holders to eat and drink at all the participating stands.
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