We’ve shown every month how much we spend on dining out, but what does it really mean? How do you use that information to budget for your own world travels? To help, this is the first of a series of posts where we share 3 meals we’ve enjoyed in different budget classes. Welcome to food voyeurism at its best
Budget Meal
Carnitas is a traditional Mexican pork dish, cooked in a large copper pot with herbs and spices for hours and hours until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone and can be shredded by hand. Stuff some of this in a hot off the comal hand made gordita with some fresh salsa, and you have one of our favorite lunches
A bit off the beaten path in the Allende neighborhood, the wonderful Bautista family runs Carnitas Bautista. Since they don’t have a website, the address is Guadiana #2, Colonia Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. We recently brought a friend there for lunch, and he said, “I didn’t know anything existed in the world that tastes this good!” The reviews don’t get much more glowing than that. And since the place is always packed and we are the only foreigners we see, you know it is good
Carnitas Simmering in a Large Metal Pot
Fresh Carnitas!
Even the Salsa is Made Fresh in a Large Stone Mortar
Fresh Gorditas, Made from Coarsely Ground Corn on a Comal
The Magic Lunch – 2 Gorditas
They also serve tacos and tortas with an assortment of lettuce, radishes, picked jalapenos and carrots, and salsas. We just love the gorditas hot off the comal
The bill for 4 people:
8 Carnitas Gorditas: A hot off the comal gordita with a finely chopped mix of meat and pork fat with fresh salsa and pickeled jalapenos and carrots: 120 pesos ($9.25)
3 bottles of mineral water: 30 pesos
1 bottle of Coca-cola: 10 pesos
Total bill: 160 pesos (~$12.30), about $3 per person
Midrange Meal
Café Contento is a great place to enjoy lunch. Located in an outdoor courtyard next to a bakery, the air is filled with sunshine and the smell of breads and savory traditional Mexican food.
We discovered Café Contento a couple weeks ago, and have already eaten there 4 times. Every dish we have tried has been delicious, with great presentation and friendly service.
Fresh warm bread is served with each meal, with homemade jam. Their tejocote jam is incredible.
We recently learned the secret to the great food at Café Contento, when we met the owner, Douglas, and chef José Bossuet Martinez. As former executive chef to former Mexican president Vicente Fox, chef Bossuet knows how to please the pallet.
Enmoladas Coloraditas de Pollo (Chicken Enmoladas) at Cafe Contento
Quiche a la Poblano con Ensalada Verde at Cafe Contento
Outdoor Dining at Cafe Contento
The bill for 2 people:
Chicken Enmoladas, fresh made torillas stuffed with cheese and chicken and covered with a red mole sauce: 95 pesos (~$7.25)
Quiche a la Poblano: poblano chiles, corn, and cheese, with a side salad: 89 pesos (~$6.90)
2 Americanos: 2 servings of espresso with hot water, served with fresh cream and stevia packets: 25 pesos (~$2)
Iced tea: a special of the day, free iced tea with an order of quiche: free
Total bill: 209 pesos + 22 peso tip = 231 pesos (~$17.75), less than $9 per person
Where else can you get a meal prepared by a renowned chef for less than $10 a person? Stop in and check it out. Ask for Douglas and let him know that Go Curry Cracker! sent you
Living Large
For his birthday, we took a friend to dinner at La Parada, a high-end Peruvian restaurant near Parque Juarez
I am committing an artistic faux pax by sharing these photos, because the lighting was a bit dark and it was difficult to capture the food the way it deserves to be. But trust me, everything was incredibly delicious
Higaditos Asaltado – Sauteed Chicken Livers
Cebiche Patria – White Fish Ceviche
El Buenazo – a Carnitas Sandwich
Chino Cochino – Braised Short Ribs
Arroz Afrodisiaco
The bill for 4 people:
Higaditos Asaltado: Sauteed chicken livers, soy sauce, salsa, french fries (served as appetizer), 105 pesos (~$8)
Cebiche Patria: White Fish Ceviche with sweet potato and onion, marinated in leche de tigre (Tiger’s milk, Roar), 95 pesos (~$7.30)
El Buenazo: A carnitas sandwich with garlic cream, tomato, lettuce, and a spicy sauce, with french fries, (an upscale spin on the torta version of our budget meal above), 95 pesos (~$7.30)
Chino Cochino: Pork ribs in a white wine and soy reduction, garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, 190 pesos (~14.60)
Arroz Afrodisiaco: Rice with tomato sauce and shrimp, octopus, fish, and scallops. The name of this dish inspired a whole evening’s worth of juvenile humor, 175 pesos (~$13.50)
(A dish we didn’t order, Chupe me Camaron (suck my shrimp) inspired even more)
Tarta de Chocolate: Chocolate Tart, silky and smooth, 60 pesos (~$4.60)
Pisco Punch: Pisco (Peruvian brandy made from grapes) infused with pineapple and ginger, pineapple juice, lemon, sugar, 75 pesos (~$5.75)
Sangria Punch: Pisco infused with cinnamon, red wine, Cointreau, citrus fruit, apple, 90 pesos (~$7)
2 Copa Absolut Azul: 2 Vodka tonics, 60 pesos each ($4.60)
Total bill: 1005 + 115 tip = 1120 (~$86), less than $22 per person with appetizer and drinks
Dessert
For the inaugural “3 Meals” post, I’m including a bonus dessert round. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico has one of the best pastry shops on the planet, El Petit Four. That isn’t even a mild exaggeration.
We seem to find ourselves here several times a week, and everything from their croissants to their cheese cake to their truffles is incredible. Winnie and I don’t always agree on food, but we agree that the cheese cake is the best we’ve ever had. We continue to test that theory by eating a slice a week, and yes, it is consistently the best
El Petit Four Display Case
Chocolate Mousse Martinis
Bailey’s Irish Creme Mousse (Amazing!)
Cheese Cake with Berries (There is only one slice because we ate the rest!)
The bill:
Slice of cheese cake with berries: 50 pesos (~$4) (worth every peso and every calorie)
As you can see, there is a wide range of dining options at every price tag and in every type of environment.
Budget conscious travelers have incredible options for just a few dollars per meal, and high end dining can be enjoyed for less than a trip to the Olive Garden in the United States.
Please let us know in the comments what you think of this new series. And love it or hate it, consider sharing it on Facebook or Twitter
Happy Dining
Jeremy and Winnie, Go Curry Cracker!
Oh so good. I can tell I’m a street food person. The carnitas at the first place look the most delicious, and the mole enchiladas look almost as delicious. The “fancy” place looks too complex for my palate!
We have a couple of local authentic (actually really authentic) Mexican restaurants here in Raleigh and the prices for the gorditas are about 200% more than what you quote. And probably not quite as delicious. They do have homemade salsas like that and the pickled carrots and jalapenos (probably from a can).
Hi Justin
Excellent response, it captures exactly why I wrote this post
Think all that fancy food isn’t for you? You’ll spend less than us
Street food is just too dirty and “dangerous” for you? You’ll spend more than us
I was never able to find great Mexican food in Seattle, even when dining with Mexican friends in Mexican owned and operated restaurants. Something always seems to be lost in translation, which is why New York Style pizza just doesn’t seem to taste as good as pizza in New York.
We had the carnitas for lunch today and I’m still in a food coma. Off to bed. Zzzzzz…….
Yeah, we are “lucky” to live in a lower income area that just so happens to have a high latino and somewhat high SE Asian population. Which translates to a pretty big variety of authentic ethnic restaurants and ethnic groceries around us. You wrote in the article how to pick a good restaurant – just find the really busy one with no foreigners. Here it’s “find a really busy one with no white dudes”. Also big positives: Spanish telenovelas or futbol games on the TV (en espanol, claro), posters promoting Bud, Corona and Tecate in Spanish, and a display by the cash register selling calling cards (in Spanish).
When we were in Mexico, we found so many awesome dives that had great food for a few bucks per person. I don’t think we really had any crappy meals while we were there. Except that one time I ordered the house special and it was tacos filled with mashed potato and ham cold cuts. Not that is was bad, just boring.
Thanks so much for your review of Café Contento! I shared the review and the pictures with the staff. They really enjoy it when someone makes an effort to show appreciation for their work. Next time you visit the cafe please say hello. We would love to meet you. Muchos saludos and thanks again!
Thank you Douglas, we will look for you next time we come in
What gorgeous pictures, Jeremy. Thank you for sharing–so inspiring to give different techniques a try! (and just revel in the color and beauty of the food).
Do you ever cook your own meals in Mexico (or eat fresh fruit & veggies) as there are always concerns about the produce? Also, how are the food options if you’re not a huge fan of Mexican food and cannot tolerate spicy food? Have been wanting to visit San Miguel and your rental home looks gorgeous – However, when I clicked on link to property management company I got a blank page, wonder if it’s the safari browser on iPhone? Thanks for sharing your fabulous travels and financial tips!
We ate all the produce in Mexico, and cooked at “home” often. It was great.
I don’t know if the property management company is still active. Airbnb, google, and craigslist were the tools I started with to find housing.