By Bernardo Moreno
For this issue of the “Itinerary,” we are going to go around the Guadalupe neighborhood, just a few blocks from the Jardín and the Parroquia. It is located between the Calzada de la Aurora and Avenida La Luz, and its other boundary is the arroyo. Its streets are cobbled, and it is normal to come across murals. There are all kinds of them everywhere. Everyone should walk through the streets and find their favorite. Mine is a mural of a huge snake on the wall of a two-story house that you can see from Calle María Felix, although the ones on Calle Canción India and the huge murals facing the creek are also in competition. The epicenter of the neighborhood is, without a doubt, La Tienda de Gil (Gil’s). It’s a grocery store on steroids; you can find whatever you want, and the prices are a good deal. That’s why it’s so successful.
Will La Mancha be the best coffee in San Miguel de Allende? It’s something you have to find out, right in front Gil’s. My favorite is the flat white coffee, which is a style that was born in Australia in the 1980s. It is a transformation of the cappuccino but with less milky foam, hence the term flat. It’s two shots of espresso and a thin layer of slightly emulsified milk.
Do you want to find delicious, prepared food? Walk into Deli Q and take your pick or sit down and order something a la carte; everything is fresh, rich, and healthy. They elevate a simple chicken salad to exquisite levels.
Without wanting to overdo it, being objective and obeying my palate, will Neopolitan Pizza be the best in town? Two of the best dining experiences on the same street! Not bad! Who has tried the chili? The specialists in this southern American dish are Chili Billy—they use artisanal and organic meat. Great option! Although it is not always open, Kenny’s Place is a good place to have a drink and watch American football, for example, the recent Super Bowl. This was the perfect place to watch it, I have no doubt.
Other flagship stores in the Guadalupe neighborhood are El Pato, which is a supply store for artists, and El Patito, which is a shoe repair store. In addition to the hundreds of murals scattered throughout the neighborhood, there is the Guadalupe Cultural Center, which we have to take a look around to see what it is all about, and the La Huipilista art space gallery by the American artist Lena Bartula.
In addition to what is mentioned here, in the Guadalupe neighborhood you can find: mechanical workshops, blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, bakeries, and many convenience stores. In short, it is one of the most dynamic and pleasant colonies to live and visit in the town. Yours truly lives there and is very happy.
