Flavors, aromas, and colors took center stage at the 4th edition of Millesime GNP Weekend, the gastronomic celebration led by Manu Quintanero, CEO of Millesime GNP Weekend. It took place in the Garden of the Rosewood Hotel in San Miguel de Allende, where the variety of culinary offerings once again captivated the thousands of palates in attendance.
Concepts featuring sophisticated ingredients and offerings featuring local ingredients paired with a variety of wines, spirits, and beers combined at the three-day celebration, where music and fashion—dressed by guests and presented by Pineda Covalin—seasoned the event.
To kick off the experience, the event was a trip offered by the Panorama restaurant and Piscis wines (born in San Luis Potosí at the 1881 vineyard) from a food truck located at the entrance of the Garden.
“It’s a tasting,” said chef Rodrigo Morales, who explained, “The journey lasts 20 minutes, during which we serve four dishes—campachi tostada, oyster with fermented turnip and red chili; then Bloody Mary mussels; and finally tuna with tomato sauce—and four house wines. This is the best way to begin the Millesime experience.”
After the introduction to the culinary world, it was enough to take a few steps before the uncertainty of where to begin, as the offerings multiplied.
Fabia, from chef Cuquita Martinez, tantalized the palate with “a shrimp and chales tetela,” as well as “a smoked chamorro with drunken sauce and xoconostle,” he explained, while continuing to prepare her offerings and visitors to her stand continued to arrive.
Just a few steps away, chef Aquiles Chávez was turning heads with his new offering, which he said, “We serve at the Casona Hotel, at the Suchi restaurant, but it’s not sushi, it’s Suchi, it’s Culiacan food. We have a Doritos Suchi with shrimp, a bluefin tuna sachimi with watermelon, and escuincles (a type of squid) that we make with fermented watermelon rind, and some hot mantecado sandwiches.”
The comings and goings at Millesime GNP Weekend continued unabated. On the contrary, as the night wore on, so did the number of guests, some of whom were attracted by the smell of smoke. This is the effect of the preparations of chef Juan Emilio Villaseñor, who moved his Cocinoteca—his restaurant in Guanajuato—to the Rosewood Hotel’s Garden to offer the delicacies he prepares.
“We’re preparing racks of ribs that have been cooked for 12 hours, and I’m going to make grilled rib tacos and some noodles in the paella pan with smoked oxtail,” he said, while diners asked if there was still room to experience the experience at the table next to the grills, which showcased the chef’s signature flavor and seasoning. He commented, “This is my third time participating in Millesime, and we like coming because of the extraordinary quality of the product, the organization, and the fantastic location.” He also emphasized, “Smoke is the taste of fire.”
For some chefs, this was their debut at Millesime GNP Weekend, as is the case with Catalan chef Cesc Durán Gracia of Gaudir restaurant, who prepared three dishes to captivate visitors.
“We brought some Oreo cookies, which we make with dehydrated black olive cookies, cream cheese with truffle oil, and grated Parmesan cheese,” he explained before commenting on the value of being part of the gastronomic festival “because of the exposure you get and it helps people get to know you.”
A few steps away, chef Carlos Váldez of Tatanka restaurant in La Paz expressed pride in being at Millesime GNP Weekend, “because I don’t think we’ve had a South Californian offering, so it’s great that we’re the ones who brought it,” he said as his staff explained the dishes they served.
“We have a South Californian dish, which is Stingray Pâté, a popular dish in the north, with marlin escabeche. We’re also serving Oysters with tomato cream, especially for hangovers.”
And Chef Carlos commented, “I hope you like our offering, which we serve in La Paz, where we will be celebrating our 24th anniversary in October; and in Guadalajara, where we arrived a year ago.”
The stands with a variety of wines and spirits showcased their labels to create the perfect pairing with the food. Among the highlights were those served by Chef Rodrigo Carrasco, from the Martez restaurant at the recently opened Piedras Negras Hotel.
“Here we have a Caesar Tartar,” said the chef, extending a lettuce taco with rump steak and adding, “Guanajuato is dedicated to the production of black garlic, and we do our own fermentation. We also bring a pink zeta aguachile, inspired by the San Miguel Cathedral, and for dessert, a passion fruit pavlova.”
A few meters away, an aroma, the effect of the fusion of mint, spearmint, and seaweed, attracted visitors to the Saladitas stand, where Chef Ulises Palafox was offering his offering.
“We’re serving an aguachile in a ravioli, with a salad, with green apple pearls with salad and cilantro,” he explained, adding that the aroma is a tradition that “we do in the restaurant when we serve cold foods or ceviches.”
The diversity of culinary offerings is the essence of Millesime, so at the event held in San Miguel de Allende, there was also room for catering companies.
Source: milenio
