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The story
of Fonda San Miguel begins more than three decades ago, when Tom
Gilliland and Miguel Ravago met and combined their mutual passion for
authentic Mexican cuisine. Today, the Austin, Texas landmark is
widely recognized as one of the best Mexican restaurants in the
country, and continues to earn national recognition for its
pioneering spirit, unique décor and remarkable food.
Tom and Miguel
opened their new venture in Houston, Texas, in 1972. They called it
the San Angel Inn. With help from Miguel's grandmother, who traveled
to Houston from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, they set up their
kitchen, and were soon delighting the "who's who" of
Houston society with their authentic Mexican fare. Fortuitously,
renowned cookbook author and expert in Mexican cuisine Diana Kennedy
was a restaurant regular, taking Tom and Miguel under her wing
Recipes
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Ceviche
Veracruzano
Ceviche,
Veracruz Style
Tom and Miguel
discovered this recipe for ceviche at a restaurant in Boca del Rio in
the coastal state of Veracruz. A simple recipe that appears on both
the appetizer and dinner menu as well as the Hacienda Sunday Brunch
Buffet, it is a guaranteed hit at parties. It keeps well, up to two
days, and should be served with tostada chips and ice-cold beer. If
black drum or redfish isn't available, you can use red snapper,
tilapia, or trout.
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Ensalada
de Jícama con Melón
Jicama-Melon
Salad
Although many
fresh condiments in Mexican cuisine are called pico de gallo
("rooster's beak"), this refreshing salad from the Mexican
state of Jalisco is known as Pico de Gallo. Depending on the seasonal
availability of fresh fruit, Miguel has found that the salad is
equally good made with Rio Star grapefruit, pineapple, blood oranges,
cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon. The contrast of sweet
fruit, crunchy jicama, tangy lime juice, and a little dash of chili
powder makes for a delightful palate cleanser. A popular item on the
Hacienda Buffet, it can be tossed with Pomegranate Dressing, as pictured.
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On a quest for
a larger space, Tom and Miguel moved their restaurant to Austin in
1975, where they found a large, hacienda-style building. Renamed
Fonda San Miguel, the restaurant opened on November 25, 1975, bucking
the widely popular trend at the time of serving Tex-Mex food.
Instead, Tom and Miguel were determined to continue their tradition
of serving authentic regional dishes from the Mexican interior.
The process of
educating their hungry customers was not always easy, nor was finding
some of the more exotic ingredients for their recipes. Yet as Fonda's
business grew, so too did the strong demand for their authentic
Mexican ingredients, prompting several local stores to begin stocking
them regularly.
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