“Cena Negra” in San Miguel de Allende: a feast for the living and the dead

Published November 3rd, 2021

Black candles, tables decorated with marigolds and velvet flowers, and a mystical and elegant ambiance welcomed diners to the black dinner at Moxi, Hotel Matilda’s flagship restaurant and home of Australian chef Paul Bentley.

This 2021, the event that has brought to the table the best chefs in Mexico (Martha Ortiz, Enrique Olvera, Roberto Solis, Eduardo Garcia Ruiz, Erik Guerrero) celebrated its tenth edition with the help of Gaby Ruiz and Fernanda Prado.

An edible concert to celebrate the dead
Gaby Ruiz prepared a five-course menu that was accompanied by music curated for the occasion; with the arrival of each dish, diners could listen to “La llorona”, “Adoro”, “Nuestro juramento”, “Alfonsina y el mar” and “Eclipse”.

The evening opened with a tostada of sikil pak (a creamy paste made with ground pepita) with smoked mushrooms, lentil escabeche, and chicharrón a la habanera that was paired with Casa Dragones Joven tequila.

This was followed by a ceviche of black recado fish and callo de hacha accompanied by champagne; banana molote stuffed with ricotta cheese and mole negro de bruja (the chef shared that it is so named because it is left to rest during the full moon) paired with Dorium Crianza Rivera del Duero wine and a braised short rib in a black bean reduction, fresh pickled vegetables and corn chips that made a perfect combination with the Tempranillo and Granache notes of the Martín Verástegui vendimia seleccionada 2014 red wine.

Dessert, accompanied by tequila añejo, was the perfect ending to the celebration, as Fernanda Prado presented an edible version of a cempasúchil: a vanilla cream filled with incense and orange on a base of almond and pumpkin sponge cake.

Drinks with a taste of nostalgia
During the Day of the Dead festivities, Casa Dragones participated in different events, where it surprised guests with cocktails inspired by this important holiday for Mexicans. Places such as Áperi, Bekeb and Luna Rooftop at the Rosewood Hotel had drinks available for their visitors, such as the “Vivan Mis Muertos” cocktail with Casa Dragones Blanco, Curaçao, aromatic bitters, lemon and tangerine juice, and red chile and turmeric extraction, which was decorated with activated carbon, chile piquín, and cempasúchil flowers. Or mixologist Ness Garrido’s “Margarita Bucket List” with apple-basil syrup, lime juice, and house Blanco tequila.