Don Day: Celebrating those classics of French cuisine [] Salvajes Brasserie

Published May 18, 2024

In 1974, I made the shivery-scary move from small town to big city. Toronto was my first and only choice. It was absolutely the right decision and I have a long list of fond memories from those first few years. The prime addresses on my memory lane were the restaurants and, in particular, the classic French restaurants. Napoleon, La Maison Basque, La Chaumière. And those classic French dishes. Cuisses de grenouille, maigret de canard, coq au vin, ris de veau.

I loved French restaurants. I missed French restaurants. Particularly in the last few years in San Miguel de Allende. I went back through my notes and, though I’d had some excellent French dishes at places like the just-outside San Miguel restaurant, El Vergel, the last time I had what I would call a traditional French dinner in San Miguel was when Jose Bossuet was the chef at Cafe Contento back in 2016.

So imagine how excited I was a year or so ago when I saw the word “Brasserie” in the name of a new restaurant that opened in San Miguel. Could it be? Might it be? A good old-fashioned restaurant Français?

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As a kind of tavern that also offered homemade dishes, the concept of Brasserie originated in Munich, Germany, and later became popular in Paris, after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Today, although the term in French refers to the place where beer is made and sold, the concept is more used to refer to small bistro-like spaces (where the owner usually serves his clientele), but with a wider menu and a more professional service. With just under three months of opening, this is the concept that feeds the spirit of Salvajes Brasserie, cozy place in the heart of the city, inside an old and classic house in the center, with intimate interior spaces, a comfortable terrace and a bar for three in front of the kitchen -favorite place of a server-, where the magic is in charge of chef Jorge Avendaño, who tells us that the name of the place is inspired by the famous film by Oliver Stone; and who defines the project as a traditional French restaurant, classics in cuisine and bar, with a good selection of wines and beers. Music is also important, and ultimately, essential in the personality of a well-kept space. In Salvajes you can listen to a good jazz standard, a dark and powerful blues or a classic of the 40s, while drinking the aperitif “Salvajes” (Lillet Blanc, violet liqueur and tonic water), a glass of Bordeaux or a shot of mezcal. For the demanding appetite, chef Avendaño recommends the beef pie with old mustard and dill vinegar; French bread with buttered lobster and anchovy and paprika remoulade; and the Coq au vin, the classic chicken stew with vegetables and red wine reduction and beef jus, so the reader can be salivating right now. At the helm of Salvajes Brasserie, there are Aída García, Alejandra Cortina and chef Avendaño; Those who have managed to build a space with a very particular spirit, a place where the senses are seduced through an anachronistic atmosphere, a small palace and monument to get lost in pure hedonism: in food, in drinks, in music, in the atmosphere: essential ingredients of the best stories. Salvajes Brasserie is located at 92 Hidalgo Street, downtown area, with a schedule from Tuesday to Saturday from 2pm to 10pm, and on Sundays from 2pm to 6pm.