Casa Papaya San Miguel
Place Category: Boutique Hotels and Restaurants
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Lee Duberman and Richard Fink invite you to the (most likely) last chapter in their story of food, drink and family!
Lee and Richard moved to San Miguel with their son Noah and their dog Bailey after 30 years in Vermont. They met while teaching and bartending at the New England Culinary Institute, and within a few years had created four restaurants and two wonderful sons together. Their most well known restaurant, Ariel’s in Brookfield, Vermont, provided 21 years of fine farm-to-table dining to Central Vermont, and their reputation spread much further.
They fell in love with San Miguel their first time here in 2001, and for many years they have been plotting their move. Finally, they are here to stay.
Casa Papaya is Lee and Richard’s San Miguel home. It is an experiment in hospitality, encompassing three B&B guest rooms, Chef’s dinners open to the public, a wood-fired oven on the roof, providing hand-crafted pizzas on Sunday afternoons, market tours, cooking classes and small-event catering.
After reading about the Chef’s Dinners at Casa Papaya, we finally booked a reservation (for last night’s tapas menu)–and boy, are we glad we did!
They started us off on the rooftop with an incredible variety of cheeses, Spanish meats, marinated olives and more. Accompanied by cocktails and a chance to mingle with some very interesting visitors and locals. Then down the dining room (communal tables) for what seemed like never-ending courses, each one as fine as the last.
These guys are the real deal: incredible kitchen talent and super-friendly folks. I think they have the dinners monthly (correct me if I’m wrong). A special kind of evening.
They’re on the same road as SAPASMA.
Pizza Pizza. My wife and I have been on the search for great pizza in SMA. Last year we went to Neapolitan Pizza in Guadalupe, it was really good. Small place around the corner from Via Organica with the pizza cooked on a Weber grill. Last night we took a taxi to Casa Papaya which is a little off the beaten track on Valle de Alcocer which is near the mall and down the street from the Sapasma offices. This place is a small with a restaurant on the roof. Decor is semi funky and fun.
Anyway they have pizza night a couple of times a month so I would make a reservation. There was a caesar salad available and the there were 5 different pizzas. We order the squash blossom with onion, mozzarella and don’t remember what else. Dessert was as good as the pizza, brownie sundae.
No liquor license so you’re welcome to BYOB. We will return for pizza and probably one of their themed dinners. If you know a place with really good pizza post it here, I’d love to try it
Another wonderfull dinner at Casa Papaya tonight. We loved the pork belly and great desert! If you have not been yet . . . what are you waiting for?
I have seen their menu before and was always interested. This time I had to go and taste for myself! What a wonderful surprise! Gourmet, delicious, hand made and did I say delicious? Very comfortable – like eating with friends. This is an experience you should definitely try! Be sure to look at the photos!
Forgot to add the photos