MORELIA MEXICO'S SAN MIGUELITO RESTAURANT
FINDS MATES FOR SINGLES
Story and photos by Barb & Ron Kroll
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So it's Valentine's Day and you don’t have a sweetheart? Morelia, a lively colonial town, just one hour by air or four hours by road, west of Mexico City, has a solution for you.
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| Woman touches upside-down statue of St. Anthony in San Miguelito Restaurant. Morelia, Mexico. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
San Miguelito, a ten-year-old restaurant, bar, museum and art gallery, in the southern end of the city, is well known for its delicious Mexican cuisine, eclectic decor and a unique service for the lovelorn. (More about that later.) At night, tiny white lights decorate the exterior, while fountains and palm trees add a romantic touch.
No two rooms are alike. San Miguelito collects crafts from the various Mexican states. Nearly all of the furniture, arts and crafts in the building are for sale.
Life-size angels, Madonnas in niches and antler chandeliers decorate the main dining room. Made from wood, steel, rock and bronze, the tables are all different, as well as the crystal, tableware and chairs. One table's base is a half-ton marble horse. Another's base is comprised of angels. Two 150-kilogram bells anchor the Independence Table.
Recommended menu items
For an appetizer, try the Aztec Salad, made with fresh corn, lettuce, zucchini, roasted red peppers, fresh cheese and coriander vinaigrette. For the entrée, enjoy the Filete Tierra Caliente, beef sirloin with green tomato salsa, on a corn tortilla, topped with black beans and straw potatoes. (The restaurant uses purified water for washing greens and vegetables.) Other entrées include grilled chicken, beef, fish, shrimp and Mexican specialties.
A popular room is Bar Silvetis, dedicated to the Silvetis family, which boasts several generations of famous bullfighters. Posters and photographs of matadors pay homage to the family.
There are several private rooms. The Altar of Conversations room features a massive wooden copy of an altar in Taxco's Santa Prisca church. Room of the Conspiracies is popular for business meetings, parties and wedding celebrations.
All of which brings us to the final room, of special interest to lonely hearts: Rincon de las Solteronas. Although it translates as “Spinsters' Corner,” owner Cynthia Martinez assures us that it works equally well for bachelors.
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| At San Miguelito Restaurant in Morelia, Mexico, single women ask St. Anthony, for a spouse. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Patron saint of the unmarried
The reason the lovelorn come here, is to solicit help from St. Anthony, the patron saint of the unmarried. Surrounding the tables, on the mantle, in cupboards and hanging from the ceiling, are more than 500 statues of the saint. Made from plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, stone, metal and other materials, they range from thumbnail-size to taller than a basketball player.
“To motivate San Antonio to do his job, we turn him upside-down,” explains Martinez. “Tradition requires supplicants to leave thirteen coins, light a votive candle and register their personal data in the book of Petitions, Miracles and Thanksgiving.”
Does it work? “We already have eleven marriages confirmed with photographs, and more recorded in 13 books, filled with petitions and thanksgivings,” states Martinez.
But is she married? “Not yet, but I'm waiting for my boyfriend to take the next step,” she responds. “I hope to have an answer by the time you publish your story, so I can send you an invitation to my wedding!”
In the meantime, all of the St. Anthony statues will remain upside-down until he completes his Cupid tasks. And none of them are for sale. If you want to pursue the cause at home, Martinez sells paperclip-size miniatures.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
San Miguelito: www.sanmiguelito.com.mx
More things to see and do in Mexico:
Tulum - Ancient Civilization on Riviera Maya
Cozumel — Mexico's Island Playground
Mexico's Other Acapulco
Buy Mexican Candy in Shops, Markets and Dulcerias
Mexico's Chichen-Itza is a Contender for the New Seven World Wonders List
Mexico Celebrates Day of the Dead with Special Foods, Dances and Street Fairs
Los Cabos Mexico Holds Culinary Festival in December
Lonely Planet's Central America on a Shoestring
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