NEW YEAR'S EVE IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

Earlier yesterday afternoon we took a walk to the Jardin and noticed that a crew of people was setting up a big stage. The Jardin was packed full of people. They were young, old, Mexicans, foreigners all dressed in different ways. It’s like a fashion…non fashion show. You could feel the upcoming big night of celebration in the air. We sat on a park bench for a while to soak up some warm sun rays and absorb the surroundings.


We had already decided that we weren’t going out to one of these fancy high priced places for dinner. Several restaurants were charging one price for a fixed menu. Most of them were around $80 per person with an open bar while others offered an open bar of unlimited house wines. How much wine can one drink? We thought about just going to the small restaurant across the street from our new casa for a quiet dinner and then come home early.

Well, around 6:30 p.m., Bob suggested we could walk back to the Jardin and see what was happening. If we could find a place to have dinner so be it. If not, we could come home and have bacon and eggs. Immediately, Sam took Bob up on this offer. We both really had the same restaurant in mind, Socialitte. It is the same restaurant where we had our Christmas Eve dinner. Sam decided to call to see if we could get a nice table for two around 7:30 p.m. Good luck with that. The city is packed. Sam talked to one of the waiters, Jorge. Jorge told us he would be sure to seat us.

Quickly we changed our clothes…at least Sam did. Bob did put on a nice sweater. We decided not to take our camera. The less we had to worry about the better with all of the crowds. We were going to walk then Bob spotted a taxi and hailed it. Guess what? It was a four door pick-up truck taxi. On New Year’s Eve we took a pick-up taxi? Yep, and it was just fine. Bob sat in the front and chatted in Spanish with the driver all the way to Socialitte.

When we walked in the door, we were very surprised to see the restaurant almost empty. Jorge greeted us and asked if we were the Zimmerman’s. He told us he had our usual table ready for us. This made Bob very happy as he didn’t want to be stuck in a corner or with a terrible view. Most people don’t eat early on New Year’s Eve. That didn’t matter to us. We just wanted a nice quiet dinner. It also gave us a chance to talk to one of the owner’s, Pepe.

We talked about the last decade and the major changes in our lives. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Malbec wine along with a delicious salad that consisted of mixed greens with pear, strawberries, walnuts and blue cheese. For our main course Sam had lamb chops and Bob had veal medallions with a very nice sauce. Bob is still raving about his dinner. Of course, being New Year’s Eve, we had to have a glass of sparkling wine and a chocolate dessert. Being at an Italian restaurant, we had prosecco. As to the dessert, they called it chocolate soufflé. We called it a chocolate molten cake. It was a perfect combination and perfect for the two of us. The total cost of our dinner for two including tip was $100. Half of what we would have spent at one of the “package” places and we had a superb dinner and great service.

Just as we were leaving, the restaurant was filling up. A couple walked in and didn’t have reservations. They got the table for two right in the walkway by the kitchen. They were very pleased just to get a table. They were visiting from California for 10 days and mentioned that this was the only restaurant that they revisited during their stay.

We left Socialitte’s getting big hugs from Pepe and Jorge. The evening was nice. There was a little coolness in the air. We walked to the Jardin. It was packed. We held on to each other so we wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. We were wondering what it feels like in New York City on New Year’s Eve? The crowd in San Miguel de Allende was enough for us. Walking to the far corner of the Jardin to hail a taxi, we noticed a crowd of people gathering. We heard sirens. What could possibly be happening? Well, it was a small parade of police, fire trucks, and ambulances.

Returning home around 10:15 p.m. we noticed a lot of people in our neighborhood. The church was packed, the bells were ringing, and everyone was definitely in a party mood. Oh no, what is it going to be like to sleep tonight? This is our first New Year’s Eve in San Miguel. We got ready for bed and laid there listening to all of the bells and noise. At 10:40 p.m. we decided to put in our earplugs and dream the night away. To our surprise neither of us heard much all night long.

Happy New Year!!