Meson Sacristia de La Compania: “More than a hotel, a thrilling experience”

One of our clients—a traveler from NY— wrote in to tell us about the Tripadvisor review she posted upon coming back from her trip to Puebla. We thank her for sharing the experience!

My friend and I signed up for a week of cooking lessons at this delightful boutique hotel with only 8 rooms. All of the details were handled graciously by one Rocio Martinez Quintal at MexicoBoutiqueHotels.com. No question was too trivial and many suggestions for other activities were generously offered and gratefully accepted.

The hotel was converted from a Colonial Spanish mansion and furnished with antiques, each one with a story to tell. We stayed in Pila Bautismal because it had separate beds. Everything was perfect except for the noise from the street, but earplugs dealt with that. The location was superb, just a couple blocks from the zocalo.

The staff at the hotel were so welcoming; we felt like honored guests. The owner or manager, Leobaldo was even there to greet us. The concierge Alejandro did everything he could to please us. The waiters in the top-notch restaurant were all pleasant and patient with my Spanish.

The chef, Alonso Hernandez, and his assistant and translator Liz did a great job of imparting their knowledge of technique, all the way through to presentation and garnishing. We are not beginning cooks but I think the two of them could handle rank beginners with ease because the instruction was so clear.

I think I am running on too long but I need to mention that the cooking week also included extras, like a trip to the market, a walking tour of downtown Puebla and several dinners. I think this would be a splendid trip for anyone who wants more out of Mexico than lying on a beach.

Many thanks for taking the time to tell people about your experience Ms. Kroop. We appreciate it!

Meson Sacristia de la Compania in the New York Times

A great article on mole poblano, Puebla, and our friends at Meson Sacristía de la Compañía

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/travel/escapes/17mole.html

In The Kitchen With Mexico Boutique Hotels

Tradition and Innovation in the Kitchen at Mexico Boutique Hotels’ Mesones Sacristía Mesón Sacristía de la Compañia in Puebla, part of the Mexico Boutique Hotels collection, transports guests back to 19th-century Mexico with its beautifully preserved décor. The hotel’s executive chef Alonso Hernández has perfected a blend of indigenous favorites along with exotic European and Asian ingredients to create a tantalizing Mestizo menu. Guests are welcome to spend a session as a culinary student in Chef Hernández‘s modern kitchen. Be warned- cooking at Mesón Sacristía is not a spectator sport! From grinding spices in a traditional molcajete to roasting peppers on a comal iron griddle, students learn classic Mexican cooking methods used for thousands of years. Chef Hernández guides with a knowing smile on the essentiality of chiles and provides recipes books for students to continue the fun at home.

Mexico Boutique Hotels’ Hacienda Los Laureles Teaches Classic Mexican Cooking Surrounded by forested mountains minutes from downtown Oaxaca, Hacienda Los Laureles of Mexico Boutique Hotels offers the true flavor of grand Mexican style. The hotel’s Chef Horatio specializes in international, Mexican and regional specialties with a touch of nouvelle cuisine. Guests can join Chef Horatio on a typical day, starting with a visit to the local food market. Walk through the stalls where Oaxaca cheese, chapulines, spices and chocolate are sold. Next, chef and students convene in the Hacienda Los Laureles garden for preparation and cooking lessons. After four to five hours of light-hearted instruction, clients are seated in the hotel’s restaurant to be served their own culinary creations of a typical Oaxaca appetizer, a main dish and dessert dishes. www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com/loslaureles.

Visiting Chefs at Mexico Boutique Hotels’ Hacienda de los Santos Another magnificent Mexico Boutique Hotels offering, Hacienda de los Santos offers relaxation and casual elegance in the colonial gem of Alamos. Offering haute cuisine lessons, Hacienda de los Santos welcomes visiting chefs from around the country during its high season (February – April). The hotel is also happy to arrange four- to five-day cooking packages in the off-season. The hotel’s kitchen seats 18, so there’s plenty of room for guests to participate (wearing aprons they can keep as souvenirs). The Executive Chef at Hacienda de los Santos, René Duarte, also enjoys visits from outside chefs and sits in on lessons to learn along with the guests. After the lesson, the entire group gets to enjoy the culinary masterpieces they themselves have created.

Source: http://www.travelindustrydeals.com/news/916