San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – October 1, 2014:  A magical Day of the Dead is coming to Hotel Matilda (www.hotelmatilda.com) with Mexico’s queen of culinary theater creating a “Black Dinner with Sorcerers, Witches and Some Magical Potions” that personifies this quintessential Mexican holiday.

Directing the hauntingly delicious culinary extravaganza with wine pairings will be Martha Ortiz, Mexico’s internationally acclaimed chef and cookbook author who is heralded for her creative and sensational gastronomic events and her historical research into Mexican food traditions. Spicing up the dinner will be an exhibit of photography with Day of the Dead themes by artists represented by Patricia Conde Gallery, a leading Mexico City gallery.   http://www.patriciacondegaleria.com/PCG/Intro.html

“Our Black Dinner will make the Day of the Dead come alive through the masterful innovation of Martha Ortiz, the eclectic and edgy spirit of Hotel Matilda, and the joy, revelry and emotion of a holiday that has very special meaning for the people of Mexico,” said Hotel Matilda Director Bruce James.

El Día de los Muertos is a colorful and festive holiday with roots going back millennia that celebrates the Mexican people’s strong sense of love and respect for their ancestors. Loved ones, who are said to come back to visit on The Day of the Dead, are remembered and honored in numerous ways – from creating altars for them adorned with candles and photos, to special foods and colorful art work, to decorating gravesites with flowers and candles, to picnicking at the cemetery on the favorite foods of their loved ones.

The Black Dinner will be paired with five wines – a rose, a white and three reds – by Vinos y Copas, including  Vino Impetú Rose, Vino Nuva Chardonay, Vino Boceto, Vino Lienzo and Vino Trazo.

The dinner will be held at Hotel Matilda’s Moxi restaurant at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. The cost is $1,800 pesos ($135 USD) per person including wine pairing; service is additional. For more information and to make reservations: eventos@hotelmatilda.com. 

The Black Dinner will be a highlight of the many Day of the Dead celebrations in San Miguel de Allende, notably the dynamic La Calaca Festival (http://lacalacafestival.org). A free, participatory art and culture festival, La Calaca is a four-day event, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, which honors, promotes and explores the traditions and themes of El Día de los Muertos.

Martha Ortiz is recognized for resurrecting historic Mexican culinary traditions and reinvigorating them with modern twists and her personal creativity. She celebrates her country’s gastronomy as “a total experience of the senses” that imbues the people with identity. She has achieved success as a writer and impresario as well as in the kitchen:  She has a highly acclaimed restaurant in Mexico City, Dulce Patria; has penned eight cookbooks on Mexican regional cuisine; has distinguished herself as a food writer and a leading chronicler of her country’s gastronomic history and traditions; and has made her mark producing and promoting culinary events and projects worldwide, including a number of culinary festivals.  The menus for her Black Dinner will reflect and enliven the historic traditions of El Día de los Muertos. She will set the scene with black tablecloths, numerous candles, music and special touches that evoke the themes of The Day of the Dead.

Hotel Matilda is a trend-setting contemporary boutique hotel offering a lifestyle-focused guest experience and a full calendar of artistic and culinary events. The art-gallery-like ambience, filled with an eclectic collection of works by contemporary artists, is the ideal canvas for the many events the hotel hosts annually, including exhibits by noted artists that are often paired with a gourmet dinner and such special events as the SMART art festival combining art exhibits, dining events, DJ dance party, tequila tastings and more.  Enrique Olvera, who is recognized as Mexico’s leading chef as well as one of the best in the world, is a partner with the hotel operating its Moxi Restaurant. Chef Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant, Pujol, is #20 on the coveted San Pellegrino list of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.’ The award-winning holistic spa was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Hot List of the world’s top new spas. The lounge, Múi, is known for its popular scene and creative mixology.

Hotel Matilda is located in the heart of 500-year-old San Miguel de Allende, the crown jewel of Colonial Mexico and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  For more information and reservations: +52 (415) 152-1015;  toll free in the U.S./Canada 855-MATILDA (855-628-4532);  info@hotelmatilda.com.

Marian Gerlich / Ed Placidi

P&G Communications

 

Maralyn D. Hill, M.Ed.,  The Epicurean Explorer

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