I love Saltillo and usually spend my last night there when driving back to Austin. Saltillo is about a ten hour drive from Patzcuaro and next morning, about six hours on to Austin. The downtown Hotel Colonial Alameda is a great motel with parking in front of your room. It now has free wireless Internet service. It's just a block from the park and a few blocks from City Center. Just around the corner from Hotel, in front of the park, is one of the best Italian Restaurants around. Hot, fresh, baked bread is served with the salads and the food is great. Evenings traipsing around Alameda Park are not to be missed. I love the food stalls there and have noticed the only place in Mexico where Frito Pie (in the bag, of course) is joyfully served.
Driving NORTH, into Saltillo
After Matehuala, do not take first Saltillo Libre exit. Enter CUOTA and pay $54p. Follow signs to Saltillo on cuota. At Pemex, exit left on Saltillo Libre towards Zacatecas and Torreon.
Travel through sparse, industrial area and begin seeing hotels. At the statue in middle of road, move to right lane. Just pass 7-eleven, notice sign for FRACCISCO COSS Street and veer right. Drive over road from Monterrey with VIPS on corner and notice large building with statues on left, Hall of Congress. In 1.5 miles, notice large sign for Alvaro Obregón and turn left. In 3/4 mile, and 2 stop lights, notice a sign on left for HOTEL. Turn left and stop at lobby of Hotel Colonial Alameda.
Hotel Colonial Alameda
Obregon 222
Ph#844-410-0088
Rates are $620p, 2 beds, but they always have special for $550p.
Driving SOUTH, into Saltillo
From Monterrey, stay on quota and follow signs into Saltillo Libre, which turns in Allende Street, the main road into town. Stay on Allende for City Center or exit to service road and turn right at VIPS on Alvaro Obregón and follow instructions for Hotel Colonial Alameda. Or, turn left on Alvaro Obregón for road out of town to Matehuala.
May, 2005
Saltillo is the perfect place to enjoy the first day of your drive into Mexico. We started our vacation with an easy seven hour drive from Austin, or about 3 1\2 hours to Laredo and 3 1/2 hours to Saltillo. The University town and State capitol is both a relaxing and scenic destination. Lush, city parks, great restaurants and unique Museums offer an interesting view of Northern Mexico living.
El Topango Restaurant, in the Historical District of Saltillo, is the "nicest" restaurant in town. The interior patio is filled with flowers while the back patio offers more secluded dining. The two interior dinning rooms are decorated with tasteful, Mexican antiques. Waiters, dressed in tuxsidos, were very attentive, and service is snappy. Prices are moderate.
Menu is consistent with most of the finer, Northern, Mexican restaurants. A handful of Mexican dishes, a good selection of seafood, crepes, and a wide variety of meats.
2008 Update: The young, attractive nephew of the owner now operates the restaurant and has changed everything, for the better. Very crowded with happy eaters enjoying the fresh menu and snappy service. I have given this restuarant bad reviews in the past but now El Topango is just about perfect.
The excellent, Government sponsored crafts gallery, while still there, has been closed on me last visits.
Closed in 2008, but may have reopened. El Cisne (The Swan) Victoria 358. Open from 8 am to 10 pm, the attractive, tile covered restaurant offers both indoor and covered patio dining.
This popular cafe offers live music at night in the pleasant, tiled patio. Menu listed a full bar, large variety of drinks, including smoothies, espressos, cold and hot coffee. There was also a list of Paninis, specialty sandwiches, from $3.75 to $8.90.
Breakfast specials, from $3.50 to $5.50 included a mixed fruit plate, bread and coffee or tea.
Dinner menu included a variety of appetizers, soups and salads. Mushroom soup, with rice and chicken, was the house specialty, with eight other soups offered.
Cheese bread with olive oil and herbs looked good. Chicken dishes were about $6.50, pasta dishes, a little less, and steaks, a little more.
Restaurente Terrazza Romana
Calle Victoria and Purcel Streets, overlooking Allemeda Park in the City Center.
I always hold my breath when turning the corner of the park for fear that my favorite restaurant has somehow closed. It hasn't and I am once again pleased. The aroma of the Focaccia bread greeted me as I walked up the stairs and a hot basket of it was on the table after being seated. Perfect when drenched with the bottle of olive oil containing several, whole, dried, chile peppers. A perfect touch of Mexico.
Entire restaurent is decorated in old, black and white Italian movie posters, including suggestive blow-ups of Gina Lola Brigetta in the men's restroom.
After a month of margaritas, a few glasses of merlot ($30) is perfect. The Insalate Della Casa (house salad) is a large plate of mixed greens, sliced mushrooms and shredded carrots.
There was a long list of Antipasti including Prosciutto e Melon and Bruschetta. The Minestrone soup is delicious, and I can guess that the Lenticchie is too.
There is an entire list of Pizze, including Gorgonzola, Pesto or seafood, but I prefer Le Paste. Choose from nine kinds of pasta and nearly twenty sauces, including Alfredo, Pesto, Puttanesca, and my favorite, Bolognese.
My first visit here, a few years ago, I was fortunate to meet the crusty, Italian, ex-patriot who settled in Saltillo and treated locals (and fortunate wanders) about twelve years ago.
César Insalate was served with about 6 whole Romaine lettuce leaves covered in a traditional Cesar dressing. Pasta Puttanesca was served with tomatoes, anchovies, olives and corrianders.Saltimbocca Monteverde is rolls of thinly sliced beef with ham and cheese, served with a side of pasta. The entire dish is covered with a sauce of pureed vegetables. It was a tasty, but a little salty. and over-whelmed the meat rolls but was good on the pasta. I'll try Scaloppe al limone next time.
Bottle of Concha y Toro-Reservado for about US$18.00. Couldn't finish the bottle. In Mexico, diners are welcome and encouraged to take their opened, unfishrd wine bottle home with them. Or back to the hotel and, accidently, back to Austin, where we toasted another successful visit to Mexico.but there is so much food and so little time.
Allemada Parque - A few steps from the restaurant is one of the typically beautiful parks that bless city centers in Mexico. Around the outside of the park are numerous food stands offering treats like frozen fruits with yogurt, sausages wrapped with bacon, homemade potato chips, and one item I have never seen in Mexico: Frito Pie. Actually, their version of this Texas tradition. Yes, a bag of corn chips is split open length-wise and scoops of chile are ladled in the bag and then topped with cheese. Culinary happiness, even in Mexico.
