La Casa de Dante

It would be an injustice not to devote an entire post to the amazing hostel in Guanajuato that held my weary head for two days and two nights. After a long drive for someone with nothing to think about, we finally found La Casa de Dante. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with fresh kiwi, strawberry and jicama, as well as sweetened lemonade followed by quesadillas… or in my case, sin-quesadillas. Yes, the warm and sweet caretaker at this one-of-a-kind hostel, Dante, took my special vegan requests and kept me full and satisfied at every meal, taking the time to proudly explain each of the fresh ingredients she used. Besides the glorious food, the hostel is meticulously cared for and decorated handsomely. Regional art and decoration are all about the casa’s three levels that offer spectacular views of the vivid patchwork of dwellings and mountains. I would highly recommend this charming and well-kept family-operated hostel if you ever visit Guanajuato, if not for the food and accommodations than for the beaming smile of Dante.

A small sampling of what I was offered is below, many of which were regional specialties for this festive time in Mexico: sin-quesadillas stuffed with edible squash flowers, roasted papas with tomato and green chilies garnished with avocado, mashed guava smeared on fresh bread, sweet corn tamales with green chilies and potato-stuffed chohada, a regional pear-looking vegetable.