A month ago we briefly stopped to peek at Amor Corazón, a most unusual Restaurant not far from Tapalpa. Inside we found decorative two-headed snakes wound around columns, “thrones” straight out of Lord of the Rings and a fascinating mural with figures made of wine bottles and shiny glass balls. “Shades of Gaudí,” we said; “Who created all this?”
The artist, we learned, is Carlos Sánchez González, “and the food here,” we were told “is equally unusual and delicious.”
This restaurant lies in the middle of a great pine and cedar forest and is surrounded by quaint cabins for rent. My wife Susana and I decided the best way to appreciate the restaurant and to get to know the artist was to spend a night in the woods, so we made reservations for a weekend when Carlos would be on hand.
We arrived at Cabañas Sierra de Tecuán in the early afternoon, right in the middle of a naval battle taking place in their lake between two “ships” manned by kids from a Guadalajara school. And who was orchestrating the event from onshore? None other than Carlos Sánchez. This beautiful lake, we later learned, was created by Sánchez in what was previously a valley just below his restaurant.
We installed ourselves in a cabin just a minute’s walk from the restaurant and ordered a load of firewood. It was already chilly in the shade thanks to the high altitude (2,500 meters above sea level, 8,202 feet) and we could guess how cold it was going to get in the middle of the night. Then it was time to order dinner, that main meal of the day which, in Mexico, starts somewhere between 2:00 and 4:00 and finishes who knows when.
We sat down to delicious Consomé de Borrego followed by Cetas en Salsa Verde (mushrooms in green sauce) and a marvelous Fondue de Panela (cheese), Estilo Provolone. We later learned from Carlos’ wife Marisol that Italian flavors and mushrooms are among her husband’s favorites.
In the midst of our meal, Carlos joined us and told us that Amor Corazón is located on land that once belonged to his father, who had been from nearby Atémajac. Twelve years ago, Carlos started designing and building rustic but tasteful cabins on this picturesque site. Then came the restaurant, which took four years of work and whose interior design is still not finished. The lake was another big project that took two years to complete.
At last we asked about the psychedelic art all around us.
“Well, first I must tell you that I am a lawyer by profession, even though I’ve always liked painting and art,” he said with a smile. “And then, I should mention that all the artwork around you, even the colors themselves, are symbolic. Now the main theme is love, a force that radiates, that buds and springs forth. So there are many symbols of the male and female forces here, for example, the bas-relief snake climbing this column has two heads, representing these forces, a motif you see all around you.”
Indeed, we could see a male jaguar and a female panther at the near end of a long mural running the length of the restaurant, as well as a pair of giant lizards gamboling above us. Carlos went on to explain the meaning of the two fairy-like thrones we could see. One is shaped like a mushroom with a flower decorating its stem. “The flower is love,” says Carlos,” and its roots are anchored in the earth. But along its length are false roots floating in the air and these show how human beings can be deceived by illusion and lose their way.”
The other throne, he said, was called the Kundalini of Human Health, representing Man’s soul and the path to spiritual well-being. The bizarre, beautiful and mystic art captivated us, but so did our after-dinner hike in the woods, where we followed a wide, smooth trail about two kilometers long, which circumnavigates the 60 hectares of Cabañas Tecuan property and, of course, at night we enjoyed the perennial attraction of the Tapalpa hills: sipping locally made ponche in front of a roaring fireplace with occasional excursions outside the cabin to check out the constellations sparkling in the cold mountain air.
I must add that our breakfast the next morning was truly scrumptious and whatever you do, you must not fail to taste the waffles, heaped high with blackberries and whipped cream or whatever else takes your fancy.
You can visit the restaurant any day or make reservations for a cabin at 01-33-3647-6223 and you can always see their website at www.cabanastapalpasierradeltecuan.com. Carlos Sánchez adds that he’s offering a special discount to anyone who books a cabin during the work week and mentions this article. This is one place you don’t want to miss, and for once, it’s a place you can reach via paved roads, using whatever kind of vehicle your heart desires!
How to get there
Take the Colima toll road or the carretera libre to the Tapalpa exit. Head uphill, towards Tapalpa, for 25 kilometers until you come to Cabañas la Frontera where you must turn right onto the highway that heads for Atémajac. After 11.6 kilometers, you’ll come to the Amor Corazón Restaurant (N20 02.524 W103 41.693). Driving time from Guadalajara is about 90 minutes.