Chef Francisco “Paco” Ruano of Guadalajara eatery Alcalde on Avenida Mexico has been singled out as “One to Watch” in the annual list of Latin American Top 50 Restaurants sponsored by S. Pellegrino and Aque Panna.
Ruano trained under Thierry Blouet at Café des Artistes in Puerto Vallarta before heading to San Sebastian, Spain to further his culinary education. He spent three years in Europe before returning to his home city to open Alcalde with two business partners. His signature dishes include piglet with pumpkin seed sauce; roast sweetbreads with corn, ashes and milk; scallop ceviche with citrus fruits; and mango in elderflower syrup with lavender ice cream.
“Guadalajara is a traditional city in food terms, but I wanted to open a restaurant that spoke of who I am, not what I can do, and to offer people something that was not already available,” Ruano tells theworlds50best.com.
Alcalde is at Avenida México, 2903. Telephone: (33) 3615-7400. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 1:30-5 p.m. and 7:30 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30-5:30 p.m. The restaurant enjoys a high rating on Trip Advisor.