In "My" Neighborhood, San Antonio, in San Miguel de Allende

If you live in or visit SMA, remember this name:

Restaurante El Capricho Italiano Pizzeria

Yesterday I noticed a little pizza place as I was walking toward the Instituto Allende. When I was walking home, a gringo man came out the door of the place, carrying a take-out pizzza box. He said "Hi" and I asked himm how the pizza was. He said it was real Italian pizza, and really good. I didn't know what real Italian pizza was, but I have never lived within walking distance of an independent pizza place, and I decided to have my third, and final, meal in San Miguel there.

So I went back today about 4pm. And had a pizza with cheese and ham. The menu was wonderful, with lots of Italian-style options. Plus fancy spaghetti and macaroni choices, and three Italian-style salad options.

The location is on the corner of 20 de Enero and Orizaba, about two blocks away from the Instituto Allende, in Colonia San Antonio. Orizaba is the street that heads almost directly away from the Institute. They deliver, and the phone is 15 2 84 83. Gaetano, an Italian, who has been in Mexico for two years, is a great host, and an excellent pizza cook. And the other menu items might be just as good.

The pizza was delicious, with perfect thin crust and excellent sauce, cheese and ham. My choices of toppings. The choices were much more exotic than my favorites. It's a little semi-outdoor place, but with walls and roof. Every informal with picnic tables. And they serve beer, wine, and refrescos.

There seems to be pretty strong police presence in San Antonio. There is a neighborhood substation that seems to be open alot.
This cop had a paper and seemed to be hunting for this house. His partner stayed in their police pickup truck. They don't seem to have police "cars" in Mexico, at least that I have noticed. Those are two small childrne and the door, and they weren't letting him it.

These soldier, below, were actually near the Gigante superstore, but they are all-round town. These guys were very disapointed that I couldn't give them a print-out of their pictures. I have been told that regular police and soldiers do not have bullets for the guns they carry. Don't know if it's true or not.
A month or so ago I wrote about the concept of "Security Theatre". All show, pointless, security at airports, for example. Well, San Miguel has "Sidewalk Theatre". Where there are asidewalks, a real ones. But they're about 18 inches wide, and every 50 feet or so there is a electric pole or a trees right in the middle of the sidewalk. And it's not as if the tree grew up thru the sidewalk. You can see the tree was there when they built the sidewalk, and they built around it.

So every fifty feet or so, at least in San Antonio, you have to step down unto the street. Same thing when someone comes the other way. There' s not enough room to get around the pole, a tree, or another person. Pointless sidewalk, from my point of view.
This tiny house is a few blocks from where I am staying. It's someone's home, or business. It has electricity, a nice sturdy door, and I have seen it open. It's amazing to see very expensive homes being built within a house or two of homes like this one. It's about 15' feet and 12' deep.
San Antonio seems to be a very mixed neighborhood, with lots of infill building by wealthy people. My guess is some are from the U.S. and some are wealthy Mexicans. There seem to be a number of nice looking mini-complexes, that don't really look like complexes, and some that do. There are also a number of small, older homes. And many of the homes here only show a blank wall with grated windows, a door, and maybe a garage door. So it's hard to imagine what a house is like inside. I know many of them have open interior patios, and I like the look. And many homes here seem to have roof gardens, probably with incredible views of the area.