Cañada de la Virgen

HOST RANCHERS: Sophia and Alex Trapp | Cañada de la Virgen

GUEST CHEF: Donnie Masterton | The Restaurant San Miguel

Chef Donnie has the chops. He's also adventurous and playful. From joining OITF several times at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to setting our table at locations across Mexico, Donnie gives his all.

Our event location encompasses an archeological site believed to have been constructed around 530 AD by the Otomi people, dedicated celestial observers who studied the star cycles and their relation to the timing of key agricultural tasks such as seeding and harvesting. Thanks to the ranch matriarch whose family advocated for the pyramid’s preservation, the pre-hispanic ruins are now a national park. We will set our table above the imposing Cañada de la Virgen, a spectacular canyon that cuts through central Mexico’s high-elevation plateau. We will learn about the area’s fascinating history, then sit down for one of Chef Donnie’s unforgettable meals.

Donnie earned his culinary chops working with such legendary chefs as David Bouley at Montrachet, Patrick Clark at the Hay Adams Hotel in D.C. and NY’s Tavern on the Green, and Joachim Splichal’s Patina Group in L.A. He opened The Restaurant to rave reviews in 2008 and celebrated his 16th anniversary in SMA last year.