San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - The magic continues at Hotel Matilda, a trend-setting contemporary boutique hotel in the heart of 500-year-old San Miguel de Allende that offers a lifestyle-focused guest experience and a full calendar of artistic and culinary events.

On October 31, 2015, the 4th Annual Day of the Dead 'Black Dinner' will be conjured up by renowned Chef Martha Ortiz, Mexico's queen of epicurean theater and culinary mysticism, at Hotel Matilda's Moxi restaurant.

"More than dinners to celebrate the timeless Mexican tradition of The Day of the Dead, the Black Dinners have been magical and mystical experiences prepared with time-honored ingredients, incantations and shaman touches," said Bruce James, Director of Hotel Matilda, adding, "And each year Martha's Black Dinner is more powerful and exotic."

The 2015 Black Dinner will be an experiential event with a 'Painted in Black' theme. "Martha will evoke a continuous lifeline, from the historic past to 2015, from the entrance to Hotel Matilda to Moxi's dining room to the kitchen, incorporating all that unites us in life from ceremonies and rituals to foods and social interaction," explained Mr. James.

Martha Ortiz is Mexico's internationally acclaimed chef and cookbook author who is heralded for her creative and sensational gastronomic events and her historical research into Mexican food traditions and legends. She is directing a hauntingly delicious and creative The Day of the Dead culinary extravaganza at Hotel Matilda for the fourth year.

Colorful and festive, El Día de los Muertos is the quintessential Mexican holiday with roots going back millennia. On The Day of the Dead, Mexicans celebrate their strong sense of love and respect for their ancestors. Loved ones, who are said to come back to visit on The Day of the Dead, are remembered and honored in numerous ways - from creating altars for them adorned with candles and photos, to special foods and colorful art work, to decorating grave sites with flowers and candles, to picnicking at the cemetery on the favorite foods of their loved ones.

Martha will inspire the spirits of her ancestors with this year's menu, with such dishes as marigolds with scrapings of the sweet zapote fruit; spirographs of black and vanilla mole; blue corn gorditas with purslane herb and roasted avocado; habanero chile with ashes; and desserts made with the soconusco type of cocoa used at the time of Moctezuma - all complemented by black tablecloths, numerous candles, special music and unique touches.

The Black Dinner will be held at Hotel Matilda's Moxi restaurant on Saturday, October 31, 2015. The cost is $2,000 pesos (about $118 USD) per person including wine pairing; service is additional. For more information and to make reservations, email eventos(at)hotelmatilda.com.

This year's Black Dinner will be a highlight of the many Day of the Dead celebrations in San Miguel de Allende, notably the dynamic La Calaca Festival, a free, participatory art and culture festival which honors, promotes and explores the traditions and themes of El Día de los Muertos October 30 through November 2.