nickarte

Izote or Aguila y Sol are good choices, but New Year´s eve is a BIG DEAL here, and many places have special dinners and get booked up, so I would make a resevation by phone well in advance (OK, not yet, but a few of weeks before at least). Neither is terribly expensive by US/Europe standards- $50 tops per person, and that´s with nice wine, etc., although could be done for $30 if you´re frugal. New Years day, everything is closed, and I mean everything! You will be lucky to find a Sanborn´s open. A nice thing to do, however, is go to Teotihuacan, as it is a local tradition to climb the Pyramide del Sol on New Year´s day, presumably to bring luck. It´s a little crowded, but in a nice way, that is, full of Mexican families being traditional...There´s a wierd restaurant in a cave called La Gruta out there,at one of the entrances to the site, I think you can find mention of it in Chowhounds. It´s kind of cool, and the food is actually pretty good.

Yes, I live in the city...The Mercado San Juan is about 5 blocks south of the Alameda, in the historic center. Just look up the address I already gave on a good map. The "Guia Roji" is the best one. As far as "Botana Bar" I´m not sure to what you refer...many bars and cantinas (the equivelent of pubs) offer botanas, or appetizers, either free or on the menu, but there isn´t really a category of "botana bar" the way you might think of a "bar de tapas" in Spain. The famous Bar Opera, for example, offers light food- few people go there to actually EAT...maybe this is what you mean. But then I wouldn´t go to eat dinner at Bemelman´s Bar in New York either, only to have a drink and hear Barbara Carroll, and as she isn´t performing there any more I won´t be going at all! Also, to clear up some of the confusion, La Reforma is one of the most popular newspapers in Mexico, and is sold at every kiosk, by many vendors at traffic intersections, as well as at Sanborn´s; it is ubiquitous. However, you DO have to pay or be a subscriber to use their website.

La Reforma has a good food section on Friday ("Mesa") which lists restaurant openings/closings (for el DF) as well as interesting events such as ´ferias´ wine tastings and expos. Tiempo Libre reviews restaurants but, suffice it to say, the reviewer would be expelled from eGullet for "ser tonta". For cheese in the city, you can´t beat the Mercado San Juan (c/Ernesto Pugibet in the centro, a few blocks south of the Alameda via Dolores); there are several artesinal cheese vendors there as well as a good selection of imported cheeses, mostly from Spain. Also, La Naval, on c/Michoacàn, corner Insurgentes in La Condesa, has a pretty good selection. They sell Remo´s cheeses, made in San Miguel de Allende. I am told there is a Sunday "cheese market" of sorts near the Sonora market...will follow up when I get the information. Nick (not the other Nick who already wrote)

I have eaten there about a dozen times , was there on Thursday, Oct. 7th. and had a wonderful meal. I must say, however that it can be inconsistent, at times relatively dull. It is always better when "she" is there, not surprisingly. Aguila y Sol, Moliere 42, 5281-8354 also in Polanco and belonging to cookbook author Martha Chapa, is also interesting: it´s menu is more fusiony ( Sopa de Tortilla with caldo de pato or duck,"bruja" a kind of fish like swordfish, in a salsa de cacao, NOT mole). The room is more posh and, at least in our one experience, the results more uneven. But I still say it´s worth it. El Cardenal is off our list...

I, being a resident of the great D.F., am gathering information for an alternative guidebook and website about Mexico City and would appreciate any feedback and specific suggestions re street/market/fonda food.