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JTravel

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  1. Economica Isabel photos:    I believe the Comida is 60-70 pesos

     

    covered courtyard, charming and quite local place

    rolled "meatloaf" ,,,pastel de res, veggies rolled up in it

    I think its pork , good sauce and potatoes which are good at this altitude

    large and excellent flan, generous for a set meal

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  2. This is the daily Comida corrida list for Cocina Economica Isabel, conveniently near the library. Unusual to have it done this way, easier for us.  Many choices. Very friendly staff, sort of forest atmosphere, good food. Hidden behind a garage door.

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  3. Last year we did the requisite eating of grilled meat at the market. It was an experience, but the meat, very thin ,was very tough, overcooked.

    The cecina is always the reddish one, covered in plastic wrap, waiting to be chosen for cooking. We didn't try it at the market. But at Santo Sabor it was cooked just right, tender and very tasty, not really hot as I remember.

    If you search Rick Bayless Cecina pork tacos it is a recipe that seems good to me.

    Please let me know if you try it.

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  4. I realize that I sort of abandoned this thread....once we got home and back to our routine I got sidelined. I have been working on pictures....one camera, one cell phone/camera, one iPad, and two clouds.,How confusing!  But OneDrive works so on we go.

     

    i wanted to include one more place to complete our top 3 of Comida corridas. We had El Huateque. . A new place with a wonderful woman chef making interesting combinations.  Pretty and comfortable place.

    We discovered Atila Del Sur, hidden a block away from us.    Eduardo made amazing things, we needed more time with him too.

     

    From 2015 we had fond memories of Santo Sabor.  We always told people they could order any of the 5 daily choices and be happy. At just 60 pesos with good agua, soup or salad, good bread, a tasty main ,and a small dessert we wonder how they can do it.  We sometimes treated ourselves to the brownie and ice cream too. Not because we were hungry but because it was so good.

    Santo Sabor Photos

    a pork and veggie sort of stir fry

    Grilled pork Cecina, thin pork with a flavored paste on it, tender and delicious 

    Elbow mac mixed with creama and crisp apple

    A salad with homemade fruit dressing

     

    Well done Tony and family,and success to all our favorites

     

    stay tuned for more photos of places and foods to eat

     

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  5. We are winding down our time here, heading home soon.  Now is the time for questions if you have them.  I have one more favorite comida place to post and possibly more photos.

    Thanks for following along , it's been a lovely trip for us.

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  6. 2nd go at Oaxaca Sabe was at Pilar Cabrera's restaurant La Olla.

    Since it was sold out the day before at 4, we went at 2.  The time we spent there a few more people came in. 

    They had done one good thing, made a picture menu of the choices. 2 starters, 3 mains....2 of chicken but no

    explanation of difference, 2 desserts...only one available.

     

    A small pour of red wine for me, a tiny bottle of beer for him. Just said skimpy to us.  Crisp tortillas with chili dip. Warm ones with meal. Comal in dining room with tiny tortillas being made.  Really nice space, neat, some art, some of Pilar's products for sale.

     

    I chose "tomato " salad.....quotes because I expected tomatoes, got tired greens with two thin grilled wedges. Plus a couple of wedges of tiny green ones....maybe tomatillos . DH had crema de garbanzo , soup with tiny quail egg, with hot soup poured on. He reported it was a creamy soup. Soups in Oaxaca are usually wonderful....our first dish on arriving was cream of carrot, never forgot it.  That said, I didn't try it, and garbanzo is not one of my favorites.

     

    I had had my eye on the Camarones con mojo of chili Meco since I saw the menu online. Only 3 shrimp, and a tasty

    watercress side salad.  Have to say, they were hot but among the tastiest things I have had here. DH had a rolled chicken breast in a sauce....since we didn't figure which choice it was.

     

    Dessert was a small scoop of ice cream with tiny shells filled with finely shredded hard cheese. A few bits of strawberries and a pansy to decorate the plate. His dessert was served while I was still savoring my 3rd shrimp. That was tacky.  

    Otherwise waiters tried to be helpful. Service was fast.

     

    So ends, by mutual agreement our experiment in high dining.  ( Yes, I do realize we are only talking about a $15 meal.)

    I think we have been spoiled by the many tasty meals we have had in small places with more simple style.  El Quinque, with their Friday fish and great burgers, El Huateque with a woman chef whose pork in tamarind was outstanding and whose mixed salad puts either of these to shame.   

    Santo Sabor with charming Tony in charge and a 60 peso comida that never lets you down.  El Tipico ,filled with flowers and good tastes.  All these places with wonderful people, food cooked when you order it, staff that helps you understand the  choices, people who are happy you came to their place.  Not saying everyone wasn't ok for the special meals, Inot saying the food wasn't nice, the experience pleasant.   I guess we are just plain folks who like to see these less fancy places do well.

     

    SO, instead of Oaxaca Sabe tonight it's Eduardo of Atila del Sur doing a tasting menu for 3 of us. That's a first. Stay tuned.

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  7. So, yesterday we had our first try at Oaxaca Sabe, restaurant. Being really lazy we had late breakfast, long and

    unproductive walk to market, and need for 2nd showers. Meaning we arrived at La Olla, Pilar Cabrera's place, at 4 to find it mostly empty, but special sold out. 

     

    Luckily los Quince Letras was nearby, almost empty and welcomed us. Between waiter's English and my Spanish

    we ordered. DH had a beer, I had melon juice, cantaloupe actually.   We both got what was called fruit salad, though lots of greens with strawberry and mango bits. Lovely presentation, great fruit dressing.

     

    We both chose the chicken in black mole, the breast stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and cooked plantain. Very tasty and large enough to bring 1/2 home...how crude of us. Usually we each choose an entree, but other choice was pulpo,

    popular here, but not with us.

     

    Postre was a sapote fruit "ice cream" more like granita. Good, unusual to us but dark color made think we could be

    eating chocolate .

     

    The service was nice, waiters attentive, ice for juice came promptly.  The woman owner? Came to our table twice to ask, in Spanish, if all was good.  2nd time she ask if we had mole on out leftovers.  Then she sent it to kitchen for more.

     

    SO , was the price point worth it....keeping in mind the bill was $28.?  For 2 of us, compared to $4.-$8 pp for our usual.

    Very nice, not fussy, nothing to fault with food. Friendly staff. We are not high end eaters or demanding guests.  Glad we did it. Keeping in mind that in most places we have set lunch we get attentive service,from owner or chef, generous good food,  leftovers, and a pleasant time.

    We'll try to get in a couple more, maybe something more different.

     

     

     

     

     

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  8. This is our last week and since we have seen and done a lot we though we might not be so active.

    But ,in the way that Mexico tends to do....a couple things popped up.

    First....the sound of music drew us to the south side of Santo Domingo the the 18th annual event of sampling regional dance, free, outside, chairs, a band , and costumed dancers from different cities all this week. 

     

    BUT , probably more to your interest....it's Oaxaca Sabe week.....restaurant week. Who knew....not us till a poster appeared on Gourmand next door.

     

    Starts today.  Deal is 20 restaurants, 250 pesos per person, 3/4 courses, plus one drink. So for about $30 per couple we get to visit some top places and try new things.

    I can't link to it but website is oaxacasabe.com     Do at least look at banner...it's So Mexican!

     

    Going to try La Olla today

     

    lousy picture of dancers to follow

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  9. Today's bargain deal at Los Danzantes

    lemonade with chia

    pot of soup

    stuffed pepper

    oh that cookie

     

    bonus picture.

    .it was good Samaritan day, villages gave out fruit drinks from a tent in street. Missed it

     

    bonus thought: The other day we had oat horchata, not rice. Turns out to be good, and much quicker.

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  10. A lovely lunch today with our retuning home neighbor. The sun came out after noon, but it's pouring again now, so lunch in the courtyard of Los Danzantes was lovely.  On Wednesday and Friday, this upscale Oaxacan restaurant has what we personally call the budget special. Reservations must be made, sometimes a couple weeks ahead. Only a certain      number of seats are allocated for this deal. Many more people were ordering off the menu...but it was early.  One funny thing , those on budget deal get paper napkins, a la Carte , they get large striped cloth ones.

     

    Today, for our 145 pesos, around $8. we had the bread basket with their wonderful herb biscuits and fresh hot tortillas. With that came a trio of a flavored butter, Pasilla pepper dip, and another dip.  This seems to go to everyone.

     

    Our agua choice was lemon with chia seeds.  A small shot of their own branded mescal came too.

    The cutest little mug came next with a thick red soup with some corn kernels. I wish they would print this menu ,my Spanish is not good enough to know what I'm eating. Anyway, tasty , and a new basket of biscuits and tortillas came too.

     

    Main dish was a large stuffed pepper with a tasty mixture of fish, tomatoes, onions. You might guess this was a homey dish in a pot that got a very fancy treatment here.

     

    Dessert was a delicious peanut cookie, crisp but tender, with mocha cream, a bit of whipped cream, and chopped nuts. Perfect.

    Followed by coffee or tea.

     

    The regular menu is a la Carte , and much more expensive. In the evening the courtyard is lighted by candles and it's beautiful.  I enjoyed watching young Mexicans ordering from the menu...large and very interesting looking plates. One couple with make your own tacos was pouring the little dish of grasshoppers onto their tacos. Still working on that myself.

     

    Pictures to follow

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  11. Atila del Sur...photos

     

    Outside wall, repainted from time to time, it's a street art place

     

    Menu of day outside

     

    Other available items...lots of fish

     

    Nice space, love the oilcloth

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  12. Now...back to Mexican.

    We found a new place, a block away, but so hidden we would never have found it without someone pointing it out.

    This is Atila del Sur , in the Espacia Zapata.  When you look in you see prints and printing presses, but walk in and 

    Wander till you find this bright ,cozy place.

    Eduardo is the chef and he makes everything for you "a la minute". He shops each morning, plans his menu, and has the daily special, comida corrida for 75 pesos with drink, soup and main plate.  Last week we had lemon and cucumber ""agua", cabbage soup, and each of us had one of main choices.  DH had the fish in a wrapper and fried, with a nice salad. I had small tortillas filled with chicken, rolled and fried with salad with tomatoes, guacamole, red onions, and of course black bean purée . Both delicious and we cleaned our plates.

    The first time we went DH had his Azteca soup, assembled bit by bit, the best I've had.  I had a Tlayuda, huge and excellent but a bit too much greens for me. Each dish was a meal for around 60 pesos. Top Notch.imageproxy.php?img=&key=d2a459cbdaa822ccimageproxy.php?img=&key=d2a459cbdaa822ccimageproxy.php?img=&key=d2a459cbdaa822cc

    What a find!

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  13. I heard Susanna do her book talk at the library in Oaxaca. Very interesting. I only got a quick glance at it so I am glad to hear your opinion. I doubt I would cook from in western New York but I am very interested in the village life.

    Susanna has a new little store where she has the book, cooking items, jarred sauces etc. plus local and imported cheeses .

    The book is 500 pesos here, about $30, and I think $41., shipping included, in U.S from her website.

  14. Just a color shot first. Hadn't spotted this before. We can call it a food God and make it food related.

    On a food related theme....yesterday's mid afternoon meal.  DH wanted Chinese buffet, I didn't ,so we went to restaurants next door to each other. I went to a restaurant known for it's healthy food. Started well with a basket of bread and the best fried corn chips, along with tomatillo sauce, cream dip, and those  killer peppers.

     

    i ordered a strawberry fizz or some such with fresh juice and sparkling water. Tasty and refreshing.

    For main I ordered a pad Thai like dish. It turned out to be Lots of broccoli, some clear noodles dipped  in some soy sauce stuff, and peanuts. Not very tasty, no hint of lime or pepper, things shared by both...no zip. But it was edible and broc was cooked perfectly.

    DH may have done better.

     

    Going to lunch nearby, slow food, unique spot.

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  15. First 3 are aqueduct along route to market. Spanish brought water to the city from the mountains.

    This market does have crafts, but more sedate scarves etc. not the bright things.

    Food is mainly comal cooking, and tamales.

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  16. Oaxaca has 2 Organic Markets called Pochote, one quite far south of the centro area and one quite far north. Of all the places mentioned when talking about places to eat the market was a common theme.

    We set off on a Friday (also open Sat.) for the hike north.

    Up we walked alongGarcia Vigil which eventually goes along the side of the aqueduct. There are houses built on top of the aqueduct , and some built into the arches. 

    The market is in the walled courtyard of a church. It was cool and breezy and lovely.

    i got honey and goat cheese right off....been looking for those. Goat cheese is on and in things here but hard to find.

    We started with a large cup of orange /Ginger agua....lovely and refreshing. 

    I got a Tlayuda like thing from a busy vendor. It had black beans,chicken Tinga, queso, tomatoes and was very good. Vendor had plastic wrapped little bowls to show choices. Easy.  Sat in the outdoor food court chatting with other gringos. Everyone liked what they had.....next time a corn husk tamale.

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  17. A few market pictures while I organization some new stuff.

    Breakfast at a new to us courtyard...white and pleasant. Literally $2. With that cute mug of chocolate and a good roll for dipping.

    Choice of plates, ours were good.

    yayi's cafeteria on Garcia Vigil.

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  18. El Huateque, Oaxaca. Continues with pictures

    soup and mixed salad...almost a meal

    Chicken and apple sandwich on house made bread

    Mole Negro with large chicken breast

    Salad again...you can eat salad in Mexico

     

    Coming soon more comidas

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