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Mexico City Dining


Blue Heron

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My problem commenting on the Mexico threads including this is that my experience is limited. I can not say that one place is better than another because I have been to too few places. Nevertheless I do feel that the experience I have had was good and can discuss the places that I have been to. In that context Pujols and El Bajio (the original) were both well worth dining at. As for breakfast I love the Yucatecan scrambled eggs with black beans. I will prepare them every once in a while when I have a pot of black beans available here.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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I had Mexican hot chocolate there one morning and it is without a doubt the single best cup of hot chocolate I have ever had in any country.........and it was made with water.

Yes, after having visited Mexico often, I prefer strong, dark hot chocolate made with water as well.

With a nice dollop of whipped cream on top.

Hot chocolate made with water instead of milk tastes like a dark chocolate candy bar. As opposed to a milk chocolate one.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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This is Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's resto and even though it's on the UNAM campus and does only comida, it is incredibly good. Ricardo is a certified master chef trained in the U.S. and Europe. He's written several excellent cookbooks and the Enciclopdia Culinario which is a seminal work on Mexican cuisine. I had Mexican hot chocolate there one morning and it is without a doubt the single best cup of hot chocolate I have ever had in any country.........and it was made with water.

Great Kalypso. Thanks for the advice. I will make it a point to get to Azul y Oro.

I notice by your sig line that you are a food writer, are you by any chance a member of IACP?  If so, Ricardo works with Marilyn Tausend on her tours and with Rick Bayless as well.

I'm not a member of IACP. James Beard and the Association of Food Journalists, but not IACP.

In addition, Ricardo is a very warm and friendly fellow. When i return to Mexico City his restaurant will be a must for me.

Great doc! Not only will I make it a point to go, I will make it a point to introduce myself.

Thank you both.

Liz Johnson

Professional:

Food Editor, The Journal News and LoHud.com

Westchester, Rockland and Putnam: The Lower Hudson Valley.

Small Bites, a LoHud culinary blog

Personal:

Sour Cherry Farm.

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Unless I missed it on your list, don't leave out Pujol

You're right. I forgot to include it on my list. Probably because it was the first restaurant I reserved and already knew I was going!

Thanks for the reminder, though.

Liz Johnson

Professional:

Food Editor, The Journal News and LoHud.com

Westchester, Rockland and Putnam: The Lower Hudson Valley.

Small Bites, a LoHud culinary blog

Personal:

Sour Cherry Farm.

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Here are some photos from the trip:

Mexico City & Taxco

I'll have to think a bit on the name of the hotel in Taxco (it's the one with the blue doors in the photo), but the best meal we had there was at a pozole shop just off of what I think was the main square.  Utterly sublime.  If you think you might actually go, I'll ask Rancho.  That boy keeps such good notes!

I do what I can!

Pozoleria Tia Calla.

Re: Izote. I've heard of people having less than stellar meals there but there is no way I would go back to DF without eating there again. For a point of reference, I couldn't care less about "fine dining" and and I really dislike the neighborhood. I cook a lot and love to be surprised. I can still taste the deer in the achiote paste, the ant eggs in tortillas, but most especially the shrimp in the fabulous mole of hibiscus flowers.

Visit beautiful Rancho Gordo!

Twitter @RanchoGordo

"How do you say 'Yum-o' in Swedish? Or is it Swiss? What do they speak in Switzerland?"- Rachel Ray

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I notice by your sig line that you are a food writer, are you by any chance a member of IACP?  If so, Ricardo works with Marilyn Tausend on her tours and with Rick Bayless as well.

I'm not a member of IACP. James Beard and the Association of Food Journalists, but not IACP.

BTW, one does not need to be a member of the IACP to go on either Marilyn's or Rick's trips - at least not Marilyn's Culinary Adventure tours or Marilyn and Rick's trip with the CIA World of Flavors Program. I am not sure about other trips that Rick may lead.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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The directions given under Bistro Rojo are for Bistro Mosaico. Bistro Rojo (or Rojo Bistrot) is nearby in the corner of Amsterdam and Parras. Frutos Prohibidos is very close to Bistro Mosaico.

The new location of El Bajio is not in Condesa, but in Narvarte. The actual address is: Centro Comercial Parque Delta, Av. Cuauhtemoc 462, Tel 5538-4733 & 5530-7518. It is located just south of the Viaducto.

La Taberna del Leon is one of Monica Patiño restaurants. Another one, which I recently visited and enjoyed, is Bistro MP in Polanco (Andres Bello 10). The food is Mexican/Asian.

Where exactly is Bella Lulá?

El Tizoncito has several branches including: Tamaulipas & Campeche (Condesa), Campeche & Cholula (Condesa), Londres between Genova & Amberes (Zona Rosa) and Aguayo & Cuauhtemoc (1 block from the main square in Coyoacan)

In making my list to print out (in case I can't get online for some reason in DF), I gathered everyone's comments about the restaurants I'm interested in for my upcoming trip. I thought it might be helpful for all of you.

This list doesn't include every single restaurant discussed on these boards, just the ones I thought I might try. I'm mostly planning on staying away from French, Japanese and Italian when I go to

DF because it's so good here in NYC and I want to eat Mexican food while I"m there.

Because who is making the comments can make a difference, I've included the user names of people after their comments.

[..snip]

Bistro Mosaico

Michoacán 10, Condesa.  good french bistro. nickarte

Bistro Rojo

Av. Amsterdam 70, Colonia Condesa always excellent for French bistro food,  nickarte

(Michoacan between Insurgantes y Amsterdam, next door to Specia). We had an excellent meal. It is a very busy place and they don't take reservations, but the surroundings are very pleasant and there are good places to spend the waiting time: salomonrobyn

[snip]

El Bajio,

in condesa: just opened after 35 years a second spot, in Parque Delta on Ave. Cuahetemoc Ruth in Condechi

[snip]

Frutos Prohibidos

Amsterdam 244 for help with the hang over in the form of great fresh juice combinations Ruth

[snip]

La Taberna del León

Altamirano 46 (in the Plaza Loreto, an old paper factory made into a shopping center, near San Angel)

tel.5916-2110

It is a lovely old-house setting with excellent Mexi-Euro dishes that use locally grown ingredients a la Slow food. nickarte

[snip]

La Bella Lulá

a terrific Oaxacan restaurant near Barranca del Muerto. esperanza

[snip]

Ticoncito

in the condesa for tacos al pastor Ruth in Condechi

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Do you remember the name of the hotel with the blue doors?
Was this the one we stayed at? If so, Hotel Santa Prisca.

Yes, the hotel with the blue doors (in the photo on your website) is the hotel where we stayed in Taxco.

Don't you remember? I think perhaps I worked there.

:cool:

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I still haven't written up notes from my trip, but Aguila y Sol was my favorite!

Other higher end restaurants I dined at were Tezka & El Tajin. Tezka was definitely gourmet but I didn't love it, maybe it was my being a tired from the flight or that the atmosphere didn't have any sort of buzz.

El Tajin was nice but didn't seem gourmet.

Edited by majmaj40 (log)
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  • 3 weeks later...

We're down in DF for a week. I've browsed the boards and found some great info, mostly on the high end places, which I will put to good use.

I may have missed the threads, but I haven't been able to locate much on the cheaper fare on offer in DF. Any suggestions on where to begin to sample some of the city's best streetside/casual fare?

Thanks.

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Of the more casual places I tried, El Bajio was my favorite. There are now two locations. Unfortunately someone else will need to give location details or you can look around the forum for them.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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We're down in DF for a week.  I've browsed the boards and found some great info, mostly on the high end places, which I will put to good use. 

I may have missed the threads, but I haven't been able to locate much on the cheaper fare on offer in DF.  Any suggestions on where to begin to sample some of the city's best streetside/casual fare?

Thanks.

I'm in DF right now too! We ate at a taco joint called El Caminero tonight. It was great. It's located at 138 Rio Lerma, by the Sheraton. We went looking for Del Guero in Condesa, which was recommended by Gourmet, but it's closed until mid-January.

We also had churros con chocolate at el Moro today. I know some consider it to be touristy and mediocre, but I loved it.

I'm curious to see what other responses to your post will suggest. Have a great trip!

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We went to El Califa in Condesa at the corner of Atlata and Alfonso Reyes. This place was different from taco places I've been to in the past--sit down only, no counter, and relatively expensive. I read about it in the Times and Fodor's so decided to give it a try. I thought the tacos were excellent. The meat was much higher quality than usual and marinated well. I really liked the al pastor--great taste from the pieces of pineapple on top. The place was packed and stays open very late. When we wandered around the area we saw a lot of other good looking taco places.

EmilyG-we'll have to try the taco place near the Sheraton. We're actually staying at that hotel. We just came from El Moro a half hour ago, but it was packed so we had some churros to take away.

Thanks for the taco help.

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There is a FANTASTIC new guide book available on Amazon which lists many "low end" ie. real, eating places; it's called:

Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler

By Jim Johnston

Meanwhile, here are a couple of my favorite places:

Mercado de Comidas, Coyoacán

A few blocks from central plaza in Coyoacán; there is an outdoor seafood restaurant that is fabulous (look for the long,long tables) but we go for the INCREDIBLE tostada stand inside in the middle- has to be seen to believed-heaping platters of filling- even our friends from Paris were amazed.

Coox Hanal

Isabel la Catolica 83, 2nd floor, near c/Mesones, (Centro Historico)

Incredible Yucatecan food- only for lunch. Try: Sopa de Lima, Panuchos, Pan de Cazon, horchata to drink. Very cheap!

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There is a FANTASTIC new guide book available on Amazon which lists many "low end" ie. real, eating places; it's called:

Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler

By Jim Johnston

Meanwhile, here are a couple of my favorite places:

Mercado de Comidas, Coyoacán

A few blocks from central plaza in Coyoacán; there is an outdoor seafood restaurant that is fabulous (look for the long,long tables) but we go for the INCREDIBLE tostada stand inside in the middle- has to be seen to believed-heaping platters of filling- even our friends from Paris were amazed.

Coox Hanal

Isabel la Catolica 83, 2nd floor, near c/Mesones, (Centro Historico)

Incredible Yucatecan food- only for lunch. Try: Sopa de Lima, Panuchos, Pan de Cazon, horchata to drink. Very cheap!

Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Recently when my son got back from the DF he told me about "toco con copia" Has any heard that term?

Ask about the taco carts -- but you have to go late at night.

Jmahl

The Philip Mahl Community teaching kitchen is now open. Check it out. "Philip Mahl Memorial Kitchen" on Facebook. Website coming soon.

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Recently when my son got back from the DF he told me about "toco con copia"  Has any heard that term? 

Ask about the taco carts -- but you have to go late at night.

Jmahl

I am from Mexico City and have never heard of such a thing....

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