Mexico City: Street Food Heaven

My boyfriend and I recently went on a two week trip to Mexico City and Peru. We loved every second of this adventure and each others company. Having similar culinary tastes, we particularly enjoyed the delicacies that we encountered along the way and especially the fact that we split everything (the second part, I think I enjoyed a little more).

Saturday

After a red eye flight from San Francisco, we checked into our Airbnb in La Condesa and immediately headed out for brunch. We lucked out, as one of the restaurants that I wanted to go to was just across the street! We grabbed a sidewalk table at Fonda Mayora and ordered some juice and a pastry to start. For our brunch we split the following: Chicharron en Salsa Rojo and Chilaquiles Negros. Both dishes were amazingly flavorful, with fresh and colorful ingredients. We couldn't have picked a better spot to start the trip, then at a traditional restaurant with simple flavors and great execution.

We then recovered from the flight with a long nap, before heading back out to check out the nearby neighborhoods of La Roma and La Condesa.

Our first stop was Mercado Medellín in La Roma for some carnitas tacos, and a chance to explore the local food scene. Per the advice of some online research I had done (particularly the New York Times travel guide and Eater) we stopped at Meche and Rafael’s meat stand for some tacos. Although initially intimidating while ordering, our first taco stand did not disappoint: refer to the picture below for mouthwatering taco perfection.

We then headed to the local Mercado Roma, which was in stark contrast to Mercado Medellín. Instead of a bustling, old market full of stands and local shoppers, Mercado Roma was hip, new, and full of restaurants and bars where you could sit and people watch. We grabbed a few beers and then decided to try the enormous Michealada. With numerous variations, a michelada is generally Mexican beer prepared with lime juice, assorted sauces (often tomato juice), and spices. They can be quite refreshing on a hot, humid day. This was a great stop to people watch and try a variety of foods and drinks.

We wrapped up the day exploring Chapultepec Park and the anthropology museum before heading out for a night on the town, particularly to find a good Mezcaleria. We started at Xampañería which was a fancier cocktail bar that specialized in champagne drinks. It was a young and hip crowd with loud music. Although the drinks were great and the vibe was fun, it ultimately felt way too cool for us, so we headed to our next stop, La Clandestina. This bar was a bohemian mezcal paradise and we absolutely loved it. There were giant barrels of mezcal on the wall and comfy room in the back. We grabbed a spot and started sipping on mezcal with oranges.

Sunday

We spent our Sunday in the neighborhood of Coyoacan. Coyoacan is a beautiful, old neighborhood with a more old school vibe. We had breakfast at Rafaella which was a cute and tasty panaderia (pastry/bread shop). We ordered coffees and a nutella pastry along with eggs poached in a tomato sauce and thick wheat bread. The tomato sauce had flavors of cinnamon and peppers, and was much different than any poached egg dish I had encountered. It was warm and spicy, and oh so good with the thick toasted bread. This place is highly recommended.

We then attempted to go to the Frida Kahlo museum, located in her old blue house. We arrived and realized we had made the fatal mistake of not booking our tickets ahead of time. Take note.

Instead we headed to the main square and to explore the Sunday artisan market as well as Mercado Coyoacan. We later remembered the Euro Cup final was starting soon and headed to a local beer bar called Centenario 107. This was a large open bar with indoor and outdoor seating, an incredible beer list, and a neighborhood feel. Don't get me wrong though, it feels very much like an American beer bar, so if you're looking for a Mexican style cantina, you have come to the wrong place. For us, this was the perfect place to watch the soccer, I mean futbol, game. We then rounded out the day with some tostadas from a stand that was receiving a lot of attention at the market. We ordered, not quite understanding what was happening, but were very happy with the results.

Monday

We woke up early Monday to head to Teotihuacan, which is an incredible archeological site of Aztec ruins about an hour outside of the city.

We headed back to the city, starving for lunch. We went to a taco stand in El Centro that was on my ever growing list, Taqueria los Cocuyos. I cannot recommend this place enough. They are known for the variety and quality of meats (cabeza, tripa, lengua, etc.) and they live up to the hype. We had at least five tacos total, and the man serving them was so kind. He gave us grilled onions and cactus on the side and advice about which salsas to use. This was easily one of our favorite meals of the trip.

For dinner that night we went to a local spot, Alipús Condesa, and sipped on mezcal while enjoying delicious chicken mole enchiladas. Mole when done right is just incredible, and despite how saucy it was, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend finished it all off.

We headed to the airport after breakfast the next morning, full and happy. I cannot say enough about the food in Mexico City, of which I only touched upon because we stopped at so many taco stands, restaurants, and bars that naming them all would be just too much. And yet somehow, there were so many more I wanted to try. Simply said, the food knocked it out of the park. The highlight of the dish was always the protein, how it should be. The sauces were flavorful with just the right amount of spice. And sipping on mezcal turned out to be a nice surprise which I enjoyed more than expected

General Tips:

• Learn some Spanish phrases. Many people do not speak English, especially at the taco stands and in markets.

• Take ubers, they are cheaper and more efficient than taxis.

• Eat the street food, it is delicious!

• Check out the different local markets. There is one in each neighborhood, such as: Mercado Medellin, Mercado Coyoacan, Mercado Merced.

• Neighborhoods to see: La Condesa, La Roma, Polanco, El Centro, Coyoacan.

• Favorite tourist attractions: Chapultepec Park, the Anthropology Museum, the Frida Kahlo Museum, and Teotihuacan.

Restaurants:

• Fonda Mayora: delicious and affordable local Mexican food; great for brunch and lunch; La Condesa

• Alipús Condesa: lunch and dinner with a variety of options; both a restaurant and a bar with a focus on their self produced mezcal; La Condesa

• Taqueria los Cocuyos: amazing taco stand with large variety of meats; highly recommended; El Centro

• Rafaella: serves breakfast and lunch; an inviting restaurant that opens onto the sidewalk; neighborhood vibe; Coyoacan

Cafes and Bars:

• La Moscata: dive bar that serves free food with drinks; very old school Mexican cantina; El Centro

• Centenario 107: beer bar with lots of seating; Coyoacan

• Churrería El Moro: churros con chocolate and coffee, nice cafe with delicious churros; El Centro

• La Clandestina: great Mezcaleria with a bohemina vibe; La Condesa

• Xampañería: hip cocktail bar and upscale young crowd; La Condesa

• Chiquitito Cafe: local cafe with good coffee and pastries; La Condesa

• Mercado Roma: upscale market with restaurants and bars; good outdoor seating and a variety of options; La Roma

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