I am belatedly writing a few blog entries devoted to food and drink from my mid-summer trip to Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. It's challenging to narrow down just a few highlights from the many outings over a month, but pics help me weave through this random, yet delectable, journey. Up first, Mexico City (CDMX)!
Mexico City is, of course, a mecca for typical and fusion Mexican cuisine but also offers just about every other type of food you can imagine in the tapestry of cultures comprising a metropolis of 20+ million souls. La Pitahaya Vegana, a hole-in-the-wall vegan joint incorporates the color pink into just about every dish. Below, are some beet-infused corn tortillas filled with mouth-watering ingredients including roasted cauliflower, coconut milk rice, pickled veggies, and a tangy, citrusy sauce. I'd say La Barbie would approve of this rosy dish and this restaurant.
Some good friends who were sabattical-ing in Mexico City at the time of my visit, took me to Lago Algo, a lovely lake-front restaurant within the green lungs of CDMX, Parque Chapultepec. We shared a sampling of seafood-centric dishes, including Oysters a la Brasa and an array fresh tuna slices marinated in a citrusy and herby concoction. The salad of vibrant and earthy beets combined beautifully in flavor, color, and texture with the endive leaves and citrus dressing.
Although my friend Humphrey was gifted with a Father's Day house-made dessert at the end of our meal, the more memorable post-lunch treat was spending an hour touring the attached modern art facility and feasting our eyes on evocative and creative exhibits focused on social topics. Below is an art display about environmental perils facing our world.
A random hole-in-the-wall favorite that I enjoy in the too-quickly gentrifying Cuauhtémoc neighborhood is Fonda Doña Blanca, where the super affordable food is a mix of typical Mexican breakfast/lunch dishes and more 'American'-style dishes (bacon, egg, pancakes). I thoroughly enjoyed the huevos rancheros, below, drenched in a deeply-earthy and rich mole sauce.
It's also fun sitting on the sidewalk patio and people-watching, as this establishment draws the most wonderful and interesting cross-section of CDMX. You'll see a delightful mix of blue-collar locals and office workers rubbing shoulders with LGBTQI and retired folks, and the occasional, random, hard-to-classify tourist dressed in athleisure wear and speaking a hard-to-classify dialect of Español.
I would be remiss if I didn't revisit the highly-blogged about (and warranted) guayaba roll from Panadería Rosetta (below), a must-have every time I visit CDMX. In addition to all the other delectable French- and Mexican-style pastries, they brew superb coffee drinks and have a knack for curating beautiful outdoor patio spaces with plenty of greenery, shade, and rustic-modern furniture and decor. Panadería Rosetta--a holistically delightful culinary outing that seems to elicit an 'easy like Sunday morning' vibe, where everything seems right in the world.
Exploralogist James has an unwritten rule that any post about Mexico must mention the heavenly Jamaica (hibiscus) agua fresca drink. It especially hit the spot in the warm and slightly humid June weather of this high-altitude city. Since it can be a bit sweet for me, I preemptively ordered a Topo Chico to cut it as I drank it. I have an ongoing joke with friends that I like to think of myself as having an 'easy-breezy' persona, except when it comes to food and drink. Some friends might argue that there are other exceptions. Hmmm, perhaps I have an undiagnosed Goldilocks complex, where I often yearn to find a thing or experience that is 'just right' for me. But, I digress.
For some reason, I only have one picture of the several drink outings in my three days in CDMX. The lovely bar (below) was recommended by the curator of a nearby art gallery, and it happened to be located in an old historic mansion on my favorite European-reminiscent street, Colima. As if that wasn't enough they had an entire section of their cocktail menu featuring fun variations of one of my favorite cocktails, the Negroni. If only I remembered the name of the place, I would award it the (nonexistent) Exploralogist James endorsement.
I guess I was emitting a heavenly aura after finishing my second Negroni with my highly hospitable amigos.
Hasta pronto, CDMX!
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