Pre hispanic dining - trying something exotic

Sat on one of the downtown historic centres prettiest streets sits the "Restaurante Chon" - offering "fine pre-hispanic dining". With an extensive menu including Escamoles, Gusanos, Crocodile and grasshopper to name a few. Don´t be put off by the food combinations here - once you try some of these "delicacies" you maybe be pleseantly suprised and want to try more and more. Choose from a starter, soup, taco and to finish off a traditional mexican dessert.

A brief explanation of some of the food on offer :

Escamoles are the larvae of ants harvested from the roots of the agave or maguey and are considered a delicacy all over Mexico. They have a cottage cheese like consistency and taste buttery, yet slightly nutty.

Gusanos - you may have seen a gusano once open a time sitting in the bottom of a cheap bottle of tequila - the little "worms" are used all over mexico in tacos and some describe them as having a pork or bacon flavour.

Most main dishes at "Chon" cost between 150-250 pesos.

You can try some of this wonderful food at Restaurante Chon - open monday to saturday from 11am-7pm located on Calle Regina 160,Col. Centro - Downtown Mexico city.

http://www.restaurantechon.com/

Meat ! Getting some good "Carnitas".

I recently stopped by the new branch of "Los Gallos" because I didn´t want to cook ! I didn´t expect much but as I waited for 1/2kg of Carnitas in the small little restaurant, I took a little taste of the salsa that was sat on the table and I knew that the meat was going to be good!

Los Gallos has been operating for years and has recently opened its new branch in the Narvarte area of the city close to the Pilares roundabout. You can choose from a selection of tacos, Jalisco style Pozole, Carnitas and Chamorro - certain days of the week have special deals on steaks and red meat.

The staff are very friendly and the little restaurant is very clean. I have to admit that since the first visit, we have been back three times to get take out (in just two weeks) and we actually ordered a variety of things for the Gallos menu for family lunch on sunday which was approved of by all, even the 84 year old grandma !

Half a kilo of Carnitas costs $80.00 - a great price and come with tortillas, salsas and garnishes.

Check out the Los Gallos website for a full menu and price list.

More taco tips - the best of the best .....

Any Mexico city taco fiend will surely know "Tacos Beto - Los de Cochinada", served monday to saturday by the famous Don Beto himself after more than 30 years in the business. You can choose from the usual selection of pastor, longaniza, suadero or chicharrón and ask for your tacos with or without "cochinada"... (all the little bits that end up in the bottom on the pan !) These tasty tacos may look a little offputting to the untrained eye - but after one bite, you will be hooked!

TACOS BETO
LOS DE COCHINADA
Vértiz 1023, Narvarte, monday-thursday 17-4hrs, friday-saturday 19-7hrs.

Medication - getting medicine delivered to you.....

You will notice a very large number of pharmacies in Mexico city. There are many different chain stores within the city and most are open late or have a 24hr delivery service.

We would recommend calling Farmacias del Ahorro on 5593 4000 in Mexico DF and the metropolitan area if you need anything bringing to your hotel. Also, if you are travelling without health insurance - Almost all branches of Farmacias del Ahorro have a small clinic staffed by a GP whom you can visit at no cost.

Travelling to Mexico city with a dog

If you are thinking about coming to Mexico city with a four legged friend you should probably check out Reforma on a sunday morning which will be full of people walking thier dogs and riding thier bikes.

Reforma, one of the cities prinicipal streets is closed until around 2pm on sundays and people come from all over town to enjoy the "pedestrian only" pavements and roads. Usually dance groups and bands also play on the corners around the Angel of Independence monument and if can also pick up a free bike for the morning and afternoon at one of the little stands on Reforma if you leave an official form of identification.

Other "dog walking" areas are the Condesa, where every resident seems to own atleast three dogs and also "Parque España" also located in the condesa area on Nuevo Leon.

Fonda Margarita - a must "eat" in Mexico City.

http://restaurantes.rinconesdemitierra.com/restaurante/fonda-margarita/#fonda-margarita

They say that the Fonda Margarita has been open for over 50 years but the official date is a secret that the owners say that they can´t reveal. From the street you

could easily pass by Fonda Margarita without realising that you had walked by one of the cities best places to stop if you want to try real authentic cooking.

Everything at the small fonda is cooked in traditional clay Ollas and cooked on carcoal giving all the food the deep and rich flavour that can cannot be found everywhere nowadays with gas being a cheaper and quicker fuel for cooking.

The fondas speciality are the beans and scrambled eggs served with fresh hand made tortillas but every day of the week the menu has a slight variation for you to choose from and to accompany your breakfast "fillers". The small fonda has around eight or so long tables and customers from lawyers and suits to builders and taxi drivers sit side by side to enjoy the wonderful food dashed with fresh made salsas.

I´d recommend going on a wednesday when meatballs are on the menu - they really are the best meatballs that I have ever tasted in my life !! Expect to pay about $120 mexican pesos for a very large breakfast for two including coffee.

Fonda Margarita is open from 5am until 11am Monday to Saturday, closed sundays and is located on : Adolfo Prieto 1364, Col. Narvarte.

Check to link above for a website featuring a small video on the fonda.

Tacos! Where to find the best tacos in DF!

Tacos El Chupacabras at the side of Sanborns at the Centro Coyoacan shopping centre are worth a visit for anyone who wants to taste some of Mexico cities best authentic street tacos.

Mexico city must have thousands of taco stands - you can find tacos on almost every street but the Chupacabras are known all over the city and people from all walks of life visit the small stand in the Coyoacan area to taste the original "chupa cabras" taco - Even the NY times have been here and written about the little place.

Chupacabras is open everyday of the week - passing the shopping mall in Coyoacan make a left and the taco stand will be there with a few others, look out for the sign !

Nearest metro station : coyoacan

Drinking in Mexico city - showing your I.D

One thing that most people don´t take out in thier bags when they are wandering around Mexico city is Identification but its a very good idea if you want to be able to buy alcohol and sit and have a beer or two. Federal law states that any person caught selling alcohol to minors can face upto a 7 year prison sentence and for that reason, especially in Mexico city, no matter if you look 25 or 65, you may be asked to show your proof of age before you are served with alcohol, so remember, always carry official I.D!

Live music - Fernando Delgadillo

One of the best mexican "trova" artists, Fernando Delgadillo will be playing an intimate show at bookstore and coffee shop "El Péndulo" next month - its sure to be a good evening for those you can make it. Check out Fernando Delgadillos website or Youtube to listen to his music.

Fernando Delgadillo - 5 March 2011 at 9.30pm - tickets $320mx

El Péndulo, Zona Rosa

Hamburgo 126 Col. Juárez en la Zona Rosa
06600 México D.F, Ciudad de México
México

Alternative places to stay in Mexico City

Hotel/Motel Las Piramides is a very pretty, large hotel located on Eje Central in the Narvarte area of the city. You wont have to google for too long to understand what a motel usually involves in Mexico but the modern and pretty place has both motel and hotel price lists with rooms divided until "motel" and "hotel" accordingly - so be sure when checking in to ask for a hotel room if you don´t wish your room to be complete with "massage oils and magic powders"!.

If you check online you will find great reviews for the hotel - its clean and the rooms are large with King size beds. The hotel would be a great place for anyone on a budget or anyone not wishing to spend too much money on hotels whilst in the city. The hotel is also located in a very safe residential area which is heavily patrolled at night by police and only a ten minute trolleybus ride from the downtown historic area of the city.

Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 1176 Col San Simón Ticuman between Pilares and Miguel Laurent

http://hotelmotelpiramides.com.mx/

La Propina - A quick thought on Tipping !

Tipping is common is many situations in Mexico, from tipping the guy that helps you to safely park your car to the kid that packs your bags in the supermarket. We often comment here that we "can´t do anything without having to pay someone" - meaning that we frequently are expected to tip for things that many foriegners would find strange.

Most waiting and bar staff in Mexico city will earn a flat paid salary of between 50-100 Mexican pesos per shift. Take into account that most of these people will work atleast 10 hours if not more for that salary and are expected to pay thier bills with the tips that they recieve.

In most places in Mexico city, the tip or service charge usually will not be included in the bill so its always advisable to leave a 5-10 peso tip for small things like a beer or two or 10-15% for a larger bill if you think that you recieved good service.

People that you are not expected to tip : Cab Drivers - car drivers will not expect a tip unless you have been using the same driver for an extended period of time or someone from a private service, in these situations you could leave a tip as a sign of thanks at the end of your trip.

Churros ! a sweet treat not to be missed!

I just came back from eating Churros so I had to write about the wonderful fried delights!

Churros are abit like donuts, made from thick batter and deep fried in hot oil until they are crisp and golden. Popular all over Latin America, Mexican churros are usually slightly thicker and come dusted with sugar and cinnamon and served with traditional mexican hot chocolate - delicious !

Churros can be found all over the city but there are two places that you may want to check out if

you want to try authentic mexican churros - "El Convento" and "El Moro".

CHURROS EL CONVENTO - the famous cafe south of the city that has been open since 1977 that reportedly make and sell over 2,500 churros on a daily basis. The churros at "El convento" are known for being crunchier than in other places in the city. Choose from three types of hot chocolate to go with your churros (sweet, mexican or semi sweet) or if you feel like eating alittle more, El Convento also sells Tortas (mexican sandwiches) and hamburgers, sodas and milkshakes. A new "branch" of El Convento has recently opened across the street located at Av. de la paz 53, local 3. Expect to pay $35 mexican pesos for a cup of chocolate and four churros and aprox. $35 mexican pesos for a large sandwich.

You can find the original branch of Churros El Convento at Plaza del Carmen 4, San Ángel. Open Monday to Friday from 8am until 1am and Saturdays and Sundays 9am until midnight.

Tel : 5616 0978

EL MORO - Another legendary Mexico city "Churreria" located in the centre of the city close to the

main square and Bellas Artes on Eje Central. El Moro is open 24hrs a day but only serves Chocolate and Churros in the early hours of the morning. El Moro is larger than El Convento and alot more expensive.

El Moro is located at :

• Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 42, Ciudad de México, México
• Tel : 55 12 08 96
• 
  
• El Convento vs El Moro - if you want the real churro experience I would say that El Convento is the better of the two places. El Convento is smaller and has a nicer atmosphere, the service is quick and the Churros are very fresh. Also, El Convento is almost half the price of downtowns "El Moro".

Outside of the city...

Anyone visiting Mexico city or spending anytime here wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle should think about visiting Tepoztlán - a small town of just over 32,000 residents located a short drive away from DF in the state of Morelos.

According to myth, Tepoztlan is the birthplace over 1200 years ago of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god widely-worshipped in ancient Mexico.

It has not yet been possible to determine who first inhabited the area. The earliest findings of pottery and other ceramic utensils date back to approximately 1500 BCE.

By the 10th century CE the Toltec culture was predominant in the area. Tepoztlán is said to have been the birthplace of Ce Acatl, a very important Toltec leader, later known as Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, and who may be the possible historical basis of the Mesoamericangod Quetzalcoatl.

During the Spanish Conquest Hernán Cortés is said to have ordered the town razed after the refusal of the town leaders to meet him. This event was chronicled by Bernal Díaz del Castillo in The Conquest of New Spain.

The town has a rich history and plenty to see and is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after areas with many wealthy mexicans snapping up weekend and summer houses in the town.

If travelling to Tepoz in a large group you may wish to rent a house for your stay. We recommend looking at www.laquintadimension.com for a beautiful rental house in the pretty town. The owner has one large home in Tepoztlán and a smaller condo at Valle de Bravo available for rent year round. Reservations can be made by contacting the owners son, Fabian Aldama on the telephone number listed on thier website who can arrange bookings of both properties and speaks fluent english for any of you non spanish speakers.

Odün - our new favourite place in the Condesa

Our new favourite place in the Condesa offers a mix of "asain" cuisine from countries such as thailand and cambodia with north african dishes such as Lamb Tangine also creeping onto the menu. The menu has a great range of starters, mains and desserts - try the chai creme brulee, its to die for!

Portions are a good size and the menu is priced very well for the quality of food and given that most condesa restaurants can be slightly on the expensive side. Everything we were served seemed to be very fresh and prepared to order which is always a plus!

We spent just over $500.00 pesos for 3 courses for two plus drinks and came away very satisfied.

Odun is open from 1pm until 11pm, 7 days a week with live music playing atleast twice a week.

Odün

Michoacán 103-A

Col. Roma Norte

Tel. 5211 6565

The abandoned blog !

The mexico city blog has been abandoned for a long time - but we are back and will be blogging again as of this week !

English Language tours of Downtown Mexico City

There are many guided tours available in Mexico city and your hotel should have a long list from which you can pick from.

If you looking for a guided tour in the Downtown "Historic" centre of the city we would highly recommend contacting Amy De La Serna at mexicocitytours@hotmail.com, she can arrange the tour and arrange a guide to suit your specific needs - the tours are available in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese and are available 7 days a week for $370.00mx per couple (check prices for larger groups) . The difference with the tour is that the guides all speak very fluent english and have a great knowledge of the area and all have a genuine interest in the history of the city. All in all, it is a great priced service which takes visitors from Bellas Artes and the Post office building down to the main square and its surrounding tourist sites. Tours generally last a full day and a lot of walking is involved so good pair of shoes is advised.

Xochimilcos "Island of Dolls".....

This bizarre little place is located in the canals of Xochimilco. Island and "musuem" owner Julian Santana began covering the island in dolls and asking them to protect him and the island over fifty years ago. Nowadays the island is cared for by a relative of the now deceased Julian Santana. The island is open to visitors for a small fee - its a strange and slightly creepy place but worth taking the time to visit if you are in Xochimilco.

http://www.xochimilco.df.gob.mx/turismo/isladelasmunecas.html

You can read Julian Santanas story on the official government site linked above (in spanish).

Mero Toro - dining in the Condesa

Mero Toro came as a breathe of fresh air to the Condesa scene. Mero Toro is one of the Condesas hippest places to eat out. After a brief period when standards waivered, its nice to see that Mero Toro is back on top form. If you want to experience contemporary Mexican dining at its best you should give Mero Toro a try. Although the drinks list is a little expensive, dinner for this sort of place is a steal and you can eat for under $600.00mx.

Sadly Bartender Joseph has recently left Mero Toro so we hope that they find a replacement soon who can make a mojito just as good as Mero Toros last head Bartender.

Mero Toro
Ámsterdam 204
Between Iztacihuatl & Chilpancingo
Condesa
Tel. 5564-7799
Open Sunday through Saturday, 2-11:00PM (closed Monday)

Nearest Metro Station Chilpancingo

More on Supermarkets

We have blogged before on supermarkets but this is another tip for anyone wishing to shop at the supermarket in the city to save money or anyone that plans to be in the city for a long period of time.

Around the city you will find a wide variety of supermarkets - the cheapest is Chedraui, with large stores all over the city.

There is also a very nice supermarket in the Narvarte area of the city. City market is slightly small and you certainly won´t be able to do a full shop there, although if you want high quality produce, a wider selection of meats, wines or cheese - city market is the place for you to shop. The bakery at city market is far better then bakeries at the other supermarkets in the city and you will also find a wider range of luxury snacks and chocolates. Give it a try !

http://www.citymarket.com.mx/nuestras_tiendas.html

Cheap eating in Condesa

Located on one of the condesas prettiest streets is Boca 21. A deli serving fresh and healthy food from 9am-10.30pm, 7 days a week. The deli specialises in tasty sandwiches with fillings such as salmon, turkey and spanish chorizo. The deli also has a range of pasta, salad and "woks" to choose from. Customers can choose from a range of fresh juice or wines and beers to go with thier meals but note that the deli does not sell sodas. If you feel hungry and need to eat cheaply in the condesa you should definatley give this place a try - the sandwiches are available on four types of bread with a wide variety of fillings and although simple, they are very tasty. Prices range from $40.00-65.00mx.

Boca 21 Deli

Amsterdam e iztlazihuatl 36

Esquina con Iztaccihuatl

Col. Condesa

Tel. 5584-8466