Eating BIG in Mexico City Pt. 3

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Ciudad de Mexico

I spent four nights in Mexico City this past April after attending a bachelor party in Cabo San Lucas (report coming soon). I figured if I was going to go to Cabo I might as well go somewhere else that was a little more desirable as far as travel in Mexico goes. Well it’s tough to get more interesting than Mexico City - one of the world’s great cities not just for food but for exploring too.

Pics from Mexico City

This was my fourth trip to North Americas largest city. I don’t rank my best food cities in order as it’s pretty much a preference when it comes to liking a place like London or Paris better. But what can’t be debated is the greatness of the world’s best food cities of which Mexico City is without a doubt included. Simply put it’s one of my favorite food cities in the world with few if any true weaknesses. You can get some of the best street food here as well as interesting chef driven world class dishes. It’s always a good idea to mix it up as far as these type of spots go. I will always give a slight preference to the mom and pop stands that have served their neighborhoods for multiple generations but good food knows no limits in this city despite what a recent article in the NYT might say.

Pics from Mexico City
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Mixiotes Garrido Estilo Hidalgo

We arrived in Mexico City on an early Tuesday morning. Unfortunately my friend who I was traveling with was feeling sick (as were others from our group in Cabo). But we had to wait to check into our Airbnb so we dropped off the luggage and walked over to the Tianguis Condesa which is an open air market every Tuesday in the hip and happening Condesa neighborhood. There’s an excellent taco stand here ran by a family from Hidalgo that takes the 80 minute drive into CDMX each week. They sell lamb mixiote - a traditional pit-barbecue meat dish popular in central Mexico, in which the meat is cooked inside a wrapper, traditionally in the outer skin of an agave leaf. Mark my words readers, these mixiote tacos are some of the best tacos in all of Mexico City. If I’m in town on a Tuesday this place is a must for me. I think I’ve been here every visit to town that I've made. Unfortunately I fell ill about a half hour after eating here and me and my buddy had to post up at a park and wait to get into our Airbnb where we passed out for the rest of the day. Note: it was very likely a touristy spot in Cabo that got us sick, as a handful of others from our group were also sick. I should've known better. 

Lamb Mixiote Taco at The Tianguis Condesa Market
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Canton Mexicali

After passing out for the rest of the day and night we woke up the next day feeling a bit better after my buddy went to the local Farmacia to get us some meds. After that we walked over to Koots Canna for some herbal remedies. FYI cannabis is legal for medicinal purposes and decriminalized for recreational use in Mexico City, and there’s a full blown dispensary that may or may not be licensed although it’s temporarily closed according to Google. The flower that we got at Koots really saved us as we were both feeling much better after smoking and we started to develop an appetite too. Chinese food seemed like a good move as far as eating and we were off to Canton Mexicali, a popular Chinese restaurant named after the Baja California capital that’s home to Mexico’s largest Chinese contingent. The Chinese food in Mexicali is similar to American Chinese but with Mexican influence - think jalapeños in the fried rice and so forth. Canton Mexicali is serving up that style of Chinese food and locals are loving it as this place stays busy. We kept our order rather tame as we weren’t fully recovered but a bowl of Dan Dan, spicy wontons, and fried rice had us feeling better.

Mexicali Chinese food at Canton Mexicali
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TACOS METEORO

Every time I visit Mexico City I come with a list of new and hot taco spots that I want to check out. I keep it handy when walking around and if we happen to pass by any of them I’ll make a stop out of it. That’s how we ended up at Tacos Meteoro in Roma. They serve up traditional Yucatecan-style tacos including a taco de trompo yucateco that grabbed my attention when I was doing a bit of research. I also liked that they only had five total tacos on the menu. I tried the trompo taco and the taco de lechon made with slow roasted piglet and both of them hit the spot. The trompo was super small and the slices were tiny too but as to be expected at a Yucatecan taco spot the salsa bar was stellar.

Yucatecan Tacos at TACOS METEORO
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Fideos Chinos 

By the time dinner time had rolled around my friend wasn’t all that hungry so I pulled out my map and took a look at what was nearby with this Chinese noodle shop being that nights winner. Asian food is really booming in Mexico City right now and I had quite a few spots on my to try list including this Chinese noodle specialist that for some reason calls their bowls of noodles ramen. For those wondering why I would eat Asian food in Mexico City well I eat Asian food all the time and also bc a bowl of noodle soup sounded exactly like what I needed as far as getting better goes. This was a really well made bowl of noodle soup with both the broth and the noodles being better than expected.

Chinese Noodles at Fideos Chinos
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El Remolkito de Sirloin

When my friend decided to call it a day I started to get a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) and decided I would go check out one of the newly opened taco spots on my list with El Remolkito de Sirloin not too far from our Airbnb. They’re serving up tacos de trompo de sirloin which are all the rage in Mexico City these days. Trompo de Sirloin is the beef version of al pastor and I counted more than eight cones of spinning meat in action at El Remolkito on my visit which was a bit later in the night so there was only like a 10 minute wait granted I was all by myself. I ordered two tacos de sirloin with corn tortillas plus one on flour with cheese. The tacos were delivered with a killer salsa tray that included a bunch of awesome condiment toppings too. The meat for these is sliced fresh to order by one of countless taqueros working in the open air kitchen. Great taste and texture on these.

Tacos de Sirloin and Salsas at El Remolkito
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Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales

We were each feeling much better by our third day in town and we were up early to go check out the Centro Histórico district which is the city’s beating heart. We had no idea that 1000’s of locals would also me making their way over there as it was May 1st aka May Day - a public holiday in Mexico celebrated on May 1st every year in commemoration of workers' unions. The area was packed with tons of different union groups from all over Mexico and many of them had the same idea as us - tacos de canasta for breakfast. As this was my friend’s first trip to Mexico City I made sure to take him to quite a few of the classics and Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales is among the city’s most iconic taco stops. They’re known for their “basket tacos” which are corn tortillas stuffed with stews like tinga, potatoes, or beans, that are fried by dumping a bunch of hot oil on top of them and they’re left to sit and seep up all the oil feeding a ton of flavor in the process. The tacos are then kept warm in a basket for serving. Los Especiales has been serving up tacos de canasta for more than four decades and they sell over 40,000 a day so you can imagine how busy this place was on what’s one of the busiest days of the year in Centro Histórico. That said we just beat the rush but if you do meet a line do know they move it fast. They only offer four types of tacos de canasta so I always get one of each and load them up with the incredible avocado salsa sitting in massive jugs for customers to add as they please. These tacos always hit the spot and are especially good if you drank too much the night before.

Tacos de Canasta at Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales
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Mercado de Jamaica

Next move was to take my friend to my favorite market in town - the Mercado de Jamaica aka the flower market. This lively market is packed with fresh flowers, colorful fruit, and one of the best tacos in town too. I’m by no means a floraphile but like most people I find flowers to be pretty and smell good too and you’ve likely never seen as many as you will at the city’s flower market. It’s truly a sight (and smell) to behold. But truth be told I always come here specifically for the green chorizo taco at a popular food stall inside the market. You can find this life changing taco at a stand called Las Más Altas Montañas however they do not have a sign so instead you’re looking for the food stand with a yellow awning. It’s ran by a man from Toluca, a city located about an hour west of DF that’s well known for its chorizo. Each day of the week, except Tuesday, the owner and his staff make the trip from Toluca to DF to set up shop at the market. Red chorizo, blood sausage, and cecina are all options but the green chorizo is why I come here every time I’m in town. Chilangos come from every direction far and wide to buy meats which are sold raw by the kilo and also tacos too. Green chorizo gets it color from a bunch of herbs used when stuffing the pork. It’s also loaded with pine nuts, peanuts and almonds which are what give green chorizo its unique taste and crunch. The salsas here are also spot on so add whatever looks good and get ready to experience taco nirvana upon first bite.

Tacos de Chorizo Verde at the Mercado de Jamaica
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Tacos el Paisa "Lengua"

My buddy loves lengua (cow tongue) so I did a lil digging and dug up a working man’s stand said to have some of the best tacos de Cabeza and lengua in town. It’s a little corner cart called ‘Tacos El Paisa’ on Google but there’s tons of spots that have that name in some form or fashion so it seems like the locals call this stand ‘Tacos El Paisa Lengua’ but the address is basically Tehuantepec 56B in Roma Sur so it’s easy to find. Just look for the stand with the line that starts forming before they open at 5:30 in the afternoon on every day but Sunday. I could tell those in line with us were all locals, some of whom were finishing their work day while others that were just starting it. I must admit the tacos de cabeza were different then what I was expecting and not the more typical finely chopped meat that I'm used to. But one taco here is more like 3 or 4 as you get a plate loaded with meat and a few tortillas on top to eat it with. I feel like this place is about as local as you can get in these parts.

Tacos de Cabeza at Tacos El Paisa
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Taqueria Los Parados

Taqueria Los Parados was the second stop of a pre-dinner taco crawl consisting of a couple spots that were on the route we were walking. I’d been here before as this was actually the first place I ever tried tacos de trompo de sirloin on my first trip to the city back in 2017. Some people say Los Parados was the first spot to serve beef trompo tacos in Mexico City but we were here for their tacos de arracharra which those in the know say are the best steak tacos in CDMX. These are made with real skirt steak that’s grilled over a live fire before being chopped and crisped up on a hot flattop and you can immediately taste the quality of the beef upon first bite. Believe it or not skirt steak isn’t all that common with steak tacos in Mexico so these cost a little more than the normal steak tacos made with bistec. It’s well worth the small upcharge as we both agreed these were outstanding steak tacos.

Tacos de Arracharra at Taqueria Los Parados
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Voraz

We met a friend of mine from the food world who lives in Mexico City for dinner at a hot and trending place called Voraz. My buddy is from the Chicagoland area originally but now lives with his Chilango wife in Mexico City where he runs a popular pizza place. We had both heard things about Voraz so we decided we would meet up for some food and drink and catching up as this would be the first time we crossed paths since the last time I was in Mexico City back in 2022. Voraz is a self described “Gastro Cantina” working out of a an old mechanics garage in Roma Sur. The menu leans into the food and flavors of Northern Mexico where head chef Emiliano Padilla is originally from. This is a great place to go with a group as the menu is very shareable and there’s some very lively vibes on the inside where there's an open air kitchen utilizing an open fire cooking technique. We sat outside where the restaurant where the surrounding area felt like we could be at a bistro somewhere in Paris. The food however was not mistakable for somewhere in Paris as this was real Mexican food executed at the level of a well trained chef and while there’s plenty of well trained chefs in Paris there’s no such thing as good Mexican food there. All three of us agreed this was a very good meal. I don’t recall there being a dud in the bunch but if I had to pick I would say the fried oyster Gordita was my favorite bite of the meal. That said the McAllen taco, a chef driven crispy taco, was also really, really good.

French lettuce salad with avocado dressing. Topped with toasted beef machaca, cured egg yolk, and Cotija cheese foam

Taco with flour tortilla on the outside and crispy corn inside, intense cheddar cheese sauce, marinated black angus, onion caramelized with mezcal, lettuce and pico de gallo. Accompanied by sauce morita's tatemada


Wood-fired broccoli rabe with epazote butter and chile piquin, served with roasted pumpkin seed milk, hoja santa oil, fried corn powder, and pasteurized egg yolk

Freshly made butter flour gordita filled with fried oysters, avocado, and a celery salad with mizuna and herbal mayonnaise

Baja California rockfish, grilled with garlic butter. Served over black recado emulsion. Finished with tortilla ash and seaweed. Accompanied by charred avocado and tortillas
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Tacos del Valle

As I had mentioned earlier Tacos de Trompo de Sirloin are very popular in Mexico City right now. The trend comes from Monterrey which seems to be a place that heavily influences Mexico City’s taco scene these days. There’s been a handful of Monterrey taco spots to open locations in Mexico City of late. Tacos del Valle in Roma Norte is as popular as any of them or at least it was when we were there in April - food trends can die as fast they rise in CDMX. That said the product here was very good with not one but three different types of tacos de trompo on offer as well as eight different salsas ranging from mild to extra hot. For the tacos de trompo they make a classic with pork belly slathered in red adobo, a carne asada trompo, and a black pork belly version coated in a carbonized-chile rub. They’re all slivered to order and stuffed into very good corn tortillas that were being made by an older lady right in front of us at the taco bar. The charro beans were also of note - some of the best I’ve had.

Trompo Orden Mixta at Tacos Del Valle
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Taquería El Jarocho

On our final day we struck out at a favorite street food stand of mine that was randomly closed but that opened up the door for Taquería El Jarocho which I hadn’t visited before this. El Jarocho is a colorful spot known for their tacos guisados which they’ve been serving up since 1947. The tacos options here are abundant with tacos de milanesa soaked in salsa morita being a big seller so that was an easy call for me while my buddy got the Veracruz style lengua guisado taco. I can’t believe this was my first time here as these were outstanding tacos that I’ll be adding to my regular rotation.

Tacos de Guisado at Taquería El Jarocho
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El Hildalguense

Speaking of regular spots in the rotation we managed to get over to El Hildalguense as it happened to be a Friday which meant it was one of the three days of the week this iconic barbacoa restaurant is open, Saturday and Sunday being the others. El Hildalguense is named after Hidalgo, the state where lamb mutton is pit roasted for barbacoa. Both the sheep and the goat are rubbed down with salt, wrapped in maguey leaves, and buried underground with coals and left to roast overnight. The meat is trucked into DF from Hidalgo and you can order it by weight or get a taco plate made with thick blue corn tortillas and served with salsa, white onion, cilantro, and avocado. An order of consommé is considered an essential part of the meal. Both tacos and salsas were as good as I remembered them to be. If you’re in town over the weekend I wound consider El Hildalguense to be an absolute must.

Barbacoa Tacos at El Hildalguense
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Comal Oculto

We had a lovely little lunch at Comal Oculto where the focus is heirloom corn in many forms. First up was the flauta ahogada which tasted even better than it looks - a chicken flauta is smothered in salsa verde and mole both of which melded so well together. Then there’s the enmolada which is similar to an enchilada except it’s covered in mole which in this case was one of the most complex versions I’ve come across as one bite it was sweet and the next bite it was savory - just so, so good. Lastly I knew I had to try the Taco Chamorro as 1) it came rec’d by a friend in the food world and 2) I watched a guy pull up on a bike and drop off a bag of pristinely cut pork shanks. All of this was made in a kitchen that can fit 3-4 people max. Safe to say this place is great but be prepared to wait as there’s only 14 seats and people are there to try a few dishes each so it’s not quick like a street food stand even though you do eat in the street. After lunch we took a stroll thru the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood and it’s a really lovely area that I will try to explore more of the next time I’m in Mexico City.

Flauta Ahogada


Taco Chamorro


Enmolada at Comal Oculto
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Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú

My friend and I have hit up a few baseball games over the years while traveling and we decided to add the Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú to our list of stadiums visited. That’s where the Diablos Rojos del México aka the Mexico Red Devils play their home games in the Mexican League. The Red Devils have won a record 18 league championships and are a popular draw when they play. hey currently feature former New York Yankee Robinson Cano at second base. We got tickets online and took an uber over there which was unfortunately during the height of rush hour thus it took at least an hour to go what was only 10 or so miles. But the experience was worth it as both the play on the field and the food in the stands was fun. We tried a bunch of things including the stadiums most popular and well known food offering, tacos de Cochinita, which were so much better than your typical stadium food.

Food and Beisbol at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú
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Tacos al Pastor and Vulcans at Tacos El Vilsito

After the game we had one final stop in the taco rich Narvarte neighborhood, or rather two final stops in one swoop. First up was Tacos El Vilsito which for me serves up the best tacos al pastor in Mexico City and the world by extension. Believe it or not there’s not an unlimited number of great taco al pastor options in DF. There’s more here than just about anywhere but not all trompo cones are created equal. Many sit untended for hours and those are the ones you want to avoid. The best tacos al pastor spots aren’t hidden bc the best al pastor comes from a constant crowd of customers resulting in a spit of pork that’s always being tended too. Tacos El Vilsito is open until 1a and it stays pretty busy during the evening hours which is when I like to go. I always get a few tacos al pastor con todo which includes cilantro, onion, pineapple and salsa and are sliced to order. My other go-to item here is the Vulcan al Pastor which is a crisped up corn tortilla that's grilled and not fried resulting in a crisp but semi chewy tortilla that's loaded up with fresh sliced al pastor and tons of melted cheese. Tacos Tony is right across the street and they're popular for their tacos de suadero which is Mexico City's other claim to fame in Mexican gastronomy. Suadero comes from cuts of beef that are fried and chopped to order and it's just as good as al pastor. Some have said they noticed a decline in Tacos Tony which now has a full fledged sit-down spot across the street from their original stand. Sure there's better suadero out there but not paired in an easy 1-2 punch like this. That's it for this trip!

Tacos de Suadero at Tacos Tony
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Previous Posts You Might Like:

Eating BIG in Mexico City (2017)

Eating BIG in Mexico City Pt.2 (2022)

See ya next time @chibbqking

Click HERE from my Google Maps Guide to Mexico City

Eating BIG in Mexico City Pt. 2

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Return to CDMX

After a few days in Puebla it was time to head to the big city. Big city as in the fifth largest city in the world - Mexico City aka CDMX. It had been more than five years since we last visited. Hopefully that's the longest stretch in between visits bc Mexico City is one of my favorite places in the world. Of course it starts with the food which is a melting pot of regional Mexican food. The street food in Mexico City is commonly mentioned as some of the best anywhere and it is but as I would learn on this trip the fine dining is equally awesome. Me and the wife were joined by my aunt and uncle so I made sure to have a handful of reservations in place so we weren't running around trying to find a spot where we could get seated. Mexico City's size means there's never an off night. Reservations are highly recommended at any spot you really want to check out that takes them. Last trip in I ate a ton of tacos and other street food favorites but we didn't get a single reservation so you don't need them unless you plan on checking out the city's nighttime dining scene which you most definitely should. 

 

Sights from CDMX

Mexico City is a magical place. The type of spot you could just walk around for days on end and never do the same thing twice. It's a huge city in both population and size. Tourists tend to stay in a few specific neighborhoods but they don't feel very touristy. Trendy and developed, yes, but it's an actual city and not a resort town. Cities this size always have an electric feel and CDMX is voltaic. One of the things I love about it is you could make yearly visits that are never the same as before whether it's the sites you see or the restaurants you eat at. There's something for everybody and for me it starts with the food but I also love the country as a whole. The people, the music, the natural beauty, and yes the food. Mexico City is without a doubt one of the worlds best eating destinations.

Sights from CDMX

CDMX is the type of spot that gives me crazy FOMO (fear of missing out). What I mean by that is there's literally 1000's of spots I want to check out. As always I tried to get to as many as I could but I also tried not to go too hard (easier said than done for me). Actually for the first time in all of my trips to Mexico my guts of steel were penetrated and my appetite was lost completely. This would last for only a day but it was the day I'd made reservations at Quintonil which is one of Mexico's most critically acclaimed restaurants.It's a hard reservation to snag so I was sad to miss it but what can you do. I ended up losing a day basically but was able to recover by the next morning so I was thankful for that. We stayed in Roma Norte which is one of those neighborhoods I mentioned as being popular with tourists and it is but it's also popular with younger locals which means there's some great places to eat and drink. My favorite non-food experience of the trip was a visit to the Mercado de Jamaica (the flower market). It's well worth exploring with all sorts of sights and smells to take in.

Sights from CDMX
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Migrante

On our first night in town there weren't as many dinner options as it was a Monday and many spots were closed. But it was also my wife's bday and a place that was open was Migrante which was one of the spots near the top of my list as far as reservations go. So it was a no brainer to do our first dinner in CDMX at a place people call a Michelin level restaurant. They have an ala carte menu but those that praised Migrante all did so in the name of the tasting menu which is nine courses. Exactly how much per person I forget but under $100 which was a steal of a deal. The young chef stepped out of the kitchen to describe each dish to us to the best of his ability which was pretty damn good. Most people in Mexico speak better English than we do Spanish. Nonetheless you should totally trust this young chef bc I thought this was the best meal of the trip and one of the better, more interesting tasting menus I've ever had the pleasure of trying. You could tell the chef is well versed in food as a whole as each one of these dishes had hints of another cuisine with Asian food being an obvious influence. While each course was as interesting as the next his signature duck dish was out of this world. I'm not even a big duck guy but that might've been the best thing that I ate on this trip.

Course One: Crispy Prawn (eat like a taco) inspired by the street food of Thailand

 Course Two: Pan con Suadero y Kimchi

 Course Three: Churro with Foie Gras and Truffle

Course Four: Melon, Tuna, Ikura, XO, Yuzu, Melon Consomme

Course Five: Ensenada Scallop wrapped in Shiso Leaf with Kefir and Sake Broth

Course Six: Carpaccio, Pistachio, other delicious things wrapped in mystery leaf (my Spanish sucks) sitting on top crispy fried potatoes

Course Seven: Local Ensenada fish, dry aged, robata grilled, saffron foam. Inspired by fish stews of Morocco

Course Eight: Aged Duck Breast, Charred Carrots, Plum Puree, Sake, Yuzu

Course Nine: Totally forgot what this one was. But it was awesome. It all was.
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Mi Compa Chava

Some of you might be familiar with LAtaco. For those that aren't it's a "major source of news and information covering food, culture, and community in the metropolitan area." It's ran by an A+ team that's led by Editor Javier Cabral who's a good dude whom I know through the food world. Javier knows a ton about about food and I totally trust his judgement so I knew a trip to Mi Compa Chava was going to be really good as he called it the best place in CDMX to get mariscos at the moment. This was probably the number one spot on my hit list which might seem odd since Mexico City is landlocked but Chilango's go crazy for seafood and Mi Compa Chava has been welcomed by them with open arms. It's ran by a chef with Baja connections which is where all of the product comes from. This was the best seafood I've ate in a non-coastal place. I wish we could've returned for more as there was lots of stuff worth trying but whatever you get make sure theres an order of Camarones Zarandeados with it.

Baja Chopped Clams + Pepper

Costra Taco de Camarones

Ceviche estilo Sinaloa

Camarones Zarandeados

Chicharron de Pescado
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Restaurante Rosetta

Rosetta is the type of spot you want to make a reservation for if you really want to go. It's always busy and it's the type of place you'll find lots of groups dining out. The food is Italian but it's rooted in a deep respect for Mexican ingredients. The menu is constantly changing with what's local and in-season but you can always expect a few pasta options one of which was really interesting on our visit. But first up was an order of "tacos" bc I always have to try the tacos even when they're a metaphor for whats really an interesting dish made with both romeritos and pistachio pipian verde sitting on top of a piece of savoy cabbage which is used like a tortilla. Romeritos are what Mexicans call the edible plants that also go by quelites. I read that they spring up in agricultural fields in a weed like manner so I'd imagine it's abundant but I'd also bet most people don't make them taste this good. Since we had such a big lunch we went easy on the ordering but a couple of pastas were both on point with the pappardelle and papalo with duck being an awesome combination of Mexican and Italian.

Savoy cabbage, pistachio pipián and romerito tacos

 Pappardelle, pápalo and duck

Ravioli, ricotta, fennel and tarragon

 Pears, elder-flowers and tarragon
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Masala y Maiz 

Speaking of fusion don't miss Masala Y Maiz if you're a fan of the mingling of culinary traditions which is what the duo behind this place calls it. The marriage of Mexican and Indian cuisines here is stunning. I’m not talking about stuff like butter chicken burritos, this isn’t that (which can also be good). This is the result of two people who share both a love for food and each other as well as each other’s food. Her family is from Mexico and his from India and together they've set put to decolonize the industry. It's a fascinating spot where the menu is frequently changing but never uninspiring.

Crudo (pesca del día) con leche de tigre de coco, chilacayote, chutney de coco de Shazia y pappads

Samosas de Suadero y de aloo pepita

Paratha Quesadilla con queso Oaxaca, queso de montaña, salsa machaar, ensalada de hierbas y jitomate heirloom

Camarones Papelar con ghee de vanilla y chile morita

Tetela de jaiba suave con pachi pulusu
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Merotoro

Mexico City is home to a number of spots serving up the food of Baja which is very popular at the moment. Mexico's westernmost state has an action packed cuisine that draws inspiration from the Mediterranean as well as Asia and is rich in seafood. Wine is also a major player with the Valle de Guadeloupe calling the state home. The humble fish taco might be it's most famous dish and it's also where the Caesar salad was born (Tijuana) but these days Baja is breeding some of the country's best chefs many of which are taking their talents to Mexico City. Merotero is a newish spot with lots of glowing reviews. They're an upscale place in an upscale part of town but all the fine dining down here is at a very discounted price compared to up here. A shrimp risotto inspired dish was one of the best things we ate with perfectly al dente rice and the most creamy concoction of uni and pumpkin. We also had a fantastically cooked piece of bass that they split for us (two plates). Huge portion.

Creamy Rice with shrimp, pumpkin, sea urchin

Pan Seared Seabass, kohlrabi puree, bok choy, chili oil
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Arroces Del Baby Face

Return to Arroces Del Babyface! The food scene in CDMX is really starting to turn out interesting Mexican and Asian fusion spots but this little street stand is one of the OG’s on that front. Guadalupe Fuentes Ochoa aka Baby Face is a retired Lucha Libre who was so popular in his heyday he traveled abroad to places like Asia to do wrestling shows. Over the course of time he visited Japan a high number of times and fell in love with the food while there. So he brought it here. As a result more than 25 years ago he opened a street stand in Mexico City where classic Mexican ingredients like hot dogs and chorizo get fried up with shrooms, onion, bell peppers, soy sauce, and white rice. I visited this stand last trip and it was one of the best experiences I had in CDMX and I’ve recommend it to anyone that asks “where I should I eat in Mexico City” since. This is a one of a kind Chilango experience down to the food and Baby Face himself, he said he remembered me but I think he’s just really good at schmoozing with customers. Probably my favorite Culinary Backstreets hot tip over the years. Pictured is the Friday special mariscos fried rice (fish, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms) which goes quick so get there early. They only buy enough ingredients for the day so you know it’s fresh bc they always sell out. Best ate with a few scoops of extra spicy roasted tomato based salsa on top.

Arroz Frito con Mariscos at Arroces Del Baby Face
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Chicago Bernie's Beef Bike

I was surprised to find a made from scratch Italian beef in CDMX. As one of the worlds leading experts on this sandwich I felt it was my duty to stop in at Chicago Bernie's Beef Bike. So much so I visited twice as the first time they were closed due to a power issue. So how was it? Like I said, this is the real deal. So much so I felt like I was transported home as I lifted the sandwich to take that first bite. Near sensory overload for a Chicagoan in Mexico. Even the bread is really good (similar to birote). It’s hard enough finding spots that do made from scratch Italian beef in Chicago so color me red when I came across one in Mexico City. Complete story coming somewhere, sometime soon.

Italian Beef at Chicago Bernie's Beef Bike
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Los Pambacitos Benjamin Franklin

Next stop up was a place I found reading a locals blog. Mexico City is known for massive torta sandwiches and also the much smaller pambacito. This is an antojito that’s not as popular as some others but still popular with people that live near the old time spots that still make them. Places like Los Pambacitos Benjamin Franklin. It’s the fresh fried pieces of bread that makes these what they are. Closest thing I can think of in terms of something similar is a Frybread taco as the bread in these is stuffed with your choice of filling with shredded lettuce on top. The name comes from the original location on Benjamin Franklin in the Miguel Hidalgo neighborhood. Desde 1947.

Pambacitos at Los Pambacitos Benjamin Franklin
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Joe Gelato

If you find yourself in CDMX on one of it's hot and humid days you'd do good by heading over to Joe Gelato in the Juárez neighborhood. It's only been open since 2018 but they have a loyal following for their creative flavors many of which are made with lesser known local ingredients like cempasúchil flower blossoms which bloom every October. I like the fruit flavored gelatos more than others so I went with a couple of those (mango / strawberry) and they were extra refreshing on a hot and sunny day.

 

Gelato at Joe Gelato
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Cariñito Tacos

Here we have the winner of closest spot on my google food map to our AirBNB. Cariñito is a newish spot in the Roma Norte neighborhood. Some CDMX locals would call this a hipster spot and maybe it is but they make some really hip and delicious tacos that I'd gladly eat just about any meal of the week. It’s a classic neighborhood setup with a small but mighty menu. They do three types of tacos de panza and one daily veggie offering, all of which have some Asian influence including the Thai which was my favorite of the bunch. Crisp chunks of pork belly go into a warm corn tortilla topped with a handful of super fresh Thai herbs. Perfect paired with a cerveza on a hot and sunny day in the city. 

Asian Tacos at Cariñito Tacos
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Tres Galeones 

Tres Galeones was another spot on my map right around the corner from where we were staying. It's a "Taqueria de Puerto" meaning seafood tacos are on offer. All of us enjoyed the fish tacos and the costra de camaron I got was just awesome. We had plans to return for more but it never happened. 

Tacos at Tres Galeones
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Tacos de Hamburguesa de Don Toño

There's no shortage of unique tacos in this town and the tacos de hamburguesa at Tacos de Hamburguesa de Don Toño would certainly qualify as so. Hand formed patties of beef are studded with onions and cooked on a hot flattop just like some of the best burgers out there except these go into tortillas instead of buns and get doused with killer salsas instead of ketchup and mustard. These had a greasy factor going for them that reminded me of the diner burgers of yesteryear. Desde 1990.

Tacos de Hamburguesa at Tacos de Hamburguesa Don Toño
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Garrido Mixiotes Estilo Hidalgo at the Tianguis Condesa Market 

I had a few repeat visits one of which was the Tianguis Condesa Market which runs every Tuesday in the Condesa neighborhood. As is the case with most open air markets in Mexico you'll find some good food at this one. Last time in town we were also there on a Tuesday and we were staying near here so I walked over to try some of the lamb mixiote tacos which ended up being one of the top tacos of the trip and with it one of the best tacos I'd ever had. So I went back this trip and brought my aunt and uncle with. I loved them just as much this time as nothing seems to have changed. The family makes their barbecued pit lamb back home in Hidalgo and drives into the city on Tuesday's to serve it. It's not gamey at all. In fact it's some of the most succulent meat of any kind I've ever tried. 

Lamb Miniotes Taco at the Tianguis Condesa Market
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Tacos El Güero

I made a point to try as many different tacos de suadero as I could on this trip. I'm not ready to say I prefer them to Mexico City's other taco specialty, tacos al pastor, but I think I'd pick suadero over al pastor four days a week. Tacos El Güero is a fairly common name for a taco spot so important to note that this Tacos El Güero is in the San Rafael neighborhood. It's one of that areas most popular spots judging by the 1000's of mostly positive reviews on google. In many of those reviews it's the suadero being praised so I made it a point to stop in when I was in the area. All the tacos de suadero I ate were great. I'd recommend them all based on where you are when you want some. 

Tacos de Suadero Tacos El Güero
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Taqueria Gabriel 

There's no shortage of hip taquerias in CDMX. They're found all over town. Taqueria Gabriel in the borough of Cuauhtémoc is a good example of the type of spot I'm talking about. In the States these type of taco spots tend to miss more than hit but tacos in Mexico City in general tend to hit more than miss so don't be turned off by the newness of some of them. Actually I stopped here one day bc it was pretty damn hot and I needed a cold beer to cool down with. Taqueria Gabriel is known not just for the their tacos but their big schooners of beer. I'd already ate at a couple spots before stopping here so I only tried one taco which was a trompo de asada (spit roasted skirt steak) topped with a couple spoonfuls of guacamole. Char grilled steak and gauc is always a perfect match.

Trompo de Asada at Taqueria Gabriel
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Tacos El Vilsito

Return visit to what some call the best tacos al pastor on earth. They're a contender for sure which is why I returned for more, this time with my uncle. Though we had just ate a ton of food these were so damn satisfying. I've had spots that are just as good but none of them match the atmosphere you'll find here. Located in a former tire shop Tacos El Vilsito is the nighttime spot for Chilangos in need of the city's signature snack. Tacos El Vilsito excels bc they draw big crowds and have enough trompos (3) to keep a steady flow. Don't miss the Volcanes which are made by toasting a corn tortilla until crisp and loading it with sliced pork and lots of cheese. I wish these would take off in the States.

 
Volcanes de Al Pastor at Tacos El Vilsito
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Tacos Tony

Right around the corner from Tacos El Vilsito you'll find Tacos Tony. Together they make for a great 1-2 punch as Tacos Tony specializes in Mexico City's other signature offering, tacos de suadero. While all the spots around town prepare suadero similarly it's still a bit different from spot to spot. Tacos Tony leaves it in larger chunks than most. It's just as tender as others but different texturally.

 
Tacos de Suadero at Tacos Tony
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Street Tacos 

I got a chance to meet up with a Chicagoan turned Chilango who I knew from the twittersphere. We made plans to check out a couple of his go-to spots and I was planning on getting a pizza from his place but this was right when I was sick and without much of an appetite. Even so I scarfed down a couple of tacos from a nameless street stand in the Condesa neighborhood. After that we walked over to a spot called Xel-ha for some snacks from the Yucatan. Both a cochinita pibil taco and also a panucho reminded me that I really need to go to Merida. I'm thinking maybe later this year.

Carnitas and Cochinita Pibil in CDMX
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Tacos Los Alexis

Did you know there's a 'Day of the Tacos' in Mexico? While I'm not sure of it's origins I just so happened to be in town on the day it was going down. I'd read about a newish spot in Roma Norte where you can find some of the city’s finest tacos served up by some fine dining vets that previously worked on the Taco Omakase menu at Pujol, which some people say is the best restaurant in Mexico. Pictured below is real deal carne asada on the left and the taco taurino with longaniza, cecina, and chichharon on the right. Crispy cheese crust on both. There’s all sorts of levels to the tacos in this city and these are up there. Big ups to Chef Gino (SP?) for the hospitality.

Tacos at Tacos Los Alexis
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Taqueria Don Frank

There's always a few spots that are found when passing by. Places that aren't on the list but look like they should be. That's what we have here with Tacos Don Frank which caught my attention with it's bright in the night orange awning advertising both tacos and jugos. I couldn't resist stopping in. More so for a refreshing agua fresca than a taco but I figured I might as well try one of them too. I chose the steak bc it's by far the most mentioned on google reviews. Taqueria Don Frank offers the traditional onion and cilantro on their tacos as well as a couple handfuls of other things like mashed potatoes and nopales. One taco was a meal in itself after I decorated it with a bunch of free toppings. My melon juice was also good and when I was ready to head back I learned they have a second location one block down as my uber arrived to pick me up there as I'd put in that location as the pickup spot.

 
Taco and Juice at Taqueria Don Frank
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Las Más Altas Montañas at the Mercado de Jamaica

My favorite taco experience of the trip took place here at the Mercado de Jamaica (the flower market). I'd read about some killer chorizo verde over at Culinary Backstreets which is a site that's never failed me as far as food recommendations while traveling goes. Chorizo verde is a product of Toluca which is only an hour or so drive from Mexico City. The owner of this sign-less stall at the market makes his green chorizo back home in Toluca and sells it every day but Tuesday at the market.You can buy it raw or cooked and served as a taco. The chorizo is green from the use of cilantro, green peppers and pumpkin seeds with pine nuts, peanuts and almonds also making an appearance in this recipe. Not only was the taco outstanding but the market itself was also quite amazing with all the flowers, plants and snacks on offer. If staying in an AirBNB you should make it a point to come here your first full day in town and buy a huge flower bouquet for next to nothing to keep in your rental while there.

Chorizo Verde Taco at the Mercado de Jamaica
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Tacos El Paisa

If you find yourself in the San Rafael neighborhood there's a very popular taco stand called Tacos "El Paisa" where you'll most always find a crowd. They make the popular CDMX style where it's all cooked in a big pot and taken out and chopped before being placed into tortillas. I believe the old man in the picture up above is the owner. He seemed to know everyone and greeted each customer with a smile. The tacos de suadero from here were as good as any I've had anywhere and thus memorable.

Tacos de Suadero at Tacos "El Paisa"
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Taqueria Los Huarchines 

This prototypical CDMX style taqueria wasn't far from our AirBNB. Each night that I walked by I witnessed a good crowd of people enjoying the moment. On my last night in town I stopped in for some tacos al pastor as I didn't get to enjoy as many as I would've liked on this trip. So I figured I'd stop based on the fact most places in town do a good al pastor product. The taqueros weren't as fast or as flashy here as elsewhere but the tacos were just as good. I could eat them all day.

Tacos al Pastor at Los Huarchines
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Taqueria Los Cocuyos 

The last time I was in town I really liked the tacos on offer at Los Cocuyos in the busy Centro area. They were a favorite of Anthony Bourdain and ever since he visited they've been a very popular spot, especially with tourists. I arrived in the evening to a line that was about 10-15 minutes long. It was pretty funny watching the reaction of people driving by, you could tell this place is polarizing. They do Mexico City style tacos where all the meats are fried up in the same vat which some call a charola. The taqueros here are very friendly but the tacos weren't as good as I'd remembered them to be. 

Surtido, Cabeza, Cachete at Los Cocuyos
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Taqueria El Torito

My other favorite taco experience of the trip took place in the heart of it all, Centro Histórico. I stopped by Tacos El Torito which is nothing more than a small stand in the wall but it’s popular enough that they have two locations within a few 100 feet of each other. The menu is as simple as gets with your choices being tripa, suadero, or both aka campechano. I watched as the master taquero put out plate after plate to a locals looking crowd. First he scoops up the meat via the tortilla, and then taco by taco he places them on the hot humps of the vats of fat that it all cooks in. They’re placed meat side down which crisps up each taco perfectly. These had great taste and a terrific texture. Desde 1957.

Tacos Campechanos at Taqueria El Torito
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That's it for this trip. see ya next time @chibbqking. 

Eating BIG in Mexico City Part 1

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