Casa Coupage

The Little Mexican Cooking School

In Puerto Morelos, the little colonial gem midway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, activities are afoot to prepare for the beginning of tourist season. Like many other businesses, The Little Mexican Cooking School, a fairly new feature on the Riviera Maya landscape, is no exception. Re- opening it’s doors in October after summer hiatus, launched their second season of “Food Adventures for Curious Travellers” on October 5th.

Gu Restaurant

Does age matter? How about size? No dirty thoughts please ;)

Broka Bistrot

Yes, I know I know. I have disappeared but that's only because I was on very well deserved vacations and since my travels involved mostly European countries, I had little to say about the new Mexican discoveries. But now I'm back and very excited to tell you about a little treasure called Broka.

Los Danzantes: 15th Anniversary

Ok so I’m a bit late on this one but if you see this post before June 27th run as fast as you can to the restaurant Los Danzantes in Coyoacan. The reason is that Los Danzantes, a Oaxacan delight, is celebrating its 15th anniversary and on this particular occasion they invited Alejandro Ruiz to make the special menu served from the 15-27 of June. Alejandro is an amazing Oaxacan chef from Casa Oaxaca and believe me it is worth the trip.

World class Coctel de Camaron

I am so lucky to find more and more friends that share my passion for good eats and little secrets that touch your senses. My new discovery, which I owe to a new foodie connection is the shrimp cocktail stand, which is modestly located on a corner of the street close to my office. It is absolutely mind blowing. I would have never thought that one of the best seafood dishes in town would be served off of a van on the corner of the street. Tacos, yes, but seafood?

Contramar

It amazes me that I write so much about so many new places as I discover them and yet there is no mention of my usual spots. Perhaps I'm just too used to them and have so much to say that I don't know where to begin. My story of Contramar is just that. I think I have had a few lives in this place and I just can't quite decide which story to tell. By the way, they are all good.

Tori-Tori Lounge

Wow...Condesa is really reviving these days. It seems like new restaurants are popping up from nowhere each week. Some better than others but still it can only be a positive sign for my beloved neighborhood. Last week I finally got a chance to visit the new Tori-Tori Lounge. Tori-Tori Lounge in Condesa is the posh sister of the much more casual yet equally yummy Tori-Tori restaurant in Polanco.

Cantina Hopping in Centro Historico

I love cantinas because they take you back in time.  Moreover, in a cantina you can see the real local flair and customs. In a cantina you will see smiles and tears, you will hear songs about love, romance, history and patriotism. In a cantina you will taste the most traditional mexican cuisine and you can taste a rich variaty of tequilas, mezcales, and beer. In many cases the decoration and ambiance remained unchanged from the eighteen and nineteen hundreds or at least this is how it feels. Make no mistake, these are not your posh and polished trendy spots.

Some of the best cantinas in Mexico City are located in the historical center of the city so if you like bar hopping I invite you to hop some of Mexico's oldest and most reknown cantinas. Here comes your drinking itinerary.....

Taquerias of La Condesa

As an official taco addict, I am so very very lucky to live in a neighborhood that is a proud home to some of the best taquerias in Mexico. Of course there are many jewels of these noble establishments outside of La Condesa but here is my local top list:

#1 Tacos Hola

Amsterdam corner with Michoacan, right in front of Superama

These tacos are number one for the concept, history, and this is your breakfast people. By 2pm everything is sold out. This is the only taqueria that I know that specialized in guisados (veggie and stew like tacos that are a perfect breakfast). My favorites include:

- taco with fresh white cheese, black beans, and guacamole;

- taco with scrambled eggs, fresh white cheese and black beans (or guacamole);

- taco with nopales and fresh white cheese.

There are many other choices such as stuffed chiles, chicharron (fried pork skin), chicken, veggies, etc. Tacos Hola have been in La Condesa for over 50 years now and it’s an institution.

Pulque - the nectar of the Gods

The history of Pulque dates back into the Mesoamerican period, during which it was considered a sacred drink and was offered only to the higher classes.  Apparently, it was drunk by priests and sacrificial victims, to increase the priests’ enthusiasm and to ease the suffering of the victim. Thank you, I will pass. Interestingly, among the common people it was given only to the elderly and pregnant women, I assume that it was due to its nutritious values. Don't get me wrong though...it is alcohol.

Pulque is a milk-colored fermented sap of maguey (agave plant) and there are six types of maguey that can be used to make it. It forms a foam on top and literally tastes like a fermented plant. Perhaps that is the reason why it lost its glory after we discovered the new golden nectar...beer. The interesting side on Pulque today is that it really is unique to Mexico and even here we are making great efforts to maintain its survival.

Read on to see where you can try to be the ancient God for just a while.

Nonna: bar, design, location

Nonna.....don't you just wanna hug your grandma when you hear this?  Well...the new NONNA in La Condesa is probably not a place for your grandma. It has potential but needs some work or a manager.

My first reaction was: when did they build all this? The design, bar and location are a bulls eye no doubts. My question is...for a place with such design and the prime Amsterdam location....how is the food and service quality? Do they even need it to succeed?

MEROTORO: the new culinary addition to La Condesa

Yes! Yes! Finally we have a new quality addition to our loving and beautiful yet sometimes culinary dull Condesa neighborhood in Mexico City. I am very excited to see that the culinary bar is rising in La Condesa. I could never quite understand why in such hip, bohemian neighborhood of one of the largest cities in the World and filled with artsy yuppies there are loads and loads of "disco beach" mediocre restaurants. Well, Ladies and Gentlemen here comes our salvation and follow the example.

Mezcaleria Corazon de Maguey

My best and very dear friend Nina is leaving me this Friday to go back to the freezing rain, unthinkable amounts of beer and loads of bratwurst in Munich, Germany.  While I will be crying and I will miss her terribly she knows very very well that once you go Mexica you don't just go back to the good old Europe and leave everything behind.  So my dear Nina, when you go back to your bicycle in the orderly Munich and you think about us here in sitting in the sunny "terraza" you read this review of one of your many many "despedidas", which by the way will leave me hangovered for the months to come.

It was a Monday night after a long weekend of saying good-byes and all I wanted to drink is a cup of camomile tea and feel nothing but the softness of my pillow and and feathers from a warm duvet.  "Martitaaaaaa", the voice screamed on the other line. "You have to come to La Mezcaleria!!! There is a birthday and we need to say good-bye to Nina", and a million other reasons that I have hard time to resist.  Needless to say there was no need puting a knife to my throat to convince me.  I mean.....La Mezcaleria...

La Polar

Mexico has a lot of so called "cantinas". Cantinas used to be the meeting places for men with some food, lots of alcohol (mainly tequila and mezcal) and domino games on every other table. Women were not allowed to enter and perhaps it was not that bad of an idea. Today there still are many cantinas; however, with more equality among the sexes, everyone is welcome.  Come and drink until you drop.

If you want to go back in time or escape the tourist traps of Mexico City and see how the “Chilangos” recover from a rough Friday night, come to La Polar.

I went there with someone who certainly knows about the real treasures of the Mexican cantinas and I knew from the beginning that it was going to be an amazingly “local” afternoon; however, I have to admit that La Polar exceeded my expectations from the very moment we entered.

Casa Roma

Colonia Roma in Mexico City is a bohemian, still partly colonial neighborhood with breath taking architecture. One can almost hear the horse carriages while walking around the quiet streets filled with art galleries and book stores. The best part about Roma is that it seams to be always an upcoming neighborhood; however, it still manages to keep its charm attracting the artsy and alternative genres of Mexican and foreign crowds. But yesterday I though that maybe it really is upcoming and well on its way to become the next "hip Condesa".

I went there with a few friends to a new restaurant called "Casa Roma".