Travel

2 May 20, 2017 Mexico City

What to eat at El Charco de las Ranas in Mexico City

El Charco de las Ranas has been the gold standard for “nice” tacos in Mexico City for more than 30 years. And I mean “nice” in the most Mexican of ways.

This often-imitated small chain does many things and does them right, every single time. From humble beginnings on Av. Río Mixcoac where they mainly doled out the classic tacos al pastor and bistec, they now have a 150-item-plus menu that ranges from breakfast classics such as huevos divorciados for breakfast to a very solid pozole for the overnight crowd. Our family always goes to the original location so I can’t speak to the one in Pedregal.

But their tacos al pastor deserve special attention. Neither lovers nor haters will ever call them “bad,” or anything worse. They’re huge though, so order fewer, as one of their “traditional” tacos usually make up three or four of any other taco they serve. …

3 March 19, 2017 Mexico City

What to eat at Enrique in Mexico City

Opened in 1944 as a taco stand out in the remote fields between Mexico City and Cuernavaca, Enrique has become a representative establishment of Central Mexican cuisine that’s worthy of visiting almost every time I’m in town. Located along the federal highway, this behemoth of a restaurant seats well over 1,500 guests—and is now well within the city’s confines—on Insurgentes Sur in the Tlalpan borough.

The buildings recall classic haciendas (built this century) and the vast dining rooms with high ceilings are designed to amuse. The decor is what you’d expect; solid wood tables and chairs, crisp table linens, papel picado hanging from the ceiling, and talavera tiles everywhere.

Start with some chicharrón with guacamole, an order of chalupas, some crunchy tacos dorados doused with salsa borracha, or a couple of their deep-fried quesadillas, made with their unique masa.

Order the consomé de carnero, made with the best bits of their famous barbacoa and with the right amount of tasty, tender garbanzo beans. Truly one of the greatest soups ever. Garnish with chopped onion, cilantro and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Of course, the main dish you order should be the barbacoa, the earthy mutton cooked underground and covered with maguey leaves. It is right up there with the best barbacoa I’ve had, and the price is not too bad either. If you’re eating with multiple people, it will be more economical to order by the kilo rather than by the taco. Make yourself some tacos and bathe them with two of the best salsas in the country, according to my husband. The green tomatillo salsa is his gold standard, and the salsa borracha, made with pulque, also ranks highly on his list of favorites.

Order the horchata by the pitcher and convince your table to share—you won’t be disappointed!

Other classics worth ordering include crepas de huitlacoche, carnitas, mixiotes, mole, and various enchiladas. On weekends they offer several varieties of pulque if that’s your thing.

Enrique certainly has something for everyone—like Disneyland. Just be aware of their shtick and don’t let certain aspects ruin what could be a phenomenal meal.

On the weekends, mariachi, marimba and jarocho bands, along with their own dance troupes, will incessantly blast their brand of folkloric entertainment, and a house PA system will make sure every-single-table-REALLY-FUCKING-LISTENS-to-every-note-played. It can be rather annoying because it makes conversation with those at your table rather difficult. I understand there are people who actually go there to watch the shows and enjoy them, and that’s totally fine. I’m just not one of those people.

However, there are a few tables by the entrance, separated by several walls and where the speakers are unplugged, where you can have a peaceful meal. Also, the children’s playground is far, far away and the roaming clowns (for the kids’ amusement, and fully dressed like they just came from the circus) will not make their rounds all the way in the front.

Now that you know how to avoid the undesirable parts of the restaurant, sit back and enjoy the exemplary traditional cuisine. Even though their kitchen is bigger than that of a sold-out Carnival Cruise Line ship to the Caribbean, Enrique still produces some of the tastiest Central Mexico fare, and the quality is top notch.

I think of Enrique in the same vein as Disneyland—a cheesy and loud place—but with careful navigation and location awareness, you can still find it lovable and enjoy a phenomenal meal that’ll evoke priceless memories each time you return.

TO VISIT: Enrique
Insurgentes Sur 4061, Tlalpan, 14000 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, México
+52 55 5573 9988
Open 7 days a week, 8 am to 8 pm (except on some holidays)
Valet parking

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1 February 9, 2015 Mexico City

Lunch at Xanat Bistro and Terrace in Mexico City

Xanat Bistro and Terrace is the upscale contemporary Mexican restaurant in the recently renovated five-star JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City.

The hotel, located in the Polanco neighborhood, is steps from Paseo de la Reforma, the Auditorio Nacional, Chapultepec and the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Xanat opened in October 2014.

On our recent visit to Mexico in December 2014, I had a chance to dine there for lunch with my cuñada. The hotel’s executive chef, Ciro Mejia, came up with the concept for Xanat (pronounced “shah-naht”). The restaurant’s name is an ancient Totonaca word that means “vanilla flower.” In Totonaca mythology, the vanilla orchid was born when the princess Xanat, who had an affair with a mortal man, ran away to the forest with her lover. The two were captured and beheaded for their offense to the gods, and in the place where their blood seeped into the soil, the first vanilla orchid grew.

The Totonacas were the first to cultivate the vanilla orchid, and Mexico is considered the birthplace of vanilla. Xanat is still used today as a girl’s name in Papantla, Veracruz, where most of Mexico’s vanilla is cultivated. Mexican vanilla beans have a signature creamy flavor and a unique woody spice profile different from other kinds of vanilla.

RELATED RECIPE: Atole de vainilla

At Xanat Bistro and Terrace, many items on the menu have a touch of vanilla incorporated, both in sweet and savory dishes, paying unique homage to this truly Mexican ingredient. I liked that they also focus on using local and national Mexican ingredients to elevate traditional Mexican dishes with a modern spin.
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2 May 21, 2014 Mexico City

Mexico City in watercolors

There is so much to love about Mexico City.

I’ve been traveling to Mexico City—affectionately known as Chilangolandia—several times a year for the better part of a decade to visit my husband’s family, and it never ceases to amaze me. From the world-class museums and interesting historic landmarks to the variety of culinary experiences, ranging from street food to haute cuisine, I have a serious love affair with this city that is home to more than 21 million people (including the metro area). You can see and experience everything from fancy, modern skyscrapers to old-school open air markets. At times it can feel like a major metropolis, but at the drop of a hat, you may find yourself in a neighborhood that feels less like the city and more like a pueblo. It’s a diverse city with so much culture and history to explore.

Everything about the place calls my name, and each snapshot I take while visiting is a permanent memory embedded in my mind and heart. It’s strange, but when I’m away, I sometimes feel homesick for this magical place although it’s not where I was born and raised. Having spent so much time there, though, it has become like my second hometown. Recently, I discovered an app called Waterlogue that blew me away with its ability to turn my photos into stunning watercolor painted images. I started sorting through some of my favorite travel photos from Mexico City as well as other places in Mexico that I’ve visited, and have become addicted to turning my photos into works of art. Here are 10 photos I’ve taken in Mexico City over the years that I’ve turned into watercolor images.

A chicharrón vendor on the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) campus, Cuidad Universitaria

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1 May 16, 2014 Mexico City

Carnitas at El Venadito in Mexico City

Basically every carnitas joint in Mexico claims they have the best carnitas. Who can blame them? To somebody, each place DOES have the best carnitas. One of my favorite places in Mexico City, El Venadito, is no exception. This restaurant, which is a neighborhood staple and has no other locations, has been open since 1950. Like many other places, they have a sign that says “super carnitas, las mejores de México.” I will say: They are pretty spectacular, and among my top choices when I’m craving carnitas in Mexico City. After all, what place could stay open for more than six decades with signs saying they have the best carnitas if they didn’t?

Although there’s a restaurant where you can actually sit down in the back, I prefer the charming, tiny curbside taco stand. The only thing separating me from Tomás—the taquero who has been there as long as anyone I know can remember—is a window that’s about five feet high with a counter on top, so I can watch my carnitas go from being chopped to tortilla, salivating while I watch.

I always order them the same way: Surtido, which is a mix of white meat, dark meat, other parts, skin and some crunchy bits of chicharron. Top it with fresh, raw salsa verde and it’s truly a heavenly taco. If you’re squeamish about eating certain parts of the pig, you can always ask for maciza, which is white meat only.

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0 March 19, 2014 Morelos

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset in Cuernavaca

A few years ago, I spent a beautiful weekend with a large group of family friends in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. While I was there, we witnessed some pretty spectacular sunsets each evening as we gathered on the patio for dinner. I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera to capture the golden sky as the sun slipped away from us.

Sunset in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico | theothersideofthetortilla.com …