Como México, no hay dos...there's nowhere else like Mexico!
That old saying, 'Como México, no hay dos', is so true. It's used with enormous pride, it's used ironically, it's used with colors-flying patriotic fervor. In the photo above, for example, the signs at these Mexico City outdoor fondas (food booths) read (left to right): Soft Drinks, Beer, and Fruit Drinks. Chicken Soup. We Repair Baby Jesuses. Only in Mexico can you find such wonderfully surrealistic juxtapositions. Como México, no hay dos.
Mexico Cooks! tacked four days in Mexico City onto the end of our February 2008 trip to Chiapas. It was Judy's first trip to Mexico's capital city and we packed in a lot. We'd been invited to stay at the home of a friend, and our time with her was a fast-forward speed combination of eating, yakking, and running around the city. Boy, did we have fun!
Our first order of business was a trip to the Basílica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the second most-visited religious shrine in the Western Hemisphere and a must in Mexico City.
This handy key chain with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe comes complete with a bottle opener. Judy shook her head and rolled her eyes, but ended up buying this memento of the Basílica for her son.
Frida Kahlo's bedroom with her death mask.
Among our many recorridos (running around), we visited the Museo Frida Kahlo (also known as La Casa Azul), as well as the central plaza of Coyoacán.
The coyote fountain in the plaza principal of Coyoacán. The name means 'place of the coyote' and the fountain commemorates the animal.
One of the best times was a pozole outing with our newest acquaintances, Jim Johnston and Nick Gilman. Jim is the author of Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler; Nick wrote Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas, and Fine Dining.
Who would know the best pozolería in Mexico City better than a passel of foodies? Our friend drove; she's intrepid behind the wheel, even in this city of nearly 25,000,000 souls. We voyaged north from our digs in south central Colonia Condesa, heading for Colonia Santa María La Ribera, near Alameda Norte. Mexico Cooks! has spent a lot of time in the Distrito Federal, but this was our first time in Colonia Santa María La Ribera. Nick assured us that we would love the pozolería.
The back of our waiter's shirt at La Casa de Toño, 'the home of eating well'.
Nick was right. La Casa de Toño is sheer heaven, from the salsas to the postres. The restaurant has been a Mexico City stronghold forever. It's open every day of the year, including Christmas. You can pay a virtual visit to La Casa de Toño here. We had a blast eating our way through a goodly part of the menu. We know we'll go back again next time we're in the city.
A night view of one of the patios at La Casa de Toño. The restaurant is housed in a converted mansion.
Of course we ordered pozole, the specialty of the house, but we also tried a quesadilla or two, a tostada de tinga, and some flautas. Four of us ordered pozole con maciza de puerco, the white meat of the pig. Jim ordered the pozole vegetariano, made with squash blossoms, mushrooms, and corn. I'm a confirmed meat-eater, but Jim's vegetarian pozole was just as delicious as the meat-filled bowl I ate.
Pozole con tostadas, the traditional combo.
Condiments for pozole: minced onion, thinly sliced radishes, shredded lettuce, and a variety of salsas. We also crumbled dried orégano into the bowl, along with powdered chile and sea salt.
Waiting for our cena (supper): Judy, Jim, Nick, and our friend.
The kitchen at La Casa de Toño is a hive of buzzing cooks, waiters, and busboys.
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Can't wait for pozole time--recordando una noche fría disfrutando del buen pozole con las mejores amigas.
Posted by: Jody Noble | January 17, 2015 at 11:04 AM