Oaxaca Restaurant Recommendations From the Primer Encuentro de Cocineras Tradicionales! Breakfast First...

Our first breakfast in Oaxaca at the end of April was at Restaurante Las 15 Letras (Abasolo #300, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca). We started with a seasonal fruit plate that included watermelon, papaya, kiwi, and cantaloupe.  Mexico Cooks! prefers to eat tropical fruits the typically Mexican way, with a squeeze of limón (key lime), a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of powdered chile.  Try it that way--the sweetness of the fruit combines with the other flavors to bring a new flavor profile to your palate.


A really marvelous tamal--as usual, wrapped in banana leaves in the Oaxacan style--followed the fruit course.


Our main breakfast course at Las 15 Letras was chilaquiles entomatados con cecina a lightly spiced, lightly dried beef served atop a plate of totopos (tortilla chips) sautéed and then bathed in tomato sauce. Crumble white cheese on the chilaquiles and voilà--delicious.


The restaurant is charming, decorated with Oaxacan artesanía (craft work) from all of the state's eight regions. I had eaten here several times before; the meals have always been wonderful.


Breakfast on Day Two took place at Zandunga, a restaurant that I had read a good bit about but that I had never visited.  We started the meal with full servings of seasonal fruits (papaya, watermelon, and banana) and freshly squeezed orange juice. 


Because Aurora de Toledo, Zandunga's delightful owner, served us so very many dishes, a friend at table and I decided to share this tamal de elote. Not only did the sweet tamal come with a plate of cheese, but of course I dolloped rich crema de mesa (table cream) over it and topped that with fiery salsa de chile de árbol.  


As you might begin to notice, there is no such thing as too many tamales.  Zandunga's tamal de cambray is filled with mildly spicy picadillo, a kind of meaty, fruity hash. My friend and I split this one, as well.  There are limits, no?  Or maybe limits don't apply in Oaxaca!


Zandunga's design and decor, both coordinated by señora Toledo and her sons, are modern and quite comfortable, mixing many traditional elements into the room.  The restaurant combines its delicious food with a mezcal bar. Here, typical Mexican oilcloth tablecloths combine with a quote from Oaxaca's literary prize-winning author, Manuel Matus.  The translation: "Mezcal frees us from an infinite thirst for eternity."
 

One of our Zandunga cooks for the morning, Daniela Luis Rodríguez.  Daniela has been in the kitchen at Zandunga for a bit more than a year and loves her work.


A niche in the Zandunga entryway displays old metates with their metapiles--volcanic stone grinding stones, each with its 'rolling pin'.  The round grey item in the middle of the photograph is a molcajete, used for grinding spices, chiles, and other vegetables for sauces.


On my last morning in Oaxaca--for this trip--breakfast was at the Mercado de la Merced's Fonda Florecita.  A fonda usually refers to a family-run eating spot, either in a market or free-standing.  I've eaten at the wonderful Fonda Florecita many times.  The first thing I order is a cup of hot chocolate, traditionally prepared with water.  


My breakfast: cecina enchilada (semi-dried meat soaked in spicy chile sauce and cooked) with enfrijoladas (tortillas dipped in bean sauce prepared with native avocado leaves--the avocado leaves give the beans a heavenly anise-like flavor).

Three days, three superb Oaxaca breakfasts!  Next week, we'll take a look at our press group's comida de bienvenida (welcoming midday meal), cenas (suppers), and a snack or two.  Be sure to come back hungry.

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