Some of my favorite tamales in the city are sold at Café de Raíz, a tiny Roma café near the Plaza Luis Cabrera.
Owners Pola Carballo and her brother Mardonio Carballo offer a handful of varities daily, and they’re much better than what you usually find on the street or in cafés [...]
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El Parnita, a fonda in the Roma, calls itself an “antojería.” The word antojito can mean two things in Mexico — a corn-based street snack, or a little craving. So an antojería is a place where you’d find those two things. And fulfill your cravings, of course.
The menu here is stocked with Continue Reading →
Chiles en nogada season starts in Mexico City toward the end of July. By two weeks ago, I hadn’t even tasted one in Mexico yet, which I considered a personal flaw. (I’m hard on myself.)
Then I met a new friend at the end of one of my mezcal tours. He’s [...]
Continue Reading →A few weeks ago, my friend David mentioned a new Haitian restaurant he’d heard about in Santa Maria la Ribera. I think I’d had a little too much wine, so I crowed, “Oh my god, Haitian food! We have to go! Haitian food!” Not that I even knew what Haitian food was. [...]
Continue Reading →I stumbled on Con Sabor a Tixtla by chance.
I’d been wandering around the Roma neighborhood, looking for a few new places to add to Eat Mexico’s Taco Tour, when I saw a chalkboard menu propped up on the sidewalk. Colorful tables and umbrellas had been spread out in a neat row, and baskets [...]
Continue Reading →Several months ago, a new friend mentioned she had a favorite restaurant in Polanco. I pride myself on keeping up with the latest restaurants, but she threw out a name I didn’t know: Dulcinea.
The friend said it was kind of casual and cute, and she went there at least twice [...]
Continue Reading →My friend Nick Gilman tells me that Casa Mexico — the restaurant I raved about earlier this year for its unique, regional Mexican dishes — has suddenly closed. Apparently the head chef, Enrique Briz, left sometime back and the restaurant slowly went downhill from there.
It’s too bad. I really liked that place. Shame [...]
Continue Reading →Chef Carmen “Titita” Ramirez walks a straight, firm line when it comes to Mexican food traditions. She scoffs at chefs who think carnitas can be made with Coca-Cola and milk. Or any chef (even if he is American and famous) who promotes such a thing as “Mexican chimichurri.”
Mexican food has [...]
Continue Reading →Some of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City are the ones that take traditional Mexican ingredients and turn them on their heads. For instance, Mexicans have traditionally eaten amaranth grain as a sort of sweet snack. But why not take amaranth and use it in a savory dish? Heck, why not go [...]
Continue Reading →My father-in-law and I hit up Phoenix’s Barrio Cafe last night. It’s one of his favorite restaurants, and my mother-in-law’s, too. The restaurant’s motto is “comida chigona,” which roughly translates to “f**ing good food.”
They were a little worried that it wouldn’t be authentic enough for my chilanga tastes, but I checked [...]
Continue Reading → Who is Mija?
Mija is Lesley Téllez, a food writer and culinary guide in New York City. I spent four years in Mexico's Distrito Federal, which launched my deep love for Mexican food and culture. In 2010 I co-founded the tourism company Eat Mexico.
