Gypsy Jan - 4-15-2012 at 08:37 AM
By kukuburra
(Reposted from Chowhound.)
“The next day we intended to head down to Coyoacan and San Angel to see some museums. We rode the metro down, wandered the Viveros park (beautiful!)
and then realized that we were in such a disorganized vacation state-of-mind that we completely forgot that it was Monday and most museums are closed.
So instead we just randomly explored the area, taking in the peaceful tree-lined streets of those neighborhoods, often a half-block away from the
utter chaos of the busy avenues. We stumbled on Calle Arenal, which has to be one of the most lovely, green urban sidestreets in the Americas. There
was even a little pastry shop where we grabbed a French macaron just for fun.
Heading back to the Centro we had a late lunch at COOX HANAL, a restaurant specializing in cuisine of the Yucatan. This was another experience in just
how broad Mexican cuisine is (and how under-recognized it is as a true top culinary experience back in the States) since some of the flavors pushed
the boundaries of what we expect in Mexican food. The most dramatic: Papadzules, tortillas filled with (and topped with) chopped up hard-boiled eggs
and slathered with a beautiful green pumpkin seed sauce. The only relative to the tastes in this dish that I've had in my travels is a dish of beans
in pumpkin seed cream at Weinhof Wieninger, a heuriger in Vienna. Given the truly international influences on Mexico (and the discovery of the
Hapsburg connection the previous day) it was all starting to fit into place. We also had a rich and smoky caldo de pavo, tortillas topped with
cochinita pibil, and Pan de cazón, a layered dish with tortillas and fish, topped with a thin tomato-based sauce. The second-story location, wide-open
windows and large main dining room lent itself to a breezy, relaxing, friendly experience. The live music was just the icing on the cake. Great place!
We spent the rest of the day just sort of wandering and relaxing and actually didn't end up eating again, which I find hard to believe in retrospect!
We could have fit in a couple of tacos al pastor at least!
The next day we rode the metro up to Autobuses Del Norte and boarded the extremely cheap public bus up to Teotihuacan. I'm really glad we chose this
route rather than a private driver or tourist-focused bus. The station was gleaming and easy to navigate, the bus was convenient and comfy, and the
young guys who got on to play guitar and sing were terrific. The pyramids were probably my non-food highlight of the trip. Just being surrounded by
such grandeur is a memorable experience without equal. Plus the wild dogs were a treat for us dog lovers. We wandered the Avenue of the Dead, climbed
the Temple of the Moon and made a pilgramage to the temple of Quetzalcoatl, something that this lifelong fan of the B-movie "Q: The Winged Serpent"
had always wanted to do!
Riding the bus back to the DF we noticed that there are a bunch of interesting looking road-side restaurants just outside the Teotihuacan complex.
Unfortunately we were already on the bus but I was left wondering if we missed out on any cool dining opportunities right there. When we got back to
the DF I noticed that we were making a stop at Indios Verdes before returning to Autobuses Del Norte. We made the on-the-spot decision to hop out and
explore a new area and I'm glad we did: The Indios Verdes bus station is what I had been concerned (incorrectly) that Autobuses would be: Total chaos!
A great place to explore if you don't have to find your bus. So my suggestion: Leave from Autobuses and return to Indios Verdes!
We hopped in the metro and got off at Balderas, strolling up to CUCINA MI LUPITA, which is known for its mole. One quick note: Nick Gilman lists this
place as Fonda Mi Lupita and the address as being ON Buentono, just OFF Delicias. But it's actually named Cucina and is ON Delicias, just OFF
Buentono. It was almost an accident that we actually spotted it. This tiny storefront restaurant has a real home-cooking vibe, with a giant cazuela of
mole burbling by the front and assorted monster dishes running back and forth. The owner, an older woman, was just as interested in getting down and
fixing a wobbly leg on our table as she was in making sure she ladled us extra mole after we had already sopped up all of ours. We had a couple of
beautiful soups and some tummy-soothing glasses of horchata, then the main course in this comida corrida: The mole dishes. I had a big plate of
shredded chicken while my wife had a leg. The star of the show, the mole, lived up to all expectations. It's possible that mole, in the hands of a
master like here, is the most complex flavor I've ever had. Smoky, sweet, spicy, perfect acid, perfect tang, just perfect. I wanted to dive into it!
This was another day, apparently that we didn't eat dinner! I'm shocked looking back at the pictures on how many opportunities for meals we skipped!”
(To be continued.)