Old School Mexican Food

What is your favorite "old school" Mexican restaurant? Looking for your choice on authentic mex cuisine, regardless of the ambiance.

Dined at El Nido for second time ever this week. Enjoyed it very much, as my guest grew up with the music of Los Panchos and also enjoyed the simple flavors and fresh tortillas. El Nido isn't my favorite, but, it fits in once in a while for a fun change.

Disqualifications include the word "fusion", combining styles of cuisine with a hyphen("Baja-Thai-Cuban"), hip-hop background music or overwhelming presence of Gringo customers.

My foto was retouched by friend Tom Gatch to bring out the mood of the sad ballad performance.

[Edited on 8-26-2012 by bajadock]

No music BUT
the Mercado Municipal here in San Jose gets my vote!
Only open for breakfast and lunch......closes at 5
As authentic as you can get

Diana Kennedy, the Mexican food goddess

How are the prices? Her books almost start out with instructions how to plant granos de elote for a milpa. ¡Que autentico!

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy No music BUT the Mercado Municipal here in San Jose gets my vote! Only open for breakfast and lunch......closes at 5 As authentic as you can get

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE Diana Kennedy, the Mexican food goddess How are the prices? Her books almost start out with instructions how to plant granos de elote for a milpa. ¡Que autentico!

She is tiny, dynamic, charming, fiesty and minces no words!

She purchased her property in the 70s and had to negotiate the water rights with the mayor of the town above her house, as her property has no natural water sources. It also had large boulders which she was told she could not remove...so she built around them. Her house is and has been for 30+ years, ecologically sound, sustainable and green.

This is what you see walking up her driveway



It really is an ecological preserve. Then you get to the entrance to her kitchen



Since her property has no water on it, she has a water collection system, along with several outdoor ovens and a grill







She also grows a great deal of what she eats. The soil in Michoacan is pretty good, it rains alot and they have nice warm growing days. Below are beans, corn and there probably squash plants in there as well, all of which she grows and most of which are heirloom varieties





She does grow her own corn which she nixtamalizes. Sometimes she sends it up the hill to the village to be ground on their mill. More likely, she grinds it herself...



She is also devoted to lard, which, of course, she renders herself



I did 3 1/2 days of cooking classes with her. She is a traditionalist and a purist. You did it her way or no way at all. A few of the things we made...

Guacamole con Frutas (typical of the state of Guanajuato and usually made this time of year when the fruit is in season and super ripe



Sopes for which we ground the corn. I think these were with chorizo



There are many different types of pozole and this one is traditionally served on Thursdays - and ONLY Thursdays - in marekts all over Guerrero



I am not a huge fan of huitlacoche



But this is probably one of the best things I've ever eaten...ever...huitlacoche, rajas, blue corn tortilla



This chorizo was stellar and I've replicated it pretty easily at home in San Diego...including letting it "cure" for 3 days by hanging it in my bath tub. This, however, we made in DKs kitchen



And you can't leave without making mole



I've cooked from her cookbooks for more than 30 years. I've had people tell me her recipes are intimidating. While I understand their argument, I've made so many of them, I know that they work and are truly reflective of intense research, scrupulous testing and preserve a traditional cuisine that is astonishing in it's depth and breadth

[Edited on 8-26-2012 by BajaNomad]

I had some kick burro tacos al vapor in Guadalajara at a 7-11.

Ateo ! you shoulda known better