Mexico City, or CDMX, is HUGE. It’s the biggest city in North America, bigger even than NYC, and more than twice as big as LA. It’s also home to a great local food culture and plenty of imported traditions, both from the rest of Mexico and from the entire world. From street tacos that cost 25 pesos (USD 1.25) for five tacos to gourmet restaurants far, far beyond what Geoff and I want to spend, absolutely everything is here. You just have to find it.
And having found it, I photographed it. Then I devoured it.
Comfort Food for a Tired Evening: Pizza Nosferatu
Taken by Elani
When we first arrived in Mexico City, we were both quite tired. I thought it would be nice to have something a little familiar for our first dinner. When I found Pizza Nosferatu during my restaurant research, I knew it was the one. Pizza and microbrews? Perfect for an evening when we wanted to treat ourselves a little bit.
I thought we were going out on a bit of a limb, ordering this pizza combination, but it was absolutely amazing. It was served with mango puree and hot pepper oil, and somehow this combination was delicious.
To go or not to go: Go! Pizza Nosferatu is awesome. Recommended for everyone (it has lots of vegan and vegetarian options, too!)
A Fancy (and French!) Breakfast at Croque Monsieur
Taken by Elani
Geoff and I don’t usually go out for breakfast, but we do like to get fancy breakfast on Sundays sometimes. In our trendy neighborhood, La Condesa, there was a bustling cafe just around the corner. Croque Monsieur specializes in…you guessed it, but as a good millennial, I had to get the avocado toast. It was delicious. Check out that prosciutto and goat cheese!
To go or not to go: Go! If you sit outside, there will be adorable doggies next to you…lots of them.
Pizza Nosferatu II: Wildflower Boogaloo
Taken by Elani
We liked Pizza Nosferatu so much that we went back! It didn’t hurt that it was nearby and had microbrews. I didn’t like this pizza as much as the first one. It was tasty, but it didn’t portion as well, and I didn’t think the flavors were as well balanced.
To go or not to go: Go! Maybe get a different pizza, though.
Lots of Walking to End Up Next Door: Salicornia
Taken by Elani
One night when we didn’t really have groceries at home and didn’t feel like cooking anyway, we had an incredibly tough time finding somewhere to eat. We just wanted something cheap, easy, and nearby, which didn’t seem like it should be hard, but we tried two or three restaurants that were supposed to be open, but weren’t.
Finally, we went to Salicornia, just around the corner from our flat. It was definitely nearby, and reasonably easy, but not exactly as cheap as we had hoped. Oh well – two out of three isn’t bad. I had the smoked marlin tostadas, which were wonderful, not to mention a huge meal! The smoked marlin had the rich smokiness and dense texture of the best Pacific Northwest smoked salmon, while being a little drier and less oily. There were several salsas available, but I found myself skipping them to focus on the fish itself. I wish I could just buy smoked marlin in a grocery store – it was more than a little bit addictive.
To go or not to go: It’s not an incredibly cheap meal like some taco places are, but it sure was delicious!
Fusion in Juarez: Sushi Burritos from Burrushi
Taken by Elani
It’s the sort of thing that shows up in Buzzfeed food quizzes, like a unicorn frappe or goth burger: the burrushi, or sushi burrito. It’s sushi ingredients wrapped up like a burrito, and while I had heard of them before, I’d certainly never seen one. But after Geoff and I struck out on cafe we had intended to visit (line of hipsters out the door and halfway down the block), I found Burrushi, a little hole in the wall with a great rating on Google Maps. What can I say, I have no defenses against ginger and soy sauce.
As for the actual experience of eating it…it was fine? Unfortunately, they used plain rice rather than seasoning it as you would for sushi or chirashi. And in all honesty, the burrito presentation is less convenient than either sushi rolls or chirashi. So while I enjoyed it, and I would eat another burrushi under some circumstances, I would always rather have any one of the more traditional forms.
To go or not to go: …Eh. It was fine. Don’t avoid it, but skip it if you have a better option.
Paletas from Mercado Roma
Taken by Elani
The Mercado Roma is a fancy market and food court in the Roma Norte neighborhood. We had some great empanadas there, but the paletas were what really blew me away!
To go or not to go: Definitely go, these are some delicious popsicles!
Insects and Mezcal at Corazon de Maguey
Taken by Elani
Corazon de Maguey is famous for two things: great Oaxacan-influenced Mexican food, and great mezcals. Located in the same district as Frida Kahlo’s house, it’s worth a visit in its own right. The chapulines were nicely crunchy, and totally delicious with the guacamole!
To go or not to go: Definitely go!
Mystery Flan
Taken by Elani
Geoff loves flan! It’s fine, but not my favorite. I’m afraid this is a mystery flan, though – I don’t remember where we bought it.
To go or not to go: If you can find the mystery flan, more power to you!
Hipster Tacos from Taqueria Orinoco
Taken by Elani
We waited in quite a line to go to Taqueria Orinoco. We weren’t actually that dead set on it, it was more that we were really hungry and didn’t see anything else that looked good nearby. However, it was worth it in the end! Their sauces were amazing.
To go or not to go: Go, and even wait in line!
In the end, I left CDMX deeply impressed by its food culture. There’s great food to be found at all price points and in all styles. I might be biased, but one of my favorite meals was actually one Geoff and I made ourselves. For Christmas dinner, we roasted chicken breasts with potatoes, leeks, and carrots. It was simple, but delicious.