Tag Archives: restaurants

More Than 36 Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico–Favorite Restaurants

Posted on Friday, January 20, 2012 | 4 comments

The list that I sent to Freda Moon, The New York Times travel writer who created the feature 36 Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico, included some of my favorite places to eat in two categories:  1) Where to eat that won’t break your budget, and 2) The GaGa Dining Experience.

Where to Eat That Won’t Break Your Budget

El Gran Gourmet, Av. Independencia #1104, between Juarez and Pino Suarez, clean, quick, delicious local food joint, 3-4 course lunch about 50-60 pesos, including beverage.  This doesn’t look like much from the street, but believe me, the food is delicious and a definite bargain.  If you are watching your pesos, this is the place! Can’t find it in any guidebook.  Where my pals from the Museo Textil de Oaxaca eat lunch.

Casa del Tio Guero, 55 pesos for a fixed-price, 3-course lunch.  Offers vegetarian, typical Oaxaqueña comida (lunch), sandwiches.  Av. Garcia Virgil #715, continue uphill 2-3 blocks past the corner of  Av.Jose Carranza. Tel. 951-516-9584; known for Puebla’s  quintessential treat–chiles en nogada (available as vegetarian). Incredible flan.  Great folk art plasters the walls.  Lots of visuals to keep you occupied.

   

Café Los Cuiles — Cafe with a Conscience! Av. Abasolo between Alcala and 5 de Mayo, across from the outdoor artisan market. Plazuela La Bastida #115.  Ex-pat heaven with locals who love it, too! Comfy little spot with great omelets, waffles, and traditional Mexican fare, free Wi-Fi, which means that sometimes it’s difficult to find a table.  50-80 pesos.  Office away from home.

La Zandunga, Av. Garcia Virgil at the corner of Jesus Carranza, cater-corner to La Biznaga, traditional Isthmus of Tehuantepec cooking, delicious mole negro, tamales steamed in banana leaves, moderate $$ 80-120 pesos; maybe 10 tables; extensive mescal tasting assortment; Aurora Toledo owner is from Juchitan. Telephone: 951/516-2265

Terranova on the Zocalo, outdoor café, moderately priced. Excellent tortas made with whole grain rolls and great people-watching.  There are many restaurants that ring the Zocalo where you can dine alfresco.  I particularly like the Micheladas here — made with spicy tomato and lime juice and beer of your choice.

Where to Eat for the GaGa Oaxaca Dining Experience

Pitiona—Cocina de Autor, NEW Calle 5 de Mayo #311, (951) 514-4707,  across from swank Camino Real Hotel. Try the sea bass with ginger crystallized sugar, red chard, spinach, salsa Amarillo and fresh blue corn tortillas.  When I had dinner here soon after they opened, the wait staff was warm and friendly, and the culinary masters of the kitchen loved having their picture taken!

            

Los Danzantes:  Even though The New York Times mentioned Los Danzantes in their 2007 36 Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico feature, the restaurant has staying power.  The food is still extraordinary.  The coconut shrimp I had recently was over the top, adorned with “tuna,” the fruit of the agave cactus, peeled pink grapefruit and orange sections, and cucumber, topped with a pineapple salsa with candied ginger and red pepper flakes. Macedonio Alcala#403 Interior Courtyard #4. Telephone: (951) 501-1184, (951) 501-1187.  Enter next to El Oro de Monte Alban.  Also, they distill their own mescal.  Muy rico!

 

 

La Biznaga, Ave. Gargia Virgil, #512, between Allende and J. Carranza, eclectic atmosphere with open sky dining and great recorded jazz on a good sound system, innovative food preparation and presentation. Try the black bean soup and anything with squash blossoms.  I especially love the salmon salad and trust the lettuce-washing here.  Quintessential SLOW FOOD, which says more about how quickly it comes out of the kitchen than its origins.  The red Malbec wine from Argentina is especially delicious.  You can dine here for between $7-25 USD, depending upon your menu choices.

Please feel free to add your own recommendations for your favorite eating spots in Oaxaca in the comments section.

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Dining and Lodging, Food & Recipes, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Travel & Tourism

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Frida Kahlo Food Fest This Weekend at Tortilla Flats, Soquel, California

Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 | 2 comments

Mexican food at its finest!

Tomorrow I’m flying to Santa Cruz, California to visit family.  My sister just sent me notice of a grand fiesta in her neighborhood and I intend to check it out and see if I can conjure up the recipes to post.  Maybe between swallows, I’ll be able to take a few photos of the intact dish before starting to gobble, gobble.

California is about as close to Mexico as one can get without crossing the border so I feel justified in including this here!  I can’t wait to get there to sample these incredible dishes.

Notice from Tortilla Flats proprietress Cheryl Marquez:

Frida’s Favorites are back at Tortilla Flats. Starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday the recipes of Frida Kahlo will be featured. Frida’s role as wife to the great muralist Diego Rivera included that of hostess to their many friends and admirers. She loved to prepare meals, the presentation as well as taste were important to her. In accordance with her and Diego’s Marxist beliefs, their meals relied on traditional recipes. Much of her knowledge came from her favorite cookbook Nuevo Cocinero Mejicano the equivalent of this country’s Fanny Farmer or Good Housekeeping. Below is our Menu.

Tortilla Flats is Located at 4616 Soquel Drive in the village of Soquel. Open from 11:30 until closing seven days a week.   Reservations are accepted for parties of six or more only. Directions are available at our website.   Contact us at 831-476-1754

SQUASH BLOSSOM CREPAS

Fresh picked squash blossoms, mushrooms and Oaxaca cheese in handmade crepes with aji limo sauce. (Organic from Yerena Farms)

SCALLOPS AND PESCADO IN SCALLOP SHELLS

Beautiful presentation of baked basa and eastern scallops served in scallop shells with lobster saffron cream sauce.

FRIDA’S PEANUT MOLE

Deep, rich peanut and chipotle mole served with chicken

AZTECA TAMALE

Tender pork carnitas steamed in a banana leaf, served with achiote pepper sauce

ALBONDIGAS EN CHIPOTLE

Mexican style meatballs in a spicy chipotle sauce, served with fried plantains and beans.

MOLE MANCHEMANTALES

Literally “tablecloth strainer”. Fragrant with roasted ancho, pasilla and chipotle chiles. It draws it’s sweetness from plantains, raisins, figs, mangoes and pineapple. Served with pork carnitas.

CREPAS SALMONE

Wild caught salmon served in handmade Spanish smoked paprika crepes with chipotle cream sauce.

FRIDA’S GREEN CORN TAMALES

Made with fresh corn, New Mexico hatch chile and cheese. Served with Santa Fe green sauce.

PRICKLEY PRAWNS

Grilled jumbo Prawns with prickley pear lime sauce.

NOPALES RELLENOS

Nopales paddles in fluffy egg batter, pan fried and covered with Oaxaca cheese and poblano sauce.

CACTUS CHILE VERDE

Carnitas in rich tomatillo sauce with cactus strips.

RED SNAPPER VERA CRUZ

Fresh, wild caught red snapper pan fried, served with traditional vera cruz tomato, caper sauce.

PUMPKIN TAMALE

Pumpkin pie tamale. All the flavors of fresh pumpkin pie served with house made caramel sauce and ice cream.

 

Tortilla Flats is now on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube!

Become our Fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soquel-CA/Tortilla-Flats-Restaurant-Santa-Cruz/294521924343

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tortillaflatssc

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/tortillaflatssc

 

 

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Posted in Food & Recipes, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

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Dinner at Restaurant Tierra Antigua, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca

Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2011 | 3 comments

Gorgeous! Plato Principal -- The Main Dish

Like a painting, I call it arte de comer.  Carina Santiago Bautista cooks from her heart.  For years, Cari prepared food and sold it daily at the village market for carry out.  Now, she has a brand-spanking-new kitchen in her new casita on Av. Juarez and operates the restaurant La Tierra Antigua.  I organize special dinners there for workshop participants so we can savor the flavors that come from Cari’s kitchen.  Usually, I pre-order a menu but the last time I asked Cari to use her judgment and create a menu that would express the ingredients available locally in season.  Frequently, I prefer to eat my meals there with a big soup spoon.  The bowl of the spoon is wide and deep enough to scoop up the thick, fragrant sauces that spill over the food and puddle on the plate.

Farm fresh steamed vegetables at Restaurante Tierra Antigua

Carina Santiago’s Early Spring Menu

  1. Salad/Ensalada:  a chopped mix of avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice and salt.
  2. Soup/Sopa: spinach (espinace) flavored with oregano and cilantro
  3. Bread/Pan: slices of Oaxaca sourdough bread slathered with olive oil, butter, mustard and topped with ground pepper, then put under the broiler to brown and crisp
  4. Main Course/Plato Principal: pollo la plancha (chicken breast) sautéed with onions and green peppers, and accompanied by enchiladas with mole coloradito, steamed choyote squash and brown or white rice
  5. Postres/Dessert:  pan de queso–cheesecake with dark chocolate sauce

For the chicken breast, Cari pounds the breast to tenderize it, then marinates it in milk, pepper, oregano, garlic and salt for 6 hours before cooking it. Delicioso.

For the cheesecake, Cari uses Philadelphia cream cheese, light evaporated milk, eggs and no sugar.  I might mix the cream cheese with ricotta, local goat cheese or queso fresco for an earthier flavor.  Below, the cheesecake is adorned with fresh pear slices and banana, with a dollop of chocolate — on a hand-painted plate from Dolores Hidalgo.

 

The Cheese Cake -- Pan de Queso

 

Restaurante Tierra Antigua, Av. Juarez #175, Teotitlan del Valle, (951) 166 6160 or cell phone 044 (951) 199 7884.  Carina Santiago Bautista and her husband Pedro Montano Lorenzo.  To reserve, contact Cari at zapotecweavers@hotmail.com

 

Carina Santiago Bautista, talented cook

 

 

 


 

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Posted in Food & Recipes, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Travel & Tourism

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Where to Eat in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca

Posted on Monday, December 13, 2010 | 2 comments
Perhaps you are doing a day-trip to Teotitlan del Valle during your stay in Oaxaca.  You’ve done your research, have the map I offer for sale, and have identified the weavers to visit who work only in natural dyes (we hope!).  You are in the village all day and, of course, want a spot to rest, have a good meal and a beer.  Here is a guide for where to eat in the village.  The full article is published on Suite 101, so click on the link below to read more.
Synopsis: Home-based restaurants offer up authentic, delicious, and affordable fare prepared by a talented cadre of multigenerational women working together. 

Read more at Suite101: Where to Eat in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca http://www.suite101.com/content/where-to-eat-in-teotitlan-del-valle-oaxaca-a320100#ixzz181xfVVmx

Tlayuda con pollo at El Descanso

Burgers & fries al fresco after 7 p.m. year 'round on the sidewalk outside the market

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Posted in Food & Recipes, Teotitlan del Valle, Travel & Tourism

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Norma’s Oaxaca Favorites: A Baker’s Dozen

Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 | Comments Off on Norma’s Oaxaca Favorites: A Baker’s Dozen

1.     Museo Textil de Oaxaca, corner Fiallo and Hidalgo, closed Tuesdays.  Ask to meet Eric Chavez Santiago, director of education, for a personal tour.  Take a class if you are in town for a while.

2.   Federico Chavez Santiago Family Weavers for authentic, masterful, naturally dyed rugs at fair trade prices, Francisco I. Madero #55, Teotitlan del Valle, 52-44078 (call ahead to be sure they are home)

3.  Shiatsu massage with Annie Burns, Teotitlan del Valle, 951-1313 009.  She will also come to Oaxaca city.  By appointment.

4.  Remigio Mestas’ Arte Textil Indigena, Macedonio Alcala #103, in the Los Danzantes Restaurant Arcade, for the best Oaxacan textiles handwoven, handspun and naturally dyed by Zapotec, Mixtec, Mixe and Trique tribal groups.

5.  La Olla Restaurante, Calle de Reforma

6.  Nieves Anita in the Teotitlan del Valle market.  Closes at 4 p.m.  Nieves is local ice cream made from fresh fruit, nuts, and grated vegetables.  My favorite  flavor is the one that combines the coconut ice cream with chopped pecans, pineapple chunks, and fresh grated carrot.  Tuna, by the way, is the fruit of the nopal cactus and there is an ice cream flavor for that, too. Second choice:  nieves in the Tlacolula market.

7.  Grill your own carne for lunch in the Tlacolula Sunday market.  Walk back deep into the bowels of the market into the covered building beyond the church where you will find the meat vendor stalls and an aisle of charcoal grill stoves.  Meander and buy a bunch of onions, avocados, a few tomatillos, limes, and fresh tortillas (choose from blue, yellow or white).  Then, buy your meat.  Ask for suave (soft) for the most tender cut.  Put all this on the grill in front of the stand (except for the avocado and lime).  Peel the avocado.  Assemble all into the tortilla, sprinkle with fresh lime juice, roll up and eat standing using one of the vacant stalls for your table top.  If you like, use fresh baked rolls instead of the tortilla (ask for pan por tortas) found just down the long aisle.  Total cost is about $1.75 per person.

8.  Definitely Monte Alban.  Take the tourist bus from Calle Mina.  Ask the Zocalo tourist police how to get there.

9.  Mitla for the ruins and for great, inexpensive handloomed cotton tablecloths, blouses, napkins, shawls.  The REAL market is down the hill from the church and ruins.  The market in front of the church is too turistica.  The Mitla archeological site is different from Monte Alban because it incorporates both Mixtec and Zapotec designs in the carvings.  It is a treasure.

10.  Bertha Cruz woodcarver in Arrazola, Justo Xuana woodcarver in San Martin Tilcajete, and Dolores Porras potter in Atzompa.

11.  Handmade paper jewelry from the Francisco Toledo taller in San Augustin Etla can be found at La Granen Porrua on Macedonio Alcala.

12.  A cooking class with Pilar Cabreras at Casa de Los Sabores.

13.  Comida at El Gran Gourmet Oaxaqueno on Calle Independencia.  Be sure to order the Agua de Pepino con Limon (fresh cucumber and lime juice).

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Teotitlan del Valle, Textiles, Tapestries & Weaving, Travel & Tourism

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