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Tag Archives: Breakfast

Five More Places to Eat Breakfast in Oaxaca

3 / 26 / 193 / 26 / 19

It could be the reverberation of a night of mezcal, but breakfast tastes better to me in Oaxaca. It might also be that it satisfies my need for variety. Breakfast here can be decadent like mole, fresh like green juice, comforting like hot chocolate. It can be enjoyed in the corner of a restaurant playing Joni Mitchell, it can be in the halls of a busy market. I am into all of the possibilities. Here are a few places I visited this last trip.

Mercado Sánchez Pascuas

The juice bar at this neighborhood market is bumping club music at 7 am every day, and it gets me so pumped! They have pitchers ready to go, they have multiple blenders going, they’re chopping papaya and strawberries for your fruit salads, they have flashing lights, and they will get you your order before the track ends. There are many things I love about how straight up Mexican juice bars are, and one of them is the drink names. In the U.S. juices are often aspirational: the cleanup, cosmic cocoa, golden cure, you know what I’m sayin. But in Mexico they’re prescriptive, so in a juice bar no wider than five feet, the walls are plastered with juice combos labeled for heath problems: gastritis, diabetes, exhaustion… Shout over the music, “I’ll have indigestion please” and you’ll be set with an excellent start to your morning.

Immediately across the hall (the stand second from the left) is a woman making memelas and her guisados are a cut above the rest. Memelas are masa vessels covered with beans and cheese and a topping of your choice. You can also get the same topping in a quesadilla. The costilla de res is where it’s at here for meat, and the mushrooms, ever so humble and overlooked next to the flor de calabaza, are great here too.

La Cosecha

For a solid breakfast I often relied on this market with organic goods and products from small farmers, as well as a bunch of stands serving hot food. In the center are shaded picnic tables, so you can order at multiple stands and they’ll find you and bring you your food. I also came here sometimes when I just wanted a caldo de gallina or felt like picking up some dried mangos for a road trip.

One of the drink highlights for me was a stand serving pozontle. Oaxaca has the greatest diversity of cacao drinks in Mexico, and this one includes cacao, panela, a root called cocomecatl and granillo de maiz. It’s frothy and lightly grainy and chocolately, and served in a giant jicara. If your hangover brain is struggling between choosing sweet chocolatey comfort and caffeine, no fear get a choco-café from the guy who sells coffee and he’ll stir it up in a clay pitcher over the fire. There is also a juice stand, which takes so long they might be hand-plucking the parsley from a secret garden but you’re enjoying your giant chocolate beverage anyway.

My favorite stand was introduced to me by T.J. Steele, who buys his corn for his Brooklyn restaurant, Claro, from this cheesemaker and corn farmer couple. The cheesemaker and cook has big eyes and a huge smile, and her all natural guayaba yogurt which you can take home is the thing I want to eat every morning. Anything with cheese here is a winner, try the empanadas to start. She also has ricotta and quesillo to take home.

El Fortincito

Beatles paraphernalia, black and white photos of old Oaxaca, and plastic 1980s style office chairs braid the decades weirdly together at this family restaurant north of the centro. 

There is also a  little fetish for the time that never existed: the walls carry artwork by Jesus Helguera, you’ve probably seen his work from the 1940s mostly on calendars, romantic scenes of Mexican life with characters that might be dressed in traditional indigenous textiles but look European. The Aztec warrior carrying the Barbie-bodied white lady with long hair over a smoking volcano, for instance. The important point is that the food is not quirky, it’s tasty and affordable. 

I love the decadence of a Mexican breakfast, and this is a place for that. We ordered fresh juice, hot chocolate, coffee, atole, and they brought over a basket of pan de yema, an airy bread made with egg yolks. My housemate was anxious to try the estofada, a mole you might not see as often at restaurants. This one was certainly on the sweet side, with flavors of almonds and raisins, and served in enchilada form. They offer lunch too and if I were to come back I would try their caldos, of which they had a bunch, and their moles. Open from 7 am to 7 pm. 

Gourmand Delicatessen

Being in Oaxaca for six weeks, I appreciated this deli and all-day restaurant with a bunch of different offerings. If you want to get good bread, artisanal Mexican cheese, and cured meats (the lengua especially) to compliment your market produce at home, this is the place. If you want a well-made cappuccino and a bagel with perfectly cooked eggs and cheese that makes you feel like a kid again this is the place. If you want to be a responsible grown up and have a salad, this is also the place. You can also get a meal here at anytime of the day (if you miss the comida window in Oaxaca the variety of casual food for dinner can get slim). They have a sweet artisanal beer selection too.

Chepiche Café

Chepiche Café is like the neighborhood it lives in: so peaceful it feels far from Niños Heroes, the busy PanAmerican highway that cuts through Oaxaca city even though it is a few blocks away. Xochimilco is lined with stone streets and walls, bougenvia that hangs over colorful garage doors, and on the right corner the sounds of weaving looms. Chepiche Café fits in. There’s a big patio with enough leafy big plants and space to make you feel like you are dining alone. Joni Mitchel played in the background. There’s just enough cement, Easter-egg pastel colors on the walls and chairs, and pockets of shade under lime tree blossoms for it to feel cool on an ominously warm morning.

I was tempted by the breakfast torta ahogada but I ended up trying a dish of plantains, quesillo melted with beans and wrapped in hoja santa, floating in a mild chile-tomato sauce with two poached eggs. It had all those textures and flavors you want together: creamy, salty, spicy, sweet with the singular earthiness of hoja santa and black beans.

For more breakfast options in Oaxaca visit these older posts here and here.

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Where to Eat Breakfast in Oaxaca, Part Two

7 / 27 / 171 / 31 / 20

After late nights in Oaxaca kept up by the creep of the mezcal high, I’m always excited for the rewards in the morning: frothy hot chocolate, fresh juice, crispy-edged fried eggs off the comal. Here are a few places to enjoy breakfast in Oaxaca city. For more, read my first post. Thanks to @oaxacking for introducing me to most of these places.

Casa Estambul – CLOSED


During the rein of Porfirio Díaz (Mexico’s president for three and a half decades prior to the revolution), this building was his hub for illicit activity— his casino—owned by a Turk and called Casa Estambul. The small brothel rooms surrounding a courtyard in the back of the restaurant now house kitchen supplies.

The courtyard is bordered by patterned tiles, and inside the bar area the entire wall is covered with the work of three well known painters. If you walk in and experience mezcal flashbacks, you may be thinking of the owners’ previous speakeasy-like bar Piedra Lumbre. Fer and Betty are also the publishers of Arrecife, a local magazine and guide, and their design sensibilities translate gorgeously off the page.

Brunch is a hit here, and I can see why. There’s a big menu, accommodating your friends who “will just have a smoothie bowl” and your pals soaking up a hangover with a torta de chilaquiles. The barista program is on trend, with dirty chais, matcha lattes, and milk substitutions. We had the chilaquiles verdes with tasajo, orange-red from chorizo spices and softened by queso fresco on top. They have three green juices, and I enjoyed the well-balanced number one: pineapple, kale, spinach, celery and coconut water.

Our first salad in two weeks had dried fig, winter melon, almonds, cheese from chiapas, and a tamarind dressing. The cocktail program here is also fun, I enjoyed a clean and refreshing ginger mule called the Mulas Tercas. Note that this is also a great place for an evening cocktail and dinner.

Tierra del Sol

An ode to unofficial Oaxacan ambassador, Lila Downs, this restaurant is housed in the singer’s childhood home. Private dining rooms are named after songs, and her cropped embroidered blouses and painted knee-high boots are illuminated in a glass case. The garden patio sprawls as cacti-entwined trees and hanging shiny green ceramics open to the kitchen, where fried eggs and tortillas are made on the comal. The only thing uninteresting about this place is that they only play her music (I mean, I like it but it’ll get repetitive quick).

I am a fan of enjoying the subtle ways in which cooks (home and professional) add their takes on simple staples, like chilaquiles. Here they are served with yellow mole, a mild herbal mole that’s poured over chips into a bowl, with two fried eggs.

The waiter will come to your table immediately offering hot chocolate and café de la olla, kept warm over a small grill in the outside patio. There are fresh juices, and some typical breakfasts from the Mixteca region.

This location is just a short drive from the heart of the city but feels like a distant retreat. They recently opened a new location in the centro.

Las Chilmoleras


It’s weird to say that a several thousand-year-old kitchen tool is trending, but is anyone else noticing more molcajetes used as serving bowls? Here at Las Chilmoleras they are filled with bubbling breakfasts, and alongside fresh pastries, juices, and good coffee. Try the huevos estrellados a la chilmolera, fried eggs with thick bacon, enfrijoladas, and salsa. (Tip, don’t scrape a molcajete with your utensils.)

If you’re missing marshmallows while enjoying all that Oaxacan hot chocolate, you’ll find them here.

This is a casual breakfast joint with a bright lavender and turquoise exterior and a patio that’s right next to the open kitchen. It’s owned by a Colombian chef, who married a Oaxacan. He sent out some freshly baked croissants filled with jam as we were leaving, and it made me want to stay for round two.

Jugos Cardona

Just like I scout out the good coffee in a new place, I’m always on the outlook for a juice shop in Mexico. Often juice shops are open before cafes in Mexico, which is helpful for this early riser. Anyway, this place is in a central location and will fill all your juice needs and give you a place to sit down. You’ll also learn about the nutritional value of seasonal tropical fruits by reading the hand-written signs on the wall.

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This date last year was the first day of our @mezc This date last year was the first day of our @mezcalistas Michoacán tour with a bunch of friends in the industry from across the country.  We drank snake mezcal and ate carnitas and followed the light up the hills for inaquidens agaves. How things have changed for all of us. Putting tour dates on the calendar for the end of 2021 makes me feel hopeful (stay tuned!) In the meantime, sipping my copita pretending like it’s from the still and scrolling through the memories captured by @renecervantes. 
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#michoacan #travelgram #instatravel #traveldeeper #travelmexico #pasionxmexico #tasteintravel #livecolorfully #instacolor #igtravel #whereitravel #mezcal #mezcaltour #mezcalovers
Taiwanese breakfast today is daikon cakes, dan bin Taiwanese breakfast today is daikon cakes, dan bing, fan tuan with purple sticky rice, red bean mochi with osmanthus, Taiwanese breakfast sandwich, and dou hua with ginger syrup. Remember to support your local restaurants & makers if you can this weekend and always❤️
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#picnicbreakfast #brunch #picnic  #feedyoursoul #tasteintravel #foodphotography #foodwriter #instafood #taiwanesefood #shopsmall
🌊Family day🌊 🌊Family day🌊
Doin so much social media consulting these days I Doin so much social media consulting these days I get exhausted by the screen and don’t really get on my own gram. Plus this quarantine is an emotional roller coaster and I’m setting hella boundaries on and off the screen so I can stay grounded and grateful. But then I miss seeing all my friends’ work and all the art & activism & community that everyone is making happen. So hi friends, keep at it, also here is one of my favorite quarantine creations - an agave bandanna from @tuyo_nyc 🖤🤍⚡️
When missing breakfast in Istanbul🌹 . . . . . # When missing breakfast in Istanbul🌹
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#turkishbreakfast #brunch #picnic  #feedyoursoul #tasteintravel #foodphotography #foodwriter #instafood
New article up on Life & Thyme as part of a series New article up on Life & Thyme as part of a series on institutional racism and agriculture, link in bio • repost @lifeandthyme "Most of the country’s 2.5 million farmworkers are of Mexican descent, and at least half are undocumented. Wages are generally low; in 2019 farmworkers earned less than what workers with the lowest levels of education in the U.S. labor market earned. They typically endure long hours, face occupational health and safety hazards, lack health coverage, reside in crowded housing, and many of them live below the federal poverty guidelines. At least six percent of farmworkers identify as Indigenous, and for those without English or Spanish fluency, accessing medical care or information can be even more difficult. And while immigrant farmworkers are some of the most vulnerable to Covid-19 due to these circumstances, they have been deemed essential workers. ⠀
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This inequity of including people in an economy for their labor and skills and yet excluding their humanity in narrative and policies is part of maintaining racial and economic power structures—and the nation’s food system was built on it." -- L&T Contributor @ferronlandia⠀
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Today on Life & Thyme, Ferron Salniker explores how a history of immigration, trade and discriminatory economic policies have made U.S. farms dependent on exploitable labor mostly by Latinx immigrants. Read, "How Immigration and Trade Policy Have Shaped U.S. Agriculture" at the link in our bio.⠀
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#lifeandthyme
Been resisting social media, submitting to water a Been resisting social media, submitting to water and California. Plumas County to Topanga Beach this week 🐬🌊
New piece up on the women behind the Black Chef Mo New piece up on the women behind the Black Chef Movement, who are fueling protesters in NY. Repost from @lifeandthyme: 

“McCallum and Davis are responding to a singular moment in history, facing the combined hardships of an economic crisis, increased hunger, the Covid-19 pandemic, and swelling protests across the country demanding transformation of our political and economic systems. Black Chef Movement is meeting the needs of this moment in its own way, continuing a tradition of Black activists showing up to nourish communities while organizing for liberation.” — L&T Correspondent @ferronlandia
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Honoring a historic tradition, New York chefs Kayla Davis and Rasheeda McCallum founded the @blackchefmovement to feed and fuel a movement. Read the full story at the link in our profile.
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Photos by L&T Photographer @jonvachon
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#lifeandthyme #blacklivesmatter #nyc #ny
Tres Colibrí is a cooperative owned by eight fam Tres Colibrí is a cooperative owned by eight families who make mezcal with agaves endemic to the two regions they are located in, Chontal and Sola de Vega, Oax. The pandemic has been messing with them hard- while permanently moving out of her bodega in Oaxaca, the founder maestra @sosimaoliveraaguilar’s truck was stolen! I love this project, their sustainability practices and their brand of mezcal, @fanekantsini. I wrote more about them on @mezcalistas (link in bio),
if you want to support you can buy some mezcal in advance to pick up later in Mexico (info in the article). 
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#mezcal #mezcallover #agave #agavelover #mezcalartesanal #oaxaca #oaxacamexico #cooperative #mezcalera
‪Hey friends, the origin of this social media ch ‪Hey friends, the origin of this social media challenge comes from Turkish women standing in solidarity with women lost to femicide, whose photos are often shown on Turkish outlets in B&W.‬

‪Femicide has long been a problem in Turkey, and has increased in the past years, with the pandemic adding an additional outburst of violence. ‬

‪Posting in solidarity with our Turkish sisters, please swipe to learn more and see how you can support women in Turkey. For my friends here, whether you post a pic or not, I see you and I love you for being in the daily fight against white supremacy and the patriarchy. Info slides from @auturkishculturalclub, please share their posts, not mine. 

‪#kadınaşiddetehayır‬
‪#istanbulsözleşmesiyaşatır‬
‪#challengeaccepted‬
‪#womensupportingwomen‬
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