Category Archives: Food and Drink

Seven Places to Eat and Drink in Mexico City


I recently went back to Mexico City and while I discovered that I would be happy sipping on a Victoria and eating chile-covered fruit floating on the Xochimilco canals all day, here are some stationary food and drink options to mix it up!

Ricas Quesadillas y Tlacoyos Light
It’s most likely that nearby each tourist destination in Mexico City there is a street food stall that is a destination in itself. A few blocks away from El Museo de Arte Popular there is a line of vendors sheltered by red plastic tarps. At this stand you can enjoy a quesadilla or tlacoyo (a torpedo-shaped masa snack that’s stuffed) with the backdrop of a church’s blue and yellow stained glass windows across the sidewalk.

The masa here serves as a vessel for guisados, which literally translates to stews or braised meats, but can be different toppings that sit in cazuelas waiting to be scooped into a taco or other masa creation. We sat at the short stools and ordered three quesadillas filled with squash blossoms, huitlacoche and mushrooms. The blue corn  masa tortillas are freshly pressed, coming off the comal like the color of a flame’s heart. Quesadillas can be made with requeson and/or quesillo oaxaca, and there are meat guisado options too. Sitting on the sidewalk at a table decorated only with salsa, limes and salt, eating my favorite childhood snack reminded me that often eating one dish made just right can be more exquisite than anything at a fancy restaurant.
Closed on Sundays. On Av. de Balderas between Independence and Juarez.

El Auténtico Pato Manila

I’m still confused by what Manila has to do with this place, but continuing on the theme of doing one thing and one thing well, this is a taqueria devoted to duck, one of the few meats you typically don’t stumble across at  taquerias. The narrow Condesa restaurant fits 15 seats, half of them around the kitchen counter.  The only spots of color in the white-tiled space are a portrait of Mao (interesting), a blue speaker that lights up, and the jamaica, tamarind, and sweet and sour sauces on the counter. The signature dish here is the Tacos Kim: roasted duck, plum sauce, carnitas, cucumber, and green onions on a flour tortilla. The dish mimics the fixings for pecking duck, which the owners were inspired by while traveling in China. Here the mandarin pancake is subbed for a flour tortilla. Between the plum sauce and the flour tortilla, it’s a fun mingling of food memories if you grew up with both genres of flavors.  For a more Mexican take, go for the Tacos Manila: duck, beans, epazote on a corn tortilla (although I didn’t find them as tasty).


There are a few beer options here, and if you’re smart you’ll flag down the camote and roasted platano vendor circling the block for some dessert (Thanks Jeronimo!) $70 pesos for a plate of four tacos, and they have tortas on the weekend.

Cafe Avellaneda

Sometimes when traveling it’s the small victories and not the over-the-top meals that are the most memorable. The coconut crema on the side of the road, the copita of mezcal in a dive bar, the day-changing coffee on a busy city trip. At Cafe Avellaneda that was the coffee drink I had, made with tamarindo, espresso, juniper and tonic. The tartness of the tamarindo played with the bitterness of the espresso and the tonic mellowed things out.

This tiny cafe and bar a few blocks away from the touristy area in Coyoacán opens up to the street and has a few places to sit at the copper counter. There are a number of coffee and tea cocktails on the menu, however the cafe works with small coffee farms and has a range of specialty beans from Mexico, so even the straight-up is special here (the owner is a barista competition champion too).

Pasillo del Humo

Pasillo del Humo is a project by the son of Celia Florian, one of Oaxaca’s culinary heroes (read an interview with her I did last year) and I am so pleased that we came here for brunch. As all proper breakfasts should begin, we were immediately served café de la olla (choice of hot chocolate too) and given a selection of golden brown pastries: the chocolate croissant was buttery perfection and the concha was fluffy and not too dense, one of the best I’ve had. The breakfast menu offers some of my favorite Oaxacan staples, like chilaquiles with choice of guajillo sauce, moles or frijol, with an optional fried egg or tasajo. There’s a tamale plate with a trio of yellow mole, black mole, and bean tamales. I had the cazuela de huevo y chapulines: grilled hoja santa, melted quesillo, chapulines (grasshoppers) and a fried egg in salsa chile pasilla mixe. It was earthy and tart, flavors true of chapulines and hoja santa, which might be intense if you’re not familiar with them.

The space is on the top floor of a food hall in the Condesa, with high ceilings decorated by murals of Istmeño lace headdresses and embroidery blooming over the tops of wooden panels. The kitchen is open, bookended by piles of pastries on one side and colorful tortilla baskets on the other. It would be a great place for lunch as well.

Xaman

I’m not really recommending this place. More just compelled to comment on it. Part SNL parody of Ojai, part mixologist haven, this bar’s schitck is incorporating pre-Hispanic ingredients into craft cocktails. Punch bowls are served in jicaras and rosemary garnishes are lit on fire as they leave the bar. A guy with a man bun walks through the floor periodically with copal.

On one hand, the space is beautifully designed with apothecary-like bottles behind the bar, crystal cups of rose petals and ginger sitting on the counter, and elegant wood paneling and private booths. Also, I like drinks with cactus fruit and zapote shrub. On the other hand, I wonder how the people who spend and make money at Xaman identify with and give credit to the indigenous people who have kept alive traditions and knowledge of these plants and fruits. This is why I’m not wholeheartedly recommending this place, but I think it captures a trend we should talk about. The DJ here was one of the better we heard, with disco beats getting us up to dance in the copal smoke (I’m rolling my eyes at myself).

PataNegra
Come to this long-time neighborhood bar for live Son Jarocho, music from Veracruz, on Sunday evenings around 6 or 7. There was one professional dancer with the band, and a whole bunch of impressive audience participants. In the evenings it feels like PataNegra is a low key tapas bar, but as soon as the live music stopped the playlist went right to pop and the lights went down so expect a change in the vibe. Look out for other shows as well, they are known to bring in some well-known acts.

Felina
If you like a classic cocktail with a side of Don Draper fantasy, come here. The low lit corner bar feels like a mid-century posh library with swanky velvet chairs and couches, patterned wallpaper and circle mirrors.

They’re know for their classics, but I was pleased sipping on a drink with orange blossom, lemon, mezcal and ruda (a bitter herb) for garnish. With Brazilian soul on the turntables this is a sexy spot to lounge before a night out.

In between meals:

The Suprema Corte de Justicia in the historic center has what are probably some of the most moving and under-admired murals in the city. Down each stairwell of the Supreme Court are murals interpreting the theme of justice. The History of Justice in Mexico by Rafael Cauduro is the most contemporary and chronicles the history of abuse by the government against its citizens. It’s hyper-real with police officers in riot gear poking out through the windows and torture cell basements at the bottom of the stairwell. It’s a fierce cry for justice in a building where it has so often been denied.

The Museo Dolores Olmedo is housed in a 16th century hacienda with peacocks and hairless Xoloiztcuintle dogs roaming around the property. Olmedo was a wealthy business woman who administered Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s estates, so there are rooms full of their work as well as photos of the couple, all interspersed with a big collection of mostly pre-colombian art. A perfect day would be to come here in the morning and then head over to the nearby Xochimilco canals for snacks and beer on a boat (it’s good to leave the canals by 4 pm, when they get crowded with college kids).

Thanks to my sisters, Jenny and Kyana for scouting a few of these places and being the best company, and to Jeronimo for showing us around!

Five Places to Eat and Drink in San Diego


The first time I went to San Diego I got stuck in traffic for hours. Like, way more hours than we thought. So long that I didn’t even chuckle at my first glance of the nuclear tits (power plant domes that resemble a bosom on the I-5). We had some mediocre fish tacos when we got there. My bestie was pregnant so she couldn’t even order a stiff drink. It was a bummer.

Since then I have been back mostly for family visits, but recently went to do some eating and drinking reconnaissance for an upcoming event I’m helping to produce. I was armed with recommendations and optimism, and they did not fail me. The drive was smooth, the tacos memorable in the right way, and the hot dogs came out of a lowrider. Read on for details.

Galaxy Taco

I first tried a Galaxy Taco at Tacolandia, and I remember the savory carnitas and blue corn tortilla like it was yesterday. This time the grilled avocado was seared in my memory (see what I did there?) A half of an avocado covered in elotes (corn, chipotle, cotija, and garlic), over black bean puree in a soft, freshly made blue tortilla.

Come thirsty too, there’s a corn beer made just for Galaxy by Benchmark Brewing with non-GMO corn and a tamarind michelada. We also sampled a delightfully balanced mezcal cocktail with Ancho Reyes Verde, a housemade pineapple syrup and poblano chile. The space is dynamic with a partial patio housed under papel picado and bright green walls, a purple and red corn mural on one wall, and scribbles from guests all over the far wall.

Barrio Dogg

In a celebration of the lowrider culture in Southern California, Cruizin Lowrider Galeria hosts a dope collection of photographs, multimedia and a tire-made sink in Barrio Logan. Right outside, Barrio Dogg’s cleverly designed cherry red lowrider hot dog stand offers an array of gourmet dogs and salsas that are not playin around.

My favorite was the Samurai: an angus dog, drizzled with hoisen BBQ, topped with pickled jicama, cucumber, and carrot, plus siracha with jalapeño, cilantro, crunchy garlic and wasabi sesame seeds. Add some of the guayaba salsa or carrot habanero for an extra kick. Don’t let the enamoring name or the beet-purple color fool you: purple rain will light your tongue up with the number of chiles in it. Keeping with the theme of chicano comfort food, you can also get a bowl of sopa de fideo, a creamy tomato based noodle soup I can never resist. Outside seating only, dogs range from $5 to $8.

Barrio Logan is a historically Mexican-American and Chicano neighborhood with a history of activism and fighting gentrification. On this block you’ll find a number of awesome businesses and galleries (a few more listed here) owned by longtime residents that cater to the community and just down the road you can explore Chicano Park, which was recently named a National Historic Landmark.

Por Vida

Just like patches or enamel pins on a backpack, the stickers on a register can say a lot about who’s behind it. I already liked the decorated tin lanterns and the soundtrack, but when I saw the Michelle 2020 and pink concha sticker on the register, I was wishing there was a neighborhood cafe like this in my LA and Oakland neighborhoods. Part gallery and store, the cafe hosts events and has a sweet selection of branded mugs, growlers, shirts and more. Coffee is locally roasted and a blend of organic beans from Latin America. With white walls, a bar facing the street-side open windows, and picnic tables the space at Por Vida is airy and welcoming. Come here for the canela & brown sugar latte and regular events and gallery openings.

Border x Brewing

Wash the doggs down with a beer at the neighborhood brewery with craft beers inspired by Mexican flavors. There’s a big patio, live music, tacos and a killer horchata golden stout.

Cantina Mayahuel

For all things agave in San Diego, Cantina Mayahuel is the spot. With hundreds of tequilas and mezcals, no doubt you’ll be content sipping on something. The cocktail here is the margarita, made with orange nectar, orange liqueur and lime. The vibe here reminds me of a small mezcal bar in a lake town in Michoacan, Mexico— dark and unpretentious with carved wood mermans watching me from the wall. There’s a food menu here with daily specials, but I was taco-ed out so I had a ceasar salad which was a bit overdressed for me, but otherwise good flavors. The one thing that I noticed traveling outside of the Bay Area is that when you order a salad you don’t have to split three beets and a leaf of frisee between two people, you actually get some value— even a full meal if you’re like me and love vegetables. Happy hour is 12-6 pm, Tuesday- Friday with $5 drink specials.

Side note: a few of these businesses will be at Mexico in a Bottle, which I’m helping to produce, on March 11th in San Diego!

Where to Eat Breakfast in Oaxaca, Part Two

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


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.

Where to Eat and Drink in Rosarito


Rosarito is right on the Pacific coast and in between two great food destinations, Tijuana and Ensenada (including the increasingly trendy wine destination, Valle de Guadalupe) but I think a lot of Americans still come here mostly looking for Vegas-size margaritas. I found evidence for that theory recently when a group of six asked me to take a photo of them in their borracho shirts (borracho number 1, borracho number 2…) I believe it was number 3 who said she was pregnant, and while I will reserve judgment on what could have been one beer, I really hope her kid never sees that picture. (Borracho means drunk btw).

I have spent a lot of time in Rosarito this past year because my boyfriend grew up here. It’s different from most of the places I’ve lived or traveled in Mexico: it’s truly a border town, the highway runs through it like an artery and development catering to Americans crawls across the hills. There is great food here, but it is helpful to know where to go so you avoid any tourist/ex-pat traps.  Often the food comes with dope scenery, sitting at the edge of the Pacific. No frills, the ocean,  and a local craft beer. Sounds cool, right? Here are a few places I recommend.

El Nido and Los Pelicanos

Once for a birthday present my uncle Tom elaborately wrapped a box and inside were flour tortillas from his favorite place in the Mission. He gave me the gift of “the best tortillas ever” and the feeling of receiving the most perfectly selected gift for me, and my delight at trying the tortillas is not unlike how I feel eating the warm, freshly made flour tortillas at these two places every time.

Unless there is some weird historical split, I think these restaurants are owned by the same family, and the specialties here— venison, rabbit and quail— are raised on their land nearby. The chewy, perfectly browned flour tortillas are patted out at stations around the restaurant (you can make your own if you ask, mine came out square). Nido means nest in Spanish, and indeed the dining room here feels like you’re tucked in a tropical nest, with plants and lanterns hanging up and down the walls. At Los Pelicanos, the decor is similar but with a patio that sits elevated over the beach. But the 70s kitsch is brought down to real country earth by the brick and fireplaces and wagon wheels and the smell of mesquite. For breakfast at either of these places we always get the same thing: venison machaca with beans, nopal and quail eggs, a plate of tropical fruit, a green juice, and lots of tortillas. One thing I love at El Nido in the mornings is that they’ll bring you toasted buttery white bread with three different house-made jams. For dinner, we often just get queso fundido with mushrooms and chorizo, guacamole, and a pinto bean soup, with margaritas of course. Beware on the weekends, the waits here can be long so go at off hours. In downtown Rosarito.

Bleu Galley


The quaint little world of thisFrench-leaning cafe feels much farther away from the highway than it is. Come here for simple egg dishes, quiche and pot pies, with daily desserts and freshly baked pastries. There’s a chalkboard breakfast and lunch menu, and the place is small enough that you’ll probably end up in conversation with other diners. I loved the almond and goat cheese quiche we had, and I wanted to bathe in the light, mango creme for dessert. On the left across from Las Gaviotas.

Tacos El Yaqui


Come here for tacos made of juicy arrachera, flour tortillas, a guacamole splat, and pinto beans. Go for perrones, all the ingredients above with melted cheese. There’s usually a bit of a wait to get your food if you go at typical hours. This place is open Thursday through Monday and seating is all outdoors. In downtown Rosarito.

Las Gorditas de Rosarito


We found this place when Tacos El Yaqui was closed, and I’m glad we did. Gorditas are kinda like especially thick corn tortillas, slit and stuffed with different guisados, anything from shrimp to steak or salsa verde chicharron. We were happy with the steak and avocado, and the guisado of potatoes, poblano peppers and melted cheese. The wrapping of a burrito is truly an art form taken for granted by an Oakland girl like me, don’t make that ordering mistake or you will end up like me running to the trunk of the car and grabbing an extra tortilla to soak up the mess while in the border line. But the gorditas we’re perfect for taking to go (I mean, no officer, nothing to declare). A family joint that opened three months ago, I hope it is still there when we return.

Trenta Cuattro


At Trenta Cuattro, on the edge of the right side of the road headed south from Rosarito, you’ll find a pizza restaurant with epic ocean views and good snacks at decent prices— a rare combo most places in the world. The open-air space here feels pieced together in a good way, like someone thoughtfully decided that the feel of the place should not be overly thoughtful. There’s mismatched furniture on different levels, all facing a parking lot and beyond that the ocean and a few palapas for sitting right at the edge of the drop.


They have wines and cheese from the Valle de Guadalupe, as well as Mexican craft beer. It’s here where I’ve met two of my favorite new beers: the Agua Mala sirena pilsner, and the Insurgentes Tiniebla. If you aren’t up on it yet, there’s a craft beer revolution in Mexico right now and a lot of good stuff is coming out of this very area.

I’ll admit that I haven’t had the pizza, but there is a seasonal abalone pizza on the menu and that possibility alone makes me want to come back. Regardless, come for a beer or glass of wine and a cheese board. This is a great place to watch the sunset, keep in mind it may not be the best when temps are low.

Tinta Negra


This is a tiny taproom serving different Mexican craft beers right in downtown Rosarito. You can try some of the best craft producers in the state, and the menu is switched up monthly. In a food court, where we have yet to try any of the stalls. Cheers!

Breakfast and Lunch with a Singaporean Twist at Dripline in Oakland


It’s my personal breakfast philosophy that a good barometer of a breakfast joint is the most basic thing on the menu, eggs and toast. If an egg isn’t cooked properly and if the bread sucks (practically a crime in the Bay Area), I probably won’t be back to try anything else. But if the eggs and toast is like something I’ve never had before, well, I might just make it my regular joint.

At Dripline, a new café in west Oakland, that basic dish was the Kaya Toast. Kaya means rich in Malay, an accurate word for a coconut jam made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar. The dish required that I spread pandan infused coconut butter on house brioche, and dip it into coddled egg with soy sauce and chives. It’s the kind of meal straight out of the comfort food memories of a chef, that has the power to recall the eater’s own food memories. In this case, Chef Nora Dunning’s toast and kaya in Singapore, and mine at grandma’s house: matzo leftover from Passover, smoothed over with a pat of margarine, covered in cinnamon-sugar mix.


The rest of the food here is a similar expression of Chef Nora’s Singaporean roots and California sensibilities. Classic East Asian staples are made with vegetables from City Slicker farms and the farmers market, tofu from Hodo Soy, and the serious chops of a woman once the Head Kitchen Manager and Culinary Operations Manager for Blue Bottle. Pottery comes from Jered’s Pottery in Richmond, and the black handleless mugs immediately made me want to order something warm to drink.

The other night I was invited to try several dishes on the menu and a few in line to be added. They are open for breakfast and lunch, with pastries, Four Barrel coffee and a few grab-and-god.

My favorite was something yet to make it on the menu: Laksa, a wide-noodle dish in a curry fragrant with ginger, lemongrass, shallots, cumin and coriander, nicely textured with herbs, microgreens, and Santa Rosa-made tempeh.

The peanut sambal, a peanut chile paste which varies from country to country usually depending on the level of coriander, appears in many forms, as a base for the dramatically California-ized Gado Gado and again for the sambal shrimp with hearty coconut grits— a reflection of Nora’s husband’s southern roots. The baked goods here—chocolate chip cookies, pop tarts, cakes and breads— also shouldn’t be missed. Everything is done in house.


Dripline is a concept from Josh Larson and Carrie Shores, architects with a firm upstairs. The couple met Nora when working on Monkey Forest Road together, and she completed the team by bringing her stellar kitchen team of immigrant women with her to Dripline. I’m sure the cafe’s architecture references concepts over my head— to me it’s a light, minimalist space, with clean tile lines, pale wood and pops of yellow furniture. It doesn’t feel like a place that begs you to lounge, but it’s a place that will bring me back for much more than eggs and toast.


Update: looks like you can now find kaya on the menu with the Kaya Waffle. Sounds better than toast.

www.driplineoakland.com