Articles by: Ben Herrera and Jon Seymour

The sap of the spiky maguey plant has long been used by the indigenous peoples of Mexico to prepare pulque, a milk-colored, viscous drink that has roughly the same alcohol content as beer. When they arrived in Mexico, the Spanish were introduced to pulque. Used to imbibing harder stuff, however, the conquistadors experimented with distilling a mash made out of the maguey plant, in the process inventing the beguiling spirit known as mezcal.

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As diverse Mexican food is, there are times when we just have a craving for something different, which is why we were delighted recently to discover La Petite Crepe in the Centro Histórico, a tiny eatery producing delicious crepes and tasty beverages with an international pedigree. Continue »

Until not long ago, Francisco I. Madero was a typical – and rather uninviting – street in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico, uneven and full of potholes, with narrow sidewalks. The avenue was constantly clogged with car traffic trying to make its way to the Zócalo plaza in the center of the neighborhood. In short, it was a mess. Continue »

Come Sunday, we often find ourselves strolling through leafy Parque Sullivan, which hosts Mexico City’s largest outdoor art market. The art here ranges from modern to whimsical, abstract to landscapes, created by artists who no doubt have dreams of being the next Diego Rivera or Frida Kahlo. Continue »

Although we’re always hitting the pavement in search of the next good place to eat, sometimes places come to us. Such was the case with Tacos Árabes La Periquita, or “The Little Parrot,” an unassuming taquería in San Rafael that serves a relative rarity in Mexico City: “Arab tacos.” Continue »

Sometimes bureaucracy can be a blessing in disguise. Cruz del Milagro, an informal restaurant in the popular nightlife area of Zona Rosa, was originally intended to be a simple mezcalería, a place where owners Dora Jiménez and daughter Diana Herrera, the third and fourth generation in a line of mezcal producers, could share the family brand, El Rey Zapoteco Mezcal, with the growing base of mezcal aficionados in Mexico City. Continue »

Humanity came from corn, or so says the Mayan creation story, the Popol Vuh. After creating the earth and animals, the story goes, the Maker decided to create beings in his likeness. After failing twice with dirt and wood, the Maker formed man and woman out of the “nourishing life” of ground corn. And so began Mexico’s deep relationship with one of the most widely used crops in human history, one that seems to be present in almost every aspect of Mexican cooking. Continue »

Mexico City can be quite lacking when it comes to finding fresh, tasty seafood. At most markets in the city, in addition to the taco places and tlacoyo vendors, there is usually some kind of stand selling seafood, but the quality can be either very good or very bad. Buying from the right place is thus essential, and that’s why we were so happy to discover La Morenita, a standout seafood and oyster restaurant in Colonia Roma’s Mercado Medellín. Continue »

For weeks we had been passing by a small venue that filled the sidewalk with the heavenly scent of butter and pastry dough, before we finally had the chance to stop in and investigate. The source of the intoxicating aroma turned out to be Pastes Real de Pachuca, a neighborhood bakery in middle-class Colonia Tabacalera that makes excellent empanadas and pastes, a type of pastry that’s a specialty of Mexico’s Hidalgo state but hard to find in Mexico City. Continue »

Mexico City’s Centro Histórico is never a dull place. Combined with the massive crowds and the constant roar of honking horns, passing buses and shouting vendors, the sheer visual stimulus is enough to make one weak in the knees after an hour or so. It can be a huge relief to step off the street for a breather and a bite to eat – although, in the case of Cafetería El Cuadrilátero, whose name can be translated to “wrestling ring cafeteria,” a “bite” is quite an understatement. Continue »