Travel – Page 30

Oaxaca (2022) – Jalatlaco, Lunch at El Pozolito, and Dinner at Zandunga

October 20, 2022 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Oaxaca, Travel

Barrio Jalatlaco was undeniably beautiful. The colors so vibrant. It also seemed sleepy and relaxed compared to Oaxaca Central, almost as if you'd entered a whole different city.

The street art was glorious and it was everywhere.

Some of it was quite modern in tone……like really up to date!

Jalatlaco was the location of a Zapotec village before the arrival of the Spaniards. Jalatlaco in Zapotec means "Sand Canyon". We were told that Jalatlaco looks basically the same as it did a century ago, which is quite amazing.

It was wonderful just wandering the cobbled streets, enjoying the colors and the street art, with nary another person in sight. There seemed to be something almost magical about the place.

I'm tempted to want to stay in the area next time, but maybe not…….I really don't want to spoil what looks like the true local beauty of the barrio.

Here's a wonderful article on Jalatlaco.

Soon enough, it was time for an "early" lunch. We headed back down to Mercado 20 de Noviembre to see if anything caught our eye.

We wandered around the mercado a bit but nothing caught our attention.

So we decided to take a look elsewhere.

About a block form the mercado we saw this little restaurant.

And you can tell by the name what they specialize in, right?

And the Missus keeps looking for pozole that She enjoys more then what I make at home. So, it seems like we found a place for lunch. It seemed like a place that locals came to eat.

And the pirces were right, the pozole was only $50/MX per bowl – about $2.50/US. Over time the Missus has come to prefer pozole blanco and She was happy that they served that here. I went with the pozole rojo.

All the base "sides" were delivered and two salsas as well.

And soon enough our bowls of pozole arrived.

It was quite obvious that the meat had been separated from the broth and then placed into the bowl after the soup and "salsa" as some of the pieces of pork were lukewarm. The pozole rojo wasn't bad; a bit on the milder side but that was quickly rectified when I added more salsa rojo. Decently porky and pretty basic and simple overall.

The Missus thought the blanco could have used more porkiness and added a good amount of salt as well.

The Hominy wasn't to the Missus liking as it was too mushy for Her taste. She's become so picky about Her pozole!

Still, it was a really inexpensive lunch and we enjoyed the atmosphere.

El Pozolito
Rayón 102
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

We then went and did a bit of shopping before heading back to our room and taking a nice afternoon nap.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing before heading out to dinner. Of course we left for dinner early as we wanted to check out what was going on at the Zocalo.

And the police were back teaching children how to ride bicycles and running the bike safety puppet show.

And "the Band" was in fine form on this evening!

There was quite a bit going on!

We headed up Macedonio Alcalá. This was a Saturday evening so there were folks everywhere. Things were lively, but not out of control.

Folks were just hanging with friends, hanging with pooches, listening to music, there seemed to be musicians or bands situated on almost every corner, plaza, and jardin.

We walked up to Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán before heading over one block to our dinner destination.

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I had gone ahead and made dinner reservations ahead of time for every other night in Oaxaca. And since this was a Saturday evening, I thought having reservations made sense. I had been interested in trying the cuisine of the Istmus region and after doing a bit of research had made reservations at Zanduga.

Like Los Danzantes the dining area was in a lovely courtyard area.

And just like Los Danzantes, the customer base seemed to be mostly tourists….

We were still fairly full from lunch, so we ordered the Botana Zandunga, a variety of Istmeno appetizers, some soup, and the seasonal fish appetizer.

First to arrive was the Sopa de Frijol, which would turn out to be the our favorite item of the night.

Very beany, smooth, and rich. Nicely seasoned, this went well with the provided avocado slices and tortillas.

The Botana Zandunga was a collection of "greatest hits" if you will.

From the bottom left, the tamal de cambray was dry and bland, the molotes de platano was cold and dry, the guacamole was quite good, the garnaches, which I had been excited to try was dry, cold, and bland, the pico de gallo had dried shrimp which seemed interesting but wasn't anything special.

Last to arrive was the Pescado de Temporada, what basically read as "seasonal fish". Looking at the menu, I saw that it was herb marinated with hoja santa, which the Missus loves.

Unfortunately, this was too mealy and fishy for the Missus. I didn't think it was too bad, especially with the salsas on tlayudas.

Service was quite good, but the food just wasn't to our taste. Looks like I was oh-fer-two with the places I'd made reservations at.

I remembered when I told Betsy we had reservations here; she told me that having tried Zandunga twice, she wasn't too impressed. She was right.

Zandunga
Calle de Manuel García Vigil 512
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Of course we passed thru the Zocalo on the way back to our room. The bicycle thing was still going on. Well, it was a Saturday night after all.

A gentleman saw me really enjoying watching the police kids and the public interacting and started talking to me. He told me that once upon a time the police in Oaxaca were among the toughest, meanest, and unfriendly officers in Mexico. Then after dealing with that for years the public voted in a whole different set of politicians. The police created outreach/community relations programs and this changed things. Watching him talk to the officers, I'm sure this gentleman was some kind of neighborhood liaison or politician.

And here the "Policia Vial" (Road Police) officers were dancing with the public!

Now when was the last time you saw that?

I couldn't help but smile.

Oaxaca (2022) – Breakfast at Boulenc, Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, and La Cosecha Mercado de Organico

October 15, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Markets & Grocers, Mexico, Oaxaca, Travel

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were pretty full after our food tour and ended up not eating dinner. The next morning we decided to grab some breakfast before heading out on our explorations for the day. There was a bakery and restaurant named Boulenc on my list and Betsy from Me Encanta Oaxaca recommended it as well. It was just three blocks up the street from our hotel and pretty much on the way to the sites we'd be visiting.

The restaurant had a few folks waiting for seats when we arrived, but things moved quickly and we got a table upstairs in about 15 minutes.

Service was efficient and the folks here work hard, running up and down the stairs. The Missus got a Machiatto and I got an Americano, both serviceable.

The Missus, who had never really enjoyed avocado toast, strangely ordered the Aguacate y Cilantro ($70/MX – $3.50/US).

This was love at first bite! First off, the toasted sourdough bread at Boulenc is outstanding, wonderful yeasty-sour balance, nice and not overly chewy bread, it's a perfect foil for the perfectly ripe and abundant avocado and the wonderful hints of chloropyllic-citrusy tones from the cilantro and microgreens. The Missus loved the inhouse fermented, pickled beets. She loved this so much that we returned two more times during our stay!

I wanted some fruit and yogurt so I got the Turkish Yogurt with Fruits ($80/MX – $4/US).

Loved all the fresh and ripe fruits, nuts, and the yogurt. A perfect breakfast for me and just what I wanted.

Like I wrote earlier; we both really liked Boulenc and ended up coming here three times during our stay. That sourdough bread is fantastic.

Boulenc
Calle Porfirio Díaz 207
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Here's an interesting post on Boulenc.

After breakfast we headed up to Plaza Santo Domingo. We had already checked out the Cathedral and wanted to do the same with the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

Construction on this church started in 1551, but the final construction was completed in 1666.

The interior and ceiling were very impressive!

No wonder it took so long to complete.

I was fascinated by the bas relief of the family tree of Santo Domingo de Guzman (aka Saint Dominic), who founded the Dominican Order.

Along with the temple is a structure that used to be a Convent and is now a museum. We didn't have enough time to visit, but I'm sure we'll go the next time we're in Oaxaca.

From here we headed over one block and walked past the plaza.

And came across this…..

It was a cute little organic market and food stalls.

I decided to get some cucumber-lime juice from this stand.

It was quite refreshing.

Cheers!

Mercado Organico La Cosecha
Calle Macedonio Alcalá 806
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Refreshed and revived we walked thru Plaza Cruz de Piedra.

To Calle de Manuel García Vigil and the aqueduct that we had seen the previous day.

We headed up the street to where it turns into Rufino Tamayo and took time to admire the street art that we had only glanced at the previous day.

And then we came across this fella' hanging out at the gate of one of the courtyards.

Little did we know that he was just the "lookout". When he spotted another pooch ambling up the street he sent out "word" and the whole "gang" appeared for a "bark session".

It was hilarious.

There was so much to see if you took your time.

I had planned checking out Xochimilco later on the trip so we'd be heading further up Rufino Tamayo then. So we cut back thru the plaza, then back down Macedonio Alcalá, taking a left down Humboldt.

And came to a park named Parque Juarez El Llano, with a Monument to Benito Juárez in it's center.

We passed folks relaxing in the nice green space as we crossed over to the opposite end. I was looking for a specific street. There is a neighborhood that I read about that was called a "secret jewel" and was named the 17th coolest neighborhood in the world by Timeout in 2019….Jalatlaco. I had seen photos of the street art and it looked so very charming. Betsy had also told us we would enjoy the street art and the "vibe". Two blocks past the park, at the corner of Republica and Miguel Hidalgo, there it was.

Barrio Jalatlaco!

So how was it? Well, you'll have to stay tuned and I'll cover that in my next post on Oaxaca!

Oaxaca (2022) – Me Encanta Oaxaca Food Tour

October 14, 2022 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Oaxaca, Travel

One of the things I learned during our trip to Emilia-Romagna was the value of a good food tour when visiting the culinary centers of countries. Not having had too much exposure to the cuisine of Oaxaca, I thought that finding a good food tour would do us good. And after doing some research, I found Me Encanta Oaxaca. It just seemed like a good fit for us, so I made reservations. This would turn out to be a fantastic tour as we learned a lot, not only about the cuisine, but the history, and other fun "stuffs" about Oaxaca. One of the owners and the person who would lead our tour Betsaida ("Betsy") contacted us several times to give us info on the tour and also some advice beforehand……"don't eat breakfast….or just enough so that you will be hungry, but not 'hangry'." Along with safety guidelines, etc.

The meeting place was in front of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and Betsy was easy to find. We loved that there were only five of us on the tour. We sampled and covered a huge amount of food; so from this point on, I'm going to keep it brief.

First stop was just a block away.

Tacos del Carmen, a very popular street stall.

Man, that Empanada de Mole Amarillo con Flor de Calabaza y Hierba Santa was soooo delici-yoso!

We also got to try the "Taco" de Chile Relleno.

Tacos Del Carmen
Jesús Carranza 110
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

We then headed up a block-and-a-half to the colorful Mercado Sánchez Pascuas.

Here Betsy went over some of the more interesting produce and we had tastes of Aguacate Criollo, Nanche, Curuba, Tuna Roja, and Jiotilla which you see below.

Betsy took us to various stands and we got to meet the folks who made what we'd be tasting….

The tamales were delicious; though the Missus still didn't care for the mole negro….

We got our caffeine fix from one of the stands along with some dulces.

The tour wasn't just food; there was history and sights as well. In fact, Betsy would quiz us on some of the history. I actually answered one of the questions correctly. Of course, I'd already learned a bit about Porfirio Díaz when we were in Guanajuato.

We headed off a block away to Rufino Tamayo.

Did you know that Oaxaca has an aqueduct?

And to go even beyond the history, this "famous" movie was filmed in the area.

In fact you might just recognize the scene filmed here.

We walked over to Plaza Cruz de Piedra.

Where there's an interesting stone cross.

As we headed down to Mercado Benito Juárez Betsy went over some history and quizzed us.

Once we got into the bustling market we headed to a bustling stand.

Where we got to try Tejate which was soooo good.

And Betsy took the time to show us some of the other vendors she likes in the market.

We then headed across the street to Mercado 20 de Noviembre where Betsy said "I hope you're hungry now!" And soon enough we were in the famous "Pasillo de Humo" ("Hall of Smoke"). Yes, this is the place that one of our favorite restaurants in CDMX is named after. And when say "hall of smoke" they ain't kidding.

Here you can choose your meat…..

And they grill it up for you…..

Betsy got us a table and we just enjoyed…well, pasillo de humo……

And soon the food started arriving…..

Gusanos, Chicatanas, and Chapulines. Good stuff!

The proteins….Tasajo, carne, chorizo, tripa…..

A huge Tlayuda…..

A sampler of Mole…..well, the Missus still didn't care for mole, it was too sweet for Her tastebuds, so this was going to be interesting.

She did enjoy the Pan de Yerma and Chocolate de Agua……in fact we'd go shopping for some of that before we returned home.

This was a fantastic tour.

We even got a list of places to try and areas to visit. And best of all, we asked Betsy where to buy hats…….and she gave us a recommendation. So here's the deal, I've never looked good in hats…..never, ever. But we headed to the place she recommended after our tour and I found a hat!

We ate so much that we didn't even bother with dinner. We just took a short walk.

Of course I wore my hat…….

So, if you're ever in Bay Park and you see some middle aged Asian dude wearing a Cowboy Hat and a "Ojai Psychic Friends Network" t-shirt…..well, that would be me.

Make sure to say hello, ok?

Oaxaca (2022) – We Arrive, Cafe Brujula, and Dinner at Los Danzantes

October 13, 2022 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Oaxaca, Travel

Our flight and transfer from Mexico City went quite smoothly. Our good friend "Alle" had mentioned that Benito Juárez Airport was a hot mess these days; but we didn't encounter any problems. Our transfer was waiting when we arrived and we made it to our hotel; the Hotel Casona Oaxaca with no problems right past check-in time. The hotel's location was great for a first time visit to Oaxaca as it was centrally located, just a block from the Zocalo, basically the heart of the city. The courtyard was quite beautiful and though the room was a bit dated and there was a bit of noise, we had a small balcony of sorts with good natural light.

After freshening up, we headed out to take a quick look at the city. The city was quite vibrant and full of energy. I had read that 60% of the population of Oaxaca is under the age of 30. We decided to just take a stroll and familiarize ourselves with the area a bit.

Like I mentioned above, the Zocalo, officially named Plaza de la Constitución is pretty much the heart of the city. It's a nice public space, with shaded areas, restaurants and shops in the potico lined buildings, and vendor stalls….and of course, there's always something going on.

To the North of the Zocalo is the Cathedral.

It was a pretty warm day, so we decided to duck in for a quick look.

Construction of the Cathedral commenced in 1535 and was reconstructed several times because of earthquakes.

There's some nice stained glass windows in the cathedral and it was a good place to cool off a bit.

After a short break we headed up Calle Macedonio Alcalá, which eventually turns into a pedestrian only street.

We decided to take a caffeine break at Cafe Brujula, which I believe has six locations in the city.

There was nice courtyard seating…many tables were taken up with folks working on laptops and such. But the Missus enjoyed Her Iced Matcha and I thought the cold brew was decent.

Café Brújula Alcalá
C. Macedonio Alcalá 104
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Once Calle Macedonio Alcalá becomes a pedestrian only street, things really pick up.

And this is where we first really started noticing all the amazing street art.

Yes, there are quite a few tourists; but it's very lively and there seemed to be many locals as well.

We got up to the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. We had a food tour the following day and we just wanted to make sure we could find the meeting place which was right in front of the church.

From here we headed back to the hotel and relaxed sort of like this fella'.

After a short break we headed out to dinner. We again walked thru the Zocalo and stopped when we saw this.

The police were actually teaching kids how to ride bicycles!

And were also doing a puppet show on bicycle safety.

And a couple of the officers were singing and playing music. It was quite a scene and for some reason I found it so sweet and heartwarming.

I had made dinner reservations at a highly regarded restaurant right on Macedonio Alcalá named Los Danzantes which is named for the famous Bas Reliefs of "Dancers" at Monte Alban which we would see later during the trip.

The main dining area was in a lovely courtyard area.

The menu used a QR code something that we found everywhere in Mexico. The food seemed a bit of a modern, lighter affair. The service was a bit of hit and miss. As you can see, the customer base seemed to be more tourists/ex-pats though nothing wrong with that if the food is outstanding.

The cocktails seemed to be a bit short in terms of alcohol.

I enjoyed the different versions of Oaxacan style tortillas, but the Missus didn't care for the crisp, cracker like texture.

The Missus loves Hoja Santa, so we started with the Hoja Santa with Local Queso, and Tomatillo ($155/MX – $7.75/US).

When having Hoja Santa, I expect anise-minty-pungent-grassy tones, but this was on the milder side. The cheese was like mozzarella and not quite milky enough for our taste. The tomatillo salsa ruled the dish; tangy with a pleasant sourness.

We also ordered the Pulpo Dobladas ($275/MX – $13.75/US).

The octopus was on the tough side, again the Missus doesn't care for Oaxacan style tortillas; though the blue corn version is mighty tasty to me. Loved the avocado, but this was served with a "matcha sauce" that was really mild in the flavor.

It was pretty warm during our visit in Oaxaca and the Watermelon Salad ($125/MX – $6.25/US) sounded quite good.

For some reason I thought this would be compressed watermelon, which intensifies the flavor and gives it textural "heft", but it just cubed watermelon, seeds and all. Since it was just cubed watermelon, the ponzu style sauce and orange "gel" overpowered the dish. Spherification was used to create ikura looking strawberry spheres. The best part of the dish were the tomatoes which were sweet and acidic.

The last item we ordered was the Ancho Chile Relleno with Huitlacoche and Tamala Pumpkin Puree ($ 245/MX – $12.25/US)

The roasted ancho chile was delicious, smoky with just a tad of heat, but there wasn't enough earthy-mushroomy huitlacoche in the filling. The pumpkin puree was too sweet for our taste.

Not the best meal to start off our stay in Oaxaca for us. Just a bit too much going on, which did not bring out the best in the ingredients.

Los Danzantes
C. Macedonio Alcalá 403
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Oh well…….

We headed back to our room. We walked thru the Zocalo and by now they were taking down the puppet stage and cleaning up. But there were several officers still singing to entertain….hmmm….maybe themselves?

Things seemed so festive on this Thursday night.

And we were looking forward to our food tour the following day!

Scotland (2022) – Dunchraigaig Cairn, Nether Largie Standing Stones, Inveraray Castle, and Dinner at Monteiths (Edinburgh)

October 12, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel, yoso-silly

**** This is a long one! So, if you're not interested in mysterious stones, castles and such, you can go ahead and scroll down to the food.

We had a great time on Islay, from the Scotch tastings, to the wonderful sights and people, it was a trip we'll not soon forget. But in was now time to head back to Edinburgh. We must have been more tired than we thought…or perhaps our hearty breakfast got the better of us? Both the Missus and I took a nice nap on the ferry back to the mainland.

Since, we were returning rather early in the day, Sean had a couple of stops planned for us. The first two stops was in the Kilmartin Glen area.

We parked in a small designated parking lot and crossed the road where Sean led us to this pile of rocks.

This is Dunchraigaig Cairn. In case you're not sure of what a cairn is, it's basically a pile of stones used as a marker, be it a burial site or to identify a path, or some other purpose. Dunchraigaig Cairn had its first documented excavation in 1864, though it said to have been "badly robbed". It was a very impressive cairn.

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Many photos I've seen of this cairn show the entrance, or cist open. On our visit it was closed and I was rather glad, because in 2021 the first Prehistoric Animal Carvings ever found in Scotland were discovered here! Pretty awesome huh?

Our next stop made our day. You know how the Missus and I love the mysterious and unknown, right? Well, after parking we were walked over to a group of standing stones in sort of an 'X' formation.

Whoa, these are the Nether Largie Standing Stones.

The central stone is the largest and covered with lichen. It has cup like indentations.

The outlying stones are aligned in northeast to southwest, so perhaps to mark the solstice or something of that nature?

Just Googling "Nether Largie Standing Stones" will deliver you a wealth of theories; everything from a tool to predict the solstice and eclipse, to burial rituals, to this being a ball court! You gotta love it!

And if that wasn't enough; our next stop was very impressive……

That's Inveraray Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll, who is chief of the Clan Campbell….which means all Campbell's in the world!

It was quite stunning, walking down the path to the castle.

This really looks like something out of a movie, doesn't it? Touring the estate, the Duke of Argyll and family still occupy part of the structure, was very impressive. The foundation stone of the castle was laid in 1746 and the castle has gone under renovations after two fires. After the fire in 1877, the third floor and the four conical roofs were added. In 1975 another fire engulfed the castle.

What was probably the most impressive room of the castle is the Armory Hall, with its huge collection of weaponry. The ceiling of this hall is 21 meters – that's almost 69 feet high and is said to be the highest ceiling in all of Scotland!

Of course the thought of being in here when a earthquake hit and getting impaled by one of the pole-arms entered my head…..

The Salon was a very nice room.

It is said that Lerner and Loewe actually composed some of the songs from My Fair Lady at this piano while staying at the castle.

This is the Drawing Room.

This is the Victorian Room, located on the first (second floor in the US) floor.

Of course every castle has at least one ghost, right? Inveraray is noted to have several. The most well known one occupies the MacArthur Room. It is said that a young harpist was murdered by the Duke of Montrose's men in 1644. The the ghost of the harpist is attached to this bed, must be one heck of a bed! And according to the legend, when a family member is about to die you will hear the music from a harp coming from this room!

And there's the "Grey Lady" often said to be the ghost of a former kitchen maid who can only be seen by daughters of the Duke of Argyll!

Nothing like some good "Obake stories" for the month of October, right?

I also enjoyed touring the kitchen in the basement.

Which was last used in the 1950's.

The grounds of the castle are immaculate.

And there must be hundreds, if not thousands of stories…..

That millstone above is said to be cursed.

This was a enjoyable stop!

Sean got us to our AirBnb in Edinburgh in perfect time. The flat was fantastic, just meters from High Street, but still fairly quiet.

Soon enough, it was time for dinner. We originally had dinner reservations at Forage & Chatter, but the restaurant cancelled our reservations a week before the date. Luckily, I managed to get reservations at Monteiths, which was just around the corner from where we were staying a few days before we arrived in Edinburgh. Like Devil's Advocate, Monteith's was located in a Close. In case you are wondering what a "close" is.

And of course Monteiths is located on Monteiths Close.

The restaurant serves "modern" Scottish cuisine and cocktails. Serves was friendly and efficient. The restaurant was a bit on the dark side so please forgive the photos.

We started with the Beef Tartare.

There was what seemed to be shaved cured egg yolk on this though it didn't add much to the dish. The beef was tender and if a bit coarsely chopped. Nice clean flavors overall.

We also got the Smoked Duck.

The duck had a nice smokiness to it and was on the toothsome side, but still quite tasty. The goat cheese added a bit too much acidity for our taste.

The Potato Dumplings, Wild Mushroom, and Truffle.

Nice mushroom flavors, mild truffle, and the potato dumplings, which were pretty much gnocchi were really rubbery.

The best dish of the evening was the Hot Smoked Salmon.

The salmon was wonderfully smoked, good balance, just enough salt. I wasn't sure about the Hazelnut Bearnaise sauce, but the rich creaminess, along with the herbaceous tones really balanced out the smokiness of the salmon. The nutty buckwheat pancakes was a nice accompaniment as well.

Overall, a decent meal and the staff was very nice.

Monteiths
61 High St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

After dinner we headed out for a stroll. I thought we'd head up Calton Hill As we headed up, we saw Old Calton Cemetery, something I had on my "list" of things to see. The Missus humored me and we decided to check the place out.

That obelisk is the Political Martyrs Monument. There's even a American Civil War Memorial, with a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Sad to say that photo didn't come out.

Quite a few notable folks are buried here.

Man, look at the dates!

Man, if these tombstones could talk….the stories that could be told.

Instead of heading up Calton Hill, we decided to head on back down. The view was very nice.

We walked down the stairs….

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Then crossed over Waverly Station. Took took a short walk down the Royal Mile. Before deciding to head back to the apartment and call it a night.

Of course we got to Deacon Brodie's Tavern before we decided to turn around. And here was yet another story. You gotta love this one!

"He had designed the gallows that were to eventually seal his fate." Can you say ironic?

Mexico City (2022) – Taco Crawl – El Pescadito, Tacos Hola, La Guerrerense, and El Califa. And a Return to Panadería Almuerzos

October 9, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Seafood, Taco Shops, Travel

Before our trip to CDMX, I had read a really nice cookbook named Made in Mexico by Chef Danny Mena. The cookbook featured based on the Chef's (who is from CDMX) favorite dishes from various restaurants and stands in Mexico City. I loved that there was a separate restaurant index in the back of the cookbook with all the locations. There were a couple that were rather close to where we were staying (Colonia Condesa) and I thought it would be nice to do a sort of taco crawl like we had done in the days before Covid.

We were a bit hungry after visiting the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. And El Pescadito was on the way back to the hotel, so we decided to stop there. I'd seen El Pescadito before as it is right across the street from Tacos Don Juan which we visited before.

Man, this place was quite busy; but they had a pretty awesome system. Order, get a number, find a table, pick up your food when called, and pay before leaving. It seemed like half the customers were non-locals here.

According to what I had read; this place specializes in Tacos de Marlin – smoked fish tacos, here it is smoked tuna. Something I really love. I ordered (left to right), a Tacochango (MarlinTun/Shrimp), MarlinTun, and the item in the book, the Chile Relleno Taco (MalinTun stuff in a Chile).

So, first the good; man were things fried here good! The batter on the shrimp was crisp and light; the shrimp plump, moist, and tasty. The poblano chile likewise. Sadly, the MarlinTun was dry, fishy, and not very smoky in terms of flavor. The tortillas were decent and up to the task at hand.

Sadly, I'd have to say I've had better tacos de marlyn here in San Diego!

And while the tacos may have been borderline disappointing; that "dude" to the right was not!

Remember that I've mentioned the amazing dog walkers of Mexico City before? Well this guy was "going for the gold". He had 9 pooches in tow…nine! He saw us jaw agape and even stopped for a photo. Take a look and count 'em…..9. And they were all pretty well behaved.

El Pescadito
Calle Atlixco 38
06140 Ciudad de México

We headed back to our hotel and relaxed for a bit; then headed back out. We got to Avenida Amsterdam and found what we thought was the correct address, but nope….we asked at a nearby shop and the nice gentleman pointed us in the right direction; to Tacos Hola; a tiny shop which was doing good business.

The Missus got the little table with the two kiddie stools, shades of Hanoi! I went inside to order and found that a bunch of items were sold out!

Luckily, the recommended item; the Tacos de Bistec en Pasilla was still available. And I thought the Missus would enjoy the Tacos Acelgas (Chard).

Tacos Hola specializes in Tacos Guisados, braised and stewed ingredients for tacos. So, even though it says bistec; it's actually braised beef; really tasty braised beef, with a very bright pasilla chile-tomato based sauce. The Missus really loved the beans here…She still mentions those beans, as in "why can't you make beans like those." The chard was quite tender, but quite mild in flavor….man, I could imagine this with collards! The tortillas were excellent.

I really want to return here.

Tacos Hola El Güero
Amsterdam 135
06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Our next stop was in a familiar locale; the Parian Condesa Food Hall. Pasillo de Humo is located on the second floor. We've walked past La Guerrerense before.

Here it's the Tacos de Pescado and the Tacos de Camaron that are recommended, so that's what we ordered.

We didn't care for these very much. The fish in the Taco de Pescado was the width of my pinky and not even as long. It's the batter that is supposed to be special; it's made with vodka which is supposed make a delicate, crisp crust. We couldn't make out much.

The shrimp was the better of the two, more flavor, better texture. The tortillas broke apart while eating our tacos.

It was strange; we were the only customers in the place.

La Guerrerense
Avenida Nuevo León 107
06100 Cuauhtemoc, CDMX, Mexico

For our last stop, we decided to go with a favorite from our previous taco crawl, El Califa.

We enjoyed the Al Pastor here on our previous visit, so we had two each. It did not disappoint.

The Al Pastor had that nice balance of sweet and salty; nice savory tones, the meat had a crispness to it as well. The onions added pungency and that pineapple was icing on the cake!

Still a favorite of ours.

Taquería El Califa
Altata 22
06170 Ciudad de México

We were tempted to do an Al Pastor comparison and head on over to El Farolito across the street, but we were full and that comparison will have to wait for another day. We were pooped; it was time to hit the hay.

The next morning we hit up our favorite croissant stop, Panadería Almuerzos. Man, there was a line! We'd never seen this before. Word must have gotten out!

It was interesting; the two guys in front of us just spoke English and didn't even try to speak Spanish, as did the woman behind us. Like I mentioned in my previous post; we saw many more ex-pat/tourists than we had seen before. Panadería Almuerzos had also spiffed things up. It used to just look like a garage before, now they had a bakery case and everything.

And then I got my croissant and was crestfallen.

It wasn't crisp and flakey enough, lacked butter, was too doughy.

Here's what it used to look like.

Man, this used to be my favorite croissant outside of France. What happened here? Have they lowered their standards?

I'm not sure, but I sure was disappointed.

Panadería Almuerzos
Av. Vicente Suárez 64A
Colonia Condesa, CDMX, Mexico

I truly hope this was just a bad day…..but I'm thinking it wasn't.

Well, I didn't have too much time to dwell on this, we had an Uber on the way and had to get to the airport.

Next stop, Oaxaca!

Mexico City (2022) – It’s Tout Chocolate and Pasillo de Humo Yet Again, Fonda Garufa, and a Private Tour of Museo Nacional de Antropologia

October 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Chocolate, Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

**** I though I'd give you all a break from those really long Islay posts and do a couple on our recent trip to CDMX. I've posted on two of the places several times; so perhaps skipping down to our tour of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia might be worthwhile?

Yes, I know we'd already been to Mexico and CDMX earlier in the year. But the Missus had enjoyed that trip so much, San Miguel de Allende and especially Guanajuato was so much fun, that the Missus wanted to do another trip. This time to Oaxaca. However while Volaris, has 2 direct flights from TIJ, well, we really don't like flying Volaris. So, we decided that a layover would be fine one way and we'd go ahead and spend two nights in Mexico City. As a plus, I knew the Missus loved our visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, though it was quite overwhelming, so I booked us a private tour. She was excited about that!

Getting in was the same 'ol routine. We stayed at the same place as on the last three trips. It was quite simple and easy. Like I said, we now had kind of a routine if you will. After checking in, we headed to Tout Chocolate so the Missus could get Her chocolates and some gifts.

Choosing Her chocolates was one of Her most difficult decisions of the trip.

Tout Chocolat
Amsterdam 154
6100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

In keeping with the routine, we had dinner at a place I've posted on three times already, Pasillo de Humo. So, I'll spare you all the gory details. I will say, that unlike our last visit we weren't misted by vinegar to prevent Covid this time around.

We have an approach that works for us at Pasillo de Humo. We've learned to stay away from the entrees and go for smaller plates.

And we enjoy the cocktails as well.

Two of our favorite dishes, the Memelitas de Cerdo and the Hoya Santa Relleno, were good as always.

But this time we found something we enjoyed even more; the Tripas Tacos!

The pork intestines were fried perfectly; crisp and light……the texture was amazing!

One other reason that I purposely chose to revisit Pasillo de Humo was that we were headed to Oaxaca and I was interested in seeing how the food at our favorite restaurant in CDMX lined up.

Pasillo de Humo
Av Nuevo León 107
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

It was a nice and relaxing start to things. Though I did notice many more "tourists/ex-pats" here then I recalled. And then I started reading articles like this one.

The next morning, before heading to the Museum, we decided to get a croissant from our favorite bakery in the area, but changed our mind when we noticed this place sold croissants and thought we'd try it out.

We then headed on over to Cafe Toscano, our usual morning coffee stop.

Unfortunately, the croissant was overly doughy and lacked the butteriness we like in our croissants.

Fonda Garufa
Avenida Michoacán 93
06140 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

Creatures of habit that we are; we had our typical morning coffee at Cafe Toscano.

Nothing amazing mind you, but a nice way to start the day.

Cafe Toscano
Calle Michoacan sn Mercado Condesa
Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

After our caffeine fix we headed out to the Museum. As always, it was a fine walk.

We had really enjoyed our previous visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, so I went ahead and booked a private tour with Mexico a Pie Walking Tours.

Our guide was Andres and he was amazing. The tour was so full of info!

We met Andres at the Tlaloc Statue that sits outside the museum on the corner of Reforma.

IMG_0582 (2) Andres met us and after introductions and an overview of what was going to be covered in the tour today, he went over Tlaloc, the Aztec god of water and rain. He noted the key features, the round eyes, the fangs and said that we'd be seeing several different status of Tlaloc during our visit and that many folks think it's of a different go, but keep in mind the key features and it's easy to identify.

Andres covered exactly what we were interested in; the Archaic to the Contact Period. It was so much info; I'm just going to go over a couple of things that really stuck with us.

Andres quizzed us as we moved along the museum.

IMG_0615 (2) And yep, if you're thinking that's Tlaloc above, you'd be right. Check out the eyes and the fangs!

Another interesting story was that of King Pakal of Palenque (K'inich Janaab' Pakal). It is claimed that Pakal ruled for nearly 70 years and in 1952 a tomb was opened in the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque. In it was found a skeleton with an intricate jade mask and clothed as you see to the right. The actual jade mask can be found close by in a replica of the tomb.

We got to another interesting topic was when I asked Andres if Jade was actually found in Mexico and he told us that items like Jade, Turquoise, and Cacao which are not endemic to Mexico. We were then brought to this map which detailed how trade occurred between different peoples!

Turquoise actually came from what is now the American Southwest! Cacao and Jade from what is now Guatemala.

Andres went over the amazing Aztec Codex with us.

And even dispelled a couple of things we thought were true; like this famous object; the Aztec Sun Stone, which many people believe is a just a calendar.

It is now believed that the stone is actually a sacrificial altar! Here's something I read after returning from our trip.

It was an amazing nearly four hour experience, with so much information that I've forgotten more than I remember; but those few items stick with me. And we just covered half the museum! I guess we'll have to get the other half done the next time we're in CDMX!

Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n
Chapultepec, Mexico City 11560, Mexico

After the tour we took a short break and then we were off. It was time for a taco crawl!

Stay Tuned!

Scotland (2022) – More Meals at the Port Charlotte Hotel

October 7, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

We had some extra time on our hands after visiting Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, so Sean drove us back past Port Charlotte to the southwestern tip of Islay and a quaint little village named Portnahaven. It as a quite peaceful and sleepy, with a population of 150….we saw not a soul during our visit.

There was a little seaside trail called "Rathas nan Iasgairean" and you know the Missus and trails, right? It was a short and pleasant walk.

On the drive back to Port Charlotte, Sean, knowing that the Missus was charmed by the "Heilan' Coos" stopped a couple of times so the Missus could take some photos and "ooh and aah" over them.

They didn't seem to care about their paparazzi moment….

We got back to the hotel and decided to take a stroll. We headed up the road in the northerly direction.

Past the Loch Indaal Lighthouse.

And past Saint Kiarins Church.

Completed in 1899.

And on up to the Kilchoman War Memorial.

There's a bench and table nearby with the following tag.

From here we headed back. Though we took a short detour up one of the side roads. Because who could resist the adorable sheep and lamb…..

Unlike the "Coos", the sheep seemed a bit curious…..

And the views walking back to to the main road were amazing.

The air so fresh and crisp, the grass so green…..

We got back to the hotel and I saw Sean having a drink at the bar, so I decided to join him while the Missus freshened up. Sean knew the owners of the hotel and one of them was tending bar on this evening. Sean mentioned the Missus's love of really peaty Scotch and the gentleman pulled a bottle of what he called the "most peaty" and it was still sealed. "No one dares drink this….." It was a brand named Octomore. He told Sean he's open it so that we could have a whiff. When he took the seal off, the cork just blew off the bottle! It was hilarious. And man, it smelled like I'd been rolling around on the floor of a cigar factory!

Soon enough Sean had to take leave and the Missus joined me for dinner. We just got a table in the bar area this time.

Of course we got the oysters.

And the Mushrooms….

Just like last time.

I also ordered the Fish and Chips to share.

It was a bit overdone for our preference and on the drier side. The potatoes were awesome though.

When dessert arrived……

I had an idea! I asked the owner if the Missus could have a "wee dram" of the Octomore and even though he looked at me in disbelief he gladly obliged.

We paid and took the dessert and drinks out to the front area of the hotel, after all "smoking is illegal in public enclosed spaces in Scotland, and the Missus got Her Octomore…and more!

I could see the owner peeking out the window seeing if the Missus would actually drink the stuff; which She did. It was quite funny.

We enjoyed watching folks taking their evening stroll from the al fresco table…..

It was just a perfect end to the day!

The next morning we had breakfast before we headed on back to the mainland.

The Missus had loved the Smoked Kippers I'd had the day before so She ordered that with some poached eggs.

Meanwhile, I went for it and ordered the Full Scottish Breakfast….which was no joke….

It had Baked Beans, good texture but a bit too sweet for my taste, Stornoway Black Pudding, good, a bit gritty, the acidity from the grilled tomato and the lovely fried potato scone really tased good together. The smoked back bacon was quite meaty though tender if a bit on the salty side. I wish the pork sausage was actually Lorne Sausage, but you can't have everything, right? I enjoyed the mushrooms with the toast. And of course a sunny side up egg. Whew……..of course this was going to hold me until dinner!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As we headed on out, Sean turned the music on and the perfect song, one from the days of my youth came on:

"Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain
Still take me back to where my memories remain
Flickering embers growing higher and higher
As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre
Oh, mist rolling in from the sea
My desire is always to be here
Oh, Mull of Kintyre"

Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney and Wings.

A perfect way to end our stay on Islay.

It was time to skedaddle.

Of course we still had most of a day ahead of us and Sean had a couple of stops prepared!

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – Breakfast at Port Charlotte Hotel, Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, and Lunch at The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant (Islay)

October 2, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Distilleries, Scotland, Travel

On our first full day in Islay, we got up early, and decided to take a short stroll around Port Charlotte.

It was a charming town.

We headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

I saw something that I've always wanted to try on the menu.

It's hard to go wrong with any smoked fish in Scotland and the Missus ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs.

There was a bread, dairy, and cereal station available. The salmon was quite good and the eggs perfect.

I had always wanted to try Kippers and here I finally had a chance. I ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Kippers.

Man, with the fried potato scone, this was so good. Deeply savory, wonderful smoked fish flavors, perfect salt. A squeeze of lemon to help cut the richness and we were good to go. The Missus had a taste and was sold. In fact, She would order this the next morning for breakfast!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As usual Sean was on time for our pick-up. One of the benefits of having a private driver/tour is the flexibility. We found that doing three tastings in a day was a bit much for us and asked Sean if he could cut it down to two for this day. Which was no problem.

The first stop was just a quick one. Ardnahoe Distillery was fairly new, opening in 2019. Sean had never been there so he asked us if we'd like to take a look.

It was very modern and sleek looking. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs a bit and the Missus enjoyed all of the portraits of Her favorite animal; the Highland Cow….which they call "Heilan' Coo".

The next stop was Bunnahabhain Distillery. It was quite a drive to the distillery.

Our visits on this day revolved around tastings, though we were given an short walking tour of the distillery.

Bunnahabhain Distillery is known as the most remote distillery on Islay. We were told that the village of Bunnahbhain was created to actually house the distilleries employees! Their Scotch is also unique as they are known for their unpeated Scotch Whiskey.

When it was time for our tasting were were each given an impressive "tasting kit"!

There was no way the Missus and I would finish one each; so we split one and brought the other home, which I gave to "FOY" JeffP.

The Missus thought this a bit on the overly "sweet" side; while I really liked the 18yo and the Amontillado Cask versions.

We had quite the drive to our next destination; Bowmore and Sean made a stop at a wonderful ceramic shop named Persabus Pottery which the Missus loved.

She ended up buying a beautiful looking cup

And it looks like cats are loved and most welcomed here!

It was about a half hour drive to the town of Bowmore. Which, after staying in Port Charlotte, and visiting the distilleries and villages seemed like a big city (it's the Administrative Captial)….with a population of…..700!

We made a quick stop at the pharmacy, before heading off to Bowmore Distillery.

The Visitor Center seemed a bit more fancy than the other tasting rooms. And instead of a tour there was a video presentation. Bowmore was the first "legal" distillery on Islay, founded in 1779.

Which came with 2 free tasters of our choice.

It's nicely balanced, with nice fruity tones.

After this tasting we stopped for lunch at the The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant. We'd eaten quite a bit for breakfast, so the Missus and I went with some smaller, starter items.

The Missus enjoyed Her Stornoway Black Pudding.

Which was fairly crumbly, but pleasant to eat, quite moist, not overly "iodiney", and nicely seasoned, perhaps a bit on the salty side, which made it go good with the poached egg.

If you noticed; I've been looking for dishes I'd read or heard about during my meals on Islay. And here I got the Cullen Skink.

Basically a smoked haddock cream soup….think of it as a less thick smoky chowder if you will. Actually, I enjoyed the rustic bread the most! This was nice and filling.

The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant
20 Shore St.
Bowmore, Isle of Islay PA43 7LB, Scotland

Sean had noticed that we took a bit on interest in the rather unique looking church in the town. So after lunch we drove on up to Kilarrow Church.

It's quite an eye catcher to be sure. Built in 1767, Kilarrow Church is still used to this day, making it the oldest church still in use on Islay.

There's a cemetery right next to the church that caught my eye.

This is a Commonwealth War Graves site.

I was rather shocked to see many "Unknown" tombstones. According to this website there are:

"36 unknown seamen of the Merchant Navy"

Buried here. Very sad.

We started heading back to Port Charlotte, taking in the views….

Because it was still rather early in the day; Sean had one more stop in mind before dropping us at the hotel!

Stay Tuned!

Scotland (2022) – Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig Distilleries. Dinner at Port Charlotte Hotel (Islay)

October 1, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Caffeine Fix, Distilleries, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

After a nice day in Oban, we headed off early the next morning to catch the ferry to Port Ellen on Islay. It was a bit of a drive and I was quite fascinated with the whole thing as I hadn't ever been on a ferry this large before. I mean the ferry could hold buses and semi's, heavy construction equipment. It let cars in first, then had the cars lifted to the ceiling. I'd ridden the Washington State Ferry several times; but this was much larger.

We were entertained by this pup while waiting to get our van onto the ferry.

It was drizzling a bit and the pooch just wasn't into going to do his business or even a walk. He refused to move until finally; his "Dad" let him back into the car! It was pretty funny. We knew who ran things in this family!

The ferry was quite spacious and well equipped and had several designated areas.

Sean our driver told me to meet him back at the van a few minutes before docking; so we headed out to relax.

We saw the pooch sitting with Dad and eventually napping away in the pet friendly area. It must have been a pretty tough morning! The seats and sofas there were quite comfortable.

After a while, we headed off to the coffee kiosk for a caffeine fix.

There was some pretty comfortable seating here as well.

And the coffee decent as well.

Soon enough we had arrived at Port Askaig…..

Sean had arranged for three distillery visits and we'd be hitting them right in a row.

But first, we stopped here…..

What in god's name is this you might ask? Well, this is what gives Islay Scotch Whiskey its unique character. It's peat, basically an accumulation of decayed organic matter.

The peat is dried, then slowly burnt to give Islay Scotch it's smoky flavor.

And then it was time for our stops. Like many of the tours we do these days…most private or small group, there's just so much information…..I'll just do quick recaps of our visits.

First stop Ardbeg Distillery.

Most of the distilleries we visited had a similar look; the white washed buildings and some had wonderful views as well.

We loved Ardbeg's "mascot"!

We did a tour of the grounds and got a nice history; Ardbeg was established in 1815! We then got a tasting.

Quite peaty; though a good amount of sweetness came thru.

Lagavulin was next. The setting was amazing as there are ruins of a castle right in the bay in back of the distillery. This is Dunyvaig Castle.

We got a nice rundown of the machinery here; some of it unique and almost one of a kind.

The tasting here was quite diverse; everything from really strong with a "bite" to quite peaty. We were told that the pot stills are filled to the maximum at Lagavulin; thus the contact with copper is lower than most other brands creating a unique flavor profile.

The Missus's favorite Scotch is from Laphroaig, so She was looking forward to our visit. And overall, the Laphroaig tour was the most comprehensive as well.

We actually got to go into a malting room.

Saw peat being "burned"…..

And was basically walked thru much of the process.

As for the tastings….well, the Missus still likes Her Laphroaig 10! And perhaps the Quarter Cask. I'm more of a Sherry Oak kind of guy and I had a taste of the 16…oh my!

Looks like some other folk like Laphroaig too!

Perhaps our favorite part of the tour were the "opinion tiles" which detail the love-hate polarizing opinions of the Laphroaig. These are at the entrance of the distillery.

It details at the bottom of the tile details what the person tasted.

My favorite one was…..

There were a group of Frenchmen….wearing kilts and all the gear on a Scotch pilgrimage! Sean went and took photos of them.

You gotta love this place!

Islay was indeed beautiful; the folks warm and welcoming. And the scenery……

But man, we were bushed. Sean dropped us off at out accommodation, the very comfortable Port Charlotte Hotel.

And after doing a bit of research before our trip; I figured that the most suitable meals for us would be in the hotel.

And it would turn out to be a good choice.

We started with 6 Loch Gruinart (local) Oysters.

My goodness; these were so good! Not overly briny; with a sweet-cucumbery aftertaste. We ended up ordering another half-dozen.

The Wild Mushroom Salad was also quite good.

Good earthy flavors; loved the addition of pine nuts added that unique, almost sweet flavor. The truffle oil dressing didn't hurt things at all either.

The Seafood Chowder was interesting; tomato based.