Mexico City, Mexico

One fall day in Philly, I met one of my girlfriends, Lola, at the bar for happy hour. Four drinks in and we discovered that we both had an itch to visit Mexico City. Two more drinks and…a flight was booked! Fast forward to January, Lola and I boarded our flight for an extended weekend in CDMX. Mexico City, a cultural and financial hub, is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.

Based about 25 minutes outside of the city center, Lola and I were committed to having a trip full of cultural landmarks and food galore. Mexico City has a rich heritage that shines brightly in its’ food offerings; depending on which neighborhood you find yourself in, you will notice distinct flavor profiles that will leave you having multiple food adventures a day. The city is a haven for foodies with the smallest to largest budgets, providing street food and fine dining all in the same 10 foot walkway. Some of my favorite neighborhoods in CMDX are Polanco, Condesa and Roma, with my must eat foods listed below!

Tacos al pastor

Spit roasted pork. Juicy pineapple. Fresh tortillas. That’s it. That’s the CDMX cheat code. Do yourself a favor and grab as many as you can hold in your hand from a street vendor. Pair with a local beer and for less than 10 USD have the most soul lifting meal of your life.

Mole

Mole, a traditional chili-based sauce that is deep red/brown in color with almost a chocolate-y taste, can be found served with a wide variety of dishes. At its’ simplest, we had it with fresh corn tortillas and scrambled eggs for a power breakfast before our museum day. Mole is native to the Oaxaca state, however, you can find delicious versions in all corners of Mexico.

Escamoles

Not for the squeamish eater, escamoles are ant larvae that come from the maguey plant. A delicacy dating back to the ancient Aztecs, we accidentally had this treat on our visit to Quintonil (second to last gallery photo). The texture is firm yet creamy and it takes on the flavor profiles of what it is accompanied by. Our dish was served with charred avocado tartare and it was complex with a nice ash aftertaste. While we did have a moment a few hours later when a friend back in America responded “oh you ate the ants!” to Lola’s Instagram story, I’d highly recommend this food adventure.

Images: Author