What a great time in Mexico City!

After landing and a quick late lunch at the St. Regis, Mexico City (which was really wonderful) it was time to head to Pujol.

Pujol

…is amazing. I have been looking forward to going and the food and hospitality were just perfect. I was glad that I watched the Chef’s Table episode on Enrique Olvera on Netflix because it was nice to see some of the behind the scenes of the restaurant before going.

All of the food at Pujol is fantastic and the highlight for certain is the Mole. I could not wait to try the Mole and it did not disappoint. Madre Mole is served on the same plate with the Madre Nuevo in the center. Madre Mole had 1,413 days and the complexity when tasted in comparison to Madre Nuevo is just remarkable.

The entire tasting menu was just awesome!

Next time I come back I want to sit at the Taco Bar!

Nicos

The next restaurant was Nicos for lunch. Founded in 1957, Nicos serves traditional Mexican fare. On Friday afternoon the restaurant had a great crowd for lunch and all of the food is fantastic and the staff is super nice. The table-side preparations at Nicos are amazing and specifically the Caesar salad which is must!

Azul Condesa

After Nicos and a quick trip back to the hotel, only time for a quick change and a drink before heading to Azul Condesa. A really solid restaurant – Tortilla soup was excellent and I highly recommend the cochinita pibil. Also, this was the first time that I had a margarita which was spectacular!

Casa Luis Barragán

The food in Mexico City is fantastic. The non-food highlight was the tour of Casa Luis Barragán. Casa Barragán, built in 1948, represents one of the most internationally transcendent works of contemporary architecture and it was amazing to have such a knowledgeable guide to the property.

Ricardo Regazzoni

The Ricard Regazzoni exhibit was right across from Casa Barragán. Ricardo Regazzoni, an architect specializing in geometric sculptures, opened his latest art expo in Mexico City on September 9th of this year located at “Talleres Luis Barragán” or Workshop Barragan. A fitting setting since Luis Barragán was one of Mexico’s most recognized architects who gave Regazzoni one of his first jobs, after assisting his first art show. Since then, Barragan and Regazzoni created a bond which would later lead to Barragán helping him get the Fullbright scholarship.

Quintonil

The next stop was for food (of course) and it was Quintonil which is an amazing restaurant! Quintonil exceeded my expectations and was a sublime experience on every level. Chef Jorge Vallejo is a protégée of Pujol’s Enrique Olvera and is serving truly enlightened food. Photos include: Charred avocado tartare with “escamoles” and Mexican herb chips; “Salbut” with wild mushrooms confit in “agave” honey, seasoned with “chile mixe” powerd and fresh corn; Crab tostada with lime, radish and “chile habanero” mayonnaise and one of my favorites, Creamy green rice with a perfect egg, avocado and cilantro sprouts (the egg was absolutely perfect). Quintonil deserves to be one of the world’s top 50 restaurants.

Museo Nacional Antropologie

Museo Nacional de Antropologia is Mexico’s largest and most visited museum. The scale of the museum is incredible and it spans almost 20 acres. An amazing guide explained several key elements of Aztec pre-Columbian heritage including the Stone of the Sun! It is worth going to Mexico City just to spend time in this museum. I think that you could spend three full days here and still not get through it all!