Hot Tamales (and Moles and Ceviches …)
Local food bloggers suggest quintessentialD.F. dishes done two ways, cheap and spendy.
My Favorite Tamales
By Guillermo Ysusi, elpurogusto.tumblr.com
Standby:
Tamales el Pino
Pino 8, Colonia Coyoacán
“You can find [tamales] on almost every street, but not all of them are good. Tamales el Pino starts selling around noon and they go quickly. These have more stuffing—you can have rajas (poblano chile), pollo con mole (chicken with mole sauce), verdes (chicken with green sauce). This is a very traditional place.”
Splurge:
Pujol
Francisco Petrarca 254, Colonia Polanco; 5545-3507; pujol.com.mx
“The most elaborate tamale I know is their huitlacoche (corn fungus) tamale. The cornmeal is frothy but firm, with creamy nata (milk fat) foam on top. With it, they put roasted-tomatillo salsa and recado negro (burnt black-pepper paste) powder.”
My Favorite Ceviches
By Nicholas Gilman, goodfoodmexicocity.com and author of Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas, and Fine Dining
Standby:
El Caguamo
Calle Ayuntamiento and López, Colonia Centro
“It’s generic Mexican market seafood, which means ceviches from pulpo (octopus) to shrimp to crab. They also do tostadas and have this wonderful dried-shrimp caldo (broth). The stand is always crowded, and it’s safe—everything is covered by glass, and [they have] a huge turnover.”
Splurge:
MeroToro
Avenida Amsterdam 204, Colonia Condesa; 5564-7799; merotoro.com
“Chef Jair Tellez references both Mexican tradition and contemporary world food—Spain, David Chang, this and that—without being pretentious and overwrought. And he takes advantage of what’s in season. Now it’s a ceviche of percebes and erizo, which are barnacles and sea urchin.”
My Favorite Moles
By Lesley Téllez, themijachronicles.com
Standby:
Con Sabor a Tixtla
Chiapas 173, Colonia Roma; consaboratixtla.com
“It’s a fonda owned by a family from Tixla, Guerrero. Their mole verde taco is herbal, really light. You get anise, epazote, and other flavors shining through: hoja santa, avocado leaf, chile serrano, pumpkinseeds, and hoja de mole, which only grows in Tixtla.”
Splurge:
Dulce Patria
Anatole France 100, Colonia Polanco; 3300-3999; dulcepatriamexico.com
“My favorite is chef Martha Ortiz Chapa’s interpretation of an Oaxacan amarillito. She uses ginger and mango, and it almost tastes more Asian than Mexican. Her food is really visually appealing. And the sauce is so good you’re reaching for the tortillas to sop up what you can.”