In March, we took a
road trip to Oaxaca, Mexico City and Ft. Lauderdale. They are very different
cities but had one thing in common: GREAT FOOD.
Oaxaca is truly the
food capital of Mexico and the proof is in black mole. It was like nothing I've
ever eaten before. Rich, complex and layered with flavors, it's in a class by
itself.
The black mole at the
Catedral Restaurante and Bar was the stuff dreams are made of. It is one of the
top five dishes I've had in my lifetime and if I ever have a choice for my last
supper, this would be the restaurant.
Will I ever make it
again? I say leave the alchemy to the masters.
From Carnes
Asada,Tlayudas, and Memelitas to the chocolate shops on Mina Street, to the
single village Mezcals and all the great restaurants in downtown Oaxaca, I took
it all in and left Oaxaca with a new mind-set about Mexican cooking.
At Oaxaca's soul is its
markets both in and outside the city. Fonda Florecita in the Mercado de la
Merced and the Carnes Asadas section of the 20 de Noviembre market are two of
the best market restaurants in all of Mexico.
The markets at Ocotlán
and Tlacolula proved to me once again that you'll never understand the magic of
Mexico until you've experienced it on market day.
Mexico City is one of
the great food cities of the world.
I never left Colonia
Roma where Máximo Bistrot and Rosetta served up world class meals I will never
forget. The French/Italian element made with Mexican ingredients was the wow
factor at both restaurants.
The melt-in-your-mouth
w/o butter bread at Rosetta convinced me that man can live on bread alone. The
telenovela clientele was also a feast for the eyes.
Ft. Lauderdale was a
mega-dose of sun and seafood.
Of all the times I've
been fishing, I've never caught much less heard of a golden tile fish. Think
poor man's lobster because this fish was some of the best seafood we ate
including a whole snapper from a little Cuban restaurant off the beach.
We ate and drank more
than our fair share in each city so over the next month we'll do a series of
posts on all three cities.
Each city left its
mark. I can close my eyes now and remember the smells and taste each delicious
bite.
It was truly a feast
for the senses!
Buen Apetito and stay
tuned....