Historical & Hip: Mai Tai Tomás Travels To Mexico City
Prologue:
“You’re going to Mexico City? Aren’t you worried?” This was the response from many when I told them of our plans to travel to North America’s largest city for nine days. Let me begin by dispelling the notion that you are in danger in Ciudad de México. For us, Mexico’s capital city was nothing less than an immense joy to visit, and at no time did we feel anything but safe. The people were fantastic, the food out of this world (from those poblano mole enchiladas to morning conchas) …
… and the upbeat vibrant feel of the city has made us already yearn to return to this dynamic megalopolos that is so culturally intriguing. We learned so much about the area’s past.
Oh, and all those gorgeous, historical and controversial murals? Maravilloso!
Kim and Mary did not join us on this trip to a city where the capital of the Aztec empire was once located. We did, however, have three Aztecs (of the San Diego State variety) included in our group of five. Aztec Tim (who was the second person I met at SDSU … Kim was the first) and his wife Sheila would join us for part of the nine-day adventure, while Aztec Stephen zigzagged across the city with us for the entirety of the trip. Obviously, he didn’t get the memo from Kim and Mary.
Tracy, Stephen and I stayed in three different locales for our nine days, while Tim and Sheila made Centro Histórico their permanent base for six days. Thanks to Uber and massive amounts of walking (and more walking), we were able to explore up close a number of Mexico City’s interesting and vibrant neighborhoods (both hip and historic), plus we also worked in a day trip to Teotihuacán, home to the Pyramid of the Moon, the Pyramid of the Sun and a scene of total embarrassment by yours truly. And yes, we did take time to sample an array of mezcal and tequila cocktails throughout the trip. I had originally planned a five-day visit, but after learning all there was to see, I realized we would need more time.
I also nearly made it through the entire vacation uninjured, but alas, that would not be the case. At least I waited until the final day. Let the fun begin!
Chapter One: Hola México!
Day One: Redress Works For Tracy, That’s The Ticket, Staying In A Tree House, Our Friend Has No Reservations, Scoping Out The Hood, “Late” Lunch, Now This Is A Happy Hour, Tom’s Inner GPS Goes Awry and Memorable Merotoro
On the road at 4:30 a.m. we arrived at LAX 2 1/2 hours before our flight. The big question would be, “Will Tracy once again be mistaken as a terrorist and yanked out of line?” or “Will the redress number she recently applied for and received take her off whatever list she’s been on for the better part of the last decade?”
Drumroll please … she went through the TSA pre-check with flying colors. The same could not be said for her husband. My new knee once again set off alarms. Tracy asked the TSA agent whether we could get a doctor’s note for future flights, and the answer was “Nada.”
The flight from LAX to Mexico City was three hours and fifty minutes. As usual, American Airlines lived down to expectations. The only form of sustenance on our flight was one (small) cookie. In addition, no water was ever offered. For those wanting to lose a few pounds, I suggest flying American.
Getting through the automated border control in Mexico City was a snap. If you’re Mexican, American or Canadian, all you have to do is scan your passport, have your photo taken and it’s hasta la vista, baby! You are through.
Well, almost through. I probably should have watched other people first, because when I attempted to exit, the doors would not open. Finally, Tracy, who had been in another exit, came over and looking at me like I was an idiot (that didn’t take long), told me to be still and let the machine take my photo. Shortly afterward, I was set free, and Tracy has the proof.
Tracy was handed a slip of paper by an agent, she crammed it in her purse (foreshadowing alert!) and that was that. After grabbing our luggage (30 minutes) it was time to catch a taxi. I had read that to get an “Authorized Taxi” you go to one of the taxi kiosks located inside the terminal and purchase a ticket to your destination (priced by zone). We randomly selected one of the companies, received our ticket, walked outside to the line and within five minutes we were whisking our way to our first lodging located in colorful Colonia Condesa.
Well, “whisking” might not be the correct word. Traffic, as we were to find out, is brutal in Mexico City. Although slow, the trip to the La Condesa neighborhood (which is located in the borough of Cuauhtémoc) was very enlightening. Lining the sides of the road were dozens of various types of vendors. Some were cooking food (those tacos and other dishes looked so appetizing to a guy who’d only had two cookies), while others were selling various goods.
He asked how the taxi drive was, and I answered that the traffic here reminded me of Los Angeles. He smiled and quipped, “Yes, but Los Angeles has more Mexicans.” Then came a quick moment of panic. We alerted him that our friend Stephen would not be arriving until around seven, and if that was going to be a problem. Our host looked through his reservations, but Stephen’s name was not on the list. We immediately called him just as he was boarding his flight to tell him he didn’t have a reservation. He said he knew that, and that he actually had reserved somewhere else in Condesa when he was too late to get reservations at The Red Tree House. Not to worry, he would meet us at the restaurant.
Then our host introduced us to the two Red Tree House dogs, Boss and Romeo. I asked, “Who’s the Boss and wherefore art thou Romeo?” I think our host now wished we didn’t have reservations either. The Red Tree House contains interesting artwork throughout, plus a nice patio where guests enjoy a free breakfast and happy hour.
Now we knew why so many people had raved about this place. It felt like home … only cleaner.
It was time to explore a little of Condesa and grab some lunch. Around the corner from The Red Tree House is the beautiful tree-lined Avenida Amsterdam …
… an oval that includes lots of cafes and some very striking architecture. We stopped at the nearby fountain for photos, but decided that since we were going to stroll Avenida Amsterdam the following day, we’d go see where the next evening’s restaurant was located. I was a little worried about my choice, so I wanted to take a look.
We walked past more gorgeous buildings and shortly we were at Antolina Condesa. The menu looked great, and we made sure to reserve a table on the sidewalk for the following evening.
Nearby was Café Toscano. Who knew our first meal in Mexico City would be Italian? It was nearing 3 p.m., but there were lots of people eating. We would find out that lunch in Mexico City often doesn’t start until 2 p.m. I had some delicious Carpaccio, and the Bohemia tasted great on a warm afternoon. Tracy enjoyed her smoked eggplant with crostini.
We headed back to rest for a short time as Tracy had a slight headache, which we surmised could be from the elevation. Mexico City is more than 7,300 feet above sea level. Take that Denver! Before entering we saw some of the cool outdoor artwork that would be a constant on this trip.
Every evening between 6 pm and 8 pm, The Red Tree House offers a Happy Hour for its guests, and they know how to do it. In our experience, many of these hotel happy hours have small pours, and you have to go out of your way to find refills. Not here. Our host poured us two large glasses of wine, and he kept coming around offering refills while chatting with the guests. We loved the indoor/outdoor space, as did many of the guests who partook in this happy hour.
A little after 7 o’clock we headed back out on Avenida Amsterdam in search of Merotoro, Cocina de Baja California, which had been a recommended restaurant (we had 7:30 reservations). Our host said it was only about a five-minute walk. Luckily we left a little early, because even though I believed I knew where it was (our host had given me directions), there’s always a chance I’ll screw up. And screw up I did. This cat seemed to be trying to warn me that we might be headed in the wrong direction.
Avenida Amsterdam takes its elliptical shape from a race track (Hipódromo) that was located here in the early 20th century. This part of the neighborhood is referred to as “the heart of La Condesa.” After about ten minutes Tracy said, “I thought Merotoro was only five minutes away.” Not surprisingly, I had somehow taken us in the wrong direction. Tracy had once again backed the wrong horse. Finally, after I got us all turned around, Tracy took charge and we arrived at the restaurant just in time for our reservation.
Merotoro (Avenida Amsterdam 204 between Iztacihuatl & Chilpancingo) is an upscale restaurant, but it doesn’t have that snooty vibe that so many similar-type restaurants seem to have. The dining room opens out to a patio, and the ambiance is perfect for great dining.
Chef Jair Tellez previously had a restaurant in Baja California and Merotoro’s cuisine mirrors its owners roots and brings those Baja flavors to this restaurant. Our server was terrific and apologized for not speaking English well. We told him not to worry and we apologized for our pathetic Spanish. It all worked. I had been in Mexico City for nearly six hours and not tried any tequila. That fact was rectified rapidly when I ordered the spectacular Tequila Zo Coctele; tequila, Chartreuse, amarillo limón y jugo de mango. Fantástico! Tracy tasted two wines from Valle de Guadalupe (a future trip) before settling on the Sauvignon Blanc.
The house-made crusty bread served with olio and sea salt was a great start, as were the blue tortillas with spicy hot salsa. By now Stephen had joined us and also joined me with that wonderful tequila cocktail.
The meal was stellar. I had really wanted to start with the beef tartare with grasshoppers, but since I had carpaccio for lunch, and my entree was beef tenderloin, I prudently ordered the pumpkin soup with crabmeat, basil and pumpkin seed oil. The beef tenderloin with salt potatoes and roasted carrots rounded out an excellent meal.
Tracy started with Gazpacho with Spider Crab meat, and followed that with a braised short rib with creamy corn and grilled carrots.
