Emily: No trip to Mexico City is complete without eating at one of its many markets. Meche and Rafael’s meat stand at the Mercado Medellín in La Roma (Local 349), serves succulent carnitas (Saturdays only) and crispy slabs of chicharrón. Wander among the pyramids of fruit and towering bags of chiles to Helados Palmeiro (Local 507), where Eugenio, a molecular biologist from Havana, makes deliciously creamy ice cream. —NYTimes
Emily: The most Oaxaqueño of all those shops and restaurants is a tiny stall called Xaachila, recently expanded into the open storefront next door, and their best dish is their empanada de Amarillo. It’s a simple, perfect dish: a tortilla, tasting of grain and ash; yellow mole with smoky notes of chile chilcostle or guajillo and a cache of spices (fat pepper, clove, cumin, oregano, the clean anise notes of hojasanta); and shredded chicken for texture and body. It’s unforgettable. —Roads & Kingdoms
Emily: Cecina de Yecapixtla tacos / ribeye al carbon " “Rich cheese against bracing fresh lime juice, cleansing raw onion, and the stinging hum of the various salsas—red, green, picadillo—made for the most well-balanced, intricate bite" —Anita Lo
Emily: Campechano taco recco from Fabian von Hauske of Wildair and Contramar (from Mexico City)
Emily: El Califa stays open until 4 a.m., which helps explain why it is so popular with chefs—it’s like a party every night. arrachera, or marinated skirt steak taco recco by Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio and el pastor recco by Virgilio Martinez of Central.
Emily: Recco: a combination of cecina, salted and dried beef, flecked with bits of longaniza, an orange-colored, chorizo-style pork sausage rolled up in a thick corn tortilla. —Albert Adrià of Tickets in Barcelona
Emily: Open late, recommended by multiple chefs for tripe, ears, and tongue tacos.
Emily: Taco with turkey skin recco by chef TJ Steele of Claro in Gowanus. “To make it perfect, I add escabeche [pickled vegetables] and salsa verde and have it with a side of turkey consommé. The acid from the escabeche cuts the fatty richness of the filling,” says Steele.
Emily: Service starts at 5:30am and the kitchen runs out of food by noon. The fixed menu changes every day, ranging from guisados to soups or steak with tortillas and cactus. Best bets to try include the longaniza in salsa verde, and the famous black beans mixed with egg — frijoles negras con huevos. —Eater The earlier you go, the better—not only will you beat the inevitable line-out-the-door that forms starting around 8:30am, but you’ll have a better chance of seeing Margarita herself, in full makeup, frying pigs’ trotters in the middle of the restaurant wearing a welding mask. —Bon Appetit
Emily: A a new restaurant from the chef behind Restaurante Nicos. Order the guacamole, chilaquiles, pescado del día, or one of the specials listed on the menu board, plus, if you're into it, a glass of mezcal.
Emily: pan de muertos filled with a thick vanilla cream, are especially popular.
Emily: A pedestrian outpost on the outskirts of the fashionista epicenter of Condesa, Bar Montejo is a decidedly old-school cantina, a multi-floored affair serving comida yucateca. The masses descend by 3 p.m. to loosen their ties and throw back domestic beer — join the ranks! —Eater
Emily: If you're not lucky enough to snag one of the select booths at this iconic cantina, you can always lean like a gentleman at the bar — it's one of the most gorgeous in el Centro, with lacquered wood and elaborate stained glass. There's straightforward service here: beer, tequila, and rum and Cokes, plus roving snack-men to sell you spicy toasted fava beans and chapulines. —Eater
Emily: Between 1956 and 1972, the Torre was the tallest building in the city. That's no longer the case, but it still is the best vantage point to glimpse the incomparable sprawl of one of the hugest cities in the world. Instead of paying for a ticket to the observation deck, enter the building, ask for the bar, and head up in the elevator. For the price of a drink, you'll get the best view in the house — plus a drink.
Emily: It used to be that all cantinas served free botanas (snacks) with each round of drinks, but La Mascota is one of the few remaining dives that still does this. Bring a group, order a mezcal (con sangrita) or a cerveza and then feast on (gratis) seafood stew, raw oysters, and camarones a la diabala (spicy shrimp).
Emily: Suited in white lab coats and blue scrubs, everyone is here for the chamorro, a braised pork shank served with an endless supply of tortillas. Chamorro is a popular dish made at many restaurants across town but this version is particularly succulent. Arrive early because the dining room fills up fast every day of the week.
Emily: La Botica is a small, quirky mezcal bar that opens onto a tree-lined Condesa street. It have a long, handwritten, somewhat difficult to decipher list of options that includes a chicken-infused mezcal (pechuga de pollo) as well as some serious snacks.
Emily: The taco arabe originated in Puebla in the 1930s, after immigrants from the Middle East imported the vertical doner spit. Only a few are found in Mexico City proper, but they are worth seeking out. A large, thick flour tortilla holds marinated pork and salsas; the whole thing roughly resembles a gyro, but the flavors — chile, cumin, onion, herbs — are wholly Mexican.
Emily: ORDER THE: empanadas de mole verde and mole amarillo, patitas de cerdo en escabeche (pickled pigs’ feet), mole negro, enfrijoladas (in a bean sauce infused with anisey avocado leaf), and the tlayudas. —BA
Emily: ORDER THE: beef tartare with sardine; soft-shell crab; simple grilled fish; and Baja-made wines from Bichi or Vena Cava. —BA
Emily: ORDER THE: “big salad” (tahini-dressed kale, beets, sprouts, egg, and pepitas); spicy roast carrots; and abuela-worthy albondigas (meatballs). At night, get the classic fried chicken sandwich.
Emily: GO HERE: for a genuine old-school experience in the historic city center, with a side of bullfighting history. The cavernous space—opened in the ’60s—is also a bullfighting museum, with vintage posters and paintings and acrylic cases housing well-worn costumes from famous matadors.
Emily: ORDER THE: unadulterated “blanco,” which is tart and funky, or one of the 40-something revolving “curados,” naturally-flavored pulques of which there are always several available. Try the guava, peanut, or celery.
Emily: GO HERE: for what’s referred to as the “chef’s market,” due to its high-quality produce, meat, and seafood, plus imported and hard-to-find items. It’s also known as the place to get exotic meats—many vendors advertise things like armadillo, iguana, wild boar, and alligator, though some say that if you ask around discreetly you can get lions and tigers and bears—oh, my!
