The next segment of my Mexican adventure began with a flight to Mexico City. The plan was to stay over one night with a day to explore the city, and then take a private car to Casa Carmelita, outside of Tlaxcala (about an hour away), where I would be taking several days of private cooking classes.

Mexico City is a booming metropolis of almost 9 million people, so one day is hardly enough time to begin exploring it. And my friend, Adair, of Lentil Breakdown, tells me there are more museums here than any city in the world except for London. So yes, this was only getting my toes wet – the little bit I experienced leaves me ready for a deeper dive soon.

I stayed in La Condessa – an area filled with wide, tree lined boulevards and European style  mini-mansions and apartment buildings, some of which have been turned into boutique hotels – and I was fortunate enough to spend my night in one of them, Villa Condesa. The building was gated off from the street in a completely unassuming manner, but I walked into a dreamlike courtyard with magical gardens and a meditative pool. The decor in the public sitting areas of the hotel were like a well-appointed upscale home. My exploring the city consisted of a food tour in the neighboring Colonia Roma, one of two major culinary hubs in the city.

Garden Pool at La Villa Condessa

A Public Sitting Area at La Villa Condessa

With the expert guidance of my lovely tour guide, Pau, I visited wonderful cutting edge restaurants – one served a vegan take on Ceviche – as well as traditional food stalls, a craft brewery, and an artisan coffee roaster, with a fabulous bakery turning out gorgeous, crusty European style loaves from its wood burning oven. There was a mezcal tasting which was accompanied by the other of the two best dishes tasted in Mexico – a grilled hojo santo leaf with Oaxacan and goat cheeses.

Pau

Yes, I will be returning – to explore some of the many museums, and for more great food.

Feast your eyes on some of what I saw and tasted:

Vegan “Ceviche” of Nopales and Black Beans

Grilled Hojo Santo Leaf with Two Cheese

Artisan Breads

A delicious artisan take on the traditional “Concha”

Ah- and two of the fabulous tacos featured in an earlier post.