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Churros at Molino “El Pujol”
Strolling the treed streets of the Condesa neighbourhood, we pop by the pocket-sized Molino “El Pujol” for al fresco snacks. From the team behind Enrique Olvera’s Pujol (named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world), the chic tortilleria specializes in handmade tortillas using native corns that have undergone nixtamalization, the process of simmering dried corn in an alkaline solution, washing, draining, then grinding the kernels into masa for Mexican staples such as tortillas and tamales. While I enjoy the chilaquiles, tamales and esquites, I simply love the churros. The spiral of deep-fried dough dusted in spiced cinnamon sugar is similar to but different from the others we tried, bordering on the ethereal – as gently crisp as a bowl of puffed rice cereal. And with that extra flavour that is the unmistakable taste of Aztec-era corn.
Sweet tamales at Tamalli
In this cheery takeout spot, you’ll find an Instagram wall for posing with one of their 18 varieties of tamales. There’s a tamale with chicken mole steamed in a banana leaf, and another stuffed with black bean stew, chipotle and panela cheese. But what really catches my eye are Tamalli’s dessert options. The rosita, a sweetened corn dough, is coloured pink with beet juice, studded with raisins, then rolled and steamed in a corn husk. Another sees a sweet masa dough strewn with almonds and filled with pineapple, apple and cinnamon. There’s one filled with blackberry jam and ricotta, another with an almond and cocoa masa oozing chocolate cream. They also have a “Tamalab,” an experimental space where new tamale flavours are born.
Hand pies at Panadería Rosetta
Just about every chef I know DMed me when they saw I was vacationing in Mexico City, all of them saying the same thing: go to Panadería Rosetta. And so early one morning, we make our way to the hip Roma neighbourhood to find such a mob scene you would think Taylor and Travis were waiting in line. The lineup moves quickly so before long we’re sitting on the sunny patio enjoying hard-boiled eggs with toast and tarragon butter, eggplant and goat cheese on fresh baguette, a cornucopia of viennoiseries, local juices and small-batch coffee lattes. A winning combo of European-style pastries, Mexican flavours and a south of France vibe come together in the triumphant guava and ricotta cheese Danish. Now I, too, will be DMing people when I see they’re in Mexico City.
Fruit ices at Nevería Roxy
We took a half-day tour with Polanco Food Tours (which I highly recommend) and this colourful ice cream spot was one of our stops. Nevería Roxy has been around since 1946. Launched as a soda fountain in the Condesa neighbourhood (where the original outpost still thrives), it was inspired by founder Don Carlos Gallardo’s memories of the lemon ice he enjoyed as a child in La Barca, Jalisco. At the Polanco shop the chocolate and coffee ice creams are good, the pistachio is not, the lemon ice is great and the local mandarin ice cream is an utter delight.
Drinking chocolate at El Moro Churrería
Eating churros in Mexico City is not a one and done sort of thing. Ideally, you’ll have them every day and one of them will be from El Moro Churreria (around since 1935, it has multiple locations). Big bags of curvaceous, deeply browned churros come with chocolate, condensed milk or cajeta (sweetened condensed goat milk) for dipping. But as great as the churros are, don’t sleep on the drinking chocolate, served hot or cold, sweet and thick, traditional and light, bitter or vegan. I may like the hot chocolate even more than the churros. The next cold, snowy day in Canada, I’ll probably be dreaming about this hot chocolate, and Mexico City.
Four Mexico-inspired dessert recipes offer up fresh new flavour combinations