We're just back from PDC and, as always, I did my best to try as many different restaurants as my appetite would permit.
I'm glad to see that Jesus hit two of my favorites: Tacos Israel and Flor de Michoacan. We introduced some of our Villas Sacbe nieghbors to tacos arabe (flour tortillas) and tacos orientale (same meat but with corn tortillas). Their only disappointment was that it was late at night, and the guacamole bowl was empty. :cry:
I stopped into Flor de Michoacan one morning and ordered a grande agua fresca--WOW, it's like ordering a Big Gulp! No sandia (watermelon, my favorite) but the guanabana was yummy too.
We've been looking for tamales and had not yet found them - so we asked the folks at Babe's where to find good ones. We were directed to *
Antojitos Adrian on the SW corner of 20th ave & 4th st. (not far from Pollo Asadero, just up from Tacos Bill). The people were sooo friendly and helpful and happy to see us. They pointed to the three kinds of tamales on the menu, and I asked what was in them - I didn't understand much, so they unwrapped (banana leaves!) each kind and cut into them to show us. By now some of the patrons who spoke a little English were coming up to the counter to tell us "is very good, is typical food," and we were eager to try all three kinds. They are:
Brazo de Reyna: very delicate white dough, filled with chicken
Tamales colados: orange masa (achiote), filled with chicken, more seasoning
and my favorite:
tamales torteados the dough contains some kind of green herb (chaya?), as does the egg filling.
We also FINALLY tried
El Fogon, which was excellent and cheap; and had an delicious meal at
El Faisan y El Venado, on the highway. El Faisan and Venado is an excellent choice for someone who wants authentic Mexican food but is nervous about eating at a hole in the wall cafe. The menu is long, the food well prepared and authentic, the beer is ice cold, and you get so much more for your money than "authentic" restaurants on 5th. I had relleno negro, which turned out to be nothing like I expected (it's a soupy stew) but was utterly yummy. It constists of a black soup with a complex herb flavor, with chunks of turkey and picadillo-type sausage in it. I'd love to know how to make it.
Our other great find, just a few doors down from Villas Sacbe, was
Siesta Pizza. Their seafood pizza is heaven - they flavor it with saffron.
Other places we ate: Media Luna, Palapa Hemingway, Tian Sushi, Babe's, La Casa del Piedra, El Chino, El Oasis, Chuchi's, La Cueva del Chango, the beach cafe at Paamul, and a little family restaurant whose name I'd forgotten in San Miguel, Cozumel. My tummy was certainly bulging out over my bikini by the end of the week :roll: