Home » Special Features » The World’s Best » Best Local Food Specialties Mexico City
New York? Pizza. San Francisco? Dungeness crab. Mexico City? Tacos. Los Angeles? Food trucks. What better way to explore the world’s coolest cities than through the foods they are best known for? Here are Night+Day’s hotlists for the destination dishes (and one beverage) that define our favorite places.
Best Local Food Specialties in....
Best Local Food Specialties: Tacos
Mexico City
El Borrego Viudo Av. Revolución 241 corner Viaducto, Col. Tacubaya, (no phone)
The Draw: Mexico City’s legendary mega drive-in taco shop. The Scene: A battalion of waiters, parking lot attendants, and meat carvers work their magic, serving the most heart-stopping, triglyceride-loaded tacos you have ever willfully ingested. The nightly pilgrimage here is a trans-delegational-gendered-class scene straight out of a González Iñárritu film, best experienced on the way home from a night on the town. Veer right into the cavernous lot, shift into park, put on your hazards (the sign for service), and the demonic taco angels come running. Hot Tip: The tacos al pastor lathered in spicy red sauce are the house classic. However, scientific studies have shown that suadero with green sauce takes a preventive bite out of even the nastiest hangover.
Noches de Cantina Altata 22, Condesa, 55.5271.6285
The Draw: When the trendiest Condesa bars and nightclubs wind down, El Califa gears up. Juicy pork al pastor mixes deliciously with spiced tortillas to create some of the tastiest tacos around. The Scene: Pumping with energy into the dawn, El Califa draws a shockingly good-looking crowd for post-nightclub tacos, despite its minimal amenities (think plastic tables and chairs). Urban hipster boys come dressed in designer jeans and un-tucked Polo shirts, while the fresa gals show up sporting skirts, tight shirts, and high heels. The early morning scene is straight out of a Mexican soap opera. Hot Tip: Not that you’d be looking for them, but intoxicated models are likely to make their last public appearance of the night at El Califa.
El Villamelón Tintoretto 123, Col. Ciudad de los Deportes, 55.1042.2352
The Draw: Ground zero for meat eaters for nearly half a century, Villamelón sits kitty-corner to Plaza Mexico and packs to standing room only on bullfight and Cruz Azul match days. (Estadio Azul is just a block away.) The Scene: Patrons of all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and budgets come to get their pre-game fill of greasy cecina (salted pork), longaniza (a nasty looking but delicious sausage), and chicharrón (deep fried pork skins) tacos. There’s no service in the red brick shop; you’ve got to line up with the plebs. When you finally make it to the counter expect no sympathy or compliments for your lousy Spanish. The fun, however, is in the line-up, where friendly sports fans like to chat. Just say you die for Cruz (“muero por el Cruz”) and you love bulls (“amo a los toros”). Hot Tip: Known as the ultimate cure for hangovers, order the Campechano, a delicious concoction of three mystery meats. Drizzle with their inimitable hot sauce and chase with an Alka-Seltzer.
