One of the more beloved restaurants in the Oaxaca area is Tlamanalli. Located in Teotitlán del Valle, it is run by Abigail Mendoza and her sisters, serving a limited menu specially crafted with local ingredients. Here is the open-air kitchen, with a sample of the fresh ingredients.
Sometimes in dining, less can be more.
Here is chicken in a mole sauce, served in a simple, elegant presentation at Casa María, a bed and breakfast and restaurant in San Agustín Etla, in the hills near Oaxaca City, Oaxaca.
Delicious!
It is possible to get Oaxacan food when outside of Oaxaca, at least if you live in Los Angeles, California. While there for a meeting recently, I stopped at the restaurant Lindo Oaxaca, near downtown. At this enjoyable restaurant I enjoyed a Tlayuda which was nearly indistinguishable from those I had in Oaxaca City.
Oaxaca is a great place to experience fantastic food. One staple of Oaxaca is the Tlayuda, which consists of a large fried tortilla, bean paste, Oaxacan cheese, tomato, avocado, and a choice of meats, often tasado, seen here, which is a type of flank steak. I ate this one at one of many food stalls at the central market of Oaxaca City. Delicious!
Near the town of El Tuito, Jalisco, is the Hacienda el Divisadero. The hacienda makes Raicilla, a beverage similar to mescal and tequila, made from the agave plant. The Hacienda offers lodging, as well as fine dining, on a lovely patio which reminded me of dining at similar haciendas in the Yucatan.
My lunch there consisted of these shrimp fajitas, which were perhaps the finest I have ever had. Sabroso!
About once a month I spend 2 days near the Salton Sea, in the Imperial Valley. A favorite place to eat is Camacho's, a Mexican restaurant which is miles from nowhere, miles from the nearest commercial establishment, in the middle of farm fields southwest of El Centro. Nevertheless it has a loyal following. Walking in feels like you have stepped back in time, and grandma is cooking in the kitchen. She probably is!
Here is the cool sign indicating you have arrived!
The food is no-frills and honest. Here is the albondigas (meatball) soup. It's good!
Salbutes and panuchos are two Yucatecan specialties, being fried tortillas topped with meat and pickled onions. Panuchos have beans in addition to the meat and onions. Delicious!
A cartful of sweets in Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
