If you know me or have read any of my blogs, you are aware that my husband and I just had a fourth ‘surprise’ child five months ago. As we were coming to terms with how this evolution would inevitably change the dynamic of our family (and us as a couple), there were some honest moments of doubt that we may not be able to do all of the things we so enjoy doing such as drinking wine & making out in a bar in Rome, for example. Due in large to this concern, I tried everything in my power to make Europe happen this summer for us so I could say, “see, we can still do it all!”. However, for a multitude of complicated reasons like breast milk supply, grandparents being out of state, and parenting four children all of whom are all in different directions and ages currently, Provence quickly turned into an impossible reality. The conversation with my husband went something like this:
Me: Love, I am not sure we can pull off a week away this summer, how about Provence for just 5 days?
Him: We can’t pull off Provence in 5 days.
Me: Hmmm… what can we do that will give us that romantic European sexy vacation feel then?
Both: Mexico City!
One interesting fact that many people (including myself) do not know about this area is that contrary to popular belief, it is in fact not warm during the summer months in Mexico City. Crazy, right?!? Another fun fact? Mexico City feels like Mexico & Paris had a love child. The European architecture, effortless charm, and café culture had us seriously second guessing what part of the world we were in. And if you’re like us and traveling from California, you’re a much closer flight than to Europe. You’ll also quickly discover that in Mexico City, you are surrounded by the most incredible people while the city features some of the best food in the world, and with a mild climate, to boot.
We planned this trip in 5 days. We sure did some speedy work to create a pretty perfect itinerary.
These were the steps we took to create this vacation last-minute—without the use of a tour guide. It was completely energizing doing this all on our own and through the means of family, friends, and locals, we were able to gather all of the inside scoop and execute on it.
Step 1: visualize what you want. You must see it in order to manifest it. We saw a break from busy life, conjured up images of a city we both wanted to get lost in together, visualized excellent meals, and mentally planned out romantic time together.
I started by contacting our cousin who enjoys traveling just like us. His partner has a twin brother in Mexico City and so they’ve long been aware of all the local gems and historical landmarks. From them, I discovered the chicest neighborhood with the sexiest boutique hotel one could find. I also verified this with social media, and the conclusion was in fact one and the same.
Now that I knew where I wanted to stay, I had my work cut out for me with just 5 days remaining until our trip was scheduled to commence. Next up? Booking the airfare. Unfortunately, due to the brief planning period, the airline tickets were not cheap, but at least the weather forecast was good and we could pick to travel on the nicer days because it was so last minute.
I started by booking The Brick hotel in Roma North. I spoke with a woman named Gabriela from the concierge team and she assured me that she would get us into the top restaurants, a fun biking tour we were interested in, and tickets to the most authentic cooking class the city had to offer. A tall order I know, but somehow I just knew she was the lady to pull it off, despite some of these venues typically requiring months of pre-planning.
Lo and behold, she pulled through, having secured it all. The most shocking was the Pujol restaurant reservation that typically takes 3 months minimum to pull off. Now in full transparency, I did call Pujol on the side and I think that due to my excitement to dine with them and my overall relentlessness, they most likely conceded just so that I would leave them alone 🙂 But hey, you’ve got to do, what you’ve got to do!
Below outlines our fabulous itinerary in thanks to Gabriela, our cousins, and to our social media friendships and community for helping us amass such a wonderfully curated trip. I hope you get to experience Mexico City the way we just did!
Day 1:
We flew into Mexico City and upon arrival, had a welcome drink and set up shop at the Brick Hotel. We enjoyed our private rooftop deck & got a little cuddling time in before our planned activities. We walked to our first taqueria- El Compita. Can I just say, OMG! What a meal. The pork tacos smothered in cheese were a dream. The long line was also a testament to how locals revere this place, and so once it was our time to order, we took it to go and found a park to picnic in.
We then walked back to the Brick, took a siesta, and rested up for our dinner at Botanico. Eat late night dinners when in Mexico City, that is when all the action happens. We arrived for our 9 pm reservation only to be met with one of the prettiest tables I’ve ever seen. We were literally dining in a botanical garden with some of the most beautiful people you’ve ever seen. The mezcal choices were unbelievable, the music was so fun, and we felt like we were already on the most ultimate vacation. After dining, we asked our server where the locals go for the best churros. He sent us to Chuerro El Moro en Centro. This is not a touristy spot and there is no English spoken. This establishment was built in 1935 and it has all of the old charm. It was well past midnight at this point and we needed to get our sleep for our adventure that lies ahead the following day.
Day 2:
We woke up and went to our complimentary breakfast within the hotel. Now, historically hotel breakfasts aren’t my favorite. That is, until I had this one. I sipped on an out-of-this-world latte and fresh squeezed orange juice, and ate beautifully cut papaya and mango, as well as chilaquiles & eggs smothered in ranchero on a tostada.
We then saw our two beach cruisers being pulled up to the front of our hotel and were greeted by the most lovely local, Elias (elias.herrera.co@gmail.com). Gabriela from the Brick hotel told us that we’d gotten the best Mexico City historian around, and she was right. He shared that we would be trying different mezcals at the end of the tour, however, I insisted I start with 1 before the bike ride. I mean, when in Rome, (er, Mexico, right? 🙂 Fun fact- On Sundays they close the main streets in town just for touring the city by bike, so this was the perfect day to take this tour. We kicked off the bike ride with a market tour and some of the best local chicken quesadillas around at Medellin. These women drive 2.5 hours a day from their home and serve the most excellent bites that you will experience at a taco stand. We then toured every single neighborhood and park possible by bike and had a very good understanding of the places we wanted to explore more. The empty streets and active locals were such a highlight. At the conclusion of our tour, we returned back to our hotel for a local mezcal tasting (included) that were unique and fantastic.
We were so impressed by the looks of the anthropology museum (hint: walk all the way to the very back of the museum and focus on that exhibit, it was the best), that we quickly turned back around and spent some time there. I finally got us into Contramar after what felt like nearly100 attempts! We had a 4:30 lunch reservation that is very hard to come by. For those of you that remember or have ever dined at Cala restaurant, Contramar was Gabriela Cámara’s first restaurant. It is absolutely our favorite meal in mexico city. We had it all; the scallop tostadas, red & green fish, ceviches, mezcals…. It was truly spectacular! We got to watch the beautiful locals enjoying their late lunch.
Post-lunch we retreated back for a siesta which I am convinced everyone should try daily. We ended up cancelling our dinner reservations and just leisurely walked over to a great local taco spot called Taqueria Orinoco. The pork & fried pork tacos were simple and delicious. The line is crazy. We asked if we could squeeze into the bar and order to go and eat there and they were inclined to allow us to. We enjoyed walking around the neighborhood late nite and headed back to our cozy suite.
Day 3:
It’s really crazy to think that after all the amazing food we consumed previously, that we could actually wake up hungry, but, alas, we did. It was time for our market tour and to get all of the ingredients for our cooking class at Casa Jacaranda. We started by meeting 3 other lovely couples and headed over to Juarez market. It literally had everything you can imagine. Our head chef asked us what we wanted to cook and off we went shopping while we learned about the rich history and the beautiful culture. We stopped at Stall 294 to try some local cheeses and quince. We then went to Rifa to sample incredible chocolates and hot chocolates with chili. Yum! Then, off we went to see how corn tortillas are made at Tortilleria Roma. Again, the long line was a good indicator that we’d come to the right place in search of the best corn tortillas! It was pretty amazing because while as we were walking and sampling the local staples, Charlie (our su chef), was sourcing all the fresh ingredients and prepping them for our cooking class ahead in the most beautiful art building. We got the feeling that we were simply in a local family’s kitchen and getting to be their guest cooks. It also didn’t hurt that the beer and tequila started flowing immediately upon arrival.
We started to cook birria, tortillas, prepped homemade salsas, homemade corn tamales, all while sipping, sampling, and learning all of the proper techniques for preparation. After we all worked together to create this beautiful communal meal, we were then taken into another room where we dined together. This was an incredible room filled with art, laughter, lovely drinks, and the incredible smells from the feast that we had just prepared. I cannot recommend this enough. It’s an absolute must!
It was time to then head home because our dinner reservations at pujol were just in an hour and a half. Pujol typically takes 3 months to get into and is one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. It is casual, so needn’t worry about attire, however, come prepared to eat and enjoy the gorgeous setting. As you walk in, there is a stunning rock garden with a tree extending through the middle of the roof. It is an indoor/outdoor experience and there is not an empty seat in the house. The bar is dedicated to their taco omakase experience. We opted for the tasting menu in the main dining room. It was beyond decadent, but I don’t want to share too much and spoil the surprise should you ever dine here. I will say though, the mystery and presentation of the courses was a big part of the enjoyment. Come hungry and know these secret tips. Select the food/wine pairing (it does exist), and don’t forget to request a kitchen tour, it’s incredible. Lastly, ask to finish the night in the outdoor area and you just might get it granted. The food is formal, interesting and unique. Don’t do too much researching ahead of time; it spoils all of the surprises laid forth that literally blow your mind. The customer service is second to none. We were also so full, we weren’t sure we’d ever be able to eat again.
Day 4:
It was time for the pyramids. Gabriela arranged the most magical adventure for us. Our guide knew very little English so unless you are like me and want to practice your español, ask for a guide that is more fluent in english. Don’t look at the pictures beforehand, just be surprised. It is a 45-minute drive from The Brick hotel, and plan to spend approximately 1.5 hours there. Make sure you visit the temple as well as the sun and the moon. Get ready for your mind to be blown (again) as it’s like something you have never seen before. On your way back, stop at El Califa and get it to go. You can order it online and grab it on your way back to brick. The guacamole and the fried cheese with the pork chop pancake style are out of this world. We sat at the hotel outdoor tables and enjoyed our lunch while watching the street buzz.
We headed back to the kids, as we’d had enough time sight-seeing, dining, relaxing, and reconnecting. 3 nights and 4 days was enough to explore a ton, yet a lifetime is too short to try all of the good bites.
We are so glad we choose not go to Europe and rather, opted to explore the wonders of Mexico City, getting lost in one of the coolest foodie cities we have ever traveled to. Book your trip- food heaven awaits you.