Nestled in the heart of Mexico City’s ancient center lies a culinary adventure waiting to be savored. The Centro Historico neighborhood is a delightful labyrinth of cobblestone streets, colorful architecture, and mouthwatering aromas that beckon you to discover Mexican cuisine’s true soul. In the last few years, I have discovered that taking a food tour is a great way to get to know a new place at the beginning of a trip, and this tour of Mexico City was no different.
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Our journey began at the grand Metropolitan Cathedral, a towering masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture that has stood as a silent witness to the city’s rich history for centuries. As we stepped out of its imposing shadows, the vibrant energy of the neighborhood enveloped us, and the scent of sizzling meats and freshly baked bread filled the air.
Our first stop was at a surprising location, Jugos Canada (left), a tropical location serving fresh-squeezed juices and aguas frescas. Our guide, Diego recommended the horchata fresa (horchata with strawberry), which was an excellent way to begin the tour.
From there we stopped at several taquerias to try a variety of Mexico City’s specialties. From panuchos at a Yucatecan restaurant to tacos de canasta, we stopped a several restaurants and food stands to get a taste of what the city is famous for. Of course, we had to try the al pastor (right), a culinary marvel born from the fusion of Lebanese shawarma and traditional Mexican flavors. As the trompo (vertical spit) spins, layers of marinated pork are slowly roasted to perfection, their edges caramelized to a delectable crunch.
No food tour of Mexico City would be complete without sampling the legendary churros. We ventured into El Moro, one of the most famous places to get a churro in CDMX. There, the artisans have mastered the art of frying these golden, ridged pastries to perfection. As we dip the warm, crispy churros into the thick, velvety chocolate, a heavenly marriage of flavors unfolds, transporting us to a state of pure bliss.
As we bid farewell to our tour guide, our hearts and stomachs are filled with the vibrant flavors and rich cultural tapestry that make Mexico City’s culinary scene so captivating. This food tour is more than just a gastronomic adventure; it’s a journey into the heart and soul of a city that has mastered the art of savoring life’s simple pleasures. We had a wonderful tour and would highly recommend Eating With Carmen if you are looking for a delicious tour around the Centro Historico in Mexico City!
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As our food tour guide enthusiastically explained, Bologna sits at the heart of a region renowned for some of Italy’s most iconic foods and drinks. Parmesan and prosciutto from Parma, balsamic vinegar of Modena, sparking red Lambrusco wines – all hailing from the villages surrounding this unassuming city. But Bologna has its own celebrated claims to fame – mortadella, the original velvety smooth pork sausage, and tagliatelle al ragù, a plate of thin pasta draped in a meaty, slow-cooked tomato sauce.
At a tiny pasta workshop, we watched as the women behind the counter expertly twisted and folded gossamer sheets of dough into perfect, diminutive tortellini, demonstrating a skill honed over generations. We ended with hearty tagliatelle al ragù in a rustic enoteca, washing it down with glasses of fresh, light Sangiovese – a delightful counterpoint to Tuscany’s brooding, tannic expressions of the grape.
Chianti Classico is the beating heart of Tuscan winemaking, with strict regulations ensuring these wines maintain their distinctive character. Crafted with a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and up to 20% of other approved varieties, these reds offer a consistent backbone of cherry, leather, and earthy notes. Yet, each producer imparts their unique fingerprint, resulting in delightful variations on a classic theme.
One of the final stops of the trip was at the bridge between the continents (left). This is the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. Visitors can stand on a bridge separating the two plates. One side of the bridge has a sign that reads “Welcome to Europe” while the other says “Welcome to North America”. The giant fissure the bridge scales really drives home the tectonic theory that the plates are shifting a few centimeters each year.
The first stop on our tour was at Viera de Sousa, a 5th-generation family-owned and operated winery, growing grapes on 4 quintas in the Douro Valley. The current generation running the winery are women which is uncommon in Portugal. Here we learned a lot about the difference in Portuguese wines. Traditional Port is a sweet, fortified wine made of a blend of grapes (common Port Wine grapes include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (AKA Tempranillo), and at least 50 others). White port is typically more fruit-forward and less sweet than other port varieties. Tawny Port is aged at least 2 years in barrels before going into the bottle and typically has flavors of caramel and nut on top of the fruit flavors. Ruby Port is fruit-forward, sweet, and meant to be drunk young. After the wine ages in a barrel for two years, a sample can be sent off to the Institute of Douro and Porto Wine for an assessment, and if a wine is of high enough quality it can be declared for a Vintage where it will be aged in bottles for at least 15 more years. Therefore, Vintage Port is the most expensive and distinguished wine of the Douro Valley. At Viera de Sousa we sampled some of their still wines as well as a white port (which I had never had before), a Tawny, and a Ruby. Their wines were wonderful and their ports were very different than the mass-market port we have in the U.S.
We followed the line of people to our enormous bus where we stopped at a few roadside pullovers to look at the view. Our last overlook was at Cabo Girão, a popular destination with the highest cliff skywalk in Europe. There were so many people, it was hard to get to the edge to take a picture and if you wanted a picture of yourself, it was near impossible to get one without anyone else in it (left). This was a far cry from our amazing, small group tour of São Miguel at the last port stop with a driver that seemed to take us away from the crowds.
