Mexico City does not wake up early. Before Alice, we would not have noticed. After 3 weeks, we know: Don’t try getting food or coffee before 8 AM. As a note, if a place claims it opens at 8 AM, give it a 15 minute buffer. Here are the 3 major food groups (with a bonus 4th on the weekend) that you can fulfill between 8 and 10 in the morning.
Tamales
Generally found in steaming stainless steel vats on street corners. Choose your sauce (red, green, mole, or rajas [peppers]), find a park bench and dig in. As a bonus, vendors often sell Atole (hot corn and chocolate drink) and crappy instant coffee to satisfy your caffeine fix.
Chilaquiles
Take left over tortillas, fry them, douse them in a spicy red and/or green sauce, cover with “sour cream”, cheese, and some protein. For maximum portability (and carb-loading), stuff it in a sandwich. Mexico City is obsessed with this dish – found from street corners and divey restaurants to high-end brunch spots. This will tide you over till the classic 3PM lunch.
Bakeries and Cafes
Every morning, Cara and Alice go for a walk to a new bakery and/or cafe. Cara enjoys an Americano and a croissant or other pastry. Alice enjoys playing with a coffee lid. We won’t come close to visiting all the cafes in walking distance, so we’re prioritizing based on Foursquare and the scents wafting out the door.
Barbacoa
Weekend special. Specialized teams of barbacoa (BBQ’d lamb – kind of) experts descend on select street corners. Tables, plastic stools, and boxes of steaming lamb wrapped in banana leaves are unloaded from trucks around the city starting early on weekend mornings, but they really aren’t ready to serve until around 9. The main attraction is lamb tacos and absurdly rich lamb consomme. An endless supply of accompanying salsas, onions, cilantro, and limes clutter the long communal tables.
At 10, the food options expand dramatically along with our stomachs, but this is enough to get you started.
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