Mario and I travelled to Oaxaca with my mother-in-law over Easter weekend.  It’s usually a five-ish hour drive from Mexico City, or an hour flight, but last weekend it took much longer.  Mario’s family is from Oaxaca, so we go there often – or at least when we manage to find time to escape the city.  Usually our trips are relaxing and include lots of sleeping in, listening to a little creek that runs by our window, and lots and lots of delicious food.  Oaxaca city and the surrounding area are full of interesting places to visit – Zapotec ruins, mezcal factories, art museums and galleries, and villages known for their weaving and ceramic ware.  Unfortunately, on this trip we didn’t have much time for sightseeing or shopping since the house was in need of a little TLC and that kept us busy most days, while the Easter festivities in the center of the city kept us busy in the evenings.

Before arriving in Oaxaca city, we stopped for breakfast at a roadside restaurant.  Driving past, you’d probably never think to stop.  I’m sure I didn’t the first time we stopped there!  It’s a small, rustic space, with dirt floors and a brick stove with an open flame where you’ll see pots boiling and meat grilling at the entrance.  A word of warning – the bathrooms are similarly… rustic, so have some tissue and antibacterial gel handy.  But don’t let the rustic setting deter you – everything here is made from scratch (except the sweet bread… don’t bother with the sweet bread), and it is delicious.  Delicious the way my grandmother cooked – nothing fancy, but well prepared with fresh ingredients.

If you drink coffee, order a cafe de olla – they prepare it in a  pot on the open flame.  I suggest ordering memelas – a tortilla with asiento (fat drippings), black beans and cheese.  You can order them without cheese (sin queso), without beans (sin frijoles), or without asiento (sin asiento), according to your preference.  Also, get an order of tasajo (thin cut salted beef) and chorizo to eat with your memelas, and if you like black beans ask for an order of frijoles de olla.  I know it doesn’t sound like much, but just trust me on this, the food here is satisfying in a way that few restaurants manage.

We (finally) arrived on Thursday afternoon, and after taking a nap and running errands, we met aunts, uncles and cousins for the Visita de las Siete Casas (Visit of the Seven Houses).  The churches create special altars representing the last supper, and open their doors to the faithful, who walk between churches, visiting seven in the course of the evening – one for each station of the cross.  The most well known are Santo Domingo, with it’s gold leaf interior, and the Cathedral, which displayed all of the velvet and gold standards that would appear in the processions on Friday.

We slept as late as possible on Friday, then we had breakfast at the Hotel Veracruz – a humble spot next to the bus station.  I’d never eaten there before, though I have eaten at the sister restaurant across the street, the Colibrí – a slightly fancier location with a similar menu and the same house-made sweet bread.  On first glance it seems like exactly the type of totally mediocre hotel restaurant you’d find next to a bus station, but remember, you’re in Oaxaca the land of amazing food, and believe me, this hotel restaurant does not serve mediocre food.  The bread for both restaurants is baked in a kitchen next to the hotel – you can smell it as you walk in.  I particularly liked the chocolatín and the churro, but it’s all good – so much so that when the bill came I heard Mario say, “Eight pieces of sweet-bread?!” Between three people.  Yes, it’s that good.

For your main course, I’d recommend anything with mole – enmoladas or chilaquiles de mole, which you can order with eggs – scrambled (huevo revuelto) or fried (huevo estrellado), tasajo or cecina (spiced thin cut pork).  Their mole is a black mole and it is delicious – Mario literally licked his plate, and he’s a Oaxacan mole snob, so you know it’s way above average.

Friday evening there were processions through the streets at sunset – images of Christ and the Virgen Mary are taken out of the churches and paraded through town.  Later in the evening, the Virgin de la Soledad – Oaxaca’s patron – makes the journey from her church, the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, to the Cathedral where she meets Jesus and people gather to pray.

Saturday we got up early to run errands, and got so distracted that we almost forgot to have breakfast!  Mario and I headed to the markets at noon to buy cheese, bread, meat, and tortillas to cook at home.  If you find yourself in a market in Oaxaca and you’re wondering what’s what and what’s good, here’s a short guide:

Cheese:  either queso (fresh cheese with a mild flavor, like a farmer’s cheese) or quesillo (also known as queso oaxaca in other parts of the country, it’s a string cheese and is sold in little balls, wound together like yarn)

Meat: tasajo de metlapil, cecina or chorizo

Bread: pan de yema (a yeast bread with a slightly sweet flavor, lightly seasoned with anïs) is good eaten alone or with queso, huesitos (sweet bread filled with honey), hojaldres (sweet bread sprinkled with sugar and grenadine).  Make sure you ask for the freshest breads, just to be sure.

Tortillas: blanditas (soft corn tortillas), memelas (thick small corn tortillas), or tlayudas (huge toasted corn tortillas)

Grasshoppers: chapulines are a traditional food in Oaxaca and you’ll find them for sale in every market, either spicy (con chile), or with just salt and lemon.

Chocolate: look for a Mayordomo – Oaxaca’s biggest local chocolate chain – and get the fresh stuff straight from the bin by weight.  We got a quarter kilo each of the tradicional and almendrado, and used the almendrado to prepare chocolate con agua once we got home.

Oaxaca’s hot chocolate is a local tradition, made by heating milk or water with the chocolate in a ceramic pitcher with a narrow neck, and once hot, whisking the mixture until it’s frothy before serving. If you’re looking for souvenirs, blocks of traditional hot chocolate with a jarra and molinillo (the ceramic pitcher and wood whisk/hot chocolate mixer) are good options and are readily available.

Saturday evening a special mass was held, so we met the family at Santo Domingo, which we found in complete darkness when we arrived late.  At a specific point during the mass, the church was lit up, displaying the ornate, golden interior.  The Templo de Santo Domingo is Barroque, but no one will argue that it’s not beautiful, and it took our breath away a little when the lights came on.

Sunday we had to drive back to Mexico City, but we met the family for breakfast before heading out.  We chose the Hotel Casa Vertiz, whose restaurant is in a lovely patio in the middle of the hotel – one of our standbys for breakfast, since they also have good fresh bread.  If you’re in need of a place to stay in Oaxaca, I can recommend the hotel, which is not too expensive and quite comfortable.

Even though we didn’t have a chance to visit them on this trip, here are some additional spots that are worth visiting if you’re in town:

Los Pacos is a favorite for lunch or dinner.  It’s located right in the middle of town, and serves high quality, traditional food. If you’re not familiar with Oaxaca’s 7 moles, order the mole sampler before deciding on your meal so you can try them all before making up your mind.  We like the mole verde con espinazo (a cut of beef including part of the spinal column) and anything that has coloradito.  Also, the carne frita (fried meat) is delicious – though not diet-friendly.  They also serve one of our favorite beers ever – Tierra Blanca, made at a local brewery.

Casa Oaxaca is a good option if you’re looking for something a little more gourmet.  Casa Oaxaca has a restaurant and a hotel at different locations, and their food is very good, but they fill up quickly, so it can be hard to find a table.

Expendio Tradición is a restaurant owned by one of the local mezcal houses, and in addition to staying open a little later and having good food, they have great mezcal cocktails, and sometimes it’s easier to find a table.

If you’re looking for a place to taste mezcal, give the Mezcaloteca a try.  They have a wide variety of artisanal mezcales that they partner with the producers to bottle, and their staff is very knowledgeable about how mezcal is made, what types of agaves are used, and how to drink it.

Semana Santa Events:

• Thursday evening: La Visita de las Siete Casas in the churches in the center of the city
• Friday evening: Processions through the streets in the center of the city
• Saturday evening: Mass in Santo Domingo

Recommendations:

• Roadside restaurant / just past Arroyo la Carbonera at km 209 on the highway between Puebla and Oaxaca.  Look out for a stand selling wooden toys painted in bright colors, once you pass it you’ll know you’re close.
• Hotel Veracruz / Calzada Héroes de Chapultepec 1020, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.
• Mayordomo / Int. Mercado 20 De Noviembre No.207, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.
• Casa Vertiz / Reforma #404 Col. Centro C.P. 68000 Oaxaca
• Los Pacos / Calle de Mariano Abasolo 121, Centro Historico, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.
• Casa Oaxaca / A Gurrión 104 A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.
• Expendio Tradición / Reforma s/n, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, OAX
• Mezcaloteca / Reforma No. 506, Col. Centro, 68000 Oaxaca