Unveiling My Top Eats of 2023
2023 was incredible to us in unsuspected and meaningful ways!
As the year draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on the unforgettable culinary journey we embarked on this year that went way beyond the streets of #Chicago.
Here is a quick recap and a list of my top three favorites:
1. Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain
2. Apron in Vienna, Austria
3. Gaudir in Mexico City, Mexico.
A Delicious Melange
Our year started with bubbles and a waltz in Vienna, where I fell hard for melange- a very light cappuccino-like drink. Coffee always seems to be consistently mind-blowing here, and I have not found anything quite like it outside of Vienna. Beyond the beans, I believe the secret might be in the quality of the city’s water. Food in Vienna surprised us by being equally fantastic, affordable, AND ubiquitous. I developed a taste for street-side Wiener schnitzels and sampled the array of sausages available. There is definitely pastry prowess in the city, and I visited Gerstner for cake and spiked coffee many, many times during our stay. Many of the most popular places in Vienna have long waiting lines. Consider this as you plan your visit. We discovered that Gerstner has an impeccable operation and is conveniently located right across from the Opera House.
We celebrated my birthday at Apron, which was a revelation. Set against the backdrop of the city’s historic charm, this restaurant offers a modern interpretation of Austrian cuisine. The elegance of its décor matches the sophistication of its dishes. I am partial to unpretentious excellence, and Apron excels at this. Each course was a masterpiece, meticulously prepared and exquisitely presented, showcasing the best of Austrian flavors and seasonal ingredients with a contemporary twist. Service is absolutely world-class, and there’s an open kitchen, so you can feel like you are part of the action. Don’t miss it if you ever visit! It won’t disappoint.
Apron is exciting, fun, and approachable. Some Stops in the U.S.
In the U.S., we got to visit Atlanta, where we remember a fascinating Persian meal at Rumi’s Kitchen with friends. Later, we returned to my old stomping grounds in Memphis, where I missed the barbecue this time but went for the legendary popovers at Paulette’s. We made a stop in Nashville, where we waited for hours for the Maíz de la Vida taco truck to start serving their delicious birria consommé and tacos.
We also traveled to Santa Barbara, where we most memorably had a bespoke picnic by the ocean at the Rosewood and enjoyed asada tacos at famous (and on Julia Child’s favorite list) La Super Rica.
Later, our travels would take us to the incredible Barcelona. I had no bad meals in this beautiful city and fell hard for Vermouth to the point I had to import a few bottles from Celler del Remei. I discovered Suizos, thick chocolate with clotted cream, at historic La Pallaresa; we enjoyed delicious fried boquerones and wine from barrels at La Plata and sampled award-winning establishments like Paradiso and Maleducat, which I still have to write about. All FANTASTIC! Barcelona, by the way, has a legit #taco game!
The Unforgettable El Celler de Can Roca
BUT, the #1 highlight of 2023 was the unforgettable we made to one of the best restaurants in the world, three-Michelin star Celler de Can Roca in Girona. Renowned for its creative approach to Catalan cuisine, the Roca brothers’ knowledge and passion for gastronomy is evident in every dish, which was, at the same time, a feast for the taste buds and visual art. At the end of the meal, we met celebrated pastry chef Jordi Roca, who generously let us take a few pictures with him. I will hold this experience dear to my heart forever. The place is impossible to book, and rightfully so. We were lucky to have a little help from some friends. THANK YOU! If you visit, set some time aside to explore the medieval city of Girona, which serves as a backdrop to some scenes in #GameofThrones. Girona is a tiny city, and finding transportation is not that easy, so it is best to plan ahead. We had to walk quite a bit and eventually found a local taxi company. Luckily, Spanish is my mother tongue, but it took some effort.
Bucket-list worthy, El Celler de Can Roca is worth a visit. A Taste of Catalunya in México City
The holidays took me home to Mexico City, where I visited a mix of all-time favorites, new restaurants, and taco stands like El Vilsito in Colonia Narvarte; we particularly loved Raíz and the famous Cantina Limantour. I will write about these later! The culinary highlight of our trip to México City was Gaudir in Colonia Anzúres. The tiny little restaurant stood out with its traditional recipes (yes, I was looking for a Catalunya fix). Mexico is such a rich culinary destination, and I always go for Mexican cuisine when I am there, but I am so glad I strayed this time! Our Catalán friends recommended this destination and helped us arrange a party for Enrico with a special menu featuring oxtail cannelloni and a foie gras bite so delicate and delicious that we have been remembering for days. This place is newer, and it is not located in any of the leading food corridors, so go before it is discovered if you are in #CDMX
Gaudir surprised us with their refined execution of traditional Catalonian recipes. A big shout out to all of our friends, old and new, and to our families for making this year an unforgettable one, and while we are looking back with profound gratitude for all the gifts we received this year, we do not forget for a second that people around the world are suffering.
What are your favorite culinary experiences of 2023?
May 2024 bring you and yours much peace, wisdom, health, and abundance.
Lula Martín del Campo: Los Productos de Nuestra Tierra, Un Legado Incomparable
La reconocida chef Lula Martín del Campo resalta los sabores nacionales en cada platillo
POR MARICHUY GARDUÑO
En su cocina, la chef Lula Martín del Campo resalta la importancia de ingredientes como el maíz, el chile y el frijol. Por ello, precisa, “es fundamental no quitar la vista del campo nacional, de los campesinos, de los productos de nuestra tierra, ya que son la esencia de todo lo que conforma un legado cultural único e incomparable.”
Como chef mexicana, Lula ha puesto su talento y conocimiento en técnicas de cocina internacional, al servicio de la promoción y difusión de la gastronomía nacional.
Dentro de su extensa trayectoria se encuentra la dirección de las cocinas de Habita, ubicado en Polanco. En este lugar, demostró el temple que posee dentro del mando culinario.
Además, Lula ha dado asesoría a varios restaurantes participando en la creación de menús, capacitación de personal y apertura
También, por más de una década, la chef dirigió junto a su hermano Nicolás la empresa Nico & Lula Catering. Entre sus clientes se encuentra una extensa lista de exclusivas y reconocidas marcas nacionales y globales.
UNA MIRADA AL MUNDO
Talentosa y siempre buscando nuevos proyectos para seguir incrementando sus conocimientos, en abril de 2017, Lula abrió el restaurante Cascabel, ubicado en Santa Fe, en la Ciudad de México.
En Cascabel, los ingredientes nacionales tienen su recinto y hacen un claro guiño a la misión de la chef. Por ejemplo, dentro del establecimiento se tiene a la venta una gran variedad de frijoles endémicos de la región central del país que están en riesgo de extinción por la poca demanda, entre ellos: vaquita, ayocote, blanco, flor de junio y pintos entre otros. El nombre, está desde luego, también inspirado en un ingrediente de la comida mexicana: el chile cascabel.
Para Lula la sencillez tiene un gran poder y esa convicción es evidente desde sus acciones hasta sus platillos. Sus creaciones respetan los ingredientes y sabores del México tradicional haciéndolos cotidianos y actuales.
Cascabel forma parte de la Guía México Gastronómico Los 120 Restaurantes 2020 Culinaria Mexicana / S.Pellegrino / Nespresso, gracias a la calidad de sus productos y la superior ejecución de la chef y su brigada.
¿QUÉ PEDIR?
Cascabel ofrece tres menús. La chef recomienda el menú Herencia Culinaria o el Cantinero, con platillos para compartir, si es que visitas por primera vez. Dentro de estas listas se incluyen delicias como esquites ancestrales, quesadillas de quelites, ensalada de nopales con frijoles y queso cotija, tacos de pulpo y coliflor tatemada con chiles secos y alcaparras. También te puedes deleitar con tortitas de huauzontle con mole del abuelo, tuétano a la parrilla con salsa martajada (para taquear). Y de postre, plátanos con crema y cajeta o texturas de chocolate y chipotle.
¿Ya se te antojó ir a probar? Te ahorramos la “Googleada” y aquí te dejamos los datos:
Dirección: Javier Barros Sierra 540, Park Plaza Santa Fe Torre 2, CDMX (junto al Westin Santa Fe)
Horario: De lunes a sábado de 13:30 a 23:00 horas. Domingo de 13:30 a 18:00 horas
Reserva al teléfono +52 55 5292 6216 o en Open Table (la aplicación de Open Table sirve automáticamente tanto en los Estados Unidos como en México).
Smoke and Fire – Falling in Love with Mezcal in Mexico City
“Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien también.“ (For every pain, mezcal, and for every joy as well.)
– Mexican Folk Saying
By Brenda Storch
Photo: Mezcalería Los Amantes Undoubtedly well positioned within the minds and hearts of locals (and even not so locals), mezcal seemed to play, for a long time, second fiddle to tequila. Little by little, though, this artisanal drink (which literally means “smoked agave” in Náhuatl), has slowly made a name for itself. This is especially why we loved seeing it as protagonist at two memorable Mexican eateries. Many thanks to Chef José Bossuet, who has spent a few months consulting with the Los Amantes Group, for introducing us to these gems.
Mezcalería Los Amantes
Avenida Campos Eliseos 290, Mexico City, Mexico 52 55 5281 0292
The namesake of the thoughtful, Oaxaca-born mezcal line, and the largest mezcalería in the world, Los Amantes (The Lovers) is located in one of Mexico City’s finest neighborhoods. Luckily, the zip code does not make this locale stuffy at all. What it does, however, is provide patrons with an elevated cantina experience, where food has been curated to make mezcal tasting a transformative journey.
Black chichilo ceviche paired with three times distilled Los Amantes – Joven We did not have a chance to try any of the other 200+ mezcal labels within this restaurant’s collection, as we focused on sampling the in-house pairings (Los Amantes has joven, añejo and reposado variations), which were especially designed to boost the delicacies in front of our eyes, along with a must try- pulque. It was a real treat to sample this millenary fermented beverage in such a setting, by the way. We highly recommend that you try the curados, which are concoctions made with pulque and fruit. Whether or not you enjoy them as much as I do, this should definitely be on any Mexico City visitor’s list.
The concept behind the menu is to highlight dishes from states that produce mezcal. The culinary team, led by chef José Alberto Gómez, proudly displays true mastery of harmonization, using elements such as ashes and remarkable smoky salsas to make mezcal stand out. Food here is simple, yet seductive. I fell in love with the twice-distilled reposado so hard, I brought home one of its handsome Huichol-inspired bottles.
Check out some of the dishes presented by the chefs during our tasting here.
Mezcal tasting at Los Amantes is available by reservation only. Please call ahead. This is a very personalized experience. When you visit please say hi to Chef Beto for us!
While writing this post I was notified that Los Amantes group will soon open a new mezcalería in another high-end neighborhood in the city – Santa Fe. Stay tuned for more details.
Chefs José Bossuet, Gerzayn Bellamy and José Alberto Gómez at the Mezcalería Los Amantes kitchen. Casona La Yucateca
Av Moliere 56, Mexico City, Mexico 52 55 5280 7473You don’t need to leave Mexico City to sample the bright, complex and sophisticated cuisine of southeastern Mexico. The Yucatán peninsula is home to an extraordinary culinary tradition that is strongly committed to food preservation through a variety of techniques – pickling, brining, pit smoking, drying. During this trip, I was delighted to notice that Yucatán and even Chiapas, seem to be gaining traction as foodie destinations, proving that they can hold their own as an alternative to long-standing gastronomy havens such as Oaxaca or Puebla.
Throughout Mexico, over 500 years of fusion with different cultures have permeated local gastronomical expressions with a rich diversity of ingredients, colors, flavors, and textures. This happens in a surprisingly granular way, as ingredientes, cooking utensils and materials can vary greatly depending on geography, even within the same state.
Chef José Bossuet’s latest project – Casona La Yucateca in Mexico City The architecture and décor at Casona La Yucateca are a modern take on a henequen hacienda. To add a dimension to our out-of-state experience, the drinks- creative, well-balanced and inspired in Mayan mythology, you will certainly agree that La Casona Yucateca’s mixologist, Marco Antonio Fausto, is a remarkable culinary artist. Pace yourself with those cocktails, though- they are light to the palate, but they pack a punch!
Chef Bossuet and La Casona Yucateca’s Sales Manager, Ivonne Chávez were excellent tour guides and hosts during our culinary journey. The Kukulkán by Marco Antonio Fausto. I could drink this instead of water. The restaurant has several areas, including a private room for meetings, and a terrace that seems more like an indoor garden.
We got settled in the private room, where we had the opportunity to sample an outstanding array of menu offerings ranging from the traditional sopa de lima (keffir lime soup) to salbutes, panuchos, kebbeh, and of course, the famous queso relleno (stuffed cheese) made with Edam cheese! Interestingly, this Danish product has become Yucatán’s favorite, and is quite ubiquitous in its gastronomy. While there are a few hypotheses attempting to explain how centuries ago, this cheese might have arrived at the more isolated Yucatán peninsula, most of them agree on one point- the aged dairy was certainly at an advantage, as it was able to survive the humid heat of the jungle.
Yucatán has adopted Danish Edam as its favorite, featured here in a spectacular queso relleno. Kebbeh, taboule and other dishes show the Lebanese influence in the culinary expressions of the Mexican southeast. Traditional turkey salbute with pickled vegetables. Turkey is a very popular meat in Yucatán’s modern gastronomy. 
Tikin Xic fish leverages local ingredients and underlines the importance of pickling and marinades as preserving agents. Find several videos of our tasting tour including dessert, here!
Chef Juan Reyes is in charge of a kitchen where know how and passion are mixed with ingredients sourced from Yucatán to ensure the authenticity of flavors. Food is made from scratch, including but not least importantly, the bread. Chef Efraín Gamboa’s craft discreetly enhances the meal and patiently awaits to take center stage at dessert.
We returned from our “visit” to Yucatán really longing to go back.
