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My hood: Col. Santa Maria la Ribera, Mexico City

2010 June 10
by Jesus

I am pleased to announce that, Nicholas Gilman visited Col. Santa Maria la Ribera.  Gilman is a food critic, editor and photographer for the book “Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler”, and in 2007 published “Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining,” which won the Gourmand Cookbook award.  AND yes he does mention me in this article.

I have cute & pasted what Gilman wrote here for one’s convenience but be sure to visit and subscribe to his blog: Good Food in Mexico City.

On the Town: Santa Maria La Ribera

“It’s the new Condesa” exclaimed a giddy visitor. “More like the East Village, c. 1974” observed a more cynical martini-toting reveler. A dozen of us were sipping cocktails on a turn-of-the-century Italianate loggia overlooking the pretty Alameda of Santa Maria la Ribera. The host was re-pat Jesús Chairez , party-giver, blogger and indefatigable promoter of this, one of the capital’s oldest neighborhoods. (See: http://www.facebook.com/Col.SantaMariaLaRibera for more information).

Established in the middle of the 19th century, the area, north of the centro, was quite elegant in its day and home to many well known cultural and political figures. Now in a state of advanced disrepair and dysfunction, the neighborhood may have a brighter future. The Museo Univeritario del Chopo, an Art Nouveau steel-beam structure housing an alternative art and culture space, has re-opened to much fanfare. A Moorish fantasy kiosk reigns majestically over the central plaza, (here called the Alameda), it’s a leftover from a forgotten world fair, and the time-warp Museo de Geología, which sits like a set from a Steven Spielberg movie, has been spruced up. And a new generation of serious artists and wannabe bo-hos are discovering cheaper rents and cool spaces. Cafés, galleries, boutiques and alternative bars and restaurants are starting to appear. This not being New York, it will be along time before Santa Maria catches up with the Condesa. The neo-classical Porfiriato mansions lining its streets, which in theory cannot be torn down, still crumble or are painted pink and lime by oblivious residents. Crime is a problem. But at the same time, the Alameda and the streets surrounding it have a small town feel. And there are some good places to eat. While traditional Mexican is the cuisine of choice there are some ethnic surprises.
Getting to Santa Maria is easy: Take the metrobus or metro to Buenavista and walk 3 blocks west from Insurgentes. Alternatively, you can take the metro to San Cosme and walk five blocks north on Torres Bodet or Sta. Maria Ribera, until you arrive at the Alameda (you’ll see the Kiosko Moro). All the places I mention are within 3 blocks of the Alameda.

Black Sheep:

La Oveja Negra
Sabino 215, 2 blocks west of the Alameda, near the market
Tel.: 5541-0405
Open Saturday and Sunday only, from 7:30 AM until around 6 or when the meat runs out, whichever comes first.
No cards – bring cash; parking next door.

Feasting on barbacoa is a weekend tradition all over central Mexico; La Oveja Negra (see my earlier post), family-owned since the 1950’s, is where you’ll find the best I’ve eaten in Mexico. Barbacoa is best ordered by weight–I suggest a half kilo for four. The meat is served wrapped in a penque de maguey (its cooking wrapper), and accompanied by tortillas. The tender, juicy meat hits all the marks. Swathed in a smoky corn tortilla, doused with their earthy salsa, this is Mexican food nirvana. What’s their secret? Only the best quality sheep are used. The family has its own ranch in the state of Hidalgo, where they raise organic livestock, as well as producing cheeses and chorizos. How can you go wrong?

Home cooking:
Pozolería La Casa de Toño
Sabino 166, 2 blocks west of the Alameda
Tel. 2630-1084
Open Monday – Saturday 9 AM – 11 PM, Sunday until 10 PM
Two blocks west of the Alameda is the extraordinary Casa de Toño, a pozolería set in a 19th-century mansion. Thick, red pozole with all the garnishes is the house specialty, although sopes, tostadas and other antojitos are also offered. At $34 pesos for a grande, this is a bargain meal. Rooms decorated with murals and original mosaic floors create a festive, old-time atmosphere.

Mexico Cooks
La Granadita
corner of Eligio Ancona & Jaime Torres Bodet
Open Tuesday – Sunday until midnight
This “antojería” is the best in the area according to local residents. They do everything corn: sopes, huaraches, tacos and quesadillas. The quesadillas are superb: I order picadillo con queso. To quench your Jesús suggests an ‘agua de alfalfa’ containing alfalfa, pineapple, and lime; it’s not on the menu.

Russian Roulette:

Kolobok Restaurante Ruso
How (or why) this tow-headed Siberian family landed in Mexico City is still a mystery. But herethey are, running one of the few Russian restaurants in the city. This popular corner spot offers such iron curtain classics as borcht and palmeni (like the Polish pyrogi dumplings), but food tends to be bland, more an odd cultural experience than interesting ethnic eating.

Mangia!:
Ristorante Pronto & Ricco
Salvador Díaz Mirón 147-C, 2 blocks West of the Alameda
Tel.: 4334-3777
Open 12-8PM daily, closed Monday
This cute Italian venue is decorated with hip artwork and serves up Italian classics at very reasonable prices. They close early, however.

¡Salud!:
Salón París
Torres Bodet 152, corner Salvador Diaz Mirón, Alameda
This traditional and friendly cantina is supposedly the place where ranchera giant José Alfredo Jiménez got his start singing in public – although some say he was only a waiter here. It is a favorite with locals and still, at times, offers live music. Generous botanas are handed out free during comida hours, so a 33 pesos beer also buys you lunch. On weekends they put out a huge, and reasonably priced buffet.

Nuts to you!:

Restaurante/Bar el Paraiso
corner Eligio Ancona and Sabino
open daily

This friendly cantina offers a popular sidewalk ‘parrillada’ (BBQ) on Thursdays; for a three drink minimum, you can eat all the grilled meat you want and even sample criadillas (I don’t have to tell you which part of the bull that is, do I?)

¡Ojo!:
Pulquería La Xochitl
Eligio Ancona, between Jaime Trres Bodet & Naranjo
This is a traditional and low down pulquería. It is friendly but I don’t suggest that women go here if they want to uphold their reputations.

Postópolis! DF

2010 June 9
tags:
by Jesus

Went to Postópolis! DF last night, June 8, 2010, and it was great.  I most enjoyed hearing and learning about the other bloggers.  Some bloggers I was not even aware of:  Ten of the best bloggers.  If you are a blogger and want to stay informed or get inspired then attend Postópolis! DF, through June 12, 2010.  And the best part is that is FREE.

(untitled) Daniel Hernandez, presenter, Intersections, w/Ali Gadorki of Kumbia Queers founder

click here f0r a slide show of photos taken opening evening

Here is the information on Postópolis! DF that I picked up from their site:  Storefront for Art and Architecture, in partnership with Museo Experimental El Eco, Tomo and Domus Magazine, is hosting the third edition of Postopolis!, a public five-day session of near-continuous conversation curated by some of the world’s most prominent bloggers from the fields of architecture, art, urbanism, landscape, music and design. Ten world-renowned bloggers from Los Angeles, New York, Turin, Barcelona, London and elsewhere have come to one location, Mexico City, to host a series of discussions, interviews, slideshows, presentations, films and panels fusing the informal and interdisciplinary approach of the architecture blogosphere with rare face-to-face interaction.

Postópolis! DF meets in the magnificent courtyard of Museo Experimental El Eco, designed by Matthias Goeritz, to conduct back-to-back interviews of some of Mexico City’s most influential thinkers and practitioners – including architects, city planners, artists and urban theorists but also military historians, filmmakers, photographers, activists and musicians.

If you are in México City attend, you will not be disappointed.  AND if you can’t be in México City, follow the live stream on Postópolish! DF beginning at 4:00 PM CT.

Location

Museo Experimental El Eco

Sullivan 43, Col. San Rafael, CP 09470 Mexico City,

Tel. 5535 51 86

www.eleco.unam.mx

Below is a short video I shot with first blog presenter Daniel Hernandez of Intersections.

The most dangerous thing in México City – SIDEWALKS

2010 June 5

I know, I know, I already posted on this subject but I was doing some editing of my blog and I deleted the post by accident – so here I go again.  But scroll down to the bottom too for an update. Yes an update!

The other day I started a FaceBook page titled, “Surviving in México City.”  I have posted some items about living in the Big Enchilada but what was popular was the posting about the most dangerous thing in Mexico City is not the crime, kidnappings or population but SIDEWALKS.

The sidewalks are not only uneven and/or cracked where ones heels could get lodged in, but also some sidewalks have big holes, some evening looking like a Guatemalan sinkhole.

(untitled) Some people agreed saying they had sprained an ankle, broken an arm or falling in a hole while carrying groceries.    Yep, you can walk but don’t look at your friend in the eye or even read a note, you do have to walk and look down, always.(untitled) This hole has been like this, without a barrier or warning for MONTHS!

I didn’t have to walk far or long to get these pictures for this post:  I only walked one block in my neighborhood.   As you can see, I am serious about watching where you walk and if it’s dark be even more careful.

Careful because you may be one of the disappeared and it has nothing to do with the drug cartel.

(untitled)

Stepping off the curb can be dangerous too.  Again no warnings, no barriers.

and here is the UPDATE: I also posted pictures and a comment to my other FaceBook site, Col. Santa Maria la Ribera about the dangerous hole in the sidewalk, see above photo.  Well I am sure that someone that lives in my neighborhood read this and took action.  Because after MONTHS of the hole just being there, it now has been covered with a piece of lumber and with a primitive barrier – but a barrier that works.  YEA.

(untitled) (untitled)

Click pics above to see a slide show of Mexico City sidewalks