On being "free to choose"
Mexico City is regarded as one of the top culinary destinations in the world. While that is a well-deserved distinction, it also means that every day when I am faced with the never-ending task of deciding what to eat, I am forced to consider thousands of options. And if you think that sounds like a good thing, I’m guessing you’re not familiar with the paradox of choice.
I am both wildly adventurous and a creature of habit when it comes to food. During vacation or on weekends, I’m down to try whatever. On a daily basis though, I tend to go to the same handful of places because I do not have the energy to think that hard about feeding myself.
Here’s a list of my favorite go-to places where I am a familiar face, and you can get a hearty meal for under 250 pesos (~$10 USD):
I am so glad I stumbled upon this place in Roma Sur earlier this year. The food is tasty, and the hospitality is over the top in the best way. Unsurprisingly, they have become super popular since my first visit. Nowadays there’s usually a line in the evening. However, it’s worth the wait for their pollo loco (below) or planchado, ropa vieja tacos, rice and beans, and to be doted on by the lovely team there. (Just don’t go if you’re in a hurry because it very much runs on Latin time. 😅)
My friend Lolly (pictured below) put me on to the flautas ahogadas (flautas “drowned” in a yummy sauce) at this place, and they are my current obsession. Chicken and steak are my favorites, and I like to wash them down with a giant tamarindo margarita.
Caldos de Gallina “Luis” (the Roma Norte location)
There are several locations of this place, and while it’s known for its chicken soup, the mole is also delicious and reasonably priced. I usually get the soup with half a chicken breast or mole — either with enchiladas (below) or with rice and chicken.
I’m a fan of sushi but not its price tag. Except at Sushi Kona, where I can fill up my belly for ~$12. This 3-table place is run by a lovely older couple, and the food is freshly prepared with love. I usually go for the dragon roll, chicken teriyaki, nigiri (below), and/or yakimeshi (also below).
When I have my life all the way together, I cook at home. Such was the case late last week when I decided to make some pasta. While perusing the impossibly small produce section at the Sumesa on Colima, I noticed a lady security guard slowly walking toward me. I’m used to being followed by security guards in stores in Mexico City (hi, there’s racism everywhere), but her gradual creep up made me uncomfortable.
My initial instinct was to be annoyed, but something told me to let it go. When she was within a few feet of me, she asked, “¿Eres de Costa Rica?” (Are you from Costa Rica?) I was like oh no girl, I’m from the ghetto the U.S.! We started talking, and she said she thought maybe I was from Costa Rica because my skin is a nice color, and she loved it. The irony!
Anyway, it was a nice reminder that not everyone is an asshole. 😜
Speaking of the U.S.…one thing I (used to) take for granted is freedom. Yes, there are systemic barriers designed to prevent women and people of color from achieving economic parity, but having a US passport has granted me the ability to choose where I live and work.
My friend Kamil always reminds me that we’re “free to choose” what we give our energy to. She usually means it within a social context, but it’s not lost on me that that freedom of choice is something that stems from the privilege I’ve inherited both because of my birthplace and the era in which I was born.
A few days ago, I woke up to a text from my cousin with some old family photos, including one of my great-granny (below).
My great-granny passed away when I was a teenager, but when I think about my ancestors, she and my paternal abuela are two women who always come to mind. The other people I usually think about are my late cousin Ann and my dear friend Art, but for the sake of staying on topic I will save a post about them for the future.
My great-granny was the anchor of my mom’s family – beloved for her cooking, her patience, and her interest in our hairstyles. Although we haven’t had a family reunion since she passed away over 25 years ago, her influence is evidenced across multiple generations.
My paternal grandmother raised my dad and his 6 siblings largely on her own. Life hardened her in some ways, but her determination is the reason my dad got an education and was able to migrate to the US.
The first time I saw this:
I was like “oompf” because women like my great-granny and abuela were more acquainted with hardship than ease. I come from women who were born with an indomitable will and the tireless ability to make a way with it. Who weren’t encouraged to “be all they could be” and yet, they were. On both sides of my family, women faced countless obstacles, but that never stopped them from setting up the next generation of women for a slightly easier path.
My life has been far from easy or perfect, but the fact that I have always had choices around every aspect of my life is something I am deeply grateful for. My life choices are a tribute to the ones who couldn’t — and I hope how I’m exercising my “freedom to choose” was part of their wildest dreams. 💜