Wandering Oaxaca

Oaxaca, Mexico, for me, has long been associated with chef Rick Bayless. As a native Chicagoan, eating at one of his restaurants was an introduction and an appreciation of a Mexico well beyond American interpretations of regional cuisine. In early February, I had a chance to visit Oaxaca and experience first hand the rich indigenous food, art and culture that make up this unique city.

Walkability is a key feature of the city. Hotels, restaurants, galleries are all compacted into one main area. Getting around is easy as is transferring to and from the airport. You book a taxi at a booth inside the airport and then present your ticket and destination to a driver across the drop off area.

My first day I walked everywhere. Breakfast at my hotel was fine, but the coffee was disappointing. As it’s best to be up and out early, before the sun gets too warm, I headed around the neighborhood to get my bearings, check out a lap pool and find better coffee. I found a decent pool about 20 min. from my hotel, although I was unclear on the hours-more on that later. Then I found a tiny bakery, Onnno that had great coffee and pastries and is run by a restaurant of the same name.

After a quick trip back to the hotel to freshen up, I checked out the Jardin Oaxaca. One can only visit by tour (in Spanish only), but regardless you get a sense of the town’s history and the local flora.

I had booked myself a lunch at Pitiona for a rooftop sampling of local fare. I chose two starters - ceviche chicatana and machucadas, corn dough stuffed with smoked brisket accompanied with molcajete sauce, fresh cheese, radish and coriander. Delicious

Beyond food and cooking, Oaxaca also has a long tradition of wood block printing, which often feature magical realism, political and identity themes. I visited a couple of workshops, one where an artist was working and another featuring locals. The other local art form is pottery. Outside of the city there are small artisinal villages that feature the unique black pottery that is Oaxaca’s signature style. There are also galleries all around the city featuring a wide-range of pots, platters, mugs, etc. You could certainly outfit a table if desired.

The primary reason for my visit was to attend a wedding. So my evenings were full of traditions, including a Calenda and dancing and celebrating.

Two mornings, I had breakfast at Origen. Gorgeous coffee, bread and local specialties in an unexpected setting. The restaurant is known for dinner, but in walking past I noticed it was open for breakfast and lunch and a routine was born.

The day of my second breakfast I met two lovely ladies from Canada. They asked my to join them and they gave me terrific suggestions on what to see in town. They had been birding in the countryside and they were just finishing up 10 days in the city.

I took their recommendation and visited the local photography museum as well as a set of galleries in an old convent. The highlight of the last day was a visit to the town markets. They sell all the local delicacies from mezcal to mole. The smoked alley market features meats and dishes where you can settle in for a fine lunch.

You could easily spend a couple of weeks in this region exploring and just getting away.