De Encuentro is a place around the corner from us where we get our weekly loaf of fancy toastin' bread. It's located along the way between our condo and the grocery, so Judy passes it multple times each week. Usually it's busy with people on their laptops, chatting over coffee, hanging out with their dogs, etc. A solid little neighborhood cafe.
Most people seem to like it, including Daniela
Recently Judy noticed they had a new product offering: soft pretzels. Last week or maybe the week before we got one and I agreed it was indeed soft and tasty. Today we decided we were gonna get ourselves more pretzels. However, when we stepped up to the counter we saw a display case with zero pretzels.
Those dark loaves in the plastic bags are the fancy toastin' bread we get
They said they'd be coming later, so we asked if they could set a few aside for us and send us a whatsapp when they came in. De acuerdo.
Judy negotiating the contact details
I took a couple pics of the unusually empty little tables outside.
A little later they messaged us and we went to fetch the pretzels. 4 for $148 MXN.
Been a little while since I posted about local life here in la CDMX. This past Sunday was a nice little outing with the wife. Had some good weather and some things to do, so we headed to Coyoacán. We lived in the Del Carmen / Santa Catarina colonias of Coyoacán between 2017 and 2022. Judy gets back at least once a month I think for errands. And I pass through there every couple of weeks on my errands as well. For a while walking through the center was an every weekend activity. But we don't head there together as often now, so it was nice to get out there for afternoon.
Coyoacán is generally great and charming, of course. But one of the things that Judy misses is the top notch La Comer that we had in the neighborhood. And one of Judy's favorites times of the year here is Temporada Naranja. As I recall it first hit our radar 8, 9, maybe 10 years ago when it was a sale that ran in June with many things offered 2 for 1 or maybe 3 for 2. Specifically I recall giant costco-sized packages of toilet paper stacked to the ceiling in our old market over in Del Valle Sur (formerly La Comer, now a Soriana). Over the years it has grown into a monster promotion that spans multiple months with waves of promotions and huge displays at the grocery.
(Correction: a little googling reminds me it was originally "Julio Regalado", which of course ran in Julio)
We do have a local Sumesa within walking distance of our condo, but since we had other things to do in Coyoacán anyway, we stopped by our old favorite grocery store for a shopping run. This foto below is not staged. Judy was indeed taking a pic of the sign to share her excitement with local friends.
We had a productive run, savoring a full lap of both levels. I noticed the the Cafe Britt coffee and took a shot as a benchmark, since I'll be in Costa Rica next month. I'm curious to see what kind of premium they charge here in México.
We stocked up on various things, including our staple Peñafiel and some non-Britt coffee, which should last me a few weeks.
From there we parked the car on our old street and walked into the center of Coyoacán, heading toward the Mercado, but stopping first for lunch at Maratea.
Judy had been before with friends, but it was my first time. It's nice. Feels a bit like an oasis from all the activity outside on a busy Sunday (aka, a typical Sunday) in Coyoacán. That's a common phenomenon in la CDMX. You can't always see beyond the facade of a place, whether it's a house or a restaurant or even a Notaria. But then you step into a courtyard and a whole other experience from what you were just walking through on the other side of the walls.
It was a relaxed, traditional Sunday lunch with family and friends kind of vibe. Orange trees, water feature, garden pebbles. Very tranquil.
We got a margherita pizza and their version of a caprese salad.
Solid and hit the spot. Their reviews are semi mixed, but we had at least a 4.5 star experience. Pizza, caprese, Topo Chico, una naranjada, and a double espresso for about $650 MXN pre-tip.
During our walk over to the Mercado we passed by the Jardin del Arte Allende where they are still having their weekend dance gatherings.
Stopped by the stand of a contact Judy buys decorative tiles from. She'll be restocking her shelves in Paskwarho with them this coming weekend.
Our final stop was over at Viveros, or, more specifically, within the Mercado de Plantas, where every 2-3 weeks we pick up another 3-4 linear meters of pasto cuernavaca for our balcony (aka, el jardin de perros, aka, our version of an outdoor litter box for the hounds). It's a little bit of a trek and not a small amount of effort, but it's always a nice garden-y vibe there.
During my final afternoon in Lima I was to try out one of the chocolate workshops at the Choco Museo, which is within Inka Plaza. If there was any doubt that you were within the epicenter of souvenir shopping in Lima, the walk over to Inka Plaza from the Parque Kennedy area would clear that up for you right quick.
I was there for the Bean to Bar workshop, 3pm version. I got there a few minutes early. Easy to find the location, but didn't seem like they were getting ready for anything quite yet.
I spoke with one of the young women to understand what was going on. She seemed a little surprised to hear that I was part of the upcoming session, as it would be en español. Apparently una familia Mexicana had booked up most of the slots in the 3pm session. I thought I was to be testing an english version of the experience, too. But I told her that sí, hablo español, entonces no habrá ningún inconveniente. However, I did still have a few minutes until the workshop started, so I did a quick spin of the pasillos in Inka Plaza. Good to see some familiar items that Judy and I had picked up back during our visit in 2006. Our golden sun mirror is long gone, but we still have maybe 4 of those little foldable stools that we paid $6 each for. Now they run like $20+. Inflation.
Eventually we did start the bean to bar workshop. We began with making our own chocolate bar. Step one was picking your preferred chocolate, dark or milk. I'm a dark chocolate fan. But since I would be sharing my handiwork with Judy, I opted for milk chocolate.
Next it was time for the toppings. I felt that quinoa y almendras would be a good combo (spoiler alert: I was right). Lot of choices and you can see how kids or anyone with a sweet tooth could get carried away.
Once you've got your bars all done they are taken away and set in the nearby fridge.
Then it's education time. First you get introduced to the gigantic cacao fruit. And yes, junior did seem to be wearing pajamas and that face was representative of his mood for most of the workshop. But his two sisters, mom, and su abuela were there to keep him entertained and in check.
Next we got a lesson about the fermentation process. Definitely did not know any of this.
Then it was bean roasting time. We were told to pick out 6 good ones each for collective roasting.
Around this time I was fading and less vigilant in capturing every step of the workshop. We tried a couple of traditional drinks. One dating back to Incan times, another more Mexican in nature. I was happy with my bean grinding skills.
And of course I was pleased with my final product. Combo learning experience, hands-on activity, and a built-in gift to bring home for the wife.
Now I had about 90 minutes or so before my car would take me to the airport. I decided to hit one of the Inka Plaza locales and get a baby alpaca tapete for the dogs. Lucha approved once it got home.
I also decided to patronize the McDonald's at the northern tip of Parque 7 Junio. If you look closely you can see a Burger King sign across the way. I had tried the BK on my first night in Lima. Didn't love it. If you're deciding between which US mainstream burger place to eat at during your visit in Miraflores, I highly recommend the McDonald's. Much better atmosphere.
Two hours later I doubled down. Yes, I went for Burger Boy at the airport. Well, not a true double down. Went the healthy route with a chicken sandwich at McDonald's. But a double dinner nonetheless. Slept pretty well on the red eye back to Mexico City.
