final meal is at Criollo , the must-try eatery from chefs
Enrique Olvera and Luis Arellano —and it turns out I’ve saved
the best for last. Opened in a restored c olonial mansion ,
Criollo retains the comfortable feel of a private estate. Guests file in through the
homey kitchen, past a woman cooking handmade tortillas on a comal , to reach
the outdoor dining area. In the back, under the shade of citrus trees heavy with
ripe fruit, a rustic brick structure houses a mill for grinding corn , clay pots for
fermenting vinegar , and a pit oven for slow-roasting beef for barbacoa.
My favorite single bite comes from a salad of heirloom tomatoes, silky egg-
plant, and tender potatoes tossed in a bright vinaigrette. Somewhere around
the fourth course, just after a delicate spinach tamale but before the fish in
pipián sauce , the most handsome rooster I’ve ever seen appears in the yard,
along with Criollo’s resident turkey , out for a strut. They hang out until des-
sert, a corn flan with leche quemada ice cream that
somehow captures the essence of a freshly grilled
tortilla.
Oaxaca, I decide, transcends trendiness. If I
return 10 years from now and the global jet set has
moved on, I know the city’s soul will remain
intact. Like la calenda and its never-ending parade
of color—in fact, like mezcal itself—the allure of
Oaxaca is eternal.
GETTING HERE
Volaris offers direct flights to
Oaxaca from LAX ; other airlines
connect through Mexico City.
Once you exit OAX , it’s a
20-minute cab ride to the
heart of the action.WHERE TO EAT + DRINK
Archivo Maguey
Come to this “mezcal archive”
for educational tastings , regional
cuisine, and live music. facebook.
com/archivomaguey.Boulenc
Tired of tortillas? This courtyard
restaurant is all about bread-
based brunches, from tortas made
with focaccia, ciabatta, or ba-
guette to sourdough-crust pizzas.
boulenc.com.Above: Oaxaca
vibrates with light
and energy at night,
when people gather
over drinks. Right:
Hotel Los Amantes’
entryway.Los AngelesMexico City
Oaxaca72 OCTOBER 2018 ❖ SUNSET