Yesterday I made an attempt to try Café Passmar’s highly recommended coffee, but contrary to information on their Facebook page, they were closed. Cerrado. I got a sense of the layout though—a compact bar and cozy seating area tucked into Mercado Lázaro Cárdenas in Del Valle. There was even a mysterious upstairs nook that could be accessed by a steep wooden staircase. Maybe they eventually … Continue reading Café Passmar (Del Valle)
I’ve decided that when I return to Mexico City I’ll find a place to stay in the Roma neighborhood. Probably somewhere near Cardinal. Yesterday during my visit, Shak, my barista, told me, “When you come back, this [café] is your home.” I believe he meant it. Cardinal is tucked into the heart of Roma, surrounded by charming architecture and a progressive, vibrant atmosphere. Something about … Continue reading Tour de Espresso: Cardinal, Casa de Café (Roma)
Café Comuna is one of the two coffee vendors at Mercado el Cien. Their placement at the end of one of the two rows likely attracts more action than Café Irecrís, but that’s just a lucky accident. I wanted Comuna to knock my socks off, and maybe my expectations raised the bar unrealistically. Café Comuna is a collective of sorts, or that’s what I gather … Continue reading Café Comuna (Roma Sur)
Café Irecrís wasn’t on Arturo Hernandez’s list. But had I not been wandering en route to one of his recommendations, I’d never have found this gem. Funny how things work out. Irecrís doesn’t have a proper storefront. Currently it is a vendor at the Sundays-only Mercado el Cien in Colonia Roma Sur. Mercado el Cien isn’t your typical market. It’s a high end and high … Continue reading Café Irecrís (Roma Sur)
This place is so small I almost missed it. It’s on a side street to a busy market and about the size of a one car garage. Within, however, is a professional espresso setup and happy people. Good start. A narrow bar with room for eight runs right down the middle of the space. The stools are welded artistically, and must have been comfortable since … Continue reading Café Avellaneda (Coyoacán)
A fellow I know back home in Carrboro owns a kick ass coffee shop called Open Eye Cafe. If you live there, or if you’ve hit it up while passing through, you might refer to it as Carrboro’s “living room.” That’s a high compliment for a business that deals in mostly $2 transactions and a lot of internet poached by kids in Carolina blue sweatshirts. But it’s … Continue reading Tour de Espresso
Yesterday, on a bus en route to Teotihuacán, I wrote this in my journal: “Today’s the sort of travel day I love. Up early and out the door, got my bearings before the city woke up. Made the short walk to the Metro before 6am, took a jam-packed yet long, silent ride to the transfer station, then to Autobuses del Norte—the big bus station. I … Continue reading The Place Where Gods Are Born
The 1968 Summer Olympics were held in October, in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first time the games took place in a Latin American country, and also the first to be held in a developing country. Mexico City beat out Detroit by twice as many votes in its bid to host. For many reasons, the 1968 games remain memorable and controversial. Here are some … Continue reading Smith & Carlos, 1968
It’s common for visitors to Mexico to get sick from any number of things: bad water, contaminated food, high altitude, or whatever. In fact, it’s so common that the condition is simply known as turista, which, duh, translates to tourist. I must have dodged a few bullets during my first week here because last night I ate at a stand I’d previously patronized. Dude who … Continue reading Turista
I don’t have a smartphone. Seems this simple fact is becoming more abnormal and inconvenient with the passage of time. I mean, really. My guides in the Sahara Desert had smartphones. I witnessed homeless people in Seville using smartphones. Shoot, even both of my parents have smartphones (no, this is not a joke). Technologically speaking, I’m not even a dinosaur, I’m like a freaking amoeba. … Continue reading Pass it Up
Tom Griffen 
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