Oaxaca
“Oaxaca seems to celebrate life every chance it gets.”
PHIL'S Oaxaca LOCATIONS
Central de Abascos Market
Spanning 800 acres, this market is a city unto itself. Phil tours the market with food expert Omar Alonso (@oaxacking on instagram). They visit Doña Vale to taste her famous Mimelas, a tortilla that’s pinched while it cooks to create divots that hold the delicious toppings.
Address: Central de Abasto, 68090 Oaxaca, Mexico
Alfonsina
Phil and Omar’s next stop is Alfonsina, a restaurant inside the home of chef Jorge León and his mother Elvia where they specialize in Mole. Phil lends a hand in preparing some of their Mole Rojo, which they enjoy with fish and mustard greens.
Address: C. García Vigil 183, 71232 San Juan Bautista la Raya, Oax., Mexico
Origen
Phil travels with his friends Chris and Leanne just east of the town center (the Zócalo) to Rodolfo Castellanos’s restaurant, Origen. Specializing in regional ingredients, Phil and company dine on salad topped with worms, a gorgeous plate of tongue, and fresh tamales prepared by chef Castellanos’s Mom!
Address: Miguel Hidalgo 820, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Vida Nueva Women’s Weaving Cooperative
Betsaida Lopez Diaz, the founder of Vida Nueva, gives Phil a tour of their beautiful community of indigenous Mexican women who are masters of the art of weaving by hand. A single rug can take up to three months to weave, and all of the dyes are made from natural local ingredients.
Address: Centenario 1, Tecutlan, 70420 Teotitlán del Valle, Oax., Mexico
Crudo
Phil meets up with Alex Roa, his fixer from Mexico city, at Crudo: a Oaxacan-influenced Japanese sushi bar. They enjoy an Omakase meal featuring flavors unique to Oaxaca: raw clam in tepache (fermented pineapple), Tuna sashimi paired with grasshoppers, and an adobo-marinated seabass “taco” with a seaweed tortilla.
Address: Av Benito Juárez 309, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Sabina Sabe
Jimmi Simpson joins Phil for a drink at Sabina Sabe. They taste the Gavilan Reyes, a grapefruit cocktail with chile liquor that Phil describes as a “spicy paloma”, and a plate of tasty Oaxacan snacks including crickets.
Address: 5 de Mayo 209, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
El Lechoncito De Oro
After the bar, Phil and Jimmi stop at El Lechoncito De Oro for some late-night suckling pig tacos topped with chicharron. Delicious!
Address: C. de Los Libres s/n, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Montelobos
An avid tequila enthusiast, Phil ventures to the Montelobos Mezcal distillery to learn how the massive agave plants are transformed into mezcal. Phil helps, or attempts to help, with the roasting of the agave. After a hard day’s work, he of course samples some of their delicious mezcal.
Levadura de Olla
Phil meets cultural gastronomist and guide Ana Quintero for a meal in the special dining room of this restaurant, called “The Smoke Kitchen”. Chef Thalia Barrios replicates the food that she cooks in her pueblo. They enjoy pumpkin and shrimp tamales, a “festival” of tomatoes, and a beautiful soup.
Address: de Manuel García Vigil 304, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Casa Oaxaca
For his final meal in Oaxaca, Phil joins all of his Oaxaca friends for a family style meal at Alejandro Ruiz’s Casa Oaxaca. Mouth-watering tostadas, chile relleno, mole and more for a feast to end Phil’s Oaxaca trip on a very full note.
Address: C/ de la Constitución #104-A, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Bonus Scenes
Somebody Feed Phil: Oaxaca - Bonus Scene at Tacos El Carmen
