Learning to Love (La Cocina) en Cuidad de Mexico

In Mexico City, I fell in love with food. Not just food, but the act of dining. I have never been a foodie; in fact, the concept always felt foreign to me. Don’t get me wrong — I like to eat (have you met my family?) — but I’ve never fawned over an eatery’s dish, drink, or decor enough to “write home about.” That changed in la Cuidad de Mexico (CDMX).

I love that the word sabor, meaning flavor, and savor are so similar. To travel is to savor. To travel is to disfrutar, one of my favorite Spanish words, meaning "to receive pleasure or satisfaction from something." To be an extranjero is to seek threads of joy, familiarity, and adventure everywhere you go. My time in CDMX made me realize the profound significance the third place, the magical ways that good food, drink, and hospitality can create feelings of warmth, jubilation, and home. Certainly, Mexico City's diverse and vibrant culinary scene, jaw-dropping spaces, and intensely delicious flavors initiated my newfound appreciation for restaurants, food, and the act of placemaking. (Which later became of particular importance when searching for a sense of belonging in Oaxaca.)

I stayed near Plaza Luis Cabrera, a town square in the center of Roma Norte. Each barrio in CDMX is so different they feel like cities in and of themselves; the metro area of the 7,300-foot-high Mexico City is home to more than 21 million people and thousands of places to eat—from world-famous, five-star restaurants to street vendors.

I’m not a food writer...or a travel blogger. I’m not going to mention to the obvious restaurants you can find on any list—shoot, I can’t even remember the names of half the places I went to, because who would? If you’re not meandering into places while traveling, you’re doing it wrong. But here are some of the CDMX spots I fell in love with:

Where/what I ate in CDMX:

• Street food. Everyone says it, and it's true: You gotta try the street in Mexico City.

• Comedor de los Milagros. A food hall of exclusively South American fare, this Roma Sur gathering place is perfect for both happy hour and posting up to work with your laptop during the day. Try everything.

• Kiin Thai-Viet Eatery. If you need a break from chilaquiles, tostados, tacos, quesadillas—you get the idea—head to this gorgeous Thai/Vietnamese fusion eatery in Roma.

• Cafe Madre. A locals' hangout near San Luis plaza, this restaurant is like hanging out at your fancy friend's lush garden/backyard.

• Juice stands. For 25 pesos you can get a freshly squeezed juice of orange, strawberries, ginger, bananas, etc. It can be a struggle to find and consume fresh produce (that won't make you sick) while traveling MX, so getting a jugo from a street vendor is a supremely cheap and delicious way to get those vitamins.

• I honestly would have to go back in time or check my credit card statement to remember the names of everywhere we ate. Simply wander into any place that piques your interest—you won't regret it.