Table for Two, or Four

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• May 05, 2015

Mexico City has more than 25 million people. Where do all these people eat when they want a night out on the town? The majority don't go out, I'm sure. But those who do travel to the Polanco district.

What would a tradeshow be without good food, and good friends?

I made the trip to Mexico City and Expo de Seguridad with my boss, Kevin O'Grady, who is president of our group of publications and properties. He knows good and wine. I only know food. I also thought I should share with you three fine restaurants in that city.

The two of us had reservations last Tuesday evening at Piriofos. I quickly learned the well-heeled group in Mexico City generally don't start the evening meal until at least 8:30 p.m. Piriofos is a trendy night club of sorts where there is music and beautiful people, and yes, they did let me in.

Service was incredible, and my "Texas" skirt steak was delicious. The highlight of the meal was a bean and noodle soup. I could return for the soup alone.

Fortunate as I am, my boss and I were guests of Richard Brent and Cameron Javdoni of Louroe Electronics. Richard has a favorite place to eat in Mexico City, El Hacienda Les Morales. The venue alone is worth a visit, and it is original and old. The hacienda is massive and in pristine condition; the food is well worth the two hours it took to eat.

Cameron is a man about town and led us through the menu. I decided on more "Texas" beef with a side dish here and another side dish there of enchilada and tamales. The deal about "Texas" beef is my notion that all good beef comes from Texas.

Finally, all that is good about eating came to a crescendo on Thursday evening. Kevin and I dined at the famed Pujol. It is acclaimed as one of the best restaurants in the world. It has a set daily menu that changes when chef says it changes. Dining at Pujol is not for the faint of heart. It is an experience.

The starter plates came out in a set of 5. The first was a cheese and guacamole. What's not to like about these two things? The second plate kind of took any worry of what I was eating henceforth. A ripe snow pea opened was filled with ant eggs. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and devoured the item. Not bad, if you don't mind ant eggs rolling around inside your mouth while crunching on the snow pea. We also sampled a lamb taco; not bad; and beef tongue, which was marinated in a spicy sauce. I'll probably pass on that next time.

Don't drink the water in Mexico, that is still true. But the foodie experience is well worth the traffic to get to the dining room.