Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Mexican Tradition Series Part I: Quesadillas Las Margaritas!


The Place: Quesadillas Las Margaritas: A Late Night Tradition!

The Experience: The following series is intended to celebrate traditional Mexico City restaurants from small little local joints like Las Margaritas up to Mexican institutions of fine dining (coming later in this series) ... all as a celebration of September, the month of Mexican Independence!

Las Margaritas holds a special place in Gringo G's heart as he has been going for nice late night quesadillas (which bare little resemblance to the ones in the States) almost his entire time in the DF. Every night at about 6pm at a small little "localito" or restaurant in the Roma Sur neighborhood you can see Lolita and María slowly making guisados, deep-frying chiles rellenos and hand pressing fresh corn tortillas like they have been doing every weeknight for the past 22 years.

The localito is a very popular place, particular among Roma Sur residents where they grab a nice bit of comfort food with a cold beer or refreshment after a long day of work. Each hand-pressed corn tortilla ... about the size of a small melon ... is carefully filled with your choice of filling of which you have well over 10 options from meaty, meaty, meaty (chicharrón prensado, beef, chorizo with potato),  to 100% vegetarian (black corn mushrooms, zucchini flower, chile relleno). You can also order tacos or sopes (sopes are nice little disks of hand pressed corn dough topped with beans, cheese and cream ,,, and if you like meat).

This neighborhood tradition can be found all over Mexico ... but in the Gringo's opinion most of the time the care of preparation and quality at Las Margaritas far above average.

Provecho a todos y gracias a María y Lolita!

The Location: Tehuantepec, almost intersection with Ures, Colonia Roma Sur, DF.


The Specials: All of the quesadillas are fresh, with warm, hand pressed corn tortillas ... the Gringo's favorite "guisados" or fillings are "papas con chorizo" (potato and chorizo) and huitlacoche (black corn mushroom that grows on corn and are under-utilized in the States or simply disposed of). The Gringo also loves the "Sope con Costilla" which is a nice little disk of hand pressed corn dough with nice beans, cheese and cream with some nice spare-rib meat on top ... delicous!

Quesadilla Papás con Chorizo
Sope de Costilla
 Quesdadilla Rajas Chile Poblano y Papás con Chorizo
Tortilla
VIDEO Hand-Pressing Tortillas
VIDEO Heating Up The Tortilla

Tips: The Gringo has three tips for his readers: 1. As mentioned before this is a slow food joint ... so expect them to hand-press your tortillas fresh and slowly heat the filling ... it is not fast. 
2. From about noon until 3pm or 4pm the Quesadillas (same family and same owners) is a "Fonda de Comida Corrida" or a classic thrifty lunch joint for nearby office workers with quality Mexican classic 3 course lunch meals and a VERY good chicken consommé available. There can be a wait for this service. 3. Las Margaritas do NOT open on weekends. So forget a Saturday or Sunday late night quesadilla :( after partying!


Breaded Chicken Breast in Morita Chile Sauce
Chicken Consommé

Price Point: Between $ and $$

$: Takeout or fast food $$: Casual sit-down $$$: Formal sit-down $$$$: La Crème de La Crème

Website: None. This is a locals only, casual place to grab some good comfort food.

Contact: Lolita and María will welcome all comers at their nice little place! 

Coming Next: Mexican Tradition Series Part II: A Mexican Independence Day Special on September 16 ... hint, a traditional dish will be served!

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