David Burke’s recent Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, provided a great opportunity to taste its indigenous flavors, from streeT fare—including grasshoppers—To handcrafted local spirits like Mezcal.
Home away from home
Los Pilares Hotel
Curtidurías 721
Col. Centro, 68080 Oaxaca
lospilares-oaxaca.com
Owned by one of the oldest families in Oaxaca, Los Pilares Hotel is housed in a lovingly restored, colonial-style building in the secluded Barrio de Jalatlaco, just a few minutes’ walk to the historic city center.
Savor this memorable meal
Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante
Constitución 104-4
Centro, 68080
casaoaxacaelrestaurante.com
Chef and owner Alejandro Ruiz is one of the most recognized chefs in Mexico, renowned for his expertise in Oaxacan regional cuisine. Here, he applies a modern approach to ancient Oaxacan flavors.
In the market for . . .
Mercado Central de Abastos
Twenty blocks southwest of the Zocalo
(main city plaza)
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca’s oldest and largest market is open daily. Hundreds of stalls cover everything from fresh herbs and spices to vegetables, mole, cheeses, handcrafted art, and more.
Ultimate quick hunger fix
Tlayudas, an open-faced tortilla with many toppings, or chapulines, grasshoppers toasted with chiles. Typical oaxacan street fare!
Insider spot
Los Danzantes Restaurant
Macedonio Alcalá 403
Interior 4
Col. Centro
losdanzantes.com
Located in the Old City in a neo-colonial building, Los Danzantes is a reference of cuisine that uses traditional Oaxacan ingredients in new combinations and presentations.
Local highlights
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Plaza Santa Domingo
Macedonio Alcalá at Adolfo Gurrión
Centro Historico
Founded by the Dominican Order, this church has a 17th-century facade framed by two domed bell towers and a Mexican baroque- style interior lavishly adorned with white and real gold leaf.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MACO)
Macedonio Alcalá 202
Centro Historico
museomaco.com
MACO is a small contemporary art museum with permanent exhibits of well-known Oaxacan artists, including graffiti and street art, as well as a rotating collection of modern exhibits.
