Cholula

Cholula is more than a hot sauce, and much more than a suburb of its neighbor Puebla, 5 miles to the East.  Cholula has colorful streets with ample shopping opportunities.

Cholula is best know for its pyramid complex which is oddly both under, and over, whelming.  By sheer volume the pyramid complex was possibly the world's largest.  The pyramids were connected by underground tunnels, some of which are open to the public.

But the largest pyramid is now covered with vegetation, and topped with a church.

Still the remaining ruins and the maze of tunnels are well worth the price of admission (about 5 dollars).

On the way up the hill to the church is a smaller basilica.

The main church in town requires no climbing.

Before climbing and tunneling, we enjoyed a meal at Los Jarrones.  Roslyn had an enchilada with mole poblano, while I went with my standby, chorizo and cheese.

After our trek we found a nice cantina near the exit.

If you visit Puebla, you would be remiss to skip Cholula.

Shopping in Puebla

Puebla is filled with both tourist and local oriented mercados.

Talavera pottery is the prime reason to shop.  Puebla is the home of Talavera.  The best Talavera is stamped with the number 4 in a circle.  Stamped pottery was made to the highest standards following the traditional methods.  The best known talavera is from the house of Uriarte.

Uriarte employs the traditional methods.

Their talavera uses only the approved natural pigments.

The process involves shaping, kiln drying, stenciling the pattern, hand painting, and kiln drying again.  The highest quality pieces are sometimes painted freehand.

When visiting, be sure to check out the half off table.  These are first quality pieces, but discontinued styles.  We bought a large plate and bowl, as well as 3 cups and saucers from the discount table.

Churches of Puebla

Puebla is a city of churches.  To avoid ecclesiastical ennui, I have only included a few of my favorites.

Museo Amparo in Puebla

The Museo Amparo is the premier museum in Puebla.  The exhibit is well curated and staffed.  Docents will guide you on your way and even open the door for each new room.  The highlight is the private pre-columbian collection of philanthropist Manuel Espinoza Yglesias.

Señor Inglesias' collection also featured colonial art such as the kitchen below.

The museum also has contemporary art including temporary exhibits.

Do not leave without having coffee or a drink at the rooftop cafe with its prime view of the city.

Restaurants of Puebla

Puebla is a diner's delight.  The city is famous for mole poblano.  Moles are among the most complex sauces.  A mole negro can have more than one hundred ingredients.  The slightly simpler mole poblano can be made with a trifle over 20 ingredients.  For an authentic recipe see:  http://www.patismexicantable.com/2010/03/mole_poblano_de_los_angeles/

We had a nearly perfect mole poblano at El Mural de los Poblanos, named after its famous mural of the people of the town.  The mole was complex with a sliver of sweetness and a hint of heat.  Service was excellent.  A full breakfast with juice, coffee, entree, fruit, and rolls was about ten dollars.

This dramatic version of cafe con leche was extra.

Set off by the mural, the restaurant is stunning.

A prime contender for our best meal in Mexico is CasaReyna. http://www.casareyna.com/en/restaurant  Service was attentive and informative, including advice on which mescals to order form their full carte.  For those unfamiliar with mezcal, it tends to be smokier and rougher than tequila.  Tequila is only made from blue agave.  Mezcal is made from other agaves. Some mescals made from low yield, and sometimes wild agaves, can be as intense for your wallet as for your pallet.  Fortunately, Roslyn and I preferred moderately priced mezcals.

The food was so good that I was to focused on gluttony to focus much on photography.  Our favorite dish was fried parsley.  It was half gone when I took this picture.

The shrimp dish below was also exceptional.

The rest of the meal is a blissful blur that I will leave to your imagination.  CasaReyna is must if you visit Puebla.

Although the squash blossom salad below was quite good, the rest of the food at Meson Sacristia de la Compania did not live up to the prices (higher than the moderate CasaReyna) or the beautiful setting.

The stew, and the mole sampler below were average at best.

But the beauty of the setting below is undeniable.  The courtyard with a cross in the prior blog entry is also from this restaurant.

Las Ranas is a far less formal, and thoroughly local establishment.  An al pastor taco carved off the vertical spit is the most popular entree.  Budget friendly, the taco is 8 pesos  (about sixty cents).

But my favorite was the chorizo with cheese.

Traditional cantinas were surprisingly rare in the old part of town.  One wonderful exception is the tiny La Pasita, known for the drink of the same name made from dried raisins.

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