Postcard from Morelia, Mexico: Polishing off a few more meals

Above: Chiles capones filled with salsa de guacamole at La Guarecita de San Agustin

The first time we peeked into La Guarecita de San Agustin, I rejected it. Having lived in San Antonio for about four decades, the restaurant’s interior decor, waitress uniforms and even logo reminded me too much of some old-school, Tex-Mex restaurants from home. In other words, it gave me the impression it was designed to attract gringo tourists. But later, some friends wanted to try it, and we found it packed with locals.

A platter of plump fried charales caught from nearby Cuitzeo Lake as a starter improved my attitude. Then, La Guaracita introduced me to stuffed chiles capones (the featured photo), which I loved. Instead of a specific type of chile, the name is derived from “gallo capon,” a term for a rooster emasculated for fattening. For chiles, emasculation refers to reducing the heat factor by removing the inner ribs and seeds. The chiles in this case, I believe, were regional dried chilacas – pasillas – deeply rich in flavor but not overly spicy.

The other dishes were ordered by others, including a nicely presented Tarascan soup, a creamy bean soup. The first time we tasted this soup was in a small hotel in nearby Patzcauro on our honeymoon (decades ago). A heavy concentration of pasilla peppers was blended into the soup, magically packing it with balanced flavor throughout. Restaurants in Morelia tend to separate them, so the soup itself is bland but adding the often un-capon dried chile carries a high-risk factor for over-heating it for my palate.

Large portions appear popular. Almost half a roasted chicken dwarfs the tasty enchiladas Morelianos, topped with cubes of potatoes and carrots. More than a half-pound of carnitas fill the tacos Michoacanos. The conbinado Michoacana features an enchilada plus two of the regional favorite versions of tamales that are found on almost all menus: corunda and uchepo.

For the crown-shaped corundas, the amount of pork lard thoroughly mixed with masa renders them soft and spongy after steaming in leaves peeled from the cane of corn. The masa for uchepos is made from young, tender corn instead of dried varietals of corn. For steaming, they are wrapped in fresh instead of dried corn husks. While both can be stuffed, these were topped simply with a green sauce, crema and crumbled cheese.

Above: La Guarecita de San Agustin

And one of those steamed tamales offered as an amuse bouche at Lu Cocina Michoacana on the Plaza Major was the only dish there not to our liking. One bite of the raw-tasting dough was plenty.

On the other hand, a tart and herb-spiked marinade contrasted well with the sweetness of rainbow trout in the ceviche verde. And imaginative salads: one with wedges of grilled avocado atop pureed sweet potato; and one with candied hibiscus flowers and cotija cheese. A pasillo chile was filled with a fruity picadillo and topped with a creamy pistachio sauce.

For dessert, a corn bunuelo was accented with a white chocolate sauce. The best dessert we had in Morelia was Lu’s pastel de naranja – an orange sponge cake with a pine nut sauce.

Somewhere between downloading images and switching laptops, I lost several days of photos, including those taken at Rio 53. This above-average burger spot is a long hike from the historic center, but one that didn’t discourage us from heading there twice. The adjacent street was lined with upscale cars indicating this is a destination for customers from the city’s suburbs as well. Salads are ample enough to split. During our two visits, I recall we polished off one of the picana beef burgers, a pollo asado, a portobello, and a quinoa. All great.

Perfectly balanced mezcal cocktails. Spanish-style croquetas. Proyecto 125 wines. Vegetables. And, did I mention vegetables? A beautiful mountain of roasted vegetables and grilled asparagus were among the offerings that drew us for repeat visits to Tata Mezcaleria + Cocina de Autor.

I was hooked on the shrimp, Spanish chorizo and fried parsley tacos. And Tata also features totally innovative dishes, such as ossobuco ravioli with a tomato sauce accented with shavings of pasilla chiles; baby corn; and skin-on avocados.

Hope this offering of photos helps you decide where to eat or what to order in Morelia. The first installment of this alphabetical listing of restaurants can be found by clicking here.