Above: Seafood soup at Mucho Bueno Pesca y Pisto
Our prior trip to Puebla was a decade ago, and the food scene has changed dramatically since then. You will find only one revisited restaurant represented in this alphabetical summary of places we enjoyed. While you might be expecting photos loaded with plates of the region’s famed chiles en nogada, we were not there during their season, which is now.
Chefs’ elevation and celebration of herbs and vegetables native to the Americas has increased, often corn-centric. Several places introduced us to huauzontles, a bushy, wild herb related to quinoa and amaranth.
Augurio compressed huauzontles into breaded patties filled with fresh goat cheese afloat in a pool of chile pasilla mole. The restaurant manages to combine an upscale contemporary feel with traditional ingredients and recipes of “baroque” Puebla.
A traditional rich mole poblano with cinnamon and sesame seeds complemented mashed plaintain croquettes. Strips of roasted poblano chiles accompanied a classic beef milanesa. Lechon confit of suckling pig in a green pumpkin seed sauce followed the recipe chef Angel Vazquez included in his 2024 Larousse cookbook, Cocina Poblana. For dessert, small meringues and berries were accompanied by a hibiscus and lemon curd and a refreshing sorbet of guanobana, a pale fruit encased in a spiky green skin.
Above: Augurio Restaurante
We had heard that some of the city’s best cemitas with pork milanesa were to be found at Comal Cocina Local. We hesitated because location, location, location – in this case directly across from the cathedral – often translates into poor food and high prices for tourists. Comal Cocina Local was plagued by neither. A vegetable taco on a blue corn tortilla was loaded with roasted poblano, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms topped with slices of avocado. A vegetable quesadilla was even better. And, yes, the view from a seat on the balcony pleased these wary tourists as well.
Above: Comal Cocina Local
The service and atmosphere at one of Puebla’s most famous traditional restaurants, El Mural de los Poblanos, was decidedly more formal for its lunchtime presentation of a trio of cemitas. An enormous chile ancho was stuffed with goat and cottage cheese atop a tomato salsa. And once again, I selected the lightness of meringue for dessert.
Above: El Mural de los Poblanos
For a change of pace, the bar at La Berengena offers a great classic negroni. The unusual warm roasted broccoli and zucchini salad was remarkably good. While the pizza crust was on the thin side, the toppings were both fresh and bountiful. We left sated and pleased.
Above: La Berengena
Its name leaves no guess that native corn is in the spotlight at the casual Maiz Criollo. We were expecting standard esquites, albeit blue corn, to arrive at our table, but the contents of the humble blue tin cups were amazing maize. They offer several kinds, but we opted for the one with huitlacoche (corn smut), cotija cheese and chile poblano.
Tender raba de toro, oxtail, was swimming in a bowl of mole amarillo, a yellow one from the Oaxacan area, with roasted poblano chiles. The dark dimpled dumplings floating around were chochoyotas made from blue corn masa. A generous amount of grilled shrimp populated a trio of tacos.
We finished with an affogato distinctively featuring scoops of blue corn ice cream. The only reason we didn’t try it with the addition of corn liquor, Nixta, was we missed that option on the menu.
Above: Maiz Criollo
We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the windows of our rental directly faced those of the new location of Moyuelo Restaurante. The tempura huauzontle with a pureed sweet potato sauce was one of the most addictive appetizers ever. It almost made up for the loss of the spicy sizzling shrimp no longer on the menu; although the menu does change often.
Lamar remembered Moyuelo as his spot for the best cemita tortas in the city. What disappointed him might be a recommendation to many; the cemitas had gone upscale. Instead of the traditional pork or beef milanesa, thick slabs of pork belly were sandwiched inside – too rich for our tastes. Beckoning with come-hither quivering shaved dried bonito flakes, the presentation of the gringa softshell crab was beautiful, but I was saddened to find the plump crab swallowed by its sauce.
Above: Moyuelo Restaurante
We became huge fans of the coastal-style offerings of Mucho Buena Pesca y Pisto. The spicy seafood soup featured in the photo at the top of this post was superb, and, on our repeat visits, we found ourselves ordering the refreshing tropical vegan “ceviche” to serve as our salad for the day. A wild mushroom taco allowed the earthy flavor of the setas to shine.
Among the fresh-from-the-market offerings we polished off were aguachile misto, tuna tiradito, and Peruvian-style ceviche with leche de tigre. One clamato nursed me through an entire meal. For dessert, fried ice cream.
Despite what an inside mural proclaims, I fear I manage to consume even seafood with too much gusto to live to 100.
Above: Mucho Bueno Pesca y Pisto
Nuni means corn in Mixtec. Corn is the basis of Mexican gastronomy, our worldview and legacy…. Gastronomic evolution is not at odds with our past.”
Nuni Chef Xchel Gonzalez
Corn is placed on a pedestal at Nuni as well, and the kitchen crew is young and enthusiastic. The fish at the heart of tropical ceviche was cured in a leche de tigre with green mango and a dash of habanero pepper. It arrived wrapped in a thin ribbon of cucumber and topped with pearls of maracuya, passion fruit. Fresh blue corn tostadas arrived on the side.
The extra-crunchy fried shrimp were served Baja California style, while the quesataco de cochinita pibil showed Yucatan roots. The shredded pork was enrobed with fried cheese, much like a tortilla forms an enchilada, and then placed upon a rustic corn tortilla for ease of eating.
Berries alternated with daubs of chocolate and shitake mushroom cream interspersed with chocolate crumble and served with a scoop of oatmeal ice cream. The sunflower topped dessert had a base of coconut mousse then mango ice cream and sunflower seed brittle. All impressive.
Above: Nuni
In my mind, Santoua Gastrobar seemed a tad too fancy and large to be termed a gastrobar. Grilled octopus was nicely caramelized, and I branched out to try caramelized hibiscus and blue cheese tacos with a side of slivered beets. The tacos were loaded with jamaica, but blue cheese just did not seem the right pairing with it. The showy flaming presentation of brochetas of shrimp and beef arrachera was not at our table.
Above: Santoua Gastrobar
We barely scratched the surface of the number of well-regarded restaurants in Puebla and were surprised to find we enjoyed our meals there more than on our most recent trip to Oaxaca. At much more reasonable prices.
Postcards from Barton Springs 