Tag: la biznaga

Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: Where fiestas erupt all the time

postcardsfromsanantonio2 Comments

(We briefly interrupt the series of postcards from Budapest with breaking news from Oaxaca.)

Out for a stroll last evening with no room for dinner after a major lunch at La Biznaga, I requested a route that would pass by the front of the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad. The Mister was not fooled. My real mission was the Plaza Socrates in front of the basilica, home to a dozen ice cream vendors.

But, before I could even begin to ponder the flavor options, music erupted on the street below. Brass bands and dancers with floral arrangements crowning their heads were gathering for one the city’s numerous exuberant processions, Las Calendas, to call out townspeople to celebrate, usually in advance of a saint’s day. This one appears to be a warm-up for the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary, El Día de la Asunción de María, on August 15.

The festive dancers, fearless as castillos showered sparks around them, gigantes or mermotas, stilt-walkers, a truckload of little angels and the woman in blue bearing extra rockets and castillos to set off every couple of blocks completely distracted me from my original mission.

I shall return to both the delayed delivery of postcards from Budapest and to Plaza Socrates another day.

That leaves me time to ponder whether I want to order rose or chocolate-chile ice cream. Those wouldn’t pair well in one dish, would they?

Biannual roundup of an ad-free blog

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

alamoplaza2

This blogger has blogged so prolifically she has used up all the free space WordPress has to offer. This is good news for you because ads will no longer pop up at the bottom of posts, but it was bad news for me because I actually have to pay a small amount to engage in this form of therapy. I’m not complaining though, because I have never understood how WordPress can afford to offer this service at no charge. I’m grateful for enjoying a free ride for several years.

This list represents the most-read posts during the past 12 months, and interest in the Alamo and its plaza rose to the top once again. But thanks for continuing to give me the freedom to wander around the globe and send postcards back to San Antonio as well.

The numbers in parentheses represent the rankings from six months ago:

  1. Don’t Let Battle Zealots Overrun the Crockett Block, 2016
  2. The Madarasz Murder Mystery: Might Helen Haunt Brackenridge Park?, 2012 (1)
  3. Take pleasure in little unauthorized treasures along the River Walk before they vanish, 2015 (7)
  4. How would you feel about the Alamo with a crewcut?, 2011 (3)
  5. Please put this song on Tony’s pony and make it ride away, 2010 (5)
  6. Postcards from San Antonio a Century Ago, 2016
  7. Playspace of Yanaguana Garden bursts into bloom October 2, 2015 (8)
  8. Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Flavorful food memories, 2015
  9. Postcard from Puebla, Mexico: An unlikely trio of favorite restaurants, 2015
  10. Reviving Dia de los Muertos, 2015
  11. Postcard from Sintra, Portugal: Masonic mysteries surface at Quinta da Regaleira, 2014
  12. Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: Settling into La Biznaga, 2016

Thanks for dropping by every once in a while. Love hearing your feedback.

mandarezpark

 

Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: Settling into La Biznaga

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

It would be easy to simply blame it on the margaritas. They are a major magnet. We are absolutely convinced La Biznaga shakes up the best ones anywhere, and we begin every meal there with one. It’s the first place we go when we hit town and the last place we go before leaving.

But our love of La Biznaga also lies in its menu. There are so many different dishes to try, and servers don’t mind if all you order is a quesadilla (under $2) or a bowl of soup. A new favorite for the Mister this time was the luscious blackberry mole over turkey breast meat. I confess I stole a little of the mole and drizzled it over seared tuna encrusted with amaranth seeds; it was perfect for it. The light and refreshing mushroom “ceviche” one day left room for us to share the rich coconut flan bathing in a mezcal-infused cajeta sauce.

mushroom “ceviche” at La Biznaga
dorado ceviche at Cabuche
margaritas at La Biznaga
cappuccino coffee at La Biznaga
sopa azteca at La Biznaga
Cabuche
chicken breast with oregano and plantains at La Biznaga
chicken and plantains in guava mole at La Biznaga
tasajo with sausage and chile poblano at La Biznaga
spinach and grapefruit salad at La Biznaga
mextlapique of wild mushrooms at Cabuche
tuna with green beans and avocado at La Biznaga
turkey breast with blackberry mole at La Biznaga
watercress salad at La Biznaga
coconut flan mezcal-infused cajeta at La Biznaga
seared tuna encrusted with amaranth seeds at La Biznaga

La Biznaga does have a younger sibling restaurant in town, Cabuche. The menu is entirely different. We enjoyed Cabuche’s fresh ceviche and the unusual Mextlapique, a roasted corn husk stuffed full of smoky wild mushrooms native to Oaxaca.

We thought of returning, but big brother Biznaga does have an unfair advantage, that magnetic margarita served on a spacious sunny patio….