Tag: mezcal

Postcard from Palermo, Sicily: When cocktails beckon

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Above: Farmacia Alcolica

A bottle of wine with lunch means it is pretty rare that we boulevardier our way into many bars when we travel. Yes, of course, sometimes when walking long distances we quench our thirst with a beer or spritz.

But then, every single day of our stay in Palermo, we looked out our window, across the intimate palm-filled Giardino dei Giusti, straight at Farmacia Alcolica. The people spilling out onto an unusual assemblage of furniture, occupying a lane lusted after by drivers cruising the narrow streets for a rare parking spot, looked so comfortable. Hard not to conclude it was just what the doctor ordered, at least once or twice.

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Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: Restaurant Alphabet Vol. II from Le to Tacos

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Above: Guava mole with shrimp and battered cauliflower at Levadura de Olla

Thalía Barrios Garcia is young, 27 years old, yet she has worked her way from a small Oaxacan village to own two widely acclaimed restaurants in the historic center of the state capital. One, Cocina de Humo, is intimate, providing a chance to observe traditional methods of cooking, but you need to make a reservation in advance. So we tried her Levadura de Olla instead.

Tomatoes. The gorgeous display of heirloom tomatoes immediately announces produce is important here. And a woman kept busy flipping fresh tortillas you know are made the ancient way, from dried corn boiled down with ash, nixtamal.

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Postcard from San Martin Tilcajete, Mexico: Chaotic Carnaval ushers in Lent

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Not sure how the Oaxacan town of San Martin Tilcajete, known for its colorful and imaginative alebrije creatures, ended up with such an unusual wild and wacky celebration of Fat Tuesday, but it definitely is fun.

Instead of traditional Mardi Gras royalty, a bride and groom united in a mock ceremony reign over the festival. The bride is always a man dressed in drag and fittingly attired in an elegant white gown.

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