Traditional Restaurants in Morelia and Patzcuaro
By Cristina Potters* of Mexico Cooks!
Michoacán! In all of Mexico, there’s no place more beautiful to visit or to live, no place with deeper ancient cultures to discover, and no place with a more wonderful variety of regional food. Many expatriates who live in the central part of Michoacán discover that the traditional Purépecha cuisine in the west-central part of the state is entirely new to them. From the highest-level fine dining to the humblest traditional kitchen, you’ll find meals to make your taste buds dance and delicacies to thrill your palate.
Finding excellent restaurants is easy in Morelia, the state capital. Locals and tourists alike converge under the portales (arches) around the main plazas to have a meal or a drink. Some of the best-known and truly delicious choices are:
Restaurante LU Cocina Michoacana, with dining indoors on the ground floor and outdoors under the portales of the Hotel Casino. The restaurant specializing in locally produced ingredients serves traditional regional food updated by modern styling. It’s known as one of the best restaurants in all of Mexico. Breakfasts are outstanding; the chilaquiles rojos with either eggs or chicken are the best in town. Dishes called by their Purépecha names—atápakuas and xandúcatas, for example–will soon be among the meals you crave. And the desserts! Save just a corner of room to try one of the many. Even breakfast at LU has lots of traditional touches that you won’t find elsewhere: with chorizo from Huetamo (in the hot lowlands) to plenty of avocado, grown regionally in Michoacán.
Restaurante La Conspiración de 1809, under the opposite portales just behind the Cathedral, offers not only Michoacán specialties for comida (main meal of the day) and cena (supper) but also serves some regional specialties from the state of Oaxaca. Desserts here are also extraordinary; my personal favorite is the knock-your-socks-off concha con natas. From appetizers to desserts, you will love both food and service at La Conspiración.
Walking south on Calle Abasolo from Morelia’s main plaza, Fonda Marceva (Abasolo 455) is two blocks away, on the left-hand side of the street. This barely-off-the-beaten-track family-owned restaurant specializes in the traditional cuisine of Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente—the hot lowlands of the state. Be sure to try the toqueras (a fresh-corn disk similar to a thick tortilla), the uchepos (a typical tamal from the region), the aporreado (so delicious that I dream of it!), and the regional mole. The restaurant will serve you fresh table cream and fresh cheese from the rancho, and freshly cooked beans to go with the rest of your meal. To drink, try a pitcher of refreshing clericot, similar to sangria.
Outside Morelia, the area in and around Pátzcuaro is deservedly famous for its marvelous regional cuisine. Although there are numerous restaurants in Pátzcuaro, only one offers exquisite and truly Michoacán meals: La Tradición de Apatzingán, Arciga 18, under the portales across the street from the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud. Señora Victoria González and her family prepare home-style dishes rarely seen on restaurant menus, including corundas (a pyramid-shaped unfilled tamal served with either pork or table cream and salsa), morisqueta, and frito de puerco, all specialties of the house. If you’re in town during langostino season, they’re a do-not-miss at La Tradición.
At night, if you want to eat what the locals eat in Pátzcuaro, street food is the way to go. Early to late in the evening at the corner of Calles Ramos and Iturbe, on the Plaza Chica (small plaza) you’ll find marvelous tacos de bistec (beef) with all the toppings.
On Calle Ramos, just to the side of the Gran Hotel, two women set up their tiny stands at about 8:00 p.m. Both sell atole de grano, a traditional soup from the region made with wild anise and fresh sweet corn kernels. Add a pinch of salt, a squeeze of limón, a sprinkle of minced onion, and a bit of the salsa de chile perón to make the soup come brilliantly alive on your palate.
If you’re ready for more hearty night food, Super Pollo Don Emilio is the place to go for enchildadas placeras. Huge platters piled with mashed potato stuffed enchiladas, mouth-watering vegetables, and the enormous piece of chicken of your choice will keep you and a companion satisfied till morning. The stand is in front of the municipal market, the last stand to the left as you face the market and portales. There are a lot of stands selling Pátzcuaro’s enchiladas placeras, but Don Emilio is the “winner winner chicken dinner.” Don’t miss out!
*About the Author: Cristina Potters publishes a weekly blog, Mexico Cooks! and specializes in food and artisan tours in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Michoacán. You can reach her at patalarga@gmail.com
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