A Oaxacan Thanksgiving

I planned a trip to Mexico during the week of Thanksgiving, but I didn’t realize I would be in the nations culinary capital of Oaxaca city for the holiday. This said, I did spend a considerable amount of time prior to the trip scanning the internet for restaurant recommendations for all my destinations, so I had a nicely streamlined day holiday.

I arrived in Oaxaca the night before, so Thanksgiving morning was my first real glimpse of the city center. My hostel, “El Cielo” sat along a very colorful street, lined with trees and vibrant buildings. Within minutes of leaving the hostel I was tempted by numerous small coffee shops and trendy restaurants. In addition to some great street art, you can also see copies of artist prints papered onto walls throughout Oaxaca city, reflecting it’s prominent status as a graphic hub of Mexico.

My holiday turned foodie marathon started with Cafe El Volador. My coffee of choice is always a Cafe Mocha – I took it go and sat on a nearby sidewalk. There was no rush, and I enjoyed the calm of this particular street which was closed off to vehicular traffic. Across from the cafe was a small music school that I had seen mentioned in a review of El Volador, though only because the cafe was “treated to an endless succession of poorly performed scales” by the music students. Needless to say, as a professional musician, I was glad the school was closed. 

Up next was Chepiche Cafe, located in Oaxacas Xochimilco neighborhood. The cafe stood out online for its Instagramable shaded courtyard, abundant with plants and trees. From the outside I would have never known it was there, being located down an unsuspecting and dimly lit alley. I should mention my knowledge of Mexican food is sadly limited to tacos, pozole, and quesadillas… so, I ordered the most familiar sounding item – Huevos Rancheros, with a freshly squeezed orange juice. (In second place for my consideration was an item amusingly called The Santa).

In Mexico the pace of life is considerably slower than the US, and so for awhile I sat back with nowhere to be, taking in the lush surroundings while also peering over at the dishes on other tables. Following a brief return to my hostel to escape the mid-day sun, I hit the streets again and came upon a quesadilla stand where I ordered some kind of quesadilla with my mangled Spanish. To my dismay as a Wisconsinite the quesadilla did not have any cheese. Instead it was filled with a piping hot tomato-based sauce and had a moderate amount of shredded chicken.

This being Thanksgiving, a second lunch was eventually in order. I headed to the Mercado 20 de Noviembre – a large, indoor market full of small and inexpensive restaurants catering both to tourists and locals. My goal here was try two things – Mole and Mexican Hot Chocolate. Like with any kind of food hall or market I did a walk around before choosing a place to eat. 

The long, cafeteria style tables at all the restaurants here are best suited for communal eating, and soon enough an elderly Mexican couple sat down directly across from me. I struck up what conversation I could, mentioning that it was my primera vez en Oaxaca. They watched, probably in full-judgment as I photographed and then sipped my hot chocolate, it’s texture rich with a hint of cinnamon. It came with a rather large roll, which I didn’t have much of an appetite for. Side note: I’ve noticed that Mexican breads tend to be overly sweet, so I’ve pretty much avoided them. 

The mole was the true star of second lunch. Oaxaca is known to have seven different kinds of mole, which is a sauce of blended chocolate, chili, and different nuts. Not knowing which to choose, I opted for Mole Negro at the top of the menu. Mine came with some rice and a piece of chicken smothered under the mole sauce. Opening a warm cloth containing heated tortillas, I began portioning the rice, chicken, and mole within before folding it into a burrito. The taste of the mole was completely new to me – balanced in a way that highlighted the deliciously earthy and slightly sweet taste. 

I spent the next few hours back at the hostel overcoming my food coma, just like with any true post-Thanksgiving dinner. Though unlike my holiday experiences back home I eventually mustered an appetite for more, Oaxaca style. Located conveniently just down the street was restaurante Las Quince Letras, with a comfy and intimately lit interior to wrap up my day. I should mention that in spending Thanksgiving alone I was somehow never lonely, a trend that continued throughout my three days in Oaxaca city. 

At Quince Letras I slowly sipped a Mojito, and for my entree I ordered Tlayudas – a Oaxacan specialty that I’d describe as a combination of pizza and a quesadilla. They include a toasted and folded tortilla stuffed with a balanced blend of cheese and veggies, with salsa served on the side. The entree additionally came with a choice of seasoned meat, which in this case was placed on top of the tlayuda. (I had more tlayudas during my trip, and it seems that meat is most often placed inside the tortilla).

As if my Thanksgiving food tour of Oaxaca city wasn’t great enough, my total bill for the day came to just over $25! Now, I am fully aware that spending this day alone and in a foreign country is probably the last thing anyone from the USA wants to do, and I definitely felt a little guilty being away. However, I think that holiday’s can be reframed in our minds, and being alone and experiencing a new culture in the process is an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.