Mole y Mezcal: A Culinary Exploration of Mexico City - January 26-30, 2022 | 5 days, 4 nights - Zagat Travel

Mole y Mezcal: A Culinary
Exploration of Mexico City
      January 26-30, 2022 | 5 days, 4 nights

For more information about this trip call 877-916-4924
            or visit www.zagattravel.com

Mole y Mezcal: A Culinary Exploration of Mexico City
From brilliant red tomatoes and peppers in its bustling marketplaces to Frida Kahlo’s iconic blue
house; from the brightly painted boats that wend their way through the agricultural canals of
Xochimilco to the expansive green courtyards at the base of Teotihuacan’s towering pyramids,
Zagat invites you on a five-day cultural and culinary journey to explore and savor the diverse
colors and flavors of Mexico City. Source ingredients from the local market for a hands-on class
with a charismatic television personality. Help preserve ancient agricultural traditions with a
farm-to-table meal made before your eyes in the heart of a World Heritage Site. Enjoy artisanal
beers, guided tequila and mezcal tastings, and a prehispanic picnic with a refreshing glass
of tejate – known as the “drink of the gods,” because of its role in ancient rituals. From iconic
treats like churros, chocolate, tacos and tamales to adventurous alternatives like chapulines
(grasshoppers), chicatanaas (flying ants), and chinicuiles (worm) this journey is a delight for
all the senses.

Highlights

Join Mexican celebrity chef, sommelier, certified tequila taster, and television personality,
Graciela Montaño, to source ingredients from one of Mexico City’s colorful markets and
prepare a four-course Mexican menu paired with small-batch spirits.

Float through the canals of Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to an organic farm for
lunch and a guided mezcal and tequila tasting.

Avoid the crowds in an exclusive, after-hours tour of the Museum of Anthropology, Mexico’s
most-visited museum.

Enjoy a traditional pre-Hispanic picnic including a refreshing tejate – which was used in
indigenous rituals – in the ancient city of Teotihuacan, with pyramids as your backdrop.

Celebrate your journey with a five-course pop-up “hidden kitchen” dinner and cocktail pairing,
enjoying fine Mexican cuisine featuring seasonal ingredients in an unexpected location.

           For more information about this trip call 877-916-4924
                       or visit www.zagattravel.com

Itinerary
Wednesday, January 26th | Taco Talk
Your Mexican adventure begins with a hands-on cooking
lesson in the rooftop garden of a beautifully restored mansion.
Join local chefs to chop, mix, marinate, and taste one of
Mexico’s most beloved staples – the taco. Learn about the
history of this iconic food, which dates to Moctezuma himself,
who is believed to have first used hot stones to toast tortillas
into a scoop. Find out about the long history of take out, when
tortillas were used to transport lunch for men who worked
in the fields. Linger and taste your creations alongside agua
fresca and artisanal beers. (D,R)

Thursday, January 27th | Night at the Museum
Your culinary journey continues with celebrity chef Graciela
Montaño, host of the weekly cooking show, “Tu Cocina.” Join
Graciela to source and sample ingredients at the Mercado
de Medellin, a bustling indoor market. Graciela leades you
through the maze of stalls, introducing you to the vendors,
and providing tips for identifying the freshest ingredients from
the colorful rows of plantains and pumpkins. After, create
a four-course Mexican menu, featuring sopes, salsas, mole
rojo, and pastel de elote. The adventurous may also choose
to sample chapulines (grasshoppers), chicatanas (flying ants),
and chinicuiles (worm). A certified tequila taster, Graciela
guides the group in a tasting, pairing each course with limited-
production, small batch Mexican spirits. This evening, Mexico’s
storied history comes to life on an after-hours exclusive
tour of the Museum of Anthropology, Mexico’s most-visited
museum. Your day concludes with a seasonal menu and a
chance to meet Chef Elena Reygadas, at Rosetta Restaurant,
tucked inside an inconspicuous townhouse in the hip and
colorful Roma neighborhood. (B,L,D)
Friday, January 28th | From Farm to Table
Walk the cobblestone streets and beautiful town square in
the bohemian Coyoacan neighborhood. Visit Casa Azul (the
“Blue House”), once home to Frida Kahlo. Casa Azul preserves
Kahlo’s personal objects, displays some of her most popular

works, and reveals the private struggles of Latin America’s
                    most celebrated female artist. Board a colorful wooden
                    trajinera and navigate the verdant waterways, or chinampas,
                    in Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your journey
                    takes you to a network of organic fruit and vegetable farms,
                    which provide seasonal organic produce for some of Mexico
                    City’s most iconic restaurants. Tour the property and learn
                    firsthand about how its owners continue to rely on the region’s
                    ancestral farming methods. Then, enjoy a mariachi serenade;
                    a traditional Mexican lunch of tamales, tostadas, and pastries
                    prepared by Chef Yuls Suarez before your eyes; and a guided
                    tequila and mezcal tasting with a local catadore (tequila
                    expert). Tonight, explore Mexico City’s many restaurants on
                    your own. (B,L)

                    Saturday, January 29th | Picnic among the Pyramids
                    Travel back in time to the ancient city of teotihuacan, the
                    largest city in pre-Columbian America. Retrace the route that
                    sacrificial victims walked before climbing the Pyramids of the
                    Sun and Moon – which stand as towering bookends across
                    the vast field. Continue to a nearby garden for a traditional
                    pre-Hispanic picnic including a refreshing Tejate (known as
                    the drink of the gods because of its role in indigenous rituals),
                    Escamoles (an ancient Aztec dish made from ant eggs), and
                    some of Mexico’s most iconic foods, like the tamale. Return
                    to Mexico City for a tour of the bustling city center, including
                    visits to the sprawling zócalo, one of the world’s largest central
                    squares; the National Palace featuring Diego Rivera’s murals;
                    and churros and chocolate at Churreria El Moro before
                    preparing for the evening’s adventure. Tonight, celebrate the
                    end of your journey with an extraordinary pop-up experience
                    in an unexpected and “hidden kitchen” with an elaborate five-
                    course meal and cocktail pairing. (B,L,D,R)

                    Sunday, January 30th | Adiós
                    Depart Mexico City with individual transfers at any time. (B)

                    B,L,D and R denotes included breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and
                    receptions.

For more information about this trip call 877-916-4924
            or visit www.zagattravel.com

What’s Included
•   All accommodations and meals with drinks as outlined in the itinerary
•   All ground transportation within the itinerary unless otherwise indicated
•   All sightseeing as specified in the itinerary
•   Comprehensive educational program by professional on-site guides
•   Entrance fees
•   Gratuities to porters, guides, drivers, wait staff in restaurants during group meals,
    housekeeping at group hotels
•   The assistance of an ATA tour manager
•   Quietvox listening devices to facilitate audibility and social distancing while touring
•   The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to assist with pre-trip questions, travel
    arrangements, including flights, extra hotel nights and other services
•   Comprehensive pre-departure mailings and materials with information about the destination
    and what to expect on tour, including a suggested reading list
•   Emergency evacuation insurance
•   Fully vetted program that meets COVID-19 health and safety protocols

                                                      Accommodations
                                                      Stara Hamburgo
                                                      Part colonial Spanish townhouse and part modern
                                                      retreat, Stara Hamburgo promises a luxury stay in
                                                      the financial heart of Mexico City. This boutique
                                                      hotel boasts three gourmet restaurants, including
                                                      a bistro serving organic cuisine, a library, a fully
                                                      equipped gym, sauna, and spa. Guest rooms
                                                      feature a private terrace with garden views and
                                                      vertical gardens decorate the property.
                                                      5 days/4 nights

                                                                           Price Per Person
                                           Departure
                                                                           $4,495 double occupancy
                                           January 26-30, 2022
                                                                           $5,370 single occupancy
                                           5 days, 4 nights
                                                                           Deposit $500 per person