Tourist guide 3

-Typical restaurants and bars
The cheapest places to eat good Mexican food are the small, family-run fondas where fixed price menus (menu del dia o comida corrida) are served at lunch time. These are generally four-course meals followed by coffee or tea.
The most common restaurants are the popular taquerias, small places serving tacos at a few tables around a cooking area, where the tortilla-makers can often be seen in action.
Cantinas are rowdy establishments where heavy drinking is common, and women will not generally feel very comfortable..
-Eating hours
The streets are always full of food vendors because Mexicans will eat at any time of day. They often have two breakfasts (desayunos). The first, eaten at home, is a light meal of fruit or pastries with milky coffee. A more substantial breakfast, or almuerzo, may follow between 10 and 11am and is usually available in restaurants until lunchtime. It may consist of spicy eggs with tortillas or even a steak.
From about 1:30pm restaurants are ready to provide lunch (comida), traditionally the main meal of the day. Mexicans take two or three hours for lunch, so restaurants are busy until 4 or 5pm.
Between 6 and 8pm is the merienda, a time for snacks, or antojitos, tea, and coffee.
A normal Mexican dinner (cena) at home is a light meal served between 8 and 10pm. However, restaurants will also serve more substantial dinners.

-Entertainment
Many restaurants have live acts performing at least once a week. The music ranges from classical piano to local stiles such as festive mariachi.
-Prices and paying
Prices shown on menus do not include the mandatory 15 percent tax (IVA), but this will automatically be added to your bill. Service charge is not included, and the level of tip is left to dinner's discretion. It is usual to tip around 15 percent if you have good service. You are not obliged to leave anything if service has been poor.
-Children
In contrast to other places, children's are welcome in most Mexican restaurants. Child portions are not usually available but you can always ask for a spare of plate and share a dish between two.
-What to eat
Mexican Food blends the influences of the Old and New Worlds. Many common ingredients (such as tomatoes, chilies, turkey, vanilla, chocolate, and corn) were consumed in pre-Columbian times, whereas others were introduced by the French and Spanish.
-Sweet cakes and cookies (pan dulce) are usually eaten for breakfast, the most common are: Orejas, conchas, cuernos and campechanas.
-For breakfast it is advisable to try: Huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, tamales, consome, and tacos de carnitas.
-For lunch: Wherever you eat in Mexico sauces and tortillas will be put on the table to enhance the flavor of dishes. The most common sauces are: Salsa cruda, Salsa de Tomate and Salsa de Chipotle.
Some dishes that you should try are: Mole poblano, chiles en nogada, pollo al pibil, arroz a la mexicana, ensalada de nopalitos, tacos, and crepas de cuitlacoche. Seafood, abundant, fresh and delicious is often served grilled or with garlic. Varieties include lobster, langoustine, mussels, shrimp, and clambs.
-Mexican appetizers are called Antojitos: It can be anything from decoratively presented fruit to a substantial flavored dish. Some of them are: Guacamole con totopos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos de rajas poblanas, tostadas, sopes, enfrijoladas, and empanaditas.
-What to drink: Mexico offers a wide variety of drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic.
-Beer (Cerveza) was introduced by German immigrant miners. Mexican beer is now recognized all over the world. Popular brands are: Corona, Negra Modelo and XX Dos Equis. Michelada is a refreshing drink made with beer and lime juice, and served with salt on the rim of the glass.
-Other alcoholic drinks: Many other drinks are served in Mexican bars and restaurants, specially: Kahlua (a coffee liqueur flavored with vanilla), rompope (an eggnog made in Puebla), and the internationally known Tequila. Tequila and Mezcal are mexican aperitifs distilled from the sap of different species of the agave plant. The best Tequila is made from 100 percent blue agave: this is stated on the label to prove that sugar has not been added. There are 3 varieties of Tequila: White, is unaged, clear and colorless. Reposado and anejo are tequilas which have been aged in oak barrels. Mezcal con guzano is made near Oaxaca.
How to drink Tequila: Tequila is usually served with lime and salt or as a vampiro with a tomato and orange chaser called sangrita. Tequila Blanco (white) is often mixed with other drinks to make cocktails like tequila sunrise and margarita.
-Wines: Although Mexico is the oldest wine producer in the americas, Mexicans are not big wine drinkers, however, there are well known producers as: Domecq, Pinson, and Cetto.
-Hot drinks: Coffee is generally medium-strength filter coffee, the most common varieties are american coffee, de olla, negro, tinto or solo. Hot chocolate and tea are also popular. Atole is a nutritious drink of corn meal and milk, flavored with chocolate and fruits.