El Sueño de Frida, San Agustinillo: Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Perfect For: Coffee, Eggs, Conversation & Empanadas.
Go here in the morning and linger. Good things will happen.
The coffee will be delicious. Ask the owner where he gets it and he'll tell you a story about an old farmer and a donkey.
Order the green juice and ask him what's in it. He'll show you the maracuya and ask you if you want one.
Order some Enchiladas, some Huevos Rancheros, or some Mole for heaven's sake. The food is delicious.
Then linger till around 11:00am. This is when a guy named Max starts making empanadas in the back of the store. You have to get back there and put an order in because he'll sell out quick.
This little cafe is a local social hub and you'll learn a lot about the community if you just sit here for a few hours and ask a handful of questions. The environment here is truly pleasant and welcoming in a way that you hope your house will feel to your single friends from college who come to visit for a weekend.
The owners are a husband and wife duo: Carlos & Christina. Both are multi-lingual social butterflies. The sweet and talented chef is a lady named Leo who takes a lot of pride in her food and does not mind a compliment if you're so inclined.
Enchiladas Verdes de Quesillo (con huevos):
Our waitress said that these and the Huevos Rancheros were the most popular items so I went with the enchiladas. The 'verde' sauce was spicy and sour and not watery (I find this sauce to be too watery sometimes). The chef explained that she boils 'green tomatoes' then waits for them to cool and blends them together with garlic, cilantro, onions and a little jalapeño. The radishes add a nice little crunch. This is my favorite dish of theirs.
Huevos Rancheros:
They stack up the fried eggs and the tortillas together and then drown everyone in the red sauce. The tortillas take on a texture that is oddly similar to eggplant parmesan. If I had my druthers this sauce would have been more spicy. So if you order this dish, and you want it to hurt a little, just tell them you like it spicy and I'm sure they'll make it happen.
Chilaquiles (con salsa verde):
The 'verde' sauce again. This is my weapon of choice. I ordered the chilaquiles because I saw the chef/waitress/nicest person in the world deep frying fresh chips when I walked in. She said that they were for the Chilaquiles. Which left me with very little choice.
Enmoladas:
As I've mentioned in the past there is not a lot of available Mole in this town so this is definitely worth it for the sake of checking that box. These are tortillas filled with quesillo and topped with Mole. I still recommend that if you want the real deal you need to go to the Monday Market in Pochutla.
The Menu:
The menu here is not complete. This is the kind of place where you can just ask for stuff and they'll tell you whether or not they can make it.
Top Secret Empanadas
These are the real thing. Max is from Argentina and he chefs these up Wednesday-Saturday. My rankings based on the ones I've tried so far (3 for $60 or 1 for $25):
1. Carne (Ground Beef and Red Pepper)
2. Espinaca (Spinach & a Little Cheese)
3. Pollo (Chicken and onion)
4. Jamon y Queso (c'mon)
5. Vegetariana (Broccoli, Zucchini, and Onion)
6. Elote con Queso (Corn and Cheese)
P.S.
Carlos makes a mean omelette. And their dog's name is Betty. She's shy.
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 8am-3pm. Yes, they have WFI so that you can text pictures of dolphins to all your friends.
#Oaxaca #food #HuevosRancheros #Coffee #SanAgustinillo #Empanadas