Anepalco Orange

I'm an avid fan of Anepalco. I've been coming here ever since a friend of mine introduced me when the restaurant first opened a few years back. The restaurant has a mixture of wooden picnic style and individual tables painted black. Anepalco is accented with a "rosa mexicano" color throughout the space. They have a full bar built in the same style, which is separated from the tables by shelves with books. Across from the bar is longer table for bigger parties that has a wall art drawing of two iconic Mexican personalities: comedian Cantinflas and singer Pedro Infante drinking together. The restaurant also has a outdoor patio section with metal tables that give you a relaxed atmosphere. The space is framed with simple white flowing curtains. The food is the real deal here. If it's you're first visit, start by trying their main seller staple dish: chilaquiles. For those of you not familiar, chilaquiles is a dish that varies from state to state in Mexico, but Chef Godinez seems to have embraced the central Mexico City style. Chilaquiles are tortillas cut up and fried, then cooked in a sauce that can be red or green (Anepalco offers both). The tortillas are slowly simmered in the sauce until they become soggy and absorb all the flavors while maintaining a hint of crunchiness. You served them topped with many different ingredients, and Anepalco serves theirs with pick de gallo and avocado mousse on top of omelette style eggs. I wish they would offer sunny side up eggs because that's how I usually eat mine, but even with the omelette style eggs you won't be disappointed. They also have huevos divorciados (divorced eggs) which are over medium eggs with both a red and a green sauce and are served atop a bed of chopped bacon, and sprinkled with cilantro and avocado pieces. The list of yummy dishes goes on an on. They have sandwiches and burgers for all tastes with choices like chicken, carnitas, and even a ratatouille "burger." If you have a sweet tooth like me, you've come to the right place. Anepalco offers crepes with different fruit fillings, but my two favorite desserts (I couldn't just pick one!) are the mango panna cotta and the tres leches (three milk) cake. The panna cotta, which is sprinkled with powder chili (I believe it's Tajín, but I could be wrong), is creamy and refreshing at the same time. Your mouth won't know what hit it! The tres leches cake is rich and moist, served with dulce de leche sauce. Your taste buds will feel like they've died and gone to heaven. Now, without a doubt my favorite thing about Anepalco is their drinks. Bartenders Cesar Cerrudo and Jorge Sánchez make drinks that taste as good or even better than they look. And they look absolutely amazing, so you can just imagine how they taste. They offer a wide variety of drinks that range from the traditional like their Manhattans which are to die for, to the artisanal. Spicy, sweet, or nice and strong, they got it. I've tried a lot of them, but my top favorite are their barrel-aged drinks ('The MF' and 'French Domain' stand out), 'El Charro y Jazmin,' which has tequila, honey, lemon, jasmine liquor, and muddled epazote, an aromatic herb usually used for cooking, but Cesar Cerrudo managed to use it here with wonderful results. My other favorites are not even on the menu, but play nice and ask the bartenders to make them for you. Drinks like 'La Abuelita Caliente' (Hot Grandma), which is made using Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate (hence the name) with liquor de café, crème de menthe and horchata foam. Also, 'el Café del Abuelo,' which is their version of an Irish coffee but with cinnamon and horchata liqueur. And lastly, 'El Cielo y el Infierno' (Heaven and Hell), created by Jorge Sánchez, which has mezcal, lavander essence and is infused with serrano peppers. A truly magnificent experience. And of course, the best service ever. Knowledgeable and friendly staff that go out of their way to offer you a great eating experience. Do yourself a favor and visit them as soon as possible. You'll leave satisfied and ready to be back for more.