Food in Guadalajara

One of the reasons I chose to come to Guadalajara was its culinary reputation.  So far, I have not been disappointed.  Here's what I've eaten so far:

Dinner on January 1 was delivered courtesy of UberEats.  Just like in the USA, you order on your phone, pay through the app and it is delivered to your door.  Or in this case, to my lobby since the driver wasn't allowed to come to my room.  For a green chile taco, chicken flauta, picadillo sope, cheese enchilada, 3 kinds of red sauce, one green sauce, cheese, sour cream, lettuce/radishes/lime, a jericallas plus a delivery fee, the meal was less than $10 USD.  And included a ceramic plate!

The world's largest chicken flauta was excellent.

On the plate is, from top to bottom, a cheese enchilada, a taco de rajas (green chile taco) and a sope de picadillo.  A sope is similar to a tostada  - the base is made of masa but thicker than a corn tortilla.  Picadillo is a type of non-spicy hamburger mix.  The taco de rajas was my favorite - roasted green chiles stuffed into a corn tortilla and deep fried.  

On the left is the bag of salad.  in the bag at the top right is the jericalla, which is a type of flan.  Similar to a creme brulee but instead of flaming sugar on top, the top is just baked longer with no additional sugar added.  It was mild, creamy and delicious but would have been easier to eat with a spoon.  

I was surprised that the Coke came in a glass bottle.  I was even more surprised that the bag of food include this ceramic plate.  A gift?  A mistake?  Am I expected to return it? Can't wait to order UberEats from another restaurant to see if I get another plate!

 My second meal was breakfast on January 2.  Because my check-in was delayed so long, the hotel gave me a voucher for their buffet breakfast, which is typically a $7 charge.  I've rarely been impressed with buffet  breakfasts in hotels.  In my experience there is usually limited variety and poor quality.  Not the case today!  I may be paying the $7 for breakfast here every day.

The buffet choices included both whole and cut fruits (apples, oranges, kiwi, pears, pineapple, cantelope, watermelon).  Also, a variety of yogurts and toppings.  The hot foods included several types of sausages/chorizo, potatoes, refried beans, a beef chile stew, a chicken chile stew, pancakes.  There were a variety of Mexican breads, some sweet, some savory.  There was also tossed salad, cold cuts and cheese.  And, a station for custom eggs/omelettes.

I was intrigued by the drink dispenser.  There was orange juice and "Jugo Verde" which was translated as "Green Juice".  I asked the hostess what it was.  I was reminded that when you ask a Mexican a question in Spanish, chances are they will reply in Spanish.  Which means,  if your Spanish is as pathetic as mine, you'll get the gist of the answer without all the details.  Basically it seems that Green Juice is a combo of orange juice, apple juice, spinach and a couple of other things I didn't catch.  Que rico - very good - I'll try it tomorrow, since I'd already helped myself to OJ.

While each patron helped themselves to the buffet, there were friendly ladies bringing us coffee and cleaning up to keep tables available for new patrons. 

My breakfast included (from the top) some pineapple and cantaloupe, a sweet biscuit that was crumbly and excellent, some salad and a slice of cheese, refried beans, chicken stew and beef stew.  It took everything I had to not go back for seconds.

When I sat down I put my purse on the floor.  Whoops - cultural no-no.  The waitress brought a coat tree and hung it for me.

The good news is I'll be doing way more walking than usual to help work off all the calories.