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snowpeople

Jan 26, 2005, 7:52 AM

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Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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We will be travelling in a couple weeks with a missionary group and staying one night down to our destination in Zacatecas and one night on the way back in Saltillo. Can you all give us some recommendations on some restaurants to eat at that cater to Americans? My husband and I are pretty adventurous food-wise when we are in Mexico by ourselves, but since we will have some "first-timers" with us, we want to keep the food as safe as possible. I would appreciate any and all recommendations. Since we have a group, buffet-type places are always a plus, but other suggestions will be welcome too. Thanks in advance!

snowpeople

Jan 27, 2005, 12:38 PM

Post #2 of 14 (1269 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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OK, I've found some Zacatecas restaurant suggestions, but I'm still coming up dry on possiblities in Saltillo. The only place I've found any information on is a restaurant called El Tapanco...sounds great but may be too expensive. Can anyone help? We'd be looking for a place for dinner, around $9-10 per person at the most.

jennifer rose

Jan 27, 2005, 12:44 PM

Post #3 of 14 (1267 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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The food at the Hotel Camino Real is always reliable.

Anonimo

Jan 28, 2005, 12:13 AM

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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You all may feel at home in "The Acrópolis", a well known and liked soda fountain and coffeeshop in Zacateca's Centro. Breakfasts, lunches and suppers. The dessert pastries and coffee are especially good.

For a more "exotic" but still maneageable Mexican restaurant, the Restaurant-Bar Cantera Musical, in the lower lever of the same renovated market building as the Acropolis, serves tasty regional dishes.

Saludos,
Anonimo

esperanza

Jan 28, 2005, 4:43 AM

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Re: [Anonimo] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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I second the motion for the Café Nevería Acrópolis, where you'll find not only wonderful food at any meal but also walls covered with art by the Acrópolis's famous patrons. Don't miss it, it's just across the street from the Cathedral.

For another regional treat, stop in for Doña Julia's gorditas, a couple of blocks away on the same street. Doña Julia is a local institution where the gorditas are truly Zacatecas-style. Doña Julia is a real person and has three or four tiny gorditas restaurants in Zacatecas. She's the sponsor of an important athletic club in town. The wheat flour gorditas, split and stuffed with a variety of savory treats, make an excellent breakfast or lunch. Try the bean with cheese, or the pork, or the chicken. They're small—you can eat several--quite inexpensive, and your group can season them to suit their own palates.

Since you're staying overnight in Zacatecas, don't miss the callejonadas, troupes of meandering street musicians that wander the city with an entourage. I always stay at the Posada Tolosa. Just before sundown every evening, a man with a burro and a group of musicians appears in front of this hotel and some other hotels around town. The bands usually consisted of a couple of trumpets, a trombone, a saxophone and one or two drums. A few people gather around to listen, and then a few more. When the crowd is large enough, the musicians and their burro (you'll figure out what he's for, I won't give away all the secrets) begin strolling up a callejon (alleyway) playing razzmatazz music. You follow the crowd up the narrow streets until you reached a charming tiny plaza--Zacatecas is full of these pocket-size parks. The band strikes up a dance tune and everyone dances with everyone else. After a little dance time, the band lead you around a corner and up another alleyway, playing music all the way. A bit of dancing, some more marching along—until suddenly a couple of hours later your heads will be spinning from music and dance and your cheeks aching from laughter.

You'll love Zacatecas.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Jan 29, 2005, 5:02 PM)

Anonimo

Jan 29, 2005, 4:47 AM

Post #6 of 14 (1198 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Getting more "down home" cooking, we have enjoyed the Restaurante "El Tragadero", up Júarez, on the was to the El Éden Mine. It's on the right. The addresss may be Júarez #400, but I'm not certain. They have wonderful soups, esp the garlic-tomato soup, the queso fundido is great, and the enchiladas are tasty. Also serves breakfast.
A pair of nice places in Plazuela Genaro Codina, near Mercado El Laberinto: Panadería "La Flor de México", and (are you ready for this?), next door is a place called "Menudo La Güera", which serves the best menudo we've had anywhere. (It takes guts to eat this spicy stew, but it's loved by more adventurous palates.) BTW, it's a morning thing. In the afternoons, they serve pozole, I think.

Addressing your original post as to "American-type places", you can hardly go wrong with a Sanborns (pretty good, too, and very "safe"), or a VIP's (boring, over-priced medicre food but VERY SAFE! ;-)

Saludos,
Anonimo

snowpeople

Jan 29, 2005, 8:41 AM

Post #7 of 14 (1186 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm not familiar with Sanborn's, but we eat at VIPS all the time in Colima. Are there VIPS in Zacatecas and Saltillo? Just curious. I always prefer eating at local places, but only if I know they are safe. We have several people going on this trip who have never been to Mexico, and I want to do everything I can to keep them well so they will want to go back. Thanks to all who have reponded to my post.

Cynthia7

Jan 29, 2005, 10:15 AM

Post #8 of 14 (1179 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Your biggest problem may not be the food but the time of lunch and dinner. Many times NOB folk want to eat lunch at 11:30 or 12:00 and dinner at 6:00. I remember when I first came to Mexico and saw people eating beans and burritos and cookies for breakfast.

snowpeople

Jan 29, 2005, 12:15 PM

Post #9 of 14 (1170 views)

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Re: [Cynthia7] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Yes, my dh and I know about the later schedule for lunch and dinner. It will be new for some of our folks. They'll manage, I'm sure. Thanks again to all.

Anonimo

Jan 30, 2005, 2:05 AM

Post #10 of 14 (1142 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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I don't think there are any Sanborn's in Zacatecas (sort of a gift shop, card shop, camera store, farmacia de segunda clase, bakery, coffee shop, restaurant.)
I think that your group will be quite happy with Café y Nevería El Acrópolis.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Carron

Jan 30, 2005, 7:38 AM

Post #11 of 14 (1128 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Yes, there is a Sanborns in Zacatecas but it is rather tucked away on a side street near the Laberinto, the old mercado used by the locals. As I remember, the reason we ran across it was that it was also near a Santander bank, where we have an ATM account.

jerezano

Jan 31, 2005, 11:31 AM

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Re: [Carron] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Hello, Yes there is a Sanborn's in Zacatecas. It is right across from the Portales on the main street (one way) leading up to the Cathedral. Parking is a problem. It was opened about 3 years ago and is a full service Sanborn's. The restaurant is upstairs and quite adequate and good. Prices are medium high to high. Group eating (you didn't say how large) is difficult in most restaurants, but I would recommend Costillas de Sancho on the main North South Highway down past Soriana almost to Guadalupe. Do not go to VIPS, its a waste of money. There are various Argentine restaurants with excellent food. For seafood there are two excellent restaurants practically side by side in Guadalupe, Cuco's and the Veracruz. Ambient at Veracruz is better. Food tends to be better but the menu is deceiving. Many items listed but never available. Parking at both is also difficult.

In Saltillo, you might also want to look at the Cazador down by the Cathedral. Local, business-man's restaurant. Good food at very reasonable prices. For more upscale the roof top restaurant at the San Francisco? is excellent with parking in the basement. The hotel is also a comfortable convenient 3 star. If you are planning to overnight in Saltillo I suggest you look for Rancho El Morillo a converted hacienda. No TV except in the bar. No menu for the dining room but they will tell you what they have as comida corrida and will cook up steaks and fries, and normal breakfasts. It is in a quiet out of the way, treed and restful environment and quite reasonable in price. Rooms are basic but comfortable. It is very popular with the German archeologists in the area. 3 star. On the web.

Have fun. Remember that it is winter time and Zacatecas and Saltillo can both be at freezing temperatures.

Adios. Jerezano.

hijodelsol

Jan 31, 2005, 6:20 PM

Post #13 of 14 (1069 views)

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Re: [snowpeople] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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In Zacatecas, La Cuija on the street just behind the Catedral. Excellent!! Also, the restaurant in the Hotel Quinta Real. Both are a real treat. I second the recommendation for Gorditas Dona Julia.

Zacatecas is one of our favorite cities in Mexico. If you have the time, stroll the streets, sit in the parks, visit the wonderful museums. We always make Zacatecas a stop on our trips North.

Bien viaje.

snowpeople

Feb 14, 2005, 3:24 PM

Post #14 of 14 (1019 views)

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Re: [hijodelsol] Restaurants in Zacatecas and Saltillo

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Thanks to all for your suggestions. Zacatecas was fascinating, although we had no time to explore as we got in too late in the evening and had to leave after breakfast the next day. And luckily, the Cafe Acropolis was a short walk from our hotel. We had a wonderful Mexican breakfast with fantastic service! I'm ready to go back to Zac and do a bit of roaming around. I do have to report, though, that driving around those narrow streets in a big 15-passenger van was a little nerve-racking.