Guadalajara Fest Celebrates French Culture

For a delightful place to stroll, relax and grab some great food, it’s hard to beat the Chapultepec Avenue area of Guadalajara. The presence of the American consulate as “Chapultepec Sur”, in the District “Americana,” along with bookstores and American franchises can make it seem like home – only more laid back, with everyone from businesspeople to students, tourists, artists strolling the sidewalks and kids riding their bikes. It’s fairly close to downtown, and provides easy access to bus routes to anywhere in the metropolitan area.

You can find virtually any kind of food, from traditional Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, beef cuts, or flautas to Italian and French cuisine – anything from pasta to baguettes to pizzas, burgers and a wide variety of breakfasts. Most cafes and restaurants have wireless Internet. On weekends, you’ll find a music festival and market selling antiques, jewelry, books, candles, plants, and more. Every Sunday, Vallarta Avenue is closed for use by families.

Good bets for food and drink include:

El Jarro offers a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes, cocktails, and fine wines. It is also well known for their breakfasts, offering both typical Mexican offerings as well as American favorites like waffles and hotcakes.

Stroll a bit further down Libertad Street, lined with trees and hundred-year-old houses, to “La Cafeteria”, a comfortable coffee house serving Mexican and international gourmet dishes. All the baked goods are homemade, with reasonably-priced specials every week that include an entrée or soup, main course, dessert and coffee. Another great coffee house is “El Sorbo de Café,” known for its great coffee drinks, and its homemade bakery.

If you are looking for strong and tasty Mexican brewed coffee, try “Cafe Lulio.” It’s also good for breakfast (such as omelettes or scrambled eggs) as well as salads and baguettes for dinner.

For veggie or chicken meals, walk a little through Lopez Cotilla St. to Goa, an Indian restaurant known for its spicy vegetable and chicken based dishes. Recommended veggie dishes include Shaki Paneer and Palak Aloo. If you are looking for a chicken meal, consider the butter chicken, chicken masala and tamarind chicken. Black Sheep is a British style establishment with cold beer on tap, including European brands such as Stella Artois or Heineken along with got snacks, pizzas and burgers. Finally, for a tasty and different burger try “La Nacional”, where you’ll find portobello pizzas and burgers as well as beef burgers. They also offer Taco Kaliman, a pita filled with arrachera (Mexican beef cut) hummus and avocado along with a wide selection of coffee, wine, and beer.