La Mascota Cantina (as seen on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations)

(exactly what my vision looked like after several drinks)

Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's drunken Mexico taping of his show, No Reservations, me and my sous, Aldo, decided to seek out La Mascota. Located by the Salto de Agua metro station, sits the historic Cantina La Mascota, on Calle Mesones, 20 (Bolívar). Opened in 1941, this is one of many places to drink and experience Mexican culture in Centro Historico. When you start drinking, servers start bringing out tapas (free of charge). The rule of thumb here is: The more you drink, the more they'll feed you. On this afternoon, the tapas menu included satisfying items like: Barbacoa, Rico Pozole, Pollo, Chile Relleno, Chiccarron con salsa verde, Quesadilla con papa, and several others totaling 8 or 9 dishes. The cantina is packed most days during lunch hours and live entertainment is always jamming. The band rocked some Beatles hits, along with other popular Mexican rock songs. A shot of 30-30, a pina colada and sangria, couple Coronas, and a lot of food later, I was finished. It was quite the lunch.

(Barbacoa w/ consomme)

(bottom: Quesadillas con papa; top: Chicken con salsa rojo)