Virtuoso Life - July/August 2008 - (Page 44) LUXE REPORT | CITY TO GO fungus) for a modern take on the country’s rich culinary traditions. Housed in a seventeenth-century Carmelite monastery, San Angel Inn (Diego Rivera 50 at Altavista; 55/5616-1402) offers regional dishes such as chicken in mole sauce, with an extensive wine list and outdoor seating in a garden setting. For a panoramic view of the city’s zócalo and its huge cathedral, dine at La Casa de las Sirenas (Guatemala 32, Centro Histórico; 55/5704-3225). A colonial-era home with a rooftop terrace, this “House of the Mermaids” pours an extensive selection of tequilas and offers dishes such as roast duck in tamarind sauce. » Drink The decor at Cibeles (Plaza Villa de Madrid 17, Roma; 55/52082029) combines minimalist chic with baroque elegance. Signature cocktails include a cool cucumber martini, ideal on a balmy night. For the city’s best wine selection, head for Tierra de Vinos (Durango 197, Roma; 55/5208-5133), a cozy enoteca with tapas and wines from Baja California and beyond. Soak up the downtown vibe at Bar La Opera (Cinco de Mayo 10; 55/5512-8959), a fin de siècle cantina frequented by itinerant musicians. Try a michelada cubana, beer served on ice with lemon, chile, and Worcestershire sauce, and look for the bullet hole in the ceiling reputedly made by Mexican Revolution hero Pancho Villa. » Shop Avant-garde creations in silver and gold by premier jewelry designer Daniel Espinosa, a native of Taxco, can be found in two eponymous boutiques (Tamaulipas 72, Condesa; 55/5211-3994; and Mexico City International Airport; 55/2598-0127). On Saturdays, head for the Bazar del Sábado (Plaza San Jacinto 11, San Angel), an arts market held weekly since 1960. Inside find intricately worked handicrafts, textiles, and furniture, as well as a café and live marimba music. Outside, regional artists and vendors sell paintings, folk art, and antiques. The government-run Fonart stores (www.fonart.gob.mx) offer a wide range of crafts from around the country, from colorful ceramic figurines to blown glass and guitars, and they guarantee fair trade for the artisans. » Stay Enviably situated on the Paseo de la Reforma, the city’s grand boulevard, the Four Seasons Hotel México, D.F., offers a tranquil oasis close to Chapultepec Park. The 240 spacious rooms, including 40 suites that overlook a fountain courtyard, are decorated in dynamic colors and feature terry robes and down pillows. Hotel highlights include a stylish spa with pool and sundeck, and the Reforma 500 restaurant, where guests dine on contemporary Mediterranean cuisine on a patio terrace. Doubles from $350, including daily breakfast, a fruit platter on arrival, and welcome cocktails for two at El Bar. BY ADAM CRITCHLEY Magical Realism Modern art, avant-garde shopping, and traditional gourmet dining in Mexico City. » Go For The Force of Realism at the Museo de Arte Moderno (www. bellasartes.gob.mx), where more than 170 paintings, sculptures, architectural drawings, and photographs chart the development of Mexican art from the first half of the twentieth century. Showcasing the influence of European surrealism and the trend toward “art for art’s sake,” the exhibition, which runs through July 6, includes works by the country’s modern masters: Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, Olga Costa, and Raúl Anguiano. Also on display through July 27 is The Tradition of Ruptures, Mexican art from the second half of the twentieth century, commemorating the centenary of the birth of the Spanish surrealist Remedios Varo, who lived most of her adult life in Mexico. » Eat The signature restaurant of chef Martha Ortiz Chapa (daughter of the painter Martha Chapa), Aguila y Sol (Emilio Castelar 229, Polanco; 55/52818354) serves haute cuisine using indigenous ingredients like huitlacoche (corn Above: Museo de Arte Moderno. From left: The museum’s sunlit dome, Daniel Espinosa jewelry, and the opulent Bar La Opera. 44 V I RT U O S O L I F E GREGORY ALLEN http://www.fonart.gob.mx
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