This is a Mexican grocery store

One of the things I miss most about California is the delicious Mexican food. I knew in moving to DC that I would not have the same wealth of Mexican restaurants but I assumed I would be able to buy the ingredients to make my own. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

I made it my mission to find three things, 1. a Mexican grocery store, 2. a Panaderia and 3. a good Mexican restaurant. It took a little while but by my fourth month in the city I successfully located “Little Mexico.” You have to take the metro and a bus to get there but it is so worth it for this California girl. On my first visit a fellow California native went with me. We ate delicious tacos and loaded up on bread from La Flor de Puebla bakery. It was wonderful to have a taste of home. At the time there were only small grocery stores but a few months later La Grande opened. I almost went into shock when I stepped inside, it didn’t have everything, but I could finally buy Guerrero tortillas and fresh jalapeños!

But this post isn’t really about that. It’s about California. While I was home I decided to take photos of what a real Mexican grocery store looks like (outside of Mexico of course). For all of you that have never been to California or who call Chipotle “Mexican food”—this is a Mexican grocery store.

Of course I was much too busy eating the delicious food from the restaurant section of the store to take a photo. It’s amazing though. Agua fresca, fresh tortillas, chicharrones, carne asada and more. Plus it’s all delicious. What is this magical store called? Cardenas. They have excellent customer service, the store is always clean, the prices are right, Mexican music plays and they have a beautiful mural of a hacienda around the entire store. You better believe I stocked up when I was here. My mom shipped it all to me last week. I just wish I could have brought home queso fresco and fresh meats.

If you want a taste of Mexico or California while you are in DC feel free to drop me a line. I’m always willing to share my culture and love of Mexican food with others. Or you can check out the many events at the Mexican Cultural Institute. The Mexican Table series is fabulous and Patricia Jinich who hosts them is funny, smart and an amazing cook.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did. I can’t wait to cook some delicious Mexican treats this weekend!

Update: This post is not meant to diss MD’s Little Mexico. I visit regularly. It’s more a response to the many people that mix up Mexican food with other Latin foods. Each country has it’s own culture and flavor. I’m just sharing mine.