Mexico City | Pujol

I'm making a new cardinal rule for wine pairings - don't start with tequila. I mean when in Rome, right? No. So - where does that leave me when it comes to Pujol?  Somewhere between a rock and a hard place.

I had been controlling my hunger for the day in preparation of this meal. Feedback from others that had gone before me noted that there was a lot of food. Like most tastings, while each dish has a small portion, they add up quickly. That being said, I entered Pujol with high expectations and an empty stomach.

The reservation was for 8 people. The ambiance is dark with simple furnishings. The tables are bare or neatly clothed with white table cloths so not to distract from the experience of the menu itself. A few members of our party were late. One person suggested we start with sipping Mezcal while we waited for everyone else to arrive. They all say this: but at the time it sounded like a good idea. I'll admit that my decisions are heavily influenced by peer pressure. If everyone is getting something I am not yet independent enough to say no. It's no excuse, it's just an observation at this point. 

So an empty stomach, combined with strong tequila and initially tiny portions means that 20 minutes later I was pickled. To the best of my memory, was an amazing experience. The pictures definitely don't do it justice - especially the baby corn with ant larvae in the big wooden bowls. Amen. And the Churros - blessed by angels. I'm pretty sure at one point I had a lovely bite of just pig fat - but who's to say? The pictures that I took hopefully shows how good the food actually was 

There's something to be learned about what happened that night. One: it's a rude awakening to know that you spent something close to $200 on a meal that you can't remember. Two: Know your audience, grow up and acknowledge your limits. The other members at the table were mostly men, one from Australia and another from New Zealand. They. Can. Drink. And I can't. I should have been honest to acknowledge these basic facts, but sometimes logic slips away from you when you are trying to get to know a new group of people. You want to keep up, make friends, because then you know you'll be invited out again. But at the same time, I'm traveling with these people for a year. I have to stay grounded and know what I'm capable of which is not what I did.

At this point, it's a part of the learning experience. While I can't say for sure that I'm going to be able to change my behavior going forward permanently, I'm learning to be more cognizant of my actions. I'm being more intentional about how I reflect on experiences like this with hopes that small incremental changes will amount to progress. Not sure what the end goal is yet, but it's safe to say I'd like to be fully functioning for reservations like this going forward.