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[MUSIC]
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My name is Daniel Hernandez.
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I'm the editor of Vice Mexico.
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We're here outside the Vice Mexico offices in
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Colonia Roma, in Mexico City.
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And today we are gonna take a shotgun tour of
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three classic Mexico City fondas.
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[MUSIC]
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I think that Fonda's faithfully reflect
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the gastronomical traditions of
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past generations in Mexico.
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At a Fonda, everyone is equal.
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Usually, there is
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a menu of the day served around lunch time.
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And this starts off with soup, and
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then comes rice, or
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pasta, and then the main dish, or Quisado.
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[MUSIC]
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Right now we're heading to La Beatricita, which
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has been in operation in Mexico City since 1910.
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La Senora Beatrice Mucino developed tacos that
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became famous among rioters and
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politicians in Mexico.
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And we're going to try the famous Paquete,
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the 58 peso breakfast package.
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So, [LAUGH] we're gonna go and check it out.
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[MUSIC]
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>> Well this restaurant is full of tradition.
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It has been around since 1907.
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And since 1972 we have been in Zona Rosa.
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I think the secret, more than anything else,
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is the love we have for the restaurant.
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I am currently the last descendant of that
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generation.
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And this is the last restaurant we still have,
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after more than 100 years of business.
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And the main thing is
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that the flavor has not changed.
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That is very difficult to maintain.
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[MUSIC]
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>> Just like many others have done, and
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her brother migrated to Mexico City in search of
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a better life.
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They set up a that gradually became famous
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and grown and
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is still known today as La Beatricita.
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100 years later, you can
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have La Beatricita what back in the day
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[MUSIC]
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>> The main thing that most people enjoy is the
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mole poblano, made with our traditional recipe.
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So we have managed to conserve our
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original recipes so that when people come,
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it tastes exactly the same.
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This is the special taco.
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It is fried tortilla,
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filled with chicken breast,
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topped with the house specialty, which is mole,
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and then cheese and sour cream.
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[MUSIC]
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What do you think of the mole?
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Have you ever tried anything like it?
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>> Off the bat, I would say no.
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[LAUGH] >> No,
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it is very different.
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That is the pozole.
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Look, here it is.
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that is the pozole.
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Look, here it is. If you want you can add
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onion, oregano, and a little bit of salsa.
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But, be careful it is very spicy.
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To accompany it, you take a bite of the tostada,
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and then you eat the pozole.
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>> It doesn't feel heavy like pozole usually does.
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This one isn't greasy.
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>> No, it's actually very light,
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because the meat is very lean.
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Look, these are the flans.
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This one is vanilla and caramel.
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And this one is coconut flan.
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It is a bit more cake-like,
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and it is baked.
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>> Let's do it. [MUSIC]
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Lunchtime.
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[MUSIC]
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Here we are in Colonia Guerrero, a popular,
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historic, very old barrio close to
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the historic city of Mexico City.
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It's time to have lunch.
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For many people in Mexico City it's
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the most important meal of the day,
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the biggest meal of the day.
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In this case,
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I've heard good things about the chili relleno,
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so I'm not sure what I'm gonna have yet but
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I'm leaning toward the chili relleno.
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[MUSIC]
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>> Welcome and enjoy.
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We hope to satisfy.
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The food you eat during your visit is flavorful,
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delicious and exquisite.
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If life's delicacies are what you are after,
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it's whatever food the customer asks for.
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Fly away birdie with your adorning beauty, but
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remember what awaits you at Fonda La Reforma.
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>> Bravo.
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[APPLAUSE] [LAUGH] >> Someone wrote that in
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exchange for a quick meal.
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So that's just its popularity.
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It is very popular.
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>> We were all born here in this neighborhood and
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so were our children.
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We are all family.
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That is my son.
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That is my son.
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The waitress is my niece.
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The man with grey hair is my brother.
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We are all family.
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>> This place was established 80 years ago.
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>> 80 years.
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>> We used to be across the street,
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next to the chicken place.
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We were there for 75 years.
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>> So if you were there for
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75 years, you have been here for less, right?
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>> Yes. >> Less than
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ten years here.
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>> My mother founded this restaurant.
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She's the one who took care of me and
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my 20 brothers.
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She cooked really well.
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She cooked any kind of dish.
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[MUSIC]
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Here the family specials are rice, pork rinds,
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stuffed chilies, mole, pork stew, and the soup.
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>> Excellent.
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Let's get started with the menu.
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I'll start with the soup.
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Flabby soup.
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Warm and made from scratch.
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Warm and delicious.
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>> The soup is prepared with chicken stock,
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pork stock, onion, garlic, and tomato.
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>> Now we are starting the second course,
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which is the rice.
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It is a staple dish.
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There are a couple of chili peppers thrown in.
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>> The rice is made with corn, peas,
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carrots and chilies.
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>> Now we are going to try the chile relleno
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at La Reforma,
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a diner with lots of history and tradition.
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It is in an area of Mexico City
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that tourists might night visit, but
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those who are in the know, know.
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This is a chile relleno,
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made of dried chile ancho.
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A red chili.
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The breading, the chili and the cheese.
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A perfect trifecta.
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It tastes like real home cooking,
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like it was carefully prepared by them.
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It is delicious.
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So dessert is here.
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It is just a little something,
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half an orange, which I think is perfect.
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A good ending to a good meal,
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here at La Reforma in Colonia Guerrero.
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[MUSIC]
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So, the day isn't over yet.
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We're gonna go to a place called Fonda Margarita
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in a few hours and a, and a bit longer.
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This is a place that is special because it's open
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only from sunrise to before noon.
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[MUSIC]
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So, it's just past 5 a.m.
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The streets of Mexico City are pretty empty.
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And now, we're headed to Fonda Margarita famously
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only opens you know, between dawn and noon of
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the next day and, so I've never had the chance to
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make it here even though I've heard about this
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place for forever and have been wanting to go.
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Never had that warrior status to
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make it here after a long night of drinking.
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But we're on our way there now.
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[MUSIC]
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[FOREIGN] Looks like there is the pork rinds,
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beef in pasilla chilli.
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Looks like there is the pork rinds,
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beef in pasilla chilli.
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That one is the pancita.
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>> Yes, it is.
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>> It looks delicious.
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>> We have been here for about 48 years.
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We always have the best, freshest ingredients.
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We never serve leftovers.
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Look, this is pork in salsa.
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>> Ooh.
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>> This is longaniza, sausage.
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>> This is just being prepared,
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they are refried beans.
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>> And that is lard?
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>> Uh-huh.
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>> Yummy.
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>> And this is where we cook ribs, eggs.
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>> Damn, everything looks delicious.
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[MUSIC]
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>> Well the first to arrive are the ones who
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haven't slept yet.
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Next come the early birds,
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mostly older people.
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A little bit later the families start to arrive.
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>> And the dishes start to run out,
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and it's over, but
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people are still in line, aren't they?
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>> Yes, we send someone to tell them that all we
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have left are eggs,
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beans, or grilled chicken.
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Everyone says that is fine and stay in line.
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Sometimes it's 1 pm and
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all we are serving is eggs.
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Here even our eggs are tasty.
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[MUSIC]
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>> This is sausage and egg.
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>> This is pancita, beef tripe soup.
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I am dying to try it, can I?
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[MUSIC]
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Let's pass this over to our colleague, Danny D.
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This is carne asada with guacamole.
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Damn, I think I am done.
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[LAUGH] I think 24 hours of
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visiting fondas in DF has taken its toll.
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[LAUGH] In a city that has so
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many Fondas, I think everyone has that one
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place that they swear is the best.
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The only rule here is,
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you're in the know, then you're in the know.
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[MUSIC]