A few weeks ago we wanted to get out of bustling Mexico City, but we only had one day free, so we decided to look for a place where we could see some sights, eat, enjoy ourselves and still be back before the day was over. We found not just one, but two gorgeous towns that fit the bill in the state of Hidalgo, just over an hour north of Mexico City. The picturesque town of Real del Monte, also known as Mineral del Monte, is a small pueblo mágico (the Ministry of Tourism’s designation for a unique and historically significant village) with a long and rich heritage. It was one of the first mining towns the Spanish established after La Conquista. Much of the silver and gold mined during the colonial and post-colonial periods came from this part of the country.

The first inhabitants of what is modern-day Mexico City subsisted on mostly plants and grains. Their daily protein intake came from nixtamalized corn, beans, insects and, in smaller amounts, fish and game. When the Spanish brought pork, chicken and cattle to the New World, the local diet changed forever.

In the past couple of years, in the fashionable neighborhoods of Mexico City, a panoply of high-class hamburger joints has opened. To delineate their distinction from anything to do with Mexico, most of them have names in English, and their menus offer burgers fashioned from ground sirloin, Kobe or Wagyu beef, with toppings as diverse as imported Stilton, caramelized onion and even foie gras. Their decoration is similarly varied, from sidewalk café to faux diner to intimate and candlelit. Perhaps predictably, at these emporiums the clients pay as much for a burger as they would in New York, Los Angeles or maybe even Tokyo.

For those of us who like a long, boozy lunch unimpeded by thoughts of going back to work – at least once in a while – there is no better place for it than a Mexico City cantina. Although they are mostly no-frills establishments lit by fluorescent bulbs, cantinas have as much personality as London pubs, Paris cafés or New York bars. In a far from egalitarian city, they are the most democratic institutions. Anyone who can afford the price of a drink (which limits the population drastically) is welcome.

Kim is an avid traveler who divides her time among sniffing out new ingredients in markets, poking through bookstores around the globe and teaching at Grand Arts High School in downtown Los Angeles. Poon is a food, travel and lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles.

Fonda El Refugio is a name that you will likely come across when looking at guides to Mexico City. The small restaurant in Zona Rosa, a popular tourist destination, has been serving authentic Mexican food for more than 57 years. Politicians, artists, writers and all kinds of celebrities have dined here over all those decades. Renowned writer Octavio Paz chose this restaurant’s food for his banquet with the Mexican president after receiving the Nobel Prize in literature in 1990.

Just a block away from Mexico City’s financial district, one unlikely food star sets up shop every morning. From Monday to Saturday, at La Abuela, 72-year-old Arnulfo Serafin Hernandéz feeds hungry office workers, commuters, neighbors, school kids, government officials and tourists from all over the world with one of the simplest Mexican dishes: tacos de canasta.

Editor’s note: We asked writer JJ Goode where he heads first for food when he lands in Mexico City. He has written about food and travel for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet, Bon Appétit and many other publications. He is also the co-author of Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand, with Andy Ricker; A Girl and Her Pig, with April Bloomfield; Truly Mexican andTacos, Tortas, and Tamales, with Roberto Santibañez; and Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, with Masaharu Morimoto.

On our list of favorite Mexican comfort foods, the tamal would likely come in near the top. Simple, yet extremely versatile, tamales share pre-Hispanic roots with the tortilla. A corn masa very similar to the kind created during the nixtamalization process to make tortillas is used as the base for delicious tamales. Recently, we found a first-rate version of this ancient food from a new street vendor located just blocks from the Monumento a la Revolución.

In Mexico, magic is all around us. It’s in the architecture, history, way of life – and, of course, the food. The country’s Ministry of Tourism is no stranger to this magic, and in fact, fully grasping its economic possibilities, it created the Pueblos Mágicos program in 2001 to recognize villages that are unique and historically significant. There are now 80 such pueblos mágicos across the country, and one of our favorites is just a short drive away from Mexico City.

Carnitas, a pork dish that originated in the state of Michoacán, can be found in restaurants, markets and street stalls all over Mexico City – it’s a fixture of the chilango diet. The other day, we received an invitation to visit a carnitas place that our host said would blow our minds – and that’s definitely the kind of offer we never refuse.

Editor’s note: In the latest installment of our recurring feature, First Stop, we asked Asia-based photographer David Hagerman where he stops first for food when he arrives in Mexico City. Hagerman’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, AFAR, SBS Feast and the Wall Street Journal, among many other publications.

If you think you know quesadillas, think again. Since 1964, the Montoya family has been preparing a version that defies the concept, even by Mexican standards. We were told that in the Guerrero neighborhood – undeservedly considered a rough area – we would find a quesadilla so large that just one would be enough to feed two people. We consider ourselves good eaters, so we took this as a challenge.

Several weeks ago, we visited the ecological reserve of Xochimilco to meet some of the people who are trying to make a difference in food production in Mexico City. Aboard a colorful trajinera, or boat, we enjoyed a delicious salad made with local produce, as well as chicharrón, guacamole and locally produced cheese while Ricardo Rodriguez, owner of De La Chinampa, explained to us what the project is all about. “We’re trying to connect producers with consumers. What we do is bring the food from the soil to the table, always making sure the small and local producers benefit from this trade and keeping in mind where the food comes from and its history. Our main goal is the ecological restoration of the zone through the commercialization of the local products.”

Juan Pablo Ballesteros comes from a family of entrepreneurs. In 1912, his great-grandfather, Rafael Ballesteros, opened Café Tacuba, which is today a food landmark in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. Not far from this culinary treasure is Los Limosneros, which Juan Pablo opened more than a year ago, seeking to continue his family’s legacy while building a reputation of his own.