Editor’s Note: In the latest installment of our recurring First Stop feature, we asked documentary photographer and art director Mónica Rodríguez to share some of her favorite bites and sips in Guadalajara. Mónica is the photographer for the Guía Domingo book series, a taco photobook and guide whose third edition, Tacos Guadalajara, is available now. You can follow Mónica on Instagram @monicardz___ Guadalajara is one of the best food cities in all of Mexico. If you were to tell me that I’m going to Guadalajara right now, the first thing I’d do is go for breakfast at a taquería that I discovered when I went to shoot the photos for the book Guía Domingo. It’s a street cart called Tacos al Vapor Don Fede. I love the vibe of this place. You can tell that it has its lifelong customers – some go there for breakfast before work; there is nothing more Mexican than eating a taco while standing in the middle of the street. When I visited it was springtime and there were many jacaranda trees painting the street purple.

Athens’s central and largest food market is located off of National Road, between downtown Athens and Piraeus port, in an industrial area called Rendis. It covers about 60 acres of land and was inaugurated back in 1959 when the city realized that the two existing markets of Piraeus and central Athens were not enough to cover the population’s needs. But there was also a vision of developing Rendis (which back then was an agricultural zone, with lots of farmers working the fields in the area) as the main source of food supply for the city of Athens. Moreover, the location that was picked for the market was convenient, as it is easy to access both from the north and south of Attica. For visitors today, it’s best to drive there or take a taxi, and once you approach the market, you’ll notice the huge trucks heading towards it. Larger shops selling vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat and hundreds of other food products line the entrance and wind around the main market gate.

Rissóis (plural) are half-moon-shaped savory pastries of peasant origins, and from grandmothers' houses to bakeries to the classic tascas, they are as ubiquitous in Portugal as cod fritters. However, the rissol is less popular than its contender, even though it is the perfect appetizer for any occasion, with a variety of different fillings which range from minced beef to shrimp.

Mention Thonburi to Bangkok people, and they’re likely to picture a distant, suburban – perhaps even rural – enclave. But the neighborhood is located just across the Chao Phraya River from Bangkok, imminently accessible via river-crossing ferries, bridges, and the Skytrain, and is home to a less-publicized yet visit-worthy, vibrant food scene. In particular, one Thonburi street, Thanon Tha Din Daeng, in the Khlong San area, is home to a huge variety of excellent legacy restaurants and stalls, not to mention a decent market, all of which can be visited on foot – a rarity in Bangkok.

Pintxo bars abound in Bilbao, concentrated in the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo, the old town on the shores of the Nervion estuary. Known colloquially as Zazpikaleak (“seven streets” in the Basque language), this is where the city was born, and its streets are still full any day of the week with residents, shoppers, tradesmen and locals doing some old-fashioned poteo. If you plan on stepping foot in this Basque capital, you’d better learn what poteo is firsthand. The endurance required to barhop with a Basque is real, especially considering this social act consists of downing glass of wine after glass of wine in what is essentially a bar crawl. Fortunately, the Basques have invented their own coping mechanism – the pintxo.

On March 27 of this year, Monique and Josef, the Moroccan-born couple that own Patisserie Avyel, plan to roast a turmeric-coated lamb shoulder above a bed of onions. My friend Judith, whose family hails from Algeria’s Tlemcen region, will blend almonds and raisins into mlosia, a thick jam. And, in my apartment, I will simmer matzo balls in chicken broth as my Lithuanian ancestors once did. All of us Marseillais will be cooking these foods for Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. While Jewish celebrations and cooking are as intertwined as the braided challah bread we eat on Shabbat – “all of our fêtes pass through the kitchen,” quips Frédérique, a Marseillaise with Tunisian roots.

Bangkok’s bustiling energy is largely attributed to the endless latticework of diverse food found along street corners or tucked away in high rises – a unique culinary world reflects the city’s rich multicultural heritage. One street stall in particular, Amin Mutton & Chicken Biryani, embodies the soul of Bangkok’s Thai-Muslim community and carries nearly a century-old legacy. For generations, an iconic eatery simply named Muslim Restaurant served as a culinary institution, gathering local families, neighboring students, and the Muslim community around tables filled with humble dishes. Its closure in 2020 left a void in the community, but not long after, a few former staff members took it upon themselves to keep the legacy alive.

If you turn the corner onto Calle Pelota and see a swarm of people in the street, wine glasses in hand, dive right in. You have officially left the tourist pintxo routes in Bilbao's historic Casco Viejo neighborhood and entered the realm of the locals, who storm the streets daily in search of a good spot for a drink and a bite before lunch and before dinner. Many believe that the fame of Basque pintxos – small bites offered on the counter of almost every bar – is the result of a culinary phenomenon, but it really comes from a social one. When you step through the door of Taberna Basaras, you have found one of the best places to take part in it. This tiny tavern – barely a counter, half a dozen stools, and many, many bottles of wine – offers a concentrated essence of what the Basque people expect when they go out to potear – the habit of meeting with pals to go from bar to bar: Friendly atmosphere, rich wines, and simple but tasty snacks.

In Bilbao, some might tell you that the art is inside the Guggenheim Museum, but most would argue it’s found at the counter of a good tavern. Here, the pintxo de tortilla (AKA Spanish omelette) is enough to stir emotions just like a Chillida sculpture – and yes, it can make or break a bar’s reputation. That’s why, even though it might seem simple, serving tortillas in this city is a serious matter. Manu Urra and Andoni Ibarguren knew that when they opened Txintxirri in 2019, but they didn’t hesitate to make this pintxo their calling card. They pulled it off – even through a pandemic. “And it has evolved so much. When I look at the ones I made back then, I don’t like them at all. There’s always room to improve, and I’m still working on it,” Ibarguren admits.

Walk down a narrow, unmarked lane in Ko Ratanakosin, the artificial island that’s the birthplace of Bangkok, and keep your eyes peeled for a wooden, gingerbread-style mansion not far from the Democracy Monument – there is no sign here. If the gate is open, Ban Wannakovit is in operation. Walk past a traditional Thai spirit house to the front porch, which is lined with a few tables, or continue inside the house, where dining tables mingle with family portraits, antique furniture, and other heirlooms. If there’s any homier dining experience in Bangkok, we haven’t found it.

Editor’s Note: We asked Culinary Backstreets tour leader Francisco de Santiago, better known as Paco, to share some of his favorite spots to eat and drink in Guadalajara. Paco is a Mexico City native who has a deep passion for his country's cuisine. He is also a sort of renaissance man – a former champion chess player, bullfighter, and more recently, a professional gastro-guide – and Culinary Backstreets’ local expert on all things Mexico. Paco paid a recent visit to Guadalajara, a city close to his heart and the site of our newest food tour. As Guadalajara is a huge city (the second largest in the country, after Mexico City), there are many different ways to experience it. It’s famous among Mexicans because of the unique food you can enjoy only here, such as the torta ahogada, birria or jericalla.

Around here, we all have a recipe for carne en su jugo and think our grandma’s is the best. A very local and traditional dish, it consists of beef cooked in its own juices – as its name in Spanish suggests – along with bacon and beans, and served with different toppings, such as diced onion and cilantro. To prepare this very flavorful and aromatic stew, the beef is cut into thin strips and simmered in a broth made from tomatillo sauce and chile verde – a recipe supposedly invented by a family in Los Altos de Jalisco (the highlands just outside the city) and passed down through generations, becoming a Guadalajara staple. Locals who want to enjoy this meal outside the home usually head to Santa Tere (also known as Santa Teresita), a bustling and historic barrio located northwest of Guadalajara's city center, home to a concentration of classic Mexican spots that specialize in carne en su jugo. Of course, they all claim to be the original creators. It’s a mystery that has never been solved, but we have bravely endured the uncertainty over the years, tasting the dish whenever we get the chance.

In recent years, the city of Guadalajara has grown so much that it’s starting to merge with the little pueblitos surrounding it. That’s the case with San Isidro, which is now a highly urbanized area but where you can also find some places that still feel like the old days. One of them is Fonda Doña Mica, a must-visit breakfast spot that was a well-kept secret until it went viral a year ago, famous for its traditional cooking and handmade wood-fired tortillas. Driving 40 minutes from the city center just to eat here may sound crazy, but hundreds of people do it daily – that’s how good it is.