This colorful Mexican restaurant is the anchor of El Mercado, or the Central Market. It is enormous, open 24 hours ("we never close") and has a wonderful assortment of authentic food that your dear grandma would have cooked if she were Mexican. This establishment began in 1941 with three tables, but now the family business can seat over 500 diners.
You can sit indoors or outdoors, and despite its many tables the place fills up during peak times. The large interiors are sectioned into smaller rooms and are colorfully adorned with murals, pinatas and typical Mexican paper decorations. There are roving musicians who are eager to play a song at your table, but there are placards that clearly indicate that they charge five dollars a tune so keep that in mind. A smile and a simple nod of the head will shoo them away, and fortunately they are not too pesky. Enough customers will want a song so you will definitely hear a few serenades during your meal. Ladies selling loads of colorful trinkets (flowers, head wreaths) also circulate the room, so it really feels like you are dining in Mexico. With all the music and mayhem around you, there is a festive atmosphere that is not too annoying or loud.
Breakfast is served all day, so you can get chorizo and eggs anytime here. I ate a late lunch here, and complimentary chips and salsa start things off. I ordered the pollo enchiladas platter, with two enchiladas wrapped around shredded chicken and lathered with mole sauce that is not too sweet and not too spicy. The tasty and filling dish is accompanied with Spanish rice, refried beans (sorry, not whole beans) and tortillas. Enchiladas topped with verde (green) sauce are a bit more familiar with dabs of sour cream and guacamole. Cabrito, a popular dish with goat, is one of the more interesting selections on the menu. Typical offerings include tacos, tamales, flautas, menudo, and chile relleno. If you do not want a beer or margarita, the lemonade is quite refreshing. The prices at Mi Tierra are reasonable, but if you are on a tight budget you can still get something at the impressive bakery counter, stacked with many decadent Mexican treats.
The most interesting dessert was the Mexican ice cream. A ball of vanilla ice cream is covered with a crunchy coating. It is then fried, topped with cream and cajeta sauce, and served in a sopapilla shell, an edible bowl of sugar-coated fried dough. After a filling entree, you may want to split this sweet dessert with your honey and see your dentist afterwards. Other selections include flan and cheesecake.
There is a counter selling t-shirts featuring a portrait of Zapata, along with caps, CD’s and candies. Mi Tierra is a good dining spot and a colorful cultural experience, and what more can you ask for? The food may not better than what I have enjoyed in Mexico, but it is reasonably close.