Britt's Picks: Cielito Querido Cafe

As an undergrad studying interior architecture, I had to redesign the interior of a coffee shop–a point of inspiration for that project was the very modern, very hip Cielito Querido Cafe chain in Mexico City. On a recent trip there, I knew I wanted to keep an eye out for it and discovered one of their many cafes by serendipity in Polanco.

Everything at Cielito Querido, from the menu on the wall to the coffee cups, is covered in bold, witty typographic phrases and bright colors–really a graphic designers dream! Their packaging (which we featured in a blog post on Mexican inspired packaging not too long ago) and merchandise reflects the cafe's theme, and I picked up one of their ceramic mugs that read "En Tu Boca Llevaras Sabor De Mi".

When I first walked in to the cafe, I wondered if their food could possibly be as wonderful as the place itself–and it was! They even served ponche and mini Roscas de Reyes (part of my lunch for that day) and delicious sandwiches. Delicious design and delicious food–a highlight of my trip to the city!

A Recipe for Homemade Ponche

Ponche, a delicous Mexican hot fruit punch, is always synonymous with the holidays–and though I've never actually made it myself, I've watched year after year as my mom prepares it around Christmastime. I did, however, get the recipe to make it from her, so you all can try your hand at making ponche:

What you'll need:

-1 1/2 gallons of water
-1 pound of tejocotes (small fruits that you can find at a Mexican grocery store)
-1 pound guavas
-6-8 cinnamon sticks
-2 piloncillos (a special compacted brown sugar you can find at a Mexican grocery store)
-1 small bag of tamarindo
-1 pound of sugar cane

What to Do:

1. Add the 1 1/2 gallons of water to a pot.
2. Chop the tejocotes and guavas in small pieces, and peel the tamarindo.
3. Add the chopped tejocotes, guavas, and peeled tamarindo to the pot, along with the 2 piloncillos and 1 pound of sugar cane.
4. Boil for 45 minutes to an hour.

Image found here.