A short (on words) post today to introduce you to the wonders of the Mexican pastelería – specifically, the Pastelería Ideal we found ourselves in on our first afternoon in Mexico. Lured in by fabulous baking smells and a huge crowd of people, we spent quite a while in there, looking, not buying, intrigued by the promise of an exposition upstairs…
A peek inside revealed festive decorations (with the ubiquitous piñata)…
Forgoing (for the time being) the tasty treats downstairs, we headed up to the “exhibition”. Oh my, what a treat for the eyes awaited us…
Possibly the largest cakes I have ever seen. So gaudy elaborate that they just didn’t seem real. Or if they did, it would be a shame to cut into them…
Catering to all sorts of tastes…
Yes, there is a lucha libre-themed cake. And a 10kg Hello Kitty. Hello, heavy. And a chess board. And who doesn’t want a Spiderman cake?
Check out the selection below. There is a cake that weighs nearly as much as me. I mean, seriously?
And Neil and I spied the proof that some people simply couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. LOL!
Ok, are you ready for this?
Sit down and behold…
Even looking at this a couple of months later, I am cracking up! That’s one unhappy Dolly. Ignoring her possessed face for a bit, can you IMAGINE the work that went into that dress? Wow.
Downstairs, people were stocking up for the festive season. We were overwhelmed by the choices…
(I’m not sure how I feel about a fish-shaped pastry…)
But wait, there’s more…
If you thought Dolly above was scary, get a load of this:
Words fail me. It’s a rare occurrence. No, we did not buy this. (if you want more, including “Hulk” themed cakes, you can see more of their creations in their gallery here!).
I LOVE food shops in other countries. It’s possibly my most favourite part of travelling. I could spend hours in supermarkets. And bakeries. And god bless the Mexican bakery that was open on New Year’s Day (not this one – don’t think I could have faced Dolly or the unnamed gelatin creation) to serve me my first meal of 2011. The Mexicans, like the French, have it right. Even when the world is closed, there’s always a bakery open. Somewhere!
Pastelería Ideal
Av. 16 de Septiembre 18
Col. Centro
C.P. 06000
México D.F.
6:30am – 9:30pm
República de Uruguay 74
Col. Centro
C.P. 06000
México D.F.
6:30am – 9:30pm
I quite agree with you….Nothing better than “exploring” gstronomic foreign wonderlands….Great place in Mexico! Lucky girl !
There’s definitely a market for those type of tours, right?
No wine pick, my friends: we needed a good stiff drink after this tour…
Oh no Neil……a lovely moscato or frissata would be sensational with all that sweetness!!
WOW. How did you refrain from trying to eat everything? That dog is cute, but the doll is a wee bit creepy. =)
Sugar overload!
Some of those cakes would take a couple people to haul out of there… and I’m talking about the flat ones that aren’t tiered! They are gorgeous though, and I quite agree that they do baking right in Mexico 😀
They do, don’t they?
Oh dear god, I had purged that dolly from my mind but here she is again, so soon to bedtime, making me recoil in horror all over again. Dolly, what has happened to you? Why are you so evil? Did they take away your favourite white dog monster and trap it in gelatine? Is that what happened?
LOL Conor – we thought something like that too!
omg – Mardi, those cakes!!! i’m speechless (and that is rare indeed) – the intricacies, the itty-bitty details . . . just wow; and yes, some of them are gawdy and ugly but you have to give them props for the construction and the work that goes into making something like these.
Props indeed! A 55kg cake? Unbelievable!
Everyone always thinks my husband and I are crazy when we tell them what we do on our vacations – which basically consist of a string of grocery store, pastry shop and restaurant hopping. I think those are the best kinds of vacations!
And by the way what on earth is that thing floating in the sea of green jello supposed to be?
No that is exactly the kind of place we like hanging out too!!! Errr – I think it’s a dog…
Oh my WOW! This is my kind of vacation! Those cakes, just beautiful Mardi!
Gorgeous, as usual! I am so loving all of these Mexico posts! Even though I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, this post has me feeling hungry for some pastries!
It’s funny – I DO have a sweet tooth and I wasn’t tempted by all those cakes! Too much sugar!
I was struck by how wonderful some of their treats looked compared to how awful the cakes did. The doll…someone needs to loosen that rubber band in her hair! I haven’t had breakfast yet so yes, I would eat that fish pastry right now!
I know right – gorgeous treats and some hideous cakes!
Wow! I wish I could have been there! That is so fun!!
Great blog; happy I found you!
Mary xx
Delightful Bitefuls
I love the carnival atmosphere in the bakeshop! Fascinating. Wish I knew what the names of the pastries meant. I would surely taste the one with what seems like a dulce de leche swirl. All i can say about the dolly cake is “nice dress!”.
Yeah – nice dress – or else she comes after you!
Oh, I would love to just walk around and see all of the cakes. So fancy!
Mardi, is that Crazy Hussein I see peeking out from behind the tres jolie Christmans tree??????
Quite possibly!
Food markets in other countries are thrilling. I cannot believe those cakes – and that dolls dress is amazing!
… and scary!
Wow this bakery looks amazing! The cakes are beautiful!
What a deliciously kitchy place. Places like that are always a treat to explore when you’re traveling. A nice break from the tourist sites.
Aren’t they just? 😉
W-ow!! How has this baking genre not been splashed and exploited all over the Food Network or TLC!! Cupcake wars is nothing compared to this! Thanks for sharing. It looks like you had a fabulous time in Mexico. Cheers.
See now that would spoil it for everyone wouldn’t it? 😉
what a fun post! a 10kg hello kitty cake – sophia would have begged for that like nobody’s business. i love finding places like that while on vacation. thanks for taking so many pictures to share with us!
Oh you know me!
Ummm…wow!
Indeed!
These cakes are amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this. We, too, love to go to markets and shops and grocery stores when we travel. When in Lima, Peru in the fall, we were fascinated by the giant grocery store where they gave away enough free samples to feed a family. And they have more attendants in the aisles to help you shop than there were shoppers.
Supermarkets are totally my favourite places to hang out in foreign countries…
I am afraid that the doll will be giving me nightmares…wow amazing!
She is quite scary!
Now, that’s where I would love to spend my holiday! What fab cakes but I agree that the doll cake would creep me out. No fingerprints on that one – her looks says, “Touch my dress and you’ll be sorry!!”
Totally. I think you would be in a lot of trouble if you touched her dress!
Just amazing! And those cakes….. ohh… actually I like a hello kitty one please 😛
🙂 Me too!
“The Mexicans, like the French, have it right. Even when the world is closed, there’s always a bakery open. Somewhere!”
That is so true – though at the moment I’m having withdrawal symptoms because my local bakery (in Antibes, South of France) is closed for renovations… and I have to walk another half a mile to get my fix of Mille Feuilles!
Your photos are stunning – they make me want to book a flight and go there right now.
Oh my goodness – a half mile? I am surprised the French put up with that!
WOW, what incredible creations!!!
I know, right? 😉