La Monarca Bakery & Cafe

"There’s a lot to love about La Monarca–like the sweet smell of the shops, the freshly made conchas, or the flaky orejas that we enjoy eating on the couch by the half-dozen. But more importantly, La Monarca is that reliable friend that’s always there for us (mainly because it now has 12 locations across the city). No matter which one you visit, you’ll walk out with freshly baked pan dulce, but don’t skip over the coffee options either. This place makes a tasty café de olla with cinnamon and brown sugar, which is also now sold in tea bags for the perfect last-minute gift exchange idea. La Monarca’s café Oaxaca is also wonderful and made from rich Oaxacan espresso and a Mexican hot chocolate blend with plenty of cinnamon and bitterness from pure cacao nibs. Food Rundown Mollete Tradicional These molletes hit the mark on some things and leave us hanging on others. Made with La Monarca’s fresh bolillos, the toasted bread is delicious and acts as the best foundation for the open-face sandwich’s beans and cheese. However, the frijoles lack flavor and only shine when you drench the whole roll in salsa verde. Dulce De Leche Taquitos Get these and never look back. Not only is the pastry dough unbelievably buttery and flakey, but the dulce de leche filling is plentiful, super nutty, and the poster child of decadent. Our only complaint is how small they are because we end up eating half a dozen of them on the drive home. Mini conchas Our love for mini conchas stems from how they’re the perfect size for dunking in our morning cafecito. These colorful buns are never too sweet, always wonderfully fluffy, and, honestly, just really cute. Puerquitos These pig-shaped cookies have just the right amount of bend (and by that, we mean butter) to create a satisfyingly chewy bite. They’re spicy from their cinnamon and clove, sweet from their brown sugar, and light enough where it’s easy to save room for round two. Champurrado Creamy, chocolatey, and somewhat spicy, the champurrado might surprise you with how thick it is. But once you familiarize yourself with its unique silky consistency, you’ll realize that it’s delicious and full of contrasting flavors (think warm cacao, brown sugar, and that nutty smokiness from cinnamon)." - Sylvio Martins