"Breakfast is a big deal in Oaxaca, and the happiest time to enjoy it is around 10am at a mercado. At Mercado Morelos in Ocotlán, many food vendors will try to lure your attention with a feast of stews and corn-based dishes, but we love to beeline to La Cocina de Frida. It’s a colorful food stall featuring a painting of Frida Kahlo and pecked paper, and is where the magical hands of Beatriz Vázquez (a.k.a. “ocoteca Frida”) take homemade dishes to the next level of flavor. To start, someone, usually Beatriz’s daughter, will come to your table to “explain” the menu, reciting all the dishes like a litany. Their specialties are slow-cooked stews and some moles, and you can request a little tasting of everything before making a final decision. Noteworthy dishes include the slightly spicy purslane stew, estofado, and enfrijoladas with a bean sauce that has a distinctive taste of avocado leaves and chilies." - Mariana Camacho