Mexican Food with Attitude

While I was eating this fish taco, with its cilantro and its astonishingly delicious pineapple puree at Cosme, it hit me that this might be the most delicious Mexican food I'd ever eaten. And I've had a lot. But the food had a purity I hadn't expected, and I found myself eating in a kind of daze.

This guacamole, sprinkled with herbs, had a clean sweetness I haven't experienced before, forever banishing  guacamole fatigue.  (C'mon, admit it; aren't you tired of tasteless guac?)

The beautiful purple endive, with its bean puree, its hints of avocado and its pinenuts is the best kind of finger food, edging into bitterness.

Hidden beneath the lovely striped cucumber is kampachi, in the most elegant aguachile I've yet encountered.

And this may be the tlayuda to end all tlayudas; Cosme's version of the crisp Oaxcan tortilla is a corn confection so liberally topped with truffles that the aroma wafts across the dining room, making everyone sit up and take notice.

Little lamb tacos - the edges of the lamb slightly burnt - were utterly irresistible.  

And the desserts! 

Yes, Cosme is expensive. And yes, it's worth it. If you want a sense of how elegant and flavorful Mexican food can be, you can't do better.  The next stop, of course, is Mexico City, with its extraordinary restaurant culture.