Oaxaca, in southwestern Mexico, is one of the country’s most biologically and culturally diverse states, with its Pacific coastline and confluence of mountain ranges at a tropical latitude and the numerous indigenous groups that have populated the area for centuries – or longer. All of these influences have produced a regional cuisine that is incredibly rich and deep and beloved among food-loving Mexicans (and non-Mexicans). Many immigrants from Oaxaca have brought this diversity of food and culture to Mexico City.

In Mexico, marketplaces have been the soul of communities for millennia, and of the many modern-day ones we’ve visited in Mexico City, the one we’re always most excited to return to is Mercado Medellín in Roma Sur. Recently, we visited with a guide, an American expat who gets her produce and meat there every week and could get us the inside scoop. Our first stop was La Sorpresa butchery. Arturo, the owner, shook our hands and continued breaking down a large piece of beef for a special delivery. He told us that his family has run La Sorpresa inside the market for 25 years. The meat they sell comes from different slaughterhouses in the country, and even from the United States.

Editor’s note: Award-winning cookbook author, chef-restaurateur and television personality Rick Bayless is a renowned expert on Mexican cooking and a frequent traveler to Mexico City. He recently shared with us his list of must-visit places in Condesa, Roma/Roma Norte and Polanco.

Editor’s note: We asked Brooklyn-based writer Julie Doherty Meade where she heads first for food when she arrives in Mexico City. Meade is the author of Moon San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and the Bajío, Moon Living Abroad in Mexico, Moon Metro New York City, and the upcoming sixth edition of Moon Mexico City.

Editor's Note: Sadly, this spot is now closed. La Huasteca, a region in Mexico that extends through several eastern states, including San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, Querétaro and Puebla, gets its name from the pre-Hispanic civilization that inhabited the area. There are still some indigenous Huastec communities that live in the region, and like those of the rest of the country, their local food and customs have been highly influenced by the Spanish conquest and the influx of immigrants both domestic and international.

Taquerías are probably the most common kind of eatery in Mexico City, but torterías, purveyors of tortas, the generously filled sandwiches that come on bolillo rolls or the smaller teleras, are not far behind. From stalls at subway station exits to restaurants that have been in business close to a century, torterías are a fixture in the city landscape. Here are five of our favorites, in no particular order:

Mexico City is indisputably one of the world’s great eating capitals, and one of its main draws is the astonishing regional diversity in the Mexican cuisines that are available here. But sometimes, the only thing that’ll hit the spot is a slice of pizza. Fortunately, D.F.’s got you covered there, too. There are hundreds of pizzerias to choose from, from big chains to small family-run establishments, but these are our three favorites.

Acapulco, the famed resort town of the state of Guerrero, on the Pacific side of Mexico, has been the most popular getaway destination for chilangos (slang for Mexico City residents) for generations. The proximity of this beautiful bay to the capital – it’s just a four-hour drive or 45-minute flight – makes it easy for us to spend a long weekend there partying, swimming in the ocean or just soaking up rays on the white sand beaches and doing a whole lot of nothing. While Acapulco has gotten a bad rap in recent years for drug-related crime and violence, it’s still quite safe for tourists.

Editor's note: For our last stop on CB's Global Bar Crawl this week, we're pulling up a stool at our favorite mezcal bars in Mexico City, kicking back and savoring every last drop. Para todo mal, mezcal. Para todo bien, también. Y si no tiene remedio, tómate litro y medio. For everything bad, mezcal. For everything good, the same. And if that doesn’t help, drink a liter and a half. – Popular saying among mezcal lovers.

We’ve all been there. One minute you’re in a dive off Garibaldi Plaza watching your out-of-town guests dance with half-naked mariachis, and the next morning, you’re nursing the poor tequila-stricken bastards back to life so they can do it all over again a few hours later.

Fried tortillas, stuffed and sauced: enchiladas are simple in concept, but they come in a seemingly endless variety, depending on region and ingredients. The tortillas might be made of corn or wheat flour, and they could be stuffed with all manner of meat or vegetables (or both), but the sauce – or salsa – is really what it all comes down to.

Editor's note: It's Breakfast Week at CB, and the second piece in the series takes us to Mexico City for a look at typical morning meals and the best places to find them. Stay tuned for more breakfast dispatches from other CB cities throughout the week. Mexico leads the world in per capita egg consumption, according to the country’s National Poultry Institute. That’s not hard to believe if you’ve ever taken a look at a typical Mexican breakfast; in homes and at restaurants huevos are the first order of the day for many a desayuno. And with all those eggs they eat, Mexicans have come up with a number of ways to dress them up or down. One of the most popular ways to prepare them, for example, is huevos revueltos al gusto, two or three scrambled eggs with an additional ingredient or ingredients, such as ham, chorizo, sausage, vegetables or a la mexicana (onion, chilis and tomato). Huevos can also come divorciados, which are two sunny-side-up eggs, one bathed in green salsa and the other in red; rancheros, or fried and served over corn tortillas and refried beans and bathed in a red or green salsa; al albañil, scrambled and served with a very hot red salsa and fresh cheese; or ahogados, poached in green or red salsa. Most of these egg dishes are served with a side of refried beans, avocado and corn tortillas.

One of our favorite places in Mexico City is Xochimilco. Like many visitors, when we hear the word “Xochimilco” the first thing that comes to our mind is a relaxing ride aboard a trajinera, or boat, on the waterways of this southern borough. We’ve been to Xochimilco many times before, on family excursions to buy flowers, plants and compost from the local farmers.

Editor’s note: This post is the fourth installment of “Best Bites of 2013,” a roundup of our top culinary experiences over the last year. Stay tuned for “Best Bites” from all of the cities Culinary Backstreets covers. Hilaria Gastrobar We visited this restaurant on revitalized Madero Street downtown just a few months after it opened, and we were immediately won over by the food and beer selection.

Once considered Mexico City’s next hot neighborhood, Santa María la Ribera, near the city's center and one of its first suburbs, has been slow to deliver on that promise. While neighborhoods just to the south have stolen Santa María’s thunder, it’s finally showing signs of life – one of which is the restaurant/cooking school La Casona del Sabor. Built 140 years ago by a German immigrant couple, the building that houses La Casona features traditional colonial architecture, including a grand entrance that leads into a spacious, landscaped courtyard. Looking out over the courtyard is a colorfully tiled verandah that connects to multiple rooms. Once family quarters, these rooms now serve the culinary school. The school's head chef, Jorge Luiz Alvarez, began the school seven years ago in his nearby apartment, but when space became tight, he took over the house and expanded the business.