Panaderia La Favorita
Everyone's favorite bakery in Palomas, Mex.
By Marjorie Lilly
Steppin Out area representative
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/lafavorita_photo.jpg align=right border=1 hspace=5 alt="Visit La Favorita for the tastiest pastries and baked goods in old Mexico.">Palomas, Mexico – A bakery here has been drawing in tourists for 35 years. It’s called La Favorita, and it’s just a couple of blocks from the Port of Entry. Americans crossing the border to shop or go to dentists or oculists have stopped off there since 1972, as it says on the storefront window.
Benjamin Martinez runs it now, but it was started by his father. The place is clean and shiny with white tiles and lots of mirrors, and is popular with Mexicans as well as Americans. Many Palomas residents come in and pile their trays high with rolls and pastries for supper.
Some of the most popular pastries are the conchas, a sweet light bread in the shape of a bivalve seashell, and the common empanadas, like turnovers, usually with strawberry or pineapple filling. What are called marranos, gingerbread cookies in the shape of pigs, sell well year-round, too. Then there are the plain white rolls, French bread style, that sell for only 30 cents and are excellent when fresh.
Martinez gives a tour of the back room where pastries are being made by one of the bakers named Martin. He is forming what is called pan fino (fine bread), which is like a cruller about four inches long made with several different designs. The center is swirled with cinnamon filled dough and there’s cinnamon on top.
They’re then put into the large, 12-foot wide, 3-foot high brick oven that’s heated by a gas flame. They used to cook in traditional hornos, says Martinez, and this is the closest he can get to that flavor. “We try to stick to the old-fashioned way,” he says.
When the pan fino comes out of the oven, they are soft and light inside and out. I never noticed them before in my many trips to the bakery, but they may be the best thing in the place.
During the past year La Favorita has started producing churros, a cruller about six inches long and filled with strawberry, vanilla, or pineapple. “It’s an old tradition,” says Martinez. “For years I looked all around for a machine.” He finally found one in Juarez.
I’ve discovered that 3:00 pm is a good time to go there if you want fresh conchas and white rolls still warm from the oven. The store clerks understand enough English to take orders.
La Favorita has long hours, from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. To get there walk or drive west from the Pink Store almost two blocks along Zaragoza. It’s on the left, with the familiar baker logo in the window.
About crossing the border (and back)...
For those accustomed to strolling across the U.S.-Mexico border to go to pharmacists, dentists, oculists and other businesses in Palomas, Mexico, there will be changes on January 31, 2008. On that date, American and Canadian citizens will, for the first time, have to present IDs when they return through U.S. Customs, because of rules developed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Because of tightening border vigilance, shoppers crossing by car or on foot can return if they have a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate. For special cases, Google up the most recent entry for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Possibly as soon as next summer the rules will change even further. Then travelers will be required to have a passport, a “passport card” (which is under development), or other traveler ID.
Everyone's favorite bakery in Palomas, Mex.
By Marjorie Lilly
Steppin Out area representative
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/lafavorita_photo.jpg align=right border=1 hspace=5 alt="Visit La Favorita for the tastiest pastries and baked goods in old Mexico.">Palomas, Mexico – A bakery here has been drawing in tourists for 35 years. It’s called La Favorita, and it’s just a couple of blocks from the Port of Entry. Americans crossing the border to shop or go to dentists or oculists have stopped off there since 1972, as it says on the storefront window.
Benjamin Martinez runs it now, but it was started by his father. The place is clean and shiny with white tiles and lots of mirrors, and is popular with Mexicans as well as Americans. Many Palomas residents come in and pile their trays high with rolls and pastries for supper.
Some of the most popular pastries are the conchas, a sweet light bread in the shape of a bivalve seashell, and the common empanadas, like turnovers, usually with strawberry or pineapple filling. What are called marranos, gingerbread cookies in the shape of pigs, sell well year-round, too. Then there are the plain white rolls, French bread style, that sell for only 30 cents and are excellent when fresh.
Martinez gives a tour of the back room where pastries are being made by one of the bakers named Martin. He is forming what is called pan fino (fine bread), which is like a cruller about four inches long made with several different designs. The center is swirled with cinnamon filled dough and there’s cinnamon on top.
They’re then put into the large, 12-foot wide, 3-foot high brick oven that’s heated by a gas flame. They used to cook in traditional hornos, says Martinez, and this is the closest he can get to that flavor. “We try to stick to the old-fashioned way,” he says.
When the pan fino comes out of the oven, they are soft and light inside and out. I never noticed them before in my many trips to the bakery, but they may be the best thing in the place.
During the past year La Favorita has started producing churros, a cruller about six inches long and filled with strawberry, vanilla, or pineapple. “It’s an old tradition,” says Martinez. “For years I looked all around for a machine.” He finally found one in Juarez.
I’ve discovered that 3:00 pm is a good time to go there if you want fresh conchas and white rolls still warm from the oven. The store clerks understand enough English to take orders.
La Favorita has long hours, from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. To get there walk or drive west from the Pink Store almost two blocks along Zaragoza. It’s on the left, with the familiar baker logo in the window.
About crossing the border (and back)...
For those accustomed to strolling across the U.S.-Mexico border to go to pharmacists, dentists, oculists and other businesses in Palomas, Mexico, there will be changes on January 31, 2008. On that date, American and Canadian citizens will, for the first time, have to present IDs when they return through U.S. Customs, because of rules developed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Because of tightening border vigilance, shoppers crossing by car or on foot can return if they have a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate. For special cases, Google up the most recent entry for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Possibly as soon as next summer the rules will change even further. Then travelers will be required to have a passport, a “passport card” (which is under development), or other traveler ID.