From the moment my plane landed in Mexico City, there was no doubt that my first meal would involve spit-shaved pork. Condesa is the birthplace of pastor, so it certainly made sense to go to that neighborhood. It was just a matter of whether the starting point would be El Farolito, El Califa or El Tizoncito – the 1966 originator. Logistics made my decision easy. The closest restaurant after exiting the Chilpancingo Metro station was El Califa, which has thrived for over two decades.

Sidewalk tables ring the triangular restaurant, which is far from fancy. Well, that’s if you discount the faux chic uniforms. After all, the waitstaff wears variations on the dreaded T-shirt tuxedo, including “suspenders” with forks at the end and “backpacks.”

The grill was jam-packed with griddled nopales, but my waitress said to order Rajas (38 pesos ~ $3.50) instead.

El Califa lavished sweet strips of Pasilla chiles with onions and a judicious crema. Tucked into warm corn tortillas, the rajas formed the basis for some stellar tacos. El Califa listed this dish under the “Nuevo” category, with Especialidades designated with stars.

Gaona’s (38) also had a star, but it amounted to a thin-sliced, seared filet mignon taco served unadorned.

My waitress suggested pairing it with Salsa Asada, which was prepared in a molcajete with chile de arbol, chile Serrano, onion, cilantro and jitomate (tomato). The salsa certainly helped matters, but much more satisfying bites were just ahead.

Just behind my table, a masked taquero shaved the achiote-stained pastor to order with speed and precision using a blade that he kept razor-sharp with a nearby rod.

My tiny taco de pastor (11 pesos) involved spit-roasted pork infused with achiote to its lean core, crunchy pineapple sheets, cilantro and onion minced so fine that it was practically translucent.

This was a very good taco that would certainly shame other similar tacos in Los Angeles, but Mexico City held better tacos de pastor.

One thing that jumped out at me at El Califa, and impressed me throughout the course of my trip, was the commitment that even casual restaurants make to producing exceptional salsas.

My taco de pastor paired especially well with a tangy salsa of tamarind, chipotle and tomato (pictured at top right). They also served ramekins of the aforementioned Salsa Asada, another salsa involving a quartet of chile peppers and a vivid Salsa Verde with chile Serrano, tomato and onion.

Especial was undoubtedly the most impactful salsa other than tamarind, made to order and served steaming hot. It’s a mixture of salsa asada and salsa verde, plus aceite de olivo (olive oil) and fiery chile habanero. This salsa rated 5 chile peppers on the El Califa scale, and though it didn’t exactly send steam rocketing from my ears, it was certainly spicy.

El Califa turned out to be a great first-meal choice in Mexico City and set the tone for what proved to be a devastating pastor crawl, and a devastating trip in general.