Baja California is 775 miles long and includes Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's most promising wine country.
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Last weekend was a Baja blur, featuring a relentless food tour of the northern Baja Peninsula that included state-of-the-art Tijuana tacos, high-end “alta cocina” and Baja Med fusion. We visited over 20 spots in just over 48 hours. These are just six great Baja dishes, with a full report on all the staggering tastes along the way in the next two weeks.
La Guerrerense – Sea Snail
Sabina Bandera has produced mind-blowing tostadas from an Ensenada street cart for 33 years, garnishing with jewels of the sea like sea urchin and sea cucumber. After three rounds of tostadas, she passed around a plate of sea snail featuring warm two-inch steaks that were reminiscent of clam, but not as chewy. The chile marinade helped to make the seafood supple and flavorful.
Silvestre – Bluefin Tuna Ceviche
Drive from Tijuana to Ensenada and you’ll see circular pens just off the coast. These gigantic pens are used to farm bluefin. We encountered the prized tuna in Valle de Guadalupe at Silvestre. Benito Molina’s seasonal restaurant overlooks his Zinfandel vineyard and features twin mesquite grills. Our first course: luscious ruby-hued bluefin ceviche topped with minced ginger, Serrano chiles and a judicious dressing of olive oil, soy, and balsamic vinegar. This seemingly simple preparation generated explosive flavor.
Los Salceados – Dessert Taco
A decade a ago, Jalisco native Javier Campos Gutierrez invented a taco that utilizes griddled cheese as the tortilla. Word of his state-of-the-art tacos spread and he soon outgrew his street cart. Los Salceados produces several masterful tacos, but it was his dessert taco that blew me away, featuring the crispy cheese tortilla, thin-sliced beef, onions, and mango puree, topped with colorful purees of cherry and strawberry and a sprinkling of chopped pecans. This was a daring combination of savory and sweet elements that complemented each other to the fullest and didn’t lean too far to one side of the flavor spectrum.
Blog Comments
Mama Foodie
November 10, 2009 at 4:49 AM
How do I get to Victor Hidalgo’s Home/Patio for that great sounding Barbacoa Ermita – Pansita. I’m already living ( and drooling) in San Diego! I will be eternally grateful for directions. Thanx, Mama Foodie
Joshua Lurie
November 10, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Mama Foodie,
Barbacoa Ermita is right near Tacos Salceados on Avenida Ermita
http://www.foodgps.com/tacos-salceados-–-tijuana-bc-mexico-–-july-18-2009/
Lorraine Lurie
July 25, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Josh, you certainly have a talent for encouraging people to try the unusual. Your descriptions entice me to try the yummy dishes depicted in your colorful photos.
Barbara Hansen
July 23, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Great shots and coverage, Josh. It brings back the most appetizing memories of our weekend in Tijuana. I can’t wait to go back.
Streetgourmetla
July 21, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Josh, you loved the pancita.You’ve made my day.
Nancy
July 21, 2009 at 11:39 AM
What a food frenzy! Your photos have my mouth watering.
H.C.
July 20, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Nice — we share similar tastes on many of fave dishes. Also, mind if I used your sea snails photo? (I’ll credit & link, of course) My hands were too saucy by then for me to snap a shot, but I def. regretted once I tasted those juicy lil suckers!
Joshua Lurie
July 20, 2009 at 11:36 PM
H.C.,
Glad to hear you liked most of my choices. I’ll e-mail you a sea snail photo.
mattatouille
July 20, 2009 at 4:52 PM
a great list of dishes; I probably would’ve picked the same ones.
Noah
July 20, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Nice report! Man oh man…what a trip.