Tag Archives: sabor de baja

Two more Baja Festivals Announced!

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The venerable Rosarito Beach Hotel is turning 99 this year! We are all invited to attend the 99th Year Gala Celebration on Saturday June17 at 5 pm in the hotel gardens. There will be a concert by Beatles tribute band The Revolution. Food and beverages will be available, but apparently are not included in the admission which is 400 pesos in advance (about $20). Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-343-8582.

This photo is from Sabor de Baja 2016, also held in the gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

We were excited to learn that Festival Cocina La Baja will return on Saturday, July 15. Formerly held at the Estero Beach Hotel south of Ensenada, this year is moving to the Hotel Coral & Marina just north of Ensenada. A great event with a bigger variety of offerings than some of the other festivals. Apparently tix are not yet on sale, but you can follow CLB at https://www.facebook.com/cocinalabaja.

Attendees enoying Cocina La Baja 2022.

There are indications that the Baja Blues Fest might return to the gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel in mid-August, and we’ve heard the Valle Food & Wine Fest will be back this fall. No definitive dates for either, and no word yet on the potential return of  the classy all-white party, Sabor de Baja.

Stay tuned!

Gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.

Baja Food & Wine Festivals on the Horizon

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Hola amigos/as! It’s the time of year we’ve been waiting for: the Baja Festival Season! Here is a list of upcoming events on our radar screen, with links. We’ll write more about them individually in the near future.

Saturday, April 15, 4pm – Crossing South Food & Wine Festival, Rosarito Beach Hotel This first-time event is tied to the popular PBS TV show, Crossing South. Meet show host Jorge Meraz, enjoy food & wine samples, and salsa dance lessons! Tix: $70, $140 for VIP. Check out this video.

Sunday, April 23, noon – Festival de las Conchas y el Nuevo Vino, Hotel Coral & Marina, Ensenada One of our very favorite fests! With 50+ restaurants serving gourmet samples made with oysters, clams and scallops, and 80 wineries pouring tastes of 150 different wines . . . how can you go wrong? Tix: $1200 pesos (about $67 at the current exchange rate).



Saturday & Sunday, May 27-28, 10am – Art Walk Rosarito, CEART, Rosarito Beach Not a true food and wine fest, but in the past this event HAS included booths for both wine and food. Touring the art and talking with the artists is very fun! Admission in the past has been free. 

Saturday, June 10, noon – Fiesta de los Vinedos en Flor, Jardin Decantos, Valle de Guadalupe  A family-oriented event in a new location this year. Wine and beer tastings are offered, but you gotta pay for food (although prices are very reasonable). Tix: $700 pesos (about $37). And, kids under 18 are admitted free! Tix are on not sale yet. Read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/


Friday, August 4, 7pm – Muestra del Vino, Centro Cultural Riviera, Ensenada We’ve not been to this event, but it looks like a great time. It’s the opening event for Fiestas de la Vendimia, the Baja wine harvest celebration. And I love the venue, Cento Cultural Riviera! Again, tix are not on sale yet, but read more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/

Sunday, August 20, noon – Concurso del Paellas, Vinedos Liceaga, Valle de Guadalupe My very favorite event of the year, with 80 wineries and 80+ teams of “paelleros.” Grab a table under the giant oak trees and enjoy wine, music, and of course, paella all afternoon. Such a festive but relaxing atmosphere. Bring friends, or make new ones! This is the closing event of the Fiestas de la Vendimia. Tix this year will be around $75, worth every penny, but are not yet on sale. Learn more at https://provinobc.mx/eventos/  



Three other past events: Cocina la Baja, typically held in early July at Estero Beach Hotel,Sabor de Baja, generally held in late August at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, and the Valle Food & Wine Fest, usually an October event, have not announced 2023 dates yet. We hope all shows will go on, and we will keep you posted.

Salud!

Como siempre, muchisimas gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.



Counting down to Sabor de Baja!

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It’s just four weeks ’til Baja Norte’s gastro party of the year, Sabor de Baja. And, this is the fifth annual Sabor; all the more reason to attend! Sabor is a true labor of love by Chef Bo Bendana and her hubby, Dennis Sein. This dynamic duo pulls together Baja chefs, wineries, craft brewers and more for one fabulous evening in the gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel. And, Sabor is a friendly but serious competition; a panel of judges has the daunting task of sampling each dish along with its beverage pairing, and then selecting the best of the best. Attendees get to vote, too, as a People’s Choice Award is presented each year! We are excited that several new-ish restaurants will be participating this year:

Sabor takes place Wednesday, August 28 at the aforementioned RB Hotel. Spring for VIP tix at $90 and get early access at 5:30 pm, tastings and beverage pairings, plus seating at tables near the stage, waiter service, a goodie bag, and the commemorative wine glass. General admission guests ($70) will have access at 6 pm, tastings and beverage pairings, and the commemorative wine glass. Everyone can enjoy live music and dancing, including Rosarito favorite Maryam Malak, whom we were fortunate to hear during a delicious and very filling brunch at Ruben’s last Sunday! Read my recap of Sabor 2018, then click here for more information, including how to get tickets. See you at Sabor!   

Valley Girl Wines wins the 2018 People’s Choice Award!

Best. Sabor. Ever.

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I’d say last week’s Sabor de Baja blew the roof off the place . . . but the only ceiling was the beautiful Baja sky! The beach side gardens of the grand Rosarito Beach Hotel were once again filled with white-clad attendees, anxious to sample the offerings of 27 chefs paired with an equal number of wineries and craft breweries. Congratulations go to First Place winner Chef Marco Marin of Latitud 32 in Valle de Guadalupe for his delicious plum crumble with piloncillo, paired with (and incorporating) Border Psycho’s yummy black saison, La Belga Sicotica (and, great to visit with Psycho’s Roberto again!). Second Place was earned by Rosarito’s Sokuna Cocina de Asia and Chef Stephen Sovann, paired with MD Vinos. I loved the Third Place pairing, Valle de Guadalupe’s Tizne’s sope de platano maduro with requeson and charred tomatillo, paired with delicious Syrah/Nebbiolo from Vina Emiliana. And, it was a treat to meet una Hija de la Tiznada, Chef Miriam! The People’s Choice Award went to Tijuana’s Koi Sushi and Chef Yaron Del Moral, for his pairing with Valley Girl Wine. For what it’s worth, Tijuana’s Oryx Capital’s seductive, smoky uni chowder, topped with an artsy tiny tostada and paired with Vinas las Erre Blanc, got my vote! This was the best Sabor we’ve attended, fantastic chefs, careful pairings, thoughtful planning. Thank you, Bo Bendana & Dennis Sein, for all the love and hard work you put into this event; it really shows. Under your direction, the event has grown and matured – and will continue to do so – along with the now red-hot Baja culinary scene. We especially appreciate the fact that you have introduced us to local restaurants that we can visit on our own! The 5th Annual Sabor de Baja will take place on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. Catch this classic end-of-summer Baja tradition!

With La Tizne Chef Miriam

Almejas with aguachile at Sabor!

Oryx Capital’s uni chowder

Glad to see Valley Girl as a winner again this year!

AND look for an update soon on the NEXT BIG BAJA THING: the Valle Food & Wine Fest Oct. 5-7 in Valle de Guadalupe!

Gracias for photos by Bob Gove.

New chefs at Sabor de Baja!

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We love Sabor de Baja, and are really looking forward to the August 29 event in Rosarito! Sabor is well-organized, with careful pairings of chefs with Baja wineries and craft breweries. Judges have the difficult task of blind-sampling the offerings with beverage pairings; attendees also vote for a People’s Choice award. This year promises to be extra-delicious, with a number of chefs participating. We are anxious to sample the offerings of:

Tix include all food & wine, live entertainment, a commemorative wine glass, and more! It’s a great way to sample Baja’s newest spots, all in one lovely location. A limited number of gold tickets (early entry, reserved seating near the stage) MAY still be available for $85; silver tickets are $70. Don’t wait – get your tix NOW via sabordebaja@gmail.com or 664.533.2479. The event is a fantastic evening in the beachfront gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel; it’s an all-white party, so dress accordingly! Sabor promises to be extra tasty this year; we hope to see you there.


Gracias for photos by Bob Gove.

Summertime – and the food fests are plenty

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There’s never a BAD time to visit Baja, as our past adventures have demonstrated. However, summertime is food fest time, and some of our very favorites are on the horizon:

Verbena Campestre – Saturday, July 28 – San Cosme Vinedos
LOVE this first-class festival, as well as the family that runs San Cosme. It’s a refreshing bit off the beaten track, located south of Ensenada and Maneadero, where the “old wine route” begins. We’ve found this fest to be more authentic Mexicano than most others; we’ve spotted very few other gringos, and everyone is always ultra-friendly and welcoming. With free wine tastings for the first 1,000 guests, craft beer, artisan products, live music and tons of grilled food options, it’s a real winner. Book a cabin or tepee at Las Canadas across the highway, dance the night away, and join the conga line without having to drive back. Tickets are (YAY!) now available online. If you’re still on the fence, watch this cool video recap from last year.

Fiestas de la Vendimia Paella Contest – Sunday, August 19 – Vina de Liceaga
Every year, there are more and more events during Fiestas de la Vendimia, the grape harvest festival, in and around Valle de Guadalupe. You can’t go wrong with any of them. However, our fave is the closing event, the venerable Ramon Garcia Ocajo Concurso de Paellas. I first attended this event more than 20 years ago and, although it’s grown considerably, it continues to be well-organized, a ton of fun, and a classic Baja Norte afternoon. With 90+ paella-producing teams present, (cooking only over wood fire, thank you!)  and 50+ wineries pouring, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. Arrive early, stake out a table under the trees, and enjoy live music on two stages and the fantastic ambiance all afternoon. As of this writing, tickets are still available!

Sabor de Baja – Wednesday, August 29 – Rosarito Beach Hotel
Sabor is the classy way to wrap up the summer Baja food fest season. A true labor of love, this event pairs many of Baja’s top chefs with its best wines and craft beers. It’s a friendly competition, but legitimate – the judges really DO blind tastings, plus attendees vote for the People’s Choice award. There’s live music, and it all takes place in the lovely beach front gardens of the classic Rosarito Beach Hotel. It’s worth a jaunt to Rosarito on a Wednesday evening . . . it’s summertime, so no one will notice if you get to work a bit late Thursday . . . right? Don’t forget your mandatory all-white attire and your dancing shoes. For tickets, email sabordebaja@gmail.com, and check out the very reasonable ticket/stay packages at the RB Hotel.

Save the Date: Valle Food & Wine Festival – October 5-7 – Valle de Guadalupe
Really excited about this autumn event! More info to come soon; in the meantime, check out this link.

Don’t miss Baja Norte’s Gastro Party of the Year!

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When does a food fest feel more like a big party? When it’s Sabor de Baja, silly! The 5th annual edition of Sabor is coming up Wednesday, August 30, in the oceanfront gardens of the venerable Rosarito Beach Hotel. We felt fortunate to attend last year; read our take-aways here. We were very impressed with the thoughtful event planning and the careful pairings of delicious dishes with Baja wines and craft beers; we can hardly wait to see what’s in store for this year! Expect fun live music, distinguished judges, and the opportunity for YOU to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award. From what we’ve heard, participating restaurants will include Valle de Guadalupe’s Latitud 32, Mixtura, Tahal and the new La X, plus Rosarito’s Pasta y Basta and from Ensenada, Planta Baja and Mantou, winner of last year’s top prize. Wineries will include AliXima, Relieve and El Cielo, to name but a few. Gold level tix have already sold out, and we hear silver level tix are in short supply! Find out how to get tickets and check out the ticket/overnight packages. And, hey – don’t forget to wear white!

See? You’ve gotta wear white to Sabor de Baja! Just be very careful if you’re drinking (or near someone drinking) red wine.

Last year’s top prize went to Mantou, for this duck carpaccio, smoked with wood vines & mesquite, with goat cheese, pearl apricots and microgreens, paired with Corona del Valle Sauvignon Blanc. As delicious as it was beautiful!

We also loved this tuna with chile, grapefruit, watermelon, jicama & salsa de chapulines paired with 2014 Tintillo from Legado Sais.

Mid-Summer Festival Update – Part I

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We’ve been spending SO much time eating and drinking in Baja . . . we haven’t had time to blog about it! Here’s a recap of what we’ve been doing . . . and, because we’re in high season, very soon we’ll post a peek at what we’re looking forward to.

2017 Festival de las Conchas y el Vino Nuevo

What a way to kick off the Baja food festival season! This great event, held every April at Hotel Coral just north of Ensenada, brings out the best chefs and wineries and feels like a homecoming of sorts. Yes, it DID get a bit crowded this year, so go early, grab a table and settle in for an amazing afternoon. This year’s “friendly” oyster competition had chefs striving to outdo each other . . . and we attendees were the beneficiaries!

Great to see Leonardo Torres Lerdo de Tejada of Torres Alegre (although I did not recognize him without his beard) and his colleague at Conchas!

Chef Javier . . . is everywhere.

Loved seeing Chef Roberto Alcocer from Valle de Guadalupe’s Malva!

Team EatDrinkBaja is growing every year and gives Conchas multiple THUMBS UP!

Rosarito Art Fest 2017

OK, it’s not technically a food fest, but this annual FREE event offers plenty of opportunity to eat and drink . . . and serves up HUGE portions of art, music and dance. Takes place every Memorial Day weekend and for the second year was held at Rosarito’s CEART, a lovely venue south of town, just off the road to Popotla.

Check out these really cool masks. You can display one one your wall as a piece of art when you’re not wearing it!

Jorge, our Rosarito wine amigo.

Eating & drinking . . . ah, that’s what we do best.

Vinedos en Flor 2017

Held in June, this Valle de Guadalupe family-friendly fest was hosted for the first time by Finca La Carrodilla. Now, most Baja food fests we’ve attended have seating in the middle, with wine and food opportunities scattered around the edge. Probably due to lack of shade at Carrodilla, the vast majority of wineries, chefs and local product purveyors were clustered under a huge tent in the middle, with tables and hay bales for attendees strung along the outskirts. But there were great wineries represented, and of course, we managed to have a wonderful time! Gracias to Natalia of Mogor Badan, who seemed to be a ringleader of this fun event.

It was a bit hectic under the giant tent.


Team EatDrinkBaja @ Vinedos 2017!

Coming soon: previews of the upcoming Verbena Campestre, Fiestas de la Vendimia, Latin Food Fest, Baja Blues Fest, Vendimia Paella Fest and Sabor de Baja. Stay tuned!

Gracias por fotos by Bob Gove.

2017 Baja (& Baja inspired) Fests!

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It’s warming up; daylight savings time has begun; and (I hope) the heaviest rains are behind us. We’re heading into Baja festival season! Here are a few of our faves; check back for updates and additions.

Sabor Latino – Saturday, March 18, Fashion Valley, San Diego – We were impressed by this event last year, and it looks like even more Baja chefs and wineries are participating in 2017. Lineup includes Sabina Bandera of La Guerrerense; Bo Bendana of Mi Casa Supper Club; Giannina Gavaldon of Olivia El Asador Del Porvenir; Ruffo Ibarra of Oryx Capital; and Omar Armas of Mantou Gastropub, with Border X Brewing, Lomita, Adobe Guadalupe, Torres Alegre, Villa Montefiori and Casa Magoni pouring. All part of the San Diego Latino Film Fest, and proceeds benefit the very worthy nonprofit Media Arts Center. I’ve been told that the promo code DRINKGREATBEER will get you a $5 discount, and we highly recommend going for the VIP package. Details & tickets>>

Chef Giannina Gavaldon with her comadre from Olivia at Sabor Latino 2016. Not only is her food delicious, it’s great to see her in SD and we covet Chef’s cool ikat apron!

Festival de Las Conchas y El Vino Nuevo – Sunday, April 23, Hotel Coral, Ensenada. This event, which kicks off the Baja Food Fest season every year, is a REAL winner. It got a bit crowded last year, but still plenty of opptys to taste great wine & cuisine while meeting some of Baja’s top winemakers & chefs, all in a fabulous setting along the Coral’s marina. Get ready to sample fantastic clams, mussels, oysters, abalone + latest wine releases, all included! Tix are just a tad over $30. Read my post about Conchas last year and get your 2017 tickets here!>>

Why do we love Conchas? It educates you about the variety of Baja seafood while you enjoy a lovely afternoon sampling delicious shellfish and wines. And you meet cool folks, too!

Rosarito Art Fest – Saturday & Sunday, May 27-28, Rosarito Beach – Dates have not been posted for 2017, altho it’s regularly on Memorial Day wknd. This FREE event features great art, crafts, music and dance, and there’s usually plenty of food and drink to go around, too. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more info>>

Art is the main attraction, but you can definitely enjoy eating & drinking at the Rosarito Art Fest.

Vinedos en Flor – Saturday, June 3, Finca La Carrodilla, Valle de Guadalupe – Last year this event was at Bibayoff on a drizzly, gray afternoon. Since food was not included and there was no live music, it didn’t seem as great a value as some of the other Baja festivals. But we managed to commandeer a table, taste some great wines and make new friends. We have high hopes for the 2017 edition, to be hosted by one of our faves, Finca La Carrodilla! More info>>

Friends enjoying wine from the wonderful Lechuza at last year’s Vinedos en Flor.

Verbena Campestre – Saturday, July 29, Vinedos San Cosme south of Ensenada – This may be the best-kept secret of all Baja food fests; it doesn’t seem to be on the gringo radar screen! Get ready for a fun, relaxing afternoon with folks who will become your new BFFs. With great live music and a big outdoor dance floor, this family-owned winery knows how to party! Tip: book a room in the vicinity; driving back after THAT much fun can be challenging. Or, is it just us? Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more info>>

And . . . even more friends at Verbena Campestre 2016!

SAVE THE DATES:

Fiesta de la Vendimia Paella Fest – Sunday, August 20, Valle de Guadalupe – you can’t miss this tradition, the grand finale to the annual grape harvest festival. Although it’s huge, there’s plenty of paella and wine to go around, along with two stages with live music and tons of tables under the trees. All paella is cooked over wood fire, and there’s a competition among the paella-producing teams. Tix usually go on sale in May and you should get them ASAP; it always sells out! More info>>

The annual Vendimia Paella Fest is not only delicious and fun, it’s also very photogenic!

Sabor De Baja – Wednesday, August 30 – Rosarito Beach Hotel – we were very impressed with Sabor last year. The caliber of restaurants and wineries was excellent at this well-organized event, which pairs dishes by Baja chefs with delicious local wines and cervezas. Look for more details in the coming months!

We look forward to Sabor de Baja 2017!

Gracias for photos by Bob Gove and Rafael Rush.

A Tale of Four Food Fests: Part IV

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Does summer always save the best for last? Sabor de Baja was an incredible finale to last summer’s flurry of fun Baja culinary fests. Sabor is a true labor of love by the husband-and-wife team behind San Antonio del Mar’s Mi Casa Supper Club, Chef Bo Bendana and Dennis Sein. The fourth annual must-wear-white Sabor was held the last Wednesday evening of August in the beachfront gardens of the Rosarito Beach Hotel.
Although a mid-week event can be a bit challenging for those of us who have day jobs stateside, Sabor sells out every year. And, rightly it should! Bo and Dennis recruited thoughtful judges (this year including Jorge Meraz, host of KPBS’ Crossing South and MasterChef winner Claudia Sandoval) who participated in a blind tasting of not only great dishes, but also considered how they pair with Baja vinos and cervezas. It’s a well-organized event with great signage and opportunities to chat with chefs and winery reps. We loved the variety of dishes, wines and cervezas offered to guests. First prize went to Ensenada’s Mantou Gastropub, for their superb duck carpaccio (smoked with wood vines and mesquite) with goat cheese, pearl apricots and microgreens, paired with Corona del Valle Sauvignon Blanc. Second place went to Fuego Cocina del Valle, for their smoky pork paired with a sublime red from Vinicola Montano Benson. The judges gave the third place prize to Valle de Guadalupe’s Sanvil for their Mexico-meets-India mash-up: curried chicken liver sopes paired with cerveza from Compass Ales Brewery; and the People’s Choice prize went to Chabert’s at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, for their filet mignon with mushrooms, wine foam and sweet potato, paired with a 2013 Syrah by Claudius Vina y Bodega. We also loved Navio’s tuna with chile, grapefruit, watermelon, jicama and salsa de chapulines, paired with a 2014 Tintillo from Legado Sais; Mixtura’s oysters with mignonette and apple, paired with wine from Relieve; and Oryx Capital’s tomato and persian cucumber dish with mescal foam, paired with Cerveceria Ramuri beer. We were also ecstatic that longtime friend Jo Ann Knox Martino was pouring her delicious Cava Vintango Nebbiolo. Sabor was one of – if not THE – best Baja culinary event of 2016! It’s a fantastic way to get to know some of Baja’s most innovative eateries, wineries and breweries. Mark your calendars for August 30 (just over seven months away) and get your tickets early for Sabor de Baja 2017!

Watch a very cool video recapping Sabor 2016 by Once Upon A Time in Rosarito’s Scot Richardson:

Gracias por photos by Bob Gove. Sorry this post is so tardy; a fun holiday stay in Puerto Rico got in the way! Look for previews of the best 2017 Baja food fests soon.