Tag Archives: Tijuana

Two Festivals (& A Fun New Restaurant)

Posted on by
Reply

This Saturday, October 21 is the second annual Vino Sin Fronteras Festival in Tijuana. The afternoon-into-evening event will be held in the parking lot of Caliente Hipódromo from 3 to 10 pm. Boasting the participation of 50 wineries and 30 restaurants, the fest is put on by the wonderful Comite Provino, so it’s very likely to be well-organized (and well-attended). Tickets are $1500 pesos, or about $82-$85, depending on the ever-fluctuating exchange rate.

Chef Diego Hernández, a Baja native who helmed the acclaimed Corazón del Valle restaurant in 2011 until it was shuttered during the pandemic, has launched a new eatery, Parador Mercedes, named in honor of his late grandma. Taking over the former Mesón de Mustafá space in San Antonio de las Minas, Hernández and chef-partner Ana Juncal are focusing on home-style cooking geared toward Valle de Guadalupe-area residents. It’s a welcome departure from the delicious-but-expensive tasting menus at so many Valle eateries; can’t wait to check it out. Parador Mercedes is open from 8am to 4pm daily (closed Thursday) on Highway 3 at Km 93. Read more about Parador Mercedes on Eater San Diego.

If you are heading a bit further south – to Baja California Sur – later this year, try to time your visit with the GastroVino Baja Food & Wine Festival in the lovely town of Todos Santos. This three-day celebration of Baja’s finest eating and drinking looks like fun! And, love the graphics. Although Todos is just an hour north of Cabo San Lucas (on the Pacific side), this “Pueblo Mágico” is a world apart. Save the dates: December 8-10.

Look for a report on our recent foray to three Valle de Guadalupe wineries we had not yet visited, coming soon!

Best. Sabor. Ever.

Posted on by
Reply

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.

A Bevy of Baja Fests

Posted on by
Reply

We felt fortunate to check out three fun festivals in Baja during May: a past favorite and two that were new (for us).

First up: on May 14 we made it to Viñedos en Flor at Vinícola Bibayoff in Valle de Guadalupe. It’s put on by Comite Pro Vino, the fine folks who organize the Vendimia events each year, as well as the Conchas festival each April, which we adore. The price was right (under $22 per ticket, including currency conversion) and dozens of top wineries were pouring. It’s really great when so many owners/winemakers are present; it’s fantastic to meet and chat with them! We were especially pleased to see Lechuza, Legado Sais and Palafox on hand. Food was not included in the ticket price, and frankly, the culinary offerings could have been more varied. And, as our amigo Rafael noted, live music would also have improved the event. But it’s a family-oriented festival with lots of kid-friendly activities, and our multi-generational entourage, ranging from a 2-year-old toddler to a 90-something grandma, definitely had fun, even though the May Gray stuck around all day.

IMG_1275DSCN0793DSCN0799DSCN0809IMG_1280IMG_1282IMG_1291

Last Saturday we spent another May Gray day at the Rosarito Art Fest. For the first time since we’ve been attending – and, that’s been about five years – it was NOT held on Rosarito’s main street, Boulevard Benito Juarez. It had been promoted as being at Castillos del Mar, but a last minute switch pushed it to the new CEART, just a bit further southeast. This fest is a neat mix of crafts, art and photography, with plenty of food, wine and other beverages, music and dance thrown in. We purchased some art and jewelry, heard some great jazz, met new friends and enjoyed hanging with existing ones. We capped off the experience with a delicious dinner at Tapanco a bit later.IMG_1315IMG_1299IMG_1301IMG_1294IMG_1308IMG_1297IMG_1321IMG_1322cropHeading north mid-day Sunday after Bob’s surf session with buddies and breakfast at La Estancia, we decided to stop at the Tijuana Jazz & Blues Festival. This is an impressive, FREE event! Held on Avenida Revolucion between 4th & 6th Streets, there’s a large stage at one end and a smaller stage for in-between sets at the other. Grupo Plascencia is a big sponsor, so their food options were plentiful, but there were other offerings, as well as wine tasting, beer and the ubiquitous fruit punch drinks in clay pots found at almost every festival in Mexico. We enjoyed La Covacha Big Band and Hola Soy Lola, but unfortunately had to leave before Cuba’s Calixto Oviedo and San Diego’s wonderful Gilbert Castellanos took the stage. We’ll keep an eye out for this event next year, and will hopefully be able to stay longer!IMG_1324IMG_1325IMG_1327IMG_1334IMG_1332Porkys cropStay tuned to eatdrinkbaja.com for news about the best upcoming Baja-related festivals!

End-of-Summer Baja Blitz!

Posted on by
Reply

We in the U.S. may be back to work and school, but the fun in Baja is never-ending. Here’s a quick look at happenings on the eatdrinkbaja radar screen. And I hope you’ll subscribe to receive future posts via email! Click on the “subscribe” button on the “rail” on the right side of my home page. Gracias!!

TJ Beer Fest11th Annual TJ Beer Fest this Friday 9/18 & Saturday 9/19. Caliente Stadium in Tijuana. About $12 in advance, $14 at the door. Organizers claim there will be 200+ beers. An event worth checking out!

Festival de Queso, Vino y Cerveza Artesanal this Saturday 9/19, noon – 9 pm at the Baja California Queso-Vino-FestCenter just north of Rosarito. FREE, but not sure – do you pay for your tastes? Live music! Local productos artesenales! And a good reason to check out the beautiful new Convention Center.

Ensenada International Seafood Festival this Sunday, 9/20, spotlights local restaurants and celebrates the treasures of the sea. We hear this will be across from Riveria del Pacifico on Blvd. Costero. We believe this is free; you pay for individual tastes/drinks, but usually prices are low and portions are grande. Warning: it is listed in San Diego Magazine, but we can’t find anything else about it online. Hope it wasn’t on hold this year due to . . .

Festival Baja Seafood, culminating in the Baja Seafood Trucks Festival Sunday, 9/27 from noon at the Museo el Caracol, which (I believe) is also acrossFestival Baja Seafood Trucks from Riviera del Pacifico on Blvd. Costero in Ensenada. FREE event; betcha gotta to pay for your tastes, but they are usually reasonably priced, delish and substantial.

 

Bajamar Wine Tasting, Saturday 10/3, 3 pm. Sounds like a nice event! Six wines from Nativo in Valle de Guadalupe, with food pairings and live jazz at Bajamar, north of Ensenada. Bajamar Nativo eventLooks like Nativo’s Benjamin Pena (one of our new BFFs) will be pouring and serving as your wine concierge. $50 for the experience.

 

7th Annual Fiesta de la Paella, Folklore y Vino, Sunday 10/4 from 1 pm. This event, in the Jardines del Riviera in Ensenada, looks fun! Paella Fest Oct 4 2015About $10, not sure what’s included. If you check it out, let us know how it goes!

 

Baja Culinary Fest, Thursday 10/ 8 through Sunday 10/11. This annual event toggles between Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe. This year, looks like most events will be in/around Tijuana’s CECUT. Traditionally there is a public tasting event to close the Fest; Baja-Culinary-Fest-2we’ve been to them @ Encuentro & Vinas la Erre in the Valle, as well as @ CECUT in TJ. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about this year’s events!

14th Annual Tequila  Expo Tijuana, Wednesday 10/14 – Sunday 10/18 – Right on Revolucion @ 7th, bigger every year and now five days!! A nominal cover charge ($6,tequila-expo-TJ mas o menos) gets you plenty of tastes from dozens of tequilarias. Food, full-sized beverages available for purchase; fun music and entertainment provided, and some of the best people-watching on the west coast.

 

One Fun Sunday: Mi Casa & Nogada Fest

Posted on by
Reply

We planned to be a support boat for our fave paddler, Jon Loren, in last weekend’s Catalina Classic. But due to unfortunate last-min problems, Bob’s boat, the “Wave Magnet” was not up for the task. Plan B = BAJA! Headed down early Sunday AM; while Bob surfed, I enjoyed a nice low-tide beach walk. On our way to Tijuana for the Chile en Nogada Fest, we stopped in San Antonio del Mar, where we were immediately attracted to Mi Casa Supper Club, open now for one year.

IMG_0842IMG_0850

I’d heard great things about these folks, Chef Bo Bendana & Dennis – and, I know and respect the fact that they organize the successful sold-out Sabor de Baja @ Rosarito Beach Hotel every August, so it was a no-brainer to visit their spot and enjoy a rooftop brunch.

IMG_0855IMG_0852

IMG_0849IMG_0851

We shared a smoked salmon omelet, but the real stars were the insane San Quintin oysters; WOW, what a great example of delicious Baja products and beautiful presentation. Can’t wait to return to Mi Casa Supper Club for dinner!

On to Tijuana’s Avenida Revolucion for chiles en nogada. This is a very traditional dish, often associated with Mexican Independence Day, coming up Sept.16.

IMG_0860IMG_0863

IMG_0870IMG_0868

And this was our first visit to Tijuana’s fest, the 6th annual, with free admission (one needs to buy one’s own food & bev). The revered dish consists of a poblano chile, roasted & peeled, stuffed with a mixture of meat (usually beef & pork), fruit & spices, topped with a cream sauce containing ground walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds.

IMG_0880IMG_0864

IMG_0883IMG_0894

More than a dozen competitors vied in the contest to be deemed the best! We enjoyed the onstage demonstrations, and were happy to recognize Scott Koenig of A Gringo in Mexico.com among the judges (we met Scott over mescal tasting @ the Baja Culinary Fest two years ago). The dish is visually stunning, mirroring the colors of the Mexican flag (Que Viva La Patria!) The dutiful judges sampled more than a dozen chiles; we could only handle one, from Tijuana restaurant Cien Anos, which was lovely and delicious.

IMG_0904IMG_0897

Personally, I would have LOVED to have seen some more “breakout” treatments of the nogada, stuffed with chicken, turkey or seafood. Beverage options at the fest abounded: Palomas! Sangria! Wine! Beer! We enjoyed tastings from Mundano winery, who has a vineyard

NebbioloIMG_0905

in the Valle and (if I understood correctly) will soon offer tastings; we brought home a $17 bottle of their tasty 2012 Nebbiolo. One fun Sunday: we love and highly recommend Baja food fests!

Muchas gracias for photos by Bob Gove.