Category Archives: Mexico

Necessary Beverages: Mezcal, Beer, and Coffee in Ensenada


Ensenada stole a small piece of my heart recently. I have long treasured my ritual breakfast at La Guerrerense, the popular seafood street cart where eating a sea urchin sofrito tostada piled with scallops, avocado, and charred peanut salsa slays all beginnings to the day. But as for the rest of the city, I’ve only had the opportunity to take it in bit by bit, in passing. A walk up the hill that overlooks the city and the Pacific, where a chef friend pointed out the edible plants that sprouted after a fire. A ceviche and beer at Boules, where the magnolia trees shaded chain-smoking women with raspy voices who shared a drink and the gossip around town with me. Birria after a night out, the fried tortillas dipped in a cup of stew relieving my hangover as it coated my lips in deep red oil. I realized on my last visit, a 24 hour mission for a dinner celebrating the region’s indigenous foods, that the more I’m there the more my experiences coalesce into meeting people who like me live for good food and drink. People who dig into obscure corners of food history or plant life. People who find serenity in the extra spicy salsa, the messiness of a tostada as it rolls down their chins, the “last” glass of wine, the shade of a century-old winery in the middle of the city on a sticky hot day. This is a true food city, and the path to it is an easy coastal bus ride from right over the border in Tijuana (which might be one of the nicest two hour bus rides possible). Here are three places for essential beverages while you’re here. A place for a green juice is in this post, don’t think I’d forget to drink my veggies.

Mezcaleria La Penca

Housed on the grounds of the Santo Tomas winery, this mezcaleria feels like you are indeed drinking in one of the secret crevices of a century-old building (more accurately, the former fermentation tank for aguardiente, brandy and cognac). High ceilings are rimmed by garafones and mezcal bottles on the tall shelves, and table-top candles illuminate the cracks that creep up the walls. They carry a few familiar brands like El Soledad and Amores, as well as some special seasonal offerings: a pechuga and an espadin in clay for example. To me, this place is a game-changer for Ensenada as all I usually need to love a city is a no-frills, cozy bar with good taste in mezcal.

Aguamala

I think it was the sip of the Aguamala Sirena pilsner at a local restaurant that sparked my interest in Baja craft beer. It was golden-tan, citrusy and toasty like freshly baked bread. I liked it even more after realizing that when I go to Aguamala it doesn’t necessarily feel like I’m around a beer obsessed crowd (as I would in a California brewery), but maybe just a crowd that likes to have a good time.

You could easily miss this taproom of shipping containers off the highway leading into Ensenada. I did, frustratingly many times. The brewery is built with elevated shipping containers and looks out onto the coast. During sunset the light glares in, but it’s still a great time to go. There is seating on an outside patio, around the bar, and at a row of tables with ocean-views.

Here you can enjoy drafts and taste flights from one of Mexico’s most well know craft breweries, and they usually have guest beers on tap as well. A small bar menu from Valle de Guadalupe chef Drew Deckman is available, and Mondays they have guest chefs. You’ll find staples from the area: oysters, mussels, and ceviche, with some more bar-leaning snacks like a Sonoran hamburger and buffalo wings.

Barra de Cafe

Tucked in the same building as Mezcaleria La Penca is a small café with specialty coffee from Mexico. The staff is super friendly, gladly giving me a whiff of the espresso grain of the day from Nayarit. A small roaster sits in the corner where they roast on off hours, and you can grab 200 gram bags of coffee starting at $96 pesos (about $5 USD) from Nayarit, Oaxaca and Chiapas. The space feels like a cool refuge on a sunny day, with high ceilings, cool concrete walls and light shining in from the glass doors. Black and white tiles border counters and benches, and pops of color come from ceramic artwork and murals that decorate the hallway. There’s comfortable seating in the narrow café or across the hallway in a larger room. You can also order pastries or breakfast from the neighboring restaurant down the hall.

Alta Baja


The new kid on the same block as La Penca and Barra de Cafe, Alta Baja is a rooftop bar and restaurant. The space is split up into several sections creating a number of nooks suitable for a romantic moment or a group hang while feeling like you have the place to yourself. The west side was my favorite: a balcony overlooking sixth street with a small bar, a few high tops and lounge area. The red and blue hand-painted facades of the stores and taco stands are right below, deepening in color as the sun goes down behind the hills of Ensenada. My Wendlant pale ale, the cobalt walls and golden mirrors all looked glorious in that light. They have a great beer list of Baja craft beers plus a few on tap from California, a cocktail list and a full dinner menu (I didn’t try the food but hope to be back to do so).

Five More Reasons to Visit Morelia, Mexico


In Morelia every Friday night they do a fireworks show in front of the Cathedral, and as we learned even when it rains. There were a few gold sparkly bursts, but mostly the cathedral was surrounded by a haze of pink and blue smoke. Is this what it looked like during the revolution?  This is a city so old and well preserved the past is easily imagined. The present is pretty cool too. For an introduction on where to eat and hang in Morelia, read my first post. Here are a few more reasons to visit.

Mezcal Bars

For many of us north of the border, we immediately associate mezcal with Oaxaca (as most mezcal we see here comes from Oaxaca). But, mezcal is actually produced in nine regions of Mexico and Michoacán is one of the primary producers. Which means in its capital city there’s a treasure trove of mezcal you can taste that you can’t get in the States. Intrigued? Head to Tatita, a small mezcaleria with a big shared courtyard. The patio is at the intersection of the Fuente de Las Tarascas, a bronze statue of three bare-chested indigenous princesses, and a park frequently visited by ruffled dress-adorned teens posing for quinceañera photo shoots. Pink limestone arches border the neighboring streets. Inside the bar lampshades made out of straw cowboy hats hang low, wood boxes filled with mezcal bottles hang on the blue walls, and tables are lacquered with comic books. The menu features mezcal from Michoacán producers and has some small bites too. Its bigger sister restaurant, Tata is the patio restaurant of my dreams (mostly for the décor and drinks— more here).

Closer to the cathedral, Mezcaleria el Desnivel with its dark walls, loud music, and neon chalk plantings is a little more lively, and there’s a nice list of mezcals and a killer special: $55 pesos for a beer and a mezcal shot (and best believe it’s better than any house mezcal in the U.S.).

Murals

Morelia has a deep revolutionary history and fortunately has its fair share of artists to help tell that story. Don’t miss the Palacio Del Gobierno, where the walls are covered in the history of the Mexican Revolution and Michoacán painted by Alfredo Zalce, a contemporary of Diego Rivera and Michoacan native. His work, like other great muralists of Mexico, incorporates social and political criticism and it’s always fascinating to me how murals like this end up decorating government buildings.

Sometimes murals offer even more to their spectator when they are hidden. Walking into Café Europa there are cachetonas, big clay angels with their cheeks puffed and lips pursed on the wall. Inside, the dining room sits underneath a tall open ceiling, the light filtered by hanging baskets. Walking further into the café the kitchen window is underneath a ceiling-high mural of two topless women. Flashes of white chef coats and hats move below. Inside a private dining room old wood and twig brooms hang from the wall.

Markets

Michoacán is the agricultural powerhouse of Mexico, and a lot of the produce you see in the States is from this area. To explore regional ingredients, the Mercado Independencia is the place. Outside along a faded mural wall is the live animal section, where men holding subdued roosters wait on the sidewalk. On certain days women come from towns nearby to set up blue tarps and sit on crates selling goods: sometimes blue corn tortillas wrapped in embroidered napkins, bright squash blossoms and shiny calabacitas, blackberry tamales, or peeled nopales cut and packed in tied plastic bags. It’s with these vendors where I always learn the most. Inside there are hot food stands, places for snacks and market bags, and down the way a clothing and shoes section.

The food court phenomena has also arrived to Morelia. At Mercado Don Lucas small glass pods with mini retail stores are downstairs, and upstairs, open air kiosks house craft beer and mezcal. There are food stands and tiered seating areas among the exposed brick, hanging plants and crisp white walls. There are clues though that this isn’t Portland: beautiful blue and yellow hand painted tiles downstairs, Huichol beaded wall hangings, and prices that aren’t inflated. I initially anticipated overpriced trendy food but the first thing I ordered cost the same as it would at any taco stand.

We ate two tacos from Flor De Canela downstairs, a bistek in chile negra and chile capon, with freshly made corn tortillas. We also enjoyed a juice from the stand next door with orange, lime, pineapple, ginger and guava. The tortas ahogadas upstairs were just ok, you can definitely find better here.

Museums

To get a glimpse of the art scene in Morelia, head to El Museo Contemporeana Alfredo Zalce, a small museum along the former aqueduct, which hosts a permanent collection of his work and rotating exhibits. When we were there modern sculpture works by a group of local students were on display.

Casa Xola

There are a few things that make a hotel memorable and one of those is an epic rooftop. This four-bedroom boutique hotel is a few blocks from the plaza central and each room is thoughtfully decorated with artesania. On the rooftop enjoy the outdoor kitchen and lounge, a fireplace, and views of the cathedral peaking above the layers of tropical plants (like mango and papaya trees). Breakfast, enjoyed at a large dining table in the kitchen, is included: a variety of fruit, cereals, and yogurts were available and the owner will make eggs upon request. A full review here.

Where to Eat Breakfast in Oaxaca, Part Two

After late nights in Oaxaca kept up by the creep of the mezcal high, I’m always excited for the rewards in the morning: frothy hot chocolate, fresh juice, crispy-edged fried eggs off the comal. Here are a few places to enjoy breakfast in Oaxaca city. For more, read my first post. Thanks to @oaxacking for introducing me to most of these places.

Casa Estambul


During the rein of Porfirio Díaz (Mexico’s president for three and a half decades prior to the revolution), this building was his hub for illicit activity— his casino—owned by a Turk and called Casa Estambul. The small brothel rooms surrounding a courtyard in the back of the restaurant now house kitchen supplies.


The courtyard is bordered by patterned tiles, and inside the bar area the entire wall is covered with the work of three well known painters. If you walk in and experience mezcal flashbacks, you may be thinking of the owners’ previous speakeasy-like bar Piedra Lumbre. Fer and Betty are also the publishers of Arrecife, a local magazine and guide, and their design sensibilities translate gorgeously off the page.


Brunch is a hit here, and I can see why. There’s a big menu, accommodating your friends who “will just have a smoothie bowl” and your pals soaking up a hangover with a torta de chilaquiles. The barista program is on trend, with dirty chais, matcha lattes, and milk substitutions. We had the chilaquiles verdes with tasajo, orange-red from chorizo spices and softened by queso fresco on top. They have three green juices, and I enjoyed the well-balanced number one: pineapple, kale, spinach, celery and coconut water.


Our first salad in two weeks had dried fig, winter melon, almonds, cheese from chiapas, and a tamarind dressing. The cocktail program here is also fun, I enjoyed a clean and refreshing ginger mule called the Mulas Tercas. Note that this is also a great place for an evening cocktail and dinner.

Tierra del Sol


An ode to unofficial Oaxacan ambassador, Lila Downs, this restaurant is housed in the singer’s childhood home. Private dining rooms are named after songs, and her cropped embroidered blouses and painted knee-high boots are illuminated in a glass case. The garden patio sprawls as cacti-entwined trees and hanging shiny green ceramics open to the kitchen, where fried eggs and tortillas are made on the comal. The only thing uninteresting about this place is that they only play her music (I mean, I like it but it’ll get repetitive quick).

I am a fan of enjoying the subtle ways in which cooks (home and professional) add their takes on simple staples, like chilaquiles. Here they are served with yellow mole, a mild herbal mole that’s poured over chips into a bowl, with two fried eggs.

The waiter will come to your table immediately offering hot chocolate and café de la olla, kept warm over a small grill in the outside patio. There are fresh juices, and some typical breakfasts from the Mixteca region.

This location is just a short drive from the heart of the city but feels like a distant retreat. They recently opened a new location in the centro.

Las Chilmoleras


It’s weird to say that a several thousand-year-old kitchen tool is trending, but is anyone else noticing more molcajetes used as serving bowls? Here at Las Chilmoleras they are filled with bubbling breakfasts, and alongside fresh pastries, juices, and good coffee. Try the huevos estrellados a la chilmolera, fried eggs with thick bacon, enfrijoladas, and salsa. (Tip, don’t scrape a molcajete with your utensils.)

If you’re missing marshmallows while enjoying all that Oaxacan hot chocolate, you’ll find them here.


This is a casual breakfast joint with a bright lavender and turquoise exterior and a patio that’s right next to the open kitchen. It’s owned by a Colombian chef, who married a Oaxacan. He sent out some freshly baked croissants filled with jam as we were leaving, and it made me want to stay for round two.

Jugos Cardona

Just like I scout out the good coffee in a new place, I’m always on the outlook for a juice shop in Mexico. Often juice shops are open before cafes in Mexico, which is helpful for this early riser. Anyway, this place is in a central location and will fill all your juice needs and give you a place to sit down. You’ll also learn about the nutritional value of seasonal tropical fruits by reading the hand-written signs on the wall.

Where to Eat and Drink in Rosarito


Rosarito is right on the Pacific coast and in between two great food destinations, Tijuana and Ensenada (including the increasingly trendy wine destination, Valle de Guadalupe) but I think a lot of Americans still come here mostly looking for Vegas-size margaritas. I found evidence for that theory recently when a group of six asked me to take a photo of them in their borracho shirts (borracho number 1, borracho number 2…) I believe it was number 3 who said she was pregnant, and while I will reserve judgment on what could have been one beer, I really hope her kid never sees that picture. (Borracho means drunk btw).

I have spent a lot of time in Rosarito this past year because my boyfriend grew up here. It’s different from most of the places I’ve lived or traveled in Mexico: it’s truly a border town, the highway runs through it like an artery and development catering to Americans crawls across the hills. There is great food here, but it is helpful to know where to go so you avoid any tourist/ex-pat traps.  Often the food comes with dope scenery, sitting at the edge of the Pacific. No frills, the ocean,  and a local craft beer. Sounds cool, right? Here are a few places I recommend.

El Nido and Los Pelicanos

Once for a birthday present my uncle Tom elaborately wrapped a box and inside were flour tortillas from his favorite place in the Mission. He gave me the gift of “the best tortillas ever” and the feeling of receiving the most perfectly selected gift for me, and my delight at trying the tortillas is not unlike how I feel eating the warm, freshly made flour tortillas at these two places every time.

Unless there is some weird historical split, I think these restaurants are owned by the same family, and the specialties here— venison, rabbit and quail— are raised on their land nearby. The chewy, perfectly browned flour tortillas are patted out at stations around the restaurant (you can make your own if you ask, mine came out square). Nido means nest in Spanish, and indeed the dining room here feels like you’re tucked in a tropical nest, with plants and lanterns hanging up and down the walls. At Los Pelicanos, the decor is similar but with a patio that sits elevated over the beach. But the 70s kitsch is brought down to real country earth by the brick and fireplaces and wagon wheels and the smell of mesquite. For breakfast at either of these places we always get the same thing: venison machaca with beans, nopal and quail eggs, a plate of tropical fruit, a green juice, and lots of tortillas. One thing I love at El Nido in the mornings is that they’ll bring you toasted buttery white bread with three different house-made jams. For dinner, we often just get queso fundido with mushrooms and chorizo, guacamole, and a pinto bean soup, with margaritas of course. Beware on the weekends, the waits here can be long so go at off hours. In downtown Rosarito.

Bleu Galley


The quaint little world of thisFrench-leaning cafe feels much farther away from the highway than it is. Come here for simple egg dishes, quiche and pot pies, with daily desserts and freshly baked pastries. There’s a chalkboard breakfast and lunch menu, and the place is small enough that you’ll probably end up in conversation with other diners. I loved the almond and goat cheese quiche we had, and I wanted to bathe in the light, mango creme for dessert. On the left across from Las Gaviotas.

Tacos El Yaqui


Come here for tacos made of juicy arrachera, flour tortillas, a guacamole splat, and pinto beans. Go for perrones, all the ingredients above with melted cheese. There’s usually a bit of a wait to get your food if you go at typical hours. This place is open Thursday through Monday and seating is all outdoors. In downtown Rosarito.

Las Gorditas de Rosarito


We found this place when Tacos El Yaqui was closed, and I’m glad we did. Gorditas are kinda like especially thick corn tortillas, slit and stuffed with different guisados, anything from shrimp to steak or salsa verde chicharron. We were happy with the steak and avocado, and the guisado of potatoes, poblano peppers and melted cheese. The wrapping of a burrito is truly an art form taken for granted by an Oakland girl like me, don’t make that ordering mistake or you will end up like me running to the trunk of the car and grabbing an extra tortilla to soak up the mess while in the border line. But the gorditas we’re perfect for taking to go (I mean, no officer, nothing to declare). A family joint that opened three months ago, I hope it is still there when we return.

Trenta Cuattro


At Trenta Cuattro, on the edge of the right side of the road headed south from Rosarito, you’ll find a pizza restaurant with epic ocean views and good snacks at decent prices— a rare combo most places in the world. The open-air space here feels pieced together in a good way, like someone thoughtfully decided that the feel of the place should not be overly thoughtful. There’s mismatched furniture on different levels, all facing a parking lot and beyond that the ocean and a few palapas for sitting right at the edge of the drop.


They have wines and cheese from the Valle de Guadalupe, as well as Mexican craft beer. It’s here where I’ve met two of my favorite new beers: the Agua Mala sirena pilsner, and the Insurgentes Tiniebla. If you aren’t up on it yet, there’s a craft beer revolution in Mexico right now and a lot of good stuff is coming out of this very area.

I’ll admit that I haven’t had the pizza, but there is a seasonal abalone pizza on the menu and that possibility alone makes me want to come back. Regardless, come for a beer or glass of wine and a cheese board. This is a great place to watch the sunset, keep in mind it may not be the best when temps are low.

Tinta Negra


This is a tiny taproom serving different Mexican craft beers right in downtown Rosarito. You can try some of the best craft producers in the state, and the menu is switched up monthly. In a food court, where we have yet to try any of the stalls. Cheers!

Five More Places to Eat and Drink in Tijuana and Ensenada

Tijuana and Ensenada continue to charm me (and my taste buds). Here are a few more places to visit.

Tijuana

Cine Tonalá

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This three-story movie house, cultural center, rooftop bar and restaurant has a stunning view of Tijuana. In the background the moorish tips of the emblematic Jai Alai building point skyward, as do the restaurant’s table-top gold triangle terrariums. Yes, hipsterism is creeping into this city too. Fortunately, it can’t knock the flavor out of TJ: the cocktails here are slammin, the food is tasty, and when I was there the chef was singing the praises of his almost all female badass kitchen staff.

For drinks, the Conejo Rabioso with tamarind tamarind pulp, ginger, mezcal, pineapple, ancho chile and a tajín rim is the kind of drink that immediately makes me picture the cartoon version of myself on a tropical island popping a straw into a magical giant tropical fruit and dancing around in a bikini. It was hard to have less than three.

The menu largely reps Baja-style seafood with oysters, ceviche, and tuna but there are few heavy hitters: a burger, ribs and duck al pastor tacos. The chef is a friend of my boyfriend’s and we first met in Mexico City when he was nursing an allergic reaction to eating a tarantula. I may not trust his personal eating decisions but I trust him with mine: the crab burrito is the thing I want to eat every day, the ceviche and oysters were clean and refreshing, and the dessert, a coyota (style of sugar cookie from Sonora) with nopal, piloncillo, and cactus fruit sorbet was thoughtful and unique.

Check the calendar before you go, and you can also grab drinks and snacks on the bottom floor before heading into a show.

Los Paisas

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While this place doesn’t need much fame (there’s a big photo with Anthony Bourdain’s photo on the wall), it’s a good taco reference to have in your back pocket. Las Ahumaderas is made up of a block of taco stands and Los Paisas is the first on the corner. We were told to get the samuri: a tostada inside a taco with melted cheese. It comes out handroll-shaped with a splat of watery guacamole and parchment paper wrapped around to keep it intact. I wouldn’t say the meat or toppings alone made this a destination, but the crunch and melt of the cheese in each bite made up for it.

Tacos El Ruso

Tacos El Ruso Tijuana

Tacos El Ruso Tijuana
Tacos El Ruso is a shining example of a place that does one thing and does it very well. I would like to do one thing in my life as well as Tacos El Ruso makes carne asada tacos. The meat is always well flavored, tender, with handmade tortillas and a perfect splat of guacamole. My boyfriend’s parents said they tried tons of taquerias searching for the perfect carne asada, and El Ruso took the trophy. Open from 3 pm until they run out, which is sometimes early evening.

Ensenada

La Flor de Calabaza

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This little cafe and organic market became our routine stop for a few days while heading into Ensenada. A good place for locally made gifts (chocolate, body products, honey, etc.) and for a gift to your body: the green juice. We liked the refrescante with green apple, pineapple, lime, celery and mint, and the rejuven with green apple, beet and beet leaves, lime, orange and ginger.

Tacos Marco Antonio

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Once a cannery packing seafood, beans, chiles, meats and more, Marco Antonio’s warehouse is now mostly a place for seafood guisado tacos (stewed or cooked dishes that are scooped into a taco). Red cans once packaging tuna estofado are now napkin holders. Canning machines and old fishing nicknacks line the walls, along with a few cartoonish murals of cooks and sealife. Somewhere a restaurateur is attempting to replicate this warehouse taqueria by the sea, but the history, kitsch, and food here is just too distinct to be found anywhere else.

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The menu depends on what’s left by the time you get there, as they open early and close around 3 p.m. We went for “only two tacos” but after the fried fish with chipotle crema and tuna adobada, we had to try the tuna in cilantro salsa and the marlin and shrimp quesadilla with chipotle crema. One look at the salsa bar and you’ll know you’re in good hands, there are several salsas and three types of onions. Wash it down with a yerba buena and lime agua fresca. I found this place via food writer Bill Esparza, his excellent blog post is linked above.

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