Tag 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).

Seven Places to Eat and Drink in Mexico City


I recently went back to Mexico City and while I discovered that I would be happy sipping on a Victoria and eating chile-covered fruit floating on the Xochimilco canals all day, here are some stationary food and drink options to mix it up!

Ricas Quesadillas y Tlacoyos Light
It’s most likely that nearby each tourist destination in Mexico City there is a street food stall that is a destination in itself. A few blocks away from El Museo de Arte Popular there is a line of vendors sheltered by red plastic tarps. At this stand you can enjoy a quesadilla or tlacoyo (a torpedo-shaped masa snack that’s stuffed) with the backdrop of a church’s blue and yellow stained glass windows across the sidewalk.

The masa here serves as a vessel for guisados, which literally translates to stews or braised meats, but can be different toppings that sit in cazuelas waiting to be scooped into a taco or other masa creation. We sat at the short stools and ordered three quesadillas filled with squash blossoms, huitlacoche and mushrooms. The blue corn  masa tortillas are freshly pressed, coming off the comal like the color of a flame’s heart. Quesadillas can be made with requeson and/or quesillo oaxaca, and there are meat guisado options too. Sitting on the sidewalk at a table decorated only with salsa, limes and salt, eating my favorite childhood snack reminded me that often eating one dish made just right can be more exquisite than anything at a fancy restaurant.
Closed on Sundays. On Av. de Balderas between Independence and Juarez.

El Auténtico Pato Manila

I’m still confused by what Manila has to do with this place, but continuing on the theme of doing one thing and one thing well, this is a taqueria devoted to duck, one of the few meats you typically don’t stumble across at  taquerias. The narrow Condesa restaurant fits 15 seats, half of them around the kitchen counter.  The only spots of color in the white-tiled space are a portrait of Mao (interesting), a blue speaker that lights up, and the jamaica, tamarind, and sweet and sour sauces on the counter. The signature dish here is the Tacos Kim: roasted duck, plum sauce, carnitas, cucumber, and green onions on a flour tortilla. The dish mimics the fixings for pecking duck, which the owners were inspired by while traveling in China. Here the mandarin pancake is subbed for a flour tortilla. Between the plum sauce and the flour tortilla, it’s a fun mingling of food memories if you grew up with both genres of flavors.  For a more Mexican take, go for the Tacos Manila: duck, beans, epazote on a corn tortilla (although I didn’t find them as tasty).


There are a few beer options here, and if you’re smart you’ll flag down the camote and roasted platano vendor circling the block for some dessert (Thanks Jeronimo!) $70 pesos for a plate of four tacos, and they have tortas on the weekend.

Cafe Avellaneda

Sometimes when traveling it’s the small victories and not the over-the-top meals that are the most memorable. The coconut crema on the side of the road, the copita of mezcal in a dive bar, the day-changing coffee on a busy city trip. At Cafe Avellaneda that was the coffee drink I had, made with tamarindo, espresso, juniper and tonic. The tartness of the tamarindo played with the bitterness of the espresso and the tonic mellowed things out.

This tiny cafe and bar a few blocks away from the touristy area in Coyoacán opens up to the street and has a few places to sit at the copper counter. There are a number of coffee and tea cocktails on the menu, however the cafe works with small coffee farms and has a range of specialty beans from Mexico, so even the straight-up is special here (the owner is a barista competition champion too).

Pasillo del Humo

Pasillo del Humo is a project by the son of Celia Florian, one of Oaxaca’s culinary heroes (read an interview with her I did last year) and I am so pleased that we came here for brunch. As all proper breakfasts should begin, we were immediately served café de la olla (choice of hot chocolate too) and given a selection of golden brown pastries: the chocolate croissant was buttery perfection and the concha was fluffy and not too dense, one of the best I’ve had. The breakfast menu offers some of my favorite Oaxacan staples, like chilaquiles with choice of guajillo sauce, moles or frijol, with an optional fried egg or tasajo. There’s a tamale plate with a trio of yellow mole, black mole, and bean tamales. I had the cazuela de huevo y chapulines: grilled hoja santa, melted quesillo, chapulines (grasshoppers) and a fried egg in salsa chile pasilla mixe. It was earthy and tart, flavors true of chapulines and hoja santa, which might be intense if you’re not familiar with them.

The space is on the top floor of a food hall in the Condesa, with high ceilings decorated by murals of Istmeño lace headdresses and embroidery blooming over the tops of wooden panels. The kitchen is open, bookended by piles of pastries on one side and colorful tortilla baskets on the other. It would be a great place for lunch as well.

Xaman

I’m not really recommending this place. More just compelled to comment on it. Part SNL parody of Ojai, part mixologist haven, this bar’s schitck is incorporating pre-Hispanic ingredients into craft cocktails. Punch bowls are served in jicaras and rosemary garnishes are lit on fire as they leave the bar. A guy with a man bun walks through the floor periodically with copal.

On one hand, the space is beautifully designed with apothecary-like bottles behind the bar, crystal cups of rose petals and ginger sitting on the counter, and elegant wood paneling and private booths. Also, I like drinks with cactus fruit and zapote shrub. On the other hand, I wonder how the people who spend and make money at Xaman identify with and give credit to the indigenous people who have kept alive traditions and knowledge of these plants and fruits. This is why I’m not wholeheartedly recommending this place, but I think it captures a trend we should talk about. The DJ here was one of the better we heard, with disco beats getting us up to dance in the copal smoke (I’m rolling my eyes at myself).

PataNegra
Come to this long-time neighborhood bar for live Son Jarocho, music from Veracruz, on Sunday evenings around 6 or 7. There was one professional dancer with the band, and a whole bunch of impressive audience participants. In the evenings it feels like PataNegra is a low key tapas bar, but as soon as the live music stopped the playlist went right to pop and the lights went down so expect a change in the vibe. Look out for other shows as well, they are known to bring in some well-known acts.

Felina
If you like a classic cocktail with a side of Don Draper fantasy, come here. The low lit corner bar feels like a mid-century posh library with swanky velvet chairs and couches, patterned wallpaper and circle mirrors.

They’re know for their classics, but I was pleased sipping on a drink with orange blossom, lemon, mezcal and ruda (a bitter herb) for garnish. With Brazilian soul on the turntables this is a sexy spot to lounge before a night out.

In between meals:

The Suprema Corte de Justicia in the historic center has what are probably some of the most moving and under-admired murals in the city. Down each stairwell of the Supreme Court are murals interpreting the theme of justice. The History of Justice in Mexico by Rafael Cauduro is the most contemporary and chronicles the history of abuse by the government against its citizens. It’s hyper-real with police officers in riot gear poking out through the windows and torture cell basements at the bottom of the stairwell. It’s a fierce cry for justice in a building where it has so often been denied.

The Museo Dolores Olmedo is housed in a 16th century hacienda with peacocks and hairless Xoloiztcuintle dogs roaming around the property. Olmedo was a wealthy business woman who administered Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s estates, so there are rooms full of their work as well as photos of the couple, all interspersed with a big collection of mostly pre-colombian art. A perfect day would be to come here in the morning and then head over to the nearby Xochimilco canals for snacks and beer on a boat (it’s good to leave the canals by 4 pm, when they get crowded with college kids).

Thanks to my sisters, Jenny and Kyana for scouting a few of these places and being the best company, and to Jeronimo for showing us around!

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 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!

Eating and Drinking in Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe

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Did you know there’s a wine valley in Baja? In Valle de Guadalupe you’re sure to find good food and wine, beautiful views and probably at least one wrong turn down a country road. Not far away is Ensenada, formerly a big destination for cruise ship and spring breakers, and once you have a seafood tostada from one of these street carts, you might never think of street food or seafood the same way. My first trip to northern Baja was exactly a year ago, and since then I’ve been back a few times. Here are several places I’ve enjoyed. As always, there will be more to come.

Valle de Guadalupe

While the valley has pretty quickly grown to include about 60 wineries, it’s still relatively rustic and meant for tourists who feel comfortable navigating somewhat rural Mexico. Signs are there but many of the roads are dirt and often windy with forks that lead to nowhere— or maybe to Corazon de Tierra, one of Latin America’s best restaurants next to a six-room boutique hotel. You never know here. A trip around the valley requires a driver like my friend Jorge, who passed a locked-up winery gate back and forth before taking an unmarked path to the front of the building and smiled, “No, it’s not closed!” Visit anytime Spring through Fall.

El Pinar de Tres Mujeres

Pinar de Tres Mujeres Valle de Guadalupe
Ismene makes the kind of food you want to eat when in a wine valley: it’s casual and tasty, served family style, with clean flavors showing the best of local ingredients, reminding you of the beauty and bounty that surrounds you with each dish. There’s usually a soup, a main, salad, and some kind of ceviche. The patio tables are next to an open air kitchen at 3 Mujeres Winery. Trees shade the dining area and vineyards are just below. The winery, co-owned by Ismene’s mom, is made up of a team of female winemakers. Being here feels like being a guest at a friend’s ranch home. Because, you know, I have soooo many friends with ranch homes.

Cuatro Cuatros

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My first stop ever to the valley was Cuatro Cuatros, just over the hills from the Ensenada-Tijuana highway. Fourteen tented cabañas are nestled in this 144 acre property that extends from the top of the hills that overlook the coast to the valley of vineyards. Two antique shrimping boats sit next to grape vines. Be sure to take a drive to the top of the hill for a look at the view. In order to taste wine here you have to say you have reservations at the restaurant, a safari-like tent with animal skin rugs— is it called Desert-chic? We ordered a bottle of the rosé, and—best kept secret in the valley—sips of one of the employee’s uncle’s mezcal from Oaxaca. His name is Noe, and if he has enough you can buy a bottle. It tastes like Pineapple.

Malva


Malva is the first stop in the Valley on the road to Tecate. My boyfriend is friends with the chef/owner, so the first time we went they sat for five hours and traded kitchen horror stories (the pain of making a club sandwich on a late night room service shifts sounds real) while I devoured plate after plate of food and enjoyed the late afternoon golden light. “This is a place where I would want to eat, with food I would want to eat, with prices I would like to spend,” said Chef Roberto Alcocer breaking it down. I would agree. This is an elegant and comfortable outdoor restaurant, with the “dining room” under a huge palapa, next to an open kitchen, and the restaurant garden near the entrance. The food is gorgeous, but not precious, and changes with the seasons. I love it here.

Finca Altozano

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The theme here is countryside cooking, and oh is it themed out to the max. Sheep on the property are harvested. A veggie garden is just below the open-air dining room, right below the bakery. Most things are cooked on the fire, and the kitchen extends from one end of the dining room to the other. There’s a gift shop with locally made soap and cooking tools, giant wine barrels for you to climb up and sit on while overlooking the valley, and a separate coffee bar inside one of the barrels. Have some snacks and then sit on one of the tall barrels for the sunset.

Torres Alegre
I didn’t try enough wine to say that this is the best wine in the valley, but my friend who has tried plenty of wine here was very excited about this place. Dr. Torres-Alegre, the first enologist in Mexico to have a PhD in the science of enology, is the winemaker here. The winery itself isn’t the most inviting structure, a little too much concrete for my taste, but the tasting room is small and service is welcoming.

Ensenada

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Ensenada is about 30 minutes away, depending on where you are in the Valley. Get dropped off in the touristy center and you might be underwhelmed by shop after shop selling the same touristy tchotchkes. But check out the seafood market at the marina or a street cart, and you’ll be overwhelmed with options.

La Guerrerense

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In partial thanks to Anthony Bourdain everyone knows about Sabina’s seafood stand, and it’s pretty much the only place I said I HAD to get to the first time I went to Ensenada. I think it was a promising sign when my first breakfast with my boyfriend was a sea urchin sofrito tostada topped an inch high with scallops, avocado and chile de jardin salsa (peanuts and charred chiles) sitting on a red plastic stool in Ensenada. For the adventurous seafood eater.

Breve Cafe

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I was desperate for coffee and it was looking bleak for a moment while we were driving through the spring break club-lined streets— and then I saw it: red stools, a counter, hipster writing. “Stop, it’s a cute cafe!” And indeed I was right, just a street side to-go spot with coffees from around Mexico and super sweet staff.

La Contra/Boules

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Housed behind La Contra is Boules, a patio restaurant with a bacci ball court surrounded by trees. La Contra is a wine and beer store featuring local bottles, so this is a cool space to stop if you need a gift or something to take home, and then of course, have a drink in the patio under the magnolia tree.

Mariscos El Güero

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If you want to seafood cart crawl, hit up Mariscos El Güero too— I mean, everyone else is there. This crowded cart is a machine, with each worker holding down a different station. You want a clams tostada? You gotta ask the clam shucking guy on the corner of the left side. Don’t be fooled by the crowd, food comes out fast and everyone just hangs around eating over plastic-wrapped plates. The most popular items I saw were ground fish ceviche tostadas, patas de mula (bloody clams) in the shell, and mixed seafood tostadas. It’s still a novelty to me to be able to go to a street cart and throw back oysters and octopus tostadas, surrounded by perfect slices of avocado and smells of fresh chiles— all for a very reasonable price. No matter how often I visit I don’t ever expect to get tired of flavors like this.