Baja Summer Trip - Al Fresco Lunch at Finca Altozano
So far I haven't touched upon the vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe. One of our top meals consisted of lunch at Javier Plascencia’s Finca Altozano.We pretty much ate on a hill overlooking the vineyards. Once again the magical atmosphere heightened the effect, but the expertly prepared and seasoned food stood on it's own. I could be eating it in a warehouse and it would still shine.
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| outdoor grill |
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| rounded bench atop the 1-storey "barrels" in previous photo |
Once again we enjoyed the grounds and got situated for some time before sitting to the meal. Watching the chefs grill our meal and hand make tortillas, along with the fresh air, definitely whet the appetite.
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| chef picking produce and herbs |
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| adorable puppies sleeping, to add to the charm |
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| surprisingly the white salsa was the hottest - habanero |
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| cucumber water, local wines and artisanal beers were offered |
And then the meal began.
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| stuffed zucchini |
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| langostinos |
The consensus was that this grilled octopus was the favorite. Impossibly tender, the sauce's unexpected ingredients like ginger and soy sauce really made it irresistable. I soaked up sauce with the bread after eating the octopus.
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| grilled quail |
Another fresh and fantastic bite was the salad. I loved the use of different tomatoes, herbs and red onions, as well as the local cheese.
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| Rib eye and bean fillings |
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| pumpkin and a mango tamal for dessert |
This meal left us wanting more Valle de Guadalupe for sure. More on the way.
Baja Summer Trip - Dazzling Breakfasts
One of the biggest highlights of the Baja weekend for me were two supremely satisfying breakfasts. I most craved these meals once they ended. The first exravagant breakfast was at La Guerrerense.
Established in the 60's and now run by the luminous Sabina Bandera,
also known as "La Guerrerense", they impressively churn out a high speed bounty of her seafood magic. The cooks and staff always refer to her as La Guerrerense, not by her first name. I'm sure this is to show their endearment and respect.
If there is a better Sunday breakfast, i am yet to find it. I've had their sea urchin and pismo clam tostada at the LA Street Food Festival, which you can find at this post.
also known as "La Guerrerense", they impressively churn out a high speed bounty of her seafood magic. The cooks and staff always refer to her as La Guerrerense, not by her first name. I'm sure this is to show their endearment and respect.
If there is a better Sunday breakfast, i am yet to find it. I've had their sea urchin and pismo clam tostada at the LA Street Food Festival, which you can find at this post.
Although I loved it, the feeling of being at the source with even fresher ingredients made a difference. Also remarkable was their speed and efficiency in serving so many people so quickly and with smiles on their faces. Their operations could be studied in MBA programs!
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| A dozen plus organic salsas also sold and available for dressing the food |
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| sea urchin and pismo clam tostada with avocado |
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| tostadas de pate de pescado y caracol (fish pate and sea snail tostadas - photo courtesy of ClubTengoHambre |
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| A line of 40+ people upon opening |
La Cocina de Doña Esthela
Our other soulful and equally satisfying breakfast began at La Cocina de Doña Esthela, a beautiful country eatery.
Before eating we spent quite some time comingling with the animals on the grounds.
I particularly bonded with the goats, not realizing that they had such vivid and sweet personalities. Their looks and voices alone were heartwarming.
Moving inside for breakfast, and I'm talking a huge, farmer style breakfast, we enjoyed steaming ceramic mugs of cafe de la olla , a traditionally prepared Mexican coffee. The coffee is brewed in earthen clay pots with cinammon and piloncillo, or cones of unrefined sugar. It truly is a magical way to kick off the morning.
Did I mention, fresh corn tortillas right out of the stove, pumpkin empanadas and birria de res? Among this delicious bounty, I was most intrigued with the super fresh farmers' cheese. We scooped it up with fresh tortilla chips and a spicy, savory house made salsa. Just that and the coffee would have thrilled me, not to mention the rest of the meal.
We also ran into OC Weekly writer Dave Lieberman, at an adjacent table. He took some of us on a wonderful evening around Tijuana on a previous trip, which you can learn more about at this post.
