Back in the day, when I went to Tijuana I didn't have a guidebook. I just had a friend I'll call Paco, one of my best high school buddies. His last name happened to match that of Tijuana's mayor at the time, and we all used to take his advice on Tijuana. After all, he was, we'd … [Read more...]
THRILLIST: THE VALLE DE GUADALUPE IS MEXICO’S WINE COUNTRY THAT YOU NEED TO BE VISITING, LIKE, YESTERDAY
We’ve been looking the wrong way. For years, San Diegans have been told our wine country lies just north of the county line, in Temecula. But maybe we should have been focusing on a different line: the border with Mexico. Only about two hours south of San Diego, the Valle de … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: In the open in El Jardin
I'm not good with disguises and trying would have been worthless. I'd cooked with Ryan Steyn, chef-owner of El Jardin por Ryan Steyn (El Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California), the week before. He knew I was a food writer and his whole place (kitchen included) was out in … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Getting to the heart of the Valle at Corazon de Tierra
Charlemagne the Truck struggled on the rutted incline, tires spinning on loose dirt, four-wheel drive be damned. Could the best restaurant in the Valle de Guadalupe—one of the 50 best in Latin America—possibly be up this road? I was expecting a “Welcome to the middle of nowhere” … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Finca Altozano isn’t just in the Valle de Guadalupe
It’s tempting to think about the new Baja food scene in dualistic terms: tacos, mariscos and birria sold from roadside stands on one hand, and BajaMed—the celebrated high-end cuisine fusing Mexican traditions with various immigrant flavors, using Baja’s native foodstuffs and … [Read more...]