Eating my way through Baja

I would like to think that I am a complicated man, one who is known for his deep thoughts and sophisticated ways. But when it comes down to it, I like food and a good laugh. Wait. Delete those last words. I like food.

No complex formulas are required to make me content. Just feed me.

Since we started our trip to Tijuana, food has been on my mind. Because of my allergies, I'm always a little apprehensive about what I will encounter. In fact, I was worried more about my food options than the [mis]perception that violence would greet me at some point on my journey. Enough of what I have read and experienced has dispelled what I thought about the latter, but not the former.

I've been reading about the increasing recognition of the Baja culinary offerings, including wines. Once I knew that I was Baja bound, I set up Google search bots and they have been feeding me information about all things Baja, including food.

For example, in a Food and Wine article that popped up this week in my search talked about Chicago chef Rick Bayless' PBS show Mexico - One Plate at a Time and the fact that he devotes the entire next season to Baja California. Apparently, Bayless came to Baja and was blown away by what he found.

I've had several culinary experiences since I arrived two days ago. The first night my colleague and his friend took me to a taco stand in Tijuana for some great carne asada tacos. In my haste to eat, I overrode my aversion to allergic reactions and ate the corn tortillas that held carne asada, salsa and guacamole. Delicious. Minor reactions the next day, but well worth it.

Rick Bayless confirms the availability of good tacos in Tijuana. In the aforementioned article, he says,  "I used to think Mexico City had the best tacos, but Tijuana blows it away."
The next night we visited Ceibo Parrilla, a restaurant comparable to any of the good restaurants we find nowadays in Los Angeles. Lots of appetizers, including hummus, chorizo, steak and more. Although I was not able to partake, my friends raved about the Nebbiola wine they drank from one of the Baja wineries. I'm fairly certain that the winery was award-winning L.A. Cetto.

Today, we continued our journey south to Rosarita and, later, Ensenada where we met with officials from the Economic Development Commission. They took us to a seafood spot frequented by mostly locals: El Primo Nava. Located in what was a former roller skating rink, it's a large restaurant with a vibrant feel to it. And the food ain't bad, either. I had the shrimp and scallops cocktail (camarones y callos coctel) and, later, shrimp and rice with a large glass of jamaica. Needless to say, I was a cochino - my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

It's dinner time and I'm not hungry, but who knows what may happen in the next few hours. The siren call of the lobster beckons me.