By Wendy Lemlin

If you love the sophisticated side of Baja food and wines—or haven’t experienced it yet and want to see what all the accolades are about—-you’re in luck! All this week, from March 9-14, the iconic Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant takes diners’ palates south of the border with a four course prix fixe dinner paired with the renowned wines of the Guadalupe Valley.

Created by Chef Martin San Roman, the menu and wine pairings look like this:

 Starters

Wine: 2011 Monte Xanic- Chenin- Colombard

Bleu Corn Tostada with mussels and chanterelle mushrooms, pinto beans and chicharron

Bleu Corn Tostada with mussels and chanterelle mushrooms, pinto beans and chicharron

 Or

Baked Baja Clams with chorizo, smoked marlin, white wine dry chile

Baked Baja Clams with chorizo, smoked marlin, white wine dry chile

First Course

Wine: 2012 Las Nubes-Seleccion de Barricas

Tempura Oysters and Arugula Salad with wine caramelized carrots and prune vinaigrette

Cream of Lobster Puerto Nuevo Style

Or

Tempura Oysters and Arugula Salad with wine caramelized carrots and prune vinaigrette

Entrees

   Wine: 2012 Libis- Alximia

Braised Short Rib with red wine, black olive and pasilla chile sauce

Braised Short Rib with red wine, black olive and pasilla chile sauce over a grilled fresh cactus

Or

 Fresh Scallops on a crust of ancho chile and molases- mango chives beurre blanc

 Or

Grilled Tecate Quails with fig sauce and red wine risotto

Dessert

Apple burrito with vanilla and olive oil ice cream

Or

Ate and cheese tart

The dinner, including wines is $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Known for adapting French techniques to local ingredients, Chef Martin San Roman was born in Mexico City and graduated from L’Ecole Lenôtre in Paris. His resume for the past 28 years includes worldwide experience and more than 250 awards from 12 different countries. Working at Fauchon and Le Meridien Hotels in Paris, the London Hilton, and the San Diego Westgate eventually led him to open two highly acclaimed restaurants in Tijuana, Mexico: Tour de France and Rincon San Roman. He starred in his own cooking show for eight years on the Televisa network, and was head chef in charge of gala dinners for the Mexican Presidency at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a member of the Mexico Culinary team in the Bocuse D’Or World Cuisine Contest (aka the “World Cup of Cooking Competitions”), Guest Chef Instructor for the European Commonwealth chefs in Brussels, Belgium, and team adviser for the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.

Chef martin San Roman in his kitchen at Dobson’s .

Dobson’s has been known  as THE place for power lunches and superb dinners in downtown San Diego since 1984. In the coming weeks, the restaurant will begin a major renovation of its upstairs dining area.