Tag Archives: Valle de Guadalupe

Celebrating Gastronomy in Baja Throughout October

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By Wendy Lemlin

Head South of the Border to Tantalize Your Palate

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I’m beginning to think that the 10th month of the year should be renamed Eatober. With several major food-focused events straddling both sides of the border throughout October, those who celebrate the culinary arts will have no problem indulging their passion for the finest food and drink in a vibrant social atmosphere. Head to Baja in October for some major food and wine events featuring rock star chefs and the best of local flavor, and see why the gastronomic scene there has positively exploded in recent years.

Valle Food & Wine Fest

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On October 5-7, Baja’s celebrated wine and cuisine destination, the Valle de Guadalupe, will play host to the celebrity chef studded second annual Valle Food & Wine Fest, detailed in a previous article. Guests will enjoy the offerings from 25 local wineries and 8 craft breweries to pair with the creations of 38

chefs from the USA and Mexico, including Netflix Chef’s Table stars Nancy Silverton and Dominique Crenn, Rick Bayless, Top Chef Jonathan Waxman, Michelin-starred Drew Deckman, Baja superstars Benito Molina, MiguelAngel Guerrero, and Javier Plascencia.

Tickets and info here.

Berry Good Noche

Berry Good Noche

For the past eight years Berry Good Night was a highly sought after by-invitation-only dinner and evening event, held on a beautiful La Jolla Farms estate perched atop the cliffs abutting Torrey Pines Beach. By bringing together local growers, ranchers, and producers, along with championing the ideology of sustainable food, the event has been a catalyst in uniting kindred spirits—the artisans, food activists, farmers, ranchers, winemakers, brewers, writers, chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary locavores—who feed the palate of the local conscientious foodie world.

This year, the Berry Good Night Dinner is taking its 8th anniversary south of the border to be reborn as Berry Good Noche, and any guest who purchases a ticket is welcome. The event will be held on October 18 in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley), about 90 minutes from the border, at Troika, adjacent to Vena Cava Winery. The celebration will serve the dual purpose of highlighting sustainable gastronomy in our border region, and serving as an opening event for Baja Culinary Fest (more about that below).

The 6 course feast will feature an array of local wine pairings provided by the members of Provino, Baja California’s premier winery association. Celebrated chefs from both sides of the border creating culinary delight will include:

Cocktail hour will begin at 5pm with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Troika and the seated dinner will begin at 6pm.

100% of $150 ticket proceeds (**excluding transportation fee) will benefit Baja school garden projects. For those not wishing to drive from San Diego, round trip transportation fro Old Town Transit Center is available for $50 pp. Tickets and detailed info available here.

Baja Culinary Fest

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Dubbed “From North to South” and focusing on the theme of Sustainability, the 8th annual Baja Culinary Fest will celebrate the gastronomy, along with the wine and craft beer culture, of Baja California from October 18-20. With the exception of Berry Good Noche (see above) all events and dinners will be held in Tijuana, making it easy for guests from San Diego and Southern California to attend. Conferences, cooking workshops, demos, and an expo will take place at Club Campestre golf club, culminating with the Culinary Summit on October 20. There, attendees can sample the creations of an impressive roster of local and guest chefs from throughout Mexico, who will cook the best dishes of their kitchen at 30 food stations, showcasing products from Baja California. Pa

  • Festival Founder Javier Plascencia, Misión 19 – Finca Altozano – Jazamango

  • Aquiles Chávez, La Fisheria Playa del Carmen, Q.R.

  • Diego Hernandez, Corazón de Tierra Ensenada, B.C.

  • Gabriela Ruiz, Carmela y Sal CDMX

  • Guillermo Gonzalez Beristaín, Grupo Pangea Monterrey, N.L

  • Mao Montiel, Dolcenero CDMX

  • Oswaldo Vazquez, Comal – Chileno Bay Resort & Residences Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S

  • Tomas Bermúdez, La Docena Oyster Bar Guadalajara, Jal.

  • Yvan Mucharraz, Comal – Chileno Bay Resort & Residences Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S

  • Alex Branch, Hakkasan Group Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S

  • Julián Martinez, Sepia Cocina del Mar CDMX

  • Matthew Beaudin, Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, Ca.

  • Ruffo Ibarra Oryx Capital Gastro Pub Tijuana, B.C.

Multi-course dinners prepared by teams of some of the top chefs in Baja California and beyond will be held each evening. The most difficult decisions will be choosing which one to attend on each night!

See the full chef lineup for each dinner here! Contact the individual restaurants for prices and tickets for these very special dining experiences.

Tickets for all the festival events are found here.

All-Star Chef Lineup Coming to Valle Food & Wine Fest

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by Wendy Lemlin

(photos courtesy of Valle Food & Wine Fest)

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Foodies take heed! Get out those elastic waist pants, because October is going to be a prime month in which to indulge your culinary and oenophilic obsessions in San Diego, Tijuana, and Baja’s celebrated Valle de Guadalupe. Several major food and wine-centered events will bring world renowned AND locally esteemed chefs and culinarians to the area, and if you are a gastronomy enthusiast, you won’t want to miss any of them.

Valle Food & Wine Fest

First up is the 2nd annual Valle Food & Wine Fest on October 5-7, a 3 day extravaganza of— yup, you guessed it— food and wine, held in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, about a 2 hour ride south of San Diego. Expanding on last year’s success, the 2018 festival will attract about 2000 guests, and what is probably the most esteemed and badass lineup of chefs this area has seen. Although the visiting chefs are known for diverse styles and cuisines, they will all be cooking “Valle style”, working their magic with local ingredients and implements. The distinct culinary style of the Valle de Guadalupe reflects the land’s rugged terrain, where chefs spend long days smoking and grilling locally grown ingredients over Caja Chinas, barrel smokers, Santa Maria-style grills, and authentic copper vessels. These theatrical cooking techniques will be on display throughout the festival. To round out the experience, wines— from crisp bubbles and floral rosés to the acclaimed Nebbiolos and unique blends— will give guests a taste of the local terroir that’s becoming increasingly recognized on a competitive global scale. In the words of Wine Spectator’s wine guru James Suckling, “(Baja California) might be one of the last untapped great wine regions left in the world.” Continue reading

Valle Wine & Food Festival Benefits Farm Workers and Earthquake Victims

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By Wendy Lemlin

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   As anyone in the SoCal/Baja border foodie community knows, in recent years there have been a significant number of outstanding events in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s smoking-hot wine region about 90 miles south of San Diego. But, the first annual Valle Wine & Food Festival, happening October 22, stands out as a must do, not only for the amazing quality of cross-border chef talent who will be participating —hosts Javier Plascencia and Nancy Silverton, and Michelin-starred Dominique Crenn, to name a few—but also because the event will be flavored with a welcome taste of altruism, i.e. the festival will benefit the area’s farm workers, as well as victims of the recent earthquakes in Mexico.

Nancy Silverton, Carolynn Carreno, Javier Plascencia

Nancy Silverton, Carolynn Carreno, Javier Plascencia

Continue reading →

Eating Up the Valle De Guadalupe

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Where to Dine in Border Baja’s Hottest  Wine  & Foodie Destination, The Valle De Guadalupe

By Wendy Lemlin

View of the Valle from Malva

View of the Valle from Malva

It’s no longer any secret that there is some fantastic food in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe.  When I first started visiting this tranquil valley in 2005, there were maybe 2 or 3 “gourmet” restaurants being buzzed about in the SoCal/Baja gastronomic circles. These days, visiting wine tasting aficionados can indulge their tastebuds with memorable fine dining experiences at close to 20 eateries ––although, it’s hard to keep track as there seems always to be a new restaurant opening. And by fine dining, I mean the best of the Valle’s ingredients—organic produce usually grown in onsite gardens, locally made cheeses, fresh caught seafood from Ensenada, meats and poultry raised on small Valle ranches and farms—expertly and creatively prepared, and served, for the most part, in a casual, al fresco ambiance.  While many of the dishes themselves are worthy of the world’s top restaurants, in this slice of Baja Norte we’re not talking white table cloths and fine china, but more earthy surroundings that reflect the culture of the vineyards and the ruggedness of the surrounding topography, and where you feel totally comfortable lingering over your meal for several hours. In fact, be prepared to do so—there’s no such thing as “grabbing a quick bite” here, unless you’re patronizing the new crop of food trucks at such wineries as Adobe Guadalupe and Vena Cava.  I won’t lie—dining in the Valle might seem pricey if you were expecting $1 tacos and beer, but for the most part, I’ve found every culinary experience I’ve had there to provide excellent value for the quality presented.

So, fill your glass with one of the Valle’s excellent wines and pull up a chair at my virtual table. Join me for a mini gastronomic tour to some of the restaurants I recently visited on a three day Valle de Guadalupe getaway! Continue reading →

Sleeping Around: What’s New in Valle de Guadalupe Lodging

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By Wendy Lemlin

One of 4 casitas at Casa Mayoral

One of 4 casitas at Casa Mayoral

The first time I visited Baja’s lovely Valle de Guadalupe was in the fall of 2004, about 6 months after I moved to San Diego from Florida. I discovered it somewhat by accident, having driven down the coast with a visiting friend. In the spirit of adventure, heading back from Ensenada we decided to take the turnoff for Route 3, recommended as a scenic drive that would eventually lead back to the border crossing at Tecate. At that time, I knew nothing about the handful of wineries already established in the valley, but I remember that the two of us, both Baja newbies, were blown away by the beauty and tranquility of our surroundings as we drove, and the happy feeling that we were actually in another country with a pastoral ambience very different from the frenetic Gringo/Mexican border hybridism of Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada.

About two years later, while working on an article about the Baja coastal areas, I deliberately made a detour to the Valle and began in earnest my love affair with her mountain-lined vistas, and the growing food and wine culture that was soon to permeate the landscape.  I think that there were around 10 registered wineries at that time.  Now that number is approximately 150, most of which have popped up in the last 3 years or so.

All of which begs the question: what’s new in the Valle de Guadalupe? Of course, the answer is: plenty.  There are more wineries, more restaurants—some of which are now staying open year-round—and thankfully, more lodging options.  In the last couple of months, after not having been there in a year, I’ve made several trips to the Valle, checking out places I hadn’t been before—some new, and some just new to me, and revisiting several favorites to see how they’ve progressed. Continue reading →

A Taste of Baja California Culinary Fest

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by Wendy Lemlin

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So, you’ve been hearing all these great things about the Baja culinary scene, and have just been waiting for a good excuse (not that you really need one!) to experience it for yourself, right?  Well, you’ve got one—in fact two!

For the first time, Baja California Culinary Fest is teaming up with The Culinary Conference Ensenada Gastronómica to present five days of mouth-watering excitement. From October 29th to November 2nd, guests will be able to explore the many flavors of Baja and discover the local natural resources of the region that the rest of the world is clamoring for these days. Chefs’ dinners, outings, tours and culinary competitions are among the exciting events planned for this foodie extravaganza. Continue reading →

Chef Profile: Martin San Roman

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by Wendy Lemlin

Chef Martin San Roman in his kitchen at Dobson's .

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

There are cooks— and then there are chefs.  Creative cooks abound these days, but truly talented chefs, with a culinary education, a firm foundation in the basics, and years of executive experience in running all types of kitchens, from hotels to intimate dining rooms, are few and far between. Martin San Roman is a highly accomplished chef, in every sense of the word. Continue reading →

Food Without Borders: Culinary Battles at Tijuana Innovadora Conference

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By Wendy Lemlin

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Come October 18 and 19, there will be some cross-border battles raging in Tijuana— but don’t be alarmed; it’s a very good thing!  In fact you could say a delicious thing, as some of the finest chefs from San Diego and Tijuana compete in three separate Iron Chef-style competitions, or Batallas Culinarias, as part of the biennial Tijuana Innovadora Conference, which showcases innovation in technology, industry and culture. Continue reading →

Bravo for Zarco

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By Wendy Lemlin

zarco

I’d be willing to wager that for most of you reading this, downtown Chula Vista is not the first place you’d think of—or at all— when deciding where to go for a fantastic dinner and amazing wine selection. Yeah, me neither—that is, until my recent visit to Zarco, Cocina De Baja, in the heart of Chula Vista’s 3rd Avenue shopping district. There, among shops whose windows display the most colorful of flouncy quinceanera dresses, Chef Flor Franco has converted the commercial kitchen of her highly successful Indulge Contemporary Catering company into a first rate showcase for her take on the much acclaimed cuisine and wines of Baja California. Continue reading →

Treasures of Tecate

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A Hike on Kuchimaa, aka Mt. Tecate

by Wendy Lemlin

As I passed back into the U.S. from Tecate , Baja California, the Customs and Immigration officer asked why I had been in Mexico. When I answered that I was checking out the interesting places around the town, he looked at me incredulously and asked, “Really? What is there to do in Tecate?”

As Mexican border towns go, Tecate may be Baja’s best kept secret. Continue reading →