Greer's OC

We would never want to encourage you to do anything dangerous, and that’s why we say traveling to Tijuana and Baja is as safe as going to Los Angeles or say, Laguna Beach. If you’re scared, don’t believe the hype. We’ve been to Tijuana at least a dozen times in the last few years, and never come close to a problem, except for the interminable lines crossing the border into San Diego.

On a bad day, you can plan on sitting in your car and moving just a few feet for up 3 hours or more; on a good day, a crossing could take 45 minutes. The wait has little to do with time of day, yet weekends are especially brutal.

If you know where to go, and what to do you’re in for one of the best food experiences of your life, plus you can bring back some great treasures for friends and family: artisan cheeses, extra virgin olive oils, artisan honeys, giant cinnamon sticks, Tequila, fantastic Tempranillos and much more.

Photo to left: Cheeses at Mercado Hidalgo

On our most recent trip to Tijuana, Ensenada and the beautiful wine country Valle de Guadalupe, we hit the Mercado Hidalgo first in Tijuana,  at Av. Independencia and Sanchez Taboada. It’s an open air locals market for fresh tortillas, candies, artisan cheeses, dried chilies, spices, moles, hard-to-find produce, giant cinnamon sticks, pottery, votive candles, and much more. Don’t leave without ordering a bowl of birria at El Rincón del Oso, it’s their famous goat soup served with fresh tortillas. Hungry for the best ceviche and shrimp tacos you’ve ever tasted? Make your way over to two of our favorite spots: Erizo Baja Fish House and Market (Ave. Sonora 3808 Fracc. Chapultepec C.P. 22020 in Tijuana) and to Mariscos el Mazateño (22414 Tijuana at in Tijuana.)

Moles at Mercado Hidalgo

Erizo Baja Fish House and Market is a sophisticated, yet casual eatery owned by Tijuana’s rock star chef, Javier Plascencia, a proud Tijuana native who as reported in the New York Times is on a mission to revitalize the culinary scene in Tijuana, and the city itself. At Erizo, you’re in for some of the best in Baja specialties: delicious  shrimp and squid ceviche, ceviche tostados, fresh oysters, and our favorite octopus tacos with cheese, fresh pico de gallo and avocado. Be sure to order a Plascencia’s hand selected local beers, or a refreshing pisco sour, to round out your meal.

Photo to right: Erizo Baja Fish House

For to-die-for shrimp tacos,  you’ll want to make it over to Mariscos el Mazateño (22414 Tijuana at Tijuana, Baja California), a far more casual spot than Erizo’s , and not nearly as modern, yet the camarones enchilado, will be one of the best chili shrimp tacos you’ve had in your life. You’ll want to put as much pico de gallo, shredded cabbage and sauce that your heart desires, and you’ll be dreaming of these tacos all the way home.

Shrimp tacos from Mariscos el Mazateño

While in Tijuana, if you need a place to stay, try the Hotel Ticuán, on Calle Octava (8th St.) between Revolución and Constitución, right downtown. Except for the power outage when we arrived, and the jacket that went missing on the bellhop’s watch, the Hotel Ticuán feels very much like a Marriott at home, only it’s dirt cheap. Plan on spending about $60 for a room.

You’ll love the location, it’s within walking distance to the great spots like the famed Caesar’s hotel/restaurant, and a fantastic dive bar, El Dandy del Sur. Grab a table or a bar stool at El Dandy and order a cold Indio, a cocktail, and some tasty bar snacks like chicharrones, peanuts and carne seca (sort of like beef jerky, but better, this comes with lime juice and picante.) They’ll be plenty of interesting people at the bar, it’s a “hip” part of town, and you’re in charge of the music, the digital jukebox plays English and Spanish hits.

Photo to left: Hotel Ticuán

If you’re like us, no matter where you are, at some point you’re going to want some great coffee. And that’s where Das Cortez comes in. It’s a tiny gourmet barista coffee stand that serves heavenly coffees made to order. (Brasil 8920, 22040 Tijuana.) Now if all of this sounds too scary for you, by all means, stay home. It will make the border crossing that much faster for the rest. We’re just sorry that you’ll be missing out on the experiences and culinary finds in Tijuana.

Baja Treasures

Want to venture further down south from Tijuana? Within just an hour or so, you’ll see some spectacular beaches, taste some of the world’s best seafood, pull off the roadside for some exotic prickly pears, and you can visit Baja’s wine country, that many say is like visiting Sonoma 20 years ago. Here are some of our must-visit spots in Baja.

Photo to left: The coastline view

In Ensenada, the world renowned seafood street cart "La Guerrerense," at Calle Alvarado and 1st Street, was named Newsweek’s Top 101 Best Places to Eat in the World thanks to Doña Sabina Bandera and her team who have been creating out of this world ceviche tostadas and more at this legendary cart for 40 years. Anthony Bourdain says it’s worth a drive from Los Angeles, and he’s right. Get in line and order a sea urchin tostada topped with diver scallop and almeja clam; a coctél de mariscos (diver scallop, mussels, octopus, almeja clam, shrimp, sea snail); and an abalone tostada, and you can taste what the culinary hype is all about. You can also take home some of Bandera’s famous salsas and sauces.

Photo credit, Adam Goldberg of ALifeWorthEating

Corazon de Tierra, a farm-to-table restaurant that’s about an hour south of Tijuana, on the Ruta del Vino, at Baja's Valle de Guadalupe, that’s the real deal: the farm is right out the back door. At Corazón de Tierra they make their own wine, olive oil and all ingredients, the owner even raises his own tilapia. The seafood comes from Ensenada just a 15-minute drive away. The prix-fixe menu changes daily. This place is akin to eating at someone’s home, albeit a person who has great taste in food, wine, design and hospitality. If you want the entire lowdown on how special this place is read on at OC Weekly’s Stick a Fork in It, where Niyaz Pirani and Dave Lieberman ventured down and gave us a great review in detail with fantastic photos.

Photo to right: Prickly pears in Ensenada

Endémico at Encuentro Guadalupe in the Valle de Guadalupe is definitely one of our favorite luxury hotels we’ve ever stayed at in the world. It’s an amazing, private place where each room its own glassed-in building overlooking the northeastern part of the wine valley nestled along boulders. Your individual minimalist cabin will come stocked with local wine and features outdoor fire pit, there’s a beautiful terraced swimming pool and the main building features a modern indoor/outdoor restaurant, bar and common area. It’s a must visit for a romantic weekend getaway.

When it comes to wine tasting in the Valle de Guadalupe, we recommend the rustic Vinos de Garza at Rancho Mogorcito, Tecate-Ensenada Km.87. Tijuana-Tecate, at Valle de Guadalupe. (It’s about thirty minutes from Ensenada.) The charming boutique winery covers 7 acres of vineyards in production and has 22 acres in development. Their first harvested varietals are the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and new varieties include Tempranillo, Grenache, Zinfandel, Carignan, Nebbiolo, Cinsault, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscate. While you’re sampling wines at its tasting room, the beautiful setting will take your breath away with its natural beauty of the vineyards and majestic vistas. You can order wines from Baja online at winesfrombaja.com.

Photo to left: Vinos de Garza