Baja California, Mexico

Valle de Guadalupe – La Cocina de Doña Esthela

August 13, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Travel

After having such a wonderful time in Valle de Guadalupe we were headed home. Ivan, who was our driver from San Diego to Puerto Nuevo, then our first day in Valle, was of course exactly on time to pick us up for the trip "home".

But there was one last stop. Aimee had instructed us not to have breakfast at Contemplación Hotel Boutique as she had a "must stop" for breakfast planned for us. It would be La Cocina de Doña Esthela. Which I had heard of since the one and only Anthony Bourdain raved about the Borrego Tatemada. And heck, I didn't know the place is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. And a month after our visit, I saw that Gorden Ramsey had visited to learn how to make tortillas as well.

Ivan parked and we walked over. I expected a super long line, but since this was early in the week we actually had no wait!

Though the interior was packed.

And yes, that's a smoked filled dining room……oh, the fragrances filling the air…..and if you thought "Korean BBQ shirt" was potent…..

There were really only two items we were targeting here…..

Of course we started with some Cafe de Olla…..not overly sweet.

And I got a small order of the Borrego Tatemada, which came with consomme, beans, and those huge tortillas.

Was not a fan of the runny, mushy beans; but that consomme…so full of rich, "lamb-y" goodness, nicely spiced, smoky, hints of spices like oregano…perfectly salted; probably my favorite consomme to date!

The meat; which really looked like machaca was surprisingly tender and like the consomme so full of flavor! A dip in the soup, some onions for pungency, a squeeze of lime to add acidity and cut the richness, and man; it was such a wonderful morning!

And as good as the borrego was; the Elote Pancakes were "a-maiz-ing"! Sorry, I couldn't help it!

I'm not a fan of hotcakes; but this is an exception. Forget the butter, we didn't need that. These were fluffy and moist, with a slight grittiness of corn. But the flavor; my goodness, the natural sweetness of the corn, a mild butteriness, we really enjoyed this.

I would say that Doña Esthela did live up to the hype.

La Cocina de Doña Esthela
Ranchos San Marcos, El Porvenir
San Marcos, B.C., Mexico

The Missus even bought some chocolate from this stand outside Doña Esthela

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We truly enjoyed our time in Valle. Much of the credit goes to Ivan, Isaac, and Aimee Cruz. I highly recommend using the services of Valle Guadalupe Baja Tours. It ain't cheap for two people, but with both Ivan and Isaac being so punctual, knowledgeable, and flexible, plus being able to customize things, we had a great time. And no, Aimee has no idea I have a blog. I'm not sure she's remember who I am. Because I'm just a regular guy who makes really bad dad jokes and likes to eat and explore.

I'm not sure why we took so long to visit Valle…….

Valle de Guadalupe – Olibaja Olive Oil, a “Return” to Vinícola Retorno, and Dinner at Salvia Blanca

August 9, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Beer, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Seafood, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

As we passed vineyards on our drive to Vinos Las Nubes, the Missus and I noticed olive trees being used as windbreaks for the grapes. We asked Isaac if Valle produced olive oil and he mentioned several producers of that product in the area. Now this was something we really didn't know! I guess it seemed that we were quite interested in the olive oil and being ever so proactive, when we returned for our next stop Isaac asked us if we'd like to do a tasting! While we were doing our sampling of the wines at Las Nubes, Isaac called around and found a tasting room open, which we headed to after our tasting, lunch, and tour at Decantos Vinicola.

The producer was Olibaja.

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The young lady who provided our tasting was very sweet and also gave us a short tour of the facilities. She was full of information….the few notes I took mentioned Manzanilla olives…..

The olive oil was slightly fruity, with a hint of bitterness, and quite green in color. The Missus had a great time; you know how much She loves Her olive oil having done tastings in several locales.

We ended up purchasing two bottles of olive oil, which is good for daily use, and a couple of bars of olive oil soap as gifts.

Olibaja
Carretera Principal al Porvenir
B.C., Mexico

And then while we were headed to our last stop, Isaac mentioned that his friend, who brews craft beer was working at a tasting room and if we'd like to visit. We said "of course", he then mentioned that it was at Vinicola Retorno which we had visited on the previous day. When we told him this, he was going to revert back to the previous plans, but we told him that Retorno was our favorite wine stop on our tour of Valle and we'd be glad to return. And thus, we "returned" to Retorno.

And we got in a nice tasting of beer and also a special tasting of something, at that time Retorno was doing as an experiment.

Producing a version of Port Wine. Since our visit to Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, I've come to appreciate a nice glass of Port. Especially with Blue Cheese, something I learned during our cheese tasting at Le Cheese Geek in Paris.

This was pretty good!

Good enough for me to talk them into buying a bottle. And the Missus got a bottle of Her two favorite whites as well.

In the end, we enjoyed the more casual, warm, and personal atmosphere of Vinícola Retorno. In fact, we'd like to "return to Retorno" again soon!

Vinícola Retorno
Santos Degollado 161
Villa de Juárez, B.C., Mexico

We really enjoyed the friendliness, flexibility, and expertise of the drivers that Aimee coordinated for us. She was such a pleasure to work with and arranged all the initial tastings and lunches.

As for this evening; well, four stops worked just fine for us as part of the goal was to relax as well. Which we did back at Contemplación Hotel.

And knowing we'd be wanting to just "chill", I had dinner reservations at the restaurant in the hotel complex, Salvia Blanca which I mentioned in my previous post. We got a lovely al fresco table.

Which came with it's own special "host". This super sweet and friendly pooch!

I think he must be one of the dogs considered to be "staff" by the hotel. The actual host did come by immediately and asked if he was bothering us…..and of course we told him that we loved the extra attention!

Having had my fill of wine for the day; I started things off with a cerveza.

I guess the restaurant has its own line of beer? This was on the fruity-sweet side; but nice and light as well.

As for the food; well, in keeping with we had been eating in the region; it was seafood heavy.

Starting with the Aguachile Oysters.

Nice and refreshing, upfront citrus, with a hint of spice and pungency. The oyster's true colors comes thru in the finish with a meaty-brininess.

The oysters outshone the Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche.

Which seemed bland in comparison. While the shrimp was tender, the scallops seemed tasteless and the marinating liquid seemed a bit on the lighter side in terms of crisp sourness….it could have been that this was served alongside the oysters.

The one non-seafood item was the Tuetano; bone marrow.

A bit of overkill with slices of beef tataki on it, but this was really good on the blue corn tostadas. Wish the bone marrow was a bit more "jelly-ish", but an interesting range of flavors with the blue corn tostadas, avocado cream, cilantro, and pickled onions. Perhaps a bit over-the-top since I like my bone marrow plain, but an interesting dish overall.

The fish of the day was interesting.

A lot going on here. The skin was nice and crisp, the flesh had a nice sweetness to it but was on the drier side. The "sikil pak", a pepito and tomato based sauce could have used a bit more acidity and spice; but was quite rich. The salsa topping had the nice kick of jalapenos and some garlicky pungency.

Which meant I needed a cocktail as dessert.

Overall a nice meal. We love the atmosphere and the vibe.

The wonderful "host" is a plus!

Salvia Blanca (Contemplación Hotel)
Calle Merlot Parcela 325 Ejido El Porvenir
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

Since we had spent some time exploring the hotel grounds earlier, we decided to take the road down the hill to Calle Merlot and take a short walk down the dirt road.

We had enjoyed our stay at Contemplación Hotel and really had fun experiencing some of what the Valle de Guadalupe had to offer.

Valle de Guadalupe – Breakfast at Salvia Blanca (Contemplación Hotel), Vinos Las Nubes, and Lunch at Decantos Vinicola

August 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Seafood, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

We slept well after our dinner at Fauna. The rises early in Valle in June and it's great to wake up to this view in the morning.

It was wonderful to make some coffee and sit out on the lanai and take everything in…..

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So relaxing. Breakfast was included in our stay and the restaurant at Contemplación Hotel (which I briefly covered in this post) named Salvia Blanca. The restaurant doesn't open until 830, so we had time to wander along the various paths and do some additional exploring.

We loved all the little art installations along the pathways.

Which led us to Salvia Blanca.

The restaurant was fairly large with a lovely outdoor dining area.

Things start later in Valle…..we were the only folks having breakfast in the restaurant on this day.

Not being too hungry, the Missus and I split sunny side up eggs, bacon, and beans…..

Which (of course) came with tortillas.

This was a fine breakfast. I had made dinner reservations at Salvia Blanca since I (correctly) thought we'd be having a busy day and would just like to relax for dinner. So you'll be reading more about the place then.

Salvia Blanca (Contemplación Hotel)
Calle Merlot Parcela 325 Ejido El Porvenir
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

After breakfast, the Missus and I decided to explore more of the hotel grounds before our scheduled pick-up time.

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We started noticing a lot of dog themed art along the way…..like this statue of Kuzco.

We would later see several really well behaved pooches around the offices and Salvia Blanca. We were told when we checked out that they consider these dogs to be "staff members"! How cool is that! Sadly, I did forget to ask about Kuzco. I guess that just gives us reason to return, right?

There's even a lovely little chapel on the grounds.

We returned to our villa to freshen up before our driver arrived….and like clockwork, fifteen minutes before our designated pick up time, he was ready and waiting for us.

Our driver today was Isaac, who was very outgoing and fun. And also very flexible as we'd end up making two detours in the afternoon which was lovely.

Our first stop was Las Nubes Bodegas y Viñedos, which had a beautiful setting on a hillside with a lovely view.

We sat on the lovely patio.

Admiring the view and petting the two lovely pooches…..

While doing our tasting….it doesn't get much better than that, right?

If I recall, the Missus enjoyed the Rose here….

For me, it was all about the view and the pooches….

Las Nubes Bodegas y Viñedos
Callejón Emiliano Zapata, El Porvenir
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

Our next stop was just a short distance away. Decantos Vinicola also had a pleasant view. We did our tasting on the porch area.

Then were escorted into the restaurant for lunch.

We just wanted something refreshing and light, so we got the Tiradito.

Which was interesting as it included Shiitake Mushrooms! Which gave it a more earthy-savory flavor; tempering down the acidity of the dish. I don't recall what the fish was; but it was fresh and fairly meaty. Of course it came with Tostadas.

We also got a half dozen Oysters.

These were also interesting as it was topped with a melon compote, which added a fruity-refreshing aspect to the briny meatiness of the oysters. Quite an interesting combination to say the least.

After lunch, we were met by a very friendly young lady who took us on a tour of the wine making facilities. The pathway was artistically set-up….you just follow the barrels.

For some reason, the underground cellar reminded me of our Champagne Tour in…of course Champagne!

And soon enough, we were off to our last two stops…..

Decantos Vinicola
Rancho San Miguel Fraccion A, S/N
El Porvenir, B.C., Mexico

Which were just done spur of the moment and would actually be the highlight of our day!

Stay Tuned!

Fauna – Valle de Guadalupe

August 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Fine Dining, Latin American Cuisine, Memorable Meals, Mexican Restaurants, Travel

For our blowout meal while visiting Valle de Guadalupe, I made reservations at Fauna which for several years had been touted among the "best" (in lower case and strong quotes) restaurants in Latin America. Of course…those lists…..Fauna was chosen as the "best" in Mexico in 2023 according to Eater. Of course, I kind of temper my expectations at bit. We've dined at Maido, which has claimed the title of Best Restaurant in the World in 2025 and Osteria Francescana when it held that title back in 2018. Both meals were good and innovative; but each with short comings for us. Still, what I had read and seen regarding Fauna was interesting, so I made those reservations.

Of course our driver, Ivan was super punctual, and off we went! We were dropped right at the entrance of Fauna which is located in the huge and sprawling Bruma Wine Resort.

We were greeted and seated. The Missus wasn't too fond of the communal seating arrangement, but I kind of enjoyed the social aspect.

I had a cocktail and the Missus wine while we looked over the menu.

We started with some wonderful shellfish. I think the Missus's favorite was the super sweet abalone, which came with a nutty pepito flavored aspic. The blood clams were so sweet and an umami bomb.

The Baja Oysters were mildly briny and refreshing, with a clean finish.

The Tuna Fin Sopes where a bit salty and the sopes were on drier-chewier side. For some reason, it also lacked a nice "maize" flavor as well.

The Octopus with Tomato was interesting as it was quite herbal. The octopus was cooked perfectly and quite tender.

The scallops in the Scallops in Eggplant Puree was so sweet and tender.

But the eggplant puree was thinner than I anticipated and really lacked the smoky-savory flavor we enjoy. It was also a bit on the salty side.

The Rabbit and Celeriac was an interesting dish as the rabbit was compressed.

Surprisingly mild in flavor, the rabbit was super moist and tender. The celeriac added some nice sweet tones as well. This was served with some blue corn tortillas, which, unlike the sopes were mildly sweet and "maizey".

Seeing Sweetbreads on the menu; you know I just had to order it, right?

Served on a savory, lovely potato puree, and with crispy fried kale to add an interesting bitter-sweet flavor and also textural contrast to the nutty-buttery, mildly offaly sweetbreads, this was an delici-yoso dish!

The Striped Bass with a Pasilla Adobo was very good.

The fish was perfectly pan fried, crisp exterior, moist and flaky, while a bit on the salty side. The adobo was wonderful, smoky, slightly sweet, mild spice, quite rich in texture.

There were two dishes we were advised to order by folks we know. The first being the Charred Cabbage.

Which lay in a large dollop of a sauce made of Chilhuacle Chiles, which was the sweeter side. The cabbage was fine….and we've been ordering charred cabbage this when we see it on menus since we had it at Senia. The cabbage was quite mild in flavor, even though it was charred and should have really developed a sweet smokiness.

And then there was the Wagyu which was served with a Pasilla Chile Stuffed with Cheese which was kinda overkill.

The steak was toothsome and quite beefy, though cooked past our preferred doneness.

The Missus did enjoy the desserts.

While the Missus was not particularly fond of the communal seating and definitely not in same league as Pujol; I think we'd return if we had a chance.

We felt sorry for the young man who was part of the Asian couple across from us. He was so excited to be dining at Fauna; but the young lady accompanying him was having none of it. She made many rude comments…sometimes not even touching what was on her plate! She just didn't want to be there it seems, making the meal as unpleasant for her date as possible, and was totally unable to just "suck it up" for the sake of the young man. Sigh….

Fauna
México 3 Km #73
Francisco Zarco, B.C., Mexico

After dinner we strolled around the area a bit.

Thinking that perhaps we might want to stay around here should we return to Valle.

Fauna 00

Valle de Guadalupe – Vinicola Retorno, Vinícola Emevé, and Staying at Contemplación Hotel Boutique

August 2, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Mexico, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** No food in this one; just two wineries, and where we stayed in Valle

After a very satisfying lunch at El Guero we headed down the 10, then back up the 3 toward our accommodation. When chatting with Aimee, I mentioned that we really wanted to relax and enjoy and not do too many wineries and that the Missus was partial to whites.

The first stop was a charming and tiny little tasting room for Vinicola Retorno.

The young man working was an absolute joy; so welcoming and friendly.

He was so gracious and generous with our tasting and perhaps it's because there were no other customers on this day…he took us on a tour of the production facility in this tiny winery.

He even scaled the barrels to give us tastes of different vintages…..

The Missus really enjoyed the two whites using Chenin Blanc type grapes. Because this was our first stop, we didn't buy any bottles….but as luck would have it; we'd end up returning the following day.

Definitely the Missus's favorite stop.

Vinícola Retorno
Santos Degollado 161
Villa de Juárez, B.C., Mexico

Our next stop before checking into our accommodations was in total contrast to Retorno. While our previous stop was quaint, tiny, and rustic, Vinícola Emevé was quite modern.

We did enjoy the view and the staff was also quite friendly as well.

We had a tasting of four different wines from Emevé, but the what stays in our memory is being able to walk along the lovely vineyards.

Escorted by this wonderful pooch!

I can see how experiencing moments like this can bring you "closer" to the wine you are imbibing……

Vinícola Emevé
Parcela 67
El Porvenir, B.C., Mexico

Soon enough it was time to head on over to our accommodation. I had booked our stay at Contemplación Hotel Boutique mainly because of the lovely setting; it also had villas, which seemed just the perfect place to relax.

There's a restaurant onsite which included breakfast daily. And the villas were large and comfortable.

We loved the view of the vineyards right out our window.

We'd enjoy walking the grounds a bit later on during our stay.

For now…well, we needed a short break before heading out to dinner!

Thanks for stopping by!

Puerto Nuevo – Restaurant Bar El Guero

August 1, 2025 mmm-yoso Baja California, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Seafood, Travel

I'm not sure why I took so long to do it…..many folks I know have been to Valle de Guadalupe, not only for winery visits, but also because of the ever elevating cuisine that is being presented in the region, which includes several Michelin listed restaurants. I guess we'd been too busy visiting CDMX and other wonderful areas within Mexico, that we just never got around to it. So finally last year, as a late birthday thing for the Missus, I decided that we should "dip our feet" into the Valle. I also decided that perhaps not driving around in an area I'm not familiar with after imbibing might not be a great idea and really wanted to make this something special for the Missus. It just so happened that I listened to the now inactive "All in San Diego" podcast and heard an interview with Aimee Cruz, who is the founder of Valle Guadalupe Baja Tours. She sounded so upbeat and positive that I went and sent an email and got a very quick response and then had a lovely phone conversation with her. It was a wonderful experience….and no; Aimee does not know I have this blog at all; I'm not one of those influencer types….just some guy that likes to eat…and travel occasionally. Things ended up quite customized, we had our drivers, I made the reservations for accommodations after reviewing some recommendations and checking online. I made dinner reservations and Aimee provided a nice list of possible wineries with their attributes. Everything was scheduled at our pace and preference and once Aimee found out that we enjoy dining she coordinated our lunches along the way. Our drivers, Ivan and Isaac were wonderful, and because it was just the Missus and I, things were flexible and we made a couple of stops that weren't on the itinerary.

Because this was just two evenings we were able to use backpacks for our belongings and take the trolley from Clairemont Drive to San Ysidro, where we met Ivan and crossed over to Tijuana. One other thing of note; we loved it that Ivan and Isaac were always at our meeting spots at least 15 minutes early!

The drive was relaxing and Ivan was quite friendly and full of information. When it was time for lunch, Ivan parked at this corner in Puerto Nuevo and walked us into the restaurant; named El Guero. We got a table with a view.

The vibe was friendly and relaxing. No customers when we arrived; but the place soon started filling up….a mixture of tourists and groups of folks speaking Spanish.

Ivan told us that El Guero was known for the langostas; lobster, so of course we had to order that.

Things started with some fairly routine chips and salsa.

We also ordered some Aguachile.

As you can tell this was Aguachile Negro. The shrimp were nice and plump, the cucumbers added a mild refreshing-light brininess and a nice a sprinkling of Tajin added a bit more puckery-heat to the dish. Overall not bad.

And then the star of the show.

Man, look at the langostas! The beans were bland and watery and the rice on the harder side and also very mild in flavor, but those lobsters! There was a time when the Missus just didn't care for lobster; having had quite a few bland versions of them . But time and visit to places on the east coast and Canada, She has come around. And these were delicately, sweet-oceany, with a firm, yet pliable texture.

Initially, we weren't quite sure about the flour tortillas, as large a frisbee; but they held the lobster well, had a mild, almost sweet-buttery flavor that actually enhanced things.

No wonder they call Puerto Nuevo the "Lobster Village" of Baja!

Restaurant Bar El Guero
Anzuelo 15
Puerto Nuevo, B.C., Mexico

Ivan told us to text him via Whatsapp one we were done and he'd pick us up. But after such a rich meal we needed to take a short stroll first.

I'm not sure if this is normal for Puerto Nuevo, but we found the town to be quite sleepy on this Tuesday afternoon.

We had a nice stroll, before texting Ivan, then meeting him near the Shark Statue.

And then we were off….first we'd be doing a few tastings; then we'd head on over to our accommodations to freshen up before dinner.

This was a nice way to start our short trip!

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