Travel – Page 6

Paris – Les Enfants Rouge Revisited and L’Escargot Montorgueil

August 23, 2025 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

After our wonderful walking tour of the Marais we headed off to lunch. After "striking out" on our previous two meals in the city….something that had never happened to us before, I didn't want to take any chances. So, knowing that one of our favorites, is usually not very crowded on a weekday for lunch we headed on over to…..

Les Enfants Rouge:

A Le Efants Rouge 01

And yes, I was correct as the place was quite mellow during the lunch hour.

The restaurant, helmed by a Japanese Chef, who does a comingling of French dishes with Japanese touches, has become a favorite of ours. We think there's more of a Japanese influence to the menu items. As with both of our previous visits, I was actually greeted first in Japanese…then in English by the Hostess!

For lunch, a 50 Euro three course tasting menu is presented and we were glad that some of our favorite dishes were on the menu!

Because I've already done two previous posts on Les Enfants Rouge; I'm just going to mostly do photos.

We love the Lamb Terrine; it's mildly gamey-winey, quite tender.

It goes so well with the bread. And yes, that is Kyuri Asazuke that is on the plate.

Of course we had to get our favorite dish at Les Enfants Rouge; the White Fish Tempura, served with a super umami nori "dashi".

The maigre (croaker) was so moist and tender, the tempura batter light and crisp.

As you can see that dish above really skews to the Japanese side in terms of preparation. While the Blanquette de veau – veal stewed in a white sauce takes it toward the French side of the scale.

Though the Eryngii Mushrooms were sauteed with a bit of soy and perhaps mirin.

The Missus went with the restaurant's version of a Paris-Brest which has to be ordered at the beginning of the meal.

While I, the one who really doesn't have a sweet tooth was happy to have the Cheese Plate…..which the Missus enjoyed as well.

You can see why we enjoy Les Enfants Rouge, right? I wish we had something like this in San Diego….it would be a regular stop for us!

Previous posts on Les Enfants Rouge here and here.

Les Enfants Rouges
9 Rue de Beauce
75003 Paris, France

After which we headed back to the hotel and relaxed. We'd put in a good amount of mileage!

It had drizzled while we were napping and upon awakening we were blessed with a rainbow….something that I miss about living in Hawaii. And of course, rainbows always makes us remember Frankie!

We had done quite a bit already on this day, so we basically just hung around the 2nd.

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Then the question arose….."what's for dinner?" I hadn't made any plans for this stay in Paris. The Missus really wanted some escargot; She was so disappointed at what we'd had for lunch at Aux Crus de Bourgogne. Then it came to me……on Rue Montorgueil, before you cross Rue Étienne Marcel was a place we passed perhaps 40 times during our stays in Paris.

It was named L'Escargot. But, much like Aux Crus de Bourgogne, we've always thought of the place as being a "tourist" restaurant. Though the sign says that it was established in 1832, when Louis Philippe I ruled France!

Well, looking online, it seems that perhaps I might have been mistaken, as the reviews were pretty good. So, we decided to head on in.

The dark, ornate interior, screamed stereotypical neo-classic/second empire decor.

Our Server was a very serious, "humphing", almost a caricature of a French waiter; Olivier. We would later find out that he was a long time Server at L'Escargot and actually has a sense of humor.

The menu itself seemed like a cliche of what one would think at stereotypical French gastronomy would be.

And of course I ordered a Kir Royale, which got a nod of approval from Olivier. And upon m first sip, my opinion of L'Escargot started changing; the ice thawing as it was perfect.

Perfectly bubbly, with balanced tart and sweet tones!

Of course we had to have the Escargot. Of which we found that there were several preparations. Versions with Black Truffle or Foie Gras!

Of course we had to get the traditional preparation. We got a dozen; which the Missus absolutely loved.

So meaty, the snails had the perfect slightly toothsome, yet tender texture. The menu says the snails are precooked in a court boullion with herbs…it is indeed delicious! Nice herbacious-savory tones; so delici-yoso with the provided baguette!

And of course I had to get the Pan Seared Foie Gras. So this was 24 € but there were two pieces of perfectly cooked, "firmly-creamy" foie gras.

The sauce added a perfect touch of fruity sweetness and the brioche even held up. Which went well with the rich-slightly offally, savory Foie Gras. Be still my heart…literally.

The only clunker of the evening were the Frog Legs.

These bow-legged stanced hind legs of said amphibian were dry and on the chewy side. The herbal topping was fine; but we just didn't care for the heading toward sourness of the flesh.

Still, the escargot and foie gras more than made up for the frog legs.

We enjoyed this meal so much that we'd return the following night for more!

Sheesh…..hidden from us in plain sight all these years!

L'Escargot Montorgueil
38 rue Montorgueil
75001 Paris, France

We headed back to our room taking a roundabout route…a nice after dinner walk…"la balade".

After having two not so good meals the previous day, the two wonderful meals on this day was a perfect correction. And for at least this evening; all seemed right in the world.

Paris – Jeffrey Cagnes (again) and the Earful Tower Walking Tour of the Marais

August 22, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Travel

**** Not much food in this one, just a morning croissant

Ah yes, so another day in Paris! Which of course we started with our morning Cafe Allonge from our favorite viewing spot on Rue Montorgueil.

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

We just love sitting here.

To people watch (“observer les passants”)…..

Or sometimes “puppy-watch”……

After a good hour, I decided I needed a croissant. Since the Missus had enjoyed the pistachio – orange tarte from Jeffrey Cagnes the previous day, we took the short stroll up the street to get me a croissant aux buerre.

This was an ok version.

Decently “laminated” with the ridges not falling off; crisp and fairly flaky. The interior light and with a nice “moisture” balance, and decently honeycombed. Where this failed the test was in the flavor; not enough butter, thus throwing off the flavor.

Jeffrey Cagnes
73 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

After which we headed off….you see we had scheduled a private tour to start at 10am. Strangely, it would be our first ever tour in Paris!

I’ve been an avid listener to the Earful Tower Podcast since I first heard about it in 2017. It’s a great mix of sights, personalities, history, activities, you name it hosted by Australian expat Oliver Gee, a former journalist stationed in Paris who decided that career wasn’t for him and started the podcast. It delves beyond the usual and obvious, which makes it quite entertaining for me. A few years back, the “Gee kingdom” started offering walking tours. And after all these years and 8 visits to Paris, I just thought it would be great to see a bit more. And so, I booked a private tour with “the man” himself, of our favorite neighborhood, the Marais. And we met Oliver at Peloton Cafe.

I don’t want to give away too much, and there was so much, that I’ll just scratch the surface. The tour is quite customizable and when Oliver had found that we’d already visited somewhere, we’d find another place! I’ve mentioned being called a “cesspool of useless information” several times in the past so I was in heaven. It’s definitely a tour more suited for folks who have been to Paris a couple of times and who enjoy exploring more than just the 7th Arrondissment.

That’s the one and only Maison Faust, which dates back to 15th Century.

It’s a half timbered structure that was restored in 1967.

For something a bit grander, how about Hôtel de Beauvais, which is now the court of appeals. We’d always passed the huge wooden doors; but Olive just walked over and opened them to reveal the courtyard.

We’d head on down a passage to a red door…..

And suddenly, we’d be in a church.

Walking out the main entrance we cracked up. This was the Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, which we’ve walked past many times.

And that’s how it went……charming courtyards.

A stop at the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (Historical Library of the City of Paris).

Another place that we’ve walked past many times. This time we entered…..

And Oliver picked out a book….a really old book and showed us a map of Paris and went over places where remnants of those places could still be seen.

And speaking of remnants; having listened to the Earful Tower for so long, I knew that Oliver had an obsession with the the Philippe Auguste Wall, so of course that was a part of our tour as well.

Do you see the remnants of the wall in the photo below?

He’s even been able to get into the tower that we had passed the previous day.

Even those places we were familiar with, like Place Vosges were seen in a new light.

As we were taken into a “hidden” courtyard……it was a private residence, so I did not take photos.

And this is how things went; we walked into an auction, did several churches, talked about life in Paris. It was a great time!

We highly recommend this tour for folks who have been to Paris a couple of times or those really interested in the Marais. I’m thinking we’ll do Oliver’s Montmatre tour next time!

Paris – Jeffrey Cagnes (Rue Montorgueil) and Dinner at Le Colimacon

August 16, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

After lunch, we took a nice siesta. Upon awakening, the Missus decided it was the correct hour for le goûter (tea time).

So, we headed on over to Rue Montorgueil (of course) and the Missus picked up some tea from Mariage Freres.

Mariage Frères Montorgueil
90 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

And then of course she needed to find some dessert. Our usual stop on the street would be Fou de Pâtisserie, but the Missus wanted to try somethin different. Right up the street is a location of Jeffrey Cagnes, which had opened at the end of 2022. The place had always been pretty packed on our previous trip to Paris, but now it looked like things had settled down a bit.

The Missus liked the look of the pistachio tarte.

So that's what we got.

It was actually a pistachio – orange tarte.

Which the Missus enjoyed with Her tea. Edging on overly sweet, hints of orange, hints of earthy-nutty-vanilla.

Jeffrey Cagnes
73 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

We enjoyed just relaxing before heading out to dinner.

While in Milan the Missus requested that I cancel our reservations at Septime and make reservations at a place named Le Colimacon instead. I'd never heard of the place, but went ahead and cancelled Septime and made requested reservations for dinner. The "modern bistro" is located in the Marais on a street we're fairly familiar with Rue Vieille du Temple, where Breizh Café, Edwart Chocolatier, and other places we'd been to are located. We arrived at opening which was at a very "un-Paris like" 630pm. Most Parisians dine after 8pm.

The restaurant is warm and cozy and there's also an upstairs area as well. Service was very attentive and we were spoken to totally in English….which are "red flags" for me with regards to dining in Paris.

The prices weren't too bad and there seemed to be some interesting items on the menu.

Though there was an item on the iPad menu that I wasn't going to order……

I think there was something "lost in translation" here? Hmmm……

Of course I started with a nice Kir Royale!

Which sadly would be the highlight of the meal.

Though the baguette was yeasty and quite good.

First up was the Frisée with poached egg and "lard croustillant"…that would be crispy bacon.

The frisée was crisp with nice, bitter tones, and the vinaigrette complemented it well. The poached egg was ice cold and the yolk overcooked and hard. It also had that fishy flavor. The bacon was on the burnt and bitter side and was chewy instead of being crisp.

The Croustilles de Escargot was up next.

The pastry that the escargot rested in lacked crispness. The escargot was fine; nice and meaty, but the persillade needed more "umph" and was weak in the garlic and flavorful olive oil department.

Seeing Huitres…..oysters from Normandy with a truffle gratinee on the menu…well, you know I had to order that, right?

The oysters were nice and plump with an almost sweet-briney finish.

But the sauce overpowered the bivalves and we really couldn't make out any truffle flavor either.

The last dish up was the Cassolette de Champignons.

This usually creamy mushroom dish was served at room temp, which made it really gluey and pasty. The overall flavor was quite bland.

Overall, nice service though a fairly mediocre meal. All the customers were tourists, which is quite telling.

Le Colimacon
44 Rue Vieille du Temple
75004 Paris, France

As we were leaving the restaurant I asked the Missus how She heard about this place. She then told me that the daughter of the owner has a very popular Instagram account! Say what???

The place was packed with folks waiting outside when we left……ah yes, the "influencer effect".

As we walked back to our room; I tried to recall when we had two mediocre meals in a row in Paris?

Well, I was determined not to make it three in a row!

Paris – La Samaritaine, Nèulo, and a Return to Aux Crus de Bourgogne

August 15, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

As I continue to try to get all our travel posts done…….

Having arrived in Paris, we just wanted to relax. We'd been to the city so many times that it almost feels like our….or at least my second home. We decided to stay at the Citadines Les Halles in the 2nd Arrondissement as it was right on the RER Blue Line from CDG and of course my favorite street, Rue Montorgueil is close by.

Looking out from our room in the morning, it seemed like it was going to be a nice day.

We did our usual morning "thing" and had our morning "caffe allonge" at Café du Centre, which I'd already mentioned in my previous Paris post. We then had a nice stroll before trying to determine what we wanted to do this morning. On one of our previous trips, I noticed that La Samaritaine had reopened after being closed for 16 years!

We decided to take a look. Man, talk about a fancy place!

Established in 1869, it had become an iconic building right off the Seine. The department store closed its doors in 2005 due to safety concerns. The luxury goods company LVMH purchased the property and after 16 years the property reopened under the auspices of DFS Group. Even after all of the renovations and such, not everyone was happy about that.

We decided to take a peek…..

We walked up the stairs to the top floor……the art work is quite over-the-top.

There a restaurant which was closed. Not that we'd eat there.

There's also a area with a hologram show going.

This all seemed a bit over-the-top, though somewhat entertaining. We also noticed only a couple of customers shopping…..and really wondered if Parisians would really take to a place like this. La Samaritaine has been touted as revolutionizing the department store concept.

La Samaritaine
9 Rue de la Monnaie
75001 Paris, France

As we headed down Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie to do some necessary shopping, we stopped in at this patisserie.

They seemed to specialize in flan as there were at least eight different versions available, but the Missus wasn't interested. Of course, I just wanted a croissant aux beurre.

It was fairly light though the interior was on the moist side. Nicely laminated and crisp, but sorely lacking in butteriness. Just a mediocre version overall….I should just give in and gotten a flan….

Nèulo
46 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie
75004 Paris, France

We managed to get some shopping done…..I've posted on these places before.

And then of course we did the lèche-vitrine – window shopping (literally translated as "window licking" in French) thing. And of course the people (and pooch) watching.

Along with a dose of history along the way…..

And doing that Flâneur thing ("to wander with no purpose") we came across this…..

It's one of the last 8 remaining towers of the Philippe Auguste Wall, which was completed in 1215 to encircle and protect the city. We would take a tour with the one and only Oliver Gee, who is obsessed with the wall and learn a lot more about it. It's amazing what you run into just walking down the street in Paris!

For dinner, we just headed on over to Rue Montorgueil and Rue Bachaumont to a place that we'd dined at twice before, Aux Crus de Bourgogne. We'd had a surprisingly good meal there, back in winter of 2022…we had passed the place so many times and thought it to be tourist restaurant. We did a follow-up visit and did not enjoy our dinner as much. This would be the "tie-breaker" of sorts. And we picked visiting during lunch.

The service was prompt and professional as always.

The Missus loves tearing into the baguette here. She also loves the rillette that accompanies the baguette!

We had really enjoyed the Vol-au-Vent with mushrooms on our first visit and were happy to see it on the menu on this day.

The puff pastry was on the doughy side and not crisp and light as we enjoy. Good amount of mushroom, but the sauce was a lot thinner than what we'd had here before and lacking in the rich-earthiness.

The Missus had always enjoyed the Escargot here, so we ordered that as well.

This had a lot less olive oil and garlic than before and the snails were on the tough side! Bummer.

This ended up being like our second, not so great visit. Well, I guess we're done with Aux Crus de Bourgogne for now.

Aux Crus de Bourgogne
3 Rue Bachaumont
75002 Paris, France

Oh well…..can't win 'em all! And we are so blessed to be able to return to Paris so often that we're able to try a place on three separate trips, right?

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!