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villadelfin
Nomad
Posts: 273
Registered: 4-8-2006
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: toasted and buttered
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Las Tres Virgenes
Jesse and Aldosalato's new restaurant proves to be a groundbreaking experience for the La Paz restaurant scene. I chose mesquite grilled baby octopus
for my appetizer. The octopi had been marinated lightly then flame grilled over not mesquite charcoal but mesquite logs. It was accompanied by a
chipotle cucumber cream and cabo 100 tomatoes. Kate (Morgaine 7) had shrimp and scallop gratin and the others had the baby shrimp with mushrooms.
Diane had the Cabrillo over garlic mint mashed potatoes with sunflower seed crust, Phyllis had Chilean Salmon with Todos Santos Honey Glaze, Bill had
the roasted pork tenderloin and I had three Angus medallions over white corn polenta. The wine list was indeed special and thoughtfully priced. We all
had the flan as dessert. We can't wait to go back
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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congratulations to Jesse and Aldosalato's for opening there new restaurant.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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jerry
Super Nomad
Posts: 1354
Registered: 10-10-2003
Location: loreto
Member Is Offline
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hmmm looks like great food with a flare congrats Jesse and good luck
jerry and judi
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FARASHA
Senior Nomad
Posts: 848
Registered: 6-3-2006
Member Is Offline
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YUMMY - looks tempting!!
One more reason to opt for La Paz! Just for the record - any dessert with lots of Chocolate ? (I'm an addict and will need my daily fix!). GOOD LUCK!!
May your Business flourish!
[Edited on 26-11-2006 by FARASHA]
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow
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JESSE
Muy buena suerte amigo!! Felicidades, ++Ken++
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Man .... That is some good looking food but, why do they serve it in ashtrays?
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dean miller
Nomad
Posts: 456
Registered: 1-28-2004
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FANTASIC!
Baja and Mexican food has departed the 19 century and rocketed in to the 21 century!
Bravo!
DM
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Man .... That is some good looking food but, why do they serve it in ashtrays? |
You the comedian in your family or haven't you eaten in a decent restaurant in a decade or so ??
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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I just cant get used to square plates....... or square hamburgers.
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
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Oh, man...........drooool.
You could serve that on a turtles back for all I car, heck I'd even eat that with my fingers.
Iflyfish when not lusting after Las Tres Virgenes food!
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
I just cant get used to square plates....... or square hamburgers. |
I have round plates as well for you DENNIS, hope you show up one of these days.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Thanks Jesse ........... I'll look forward to it especially if the food tastes half as good as it looks.
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MJS2
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 12-4-2006
Member Is Offline
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Las Tres Virgenes
Las Tres Virgenes served the finest dinner we've had in La Paz in 23 years! CHicken breast in a mildy spicy sauce, crusted cabrilla, crab enchiladas,
salmon dinner all worthy of 4 stars. I sort of hate to rave about the gorgeous place, it'll probably hard to get in too soon. MJS2
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
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Whoopeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I cannot wait to try your new place, Jesse. Everything looks delicious.
See you soon....I hope
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oxxo
Super Nomad
Posts: 2137
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
Member Is Offline
Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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Buen provecho!
Jesse, please save a table for 4 in the non-smoking section. We'll be in during Christmas week. Will there be any holiday tamales on the menu? 
[Edited on 12-4-2006 by oxxo]
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Spent last night at Reasaurant Las Tres Virgenes. Met Jesse and thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. What a great addition to La Paz. This is
one restaurant you cannot miss!! Top notch presentation and food. Service unexcelled. If in La Paz, be certain to have dinner at this restaurant.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
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Yummy! Good to see that grits/polenta are enjoyed south of the border.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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Thank you everybody. We opened our restaurant a little over two weeks ago with no advertising at all, just the idea of focusing on making quality
Mexi-Baja food and having fun in the process. So far the results have exceded our expectations. And locals, expats, and tourists, seem to like the
Baja atmosphere we have created. Wich tells me that Baja has its own style, appart from what you find in mainland Mexico.
This is a great time for us that work in the culinary field here in Baja. We are a part of a new wave of restaurants with young chefs and owners that
spread from Tijuana to La Paz, who are focusing on creating a professional identity for our Baja cuisine. And foreigners have and continue to make
huge contributions to our new cuisine. Baja is to Mexico cuisine as California was to US cuisine back in the 1970s.
What is Mexican Baja food?
Its similar to Baja. Its Mexican, but not completely, its more simple, laid back, fresh, and special. It has hints of the Mediterranean because of our
many Italian and French immigrants, it has a touch of mainland Mexico, a sprinkle of asia from our many Chinese communities, and a solid base of great
local ingredients, herbs, spices, and seafood. And the can do attitude and style of anything is possible from our proximity to California and the many
expats that have lived here for decades.
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bajajazz
Nomad
Posts: 386
Registered: 12-18-2006
Location: La Paz, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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las tres virgenes
My wife and I enjoyed the best restaurant meal we've ever had anywhere on the Baja Peninsula at Las Tres Virgenes, located at the corner of Madero and
Constitucion in La Paz.
I had the honey-glazed salmon over a nicely seasoned bed of polenta and my lady enjoyed delicious grilled chicken in a jalapeno sauce. Very original
cuisine, excellent presentation, wait staff unusually professional. I was perhaps most impressed by how smoothly this brand new operation was run,
none of the usual awkward screwups that accompany the opening of most new restaurants. My only complaint was the music system, a little too loud and
it interfered with our dinnertime conversation. Jesus was very obliging in turning it down a notch so we could converse more easily. It's obvious
Las Tres Virgenes is a winner and sets a new standard for restaurants in La Paz.
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
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Tres Virgenes Restaurant in La Paz Mexico
We visited the Tres Virgenes on two occasions during our stay in La Paz.
“We tried to capture the feel of Baja Mexico.” “Baja Mexico is different; to be a Baja Restaurant is not to have multi colored chairs and oil cloth
table coverings.” Jessie, one of the owners of this new La Paz restaurant says. He is young, and contemporary, as is his staff and his English is
excellent. He grew up and spent most of his life in Tijuana. He is getting used to the more laid-back style of La Paz. “No murder in the news, a
stolen bicycle, and that is about it!” he says with some wonder still on his face. He is proud of his choice to settle here.
Jessie is young and so are most of his staff and they are eager to please.
You walk into the restaurant and your attention is immediately focused on a glowing red mesquite grill that occasionally spits out enough embers to
let you know that this is a real working grill. The grill provides an olfactory grace note to the modern Mexican mood music that plays in the
background. One is aware of color; orange, brown, burnt amber, umbra, the earth tones that reflect the land of the Baja. The architecture captures the
air, space, and openness of Baja. A tasteful open beamed canopy covers half of the seating area and the other half of the room is open to the stars.
One finds a large open window framing lovely desert foliage. There is almost a Zen quality to the austere, yet elegant taste of the décor. The
ubiquitous exposed antique brick wall forms the boundary of the open-air eating area; Desert Chic.
I will comment on the bathrooms. I have eaten in too many Mexican restaurants where I had to fight c-ckroaches for my turn at the porcelain princess.
The bathrooms are spotlessly clean, well lighted, and well appointed. Square white sinks with faucets that actually work allow one to wash their hands
with dispenser soap and paper towels in abundance. A small jar, holding what looks like joss sticks sits decoratively beside the sink. The air is
fresh and clean. At my age and stage, one appreciates these things in a quality restaurant. The care of the restroom also says to me something about a
restaurants concern for cleanliness and sanitation. I like to see lots of soap, water, and paper towels in a restaurant were I know the staff washes
their hands. They are all here and in abundance, and elegantly presented.
Jessie is obviously proud of what he has accomplished over the year that it has taken for this place to be up and running. The tables are all full the
Tuesday evening we go there for dinner. The place opens at five and closes at eleven. He comes to our table and introduces himself. He is articulate,
his English impeccable and his taste is sophisticated.
The menu is extensive offering fish, poultry, regional cuisine, lamb, pork, and beef. On both visits, we had an exquisite scallop/shrimp/mushroom
appetizer made with a tequila sauce and then covered with Japanese breading. The servings were then broiled. This offering was cooked on scallop
shells that kept the food hot until the end. The scallops were tender, unusual for us on the Baja and the shrimp plump and sweet. The sauce did not
over power the flavors of the scallops and shrimp. I found myself wiping the empty seashell with the garlic bread that accompanied this dish. I kept
trying to identify the many flavors, including chipotle, which emerged in the long finish of this dish. The presentation was lovely.
The one criticism of the décor that I would muster is that the lighting in this dinner restaurant is low in the open-air section. It is difficult to
see and appreciate the lovely presentation of the dishes, the squiggly lines of the sauces, the colors of the garnishes, the lovely colors of the
regional dishes. When I informed Jessie of this observation, he concurred and said he intends to add lighting to that section of the house when he
finds the appropriate fixtures, which are limited in this region of the country.
I had the best lobster that I have so far eaten on the Baja, fifteen or so at last count, and was disappointed that I could not see it well enough to
take the meat out of the shell on my own. The waiter was most obliging with that task. The lobster was first roasted over the mesquite flame and then
finished on the grill. The meat was slightly charred and the center moist and sweet. A butter dip accompanied the large size lobster that was
presented in halves on a large platter accompanied by rice and beans. The second time we visited, one of our friends ordered the lobster and his
account of it was the same as mine.
Both evenings our dishes were delivered to the table hot and at the same time. One can see the enthusiastic and busy pace of the kitchen staff in the
open kitchen that takes up one wall of the restaurant.
On our initial visit, four of us ordered the Caesar Salad and three different entrées. The Caesar salad was the disappointment of the evening. It was
palatable, though the dressing was of a homogenized quality that did not allow one to taste the individual ingredients. The lettuce was whole leaf and
somewhat wilted. I like a Caesar that is made at the table. A good coddled egg is cracked into a bowl that has been rubbed with anchovy. A good
quality olive oil is then poured in and fresh squeezed lemon juice is then added to the dish. Some lemon zest left in the mixture can add a surprise
to some bites. Large flakes of fresh cracked pepper are then sprinkled into the bowl. Then comes the fresh, crisp hearts of Romaine lettuce that are
torn and tossed into the bowl. The entire salad is then tossed and at the end liberal portions of a good Parmesan cheese is grated onto this delicacy.
They have the skill in this house to do this the original way and I hope that they will one day do so. At $10 US there is ample budget in this dish to
allow for table side preparation.
The fish enchiladas were superb. Generous pieces of fresh, succulent fish were delicious in their corn tortilla blankets. The mild Cilantro sauce that
covered them was creamy and mild. Each piece of fish maintained its unique flavor and was not overpowered by the sauce. The sauce was of a pale green
color with flakes of fresh cilantro as garnish, however again the lighting detracted from the appreciation of the colors in this dish. The second
visit to Tres Virgenes found us there earlier in the evening and we were able to appreciate more fully the lovely colors of these dishes.
I did not try the chicken dishes, which our guests thoroughly enjoyed. The portions were large and the poultry was reported to be of excellent
quality. They emphasized the moistness, freshness, and mesquite flavor that permeated the chicken. They both said that they would return to the
restaurant for this dish. They had previously visited to taste the Civiche, the best these long-term Baja residents had ever eaten.
The second selection for me at Tres Virgenes was the Shank of Lamb. The lamb shank is served bone up and takes up nearly the entire plate. It is a
spectacular presentation. The lamb is of good quality, though in typical Mexican style a bit overdone for my taste, which runs to rare. The flavor
however was excellent. The shank sat atop an ample portion of mashed potatoes smothered by exquisite brown gravy, laced generously with pan seared,
caramelized onion. The potatoes alone made the dish worthwhile and their moistness helped this pallet compensate for the well-done nature of the
shank. I was not able to complete the entire shank and enough came home with me to produce a couple of very good lamb tacos with a garlic mayonnaise
sauce.
We sampled four deserts, Flan, Haggen Das Ice cream, a Red Wine Poached Pear and a Banana/Grande Marne flambé. The flan and Haggen Das were good; the
Banana /Grand Marne flambé was superb. All four of us vied for the last morsel of this wonderful desert. The poached pear, though tasty, was touch and
not pealed. By not pealing the pear and allowing enough time for it to soften, it came out tough and had to be cut with a knife. I like poached pears
that are pealed and then poached in their sauce until soft and imbued throughout with the poaching sauce. The sauce in this case was delicious;
however, it did not permeate the pear.
Our first dinner was topped off with a delightful Italian Lemon Liquor, Lemoncello, which cleaned the pallet and provided us a lovely after dinner
glow. We considered a Chilean Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, but it was not chilled at the time. It is indicative of the depth of selection available at
Tres Virgenes.
We purchased two rounds of c-cktails and the total bill came to near $150 US. I consider this a reasonable price for a fine dining experience for
four. The second dinner for four was without drinks and the total was in the range of $100 US.
We talked extensively with Jessie about his wine cellar. He has an extraordinary selection of wines that are priced between $15 – $150 US and there is
a good one for anyone’s budget. California, Chile, and Mexico are well represented in his collection. Jessie knows his wines and exposes his staff to
them. “I am opening a bottle per week to share with my staff so they know what they are serving.”
We will return and La Paz is blessed to have such a wonderful new restaurant to add to its culinary scene.
Iflyfish
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