BajaNomad

Baja Cactus

oldjack - 7-26-2007 at 09:30 AM

I stayed at the Baja Cactus hotel for the first time last week (room #105).... if you have the chance to stay overnight in El Rosario... stay there $45/night... the room was every bit as good as any 5-star hotel/resort you might stay in... and had the opportunity to meet Antonio(gave him a good Honduran cigar) and met his family.... parking can be a challenge but the rooms I looked at were outstanding... also met "Gadget" and that guy in the silver toyota... the town is wanting for dining options....

Bob H - 7-26-2007 at 09:56 AM

Great! Glad you met Antonio - great guy, indeed!

OK, What was the brand name of the cigar???

Bob H

thebajarunner - 7-26-2007 at 03:14 PM

Antonio is one of the most gracious guys you will ever meet.

As to dining,
methinks that the 'success' of Mama's has stifled any real competition.
And, after dark, good luck finding anything else that is open.
We walked the length of town in April, right after dark,
no luck,
we did come close to getting run over a few times, but no decent food options.

Gadget - 7-26-2007 at 04:54 PM

Ed and Yolanda Lusk down at the south end of town have some great food at their bed and breakfast.
We had 1 dinner at Mama's while down for the week and I had the best Aracherra dinner I have ever had for under $12. We also ate at one of Antonios employees husbands place on the right side of the market on the corner called "tacos on the corner". Great carne tacos and lots of locals to visit with. Sometimes you don't have to look very far.

Bob and Susan - 7-26-2007 at 05:38 PM

for us "non-cow" eaters (by marriage ONLY)

Aracherra is called flank steak in the states....

flank steak is long and flat

best known as "London Broil"
usually tougher than T-Bone

The Chinese in Mulege use it in "stir-fry"

woody with a view - 7-26-2007 at 06:44 PM

good food, great people......

mama's is SOOOOO overated....

edit: the painter ran outta "r's"

[Edited on 7-27-2007 by woody in ob]

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Gadget - 7-26-2007 at 08:19 PM

Yes, yes I know what Aracherra is. I don't really care if it was a shoe insert they served me. You could cut it with a fork, the flavor was great, the other fixings on the plate were very good also and the service was fast and friendly.
Everyones had a bad meal at any given eatery at any given time. We needed to eat dinner and they were open. Why do some seem to enjoy bashing this Icon of the Baja business success that we should enjoy supporting in our travels???

Bob and Susan - 7-27-2007 at 05:29 AM

you think explaining what Aracherra is...is bashing???:?:

read again...ALOT of people don't know...

shoot...i like lamb:biggrin:

capt. mike - 7-27-2007 at 06:16 AM

Bob - lamb is a fav here too.
say....you live in the land of ranchitos....why not befriend a local that can get us either a sheep (do they have those in baja??) well - what about those mountain sheeps? sheeples??

ok - if it can even be a baby goat - who cares.
but i want to pit one at your place this fall - i do whole pigs here lots a times.
and.....here flank steak and london broil are 2 diff cuts. the flank cooked right is butter tender. the limey broil always is tough.

Russ - 7-27-2007 at 07:22 AM

Gadget , " Why do some seem to enjoy bashing this Icon of the Baja business success that we should enjoy supporting in our travels??? "
Sure, there are some that seem to get off on bashing almost anything mentioned on this forum. But not the Momads the commented about Momas' above. I go to Momas' almost every time I've stay at the Cactus. It is nice to check in, take a really well deserved shower and walk over there for some cold beers and a meal. The people are nice and the beer is cold. But just once I'd like a meal like you had. I did have the arrachera and I couldn't recommend it. Mostly the opinions given here are exactly that, "opinions". They, for the most part, are to help other travelers have a great time down here and to inform us of their likes and dislikes. Bashing icons of a Baja business success. If it doesn't deserve support any more why would you support it? I did have a couple of good meals at Momas' in the early '90's . The folks above are not "BASHERS" they are some of our best Nomads and informative.

[Edited on 7-27-2007 by Russ]

Bob and Susan - 7-27-2007 at 08:23 AM

mike!!!
first you want to eat that MONSTER!!!:lol:
now you want a sheep!!!:lol:

you NEED to get out of that HORRIBLE Arizona HEAT!!!:lol:

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oldjack - 7-27-2007 at 08:32 AM

I was not "bashing" when I said there were challenges finding dinner... I had a great relleno(sp?) meal at Mama's... their prices are higher than might be expected.... my brother and I also tried the taco stand at the curve... even gave the yound cook a couple of Tecates... good tacos... I enjoy finding the best "local" place to have traditionally prepared meals... under the "BajaNomad Almanac" it would be useful to have those hinden gems listed for all to test......

Hook - 7-27-2007 at 09:54 AM

I can agree with the challenge of finding good sit-down dining in ER.

But BC a 5 -star???? Come on. If that's five star, you've never been in a true five star hotel. A Four Seasons would be off the scale.

On an international scale of hotels, BC might be a 1-2.

But the place is great, no doubt. Maybe we can call it a Baja 5 Star!

[Edited on 7-27-2007 by Hook]

capt. mike - 7-27-2007 at 10:52 AM

ha!! But Bob....you know i love adventure.........:O so heck, find me a sheeple go d**nm it!

the only 5 star resort in mexico is in alamos mainland, Hacienda de los Santos.
I've yet to experience it cause its way expensive out of my league.
the best baja can do is maybe 3.5 estrellas someplace in los cabos area.

if you're using any respected guide like Fodors or conde nasty.:biggrin:

oxxo - 7-27-2007 at 11:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
if you're using any respected guide like Fodors or conde nasty.:biggrin:


Well, it is Cond Nasty, Fourdoors, and in France the Michelob Guide ;)

oldjack - 7-27-2007 at 01:51 PM

O.K. let me back away from the five-star reference.... I want the rates to stay like they are... I did not get to see all the rooms... #105 was/is WAY ABOVE expectations.... I am having a 1-bedroom addition built at my place in Los Barriles and I am having that room copied!!!

toneart - 7-27-2007 at 05:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oldjack
O.K. let me back away from the five-star reference.... I want the rates to stay like they are... I did not get to see all the rooms... #105 was/is WAY ABOVE expectations.... I am having a 1-bedroom addition built at my place in Los Barriles and I am having that room copied!!!


Many here have read my posts about Mama Espinozas, so I'll keep this short.
Like Oldjack, I too tried to make room 101 my permanent residence, but for all the wrong reasons. I couldn't leave for 72 hours because I got a horrible case of food poisoning at Mama's from eating crab burritos. :barf: My stay at Baja Cactus was wonderful inspite of the circumstances. I was cared for and Antonio (who was there)& staff took good care of me. I also appreciated the dim lights :cool: the TV, and the decor is absolutely the best you could find anywhere.

Hook - 7-27-2007 at 05:43 PM

Ok, so maybe five-star bedside manner........:lol:

Gadget - 7-27-2007 at 09:07 PM

OK bashing may be too strong of a word. Perhaps picking on??? And if all the top dogs on this forum had nothing good to say about the place then any newby who saw alleged seasoned guidance would miss the experience of stopping in and checking the place out. There's alot of history there you know. Les and I enjoyed watching a load of young surfers pour over every square inch of wall in the place, pointing and laughing with great interest before they sat down. I bet they thought the food was way better than their usual Taco Bell grinds!

Bob and Susan - 7-28-2007 at 06:33 AM

gadget...you are sooo right

we go to mamas all the time too...
too bad they don't open EARLY for breakfast...

in fact...NO ONE in El Rosario is open EARLY...
the ONLY place for "coffee and a donut" is in SQ at a gas station:no:

where IS "starbucks" when you NEED them:lol:

Lencho...
we just had dinner with some friends who had a restruant and arrachera was one of the subjects...boring uh?

arrachera is "flank steak" cut thin...

[Edited on 7-28-2007 by Bob and Susan]

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Bajalero - 7-28-2007 at 08:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lencho
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
for us "non-cow" eaters (by marriage ONLY)

Aracherra is called flank steak in the states....

I've been confused for years about what arrachera (note spelling) really is. All the Spanish definitions I've read say it's the diaphragm, which appears to be "skirt steak" rather than "flank steak". (See http://www.ochef.com/66.htm).

Has anyone here with knowledge of bovine physiology actually watched a Mexican butcher cut these things out?

--Larry




Larry , These three confusing cuts come from different parts of the cow

Flap - comes off the loin area ( top lower back )

Skirt - is the muscle that pulls downward on the diaphragm to inflate the lungs. It is a flat draping muscle thus its name

Flank - is from the rear belly , I believe an abdominal muscle


The term "arrechera" is used mostly for the skirt steak but I have seen it used for all three depending how the meat is prepared , usually butterflied

Bob and Susan - 7-28-2007 at 09:01 AM

lencho...
a guess 40 years in the restraunt business WOULD qualify you as "knowledgeable"

now...i'm a pollo eater...
today...
melys in mulege for lunch...
BBQ pollo:saint::saint: