BajaNomad

La Querencia/Baja Med, TJ, Expand to Rosarito & La Paz.

Gypsy Jan - 6-21-2008 at 05:08 PM

Full Disclosure—this is a rave review, but everything written is my opinion only. We have been customers at Miguel Angel's restaurants for about six years and are great admirers of the consistent level of quality that he delivers.

Last April, when circling the Rosarito City Hall, I saw the “Ya Abrimos” (Now Open) banner and we went there for a late lunch yesterday completely on a, “Oh, let’s go and try it.” basis.

Located in a brand new strip mall on the west side of the Palacio Municipal, the room is a sleek, contemporary, narrow shotgun space, with a high ceiling and a window wall entrance, decorated with locat art, ceramics and hunting trophys. There are tables in front for casual outside dining.

The kitchen runs the length of the room on the left and there is comfortable bench and chair seating for about twenty-five- to-thirty people on the right.

The tables and the unisex bathroom had vases filled with sprigs of fresh rosemary and sage. The tables (not the bathroom) were dressed with cloth napkins in wooden keyhole holders.

The menu is a smart, abbreviated version of the parent restaurant’s concept, with fairly-priced sandwiches, salads, tacos, burritos, appetizers, entrees and desserts.

The first thing placed on the table was a complimentary salsa sampler - oyster/chipotle cream, red chile arbol and tomatillo, served with warm,-toasted-on- the-grill, house made French bread.

We opted for the “Chef’s Choice” and rib eye steak entrees.

The “Chef’s Choice” is like omakase at a Japanese restaurant, which means that you are brought small tasting plates of what the chef decides is the best of the kitchen that day and they keep bringing stuff until you say “STOP!”

The meal:

“Clam shots”, fresh, raw clams in a bright, citrus marinade with a touch of vodka
Oysters and spinach in a cream sauce, roasted in the shell on rock salt
Roasted duck tacos, served in grilled house made flour tortillas, with field greens.
Marlin fish tacos, cooked with cheese, onion and sweet red pepper amd served in the same grilled flour tortillas

Then, two perfectly grilled rib eye steaks that could be cut with the side of a fork were delivered, with crisp, fresh sautéed string beans and French fries

One dessert, a house made guava/apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a beautiful looking and tasting green drizzle, the name of which I don’t remember, because, by then, I was in a food coma

Two beers, two bottled ice teas

The bill came to about seventy dollars, including tax and tip.

www.laquerenciatj.com

[Edited on 6-22-2008 by Gypsy Jan]

[Edited on 6-22-2008 by Gypsy Jan]