BajaNomad - The Baja Med Movement

The Baja Med Movement

Gypsy Jan - 5-19-2009 at 11:18 AM

(I cut this post from Chowhound and pasted it here on Nomad; all credit goes to streetgourmetla, the original poster.)

The Baja Med Movement:La Querencia, Villa Saverios,Baja Med Pizza Co., and beyond at the frontier of a gastronomic revolution

Currently, there are three culinary movements going on in northern Baja:Baja Med- a fusion of Asian, Mediterranean, and local Mexican influence,Wine Country cuisine from Jair Tellez's Laja focusing on local products of Baja in a cuisine d'auteur fashion, and the evolutionary Mexican cooking of Benito Molina, a Mexico City haute cuisine master armed with the amazing bounty of Baja and pure genious.It's a pretty amazing time to dine in Baja. It's not often that you can witness a culinary new movement in action, let alone three.

Baja Med is a creation of La Querencia chef Miguel Angel Guerrero, but the roots of this movement are penetrating. The first plantings of wine grapes by Jesuits in 1791, the establishment of Santo Tomas winery in 1888, and the arrival of the Molokanes(Russian immigrants, pacifists fleeing the Czar)in 1904, who expanded the wine grape planting in the Valle de Guadalupe.Italians, French, and Swiss immigrants have flocked to the Valle de Guadalupe over the years bringing their wine heritages in tow. The 80's brought boutique wineries, and Hugo D'Acosta's Casa de Piedra and wine school have raised the bar and technique for quality wine and excellent wine makers.

Many dishes in the genre were already forming, Alex Cardini's Caesar salad in 1924, the emergence of Puerto Nuevo style lobster devoured by hungry tourists, and the chorizo de ablulon from the Isla de Cedros, abalone was preserved in chorizo so they wouldn't spoil waiting for the merchants to show up to the island.Ensenada's famous fish taco was born out of Japanese tempura techique brought by Japanese fishermen, a precursor to the strong Asian influence in Baja Med.The treaure of seafood, wild game,produce, cheese from Real del Castillo, olives and olive oils,and wine have also formed the various culinary movements in Baja California.

At Baja Med Pizza Co. in Tijuana, affiliated with La Querencia, a new Mexican identity is being formed in pizza making.An original thin crust topped with a pure of black beans. Toppings include the mouthwatering chorizo de abulon, locally raised lamb, and machaca of marlin.Armando Medrano, the owner, will pair some of his excellent selection of Baja wines with your pizza of exotic toppings.Seeing his young line cooks, frsh from culinary school is comforting.Many of the top restauranteurs have young aspiring cooks that promise a future for Baja Med cooking.

Other restaurants continue to surface in the Baja Med idiom throughout the peninsula.The ill-fated Baja Kuche, which roared coming out the gates, died with a whimper, the young chef presented stylized food with no flavor or substance. But seeing the wonderful menu at the time we were there was inspiring. There are others that are showing promise and it seems like new ones are popping up here and there.Palmuzul was another amazing concept, a restaurant that featured Baja cuisine from Tijuana to Cabo. I went there about a half dozen times, from the start it was executing all its dishes so well, but then the menu shrank, and so did the quality.They lasted maybe a year.In time, La Querencia and others will yield some other breakaway operations as the young chefs become more confident.

Years ago, Villa Saverios featured a more Mediterranean and Italian menu, one of the best restaurants in Baja by chef and restauranteur, Javier Placensia.But, the moevement is infectious. Over the years the menu changed to reflect Baja Med dishes and sensibilities. They used to seve Baja quail, an iconic dish from the region, and their version had the feel of the street grill with a haute edge to it.You can have a degustation of local shellfish prepared in a variety of ways.Baja scallops, oysters, abalone, or the prized chocolata clams. Order the local Real del Castillo cheese selection to have with a bottle of wine from El Valle de Guadalupe.The other day we tried the chile relleno stuffed with pasta in four cheeses with a huitlacoche emulsion and a traditionally styled tomato sauce. A beautiful representation of the Baja Med imagination.The ccoking at Villa Saverios is stellar. To highlight the Asian touch, a tartar of bluefin tuna with ponzu in a jalapeno and sea urchin sauce, heavenly. How about a quail and duck pate made with Mexican port wine? The grilled baby octopus, the lamb shank tacos.

Camarones rellenos al "Romesco", stuffed bacon wrapped shrimp with machaca de marlin alongside vegetables grown in Baja(La Querencia)

Miguel Angel Guerrero, the man who invented the term Baja Med, is the movements heavy weight champion. A hunter, and chef, realizes this fabulous cuisine at his La Querencia in Tijuana, and EL Aljibe in La Paz.His cuisine screams of terroir. Local game, local catch, and the influences of mediterranean and asian immigrants. Unlike California cuisine which also emphasizes Mediterranean influences and local ingredients, Baja Med has dishes and ingredients that are entirely unique to its region. To this day I can't yell out a California cuisine dish eventhough I've been to the restaurants and looked through a few cookbooks. But hijole, chorizo de abulon on a sope, forget about it. that's Baja Med.Duck tacos, Miguel Angel's sashimi Querencia of callos with its Asian flavors,venison tacos, manta ray sopes,or the local farmed steak in Valle de Guadalupe olive oil and blue cheese made in Baja.

One evening consisted of a special clam au gratin on a bed o sea salt, and the stuffed bacon wrapped shrimp covered in a long thin tube of machaca de marlin, accompanied by fresh grilled vegetables with some Asian flavors thrown in.Dark and rich flavors, brilliantly paired. The marinated duck tacos and chorizo de abulon tacos are served in an original tortilla, thin and toasted. Were not just changing the tires here, this is a culinary overhaul from top to bottom.

With his El Aljibe in La Paz, Miguel Angel covers Baja on two fronts in his campaign to spread the word about Baja Med. La Querencia is a must for the Baja traveler.

Other restaurants have there Baja Med touches, all of them do a Caesar's salad. La Diferencia has an octopus dish that leans Baja Med.All restaurants doing Baja Med and alta cocina in Tijuana's gastronomic zone feature Baja wines

From the vineyards and farms, to the innovative chefs, Baja Med continues to grow and develop its vocabulary. It's real and it is here to stay, the culinary schools are prepping the next generation, and the kitchens of Baja Med restaurants are training the young talented recruits.The Valle de Guadalupe and baja peninsula have found a worthy cuisine to express its diversity and iconoclast character.

Baja Med Pizza Co.
Gobernador Lugo #9531
Col. Dávila
Tijuana
Ph. (01152) (664) 684-0597

La Querencia
Escuadrón 201 #3110
Col. Aviación
Tijuana
Ph. (01152) (664) 972-9935 & 972-9940

Villa Saverios
201 Escuadron
Colonia Aviación
Zona Río
Tijuana
Ph.(664) 686-6442
Fax.(664) 686-6502 ext.102

more pics at
http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com

Woooosh - 5-19-2009 at 11:42 AM

I'm trying to be open minded about Baja-med, but it troubles me. "Pizza" with a crust topped with a puree of black beans... How is that mediterranean? Don't the American indians eat flat breads topped with beans?

:?:

[Edited on 5-19-2009 by Woooosh]

Cypress - 5-19-2009 at 11:59 AM

A little leary of any "movements". :tumble:

Guess maybe the word "Med" sorta spooked me. :lol:

Baja Med Pizza

Gypsy Jan - 5-19-2009 at 12:28 PM

Miguel Angel invited us when he opened up this new restaurant, but we couldn't go, so I can't comment/report on the food.

But, it has been open for two-three years now and our TJ friends say that the food is good-to-great.

Try it out and and report on your own opinions! :yes:

DanO - 5-19-2009 at 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
I'm trying to be open minded about Baja-med, but it troubles me. "Pizza" with a crust topped with a puree of black beans... How is that mediterranean? Don't the American indians eat flat breads topped with beans?

:?:

[Edited on 5-19-2009 by Woooosh]

There's a Oaxacan dish called a tlayuda (sometimes referred to as a clayuda) consisting of a large corn tortilla topped with black bean puree, Oaxacan cheese, cabbage and salsa, and often meat, avocado and tomato. We call it Mexican pizza.

Woooosh - 5-19-2009 at 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanO

Quote:

[Edited on 5-19-2009 by Woooosh]

Wow - that sounds great. The local "Virgilios Pizza" joint here in Rosarito has a good Mexican pizza with a bean puree instead of Tomato sauce too. It's good- but it's not a food revolution.

All the foods mentioned (including duck tacos) sound really interesting and I understand what they are trying to do, I'm just not feeling anything uniquely "mediterranean". When California planted it's Napa wine region with the old vines from Europe- they didn't rush to call them Cal-Franco or Cal-Italiano wines. Maybe they think using "med" for this style gives it a classier sound. So long as it tastes good I guess. It all ends up in the same place.

tripledigitken - 5-19-2009 at 03:24 PM

Whoosh,

You say you don't get it well if you went and dined at Villa Saverios you would know why it called Med! Olive Oil, cheeses as a course, pasta, fine wine parings all have a distinct Mediterranean influence. :yes:

You mentioned opening over a hundred restaurants in the states what type were they? :?:

Ken

Bajahowodd - 5-19-2009 at 03:49 PM

Maybe it's just me, but black beans or bean puree on a crust just sounds more like a tostada than a pizza. On another note, while Italy is generally considered the birthplace of what we know today as Pizza, (and I've eaten Pizza in Rome, Napoli, and Sicily, the best pizza I ever had, bar none, and my wife concurs, was in a restaurant in the old walled city in Dubrovnic, Croatia. Matter of fact, if any of you watched cable or sat TV, there was a show with this guy who went around the world drinking, called Three Sheets. He had a show featuring Dobrovnik, and was stunned by how good the pizza was there.

Love tostadas. Any kind of beans. But, with the possible exception of garbanzos or cannelli beans, it ain't going to be a pizza.

Cypress - 5-19-2009 at 03:57 PM

Mexican Pizza? You bet! A pizza crust topped with refried beans, taco style meat, quacamole, sour cream, cheese, salsa and anything else that suits your taste.

KurtG - 5-19-2009 at 04:09 PM

Chorizo de abulon, wonderful stuff. Used to buy it at the large market in GN next to Dunas Motel. Haven't seen it for several years but will ask again when I next visit. We put in scrambled eggs for breakfast while camping, also made great tacos and burritos. Never saw it on a restaraunt menu.

Woooosh - 5-19-2009 at 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken
Whoosh,

You say you don't get it well if you went and dined at Villa Saverios you would know why it called Med! Olive Oil, cheeses as a course, pasta, fine wine parings all have a distinct Mediterranean influence. :yes:

You mentioned opening over a hundred restaurants in the states what type were they? :?:

Ken

OK- those dishes sound Med. Where's the Baja? Or are you just saying a resataurant that serves some med dishes and some baja dishes is Baja-Med? I just don't get it- never mind tyring to design, menu-engineeer and market it. "Baja-Fresh" I hear and understand, "Tex-Mex", I hear and understand, "Baja-Med"- still not so much. It's not a fusion really. What they are saying maybe is that Baja has great wines, produce and seafood, just like the mediterranean- that they creatively use in their dishes. That's a nice way to promote the local goods and economy but not worthy of their self-proclaimed "food movement" status. I do think it's a huge step up from deep fried frozen lobster though.

Bajahowodd - 5-19-2009 at 05:00 PM

Med means olive oil, feta cheese, olives, eggplant, seafood, pasta, lamb, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, ........

Refried beans, "taco style meat", guacomole, ......yummy. But not Med.

Cypress - 5-20-2009 at 04:27 PM

Bajahowodd, Thanks for the info. Didn't know, now I do. It all sounds good. :light:

JESSE - 5-21-2009 at 01:59 PM

Well this is a sensitive topic in our waters. First of all, there is no such thing as "Bajamed" cuisine. What there is, is an effort by many chefs to try to develop a regional cuisine for Baja California. This off course is like all cuisines of the world, a huge effort that will take many years, and the input and hard work of a large number of chefs. I am one in a overwhelming majority of chefs in Baja, who is troubled by the term "Bajamed" and how easy it is being used as a marketing tool.

I want to make it very clear, some one came up with the clever idea to call this cuisine Bajamed, but they where not the creators of the style or its food. That honor, has to go to the many many chefs that started to develop and play with mediterranean foods and local ingredients, way before the term Bajamed was coined. People like Benito Molina from Manzanilla, Otto Spoon from Ottos grill, Javier Plasencia from Saverios, and many others that started to play with this idea way before the Bajamed slogan came along.

I along most chefs in baja are very critical of "Bajamed cuisine", i am personally sad that someone would try to pass fancy tacos and tostadas as a regional cuisine, because it would mean that anybody can take a burger, put local ingredients in it, and bam!!!!! you just invented a cuisine. Chefs like Molina, Plasencia, and others do not spend all their time selling their food, they spend their time making their food, perfecting it, and letting it speak for itself. They deserve the credit, not someone who created a slogan and not much more. Before there was la Querencia, there was Saverios, there was Ottos, there was Manzanilla, and others. In La Paz, Carlos Valdez my vecino from Buffalo grill was already heavily involved with Baja cuisine and wines at least 3 years before we got here, and certaintly way before el Aljibe came into town.

Please support our Baja chefs, don´t let the hard work of many years, and many people, from roadside stands to world class restaurants, get lost. Regional Baja cuisine was born in the fishing villages, the little restaurants you ate in the middle of nowhere way way back 20 or 30 years, this cuisine is in its infancy, and it will take decades, perhaps even centuries, and the work of many many present and future chefs, to develop into Baja cuisine.

DENNIS - 5-21-2009 at 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JESSE
there is no such thing as "Bajamed" cuisine.

This is exactly what occured to me when, in another thread, I asked, "What is Baja/Med?" I had a feeling it was an effort for someone to try being original.
The same thing has been happening in the field of architecture along the coast between the border and Ensenada. In many grotesque efforts to develop an original "Baja Style' of building design, the efforts have produced huge piles of cement block with way too many arched openings and upper storys that seem to be stacked at random and topped off with minarets and other meaningless, useless forms....all in the quest for something different..."The Baja Style."
Later design in the same area has produced high-rise buildings with a much more pleasing look and not shouting for attention. Simplicity and form born of function have always served the user and the viewer well.

woody with a view - 5-21-2009 at 06:44 PM

Quote:

all in the quest for something different..."The Baja Style."

that's why we don't go to hawaii or any other P-nche place on the globe.

so different every trip, but all baja - all the time!

Woooosh - 5-21-2009 at 07:26 PM

Hey Jesse- why did you hang me out to dry and get beat up for so long like that?? Thanks for chiming in. Unless you are Obama- change takes time. LOL

Russ - 5-21-2009 at 07:35 PM

Quote:

You mentioned opening over a hundred restaurants in the states what type were they? :?:

Ken

Breakfast Sometimes you just have to wait until they unlock the doors :spingrin:

Bajahowodd - 5-21-2009 at 10:53 PM

The undeniable connection between Mediterranean and Mexican is seafood. After that, it's all about spices and imagination.

JESSE - 9-20-2009 at 12:03 AM

Just tought i should freshen up this post. Heres my list of the only original Baja dishes that would make it into a Baja cuisine category:

1.-Cesar Salad
2.-Puerto Nuevo Lobster
3.-Fish Tacos

If anybody thinks others should go in, let me know.

DENNIS - 9-20-2009 at 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JESSE
Just tought i should freshen up this post. Heres my list of the only original Baja dishes that would make it into a Baja cuisine category:

1.-Cesar Salad
2.-Puerto Nuevo Lobster
3.-Fish Tacos

If anybody thinks others should go in, let me know.

Bean Cones. Remember those? I think they're history.

The Gull - 9-20-2009 at 08:18 AM

Quote:

Having a puree of black beans over a bread crust would certainly result in a "movement". If there were the right combination of organisms in the food, you might need "med".

Navajos have a fry bread topped with beans, etc. It can kill.

tripledigitken - 9-20-2009 at 08:35 AM

Bacon wrapped hot dogs..............nuf said!

Ken

vandenberg - 9-20-2009 at 08:44 AM

"The Baja-Med" movement. :?:

I thought for a moment that maybe we were in for a cheap way to medical insurance. :biggrin:

The Gull - 9-20-2009 at 02:01 PM

Baja-Med - Oba-Med. Things are getting so confusing.

Cypress - 9-20-2009 at 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken
Bacon wrapped hot dogs..............nuf said!

Ken