November Day Trip(s) to Ensenada

start at Anthony's. they have best cultural attractions in Ensenada

My first post - it took GypsyJan and a compelling question to draw me into troll-infested waters.

Thank you GypsyJan for all your recommendations. I've been lurking here for a couple of years and enjoyed all of them.

So, if money and time were no object my ideal day trip to Ensenada would be:

Start at about 9 am from Rosarito. Drive down the cuota and ooh and ah at the beautiful coast line.

Go down to the harbor in Ensenada, walk around the boats, talk to the guys in the fish market. Just kind of get immersed in the fishing culture down there.

Early lunch at La Guerrerense, a seafood stand that's been around for 25 or more years. The sea urchin (erizo) and sea cucumber ceviche (those are two different toppings that you can have on one tostado) will change your life. Also try the fish pate and bacalo combo.

Then meet up with Carlos (U2U me if you're interested in contact info), a degreed oenologist for a guided tour of Valle de Guadalupe. My husband and I spent an amazing day with him touring wineries, learning about geology, chemistry, wine making, but he'll keep you on your toes. "Here! Taste this! Look at this! What do you see? What do you taste?" We tasted seeds, flowers and plants growing along the roadside. He can get you behind the scenes at La Escuelita (the beautiful humble little wine school that is pulling people in from as far away as Australia) that is training and employing locals in the valley. You'll see Mexican ingenuity at it's best as they make the wine making tools and equipment they need out of anything laying around.

Then do a tasting at state-of-the-art Hacienda la Lomita. The winery's equipment is straight from Italy, a rare site for me who was used to Napa-Sonoma wineries. A local artist's artwork is all over the winery (including the label design) - cross between Lord of the Rings and an acid trip. But enough about me. (No, I'm not an artist, just the reference points...)

See if Carlos can get you into Paralelo. it's not set up for tours or tastings, per se, but the winemaker is a friend of Carlos's. They are both young and passionate about amazing wines.

Paralelo is designed by architect Alejandro d'Acosta. He's a genius, kind of a Frank Lloyd Wright of the Valle. The winery uses gravity to flow with the land and the product. Taste the product from vines on the hill compared to the sandy soil. You'll walk away amazed and appreciative.

Make sure Carlos takes you to the greenhouse like structures that are actually water conservation houses for the vegetables, controlled and maintained remotely. Yeah, a guy somewhere else in the world is controlling the water, fertilizer, temperature, etc... by watching what's going on with the remote sensors.

Dinner in Valle is a tough one - Laja, considered as 2nd or 3rd best restaurant in Mexico or La Nueva Cava, a small little Italian restaurant newly opened by a man from Verona. The pizza crust from La Nueva Cava may be the best I've ever had. The pastas are homemade and the fresh tomato sauce is unbelievable.

And since this is my dream day in Ensenada area... you find a place in Valle to sit under the stars and rest because the day isn't over.

You get to come back to Manzanilla in Ensenada at about 2 am on one of the days when the top chefs close up their restaurants and a couple of Valle vintners show up to compare foods and wines. Cheeses, olives, pismo clams, San Quintin oysters and of course plenty of wine. The conversation drifts in and out of Spanish, English, French and Italian with an explosion of culture, food and wine.

I think at that point, you might as well get a room and stay another day in Ensenada. :-)

Sleep in. Next day explore the Cultural Center. Al Capone started the first casino there. What would have happened to Ensenada if he'd never moved to Vegas? Discuss the possibilities over a margarita in the bar. Great margaritas and rumored to be where they were invented. Who knows? Who cares? Good margaritas.

Now that you've had a hair or two of the dog, it's time for comfort food! Head over to Tomodachi for homestyle Japanese cooking - sobas and amazing sukiyaki. Since it's history day, talk about the influence of other nationalities into the Baja, Ensenada in particular. What influence has this had on food? On the culture? What is 'real' Baja?

Just one more thing.... can I go too?

[Edited on 9-25-2010 by BajaFusion]

Thanks and Keep'em Coming

Culture of the lowest kind.