August, 07 2009, House & Garden Tour, By Jennifer Hamilton, Sensual, undulating shapes, an abundance of delights, Food & Wine, Come for the fun, stay for the food, Text & photographs © Nancy Zaslavsky 2009

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Aug 9, tour departs at noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am

House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton

Sensual, undulating shapes, an abundance of delights

This home is so full of wonders it could take a whole book to describe it! A riot of color, a plethora of sensual and undulating shapes, a flood of design treats await visitors as they enter under a curvaceous canopy separating the main house from the studio/gallery.

Softly flowing water ripples gently to the pebbled base of a water wall leading to the entranceway where an abundance of delights greets visitors once they are inside. Windows are curvaceous, as are lighting fixtures, kitchen islands and walls. Soft colors blend in concert from wall to wall, room to room, and while large in size, every room has been cunningly designed to emanate coziness and warmth. The master suite encircles and is open to part of the garden, with both indoor and outdoor showers encased in colorful tile mosaics. What should not be missed are the bathroom sinks in the four guest bedrooms, each diverse and stunning in its concept and mostly unrecognizable as sinks! Comfortable furnishings were placed throughout and you will view numerous collections, from Japanese ikebana baskets and antique teapots to contemporary ceramics and glass to excellent Mexican folk art. The dogs even have their own private dog-washing bathroom! Impossible to describe it all here; it is worth a return visit for a private and detailed tour. With eight acres of land hugging the Rio Laja, the owners are still working on details outside, but of special note is the infinity pool with its extraordinary sculpture by Jerry Rothman. The Santuario de Atotonilco can be seen from the rooftop deck. A gallery is choc-a-bloc full of treats including over 100 vintage Mexican textiles, antique Mexican furniture, historic photographs and distinctive folk art.

The House & Garden Tour thanks the following for opening their beautiful homes on Sunday, August 2, 2009

Nathan Baker

Ray Miles

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1st Sunday in August for 2008 216 visitors on tour

1st Sunday in August for 2009 128 visitors on tour

Year to Date 2008 6,020 visitors on tour

Year to Date 2009 5,037 visitors on tour

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Food & Wine

Come for the fun, stay for the food
Text & photographs © Nancy Zaslavsky 2009

Forget hyped bad press and exaggerated media stories. The Tijuana-Ensenada-Guadalupe Valley wine country in Mexico’s northwestern-most corner is a lively, affordable vacation destination for those who love shopping and great food.

Plan a road trip or book an inexpensive flight to Tijuana and check into a top hotel. During these lean times, five-star business hotels are a steal at well under US$100, and even less on weekends. Best of all, they are near the new Gastronomic Zone, a cluster of world-class chefs and their top restaurants.

For the best introduction to Tijuana, head over to Avenida Revolución, the touristy main drag, and grab a seat upstairs on a Mexicoach tour bus. Yeah, I know, it’s one of those flashy, open-air rides that looks like a carnival on wheels—hey, it’s Tijuana for goodness sake, and you’re here to have fun! You can see all the requisite sites, explained by a terrific local guide, and the bus makes plenty of stops, allowing you to make shopping a breeze.

Hundreds of stores offer crafts from all over Mexico. Dozens of pharmacies run rampant with the country’s largest selection of discount medications. Last but not least, don’t miss the chance to have your photo taken on a zonkey (a donkey painted with zebra stripe disguise) while wearing a garish sombrero—its destiny no doubt… a family heirloom.

Now, head back to your hotel to drop off packages and freshen up for seriously fine dining.

Tijuana’s Gastronomic Zone

Most urbane restaurants in Tijuana’s Gastronomic Zone are so close to each other you can easily walk, making it possible to enjoy a roving meal: appetizers and cocktails at one, main dishes and wines at another, then desserts and tequila añejo nightcaps at your final stop. The Gastronomic Zone is the cradle of the new Baja-Med regional cuisine, a blend of northern Baja’s seafood and mesquite grilling tradition with Mediterranean ingredients and techniques.

La Querencia (Escuadrón 201, No 3110, Col Aviación. Tel (664) 972-9935) is home to super star chef, Miguel Angel Guerrero’s modern bistro. An ex-lawyer, he’s one of the originators of Baja-Med cuisine. Among Guerrero’s titles are chef, gardener, fisherman, diver and hunter for winter game. Start with one of his paper-thin carpaccios: grilled and marinated beet with blue cheese; tongue with smoked abalone and sea urchin vinaigrette; or zucchini dressed in local olive oil infused with a slew of chiles, herbs and seaweeds for an intriguing flavor balance.

www.laquerenciatj.com

Cheripan (Escuadrón 201, No 3151, Col. Aviación. Tel (664) 622-9730), an Argentinian restaurant with contemporary décor is a hop across the street from La Querencia. It is known for stellar appetizers, homemade chorizo and grilled meats. Prepare to be blown away if you follow my advice and order owner/chef Juan Carlos Equiluz’s smoky sweetbreads grilled over wood, chopped into bite-sized pieces and then crisped on a red-hot cast-iron skillet. Brought to your table sizzling, it’s awesome to share with shaken, not stirred, tamarind martinis.

www.cheripan.com

Villa Saverios (Blvd. Sánchez Taboada, at Escuadrón 201, No 3151, Zona Rio. Tel (664) 686-6502) is the large, freestanding restaurant set back from the street and home to Baja/San Diego chef Javier Plasencia. His Ital-Baja-Med cooking is all the rage. It was love at first sight when a plate of his stunning octopus mosaic carpaccio drizzled with infused olive oil was placed before me. Black mussel foamy cappuccino and char-grilled seafood atop hummus are more signature dishes. The bar is Tijuana’s trendiest for late-night drinks and stargazing.

www.villasaverios.com

La Diferencia (Blvd. Sanchez Taboada 10611-A, Zona Rio. Tel (664) 634-3346) Around the corner, a block away from the previous three restaurants, tucked up a driveway and past the fountain, car attendants and doormen welcome diners to upscale, traditional Mexican cuisine, decor and service. I love the super-thin crepes with poblano chile purée wrapped around fresh huitlacoche. Let the knowledgeable steward suggest a bottle of local Guadalupe Valley wine from the impressive list.

www.ladiferencia.com.mx

Cien Años (Jose María Velazco 2578, Zona Rio. Tel (664) 634-3039) Sip the house cocktail made with tequila reposado and Damiana—a liqueur from a local herb and claimed to be the perfect digestif. Ceviche of northern Baja’s chocolate (brown shell) clam is served on the half shell for a stunning starter. Enjoy smoked marlin or octopus crunchy tostadas and any fusion seafood dish talented chef Talia Nunez has on the menu the day you visit.

www.cien.info

L’apricot (Av. Antonio Caso 1910, Zona Rio. Tel (664) 634-0643) The charming façade looks like it was plucked from Paris and gently placed in Tijuana. It is the perfect spot for a flaky breakfast croissant and cup of strong coffee. Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Maribel Villarreal prepares light French meals that pair nicely with a bottle of wine from the family’s Guadalupe Valley winery, Emeve. The bakery case overflows with stunning pastries, and I would go back any day for another bite of that crème brulee.

www.labricot.com

Lorca Restaurante Español (Calle Brasil 8630, Col. Cacho. Tel (664) 634-0366) is the perfect choice if you crave traditional Spanish food and wines. I recommend chef Margarita Prieto’s stellar paella, or choose a light seafood recipe from her homeland of Andalusia, in southern Spain. On my last visit I was fortunate to taste her suckling pig with super-crunchy crackling skin—by special order for 6 or more—well worth the short taxi ride outside the Gastronomic Zone.

www.lorcarestaurante.com

Ensenada and the Guadalupe Valley wine country

From Tijuana you can easily get to Pacific coast beach towns. Travel an additional hour south to the clean, safe and active port of Ensenada with lots of shopping opportunities along Lopez Mateos, the main street. Or, head east into the Guadalupe Valley for unforgettable food, winery tours and tastings, and miles of enticing landscape.

I’d drive a lot further to eat at any of “rock-star chef” Benito Molina’s three Baja-Med restaurants. I’ve been a fan for about 15 years, ever since I first tasted his signature dish, calamares manches (squid cooked with beet and orange juice), and begged for the recipe.

Manzanilla (Bl. Teniente Azueta, Tel (646) 175-7073) is a free-standing building on the main road into town, across from the shipyard. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from one in the afternoon to late dinner. Benito’s sophisticated spot is geared to seafood aficionados. I love sitting at the stunning bar and ordering anything with fresh sardines, oysters and abalone. Thinly sliced, raw (never frozen), local bluefin tuna is always a sensational choice, too.

www.manzanilla.com

Muelle Tres (Bl. Teniente Azueta No 187. Tel (646) 174-0318) Benito’s wharf-side, oyster and seafood bar is open Wednesday to Sunday, 1–6pm. Located where the (Manzanilla) road makes a right turn—behind the tourist information building—it’s on the docks. Order oysters, shrimp, mussels and anything off the blackboard.

www.muellestres.com

The Guadalupe Valley wine country is still a small agricultural region with less than twenty family wineries and a few large-scale productions. A couple of lovely Bed & Breakfasts are nestled within vineyards and offer horseback riding, wine tasting, great country breakfasts and genuine pampering. Take a look at www.lavilladelvalle.com and www.adobeguadalupe.com.

For more tourist information visit the Tijuana Convention and Visitors Bureau website:

www.tijuanaonline.org.

Nancy Zaslavsky wrote the James Beard Award-nominated, A Cook’s Tour of Mexico and Meatless Mexican Home Cooking. She leads culinary tours to favorite Mexican food destinations. Visit www.nancyzaslavsky.com.