mexican tourism

Mi Casa Supper Club: A Touch of Class in Rosarito Beach

September 15, 2014 // 6 Comments

Mi Casa Supper Club, Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA – “Food isn’t a new passion. I started cooking when I was just six years old.” Chef Bo Bendana Sein eased back into the stylishly upholstered seat at our table. The last rays of sunlight streamed in from the edge of the Pacific just outside [Read More]

WTF at Tijuana’s “The Kitchen”: 12 hedonists. 12 courses. 1 vision.

May 20, 2014 // 8 Comments

WTF, Josue Castro, Karla Navarro, The Kitchen, TJ 22000, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

TIJUANA – In the 1930’s, artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were at the vortex of the “Mexican Renaissance”, surrounding themselves with an inner circle of intellectuals and creatives, such as Trotsky and Andre Breton. The group asserted some influence on society with [Read More]

Get Over the Volcano: An Open Letter to Anthony Bourdain

May 5, 2014 // 114 Comments

May 5, 2014 Dear Mr. Bourdain, My name is W. Scott Koenig. I am a San Diego-based blogger at http://www.AGringoInMexico.com, a small site I started about two years ago to report on the fantastic experiences, people, food, culture and trips my wife Ursula – and now 6-year old son Wolfie [Read More]

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto. Luxury in a Rustic Paradise.

March 14, 2014 // 3 Comments

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico

LORETO, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR – When El Gringo visited Loreto on the coast of the Sea of Cortez in Baja California Sur in 2006, I was told by old Baja hands that the fishing village was “…like Los Cabos 20 years ago”, unspoiled by large-scale development and happily lacking in [Read More]

Baja Meets New York: Mexico’s New Cuisine Hits the Big Apple

February 15, 2014 // 3 Comments

NEW YORK – Global gastrophile capital New York City is certainly aware of the culinary and wine scene happening in Baja California. Former Les Halles chef Anthony Bourdain has visited and duly recorded his droolingly delicious experiences in Mexico’s most northwestern state. The New York [Read More]

How to Spend a Perfect Day in Tijuana

January 29, 2014 // 4 Comments

Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

TIJUANA – Spending a perfect day in Tijuana is problematic only due to the challenge in narrowing down a list from a seemingly endless amount of events, restaurants, markets, shops, galleries, museums and other possibilities from which to choose. Baja California’s largest city, Tijuana [Read More]

Popotla…Feeding My Mariscos Madness. Again.

January 27, 2014 // 9 Comments

Popotla, Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico

POPOTLA, BAJA CALIFORNIA – Okay, I’ll admit it. El Gringo has a seafood jones the size of Ensenada. Not a day goes by when I don’t salivate, nay, slather, over a recollection of my favorite mariscos (seafood) – be it fish, mollusk or crustacean. In my fevered mental [Read More]

Traditional Temazcal: Sweatin’ with the Oldies in Oaxaca

December 30, 2013 // 11 Comments

OAXACA DE JUAREZ, OAXACA – As El Gringo’s taxi rolled into the dirt road, ramshackle neighborhood of Privada Villa Alta on the outskirts of Oaxaca city, I wondered if the driver knew where he was going. Having just been to Los Cabos a couple of months ago, this looked like the last [Read More]

Night of the Radishes: Playing with Food in Oaxaca

December 25, 2013 // 0 Comments

OAXACA DE JUAREZ, OAXACA – In the 16th Century, the Spanish brought many new food staples to recently conquered Mexico. One of these staples was the radish, originally from China. In subsequent years, Mexican farmers grew and harvested the vegetable in the valley of Oaxaca. When taking their [Read More]

Grupo Plascencia: Tijuana Tastemakers’ Roots Run Deep

December 15, 2013 // 6 Comments

Grupo Plascencia, Baja California, Mexico

TIJUANA – El Gringo paid his driver and stepped out of the cab and into the crisp November afternoon in the Zona Rio neighborhood of Tijuana. Shielding my eyes from the autumn sun, I looked up at the modern glass and concrete business tower that houses Chef Javier Plascencia’s Mision 19 [Read More]