585161 Mon Jan 05 00:46:10 -0800 2009 6 55 Mexico 0 4296649 Exciting things are happening down in Ensenada these days.The two top chefs in town have opened and reopened their respective projects.Benito Molina, of Ensenada's best restaurants Manzanilla and Muelle Tres, and his seasonal Valle de Guadalupe destination Silvestre, has realized the long awaited reopening of the new Manzanilla.From the famed Laja, chef Jair Tellez has added Restaurante Del Parque on Parque Revolucion with his signature seasonal and local ingredients, including the best Baja wine shop, La Contra, in the same building.Chowhound's Kaire Raisu joined me as we took the ABC bus from TJ to Ensenada and made it back the same day, another mission is accomplished by Los Quesotraficos!Oh, and we had to sit through Bad Boys I and II on the round trip, madre de dios! After some nibbles and wine tasting we headed over to Jair Tellez's new digs to check out the menu and see the location.As at Laja, Jair's palatte is drawn from his own magnificent garden and the soulful products of the Valle de Guadalupe.He even has a brick pizza oven kicking out Italian standards like the Margherita and his own riffs such as a pizza of quelites, salami, onion, and eggs.The menu is very reasonable with pizzas and entrees falling in the $80 MXN to $140 MEX range, with this moment's conversion it's a steal.Only a 400gr wood fired beef loin with sauteed spinach stands out at $250MXN.Yes, those are pesos folks.The restaurant resides in a simple yet elegant building with patio seating that has the feel of being at some aristocrats backyard.There is an intimate indoor seating area with a bar,too. We know of Jair's prowess in the kitchen, but something here struck me like a bolt of lightening.The adjoining wine shop, La Contra, features beautifully showcased Baja wines, even Baja wines I've not encountered in all of my Mexican wine quests. La Contra represents many of the boutique wineries dsiplayed and knows their business, they just happen to have perhaps the best boutique Valle de Guadalupe wine selection in Mexico.Jair has loaded his wine list with these cult wines so sought after in D.F. and has done something quite generous.I actually will have to ask this again when I go back to see if it's really trure, but Jair will open any wine on his list for $100 MXN, less than ten US dollars.This isn't the usual L.A. Cetto, Santo Tomas, and Domecq offerings with Monte Xanic thrown in, these are the various Hugo D'Acosta labels, J.C. Bravo, Roganto and other high end delicious Baja wines do die for, by the glass.Oh, and you get to drink them with Jair's food.Not bad.We didn't dine here due to our dinner reservation at Manzanilla but did enjoy a lovely mezcal made by Jair Tellez, smooth and earthy, a perfect sipping mezcal. Rushing to Manzanilla's new location in front of the Black Pearl(Pirates of the Caribbean)on the wharf, we arrived to find Benito Molina dining with friends and associates welcoming our arrival.The restaurant just got up and running a few weeks ago, the menu isn't complete yet and there is some unfinished things to do, but the food is as good as ever.The restaurant looks like a nice saloon with touches of bordello thrown in.Original Mexican artists are featured with paintings selected by Benito.This location has much more attitude than the old Manzanilla and is a great place for the chef to express his ingredients.We happened upon some things put on the menu for the recent holidays and a daily special or two for our dining pleasure. We started with the last of Benito's own Valle de Guadalupe zinfandel, a house red at Manzanilla, lots of forward fruit and light mineral notes.Our amuse bouchee was a bread crust with turkey and mole, a holiday nod to the Mexican classic Christmas dish in a bite,Feliz Navidad!Next was the tiraditas de lengua(sliced tongue), we ordered this but the rest was "omakase".The sliced cold tongue with nopal(cactus) and cherry tomatoes in a light and spicy vinagrette was spiritual.Next we had clams, Marcos'(the source) magic clams, smoked with homemade bread crumbs and local cheese.All I can say is that Benito works miracles with the freshest shellfish, a must when at any of Benito's restaurants.Our entree was a fish soup, Sr. Molina's boullabaisse, with fennel and local rock cod.All the flavor components stood on their own but when combined, outrageously pleasurable.This is signature Benito Molina, simple cooking, the best ingredients, and the symphony of flavors conducts itself. The 5th course consisted of a croquette of a locally made combination of a fresh and an aged cheese, a nice savory to end the meal. These chefs are making bold moves at a difficult time for tourism in Baja, and they understand the risks.I go down to Tijuana and Ensenada all the time, and encounter only great food, wine, and people.The news stories are sensational and often misleading.What are these two chefs doing about it? Making the best food and providing the best Baja wine experiences at a premium.We enjoyed 5 courses and wine at Manzanilla for under $30USD each from one of the best chefs in Mexico.I will be down there next month with friends, if not sooner.Don't believe the hype, you've nothing to lose but some of the best food and wine in Mexico. Manzanilla Caldo de pescado http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169929020/in/set-72157612130362951/ tiradita de lengua http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169931878/in/set-72157612130362951/ smoked clams http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169922246/in/set-72157612130362951/ the new Manzanilla http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169098957/in/set-72157612130362951/ Restaurante Del Parque and La Contra wine shop outdoor kitchen and patio http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169933088/in/set-72157612130362951/ Baja wines http://www.flickr.com/photos/15437927@N03/3169926144/in/set-72157612130362951/ more Baja wines at La Contra Benito's restaurants Manzanilla-Ensenada located on the wharf,across the street from the Black Pearl Muelle Tres-Ensenada make aright around the corner at the end of the Black Market on the malecon. Silvestre Valle de Guadalupe, open in the summer only Jair's restaurants Restaurante Del Parque-Ensenada on Parque Revolucion Laja Valle de Guadalupe Highway 3 at Km.83 Posted by Bill at 10:48 PM http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com Mon Jan 05 00:46:10 -0800 2009 128722 streetgourmetla 1 4299272 Madre de dios! Fantastic report Street! Those creations look amazing! I was hoping to check out Ensenada this weekend but family duties called. You have definitely inspired me to get down their sooner rather then later. Thanks for Sharing. Mon Jan 05 19:04:54 -0800 2009 4296649 183460 Masa Assassin 2 4299799 De nada. They taste even better than they look! I know you'll go.Kare Raisu and Masa Assasin, the men without fear. Tue Jan 06 00:43:45 -0800 2009 4299272 128722 streetgourmetla 3 4301376 Street, I have some specific questions that would help on my next trip, If you dont mind could you please send a reply to masaassassin@gmail.com. Thanks Tue Jan 06 12:56:00 -0800 2009 4299799 183460 Masa Assassin 1 4301242 Ensenada is cool. Without doubt, a huge part of this fact owes it to Benito and Jair transforming the dining scene here. They are the few that have recognized what this area has to offer and like chemists drawing upon each's own experience and culinary upbringing have developed their own micro chasm of cuisine. Not only that, they honor the region's wine by offering you food inspired by it and as close to the soil that gave it life. If you fail to see this, you have missed the boar ...er... carnival cruise ship. It was pure chance that Jair came to the restaurant when we were checking it out and remembered me. Extremely graciously he invited us to some mezcal [Alipús] to warm us up and explained why he strayed from the initial idea of presenting his interpretation of northwestern Mexican cuisine. The restaurant is gorgeous and the menu looks fantastic and incredibly reasonable. I can't wait to get back. Ah, Benito - one of the most amazing and interesting guys around - you can't help but smile and be happy when you are around the man. His new location for Manzanilla is discreetly hip and I like it a lot. The food we had there was nothing short of pleasurably delicious. The lengua appetizer with its dual creamy sauce and vinaigrette is f***ing outstanding as was the bouillabasse estilo ensenada. Dishes here are always composed thoughtfully and contrasts in texture and flavor are exploited to the max - making you think about what you are consuming. Case in point was the pairing of the firmer meatier rockfish against the meltingly butter-like sole in a broth flavored of chile and fennel. You are missing out if you choose to abstain from Baja by slavishly listening to media reports. I hope you change your mind and experience this rather than fear this. Tue Jan 06 12:20:30 -0800 2009 4296649 14086 kare_raisu 1 4679750 Well now Rincon del Parque is closed.Hope the wine shop sticks around. It was really a triple dissappointment. Jair never cooked food from his own state, as he originally said, he quickly reversed his "I'll open any bottle for $100 pesos" policy.The last time I went this was not an option which really diminished the potential for this place as a wine destination.And, now the closing. Wed May 13 08:53:21 -0700 2009 4296649 128722 streetgourmetla 2 4680644 updated post http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-baja-toast-to-manzanilla-and-g.html Wed May 13 12:42:58 -0700 2009 4679750 128722 streetgourmetla