Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
Rosarita and Ensenada. I find it amazing now to think I have lived in Sandy
Eggo for the better part of 15 years and have never driven down there! It
was a very fun day, and I'm so glad we went. Although we'd eaten breakfast
before leaving, we definitely wanted to wait until we got to Rosarita before
having lunch. We found a place called La Flor de Michoacan, which had some
of the most delicious carnitas I've ever had. For $22 the 6 of us (our
daughter, my BIL, his wife and their daughter joined us) had a wonderful
lunch of carnitas and carne asada. Along with the meats came corn and flour
tortillas, guac, onions, cilantro, rice, black beans, salsa, crema, and
chips. What a feast! Everything was delicious, and I'd recommend it for
anyone heading that way.

We drove down the coast, stopping at some amazing overlooks. One in
particular, I found the view to be somewhat deceiving. It doesn't seem like
you're that high until you look down where there's many a car crashed on the
cliffs. They look like toys, they're so far down. It was slightly overcast,
though, so we couldn't see the islands.

In Ensenada, I was a little surprised by the number of coffee shops. Almost
like home We took a carriage ride and Graciella let both the little ones
have a turn at the reigns. Dinner was a recommendation from her, but it was
not what we expected. Casamar, was the name. We were told it was a great
place for seafood, but there was absolutely no authentic Mexican cuisine. It
was pretty standard steakhouse fare for the most part, with a few items that
bore exploration. My husband and his brother tried something called
camarones kiki, which was shrimp stuffed with crab and mushrooms, topped
with a jack cheese sauce. The flavor was good, but the shrimp over cooked.
The steaks, however, were really quite good. My sister in law split the
filet mignon with my daughter, and I had the New York Strip. Both were
tasty, and done just the way we asked. My favorite thing there, though, was
the lime tea. Very refreshing stuff!

Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to find some
of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)

kimberly...satiated, happy, and tired.

"Nexis" > wrote in message
news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
: Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip
down to
: Rosarita and Ensenada. I
<snipping awesome story>

I am SO jealous! WOW, sounds like a fantastic time! I hope you
enjoy many more trips down there.


--
Cyndi
<Remove a "b" to reply>

Nexis wrote:

I will put the Rosarito place on my drop-in list for another trip.


> We drove down the coast, stopping at some amazing overlooks. One in
> particular, I found the view to be somewhat deceiving. It doesn't seem like
> you're that high until you look down where there's many a car crashed on the
> cliffs. They look like toys, they're so far down. It was slightly overcast,
> though, so we couldn't see the islands.

It is an amazing view when it is clear. In about a hundred trips I have
made through the area, it is very rare when that happens. There are
plans to build a hotel above the buildings on the point.



> In Ensenada, I was a little surprised by the number of coffee shops. Almost
> like home We took a carriage ride and Graciella let both the little ones
> have a turn at the reigns. Dinner was a recommendation from her, but it was
> not what we expected. Casamar, was the name. We were told it was a great
> place for seafood, but there was absolutely no authentic Mexican cuisine. It
> was pretty standard steakhouse fare for the most part, with a few items that
> bore exploration. My husband and his brother tried something called
> camarones kiki, which was shrimp stuffed with crab and mushrooms, topped
> with a jack cheese sauce. The flavor was good, but the shrimp over cooked.
> The steaks, however, were really quite good. My sister in law split the
> filet mignon with my daughter, and I had the New York Strip. Both were
> tasty, and done just the way we asked. My favorite thing there, though, was
> the lime tea. Very refreshing stuff!
>

Kimberly, wish I had known about your trip beforehand, we might have
hooked on your trip. I spend a lot of weekends in Ensenada. There are
some excellent places in Ensenada and Casamar is a good one. Their fare
is Mexican but not the typical stuff you find most everywhere else. It
is well-known to experienced travelers in Mexico that they cook their
seafood a bit more thoroughly than we do in the US. So, do not fault
them for that. Different country, different standard. Something to keep
in mind for your next trip. Places that serve a lot of tourists and on a
continuous basis do shift their cooking toward the US-standard, but
Casamar's tourist business is a minor part of the day. Jack cheese? I'll
ask the chef when I am there next. Doubtful.

They don't get much feedback and back a couple of years ago, they put
out a survey on their tables about the food and service. I do not know
if they were out that day, but do hope that if they were, you filled one
out. They were the first restaurant I recollect in Mexico doing a
customer-satisfaction survey. The survey was a marketing class project
for the owner's son.

I do plan on forwarding your message to the Osuna family that owns
Casamar, though.


> Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to
find some
> of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)

The restaurant scene changes almost as frequently as it does in San
Diego. The SD Reader has a few capsules on restaurants south of the
border. What is recommended is usually pretty good.

You might want to drop into sdnet.eats or use groups.google.com to
search for the eats group and then sub-search on Mexico, Ensenada, Rosarito.


jim

"JimLane" > wrote in message
...
> Nexis wrote:
>
> I will put the Rosarito place on my drop-in list for another trip.
> It is an amazing view when it is clear. In about a hundred trips I have
> made through the area, it is very rare when that happens. There are
> plans to build a hotel above the buildings on the point.

That would be amazing. I was in awe, just standing there looking out. There
was a barge out in the water that looked like a child's bath toy from our
viewpoint.

>
>
>
>
> Kimberly, wish I had known about your trip beforehand, we might have
> hooked on your trip. I spend a lot of weekends in Ensenada. There are
> some excellent places in Ensenada and Casamar is a good one. Their fare
> is Mexican but not the typical stuff you find most everywhere else. It
> is well-known to experienced travelers in Mexico that they cook their
> seafood a bit more thoroughly than we do in the US. So, do not fault
> them for that. Different country, different standard. Something to keep
> in mind for your next trip. Places that serve a lot of tourists and on a
> continuous basis do shift their cooking toward the US-standard, but
> Casamar's tourist business is a minor part of the day. Jack cheese? I'll
> ask the chef when I am there next. Doubtful.

The menu said it was a monterey jack cheese, so that's what I went by. I
didn't eat the dish, since I can't eat mushrooms. As I said, the overall
experience was good, just different from what we expected because of what we
were told. The service was excellent, and I'm already thirsty for another
glass of that tea!
Not being an extensive traveller to Mexico, I had no idea about the seafood
thing. I still think shrimp shouldn't be cooked until it's like pieces of
rubber though. Now, stateside, King's fish house has the opposite
problem...IMO, they really undercook their fish. I always have to tell them
to cook mine more than they usually would because I don't like it to be
translucent or pink (depending on the fish) in the center. To be fair to the
place in Mexico, though, I have to say I much prefer my shrimp prepared as
it is for Ebi, where there is no *snap* when you bit into it.

>
> They don't get much feedback and back a couple of years ago, they put
> out a survey on their tables about the food and service. I do not know
> if they were out that day, but do hope that if they were, you filled one
> out. They were the first restaurant I recollect in Mexico doing a
> customer-satisfaction survey. The survey was a marketing class project
> for the owner's son.

No, I didn't see any survey on the table. The place was pretty much empty
when we arrived, but it was late..9:30, I think, on a Monday night, so I
can't say that was unusual.

What I loved about our trip was that every where we went, even when we went
for coffee, the service was excellent. Everyone was very gracious, and
friendly, and helpful.

> > Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to
> find some
> > of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)
>
> The restaurant scene changes almost as frequently as it does in San
> Diego. The SD Reader has a few capsules on restaurants south of the
> border. What is recommended is usually pretty good.
>
> You might want to drop into sdnet.eats or use groups.google.com to
> search for the eats group and then sub-search on Mexico, Ensenada,
Rosarito.
>
>
> jim

Thanks Jim, I will keep those in mind. I'm always interested in hearing
about places from people who've been there, especially if it is more than
once. It's sometimes hard to get a good read on a place with just a single
visit, yes? I'd read that you can go to Ensenada every weekend for a year
and never eat at the same place twice, so I want to explore new places each
time.

kimberly

"Rick & Cyndi" > wrote in message
news:0TUec.31427$rg5.50342@attbi_s52...
> "Nexis" > wrote in message
> news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
> : Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip
> down to
> : Rosarita and Ensenada. I
> <snipping awesome story>
>
> I am SO jealous! WOW, sounds like a fantastic time! I hope you
> enjoy many more trips down there.
>
>
> --
> Cyndi
> <Remove a "b" to reply>

Thanks Cyndi! It was a really fun day, and I'm hoping next time we can stay
a little longer. We're in the middle of a shoot, though, and time was just
not something we had enough of! Ah well, maybe when this film is in the can
we can go back for a weekend! :-)

kimberly
>
>

Nexis wrote:
> "JimLane" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Nexis wrote:
>>
>>I will put the Rosarito place on my drop-in list for another trip.
>>It is an amazing view when it is clear. In about a hundred trips I have
>>made through the area, it is very rare when that happens. There are
>>plans to build a hotel above the buildings on the point.
>
>
> That would be amazing. I was in awe, just standing there looking out. There
> was a barge out in the water that looked like a child's bath toy from our
> viewpoint.
>
>>
>>Kimberly, wish I had known about your trip beforehand, we might have
>>hooked on your trip. I spend a lot of weekends in Ensenada. There are
>>some excellent places in Ensenada and Casamar is a good one. Their fare
>>is Mexican but not the typical stuff you find most everywhere else. It
>>is well-known to experienced travelers in Mexico that they cook their
>>seafood a bit more thoroughly than we do in the US. So, do not fault
>>them for that. Different country, different standard. Something to keep
>>in mind for your next trip. Places that serve a lot of tourists and on a
>>continuous basis do shift their cooking toward the US-standard, but
>>Casamar's tourist business is a minor part of the day. Jack cheese? I'll
>>ask the chef when I am there next. Doubtful.
>
>
> The menu said it was a monterey jack cheese, so that's what I went by. I
> didn't eat the dish, since I can't eat mushrooms. As I said, the overall
> experience was good, just different from what we expected because of what we
> were told. The service was excellent, and I'm already thirsty for another
> glass of that tea!
> Not being an extensive traveller to Mexico, I had no idea about the seafood
> thing. I still think shrimp shouldn't be cooked until it's like pieces of
> rubber though. Now, stateside, King's fish house has the opposite
> problem...IMO, they really undercook their fish. I always have to tell them
> to cook mine more than they usually would because I don't like it to be
> translucent or pink (depending on the fish) in the center. To be fair to the
> place in Mexico, though, I have to say I much prefer my shrimp prepared as
> it is for Ebi, where there is no *snap* when you bit into it.

Just got a message back from Omar, the son. He confirms they are using
jack. Sometimes when a Mexican cheese is not so familiar, waiters are
told to tell people is is like xxx. I thought this might be the case,
but is not.


>>They don't get much feedback and back a couple of years ago, they put
>>out a survey on their tables about the food and service. I do not know
>>if they were out that day, but do hope that if they were, you filled one
>>out. They were the first restaurant I recollect in Mexico doing a
>>customer-satisfaction survey. The survey was a marketing class project
>>for the owner's son.
>
>
> No, I didn't see any survey on the table. The place was pretty much empty
> when we arrived, but it was late..9:30, I think, on a Monday night, so I
> can't say that was unusual.

Omar will be seeing his father a bit later in the day and will relay
your comments and ask him to re-institute the surveys which they dropped
awhile back.



> What I loved about our trip was that every where we went, even when we went
> for coffee, the service was excellent. Everyone was very gracious, and
> friendly, and helpful.

Service can be great, I find Mexican coffee a bit weak. Very few places
actually brew it. A lot of them are using instant crystals to make the pots.



>> > Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to
>>find some
>> > of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)
>>
>>The restaurant scene changes almost as frequently as it does in San
>>Diego. The SD Reader has a few capsules on restaurants south of the
>>border. What is recommended is usually pretty good.
>>
>>You might want to drop into sdnet.eats or use groups.google.com to
>>search for the eats group and then sub-search on Mexico, Ensenada,
>
> Rosarito.
>
>>
>>jim
>
>
> Thanks Jim, I will keep those in mind. I'm always interested in hearing
> about places from people who've been there, especially if it is more than
> once. It's sometimes hard to get a good read on a place with just a single
> visit, yes? I'd read that you can go to Ensenada every weekend for a year
> and never eat at the same place twice, so I want to explore new places each
> time.
>
> kimberly
>

And now, Omar and the gang are saying when will I come again, already!


jim

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:57:17 -0700, "Nexis" > arranged
random neurons, so they looked like this:

>Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
>Rosarita and Ensenada. I find it amazing now to think I have lived in Sandy
>Eggo for the better part of 15 years and have never driven down there!

<snippidy>

The DH and I are coming down to Sandy Eggo on Saturday for the Arthur
Miller play, "Resurrection Blues," at the Old Globe (reviews are
fabulous). We're staying at the Westin at Horton Plaza. We've been
there before, but are trying to think of the name of a brasserie and
steakhouse that is right nearby. It is an old style bar and
steakhouse, reminiscent of the ones in San Francisco. Very small. Any
Sandy Eggans have a clue as to the name of this restaurant?? Possibly
just off Broadway.

Or any other recommendations if we can't figure out where this place
is.

Clueless in south Orange County...

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove replace "shcox" with "cox"

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
news
>
> The DH and I are coming down to Sandy Eggo on Saturday for the Arthur
> Miller play, "Resurrection Blues," at the Old Globe (reviews are
> fabulous). We're staying at the Westin at Horton Plaza.

I have had the honor of being escorted off the premises of the Westin bar by
2 very large men.

> We've been
> there before, but are trying to think of the name of a brasserie and
> steakhouse that is right nearby. It is an old style bar and
> steakhouse, reminiscent of the ones in San Francisco. Very small. Any
> Sandy Eggans have a clue as to the name of this restaurant?? Possibly
> just off Broadway.
>
> Or any other recommendations if we can't figure out where this place
> is.

I don't know the place you mention. Near by is "The Field" an excellent
Irish bar and restaurant. I almost always go to the Blue Point Restaurant
(and visit their martini bar) when I am downtown. Both are good and always
crowded.

Charlie

> Clueless in south Orange County...
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

Terry wrote:

> It is an old style bar and steakhouse, reminiscent of the ones
> in San Francisco. Very small. Any Sandy Eggans have a clue as
> to the name of this restaurant?? Possibly just off Broadway.

You might be talking about the Grant Grill inside the Wyndham U.S. Grant
Hotel.

See http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/91024: Is that it?

Bob

Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote in message >. ..
> On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:57:17 -0700, "Nexis" > arranged
> random neurons, so they looked like this:
>
> >Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
> >Rosarita and Ensenada. I find it amazing now to think I have lived in Sandy
> >Eggo for the better part of 15 years and have never driven down there!
>
> <snippidy>
>
> The DH and I are coming down to Sandy Eggo on Saturday for the Arthur
> Miller play, "Resurrection Blues," at the Old Globe (reviews are
> fabulous). We're staying at the Westin at Horton Plaza. We've been
> there before, but are trying to think of the name of a brasserie and
> steakhouse that is right nearby. It is an old style bar and
> steakhouse, reminiscent of the ones in San Francisco. Very small. Any
> Sandy Eggans have a clue as to the name of this restaurant?? Possibly
> just off Broadway.
>
> Or any other recommendations if we can't figure out where this place
> is.
>
> Clueless in south Orange County...
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA
>
> "If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
> had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
> been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
> good dinner." Anonymous.
>
> To reply, remove replace "shcox" with "cox"

Could be Dobson's, I think Dobson's is still downtown. San Fransisco
style alright. If you're walking away from the hotel (past the pretty
fountain), towards Broaday, it will be on the left hand side of the
street - across from McDonald's.


Orion

"Nexis" > wrote in message
news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
> Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
> Rosarita and Ensenada.

<snip>

> kimberly...satiated, happy, and tired.

Forget about the food - 15 years is an quite an accomplishment.
Congratulations.

Dimitri

On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:44:41 GMT, "Dimitri"
> wrote:

>
> "Nexis" > wrote in message
> news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
> > Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
> > Rosarita and Ensenada.
>
> <snip>
>
> 15 years is an quite an accomplishment.
> Congratulations.
>

Oh, pshaw.
They're still wet behind the ears.
Eh, Barb?


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Thanks to all three of you for the replies. Orion had it spot on: it's
Dobson's. Now, if we can just get a reservation!

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove replace "shcox" with "cox"

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:44:41 GMT, "Dimitri"
> > wrote:
>
> > 15 years is an quite an accomplishment.
> > Congratulations.
> >
>
> Oh, pshaw.
> They're still wet behind the ears.
> Eh, Barb?

Yes I know but a little encouragement never hurts.

Dimitri

"Nexis" > wrote in message
news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
> Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
> Rosarita and Ensenada.
>
> Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to find
some
> of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)

Have you visited Puerto Nuevo? It is about 10 miles south of Rosarito. It
was once a sleepy fishing town where lobster harvests were abundant. In time
a couple dozen restaurants started up, all catering to the tourist trade
with bargain lobster and other seafood meals. It's been a while since I was
there but I doubt if it's changed much.

Another place that I really liked was La Fonda, which is an aging motel with
a wonderful attached restaurant located about another 20 miles south of
Puerto Nuevo. They serve seafood, Mexican food and Sunday brunch.

And speaking of Baja California, have you ever had a Caesar salad at Cesar's
Hotel in Tijuana where the venerable salad originated? I have to say, I
wasn't much impressed. Maybe I'm just too used to the stylized and altered
versions of Caesar salad to appreciate the original.

Sam D. wrote:
> "Nexis" > wrote in message
> news:hbMec.675$432.278@fed1read01...
>
>>Today, for our 15th Anniversary, we decided to take a day trip down to
>>Rosarita and Ensenada.
>>
>>Next time I'm going to do more research before we go...I wanted to find
>
> some
>
>>of the real treasures I know are there. Any suggestions anyone??? :-)
>
>
> Have you visited Puerto Nuevo? It is about 10 miles south of Rosarito. It
> was once a sleepy fishing town where lobster harvests were abundant. In time
> a couple dozen restaurants started up, all catering to the tourist trade
> with bargain lobster and other seafood meals. It's been a while since I was
> there but I doubt if it's changed much.

30 some places and counting. There are some that are better than others
but all are in the same game.


> Another place that I really liked was La Fonda, which is an aging motel with
> a wonderful attached restaurant located about another 20 miles south of
> Puerto Nuevo. They serve seafood, Mexican food and Sunday brunch.

Very nice view while having lunch. Food strikes me as "heavier" than most.


> And speaking of Baja California, have you ever had a Caesar salad at Cesar's
> Hotel in Tijuana where the venerable salad originated? I have to say, I
> wasn't much impressed. Maybe I'm just too used to the stylized and altered
> versions of Caesar salad to appreciate the original.

Used to be quite THE place. But if you want the original, here it is.
Sort of the "mother store" of Caesar Salads.


jim