Damn, I love travel. The feel of different air on my skin, the scents of flora or spices or brine in the air…there’s nothing like being able to taste the flavor of a place, to be touched by its unique culture, and then come home with something new and special framed forever in memory.
But this a food essay, so let me put it another way. When I go someplace new, I marinate in it. I don’t want to experience something in passing, I want to change my own personal flavor — to make some local ritual, or recipe, or bit of wisdom a permanent part of myself, something I can tap into whenever I want.
And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a big thing, because little things can also be incredibly special.
Last November my husband and I celebrated our anniversary by going to Baja. I wanted us to do something simple and romantic, so after a little research we decided on a quick trip to Todos Santos, a charming town located an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. November is a great time in that part of the world: the blazing summer/early fall heat has faded to an average in the mid-70s, and of course the surf is generally good, which is always a draw for my guy.
I had never been to southern Baja before and was gob smacked by the landscape. What incredible views! Cactus-studded mountains sweeping down to meet a warm Pacific Ocean teeming with fish, whales, mantas, and sea turtles, while eagles and vultures circle in a sky so perfectly clear and blue you’d swear it had been painted by Magritte. And, of course, the sunsets were so spectacular they left us both breathless.
Todos Santos, located on the tropic of Cancer, has been designated a “Pueblo Magica” (Magical Town) by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism. All the places with this designation — there are currently 122 of them across the country — have an extraordinary cultural and historical richness, and the hospitality and laidback vibe we discovered there was exactly what we were seeking: a place to while away the days surfing, sipping tequila, eating fish tacos, and exploring all the cute shops and wonderful art galleries, while in the evenings we drank exquisite craft cocktails and dined on locally grown and sourced cuisine. That food! Delightfully elevated, yet always informed by indigenous and cultural traditions. I was especially impressed by five finds: two that I’ll come back to later in this piece, plus an amuse-bouche of grasshoppers (really!), a hibiscus-glazed short rib, and a craft cocktail at the La Copa Cucina Bar that came with smoked mescal foam.
For us, art makes the best travel souvenir, and we love the pieces we brought home. If you are ever in Todos Santos, don’t miss Sonrisa de la Muerta, a graphic arts gallery featuring a variety of printmaking mediums and artists from all over Mexico.
We stayed at two starkly different hotels. The first was the Todos Santos Inn, which has had quite the history. Originally it was the hacienda of a mid-19th century sugar baron, then during the 1890s it became the schoolhouse for General Meliton Albañez of the Mexican Revolution, and today it is an incredibly romantic getaway filled with antiques, murals from the 1930s, gorgeously-comfortable mosquito-netted beds, and original palm beam ceilings. It was total Old World romance from top to bottom, evoking, for me, the feel of living inside a Garcia Marquez novel. In a total contrast with that, we spent our last few days in Todos Santos at the design-forward Hotel San Christobal. This hotel, like all good things in Todos Santos, is located at the end of a dirt road. There are only 32 rooms and suites, and every angle of the place is Instagram-worthy: the organic minimalist design is simultaneously extremely refined and a natural part of the landscape. The hotel’s beachfront restaurant, Benno, was also a treasure. Everything I ate there was happy-dance worthy.
One evening at the pool bar we watched our most spectacular Baja sunset yet, and tasted a cocktail so scrumptious I came home determined to recreate it, along with a poblano queso fundito dip they served. I think you’ll be as pleased as I am with the results (recipes below).
Oh Lordy, I cannot wait to go back again.
If you go to Todos Santos:
Restaurants:
Caffe Todos Santos — wonderful Italian food served by wonderful people. (I know, I know. Go to Mexico and then eat at an Italian restaurant? Trust me on this one. You’ll be happy you did.)
Landi’s — Mexican cooking. Everything here is good. Everything.
Benno — located in the Hotel San Christobal.
Fish Tacos — literally available everywhere, and all delish, in part because the seafood is locally sourced and fresh. I want to go back to try them all. In Todos Santos itself, try Tacos Y Mariscos El Sinaloense on the Calle Benito Juarez.
Recipe
Poblano Queso Fundito
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup milk
- 12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 roasted peeled poblano peppers, chopped- (or canned and drained green chilies)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 400.
While that’s happening, use a medium-high heat on your stovetop to melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet. Add the onions cook for 1 minute to soften. Then add garlic, sauté 30 more seconds then add flour and cumin, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour is light brown, nutty and cooked. Now add the milk, in 3 parts, whisking to blend each addition. Whisk until thickened, and remove from heat. Fold in the cheese and Poblanos, then put the mix in the oven for 10 minutes. Stop when the mixture is bubbly and starting to get brown on top.
This dish is best served with small, soft, warm flour tortillas; or some really good corn chips.
I like to have a few different salsas available to play with as well. There are hundreds of different salsas out there to explore, which you should definitely do because that’s fun. But since my sister brought me a jar I have been completely mad for the Chipotle Roasted Tomato Salsa made by the Papalote Mexican Grill, which is located in San Francisco’s Mission District. Check it out here: papalotesalsa.com. They ship all over the world.
Recipe
Mexican Old Fashioned
Note: Bourbon infuses pretty quickly, so test often and take the chilies out when your drink reaches your desired heat. We felt it was done to perfection after 24 hours, and still good at 48 hours, while tests with letting the infusion continue for 3 days resulted in a drink that was too spicy. Makes 4 cocktailsINGREDIENTS
- 16 ounces bourbon
- 1 dried chipotle chile
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 stick cinnamon
Put all these ingredients together in a sterilized jar and seal. Let sit 12-24 hours. Take the chilies out when you have the desired infusion.
- mole or Mexican chocolate bitters – We like Fee Brothers for this
- agave syrup
- soda water (optional)
- orange zest for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
To serve, take a chilled glass and rub orange zest on the rim. Then in a shaker with ice, add 2 oz. infused bourbon, 2-3 generous shakes chocolate bitters, a tablespoon agave, and shake it thoroughly! Pour the result into a chilled glass and garnish with orange slice. Done! (If you like, a wee splash of soda water can be added. I prefer mine straight up, though, and suggest you try it that way first.)