The trip from Tijuana to Guerrero Negro is as beautiful as it is long, which is to say VERY! Get out of TJ as early as you can and leave even earlier if you hope to sample the best carnitas around. We were up and out at 8am and we still rolled into San Quintin too late for the magical pork (at 11!). And so, I offer an alternate breakfast plan, as the last few times I have ventured through San Quintin, the elusive carnitas have been sold out. Am I suggesting you alter your trip and stay overnight in San Quintin soley to eat these carnitas? Yes I am! (they are really that good.)
You may be thinking, forget carnitas, what was that first picture and how can I eat it? And that is a great question!
Enroute from Tijuana to San Quintin, it is possible, if not rushing to eat carnitas, one may choose to visit the remarkable stand of El Pizón in Ensenada. This would be a wise choice if you are more interested in eating ridiculously amazing seafood than arriving in Guerrero Negro at a reasonable hour. While I do not suggest traversing the Highway 1 after dark, I do recommend trying the sea urchin at this stand. El Pizón opens at 10 am and Guerrero Negro is about 8.5 hours away, so it is possible to eat here and still arrive by sunset.
Enroute from Tijuana to San Quintin, it is possible, if not rushing to eat carnitas, one may choose to visit the remarkable stand of El Pizón in Ensenada. This would be a wise choice if you are more interested in eating ridiculously amazing seafood than arriving in Guerrero Negro at a reasonable hour. While I do not suggest traversing the Highway 1 after dark, I do recommend trying the sea urchin at this stand. El Pizón opens at 10 am and Guerrero Negro is about 8.5 hours away, so it is possible to eat here and still arrive by sunset.
Sea urchin, or uni, is the specialty at this stand. Often called erizo in Baja, to my knowledge, the term erizo indicates an urchin spread, usually mashed, seasoned and eaten on a tostada. This is good, but we were after a dish we'd heard of with sliced raw tuna and whole urchin tongues. And, this is what we received!
Thin slices of fresh yellow tail (hamachi), (the owner's assistant ran to the sea to get this from a fisherman friend) were placed in a single layer and surrounded by a ring of urchin. This was topped with crunchy red onion, cilantro and avocado, sprinkled with soy sauce and lime and given a light dressing of (of course) yellow mustard. I was as skeptical as you! This works and I am not sure why. Who cares! Delicious! Eat this up with some tostadas and love your life. At about 8$, what a steal.
There is a truly luxurious amount of uni on this plate. Meltingly creamy, nutty and with a bit of it's own salty juice, this was some of the best uni I have ever eaten. It was so sweet, rich and velvety and absolutely full of flavor in this preparation. The hamachi was awesome, too, and added a much needed toothsome element to the dish. Still, it was incredible tender and clean tasting. In this dish, as with other seafood dishes we will have along the way, I love how the flavors are inextricable from the country you are in. Just swapping lime when you might be used to lemon makes such a huge difference in taste.
But, let's return to the planned route, and to the fantastic tacos of San Quintin! Just don't forget the sea urchin of Ensenada. As if you ever could!
So, the bad news is, the carnitas vat is clean and empty. The good news is, you are in one of the best and least known eating towns in Baja. Dusty and friendly, San Quintin offers peekaboo glimpses of the mighty Pacific and mighty seafood to match. Still, smoky grilled meat tacos are always done right. I have never had a bad plate here and the quesa tacos will leave you wondering why you wanted carnitas anyways (but you still do want them because they are perfect and delicious! Next time!).
Onward to Tacos Los Poblanos.
Onward to Tacos Los Poblanos.
Tacos Los Poblanos is the kind of place that just blows your mind. So fresh! So cheap! So unbelievably delicious! I go quesa taco all the way and you should, too. They offer other things, of course, but this little stand makes carne asada and al pastor tacos which are a revelation in simplicity perfected.
We stopped here on our way South and again on our way back North, so I am confident in this recommendation. I also came through this way a few years back and remembered it fondly. These folks will make you a taco or quesa taco or torta or vampiro or (and not trying this is a big regret) a QUESA TORTA. But, if you eat a quesa torta, how are you going to have room for oysters?
Here you can familiarize yourself with the typical questions: Harina(flour) o Maiz(corn)? (Harina!). Con todo? (por supuesto!(of course!)) The tortillas, both corn and flour, are made fresh in front of you and they are so light and perfectly griddled. These quesa tacos are slightly crunchy on the outside, cheesy, meaty and juicy on the inside and with just enough creamy guacamole to balance the clean, bright and pica (spicy) salsa.
Now I am sure you are wondering, can one switch gears from this meaty taco goodness to find and appreciate some of the most sensational oysters the Pacific coast has to offer? The answer to this is POR SUPUESTO!
We popped into several little roadside seafood stands, but were unsuccessful in finding one which served the tasty San Quintin oysters we craved.
It was at our last stop, this friendly outdoor affair, where we finally figured out how to make it happen.
From here we were directed to drive about 500 meters north, where we could buy some fresh oysters and bring them back to be shucked. The oysters were beautiful and could be purchased in small, medium and large sizes. I think we paid about 3$ for a dozen. Amazingly, we were only familiar with San Quintin oysters after trying them for a whopping 4$ each at an LA restaurant. These proved to be just as delicious.
A word to the wise: these oysters are impeccably fresh, briny and clean tasting. Basically everything you want in a juicy fresh oyster. While definitely cold, they were not icy cold. For me, this was no thing, but if super cold oysters are what you desire, then grab a bag of ice before you grab your oysters and chill those mollusks down.
For about a dollar, our oysters were shucked and we were given the classic Mexican cevicheria condiments and crackers and tostadas. Again, I love how something as simple as lime instead of lemon makes such a difference in the flavor here.
As an added bonus, the owners gave me a peek in their cooler and made me wish I hadn't just had two quesa tacos and a dozen oysters (not really, but you know…) Next time!