The bus crawled into Tijuana after an unusually long border crossing and our group of 25 food writers and chefs only cared about one thing: where to eat. Our first stop in Mexico was Tacos El Poblano, which has been slinging carne asada tacos to customers at their open-air spot in the city’s Mesa neighborhood since 1974.

We each started with a carne asada taco (13 pesos, about $1), which the talented taqueros assembled within seconds. The corn tortillas cradled three kinds of fresh-cleaved beef: lomo (loin), pulpa (eye of round) and chuleta (chop). Some cuts were chewy, others fatty or luscious. The meats all contributed to a collective meat-mind meld. The taqueros lavished each taco with diced onion, salsa roja and creamy guacamole sauce and slid it across the tiled counter.

Most of us ended up ordering a carne asada tostada (13 pesos), which was even better than the taco, with identical ingredients and a tortilla that was singed until charred and crispy under the grill’s “broiler.”

A pastor station was located on the other side of the restaurant, but the focus was clearly on the asada, so the spit-master had little to do but shuffle the spice-soaked pork around the grill. Sad. So sad.

The line cooks were total pros, even at midnight. It was fun to watch the taquero’s skill with his lightning-fast cleaver.

Thank you to the Tijuana Convention and Visitors Bureau, Crossborder Agency, Cotuco (Tijuana Tourism Board), and Tijuana Canirac (Tijuana Restaurant Association) for sponsoring our eye-opening culinary tour of northern Baja. Thank you to Bill Esparza from Street Gourmet LA for leading the tour and for supplying so much invaluable information.

IMPRESSIONS OF BAJA FROM FELLOW BLOGGERS

Pat of Eating LA:
Tijuana touring: Street food with tacos of the earth and sea
Ensenada: The place for seafood fanatics
Baja’s wine country: Silvestre restaurant and Villa del Valle inn are standouts in the Valle de Guadalupe

Matt of Mattatouille: The Baja California Food Decathlon - Part 1 + Part 2

Cathy of gast*ron*o*my: A Culinary Blitz Through Tijuana & Ensenada

Javier, The Glutster: Twenty Eats & Drinks in Two Days: Behold Baja California

Fiona of Gourmet Pigs: Baja Media Trip: First Night in Tijuana. Tacos and Cerveza Obscura.

Noah from LA Weekly’s Squid Ink: Roadtrip to Tijuana: Part I, Part II + Part III

Barbara of Table Conversation:
The Taquerias of Tijuana
A Tijuana Breakfast: Barbacoa
Cheering up at Cheripan
The Great Tastes of Tijuana

Bill of StreetGourmetLA: 48 Hours in Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe

Eddie of Deep End Dining: My “What I Did for Summer” Video. The Epicurean Epic of Epic Proportions (and Portions). Tijuana, Ensenada y Valle de Guadalupe, MEXICO

Pleasure Palate: ¡Baja Delicioso! Introduction and the Ultimate Carne Asada Taco at Tacos El Poblano

H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures: POSTS TO COME

Related Posts

1. Tacos Salceados – Tijuana, B.C., Mexico – July 18, 2009
2. Mariscos El Mazateno – Tijuana, B.C., Mexico – July 17, 2009
3. L’Abricot – Tijuana, B.C., Mexico – July 17, 2009
4. Taqueria Franc – Tijuana, B.C., Mexico – October 16, 2009
5. Barbacoa Ermita – Tijuana, B.C., Mexico – July 18, 2009

This entry is filed under Mexican, Mexico.