EatMx: Real Mexican food, at home and on the road

Baja's San Javier--Still Unspoiled

Something is missing in San Javier, the tiny mission town in the mountains outside Loreto.

The old mission church (above), built by Jesuits in the mid 18th century, looks like it always has. A priest comes once a week from Loreto to say Mass. And tourists arrive regularly over a winding road through the mountains.

What they don't find is stalls selling T-shirts, embroidered blouses, hats, magnets, pottery ashtrays, paintings, snacks and the like, not even one selling religious medals and rosaries outside the church.

On the Day of the Dead, Nov. 2, the old church cemetery (above) was empty. There were no flower garlands, candles, portraits of the deceased, food, drink, sugar skulls or any other trappings of the holiday.

San Javier is unspoiled because the inhabitants feel that using the church to make money would be disrespectful.   

The church is only one of San Javier's attractions. Another is a 300-year-old olive tree (above), said to be the oldest in Baja California and still bearing fruit. Although the area abounds in olive trees, you can't buy olive oil in San Javier. The inhabitants produce it only for themselves.

But you can buy some things. The sign above shows a place that sells homemade fruit pastes in flavors that include fig, guava, papaya and mango, all made from fruit grown on the ranches around San Javier. You can get a bracing bowl of menudo there too. And if you're dusty from travel, you can rent a bathroom with hot water.

A short distance from the church is the Palapa San Javier, where Señora Alicia does the cooking. 

Here are her tacos of beef machaca, rolled in flour tortillas.

And locally made queso fresco--fresh cheese.

And quesadillas made with more local cheese.

Don't leave without buying Señora Alicia's fruit pastes, which are soft, sticky mixtures unlike the blocks of commercial paste that you see in markets. The two flavors on hand when I was there were guava and mango.

You can drive to San Javier, if you don't mind narrow roads washed out in places by seasonal storms. Or leave the driving to Wild Loreto, which offers tours twice a week. Then you'll see much more, like cave paintings dim with age (above) that you'll reach by walking through a stream.

Rather than paying attention to the road, you can marvel at the grandeur of the Sierra de la Giganta (above), golden in the late afternoon sun as the tour ends.

A Chip-Eating Bird Hustles Tourists

This seagull knows how to eat because, apparently, he's had lots of experience.

There he is, with a crisp tortilla chip in his mouth. Next, he'll dip it in the water to soften it for easy eating. 

This gull hangs out at a beach on Coronado Island off Loreto in the Sea of Cortez. Tourists hang out there too, eating ceviche and chips (above), which is what might be on board if you've taken a boat tour that supplies food. The bird walks as close as he dares to get his share. 

But first, the boat circles the island so you can hobnob with sea lions drowsing on the rocks (above).

Don't get too close, a guide warns snorkelers (upper left in the photo above), because sea lions are territorial and don't like invaders. They're also very noisy.

You can see lots of fish in the clear, brilliant waters, even if you don't snorkel. Some are called muleginos, because they are abundant off Mulege to the north. There's a chance you might see dolphins too. 

The rock formations are dramatic, the water gorgeous, and at the end of the tour the ceviche awaits. It's as fresh as can be, made with seabass soaked with lime juice and combined with tomatoes, onion, jalapeños and cilantro. Add a Pacifico beer and sit back to admire the beauty of the island or take a swim in the clear, warm water. And feed the bird. 

As you fly back to Los Angeles (all flights to Loreto from the United States go through L.A., via Alaska Airlines), you can look down on Coronado, see the white sands of the beach and even the ramadas that shelter visitors. Paradise left behind for another trip.

For boat tours, contact Wild Loreto, which picks up at hotels and several points in town.

Chocolate Clams--Baja's Seafood "Candy"

There's one thing you absolutely must do if you go to the coast of Baja California Sur. Fishing? Snorkeling? Kayaking? Diving? Swimming and sunning?

You'll do all those, of course. But what you can't miss is eating almejas chocolatas--chocolate clams.  They're named for the color of their shells, not any Hershey-like flavor. 

This is "the best place in the world for chocolate clams," says Roberto Cardazzo, executive chef of Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto.

Cardazzo dives for the clams himself, then fixes them with butter, Parmesan and brandy, or buffalo mozzarella, brandy and chipotle.

Or he'll turn them into a soup that comes in a bread bowl (above) with a tracing of chipotle on top. 

If you're staying in the town of Loreto, eat them at Domingo's Place, a quirky gathering spot that's like a tropical jungle inside.

Domingo's brings out plates of almejas chocolatas gratinadas--baked clams with cheese and chipotle (in the photo at top). This seems like a favorite local way of preparing them, since Cardazzo does the same thing, although he laces his clams with brandy. 

Domingo's also makes chocolate clam chowder, and there it is (above) on a placemat that doubles as a map of the area.

These are the only clam dishes I could find on the menu. Domingo's special combination does include clams along with lobster tail, shrimp and scallops. At least the clams are on the Spanish side of the menu. The English side leaves them off to make room for a choice of garlic sauce or breaded.  

Domingo's Place, Salvatierra 154, Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Tel: 613-13-5-24-45.

Great Shrimp Tacos at a Baja Taquiza

Does this look like one of the best tacos you'll ever taste?

Probably not, because it's just three shrimp on a flour tortilla. But those shrimp are so remarkable you wouldn't want to smother them with gooey dressings and salsas, like Ensenada's famous fish tacos. 

Super fresh, fat and juicy, they've been fried just enough to give a slight crunch as you bite into them. Taco trimmings are on the plate underneath, if you want them.

The shrimp came from Bahia Magdalena on the west coast of Baja California Sur. That's the bay where you can see gray whales during their winter migration.

The taco, though, is on the other side of the Baja peninsula. You'll find it at Villa del Palmar, a resort at the Islands of Loreto about 40 minutes from Loreto itself. One of the restaurants there is Casa Mia (above), which tempts guests with a taquiza, or taco spread.   

Spend the morning swimming in one of six pools, then relax with a beer, tacos and maybe chips and guacamole too. 

The taco in the photo above is filled with a tasty mixture of carne al pastor and pineapple. Behind it are fresh salsa, beans and salad. 

If you're a steak lover, you'll want tacos de arrachera (above), filled with tender beef from Monterrey in northern Mexico. Notice that they're made with flour tortillas, which are very northern. 

Or you can choose chicken or carne asada tacos. Casa Mia has fish tacos too. I didn't get around to those, but judging by the fish I ate in Loreto, they have to be just as good as Ensenada's, if freshness is what counts.