EL TAKE IT EASY

This month marks our 2nd anniversary: our second completed year of presenting a restaurant that treats San Diego and Baja as one culinary region to celebrate. It took us a while to figure out how to tie everything together, but starting about a year ago it clicked, and we joined you for what’s been a fun, crazy, delightful ride.

With that it mind, it seemed appropriate to share some of the great experiences we had in the last year, not just in the restaurant, but also in Mexican wine country, in Tijuana, and just in life in general. Thanks for a great year, let’s have an even better one coming up!

We kicked off our second year by completing the requirements for a distilled spirits license, and prompltly launched our craft cocktail and spirits program. It’s been a big part of the year’s success, and we are proud to share it with San Diego.
.
.
Every August, the Valle de Guadalupe erupts in a two-and-a-half-week party for Vendimia (the harvest festival). We celebrated at Laja and at their summertime outdoor restaurant, El Encino, among many other places.
.
.
A beautiful Labor Day weekend enjoying the views of the Valley and dinner cooked by Javier Plascencia and crew at Encuentro Guadalupe.
.
.
We helped out here and there with Suzie’s Farm’s Autumnal Equinox Dinner, which was a joy inside and out. That’s The Tree Ring playing after-dinner music for the crowd.
.
.
This fantastic bodega opened in October, bringing the best produce of the wine valley to Ensenada, along with olive oils, cheeses and great coffees and paninis. Next time you’re in town, stop in: it’s called La Flor de Calabaza, and it’s just north of the harbor on the coast road, in an area called La Playitas. On the west side of the road, you can’t miss it.
.
.
The 5th Mexican Open Tournament of Pétanque, fall 2011. Angel (pictured here in the center, standing) is part of the team that will, for the first time ever, represent Mexico in the World Cup of Pétanque in Marseilles in October 2012.
.
.
Visiting the Los Danzantes (now called Los Nahaules) mezcal distillery in Santiago Matatlán over Thanksgiving.
.
.
At a pulqueria in Santiago Matatlán
.
.
Our friends Phil and Eileen at La Villa Del Valle opened their stunning restaurant, Corazon de Tierra, at the end of 2011. Architecture by Claudia Turrent, food by Chef Diego Hernandez.
.
.
A lunch menu from the Agua Caliente resort in Tijuana, August 1929, courtesy the kind and generous Andre Williams of Tijuana.
.
.
In January, Phil and Eileen completed(ish) their winery, built into the hillside adjacent to their hotel (La Villa del Valle) and restaurant (Corazon de Tierra). Winery architecture by Alejandro D’Acosta.
.
.
Paolo Paoloni, winemaker at Montefiori, found time to both host us and cook us an amazing pasta dinner at his place in the Valle in January. He also provided us with our house “El Take It Easy” wine, which has proven to be our most popular wine (and personally I love it, too).
.
.
Back at El Take It Easy, our servers and bartenders, not content with merely making and serving food and drinks, took the next step in creating a bar and kitchen garden on our back patio. Still going strong!
.
.
Katie did her best to finish the 14L bottle of Minotauro mezcal at Muelle 3 on the harbor in Ensenada.
.
.
Javier Plascencia and crew from Misión 19 (and Erizo, Saverio’s, Caesar’s and many others) kicked off our Baja Chef’s Dinners series to a full house at El Take It Easy in March.
.
.
It wasn’t exactly lush in early Spring, but chef Jair Téllez (Merotoro/Laja) and winemaker Andrés Blanco (Moebius/Ulloa) hosted us at the Ulloa winery in Tecate for a tasting. They’ll be featuring their wines this Thursday at La Contra in Tijuana, immediately followed by a dinner cooked by Jair and Javier Plascencia at Misión 19.
.
.
Jair and Andrés at Ulloa Winery
.
.
Media highlight of my year: accompanying John T. Edge and Matt Rowley to TJ to help introduce tosti-locos to the the readers of New York Times. Pictured is our “locos” tasting flight: tosti-, cocos-, and churros-.
.
.
In March we hit Mexico City to attend MEZCALFEST 2012, hooking up with some of the mezcal movers and shakers of the moment. The best part was that our friends were staying in an apartment untouched since Austin Powers had apparently shagged there in the sixties, with mad mood lighting, reel-to-reel hi-fi console, exotic sculpture and more.
.
.
The music and light console at Austin Powers’ pad.
.
.
Miguel Ángel Guerrero (La Querencia, El Taller) opened Almazara, a beautiful place in the Valle de Guadalupe, full-time in late Spring. We’ve enjoyed several lovely afternoons there already.
.
.
Ensenada’s Festival of Shellfish and New Wines, held every April, is perhaps my favorite of all of the wine country events. It could just be that I’m a sucker for pink wine and shellfish, and great chefs. Michael, pictured here, seemed to like it too.
.
.
Diego Hernandez of Corazon de Tierra joined us in April for the Baja Chef’s Dinner series, cooking to, naturally, a full house.
.
.
We joined Saltbox in May for their summer kickoff party, in which we paired strawberry-based mezcal-gin cocktails with strawberry-octopus salads. And fun.
.
.
Last month we maraschinoed a lot of cherries from Smit Orchards. A whole year’s worth, if we calculated correctly.
.
.
Also in May, Benito and Solange of TV fame and the restaurant Manzanilla in Ensenada joined us for our Baja Chef’s Dinner series cooking for — you guessed it — a sellout crowd. So much fun, too.
.
.
And, now we’re here! 2nd year anniversary celebration to occur June 22nd through 26th, details to come. Thanks again!