¡Baja Delicioso! TJ Tour City Tour, Cuban Cigars, Chili Shrimp Tacos and Churros

Suffice to say, it's been awhile since I've done my first and second post in my ¡Baja Delicioso! series, but hey, better late than never. Just a reminder of what this series is all about. From July 16-July 18, 2009, Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA fame arranged a food and wine media trip with and graciously sponsored by the Tijuana Visitors and Convention Bureau along with the support of the Crossborder Business Associates, Cotuco (Tijuana Tourism Board) and the Tijuana Canirac (Tijuana Restaurant Association). My first two write-ups were about our first night in Tijuana. The next 2 or 3 posts will feature what we did, saw and ate just on our second day, which started bright and early with a Tijuana City Tour.
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Our entire group rode in a bright red open air bus and as we drove around roundabouts and checked out the local scenery, our guide gave us a lot of information about how Tijuana came to be, its history and where it's going now. He was actually quite a crack-up. My only thing was that sometimes he talked a little too fast to be understood, but then he was trying to cram a lot info in a really short amount of time. Below are some of the sights of the city.

After our 45 minute whirlwind tour, we were taken for a taste of the forbidden, at least, if that was what we wanted. In downtown Tijuana, La Villa de Tobaco, was the place to go if you wanted to indulge in smoking a Cuban cigar or partaking in Cuban rum. Of course, there was also coffee and other refreshments for those who thought 10:00 or so in the morning was to early to indulge in either the rum or the cigar, but at least, one had options.

Before we got on the bus, I was even able to take pictures of the Zebra Striped Painted Donkeys that were lined up and down down town Tijuana. It did involve a donation though. Don't ask me what the history is behind these donkeys being painted, I haven't a clue; however, I did feel bad for these animals. It must be so difficult to have to stay still for so long.

With our stomachs grumbling, we were ready for breakfast and our first meal of the day was at Mariscos El Mazateno. It started with a Shrimp Consomme. Add some onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime and it made a great soup even better.

Tacos soon followed and we were served half portions of a Camarones Enchilado (Chili Shrimp) Taco and Smoked Marlin Taco. That Chili Shrimp was amazing. Sweet, plump and with a nice hit of heat, it jump started my taste buds.

Mariscos El Mazateno were even gracious enough to offer us a full size taco of either the shrimp or the marlin. I was definitely all over that Camarones Enchilado.

I liked the smokiness of the Smoked Marlin, but found it a tad too dry for my taste, even with the addition of salsa.

For the churro portion of this post, I actually had these churros originally when I did a trip with Bill in 2008 with my dining group, Pleasure Palate. You can see photos of that trip by clicking here. Even from 2008, those churros stuck in my head and when I found out we were making a brief stop close to that churro stand, I knew I had to get some. This particular churro stand is tucked within a recess of a wall in downtown Tijuana and unfortnately, I can't remember where it's located exactly.

What I love about them is that they are crispy and they're substantial, not these flimsy-floppy churros you sometimes are stuck with. The selling point are also the various fillings from dulce de leche, crema, chocolate and even strawberry. Take a look below and you'll know why these churros are simply unforgettable

So far, we've definitely done a lot in a short amount of time, but believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned and I promise that it won't be another year until my next post in this ¡Baja Delicioso! series.

Tijuana City Tour Website

La Villa del Tabaco
Avenida Revolucion 868
Zona Centro, Tijuana
(664) 688-3920.

Mariscos El Mazateno
Calzada Tecnologico,No. 473-E
Tomas Aquino
Tijuana, BCN

Click Here to See the Photos of the Entire Trip! ¡Baja Delicioso! - Introduction and the Ultimate Carne Asada Taco at Tacos El Poblano - The History of Mariachi and Late Night Mariachi at La Vuelta
- TJ City Tour, Cuban Cigars, Chili Shrimp Tacos and Churros< - From Spain to Argentina to My First Taste of Baja Med Cuisine Disclaimer: Sponsored by the Tijuana Visitors and Convention Bureau along with the support of the Crossborder Business Associates, Cotuco (Tijuana Tourism Board) and the Tijuana Canirac (Tijuana Restaurant Association). This sponsorship took the form of these organizations paying for our travel arrangements, our hotel accomodations and all our meals.

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