a trip south of the border (part 2)

A continuation of my recent trip down to Rosarito, Mexico and we are on our farm-to-table experience. Our first farm visit is to Rancho Las Ilusiones, a farm with a restaurant attached, which opens only on Sundays for breakfast and lunch. I’ve come to realize that it is virtually impossible to remember the path we are taken on, and I will definitely have trouble finding these places if I’m wanting to come again on my own. Rancho Las Ilusiones has a Facebook page which may help guide you to it.

We began with breakfast in a very crowded room. It was also the day Mexico was playing The Netherlands at World Cup so the buzz in the room was electrifying. Our group sat towards the back and soaked everything in. The menu is simple, with lamb and rabbit the stand-out features which they raise on the farm.

La Consentida (70 pesos/$5.40) is shredded braised rabbit, served with chilaquiles rojos (in red sauce) and frijoles (refried beans). The rabbit is good, not gamey but flavorful enough to call it rabbit — not chicken.

Another respectable dish was Barbacoa de Borrego (99 pesos/$7.65) a hefty plate of braised lamb with beans and rice.

I should have selected one of those but I wasn’t terribly hungry so opted for Huevos Rancheros (60 pesos/$4.65) which was on the bland side. Prices are very reasonable, and after your brunch, feel free to roam around the farm. All guests are welcome to tour the farm when they visit the restaurant.

Moving on, we are taken on a tour of Rancho Guacatay, a farm which houses a variety of animals raised for meat, including deer. There is a chapel on the property which reminds me of something out of a Lord of the Rings’ set. It was mind-blowing and awe-inspiring. We took a few moments walking around and taking in the intricacies of this rustic building. There is no website for Rancho Guacatay, but if you’re interested, or for more information, you can go to Facebook and message them.

After the tour, we visit El Nido restaurant, owned by the same people of Rancho Guacatay. I’m guessing you’ve already figured out by now that we are about to eat a menu comprised of everything raised on the farm, plus more. I was immediately won over when I entered the restaurant. It was like an enchanted forest.

Then, I saw the lady in the corner making tortillas by hand. Oh yes, I could not wait to sink my teeth into these!

We order a selection of lamb, rib-eye, quail, and of course, venison. When the platter arrived, one of the bloggers jokingly said “you know we’re eating a relative of the deer we saw earlier right?” to which I replied, “and..?” and speared another slice of meat with my fork.

The tortillas here are exquisite! They are chewy and have a wonderful texture unlike any other tortilla I’ve ever eaten.

For those who aren’t red meat eaters, there are many seafood selections including these shrimp in garlic sauce.

Farm-to-table in Rosarito is exactly that in every sense of the word. The carbon footprint is non-existent, and you can be sure everything arrives super fresh to the restaurant ready for preparation.

Stay tuned for my next post where we will visit the only winery in Rosarito and the surprisingly delicious street foods we encountered.