Loading ...We made a quick trip down to Ensenada to check out Jair’s new place Parque, which opened a couple weeks ago.
When he first conceived of the place, the idea was kind of a Northern Mexican and Baja cuisine, but Jair had since told me that in the end the dishes ended up being — as at Laja — more about the ingredients and the people who prepare them than about regional traditions.
It’s simple food, with great ingredients, beautifully prepared. Many of the dishes are prepared in the brick oven which is a centerpiece of the menu and the site.
We had a fantastic meal and a fantastic time. It’s particularly impressive that the restaurant has only been open a couple weeks and is so excellent.
Parque is located at the site of the former 623 restaurant at 6th Street and Moctezuma (on the park, natch). There’s also a wine shop in the building, selling local wines, which is open late.
We also made a point to check out the new location of Manzanilla, which is wonderful. It’s a little hard to find, on the road along the north side of the harbor (south of the highway) the goes west from the main stoplight at the entrance to town. It’s an unmarked building which used to be a ship-repair workshop.
So far the bar is open, the dining room is still under construction, and they are serving some food. We got a tour from Benito himself, and the place is great already, and when it is completed it will be amazing.
