Look, there's Jair.
Should we open some
sparkling wine?
I don't have any.
Do you?
I do.
How are going
to drink it,
if our glasses are full?
DirectTV, or not?
Yes, directly
from the bottle.
This is even hotter
than I am, man.
It's hotter than the sun.
It's because there
is a full moon.
No that's bullshit,
it's a light.
My name is
Diego Hernandez, chef and
owner of Corazon
de Tierra.
It's a project that
responds to the Ensenada,
and the Guadalupe Valley
community,
and to the things that
are happening right here,
right now.
The Guadalupe Valley is
a winemaking region.
Fifteen years ago, we had
two or three winemakers,
now there are more
than eighty.
Ten years ago,
there was one restaurant,
now there
are twenty-five.
It's a place that
is in development,
that offers quality,
where the same people
who started the project
are the ones serving you.
We built our own
vegetable garden
in order to have
fresh produce.
We don't have
a fixed menu.
We cook a different menu
each day, depending on
what we want, and
what we have in stock.
This is a strained
tamale,
topped with mole
amarillito, farm cream,
and dehydrated parsnip,
which is a root that
tastes kind of like
buttered pecans.
Grilled oysters with a
pinch of bacon and chard.
Rock cod tiradito with
a mix of flowers, and
seaweed.
Baja California produces
a lot of high quality
ingredients.
We usually cook a six
course menu that's
divided in nine
different steps.
It starts with fresh,
light dishes, and
then it gets
more intense.
It's like a tour of Baja
California's variety of
ingredients.
For me, walking through
here means eating.
When we first began,
we built the garden to
supply our produce needs.
We had a very small
amount of a large variety
of produce.
We had a very small
amount of a large variety
of produce.
It was impossible to
have a fixed menu,
because if I offered
you meat and potatoes,
and that day we only
picked ten potatoes,
I would've only been
able to feed two tables.
What about the rest?
Without a menu, if we
run out of potatoes,
we can use carrots, and
if not then radishes,
or whatever.
I had always dreamed
of having a place
where I could grow
my own vegetables.
I met Phil and Eileen,
and now we're partners.
They had a little hotel,
the Villa del Valle.
It has been there for
about ten years.
We met at a project I
had in Tijuana, and
understood each other,
and decided to become
partners four years ago.
We built the restaurant,
and here we are.
The advantage of having
a vegetable garden isn't
just that it gives
you the ingredients,
but that it gives
you the ingredients at
different stages, and
at each stage they
have a different use.
For example,
this cilantro.
Even though it's the same
cilantro you eat with
your tacos,
the plant is at another
stage of maturity, and
has a different form.
It has this pretty flower
with a very scented
taste.
Look at these
beautiful cabbages.
For example,
this part is also food,
the leaves are also food.
You can dry them,
you can fry them,
you can roast them,
you can smoke them.
This cabbage
of this size,
which is smaller and more
tender, is even juicier,
and not bitter.
You can bite it, and
eat it as if it
were an apple.
Every year, we harvest
olives around September.
We press the olives,
and use the olive oil
in the restaurant.
We also save some
olives to cure them.
I think that's where the
restaurant's creativity
resides.
In how we utilize
these things, and
make good use of
our resources.
Does anyone want cabbage?
Should we get some wine?
We're on our way to Laja,
Jair Tellez's restaurant.
What a character.
Laja is iconic, and
super important for
the development of Baja
California gastronomy.
Ay carbron.
Ensenada is becoming
better known as a food,
and wine destination.
We all know
each together.
We're all friends.
Here's Jair.
Community is really
important here.
We were going to throw
these two cuts away, but
I'm going to serve
them to Diego instead,
because we
like him a lot.
Ventresca, belly or
bacon of the tuna,
is the most fatty and
delicious part.
I'm not really sure what
I'm going to make, but
it will be something
really oily.
Parsley.
Jair was with us,
Eugenio Romero,
who's the brewer from
Wendlandt brewery.
Victor Moreno,
the winemaker for Kimera.
Phil Gregory,
who is my partner and
the owner of Vena Cava.
Lisa, who is friends
with all of us, and
Mauricio, who has been my
friend since high school,
and who's a well-known
character in the valley.
For the stories we
are telling, and
for the ones who
are not telling.
I think Jair's cooking
is spectacular.
It's very simple but
also very sophisticated.
Jair made a lot of fish
dishes, kind of Basque.
He felt like a Spaniard,
I think.
I didn't really ask
what he was serving.
When did I meet Diego for
the first time?
When he came to ask for
a job,
and I didn't
give it to him.
Why didn't I give
him the job?
Because I didn't have
money to pay him.
That was in the year
2000. You saw us,
you saw our
kitchen there.
There were only two
people in that kitchen.
I remember.
He
didn't even interview me.
He greeted me in sandals,
cabron.
Hey, baby.
Bring the mezcals,
the mezcals, the mezcals.
I'm collecting wine.
You're not bringing
that inside my car.
Are you going to
drink everything
on the table, or what?
I like crappy wine.
Okay.
We're done.
Let's get the fuck
out of here.
We're going to Vena Cava,
my partner Phil's
wine cellar.
It's right on
our property.
Fuck man, I just
spilled the beer, and
I just washed my car.
What a dumbass.
It might be 2, it might
be 3, it might be 4,
or 5, or
6 in the morning.
With an illusion.
There are some
guys who want to sing.
Look how pretty man.
When have you
come here to drink
on a summer night?
Tell me when.
Over there, there.
There you go.
That guy is so crazy.
Vena Cava.
Come in.
Look at this.
Phil uncorked
the sparkling wine, and
its bubbles
started to burst.
Really is the most
amazing, sparkling,
Mexican wine.
Fuck champagne.
Fuck champagne.
Cheers!
Only legal name that
we can use here.
Because California
can use champagne-.
All right.
But that's really not
champagne.
They just didn't
sign the, agreed.
Phil does his
production correctlys.
When people come
from France,
and they taste this, they
say this is legitimately,
could be called
champagne.
This is what we're
drinking, right now.
Can you take a picture
with my phone, man?
I'm not sure if
the picture is good, or
not but I'm going
to post it anyway.
Then we went back to
my restaurant, and
made something to eat.
Hey, what if we open some
sparkling wine here guys?
I don't have any, do you?
There you go.
Where's the mezcal, man?
It's right there.
Ahhh!
Fuck, I have no idea
what to make, man.
I don't even know
what I have.
What are we going
to cook, man?
A bird, and
whatever a cut?
Let's just do
something with smoke.
This is some old fat
from that cow over there.
You can use it
as a lighter.
This is flank,
a muscle near
the belly of the cow.
The fire is out.
In the valley most of the
vineyards have a grill,
so when there's
a party on the ranch,
you can stay there all
night grilling stuff.
Do you have tortillas?
Here are some tortillas.
You know what, man?
You know what, man?
This shit won't light.
This is alambre,
meatball alambre.
Sorry, I'm going
to interrupt you.
Go for it.
There's another frying
pan there if you want it.
No, I want that one.
The used grease is
the best part, man.
Don't you worry
about that, man.
We are only
using the smoke.
Watch.
Watch.
Let it smoke.
I think Jair made
some meatballs,
with cheese or
something like that.
And I made some
carne asada tacos,
that I didn't
even get to eat.
And that's it,
I put on some music.
