Serge Dadina vía Baja.com
I recently spent the day surfing Ensenada beaches and indulging in Ensenada restaurants at the 2nd Annual Walter Coloca Jr. Memorial Surf Contest organized by UAPO and WiLDCOAST. It was an epic weekend with one of the craziest NW swells I've ever seen in April (the surf jumped from 2-4′ in the morning to 6-10′ in the afternoon).
Besides the great surf, the highlight of the day was strolling over to Boules, a 2-year old restaurant that is perched above the inside break at San Miguel. Located inside a restored vintage building, Boules is a great addition to the Ensenada food scene. Owned by Javier Martinez (Javier's brother David owns the insanely great Muelle 3) and his wife Galia Ahlborn, Boules is Biarritz meets Mexico. An earthy, unpretentious, and rustic location and similar tasty, simple, but delicious food.
While I sampled roasted zuchini with parmesan, roasted artichoke, mushrooms, fresh yellowtail (jurel) sashimi, and risotto with mushrooms and duck, with my staffers Sofia and Efrain, I watched the surf roll into San Miguel and chatted with Javier.
Surfing is just part of the reason to visit San Miguel. But like a lot of surfers and foodies, I am finding that the innovative and original food being offered up throughout Ensenada is what is going to have me coming back for more. Don't wait to visit Ensenada before the whole scene blows up. But for now get down to Boules for a pleasant afternoon lunch or dinner. You won't regret it.
Serge Dedina is the Executive Director of WiLDCOAST, an international conservation team that conserves coastal marine ecosystems and wildlife. He is the author of Wild Sea and Saving the Gray Whale and took his first trip to Baja back in 1969. You can read more at his personal website, Serge Dedina.
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