Pati's Mexican Table
Season Seven takes us to the Baja California Peninsula — a place with a unique history and a regional cuisine in the making. Pati embarks on the ultimate road trip from the quintessential border town of Tijuana to the crashing waves at the tip of Cabo San Lucas. Pati explains the legends, history, and uses of ingredients and dishes unique to the region — deep sea fishing, the boom in Mexican wines and olive oil, the brewing modern culinary takes, and the irresistible street food. Back home, Pati takes all the lessons learned and the inspiration to show us how to create easy, accessible Baja-inspired menus.
13 episodes · First aired 2018-09-08
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One of the most up and coming food destinations in all of Mexico, Tijuana is full of young, fresh talent across the culinary scene. Some of the best chefs in the world are coming from all over and setting up shop to take part in Baja’s most exciting culinary movement. Pati spends the day meeting up with the hottest new chefs in town.
Life on the border is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines that creates a unique culinary scene. As a Mexican immigrant in America, Pati spent her life combining cuisines. Influences from San Diego, southern Mexico, and all over the world come together as Pati dives deep to get the real story of what life and food are like on the border.
The port town of Ensenada is a seafood mecca. Fresh fish is everywhere you look, and this hub for seafood exportation is also the gateway to Mexican wine country. Pati eats her way through this coastal gem from their famous fish tacos to La Guerrenese, considered the best street food on the planet, to the oldest bar in Baja and originator of the margarita, Hussongs.
In Valle De Guadalupe, Pati visits one of the most legendary cooks in the area, Doña Esthela, who began with a humble burrito stand outside of her home. By word of mouth, her restaurant gained a reputation for one of the tastiest breakfasts in the world. Pati cooks with Doña Esthela and then takes the inspiration back home, where she whips up a Baja-style breakfast for her boys.
With over 100 wineries, people are traveling from all over to experience Mexico’s wine region in Valle de Guadalupe. Pati visits to learn the history of the region and find out what caused it to explode in popularity. She tastes wine and eats a top-notch meal at Bruma with Chef David Castro Hussong. Then, she catches up with old friends at Monte Xanic winery, one of the region’s oldest wineries.
One of Baja’s most well-kept secrets has Pati on a mission to explore bite-by-bite. Loreto is a small town on the Gulf of California that almost feels like a step back in time. Pati visits the oldest mision in Baja California to learn about the town’s history. She can’t leave without trying a dish you can only get fresh in Baja – the indigenous almejas chocolatas or chocolate clams.
Pati explores La Paz, the capital of Baja Sur. She swims with whale sharks in the crystal clear waters of the Sea of Cortez, then satiates the appetite she worked up at El Bismarkcito, a seafood institution on La Paz’s waterfront. She also stops to meet with Chef Carlos Valdez of Tatanka, a vivacious local chef with a sense of humor and some must-eat food.
Pati spends a day with Javier Plascencia, one of Baja’s most celebrated chefs. He gives her a tour of the Baja he knows and loves, exploring the areas of Todos Santos and Pescadero. They make a pit stop at his favorite roadside carnitas stand, tour a local organic farm, and head to the beach for fresh-off-the-boat fish. Finally, they make their way to Javier’s newest restaurant, Jazamango.
Pati visits the small town of Miraflores with Edith Jimenez, a culinary icon in Los Cabos. At age 15, starting out as a waitress, Edith decided she would one day own the restaurant where she worked and is now living her dream. Owner of both Edith’s Restaurant and The Office, she ensures the preservation of history and culture by consistently using recipes from locals in the area.
Pati sets out on the Sea of Cortez in search of the freshest, tastiest seafood Los Cabos has to offer. Along with Chef Guillermo Gomez of Cabo’s luxurious Esperanza hotel, Pati reels in a fresh catch and heads back to the shore. Pati grills up her catch-of-the-day beachside with Chef Guillermo, as they discuss the evolution of Cabo San Lucas from small fishing village to vacation destination.
Pati is invited to cook a Cinco de Mayo dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York. While in New York, she visits three Mexican-American culinary establishments around the city to hear the chefs’ stories of using food as a way of pursuing their dreams in America, creating their own successful businesses, and honoring traditional Mexican recipes and ingredients.
Friends and family always tell Pati she has an extraordinary photographic food memory. She can recall a bite of a memorable dish from decades ago as if it were just yesterday. So, Pati decides to recreate some of her most favorite food memories in her own kitchen and give the stories behind the dishes.
Pati’s passion for travel doesn’t stop in Mexico, she also has a soft spot for her American travels. Plus, Pati is always feeding her three growing Mexican-American boys. In addition to adoring their mom’s Mexican dishes, her sons love some American classics. So, Pati will put her Mexican spin on a few regional American dishes to surprise her boys.
