A second location of Tijuana's Food Garden has officially opened in Plaza Rio, and we are greeting it with open arms and hearty appetites. Witnessing the evolution of this project, that has occurred over the past couple of years is just wonderful. It's always so great to see when true inspirations and passions begin to unfold. When we first sat down with Ricardo Nevarez in 2013 at Food Garden's first location, you could see how excited he was to bring these food hall projects to Tijuana. After travels to Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and even internationally, his interpretation of a hip and inviting spot with so many food + drink options under one roof has come to life. We entered the food hall with empty bellies and an urge to explore. The first spot that I made eye contact with was a regional cheese shop, and the La Contra wine shop. While these were both calling my name, we headed to order up a few different dishes, before making the visit back for wine.

Food Garden Plaza Rio, Tijuana — ©Life and Food

I love to order a dish or two at each food stall, and share them amongst the table. We grabbed a cauliflower adobada tostada from Chef Iker Castillo's Meraki, the inevitable favorite of mine, ceviche verde tostada from Chef Javier Plascencia's Erizo, pork belly with lentils and a chicharrón sauce from Don Zefe, and the Rotisserie chicken plate from Chef Martin San Roman's spot La Rotisserie San Roman.

I was more than happy with all of the dishes. I can still taste the aioli that was served on the potatoes, and herb scented chicken from La Rotisserie San Roman. A meal that consists of tostadas, pork belly, and a french inspired dish is a definite hit in my book! Washing it down with wine and craft beer are just the icing on the cake.

We could not leave without indulging into the sweeter side of things. There are options spanning from cupcakes to paletas, and pastries, but as soon as I locked eyes with those paletas, end of story. We ordered a banana paleta that was filled with chocolate, then dipped in chocolate and dusted with almond pieces. It very much reminded me of the frozen bananas I used to get on Balboa Island as a little girl. Oh the memories! Giovanni was more than thrilled with his strawberry paleta, and even let his little sister in on a few bites.

I am already contemplating our next visit, and can only imagine what a hit this new addition to Tijuana will be in the summer!

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Food Garden Plaza Río Plaza Rio, 22010 Tijuana, Baja California

Food Garden: Keeping Tijuana Tasty