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The Restaurant
At the resort's beautiful dining room every table features a fabulous view of the sun-soaked pool area and glistening Sea of Cortez. Engaging Mexican-Mediterranean inspired decor features a meandering, hand-painted mural that captures the essence of the local area. The tables are set with the finest, hand-painted Mexican crockery for breakfast and lunch, and for dinner with renowned Bernardaud crockery from Limoge, France. Guests may opt for covered outdoor seating or indoor dining in a climate-controlled ambiance. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
At the The Restaurant, Las Ventanas introduced a new cuisine to the world, Baja-Mediterranean. It blends the best of Baja with the internationally loved and acclaimed culinary style of the Mediterranean. Baja is known for its spectacular abundance, a virtually unrivaled and diverse harvest from the sea as well as a wealth from the fields and gardens of the peninsula - giving Las Ventanas a rich basket of culinary building blocks to inspire creativity and blend with the traditional light and healthy cooking techniques of the Mediterranean.
"The quality of the ingredients has always been the key to preparing the best Mediterranean dishes, and we have of course applied this fundamental concept to our Baja-Mediterranean cuisine," explained Executive Chef Fabrice Guisset. The resort has conducted extensive research to discover sources for the finest and freshest foods available across the breadth of the 1000-mile-long Baja Peninsula. Superior-quality fruits and vegetables are being procured from a handful of innovative organic farms that grow both typical varieties of the region and exotic ones from far away lands. Seafood comes from fisheries that are also fully organic, as well as master fisherman who angle the deepest, richest waters where the best fish are found.
Baja and the Mediterranean are the ideal combination to create exquisite, mouth-watering dining. Dishes such as Merlot Glazed Tuna with Onion Marmalade, Seared Baby Red Snapper with Vegetables Ratatouille and Mustard Sauce and Roast Suckling Pig with Sweet Potato Puree blend the freshest, most succulent Baja products with the heavenly flavors of the Mediterranean.
Complementing the signature, award-winning Baja-Mediterranean cuisine, The Restaurant also offers two different types of Mexican menus:
THE FLAVORS OF MEXICO MENU menu features traditional and classic dishes of Mexico exquisitely prepared with a Las Ventanas touch. Changed frequently, they comprise such offerings as Cochinita Pibil con Frijoles Negros en Salsa Ixnipec (pork cooked in banana leaves with red bell pepper sauce and black beans), Tamalito Oaxaqueno (Oaxaca-style pork tamale), and Huachinango a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-style grilled red snapper with tomato-based onion, caper and olive sauce). Or such desserts as Tamal de Chocolate (chocolate tamale with maracuya sorbet) and Pumpkin Flan with Churros.
THE MEXICAN TASTING MENU gives time-honored original recipes a modern interpretation and bold new flavors. For example, a beef enchilada is enhanced with fava beans puree, the pork in a traditional Cochinita Pibil en Salsa Ixnipec is replaced with Lobster Napoleon, and Tamale with Corn Sauce is enriched with foie gras. The tasting menu, which is changed twice a week, is served in multiple small courses of several mouth-watering bites each.
Attire
Las Ventanas is renowned for its sophisticated elegance. The required dress code at The Restaurant is casual Resort Elegance. For gentlemen, slacks are required. Please no shorts, sneakers, jeans or sleeveless shirts. Ladies will feel comfortable in evening resort attire.
La Cava
For guests seeking a truly unique and exclusive environment for private gatherings, Las Ventanas' beautiful 3,500-bottle wine room, La Cava, is available by special arrangement. Dine on a delectable menu personally tailored to your preferences, seated in a magnificently decorated room, surrounded by hundreds of bottles of the finest wines. The table is set with elegant Laguiole place settings, with hand-crafted wooden handles, from the Aubrac region of France.
La Cava also features weekly "A Taste of Baja" degustation dinners for guests. At the gourmet Thursday evening events, which are limited to 14 guests, the special five-course tasting menu showcases the unique flavors of the Baja Peninsula. The menu changes weekly, depending on available seafood and produce. Each course is paired with an appropriate wine, either Mexican wines from Baja or the mainland or an international wine.
The Sea Grill
What better place to dine than at the ocean's edge! The Sea Grill features tasty grilled fare, including the freshest seafood and meats. Guests have a choice of dining at comfortable waterfront tables under spreading market umbrellas or sitting at in-water tables and stools at the swim-up bar. The menu is also offered to guests who are relaxing in lounge chairs around the adjacent swimming pools. Open for lunch and early dining daily.
The Sea Grill serves the ultimate grilled foods,"Cocina del Fuego." All dishes are cooked on wood-burning grills and a wood-burning brick and clay oven. Two types of local woods are used: mesquite for meats because of its stronger flavors, and mauto, which is milder, for seafood. The cuisine is very simple, based on the flavors imbued by the woods, fine olive oils and fresh herbs from the resort's herb garden; the waiters come to the table with herbs and scissors, cutting the freshest possible herbs right on the food. Guests savor everything from Ensenada Mussels, Free-Range Rock Cornish Hens, veal chops and lobster tail on the grill to a pizza of the day in the wood-burning oven.
A popular spot for evening cocktails and snacks enjoyed to the sounds of the sea, The Sea Grill also offers a Mexican Tapas menu. Among these delicacies that go perfect with drinks are: Quesadilla de Salmon Marinado con Tequila (salmon cured and infused with tequila) served with sour cream and chives; Gorditas de Puerco (maize flower and black bean cakes with tender braised-pork filling); and Totopos (fried tortillas with guacamole and salsa).
Every Thursday evening, The Sea Grill serves a Mexican barbecue dinner called a Guaycura. The simple but very flavorful menu recalls a culinary tradition of years ago when Mexicans mostly barbecued their foods. The dinner is a sampler of numerous tastes served in five courses, each with a variety of items. The menu ranges from Machaca Fish Burritos and Squash Blossom Turnover to Parrot Fish in Achiote Sauce to Tortilla Salad with Nopal & Panela Cheese.
Tequila Ceviche and Sushi Bar
The outdoor bar celebrates the bounty of the sea with the largest array of seafood used to prepare ceviche in Mexico, complemented by a selection of the most exclusive tequilas available in Mexico.
During the day, the outdoor Tequila & Ceviche Bar celebrates Mexico's signature, age-old liquor, in combination with experiencing a typical dish enhanced with the exceptional bounty of the Baja California waters. The bar features the largest array of seafood used to prepare ceviche in Mexico, complemented by a selection of the country's most exclusive tequilas. The ceviche menus are changed daily reflecting the freshest and best seafood available, as well as to create new combinations and innovations in ceviche. The nearly 50 tequila varieties are all 100% Agave Tequilas, Mexico's best which are certified by the government to exacting standards. Guests can also learn about the history of tequila, the distillation process, the different types, and the appropriate way to drink it by taking a Tequila Lesson.
In the evening, the Tequila & Ceviche Bar goes through a transformation becoming the Tequila & Sushi Bar. "We put our own special touches on sushi by fusing Japanese and Mexican culinary traditions and flavors," said Executive Chef Fabrice Guisset. "All of the items on our sushi menu are unique and original creations that are absolutely delicious." The Mexican Roll is filled with lobster and an array of Mexican ingredients - grilled corn, avocado, cured onion and panela cheese - and wrapped in Hierba Santa (a Mexican herb that means "holy leaf" with a licorice-like flavor) rather than seaweed. Parrot Fish Sushi combines green apple, fresh mint, habanero chile and marinated onion. The sashimi items, including tuna, sea bass, shrimp and salmon, are dressed with mixtures of Japanese and Mexican ingredients - from chipotle, avocado and cilantro to ginger, soy and ponzu. The menu is paired with Las Ventanas' unequaled selection of the finest, 100-percent agave tequilas in Mexico. If guests prefer, however, sake and Japanese beers are also available.
Culinary Programs
Suite Services
Spacious and inviting, airy and elegant, our guestrooms are unlike any others. For guests who like to linger in the luxury of their beautifully appointed suite, room service is available 24 hours a day from a special menu. Enjoy breakfast in bed or a romantic dinner for two served on your private terrace.
Beach Dining
A delightful evening spent on the pristine shores of Las Ventanas is possible. Listen to the cascading waves in the glow of a warming bonfire. Your private table and bonfire on the beach is available for those special occasions. A fixed menu is possible if requested 24 hours in advance.
Cooking Classes
Learn the secrets of Las Ventanas' award-winning cuisine with the Saturday morning cooking classes conducted by the resort's chefs. The one-hour group and private classes are held in the open-air demonstration kitchen located in the beautiful and fragrant herb garden.
Men In White
Want to really impress your special someone with your culinary skills while having a deliciously romantic time? Then arrange a 'Men in White' evening. Under the guidance of Executive Chef Fabrice Guisset, you'll produce an exquisite gourmet affair for two. The setting is beautiful: the resort's aromatic herb garden, which features an outdoor kitchen where you will prepare the meal. Your guest will be escorted to the garden by a butler and presented with champagne and a menu as you complete the dinner dressed in chef's "whites." Served by a private waiter, the two of you will dine under a palapa in candlelight, with soft music playing and herb aromatherapy filling the air.
Guaycura Night
Every Thursday we extend a personal invitation to all our guests to join us for our unique Mexican "Guaycura Dinner" at The Sea Grill. This delicious, multi-course degustation menu, which recreates a Mexican culinary tradition from years ago featuring barbecued foods, starts at 6:30 p.m.
Taste of Baja Dinner
Every Thursday evening Las Ventanas offers the Taste of Baja Dinner-special, five-course tasting menu that showcases the uniqueness of the Baja Peninsula. Presented in La Cava, the intimate and celebratory wine cellar featuring some of the world's finest vintages, the resort's executive chef takes guests on a gastronomic journey, while the sommelier selects an appropriate fine wine to pair with each course. 7.30 p.m.; seating limited to 12 guests.
Fees and/or set-up charges may apply to culinary programs.