Tijuana, Mexico

La Querencia Baja Med Cocina - Tijuana, Mexico
201 Escuadron #3, 110, local 1 y 2, Colonia Aviacion (01152-664-972-9940). Open daily 1 p.m.-11 p.m. ($10-$30 U.S.). Banquets, catering, full bar. www.sdro.com/laquerencia

Leave it to an attorney to have the foresight to trademark his "Baja Med" cuisine. In view of the clientele that frequents this Tijuana hotspot, Miguel Angel Yagues is on a winning streak in this case. Politicians enjoy power lunches in the casual cocina with long, polished silver tables, chalkboards filled with daily offerings and elk, deer, geese and other wild game mounted and hanging on the walls of trend-setting bistro where "wild" takes on new meaning.

Dishes served at La Querencia Baja Med Cocina are by no means ordinary or tamed. The chef with a flame for hunting, also captures bold flavors of wild goat, for instance. It is one of the unusual meats that diners seeking "unique" will fine tastefully prepared and pleasing.

For starters, order a shot glass filled with oyster bits and a touch of vodka, chased by salted or roasted mussels. Fresh fish such as salmon will whet your appetite, providing the perfect midday or afternoon faire for those escaping to enjoy a beer and gourmet snacks.

Moving from the appetizers to cooked meals, entrees include more than the standard menu items. On large boards around the restaurant you'll discover an incredible list of daily options ranging from baguettes filled with pollo, pato, salmon or atun, to burritos, tacos and full meals cooked on an open grill. New York strip steaks, Sonoran beef, abalone, deer and quail are a few of the Sea of Cortez region's bounties you may discover on a visit. Wild, wooly and wonderful, this nouveau cuisine combines the best of the local land in Baja Mexico with Mediterranean spice and the simplicity of Eastern food preparation.