Bracero Cocina De Raiz

I love Mexican food. 

It has saved my life plenty of times.. 

Seriously, is there anything better than carne asada fries after a night full of bad decisions? 

No. 

The selection of taco shops around San Diego is plentiful,

and I'd be happy to list out my top five picks for burrito providers if anyone is interested. 

But Mexican food is not all about California burritos. 

There has been a tremendous amount of culinary talent rising up in Baja,

and luckily, many of those Latin chefs are bringing their gifts across the border.

San Diego has been eagerly waiting for chef Javier Plascencia to unveil Bracero Cocina De Raiz,

 since his first local eatery, Romesco, has been filling our bellies with yummy tapas for the past 10 years.

Bracero opened its doors in Little Italy last month,

and has been getting rave reviews since. 

I stopped by yesterday to commemorate the first day of lunch service. 

Really loved the vibe - the focus of the first level is definitely on the bar,

offering craft beer from Mexico and San Diego,

as well as some spirited cocktails, such as the Agua Chile, my personal favorite. 

The food is outstanding! 

I really appreciated the large emphasis on seafood for the small plates. 

The Albacore Two Ways seems to be one of the most popular choices,

and for good reason. 

The texture and flavor combos were just perfect for a nice summer lunch on the patio. 

And let me tell you, that "Sabina Bandera" Tostada pictured above is loaded with amazing fresh ingredients, 

including but not limited to uni (!!!) and corvina ceviche. 

Can we say YUM?

All in all, Bracero is definitely making a statement, 

and I'm looking forward to coming back as soon as the second floor opens to the public in a few weeks. 

Albacore Two Ways - seared/tartare, lime salsa verde, crispy rice cakes, burnt onion creme fraiche, crispy eggplant, jalapeño infused leche de tigre.

Agua Chile cocktails - traditionally made with vodka, which is right up my alley, but can also be subbed with tequila. 

Tried the mexiterranean (gyro style) adobada (left) and carnitas (right) tacos.

House Guacamole - tepary & yurimuni crispy beans, vegetable ash & zaatar tostadas.

Baja Hiramasa Crudo - coconut aguachile, tomatillo, cured pineapple, avocado, chiltepín and jalapeno. As delicious as it is pretty!

Another shot of the adobada taco. The meat was so flavorful!

Bracero Cocina De Raiz

1490 Kettner Blvd. 

Little Italy, CA 92101