Bracero recently won San Diego Eater’s restaurant of the year, a result I wholeheartedly agree with, as my first meal there was my favorite meal in San Diego this year. We recently went back for a revisit and had a chance to explore the upstairs balcony section.
CAULIFLOWER TORTITA
We loved the tacos with the fresh, house-made tortillas last time, so we wanted to continue to explore the taco selection. The vibrant cauliflower puree was creamy and flavorful. Definitely a solid option for those seeking a meatless filling.
LAMB NECK BARBACOA
The thin strips of lamb meat were soft and tender, topped with kombucha pasilla salsa and cilantro.
BEEF TONGUE TIRADITO
Thick slices of beef tongue were paired with fresh greens, root vegetables and eggplant. While I enjoyed the flavors, I wish the beef tongue was sliced thinner.
ACORN & KABOCHA SQUASH IN MOLE NEGRO
Unfortunately, with the sun setting so early now, the rest of our meal photos aren’t quite as nice. It’s too bad because everything was so beautifully plated. I loved the earthy feel of this dish, though found the mole too sweet for my liking.
I could barely contain my excitement when I saw that the dish came with a basket of warm tortillas.
CORN MASA CRISPY PERFECT EGG
This was a very playful dish, full of textures and interesting flavors.
WOOD GRILLED OCTOPUS
Of course we couldn’t end our meal without ordering the octopus, which was one of my favorite dishes last time. If it’s possible, on this occasion it seemed to be even better than we remembered. Octopus became a big food trend last year and we’ve had dozens of different preparations, but the most memorable ones for me have always been at Javier Plascencia’s restaurants. I love the smoky flavor, the enhanced brininess with the mix of squid ink, and the tender softness of the octopus itself.
BROWN BUTTER PANQUE
The dessert menu had changed from our last visit, and we opted to try this lovely creation.
Overall, we had another great meal here and we definitely need to return again to finish exploring the menu. You can read my initial visit here.
Bracero Cocina de Raiz
1490 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101
