TV

Tijuana had one of the first pizza restaurant chains in all of Mexico: Baja Window to the South

The President of CANIRAC was a guest in the show

By Sonia Zavala2022-04-15T23:00:00+00:00

Every week in every new episode of Baja Window to the South, hosts Olga Sánchez de la Vega and Scott Koenig talk about and reveal some of the wonders that Baja California has to offer to American tourists, who in turn come here to enjoy the different attractions in the state.

This episode’s first guest was Tijuana native Tana Plascencia, Director of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (CANIRAC), who also happens to be a member of Grupo Plascencia, created in 1969. Thanks to this group, Tijuana opened the first pizza restaurant chain in Mexico, “Giuseppis”, an Italian food restaurant popular with Tijuana natives and visitors.

Giuseppis is also proof of how important the border is for Tijuana since they were inspired by San Diego’s Filippi’s, a place “Don Tana,” creator of Grupo Plascencia, used to visit often. He started with only a recipe book while also adding the shared knowledge he received from Filippi’s staff. When he made his first pizza, his relatives and friends encouraged him to start his own business which became Giuseppis.

Plascencia added that Giuseppis was the birthplace of the Mexican pizza since Don Tana, tired of just making pepperoni pizzas, decided one day to add beans, jalapeños, and other ingredients making what is now known as a Mexican pizza. It should be noted that Grupo Plascencia also has other restaurants such as Villa Saverios, where Mexican and Italian food are mixed in a more elegant and private manner.

Tana shared an interesting fact: both Giuseppis and Saverios are the Italian versions of the names José and Javier, which is both the name of the owner and his children, respectively.

Another important point is that the famous Hotel Caesars is part of Grupo Plascencia. This iconic restaurant gave birth to the world-renowned Caesar salad, Tijuana’s, Baja California’s, and even Mexico’s pride. If one travels to any other country, one can order a Caesar salad; most people are even surprised when told about this dish’s place of origin.

Tana talked about all the benefits and attractions of Baja California, since all municipalities have gastronomic and touristic destinations where one can find several dishes and drinks, stating that the state is now famous in the entire country due to its food, hotels, and destinations.

In the Baja Do’s & Don’ts segment, something that one should definitely do is enjoy a day of fishing and calm in San Quintin Bay, located around four to five hours south of the border. This place is also known as a fishing sport and tournament destination, and in certain times of the year one can see gray whales, sea lions, and dolphins. Something that one should definitely not do is forget filling up your tank when traveling long distances. Gas stations become farther and scarcer the more one travels through southern Baja California and when they ran out of fuel they have to wait for a truck to resupply them. This is why it is recommended to fill up your tank whenever you can wherever they are available in your travels.

Pablo Barragán, renowned Mexican cuisine expert, was the second guest of the evening. He shared that he fell in love with researching Mexican food and all of its elements saying that if Mexicans knew the richness of traditional Mexican cuisine, they would be better Mexicans due to the tradition and history behind them.

He highlighted that UNESCO declared Mexican food as World Heritage Food in 2010, after a banquet that was presented by the traditional cooks of the Purépecha Plateau which represents not just dishes, but also a culture and tradition that makes the whole country become one.

Barragán also added that traditional Mexican dishes by traditional cooks should be tried at least once to appreciate Mexican cuisine in its totally. One lifetime, he said, is not enough to learn everything about Mexican gastronomy.