Mesa Agricola

South Boulevard, San Diego · Mexican · $$

Chef Juan González taught himself to cook in Rosarito, Baja California, drawing on pre-Hispanic techniques and his region's bold flavors. When he and farmer Megan Strom took over a five-acre plot in Valley Center - including the heirloom bean collection of the legendary Mike Reeske - they finally opened their own place: a tiny counter-service spot serving guisados, the slow-cooked Mexican stews that are their answer to farm-to-table done without pretense.