Like most people who drive from the north to Los Cabos, I have only driven on the highways through the Valle de Guadalupe to Tijuana or Tecate. Having met Chef Angelo and Magda, the owners of Tre Galline in Todos Santos, I promised that if I was driving in the region that I would stop at their restaurant in the Valle de Guadalupe. Leaving the toll road along the cost to Ensenada, follow my navigation system, I took the back highways to reach their location. As the first time really in the Valle Guadalupe, it was fascinating to see how many small wineries there were and how many restaurants.
After about 30 minutes, I arrived at the restaurant and entered their parking area. The main dining room of the restaurant is outdoors undercover on a raised platform. On the side of the restaurant is one of their gardens where they grow fresh herbs and spices for the kitchen. At the back of the parking area was a large chicken coup. I went up the stairs and was greeted by Magda and shown to a table for two. She rushed off to get Chef Angelo to say hello. Angelo gave me a tour of the restaurant, including their indoor dining area (for then the weather is cold), the kitchen and pointed out their home. The staff in the kitchen were hard at work and Angelo uncovered several aluminum trays that held that fresh pasta that had been made that day.
We went back to my table and I ordered a glass of Chardonnay. Angelo poured the Kuiiy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend from Las Nubes in the Valle de Guadalupe. He handed me a menu and then described all of the specials that they had prepared for that day. He said that rather than ordering from the menu, he would like to serve me small portions of a number of different items to highlight the dishes in Valle de Guadalupe. Chef Angelo told me that the Valle de Guadalupe is a wine and food destination and as such they test many of the dishes to include on the menu in the Todos Santos restaurant here. How could I refuse the offer to sample his fine food.
The agreement resulted in three appetizers, three pastas, a main dish and a light dessert. My gastronomic experience started with a tuna prosciutto over watermelon with greens and an orange vinaigrette. The combination of the tuna and the watermelon was delicious. The second appetizer was Quail over kale and portobello mushrooms with almonds and a cheese sauce – another winner. The third and final appetizer was a summer salad from Tuscany that uses day old bread for croutons that are surround by tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, orange and dollops of green and orange sauce in a red wine vinaigrette dressing. This was a very refreshing dish.
Then the pasta courses started. Angelo wanted me to try one of the dishes with the fresh homemade pasta. So the first pasta dish was spaghetti in a butter sauce with asparagus, tomatoes, dates and ground truffles on top. The butter sauce was amazing and the dates added a nice contrast. The next two pastas were special raviolis made that day. The first was a ravioli stuffed with arugula and served with shrimp over red peppers with a slightly sweet sauce. The second was ravioli stuffed with liver and served with a gorgonzola sauce. Each had an amazing combination of flavors. I am not much of a fan of liver but these raviolis were incredible and I love gorgonzola.
The main course was another special of the day – roasted pork ribs that had been cooked over a long time and the meat fell off the bones. It was served with roasted potatoes, coleslaw and a paste as well as a sweet sauce. I was so full at this point but it was delicious.
As a finishing touch, Angelo brought me a mascarpone with walnuts and almonds and fruit around the edges.
It was also a pleasure to watch they way that Angelo and Magda greeted their guests, talked with them during the meal and how the staff took such good care of everyone. There were several large groups at the restaurant during my two and half hour visit. As the day went from light to dark, the lighting at the restaurant also made the atmosphere even more special.
Thank you Angelo and Magda for the incredible meal and experience. I will be back with family and friends and will see you in October at your new location on the main street of Todos Santos.
For more information about Restaurante Tre Galline in Valle de Guadalupe visit them on their website at https://www.tregalline.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/osteriatregalline
