Tempest Trading: A Unique Collectivo of Vendors

By Martina

Welcome to Baja California where you will never run out of new experiences. Traveling on the free road south of Rosarito, Tempest Trading is located at Km. 40.5 on the east side of the road. Visiting Tempest Trading is a must! Here is a place to relax, a foodie dreamland, and a shopper’s delight with live music. Thrown in are a few surprises, like a kitty lounge, and a car wash. Tempest Trading is a gathering place where locals have found home in Baja California. Everyone has a story; maybe one is waiting for you.

Tempest Trading is a collective of vendors from around the local area. It was founded in 2017 by Diane and Denise Tempest, a mother and daughter team, who had visited Baja for many years. Everything about Tempest Trading is unique. A bright blue fountain is home for two bright eyed turtles and lazy orange Koi fish. Diane said, “We inherited them when they were tiny. Now we are building a separate turtle pool for them in a play area for the kids. Our mission has been to provide a family friendly environment where guests can enjoy a whole afternoon.”

The creative Tempest team also inherited a consignment store and with focused hard work their intentions turned it into an upscale shopping experience. Denise stated, “I think our consignment shop is a hidden gem. Many people don’t know about it, but once they see the quality they make it a point to return.” Then a few years later Denise, who loves Mexican craft beers, opened a little kitchen to grill savory all beef hotdogs.

I was enjoying the Tempest women on the colorful sunlit patio while we watched all the actives. It felt like a little campo of friendly neighbors sharing their world of creative living. The ambience was reminiscent of a small country fair. It is a good idea to come hungry as you will find food choices to please everyone. Diane said, “You can bring your vegan friends and meat eaters and everyone can eat together. We actually see ourselves as one big restaurant.”

The Tempest Trading vendors include:

Gypsy Wagon Coffee

Having literally lived the life of gypsies, this is a fitting name for Stephanie and Peter Wilson’s coffee shop. They have been married for over 30 years. They first moved from Minnesota to Washington state where they owned a coffeehouse, making homemade bread, cheese cakes and vegetarian items. If you need a lift, try their espresso, cappuccino and lattes. I tried a slice of homemade pumpkin cake right out of the oven. Delicious! The warm fragrance of fall holidays lingered on the taste buds. Vegans are welcomed. Tempest offers kombucha and an Indian spiced lentil coconut Dal. Other health-conscious folks can choose from the weekend specials. You’ll find Peter playing his guitar and Stephanie shares, “I think there is so much potential for Tempest to become a gathering place.”

Gerry's Pizza

This is pizza Mexican style. Roberto Torres, tall, dark and handsome, swooped down to tell me that I must try their potato tacos. Potato tacos? He can charm the socks off of you with his high-spirited energy. He invited me into the kitchen to meet Mamma and Tia who actually run this family business. The pizzas come in three difference sizes and Roberto will run them to your table in the shaded patio. The crust always makes the pizza and this was a thin yet light and fluffy combination. The sauce had an intriguing, slightly Mexican spicey tang. Locals are raving about their special side-salad. Next time I’m thinking I need to go back and try those potato tacos!

Alquimia Sagrada

“This isn’t just a food stand. It’s a movement...a return to the table, a return to each other.”

Alquimia Sagrada is Spanish for something that can’t fully be translated. In English it is Sacred Alchemy. But what does that actually mean? Drew and Annel Matthews show us by their very actions. What they are offering cannot be found any other place. This couple has an extensive background in creating farm fresh to table meals created with the heart. They use only organic vegetables and the eggs from their free-range chickens. Their signature is homemade sourdough bread that is to die for.

Try the Cristo Breakfast Sandwich: guilt-free sourdough flat bread dipped in French toast batter, stuffed with organic eggs, sliced turkey and cheddar cheese is lightly dusted with powdered sugar. The Cristo is making the food cart famous. From their little kitchen they have taken the tomato soup to a heavenly place. They use only fresh Heritage tomatoes and sweet peppers. These are grill to perfection. Annel picks the fresh garden spices for the final touch. It is love in a bowl. For beverage sip a warm Café de Olla from organic Chiapas beans, slow brewed and spiced with cinnamon & piloncillo. Ancestral Drinking Chocolate is a rich ceremonial-style cacao. Drew, Annel and Sasha welcome you, “This is the place where community, spirit and good food meet.”

The Grille @ KM 40.5

Straight from Philadelphia Sherry Acers brings a bit of east coast to Baja. Her journey is a fascinating travel adventure built on crazy trust. She brought with her secret recipes for the best Philly sandwiches. Now where else are you going to find a Hoagie in Baja California? Sherry laughs, “I can tell you the secret, if you want to make them.” I replied, “No, your secret is off the record. I won’t be making them, but I will come here to eat your authentic ones.”

What makes a true Philly Hoagie? It must start with authentic Philly rolls drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano. Cured meats like salami and capicola have to be sliced very thin. It is topped off with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles if you want, then more olive oil and oregano. Sherry sighs, “It smells so good.” The Philly Cheesesteak is a very long roll filled with thinly sliced, freshly sautéed ribeye steak and melted cheese. Sherry’s homemade meat ball sandwich is a recipe from a south Jersey kitchen. You can’t get more authentic than that.

Viva Los Gatos

If you can pull yourself away from eating and shopping, knock on the door to Rosarito’s first kitty lounge, Viva Los Gatos. It is a good for the soul visit. For just a five dollar donation, take a seat in a comfy chair surrounded by cats at play. Pick out your favorite fur ball to take home. Courtney is the visionary. A beautiful young woman with a passionate heart. She greeted me at the first of two doors - a security passage so the cats can’t scoot out. Courtney’s husband, Milano, built the fanciful design for the kitty habitat. Looking up, I see padded perches built out from the walls, the paws of sleeping kitties hanging over the edges. The cat boxes are inside enclosures and there is absolutely no hint of odor. Courtney grinned, “They are poop machines.”

From her passion to find loving homes for the homeless cats, she went through the long and expensive process of becoming a legal nonprofit in the US and is working on this here in Mexico. Educating people on the importance of animal care is high on her list. To bring a kitten to them, you must first have them pre-tested so they won’t infect the home group. There is a reasonable adoption fee which does not fully cover the cost to maintain a healthy animal. Donations are gladly received. They want to become known in the States, because most of the adoptees come down to visit Baja. However, Courtney will actually drive a kitten across should someone want to foster before adoption.

Courtney cuddles a lucky kitty and the look on both their faces tells the story. Courtney muses, “There is something magical about the kittens. Cats are far more than we think. The purring is actually known to be a healing frequency.”

Live Music

Tempest Trading hosts music in the afternoon, Thursday through Sunday, attracting some of the best musicians found anywhere in the country. You can enjoy the world acclaimed Miguel de Hoyos’ brilliant flamingo guitar and the master violinist Jose Enrique Tovar. Not to be missed is Dereck Wille, recording artist and composer playing solo piano and Scott Haynes with his wonderful solo guitar playing his own bawdy Buffet-style original compositions. Tom Olmas, a gifted drummer, has his own line of handpan drums. Hot Latin rock, reggae and classic rock will get you dancing. It just can’t get any better than this. Plan to spend the afternoon.

Visit Tempest Trading's website.