Unless you’ve been to Mazatlan or the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, you have never tasted anything like this: fresh regional Mexican seafood dishes, so delicate and exquisite that you’ll crave them and keep coming back. The spot is Yolo Traders Bistro, located at 30 Main Street in downtown Winters. Gabriel and Alejandra Ibarra created Yolo Traders Bistro together and have gone to great lengths to create a delectable menu featuring seafood on one side and crepes on the other. Tacos? Burritos? Enchiladas? Not at Yolo Traders Bistro. This is a place to come and savor delicate blends of fresh produce and seafood, with sauces so amazing, you’ll ask for a spoon to savor every drop.
Alejandra explains that growing up in Sinaloa, she learned not only about the local cuisine, but also about crepes from her French grandfather, who eventually married a Chinese woman. Blend in Japanese family friends, who introduced her to sushi, and it’s not hard to see where Alejandra gathered her eclectic knowledge of fine food that is truly “fusion.” All of the crepes are handmade right there in the restaurant, where everything is prepared fresh each day.
And the presentation — exquisite! The Seafood Tartar and Ceviche, in particular, look like works of art. These two dishes, along with their Agua Chile shrimp tostada are so addictive, it’s all I can do to try something new. You may burn out your Instagram feed on these beautiful bites!
Gabriel typically serves as the host, greeting customers and introducing them to their crepe and seafood offerings, as well as filling them in on the day’s wine list. Local wines from Berryessa Gap Vineyards and Turkovich Family Wines are always on the menu, and I highly recommend a white or a Rosé to compliment the delicate flavors of their dishes.
The Ibarras go to great length to find only the best ingredients, and additionally seek to provide sustainable food. Vegetarian options are available, such as their Spinach Portabello Crepe and they even have a vegetarian chorizo. Alejandra points out that the dishes she serves at Yolo Traders Bistro are the same ones she serves her own twin daughters, Agnes and Alina (lucky girls!), and she pours as much care and concern into those dishes as she does for her own family.
Gabriel admits that he doesn’t argue with “the food artist” — if a dish doesn’t meet Alejandra’s standards, it doesn’t make it to the menu. Not even salmon, which he loves, but she will not serve because she hasn’t found the right recipe. He explains that his own family comes from the Jalisco region of Mexico, where the more familiar spicy Mexican dishes are typical.
Yolo Traders Bistro is open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Reservations are available. Reach them at 530-794-6262 and find them on Facebook. (Following two months of closure for roof repairs, Yolo Traders Bistro will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018.)
