Bohemian Night Life

The Ensenada Gourmet, Baja Sun,
October 1994 Volume XII Number II

If you were in New York or San Francisco in the late fifties or early sixties you were probably hip the beat bistros found in Greenwich Village or North Beach. Those were my college years in S.F., or as Bay Area folks still call it – “The City”. It was “a gas” hanging out at The Bagel Coexistence, The Coffee Gallery and City Lights bookstore in North Beach. In New York, it was the Village Vanguard or the Village Gate that were the “coolest” places to be. Poets offered up stream of consciousness verse accompanied by live Jazz. Existential patter and radical political idealism was stimulated by strong expresso and cigarettes of both the legal and illegal varieties. When I first walked into Café Café on Ensenada’s first street (Lopez Mateos) I was transported back in time to before the hippies and acid rock to those super cool beat generation days. A small obscure place that is alive with the sounds of local musicians, poets and the chatter of college students.

Young people who feel more comfortable talking about the arts, philosophy and politics than guzzling beer with their yuppy contemporaries down the street at Papas & Beer. The poetry and conversation are mostly in Spanish but the ambiance transcends language and culturel evident in the faces of non Spanish speaking Gringos who also frequent this haven of bohemian attitudes. At the entrance is a stack of giveaway newspapers, predominantly in English, that deal mostly with the southern California arts and music scene, especially jazz and blues.

Always there to greet you in Spanish or English are the Café owners Guillermo (prefers Memo) Ramirez and Lorena Muro. Memo and Lorena have a passion for the arts and an equally passionate dedication to providing a venue for up and coming artists whose art is not normally supported well by the commercial mainstream. You won’t find any Mickey Mouse “Copy Bands” playing at Café Café. In short the joint is an artist underground – subversive and surrealistic as Memo describes it. Memo and Lorena are special people – charismatic, bright and alive; they attract customers who like to read, appreciate the arts and have an affinity for intellectual curiosity and comedic repartee. In short they are largely to blame for the place being a fun and unpredictable night spot.

Their personal lives are filled with ironies. Both born in Mexico they live in San Diego as (what they term) “Economic Exiles”; meaning that they prefer to live south of the border but the money is too good on the Gringo side. Memo is a veterinarian and Lorena a forensic psychologist during the week. On Thursday they open the Café doors to present art house films, wonderful U.S. and Hispanic productions not typically found for rent at your local video store. Show times are 6:00 and 9:00 every Thursday. Friday and Saturday night at Café Café, is a mixed bag of jazz, blues, alternative rock, poets and assorted minstrels. The performances usually start around nine but I like getting there early (6:00 PM on) just to rap with Memo and Lorena, enjoy the great cappuccino and Italian sodas, and meet new and old Ensenada artist friends. If you don’t speak Spanish don’t be intimidated, clients and owners are eager to use their English and make foreigners feel at home. Café Café is near the corner of Gastelum and Lopez Mateos.