James Beard-nominated chef Dionicio Jiménez opens La Baja, a BYOB in Ambler

Dionicio Jiménez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez are fielding two main questions since last week’s opening of La Baja, their charming, white-tablecloth BYOB in Ambler. One is, why Ambler?

Answer: They live nearby.

Two: What does it mean for Cantina La Martina, their refined restaurant in the heart of Kensington, which cinched a James Beard nomination for Jiménez in 2022?

Answer: They’ve made a commitment to the Kensington neighborhood, they’re in it for the long haul, and the restaurant is at the center of their efforts to support the families in the community.

They will juggle not only Cantina and La Baja, but their street-food outlets in Fishtown (La Placita Fishtown) and near Penn’s Landing (La Placita Cherry Street Pier).

At La Baja, Jiménez is cooking a menu inspired by the food of Mexico’s northern border, with touches of Asian influence. You’ll also find base notes of the Italian cuisine he mastered in the early 2000s at the beginning of his Philadelphia career — most notably, risotto and pastas at Vetri Cucina.

To wit: an appetizer of ravioli ($18) filled with avocado, blue crab, bacon, recado negro, and xnipec salsa; the rib braised in hibiscus and Mexican chocolate over risotto ($26); grilled sea bass ($36), which gets a subtle kick from arbol miso; steamed halibut with chorizo and clams ($38); and chili-crusted ribeye ($45) topped with grilled carrots dusted with sumac and mint. The showstopper is a riff on Peking duck, carnitas de pato ($65). It’s a whole, carved duck served with baked plantain, chilacayote, and veneno beans, along with bao buns.

There’s a selection of agua frescas plus other nonalcoholic beverages, and though it’s BYOB, Stone & Key Cellars around the corner will deliver wine and cider to your table via QR code.

Brunch will start in late September.

La Baja, 9 N. Main St., Ambler. Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5-9 p.m. Sunday. Reserve on Resy.