Desert Cuisine Meets Outdoor Adventure: A Spotlight on Chef Aaron Lopez’s Ursa

I don’t normally write about restaurants on Outdoor SoCal, but I recently came across a one that caught my attention by blending food and the outdoors – in particular the natural landscape of Southern California and the rest of the desert Southwest.

Opened earlier this summer, Chef Aaron Lopez’s restaurant, Ursa, is located in El Centro, California, and stands out not just for its culinary innovation but for its connection to the area’s desert environments that we outdoor enthusiasts love to explore.

For those who typically find themselves more at home on a rugged trail than in a chic restaurant, Ursa offers a unique appeal – so much so that it was recently profiled in the national outdoors magazine, Outside.

Lopez, who grew up in the Imperial Valley, is not just cooking with desert ingredients—he’s reimagining them. Ursa’s menu is a tribute to the desert’s flora and fauna, showcasing ingredients like prickly pear, tepary beans, and mesquite that you might encounter on a hikes.

Lopez’s says his approach is inspired by traditional techniques and modern culinary artistry, resulting in dishes that are both innovative and deeply rooted in the region’s natural bounty.

“Right now what is happening [in the modern culinary world] is a lot of people are advocating where they’re from,” Lopez told the diners recently, according to the Imperial Valley Press. “They’re pulling a lot of the grassroots right now and no one’s really stood up for the desert in a very modern and progressive way and I think the reason behind that is, as humans, we naturally gravitate to the color green because it equals life, and we don’t have too much of that (green) here (in the desert).”

One of the restaurant’s standout creations is reportedly a dessert made from mesquite, an ingredient so integral to desert life that it once had its own lunar calendar month among Indigenous peoples.

Lopez’s mesquite-based flan-like dessert exemplifies his commitment to using every part of the ingredient, reflecting the zero-waste mentality prevalent among desert communities.

Formerly a sculptor and punk bassist, Lopez’s culinary career began after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, followed by stints at Michelin-starred restaurants and a high-end gastropub in Honolulu.

However, he says it was his return to the desert that reignited his passion for the ingredients and techniques of his childhood.

Lopez and his wife, June Chee, have embarked on extensive foraging trips across the Southwest, gathering ingredients from the Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran Deserts that are often overlooked but central to Ursa’s menu.

Lopez told Outside that his goal is to create a space where locals can take pride in their unique environment while enjoying innovative dishes that highlight its natural ingredients.

The restaurant’s commitment to accessibility and community is evident in its menu, which features shareable dishes priced affordably, ensuring that Ursa remains accessible to the local population. Lopez’s vision includes not only bringing high-quality food to El Centro but also fostering a deeper appreciation for the desert’s culinary potential.

I haven’t been to the restaurant yet, but my interest is piqued. If anyone beats me there, let me know what to order…