20 fare along with Italian, Japanese, Creole, Peruvian, and some really great seafood. There is something for every appetite and budget and every doorway leads to a delectable discovery.   Just a tidbit or two about the food traditions of an area can give an added dimension to the dining experience so here are a few basic historic food facts about California’s cuisine. California’s history is inextricably intertwined with Mexico and Spain. The Conquest of Mexico in 1521 gave rise to one of the richest culinary revolutions in history. When the Spanish explorer Cortez and his followers came to the new world in search of fortune, they found a wealth of culinary specialties such as chocolate, peanuts, vanilla, beans, squash, avocados, coconuts, corn and tomatoes. In turn the Spanish brought to the Americas products such as pork, beef, lamb, citrus fruits, garlic, cheese, milk, wheat, vin- egar and wine, add these to the native American and early pioneers traditional foods and you have some of the richest food combinations in the country. During Mexico’s colonial period 1521 to 1821 is when much of today's Mexican fare was invented, such favorites as chile rellenos and guacamole and it was actu- ally nuns who pioneered such traditional Mexican fare as buñuelos! In the mid Victorian period Mexico was ruled by the former Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian from 1864 to 1867 and though his reign was brief and tragic, French cooking left a perma- nent mark on many Mexican-restaurant dishes. OldTown Old Town sidewalks over- flow with people who come to revisit history, to shop and to savor some of the best and greatest variety of food that San Diego has to offer.   While regional and Mexican specialties present many cook- ing styles and are not to be missed, visitors to Old Town have a wide choice of cuisines. The area has a history rich in diversity so you can also find early California... Casa de Reyes Restaurant Flavors