For those looking to add some international flair to their dining experiences, the Gay Adventurous Gourmet offers the real deal without having to jump continents.

The new company, operated by Sandra Luz Pedregal of Normal Heights, shuttles GLBT diners to destination restaurants throughout Tijuana for affordable prices that include roundtrip transportation from their doorsteps, a translator, and in some cases the entire meal, should customers prefer a pre-set menu plan.

Pedregal, who launched the company earlier this year, grew up in Tijuana and came to know the city’s restaurant scene inside and out. “My family loves going out to dinner. And we usually went out to eat every single day,” she said.

Her company’s repertoire includes about a dozen different restaurants ranging from casual to fine dining, many of which neophyte visitors to Tijuana wouldn’t find on their own.

“A lot of people are afraid of driving down there. They’re afraid of getting lost. Or they have an image of Tijuana as only a party city. But there are a lot of cosmopolitan restaurants and fusion cooking that exist there,” she adds.

Among them are Cien Años a family-run establishment where patrons can enjoy chili-laced salsas made tableside. Pedregal points out that the restaurant carries a “very good reputation” and features a signature dish of dry sopa with crabmeat that “is out of this world.”

Saverio’s also ranks high with Pedregal – a fine dining Mediterranean kitchen famous for its lamb chops and wine cellar containing a private table for parties of 15. Or if your group is seeking the exclusive culinary essence of the Baja peninsula, she recommends a visit to Palma Azul. And for those willing to embark on a true gastronomic adventure, she’ll steer the party to La Diferencia, which features such delicacies as farm-raised crocodile and “other very rare dishes.”

There is even a place geared for vegans. At Vallarta, near the old bullring, diners can chomp on soy chorizo and steamed tacos filled with mushrooms. The restaurant, she notes, recently began adding to its menu a few chicken and fish dishes to keep those tag-along, non-vegetarian customers happy, too.

Pedregal, who is also a language lecturer at UCSD’s International Relations and Pacific Studies Language Program, keeps her finger on the pulse for special food-related events as well, such as an upcoming Mezcal tasting from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., May 16, at Cien Años. The price for this event is $79 per person, which includes roundtrip bus transportation from California Bank & Trust on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest, plus a tasting of 10 different Mezcal liquors from the state of Oaxaca and a buffet.

Regular meal trips are available Fridays through Sundays – and cost between $45 and $75 per person for pre-arranged meal packages; or about $45 for customers who order directly from the menus and pay out of pocket once they arrive. In either case, diners are picked up from their homes in a Five Star Tour van and returned about four hours later.

Pedregal stays nearby during the meals in the event language conflicts arise. And she provides bilingual narration throughout the van ride about different points of interest in a multi-cultural city that awaits our open minds and empty stomachs.

For reservations or more information, call (866) 521-9595.