We couldn’t quite put our finger on the comforting smell that greeted us when stepping inside the new Ortega’s Bistro. The air was pleasantly warm, faintly spiced, as though we had entered the house of a relative who cooks the family’s favorite meals all day long.

“The pancakes at I-Hop?” my dinner companion suggested.

“Sort of. But more like pumpkin pie,” I responded.

It wasn’t until we grazed through a good portion of the menu that the aroma made sense – a conglomeration of cinnamon-spiked sauces, sweet whole lobsters, and indeed, black bean soup mollified with pumpkin. Freshly made tortillas emitting their moisture from steel serving pots merely added to the bakery-like redolence in the room.

Ortega’s arrives to Hillcrest with a 50-year history that began in Puerto Nuevo, Mexico, where namesake family members would feed the fishing community a repertoire of Baja cuisine, such as beans, rice and boiled lobster. The business later multiplied into several more restaurants in the area, although it wasn’t until two months ago that the first U.S. location was implemented by Juan Carlos Ortega (one of 10 siblings in the family) and his business partner, John Haugland, a former San Diego Police sergeant.

A GLBT patronage quickly materialized through the owners’ alliance to the community as well as the restaurant’s conspicuous location at the “gayer” end of University Avenue, just west of Fifth. If I had to bet on it, the name “Ortega’s” will soon become synonymous in popularity to The Abbey, Hamburger Mary’s and the like.

Tableside guacamole made with halved avocados, limes and fresh garlic proved a fine introduction to our dinner. The assembly occurs in a heavy stone molcajete, and yields enough of the green stuff to justify polishing off an entire basket of the house’s fresh tortilla chips. Missing from the ingredient lineup, however, was cilantro, which appeared instead to our satisfaction in the complimentary roasted salsa.

Other starters we sampled included Shrimp Ceviche, a delicious citrus-laced concoction with sliced green olives in the mix. Ceviche with fish and crab are also available – and each departs from traditional raw versions in that the seafood is pre-boiled in seasoned water. A bowl of Black Bean and Pumpkin soup was light and savory; its two main ingredients meshed well. My Caesar-Avocado salad, however, tasted too tangy – perhaps from the addition of horseradish in the dressing. Yet the balsamic vinaigrette on my companion’s mixed greens was addicting.

From the “small plates” category (all tacos), we began encountering flavors that are typically absent in Cal-Mex foods. In trying to figure them out, we exchanged words like “cinnamon,” “pumpkin spice” and “scented candles.” The Red Chili Adobo Pork Taco might have been too sweet if it weren’t followed by mini waves of chili heat that kept it lively. My companion’s Baja Seasoned Steak Taco lacked kick. Both tacos came topped with a fiesta of colored cabbage and a side of fresh pinto beans.

Ortega’s signature dish is Whole Lobster, partially steamed and then finished on a flat grill. The spiny specimens are trawled from Southern California waters and sold through a local distributor. Judging from their lovely presentation seen at a nearby table, we were foolish to have left without cracking into one.

Instead, we ordered Beef Filet Palitos – skewered steak that alternated in tenderness along the way, yet sported a uniquely stimulating flavor. Properly cooked rice and more pinto beans came on the side. The flat-grilled Dorado Veracruz using Mahi Mahi was fork-tender and came topped with delicately seasoned roasted tomatoes – an excellent choice if you’re due for a heart-healthy meal.

Ortega’s occupies what used to be a small boutique called The Closet. Its redo is exquisitely understated, with pottery-filled niches, paintings by Peruvian artists and custom-made windows framed in wood. We especially loved the retro-sounding Latin jazz playing on CDs, which at times incited visions of Angie Dickinson sipping on martinis.

Desserts are outsourced – their recipes given to St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro for making Tres Leches, a white cake layered with Bavarian cream, and Two-Layer Mexican Chocolate Cake fluffed up with mildly sweet mousse. Margaritas, tequila shots and a limited wine list complement the menu perfectly.