Spring breakers consider yourself warned - foodies will descend upon and devour Cancun in 2012 for the First Annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival. Scheduled for March 15-18th, this gourmet extravaganza will bring together chefs and wine & spirit producers from around the world.
These days the term celebrity chef gets tossed around more than bad pizza dough but this festival is the real deal and will feature a dinner tribute to world famous Catalan chef Ferran Adrià. The creator of molecular gastronomy, Adrià's world famous El Bulli restaurant in Spain was widely considered to be the best restaurant in the world and gourmands have been in mourning since it closed this July.
In addition to Adrià, chefs from the Americas will participate, including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil. Names you may recognize include Ingrid Hoffman (pictured), Jacques Pepin, and Marcela Valladolid. Activities include cooking demonstrations, a celebrity chef & winemaker yacht cruise followed by a private beach club lunch, and the American Express Gourmet Tasting Village.
Plan ahead - tickets to the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival will be available to the general public starting October 1. American Express card members can access an exclusive pre-sale from September 15-October 1. Feeling lucky? Enter for your chance to win two tickets!
I had a blast when I went to Cancun last year - the beaches are stunning and the ambiance is absolutely seductive. Although the food at the resorts is plentiful and delicious, I think that the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival is long overdue. By creating an opportunity for visitors to uniquely experience the extraordinary culinary traditions of Mexico and the latest trends in gastronomy from throughout the Americas, visitors will develop a deeper connection to the region. Muy bien!