It is an annual culinary festival held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, every November since 1995. Every year
the Festival invites culinary professionals from all over the world to cook and
to demonstrate their cuisines. The
Festival is supported by local restaurants. .
During the
Festival, international and local food and beverage professionals run events
around town, with each of the
participating restaurants hosting a guest master
chief and creating its own events to complement its food offerings.
Events during
the festival include the Sunday Festival Gourmet Brunch, Wine Tasting, and
Cheeses of the World. There are also
Chef's Table and Winemakers' dinners hosted by restaurants.
The traditional
Gala Dinner, called The Spirit of Mexico, concludes the Festival.
In 2003, the honored
guest of the festival was Anton Mossimann, who received an
appointment by Queen Elizabeth II as an "Officer of the British
Empire" and is a twice winner of the gold medal at the world level and the
proprietor of Club Mossimann in both London and Switzerland. Gerard Dupont,
a president of Academie Culinaire
de France, comes every year to teach classes and share his secrets with both colleagues and the public.
Among the Guests
Chefs for the International Gourmet Festival 2011 are:
Jonathan
Gomez Luna Torres – Mexico City
Yves Biland – Switzerland
Sebastien Vielletoile – France
Paul Ferzacca – U.S.A.
Frank Macoretta – Canada
Gerard Dupont – France
Pablo
San Roman – Spain
Lucero
Soto Arriaga – Mexico
Giovanni
Romero – Mexico
Junior
Merino – Mexico
It is no
surprise Master Mixologist Junior Merino- The Liquid Chef has built his career
on fusing exotic, unexpected flavors: He grew up in the culinary melting-pot of
la Mixteca Region of Central Mexico. Beginning when Junior was just 10, his
food-loving parents taught him to cook with local produce ranging from
indigenous cocoa beans, to pomegranates native to the Middle East, to cilantro,
which has Mediterranean roots. Despite all these foods' varied origins, Junior
saw that in combination, they created harmony-planting in him an early passion
for culinary mestizaje-or
blending diverse flavors. It's a technique that's helped Junior rise quickly in
his field along with his intense work ethic.
Junior
has successfully implemented cocktail programs and partnerships in multiple
venues, including theme parks (Epcot Center), cruise ships (Celebrity Cruises)
and airlines (Mexicana Airlines). He has created signature cocktails for
leading restaurants and bars across the world, such as the Modern (NYC), the
Ritz Carlton (42 Restaurant in White Plains, NY), the ANA Hotel (Tokyo),
Tequila's (Philadelphia), Malverde & La Condesa (Austin), Talavera (Miami)
& New York's Rayuela, Macondo, Casa Mezcal, Merkato 55 and Mexico City's
famed Izote restaurant & San Angel Inn
He has
also worked with celebrites such as Oprah Winfrey, Justin Timberlake, Peter
Gabriel, Lenny Kravitz, Cindy Lauper, Michael J. Fox, and Patricia Velasquez.
You can
meet Junior Merino at La Casona Restaurant & Bar, Friday November 18th at the
Cef’s Table and Winemaker’s Night.
Join us
in La Casona Restaurant & Bar on
Thrusday November 17th for the Gourmet Safari Route.
