Meet & Greet
June 7
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Cocktail Reception and meet the chefs
Sotol, Agave Bar
Complimentary for Resort Guests
A couple of times per year in Los Cabos, the culinary stars all align.
The Baja Food and Wine Journey is one of those mystical, magical moments, where visiting, celebrity, world-renowned chefs team up with Executive Chef, Mauricio Lopez, to create a multi-day, gastronomic journey through the flavors of Baja and beyond.
Join James Beard and Top Chef finalists in an intimate, ocean-view setting, while also sampling exceptional wines from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe. Dine in style while overlooking the Pacific, which aside from offering a shimmering backdrop, also serves as the wild source for many of the flavorful dishes.
Watch in wonder as these culinary artists craft dishes that highlight their regional specialties, with each dish complemented by Chef Mauricio’s masterful use of local ingredients and epicurean knowledge.
It’s an unforgettable foodie fête, a savory seaside soirée, and a celebration of fine cuisine, only at Hilton Los Cabos.
Embark on a gastronomic adventure through the vibrant flavors of Baja and beyond.
Contact Concierge Desk for Reservations, Ext. 7118, or via email enjoyloscabos@hilton.com
Featuring Chef John Tesar
The June installation of the Baja Food & Wine Journey will feature special guest, Celebrity Chef John Tesar.
June 7
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Cocktail Reception and meet the chefs
Sotol, Agave Bar
Complimentary for Resort Guests
June 7
6:30pm | La Biblioteca, Agave Tasting Room
Mexican Spirits from the Agave Plant Paired with Elevated Mexican Cuisine
Featuring Alberto Navarro, Acclaimed Spirits Expert for Loco Tequila
Seating is limited to 10 people
$195 USD +
*15% service charge will be added
June 10
Starting at 12:30pm
Poolside Palm Grove
June 10
7:00pm
5-Course dinner & pairing with Vinos de la Reina Winery, Valle de Guadalupe
Fireworks display, Live Music
Leña Restaurant
Limited Seating
$125 USD ++*
*Price is exclusive of 16 % tax and 15 % service charge.
Coming Soon
An upscale bbq and fireworks display.
Meet the Chefs of the 2023 Baja Food & Wine Journey, including Celebrity Guest Chefs John Tesar and Tiffany Derry, Acclaimed Tequila Master Alberto Navarro, and the stars of Hilton Los Cabos, Executive Chef Mauricio Lopez and Resident Tequila Master, Ana Martinez.
Click on the links below to read more about each of the chefs.
Chef John Tesar’s influential culinary career spans over four-decades, with a gastronomic footprint in the Southwest, and both coasts. Tesar has earned high praise for his critically acclaimed Knife steakhouses in Dallas and Plano and burger concepts, and his two newest concepts, Outer Reef and Knife & Spoon. In 2022, Chef John Tesar was awarded a MICHELIN star for his exemplary work at Knife & Spoon at The Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes in Orlando.
Known for his classically trained chef’s approach to seafood and steakhouse cuisine, over the years he has cemented his reputation for reinventing the steakhouse dining experience. “For years, I thrived as the European-trained seafood chef,” Tesar explains, “so for Knife, I traveled to steakhouses around the country to find out how I could change and elevate the game.” Opened in May 2014 in the Highland Dallas hotel, Knife finds its drive from the products it sources through partnerships with nearby Heartbrand Beef and 44 Farms and the innovative, classically rooted techniques it employs in the kitchen, as well as the science behind its up-to-240-day on-site dry-aging process.
Executive Chef Mauricio Lopez has found his home at Hilton Los Cabos having led the kitchens and culinary team for 16 years. Although far from his origins in Acapulco, Mexico, Chef Lopez sees many similarities in Baja and infuses his Mexican heritage into all menus at the seven culinary concepts and banquets at Hilton Los Cabos. Having cooked throughout the word with stints in Cuba, Spain, New York and beyond, he brings those inspirations to the tables of Hilton Los Cabos on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. Many who work with him find themselves leading kitchens of their own. It is due to his leadership style that Hilton selected Chef Lopez for the Hilton Culinary Council and to be responsible for the hotels and resorts opening in Latin America, from kitchen design to menu development. In addition he is consulting for the company’s Mexican concepts internationally. He also received the Hilton Chef Diamond Award and is a former champion of the Culinary Masters Competition in Miami, Florida. Chef Lopez sources local ingredients from regional Baja farms and fishermen with a “no shortcuts” approach to his cooking. “Baja provides us with the freshest produce. I can have vegetables in my kitchen that were in the ground yesterday, or fish on the plate that was caught this morning. It is a chef’s dream,” says Lopez. “There are no secrets to good food. Only fine ingredients.” Having a preference for wines, Chef Lopez has partnered with Mexican wineries for a Winemaker Dinner Series under the stars bringing the wines of Valle de Guadalupe and other regions to guests and clients, and pairing them with his award-winning cuisine. Chef Lopez’ beloved Mexican hospitality and genuine care is translated to the plate. He can customize any menu to the client’s preference, and is heralded for his surprise and delight moments with the guests.
With the endorsement of a long and successful international corporate trajectory in the wine & spirits industry, and after many years of interaction and exposure to the production methodologies applicable to the different categories conforming the industry, Alberto Navarro leverages on his commercial, marketing and brand education expertise and learnings, combining them with his communications, presentation and mentoring skills in order to bring to life one of his greatest passions: To transfer knowledge, share experiences and interact with those who have a genuine interest in cultural and professional enrichment through having live experiences and learning. His vast experience has allowed Alberto to develop and implement a wide variety of activities and programs which go from technical consultancy on production processes and liquids development, Master Distiller/Blender (Maestro Tequilero), marketing and commercial consultancy, technical and deep-in-details seminars and trainings, to interactive workshops and experiences with a more hedonistic character incorporating elements from the gastronomy and other industries, complementing and turning them this way into sensorial trips Alberto is the author of the Larousse del Tequila book, called “the Tequila Bible” by the Mexican media, and awarded as “Best Spirits book in the World” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2017. As an authority in Spirits & Distilled Beverages and as a neutral and objective consultant, Alberto works with several brands, categories and companies both in México and Internationally without being an exclusive ambassador, hence delivering clients, target audiences and himself a greater level of trust and credibility. Besides having implemented a great quantity and variety of activities covering the main cities and important destinations within México, Alberto has also impacted a wide cultural diversity in other parts of the world with his presentations, seminars, sessions and programs.
Having studied tequila, mezcal and agaves from Mexico on the level of a wine sommelier, Ana Martinez has become an expert in agave spirits. Her knowledge is shared throughout our bar program and the resort’s La Biblioteca located in Sotol, the lobby bar. The Agave Library serves as a source of knowledge as Martinez leads guests on a tasting journey of history and discovery through the various Mexican regions that grow the agave plants and distill their spirits. Her firsthand knowledge of the flavor profiles and the master distillers themselves, leads her passionate orchestration. Mezcal, the original agave spirit, shares prominence with tequila, raicilla, sotol, bacanora, tuxca, and comiteco. The spirits are paired with small bites or can be coordinated for a 5-course dinner. Martinez and her colleagues may host an agave tasting for clients, create a signature cocktail for the occasion or consult on a curated bar for the evening.
Tiffany Derry, a Texas native, is a renowned chef and entrepreneur. She founded Tiffany Derry Concepts and co-founded T2D Concepts, a purpose-driven hospitality group in Texas. Through her restaurants, such as Roots Chicken Shak and Roots Southern Table, and her spice and apparel line, ‘Shef Tiffany, she aims to create meaningful experiences. Tiffany’s passion for cooking stems from her upbringing on a farm, where she learned the value of farm-to-table eating and hospitality. Despite facing initial discrimination, she pursued her culinary career and became the youngest restaurant manager. Tiffany gained culinary expertise through international experiences and worked in esteemed kitchens. She gained recognition on Bravo’s Top Chef and subsequently appeared in various culinary shows. In 2013, she established Tiffany Derry Concepts and later co-founded T2D Concepts with a mission to address gender and racial disparities in the hospitality industry. Tiffany is an advocate for social justice, equity, and sustainable food policies. She actively participates in organizations like Les Dames d’Escoffier, the James Beard Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and Food Policy Action.