Baja Food & Wine Journey

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.

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.

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.