The Great Night of the Chef, a Fabulous Gastronomic, Cultural Event in La Palapa

On September 21, at La Palapa Restaurant, the Great Night of the Chef took place, an important gastronomic and cultural event held in Puerto Vallarta for the third consecutive year, which drew a large turnout of chefs and personalities from the restaurant industry from the four corners of the country. The presence of celebrity chefs Paulino Cruz and Paulina Abascal lent greater luster to the evening.

This year’s event’s theme was Pre Hispanic Night, and it was hosted by La Palapa Restaurant, one of the most long-established restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. In fact, this year La Palapa is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

In attendance at the event were local gastronomes Thierry Blouet, Nacho Cadena and Alfonso Cadena. A fabulous four-course dinner was served, consisting of dishes drawn from pre Hispanic Mexican cuisine, using ingredients with Aztec names such as Xoconoztle, chinicuiles, chilcopil, mulli, cuitlacoche, agave, tunas, and nopal, as well as beans and pulque. These dishes made the delights of diners, who also enjoyed an excellent pairing of wines from the Baja California winery Vinisterra, selected by sommelier Fabio Roman.

Prior to the dinner, a Pre Hispanic show was presented in the beach area in front of the restaurant, with music and dance around a huge bonfire.

At the event, organizer Lupita Cruz presented personalities with recognition awards. A very emotional moment came when Jose Eleuterio Rogelio Hernandez was presented with an award for 50 years of working as a waiter in La Palapa.

Restaurant Owner Alberto Perez, La Palapa Group Director Tere Cordoba and Restaurant Manager Rafael Dueñas Fregoso were gracious hosts of the Great Night of the Chef.

Top  |  Index