Three Prominent Food Network Top Chefs to Headline 'Mexican Fest Chef Week' at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa at the Islands of Loreto

Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at The Islands of Loreto, a luxury Villa Group property, will feature three prominent chefs and noted culinary personalities as part of "Mexican Fest Chef Week," May 15-20. The six-day event, open to the public with reservations currently being accepted, will include chef demonstrations and lavish multi-course dinners.

The three participating chefs are Betty Fraser, Kevin Des Chenes, and David Fuerte. Each has taken a different path carving out an impressive resum in the culinary world:

• Fraser, co-owner and executive chef of the award-winning restaurant Grub, in Hollywood, Calif., was a fan favorite as a contestant on the second season of Top Chef, Bravo's hit television series, and the Top Chef Holiday Special in 2007. For 20 years, Fraser also was executive chef for a popular catering business, As You Like It Catering. In addition, she was a judge for Master Chef Junior, a cooking program with Gordon Ramsay.
• Des Chenes, executive chef and author of Beyond My Chef Coat, has more than 20 years' experience in the culinary world. He was named "Top Chef" by Las Vegas Food & Wine and was the winner of Top Celebrity Chef Showdown. Des Chenes has also been a chef expert for Ramsay, and appeared on two Food Network programs, Chef Wanted and Beat Bobby Flay.
• David Fuerte is the CEO and Founder of Made For Chefs, a company that creates quality chef products, supports a platform that promotes working chefs, and features chefs in their premiere live event, The Chef Throwdown. Made for Chefs has expanded into a restaurant group, seeking to form multiple concepts throughout the country. Chef David Fuerte draws upon his professional culinary experience, immersive travel abroad, and a childhood of helping cultivate land in the ranches of Mexico where he inherently began to appreciate and acquire the love for food.

Additionally, each of these chefs has an appreciation for the Mexican culinary scene and in particular, the fresh seafood and abundant variety of produce in Baja California Sur. Mexican food is not just having a momentit's booming across the entire United States.

"We are so grateful that these notable chefs have an appreciation for the current Mexican culinary scene and are joining us to honor our Mexican traditions," said Sixto Navarro, General Manager, Villa del Palmar at The Islands of Loreto. "Their talents, combined with our resort's culinary team, promise to make this a memorable event."

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto Mexican Fest Chef Week opens Tuesday, May 15, with an evening cocktail reception. Wednesday's highlight is a five-course dinner prepared by Chef David Fuerte at the property's Danzante Fine Dining restaurant, which recently was singled by Wine Spectator with the magazine's prestigious "Award of Excellence."

Chef Des Chenes shows off his talents Thursday night with TEXMEX BQQ buffet dinner on the beach, while Chef Fraser headlines Friday's four-course dinner at Casa Mia, the resort's open-air restaurant. All three chefs come together Saturday night to prepare an elaborate Mexican Fiesta buffet, and the trio will again team for the final event, a lavish Sunday brunch at The Market.

Chef demonstrations are scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, and will provide guests with up-close-and-personal looks at preparing unique dishes and interaction with all three.

The Mexican Fest Chef Week guest package includes luxurious lodging accommodations in a deluxe suite as well as participation in all demonstrations, receptions, and meals. Rates start at $933 per person based on double occupancy, per seven-night's stay.

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto takes advantage of the region's unique beauty, authentic culture, quiet beaches, and rich history. Guests can roam the resort's 4,447 acres, which includes long stretches of exquisite shoreline, plus stunning ocean and mountain views. The resort features TPC Danzante Bay, the eye-popping Rees Jones-designed course on the Baja Peninsula's eastern coastline; three outstanding restaurants; five swimming pools; the 39,000-square-foot Sabila Spa; tennis courts, miles of hiking trails; and much more.

Only a two-hour flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Loreto International Airport (LTO) also is accessible from Calgary, Ontario, with direct WestJet flights, and Tijuana and Guadalajara via Calafia Airlines.

Reservations for Mexican Fest Chef Week can be made by contacting the resort toll-free at 1 800/790-4187 from the United States, 855/440-5590 from Canada, or 800/838-2662 from Mexico.

About Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto: Baja's First Million Star Resort
Villa del Palmar at The Islands of Loreto is a luxury destination resort on the Sea of Cortez, off the eastern coast of the Baja peninsula overlooking Danzante Island. Flanked by the rugged Sierra de la Giganta range, the Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto is the first and only resort to occupy one of the Gulf of California's last virgin coastlines. The resort features 181 new, spacious, beautifully appointed Deluxe Ocean View, one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites with terraces and stunning ocean and mountain views, timeshare options, three restaurants offering gourmet dining, an attentive English-speaking staff, five swimming pools, a 39,000 square-foot Sabila Spa and Wellness Center, two tennis courts, beautiful beaches, and a mild climate year-round.

Guests can enjoy PADI-certified SCUBA diving lessons and snorkeling tours in the protected indigo waters that explorer Jacques Cousteau once dubbed the "Aquarium of the World." Outdoor adventurers can also experience tours of the nearby Danzante and Del Carmen Islands atop an inflatable APEX boat, as well as swimming, world-class fishing aboard the "Mad Dash" tournament boat, paddle boarding, kayaking, whale watching, and mountain biking. With shuttle service priced at $10 per person round trip, guests can explore the historic town at the Islands of Loreto and visit the 1697 mission that made the town famous. The area is also known for its wildlife, including the 900 species of fish off the coast and in an area that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest National Marine Park. Hotel perks include a spa and fitness center, massages, and salsa dance lessons.

The resort was named the 16th best resort in Mexico by Trip Advisor. In 2015, Travel Weekly magazine recognized the Islands of Loreto with a 2015 Silver Magellan Award in the Adventure Destination category. Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto was also recognized as Mexico's Leading Beach Resort in the 22nd and 23rd annual World Travel Awards. It also earned recognition as Mexico and Central America's Leading Resort by the same prestigious organization.

The resort has been nominated by theWorld Travel Awards for the fourth consecutive year in the following categories for 2018

• Mexico & Central America's Leading Beach Resort 2018
• Mexico & Central America's Leading Family Resort 2018
• Mexico & Central America's Leading Resort 2018
• Mexico's Leading Beach Resort 2018
• Mexico's Leading Family Resort 2018

If you've stayed with us before and enjoyed your visit, please consider voting for us here http://bit.ly/WorldTA2018

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