The Food & Beverage department at Garza Blanca in Puerto Vallarta has been going through a major upgrade over the past several months. The restaurants have been renovated, new staff have been brought on board, and the menus have been updated! We caught up with Chef Ovidio Pérez, the brand new head chef at Blanca Blue, for an interview. Chef, please tell me about your background. I am originally from Zimatlán de Álvarez, Oaxaca, where I first learned my love of food and passion for cooking from my grandmother and my mother. My mother’s name is Juana Amaya Hernandez, and she is one of the top chefs in Oaxaca known for traditional style cooking, especially mole. She is one of the 3 most important traditional style female chefs from Oaxaca. People seek her out to learn about the kitchen; she is well known through word of mouth. All my creativity starts from my mom and my grandma. I studied cooking at Instituto Culinario De Mexico (ICUM), which is a university in Puebla, and I specialized …

Since going on vacation is such a special time for relaxation and really enjoying life, everyone from fashionistas to farmers love to look their best during their travels. Taking a trip to sunny Puerto Vallarta offers plenty of excuses to dress up in your finest clothes, whether you are hitting the beach in your favorite new swimwear or dressing up for a swanky dinner out. When you are looking forward to a getaway at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa, you will want to take along clothes that complement the gorgeous setting and make your feel confident and stylish. With a range of fabulous on-site restaurants to explore, you will be dining well at every meal during your getaway in paradise. Each eatery has its own unique style and theme, and therefore they each have their own individual dress code. Here is a brief overview of what to expect at each restaurant so you are familiar with what is appropriate even before you arrive. Bon appetit! Here is what you should know to dress to impress …

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s most favored destinations for fun, and one of the best ways to take things up a notch during your vacation is to enjoy some of the delicious local cocktails that are available. From dive bars to swanky martini lounges, Puerto Vallarta has an amazing variety of venues in which to drink when you are in the mood. You will find that you are offered drinks and cocktails just about everywhere you go as you wander around town, so how do you know which places are really worth stopping at? Use the following list to help guide you to some of the best cocktails in Puerto Vallarta. Salud!   Signature Cocktails at Garza Blanca One of the great things about spending your vacation at Garza Blanca is that you will have easy access to a wide range of signature cocktails at several locations around the property. You can enjoy signature cocktails while you are lounging by the pool or on the beach, complete with impeccable service. Blanca Blue Bar and …

Puerto Vallarta held its 23rd edition of the acclaimed International Gourmet Festival this month, during which time Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta was excited to once again participate in the festivities. Founded in 1995 by pals Chef Thierry Blouet and Chef Heinz Reize as a way to draw more attention to the burgeoning culinary scene in Puerto Vallarta, the event has grown with each passing year. Every participating restaurant invites a guest chef to join the fun and bring an added element of intrigue and surprise to the special menus that are offered during the festival. Garza Blanca Resort & Spa welcomed Gourmet Festival Puerto Vallarta With three extraordinary gourmet restaurants at the Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, the splendid property welcomed three outstanding guest chefs to add their own distinctive touches to the cuisine at Blanca Blue, BocaDos STK and Hiroshi, respectively. Chef Alexander Branch With a passion for food apparent from a young age that started with preparing meals alongside his father, Chef Alexander Branch was destined …

As you plan your next vacation at Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, you may be trying to decide if an all-inclusive plan is a better choice for you than an a la carte European plan (which only includes your suite). Boasting one of the most incredible all-inclusive plans in the industry, Garza Blanca offers an even more enjoyable stay when you choose to embrace the wonderful simplicity of the program. Your extravagant stay in the lap of luxury will extend well beyond your sumptuous suite when you choose all-inclusive; you will enjoy delicious gourmet dining, room service, beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, a mini bar in your room, activities and entertainment around the resort, and access to non-motorized water sports equipment and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Why bother with having to pay for each restaurant meal or drink at the bar when you can just show your all-inclusive bracelet and be on your way? You will not have to think about how much you are spending on your meals, either, because they …

The buzz surrounding craft beer has found its way to Mexico in recent years, where several breweries have opened up around the country.  Cervezas artesanales are a big deal these days and they are continuing to build a market for themselves amongst Mexican heavy hitters like Corona, Sol and Tecate.  Although large cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City attract startup breweries, they are also becoming more common in coastal regions and smaller towns.  This is great news for craft beer fanatics, because they can be found way more often than even a few years ago in bars and restaurants across the country.  Even hotels are getting in on the action; for example, when you stay at Garza Blanca, you will find several varieties of craft beer available to quench your thirst.   Find out more about some of Mexico’s leading breweries below:   Cerveceria de Colima While most foreigners have never heard of the mellow town called El Trapiche situated along the Pacific coastline in the state of Colima, die-hard beer fans might consider …

This coming November 2017, prepare yourself for some of the year’s most inspiring dining experiences in Puerto Vallarta when you partake in the twenty-third installment of the International Gourmet Festival. The International Gourmet Festival for 2017 will once again be gracing the streets of Puerto Vallarta and neighboring Riviera Nayarit from Friday November 10th through Sunday November 19th. This exciting culinary festival provides the perfect excuse to plan your next vacation to the scenic destination. Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival 2017 The Festival Gourmet International Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and Tepic is a yearly culinary festival that takes place in November each year involving a number of fine dining restaurants and hotels throughout Puerto Vallarta as well as special events. As in previous years, Garza Blanca Resort & Spa and its acclaimed chefs will be taking part in the festival. A special event is planned for November 12th on the beach from 6.30pm to 9pm where a delectable feast with live music showcasing avant garde Mexican cuisine, Japanese delicacies and succulent cuts will be complemented by …

Because it is a country that is steeped in rich cultural traditions, Mexico is a spellbinding place that charms both locals and tourists alike, and one of the cornerstones of its fascinating heritage is the remarkable cuisine found throughout the country.  Utilizing a wide assortment of cooking techniques and ingredients, food in Mexico is complex, flavorful and, above all else, difficult to define. Sure, you will find foods like tacos just about any place you travel in Mexico, but due to the massive size of the country, their ingredients and flavors will have a distinct regional flair depending on where you try them.  If you are wondering which regional specialties you should dine on while traveling in Mexico, take a look at some of the most beloved cuisine standouts found within this gloriously unique country: JALISCIENSE With many of Mexico’s most prized cultural traditions hailing from the western state of Jalisco, including tequila, mariachi and charrería (similar to rodeo), it is no wonder that the cuisine from this coastal region is outstanding, too.  Copious amounts …

The most iconic cocktail of Mexico has to be the margarita, but when and by whom was it actually invented? The classic margarita features ingredients like fresh lime juice, triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur) and tequila. The drink is typically served either frozen (blended with ice to create a frosty beverage) or on the rocks (shaken and served over ice). The original lime version of the margarita, as well as certain flavored versions, is sometimes served with a salted rim. The margarita has certainly evolved over the years, and fruit flavored margaritas are now wildly popular, with mango and strawberry being the most sought-after flavors aside from the original. While the Mexican margarita’s history is a bit hazy, there are many accounts of how the drink came to be, most of which involve a gorgeous woman. Here are just a few of the ways the mouthwatering margarita possibly got its start:   A Version of the “Daisy”? Probably the story that is most likely to be true is that the margarita is an adaptation of an …

Christopher Columbus has been attributed with many achievements, great and small; one of the ones that might slip your notice is the spread of the humble, capsaicin filled pocket-rocket that is the spicy chilli pepper! It’s true that when Columbus found the “New World” he opened up the world to the trade of such goods, but the real heros who brought us the world’s favourite pepper are the ancient Mesoamericans who domesticated the plant way back in 5000 BCE! If you are unfamiliar with the term “Mesoamerica,” it refers to the region of the American continent which stretches from Northern Costa Rica to Central Mexico; in this region, the chilli was domesticated, produced, and integrated into everyday life and culture long before Columbus even set sail! The chilli had many uses in ancient Mesoamerica; it was, of course, consumed on a daily basis in salsas, food, and even cacao drinks (we’ll touch on this later), but it was also used to fumigate homes and lend strength to medicinal remedies! In the Tehuacán Valley, the chilli …

Hiroshi Japanese restaurant located within the lush setting of the Garza Blanca Preserve in Puerto Vallarta is preparing for its 2017 edition of OMAKASE, which will feature a chef’s table experience for guests and locals alike.  Hot off of the heels of last year’s impressive success during the debut of OMAKASE, this year’s presentation will allow diners the chance to experience a distinctive style of dining that can be enjoyed during every alternate weekend in the months of July and August.   Letting the Chef Take Charge In Japanese culture, the word “omakase” refers to a special dining experience provided by the master chef, who will create a phenomenal meal which consists of several courses all carefully selected to surprise and delight the palates of everyone in attendance.  The OMAKASE chef’s table experience at Hiroshi will be no different, during which time the restaurant will host an acclaimed chef every two weeks.  Outstanding Japanese cuisine will take center stage during this special event where hotel guests and local residents alike can indulge their taste buds …

Mexico is a beautiful and wonderful country filled with some truly unique sights, sounds, and flavors; foodies from around the world are commonly delighted by Mexican cuisine! While chocolate infused mole, sizzling seafood, and savory pozole tantalize most of the tastebuds that pass through, there are some even more adventurous options available. Bugs on the menu Many foodies have begun to explore the centuries old, high-protein insect based diet that has been a staple of Mexican living. You see, long before tacos were filled with beef, pork, and fish, edible insects were found throughout Mexico. In fact, Mexico has the highest number of edible insects found anywhere in the world, and local know-how renders them delicious! Here are some of the highlights that you might find on the menu in Mexico: Gusanos (Maguey Worms) Gusanos, for those who don’t know, are those worms most commonly found at the bottom of mescal bottles. They’re rumoured to have aphrodisiacal qualities, too. In any case they’re high in protein and have a lovely, earthy flavor that really shines …

One of the most spectacular benefits of staying at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa is the stunning variety of cuisine that can be found within walking distance of your suite; some of the best restaurants in the Puerto Vallarta can be found on-site at the optional all inclusive resort. These include three gourmet restaurants with incredible views, and a snack bar that serves up delicious dishes.   In-Room Dining Certainly dining out can be said to be one of the best things about vacations, but there are times when you just crave the comforts of a meal in the privacy of your own space; this can be especially true if you are traveling with young children or having a romantic getaway for two. At Garza Blanca Resort & Spa there are plenty of opportunities for in-room dining, and better yet you needn’t cook! Does this sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not; you can order room service, or hire a private chef to handle all of the preparation and cooking for you. Room …

The culinary experiences you can expect at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta are second to none. In addition to treating yourself to amazing cuisine from four a la carte restaurants (Aquazul, Blana Blue, BocaDos STK and Hiroshi), it is now also possible to attend special dinners with various themes each month! Themed Dinners at Garza Blanca These special themed dinners are a way for Garza Blanca Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta to provide guests with extraordinary dining experiences in addition to the delectable cuisine featured on the regular menus of the onsite restaurants.  There is a different theme each month, which are often associated with particular public festivals and holidays such as the Mother’s Day dinner that was just held and the Father’s Day barbecue that will be taking place on June 18th.  In addition, some theme nights correlate with the current season or other traditions including last month’s Tropical Circus Night and the Brazilian Night that was held in March in recognition of Carnival.   Typically, these festive evenings are …