Thursday, August 14, 2008

August 14, 2008

Gourmands Also Have the Opportunity to Win a Free Riviera Nayarit Trip for Two to Attend Gourmet Festival

RIVIERA NAYARIT, Mexico - Mexico's newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, is a sun-drenched getaway with 100 miles of Pacific beaches plus abundant nature and adventure attractions as well as wonderfully diverse cuisine from authentic Mexican specialties served in seaside restaurants in tiny fishing villages to elegant fine dining. Visitors should plan to visit November 13th-23rd to enjoy the Festival Gourmet International Mexico which is celebrating Riviera Nayarit's "treasure trove" of cuisine and quality restaurants. The Festival will offer special menus by 25 participating restaurants, cooking demonstrations by the area's talented chefs, wine tastings, chef's tables and much more. For more information on participating restaurants, programs and reservations visit http://www.festivalgourmet.com/

Gourmands can also vie to win a four-night stay at the new Hotel des Artistes (European Plan), two roundtrip airline tickets, airport/hotel transfers, and four complimentary meals for two during the Gourmet Festival. All entrants need to do is come up with a creative name for an entrée dish created by chef Thierry Blouet of the Café des Artistes del Mar in Riviera Nayarit and they stand to win this amazing prize. No purchase necessary, only one entry per person and all fully completed entries must be submitted by October 6th, 2008. For full set of rules, regulations and how to enter competition visit http://www.rivieranayarit.com/

Riviera Nayarit's featured restaurants this year in the Festival include the Café des Artistes del Mar which just opened this year under the helm of chef Thierry Blouet who is known for his original outpost, Café des Artistes in neighboring Puerto Vallarta. Other participating restaurants include Aramara at the luxurious Four Seasons in the exclusive Riviera Nayarit enclave of Punta Mita; Bellavista at The Marival Resort & Suites; La Casona at the Villa La Estancia; Piaf at Grand Velas Resort & Spa; Frascati in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Green Break at the Grand Mayan Resort.

Visit the Festival's website for more details on special events (subject to change and availability). Highlights include:

* Gourmet Festival Brunch at The Villa del Palmar, Flamingos Beach Resort & Spa on November 16th, from Noon - 3:00 p.m.
* Cooking demonstration at Frascati Restaurant in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on November 17th at 10:00 a.m.
* Chef's Table and Winemakers Dinner at Grand Mayan Resort's Green Break Restaurant on November 20 at 8:00 p.m.
* Chef's Table and Winemakers Dinner at La Casona at Villa La Estancia on November 21 at 8:00 p.m.

The Festival Gourmet International was founded approximately 13 years ago by Thierry Blouet of Café des Artistes, Heinz Reize of Hotel Krystal and Silvan Müller of Nestlé, initially to promote Riviera Nayarit's neighboring Puerto Vallarta's vibrant and excellent restaurants. With the launch of Riviera Nayarit in 2007, the destination was invited as a co-participant to enrich the profile of the gastronomic scene locally and internationally.

About Riviera Nayarit

Riviera Nayarit is Mexico's newest travel destination stretching along 100 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by spectacular mountains to the north of renowned Puerto Vallarta. Mostly undeveloped, the destination extends from the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta to the historic, colonial town of San Blas, including exclusive Punta Mita and the spectacular Banderas Bay. The region features luxury resorts and eco-tourism boutique hotels, world-renowned surfing, four professional golf courses, rare native wildlife including sea turtles and tropical birds, mountain and island adventures, shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts, charming fishing towns and miles of serene beaches. For more information, visit: http://www.rivieranayarit.com/.

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