The Caesar salad, the margarita, the fish taco—Baja’s cuisine is so iconic, it was recently named a cultural treasure to the state by the World Tourism Organization. And there’s no better time to sample it all than the Baja California Culinary Fest in Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe October 24-27.
The four-day event kicks off Thursday with an inaugural dinner hosted by Food Network chef Marcela Valladolid. Other events include cooking competitions, celeb chef cooking demos, a culinary expo featuring Tijuana’s best street food and 7-course wine-pairing dinners at restaurants like Mision 19 and La Condesa. For those who have always wanted to know the true story about the creation of the Caesar salad, there’s even a play about its origins on Oct. 26 at the Tijuana Cultural Center and yes, a Caesar salad tasting will follow.