The gardens of Hotel Rosarito opened their doors to host the third edition of Crossing South Wine & Food, an event that promotes the cuisine and wines of Baja California.

The most renowned chefs from 20 participating restaurants offered exquisite dishes that have been featured on the San Diego television show Crossing South, hosted by Jorge Meraz, creator of this gastronomic festival.

Crossing South emerged as an initiative to give Jorge Meraz’s audience the opportunity to enjoy the best dishes from Baja California in one place, with the support of CANIRAC and the host, Hotel Rosarito.

Restaurants from Tijuana, Tecate, Mexicali, Ensenada, and of course, Rosarito participated — including Susanas, Santorini with its Mediterranean cuisine, Sages Bistro & Catering, Restaurante Occio with innovative seafood dishes, Brocha, Amores, La Justina, Hacienda Badú, among others.

A standout moment was the participation of Armando Villegas with his legendary Caesar Salad Master recipe, which he has been preparing for 40 years. Also notable were young chefs from Restaurante Occio, who presented samples of their finest seafood dishes, some prepared with ritualistic touches and deep, savory flavor.

Complementing the tasting of the wide variety of dishes were wines from 15 Baja California wineries and a live artistic and musical performance.

The organizers thanked the attending public for making this third edition of Crossing South a success.