Solmar Hotels & Resorts, the collection of seven all-suite properties in Los Cabos, has launched an exclusive Farm to Table experience designed to take guests behind the scenes on the art of creating a gourmet meal. In order to craft an educating experience for guests, the hotelier has developed the Farm to Table experience to highlight the crucial importance of quality ingredients in a meal, Alberto Collarte, Executive Chef at Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa, leads this intimate experience by introducing guests to the process of produce selection, preparation and tasting.
“The Farm to Table experience exemplifies our dedication to crafting unique experiences for our valued guests,” said Ricardo Orozco, VP of Operations of Solmar Hotels & Resorts. “We are excited to offer guests a glimpse of how each gourmet meal is made within our resorts and couldn’t be more excited to have Chef Alberto Collarte leading the unique culinary journey,” he added.
Born in Santiago de Chile, Chef Collarte’s passion for gastronomy directed him through an array of kitchens throughout the world. One of his career highlights was his private service on a yacht, sailing from the west coast of North America and Central America, from Alaska to Panama, creating culinary experiences for Solmar Hotels & Resorts founder, Don Luis Bulnes. Today, Collarte spearheads the Farm to Table experience with his innovative cuisine he defines as mestizo, due to the mix of his travels and culinary vision with his love for Baja’s unique produce.
The Farm to Table experience explores all of the aspects of creating a gourmet dish in two stages:
Produce Selection
While guests sit back and enjoy Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa’s numerous amenities, Chef Collarte selects the ingredients to use for the experience at one of Solmar Hotels & Resorts’ main produce providers, Baja Fresh Farm in Pescadero, a small village an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. Baja Fresh takes pride in being a local farmer with CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified organic products that not only provides wholesale fresh produce, but also delivers to the local Baja area. Picking the produce needed for the menu is a joint effort Collarte calls ‘knowledge exchange’, as Chef Collarte explains the purpose of the ingredients he’ll be using before the selection, and Baja Fresh in turn explains the processes behind growing and harvesting the produce. Solmar Hotels & Resort’s vendors benefit from this exchange by understanding what their chefs are looking for in their products depending on the menu, thus maximizing the quality of the produce. The selection process also applies to meat and seafood. For example, when selecting fish, Collarte visits sustainable farms and first evaluates the animal’s habitat and feeding and sacrificing processes, as they directly affect the flavor and textures of the final product.
Preparation and Tasting
After the ingredients are chosen, guests are invited to get hands on with Chef Collarte’s selected produce at a cooking class at La Roca, Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa’s signature restaurant. Here, the ingredients will be transformed into their desired gourmet dish. Guests can choose to cook a dish from the a la carte menu, or take part in a six-course tasting menu, expertly paired with a wine selection by La Roca’s master sommelier. During the cooking class, Chef Collarte will recount his experience of picking the ingredients at the local farm and how the quality directly impacts the end result of the product, melding his experience at the farm to the guests’ tables. Featured dishes in the six-course tasting menu vary from international fare, including Oaxacalifornia vegetarian Tlayuda with beans, zucchini flower, topped with fresh Oaxaca cheese, and a fresh catch of the day roasted with fresh clams, fava beans, potatoes, carrots, local sausage and mussels.
The Farm to Table experience enlightens guests about the art of gourmet cuisine while taking a bite of Cabo’s local produce. Guests can swiftly coordinate the Farm to Table experience through the Concierge service at all of the Solmar Hotels & Resorts properties. The six-course tasting menu costs $125 USD and is offered for a minimum of two guests and a maximum of 15. For information and reservations, visit www.solmar.com
