2nd Annual Riviera Maya Food Festival Exceeds All Expectations

Playa del Carmen, Mexico, November 28, 2010 --(PR.com)-- On Sunday, November 21, 2010, 43 of the Riviera Maya’s most talented chefs, restaurateurs, beverage purveyors and specialty food merchants gathered in the Parque Fundadores, just steps from the beaches of Playa del Carmen, to present their signature dishes and culinary creations to over 7000 local residents and visitors to the popular Mexican Caribbean city.

“The event far exceeded our expectations this year!” reported event Chairperson Nicola Inwood. “The small businesses who made up the participants in both the restaurant and marketplace areas truly reflected the international influences that make up the modern Riviera Maya.” The local restaurants, bars and food retailers represented this year offered truly world class dishes for food lovers from across the globe who came to enjoy the Caribbean sun and experience the best of traditional Mexican and international cuisine.

The Travel Channel’s Mark DeCarlo was the celebrity host of this culinary festival and worked through the crowd talking with guests, meeting the participants and sponsors and signing copies of his new book, “A Fork on the Road, 400 Cities One Stomach.” A popular new attraction for the Taste of Playa 2010 event was the cooking demonstration area. Throughout the day, Mr. DeCarlo hosted a series of informative and humorous demonstrations of regional dishes with Chefs from the region. These presentations attracted quite a crowd and added a new level of fun to an already exciting day.

The members of the Volunteer Executive Committee are pleased to be able to make a significant charitable contribution to the Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen, the beneficiary of this year’s event proceeds and are already making plans for 2011. Following the overwhelming success of this year’s event, Corporate Sponsors have been eager to commit their support and restaurants that were unable to secure a spot for this year have started to sign on early for Taste of Playa 2011.

Taste of Playa is a community-focused culinary event that celebrates the creativity and diverse cultural influences of chefs throughout the Riviera Maya. Taste of Playa 2010 will take place on November 21, 2010, in Playa del Carmen’s Parque Fundadores. The event is open to the public, with tickets and all-inclusive VIP passes available for sale on the official event website http://www.tasteofplaya.com. Proceeds from the event will go to a food education program initiated by the Rotary Club in Playa del Carmen that will directly benefit the children and families of the Riviera Maya. Photos from the event are available.

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