New York, USA – Gastronomy aficionados and connoisseurs who attend the 30th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the U.S.’s premier culinary festival, had the opportunity to sample a taste of what Puerto Vallarta has to offer in the tantalizing delicacies prepared by Chef Kori Sutton, the Sous Chef at BOCADOSSTK, one of Puerto Vallarta’s leading restaurants and part of Garza Blanca Preserve Resort.

Accomplished Chef Sutton has more than 10 years’ experience in all facets of cooking including tenures at Vallarta’s renowned restaurant Café des Artistes. While at the three day event Sutton offered Tomatillo Gazpacho with Mezcal, Lime Grilled Shrimp Season with toasted Gaujillo Chill Sea salt, Platano Macho Gorditas topped with Gaujillo Chili Rub Pork and Mango Confit, Baby watercress with Grilled Scallops, Aguachile Cream and Escabache Shallots, showcasing some of the many flavors found in the dishes of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta’s rich natural ingredients and beauty have been a source of inspiration for the creation of an exciting amalgam of flavors that blend traditional Mexican ingredients with contemporary tastes from around the globe. Visitors will find some of the world’s most fabulous restaurants, many of them Five Star Diamond Award recipients from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, offering menus that represent a combination of the destination’s unique mix of sea, mountains and colonial traditions.

Gastronomy is an integral part of Puerto Vallarta where Saint Pascual Bailon, the Patron Saint of cooks, is a fixture in its infrastructure with a bronze statue of him is part of the destination’s waterfront boardwalk, the Malecon. The statue is engraved with the winners of the San Pascual awards, inspired by a Franciscan Friar and been give out since 2008 during Restaurant Week, held every year, during the last two weeks of May. The 2012 recipients were Chefs Guillermo González Beristaín, José Ramón Castillo and Juan Ramón Cárdenas Cantú.

In November of every year, Puerto Vallarta embraces its culinary scene with the annual International Gourmet Festival. Taking place from the 8th to the 18th of November, the 10-day festival features 30 star guest master chefs and participating restaurants offering special Chef’s Table and Winemaker dinners as well as cooking demonstrations, gourmet safaris, and cheese, wine and tequila tastings.

During the month of March visitors to Puerto Vallarta can enjoy the Vallarta Wine Fest, a yearly event that brings wines from Mexico, South America and beyond. Participating restaurants across Puerto Vallarta offer wine tasting and food pairing inside their establishments and at outdoor Wine Fest events featuring live entertainment.

In addition to offering visitors a culinary smorgasbord, Puerto Vallarta's combination of simple pleasures and sophisticated charms make it one of Mexico’s most popular destinations. And, according to a recent report by Thomas Dale & Associates (TDA), a leading global investigative and security firm, the international destination is one of the safest for American and Canadian travelers.