Last week we welcomed Chef David Castro Hussong, the extraordinary executive chef at Fauna, the 5-star restaurant in Valle De Guadalupe, to prepare a private dinner aboard Riviera. With wines from the Valle, Fernando Gaxiola of Baja Food & Wine paired each dish with some of the Valle’s best vintages. Chef David brought down the house or sank the boat, or whatever term best describes one of the most incredible meals I’ve ever had.
To be clear, this was our first “private dinner” aboard SV Riviera. We’re known for our spectacular charcuterie boards, and we’ve brought everything from freshly shucked oysters to Chicken McNuggets for our guests, but this was a whole other level. I was excited at the thought of a world-renowned chef cooking on my little boat, but I was also terrified. So much could go wrong, I thought. But as I helped the chef load onto the boat, I soon realized I had nothing to fear.
While sailing the bay, Fernando poured wine, and the guests relaxed. The weather was, per usual, perfect. We anchored in Coronado Island’s Glorietta Bay, and Chef started his culinary magic show!
This was an 8-course meal. The hits kept coming from charred cabbage, abalone in green sauce, yellowtail sashimi, and gobernador (shrimp, poblanos, and cheese) tacos! When Chef brought the barbecued quail out, I couldn’t believe my eyes. All these dishes came out of our little galley!
For more information about your own private culinary / sailing experience, please give me a call and we’ll dive into all the details!