The recent Baja Culinary Fest featured cooking demos, panel discussions and the opportunity to sample tasty tidbits, beer, wine and products from some of Baja’s best. And at this year’s Fest, I witnessed not only a recognition of the exploding Baja culinary scene, but also a true feeling of pride among all, including presenters, exhibitors and attendees.

Saturday morning’s program at Tijuana’s CECUT was eye-opening. Chef Daniel Ovadia, best known for restaurants Paxia and Nudo Negro in el D.F. (aka Mexico City), plated interesting and lovely dishes (I must try his chicharrón de pescado!) while sharing stories and philosophies (todo en español) with the mostly young, local crowd of about 150 who hung on to his every word. The professional and polished videos he showed documented the popularity of Paxia, as well as the hard work but also incredible camaraderie and pride of his staff. How can a chef so young have built such an empire? Must be his talent, passion and dexterity in blending Pre-Columbian ingredients and recipes with edgy, up-to-date techniques and touches.

Chef Darren Walsh of Lula Bistro in Guadalajara was equally as entertaining. During his “Arte en Plato” demonstration, Chef Darren regaled us with stories of his passions for languages, cultures and cuisine while he created culinary masterpieces that were literally suitable for framing.

These presentations provided a solid foundation on Mexico’s current culinary scene. But being a cross-border fan, I was most excited to be present for the “Alta California meets Baja California” panel . . . and it did not disappoint.

Moderator Bill Esparza opened with the thought-provoking comment that for many years, Mexican food in the U.S. has been defined not by Mexicanos, but by Americans, like Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless. And for many years, Mexico looked to Europe (France, Italy) for high cuisine, rather than embracing its own. The panelists – Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos (both in L.A.) plus Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria and Eduardo Ruiz of Corazon y Miel (both in Orange County) – joined prominent and popular Baja/San Diego Chef Javier Plascencia to discuss their individual mash-ups of cultures/cuisines. All grew up with Mexican/Latino cultures and incorporated those roots, but evolved into a new style without walls or rules, learning from each other and making this cuisine their own. After providing many interesting insights – including tales of patrons with very narrow views and expectations of Mexican food – the panelists closed by agreeing that it’s their responsibility to change perceptions about Mexican cuisine while continuing to promote and provide new dining experiences.

Baja’s been the brunt of negative publicity the past several years, keeping many tourists away. But those of us who never stopped crossing south have witnessed (and been willing participants in) the evolution of Baja’s cutting-edge culinary scene. The 2015 Baja Culinary Fest – well-organized and professionally staged – demonstrated the locals’ recognition of and profound pride in what is now globally renowned. They’ve been in on the ground floor and are now basking in the spotlight. Right on; ¡sí se puede! If you’ve not experienced the Baja culinary revolution – and its counterparts in Alta California – you’re missing out. Now’s the time!