Baja California restaurateurs hope stimulating San Diegans' taste buds will stimulate tourism in Baja California. Dozens of Baja restaurants will offer a free tasting in San Diego this Saturday.
It's the second year for the "Baja By the Sea" food, beer and wine festival.
This year's goal is the same as the last -- to try to revive tourism south of the border. The industry is still reeling from the combination of the U.S economic downturn, border waits, drug violence and then, swine flu.
Francisco Villegas heads Baja California's Restaurant Association.
"Baja California has an abundance of gastronomic riches from the sea and from the fields. He says the state produces 90-percent of the wine consumed in Mexico. And Baja has the only cheese cave in Latin America," says Villegas (translated from Spanish)
Villegas says it's difficult to measure if last year's "Baja By The Sea" drew visitors south.
But he says it did raise awareness of the region's offerings.
The event is this Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. at Seaport Village.
