Published On: Mon, Oct 9th, 2017

South Beach Seafood Festival Returns — Saturday, Oct 21

Florida’s favorite Seafood extravaganza returns, Bigger & Better than ever!  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 in South Beach.

The South Beach Seafood Festival is almost here!  The popular outdoor food & drink Festival (#SobeSeafood) kicks off south Florida’s famed stone crab season —  with five days of food, fun, drinks, culinary competitions, and general Seafood frenzy.  It all culminates on SATURDAY, October 21, with the spectacular 5th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival, right along South Beach.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to join thousands of fellow seafoodies in a day of food, drinks, entertainment, and casual SoBe fun — while feasting  upon gourmet samplings from Miami’s top Chefs and hottest restaurants. And what a Feast this will be!  Just check out the All-Star line-up of this year’s restaurants, includingA Fish Called Avalon, American Social, Café Avanti,  Celebrity Cruises, CIBO, CJ’s Crab Shack, Dragonfly, Goya Foods, the legendary Joe’s Stone Crabs, La Moderna, Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Meat Market featuring Miami Smokers, Naked Zone featuring Naked Crab, Naked Taco, & Naked Lunch, Nikki Beach, Ooh Raw, Papa’s Raw Bar, Greek powerhouse Poseidon, Red the Steakhouse, Rusty Pelican, Toro Toro, Truluck’s, Whole Foods Market, and more!  So get ready for Stone Crabs and more Stone Crabs —  along with over 60 exquisite seafood offerings such as Seafood Gyros, Lobster Tempura Skewers, Grilled Octopus, Mahi Mahi Sliders, Scallop BLTs, Raw Oysters, Shrimp Tacos, Lobster Roll Waffle Cones, Crab Cakes, Shrimp Parmesan, Surf n’ Turf (filet mignon & lobster!), and much, much more.

But of course, man (and woman) does not live by seafood alone – so you also get to enjoy unlimited beverages from the various complimentary Open Bars set up throughout the event! (21 and over)

Saturday’s main event starts at 12:00 noon, and goes until till 7:00 pm. The entrance will be located at 14th & Ocean Drive, and the event spans down on the beach until 10th Street.  And there’s a LOT more than just great food and drinks, with plenty of fun and festivities throughout the day. So relax and enjoy complimentary cocktails, craft beers, or fine wines, while you jam to the live music, enjoy chef demos or wine pairings, and play silly adult beach games. Or do it all – amidst the beauty and vibe of South Beach and ocean waves. In addition to all the Food samplings, Saturday’s festival also includes:

  • Chef Demonstrations in the Whole Foods Market Culinary Showcase Kitchen,
  • VIP Experiences in the Land Rover N&S Dade Hospitality Village featuring the GOYA Culinary Pavilion,
  • Kendall Jackson, La Crema, and Cambria Wine Pairing experiences,
  • South Florida’s Top Live Bands at the Main Stage,
  • iHeart Radio DJs at the Jack Daniel’s Beach Club,
  • Life-size Beach Games,
  • Pacifico Airstream,
  • The Coca-Cola Dance Club,
  • Casa Herradura,
  • Celebrity Cruises “The Edge” showcase,
  • Jackson Family Wines Sensory Garden Experience,
  • And of course, free Open Bars all day!

The party continues for VIP Ticket holders, as the Hospitality Village stays open for a VIP-only After Party from 7:00 -11:00 pm, where you can dance the night away!

And with ticket prices at only $45 (including Open Bars!), this is a luxury everyone can afford. The admission price is set low, so guests can pick & choose their favorite menu offerings at special event prices (most around $5-$8).  But for a truly memorable experience, go for the VIP package. VIP tickets ($150) include exclusive access to the VIP Hospitality Village, where you can enjoy VIP private samplings from select restaurants and exclusive VIP bars, relax under the cool tent, take advantage of special VIP restroom facilities, and receive  $20 worth of food vouchers for any of the other restaurant offerings – and get to enjoy the after-party hours VIP Party till 11:00 pm, and more.

“But Wait, There’s More!”  The Festival encompasses 5 days of culinary activity leading up to the Saturday main event, including:

VIP Chef Showdown: Friday, October 20, 7-11 pm

The battle of Miami’s best culinary seafood chefs! 16 chefs go head-to-head in 8 different seafood battles where you, the guests, are the judges!

2017 Showdown Battles are:

  • THE MAIN EVENT: BATTLE CRAB: 2-Time Champion, Chef Andre & Tyler Bienvenue of Joe’s Stone Crab, 2-Time Champion, Chef Peter Vauthy of Red The Steakhouse
  • BATTLE SURF N TURF: 2016 Champion, Chef Sean Brasel of Meat Market vs. Chef Chad Wyrosdick of Papa’s Raw Bar
  • BATTLE TACO: 2 Time Champion, Chef Bernie Matz of Bodega South Beach vs. Chef Santiago Gomez of Tacology
  • BATTLE SHRIMP: 2 Time Champion, Chef Carlos Pimentel of Mondrian South Beach vs. Chef Nicolas Cabrera of Lure Fishbar
  • BATTLE TUNA: 2016 Champion, Chef Jean Delgado of Toro vs. Chef Jim Pastor of Rusty Pelican
  • BATTLE FISH: 2016 Champion, Chef Demetrios Pyliotis of Poseidon vs. Chef Massimo Giannattasio of CIBO Wine Bar
  • BATTLE SUSHI: (New!) Chef Kiichi Okabe of Lure Fishbar vs. Chef Masatomo Hamaya of Dragonfly
  • The official OYSTER PIT (New!): Chef James Versfelt of Shelborne vs. Chef Jordan Marano of Ella’s Oyster Bar

Each restaurant designs a sampling station around the tasting village, making it easy and fun for guests to eat, eat, eat and vote! Chefs from each battle will then take the Macy’s Showcase Kitchen stage and prepare their dishes LIVE, while Miami’s favorite famous foodies will judge each showdown and add their votes.

Also enjoy the Herradura Cocktail Showdown, with top bartenders competing for the coveted Miami’s Best Bartender crown.  Friday’s Chef Showdown event is located in GOYA’s Culinary Pavilion at 11th & Ocean Drive, inside the Land Rover N&S Dade Hospitality Village.)

OTHER events throughout the week include:

*  Crabs, Slabs, & Cabs at Shelborne Hotel – (New!): Tuesday, October 17, 6:30-9:30 pm  (presented by Jackson Family Wines and Menin Hospitality)

*  Cooking & Cocktails at Meat Market, Wednesday, October 18, 6:30-9:30 pm (hosted by GOYA, Herradura, and Meat Market)

*  An Evening at Joe’s Stone Crab! – Thursday, October 19, 6:30-9:30 pm (presented by La Crema)

Festival Proceeds go to benefit the Community Initiatives (CI) Foundation, and its valiant EAT SMART program.

The 5th annual SOUTH BEACH SEAFOOD FESTIVAL takes place SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 from 12:00 noon through 7:00 pm, with an extended VIP After Party until 11:00 pm. The entrance is located at 14th & Ocean Drive on South Beach, and the event spans down on the beach until 10th Street.  Additional events take place along the Beach and in nearby restaurants and hotels from Tuesday – Friday, Oct 17-20. The Festival is open to the public, but must be 21+ to consume alcohol.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.sobeseafoodfest.com.  VIP Weekend passes are available for Friday and Saturday.  Hotel packages are available through our host hotel properties, Mondrian or Shelborne. Email info@sobeseafoodfest.com     Additional information is found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @sobeseafoodfest.

See you at the Beach!~

For more information about CI Management and its EAT SMART program, visit www.ci-mgt.com

For more information about Restaurant Placement Group, visit www.RestaurantPlacement.com

TAGS:   South Beach Seafood Festival, Miami, Seafood, Events, Festivals, Food & Wine, Chefs, Restaurants, Restaurant Placement Group, South Beach, Chef Competitions, Wine Pairings, CI Management, CI Foundation, EAT SMART,  

About South Beach Seafood Festival: The iconic South Beach Seafood Festival, brought to you by Breakthru Beverage Florida and CI Management, kicks off Miami’s globally-recognized stone crab season every October. This high-end experience that showcases the talents of South Florida’s leading chefs and culinary masterminds via a diverse group of events. Visit www.sobeseafoodfest.com for more information or on Facebook and Instagram @sobeseafoodfest. 

 About CI Management: CI Management Group is a South Florida based event management company with over 20 years of hosting non-profit fundraising events. In addition to its impressive client roster, CI Management is the managing partner and owner of South Beach Seafood Festival and other South Florida events, including the famed Las Olas Wine & Food Festival. Visit www.ci-mgt.com , Facebook or Instagram @wearecimgt , or contact us at 305-255-3500.

 About CI Foundation: Community Initiatives (CI) Foundation, the beneficiary of the South Beach Seafood Festival, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect individuals and corporations with children and families in need through hands on programming focused on educational, nutritional and specialty needs. CI Foundation has started the EAT SMART program thanks to the help of the partners of the South Beach Seafood Festival support youth educational initiatives to help them foster creativity and find the balance between healthy eating and healthy living in Miami Dade County.

 

About the Author

Discover more from The Boca Raton Tribune

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading