Florida’s biggest and best Seafood extravaganza returns, Bigger & Better than ever”
By Kenny Spahn
The South Beach Seafood Festival is almost here! The famed outdoor food & drink Festival (#SobeSeafood) kicks off south Florida’s famed stone crab season, with five days of food, fun, culinary competitions, creative cocktails, South Beach scenery, and general seafood frenzy. It all culminates SATURDAY, October 20, with the spectacular 6th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival, right along the majestic South Beach.
Saturday’s showcase event spans five full blocks, as over 14,000 seafoodies come to enjoy a day of fun, drinks, live entertainment, and fun in the South Beach sun.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to sample seafood sensations from south Florida’s hottest restaurants and top Chefs, including: A Fish Called Avalon, Billy G. Catering, Bodega Taqueria, Café Avanti, Cibo Wine Bar, Cielito Artisan Pops, CJ’s Crab Shack, Dragonfly, Ella’s Oyster Bar, Estiatorio Milos, Chef Jodi Moreno, the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab, Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Naked Crab and Naked Taco (by Taco Battle Champion Chef Ralph Pagano) Nitro Galactic, Old Lisbon, Oooh, Raw, Papa’s Raw Bar, Greek powerhouse Poseidon, Red The Steakhouse, Rusty Pelican, Shelborne South Beach, Stiltsville Fish Bar, Tanuki, The Lobster Shack, Truluck’s, Wynwood Parlor, Goya Foods, Coca Cola beverages, and more!
So get ready for Stone Crabs, Stone Crabs, and more Stone Crabs — along with a hundred-or-so other offerings, from Sushi and Ceviche, to Lobster Rolls and Lamb & Shrimp Gyros; to Shrimp Tacos and Mahi Mahi Sliders, to Crab Cakes and Conch Fritters plus of course, some of Miami’s famed Key Lime Pie, and other sweet treats. And it gets even better, with free all-day open bars for everyone!
But there’s a lot more than just great food and drink here, with plenty of fun and festivities throughout the day. In fact, as festival organizer CI Management notes “this year’s South Beach Seafood Festival is all about the upgrade.” In addition to all the Food samplings and open bars on Saturday’, you also get to:
- Walk in and party at the Jack Daniels Club, featuring a live music stage,
- Get silly with the life-size beach games,
- Shoot some hoops with friends at the all new Jack Daniels’ basketball court,
- Celebrate with the freshest seafood samplers from GOYA Foods’ Executive Chef, Fernando Desa,
- Visit the Coca Cola Room featuring Coca Cola, Zico, Core Power, and Yup,
- Check out the hot new wheels at the Cadillac display,
- Sip on the craftiest Miami cocktails at any of the Finlandia, Herradura, Jack Daniels, or Woodford mixology experiences,
- Learn to grow your citrus from Via Citrus,
- Sit down and absorb some culinary education from the pros in the Milam’s Market Culinary Showcase Kitchen featuring chefs from the likes of Chef Norman Van Aiken, and
- Sit back and relax, or get up and dance to the many live bands playing.
- Experience the live Culinary Battles between some of the area’s top Chefs, including:
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- Battle Oyster: Champion Chef James Versfelt vs. Challenger Chef Reiner Mendez
- Battle Tuna: Champion Chef Jim Pastor vs. Challenger Chef Raul A. Del Poz
- Battle Fish: 3-Time Champion Chef Demetrios Pyliotis vs. Challenger Juan Garriga
- Battle Sushi: Champion Chef Masa Hamaya vs. Challenger Chef Edwin Delgado
- Battle Surf n’ Turf: 2-Time Champion Chef Sean Brasel vs. Challenger Chef Jeffrey Williams
- Battle Lobster: Challenger Chef David Salinas vs. Challenger Chef Jarod Higgins
- Main Event – Battle Taco: 3-Time Champion Chef Bernie Matz vs. Challenger Chef Ralph PaganoExperience incredible Culinary Competitions between the area’s top chefs, including:
- The event will also feature the 3rd Annual Brown Forman Cocktail Showdown, hosted inside Woodford’s Speak Easy, featuring 10 top competing bartenders in South Florida making ocean inspired cocktails! Trust us, these are not your typical cocktails! Come enjoy the show.
And it gets even better with VIP Experience! VIP ticket holders enjoy exclusive access to the 1½ block Land Rover South Dade VIP Hospitality Village, featuring:
- Private VIP line to Joe’s Stone Crab Miami for some of the best seafood in Miami,
- Woodford Reserve speakeasy with all day live music,
- Walk-through of the California Wine Country with William Hill,
- Interactive Celebrity Cruises “EDGE” rooftop,
- Baptist Health South Florida Health and Yoga wellness retreat,
Plus, oversized GOYA Culinary Pavilion, including The GOYA Sampling Experience, Papa’s Raw Bar Seafood World, and The Coca Cola College Game Zone. And then as the sun sets, the GOYA culinary pavilion turns into the ultimate dance party brought to you by Rockwell Talent with extended hours until 9:00 PM.
“But Wait, There’s More!” In addition to Saturday’s main event, The Festival encompasses 5 days of culinary activity leading up to the Saturday main event, including:
- Tuesday, October 16, 6:30-10PM: An Evening at Joe’s Stone Crab
- Wednesday, October 17, 6:30-10PM: Cooking & Cocktails at Meat Market, hosted by GOYA, Herradura, and Meat Market and hosted by Sincerely Miami and StickAForkInMe
- Thursday, October 18, 6:30-10PM: Crabs, Slabs, and Cabs at Shelborne Hotel, presented by Gallo Wines and Menin Hospitality and hosted by The Food-e and Miami Food Porn
- Friday, October 19, 7-11PM: The ultimate VIP CHEF SHOWDOWN. 14 of South Florida top chefs do battle in any of 7 different seafood battles – and guests then get to sample the stations and vote for their favorites!
VIP Weekend passes are available for Friday and Saturday events, with additional options for hotel package inclusions at host hotel properties, Mondrian or Shelborne. Email info@sobeseafoodfest.com for more information.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.sobeseafoodfest.com. Also checkout Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @sobeseafoodfest.
The event week benefits the Community Initiatives (CI) Foundation, and its valiant EAT SMART program.
See you in South Beach for the best seafood festival!
About South Beach Seafood Festival: The South Beach Seafood Festival, 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 Restaurant Placement Group: Restaurant Placement Group is the exclusive recruiting, placement, and consulting service for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Visit www.RestaurantPlacement.com