By Kenny Spahn
Save the Date, fellow foodies – the 10th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival is coming soon!
Now celebrating its 10th year, the South Beach Seafood Festival is one of south Florida’s favorite events, and has already been recognized as one of the leading seafood festivals in the country. The four-day
Food- and fun-filled festival is “a curated culinary showcase that couples South Florida’s bounty of seafood with the region’s most notable chefs and restaurants,” with special programming including a new $10,000 Top Chef Grand Prize, live music, and more. It all kicks off Wednesday, October 19, and culminates in the signature South Beach Seafood Festival along South Beach’s scenic Lumus Park on Saturday, October 22.
Look for my upcoming article with more details, but in the meantime, here’s a quick overview of the weekend’s festivities:
DAY 1: AN EVENING AT JOE’S STONE CRAB (Wed, Oct 19): This exclusive dining adventure at the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab consists of a five-course meal showcasing Executive Chef Andre Bienvenu’s cuisine paired with fine wines curated by master sommeliers Tickets to the highly exclusive event are available for $500, and usually sell out quickly.
Where: Joe’s Stone Crab; 11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL
DAY 2: CRABS, SLABS, & CABS (Thurs, Oct 20): This one-of-a-kind fine dining experience features an exquisite 5-course formal dinner in a tropical oasis set for the ultimate seafood extraordinaire. GOYA’s Executive Chef, Fernando Desa will be joined by some of Miami’s finest chefs, including celebrated restaurateur José Mendín; Fiola’ Danny Ganem; Meat Market’s Sean Brasel; Chef Javier Carballo of The Social Club at Surfcomber; and Luca Osteria’s Chef/Owner Giorgio Rapicavoli. Limited to 150 guests, attendees will explore flavors from around the world as each chef presents a different course showcasing their own interpretation of the delicious surf n turf pairing.
Where: The High Tide Beach Club at Miami’s Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel.
DAY 3: – CHEF SHOWDOWN (Fri, Oct 21): Join Miami’s top chefs for an evening of competitive culinary cook-offs where attendees will serve as the judges as they indulge in endless seafood dishes and refreshing cocktails. Enjoy the live action of a real-life “Iron Chef” type showdown, where 16 of the area’s top Chefs will battle it out head-to-head in eight unique seafood showdowns – and you get to judge! Each battle will have one lucky champ. And new this year, one MVP will be selected as the overall winner and take home the $10,000 Grand Prize!
Where: Lummus Park; 1130 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL
DAY 4: – The SOUTH BEACH SEAFOOD FESTIVAL (Saturday, Oct 22): The celebrated Main Event spans four blocks on the sands of South Beach, and will feature select offerings from dozens of the finest seafood restaurants from Miami and beyond. In addition to an assortment of restaurant pop-ups and complimentary all-day open bars for all, along with live music stages, interactive sponsor experiences, beach games, and much more. Attendees will enjoy shareable portions of stone crabs, lobster waffle cones, steak and lobster skewers, ceviche, oysters, shrimp tacos, and shrimp cocktails among others. VIP ticket holders will gain access to a one-and-a-half block private village with exclusive experiences, private complimentary samplings, and more for the ultimate VIP guest.
Tickets are only $50 for General Admission; and $150 for VIP
Where: Lummus Park; 1400 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL
Make it a weekend! Special weekend package tickets are available. And his year’s host hotel, the newly revamped Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel (1717 Collins Avenue), is offering special Packages for two including festival tickets and a hotel room
A complete article with a complete list of the participating restaurants and more details will be coming soon – so stay tuned! But these events often sell out early – so order your tickets now! For more information and to purchase tickets to the 10th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival, visit sobeseafoodfest.com. Follow along on Instagram at @sobeseafoodfest and Facebook @SOBESeafoodFest.
The South Beach Seafood Festival takes place Saturday, Oct 22 at Lummus Park (14th & Ocean Drive, on the beach) in Miami Beach from 12:00 noon – 7:00 pm (9:00 pm for VIP ticket holders). Festival ticket prices are only $50 General Admission, $150 for VIP, or a complete Weekend Pass for $250, with additional options for a hotel package.
To purchase tickets go to: sobeseafoodfest.com/seafood-festival-tickets
For more information, visit: www.sobeseafoodfest.com; or contact info@sobeseafoodfest.com. Also check out Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @sobeseafoodfest.
About CI Management: The South Beach Seafood Festival is produced by CI Management, a South Florida event management company with over 20 years of hosting non-profit fundraising events. CI Management is also brings us the famed Las Olas Wine & Food Festival each year, along with Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring Championship Fishing Week, and Experience SOFI. For more information, visit www.ci-mgt.com. Also Facebook or Instagram @wearecimgt, or call 305-255-3500.
About Restaurant Placement Group: Restaurant Placement Group is the exclusive recruiting, placement, and consulting service for the restaurant and hospitality industry. President Ken Spahn is a renowned food critic, culinary columnist, and restaurant consultant, and has been writing about the south Florida culinary scene for 20 years. For more information, please visit: www.RestaurantPlacement.com.
TAGS: South Beach Seafood Festival, Miami Beach, Miami, Seafood, Events, Festivals, Food & Wine, Chefs, Restaurants, Restaurant Placement Group, Chef Competitions, RestaurantPlacement.com, CI Management, CI Foundation, EAT SMART