South Beach Seafood Festival Preview Luncheon
The South Beach Seafood Festival kicked off promotions for its 3rd Annual festival with an exclusive preview luncheon at City Hall Restaurant. The media-only event focused on what to expect from the upcoming festival in October, and we can tell you this: if this preview was any indication, this is one festival that foodies won’t want to miss!
Guests at City Hall were treated to a mouth-watering four-course meal, courtesy of City Hall’s Luis Lopez. Each course was accompanied by a pairing of delicious Hess Wines, as well as some fun interactive activities, such a mini cooking class and make-your-own-mojitos, compliments of Bacardi USA.
We started with the tender Tuna Tartar, which was quickly followed by Shrimp and Grits, bathed in City Hall’s tasty signature sauce. And just when we were starting to think we were too full to eat any more came out the 3rd – and absolute best — course: the festival’s top selling Mahi Slider. The extravagant meal wrapped up with City Hall’s most popular dessert, the irresistible Chocolate Chip Croissant Bread Pudding.
In between courses, guests had the opportunity to go inside the kitchen with Chef Lopez himself to watch the delectable dishes get made first hand during an interactive cooking class.
The 2015 SoBe Seafood Festival commences in October — just in time for stone crab season — with A Wine Pairing Evening at Joe’s, an intimate dinner exclusive to just 50 very lucky diners. Other events include the Chef Showdown, in which some of Miami’s top chefs battle it out in a series of competitive cook-offs, and Cooking & Cocktails, a live pilot episode taping which is described as “an interactive night of course creation and cocktail consumption.”
Saturday, October 24, is an all day event (1-9 p.m.), and will feature 15 restaurants from all around Miami, including Joe’s Stone Crab, Oceanaire, Red The Steakhouse, and many more.
If their media luncheon proved anything, it’s that the SoBe Seafood Festival isn’t about sample sizes and small tastings; it’s about a true culinary experience, featuring the best the participating restaurants have to offer. They like to think of themselves as an “eating festival” rather than a simple tasting event. Full sized dishes are available for a steal at $5-$10, with over 50 menu items to choose from.
And as if that’s not enough, all festival tickets will include a full open bar.
Festival Access tickets start at just $25, and are available at that price for a limited time. For those looking for a VIP experience, All-Access tickets are currently available for $100 and will go up to $150 at the end of July.
To purchase tickets, visit www.sobeseafoodfest.com
Lauren Cohen was born and raised in Miami Beach and graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in Motion Pictures. She has been writing about film since 2009, with her movie reviews and features appearing regularly in Examiner.com and Miami Beach News, among others. She’s interviewed some of the most recognizable faces in the film industry, including Daniel Craig, Emma Stone, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Javier Bardem. An avid supporter of the arts, Lauren also works with the Miami Film Festival to promote the best of world cinema to the Miami community.
