15 September 14-20, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | “We’re here to celebrate South Florida,” Valerie tells New Times. “The restaurants, the partners, the people that work day in and day out to make this destination what it is — and the validation that people want to come and celebrate with them is what it’s all about.” In its first year, the SBSF was a humble one-block, one-day event. “It was a mess,” Valerie confesses. “We had some of our family members lugging ice down the beach, my husband’s brother showed up to support us, and we put him to work. We didn’t know what we were doing. But now, 11 years later, we’ve figured it out.” She says this year’s presale is already dou- ble last year’s, a testament to the festival’s growing success. As always, the 2023 SBSF lineup begins with “An Evening at Joe’s,” followed by a chef collaboration dinner on Thursday, a chef showdown on Friday, and the main festival on Saturday. The annual dinner is on Wednesday, October 18, at Joe’s Stone Crab. The dinner will host just 50 guests for $500 per person. The five-course menu is paired with wines and cocktails by Jack Daniel’s, Herradura, and Finlandia. On Thursday, October 19, the festival hosts its chef collaboration dinner, “Crabs, Slabs, & Cabs,” at the Kimpton Beachcomber for $250 per person. Chefs José Mendín (Pubbelly Su- shi), Diego Oka (La Mar), Sean Brasel (Meat Market), Giorgio Rapicavoli (Luca Osteria & Eating House), and Carlos Garcia (Leku) col- laborate with Goya Foods’ executive chef Fer- nando Desa to create their take on each dish of the five-course meal. Next, the festival hits the beach at Lum- mus Park for its annual chef showdown and tasting. On Friday, October 20, chefs go head-to- head to create the “perfect seafood dish” in their category. The judges and a general vote decide a winner. The event allows guests to meet the chefs and the team behind their fa- vorite local restaurants as they put on a show. “What I like about this year’s lineup is it goes along with the theme of why we do this event,” adds Valerie. “We have restaurants coming from all the neighborhoods. South Florida is not just about Miami Beach or downtown; we have restaurants from all over. I think that’s the message that Miami is so eclectic and has so many new places to go.” On Saturday, October 21, the festival cul- minates with its outdoor tasting. Set to take over four blocks in Miami Beach, the tasting allows event-goers to stroll through pop-up cafés from a variety of local restaurants. Gen- eral admission attendees can also opt for a VIP pass to access Goya’s “Culinary Pavilion” with additional pop-ups from American So- cial, Bodega, and Old Lisbon. Confirmed participating restaurants in- clude Aida Mexican Seafood, A Fish Called Avalon, Café Avanti, Café Bernie, Cilantro 27, CJ’s Crabs Shack, Ella’s Oyster Bar, GOYA Foods, Latin House, Lobster Shack, Mehzcla, Pubbelly Sushi, Red South Beach, Sala O’ Cuban, Sim Sushi & Tapas, Tacos and Tattoos, Tanuki, and the Wagyu Bar by Meat N’ Bone. Festival goers can enjoy an open bar and live entertainment throughout the day. The Roys emphasize that the event does more than herald the stone crab season; it’s an effort to connect chefs to the community and each other while giving back to the com- munity. As always, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to CI Foundation’s Eat Smart program. “When we started this, we knew we wanted to create something that would have an ongoing impact on our children and the community,” says Valerie. “With that needs to come more than just what happens in five days. It needs to have a long-lasting effect. In ten years, we’ve done a lot, but we have more work to do. Luckily, so much culinary talent is coming to Miami, so that shouldn’t be hard to do.” South Beach Seafood Festival. Wednesday, October 18, through Saturday, October 21, at various locations; sobeseafoodfest.com. Tickets cost $60 to $475 via eventbrite.com. RACHEL COSTA Photo by Lalani Media The South Beach Seafood Festival returns October 18-21 with four days of events. 3201 RICKENBACKER CAUSEWAY KEY BISCAYNE, FL | 305.361.3818 WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! FIND US ON HAPPY HOUR
