The 7th Annual VIP Chef Showdown at the South Beach Seafood Festival took place on October 26, 2019 brought to you by Talbott Vineyards and Jack Daniel’s and hosted in the Goya Foods Culinary Pavilion at the Baptist Health South Florida Hospitality Village.
As we continue to stay safe and socially distant, we wanted to take a look back at one of our favorite moments of 2019, South Beach Seafood Festival VIP Chef Showdown hosted on the City National Bank main stage. While we are unsure of all the details at this time on how the fall event will look due to Covid-19, one thing is for sure, we have had some incredible cuisines from great seafood restaurants in Miami and South Florida showcased. Plus, there is no time like the present to celebrate South Florida’s beloved restaurant industry and talented chefs as we do each year at South Beach Seafood Festival. We are privileged with the opportunity to have great partners that join us to help share the talents of these incredible chefs year over year and if you can, we hope you can support our beloved hospitality industry during this difficult time to help keep their doors open and their employees employed. But for now, let’s walk down memory lane …..
What goes down at Miami’s ultimate night of competition? Set inside a VIP club built just for the night, right on the sands of Miami’s famed South Beach are 16 of Miami’s top executive chefs. In the Showcase Kitchen, these chefs prepare their best seafood dishes with some Miami spice for 1,200 VIP guests, who are also the judges. That’s right, event guests vote for their favorite dishes and make up a portion of the deciding vote, along with five formal battle judges! In 2019, we saw top chefs defending their titles against up-and-coming challengers competing in the following fields: Fish, Sushi, Surf ’N Turf, Lobster, and Tacos, plus new competitors in the categories of Shrimp, Oyster, and Chef’s Choice.
Fall’s most talked-about foodie event is a chance to try some of the very best cuisine found at any Miami Beach seafood festival. But don’t just take our word for it; check out the champion chefs and their award winning dishes NOW from last year’s 2019 Chef Showdown.
Battle Taco: Bernie Matz, Bodega
Grilled Porter Lobster Taco
Battle Crab: Brian Nasajon, Beaker & Gray
Stuffed Pretzel Brioche
Battle Lobster: Arturo Paz, Lobster Bar Sea Grille Miami Beach
Chili Lobster
Battle Surf N’ Turf: Danny Ganem, LT Steak & Seafood
Coconut Poached Spiny Lobster with Mojo Pork Belly Chicharron
Battle Sushi: Rangel Suarez, Katsuya Brickell
Ora King Salmon Sashimi Bites
Battle Fish: Julian Garriga, Seawell Fish N’ Oyster
Atlantic Snowy Grouper
Battle Shrimp: Demetrios Pyliotis, Poseidon Miami
Ocean Egg
Battle Oyster: Chad Wyrosdick, Papa’s Raw Bar
EDBL Oyster
As a reminder, the seafood festival is still on schedule for October 21-24, 2020 but we are waiting to see how the summer will unfold. We are hopeful and miss seeing our local seafoodies ….. But for now, stay safe, wear your mask, and support your local favorite restaurants across South Florida!
