LTC 538-2019 South Beach Seafood Festival and Beach High Culinary Program MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 538-2019 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Member .if the Cit' Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manage 1
DATE: October 8, 2019
SUBJECT: South Beach Seafood Festival an, Beach High Culinary Program
The purpose of this Letter to the Commission ("LTC") is to update the Commission on the City's
sponsorship of the 2019 South Beach Seafood Festival ("Sobe Seafood"), the Administration
partnered with SOBE Seafood to create the first South Beach Seafood Festival Student Culinary
Competition at Miami Beach Senior High held on October 8, 2019.
Sobe Seafood is a curated culinary showcase which highlights incredible chef talent and culinary
leaders throughout Miami Beach and neighboring communities. This year the event will take place
the week of October 22-26, 2019.
As part of the Sobe Seafood five (5) year sponsorship agreement, the City of Miami Beach agreed
to partner in the creation of an educational culinary program throughout the City. The goal is to
educate the next generation of culinary students as part of the public benefit program, EAT SMART,
a project that helps provide nutritional guidance and incentive based healthy food programs to
Florida youth with educational enrichment initiatives throughout the public schools in South Florida.
To this end, Sobe Seafood worked closely with top Miami Beach chefs- Executive Chef of Joe's
Stone Crab, Chef Andre Bienvenu, Executive Sous Chef David Salinas and Executive Chef of
Menin Hospitality and Bodega, Chef Bernie Matz, to develop a culinary program at Miami Beach
Senior High and expose students to the realities of a career in the culinary arts. In addition, Sobe
Seafood launched the first South Beach Seafood Festival Student Competition.
Over a dozen Beach High culinary students participated and were joined by judges
Commissioner John Aleman, Tod Roy (Sobe Seafood), and Beach High culinary teacher, Patrick
Shaffer, while being supported by other faculty. The students, together with the chefs, created
select dishes, with the option to add their special twist with additional ingredients, and then
presented their creations to a panel of judges.
It was a fun and creative morning, and the results were so close, that all competing students have
been invited to attend the South Beach Seafood Festival, on Saturday, October 26, and
participate in a chef demo in the annual Culinary Showcase Demo Kitchen at the festival. Approx.
300 guests watch each demo and it will be a great experience for the students after participating
in their very own high school competition.
The ultimate winner of this program, however, is the City of Miami Beach and our education
programs. This method of sponsorship, with a substantive and meaningful public benefit focused
on the education of our youth, provides immediate advantages, as well as long-term value by
educating and empowering the next generation of culinary talent and leaders. It is a great
example of how the City can leverage sponsorship opportunities to truly invest in our future.
cc: Marcia Monserrat, Chief of Staff to the City Man er
Matt Kenny, Tourism and Culture Director ,f