Slow Food Miami's Snail of Approval Awards Party: Vagabond, 3030 Ocean Have Best Bites

The intimate and lovely Miami Beach Botanical Gardens were the perfect venue for Slow Food Miami's 2014 Snail of Approval Awards party.

Twenty-one South Florida restaurants and four farms were honored for their commitment to providing food from the most local sources possible. The restaurants, in turn, celebrated Miami by presenting dishes that reflected their love for locavore dining. Each dish reflected the best of Florida with Key West pink fish, local hog snapper, edible flowers, tropical fruits, and juicy tomatoes making their way to plates.
In all, The Vagabond Restaurant and 3030 Ocean were named the best bites for the evening. 3030 Ocean's Paula DaSilva and Adrienne Grenier stole the show for their Florida rabbit taco with Swank Farms slaw and fermented pepper sauce.The Vagabond Restaurant's chef Alex Chang's cobia tartare with yuzu, avocado, and quinoa also proved to be a winning dish.
Siena Tavern's hog snapper crudo with Paradise Farms micro greens was drizzled with honey, spicy balsamic reduction, and Serrano chili.
The Lido at the Standard's roasted tofu and radish sprout summer roll, served with a cashew dipping sauce, was a fine bite for a warm spring night.
Jugofresh's Matthew Sherman and Darren Lazlo shared a moment with Paradise Farm's Gabriele Marewski.
The Cafe at Books & Books' Allen Susser proved once again he's king of seafood with his wild shrimp and avocado tartine.
Blackbrick's Richard Hales  (with wife Jenny) presented a raw bok choy salad with Corona Farms sweet corn, Teena's Pride tomatoes, hemp seeds, and green goddess dressing.
Edge Steak & Bar's Aaron Brooks served Key West pink shrimp with passion fruit, aji amarillo, local honey, and plenty of hot sauce on the side. 
Khong's station had the largest line all event for chef Patricia Yao's snails and tail dish, served with a garlic dumpling. 50 Eggs' Daniel Toral was on hand to pour some good wine, if you asked nice.

Follow Laine Doss on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.