Miami has come into its own when it comes to cleaner eating. With healthy fast-casual restaurants like Grown and Dirt opening and juice bars like Jugofresh expanding into Whole Foods Markets, it's become increasingly easier for everyone to eat fresh and local.
Slow Food Miami is a pioneer in helping spread the word on clean eating. By helping plant community and school gardens and raise awareness of local farms, the 100 percent volunteer organization does its fair share of helping Miami eat better. It also celebrated the local culinary community by acknowledging restaurants, farms, and purveyors that embrace the farm-to-table movement through its Snail of Approval designation.
This Friday, March 24, Slow Food will celebrate its 2016-17 Snail of Approval honorees at its sixth-annual tasting event from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort.
Guests can roam the property's terrace and sample dishes from a mix of past and present Snail of Approval recipients, including Zak the Baker, Matthew Kenney, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Sean Brasel, and Allen Susser.
In addition, "Snail" winners Jonathan Wakefield (J. Wakefield Brewing), Kevin Rusk (Titanic Brewing), Carlos Cararas (MIA Beer Company), Cristina Ivory (Angry Booch), Nick Paton (Kelvin Slushies), and Buster Brown (Counter Culture Kombucha) will provide liquid refreshment.
Helene Henderson, chef/owner of Eden Roc's Malibu Farm, will host the event. Henderson, who literally wrote the book on eating locavore when she penned Malibu Farm Cookbook, embodies the slow-food movement with her mantra, "Eat the real thing or don’t eat at all."
Her advice to people who want to eat healthier is simple: “I’ve seen people go into these extreme diets and then revert back to their old ways. Start with what you like to eat and make it healthier from there."
The Slow Food Tasting Party is the perfect way to try eating clean. Food will be provided by more than two dozen of Miami's finest chefs. Guests will also be able to vote for their favorite bites in the "People's Choice" awards. In addition, the event will feature a live auction and musical entertainment.
Slow Food Tasting Party
7 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 24, at the Eden Roc, 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. General-admission tickets cost $85 in advance and $100 at the door (advance sales end at noon March 23). VIP garden sponsor tickets cost $750 and include early entry at 6:30 p.m., a garden box for a school, and a signed copy of Henderson's book. Visit freshestnightout2017.bpt.me.