This week's activities swing from seafood to beer back to seafood again, with megafestivals dedicated to both.
Whether you're into king crab or stone crab, there's a great feast in the cards. And plenty of beer to wash it all down.
Weekend starts now!
Grovetoberfest
Grovetoberfest, Coconut Grove's annual homage to beer, returns to Peacock Park this Saturday, October 18. From 4 to 7 p.m. (earlier for VIP ticketholders), thousands of beer lovers will flock to Peacock Park to sample a staggering array of about 250 beers, many of them rare. Beer geeks will especially love the homebrew area, where picky palates can discover the next Wynwood Brewing or J. Wakefield. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased at grovetoberfest.com.
Coconut Grove Seafood Festival
If your tastes run more toward unlimited peel 'n' eat shrimp than unlimited IPAs, check out the second-annual Coconut Grove Seafood Festival this Sunday, October 19, at Peacock Park. Miami's favorite seafood restaurants, including Casablanca Seafood, Alba Seaside Italian, Monty's, and Chef P's New England Lobsta Rolls, will be on hand to offer all manner of fruits of the sea, such as conch, clams, oysters, shrimp, and stone crabs fresh off the boat. Admission starts at $15, and food items are offered on a pay-as-you-go basis. Purchase tickets at coconutgroveseafoodfestival.com.
King Crabs at Red the Steakhouse
With all this talk of stone crabs, let's not forget the mighty and noble red king crab. These monoliths, native to the Bering Sea, can grow to six feet wide from claw to claw. Red the Steakhouse has its first crabs of the season, flown in specially for chef Peter Vauthy. Hey, it pays to have connections. Vauthy will prepare the red king crab any way you like it ($79 for 1 1/2 pounds of king crab), or enjoy it in a fresh king crab cocktail ($29) or in crabcakes with huge lumps of the crustacean ($34).
Eat at Joe's
Stone crab season began October 15, and for the past couple of days you've been itching to get your paws on some claws. Now that the weekend is here, go for it! Many Miami restaurants have stocked up on stone crabs, but there's nothing like eating your first batch at Joe's Stone Crab. It's been tradition for more than a century.
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