Jeremiah Bullfrog Trades in Pigs for Ducks at Duck Duck Goose Party

Could Miami be breaking up with pork?

For a half dozen years, GastroPod's Jeremiah Bullfrog has held his annual PIG (Pork Is Good) party, bringing some of Miami's best chefs together to get piggy with it, so to speak.

This year, however, the chef has taken a "fowl" turn, trading in his PIG for DDG — as in Duck, Duck, Goose. Don't worry, however. Chef Bullfrog assures that PIG isn't going anywhere, but he just wanted to give equal time to other proteins.

"This is our first spinoff. We came up with different events so the participating chefs wouldn't get bored."

On Saturday, June 4, from 5 to 9 p.m., Bullfrog will bring together a cadre of friends at his Wynwood GastroPod location, for an evening filled with — literally — duck and goose. "Lake Meadows naturals has been kind enough to provide us with their amazing all-natural duck. It's kind of overlooked by chefs, who generally talk about Long Island duck., so it's nice to showcase a more local product." Bullfrog also partnered with foie gras master D'Artagnan. "We're going to squeeze a little foie into the evening, as well."

Though PIG will be back, Bullfrog does agree that Miami's culinary tastes have changed and local eaters are turning to healthier foods rather than a steady diet of bacon and pork belly. "When we started PIG, that was seven years ago and it was certainly a different landscape. I remember putting pork belly on the menu and it was a newish thing in Miami." The chef says that, while pork will never go out of style, there are ebbs and flows to what we eat. "They're not really trends or fans, but there are definitely hot items. Five years ago, pork was super popular. Now there's more of a switch to a Northern European diet where people are using a lot of vegetables."

Bullfrog says that the duck and foie gras will set the tone for the evening. "With PIG, it's a different vibe of whiskey and rock 'n' roll. DDG is a little swankier. We're going to have some great sparkling wine and jazz music. Let's see how creative the chefs get."

Speaking of chefs, the roster of talent is impressive. Participating chefs include Brad Kilgore (Alter), Will Crandall (Izzy’s Fish & Oyster), James Strine (Cafe Boulud), Patrick Rebholz (Quality Meats), Phuket Thongsodchaveondee (Cake Thai Kitchen), Gabriel Ask (Faena Hotel), Aaron Brooks (Edge Steak & Bar), Steve Santana (Taquiza), Brian Mullins (Ms. Cheezious), Babe Froman (Babe Froman Fine Sausages), Josh Gripper (The Dutch), and, of course, Bullfrog. In addition, Sweet Liberty's John Lermayer will serve as head bartender for the evening.

Says Bullfrog of the chefs, "We're pretty careful with the way we put together our mix. We like a strong repeat of chefs who have done our events along with some new people in the mix. It's our way of keeping the chef community together, because we don't get to hang our enough. This time, we're going to have a good time and drink champagne — 'cause we're fancy."

Tickets are $59 and include food, drink, and entertainment by a live jazz trio; and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.