Slow Food Miami, the 100 percent volunteer non-profit dedicated to planting a fresher future for our children, announces its 6th annual Ark of Taste Benefit Dinner will be held Tuesday, January 27th at Paraiso Bay in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood. After 5 years of plated dinners, Slow Food Miami’s 2015 event looks to the future with a refreshed, convivial format featuring all of The Genuine Hospitality Group restaurants and their chefs at the site of Schwartz’s future waterfront restaurant on Biscayne Bay.
At the forefront of the meal is the Ark-nominated Florida stone crab, sourced from Miami’s own George Stone Crab. The star of the evening will be accompanied by locally-sourced ingredients including items from Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink chef de cuisine Niven Patel’s backyard and other farms served by Farm to Kitchen, a local produce distributor. All proceeds will benefit Slow Food Miami’s Edible School Garden Program.
“The Ark of Taste Benefit Dinner is a chance for us to champion our native ingredients, and we are proud to be honoring the legacy of Chef Michael Schwartz and his team’s commitment to doing so as a normal course of business,” says Michele Benesch, Slow Food Miami President. “‘Local legacy’ just felt like the right theme for this year’s event as it rings true on so many levels — past, present, and future — to keep our local foods and their traditions alive and get the necessary support we need to help grow a new generation of local-food lovers in our community’s schools.”
The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m., so that guests can savor spectacular views of the glowing sunset skies over the Bay, while enjoying a spirited cocktail hour featuring specialty libations courtesy of GREY GOOSE Vodka, sustainable wines by Stellar Wines, and passed hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Molly Brandt of Restaurant Michael Schwartz at The Raleigh. An interactive and social dining experience unfolds with indoor and outdoor stations featuring each of The Genuine Hospitality Group restaurants and their chefs including Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink/Chef de Cuisine Niven Patel, The Cypress Room/Chef de Cuisine Roel Alcudia and Harry’s Pizzeria/Chef de Cuisine Daniel Ramirez. Schwartz will join The Genuine Hospitality Group’s Executive Chef Bradley Herron to preview some food inspired by Paraiso Bay and its restaurant, slated to open in early 2016. Executive Pastry Chef Hedy Goldsmith will offer passed desserts for a sweet cap on a delicious evening to remember. Each will showcase their individual style of local-sourcing with dishes that either feature the Florida stone crab or complement it with seasonal ingredients.
“Being chosen to host Ark of Taste each year is a special honor, but I think this one is going to be truly special and memorable having everyone together,” Schwartz reflects. “Celebrating the ingredients is great, but what truly matters is the people that make local sourcing a reality inside the restaurants on a daily basis. It gives me a great source of pride to celebrate them and share a special evening cooking and eating stone crab, my favorite!, and more as a team. It’s truly what makes this work.”
This time around, Slow Food Miami turns its attention to stone crabs, a natural fit for Ark of Taste because it acts as an important reminder that the tasty crabs are seasonally-protected to ensure sustainability. Consumers are so used to stone crab season that they forget or are unaware what a rare, local product it is – highly allocated and always in danger of disappearing.
By promoting and eating Ark products, Slow Food Miami and its supporters help ensure they remain in production, in the grocery isle, and on the plates of America’s best restaurants.
Tickets are $195 per person and can be purchased at miamisarkoftaste.brownpapertickets.com.
Paraiso Bay is located at 600 NE 31 Street in Miami. All proceeds will benefit Slow Food Miami’s Edible Garden Program.