I was considering wearing a formfitting dress to this intimate five-course beer pairing dinner at Sea Level at Marriott Harbor Beach and I’m so glad I did not. I trusted my inner piggy instincts and went with a loose top and skirt. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a Florida Shandy to enjoy while watching the sunset on the deck.

Funky Buddha’s Farm to Sea Level Dinner was easily one of the best I’ve had in the Miami area, and I cleaned every plate. Chef Jason Connelly’s presentation was stunning as was his execution of every detail on each plate. The pairings with Funky Buddha favorites took the meal to a whole other level and the result was just unbelievable.

The house made Burrata with vibrant and colorful Palm Beach heirloom tomatoes was the perfect first course paired with a light and easy to drink Floridian Hefeweizen. I don’t even usually eat cheese, but the vinaigrette and Sea Level garden chive pesto were begging to be put on the grilled ciabatta and devoured with the fresh cheese and beautiful tomatoes.

The second course of the Funky Buddha Farm to Sea Level Dinner featured baby clams from Sebastian Inlet cooked with bacon and garnished with kale from Paradise Farms. Within minutes, there was not a single surviving clam left on my plate, and I was ready to doggy-bag the broth it was cooked in. This course was paired with On Top Blonde Ale, which was my favorite of the evening, I strongly recommend it as the perfect beer year-round in Florida. Just when I thought the clams were my favorite, the Miso marinated Cobia arrived served atop pork belly fried black rice. Black rice is typically used in desserts in Asia, but I’ve never had it cooked in a savory dish with everyone’s favorite thing ever: pork belly. Needless to say, I loved it. The citrus foam complemented the savory flavor of the fish and the celery root puree balanced the texture from the rice.

The chef then served a medium rare NY Strip steak with perfectly crisp duck fat potatoes that I could have eaten by the tub, paired with Doc Brown Ale, which was surprisingly delicious (since I don’t like dark beers) with a hint of chocolate that keeps you going back for more.

This amazing dining experience was finished with a chocolate hazelnut torte that had Bailey’s and mascarpone cream, which was perfectly rich on its own, then paired with Barrel Aged Muy Bonita Ale (10.2% alcohol content), made us all very friendly and quite giddy.

As amazing as the food and beers were, the highlight for me was the intimate setting and the chef coming out to present each course. You can go to a nice restaurant and eat amazing food without having the privilege of getting to pick the chef’s brain about how he baked his blistered cherry tomatoes. All in all an incredible experience that I would highly recommend if you get a chance to go in the future!