By Tom St. Myer
Pensacola Beach will be the spot for foodies on the second weekend of October. The weekend opens with Taste of the Beach on Oct. 13-14 and concludes with the inaugural Innisfree Food Challenge on Oct. 15.
Taste of the Beach VIP Trolley Dinner – Friday, Oct. 13
For the Taste of the Beach VIP Trolley Dinner, seafood dishes will be prepared by four Pensacola Beach chefs, showcasing the coastal flavors of the beach. Cost is $125 per ticket. The first departure will be at 4:45 p.m. from Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach, followed by departures every 45 minutes through 7:45 p.m. The trolley tour will first stop at Shaggy’s, followed by Flounders, SALT at Hilton Pensacola Beach, and Crabs.
Taste of the Beach Outdoor Festival – Saturday, Oct. 14
The free, outdoor festival features signature dishes made by over a dozen Pensacola Beach restaurants. The festival will be staged around the Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach and includes a team cooking challenge, a concert, beer tasting, dining, and hospitality tents.
Innisfree Food Challenge – Sunday, Oct. 15
Local chefs will put their culinary skills to the test, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Gulfside Pavilion in the Innisfree Food Challenge. Admission is free and festivities will include live music from 3-4:30 p.m.
Heather Hice, director of food and beverage marketing for Innisfree, said ideally 20 chefs will compete in the challenge.
“We have a lot of interest, especially coming on the heels of Taste on the Beach,” Hice said. “Some of them are very competitive and want to take the whole weekend. It’s their goal to win Taste of the Beach and also win in our event.”
Chefs will compete in three categories—Bacon, Sandwich, and Live Fire Surf and Turf. Judges will score each chef to determine the winner in each division.
The three winners will secure golden tickets to the World Food Championships in November in Dallas and Innisfree will pay for their airfare and accommodations.
Each of the champions from the food categories will earn $10,000 for their victory and compete for a grand prize of $150,000.
The Innisfree Food challenge includes a VIP reception, Fire & Flavors, at 6 p.m. on Oct. 14 at Sal de Mar in Hilton Pensacola Beach. Celebrity chefs John Lindsey and Ronald Burns, who host the podcast “Arkassippi Smoke Live!” and the “Steak Cookoff Association Ribeye Roundup Show,” will be at the reception. They will demo how to choose the best cut of steak and how to marinate, season and prepare the meat.
Cost is $75 per person and includes open bar, sample appetizers and demo samples. Tickets are available at pensacolabeach.com.
