Eggs on the Beach fires up the competition

Team Saltwater Restaurants ‘snappers’ up the awards

By Michelle Farnham

MIRAMAR BEACH – If you thought last Saturday was toasty, you should have been at
the sixth annual Bay Breeze Patio Eggs on the Beach EggFest, where the cooking
competition was hot, hot, hot! Twenty-five Big Green Egg grills were rolling smoke,
churning out a complete meal’s worth of food – with drinks – all for a $40 ticket (or
less).

So what’s hot off the grill? From the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, you
could pick up skewers of Caribbean-infused pineapple and shrimp. South Walton
Academy brought in a ringer, utilizing Vue on 30a chef and “Hell’s Kitchen” alum
Giovanni Filippone and his bacon-wrapped venison rolls. The smoked red snapper
with corn maque choux from Saltwater Restaurants lit up taste buds and judges’
hearts alike, as the team took home the top prize in every category it was entered.

“We have incredible sponsors in this town that help us pay for this,” said event
organizer and Bay Breeze Patio co-owner Susan Kiley. “We couldn’t do this without
them. Our cook teams totally bring their A-game. This is gourmet on the Egg. You
will find food out there that will rival anything in a restaurant.“

Those who’d had their fill of grilled or smoked meats were in luck, as a few teams
capitalized on the versatility of the Big Green Egg. For example, the Fat Clemenza’s
team served pizza while the engineering firm BE-CI made a smoked blueberry pie.

“The pie is served with a lemon cream sauce. It’s meant to replicate a blueberry pie
with ice cream on top,” explained BE-CI partner Josh Tatum. “The awesome thing
about the Green Egg is you can cook anything in them you can cook in an oven, but it
has that smoked flavor.”

Competition: the heat is on

Some teams earned brownie points with tasters by offering an accompanying
beverage, and Sinfonia Youth Orchestra’s Baritone Bourbon Beach Banger had
guests coming back for more – and the recipe.

The esteemed panel of judges included local Chefs Deb Swenerton and Phil
McDonald from Black Bear Bread Co., Jack McGuckin of Bijoux, and Nikhil Abuvala
from Roux 30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar.

“Obviously it’s got to taste good, but I also eat with my eyes, so it’s got to look nice,
too,” admitted Swenerton as she prepared to make the rounds. “I love to see a little
creativity and extra thought put into the food.”

McGuckin said his top criteria were good flavor, good smoke, and seasoning.

“I’ve been hearing more and more about the event and wanted to get involved,”
McGuckin explained. “I was surprised at how many good fish and seafood dishes we
had out here.”

Seminars

Representatives from Knob Creek and Abita Beer were also on hand, offering
seminars. Abita provided beer pairings, including matching their Hop-On “juicy
pale” with gingersnap cookies, and the Amber lager with Zaps Voodoo Chips.

Stephanie Taylor demonstrated a smoked old fashioned, smoking more than just the
glass, but the Knob Creek 100 proof bourbon itself inside a glass decanter.

Charity: a win-win

This year’s Eggs on the Beach had two benefiting charities, Fisher House of the
Emerald Coast and Food For Thought. Each team is represented in the cook tents
and provides volunteers to help keep the day running smoothly.

“I don’t think of it as a fundraiser, I think of it as this amazing food festival that kind
of brings people around the Big Green Egg and brings the community together, and
by God, we raise money for charity at the same time,” said Kiley. “It’s a win-win all
the way around.”

In between grounds keeping duties, Mia Hughes, executive director of Fisher House,
pointed out that the organization has been a part of Eggs on the Beach since the
beginning.

“We love the sponsors, the donors, the volunteers and we have a cook team here
that is Brock Lawn and Pest (serving pork belly with smoked mac-n-cheese),”
Hughes added. “I haven’t had a chance to taste anything yet, but everything smells
yummy and I’m looking forward to it!”

Already planning for next year

Kiley received many compliments from attendees, including, “It’s nice to do a
festival with something other than wine for a change,” and “We look forward to this
event every year.”

“What’s really cool is we have our first kids team from South Walton High School’s
culinary program (serving summer tomatoes two ways) and we’re hoping this is
going to launch a kids’ division for next year,” Kiley said.

Stay tuned to 30A Food and Wine for information on the 2020 installment of Eggs
on the Beach.

Best Knob Creek Bite
1 – Saltwater Restaurants
2 – Scenic Sothebys
3 – Wine World
HM – SETCO Services

Judges’ Trophy
1 – Saltwater Restaurants
2 – SETCO Services
3 – Bacon Nation: Westonwood Ranch

Non-Profit Division
1 – South Walton Academy ($3,500)
2 – Sinphonia Youth Orchestra ($2,500)
3 – Rotary Club of Destin ($1,500)

People’s Choice Award
1 – Saltwater Restaurants
2 – Scenic Sotheby’s
3 – Five Blazing Wild Medical Cooks

Best Booth Award
Saltwater Restaurants