The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island looks to start a new tradition for the “foodies” in the area with its inaugural Amelia Island Cookout Epicurean Weekend scheduled for Oct. 20-22.
“Our vision is to continue it every October moving forward,” said Joe Murphy, director of marketing with The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.
The weekend-long showcase will be a celebration of food and the various flavors and ways in which to cook and enjoy the culinary world.
A mix of both local and nationally renowned chefs will be featured during the event as part of several chef-inspired demonstrations where attendees will have the opportunity to hear and learn from the chefs firsthand.
According to Murphy, the interactive nature of the event brought about by the demonstrations is something that was a priority and something The Ritz-Carlton really wanted to highlight.
“We’ll have different action stations, where guests can mingle with the chefs as they share tips for making their dishes,” Murphy said. “We believe that people now more than ever are attracted to this kind of event because it is really engaging. They truly feel a part of it.”
It was also important to maintain the local vibe that Amelia Island is known for and not losing sight of that in the construction of the event was key.
“We always knew we wanted to present a quality mix for our guests, and we look to continue that model of having ‘local legends,’ as we like to call them,” Murphy said. “We would like to see it eventually expand to where local restaurants are getting involved.”
Chef Okan Kizilbayir of Salt Restaurant, which is just one of several dining options at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island has helped orchestrate the cookout weekend and will be one of the featured chefs.
He brings a unique take on the cookout from his past experiences with the Grand Cayman Cookout, which is a similar culinary event hosted by The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, and is celebrating 15 years in October.
“He is the man behind all the success,” Murphy said. “His wealth of knowledge and experience is incredible.”
The goal of the showcase is to have something that captures the imagination of every palate, regardless of which foods or flavors peak a person’s interest.
Everything from chefs who specialize in farm-to-table, such as Lee Jones with Chef’s Garden to Tank Jackson with Holy City Hogs, who will be roasting a whole hog and award-winning mixologists will be featured during the event.
The variety of chefs featured has brought about interest from guests both across the First Coast but also throughout the nation, especially those on the East Coast.
“We started to concept it about a year ago, and all along we knew we wanted to capture the foodie culture that is growing everywhere, including here locally,” Murphy said. “Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra and the First Coast in general has become much more of a ‘foodie’ scene in the last five years.”
The Amelia Island Cookout is the main event during the three-day showcase and will take place on Oct. 21 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Oceanfront Lawn at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.
Tickets for the cookout are $150 per person and will allow guests to be front and center as some of the top chefs bring their best culinary work out of the kitchen and bring it outdoors for a unique cookout feel.
