Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Tantalizes Taste Buds at Upscale Kick-off Event
Thursday, July 28, from 7-9 p. m.
Miami Beach Convention Center
1901 Convention Center Drive.
Miami Beach, FL 33139

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) popular end of summer foodie program, Miami Spice, celebrates its 10th anniversary August 1 – September 30, 2011. The program, inaugurated in 2002, offers more than 125 participating restaurants (a Miami Spice record), providing great value and making dining out affordable and accessible with three-course lunch ($22) and dinner ($35) menus, excluding gratuities, representing an average discount of 30-50 percent. To get the Miami Spice anniversary off to a rousing start, an upscale kickoff event, with live entertainment, tastings, demos, specialty cocktails and book signings by some of the area’s top chefs will take place on Thursday, July 28, from 7-9 p. m., at the Miami Beach Convention Center at 1901 Convention Center Drive.

“Greater Miami and the Beaches has long been a popular vacation destination, but over the last 10 years the area has emerged as a must-visit culinary scene as well,” explains William D. Talbert III, CDME, president and CEO of the GMCVB. “We are proud to have a thriving culinary culture thanks to talented chefs from a variety of diverse influences using the best ingredients as well as a community that has embraced them. This year we are also excited to include the Miami Spice program as part of the GMCVB’s ‘Summer of Love’ campaign; a program that encapsulates everything we love about Miami in the summer.”

This year’s lineup promises to make mouths water with 35 new restaurants including 1500° at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, Angelique Euro Café, Blue Sea at Delano, Cabana, Caffe Portofino, Caffe Vialetto, Canyon Ranch Grill, Catch 10 Seafood Bistro, Catch Grill & Bar, City Hall the Restaurant, db Bistro Moderne, Deco Grill, The Dining Room, Eden South Beach, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Graziano’s Restaurant (2 new locations), Kane Steakhouse, Le Provencal Restaurant, Loulou “Le Petit Bistro,” Makoto, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink , Mister Collins, Morton’s, the Steakhouse, North Miami Beach, Old Lisbon Restaurant, Rincon Argentino Steakhouse # 2, Rosa Mexicano – South Beach , The Royal, Shula’s 347 Grill, Sustain Restaurant & Bar, Symcha’s, Trio on The Bay, Truluck’s, Tudor House and West Avenue Café.

“Miami Spice is about embracing what we love about the destination’s culinary scene and this year the delicious diversity of dining options is greater than ever before,” says Steven Haas, Board Chair for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and owner of new restaurant, City Hall.

This year’s Miami Spice is sponsored by American Express, Stella Artois and Moet Hennessy USA. The kick-off event, hosted by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Miami Beach Convention Center and Centerplate Catering, will offer attendees live musical performances by jazz flautist Nestor Torres, live cooking demos by chefs Michael Schwartz and Tom Azar (City Hall the Restaurant), and a VIP area featuring live performances from the world-famous Cirque Eloize and luxurious gift bags. Tickets are $50 per person in advance and $100 per person on the day of the event; VIP tickets are $125 and include a special reception beginning at 6 p.m., complimentary sponsor specialty drinks and complimentary self-parking adjacent to the event hall. Proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength, Madison’s Wish and Education Fund’s Plant a Thousand Gardens Collaborative Nutrition Initiative. To purchase tickets, guests may call 888-302-5441or visit www.iLoveMiamiSpice.com for more details.

For the full list of participating restaurants, menus, and scheduled events, visit the Miami Spice Restaurant Month’s dedicated website: www.iLoveMiamiSpice.com and for other “groovy deals” such as special offers for spas, attractions and hotels go to www.MiamiSummerofLove.com.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an independent not-for- profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. For a vacation guide, visit our website at www.MiamiAndBeaches.com or call 1-888-76-Miami (US/Canada only) or 305-447-7777. To reach the GMCVB offices dial 305-539-3000. Meeting planners may call 1-800-933-8448 (US/Canada only) or 305-539-3071 or visit www.MiamiMeetings.com