The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is pleased to announce the inaugural Amelia Island Cookout, held onsite at the luxury oceanfront property from October 20-22, 2023. The immersive epicurean event will highlight the diversity of Amelia Island’s cuisine and the talented chefs behind it with a variety of lavish, interactive dining experiences from gourmet wine pairing dinners and a Chefs Theater cooking demo to a multi-course Master Chefs dinner with notable national chefs and more.
The highlight of the weekend is the oceanfront Amelia Island Cookout on Saturday, October 21. The outdoor event will bring together the island’s top local as well as national culinary talent, representing a range of cuisines, with the likes of Chef Okan Kizilbayir of The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island’s AAA-Diamond Salt Restaurant; Omar Colazzao, Executive Chef of Omni Amelia Island, Robert Marina from Fernandina Beach’s Spanish and Portuguese tapas restaurant España, Farmer Lee Jones of the Chef’s Garden, Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs in South Carolina and many more. With options to satisfy all palettes, attendees will enjoy a night of sizzling seafood from the day’s fresh catches, grilled and slow roasted meats from white quail to whole roasted pig, fresh roasted vegetables from local farms and other barbecue delicacies along with free flowing wine, cocktails and live entertainment, all set to the backdrop of the charming barrier island’s surf, sand and stars. The event will be emceed by David Benoit, host of the Food Network Canada/Cooking Channel television series “Fire Masters”.
During the fall long weekend experience, locals and guests are invited to indulge in extraordinary food and libations while enjoying the relaxed sophistication of the island and its pristine beach. The experiences, which can be booked individually, or as part of select packages, are included below. All packages also include VIP access to exclusive events and amenities throughout the weekend.
Perfect Pairings: Salt’s Chef Okan Kizilbayir & Vin Fraîche Wine Founder, Master Sommelier Michael Kennedy The art of pairing food and wines is demonstrated to a small group by Chef Okan and sommelier Michael Kennedy who perfected the art of pairing while working together at Blue by Eric Ripert. Generous wine pours and delicious bites abound as they debunk long-lived wine myths and expand participants’ appreciation of pairing wines. Friday, October 20 | 3 p.m.- 4:40 p.m. | Seaside room | $150 per person, inclusive
Latin-Inspired al fresco Dinner and Cocktails Three acclaimed Ritz-Carlton Chefs, including Amelia Island’s Chef Papi Arnoldo Gonzalez, Bachelor Gulch’s Manuel Gutierrez and Fort Lauderdale’s Paula Da Silva collaborate to lead an exploration of flavors from Brazil, Argentina and Puerto Rico. They’re joined by Simon Compton, Cayman Island master mixologist who will be serving up cocktails inspired by their flavorful menu. Friday, October 20 | Reception at 6 p.m. | Dinner at 6:30 - 9 p.m. | Coquina restaurant | $150 per person, inclusive
Chefs Theater Salt restaurant Chef Okan Kizilbayir refreshes the traditional cooking school format with an intimate gathering at the demonstration table to learn how to prepare two themed entrees and a dessert. Each dish is paired with wines to be savored while engaging with Okan and guest chefs. Saturday, October 21 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Salt restaurant | $400 per person, inclusive
Amelia Island Cookout Meet and mingle with extraordinary chefs as they take their best work out of the kitchen and bring it outdoors for a cookout. With an unforgettable backdrop of dunes and ocean, enjoy sizzling seafood, grilled and slow-roasted meats and other creations from national chefs and local favorites including David’s, España, Matthew’s and The Omni, along with abundant wine and cocktails from expert mixologists, desserts and entertainment. The event will be emceed by David Benoit, host of the Food Network Canada/Cooking Channel television series Fire Masters. Saturday, October 21 | 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.| Oceanfront Lawn | $150 per person, inclusive
Tomorrow’s Culinary Stars Brunch Executive Chef Garrett Gooch and team will treat attendees to a lavish brunch, which they can enjoy while watching an interactive cooking competition between Florida State Culinary College students, judged by Chef Okan and a panel of visiting Master Chefs. Supporting both charitable causes and rising culinary talent, a portion of proceeds from the brunch will be donated to the Barnabas Food Pantry. Sunday, October 22 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Ritz-Carlton Ballroom Foyer | $150 per person, inclusive
Master Chefs Dinner Salt restaurant provides the perfect setting for the grand finale event of the weekend, The Master Chefs Dinner. The five-course collaboration dinner prepared by Chef Okan and an expert team of guest Master Chefs reflects each chef’s style, personal specialties and varied ingredients, along with artful wine pairings by sommelier Michael Kennedy. Guest chefs include Ron Hsu of Lazy Betty in Atlanta, Jae-Eun Hung of KJUN NYC and Giuliana Tomatis, pastry chef and owner of G Sweets.
Sunday, October 22 | Reception at 6 p.m. | Dinner at 6:30 p.m. | Salt restaurant| $750, inclusive To purchase event tickets and packages for the Amelia Island Cookout, please visit https://www.ameliaislandcookout.com/. For more information about The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, please visit www.ritzcarlton.com/ameliaisland
