Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray, ERay@FRLA.org, 850.224.2250 x255
Christina Johnson, Christina@On3PR.com, 850.391.5040
(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing Sunday, January 25, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. EST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode, “Waterfront Favorites,” celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse visits three of his beloved waterfront restaurants in the state. Emeril rounds out the episode cooking marinated crab claws.
“Restaurants are such an important part of our local communities here in Florida,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We encourage everyone to taste true Florida-fare at these unique dining destinations that are just a small sample of the many waterfront restaurants offered in the Sunshine State.”
Emeril’s first stop on the “Waterfront Favorites” episode is Ulele, located on the Hillsborough River in Tampa. Richard Gonzmart, of the Columbia Restaurant Group, created this unique restaurant in an old water works building. Ulele is inspired by Gonzmart’s interest in Florida’s rich Native American culture and tribal influences are shown in the cuisine, structure, and other nuances at the restaurant. Costing $8 million, Ulele was completely redone in the same style as the original structure down to the window fixtures which were replicated by a local artist. The cuisine is as local as possible and the restaurant serves strictly Florida beef though relationship Richard has with a 4th generation Florida cattle rancher. Emeril sits down with Richard to get the story behind Ulele and tries some of their signature dishes.
Emeril then travels to Jacksonville Beach in Northeast Florida to Marker 32, which has been a favorite of locals and visitors since it opened in 1992. While it has a casual feel, Marker 32 is a fine-dining restaurant and has been recognized with numerous awards over the years. The philosophy of Owner and Executive Chef Ben Groshell is simple. He uses fresh, local seafood and makes everything from scratch. That formula has been a successful one and Chef Ben and his team have created long-standing relationships with local anglers and distributors to secure the freshest fish from the Atlantic and Gulf sides of the state. Emeril and Chef Ben sample some of the restaurant favorites including Herb-Grilled Trigger Fish; Cast Iron Seared Mangrove Snapper; and M32 Broiled Oysters.
On his third and final stop in the “Waterfront Favorites” episode, Emeril heads south to Miami Beach to Monty’s Sunset. As the name implies, the restaurant is known for its sunsets, but since Matthew and Tricia Johnson took over the establishment, it is now making a name for itself with its impeccable food. Monty’s Sunset boasts a spacious, newly renovated interior and a large outdoor terrace that includes a new 20-foot raw bar alongside a pool and cabana. The menu was also recently redone by former Top Chef alum,Josie Smith-Malave, who worked at Monty’s in 1996. Emeril meets poolside with Matthew and Tricia and tastes some of Monty’s Sunset’s latest offerings that include Stone Crab, Oysters and Peel-and-Eat Jumbo Shrimp; Whole Fried Yellowtail Snapper with Ponzu Sauce; Lobster BLT; and Key Lime Pie.
The show reruns on Monday, January 26 at 9:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, January 29 at 10:30 a.m. EST. Please check local listings.
Emeril’s Florida Season Three is a 13-episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the third season, Emeril will be visiting Florida’s top restaurants and resorts. He will also prepare some of his favorite recipes which often will feature some of the best seafood Florida has to offer. The FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA sponsor the series. For additional information on the series, including links to previous episodes, please go to the Cooking Channel website here. For a preview of Sunday’s episode, click here.
Editor’s Note:
For photo and video requests of Emeril Lagasse with local chefs, and recipes of featured dishes, please contact Elizabeth Ray at ERay@FRLA.orgor 850.224.2250 x255, or Christina Johnson at Christina@On3PR.com or 850.391.5040.
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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $76.1 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.6 billion in sales tax revenue, and nearly 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, October 6-8, 2015 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.