Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 x255
ERay@FRLA.org
(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. CST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode titled, “Find Your Perfect Beach and Bites – Part 2,” celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse returns to the Florida Panhandle and tours the newest luxury hotel in South Walton, as well as some of his favorite restaurants, in the area.
“Watching Chef Emeril explore Florida’s Emerald Coast is exciting because he brings to light some of the best spots to visit in South Walton,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We believe this show will inspire viewers to make plans to experience unique places and flavors to try, in turn spurring our state’s economy.”
Emeril begins the episode at The Pearl, located in Rosemary Beach, it is the newest luxury boutique hotel in the South Walton area. It has all of the modern conveniences and is the first property in the United States to offer in-room Apple TVs. The pearl also offers a poolside spa and Sol Luna, a casual rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
Emeril tours the property with Bill Shoaf, the Managing Director, and samples some of the creative menu items sourced from within 100 miles of Rosemary Beach with Executive Chef Michael Guerra at the property’s Havana Beach Bar and Grill. Next stop is Wine World, a restaurant and retail outlet for wine, beer, spirits and specialty foods in the Sandestin area, and Emeril is a frequent customer at both sides of the operation. Founder and managing partner Chan Cox sits down with Emeril and tastes some of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Then the two take a tour of the store and the offerings are extensive: over 4,000 wines and more than 100 craft beers to choose from.
Afterwards, Emeril visits the The Marlin Grill at the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin, a destination in itself with bars, restaurants and even a zip line. The Marlin Grill offers a classic ‘surf and turf’ menu in a casual atmosphere. Emeril meets owner Tom Rice to talk about what he’s doing to keep the Marlin Grill a popular choice and tastes some of the restaurant’s signature dishes with Executive Chef Shawn Higgins. Finally, Emeril goes fishing with friends in the Gulf of Mexico for amberjack. He and his boat captain Brad Benton then set up at the Baytowne Marina to cook up some delicious Amberjack sandwiches. The show reruns on Monday, March 3rd at 8:30 a.m. CST and Thursday, March 6th at 10:30 a.m. CST. Please check local listings.
Emeril’s Florida Season Two 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 second 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 program is sponsored by the FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA. 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.
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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks.