By Fernie Ruano Jr.
“Sold out!”
That’s not exactly the first sign a friend and her cousin we’re expecting to see yesterday when they arrived at the Coconut Grove Seafood Festival at Peacock Park –especially after knocking down a few slushy-spiked drinks and skipping right over the scrambled eggs and pancakes.
Both of them seafood freaks, they showed up at the CGSF at 3:30 p.m. buzzing and ready to scarf down as much seafood as possible only to find out all of the $20 buy-at-the-gate tickets were gone. Fortunately, they were able to buy two tickets off the premises at a discounted price after making it clear to the seller they weren’t going to pay $100 for VIP tickets the festival, which started at approximately 11 a.m. and was slated to go until dark. Or so they thought.
By the time they made it through the entrance it was 3:50 p.m. and about the only thing hotter than the sun was my friend’s head. “There’s nothing here,” she said over the phone. “What is this?”
By 6 p.m., Monty’s was closing up shop and packing to leave. A guy behind the Naked Taco counter told her they had run out of food – at 5:40 p.m. Festival organizer Tony Abelo promised the VIP section would include a rum lounge, a rum cake station and rum paella. By 5 p.m. the VIP section was only serving empanadas and paella.
Festival organizers also promised fresh fish for purchase, but all my friend saw was a demonstration from a local seafood restaurant. But meat lovers were in heaven as there was plenty of sausage and other assorted meats to be had throughout the park.
Although, there were plenty of oysters and claws, in addition to rum cake in the VIP section, the lobster rolls apparently went quickly.
After year one the CGSF seemed to found its way into the hearts of seafood freaks all over Miami, but after yesterday’s turn of events, only one question remains: Will it be back in 2015?
Do you want to know more about this 305-reeking, beach-bumming, Cuban food-obsessed dude? Well, then.. You can connect with Fernie @wordbyfernie (Twitter) and Fernie Ruano (Facebook) and visit http://www.latinbeatsvibe.blogspot.com . Who knows? If he really likes you, he might even give you his email.
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