The Emerald Coast’s official Big Green Egg EggFest cooking competition, Eggs on the Beach is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on Nov. 2, and is partnering with two well-known brands—Tony Chachere’s Seasonings and Angel’s Envy—to enhance the cooking competition. Presented by Bay Breeze Patio, the beloved annual event will include more categories for cook teams to compete, and more opportunities for tasters to sample delicious bites and beverages. Held at Seascape Towne Center in Miramar Beach, cook teams will be smoking, grilling and baking their favorite dishes on the Big Green Egg while tasters sample the delicious bites and vote for their favorites, while supporting two local causes—Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Food for Thought.
“We’re always looking at ways to make the competition more fun for our cook teams and more delicious for the tasters,” said Eggs on the Beach Co-founder Susan Kiley. “Chef Jude Tauzin, the Corporate Chef for Tony Chachere’s, has served as a past honorary judge, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to judge our newest category—the Tony Chachere bite! In addition to delicious Louisiana influence, we’ll also have Angel’s Envy returning with bourbon samples and Abita Beer samples for tasters who are over the age of 21.”
By incorporating Tony's famous creole seasonings, cook teams will have the opportunity to compete in a new category and tasters will enjoy the flavorful Louisiana influence at the 2024 event. Each team will receive a variety pack of the Tony Chachere’s Seasonings and are encouraged to experiment with recipes that incorporate Tony’s blend of flavorful spices.
“We love to inspire the creativity of our teams. They are welcome to use the seasoning in their main bite or have special side bite specifically for the Tony’s competition. While we never know what our cook teams may be preparing, we anticipate the use of Tony’s multi-purpose seasonings will inspire a Louisiana influence in this year’s bites prepared on the Big Green Egg.”
Back by popular demand, the Angel’s Envy Team will have a booth and present bourbon and craft cocktail samples. Cook teams may also incorporate Angel’s Envy into their bite and compete in the Angel’s Envy bite category. In addition, cook teams are invited to delight tasters with creative cocktails as well. Previous winners, Saltwater Restaurant Group, has impressed tasters with their Bourbon Smoked Pineapple Smash and Bourbon Smoked Orange Smash in year’s past.
In addition, Abita Brewery is returning for their 10th year as the cook team beer sponsor and will also present samples of their new brews, including Beeracuda Lager, Strawberry Lager and Blueberry Wheat, for tasters (21+) to try. The popular craft beers, brewed at their brewery Covington, Louisiana, will be served from Kombi Keg 30A’s vintage VW van. The Abita Brewing Company has been producing craft beers for nearly three decades and has become an annual favorite at Eggs on the Beach.
The festival will be enhanced with live music by the Black Eyed Blonde duo, Becca and Dan Collins, along with flat screen TVs at the Tiki Bar airing the day’s most popular college football games. Beer, wine, cocktails, water and sodas will also be available for purchase at the Tiki Bar. Tasters may also participate in drawings for a chance to win a Mini-Max Big Green Egg as well as products and gift certificates from area businesses.
The annual cooking competition will feature a mix of cook teams, ranging from backyard grillers to local restaurants to non-profit organizations, presenting a variety of dishes from meats and seafood to veggies and desserts cooked on the Big Green Egg for the benefit of two local non-profits. Proceeds from the event benefit The Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Food for Thought. Providing a home away from home for military families during medical treatment, Fisher House of the Emerald Coast serves those who have served our country. Fighting food insecurity among area students, Food for Thought provides backpacks filled with healthy foods to students in need.
For those who have thought of owning a Big Green Egg, Demo Eggs, which are used during the competition, are available for pre-sale at a discounted price. Demo Eggs are available in Large or XLarge and come with a nest (metal stand), rubber mat and plate setter along with a limited lifetime warranty. Demo Eggs will be available for pick-up between 4 – 5 p.m. on Nov. 2