The beloved foodie event Cochon555 will return to Miami for five days of pork-focused feasting beginning Tuesday, September 22 through Sunday, September 27 — with a twist. Presented by Citi, the cross-country culinary tour will be rebranded as Carryout with Cochon555, a virtual spin on the original complete with Zoom dinners, virtual cooking demonstrations, takeout kits, and more. It will visit 15 major cities featuring more than 2,200 chefs, more than 150 family farms, and a slew of culinary schools. 

The Miami leg of the tour will spotlight five of South Florida’s leading chefs, including Michael Lewis representing KYU, Michael Schwartz representing Amara at Paraiso, Janine Booth and Jeff McGinnis representing Root & Bone and Stiltsville, Giorgio Rapicavoli representing Eating House, and Brad Kilgore representing Ember. Each will conduct “virtual dinners” by Zoom, where guests can enjoy an interactive dining experience equipped with wine, cocktails, and all the ingredients they need to savor a delicious pork-focused meal. 

“Regretfully, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our lives and community, we recognized we could not produce our event tour as we had hoped,” said Brett Friedman, partner and CEO of Agency 21 Consulting, which owns and operates Cochon555. “As a result, we decided to create a carryout program with an online component as a creative alternative for our fan base while supporting local restauranteurs and raising awareness for heritage breed pigs. People are hungry to connect, so transitioning into something virtual was a natural reallocation of the brand. By inviting food lovers to enjoy a meal prepared by Florida’s top culinary minds, while engaging in intimate cooking demonstrations, we are still able to generate excitement while supporting our local restaurant community.”  

Starting August 20, guests can buy tickets priced at $115 for one or $200 for two. Tickets include a multi-course meal prepared by the featured chef using ingredients sourced from heritage breed pig farms. The meal also comes with a bottle of red or white wine from Bodegas Ontañón and a cocktail kit or pre-mixed drink featuring Buffalo Trace or Wheatly Vodka. Guests can pick up their kits from each featured chef’s restaurant or opt for delivery for an additional fee of $30. Cochon555 will donate 80% of the ticket proceeds to the participating restaurants. 

Participating Chefs and Schedule 

Tuesday, September 22:               Chef Michael Lewis of KYU

Wednesday, September 23:         Chef Michael Schwartz of Amara at Paraiso

Thursday, September 24:             Chefs Janine Booth and Jeff McGinnis of Stilltsville/Root & Bone

Friday, September 25:                   Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli of Eating House

Sunday, September 27:                 Chef Brad Kilgore of Ember

Featured Farms

Sunshine Provisions – FL

Joyce Farms – NC

Cheshire Farms – NC

Amanda M., Contributing Writer