New Times Announces E.A.T! Food Event at BB&T Center September 21

New Times has announced a new food festival slated for September, and this year's E.A.T.! is gearing up to be bigger — and tastier — than ever before.

E.A.T.! — which stands for "edible, artisanal, and tasteful" — will be a gastronomic adventure that promises to be more than your average food-and-drink festival.

The event will take place at the BB&T Center on September 21, transforming the Sunrise Sports & Entertainment complex — also the parent company of the Florida Panthers — into a foodie's paradise featuring dozens of South Florida’s most-loved restaurants.

E.A.T! also gives guests the chance to participate in the action with several unique experiences including a cooking competition similar to Food Network’s Chopped, where two celebrated local chefs will face off in an exciting showdown on the main stage.

"It's really exciting to be co-promoting with New Times on this unique and fun food event," said SSE and Florida Panthers Executive Chairman Peter Luukko. "This is one of many events that we look forward to developing in the future to bring the best entertainment to the BB&T Center."

Inaugural event sponsor, Monark Premium Appliance, will welcome E.A.T! to South Florida with the cook-off competition stage, while Goya will provide products and spices. Culinary Convenience Inc. will donate cookware and utensils for the chef competitions, and will also present a high-end Japanese cooking knife for the winner.

For food: Hollywood-based Sunshine Provisions will supply the chefs their competing menu items, while Celebrity Cruise Lines will feature their signature bartender presentation and martini drinks, and Nespresso stands as the official coffee partner for E.A.T!

"We are thrilled to bring this new culinary festival [to South Florida]," said New Times publisher Adam Simon. "E.A.T! will be a great event ...and has the potential to become a staple event for years to come."

A percentage of ticket sales will go toward the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, the only organization in Florida that offers the ProStart program, the Lodging Management Program (LMP), the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program (HTMP), and the Skills, Tasks and Results Training program, (START). These programs were developed to increase the quality of employability of today’s high school graduates by providing them with training related to important job skills as well as opportunities for careers and higher education.

E.A.T! general admission tickets are $35 per person ($65 at the door) and get event-goers unlimited restaurant samplings and access to live entertainment starting at 7 p.m. VIP tickets are $85 per person ($100.00 at the door while supplies last), and get ticket holders early access at 6:30 p.m., exclusive access to the Chairman’s Club area, exclusive restaurant sampling not available in other areas, and access to sponsored wine and beer bars for the duration of the event. Elite ticket pricing  is $135.00 per person ($150.00 at the door while supplies last) and gets ticket holders a 6 p.m. entrance into the event, exclusive access to the Club Lexus area, exclusive restaurant sampling not available in other areas, and access to sponsored spirit, wine, and beer bars for the duration of the event, as well as a commemorative item. For group ticket pricing call 954-835-7830.

E.A.T! will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com. For additional info visit the event website at newtimeseat.com or the Facebook event page.