The National Yucatán Shrimp Day celebration is expanding this year with HM Restaurant Group bringing the May 24th festivities to four Southwest Florida restaurants.
In addition to Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, this year’s event includes Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company. Festivities include YETI cooler giveaways at each restaurant, a chef-driven “one-bite” tasting competition along Fisherman’s Wharf on Fort Myers Beach and a 7K race on Sanibel.
“We created National Yucatán Shrimp Day to celebrate the dish that has long defined our brand, and it’s grown into something much bigger,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group. “Each year, we’ve expanded the experience and now it’s become a signature event that brings our restaurants and the community together.”
Doc Ford’s on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach and Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company, both on Fort Myers Beach, are jump-starting the holiday. Beginning May 1, customers who purchase a Yucatán menu item or a bottle of Gloria’s Yucatán sauce will be entered for a chance to win a YETI cooler filled with restaurant swag, including T-shirts, koozies, a bottle of Yucatán sauce and a $100 gift card. Each restaurant will draw a winner on May 24.
Fisherman’s Wharf on Fort Myers Beach will serve as the hub of a waterfront block party along Matanzas Pass, highlighted by a chef-driven “one-bite” tasting competition. A dedicated event tent will be set up in front of Doc’s House, between Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company, where chefs from Doc Ford’s, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company will each present an original Yucatán shrimp-inspired dish. Guests can visit the tent to sample each bite and vote for their favorite. The competition will take place on Sunday, May 24, from 2 to 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Each vote also enters guests into a raffle to win a YETI cooler.
“We’re excited to see what our chefs prepare; they’re all very talented,” said Harrity. “The winner could become the newest Yucatán item on our menu.”
Yucatán shrimp, Doc Ford’s most popular dish, pairs steamed peel-and-eat shrimp with a savory spicy sauce made from butter, fresh Key lime juice, garlic, cilantro, Colombian chili pepper sambal, salt and pepper. The Yucatán flavor profile also appears in baked oysters, shrimp tacos and a bloody Mary.