This spring Sydneysiders will be able to feed their culinary souls with a taste of laid-back Santa Monica living without leaving home as LA’s beach city pops up at the luxurious Pier One Sydney Harbour.
Set to launch Sunday 22 September 2019, Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour will bring the beach city to life along the iconic waterfront with a curated menu of SoCal-style food and beverages and live cooking demonstrations from award-winning Santa Monica chefs, free wellness and fitness experiences, an organic mini- farmers market and live music sunset sessions.
“We are thrilled to bring a taste of Santa Monica soul to Pier One Sydney Harbour,” said Misti Kerns, President/CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT). “Aussies share a similar mindset to Santa Monica residents, particularly with our focus on health and wellness, laid back lifestyle and love of fresh food, and that’s ultimately what we considered when planning the calendar of events.”
Three renowned Santa Monica chefs will travel to Australia for culinary collaborations with The Gantry Head Chef Thom Gorringe, recently awarded One Hat in the Good Food Guide. Visiting Chefs from Santa Monica include; Chef Josiah Citrin, two-star Michelin Chef and owner of California’s highly-acclaimed Mélisse, Charcoal Venice, Openaire and Dave’s Doghouse restaurants; Chef Raphael Lunetta, ‘Top Chef’ judge, California Chef of the Year, Owner and Chef Proprietor at Santa Monica institutions Lunetta and Lunetta All Day; and Chef Govind Armstrong of ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Iron Chef’ fame, Executive Chef of Santa Monica icon The Lobster, and the chef behind 8oz Burger Bar and Post and Beam.
No doubt, visitors to Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour will be inspired to visit Los Angeles’ beach city. A trip to Santa Monica is up for grabs each week of the activation, thanks to Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, United Airlines and 7Travel. For a chance to win, visitors to the activation will be encouraged to snap a pic and tag on Instagram using #santamonicasydney
Santa Monica a Pier One will run for six weeks from Sunday 22 September to Thursday 31 October. A full list of events on offer during the activation is below. For bookings at Pier One, more information on the activation and Santa Monica, please visit www.santamonicaatpierone.com
Wellness Wednesdays
Sydneysiders and Santa Monicans share a passion for wellness. Each Wednesday morning during the activation, free waterfront Yoga and Pilates sessions will be offered on the pier, where attendees can enjoy a moment of mindfulness before beginning their day. With the fresh harbour breeze fueling each pose and adding to the zen, those who wish to soak up some Santa Monica soul are encouraged to book online to secure their free tickets.
Friday Twilight on the Pier
Each Autumn, the iconic Twilight on the Pier events held at the Santa Monica Pier bring together the love of live music, good food, great drinks and fun times with friends while enjoying the spectacular sunsets over the ocean. Twilight in Santa Monica features a diverse line up of live music from around the world, including Australian bands. In a special Sydney-style tribute to the Santa Monica events, Twilight on the Pier will be open for sundowner specials every Friday of the activation from 4pm, offering SoCal cocktails, Santa Monica inspired cuisine and live music to ease the crowd into a weekend vibe.
Saturday ROGA
ROGA (run + yoga) is a fitness favourite and tradition enjoyed by Santa Monica locals. Each Saturday during October, Sydneysiders can take up the ROGA challenge as part of Santa Monica at Pier One.
In partnership with lululemon, the ROGA will start with a 2.5km jog or run from Luna Park to Santa Monica at Pier One. On arrival participants will have their peace of mind restored by some of lululemon’s top yoga instructors as they soak up the stunning harbor views. Again, this is a free event, so those who wish to participate in the challenge are encouraged to secure their spot in advance by booking online.
Sunday Farmers Markets
Santa Monica’s food scene is synonymous with farm-to-plate freshness with thanks to their four-weekly farmers markets. Santa Monica at Pier One in partnership with Visit California will bring three bespoke certified organic mini-farmers markets to the pier during the activation.
At each of these events, one of Santa Monica’s acclaimed Chefs will offer a free cooking demonstration, sharing a personal recipe for guests to make their own Southern Californian inspired meal at home. Featuring field-fresh produce, brilliant cut flowers, local artisan breads, delicious foods and relaxed live music, the three Farmers Markets will take place on Sunday 29 September, 6 and 13 October, from 10am – 2pm.
Santa Monica X Gantry Chefs Tables
The Gantry restaurant at Pier One will be hosting exclusive dining experiences with three of Santa Monica’s most highly acclaimed Chefs.
For two nights only, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September, renowned Santa Monica based Chefs Josiah Citrin of Mélisse and Raphael Lunetta of Lunetta will collaborate with The Gantry’s Head Chef Thom Gorringe to showcase the best of local NSW seasonal produce in a bespoke menu. The mouthwatering coastal-inspired menu will draw upon the hyper-seasonal culinary style that each chef brings to the table.
Chef Govind Armstrong of The Lobster will also partner with Chef Gorringe for seafood themed BBQ on the pier, with guests dining al fresco in the Gantry Garden and Marquee. This will be a one-off event on Wednesday 16 October, with a menu celebrating the best of Australian seafood and Chef Govind’s Costa Rican influence.
These three bespoke dinners are set to be sell-outs, with bookings currently available online for $250 for 6 courses with matching wines at www.santamonicaatpierone.com
For those who miss out on the chefs table experiences, each Chef has created two new dishes that reflect their personal style, utilising fresh, simple and market-driven cuisine, taking diners from Sydney Harbour to the coast of Santa Monica. These six Santa Monica inspired dishes will be available on The Gantry’s al la carte menu for the entirety of the activation.
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