Style File: Garden Tour & Crab Boil

WSVN -- It's not every day you see a garden growing right off South Beach.

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "It's the organic garden, it's the prize of the hotel."

Stop by the Palms Hotel on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and Essensia restaurant executive chef Julie Frans will take you on a free tour of their extraordinary garden.

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "It's just a good way to connect with the community, really teach them what we can grow here, and how we're using it in the restaurant."

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "This is my first eggplant, everyone, so this is my little baby."

The garden will definitely wow you with all its fresh goodness: green beans, broccoli, all kinds of herbs and huge tomatoes.

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "Who wants to taste the tomatoes?"

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "I want people touching and picking and tasting and smelling."

Woman: "I have to admit, I didn't realize green beans literally grow on a stem and you pick them off individually."

Once you've finished roaming the garden, Julie will show you some simple dishes to make with all the tasty items she just picked, like broccoli salad.

Julie Frans, Executive Chef, Essensia: "We got the broccoli from the garden. I just tossed it with olive oil and garlic and salt, and roasted it."

Or lobster salad wrapped in collard greens.

Woman: "The lobster salad. It was rich, but you could taste the herbs and things."

You'll be treated with a glass of bubbly or wine, to wash every thing down.

Not too far away at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, spend your Sunday afternoon cracking crabs.

Andrew Balick, Executive Chef, DiLido Beach Club: "It's a traditional southern crab boil, with a South Beach twist."

Every Sunday from 4 to 7, you can sit beachside and feast on an unlimited buffet of crab for just $39.

Andrew Balick, Executive Chef, DiLido Beach Club: "You're going to get golden crab, blue crab, corn, potatoes, sausage, homemade cheddar cheese biscuits, as much of it as you can handle."

There will be live music, and to get you really relaxed, sip on $10 Southern Comfort Tea cocktails.

Belkys Nerey: "Again, the crab boil is every Sunday afternoon starting at 4, and the garden tour at the Palms is every Wednesday at 5."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The Palms Hotel

3025 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach, FL 33140

(305) 534-0505

Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

1 Lincoln Road

Miami Beach, FL

786-276-4000