Santa Monica Pops Up in Sydney Harbour
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism brings a slice of LA’s beach city to Australia
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 30, 2019) – A slice of Santa Monica has popped up along the iconic Sydney Harbour offering Australians the opportunity to experience a taste of laid-back Santa Monica living. Australia is a top international feeder market for the City of Santa Monica and the six-week activation is designed to entice more travelers from the market to visit.
Running through October 31, 2019, Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour brings the beach city to life along Sydney’s 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.
“Australia has long been a top market for visitation to Santa Monica and it’s crucial that we continue to engage,” said Misti Kerns, President/CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT). “Australians 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. 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.
Chefs Citrin and Lunetta officially launched Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour ahead of their first chefs table collaboration with The Gantry Head Chef Thom Gorringe on September 25.
“I am so excited and thrilled to be able to be here and am filled with nostalgia to be in Sydney with the sights of Santa Monica, my home town,” said Chef Citrin. “I’m honored to be able to cook and share with Sydney the great cuisine we have in Santa Monica.”
“There’s a natural affinity between Santa Monica and Sydney, from the beautiful beaches, competitive surf culture, friendliness of the people and a familiarity of comfort and integrity,” added Chef Lunetta. “The same is true from the culinary standpoint, standards are high and the scenes are driven by grounded techniques and innovation is top of mind.”
In early October Chef Armstrong will continue to share Santa Monica’s culinary scene with additional cooking events.
“I’m very excited to be a part of this one of a kind immersive experience,” said Chef Armstrong. “Even 7500 miles apart, the similarities between these two waterfront cities are inspiring. This provides us the perfect backdrop for fine cuisine and creating lasting memories.”
Santa Monica a Pier One will run for six weeks from Monday 22 September to Thursday 31 October. For a full list of events, bookings and more information on the activation and Santa Monica, please visit santamonicaatpierone.com
Photo Credit 1: Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour runs through October 31.
Photo Credit 2: Prominent Santa Monica Chefs Govind Armstrong, Raphael Lunetta and Josiah Citrin are bringing the beach city’s culinary scene to life in Sydney.
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About Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For travel and accommodation information or a free copy of the official Visitors Guide, the public can write to the Santa Monica Visitor Center, 2427 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405; call (310) 319-6263; visit santamonica.com; or email info@santamonica.com. Follow SMTT on Twitter (@GoSantaMonica), Instagram (@SeeSantaMonica) or Facebook (@VisitSantaMonica).
Contact: Lauren Salisbury
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
310.319.6263
lsalisbury@santamonica.com
