South Beach Food and Wine Festival

Last weekend I attended the South Beach Food and Wine Festival -- specifically the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village. This is the third time I have attended this event and it is definitely a must-do.

This was the 10th year of the Festival. It started out fairly small, but with the addition of Food and Wine Magazine and the Food Network as sponsors, the event has grown to huge proportions. You can buy your tickets online through the South Beach Food and Wine Festival website or on the date of the event. However, many of the events sell out, so I would recommend buying far in advance. A cool perk of the Festival is that a portion of the proceeds go to FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. So, even though the prices are steep, you can rationalize that a part of them are going to charity. I can pretty much rationalize anything if it means I get to eat and drink all day!

The event takes place at the end of February over a long weekend. There are numerous events scattered throughout the weekend. There are night events like the very popular BubbleQ, BurgerBash and the Best of the Best. During the day, there are various lunch and brunch events like the Paula Deen Gospel Brunch and other smaller seminars such as wine tastings hosted by master sommeliers. There are also kid-focused events where Food Network celebrities cook more kid-friendly, and usually healthy, dishes.

However, the flagship event is the Grand Tasting Village. This is huge event that takes place on South Beach and lasts from 11 AM all the way to 6 PM. The tickets are fairly expensive, but they buy you the right to drink and eat to your heart's content.

There are basically two parts to the Grand Tasting Village. First, there are the demonstration tents where food celebrities such as Masaharu Morimoto and Jamie Oliver prepare dishes for the a huge crowd. There is often audience participation and often other chef celebrities stop in for a visit. This is a great way to learn alot, but also to take a break from all the walking and eating. Second, there is the actual Grand Tasting Village. These are two huge tents filled with food and drink vendors. There are restaurants which hand out samples of the types of food at their restaurant. This year we had delicious short-rib and scallop sliders from the Chophouse, for example. There are also food distributors passing out their wares, such as the Ciao Bella Gelato stand. Finally, there are the various wine and spirits distributors passing out wine samples and cocktail samples. I tried Absolut Wild Tea Vodka this year! It is a fabulous way to try new types of food and alcohol.

Depending on how gluttonous you want to be and how much money you want to drop, there are numerous ways to partake in the SBFWF. I would highly recommend taking a trip down to Miami specifically for this event. It is well worth it!

TIP: The majority of the events take place on the beach so dress accordingly. Flip flops, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen are de rigeur!

info@sobefoodandwinefest.com

http://2011sobefest.com/