SOBEWFF goes Local!
SoBeWFF Goes Local…finally!
The countdown has begun. Just a little over two weeks before the 2015 South Beach Wine & Food Festival! takes over Miami Beach. The four day festival now in its 13th year takes place February 19th through the 22nd and and attracts over 7000 festival attendees.
Unlike previous years, the festival truly makes an effort to showcase local Miami and South Florida chefs. Since its inception the festival has always wooed ticket buyers with celebrity chefs and talent brought from outside Miami, yet passed over many of the talented South Florida chefs that locals know and respect. The emphasis on “local love” is evident for the 2015 edition with many chefs pairing up for intimate dinners, local blogger curated events, and even the introduction of an inaugural group of chef Culinary Captains representing cohorts of chefs from various neighborhoods throughout South Florida at the Grand Tasting Village.
Chefs at the forefront of this event include:
· Downtown Miami/Brickell/Key Biscayne: Aaron Brooks (EDGE Steak & Bar)
· Ft. Lauderdale: Peter Boulukos, (The Restaurant People & YOLO)
· Midtown/MiMo: Timon Balloo, (SUGARCANE Raw Bar & Grill)
· Miami Beach: Jamie DeRosa, (Tongue & Cheek)
· North Miami Beach/Aventura/Sunny Isles: Tim Andriola, (TIMO & Basil Park)
· South Miami Coral Gables/Doral: David Sears, (SUSHISAMBA)
· Palm Beach/Boca Raton/Delray: Larry LaValley, (3800 Ocean)
· Wynwood/Design District: Michael Shikany, (SHIKANY)
Like usual, there is no shortage of events! MIAbites has chronicled many of these chefs and restaurants and the links to our posts are listed under each event. For those of you not familiar with these chefs, the posts are a great way to get acquainted with the chefs’ food and get to know them a bit more intimately. Some events featuring local chefs that we love include:
Thursday, February 19th, 2015:
Best of the Northwest Dinner hosted by Tom Douglas and Danny Grant (50 Eggs Restaurant Group)
Modern Italian Feast Dinner hosted by Michael Voltaggio and Dena Marino (MC Kitchen).
*Check out the MIAbites feature here on MC Kitchen.
Retro Feast Dinner hosted by Ben Ford, Ashley Chistensen, and Jonathan Lane (The Traymore at The Metropolitan by COMO )
*Check out the MIAbites feature here on The Traymore.
Friday, February 20th, 2015
Brassiere Bites: A dinner hosted by Ludo Lefebvre and José Mendin (Pubbelly Group)
Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray featuring local faves Pincho Factory, Zak the Baker, Blue Collar, and more.
Surf & Surf: A Sustainable Seafood Dinner hosted by Todd English and Allen Susser (The Café at Books & Books) with Timon Balloo (Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill ), Paula DaSilva (3030 Ocean), Sam Gorenstein (My Ceviche), Cindy Huston (Ortanique on the Mile), and Greg True.
*Check out the MIAbites feature here on My Ceviche and here on Timon Balloo.
Cobaya Dinner hosted by Andrew Zimmern, Chris Cosentino, Michael Schwartz (Michael’s Genuine Hospitality Group), Makoto Okuwa (Makoto) and Kaytlin Brakefield (Verde @ PAMM); curated by local bloggers of Cobaya Underground Dining Club.
*Check out the MIAbites feature here on Michael’s Genuine.
Saturday, February 21st, 2015
Barilla Interactive Lunch hosted by Mike Pirolo (Macchialina)
Tacos and Beer hosted by Todd Erickson (HaVen, Huahua’s Taqueria) and Evan Benn (Miami Herald Food Editor)
Medianoches & Mixology hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli,; curated by local blogger Burger Beast
A League of Their Own: a lunch hosted by Michelle Bernstein, Gabrielle Hamilton, and Elizabeth Falkner.
* Check out MIAbites feature here on Chef Michelle Bernstein
All Star Dinner hosted by Paul Liebrandt, David Kinch, and Mathias Gervais (The Setai).
* Check out the MIAbites feature here on Chef Mathias.
Dinner hosted by Tim Love, Jimmy Bannos, Jr., Linton Hopkins, and Aaron Brooks (EDGE Steak and Bar)
Sunday, February 22nd , 2015
Farm to Table Brunch hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, Julie Frans (Essensia at The Palms), and friends.
*Check out the MIAbites feature here on Essensia.
Goya Foods’ Swine & Wine hosted by Marc Forgione featuring Timon Balloo (Sugarcane), Paula DaSilva (3030 Ocean, William Crandall (Azul at the Mandarin Oriental), Albert Cabrera (Bread + Butter), and many more.
Celebrate the talents of Miami and South Florida chefs by attending one of these showcase events, and check online for availability as many events are already Sold Out! There is even special tab for events under $100-. For a complete listing of all the South Beach Wine & Food Festival events please visit www.sobefest.com.
