Now Playing

One of the many, many bites to be had at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The Eat is On!

by Riki Altman | Miami magazine | February 17, 2012

Like a culinary Basel, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Feb. 23-26, is taking over the city with gastronomic excess of the sweetest kind.

On The Grill
We know, we know. You miss the BubbleQ. Get over it. Its retooled replacement, Moët Hennessy’s The Q is just as grand. Enjoy Champagne, vodka, cognac, Grand Marnier and wine as you sample barbecue specialties from chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, Scott Conant and many others. Feb. 23. 7pm. Tickets $300-$400. Delano Beachside, 1685 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Patty Party
Got your Burger Bash tickets? This year, look for Rachael Ray to debut her namesake patty. We’re sure it’s yum-o! Feb. 24. 7:30pm. Tickets $225-$325. The Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach

Surprise, Surprise!
Antonio Banderas, the winemaker? You bet your merlot. Hear what Banderas, owner of the Anta Banderas Winery in Spain, and wife Melanie Griffith have to say about their new hobby at the Gansevoort’s Matador. Feb. 24. 4:30pm. Tickets $100. 2377 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Home Run
Diamond Dishes, at the new Marlins stadium, begins with a cocktail hour featuring apps from Diamond Dishes: From the Kitchens of Baseball’s Biggest Stars (Lyons Press, $25), a volume featuring recipes from the League’s top sluggers. After that, it’s bites from the likes of Michelle Bernstein, Scott Conant, Laurent Tourondel and Hedy Goldsmith. Author Julie Loria (wife of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria) says the combination of baseball and meals not served in paper wrappers makes sense. “Food and baseball translate across all cultures and generations,” she explains. “And most of all, they both conjure up feel-good memories.” Feb. 25. 7pm. Tickets $250. Miami Marlins Ballpark, 501 Marlins Way, Miami

Fest Newcomer
Steady your sea legs for the premiere of Salsa at Sea, a “Latin-themed dance party on the high seas,” hosted by Douglas Rodriguez and Aarón Sanchez and featuring the culinary talents of New York’s Pichet Ong and our very own Timon Balloo from Sugarcane. Feb. 26. 11:30am. Tickets $150. Bayside Marketplace, 401 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

Bites on Wheels
The event that has everyone racing ahead is Trucks on the Beach, the festival’s official closing party hosted by Andrew Zimmern. Randy Fisher, president of Culinary Related Entertainment and Marketing (CREaM) in the Grove, handpicked the trucks, taste-tested the offerings and ensured guests would have plenty of ice-cold Amstel and wine to keep their palates primed, so we asked him to recommend the must-hits. “Start with The Fish Box, end with the Big Gay Ice Cream truck,” he says, “and sandwich as many in between as possible.” Feb. 26. 6:30pm. Tickets $95.The Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach

For information, call 877.762.3933 or visit sobefest.com. For chef interviews and additional information on the Food Network South Beach Food & Wine Festival, pick up the February 2012 issue of Miami magazine on newsstands now!