From beachfront communities in the south and north to trendy neighborhoods on the mainland, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival will once again expand across Miami, Feb. 22-25. With stars from the food world flying in to chop it up (sometimes literally) with Miami’s local restaurant scene, it’s a perfect confluence of taste and talent.
“It’s rewarding to watch where we’ve gone since the festival started 23 years ago,” SOBEWFF founder Lee Schrager said. “There was no structure, no budget, just a dream.”
As always, there’s an extraordinary number of events on deck. Visitors can hobnob with their favorite celebrity chefs and foodie influencers, watch some take to the pickleball court, or wander around after-dark food markets to sample world cuisine. Some of the Magic City’s best culinary talents will pair off with visiting chefs to create extraordinary dinners.
For those hoping a little bit of kitchen magic might rub off on them, cooking classes are even being offered from some of the folks behind Miami’s most renowned restaurants.
Seeing Stars
(World Red Eye/Courtesy of SOBEWFF)
Athena Dion of R House is mistress of ceremonies at this year’s SOBEWFF Drag Brunch.
Part of the fun of SOBEWFF is, of course, spotting celebs. “How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris is celebrating Miami’s vibrant LGBTQ+ culture alongside husband David Burtka, himself a chef, with an extravagant Drag Brunch at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Lending support to the community, which remains threatened by the Ron DeSantis-led state government’s heavily criticized legislation, Harris is bringing in some of the city’s most celebrated queens, including Athena Dion of Wynwood’s beloved R House, who will serve as the event’s mistress of ceremonies.
The actor is also hosting a happy hour to kick off FoodieCon, an event geared toward digital food culture. If your main method of discovering new things to tempt your palate is through TikTok creators and YouTube mukbang videos, this is the place to be, with cooking demos, interactive panels and plenty of your favorite digital influencers. At $95 for admission, it’s also one of the festival’s less expensive event options.
(World Red Eye/Courtesy of SOBEWFF)
Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, will host Drag Brunch at the Miami Beach Bandshell.
All the usual suspects will be in attendance as well. Guy Fieri is not only hosting a live edition of his hit show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” he’s also hosting a late-night cigar and spirits session with premium smokes and whiskies. Michael Symon of “Iron Chef America” fame will also be slinging whiskey alongside some fine steaks at a dinner in the Design District’s Jungle Plaza.
Andrew Zimmern of “Bizarre Foods” is the master of ceremonies at Sunday’s closing Block Party, featuring Harlem-born chef Melba Wilson, Run-D.M.C. legend Rev Run, and food from 20 South Florida chefs. Zimmern will also take the helm for a dinner at Brickell Key’s La Mar by Gastón Acurio alongside the restaurant’s head chef, Diego Oka. And if you want to watch your favorite celebrity chefs show off their athletic skills (or lack thereof), check out the Celebrity Chef Pickleball Tournament.
(World Red Eye/Courtesy of SOBEWFF)
Andrew Zimmern of “Bizarre Foods” will host the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Block Party on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Local Love
With Miami restaurants now earning Michelin stars, the city’s food scene has gained international prominence. That means some of the most covetable dinners during SOBEWFF are being given by locals.
“When we started 23 years ago, we had to bring in talent, we didn't have all these great chefs,” Schrager said.
The so-called “New Miami” cuisine movement is well represented, with many hometown chefs teaming with out-of-towners for collaborative dinners. Elsewhere in Wynwood, the late, lamented Alter’s Brad Kilgore, who recently opened his new brasserie MaryGold’s in Wynwood, has enlisted Markus Glocker of well-regarded New York Austrian restaura
(World Red Eye/Courtesy of SOBEWFF)
Go nocturnal at the Asian Night Market and Smorgasburg After Dark.
nt Koloman for a dinner at the new place.
Elsewhere in the neighborhood, the chefs behind Michelin-starred pasta-focused spot Boia De will be joined in the kitchen by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Petit Trois fame, known for their eclectic cooking style.
The Chang siblings of Itamae fame are both in the mix. Valerie, who currently runs the buzzy Peruvian spot Maty’s in Edgewater, will be joined by Mexico-raised, Washington, D.C.-based pastry chef Chabela Coss Lutece and Ana Castro of Lengua Madre in New Orleans for a dinner emphasizing female prowess in the kitchen.
“These are two amazing Latina women I look up to, they’re so incredibly talented,” Chang said. “It’s gonna be an amazing dinner.”
(World Red Eye/Courtesy of SOBEWFF)
Michael Symon of “Iron Chef America” will serve up steak alongside fine whiskies at this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
Her brother, Nando, will assist with a kosher dinner at Ovo at the Altair hosted by Zak The Baker himself, Zak Stern, who is also running another event at Regener8 Farm and Retreat with rising chef/restaurateur Michael Beltran of Ariete and Chugs Diner and Jose Mendín of Pubbelly Sushi.
Hands On!
Want to pretend you’re in an episode of “The Bear” without all the stress of a working kitchen? For those hoping to live out their dreams of culinary glory, plenty of cooking classes are being offered during SOBEWFF. If you’ve never learned to make empanadas, now a staple of South Florida food culture, Empanada Harry’s is offering a master class on the South American snack alongside brunch. You can also learn how to make ice cream courtesy of Salt & Straw and Detroit-style square pizza with chef Jeremiah Bullfrog and Square Pie City.
Although some of the more glamorous options are sold out – that David Grutman-curated sushi class at Bad Bunny’s Gekko, for instance – not all are. The Rubell Museum-adjacent Leku is offering the chance to learn how to make its famous Basque cheesecake, a dish as artful as they come.
Interested in more international food? Take in the sights, smells and tastes of the Far East at an Asian Night Market or indulge in a late-night edition of local favorite open-air food hall, Smorgasburg Miami, with vendors spanning the globe serving everything from Korean fried chicken and Japanese soba noodles to birria tacos and Caribbean favorites.
Finally, you can also travel the world through wine, thanks to the returning Wine Spectator Wine Seminar, featuring events dedicated to wines from Italy, Spain and Chile.