Widely recognized as one of America’s favorite epicurean celebrations, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®) returns to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. February 22 – 26, 2017.
Benefiting the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University, tickets are on sale now for more than 90 events. The line-up for the 16th annual Festival includes an array of unique dinner experiences, signature tastings, late-night parties, seminars, the return of the Taste Fort Lauderdale Series, and more, taking place at locations throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
To celebrate its sweet 16, SOBEWFF® is kicking its program up a few notches with vibrant experiences at various events. For the first time, the Festival has partnered with hospitality and nightlife impresario David Grutman to present The David Grutman Experience at its signature Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations on Sunday, February 26. Recognized worldwide for his hotspots LIV, Story and Komodo, Grutman is bringing his signature over-the-top curated experiences straight to the sands of Miami Beach for the first time.
Continuing its long-standing tradition of bringing the most revered names in culinary to South Beach, the Festival is honored to feature an intimate dinner hosted by Massimo Bottura at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach on Friday, February 24. Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, located in Modena, Italy was named the No. 1 restaurant in the world on the prestigious list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants™ earlier this year.
To offer one-of-a-kind culinary experiences featuring the world’s best chefs, the Festival has once again carefully curated an array of more than 20 dinners. Highlights for 2017 include:
– An all-truffle experience
– Vegan dinner
– Kosher BBQ
– Celebration of Spain
– Journey through North Carolina cuisine
– Taste of South America
– Mediterranean mezze
– Caribbean classics
– And much more!
Also taking center stage again is the 16th annual Tribute Dinner presented by Bank of America part of The NYT Cooking Dinner Series at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, honoring ThinkFoodGroup chef/owner José Andrés, who was recently awarded the National Humanities Medal at The White House by President Obama, alongside Maisons Marques & Domaines (MMD) owners Jean-Claude Rouzaud and Frédéric Rouzaud. During an evening guided by Master of Ceremonies Anthony Bourdain, a line-up of all-star chefs will delight guests’ taste buds with dishes perfectly paired with selections from the Maisons Marques & Domaines portfolio.
The Festival’s signature Miami Beach events anchoring the weekend also get fresh twists this year, starting with a live musical performance by Little River Band, who hold 10 top 20 songs on U.S. Billboard charts, at Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach sponsored by HCP Media and the Miami Herald Media Company hosted by Valerie Bertinelli & Alex Guarnaschelli on Thursday, February 23. The decade-long, fan-favorite event Heineken Light Burger Bash® presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by Rachael Ray also returns on Friday, February 24, where more than 30 chefs will compete for top burger-maestro honors. SOBEWFF® channels the late-night vibes that South Beach is known for on Saturday, February 25 at the brand new BACARDÍ Beach Party, featuring an array of cocktails, beats and beach bites to keep fans dancing long into the night.
An array of new events and returning favorites continue to add to the excitement of the Festival weekend, including the following options under $100:
– Craft-y Happy Hour
– Brickell City Centre After Dark hosted by Michael & Liz Symon
– Salty, Sweet & Savory Treats: A Late-Night Party featuring Bar Lab, The Salty Donut & Sarsaparilla Club
– DRINK Fort Lauderdale: Cocktail Time Machine Experience, Part of the Taste Fort Lauderdale Series
– The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown hosted by Robert Irvine
– Buddhas and Bellinis
– Nutrish®’s Yappie Hour hosted by Rachael Ray
– Food Fight hosted by Guy Fieri
– Badia Spices’ Fun and Fit as a Family featuring Goya Foods Kidz Kitchen
Tickets for the 2017 Festival are available now online at sobewff.org or by calling 877.762.3933 (Phone sales are open Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST). To date, SOBEWFF® has raised more than $24 million for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU.
Between SOBEWFF® and its sister NYCWFF, which takes place each October in New York City, more than $32 million has been raised to benefit the respective charities for each Festival. Beyond the funds raised, both Festivals draw attention to the vibrant dining culture in their respective cities, provide economic stimulus in their communities, and serve as an invaluable platform to drive awareness, engaging and inspiring people to get involved in philanthropic activities.