The South Beach Wine & Food Festival Returns
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival Returns
Tickets go on sale November 6 for this annual party on the sand
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) has just announced its schedule of events for its 23rd year. The festival runs from February 22 to 25, 2024, and boasts more than 100 events to choose from.
SOBEWFF, sometimes referred to as “Spring Break for chefs”, takes place throughout Miami and Miami Beach with the two cities serving as a playground for chefs who fly in to participate in dinners, seminars, classes, and walkaround events. And, although many hotels and restaurants serve as venues, the main events such as Burger Bash and the Grand Tasting Village are held directly on the sands of South Beach (much to the dismay of some people who refuse to listen to the sage advice of wearing beachy foot attire).
Though SOBEWFF and the New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) are close cousins, they have distinctly different vibes that truly reflect the cities they represent: For me, the NYCWFF feels more educational, while SOBEWFF is in true party mode.
As for the “Spring Break for chefs” — there’s truth behind the moniker. Walk through the streets of South Beach and you’re sure to run into some big names in culinary having a beer at Mac’s Club Deuce, scarfing down stone crabs at Joe’s, or chilling at the bars at the W or Loews hotels. After all, no one is immune to Miami Beach’s sultry siren song and chefs are just like us — flesh and bone people who just want some sunshine and tequila at the end of a long day.
That’s not to say that you won’t learn a thing or two to up your culinary game come February. The SOBEWFF Master Class series features a robust selection of classes taught be Miami’s most talented chefs and restaurateurs. During the weekend, you can learn to make doughnuts with the Salty Donut (a Miami doughnut shop where hungry treat seekers wait sometimes for hours to get their hands on doughnut), discover the secrets of Vietnamese cooking with the women behind Hy Vong (a legendary chef’s favorite that now hosts pop-up dinners in Miami), or even learn how to brew beer with the brewmasters at Biscayne Bay Brewing.
New events this year include a brunch hosted by the cast of The Kitchen (Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, and Geoffrey Zakarian), A Philly Cheesesteak demo by Philadelphia cheesesteak maven Pat’s King of Cheesesteak, Noche Cubana (hosted by Michelle Bernstein, David Martinez, and Gio Gutierrez), and The Art of Punch Room at the Matador Hotel.
And, as always, the festival has its signature events like Burger Bash, Tacos and Tequila, the Best of the Best, and the sensory and culinary overload that is the Grand Tasting Village.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on November 6, but Capital One cardholders can purchase tickets now. So, make your travel reservations, grab your sunscreen and your flip-flops, and make plans for your Miami Beach vacation.