Guide to the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) presented by FOOD & WINE kicks off on Thursday, February 23, 2012, with three dinner events and Moët Hennessy's "The Q After Dark" party. This four-day foodie extravaganza is one of the biggest festivals in Miami. The attendee count in 2011 was just about 55,000 guests; most tickets are already sold out for 2012. Food Network stars and celebrities making an appearance this year include Anthony Bourdain, Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, Bettheny Frankel, Emeril Lagasse, and Rachael Ray.

I will be attending several events over the festival weekend and will also be talking to chefs, celebrities, and Food Network personalities at the Whole Foods Grand Tasting Village on Saturday and Sunday. Here's a preview of the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE:

Opening Night

The official kick-off party is Moët Hennessy's The Q BBQ event, sponsored by MIAMI magazine and hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri. The party starts at 7 p.m. behind the Delano Hotel in South Beach where some of the country's best BBQ chefs will prepare their signature dishes on the grills and in smokers lined up around the tent. Chefs from New York, Chicago, Miami Beach, Culver City, Dallas, and other cities will meet with Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri as the duo samples each chef's signature dish.

Other events happening at 7 p.m. that same night are Dining in the Dark by David Burke, and Conscious Bite Out with Geoffrey Zakarian.

Friday's Highlights

Antonio Banderas will be hosting a presentation about the Anta Banderas Winery at the Perry South Beach. He will be talking about his vineyard and showcasing some of his bestselling wines.

Food Network personality Rachael Ray will be hosting the Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Allen Brothers Steaks at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach for a night of dinner, dancing, and sampling of dozens of burgers prepared by the country's most talented chefs.

One of the chicest parties of the weekend is Wine Spectator's Best of the Best sponsored by Bank of America at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The elegant dinner gives guests a chance to meet and greet chefs, sample wine, and enjoy some decadent desserts and cocktails with chefs, stars, and celebrities.

Saturday's Highlights

The Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village kicks off at 11 a.m. with culinary demonstrations by Nadia G, Andrew Zimmern, Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Bethenny Frankel, Guy Fieri, Sunny Anderson, and others. American Express Grand Tasting Tents will feature sample sizes of menu items from nationally-renowned restaurateurs. The Winebow Wine Pavilion gives attendees a chance to sample wines from around the world.

Several "Lifestyle Seminars" are on the schedule for Saturday. I'll be attending the "Godiva Chocolate Bar: Exclusive Pairing of Chocolates and Cocktails" with David Funaro and Tony Abou-Ganim to learn about the new Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka flavors and sample some of Godiva's fine Belgian selections.

Other highlights of Saturday include: Dolce Lunch hosted by Charles Pan at The Setai Hotel; the Farm to Table Brunch hosted by Michael Schwartz; and the Barilla Interactive Lunch hosted by Anne Burrell.

The Tribute Dinner honoring Charlie Trotter & Piero Antinori is at 7 p.m. at Loews Miami Beach and Anthony Bourdain will serve as the evening's Master of Ceremonies.

Saturday night's big party is the Food Network & Cooking Channel present The Best Thing I Ever Ate Late Night Bites & Sweets at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. The party will host celebrity guests, chefs, and talented mixologists for a night of desserts and cocktails.

Sunday's Highlights

Sunday begins with more lifestyle seminars and the popular Paula Deen's Sunday Brunch, which I will also be attending. The Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village will once again host demonstrations by stars and chefs including Rocco DiSpirito, Bobby Flay, Masahuru Morimoto, Paula Deen, Bobby Deen, Robert Irvine, Melissa d'Arabian, and Anthony Bourdain amongst others.

The Official Closing Party is Trucks on the Beach presented by Cultivate Wines and will feature some of Miami's top food carts and trucks behind the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. I'll be there to chat with the chefs and learn more about the street food trend sweeping the nation.

Sources:

2012.sobefest.com