South Beach Wine and Food Festival

Each year I wait with avid anticipation for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. On Thursday, February 25 my trusty husband and photographer, Steve, and I were lucky enough to be invited to the Opening Cocktail Reception by Lee Schrager founder of the event. The weather was perfect for a rooftop party atop the Betsy on Ocean Drive. The evening started off with glasses of Whispering Angel Rosé and Fifty Pounds Gin and was quickly followed by more sushi and hors d’oeuvre than I have ever seen at a party since we were catering. The sushi was so fresh that it was made right in front of us. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. We ate so much that when the party was over we said we couldn’t eat another bite. That was until one more tray of ahi tuna was offered and, well, we just couldn’t resist! On the ride back through Miami Beach on our way home there were banners of every Food Network Star lining the streets.

On Sunday we attended the Bloody Mary Brunch which was actually held at the Ritz-Carlton in Ft. Lauderdale. The weekend long event has gotten so popular that it has grown to encompass venues in Ft. Lauderdale as well. This brunch was hosted by the Chopped Host Ted Allen and all of the Chopped judges. It was delightful to mingle with the likes of Marc Murphy, Marcus Samuelsson, Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Frietag, Geoffrey Zacharian and Scott Conant to name a few. And the food and Bloody Marys were never ending! There were eggs prepared many ways, waffles, pancakes, sliders and so much more. We actually ate so much for brunch that we weren’t hungry for dinner.

This only comes once a year and get sold out quicker than you could imagine, so be sure to plan ahead for next year’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival happening sometime in February!