Just starting to recover from a great weekend down in South Beach with my chef friend, Roger, at the annual Food and Wine festival. I have flown through Miami a number of times but this was my first time outside of the airport, and is now sure to be an annual stop.
The festival takes place right in the heart of South Beach with events going on for days. I did not make it down for the first big event on Thursday, but I heard it was a blast. My friend Spike from Top Chef was the fan favorite and won a trip to Amsterdam. He served his burnt marshmallow milkshakes alongside his burger which I am sure put him over the edge. He made the shakes for us at the house during filming and they are so simple yet delicious. Just start out as though you are making smores, but instead of the graham crackers and chocolate, add the browned marshmallows into the blender with some vanilla ice cream and milk and enjoy. Between that and his impressive schmoozing abilities he was sure to win.
We got in on Friday and started my weekend off right with sangria and snacks. We met up with Lee Ann Wong from season one of TC and headed to the Ritz to meet up with Jeff from season 5. It is still strange to me when I meet a contestant from another season….they look like they jumped right out of my TV. We all have this strange and unique bond from having gone through such a crazy experience. I have to give a shout out to Jeff. The food he sent out was great. He was so close to getting back on the show for the finale and I think if he had he could have gone all the way. Just a talented and sweet guy. If you visit him I recommend the crisp oysters with house chorizo sausage; the perfect amount of spice with great texture.
After a rough day of sitting in the sun sipping on cocktails, it was time to get dressed for the Bubbles and BBQ on the beach. A number of chefs including Tom Colicchio, Art Smith, and Marcus Samuelsson each created a dish to accompany an overabundance of bubbles. With Michael Jackson and other 80’s tunes blasting all around and thousands of excited guests, it was bound to be a fun party.
From there we hit Paula Dean’s poker party filled with cheese fondue, tasty snacks and martini bars made out of ice. May have been smart to stick to wine, but how can you say no when an entire bar is made of ice with various flavors of martinis flowing.
The parties just keep on going through near sunrise while chefs and foodies enjoy each others company while eating, chatting, dancing and drinking all sorts of things like the new sparkling vodka. It was like Vegas on the beach with fellow chefs and friends all around.
Looking forward to heading back next year and participating in the event. If you like food, drinks and sunshine, then this is a great weekend getaway, especially during a harsh Chicago winter. I might have to make a trip down before then and spend some time enjoying the restaurant scene and some chill time on the beach, especially since it will be winter at home for me for at least three more months.
»