Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Feb 19 - 23, 2020
By: Shayne Benowitz | Dec. 17, 2019
Everything you need to know about SOBEWFF®
Take several dozen celebrity chefs and culinary personalities—from Rachael Ray to Geoffrey Zakarian and Guy Fieri, as well as country music star Trisha Yearwood and hip-hop pioneer Rev Run. Add twice the amount of impressive wine, craft beer and artisanal cocktails. Toss to mix thoroughly and garnish with farm-to-table style dining events and demonstrations. Serve to thousands of guests annually on the last weekend of February. What you’ve got is the 19th Annual Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®) presented by Capital One, which descends on the sands of South Beach February 19-23, 2020. Concocted by Lee Brian Schrager, festival founder and director, SOBEWFF® is one of Miami’s most-anticipated annual events and a favorite amongst the highly-regarded chefs in attendance.
Tickets
Each SOBEWFF event is ticketed and prices vary widely, ranging from $35 for family-friendly events, like pizza-making classes to $500 for the formal tribute dinner at Loews Miami Beach hotel, which will honor Chef Marcus Samuelsson this year. Many event prices hover around $95.
Events & Parties
Grand Tasting Village & Cooking Demos
Part of SOBEWFF®’s appeal, for both presenters and party-goers, is location, location, location. Many of the events take place directly on the sand including the Grand Tasting Village, a smorgasbord of food and wine sampling and seminars held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the festival. The enormous tents housing hundreds of chefs and winemakers are literally pitched on the beach. While you sample the fare, you can also enjoy regularly scheduled cooking demos by celebrity chefs and culinary superstars. The gentle waves and sea breezes season the bites and quaffs irresistibly.
Miami Beach Signature Events
Some of the most sought after beach parties on the sand are Miami Beach Signature Events, which include Thursday night’s Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Giada De Laurentis and Dario Cecchini, Friday night’s Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray, Saturday night’s Beachside BBQ hosted by Guy Fieri and Sunday night’s Beach Carnival hosted by Andrew Zimmern.
Other Signature Events take place at some of Miami Beach’s swankiest oceanfront hotels, including Best of the Best at the historic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Chicken Coupe hosted by Tyler Florence at W South Beach and Southern Kitchen Brunch hosted by Trisha Yearwood and Tacos After Dark hosted by Danny Trejo, both at Loews Miami Beach.
Brunches, Lunches & Intimate Dinners
For a more intimate experience, consider purchasing a ticket to one of the festival’s many intimate sit-down dinners, or brunch or lunch events. In addition to the Marcus Samuelsson tribute dinner, other highly sought after dinners include collaborations with Francis Mallmann and Tomás Kalika at Faena, Anne Burrell and Scott Conant at the Fontainebleau and a dinner and reception hosted by Martha Stewart at FIU along with Michael White and Antonio Bachour.
For a celebrity-splashed lunch, consider purchasing tickets to Pharrell William’s Family Kitchen Soul Food Brunch at his restaurant Swan in the Design District or the Harlem to Overtown Brunch with Samuelsson at his brand new Red Rooster Overtown.
Late Night Parties
The festival rages on into the wee hours with a whole slew of after party events, including Art of the Tiki Showdown at Kimpton Surfcomber, featuring a lineup of both local and visiting acclaimed mixologists. Beloved James Beard Award-winning local chef Michael Schwartz will host a pizza party and South Dade chef Eileen Andrade will host Croquetas & Cocktails, both in the Design District’s Jungle Plaza. Another highlight is Molly Yeh’s Dim Sum & Disco at The Setai. All of these late night events get started at 10 p.m. and go until midnight or 1 a.m.
What’s New
The most exciting new event on the calendar for SOBEWFF® 2020 is a collaborative performance between Miami’s own NuDeco Ensemble symphony and hip-hop legend Rev Run at the North Beach Bandshell featuring late night bites by Design District food hall Politan Row.
Family Fun & Fitness
From a family ice cream social hosted by Duff Goldman to yoga and Bellinis at Loews Hotel, there’s plenty for families and health-conscious foodies to enjoy during the festival. SOBEWFF promises to be a delicious weekend no matter what you’re craving, from tastings to dinners and parties hosted by local luminaries and national stars. Start planning your culinary weekend in Miami now.
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