This month marks the 18th-annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival. From February 20 through 24, Miami will turn into a culinary mecca replete with the greatest food celebrities and hordes of adoring fans. As the festival's name suggests, the event was based in South Beach — until it expanded to Broward in 2016 with the Taste of Fort Lauderdale series.
This year, the party moves farther north with a first-time event in Palm Beach County featuring the domestic diva Martha Stewart. With Brightline train travel between Miami and West Palm Beach quick and easy and major star power at these events, there's plenty of reason to head up the coast during SOBEWFF. Here are some of the highlights.
Dinner Hosted by Donatella Arpaia, PJ Calapa, and Terra Mare. "Meatball queen," cookbook author, and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia and the chef/owner of New York City's Scampi, PJ Calapa, will join Terre Mare chef Michael Chavez to cook an evening of Italian favorites. The meal, paired with wines from the Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits portfolio, will be enhanced by views of Fort Lauderdale Beach from the restaurant's panoramic windows. 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, February 20, at Terra Mare, 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $175 via sobewff.org/terramare.
Clambake Hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli and Jorge Ramos. Chopped host and Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli hosts a poolside clambake complete with endless bottles of Whispering Angel rosé and spirits, along with seaside-inspired dishes from the Conrad Fort Lauderdale's chef Jorge Ramos. Linger with an array of desserts and libations while you take in the ocean breeze and moonlight playing on the water. 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, February 22, at Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $200 via sobewff.org/clambake.
Rock and Roll: an Asian Night Market Hosted by Adam Richman. Meet at Dune, the recently opened Fort Lauderdale restaurant where Adam Richman, host of Travel Channel's Man Finds Food, will lead a virtual culinary tour of all things Asian. The late-night soiree includes samplings of sushi, dim sum, and dumplings, exquisitely paired with libations from Gekkeikan sake and House of Suntory. Karaoke will also be on the itinerary, so best grab an extra drink. 10 p.m. to midnight Friday, February 22, at Dune, 2200 N Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $125 via sobewff.org/dune.
Drag Brunch Hosted by Alex Carr and Elvis Duran. Put on your spangles and prepare to drink, eat, and dance the day away at the SOBEWFF's first drag brunch. South Florida's most talented chefs were tasked with creating dishes inspired by South Florida's most outrageous, gorgeous, and beautiful drag performers such as Kitty Meow, Power Infiniti, Electra, Erika
A Siren's Soirée: Dinner Hosted by Paula DaSilva & Friends. Burlock Coast chef Paula DaSilva (formerly at Miami's Artisan Beach House) teams up with some serious female culinary talent: Adrienne Grenier (3030 Ocean), Ilkay Suuctugu (Edition Miami), Thais Rodriguez (Pure Grey), Kathleen Blake (Rusty Spoon), and Doreen Colondres (The Kitchen Doesn't Bite) for a dinner focused on locally sourced ingredients, an important component of DaSilva's cooking ethos. Hosted at the oceanfront Burlock Coast restaurant, the dinner will include wine pairings. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, February 23, at Burlock Coast at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $185 per person via sobewff.org/burlock.
Bloody Mary Brunch Hosted by Jeff Mauro and Geoffrey Zakarian. For those who haven't yet made it up to Point Royale, Geoffrey Zakarian's seafood-centric Hollywood restaurant, this is the perfect opportunity to visit. The dapper chef and his The Kitchen cohost, Jeff Mauro, invite you to feast on an extravagant brunch spread that includes a not-to-be-missed raw bar, roast suckling pig, and of course, bloody marys. 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, February 24, at Point Royal at the Diplomat Beach Resort, 3555 S. Ocean Dr., Hollywood. Tickets cost $175 viasobewff.org/diplomat.
Martha Stewart Hosts Dinner With Clay Conley and Lindsay Autry. Lifestyle guru extraordinaire Martha Stewart serves as host for West Palm Beach's SOBEWFF debut. Joining her as
