Inaugural Brews at the Beach Festival on Tap in Fort Lauderdale

They had me at "unlimited beer samples."

Beer, glorious beer will be on tap at Fort Lauderdale Beach this weekend for the inaugural Brews at the Beach Festival.

The fest, from the brain trust at 66 Productions, which puts on the annual Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival in March, kicks off with a Beachside Pig Roast on Friday night at the ocean-adjacent Birch State Park, with a dinner that includes all the fixings and craft beer options.

Saturday is the big festival day at Fort Lauderdale Beach at Sunrise and A1A, where more than 50 local, regional, and international breweries will serve up unlimited beer samples from more than 50 local, regional, and international breweries. Some of South Florida's best from Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale's Gulf Stream Brewing Company, Hollywood Brewing Company, and LauderAle highlight the day's craft beer offerings.

Sunday's Beer Brunch also features bottomless brews, plus beer-centric cocktails, small-plate delicacies, and food stations at Wild Thyme Oceanside Eatery, inside the Atlantic Hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.

Proceeds from the weekend's events benefit the Crockett Foundation, founded in Fort Lauderdale by brothers Henri and Zack Crockett, college and NFL standouts and Blanche Ely alums.

A rundown of the weekend's events, featured breweries, and ticket info can be found at the Brews at the Beach Festival website.

When you live in South Florida, food news is an endless feast. Here's what else is going on.

Halal, yes! New York-bred Halal Guys is opening its Fort Lauderdale location on Thursday, December 5, with a special appearance from social media personality and The Blake Diet founder, Blake Horton. The Fort Lauderdale shop will be the first Halal Guys in the U.S. to carry "The Burrito," featuring a sun-dried tomato wrap, cheesy sauce, white sauce, and either gyro meat, freshly marinated chicken, or falafel.

Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival. The one-week countdown is on for the Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival. Slated for Thursday, December 12, through Sunday, December 15, at various restaurants throughout the county, a number of its events have already sold out. So, now is the time to get tickets, which range from $50 to $215 per event. Among the can't-misses, Wine Spectator's Grand Tasting is happening on Sunday with food stations, wine pairings, and a Grand Chef Showdown with celebrity judges Adam Richman and Robert Irvine.

Character Brunch with Santa. You and your kids don't have to venture to Orlando to hang out with some of your favorite characters. On Sunday, December 8, Galuppi's in Pompano Beach is hosting a Character Brunch with Santa, where Santa, Spiderman, Cinderella, Captain America, and seemingly every other magical figure and superhero in between will attend. On the grub front, Galuppi's will have an all-you-can-eat buffet with a prime rib-carving station, shrimp, crab legs, oysters, and more. Reservations are highly recommended.
Great sizzling dragon bogies! For Harry Potter fans out there, Legends Tavern and Grille’s Deerfield Beach location has extended its special Harry Potter dinner menu through the month of December. Geek out with cleverly named and quite tasty dishes like the Patronus Burger, an eight-ounce elk patty topped with brie, prosciutto, cabernet-braised onions, and tarragon-garlic aioli on a brioche bun. And, yes, there is butterbeer.
Let's do lunch. The New Times’ Best New Bar in Broward in 2019, Bar Rita, is now open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. on weekdays. In addition to helping yourself to brunch staples (OMFG, the truffle street corn guacamole), try some new lunch items like the Impossible chile relleno (with a beer-battered poblano pepper, Oaxaca and cotija cheeses, and Impossible “meat”).
What's new? Planta, the Chef David Lee plant-based concept with successful operations in Toronto and Miami, will open in West Palm Beach’s Rosemary Square in 2020. ... Juicery and coffee bar Press & Grind Café is adding a second location by the end of 2019. Its new spot will be on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, while its existing location remains a few miles up the road in Victoria Park. ... Miami Beach late-night hotspot Bodega Taqueria y Tequila is opening a new location at 21 W. Las Olas Blvd. by spring 2020. A stone’s throw from the recently opened the Wharf Fort Lauderdale, you’ll have a new spot to grab tacos until 5 a.m.