All photos by Laine DossWhile most larger SoBe Wine & Food Festival events happen in the giant tents on the beach, the location on the ticket of the Let Them Eat Cake party, hosted by Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse, was that of a parking garage on Lincoln Road and Alton Road. This is going to be interesting, we thought as we traded in ticket for wristband and were directed to an elevator. When the elevator doors opened, guests were surprised to find the entire seventh floor of this parking garage had been turned into a fantasy of cakes, champagne, dancing girls, acrobats and extreme ice carvers.
Sound a bit like Cirque du Soleil? Well, it looked a lot like it. Out of all the events and parties so far this season (and there are still a lot more events left this weekend), this party was both the most exclusive and spectacular. Hosts Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse were on hand and you could feel their touches in the room - the extreme decorating of Martha coupled with the music and color that is Emeril's beloved New Orleans. What about celebrities you say? More celebs than you can shake a cupcake at, we say. We spotted Martha and Emeril, of course, along with Gail Simmons, Geoffrey Zakarian enjoying a cigar, Duff Goldman and Fabio Viviani.
Along with cakes to try, each baker made a cake that represented the 10th anniversary of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Each cake was more spectacular than the next,capturing the brightness and whimsy of South Beach. Acrobats, suspended by their feet, poured champagne for guests, extreme ice carvers made a giant sculpture for the crowd and Brazilian Carnavale dancers led the way for Martha and Emeril to take the stage to toast the crowd! This evening truly was a sweet experience.
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