Fort Lauderdale was the place to be on February 24 – 28, 2016 for the inaugural edition of the Festival’s new Taste Fort Lauderdale Series on Wednesday, February 24. Hosted by the
Food Network & Cooking Channel and Food And Wine, The South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBE) celebrated its 15th anniversary. SOBE is one of the largest and most well-known festivals of its kind in the country. The event launched with Seaside Eats hosted by Robert Irvine at the historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens and closed with an Asian Night Market hosted by Andrew Zimmern.
The festival began as a one-day event, known as the Florida Extravaganza. For five years, from 1997-2001, the Florida Extravaganza showcased wines from national and international wineries paired with food from local restaurants and chefs working with students of FIU’s School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The South Beach Wine & Food Festival has grown to become America’s most prestigious gourmet gathering.
Among the highlights of the four-day food and wine festival are wine tastings, gourmet dinners, seminars, cooking demonstrations, tributes and the Food Network Awards Show. A sampling of the events include: Seaside Eats hosted by Robert Irvine; New Style Remix Dinner hosted by Justin Warner and Alex Becker; Kuro Late Night featuring DJ Felix Da Housecat; Napa Style Dinner, hosted by Robert Curry and Paul Lemieux; Kuro Late Night featuring DJ Felix Da Housecat.
The event featured a host of celebrity chefs including Todd English, Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos, Marc Vetri, Auberge Resorts’ Robert Curry, Giada De Laurentiis, Rachel Ray, Andrew Zimmern and others. Plus a Bloody Mary Brunch hosted by the Cast of Chopped along with dinner experiences taking place at various Fort Lauderdale restaurants. SOBE was attended by more than 60,000 over its 75+ weekend events seeking the culinary delights presented by SOBE.