The Best Of South Beach Food & Wine Festival

Best Brunch

PAULA DEEN’S SUNDAY BRUNCH
Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL, 33139, Sunday, February 26, 2012, 11:30-1:30 PM

Start your Sunday “fun-day” at The Queen of Sassafras’ annual Sunday Brunch, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Paula Deen’s buffet-style presentation will feature various southern specialties and savory cocktails to match. The always-entertaining affair leaves little room for the carb conscious, so make sure to arrive with an empty stomach and a hearty appetite.

FARM-TO-TABLE BRUNCH HOSTED BY MICHAEL SCHWARTZ
Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Saturday, February 25, 2012, 12-3 PM

Guiltlessly indulge in a Farm-to-Table Brunch, hosted by Michael Schwartz of Miami’s ever-so-popular Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. The brunch is a celebration of simple food and invites top sustainable chefs from all over the country to serve up tasty bites at their own stations.

Best Celebrity Chef Spots

GRAND TASTING VILLAGE
13th Street & Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, February 25-26, 2012, 11 AM- 6 PM

If there is only time for one Food and Wine event in your schedule, we recommend making it the Festival’s signature Grand Tasting Village. The famed white tents will be devoted exclusively to bold cuisine, excellent wines and specially crafted spirits. The Village invites “foodies” to taste a variety of expertly-crafted dishes, in addition to watching culinary demonstrations from some of the most notable names in the industry, including Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and Anthony Bourdain.

THE Q HOSTED BY GUY FIERI AND EMERIL LAGASSE
Delano Beachside, 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Thursday, February 23, 2012, 7-10 PM

Now that the BubbleQ is no longer, Moët Hennessy is introducing The Q, presented by Allen Brothers Steaks and hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri. The event features libations from Moët & Chandon Champagne, Belvedere Vodka, Hennessy Privilege Cognac, Grand Marnier, and Terrazas de los Andes vineyard. With this and the impressive tent set up behind the Delano Hotel, The Q invites Miami’s elite to indulge in fine fare by some of the most notable talents in the industry. Opening night hosts include food personalities Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri.

Best Event

THE FOOD NETWORK AND COOKING CHANNEL PRESENT: THE BEST THING I EVER ATE
The Ritz-Carlton on South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Saturday, February 25, 2012, 10 PM- 2 AM

At “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” sponsored by Godiva Chocolatier, attendees will nosh on the favorite bites of Food Network & Cooking Channel talent and celebrity chefs. Coupled with savory libations, Godiva Chef Chocolatier David Funaro will present a tantalizing dessert at the Godiva Lounge, ensuring that the night not only brings “the best thing” you’ve ever eaten, but turns out to be the best evening you’ve ever had.

FONTAINEBLEAU MIAMI BEACH PRESENTS WINE SPECTATOR’S “BEST OF THE BEST”
Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140, Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:30-11 PM

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach Presents Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best Sponsored by Bank of America, where special guests will rub elbows with top chefs and winemakers. Pair the best new chefs’ creations with the best wines according to Wine Spectator, and let your taste buds enjoy the ride. The evening, while thoroughly enjoyable, is equally educational as master winemakers share the trends that fuel today’s exciting gastronomic scene.

Best Party

BURGER BASH
Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:30-11 PM

The Amstel Light Burger Bash, hosted by Rachael Ray and presented by Allen Brothers Steaks, is Friday night and takes place behind The Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Here, guests will sample dozens of burger creations from the country’s most talented chefs. In 2011, Michael Symon’s burger with fried salami, provolone, shasha hot sauce and pickled onion, claimed the People’s Choice award, making the Food Network star a two-time champion.

PARTY: IMPOSSIBLE FEATURING EPICURE GOURMET MARKET HOSTED BY ROBERT IRVINE
1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Friday,February 24, 2012, 10 PM- 1AM

Epicure Gourmet Market Presents Party Impossible hosted by Robert Irvine, an event highlighting the gourmet meats, cheeses, breads, soups, pastries and prepared foods that can only be found at their South Beach and Sunny Isles locations. Irvine, who will be making his Food and Wine debut, stars on the popular Food Network shows Worst Cooks in America and Restaurant: Impossible. Southern Wine & Spirits mixologists will also be present, concocting drinks to pair with Epicure’s assortment of tasty delights.

Best Salon & Shop

WARREN TRICOMI/PURE THERAPY
W Hotel Miami Beach, 2201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, 305-673-9190

Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi brought their lucrative hair care business down to South Beach one year ago when they partnered with entrepreneurs and dynamic design couple, Stacy Josloff and Evan Kaye. Josloff and Kaye combined their experience in retail (they previously had a boutique at the Gansevoort Hotel) with the talented likes of Warren and Tricomi, and created Miami’s one-stop-shop for all things indulgent. The brainchild of the two was appropriately named Pure Therapy. Pure Therapy is arguably one of the best locations to find luxury items, and while Josloff is the brains of both the Inca (her super-sexy bikini line) and Pure Therapy operations, Kaye carries out the exceptional salon experience that is found at Warren Tricomi.

Best New Restaurant

VESPER
1801 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, 305-341-1500

Vesper at the Shelborne Hotel recently emerged onto Miami’s culinary scene, and has since found due recognition for serving up exceptional Modern American cuisine. Executive Chef Frank Ferreiro created breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that feature dishes such as Grilled Branzino with Grilled Vegetables and a Champagne Lemon-Butter Reduction, and Shepherd’s Pie with Kobe Beef Wagyu, Whipped Potatoes and Melted Cheese.

THE DUTCH
2201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, 305-938-3111

Famed New York City chef Andrew Carmellini opened his luxe dive joint, The Dutch, last year with an equal balance between good eats and a stylish crowd. The menu is perfectly assorted with choices including Asian White Boy Ribs, Quinoa and Squash Salad and an array of freshly baked pies. The shabby chic locale combines next-door familiarity with an element of cool that will rival Cecconi’s and both Primes. Miami men-about-town Karim Masri and Nicola Siervo joined Carmellini, Luke Ostrom and Josh Pickard in transporting The Dutch from NYC to SoBe.

Best Hotel

W SOUTH BEACH
2201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33193, 305-938-3000

Step inside the W South Beach Hotel and Residences and enter an oasis of luxury and style. The SoBe property is unlike any other W location, exceeding the highest expectations and the wildest of dreams. Aside from its pristine grounds and plush suites, the W is also home to famed dining destinations Mr. Chow and The Dutch. To boot, several notable guests call the W Residences home, like Zaha Hadid, the master architect named by Forbes Magazine as one of the most powerful women in the world.

SHELBORNE SOUTH BEACH
1801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139, 305-531-1271

After a $20 million renovation, Shelborne South Beach recently reopened the doors to its iconic Miami establishment in celebration of their 70th anniversary. Owners Keith Menin and Jared Galbut are the duo behind the haute hotel, which also features dining and nightlife destinations such as Vesper American Brasserie, Bar Tanaka, Lucy’s Cantina Royale and Shelborne Lounge. When in search of classic accommodations for the ultimate South Beach experience, there’s no better place than the Shelborne.

Best Late-Night Dining

PUBBELLY SUSHI
1424 20th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139, 305-531-9282

When Andreas Schreiner, Jose Mendin and Sergio Navarro brought Pubbelly and Pubbelly Sushi to the Magic City, the trio also introduced the first Asian inspired “gastropub” in Miami. The hybrid eatery blends traditional pub and tavern aesthetics with innovative, upscale cuisine. Schreiner calls Pubbelly Sushi an intimate “sushi tavern,” explaining that while the menu features out-of-the-box Japanese fare, patrons can also find classic rolls and sashimi.