sobefest.com/2009 The tents have been taken down, the chefs have all gone home, and South Floridians can now return to more pressing matters like spring training, but the memories of my first South Beach Wine and Food Festival linger for any number of reasons, even if I didn't see the pantsless Paula Deen fiasco. But what did I make of the main event? The Grand Tasting, a series of huge white tents right on the South Beach waterfront where extremely polite folks served up massive (unlimited) quantities of wine, spirits, and cocktails, and celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Tom Colicchio, and Emeril Lagasse drew in big crowds to answer questions, kibbitz, make jokes, and yes, even cook? I was...
Continue reading »
"I had gone on my own South Beach Diet, for one evening at least, and came out smelling like a rose, or at the very least like a cheeseburger. " Me with Ollie Kottke Even with me sharing an entire loaf of onion confit bread with young Ollie Kottke (son of Meg Hourihan and Jason Kottke) Tuesday lunch I was down two pounds for the week, to 228, on Thursday morning, when I boarded a plane to Miami for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. My plane arrived on time at 6:30 p.m., and after looking at and rejecting four hotel rooms, I was finally able to settle in, take a shower, and head to the famed Burger Bash....
Continue reading »
