Doral Food & Wine Festival Shows Off the City's Growing Culinary Scene

This weekend, the Doral Food & Wine Festival (DFWF) will return with a lineup of chef showdowns, mixology demonstrations, live music, and bottomless food and drink samplings.

The two-day event, which debuted last year, is expected to attract more than a thousand guests to Doral Central Park Saturday, November 4, and Sunday, November 5. Participating restaurants include Dr. Limon, SuViche, 320 Gastrolounge, Novecento, Angelo Elia, and Kings Bowl.

A $75 ticket guarantees unlimited servings of food and drinks, including alcohol. A complete roster of fare isn't available yet, but a peek at the menu reveals vegan cheeseburgers, made with almonds, nuts, and sunflower seeds, from Greenwave Café; chicken, crab, and smoked salmon causas from Dr. Limon; and octopus, shrimp, and calamari ceviche from Ceviche Power. Portions of DFWF's proceeds will help fund research and educational programming for St. Jude's Hospital.

"The city is developing so fast," founder/organizer Ico Manzanero says. "So many restaurants and businesses are investing in Doral, and this is a way to show that. Every big and great city has a food-and-swine festival, and now here we are."

The City of Doral, which was incorporated in 2003, was recognized by Forbes in 2009 as the second-best city in America to "Live Well In," with a median income of around $70,000. Since then, Doral has seen record growth, especially when it comes to dining options.

"The festival has grown a lot," Manzanero says, "but we're still taking baby steps. One year at a time."

For the 2017 edition, new additions include two stages — one for cooking demos and another for live jazz and performances — along with a larger tasting pavilion, a wine-and-spirits area, and a kids' zone.

"Let me tell you," he says, "this is just the beginning. This baby is still crawling."

Doral Food & Wine Festival. 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, November 4, and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, November 5, at Doral Central Park, 3000 NW 87th Ave., Doral. Tickets cost $30 to $130 via doralfoodandwinefestival.com.