If last night was any indication, SoBeWFF proud papa Lee Schrager might have to rename the festival the South Beach Wine, Food & Reggae Festival, because Ziggy Marley rocked the tents with a full-length concert that appealed to everyone of every age and degree of sobriety during Guy Fieri's Reggae Jam With Ziggy Marley closing party.
But before the concert, there was food and drink. After a long weekend of swirling, swishing, and sipping fine wine, it was time to break out the rum and Jägermeister (which mayor of Flavortown, Guy Fieri, noted).
Hungry eventgoers got a taste of the islands with chefs flying in from Jamaica to join local toques. Menu items included Blue Mountain coffee and cocoa-encrusted certified Angus beef, conch puffs, meat patties, and ackee "cigars."
Between bites of food and sips of potent rum punch, people kicked off their shoes to play volleyball or dance even before Ziggy Marley took the stage.
And when the heir apparent to the mighty throne of the king of reggae began playing, the crowd went crazy. As if on cue, a thousand people swayed and fist-pumped as Marley played a mix of new tunes, old favorites from his band the Melody Makers, and some of his dad's greatest songs.
In fact, if you let the combination of drink, music, and the familiar, um, herbal scent wafting in the air take you away, you could swear the spirit of Bob Marley was in the tents, filling the atmosphere with good, Rastafarian vibrations.
And with that, the 2013 edition of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival went out not with a bang, but with a song.
Guy Fieri commuted from Flavortown to Kingston town for the closing party.
Maybe Cruzan rum was serving the Rasta Colada #9 because numbers 1-8 weren't potent enough? P.S. -- this one was.
You know a party's about to start when it's time to throw back some Jager shots.
Ortanique's Cindy Hutson looking good in resort wear.
Palm trees from the ceiling? Ya, mon.
Miss T's Kitchen in Ocho Rios, Jamaica served vegan-friendly Irie ackee cigars with tamarind sauce. With just the right amount of heat, these are good enough to hop a Spirit Airlines flight for.
Chef Colin Hylton of The Guilt Trip in Kingston tempted us with his sweet creations.
Sugarcane's Timon Balloo was assisted by wife Marissa at the event.
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