Tickets go on sale today to the general public, and even though SoBe Fest is still months away, tickets for premier events, such as Rachael Ray's Burger Bash, tend to sell out fast.
If you're more into local, low-key events and think the megafest of food and drink is all about celebrities coming to Miami to quip and banter while you scarf down some chow, think again. This year's festival will feature many of Miami's most beloved professionals doing everything from hosting a kosher sit-down dinner to giving you insight about how to present the perfect oyster-and-wine pairings.
Here are some of the coolest events that will feature local talent:
Exploring Israel Dinner
7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, February 25, at Rok Family Shul - Chabad Downtown Jewish Center. Tickets cost $250.
Award-winning chefs Ashley Christensen (Poole's Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina), Alon Shaya (Shaya in New Orleans), and Michael Solomonov (Zahav in Philadelphia) will be joined by Zak the Baker's Zak Stern for the festival's first-ever kosher feast. Each of the chefs will offer dishes inspired by visits to Israel. The dinner will be glatt kosher, under the strict supervision of Rabbi Chaim Lipskar of the Shul of Downtown Miami.
Oyster Bash
4 to 6 p.m. Friday, February 26, at Lure Fishbar. Tickets cost $135.
Get a head start on the weekend with this briny happy hour, hosted by Lure Fishbar. Lure's Josh Capon will be joined by Miami seafood kings Danny Serfer (Mignonette), Andre Bienvenu (Joe's Stone Crab), Jamie DeRosa (Izzy's Fish & Oyster), Roger Duarte (George Stone Crab), Angelo Masarin (Midtown Oyster Bar), and others. Spend the afternoon eating oysters and drinking good wine. Compare and contrast regional shellfish and enjoy them grilled, fried, or freshly shucked.
Past Meets Present Pairing
1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, February 27, at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Tickets cost $85.
Sugarcane's Timon Balloo and Broken Shaker's Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi will get together for a tasting of food and cocktails mixed with a little history. The afternoon will touch on the stories behind the plates and cocktails we love, as well as how global influences have shaped how we eat and drink today.
CroquetaMania
10 p.m. to midnight Saturday, February 27, at Palm Court, 40 NE 39th St., Miami. Tickets cost $95.
Venerable chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten hosting a late-night croqueta run? Only in Miami. A grand tasting of croquetas will take over the Design District. The lineup of chefs and restaurants has been curated with the able assistance of "Burger Beast" Sef Gonzalez and boasts a host of local talent, including Miguel Aguilar (Wynwood Kitchen & Bar), Eileen Andrade (Finka Table & Tap), Gilbert Arriaza (Gilbert's Bakery), David Blonsky (Apeiro Kitchen & Bar), Ortelio Cardenas (El Mago de las Fritas), Stephanie and Danny Diaz (Sweetness Bake Shop), Alberto Elias (Luis Galindo Latin American), Adrian Gonzalez (David's Café), Derek Kaplan (Fireman Derek's Bake Shop), Jose Marina (Magic City Pizza), Brian Mullins (Ms. Cheezious), Samantha Narvaez (PG Bakery),
Perfect Pairing
10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, February 28, at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Tickets cost $85.
If you've ever wondered about the differences among kinds of oysters or how to re-create a gorgeous wine-and-seafood pairing at home, this Sunday-morning seminar is for you. Mignonette's Danny Serfer and wine expert Josh Wesson will show you how to pair wines with oysters and other sea creatures. Of course, the best way to learn is by doing, so the seminar will feature oyster- and winetastings.
Tickets for all South Beach Wine & Food Festival events are available at sobewff.com.
