60 Restaurants and Vendors Are Coming to Hollywood Beach for Savor SoFlo

Somewhere on the food-festival spectrum, between the ever-growing South Beach Wine & Food Festival and a quaint foodie gathering, you have Savor SoFlo Food and Wine Festival.

On Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, the foodie festival will hit the sands of the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk in Broward County, a promenade that stretches nearly 2.5 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, for its fourth consecutive year. The food and wine festival is the creation of Tammy Gail, who also operates its sister festival on Florida’s West Coast, Savor St. Pete, which has taken place for twelve years.

This year, the festival will feature 60 local restaurants and vendors, all putting a spotlight on Hollywood Beach.

“This really is an opportunity to showcase the local chefs and rockstars in the local community,” Gail tells New Times. “It’s so locals and visitors ultimately know where to go and what to eat. With this event, we really pride ourselves on vetting and getting great restaurants while maintaining a boutique vibe.”

In line with years past, Gail expects approximately 3,500 guests throughout the weekend. General admission tickets, which cost $105, include unlimited tastes and drinks from 1 to 4 p.m. VIP tickets run $135 and come with an earlier entry time of noon, access to premier tastings in a Publix Liquors VIP Spirits Lounge, and other onsite perks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Glam-A-Thon, a South Florida nonprofit that supports breast cancer patients.
The event spans a total of 25,000 square feet on the Hollywood Beach sands under two giant tents for shade. Highlights include a cooking stage with appearances by the likes of Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay winners Rosana Rivera and Ricardo Castro, a "Charcuterie Extravaganza" prepared by Publix, Boar's Head, and Josh Wines, and demonstrations aplenty.

Among the restaurants and vendors to visit during the event, Gail recommends visiting chef Jorge Negron of Diplomat Prime, chef Raheem Sealey of J&C Oyster, and Toro Latin Kitchen's chef de cuisine Juan Mateo. The festival also hosts a closed-to-the-public culinary competition that local media personalities and influencers will judge – Mateo is the defending champion on that front.

As for a pro tip on how to make the most of your day (or two) at Savor SoFlo, Gail says, “Over the years, people have figured out that the VIP set-up is a deal, and we’ve been selling even more of those tickets than general admission.”

Savor SoFlo. 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, at 911 N. Boardwalk, Hollywood; savorsoflo.com. Tickets cost $105 to $135.