For more on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, check out New Times' Taste guide, hitting newsstands Thursday, February 21.
As human beings, we are subject to the undeniable laws of attraction. If something looks good, we gotta have it. And if you've got an interest in food, neck-breaking sexy male chefs have a particular pull.
Sure, sure... brains, values, and aspirations all count too. But there's just something about catching a glimpse of a descendent of the Roman gods and then realizing "Holy shit! I'm not dreaming!"
These are the moments that make events all the more worth it.
Keep a look out for these toques at SoBeWFF.
Anthony Bourdain
He's the closest thing to a king in the culinary industry. Bourdain takes bullshit from no one -- not even bigwig network execs. The kitchen badass, who started out a lowly college dropout, has been making his mark in the industry since graduating from culinary school and running kitchens all over New York City. He's written several books, starred in and hosted several TV shows, and spent a solid amount of time spearheading controversies and picking fights with some of the industry's biggest names. But most of all, Bourdain likes to eat, relish in his globetrotting lifestyle, and enjoy time with his wife and daughter -- plus keep one of the sassiest Twitter accounts up to date for a million-plus followers.
Bourdain can be seen at the Jiro Dreams of Sushi Film Screening at the Wolfsonian, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, on Friday, February 22, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $125. You can also see him at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village Featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents at 13th Street and Ocean Drive on Saturday and Sunday, February 22 and 23, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $275 (Saturday) and $225 (Sunday).
Chuck Hughes
A tattooed cook in the kitchen isn't exactly what one considers original these days. But a tattooed Canadian with a TV show of his life cooking outside the restaurant kitchen is a different story. Hughes's sweet and quirky demeanor doesn't match his bad-boy body art, but that's part of his charm. Catch him cruising around Mexico on his Cooking Channel show, Chuck's Week Off: Mexico. Driving an open-air Jeep, he seeks out the country's most exciting culinary adventures.
Hughes can be seen at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village Featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents on Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $225.
Curtis Stone
Who could possibly turn away from those piercing baby blues and melting smile? And the Australian accent? Sweet Jesus. Let's hope they'll hand out paper fans to cool down Stone's events. Aside from all the aesthetics, he has a true chef's interest at heart: Cook as Mother Nature intended. Stone prides his recipes on being seasonal, organic, and simple enough to let the ingredients speak for themselves.
Stone can be seen at Moët Hennessy's the Q After Dark at the Delano, beachside, 1685 Collins Ave., Miami Beach (entrance at 1 Lincoln Rd.), on Thursday, February 21, at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $100. He can also be seen at Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village Featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents on Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $225.
Rocco DiSpirito
His face is one of the most recognizable in the celebrity food industry, but his name might escape some. Rocco DiSpirito, author of the celebrated cookbook series Now Eat This! (and a slew of others), is best-known for his pearly-white smile and for advocating healthful comfort food. Most recently, DiSpirito traveled to Italy, where he stood side-by-side with le mamme italiane to knock the calories and fat out of their rustic recipes. The result: a cookbook fit for a health-conscious date night. (Now is an appropriate time for the Italian "this is delicious" kiss gesture.)
DiSpirito can be seen at Florida Blue Presents Fun and Fit as a Family Sponsored by Carnival Featuring Kellogg's Kidz Kitchen at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, on Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $20. He can also be seen at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village Featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents on Sunday, February 24, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $225.
Todd Erickson
One of the Magic City's hottest chefs, Erickson has a lot on his plate. He's not only the executive chef and partner of South Beach hot-spot Haven but he's also in the middle of opening his own taco shop dedicated in great part to his business partner's blue-haired Chihuahua, Jalapeña. If he speaks long enough, his Southern twang is just noticeable. Who passes up a pretty Southern boy?
Erickson can be seen at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Presents Wine Spectator's Best of the Best Sponsored by Bank of America at 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, on Friday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $350.
Samuel Gorenstein
Picture dark-haired, olive-skinned Gorenstein as a tot. The image won't be far off from present-day Gorenstein, who, after helming the kitchens of a few restaurants in Miami, opened his own ceviche bar less than a year ago. The baby-faced, Colombian-born saltwater master likes to keep things low-key and thrives on the select group that can appreciate one of Latin America's greatest contributions to society: fresh, homemade ceviche.
Gorenstein can be seen at the Garden to Glass Presented by Tervis Hosted by Emeril Lagasse Featuring Bar Lab Cocktails and My Ceviche at Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach, on Friday, February 22, at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $95.
Thomas McNaughton
There's no letting go of a man who makes homemade pasta for dinner. That's what chef Thomas McNaughton strives for and accomplishes every night of service at flour + water. The San Francisco eatery focuses on McNaughton's love for and devotion to the pasta "laboratory" in Bologna, Italy, where he spent a good deal of time prior to Flour's opening. Stop by the events where he'll appear to see if you can get a "ciao bella" out of him.
McNaughton can be seen at the Best of the Bay Hosted by Michael Mina With Tyler Florence, Richard Reddington, and Thomas McMaughton Sponsored by Far Niente Wine and Dolce -- Part of the New York Times Dinner Series at Bourbon Steak at Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura, on Thursday, February 21, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $250. He can also be seen at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Presents Wine Spectator's Best of the Best Sponsored by Bank of America on Friday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $350.
Seamus Mullen
His name is pronounced shay-muss. That's cool, but we thought it was see-muss too. The brawny, New York-bred chef comes to South Beach with the fire of the bulls under his toque. You see, Mullen is said to have quite a knack for Spanish cuisine. The man knows how to handle a tortilla española and jamón ibérico. Having extensively studied and worked in some of the best restaurants in Spain, he personifies the dreamy, freckled honorary Spaniard you wish would whisk you away.
Mullen can be seen at the VIP Reception for Moët Hennessy's the Q Hosted by Paula Deen and Sons Presented by Omaha Steaks Sponsored by Miami Magazine on Thursday, February 21, at 6:15 p.m. Tickets cost $400. He'll also be at the main event Moët Hennessy's the Q Hosted by Paula Deen and Sons Presented by Omaha Steaks Sponsored by Miami Magazine on Thursday, February 21, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $300. Also catch him at Goya Foods' Swine & Wine Hosted by Michelle Bernstein Presented by Pat Lafrieda Meats at the Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, on Sunday, February 24, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $150.
Chakall Noir
There comes a time in everyone's life when the unknown and exotic becomes sexy. Such is the case with Chakall Noir. The Buenos Aires-born globetrotter takes his chef's turban with him to the farthest corners of the planet in search of new and exciting flavors, spices, and people. The polyglot Noir speaks five languages fluently. Of course, it's one thing to speak five of the world's tongues, but it's quite another when English, German, and Portuguese are spoken with an Argentine accent. ¿Qué rico, no?
Find Noir at the VIP Reception for Moët Hennessy's the Q Hosted by Paula Deen and Sons Presented by Omaha Steaks Sponsored by Miami Magazine on Thursday, February 21, at 6:15 p.m. Tickets cost $400. He'll also appear at the main event Moët Hennessy's the Q Hosted by Paula Deen and Sons Presented by Omaha Steaks Sponsored by Miami Magazine on Thursday, February 21, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $300. Then he'll be at the VIP Reception for Amstel Light Burger Bash Presented by Pat Lafrieda Meats Hosted by Rachael Ray at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach, on Friday, February 22, at 6:45 p.m. Tickets cost $325. Finally, he can be seen at the main event Amstel Light Burger Bash Presented by Pat Lafrieda Meats Hosted by Rachael Ray on Friday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $225.
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