To close out the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, you need something epic and maybe even a little bizarre. That is why you call Mr. Andrew Zimmern, who can serve up a delicious dose of the munchies.
Perhaps over the course of the weekend, you've had expensive dinners, fancy food and pristine wine -- now it is time to let your hair down, get sand between your toes and indulge in the munchies with a cold one.
Last night, there were the best in barbecue, burgers, donuts, snacks, and sweets from around the country along with many Miami favorites. The evening also kicked off the The Munchies: People's Choice Awards where you can vote for your favorites until March 31.
Zak the Baker got loose, pouring shots of Tito's Handmade Vodka on the side to accompany the herring, aioli and pickled onion on his famed sourdough bread.
Hominy Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, created an okra and shrimp beignet that was the ultimate comfort food with a bit of pop and pillowy softness.
Another favorite of out town Southern treat was Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint from Nashville who brought some tender and tasty Tennessee pork barbecue sliders.
Although, our favorite bite was from just up the road, the mac-'n'-cheese-stuffed chicken wing from the Sauced Up food truck in Coral Springs. This is a winning combination and a great surprise as you eat around the bone in a Buffalo garlic parmesan tossed chicken wing and find creamy mac 'n' cheese hiding out.
Unfortunately, some of the food disappeared too early. Andrew Zimmern's Canteen ran out of their veal tongue sliders first, and the line for food became a line to get your photo taken with the man, the legend. Although one woman didn't mind because she was so excited for him to meet her husband, "He looks exactly like you."
While some stands ran out of food, some like the make your own munchies mix cereal bar were precautionary allowing attended to create their dream cereal combination and giving you a huge bag full to take with you for when hunger hits.
Shake Shack, which won last year for the Smoke Shack burger, served up the ShackMeister Burger, which was a cheeseburger topped with crispy ale-marinated shallots.
When it came to sweets, HipPops had the hot tamale with Mexican chocolate and chipotle gelato, STK Miami had a churro milkshake and Eating House had cookie crisp pancakes, but it was our friends to the north that took the cake donut. Mojo Donuts brought the Bakla-cropolis, which can easily replace the cronut for top dessert mash-up.
The evening was extra gluttonous fun with carnival games and live music, and silly with cereal characters come to life, but at the end of the evening Zimmern took the stage for one last time joining the band and belting out some Talking Heads tunes.
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