This weekend, enjoy food festivals celebrating mac 'n' cheese and chili, Ariete's three-year anniversary party, and Coconut Grove's Permanent Vacation event.
Taste of the Yard at the Wynwood Yard. Hungry but not sure what you want? Enter Taste of the Yard, where a $25 ticket gets you samples of every food and drink concept on the property. Chow down on a four-ounce portion of a Della bowl with Kuenko's chicken donburi. Then make your way to World Famous House of Mac for a mini mac 'n' cheese and Food Dude for loaded jerk chicken tostones. Top off your meal with Santo Dulce's dulce de leche-covered churro with salty shredded cheese, along with a ten-ounce draft of craft beer or garden-infused punch from the Bar at the Yard. 5 p.m. Friday, January 18, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; 305-351-0366; thewynwoodyard.com. Tickets cost $25 via eventbrite.com.
Brunch at Root & Bone. Culinary power couple Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth are launching brunch service at their recently opened South Miami restaurant, Root & Bone. The menu is jam-packed with Southern-inspired items, including chicken biscuits ($12) — a thick, tender piece of fried chicken placed on a generously sized biscuit — as well as a fried chicken-and-waffle sandwich layered with melted cheddar cheese and bourbon maple syrup ($17), sticky pork-belly bacon bites spiked with a spicy bourbon maple syrup ($7), and banana cream pie waffles topped with caramelized bananas, butter pecan ice cream, maple syrup, and whipped cream ($14). There's a large bar area, which specializes in Scotch, whiskey, and bourbon, and some brunch services will include a live band. 5958 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami; 786-785-1001; rootnbone.com. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NoMi Mac & Cheese Fest at Griffing Park. Indulge in your favorite cheesy noodle this week at the second-annual NoMi Mac & Cheese Fest. Enjoy an afternoon of food, activities, and soul music. Dig into as much mac 'n' cheese as you can, and if you've got what it takes to make your own, enter the festival's bake-off in partnership with Johnson & Wales University and FIU's Culinary Arts Department. As you nosh, local bands will honor Aretha Franklin, and R&B performer Kelly Price will make a special appearance. 2 p.m. Saturday, January 19, at Griffing Park, 12220 Griffing Blvd., North Miami. Tickets cost $25 via eventbrite.com.
Permanent Vacation in Coconut Grove. A Permanent Vacation sounds lovely, doesn't it? Thanks to the kind folks in Coconut Grove, Main Highway will morph into a beachy block party, spotlighting the neighborhood's culinary mainstays as well as a couple of stellar music acts. On the tunes front, Grammy-nominated reggae band Locos por Juana and Cape Coral's Soulixer will rock the street. As for grub, Grove hot spots Jaguar Latin-American Kitchen and the Spillover will serve tasty morsels. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, January 19, on Main Highway from Commodore Plaza to Fuller Street (near 3439 Main Hwy.), Coconut Grove; eventbrite.com. Admission is free.
Gables Chili Fest in Coral Gables. The return of Gables Chili Fest will bring civic, community, and religious groups together to make food and support U.S. veterans. Organizers invite attendees to bring their own chili con carne recipes for tasting to the sounds of live music from various acts. Nightlife Brewing Company will provide a fully stocked bar, and a handful of local food trucks will peddle their fare. Consider this an excellent reason to eat home-cooked comfort food for a great cause. 11 a.m. Sunday at 270 Catalonia Ave., Coral Gables; coralgableschilifest.com. Tickets cost $5 to $15.
Three-Year Anniversary at Ariete. With a three-year anniversary on the horizon, Michael Beltran and his team will serve a special three-course family-style menu priced at $50 per person. For an additional $10, attendees can add chef Beltran’s foie gras as a middle course. A limited a la carte menu will offer signature items such as the Chug burger, fritas, and pastrami-style short rib. For dessert, all diners will be treated to a complimentary slice of Publix birthday cake. A pop-up cocktail bar, hosted by Chat Chow's Gio Guitterez, will offer a selection of $7 drinks during the celebration, which features live music. The anniversary party will also promote the restaurant's new late-night happy hour. Launching on Friday, January 25, and then available every Friday and Saturday, it will feature drink specials, late-night bites, and a rotating selection of pastelitos by Pastelito Papi. After-hours specials will be available from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the bar, dining room, and on Ariete’s patio. 6 p.m. Sunday, January 20, at Ariete, 3540 Main Hwy., Miami; 305-640-5862; arietemiami.com. Table reservations for the anniversary celebration are suggested.