South Beach Wine & Food Festival Unveils New Schedule of Events for its 11th Year!

Chef Bobby Flay at the 2011 Festival's "Burger Bash"

Festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager is pleased to unveil the program for the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE magazine. Taking place February 23-26, 2012 the 11th annual edition of America’s favorite wine and culinary extravaganza will feature new events and programming guaranteed to please. All proceeds from the Festival benefit the Florida International University (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center; monies raised to date total approximately $14 million.

"Celebrating the milestone of our 10th year at the 2011 Festival was truly extraordinary,” says Schrager, who also serves as Vice President of Corporate Communications & National Events at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, which hosts the Festival. “I believe the 2012 program features a number of fresh and exciting changes as well as those events that have become fan-favorites over the years."

Tickets for the 2012 Festival go on sale at midnight on Monday, October 24, 2011 at www.sobefest.com and via phone at 9 a.m. the same day at 1-877-762-3933. American Express cardholders can access an exclusive pre-sale starting at 9 a.m. on October 10, 2011. Fans can follow Festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager on Twitter, or at the Festival’s official Facebook page.  

Don't miss The Q

Transformations to the Festival program are most evident on Thursday, February 23 with a new event that takes the place of the beloved BubbleQ. Promising even more fun, the Festival will kick-off with Moët Hennessy's The Q, hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri.  For those who wish to partake in a late-night experience, the best part of this change is that The Q will also feature its own after-party, The Q After Dark!

The Amstel Light Burger Bash, hosted by Rachael Ray moves to Friday, February 24; a night which is also home to the eighth annual Fontainebleau Miami Beach presents Wine Spectator's Best of the Best.

The 2012 Tribute Dinner keeps its long-standing tradition of honoring the world’s greatest wine and culinary talent by paying tribute to esteemed chef Charlie Trotter and celebrated winemaker Piero Antinori. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Trotter's namesake restaurant in Chicago is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world. The Antinori reputation as innovators has grown throughout the centuries, woven through 625 years and 26 generations of winemaking, making it one of the leading Italian producers of fine wines. Author and host of the popular Travel Channel series No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain will serve as the evening’s master of ceremonies.

Capitalizing on the excitement surrounding last year’s 10th anniversary party, the Festival will again take over the stunning 1111 Lincoln Road space for Party: Impossible featuring Epicure Gourmet Market hosted by Robert Irvine. Also reinventing itself for 2012 is Food Network presents The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Late Night Bites, an event based of the hit primetime series.

Miami's own Michael Schwartz
of Michael's Genuine

Dedicated foodies will get an opportunity to savor all of famed chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Bobby Flay’s restaurant concepts in one evening at the casual dinner The Flavors of Flay. The program is rounded out by highlighting the hottest trend in food at Trucks on the Beach hosted by Andrew Zimmern, which doubles as the official Festival closing party.

A fresh set of Wine Spectator Wine Seminars and Bank of America Lifestyle Seminars will delight everyone from the novice to the aficionado throughout the weekend. Additionally, in line with previous years, the 2012 Festival will also host an array of unique brunches and dinners to appease even the most discerning of taste buds. They include:

· Dining in the Dark hosted by David Burke with Market 17
· Conscious Bite Out with Geoffrey Zakarian
· Dolce Lunch hosted by Charles Phan at The Setai
· Farm to Table Brunch hosted by Michael Schwartz & Friends
· Interactive Lunch hosted by Anne Burrell
· Napa Style at the Mandarin hosted by Michael Chiarello and Joel Huff at Azul
· Interactive Dinner hosted by The Neelys
· Salsa @ Sea hosted by Douglas Rodriguez & Aarón Sanchez
· Sunday Supper by Meatball Shop

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Take Your Special Someone to Truluck's in Miami and Enjoy the Date Night Menu

Truluck's in Miami has the perfect menu planned for that someone special. At just $39 per person, diners chose one appetizer, one entrée, and share one desert from the special prix fixe Date Night menu.

Appetizer Choices:

• Crab and Corn Chowder
• Sonoma Greens Salad
• Knife and Fork Caesar Salad

Entrée Choices:

• Viking Village Sea Scallops (Topped with heirloom tomatoes and local fruit in a sweet and spicy vinaigrette with steamed broccolini)
• 5 oz Center-Cut Filet of Beef (With chimichurri, horseradish-goat cheese and parmesan mashed potatoes)
• Sesame-Crusted Hawaiian Tuna (Served with tamari wine sauce and parmesan mashed potatoes)
• Cioppino (A feast of seven fishes! Tomatoes and fresh herbs simmered with seasonal fish, calamari, crab, mussels and gulf shrimp)

Dessert Choices:

• Carrot Cake
• Chocolate Malt Cake

In addition to the items on the Date Night menu, Truluck's works hard to bring diners the best-tasting, sustainable ingredients that make sense for the plate, the palate, and the planet. Truluck's believes that as responsible restaurateurs, they must be champions in the sustainable seafood movement. That's why Truluck's will never serve endangered, overfished species and follows all Ocean Conservancy guidelines.

Environmental stewardship and sustainability drive all aspects of Truluck's operations. For this reason, Truluck's purchased their own crab fisheries to ensure all crab is caught and prepared safely and humanely. Truluck's respects the seasonal cycles of marine life and does not serve seafood out of season. This protects aquaculture and ensures better-tasting, higher-quality food.

Florida's famous stone crabs at Truluck's

Truluck's is so committed to fresh Florida crab that the company employees a group of crabbers who crab exclusively for Truluck's at their very own fisheries on the Isle of Capri just outside of Naples, Fla.

Each day the boats go out into the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico, set their traps, and catch the crab. They then return to our fisheries where Truluck's chefs prepare the crab, size them and pack them in ice. Then they're off to the airport, and ultimately transported to a Truluck's restaurant. The crabs go from traps to table in less than 24 hours!

Truluck's also serves 100% antibiotic- and hormone-free Niman Ranch beef, pork and lamb. Niman Ranch and its family farmers raise livestock traditionally and humanely, and feed all animals only the highest-quality 100% vegetarian feeds. All animals are raised exclusively on environmentally sustainable U.S. family-owned farms and ranches.

Truluck's also features more than 100 wines by the sampling, glass and bottle. 

The only Trucluk's location in Miami is at 777 Brickell Ave., in beautiful Brickell Key. Hours of operation are: Lunch: Monday-Friday, noon-3pm; Cocktail Hour in the Stone Crab Lounge: Monday-Friday, 3pm-7pm, Saturday, 5pm-7pm, Sunday, 5pm-close; Dinner: Sunday-Thursday, 5pm-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 5pm-11pm. For more information please call 305-579-0035 or visit www.trulucks.com.

There are also South Florida Truluck's location in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. In Fort Lauderdale at 2584A East Sunrise Blvd. For more information please call 954-396-5656 or visit their website. In Boca Raton at 351 Plaza Real. For more information please call 561-391-0755 or visit their website.

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The Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival

The Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival is celebrating 21 years of excellence in culinary arts and beverages, as well as Going Green this year with the addition of the ECO-Education Lounge. Come out and enjoy the beautiful Miami weather while enjoying great musical entertainment from all genres and tasting delicacies and beverages from area restaurants and hotels.

"Best of the Taste" awards are given out to participating restaurants annually based on outstanding taste and presentation, and are voted on by local dignitaries and celebrity chefs. Tasting tickets for food & beverage will be available at the event for purchase between $1 and $8.

Participating restaurants include Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latin Grill, Atchana's East/West Kitchen, The Burgundy Room Bar & Grill, and many more!!

This year organizaers strived to broaden the event's scope by bringing in high-end, cutting-edge components such as TEKBOARD interactive systems, a full-scale "Sommelier Tasting Grove," "Connoisseur Spirits Lounge" and “Beans & Blends Coffee House,” to provide  guests with the opportunity to taste the best wine and spirits on the market as well as learn how to prepare cocktails & meals for special occasions via live demonstrations. Also included at this year’s event is the Kid’s Adventure Park with great activities & a Child ID station for thumb printing and making IDs to protect your children.

Event takes place April 16-17, 11am-7pm at Peacock Park, 2820 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove.

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION!! VIP area tickets are $20 and include special tastings, butler service and giveaways! For more information visit the event website, www.thegreattasteofthegrove.com.

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Inaugural Taste of Brickell Food and Wine Festival

More than 50 restaurants, sponsors and nonprofit organizations are participating in the first-ever Taste of Brickell Food and Wine Festival!! The event aims to help bring thousands of people together to experience a diverse exchange of food and music in the heart of Miami's beautiful Brickell neighborhood.

Participating restaurants include Trulucks, Morton's Steakhouse, The Oceanaire, Sushi Maki, Gordon Biersch, Chop House Miami, The Atrio, El Gran Inka, Delores But You Can Call Me Lolita, Baru Urbano, Fadó Irish Pub and Restaurant, Kosta Seafood & More, Mediterraneo Brickell, and many more!!

Food tasting begins at noon, and ends at 10pm. Admission is $5 for Brickell residents (with valid ID), $10 for adults, and free for seniors and children under 12.

Visit www.tasteofbrickell.com for more event info

When – March 26, 2011, noon-10pm

Where – 1201 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami (Between The Mark and The Jade buildings)


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March's Wine Walk Wednesdays Event at The Village At Gulfstream Park to Benefit Epilepsy Foundation of Florida

The Village at Gulfstream Park, South Florida’s ultimate shopping, dining and entertainment destination, invites you to Wine Walk Wednesdays! Treat yourself to a leisurely evening of wine sampling amidst the collection of stores and restaurants The Village has to offer. Wine Walk Wednesdays takes place the first Wednesday of every month from 7-10 pm.

For just $10, Wine Walkers will receive a commemorative wine glass and the chance to sample unique wines paired with fine cheeses at 15 different shops throughout The Village at Gulfstream Park.

The $10 participation fee will benefit a different charity each month: March: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida; April (National Child Abuse Prevention Month): Kids In Distress

If your appetite starts to kick in, event-goers will be able to participate in Wine Walk dining specials offered by restaurants at The Village at Gulfstream Park. The evening will also feature live entertainment, raffles and more.

Wine Walkers must check-in at Full Bodied Wine & Spa located on Derby Lane to register the day of the event. For more information, please visit www.thevillageatgulfstreampark.com.

NOTE: All participants must be 21 and show a valid form of I.D.

Anchored by Florida’s premier thoroughbred racetrack and casino, The Village at Gulfstream Park is South Florida’s ultimate shopping, dining and entertainment destination. Utilizing the outdoor, lifestyle streetscape concept, The Village at Gulfstream Park is home to designer boutiques, specialty stores, restaurants and cafés. For a complete directory of shops and restaurants, visit www.thevillageatgulfstreampark.com.

The Village at Gulfstream Park is located at 501 S. Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach, Florida, adjacent to the legendary Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino, less than two miles east of I-95. The Village at Gulfstream Park is open Monday–Thursday 12-9pm, Friday and Saturday 12-10 and Sunday 12-8pm. Store and restaurant hours may vary.

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