SobeWFF 2012

Finally coming down off the whirlwind high from this year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival. In effort to spare you 76 posts about every bite I ate and every chef I met, I will try to condense everything into one post, so here you go!

Chef Demos:
I watched a ton of Chef Demos, some better than others... (Guy Fieri was my favorite) Chef demos are like watching your favorite Food Network show live!

{Rachael Ray, Robert Irvine, Guy Fieri, Michael Chiarello, Masaharu Morimoto}

One of my favorite things about chef demos is getting to ask the chefs my favorite question:

Whose Food Network Show do you like to watch?

Rachael Ray: I don't watch much TV but I really enjoyed taping Rachael vs Guy: Celebrity Cook Off'

Guy Fieri: Discos Debutantes and Derelicts. You've heard of DDD right?!

Food Tasting:
Of course at a food festival, there is a TON of food.

First Event up: The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Late Night Bites and Sweets:

{Guacamole, chili dog & tater tots, red velvet cake, deep fried oreos, duck tortilla pie, mini Reuben, lil waygu burger, pork belly, yummy decorations, rock shrimp tiradito, lamb ribs}

My Favorite bite from this event: Pork Belly from Bourbon Steak Miami

Next Event up: Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village:

{sashimi on rice cake, ribs with red chili sauce, Greek meatball, ceviche, lobster barley risotto, tuna tar tar, red curry short ribs, BBQ with sweet potatoes, ribs, tuna cone, truffle artichoke soup, red velvet cake, steak sandwich, veal cheek, pork taco}

My favorite bite from this event: Ribs from Mr. Chow Miami. YUM!

Chef sightings:

Always a ton of chef sightings at Sobe. As they say, it is Spring Break for Chefs! I met a ton of new Food Network stars:

{Aaron Sanchez, Sunny Anderson, Michael Chiarello, Robert Irvine, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, Anne Burrell, Bitchin Kitchen, Alex Guarnaschelli, Sunny Anderson, Marc Summers, Melissa D'Arabian}

Pretty cool, right?!

I had such a blast! I love that the festival is always around my birthday. It makes for an extra special time! I am already counting the days until next year. Taking donations now for tickets, as I want to go to more and more events!

Until then,

H



 

Are you Next Iron Chef?

As excited as I am about the Next Iron Chef Superchefs (SO EXCITED!), it has been brought up by quite a few foodies lately that now that we have a whole series dedicated to picking Iron Chefs, it has lost it's credibility & prestige. I tend to agree. If we keep picking new Iron Chefs, then we will soon have 20 and it will loose it's status. On the other hand, I still watch and did I mention I am excited about the Allstars competition starting this Sunday, October 30th???


{Marcus Samuelsson, Anne Burrell, Robert Irvine, Geoffry Zakarian, Beau McMillan, Michael Chiarello, Chuck Hughes, Elizabeth Faulkner, Spike Mendelsohn, Alex Guarnaschelli.}

So many stars! I can't possibly pick a favorite!

So what are your thoughts? Are you done with the Next Iron Chef? Are you excited like I am? Any early favorites? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Anne Burell Book Signing

My favorite way to spend a rainy Florida day? Why, Food Network Chef Stalking of course! And this week I had the pleasure of meeting none other than Anne Burell. Her first book, Cook like a Rock star is now out so she is out promoting it. Waiting in line, I had plenty of time to read through it, and it is like having Anne right there in the kitchen with you. It is well written and full of her personality. You can just imagine her standing there in her skirt, shaking her spiky hair and yelling "Big Meat"!  The title is perfect for her, by the way. As she was getting ready to come out to start signing books, they played at little Def Leopard Pour Some Sugar on Me for her to come out to. Fun!
When it was my turn to meet her, I asked her the same question I ask all of the chefs I meet: Whose Food Network Show Do you Watch? Anne, in her rock star way, looks me at me dead serious and says "None, I know how to cook!" WOW! Imagine the shock and awe on my face! I too know how to cook...I watch for ideas and inspiration. She recovered by saying that she will be watching the upcoming Next Iron Chef (which she is on, of course!) It was then time to take a photo, sign my book and move along...

{everyone say "Big Meat!"}

{Best inscription ever!}

SobeWFF 2011- Closing Party

Time to wrap up my adventures to the 2011 South Beach Wine & Food Festival . Blisters and all we trekked the 8 blocks to Guy's BIG Beach Bar & Grill. After the very long and excited weekend we had, I have to say this closing party was QUITE disappointing! Only a couple Chef Hunt sightings:

Andrew Zimmerman

Guy was there but never came out of the VIP area, in fact no one did. :(

Geoff from Ace of Cakes

 The other guy from Ace of Cakes...name anyone? I am blanking!

Anne Burrell smiling right at me!

That was it.

Pretty lame party, if you ask me. In retrospect, shoulda gone home to watch the Oscars.

I cannot complain though, since I didn't pay for the tickets, he he.

So long SobeWFF, see you next year!

XOXO,

Heather