Widely recognized as one of America’s favorite epicurean celebrations, the 16th annual Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) returns February 22 – 26, 2017. Its signature event that started it all in 2002, the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid Culinary Demonstrations, is back Saturday, February 25 and Sunday, February 26.

In addition to the festival’s featured line-up of Culinary Captains, who together have rounded up more than 55 restaurants each day as guests sip on samplings from 100 wine and spirits suppliers from the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits portfolio, an array of new and returning favorite Food Network and Cooking Channel talent and more culinary personalities will take to the KitchenAid Culinary Demonstration stages each day, including:

Saturday, February 25
Valerie Bertinelli
Ayesha Curry
Giada De Laurentiis
Bobby Flay
Snoop Dogg & Guy Fieri
Amanda Freitag & Scott Conant
Emeril Lagasse
Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos
Masaharu Morimoto
Marc Murphy
Michael Symon
Ming Tsai
Geoffrey Zakarian

Sunday, February 26
José Andrés
Anne Burrell
Giada De Laurentiis
Duff Goldman
Alex Guarnaschelli
Carla Hall
Robert Irvine
Eddie Jackson
Roger Mooking
Tia Mowry
Marcus Samuelsson
Aarón Sánchez
Ndamukong Suh
Andrew Zimmerman

Tickets for all events at the 2017 festival are available online at sobewff.org or by calling 877.762.3933. See you in Miami!

We live in a pizza obsessed country, from Superbowl Sunday to Thanksgiving Eve, it’s as much a staple in American culture as the hamburger. And like most adapted dishes, we’ve found a way to reduce the art of pizza making down to a frozen science. So it’s always refreshing to find an authentic and tasty pie in town, which is exactly what we found at MidiCi. This LA founded Neapolitan pizza company has made its way to the Sunshine State. Their traditional Neapolitan cuisine features a true taste of Naples with its pizza ovens direct from Italy, as is the flour. Reminiscent of a pie you’d find on the other side of the world, this new pizza place is serving up goodness with starters like paper-thin prosciutto and endings like Nutella calzones.

MidiCi serves traditional Neapolitan cuisine with natural, fresh, non-GMO ingredients. You can select from traditional and signature menu options or create personalized pizzas in an open-kitchen fashion. Honoring the tradition, passion and art of Neapolitan pizza, making the way it was invented more than 300 years ago, MidiCi uses traditional wood-fired ovens, custom hand built in Naples with an internal temperature of 850 degrees to bake pizzas to perfection.

Completely, worth the drive from Downtown Orlando, here’s what we’d recommend ordering when you venture out to Kissimmee!

• Housemade Meatballs: Seasoned, grass-fed and hand-rolled in-house with fresh smoked mozzarella, crushed Italian peeled tomatoes imported from Italy and parmigiano-reggiano. Served with wood fire-toasted ciabatta bread, these are classic meatballs done right.

• Burrata: Cheese lover’s rejoice (!) because this soft cheese paired with fresh melon and real prosciutto is divine. This paper thin prosciutto is even imported from Italy and aged 24 months.

• The Margherita Pizza: A classic executed correctly, how refreshing! Using crushed Italian peeled tomatoes for it’s sauce, this pizza is filled with the appropriate amount of fresh whole mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano and a base that was cooked perfectly. Their signature dough is soft, airy and made from only four ingredients – flour, water, sea salt and yeast.

• Double Pepperoni Pizza: Made with crushed Italian peeled tomatoes for the sauce, fresh whole mozzarella, pepperoni, spicy Italian salami, parmigiano-reggiano, organic non-gmo extra virgin olive oil and fresh organic sweet basil. Pair with one of their wines by the glass, and pretend you’re basking in the Italian sun.

Just make sure you save room for the Drowning Gelato. This authentic affogato with vanilla gelato (by Italian Master Gelatiers Leo Leo Gelato) is drowning in espresso.

Ciao!

It’s impossible to ignore the bustling restaurant scene that continues to emerge in Winter Park. Previously inhabited solely by Hillstone (or Houston’s if you’re a long time guest), Orlando Avenue is now home to a large collection of restaurants. From sushi to salsa, here’s where to dine in Winter Park beyond Park Avenue.

Bulla: New to the dining scene is Bulla (“boo-ya”) Gastrobar, which opened at Lakeside Crossing. Bulla, which is Spanish slang for “chatter”, boasts an energetic, vibrant atmosphere with traditional tapas and creative libations.

Hillstone: I’ve always enjoyed Hillstone for its food, but also for the notable atmosphere. Step outside and you will find a seating area unmatched by any other local restaurant. The outdoor seating is on the edge of Lake Killarney and is filled with an herb garden and Adirondack chairs perfect for wine and conversation. The sunsets here are unbelievable and you can even reserve the dining dock that overlooks the lake. Their menu is filled with simple, fresh flavors and a variety of entrées to satisfy even the pickiest diners.

Photo Credit: Hillstone

Chuy’s: Perhaps most surprising is the kitchen, with virtually no freezer space and everything from tortillas to drinks made-from-scratch, you can taste the difference with every bite. Flour and corn tortillas are hand-rolled and cooked every day on an authentic comal, a flat griddle traditionally used in Mexico and Central America to make tortillas. Chuy’s also features a myriad of signature sauces, you can even ask your server for a sampling of all 10 sauces and they’ll walk you through each one. And the drinks? No mixes here, the bartenders come in early each morning to squeeze the lime juice used for the day. So don’t expect frozen, re-heated food, because everything from the beverages to tortillas are crafted with care.

Luke’s: The third concept from the Luma and Prato crew, Luke’s Kitchen and Bar offers classic American cuisine and cocktails. Inspired by timeless American libations, the bar program will feature signature classic cocktails using house-made ingredients that complement the menu. Luke’s will offer a wide-ranging, hand selected array of fine wines and craft beer as well. We’ve yet to visit, but look out for a full report soon!

Photo Credit: Luke’s

Kona Grill: Located in the Lakeside Crossing shopping center, Kona Grill features a global menu of contemporary American favorites, award-winning sushi, and specialty cocktails in an upscale casual atmosphere. Their extensive sushi menu includes favorites like the Picasso Roll and Peppered Tuna Tataki Roll. If you’re not a sushi connoisseur, there’s plenty of other options such as Macadamia Nut Chicken or Pad Thai.

While we love the charm and personality of Park Avenue, there’s plenty of places worth exploring off the well-beaten path.

After a grueling day of emails, fire drills and endless presentations, a beverage is generally in order. With lower priced libations and creative fare, we’ve found the perfect spots to unwind after the demands of your day. When work comes to a close, grab your friends head to a “happier hour.”

The Ravenous Pig: Sample a wine from Slovenia, Spain or wash the day away with a Gold Rush filled with Buffalo Trace bourbon. Their taproom menu ranges from oysters to Southern staples like shrimp and grits or Nashville hot chicken. Between the hip vibe and range of fare, this Winter Park mainstay is always a solid choice. Check out their new digs on Fairbanks where Cask & Larder previously resided.

Photo Credit: The Ravenous Pig

Luma on Park: Skip discounted cocktails and bar bites because Sunday – Tuesday this trendy Park Avenue spot serves a prix fixe menu for just $35. You’ll be presented with a range of options for each of the three courses – a total steal for a pricier place. Their wine list features mostly small boutique wineries with ample room for sampling as you can order half glasses from their extensive by-the-glass list.

The Guesthouse: This hipster Mills 50 spot is a nice respite from the craziness that Downtown Orlando often brings to nightlife. Boasting an extended period for happy hour, stop by this urban oasis daily from 5-8 p.m. for cocktails, wine and beer.

Photo Credit: The Guesthouse

RusTeak: Here happy hour comes not once, but twice per day. Drop by this college park restaurant Monday through Saturday from 4-7 p.m. and also from 10-11 p.m. for $5 glasses of wine, beer and select appetizers or $6 bucks for a signature cocktail. A recipient of Wine Spectator’s award of excellence, there’s plenty of vino options at this Edgewater restaurant to pair with your starters.

Photo Credit: RusTeak

Del Frisco’s: Their newest happy hour, Del’s at Dusk, takes places Monday through Friday, 4-6:30 p.m. Available in their downstairs bar on I-Drive, the happy hour special includes $8 bar menu selections, $8 wine and $9 signature cocktails as well as $5 select draft beer. Menu offerings include Wagyu corn dogs, tenderloin served over chateau potatoes and more!

Photo Credit: Del Frisco’s

K Restaurant: If you like to save your drinking for the weekend, head to K’s Friday night flights on the last Friday of every month. From 6-8 p.m. gather in their garden for a casual wine tasting with six different wines for just $20. We’d recommend staying for dinner to feast on a filet and friend green tomatoes.

Just remember……it’s always 5 o’clock “somewhere”. Cheers!