What locals are doing to avoid the Sobe Food Fest
I used to like this event a lot, at least the first year it occurred. It was mostly locals, the restaurants were a mix of established names and ones trying to get their names out there (I remember Kris Wessel from Liasion in particular in that even though his restaurant had closed he still showed up to serve food at his station. Freaking stand-up guy!). There were demonstrations both free (Illy coffee was a favorite) and with admission.
A year later prices went up considerably and more side events were added. A few years later Food Network became involved and this event has now turned into a 72 hour FN convention where you can't take two steps without walking into Tyler or Rachel (either in person or on a pole sign). The beach is going to be mobbed with throngs of out of towners and places like Michael's and Michy's are already booked solid (BTW, Michael and Michelle are among the local chefs participating in SBWFF events. Go MIA!). On the one hand the festival is good for the economy and it brings lots of press and attention to Miami and its restaurants. On the other hand, besides the restaurants participating in the tasting tent, what makes this event especially about South Beach and/or Miami? Most of these events could be held in L.A., NYC, heck even Detroit. Nothing about "A Vertical of Pomerol" or "Unlocking the Secrets of Boutique Cheeses" screams South Beach, or Miami even because chances are we can't fine the Pomerol's you'd be tasting here and if you want boutique cheese in Miami there are only 3 places to buy it.
So out of spite for moving from it's original premise, and in an effort to avoid throngs of tourists drunk on the beach, we're avoiding the beach entirely this weekend and focusing on local places with chefs that aren't going to be cooking with Joel Robuchon. Yakko-san comes to mind as does Heelsha. As for others avoiding the bacchanal, what are your suggestions?
lax2mia
Feb 21, 2008 12:26PM
HaHa! Great thread topic! I am doing much required familial duties and hosting at my new place for the various people dear to me. My own little wine and food fest so to speak and mine will definitely be Miami-ish, with strong Spanish Cuban influence, of course.
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I think it'll be a great weekend for checking out that mysterious little hole-in-the-wall you've been meaning to try or that underappreciated place that seems to be off the radar screen. A few of my ideas for places I either haven't tried or haven't gone to enough ->
Bamboche - Caribbean place on Biscayne around 135th St. - who knows?
El Gran Inka - Peruvian on 163rd St. Causeway (?)
Xixon, Delicias de Espana, Taberna Giralda, El Carajo- tapas are always good, I've been to each of these places but not often enough. Maybe check out the West Miami El Carajo location.
Ideas - good Spanish food but this place is never busy.
Marinheiro - Portugese place in the old La Broche space. I'm intrigued.
Mahogany Grill - upscale soul food, good fried chicken - I need to try this.
River Oyster Bar - particularly now that I've figured out that I've had their chef's food before at his prior restaurants.
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Btw, my understanding back when it opened was that Taberna Giralda (the ex-Giralda Cafe) is run by the same people as Happy Wines. I know the sandwiches did taste the same and you can get a reasonable glass of wine for decent quality, so I don't doubt it.
I'd like to taste that Marinheiro, hadn't heard about it.
Mahogany is great.
River is great as well
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Very good calls.
Add to the list:
Boteco - Brazilian on 79th St.
Adriana - Peruvian in Surfside
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Funny topic. This event doesn't really even showcase the good restaurants, etc. in Miami. It's the same old fun and sun for drunken and/or rich tourists. I have to go to Sobe tonite, for reasons other than the fest, and I'll probably be at Zeke's (shhhhhh) drinking a Purple Haze or two, smoking a cheap cigar, and eating microwave popcorn. Then back across the bridge, probably to Boteco, or Kingdom. I turned down a ticket to Emeril's Sugar Shack, even though they're pouring champagne, cause I just don't care (sorry), and you know from the hype it's going to be crowded. (I only hype the cocktail guys, and I might go to one seminar with Tony Abou-Ganin or Bobby G,, who I wrote about in today's SunPost www.miamisunpost.com )
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I'll be camped out at sardinia and alta mar.
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tp, Alta Mar has a new late night menu Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m.-midnight. Haven't tried it yet but sounds like a good post movie idea. Check out No Country for Old Men
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Saw it, did not see there will be blood though :). Thanks for the tip.
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I'm not a local, but would love to be . I have been to Miami and Sobe Food Fest a few times. I liked it too, before the food network got involved. Now it very commercialized. I would love to see more local food influences, restaurants and chefs. That's why I go to Miami, the sand, the sun, the culture. I don't blame the locals for staying sway. Go celebrate in your own way, I say!!!
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Avoid it? Hah, I just came back from the lions den. Went to Kobe Club. Here is my short review.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/46958...
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After last year's BubbleQ debacle...where the event ran out of champagne just a little more than an hour into the event....we've decided to stay back at the ranch here on the Treasure Coast.....We figured we could just the a few $100 bills...set them on fire...and still save most of the money we would have spent had we gone to the SoBe W& F Festival for a fourth consecutive year!!....I'm going to fire up my Big Green Egg Smoker this evening...toss on a 15lb. whole brisket....smoke that rascal for about 18-20 hours....and sometime tomorrow we'll carve that rascal up....pop a couple of bottles of Schramsburg....and have our little BubbleQ out on our back porch....watching our Bull Terrier "LuLu" wander around our backyard that's a little more than an acre......Yup...that's what these Treasure Coast Foodies are a gonna do!!
EMac
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best kept secret of SoBe-
five CA Pinot producers whom poured wine at last night's Best of the Best Event are at Sunset Corners Wine Shop today pouring all thier wines for free! less crowds, no cost!
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I just got back from the Kidz Kitchen event hosted by Tyler Florence. I am extremely pissed at the extent to which I have been ripped off.
Tyler gets on stage and proceeds to play some feeble game I think he made up on the way from his hotel. Two teams of children compete against each other to make a pasta dish after answering questions on health topics. They could either choose a nice ingredient for their team's dish, or a bad ingredient for the other team's dish.
The result was two pasta dishes containing chicken, broccoli, peanut butter cups and gummy worms! This he fed to a few adults from the audienc.
I was expecting a kids cook-off with Tyler going round helping the kids. Maybe also for him to cook something and let everyone taste.
Stay away from the Kidz Kitchen events if you have kids and thought it might be fun to go.
Tyler may look awesome on the boob tube, but in person he appears to be just another lame celebrity cook who likes ripping people off.
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