Prepping For The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival
Photo Courtesy of LILA Photo
South Florida‘s dining scene will be heating up when award-winning chefs, world-class sommeliers and foodie trendsetters flock to the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival on December 10 to 13.
Now in its ninth year, the four-day festival is putting forth a star-studded line-up of events, including intimate and lively dinners, wine and cocktail tastings, cooking demonstrations, book signings and seminars on the latest culinary trends.
Headquartered at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach with select events happening on Palm Beach Island, the festivities begin on Thursday with dinners held simultaneously at some of Palm Beach’s most popular restaurants, Būccan and PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar, followed by the official kick-off soiree on Friday evening at Four-Star The Breakers Resort Palm Beach.
Daniel Boulud Will Again Be The Center Of Attention, Photo Courtesy of LILA Photo
On the list of toques and tastemakers slated to attend: Anita Lo (of Annisa); Daniel Boulud (Four-Star Café Boulud Palm Beach); Restaurant: Impossible’s Robert Irvine; Miami’s much celebrated chefs Brad Kilgore (Alter), Dena Marino (MC Kitchen), Timon Balloo (Sugarcane); wine aficionado David Lombardo; and master sommeliers Virginia Philip and Andrew McNamara.
As many events have already sold out, you should hurry and read our guide for what to see and do, where to dine and where to stay for your epicurean escape.
What to see and do
Get Served!: Enjoy a hearty beach cookout and creative cocktails while teams of chefs and sommeliers battle it out on the sand over a few friendly rounds of beach volleyball. (December 11; Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach; free)
Kids Kitchens: Bring your budding gourmands to get messy in the kitchen preparing tyke-friendly recipes alongside James Beard Award-winning chef and Noodle Kids author Jonathon Sawyer. (December 12; Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach; sold out)
Daniel & Friends: Join Daniel Boulud at The Brazilian Court’s Café Boulud Palm Beach with fellow chefs Mike Lata, Rick Mace, Dena Marino and Marc Murphy, and sommelier Mariya Kovacheva for a walk-around, mid-morning feast of classic and unexpected brunch dishes, luscious dessert towers and inventive spirits. (December 13; Café Boulud; sold out)
Grand Tasting: Indulge at the festival’s beginning which features more than 60 South Florida restaurants serving their most popular menu items and over 30 wineries pouring their finest vino. Also on the agenda: live jazz from the Potash Twins, celebrity chef book signings, a fashion show, beer garden and more. (December 13; The Gardens Mall; $75)
The Foodie Fun Doesn’t Stop When The Sun Goes Down, Photo Courtesy of LILA Photo
Where to stay
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach is offering a specially priced Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival Experience package over the event’s duration. The tasty promotion comes with a three-night stay, an exclusive festival amenity, a signed Season With Authority: Confident Home Cooking cookbook from Marc Murphy and tickets to a number of festival happenings.
Where to dine
Palm Beach is home to top-notch fine dining. If you don’t have a friend of a friend who can get you onto the list for chef Boulud’s event, do check out his eponymous restaurant at another time for a true Palm Beach culinary experience with the city’s in crowd. For authentic French fare, head to Pistache French Bistro, a classic Parisian eatery with a Mediterranean twist that entertains Palm Beach’s fashionable elite. The Four Seasons’ Four-Star Jové Kitchen & Bar is the place to go for a taste of Florida’s freshest Italian food. Venture over to The Breakers’ HMF lounge for cocktails and take in the magnificent splendor of the historic landmark.
