The 5 Best Things I ate at SOBEWFF 2026

Every year, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival transforms the city of Miami into a paradise for food lovers and 2026 was no exception. This year marked the festival’s 25th anniversary and it was filled with dozens of parties and dinners hosted by some of the world’s most celebrated chefs. Everything from Omakase experiences and an Asado lunch with Francis Mallmann, to a Grand Tasting extravaganza and feast hosted by the world’s most famous butcher, Dario Cecchini.

I was very fortunate and excited to be invited as a guest of the Florida Beef Council at a couple of the marquis events they were title sponsoring and also cooking at. To be honest, I think I hit a bit of a jackpot because each one of the events I attended was fun, well-organized and there was no shortage of food or drinks.

I sampled more dishes than I could count and still didn’t get around to eating everything on offer. I also got to meet some of the Florida Beef Council members and local ranchers whose families have been raising cattle and protecting vast expanses of open land in support of wildlife, wetlands and natural water storage in the state of Florida for generations.

I also need to give a special thank you to my beautiful wife who helped me find adult clothes for each event. If it weren’t for her, I probably would have worn an apron, running shorts and the same t-shirt I’ve had for 15 years.

People also really seemed to get a kick out of these photos my 7-year old took of me before each night so I’ll share them here as well. If you too have a husband you’d like to dress, my wife says she got everything from Massimo Dutti. I particularly liked the linen pants because they had a drawstring, which allowed me to very comfortably and discretely loosen them throughout the night as I ate more and more.

EATZ

The first event I attended was a pre-festival, invite-only party called EATZ hosted by Chef Chris Valdes at the Loews hotel. This was by far the most intimate of the three with only a handful of select chefs and restaurants dishing out some incredible bites while a live salsa band got everyone dancing and having a great time. I also loved that it took place right by the Loews hotel pool so you got to eat, dance and talk under the stars and palm trees. This event definitely felt the most Miami to me.

Steak & Whiskey

The second night I attended Steak & Whiskey hosted by Chef Michael Symon in the Miami Design District. This was my overall favourite event and definitely a carnivore’s dream come true. Not only were the bites interesting and well-executed, but it had just the right amount of food stands that you could try every station without getting so full that you missed out on anything. I also got a chance to get behind the grill with the Florida Beef Council chefs and fire up some Tomahawks over the hot coals. To me, this event had the best vibes, music and food. Not to mention the fact that you could smell the incredible wood-fired aromas from blocks away.

Masters of Fire

The third and final event I attended was Masters of Fire hosted by Chef Tyler Florence right on the sand in South Beach. This was by far the largest and busiest event I attended. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun and I had a great time, but I found it a bit too big. The amount of food stalls was staggering and the variety of dishes being prepared was incredible. Everything from char-grilled octopus, to smoked lamb ribs, to grilled scallops with caviar and even an upside down pineapple cake that I never got around to trying but heard was sensational.

Some of the drawbacks were that there were so many vendors that it made it harder to sample everything and the larger crowds made for longer lineups at each food stall. It became almost like a conveyer belt of people grabbing a bite from one stand and eating it while waiting in line for the stand next door. I also found the overall atmosphere and vibes were less intimate than the other two nights, making it more like a large food festival in itself rather than a curated event. Nonetheless, I ate some really delicious things and had a chance to talk to some incredibly interesting people.

Top 5 Bites

This was very hard to pick because there were a lot of great dishes being served. What I wasn’t expecting was for 2 of the top 5 to be from the chefs representing the Florida Beef Council. This crew is made up of legitimate Master Chefs who travel all over the country cooking at various events in an effort to connect people like me and you with ranchers responsible for raising and caring for the beef that eventually reaches our kitchens and tables. The level of execution, flavour and care that goes into their dishes was nothing short of incredible.

5. Pistachio-Breaded Lamb Chop with Apricot Chutney and Apricot Mustard Sauce (Meat Market, Boca Raton, FL)

Steak & Whiskey Night

I eat more lamb chops than just about anyone I know but I’ve never thought to bread and fry them. These were perfectly crispy on the outside with an insanely juicy middle and topped with a sweet and slightly acidic chutney. The texture was incredible - think veal Milanese but with more flavour. I do think the lamb itself needed a bit more seasoning but otherwise a very interesting and unexpected dish that took me by surprise.

3. Char-Grilled Beef Tomahawk with Garrison Brothers Bourbon Pepper Jam and Potato and Corn Chimmichurri Salad (Rick Neal, Florida Beef Council, FL)

Steak & Whisky Night

It’s very hard to beat a perfectly cooked, thick-cut and well-marbled ribeye steak. Especially one that’s been seasoned to perfection in a pepper-forward spice rub, grilled over open fire, drizzled with a sweet and spicy glaze and served with potato salad. This was right up my alley and had me going back a couple of times for more. My only critique was that the potatoes were a bit undercooked for my liking but I think that was because they wanted to make sure they held their shape when tossed with the other ingredients in the salad and chimichurri.

4. Charred Honey Lamb Ribs with Chim-Chermoula and Smoked Oyster BBQ (Victor Albisu, Electric Bull, VA)

Master’s of Fire Night

If you know me, you know I love lamb so I was very excited to try this. If I’m not mistaken, this dish ended up winning the people’s choice award at the Master’s of Fire event and I can understand why. I will say though, the first plate I took was one of the end pieces on the rack of ribs which ended up having way too much fat on the bone. It was chewy and, unfortunately, inedible. The second one I tried was spot on though. The lamb was beautifully seasoned, smokey, absolutely fall-off-the-bone tender, and served with a tahini-based sauce and herby chimichurri-ish topping. It was well-executed, flavourful and interesting.

2. Veal Wellington with Mushroom and Truffle Risotto and Port Wine Reduction (Florida Beef Council)

EATZ Night

This was by far the most surprising dish I tried. A veal wellington served over a creamy mushroom risotto laced with truffle and drizzled with port wine reduction. The wellington was incredibly tender, perfectly seasoned, and paired beautifully with the risotto. Nothing was overcompensating. Nothing was fighting for attention. Every component just worked together and complimented one another in a symphony of flavour. I ended up going back no less than 4 times for this one and honestly could have had another 4 after that.

1. Whole-Roasted Chateaubriand with Citrus Ponzu and Sautéed Baby Bok Choy (Kevin Des Chenes, Newport Mansions, RI)

Steak & Whisky Night

Everyone I spoke to at the Steak & Whiskey event agreed that this was their favourite dish of the night. I would go one further and say it was the best thing I ate all festival. It’s also the dish I took the worst picture of because it was so unassuming. Boy was I wrong. Absolutely PACKED with flavour, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and unbelievably delicious. This bite left me speechless. The acidity from the ponzu sauce cut through the richness of the perfectly medium chateaubriand and I loved the addition of the sweet potato and bok choy. This felt like an entire meal wrapped up into a single, perfectly constructed bite. It hit all the notes and then some.

Honourable Mentions

Wagyu Tenderloin Anticucho with Aji Amarillo Mashed Potatoes and Anticucho Aioli (Adres Garcia, Chef Billy G, Miami, FL). Master’s of Fire Night

Wood-Smoked Lamb with Golden Potatoes and Fire-Roasted Eggplant (Emiliano Galindo, Roasanegra Miami, FL). Master’s of Fire Night

28-Day Dry-Aged Rib Roast with Crispy Latke (David Gomez, Papi Steak). Steak & Whiskey Night

Final Thoughts…

I’ve wanted to attend the SOBEWFF for years but for one reason or another it’s never worked out until now. It truly is a food lover’s paradise and I was so happy to finally get to experience it. The events were super fun, the vibes were high, the people were awesome and the staff and volunteers kept everything running smoothly. Everyone in attendance comes from all walks of life but share a love for flavour and good times. If you have a chance to attend the festival or are like me and have always wanted to go, my recommendation is to do it! I truly think you’ll have a blast.

And a huge thank you to the Florida Beef Council for not only inviting me to some of the events and sponsoring this newsletter, but also for their warm hospitality, conversations and letting me throw down a little on the grill!