10th Annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival

Foodie fans, take note – the 10th annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival kicks off this week with a variety of delicious events, an impressive chef lineup, and an expanded food program. What started out as a three-hour event has transformed over the years to one of the most popular annual events in South Florida, and now boasts more than 14 events over a four-day span.

This year features exciting new talent such as The Travel Channel’s Adam Richman, Top Chef Season 13 winner Jeremy Ford, and several James Beard-recognized chefs. There are also four new events this year, including two new dinners (A Rustic Root and Southern Revival), a walk-around breakfast (Rise and Dine), and a gourmet lunch (Lunch at the Grill).

“You can’t deny the area’s intrigue for vegetable- and vegan-based diets,” says festival creator David Sabin. “A Rustic Root addresses that interest, and with Southern Revival, well, who doesn’t love southern-inspired comfort food? Meanwhile, Lunch at the Grill pays tribute to an iconic and local spot, and Rise and Dine is a fun new breakfast along the beach at the award-winning Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa – good food with a great ocean view.”

One of the elements that sets the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival apart from other culinary events in the county is the intimacy Sabin and his team strives to provide to guests, an intimacy which allows visitors the opportunity to see the chefs work as well as meet with them, take photos with them, and ask questions.

“There are no VIP sections or red tape at PBF&WF,” says Sabin. “These chefs travel from all over the country to cook for and meet these guests, and we’ve had many people shyly ask the staff if they can meet Robert Irvine or Marc Murphy, for instance, and we’ve personally taken them up to meet those chefs and assisted in the photos. That’s the interaction and entertainment we love to provide.”

For a look at which foodie fêtes are still available at this year’s festival, continue to page 2.

Though some events have sold out, there are still several festivities open and ready for anyone looking for an epicurean adventure (and if you’re hungry for another event, the hosts are still adding people to the wait list to purchase tickets to sold-out events).

Thursday, December 8

• SUSTAIN, a seafood-inspired, five-course sit down dinner hosted at PB CATCH Seafood & Raw Bar ($170 per person, 7 p.m.)

• A Rustic Root, a five-course sit down dinner featuring healthy, fresh food inspired by vegetables at Avocado Grill ($150 per person, 7 p.m.)

Saturday, December 10

• Rise and Dine, a walk-around breakfast with a view at the Ocean Breeze Kitchen at the Eau Resort & Spa Palm Beach ($75 per person, 9 a.m.)
• Lunch at the Grill, a delicious four-course sit down lunch by Chef Andrew Schor at the Palm Beach Grill – Hillstone ($99 per person, 12 p.m.)
• After Hours at Imoto, a late night cocktail party hosted by Richard Hales and Clay Conley with late night bites, wine pairings, and an open bar ($99 per person, 11 p.m. until late)

Sunday, December 11

• 10th Annual Grand Tasting, the culmination of the festival at the Gardens Mall featuring more than 50 of South Florida’s hottest restaurants serving up their most celebrated dishes as well as live music, holiday-inspired displays, a runway fashion show, and more ($75 per person, 5 p.m.)

Tickets to each event are on sale at pbfoodwinefest.com.

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