BubbleQ Farewell, South Beach Wine & Food + More

South Beach Wine & Food Fest, Sunday Grand Market Village

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The BubbleQ has bid us all a fond farewell. It’s been a must on my South Beach Wine & Food Festival ticket list for years. The final hurrah, an evening hosted by Bobby Flay in a ginormous tent on the beach behind the Delano, was just as fun as always — with Perrier-Jouët flowing non-stop. And from what I’ve been told, nearly 3,200 bottles were emptied! I also have to say I’m a sucker for the Godiva dark chocolates that seem to appear out of nowhere at every turn too. But what’s so compelling about the event from a foodie point of view is that the bubbly is paired with tasting plates of BBQ in every form and fashion imaginable! It’s a wonder! Out of all of the chefs on hand this year I made it a point to return to Chef Jose Garces’ booth twice (his BBQ also happened to be the very first dish I tasted). Food Network fans know Garces for his big win in the battle for the next Iron Chef contest. He’s proved his mettle yet again. Known for his own Adobo Spice Blend, Garces’ slow cooked pork shoulder was remarkably tender and bursting with flavor! While I bid adieu to the BubbleQ, rumor has it that next year’s new event just might have something to do with red wine and meat. Sign me up.

To wrap up my South Beach Wine & Food Weekend, now in its 10^th year — I went to the Grand Village Tasting tent on the beach at 13^th Street and Ocean Drive. The setting was a picture postcard with a backdrop of sand and ocean. Coupled with all of the Food Network Stars and other hotshots mulling about, including Michael Symon, Bobby Flay, Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmer, Top Chef’s Fabio and Bravo TV’s Bethenny Frankel, I have to say it was quite dreamlike. I thought, if I close my eyes and then open them again, would I suddenly be awake? Since I’m such a bubbly-ophile, I just had to taste the latest certified organic Prosecco by Mionetto (available at Whole Foods). It was delicate with an explosion of apples. Perfect for a sunny day at the beach and perfect to toast to yet another fab foodie weekend.

Tags: BBQ | BubbleQ | Grand Tasting Village | South Beach Wine & Food