Miami Shoot

Burger Beast

Culinary, Culture, MSM Online, The Issue

A Preview of the 15th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival

By Justina Coronel Photography Courtesy of Getty Images The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (SOBEWFF) invites all food connoisseurs to the 15th Anniversary celebration in Miami Beach during February 24 – 28, 2016. From fan favorites to new and exciting vendors, more than 80 events will span between Miami-Dade and Broward counties. As if there weren’t already a variety of tastes to discover, here are a few new venues to experience during the Festival. “Exploring Israel Dinner hosted by Ashley Christensen, Alon Shaya, Michael Solomonov, and Zak Stern” is hosting the Festival’s first kosher dinner at Rok Family Shul – Chabad Downtown Jewish Center on Thursday, February 25th. Christensen, Shaya, and Solomonov will bring new innovations and discoveries from a recent Israel tour and are joined by South Florida’s own, Zak the Baker. They will present this Glatt kosher experience and unique taste to guests. “CroquetaMania hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten” will host this iconic Cuban snack during a late-night party in the trendy Miami Design District. The local food authority of Burger Beast organized 15 of South Florida’s best to present a creative twist on this classic recipe. “Sweet 15: A Dessert Party hosted by Duff Goldman” will take place at Miami’s iconic, The Villa, Casa Casuarina, to celebrate the Festival’s 15th anniversary by having a dozen of the nation’s top pastry chefs to whip up some delicious desserts. And if this wasn’t enough of a huge bite of some of the venues already, the returning classics will have guests craving for even more. “Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid and Sons hosted by Rachael Ray” has been a festival favorite for ten years by bringing the country’s leading burger-making beasts together to compete for your taste buds on Friday, February 26th. “Meatopia Presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon” will present for the second time on Saturday, February 27th. Renowned food writer, Josh Ozersky, created this vision that will feature a carnivorous’ dream of meaty dishes from more than 25 chefs. “LUCKY CHOPSTICKS: An Asian Night Market” will close out SOBEWFF. Award-winning TV personality and chef Andrew Zimmern will host this special event of Asian bites from sushi to dumplings by a collection of chefs. Since all the proceeds go to the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the Festival has raised more than $22 million to date; and with a simple bite, guests can make these students’ future bright. In September 2015, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the third year in a row; now this is a mouth-watering event, in which you must go! For more information, please visit www.sobefest.com Click here to view this post in the MSM January/February 2016 digital issue

Fashion, MSM Online

7 Miami Bloggers You Should Be Following

By Alyse Mier From posts which make you want to buy a whole new wardrobe to photos of food that make you immediately hungry, meet the 7 Miami based bloggers you will definitely be following by the end of this article–if you don’t already. Emilie Sobel – Soul In Stilettos A 23-year-old SCAD alumna whose initiative for creating something that was her very own led to Soul in Stilettos. This fashion blogger and social media coordinator has made herself popular among the blogosphere by blogging about affordable style and sharing with her following that being an “outfit repeater” is not something to be ashamed of. While Sobel’s original intention was to move to New York and work for a magazine, she learned of the opportunities available to her in marketing and has used those tools to market her blog and herself. She attributes her blog to giving her the ultimate gift “a job I love, and a job I know I’m good at.” Cari Garcia – Fatgirl Hedonist Fatgirl Hedonist has garnered quite the following with her unique blogging strategy. Cari Garcia chooses to remain a mystery to her audience for the sake of being able to provide her readers with a thorough and honest review of Miami’s restaurants. Her goal is to create a commonplace for readers and guide them in the direction of a good dining experience. She strives to find places that offer “awesome food, unique menu items and great service.” Fatgirl Hedonist is an all in one food blog that offers readers with a list of events, awesome giveaways, and recipes to try for yourself. Annie Vazquez – The Fashion Poet Originally a journalist writing for various outlets such as The Miami Herald and AOL, Vazquez launched her blog during the recession when she noticed that local fashion coverage had minimized. This savvy blogger was one of the first to utilize Miami’s rich history by having some historical landmarks featured in her posts as backdrops. Her blog has since evolved to include other city’s landmarks as well. However, the core of Vazquez’s blog continues to be “embracing one self no matter your size or shape.” Geoffrey Anderson and Dianne Rubin – Miami Food Pug This blog is the result of a love of food and pugs. Friends of Anderson and Rubin were trying to convince them to create a food blog, but the duo believed the blog needed to have something different that would make it stand out among the crowd. A friend suggested adding Photoshopped pugs to each of their posts, and the rest is history. The quirky pug theme has been used to draw in Internet traffic, make people aware of the story behind the restaurants they visit and leave the blog with a greater appreciation of their dining experience. Ria Michelle A blogger who has seamlessly combined her love for the Internet and fashion, Ria Michelle has an impressive following on social media. Through her blog she documents her quest to pursue a life of style, and inspires her readers to go down their own unique path. For the fall season you can assure yourself that she’ll be blogging about the 70s comeback. You’re bound to see a lot of flares, suede and fringe. Sef Gonzalez – Burger Beast One of Miami’s most renowned food blogs, Burger Beast began in 2008 with the intention of being a creative outlet for Sef Gonzalez. Since its founding, the blog has grown from documenting Miami’s best burgers to educating readers on the wide selection of restaurants Miami has to offer. The Burger Beast himself also hosts’ events throughout the year such as Burger Beast Feast and Croquetapalooza in order to get his audience involved and create more personal connections with them. The blog even has an app available for iPhones and Androids. However, Gonzalez stays true to his roots and when we asked him what his favorite food was he told us, “Hmmm… Burgers. You had to see that one coming.” Miami Art Scene With the goal of expanding readers’ knowledge of the arts and spreading cultural awareness of the art Miami has to offer, Miami Art Scene has been a blogging pioneer. The blog has been in existence since the early days of WordPress. MAS has since grown exponentially and now has a large subscriber base worldwide and features local, national and international art shows as well as information on artists, art exhibits, trends and events. Needless to say this blog has become the go-to blog for artists, dealers, collectors, galleries, museum directors, curators, designers, art aficionados and art goers alike. MAS continues to grow as a renowned resource for visual art news and information, and generate the exposure necessary for artists and art businesses to succeed.

Scroll to Top