South Beach Wine and Food Festival

By Nycole Sariol Was it the pulled pork sandwiches being doled out like hotcakes at Miami Smokers? Or was it Guy Fieri demonstrating how to make a mountain of legendary nachos? Perhaps it was Andrew Zimmern hitting a high note at Best of the Munchies; either way food enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes raced to the beach in droves for arguably the most coveted event South Beach has to offer: South Beach Wine and Food Festival 2015. With every event and party thrown, so came a celebrity chef attached to it. Like a true animal advocate, Rachael Ray somehow managed to flawlessly – and sanitarily – blend her two loves into one event for Yappie Hour at the Standard Hotel. Pooches and their proud owner were obliged to some delicious treats being passed about during the event. Emeril threw his yearly luau bash Art of Tiki on the Shore Club’s white sands, where Broken Shaker took home the night’s People’s Choice Award and people nibbled on small plates while rocking out to some killer live performances. But the heart of all of this year’s culinary undertakings rested firmly beneath some tents off of Ocean Boulevard. The Grand Tasting Village is the first thought that usually comes to mind when on talks South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and justifiably too. This year, the participating booths of local restaurants and alcohol venders organized themselves into hubs by city. The competition was stiff concerning the weekend’s winning booth, but the most memorable out of the dozens had to go to Miami Smokers for their pulled pork sandwiches: slow-cooked, juicy pork meat, shredded and smashed between a soft roll of Hawaiian bread with slices of pickled beets lending a bitter zest to the garlic-induced mojo consuming the pork. All tasty bites aside, what really left us star-struck at the tents were the celebrity chef demonstrations. We managed to catch chef Aaron Sanchez mid-whipping up authentic Mexican delicacies before witnessing the miracle of all things cheese sauces, chips, and “a mess of jalapeños” that came into fruition as a glorious mountain of nachos stacked up by everyone’s favorite spikey-haired blondie, Guy Fieri. Until next year, “eaties.” Photographed by Katrina McLaughlin