Gossip, Action, and Revelry at The South Beach Wine & Food Festival This Past Weekend

This past weekend marked the 15th edition of the South Beach Wine & Food festival. The four-day long extravaganza had plenty of chefs and celebs eating, drinking and being merry all weekend long. Here are the highlights.

Thursday

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• Italian Bites on the Beach
• Tacos After Dark

(All photos by Getty Images)

— The festival kicked off with Barilla's Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Giada, of course. The pasta dishes stayed full much longer than the wine, which ran out again early this year. Familiar faces like former Miami chef Nina Compton helped kicked off the activities.

— The always jovial Jose Andres hosted a paella event at the SLS Hotel, and even though only one type of paella was served it was filled with foie gras and duck confit, so the crowd wasn't complaining.

— Tacos After Dark had a Guy Fieri spotting and plenty of tequila was on hand — two SOBEWFF essentials — with the crowd feeling it well into the night.

Friday

— Thousands came out to the event that "started the festival," the 10th annual Burger Bash. Lines were longer than ever for the burgers, but that didn't stop the party go-ers from downing the more than 25 different burgers from all over the country. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto took home top honors for his panko fried burger with a side of kimchi.

— Over at the always swanky Best of the Best, Hedy Goldsmith made her return to South Florida. But none of her "infused" desserts made an appearance.

— The festival's priciest event ever was hosted in the Miami Design District by mega chef Joël Robuchon, who plans to open a concept in the neighborhood next year. The $1,500-a-plate dinner featured plenty of truffles and vintage champagnes.

— The Broken Shaker took home top honors at the Art of the Tiki event at the Surfcomber Hotel, which featured just as many food options as it did drinks. A welcome surprise to many of the imbibers.

Saturday

— The Grand Tasting Village saw its typical showcase of booze, bites and crowds. Lines were their normal long self but the beautiful day helped make up for it.

— Uvaggio reigned supreme at the first ever Somm Showdown, where Miami's own "Head Wine-o" Heath Porter beat out the festival's main wine guru Anthony Giglio trumping him in two out of the three rounds.

— Bubbles and fried chicken were on hand at the Chicken Coupe inside the W South Beach. The crowd enjoyed breaking it down to the DJ as much as they enjoyed munching on their fried bird served every which way.

— The event made for carnivores in mind, Meatopia, returned to the sand for a second year. Crowd favorite went to Quality Meats for its peanut butter topped bacon, but the real talk of the tent was Joe's Stone Crab's homemade bologna sandwich.

— French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten took over the Design District's Palm Court for his Croquetas and Champagne party. On hand were bites from Matador Room's chef de cuisine (and current Top Chef contender) Jeremy Ford and Kendall favorite Barley. Top honors went to the brother sister duo at FINKA Table & Tap, who happen to be from the family that started the legendary croqueta making restaurant, Islas Canarias.

— After parties happen every evening at the festival, but Saturday night saw more than usual with beverages flowing at places like the Broken Shaker and Talde until wee hours of the night.

Sunday

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—Country star turned cooking show star, Trisha Yearwood, serenaded the crowd at her Southern Kitchen Brunch that served every Southern delicacy you could imagine this side of the Mason Dixon.

— Locals reigned supreme at Lucky Chopsticks where BaZi and Makoto had the biggest admirers — and lines.

— Over at the Biltmore, the flavor of the day was pork during its annual Swine & Wine event. Long time Coral Gables restauranteur Cindy Hutson took home top honors, just a day before her newest restaurant concept opens.