#ThankYouMiami Amps About @SOBEWFF

T-minus 10 days until the international food community descends upon the sands of South Beach for SOBEWFF. This year, unlike every year since its 2002 inauguration, we will be joining the crowds for a week's worth of culinary events, wine tastings, parties, intimate dinners, and demonstrations. We've always been curious about what goes on inside the festival's white oceanside tents. After all, thousands of people pour in year after year. But for one reason or another, we've never made it inside.

Instead of feasting on one-of-a-kind dinners hosted by celebrity chefs, we've feasted on stories of other's SOBEWFF shenanigans. There's the one story of a friend who, after a few too many glasses of wine, became the proud owner of a $1200 specialty knife set thanks to a particularly engaging knife demonstration. There's also the story of the friend who was trying to impress a date by taking her to the Tribute Dinner and scored major points when she was whisked away backstage to meet Bobby Flay. Lastly, there is tale after tale of forays at the Grand Tasting Village where our friends ate until they nearly exploded and drank (lots and lots of) wine.

For our first SOBEWFF, we're excited to build our own memories of mischief (and ideally consume some delicious food and drink in the process). We're primarily intrigued by the festival's engagement of the local culinary scene so we've got our eye on events hosted by and for locals, such as the Asian-inspired dinner hosted by NaiYara, the Salty, Sweet & Savory Treats late-night party featuring The Salty Donut and Sarsaparilla Club, and the Croquetas & Champagne party curated by Burger Beast. That said, we're also amped for the festival's signature events. At the top of our list are the Grand Tasting Village—it's a festival mainstay—and, of course, the ever so exclusive Tribute Dinner which will be MC'd by Anthony Bourdain and will honor the genius that is José Andrés.

Have you been to the SOBEWFF before? Which events do you recommend? Which events are you most looking forward to this year? Do you have any tips for a first-timer? P.S. Did you know that if you're visiting Miami for SOBEWFF you can get special rates at participating hotels? For example, the Fontainebleau offers complimentary breakfast for two daily at Vida, complimentary room upgrades (based on availability), and an autographed Scott Conant cookbook, while the COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach offers complimentary full breakfast daily and a $75 dinner credit.

Images courtesy of SOBEWFF