Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Food & Wine fest coming to Hollywood
South Florida’s crowded event landscape is about to get more crowded with the inaugural Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival March 20-24. In a region that loves to eat and drink, founder Kate Reed figures there’s always room for one more.
“Palm Beach County has their own food festival [in December] and South Beach has theirs [in February], so why not one for Broward?” Reed says. “We feel there’s a lot of interest.”
Patterned to be a miniclone of the massive South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which just concluded its 18th year, the new event will have four events over five days, including a Grand Tasting on Saturday March 23 at ArtsPark/Young Circle in Hollywood (tickets $60-$125).
Acclaimed Fort Lauderdale chef Angelo Elia (Casa D’Angelo, Angelo Elia Bakery Bar) will serve as Host Chef for the inaugural festival and stage a cooking demonstration at the Grand Tasting. Participating restaurants are scheduled to include Casa D’Angelo, Café Maxx, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Olivia Restaurant and Bar and The Capital Grille. A portion of festival proceeds with go to Feeding South Florida, a charity devoted to ending hunger and poverty.
Reed, who previously worked for the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, says the new festival will be more intimate and lower-priced than the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, which held 100 events overall, including 12 in Broward. Reed says Hollywood’s Young Circle was chosen as a venue for the two biggest events (Grand Tasting and Family Day on March 24) because of ample parking and its sprawling grounds.
Why not Fort Lauderdale?
Reed says the beach in Fort Lauderdale was unavailable for choice dates during peak season. “We didn’t want to hold it during hurricane season or can’t hold it during turtle [hatching] season,” says Reed, who spent five years as the director of Habitat for Humanity in Brevard County.
Fort Lauderdale will be represented as site of the first two events, a cocktail event at the Conrad Hotel March 20 and a culinary event March 22 at the Atlantic Resort and Spa.
The festival lineup: Wednesday March 20, 7-9 p.m. — Cocktail Confidential: A Spirited Affair at the Conrad Hotel Atlas Lounge, Fort Lauderdale, with cocktails and light bites. 21 and over. Tickets cost $75-$100.
Friday March 22, 6-9 p.m. — GFL on the Rise: An Elevated Culinary Experience at The Atlantic Hotel & Spa, Ocean View Terrace, 601 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. A food and wine event with multiple sips and bites. 21 and over. Tickets cost $85-$150.
Saturday March 23, 1-5 p.m. — Grand Tasting at ArtsPark/Young Circle, Hollywood. A food, wine and spirits event that will feature dozens of restaurants and vineyards. 21 and over. Tickets cost $60-$125, with VIP packages available.
Sunday March 24, noon-5 p.m. — Family Day at ArtsPark/Young Circle, Hollywood. A free, familyfriendly event that will feature food trucks, music, children’s activities and a kids’ cooking competition. All ages, attendees are asked to bring canned goods (four cans per family) to donate to Feeding South Florida.
For tickets and information, go to GFLFoodWine .com