The second annual Greater Fort lauderdale Food & Wine Festival is almost here. The weeklong event shines the spotlight on the 954’s cool culinary scene. After a year off due to COVID concerns, the festival is back and ready to rock.
Back in the good old days — you know, 2019 — that’s what the Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival looked like … but the pandemic took care of that when it came to last year’s soiree.
Kate Reed, Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival: “Due to COVID, we had to be creative and come up with some different ways to do things.”
At this year’s festival, the unofficial motto is “go small or go home.”
Kate Reed: “We are not able to have our Grand Tasting and Family Day, which are very large-scale events, so instead we decided to focus on smaller, more intimate events in different venues throughout the county.”
The festival kicks off in Flagler Village at Heritage.
Chef Rino Cerbone will fill your plates with some of his family’s favorite meals.
Chef Rino Cerbone: “Taking some of the oldest recipes I have from my grandparents, my parents, just presenting them in my way, a little bit more of a modern way of eating and thinking about food and these old rustic dishes.”
Whether it’s a new take on a traditional appetizer, or a reinvention of a pork and pasta favorite, Chef Rino knows he’s got to keep things real to make his big night work.
Chef Rino Cerbone: “You’ve got to be authentic when you want to put things on a plate and really get that message to people.”
You can also be wined and dined at Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery.
First up: Cocktail Confidential.
Steven Dapuzzo, Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery: “Inside the Sistrunk complex, we have Shady Distillery, in which we make our own rum and vodka.”
The mixologists at Cocktail Confidential” will fire up a number of signature drinks based on Shady’s homemade spirits.
Steven Dapuzzo: “All mixed together with some of Florida’s finest culinary crafts.”
The following night, chow down on the three-course Distillery Dinner.
Steven Dapuzzo: “The features are bone marrow with a bourbon shooter, lamb chops will local vodka, pineapple and mint, and then we have a dry-aged ribeye perfectly paired with our version of a Florida Manhattan.”
The Food & Wine Festival gives you the chance to dive into the Fort Lauderdale food scene. Take the plunge.
The festival kicks off next Monday.
FOR MORE INFO:
Greater Fort Lauderdale Food and Wine Festival
March 15-21, 2021
gflfoodwine.com
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