Top Chef Season 5 Party & Sobe Food and Wine Festival for Charity

Last weekend I took my hungry-self to South Beach for the Food Networks Food and Wine Festival…now in its 8th year, the annual event raises a boatload of cash for South Florida charities. Massive tents were set up on the white sandy beaches for events such as the Whole Foods Tasting Village and the Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray. Admittedly, I don’t watch the Food Network but I am familiar with some of the chefs who were cooking it up.

The first event we hit up was the Burger Bash. Over 20 different tasting stations were set-up to showcase the culinary treats from restaurants across the country. While Rachel Ray frolicked around tasting burgers, guests enjoyed such bite-sized bits of heaven from Top Chef ‘Spike’ (who won the Bash this year) and Bobby Flay. ‘Bobby’s Blue Crunchified Burger’ was to die for but that may have been because cutie-pie served it to me himself.

The best event though was one not associated with the Food and Wine Festival. The Top Chef season 5 party hosted by Jeff McInnis was the bomb. Jeff and his dimples hosted the party inside the suite of the historic Pelican Hotel. Without a doubt-the most memorable and classy event I’ve ever been to. (And trust me kids, I’ve been to a few). Props to everyone who held it down and worked it out…

Congratulations to Hosea Rosenberg- Top Chef Season 5 Winner! Hosea laid down some tasty treats at the party Saturday night, and in between hugs, kisses and spoon-feeding us, we nibbled on his ‘shucked oysters, beer poached shrimp and chilled crab claws’…delicious. We also enjoyed the caviar and vodka station. And don’t ever question whether or not he’s a nice guy-dude is top notch, as were all the chefs that night.

Gotta give props to the host Jeff McInnis. With that tussled blond hair and to-die-for-smile, I now understand why there is such a thing as “chef-groupies.” I had no problem flinging them outta the way to get my paws all over him and his Ahi-something-in-a-little-spoon (sorry I didn’t get a photo of the menu). We also enjoyed washing it down with one of his famous ‘cucumber mojito’s’. McInnis was awesome, period, and if you ever get a chance to nibble on his creations-do it.

More props to the Top Chef who cooked our favorite dish that night. Leah Cohen. We went back for seconds and thirds of her ‘Kampachi Ceviche, with black olive powder, shaved fennel and micro basil.’ Not sure if she knew just HOW good it was, as we overheard her talking about how surprised she was that people were eating so much.

We also love, love, loved Jamie Lauren’s heirloom tomatoes, buratta cheese dish with smoked extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and charred onion vinaigrette. Think we ate about five of those…and one more shout out to chef Michelle Gomez (R). Girlfriend was manning McInnis’s station and whipping up some deliciousness worthy of second and thirds. Top Chef season three winner Hung Huynh was also there- nice as could be- and I’m pretty sure I saw him noshing on Michelle’s spoons.

Once again, thanks to all the Top Chefs-you guys are awesome and we look forward to the next party, where we will in fact, end up in that hot tub.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com