If you’ve got a taste for the finer things then Palm Beach County during season, with its many food festivals and events, is where you want to be.
Whether it be hitting some of the hottest restaurants in the area and meeting culinary royalty like Maneet Chauhan, Daniel Boulud, Antonia Lofaso or Ben Ford at the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival or maybe something totally different like dining in complete darkness at the 16th Annual Dining in the Dark event, Palm Beach County aims to please.
Prefer a more open, festival atmosphere? No problem, check out the Feast of Little Italy or the always fun (and stinky in a good way) South Florida Garlic Festival.
Want to take your palate for a walk on the wild side? Then don’t miss the Fourth Annual Florida Game Dinner at Tropical Smokehouse where you can get a taste of what ‘living off the land’ might feel like. If that game was prepared, and cooked to perfection by a chef and pit master that is.
These nine events, stretching from early November to March, are not to be missed.
Taste of Recovery
Held at the American German Club of the Palm Beaches, this acclaimed culinary festival in its sixth year will feature bites from top chefs representing some of the best restaurants in Palm Beach County. These include Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria; City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill; Elisabetta’s Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria; City Oyster & Sushi Bar; Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar; Grease Burger, Beer and Whiskey Bar; Little Moir’s Catering; Warren and more.
A “People’s Choice” Award will be given for “Best Bite,” and prominent local food writers will decide the Critics’ Choice Awards with cash prizes. The event was founded by Chef Louie Bossi, chef/partner of Louie Bossi’s Ristorante and Pizzeria.
Taste of Recovery will benefit The Crossroads Club, a non-profit organization in Delray Beach that provides support and fellowship for anyone whose life has been adversely affected by, or through, the use of addictive substances.
The event will be 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. 5111 Lantana Road, Lake Worth Beach. Advance $60, at door $75. Information: thecrossroadsclub.com
Feast of Little Italy
Returning to Abacoa, the Galbani Feast of Little Italy will once again feature national Italian American entertainers, authentic food, cooking stages with nationally known chefs, including chef Marco Sciortino and Anthony Ancampa, and more.
This three-day festival will feature fresh pasta, sausage & peppers, arancini, braciole, and many more classic dishes. There will also be plenty of Italian desserts like homemade zeppoles with powdered sugar, sfogliatella, and cannoli.
Returning as mistress of ceremonies will be WRMF on-air personality Virginia Sinicki.
Feast of Italy is 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3. 1267 Main St., Jupiter. Free admission. Information: feastoflittleitaly.com
Sunset Tequila & Mezcal Festival
South Florida’s premier, outdoor festival that combines agave spirits, tacos and Mexican street food with excellent music, artisans and more, is ready to rock Mizner Park Amphitheater.
A ticket gives attendees access to unlimited tastings of dozens of the world’s finest tequilas, mezcals and other spirits, featuring top brands like Siempre, Tanteo, Casa Mexico tequila, Don Londres, Ghost, Flecha Azul, Santos, El Tequileno, Partida. For food, guests will enjoy tasty treats from over a dozen vendors including The Wolf of Tacos, Lazy Oyster, PizzElla and Santo Dulce.
Keeping the sweet beat to all this goodness will be Artikal Sound, Los Wizzards and Paul Anthony & The Reggae Souljahs.
The event is 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. $75, VIP $175. Information: sunsettequilafest.com
Florida Game Dinner at Tropical Smokehouse
Whether you’re a conservationist, a hunter or have always wondered what some of the wild game in Florida tastes like, this is your chance to try it as prepared by pit master and chef Rick Mace at Tropical Smokehouse in West Palm Beach.
Mace and his team will offer up an impressive menu for the event, including jerk duck wings, smoked venison loin, rabbit & foie gras terrine, wild boar with root beer BBQ, gator and crawfish sausage, red cabbage & apple slaw, coffee can bread, beans, greens and potatoes. There will a raffle for a guided hunt as well as outdoor prizes.
The event is 7 p.m. Nov. 21. 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. Advance $59, at door $69. Information: eattropical.com
Dining in the Dark in West Palm Beach
Join Florida Outreach for the Blind and experience dining in total darkness! Enjoy a delicious three-course meal served by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, who will be wearing night-vision goggles. There will be music, entertainment, an inspiring guest speaker, a silent auction and a cash bar.
Held at the West Palm Beach Marriott, this event, now in its 16th year, raises awareness as well as funding for educating blind and visually-impaired individuals in the community.
Dining in the Dark is 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. West Palm Beach Marriott, 1001 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. $125. Information: floridaoutreachcenter.org
Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival
This year’s festival will span four days and feature over 60 restaurants and more than 100 wineries. There will be events at dozens of local restaurants spread throughout Palm Beach County. Some of these include Aioli, Coolinary, Pink Steak, La Sirena, PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar, Meat Market and many, many more.
Once again the talent list is impressive. There are over 70 chefs, bakers and wine experts including Robert Irvine, Maneet Chauhan, Duff Goldman, Stephanie Izard, Clay Conley, Antonia Lofaso, Elizabeth Falkner and more.
The festival runs Dec. 12 to 15. Events take place at various times and at dozens of restaurants around Palm Beach County. Information: pbfoodwinefest.
South Florida Strawberry Festival
Held at South County Regional Park, this event will feature plenty of strawberry treats, local vendor food tents, live music, rides, slides, bumper boats, bungee trampolines, a live animal petting zoo and even a U.S. Ninja Warrior obstacle course.
“Florida is the No. 1 winter strawberry producer, and we wanted to celebrate the wonderful weather we have here in South Florida in January with the South Florida Strawberry Festival,” said Jackie Ralston, co-founder of Artisan Productions.
The event is 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19. 12551 Glades Road, Boca Raton. $15, family four-pack $55, children 2 and younger free. Unlimited rides and inflatables $25. Information: soflostrawberryfestival.com
South Florida Garlic Fest
Still the “best stinkin’ party in South Florida” after more than a quarter century. Find out every conceivable way this beautiful bulb, with its powerfully pungent aroma, can be incorporated into one delicious dish after another. In addition, enjoy live music, vendors, beverages and much more during this two-day festival.
Garlic Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. 12100 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. $15. Information: garlicfestfl.com
Bacon & Bourbon Festival
Spend a weekend at this festival savoring two of the finer things in life. Enjoy the slightly sweet, complex brown liquor known as bourbon while discovering some of the mysteries that make it so intoxicatingly delicious as well as actually intoxicating. Then dig into strips of that amazing salty, sweet treat known as bacon and explore the different ways it can be incorporated into hundreds of dishes … even ice cream!
The event is Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23. Wellington Town Center Promenade, 11924 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. Free admission. Information: baconbourbonfest.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best food festivals in Palm Beach County: Feast of Little Italy, more
