Everyone knows people eat with their eyes, and the dishes at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in February provided quite a feast. Here are 20 eye-catching food presentations from the event.
Among the hors d'oeuvres at Starry Night: An Evening With Tyler Florence was a whole toasted shitake log with mushrooms and fresh herbs that protruded from the dish. The event was held at the Fisher Island Club.
Individual bacon slices came served in bamboo cups at Cigars & Spirits at the Betsy Hotel rooftop. Chefs Craig Strong and Gabriel Ask of Montage Hotels & Resorts and Laurent Tourondel of the Betsy provided the fare, which paired with bourbons, whiskies, Scotches, and tequilas.
At the $1,500-a-plate Ocean Liner Dinner at the Wolfsonian, chef Daniel Boulud served a slow-baked halibut bonne femme with sweet Maine shrimp. The meticulously plated fish had a puff pastry head.
Also on the menu at the Ocean Liner Dinner was an oeuf en gelée, crème de jambon au celeri, and truffes from chefs Frederic Morin and David McMillan.
At the Celebrity Chef Golf Tournament at Turnberry Isle Resort, mini cones nestled in a sand trap. Chef José Andrés hosted the event, and the bites came from his restaurant Katsuya at SLS Hotel South Beach.
Neutral-tone macarons were strewn on a plate of colorful flowers at a Tribute Dinner honoring Danny Meyer and Chuck Wagner held at Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Guests could pluck honeydew push pops, which also contained caviar and crème fraîche, from a melon.
California pheasant polpette, served with black truffle aioli, were served in a dish alongside actual pheasant feathers.
Nearly every possible garnish—from the traditional celery stick to the more trendy jerkey—crowded into a bloody Mary served in a mason jar at the Southern Kitchen Brunch at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Homestyle signage identified the Georgia peach and cherry pies served at the Southern Kitchen Brunch.
Rainbow-hued cake pops, served upright and upside down, were among the desserts at a Wine Spectator Wine Seminar held at the James Royal Palm hotel.
At the Modern Mexican With a Spanish Twist dinner, held at Toro Toro at InterContinental Miami, a dessert trio contained plated carrot cake infused in pepita oil and a shaved pepita bark that looked like the fluttered skirt of a flamenco dancer. The dish from chefs Alisa Romano and Pati Jinich also had glazed tangerine supremas dulce de leche flan with a cacao nibs crust and chocolate salami with galletas María chunks.
A first course of salmòn curado con tamal tierno y mole, from chef Bruno Oteiza, contrasted squares with circles and looked like a modernist painting.
At the Spice It Up at Four Seasons dinner at Edge Steak & Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, chef Michelle Bernstein served sticks of roast calabaza—a pumpkin-like squash—with ricotta and pepitas.
Stone crab claws were elegantly served on a white platter at An Evening With Jean-Georges Vongerichten at his J&G Grill at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. The presentation was not crowded, allowing the plate to contrast with the black claw and yellow mustard sauce.
Alongside the title dish at Ceviche & Pisco were coconut halves displaying the individual ingredients. The arrangement added a color-blocking element to the presentation. My Ceviche created the dishes served at the event at the Gale South Beach rooftop.
Summer rolls were served on trays set in a base of raw lentils at the Vegetarian Dinner at the Space Miami. A succulent, the motif of the dinner, also adorned the tray.
A display for Strongbow cider at the Grand Tasting featured rows of upside-down bottles slotted into wooden boards. Gold-painted apples in barrels, trees, and loose piles added to the scene.
The walk-around event at Fontainebleau Miami Beach featured a roving performer wearing a dress strewn with cake pops.
Chinese noodles awaited guests at their seats for a screening of Soul of a Banquet, a film about chef Cecilia Chiang by Hong Kong-born director Wayne Wang. The new hotel Metropolitan by Como provided catering for the movie night, which took place at the New World Center.
