Celebrity chefs hit the grill at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival
By Tracy Block
Metromix
Seventeen-hundred carnivores navigated over to Miami Beach for the kickoff of the 2009 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival for one of the most popular events—The Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. The three-hour meat-eating soiree set up stations for famous chefs like Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Bobby Flay, Katie Lee Joel, Michael Schwartz, Rick Bayless and last year’s champ Michael Schlow on the grills. Sipping Amstel Lights while meeting and feeding fans, the beef-barers put on their game faces for this year’s chompetition.
Foodies doubled as hamburglars for the night, robbing each table of their patty platters until the house was dry. With plenty of food personalities in attendance, the excitement levels ran high at the beach burger extravaganza.
Stuffed and ready for more good eats, fest-goers happily digested and made room for burgers—well into double digits. The fest is officially underway, so chefs, hold on to your buns.



