Review: South Beach Food and Wine Festival

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

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This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the 15th annual South Beach (SoBe) Food & Wine Festival and I must say it’s one of the best festivals I’ve been to, hands down. Even though I only had a chance to partake in two of the events, which totaled 5 hours of indulging in some of the best food and adult beverages I’ve tasted, I felt like I got my fill of the experience – enough to have me already planning out my participation next year.

The feature event on Friday night was the 10th anniversary of the wildly popular Burger Bash, in which Food Network Stars Bobby Flay and Michael Simon have participated in previous years. This year, the two high-profile chefs showing off their burger skills were world-renowned Chef Morimoto and TV personality and weatherman Al Roker, who actually served me one of his delicious patty melts. Who knew Al could throw down in the kitchen like that?

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Even though I’m very much a carnivore and love my meat dishes, I’m not much of a burger girl….that is, until the Burger Bash. I have never in my life tasted so much yummy goodness in one night. I wish I could say I had a taste of the more than two dozen burger entries but sadly, I tapped out around 10. I certainly put in a good effort though! Ultimately Jersey Dawg, a food truck based in South Florida, won the contest but unfortunately for me they were one of the burgers I didn’t get to sample. That’s just an excuse to go back to Miami and try it out. Of the ones I tasted, certainly STK and El Rey de Las Fritas were among my favorites.

On Sunday, I participated in the Goya Grand Tasting Village, and grand it was indeed. So grand in fact that the 2 hour option I selected in lieu of the 5 hour option wasn’t long enough. I could have had at least another hour to soak in all of the deliciousness that awaited me. From the grilled octopus to the macaroni and cheese meatball to the flank steak and horseradish mashed potatoes with chimichurri sauce to the smoked cod fish offered by one of my favorites, Oceanaire, I was absolutely in heaven. Not to mention the large selection of wines offered. There was so much to experience there that the 2 hours felt more like 20 minutes.

In addition to the dozens of food and adult beverage stations, there were cooking demonstrations offered by actress and TV personality Tia Mowry and world renowned Chef Jose Andres; a book signing by one of my favorite Food Network stars Geoffrey Zacharian; several swanky lounge stations decked out in the signature all-white or Art Deco-style South Beach motif; and an entertainment stage hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I seriously was on sensory overload. Helpful Hint: Invest in the five hour option so you don’t feel rushed and you can savor the entire experience.

I definitely recommend making a visit to the SoBe Food & Wine Festival but the one thing that may stop you is the price. Despite the cheapest tasting event being around $100, just about every event was sold out. Simply put, don’t expect the prices to go anywhere but up. I will say though that price is only an issue in the absence of value, and this festival certainly brought a lot of value so it was well worth the investment.

Wheels Up

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

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There are a select few who enjoy flying and look at it as part of the experience of their travels but for most, taking a flight somewhere is something they tolerate to get the reward of arriving at their final destination. Even more so nerve-wracking for us is the stress of knowing when and where to book a flight to get the best price and itinerary. Airline travel is different than just about every segment of the travel industry for many reasons, but mostly due to the volatility and range in pricing from one moment to the next and from one company to the next. As a travel professional, I’m constantly on a plane or booking a flight, so I’ve come across some “tricks of the trade” that might make at least booking those flights for that next vacay, if not the experience itself, more palatable.

There are a handful of articles I’ve come across in the past year that have changed my life as it relates to airline travel and I hope they help you as well. I’m also including some of my takeaways from booking my own travel and travel for my clients.

  1. There is an ideal day and time of the week to fly and book a flight to get the cheapest rates. Tips From Air Travel Insiders and Best Dates for Cheap Flights This Year
  2. It’s important to know the difference between a direct and a nonstop flight. The Difference Between a Direct and Nonstop Flight and Why You Should Care
  3. All airlines are not created equal. Knowing this fact, you should determine for yourself what types of amenities or services you value over others. As an example, if you know you are more liberal with your packing and you travel with a lot of bags, you would likely prefer Southwest over Spirit so you won’t be nickeled and dimed with baggage fees.
  4. If you are flying internationally, check to make sure your passport does not expire within three to six months of your travel, depending on the country. Which Countries Require Six Month of Passport Validity?
  5. Enrolling in TSA Pre/Global Entry has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. If you hate waiting in lines and the rigorous process of taking off your shoes, coat, belt, etc. during the security process as much as I do, you’ll find it a worthy investment as well.

 

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Why Dubai?

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

In the last few years or so Dubai has become one of the hottest and fastest growing tourist destinations in the world. Of course being in the travel industry, I had to put all this hype up to my own test. Last week I returned from a girlfriend’s getaway there and I must say it lived up to all its hype and then some. Probably for different reasons than you might think. But if you think it’s just desert and skyscrapers, you haven’t even scratched the surface of what Dubai has to offer.

Regardless of whether you are a beach bum, party goer, sightseer or adventure seeker, Dubai has got just about something for everyone. As someone who can be all of these things (not always necessarily in one vacation), I was in jetsetter heaven. We tried to see and experience everything we wanted to but I’ve convinced myself another trip is required to get my complete fill of Dubai, and the other Emirates for that matter. Side note: We did take a day trip to Abu Dhabi to visit the Grand Mosque, which was absolutely the most beautiful place I’ve seen in the world to date.

There are some must have experiences that everyone who’s visited talks about like the desert safari complete with dune bashing and camel rides, shopping in the world’s largest mall (The Dubai Mall) and going to the top of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which were all awesome. However, I would not do this destination any justice if I didn’t talk about three of what I call hidden treasures of Dubai that gave me the most life (If you are unfamiliar with that term it means anything that gets you excited or brings you joy), and that is the Dubai Miracle Garden, Global Village and the Dubai Fountain.

The Dubai Miracle Garden, which has only been in existence for just about two years, is the world’s largest flower garden and it is the most unique and breathtaking display of foliage I’ve ever seen. There are flowers designed in just about every shape and form you can imagine. If the thought of that bores you lol I promise it was fascinating. There’s also live music and food to keep you entertained as well.

Global Village has been in existence for quite some time but for some reason it’s not widely talked about as a tourist attraction, especially considering its claim to have more than 5 million visitors a year. I hadn’t even heard of it until I got there. It is claimed to be the world’s largest tourism, leisure and entertainment project with more than 80 destinations around the globe represented. It is indeed massive! Each destination from the USA to Thailand to Africa had its own souk (marketplace) to visit chock full of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences. There was so much ground to cover we couldn’t even make it to half of the souks!

As for the Dubai Fountain, the world’s largest choreographed fountain system, it lived up to its hype as well. Designed by the same architects of the Bellagio fountain in Vegas, it is a phenomenal display of water and light accompanied by a range of music depending on what time of day you choose to see the show. Ironically, three of my favorite Dubai treasures were the least costly of all our experiences. This brings me to my last and final point.

Dubai is not cheap so don’t go there for a budget vacation. They do everything big, clearly. You see a theme with the world’s largest right? That shouldn’t preclude you from going though. Just make sure you save up your coins before making the trek. I promise It’s absolutely worth every penny to do it up big in Dubai.