A Foodies Paradise: Hallandale Beach Is In The Culinary Spotlight

The SOBEWFF® Hallandale Beach Event Series is a part of the Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s (HBCRA) strategic plan to promote economic development by branding the city as a destination for food, arts and entertainment, while also attracting international exposure to local participating restaurants. This is the third year in a row that the HBCRA is partnering with SOBEWFF® to host the Hallandale Beach Event Series. 

“We are excited to bring the community together to sample our unique restaurants and experience the very best in local dining.” said Dr. Jeremy Earle, City Manager and CRA Executive Director of The City of Hallandale Beach. “This event will also help our local economy and businesses gain renewed visibility and new patrons. The social value of this festival and its economic development goals are complementary to one another.”  

Gulfstream Park and its iconic Pegasus statue will serve as the venue for the event, offering a dynamic, outdoor environment with music, dancing and entertainment set to an ocean breeze. Guests are invited to come dressed in all-white ensembles and be prepared to celebrate in high SOBEWFF® style.

This exciting evening of outdoor fun will be hosted by MasterChef finalist and TikTok sensation Nick DiGiovanni. Guests can stroll from table to table and enjoy the cuisine over over 25 local restaurants while sipping refreshing creations from the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits portfolio. They will be able to learn about the chefs behind the menus, the cultural highlights of the cuisine, and other information about the restaurants.

“Today, people learn about their dining tastes and preferences through a variety of sources: social media, YouTube, and of course hearsay,” says Faith Phinn, Deputy Director of the HBCRA. “We will be bringing this dynamic culture of local personalities together in one, hands-on experience that will be educating as much as it is fun.”

Remarkably, the restaurants participating represent five continents of cuisine. They include Nana's Food For You, Nana's Sapibon Haitian Restaurant, Mo-ises Bakery, Urban Thai & Sushi, Dunn's River Island Café, See Thai and Japanese Cuisine, Ceviche Avenue, Dr. Limon Hallandale, CAO Bakery & Café, La Estancia Argentina, Yardhouse, El Tayta Peruvian Restaurant, Wapo Tacos, D's Delights, Judy's Bakery, Flashback Diner, Holi Vegan Kitchen, Mable's Island Kitchen, Il Mercato Café and Wine Bar, Matteo's, Don Lolo's, The Krazy Vegan, Belly Fish, El Tamarindo Coal Fired Pizza, Ten Palms, and Chapultepec Mexican Restaurant. YouTube personality Chef Irie will also be on-hand with his famous cuisine.

All restaurants participating in the event will have the opportunity to win, first, second, or third-place in the evening’s Best of Show awards. These awards will be based on presentation, uniqueness, and of course tastiness! Prizes for winning restaurants are: First Place $1000, Second Place $500, Third Place $250. The contest will be judged by a panel of judges and the prizes and awards will be awarded at the end of the event on Saturday evening.

The cost to attend the Hallandale Beach Food & Groove: A Wine, Food and Art Experience is $75 per person, plus tax and service fees. Guests must be age 21 or over. To purchase tickets, visit sobewff.org/groove.

Another great event that will take place as part of SOBEWFF® in Hallandale Beach is the Goya Foods' Family Fun Fest. This two-day family friendly event will take place Saturday and Sunday (February 26 – 27) from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm each day at Peter Bluesten Park in Hallandale Beach, 501 SE 1st Ave in Hallan-dale Beach. Guests will be able to join their favorite Food Net-work & Cooking Channel chefs and culinary personalities for two action-packed days of food and fun at this family-friendly outdoor event at Peter Bluesten Park. There will also be an appearance by the Miami Dolphins and cheerleaders on Sunday February 27th!

The Goya Foods' Family Fun Fest event is produced in partnership with the Hallandale Beach Community Redevelop-ment Agency. Children of all ages will have the chance to explore the park’s expansive grounds as they revel in the Festival’s fun-filled programming, complete with energetic activities and fantastically flavored food. They’ll also get the opportunity to see their culinary heroes up close and personal as they host interactive cooking demonstrations that showcase some seriously mouthwatering (and completely kid-friendly) recipes! Save the babysitter for another time and get ready to take in some fresh Florida air because this spirited SOBEWFF® day in Hallandale Beach is made for the whole family! Tickets are $15 per person for the Goya Foods' Family Fun Fest days and can be purchased by visiting, https://sobewff.org/fff/

The Hallandale Beach Com-munity Redevelopment Agency has been instrumental bringing these events to Hallandale Beach, to promote all the City has to offer. The HBCRA works directly with small businesses in the City to overcome economic challenges through its many innovative commercial and residential programs. The creation of events such as SOBEWFF help stimulate commercial activity and awareness of Hallandale Beach throughout South Florida.

All guests, talent, staff, students and working personnel at all event venues will be required to complete a digital health screening through SymCheck™. This includes attestation of either: a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to the event OR completed vaccination plus presentation of a cleared SymCheck™ QR Code. Anyone presenting symptoms on arrival will be denied entry. 

All proceeds from the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers. To date, SOBE-WFF® has raised more than $31.8 million for the School. In Sep-tember 2019, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Res-taurant Industry event in the United States for the seventh year in a row.