The stars in the culinary firmament aligned to bring five of the best chefs in the world to prepare a one of a kind epic gastronomic feast honoring Juan Mari Arzak, a pioneer in Basque cuisine; along with  Ted Baseler, prime force in American wines. The annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival‘s Tribute Dinner, held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel Grand Ballroom, was truly one for the record books.

Participating chefs included:

Andoni Aduriz out of San Sebastian, whose restaurant Mugaritz was ranked number six by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014
Jose Andres, Tribute Dinner Culinary Chairman, James Beard Award-winning chef and recognized by Time Magazine on the “Time 100” list of most influential people in the world
Alex Atala out of Sao Paulo, whose restaurant D.O.M. (Deo Optimus Maximus) is currently ranked number seven by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, in 2014
Quique Dacosta out of Alicante, who’s eponymous restaurant on the Costa Blanca is ranked number forty one in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and recently received it’s third Michelin star
Frederic Delaire, Executive Chef at Loews Miami Beach Hotel

From left to right: Jose Andres, Andoni Aduriz, Quique Dacosta, Harold McGee, Juan Mari Arzak & daughter Elena, Alex Atala, Frederic Delaire

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a national, star-studded, four-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida, and Florida International University (FIU), the Festival benefits the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management’s Wine Spectator Restaurant Management Laboratory and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at FIU. To date, the Festival has raised more than $20 million for the School.

Loews Miami Beach Hotel Director of Public Relations Linda  Villafane  Piergrossi with Anabelle Paulino

The tribute dinner is the event’s culminating celebration, and this year’s was arguably the best; bringing together chefs listed in the ‘The Top 50 Restaurants in the World,’ each creating a signature dish better than the previous one.

This exquisite evening featured the highest quality dishes prepared by chefs who have been influenced by Arzak; which were paired with the finest wines from the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates portfolio. Harold McGee, food scientist, author and contributor to The New York Times, served as the evening’s emcee.  Joining McGee was Tribute Dinner Culinary Chairman, celebrated Spanish chef Jose Andres, a long-time close friend of Arzak.

Past Festival honorees include Danny Meyer, the Robert Mondavi Family, Ferran Adrià, Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Charlie Trotter, Jamie Oliver and Martha Stewart.

Here we share the creations of the special evening followed by the renowned chefs responsible for designing such a special evening.

JOSE ANDRES – Chef/Owner of ThinkFoodGroup
Baby Japanese Peaches with Burrata, Hazelnuts and Arugula

First at bat, sort of speak, was Jose Andres. Named to Time’s “100” Most Influential list and awarded “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, passionate advocate for food and hunger issues, author, educator, television personality and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. TFG is the team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Puerto Rico. He is Dean of Spanish Studies at the International Culinary Center and has recently launched his own line of artisanal products, José Andrés Foods. He is host and executive producer of the culinary series ‘Made in Spain,’ and his cookbooks include Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen and Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. Andrés is chairman of LA Kitchen and chairman emeritus of DC Central Kitchen, and teaches at Harvard and George Washington University.

QUIQUE DACOSTA – Quique Dacosta – Ranked #41 in the world
Cold Red Soup with Lobster

Next up was Quique Dacosta whose namesake restaurant in Denia, Spain is ranked number 41 in ‘The Top 50 Restaurants in the World’

Part-chef, part-botanist, Dacosta occupies the same culinary perch as Ferran Adrià and the Roca brothers and is a big name in Spain. His plates are minimalist and always memorable, featuring two or three ingredients, making for great clarity of flavour.

Although there are other references, his tasting menu is billed as an edible landscape of the Costa Blanca, seeking to evoke the aroma and texture of the environment as well as the taste. As such, his restaurant is a hub for food research as well as unashamedly top-end dining.

ALEX ATALA – D.O.M., Sao Paulo, Brazil –  Ranked #7 in the world
Prawn with Tucupi and Tapioca

Before Alex Atala opened D.O.M. – Deo Optimus Maximus – which, for the benefit of any non-Latin speakers, means ‘God is greatest and best’– the dominant cuisine in high-end restaurants was French and Italian. Today, South American food and ingredients are creeping on to the top tables of gastronomy, not just in the continent from which it hails, but across the world, and Atala has had a major hand in this.

D.O.M., not only creates an exceptional gastronomic experience using local ingredients, but one that captured the flavours, colours, textures and even smells of what it was to eat in Brazil. In essence, Atala applied European techniques to Brazilian ingredients creating anything up to 20 course tasting menus. D.O.M is simply what Brazil tastes like.
FREDERIC DELAIRE – Executive Chef, Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Braised Short Rib served with Bacon Jam, Foie Gras and Truffle Risotto Cake

Chef Frederic Delaire is Executive Chef of Loews Miami Beach Hotel. He spearheads all culinary aspects of the iconic 790-room, oceanfront resort including the signature restaurant Preston’s, Sushi SoBe, Nautilus Bar & Grill, SoBe Scoops, Room Service and all banquet functions. Chef Delaire brings his enthusiasm for food, creativity and years of French training to Loews Miami Beach Hotel, creating menus that are inspired, innovative and most of all, delicious.

Prior to joining the Loews Culinary Team, Delaire was Executive Chef of the historic National Hotel for almost eight years. There, he assisted in the creation of the French fusion Tamara restaurant, which received abundant praise and accolades from guests and media alike.  Originally from Southwest France, Chef Delaire became intrigued by food and its artistry at a young age while watching and working with his grandfather, a well-known baker. This led him to pursue his passion by studying at the La Palm School for Culinary Arts in France. His culinary repertoire includes positions at Michelin-rated restaurants with legendary French Chefs including the famous Jules Verne restaurant, located on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower and Three Michelin-star restaurant L’Aubergade with Michel Trama.

Since coming to Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Chef Delaire has been instrumental in reinventing the hotel’s amenity program, developing a fresh look and elevated approach to banquet menus and presentations, while also introducing creative concepts such as the hotel’s retro ice cream parlor, SoBe Scoops.  He has also breathed new life into all of the resort’s delectable food and beverage outlet menus.

ANDONI ADURIZ – Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain – Ranked #6
Several Spoonfuls of clashing contrats: Heavy Cream, Sweets & Leaves

Named after a border oak tree that grows in the hills inland from San Sebastian – one specific tree, rather than the species – Mugaritz takes attention to detail to new heights. As Aduriz himself says: “We strive to transcend the customs that curtail our freedom.”

One reason for this is that Aduriz intends a meal at Mugaritz to shock and surprise as well as delight with the use of what he playfully refers to as ‘trompes l’oeils – culinary tricks of the eye. Diners aren’t given access to a menu before booking and are instead treated to a personalised series of some 20 or so dishes. Some creations play with aroma, texture and flavour while others are designed to be provocative, tell a story or evoke an emotion. The restaurant’s now-famous starter of edible ‘stones’, which are in fact potatoes styled cleverly to look like teeth-breakers, is well known and oft-copied in kitchens across the world, but Aduriz has many more tricks up his sleeve.

HONOREES

JUAN MARI ARZAK –
Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain – No.8

Born in San Sebastian in 1942, Juan Mari Arzak received the Premio Nacional de Gastronomía, (National Gastronomy Award) in 1974 as a Chef as well as its first Michelin Star. In 1983 he was awarded the distinction of best chef in Spain by the readers of Club de Gourmets Magazine. The year after, the same readers named Arzak as the Best Restaurant in Spain. In 1985, the Premio Nacional de Gastronomia, honored Arzak as Best Restaurant. Without a doubt he spearheaded the Nueva Cocina Vasca (New Basque Cuisine) a movement which set the grounds for the Spanish culinary revolution.

In 1977 Arzak received its second Michelin Star, which he held until 1989 when he received its third Michelin Star, a rating he has held ever since.

Among his most outstanding, to name a few, the Gran Premio del Arte de la Cocina for Best Chef in Europe in 1992; by the Academia Europea de Gastronomía,; the International Award of Honor by “Trophée Gourmet”- A la Carte in 2008. Arzak has been on top ten of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2006, and in 2011 Juan Mari received a “Lifetime Achievement Award from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

As with others featured on this élite list, the Arzaks’ cooking is about the reworking of traditional dishes, and extracting the best from local ingredients using cutting-edge techniques. However far the restaurant moves forward, it still honours its Basque culinary heritage. Indeed, this respect for tradition has established Arzak as a destination for locals as well as visiting food-lovers. “Everyone living in San Sebastián has been here,” proclaims formidable chef patron Juan Mari Arzak, who shares the running of both the kitchen and the overall business with daughter Elena Arzak Espina.

Honoree Juan Mari Arzak with HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo

Arzak was among the first to open a culinary research lab and was arguably one of the world’s first chefs to adopt a scientific and experimental approach to cooking. He continues to champion techniques he helped to develop, including freeze-drying, dehydration and distillation.

Elena is, of course, a formidable chef in her own right, having studied at the prestigious Swiss Hotel Management School, later working at the legendary El Bulli. Last year the pair exported their brand of contemporary Basque cooking to the UK with an opening at London’s The Halkin hotel. Ametsa with Arzak Instruction offers a mix of Arzak classics alongside dishes inspired by UK produce.

Ted Baseler
President and CEO | Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

Ted Baseler is a leader in the U.S. wine industry who has been dedicated to building Washington State into one of the top wine producing regions in the world. Baseler is president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates where he has been an executive for 30 years.  He is the architect of the company’s expansion throughout Washington, winery and vineyard acquisitions in California and Oregon, and development of an import portfolio which includes acclaimed wineries from five countries.

Ste. Michelle is the third largest premium wine company in the U.S.  Its portfolio includes Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, 14 Hands, Northstar, Spring Valley, and Col Solare in Washington State.  In California, its wineries include Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Conn Creek, and in Oregon it owns Erath Winery.  Ste. Michelle Wine Estates also is the exclusive North American importer of wines crafted by the Antinori family of Italy, the Torres family of Spain and Chile, Nicolas Feuillatte of Champagne and Villa Maria Estate of New Zealand.

He was named one of the top marketing professionals in the country by Advertising Age and “Man of the Year” by the Wine Enthusiast.  In 2013, he was named by his peers to Vineyard & Winery Management’s list of “20 Most Admired People in the North American Wine Industry.” He has been the driving force behind the company’s development of scholarship programs for students in need, granting more than $3 million in scholarships in recent years.