If Higher Fort Lauderdale had a taste, it will be one thing brilliant, sudden, and possibly just a bit indulgent. This January, the seventh annual Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition serves that spirit in fashion, returning January 19–25, 2026, for a weeklong celebration of cooks, creativity, and group. What started as a neighborhood love letter to meals and hospitality has turn out to be one in all Florida’s most anticipated culinary occasions—equal elements star-studded spectacle and hometown showcase.
The Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition was born from a easy thought: to showcase Broward County’s culinary expertise. Competition co-founders Kate Reed and Phillip Marro launched the inaugural occasion in 2019 with simply 4 gatherings. “The Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition was created to shine a highlight on our native eating places, accommodations, cooks, and mixologists,” Marro remembers. “Every occasion is designed to showcase what makes Higher Fort Lauderdale particular—from our seashores to our downtown and humanities districts—and to rejoice the extraordinary flavors and experiences of the area.” Reed provides that the competition additionally highlights the world’s hospitality professionals, bringing consideration to expertise that usually goes underneath the radar.
From that humble starting, the competition has blossomed right into a full-scale celebration of Higher Fort Lauderdale’s ever-evolving meals scene. Right now, it brings collectively Michelin-recognized eating places, James Beard-nominated cooks, and nationally acclaimed expertise for seven days of taste and enjoyable. This 12 months’s lineup is essentially the most spectacular but, led by Prime Chefwinner Richard Blais alongside Eddie Jackson, Nancy Fuller, Jason Smith, Clarice Lam, Ron “Captain Ron” Dimpflmaier, Remy Powell, and Dario Stephen. From family culinary names to rising regional stars, the roster displays Fort Lauderdale’s transformation into a real eating vacation spot.
“Annually, this occasion grows in measurement and taste,” says Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Go to Lauderdale. “It’s a celebration of our culinary id, from native favorites to world stars—and it retains getting larger, higher, and extra scrumptious.”
The competition opens with the Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition Eating Sequence Introduced by PNC Financial institution, a dynamic run of 10 one-night-only dinners that pair celebrated cooks in sudden collaborations. Monday’s Opening Evening at Heritagesets the tone, hosted by Michelin Bib Gourmand chef Rino Cerbone. From there, the week unfolds with experiences that journey the world via Fort Lauderdale’s kitchens: Ukiah × Macchialina, the place cooks Michael Lewis and Michael Pirolo mix Japanese and Italian influences; Calusso × Mamani, a sublime showcase of Italian-French method by cooks Jonathan Kaiser and Christophe De Lellis; and Wan’s × Kaya × Temple Road Eatery, an Asian-inspired collaboration that includes Clarice Lam and Diego Ng.
Among the many highlights is Even Keel × Stage × DJM Eating places, hosted by cooks David MacLennan, Brad Phillips, Pushkar Marathe, and Dean James Max. This coastal-inspired dinner at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s Even Keel Fish Shack celebrates Florida’s freshest bounty—sustainable seafood, domestically sourced produce, and trendy methods that outline the area’s culinary DNA. It’s the sort of meal that reminds diners why Fort Lauderdale’s seaside tradition and meals scene are inseparable.
The collection continues with inventive crossovers like Evelyn’s × Auro, mixing coastal influences with Michelin-starred artistry; Daniel’s × Darioush Wine, the place chef Daniel Ganem crafts an indulgent multi-course pairing; and Steelpan × The Rabbit Gap, a vegan Caribbean collaboration that proves plant-based eating will be each bit as daring. Beer lovers can elevate a glass at 26 Diploma Brewing Firm’s Founder’s Dinner, an informal, flavorful night pairing chef-driven dishes with craft brews.
By Thursday, issues warmth up underneath the celebs at Wok ’n Roll, hosted by Clarice Lam, the place scorching woks meet reside music on the new Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade. Friday evening brings BBQ on the Seaside, offered by Demesmin & Dover and hosted by Jason Smith with visitor pitmaster Captain Ron Dimpflmaier—a smoky showdown of brisket, bourbon, and seashore views. Then comes Saturday’s showstopper: The Grand Tasting, the competition’s signature occasion, that includes greater than 100 tastings, chef demonstrations by Richard Blais, Eddie Jackson, and Dimpflmaier, and a energetic beachfront environment that captures the very essence of South Florida.
Sunday is all about slowing down in fashion. Beachside Brunch, hosted by Nancy Fuller with particular visitor Eddie Jackson, serves coastal consolation with a farm-to-table twist, whereas Picnic within the Park, offered by Joe DiMaggio Youngsters’s Hospital, invitations households to get pleasure from kid-friendly cooking demos, meals vans, reside leisure, and native artisan distributors in a relaxed open-air setting.
Between the headline occasions, the competition gives a strong lineup of culinary and beverage courses designed to interact, educate, and entertain. Visitors can roll up their sleeves for Cooking with Bourbon with Nancy Fuller and Jason Smith or Breaking Bao with Clarice Lam and Diego Ng. Others would possibly discover The Artwork of Pasta with Chef Jorge Montes, dive into Flavors of Peru, or unwind at Movement & Feast, a yoga-and-sound-bath expertise paired with natural wines and plant-based bites at MAD Arts Museum. Sommeliers lead wine journeys like The Glowing Wine Expertise and Natty by Nature, whereas Cocktail Uncultured shakes issues up with Whisk(e)y: The Spirit of Life and the color-splashed new addition Libations Exotica: The Cult of Tiki—a hands-on class exploring rum tradition, tropical flavors, and the classic tiki revival that’s sweeping the nation.
However past the menus and mixology, the competition’s coronary heart stays rooted in group. “12 months after 12 months, Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition continues to develop, drawing extra followers and cooks from world wide,” says Ritter. “This seventh annual celebration is our largest but, highlighting the unbelievable expertise, flavors, and creativity that make the vacation spot a premier culinary hub.” A portion of proceeds advantages Joe DiMaggio Youngsters’s Hospital, guaranteeing that each toast and tasting contributes to one thing significant. “It’s about coming collectively—over meals, over taste, over group,” provides Cressman Bronson, PNC’s regional president for Southeast Florida. “When each chunk helps make a distinction, it provides a little bit additional which means to each second.”
For Reed and Marro, that mixture of objective and pleasure stays the soul of the competition. “We’ve labored so arduous to supply actually one thing for everybody,” Marro as soon as stated—and he wasn’t exaggerating. From bourbon to bao, from brunch to barbecue, the Go to Lauderdale Meals & Wine Competition captures the enjoyment of style paired with the delight of place.
Whether or not you’re securing VIP entry at The Grand Tasting or rolling up your sleeves in a hands-on class, that is one culinary week value clearing your calendar for. As a result of in Higher Fort Lauderdale, the desk’s set—and everybody’s invited.
Tickets and particulars at VLFoodWine.com
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