15 August 24-30, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | 3201 RICKENBACKER CAUSEWAY KEY BISCAYNE, FL | 305.361.3818 WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! FIND US ON The burger will be a signature item when Gon- zalez opens a standalone Burger Beast restau- rant, which he says is in the making. For now, fans of the blogger can try his smashed burger — his proprietary “luncheonette” blend based on Wal- greens’ original lunch counter burger recipe topped with cheese, crispy onions, jalapeños, and a spicy-ish sauce on a sesame seed bun — at on- going pop-up events. The Burger Beast scavenger hunt is slated to take place the same day as the Mojo Donuts Burger Beast pop-up. The event will begin at noon when details about the hunt will be announced. Partici- pants can tackle the scavenger hunt alone or with a team of up to five members. Single participants or teams must purchase a $20 ticket to participate. “If you love food, and you love burgers, this event is for you — and it gives people a shot at winning a bunch of gift cards to some of my fa- vorite restaurants,” sums up Gonzalez. “All in all, expect to have a good time, eat some great food, and learn a little bit about the Miami food scene along the way.” NICOLE DANNA ▼ MIAMI BLACK PEPPER FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES BLACK- OWNED RESTAURANTS The Miami-born Black Pepper Food & Wine Festival returns to Miami’s historic Overtown at the Urban on Saturday, August 26, offering event- goers the opportunity to explore a variety of cuisines from some of the area’s top Black-owned restaurants and vendors. “I think being able to provide an event where there’s such a wide range of generations, from children to millennials to older people, is really important,” the festival’s cofounder Alexis Brown tells New Times. “This is a true community event, and food is certainly one thing that brings people together no matter your age or race.” The Black Pepper Food Festival has evolved since its launch in 2019, when just 20 restaurants and vendors participated in the event Brown and cofounder Joel Franklin built based on their pre- vious experiences in the industry organizing, hosting, and producing events. Founder of South Florida-based experiential marketing firm Socialxchange, Brown is responsi- ble for helping to launch initiatives such as the “Basel Bae,” a Black art experience, and SocialX- capade, a similarly themed travel experience. Franklin, founder of Phuse Cream and Dope Smoke Shop, was also well-versed in creating community-focused events. “The beginning was a lot of calling, a lot of convincing,” shares Brown. “After the first year, the restaurants sold out, and they had a really good experience.” After two successful events, Brown says Black Pepper Food Festival can be more selective when curating its vendor lineup, allowing for a more di- verse range of cuisines, including vegan options, Caribbean fare, and non-traditional African- American food. This year the festival is set to have more than 25 vendors with participating local establish- ments like Lil Greenhouse Grill, Phuse Cream, Perry Wings, Rejoice African Restaurant and Bar, Ty’s Hometown Cafe & Bistros, Fannoh Flavor, Tropical Oasis Food Truck, Smokey Bear’s Barbe- cue, Upper Tea, and Food Dude Fresh Jerk Grill. The festival officially kicks off Friday, August 25, a day before the festival, with the launch of the festival’s new chef cook-off. The event, which takes place from 8 p.m. to midnight, is a partner- ship with EatWell Exchange, a Florida-based non- profit committed to empowering those in lower socioeconomic communities with the access and knowledge needed to eat a nutritious diet within their food culture. “People often feel like they have to stop eating their cultural norm foods to eat healthy,” adds Brown. “EatWell Exchange works to debunk that myth, so we decided to partner with them to of- fer their services during our festival weekend.” Chefs from different cultures will receive a mys- tery box with the same three ingredients to make a dish of their choice. Confirmed chefs in- clude Lo Taylor (Ja- maica), Sunni (Ecuador), and Pat- rick Thezan (Haiti). The event is free to attend, but a $50 ticket is needed for anyone who would like to sample the food prepared dur- ing the cook-off. Each ticket is good for a plate of food from each chef and preferred seating at the front of the stage. A portion of proceeds from the cook-off ticket sales will benefit EatWell Exchange. On Saturday, festival-goers can expect cook- ing demonstrations, mixology demonstrations featuring popular Black mixologists in South Flor- ida, live entertainment, music, wine education, and tastings hosted by the Hue Society. This year, the nonprofit Black Girls Cook, whose mission is to empower and inspire inner- city adolescent girls of color through culinary arts and urban farming, will host complimentary kids’ cooking classes during the festival. According to Brown, because of the support from sponsors of the event — including the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami-Dade County Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert, and the Miami- Dade Economic Advocacy Trust — the festival re- mains free to all members of the community. As the event grows, Brown says the goal is to offer more diversity while promoting more ways for the community to share food from Black-owned restaurants. For example, she hopes to host more Black Pepper Festival events starting next year. “We’d like to have the festival as many as two, possibly three times, during the year,” sums up Brown. “With multiple festivals, it’s our hope to Burger Beast photo The “Cruz Diablo” burger “THIS IS A TRUE COMMUNITY EVENT, AND FOOD IS CERTAINLY ONE THING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.”
