May 12: Wine & Dine

This is a good weekend for foodies. There's an event you won't want to miss. The same thing for all you winelovers. (Doesn't it seem like there should be a good slang term for lovers of wine, just as there is for lovers of food? "Foodies" is a great new word. But "winies?" Doesn't quite work, does it? And, well, "winos" somehow doesn't quite capture the upscale essence either, eh? Oh well. I digress ....) Ahem. In any case, I was talking about this weekend's big event: the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival. It happens on Saturday, May 15, from 7:30-10pm and will offer guests unlimited samplings of food and wine. Oh and beer too, actually. I'm told there will be some 40 tables of microbrew beers and fine wines available. And food from 67 top Greater Fort Lauderdale restaurants.

Now that strikes me as quite a statement, actually. The fact that there are 67 top local restaurants is amazing to me. Of course, there are that many - even more than 67 of them spread throughout Broward County. In my two decades of living here, I've seen this area mature in many wonderful ways. The expanded options for quality dining are among those ways.

So yes, nearly six dozen excellent eateries will be represented at the 2010 edition of the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival. They include Steak 954, Casa D'Angelo, Bonefish Grill and 3030 Ocean. There's even a celebrity chef, Ralph Pagano, the host of "Pressure Cook" on the MOJO HD network. This whole deal will spread out along Las Olas, predictably enough - from SE 6^th Avenue to SE 11^th Avenue. The street will be closed to traffic, though non-guests still are welcome to wander Las Olas that night. There's even a free after-party for the public at the Riverside Hotel starting at 10 p.m., with a DJ and dancing. Should be a fun night. Tickets cost $75, with VIP tickets going for $225. The really good thing about all this is that proceeds benefit the American Lung Association, so you can eat and drink well and help others at the same time. For more info, just call 954-524-4657 or visit http://www.lasolaswineandfood.com/. Advance tickets are recommended as this event often sells out early. If you're a serious foodie, or even a serious winie, this is one of the year's don't-miss events for sure.