SoBe Wine & Food Festival 2011 Preview: The Hot Tickets

Last night at midnight, tickets went on sale for the 10th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival, taking place February 24th-27th, 2011 in Miami, FL. Expect lots of industry folk and Miamians who really love food, hair gel, tanning, and working out. More populist than even the NYWFF — perhaps because the beach lends a Dionysian flair — SoBe is like Spring Break but for foodies. Will Rocco DiSpirito wear a monkey again? Will Paula Deen lose her pants? One can only hope.

Some events are amazingly already sold out (including Paula Deen's Sunday Gospel Brunch and Giada De Laurentiis' "Italian in Paradise") so do move quickly. Check out the complete lineup of events for the festival, but here are some highlights:

1) The 5th Annual Burger Bash Hosted by Rachael Ray, $200: It's a pricey ticket for sure, but one that comes with unlimited booze, live music, and more burgers than one can possibly consume in one night. The four previous People’s Choice Award winners (Shake Shack, Michael Schlow, Spike Mendelsohn, and Michael Symon) will be there, along with almost two dozen other chefs.

2) Tribute Dinner honoring Alain Ducasse, $500. The reception will be prepared by executive chefs from some of Alain Ducasse's own restaurants; the dinner prepared by Frederic Delaire (Loews Miami Beach, FL), Laurent Gras (L20, Chicago, IL), Alex Stratta (Alex at Wynn Las Vegas, NV), Charlie Trotter (Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago, IL), and Frederic Robert (Wynn, Las Vegas).

3) Let Them Eat Cake 10th Year Anniversary Party, $200. Hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Martha Stewart, it features some of the country's top pastry chefs (including Margaret Braun, Jacques Torres, and Duff Goldman) who will "create elegantly designed cakes and desserts to help SoBe celebrate its 10th year." Plus Shake Shack burgers and shakes.

4) Perrier-Jouët BubbleQ presented by Allen Brothers hosted by Bobby Flay and Friends, $350. Barbecue and champagne on the beach, tons of chefs. And Al Roker!

5) Barilla Interactive Lunch hosted by Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, $150.

6) Dolce Brunch hosted by Gail Simmons and Michael White, $200.

7) And since the official title is the "Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By Food & Wine," there are tons of Food Network celebrity events, including Paula's Down Home Cookin' Sunday Gospel Brunch ($125), the Festival Closing Party hosted by Guy Fieri ($125), and a new event called Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate at the Beach hosted by Duff Goldman ($150).

· All SoBe Wine & Food Festival Coverage on Eater [-E-]