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$5,000 Will Not Buy You a Week in Cuba with Guy Fieri

But there will be food

Guy Fieri Meet & Greet at Mount Airy Casino Resort Photo by Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for Mount Airy Casino Resort

[Update 8/12/16: The publicist for Havana Culinary Exchange has amended the event announcement to withdraw Guy Fieri's involvement. The statement reads: "I was just informed that Guy Fieri will not be in the Havana trip as was reported. Unfortunately we were not informed prior to sending the press release." To clarify: Guy Fieri will not be going on a culinary tour through Havana but the Havana Culinary Exchange program will otherwise take place as reported below.]

If watching Guy Fieri on television doesn’t give you enough time with his glinting hair, you can now soak in the spiked glory with the man himself on a culinary vacation to Cuba. A new program from chef Douglas Rodriguez — who grew up in Miami as the son of Cuban immigrants — puts Guy Fieri center stage alongside other American and Cuban culinary minds for a tour of Cuban cuisine.

The food-centric travel event, called the Havana Culinary Exchange, features a mix of chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists from both countries. Guests who elect to partake will be treated to themed dinners, cooking demonstrations, a champagne brunch, and some friendly chef competitions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore Havana and take in the sights and snacks of the city.

Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga from Philadelphia, Top Chef alum Mike Isabella from DC, chef Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, and sommelier Ivan Ruiz from New Jersey will join Fieri and local Cuban chefs in showing off their favorite dishes and drinks.

The exchange will happen in Havana, Cuba from September 24 until October 1, and guests can join the festivities for the low, low price of $4,950 for two and $5,250 for one, including a stay at the Hotel Parque Central.

Rodriguez, the brains behind the expedition, is a celebrated Miami chef who opened Yuca in Coral Gables and later OLA and De Rodriguez Miami, and now focuses on catering and culinary trips such as the Havana Culinary Exchange.

Fieri, who recently made it clear that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of his hair, said goodbye to his first-ever restaurant venture, Johnny Garlic’s, back in April. He now has his hands in a few other projects, including this Cuba expedition, a potential vegetarian cookbook, and a barbecue joint called Smokehouse that is set to open in Louisville this fall.

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