OVERTOWN EATUP!

Produced in collaboration with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Overtown EatUp! paid homage in 2022 and 2023 to the rich culinary traditions and cultural pride of Miami's diverse Overtown neighborhood. Both curated and hosted by James Beard Award-winning chef, TV personality, cookbook author, and 2020 SOBEWFF® Tribute Dinner honoree Marcus Samuelsson, this rousing walk-around tasting spotlighted the local cuisine and culture that remain at the heart of the city’s Black history. Overtown’s Ninth Street Pedestrian Mall provided the perfect atmosphere for a remarkable roster of Overtown chefs to showcase their considerable talents, which pay homage to the neighborhood’s unique culinary traditions and cultural pride. Together, they drummed up a vibrant menu of flavors, complemented by top-tier wines and cocktails from the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits portfolio. This jazzy afternoon event stirred up the snappiest sounds of days and nights gone by, when legends like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, and Aretha Franklin held court after performing at the Historic Lyric Theater next door and would socialize at the Clyde Killens Pool Hall, now home to Red Rooster Overtown. Equal parts reverence and revelry, Overtown EatUp! is first and foremost a love letter to the “Harlem of the South ''and its profoundly important role in shaping the Miami of today.

In 2024, once again as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the Overtown Gospel Brunch, hosted by Marcus Samuelsson & Friends, took place on February 23 in the heart of historic Overtown. The brunch brought together amazing food, gospel music, and a whole lot of community love.  The menu was packed with creative twists that reflect the diverse culinary styles of the talented chefs joining Marcus. The uplifting sounds of live gospel music by The Florida Fellowship Super Choir filled the air, making it a brunch experience like no other.