"Best of the Best" news and stories

Star chefs were making the scene at the second night of the 2010 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, from the Perrier Jouet BubbleQ to Wine Spectator's Best of the Best. Over the years, both events have consistently been foodie favorites, however, they differ in their approach and vibe.

At the more casual Bubble Q, the combination of grilling and champagne made for a memorable evening. Hosted by telegenic chef Emeril Lagasse, there were smoked meats, flowing bubbly and a lively band. Lagasse presided over an impressive roll call of toques including Michelle Bernstein, John Besh, Todd English, Tim Love, Tony Neely, Norman Van Aken and Susan Spicer.

While we didn't hear Emeril utter his "Bam" catchphrase, he did make a major announcement at the BubbleQ concerning his new line of steaks with presenting sponsor Allen Brothers. Called Emeril's Red Marble Steaks, these high-quality cuts of beef (bone-in rib eye, filet, rib roast and hangar) will be available to consumers in the spring. Moreover, as the host of the event, Emeril's booth was the biggest and most impressive. He served a Creole pulled pork sandwich with spicy coleslaw, kicked-up bbq sauce and homemade pickles. For this signature dish, he went through 475 pounds of pork butt.

Be sure to follow Slashfood's SOBE coverage on Twitter.

I just received this glamour shot from my meat-and-fire-loving alter ego Joey Deckle. He had the privilege of cooking with Big Island Bar-B-Que at the Best of the Best cookoff a couple of weeks ago in Douglas, Ga. He's only just now emerging from a fat-and-protein-induced hibernation.

But back to that decadent cake. What exactly does it have to do with barbeque? Glad y'all asked. They say there's no hospitality like Southern hospitality. This luscious wedge was served at the hospitality suite that the contest's organizers kindly provided. It had been baked that morning and was still warm.

I'm told that the caramel layers had an intense toffee flavor and oozed into the delicate cake with each forkfull, instantly creating cavities, but in a good way. The killer cake also proved to be a top-notch hangover tonic. As for the cookoff results, let's just say that Robbie Richter and the boys from New York City brought some skills and made some jaws drop.