Afro-Caribbean food is stepping out of backyards and community festivals and into the spotlight at the Food Network’s 25th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF). The festival will feature Las’ Lap Link Up: A Celebration of Afro-Caribbean Cuisine, hosted by celebrity chefs Kwame Onwuachi and Nina Compton, on Friday, Feb. 20, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach.
The event highlights the growing influence of Afro-Caribbean cuisine on global food culture. Once considered niche or “ethnic,” its bold flavors are now shaping menus, inspiring new restaurants, and supporting community-driven economic growth. Advocates say the rise of Afro-Caribbean cuisine reflects a broader cultural shift, recognizing Caribbean flavors as essential to contemporary dining and a reflection of Black history, resilience, and creativity.
Kwame Onwuachi, who recently opened the Miami Beach restaurant Las’ Lap, will co-host the evening. He is known for blending Afro-Caribbean flavors with inventive techniques, and his New York City restaurant Tatiana has received top honors, including World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ “Best New Restaurant” in North America (2023).
Joining him is Nina Compton, James Beard Award–winning chef and owner of Compère Lapin in New Orleans. Born and raised in Saint Lucia, Compton incorporates bold island flavors into refined dishes, drawing on personal storytelling from her Caribbean roots.
The event will also feature music from award-winning DJ GQ, known for his mix of dancehall and reggae, adding a cultural rhythm that mirrors the cuisine’s energy.
A wide range of chefs will participate, including Osei “Picky” Blackett (Oxtails and Cocktails, Trinidad & Tobago), Finder Charles (Fin’s Kitchen, Fort Lauderdale, FL), Anson Chin (Jamaica Kitchen, Miami, FL), Tristan Epps-Long (Buboy, Houston, TX), and several others from Florida and beyond.
Festival attendees will have the opportunity to sample signature dishes, explore chef-driven interpretations, and experience immersive cultural moments. From jerk to curry and spices to sweets, the event aims to show how Afro-Caribbean cuisine continues to evolve while honoring tradition.
Lee Schrager, founder and director of SOBEWFF, said the festival has long celebrated culture through food, and this event brings the bold, joyful energy of Afro-Caribbean cuisine to Miami.
For more information and tickets, visit sobewff.org/islands.
