Let Them Eat Cake

Epicure’s Cyrille at Sobe Wine and Food

The Sobe Wine & Food Festival is back and this year is one to remember. 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the festival and naturally there will be a party. “Let them Eat Cake” hosted by Emeril Lagasse, Martha Stewart and Ocean Drive Magazine will be a celebration that takes place at the most notable parking garage in the world at 1111 Lincoln Road.

Top pastry chefs from all over the country will fly in and create elegantly designed cakes and desserts to help Sobe celebrate its 10th year. These top dessert craftsmen will each showcase their own signature anniversary treat created to compliment perfectly Moët & Chandon and a selection of decadent cocktails from the Moët Hennessy USA portfolio, including renowned brands such as Grand Marnier, Belvedere Vodka, Hennessy Privilege, 10 Cane Rum, and Newton Vineyards.

The party location is on the corner of Alton and Lincoln, directly across the street from Miami’s most famous pastry maker, Epicure Gourmet Market, so it’s only fitting that Cyrille, Epicure’s renowned baker, is included in the festivities.

Cyrille has been the head baker at Epicure for 15 years. The French-trained chef studied in Lyon 31 years ago before traveling the world and eventually landing in New York. He later moved to Miami with his wife at the invitation of Harry Thal, former owner of Epicure and son of the founder. Cyrille’s relationship with Epicure continued when the Starkman family acquired the legendary market and the recipes have stayed the same.

“We keep all of the same cakes,” said Cyrille. “When we try to remove a cake from the menu, we can count on someone asking for it the very next week. There is too much tradition to change.”

Cyrille’s bakery is more like a factory that begins production seven days a week at 3 a.m. The team produces more than 500 six inch cakes a week for the South Beach location alone. That number does not include the baking of pastries and cookies, nor does it include production for the Sunny Isles Beach Epicure, or Jerry’s Famous Deli, for which Cyrille and his team also facilitate.

Cyrille and the Epicure team will be serving three of their legendary cakes at the 10th Anniversary party: the Balducci Cake, a rich chocolate cheesecake with raspberry preserve filling, iced with ganache and kissed with triple sec; the Blackout Cake, a chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding, iced with chocolate pudding and topped with cake crumbs; and the Coconut Cake, a yellow cake with coconut cream filling, iced with whipped cream and coconut flakes.

If you are not one of the lucky ones to have tickets for the 10th anniversary party, don’t fret, you can come to Epicure any day and order one to take home.

Other renowned venues that are participating in the 10th Anniversary celebration include:

• Colette Peters (Colette’s Cakes, New York, NY)
• Duff Goldman (Charm City Cakes, Baltimore, MD)
• Edda Martinez (Edda’s Cake Designs, Miami, FL)
• Elena Warrens (A Piece of Cake, Miami, FL)
• Jacques Torres (Jacques Torres Chocolate, New York, NY)
• Lori Karmel (We Take the Cake, Miami, FL)
• Margaret Braun
• Patti Schmidt (The Dessert Lady, Orlando, FL)
• Ron Ben-Israel (Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York, NY)
• Sophie Montagne & Katherine Kallinis (Georgetown Cupcake, Washington, DC)
• Sweet Street Desserts
• David Funaro (Godiva Chocolatier)