The James Beard Foundation Brings Taste America to Wynwood on October 28

The James Beard Foundation's Taste America series has been running for years as one of the more considered dining events on the national calendar. On October 28, it comes to Miami — specifically to Wynwood Event Center — with a lineup that reflects exactly what makes this city's restaurant scene worth paying attention to.

Presented by American Express and Resy, Taste America brings together chefs from 20 markets across the country under the TasteTwenty banner, each hosting dinners and walk-around tastings that spotlight independent restaurants and local culinary identity. Miami's edition is an intimate multi-course dinner with wine pairings throughout. Tickets are $165.

TasteTwenty chefs Raheem Sealey and Monika Dominguez of Shiso Miami are leading the dinner. Shiso has been one of the more quietly compelling additions to the Miami dining scene — a restaurant that earns its reputation through the food rather than the noise around it. Their selection for the TasteTwenty is a recognition of that.

Collaborating chef Sebastián Vargas brings the perspective of three distinct Miami restaurants — Los Félix, Krüs Kitchen, and Füm — each with its own register and audience. His involvement gives the menu a broader cross-section of what's happening in Miami kitchens right now.

The five-course menu reads as a cohesive statement rather than a greatest-hits collection. It opens with a catch-of-the-day crudo — soursop aguachile, lime caviar, pickled pineapple, heirloom corn oil — and moves through a grass-fed beef short rib tamal with hazelnut-prune molé and tomatillo picadillo. The entrée is smoked oxtail with oxtail stew reduction and braised white beans; a grilled oyster mushroom alternative with green chili sauce and shiso chimichurri is available. Dessert is a baked Alaska built on cornbread, honey ice cream, and honey crème anglaise.

Wine pairings accompany each course. The menu reflects the chefs' individual styles while reading as a unified evening — the kind of dinner that's harder to pull off than it looks.

Taste America: Miami takes place Wednesday, October 28 at 7 PM at Wynwood Event Center, 239 NW 28th St. Tickets are $165 and available through Resy. Guests must be 21+ with valid ID. All reservations are non-refundable.