Broad RANGE OF EVENTS FEATURING World-FAMOUS CHEFS, VIP PARTIES & THE CULINARY STYLINGS OF CHEF KRIS WESSEL OF FLORIDA COOKERY

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Feb. 18, 2013 – Florida Cookery at The James Royal Palm is pleased to announce its event line-up surrounding the 2013 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The local, fresh and unpretentious restaurant concept, helmed by Executive Chef/Partner Kris Wessel, will host and/or participate in various public and private unofficial satellite events during the four-day star-studded event that showcases the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.

The line-up of events at The James Royal Palm taking place during South Beach Wine & Food Festival are:

Tuesday, Feb. 19

Ocean Drive Magazine’s “The List” Celebration:

The James Royal Palm, Florida Cookery Chef/Partner Kris Wessel and Ocean Drive magazine celebrate the culinary-inspired edition of “The List.” During this event, Chef Wessel will host a collection of fellow brothers-in-culinary-arms who have been honored on “The List”, as well as a group of tastemakers and influencers for an evening of Russian Standard Vodka cocktails, beats, and bites.

Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21

VIP Chefs! After Party:

The James Royal Palm and Kris Wessel join South Beach Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Schrager to close the first official night of the festival by hosting a private Backyard Miami barbeque-themed party paying tribute to all of Miami’s local culinary talent. This invite-only soiree will feature music by Latin pop-band Locos por Juanes and a special Florida Cookery menu designed for the occasion by Chef Wessel.

Time: 11 p.m to 2 a.m.

Friday, Feb. 22

Let’s Get Spiked! Celebrity Chef Volleyball Tournament:

“Top Chef”-alum Spike Mendelsohn and Florida Cookery’s own Kris Wessel will host the first ever “Let’s Get Spiked!” celebrity chef volleyball tournament, located behind The James on the sands of Miami Beach. Mendelsohn, Wessel and 14 of their compatriots including Chuck Hughes, Alex Guarnaschelli, Andrew Zimmern, Tim Love, Pat LaFrieda, Marcel Vigneron, Adrianne Calvo, Jeff Mauro, Johnny Iuzzini, Stephanie Izard, Todd Erickson, Justin Warner and Alberto Cabrera, will be broken up into teams of four to battle in a series of fast-paced volleyball matches. It’s one of the only chances for the public to get up and close personal with their favorite chefs free of charge chefs during SBWFF.

Tournament: 12 to 2 p.m.

VIP After Party: 2 to 4 p.m.

RSVP:

Tournament: Open to Public

After Party: Invite only

Saturday, Feb. 23

Chef Art Smith of Washington, DC’s Art & Soul, in collaboration with New York’s own Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, will host the “Big Gay Ice Cream Social”, a public event to raise awareness for marriage equality in Florida. Guests will enjoy a mix of ice cream-themed stations set up in the Breezeway at The James Royal Palm, featuring treats for both adults and children utilizing local and seasonal flavors, plus boozy ice cream/sorbet floats.

Location: The Breezeway at The James Royal Palm

Time : 1 to 4 p.m.

RSVP: Open to public

In celebration of South Beach Wine & Food in Miami, The James Royal Palm is offering a special Deluxe Guestroom hotel stay package on reservations placed any time between Feb. 17 to 23. This package includes:

· $50 dining credit applicable at Kris Wessel’s Florida Cookery, featuring authentic Florida-inspired regional cuisine

· Complimentary bottle of wine upon arrival

· Meet and greet with Chef Kris Wessel, James Beard Award Nominee and Food Network “Chopped” Champion

Florida Cookery is located within The James Royal Palm at 1545 Collins Ave.

ABOUT THE JAMES ROYAL PALM

The James Royal Palm will debut in October 2012 on South Beach, serving as The James brand’s third location and first hotel in Florida. Joining sister properties in Chicago and New York City, The James Royal Palm is an ideally-situated, oceanfront beach retreat with interiors designed by Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio. T! he hotel will serve as a modern tribute to the Royal Palm Hotel’s rich history, keeping intact many signature elements of the original architect's design. In continuation of the brand’s support for the arts, The James Royal Palm will feature a carefully-curated art collection, “An Ocean Apart,” curated by Lauren Rottet, as well as a local, cultural collection of artistic partners. The hotel will feature a chef drive signature restaurant Florida Cookery and CATCH, a globally influenced seafood dining destination, in addition to two swimming pools, poolside bar, lobby lounge, coffee bar, full-service spa with salt-infused treatment, Lil' James Offerings for children, and more than10,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. For more information, visit http://www.jameshotels.com/Miami.aspx.

ABOUT THE JAMES

In the realm of hospitality, The James hotels, with ideally situated locations in Chicago, New York and The James Royal Palm in Miami (opening late 2012), are authentic, warmly modern, residentially styled luxury hotels that deliver an artistically inspired blend of exquisitely hand-crafted design surrounded by environmentally thoughtful details. The James defines luxury liberated from tradition; this core philosophy is evident in the properties’ res! idential yet social environment and personal, intuitive service. www.jameshotels.com.