The South Beach Food and Wine Festival is one of the premiere food events in the world, and what better way to kick it off than with a serious "beef-a-palooza" dinner. AndrewZimmern.com talks to the three Cleveland born and bred chefs--Michael Symon (Lola, Iron Chef America), Peter Vauthy (Red, the Steakhouse) and Scott Popovic (Certified Angus Beef)-- behind the action. 

AndrewZimmern.com: You three are teaming up for the Prelude Dinner to South Beach Food and Wine Festival, however, it sounds like you guys go way back. Where did you all meet?

Micheal Symon: We met in Cleveland. There is actually only nine people who live there and we’re three of them [laughs]. The thing that brought the three of us together is Brad Friedlander, one of the primary owners of Red. I’ve known Brad for close to 20 years. That’s how I met Peter, and I know Scott through the restaurant business.

AZ.com:  So all three of you are from Cleveland, a city whose food scene has gotten a lot of press in recent years. What makes Cleveland rock, food-wise?

Think preparing quick, healthy and delicious meals are a pipe dream? Cooking for Dads creator Rob Barrett says that just ain't so. We talked to this dad-turned-chef about taking the reigns in your own kitchen, getting the kids to eat veggies, and his favorite DIY pizza recipe.

AndrewZimmern.com: You’re the host of Cooking For Dads, an online series of instructional cooking videos. How did you get your start in the kitchen?  What inspired you to launch the site?

Rob Barrett: My parents really prioritized raising independent children.  From an early age we were encouraged to learn to do things for ourselves.  So when I was five or six,  I asked my mom for some cookies and she said, "Here's the Betty Crocker Cookbook, you've seen me do this many times.  You make them and if you have any questions I'll be in the next room." That started the ball rolling.

The videos and site were launched after talking to some friends who thought they couldn't cook.  I was making a meal the next day and thought if they could only see it done, I bet they would say, "I can do that." I made the first episode and it just took off.

AZ.com: The site has a broader appeal than just dads. Who else is (or should be) checking out Cooking for Dads?

RB: My demographics are almost 50/50 men and women.  i get a lot of emails and pictures of food from kids, too. It always makes me laugh when someone writes to me and asks, "I'm not a dad but can I still watch?"

AZ: What are your three go-to recipes for parents looking to prepare a quick and healthy meal

RB:  People have sent a lot of pictures making their own home made pizza for a family pizza night. That's one of our favorites as well.

As a food critic, she demystified the Twin Cities restaurant scene with a friendly, humorous and knowledgeable voice. Now, four Beard Awards later, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl guides the masses through the (often daunting) world of wine. Take it from us: if you need a little hand-holding when it comes to vino, you'll want it to be hers.

AndrewZimmern.com: Working as a dining critic is a pretty special gig. How did you get started in the business?

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl: I got my first job in restaurants when I was 13, working as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Cape Cod. I loved it to death, being part of the team, watching the busboys, getting special meals from the chef – one of the most memorable meals in my life was eating a chicken dish seated on a 5-gallon bucket out in back of the restaurant, using a tree-stump as a table. I think it was a reward for cleaning out the walk-in, which was…well, I won’t get into it in case there’s anyone reading this and eating. There were problems.  But my chef hired me every summer thereafter, the next year I cut broccoli by the case, learned how to start the marinara sauce, and was a general prep cook. The next year I bearded mussels. By the time I was 17 I was a line cook and I wanted to go to cooking school, but my chef told me she’d gut me like a swordfish if I did. (We dealt with a lot of whole swordfish.) The logic being that I could go to cooking school any time, but could only have the experience of being 18 with my peers once. So I came out to Minnesota to go to college, and I liked it so much I stayed.

He came to the US to earn his bachelor's--then master's--degree. But it was the year spent in Napa Valley that made Swiss-born Rene Schlatter put down roots in Northern California. AndrewZimmern.com talks to the President of Merryvale Vineyards about the winery's historical background, going green, and the best palces to eat in the Valley.

AndrewZimmern.com: You became the President of Merryvale Vineyards in early 2008; however, the Schlatter family has been involved with the winery for quite some time. When did your family get started in the business? Did you always consider following that career path?

René Schlatter: My father became an investor with Merryvale in the early 90’s, and I started to consider the option of going to work with him around the time I was in graduate school earning my MBA. While in school I visited the Napa Valley and knew at that time that at the very least I was going to give it a try. It’s such an amazing place! A year later Jack and I seized the opportunity to buy the partners out. The rest is history as they say.

AZ.com: The winery was the first built in Napa Valley after prohibition. What do you think is the most historically interesting feature of the vineyard? What’s your favorite spot?

RS: Definitely our Cask Room, which showcases the history of the winery as well as evoking a medieval banquet type of atmosphere. Guests that dine with us in the Cask Room are left with wonderful memories.

He started out waiting tables, but eventually found his way to the kitchen. Now the Chef de Cuisine at one of Los Angeles' most highly-touted restaurants, we talk to Josh Whigham about learning from one of the culinary world's great chefs, Jose Andres, the DC food scene, and what he's most looking forward to about his new LA digs.   

AndrewZimmern.com:  When did you become interested in cooking?

Joshua Wingham:  I became interested in cooking when I was waiting tables.  I wanted to be a part of the kitchen, helping to create the dining experience and doing your best to make everything perfect!  I fell in love with the intensity of cooking.  

AZ.com:  You’ve worked with famed Spanish chef Jose Andres for years. What’s the most important things he’s taught you as a chef?

JW:  Jose has taught me how to look at food differently.  A cook doesn't have to cook an onion only one or two ways.  Hold the onion in your hand and think about how many ways one can cook this onion. Fry, confit, roast, braise... each different way the onion is cooked brings out different characteristics of the onion.  How can one get the purest flavor? You get the idea. Jose elevates his food by using the same ingredient in a few different textures to create one dish—so, when it is eaten, you taste the clarity and purity of the ingredients.