Afro-Caribbean cuisine will be front and center at this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival® with the debut of Las’ Lap Link Up: A Celebration of Afro-Caribbean Cuisine, a late-night event hosted by acclaimed chefs Kwame Onwuachi and Nina Compton.
The event takes place Friday, February 20, 2026, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach as part of the Food Network’s 25th Annual SOBEWFF®, presented by Capital One.
Once treated as niche or “ethnic,” Afro-Caribbean cuisine is now shaping global food culture—appearing on high-profile menus, fueling pop-ups and festivals, and driving community-based economic growth. Las’ Lap Link Up taps into that momentum, spotlighting the flavors, history, and cultural influence behind Caribbean food traditions that have long thrived in Black communities.
“This is about recognizing Caribbean food not as a trend, but as foundational,” SOBEWFF® founder and director Lee Schrager said in a statement. “Afro-Caribbean cuisine is bold, joyful, and deeply rooted in history — and this event captures that energy in a way only Miami can.”
The night is anchored by Kwame Onwuachi, one of the most influential chefs of his generation and the force behind Miami Beach’s newly opened Las’ Lap. Known for blending Afro-Caribbean flavors with fine-dining technique, Onwuachi has earned widespread acclaim for his New York City restaurant Tatiana, including being named Best New Restaurant in North America by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023.
Co-hosting alongside him is Nina Compton, the James Beard Award–winning chef and owner of Compère Lapin in New Orleans. Born and raised in Saint Lucia, Compton is celebrated for weaving Caribbean flavors with personal storytelling and refined technique, making her a leading voice in contemporary Caribbean dining.
Las’ Lap Link Up brings together chefs from across the Caribbean and the diaspora, including Osei “Picky” Blackett, Finder Charles, Anson Chin, Tristan Epps-Long, Andre Fowles, Kriss Kofi, Alain Lemaire, Wayne Sharpe, Hugh Sinclair, and Cleveland Smith, among others. Together, they represent a new generation reclaiming narrative power—elevating traditional dishes without stripping them of their cultural soul.
The event will also feature sets by DJ GQ, whose mix of dancehall and reggae has made him a fixture on Y100 Miami and Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio on SiriusXM.
Festivalgoers can expect a sensory-heavy experience blending food, music, and storytelling, with dishes that reflect both tradition and innovation—from jerk and curry to spice-forward sweets and cocktails.
Tickets and additional event information are available through the South Beach Wine & Food Festival® website.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter and watch our weekly LIVE podcast news show every Thursday at 5:30pm. Subscribe to our YouTube page to get alerts for the show.
Do you have news to share? If so, send Hy-Lo News your story ideas by clicking HERE.
0 comments on “Afro-Caribbean Cuisine Finally Takes Center Stage at SOBEWFF® With Debut of Las’ Lap Link Up”