SMALL BITES: Pitmasters fire up Smoke & Sunshine BBQ event in West Palm Beach.

This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you just don’t have room for a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy!

WHAT: 

Get ready to lick your chops.

Tropical Smokehouse is firing up the second annual Smoke & Sunshine: A Craft BBQ Meat Up. The outdoor/indoor walk-around foodie event will feature Live Fire Stations with a curated list of pitmasters from around the country.

Florida will be represented with beer from Civil Society Brewing Company in West Palm Beach and Jupiter, as well as barbecue from Miami’s Drinking Pig BBQ and Apocalypse BBQ.

West Palm Beach-based indie rock band Surfer Blood will perform.

Some of the stations from out-of-SoFlo will include:

“Our goal has always been simply to bring great BBQ to Palm Beach County,” explains chef/co-owner Rick Mace. “Make a day of it. Stay and play. Meet some folks and talk about good food here in our neighborhood. Nobody is leaving hungry, I can guarantee that.”

Initially, in 2023, the first Smoke & Sunshine was a part of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival. This time around, the event is separate so it can commemorate the third anniversary of Tropical Smokehouse.

“The anniversary definitely deserves due respect, and what better way than to pile on as much world-class BBQ as our Smokehouse can hold,” adds Mace. “We have always worked closely with David (Sabin) and the festival. This particular event is best as our anniversary celebration, and we look forward to collaborating with Palm Beach Food & Wine on future events.”

WHEN:

Noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20.

COST:

General admission tickets are $85. The VIP $125 tickets are sold out.

WHERE:

Tropical Smokehouse, 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach.

INFORMATION:

eattropical.com/upcoming-events.

EXTRA TIDBIT:

All proceeds will go to National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), specifically to help raise awareness for mental health issues in the hospitality industry.

“NAMI is for everyone, but the F&B industry as a whole has been working to do better, especially since the Great Resignation,” explains Mace. “We need to focus on quality of life for ourselves and our team, and making a sustainable path forward for those working in the business. If we can bring NAMI’s cause and resources to the stage as a part of our work, we can better support those in need of help. Normalizing the dialog is the first step.”