January 21, 2015

It’s always bathing suit weather in Key West. But this month, all dieting efforts are strictly off limits. (It’s okay. Consider this your formal notice.) The Key West Food & Wine Festival takes over the island from January 27 through February 1, and the forecast calls for: indulgence.

The Marker is an epicenter of activity for the annual event, which brings together dozens of top area chefs and acclaimed vintners from throughout the country. We’ve partnered with the Festival to host the Mile 0 Grand Tasting on Friday, January 30, a signature experience that features unique wines sipped poolside on the resort’s lush, tropical flower-filled grounds. (Drunk in love yet?) And it will also be an opportunity to sample hors d’oeuvres from Cero Bodega, The Marker’s Mexican-Californian restaurant, including crispy chicken lollipops with tamarind glaze, scallop fritters with a Sriracha aioli, and seared ahi tuna with a wasabi and ponzu vinaigrette. Grand Tasting tickets are typically $125, but guests of The Marker receive a steep discount: $95, plus 10% off any additional Food & Wine Festival events.

In fact, The Marker is your one-stop source for all things fest-related. We’ve dedicated a space to serve as the event’s Hospitality Suite, open daily from 10 AM to 3 PM as a place to pick up tickets, find information on festival happenings, book restaurant reservations, ask questions and mingle with fellow food lovers. The Suite is open to the public.

But move fast to grab tickets for some of the most popular festival events. Other highlights include a tasting with local distiller Legal Rum; a “Pizza & Prosecco” Sunday Jazz Brunch at the new restaurant Roostica (catch a complimentary trolley at the Hospitality Suite); the culinary competition “Last Chef Standing”; and even a day of coconut bowling.

For a full lineup of events, visit keywestfoodandwinefestival.com.

Then give us a ring. We’ll save you a seat at the dinner table — but first, you need a bed.

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