Delray Beach Garlic Fest is the Florida celebration of garlic, cooking, music, arts, and more. Located in downtown Delray Beach, on February 12th, 13th, and 14th, 2010, the Garlic Festival will waft the scent of garlic over musical guests like the Wailers

2012 Competitors

Anna Marie Vocaturo

Anna Marie Vocaturo was born and raised in New Jersey and later moved to Florida where she began cooking in restaurants at age 15. After high school she attended Central Florida Community College and Majored in Food and Beverage Management. Since graduation, Anna has worked with pastries, breads, and molecular gastronomy, as well as organic and sustainable foods.

She continued her education with an apprenticeship working with local and organic foods in northern Florida, and recently worked on Park Avenue in New York. In the last year, Anna has become a Pastry Assistant at Cafe L’Europe.

Chris Miracolo of Max’s Harvest

Having been bitten by the culinary bug early in life, Chris knew by the age of 20 that he wanted to make cooking his life. After foregoing culinary school to spend time under the tutelage of South Florida’s premier chefs such as Mark Militello, Norman Van Aken & Peter Boloukos, Miracolo met Dennis Max and Chef Patrick Broadhead of Max's Grille and helped them open Max's Place in Bal Harbor as Executive Sous Chef in 2000.

Miracolo then ventured west to Dallas to work at The Mansion on Turtle Creek under Dean Fearing, and Abacus under Kent Rathbun before moving to Denver, Colorado to open Rhapsody at Clear Creek in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Upon his return to South Florida in 2005, he rejoined the Max's family and worked at Max's Grille as Patrick Broadhead's Executive Sous Chef until 2009 when he left to head up Himmarshee Bar & Grille in Ft. Lauderdale. He is very pleased to rejoin the Max's family as Executive Chef at Max's Harvest in Delray Beach's Pineapple Grove.

Todd Holender Latitudes at Sunset Key

Todd Holender was named executive chef of the award-winning, waterfront Latitudes restaurant in 2010. Latitudes is the signature restaurant at Sunset Key Guest Cottages, A Westin Resort.

Chef Todd developed his passion for cooking at a very early age, “cutting his teeth” as a preschooler in the kitchen of a Port Everglades, Fla, restaurant that his parents operated. In grade school he spent his afternoons working in a brigade-style kitchen at the Inverrary Country Club and after high school he joined the culinary team at Gator’s Dockside, becoming at age 18 one of the restaurant’s youngest-ever kitchen managers.

Chef Todd joined Ocean Properties, who owns Latitudes and Sunset Key Guest Cottages, in 2008. He has worked at such icons within the collection as Wentworth By The Sea in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Harborside Hotel and Bar Harbour Resorts in Maine, The Sagamore in New York, Key Largo Marriott in Key Largo, Fla., The Samoset in Rockport Maine and 50 Ocean in Delray Beach, Fla.

Chef Todd has traveled all over the United States and abroad, working and eating in a variety of kitchens and culinary institutions where he could immerse himself in local cultures while developing his techniques and honing his skills. His culinary approach is to begin with fundamental French techniques and build from there, pending the individual menu item and ingredients. Chef is a Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation. He is a Florida native.

Executive Chef Anthony “Radar” Risoli

His passion for cooking led him to be part of the vision for the hot spot SoLita Italian Restaurant & The Parlor Lounge with locations in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Risoli prides himself on establishing signature dishes based on hand-picked ingredients. To Risoli, what is most important is not the cost of the ingredient, but rather the quality – which is never compromised. The menu, with specials he crafts daily, offers dishes classic enough to satisfy those looking for familiar Italian tastes, yet inventive enough for those looking for a culinary treat! Radar’s quiet, unpretentious demeanor is refreshing and his vast knowledge of all things food and wine is remarkable. For more information, please visit www.solitaitalian.com.