By: Maryanne Salvat 

Best Buddies 16^th Annual Miami Gala

Continuing its active role in Best Buddies, Zenith is sponsoring their 16^th Annual Miami Gala, which is to take place at Marlins Park on Friday, November 16. The high-profile event will feature a silent auction, followed by a cocktail party, gourmet dinner and concert by The Far East Movement and SkyBlu of LMFAO. Jean-Frédéric Dufour, CEO of Zenith Watches, will serve as Vice Chair of the Gala, which will have a festive Russian theme celebrating Best Buddies’ expansion into the country. The event will serve as host for more than 800 prominent local and international guests, including business leaders, sports figures, celebrities and select media. Expected attendees include: Gala Co-Chairs Andy Abboud, Romero Britto, Marc Leder, May Liang & Jim Lintott, Tom Murphy, Anthony K. & Alina M. Shriver, and Don Soffer; actors James Caan, Christian Slater, Verne Troyer and Erik Valdez; actresses Vivica A. Fox and Lauren Potter; photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber; Miss USA Olivia Culpo; and Miss Teen USA Logan West.  For more information visit: www.bestbuddies.org/bash.

BeLive 2012: A Philanthropic Night for Colombia 

On Friday, November 16, join BeLive 2012: A Philanthropic Night for Colombia hosted by Humberto Rodriguez Calderon and Candela Ferrro at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. BeLive announces a spectacular star-studded evening filled with Colombian culture, including 2 stunning silent auctions featuring Project Emerald and artisan pieces by Artesanias de Colombia, an exquisite Runway Fashion Show with the unveiling of the 2013 MOOI collection, by renowned Designer Nicolas Felizola, a private concert by no other than internationally acclaimed, El Caballero de Salsa, Gilberto Santa Rosa and the presentation of the 2012 BeLive Award to Catalina Escobar, semi-finalist for the CNN Heroes Award. After raising over $3M for the past five years, and changing the lives of so many Colombians in need, BeLive has once again brought together four prominent Colombian non-profit organizations-Give to Colombia, Fórmula Sonrisas, Genesis Foundation and ArtNexus Foundation- to change and impact the lives of the most vulnerable communities with A Philanthropic Night for Colombia.

MOCA Mystery Dates

MOCA Mystery Dates is one of Miami’s most innovative fundraisers and has been a sell-out every year since it was first held six years ago. On Saturday, November 17, the evening begins with a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres and music at MOCA where guests learn which of 12 amazing homes they will be having dinner. Hosts are an interesting mix of business and creative entrepreneurs who share a love of entertaining and art, and have been building their collection for years. Hosts will offer tours of their collection and share with guests how they incorporate culture and design into their lives. After dinner the group will reconvene for a late night rendezvous at The Shore Club on South Beach. All this for ONLY $150 if you are a Shaker member, or $200 if you are not. With all the great events MOCA has planned for members during Art Basel Miami Beach, joining the Shakers is better than ever. Proceeds from Mystery Dates benefit MOCA exhibitions of emerging and experimental art. To purchase tickets visit: http://mocanomi.org/. 

2^nd Annual St. Jude Latin Music Half Marathon 

Lace up your running shoes on Sunday, November 18 for the 2^nd Annual St. Jude Latin Music Half Marathon taking place on Miami Beach. The course starts on iconic Ocean Drive in South Beach and features more than six miles of oceanfront running. Enjoy spectacular views of the Port of Miami cruise ship terminal, Star, Palm, Hibiscus, and Fisher Islands and the dramatic downtown skyline before return a unique finish line on the sand at Lummus Park. Over 4,000 registered participants are expected in the half marathon and relay; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases, is the new title partner as well as the official benefiting charity of the race.  For more information visit: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/miami-beach.  

Thanksgiving at Kitchen 305 

Executive Chef Chris Wong has planned a Thanksgiving dinner designed for families and friends to enjoy at Kitchen 305. A combination of international gourmet cuisine and American holiday favorites, Wong is serving a hearty, all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving feast for $35 per person. The holiday meal begins with a choice of starters from the cold bar including cranberry and tangerine compote, Sicilian olive salad with artichoke hearts, imported artisanal and domestic cheeses, an assortment of pates and traditional dilled Icelandic gravlax with champagne mustard sauce. Diners will enjoy a carving station of oven-roasted turkey with Gilbert gravy, clove-studded, Smithfield Ham with maple glaze, prime rib with horseradish mouselline and herb roasted salmon topped with grain mustard cream sauce and salmon caviar. Turkey day trimmings include spicy andouille and oyster corn bread stuffing and toffee candied yams with pecan glaze and apple cured bacon and walnuts. An array of confections from apple and pear cobbler with Jack Daniel’s sauce, mini fresh fruit tartlets, flourless chocolate cake and old fashioned pumpkin pies promise to satisfy the sweet tooth. Celebrate the holidays with the Kitchen 305 family by calling 305.949.1300 for reservations.

Bill Hansen Raises Funds for His House Children’s Home 

Caterer, teacher and entrepreneur Bill Hansen and his Catering Management class at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management will hold a fund raiser to benefit His House Children’s Home on Thursday evening, November 29from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Kovens Conference Center on FIU”s Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami. Guest will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails during a silent auction with many exciting items. Tickets are $20 per person. His House Children’s Home provides residential care for abused, neglected and drug exposed children in a campus setting. The goal is to restore the emotional and physical well being of children through an array of services in a loving and nurturing environment. For further information contact Hansen at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management call 305.338.1897 or email bill@billhansencatering.com.

2012 RACE-AT-A-GLANCE​

Race Date

Location

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Jelsomino Combines Cabaret and Karaoke 

A dapper, Michael Capponi, recently hosted the opening night party for Jelsomino, Miami Beach’s opulent, new upscale theatrical karaoke concept- (70% cabaret, 20% Burlesque, 10% karaoke).  Think: the Moulin Rouge meets Chicago, In fact, both of those movies were being projected on large screens in between numbers. Capponi, (channeling his elegant Italian nightclub owner/ restaurateur father, Feffo Capponi) unveiled the new club, for which he is promoting special nights each week with a private, VIP opening for 400 guests who gathered to join the nightlife impresario/entrepreneur/philanthropist in welcoming the Ginza Project and Jelsomino founder Tatiana Brunetti in their first South Florida venture.  Read the rest of this entry »

Alex Rodriguez, Soraya Rivera-Moya, Mayor Carlos Gimenez, and Ronald McDonald

On Saturday, November 3, Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida celebrated its 30^th Anniversary at the Moore Building in the Miami Design District. More the 450 supporters of the charity enjoyed a festive and delightful event contributing to the $140,000 raised, aiding in RHMC mission of helping South Florida’s children live happier and healthier lives. The celebration culminated a yearlong 30^THAnniversary fundraising campaign, which raised more than $500,000 for the charity. 

Mayor Carlos Gimenez was on hand to announce the  proclaimation of “Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida Day” in both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

 Two South Florida favorites – DJ Bounce from the American Airlines Arena’s Grey Goose Lounge and the high octane Latin fusion of “Locos Por Juana” – helped keep the energy level high all night long for the event guests and families staying at the two South Florida Ronald McDonald Houses. 

While the money raised from the 30^TH Anniversary Celebration will help RMHC get closer to its goal of building a third Ronald McDonald House inSouth Florida, RMHC Executive Director, Soraya Rivera-Moya says the event was also able to connect charity’s donors and sponsors with the families they support through RMHC’s various programs. 

“The greatest reward from our 30^TH Anniversary Celebration was seeing the joy and gratitude on the faces of the families staying at our two Houses,” says Rivera-Moya. “We thank our year long and event sponsors and corporate partners as they truly believe in our mission. The “Heart Chain Celebration on Saturday was all about the families, volunteers and donors together as one big family.”

By: Maryanne Salvat

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Miami Beach Cares

On Thursday, November 8, join Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower and Vice Mayor Michael Gongora for a  Miami Beach Cares charity event benefitting victims of Hurricane Sandy at W South Beach. All profits will be donated to the American Red Cross. Join in and support this great cause at 2201 Collins Avenue at 10:00 p.m. to help the American Red Cross with their mission to help the people impacted by this storm. Please RSVP@capponigroup.com or contact 305-695-4410.  A $20 donation is suggested at the door.

  Read the rest of this entry »

The Eden Roc Renaissance has added a “twist” to the Presidential Elections of 2012. A concotion of politically correct cocktails are now available at the Miami Beach hot spot to enjoy as you wait to see who will be our next fearless leader. For those that opt for a more casual venue and prefer to stay at home, we have included a list of beverage options below; shaken or stirred, we are sure they will delight regardless of your political view.  

Filibuster

1 oz Knob Creek Bourbon

1 oz Campari

1 oz Sweet Vermouth 

Stir ingredients over ice in a mixing glass then strain into an ice-filled rock glass or serve straight up. Garnish with orange twist and cocktail cherry.

Across the Aisle

2 oz/ 60 ml Bulleit Bourbon

¼ oz / 7 ml Hum Spirit (produced in Chicago with rum, cardamom, hibiscus and other spices)

1 ea. Sugar Cube, Soaked with Angostura Bitters

1 ea. Lemon Peel

1 splash Club Soda

Float of Champagne

Place the bitters-soaked sugar cube at the bottom of a rocks glass with the lemon peel and muddle with a splash of club soda (1/4 oz) to release lemon oils and dissolve sugar. Add Hum Spirit and bourbon, fill up with ice, stir well and serve with a float of champagne. Garnish with orange slice and Luxardo Maraschino cherries. 

Balanced Budget

1 oz / 30 ml Cîroc Berry Vodka

1 oz / 30 ml DeKuyper Blue Curaçao

¼ oz / 22 ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

1 oz / 30 ml Soft-Whipped Cream Flavored With Strawberry or Pomegranate Puree*.

In a mixing glass filled with ice, stir the first three ingredients then strain into a flute glass. Use the bowl of a bar spoon to pour the lightly whipped berry-flavored cream. Garnish with half strawberry on the rim.

* Note: to make 1 cup of strawberry or pomegranate flavored whipped cream, shake 4 oz of heavy whipping cream with 4 oz puree. Shake WITHOUT ice. Pay attention not to whip the cream too much, it has to be fluffy and runny. Store the flavored cream in the shaker in the refrigerator. 

The Lobbyist

2 oz / 60 ml Belvedere Bloody Mary Vodka

1 oz / 30 ml Martini &Rossi Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Fee Bros. Zesty Pickle Brine 

Stir vodka, vermouth and pickle brine together in a mixing glass filled with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass or serve on the rocks.

Garnish with gherkin and lemon twist. 

Punching Gnomes

1 ½ oz / 45ml Red Stag Spiced with Cinnamon

1 ½ oz / 45 ml Sweet Vermouth

¾ oz / 22 ml Lemon Juice

¼ oz / 7 ml Pasteurized Egg White –Optional (to create a nice froth)

Fill up with Sparkling Wine or Prosecco

Shake all ingredients (except sparkling wine) with ice, then strain into a flute glass previously rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Garnish with cinnamon sugar on the rim and oils released from twisted lemon peel. 

Interns and Scandals 

2 oz / 60 ml Avión Reposado Tequila

2 oz / 60 ml Chipotle-Orange-Lime Mix*

Float (1/4 oz / 7 ml) of Grand Marnier 

Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass or serve on the rocks. Garnish with orange twist and fresh mint.

*Chipotle-Orange-Lime Mix (1 cup-4 servings):

5 oz / 150 ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

15 bar spoons Orange Marmalade

¾ oz / 22 ml Tabasco Chipotle Sauce

Blend ingredients without ice (add some agave nectar if needed to be sweeter) until smooth.

Scallywagger

1 ½ oz / 45 ml Maker’s Mark (or Knob Creek Rye for a spicier taste)

1 oz / 30 ml Pama Pomegranate Liqueur

½ oz / 15 ml Maple Syrup

2 wedges Orange, cut in halves

2 wedges Lemon, cut in halves

In a mixing glass, muddle the citrus wedges with maple syrup, then add Pama and whiskey. Shake with ice and pour (do not strain) into a wine glass (or rocks glass).

Garnish with orange and lemon slices (if wheels are not available) on the rim. 

Capitol Hill

1 oz / 30 ml Bulleit Bourbon

1 oz / 30 ml Cruzan Single Barrel Rum

1 oz / 30 ml Martini Rossi Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Bitter Truth JT Decanter’s Bitters

Bitter Truth is distributed by Domaine Select Wine Estates

In a mixing glass add all ingredients with ice and stir, strain and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice with star anise.