By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

A slight dip in the mercury brought everyone out in their “winter’s finest” to an outdoor vestibule outside of the new Rolex boutique (Miami’s first) in the Design District on January 16 in celebration of the flagship’s opening. Over 250 stylish guests mixed and mingled excitedly, sipping Champagne and martinis while toasting to boutique owner, Seymour Holtzman and Stewart Wicht, President of Rolex:  the evening’s hosts.  Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, the Rolex boutique’s front-door neighbor, catered the evening affair with in-season passed hors d’oeuvres including chorizo croquettes, deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket, and stracciatella crispini. Partygoers also danced to live music by the talented, Jenene Caramielo who performed throughout the evening.  Read the rest of this entry »

By: Maryanne Salvat

Dress For Success Miami Honors Senator Gwen Margolis

On Thursday, January 23, Dress for Success Miami is having a yearlong celebration honoring Senator Gwen Margolis for her 40 years in public service. The evening will begin at 6:30 with red carpet arrivals ath the Hilton Bentley Miami Beach. A silent auction, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, open bar, dinner, entertainment and much more will set the stage for a wonderful event. Sponsors include: Diageo Learning for Life, Pace Charging, Ken and Nikki Noya Fields, Baptist Health South Florida and Miami Jewish Health Systems.  Tickets are $150 per person and sponsorship opportunities are available. To purchase tickets, please visit http://dfs20-kickoff.eventbrite.com.

St. Louis Cardinal Jon Jay Hosts FMSbonds Celebrity Bowling Challenge

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay will host the FMSbonds Celebrity Bowling Challenge this Friday, January 24 at Lucky Strike Miami Beach. The event will run from 7:00-10:00 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. Along with other Major League Baseball stars, Jay will bowl with attendees during the fun-filled fundraising event. The evening will include red carpet arrivals, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, exciting bowling matches and more. Sponsorships are available. Individual tickets: $450 per bowling team and $100 per person. This event is open to the public; for sponsorship or additional event information: call Tom Hagan at CAA Sports at 212.277.9000 or tom.hagan@caa.com. To purchase individual tickets and more information: visit www.jonjaychallenge.com.

Why Can’t We Be Friends At Cecconi’s Soho Beach House 

Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House is currently running their “Why Can’t We Be Friends” campaign along with Instagram during the next week. To help build the list “Friends of Cecconi’s” send in your photo during your next visit and become and official “Friend”. Instagram social media handles: @CecconisMiami, #WhyCantWeBeFriends. When you Become a Friend of Cecconi’s (FOC) and get: 50% off your entire bill every Monday night (for up to 4 people), 20% off your bill (for up to 4 people) Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., invitations to special events such as wine pairings, truffle dinners, cooking classes, menu tastings, private lunches and more, receipt of our newsletter including upcoming festivities & recipes from Chef Sergio and $5 preferred valet parking (Monday-Friday 7:00 am-7:00 pm).

The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Mystery Dates

The Museum of Contemporary Art’s popular fundraiser Mystery Dates combines culture, philanthropy, and intrigue in one fun and fabulous evening. Mystery Dates, presented by the  MOCA Shakers, the museum’s young international members, and lead sponsor Braman Motors, takes place Saturday, February 1 when private collectors around Miami host glamorous dinner parties in their homes.  The mystery is that guests learn only that evening, which dinner they will attend. Mystery Dates, now in its 7^th year, begins at MOCA with an elegant cocktail party where guests will discover which fabulous dinner they will be attending that evening.  Guests will tour the “Tracey Emin: Angel without You” exhibition and bid on silent auction items while enjoying cocktails from GREY GOOSE Vodka and tasty hors d’oeuvres from Lyon + Lyon.  A surprise musical guest will perform. From an artist studio on the Miami River to MiMo house in Morningside to Venetian Island home with stunning cityscape views, each dinner locale reflects the fascinating range of people who love and collect art in Miami.  Among the hosts this year are George Sanchez Calderon, Lizzie Dascal, Jessica and Elliot Dornbusch, Lorena and Evelio Gomez, Raul Guijarro de Pablo, Kathryn and Dan Mikesell, and Marcella and Daniel Novela.  After dinner, guests are invited to rendezvous at the nightclub SET, for drinks and dancing. Tickets for Mystery Dates are $200 and may be purchased by calling 305.893.6211 or visiting www.mocanomi.org.  Members of the MOCA Shakers are eligible for a $50 discount. Proceeds from the event benefit MOCA exhibitions of experimental and emerging artists.

Jay Z and Beyonce stopped by for a late, secluded dinner on the terrace at Zuma.

Drake and an entourage of 18 enjoyed dinner on the terrace on a different night and  enjoyed late night drinks at the bar.  Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise were also spotted at Zuma having an early dinner in the lounge. 

Dwyane Wade celebrated his birthday with his team mates and fiancé, Gabrielle Union, on Saturday night, aboard the yacht, Biscayne Lady, which was seen sailing throughout Biscayne Bay with the words “Way of Wade” projected on it. 

On the same night, Billy Joel performed at the BB&T Center. 

Rita Moreno stayed at downtown Miami’s Hotel Beaux Arts over the weekend.

By: Maryanne Salvat 

63rd Annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art 

The 63rd annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art presented by City National Bank will bring more than 230 fine art juried exhibitors to the grounds of the Lowe Art Museum on the University of Miami campus on January 18 and 19. Widely recognized as one of the region’s most popular outdoor art exhibitions and a South Florida tradition, the festival attracts thousands of visitors annually and offers works in 10 mediums for a variety of budgets.   Admission and parking are free. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Lowe Art Museum, which will be open to the public all weekend. For more sponsorship and general information, visit www.BeauxArtsMiami.org, and follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BeauxArtsFestival. 

Engelbert Humperdinck at the Adrienne Arsht Center 

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents the “King of Romance,” Engelbert Humperdinck, as part of its 2013-2014 Live at Knight series. Engelbert Humperdinck will make his Arsht Center debut showcasing classic hits such as “Release Me” and “The Last Waltz,” as well as brand new music from his upcoming duets album featuring greats such as Sir Elton John, Smokey Robinson and Willie Nelson. This performance will take place on January 18, at 8:00 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. Tickets to Engelbert Humperdinck are currently on sale at $39, $59, $79, $99* and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling 305.949.6722, or online at www.arshtcenter.org.  

The Annual Ark Taste Benefit Dinner 

Slow Food Miami, the local, 100 percent volunteer non-profit dedicated to planting a fresher future for our children, has announced its annual Ark of Taste Benefit Dinner featuring The Cypress Room and to be held Tuesday, January 28 at the historic and incomparable Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden.  In his fifth year of anchoring the meal, James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz brings to the table his new elegant American dining room to present a meal celebrating a delicious and often overlooked native treasure, the Everglades Tomato. All proceeds will benefit both Slow Food Miami’s Edible School Garden Program and the Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden. Tickets are $250 per person and can be purchased at http://sfmarkoftaste.brownpapertickets.com. All proceeds benefit Slow Food Miami’s Edible Garden Program and the Kampong of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Follow the event on social media on Facebook and with #sfmarkoftaste on Twitter.  

Chinese New Year at Hakkasan 

In honor of the Chinese New Year, Hakkasan, the AAA Four Diamond award-winning modern Chinese restaurant located in Fontainebleau Miami Beach, will celebrate the Year of the Horse with a special family-style prix-fixe menu offered at $128 per person. The menu will be available from Monday, January 27, through Friday,  January 31. The official Chinese New Year celebration will take place on Friday, January 31 and will include entertainment and a traditional Dragon Dance that will begin at Bleau Bar at 9:30 p.m. and end at the restaurant. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 877.326.7412. Please note: the $128 price is per guest based on a two guest per table minimum, excluding beverages, tax and service charges.  

Miami Media Mixer 

Don’t miss the Miami Media Mixer next Friday, January 24 at 12:00 p.m. at Toro Toro at Intercontinental Miami! This month’s edition will feature guest speakers Jared Shapiro (Ocean Drive), Jocelyn Cortez-Young (85 Broads Miami), Enrique Santos (Univision) and Thamiah Tutt (Miami Science Museum). The lunch is $30 inclusive of tax, gratuity and valet parking. RSVP payment must be paid in advance via Eventbee. To RSVP and secure your seat, visit http://www.eventbee.com/v/janmiamimediamixer.

Rita Moreno and Rosie Perez

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

On Saturday, January 11, the National YoungArts Foundation culminated its 33rd annual YoungArts Week with a bash in its gorgeous, shiny-new campus. The Backyard Ball, featured a Gala and special alumni performances that brought together more than 800 notable guests to celebrate the artistic excellence of the 2014 YoungArts finalists for the first time at the beautiful former site of the historic Bacardi Tower and Museum buildings. The evening raised over $1.5 million to be used directly to support YoungArts, whose mission is to support the development of talented young artists in the literary, performing, visual, and design arts. 

The Gala and performance portions of the evening, were set in an elegant outdoor tent, where guests enjoyed cocktails courtesy of Bacardi, dinner, and a powerful alumni performance directed by renowned dancer, choreographer, and YoungArts Artistic Advisor, Bill T. Jones, who also made an impromptu appearance on stage, bouncing between dancers to cheer them on.  Tony Award® winner Brian Stokes Mitchell emceed the evening that also included speeches from YoungArts Artistic Advisor, Frank Gehry and actress, Rosie Perez, who presented award-winning, world renowned, architect Zaha Hadid and Academy Award winning singer, dancer and actress Rita Moreno, with the YoungArts Arison Awards for their influence on the development of young artists. YoungArts alumnus Andrew Rannells, who currently appears on the HBO series, Girls, received the Alumni Award.  Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Capponi, Amber Arbucci, & Moses Bensusan

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Hollywood descended upon Miami in more ways than one on “New Year’s Eve week” on South Beach, a place where one night just isn’t enough to bid adieu to a stellar year and usher in a new one. Aside from the numerous celebrity sightings outlined in our Celebrity Sightings section, Supermodel Amber Arbucci joined longtime friend and South Beach philanthropist, nightlife impresario and construction mogul/developer (our Swiss Army Knife of friends) Michael Capponi, and developer Moses Bensusan, to throw one of the best parties of the season on Saturday, December 28, at the Soho Beach House.  The debut party for the Costa Hollywood condo resort, was aptly dubbed Hollywood Meets Hollywood, and celebrated the addition of Capponi to the development team at Costa Hollywood and served as a formal introduction to SoBe’s fast-growing sister to the north, Hollywood Beach Village, an up-and-coming beachfront haven.  Read the rest of this entry »