Annual Kentucky Derby Party at BOURBON Steak

Triple Russians at MISO

An Arthur Rubinstein prize-winner from The Julliard School with a knack for “making the piano sing with beautiful clarity and expression,” Konstantin Soukhovetski rejoins Conductor Eduardo Marturet and The Miami Symphony Orchestra (MISO) in “Triple Russians” on May 4, at 8:00 p.m. in the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall. Soukhovetski has been rapidly earning a reputation as a “young pianist who captivates” with his “distinctive lyricism and immaculate technique,” and last performed alongside MISO during the 2012- 2013 “Grand Season Opening,” where he had “little difficulty with the [Rachmaninov Third] concerto’s rapid, fistful of notes.”1 Soukhovetski will perform Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2 in C minor this coming weekend, an imaginative work ecstatically received at its World Premiere in 1901 and still a heroic staple of the modern-day concerto repertoire.Tickets available by calling (305) 275-5666, or by visiting themiso.org.

HCOA Fitness For Women Energy Challenge

Enjoy Sushi with a Peruvian & Caribbean Flair at Ikura Sushi Lounge

Ikura Sushi Lounge a new fusion restaurant, located in the middle of restaurant row in Coral Gables will open its doors on Wednesday, April 30. The new innovative sushi restaurant taps into flavors inspired by the Caribbean and Peru. Ikura allows for an escape from your everyday sushi joint, giving dishes a special twist with mouthwatering ingredients. Guest will experience a culinary adventure starting with their best selling appetizer, The Kanikama Crunch appetizer; which fuses Kani salas, tobiko and crunchy flakes for a mouth-watering dish. Staying true to their cuisine guest can also enjoy, the Uramaki Mango a local favorite, made with salmon, shrimp, avocado, cilantro, tobiko mix, glazed mangos and ahi armadillo sauce. 

By: Maryanne Salvat

Locust Projects Celebrates 2014 Spring Fling: La Dolce Vita

Locust Projects will celebrate the good life at its 2014 Spring Fling: La Dolce Vita, on April 26 at the critically acclaimed Herzog & De Meuron designed 1111 Building on Lincoln Road. Locust Projects’ Spring Fling brings art lovers together for a unique evening featuring art, delicious food, drinks, music – and Locust Projects’ first-ever silent auction of fine wines, led by Eric Larkee, Wine Director of the Genuine Hospitality Group. As a hallmark that makes Locust Projects stand out from other art venues, Locust Projects embraces cutting-edge exhibitions and innovative installations. “We are celebrating more than 15 years of providing local, national and internationally based contemporary visual artists the freedom to experiment with new ideas and methods without the limitations of conventional exhibition spaces. Community support has always been vital to Locust Projects’ success and the Spring Fling is one of Locust Projects’ most important sources of revenue for the year” says Locust Projects Executive Director, Chana Sheldon. The proceeds from this event provide essential funding for exhibitions and programming; for more information visit:www.locustprojects.org.

Community Schools of Miami Gala Among the Stars 

Community Schools of Miami’s largest fundraiser is their annual gala, and this year’s event takes place on Saturday, April 26 at the EPIC Hotel with a black-tie affair to remember, commemorating CIS of Miami’s silver anniversary and 25years of service in Miami-Dade. The theme of the gala is “an evening among the stars”, which pays tribute to the CIS of Miami students (stars) who have successfully graduated high school since the organization’s inception.  For the past 25 years, Communities In Schools of Miami (CIS of Miami) has been a driving force in collaborating with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to improve educational outcomes by providing free programs and tools to keep students in class and on track toward graduation. Tickets for the annual philanthropic event are $200 each, and all proceeds directly benefit CIS of Miami. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cismiami.org or by calling 305.252.5444.   

La Martina Miami Beach Polo World Cup

The Polo Life, LLC presents the tenth annual La Martina Miami Beach Polo World Cup, the world’s largest and most prestigious Beach Polo competition, taking place from April 24 to April 27, between 20th and 22nd streets on the sands of South Beach, Florida, with the support of The Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority. This year marks the tournament’s coveted Ten Year Anniversary for the production of the sport’s premium event by The Polo Life, based in South Florida. General Admission and VIP tickets are now on sale at www.miamipolo.com with a dedicated Miami Beach Polo World Cup Travel Package available at the newly opened Metropolitan by COMO, Miami Beach – one of the tournament’s Official hotel partners.

ParkJockey at the Wynwood Life Festival

Miami’s newest parking app is teaming up with Wynwood Life Festival from April 25 through April 27, to make finding a parking spot at the festival a breeze. ParkJockey, available on the App store, GooglePlay, and the web, is offering advance booking on parking at a discount. The first 50 users to book their parking with ParkJockey will get a free 2-day ticket to the event. ParkJockey will also have a tent at the event, complete with cell phone charging station where users will be able to juice up their phones after all the mural selfies, get free goodies, and learn more about the parking app’s city-wide capabilities.  

On Friday night Juanes was spotted at Seasalt and Pepper restaurant. He had dinner while the in-house DJ Pierre Zonzon played some of his music. Juanes emailed Zonzon the following day to thank him for the music and to compliment the gorgeous restaurant. On Saturday night, Gloria and Emilio Estefan also paid a visit to Seasalt and Pepper in the company of actor, Michael Caine. 

On Sunday night, Andrea Bocelli along with his new wife Veronica Berti and three sons visited Cavalli Restaurant and Lounge for dinner. Bocelli, a friend of Roberto Cavalli’s indulged in the truffle risotto.  Earlier in the day, Bocelli had treated parishioners at St. Patrick Church in Miami to a solo during the Easter Mass. A welcome surprise for all!  

Spotted at Zuma:   Will Smith, having dinner on the terrace and Juwan Howard, celebrating the first playoff victory for the Heat at a separate table.

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Light it Up Blue 

On Friday, April 11, South Florida Ford and Autism Speaks Miami’s “Light it Up Blue” event at the 1111 Building on Lincoln Road gave guests a glimpse into Autism Spectrum Disorder through a captivating video mapping installation by world-renowned digital artists Tecné Collective. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were provided by A Joy Wallace Catering with cool sounds by Latin Grammy-nominated Mr. Pauer. 

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By:  Mary Jo Almeida Shore 

Chef/restaurateur Oscar Manresa hosted the official launch of Brickell’s newest hotspot, Perfecto Gastro-bar, his first U.S. restaurant location on Tuesday, April 8, with an over- the-top party filled with A-listers music and unforgettable food and drinks. 

From small plates with huge flavors, to larger dishes, guests experienced a Barcelona-inspired feast that included Catalonian hard sausage and grilled bread with rubbed tomato, marinated tomato tartare, roasted chicken croquettes, grilled octopus, fried calamari and angel hair seafood paella.  Rounding out the evening was a decadent dessert of Catalan cream.  We couldn’t help but return the following night to try other signature dishes such as the crab-avocado cannelloni, signature shrimp and wild mushroom ravioli, the perfect fillet with truffle fries and the chocolate ganache- prepared with olive oil and sea salt- there is truly nothing like it!  Read the rest of this entry »

On Thursday, April 10, over 300 guests gathered at W South Beach Hotel & Residences for the Miami Beach Gay Pride VIP Kick-Off Reception. Hosted by Bravo’s Real Housewives of Miami star Lea Black and drag diva Miss Elaine Lancaster, the chic soirée honored community leader Cindy Brown, original Miami Beach Gay Pride executive director. The evening included appearances by Grand Marshal Gloria Estefan, her husband Emilio Estefan, and the festival’s board of directors. 

Recently spotted at Zuma:  Will Smith, dining with friends on the terrace; a friendly Minnie Driver enjoying dinner and House of Cards star, Kevin Spacey, dining with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. 

Last week, Bongos Cuban Café celebrated Eddy “the Jet” Alvarez’s Silver Olympic Medal.  At the event, Emilio Estefan presented Eddy with a second medal.   

Lindsay Lohan was spotted at Seasalt and Pepper aboard a 60 foot yacht.