By: Maryanne Salvat

Bistro One LR Miami Spice at the Ritz Carlton South Beach

Chef Gihen Zitouni is heating things up at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach for Miami Spice.  The former Top Chef Germany Host is serving up Florida Fare including Iberian Croquetas, Florida Seared Grouper and Key Lime Brulee with a Ritz-Carlton twist.  The Miami Spice special includes a starter, entrée and dessert for $39 through the end of September; for more information visit: www.ritzcarlton.com. 

La Gazzetta Italian Café

La Gazzetta located in Mary Brickell Village serves fresh and light Italian Riviera fares incorporating touches of different International influences. The tapa style portioning of many of the menu items use top quality ingredients, while still offering incredible value to dining patrons. The warm, cozy and fun surroundings are reminiscent of a bustling Italian Cafe of the 1950’s Dolce Vita era. It showcases a spectacular sidewalk Cafe, lushly landscaped and appointed with fountains and outdoor movie theater; ideal to enjoy a weekday Happy Hour with 2 for 1 Martinis. Located right on the strip, La Gazzetta offers some of the best people watching in Miami, and with their fabulous resident DJs as well as high-energy and very friendly staff; for more information visit:www.lagazzettamiami.com.

Eden Roc Miami Beach: ‘Everlasting Summer’ Package

For those who aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer just yet, the beautiful and family-friendly, beachfront property, Eden Roc Miami Beach is offering their ‘Everlasting Summer’ package to local Florida residents which offers rates up to 30% off for travel through September 30. The perfect way to make the most of their summer with special savings and perks, this package also includes valet parking and a daily breakfast for two.  Enjoy a day by one of the hotel’s four pools or on the beach. Be sure to try out one of the signature treatments at the state-of-the-art, Elle Spa- we recommend the signature facial- which includes a reflexology massage. Don’t miss a perfect dinner at 15 steps, the Eden Roc’s restaurant, which serves one of the best ribeye steaks in town.*Offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with other offers, discounts or  promotions; Does not apply to existing reservations. Not valid for groups; Complimentary room upgrade at time of check in. Restrictions may apply. Package inclusions have no monetary value; Must show Florida ID; For Reservations visit: www.edenrocmiami.com.

FringeArts announces the fifth annual Audi FEASTIVAL will be held on Thursday, September 18. The 2014 Audi FEASTIVAL will expose the region’s most influential business leaders and tastemakers to FringeArts by uniting dynamic and cutting edge artistic performances with world-class restaurants. This year’s event will be held at Penn’s Landing, 1 North Delaware Avenue on the Delaware River waterfront between Market and Chestnut Streets from 7:00-10:00 p.m. More than eight hundred attendees are expected for what promises to be the cultural event of the year. Tickets are now on sale at www.phillyfeastival.com and are $250 for General Admission or $350 for a VIP ticket that allows early access at 6:00 PM as well as admission to the Audi VIP Lounge. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Maryanne Salvat 

Batch Gastropub  

Batch Gastropub celebrates their new brunch with a bang sure to please foodies and brunch connoisseurs from all over. Guests can indulge with $20 Bottomless Mimosas, Sangria, Bellinis & a delectable Brunch Menu Saturday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Standing by their “Quality vs. Quantity” motto, Batch Gastropub patiently perfected selections before releasing their full brunch menu. Brunch-goers will savor the new additions, such as the Batch Hash ‘n’ Egg which features pork belly and short rib served with potato, red onion, and a sunny side up egg. Another new dish is the Belgium Waffle & Country Fried Chicken made with maple butter, powdered sugar, and sticky honey chicken served on top of a finger-liking-good Belgium waffle. Sugar fiends can turn to Homer’s Doh’nut Waffles, made with donut batter, cinnamon-sugar, and a donut glaze.

The Restaurant at the Setai Wine Dinner Series  

The Restaurant at the Setai continues its monthly Wine Dinner series on Thursday, August 28 at 7:30 pm. Guests are invited for an intimate evening to enjoy a four-course menu designed by Executive Chef, Mathias Gervais, paired with guest winery, Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate. Tickets can be purchased for $105 and can be reserved by contacting 305.520.6400 or dining@thesetaihotel.com. On Saturday, August 30 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Chef Mathias will be hosting an interactive cooking class where guests will have the opportunity to learn to prepare The Restaurant’s Langoustine and Hamachi. After the demonstration, guests will have a chance to taste the dishes with drink pairings. Tickets can be purchased for $50 per person and can be reserved by contacting 305.520.6400 or dining@thesetaihotel.com.

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IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that when its first Miami-Dade store opens in Sweetwater, FL on August 27, it will recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers by giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and merchandise – including an iconic EKTORP sofa for each of the first 39 adults in line, and a POANG armchair for the next 100 visitors.  Other highlights include a free mattress for the first 39 on Thursday, August 28 and free weekly meatball meals for the year to the first 39 on Friday, August 29.   (Customers may begin lining up on 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, August 25 – 48 hours before the store’s opening at 9 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 27.)  Also, Sweetwater Mayor Jose M. Diaz and IKEA U.S. CFO Rob Olson will join store manager Selwyn Crittendon in the official opening of the new store.

IKEA Miami is the Swedish company’s 2^nd store and restaurant destination in South Florida, 4^th in the state, 39^th in the United States, and 361^st worldwide.  (Florida’s first IKEA store opened in the Broward County city of Sunrise in 2007, followed by one store each in Orlando and Tampa.)  The 416,000-square-foot IKEA Miami was built on 14.6 acres adjacent to Dolphin Mall, near both the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) and Florida’s Turnpike, in the City of Sweetwater.  The store employs more than 350 coworkers and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 600-seat IKEA Restaurant, 44 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area and approximately 1,500 parking spaces.  Reflecting the company’s solar presence atop 90% of its U.S. locations, IKEA installed South Florida’s largest rooftop solar array at IKEA Miami.  Read the rest of this entry »

By: Maryanne Salvat

Miami Spice  showcases the very best of Miami cuisine. From August 1 through September 30, restaurants offer three-course meals featuring signature dishes created by world-renowned chefs at reduced prices: Lunch $23 and Dinner $39. Below are a few signature restaurants that we have had the pleasure of previewing.

Azul, the Five-Star restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Miami announces the appointment of William Crandall as chef de cuisine. Chef Crandall brings his sophisticated, eclectic cuisine of French flavors with Asian influences to the new menu at the 120-seat waterfront restaurant. The delightful Miami Spice Menu includes: Scallop “Poke” trout roe, fingerling potato, sorrel, Kurobuta Pork Belly tenderloin, pumpernickel, braised cabbage, rainbow carrot; Caramelized Banana Cake – Dominican milk chocolate cream, chai tea ice cream. Diners at Azul will also enjoy a refreshed design, which was unveiled in 2014 and includes a new private chef’s table overlooking the restaurant’s open white marble kitchen, accommodating parties up to 12. Reservations are suggested at 305.913.8358 or momia-restaurants@mohg.com. Valet parking; all major credit cards accepted. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Maryanne Salvat 

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim July 2015 

South Beach will once again come alive this July, as the swimwear industry’s most highly anticipated event returns for the ninth year. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim will heat up the sands of The Raleigh Hotel with five days of designer runway shows, presentations and parties beginning on July 17 through July 21. For a complete look at events as well as an extensive list of incredible designers who will be presenting their latest Collections visit: www.mbfashionweek.com. 

NICOLITA Swimwear and a Weekend in Havana 

NICOLITA Swimwear, known for its signature fit of ‘Cuban-style bottoms,’ and ExploreModeling.com, a leading online modeling agency, host the 4^th annual “Search for the Perfect Booty” Model Casting. NICOLITA celebrates natural beauty and real curves, and is looking for models of all shapes and sizes to represent the feminine figure during their upcoming 2015 “Weekend in Havana” Collection photo shoot. Hopefuls are encouraged to apply online at ExploreModeling.com. Once the online casting closes, a group of applicants will be selected and invited to attend the final casting call on Thursday, July 17 at The Surfcomber Hotel. This year’s NICOLITA online casting features two special guest hosts, Megan Parken, YouTube sensation and creator of the highly-visited page – meganheartsmakeup, and Cassandra Bankson, YouTube personality best known for her successful modeling career despite suffering from acne; for more information on NICOLITA Swimwear, visit www.MyNicolita.com.  For official rules or to sign up for the NICOLITA Model Casting, visit http://exploremodeling.com/Casting/NicolitaModelSearch/Default.aspx. 

Style Saves 

Fashion and philanthropy join forces once again as Style Saves launches ticket sales for their fourth annual fashion show fundraiser. Kicking off Miami Swim Week on Friday, July 18, FORD models will work the runway at the ultra-chic Soho Beach House from 9:00 p.m. to midnight for the mission of “building confidence through clothes.” This Swim Week show bolsters the cause of Style Saves to raise funds for underprivileged students in South Florida. In collaboration with The Miami Foundation, Style Saves works with retailers, designers and boutiques to provide new back-to-school outfits, edifying the self-confidence and assurance these students need to succeed academically and personally. Style Saves dedicates all funds to their back-to-school event, which will take place on August 16 and 17 and offers students the opportunity to “shop” outfits in a department store-style environment before returning for the new school year. This year, the Back-to-School event will be hosted at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami and will benefit more than 500 students from Miami-Dade public schools. Tickets for the Style Saves Swim Show are $125 in advance at www.stylesaves.org or $150 at the door. To learn more about Style Saves visit, www.stylesaves.org.