By:  Dr.  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Wine, Women & Shoes- a Perfect Match

One of the most fun afternoons to date took place on February 7, as more than 450 ladies slipped into their stilettos and gathered for Wine, Women & Shoes, a lunch and shopping party at the Coral Gables Country Club in support of the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation (MCHF).  The wine was free flowing as guests shopped signature items throughout a bazaar that was set up in the lobby outside of the ballroom. As excited ladies showed off their fabulous shoes and purchases, hunky guys, known as “Shoe Guys” carrying silver trays showcased signature auction items.  Perhaps it was the wine, or the irresistible shoe hunks (our guess is that both factors were at play) but an astounding $450,000 was raised to support MCHF, not bad for a day’s work!  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Dr.  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The four-day, annual Bacchanal known as the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF), is finally upon us.  Only during this time of the year is it perfectly acceptable to ignore our New Year’s resolutions, bury our scales and avoid our personal trainer like the Bubonic Plague as we prepare to channel our inner Ms. Pac-Man while rubbing elbows with some of the biggest names in the food and restaurant industries. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

G-Star RAW 

International denim brand G-Star RAW has joined the list of cool destination stores on Lincoln Road, which now includes H & M and Forever 21. While G-Star RAW boasts a much higher price tag, it is sure to draw the same hip clientele. The new 2,600 square foot G-Star store located at 511 Lincoln Road opened its doors to denim diehards and stylish elite on January 24, with a huge grand opening bash, unveiling its best collection to a group of notable and influential attendees, who enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while enjoying music by DJ Reid Waters.  The party continued until late into the night at Rec Room at the Gale.    Read the rest of this entry »

Josh Wagner, John Meadow, Bobby Rossi, and Amy Sacco

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Our new favorite South Beach hotspot, Rec Room, at the sleek and stylish, Gale Hotel recently opened its doors on Thursday, to the delight of locals, New Yorkers and the international jet set. LDV Hospitality’s owners John Meadow and Curt Huegel, officially unveiled the cozy yet chic subterranean lounge, the Miami sister of the VIP upstairs lounge at New York’s, den-for-the-fabulous, No. 8, on the evening of January 17, debuting the lounge’s weekly BeachKred party along with a celebration of LDV Managing Partner and Miami nightlife veteran Joshua Wagner’s  birthday.

It’s no surprise that the lounge was filled to the rafters before midnight, with pretty young things and brilliant/entertaining not-so-young ones; or that the exclusive underground vibe and music had guests giddy with laughter and tearing up the dance floor until the sun came up.  After all, Rec Room comes to us through the collaborative efforts of  LDV Brand Partner, Amy Sacco, lauded as “Nightlife Empress” by the New York Times, well known for NYC’s famed Bungalow 8 (THE place to be a few years ago); LDV Co-founders and Principals, Meadow and Huegel, whose impressive roster offood and beverage outlets include some of the most critically acclaimed restaurants, bars, and lounges in the United States, and nightlife impresario, Bobby Rossi, who heads up LDV’s nightlife division. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Stars flocked to An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala on the evening of Saturday, January 12, which began with an inspiring, interdisciplinary performance by YoungArts alumni from around the nation at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, followed by a gourmet dinner at the Alfred I. DuPont Building and “dancing in the street” on Flagler Street. Actors including: Adrian Grenier, Max Schneider, Andrew Rannells and Brian Stokes Mitchell; actresses Marisa Tomei, Debi Mazar, and Zuzanna Szadkowski, along with honoree and violinist Joshua Bell; Mikhail Baryshnikov, Chick Corea, Jacques D’Amboise, Shelly Berg, Debbie Allen, Bill T. Jones, James Rosenquist, and YoungArts alum participated in the National YoungArts Foundation’s (YoungArts) magnificent event, that raised in excess of $1 million in support of YoungArts programs in Miami, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Read the rest of this entry »

 By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

MAM Ball 

On December 8, 2012 the Miami Art Museum (MAM) Ball and after party drew more than 700 stylish supporters, all dressed in black-tie, who gathered at MAM to commemorate the museum’s 29 years at Cultural Center in anticipation of next year’s move to Museum Park. The ball was a thrilling culmination to Miami Art Week/Art Basel Miami Beach, raising an astounding $700,000 for the Museum’s public programming, and marking the 12-month countdown to MAM’s reopening as Pérez Art Museum Miami in its new, Herzog & de Meuron-designed facility alongside Biscayne Bay. Read the rest of this entry »