By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

CRAVE

CRAVE restaurant in the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables is known for its gorgeous 9,000 square-foot space, which includes an expansive dining room, sprawling outdoor terrace, vibrant atmosphere and terrific food. CRAVE’s fresh and innovative cuisine and impeccable wine selection compliment the chic, yet casual ambience with an extensive menu at a value-driven price point, with items ranging from a full sushi bar and Certified Angus Beef steaks to fresh seafood, pastas, salads and fire-baked pizzas that are continually re-mastered using the freshest seasonal ingredients.

One of the not-so-hidden secrets to Crave’s success is Hell’s Kitchen alum, Executive Chef Joshua Wahler whose resume includes work at Gramercy Tavern, Spice Market and Nobu and the (sadly) now defunct, Symcha’s.  Wahler’s passion, expertise and love of food are reflected in every dish- which he excitedly describes as if he were talking about a work of art. He is so charismatic and fun to be around that we repeatedly asked him to join our table. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him hosting a show on The Food Network.

Wahler creatively incorporates fine ingredients to create dishes such as a giant house made meatball, stuffed with mozzarella cheese, which must turn out perfect (without any oozing cheese) for it to make it to the table. Other standouts include: the Red Miso shrimp, grilled Ceviche, and Kogi beef tacos. The cashew crusted Mahi swimming in coconut curry and the perfect sliders were other favorites.  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Edge, Steak and Bar

Edge, Steak and Bar, at the Four Seasons Miami, is Brickell’s hottest new steakhouse, featuring the freshest seafood, paired with delectable sauces and steaks cooked to perfection.  Chefs Aaron Brooks and James King’s dinner menu showcases expertly prepared Creekstone Farm meats charbroiled at 1800 degrees in an infrared grill after being rubbed down with Edge’s signature “Cutting Edge Rub”. Tantalizing seafood fresh from local waters and sides made with the best farm-fresh ingredients round out the dinner menu.  Don’t miss the basil crusted corvina, the lobster corn chowder or the bone-in Tomahawk steak- worthy of Fred Flintstone.

Diners can enjoy the expansive dining room, sit at the stylish bar or lounge in the gorgeous outdoor terrace, overlooking Miami. The terrace provides a convivial gathering place to enjoy Edge’s cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails, while overlooking the stunning views of glistening Biscayne Bay and the hotel’s two-acre pool deck. Just as it did with Edge’s chic, modern interiors, James Beard Award-winning design firm, AvroKo created an outdoor “living room” that provides guests with a casual, yet intimate, retreat and varied seating options. Read the rest of this entry »

Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade at The Collection

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

One of the most fun events of the summer actually took place during the day on  Saturday, June 30^th, at luxury dealership, The Collection, which, together with Ocean Drive magazine, and its brand ambassador NBA Champion Dwyane Wade, revealed the all-new, highly-awaited 2013 Porsche Boxster at an MVP brunch event held on-site at the dealer’s Porsche showroom.

The Collection was party central- with great dance music, performances by La Vida Con Fuego, a fashion presentation by Neiman Marcus Coral Gables, free flowing Moet Imperial Ice and Belvedere vodka and delicious offerings from Zuma, City Hall, Yardbird, Swine and the Biltmore–all at 11 a.m. In fact, we had to keep looking out the window to be sure it was still daytime!

Fans cheered when Wade arrived and took the stage along with girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning to thank the crowd for its support of the Miami Heat and laud the Boxster before introducing Ken Gorin, President and CEO of The Collection.  Gorin addressed the guests, stating:  “We are beyond excited to have celebrated the arrival of the all new Porsche Boxster with our customers.  It’s the perfect combination of sporty and sexy – in essence, the perfect car for Miami.  This car must be seen and driven to be believed!” The party continued long after the speeches, as Wade graciously signed autographs for fans.  After some time in the upstairs VIP area, Wade and Union had some fun in the photo booth-which had been a big hit throughout the event. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

After keeping millions of fans upbeat and entertained throughout the Heat’s championship season, Miami’s own DJ Irie hosted his 8th annual three-day action – packed charity weekend last weekend. The 2012 Irie Weekend began Thursday night with an exclusive Chambord vodka Carnaval themed kick-off event at a private residence on Star Island. The party was so big that the valet had to park the cars a few miles away- and was full to capacity by 10 p.m. -just an hour after the party started.  Guests enjoyed nibbles and cocktails throughout the sprawling, ocean-front property, dancing all night despite the sweltering heat.  Dennis Rodman, dressed with his typical flair, kept himself busy with the Brazilian showgirls as VIP guests gathered on the second floor to sing “Happy Birthday” to DJ Irie, who had celebrated his birthday on the night the Heat won the NBA Finals. 

On Friday, the New Era Celebrity Golf Tournament took place at the beautiful Melreese Country Club where Mayor Carlos Gimenez proclaimed June 29 “DJ Irie Day” and presented Irie with a proclamation amid cheers from the excited crowd. The golf tournament, which Irie admits is “90% party and 10% golf,” featured terrific food from food trucks including Palate Party and Monster Lobster and tastings from Hooters, Miami Subs, Epicure and The Soup Man (the Seinfeld off-shoot). On the green guests enjoyed great music, ice cold Heineken, Red Bull and cocktails. Read the rest of this entry »

Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James photo courtesy Manny Hernandez

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

When our beloved Miami Heat finally won the NBA Championship, a victory more than two years in the making, Miami as a whole experienced the cathartic joy- as we are now all, on some level, champions. Nowhere was this more evident than at LIV at the Fontainebleau, just a few hours before dawn, on Friday morning, and on the streets during the championship parade and at the American Airlines Arena (AAA) for the championship celebration on Monday.

“We are the Champions” blared through the speakers at LIV nightclub at just before 3 a.m. on Friday morning, as the newly crowned, World Champions, Miami HEAT, fresh from winning the NBA championship entered the massive nightclub for their official victory party, to the ecstatic chants of thrilled fans, who shouted, “Let’s go Heat!”  The chanting changed to “MVP” shortly thereafter, as LeBron James made his way to the stage at the back of the club, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the “vampire image” of his face.   The music stopped for a bit as Heat owner Micky Arison and coach Eric Spoelstra were cheered on as they took to the stage to address the fans and thank them for their support. Read the rest of this entry »

Maria Jose Almeida, Maryanne Salvat, Marnie Howard, and Mary Jo Shore

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Every now and then, all of the elements come together to create the perfect evening.  Such was the case last week when man-about-town Michael Leondas Kirkland and his handsome house-mate Rothsay “Roy” Playa welcomed guests into their home for an all-night birthday fete for yours truly.  We were overcome by Kirkland’s southern hospitality:  from the polished, Tiffany sterling to the perfectly pressed linen napkins (a rarity this far south) to the tantalizing aroma wafting from the giant black iron pot, once belonging to his great-grandmother. 

The mood was comfortable and jovial throughout the night, the din of laughter permeating the beautiful home which is filled with beautiful French antiques and mid-century Scandinavian pieces juxtaposed with paintings by Francisco Clemente Vikki Oglesby; photographs by Karl Lagerfeld, Herb Ritts and Miami’s own Iran Issa-Khan, to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »