Real Housewives of Miami, Karent Sierra, Lea Black, and Joanna Krupa

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

If there’s ever a good time to be on the “Black list” it’s for the highly anticipated, annual bash known as The Black Gala, hosted by power-couple Lea and Roy Black.  And if you are “blacklisted” because you are, in fact, “under suspicion, disfavor, censure…” as per the dictionary definition – famed attorney, Roy Black is definitely ONE person with whom you should spend an evening.  In our book, being on the Blacks’ list means that you are one of the lucky few (hundred) invited to participate in an unforgettable night of performances, dancing, gourmet food and bidding on one-of-a-kind auction items.

In its 18^th year, the Black Gala, which was held at the Fontainebleau Hotel took place right smack in the middle of the Winter Music Conference and rivaled many of the musical performances and Madonna’s surprise appearance at Ultra-which occurred simultaneously. After all, the Blacks had a QUEEN! attend and perform at their gala. So what if it was Queen Latifah, rather than an actual queen? Can you think of any queen with such fabulous style, matched only by her incredible pipes?  The Blacks’ guests were also treated to an unforgettable concert by Tony Bennett– whose legendary voice was accompanied by a full-piece orchestra- the presence of which caused a last-minute rearrangement of the tables and dance floor.  No one seemed to mind- as the crowd was blown away by Bennett’s moving performance, which ended with a live rendition of “Who Can I Turn To?” a duet by Bennett and Latifah, which had only been performed live once before. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The “M” in WMC could easily stand for Madness or Mayhem on any given year, however, this year the “M” took on new meaning, as Madonna released her new CD, MDNA and made a surprise appearance at Ultra during a set by Avicii. 

On Friday night, several hundred Madonna fans danced by the pool bar enjoying the ocean breeze at the Delano for the exclusive release party for MDNA, Madonna’s latest album which officially launched on Monday and is already number 1 on the Billboard charts in over 35 countries. Read the rest of this entry »

Paul James, Marco Selva, Diane Kruger and Frits van Paasschen

By:  Mary Jo Almeida- Shore

Nothing says “We’ve arrived!” like a lavish, celeb-studded, gala opening bash for several hundred of Miami’s finest – especially when you throw in miles of decadent gourmet food, a live full-piece orchestra, champagne sabering, ten-minute fireworks display, and late night dance party.   Such was the case on Saturday night for the glitzy grand opening of the Yabu Pushelberg designed St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, “the most anticipated hotel opening of 2012” according to Forbes magazine.  Touted as a
“peerless” (as in 24 hour butler service) “haven” (as in 1,000 feet of pristine beach) the resort’s opening bash heralded its debut in grandiose style.  Upon arrival, the chic guests admired the hotel’s posh lobby and bar area and followed the “yellow lit road” to a 1,000 foot seaside wonderland lined with food, cocktails, live music and fabulous people. All along the way- about every foot or so, there was a St. Regis staff member to greet and welcome guests to the property- who needs daily affirmations with that kind of love around?  Read the rest of this entry »

Lisa Hochstein, Alexia Echevarria, Karent Sierra, & Friend

By:  Mary Jo Almeida Shore

Tis the season:  to get dolled up in the name of charity.   Amid the club and restaurant openings, snowbirds and spring breakers, Miami socials are triple booked with galas.  Here’s a short list of some of our favorites so far.

Hearts and Stars Gala

On Saturday night, more than 1,000 guests gathered at George Wallner and Malinka Max’s gorgeous waterfront estate, Shangri La on Hibiscus Island for the Little Lighthouse Foundation’s Third Annual Hearts and Stars Gala– which was more of a swank South Beach bash than a traditional gala.  Co-founders Robert Sena, Aaron Resnick, Charlie Venturi and Aracibo Quintana and 20 co-hosts created a club-like atmosphere that included mini-lounges with white leather couches and cocktail tables, multiple bars and terrific dance music by DJ Louis Dee. Read the rest of this entry »

Emeril Lagasse at The Q

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The annual Bacchanal/gorge-fest otherwise known as the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) blew into town last weekend for a four day eating/drinking marathon, leaving our scale shaking its head and asking, “What have you done?” come Monday morning. SOBEWFF kicked off with Moët Hennessy’s barbecue bash named The Q on Thursday night hosted by larger-than-life personalities:  Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri.  Other festival highlights included Party Impossible, the Chefs’ After-party at the Dream Hotel, Diamond Dishes at the yet-to-be opened Marlins Park, Best Thing I Ever Ate Late Night Bites & Sweets and the festival’s closing party, Trucks on the Beach.  So now we fast and purge, after acting like Ms. Pac-Man with a tape worm for four straight days; and apologize to the liver, if we can find it- we are guessing it may have left the building. 

The Q

Hosted by Guy Fieri and Emeril Lagasse, The Q started the weekend revelry on Thursday night, a fitting replacement to the beloved, marquee event Bubble Q which was retired last year.  Just as much fun as Bubble Q, this party was our first SOBEWFF experience of 2012 and served as a reunion of local and national foodies and chefs, who imbibed in champagne and cocktails and filled up on enough barbecued meats to stumble out of the enormous tent with Gout. Read the rest of this entry »

Models with Russian Standard Vodka on the Carpe Diem

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Anyone stuck in gridlock traffic while attempting to navigate Collins Avenue in any direction over the weekend, or being forced to pay the staggering $50 parking charges soon realized that the International Yacht Show was in town- of course the multitude of multi-million dollar floating vessels stationed along the Indian Creek waterway should have been a dead giveaway.  As with any show, festival, event, holiday, climate change, building announcement…on Miami Beach, the Yacht Show brought with it its fair share of fabulous parties and party people.  Below were our favorites.

Scarlett Sails Night

We joined over 150 VIP guests who staggered barefoot onto the 60 million dollar, 191 foot Carpe Diem yacht on Wednesday, February 15, for the glamorous, Russian-themed Scarlett Sails party to get a sneak-peek of the magnificent yacht prior to its display at the Miami Beach International Boat Show. 

Guests were given a boarding pass and asked to check their shoes upon arrival, before walking the steep incline to board the Carpe Diem.  Once aboard, beautiful Russian dancers, dressed in traditional, albeit skimpy, Russian costumes, right down to their furry ushankas, served signature Russian Standard shots and cocktails to help the otherwise uncomfortably barefoot guests forget that their designer footwear was somewhere other than on their feet to perfectly compliment their stylish outfits.  We were also distracted by the haute cuisine, which included caviar canapés, George Stone Crabs and oysters courtesy of Edge steakhouse- and informal modeling by Saks Bal Harbour, all of which served to spotlight the grandeur of the mega yacht luxury lifestyle. Read the rest of this entry »