Evelyn Lozada, Marnie Howard, and Angel Schmiedt

Tucked away in an unsuspecting little strip mall in the quiet, charming North Beach neighborhood is La Fee Verte (French for “the green fairy”) South Florida’s first burlesque/absinthe club.  While the average passerby on his way to one of the many quaint neighboring restaurants would probably not even notice the place, which has only a makeshift sign above the door, those with a palate for racy adventures know exactly where they’re going.

The space is tiny, yet ornate and classy, with bright red couches and banquettes and wall-to-wall paintings depicting erotic (yet tasteful) scenes. Upon entering, what is most striking, aside from the enormous chandelier, are the numerous contraptions, including ropes, scarves, and swing suspended from the ceiling- that signal-almost immediately, that you are in for one heck of a night. The entertainment includes seductive burlesque shows every half hour or so throughout the evening, during which gorgeous, scantily-dressed dancers perform atop/around/within the aforementioned contraptions. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer’s been anything but slow this year, thanks to bashes such as the ING Amigos For Kids Celebrity Domino tournament, the W Fort Lauderdale one year anniversary party and DJ Irie’s star-studded weekend to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters, which had local and national VIPs and celebs enduring the sweltering weather and schlepping all over town and across county lines.  More hot fun in the summertime is coming our way courtesy of Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, who are hosting their annual Summer Groove in the coming weeks and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, in mid July, which gets bigger every year.  Giving folks an added reason to wake up early, skip the gym and stay indoors is the FIFA World Cup, providing much needed business to local restaurants and bars. For a whole line-up of FIFA party places, check out this month’s Dont’Miss listings on Miamisocialholic.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Casely and Estelle perform at the W Hotel Anniversary Celebration

W Fort Lauderdale celebrated its one year anniversary on Wednesday with a private bash hosted by W Fort Lauderdale developer and CEO of DYL Group John Yanopoulos, super model Cindy Crawford and her dashing husband, nightlife impresario Rande Gerber.  The party was sponsored by Grey Goose vodka.  Lucky guests were treated to a musical performance by Grammy Award-winning recording artist Estelle, made famous by her chart-topping collaboration with rapper Kanye West, titled American Boy.  Estelle showed off her charismatic personality, inviting the audience to sing along for most of the performance of the all-too-familiar song in the hotel’s swank Living Room.  She also sang One Love, which worked everyone into a frenzy.  Before Estelle took the stage, Yonopoulos welcomed guests and gave a champagne toast alongside model, Cindy Taylor. 

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWvPcQPzKf4[/pro-player]

Up-and-coming R&B/hip-hop artist Casely got the crowd dancing by singing several songs, before Estelle took over.  After the concerts, Dennis Rodman, seemingly inspired by the musical acts (or tequila) took to the stage to sing along to the music being played by the DJ.  He was particularly effusive during the dance mix of Be Somebody by Kings of Leon.

 

 

Michael Shore, Ivette Naranjo and "birthday girl" Mary Jo Shore at Cafeina

 Birthdays can be stressful, especially for Geminis, who take them way too seriously- wanting to do too many (often opposing) things at once to celebrate.  So for one Gemini in particular, it seemed fitting that the perfect place to honor the annual calendar date would be one, which much like those who share the Zodiac sign, is really lots of different places-all in one.  What better space than a clubby yet “chill” lounge/restaurant/loft/outdoor terrace/garden/art gallery, serving the best food this side of anywhere?  You know the place, it’s tucked away in a little crook of  Wynwood, known only to those  in the know- those who read the 411, and 944, and the Herald and the New Times, and Black Book…well you get it. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday night, over 700 guests joined hosts Michael Capponi and Eric Milon at SET nightclub for
the official launch party of the internationally acclaimed website, Miami Socialholic™ sponsored by Grey Goose vodka.  Miami Socialholic™ co-founders and partners, Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore, Maryanne Salvat and Joe Almeida, celebrated alongside hundreds of friends and family members in the opulent club, which was filled to capacity by midnight and remained that way into the wee hours.

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Shareef Malnik and Michael Gongora

Forge owner, Shareef Malnik held an exclusive cocktail for the unveiling of the renovated façade of the Forge Restaurant I Wine Bar, which was dramatically covered in white fabric. To the average observer driving by, the wrapped building may have resembled the work of Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude (you remember, the folks who wrapped the islands in Biscayne Bay a few decades back).

A gorgeous sunset served as the backdrop for this momentous street-side affair, during which Miami Beach commissioner Michael Gongora presented Malnik with a Proclamation and Key to the City and shared that he held his first victory party at the Forge a few years ago.  Malnik followed with a touching speech in which he told guests that he considers the $10 million renovation a “labor of love and the result of fine work.” He said that the Forge has a sense of community and that he is touched by the support of the community throughout the years.  Malnik closed with “I consider it a responsibility to serve you and feed you.” He then invited several people who were instrumental in “Forge of the future” to join him for the ribbon cutting and unveiling, including Chef Dewey Losasso and Michael Capponi, whose company, the Capponi Group  was critical to the project.

A collective, “Wow!” emanated from the crowd as Malnik pulled the enormous cover off of the façade of the building, which boasts a neoclassical design and seems to glow, illuminating 41^st Street. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude once stated that “the purpose of their art, is simply to create works of art or joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes.”  With the renovation of the Forge I Wine Bar, Malnik has done just that.