Reuters

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

When our beloved Miami Heat won the NBA Championship, for the SECOND time, (by the skin of their teeth after a grueling game 6) Miami as a whole shared a cathartic joy- as we are all once again, on some level, champions. Nowhere was this more evident than at Story nightclub, just a few hours before dawn, on Friday morning, at various nightclubs throughout the weekend and on the streets during the championship parade and at the American Airlines Arena (AAA) during the championship celebration on Monday. 

“We are the Champions” blared through the speakers at Story nightclub (the sister club to LIV, where the champs celebrated last year) at around 3 a.m. on Friday morning, as the Miami HEAT players, once again World Champions, fresh from winning one of the most exciting games in NBA history, entered the massive nightclub through the secret back entrance for their official victory party, to the ecstatic chants of thrilled fans, who shouted, “Let’s go Heat!”    Read the rest here »

Irie Weekend

CU-1 Gallery: Look At Me

On Thursday, June 27, CU-1 Gallery, located in downtown Miami’s iconic Security Building, will celebrate its inaugural opening exhibition, Look At Me, featuring works by renowned European photographers including Roger Weber, Christopher Thomas and Simon Emmit with Paul Solomons and will  run in tandem with the opening of Kiwi Art Group‘s Andy Warhol-dedicated exhibition, Behind the Lens of William John Kennedy. For additional information or to RSVP to attend, contact CU-1@ideason8.com.  

Magic City Package at W South Beach

In light of season two of the STARZ hit series Magic City,W South Beach Hotel & Residences is launching its newest package inspired by the sexy, Miami-based television show. Bringing to life the acclaimed television show, set in Miami Beach circa 1959, the oceanfront luxury hotel presents a unique package and sweepstakes offering for Magic City enthusiasts. As a part of a first-time partnership between W South Beach Hotel & Residences and the television series, the Magic City package is available for purchase now through August, for stays until December 2013. Guests will be invited to revel in the sexy decadence of life as a Miami Beach hotelier with rates starting at $429/night.  The Magic City package is available for booking at http://www.wsouthbeach.com/Magic-City or by calling 1.877.822.0000 and using promo code LBPKG. Pricing is exclusive of tax and gratuity and is subject to availability. Some restrictions apply.

 The Local House Summer Specials

The Local House, the intimate, chic Hamptons-style oasis known for its fresh, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, is pleased to launch two distinct Summer Specials menus. Now available Monday – Thursday from 11:30am to 3:00pm, Lunch is prix fixe at $21 per person, including an appetizer, main course and dessert, including favorites such as Goat Cheese Croquettes, Half Dozen Fresh Oysters, Chicken Paillard & Summer Salad, Grilled Salmon With Ratatouille and Local House Bread Pudding (with vanilla gelato). The Summer Specials also extend to Sunset Dinner, served Sunday through Thursday from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, prix fixe priced at $32 per person, including an appetizer, main course and dessert, including favorites such as Crispy Calamari, Local House Crab Cake, Pasta Bolognese, Tuna Sliders, and Pineapple Crème Caramel.

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)

On Thursday, June 27 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) welcomes new PAMM Contemporaries members at the group’s highly-anticipated Friendraiser, the Museum’s first official event as PAMM. Set against the idyllic backdrop of Biscayne Bay in the enchanted gardens of The Standard Spa Miami Beach, the event will feature an exclusive DJ and visual performance by Los Jaichackers, a Los Angeles – and Phoenix – based multimedia art collaborative. Los Jaichackers (Spanglish for hijackers) are known for tracing ‘the global DNA of emerging musical subcultures in Latin America, the border, the United States, and abroad.’ The duo will also be capturing film and audio on-site for a major performance that will take place at PAMM’s December opening, giving attendees a glimpse into the Museum’s opening/Miami Art Week celebration, and the chance to be a part of it. Pérez Art Museum Miami’s new, state-of-the-art facility, now under construction in downtown Miami’s Museum Park alongside Biscayne Bay, is designed by world renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, and features 200,000 square feet of programmable space. New PAMM Contemporaries members who join the group between May 1 and the time of the event can attend. Current PAMM Contemporaries must refer a new member or renew their membership to attend. For more information or to join and receive an invitation, contact mamcontemporaries@miamiartmuseum.org or 305.375.1727.

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

One of the best parts about staying in town for the summer, as the social season slows down, is that we get to experience what it’s like to vacation in paradise, without leaving home.  Just last week we got the chance to “stay-cation” at the Sense Beach House which felt like our very own beach house.  Possibly Miami Beach’s closest interpretation of a “bed and breakfast,” this 18- room luxury boutique hotel offers a casually sophisticated atmosphere, just steps from the ocean, and a personalized guest experience that feels more like a private Hamptons retreat than a hotel on Ocean Drive. Furnished exactly in the manner in which we would decorate our own beach house- in shades of blue and white with natural sea glass and bleached wood, the boutique hotel utilizes natural light to create a casual, beach chic ambiance while still offering the most up-to-date, modern amenities. Read the rest here »

The Flat. Catch Game 6 in style with the chicest happy hour South of Fifth. Very Happy Hour(s) at The Flat offers signature cocktails, craft beer and wine ranging from $5 to $8 available from 8 to 10 p.m. View the game on a jumbo projection screen and enjoy signature sips such as the Empire State, Peached Old Fashion and the Suite 180. For more information, call 305.531.3528,  www.theflatmiami.com.

RA Sushi in South Miami. Spice up your Game 6 watch party and order one of RA’s “Big Three” sushi platters. Ranging from $70 to $120, these three platters – the Maki Maki, Tsukiji Combo and Harajuku Combo – are large enough to share in the office or even host a block party! For more information, call 305.341.0092, www.facebook.com/RASushiSouthMiami.

South Shore and Florida Cookery Patio at The James Royal Palm. Head in to the South Shore rum bar or sit at the Florida Cookery Patio pool bar for Miami HEAT specials including two-for-one Bacardi rum-inspired cocktails from 7:00 p.m. to midnight while you cheer on “The Big Three.” A Florida Cookery small bites menu will be available as well as $10 validated valet parking. For more information, call 305.604.5700, www.jameshotels.com/miami/eat-drink.

The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar. After the game’s over, head over to The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar to enjoy table sharing bites prepared by Chef Dewey LoSasso and signature cocktails crafted by mixologist Andres Aleman, available from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Miami HEAT players Chris Bosh and Juwan Howard have been known to celebrate in style at the restaurant after major game victories. For more information, call 305.538.8533| www.theforge.com.

By: Maryanne Salvat 

End of the School Year Pampering at Seven Seas Aveda Spa and Salon

With the end of the school calendar looming, it is time for teachers to unwind and be appreciated for all their hard work. To thank educators for their contributions to the community, the Seven Seas Aveda Spa & Salon is hosting a summer-long, teacher appreciation promotion from June 21 (summer solstice and longest day of the year) to Labor Day, September 2. Select luxury spa treatments will be offered at the discounted rate of $20.13 to celebrate the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.   For more information visit: www.sevenseasspasalon.com.

Old Fashioned Wednesdays at Cecconi’s Miami Beach 

Cecconi’s Miami Beach presents ” Old Fashioned Wednesdays” the first-ever weekly event of its kind at the intimate restaurant nestled on the ground floor of Soho Beach House.  Live jazz music sets the scene for guests to enjoy classic hand crafted  old fashioned drinks for $10. Wednesday nights also bring an exclusive traditional Venetian Cicchetti menu .Guests can choose 3 items for $15 and add additional for $4.These Italian-style small plates are a delightful way to sample a variety of Venetian specialties Cecconi’s has to offer. 

Lone Ranger Ride For Justice Social Media 

In preparation for the much anticipated release of The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, Disney is encouraging fans to participate in “The Lone Ranger Ride For Justice.” Disney took the iconic characters from The Lone Ranger movie and franchise and brought them to life – literally – as a storytelling device for the campaign. Now through July 4^th, Life-size and ultra-realistic statues of the Lone Ranger and Tonto riding horseback will be embarking on a journey across the country. They will be gracing rooftops, mountaintops and famous landmarks along the way, only staying long enough in each city to be discovered by the locals before they continue their ride westward. The twist is that no one will know where Lone Ranger and Tonto will appear or where they’re going next. Disney is challenging the public through social media to participate in a scavenger hunt to find the physical statues, or to guess their location based on a photo clue. In each city, two clues will be released on The Lone Ranger Ride for Justice tumblr page http://lonerangerrideforjustice.tumblr.com  and photo clues will be posted on Instagram http://instagram.com/LoneRangerMovie. Fans can then upload pictures of the statues to Twitter or Instagram with #LRRideForJustice for a chance to win prizes.

Cosmopolitan en Español 

Cosmopolitan en Español, the leading Spanish-language fashion and beauty magazine for the fun, fearless Hispanic female, is proud to kick off the summer season with its annual Beach Bash event hosted by Editor-in-Chief Ana Victoria Taché, along with presenting sponsors Splat, Samsara Imports and L.A. Colors Cosmetics at Nikki Beach. The “after-beach” party will feature an exciting variety of entertainment. After enjoying a welcome refreshment at the door, friends and fans are invited to experiment with a flirty new look at the Splat station, featuring color hair extensions and washables, or at L.A. Colors’ makeup bar. Refreshing cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Before leaving, guests can capture the moment at a Polaroid photo booth. The first 250 guests will receive an exclusive VIP gift bag that includes a Cosmopolitan en Español water bottle and additional products courtesy of Splat, Samsara Imports and L.A. Colors Cosmetics.Guests must RSVP to RSVP@televisapublishing.com.  

Summer Seafood Kickoff at Florida Cookery

Florida Cookery at The James Royal Palm will host its first annual Summer Seafood Kickoff introducing the new seafood-driven Summer Menu on Friday, June 21 – the first official day of Summer – with a poolside celebration from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the newly opened Florida Cookery Patio. South Floridians will be pleased to hear that the Summer Menu brings with it a 50 percent discount on select beverages & complimentary valet parking for locals (seven days a week) through Labor Day.  The kick-off party, which is free and open to the public with RSVP to FloridaCookery@taraink.com, will enjoy complimentary local beer, wine and light bites from the new menu.

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
Hermès promised, and delivered to Miami, “A Journey into the Extraordinary” for its third A Man’s World  event – previously in Beijing and Paris – an art-fashion happening on May 31 – a party, like none the Magic City has ever seen, filled with multi-sensory experiences and illusions designed to deeply penetrate, and somewhat overwhelm one’s senses.  Over 600 guests were in town for the unprecedented event that took place at the iconic Moore Building, the 1921 architectural monument of Miami’s Design District, a few doors down from the Hermès boutique – utilizing the building’s fascinating interior structure as a backdrop for 11 human-experience art installations that allowed audiences to connect to each one. Read the rest here »