Rachael Ray and Tricia Johnson at Amstel Light Burger Bash

 Romero Britto and Ingrid Hoffman were each spotted at Mondrian South Beach Wednesday night – the two were at the hotel for separate, private events. The artist attended a private dinner with Bank of America executives while the chef and TV personality was the guest of honor at the BlackBerry Fan Night event attended by several of the brand’s top Miami fans. Guests were invited to delight in cocktails and tapas prepared by Asia de Cuba Executive Sous Chef Nicolas Walker while experimenting with the BlackBerry Playbook tablet’s cutting edge capabilities.  

Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the famous shoe designer, who owns Il Borro wines, hosted an exclusive wine tasting at Rachel Dominguez’s restaurant, The Dome Restaurant & Caviar Bar on Tuesday night. 

During the week Serendipity 3 on Lincoln Road had many surprise guests enjoying their renowned Frozen Hot Chocolate. First up,” Vanilla Ice Ice Baby” Robert Van Winkle was spotted enjoying chilly beverage along with a Cake Martini.  Also famed Chicago Chef and restaurateur Charlie Trotter and wife Rochelle indulged in the tasty treat; Food Network Star Rachael Ray and Tricia Johnson stopped by the Serendipity 3 pop-up counter at Burger Bash getting their brain freeze on with some of the chocolate deliciousness. 

“Ice” Van Winkle also dined at SUSHISAMBA dromo along with Chef-lebrity Guy Fieri.  The group celebrated the annual Brazilian Carnaval celebration. Fieri returned the following night with Food Network great, Emeril Lagasse, mentioning to manager Maxi Silva that had brought his friends to his favorite place BAM! Guy Fieri also joined the Mardi Gras celebration at WALL’s installment of Favela Beach Tuesday. 

Cleveland Cavaliers, Andreas Varejao and Anthony Parker were spotted at The Rooftop at The Perry South Beach. New Orleans Saints, Pierre Thomas and Lance Moore Soul Trained their way into the hearts of the ladies by the DJ booth;  The duo made Pretty Ricky’s “Grind on Me” the anthem of the day. 

Gary Nader welcomed renowned dancer, actor and photographer Mikhail Baryshnikovto Miami for his first solo photography

Gary Nader, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gloria, and Emilio Estefan

exhibition, “Dance This Way” on Thursday, February 23. Other invited guests included:  Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Romero Britto. Also in attendance were Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program Founder & President, Jennifer Valoppi and Board Member Karen Piazza, as well as Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho. 

Film star and wine enthusiast Antonia Banderas introduced Anta Banderas Wines at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. 

Will Ferrell dined at Edge, Steak & Bar on Wednesday evening. The comedic master is in town for the South Beach comedy festival.

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 here »

It Girl Expo at SOHO Studios

Lori Riviere and Maria Maloof, the ultimate It Girls and founders of the It Girl Group, bring together South Florida fashion aficionados and stylish senoritas for not one, but two nights of not-to-be missed shopping and fun with the 2012 It Girl Spring Shopping Expo on Wednesday, February 29and Thursday, March 1, at SOHO Studios in Miami’s Wynwood Art District. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for VIP. A VIP ticket grants early entry into the It Girl Expo as well as goody bag of products to further enhance it girl status. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.itgirlexpo.com.

Iran Issa-Kahn Exhibit at ARTEAMERICAS

On Friday, March 2, join ARTEAMERICAS and Iran Issa-Kahn for a preview party celebrating the famed photographer’s newest exhibit at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Issa-Kahn will signing her book, a long awaited collection of the artists’ photographs, on Saturday March 3, between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule for ARTEAMERICAS 2012, visit www.arteamercas.com.

Poolside Shopping and Deals

GUYandGIRL Boutique presents a pool-side pop up shop located at the Shelborne Hotel and Resort this Saturday, March 3. Guests will enjoy complimentary rose while shopping top brands including J Brand, Tom Ford and GUYandGirl Boutique’s Private Label. The shopping event begins at 11:00 a.m. at Ricky’s Brunch and Day Party.

If you’re headed to Aventura, venture to Desigual, the multicolored clothing line from Barcelona, Spain.  Shoppers will receive a one day only Friends and Family shopping exclusive, 25% off purchase! Enjoy drinks, light bites, and music from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 3; join the Desigual fan page on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Taraink.

DALI Miami

Aficionados of the acclaimed and equally flamboyant surrealist artist Salvador Dali will, for the first time in South Florida, have an extraordinary opportunity to view an extensive collection of work, Wednesday, March 7 through Sunday, March 11 when DALI MIAMI will bring more than 200 works of his expansive artistic repertoire to the Design District’s iconic Moore Building.

DALI MIAMI is being produced by Nick Betancourt and Michael Rosen, president and CEO of Colored Thumb, a driving force behind many of the area’s top art exhibits including Art Basel, Art Expo, and RedDot Fair. Curator of the show is Reed V. Horth President and curator of Robin Rile Fine Art, a specialist in Dali’s prodigious output, who will be providing the original paintings, drawings, lithographs, photographs and marquis sculptures from the master, valued at approximately $8 million. Among these treasures will be Dali’s seminal bronze “Venus de Milo with Drawers” (1964- 114cm), the gouache original “Spring Rain” (1949), the full set of “Dix Recette d’Immoralité” (1973), the rare original intaglio “The Grasshopper Child” (1934), and his Daum glass masterpiece “Montre Molle” (1971), depicting his quintessential melting clock. Taking his vision for a provocative exhibit one step further, Rosen has arranged for a continuous showing of the 1929 film, “Un Chien Andalou,” the iconic 17-minute French surrealist film in which Dali collaborated with friend and director Luis Buñuel. This graphic work explores the destructive elements of the psyche. The film clearly expresses pure surrealism and its relationship to the unconscious. Dali Miami has also secured celebrity chef Adrianne Calvo for the opening night reception who will recreate recipes inspired by Dali’s Cook Book. Since opening “Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard and Wine Bar in South West Miami, Calvo appears on The Food Networks “Chopped” and NBC’s ‘South Florida Today”, among other projects, Calvo is the author of a cookbook collection, “Maximum Flavor,” has for several years participated in the South Beach Food and Wine Festival and has been featured on The Food Network’s original series, “Chopped.”  DALI MIAMI will be open to the public Wednesday, March 7 through Sunday, March 11 at The Moore Building.  General Admission is $ 25 and VIP tickets are $90 with a preview VIP reception March 7^th where they will be filming an episode of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Miami”. Tickets and further information is available at www.dalimiami.com.

The Betsy Presents Pocket Guide To Miami Architecture

The Betsy- South Beach will host an exhibition and book signing reception to honor the release of the Pocket Guide To Miami Architecture (W.W. Norton, $24.95) with author Judith Paine McBrien and illustrator John F. DeSalvo, on Thursday, March 8 at 8PM. An illustration of The Betsy’s façade is included in the book and will be on display along with drawings of many other local buildings. The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 305-760-6902 or visit www.thebetsyhotel.com.

American Fine Wine Competition Continues

Join the Fifth Anniversary of the American Fine Wine Competition as it continues with a unique array of events benefiting local charities and promoting American wines. Recently, the AFWC conducted a competition with 635 wines from wineries across America on Thursday, March 8. The winning wines concluded with 12 wines winning medals for Best of Class and Best of Show. The next event at Allied Kitchen & Bath in Fort Lauderdale will provide guests with an opportunity to taste some of the wines from the recent competition, meet this year’s judges, and peruse AFWC wine booths. Attendees will also have the option to participate in a small silent auction, also benefitting the foundation.  Tickets to the public costs $25 per person; proceeds benefitting the Dan Marino Foundation Vocational College. To purchase tickets contact Joannah at 954-332-5977 or johannah@alliedkb.com. For additional information, regarding the AFWC visit www.americanfinewinecompetition.com or contact Shari Gherman: 561.504.VINE.

Get fresh “produce” at this year’s 11th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival with Flavour Gallery’s latest line-up of five original, festival-inspired designs set to launch during the four-day food frenzy, February 23-26, 2012.
 
A first time collaboration, Flavour Gallery is the official merchandise producer for the Festival with 19 different style variations for men and women.  The special collection, which launches alongside the spring 2012 line, will be available for purchase beachside by the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village and outside the North Venue tents during the evenings.  Tanks, t-shirts and long sleeves will retail between $25 to $40 and will also be available online at www.flavourgallery.com  for pre-order as well as during and following the Festival.

On Friday night, The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar in Miami Beach hosted a surprise birthday party for Michael Jordan.  Upon arrival Jordan was escorted to what he believed would be his table located in the Forge’s Wine Bar. Once in the cellar Jordan was surprised by 30 of his closest family and friends, including Ahmad Rashad and Derek Jeter to celebrate his 49th birthday. In the main dining room, Paula Abdul was in for dinner and a relaxing night. She popped in to surprise Jordan and sang “Happy Birthday” with the group during the cake presentation.  Abdul then led Forge owner, Shareef Malnik back to his table where the entire staff and some friends were waiting to sing to him and wish him a very happy birthday as well.

Retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player Dennis Rodman and former Cincinnati Bengals football player Ki-Jana Carter were on-hand for the Welcome Channel & Sunset Harbour Yacht Club’s (SHYC) huge VIP sunset cocktail party on Wednesday, February 15. 

After enjoying dinner at Baoli Vita during the Love Boat party, (and meeting yours truly), musician Joe Jonas was spotted arriving at WALL on Friday with bodyguards 8 male friends. They hung out at a private VIP table for the majority of the night. At one point Jonas got on the microphone to introduce the DJ and afterwards posed for numerous photos with fans inside the lounge. Jonas was also seen at SET over the weekend.

Saturday night, Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard hosted a group of friends including Quentin Richardson at Philippe Chow Miami’s chef’s table while pro bowl star Dwight Freeney was hosting a Ciroc table nearby

SBWFF was in the air early on Saturday night as celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Giada DeLaurentiis dined at STK. The duo shared a low-key meal with drinks and dessert before being joined by friends. Before leaving, Flay complimented executive chef Aaron Taylor on a perfectly cooked skirt steak. 

Bill Clinton was spotted at Sunday’s Miami Heat game.

Michael Bay celebrated his birthday with a blow-out at LIV over the weekend.

New York Giants heir Alan Tisch lent a helping hand to the DJ at Smac Entertainment’s Sunday Presidents Weekend party at WALL.

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 here »