Reggie Bush and DJ Irie

 By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

It was time to get together, take some time to celebrate: in between frantic trips to the mall, egg nog overdoses and merriment galore.  A couple of terrific parties took place on South Beach, during an otherwise slow party week.  From the Irie Foundation bash to the Little Lighthouse’s swank toy drive cocktail, the week of “Christma-kkah” shone bright with the spirit of giving.

Irie Foundation Helps Kids

Our own favorite Miami Heat DJ, Irie, a celebrity in his own right and an all-around-great guy, threw a holiday bash in a waterfront manse on Indian Creek to benefit the Irie Foundation which seeks to improve the lives of South Florida’s disadvantaged youth through educational and extracurricular opportunities.

The party was co-produced by Ludus, a local athletic company/lifestyle apparel brand, in a setting to rival Santa’s Enchanted Forest in terms of lights, decorations, props and surprises- we’re talking carolers, Santa; and models (barely) dressed as toy soldiers, elves, nutcrackers and characters from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas.  Read the rest here »

Over the weekend, Young Jeezy stopped by Philippe Chow Miami just before closing time, causing Chef Philippe Chow to stay well after the restaurant closed to cook for him and his large group. Larry Johnson was also there, at a different table, with Sidney Rice. Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing were also spotted at the bar having cocktails with Philippe Chow’s CEO Stratis Morfogen.

Just before Christmas, Brett Ratner dined at the Forge with a guest.  The following day, Mean Girls’ actor Jonathan Bennett in town to spend time with his family, was seen at the Forge enjoying signature dishes.

Late on Christmas night, after their loss to the Knicks, the Celtics landed in Miami and headed straight from the airport to Philippe Chow Miami where Chow cooked for the entire team (over 150 chicken satays, lobster with ginger and crispy beef) in the private wine cellar where Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neill and the rest of the team watched the Golden State game until after closing.

Comedian, Gilbert Gottfried performed at Ricochet on Monday.

Scotty and Larsa Pippen attended TAI Entertainment’s Tuesday night party at the Shelborne along with a few hundred locals.

Resting at the Raleigh

As any “Baselite” will confess, short breaks are the life-blood of a successful Basel week.  The Raleigh hotel provided such respite from the art madness at the Architectural Digest sponsored lounge in the back Oasis area. During the afternoons of Friday December 2 and Saturday, December 3, special guests flocked to the Oasis to sip Macallan, which was poured from a specially branded bar and enjoy art, food, cocktails, music and spa treatments. Read the rest here »

By: Maryanne Salvat 

Super Chef Geoffrey Zakarian Celebrates at the Tudor House 

Food Network’s ultimate culinary battle officially ended last Sunday when Tudor House’s Chef & Partner Geoffrey Zakarian conquered Elizabeth Faulkner in the exciting holiday-themed finale of The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs. Tudor House is celebrating the victory with specials drawn from Zakarian’s “Next Iron Chef” creations.  These include an amuse bouche of Halibut Crudo with Coconut, Lime and Olive Oil, Truffle Scramble Eggs ($28) and Caramel Pork Belly with Artichokes Bariguole ($24). All of these dishes will be available through December 31. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s first foray into battle as an Iron Chef will premiere on Sunday, December 25, at 9pm ET/PT.

Zakarian’s restaurants include Tudor House in Miami and The Lambs Club and The National in New York City.  He also oversees the dining program at The Water Club in Atlantic City.  He will now appear regularly on “Iron Chef America,” demonstrating his razor-sharp knowledge of culinary techniques in this fast-paced cooking competition.  When not battling in kitchen stadium, Zakarian stays busy filming “CHOPPED”, where he is featured as a recurring judge, and highlights his favorite dishes on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” For reservations or more information, visit www.tudorhousemiami.com or call 305.534.8455. 

Digest Miami Holiday Survival Guide

Digest Miami is celebrating the holidays with the Digest Miami Holiday Survival Guide, composed of mouth watering holiday dishes from some of the city’s leading chefs. Specially created for the Holiday season, this extensive collection features recipes from twelve Chefs, many of whom are James Beard winners or nominees. Since the introduction of Digest Miami, it has garnered the interest of the best Chefs in South Florida and now allows you to step into the kitchen of some of our favorite restaurants. The Survival guide is a comprehensive step-by-step resource for anyone wanting to create the perfect holiday meal, from appetizers like Chef Michael Shikany’s Foie Terrine, to main courses like Paula DaSilva’s Rack of Lamb and Peter Vauthy’s Standing Rib Roast. The menu also includes side dishes like Chef Paul Griffin’s Asparagus Al Forno, Chef Michelle Bernstein’s Patatas Bravas and Chef Dana Brizee’s Truffle Mac & Cheese. And to add a bit of decadence we’ve included desserts such as Chef Antonio Bachour’s Panna Cotta and Chef Miguel Aguilar’s Bread Pudding. Specialty cocktails from Morton’s Steakhouse and Wynwood Kitchen complete the menu. For more information about DIGEST MIAMI, visit www.digestmiami.com or contact Nick Betancourt | 786-287-1725 | Nick.Betancourt@yahoo.com or Tima Zein | 305-752-9400 | press@digestmiami.com. 

Arquiste:  The Debut Fragrances 

A scent is a time capsule. It can invoke our most intimate memories and dreams, and open doors to distant worlds. Created by an architect specializing in Historic Preservation, Arquiste is a fragrance collection that transports the wearer to evocative moments in history. Meticulously researched using authentic sources and crafted with only the rarest of ingredients, each fragrance restores the olfactive experience of a particular time and place, allowing both women and men to unlock personal revelations and experience history in a most intimate way. Available at The Webster Miami priced from $165.

MatzoBall® at LIV 

A holiday in its own right, the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, JDate and SLEEK MedSpa bring back the MatzoBall® on Saturday, December 24. Celebrating 25 years, the high-energy event starts at 8 p.m. at Miami’s own LIV (you must be 21 or older to attend). Adding to the party-frenzy, for the first time ever, the MatzoBall has spawned a sister party, The Big Chill, geared towards the 25 and older crowd, which will take place at Arkadia. Tickets to each event are available for advanced purchase online at www.matzoball.org or at the door – cash only for $30. A group ticket granted access to both MatzoBall and The Big Chill is available online only for $50.

December Spirited Dinner with Revolucion Tequila

In presenting Miami’s hottest monthly series, Mercadito Midtown is pleased to feature Revolucion Tequila for the last spirited dinner of the year on Wednesday, December 28 at 8:30 p.m. Throughout the evening, Chef/Partner Patricio Sandoval will present four gourmet, sharing courses – all prepared using Revolucion Tequila. Cocktails created by the award-winning Tippling Bros. will also showcase the spirit, and will be paired with several courses. The cost is $45 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity). Mercadito’s expert culinary team, as well as a Revolucion ambassador, will be on hand to answer any questions. Visit www.mercaditorestaurants.com/midtown to view the menu.

Max Shore, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Rocco Shore

 We were thrilled to meet Chef Geoffrey Zakarian– winner of Iron Chef Super Chefs last Sunday, during brunch at his South Beach restaurant, the Tudor House, housed in the Dream Hotel.  Zakarian was welcoming and posed for photos with guests who enjoyed stellar menu items including:   truffle scrambled eggs, spaghetti and meatballs, stone crabs, a perfect frittata and selections from the dessert cart dubbed the “dessert dim sum cart.”  Every single bite was as delightful as the chef/owner himself.  Also in attendance for Sunday brunch (which is also served on Saturdays) were South Beach Wine and Food Festival founder, Lee Brian Schrager and famed DJs, Andrew and Andrew.

Also at the Dream Hotel, is Highbar, where nearly 1,000 people attended Playboy’s Soiree D’Art, which transitioned into Nur Khan’s pop-up lounge, Electric Room.  Notable guests in attendance included: supermodel May Andersen, designers Dean and Dan Caten, Dallas socialite Matt Nordgren, Mercedes Kilmer, Fabiola Beracasa and several well-known artists. 

Chef Aaron Sanchez of Food Network’s hit series, Chopped and Heat Seekers, dined at Sugarcane raw bar grill a few days ago. The young TV star chatted with executive chef Timon Balloo, who made Sanchez try his chicken neck dish. Sanchez said he had a great time and loved everything he tasted. Also at the Midtown hotspot Tuesday was artist Romero Britto who ate, drank and relaxed on the sidewalk café for a few hours. 

At Sushi Samba Dromo on Saturday, Alex Rodriguez stopped by for casual lunch. The baseball star, who was by himself, frequents the restaurant and is reportedly consistently friendly and polite to staff. 

Actress Jane Seymour, designers Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, Vincenzo Avanzato, Lars Bolander, Tamzin Greenhill, Wade Allyn Hallock, Larry Laslo, Lynda Murray, Mario Nievera & Keith Williams, James Wall, and Deborah Wecselman joined ELLE Decor editor-in-chief Michael Boodro for the grand opening event of the ELLE Décor Showhouse at the Paramount Hotel on December 2. 

Also on December 2, Dean & Dan Caten, designers of DSQUARED², and Stephen Gan, Editor-In-Chief of VMAN magazine, hosted a private cocktail dinner at the Webster.  Attendees included: Cecilia Dean, Renzo Rosso, Naomi Campbell, Bruce Weber, Dwyane Wade, Gina Gerson, Lily Donaldson, Stella Schnabel, Eva Chow, Leigh Lezark, Greg Krelestein, Geordon Nichol, Derek Blasberg, Ladyfag, Laure Heriard Dubreuil, Lady Victoria Hervey, Maurizio Marcolin, Andres Velencoso, and, Miguel Iglesias.  Guests styled in DSQUARED2: Stella Schnabel, Lady Victoria Hervery, Ladyfag, Jilian Sanz, and Miguel Iglesias. 

The White Cube party at the Soho Beach House had its fair share of fabulous people on November 29. Guests included Damien Hirst, Angel Otero, Giovanna Battaglia, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, Alessandra Codinha, Antony Genn, Casey Fremont, Jeremy Kost, Vikram Chatwal, Jazzy de Lisser, and Harif Guzman.

Architect-turned-designer John Brevard recently unveiled his premiere jewelry collection and a sneak preview of the highly anticipated John Brevard 2012 Shoe Line, featuring the “Dripping Shoe” from the Morphogen series.  Guests in attendance included Victoria’s Secret and Christian Dior model Marta Lynchnuk, model Karina Gubanova, owner of BLO Blow Dry Bar Kailey Magder, Paola Rengifo of la Design Studio. 

Janet Jackson dined at Zuma after her concert on Monday night.

Michael Jordan was spotted at STK over the weekend.

Adrienne Williams, Chris Bosh, and Gabrielle Anwar

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

So here it is- part two of the great, the better and the even better of Art Basel, the one week love-fest that celebrates the social side of art.  And what better side is there, after all? 

Interview and Ferrari Party 

Interview magazine’s Peter M. Brant and Sotheby’s Tobias Meyer, took over the cutting edge parking garage at 1111 Lincoln Road, bathing it in red light, in honor of Ferrari’s Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, for one of the hottest parties of Basel week on Tuesday, November 29.  Ferrari filled 6 floors of the garage, with rare vintage and concept cars, including the new Ferrari 458 Spider which was unveiled at the party, as was the 3D film by Marco Brambilia, RPM.

Hundreds of A-listers, from around the globe donned Ferrari-red Pashminas which they received upon arrival to the party for protection against the chilly weather.  Le Basque catering provided signature bites while guests admired the cars and danced to music spun by Solange Knowles. Late in the evening, R&B star Janelle Monae, wearing her signature tuxedo and bouffant hair-do, gave a surprise performance onstage with her band. Read the rest here »