The “Cinco de Mayo” Run Down

Cafeina and Jose Cuervo present “Subterraneo,” a special Day of the Dead-themed (Mexican national holiday) celebration in honor of Cinco de Mayo. The themed soiree will feature live performances in the garden by Latin rock bands The Spam All Stars and Suenalo, along with beats by DJ A-Train and Mia Moretti in the lounge. The Wynwood hotspot will be transformed into a mysterious villa-Subterraneo, with abundant Marigold flowers, eerie candles, and glow performances throughout the night. Cafeina mixologists will offer reduced price Jose Cuervo cocktails and a specialty $5 menu featuring dishes such as El Muerto, slowly roasted mini pork tacos with Jose Cuervo tequila cream & pico de gallo, Mexico Lindo, homemade tortilla chips with refried beans, guacamole & jalapeno cheese dip, All Saints Beef taquitos with Avocado, sour cream & cilantro, and more. Guests that RSVP will receive a complimentary Jose Cuervo cocktail before 11:30 PM. To RSVP, contact info@cafeinamiami.com or call 305.438.0792.

Burger & Beer Joint in Brickell is throwing a fiesta! The neighborhood hotspot will celebrate the upcoming Mexican holiday with an outdoor food station complete with flat-top grills serving 4 oz. Mexican-inspired burgers. Mouth-watering options include the Fajita Burger, prime Angus beef, sautéed onions, red peppers, jalapeño jack and Pico de Gallo on Ciabatta bread and a Tostada Burger, prime Angus beef, refried beans, shredded cheddar cheese, ranchero salsa and sour cream served on tostada – both options are $6. Drink specials include $7 Margaritas and Mojitos; 5 bottles of Corona, Corona Light or Modelo for $20 and $2 Jose Cuervo Jello Shots. Guest will also enjoy music, piñatas filled with adult goodies and fun costumes. The event will take place at Mary Brickell Village’s courtyard from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. For reservations call 305.523.2244.

Grab your sombrero and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Salsa Fiesta Urban Mexican Grill. The festivities begin at 11a.m. and will include food and drink specials. Patrons can enjoy 2 for 1 Mexican burritos, along with 2 for 1 beers and margaritas all day. Visit www.salsafiestagrill.com for more information.

 Rosa Mexicano, the modern Mexican eatery, will celebrate the triumph of the battle of Puebla, with its 9th Annual Festival. This not-to-be-missed, day-long Mexican party, set to take place at the restaurant’s locations in Mary Brickell Village and Lincoln Road, kicks-off at 11:30 a.m. In addition to the restaurant’s a la carte menu, a special holiday menu will be available during lunch and dinner service, featuring an amazing array of made-to-order, authentic Mexican specialties, prepared with the freshest ingredients available. Starting at 4 p.m., guests who visit the Mary Brickell Village restaurant can enjoy festivities either in the dining room or on the outdoor patio, where a Mexican-style street festival will offer bar specials, food stations featuring the restaurant’s signature guacamole en molcajete served with perfectly crisp chips, and mouth-watering tacos; along with an ice cream cart, serving up an innovative selection of Rosa Mexicano’s house-made ice creams and sorbets, will all be available for purchase.

Haven on Lincoln Road

Haven, an intimate, contemporary food lounge, is set to bring its mix of cutting-edge design, international cuisine and creative cocktails to South Beach’s busiest business district with its opening May 6. The most recent project by hospitality designer and tech-savvy entrepreneur Mike Boles, the new venue at 1237 Lincoln Road will feature state-of-the-art sight and sound installations while still retaining a warmth and accessibility he believes will appeal to both locals and out-of-towners. . For special bookings and advance reservations, call or text the Haven iPhone at 305.987.8885 or visit www.havenlounge.com

Chef Sean Brasel Heads to the Biltmore Hotel  

Chef/Owner Sean Brasel of the glamorous steak house, Meat Market on South Beach takes a trip south to the spectacular Biltmore Hotel for an Interactive Culinary Demonstration on Saturday, May 7, from noon to 2:00 p.m.  Guests will sip Champagne and cook along with chef Brasel as they prepare a splendid lunch at their tables, including Achiote marinated scallops with pineapple-macadamia nut salsa and sweet balsamic glaze; and Pink peppercorn crusted filet mignon medallion with blue crab and frisée mango salad. Cellar Club Members are $52 and non-members and resort guests are $65 per person.  Reservations are required, 305.913.3203 or www.thecellarclub.com.

ArtCenter/South Florida: 9th Annual Winning Art

 ArtCenter/South Florida presents an evening of prizes, cocktails, music and the chance to win fine art from the organization’s 40 professional artists-in-residence. Celebrating the 9th Annual Winning Art!  ArtCenter’s big draw takes place on Saturday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. at 800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.  Wild on South Beach hostess and local celebrity Elaine Lancaster will be the diva emcee, patrons can try their luck on silent auction items including a seven-day cruise and gift certificates from top restaurants, salons and personal trainers.  Cocktails are complimentary, DJ Herbie James will spin soulful, lively beats, and hors d’oeuvres are provided by SUSHISAMBA dromo. Raffle tickets priced at $10, include a chance to bid on an art piece of choice donated by an established or emerging professional resident artist and entrance to the event. Works are on view at www.artcentersf.org and the main gallery until May 8.
 

Fashionably Conscious Fundraiser

 The highly anticipated annual Fashionably Conscious fundraiser, featuring donated designer items from the coveted closets of Miami’s leading socialites—and now CEOs—returns on Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14 at Shops at Mayfair. This year’s expanded host committee includes Raysa Fanjul, Darlene & Jorge Perez, Margarita Codina, Karla Dascal, Laura Buccellati, Brian Ehrlich, Lourdes Jofre-Collett, Mark Ferrari, Amy Hollub, Sue Kronick, Alan Randolph, Debra Scholl, Jolie Souto, Susanna Shubin, Annie Vasquez, Kim Wood, and more. Collections already include items from Prada, Armani, Christian Dior, Emmanuel Ungaro, Jimmy Choo, Trina Turk, Elie Tahari and vintage Besty Johnson, along with a brand new Tricia Fix gown. All clothing and accessories will be on sale to guests at discounted prices, ranging from $1 to $500. The weekend event will kick off with a Friday VIP Preview Sale from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., $25 entrance fee, granting first access to fashions, gift bags and libations sponsored by Peroni. Saturday’s all-day sale, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., has a reduced $10 entrance fee. All proceeds will go directly to fund Coconut Grove Cares’ The Barnyard, which offers free after-school and summer programs for over 250 children, and provides a much-needed safe haven for the West Grove community.  For more information, contact fashionablyconscious@gmail.com for any assistance.

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The seventh annual AMG Miami Beach Polo World Cup– the largest beach polo tournament in the world, brought a whole lot of riding, romping, kicking, rearing, and occasional biting to the sands behind the Setai hotel over the weekend- and we are not only referring to the horseplay. Thousands of polo enthusiasts, gussied in their polo finery, gathered in the VIP tent for four gorgeous days of socializing, sipping Grey Goose cocktails, dancing, and, cheering on their favorite players from around the globe. 

Mercedes-AMG performance brand returned for a second season as title sponsor of the world-class sporting event, which benefitted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami and the National Foundation for Missing and Exploited Children.  Alongside the well-trained thoroughbred horses at the matches, Mercedes-AMG displayed its own brand of “horsepower”- high performance vehicles including the SLS AMG Supersports car and the all-new 2012 CLS63 AMG, with engines designed for peak performance- built for speed, stamina, agility and maneuverability much like that of the polo pony.  Read the rest here »

Miami Heat superstar, Lebron James, stopped by Burger & Beer Joint Brickell for lunch Tuesday accompanied by friends. Teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, are also B&B fans.

Producer, Russell Simmons, and Burn Notice actor, Jeffrey Donovan, hung out barefoot on the couches at the AMG Miami Beach Polo World Cup VIP suite. Simmons was reportedly rooting for the Hublot team, while Donovan said he was backing the AMG-Mercedes team, captained by John Walsh.

New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez was spotted at WALL last Friday, enjoying a guy’s night out with former team mate Jason Ciambi, and three of Ciambi’s team mates.  The group sat at a VIP table and downed three bottles of Grey Goose. Director Michael Bay sat at an adjacent table.

New World Symphony co-founders Michael Tilson Thomas and Lin Arison dined at Quattro on Friday night.

Rakontur’s Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman hosted a private viewing of their new “pot doc” Square Grouper at The Colony Theater. Spotted in the crowd, was Miami Mayoral candidate, Luther Campbell (aka Uncle Luke); UM-turned-NFL star Jeremy Shockey; the Black Tuna Gang’s Robert Platshorn, and the longest incarcerated marijuana prisoner in US history, investigative reporter Mark Potter..

Recent Hall of Famer inductee Dennis Rodman was spotted singing, dancing and feasting on All-U-Can-Eat-Lobster at Kitchen 305’s lobster night at the Newport Beachside Resort and Hotel.  Rodman feasted for 2 hours on lobster and was joined by a couple of friends. Rodman got the party started at the restaurant/lounge and reminded everyone that although there may be a new king of the court, he is still indeed king of the dance floor!

By: Maryanne Salvat

maryannesalvat@aol.com 

Angela Laino at Cafeina

Songstress Angela Laino will stop by Cafeina lounge on Thursday, April 28,  to perform a rendition of her newest soulful tracks. Miami-favorite DJ Contra will perform a closing set, keeping guests at the Wynwood hotspot partying into the early hours. Specials for the evening include $4 beers, tequila and burgers. Party begins at 9 p.m. For table reservations contact 305.438.0792 or visit www.cafeinamiami.com. 

 Lorie Lester Sets The Stage

Join Miami-based fashion designer Lorie Lester on Thursday, April 28, for the debut of her Spring/Summer 2011 Collection with The Beautiful Villains Fashion Show at The Stage Miami, located in the heart of the Design District. Entertainment will include live music by garage rockers Jacuzzi Boys, bites by food truck Ms. Cheezious, specialty cocktails by Zignum Mezcal and Coruba Rum. DJ Haitian Hillbilly will warm up the crowd for the fashion show, which will begin at 11:00 PM.   Doors open at 10:00 p.m. 

WALL Lounge Weekend

Stop by the exclusive WALL lounge this weekend for a healthy mix of decadent debauchery, models and one or more celebrity sightings. The sizzling Miami Heat’s DJ Irie will be in the house on Thursday, April 28, performing a signature mix of hip hop and R&B. DJ SKratchy will play house on Friday, April 29, with a closing set by resident DJ Triarchy. Saturday enjoy beats by DJ Stephan Luke and party until the early hours. For table reservations visit www.wallmiami.com or call 305.938.3130.

A Royal Affair at the National Hotel 

On Friday, April 29, National Hotel Miami Beach will host a royal affair in honor of the much-anticipated marriage of England’s Prince William to fiancée Kate Middleton. Held at The Restaurant and Blues Bar from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., the broadcast viewing party will offer guests the opportunity to watch the festivities on a large projector screen while enjoying a traditional “Full English Breakfast” consisting of fried eggs, English-style sausage, rashers of crispy fried bacon, browned mushrooms, black pudding, a browned half tomato and fried bread. For those who miss the live viewing of the celebrated couple’s “I do’s,” Blues Bar, which will be decked out with floral designs provided by Blooming Design & Events, will continue to loop the footage throughout the day accompanied by Kir Royal cocktails for $6 each. Guests are invited to enjoy the breakfast for $24 (gratuity and cocktails not included), while those who don their best Kate Middleton hat will receive a complimentary Kir Royal. Even better, those who “Get on the List” on the hotel’s Facebook page by noon on Thursday, April 28, will automatically be entered into a drawing for a chance to win the “The Royal Treatment” – a special package in honor of the nuptials consisting of a two-night stay in a luxury suite, complete with breakfast, one dinner and valet parking – to be announced at the viewing party. Valet parking will also be offered at a discounted rate of $10.  For more information, visit www.NationalHotel.com.

Surface Merchants at Cafeina Brunch N’ Bazaar

 The Wynwood Exhibition Center at Cafeina, along with the Michael Margulies Artist Agency, is pleased to announce its latest exhibition, “Lost and Found: freedom in post-graffism”. The show is an artistic debut by the Surface Merchants, comprised of Miami artists Raymond Adrian, Alex Yanes and Daniel Fila. The artists will be on-site for a special “meet & greet” during Cafeina’s Brunch N’ Bazaar on Sunday, May 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to close out the show.  For more information, visit www.marguliesagency.com.

9^th Annual Hats Off Luncheon

Join Tracy Wilson Mourning, founder and visionary of the Honey Shine Mentoring Program, along with hundreds of women leaders, members, sponsors, mentors and volunteers as they come together for the 9th Annual “Hats Off” Luncheon on Tuesday, May 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Jungle Island’s Lakeside Café & Treetop Ballroom. Ladies, grab your favorite hat and enjoy a reception, silent auction, luncheon, and the always- anticipated “Honey Bug” Showcase. Proceeds fund bi-monthly “Aspire to Shine” Workshops as well as Camp Honey Shine, a now six-week summer day camp for more than 120 girls enrolled in the program. The Honey Shine Mentoring Program encourages the balance of mind, body, and soul in girls and women by providing nurturing experiences that enlighten their paths and empower their future.Tickets cost $125 and Honey Shine memberships begin at $250. Parking is available at $4 per car. For more information, visit www.HoneyShine.org.