Photo by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

South Beach saw a miscellany of events last week, including a designer-hosted boutique opening, hip-hop performances, book signings, comedy acts, restaurant launches and even a Chinese New Year. This week promises to be no different, with a fundraiser for our furry friends, the Super Bowl and its requisite parties, and a Marlins preview, not to mention the upcoming Lingerie Miami, featuring supermodels in their bare necessities. It just goes to show you, there is something for everyone in our fair city.

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As the dreamers woke the nation and made history on Tuesday, South Beach marked a milestone of its own and inaugurated a few new venues and ideas that echo our desire for change and reflect the collective hope ever-present in the week’s festivities in Washington and beyond.

Last Friday, A Fish Called Avalon celebrated its 20th anniversary with a South Beach reunion that was a cross between a sexy, swanky Latin nightclub and a 10th grade house party — and by “reunion” we mean everybody you’ve ever met. Ever. Read the rest here »

And this town is no different. We gave up multiple afternoons on the beach to watch the Dolphins win game after game to ultimately earn the AFC East title; cheered on actor and Miami Beach fixture Mickey Rourke as he won the Golden Globe for The Wrestler, and have clocked more than our fair share of time at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which, with its Nov. 14 grand reopening, introduced the world to its $1 billion rebirth.

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“Bone Crusher, Grace and Michael Bay, not necessarily in that order. Photo by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore”

If you are reading this right now, congratulations! You have survived New Year’s. Now it’s time to start breaking all those silly resolutions you made in your drunken stupor. We found that while we were still in recovery from Art Basel, which was just a few weeks ago, New Year’s week dragged us out just about every night, with something fun and fabulous to do, testing our stamina, sanity and livers, and leaving us begging for more … more eye cream, more espresso and more Tylenol.

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“I used to rule the world — seas would rise when I gave the word” springs to mind. So begins Coldplay’s prolific “Viva La Vida,” a song that could have been written about any of the select “rulers” of South Beach past and present. Currently, there is new royal blood on the South Beach throne, in addition to the mainstays — Capponi, the Milons, Siervo, Seikaly, Edwards, Masri, Pooch, Roth, Guerra, Casares and a few others whose names you love to drop. Of course, I’m talking about Jeffrey Soffer, the new ruler of all things Fontainebleau.

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The InterContinental Hotel was transformed into an enchanted forest for the14th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, one of the premier and most well-attended events of the social season.More than 900 A- listers were treated to a night of surprises from the moment they entered the hotel’s lobby, replete with mythical creatures including living tables, talking trees, centaurs, nymphs, and of course, little people, (the new requisite party props), think Narnia meets Neverland. Enormous butterflies of every color hung from the ceiling throughout the lobby and ballroom and there were even fairies swinging from bejeweled swings above the dance floor. Several of the well-heeled guests were surprised while waiting for delicacies from the lavish raw bar, for which this gala is known, to find that one of the columns of the surrounding gazebo, moved or tapped them on the shoulder. During the sumptuous dinner, the gracious and gorgeous reality television personality, Kim Kardashian, emceed the extravagant live auction, the most unusual items of which included a 2009 Aston Martin DBS, an Aspen home rental, a package of 10 Lasik procedures, and a walk-on role on the set of HBO’s Entourage. Charming and adorable cult favorite, Entourage star, Adrian Grenier capped off the gala with a musical performance by his band, The Honeybrothers.

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