Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On March - 8 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
Executive Retail Shops brought global glamour to the waterfront at Casa Neos for the second annual World of Wonder, transforming the venue into a series of immersive destinations celebrating the future of luxury travel retail.
More than 320 guests attended the evening of curated experiences featuring premium spirits, fragrance and indulgent sweets. Among the crowd were Bravo personalities Erin Lichy and Abe Lichy alongside Miami’s own Kiki Barth, creating a lively Bravo crossover moment.
The trio made their way through the evening’s installations — posing for photos at the Mediterranean-inspired Vespa scene, trying their luck at the roulette table and eventually taking over the DJ booth as Abe spun music for the crowd. Later, he stepped behind the bar to pour tastings of his mezcal brand, Mezcalum.
Erin Lichy & Kiki Barth
Guests explored immersive environments inspired by global destinations. Spirit of the Sea transported attendees to the Mediterranean with coastal décor, a vintage Vespa photo moment and a vibrant Mediterranean buffet. Nearby, House of Smoke recreated the energy of Old Havana where guests enjoyed Old Fashioneds by Angel’s Envy and premium pours including Rémy XO, Gold Bar and Johnnie Walker Blue while gathering around the roulette table.
Michael and Mary Jo Shore
The evening concluded at Le Salon Sucré, a Parisian-style confectionery lounge serving flambé desserts alongside espresso martinis made with Bacardi’s Patrón XO Café and Licor 43 Carajillos provided by Monarq.
Throughout the evening, guests also sampled Dom Pérignon, Teremana Tequila, Hendrick’s Gin, Zacapa No. 23 and Rémy Martin 1738, while a Jägermeister Cold Brew station served chilled coffee cocktails. A high-energy fire performer became one of the most Instagrammable moments of the night, while live music from Miami artist Riamonae and her band kept the waterfront venue buzzing.
World of Wonder brought together tastemakers, industry leaders and media to experience Executive Retail Shops’ vision for the future of travel retail — rooted in storytelling, discovery and elevated experiences for private aviation travelers.
For more information, visit executiveretailshops.com.
Posted by Maryanne Salvat On March - 8 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
Carnaval on the Mile returns March 7–8, 2026, transforming Miracle Mile into a vibrant, mile-long celebration of music, art, and culture. Presented by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, the free outdoor event features three live concert stages with international and award-winning performers, a curated showcase of fine art, crafts, photography, and jewelry, and a variety of culinary experiences. Families can also enjoy the Kidz Nook presented by Academica, offering interactive programming and the inaugural Carnaval Miami Greatest Kids Show.
Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On March - 7 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
Giotto Maestro della Pizza has been considered one of Miami Beach’s most cherished Italian destinations by locals and tourists alike. For over a decade, Giotto has been known for its commitment to traditional Italian cuisine and warm, family-driven hospitality.
True to its name—Giotto Maestro della Pizza, meaning “Giotto, Master of the Pizza”—the restaurant reflects a deep dedication to the craft of traditional pizza-making. Originally a humble neighborhood pizzeria, the restaurant was thoughtfully elevated in 2019 when Silvia Accatino and her son, Giovanni Moretti, moved from Torino, Italy to take over the space. They preserved the restaurant’s neighborhood charm while infusing it with their culinary heritage and focus on authenticity.
Mother and son partners: Silvia Accatino and Giovanni Moretti
“We’ve always believed Italian dining doesn’t have to be formal or expensive to be meaningful,” says Giovanni Moretti. “We wanted to show the South Beach community that authenticity comes from tradition, hospitality, and quality—not from formality or flash.”
Central to this vision is Silvia Accatino, Giovanni’s mother, who oversees the culinary program and brings generations of family recipes to life. Her hands-on approach ensures each dish reflects the nuances and techniques passed down through generations.
“Authentic Italian dining is about far more than the recipes on paper,” Silvia says. “It’s in the small gestures, the techniques, and the care passed down through generations. Every family has its own touch—which makes every dish completely unique.”
We were delighted by Silvia’s warmth and hospitality as she shared the care she takes in selecting the beautifully colored plates, tiles, and décor throughout the restaurant. She was so enchanting that we would have loved for her to sit down and share a meal with us.
The menu offers a comprehensive journey through Italian cuisine, from over a dozen pizzas like Capricciosa, Sfiziosa and our favorite, Truffle Marbella, to carefully selected pastas and signature kitchen favorites. Silvia prepares Giotto’s lasagna, which takes two full days to make; one of the best eggplant parms we’ve ever tasted, and all desserts from scratch, including tiramisu, ensuring every dish carries the authenticity, care, and warmth that define the restaurant.
Giotto also offers beer, wine, and spritz selections, perfect for pairing with any meal. Guests can enjoy happy hour Monday–Saturday, featuring specialty-priced bites alongside beer, wine, and spritzes. On Tuesdays, the restaurant highlights a Margherita pizza special for only $10, adding another reason to gather with friends or family midweek.
With just 35 seats, Giotto’s intimate setting fosters a sense of familiarity between guests and staff, creating an atmosphere more akin to an Italian home than a restaurant. Reservations are available by phone only, emphasizing the personal connection with the local community.
Giotto is available for private events, offering both indoor and outdoor seating during business hours or after hours, making it ideal for intimate gatherings, celebrations, and culinary experiences.
Since Silvia and Giovanni took over, Giotto has become a bridge between Italy’s rich culinary heritage and South Beach’s vibrant local community. It remains a unique place in a dynamic city where quality and authenticity are requisite to a restaurant’s longstanding success.
For more information, visit: https://giottomaestrodellapizza.com
Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On March - 2 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
Ocean Drive recently got a little louder — and a lot more flavorful. Michelle Bernstein and husband/hospitality partner David Martinez have officially opened La Cañita Miami Beach at 1200 Ocean Drive in the heart of the Art Deco District. The duo — also behind Miami favorites Café La Trova, Sra. Martínez and Sweet Liberty — bring their signature Cuban-Caribbean energy to South Beach. Already a hit at Bayside Marketplace and Kendall, the South Beach outpost turns up the volume with live Cuban music, vibrant interiors by Nicolette Bernstein, and a rum-forward bar that feels like a sun-drenched island escape.
La Cañita was born from the partners’ dreams of bringing together Cuban music, Cuban-Caribbean food and lifestyle, as well as a love and appreciation of rum culture. La Cañita means “little sugarcane,” the plant whose distillation creates the delicious spirit that La Cañita proudly features and the heart and soul of the restaurant. It’s an homage to the spirit that defines the bar program and the Caribbean lifestyle that inspires the menu. Drawing flavors from Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Puerto Rico and beyond, the restaurant blends Bernstein’s award-winning cuisine with a lively, music-filled atmosphere that preserves Miami’s rich Latin-Caribbean influences.
Under Bernstein’s direction, La Cañita Miami Beach offers a dynamic and vibrant menu for lunch and dinner, including handhelds, snacks, Caribbean classics and South Florida signatures.
Croquetas from Heaven
Let’s begin with the Serrano ham croquetas- golden, crisp, impossibly creamy — easily the best in Miami. They’re the kind of bite that stops the table mid-conversation and makes you order another couple of rounds. The shrimp scampi croquetas are a close runner up. The menu travels through Caribbean classics, from conch fritters dusted in sweet cayenne to, empanadas, a wahoo fish dip, lechón asado with mojo and Michelle’s nostalgic arroz con pollo. It’s vibrant, supremely flavorful and unmistakably Miami.
Behind the 40-seat bar, more than 100 rums fuel mojitos in multiple variations and bold house cocktails, but the espresso martini quietly steals the spotlight — rich, frothy, and one of the best on Miami Beach.
The live, full- piece Cuban band is outstanding. Talented Cuban musicians turn dinner into a dance floor nightly, filling the room — and spilling onto the sidewalk — with irresistible rhythm. Grab a sidewalk table and you’ve got prime views of Miami Beach: palm trees swaying, turquoise waves, and Ocean Drive buzzing around you.
“In Miami, the islands aren’t offshore, they’re in our hearts, our kitchens, our rum glasses. Island heritage dining taught us that warmth isn’t just in the weather, it’s in the welcome. Every meal is an invitation to feel at home, no matter where you come from,” says Bernstein. “We are so excited to make our mark on Ocean Drive, the Art Deco icon of South Florida, and create a new home for both locals and visitors to the beach.”
It comes as no surprise that at this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Michelle Bernstein was honored at the Tribute Dinner, recognizing her trailblazing impact on Latin-inspired cuisine and her role as one of Miami’s most influential culinary voices, her legacy as a James Beard Award–winning chef and champion of South Florida’s culinary scene. The standing ovation underscored her lasting impact on the industry, her mentorship of rising talent, and her role in shaping the very spirit of SOBEWFF.
La Cañita Miami Beach is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from noon to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from noon to 2 a.m. Daily happy hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with a reverse happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit LaCanitaMiami.com or book via OpenTable. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook at @lacanitamiami and @lacanitabeach for live music schedules, happy hour updates, and upcoming events.
Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On February - 26 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
Some exhibitions are meant to be viewed. This one must be experienced.
After commanding reverence in Milan’s Palazzo Reale, Paris’s Grand Palais, and Rome’s Palazzo delle Esposizioni, From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana arrives at ICA Miami not as a traveling show — but as a consecration.
Curated by Florence Müller — one of the most respected voices in global fashion curation — this exhibition is less about garments and more about legacy. Müller, a graduate of the École du Louvre and former curator at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, has orchestrated more than 150 exhibitions worldwide. She does not curate fashion; she contextualizes it within civilization.
And here, she does so with first-hand intimacy. Müller has followed Dolce & Gabbana across decades of Alta Moda presentations — standing inside Sicilian cathedrals, along Venetian canals, within Roman ruins — witnessing not just the runway, but the ritual. She understands the ateliers — the expert hands that cut, stitch, drape, bead, and revive techniques that might otherwise vanish.
As Müller observes: “I believe Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are among the couturiers most inspired by Italian culture and art, and those who represent it most faithfully… the exhibition demonstrates one thing: that the past is not dead.”
The title itself is literal: ideas born in the heart, realized by the hands. Over 300 Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria, and Alta Gioielleria pieces unfold across immersive chapters, where the experience is total. Each gallery features its own custom soundtrack and signature scent, enveloping the visitor in an olfactory and auditory map of Italy.
The “Devotion” Hallway: A Pilgrimage of Craft
The “Devotion” room serves as the exhibition’s spiritual anchor, meticulously recreating the high drama of the 2022 Alta Moda show in Syracuse, Sicily. To experience it is to walk a long, narrow gallery carpeted in vibrant papal yellow, an architectural echo of the Piazza del Duomo where the collection first debuted.
The air here is heavy with the scent of sacred incense, while a grand projection brings the ritual to life: a solemn, theatrical procession of “cardinals” in crimson vestments and figures representing Mary and Jesus moving to the haunting strains of Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. On the opposing wall, the garments stand like icons — sculptural gold jackets adorned with 3D-molded cherubs, “tabernacle” coats encrusted in jewels, and black lace veils that honor the Sorrowful Mother. This corridor pulls the viewer forward, transforming a fashion display into a pilgrimage that leads, inevitably, toward a shimmering golden altar.
A World of Influence
The journey continues through the layers of the Italian soul. There is Sicily — not as cliché, but as bloodline. Ceramic motifs from Caltagirone and the painted heroics of Sicilian carts are reborn in sculptural coats. Rome appears not as backdrop but as empire; papal mantles shimmer in metallic embroidery while vestal silhouettes glide in white silk moiré. Venice glitters in Murano glass and Byzantine mosaics, reflected infinitely in mirrored rooms.
And then there is The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), directed by Luchino Visconti. The masterpiece becomes both metaphor and muse — tradition surrendering to modernity. The ballroom scene flickers across mirrored walls to the swell of Nino Rota’s original score, while Alta Moda gowns shimmer beneath.
The Opera Gallery: The Grand Finale
The journey culminates in a gallery where fashion surrenders entirely to the stage. Curated as a reimagined Italian opera house, the space is enveloped in crimson velvet and gold-leaf molding, echoing the grandeur of Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
Here, Müller displays the Milano Opera Collection, where the designers act as conductors of silk and organza. Voluminous capes and gowns are dedicated to the heroines of Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini — from the tragic fragility of La Traviata to the fierce exoticism of Turandot. The air is filled with the aroma of vintage theater wood and velvet, as iconic arias pull the viewer into the dramma all’italiana.
A Legacy Preserved
What Müller accomplishes at ICA Miami is significant. She places Dolce & Gabbana not inside the fashion calendar — but inside cultural history. Architecture, Renaissance painting, Catholic iconography, folklore, artisan guilds — all converging into garments that feel less worn than inherited.
And Miami — bold, baroque, unapologetically sensual — understands this language.
Florence Müller
This exhibition is not about trend. It is about devotion. To craft. To region. To memory. To beauty so deliberate it feels sacred. In a fashion landscape chasing speed, Dolce & Gabbana choose permanence. In a culture obsessed with disruption, they choose preservation.
Maryanne Salvat and Mary Jo Shore with Domenico Dolce
From the heart to the hands — and now, from Italy to Miami — where spectacle meets reverence and craftsmanship becomes destiny. From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana is not just about fashion — it is about legacy.
Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On February - 18 - 2026ADD COMMENTS
The 62nd Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival, presented by First Horizon Bank, closed Presidents’ Day weekend with record-breaking sales, national attention, and collector momentum that reaffirmed its standing as one of the country’s most respected outdoor art events.
James Almeida, Dr. Marisel Almeida, Avery Almeida, Alexandra Almeida, Dr, Mary Jo Shore, Aaron Almeida, Max Shore
Fresh Talent, Powerful Sales
Forty percent of this year’s exhibiting artists were new to the festival, bringing fresh perspective and energy to the waterfront showcase. Across all three days, buying remained strong, with 95 percent of participating artists reporting they were very happy with their sales.
The weekend’s defining milestone was the official commemorative poster by Kenneth Kudulis. Sales reached an unprecedented $40,000, more than doubling the previous three-day average of $16,000. All proceeds directly support year-round art scholarships, funding access to arts education for emerging artists. Kudulis’ work now stands as the most successful poster in the festival’s six-decade history.
Kenneth Kudulis with his poster art
The festival’s influence extended beyond South Florida. The Mayor of Beverly Hills attended the event and met with Executive Director Camille Marchese to gain insight into the Grove’s sustainable, artist-centered model — a clear sign of the festival’s growing national stature.
Festival Winners
Molly Magwire www.Magwireart.com
Awards were presented in signature Grove fashion: executive leadership and board members traveled booth to booth in golf carts, bagpipers in tow, personally congratulating each winner to the applause of festivalgoers.
Best in Show was awarded to Nathalia Toledo Barcia (Painting/Clay), who earned a perfect score of 30 from the judges along with a $5,000 prize.
Gold Ribbon recipients included Bobby Goldsmith (Drawing), Cali Hobgood (Photography), Carrie Pearce (Painting), Christopher Buonomo (Sculpture), Helen Gotlib (Printmaking), James Pearce (Wood), Kenneth Kudulis (Digital Art), Michael Hayes (Glass), Olga Nenazhivina (Drawing), and Oliver Hampel (Jewelry).
Best in Show went to Nathalia Toledo Barcia seen here with some of the judges, Exec. Director &members of CGAF Board
An additional 35 artists received Silver and Bronze ribbons and automatic invitations to return next year.
Beyond the Canvas
For the fifth consecutive year, Miami-based Loud And Live produced the festival, continuing its transformation through expanded programming and elevated guest experiences.
María José Acosta-Almeida, Maryanne Salvat, Mary Jo Shore
L to R: Pam Mayer, Nathan Kurland, Paul Tilton, Andrea Clavel (First Horizon Bank), Camille Marchese
At The Stacks, presented by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, street artists transformed industrial shipping containers into bold works of art, including the striking “Mi Gente” mural by Carlos Solano and Paulina Guajardo. The space also served as a performance stage featuring KerreKe and Venezuelan-American violinist Daniela Padrón’s Latin GRAMMY®-winning Joropango, alongside programming from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
A Cultural Cornerstone
Produced annually over Presidents’ Day weekend, the festival features 285 juried artists along Coconut Grove’s scenic bayfront streets. Managed by the Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association and supported by Miami-Dade County’s Department of Cultural Affairs, proceeds fund impactful year-round initiatives including scholarships for Florida International University and Miami-Dade high school students, the Visiting Artists Program, and the Next Generation Emerging Artist Program.
With record sales, national recognition, and unwavering community support, the 62nd Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival once again solidified its role as a defining force on South Florida’s cultural calendar and a powerful champion for artists and arts education.
