Ultra-hip, trendy hotspot, Cafeina, named for its caffeine-infused liquors and specialty cocktails, is our latest, favorite hang-out, located deep in the heart of Wynwood (you won’t find it unless you are consciously looking -we typically use landmarks such as the overturned truck and funky green and red patterned building to know we’re on the right track).

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Cafeina- A much-needed Jolt!
Ultra-hip, trendy hotspot, Cafeina, named for its caffeine-infused liquors and specialty cocktails, is our latest, favorite hang-out, located deep in the heart of Wynwood (you won’t find it unless you are consciously looking -we typically use landmarks such as the overturned truck and funky green and red patterned building to know we’re on the right track).  This boîte reminds us of cozy Nobu on west 57 Street in NYC, with its low lighting, oversized lamps and comfy couches.  We also love the loft and huge outdoor area and the attached art gallery, currently displaying the work of Carlos Alves.

We dragged took a group to Cafeina over the weekend to “enjoy” the arctic weather and the Wynwood Art Walk.  Despite the jokes about the crack-houses and seedy environs, the consensus was that Cafeina rivals any South Beach lounge and that the food blows the competition away!  This is due to the creativity and expertise of the charming, executive chef, Guily Booth, who “wo-mans” the tiny kitchen, creating signature international tapas, including sea bass skewers, mini-madness grilled sandwiches and crab cakes, lauded by Martha Stewart as “the best she’s ever had.” Come to think of it, they’re the best we’ve ever had too.  Booth’s cooking style is as unique as her warm and funny personality.  She will mingle with guests and offer to cook up whatever they are craving- whether or not it’s the menu.  And should you be celebrating a birthday, you may even be surprised by Booth’s original coffee cupcakes.

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If you have glanced at the pages of the Miami Herald, Ocean Drive Magazine, People, Vogue, Rolling Stone, US Weekly, Paper, Socialmiami.com, or the New York Post over the past two decades, chances are you have come across Manny Hernandez’s photos. And if “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder,” then you are lucky if you have been “beheld” by Manny’s eyes and lens. A lens that has captured such beauties as: Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Jennifer Lopez, and Sharon Stone.

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Bibbity, Bobbity, Bubble Q

Sophisticated diners bubbled over at the most gout-worthy event during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Bubble Q. Top Chef Tom Colicchio served as ring master over the circus on the sand that brought South Beach glam to the friendly neighborhood barbecue.Bubble Q’s sexy location, chefs as smokin’ hot as the food and gorgeous people doused in champagne, made for a bash to rival Brazil’s Carnaval.This was the epitome of the true South Beach Diet: limitless, perfectly seared meats and seafood paired with free-flowing PerrierJouët.Now there’s a diet we can commit to!Serving up the food and fun this year were some of our favorite chef-lebs, Marcus Samuelsson, Ilan Hall, Al Roker, Jonathan Eismann, Elizabeth Karmel, and Todd Miller, several of whom guzzled champagne along with the rest of us, just adding to the chaos.During the last hour of Bubble Q, the tent turned into a gigantic ball pool, (like the ones you see at Chuck E. Cheese) wherein the revelers (who had been magically transformed into a bunch of second graders under the spell of Perrier Jouët) joined the chefs and FIU sous chefs, in recklessly hurling the plastic balls that were intended to resemble champagne bubbles, to the chagrin of the DJ, who feared for his equipment.Bubble Q was definitely a chef-lebration we wish we could remember.

The mosh-pit-eating-marathon, otherwise known as the Grand Tasting Village on Saturday and Sunday, offered up hearty helpings of food from all over the nation and chef-lebrity cooking demonstrations and book signings by Martha Stewart, Emeril Legasse, Katie Lee Joel, Rachael Ray, Tom Colicchio, Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, Robin Miller, Masaharu Morimoto, Ingrid Hoffman, Guy Fieri, The Neelys and Michael Symone.On Saturday afternoon, guests uttered a collective groan when it was announced that everyone needed to exit the tents at the premature hour of 5 p.m.(What, only four hours of gorging and imbibing?)As we disappointedly sauntered into the hospitality area, our spirits were uplifted when we heard Heavy Metal blaring from the speakers.Rushing over to the packed cooking demonstration we discovered that the self-proclaimed Culinary Gangster Guy Fieri was in the house.This “Guy” makes Emeril seem shy and introverted.Not only did Fieri throw out steak knives (wrapped in aprons) to the crowd, he took a break from making his 8 foot sausage and beef hoagie to blend an enormous margarita right on stage and pass out shots of Patron to the crowd, who cheered and sang along to “Tequila.”

To say that the tribute dinner honoring Emeril Legasse later that night was a much more subdued affair is an understatement.Emceed by Martha Stewart, the dinner was created by Charlie Trotter, Norman Van Aken, Eric Ripert, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay.One of the highlights was the marching band, dressed in full regalia, who paraded Legasse through the ballroom before his official introduction. Sunday’s, Oscar Night America Sobe Style at the Paris Theater, capped off the weekend extravaganza with a glitzy affair hosted by Bobby Flay and wife, “Law and Order: SVU” star, Stephanie March. Special guests included Laurie Jennings, who emceed and Guy Fieri.

There were a couple of moments of the festival that we would just as soon forget.For Paula Deen, the biggest roar from the crowd during her cooking demonstration had nothing to do with her southern comfort food, (the thought of which makes our arteries quiver), but with a mishap during which Deen lost her pants as she walked off the stage- talk about a southern moon over Miami, the sight of which left us longing for another shot of Fieri’s margarita.Earlier in the week, Mario Batali dropped the F-bomb in the presence of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, as he tried to get the crowd’s attention during the $1,000 a plate dinner, ¡Viva España! The Wines and Food of Spain, which was held on Thursday at the Biltmore.Yeah, yeah, blame it on the Spanish wine.Mama Mia, Mario!Guests in attendance included Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Governor Charlie Crist, and Grammy award-winning Spanish singer, Julio Iglesias.

Three D-words come to mind when looking back upon the eating extravaganza otherwise known as South Beach Wine and Food Festival- Divine, Decadent, Diet and Detox.

Coming Up

MOCA Pop Bollywood

The buzz surrounding a certain little Indian flick entitled, Slumdog Millionaire only adds to anticipation for POP BOLLYWOOD, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s sixth annual POP fundraiser which will take place this Saturday night.Fittingly, this year’s theme embodies the movie magic of India.Bollywood actress Pallavi Sharda, will perform during the party, which will feature The Ruby Room, a private Cartier lounge area, complete with club entrance, concierge, champagne, signature hors d’oeuvres and a chance to bid on exclusive silent auction items.  

Heavenly Bodies

Cosmopolitan magazine will host its second annual Bikini Bash on March 14th, hosted by sexy starlet Kristin Cavallari, on the sand at Nikki Beach Club.This unique event will feature hundreds of hot, bikini-clad beauties in skimpy, sexy swimwear spelling out the word C-O-S-M-O for an aerial photograph to be included in Cosmo’s August issue. To add to the heat, David Barton Gym’s hunky trainers will provide stretching exercises before the shoot.The after party will be held the same night at Mansion.

Spotted:

Most Hollywood stars stayed, well, in Hollywood, being that it was Oscar weekend, but we still had our requisite celebrity sightings. On separate occasions, both Martha Stewart and Brooke Shields popped into trendy fashion boutique, The Webster, and shopped up a storm!Stewart splurged on Miu Miu, Balmain and Lanvin, while Shields, who was with her two daughters, bought Lanvin and Prada dresses and shoes by YSL.The night after being shocked by Batali’s blunder at the Biltmore, Gloria and Emilio Estefan dined at Asia de Cuba and sipped a few cocktails at the Sunset Lounge at the Mondrian.Gnarles Barkley’s Cee Lo, performed Crazy at SET on Saturday, during the launch of Belvedere IX.During Mansion’s five-year anniversary bash, Swedish DJ, Steve Angello spun for the crowd of over 2, 500.Sunday at Mansion, Ryan Leslie performed Diamond Girl and Addiction at his album release party.Actor Scott Conant was spotted at LIV on Saturday. Broadway superstar, Bernadette Peters was recently seen dining at YOLO Restaurant/Lounge in Fort Lauderdale.