To Live & Dine 2024

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On August - 29 - 2024

Get ready to treat your taste buds and mingle with Miami’s finest at the ultimate foodie celebration. MIAMI Magazine’s annual culinary extravaganza, “To Live & Dine,” is back and better than ever. This year’s event promises a night of indulgence, showcasing the city’s most delectable dishes.

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 10, from 6 PM to 9 PM at Paradise Plaza in the Miami Design District. As “To Live & Dine” celebrates its 14th year, expect nothing less than a gastronomic adventure featuring the best bites from Miami’s top restaurants and culinary stars. Picture yourself savoring creations from culinary hotspots like ABA, Amalia, Bellita Pasta, Boulud Sud Miami, Casadonna Miami, Cookin Genie, Delilah, Dirty French, Elastika, Kissaki, Kojin 2.0, La Natural, Sereia, Sushi Sake, Truluck’s, Uchi, Vitolo, and more. And let’s not forget the cocktails! Refreshing sips from Yave Tequila and Una Vodka will keep the good vibes flowing, while Chip City Cookies takes care of your dessert fix.

Here’s the inside scoop: Miami Socialholic subscribers can snag 25% off tickets with the code Miami25, dropping the price from $100 to just $75. With unlimited bites and an open bar, it’s a deal too tasty to pass up.

Don’t miss out! Grab your tickets here: link.

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Takes Over Joia Beach

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On July - 22 - 2024

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat

As we stepped onto the sandy shores of the stylish Joia Beach, we were delighted by all of the beautifully branded Viktor&Rolf umbrellas and decor in honor of the brand’s unveiling of its latest olfactory masterpiece: Flowerbomb Tiger Lily. The scene was set like a page out of a summer romance novel—an exclusive, private party under the setting Miami sun, where the air was filled with the scent of tiger lilies- which were ever present- on the displays, bars and cocktail tables.

The guest list included influencers: Batsheva Haart, Valerie Domínguez, Alejandra Divo, Lisa Opie, Paula Macher, Christie Ferrari, and Moira Tumas, who mingled, and toasted to the new takeover, while sampling the fragrances and taking plenty of insta-worthy photos. 

As we marveled at the Miami skyline at dusk, while swinging on rope swings by the ocean, we could sense the buzz of the stylish crowd, as they sipped signature cocktails and sampled the Flowerbomb and Spicebomb collections; their senses alight with the rich, floral, and spicy notes. 

Cocktails flowed freely, each one as beautifully crafted as the fragrances themselves. And then, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the music took over. Puerto Rican singer RaiNao serenaded us with her sultry voice, while Coco&Breezy spun beats that kept everyone dancing well into the night.

Fortunately, the Flowerbomb Tiger Lily Beach Club pop-up will continue through August 18th.

Guests will have a chance to lounge by the water, cocktail in hand, while enjoying the scents of tiger lily wafting through the air at this tropical oasis right in the heart of Miami. Be sure to visit to sample the full Flowerbomb collection, and shop to your heart’s content.

We are sure you’ll agree: Flowerbomb Tiger Lily isn’t just a perfume, it’s the scent of summer in a bottle. 

A star-studded weekend awaits as the 23rd annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) makes its return to Miami Beach to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. from February 22-25, 2024. The four-day Festival, which has become a haven for culinary enthusiasts and celebrity admirers alike, will be bigger than ever, featuring never before seen events, robust musical programming, and a lineup of A-list celebrity talent alongside returning signature events, intimate sit-down experiences, interactive master classes and more. 

“I like to think of the Festival as a perpetual journey of excitement and reinvention. We’re not just curating events; we’re crafting experiences based on what our audience craves,” states Lee Schrager, SOBEWFF® Founder and Director. “The key is being receptive to feedback, seeking out rising talent, and using current events as a compass to help navigate the Festival year after year. It’s a culinary dialogue, a continuous effort. It’s also imperative we never forget why we embarked on this flavorful adventure – to passionately support and give back to FIU, ensuring a legacy that goes beyond taste, leaving an indelible mark on education and culinary excellence.” 

The Festival festivities will kick off on Thursday, February 22 with the 17th annual Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons® hosted by Rachael Ray. More than 30 of the country’s most beloved restaurants and chefs will go head-to-head in creating the juiciest and most flavorful burgers the Festival’s ever seen. The fan-favorite event will host a celebrity panel of judges including American rapper, producer, DJ, and television personality Rev Run, American model and actress Kate Upton, three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and NBC 6 news anchor Trina Robinson, national radio host and President and Chief Creative Officer of iHeart Latino Enrique Santos, and Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton from the American sitcom television series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” who will crown one very talented chef with the coveted Schweid & Sons® The Very Best Burger Award. Guests will also have the chance to crown their favorite burger and vote for the People’s Choice Award. The highly anticipated Celebrity Chef Pickleball Tournament presented by Whispering Angel hosted by Tara Bernstein and Hunter Fieri will return to the Miami Beach Golf Club with Food Network star Jeff Mauro as emcee. This year, Festival attendees will have the chance to go against their favorite celebrities and chefs on the court as the Festival will be selling tickets allowing two teams of two to participate in the tournament. 

Throughout the weekend, attendees can spot their favorite stars and musicians at Festival events all around the city. On Saturday, February 24, Grammy-nominated performer and producer DJ CASSIDY will put on a special performance presented by Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey at the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village. On the same night, Les Greene & The Swayzees will be performing on the mainland at Smorgasburg After Dark hosted by Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy and Robert Irvine. The David Grutman Experience will return on Sunday, February 25, turning the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village courtyard into a mini music festival. While talent will be announced closer to the event, guests can expect unforgettable performances curated by the nightlife and hospitality empresario himself, which in the past have featured the likes of French Montana, DJ Khaled, Cedric Gervais, Alesso, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and more. Rev Run will close out the Festival with a special performance at the official closing event – BACARDĺ presents The Block Party hosted by Melba Wilson and Andrew Zimmern – which takes on a new block party theme this year. New and exciting events include Jazz Brunch at Delilah Miami, Miami’s hottest new supper club, hosted by Daniel Roy and Pablo Zitzmann, and Dinner hosted by Zak Stern, Michael Beltran and Jose Mendín at Regener8 Farm. 

For those who prefer smaller, more intimate experiences, the festival has curated a plethora of new dinners, brunches, and seated experiences including Brunch at Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro Coral Gables and Kosher Dinner hosted by Zak Stern, Timon Balloo, Nando Chang, & Shimi Alon. The Festival’s most coveted star-studded sit down event, the Tribute Dinner honoring Massimo Bottura and Luca Garavoglia hosted by Master of Ceremonies “The Pasta Queen” Nadia Caterina Munno presented by HexClad, will take place on Saturday, February 24, and honor the outstanding accomplishments of the culinary community’s beloved and iconic Massimo Botturra, along with Luca Garavoglia of Campari Group. The sensational, Nadia Caterina Munno, widely known as “The Pasta Queen”, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and a stellar cast of chefs including Bernardo Paladini, Albert Adrià Acosta, Alain Ducasse and Alberto Marcolongo, Antonio Bachour, Mauro Colagreco, and Jordi Roca i Fontané will serve up dishes to pair perfectly with some of the finest wines from the Campari Group portfolio. An extravagant Live Auction featuring once-in-a-lifetime travel and dining experiences will also be available for bidding. 

The not-to-be-missed FIU Embrace Dinner hosted by David Myers, Pablo Zitzmann and Ralph Scamardella will be held at ADRIFT Mare at Hotel AKA Brickell on Thursday, February 22. In partnership with the FIU Embrace Center for Advancing Inclusive Communities, this dinner aims to empower differently-abled individuals, giving them real-world experience as volunteers in the event, while raising funds for a scholarship program designed to support these students in pursuing hospitality careers through the university’s program. With over $37 million raised in support of its educational mission, the Festival continues to shape the future leaders of the hospitality industry at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). This dinner will be an unforgettable celebration of culinary talent, diversity, and the Festival’s continued mission – to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. – in new and necessary ways.

Tickets for the Festival are On Sale NOW, with events that suit all different tastes and budgets at sobewff.org. To stay up to date on Festival happenings all year long, guests are encouraged to follow along with the #SOBEWFF hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Shawn Kolodny x House of Creed | Miami Art Week Public Sculpture

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On January - 25 - 2024

Leading visual artist Shawn Kolodny partnered with renowned fragrance brand House of Creed to create new sculptural installations for their holiday window displays in over 30 locations worldwide. Drawing inspiration from Creed’s iconic fragrance bottle, Kolodny created an immersive installation for store visitors, creating striking installations using his signature medium of mirrored steel spheres. This collaboration debuted at Creed’s Miami Design District store on November 15. 

Visitors in Miami during December were able to experience Kolodny’s artwork at the Creed store, and in other locations around the city as part of Miami Art Week. Kolodny partnered with the City of Miami Beach, The House of Creed and the Esmé Miami Beach Hotel to present a new, large-scale public sculpture on Española Way and Drexel Avenue near Miami Beach. This dynamic sculpture evoked the vibrancy and movement of our ever-changing natural world and invited viewers to become a part of the art amidst their own reflection. To add further dimension to the installation, the public sculpture was scented by The House of Creed. 

For additional information about Shawn Kolodny visit: https://www.kolodny.art/

South Beach Seafood Festival

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On October - 11 - 2023

The highly-anticipated South Beach Seafood Festival is making its triumphant return Wednesday, October 18th through Saturday, October 21st, promising an unforgettable celebration of ocean-fresh delicacies, live entertainment, and idyllic beachside vibes. Kicking off the start of Miami’s famed stone crab season, this exciting annual event promises an unparalleled experience for seafood enthusiasts and fun seekers alike. With four days of special programming, including endless food and beverage tastings, chef competitions, cooking demonstrations and more, this year’s festival will raise the bar for one of the country’s leading seafood events. Presented by Tequila Herradura and GOYA Foods, and hosted with the support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, the four-day festival is a curated culinary showcase that couples South Florida’s bounty of seafood with the region’s most notable chefs and local restaurants. Tickets to the 11th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival are now available at sobeseafoodfest.com.


Set against the stunning backdrop and the electric energy of the city’s colorful Art Deco district, the South Beach Seafood Festival consists of four separate ticketed events taking place throughout the week. The festival begins on Wednesday, October 18th with “An Evening at Joe’s Stone Crab.” The five-course meal, hosted by Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, showcases Executive Chef Andre Bienvenu’s cuisine paired with fine wines curated by master sommeliers. Next up, “Crabs, Slabs & Cabs,” takes place the following evening at the historic Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel. This year’s event is once again a formal sit-down, five-course dinner highlighting an international take on traditional ‘Surf n’ Turf’ interpreted by six of the Magic City’s leading chefs who join the evening’s host, GOYA Foods’ Executive Chef Fernando Desa. On Friday evening, the gloves will come off as Miami’s top chefs go head-to-head in 11 competitive seafood rounds during the annually sold-out “Chef Showdown,” coined the ultimate beach bash on South Beach. Competing at the event will be last year’s winning chefs who will return to defend their culinary crown at the festival. The excitement building up during the series of nightly events will reach a stirring culmination at the week’s main celebration, the “South Beach Seafood Festival.” The all-day affair takes place on Saturday, October 21st, and showcases a selection of pop-up-cafés and VIP samplings by prominent South Florida restaurants in partnership with signature national brands who will descend on South Beach for one weekend only. In addition to the exceptional culinary offerings, the festival will feature live music performances, engaging culinary demonstrations, interactive sponsor activations and 5 blocks of fun to be had. Attendees can also sip on refreshing beverages at various bars stationed throughout the festival grounds as the event tickets include open bar for 21+. This year’s VIP Village hosts 1 1/2 blocks of exclusive premium experiences featuring the always popular GOYA Culinary Pavilion, the Tequila Herradura Pop Up featuring Bodega Taqueria y Tequila and Jack Daniels featuring Le Chick , the all new Mountain Valley Spring Water hydration lounge, and the list continues along with sampling restaurants, to include American Social, Area 31, Estiatorio Milos, Billy G Catering, Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, Mau Miami, Osaka Nikkei, Playa, Rum Room, Smashburger, Tartufo Prestige, The Lazy Oyster, Old Lisbon and The Wagyu Bar by Meat N’ Bone, among others.

The Hyundai Air & Sea Show Returns

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On May - 23 - 2023

The Hyundai Air & Sea Show®, the Greatest Show Above the Earth® returns to Miami Beach Memorial Day weekend (May 27-28, 2023). The Hyundai Air & Sea Show begins each day at 12 p.m. with sea demonstrations by professional jet skiers, the ThunderCats boat racing exhibition and the Cigarette Offshore Powerboat Racing Demonstration. After the sea portion, look to the sky for our country’s state of the art military technology including Parachute teams, jet demonstrations, air and sea search and rescue exercises, and more. Families can enjoy the Florida Power and Light Display Village east of Lummus Park (Ocean Drive, 11th – 14th Street), which is over four-city-blocks long. The Florida Power and Light Display Village includes incredible flight and navigation simulators, tactical training equipment, rifle range simulators along with interactive displays from all branches of the U.S. Military including a U.S. Army M1A2 tank. Guests can meet the men and women of our armed forces and experience displays and booths from the Hyundai Air & Sea Show corporate sponsors including USA Boxing Exhibition, a Kid Zone, and the Monster Energy ActioZone, showcasing Keith Sayer’s FMX (Freestyle Motocross) demonstration team.

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