Sunset at Smith & Wollensky
There are lots of places to catch a smoldering Miami sunset. But the outdoor patio bar at Smith & Wollensky takes top honors. With an icy cold mojito in hand, you can watch the locals stroll by with their dogs while giant cruise ships float past the Port of Miami. Then slowly, the sky begins to swirl with shades of pale yellow, tangerine, saffron, lavender and soft pink. The sun sets slowly over the downtown skyline, and another sultry Miami evening is born.

 Your First Frita
Despite having tons of Cuban friends, I had never heard of a frita until recently. A frita is a Cuban hamburger, a tasty little creation that is akin to a Royal Castle burger on steroids.  Fritas are deliciously addictive, and easy to find in Miami. Smaller than the average burger, fritas are made with ground beef, ground pork and chorizo sausage, spiced up by the addition of a little onion powder and paprika. Topped with super-thin, fried shoestring potatoes and “special sauce”, it’s impossible to eat just one. Popular frita spots include El Rey de las Fritas and El Mago (where President Obama sampled one), both located in Little Havana.

See A Manatee
Seeing a manatee in the wild for the first time is an amazing feeling. When a manatee pops her head out of the water and stares at you with friendly brown eyes, you can’t help but marvel at this huge - yet oddly huggable - beast. Also called sea cows, manatees make cute snorting noises when they come up for air. They bump along in super slo-mo with their thick tails and stubby little pectoral fins. Manatees congregate in groups called “herds” in quiet harbors or canals, and near bridges. If you can’t spot a wild manatee, visit the ones that live at Miami Seaquarium, which operates a rescue and rehabilitation program for these beautiful yet threatened creatures.

Causeway Love
Driving across a causeway is a classic Miami experience. The bay glitters, the beach beckons, the convertible top is down, and all is right with the world. Julia Tuttle Causeway is an all-time fave, because the bay spreads out before you like a sea green magic carpet. MacArthur is the sexiest causeway, with South Beach sports cars whizzing by, waterfront mansions with yachts parked out front, and cruise ships so close you can reach out and touch them. Did you know that the Bee Gee’s hit song, Jive Talkin’, was originally called “Drive Talking”? This is not an urban myth; it’s absolutely true. The song’s rhythm was modeled after the sound their car made crossing the Julia Tuttle Causeway each day from Biscayne Bay to Criteria Studios in Miami. “Ja..ja..ja..Jiiive talkin, you’re tellin’ me lies…”

Cruise Control
Sailing out of Miami on a cruise ship is a thrill, plain and simple. You are 10 stories high, looking out at the dazzling Miami skyline, millionaires’ mansions, palm trees, yachts and speedboats. You are embarking on a sea adventure, with modern conveniences that would make a pirate weep. No matter that you’re sharing this moment with 2,500 other passengers. NOW is the time to embrace your inner tourist. Say ”YES” to the umbrella drink, groove to the steel band reggae rhythms, feel the sea breeze on your face, and file this memory away under “cruise ship special”.

By Shaneeva Yassin

It may look like an ordinary Miami day. The sun is out, palm trees are swaying and the beach is calling. But it’s not just any normal Tuesday. It’s Fat Tuesday!

Fat Tuesday is the last day before Lent in the 46 days preceding Easter in the Christian religion. And what better way to celebrate the beginning of Lent than with a party! New Orleans may be known for its lavish street parties with Cajun music, giant floats and costume revelers dancing their way down the street tossing beads. But hear ye hear ye, there’s lots of places to celebrate Fat Tuesday in Miami and the Beaches just as well. So get your purple, green and gold on for the festivities!

Whether you’ve been to Miami before or it’s your first time, many say you have to check into Fat Tuesday. It’s the well-known home of frozen blender drinks mixed with grain alcohol, slurped with a straw. The result: Brain freeze followed by suspended sensibility. On Tuesday, plan to drink to live DJs as you don plenty of beads around your neck, or where ever you fashion them. There are three locations to choose from: Cocowalk in Coconut Grove, South Beach on Ocean Drive and Bayside Marketplace near downtown Miami.

What better way to celebrate Fat Tuesday than with an authentic crawfish boil?  The Alibi on Espanol Way also has $5 Hurricanes, authentic New Orleans jazz, poboys, beads, and king cake! Join on the fun beginning at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, Hogzilla’s Inspired Barbeque is celebrating Mardi Gras in a big way. The  South Beach barbeque spot will feature plenty of music, crawfish eating challenges, hot sauce contests and a chance to win a $100 bar tab. Who doesn’t love a giveaway? For the ladies, dinks are on the house from 9 to 11 p.m. and plenty of beads will be tossed in the air.

The folks at The Stage Miami are hosting a major fête in honor of the Big Bayou’s most infamous party! Enjoy Happy Hour’s 2 for 1 drinks from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free Petanque tournament in their courtyard and beads, lots of beads! There’s also music by The Roosevelt Collier Trio, Guitar Center King of the Blues ’09 Finalist.

The Fish House in Kendall is hosting their 5^th annual Mardi Gras and Zydeco Festival. The blowout celebration begins at 4 p.m., as partygoers watch thousands of crawfish straight from the Gulf get boiled alive. Expect plenty of drink specials. Live Zydeco Music, a type of folk music that evolved from the Creole culture in Louisiana, will set the mood for the party. Enjoy live music by The Fish House All-Stars, starting at 6 p.m.

RA Sushi will be hosting a “MardiRA” party on Tuesday from 7 p.m. till close.  Get into the Mardi Gras spirit with special discounted ($5) appetizers and classic New Orleans drinks like the Hurricane. A DJ will help recreate the lively, dance-centered, French Quarter atmosphere. Party-goers are encouraged to wear beads and costumes.

Don’t let the partying stop there. While we celebrate Mardi Gras here, Brazilians are also celebrating, but with Carnavale in Rio, the world’s biggest party. Tens of thousands of people from all over the world take to the streets with vibrant colors and tantalizing beats.

If you’re in Miami, you can samba until dawn in celebration as well.

Sushi Samba Dromo is turning Lincoln Road into Brazil with their annual Carnavale party. Samba dancers, drummers and DJ’s keep everyone on their toes. Enjoy their special Carnavale menu and sip a refereshing Carnavale cocktail while you watch a live feed of the original celebration in Rio de Janeiro.

By Simone Boyce

Just as no two Cabs taste the same, each Miami wine venue offers a distinct flavor—spectacle, art, intimacy—easily distinguishing one from another. Miami’s wine bars and bistros welcome wine lovers of all kinds, from casual drinkers to expert connoisseurs, balancing hip acidity with smooth sophistication.

Italian wine aficionados flock to Cibo Wine Bar on Miami’s storied Miracle Mile for family style meals and a touch of spectacle. Antiquated bricks and bottles line the walls as modern décor meets old world Italy in this enormous eatery. Their extensive selection of over 3,000 bottles of international varietals is matched only by the sheer size of the place. And for the wow-factor, a floating “wine angel,” suspended from a trapeze, sifts through the two-story glass cellar to retrieve your selection. The bottles bode well when paired with traditional Italian eats from the Sorrento region and over 16 different pizzas, all made with homemade bread.

The Blue Piano stands out as the endearing gem of Miami’s bohemian Buena Vista strip. In 2010, three friends birthed a super simple concept: a place where people can listen to music and drink wine. In fact, Blue Piano won’t open unless they’ve got Miami’s hottest rising stars making sweet melodies in their cozy back corner. Their charming menu offers 60 plus wines from South Africa, Argentina, Italy, Spain and France, each thoughtfully described in detail. Americana tapas, such as Chester Cheetah Mac & Cheese, Slip & Sliders and Oozey Goozey Brie, sooth the soul as smooth jazz snaps in the background. Blue Piano also boasts a broad craft beer selection. Sam Adams is the most basic draught in sight, with rare brews like Banana Bread Ale stealing the limelight. Dimly lit and blue like jazz, this stripped down watering hole doesn’t disappoint for an intimate evening with good company and unassuming libations.

Cibo Wine Bar

Over 600 Spanish wines decorate Xixon’s niche cellar and tasting room. Xixon (she-SHONE) promises a taste of Spain in every tapas plate and glass of Tempranillo. But who wants to peruse a daunting wine list when you can browse the bottles yourself in their walk-in storeroom? Whether you’re after a reasonable glass of Rioja or a $900 Reserva, Xixon invites patrons to experience each wine-producing region of Spain for themselves, with hands on selection and 32 bottles available for tasting atop oak barrel tables. Choose from four distinct dining areas: a mezzanine for large parties, a tapas bar, the Vinoteca wine lounge, and an outside terrace. Pair an elegantly aged Artadi Viñas de Gain with traditional sautéed garlic shrimp and, suddenly, Spain feels closer to home.

A Hip Wine Hub

Industrial chic meets a French/Mediterranean food fusion at downtown Miami’s Bin No. 18. Artsy types and young professionals unwind at this hip wine hub with a glass of Gouguenheim Malbec, some traditional Italian tablas and one very famous sandwich. The Cooking Channel lauded Bin No. 18’s unconventional open-faced Cuban sandwich on national television, and rightly so. Topped with melted Brie cheese, fig sauce and roasted pork, this remix of a local favorite will blow your mind. Bin No. 18 attracts working locals and travelers to its approachably swanky ambiance with irresistible specials like Half-Off-Wine-List-Tuesdays, late night happy hours, free champagne for ladies on Wednesdays and six dollar bowls of Mediterranean mussels on Mondays.

Schnebly Redland's Winery

Miami’s Garden of Eden, Schnebly Redland’s Winery, prides itself in unique vino made from the finest tropical fruits. Patrons are invited to stroll the grounds under tiki-covered corridors and watch serene waterfalls cascade over jutting rocks in this Polynesian paradise. But leave any hint of pretentious wine prowess in Napa Valley: this vineyard’s sweet varietals should not be taken too seriously. Notes of lychee, guava, carambola, coconut, mango or avocado pleasure the palate with every swish of Schnebly’s wine. Taste a flight of tropical flat wines, bubbles or sweet desert wine for around ten dollars; and take home a free wine glass as a parting gift. For a real party, roll up to Schnebly’s on a Friday or Saturday for a packed house, live jams and plenty of heavenly bevies.

Bomb Shelter Chic

Remember when bomb shelters were all the rage? Kork Wine and Cheese is bringing it back. Kork transformed a product of the Cuban missile crisis into a venue that gives a whole new meaning to “getting bombed.” Fitted with all the necessities—solid staff, comfortable seating, rich wood infrastructure and plenty of sustenance—Kork Wine and Cheese shelters even the most bombarded businessmen and women after a long day at the office. Between live tunes, craft beers, happy hours and over 5,000 bottles to choose from, you can’t go wrong retreating to Kork’s sexy cavern.

The Wine Depot is Miami’s one-stop wine shop. Voted Best Wine Store of 2011 by the Miami New Times, this gourmet marketplace, wine bar and bistro allows beach-goers to stock up or simmer down. Brimming with over 400 bottles, this loft-style wine warehouse accommodates every occasion. For a casual outing, plop down on a high-top with a bottle and tapas. For business dinners, munch on Mediterranean bites in a courtyard under shady palms. And to dine like the Real Housewives of Miami, head to the chic glass cellar for flutes of high-priced bubbles. Almost as diverse as the venue itself, Bistro 555 is the Wine Depot’s on site eatery. The menu combines classic French fare with fresh and raw cuisine like salmon tartar. Purveyors of one-of-a-kind products and an equally unique experience, The Wine Depot & Bistro 555 has galvanized its place in the Miami wine scene.

Other popular wine bars are W Wine Bar and Bistro in Miami’s up-and-coming Midtown neighborhood, Cavas Wine Tasting Room in Brickell and Pearl Champagne Lounge on South Beach. A decade-old tradition worth noting is the renowned United Way Miami Wine and Food Festival occurring each April. Every year, top sommeliers, wine makers, brewers, prestigious chefs and other tastemakers come together for one jam-packed weekend of tasting and toasts to benefit United Way programs. Plan your trip around this festival and experience the most decadent culinary culture Miami has to offer.

There’s no place like Miami to ring in the new year! The two biggest New Year’s Eve parties take place on South Beach and in downtown Miami at Bayfront Park.

On Miami Beach, Orange Drive is New Year festival alongside South Beach’s famed Ocean Drive.  Top music artists and world famous DJ’s perform on the sand and under the stars for three days celebrating New Year’s Miami style.  The musical lineup includes Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, Boyz to Men, Samantha Ronson, DJ Irie and Pete Wentz and The Black Cards. Buy your tickets now and get ready to party

Hear a free concert under the stars and welcome the New Year amidst the excitement and energy of downtown Miami. Bayfront Park’s annual FREE New Year’s bash features the Red Bull Soundclash –  a live music showcase featuring a first time ever match-up between Ludacris and Mike Posner.  Red Bull Soundclash is a totally unique clash of sounds, styles and creativity, where two bands don’t battle each other, but instead collaborate to create an innovative live music performance. The show features two bands with different music styles facing off on two stages positioned on opposite ends of the venue with the audience in the middle.  The pre-show festivities begin at 7 p.m. and the main show starts at 9 p.m. In addition, count down to midnight with Miami’s own “Big Orange.” At the south end of the park, this New Year’s Eve icon will slowly ascend the side of the InterContinental Hotel, reaching the top at midnight in conjunction with a grand display of fireworks shot over beautiful Biscayne Bay.

Click here to see Miami.com’s list of New Year’s Eve events in Miami and the Beaches.

The weather is perfect in Miami, so it’s an ideal time to enjoy outdoor culinary festivals. The Miami Taste of Brickell Food & Wine Festival has its Kickoff Party on December 8th at Mary Brickell Village.  You can enjoy food and drink, live music, a DJ and a fashion show featuring the latest fashions from Mary Brickell Village’s finest boutiques and shops from 6 to 10 p.m.

On December 12th from 6 to 8 p.m.,  you can mingle with Chef Daniel Boulud at the Art of Fine Food & Drink at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. With cocktails paired with Boulud’s legendary cuisine – served in small bites. Guests will receive a signed copy of “Cocktails and Amuse-Bouches: For Her & For Him”, the chef’s new two-volume boxed set published by ASSOULINE. Location: Bar & Lounge of db Bistro Moderne at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami.  255 Biscayne Blvd Way   Miami $95 per person (includes a signed copy of book). For information, call 305/421-8600.

Miami Food Tours  and Miami Culinary Tours let you explore Miami’s ever-evolving food scene while sightseeing in the city’s most popular neighborhoods. You can walk through South Beach and enjoy the Art Deco buildings while checking out a handful of its best restaurants and cafes for bites and sips at each stop. Or, head for Little Havana and taste Cuban favorites like boliche (pot roast), picadillo (a flavorful ground meat dish with olives and raisins) or arroz con pollo (chicken and yellow rice).

Schnebly Redland’s Winery is proud to call itself “the southernmost winery in the United States”. This lushly landscaped complex in South Miami Dade offers a main tasting house, tiki huts, a waterfall and koi pond, and live music on weekends. Yuo can sample wines made from tropical fruits including lychee, guava, avocado, and passion fruit. Schnebly’s is now taking reservations for their big New Year’s Eve bash.

One of Miami’s marquee culinary events is the Food Netword South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which takes place February 23-26, 2012 on the lovely sands of South Beach. This star-studded, four-day event showcases the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Buy your tickets early!

The United Way Miami Wine & Food Festival is another popular culinary event. Taking place April 18-21, 2012, the Miami Wine & Food Festival features wine and food tastings, an interactive dinner featuring a celebrity chef and a craft beer tasting. Events take place at Mary Brickell Village, Village of Merrick Park, and Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Miami Art Week is almost upon us and although many refer to the week-long celebration as simply “Basel” there are several art fairs all over the city. One of the most popular is Scope. The wonderful folks at Scope Miami have granted us a sneak peek of what’s in store next week when Scope Miami opens its doors for the eleventh year:

AUREUS Contemporary | Basel | Providence Peter Buechler | Untitled Oil on found object

SDM med: En Masse | Artist Collaborative under the direction of Jason Botkin , Fred Caron, and Rupert Bottenberg .

Primary Flight | Artist: Kenton Parker Taco Shop Recreated for SCOPE Miami 2011

New Image Art | West Hollywood Retna | Soldiers of Another Acrylic on Canvas, 2011

SALON VERT | London Lucy Li | Totem Bronze, 2011

ROLF ART | Buenos Aires Ananke Asseff | S/T (Corrimientos) Photography, 2011

Hello_World

Lukas Feichtner Galerie| Vienna Udo Noger | GLEICHES 12 Mixed Media, canvas, 2011

MULHERIN/ CTS | Toronto | New York Eric Doeringer | Stains ( after Ed Ruscha) 75 Page portfolio, 2009

Jacob Karpio Gallery | San Jose Priscilla Monge | Untitled Outdoor Installation, 2006

Hamburg Kennedy | New York Marylin Minter | Chewing Pink C-print, 2008

COOPER COLE | Toronto Cleon Peterson | The Brinksman Acrylic on Wood, 2011

Scope Miami 

SCOPE Pavilion | Wynwood Arts District | NE 1st Ave (Midtown Blvd) @ NE 30th St
Miami, FL 33127

Fair Schedule
FirstView – For VIP’s and Press
Tuesday | Nov 29 | 4pm-8pm
Free for VIPs (or $100 donation to benefit The SCOPE Foundation)

General Admission Fair Hours:
Wed – Sat | Nov 30 – Dec 3 | 11am – 7pm
Sun | Dec 4 | 11am – 6pm
Admission
FirstView $100 | Free for VIP cardholders
General $20
Student $15

de Alemeida, Caetano- Estudo para ninfeias

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is the kick-off to the holiday season. But in Miami, Thanksgiving weekend leads straight into Miami Art Week. Officially, Art Basel Miami Beach takes place December 1 – 4, 2011 but unofficially the celebration of art and culture begins Monday, November 28th with cocktails and dinners and by Tuesday, November 29th the VIP previews and parties are in full swing.

If you’re wondering how one keeps up, you’re not alone. We’ve created a simple Basel guide and shared a few tips and our dining recommendations. Fortunately, as the world turns its eyes to Miami, so does the media and there are already tons of fun and useful lists and guides. Here are some of our favorites to get you started:

• ArtNet
• Miami Art Week 2011
• Art Basel Online Catalog
• Paper Magazine’s Things To Look Out For
• Issue I
• Issue II
• Issue III
• Issue IV
• Issue V
• Issue VI
• Issue VII
• Issue VIII
• The New York Times
• Art Basel Preparations
• Art Info
• When in Miami for Art Basel
• Surf, Sand, and Site-Specific Installations: Preview the Hottest Wares at Art Basel Miami Beach
• Social Miami
• Art Basel Guide
• Miami New Times
• Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 Music Guide
• Miami Herald
• Art Basel Miami Beach Music Guide
• Beached Miami
• Art Basel Music Guide
• Ten Things To Do During Art Basel

Guest Blogger: Valerie Schimel, MunchkinFun.com

Break out the candy corn – Halloween 2011 is days away. Munchkin Fun, a terrific Miami kids calendar site, has pooled together all you need for a happy, healthy, munchkin-friendly Halloween.

Pre Party
Halloween is a Monday this year, which mean the festivities start days in advance. Get the fun started as early as mid-Oct at these community events.

Miami International Mall’s House of Horror Amusement Park offers the largest haunted house in South Florida, carnival rides, kiddie rides and musical performances through Oct 31.

Ghoulish tram rides, food trucks and special activities for kids, tweens and adults run from Oct 15-31 at Spooktober at Zoo Miami.

Enjoy trick or treating, pumpkin decorating, story telling and a special Halloween train ride at Gold Coast Railroad Museum’s Early Evening of Spooky Adventures on Oct 21.

The Miami Children’s Museum’s Not So Scary Family Halloween bash showers guests with a haunted house, a mad scientist lab, themed crafts and more on Oct 23.  Party with games, contests and activities at My Gym Aventura’s Halloween Spooktacular on Oct 28.

Older munchkins will get spooky with flashlights & a nighttime exploration at Deering Estate’s Spookover on Oct 28.

The Miami Seaquarium hosts a Monster Splash Nighttime Bash from Oct 28-31, treating the family to sweet tooth stations, bounce houses, a haunted walk, Halloween themed animal shows and a dance party.

The Cushman School’s Halloween Howl & Bazaar treats the whole family to a trampoline, rock climbing wall, dunk tank, haunted house, snow cones & crafts for the whole family on Oct 29.

Kidgits treats munchkins to a Boo Bash at Dadeland Mall on Oct 28. Expect costumes, trick or treating & giveaways galore.

The Falls hosts a Halloween Spooktacular on Oct 29, wooing families with Halloween-inspired games & activities, pumpkin decorating and giveaways.

Jungle Island’s Halloween Spooktacular woos with trick or treating stations, face painting, cookie decorating & themed animal shows from Oct 29-30.

Miami Children’s Museum hosts MiChiMu’s Halloween Celebration on Sunday, Oct 30, bringing costumes, trick or treating, crafts, games & more.

Halloween Hop
The party runs all day and night on Oct 31 throughout the Magic City. Here’s a snapshot of some of the biggest family-friendly parties in town:

Coral Gables invites kids of all ages to enjoy trick or treating, scary storytelling, live entertainment, photo booths & kid and dog costume contests at Halloween on the Mile from 3-6pm.

Whole Foods locations in Aventura, Pinecrest and South Beach invite munchkins & their families to trick or treat in their aisles.
Pinecrest residents can trick, treat and mingle with neighbors at Evelyn Greer Park.

North Shore Park offers a Safe Night of Fright for the family inviting ghouls and goblins to enjoy live music & trick or treating.

The Scott Rakow Center is hosting a Halloween Happenings stocked with arts & crafts, treats, face painting and carnival games.

The Coral Gables Youth Center scares older kids & their families with its annual Nightmare at 405 Haunted House.

Cocowalk hosts a Halloween Family Party featuring trick or treating, costume contests, live entertainment and more.

Looking for more? Munchkinfun.com posts a TON of Miami children’s activities that will keep everybody busy! Search for more Halloween fun in Munchkinfun’s up to the minute calendar.

The Miami Spice restaurant program is ten years old and still going strong. Every August and September, Miami’s top restaurants offer three-course meals (Lunch $22, Dinner $35) featuring signature dishes created by world-renowned chefs.

Here are 5 things we love about Miami Spice:

1. Eat like a king. If you watch your budget closely (and who doesn’t these days) this is your chance to sample truly innovative dishes at “hot” Miami restaurants.

2. OpenTable reservations. Your dining adventure is just a click away. *Be sure to check each individual restaurant’s weekly Miami Spice offerings. Some offer dinner only; some do not offer Miami Spice menus on certain days of the week.

3. Special Offers. You heard right. In addition to tempting your tastebuds with their delicious Miami Spice menus, participating restaurants also post other types of specials that you may not be aware of, including wine specials, group discounts, Happy Hours, etc.

4. Double dipping. If you’re dazzled by the dinner you enjoyed at a Miami Spice restaurant, why not go back for lunch? There’s no rule against double dipping!

5. Miami Spice Kickoff Event & Fundraiser.  Everyone is invited to the Spice Kickoff on July 28, 2011 at Miami Beach Convention Center. Come enjoy tastings from selected Spice restaurants, celebrity chefs selling and signing cookbooks and live music with renowned flautist Nestor Torres. Proceeds will benefit  Share Our Strength, Madison’s Wish and Education Fund’s Plant a Thousand Gardens Collaborative Nutrition Initiative.

It’s the dog days of summer. What better time to pamper yourself with a soothing facial, a cool and refreshing water therapy experience, or an aromatherapy massage? The beauty of Miami Spa Month, which actually runs for two months – July 1-August 31, 2011 - is that you can enjoy a selection of special treatments for just $99. Yes, you heard it right. Miami’s top spas are offering their services to poor, tired, overstressed you for a price that won’t break your budget.

In addition, several spas are offering special offers that are available anytime – not just during Miami Spa Month. Browse a list of participating spas and book yourself some “me time” today!