Chris Bosh’s Late Dinner at LURE with Daughter and LeBron’s Tweet

This weekend, Chris Bosh was spotted delving into Sushi at Lure Fishbar- the delicious new restaurant at the Loews Miami Beach.  Bosh dined with his wife and his 5-year old daughter.  The interesting note is that they walked in at 11 p.m.  Slightly late for a 5 year old…

On the one hand, the HEAT had just finished a game that night (which they won), and between Bosh’s busy practice and travel schedule, he probably has to sneak in whatever time he can to see his daughter.  There is something really sweet about the fact that he brought her along for the celebratory dinner.  I’m quite sure the Bosh family has nannies and baby sitters at the ready, had he wanted a night alone with his wife, but he chose family time instead.

On the other hand, fellow diners were certainly looking twice at a five year old walking into a sushi bar to sit down for dinner at 11 p.m.  And this brings up an issue much discussed between fellow parents – bedtimes.  According to Parents Magazine, it seems that what is most important is keeping things consistent.  Assuming the children don’t have to wake up for school in the morning, most experts feel it’s ok to have a later bedtime – as long as they count on it and make up for it the next morning.  Who knows if that’s the case with baby Bosh, but it certainly is food for thought…literally….sort of.

And speaking of Bosh’s daughter, check out this funny story that any parent could relate to involving the adorable 5-year old, LeBron James, and a misplaced crotch grab.

If It’s Good Enough for David Beckham + Top Chef Results

Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau is one of our favorite restaurants.  Yes, it’s expensive, yes the parking is astronomical, but there is something about that big hotel that feels exciting.  Kind of in a Vegas, cheesy-but-OK-with-it way.  The restaurant itself just feels specials.  The food is amazing – no detail missed (I mean, where else is plain spaghetti the star of the show?!?), the decor is gorgeous and unique, the crowd is never over the top.  Good Stuff.

Last night, we went there for a viewing party of the Top Chef Finale, as their Chef de Cuisine, Nina Compton, was a finalist.  SPOILER ALERT: She was ROBBED, I say ROBBED, of the title.  Kicked ass the entire season, made two extra amazing dishes for the finale, and some guy wins for a dessert?!? Not good.  That said, it sure was watching at her actual restaurant, especially because they served many of the dishes Nina had created through-out the season.  Very cool!

Additionally, two nights prior, David Beckham and Simon Fuller dined there.  On order, spaghetti, roasted chicken, polenta and gnocchi. So, that’s what Beckham eats.  And then I got to meet him…see picture above.  He was very adorable and sweet.

My coverage of his MLS Miami Soccer team press conference on People Mag yesterday…

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20783632,00.html

Ivanka Trump the Mom

The other day I had the pleasure of interviewing Ivanka Trump during the ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil “The Gary Player Villa” at Trump National Doral Miami.

Those in the area are probably familiar with the Doral property – it’s been around quite some time and was in desperate need of a facelift.  Enter the Trumps.  They are rennovating the entire 800-acre compound, including the Blue Monster golf course.

On to Ivanka.  She was extremely professional (expected), but also endearing (I had heard), sweet, and even somewhat vulnerable (that I didn’t expect). Oh and gorgeous.  Like perfect skin, no body fat, gorgeous (she knows she’s lucky).  We talked a lot about motherhood, the work/life balance, being so nervous with your first (and not as much with your second) and cooking, of course.  It was really interesting to hear that she stressed – just like the rest of us – about spending time with her kids and spending time on her career.  Yes, she was born into a powerful family, but she now has an extremely demanding career and she thinks about, and plans around, how to make time for her kids.  See the interview here on People Mag.  The pic is a selfie she sent (per my request) as she left the property…

I’ll be posting more about the property and their huge golf tournament/fashion show this March.

 

Eva, Gerard, Kim & Kanye

Art Basel is amazing.  There, I said it.  Yes, there’s more traffic.  Yes, people are pretentious.  In the words of George Costanza’s girlfriend, Yada Yada Yada.

But If you get out there – even just for one night – you immediately feel the transformation our city undergoes.  The excitement, energy and people watching is UNPARALLELED.  I can think of no other city that partakes in an event so thoroughly – in so many different neighborhoods, through so many different outlets (retail, art, food, drink, street fairs, etc.), it’s just plain cool.

Last night’s affair(s) involved Eva Longoria, Gerard Butler, and Kim & Kanye.  Not a bad night.  I had an interview with Gerard….he was just as charismatic as you’d expect.  Adorable.  The first event was a Roger Dubuis Dinner for the Incredible World of Haute Hologerie.  

Basically, fancy watches and chamagne. Actually, the Dom Perignon guys who were there pointed out their super cool new “light up” bottle for clubs.  I don’t go to clubs but if I did I’m sure I’d appreciate this bottle.  Either way, it was pretty Batman-esque.  

Later that night, I headed to the Delano and got what I thought was a cool shot of Kim K and Roberto Cavalli chatting – check out the Kanye semi-photo bomb.  This is me being artsy.  Watch out Basel.  Didn’t chat with them, they were in and out pretty quickly.

Click below for Gerard Article.

 

 

Cindy Crawford and Playboy

I interviewed Cindy Crawford for PEOPLE last night while she was here for Art Basel.

See the two of us? It’s like looking in a mirror (NOTE: That is my “looking interested in Cindy” face, NOT – as my husband tried to claim – my “wanna be model” face).

Cindy and I talked about art, posing nude, and Harry Styles…click below for full article.

Lenny Kravitz at THE WALL

Last night, Lenny Kravitz and art dealer Vito Schnabel partied it up at the hottest Tuesday night party in Miami: Favela Beach at WALL Lounge. 

The Brazilian-themed, soiree had revelers partying into later hours than usual as they celebrated the Miami HEAT victory in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. While Lenny said “no” to the booze he and a few friends enjoyed the company of several woman at a private table. Vito Schnabel, who parted ways with Demi Moore last year, was spotted across the lounge dancing with friends and ordering bottles of Champagne for the ladies.

Food & Wine Fest: Fun & Fit Family + Recipes

This weekend, we did some fun Food & Wine Festival outings, one of which was a great family affair at Jungle Island.  The “Florida Blue presents Fun and Fit as a Family Sponsored by Carnival featuring Kellogg’s Kidz Kitchen” (I guess they couldn’t find any sponsors).  Long title aside, the event was well done.

The main area had little tents with snacks & food activities (see my son’s first-ever macaroni bracelet), with information about each product.  There was also a fun obstacle course – my son did it four times in a row, and the super-buff dudes leading it served as great cheerleaders as well as nice eye candy :)

The only down side was that I started to get that  “where should we go – are we doing this right? Did we start in the right place? Am I missing something” anxiety, but that’s just the vestige of my crazy New York days inside me…

The best part of the event was the Kelloggs Kidz Kitchen, where celeb chefs showed off a recipe, discussed food,  and played with the kids.  We saw Robert Irvine, who was specifically discussing eye health as he works with Transitions Lenses and talking about is show, “Restaurant Impossible” (I’ve never seen, but want to now).  The array of KitchenAid products spread over the area were quite enticing as well…I need a bright red cake mixer, right?!?

Irvine was adorable – funny and engaging with some real information.  He talked about his general mission, “my job in life is to educate parents and children” and did some serious name-dropping, “I’m working with the first lady. I don’t care about your politics, I’m all about good health!” He also showed that it doesn’t matter what you grew up on, anyone can turn things around – and if all else fails, go for Corn Flakes, “my mom was a terrible cook- I grew up on two boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes a day”.

The team also shared all the eye-healthy/kid friendly recipes from the Chefs with me, which I’ve included here.  Click link SOBEWFF RECIPES

Basel Best List

Four late nights in a row jumping between parties + Three days walking the streets of Sobe/Design District/Wynwood + endless hours looking for parking +  One baby still waking all night long + one 3.5 year old looking to start his day at 6 am, both thinking for some reason that I am their mother, here to provide them with love, care, attention, and food=ART BASEL 2012. Keep in mind this would not be my typical Art Basel life (I’m on couch in PJ’s by 8 pm most weekends) but I was on assignment for People Magazine.

Below, is my summary – with pix – of the best of Art Basel.  This was not taken from a motherly POV (i.e. wasn’t much to do for kids), but a fun wrap up nonetheless.  On that note, drum roll please…

Best Party Overall: SLS/Roberto Cavalli/Saks Bal Harbor/Rico Love Bday

I was lucky enough to cover Rico Love’s 30th Birthday Dinner at Katsuya, at the SLS Hotel, combined with a Saks Fifth Ave/Roberto Cavalli fashion show.  After a few days & nights of running between events, eating just little nibbles of food and splashes of alcohol, I was hungry.

The evening started with a cocktail party/red carpet and there was actually a generous amount of food being passed.


The fashion show (shockingly on time) – was suspended over the infinity pool – really cool looking, with some fun music to boot.  The dinner offered a plethora of family style food – from rock shrimp tempura to spicy tuna crispy rice to chicken, steak, sushi, and vegetables.

Nothing was left out. And while I wouldn’t quite consider Rico Love, Fat Joe, and Pharell and Diddy “my peeps”, it was really fun feeling their energy.  I also got to interview Kelly Rowland who is ADORABLE.  Jay Z and Beyonce were upstairs having a private dinner.  Click for my people article about the event.

Best Dessert: 

Valentino Cake pops – The Valentino Rooftop party on the Webster was short but sweet…literally.

The food was sparse BUT they handed out these cake pops which were seriously the best I have EVER had (not to mention adorable – they matched the Valentino polka dot resort wear).  I thought I was just starving, but when I saw the woman who works for Valentino the next day, she told me they tested hundred of pops to find the best one, and sent these down from NYC.  So I guess they were special!

Least Snooty place to see art: NADA Art Fair

NADA was at the The Deauville Beach Resort – an old, classic Miami Beach hotel.  My mom said she used to stay there with her family when she was a kid.  There is something comforting about a hotel that has stayed the same for 40 some-odd years (Granted, they could use a small facelift) but I hope they never go “glam”.

NADA was the perfect fit, this art fair is a “not-for-profit collective of professionals working with contemporary art. Our mission is to create an open flow of information, support, and collaboration within our field and to develop a stronger sense of community among our constituency. It is the only major American art fair to be run by a non-profit organization.”

The event was Free with free shuttle service from Miami Beach.  They Even had a public pool party.  AND, they have something for kids! For the first time, they brought their “Little Collectors” exhibit to the fair.  It’s for kids years 5 and up and looks like a great introduction to art for the little ones.  See their blog and info here:

http://www.littlecollector.com/blog/category/art-fairs/

So, next year if you feel at all intimated where to go/what to do and wonder if kids can be involved, be SURE to check this out!

Best Newcomer: UNTITLED ART FAIR

I’ve seen a lot of events erected on the sand (The Food & Wine Festival is pretty amazing), but none quite like this.  It was a huge art gallery in the middle of the beach.  Walls, paintings, sculptures, the works.  For the first time around, they really had their stuff together.

Something to keep an eye on for next year! http://www.art-untitled.com/index.php/what/

Best Chill Out Spot: AD OASIS

Art Basel has a major interior design element, Design Miami, and Architectural Digest went with this theme when they set up the AD Oasis at the Raleigh- a luxurious retreat created for artists, designers, collectors, and VIPs…created by celebrated AD100 designer Mark Cunningham.  Guests of the exclusive destination included Kate Mara, Zosia Mamet, Jane Seymour, Scout Willis, Fabrizio Moretti, Mia Moretti, Rick Yune, Kai & Sunny.

 The space consisted of a lounge by day with a café, gallery and spa treatments until it was transformed nightly into a glittering hot spot.  I attended the opening night party with The Strokes DJ’ing, and it was definitely a fun, not at all pretentious, event (and they gave us flip-flops, which were an absolute savior after four hours in heels for my used-to-flip-flops-and-Toms only feet.

The Raleigh has always been one of my favorite Sobe Hotels – cool, classy, and beachy, with a true Deco feel.  So, it served as the perfect backdrop for this event. And of course, AD does nothing half-assed – so the design was pretty amazing.

Pix: Kate Mara & John Mara, Zosia Mamet of GIRLS

 

Best Celeb Run-In/Interview:  Christian Slater. My generation was an overlap of the John Hughes teen angst movies mixed with the Heathers/My So Called Life era. Christian Slater was the star of one my favorites, “Pump up the Volume” which I would watch over and over, wishing I led a way more badass life than my gifted program/ballet three times a week reality.  His character was such the perfect mix of mysterious bad boy with sensitive, Eddie-Vedder esque poet. I interviewed him because he was on a panel with Adrien Grenier for the Young Arts Foundation.

He was ADORABLE and told me a funny story about his whole Miami Voting controversy.  He was surprised by all the attention the issue got, and because he was new to Twitter, he had no idea how many people would respond.  In fact, he told me a few days later he was out walking his dogs and three huge SUVs approached him, swarmed by Paparazzi and he thought – “wow, this thing has gotten really big!”.  Turns out, Kim Kardashian was getting out of the van….

Best Outdoor Installation: Wynwood Walls

Wyndood Walls is Miami’s cutting-edge free outdoor street art museum featuring internationally renowned graffiti artists such as Kenny Scharf, Shepard Fairey, among others.  The installation was already in effect, but Basel brought it a lot of attention and they did a cool pop up shop during the weekend.

http://thewynwoodwalls.com/

Best Food: Toro Toro, Intercontinental Hotel

The Intercontinental Miami showed off its $60 million renovation and 19-story digital canvas during a a large celebration.  ‘Entourage’ Star Jeremy Piven, Domestic Doyenne Martha Stewart and Photographer Patrick McMullan joined in the festivities.

The Celebration also Served as Grand Opening Soiree for Chef Richard Sandoval’s Critically-Acclaimed Restaurant and Lounge Concept, Toro Toro – which would explain why the food was delicious and plentiful!  The crowd feasted on a Pan Latin tasting menu prepared for the event, featuring: grill, anticuchos, ceviche and dessert stations throughout the lobby, as well as a tasting of the Latin spirits served at the Toro Toro bar.

Guests also experienced the newly installed Art Walls in the lobby, positioned around the hotel’s $20 million Henry Moore sculpture, The Spindle. The hotel presented its Art Basel showing with a New Media art show debuting three curated exhibits, as well as sculpture and 3D paintings.  The exhibits will run through January 31, 2013 and are free to the public and guests of the hotel. 

MAGIC CITY SIGHTING!

Last week, leading up to Thanksgiving, Courtney Cox spent some time in Miami with her adorbs daughter, Coco and some girlfriends.
Just Jared featured a whole slide show of Courtney in a bikini – see here.  She looks amazing, is honestly one of the best-aged actresses out there, in my opinion.

That night, Courtney and her gal pals were seen having drinks with friends at Juvia in South Beach, where one patron said she, “looked incredible – like a 25 year old!”

What did she wear for a night on the town? Skinny jeans and a fitted leather jacket for the chilly evening.  Courtney sipped on Grey Goose cocktails while her gal pals enjoyed some Coronas. The group laughed and mingled at the sexy rooftop hot spot for about an hour, and were mostly left alone by the crowd.

Who knows if Courtney has had surgery/botox/fillers, etc. but whatever she does – it works. She doesn’t look plastic or fake and manages to appear exactly the same as she did on her years of Friends (or even better)! Speaking of…a little shout out to my all time favorite TV show, Friends.  It’s not an original choice, nor does it make me seem intelligent/quirky/unique.  But I love it.  It’s like TV comfort food.  I’ve watched Friends every night before bed since I was in college and it just makes me happy.  I’ve said my peace.

H&M!

For those of you who didn’t know (or weren’t invited to the 600-person craziness that was the opening party), H&M is now open on Lincoln Rd!! Chace Crawford, Flo-Rida, Matthew Morrison (of Glee), etc. hosted the event.

Chace looked adorable as always – I definitely have a old-mom crush on him and Flo-Rida rocked the house.

Unfortunately, they don’t have the kids stuff.  Do we start a petition? How do we fix this horrific injustice?

But they do have women’s stuff.  Remains to be seen if they’ll cater to the cheesy Miami/stripper-esque/Spring Break/ “I just got here from London/Pittsburgh/College and need to look South Beachy” crowd, OR if they’ll realize that J Crew Collection, with preppy-beachy (and not cheap) clothing is one of the most successful recent openings on Lincoln Rd, so they’ll buy for the audience who wants the traditional copied-from-the-runway H&M angle…we’ll see.

Either way, it seems the event was star studded and the opening is exciting.  Post Release and pix below.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – NOVEMBER 07: Chase Crawford attends the VIP grand opening of the H&M Lincoln Road Miami Store on November 7, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for H&M)

 


 

 

 

 

MIAMI BEACH, FL – NOVEMBER 07: Flo Rida performs at the VIP grand opening of the H&M Lincoln Road Miami Store on November 7, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for H&M)

 

 

H&M DEBUTS FIRST EVER STORE IN MIAMI BEACH

Global Fashion Retailer Celebrates with VIP Event and Exclusive Performance by Flo Rida

H&M, Hennes and Mauritz, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers known for offering high fashion at affordable prices, celebrated its debut in Miami Beach last night, Wednesday, November 7th, with an extravagant event featuring a live performance by Florida native, Flo Rida. Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl, Matthew Morrison of Glee, Paz de la Huerta of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and Adriana De Moura and Lisa Hochstein of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Miami, were among the 1,000 guests who attended the party held at the new 24,000 square foot multi-level store at the historic art deco Lincoln Theatre on Lincoln Road.

Famed DJ Mia Moretti kept the energy level high while guests had the opportunity to be the first to shop the hottest fall fashion at the new store, enjoy signature cocktails and share photos from the interactive vintage photo booth. American hip-hop and rap artist Flo Rida took the stage around 9:30 p.m. and closed the night with a special performance of his recent chart toppers, even including shout-outs to H&M by incorporating the brand into the lyrics.

“It was a magical evening and the first live performance in the beautifully renovated Lincoln Theatre,” said Marybeth Schmitt, H&M’s continental communications director. “We are thrilled to be in Miami and share such an exciting experience.”

“This is my city, my town, and I look forward to coming here, said Flo Rida. “I look at it like club H&M. As soon as I hit the block and see how huge it is, it’s just out of this world.”

“If you’re going to put it (H&M) on Miami Beach, this is the block to do it,” said Chace Crawford.

MORE PICS: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr177401789