Touted as one of the most desirable zip codes in the world, Miami is attracting more of the 1 percent than ever before, say a leading multi-market developer and an agent to the stars.

Kevin Maloney and Tomi Rose at the Muse sales gallery.

“Celebrities and billionaires are always looking for the newest, hottest thing,” says Tomi Rose, senior vice president of Opulence Realty International’s Sports & Entertainment Division. Here, Rose and Kevin Maloney, founder/ principal of Property Markets Group, discuss what’s attracting a new set of celebrities and billionaires to the Magic City.

Tomi Rose: Miami is the hottest city in the world right now, and a lot of billionaires and A-listers are moving [here]. The Beach is definitely going at a high number. One of the penthouses at Faena sold at about $4,000 a square foot. Downtown, Zaha Hadid’s [One Thousand Museum] is starting at about $1,300 per square foot. Resales—I have one at the Marquis, two celebrities have lived there—are selling at about $725 per square foot.
Kevin Maloney: We’re seeing the same thing [at Muse]. Miami still looks very inexpensive compared to LA and New York City. I know a lot of the billionaire crowd personally who are buying Faena—[Larry] Gagosian, Leon Black, Eddie Minskoff—and the list goes on.
TR: And think about billionaires selling to other billionaires in the home market. Mike Fernandez, a billionaire, sold to Ray Allen on Tahiti Beach, an 11,000-something-square-foot house. There is interaction between the athletic world and billionaires; they run in the same circles.
KM: That’s exactly what happens. The brother buys, and then the brother-in-law wants to buy for the sister and all the friends. What happened with Faena, they got a couple of high-networth individuals to buy in, and then all of a sudden… It’s that circle of friends where everybody knows each other, and they all call each other and say, “I just bought for $3,000 a foot. I got a deal!” Eddie Minskoff called me and said, “I bought, Black bought down there, and my other friend bought and he paid $2,500 a foot—he stole the unit!”

The lounge at Miami’s Crystal View Court, a listing of Rose’s.

TR: The platform that a celebrity can bring to a project is incredible.
KM: We have celebrities come to us and say, “The price is $10 million, sell it to me for $9 million and you can use my name.” That deal works depending on what you need for marketing. You need a couple of hooks in the building. You need a starchitect and a high-end designer. It might be a celebrity. You create enough buzz and people start to buy, and you get absorption and velocity of sales, you can start to push prices, and then that gets publicized and feeds upon itself.
TR: With high-net-worth individuals, whether they’re in the spotlight or not, they’re all looking for the best buildings, the best architecture, the best location.
KM: Everybody wants the newest, the latest, the greatest, and that’s very indicative of the Miami culture. A great deal of the market is being funded by South America. Our buyers are probably 20 to 30 million people in South America.

Miami’s Crystal View Court as seen from the dock.

TR: You’re talking about people who are putting away $5 to $100 million.
KM: By default, if someone’s looking to buy between $5 and $25 million, that person’s got a liquid net worth between $100 and half a billion. We have quite a large population worldwide that is in that category that would be buying. All this new wealth that was in South America is now trying to leave South America. There is this flight of capital, and the first stop is Miami. You get your A-list celebrities buying down here as well. We’re certainly getting our handful of professional soccer players [and] athletes. Think of real estate as, for most of these people, an antique car or a Renoir, and they’re putting it away in the safe. They may be living there or occupying it once in a while, but for the most part, it’s collateral. It’s a different kind of concept. It’s an asset. Opulence International Realty, 2060 N. Bayshore Dr., Miami, 786-229-1949. Property Markets Group, 1441 Brickell Ave., Ste. 1510, Miami, 305-917-1070

Our steamy months may be seasonal, but Miamians keep the heat of Valentine's Day aflame year-round with stylish, romantic decor.

1. Elizabeth Taylor wearing a velvet evening dress, circa 1950.

2. Tourbillon vase in black enameled crystal, Lalique ($9,250). Available after March 15, Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000

3. Harlow crystal chandelier, inspired by a German chandelier from the 1970s, Restoration Hardware ($3,195). Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-935-1253

4. Lotus Pod candlesticks made in the traditional Chinese hand-hammering technique of copper repousse with matte silver finish, Robert Kuo ($2,250 each).Niba Home, Miami Design District, 39 NE 39th St., 305-573-1939

5. Capri bar designed by Alexander M. Weyts in morado wood, with a bronze base (price on request). Bellagio Home, 1680 Michigan Ave., Ste. 819, Miami Beach, 305-921-9006

6. Egg chair inspired by Arne Jacobsen’s 1958 original, with a stainless steel base ($860). Urbana Interiors, 305-898-4706

7. Profile bed upholstered in cotton velvet with a padded frame and headboard, Roche Bobois ($7,695). 450 Biltmore Way, Miami, 305-444-1017

8. Affinity matelassé artisanal bedding in cotton long staple percale with 520-thread count, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams ($275–$300 for coverlet; $110 for euro sham). 3800 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 786-609-9920

Keep prying eyes away at these ultra-private homes in the sky with penthouse pools, access to helipads, and the utmost in security.

The 16,000-square-foot penthouse at One Thousand Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects comes with a price tag of $49 million.

One Thousand Museum, a condo tower that will be by far the most superlative of the towers that make up the palisade known as the Biscayne Boulevard Wall, will be capped by the most superlative of penthouses when it’s completed. The building ceremonially broke ground this past December during Art Basel, where its internationally renowned architect, Zaha Hadid, was honored by Mayor Tomas Regalado with a key to the city and cheers from throngs of eager architecture lovers. The 16,000- square-foot penthouse, which has a remarkable $49 million price tag (it would be the biggest residential sale ever on that side of Biscayne Bay) comes with an indoor pool, doubleheight living areas, access to the helipad on the roof, and two private elevators (one leading to both of the penthouse’s floors and another going to the helipad). Sales center, 1040 Biscayne Blvd., Fifth Fl., Miami; 1000 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 855-663-6873

The long, cylindrical shaft of the Porsche Design Tower Miami is becoming very noticeable now that the project is under construction, and it rises into the Sunny Isles Beach skyline, resembling a very stylish tailpipe. Developed by car lover Gil Dezer, whose family owns an automobile museum in North Miami Beach, and designed by the Porsche Design Group, the building is notable for its triple set of glass car elevators that will whisk residents’ Bentleys, Maseratis, and Porsches up to their private sky garages. Sales center and construction site, 18555 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach; for additional information, call 305-974-0500

The ultra-exclusive, 13-unit Bath Club Estates in Miami Beach.

Three floors of fully customizable luxury, with 9,200 square feet of indoor space and 9,000 square feet of outdoor space, await the buyer of the penthouse at developer Don Peebles’s Bath Club Estates—if the $50 million price is right. The extremely low unit-count of the building (13), and the fact that each is enormously expensive (and thus likely owned by the kind of people of leisure who will often be at one of their many other equally expensive homes), will result in quite a bit of privacy. Although the unit is being marketed as having five bedrooms, nine baths, and a rooftop infinity pool, customization of the layout by architecture firm Arquitectonica, and interiors by interior designer Jennifer Post, means you can really have as many, or as few, rooms as you like. 6747 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-306-4700

The $50 million Bath Club Estates penthouse is fully customizable, with a layout by renowned Miami architecture firm Arquitectonica and interiors by interior designer Jennifer Post.

Sure, it’s just one level above the lobby of Fisher Island’s newest residential building, but the Lanai West unit at the Palazzo del Sol has a terrace (or lanai, if you will) that more than makes up for the lack of height in sheer spaciousness. At 12,844 square feet, the terrace alone is about the size of whatever small European country the palazzo’s architecture is inspired by. The 8,680 square feet of indoor living area include five huge bedrooms, a billiard room, and a foyer the size of an average one-bedroom apartment. And of course, since it’s located on the ultra-private Fisher Island, the only people on Miami Beach who can see you would need binoculars. Sales pavilion, 1 Fisher Island Dr., Fisher Island, 305-613-2118, dorapuig.com

Art Basel in Miami Beach 2014 was a raucous affair—it rained, it poured money, art, and celebs; art was both broken and celebrated. In other words, this year just might have been Miami's finest.

Visitors in front of Sandra Cinto’s Untitled (da série: Mar Aberto), 2014, at the Casa Triângulo booth at Art Basel in Miami Beach.

There was something in the air during 2014’s Art Basel in Miami Beach: rain. Storm clouds swelled and broke over the beach and downtown Thursday night, letting loose torrents of rain that locals know so well during the summer. The parties went on, but not without a dash of anxiety. Will my Uber get lost in the rain? Will the city fall into the ocean? Where will an S&M-leather-clad Peter Marino lumber into next?

Combined with the picket lines of NetJets pilots outside the Convention Center (the private jet company, which is a longtime sponsor of the fair, is undergoing budget cuts) and the protests for Mike Brown and Darren Wilson that shut down I-195, this year’s Art Basel felt especially real—less an escape from the world’s problems than a taste of their acceleration. But let’s talk surreal: The Opa-Locka Executive Airport filled up so quickly that private jets had to be rerouted, and did you see Leonardo DiCaprio leaving Rec Room with 20 models?

All’s Fair

Pablo Picasso’s Visage aux Mains, 1956, valued at $85,000, was stolen from the Art Miami fair.

72,999 art acolytes and I visited the main fair this year, which started Wednesday morning and became the center of the art world, with more than 250 vetted galleries. “You get to see the entire market all at once; it’s all condensed,” says Fred Snitzer, whose gallery has been included in Art Basel in Miami Beach since the fair’s inception in 2001. Snitzer’s booth was painting heavy, crowned by Hernan Bas’s The Grounds Keeper, a red and floral homage to Matisse. Unsurprisingly, the gallery did well. “It’d be great to have these things quarterly,” he says.

The other Miami gallery, Michael Jon, showed works by the Los Angelesbased artists Sayre Gomez and JPW3, two of the most sought-after up-and-comers in the game right now. The gallery claimed strong sales, with pieces placed in France, Panama, Hong Kong, London, Puerto Rico, and Saudi Arabia.

Beyond the miles of static art, there was a conversation series and performances by artists such as Marina Abramović, who presented guests with the opportunity to nap, although judging from the activities around the art fair, this year was anything but a snooze.

Murders And Acquisitions

Sean “Diddy” Combs at the First Choice VIP preview on December 3

For being the art world’s favorite time of year, this week was not without drama. Jeffrey Deitch, who last year mistook Diddy for Kanye, got Miley Cyrus (who played his annual Raleigh goat rope) to headline a pot- and booze-filled fest to a gate-crashing crowd of thousands poolside. Instagram celebrity Dan Bilzerian was kicked out of LIV for assault and later booked on alleged “bomb-making” charges upon his return to LA. And then there was performance artist Mykki Blanco, who berated MoMA PS 1 Director Klaus Biesenbach while pelting him with chunks of a Subway sandwich.

Gean Moreno and Ernesto Oroza’s concrete sculpture cracked beneath the drunken weight of a PAMM visitor. Consider it collateral damage on this Black Friday for the 1 percent (as collector Stefan Simchowitz hashtagged it). All this seems like silly fun and games until you consider that graffiti artist Demz was run over by a police cruiser in Wynwood and later tragically died.

Craig Robins, Jackie Soffer, and Rodman Primack hosted a lavish dinner for architect Peter Marino, the recipient of Design Miami’s Design Visionary Award, with cocktails in the new Palm Court area of the Design District, on December 4

Meanwhile, the Pablo Picasso silver plate, Visage aux Mains (Face with Hands), exhibited at the Art Miami fair by Amsterdam-based Leslie Smith Gallery and valued at $85,000, was stolen as part of an elaborate heist by a group of unknown thieves.

But the show went on, and the numbers were gaudy. There was a $35 million Alexander Calder at Helly Nahmad Gallery. You could get a $15 million portrait of Chairman Mao by Andy Warhol, courtesy of Acquavella, or a $3 million John Chamberlain from 1964, which was sold by Mnuchin Gallery. A Picasso went for $1 million over at the Swiss gallery Gmurzynska (partially curated by Baz Luhrmann). DiCaprio grabbed a 1973 Frank Stella from New York dealer Marianne Boesky for just under $1 million, because you need something to show those 20 models.

Moving On

With this year’s dramatic MOCA schism, Tuesdaynight festivities were split. Some went, as always, to North Miami for the annual MOCA party, while others opted to christen the new Institute of Contemporary Art down in the Design District at the Moore Building, its temporary space before moving into a permanent home designed by Spanish architects Aranguren & Gallegos. The ICA showcased two inaugural exhibits: Andra Ursuta’s suite of sculptures and Pedro Reyes’s “Sanatorium,” which presented art as therapy in a variety of manners. By the time that party got going, we were in Wynwood for the perpetually packed Rubell affair. This year, Don and Mera Rubell celebrated 50 years of marriage and collecting by literally spoon-feeding guests little bites of cake, while their daughter, Jennifer, showcased her foodinspired performance art.

After the Party, It’s The Hotel Lobby

Rafael de Cardenas and Emmett Moore photographing some of Moore’s furniture design at the Design Miami collectors preview and vernissage on December 2

Tuesday night continued at Casa Claridge for the TV Party presented by NeueHouse. In the early ’80s, Glenn O’Brien hosted what he calls “punk television,” a public-access show with guests like Debbie Harry and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The party was, in effect, a rerun. Film crews jostled around as the downtown-heavy guest list drank and watched performances, including a standout set by the young rapper Theophilus London. All week long, music stole the show: James Blake and FKA Twigs at YoungArts, Miguel at the Soho Beach House, Future Brown at PAMM. ASAP Ferg, Paris Hilton. Zoë Kravitz and Lolawolf. Miley, Miley, Miley.

Down at the new Miami Beach Edition, the W magazine party flooded out into the lobby, while host Bill Powers schmoozed the fire marshal to let more people into Basement, the nightclub below. A billiards game spilled out onto the marble floor, a model wearing a lampshade on her head spilled out of her thong, and we leaked into the party through an elaborate series of back doors. Down we went, past the bottle-service tables, past the bowling alley, and even further, until we basked in a blue light. There it was: an ice-skating rink, lit by candles. A bit of Switzerland in the heart of Miami Beach.

The new hotel established itself as a regular venue this Basel. On Thursday, while much of the city crowded PAMM to watch a DJ set involving jet skis and jet packs, artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe presented their send-up of the art-fair age, back at the Edition. Their Shadow Pool: A Natural History of San San International used a fashion show, a concert from pill rockers Black Bananas, and an extended slideshow lecture to elucidate to the audience a major cultural event that just happens to be nonexistent. It was well received, by some.

Satellite (In My Eyes)

Dog Hood, 2011, by Yoshitomo Nara from Blum & Poe, ABMB

Once again at the Deauville hotel in North Beach, NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) was as established as the antiestablishment can be. Locust Projects moved almost half its booth in the first 15 minutes, including a group of paintings by Miamibased Roberto Gomez that “went like wildfire,” according to Locust Projects development associate Amanda Sanfilippo. A few feet away, Miami’s new arrival from Kansas City, Bill Brady Gallery, sold out its booth of Zach Reini paintings in 10 minutes. Assistant Director Jacqueline Falcone had the faux humility down pat: “There’s been a lot of buying.”

Down the Beach at Untitled, a record-breaking 32,000 people visited the fair, which expanded in terms of square footage and curatorial oversight (Artistic Director Omar Lopez-Chahoud was joined by curators Christophe Boutin and Melanie Scarciglia). Eric Firestone Gallery out of East Hampton, New York, had a booth that included Sanford Biggers’s quilts (he sold two to an unnamed institution), Jen Stark, and midcareer painter Eric Freeman. All of the art worked amazingly with the sunlight, especially since Firestone gave his booth a ’70s beach-house vibe with some rough-hewn wood paneling from Home Depot.

Intelligent Design

Everyone loves Design Miami. It’s not too big, the mood lighting is easy on the eyes (as is the clientele), and you get to touch things. This year, as the fair celebrated its 10th anniversary, everyone loved Gallery Diet’s booth of Emmett Moore. From the pink AstroTurf on up, the Miami-based designer reworked banal street objects in ways that are anything but. Six-packs of aluminum cans become coffee tables; basketballs prop up bookshelves. The work was smart, funny, and a good deal cheaper than the Zaha Hadid dining room table (carved from a single chunk of black granite) on sale for 320,000 euros around the corner.

Boldfacers

Love Remembered, 2007, by Damien Hirst, at White Cube Gallery, ABMB.

There was a little something for everyone this year. From the get-go, it was Peter Marino’s show, with his personal collection, “One Way: Peter Marino,” on display at the Bass Museum of Art. But as the week went on, others such Ryan McNamara’s Meem: A Story Ballet About the Internet, Beatriz Milhazes at PAMM, and Theo Jansen’s movable “Strandbeest Exhibit” wowed. Julian Schnabel, who has become somewhat of a local, with his designs now decorating the new Flatiron Brickell building, showed off at the NSU Fort Lauderdale, while The Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) presented “Impulse, Reason, Sense, Conflict. Abstract Art from the Ella Fontanals- Cisneros Collection.” The de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space showed “Beneath the Surface.” Of course, there were Kate Hudson, Elle Macpherson, Tommy Hilfiger, Robert Pattinson, Eva Longoria, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Chanel Iman, Russell Simmons, and Swizz Beats.

Hometown Heroes

Although she had the booth in Design Miami, Nina Johnson-Milewski and her husband, Daniel, staged a sprawling group show, “Great Expectations,” in their Shorecrest home. Visitors could come and see work by Gina Beavers, Nicolas Lobo, and Jim Drain, among others, in a relaxed domestic setting.

Anthony Spinello split his time between the Design District, where he teamed up with Gucci to exhibit a series of paintings by Canadian Kris Knight so fay they’d make Bosie weep, and South Beach, where he organized the stunning “Auto Body”—a show of 33 female artists selected by a committee of 25 female curators—in an old car shop.

But the most colorful cultural arts mashup occurred in the Little Haiti Thrift and Gift Shop. DJs played amid racks of used clothes as part of #IHaitiBasel, organized by the New York and Miami-based collective MGKAT. With the MC chanting, “Clap, bitches, clap,” the crowd obeying, and a neighborhood man slinging $15 bottles of homemade rum and pineapple juice, it was clear: This was Miami. This was real.

Some of the biggest names in the culinary world have planted their flags in Miami, entrusting their sous chefs with maintaining the quality of their brand as they trot the globe. Here, Ocean Drive takes a look at these unsung—but immensely talented—toques of Miami.

Jason Pringle
Executive Chef, db Bistro Moderne at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Chef names don’t get much bigger, or heavier to carry, than that of Daniel Boulud, but Jason Pringle has the backbone and background to handle the load. “Jason is exactly the type of culinary talent we strive to bring to our team,” says Boulud of Pringle, who has worked at New York’s Le Bernardin and as executive chef for Michael Mina at Aqua in San Francisco. “He is dedicated, driven, and an accomplished chef.”

First gig in a kitchen: Working at Subway. I was a “sandwich artist.”
Foodie foundation: When I was a little kid. Dinners revolved around family, so I was always interested in [food].
Most intimidating meal you’ve ever prepared: I was in Toulouse, cooking for an international committee of chefs. I was doing roasted monkfish with razor clams, artichoke, and lemon verbena for about 400 people, and everybody at that gala was a two- or three-star Michelin chef. That was pretty intimidating.
The mere mention of this food brings a smile to your face: A good braise. It’s really satisfying and comforting.
You oversee how many people in the kitchen: Right now about 30.
Your working relationship with Daniel Boulud: I speak with Daniel every couple of weeks. He’s involved in the planning of the menus and everything. I’ll work with ingredients from local purveyors and farmers, take pictures, and send them to Daniel. Then he’ll tell me what he thinks of the dishes, or what should be on the menu at that time, and we’ll make tweaks from there.
Your most hectic kitchen moment: Pretty much any time things are not matching up.
Most influential chef you’ve worked with: Daniel has had the most influence. Even before working with him, I was always enamored by what he was doing: cooking clean, simple, and fresh. But also Laurent Manrique and Michael Mina. 
Best part of cooking in Miami: There’s great seafood here, and more and more local farmers and producers.
You knew you made it when… I went back to Aqua in San Francisco as the executive chef. I’d been executive sous chef under Laurent Manrique. I felt like I’d come full circle. 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, 305-421-8800

Marlon Rambaran
Chef de Cuisine, Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami beach

Marlon Rambaran’s sterling résumé is surely reassuring to Scarpetta’s Scott Conant: stagings at Le Cirque and Taillevent, sous chef at the renowned Le Bec-Fin, executive sous chef for David Burke, and chef tournant for Daniel Boulud.

Foodie foundation: I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago, where everything revolves around food, so I have some really great cooks in the family, my grandmother especially. In the summertime, everyone— grandkids, nephews, cousins—met at her home and we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I always had a love for it, so it was natural for me to become a chef.
Most intimidating dish you’ve ever prepared: We had pike quenelles on the menu at Le Bec-Fin. Chef Georges Perrier would have it for lunch once a month or so. These are really delicate and super light; you have to get the pike cooked perfectly, you have to make a mousse, and everything has to be just right or it’s going to fall apart.
Your working relationship with Scott Conant: He’s very hands-on. We talk two or three times a week. He comes down and does a tasting, we see that it’s his brand concept, and we move forward from there. If he doesn’t like something, he’s not going to sugarcoat it. I push myself to make sure I meet his expectations.
You oversee how many people in the kitchen: Right now, about a total of 40: 25 cooks, five sous chefs, and then the dishwashers, porters....
Chef you’d most want to enjoy a meal with: Marco Pierre White. He was one of my favorite chefs growing up and fits my style in a lot of ways. He exemplifies the true art of cooking. It’s all about the kitchen, about getting that dish out. It’s not about the celebrity part of it.
You knew you made it when… I haven’t made it yet. We’re only as good as our last service as far as I’m concerned. So maybe in the next 20 years or so I’ll be able to answer your question appropriately. 4441 Collins Ave., Miami, 305-674-4660

Conor Hanlon
Chef de Cuisine, The Dutch Miami; Executive Chef, W South Beach

Conor Hanlon was just 23 years old when he served as sous chef at Chanticleer restaurant in West Palm Beach. The Syracuse native then charged through the Boulud brigades at Café Boulud, db Brasserie, and db Bistro before taking over the show for Andrew Carmellini at The Dutch.

This food brings a smile to your face: I absolutely love tacos. Real tacos. And pizza. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, a gourmand or someone who doesn’t know about food—if it’s a really good pizza, you can’t beat it.
Things were different when you started cooking because… You could still yell a little bit, throw an F-bomb here and there. That was normal kitchen policy. This is politically incorrect to say, but I think it instills a certain sense of urgency in cooks.
Your influence on The Dutch menu: I’ve tried to implement a little more of a local Florida feeling. Being here now for over five years, and dining out everywhere, you start to pick up what Miami is about—not just Key lime pies and Cuban sandwiches.
The most influential chef you’ve worked with: Wesley Holten, my chef when I was with Daniel’s group. There were a lot of old French guys who were very demanding in the kitchen, but Wesley took me under his wing and explained, “This is why you do it this way,” and helped me understand the science behind the cooking.
Favorite dish to prepare: I love making handmade pasta. You can zone out and not think about anything else. It’s therapeutic, almost like meditating.
Chef you’d most want to enjoy a meal with: David Kinch [Manresa restaurant] is a very smart guy, and I really like his food. I just read [Blue Hill chef] Dan Barber’s book [The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food] about how we can change agriculture in this country. I think those two guys would be at the top of my list. It’s about getting to sit down with people I can have a good conversation with, more than, “That guy’s cool.” 2201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, The Dutch Miami, 305-938-3111; W South Beach, 305-938-3000

Tito Vargas
Chef de Cuisine, The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel South Beach

There was a certain comfort level in selecting Tito Vargas to re-create José Andrés’s magic at The Bazaar. After all, the Puerto Rican native worked for Andrés’s ThinkFood Group in Washington, DC, for 14 years, and with legendary chef Alain Ducasse before that.

You oversee how many people in the kitchen: I oversee 52 employees who prepare and cook the food and then about 20 dishwashers.
Your managerial style on the line: I lead by example. I try to motivate the cooks. I always tell them, “Don’t try to be better than the guy next to you; try to be better than the day before.”
Most influential chef you’ve worked with: Chef Joe Raffa from the ThinkFood Group showed me how to keep calm and to thrive under pressure. The management style I have today is a reflection of him. As far as my cooking goes, Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis. That’s where I really honed my culinary technique. It was an amazing experience.
Meal you most love to cook: I’d have to say cassoulet, then choucroute garni. Much of my training was in French cooking. I love it. It’s a straightforward, rich cuisine that’s all about highlighting the ingredients.
Meal you most love to eat: At Thanksgiving, my grandmother bones a whole turkey, stuffs it with ground pork and black truffles, and serves it as a roulade. Every year, I look forward to Thanksgiving.
Most intimidating meal you’ve ever prepared: When I was working with Alain Ducasse, I had to compose and present a dish to him. I made lamb tenderloin. I was concerned about the even sear, the perfect temperature…. That was pretty nerve-wracking.
Chef you’d most like to break bread with: José Andrés, just to have a good conversation with him. Preferably at a hole-in-the-wall, to enjoy humble people’s food, simple and well executed.
Just the mere mention of this makes you hungry: Puerto Rican food. It’s so hearty and soulful. The days that I’m off, I sometimes get homesick, so that’s what I crave. But to be honest, all food makes me hungry. 1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-455-2999

John Latrellis
Executive Chef, Lure Fishbar at the Loews Miami Beach hotel

When spinning off Lure Fishbar from Soho to South Beach, it is advantageous to have a homegrown talent take over the wheel. Prior to driving the restaurant at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel for Josh Capon, Miami native John Iatrellis honed his kitchen skills over the course of a decade at The Forge.

Foodie foundation: I grew up with food and fell in love with it at a very young age. My parents were born in Greece, and we used to go to the Greek festivals in Kendall and Coral Way every year. I got exposed to the lamb cooking on a spit, to all the grandmas and grandpas in the kitchen cooking away, and to my own grandmother cooking in my house growing up.
Most influential mentor: The first job I got was in a Greek diner, and chef/owner Athanasios “Saki” Katsoufis was the best example of how to conduct oneself in the kitchen: Cook with love, with passion; not yell to make someone do something but to teach them how to do it. But the biggest influence in my life was my father.
Josh Capon has taught you… His food is great, but what I take from him the most is his ability to draw crowds. As a chef, you’re putting on a show. You’ve got to blow your guests away, wow them, entertain them, and he brings all of that to the table.
Best meal you ever cooked: I love to cook for families who don’t have the opportunity or funds to prepare a good Thanksgiving meal for their children. I do it every year. Connecting my journeys with other people’s journeys— that’s the beauty of what I do. Those are the best meals that I ever cooked in my life.
You know you’ve made it when… The time when I can kick my feet up, relax, and say, “I’m here, I’ve made it.” I don’t think I’ll ever achieve that. The work of the kitchen is never complete. You’re always moving forward. 1601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-4550

A new trend in the hospitality industry has Miami going back to the future.

The Regent Cocktail Club - Post-Prohibition infuences give the hottest bar in town its throwback vibe.
Old Miami photos from the personal collection of the owners, the Galbut family, line the lobby walls in the Gale hotel, reminding guests that even though the next generation of Galbuts, Keith Menin and Jared Galbut, run the show now, the family is as old-school Miami Beach as it gets. That, plus the re-created porches of the hotel and Model T parked out front, sets the tone for the post-Prohibition-inspired Regent Cocktail Club, where bartenders wearing vests pour a mean old-fashioned and cocktails like the Hemingway Daiquiri and Brandy Alexander (brandy, cream, nutmeg) in glassware straight out of The Great Gatsby. Situated in prime South Beach real estate, off 17th Street and Collins Avenue, The Regent Cocktail Club is worlds away from the nightlife that surrounds it, with its jazz nights and antique bottles on display. “We do research about the drinks popular at that time, studying some cocktail books released after 1930, like The Savoy Cocktail Book,” says acclaimed mixologist and managing partner Julio Cabrera. “The ambience and the cocktails create something very ‘New York’ in the heart of South Beach. People needed this in Miami.” 1690 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-673-0199

Back in March 2013, news broke that two triplex penthouses being built in the Residences at The Miami Beach Edition sold for a record $34 million. That’s a combined eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and 16,162 square feet of living space with undoubtedly every amenity under the sun. But take one step inside The Miami Beach Edition, which opened its doors during Art Basel, and you’ll see that this kind of living isn’t just the wave of the future in Miami—it’s also an homage to the city’s past.

By design, Ian Schrager’s latest Miami venture is both the start of something new and a return to glory for the structure, as careful steps were taken to restore and renovate the historic Seville Hotel, built in 1955 during the height of the Miami Beach hotel boom, in order to make it the modern Miami Beach Edition of today.

On the outside, a restored 18-foot-diameter clock and an “S”-shaped concrete canopy at the entrance remain as a reminder of an era known as “The Billion Dollar Sandbar.” Beyond the doors, there’s a careful mix of old and new, including Tropicale, the gardens inspired by the Tropicana nightclub of 1950s Havana; Basement nightclub, which was designed with a nod to Schrager’s ribald late-’70s hot spot Studio 54; the Matador Room, defined as a place “one might expect to see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers waltzing through” and retaining the dramatic oval shape of the original ’50s dining room; and Basement Skate, a 2,000-squarefoot ice-skating rink that is reminiscent of the old Fontainebleau rink.

1930s House - The coolest gathering spot in Miami Beach harkens back to old Havana.
An actual house that was built in the 1930s and originally located across the street, 1930s House was physically moved to the Thompson Miami Beach property and restored. The Mediterranean-inspired indoor-outdoor space is the perfect place to gather with friends and sit by the limestone fireplace or at the hacienda-style bar with early-20th-century Havana-style furnishings. Snack on food from Michelle Bernstein or sip on a Misbeehavin’, made with Bulleit rye, lemon juice, honey syrup, egg whites, and orange bitters, or an anejo old fashioned with Don Julio anejo, agave-chipotle syrup, and pimento and mole bitters. Karim Masri and Nicola Siervo of KNR Hospitality Group control the crowd, so Miami’s who’s who calls 1930s House home, and according to area Managing Director Brett Orlando, it’s a scene that has become the talk of the town. “It’s a concept that our guests have fallen in love with,” he says. “The history and the ambience set it apart—there’s just nothing else quite like it in Miami Beach.” 4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 786-605-4041. Rosewood gown, Reem Acra (price on request). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. Flower “C” earrings ($350), feather bracelet ($695), and silver embroidered goa clutch ($2,250), Oscar de la Renta. Neiman Marcus, Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000

While groups such as the Miami Design Preservation League have long kept historic and important landmarks from being demolished, a more informal cultural trend is happening as well: What’s old is new again. And while it’s helping to break sales records at The Miami Beach Edition, the concept of turning back time is popping up all over town. With nearly every mention of an evolving Miami with groundbreakings for state-of-the-art, multimillion-dollar residential towers, hotels, and fine dining, there is usually some tie to Miami’s rich history.

The movement harkens back to the entertainment and nightlife this city was built on, what some might consider better days. To that end, there’s a pop-up bar called Better Days in Brickell, which features oversize lounge booths made from reassembled furniture, and feels more like a set from That ’70s Show than a bar in 2015 Miami. “It’s a back-to-basics bar coupled with eclectic throwback sensibilities,” says creator Challo Schott. “It offers a witty and nostalgic American bluecollar aesthetic and a revolving menu of craft cocktails and beers.”

Look around and you’ll find spots for nearly every decade of the past century. Railroad Blues is set in the Roaring Twenties; The Regent Cocktail Club honors the post-Prohibition era; the Blues Bar at the National Hotel jazzes up the ’40s and ’50s; and Rec Room is the nightclub version of the ’70s-themed basement where one might have misbehaved as a teen, surrounded by wood-paneled walls and shelves packed with old records and random pieces of nostalgia. There’s also Ball & Chain, a modern re-creation of the Little Havana club as it was first designed in 1935, and 1930s House at The Thompson Miami Beach, which is, well, an actual house from the 1930s.

Ball & Chain Calle - Ocho’s most vibrant spot for jazz also slings period-perfect cocktails.
In 1957, Count Basie sued Ball & Chain for lack of payment, and the owner shut down the joint. Now a poster of the jazz star adorns the wall, paying homage to old days at the Calle Ocho club, which originally opened in 1935 and reopened last year with much of the historic Little Havana ambience intact. The Dade County pine ceiling and walls remain from 1935, and owners Zack Bush, Ben Bush, and Bill Fuller brought in handmade Cuban tiles for the foors. Cuban-inspired food such as fried queso with guayaba sauce and congri fritters, and drinks infused with coffee, tobacco, pineapples, and even pastelitos complement the look and feel of the venue. But it’s the music that keeps this place bumping. There’s live jazz every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting at 6 pm, and an out-of-control La Pachanga Party complete with feather-clad dancers and 10-piece salsa bands every Saturday night. “We felt as though we had a responsibility to the people of the neighborhood to reject the trend of tearing down old gems in the name of shiny, new concepts,” says Fuller. “If an original patron came to see us, the experience would bring back wonderful memories of the past and hopefully create some great new ones as well.” 1513 SW Eighth St., Miami, 305-643-7820. Calle Sol consists of Vivian Rodríguez (piano), Jimmy Rivera (bass), Gustavo Beaujardin (congas), Luis González (bongos), Bruno Méndez, Jesús Manuel, and Julio Llerena (vocals), and Raúl Fiestas, Luis Flores, and Debbie Bonegal (trombone). Represented by Lokee Entertainment.

Prohibition in Midtown Miami, like 1930s House, tells you exactly what kind of vibe it aims for, but in case you missed that day in history class, a sign at the entrance of the bar announces the “good old days are back.” While guests love the char-grilled octopus, truffle pasta, and seared scallops on the modern menu, owner Shawn Shanazi, says that rather than being defined by its cuisine, he wants guests “to feel transported to the magical era of the ’20s and ’30s, which was all about celebrating nightlife in the most stylish manner.”

So why is this new trend popping up all over? Most say it’s an opportunity to stand out and bring something unique to Miami. With EDM and bottle service dominating the nightclub scene, the shift in atmosphere invites a new nightlife experience—usually charged with live (not digital) music, patrons hobnobbing around a bar instead of isolated with a bottle, and the opportunity to schmooze in a more intimate setting. But when it comes down to it, Russ Bruce, owner of Railroad Blues, answers the “why” question best: “It’s so much more captivating,” he says.

Restaurants are also getting in on the action. From Uncle Toms Barbecue in Coral Gables, with its refurbished sign and signature special dating back to its opening in 1948, to Tamarina in Brickell, whose design choices feature both a massive 1950s satellite chandelier made in Italy and a large black and white photo of Raquel Welch from the ’60s, tastefully dated décor is the appetizer to a variety of delicious meals.

Blues Bar - A sexy joint for blues and booze, this Miami Beach enclave reincarnates the National Hotel circa 1940.
Last year, the National Hotel completed an extensive $12 million renovation, restoring the venue to the original style designed by renowned Art Deco architect Roy France in 1939. Inside, Blues Bar maintains the hotel’s historic integrity by creating a 1930s/’40s blues and jazz vibe that would have made both Louis Armstrong and Muddy Waters proud. A nightly piano player and live jazz on Sundays set a scene that was only heightened by the Miami Nice Jazz Festival, which occupied Blues Bar in November. Count on vintage-themed drinks like the National Hemingway white rum cocktail, at nearly vintage prices during the weekday happy hour, which bring in a low-key crowd, according to hotel general manager Yaser Mohamad. “The Blues Bar guests seem to appreciate the hotel’s historic feel. We reintroduced a beautifully restored icon on Miami Beach.” There’s a lot to appreciate at the National Hotel, like following up a night of sipping cocktails and grooving to jazz with a dip in the hotel’s 205-foot-long infnity pool. 1677 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-532-2311

Even in spots not sporting nostalgic design, guests can usually drink their way back in time. Lilt Lounge at the Epic Hotel offers cocktails like the 1919 Firenze and Death in the Afternoon (adapted from a drink invented by Ernest Hemingway in 1935), while showcasing top local musical talent singing everything from standards to jazz. Blackbird Ordinary hosts a once-a-month themed party called No Ordinary Sunday that focuses on specific eras in American history. A recent gathering there, titled A Repeal Party!, celebrated the 81st anniversary of the end of Prohibition. And at the Rose Bar inside the Delano South Beach, the staff concocts moonshine cocktails every Wednesday as part of the bar’s Roaring Twenties-themed evening. According to Andrew Pittard, food and beverage director, the themed night helped “to glamorize a speakeasy vibe set in the intimate space.”

And glamour seems to be one of the keys—people crave a slower, more elegant experience than the beats-per-minute that has dominated the last decade of nightlife. In a hotel such as the Delano, it makes perfect sense. Along those lines, the recently revamped Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach completed a $90 million revitalization and redesign, but the famous diving board, built and designed by Art Deco architect Igor Polevitsky in 1940 and updated in the 1950s by Morris Lapidus, remains. The pool staff, too, is retro-ed out, with females donning burgundy cigarette-style short dresses reminiscent of classic ’50s pinup girls and males sporting matching classic white clam digger pants, trim bathing trunks, and red-striped shirts with matching track jackets. The objective, according to uniform designer Carol Ramsey, is to “bring back an elegance and glamour.”

All across Miami Beach’s Art Deco District, the elegance remains intact, much like many of the original hotel signs, thanks to the Miami Design Preservation League. That’s why you’ll see a restored ritz plaza sign atop the very sleek SBEowned SLS South Beach, which after an $85 million renovation in 2012 is part Hollywood—with a penthouse designed by Lenny Kravitz—and part old-school Miami Beach, with the original 1939 structure built by architect L. Murray Dixon still in place. “Philippe Starck wanted to create a ‘dream world’ by blending the old with the new,” says Thomas Meding, area vice president at SBE, of the hotel’s designer. “Guests experience an eclectic and worldly mix of style that is in keeping with the Art Deco-themed architecture.” Of course, mandated or not, given the trend, it’s all working out quite nicely.

RailRoad Blues - Relive all the music, cocktails, and in-the-know entryways that made Prohibition speakeasies impossible to resist.
Leading the way in the up-and-coming Arts and Entertainment District, Railroad Blues is a speakeasy concept that transports you to the Roaring Twenties as soon as you enter through the faux newsstand hiding the door. Replica Prohibitionera décor, like vintage suitcases, antique mirrors, and tufted leather banquettes, surround the small main stage that features live musical talent six nights a week. There’s also a beverage program that features a rotation of classic cocktails with unique twists and local craft beers on tap for a hint of Miami in this throwback scene. Owner Russ Bruce, who recently launched adjacent Steam Miami, went old school with Railroad Blues because it was time to bring “cool” back. “The Prohibition era was chock full of scintillating excitement and prosperity in art, culture, and hush-hush social gatherings–it screamed of smoky venues and hidden speakeasies for boozing and socializing,” he says. “Railroad Blues revives that concept.” 28 NE 14th St., Miami, 305-392-0687. Gown, Tadashi Shoji ($748). Nordstrom, Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1313. Vogue Collection 18k gold, diamond, and black onyx earrings, Judith Ripka ($5,900). Timeless at Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-538-2000. New Power Crystal Fall evening bag, Swarovski ($650). 734 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-538-4877

The concept of “what’s old is new” isn’t going anywhere, either. Hotelier Jason Pomeranc’s newest Sixty Hotels property, Nautilus South Beach, is a 2015 project that continues the trend by pumping modern luxury with touches of the original 1950s style of the building (and the famed “stairway to nowhere” in the lobby) created originally by architect Morris Lapidus. “Morris Lapidus’s innovative architectural style became synonymous with Miami throughout the 1950s,” says Pomeranc. “His aesthetic direction provided us with the design foundation. We’ve injected our interpretation of midcentury jetset style into a casual and elegant space inspired by global beach culture, creating a vibe that resonates with today’s traveler, which we feel preserves the inherent charm of this landmark.”

It’s not just hotels, bars, and restaurants anymore. Miami is at a point now where entire neighborhoods are going old school, as the MiMo District is, building by building, preserving and restoring the 1950s “Miami Modern” ambience that originally jumpstarted that stretch of Biscayne Boulevard. The iconic Coppertone sign might be what first catches the eye, but the pride and joy of the neighborhood is The Vagabond Hotel, a former motel that opened last year after a multimillion-dollar renovation to make the old spot new again. It’s throwback with a modern twist both inside and out, with architectural details like terrazzo floors, Miami Dade pine, pool mosaics, and neon signs that stuck to city policies in place to preserve the area.

Developer Avra Jain, who is also renovating the South Pacific Motel and Knoxon Motel, says The Vagabond’s restoration is a stroll down memory lane for many people who come by. “Every week, visitors come and share stories of their stay,” she says. “It was the family staycation every year, and this is where they learned to swim. This was their first home in Miami when they got off the boat from Cuba. This was where they may have honeymooned, celebrated birthdays, shared special times with family, and made new friends. It wasn’t just about restoring a magnificent property, it was about preserving special memories.”

And as is the case with every restored venue in the Magic City, there are new memories being made every day.

Ocean Drive follows celebrity chef Michael Mina as he opens Stripsteak at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Michael Mina at the new Stripsteak in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Born in Egypt and raised in America’s Northwest, Michael Mina rose to fame in San Francisco’s lofty culinary scene. Today his Mina Group runs 24 properties from Jackson Hole, Wyoming; to Washington, DC; to Las Vegas; to Miami (Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina 74). Ocean Drive tagged along as Mina finalized staff training at his newest Miami restaurant, Strip steak in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

10 am—Bourbon Steak, Turnberry Isle Miami

Mina strolls into the private dining room and wraps Bourbon Steak Executive Chef Gabriel Fenton in a big, back-slapping hug. “Your life is about to change, boy!” he says with a knowing laugh—Fenton’s wife is due to give birth to their first child next week, while Mina is a father of two. These friends cooked in the same kitchen together for six years, and now Fenton runs Bourbon. They sit down with Mina Group President Patric Yumul and general manager Anibal Macias to review Fenton’s additions to the company’s in-house website, where all the chefs pitch new recipes. “We’ll approve the dish, tweak the dish, and then they have seven days to get it up on the site and put a video up,” says Mina, who relies on these videos, as well as meticulous dish notes and photos, to train every position in the house and maintain the quality control across his properties.

Mina sees the culinary pendulum swinging. “I feel like it’s going back to showier, more fun service. Food trends went so much farm-to-table, went to more simplicity, and took us away from something we were really good at. I want to get it back.” Mina rolls out a new challenge to his team: Each chef needs to help evolve six whimsical bar dishes that will be substantial enough to serve at the table—think mouthful-size wagyu Philly cheesesteaks or a battered lobster “fishwich” on a truffle roll.

Mina in the kitchen at Stripsteak.

1 pm—Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink

The group saunters into a lively lunch rush. Geoffrey Zakarian stands up from his table to say hello. Mina invites him to one of his San Francisco 49er tailgate parties, where he regularly spit-roasts a 1,200-pound wagyu cow for 24 hours. “I’ll tell you, when you roast it whole like that, the brisket is unbelievable, surrounded by fat,” he says, beckoning Zakarian to make the trip.

Chef/owner Michael Schwartz walks up with a big grin and a handshake, and asks about how the Stripsteak opening is going. “It’s a big restaurant, 350 seats,” says Mina. “More seats than we’ve ever done.” The Mina Group’s focus as of late has been on growing the brand by partnering with large properties such as the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas and the Fontainebleau in Miami, allowing the group to avoid a lease and large front-end investment. “We can stay really focused on operations,” he says. Chef Schwartz sends out the food, and Mina serves everyone; the team swoons over pork belly pizza, identifies puffed faro on the tilefish crudo, loves the Florida orange bits in the yellowtail tartare, and guesses as to how many cooks there are in the kitchen.

5 pm—Stripsteak

Giving a speech to his staff in the Stripsteak dining room before service.

Servers dodge construction workers to the cacophony of hammers and drills and bartenders shaking ice. “Today we want chaos. It’s the first ‘oh my effing God, I actually have to get this order right!’” says Mina of the friends-and-family service about to start. He first meets with Executive Chefs Gerald Chin and Gary FX LaMorte in a back room and brainstorms the new whimsical bar dishes—Mina wants to infuse some of them with tobacco. Chin suggests cold-smoking instead. “I love it!” says Mina. “Let’s screw around with that tonight.” They also plan chicken wings that will swing—trapeze-like—above dipping sauces, and ponder an old-school diner-style toothpick dispenser for french fries.

The staff gathers in the dining room for his sendoff speech. It’s a bracing for battle, but also a pep talk: “The first two months are going to be really hard, but you’ve got to stay positive. When you get confident, we’ll make it harder. We’re going to be a pain in your ass, but the restaurant has to improve every single day. We will always be pushing the envelope. Every station goes down at one time or another, so it’s about, Is everybody there to pick you up?”

Customers arrive, wide-eyed. Tickets start to spit out of the printers in the kitchen. “One grouper!” yells the expediter. “One rib eye!” Soon everyone is bowed over their stations, focused. Mina samples this and that, coaches food runners on how to read tickets and line up trays so as to deliver dishes to the proper seat number. He’s annoyed by a sauce; he’s happy with a steak. “Season the proteins with dry hands so all the seasoning comes off,” he yells. A chorus of “Yes, chef,” rises from the staff.

More tickets arrive. He looks around at the somewhat controlled chaos. “I love the pressure, I love the energy, the interaction with the cooks, the dishwashers,” he says. “It’s such an interesting environment of artistry, sophistication, and fun people that have an energy that you don’t get in other industries.”

He helps a food runner with a big tray. “And every restaurant is like a kid—they’re all different.” Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-4780

Miami’s first gin bar at the Metropolitan by Como mixes things up with the Traymore 1939 cocktail.

The Traymore 1939 cocktail is named in honor of the historic Art Deco building that was revamped to become the Metropolitan by COMO.

Those searching for serenity along a sometimes rowdy Collins Avenue now call upon the Metropolitan by COMO as their sanctuary. It is one of the newest oceanfront hotels in Miami Beach’s recent development boom. The awardwinning hotel group based in Singapore (responsible for the ultra-exclusive Parrot Cay just a short plane ride to the south) renovated the historic Art Deco building originally known as The Traymore (circa 1939) last fall. The group preserved architect Albert Anis’s original façade and exterior accents, as well as floor tiling inside.

Within these debonair environs is The Traymore Restaurant and Bar, Miami Beach’s first gin bar, which serves the refreshing Traymore 1939, named in honor of the building’s DOB. The refreshing libation is the creation of head bartender Jack Araque, who presides over a collection of more than 40 imported gins.

The cocktail is at once urbane and tropical with gin, orange curaçao, house-made rosemary syrup, fresh grapefruit juice, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and a couple of dashes of Angostura orange bitters. Araque combines the ingredients and shakes vigorously before pouring the libation into a cocktail glass. For depth, pomegranate juice is added to the pale yellow drink, and then Araque skewers an amarena cherry (an intense Italian variety) with a fragrant sprig of rosemary for the garnish.

The cocktail is the creation of The Traymore Restaurant and Bar’s head bartender, Jack Araque.

“Gin has its own personality and flavor,” says Araque, formerly of Edge Steak & Bar at the Four Seasons, and who is, at heart, a gin drinker. “It’s unique in that each gin starts with the juniper concept but becomes different at the end due to the botanicals.” For the Traymore 1939, Araque uses versatile Bombay Sapphire, a London dry gin with gentle juniper notes and floral accents thanks to a distinct process that vaporizes the botanicals as opposed to boiling them in the spirits.

For the final flavor, Araque wants his guests to experience the “gin encounter,” as he refers to it. “Even people who are not turned on by gin will like this cocktail,” he says, describing the drink’s balanced and dry characteristics. It starts with a hint of pomegranate, but it’s the long rosemary finish that particularly pleases him. Metropolitan by COMO, 2445 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-3600

Newcomer Cleo’s clam and noodle dish spans the Mediterranean for delicious influences.

A Clam and Noodle dish is garnished with parsley, dill, and cilantro before it leaves the kitchen at Cleo South Beach.

Collins Avenue is known for a multitude of things, but rustic, reasonably priced, and beautifully executed Mediterranean fare isn’t one of them. Los Angeles import Cleo, which opened in the voguish Redbury Hotel, changes that, in part, with the Clam and Noodle dish, which serves as both serene comfort food and clever, Miami-friendly coastal cuisine. Similar to fideuà, a paella-like dish from Valencia, Executive Chef Danny Elmaleh’s version uses noodles instead of rice, then borrows flavors from that entire region of the world.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by Elmaleh’s bill of fare—an amalgamation of the cultural contrasts that have shaped the Israeli-born, Japanese-bred, and French-trained chef. “Each dish is special but doesn’t incorporate too many components,” he says. “I don’t need to have everything in one plate.”

This happily straightforward approach is something he acquired at an early age while working in the kitchen at his father’s Moroccan restaurant in Kobe, Japan, and further developed during his time at the two-Michelin-star-rated Mélisse in Santa Monica. “My dad had 50 dishes on the menu and virtually no kitchen,” he notes.

Executive Chef Danny Elmaleh draws on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences for his coastal, Miami-friendly menu.

THE GEOGRAPHY

Of the Clam and Noodle entrée, Elmaleh says, “Cleo is obviously Middle Eastern-Mediterranean, but I wanted to incorporate pasta into the menu that would fit into what we do.”

For his rendition, he commissioned his butcher to make distinctly spiced links of merguez sausage (a powerhouse blend of lamb and beef). “It’s like surf and turf,” he says, but with noodles. After encasing the sausage in plastic, removing the air, and throwing it into the oven, Elmaleh reduces and recooks the sausage in a simmer of the spices and oils.

THE DETAILS

Because Cleo is about the mezze experience, the pick-up for all dishes is a quick six to seven minutes. That means Elmaleh and his staff half-cook the noodles and finish them off once an order comes in. First they toast the noodles in the oven till they take on a golden-brown appearance. “This also works towards keeping it a bit more al dente when we cook them later on,” says Elmaleh. Rather than finishing the noodles off in water, Elmaleh submerges them in a tasty boiling sofrito that’s been infused with chicken stock and saffron, and spiked with white wine.

FINISHING TOUCH

Noodles replace rice in the chef’s spicy rendition of a classic fideuà, while merguez adds an unexpected “turf” element.

As the liquid penetrates the noodles and brings them to life, Elmaleh takes a dozen wild clams from Washington State and tosses them in garlic and olive oil before adding them to the pasta and bathing the dish with sofrito and saffron once more. Once the clams open, he heats up the merguez and fills each clam with the rich, spicy, and aromatic beefy blend. As a finish, he puts dollops of saffron aioli on top and sprinkles the dish with lemon, cilantro, parsley, dill, and Aleppo pepper. The result is a dynamic mélange: crunchy, slippery, herbaceous, briny, and spiced. Of course the real payoff comes during their nightly plate-smashing routine (which Real Housewives star Lisa Hochstein and singer Ellie Goulding have both recently partaken in). 1776 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-534-2536

This spring, Miami native Alejandro Ingelmo marries mesh with his sexy signature styles.

Miami-born fourth-generation shoemaker Alejandro Ingelmo looks to his family history for his exquisite craftsmanship.

Craftsmanship has always been a hallmark of shoe designer Alejandro Ingelmo—and with good reason. Ingelmo is a fourth-generation cobbler who was born and raised in Miami after his family fled Cuba during the turmoil of the 1950s, and the skills handed down over the years are clearly evident in his decidedly modern shoes, from stilettos to sneakers. “My family history influenced me in terms of value and craftsmanship,” he says. “[We were] known for making really high-quality shoes, and that’s something I still want to be known for.”

This year, Ingelmo has begun using mesh accents in his women’s shoe line, which he launched in 2006. “I wanted to soften things up, and mesh shows the skin more,” he says. “My patterns this season were a lot softer, and it was more about the shape of a woman’s foot. There are a lot of cutouts, and what I do with pattern work and showing skin in certain ways is all to make a woman look beautiful, sexy, and modern.

RELATED: Take a risk with these rainbow accessories (shoes included)>>

Gia geometric mule in black ($925). neimanmarcus.com

“Mesh is great because there’s this transparency to it,” he adds, “but at the same time, it’s very structured. A woman’s shoe should always make her look prettier—that’s something I really try to pay attention to—so it’s this idea of exposing the woman’s skin but at the same time having a type of structure so that it forms to the foot well.”

Ingelmo designs for the style-conscious Miamian. “My customer is definitely a risk taker—someone who doesn’t want to wear what everyone else does. I also think he or she understands materials and design a little more than the average person and pays more attention to detail. It’s not just about the color of a sole.”

The designer also finds inspiration in the warm climate in which his target audience lives. “Being from Miami, you always think about how to make a woman look beautiful,” Ingelmo says. “You never want to make her look boxy—you always want to enhance her. You want to embrace the woman’s body, and the same goes for feet. A lot of the shoes I do follow a certain curve, yet I think it’s important for a woman to be able to walk in heels.”

Heels with curve appeal on display during Alejandro Ingelmo’s presentation at Robert Miller Gallery at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 last September.

The spirit of Miami is a common theme in Ingelmo’s life. “In Miami, you have this mix of the Art Deco in Miami Beach as well as the newness of it all. What is great about Miami is that you have that balance of old and new—it’s this idea of preserving the past, but evolving from that. That’s kind of the same approach in terms of my history—it’s respecting the old, but at the same time being modern.”

Although Ingelmo moved to New York in 2006 (prior to that, he’d worked for his family in Miami), he still spends plenty of time in South Florida. As soon as he arrives in town, he immediately heads for Cuban-style comfort food. “When I get off the plane, [La Casita in Coral Gables or Havana Harry’s] is the first place we go,” says Ingelmo of his favorite eateries. “It’s the first thing that makes me feel like I’m at home. I love to eat!”

And he’s proud of his hometown and its growth. “I think it’s an amazing place to be from,” he muses, “to see how it’s evolved. As a kid, it was always ‘becoming international,’ and now it really feels like that. It’s not becoming—it is.” Capretto Shoes, 5822 Sunset Dr., Miami, 305-661-7767

The fifth annual Dolphins Cycling Challenge aims to raise money for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, while changing lives every mile of the route.

Dolphins Cycling Challenge CEO Michael Mandich at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park.

In just four short years, the two-day tricounty Dolphins Cycling Challenge—run by Michael Mandich, son of legendary Dolphins player Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich—has raised $7 million to fight cancer and become one of the largest NFL fundraisers in the country. The annual ride benefits Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System. Corporate sponsors underwrite the event, allowing 100 percent of the funds raised to go to the center, which provides treatment, conducts research, and educates the public about all forms of cancer.

Since its inception in 2010, the event has grown immensely each year, expanding to include six rides of different distances and last year raising $3.1 million—but this is still just the beginning, according to Mandich, whose father died of cancer in 2011. “We’re trying to eclipse the $5 million mark,” he says of the organization’s goal for 2015. Here Mandich shares memories of his father and discusses his quest to change the battle against cancer.

How was the Dolphins Cycling Challenge born?
It was [former Dolphins CEO] Mike Dee who came up with the idea of an event centered around raising money for cancer research in 2010. My dad became the face of that mission; he was battling cancer at the time. It was launched in 67 days, which is remarkable. [That year, the event raised half a million dollars.]

Mandich finishing on 88 Mad Dog Lane in DCC IV.

What was it like riding with your dad that first year?
I hadn’t jumped on a bike before this since I was a little kid, and my thought process was: If my father can go through cancer, I can do 170 miles on a bike. That whole experience was a turning point in my life for a lot of reasons…. I think I completely changed for the better as a person.

How have you seen your donations make a difference?
The big mission now is for Sylvester to be a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, which means you’re the best of the best in the country. A lot of our money has been used to recruit doctors. You can have the best stadium and the best facilities and the best food, but if you don’t have the best players and coaches, it doesn’t really matter.

The DCC funds are dedicated to “innovative research.” What does that mean?
It’s two-handed, so it’s not just research on breast cancer, for example, but it’s breast cancer for a particular patient. The physicians and scientists at Sylvester are working hand in hand to solve challenging problems.

Have you spoken to anyone personally who has benefited from DCC’s donations?
Deede Weithorn, a Miami Beach commissioner, rode in the first DCC but had to miss the second year because she was undergoing breast cancer treatment. It was very serious, and now she is a survivor. She says she would not be here without Dr. Jerry Goodwyn [the chief medical officer at Sylvester].

Participants at last year’s event writing the name of someone they rode for.

Tell us about the actual ride. What is the energy like?
When we see and experience the finish and the people, and you see survivors who are riding for people, with pictures on their back, it’s amazing. People feel good about themselves. They’ll have tears running down their cheeks as they’re finishing.

Do many people become regular cyclers after the initial ride?
No question it changes your lifestyle; it certainly changed mine. [Mandich has now completed numerous triathlons.] One of the other pieces of the DCC is trying to get people to live a healthier life through exercise. You don’t need to be a worldclass athlete. Countless people have gotten off the couch, done this ride, and their lives are forever changed. I want to stress that it’s fun, too!

Why did you decide to add the five-kilometer run/walk this year?
Now there’s virtually no barrier to entry—everyone has a pair of sneakers.

What makes the DCC different from other fundraisers?
I think there are two aspects that set us apart: 100 percent of the funds are being donated to the cancer center, and 100 percent stay here in South Florida. People have resonated with the fact that we’ve been able to maintain that mission, and it’s a mission we’ll have for the rest of DCC’s existence.

Do you ever get a moment to take it all in?
Last year, I had a hard time sleeping on the day after. I was up and just scrolling through our hashtag and seeing what people posted and the comments they wrote, and that’s when it starts to hit you… This is a fun activity that truly will change cancer in South Florida.

How do you think your dad would have reacted to what you’ve accomplished?
I think he’d be very proud—of a lot of things, especially that, even in his passing, great things were able to take place. The Dolphins Cycling Challenge takes place Saturday, February 7, and Sunday, February 8; visit ridedcc.com for locations and other details.

A new face on the scene, Bruna Lirio is making waves in South Beach.

Bruna Lirio wearing a dress by Markus Lupfer and a bag by Shourouk from Oxygene at Bal Harbour Shops.

It wasn’t long ago that Bruna Lirio was just a teenage girl making her first appearance in an editorial piece for a local magazine in her hometown of Victória, Brazil. Now the 20-year-old, 5-foot-10-inch brunette is living it up in Miami—her hometown since April 2014—and booking shoots with the famed photographer Bruce Weber. It’s that kind of success (and her love for the beach) that has allowed her to adapt to the life of a model and the culture of Miami, and now she’s a jet-setter destined to become a household name.

How were you discovered?
I saw an ad in the newspaper that said a company was looking for girls to promote a brand called Areia Branca. I was 16 and living in Brazil, and like a lot of teenage girls, I always wanted to be a model, so I was very excited to get confirmed.

What is your typical day like as a model?
It depends. There are weeks that I am traveling for work nonstop from tropical locations, like Tulum, Mexico, and Mauritius, to working within North America and Latin America. When I’m not traveling, sometimes there may be a client in town that MC2 Models would like me to meet.

Is it hard to stay in shape with all that travel?
I travel with my sneakers and hit the gym wherever I go, but at home, I love skateboarding, boxing, and renting the Deco Bikes around the city.

How do you unwind after a long day of work?
I love experimenting in the kitchen. I cook feijoada (a stew of black beans, pork, and beef)—the national dish of Brazil—for my friends in Miami and my family when I’m back home. And I love to shop!

When do you rest?
Honestly? This sounds so clichéd, but it’s really important for me to get enough rest, so I wake up feeling refreshed. I sleep probably 10 hours per night.

What’s the best part of being a model?
It’s very gratifying to work with creative people who are there to create a piece of art and to be part of that equation.

The annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival expands its mouthwatering offerings for 2015.

The New York Times Dinner Series at Miami’s Edge Steak & Bar during last year’s Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Brian Schrager is obsessed with keeping it fresh, which explains why, after 13 years of success, he continues to tinker with the offerings. Once again, the celeb-chef-filled four-day extravaganza is hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), while benefiting the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (over the course of its history, the festival has raised more than $20 million for the school). With so much to do—more than 75 events—and so little time, Schrager explains what’s new, what’s changing, and how he keeps gourmands flocking to the tents year after year.

How do you attack the challenge of reinventing the festival each year?
LEE BRIAN SCHRAGER: There are only so many events you can do before you reach a critical mass. The message here is not about quantity, but about the quality. We’re always looking to keep things fresh by tweaking our existing events.

RELATED: What is Lee Brian Schrager's favorite dish in Miami?>>

What advice do you have for people navigating the festival and choosing the right events?
People shouldn’t overdo it. First-timers feel like they have to do everything, and what I always tell people is do it in moderation. Otherwise you’ll get burned out by the end of the second day.

You mentioned loyal fans are going to be doing a double take at the festival—why is that?
We’re spending a lot of time and dollars reconfiguring our signature event, the Grand Tasting Village [the main event, where the world’s most famous culinary names cook, demonstrate, and interact with the crowds]. We’ve listened to people and are adding more seating, more food. Also, there will be chef “captains” repping neighborhoods from as far north as Pompano and as far south as the Keys. They’ll invite chefs to be in their area, and it will all be split up that way. Some of the captains and co-captains include talent such as Timon Balloo of Sugarcane and Tim Andriola of Timo and Basil Park.

What’s one new event that might surprise people?
This year we’re doing something called Yappy Hour, which is a pet party. We just thought it would be fun to do something where we can bring our dogs. Rachael Ray is known to be a great pet lover, and we asked Rachael to host it.

The Q, which was SOBEWFF’s big grilling event, is changing altogether. Tell us about that.
The Q is morphing into Meatopia, which is a great carnivore event that has taken place in New York. The biggest difference is that for Meatopia, everything has to be cooked over open flames—no gas, no petroleum. Guy Fieri is hosting it, and Blues Traveler is performing. We’re putting emphasis on Jim Beam small-batch bourbon—it’ll be all about bourbon and meat.

We’re seeing a cocktail renaissance in Miami. How is that playing out in the festival?
There are so many stories about the art of the tiki, and we’ve created a late-night poolside rum-themed showdown hosted by Emeril [Lagasse]. We’ve got some great mixologists participating from all over the world, as well as judges.

What’s an event that you feel is underrated?
Our pairing seminars—they are affordable, educational, and fun, and people don’t give them the time they should.

What aspect of the festival or event is expanding the most this year?
Our intimate dinners are up 20 percent. Chefs love doing smaller, intimate events. We’re doing one at the Pérez Art Museum Miami with Chris Cosentino, Andrew Zimmern, Makoto, and Michael Schwartz, which is an incredible lineup. We’re also doing a brunch with Michelle Bernstein at her new restaurant, Seagrape, with Elizabeth Falkner and Gabrielle Hamilton. I love pairing friends or people whose food is so different and collaborating on an event.

Who is headed to the festival for the first time this year that you’re most excited about?
Michael Voltaggio [chef and owner of Los Angeles restaurant Ink. and winner of season six of top chef ]. He’ll be doing a dinner with Dena Marino at MC Kitchen.

So there’s plenty of change, but what’s one event that will never go away?
Burger Bash, I would say, is a mainstay. Who doesn’t love a burger? The South Beach Wine & Food Festival takes place February 19-22 in various locations around the city; visit sobefest.com for information and tickets.

Givedon, a new Miami-based shirting company, helps bring smiles to the children of Ecuador.

Givedon offers eight button-down shirt styles from solids to checks and plaids, available in a range of shades, including salmon, blue, and magenta. Each style is 100 percent cotton and tailored to fit regular or slim. Pictured, Givedon’s Sorriso shirt (on model).

Ecuadorean-born, Miami-raised business partners Willy Moeller and Felipe Perez-Anda knew they wanted to work on a philanthropic project together—it was just a matter of determining the right one. “For the past year or so, we had been looking to start a business with a higher purpose than personal and professional growth,” says Perez-Anda. “It had to give back to people in need or in some way touch someone’s life for the better.” It didn’t take long to figure out that journey; while at a clothing trade show, the two decided to launch a men’s shirting company, and Givedon was born.

“The meaning behind the name came to us from these two words that define our brand,” says Moeller. “We make a life by what we ‘give,’ and ‘don,’ which is a title in Spanish used to address a man worthy of respect and honor. Givedon, then, is defined as the mark of a true gentleman—men with purpose who care and put others before themselves, who lift up each person around them, and find satisfaction in helping others.”

To fulfill the style end of their company’s mission, Perez-Anda and Moeller use 100 percent cotton in their shirting, and the details are the focus. Prices start at $59 a shirt. “We have had problems when buying other brands,” admits Moeller. “Either they were too tight or too loose. We wanted to make a great-fitting, comfortable, and affordable shirt. Each design has its own personality and minimalistic detailing to make it unique.”

Felipe Perez-Anda with one of the Ecuadorean children who has received a toy with the help of donations from the sale of Givedon shirts.

Adds Perez-Anda, “We didn’t want to stop only [with] the shirts. We wanted our consumers to enjoy these details from the moment they received their package. Each shirt comes laced in a detailed ribbon with a label explaining the brand and our mission, ‘A smile is on the way.’”

This phrase gets to the heart of what Perez-Anda and Moeller are accomplishing. For each shirt purchased, a toy, such as a truck, soccer ball, doll, or purse, is donated to one of several children’s organizations in Ecuador. “The reason for these types of donations,” explains Perez-Anda, “is that we remembered what it was like to be a little kid and to receive a toy. It was the most amazing feeling. With a simple toy, your imagination can take you places that you have never been, and we wanted to give this to these kids, the majority of whom do not even have a single toy themselves.”

Toys reach children in need in Ecuador with the help of Fundación Verdad y Vida Ava, which helped Perez-Anda and Moeller find Casa Victoria, an organization that supports families in need in the rough San Roque neighborhood in Old Town Quito, and Henry Davis, an orphanage in the Andes mountains that is home to 100 children. When a child receives one of these toys, a photo of that child goes up on the Givedon website so purchasers can see evidence of their gift.

And while Moeller and Perez-Anda are satisfied for now to bring joy to Ecuadorean kids, eventually they hope to further their mission by expanding into a complete men’s clothing line. Says Moeller, “We want to be able to give smiles worldwide.”

Boutique owner and woman-about-town Sara Colombo fills her life—and chic Miami homes—with all good things.

Nest Casa’s Sara Colombo.

For seven years, Nest Casa has been synonymous with high-quality, exotic home goods. Sara Colombo is the force and brains behind the boutique, which now calls Bal Harbour home. “I try and focus on things that are unique to this market, that you can’t buy anywhere else,” says Colombo. Brands like Hermès China, St. Louis (crystal), and Riviere, from Italy (“they do beautiful handmade leather boxes, frames, trays, and different objects”), and a line of candles called Baobab Collection (“like the baobab tree”) are some of the top sellers. “We are launching our gift registry, and we’ve just relaunched our website with e-commerce,” she says.

Being married to megadeveloper Ugo Colombo means Sara is one half of a Miami power couple—and that means nights out on the town. “My husband is a big night guy, so we are out for dinner most nights of the week. We eat a lot at Zuma (270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, 305-577-0277), Cipriani Downtown Miami (465 Brickell Ave., Miami, 786-329-4090) and Casa Tua (1700 James Ave., Miami Beach, 305-673-1010).”

RELATED: Which boutique owner is showing Miami how to dress with confidence?

Cipriani Downtown is a dinnertime favorite.

To look good for those nights out, Colombo is a fan of The Webster (1220 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-7899). “I love everything [owner] Laure Heriard Dubreuil buys. Personally, I don’t have a lot of time to go shopping, so I also like Net-a-Porter because they deliver everything straight to my home.”

The day-to-day activities of family life also fill a large part of Colombo’s schedule. “My normal day consists of dropping off my kids at school, and, if I can, I go to the gym or yoga at Green Monkey (1827 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach, 305-397-8566) before I get to work. I’m also a big cyclist. This morning, I did a 100-kilometer ride for Best Buddies; I am on the Miami Gala Auction Committee and am also one of the founding riders for the Best Buddies Challenge Miami, which is the bicycle ride that they do here in Miami.”

The Webster is Colombo’s go-to place for accessories.

If Colombo can squeeze in time for lunch, she heads to Makoto (Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-8600), “mostly because it has fabulous food but also because it’s in a convenient location.” Then, after lunch, it’s a rush back to pick the kids up from school. Nest Casa, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 855-811-1731

In Miami, our “neutral” accessories have a little more shine.

COOL CONTRASTS
Silver instantly injects feminine pieces with a futuristic edge.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Miss Dior Promenade handbag, Dior ($2,200). The Webster, 1220 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-7899. Gladiator sandal, Giuseppe Zanotti Design ($1,350). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-0133. Ancient silver collar, Michelle Campbell ($285). Atrium, 1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-0757. Infinite Space clutch, Lee Savage ($2,950). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010

RELATED: Art Deco diamonds you'll swoon over>>

GUNMETAL GLORY
Moody metallics feel sophisticated and sexy for spring.

Necklace, Lanvin ($2,585). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Clutch, Serpui ($250). W South Beach, 2201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-938-3000. Pump, Bionda Castana ($825). Intermix, 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950.

COMING UP ROSES
Rose gold is a warm welcome for these sleek and svelte pieces.

Box clutch, Lee Savage ($2,495). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. Necklace ($630) and bracelet ($210), Jason Wu for Pluma. Atrium, 1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-0757. Cuff, Miansai ($200). Atrium, SEE ABOVE.

GOLDEN HOUR
Transformative takes on this classic create the perfect contrast.

Cuff, Louis Vuitton ($1,290). Miami Design District, 170 NE 40th St., 305-573-1366. Clutch, Jimmy Choo ($1,450). Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-443-6124. Sandal, Roger Vivier ($1,150). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-4344

SILVER LININGS
Statement-making silver takes the spotlight this season.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Purse, J. Mendel ($2,200). Neiman Marcus, SEE ABOVE. Necklace, José & María Barrera ($565). Mix, The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561-655-6611. Ring ($310) and cuff ($515), Jennifer Fisher. Barneys New York, SEE ABOVE. Bracelet, Gucci ($1,690). Village of Merrick Park, 305-441-2004

The Buena Vista neighborhood was not the hot spot it is today when chef Claude Postel opened the now-beloved Buena Vista Bistro. His success helped spawn the current culinary heyday.

The caprese salad, topped with chef Claude Postel’s balsamic pesto dressing, at Buena Vista Bistro.

Travel Europe and you’ll find them—small eateries run by families, serving simple, delicious food to local customers who return again and again, for years, for generations. Miami is anything but old-world, and that was certainly apparent in the food scene of the early 2000s, when 200-seat extravaganzas were the norm on South Beach, and a straightforward bistro was hard to find.

Claude Postel changed all that when he quietly opened a 32-seat bistro in sketchy Buena Vista in 2008. An immediate success, today BVB is one of Miami’s most cherished restaurants. And it might not have existed were it not for Postel’s then-wife wanting a big dog. Their apartment on South Beach was too small to accommodate a large hound, so he found a midcentury fixerupper in Little Haiti and began hands-on renovations with the help of friends. “When I was redoing the house, there was no place to eat around—nothing!” says Postel of the area north of the Design District.

Before long, he bowed out of his owner/operator duties at Casablanca restaurant on Ocean Drive and rented a dusty storefront at 46th Street and NE Second Avenue to “do a bistro for the neighborhood.” Instead of advertising, his wife tacked up photos of local homes on the restaurant’s “wall of fame” alongside shots of Madonna, and invited the homeowners in to see themselves on said wall. It worked. Lunch was so busy the first week, he had to make emergency runs to the grocery store to resupply for dinner.

Postel in the kitchen.

Still, though, this was Buena Vista circa 2008. One of his first customers was held up at gunpoint. Postel laughs about it today, but it was no joke at the time. The area has certainly changed; NE Second Avenue is now home to MC Kitchen, Mandolin Aegean Bistro, The District Miami, Shokudo, and Lemoni Café.

Although the dog was a catalyst, BVB’s pedigree goes back centuries, to Chartes, France. Postel’s family has been in the food business there for seven generations. “When I was a kid, my mom was a chef, and I wanted to help, to touch, to make pie, paté. I already had the passion for food. My grandfather was a charcutier making serrano, sausage, the rillettes, the andouille, and I remember thinking it was fabulous.”

As a teen, Postel put in 18-hour days studying culinary arts in Paris and working for his uncle. “It was tough, but I learned a lot.” He would go on to work under Claude Verge and earn a Michelin star as executive chef of La Barrière Poquelin before launching a career in Montreal, where he had vast success with bakeries, catering, and restaurants. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was a frequent customer at Postel’s eponymous eatery there.

Duck confit with pommes sarladaises. 

“After 21 years of cold and snow, it was time to get some heat,” he says of his leap to Miami. The Bistro’s menu is based on Postel’s 40 years of culinary experience, and his whims. And it’s not strictly French—there’s a curry chicken with apples over rice, and the Portuguese brandade de morue (an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil with potatoes) is a favorite of Miami school Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, a regular. “Sometimes I want to change the menu and people go, ‘Ahhhhh!’ They are upset,” says Postel.

But he does manage to slip in a new item now and then, such as his version of Miami comfort food, the black grouper. After a quick pan fry in shallots, he tops the filet with a refrigerated slice of blended Parmesan and butter, then roasts it for a crisp crust. Once plated, the fish sits in a white chowdery broth—a fine marriage of a new-world fish and old-world warmth.

Postel has expanded, too, with Buena Vista Deli a few doors north, and Buena Vista Chocolate & Wine a door south. And, just as it might have happened in Chartes, the chocolate mousse recipe at the bistro is his grandmother’s, and one of his daughters is a waitress. “I’m very strict—she needs to follow the rules!” he says and lets out a chuckle, possibly remembering his own 18-hour workdays with his uncle back in France. 4582 NE Second Ave., Miami, 305-456-5909

Extravagant design plays host to the most sultry in Miami fashion.

Plexi ring mini dress, Anthony Vaccarello X Versus Versace ($995). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-0044. Gold-plated square cuff ($205) and gold-plated screw cuff ($200), Miansai. The Webster, 1220 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-7899. Brass enamel cuff, Pluma ($250). Atrium, 1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-0757. Cuelbra sandals, Alejandro Ingelmo ($795). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-993-4620. FURNITURE: Cristal chandelier, Roche Bobois (price on request). 450 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, 305-444-1017

Evening dress, Ralph Lauren Collection ($7,495). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-861-2059. Silver Intreccio metal knot clutch, Bottega Veneta ($3,480). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-864-6247. ON TABLE: Brass armband, Jennifer Fisher ($615). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. Mechanix breast plate, Gemma Redux ($598). Intermix, 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950. Arrow marble T-bar cuff, Lizzie Fortunato ($275). Neiman Marcus, Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000. Milky Way Cloud bracelet, Lele Sadoughi ($285). Mayda Cisneros, 4102 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, 305-448-5848. FURNITURE: Hector chair ($16,500) and Galassia tables ($10,530, set of three), Armani Casa. Miami Design District, 10 NE 39th St., 305-573-4331

ON KRISTY: Blazer ($2,950), bandeau top (price on request), and skort ($1,025), Versace. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-0044. Heeled sandals, Ruthie Davis ($855). Coltorti, 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-517-1330. Evening bag (on table), Chanel (price on request). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-0550. ON BRUNO R: Suit ($2,050), shirt ($800), and trousers ($490), Salvatore Ferragamo. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-8166. Socks, Falke ($29). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-1100. Spazzolato Aepic oxfords, Nicholas Kirkwood ($835). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. ON BRUNO ENDLER: Jacket ($2,290) and pants ($890), Valentino. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-867-1215. Shirt, Giorgio Armani ($325). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-861-1515. Printed Gommino loafers, Tod’s ($525). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-867-9399. FURNITURE: EOS II dinning table ($10,012), high-back dining chairs ($1,189 each), and low-back dining chairs ($1,099 each), Artefacto. Village of Merrick Park, 4440 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Ste. 1600, Coral Gables, 305-774-0004

ON BRUNO ENDLER: Wool pants, Dior Homme ($680). Miami Design District, 161 NE 40th St., 305-571-3576. ON KRISTY: Swimsuit, Cushnie et Ochs ($495). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. White-gold Diapason earrings, Vhernier ($7,650). Miami Design District, 140 NE 39th St., 305-445-9356. Bebare Chablis metal mirror sandals, Stuart Weitzman ($435). Aventura Mall, 19575 Biscayne Blvd., 305-932-0080. ON BRUNO R: Formal travel suit ($2,850) and shirt ($660), Louis Vuitton. Miami Design District, 170 NE 40th St., 305-573-1366. ON NIGHTSTAND: White-gold Vague earrings, Vhernier ($6,450). see above. Gold-plated honeycomb cuff, Michelle Campbell ($750). Atrium, 1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-0757. Spine cuff, Jennifer Fisher ($945). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. Andrew metal box clutch, Jill Haber ($1,650). Miros Boutique, 7216 SW 57th Ave., South Miami, 305-667-0084. FURNITURE: Nebraska bed ($3,125), Frette bedding sheet set (starting at $695), and Monte Carlo nightstand ($895), Tui Lifestyle. Miami Design District, 3898 Biscayne Blvd., 305-573-5411

Evening dress, Ralph Lauren Collection ($7,495). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-861-2059. T-strap sandals, Roger Vivier ($850). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-4344. FURNITURE: Patinated linen and wooden-frame black maple wood Antoinette coiffeuse, Armani Casa ($23,490). Miami Design District, 10 NE 39th St., 305-573-4331

ON BRUNO ENDLER: Double-breasted peak-lapel cutaway suit ($2,395) and double-collar extension shirt ($298), John Varvatos. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-501-4900. Greggo flats, Christian Louboutin ($945). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. ON BRUNO R. Suit, Philipp Plein ($1,625). Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-466-2338. Shirt, Giorgio Armani ($325). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-861-1515. Socks, Falke ($29). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-1100. Spazzolato Aepic oxfords, Nicholas Kirkwood ($835). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. ON KRISTY: Dress, Akris ($3,990). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-2299. Brass grate cuff, Jennifer Fisher ($680). Barneys New York, SEE ABOVE. Isabelle three-row ring, Paige Novick ($290). Mix at The Breakers, 1 S. Country Road, Palm Beach, 561-655-611. Flavia pumps, Alejandro Ingelmo ($850). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-993-4620. FURNITURE: Minster four-seater sofa, ivory plaid throw, ivory cushion, burgundy cushion, Kepi coffee table in quartz gray, dining table, Madeley oval table in quartz gray, and Kendall cream chair (prices on request), Bentley Home. Luxury Living Showroom, Miami Design District, 4100 NE Second Ave., Ste. 201, Miami, 786-409-5558

ON BRUNO ENDLER: Jacket ($1,695) and pants ($875), Philipp Plein. Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-466-2338. Black Spazzolato derbies, Nicholas Kirkwood ($840). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. ON BRUNO R: Navy cotton suit, Salvatore Ferragamo ($2,050). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-8166. Shirt, Canali ($295). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-3456. ON KRISTY: Halter bralette ($175) and silk crepe pants ($350), Milly. Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 305-792-1000. 18k gold-plated bracelet, Gemma Redux ($225). Intermix, 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950. Charisse pumps, Sergio Rossi ($625). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-864-3643. Clutch (on couch), Reece Hudson ($795). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. FURNITURE: Mah Jong modular handmade sofa with endless compositions designed by Hans Hopfer with fabrics by Missoni ($46,815), small pillows ($200–$290), Dervish cocktail tables ($2,030–$2,040), vases (prices on request), Kais low box ($1,030), and Kais pedestal ($715), Roche Bobois. 450 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, 305-444-1017

Looking to revamp your kitchen (and, maybe, your eating habits)? Start with the essentials. Here, the most exciting cooking tools out there.

Copper 12-Piece Cookware Set, Mauviel ($2,800). Williams-Sonoma, 1035 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-276-9945; 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-9421

Elevate your kitchen experience with new pots and pans. Opt for the Mauviel 12-piece copper set that includes everything from frying pans to dutch ovens.

Ikon Juice Fountain, Breville ($200). Crate & Barrel, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-460-3560

The five-speed range on this model allows you to extract more juice and nutrients, while the separate containers make it a hassle-free activity.

Signature 11 3/4” Iron Handle Skillet, Le Creuset ($180). lecreuset.com

Le Creuset’s signature iron skillet boasts bold colors, a helper handle, and a durable matte black interior enamel.

VeggiChop Vegetable Chopper, Chef'n ($20). Williams-Sonoma, 1035 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-276-9945; 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-9421

Save time and energy with this convenient vegetable chopper. The handy tool helps you cut any food with just a couple of pulls on the ring handle.

Seven-Piece Knife Set, Michel Bras ($2,155). Williams-Sonoma, 1035 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-276-9945; 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-9421

Chef Michel Bras and the designers of Shun knives created an exclusive set based on both French and Japanese cutlery characteristics. The knives are made with matte-finished blades and PakkaWood handles, which are best for a comfortable grip.

Salad Spinner, OXO ($30). oxo.com

Up your veggie intake with the incredibly simple and functional Oxo salad spinner, which whips the water off your greens with one press of the pump. The bowl and lid are see-through and easy to clean.

Maple Edge-Grain Aztec Cutting Board, John Boos & Co. ($260). Sur la Table, 19501 Aventura Blvd., Aventura, 305-384-4793

This sustainable and sturdy cutting board is both a stylish and functional addition to the kitchen. Made of hard rock maple wood, which is best for preventing bacteria buildup, and two reversible sides, this is the only chopping board you'll ever need.

MSC-800 Cook Central, Cuisinart ($200). cuisinartwebstore.com

With four programmable cooking functions, an LCD display, and a retractable cord, this Cuisinart product is an investment worth every penny.

Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer in Bordeaux, KitchenAid ($430). kitchenaid.com

Baking aficionados, rejoice. With 10 speeds for added versatility, this tool is essential for mixing, whipping, and kneading all your foods.

Cooking Utensil Set, Littledeer ($99.95). Williams-Sonoma, 1035 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-276-9945; 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-9421

This ergonomic cooking utensil set from Littledeer is the simplest way to upgrade your overall cooking needs.

Planning a Super Bowl party that's not just chips, dips, and beers is a tall order. We asked Abby Larson, Founder & Editor of Style Me Pretty Living, to share her 10 tips for a chic take on the typical football party. 

1. Go Innovative on the Invites

Invitations are a fun and easy way to set the tone for the party and get people amped up before the big day. Consider printing out invites that look like tickets. See more on this and other Super Bowl party ideas on stylemepretty.com>>

2. Make Mini Versions of Everything

People will come expecting their old favorites, but spice things up by making mini versions of Super Bowl standards. That way, they get to try a little of everything before they are too full. See this recipe for three-bite tacos with guacamole cream and pico on stylemepretty.com >>

3. Pass Out Individual Servings

Although this sounds entirely off-theme for a Super Bowl party, February also happens to be the dreaded cold and flu season. Create individual portions of everything to alleviate double dipping. From seven-layer dip to crudite, keep your fans happy... and healthy. See how to make this single-serve seven-layer dip on stylemepretty.com >>

4. Dress Up the Usual Snacks

Presentation can make store-bought staples look wow-worthy. Use a white pen to customize containers that house popcorn, chips, or mixed nuts. See more Super Bowl party ideas on stylemepretty.com >>

5. Cook Creatively

Gussy up store-bought items so that they feel and taste even more delicious. Niman Ranch makes an amazing packaged pulled pork that your guests will think you slaved for hours over and it’s perfect for nachos, sliders, or tacos. And, store-bought guacamole will taste homemade with the addition of a chopped avocado, a squirt of lime juice, and a dash of salt. See how to make three-bite pulled pork biscuits on stylemepretty.com >>

6. Get Festive with Cookie Cutters

You can use cookie cutters to make just about anything feel on theme. Store-bought cheesecake or brownies cut with a football cookie cutter are a breeze and feel innately festive. See more Super Bowl party ideas on stylempretty.com >>

7. Don't Just Serve Beer

Beer doesn't have to be the star of the show. Mix things up with a specialty cocktail like a Hellfire, a Shandy, or these fun Champagne Jello shots that mimic the look of a frothy beer. See how to make these champagne jello shots on stylemepretty.com >>

8. Play a Game

Not everyone loves football, but most people love a good party. Keep the conversation going with a Super Bowl Commercial game. That way, you won’t interrupt the serious fans, but you’ll keep those clueless about football involved, too. See Super Bowl game ideas on stylemepretty.com >>

9. DIY Your Décor

Make pom poms with the sports section, some duct tape, and a paper straw. Or, use a bolt of unfinished fabric to cover your table in a great print like black and white stripes, and mismatched cake platters instead of trays to display your food. See how to make DIY newspaper party pom poms on stylemepretty.com >>

10. Keep It Simple with Favors

Party favors are always a good idea, but in the case of a Super Bowl bash, said favors shouldn't take themselves too seriously. A couple of bottles of artisan beer with a note to get together soon or a fun DIY margarita kit will do the trick. See how to make a margarita kit favor on stylemepretty.com >>

PHOTGRAPHY BY HELLO LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY (DIP, GAME, FAVORS); BY STYLE ME PRETTY LIVING (INVITES, TACOS, JELLO SHOTS, PULLED PORK, POPCORN, COOKIE CUTTER, POM POMS)