Velvet underground: Nov 7-13

Don't tell all the models -- but the cows have officially taken over South Beach.

Fontainbleau Resort on Miami Beach is to be opened after extensive renovations and expansion. Photo: Al Diaz.

Member rating: 4

By Lesley Abravanel

Mary Brickell Village hot spot Rosa Mexicano is rolling out the morbid as it celebrates Dia de los Muertos, aka the Day of the Dead, with a monthlong fiesta including a cooking demonstration and luncheon on Saturday at the ungodly hour of 10 a.m. Good thing -- the $35 charge is all inclusive so your wallet won't be dead afterward. For reservations, call 786-425-1001.

Good news for those who find themselves hungry in the Wynwood Arts District: Joey Goldman is slated to open his eponymous Italian eatery at 2506 NW Second Ave. sometime this month. Joey's, according to Goldman, will offer healthy, classic dishes from Veneto and other Italian regions. The restaurant "is designed to accommodate a wide range of tastes and budgets from the young artsy set to the high rollers who ascend on Wynwood during Art Basel," Goldman said.

Back on the beach, something other than Italian or a steakhouse (more on that later) is set to open in the form of Ahnvee, a Cajun-Creole restaurant whose Creole name translates to "a food craving." The 9,000-square-foot restaurant helmed by Emeril Lagasse-grad Tom Azar, will feature classics from etouffee and gumbo to jambalaya and fried, yikes, alligator, as well as a lounge featuring live New Orleans-style jazz. The space, formerly known as Club Deep, will also feature its aquarium floor, this time scuff-mark free and featuring alive-and-well varieties of fish, which we hope aren't tomorrow night's specials.

Also pretty special is The Standard, which welcomes the legendary artist and Sex Pistols co-founder Maclolm McLaren on Sunday for the Miami premiere of his feature-length video Shallow, which consists of clips from erotic films of the late 1960s. This isn't your typical Hollywood movie screening either. A) It's free and open to the public; and B) the film is more of an art piece that will play on a constant loop to an awesome soundtrack.

And as for the aforementioned meateries, it's another week and that means another steakhouse or 20 in Miami Beach, first with the high-style Meat Market in the old Pacific Time space on Lincoln Road; then with the as-much-meat-as-you-can-eat before going into cardiac arrest Fogo de Chao on First Street next door to Clarke's; and now, at 438 41st St., the somewhat ironically titled Rare Steakhouse, which actually opened in August but is gearing up for season with some well priced hunks of meat, salads, sides and prix fixe lunches and dinners. In due time, several more steak spots will open, including the highly anticipated Gotham Steak in the reopening-next-weekend Fontainebleau. And then there's Red, yet another South of Fifth steakhouse. But we'll get to those when they open.

Speaking of the Fontainebleau: Its grand reopening unveiling on Friday has everyone scrambling for an invite that's harder to come by than optimistic economic news. Same goes for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show there the following night. But once the hype and circumstance of the reopening dies down, the place and its 600 clubs, bars and restaurants will likely see that end of Miami Beach start to sink into the sand as hipsters from these parts and far away will be making it their command central.

Another place that's command central for cocktail cliques of all persuasions is the legendary Mac's Club Deuce, which will be hosting the photo-book launch party for Melissa Burley's colorful collection of some of the Deuce's biggest aces. Party is from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. Says Burley, the book is "a celebration of all those fun, wasted times." You know, those times when you need photos to remind you of what, exactly, happened. Luckily for some, there are no photo captions.

We understand if you'd just rather forget, which makes the book -- and the always lively Deuce -- that much more fodder for lively cocktail conversation.

Speak up!

Average rating based on 3 reviews.

What you said

zavi25

Posted on Thu, 11.13.2008 @ 23:42

Fabulous Clubs. La Covacha is a lot of fun. The music they play is fantastic. Alcazaba has an amazing ambience and the dress code makes it all more elegant. Club Tipico Dominicano is the BEST for coming up with the Domingo Playero! It's for the entire family and you can go with your kids and grandparents and show them a good time with delicious food. All these clubs are fun. I have been to all of them and I say congratulations for the article. Those boring people who don't know how to dance or don't have the beat running through their blood will not appreciate it as much as us, the true lovers of music and dance! Thank you for this article. Very informative and absolutely true! Those places are FABULOUS!... Read more

172

marvingt

Posted on Wed, 11.12.2008 @ 00:25

OMG..i would love to get invited to the Fountainbleau reopening!! i heard the place is amazing and the Victorias Secret show is probably going to be HOT!... Read more