Posts categorized: Entertainment

  The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler Lucas Peterson recently paid our fair, seaside city of South Beach a visit and like so many travel writers and first time visitors before him, he fell into the typical tourist traps of Ocean Drive and its surrounding streets, rattling off (for the most part) a list of bars that no self respecting local would be caught dead in. He even called Mango’s the “quintessential” South Beach club experience—uh, not quite, bro. See: LIV, Story. To […]

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  It’s all beautiful excess in Palm Beach where limestone mansions peer over manicured hedges to pristine, private beaches on South Ocean Boulevard. It’s here, on this four square-mile strip of a barrier island where drivers instinctually slow down, angling for a glimpse  at swimming pools and tennis courts and maybe a Kennedy beyond the gilded gates. One of the wealthiest enclaves in the U.S., Palm Beach is a mere hour drive from Miami and while it effuses exclusivity, its riches are there […]

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Just back from a brilliantly executed girlfriend’s weekend in New Orleans with my besties Lisa and Krista. We hit up so many great spots in the Big Easy for strong drinks, live music and a great party. Here’s where we went. You should probably check them out too. For where to eat, see last week’s post.   Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House: Come for the absinthe frappe, stay for the delightfully convivial dive bar atmosphere on the corner of Bourbon and Bienville streets. 240 […]

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  There’s nothing I find particularly appealing about cruise vacations, but then again there’s nothing categorically repelling about them either. So when the opportunity presented itself to embark on the two-night maiden voyage of the Norwegian Escape (seven-night Caribbean cruises from $599) from PortMiami, I said, sure, and I brought my best friend Krista along for the ride. I’ve been on a handful of cruises through the years and actually, most of them have been quite memorable. My very first at age 15 […]

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We got to Cake Shop right before 11 p.m. just in time to see my brother Brett take the stage as headliner with a solo singer/songwriter act. The whole Benowitz family was there, along with my friend Rebekah and a bunch of Brett’s friends. Every time I see him perform, I’m reminded of just how talented he is. He played an hourlong set of all original music along with the occasional guest artist, which he calls “Friends with Benowitz.” It’s […]

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Ever since I had the opportunity to interview Pharrell this summer, I like to think of him as both my friend and neighbor here in Miami. Today, I was enjoying a (much needed) lazy Saturday scrolling through my Twitter feed when this tweet came up: First of all, thanks for the International Women’s Day love, Pharrell. I totally RTed you. The next thing I noticed was that he had a new Twitter profile picture (above). I clicked to look at […]

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I had my first celebrity interview over Labor Day Weekend with none other than Pharrell Williams, and later with Robin Thicke. And, yes, I was incredibly nervous–and excited. They were in town to perform a special concert at the Fontainebleau Sunday afternoon. When Pharrell walks into a room, he brings an almost otherworldly quality with him, something greater, and more interesting, than star power. He is a beautiful creature, flawless, perfection. I saw him once before at the convention center during […]

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There’s something kind of magical about living on a small island and riding your bike to a tiny, uncrowded movie theater in the middle of the day to watch a movie you’ve never heard of all by yourself. I come from a moviegoing family, and sitting down in a dark theater to watch a story unfold on a big screen has always made me happy. The Tropic Cinema is a great art house cinema dedicated to independent, foreign, documentary, and […]

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I love perusing the shelves of a nice independent bookstore. In a world where they’re becoming increasingly harder to find, we’re lucky to have Books & Books in Miami. With its original location founded in Coral Gables in 1982, there are also outposts in South Beach on Lincoln Road, inside Bal Harbour Shops, and at Miami International Airport, as well as locations in Fort Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, and Westhampton Beach. It’s so much more than a bookstore. It’s an intellectual gathering […]

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They don’t call Nashville Music City for nothing, and you’d be remiss to skip out on a chance to hear some great live music while you’re here. There are many ways to do this in Nashville, from the boisterous bars on Broadway to the more staid listening rooms around town. One of those renowned listening rooms is The Station Inn, located in the trendy neighborhood, The Gulch. While every night is different with a variety of singer/songwriters performing, The Station […]

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