A Conversation About Art Basel

A recent conversation I had regarding ‪#‎ArtBasel‬, the mega-cluster-F. 
I start. 
"So this year there are come cool events happening--"
"I'm not going to anything where we have to wait in line with a gaggle of people trying to get in while some snooty person with an iPad looks for our name."
"Right. Okay, well there's also---"
"And then we get there and the crowd isn't the right crowd, or not a big enough crowd, or not a smart enough crowd. Or where parking is a headache, or where we get stuck in traffic. Or where the valet line is 100 a-holes long. Or where we have to fight to get a drink/tiny bite/spoon of tuna tartar. Or where I get elbowed by Julian Schnabel and Jeffrey Deitch starts yelling at his door people. Or anything where we stand around WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN."
"Yep. So I guess that covers it. See you in a week?"
"Sounds good."

Burger Bash 2013

I don't have many photos from the Burger Bash, the annual burger-off put on by the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. That's because I was too busy double-fisting glasses of rosé and sliders and trying not to get grease all over my phone as I live-tweeted the event (for late-breaking burger news). But I did manage to taste at least seven (or possibly 12) burgers before I lapsed into a beef-induced coma and could only be revived by caramel truffles at the Godiva tent.
But onto the hard news: It was all about the crunchy burgers as Bobby Flay broke Michael Symon's three-time winning streak by taking home the People's Choice award at the 2013 Sobe Burger Bash. Flay’s signature green chile cheeseburger topped with potato chips bested Symon’s entry from B Spot Burgers, dethroning the Cleveland chef.

Flay's "crunchify" team.

Amid predictably-long lines for popular spots like Burger and Beer Joint (I skipped that), The Forge (with a great truffle burger) and Shake Shack were TV personalities Iron Chef Morimoto and Guy Fieri churning out beefy goodness for the Amstel Light-swilling crowds that swarmed the tents on the beach.
New contenders in this year’s competition included Tampa-based Burger 21 headed by Chef Shane Schaibly with a Tex-Mex burger. Chef Paul Malvone, co-founder of Boston Burger Co., served up his "Hot Mess Burger," topped with bacon, jalapenos, sweet potato fries and dripping American cheese between two Thousand Island dressed buns.
But the buzz on the sand was for the double-patty on a toasted bun courtesy of Atlanta-based Holeman and Finch restaurant. Guy Fieri’s tent was doling out Jell-o shots (yes, I will admit I consumed one in the gluttonous frenzy) while Tim Love’s Fort Worth-based Love Shack topped their patties with crispy lamb bacon (loved it).
Best side dish goes to Ft. Lauderdale Rok Brgr for their mini-lobster corn dogs. New York chef Michael Whitel previewed a delectable burger from his soon-to-open The Butterfly, a Wisconsin-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant he's opening in Tribeca.
Local chef Hedy Goldsmith had an impressive pavilion piled high with her overstuffed “Nutter Butter” dessert sliders stuffed with peanut butter cream in a cookie sandwich.

Taste of the Nation 2011

This is my favorite food event of the summer. It's a chance to mingle with chefs, wine lovers and assorted riff raff - my kind of party. And the venue this year - Fairmont Turnberry - proved a spacious comfortable spot, with plenty of room to navigate between the stations and hunker down with your plastic tray with it's wine glass holder. Best in show: the Zellwood corn soup from Paula DaSilva at 1500 Degrees, spicy crispy tuna from Makoto ( I won't lie; I shamelessly Hoovered three pieces of those tasty bites as I passed the table), lobster tacos from Joe's Stone Crab and short rib dim sum from STK. Herewith a few photos.

Azul's Joel Huff with pea soup shooters topped with chicharon, gold flakes and cheese pebbles.

Paula DaSilva, always smiling and always cooking up something nice.

Joe's Stone Crab put out bit-size lobster tacos with diced mango and sweet pepper foam. 

This Friday: A Full Moon and Endless Raw Bar @ Ritz South Beach

Let Them Eat Cake @ 1111 Lincoln

The name of the ice sculptor? Vanilla Ice. Yes, I made that up.

Cupcakes were the dominant cake form on display. No complaints here.

New York chef Geoffrey Zakarian and his lovely wife Margaret not saying anything about the restaurant he may or may not open in Miami. And not saying whether the aforementioned restaurant will or will not be located in South Beach.

Vinyl & Kai One Year Anniversary Party

Complimentary cocktails and beer Wednesday Feb. 2 from 9-11pm including ten kegs of domestic import and craft beer. Also Rock and Roll flicks such as Streets of Fire and Rock and Roll High School on their massive projection screens.

Eurocinema Launches Bistro Theater With Avenue Montaigne @ Wine Depot

Fiat and FADER Party Tonight

Come out tonight and listen to music from DJ Nick Catchdubs and DJ Artime. There will be FREE food and drinks.

RSVP here.

Event is tonight from 8-11pm. The address is 70 NW 25th St, Miami FL 33127
DJ Artime and DJ Nick Catchdubs will have sets. Live art by Jesse Nite and 131 Projects. Complimentary food and beverages.

Art Basel Schedule: Thursday Night

The plan for tonight - clone myself.
There's a Bruce Weber party at the Standard. The Camper store on Lincoln Road opens with a cocktail party.  Dror Benshetrit unveils his TRON chair at Capellini. NERD performs at Rainbow City. The MAM has their party on the plaza. There will be cocktails and art from Antwerp at Maison Martin Margiela.Wynwood Walls will be throwing down with Shepard Fairey. Back on the beach NADA kicks things off at the Canyon Ranch. Scope is getting jiggy with Artists Wanted. And everyone gets free tattoos at the Sanrio pop-up in Wynwood.

LCD Sound System @ The Raleigh

Saturday: Primary Flight's Closing Party

Andres Balazs Goes Barefoot For a Good Cause

Well, sort of.
If by "good cause" we mean a sleek speedboat designed by Marc Newson. Which is doing the world a service in some way, if we consider that there are wealthy people out there who may find themselves on the high seas in a vessel not designed by a cultural superstar.
But forget about the boat, which was gorgeous and arrived with much fanfare and then spent the night docked by the Standard's pool deck. Let's focus on the champagne, which was flowing and made by Dom Perignon. And let's get back to Mr. Balazs (the debonair fellow to right) and his impeccable smile. It takes a special kind of cool to pull off the barefoot-in-a-suit look and the hotelier, oozing relaxed charm and weaving his way through the crowd, certainly seemed at home. Because, in a way, he was. Now that he's given up the Raleigh, his bayfront Standard is his Miami crashpad of choice. And the place is still holding its own against the newbies like Soho House and the W. The key to maintaining its cool cachet? The man himself.

Eurocinema @ Plunge at the Gansevoort

Art Basel Schedule: Tuesday Night

What's on the event agenda for tonight?
Art Miami opens tonight for VIP's. Magrit Mondavi is hosting a wine dinner at the Soho House. Then there's the MOCA/Vanity Fair party, of course. Andre Balazs is unveils a shmancy new boat designed by Marc Newson at the Standard pool deck (expected guests: Thomas Krens, Ryan McGinness) . The Townhouse rooftop hosts a cocktail party for Trey Speegle. The official Art Basel opening party hunkers down at the W South Beach. There's a Pulse VIP preview party with the New World Symphony. Emmanuel Perrotin hosts an opening of Daniel Arsham's new show (didn't he shutter his gallery?). The Marquis building downtown is graced by performance artist Pamela Masik. And the MOCA Shakers get busy at Bardot after the museum's opening tonight.
-photo via C-Monster's Flickr

Basel Kickoff: Bubbles and BBQ @ The Soho House

It used to be that Basel kicked off Tuesday with the MOCA/Vanity Fair party and the usual Calvin Klein/Chuck Close/bald-headed cross-dressing twins sightings. But this year things got all Monday night on us with Design Miami's Veuve Clicquot beach barbecue at the Soho House.
I promised myself I wouldn't start Basel week with a hangover but, alas, like all good Basel parties, the booze was easy to procure, the food, not so much. But the champagne was abundant, crisp and refreshing. The party wasn't really on the beach, but rather at the Soho House's tiki bar, a space built for an intimate gathering of 30 that then accommodated oh, about 200 mostly-French speaking arty types.
Typical ensemble: crayola-red pants, leather moccasins (no socks), pastel sweater tied around the shoulders. Also, a few extras from an episode of Schprockets.
The grub: delicious mini hamburgers that were too few and far between, spicy lamb skewers, truffle pizzas, chips and salsa.
Sightings: Marc Jacobs having dinner at Cecconi's.

-photo via WorldRedEye

Le Baron Miami @ The Florida Room

This year the French nightclub lands at the Florida Room. Expect plenty of socialites, collectors and assorted riff-raff acting naughty and doing karaoke until 4am. Also, expect a strict door policy. But something tells me if you're wearing something like this you should be fine.

Art Basel To Do Lists

I'm still putting together my Art Basel must-see and must-drink/play list (hint: lots of champagne and ping pong, and maybe a boat ride with Andre Balazs, god that hotelier is handsome) but it's good to take a gander at the rec's from fellow mavens.

Art Fag City has a map and itinerary for you.

HyperAllergic has five intriguing projects.

The New Times has an exhaustive list of events and their blog, Cultist, has loads of Basel-y goodness here.

Duncan Quinn's Basel Party

For this year’s four-night bacchanalia UK designer Duncan Quinn is taking a page out of the Daniel Craig handbook by transforming his Design District store into a Casino Royale wonderland. Expect a black tie staff serving gin cocktails, a gambling pit and a screening room streaming Michael Caine movies. Also, you can stock up on limited-edition ties and slim-fitting polos.
December 1-4, 11am – 7pm, 4040 NE 2nd Ave,786-972-5021.

MOCA/Vanity Fair Party, November 30

If the Glove Fits...

Wynwood at midnight is a pretty scary place on its own, but the folks at Cafeina are turning things up a notch with their “Nightmare on 23rd St” party. Cocktail servers dressed like the cinematic slasher will pass out gratis shots of Southern Comfort every time the Nightmare on Elm Street theme song “1, 2, Freddy’s Coming for You” is played, party girl Miss Elaine Lancaster will DJ, and the outdoor courtyard will be a spooky haze of fog and bottle service.

8p-3a, October 30.
297 NW 23rd St, 305-438-0047.