Rumbar.
Velvet Underground: 8/15 - 8/21
By Lesley Abravanel
With the current economic situation causing a downturn in tourism, some haute hotels are practically giving away rooms at $99-a-night rates. So on one recent Saturday we channeled that tourist vibe at the Gansevoort South and laid out at the pool with a colorful crowd of folk, including some straight out of Central Casting for The Sopranos. We didn't care who was local, who wasn't - the vibe rocked.
Same goes for Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne, whose RUMBAR and Cantina Beach are both hosting special event nights. RUMBAR's Thursday night drink specials and an old Havana vibe draw in a Key crowd. On Saturdays at Cantina Beach, a three-course, tequila-paired dinner costs $46.
In Sunny Isles Beach, Acqualina has Beachfront Grill Nights from 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, featuring a gourmet barbecue menu, specialty cocktails and live music. On Fridays, Beachfront Grill Night also comes with Cinema Paradiso, a classic or campy film shown after sunset on a big screen at the resort's pool. An a la cart menu features appetizers, popcorn and other theater snacks. A swankier multiplex VIP experience, if you will, for only $8 valet parking and whatever snacks you choose to buy.
And speaking of VIP, Grass Restaurant & Lounge is gearing up for the debut of its supper club component, the intriguing yet oddly titled King is Dead, set to open in the fall. We dug a little further into the etymology of the 3,500-square-foot supper club's name and discovered it's derived from the French chant Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi!, which was first roared during the coronation of Charles VII following the death of his father, Charles VI, in 1422. After one king takes his last breath, but before the next is crowned, only seconds pass, but, according to a press release, “that split second of time is multiplied and reinforced as controlled chaos, debauchery, and pleasure, without a care in the world or a leader to rule.” And that's what King is Dead is all about. Get it? You don't really have to. The destination, we're told, will fuse vintage with modern, pairing an ornate European renaissance decor with modern Italian chandeliers, graffiti walls, ostrich banquettes and Lucite chairs. King is Dead will also feature a late-night tasting menu and cocktails served in 16th century-style goblets. King Arthur meets the Design District. We can't wait to see the jesters trying to get in.
Also for the lofty set, Elevated Fridays at Level 25 at the Conrad has employed the sonic talents of DJ Induce, who will spin from 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays. They'll also have $6 cocktail specials and free hors d'oeuvres from 6-7 p.m.
And in fabulous, funky and random music news, at 8 p.m. Saturday, MOCA features NY performance and visual artist Rafael Sanchez and actor-slash-writer Jim Fletcher, who will perform to ZZ Top's classic album, Fandango. Rock on! The show is in conjunction with the museum's current exhibit, Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll since 1967 and is free with museum admission - $5 general, $3 for seniors and students with ID and free for MOCA members and North Miami residents. Cocktails will be provided by 10 Cane Rum.
An after-party for the museum's fine group of hipsters, the MOCA Shakers, will take place at The Vagabond at 10 p.m. featuring Bamby's Sock-Hop Tribute to Elvis Presley. To join the Shakers, send an e-mail to AStarr@mocanomi.org.
Also moving and shaking are the young professional types at Aaron Resnick and friends' Tuesday Night Dinner Club, also known more scintillatingly as “A Threesome Below Fifth,” where one evening encompasses cocktailing and dining in three venues - Kobe Club, China Grill and Tuscan Steak. The $50 per person tab gets you a tasting of three caipirinhas by Leblon Cachacha at 7:30 p.m. on the China Grill patio followed by a four-course dinner at one of the three aforementioned China Grill empire restaurants as well as a flute of Pommery Champagne. For reservations … you'll need to specify in which restaurant you want to dine - call 305-534-2211. The same dinner will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2 if you can't make it this month.
And finally, although the American tourists down here this summer may be as rare as a cheap drink at The Setai, the Pelican is paying homage to its Italian roots with the annual Ferragosto celebration Friday, an actual holiday that honors the end of hard labor in the fields and kicks off a month of vacation. The party starts at 7 with cocktails; dinner's at 9. For reservations or information on where to apply for an Italian visa, call 305-673-1000.
- Current 62.6 °F
- It's a romantic night
- Dine alfresco on Miami Beach
Still thirsty?
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Take a club tour, haunt a happy hour or check out the latest concert news in Nightlife.
