Miami Life: Vegan Restaurant, George Clinton, High-Rise Life, Luminosa
On the recommendation of a friend, we checked out Flora, a new vegan/vegetarian restaurant, and it is magnificent. Eliot and I own few George Clinton art pieces and we’re exciting that his first art exhibition is happening this month. Remember the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in the Surfside section of Miami? Well, our building is now one of the many high-rises undergoing renovations and it’s not easy living in glass buildings with men on scaffolds constantly passing by your windows. Luminosa Festival of Lights has returned to Miami, and it will this holiday season a festive one.
It Looks as Good as It Tastes
Our friend, Diana Levy, recommended a restaurant to us the other day that turned out to be a gem. We met Diana at the Miami Book Fair last Saturday and before we could even say hello, she told us about a brand-new restaurant, the food was delicious, and the decor was very different than anything we have ever seen.
Eliot and I didn’t catch the vegan/vegetarian part of the conversation because we were trying to figure out where the restaurant was located. Then we realized it was next to Chica in Morningside, a very festive restaurant we often frequent.
As it turns out, we were going to be in that neighborhood later in the day, so we decided to check it out. I can’t explain it, but from the minute we walked in we felt like we were high on tender loving care. Everything was magnificent. The food, the service, and the decor have a special touch that makes you feel you are in Shangri-La.
The furniture is from Indonesia. The chairs and tables are carved out of the lushest wood. You can’t take your eyes off the carvings and shapes. I would love to have a set like this in my home.
Eliot had French toast that he said was exceptional and I had a bowl of yogurt and berries that were just sweet enough. The silverware served are for royals, very unique. The waiters were trained to serve in a certain elegance that you wonder why this doesn’t go on elsewhere. I watched their every move to see if I could catch them step out of style. It didn’t happen.The menu of vegetarian and vegan selections is plentiful. They even serve milk for your coffee. The kitchen is open to the restaurant so you can check on the preparation.
We honestly can’t wait till we go back to see if we imagined the whole experience. It was too good to be true.
https://www.floraplantkitchen.com/
George Clinton: RUFF | Opening November 30
Our good friend, Spring McManus, Art Advisory, is pleased to announce Ruff, George Clinton’s first exhibition at JUPITER Contemporary, opening on Thursday, November 30, 2023. 6 to 8pm, featuring paintings from three of Clinton’s ongoing series: “Mothership,” “Atomic Dog,” and “Entities,” the show presents a collection of the legend’s most iconic themes.
Eliot and I own a few George Clinton art pieces, and everyone always stops and stares at them because they have such high energy. The reason is because George Clinton is a musician, singer, bandleader, and record producer most known for his collective, Parliament-Funkadelic, which developed an influential and eclectic genre of funk music during the 1970s. Clinton is also a visual artist and has been making visual art for almost as long as he has been making music.
Clinton’s visual artwork is a mix of funkadelic mythologies and utopian fantasies. As a founder of the Afrofuturist movement, Clinton inspired some of contemporary arts’ leading figures today.
He has had solo exhibitions at Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles; George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center, Austin; and The National Museum of African American Music, Nashville. Clinton’s Mothership is on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and he is currently featured prominently throughout their Afrofuturism exhibition. He will have a solo exhibition at Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art next September.
We are definitely attending. Let me know if you want to join us.
1217 71st Street. Miami Beach
Miami Life After the Collapse
The media is forever talking about how everyone is moving to Miami because of the weather and the ever-growing culture. What many news outlets outside of Miami never tell you about is the renovations all of the high rises are going through because of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in the Surfside section of Miami.
Just to refresh your memory, on June 24, 2021, at approximately 1:22 a.m, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, partially collapsed, causing the deaths of 98 people. It was a terrible tragedy. The building was 40 years old and was in desperate need of repairs that kept getting postponed.
Everyone panicked. If one high rise building collapsed, why couldn’t that happen to the others?
On June 25, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assigned a team of scientists and engineers to investigate the collapse. On the following day, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava ordered an immediate audit of all high-rise buildings in Miami-Dade County older than 40 years and taller than five stories.
Ever since then, every high rise decided to be carefully examined because no one wanted to take chances. Every nook and cranny that inspectors found out of order had to be fixed. Many condo board of directors in Miami Beach decided to take advantage of the renovation period to make cosmetic updates as well. The results: huge assessments and a year or two of construction noises.
While everyone realizes that these improvements had to be made, it’s not easy living in glass buildings with men on scaffolds constantly passing by your windows. I live on the 36th floor of my 22-year-old condo and every room has floor to ceiling windows. The living room and kitchen do not have drapes or shades. The whole idea is to see straight out to the ocean and the bay.
The net net is that we have to be dressed every day because of the men hanging outside of our windows. When they take a break, they can be parked right in front of us for a half hour or more. Basically, we have company every day from 9am to 4pm. That’s a lot of fun (kidding) for folks who work from home. The strange thing about it is that I have started to worry about what to wear every day. It’s like being back in the office. I don’t want the construction workers to see me in the same outfit too often. I now have to dress to impress. I should write a sitcom called “Life in A High Rise.”
Luminosa Festival In Miami
If you want to make sure this holiday season is a festive one, I highly recommend stepping into the world of enchantment as Luminosa returns to Miami for the first time in four years! This is a Festival of Lights, and I can’t believe there was such a long interruption because of the pandemic. That’s even more of a reason to go this year. Let’s all celebrate a new beginning.
Luminosa takes place at the Jungle Island, and it’s presented by the acclaimed Zigong Lantern Group. Jungle Island says it’s larger and more awe-inspiring than ever. With over 40 stunning lamp scenes, meticulously crafted by 150 artisans using 120 tons of steel and 150,000 feet of silk, Luminosa has transformed Jungle Island into an immersive ancient cultural experience. From mythical jungle wildlife and submerged Atlantis to the Asian Dynasties and Legendary Latin Culture, each section offers a captivating journey. There are countless photo opportunities, acrobatic performers, traditional chinese vendors, food, craft cocktails, and live music.
Date: From Nov 21st, 2023
Opening hours:
Sun – Thurs 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Fri / Sat 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Open 7 days a week
Price: Tickets start at $29
As Co-Founder and President of HWH PR, Lois Whitman-Hess has been actively involved in public relations for a vast array of business sectors including technology, Internet-based companies, entertainment, law, publishing, fashion, beauty and art. For the last eight years, Lois has authored a daily blog called “Digidame.” It mostly covers her personal journeys as well as tech innovations, art, travel, and entertainment. In addition, Lois co-hosts a weekly podcast called “Lying on the Beach” with TV personality Steve Greenberg who is a contributor on NBC's Today Show. They interview luminaries who discuss their expertise and views on current events.
