I feel like Miami Beach is truly coming alive again. The restaurant that was infamous for being the last place that Gianni Versace ate in before he was shot dead on the footsteps of his mansion, has reopened after being closed during the pandemic.  There’s a “Monster” on Miami Beach.  Miami Is the land of “who, what, where, why, when and how.” Palm Beach is “don’t ask, try guessing.” Read about my Palm Beach “faux pas.” Miami is becoming fashion central—Louis Vuitton’s trunk show is coming here.

News Cafe reopens in South Beach

News Cafe is ready to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to everyone who wants to sit outdoors on Ocean Drive to watch all the beautiful people walk by. News Cafe was the go-to restaurant for the best casual dining. There is always a celebrity sighting at one of the tables. Everyone loved this restaurant because it was the neighborhood hangout. You definitely felt like you were in the South of France. The sand, the ocean and the big open sky was just across the street.

Many credited News Cafe, founded in 1988, as the establishment that led the way in the rebirth of the Art Deco district. The restaurant is located at 800 Ocean Drive.

The other good news is that the newsstand that was always filled with local, national and international publications, will be re-established. While I usually read everything online, it is just wonderful to peruse all the magazines that are lined up shelf after shelf. I will even buy a few to support the print effort.

The iconic green awning outside will stay.

The restaurant and newsstand are owned by Goldman Properties.

News Cafe will be open 8am to 11pm Sunday-Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday. It will be managed by Vida y Estilo Restaurant Group, which also operates Barsecco, Havana 1957 and La Cerveceria de Barrio. The restaurant was founded by restaurateur Mark Soyka. Visit their website.

March 17-26. The Monster on The Beach 

When I first saw the Wine and Food Show many years ago on the sand in Miami Beach, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had no clue that special events were being staged right on the beach. I lived in New York City. I thought events only happened in brick buildings. I was overwhelmed. It was just breathtaking to go to an event on the beach and see the ocean steps away.

Since then, many activities use the sand as a platform. The latest is a 1000-foot-long inflatable playground called The Monster. The structure is a bouncy castle that features 40 obstacle courses including the 60-foot “Mega Slide,” the mind-blowing “Exterminator” and the terrifying “House of Hell.”

The event attracts people of all ages because there is food, DJ’s, and physical experiences. It’s non-stop partying with Live DJ’s, the Inflatable Unicorn and Flamingo Ball Pits, and delicious street food, cocktails, bubbles and beers.

The Monster will take place from March 17th to March 26th.  The Monster is an international event. It’s the brainchild of entertainment creator Nick Zuppar who unleashed his party playground event in London in 2017.

It will be located at Lummus Park between 11th and 12th street. Tickets to The Monster are $27 for general admission and Miami Beach residents can enjoy access for only $19 with proof of residency.

Tickets are now on sale. https://www.eventim.com/artist/the-monster/.

Miami vs. Palm Beach

I was recently told that I made a faux pas in Palm Beach that I shouldn’t repeat again. I love the person who tried to correct me, but I am too old, and too satisfied with who I am, to change my ways.

This is what happened. I was at a Palm Beach party a few weeks ago and one of the other female guests was staring at me as if she wanted to have a conversation. Instead of standing there awkwardly, I said, “Hello I’m Lois Whitman-Hess, how do you know our host and what do you do?” She was around my age so I thought she might be retired but would have plenty to say. She could just give me a one liner about her career so we could strike up a conversation. Instead, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “I do nothing.”  READ MORE.

Louis Vuitton Brings Trunk Show to Miami

This is huge news. Miami is becoming fashion central. It’s a big deal that Louis Vuitton picked the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) as the site for its United States debut of the Women’s Spring-Summer 2023 Collection on March 14th.  Why? The only other place that showed the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2023 collection was at the famous and stunning Cour Carrée (Courtyard) at the Louvre in Paris. It’s an honor for the Louis Vuitton Miami Trunk show to pick PAMM. It is a great choice considering the museum was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron.

Designed by Louis Vuitton Artistic Director Nicolas Ghesquière, the Spring-Summer 2023 collection focuses on the new balance in the collection’s scale: zippers and snaps are oversized, clasps become belt buckles, and a scrap of leather is turned into an outfit, among other design changes. Nicolas Ghesquière(French pronunciation:  has been the women’s creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton since 2013.

The PAMM is located on Miami’s Biscayne Bay. This iconic terrace will serve as the setting for the Trunk Show, which will be presented twice on the March 14.  at 11:00am and 4:00pm