Miami Life: Shame on Them, Fever, Books, Female Founders
I am sick to my stomach to hear that Damac Properties is building a super luxury condo where the Champlain Towers South collapsed, killing 98 people. Guess who was spotted at Papi Streak House, home of the $1,000 Australian Wagyu Tomahawk steak? Mr. Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta. I’m so excited that everyone everywhere can experience my favorite bookstore, Books & Books Miami, via their virtual book club. There’s a female power summit coming up for dynamic female founders, ambitious entrepreneurs, and trailblazing business professionals!
If You Believe In Ghosts, You Do Not Want to Live Here
I was aghast when I read that a real estate developer, Damac Properties, was building a super luxury condominium building in Surfside, Florida, on the exact same spot where the oceanfront Champlain Towers South collapsed in June 2021 killing 98 people, including 10 children.
I felt sick to my stomach. Who would want to live there? Apparently, there are plenty of folks who believe “what was was and what is is.” Not me. Why would I want to live on the grounds where bodies were decimated just a few years ago? I don’t believe for one minute that all of the remains were scooped up and carted away.
If I lived there, I would always imagine myself on the beach, lying on a lounge chair, and running my fingers through the sand. I might be picking up Mr. Singer or Mrs. Gonzalez in my fist full of sand. Or what about sitting on my terrace only to realize that the scene I was staring at was the same one where so many bodies were tragically buried.
I don’t know about you but I would hear ghosts in the middle of the night telling me to get out. Or hear footsteps coming and going without being able to identify where the sound was coming from. I often think of the residents in the luxury condo that is just steps away from Champlain Towers on its south side. They had to pay hefty maintenance fees despite the fact that their floor to ceiling windows looked down on the gravesite. What a terrible predicament to be in. I wonder if any of the folks who live there have severe mental problems from having to deal with that view from day one to now.
In case you forgot, the Champlain Towers condominium building partially collapsed in the middle of the night because of structural issues with the 40-year-old construction. Now, the Dubai-based Damac Properties is launching sales for the new project starting at $15 million a unit. The company bought the property for $120 million. The new condo is called the Delmore and will be the most expensive residential building in the area.
Zaha Hadid Architects are the designers.
The building will be 12 stories tall, just like its predecessor, will offer 37 four and five bedroom units, averaging more than 7,000 square feet each with penthouses at 10,000 square feet.
The building will have a north and south tower divided by a flow-through canyon, a ZHA signature. At the top, connecting the two towers will be a suspended 75-foot long pool, 125 feet in the air. The builders must think they are in Singapore. It will be visible from Collins Avenue, the main thoroughfare that runs through Miami Beach and Surfside.
So to sum it up. This flashy dashy building was able to be built because of a terrible tragedy. That doesn’t sit well with me. Damac Properties vetoed a memorial plaque on their grounds. The families of the victims managed to secure a spot on an adjacent site at 88th Street.
Let’s pretend it never happened.
Saturday Night Steak Fever
I must have received 20 calls Saturday night telling me that John Travolta was dining at Papi Steak House which is a block away from where I live.
I was not home at the time so I couldn’t check it out. Even if I was, I don’t think I would have entered the premises.
It’s sort of a men’s sports gathering place where women are young, gorgeous, stacked and wear Kardashian type of revealing clothes. If you stand outside the restaurant around 9pm when most of their crowd gets hungry, you will also see a group of club going, self-assured muscle men arrive to eat Papi’s $1,000 steak.
What? Yes, Papi’s is known for its $1,000 Australian Wagyu Tomohawk steak. It is served in a briefcase that has all kinds of sound effects. The reviews have been outstanding. You have to watch the video below to see what the steak looks like and how it is presented. It’s totally macho.
Local newspapers reported that Travolta enjoyed the presentation especially because it was inspired by the legendary briefcase scene in “Pulp Fiction.” He got to live that moment all over again. He was in all of his glory when he posed for photos with Papi Steak co-owners David “Papi” Einhorn and David Grutman as well as artist Alec Monopoly, film director Randall Emmett, and rapper Quavo.
Travolta and friends were in the area while filming a movie together. Travolta, who most recently starred in the film High Rollers, has two upcoming projects listed on his IMDb page. He’s set to play the role of Nick Venere in That’s! Amore alongside Christopher Walken and Katherine Heigl. Another film called November 1963 is also in the pre-production phase with Dermot Mulroney and Mandy Patinkin.
Papi Steak fuses Golden Era Hollywood swagger with modern day Miami energy to create an entirely new steakhouse experience. Papi Steak is not the big restaurant that you imagine. It’s quite cozy with just 93 seats, a full bar, custom cocktails, and a DJ. GET THE DETAILS.
Good Book Club News For Readers Everywhere
My dream has come true. I always wanted to share the virtues of Books & Books with everyone I know around the country. It’s not just a local Miami bookstore chain. It’s a cultural institution that offers many different activities for folks who like to read, learn and discuss. If you ask any author, which is her or her favorite bookstore chain, the answer will most likely be Books & Books of Miami.
That’s why I’m delighted to announce that I’m joining the Books & Books online book club that will meet online via Zoom. If you want to join along with me simply email ruthanne@booksandbooks.com. Make sure you let Ruthanne know you want to join the book club. Books are discounted 20% at the stores for members of the club.
All meetings will be held on the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm
April 24, 2025 | Science Fiction
Mandel, Emily St. John. Sea of Tranquility (259) (2022) Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, the novel considers “what constitutes reality, how time flows, and what memory is in the context of perception” by pondering the simulation hypothesis and time travel.
May 29, 2025 | Nonfiction
Winchester, Simon. The Map that Changed the World (329) (2018) Winchester writes of English geologist William Smith and his great achievement, the first geological map of England, Wales and southern Scotland.
June 26, 2025 | Mystery
Christie, Agatha. The ABC Murders (256) (1936) There’s a serial killer on the loose, working his way through the alphabet – and the whole country is in a state of panic. Taunting the proud Hercule Poirot might just prove to be the killer’s first, and fatal mistake.
July 31, 2025 | Fiction
Patchett, Ann. Bel Canto (336) (2001) Based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Lima, Peru, the novel follows the relationships among a group of young terrorists and their hostages.
August 28, 2025 | Historical Fiction
Lalami, Laila. The Moor’s Account (321) (2014) A fictional memoir of Estebanico, the Moroccan slave who survived the Narvaez expedition and accompanied Cabeza de Vaca.
September 25, 2025 | Classic
Steinbeck, John. The Winter of Our
Discontent (291) (1961) Steinbeck’s last novel, dealing with societal pressure, is the only one set entirely on the East Coast, primarily in Sag Harbor, New York.
October 30, 2025 | Nonfiction
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Starry Messenger:
Cosmic Perspectives of Civilization (271) (2015) Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.
November 20, 2025* | Science Fiction
Butler, Octavia. Kindred (288) (1979) Dana, a young African American writer, is repeatedly transported in time between her home in 1976 and an early 19th-century Maryland plantation.
December 18, 2025* | Mystery
Cain, James. The Postman Always Rings Twice (112) (1936) Considered one of the most outstanding crime novels of the 20th century, the novel’s mix of sexuality and violence was startling in its time.
May 17. Join Women for Success Founders Forum
Join the highly anticipated Women for Success annual conference in sunny Miami, where a full day of empowerment, networking, and inspiration awaits! Sounds good to me.
WFS is not just a nonprofit: it’s a powerful community dedicated to uplifting women by providing invaluable free workshops, essential tools, abundant resources, mentorship opportunities, small business grants, and innovative Business Showers! Here, every woman gets the chance to define success on her own unique terms.
It is an exciting day where female founders and industry leaders unite. Gain insights from top-notch keynote speakers and experts on critical topics like funding, finance, investing, and growth. Plus, your participation helps fund the Business Shower Fund and Incubator Program, which awards grants to ambitious entrepreneurs and women-led startups!
Where: Neuman Alumni Center, University of Miami.
