Pick of the Week is legendary Miami Restaurant The Forge

1. Throw some wasabi onto your Wednesdays. Cure those hump day blues with SUSHISAMBA’s super chic cooking class. Not only will you be able to impress your friends with your new found sushi rolling skills, but you will also be able to enjoy five of the restaurants finest sakes. Domo arigato SUSHISAMBA!
2. Besides yours truly there are few people we look to to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s hot on the beach. For ten years Social Miami has been dedicated to bringing us the inside scoop to our members-only city. Come help our favorite website blow out their birthday candles at South Florida’s premier food shopping establishment, Epicure Gourmet Market.
3. With famed Latin pop singer Ivete Sangalo performing on August 28 we’ve got Saturday night fever! The Brazilian bombshell will be performing for one night only, so grab your favorite dancing partner, throw on your white polyester suit, and make a mad dash to the American Airlines Arena because this show is sure to sell out quickly.
4. A friendly reminder: Miami Spice is going strong so take advantage of all those delicious deals while you still can. Our pick of the week is legendary Miami restaurant The Forge. Its newly redecorated decor creates the perfect atmosphere to enjoy Executive Chef Dewey LoSasso’s unique Miami Spice creations as well as the restaurant’s unbeatable bar.
5. For a night Miles Davis would envy check out Hot Nights Cool Jazz at The Bass Museum. Every other friday you’ll be sure to spot Miami’s trendiest hipsters enjoying the museum’s happy hour that doubles as a swanky jam session. May we suggest arriving early to wander through the galleries and enjoy the real reason people flock to The Bass Museum… the wonderful art!

This and That

The party melting pot comes to a boil

BY Florida International Magazine

South Florida’s social scene is nothing if not diverse. Presidents one minute. Star DJs the next. Case in point” Commander-in Chief Barack Obama’s recent visit to Miami and that much-talked-about party at Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s home in Star Island. Somewhere along the way, the Prez made time for philanthropist Lois Pope who presented him with the 2010 American veterans disabled for Life Silver Dollar. The commemorative silver coin (only one of two issued each year) honored disabled veterans in all service branches of the U.s. military…Over at the W Fort Lauderdale, DJ extraordinaire and W Global Music Director Michaelangelo L’Acqua did his thing on the spin table to celebrate the releasing of Symmetry, the first CD he compiled for the hotel chain…To continue the buzz for the Make-A-Wish Ball in November, the event’s “Three Amigos” (Norman Wedderburn, Shareef Malnik, and Robert Hill) recently hosted the Kick-Off at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami, a pre-party of sorts where they shared some facts about this year’s editions to the ball. Among the tidbits revealed was this year’s Asian theme. Among guest cheering (and anticipating) were James Ferraro, Michael Capponi and Fabian Bassabe…On a different note, Trump Hollywood recently hosted two events to celebrate its newest residences. One was in honor of the Sky Residence, the newest model unit at the tower, designed by Steven Gurowitz of Interiors by Steven G., and the other was for the debut of designers Tui Pranich’s new model residence. Both celebrations featured various members of South Florida’s design and real estate arenas…Steel and leather were in the mind of more than 500 guest who attended the launch party for the Ferrari 458 Italia model at Ferrari-Maserati of Fort Lauderdale. Showroom President Garrett Hayim was on hand to welcome guests and clients, all of whom enjoyed tunes by DJ Irie, a fashion show featuring Ritchie Swimwear suites, hors d’oeuvres from East City Grill and plenty of wine and cocktails…And under the “completely random” category: Backstreet Boys members Nick Carter and Howie Dorough hosted the band’s after-concert party at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, and the Americal Idol winner Lee DeWyze made a stop at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando to greet fans just days after his win on the FOX show.

Florida Design’s Miami – Home & Decor

The Forge Restaurant

A Miami staple reopens after a major transformation, bringing a once ornate dining establishment into the modern world.

BY Kellie Green
PHOTOGRAPHED BY SIMON HARE

Class and excess were a trademark of Miami’s elite past, including the city’s very own Forge restaurant. Located in Miami Beach on Arthur Godfrey Road, The Forge, originally a blacksmith’s shop in the 1920s, opened in 1969 as an opulent restaurant filled with ornate antiques, tuxedoed waiters and silver-domed platters. But in 2009, owner Shareef Malnik felt the legendary restaurant needed a change and, in honor of its 40th anniversary, he closed its doors to reinvent the famed eatery. The result after almost a full year of renovation? A new look and menu that introduces a rebirth of an icon: The Forge Restaurant I Wine Bar.

ABOVE: The walls of The Forge’s former Nouveau and Dome Rooms were knocked down to create a bar topped in lava stone and framed in a stainless steel that echoes the silver leaf, domed ceiling. Topsy-turvy chandeliers from Andromeda add a whimsical feel.

ABOVE: The existing Murano glass chandelier from the 1930s casts a glow over the dining room, where an eclectic mix of custom-designed furnishings sit under the room’s original ceiling painted in a warm gold finish.

ABOVE: Each panel of stained glass on the ceiling was meticulously restored to its original appearance in the South Dining Room.

Malnik worked closely with designer Francois Frossard on the new design of the 6,000-square-foot space, including eliminating over 100 seats to create one wide-open, flowing place. Pairing fantastical elements with classical overtones, Frossard replaced the restaurant’s original dark woods, stained glass mural and gilded-framed art with walls of hand-carved, golden ash wood, stainless steel accents and an eclectic mix of furniture, including low-slung couches, a variety of modern-style chairs, hand-etched glass tabletops and whimsical chandeliers. “We fully opened all the spaces so that they can now interact with each other,” Frossard says. “Each space was specially crafted for a mix of energy between them, as well as some hidden spots for privacy.”

After interviewing 172 candidates, including rounds of tasting held at his home, Malnik chose Dewey LoSasso, once Donatella Versace’s personal chief, as executive chef. LoSasso’s progressive American menu took about 15 weeks to develop and pays homage to some of the restaurants classic dishes but with a modern interpretation. Featuring both a farm-and-ocean-to-table ideology, the menu focuses on local, seasonal ingredients and artisanal products with nods to Europe and Asia. Highlights of the new menu include the “Burger and Bordeaux” – a grilled Angus sirloin

Burger topped with boneless short ribs and lobster marmalade, and served with truffleed French fries, pomegranate ketchup and a tasting of Bordeaux. Signature dishes also remain, such as the award-winning and iconic 21-day-aged, 16-ounce prime Oak-grilled “Super Stake,” and The Forge Chopped salad. But what do people gravitate to the most? The Lobster Peanut Butter and Jelly. “The jelly is really an onion marmalade with toasted Asian peanuts for the peanut butter and diced lobster for a kick,” Losasso says. “The restaurant is unique in that it embraces a global community with a menu that pays respect to The Forge’s past, but takes rebel risks.”
Complementing the menu is the new Wine Bar, where two banks of stainless steel and glass, temperature-controlled Enomatic Wine System flank the bar and allow guests to serve themselves in either one, three or five-ounce pours. Here, 80 individuals canisters in ten Enomatic stations contain a comprehensive selection of the global wines organized by flavor profiles in all price categories, from $1.20 to $33 an ounce, and divided in sections- from mild and light to the full-bodied and fully oaked.
“I DIDN’T JUST WANT TO DESIGN A RESTAURANT, BUT A LIVING SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CREATE THEIR OWN WORLDS,” OWNER SHAREEF MALNIK SAYS.
Thirty-five-year Executive Sommelier Gino Santangelo offers vintages to decant by the bottle. “It fits the new story that The Forge is telling,” Malnik says. “That it’s all about having options, simplicity, value and the ability to define your own experience.”
And The Forge’s new story is definitely one to tell with a less is more vibe that is modest and low key yet still lavish enough to stand up to Miami’s best, including an ever-changing selection of music by DJ Irie, celebrity DJ and Forge music director. “When one spends an enormous amount of time in a space, one intuitely knows when it is time to make a change,” Malnik says. “The new design of the restaurant is much more modern and comfortable. The mission was to create a restaurant that is relevant for today and tomorrow, and I feel that we accomplished that.” For reservations, call 305/538-85

Seen dining in The Forge’s “Board Room” Saturday night with an enormous entourage including family and friends: rapper/actor T.I.

Fat Joe Celebrates Big 40 with Night on Town

BY LESLEY ABRAVANEL

Fat Joe and his wife, Lorena Cartagena, celebrated his 40th birthday with Miami’s Tommy and Michelle Pooch at the Thursday night party at Philippe Chow’s. The couples were seen dining and sipping LeBron James cocktails. After, the foursome hit the town, partying like rock stars at Mansion.

Actress-singer-songwriter Teairra Mari, in town promoting her movie Lottery Ticket, hosted the party at Play Nightclub on Friday night with surprise guest, rapper Trina. The women sang and danced for guests at the club.

You needn’t be a politician, celebrity, president or even schlocky reality show star to throw the first pitch at a Marlins home game. Thanks to a charity auction going on at www.charitybuzz.com, you can throw your hat in the ring and bid on the opportunity to toss one out not because you’re famous but, more importantly, because you have a good heart.
Basketball Wives cast member Tami Roman visited Miami Center for Dermatology on Friday with — what else? — producer and cameramen by her side. Roman was having her first tattoo removal procedure to erase the “Kenny” tattoo she got while married to NBA superstar Kenny Anderson. Roman hit it off so well with Dr. Deborah Longwill and her team that she was actually back the next day for, uh, additional services. I guess we know where Roman’s storyline is going this season.

Between photo shoots, posh parties, “writing” a column for Ocean Drive magazine and, oh yeah, practice, Miami Heat player Chris Bosh has been letting the team at agua spa at the Mondrian take care of his tense muscles. Bosh had several massages, including a couple’s massage with girlfriend Adrienne Williams. He’s enjoying the spa services so much he even booked pedicures with Williams in the hotel’s poolside cabanas. Bosh was also seen at Prime Hotel — Myles Chefetz’s swank stay attached to Prime 112, filming A Day in the Life With Chris Bosh for Sports Illustrated. There, Bosh enjoyed a meal on the hotel’s rooftop while he opened up about basketball and his new life here in Miami — one that we’ve all been privy to clearly on multiple occasions. One of these days we promise we’ll put the, uh, ki-Bosh on the baller’s ubiquity.

Meanwhile, Bosh’s fellow frosh Heat player LeBron James and his family had a cozy dinner Sunday night at Caffe Abbracci in Coral Gables. Making a cameo appearance to the table: Heat prez/head coach Pat Riley. On Saturday night at Abbracci, Real Housewives of New York City’s Jill Zarin, having dinner with an entourage of 10, including her husband and daughter.
Seen dining in The Forge’s “Board Room” Saturday night with an enormous entourage including family and friends: rapper/actor T.I.
Following their concert at the Fillmore Saturday night, Interpol headed over to Coco de Ville where they stayed until the morning hours.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1788943/fat-joe-celebrates-big-40-with.html#ixzz0xjwlKkck

Gabrielle Anwar and Jeffrey Donovan, whose Burn Notice was just picked up for seasons five and six.

KILLER SERIALS

BURN NOTICE AND THE GLADES BRING SCRIPTED TV PRODUCTION BACK TO SOUTH FLORIDA

BY ELIZABETH RAHE

When a decapitated woman turns up in a muddy creek in the fictional town of Palm Glade, it signals the beginning of Jim Longworth’s homicide investigation career in Florida. It also marks the premiere of The Glades (10 p.m., July 11), an A&E series about Longworth, a Chicago cop who moves to the Sunshine State for sunshine and golf, but finds beaucoup murders – at least one per episode – to keep him off the links. The show is filmed at locations in South Florida and in a studio created in a former Pembroke Park carpet warehouse.

It’s the second Fox Television Studios series being shot in South Florida. USA Network’s Burn Notice (Thursdays, 9 p.m.), cable TV’s highly ranked drama about the adventures of a discredited spy, is based in the old Coconut Grove Expo Center. Its fourth season began June 3, and the network has ordered seasons five and six.

Not since Miami Vice in the ’80s has a successful scripted series been shot here. (Some productions, including CSI Miami and Dexter, use South Florida scenic shots but are primarily filmed in Southern California.) Spurred by the area’s film-friendly environment and state incentives, the productions are bringing the real South Florida into focus on the small screen.

BLUE SKIES AND HOT STUNTS STOKE BURN NOTICE

Burn Notice creator Matt Nix originally set his story in Newark, N.J., but USA Network convinced him to go for a blue-sky setting, like Miami. Resistant at first, Nix realized four pages into the script that down-and-out spy Michael Westen formed a contrast with the sunny setting. What brought the production to South Florida instead of, say, Southern California, was the state incentive program, which rewards producers for spending money in Florida.

“The fact that we ended up in Miami, shooting Miami for Miami, had everything to do with the incentives,” he says.

It has turned out to be a fortuitous locale. Burn Notice is consistently ranked among the top cable shows. This season’s opener, which had Westen dodging bullets in a South American jungle, scored 6.62 million viewers. (The jungle, by the way, was Miami’s Monkey Jungle). From South Beach hotels to Coral Gables bungalows, industrial plants to marinas, South Florida has provided a rich source of settings for Nix and his team of writers.

“We can write anything and we will find some version of it in the area,” Nix says, adding that South Florida is very production-friendly. “The fact that Miami is willing to let us blow up all the stuff we blow up and crash all those cars, and there are designated places to do that – that’s really awesome.”

Bruce Campbell, who plays Westen’s right-hand man, Sam Axe, calls South Florida a collision of cultures, which makes it a perfect setting for Burn Notice plots. “We have weird characters from all over the world on the show – like a Russian operative from the ’80s, Chechen rebels, Mexican bad guys. The show wouldn’t work in Des Moines, Iowa.”

Axe and the gun-toting, former IRA operative Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar), help Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) attempt to unravel why he was burned – or blacklisted – as they help average citizens solve problems via spycraft. This season adds Coby Bell as fellow burned spy Jesse Garcia. Sharon Gless of Cagney & Lacey fame plays Westen’s manipulative but loving mother, Madeline.

Her scenes are often shot in the air-conditioned Coconut Grove studio, home to Madeline’s bungalow and Michael’s loft, but much of the show is produced on location, which presents some unique situations. For last season’s finale, for instance, a scene had to be rewritten because the speeding boat would violate a canal’s manatee protection zone. Then there’s the heat.

“When you’re standing on a rooftop in Fort Lauderdale surrounded by flaming helicopter parts, and it’s 110 degrees and 100 percent humidity, and all of your leads are wearing suits, it looks good, but it’s a challenge from that perspective.”

The veteran crew is always up for the challenges, he says. “Because I got this crew that has done everything that has come through Miami, they’re pitching me ideas. They know how to do all the stunts they did on Bad Boys.”

Campbell calls the crew an eclectic weirdo family – “the kind you’d find at a family reunion: ‘Oh there’s Uncle Joe…He takes naps under the sycamore tree at 2 o’clock.’ These people are really tight, an incredibly hard-working crew.”

For Nix, another advantage to working in South Florida is the abundance of café Cubano. “I’m a total coffee addict,” he says. “In Miami really good espresso is not a luxury; it’s a basic human right.”
UNDERCURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE GLADES

Growing up in Hialeah, Clifton Campbell was a Boy Scout who spent a lot of time in the Everglades. When relatives came to visit, he noticed they went straight to the beach.

“I remember thinking that there’s so much more to Florida. I understand going to the beach, but go to the Everglades. It’s gorgeous. You’ll see things there you’ll never see again in your life.”

It stands to reason, then, that the new cop murder-mystery series he created, The Glades, shows the other side of Florida. “We take more advantage of the off-the-beaten path locations and the people who populate those worlds.”

Thus, there are episodes set in Ocala’s horse-breeding world, along Everglades canals and in the town of Pahokee, home of the Muck Bowl football rivalry, where young men build speed and agility chasing rabbits in sugar-cane fields. Scenes are shot within 30 miles of home base, with area locales representing farther-off Florida.

Although the stories are written with a humorous touch, Campbell says, underneath that blue sky there’s a primordial swamp – a juxtaposition that’s mirrored in homicide detective Jim Longworth. “His investigation style is in your face, at times funny and to some extent totally disregarding procedure, but he captures the essence. Like the environment, there’s something going on under the surface.”

Australian actor Matt Passmore, who plays Longworth, is experiencing the area for the first time, traveling from beaches to high rises to sugar-cane fields. “All I knew about Florida before was Will Smith film clips and hot girls and great mojitos,” he says on a break between scenes. “Our show gets to skip between the big city and swampy creepiness, which I personally am really getting off on.”

Although the pilot was shot in the Clearwater/Tampa area, producers switched to Broward County for the series. “There is a little bit of learning curve that they are going through on the West Coast,” Campbell says. “When you’re under the pressure we’re under, it’s easier to go someplace that already gets what you’re asking for.”

The pressure has been intense: Producers began shooting April 27 for the July 11 premiere, with each episode being completed in seven days. The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Film Commission and the local community have been welcoming and helpful to the production, he says, especially in making arrangements for locations and traffic control.

One factor beyond control is the South Florida hurricane season. “A lot of the department heads have never been through a hurricane,” Campbell says. “It will be very interesting if we have a heavy season.”

Still, he plans to use the phenomenon to his advantage, at least as a story element. An episode will feature a killing spree triggered by the fear and anxiety churned up by a hurricane.

Gabrielle Anwar has danced the tango with Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, been named one of People magazine’s most beautiful people and played the fiery Princess Margaret in Showtime’s The Tudors. She exchanged her corset for a bikini to portray the heat-packing, IED-rigging Fiona Glenanne in Burn Notice.

However, Anwar claims to be a more peaceful sort, quite content to be in a hammock between two palms in her back yard. With Burn Notice being picked up for seasons five and six, she recently moved her three children, ages 16, 9 and 6, from California to her Coconut Grove home, which she calls her little niche of Old Florida.

On the climate: “Having grown up in England, I feel like I’m still defrosting from my childhood. I’m never put off by the heat, even in the midst of summer. It’s wonderful to raise children here…We’re so outdoorsy. My little kids are brown as berries. They are two little cappuccino chocolates.”

On guest star Burt Reynolds: “I believe he knew every person on the crew. He’s been around in Florida and in the entertainment industry for so long, and he was just having a ball. He was such a delight – we couldn’t get enough of him.” [His episode is set to air July 15.]

On dinner with Reynolds and Jeffrey Donovan at The Forge: “What better place than The Forge for a delicious meal?”

On her connection with The Forge owner Shareef Malnik: “Ah. Well, I guess you could call me a gourmet.”

The production will take advantage of Oregon’s film industry incentive program. Perhaps Florida’s new incentives will entice Campbell to stay here while on hiatus and vanquish some tropical menace…say, the dreaded Chupacabra.

On his yearly migration: “It’s a huge shock to me to crawl out of Oregon like a mole and become the tan party boy. It’s such a different world. I’ve learned to adapt…I wear special clothing to wick away the moisture from my body.”

On risky business: “We’re always doing strange things – like dumping automatic weapons into the Miami River across from a construction zone. I always wonder what people think when they see us work. It’s tricky for my character. I’m often on buildings with high-powered rifles. I’m always thinking some guy will look up and take a pot shot at me. We make sure the police are nearby, just out of frame.”

On the climate: “I actually love the weather. I love that the climate is constantly being washed and rinsed. You’re living in the Caribbean in the United States, and sometimes it’s incredible blue skies and sometimes it’s an incredible thunderstorm that kind of screams through, but I love that part of Florida.”

Last year she appeared before the Miami City Commission with the producers to argue for keeping the Burn Notice studio in the Coconut Grove Expo Center, rather than turning it into a park. The commission unanimously passed the resolution for the studio to stay through 2010 or longer, with rental funds being allocated for future waterfront improvements.

On shooting so close to home: “I’ve never been married and lived at home while shooting a series. My husband [Cagney & Lacey producer Barney Rosenzweig] says he doesn’t know if our marriage will survive the series.”

On working conditions: “Most of my work is in an air-conditioned sound stage, in an exact copy of a bungalow, or in Michael’s loft. Occasionally, they let me out. [This season] I’m working in a bank. They are starting to use me in their capers.”

“It’s funny when you’re on set and all the mozzies come out at a certain time. It’s almost like it’s on cue.”

Passmore plays transplanted Chicago homicide detective Jim Longworth, a fish out of water in his new Florida home. “That’s me,” Passmore says of his own alien status. “I’m gasping for air on the beach.”

On the climate: “We have had some very brutal days, shooting in sugar-cane fields and alongside creeks. We have a mainly Florida crew. No matter how much they see me sweltering, they’re like, ‘Yeah, just wait till July. That breeze you’re feeling? You can kiss it goodbye.’ ”

On acclimating: “Growing up in Queensland I was only 20 minutes from Gold Coast, so I’m a sun, surf, beach-bum kind of guy. This environment feels very familiar and excitingly new at the same time.”

On the shooting schedule: “We shoot until we can’t shoot anymore. Any time I’m feeling absolutely knackered [exhausted] and want to have a bit of a whinge [whine], I just look at the crew and think how hard they’re working.”

Sanchez plays Callie Cargill, a medical student with a 12-year-old son and a husband in prison, who catches the eye of Jim Longworth. A Chicago native who now lives in LA, Sanchez was surprised by the beauty of South Florida beaches, especially the clear water. “I’m terrified of sharks, and I feel like I can see them coming.”

On hair: “The humidity seems to be my biggest enemy. My hair gets out of control. On set they are always trying to keep it looking good or consistent.”

On critters: “My dad is a jockey agent…and he usually spends winters in Florida. I told him we were shooting out in this field in the middle of nowhere, and he said, ‘You know, you’ve got to watch out for pythons and anacondas and gators.’ “

Chris Bosh

Miami Beach, FL – August 19, 2010 – Ocean Drive Magazine’s Jason Binn, Suzy Buckley and Courtland Lantaff along with Shareef Malnik welcomed power forward Chris Bosh to unveil his own one-of-a-kind original Romero Britto painting with an intimate evening at Malnik’s newly redesigned hotspot, The Forge restaurant winebar. This intimate event was also in celebration of Bosh’s new title as editor at large and new column, The Bosh Ten which will debut in Ocean Drive’s October issue. Celebrity attendees of the dinner also included Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan and his counterpart Gabrielle Anwar who also happens to be the sexy girlfriend of Shareef Malnik.

Chris Bosh

Jeffrey Donovan & Chris Bosh

Adrienne Williams, Chris Bosh, Gabrielle Anwar, & Shareef Malnik

Jason Binn & Chris Bosh

Shareef Malnik, Chris Bosh, & Jason Binn

Jason Binn & Chris Bosh

Jason Binn & Chris Bosh

Shareef Malnik, David Grutman, Chris Bosh & Jason Binn

Chris Bosh & Adrienne Williams

Jeffrey Donovan

Gabrielle Anwar & Shareef Malnik

Tammy Brook, Courtland Lantaff, & Amaris Jones

This is right now at The Forge with Ocean Drive’s  Jason Binn, Shareef Malnik and newest Miami Heat Superstar Chris Bosh.
The party is welcoming Chris to Miami and the launch of his new Editor at large post for Ocean Drive Magazine.
Artist Romero Britto  gave Chris a Painting.

Chris will be having dinner at the forge immediately following his cocktail party.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100ers who are making headlines. Check back daily for more info on the most powerful people in your city. Today’s edition features a father-son duo that rivals Bobby and Barry Bonds (gotta love baseball season): Alvin and Shareef Malnik.

Al and Shareef Malnik
Category Entrepreneurs
Company The Forge
Industry Restaurant

What Made Them Haute Al, a lawyer-turned-real-estate-mogul, created The Forge, which is the second oldest restaurant in South Florida. After marrying a Saudi princess and leaving his birth name of Mark behind, Shareef laid the groundwork for impressive restaurant ventures, helping his father turn The Forge into the stomping grounds for A-listers from around the globe. The younger Malnik is currently vested in expanding The Forge’s success to international markets, with an outpost of the successful Miami restaurant opening in Dubai’s Ottoman Palace Hotel in spring 2009. Both Malniks are big advocates of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

What Makes Them Haute Now The long-awaited grand re-opening (which we broke news about) of the Forge finally came to fruition March 31, and boy, does she look better than ever. Both veteran and newbie Forge patrons are seeing a very different side of the famous Miami resto than before the makeover took place, from a new layout, menu, chef, and uniforms to new furniture and China; even the building’s exterior was renovated. Though Malnik Sr. admitted to Miami Beach Reflections his sadness to see his things go, he (as well as Malnik Jr.) felt it was the right thing to do. Now, a year and $10 million dollars later, the Malniks are confident in The Forge’s rebirth and look forward to the new memories that will come of it. The well-known saying, “like father, like son,” holds true with these power duo.

MIX & MINGLE WITH CHAMPIONS IN THEIR FIELD AS MBCC HOSTS THE 4th ANNUAL “CHAMPIONS OF BUSINESS” LUNCHEON AT

THE NEW FORGE RESTAURANT|WINE BAR BY SHAREEF MALNIK

August 13 at 11:30 am
The event is open to the public and tickets are available starting at $60 for Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce members and $75 for guests, with sponsorship opportunities starting at $700.

Individuals who register prior to August 6th will have exclusive access to “The List” so make sure to reserve your seat today.

For more information or to RSVP, please call Valerie Rasken at 305-695-6833 or valerie@miamibeachchamber.com.

Young and notable business professionals from around the community will join the Emerging Leadership Council of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce (MBCC) to experience and learn from the best of the best at the 4th annual “Champions of Business” Luncheon. On August 13, 2010, individuals will have an opportunity to not only enjoy the divine creations of the newly improved and most iconic restaurant in town, The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, but interact with a discussion by a panel of champions in their field.

“Tomorrow’s Leaders, Leading Today,” is the Emerging Leadership Council’s guiding principle and with Chairman Jason Hagopian, Principal of TSAO Design Group, they have created an event that will teach individuals what it takes to grow a business from vision to success story.

This year’s 2010 “Champions of Business” panelist discussion will begin at 11:30 am and will be moderated by Michelle Villalobos, principal of Mivista business skills training, and Willard Shepard, investigative reporter for NBC 6. Panelists include:

· Shareef Malnik, owner of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, is a dynamic entrepreneur whose principal desire is to redefine the dining experience. Growing up with a father who loved fine food, wine, and hospitality, Shareef got his first taste of the restaurant business as a busboy at his father’s restaurant, eventually becoming the sole proprietor in 1991, creating an true dining and entertainment experience. As the Forge approached the 40th anniversary in 2009, Shareef decided to take his culinary grande dame into a new era and has now created a living space where people can enjoy a five-course meal with wine pairings or order a burger and a glass of wine by the fire. He is an avid adventurer and active in the community and while serving on numerous arts and civic organizations, including Chairman of the InterContinental Make-A-Wish Ball, he continues to provide a venue with a history and a future.

· Ricky Arriola, President & CEO of Inktel Direct Corp, a leading service provider in the direct marketing industry, specializing in call center, ecommerce, distribution, operations, consulting and database marketing services, is a leader in his field. Ricky has been selected as one of Poder Magazine’s 23 leaders under 40 years of age making a difference in South Florida and has received the 2010 “Ultimate CEO Award” from the South Florida Business Journal. Among other things, Ricky is Chairman of the Board of the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and serves on President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and on the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.

· Misha Kuryla-Gomez, owner and creator of Misha’s cupcakes. Misha began her empire from the comfort of her own home and, through word of mouth and business administration expertise, grew to flourish as a pillar in the South Florida area. While continuing to spread the sweet aromas of her confections, she opened a location in South Miami and is continuing to distribute a wide variety of local restaurants, markets, hospitals, and salons, with custom creations available. Having newborns in the house, it was difficult for Misha to stay away from her children, so she pursued her passion and creativity and has built an empire with plans to expand internationally.

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1921 to promote the economic well-being of Miami Beach’s citizens, to improve the quality of life for the entire community, and to communicate the view of the business community on major issues of public policy.