Western culture tends to view the afterlife as something to be feared, “the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns,” according to Big Willie Shakespeare. In Haitian culture, the hereafter isn’t necessarily seen in such dire terms, and maintaining a regular connection with the spirits is of paramount importance…

During the thirteenth annual Rasin Fest, guests at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater will celebrate Haitian roots music with the thumping tambour and soaring harmonies from bands like Boukman Eksperyans, Djakout Mizik, and Azor. And this year, attendees of the island fest are likely to hear the wail of electric guitars…

Mama Lila’s Bistro is establishing a reputation as a go-to place for delicious Peruvian-fusion cuisine. The family-owned eatery is about to get an infusion of Hollywood glamour when baby sister Roberta Valderrama returns from Tinseltown to host the debut party for her hilarious new TBS sitcom, 10 Items or Less…

Whenever landlocked visitors come to Miami, they always want to have drinks by the water. “Let’s go to South Beach,” they plead, not yet realizing that although the name would indicate fabulous seaside vistas, most of the bars there aren’t within eyeshot of the lapping waves. If you want to…

They call Miami a sunny place for shady people. Our pastel-color buildings might look innocuous, but wander into the wrong place at the wrong time and you could stumble across a scene out of Brian De Palma’s Scarface. There is dark mulch to be found under the coral rock: epithet-spewing…

In many other cities of Miami’s size, citizens can be seen doing strange things on the weekends: They spread blankets on the grass, carry their food in baskets, and congregate at their neighborhood parks for some outdoor fun. Here you’re more likely to drive past a practically empty green space…

Emmanuel Lawson’s field of expertise is New World cooking, savory delicacies influenced by his African homeland and richly spiced with American soul. The chef from Togo first made his local reputation at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Now Chef Credo, as he is affectionately known, has launched his own catering business…

The “cool” months have arrived, and visitors are flocking back to Miami. Hotels, restaurants, and clubs will be operating at full capacity. Formerly sluggish social calendars are quickly filling up with all sorts of fabulous events. Snowbirds, model types, and socialites aren’t the only people heading to sunny South Florida…

Japanese women have known for centuries what many American women are finally figuring out: Kimonos are mad fly. Not only does the traditional Japanese costume evoke effortless elegance, but also the shape of the garment is universally flattering. However, large sleeves and fancy buttons do not a kimono make. Learn…

Mondays are not usually a walk in the park, but a recent one was a doozy. An accident on the Dolphin Expressway created traffic of historic proportions. It took more than an hour to drive from downtown Miami to Town Kitchen and Bar, and all I could think about during…

Aaron Spelling certainly injected Shakespearean ambition into his glittering prime-time soap operas — Melrose Place was a total tragicomedy — but here’s a theatrical mashup we never could have envisioned: Ted Lange starring in a touring production of King Lear. Lange, he of the red tux, perfectly spherical ´fro, and…

Saks Fifth Avenue is internationally known as one of the most upscale department stores. It is where the Monopoly man would shop for monocles, and where C. Montgomery Burns would select his latest animal-skin vest. But every now and then, the working girl wants to live the glamorous life. Ladies,…

The Steadfast Tin Soldier is one of those Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales that breaks your heart while offering hope. First published in 1838, it tells of a one-legged tin soldier who falls from a window and is reunited with his paper princess love under dire circumstances. In this era…

Not all aphrodisiacs are created equal. Chocolate is fattening, champagne can give you a headache, and products like horny goat weed and deer antler should be avoided at all costs. In terms of sensual and arousing foods, nothing beats the oyster. Slippery and succulent, these salty mollusks have a well-earned…

The holidays are practically upon us, and everyone’s party schedules are rapidly filling up. ´Tis the season to look gorgeous, and there’s no better place to get your glamour on than at the M•A•C Annual Shopping Extravaganza. Now in its third year, the fundraising event will benefit Suited for Success…

In South Beach’s fabulous Nineties heyday, the drag queens became the city’s unofficial mascots, representing long-legged glamour and over-the-top decadence. Now that SoBe has become more like an open-air shopping mall and less a venue for quirky boutiques and late-night clubs, dragtastic glitz seems to be mostly relegated to sponsored…

Few among us need a particular reason to savor a glass of wine on a cool Friday evening. Had a rough week? That calls for a bottle of Pinot Noir. Broke a nail? Some rosé will turn that frown upside down. Despite the physical and psychological benefits vino can provide,…

Country music and ribs are a combination as identifiably American as baseball and Cracker Jack, or apple pie and vanilla ice cream. The event organizers of Ribfest 2006 know the patriotic significance of their musical and culinary pairing, and this year’s event promises to sate even the best of the…

Every year the Jewish Book Festival gets better. For the 2006 event, visitors can expect a constellation of literary stars. Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, Daniel Libeskind, Ruth Andrew Ellenson, Brian Fogel, and Sam Wolfson are among the luminaries who will appear at venues throughout Miami, from the University of Miami campus…

Annie Leibovitz is arguably the most famous photographer alive. Even a passing fan knows at least a few facts about her: She shot that famous and poignant portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono hours before Lennon’s untimely and cruel death; she also took that unforgettable Vanity Fair cover photo…

Creative-writing students are often taught that the richest material comes from one’s own experience: childhood, family, hometown growing pains. However, some writers have richer grist for the mill than others. Take for example Augusten Burroughs, the phenomenally successful author of Running with Scissors. Few authors have been able to balance…