Aria Hotel Prague Video Review

Originally appeared on Hedonist Shedonist 

Staying at the Aria Hotel Prague was one of the highlights of my phenomenal trip. The hotel is sumptuous, cozy and ingrained with love and music. The staff is warm, the location is perfect, and the restaurant stimulated all of my senses. If you are looking for the best hotel to stay in Prague, the Aria Hotel will easily exceed your lofty expectations. Check out the Aria Hotel Prague video review below.

Coda Restaurant Prague Review

My favorite places to dine always involve a chef that has an acute love for healthy, organic ingredients raised by small farms with oodles of affection. Chef David Šašek at the Coda Restaurant Prague represents the quintessence of this. Coda is located in the resplendent Aria Hotel, which boasts a classical music theme permeating throughout the property. The hotel is located on the northern side of the Charles Bridge by Prague Castle. The splendid cuisine, devotion towards ingredients, marvelous art & architecture, as well as the live pianist, created a symphonic ambiance for all of my senses. Check out the video review.

Coda Restaurant

Full review and photos available on Hedonist Shedonist.

Groove Cruise Miami is a Transcendent Journey

An excerpt from Hedonist Shedonist, the full article link is here.

I have traveled the world and experienced countless euphoric wonders, but few of them have managed to even graze “just the tip” of the majesty of the Groove Cruise. Even when you strip away the electrifying DJs, non-stop 96-hour party, breathtaking Bahamas beach, unobstructed views of sunrises and sunsets along the amazing ship, there is still so much more to the Groove Cruise. There is a special magic sauce erupting like a geyser from the ship —  it was flowing from the people, better known as the Groove Cruise Family, or #gcfam.

Picture over 2,700 people more amped up for this trip than they have been for anything else all year. This family is here to smile, hug, love, party and have the most epic time of their lives. With an 80% retention rate, these people are more than friends, they are family — and they likely have been grooving and cruising together for many years.  We were virgins, yet instantly felt like part of the fam’.  There are no cliques on board, just open arms. People have such a phenomenal time that they book next year’s Groove Cruise before they have even gotten off this year’s cruise!

I have been to many festivals and raves (Ultras, EDC, Life In Color, Bonnaroo, Phish Festivals….), yet the intoxicating vortex of energy swirling around the ship from the attendees was unlike anything I have ever experienced.  Not only were the people fun, adventurous, sweet and loving, but they were also good-hearted.  This is a trip where five iPhones and a diamond cartier watch were lost and instead of being pocketed by attendees, they were turned in to the ship’s Lost and Found.

Besides the people, the costumes were our favorite part of the Groove Cruise. The costumes were as prolific as an end-of-the-world gay party. People really GET INTO THEIR COSTUMES that range from the hilarious and debaucherous to the interactive and nostalgic. There are six different theme parties during the journey….

Article continues on Hedonist Shedonist…..

 

Pictures of Life in Color

Life In Color returned to Miami this past weekend and it was yet again an epic event. The World’s Largest Paint Party took over Sun Life Stadium right after Christmas as a kick ass present to the EDM fans of South Florida. Unlike Ultra where you are packed into a venue like sweaty sardines, Life in Color had a huge swath of land to roam around in. There were two mammoth stages packed with some of the best DJ’s in the world.

Our favorites were Diplo and Kaskade who put on insane shows. There was paint being sprayed from the stages so the revelers could get as wet and sticky as they wanted, but there were also safe zones for those who did not want to get drenched in paint. The vibe, people, music and fx were incredible and we can not wait until Life in Color returns next year.

Photos courtesy of Life in Color 

Full Coverage on Hedonist Shedonist 

Aventura Dance Cruise Ignites Your Latin Dancing Spirit

As originally appeared on Hedonist Shedonist

Picture this: the sounds of Latin music permeating the entryways as you approach a massive 855-foot long vessel. Light-footed aficionados swirl in tandem with international flags whirling in the wind. As you stroll along starboard and gaze upon the expanse of sea, you feel an unbridled excitement bubbling inside and all around you. At this moment, you feel the keen awareness that it’s going to be an epic time. Don’t believe us? Just click the video below.>

After a few hours, however, you realize what an understatement that truly was,  because we had a freaking blast on this years edition of the Aventura Dance Cruise (ADC). The 7th annual Aventura Dance Cruise chartered the entire Carnival Ecstasy cruise ship, so every person on board was there for the same reason — a love for Latin dance, its music and its culture. Each person on board signed up to be utterly immersed in salsa, bachata, kizomba, merengue and any other latin dance you can dream of.  No matter you interest or skill-level, what resulted was a sort of kinship that had over 2,400 people dancing, drinking and singing on every inch of the ship until the wee hours of the night.

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The festivities were opened and closed by one of Latin music’s most influential vocalists and living legend José “El Canario” Alberto, who rocked the ship with two performances that brought back a tidal wave of beautiful nostalgic memories.
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We hung out with El Canario and his entourage during the private ADC party on a Bahamas beach. All of the artists were very approachable and took time to hang out with all their fans.
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Continue reading “Aventura Dance Cruise Ignites Your Latin Dancing Spirit”

Pictures of the VH1 Scope Party

VH1 + SCOPE collaborated for the third time this year to once again present its fused platform of art and music. The VIP only private event featured live performances by platinum, award-winning, Danish singer-songwriter NABIHA and American hip-hop recording artist and producer, Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean.

Guests also experienced an immersive art installation by the artist and calligrapher, Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic. Mestrovic exhibited his hand-painted art work onto hundreds of feet of Japanese synthetic paper, which positioned the installation as the longest continuous painting shown at this year’s Art Basel event.

Photographs Courtesy of Hedonist Shedonist

 

 

 

 

Pictures of Hardwell Concert in Miami

Photo credit: Pedro Alvarez of Hedonist Shedonist

The most popular DJ in the world tore up the stage in Miami in front of thousands of screaming and fawning fans.  Hardwell has been the world’s #1 DJ according to DJ Magazine‘s Top 100 DJs poll in both 2014 and 2013 and he proved it on stage. He was at Bayfront Park for his I am Hardwell Tour and put on a phenomenal show with enchanting and hypnotic lights and a sound system that blew people away. Beautiful people in amazing costumes were on full display dancing all night.Enjoy the pictures of the Hardwell concert and the attendees below.

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Grovetoberfest 2014 Photographs and Recap

The epic Grovetoberfest, the “most scenic beer festival in the world”, returned for the fourth time to Coconut Grove and served over 300 great beers from across the world.  Over 7,000 beer enthusiasts showed up to pound some brewskis, eat some food, dance, smile and laugh. Grovetoberfest is all about the craft beer and has a strong focus on the local craft beer scene. Some of Miami’s top chefs like Chef Todd Haven and Chef Giorgio Rapacavoli rocked the Kitchen Lab, where they demonstrated gourmet cooking with craft beer. Beer Tasting 101 was hosted by FIU’s Beer Academy and taught newbies the basics of craft beer tasting. People were also dancing to the live music all day long. Grovetoberfest is always a blast and if you missed it we feel sorry for you. Fear not though, because Sprung Beer Festival  is right around the corner in March!

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

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Seed Wine and Food Festival Photographs and Recap

Miami pushed aside its addiction to Cuban food to exuberantly welcome the first annual Seed Food & Wine Festival.  It was a five day Vegan immersion focusing on healthy and delicious plant-based foods. The festival itself was held for one day in a giant tent, normally reserved for Art Basel shows. The tent was packed with vendors and attendees. The fest was glorious with scrumptious food, sweets, ice cream, juices, sauces, books, education, celebrities and beautiful people. The energy at the event was so amazing and we were thrilled to be a part of it. We can not wait for the second annual Seed Fest.

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

Australian Lamb Immersion with Miami’s Top Chefs

I always thought I adequately appreciated the craft of a chef. That was until I was invited to cook with Miami’s top chefs for a day at an Australian Lamb Immersion. After spending a whopping four hours drinking, laughing and cooking with these titans, I could barely stand up straight.  #Cheflife is ridiculously arduous, but these Miami chefs are rowdy, alcohol-guzzling warriors who dazzle us with their deft skills and magnificent plates.

The Australian Lamb & Beef Immersion was hosted by Meat & Livestock Australia to extol the benefits of meat from the Land Down Under. The continent that has become well known for its delicious wine is about to become just as famous for its succulent cuts of meat. Aussie meat is natural and untainted by chemicals. Their country is about as big as the US, but they have a population of only 23 million, compared with our 317 million. That means, as stated on the Meat & Livestock Australia website: they have an “abundance of pasture land and mild climate, which allow (their) livestock to be entirely grass-fed in a healthy and natural environment. All livestock are free of artificial additives and hormone growth promotant. (They are) pure products of a pure environment.” To put it in relatable US terms: Australian Lamb & Meat = Scarlett Johansson and American Lamb & Meat = Jasmine Tridevil! 

The day started in my hood, with a trip to the kitchen at the Miami Marriott in Edgewater (a 10 block “neighborhood” next to the Miami Heat’s arena). Upon entering the banquet kitchen floor, I found Master Butcher Doug Piper carving up an entire lamb to the delightful attention of 15 of South Florida’s top chefs.

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By top chefs, we’re are talking about talented culinary experts like (listed in alphabetical order, by restaurant):

The beloved Aussie, Chef Aaron Brooks and his loco tequila-swigging Sous Chef Jose Gomez were right next to the carcass carving station whipping up seemingly endless and sensational lamb dishes for us all to try, while we watched Doug continue to tear apart the lamb, limb from freaking limb. The lamb was tender, juicy and oozing with flavor. I believe we tasted virtually every part from tongue to tail.

After being more stuffed than a Turducken, they decided to feed us lunch!? Most of the chefs found this to be an opportune time to start drinking instead. There was some great convos marinating around the table about restaurant working conditions, depraved contests in Thailand and the smallest kitchen in Miami, which we believe is Harry’s Pizzeria.

After our primarily liquid lunch, we picked numbers out of a hat and were divvied up into teams. I was fortunate enough to be teamed up with the extraordinary talented Chef Thomas Griese of Michael Mina 74 and Chef Joshua Wahler of Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis. They were surprisingly chill with having me, a kitchen gimp who can not even julienne vegetables properly, as part of their team.

Chef/Consultant Adam Moore was our freaking awesome host. He was so funny and chill and curated a diverse and notable collection of beers for us to pound in the kitchen. He even set up little coolers underneath our tables to keep ‘em cold while we were slaving away.

There were a total of five teams and each were given a basket of diverse ingredients along with different cuts of scrumptious Australian lamb. Below is a photo of my team’s instructions and ingredient list.

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This is where the real fun began for me, because although I do not know how to cook, borrowed an apron (Thank you, Chef Adam) strapped it on and dove right in. Cooking is intense and grueling manual labor. The kitchen is hot, you are on your feet, running around and working incessantly — not at all like the nonchalant freelance journalist lifestyle I am accustomed to. I was slicing, dicing, sprinting to grab ingredients, saucing, plating, gulping beers and grilling lamb. It was a unique and extraordinary experience.

My team ended up making an incredible Molasses Glazed Carpaccio, Fennel Salad, Orange Marmalade.

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We also served a Molasses Glazed Leg of Lamb, Orange Marmalade, Bourbon and Cous Cous as well as Purple grits with Pimento.

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After we were done in the kitchen, the finished plates were presented al fresco. The chefs and I celebrated our conquest of Aussie lamb by drinking tequila straight from the bottle. The dishes were gorgeous as you can see from the album below. The chefs were able to embrace the versatility of Australian lamb by preparing it in new and interesting ways. There were Asian, Southern, Italian, French and Latin influenced lamb dishes. I unfortunately, did not have enough room to sample everything, but the handful I tried were sensational.

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The experience felt like a once-in-a-lifetime blessed event. The opportunity to feel like a real chef and be surrounded by such profoundly talented and fun culinary masters was humbling. It really cultivated a deeper sense of appreciation for the life of a chef, as well as the beauty of Australian lamb.

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

 

Final Days to Book Your Ticket Aventura Dance Cruise!

If you love Latin dancing, its music or its culture, this is the weekend cruise for you!  Back for its second year as a full ship charter and seventh time cruising the high seas, Aventura Dance Cruise (ADC), the world’s largest floating Latin dance cruise, will be setting sail out of the Port of Miami on board the Carnival Ecstasy from November 7-10, 2014. Attendees will be treated to an amazing musical  lineup including some of Latin music’s most celebrated, award-winning artists, like Chino y Nacho, the Latin GRAMMY-winning and Billboard Latin chart-topping Venezuelan reggaeton duo with a romantic, tropical style; Leslie Grace, Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist for Best Contemporary Tropical Album 2013, as well as one of Latin music’s most influential vocalists and living legend José “El Canario” Alberto.

The Carnival Ecstasy boasts 1,028 cabins, with lodging for up to 4 of your best friends, accommodating 2,400 on board. Included onboard are mini-golf, a full jogging track, a swimming pool, two main dining rooms and the lido buffet restaurant. Service is one of the bright spots on Ecstasy; so don’t be surprised if your waiters or waitresses remember your name or even your meal preferences.

 Aventura Dance Cruise Official Video Trailer: http://vimeo.com/aventuradancecruise

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Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy world-class dance performances, take any of the 60+ dance workshops, two private island Bahamas beach parties, 70+ hours of social dancing with several interactive performances.  There’s even a workshop especially for beginners or novices that may need to brush up on their Latin dancing skills. It really is a pretty sick deal!

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Additionally, the Aventura Dance Cruise is hosting several day and night parties with various themes such as ‘represent’, superheroes, whatever floats your boat, pirates of the Caribbean, white hot and the red carpet start.  Check out the website for the event schedule.

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One of last year’s themed parties

Last year, our friends who took the cruise said it was one of the most amazing and most fun experiences they ever had! We are booked any ready to go, so come salsa and party with us. You don’t want to miss it!  Hurry because booking ends November 1st.

For bookings and payment information on the  Aventura Dance Cruise, please visit: http://aventuradancecruise.com/prices-registration/

Lenny Kravitz Rocked Miami to Celebrate his New Album “Strut”

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His musical talents and sexy persona inspire adulation, lust, love and respect across music fans of both sexes. Yes, Lenny Kravitz is quite a beloved man in Miami. Our hometown rockstar just released his new album “Strut” and came home to Miami to celebrate it with a very intimate performance. We were blessed to be invited and were absolutely blown away. We have been to many concerts, but being so close to a rockstar like Lenny, to feel his intense energy in a room with less than 100 fans in it, was simply amazeballs.  He absolutely killed it, playing his famous hits as well as songs from his new album. Even when he was playing with over 12 band members, one could really feel the depth of his sound. It was a unique and unforgettable experience.

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We know you are craving to get your hands on that new Lenny album. If you purchase Strut from Walmart (Only $10) you will also receive an exclusive digital copy of the Lenny Kravitz Live in Miami 6-song soundcheck performance as well as the full digital album download. You can view the Lenny Kravtiz interview and music videos from the Miami performance here. 

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Thank you for rocking out Miami, Lenny!

Keep up with new artists being featured by follow Walmart Soundcheck on Facebook:@WMSoundcheck :: Twitter: @WMSoundcheck :: Instagram: @WMSoundcheck

Win A Guitar Autographed By Lenny Kravitz

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

 

Lenny Kravitz Rocked Miami to Celebrate his New Album "Strut"

Soundcheck.LennyKravitz-37

His musical talents and sexy persona inspire adulation, lust, love and respect across music fans of both sexes. Yes, Lenny Kravitz is quite a beloved man in Miami. Our hometown rockstar just released his new album “Strut” and came home to Miami to celebrate it with a very intimate performance. We were blessed to be invited and were absolutely blown away. We have been to many concerts, but being so close to a rockstar like Lenny, to feel his intense energy in a room with less than 100 fans in it, was simply amazeballs.  He absolutely killed it, playing his famous hits as well as songs from his new album. Even when he was playing with over 12 band members, one could really feel the depth of his sound. It was a unique and unforgettable experience.

Soundcheck.LennyKravitz-38

We know you are craving to get your hands on that new Lenny album. If you purchase Strut from Walmart (Only $10) you will also receive an exclusive digital copy of the Lenny Kravitz Live in Miami 6-song soundcheck performance as well as the full digital album download. You can view the Lenny Kravtiz interview and music videos from the Miami performance here. 

Soundcheck.LennyKravitz-17

Thank you for rocking out Miami, Lenny!

Keep up with new artists being featured by follow Walmart Soundcheck on Facebook:@WMSoundcheck :: Twitter: @WMSoundcheck :: Instagram: @WMSoundcheck

Win A Guitar Autographed By Lenny Kravitz

 

 

Digest Miami Launches Bureau of Spirits at A.I.R. Miami Beach

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Digest Miami continues its commitment to culinary exploration with these intimate and unique experiences and launched of Bureau of Spirits,  a series of rotating craft spirits and culinary events bringing together local and national small batch distilleries, craft breweries and South Florida’s best local chefs. Each Bureau of Spirits event features a meet and greet with master distillers and brewers, unique cocktails and tastings, chefs’ selected pairings and an intimate opportunity to learn about the people and processes that make up the craft movement.

Bureau of Spirits launch party took place Thursday, September 25th at the A.I.R. (Artists in Residence) on Miami Beach. This initial event highlighted three Florida distilleries including Wicked Dolphin, Miami Club Rum and Alchemist Distilleries with a complimentary tasting and cocktail selection. Kris Wessel of Oolite created a delectable menu of passed hors d’oeuvres to complement the evening. All of the refreshments will be made with local produce from our friend and expert forager, Nick Bernal of Seasons Farm Fresh, a group of foragers that provide sustainably grown and harvested produce from Florida’s local farms.

The Bureau of Spirits launch also celebrated the official kickoff of the 2nd Annual CRAFT: Spirits & Beer to be held in January 2015.

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

Downtown Bistro Miami Now Offers Dinner

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Le Steak Tartare au Couteau- raw filet mignon cut by hand, capers, onions. anchovies, dijon mustard & quail egg. It was a very French way to consume filet. The bread was crunchy enough to be included with the Rice Krispy brothers and the quail egg you dumped into the shimmering slimy filet was fun and quite tasty.

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Lost my snailginity with this Escargots à la crème- Snails in a heavenly creamy Sauce and now hunting for these glorious creatures in my backyard. The texture was a cross between an artichoke and mushroom. The sauce had a zesty kick and complimented the escargot marvelously. The American in me kinda wished they were deep fried though.

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The Ravioli de Short Rib, Sauce quatre fromage, gambas pochées & asperges- Short Rib Ravioli with 4 cheese sauce, poached shrimp & asparagus was executed superbly. The four cheese sauce was rich and was a nice contrast to the short ribs. The fatass poached shrimp on top really set the dish off. A beautiful and unique plate.

Read the rest of the article and see the photo gallery at Hedonist Shedonist 

 

National Bacon Day Specials in Miami

This Saturday is National Bacon Day!! We have included some great spots to celebrate America’s most drooled over meat.

Swine Southern Table & Bar: In celebration of National Bacon Day, Swine will be offering a Bacon Bloody Mary as part of its bottomless beverage program ($19.99) during its extended brunch offerings for Labor Day (Saturday through Monday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). In addition, guests can enjoy the signature Swine Old Fashioned ($15) made with bacon washed Old Overholt rye, maple syrup and house-made Swine bitters; as well as the hearty Country Fried Bacon & Waffle ($22), thick cut, house smoked country-fried bacon with a cheddar cheese waffle, chilled spiced watermelon, honey hot sauce and bourbon maple syrup. Swine is located in Coral Gables at 2415 Ponce De Leon Blvd. Telephone: (786) 360-6433; www.runpigrun.com.

1-Country-Fried Bacon & Waffles

BLT Prime: Celebrate National Bacon Day at the iconic Trump National Doral® with BLT Prime’s Grilled Bacon ($10), Nueskes double cut bacon with parsley, garlic and sherry vinaigrette. BLT Prime is located at Trump National Doral Miami®, 4400 NW 87th Avenue. Telephone: (305)591-6606; www.bltprimemiami.com. 

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar: Enjoy Chef Miguel Aguilar’s signature Medool Dates ($11) wrapped in bacon with almonds and topped with baby arugula and citrus vinaigrette.Wynwood Kitchen & Bar is located at 2550 N.W. 2nd Avenue. Ample street parking and valet available. Visit www.wynwoodkitchenandbar.com and www.facebook.com/wynwoodkitchenandbar for more information.

Wynwood Kitchen and Bar

Labor Day Brunch: Yardbird Southern Table & Bar and Swine Southern Table & Bar will be extending their brunch specials to Monday in celebration of Labor Day. Yardbird’s brunch hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; brunch at Swine will be served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Yardbird Brunch - Eggs N' Ham

Photos by Hedonist Shedonist

H2ombre is an Epic Experience

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H2ombre is a groundbreaking and exhilarating show that intertwines EDM, acrobatics, creative graphics, street art and good ole fashioned water into quite a majestic feast for the eyes. The performers are determined to whip the crowd up into a frenzy and unleash a boisterous, soaking wet dance party. We do not want to spoil the show so we shall keep our review short, but there are spoiler pics and videos below. If you can’t help yourself, feel free to click away.

We would recommend getting nice and “influenced” before you go to amplify your experience. H2ombre is only an hour long, but well worth the price of admission. We urge you purchase the front “seats” in the immersive stage area and wear attire that embraces the water and allows you to fully participate. You most likely will get soaked if you get close to either stages, but that is part of the fun! After the show there is an ample lounge/club/bar area to keep the party going. The herb infused alcoholic slushies were quite tasty. This show only runs through August,  so make sure you do not miss it. It is a sensationally fun and creative date idea too.