Sunny, 82 degrees, pool, ocean, palm trees……it was heavenly! This perfectly describes our trip to South Beach this past week; the weather was gorgeous night and day and we were so happy to be there! There is lots of restaurant news so 
let’s start with the dining scene: The first night, we went to a new restaurant (for us), Prime Italian. It is the sister restaurant to local favorite Prime 112 and is located directly across the street at 101 Ocean Dr. They serve very large portions with very large 
prices. Highlights or lowlights were the $140 lobster, $35 spaghetti and (one) meatball and $17 glass of Pinot Grigio. But with the sexy lighting and beautiful people……what more do you want? Photos from top right: Prime Italian; Prime Italian's spaghetti, basil and tomato sauce dish; Prime Italian's kitchen.
The pool at the Sagamore was wonderful, just like we remembered it from last year. 
However, there seemed to be no security anywhere and even a homeless woman came in for a swim and was offered a towel??!!! I’m not sure we’ll be staying there the next time. Photos from top left: the Sagamore pool; Chuck in front of one of the Sagamore's many art installations. For more photos from our stay at the Sagamore, click here.
The next evening we went back to Prime 112, one of our favorites. The Bentleys, Rolls and Lamborghinis were all parked up front as we pulled up in our Sebring convertible. For $15, the valet buries your car; for $20, he parks your car 
nearby; and for $25, your car gets parked in front and did I say it’s cash in advance? I think I smell a skunk…. Anyway, the parking situation may be less than desirable but the scene inside and the food make it all worthwhile. The bar is always 
packed and you don’t mind waiting there because the people watching and celeb spotting is superb. On past visits, we’ve seen Shaq, Pharrell Williams, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. The food is expensive but worth it: it's wonderful American 
cuisine mixed with comfort food like truffled lobster mac and cheese ($25), braised collard greens with smokey bacon ($13), creamed corn ($13), deviled eggs with white truffle caviar ($18) and Kobe beef sliders ($25). The menu is steak heavy with lots of fish choices as well. An 8-ounce filet is $38, a 16-ounce bone-in filet is $53 and Chilean sea bass is $38. There is seating outside but this is known as Siberia for people who go often. Photos from top left: the always busy bar at Prime 112; two of Prime 112's beautiful hostesses; Prime 112's Brussels sprouts and pancetta; Prime 112's roasted beets with Maytag blue cheese.
One of my favorite shopping spots is the beautiful mall at Bal Harbour. They have every top designer store imaginable there and I have always found an abundance of cutting edge clothes that I can’t find anywhere else. Maybe it’s the 
Latin flavor that the store buyers keep in mind when making their choices because the colors are fabulous and always have a sexy 
edge. They also have one of the best spots in South Florida for lunch — Carpaccio. The Italian food is incredible and the service is perfect. Photos from top left: the beautiful mall at Bal Harbour; is it a shoe or a sculpture?; Oscar de la Renta gown. For more photos from Bal Harbour, click here.
We all know the sad story surrounding the brutal murder of Gianni Versace on the front steps of his mansion at 1116 Ocean Dr. Tourists have always come here to see the beautiful place that 
we were there, they were hosting a private party so we dined on the candlelit patio where every table had lovely pale peach roses in crystal vases. They have a six-course tasting menu for $150 and a diverse selection of menu items but I think the most interesting dish was a 7-ounce Blackmore Wagyu strip loin with a 
shallot marmalade for $175 (which I didn’t have!). Nor did I have the 2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild for $1,900. I must say though the service was delightful and Dean, our waiter 
who was a former model, made the evening very memorable for us. The mansion is also available for tours at no charge. You only need a reservation if you have a large party. Photos from top right: Versace's personal shell-encrusted dining room; Loftin's waiter, Dean; Loftin's watercress salad; Loftin's salmon atop Himalayan rock salt; Versace's great room during the private after party.
The next afternoon, we went to see the “new” Fontainebleau Hotel and it did NOT disappoint!!! After a $1 billion renovation, the hotel was unrecognizable and I came here with my mother for 25 years! The hotel has been completely redone—even the pool has been completely reconfigured. It is gorgeous! It has 1,600 
rooms, 11 restaurants and a 40,000-square-foot spa. The 
pool, lobby, restaurants (including Hakkasan, Gotham and Scarpetta) are breathtaking. Look at the photos and see for yourself! Even the staff are adorable….:-) Photos from top left: the Fontainebleau Hotel; the Fontainbleau lobby; an overview of the Fontainebleau pool. For more photos from the Fontainebleau, click here.
Our next dinner was at Phillippe Chow which is located in the Gansevoort South Hotel (This hotel is getting lots of press lately and one is scheduled for Chicago down the road). The owner, Phillippe 
Chow, used to work for Mr. Chow in New York and has now opened his own restaurants located in New York, Mexico City and Las Vegas. I must say, having eaten at other Mr. Chow’s that this menu is incredibly similar—some would say copied. It will be very interesting when Mr. 
presentation and you will have a show you won’t believe! The duck was a highlight, too…..The surprise of the night—and there is always one in South Beach—was seeing Jerome “the Bus” Bettis dining at the next table! Keith Richards was spotted at the Gansevoort pool while we were there too…. Photos from top right: Phillippe Chow in the Gansevoort Hotel; Phillippe Chow hostess Stephanie Andron; Jerome "The Bus" Bettis; a view of the Phillippe Chow kitchen. For more photos from Phillippe Chow, click here.
And on our final day, we went to our VERY favorite spot for Sunday lunch—La Piaggia! It was even better than the last time we were there….like St. Tropez in South Beach! Great music, an incredible mix of people and food and wine straight from the South of 
France. We were so happy to be with our friend and real estate guru, Jeff “Gooch” Gurciullo: He is a legend in South Beach and one of our oldest and dearest friends. If you need any advice on homes or rentals, please e-mail him at jgurciullo@aol.com. La Piaggia owner Robert Pascal, one of the original founders of La Voile 
Rouge (the hottest beach club in St. Tropez), brings his unique flair and style to this spot on South Point. He even imports the rose wine from his own vineyard in Provence. It is the best I’ve ever tasted—Chateau 
Barbeiranne 2007, Reserve Robert Pascal, Cotes de Provence. We saw lots of old friends here including Hayley 
saw one of the top DJs in the world, Jack-ee from the renowned club Les Caves Du Roy in St. Tropez, who I am proud to say had a picture from my 50th birthday party there on his 
iPhone…..:-))))) I think South Beach is truly the American Riviera and we were very thankful to be there during a cold spell 
here in Chicago. Thankfully, we have spring in our sights now which makes Chicago the best place in the world to be…… Photos from top right: La Piaggia; manager Alex M., me and La Piaggia owner Robert Pascal; La Piaggia's crudite platter; me, Jason and Hayley Binn and Jeff “Gooch” Gurciullo; Robert Pascal's rose wine Chateau Barbeiranne 2007; La Piaggia's beef carpaccio; St. Tropez Les Caves du Roy DJ Jack-ee; Jo Jo Pariso. For more photos from La Piaggia, click here.
On a personal note, I want to thank the Playboy editors for quoting my blog in their latest issue! Check out their New Year’s Eve photos and see my quote from Hef that they used on page 10!
Thanks for checking in again and I hope your St. Patrick’s Day was as green as you had hoped it to be! And as usual, I'll leave you with a truly beautiful sight: Check out this Miami sunset!
Love,
Candace 🙂
Looking for fun and sun in Palm Beach? Check out the Palm Beach newspaper at http://www.happyherald.com for places in and around Palm Beach.