MARIGOLD MENU
Downtown Dadeland added another buzzworthy restaurant. Niven Patel, the former chef de cuisine at Michaels Genuine, opened Ghee Indian Kitchen near the new Harrys Pizzeria from his mentor, Michael Schwartz. Named for the clarified butter thats one of the staples of Indian cuisine, Patels popular eatery is decorated with jars of hundreds of colorful spices he imports and custom blends. He grows many of the ingredients at his Homestead farm to modernize familiar dishes for the hipster generation. Scotch bonnet pepper-spiced vindaloo features pork belly rather than lamb, while paneer (soft cheese) comes with fried cauliflower and pickled shitake. To really taste the food of his heritage, try a bowl of creamy green millet much like a smoky mustard version of Italys polenta.
8965 SW 72nd Place; 305.968.1850; gheemiami.com
HIGHER HEELS
Christian Louboutin pioneered the Miami Design Districts transformation into a luxury fashion destination when he opened a boutique there in 2009. Though small, it was his favorite location, so much so that he unveiled a new, 3,900-square-foot store this week. Full of bright colors and natural light, it celebrates everything he loves about Miami. The first floor displays womens shoes, including limited-edition styles and hues, handbags and Beaut products such as nail lacquers in bottles as wickedly spiked as his stilettos. Upstairs houses mens footwear and a VIP salon. Its his only South Florida store to offer all of his collections under one roof. Interesting architecture features sustainable materials like a tree bark faade and a reclaimed French colonnade. His personal furnishings are placed in interiors inspired by a Parisian palace.
155 NE 40th Street; 305.576.6820; us.christianlouboutin.com
SURFIN SPA-FARI
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club with eight treatment rooms is accessible to non-hotel guests. French architect Joseph Dirand, who also designed the hotels interiorsdont miss Le Sireneuses dining room and champagne barchose a blue-and-white palette. Turkish elements abound, from a hammam to tiles, with a touch of the Hamptons in privacy shutters and rattan seating. The result is far more intimate and homey (beadboard, nubby upholstery fabrics) than the sleek spas around town. Snacks like jasmine-infused marshmallows also break from tradition. The Surf Club massage customizes Elemental Herbology oils and various techniques such as Hawaiian lomilomi for 60, 90 or 120 minutes. During facials, estheticians use Susanne Kaufmann products and sometimes jade stone rollers. Enjoy the sparkling sauna and steam room, too.
9011 Collins Avenue; 305.381.3333; fourseasons.com
SNAPPY CAMPERS
Babal, Miami Beachs one-stop shop for chic sundries, launched in Wynwood. Occupying a large gallery space through October 1, Babal Summer Camp combines its luxury fragrance bar and regular winning wares (Tomas Maier ultra-light sunglasses, Comme des Garcons wallets, Maurizio Cattelan candles), along with local designers like Nektar di Stagni jewelry and Algae palm- and geometric-themed swimwear and tops. Whether in the form of plants or digital Pop Art, rotating exhibits range from Fornasetti Profumi to local architect and designer Luis Pons to Babal cofounder and artist Paolo Ambu. Fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki, whose Biba boutique and brand took the world by storm in the Sixties, collaborated on T-shirts and totes to celebrate her new fashion illustration workbook. She signs copies on June 1 and June 3.
2775 NW Third Avenue; 786.495.2060; ilovebabalu.com
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