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Cover Stories

Cover Stories, Culinary, The Issue

If You Can’t Take the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen – Cover Feature

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Photo by Bill Bettencourt By Nycole Sariol On a late Wednesday afternoon, Chef Tom Colicchio is late to catch a flight. Colicchio is no stranger to airports these days. Especially since signing with Bravo yet again to host the mega-network’s newest competition series, Best New Restaurant, in which the infamous Top Chef host scours the country in search of the nation’s best all-around restaurants, one city at a time. “Uh, non-stop services…all flights are…” he trails off as he mutters chopped-up thoughts underneath his breathe, popping in and out of our phone interview. Though the departure prompter has now summoned fifty percent of Tom’s attention, the other half was tightly transfixed on divulging the meat and potatoes of his latest small-screen endeavor. “The show is about so many different talents coming together rather than one chef; this is about the entire restaurant,” elicits Tom. Best New Restaurant debuts on January 21st at 10pm eastern time and the pressure to win has never been more paramount for the sixteen competing restaurants, rooted in the large-scale metropolises of Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and our very own Magic City. Tom, alongside BlackboardEats founder Maggie Nemser and New York restaurateur Jeffrey Zurofsky, will judge the qualified restaurants aspiring to take home a semi-finalist spot at the end each episode. During the first eight episodes, the grub hubs will dual it out in a trifecta of adrenaline-pinching tasks: first, the chosen restaurants must endure the “Pressure Test” of juggling a flurry of ravenous walk-ins and the intensity of a packed house. Next come the hidden cameras, where “Undercover Diners” secretly capture the overall service and experience of the restaurant through a customer’s eye view. The two restaurants that have surpassed each of the aforementioned tasks will then face each other in a thirty-seat VIP dinner service, taking them into the semifinalist rounds. The winner of the show will revel in a stew of glory consisting of an exclusive feature in Bon Apétit magazine, participation rights at Vegas Uncork’d, and a well- deserved monetary pleasantry of one-hundred grand. It all sounds as juicy as it looks. But perhaps the juice worth squeezing are the contestants themselves. “What’s interesting is that we have all types of restaurants participating: we’re not out there looking for white table cloth, upscale restaurants – we have Barbeque, mom and pop, and fast casual restaurants that have invested their entire life savings and maxed out credit cards just to open their shop,” Tom shares. “What’s really important is that we’re looking at these restaurants not only in context of how good their food is, but their over-all concepts.” Tom and crew know not of the word discrimination: as far as personalities go, the symposium of participating restaurants span the gamut, from prim fine dining to unchartered hole-in-the-walls, yearning to be discovered. Some of which, happen to fall within our very own backyard of the 305. To dutifully represent Miami with reverence, eateries like R House, Buns & Buns, The Federal, Tongue & Cheek, and Dolce Italian will take up their prongs and fight in our honor. Though Tom is not one for favoritism, he alludes great verve for one Miami restaurant in particular: “The Federal is a place that you probably drive by a hundred times and don’t even think about going to, but their food is fantastic – talk about putting their heart and soul into what they’re doing!” All quaking contention aside, it appears another chef and TV personality, who fancies a life of extreme candor and intimidation – more so then Colicchio himself – will make his uncanny presence known as Best New Restaurant’s executive producer: Gordon Ramsay. Ramsey can usually be recognized as striking fear into even the most steadfast of hearts in Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, but today, he trades in his reigns of terror for a life of national wanderlust with his esteemed Colicchio counterpart. The show is an American spin on Ramsay’s UK series “Ramsay’s Best Restaurant,” so of course the British spitfire dug right in. Presumably, working with such an infamous kitchen- tyrant would evoke indubitable intimidation, but – surprisingly – Tom wouldn’t know – not yet at least: “I have yet to meet Gordon Ramsay,” Tom laughs. “Believe it or not, I have never met him, though I hear he’s a great guy to hang with. So, unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you what he’s like to work with.” Unbeknownst to the average eye, Best New Restaurant isn’t the only project that has Colicchio hell-bent. Aside from the soon-to-be-arrival of his New York hotspots, Living Room in the Beekman and the restaurant at Topping Rose House, the famed food activist has had his sights set on anchoring a dining concept right here amongst the sand-ridden shores of Miami Beach for quite some time. Whispers of Tom opening up a restaurant within the swanky walls of 1 Hotel South Beach wafted around for months, and up until recently those rumors were indeed confirmed truths. However, the decision of a name posed a slight problem for Tom and his team, and frankly, had everyone waiting anxiously on the edge of their seats. “It was hard naming this restaurant,” Tom says of what is now known as Beachcraft. “We came up with a bunch of different names that we wanted to explore, and working with the hotel we finally arrived at one.” Beachcraft dubbed most fitting in the eyes of Colicchio, due chiefly to the fact that Craft is Tom’s brainchild, brand, and the name of just about all of Tom’s restaurants scattered throughout the country. “Craft is our brand and the restaurant is in Miami Beach,” thus, “Beachcraft just made sense.” Mediterranean flavors imbue Beachcraft’s menu, while a Woodburn grill ignited by natural fuels and topped with locally sourced ingredients seek to help bewitch taste buds of its diners abound. And when it comes to making friends in Miami, Tom is in no short supply: he owes his local ingredient and farm connects to

Cover Stories, Entertainment, The Issue

One on One with Deco Drives Shireen Sandoval-Cover Shoot

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By Angela Betancourt Keeping track of all the entertaining things happening in South Florida is not for the faint of heart. Between the pulsating nightlife, fashion shows, movie shoots, and all the celebrities gallivanting around town, Keeping up with the Kardianshians is a walk in the park. Yet one woman has proven that when it comes to reporting on all things entertainment, she stands in a class of her own. Shireen Sandoval is the current Entertainment/Features and Film Critic for Deco Drive on WSVN. Her job is to travel around the world interviewing some of the world’s biggest stars while keeping Miami informed of the latest celebrity and fashion happenings. If there is something going down, “Shireen is on the scene” to get the scoop day after day without skipping a beat. She has interviewed some of the most famous people on earth like Oprah and George Clooney and does it all with an impeccable sense of style. There is no doubt that Shireen is also one of Miami’s best dressed reporters and she proudly shares her love of all things fashion on her blog “Shireen’s Favorite Things”. However, before her favorite things became a blog; before she was jet setting around the world, and interviewing Oprah; Shireen was a woman with a big vision and a dream to create an amazing life. Shireen was born on August 15th in Albuquerque New Mexico. Growing up she spent a lot of time with her grandfather, the late Robert Wilkes, who worked in the entertainment industry and was the first to expose her to the world of TV and film. Mr. Wilkes was a sound engineer and jack of all trades. After years of working behind the scenes of major TV shows and motion pictures like the Exorcist, Mr. Wilkes retired into theatre and at one point worked at the famed Kennedy Theatre in Washington DC. “He was very interesting and very worldly,” said Shireen. She credits him for being a big influence in her career and setting her on a path into television. She enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in both Broadcast Journalism and Theatre Arts. After graduation she began her broadcasting career as a reporter/anchor at the ABC and NBC affiliates in Amarillo, Texas. Initially she wanted to report hard news. She envisioned herself as a war correspondent and telling stories that would change the world. Instead, she found herself reporting entertainment news. “At job auditions they always said I was an ok reporter but that my entertainment stuff was really good,” she explained. “But I fought it at first.” She admired women like Katie Couric and Barbara Walters that were out there reporting on the major issues. But it was the entertainment industry that became her true calling. She realized that it didn’t matter what kind of reporter she became as long as she could tell great stories and enjoy doing it. And just like that, “Shireen on the Scene” was born. Her exuberant personality, intelligence, and charm immediately began catapulting her career to new heights. Early on she got an opportunity to work at the FOX affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana where she continued her “Shireen on the Scene” segments as the Features/Entertainment Reporter. A few years later, Shireen found herself in Miami and joined the FOX Affiliate WSVN where she became one of Miami’s most recognized TV personalities. It’s been a decade and Shireen is going stronger than ever. In 2006, she left for New York to follow her dream of being on a national show. She fearlessly took a bite out of the big apple and went to work for NBC and freelanced for ESPN. What she discovered during this time was a defining moment in her career.   “I wanted to work on a national show and then found that creativity is not as needed. You are a talent and you become a performer and deliver information. I lost the ability to be fully involved with a story. You go to an interview and they give you the questions you have to ask.” She shared admitting that she was uncomfortable asking questions that were often times irrelevant. “I got to do national TV and it was everything I thought it would be, but it turned out I wasn’t who I thought I was. I needed to be more involved in the creative process.” A year later, Shireen moved back to Miami and reclaimed her rightful spot “on the scene”. “New York is great but I love Miami. I don’t see myself leaving Florida. There is a great quality of life here and I love the people I work with. Deco Drive is a special show and WSVN is like a family. We love the talent and the producers we have. It’s a team. You don’t get that on a national level.,” said Shireen. Shireen’s life really is as shiny and as glamorous as it looks. Though she recognizes her many blessings, life doesn’t sparkle all the time. To her the downside of being an entertainment reporter, film critic, and active blogger, are the hours of relentless work that go into making things look seamless. In college no one ever told her that working in this industry meant working on holidays, working crazy hours, and not always being able to lead a normal routine like everyone else. “I wouldn’t change my past but I have made sacrifices to have my career. You have to be really committed to staying on the top. I’m not a mother and I’m single now even though I’ve been married before. I gave up some degree of working on my personal life. It just kind of happened by default not because I did it on purpose,” she said. “I haven’t found that perfect balance but I am working on it. I believe that a woman can have it all.” Staying on top of her game might not be easy, but Shireen makes it

Cover Stories, Fashion, Interviews, Swimwear

Jessica Bleier Cover Shoot: High Fashion Chic Meets An Easygoing Spirit

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 Click Here To View Full Story & Images In Our July/August Issue PHOTOGRAPHED BY IMANI OGDEN/INTERVIEWED & STYLED BY KATIE JACKSON/MAKEUP BY ESTHER JIMENEZ/HAIR BY FRANK CATANESE/ SET ASSISTANT-STEPHAN USECHE/SWIMWEAR BY RED CARTER/JEWELRY BY CATTIVA  BOUTIQUE/SUNGLASSES BY EDWARD BEINER/SHOES BY STEVE MADDEN/JESSICA REPRESENTED BY FRONT MANAGEMENT From countless spreads in high fashion magazines, to strutting down the runway for numerous years in fashion shows and traveling across the world for photo shoots, Jessica Bleier has certainly cemented her career as a high fashion model. Starting her career at just 11 years old, the Miami native is now a bona fide star. She continues to push creative boundaries, even recently starring as the beautiful love interest of Latin pop singer Chayanne in the music video for his hit single “Humanos a Marte,”proving that her possibilities are endless. But apart from her success, stunning good looks, and ridiculously close resemblance to Angelina Jolie, Bleier is insanely down to earth, making her not only lovable for her work, but for who she is as a person. Bleier’s first run-in with a modeling agency came when she was just in middle school. After being bullied by her classmates for her height, Bleier’s mother decided to take her to a modeling agency in South Beach to prove to her that tall is beautiful. “She wanted to show me that, one day, you can make something of your height,” says Bleier. After being signed immediately to the agency, Bleier was already traveling for work. “My mom would come with me everywhere, we went to places like Italy and Paris,” says Bleier. Despite Bleier’s early success, her career came to a halt when she decided to attend college at the University of Florida to study history. But after graduating during the recession, Bleier found it difficult to find work. While searching for a job in her field, Bleier decided to give modeling another shot to generate some extra income. “One thing led to another and it turned into a full time thing,” says Bleier. After moving back to Miami and signing with Front Model Management, Bleier was catapulted back into the modeling scene, doing fashion shows and photo shoots in Miami and across the world. But this high fashion model loves living the low-key life. Apart from spending time with her high-school sweetheart and fiancé, Bleier loves to garden and read books. “I read constantly,” says Bleier. She also likes to explore the burgeoning art and design districts. “I absolutely love to dance. But other than that I’m more of a low-key, go to a bar, have a beer and hangout type of person.” Bleier also makes sure to get her daily exercise by doing fun activities she truly enjoys. “I have a very active lifestyle. I take my dog for one hour walks, and my fiancé and I like to go kayaking.” Bleier’s one guilty pleasure? Pizza. “My fiancé is in the restaurant business. His parents own Steve’s Pizza, so he manages that. It’s good and bad because every night I fight the urge to eat pizza, which I usually end up eating pizza once every day!” she says while laughing. Although her modeling photos and videos are all over the media and internet, Bleier prefers to stay away from all the social media hype surrounding her career. “I feel like I was supposed to be born at another time. I love real conversation, and just, seeing a person’s face and engaging their reaction.” While it’s obvious that Bleier is a powerful force in the modeling world, what seems most attractive about her is the pure effervescence that shines through Bleier’s approachable spirit.

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