New York City truly has the creme de la creme- top notch shopping, haute entertainment, and most importantly delectable dining. The world’s best restaurants and chefs can be found on the unique little island and millions of true food lovers converge on the city every year to try the very best of what is deemed: the food lover’s eden. You know the ubiquitous stars: Jean Georges, Gramercy Tavern, Marea, Per Se and the celebrity faces: Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Dan Barber, David Chang…

Enjoy giving back while eating delicious food? Taste of the Nation returns to Miami on Thursday, July 7 for its 24th year.

Join event chair and world-renownd chef Allen Susser and over 40 other great chefs at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle for the food event of the summer. All proceeds from the event go to benefit Florida’s chapter of Share Our Strength, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization working to end childhood hunger. In South Florida, the collected funds will be distributed to such organizations like FLIPANY, Feeding South Florida, and Florida Impact. The night’s special theme is “Don’t Ignore the Signs”, modeled after the organization’s national campaign. The divine event will be hosted by local favorites Laurie Jennings and Calvin Hughes and will also include both a live and silent auction.

If you have never been whale watching, make plans to visit Dana Point in Southern California this year! The sooner, the better.

Apart from being one of the most pristine beaches in the world, Dana Point is nationally known as the Whale Capital of the West, far surpassing anything that can seen in the Northern Pacific waters of Seattle and Vancouver. Each year from May to November, over 2000 blue whales migrate through Dana Point on their journey to the warmer waters of Mexico and Costa Rica to mate and give birth. The mysterious creatures, approximately 100 feet long and 150 tons, can be perfectly viewed and photographed while on their journey through Dana Point.

Whether young or old, in Miami or Rome, people instantly recognize the iconic brand that is Coca-Cola. It is one of the few things in this world that truly transcends a variety of cultures and time. Hardcore Coca-Cola lovers gathered in New York’s IAC Building this past week to celebrate the brand’s 125th Birthday. The party was held in conjunction with ASSOULINE Publishing, which premiered two brand new Coca-Cola inspired products: the book Coca-Cola and the Coca-Cola iPad app, which will allow guests to enter Coca-Cola’s virtual world through a variety of interactive videos and animations. The app launches on iTunes on June 2nd. Known for its amazing art and fashion books, ASSOULINE’s Coca-Cola is a beauty with vivid imagery, history, and nostalgic advertisements. It is a true collector’s item for all Coca-Cola fans!

A closet-full of anything is any woman’s ideal dream. For Carrie, it’s shoes. For Fia DiMauro, it’s purses. Fia, as she is most commonly referred to, admits that she has a floor-to-ceiling closet bulging with handbags in her home.

Experts in the real estate industry have said for years that in this economy, the cliche – it’s a buyer’s market – rings true. But, the deal’s about to get even sweeter.

Enter Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of sbe. He is single handedly going to change the real estate market game via sbe Reserve, the company’s newest real estate division. It was only natural for the hospitality company to segue into real estate. Through the own selling of his home earlier this year, he learned that including a comprehensive concierge service onto the pricetag of a property is be more appealing to potential buyers.

Miami’s New World Symphony performed its final show of the season, “The Emperor and the Queen”, at the Adrienne Arsht Center on Saturday, May 7. The group ended a spectacular season, which included not only music, but the long-awaited inauguration of the group’s new home, The New World Symphony Frank Gehry Campus, with a fabulous party at Poltrona Frau in the heart of Miami’s Design District.

Fashion heads to the Shops at Mayfair this weekend. Are you ready to shop for a good cause?

The stylish group kicked off the event back in April at the Ornare showroom in the Design District. In case you missed it, images from that event can be seen in The Miami Scene section of our blog. Since the kickoff event, thousands of designer items have been donated by many of the city’s top players and socialites like Alicia Cervera, Debra Scholl, Kim Wood, Daniela Swaebe and Nick D’Annunzio. The pop-up fundraiser store will feature such designer brands like Carolina Herrera, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Chanel.

Miami’s summer heat is in full force, but Oscar de la Renta wants to show you a preview of his Pre-Fall 2011 collection in May – Friday, May 20 to be exact. He will make a special appearance in Miami to showcase his new collection and to raise funds for one of his most important philanthropic causes, Sur Futuro Foundation. The Sur Futuro Foundation, founded by Melba de Grullon, is a private nonprofit organization that promotes the social well being of communities in the southern region of the Dominican Republic and is achieved through the transformative powers of education.