Miami Art Week officially roared to life on Monday night as Dorsia and Whitewall hosted an exclusive welcome dinner—and equally exclusive “Afters”—at Le Specialità, the newly opened Milan-born restaurant redefining buzzy dining in the Miami Design District. With Dorsia’s signature insider access, Whitewall’s culture-shaping community, and Spicy Hospitality Group’s high-octane style, this was the kind of kickoff only Miami could deliver.
Allison Parker, courtesy of BFA.
Guests arrived at the restaurant’s jewel-box space—reimagined for Miami by the Rockwell Group, outfitted with Artemest furnishings, and glowing with a world-class art collection curated by SHG founder Andre Sakhai. On the walls are pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, KAWS, Rashid Johnson, Peter Saul, Joel Mesler, John Wesley, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and more. The mood? Glam but easy, international but intimate, and unmistakably Art Week. And because no cultural moment is complete without it, the very first copies of Whitewaller Miami were handed to guests as they settled in for the night and sipped special cocktails by Casa Centinela Tequila.
A Night of Art, Appetite and Access at Le Specialità
Alexander Pirinolli & Stefanie de Rege, Courtesy of World Red Eye.
Julia Marella & Anthony Osborne, courtesy of World Red Eye.
At Le Specialità, dinner is never simply dinner—and for this celebration, the menu leaned into the restaurant’s Milanese heritage with greatest hits and Miami-only flourishes. Guests shared signature pizzas, twirled handmade Cacio e Pepe and Wagyu Bolognese, and sipped on a Centinela Tequila pairing menu designed just for the evening. Cocktails by Casa Centinela Tequila like the Miami Heat (orancello with spicy agave) and the Espresso Italiano (Reposado, espresso, and amaro) kept the table lively well into “late”—very late.
Jessica De Cort & Jeff Magid, courtesy of World Red Eye.
Jack & Tara Benmeleh, courtesy of World Red Eye.
“It was the perfect blend of culture, cuisine, and coveted access—the way Miami Art Week is meant to begin.”
The room was a who’s-who of Miami and beyond: Dorsia’s Marc Lotenberg, Spicy Hospitality’s Andre Sakhai, and Whitewall’s own Laurent Moïsi and Katy Donoghue welcomed an eclectic and influential crowd. VIPs included Seerat Saini, Andre Branch, William Hanley, Ostwal Gonzalez, Jennifer Hasbun, Leon Tovar, Maxi Peters, Nikole Powers, Avi Cohen, Joshua Stern, Sarah Stern, Gabriella Shteiman, Diego Osorio, Veronica Gessa, Ashley Calandra, Marcello Polito, Filippo Di Meglio, Nick Stabile, Nate Storey, Paul Rubio, Erin Newberg, Afrodet Zuri, Jay Parker, Alexander Pirinoli, Stefanie de Regel, Ronald Harrar, Allison Parker, and many more who slipped in as the night unfolded.
Marc Lotenberg
Sarah Stern, courtesy of BFA.
After dinner, the lights dimmed and the space transformed for an intimate, late-night DJ set from Kate Ozz, who pushed the evening into classic Miami territory: elegant, electric, and effortlessly cool.
“From the first bite to the final beat, the evening felt like a love letter to Miami’s creative energy.”
Why the Night Mattered
Courtesy of BFA.
This year marked a milestone for Dorsia, which recently debuted as an official Art Basel partner—the start of a multi-year collaboration that includes “Dorsia Special Access,” a new official “Art Basel Afters” series, and unprecedented access for VIPs. The kick-off dinner embodied exactly why the partnership matters: a seamless bridge between art, culture, fine dining, and global lifestyle.
Jennifer Hasbun, Ostwal Gonzalez, courtesy of BFA.
For Whitewall, the night also reflected its long-standing love affair with Miami Art Week. Between the new collaborations, new spaces, and new creative energy, this season promises a citywide celebration of art and design. And with Whitewaller Miami placed in the hands of every guest, the evening doubled as a first-page turn of the week’s cultural playbook.
Courtesy of BFA.
Courtesy of BFA.
Most of all, the event captured what makes Miami Art Week so singular. It wasn’t just the art, or the cocktails—or even the starry guest list. It was the alchemy of it all: great food, great art, great people, and the shared thrill of a world about to burst into creative overdrive. Miami Art Week had officially begun—and it began with a toast.
DJ Kate Ozz, Courtesy of World Red Eye.
Joshua Stern, Sarah Stern
Laura Arnold, Veronica Gessa
Ana Raznatovic & Maja Latinovic, courtesy of World Red Eye.
Courtesy of World Red Eye.
Courtesy of World Red Eye.
Courtesy of World Red Eye.
Amir Friedheim, Ronald Harrar & Léon Tovar, courtesy of World Red Eye.
Nate Storey, Melissa Crane-Baker, William Hanley, courtesy of BFA.
Maxi Peters, Nikole Powers, Seerat Saini, courtesy of BFA.
André Branch, Dean Lazer & Léon Shaulov, courtesy of World Red Eye.
Avi Cohen, Vivian Wu-Cohen, Tara Benmeleh, Jack Benmeleh & Tal Sakhai, courtesy of World Red Eye.
Joshua Stern, Gabriella Shteiman, Marc Lotenberg, courtesy of BFA.
