Last Friday night I stayed at Alexander von Furstenberg’s house in Malibu. I love waking up at his house. There’s something so calm and serene about being near the ocean. And Alex made chocolate chip pancakes for Ali Kay, his kids and me at 7 a.m. Later that afternoon Lindsay, Melissa, and Keith Meister came over with their brand new baby. So adorable!

Afterward, we went to Kurt Rappaport’s party that he threw for his girlfriend, Isabella. Steve Tisch, Jason Pomeranc and Michael Baruch were all there. Saturday night I went back to the city and had dinner at Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills with Jane and John Mass and Lizzie Tisch. Lizzie and I then went to Spago to meet Caryn and Jeff Zucker at their NBC pre-Emmy party. (Jeff is the CEO of NBC Universal). We saw my favorite doctor, Dr. House (Hugh Laurie), Jeff Lewis and Jane Krakowski.

Sunday morning I had breakfast at the hotel before heading with Lizzie Tisch to our next destination. Stay tuned for my Emmys coverage!

The writers, producers, directors, and of course, the actors from the popular FX show “Sons of Anarchy” hit the red carpet at the Arclight Theater on Monday for the show’s season three premiere. “Sons of Anarchy” is one of FX’s most successful programs and has earned substantial critical acclaim.

Stars like Charlie Hunnam (“Jax Teller”), Katey Sagal (“Gemma”), Tommy Flanagan (“Chibs”) attended, all of whom are looking forward to the upcoming season.

The season three premiere of “Sons of Anarchy” will air Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 10 p.m. on FX.

To view photos from the red carpet, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 New York list is Miami Dolphins owner and real estate tycoon, Stephen Ross.

Stephen Ross

Category: Billionaires

Company: Related Cos., Miami Dolphins

Industry: Real Estate, Football

What Makes Him Haute: Ross’ Related Cos. has been a force in the industry since its inception, with trophy developments like West Palm’s CityPlace, New York’s Time Warner Center and Los Angeles’ The Century developments under its belt, and major projects like the huge renovation of Penn Station and Aspen Snowmass base village in the works. In 2008, Stephen Ross purchased 50 percent ownership of the Miami Dolphins and the stadium for $550 million, and followed that up in 2009 by becoming 95 percent owner. He immediately made waves that turned the then-named Land Shark Stadium into the host destination for “the best party in South Florida on Sundays,” as he said during an interview for a cover feature in Haute Living. He felt that the ownership base should reflect “the face of South Florida,” so he brought on celebrity minority owners, including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony, Venus and Serena Williams, Fergie and others. He partnered with Jimmy Buffett to create the ultimate “Dol-Phan” experience, which resulted in national media attention that caught attention of a new sponsor for the now-named Sun Life Stadium, despite the state of the economy. He then hosted the 2010 Super Bowl during his first season as owner.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Entrepreneur Stephen Ross’ mobile technology company FanVision is developing a smartphone-compatible version of the service synonymous with the instant replay.

Formerly known as Kangaroo TV, the company has operated at various sporting events using a wireless device that provides replays, alternate video angles, radio broadcasts, fantasy football content and statistics in real time.
Having acquired the business late last year, the company has made noteworthy gains under Ross’ leadership. In order to gain brand exposure, each NFL club was offered 5,000 free units to distribute to fans. So far, 12 teams, including Arizona, Chicago, Denver, Seattle and the New York Jets, have accepted the offer.

The roll out of FanVision is due in large part to the NFL’s efforts to improve fans’ in-stadium experience in the high-definition era. The current FanVision units are comparable in size and weight to the Nintendo DS. The FanVision will offer the NFL RedZone channel and live video of  select NFL games.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 Miami list is Miami Dolphins owner and real estate tycoon, Stephen Ross.

Stephen Ross

Category: Billionaires

Company: Related Cos., Miami Dolphins

Industry: Real Estate, Football

What Makes Him Haute: Ross’ Related Cos. has been a force in the industry since its inception, with trophy developments like West Palm’s CityPlace, New York’s Time Warner Center and Los Angeles’ The Century developments under its belt, and major projects like the huge renovation of Penn Station and Aspen Snowmass base village in the works. In 2008, Stephen Ross purchased 50 percent ownership of the Miami Dolphins and the stadium for $550 million, and followed that up in 2009 by becoming 95 percent owner. He immediately made waves that turned the then-named Land Shark Stadium into the host destination for “the best party in South Florida on Sundays,” as he said during an interview for a cover feature in Haute Living. He felt that the ownership base should reflect “the face of South Florida,” so he brought on celebrity minority owners, including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony, Venus and Serena Williams, Fergie and others. He partnered with Jimmy Buffett to create the ultimate “Dol-Phan” experience, which resulted in national media attention that caught attention of a new sponsor for the now-named Sun Life Stadium, despite the state of the economy. He then hosted the 2010 Super Bowl during his first season as owner.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Entrepreneur Stephen Ross’ mobile technology company FanVision is developing a smartphone-compatible version of the service synonymous with the instant replay.

Formerly known as Kangaroo TV, the company has operated at various sporting events using a wireless device that provides replays, alternate video angles, radio broadcasts, fantasy football content and statistics in real time.
Having acquired the business late last year, the company has made noteworthy gains under Ross’ leadership. In order to gain brand exposure, each NFL club was offered 5,000 free units to distribute to fans. So far, 12 teams, including Arizona, Chicago, Denver, Seattle and the New York Jets, have accepted the offer.

The roll out of FanVision is due in large part to the NFL’s efforts to improve fans’ in-stadium experience in the high-definition era. The current FanVision units are comparable in size and weight to the Nintendo DS. The FanVision will offer the NFL RedZone channel and live video of  select NFL games.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. Alec Gores finds a way to thrive in a struggling economy with his unyielding company purchases.

Alec Gores

Category: Billionaires

Company: Private Equity

Industry: Gores Group

What Made Him Haute: Alec Gores’ extremely lucrative private equity firm specializes in corporate takeovers; today, his company has interests in 15 companies and $1.7 billion under management.

What Makes Him Haute Now: In a time when most people are holding off on big purchases, billionaire Alec Gores is making them. Gores has just procured 769,231 shares of Westwood One Inc. for $5 million, bringing his total share holdings in the company to 16,026,738 worth $114.27 million. Westwood One Inc., managed by CBS radio, is a programming and information services company that caters to about 5,000 radio and 170 TV stations. Gores’ spending doesn’t stop there; he also recently agreed to pay $149.9 million in cash for the bankrupt envelope-making company NEC Holdings Corp. Part of the purchasing deal also means that the Gores group has to assume $57.7 million of NEC’s debt. He can now add NEC to the more than 70 businesses he has acquired since 1987.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. America’s top chef Thomas Keller will be hosting a special Labor Day weekend event filled with culinary delights for a few select guests; proceeds will go to his nonprofit organization for future chefs.

Thomas Keller

Category: Creators

Company: Thomas Keller Restaurant Group

Industry: Restaurant

What Made Him Haute: The James Beard Foundation named Thomas Keller Best California Chef in 1996 and Best Chef in America in 1997. In 2005, his New York restaurant Per Se received three Michelin stars. In 2006, The French Laundry in Napa Valley became the first restaurant in the Bay Area to receive three Michelin stars. That made Keller the only American chef (and one of two in the world) to hold two Michelin three-star ratings simultaneously. And don’t forget about Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery and Ad Hoc.

What Makes Him Haute Now: This Labor Day weekend celebrated chef Thomas Keller will feature a lineup of exclusively prepared meals at his award-winning restaurants, The French Laundry, Bouchon and Ad Hoc. The exceptional weekend will start Friday, Sept. 3, with Keller hosting a dinner for 60 select guests in The French Laundry’s Culinary Garden, where he grows specialty produce for his restaurants. The evening’s menu will include samplings from Keller’s French bistro, Bouchon. Keller will join his company for the al fresco dinner overlooking the serene Napa Valley. On Saturday the chef extraordinaire will put on a private cooking demonstration at The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus.

Then it’s back to The French Laundry, his Michelin three-starred restaurant, for a signature nine-course chef’s tasting menu. To conclude the delectable weekend guests will enjoy a casual Sunday brunch at the celebrated Ad Hoc. Tickets for this flavorful weekend event are $2,750 per person or $5,250 per couple and proceeds will go to The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps in the training of Team USA for the Bocuse d’Or World Cuisine Contest. Keller is the president of the Bocuse d’Or foundation and he says he’s “delighted to have the opportunity to create a special weekend in Yountville for guests to enjoy, all in the name of supporting our cause.” Bon appetit to those privileged supporters.

Monday, Aug. 30, marked the official beginning of the 42nd annual US Open. The tournament kicked off with a special opening night ceremony at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

The theme for the opening ceremony was to celebrate those who “dream, succeed, and inspire.” The evening honored four specific players who have struggled in one way or another, and despite many obstacles still managed to become successful in tennis. The honorees included James Blake, who was diagnosed with scoliosis as a child, Esther Vergeer, the wheelchair tennis champion, Martina Navratilova, who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Dori Samadzai-Bonner, who fled Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion.

“These four paved the way for hundreds of athletes with championship dreams of their own,” announced ABC News’ Christiane Amanpour, who hosted the event. After the tribute to the players, Gloria Estefan performed her theme song from the 1996 Olympics, “Reach.”

Attendees of the ceremony included Alec Baldwin, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

To view more photos from the US Open Opening Ceremony, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

Everyone knows a burger tastes good with fries, but that burger would taste even better with a side of $100,000. Sutter Home is celebrating the 2oth anniversary of Build a Better Burger by doubling the prize money and holding its sizzling cook-off in South Beach. Five talented semi-finalists will compete to see who can make the most original and scrumptious burger.

As if that isn’t enough to salivate over, the week is also filled with exciting educational seminars and wine events. The activities begin on Sept. 22 with a Napa Valley wine seminar and beef prep course being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Barton G. restaurant on Miami Beach. The Build a Better Burger cook-off battle will be on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Miami Beach’s Collins Park. Come smell what the competition is cooking.

For more information about Sutter Home’s 20th anniversary event go to www.buildabetterburger.com.

Tomorrow marks the launch of Starbucks new line of ultra-premium exotic coffees, Starbucks Reserve. After a highly successful online launch, the rare coffee beans will now debut in select Starbucks stores. Starbucks Reserve is only available in large metropolitan markets and for a limited time, with short supply. The coffees are available in the cities of New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Boston, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami.

The first coffee to be released in their luxury line is the Galápagos San Cristóbal. The coffee beans come from one of the oldest geographical locations, the Galápagos Islands. The subtropical location and rich soil make for a medium bodied coffee bean.

“For nearly 40 years, our coffee buyers have traveled the world discovering the most exquisite tastes to appear in a coffee cup,” stated Dub Hay, who operates as the senior vice president of coffee and global procurement.“Only three percent of all the coffee grown around the world is good enough to make it into a bag of Starbucks Coffee. Sometimes we encounter a truly rare and special coffee and we can only purchase a small quantity. Starbucks Reserve represents our heritage as a purveyor of the world’s finest coffees, and we’re thrilled to offer our customers passage on this journey of discovery.”

The coffee will be available by the half-pound and in some select locations can be brewed and ordered in the store. Galápagos San Cristóbal is priced at $12.50 for 12 fl.oz.and starts at $2.95 a cup. Future offerings from the Starbucks Reserve line will include Aged Sulawesi Kalosi, El Salvador Montecarlos Estate Pacamara, Nicaragua Corcasan Fair Trade Certified and Brazil Sul de Minas Peaberry.

For more information on Starbucks Reserve or to find your nearest retailer, visit www.starbucksstore.com.

Todd Glass is that rare animal in the entertainment world: a comedian who is also a decent human being. I’m half-joking, but when I had the chance to meet him and spend a little time, that was the dominant impression. No doubt David Spade felt the same way when he chose the Last Comic Standing veteran to warm-up audiences for him—a gutsy move, considering what a strong stand-up Glass is.

Though it wasn’t widely reported, Glass suffered a heart attack this past April, actually while onstage performing with Sarah Silverman at the Largo. Since Glass didn’t have health insurance, Spade decided to put together a benefit this Tuesday night (August 31) at the same venue to pay off his bills.

Naturally, Sarah Silverman is also performing, as is Adam Carolla which makes it likely Silverman’s ex, Jimmy Kimmel will show up, Nobody’s saying who else will appear, but think about who these guys have on speed dial, and you realize it’s likely to be some very, very big names. Funny big names. The whole thing is likely to turn into a roast. If we’re lucky.

Somehow David Spade became so good at playing a jerk that nearly everything he does raises someone’s ire. But organizing this benefit—which by the way, will also be an incredibly funny, intimate, one-of-a-kind show—is nothing but a positive gesture (did you know Spade also does work for the Red Cross?).

Good cause or not, the chance to see so many marquee-name talents in a tiny room at a reasonable ticket price is something not to be missed. If it’s not sold out already. And grab a handcrafted drink at the intimate Roger Room afterward (that’s the tiny bar in front of the Coronet with no sign)…if you can get in there, either!

Largo at the Coronet is located at 366 North La Cienega Boulevard, 310.855.0350