LA VIDA LOCAL
Celeb chef Todd English ditches wedding for Wall
After 86-ing his wedding to former fiancée Erica Wang in New York City over the weekend, celeb chef Todd English fled the Big Apple and was seen partying it up at Wall at the W Hotel on South Beach Saturday night -- the very evening of the canceled nuptials -- with Opium Group honcho Eric Milon and an unidentified female.
But don't cry for Wang. The bride-not-to-be partied it up at the reception at the St. Regis Hotel anyway.
The couple, registered at Tiffany, were originally supposed to take the plunge on June 1. According to the Boston Herald, English, who owns several restaurants including da Campo in Fort Lauderdale, stood up Wang in a room full of out-of-town guests at the rehearsal dinner.
English fessed up to it all, though, saying, ``No wedding took place this weekend and I would appreciate your respect of my privacy at this time.''
As for what the twice-engaged, once-divorced father of three was doing in Florida besides partying at Wall, we hear he was hawking his products (and perhaps his wedding ring) at HSN headquarters in St. Petersburg.
-- LESLEY ABRAVANEL
GOING TO WASHINGTON
The White House is taking on a Latin flair next week. President Barack Obama plans to host a concert Tuesday to honor Hispanic musical heritage. Boldfaced names set to attend the Fiesta Latina: Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Jose Feliciano, Jimmy Smits, George Lopez, Thalia and Aventura. The concert will be taped for an Oct. 18 PBS broadcast.
Miami Herald food columnist Maricel Presilla will be guest chef.
The Cuban-born Miami-Dade and FIU grad told The Herald she'll serve a pan-Latin menu that represents her heritage and includes dishes inspired by the cooking of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Venezuela.
``I have also chosen to feature key staples of our cooking from corn to malanga,'' Presilla wrote via e-mail from New Jersey, where she owns two restaurants.
``From vanilla to chiles, in gutsy dishes that reveal the many cultural influences that make up our many cuisines, from the pre-Columbian Maya and Aztec world to Spain, Africa and Japan.''
Sounds yummy; too bad we're not invited.
PRETTY CITY
Take that, L.A.! The country's most attractive people are right here in Miami, according to Travel & Leisure's 2009 America's Favorite Cities survey posted Tuesday on TravelandLeisure.com.
Respondents rated 30 popular U.S. cities in more than 55 categories.
Most stylish peeps? They're in New York. Most intelligent? Minneapolis. Friendliest? Nashville.
Read all about our hotties in theNovember issue of T&L, on newsstands Oct. 23.
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