Yahoo Lifestyle Nicholas Braun and Ray’s Team Kickoff Art Basel Miami Beach With Dinner and Afterparty
“I haven’t spent much time in Miami. I’ve never done a Basel. I hope I’m dressed right,” said Nicholas Braun on Monday night in Miami. The actor was dressed in an aqua-blue button-up from the Tommy Bahama x Ray’s Hometown Bar collaboration, and perfectly on-brand for the night: a dinner at Broken Shaker celebrating the opening of Ray’s in Miami.
Braun is a partner in Ray’s along with Justin Theroux and co-owners Carlos Quirarte, Matthew Kliegman and Matthew Charles, who are also behind the two original Ray’s locations and Pebble Bar in New York.
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“I just love these guys,” said Braun. “They were like, I think we have a spot in Miami. We have a really good spot. I was like, OK, if you guys are feeling Miami, like, let’s go do it.” The new location features an immersive, quirky dive bar-inspired interior design by Taavo Somer that riffs on Miami’s beachy surroundings.
Braun will have to return another year for a true Basel experience — he was headed back to L.A. the next day to continue filming his next project, the psychological thriller “Famous” with Zac Efron, directed by Jody Hill. “I’m having the best time in this movie,” added Braun. “It’s very dark and fun.”
Dinner guests included Delaney Rowe, Dale Moss, and pro golfer Paris Hilinski, who will unveil a collaboration with Off-White later this week.
“We’ve been coming here [Miami] pretty regularly since Basel started,” said Quirarte, who co-owned OTL, a coffee shop in the Design District that closed last year, with Kliegman. The team saw an opportunity to bring a concept like Ray’s, built on the idea of community, down to Miami.
“Our ethos has always been: we want to do something cool. We also want to do something that’s accessible,” added Kliegman, dinner in full swing a few feet away. “We think there is room here in Miami for things that provide really great quality, and may be more accessible and affordable.”
After dinner, the crowd moved over to Ray’s for the main party. Guests spread out across the venue’s two floors and outdoor terrace. The venue will host events throughout the week, before settling into its identity as a local Miami bar.
“Everybody’s here. It’s like Vegas by the water,” said Quirarte of the appeal of Miami Art Week. “It’s a nice little like break. The weather’s always perfect, and it’s the right time to leave New York.”
Launch Gallery: Nicholas Braun, Delaney Rowe, Paris Hilinski and More Attend Ray's Hometown Bar Opening at Art Basel
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