Seated at a prime table in the main dining salon with six of his guests, Shareef Malnik momentarily disengages from the group's lively conversation and gazes around the opulently appointed dining room as a sinful hint of satisfaction comes over his face. And justifiably so, for it is his restaurant—The Forge—that has for the last thirty-three years maintained its position as Miami Beach's premier destination for dining decadence.

The Forge is an American icon, a throwback to the lavish excesses of Hollywood in the 1930s and Monte Carlo in the 50s. It is a temple built to the gods of wine, women and song, and tonight is right on track to become just one more memorable night of dining and dancing madness set to a score of too much of everything—too much food, too much wine, too much hedonism. 

The story of Shareef Malnik's Forge is the story of a Miami Beach dynasty.

Continued