Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

In a city that once prided itself for its sinfully indulgent nightlife, in recent years Kingston has become rather dull, except for a few notable night spots that have kept the party-hearty and nightclub crawlers buzzing.

To be sure, it's not that the city isn't hot and happening on any given night of the week. It is all that, and then some, as whereas the party crowd has moved away from the structured nightclubbing for the most part, a whole new cadre of entrepreneurs have sprung up over the years, and they have changed the face of partying to an events-driven nightlife!

Well, enter the dapper and rakishly handsome Carl MaxBrown, and his eatery and night-time hot spot, Carlos' Café, on Belmont Road, and voila, a sensational new hot spot was born. To begin with, Carlos' Café emerged as a hybrid between a fabulous eatery by day - the place for power-lunches and cementing high-profile deals by the high and the mighty; and by night a sophisticated restaurant on one hand, buttressed by a fabulous floorshow - a Las Vegas or the hot spots in neighbouring Cuba - highlighted by a bevy of chorus girls, fashion and/or some other type of high-end cabaret performance.

Good reputation

In so doing, Carl MaxBrown set the early stage for events-driven nightlife, as not only did his Carlos' Café emerge as the leading Latin- flavoured hot spot this side of the English-speaking Caribbean, it gained a regional and international reputation as one of Kingston's leading nightclubs in the process.

While Carlos' Café boasted the hottest Latin-inspired entertainment in the city, it also took on the mantle of showcasing live reggae and up-and-coming new-world music, karaoke and stand-up comics on a weekly or monthly basis, and thus cementing its leading role as the city's premier night spot when it came to events-driven entertainment.

Gala celebrations!

Well, all of that did take some doing, and it has been all of 17 years since it first opened and, for customers, it has been first-class entertainment and fine dining. So little wonder that there was nary a place to stand last Saturday night for the anniversary gala celebrations!

And, what a celebration it was! The night clearly belonged to the beautiful people!

We are talking an outing for the young and restless, the chic and the hip and, of course, the sensationally fab. They were all out and in resplendent garb as they joined the host and his family in marking the anniversary.

Mi lovelies, suffice it to say, it was a night filled with many a roving Kodak moments; champagne toasts; and fashionable ensembles, and it sizzled like 10 coal-stoves at a summer cook-out!

It was also the last night of The Gleaner-sponsored Kingston Restaurant Week and not only was the place bubbling with diners, the place was overflowing with the party-hearty, and not to mention the fashionistas. With the complex being the new home of the celebrated MaxBrown high-end stores that cater to the rich and fabulous, y'all know we are talking a night on the town here of the 'fabbest' order, as all were prepared to party at the highest decibels.

And then there was the Chocolate Lounge, the hottest addition to the Café's entertainment offerings - an intimate lounge, featuring chocolate decor and readied for private parties, and then some. And this was the preferred 'chill out' space for those in the know.

Joining in the festivities included: the fashionable matriarch of the MaxBrown clan, Karlene MaxBrown, her gorgeous daughter Sophia MaxBrown; and her sibling and venture capitalist, Raul MaxBrown, who jetted in from St. Maarten. Deputy Mayor of Kingston Lee Clarke, who cut the ribbon to the new MaxBrown store. Also spotted: Senator Tom Tavares-Finson and his dish of a wife Rose; Ribbie Chung of Quad fame; SSCO's Stephanie Scott; Joan Swaby; Anthony and Angeline Harris and their gorgeous daughter Christelle Harris, and her uncles Charlie and Percy Hussey.

On the list

Also out were the fabulous Jenney Berry; celebrated fashion designer Bill Edwards and his belle Janet Farrow; Cedric McDonald; the lovely Mirah Lim; businessman Ravi Daswani, in from Montego Bay; the fab Nevine Heaven; the lovely Ingrid Green; Brent Ciurlino and his ultra gorgeous wife Dr. Kim Brown; Dr. Ray Gasoore; Angela Thame; man about town, the dapper Danny Champagnie; Kemel Allen; Lisa Gore; David Minott was out, as was the lovely Kinshasa Minott; Ishmael Gafour; Stephanie Ammar; Dwight Sangster; Julia Lowe; Ryan Russell; Mitsy Pratt; Peter Hotman; Jade Lee; Anthony Hale; Adrian Lopez; Michelle Haynes; Kibwe McGann; Jeffery Moss-Solomon; Stephen Newland and Colin Young; Bernadette Wong; Kevin Jackson; Sarah Silvera; James Young in from Toronto; and Joy Kellyplus countless others.