Coral Gables Magazine March 2020

CORAL GABLES Inside Lee Schrager’s Home

15380 SW 248 Street, Homestead | $6,450,000 | Web# A10651101 Nancy Jimenez, Realtor Associate | M: 305.632.2277

430 Grand Bay Drive, 202, Key Biscayne | $3,299,000 | Web# A10789941 Alina Larrubia-Estrada, Realtor Associate | M: 786.286.4240

11140 Snapper Creek Road, Coral Gables | $3,999,900 | Web# A10608192 Hilda Jacobson, Realtor Associate | M: 786.213.4511

2645 S Bayshore Drive, 703, Miami | $1,699,000 | Web# A10765600 Marilyn Cromer, Realtor Associate | M: 305.695.6060 Deena Cromer, Realtor Associate | M: 845.642.4848

Trending Now: Tailored Tastes

Modern appliances come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors—so picking appliances can be an overwhelming experience.

Don’t worry, your friends at Ferguson are here to help. Next time you’re in the market for a new appliance, consider shopping the full line of customizable GE Café appliances, which offer personalized colors and accents in nearly every kind of appliance, from ranges and dishwashers to refrigerators and wall ovens.

Many Options, Endless Variety

When it comes to the Café line, the potential is limitless. Check out a few of the different customizable appliances offered:

Ranges

These chef-inspired professional-level appliances come in a variety of different options. Gas? Check. Electric? Check. Single oven? Check. Double oven? Double check. The unquestionable quality of these ranges is sure to impress your guests during dinner parties.

Refrigerators

French-doors, bottom freezers, ice makers, LED lighting, flexible storage—you need it, GE Café refrigerators provide it. Select appliances even offer Keurig K-Cup brewing in-door and Wi-Fi connectivity so you can schedule your morning coffee without even getting out of bed.

Dishwashers

Hear that? Neither do we. GE’s quiet built-in dishwashers feature hidden controls and a clear LCD display. A cleaning system featuring 140 jets that can clean and sanitize dishes of any size. Ready to keep your kitchen beautiful and your dishes shiny? Yeah, we thought so.

Make It Personal

Why spend all that time and energy into designing something one-of-a-kind only to fill it with the same everyday appliances your neighbors have? GE Café appliances feature distinct customizable options to help add the finishing touch your new kitchen deserves. Choose from one of three finishes (Stainless Steel, Matte White or Matte Black) and then select one of four stunning styles—brushed stainless, black, bronze or copper—for your appliance’s hardware. According to GE, these options allow users to “accessorize your kitchen like you do your outfits.”

EXPLORE GE CAFÉ PRODUCTS AT FERGUSONSHOWROOMS.COM, WHERE YOU CAN ALSO BOOK A ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENT AT YOUR NEAREST SHOWROOM FOR PERSONALIZED SERVICE.

BEST. DECISION. EVER.

For projects of any size, perfection often requires making difficult decisions. Allow the experts at Ferguson to make things easy by introducing you to an extensive collection of stylish products from prominent brands, all designed to bring your vision to life. Learn more at fergusonshowrooms.com

THE COLLECTOR

Gables philanthropist Bill Bonn is on to his 40th vintage car, mementos from his youth in the ’50s and ’60s. Bonn takes his role as a curator of antique autos seriously, seeing himself as a kind of historical caretaker.

THE WOMEN OF CORAL GABLES

March is Women’s History Month, and with that in mind we wanted to reflect on the impact of female leaders in Coral Gables.

SUMMER CAMP

It is time again to think of where you will send the kids. Nearby? In state? Out of state? Here are some choices to help you decide.

INSPIRED BY ART

Step inside the Coral Gables home belonging to Lee Brian Schrager, filled with a fascinating collection of objects that have caught Schrager’s eye over the years.

TOUR OF KITCHENS

The Coral Gables Community Foundation’s 11th annual Tour of Kitchens. We showcase a selection of five beautiful kitchens in the Home and Garden section.

Katz Barron ADDS TWO NEW PARTNERS

Beth A. Patterson Crews primarily practices in the area of general corporate and business law representing corporate clients in the negotiation and development of M&A deals and analysis and documentation of tax and corporate structuring. Beth’s experience includes a $3 billion acquisition for SPAC and representation of a real estate developer in a $100 million joint venture with a private equity firm. She handled a sale of assets by a communication company to 2 national cable companies, and she represented a shell company in a private offering followed by a reverse merger into a NYSE company. Beth received her LL.M. in Tax from Georgetown University Law Center, her M.B.A (International Business), highest honors, from University of Miami, her J.D., cum laude, from University of Miami and her B.B.A. (Accounting), cum laude, University of Miami.

Gisela M. Munoz primarily handles commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions/sales, development, financing, office leasing, joint ventures and other commercial matters. Her experience ranges from representing a national homebuilder in acquiring thousands of acres of raw land and entitled lots, including resolving complex title issues, to representing a hotel company in negotiating joint venture, development, management, and borrower-side loan documentation for development of an 1800-room resort. Gisela recently handled a $300,000,000 mortgage loan on a waterfront mall for an institutional lender. She is a graduate of Yale Law School and University of Miami, summa cum laude. Gisela has been selected for the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, and Chambers USA: Real Estate, where she was identified as “super thorough, intelligent, diligent, and demonstrates both the ability to solve issues and respond quickly.”

Beth A. Patterson Crews Partner

Gisela M. Munoz Partner

It’s About the People

The financial website Money Inc. recently published a list of the Top 20 Florida cities to live in. Of no surprise to anyone here, Coral Gables came in at No. 1. Their reason? Family. “If you want green, if you want serene, and if you want the kind of community where you can raise your family in peace, Coral Gables may just be your dream home,” said the listing. “It offers all the shops and amenities you’ll need, but in the kind of peaceful, uncongested setting that’s perfect for raising kids.” We won’t contest that sentiment, but it’s far from a complete explanation of what makes our city such a great place to live.

As the editor of Coral Gables Magazine, it’s my job to decide what stories are worthy of your time as a reader. My first mantra is, “Everything within the Gables, nothing outside the Gables.” My second mantra is, “Every story either actionable, instructive or entertaining.” My third mantra is, “A city is all about its people.” And that, in the end, is what makes Coral Gables a great place to live: the people and their sense of community.

In the public sector, we are blessed with a history of level-headed, dedicated public servants. Founding father George Merrick’s singular vision for the city has been shepherded by successive waves of civic minded commissioners and mayors. Compare our current stability to the crazy machinations in other Miami-Dade cities.

In the private sector, the mandate of civ-

ic leadership is just as apparent. Coral Gables is filled with successful citizens who deeply care about the city, and who share a sense of common cause. Through organizations that range from the Chamber of Commerce to the Coral Gables Community Foundation, the city is blessed with private sector engagement that contributes mightily to its success.

I was reminded of this in our story about the annual Tour of Kitchens, with all the volunteers for that. I was reminded of this in our profile of the strong, leading women of the Gables, from today and yesterday. And I was reminded again in our story about Bill Bonn’s autos.

In the case of Bonn, it was during our photoshoot of his car collection that it really came into focus. As we moved antique cars onto the central swale of Alhambra Circle, a parade of passersby slowed down, many to gawk, many to give a shout out to Bill. It was a display of a community spontaneously enjoying itself.

We ourselves had an epiphany this past month, when we held The Great Coral Gables Scavenger Hunt in partnership with the downtown Business Improvement District. The enthusiasm for that event – finding clues around the city – surprised even us. As with the kitchen tour and the car photoshoot, there was a tangible sense of communal pride, as if everyone was saying, “This is us, and we love it.” And that comes down to the people.

J.P.Faber Editor-in-Chief

PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P.Faber

EVP / PUBLISHER

Gail Scott

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

VP SALES

Sherry Adams

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lizzie Wilcox

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Grace Carricarte

WRITERS

Mike Clary

Andrew Gayle

Mallory Evans Jacobson

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michael Campina

Emily Fakhoury

RESEARCH

Gloria Glantz

INTERNS

Emmalyse Brownstein

Rachelle Barrett

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2019 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. General mailbox email and letters to editor@ thecoralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2019.

Cover: Inside Lee Schrager’s Home: Living room seen from the hallway window.

Photograph by Jon Braeley

READERS LETTERS

Each month we print letters from our readers. We encourage any and all commentary, including criticism as well as compliments, and of course any commentary about our community. If you are interested in writing to us with your opinions, thoughts or suggestions, please send them to letters@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. We edit letters for brevity, grammar and clarity.

BIKE FIGHT

This month we are printing the “e” letters we received on our website following the publication of our story The Great Bike Debate in the January issue, a dialogue about the (now defeated) proposal to add bike lanes to Alhambra Circle.

Seems there aren’t any regular people you mentioned in this article. They either own shops or belong to bike clubs, etc. I’m just not onboard. You think you got casualties now?! The minute you bottleneck Alhambra those casualties will multiply. We are home to the most aggressive drivers in the U.S. And if you actually think you are going to discourage cars from cutting through the Gables you’re dreaming. Total joke and total waste of time and money.

Lucy Alas

People who belong to bike clubs are regular people! How will having dedicated bike lanes “bottleneck Alhambra”? It’s NOT having them that bottlenecks. The objective is not to “discourage cars,” but to make it possible to cycle instead of drive for those who would like to. I’m one of them. I can’t get away from driving even relatively short distances because cycling is so dangerous in Miami/Coral Gables. Bike

lanes would keep cyclists and drivers separated and improve traffic flow and safety!

Mary Sabot

We are all “regular people.” I am one of the founding members of Bike Walk Coral Gables. We are a nonprofit group of all volunteer “regular people” whose only special interest is safer streets for everyone. We do not collect salaries and none of our members will benefit financially in any way from this project.

John Swain

The full implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is imperative for our safety and the future success of our city as a pedestrian-bike friendly city. As the City grows, we need to ask ourselves, “How can we get more people through our streets?” You can either increase the road size (not an option) or you can develop the infrastructure to handle additional modes of transport. No matter what the City decides to do, more people are coming. If these additional arteries (on the public right of way) are not accessible to pedestrians and bikers, then you will have increased auto congestion. Protected lanes on our streets encourage students to safely

ride their bikes to school, residents to stroll downtown to shop, and commuters to bike (or scooter) rather than drive to their offices. We need to progress on this issue as other great cities have done i.e. Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Bordeaux and, of course, Copenhagen. This plan will help Coral Gables remain viable with a continued progressive brand as a global sustainable urban city.

Wendy Cook

All the Alhambra Circle residents want is safe streets for everyone and that is why a bike lane on Alhambra does not make sense because the narrow bridge and winding curves make it inherently dangerous for bikers. Plus, why waste our taxpayer dollars when the community already has a bike path??? [57th Ave.]

Silva Pinera-Vazquez

GOOD EATING?

I read your story last month about how Talaverna Cocina Mexicana is serving iguana soup on Thursdays. My question: If I catch that pesky iguana munching on my bromeliads, would you like me to stick it in the freezer and save it for your dining pleasure?

Betsy Tilghman

firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first forever foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforever foreverfirstforever first foreverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforeverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first forever foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverforeverforever foreverfirstforever first forever firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first forever foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverforeverforever forever

foreverforeverforeverfirstforever

foreverforeverforeverforever

first forever firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforever first forever foreverforeverfirstforeverfirst forever foreverforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverfirstforeverforever

first foreverforeverfirstforever

first forever foreverfirstforeverfirstforeverfirstforever foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirst first forever first foreverforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first firstforever foreverforever forever

first forever foreverfirstforever

first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforever foreverfirstforever first foreverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst forever foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforever first foreverforever first forever foreverfirstforever first forever firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever

Forever strong. Forever First. ®

Choose a bank you can count on to help you look after your money. And your future.

There’s one essential rule about banking: Money needs to be protected, nurtured and grown. Because looking after your money is looking after your future. At First Citizens Bank, we believe in creating smart, steady and stable growth. For our company. And for the customers who count on us to stay by their side through the years – and generations – to come. First Citizens Bank. Forever First .

first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforeverfirstforever foreverforeverfirstforeverfirst foreverforeverfirstforever foreverfirstforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst forever forever forever foreverfirstforever first foreverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever foreverfirstforeverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforever first foreverforever first forever foreverfirstforever first forever firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst first foreverforeverforeverfirstforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforeverfirstforever foreverforeverfirstforeverfirst forever foreverforeverforeverfirstforever

foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever

first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever

first foreverforeverfirstforeverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverforever

first foreverfirstforever

first first foreverfirstforever

first foreverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforeverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever

first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst forever forever forever

first first foreverfirstforever

first first foreverfirstforever first

first forever

first foreverforever

first foreverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforeverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforeverforeverfirstforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst

first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst foreverforever first foreverforever first forever foreverfirstforever first forever firstforeverforeverfirstforever first foreverforeverfirstforever first foreverfirst

Grand prize winner of the photo contest, Capture Coral Gables by artist David Gary Lloyd

Celebrating 35 Years

OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Evensky & Katz is a wealth management firm with 35 years of experience in the areas of financial planning and goals-based investment management. The independence and integrity of their advice, coupled with their unwavering commitment to quality client services, sets them apart in a crowd.

Their boutique size and culture – combined with the spirit, fellowship and character of their fiduciary team – stand in sharp contrast to Wall Street and the financial services industry.

Down at Town Hall

More than 50 Coral Gables residents turned out for a late-January town hall meeting where city officials heard strong, even angry, opinions on a variety of subjects, including the need for a duck crossing on Granada Boulevard, dislike of the controversial $1 million Passion Flower sculpture on Segovia Street, and angst over congestion at the Biltmore Way traffic circle (“We call it suicide circle,” said one resident).

Those in the audience at the Adult Activity Center also heard from Vice Mayor Vince Lago on the value of solar panels; from City Manager Peter Iglesias on the planned restoration of city hall; and from Assistant City Manager Ed Santamaria on the seven-acre mixed-use Agave Ponce project at Ponce Circle Park.

One of the livelier discussions was triggered by resident Gabriel de la Campa when he expressed concern that the city’s police department was plagued by officer attrition. In the last year, de la Campa said, “Nineteen cops have left the city for Miami-Dade County, for benefits.” The city is using high-tech cameras and license plate readers to make up for having fewer

Tree Lovers: 1 Bikers: 0

THE ALHAMBRA BICYCLE LANE FALLS TO THE CANOPY

The city commission has unanimously voted to kill a project that would have added a 2.3 mile stretch of bike lanes along Alhambra Circle. The principle reason for the rejected proposal was residents’ concerns that trees would be lost in order to accommodate the lanes. The resolution to shut down the Alhambra Circle bike lane project was put forth by Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli, who estimated that some 22 trees would have to be removed. The

last attempt to add bike lanes to the city – along Riviera Drive in 2018 – was similarly rejected by the commission after objections from residents. Both rejections are a blow to the 2014 commission-approved Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan that outlines an expansion of the city’s 10.5-mile bicycle network with 34 miles of new bikeways. Proponents argue that bike lanes are needed to protect the safety of bikers and to encourage more non-vehicular traffic. ■

officers on the street, he said.

In response, Lago said crime rates were low, that the officer-to-citizen ratio was good, and that “we will always have attrition.” He added that the city was burdened with a $219 million pension deficit, an obligation he called “a giant albatross.”

In an interview with Coral Gables Magazine after the meeting, Police Chief Ed Hudak said that with 193 sworn officers, the size of the police force has not changed in more than five years, despite ongoing attrition. “We’ve had several officers leave on their own volition; other officers I have removed for other reasons,” he said. “The information I get from young officers is that they are not necessarily leaving for money, per se, but because of the perception of [lack of] upward mobility. It’s just an impatient work force.”

Hudak added, “The use of technology has nothing to do with staffing levels and will never supplant staffing levels.” As some officers leave, recruiting and hiring remain strong, he says. Five recruits are now in the police academy, with seven slated for the next class.—Mike

Clary

TWICE A YEAR VICE MAYOR VINCE LAGO ORGANIZES

TOWN HALL MEETINGS FOR CITY OFFICIALS TO UPDATE RESIDENTS, AND TO LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS

How We See Ourselves

THE CAPTURE CORAL GABLES 2020 CONTEST

Each year the Coral Gables Museum runs a photo contest called Capture Coral Gables, an opportunity for local photographers to enter their best shots that capture the essence of the city. This year’s grand prize went to artist David Gary Lloyd, for his photograph Falling Roots (on the preceding cover), which plays on the scale between the trees and a small human figure walking toward

The Styrofoam Ban Falls

In what was arguably the biggest story of the past month, the Florida Supreme Court declined to take up the city’s appeal to reverse a ruling that prevented Coral Gables from banning the use of Styrofoam food containers. The ruling lets stand a decision last year by the 3rd District Court of Appeals to uphold the constitutionality of a state law, which takes away the ability of Florida cities to ban polystyrene, better known by the brand name Styrofoam.

Coral Gables voted to ban the use of Styrofoam for food containers in 2018, since the material is not biodegradable and presents a threat to the

environment. The Florida Retail Federation and Super Progreso, Inc. filed a lawsuit challenging the ordinance’s legality. According to state law, municipalities cannot control retail packaging within their boundaries.

Why this is a big deal is not just about returning the city to an environmentally unfriendly practice. It is a question of home rule, and of the ability of cities to protect the health and well-being of their citizens. In effect, the power of such regulation is now in the hands of state legislators, who are frequently beholden to the corporations that fund their campaigns.

City officials are not giving up, however. “The judicial strug-

the vanishing point. “This piece explores the might of the environment,” said the artist. Other awards were given in the categories of Nature/Landscape; Night Photography; Street Photography; Digital Photo Manipulation; and People’s Choice. The category of Portraiture was won by Faces of Miracle Mile (above) by Sebastian Elizondo. To see all the winners, go to coralgablesthemagazine.com ■

gle is over, but I refuse to say that the struggle is over,” says Coral Gables City Attorney Miriam Ramos. “We have this now as part of our legislative agenda, a priority to move [state] legislators to get rid of these statutes.”

There is also community support for the ban. “We are encouraging businesses to do this voluntarily,” says Ramos. “It took so long to resolve this that people

came into line, into compliance. We hope they don’t go back to their old ways.”

The city will be exploring incentives to encourage businesses to continue a voluntary Styrofoam ban. It will also continue its own practice of not buying Styrofoam or using plastic bags and will require contractors with the city –and those who want special events permits – to do the same. ■

Wild Orchids Stamps Forever!

THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE DEDICATION CEREMONY TAKES PLACE IN THE GABLES

Apacked room at the American Orchid Society Library welcomed orchid lovers from across the nation for a unique unveiling last month. The United States Postal Service’s wild orchid “Forever” stamps were revealed on February 21, hosted by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The 10 new first-class stamps feature nine wild species of the exotic beauties.

The fact that Coral Gables was chosen for the unveiling speaks volumes about the city’s romance with the flower. Not only is the American Orchid Society headquartered here, the city itself is collaborating with Fairchild in its Million Orchid Project, with a goal of reintroducing native orchids to the city’s canopy. Since the project began in 2016, more than 43,000 orchids have been planted by volunteers, and the city hopes to plant another 250,000 by 2030. Even Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli is an enthusiast, with his own orchid house. And this month Fairchild will host the 16th Annual International Orchid Festival.

The master of ceremonies at the unveiling, Georgia Tasker, (the Miami Herald’s environmental writer and author of the Florida Gardener’s Guide series), welcomed all. A presentation of colors by

the 482 Base Honor Guard was accompanied by Gulliver School students singing the National Anthem.

Susan Wedegaertner, president of the American Orchid Society, then outlined the society’s priorities of “shared education, research, and conservation” and its hope that the stamps will raise awareness of orchid habitat conservation. U.S. Postal Service Jacqueline Krage Strako, who led the official stamp dedication, noted that, “Of all the flowers the postal service has celebrated on its stamps, orchids represent some of the most flamboyant and enchanting displays in nature. Indeed, orchids are seen as seducers.”

Photographer Jim Fowler (above), who took the stamp shots, shared his personal seduction to photographing orchids, when a woman randomly invited him to see a terrestrial orchid growing in her yard. He urged the audience to preserve our natural environment, as did speaker Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, director of the Orchid Recovery Program. What will be preserved is the value of Orchid issues. As a “Forever” stamp they will always be equal to the price of a current U.S. firstclass stamp.

– Grace Carricarte

MUSICAL NOMINATIONS

The Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre has received eight Carbonell Award nominations, six for “Memphis” and two for “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash.” The Carbonell awards go to the best theater productions in South Florida. This year’s 2020 award winners will be announced April 6.

FINALLY, A FOURTH FIRE STATION

After more than a year of wrangling over location, the City Commission has voted to purchase a property located at 1325 Sunset for a fourth fire station. The Fire Department has long identified the need for a station between Fire Station #2 (Riviera Drive and US1) and Fire Station #3 (on Old Cutler at Red Road) to improve response times to central areas of the city. In order to assuage neighborhood concerns, the new fire station is designed to resemble a single-family home and will include an adjacent park on the north side of the property along San Ignacio Avenue. A previous attempt to locate Fire Station #4 on Old Cutler at Cartegena Plaza in 2018 was voted down by the city commission after objections by neighbors and because of the $4 million price tag for the property. The land on Sunset, a parking lot located between the Cocoplum Women’s Club and the Riviera Presbyterian Church, is being sold by the church for $2.1 million. The purchase is contingent on receiving a state grant of $1.5 million.

ENGINEERING KUDOS

Coral Gables City Manager Peter J. Iglesias has been named the 2020 Engineer of the Year by the Association of Cuban-American

Engineers. Iglesias is responsible for day-to-day management of the City, but with a background in building and engineering his priority since assuming office has been to rebuild the city’s infrastructure, including the new headquarters for police, fire and emergency personnel.

FLATTEN THOSE BOXES

After a year-long education campaign, the city’s ordinance to flatten cardboard boxes for disposal in (or next to) recycling bins goes into effect this month. Citizens who toss empty boxes on their swales or in trash pits can face fines of up to $500.

SAVE THOSE REEFS

The City of Coral Gables, which in late January declared a climate emergency, spent the month of February bringing attention to the plight of endangered reefs. Championed by Vice Mayor Vince Lago, the city proposed renaming itself as “Super Coral Gables” for the month, in support of the #SuperCoralPlay challenge for cities to limit their carbon footprint in order to protect coral reefs. City Hall was lit for the month with coral colors to support the campaign.

TV TO THE RESCUE

The Coral Gables Fire Department is now the first fire rescue agency in Miami-Dade County to have telemedicine capacity in their rescue units. Emergency personnel will be able to communicate directly with emergency physicians from Baptist Health Systems and UM Health hospitals, via a secured video system, while dealing with critically ill patients in the field.

MEMPHIS

When Art Imitates Life

This month the Conde Contemporary gallery on Miracle Mile is sponsoring L.A. performance artist Norberto Rodriquez. His video-filmed project, “The devil and the details,” will document his monthlong “doing” project where he films himself using the skills his father taught him. His previous “art = life” projects have included marrying a total stranger off the street for a year, living in a store in a luxury mall, and opening his home as a museum with public hours.

“He will literally come

to your house and trim your hedges, or change your lightbulbs, organize your closet, walk your dog. That is all part of the art piece. Everything will be filmed,” says gallery owner Stacy Conde. “I can see this someday as an exhibition at MOMA or the Whitney. This guy is really cutting edge.”

For a mere $300 to $500 a day, you can book the genius of Rodriguez for a day and become part of art history. If you are interested, simply contact the gallery at info@condecontemporary.com ■

LOCAL ARTIST AND NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS GRADUATE TURNS CHORES INTO PERFORMANCE ART

Villa Valencia brings together world-class services, cutting-edge technology, sophisticated design and a passion for nature in one limited collection of stately residences. Just steps away from Downtown Coral Gables, this is where the sophisticated reside in the City Beautiful.

Beatrice Row wins the Addison Mizner Award

MG Developer, the firm building the Biltmore Square neighborhood just west of downtown, has won the 2019 Addison Mizner Award (AMA) for its Beatrice Row of grand townhomes. The project, designed by the Coral Gablesbased firm of de la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists, earned the award as the best Multi-Family Residential project for its advancement of the ideals of classicism and traditional design in architecture.

Located at 744 Biltmore Way, the Beatrice Row of contiguous townhouses runs the length of the block, from corner to corner, in the same way that English Terrace housing was originally built. The inspiration comes from the Royal Crescent in Bath, England, by John Wood the Younger, and the terrace row

homes in London by John Nash.

The awards event, which was held on February 8 in Palm Beach, celebrated the achievement of the finest practitioners in the fields of Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urbanism as well as Craftsmanship and Construction. Beatrice Row was awarded the AMA medal by a panel of jurors selected from among architects, designers and academics recognized for their knowledge and experience in the practice and theory of classical and traditional architecture.

“We are thrilled that Beatrice Row has received such an honorable recognition for its beauty and essence that elevates the status of Coral Gables living and design,” said Alirio Torrealba, CEO of MG Developer, during the award ceremony.

At the awards: Architect Teofilo Victoria, MG Developer COO Jenny Ducret, MG Developer CEO Alirio Torrealba, architect Maria de la Guardia

Beatrice Row at night: Advancing the ideal of classical design

Ashley is a top-producing broker whose expertise of the Miami luxury real estate market and commitment to her clients has consistently placed her in the highest tier of realtors, earning her recognition as one of Miami’s leading agents and ranked in the top 1/2 of 1% nationwide.

Selling more than 3/4 of a billion dollars over her 25-year career, Ashley and her team are the experts people rely upon when navigating the Miami luxury real estate market - and finding the perfect new home and kitchen.

Living

PLUS: BEST BETS FOR MARCH MUSEUM EXHIBITS

BEST BETS

CORAL GABLES GARDEN CLUB SPRING TOUR (ABOVE)

The Spring House and Garden Tour, “Springtime in Paradise,” will consist of a tour of four private homes and gardens as well as admission to (and tours of) Montgomery Botanical Center (11901 Old Cutler Rd.), where the tour starts. April 4, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Proceeds benefit youth education about our natural environment, senior garden therapy, agriculture-related scholarships, and community enhancement projects. coralgablesgardenclub.org

programs for community, conservation and culture. March 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Deering Estate. deeringseafoodfestival.org

CAMELOT

The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot comes alive at the Actors’ Playhouse at Miracle Theatre. With book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, this newly revised version reinvents the classic Arthurian legend. March 18 – April 12. Tickets: $30 – $75. actorsplayhouse.org

41ST ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL

The St. Patrick’s Day Festival Committee brings the largest St. Patrick’s Day festival to Fred B. Harnett Ponce Circle Park with bagpipers, a U2 tribute band and Irish dancers. There will be both Irish and non-Irish food and of course plenty of drinks. For the children, there will be a giant slide, bounce house, rock climbing wall and merry-go-round. March 14 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

30TH ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY FIVE-DAY PARTY

And this year, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just on March 17. Join John Martin’s Irish Pub for a five-day celebration of the Irish holiday from March 13 – 17. The schedule includes live music, happy hours, a breakfast sponsored by Jameson for the adults, and pony rides and face painting for the kids. For more information, visit johnmartins.com

16TH ANNUAL DEERING SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

A celebration of nature filled with fresh seafood, chef demos, live entertainment and activities for children. Kicking off the festival on March 27 is the Chef’s Table, a three-course dining experience prepared by chefs Cindy and Ashley Hutson of Ortanique. Tickets: $7$25. All proceeds benefit the Deering Estate Foundation to support

LATIN JAZZ, HARLEM STYLE

The 13-member Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO) will be performing authentic Latin jazz and hardcore salsa, celebrating its musical roots in the barrio, at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. The band features its founder, the renowned salsa pianist Oscar Hernandez. March 28 at 8 p.m. SMDCAC. Tickets: $36 - $95. Smdcac.org

WHETHER IT’S A COOKING PARTY, WINE TASTING, OR FAMILY DINNER, A BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN, WINE CELLAR, OR DINING ROOM IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO HOST YOUR NEXT GATHERING

10255 LAKESIDE DRIVE, CORAL GABLES

8,487 SQ. FT. | 6 BED | 7 BATH + 3 HALF $4,550,000

WWW.10255LAKESIDEDRIVE.COM

FRENCH COUNTRY STYLED TWO-STORY ESTATE IN SNAPPER CREEK LAKES

5577 ARBOR LANE, CORAL GABLES

6,429 SQ. FT. | 6 BED + 2 DEN | 6½ BATH $3,280,000

WWW.5577ARBORLANE.COM

EXCEPTIONAL LOCATION ON QUIET CUL-DE-SAC IN COVETED SNAPPER CREEK LAKES

7,021 SQ. FT. | 6 BED | 6½ BATH $2,395,000

WWW.621DESTACADA.COM

STUNNING & IMMACULATE TWO-STORY HOME ON CULDE-SAC. ALSO FOR RENT AT $13,700/MO

&

4,743 SQ. FT. | 4 BED | 4½ BATH $2,095,000

WWW.4020HARDIE.COM

QUINTESSENTIAL ONE-STORY GROVE HOME WITH HIGH CEILINGS ON LARGE & LUSH TROPICAL LOT

4020 HARDIE AVENUE, COCONUT GROVE

621 DESTACADA AVENUE, CORAL GABLES

Rock On, Coral Gables

HOW TO BE A ROCK ’N’ ROLLER IN THE FAST LANE

BY RACHELLE BARRETT PHOTOS BY EMILY FAKHOURY

When you hear the words “school of rock,” you probably think of the 2003 film starring Jack Black, a failed rock star who becomes a substitute teacher in a music class at a prestigious private school. There, he turns the prepsters into punk rockers with his unconventional teaching method of getting them to play immediately, as soon as they learn their first chord.

At the School of Rock Coral Gables, co-music director and instructor Brian Liebman uses basically the same technique. Liebman, a guitar and bass teacher with a master’s in music education from FIU, explains the school’s main goal: to get the students to make music as quickly as possible.

“Basically you can come in, you can take a trial lesson, we can teach you how to play power chords, and you get enough basic knowledge that you can jump into a band class,” he says. “You see, the old way of doing guitar lessons was to have to wait maybe a year. You used to have to learn all the strings, all the notes, all the stuff, and then somebody says, ‘Oh, well, maybe you can come into the band.’ We don’t do that. We start band like day two.”

The School of Rock Coral Gables, though technically across 57th Avenue in South Miami, specializes in teaching kids, teenagers and even adults how to play instruments, sing and create music. The school offers guitar,

bass, piano and keyboard, drums, and singing lessons, and about half of its approximately 150 students are Gables residents. The Miami location itself, in the Shops at Sunset Place, is one of 260 School of Rock locations across the world.

Most of the teachers have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and music performance. Roberto Giorgetti, one of the school’s guitar instructors, is currently studying at Berklee’s online music program for his degree in film scoring. As a young music fanatic himself, Giorgetti wishes he could have gone to School of Rock as a 12-year-old. “These kids come here, and they want to be here,” he says. “They’re in an environment that makes them want to be themselves.”

Giorgetti gives one-onone electric guitar lessons to Fernando Vasquez, a 13-year-old who is part of the Performance program, one of the top levels at the school. “One of my friends told me about it, and it sounded really cool,” said Vasquez. “It’s really fun.”

Liebman proved this by teaching me a song riff on one of his electric guitars in a one-onone lesson. Placing just two of my fingers on numbered guitar strings and repeatedly moving my hand up and down the guitar onto certain placements, I recreated a Lenny Kravitz rock song in less than 15 minutes.

Long live rock’n’roll. ■

Teacher Roberto Giorgetti, above, gives one-on-one electric guitar lessons. Giorgetti says, “These kids come here, and they want to be here. They’re in an environment that makes them want to be themselves.”

1. Less is More: Most patients with aging are bothered by their neck and jowls, as well as a tired eye appearance. Focusing the surgery on these areas serves most patients well and avoids an ‘overdone’ look. Most don’t need a brow lift or full face lasers.

2. Respect anatomy: The face droops as it ages, at multiple levels. Surgery has to lift saggy areas back into their previously normal position. This is done by tightening slack infrastructure and removing loose skin. Incisions are hidden along anatomic lines.

3. Use tension judiciously: Too much tension and the face looks pulled, too little and slack remains or recurs quickly. Most negatives in facelifts are caused by excessive tension.

4. Skin doesn’t hold up the face: Skin’s function is to cover the face. It’s the infrastructure’s job to hold up the face. Pulling tight on the skin to lift the face creates distortion, poor scars and the obvious result most people don’t like.

5. Not easy: Facelift surgery takes years to learn. It is complex and challenging. The stakes are high - it’s your face! It requires intense focus and attention to numerous details over several hours to create a result that looks natural, pleasing and can’t be spotted. To produce optimal results, the surgeon must be in excellent shape, both physically and mentally, as should be the patient.

6. Facelifts are powerful: They add a lot as they focus on the core of facial aging. But judiciously restoring lost facial volume and treating lines with fillers (or fat) is also important even though it won’t substitute for a facelift despite how much we would like it to. Further, careful use of Botox, is beneficial to enhance overall appearance.

7. Facelifts can’t do it all: A professionally designed skincare program, including a daily sunscreen, as well as an experienced cosmetic dermatologist, are a big plus for the full package. And, of course, a healthy lifestyle!

Museum Exhibits

THE BLACK EXPERIENCE (right)

Raised in Harlem, Jacob Lawrence is the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. He is best known for narrative “series” which illustrate the African-American experience using vivid colors in a style reminiscent of Matisse’s flattened forms and decorative patterns. His “Migration of the Negro” series was first exhibited in Manhattan in 1942, before he was drafted into the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII. Lawrence completed his “War Series” afterwards with a Guggenheim Grant. In his later years he was a teacher at the University of Washington (Seattle), painting until he died in 2000. “History, Labor, Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence” runs through May 24 at the Lowe.

LOWE

305.284.3535

TUES.-SAT.

WILD, WILD LIFE (left)

For some 30 years, acrylic artist Peter R. Gerbert has been painting scenes from Florida’s vanishing wildlife. His painting, “Life in the Everglades,” became a poster that was sent to all members of Congress in 2000 to encourage passage of the Everglades Restoration Act (which became law). Now recognized as a featured artist by the Florida Wildlife Federation and Audubon Florida, Gerbert will be exhibiting more than 40 of his paintings at the Coral Gables museum. “Wildlife Art by Discovery: The Paintings of Artist Peter R. Gerbert” is the first major retrospective of Florida artist Peter R. Gerbert in any museum, and will run March 27 through July 19.

Owner Brian Seage, of Back and Forth Mens Store

PHOTO BY JON BRAELEY

Back and Forth

FINALLY, A BOUTIQUE FOR MEN

BY KIM RODRIGUEZ

Next to that institution of health, the Gables Juice Bar on Almeria Avenue, is a small space occupied by a contemporary men’s store called Back and Forth. This one-of-akind retail post has been here since August 2018, and is the brainchild of a young man born and bred in Coral Gables, a Columbus High School grad and now entrepreneur, Brian Seage.

Seage has lived in Coral Gables all his life (except for when he left for college) and knew from a young age that he wanted to open a men’s store. He had an appreciation for fashion and trends, but a hard time finding pieces that coupled modern style with his leniency toward timeless classics.

“Growing up we didn’t have any stores that catered to the young men’s market for cool casual clothes,” says Seage. “We had the malls, and some cool sneaker boutiques on Miami Beach and Downtown, but when I first started driving it wasn’t the easiest to get over there and shop for the brands I was searching for.”

Fast forward. After four years at college and a background working retail in both sales and visual merchandising, he chose Coral Gables to plant his flagship store. “I wanted to be a pioneer for a store that catered to the guy who lives here and wants to look good, while wearing brands that you don’t find in every store,” he says.

Back and Forth is original. It is really the only men’s boutique that caters to a younger demographic. One might expect to see a store like this in Wynwood or the Design District; the curated brands are from all over the globe, very well edited,

but with a similar point of view.

“I like to say we are on trend without being trendy. I enjoy it when a customer comes in and discovers and purchases a new brand that we stock, and then comes back to purchase more from that brand,” Seage says. “Those interactions are what build trust between me and my customer.”

Although his clients and offerings skew a bit younger, the fashionable guy above 40 will also appreciate his sneaker lines and the incredibly sourced knitwear brand Proper Apparel.

The spring assortment is classified into sophisticated streetwear and classic workwear.

“Sophisticated streetwear is just our take on traditional streetwear garments, but dress them up so they can be worn anywhere you might be going. Our workwear pieces offer the customer a sense of utility and heritage; think lightweight jackets and pocket t-shirts,” Seage says. “We also have some new designs from our own line, and new items from our local brands that we stock.”

Fashion seems to run in the Seage family. Brian’s younger brother Kevin sells his locally sourced tees and hats in the store under the label Spilled Milk, along with other local brands VGA Studios and Proper Apparel. His client base can also find brands like Herschel Supply Co., I Love Ugly (from New Zealand), Publish Brand, and Barney Cools.

Seage is a huge believer in building community through his shop, especially since his entire family and so many childhood friends still live here. They host events almost every month, sometimes just casual get togethers and other times to

release a new collection or a local artist’s new canvases. “Hanging out is encouraged. I want people to stop in, browse the shelves, ask questions, and have conversation,” he says. “To me this is the best way to service everyone who walks in and provide an experience unique to the Gables.”

Make sure to shop on Back and Forth’s website or Instagram if you can’t make it in, and say hello to Seage on the street if you see him skateboarding to work. ■

Born in Coral Gables, owner Brian Seage always wanted to open a men’s store from a young age. One might expect to see a store like this in Wynwood or the Design District; the curated brands are from all over the globe, very well edited, but with a similar point of view.

Kim Rodriguez is a personal shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. krpersonalstyle.com

Do You Know Science?

AT I KNOW SCIENCE, THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT FUN AND FASCINATING, NOT DULL AND DAUNTING

BY GRACE CARRICARTE

“We dream big here. We do not limit ourselves,” says employee Juliette Choiseul, with a big smile on her face. This kind of enthusiasm to learn makes I Know Science (IKS) of Coral Gables a standout family destination. It is a multi-functional concept that was launched in 2012 as a place to enjoy and explore, hands-on, all fields of science – plus a place to purchase the latest science toys. It is a modern, immersive retail experience for families to encourage their budding big thinkers to explore – and love – science.

Store owner Gabriela Brown says she takes weeks, even months, to select the gadgets and gizmos the store features. “We have something for everyone,” she says, and they actually do. Classics like lego sets, building blocks with marble patterns, erupting volcanos –even silly putty taken to the next level with Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty selections that are magnetic, color changing, and glow in the dark.

The range of toys, games, puzzles and projects is boggling: Crystals that grow, earthquake labs, bird houses, telescopes, astronomy, microscopes, lunar rovers, dinosaur skeletons, robotics kits, gross science labs, architectural engineering, compost kits, the science of perfume, bird houses, playhouses, and the yummiest yet, candy making. The marked age ranges go from one to 12 years, but adults can indulge as well. After all, fine motor, gross motor, and intellectual processing skills are essential for cognitive

sharpness no matter one’s age or condition. “We’ve had people come in who have children with special needs, and even purchases made for adults with a traumatic brain injury,” says Choiseul.

This store does not just know science, it embraces it and makes it contagious. A birthday party turns into an exciting science exploration. Their science programs include camps, special events, and award winning after-school labs. They also have a list of Today’s Best Toys that can be found here or purchased online, along with other products, for delivery or in-store pick up. In general, prices range from $10-$200.

Most of IKS employees are also aspiring scientists themselves, which adds considerably to its credibility. Choiseul studies biology and is looking into immunology, global health, zoology, and chemistry. Yolanda Pineda is studying to be an astrophysicist and researching technology about how to grow food on Mars. Juliette Natalia Brown is studying environmental science and planetary sustainability. No wonder they embody the importance of environmental consciousness; IKS was even named Gables’ first Green Certified Business as part of the city’s Green Business Program.

“We are more than a place to shop,” says Brown. “We stand for opportunity, equality, sharing the responsibility of raising well-educated children, kindness, and individuality. Science is the greatest vessel for all of this.” ■

This store does not just know science, it embraces it and makes it contagious. Their science programs include camps, special events, and award winning after-school labs.

What’s Hot

MARCH 2020

BY MALLORY EVANS JACOBSON

It’s time to bid farewell to winter—or the day or two of chilly weather that we actually experienced—and usher in the springtime. There’s no better way to welcome the season than with a bit of a design refresh, so here are several picks to get you started.

ROCK ON (TOP RIGHT)

Swapping out or adding new art to the home is a simple way to refresh a room, and Coral Gables artist Liv Dockerty has just released several new contemporary abstract pieces, including “I Get High with a Little Help from My Friends,” shown right. Inspired by classic rock song lyrics, the paintings are distinguished by contrasting depths and vivid colors, evoking a dynamic narrative to be enjoyed in any area of the home. Retail: from $4,250. Liv Dockerty Art, livdockerty.com.

STRIKING SILHOUETTE ( FAR RIGHT)

This eye-catching vase looks more like a sculpture than a vessel for flowers, but when you add your favorite blooms, it’ll add a whole new dimension to your kitchen – or any space for that matter. Retail: $129. BoConcept. 342 San Lorenzo Ave. #1110, 305-438-0005.

NATURAL BEAUTY (BELOW RIGHT)

Available in nine colorways, including Coral Red, the Forest lounge chair from JANUS et Cie brings a beautiful statement to any indoor or outdoor environment. With angular cut-outs that conjure a sweeping tree, it features a lightweight aluminum frame and an organic shape, making for a lovely dining chair or side chair, and a definite conversation piece. Retail: $944. JANUS et Cie, 2332 Galiano St. #101, 305-438-0005.

PERFECT FORM (BELOW)

Take cocktails alfresco to a whole new level with the addition of the Cala sofa from Barcelona-based outdoor furnishings designer Kettal. While it’s rare to find seating that’s both comfortable and visually arresting, this one is a clear winner. Retail: $9,916. Kettal, 147 Miracle Mile., 786-552-9022.

GOING GREEN (LEFT)

If you want to make a statement with a houseplant but you lack the ability to keep said plant alive, go for Pottery Barn’s faux version of the design world’s beloved fiddle leaf fig. Its glossy leaves, bendable branches, and vibrant hue make it look totally lifelike. Retail: $299. Pottery Barn, 358 San Lorenzo Ave. #2115, 305-569-9022.

Bites p51 Vegan Dining

THE GLOBE: Rigatoni Bolognese made with the Impossible brand of ground beef. and paired with a vegan red wine.

PHOTO BY JON BRAELEY

PLUS: LA DORADA BRUNCH

SAWA HAPPY HOUR MENU

With an Ear to the Ground

THE GLOBE GOES POP-UP VEGAN

There is little doubt that veganism – the plant-based diet that avoids all animal-based proteins, including dairy and eggs – is on the rise. Some sources estimate that as many as 20 million Americans now identify as vegan. The reasons are for health and ethics: avoiding red meat and cheese is good for your heart, for example, while raising livestock for slaughter drains the earth’s resources and is a cruel practice.

Keying into that concern, The Globe on Alhambra has introduced a Vegan Pop-Up menu – the Vincent Van Vegan Pop-Up menu, to be specific, in a nod to both alliteration and their appreciation for master oil painters. Like their regular menu, the vegan selections are not vast but are well curated, each dish tested for taste and comfort.

For the hardcore vegan there is the chick pea & malanga fritters, which taste like croquetas, only lighter. Another tasty small plate is the portobello mushroom & eggplant arepa, which uses a remarkably flavorful vegan gouda cheese.

“Some [of the menu] will appeal to true vegans,” says Danny Guiteras, who co-owns and runs The Globe. “But some of it appeals to mainstreams eaters, like the Impossible beef.”

For those who fear leaving red meat behind, the rigatoni Bolognese and the burrito selections both use the Impossible brand of ground beef, and both are delicious. The rigatoni in a tomato sauce may actually taste better than the so-called real thing, while the burrito, with ground “beef,” steamed basmati rice, sliced avocado, and spicy pico de gallo is mouthwatering. They also have a hearty salad

with vegan feta cheese, and some good veggie sides, but the ersatz beef dishes will win over meat lovers.

Guiteras says he launched the vegan pop-up menu last month only after researching the diet. “We’ve done a lot of pop-ups with different chefs, brunch pop-ups, and so forth, but we wanted to do something different and I was interested in eating cleaner,” he says. “The plant-based diet does that.”

Lorraine Guiteras, who coowns and runs The Globe with Danny, says it was also a matter of demand. “We’ve had a lot of people ask for it. We had a party of 60 ask for it!” she says (The Globe caters back-room parties). “A lot of young people are trying veganism – they’re more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies.”

The Globe is not the first to try specifically vegan offerings in the Gables. Down the street on Alhambra, the self-consciously healthy Green Gables Café has offered vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes for more than a decade. What makes The Globe’s vegan pop-up noteworthy is that it’s really a euro gastro pub, serving burgers, steaks, fish, chicken, pizzas and salads with cheese, along with beer, wine and liquor.

“I’m still enjoying the steak frites and the conch fritters here at The Globe,” says Danny. “But it makes sense to eat a little cleaner and better. Even if you eat that way once a week it’s beneficial.” ■

TOP: Danny Guiteras, co-owner of The Globe, introduces the Vincent Van Vegan Pop-Up menu complete with Van Gogh inspired tablecloths. BOTTOM: Portobello mushroom & eggplant arepa with vegan gouda cheese.

Brunch from the Mediterranean

LA DORADA HAS BEEN SERVING FRESH SEAFOOD FOR DECADES. NOW IT DOES ON WEEKEND MORNINGS, TOO.

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

Having been on Giralda Plaza for 24 years, La Dorada is a Coral Gables institution. It has been recognized as a landmark by the City of Coral Gables, and in 2013 it won the Green Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. This signifies that it’s an environmentally friendly establishment. It is the first Spanish restaurant in the U.S. to have won this award. “That’s like an Oscar,” says Lilliam Gandara, who owns La Dorada with her husband Domingo.

The Spanish restaurant is known for its seafood and shellfish for good reason. Using local fishermen in Spain, the fish are caught in the Mediterranean Sea in the morning and are in Miami in the afternoon.

Now La Dorada is offering a seafood-infused brunch, taking advantage of the new outdoor

seating on Giralda Plaza. The fixed price brunch menu is offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. until… well, this is a Spanish place, after all. For $25 per person, choose two primer platos, or first courses, and one plato principale, or main course. It sounds like a lot of food, but the portions are just the right size to leave you satisfied, not stuffed. Don’t forget to throw in the bottomless mimosas, Bellinis and Bloody Marys for $15.

For the first course we decided on the Spanish omelet and the empanadillas de pollo. The Spanish omelet is comparable to a French quiche. The bits of chorizo add a welcome kick of flavor. The empanadillas are three miniature chicken empanadas – crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Both come with an aioli sauce that we would put on everything

if we could. Dying to try their fresh-from-the-Mediterranean seafood, we had the shrimp au gratin, or camarones gratinados. The shrimp did not disappoint; it was probably the freshest shellfish we’ve ever had. Accompanied with white rice and covered with warm, melted cheese, it was like a shrimp mac and cheese with rice instead of pasta.

Being a Coral Gables mainstay for more than two decades and surviving the StreetScape project, La Dorada is obviously doing something right. Maybe it’s the extra friendly wait staff, the white tablecloth interior or now the comfortable outdoor seating. The mouthwatering food doesn’t hurt either. ■

Just like Mom’s, if she were Spanish

Rodilla is all the rage in Spain (150 locations) and now it’s open on Miracle Mile. Remember when your Mom made you Balogna sandwiches on white bread with mayo? Just up those contents to gourmet, and for $3.15 each, you can try a half sandwich, sans crusts. We loved the chicken curry; the tuna, and walnuts and port; and the mushroom, red pepper and anchovy.

Where’s the Beef?

The tag lines for TripAdvisor’s listing for Swensen’s on Dixie Highway are “Dessert, American, Vegetarian Friendly.” Vegetarian friendly? Sure, they have fries slathered in tomato ketchup. But this is burger central! Alas, their Garden Burger ($15) is a veggie burger with avocado, pesto aioli, Monterey jack cheese, baby arugula, sliced tomato, caramelized onions, green and red peppers and sautéed mushrooms. Pretty good, actually.

Sugar Spike

We thought it was an urban myth. But it’s true: The Sushi Maki restaurant on Ponce sells deep fried Oreo cookies. They call them Tempura Oreos, and they come with a condensed milk dipping sauce. They also serve deep fried ice cream, but that pales in comparison. For a mere $5.50 you get a half dozen and they are crazy good. What a way to get Type 2 Diabetes! ■

The Happiest Hour

With an impressive list of discounted cocktails, appetizers and sushi rolls, Sawa Restaurant & Lounge – where Tokyo meets Lebanon – may just be our new go-to happy hour destination.

Here’s how it works: The tapas and sushi rolls are divided into four categories: bronze ($5.55), silver ($7.77), gold ($9.99) and platinum ($11.11). In the bronze section you have items like chicken, pork, shrimp or vegetable dumplings and baba ganoush. Our choice was the baba ganoush, a delicious eggplant purée with garlic and lemon that looks like hummus and comes with pita bread for dipping.

Our silver selection was the croquetas de jamón. And while croquetas are neither Japanese nor Mediterranean, like the rest of the Sawa menu, it’s all about fusion here. Plus the béchamel dipping sauce is to die for.

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

Our tartar debate (tuna, salmon or yellowtail?) was settled by our waitress, who recommended the salmon for the gold category (above). Because the dish is drizzled with cilantro mayo, she also suggested squeezing a lemon over it to belay the spiciness. Also in the gold is the spicy tuna sushi sandwich, which came highly recommended in lieu of the spicy tuna roll. Think of a teatime finger sandwich but with spicy tuna and crispy onions sandwiched between sticky rice and covered with scallions and tempura flakes, sweet chili mayo on the side. The platinum menu includes tapas like the lamb lollipops and grilled octopus.

The drink menu is almost as lengthy. Sparkling wine, sake and beer are just $4.44 and wine, well drinks and Bellinis are $5.55. When it comes to the Bellini bar, you have a multitude of juices to choose from: mango, passion fruit, strawberry,

raspberry, lychee and peach. We chose the lychee for a refreshing afternoon cocktail. Sawa also offers a ton of choices when it comes to mules for $8.88. You can stick with a traditional Moscow Mule, or swap the vodka and lime for tequila and strawberry and it becomes the Mayan Mule. The Kentucky Mule is made with bourbon, ginger beer and blackberries. The London Mule? Gin, ginger beer and blueberries.

Happy Hour in the outside courtyard is Mon. – Fri. from 4 to 7 p.m. But if you sit inside at the bar, these deals are every day of the week from 4 to 8 p.m. Located on the first floor of the Shops at Merrick Park, it’s perfect for late-afternoon snacks and drinks after a session of retail therapy. ■

Argentina Rises

A bad empanada can turn you off to the whole idea of the original hot pocket. A good empanada, however, is a real treat. By the time you read this, Wood Label Bistro, the latest eatery on Sunset Drive, will be just over a month old. This small Argentine restaurant (1573 Sunset, where Mar y Tierra lived) is helmed by Daniel Galvan, most recently the chef at Novocento in Brickell. The sign on the wall says, “Best Empanadas.” And they are: Light, crisp, full of flavor.

Flora & Fauna

When is steak healthy for you? When it’s lean and paired with a salad, so you get your greens at the same time. And what could be more Paleo than meat and greens, sans carbs? With this in mind, you will delight in the Thai Steak Salad at Shula’s 347 Grill on Red Road in the South Gables: Flavorful filet mignon slices atop baby greens with roasted peanuts, fresh mango, and a sesame ginger dressing. $19.

As Italian as…

It doesn’t look like your ordinary apple pie, splayed out with slices of the cooked fruit in a sort of open display. And it certainly doesn’t say “As American as…” since it’s served by a waiter who speaks more Italian than English. But here it is, the best apple pie in Coral Gables. A stunningly delicious dessert at Villagio Restaurant in the Shops at Merrick Park, fit to tempt Adam, with lots to share for other sinners ■

Brian Lynch

Jazz trumpet player

Photo by Maria Cohen

Brian Lynch is recognized as one of the nation’s leading jazz trumpet players, composers and arrangers, having played with some of the iconic talents of the genre, including Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quartet. He also spent years playing with Latin jazz legend Eddie Palmieri and won the 2006 Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album, one of more than 20 critically acclaimed CDs by Lynch as a bandleader and recording artist. In addition to concerts at UM, where he is a studio instructor of jazz trumpet and directs several ensembles at the Frost School of Music, he occasionally plays at the Open Stage in downtown Coral Gables.

Brian Lynch

JAZZ TRUMPET PLAYER, UM MUSIC PROFESSOR

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT HE SAYS

Lynch was awarded a Grammy in January of this year in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble category for “The Omni-American Book Club” by the Brian Lynch Big Band, which he recorded with Frost School students, faculty and alumni at a recording studio on the UM campus.

“I am completely blown away and extremely gratified to have been awarded this honor, and in such distinguished company,” says Lynch. “[It] is really an award for all of us here at Frost, for I could not have made this project without the help of everyone here in my Frost

family… this album was truly ‘Frost Built!’” Says Frost Dean Shelly Berg, “It is a fantastic achievement.”

I could not have made this project without the help [of] my Frost family…

Photo by Tomoji Hirakata

Sheila Breit began her career as a hairstylist in Barcelona in 2007. She had always known she wanted to be a stylist, practicing mercilessly on her Barbie dolls as a child. Three years after her Spanish debut, she moved to Miami and worked in Brickell where her husband, Emiliano, had a salon. After a half-dozen years there, the Breits moved their salon to the Gables on the corner of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Valencia Avenue

Sheila Breit

HAIRSTYLIST, EMILIANO BREIT SALON

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT SHE SAYS

In addition to helping run one of the trendiest hair salons in town, Breit won the first Stylists Talent Competition held by Shear Fun, which took place in November at the Open Stage Club on Galiano. The winning look was inspired by the Spanish film “Fausto’s Labyrinth.”

“I spent like five hours doing the hairstyling in here [the salon] that day,” Breit says of her styling win. She also did the makeup herself but had help with the clothing. “I worked really hard… so I was so proud of myself,” she says. Breit says she and Emiliano moved their

salon to the Gables because they found it more family friendly and walkable.

I spent like five hours doing the hairstyling that day…

Photo by Emily Fakhoury

125’ Westport RPHMY 2018 “PEPPER XIII”

112’ Westport RPHMY 2014 “OMNI SEA” 112’ Westport RPHMY 2010 “BOXER”

With 672 member families, Temple Judea is the largest Reform synagogue in Coral Gables, and one of the largest in South Florida. In addition to its primary mission as a house of worship, Temple Judea is dedicated to education, from its youngest members to its adult congregation. Among its many endeavors is a program of hosting famous scholars and speakers, from Kurt Vonnegut and Janet Reno (before they passed away) to Madeleine Albright and Salman Rushdie. Moskovitz has worked at Temple Judea for 14 years in a variety of positions, most recently as Director of Engagement & Outreach.

Sharon Israel Moskovitz

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TEMPLE JUDEA

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT SHE SAYS

“I want to jump in quickly with all cylinders going full force,” Moskovitz says of her new position. “One of my goals is to not just keep our membership growing, but sustainability, to make sure our congregation sees the benefit and value of belonging to this community, and why it is an important investment [of time].” As far as being a Jewish

congregation in the city, “Coral Gables is a place of complete and total tolerance, which we see with our relationships with the police department, the city [government], Books & Books, historic preservation and so forth,” she says. “Not every Jewish community is so lucky, and that is scary.”

Last month Moskovitz was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Temple. In January she helped set up a talk at the Temple by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, moderated by Gloria Estefan.

Coral Gables is a place of complete and total tolerance…

The Residences at THesis, featuring 204 luxury rental apartment homes, and the complementing landmark hotel, THesis Hotel Miami, bring lifestyle, comfort, and community together. Located within Paseo De La Riviera and nestled between the building’s ground floor retail spaces is the Urban Living Room —an open, inviting public space that promotes the live, work, play themes which will be brought to life through a series of local and cultural events.

Focused on creating an active and engaged space for guests, friends and members of the community to come together, Paseo De La Riviera offers a unique opportunity for those looking for an urban lifestyle within the beautiful city of Coral Gables.

6,500+ sq ft EVENT SPACES

Two Chef-Driven DINING EXPERIENCES

HUDSON

One of Bonn’s favorite cars, this 1955 Hollywood Hudson Hornet with a V-8 engine was specially designed for Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Hopper passed away 11 years after this model came out; it has only 21,000 original miles on it.

BY J.P. FABER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JON BRAELEY

The first vintage car that Bill Bonn collected was a 1981 Rolls Royce Convertible, a classic cognac-colored beauty that he acquired in 2002, the same year that he settled in Coral Gables. A corporate general counsel who had worked and lived in the northeast, mostly in Boston, Bonn had purchased and restored the historic home of Claude Pepper, the former senator, congressman and ally of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who passed away in 1989.

That 1920s manse on Alhambra Circle, where Eleanor Roosevelt visited each winter after FDR died, was the first place Bonn kept his collectible cars. Flash forward to today, when Bonn’s expanded collection of 40 vehicles is kept mostly on two floors of a Gables high-rise parking garage. They span from the 1930s to the 1970s, but most are focused on the 1950s and 1960s, when Bonn was growing up.

“I was born in ’51, so I remember a lot of them. They were all bought because I remember a family member having one, or a neighbor having one,” says Bonn. “As a boy I spent my money on car magazines instead

of girlie magazines. I wasn’t interested in vintage cars, but the car du jour.”

Among his favorites are the 1955 Hudson that belonged to the legendary Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. It has 21,000 original miles. “She used to cruise around gathering gossip in this car,” says Bonn. “She ordered the car and George Romney [the CEO of AMC, which bought Hudson, and father of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney] named it the Hollywood Hornet.” With a powerful V-8 engine, its tan original colors are vibrant, and the white wall tires are, well, really white walls.

Hudson has since gone out of business, as have several of the car makers whose models Bonn collects, like Packard and Studebaker. He calls them “orphan cars” and they are particularly prized possessions; unlike his old Fords and Chevrolets, the orphan autos are harder to keep pristine because their parts are no longer made. “I have a Packard and three Hudsons and five Studebakers, and so to me, preserving these is more challenging than preserving the Lincolns and Fords. It’s easy to get parts for those.”

THE COLLECTOR

GABLES PHILANTHROPIST BILL BONN IS ON TO HIS 40TH VINTAGE CAR, MEMENTOS FROM HIS YOUTH IN THE ’50s AND ’60s

THE COLLECTION

Bonn stores most of his vintage collection in a high-rise garage in Coral Gables. Pictured in the foreground is the rear end of a 1950 Nash Stateman Airflyte, with its then-futuristic streamlined body. Its claim to fame were seats that folded completely flat to form a bed for campers or travelling salesmen.

HUDSON

A 1936 Hudson Terraplane (two-door hard top with straight-six engine) shown inset right.

Bonn takes his role as a curator of antique autos seriously, seeing himself as a kind of historical caretaker. “It’s all about history,” he says. “They are rolling works of art.” But, he says, “They are also machinery. And if you don’t use them, they could have problems with the fuel lines and the transmissions and so forth…”

And there comes the fun part, that his collection of cars has to be driven a few miles here and a few miles there, with some regularity, in order to stay in good shape. “I like to drive two or three of them a day, maybe over to the Riviera Country Club. But they need to be driven more often than that,” he says. Which is why Bonn has a full-time assistant, Kanen Moffett, a car enthusiast he hired seven years ago when the collection became more than Bonn could handle on his own. “He gasses them up and drives them around town,” says Bonn. He also tracks down rare parts and repairs them

when the cars break down, as they often do.

“I was a small engine guy to start, very mechanical,” says Moffett, who lives in the Gables to be near the collection. “I work a regular 40-hour week, maintaining the cars and kind of helping Bill with everything, as far as his car habit is concerned.”

That habit is to collect cars at the rate of about two a year, in a process that is far from random. Bonn has a strict set of criteria, beyond the years and models that he focuses on. “I like low mileage, original cars, because these are the ones where you are really preserving history.” And that means the original paint and the original interiors. He especially likes brightly colored cars, as distinct from the monotones that have come to dominate the auto palette today.

“It’s only been the last couple of years that we have stopped seeing just white, grey, black, and beige. Now we are seeing orange, green, and red coming back,” says

Bonn. “But take my ’56 Chevy Bel Air. It’s chartreuse and pea green, and those are the original colors on that puppy.”

Because Bonn’s criteria for collecting is so precise his acquisitions are not frequent; each comes with a story that Bonn relishes, along with a history of the vehicle, and his personal connection to it. “By and large I’ve never bought anything at an auction,” says Bonn. “I tend to buy from other friends that I’ve made over the years collecting, or friend of friends, or I will see something by chance.”

The result is a collection that includes a 1936 Hudson Terraplane, a 1950 Nash Statesman Airflyte, a 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood, a 1956 Oldsmobile 88, a 1964 Studebaker Avanti, a 1970 AMC Javelin, and a 1974 AMC Matador – a bright yellow dagger-shaped car that he bought for his husband, Ruben – along with another three dozen collectibles.

His favorite procurement story is that of his 1949 Willys Jeepster, a car he first rode in with a “drinking buddy” of his dad, who drove Bonn and his siblings to the beach in it. He found it on eBay and bought it from a man who had purchased it from a plumbing contractor in Philadelphia –who turned out to be his dad’s old friend.

Some of Bonn’s best acquisitions

“have truly been from word of mouth, even though that sounds weird in this day of the internet.” A perfect example, he says was his purchase of a 1957 Nash Ambassador, in its original pink. “I have friends of my mine across the country who are fans of orphan cars. I have a good friend, who was at an enormous car show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I asked if he had seen anything. He happened to have taken a picture of that Nash.” In the picture you could see a phone number on the windshield. “I called the owner, who lived eight to 10 miles outside of Hershey. I ended up buying it for $18,000.” Today it’s worth somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000.

But value is not Bonn’s focus. He says that a lot of vintage American cars can be purchased for between $10,000 and $30,000, though when it comes to the really rare models, prices can spike into the hundreds of thousands. He himself rarely sells any vehicles from his collection, and only if he is “not as impressed with the car” as he thought he would be. “I should sell more, but I can’t. I just love them.”

Part of that love is shared with the community. Bonn is the go-to guy when a vintage car is needed for a charitable event (he was an active board member of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, and supports the Coral Gables Museum and other local organizations). His 1936 Hudson Terraplane and his 1937 Cord Cabriolet were both on display at the Museum’s “Party Like It’s 1939” gala last year, for example. He is also recognized when he drives his vintage cars around town. When he parked his 1964 futuristic-looking Studebaker Avanti at the Riviera Country Club a few months ago, it drew a crowd. “There were a whole bunch of young people out there taking pictures, saying, ‘Is this the new BMW or what?’ They thought it was a new design.”

When Bonn’s cars were photographed in the middle swale of Alhambra Circle for this feature, it caused a minor traffic jam, with people slowing down to look at the cars and to shout out a hello to Bonn. “They are rolling works of art, and a part of history,” says collector Bonn. “It’s not an inexpensive hobby, but it’s a lot of fun.” ■

LINCOLN & EDSEL (opposite)

Bonn with two of his favorite cars, the 1959 Lincoln Premiere (blue) and the 1959 Edsel (pink). The Lincoln, at 19 feet long (inset), was more expensive at the time than a Rolls Royce. It was a big success, unlike the Edsel, which critics at the time said had a grill that looked “like someone had swallowed a lemon.” The Edsel, named for Henry Ford’s son, was a financial failure and quickly went out of production.

CHEVROLET (top)

The 1956 Chevy Bel Air, with its original interior and its original paint job of chartreuse and pea green. It

is one of Bonn’s favorites because of its aerodynamic design and colors. “One of the things I like about cars then was that none of them looked alike,” says Bonn. “This was when a Chevy looked like Chevy.”

STUDEBAKER (above)

Bonn’s Full time assistant Kanen Moffett parks this 1964 white Studebaker Gran Tourismo which was made in the last year the company was in business. It was a unique, four-seater sports car that was unlike anything the company had previously made. Now it is one of Bonn’s “orphan cars,” made by manufacturers no longer around.

The Women of Coral Gables

March is Women’s History Month, and with that in mind we wanted to reflect on the impact of female leaders in Coral Gables and the path they have carved for future generations. These are just of a few of the influential women, from both the past and present, who have helped shape Coral Gables into the City Beautiful. None of them were born here, but all moved here or established themselves as part of local institutions, where they were able to significantly influence the development of the city.

BY EMMALYSE BROWNSTEIN

Althea Merrick (1859-1937)

Althea Merrick was the matriarch of Coral Gables’ founding family. She attended Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania where she met and married Solomon Merrick, a minister. The couple and their five children moved to Miami when Solomon’s health declined, and they had a sixth child shortly after arriving. The family lived in a wooden cabin on 160 acres in what their eldest son, George, would later develop as Coral Gables.

While the family ran a guava and grapefruit business, Althea designed the remodel of their makeshift home into what is today the historic Merrick House. She passed on her love of music and art to her children in their homeschooling lessons. Merrick convinced the Dade County School Board to open a school near her home so local children, including her own, could have a formal education. Merrick founded the Coral Gables Women’s Club in 1923 and was one of the first members of the Coral Gables Garden Club. During the Great Depression, Althea and her daughter, Ethel, turned their home into a boarding house to make ends meet. Merrick died in her residence at age 77. The home was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and three years later was acquired by the City of Coral Gables. Today, it’s a museum restored to replicate its 1920s appearance. In 2010, the Garden Club erected a bronze statue of Althea in the garden for the 100-year anniversary of the house’s completion.

Dorothy Thomson

Dorothy Thomson (right), was the first and only female mayor of Coral Gables. Thomson, who grew up in upstate New York, first fell in love with Miami while on a trip to Florida with her mother in 1950. Three years later, Thomson moved to Coral Gables, worked for the Southern Bell Telephone Company and met her husband, Jack Thomson. After a stint in the army, the couple returned to Miami and studied at the University of Miami, he as a law student and she as an undergraduate. Thomson dropped out of the university to raise their daughter and later three other children.

After her involvement in local parent-teacher associations, Thomson ran for Coral Gables city commissioner in 1979. In her first race, she won a two-year term. In 1981 she won again, this time a four-year seat. In April of 1985, Thomson made history when she was elected as the first female mayor of Coral Gables. In her time on the commission, she tackled projects such as the re-opening of the Biltmore Hotel, the establishment of a senior center, and the founding of the Coral Gables Citizen’s Crime Watch and Crime Watch of Dade County. Thomson returned to UM to finish her degree with her grandchildren in college at the same time. As Thomson received her diploma in 2008, then-UM President Donna Shalala gave her a special recognition. “Dorothy Thomson Day” was proclaimed by the City of Coral Gables on March 25, 2008 and she was honored with the 2016 George E. Merrick Award of Excellence.

“It is interesting to note that since my election in 1979, there has never again been a time when there was not a woman member of the commission,” Thomson said in an interview last year with the UM Alumni Association. “It might even be said that my election, 40 years ago this year, created a continual, constant ‘woman’s seat’ at the commission table. It is balanced.”

Roxcy O’Neal Bolton (1926 -2017)

Roxcy Bolton (left), was an outspoken activist and crusader for women’s rights. Bolton moved to Miami in the 1950s after a childhood in Mississippi. Following the divorce from her first husband and her joining the Young Democrats, she remarried to naval commander David Bolton.

After moving around, the couple came to Coral Gables in 1964 and had three children. Bolton helped form Florida’s first National Organization for Women chapter in 1966. She challenged the practice of “men only” dining sections in restaurants and confronted Henry King Stanford, then-president of the University of Miami, to demand equal salaries and department head positions for women at the university. Bolton later went to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to change the naval tradition of only identifying hurricanes with female names. She also helped recruit an Indiana senator to introduce the Equal Rights Amendment and convince President Nixon to proclaim Women’s Equality Day in 1972.

Bolton not only fought for women’s rights in the workplace, but for women who were victims of abuse. She started a Coral Gables crime watch group, founded a rescue shelter to house women in crises, and helped establish the first rape treatment center in the United States at Jackson Memorial Hospital. In 1971, Bolton led a historic march in Downtown Miami to draw attention to the Miami Police Department’s lack of rape prevention resources. Bolton died in Coral Gables at the age of 90. She was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984 and was a National Women’s History Month Honoree in 2014.

Arva Moore Parks

Arva Moore Parks (above), is an author and historic preservationist who helped save iconic City Beautiful sites like the Merrick House, the Biltmore Hotel and the Colonnade Building. Parks grew up in Miami with an interest in history passed down from her father, Jack Moore, who was a lawyer. She graduated from the University of Florida in 1960 and earned her master’s degree in history from the University of Miami in 1971. Her preservation efforts began with saving Ralph M. Munroe’s home, “The Barnacle.” Parks went on to lead South Florida’s first preservation board in Coral Gables and serve as the first female president of the HistoryMiami Museum. She convinced Commissioner Dorothy Thomson to help preserve the Biltmore Hotel when it was set to be torn down.

A few of her other preservation projects are the Wagner House, Miami Edison Middle School, the Tower Theater and the original Miami High. Parks didn’t just advocate for history — she wrote about it. Parks was prompted to write “Son of the South Wind: George Merrick and the Creation of Coral Gables” when Mildred Merrick, a close friend and UM librarian, showed her the untouched writings of George Merrick that had been packed away in the garage of his widow, Eunice. The book won a Florida Book Award and the Florida Historical Association’s Tebeau prize. She also wrote “Miami, the Magic City” and has contributed to about 30 other historical books and documentaries. From 2011-2012, Parks was the chief curator and acting director of Coral Gables Museum. When asked to name her favorite project, she replied, “That’s like asking me to choose a favorite child.” She was inducted into Florida’s Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986 and received the George E. Merrick Spirit of Excellence Award in 2008.

What advice do you have for the next generation of female leaders?

“You have to study and know what you’re talking about. Then you have to not be afraid to stand up and let people know what you know, and why it’s important that they know it.”

Virginia Miller

Virginia Miller (below), is the president of the Coral Gables Gallery Association and the owner of ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries. A trailblazer in Miami’s art scene, Miller is a self-described “Miami girl” who comes from a long line of city pioneers – her maternal grandfather came to Miami in 1908 to work on Vizcaya while her paternal grandparents arrived in the 1920s. Her fascination with art began while attending the University of Miami. During a semester-at-sea program, she studied art history across Asia and Africa. By the time she opened her first gallery in 1974, she had already curated some 50 exhibitions around the community.

Since then, she has shown over 300 exhibitions and run five galleries in the Miami area, including spaces in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Downtown Miami. The Russian-themed opening of her Madeira Avenue gallery in 1981 hosted about 2,000 people and was called “the party of the year” by the Miami Herald.

In 1980, Miller chaired the Chamber of Commerce’s Cultural Affairs Committee, where she began the annual “Gables Gallery Night,” a now 40-year-old tradition. Miller has done art consulting for major corporate collections like E. F. Hutton and G. D. Searle Pharmaceutical Group. She also commissioned two of the nation’s largest bronze sculptures, one on Biscayne Bay and the other in Omaha, Nebraska. Some of her recognitions include a feature in a 1988 issue of ARTnews magazine and in the 2019 film “The Dramatic Life of American Artist Annette Rawlings.”

What has been the most challenging part of your career so far?

“When I started out, the challenge was being accepted as a female businessperson. When I was looking for a construction loan for the renovation of my building in 1979, one banker actually suggested I go home and take care of my husband and kids — and that was in front of my attorney. An ongoing challenge has been the need to reinvent my business every five years or so in order to compete in the marketplace.”

“We were stunned. We stayed in the Four Seasons in Paris once, and The Palace at Coral Gables looked better. Ten minutes after we walked in the door, we realized we had never seen senior living like this. Everything you can think of is at your fingertips. Chef-prepared meals in the dining room. A social director who makes cruise ships look dull. A staff trained to deliver such a high level of care and comfort they’ve been named #1 in America. Everywhere you look, it’s 5-star all the way.

But you need good friends to share it with. Our crowd at The Palace are some of the best new friends we’ve ever met, and every single one of us will tell you: ‘We wish we had found The Palace sooner.’ ”

Jack & Evelyn Miller

“We swore we weren’t ready for senior living. Then we saw The Palace.”

Barbara Stein (below), is the executive producing director of Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. Stein has been a Miami resident for over 50 years. While studying dental hygiene at the University of Pennsylvania, she met Dr. Lawrence E. Stein, now her husband of 56 years. Through him and his family, local theater enthusiasts, and other cultural communities in Philadelphia, Stein discovered her love for the theater.

The couple took a “blooming leap” and co-founded the Actors’ Playhouse in an old Kendall movie theater. After Hurricane Andrew devastated the theater, Stein spearheaded negotiations for a partnership with the City of Coral Gables to reimagine the Miracle Theatre, which was about to be sold to a discount retailer. While her husband kept up his dental practice, Stein helped raise about $7 million in an eight-year span to renovate the space into what is now a performance venue with three stages. Many credit her with saving the historic theater and kick-starting Coral Gables’ downtown revitalization. Under Stein, the Actors’ Playhouse was named one of Miami-Dade County’s 13 major cultural institutions and has a children’s educational program that has produced playwrights, film stars and Broadway performers.

Actors’ Playhouse recently celebrated its 32-year anniversary while their “Young Talent Big Dreams” youth talent show celebrated its 10th. Stein’s work has been recognized with accolades such as Miami-Dade County’s “In the Company of Women Award” in 2008 and the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award” from the Jewish Museum of Florida in 2018.

What women inspire you or have been the most influential ?

“My mother was the most influential person in my life. She was a true leader and a truly smart woman who made me feel good about myself and confident in who I was. She gave me the impetus to resolve issues, think the right way, and use the right skills. And she did it by example.”

Donna Shalala (above), is the U.S. Representative of Florida’s 27th District and the former president of the University of Miami. Her grandparents migrated from Lebanon. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, along with a twin sister. Shalala studied history at Western College for Women and then earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science and economics from Syracuse University. Early in her career, Shalala lived in a mud hut in southern Iran as a member of the Peace Corps, was a professor, and became the only woman on the Municipal Assistance Corporation of New York City. In 1977, President Carter tapped her as the assistant secretary for policy development and research in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she helped implement solar panels on the White House roof. Shalala was the president of Hunter College in New York City for seven years and in 1980 became the first woman to lead a “Big 10” institution as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Shalala as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. In her eight-year service — the longest tenure in the history of the position — she introduced the Children’s Health Insurance Program and doubled the budget for the National Institute of Health. In 2001, Shalala headed south to become the University of Miami’s first female president. But the region was not new to her — Shalala had cousins that attended Gables High and UM. After 14 years, an improved ranking for the university, and a sizable endowment initiative, Shalala stepped down. But she continued her involvement with the university, traveling between New York and Miami during her year leading the Clinton Foundation to teach courses. In March 2018, Shalala announced her campaign for Florida’s 27th district, which includes all of Coral Gables. The following January, she was sworn into Congress. Today, Shalala splits her time between D.C. and her home in the Gables, where she still teaches as a UM guest professor at least once a month. Shalala was named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report in 2005, won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008, and received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 2010.

What do you view as your biggest accomplishment?

“Every graduation at every university I’ve ever been at. It’s wonderful to see young people walk across the stage when they achieve their degree. That’s my real legacy.” ■

Barbara Stein

Donna Shalala

Reaching new heights in pediatric care for 70 years

For 70 years the highest-quality, world-class pediatric care has been right here in your own backyard. Nicklaus Children’s has been committed to providing children and their families the most innovative treatments by the most experienced team in the region. This is the foundation on which we built and continue to build our reputation as a leader in pediatric care. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. For health. For life.

March 20, 2020

Our 70th birthday

July 9, 2019

Opening of the Fetal Care Center, a 10-bed, high-risk infant special delivery unit.

October 25, 2016

The Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion opens.

March 20, 2015

Miami Children’s Hospital is renamed Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

2010

Miami Children’s forges a relationship with the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

1998

Dan Marino Outpatient Center opens.

1986

A new 213,000-square-foot hospital is dedicated.

1983

Variety Children’s Hospital is renamed Miami Children’s Hospital.

1965

The hospital opens its first intensive care unit.

1958

The hospital becomes a teaching hospital to prepare doctors in the field of pediatrics.

3100 SW 62 Avenue, Miami, FL 33155

305-666-6511 nicklauschildrens.org

March 20, 1950

Variety Children’s Hospital opens to the public.

A Guide to Summer Camps

SUMMERTIME IS ON ITS WAY, AND IT’S TIME AGAIN TO THINK OF WHERE YOU WILL SEND THE KIDS. NEARBY? IN STATE? OUT OF STATE? HERE ARE SOME CHOICES TO HELP YOU DECIDE

Summer Camping

Summer is approaching, that time of year when the kids are out of school and looking for something to do. Not all of us grew up going to camp. But for those who did go, it was a time of personal growth, making new friends, acquiring new skills, and having a blast outdoors.

Dodgeball

My most memorable experience was going to summer camp at Gulliver Academy the summer before switching schools to there. My best (and worst, ha-ha) memories were playing dodgeball on the tennis courts there. But overall the exposure to new friends and new activities, such as water polo, set me up for a great first year to starting in Gulliver Academy.

Bradley Barreto, Vice President of Development, Barreto Group

Shark Teeth

At summer camp, the field trips were always the highlight. At the end of the summer, we got to visit a freshwater spring and go tubing. The river leads into a swimming hole with a shallow area where I dove down to the bottom to look at the shells and found a shark tooth. My camp leader said that at one point, people would find shark teeth there, but it was super rare. It still feels special.

Joanna Davila, CMO, Location Ventures

Dusty Roads

Sleep away camp in the North Georgia Mountains - at Camp Coleman in the 1980s - was the greatest time of my life. I did not grow up in Miami but all of the coolest kids in my cabin did, so I knew that, as an adult, I wanted to live there. My lifelong friends are from those days… Those dusty roads and mediocre meals will always hold the most special place in my heart!

Stuart M. Debowsky, Principal. Debowsky Design Group, P.A.

Photolab

I’m showing my age, but my best memory is from the photography class at camp – the pleasure of going into a dark room, the pungent smell of the chemicals and the thrill of seeing the “shot” appearing

To gain some perspective on the experience, we asked a dozen locals to think back, and proffer some fond (and not so fond) memories of when they packed their bags for the woods – or went to a nearby day camp. Here is what they had to say.

slowly on that slick paper page…

David Evensky, Principal, Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management

Mashed Potatoes

Every summer, my parents would sign me up for church camp at Lake James in Indiana. We would drive there after church on a Sunday, be dropped off and then picked up on the following Saturday. The camp was filled with singing, devotion time, Bible readings and tons of activities, especially in Lake James (where the mass baptisms would take place on Saturday).

I also remember the food - so carb-laden and filling and yummy. That was my favorite part, especially the mashed potatoes and gravy. I think they even served them for breakfast.

Best part: The camp store where candy was only 50 cents and the mashed potatoes and gravy at dinner!

Worst part: Showering in my underwear so no one would see my naked, undeveloped, embarrassingly portly body!

Mark Trowbridge, President/CEO, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce

Return of the Native

I went to sleepaway camp in North Carolina as a kid and loved the experience. There were so many activities to choose from, like rock climbing, farm & barn, waterskiing, and photography. So, when I had the opportunity to go back as a counselor after my freshman year of college, I jumped at the chance. It turned out to be such a different experience. It is NOT easy being responsible for the wellbeing of 14 twelve-year-old girls! My co-counselor was a pushover, so I always had to be the rule enforcer.

Jill Hornick, Jae’s Jewelers

Continued on page 91

• Swimming

• Music

• Sports

• S.T.E.A.M.

• Broadway and so much more!

AGES

3 TO 18 FOR A FULL LIST OF PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES VISIT gulliver.life/summer REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

More than 25 challenging courses including Field Studies in Marine Science, American Foreign Policy, writing workshops and college-prep bootcamps.

2020 SCHEDULE

Monday - Friday | June 8 - July 31 Full-Day & Half-Day Sessions Available Kindergarten and Up

SPACE IS LIMITED!

REGISTER TODAY AT WWW.PALMERTRINITY.ORG/SUMMER

Questions? Kristy Rodriguez at krrodriguez@palmertrinity.org

Florida 33157 | (305) 259-1104

The Palme d’Or Reinvented

A PINNACLE OF HAUTE CUISINE BECOMES ACCESSIBLE

BY ANDREW GAYLE

For many years, the mark of ultra-high cuisine in the Gables has been Palme d’Or at the Biltmore. Its master chef presented two dining options: A nine-course tasting menu or an 11-course tasting menu, for $90 or $120, respectively. Throw in the 11-vintage wine coupling for the 11-course meal and the tab for your party of four was a cool $1,000.

The food was, naturally enough, notoriously magnificent, with each course a tiny sculpture of delicacies, each plate revealed by the “voilà” lifting of a silver dome. It was the place for special events, celebrations, anniversaries, proposals, etc., but not a place you visited regularly.

Now the grand dame of South Florida dining has been reinvented and made more accessible. Instead of two tasting menu options, they now present a regular menu. Yes, it is still pricey – appetizers range from tomato bisque ($16) to caviar with crème fraîche ($28), and entrées go from a branzino ($38) to Jackman Ranch wagyu filet mignon ($56). Fortunately, there is a lovely chef’s tasting menu for $49, which includes three choices each of appetizer, entrée and dessert, two from the regular menu and one special of the day.

There are a number of things we like about this new Palme d’Or. While the food is French, it is modern rather than classic. There is no beef bourguignon, coq au vin, escargot, or duck à l’orange. Yes, there is beef, lamb, fish, duck, etc., but

all cooked with a contemporary French sensibility and a subtle spin from Chef Rogelio Fiallo, who was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and had been the Palme d’Or pastry chef until last year. His roast breast of duck, for example, is cut as sideways pieces rather than lengthwise, and accompanied by two plate sauces (a port reduction and a sweet potato reduction) with inventive side bites of spinach topped by sliced fresh fig. Delicious.

Likewise, Chef Fiallo’s lamb chops are inventively coupled with fava beans, prunes, red peppers and pearl onions, and slightly smoked. Also, the oh-so delicate branzino is paired with bits of bacon, pineapple and a sweet chili sauce. The result is not so much the purity of a single flavor, but rather Chef Fiallo’s original juxtapositions of tastes.

Among the dishes we sampled, all were well prepared and ample. The octopus entrée is like a meal for two, poached and tasty with a wine/olive sauce. The winter salad is a clever assembly of crunchy greens –string beans, snow peas, daikon radishes, and mache, with pea purée. And nothing beats their wagyu strip steak ($52), with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, cipollini onions, charred baby zucchini and truffle mashed potatoes. Each bite of beef is an explosion of flavor.

On the dessert side, the apple spice cake and peach melba were both tasty, but a bit too like futuristic sculptures for our taste.

ABOVE: The elegant interior has changed very little over the years. It still has its candelabra chandeliers, its mirrored columns and large framed vintage photos of celebrities. The comfortable leather-backed armchairs and wall couches add another touch of luxury.

TOP: Chef Rogelio Fiallo, who was trained at Le Cordon Bleu, was the pastry chef at Palme d’Or until last year.

The chocolate cake was superb, more a chocolate cream pie disguised as a cake. A pleasant surprise was the dessert cheese option, a choice of four cheeses from a tray of 16, wheeled to your table – among them a goat blue cheese that was exceptional and an époisses cheese washed in brandy and aged for three years. Mind blowing.

Part of what makes the dishes so appetizing is the quality of ingredients. Every restaurant brags about their ingredients as the freshest, highest quality; here you can taste it. The tomato bisque is redolent of young, fresh tomatoes.

Another thing we liked is that the elegant interior of Palme d’Or has not changed. It still has its candelabra chandeliers, its mirrored columns, its large framed vintage photos of celebrities (Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe), its excellent seating of leather-backed armchairs and wall couches. While every other French restaurant in or near the Gables is basically a bistro, this is a real restaurant, with a generous seating area, large tables and warm lighting. The service, as well, remains impeccable. What has changed is the clientele – a younger generation has arrived – and a presentation that is less a theater of high cuisine than a fine meal of contemporary French cooking. ■

JACKMAN RANCH WAGYU STRIP STEAK

POACHED OCTOPUS

PEACH MELBA

PALM COBB SALAD

THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

Coral Gables is a movable feast, a veritable mecca of fine dining. It has the highest density of quality restaurants for any city in South Florida – close to 100 good dining establishments. The restaurants do cluster near the main street of Miracle Mile and on the Giralda pedestrian plaza, but are also spread throughout the Gables. There are some good choices at the Shops at Merrick Park, and some hidden gems to be found even in out of the way strip malls.

Dining hours in the Gables stretch from the early evening – when it is common to see people at restaurants close to where they work – until late at night, when it’s not unusual go to a restaurant at 10 p.m. and find the place packed, even with children.

Many of the restaurants in Coral Gables are world-class. But the culinary scene is also changing. Where once the top-flight, traditional dining spots catered to lawyers, bankers, businessmen and diplomats, there is a new crop of edgier places, with young chefs and new tastes, catering to a younger clientele. What follows is our list of the tried and true, and the innovative and new.

$ ............ Under $25

$$ .......... $25-$40

$$$ ........ $35-$75

$$$$ ...... $70-$100+

Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, no tax, tip or drinks. Prices are approximate.

AMERICAN

Bachour

World-renowned pastry chef Antonio

Bachour opened his new bakery and restaurant back in Feb. 2019.

The menu, on top of rows of fresh and decadent pastries, features eggs benedict, croissant French toast, guava and cheese pancakes, sandwiches and salads. $ - $$

2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

Offering a no-veto menu, meaning there’s something for everyone, Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar serves craveable American fare dishes made from scratch daily, incorporating the highest quality ingredients. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour, signature dishes include the Wok Out Bowls, The Wedge Burger and “Hot” Chicken. $$

301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

Eating House

Groovy place with inventive ever-changing menu, with dishes like nutmeg risotto, pumpkin tiradito, and fried Brussels sprouts. Dynamite freerange fried chicken. Simple artsy décor but superb food, excellent presentation, great value. $$

804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.6524

The Globe

The Globe is a Coral Gables icon, and one of the most pleasant places to eat in the city – assuming you like a smart, Euro-style bistro. Decorated with

classic paintings (and globes), their Saturday night live jazz sessions offer the weekend’s coolest entertainment. The menu is a collection of mostly American dishes – salads, burgers, fish, etc. – that have been perfected over the years by owner Danny Guiteras. Best conch fritters anywhere. $-$$

377 Alhambra Circle 305.445.3555

Hillstone

Situated at the corner of Ponce de Leon and Miracle Mile, Hillstone has been a longtime staple in the Gables. Known for their steaks, like the Hawaiian, which is made with a pineapple-soy-ginger marinade. Though an American restaurant, they also have a great sushi bar and offer dozens of fresh rolls. $$$

201 Miracle Mile 305.529.0141

Seasons 52

The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flatbread menu is really a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them. $$

321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

Shula’s 347 Grill

If it’s beef you are after, but want to avoid the formality of a high-end steak house, Shula’s is perfect for you. Good service and pleasant décor – including lots of photos of the coach – make this a go-to place for professionals in the area. Great use of cheeses – Boursin in their mac & cheese, and gorgonzola in their cream spinach. $$$

6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661

Tap 42

Winner of Best Overall Burger by Coral Gables Magazine, Tap 42 is big, noisy and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs,

steaks and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$ 301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

The Local Craft Food & Drink

One of the best places in Coral Gables to enjoy locally sourced food, hence the name. Chef Juan Bedoya wants to create a pub feeling with comfort food. We’re obsessed with the fried chicken, which served on a short stack of cheddar cheese pancakes with bourbon maple syrup. The flavor is enhanced by watermelon jelly on the side for a sweet, spicy bite. $$ 150 Giralda Ave. 305.648.5687

Yard House

A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic rock in the background and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone. $$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

ASIAN

Ichimi

This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to wait and stand and stare, just for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space. $-$$

2330 Salzedo St. 305.960.7016

Izakaya

Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive

array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. $$ 159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Kao Sushi & Grill

A fresh and interesting take on sushi as it is blended with the flavors of Peru. Steamed gyoza dumplings with chorizo? Tuna tataki with traditional Peruvian sauce? Cooked white rice over chipotle seasoned furikake? Yes, to all three. They also do some interesting things with steak, since the creators of Kao Sushi come from Buenos Aires. Outdoor seating on the Mile. $$ 127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212

Malakor Thai Isaan

This eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai food. That means pork skewers with sticky rice, grilled fatty pork neck sliced and tossed with lime juice, or the Gang Aom, a Thai curry with fish sauce, dill and herb paste. $$

90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Sawa

Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. Some nice “samplers” let you check out the menu’s range, plus great naan flatbreads. World’s best lamb chops. Also has a doggy menu. $$$

360 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.6555

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal’s on Ponce fame, the restaurant is half inside half in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful

FRENCHIE’S DINER

DINING GUIDE

onion soup, fresh bread and a superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches, though not cheap. $$-$$$ Shops at Merrick Park 786.536.9388

Frenchie’s Diner

It looks like an all-American diner (which it once was) but this is pure French cooking in a small but comfy setting. Frenchie himself is usually there. Some items on the menu can get pricey (filet mignon, $34) but the onion soup ($9) and escargots ($11) are great values, and the croque monsieur ($14) for lunch is a meal unto itself. $$-$$$

2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554

Pascal’s On Ponce

Elegant, quaint and delicious, Pacal’s is the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés and desserts. Try the leeks & hearts of palm salad. $$$ 2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024

ITALIAN

Bugatti

Based on Ponce for several decades, Bugatti prides itself on its pasta. And for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is

simple and contemporary, while the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. We especially like the fact that they have as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. $$

2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545

Caffe Abbracci

A Gables icon, Nino Pernetti’s Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and a cozy evening gathering place for families and couples. Closely shepherded by the welcoming Pernetti, Abbracci is quiet, elegant and flavorful. The food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. He now has a new chef who hails from Tuscany, so the daily specials have a whole new spin. $$$

318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Cibo Wine Bar

Cibo has two locations in South Florida, one on South Beach and the other here, on Miracle Mile. Rustic Italian food in a warm interior with exposed brick, wood finishes, butcher block tables and a wall of wine selections. Extensive traditional Italian menu, with lots of pizza options cooked in a brick oven. They are also big on Italian seafood, including a great clam and mussel dish which is worth the trip. $$-$$$ 45 Miracle Mile 305.442.4925

Fiola

Brought to you by Washington, D.C. chef Fabio Trabocchi, this new entry into the Gables dining scene is a game changer. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, the sea scallops ceviche, and the signature lobster ravioli. Elegant presentations only add to this encounter with gustatory greatness. $$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Fontana

The setting is as elegant as it comes: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy classic Italian dishes. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Great octopus, pastas cooked perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables. $$$

1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Fratellino

Small, family run, with a fanatically loyal fan base, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set up with tile floors, wooden chairs and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, and the fettuccine with

prosciutto, mushrooms and green peas is to die for. $$$

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

Salumeria 104

A trattoria-style restaurant serving traditional, house made Italian classics. Since a salumeria is the Italian equivalent to a delicatessen, we definitely recommend some sort of meat dish, whether it’s prosciutto for an “antipasti” or porchetta for a “secondi.” Unbeatable lunch special of a sandwich and a soup or salad for $10. $$

117 Miracle Mile 305.640.5547

Terre Del Sapore

True Neapolitan pizza in the heart of Coral Gables. Owner Angelo Angiollieri is obsessed with quality ingredients, including minimally-processed flour from Italy, and you can taste it. Offers a great lunch special of a side salad, entrée and drink for $13. No better pizza anywhere. $ 246 Giralda Ave. 786.870.5955

Zucca

A worthy heir to the hallowed grounds of the old St. Michel restaurant, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with the home-taught recipes that chef Simone Mua learned in his native Milan. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with haute comfort food and great service. $$$-$$$$

5 REASONS TO PLAY THIS YEAR

3 4 FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES

5 EXCLUSIVITY

DINING GUIDE

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

LATIN & SOUTH AMERICAN

Aromas del Peru

The shrine for ceviche, with a wide range of choices – 18 ceviches at last count – for great prices. Haute Peruvian appetizers and good fish dishes, right up to the whole fried snapper. And don’t miss the pisco sour soup. Comfortable leather seats, too. $$ 1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886

Caja Caliente

Opening its second location in Coral Gables in May 2019, Caja Caliente serves “the original Cuban tacos.” Their flour tortillas come stuffed with any kind of meat from lechon to mahi mahi, and are topped with pico de gallo, aioli, beans and cilantro. Also serve poke and quinoa bowls. $ 808 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.431.1947

La Casita

Often overlooked in a region overrun with Cuban eateries, and not far from the top competition of Versailles, La Casita holds its own as a quiet, elegant place to enjoy classic Cuban dishes like vaca frita (the Monday lunch special!), ropa viejas and lechon asado. They also venture into Central American territory with an excellent churrasco skirt steak. And, surprising for Cuban restaurants where green is rarely seen, a fine selection of salads. $

3805 SW 8th St. 305.448.8224

COYO Taco

Bringing its “Todo es Fresco” philosophy to the Gables, COYO opened its third location in Miami on Giralda Plaza in August 2019. Their guac and array of salsas can’t be beat and their tacos are mouthwatering – we love the Grouper Frito. Don’t forget to hit the speakeasy lounge in the back, open until 2 a.m. $

126 Giralda Ave. 786.629.7929

Graziano’s

This large, bustling Gables mainstay is true Argentine. A deep selection of Argentine wines (which line every wall) to go with churrasco meats slowly roasted over a quebracho wood fire, old school style. They have seafood and pasta, empanadas and salads, but come here for the meat, the selection of which will stun even hardcore carnivores. $$$

394 Giralda Ave. 305.774.3599

Havana Harry’s

It’s big, it’s easy, it’s comfortable, and it’s where the shredded onion/garlic chicken dinner (pollo vaca frita) with rice, beans and plantains is still just $12.95. The same with the fried pork chunks (masas de Puerco). Large menu with all your Cuban favorite dishes along with – surprising for a Cuban place – some nice dinner salads. $$  4612 S. Le Jeune Rd. 305.661.2622

Mikuna Peruvian

“It’s time to feel the real Peru” boasts

the Mikuna website, and they do indeed move beyond ceviche to the other dishes that make Peruvian food one of the best cuisines in Latin America. These include lobster with Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, seafood rice with squid ink, and skewered swordfish. Other unique tastes include shrimp bisque with rice and egg. $$$ 325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910

Talavera Cocina Mexicana

High ceilings and ceramics make this a pleasant place to dine, but it’s the authentic fare that shines. The place for Mexicans homesick for cooking that’s not Tex-Mex. The chicken mole poblano is a winner at $20, and their huarache grill – masa flatbreads that are really haute tacos – are great at $17. $$

2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955

SEAFOOD

La Dorada

Regarded by many to be the finest restaurant devoted to seafood in the Gables, La Dorada is traditional Spanish cooking with a deep-sea focus (and a pleasant, ocean-deco décor). The house specialty is a baked whole fish crusted in sea salt, but don’t miss the traditional Mediterranean seafood stews or the shellfish prepared Galician style. $$$$

177 Giralda Ave. 305.446.2002

MesaMar

Some of the best – if not THE best –

seafood in the Gables with inventive fusions between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Their fish is caught daily in local waters and brought to your table for inspection. Their whole fried fish is a marvel. Also, make sure to try the lobster tacos. $$$

264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448

Sea Grill

Just a few months old, Sea Grill is already a popular weekend destination for lovers of Mediterranean seafood. A large, brightly lit and futuristic space with lots of energy, it serves fish that is caught in the Aegean Sea and flown to the Gables. Their octopus, which takes two days to prepare, is simply the best. $$$

4250 Salzedo St. 305.447.3990 (Shops at Merrick Park)

SPANISH

Bellmónt

Modern décor meets traditional Spanish dishes. Their house specialty is the roast suckling pig. If you want the whole pig ($230 for 4) you need to order four hours in advance. If it’s just you ($49), you’ll need to wait just 50 minutes. As for the rest: authentic Spanish cuisine, with great seafood dishes, fantastic paella. $$$

339 Miracle Mile. 786.502.4684

Bulla Gastrobar

As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart

DINING GUIDE

neighborhood hangout with a young, boisterous vibe. Great “small plates” and refreshing sangria. Yes, it is a national chain, but it still feels local. $$

2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.0107

La Taberna Giralda

Routinely rated among the top tapas places in South Florida, La Taberna brings the added twist of a chef from Galicia, who puts his own regional spin on the dishes. It’s a small place with a neighborhood vibe, orange walls, string lights and live flamenco on the weekends ($5 cover), so reservations are a must. $$

254 Giralda Avenue 786.362.5677

STEAK

Christy’s

Touted as Coral Gables oldest steakhouse, Christy’s was long the power lunch go-to – until it stopped serving lunch except on Fridays. Still, its aged steaks are consistently excellent, as are the seafood entrees. And their classic Caesar salad is still the best in town, and the jumbo shrimp cocktail is a house specialty. $$$

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.446.1400

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine cellar that appears to have no end of its depth. A place for special celebrations. Recently redecorated, but the open kitchen with

its copper “sash” across the top still gives the main dining room a glow. Good menu at the bar. $$$-$$$$

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.569.7995

Morton’s The Steakhouse

Morton’s in the Gables is not just another Morton’s. Its setting in the Colonnades gives it a unique elegance, with outdoor seating under the arches. Dependable quality, prime-aged beef, and excellent salads. Good place to take that important client. Great happy hour with filet mignon sandwiches or short rib tacos for $8. $$$

2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille

The latest entry among Coral Gables steak houses, Perry’s is a Texas chain that gets its beef from the heart of the Lone Star State. Great outdoor space with fire pit and a huge interior with its own lounge area piano bar. The entrees are all carefully concocted, including excellent reduction sauces for the finer cuts and their famous five-finger giant pork chop that is carved at the table and can easily feed two. $$$$ 4251 Salzedo St. 786.703.9094

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

There is a reason that the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on weeknights. This is where the best steaks are sent and where cholesterol is sent to the devil for the sake of extraordinary taste. Lots of wood paneling, wonder-

ful service, and huge wine selection complete the package. $$$$ 2320 Salzedo St. 205.461.8360

PUBS, CAFES & MISC.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar

Though it’s named an espresso bar (and definitely try the coffee), Crema also has great food options for both breakfast and lunch. Start your day with a croissant breakfast sandwich or take a midday break with a soup, salad or sandwich. Satisfy your sweet tooth with their Nutella cheesecake. $ 169 Miracle Mile 786.360.4026

Fritz and Franz Bierhaus

Be transported from Coral Gables to Oktoberfest. Enjoy German comfort food like Weisswurst and Heringsschmaus. Naturally, you have to order a beer, but here you can have it served in a giant class boot. Proost.  $$ 60 Merrick Way 305.774.1883

Ortanique on the Mile

A long-time favorite on Miracle Mile, Ortanique is named for a tropical citrus fruit (their sister restaurant is in Grand Cayman) and its Caribbean fine dining reflects chef Cindy Hutson’s commitment to “cuisine of the sun.” A warm and welcoming place. $$ 278 Miracle Mile 305.446.7710

Someone’s Son

Brought to you by the same people

as Threefold Café, Someone’s Son is shifting the focus away from breakfast and toward quality dinner entrées. The Gnudi is a must as a starter. For an entrée, we recommend The Softy for carnivores and The Branzino for seafood lovers. A little off the beaten path but worth it. $ - $$

800 Douglas Rd. Ste. 145 786.334.6374

The Seven Dials

Calling itself an “eclectic American gastropub,” Seven Dials is a fusion of American recipes with British culinary standards, with nice twists. The shepherd’s pie is made from lamb, the chicken breast is cooked with curry sauce. There is also a nice Welsh Rarebit snack and a beer-battered Indian-inspired cauliflower with mint aioli and tamarind. Relaxed, pub-like interior. $$ 2030 S. Douglas Rd. 786.542.1603

Threefold Café

You have to love a place that is dedicated to breakfast all day. Who needs dinner when you can get shrimp tacos for breakfast, along with salmon scrambled eggs, chicken parma, and that Millenial favorite, smashed avocado toast? The brain child of Australian Nick Sharp, Threefold is also popular for Sunday brunch – partly because of nice outdoor seating on Giralda Plaza. And the coffee is some of the best around. $$

141 Giralda Ave. 305.704.8007

Sneaking a Swim

There was no way my Cuban mom was going to send me to sleepaway camp. So, I would wake up every morning and ride my bike or skateboard to the Coral Gables Youth Center. Every day was play and fun until sundown. One day without telling my mom, my friends and I rode our bikes to the Venetian Pool and snuck in. The problem was I had a dentist appointment and when my mom went to pick me up at the Youth Center, I was not there. She called the Coral Gables Police. Three hours later, the Gables police had me in their car with a wet bathing suit, taking me home. I asked them to take me to jail because my mom was much scarier.

Manny Pozo, BioResponse Restoration

Horses and Hay

I went to a local camp here in Miami known as Circle C Camp with my cousins who would fly in from Colombia. It was on a large ranch, so it allowed for great horseback riding, hayrides, swimming, outdoor activities, and there were also great opportunities for arts and crafts. Really enjoyed being able to attend with my cousins and of course building those friendships as a child.

Natalia Tarazona, Assistant VP, Relationship Manager & Client Advisor, Coral Gables Trust

Pizza Time

My favorite experience at summer camp: I lived in Cuba and went to summer camp in Lenox, Western Mass., for the first time when I was turning 10. I discovered pizza and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Pure heaven!!

Raúl Valdés-Fauli, Mayor, City of Coral Gables

Tree Time

I never went to sleepaway camp, but after much digging into the recesses of my mind, I do remember my grandmother’s horror as I walked in the door one day after day camp, being about 7 or 8-years-old, with dirt covering every inch of my body. That is the day I learned to climb trees.

Miriam Soler Ramos, Esq., B.C.S, Coral Gables City Attorney

Sing that Smile Song

I remember singing with women of all ages after dinners in a large dining hall. Last night I sang one of my songs from my first year of camp so my grandson could learn the word SMILE. “Smile, smile, let me see you smile that good ‘ole Camp One Smile. It will warm the cockles of your heart and make your life worthwhile...”  I also remember going to camp very young with my older sister. I was in the youngest cabin and so homesick without my sister a few cabins away and I wanted to talk to my mom. So, at 6 or 7-yearsold, I walked into the director’s office, picked up the phone and called long distance home to talk to my mom.

Meg Daly, President/CEO, Friends of The Underline

Stars and Snakes

As a girl scout in the D.C. area, I attended Camp May Flather in the Virginia mountains each summer. Sleeping in platform tents, learning the constellations, singing around the fire circles and making new friends were some of my fondest memories. I try to forget about the poisonous snakes, including the one we found swimming in the deep pit of the latrine one night.

Cathy Swanson Rivenbark, Former City Manager of Coral Gables

HOME & GARDEN

PLUS: ELEMENTS KITCHENS SOLUTIONS REAL

This month we feature the home of Lee Brian Schrager who together with his partner transformed this house in the French Country Village neighborhood into an eclectic home inspired by art.

Photography by Jon Braeley

ESTATE

The Joys of Fornasetti

HOW THE SEARCH FOR A PERFECT OBJECT LED ME TO MIRACLE MILE AND THE WORK OF FORNASETTI

BY VINCENZO AVANZATO

Ican tell you that, as an interior designer, I take my work seriously – and even more so when designing a traditional house. So, when I started looking for some decorative plates to display in a family room bar, where the millwork was of natural smoked walnut and the counter a hammered antique brass, I started having one of those designer moments. This is when one starts to ask, “Where am I going to find these,” and reaches out for help to calm the nerves… well almost.

This is actually the fun part of my work, when I can give a space a personality, a language only translated by the individual that sees it. At both ends of the bar I designed two display cabinets to hold five decorative plates vertically, behind glass doors.

Looking for antiques would have been daunting, especially for a set of 10 plates all the same size. So, I went instead to see Violetta’s on Miracle Mile, which has a fabulous array of objets d’art, tableware and accessories – and of course Fornasetti plates.

Fornasetti plates? Yes. As in Piero Fornasetti, one of the most prolific Italian industrial designers and decorators, of the 20th century. The diverse range of his patterns and designs, mixing both art and craft, was a remarkable display of talent (continued by his son Barnaba, a skilled designer in his own right and the guardian of his dad’s legacy).

While Fornasetti was part of a design movement and known for iconic pieces of furniture, his series of decorative plates (more than 400) portrayed Lina Cavalieri, a renowned opera soprano at the turn of the 20th century. Although Fornasetti never met her, he had a fixation for her Mona Lisa gaze. Decorated with unfathomable expressions and whimsical fantasy, the plates make a wonderful display even without a display cabinet.

Of course, Fornasetti produced more than just face plates. He was a master of furniture design, much like other Italian architects and designers, such as Paulo Buffa and Gio Ponti (who founded the ground-breaking DOMUS design magazine.)

One of Fornasetti’s works is this wonderful curved set of drawers, what I call

“functional art,” created in the 1950s. Fornasetti decorated the cabinet’s entire surface with Palladian architectural design, honoring 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio – and translating classicism in new ways. Made of wood, this furniture piece is decorated, painted and lacquered by hand and made in limited editions.

In another piece of furniture design, his metal silk-screened, painted and hand lacquered “Kiss” umbrella stand, Fornasetti again employed the lips of his soprano obsession. ■

Vincenzo Avanzato is the creative force behind Avanzato Design (on Douglas Road), which works on luxury residential projects worldwide, including homes in Cocoplum and Gables Estates

1. Fornasetti wall plate “Tema e Variazioni n°1” Porcelain. Diameter 10.25”.

2. Fornasetti wall plate “Tema e Variazioni n°39 Porcelain. Diameter 10.25”.

3. Fornasetti wall plate “Tema e Variazioni n°363” Porcelain. Diameter 10.25”.

4. Fornasetti wall plate “Tema e Variazioni n°21” Porcelain. Diameter 10.25”.

5. Fornasetti curved chest of drawers “Palla diana” Wood silk-screened and lacquered by hand. 39.37”W x 22”Dx 33.75H.

6. Fornasetti umbrella stand “Kiss” Metal silk-screened, painted and lacquered by hand. Diameter 10.25” x h 22.5”.

Photo by Brian Sokolowski

THE LIVING ROOM

Painted in buff grey with a sky-blue ceiling, the living room faces the courtyard. Above the working fireplace hangs the photo of a diamond dust skull by renowned British artist Damien Hirst. On the table is a skull that mimics the photo. “That is purely coincidental,” says Schrager. “The skull is not Damien Hirst.” Also of note is the sandstone Deco sculpture of a Greek god in the fireplace, which Schrager bought at an estate sale. “I know nothing about it,” he admits. The twin metal sculptures with the M.C. Escher reminiscent stars, were from an Yves Saint Laurent fashion show.

INSPIRED BY ART

LEE SCHRAGER’S CORAL GABLES HOME IS A SHOWCASE FOR HIS OBJETS D’ART AND HIS COLLECTION OF 100+ PHOTOGRAPHS

Lee Brian Schrager is best known today as the founder and director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which he launched 19 years ago on South Beach. Thirteen years ago, he added another feather to his culinary cap with the New York Wine & Food Festival. More importantly for Coral Gables, he moved to the City Beautiful five years ago with the purchase of a home in the French Country Village neighborhood, one of the seven villages that city father George Merrick envisioned when he founded the Gables in the 1920s.

Since the acquisition of the property, Schrager and partner Ricardo Restrepo have transformed it, adding a large swimming pool, a raised keystone pergola for entertaining, and a handsome Italian fountain to the courtyard. While Schrager has been the collector of the couple, Restrepo did the landscaping, planting a stunning array of flowering trees and bushes. “I am the gardener,” says Restrepo. “I have planted the garden so that different parts will bloom at different times, so that we can enjoy them all year.”

As for the eclectic interior of the Schrager manse, it is filled with a fascinat-

BY JP FABER PHOTOS BY JON BRAELEY

ing collection of objects that have caught Schrager’s eye over the years. Dominating the interior is his world-class collection of photography (he does not collect paintings) which adorn the walls of every room – ranging from the works of Diane Arbus and Frank Majore to Vik Muniz and Robert Mapplethorpe. He has also collected a cache of sculpture, from Incan statuary to an armadillo of Peruvian silver. “I don’t collect as much [as I used to]. Obviously, you slow down at some point,” says Schrager. “But when I see something extraordinary, I get it.”

In addition to his work on the two Wine & Food Festivals he founded, Schrager is also the senior vice president of communications and social responsibility for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirit of America, the largest wine and spirits distributor in the country, which is based in Miami. Before joining Glazer’s, Schrager worked for InterContinental Hotels Group for 17 years, where he became the vice president of food and beverage. He was initially hired by Glazer’s in 2000 to improve a wine tasting event and raise funds for FIU’s hospitality school; that event, which still supports FIU, became the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. ■

THE COURTYARD (ABOVE)

Lee Schrager with partner Ricardo Restrepo, seated in their courtyard on a fountain, which was purchased in Italy. They are shaded by a quartet of guava trees planted by Restrepo, who also transformed the garden with hydrangeas, Tahitian gardenias, jasmine, yellow chalice vines and Brazilian “yesterday, today and tomorrow” flowers.

THE FAMILY ROOM (OPPOSITE TOP)

Tucked in the back of home, the family room shows Schrager’s sense of playfulness, with everything from a giant leather hand chair to a vintage Coca-Cola machine. The informal space is dominated by a large photograph of a mannequin by Matthew Rolston. Other photos in the room are by Larry Sultan (right rear) and Cindy Sherman.

THE DINING ROOM (OPPOSITE BOTTOM)

The formal dining room is framed by a large armoire that Schrager and Restrepo bought in Paris. The chandelier was also purchased in Paris, where Schrager travels twice yearly. The large photograph of the Boy Scout is by the Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, whose works have been shown in numerous Museum and galleries. The Art Deco bar cart beneath the Olaf photograph sports a silver octopus dish for serving seafood.

SITTING ROOM (TOP LEFT)

A narrow sitting area runs the length of the living room, to which it is adjacent, offering guests a peaceful haven to read a book or relax..

LANDING (TOP RIGHT)

A nine-panel photograph by American artist Barbara Kruger, dominates the second floor landing. “This is probably one of the better pieces in the house,” says Schrager.

DINING ROOM DETAIL (BOTTOM LEFT)

A Chiparus Art Deco bronze sculpture of a dancing girl, from the 1920s “Jazz Age,” which adorns the server in the formal dining room.

ENTRANCE DETAIL (BOTTOM RIGHT)

Befitting owners who are avid dog lovers (Schrager and Restrepo have two), a pair of stone dogs guard the front entrance door.

THE MASTER BEDROOM

The master bedroom is dramatic with a high, angular ceiling, made possible by the arched, tile covered roof of Schrager’s French country-style house. The bed is a Mitchell Gold, the settee is a Florence Knoll and the table lamps are Baccarat crystal. The wrought iron chandelier was purchased from 1stdibs.com, the online site. The square patterned Armani rug plays off the deliberately muted and soothing grey and beige tones of the room.

HEARTH AND HOME

IS THE KITCHEN THE CENTER OF HOME?

Each year the Coral Gables Community Foundation opens the homes of civic minded citizens with splendid kitchens for their annual Tour of Kitchens. This year, the 11th tour, was the most successful to date, raising money for charities from ticket sales to more than 600 kitchen voyeurs who drove or biked around the city to visit nine homes. Proceeds benefit the Foundation and its Culinary Arts Fund, which supports the Culinary Arts Program at Coral Gables Senior High School.

The tour began at the INFINITI showroom on Le Jeune Road, and ended with a closing event at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Along the way, local restaurateurs such as Someone’s Son, Salumeria 104 and La Taberna Giralda served bites at each home, with an en route stop at the Miele showroom on Ponce for pan con lechon sandwiches, prosecco and espresso. What follows are a selection of five of the kitchens on display.

TWIN ISLANDS

The kitchen of Bob and Ashley Thornburg, in their 1958 home on Orduna Drive, is characterized by two different islands, both highly functional. Each island has its own sink: the 16-foot island is for food preparation and eating, while the 11-foot island allows for food plating and buffet service. The dark, contrasting colors of the cabinets are Sherwin Williams “Snowbound” and Benjamin Moore “Racoon Fur.” The kitchen appliances were procured from House of Appliances in Coral Gables, and consist of Sub-Zero refrigerator “columns,” a Best “Potenza” exhaust hood, Bosch dishwashers and a Wolf range.

The kitchen was designed by Patricia Calasich, designer-in-chief of KasaMia Interiors, an interior design firm specializing in the design of Forever Homes in Coral Gables. The cabinets were designed by KasaMia, and fabricated by Davila Woodwork, Inc. The plumbing fixtures are Kingston Brass with a polished nickel finish. The hanging light fixtures are Dalston Hanging Shade pendants from Circa Lighting.

CHINESE DETAIL

This kitchen is in the Chinese Village home of Stephen Dull and Cole Jenkins, in one of the seven “villages” created by Coral Gables founder George Merrick in 1925. It is one of eight homes in the Chinese Village on Riviera Drive, designed by architect Henry Killam Murphy. The exteriors of the homes are embellished with brilliant colors reflecting the Chinese palette; the kitchen windows are original, restored and refreshed to their original red paint.

The cabinets in the kitchen and butler’s pantry are from Snaidero and are painted with a Reflect White finish. Appliances are a Wolf gas range and a full suite of Miele appliances, including a “Decora” stainless steel exhaust hood, a Speed Oven, and two dishwashers. The countertop material is cotton white honed granite from Keys Granite. The backsplash is Pratt & Larson handmade and hand-painted tiles based on a 17th century design from China. The “Brighton Pagoda” lantern is from Circa Lighting. The entire kitchen and butler’s pantry were redesigned by Herbert Brito of Brito Design Studio, LLC.

OLD SPANISH

The landmark home of Robert and Aida Briele on Anastasia Avenue was built in the Mediterranean Revival style in 1924. It was one of the first designed in the Gables by the architectural firm of Keihnel and Elliot, whose other local commissions include the Coral Gables Congregational Church and Coral Gables Elementary School.

The kitchen layout offers a functional configuration with a central island topped by a quartzite countertop, which is also used along the perimeter surfaces and backsplashes. The European-styled cabinets, glass and wood, are finished in Benjamin Moore

“Decorator’s White” paint. The appliances consist of a Thermador column refrigerator and freezer, a Wolf five-burner stainless steel range, a Wolf double burner induction cooktop, a Faber concealed exhaust hood, and a Thermador fully integrated wine refrigerator. The flooring is of white oak planks; the three square lanterns above the island are black framed with polished nickel lighting inserts.

ON THE WATERWAY

The 1953 Granada Boulevard home of Julio and Myriam Ramirez, situated on the Gables Waterway, was renovated and expanded by Myriam’s father, architect Aramis “Mitch” Alvarez. His aim was to maximize views and remove barriers between the interior and exterior. The kitchen is configured to allow easy access to the dining room, family room and breakfast area. The flooring consists of wide-plank European white oak. The kitchen cabinets were fabricated and installed by La Aurora Custom Woodwork, Inc., and are made from white oak with copper pulls as embellishments. The countertops and backsplashes are Calacatta Paonazzo marble. The appliances are state-ofthe-art technology, including a Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer with French door access, a Wolf induction cook-top, a Faber stainless steel exhaust hood, a Wolf steam oven and two Miele dishwashers. The plumbing fixtures are Newport Brass in an antique finish. The ceramic light fixtures above the island were custom made by a New Orleans artist; the stools are Ethnicraft.

JAVA HEAD REVISITED

The highlight of the tour was the kitchen at Java Head, a unique 3.5-acre compound on Edgewater Drive. The home of Luis and Sandra Perez, this 1936 Art Moderne landmark is based on a design by architect Robert Fitch Smith. It connects to the Gables Waterway via a coral stone dock with fountains. Java Head was commissioned by Charles H. Baker, Jr., a bon vivant writer, and his wife, Pauline Paulsen, heiress to a large silver mine fortune.

The kitchen is actually a double kitchen, with Shaker-style cabinetry in white, embellished by countertop surfaces in green soapstone. Among the appliances found in the main and secondary kitchen are two Lacanche ranges, RangeCraft exhaust hoods, Sub-Zero refrigerator, freezer and refrigerated drawers, a Wolf microwave oven and three Miele dishwashers. The plumbing fixtures include Nature Trail hand-hammered copper sinks with Grohe faucets. Hanging racks hold copper pots and pans, with custom-designed pendant lights above the working surfaces.

GET OFF THE MARKET

STAGING A HOME CAN RAISE THE PRICE AND SHORTEN SELL TIME

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

Having lived all over the world, Jacqueline Krueger and Elizabeth Stiff know a thing or two about moving. Be it Chicago or Switzerland, each relocation required staging one home to be sold and designing the other. Realizing they had a knack for decorating houses to be put on the market, they created a boutique home staging company of their own: PeacefulNest.

“In the simplest of terms, home staging is readying your home to sell,” Stiff says. “Making a small investment in staging has a very big return on your investment and also dramatically shortens the days on market.”

Adds Krueger, “The statistics are 1,000 percent ROI for every dollar spent.”

In 2019, a national survey by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) of 1,081 homes showed an average of 23 days on the market (DOM) for homes staged prior to listing, and 41 DOM for homes staged after listing – versus 184 days for non-staged homes. “The longer a property sits on the market, the less interested people are,” notes Krueger. The duo recently took over the local chapter of RESA,

which is headquartered in Coral Gables. “What we’re dealing with is an abundance of great homes, particularly in Coral Gables, that are languishing on the market,” says Stiff.

One reason why nonstaged homes for sale don’t sell as quickly is that buyers can’t visualize themselves living in a house that is devoid of furniture or decoration. “Only 10 percent of the population can walk in and visually plan where or how they would live in an open space,” says Stiff. “So that means 90 percent of your buyers are walking in and they don’t have the capability … to see themselves living in the house.”

Home staging isn’t just about the interior. “It really starts at the curb,” Krueger says. “So you need to have every detail looked at, from the mailbox to the numbers on your home.”

PeacefulNest stages homes throughout Greater Miami, but the majority of their projects are in Coral Gables, South Miami and Pinecrest. The founders describe the Gables as “the pride and joy of Miami.” Says Krueger, “When we’re in a Gables house, we really pay attention to style.” ■

95 percent of staged homes sell in 11 days or less

Buyers spend an average of five minutes in a vacant home and 40 minutes in a staged home

A staged home will sell for an average of 17 percent more than a comparable un-staged home Staged homes sell nine times faster than non-staged homes

When a seller invested an average of 1% of the value of their home on staging, they realized a 1,000% ROI

Sources: International Association of Home Staging Professionals; RESA; Home Staging Resource Report

HOME STAGING FACTS:

LEFT: Jacqueline Krueger (left) and Elizabeth Stiff (right), owners and founders of PeacefulNest

ABOVE: A house in the heart of Coral Gables that has been staged by PeacefulNest

What Less Than $2 Million Will Buy in Coral Gables

Residential real estate in Coral Gables continues to be among the most valuable in South Florida, rising in value some 149 percent since the year 2000. Last year median house prices did slide five percent, according to BHHS/ EWM, making it more of a buyer’s market; still, the median price last year ranged from $752,000 to $1,100,000, de-

pending on the month. Even at its lowest, the Coral Gables median price was more than twice the median value for Miami-Dade County homes as a whole. To see what you could buy for under $2 million today, we asked three real estate agents to submit one of their homes for sale in that price range – give or take a few hundred thousand dollars.

Listing Price

$1.596 million

Spanish Revival

1319 CASTILE AVE.

3 bed/4.5 bath/garage/courtyard/2,713 sq. ft. Located between historic Coral Way and the Granada Golf Course, this is a 1920s vintage home with architectural charm: original Spanish tile floors, a courtyard, and fountains. The living room has high ceiling with beams and large fireplace, the dining room has a stone, corner fireplace and stone framed windows. Listing Agents: Laura Mullaney 305.790.1000, and Jane Gomez-Mena 305.491.6485. (Berkshire Hathaway EWM Realty)

70' Princess 1999 "Angel Del Mar" Call: Paul Denton (386) 295-4668

42' Sabre' 2014 "Loon" Call: Helen Wozunk (954) 552-0114

68' Hatteras 2006 "Jolley Roger" Call: Vinny Pyle (954) 235-2832

45' Azimut 2013 "Pretty Penny" Call: Ryan Danoff (954) 260-5507

Mark Peck + Vinny Pyle + Ryan Danoff + Helen Wozunk Paul Denton + Ed Breese + Charlie Fluery + Billy Maus + Louis Dvorak

40 Meter Westport - "No Name"

The Great Coral Gables Scavenger Hunt

Last month, in partnership with the Business Improvement District, we hosted the inaugural Great Coral Gables Scavenger Hunt. In the morning, young aspiring Sherlocks reported to the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre to pick up the map and clues. The winners were the brother-duo of Christopher and Michael Riera-Gomez. In the afternoon, adults checked into the Coral Gables Museum before setting off on their hunt. First place went to Laura Cherney, who won a two night stay in a junior suite at the Biltmore Hotel. Thank you to our sponsors Baptist Health South Florida, Tresor Jewelers, The Great Escape Room, Shops at Merrick Park, Actors’ Playhouse and the Coral Gables Museum.

Over 100 people showed up to search the Gables far and wide for the answers.

Christopher and Michael Riera-Gomez, who won the family-friendly portion of the scavenger hunt. John Allen, executive director of the Coral Gables Museum, and Amy Donner, associate publisher of Coral Gables Magazine.

The first clue was at The Great Escape Room. Laura Cherney, first place winner of the adult version of the scavenger hunt.

Coral Gables Television covered the event and interviewed Editor-in-Chief J.P. Faber

The Business Improvement District provided water bottles, sunglasses and adhesive phone wallets

1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

GENEROSITY EASES ANXIETY.

At Miami Cancer Institute, our precious patients can escape the reality of chemotherapy through the “Infusionarium.” The larger-than-life virtual reality space draws pediatric cancer patients’ attention away from treatment and immerses them into the thrill of a swim with dolphins, a “live” interaction with the Miami HEAT or a virtual visit to Zoo Miami. And we have it thanks to our donors’ generosity.

Learn how your generosity can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Visit BaptistHealth.net/Giving or 786-467-5400.

Gables Street Style

We recently captured the street styling of fashion designer Maurizio Alberino, seen here in front of the Wells Fargo bank at 26th and Ponce. Alberino, a resident of the Dominican Republic, says he visits the Gables at least twice a month. His specialty: Custom made guayaberas. Photography by Emily Fakhoury.

1030 Hardee Road

$3,995,000 4 Bed 4 Bath 2 Half Bath

5,716 Adj SF 11,440 SF Lot

This once in a lifetime estate, located in the historic French Village of Coral Gables, is substantially restored with modern amenities while maintaining its historic 1920s integrity.

1920s Elegance + 2020 Modernity

2710 Columbus Blvd

$2,199,000 5 Bed 4 Bath 1 Half Bath

4,686 Adj SF 16,700 SF Lot

This 1924 Mediterranean Revival conjured up by city founder, George Merrick and architect H. George Fink is a gracious one-story, totally updated landmark home, located on a 16,700’ lot, on one of the most iconic streets in Coral Gables.

Carole Smith Vice President

csmith@veryspecialhomes.com 305.710.1010