Coral Gables Magazine April 2019

Spring Fashion

THE LATEST FROM THE GABLES’ DIVAS OF DESIGN PLUS BEST COFFEE SHOPS

THE ANNEXATION DEBATE

ABBRACCI’S NINO PERNETTI

REAL ESTATE’S FOREIGN FACTOR

APRIL 2019 $5.99

Beautiful homes deserve beautiful storage solutions. That’s why we’ve been collaborating with homeowners for over 40 years to design, build, and install custom storage solutions for every room in the home. With a wide selection of carefully-curated premium finishes, accents, and accessories, we’re confident we can create a solution that matches your needs, taste, and style.

Frank Rosell, a principal at StudioBecker.

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Spring Fashion

Spring is in the air, and that means new lines from fashion designers worldwide, including our own designers in Coral Gables

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Time to Expand?

The effort to expand Coral Gables through annexing two “pockets” is moving forward. It will soon be up to the residents inside these areas to decide

The World According to Nino Pernetti

How the proprietor of Abbracci has kept his restaurant going strong for 30 years

The Foreign Factor

As developers build condos, and real estate agents stage homes for sale, a critical question is how strong the foreign market will be

It is a good opportunity financially, and more importantly, it is an opportunity to improve public safety and services...

Commissioner Vince Lago, on the annexation issue

A Garage Too Far

Since 2014, when the Allen Morris company won the RFP to rebuild the city’s Parking Garages #1 and #4 on Andalusia Ave., it has been an endless struggle for the developer who constructed the iconic Alhambra Towers. Since that “win,” Allen Morris has been asked to revise his proposal no fewer than 24 times, lowering the height of the two buildings that were designed to also house offices, residences and retail in classic Mediterranean style. His last revision, which took the building heights from their original 190 feet to 141 feet, and eliminated the office component, failed to win ap-

proval by the city commission at the end of March. To win, the proposal required 4 out of 5 “yes” votes, but commissioners Pat Keon and Vince Lago both said “no.” The only silver lining for Allen Morris was the provision that if the city fails to rebuild the garages within three years, the project reverts to him. We’ll be waiting.

J.P.Faber Editor-in-Chief

PUBLISHER Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P.Faber

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

VP SALES DIRECTOR

Sherry Adams

SALES EXECUTIVE

Gloria Glanz

SENIOR WRITER

Doreen Hemlock

STAFF WRITER

Lizzie Wilcox

WRITERS

Karen F. Buchsbaum

On the cover: The Spring/Summer collection of designer Silvia Tcherassi

Mike

AndrewClaryGayle

Kylie Wang

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jonathan Dann

Robert Sullivan

Donna Victor

SENIOR ADVISOR

Dennis Nason

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

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Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 3150 SW 38 Avenue, Suite 1050, Miami FL 33146. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2018 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, 3150 SW 38 Avenue, Suite 1050, Miami FL 33146 FL 33441. General mailbox email and letters to editor@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2018.

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Katz Barron Law Firm Moves to Coral Gables

The South Florida law firm Katz Barron has moved its Miami office from Coconut Grove to Coral Gables. It now occupies the full penthouse floor at 901 Ponce de Leon Boulevard - 11,350 square feet with expansive views, a light and airy feel, and a sleek, modern look.

“This move marked a huge milestone for Katz Barron,” says Michael D. Katz, a founding partner. “It’s been a pleasure to join the vibrant and diverse Coral Gables business community.”

Founded in Miami in 1977, Katz Barron had been in Coconut Grove for more than 40 years. An enduring part of the region’s business and legal communities, the 20-lawyer firm now has offices in Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale, with clients around the region and around the world.

The firm prides itself in being rooted in strong legal and client service traditions, but its new offices are efficiently designed to meet the demands of today’s legal profession and are flexible enough to accommodate future ways of working. The firm opted for same-size attorneys’ offices, while staff have individual spaces that allow for interruption-free work, enhanced by collaboration spaces that allow teams to easily work together in groups of all sizes. The latest innovative legal and office technologies are accessible for attorneys, staff and meeting guests, yet never get in the way of meaningful person-to-person interactions. Mingling perfectly with the office’s modern design, the space retains the firm’s signature empress-green marble feature finishes, as well as some of the period furnishings from its prior office.

“The new space enables the firm to further improve efficiencies and better serve our clients”

Andrew Jacobus (Finser Group), Erica English (Katz Barron) & Emilio Vazquez (Grove Bank & Trust)

Matt Katz (Katz Barron), Stephanie Sayfie (WhitmanFamily Development) & Charlie Duffy (Katz Barron)

Matt Katz (Katz Barron), Mike Nathanson & Chris Harak (Blanca Commercial Real Estate)

Bill Ogden (Tropicaire) & Ellen Rose (Katz Barron)

“The new space enables the firm to further improve efficiencies and better serve our clients,” says Erica English, managing partner of the Real Estate Practice Group. In addition to the new office layout, Katz Barron’s Coral Gables office is centrally located and easy to access. The firm wanted to stay in Miami-Dade’s core business areas. “The Gables’ business and financial district is a hub of its own,” English says. “It’s an elegant, robust alternative to Brickell and downtown Miami, without the added commute time and congestion.” The city’s well-known dining scene was another important draw to Katz Barron’s new office location. “We really appreciate the quality and variety of the nearby dining venues,” English says. “You really can’t beat the Gables restaurant scene.”

Katz Barron was originally founded around commercial real estate and expanded its practice areas as clients’ needs grew. Although it remains anchored in complex transactions, the firm’s practice areas now include complex litigation; real estate and development; hospitality and private clubs; construction; business and corporate law; estate planning, administration and probate; mediation and settlement counseling; and environmental services and beneficial reuse. Today, Katz Barron’s attorneys are from diverse backgrounds and draw from a broad array of experience. Many of the partners have been with the firm for decades and the core group has been together for more than 30 years – and many clients have been loyal to the firm for 40 years or more. “In many ways, Katz Barron mirrors Coral Gables ,” Katz says. “Both have strong traditions, yet are looking to the future.”

“The Gables’ business and financial district is a hub of its own. It’s an elegant, robust alternative to Brickell and downtown Miami, without the added commute time and congestion.”

Ana Chaoui (Grove Bank & Trust), Howard Friedberg (Katz Barron) & Sara Hernandez (Biscayne Bank)

Bernie Allen (Katz Barron) & Bob Dulberg, Esq

Adam Schucher (Katz Barron), Matthew Lazenby (Bal Harbour Shops) & Nely Fernandez (Iberiabank)

Nely Fernandez (Iberiabank), Linda Lieber & Gloria Zaldivar (BNY Mellon)

John O’Rourke, Fred Snow & Brian Hagan (First American Bank)

Miami Children’s Health Foundation is now Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Our name has changed, but our dedication to our mission to inspire hope and promote health for every child has remained the same. Your donations help drive discovery, advance medical knowledge through research, and transform the way care is assessed and delivered to children in need.

Please help Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation fight alongside children like Gabriela. Give today.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation

give.nicklauschildrens.org

For over 40 years we’ve been fighting alongside children like Gabriela.

Now we’re fighting under a new name.

Gabriela, 9, was born with a cleft palate and has undergone 5 surgeries

Streetwise p19

2018 Building of the Year

High Tech Cops

News and Notes The Bonneted Bat

Growing Young Scientists

UM’s Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio for architecture students and faculty

Raw! Raw! Raw! News and Notes

It is an elongated, curved slab of grey concrete shading walls of high-tech glass, with exposed duct work and shiny concrete floors inside – and it’s the darling of the design world. Readers of the international online journal World-Architects.com overwhelmingly voted UM’s Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio the 2018 Building of the Year. Designed by Miami’s Arquitectonica, and built and funded by homegrown Coastal Construction, it was named for the dad of Coastal CEO Tom Murphy, Jr.

The structure, built on a former parking lot, is already fully operational as a shared workspace for UM architecture students and faculty. Among its high-tech features are the 18foot glass walls that let in light but block heat.

High Tech Cops

In its endless quest to stay abreast of the latest technology, the Coral Gables Police Department will be deploying a new weapon called the Bola Wrap. It is essentially a gun that shoots out bola balls attached to the ends of a net that entangles the suspect. “They are calling it our Spider

Man weapon,” says Police Chief Ed Hudak. “It’s going to be a game changer, because it’s a non-lethal way to stop a suspect.” When deployed (in the near future, as of press time), the Coral Gables police department will be one of only 12 agencies in the country to have it.

Built-in Health Care. A new Bellmont Village senior housing facility will be constructed adjacent to the Shops at Merrick Park in partnership with Baptist Health South Florida. The partnership is a “natural fit” says Baptist Health CEO Brian E. Keeley, since it will increase the wellness and quality of life for seniors. Construction will begin next year and finish in 2022.

Good-bye Jeb? Former (and beloved) Florida Gov. Jeb Bush may be pulling up stakes from his long-time home of Coral Gables. Jeb and wife Columba recently listed their stately townhouse on Almeria Ave. for $1.8 million. The Bushes bought the 3,485 square-foot home in 2011, after which they sold their historic 1928 house on Altara Ave. Their Almeria townhouse was built in 2007.

The Sky Will Rise Again. After a three-month run, the Sunlit Sky installation over Giralda Plaza has come down. While it did not attract as much foot traffic as Umbrella Sky, Sunlit Sky nonetheless drew thousands of visitors. Next up: Sun Stories, a montage of thousands of plexiglass letters that will cast words upon the plaza, by local artist Jesse Nite. Up by summertime.

Local Hero Write-Up.

Kudos to Mitchell Kaplan, the founder of Books & Books and the Miami Book Fair. Kaplan, who appeared on the first cover of Coral Gables Magazine, was celebrated in the Sunday New York Times in March with a long article entitled “Putting Literary Miami on the Map.” Kaplan is lauded as “the man who turned Miami into a book town.” Miami? Well, the Gables anyway.

In Search of The Bonneted Bat

A RARE SPECIES OF BAT MADE CORAL GABLES ITS HOME. BUT ARE THEY STILL HERE?

By Mike Clary

Available for occupancy: Cozy Coral Gables duplex on the golf course. Hardwood floors, spectacular view. Limited square footage, no utilities, free rent. Only bats need apply.

The property listed – a ‘bat box” placed atop a 25-foot utility pole on Granada Golf Course several months ago – has remained vacant since it went up. But city officials, along with scientists, remain hopeful that a colony of endangered Florida bonneted bats could move in any day. “What’s amazing about this species is that the bats are living in the middle of a major metropolis, and this golf course is an oasis for them,” says Frank Ridgley, head of conservation and research at Zoo Miami. “It appears to be a hot spot of activity.”

Hot spot may be a bit of an exaggeration. The bonneted bat – named for its large, funnel-shaped ears – is considered among the 10 most endangered animal species in the country. According to biologist Kirsten Bohn, a former Florida International University researcher now at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, there may be as few as 500 left.

Public concern in Coral Gables for the brownish-gray bats, which live only in coastal Southern Florida, grew after Bohn discovered them on the Granada Golf Course when she moved here in 2012. Bohn, an expert in bat songs, began recording their high frequency chirps; with the help of a sound-activated recording device on the golf course, she

recorded more than 100,000 chirps between 2013 and 2016.

Bohn was also helped by the “Bat Squad,” an informal group of volunteers who spent evenings on the golf course scanning the skies and, at least once, sipping free rum provided by Bacardi, the Coral Gables-based distiller with a bat in its logo.

The bat frenzy was ignited in 2014 by the discovery of a bonneted bat roost under the barrel tile roof of a vacant house on Alhambra Circle. That discovery put a hold on plans to restore the aging house, until finally the U.S. Fish and Wildlife confirmed that no mating had taken place, allowing the owners to evict the bats and rebuild.

Where those bats went, or whether there are bats today on the Granada course, remains the quest of both scientists and locals. On March 4, Ridgley and his crew used a camera on a pole to check for occupancy and found the bat house remains vacant. But, he said, “we know they are in the area and on the golf course nightly.” They could be visiting the house, but just not settling in yet, he said.

What makes the bonneted bat so elusive, despite a 20-inch wingspan, is that it’s a high-flying mammal, roosting in small colonies and emerging only after dark. They are tough to see and hear. Last October, three conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the bat, alleging the species was on the brink of extinction. In the lawsuit,

the Center for Biological Diversity said that while the bats received federal protection in 2013, the government had failed to designate a habitat to save the species.

To help provide habitat, 16 bat houses have been erected in Miami-Dade County, including one in Matheson Hammock Park, at a cost of $5,000 each, said Ridgley. The funds have come from Zoo Miami, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FPL and various grants. One Gables resident, Grace Carricarte, had a bat house installed under her roof. “I installed a bat box onto the side of my home about two and a half years ago,” says Carricarte. “It can take years for them to come if they come at all, but it’s nice to provide them options apart from vacant home attics.”

We know they are in the area and on the golf course nightly...

Frank Ridgley, head of conservation and research at Zoo Miami.

Above: the “bat box” placed atop a 25-foot utility pole on the Granada Golf Course.

MEN AND PLASTIC SURGERY

Once rare but no more.

Men increasingly embrace Plastic Surgery to enhance their appearance in two main areas: the face and torso.

Liposuction targets annoying ‘man boobs’, love handles and belly fat which doesn’t budge with exercise alone.

When Botox and fillers no longer suffice, Face/Neck Lifts recreate a masculine jawline by getting rid of heavy jowl and the nasty ‘turkey gobbler’. Eye lifts refresh the eyes. Fat transfers add youthful volume.

Vanity is one motivator but looking younger and more competitive at work often is a bigger one.

As always, when contemplating surgery, consult with a reputable board-certified Plastic Surgeon.

And remember to look for skill and safety, not price. You are certainly worth it.

Growing Young Scientists

This month is the last chance for your budding scientist to take Sunday classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in preparation for the garden’s summertime Growing Beyond Earth Innovation Studio. The studio, a so-called “makerspace,” is being created in partnership with NASA to help study food production in space.

In anticipation of that, Fairchild is offering Sunday classes through the end of

April in design thinking, 3D printing, basic circuitry and, of course, how to build your own plant-growing pods.

The classes are designed for kids ages 7 and up (13 and up for 3D printing). When the Innovation Studio launches, it will be the first public facility dedicated to help NASA solve deep-space food production challenges. For the prep courses, visit fairchildgarden.org/ classes.

Shop p26

What’s Hot Sheldon Cooper Would Hang Here From Zagreb with Love

WHAT’S HOT

EACH MONTH, CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE VISITS RETAILERS AROUND THE CITY WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS TRENDING. HERE IS THIS MONTH’S RESPONSE FROM FIVE STORES

EYES FORWARD (above)

The latest fashion statement in high-end eyewear is the 3D-printed super lightweight glasses designed by Edward Beiner and manufactured in France. “They are fashionable, look great and are designed with luxury in mind,” says designer Edward Beiner. Retail: $390. Edward Beiner, 370 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.461.1808

COOL RINGS (top right)

While Jae’s Jewelers maintains a “millennial case” of edgy designs, owner Jillian Hornick says today’s rage is vintage jewelry. “Vintage is trending, across the board,” says Hornick. “Women self-purchasers love it.” Featured: A vintage-inspired emerald, sapphire and onyx ring. Retail: $3,000.

Jae’s Jewelers, 237 Miracle Mile. 305.442.7724

COLLECTIBLES (above)

Yes, they have Roman coins for $190, but that’s not what is trending, says owner Pat Olive. “A lot of new faces are coming in to start collections, and what they want are American coins,” he says. Recommended for starting your collection is this 1834 “Bust Quarter” for $187.

Gables Coin & Stamp Shop, 82 Miracle Mile. 305.446.0032

OUTDOOR OTTOMAN (above right)

Kettal specializes in “timeless outdoor furnishings,” which means patio furniture from deck chairs to swings with sophistication and design excellence. We fell in love with their rope-fabric “pouf” which comes in 17 colors and serves as ottoman, chair or table. Retail: $1,655.

Kettal, 147 Miracle Mile. 786.552.9022

KIDS STUFF (left)

For a little girl who wants the ultimate for her dolls there is the handmade Silver Cross Special Edition Princess Doll Pram Stroller from England. “We can’t keep them in stock,” says Macanoco owner Maria Lacayo. “The immediately sell out, they are so in demand.” Retail: $499. Macanoco & Co. 2344 Ponce De Leon Blvd. 305.771.3433

Sheldon Cooper Would Hang Here

KORKA COMICS BRINGS QUIRK

You might pass by the tiny strip mall just south of Havana Harry’s on Le Jeune if you didn’t notice the sign for Korka Comics, which has been up for just three months. But if you are one of that strange breed of comic collectors, like the science nerds from TV’s Big Bang Theory, you would pull right over.

Inside are hundreds of comic books, from the latest Supergirl, Flash, Spiderman and Catwoman for $3 to $4 each (new ones arrive each Wednesday) to rare editions of X-Men and The Fantastic Four

that sell for $120 to $130 each.

“I started collecting comic books with I was about 16,” says store manager Richard Tarrau. “I’ve now got about 30,000.” The store’s biggest sellers today, however, are not comics but its vast array of Funko Pops, small fat-headed dolls of everything from Star Wars figures to Disney characters to the action heroes from the pages of Korka’s comic books. “This is the rage now, and every age group is collecting them. Some rare ones can be worth thousands,” says Tarrau. Thankfully, most still retail for $9.99.

FromwithZagreb Love

The next time someone asks if you know where to buy traditional Croatian garments for your baby, you can tell them, sure. Just go to Bognar & Piccolini on the ground floor of the Shops at Merrick Park. Here you can pore through a selection of clothing, shoes and accessories for children up to six-yearsold, all handcrafted by artisans in founder Andrea Bognar Ljustina’s native land. The Bognar family has been at it since 1874, when Croatia was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So, if you really

want to go old-school, stop by Bognar & Piccolini, where all pieces are designed by Andrea. According to employee Jessenia Sanchez, a popular item is a white baby gown (left) for $198, with a soft, knitted top and linen bottom that can be tasseled together to keep baby’s feet warm and wrapped. Perfect for dressing a newborn before the chaos of the 20th century began.

Bognar & Piccolini

Shops at Merrick Park, Suite 1255 305.442,8330

CROATIA MEETS MERRICK PARK SHOPS

Richard Tarrau, store manager at Korka Comics, 4708 South Le Jeune Road

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The Brew that is True

THE COFFEE SHOPS OF THE GABLES

Ever since its discovery in Ethiopia by a traveling merchant (his donkeys supposedly went hyper after chewing the berries of a coffee plant), coffee has become an essential beverage. Whether it’s to wake up or relax, or just enjoy the robust flavor of the roasted bean, the beverage is huge – some 500 billion cups are consumed on Earth every year.

Here in the Gables there are innumerable places that serve coffee – virtually every restaurant, café and bar – but there are a select few shops that sell only coffee, or at least mostly coffee, with a few noshes on the side. It is their focus and their passion. Here are the best.

CAFÉ DEMETRIO

300 Alhambra Circle

Open till 6 pm

Café Demetrio occupies one of the oldest buildings in Coral Gables, the 1924 home of the Miami News. Today it is a distinctly Italian coffee shop, with vintage copper eagles atop their modern coffee makers. What makes it extra special is the shaded courtyard, where tables on coral pavers offer a picturesque place to sip your brew. Run by the ebullient Snr. Demetrio, the coffee is excellent. Lunch and breakfast is served, but we came for the signature “Café Demetrio,” cappuccino with a secret mix of cacao powder and milk, two shots of espresso and a bit of sugar. Molto delizioso.

PASION DEL CIELO COFFEE

100 Giralda Avenue

9 am to 11 pm

Whereas most coffee shops brew only their one, best bean, Pasion offers customers a choice of source. You can pick between Pluma Oaxaca (from Mexico), Blue Mountain (from Jamaica), Java Kona (from Hawaii), or other varieties from Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Sumatra or Kenya. Each

variety of bean, in clear plastic silos behind the counter, comes with ratings for Aroma, Flavor, Body, and Acidity. Sumatran coffee, for example, scores a top 4 for all but acidity, which is at a desirable 1. We can only guess that it’s more popular than the Mexican coffee, which comes in at only 2 on all scales except acidity, at 4.

CREMA GOURMET ESPRESSO BAR

169 Miracle Mile

7 am to 5 pm, 8 am Sat-Sun

Like the name suggests, the coffee at Crema is, well, very creamy. It may be the way they steam the milk before adding espresso shots, but the “how” is less important that the “wow.” This is exquisite coffee, with the added benefit that you can sit not only inside, but also outside at one of a dozen tables sheltered by the columned arches of the Colonnade’s building. There may be no better place to sip coffee, certainly not along Miracle Mile. They also serve excellent breakfasts, sandwiches and salads at reasonable prices, all of which are promised to be at your table within seven minutes of ordering at the counter.

CAFÉ DEMETRIO

PASION DEL CIELO

HOUSE OF PER’LA

CAFÉ GRUMPY

Bites

HOUSE OF PER’LA

2626 Ponce de Leon

7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Like many coffee shops, House of Per’La also serves sandwiches and salads. But otherwise this is a side-street shrine to the bean, a raw space (exposed ventilation pipes, raw concrete floors) that could have been airlifted from New York or L.A., with its three tables and nine “bar” seats invariably occupied by Millenials. It serves just one variety of coffee – bags of which you can buy for $16 – but it is damn good and will not dissapoint. When you visit, keep in mind that while the address says Ponce, the House is actually located on Almeria, in the back of the 2626 corner building that houses Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza.

CAFÉ GRUMPY

2516 Ponce de Leon

Open 7 am to 7 pm

If House of Per’La is close to being a pure coffee shop, Grumpy’s takes it a step further. Outside of a few croissants, some banana bread and orange juice, it serves only coffee, in a narrow storefront south of Miracle along Ponce. “We’re mostly coffee focused,” barista Josep Lapalma told us. “The milk is well steamed, and the coffee has no bitterness.” The coffee is from Colombia and Central America and roasted in Brooklyn, where Grumpy was founded in 2005 (there are 11 in NYC). In addition to the usual cappuccinos and lattes, they have rotating specials, such as dulce de leche and orange mocha coffees.

NORDSTROM EBAR ARTISAN COFFEE

Shops at Merrick Park

10 am to 9 pm, noon to 7 pm

Sundays

Nordstrom’s is generally not known for its coffee, but its Ebar (shown right) in the Shops at Merrick Park is a caffeine oasis for the shoppers and residents of the area. It feels a little bit like an upscale Starbucks, but there is rarely a line and the coffee might even be better. Among other niceties, Ebar sources its bean from “Fair Trade” coffee plantations, and offers healthy snacks. For our money, nothing beats the dark chocolate mocha café. Not much seating inside, but outside there is plenty in the courtyard of the Shops.

Brunch Time The Happiest Hour

Buckle up, folks, we’re taking the dangerous trek south down U.S. 1 into South Miami. There are only a few places that would make us cross the border, but No Name Chinese on 57th Court is one of them. While a Chinese restaurant may not be an initial reflex when choosing a brunch locale, No Name Chinese won us over with dumplings, bao buns and, of course, the drink menu.

It has clearly won over others as well, because the restaurant has extended brunch to both Saturday and Sunday to meet demand. Leaning more toward the lunch side as far as food options go, No Name offers classic Chinese comfort food like egg rolls and kung pao chicken. But in true brunch tradition, they also have bottomless mimosas for $20, as well as an extensive wine, beer and sake list.

To ingest as much #DopeChineseFood as possible, opt for the family style tasting menu. At $60 per person, five

to six courses will be served for the whole table. For an extra $30, you can also do a wine pairing for each course.

After trying as many dishes as we could stomach –for our readers’ sake, of course – we can confidently report on what you must order. Since no dim sum is complete without dumplings, choose the Angry Dumpling (above). Taste buds beware: these are spicy. But if you can take the heat, they’re among the best dumplings you’ll ever eat. Another musthave is the Crab Chao Fan, or crab fried rice. Topped with Thai basil, green peppercorn and crunchy shallots, it’s a melange of comfort food and fine dining. And now, for the best dish in the house. Drum roll please. The pan-seared brisket Bao. Both the Bao bun and the brisket inside are warm and soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. For even more flavor, pour the yaka broth over it and ascend into food heaven.

– Lizzie Wilcox

If living in Miami doesn’t satiate your tropical needs, Ortanique brings the Caribbean to Miracle Mile. Known for its “cuisine of the sun,” the restaurant’s signature cocktails are also worthy of sipping on a white sand beach.

Ortanique’s happy hour deals run from 5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. While the crowd of businessmen and women grabbing a drink after work clears out a little after 6 p.m., both the restaurant and the bar start to fill back up an hour later. Weekdays offer $4 off signature cocktails, glasses of wine and imported beers, but they also have daily drink specials. On Mondays, happy hour prices run all day and also apply when ordering a drink in the dining room. On Tuesdays, bottles of wine are half off. On Thursdays, sparkling wine and champagne is free until they run out. And on Fridays, signature cocktails are half off.

Now that we’ve given you the low down, here’s what we

drank. If vodka is your alcohol of choice, the Black Magic does not disappoint (above). Made with Grey Goose, passionfruit black tea, blackberries, St. Germaine, Apricot Brandy and lemon juice, it’s like a spiked iced tea. Since tea has health benefits, we’re going to make a judgment call and call this drink healthy. If tequila is more of your preference, the bartender will recommend the Passion Pill. Made of Avion Silver Tequila, passion fruit, and lime juice, this concoction has a kick and, surprisingly, it’s not the tequila, but the spicy Scotch Bonnet Syrup. For a really refreshing, beach-worthy cocktail, try the Dragon Cloud, which consists of Bacardi Dragonberry, coconut sake, fresh lemon juice and agave nectar.

The true test of a good bartender is serving a strong drink where you can’t taste the alcohol. Ortanique passed with flying colors. All they need is a steel drum player.

– Lizzie Wilcox

IT’S 5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE, MON

JUST LISTED!

LOCATION

441 GERONA AVENUE

3,842 SQ. FT. | 5 BED | 4 ½ BATH $1,849,000 WWW.441GERONAAVE.COM

GRAND, SPACIOUS AND BRIGHT POOL HOME BUILT FOR ENTERTAINING IN SOUTH CORAL GABLES

7120 MIRA FLORES AVENUE

5,280 SQ. FT. | 5 BED + OFF | 6 ½ BATH $3,750,000

WWW.7120MIRAFLORES.COM

EXQUISITELY REMODELED ESTATE IN THE ISLANDS OF COCOPLUM W/ FINE DESIGNER FINISHES THROUGHOUT

RECENTLY REPRICED!

RECENTLY REPRICED!

1,977

| 3 BED | 3 BATH $860,000

CHARMING OLD SPANISH POOL HOME FULLY UPDATED TO TODAY’S STANDARDS

Pictured from left to right: CARRIE FOOTE, SUZANNE SANTOS, BEATRIZ CARDONA, BLAIR SONVILLE, MARIANNA PEREZ, CARLA OLIVARES, LANI KAHN DRODY, PATTI CECCHERINI, JJ SNOW HANSEN, LILIANA QUINTERO-SIDERIS, LAUREN BILLINGSLEA DOWLEN, JOHANNA ROLDAN

Sweet Tooth

AN INSTANT HIT FOR BREAKFAST & LUNCH

Bachour, the latest entry into the Gables breakfast and lunch battle, is already a breakaway hit. Maybe it’s the gleaming electric environment, with glass cases of pastries that rival the displays at Tiffany’s. Maybe it’s the all-day breakfast concept, with stacks of guava and cheese pancakes the size of a small ottoman, or the eggs benedict with prosciutto. Or maybe it’s the pastries: bonbons and macarons for $3 each, “petit gateaux” (small

cakes) for $8 each, or the magical red velvet and gianduja croissants for $5 each. Which one to pick? You might ask Antonio Bachour, the eponymous partner and culinary master who was voted by his peers last year as the Best Pastry Chef in the World. On any given weekend morning you can find him there, at 2020 Salzedo St., happily talking with customers and even signing autographs for the starstruck diners. Bon appétit.

Below: Antonio Bachour, culinary master and partner in Bachour

$80.6 M 2018 Total

including

7370 Vistalmar St. Cocoplum, Coral Gables Designed by Arquitectonica! Open, bright, great finishes. Gated entrance and Coral Gables Police Patrol!

5015 Oruna Drive, Coral Gables

7210 E Lago Dr. Islands of Cocoplum, Coral Gables Waterfront contemporary redesign by Ramon Pacheco. Gated entrance and Islands of Cocoplum Amenities!

9500 SW 62 Court, North Pinecrest Sophisticated elegance, luxury, and impeccable details encompass this perfectly designed estate.

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living sf. |

6001 Riviera Drive, Coral Gables

Fully updated/expanded on prestigious Riviera Dr. If you like naturally bright and flowing interiors, look no more!

11098 Marin St, Coral Gables, FL 33156 Great opportunity to own a Stunning Lake-front estate in gated, prestigious Hammock Oaks. Slips available soon!

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adj. sf. |

Team Sales

Coral Gables, Ponce Davis, Coconut Grove and Miami

p42

Living Up There, in The Tree!

Best Bets

Up There, in The Tree!

APRIL IS THE PERFECT MONTH FOR BIRDING IN CORAL GABLES

By Mike Clary

F

or those who pay attention to every treetop flicker and even the faintest warble or trill, South Florida is a mecca, a birder’s paradise from the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park to the shores and wetlands of Palm Beach County.

But Coral Gables residents don’t have to venture beyond the borders of the city to see many of the hundreds of colorful birds which live here year-round or pass through the area on annual northsouth migrations. “I can walk outside my house and see lots of good birds,” says endodontist Joe Barros, who lives on

Country Club Prado. “Flocks of warblers – black-throated green, prairie, parula – resident Cooper’s hawks, great-crested flycatchers, parrots!”

Barros is no ordinary birder. President of the Tropical Audubon Society since 2002, he has traveled the world in search of exotic avians, including trips to Gambia, Peru and Spain. But he knows there is plenty to see right inside the city limits, especially at this time of year. “Whether it’s a full morning, or 15 minutes of walking around the house, just detaching from the pace of life and enjoying these beautiful bits of nature is

calming,” he says.

April is prime time for bird spotting. Species that breed here are decked out in their most colorful finery. They are pairing off and making nests, and singing their hearts out. It would be difficult to walk around any tree-lined block of the city without hearing a mockingbird’s eclectic song or the cheer, cheer, cheer of a cardinal.

Beyond your neighborhood, city hotspots for a variety of birds include Matheson Hammock, the edges of the Riviera and Biltmore golf courses, the University of

These beautiful bits of nature are calming…

Joe Barros, above left, Tropical Audubon Society president

Above right: Red crowned parrot.

Photography: Lizzie Wilcox

Adam I. Bregman | West Palm Beach, 561-650-8560, ABregman@shutts.com

Brittany Bustillo | Tampa, 813-227-8180, BBustillo@shutts.com

Manuel Negron | Miami, 305-379-9130, MNegron@shutts.com

Kristin Drecktrah Paz | Miami, 305-379-9138, KPaz@shutts.com

Michael J. Quinn | Orlando, 407-835-6773, MQuinn@shutts.com

Sarah Donini Rodriguez | Orlando, 407-835-6904, SRodriguez@shutts.com

Andrew E. Schwartz | Fort Lauderdale, 954-847-3878, ASchwartz@shutts.com

Kyle A. Stevens | Orlando, 407-835-6760, KStevens@shutts.com

Lauren L. Stricker | Tampa, 813-227-8154, LStricker@shutts.com

Lauren A. Taylor | Tampa, 813-227-8164, LTaylor@shutts.com

Greta E.M. Trotman | Miami, 305-415-9044, GTrotman@shutts.com

Amy M. Wessel | Fort Lauderdale, 954-847-3889, AWessel@shutts.com

Miami campus (including the Gifford Arboretum), along the Gables waterways and any of the city’s small parks.

Birds are particularly abundant in Matheson Hammock at this time of year, since the 630-acre park is what veteran birding guide Brian Rapoza calls “a migrant trap, a stop-over habitat for songbirds heading north, a place to rest and refuel, especially when the weather is bad or there are headwinds.”

Once you start noticing our winged neighbors, you’ll find feathered fascination everywhere, from the white ibis pecking for insects in your lawn, to the mob of blue jays screaming in alarm to protect a nestling from a predatory hawk, to the grackle that is eyeing the avocado toast on your table at an outdoor cafe.

“I’ve always liked the outdoors, but it was not until I became a birder that I started to pay attention to the diversity

The Great Egret, found in South Florida’s waters, is easy to spot with its distinctive yellow beak and black legs.

out there, in small parks, even in your own backyard,” says Rapoza, a retired teacher and Tropical Audubon’s field trips coordinator. “Once you start realizing how many different creatures we share a home with, it’s a natural progression to become a conservationist.”

Birding requires curiosity, but very little equipment. Rapoza recommends binoculars, ranging in power from 7x35, to 10x42, and a field guide that will help identify the birds you see. Tropical Audubon has several guided field trips coming up, including one at Matheson Hammock on April 27. Go to http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/events for details.

Photo by Mike Clary

Best Bets

BEST BETS OF WHAT TO DO THIS MONTH

AMPARO

In order to understand the present, you have to go back in time. An immersive theater experience that reveals the truth behind Havana Club rum and the family that created it. It takes you straight into the heart of the family’s fight for truth, country and legacy during the midst of the Revolution. Opens April 4, goes through May at Villa 221 in Downtown Miami. Tickets: $79. 221 NE 17th St, Miami, 33132. 305.416.5280

BIG BUNNY INVASION

A public art installation that blends fine art and community to ignite imaginations while providing the perfect setting for families to unwind, create and learn. Aside from the giant, glowing bunnies, there will also be art activities for kids and live performances. Select nights at Pinecrest Gardens from April 5 - 20. Gates open at 6 p.m. 11000 Red Rd., Pinecrest. 305.669.6990

FROST LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Grammy-winner and UM Frost School of Music professor

Dafnis Prieto conducts the Downbeat Award-winning Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra in music from his 2019 Grammy-winning big band recording “Back to the Sunset.” Gusman Concert Hall. April 24. Tickets: $20, $15 for seniors. 1314 Miller Dr. 305.248.3355

HAVANA NIGHT COOKING CLASSES

Experience the flavors of Cuba at the Biltmore. Learn how to cook tostones with pickles and onions, cilantro lime aioli, grilled skirt steak with garlic herb, arroz congri and flan. With these easy recipes, you’ll be serving up dinner Havana-style in no time. Wednesday, April 17. 6:30 p.m. $114. 1200 Anastasia Ave. 305.913.3200

March 13 through April 7, 2019

EGGSPLORE FAIRCHILD

Spend Easter morning at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. Hunt through the Palmetum for thousands of eggs filled with goodies. The egg hunt will be divided into two age groups: 1 - 5 and 6 - 12. The fun isn’t just for the kids: for $15, enjoy an unlimited variety of mimosas. Sunday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. Registration required. 10901 Old Cutler Rd. 305.667.1651

DAZED AND CONFUSED (35MM)

Now that it’s medically legal… we can suggest you see Dazed and Confused on April 20 at the Coral Gables Art Cinema. Go back in time to a period of Led Zeppelin, bell-bottoms and irresponsible youth. Part of the Gables Cinema’s After Hour program every Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 and include free popcorn and a happy hour. The film introduced Matthew McConaughey. Alright, alright, alright. 260 Aragon Ave. 786.472.2249

“If you want to help the theater, don't be an actress, be an audience.” - Tallulah Bankhead

People

Roberto Muñoz Lisa Ross & Amy Zakarin Sophia Molina

Roberto Muñoz, Miami Market President Capital Bank

Roberto Muñoz has had a long and storied career in banking and finance. He has held executive positions in Miami with BBVA Compass Bank, Professional Bank, Marquis Bank, Regions Bank and Barclay’s Bank, among others. Born in Panama and raised partly in Hong Kong, Muñoz attended MDC and FIU, beginning his career with Bank of America in 1980. Among his claims to fame, he financed the movies “The Commitments” and “My Cousin Vinny.” Altogether, he has facilitated an estimated $27 billion worth of economic activity in Florida, the Caribbean, and South and Central America.

Roberto Muñoz

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT HE SAYS

In January, Muñoz was named Miami Market President and Commercial Banking and Wealth Management Executive for Capital Bank, a $40 billion division of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corporation (he works from their Coral Gables office). Also named chair of the World Trade Center Miami for 2019, he recently received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

“I was able to take advantage of a sabbatical period whereby I left banking for about eight months,” Muñoz says. “I travelled throughout Europe and Asia – I happened to have grown up in Hong Kong from ages nine to 15 – so I went there, and to Japan, where I have many friends… Then I picked up the phone and received an opportune offer to get back into banking.” He is based in Coral Gables because “it is not only a very strong

location for domestic companies to reside, but the center of the corporate international market… The Fortune 1000 that are here do fund from their international balance sheet, but the employees have local banking activities and some corporate accounts here in Coral Gables. In general they are a great dynamic force, because they rent hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space.”

Coral Gables is the center of the corporate international market… In general [these companies] are a great dynamic force…

MIAMI MARKET PRESIDENT, CAPITAL BANK

MAURICIO J. BARBA, P.A.

Broker-Associate I Estate Agent

ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

t 305.444.7224 c 305.439.8311

mauricio@miamisignaturehomes.com

MiamiSignatureHomes.com I HomesOfSplendor.com

2614 Alhambra Circle | Coral Gables

“Villa Verano” is a contemporary gem that is engulfed in natural light and masterfully crafted with the finest materials, offering all the modern amenities available today! Stroll to the famed Biltmore, Salvadore Tennis Park and the Venetian Pool!

629AledoAve.com

77 Avenue | Pinecrest

Your eyes are not failing! The price is right and absolutely mind-boggling. Live like a royal in this 2006 Mediterranean-inspired estate. Besides its lush, tropical greenery, the outdoor area offers a pool, a barbeque area and half basketball court.

3911BatterseaRd.com

Offered at $625,000

629 Aledo Avenue | Coral Gables

8,340 sf lot

Municipal water access now available directly on Aledo Ave. Offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a residential lot in the prized neighborhood of the Golden Triangle in Coral Gables. Its location is ideal as it is a very short distance to downtown Coral Gables and equidistant to the famed Biltmore Hotel and its Golf Course.

3911 Battersea Road | Miami

Find Hamptons elegance in Coconut Grove. Tucked behind an oolite stone wall, find a curated garden and sophisticated entryway. Experience a home with the perfect ratio of form, function, and charm inside and out; the perfect backdrop for all of life’s most precious moments.

4001 Santa Maria Street | Coral Gables

Cote d’Or is a classic estate-sized home backing to the newly renovated Riviera Golf Course! Expanded in the early 2000’s, it features a sprawling floor plan with views of the golf course from many rooms of the home.

616 Candia Avenue | Coral Gables

A study in elegance, this incomparable Mediterranean estate built in 1998 features architectural elements of a caliber that reach design greatness. The graceful curving staircase, designed by skilled craftsmen and artisans, is made of hand forged iron and polished brass railings.

Lisa Ross (right) is the founding president of Coral Gables-based RBB Communications. With clients such as FPL, Hilton, DHL Express, Codina Partners and Jackson Health Systems, and with 90+ employees, the 18-year-old firm is the largest public relations agency in Florida. Amy Zakarin is the founding president of ZComm, also 18 years old. With clients such as The Related Group, Artefacto, Perry Ellis and Mana Contemporary, it has been one of Greater Miami’s top boutique PR firms in the luxury market.

Amy Zakarin & Lisa Ross

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Longtime friends Ross and Zakarin recently joined forces via the acquisition of ZComm by RBB Communications, following several conversations in which they decided that joining forces would enhance the power of each firm.

WHAT EACH SAYS

Ross: “The communications field in general tends to be female dominated, and while recognizing that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to talent, I’ve been lucky enough to have had several female mentors and partners... This just strengthens our bench.” As for being based in Coral Gables. “It’s been lucky for us. It’s always been recognized as an upscale, quality location, recognized and appreciated by our regional clients.”

Zakarin: “What’s exciting for me is to be able to bounce ideas around with someone who thinks differently from me; that’s where opportunities for new engagement occur. Otherwise you get stale. Now I am surrounded by people with different experiences and different expertise. I am seeing things differently than I would have a year ago. It’s like a career reboot. I have been rebooted.”

Coral Gables has been lucky for us, recognized as an upscale, quality location… I have been rebooted…

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF ZCOMM; PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, RBB COMMUNICATIONS

Lisa Ross

Amy Zakarin

When Sophia Molina heard an orchestra of violins playing at the age of four, she knew she had to play herself. After months of begging her parents for a violin of her own, they finally caved, and the rest is history. Attending St. Theresa Catholic School for elementary and middle school, the Coral Gables resident now attends The New World School of the Arts, where she devotes her afternoons to perfecting the violin, going between orchestra and chamber classes and private lessons. Involved in MyCM, a youth chamber music organization, Molina has performed in concerts at the Coral Gables Museum and the Marriot Hotel in Coral Gables. She aspires to be a soloist.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT SHE SAYS

Named as one of 100 students nationwide to participate in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, a group of student musicians ages 16-19, sponsored by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

“It was crazy… I wasn’t expecting to actually make it,” the 16-year-old says about being accepted into the highly competitive program. Of all the applicants from the state of Florida, only eight made the cut, two hailing from Miami. The entire orchestra is composed of a little

over 100 students and travels to different places each year to perform. In July, Molina will embark for England, Germany and the Netherlands. “We stay in New York and perform in Carnegie Hall and rehearse there and then we fly to Europe and we do tours,” she says.

Sophia Molina

It was crazy… I wasn’t expecting to actually make it...

SOPHOMORE, THE NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

An intimate talk with

Sarah Rutson

Chief Brand Officer of Joie, Equipment & Current/Elliott at The Collected Group

You have been at The Collected Group for almost 2 years now. How have you helped position Joie?

We have been laser focused on reinjecting Joie into almost every woman’s life, aiming for “inclusivity with a very clear message.” It’s been important to look at where the brand’s heartland was… Joie’s strength is that it has always been feminine, with a Californian ease. This message started becoming too literal and drifted off into Bohemia, and we became known as a spring/summer casual weekend brand, so we have injected a much fuller lifestyle element inclusive of Monday-to-Friday, desk to dinner looks, appropriate all year ‘round.

Tells us about the Spring 2019 collection?

For Spring, Joie took its cues from Peggy Lipton and Jacqueline Bisset. That might mean cropped denim culottes or a breezy blush button-down dress with feminine gatherings. It might be a macramé-inspired top with fringe. Colors are ’70s-inflected, too: rust, blush, marigold, and rich blues led the way on blouses, leather jackets, and gauzy tops and dresses. Tailoring adds finish, but we wanted to be able to break it down from suiting and allow each piece to be instrumental on its own, as well. Python makes appearances in several iterations, from gray tones to buttery yellows. Pretty knitwear basics offer wardrobe-building layering options, while soft leather pieces capture the sunset colors of the season. Our soft dresses move beyond beachwear without overthinking it.

Why does JOIE work so well for the modern woman?

Joie fits within a real woman’s life, one that is not overly complicated in her fashion choices. It takes its cues from what is happening in fashion now, and relevant to trend, but not making it tricky.

If you had to select your 5 must-have pieces from this season’s collection what would they be?

4 5

This clean dark denim jacket with matching wide leg trouser jean. Elevated denim classics, great together or as separates - again very versatile.

1 4 5

This pretty dress in a dramatic, beautiful yellow buttercup color is pretty for a summers day or dressed up for evening.

For many years women turned to JOIE for weekend wear now there are many pieces that fit beautifully into the work week too. Please tells us about that change.

Our fashion pant of the summer! this high-waisted jean in a wonderful rust color, perfect for the season.

It was totally unrealistic for a brand just to be specific to weekend wear. Modern women don’t have one dimensional lives and neither can their wardrobe. She should be able to rely on clothes with duality, easily transitioning and adaptable to suit her various needs. I’m a big believer in having items that can form a backbone of your wardrobe and building out from there with pieces that bring you joy… Joie now manages to do all of that, in an easeful, feminine way.

2 3 Sponsored Content

Spring Fashion

Spring is in the air, and that means new lines from fashion designers worldwide. Here in the Gables we are home to some of the best clothing designers in the country, who

devise and fabricate both individual haute couture for their clients as well as Spring lines. What follows is a sampling of their exquisite work for the vernal season.

MAYDA CISNEROS

Spring is about fun, glamour, and being in touch with your femininity. For this collection we are experimenting with texture and flow and at the same time maintaining our classic clean lines. The color palette is again part of our subtleness, bright but muted hues. This collection pays homage to the freedom of women, but without forgetting that there is a balance that must maintain the elegance.

Mayda Cisneros (left), proprietor and designer of Mayda Cisneros Couture

THE LOOKS

ABOVE: Red crepe strapless jumpsuit.

$1,800.00

TOP LEFT: Black Italian coated charmeuse with dramatic bow. $3,200.00

TOP RIGHT: Summer tunic in checkered lame.

$1,700.00

BOTTOM LEFT:Matte jet beaded t-shirt dress with dramatic sleeves. $4,200.00

BOTTOM RIGHT: Red silk gazar architectural scarves dress. $3,200.00

305 PALERMO AVE. 305.448.5848

SILVIA TCHERASSI

The Spring/Summer 2019 Collection is a very creative, luxurious take in the bohemian style. Vivid colors and fluid silhouettes were contrasted with beautiful prints and voluminous accents – including oversized belts – to create very feminine looks, all presented in a lovely palette of marigold, green, citron and tangerine. I was inspired by the French bohemian spirit of the 70’s, and a strong and independent woman ready to enjoy the everlasting magic of Paris. This collection is for women looking for a relaxed, but sophisticated style, my very own definition of casual luxury.

THE LOOKS

ABOVE: Melbourne Jumpsuit in floral red.

$1,800

TOP LEFT: Josephine Dress in floral red.

$1,800

TOP RIGHT: Dancin Dress in pink blossom. $2,500

BOTTOM LEFT: Tokio Dress in seafoam green.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Chipre Dress in green bandana. $990

Silvia Tcherassi (left),proprietor and designer of Silvia Tcherassi in the Shops at Merrick Park

$890

SILVIA TCHERASSI

FILOMENA FERNANDEZ

Our Spring-Summer 2019 collection is inspired by the colors and mood of summertime in the Italian Riviera. We designed playful yet sophisticated wearable separates that can take you from work to dinner. The vibrant colors bring a sense of joy and optimism. The pieces feel laid-back & relaxed like summertime, with roomy silhouettes and vibrant colors.

THE LOOKS

ABOVE: These pants can be dressed up or down. This organza top gives the pants a sophisticated look. Blush top $410; White pants. $250

TOP LEFT: Giving an all-black look a summertime vibe, with summer fabrics like cotton and linen. Black top $225; Black pants $195

TOP RIGHT: Color blocking dress can be used to go to a fancy party or worn with flats to go on a beachside vacation dinner. $460

BOTTOM LEFT: Paisley printed maxi dress perfect for vacation to wear as a dress or pool cover up. $345

BOTTOM RIGHT: These lace pieces can be worn together for the perfect summer outing or you can dress it down and wear the skirt with a T-shirt or the top with jeans. White lace crop top; $185 White lace skirt. $430

Maritza Fernandez (left), proprietor and designer of the Filomena Fernandez brand (named for her grandmother)

FILOMENA FERNANDEZ

VICTORIA LOPEZ-CASTRO

Right now it’s about the ‘modern romantics’ the soft classic look with a bit of an edge. This is the way I have always perceived fashion and the woman who wears my clothes. Layering textures and different color combinations is what makes the pieces interesting. We are continually creating different designs using fabrics and many techniques to cater to our clients needs. I’m not big on following trends, I have always been a fan of the true classic cuts with details that make the look current.

THE LOOKS

ABOVE: White silk crepe peplum top with organza flutter sleeves. $725

TOP LEFT: Powder blue taffeta lantern sleeve gown with black tie. $2,200

TOP RIGHT: Black/White embroidered midcalf length dress with lantern sleeves.

BOTTOM LEFT: Asymmetrical pale yellow midlength faille dress with a raw edge/black bow detail. $1,795

BOTTOM RIGHT: Violet silk halter gown with floral neckline and pockets. $2,795

$1,495

Victoria Lopez-Castro (left), proprietor and designer of Victoria Lopez-Castro

VICTORIA LOPEZ-CASTRO

Time to Expand?

THE EFFORT TO EXPAND CORAL GABLES THROUGH ANNEXING TWO “POCKETS” IS MOVING FORWARD. IT WILL SOON BE UP TO THE RESIDENTS INSIDE THESE AREAS TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO JOIN THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

By Mike Clary Photography by Jon Braeley

As a 40-year resident of High Pines, a leafy enclave in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Diane Beverley treasures the ambiance and the people of her neighborhood. “We love our little community,” says Beverley, a retired preschool teacher who has no intention of moving.

Yet Beverley may soon find herself living in Coral Gables, thanks to a push to annex her High Pines/Ponce-Davis neighborhood in the southwest flank of the City Beautiful, along with another area to the northeast called Little Gables.

If you look at a map of Coral Gables, the long, salamander shape of the city has two chunks cut out of it, like pieces missing from a quilt. Both are part of Miami-Dade County. The High Pines square is bounded by Sunset on the north and Kendall Drive on the south, and runs from 57th Avenue on the west to the tip of Old Cutler on the east. The smaller Little Gables square is bound by SW 8th Street on the north, Salzedo on the east, Mendoza on the south and Cortez on the west (see map).

Residents of the two areas could cast up or down votes on annexation later this

year, pending approval for the vote by the county commission. Coral Gables officials have already told residents they’re welcome to join the city. “The number one benefit is emergency services,” said Karen Shane, longtime president of the Little Gables Neighborhood Association. “Property values would go up. We’d be held to a high standard on upkeep, we’d have better drainage, traffic calming, more waste pickup. It would be smaller government close to home.” As for the upcoming vote, “I am absolutely hopeful. I think we’re on track for it to happen,” Shane says.

For Coral Gables, annexing the two areas would add 1.37 square miles of territory and more than 6,000 residents, while generating a boost in annual tax revenues that would easily pay for the required municipal services, proponents contend. Surveys indicate that a majority of residents of the two areas favor joining the City Beautiful.

Yet there are dissenters, including Beverley. “I don’t want extra taxes, I don’t want street lights and sidewalks, and I don’t want them to tell me what color I can paint my house,” she says, referring to the Gables’ famously rigorous zoning

ANNEXATION PROS AND CONS

PROS FOR THE RESIDENTS: INCREASES HOME VALUES PROVIDES BETTER POLICE PROTECTION PROVIDES BETTER SERVICES (SANITATION, FIRE)

MORE RESPONSIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRONGER ZONING CODES

CONS FOR THE RESIDENTS: INCREASES TAXES INCREASES CODE ENFORCEMENT

PROS FOR THE CITY: MAKES THE CITY’S BORDERS MORE LOGICAL IMPROVES THE CITY’S SECURITY PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE INCREASES CITY POPULATION ALLOWS ZONING UPGRADES FOR ‘POCKETS’

CONS FOR THE CITY: INITIAL EXPENSE OF INCORPORATING THE AREAS

THE COST FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Karen Shane, president of the Little Gables Neighborhood Association

I am absolutely hopeful. I think we’re on track for it to happen...

LITTLE

ANNEXATION OVER VIEW

codes. “I don’t see a reason for us to join them.”

In Little Gables, 19-year resident Gladys Saenz opposes annexation, fearing a hike in property taxes and fees. “Annexation is not affordable for most of us,” she says.

But the annexation train is rolling. Last year Gables commissioners voted in favor of taking in both neighborhoods; if county commissioners agree to annexation (on their docket for this spring) residents of the two areas will vote in a referendum.

“There have been a lot of false starts since 1995,” says High Pines activist Keith Donner, who favors annexation. “But I think this time it will pass… The county is so big, and there are so many of us in unincorporated areas, that there are rounds and rounds of meetings and nothing gets done. What we’re looking for [with Coral Gables] is responsive government.”

BENEFITS BOTH WAYS

While annexation of the two areas is not linked, the proceedings are moving along on parallel tracks. Commissioner Vince Lago says he expects the process to be final this year.

“It is a good opportunity financially, and more importantly, it is an opportunity to improve public safety and services,” Lago says. “Right now, Little Gables is underserved with regard to police. And High Pines would receive the exceptional police, fire and garbage services the city provides. There would be a slight cost for residents, but no price can be placed on increased public safety and quality of life.”

Police Chief Ed Hudak believes annexation will reduce the city’s borders and make it easier to monitor them with its “geo-fence” system of cameras that track license plates as vehicles enter and leave Coral Gables. “My position as police chief is that if we square off the city, it’s much easier to patrol one border than three borders [for each pocket],” Hudak says. Currently, Miami-Dade police have to cut across Coral Gables to reach Little Gables. By mutual agreement, Coral Gables police will respond in cases of emergency.

“Right now, if the county cars are a distance away, they will call on us,” says Hudak. “But this happens only two or three times a month in Little Gables and maybe once a month in High Pines. If High Pines/Ponce-Davis and Little Gables do join the city, “we’re obviously going to have to increase the size of the [police] de-

partment,” says Hudak. “But there will be no impact to services in the rest of the city.”

High Pines/Ponce-Davis and Little Gables each have about 3,200 residents, according to county figures, so if both areas are annexed, the population of Coral Gables would expand by nearly 13 percent, from 51,000 to 57,600. That translates as a need for added police and fire protection, along with other services.

A Coral Gables study in 2017 found that taxable revenue from the two areas would total $81.7 million over eight years starting in 2020, producing a revenue surplus of $37.6 million over estimated costs. The average property owner in Little Gables would see an increase of $311 in annual taxes by joining Coral Gables. The comparable figure in High Pines/Ponce-Davis is $946, according to the county.

In touting the advantages of annexation, city officials promise faster police and fire response times, road resurfacing, improved drainage, new sidewalks and spruced-up parks. But High Pines resident Austin Matheson doesn’t buy it.

“My services seem more than adequate,” he says. “My trash gets picked up regularly, taxes what they are. I don’t see the benefits. “

“Coral Gables officials have implied in so many words that our social status would be elevated if we were part of Coral Gables,” says Matheson, great-grandson of industrialist William John Matheson, whose family donated the land that became Matheson Hammock Park. “That’s borderline offensive.” On its website, the city pledges to preserve neighborhood identity

High Pines resident Austin Matheson, at right with his children in their tree house

My trash gets picked up regularly, taxes what they are. I don’t see the benefits...

and respect existing county building codes, as was done in the earlier annexations of Snapper Creek, Pine Bay Estates and Hammock Lakes. That pledge of respect is important, especially in High Pines.

“A lot of us are passionate about our unique little High Pines community,” says Elizabeth Smith, a marketing consultant. “We are so close-knit that it doesn’t take a hurricane to get us outdoors; we walk and talk and visit and help each other out all the time.”

Both areas are contiguous to existing Coral Gables boundaries, flanked by the city on three sides. But the two areas are strikingly different.

A TALE OF TWO NEIGHBORHOODS

Little Gables is a mix of single-family homes – some handsome and historic, some tiny and rundown on small lots –along with apartment blocks and a commercial strip along Southwest 8th Street. The median household income is $53,775, as compared to $91,452 in Coral Gables.

The enclave includes Graceland Memorial Park, a 14-acre cemetery on 8th Street with the notoriety of being the final resting place of Cuban-born Watergate burglar Bernard Barker. Next door to the cemetery is a 90-unit trailer park that city officials say would eventually be phased out. The same would be true for some of the establishments on 8th Street – like a by-the-hour motel affiliated with the Executive Fantasy Hotel chain. (Two hours in the Love Suite, $33.). On its southern border, contrarywise, are charming homes and shady San Jacinto Park.

High Pines/Ponce-Davis is considerably more upscale. Median household income of the proposed annexation area is $116,437, higher than that of Coral Gables by 27 percent. The area feels like the Gables, replete with large, elegant homes and tree-lined streets.

The area includes several schools, including Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and Sunset Elementary, the massive Epiphany Church, and the historic Doc Thomas House, the headquarters of Tropical Audubon Society, built in 1932. The neighborhood is where poet Robert Frost kept his “Pencil Pines” home on several acres at what is now 8101 SW 53rd Ave. No longer accessible to the public, the poet lived in a clearing of scrub pines here for a couple of decades starting in the

1940s. High Pines also comes with several commercial properties on the east side of Red Road, including a gas station, a CVS drug store and a couple of restaurants.

Commissioner Michael Mena voted against annexing Little Gables, citing several potential problems, including the costs of providing police protection and how to deal with the trailer park.

Commissioner Patricia Keon voted in favor of both annexations, despite some reservations about Little Gables. “The residents of the area do want to join Coral Gables, and it allows us to have clean borders,” she says. “But there is activity along Southwest 8th Street – hourly motel rentals, car break-ins – that are concerning.”

As for the trailer park, “we will have to work out how to eventually phase out that use,” Keon says. “That is not a use we intend to have in our zoning code.” However, says the commission, annexation is the right thing to do. “I personally believe that municipalities are better able to deliver services than regional government, particularly with regard to public safety.”

A Tale of Two Neighborhoods:

Top Left to Right: Gables Trailer Park, Section A, 935 SW 44th Avenue

Miami Executive Hotel chain on SW 8th Street

A row of small, “shotgun” houses in Little Gables

Middle Left: The charming San Jacinto Park on Messina Avenue in Little Gables

Middle Right: A street bench on SW 53rd Avenue, High Pines, behind which poet Robert Frost maintained a home.

Bottom Left: A typical large mansion on SW 54th Avenue, High Pines

Bottom Right: A work shed in the backyard of the Tropical Audubon Society headquarters in High Pines/Ponce-Davis

The world according to Nino Pernetti

HOW THE PROPRIETOR OF ABBRACCI HAS KEPT HIS RESTAURANT GOING STRONG FOR 30 YEARS

By J.P. Faber

It is 10:30 a.m. and the crew at Abbracci’s is moving in a kind of ballet of preparation. The doors of the otherwise windowless restaurant are wide open, letting the morning breeze freshen the interior while the wait staff – still in shirt sleeves or even undershirts before they put their uniforms on when the AC kicks in – is busy cleaning and prepping. One is vacuuming. Another is dragging the valet stand out front. Still another is making sure that every single glass on the tables is shiny and polished.

In a little over an hour the lunch crowd at Abbracci will arrive, and there will not be an empty table. The diners who show up will be a who’s who of local power brokers and people of influence, not just from Coral Gables but from downtown Miami and beyond. There will be mayors and bankers and successful entrepreneurs, doctors and attorneys and developers. There will be important persons of social status, even celebrities.

All of them will be attended to by a swarm of solicitous waiters. All of them will be served reliably pleasing Italian food. And all them will be greeted by the proprietor, Nino Pernetti. And, unless it’s the first time they have come to the restaurant, Pernetti

will know every one of them by name. Literally.

Nino Pernetti is something of a legend in Coral Gables. As of this July, he will have completed a 30-year run at the helm of a highly successful restaurant in a city of fine dining that can be as fickle as it is discerning in its tastes. How he has done so is a compliment to his fastidious and charming personality, his phenomenal memory of every client’s name and his profound understanding of how to run a fine dining establishment. As patron Willy Bermello puts it (with no bias), “This is the best restaurant in the world.”

BIRTH OF A RESTAURATEUR

A great many ingredients go into creating a great restaurant, everything from location and décor to service and freshness of food. It is a science, to be sure, but also a craft. Pernetti received decades of training in the hospitality industry before setting up in Coral Gables. As he details in his winsome 2008 book, Nino Pernetti’s Caffe Abbracci Cookbook: His Life Story and Travels Around the World, he began his career in hospitality serving espressos in

the summertime to customers at the Locanda Gemma café in tiny Limone, Lake Garda, Italy. At 15 he went to hotel school, served his ‘residency’ at the Grand Hotel Bristol in Merano, and never looked back.

Pernetti pursued a career with Intercontinental Hotels and the Sheraton chain, in a series of upward management moves that took him literally around the world, to high-end properties in Germany, England, the Bahamas, Afghanistan, Zambia, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, Turkey and others. Just one example: In 1976, at the age of 31, he was director of food and beverage services at the 650-room Intercontinental Tamanaco Hotel in Caracas, with 400 employees in his department. Along the way he learned seven languages.

That dizzying rise ultimately landed Pernetti in Miami in 1981, where he became a vice president of operations for the Holiday Inn corporation, in charge of its hotels in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “I did this for four years, and I was having lunch one day with an architect, a friend of mine. I said I didn’t like the hotel business, that you have to travel all the time, you can’t have friends, you can’t even plant flowers at home because you’re out 25 days [of the month].”

His friend suggested they partner to open a restaurant, the capital coming from the architect and the sweat coming from Pernetti. That was Café Baci (Italian for kiss) on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, which became an overnight success in 1985. What it lacked, however, was enough square footage to be granted a liquor license. So Pernetti and partner sold Baci, and Nino reinvested into what is now Café Abbracci (Italian for hugs), in 1989.

At the time, Ocean Drive had yet to be reinvented, and Caffé Abbracci was then among the few sophisticated dining options of greater Miami. Pernetti’s place became a celebrity magnet, attracting clients ranging from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Mario Andretti to Antonio Banderas, Joe Montana and Elie Wiesel – basically the A-listers visiting South Florida. “South Beach didn’t exist; we were the first affluent restaurant that was here. I was written up in any number of publications, Food & Wine several times, Gourmet magazine, Esquire....”

Political heavyweights also came to Abbracci to eat – presidents Bush I, Clinton and Obama, to name three – partly due to its reputation for good food, but also, admits Pernetti, because the restaurant was easy to secure. “Why did they pick us? Reputation. Serious, good food, and the best service. Not having windows helps a lot, too, and it’s easy to close down the street [Aragon Avenue].” While the celebrity crowds have since drifted to South Beach, Pernetti still gets visits from the likes of Matt Damon and politicians like former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. And he never forgets his seemingly endless encounters with special guests. Like the time Robin Williams came in and was speaking fake, rapid Italian. “He was talking away, like it was Italian, and I didn’t understand. It was perfect, but I said, ‘Robin, I’m Italian, I don’t understand.’ He was just mimicking. He’s such an excellent mimicker.”

Pernetti has also had his push backs, like when he balked at Brad Pitt’s suggestion that he make him some meatballs, or when he told Matt Damon, who asked for pizza the first time he came in, that he could order delivery from Dominoes. But outside of these momentary slivers of culinary pride, Pernetti has been the gracious host incarnate, with a shamelessly loyal clientele to show

for it. As he writes in his book, “I wanted everyone who came into Caffé Abbracci to feel like they had walked into my home.”

WHAT MAKES PERNETTI TICK

Nino Pernetti is now 74 but looks like he is 50. He has preternaturally young looks, something he ascribes to his diet (“I eat the food here”), to his regimen of regular exercise (“I jog or play tennis six times a week.”) and to a perpetual curiosity that has turned him into a fanatical reader (“The brain is like a muscle that needs to be used.”) He has two daughters, now 15 (Katerina) and 20 (Tatiana), and he spends as much time as possible with them. He is a man who clearly enjoys life.

In talking about his restaurant’s success, he attributes some of it to the help he’s had from his team – his general manager, Loris Curzio, and his day manager, Eduardo Gutierrez, have both been with him for 30 years, and many on the wait staff go back decades. He also ascribes it to the food, which he calls “simple Italian comfort food,” though it is more inventive than this sounds, in a menu that is regularly updated.

But nothing compares to the presence of Nino, and the tone he sets for Abbracci. It is his belief that you can only run one restaurant well, because it needs your presence. “I have had so many offers to open a restaurant, left and right. Twenty years ago, people in Las Vegas wanted me to open in one of the hotels. I declined because I had to be there 30 hours a month… If you want to do a good business, then just one restaurant!”

That sense of being there also translate to the community at large, where Pernetti has volunteered for decades in such organizations as Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Miami Opera, the Vizcaya Foundation and the Jackson Memorial Foundation.

He was also knighted three years ago by the Italian government for promoting Italy abroad (so you may now address him as Sir Nino.) “A restaurant is not only about serving food. It has to be a presence in the community. I make myself visible,” he says.

And then there is Pernetti’s virtually eidetic memory for the names of his customers. “I am lucky or blessed for this business. I know the names,” he says, sitting at his table in the back of the restaurant, looking across the room. At one table sits Tom Murphy, the developer whose building on the UM campus just won the 2018 Best Building of the Year Award. At another table is Rodney Barreto, now Chair of the Super Bowl Committee. At another is Able Iglesias, the Gables banker just named to the Federal Reserve board for Miami. “You notice when the waiters come around and approach me, I tell them very quick the name of each one [customer], so they can be addressed by their names. Memory is a must.”

Pernetti says his memory for names is as much a trained skill as an inherent talent. “I’ve run about eight marathons in my life, and you can’t go out suddenly if you are not trained. So, the muscle I have here [he touches his forehead], it concentrates all the time. You tell me the name, I store it, I inventory it, I think it, and I see it. I concentrate and take the time to feed my mind and remember. That is why I know the name of everybody. It’s part of Abbracci’s talent, if I can call it that…. Probably if you give me your phone number I’ll forget it. But if you tell me your name, I make sure I know it – and what you like and what you eat and all about you.”

The loyalty which that kind of welcome engenders produces clients like Anthony Villamil, the CEO of the Gables-based Washington Economics Group, who is well into his second decade as a customer. He comes to Abbracci for business meetings during the day, and with family at night. “Abbracci is our second home in many ways,” says Villamil, who has celebrated birthdays and even weddings here. “Nino takes the extra care to make sure you feel at home. And the quality of the food is excellent.”

Ah, yes, the food. If you ask Nino’s day manager Eduardo why he likes working for Pernertti, he’ll tell you, “Because Nino is

Continued on page 101

Nino Pernetti on his commitment to the Coral Gables community

A restaurant is not only about serving food. It has to be a presence in the community. I make myself visible, it’s important...

Left: Nino Pernetti began his career at the Locanda Gemma café in tiny Limone, Italy

Below: Mixing with political and celebrity heavyweights from Clinton and Obama to old blue eyes, Frank Sinatra

Right: Behind every great restaurateur is his crew and Nino has the best, including his day manager Eduardo (left) and his night manager Loris (right). In the center is founding chef Mauro Bazzanini

Photos courtesy of Nino Pernetti

THE FOREIGN FACTOR

AS DEVELOPERS BUILD CONDOS, AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS STAGE HOMES FOR SALE, A CRITICAL QUESTION IS HOW STRONG THE FOREIGN MARKET WILL BE

By Doreen Hemlock

Real estate developer Rishi Kapoor has yet to break ground on his luxury condo project Villa Valencia in Coral Gables, but his team already is preparing to make sales presentations this month in Mexico. Kapoor expects roughly 20 percent of buyers for his condos to come from overseas, each plunking down at least $1.65 million for a spacious, three- to six-bedroom unit.

It’s a common pursuit across the City Beautiful: Luring buyers from Latin America, Europe and beyond for residential real estate, augmenting the pool of South Florida and out-of-town U.S. customers for condos and single-family homes. “Foreign clients have, for years, been a big part of the pool of buyers for real estate in Coral Gables,” says Jeff Gross, who is in charge of real estate financing for Gables-based BAC Florida Bank. But these days, signing those contracts is not as easy as it once was.

After the 2008 financial crisis, foreign buyers dominated residential purchases in the South Florida region. “Florida was probably the best deal in the world. The dollar was low. Housing prices were down. If you had yen, pounds or other currencies, you’d get a once-in-a-lifetime-deal,” says Manny Mencia, who leads the international division of Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development partnership,

Foreign clients have, for years, been a big part of the pool of buyers for real estate in Coral Gables...

Jeff Gross, shown left, of Gables-based BAC Florida Bank

Photo by: Robert Sullivan

from an office in the Gables.

“The environment is not the same anymore. The dollar is a lot stronger, and prices have recovered to a significant degree. We’re still a pretty good deal, when you consider prices in other U.S. areas where foreigners tend to gravitate, like New York, Los Angeles and Boston,” says Mencia. “But today, probably most of the action is at the higher end.”

VENEZUELA’S PAIN HITS SOUTH FLORIDA

Henry Torres can attest to the slowdown. He’s president and CEO of the Astor Companies in Coral Gables, developers of the just completed 227-unit Merrick Manor condo tower by Shops at Merrick Park. Units there sell for $449,000 to $2.5 million each.

Three years ago, before construction began, most buyers at Merrick Manor came from overseas, putting down 50 percent deposits, Torres says. Some hailed from Venezuela, eager to invest in a home outside their country and its shrinking economy. Others came from Colombia, Argentina and Brazil, also longtime markets for South Florida housing. Many have since paid in full.

But for those units not yet sold, Torres expects foreign buyers to represent no more than half of sales. That’s partly because Venezuela’s economy and currency have collapsed, making it tough for Venezuelans to buy dollars. At the same time, there’s growing interest from affluent U.S. buyers in New York and other Northeastern states, who are seeking lower tax areas for homes following last year’s U.S. tax reform. “And a lot of locals are coming to see our building, as couples in their 30s and 40s seek to live closer to work and older couples consider down-sizing from larger houses,” says Torres.

MEXICO: A NEW FRONTIER

To sign overseas buyers, Torres and his peers are especially keen this year on Mexico. Many of the affluent there are concerned about policies under their country’s new president “because of the way the government is changing to a stronger, socialist-type,” says Torres. “Many people in Mexico are putting together their Plan B.”

Mexico ranks as “target No. 1” for foreign buyers at the Villa Valencia project that Kapoor’s Location Ventures will soon build at 515 Valencia Ave. The group is developing a 13-story tower with 39 es-

Many people in Mexico are putting together their Plan B...

Henry Torres

Above: Henry Torres, CEO of the Astor Companies

Photo courtesy of Astor Companies

Opposite: Rishi Kapoor of the Location Ventures group

Photo by Nathan Dumont

tate-sized condos, the kind of unit popular among offshore buyers who like room for family. One Sotheby’s International Realty is handling sales and starts presentations at its recently opened Mexico City office in April, says Kapoor.

“Many countries in Latin America, Europe and other regions go through cycles, when their economies are hot and they’re looking to deploy cash overseas, or when there’s political or economic stability and there’s capital flight,” says Kapoor. “In Mexico, the economy has been rising, and there’s a certain amount of political uncertainty, which are both driving affluent buyers to look in South Florida.”

Kapoor says his team also is talking with clients from the United Kingdom, as that country grapples with exiting the European Union. Plus, they plan to seek buyers from Colombia and Chile among other Latin American nations that have long viewed South Florida as a safe hub for businesses and homes.

U.S. IMMIGRATION POLITICS WEIGHS

Still, luxury real estate doyen Audrey Ross doesn’t see foreign buyers rushing in. Ross often uses Gables Estates and the multi-million-dollar homes sold there

as a barometer for business. In the past three years, she figures just three of the dozen-plus sales in Gables Estates went to overseas clients – with none sold to offshore customers during the past 12 months.

A stronger dollar is part of the reason, because it makes prices higher in other currencies. Yet politics also weighs, she says. “There’s some latent predisposition for offshore buyers to be skeptical about the political situation in the U.S., feeling that policies are not as friendly,” says Ross, who leads the Audrey Ross team working with luxury real estate group Compass. “They simply don’t know that the doors are going to be as wide open [as always] and are going to stay that way.”

Immigration lawyer Deidre Nero knows those concerns firsthand. “The feeling that this administration is anti-immigrant is turning people off. That’s discouraging,” Nero says. She’s seen a decline in U.S. approvals for legal immigration, from tourist to student to work visas, partly because of longer processing times and more stringent vetting. Even marriage-based green cards can take up to three times longer to obtain under the Trump administration, she says.

“People don’t buy residential real estate to obtain a visa,” says Nero. “People

come to the U.S. to open businesses, to go to school or to visit regularly. [But] they want to purchase homes, because they need a place to stay. So, immigration policy affects real estate across the board.”

NEW YORKERS HELP BUOY SALES

Some of the drop in foreign buyers is being offset by Northeasterners seeking residences in low-tax states after changes to the tax law under the Trump administration. But the market so far is relying more on local residents to fill the gap, either to switch homes or to make an investment.

A 2018 survey by research firm Bendexin & Amandi International and the Miami Herald illustrates that trend. The poll of 100 top real estate insiders estimated foreign buyers made up just 26 percent of the Miami-Dade housing market last year, down from a whopping 56 percent in 2015. Local buyers soared to 43 percent, while out-of-town buyers inched up to 18 percent over the period, the survey says.

Coral Gables had not traditionally been a top destination for many Northeasterners – and indeed, some foreign buyers – who sought condos in walkable areas, especially in Miami Beach, seaside Sunny Isles or bayfront Miami. Many

had associated Coral Gables with leafy, single-family homes. But perceptions are changing as the Gables becomes more urbane and vertical, offering more dining, arts and wellness options within walking distance of new condo developments, says Hilda Jacobson, senior director of luxury sales in Coral Gables for New York-based real estate giant Douglas Elliman. She sells mainly condos and homes $1.5 million and up in Miami-Dade. “We’re No. 1 in New York,” she says of Douglas Elliman, “and we’re going to our New York clientele and saying to them, ‘Come to South Florida. Get to know Coral Gables.’ ”

Some banks also are stepping up to help finance foreign buyers. After the financial crisis, many offshore buyers funded home purchases in South Florida with cash. Some now take out loans against their investment portfolios, working with large investment banks and their affiliates for the financing. But obtaining U.S. loans can be difficult and the paperwork cumbersome for foreign nationals, real estate brokers acknowledge.

A few banks specialize in mortgage loans to foreign buyers to ease the burden, including Gables-based BAC Florida Bank, active in the business for decades. Recently, BAC Florida has been averaging about $225 million to $275 million in new mortgage loans annually on Florida condos and houses valued at roughly $375 million to $450 million, says Jeff Gross, who leads BAC’s real estate financing division. Most of those loans are for housing in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Foreigners typically must deposit at least 30 percent of the price of a house and 35 percent of a condo to qualify for a BAC Florida mortgage nowadays, says Gross. Many are opting for five-year adjustable-rate loans payable over 30 years, with rates today about 5 percent the first year and principal averaging $400,000.

“Right now, the biggest group of foreign buyers in South Florida are probably Brazilians, and you’re seeing a lot of Mexican interest,” says Gross. “The Miami area in general is a mecca for Latin American buyers. That business never stops. It has its peaks and valleys, but the buying never stops.”

Audrey Ross of the Audrey Ross team at Compass: Fewer luxury home sales to foreigners

A Guide to SUMMER CAMPS

Where will you send your kids this summer? Either in Florida or out of state, there are endless choices. Want to focus on sports and outdoor living? Want a science or math camp? How about a bit of both? This guide will help you decide

Fine Dining

Staying Power

FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, CAFFÉ ABBRACCI HAS REMAINED A FINE DINING FAVORITE IN CORAL GABLES. WHY? BECAUSE IT GETS EVERYTHING RIGHT

By Andrew Gayle

Photos by: Jonathan Dann

If there were ever a Coral Gables reality show about how to run a restaurant correctly – make that impeccably – it would be hosted by Nino Pernetti. As the founding owner of Caffé Abbracci for nearly 30 years, he has managed his restaurant with such adroit skill that it remains among the most popular dining spots in a city that is notoriously competitive when it comes to food.

From the moment you enter Abbracci, there is a tremendous sense of welcome, a feeling that you have arrived at a special place – and that you are a special person. The staff radiates an old world feeling that you, the customer, are respected, and does so with an affable, welcoming embrace (abbracci, in Italian, means “hugs”).

There is rarely a free table at Abbracci, either during lunchtime – when it’s the haunt for the city’s political, social and business elite – or in the evening, when it’s a retreat for couples of all ages, where a woman can wear her pearls and where, at the same time, a multi-generational family of six or eight can feel comfortable. It is both sophisticated and familial, in the best of Italian traditions.

Abbracci is one of the few owner-driven restaurants (here or anywhere) still cast in the old school mold where the proprietor knows his customers by name and makes them feel like

VIP members of the family. It is the Gables’ answer to classic restaurants like Sardi’s or Delmonico’s in old New York, a place that’s glamorous and yet intimate, and where everyone wants to go to be part of the energy.

The restaurant itself is not large, though it has a second room for busy weekend nights. It is a rectangular space divided neatly in half by a waist high riser that further separates diners with a shoulder-high glass panel. Two chandeliers hang in the raised ceiling above the divider, with individual blown-glass pendant lights over each table. It is a cozy space, and makes diners feel protected, as though they were inside a culinary womb. This is partly due to the complete absence of windows (and one reason why, when a U.S. president or congressman visits the Gables, they invariably dine at security-safe Abbracci.)

It is also a place where you can be heard: One of Abbracci’s best features are its sound-absorbing panels (sound-studio quality) on the walls and ceiling, which dampen the noise. No matter how enthusiastic the chatter becomes, you can always hear the person who is sitting next to you.

The food, as one might expect for a gustatory icon, never disappoints. Chef Antonio Alfano hails from Salerno, which is near Naples on the southwest coast of Italy, but

Pernetti (himself from northern Italy) insists the dishes come from all over his home country. The menu adroitly spans the spectrum of Italian tastes, with classics such as mushroom polenta, eggplant rollatini and seafood linguine, and more innovative dishes such as salmon carpaccio, black lobster ravioli, and risotto with champagne, asparagus and mascarpone cheese. We tried the salmon carpaccio, marinated in fresh grapefruit and orange juice, and topped

Top: Center Cut Grilled 14 oz. Veal Chop

Above: Chef Antonio Alfano hails from Salerno, near Naples

Opposite Top: At lunch or dinner there is rarely a free table

Middle: Grilled crab cakes with pistachio puree and fried leeks

Bottom: Linguine Frutti di Mare with mussels, clams & lobster

Caffe Abbracci 318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

with coriander, fennel and capers. It was light, refreshing and savory. We also went with a traditional fettucine Bolognese for pasta, and were pleasantly surprised that it was not crunchy in the al dente style which is all the rage these days. Just richly flavored comfort Italian food.

We also tried the air-cured beef “bresaola;”

the grilled crab cakes with pistachio puree and fried, shredded leeks; the veal scaloppini “Valdostana” (with prosciutto, Fontina cheese and veal gravy) and a special spaghetti with grilled sea food. All were prepared with great attention to both cooking and presentation. And while Abbracci is renowned for its tiramisu, for dessert we could not resist the profiteroles, three puff pastries filled with double -cream vanilla gelato and topped with bittersweet dark chocolate sauce and Grand Marnier. A delightful experience, to be shared.

Just as exceptional as the food is the wait staff – many members of which have been at Abbracci for more than two decades (some for 30 years). They comprise a swarm of servers, all men, dressed in black (some with golden vests), who bustle about the tables and make sure every need is satisfied.

Abbracci may be the warmest restaurant in the Gables, with a wide ranging customer base of all ages, a place where you can come for a first date or a 50th wedding anniversary. No matter when or why you arrive, Pernetti will be there to greet you, and you will quickly understand why Abbracci is one of Coral Gables’ great institutions of fine dining.

THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

April 2019

Coral

Gables is a moveable 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, but are also spread throughout the Gables. This is not the sort of town where one wanders about in large shopping malls, but nonetheless there are some hidden gems to be found there and 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

$ 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 Ad Lib

Brought to you by the same folks who produced Swine, and located in the same place, this new, modern-looking restaurant offers innovative takes on American cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and humanely sourced meats. Try the roasted pumpkin toast, the charcoal roasted shittake mushrooms or the dry-aged duck with crispy rice, sour cherries and black garlic.

2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.504.8895

$$$ American

California Pizza Kitchen

A local favorite, the home of “California-style” pizza, this national chain that started in Beverly Hills is both casual and polished, with a truly inventive array of non-traditional pizzas. Things like cauliflower crust, spicy chipotle chicken, carne asada. And then there are the patrons who come only for the butter cake, which they consider one of the best things on earth.

300 Miracle Mile 305.774.9940

$$ Pizza/American

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

$$ Innovative American

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 flat bread menu is really a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them.

321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

$$ Healthy American 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. Best Specialty Burger says Coral Gables magazine. 6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661

$$$ Steak and seafood

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 cole slaw).

to a restaurant at 10 pm 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 topflight, 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. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

$$-$$$ American Pub

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

$$ American and more

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

$-$$ Japanese

Izkaya

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

$$ Japanese

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 the Sushi Club come from Buenos Aires. Outdoor seating on the Mile.

127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212

$$ Peruvian Japanese

Malakor Thai Issan

This new eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai street 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. Great new flavors, already a local hit. 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

$$ Thai

Matsuri

Just over the city line at Bird and Red roads, Matsuri is tucked humbly away in non-descript Red Bird Shopping Center. Yet it serves the world-class sushi, the finest anywhere in South Florida, and has an enormous menu of traditional Japanese food as well. You will need reservations to snag a seat from its devoted clientele.

5759 Bird Rd. 305.663.1615

$$-$$$ Japanese

Red Koi Lounge

If you like Thai food, then you will love Red Koi, which takes the Asian specialty up a notch. Their Bangkok Shrimp is worth the visit alone, and their cashew curry chicken will make you come back. Hopefully they will be expanding their few outdoor tables soon.

317 Miracle Mile 305.446.2690

$$ Thai

Sawa

Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese

Dining Guide

Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yatkitori 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. (Shops of Merrick Park) // 305.447.6555

$$$ Japanese and Mediterranean

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

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

$$-$$$ French 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

$$-$$$ French

Le Provençal

This Gables mainstay (30 years in the same location) is under new ownership, so expect some intriguing innovations. But what they do extremely well is classic French cuisine, with such crowd-pleasing favorites as duck a l’orange, Coquille St. Jacques, escargot and steak au poivre. New sidewalk seating for the Parisian café experience, perfect pre-theater location.

266 Miracle Mile 305.448.8984

$$$ French

Palm d’Or

Palm d’Or is a dining icon in Coral Gables. At once traditional and innovative, the French cuisine created by Chef Gregory Pugin is a work of art, literally. Each serving in his $115 six-course meals – or his $155 chef’s tasting menu – is impeccable in taste.

1200 Anastasia Ave. (at the Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

$$$$ French

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May 2, 2019 • 7-9pm

Entry Fees

• Member $550

• Non-Members $600 Includes 4 anglers

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

$$$ French

ITALIAN

Caffé 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. 318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

$$$ Italian

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.

45 Miracle Mile 305.442.4925

$$-$$$ Italian

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 art work 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

$$$$ Italian

Fontana

The setting is as elegant as the service and food: The Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy Italian classics. 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)

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Dining Guide

305.913.3200

$$$ Italian

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

$$$ Italian

La Palma

Exquisite setting in a historic building with lovely courtyard dining. For years, La Palma was known for its incredible lunch buffet. At $13.95 it’s still a bargain, but now served only on Tuesdays. For other weekdays, they have an executive lunch for $17.95. And good to know they always have pasta fagioli, the Tuscan white bean soup.

116 Alhambra Circle 305.445.8777

$$-$$$ Italian

Terre del Sapore

The idea behind this latest entry into the battle for best pizza in the Gables is to use slow-rising yeast and unpro-

cessed flower from Italy. The result is a flavorful crust, which is turned up at the edges to allow more tomato sauce and cheese to be captured and delivered to you. They call is Neopolitan style. We just call it delicious.

246 Giralda Ave. 786.870.5955

$$

Zucca

A worthy heir to the hallowed grounds of the old St. Michel restaurant, this one-year-old is a new 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.

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

$$$-$$$$ Northern Italian

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

$$ Peruvian

Caffe Vialetto

Two brothers, managing to keep sibling rivalry at bay, have concocted a menu of upscale Latin food that is consistently changing and interesting. Yuca, mofongo (garlic flavored mashed plantains), and other Caribbean and Latin flavors make for an out of the ordinary experience. Reservations required, always full.

4019 LeJuene Rd. 305.446.5659

$$$ Cuban/Latin

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

$$$ Argentine

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 (massas de Puerco). Large menu with all your Cuban favorite dishes along with – surprising for a Cuban place – some nice dinner salads. 4612 S. LeJeune Rd. 305.661.2622

$$ Cuban

Mikuna Peruvian

“It’s time to feel the real Peru” boasts the Mikuna web site, 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

$$$ Peruvian

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 flat breads that

SAVE MONEY on Picture

Enjoy a laugh with friends in a charming atmosphere

Dining Guide

MesaMar

are really haute tacos – are great at $17. 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955

$$ Mexican 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

$$$$ Spanish Seafood

M House

New restaurant on the ground floor of the Aloft Hotel, M House has soaring ceilings and clever plant hangings that create a great space. Fantastic seafood and new tastes abound, as Chef Abraham Silva uses a Josper Oven to bake in flavors at high heats. Great new takes on octopus, scallops and mussels, along with a masterful whole fish. 2524 S. Le Jeune Rd. 786.369.5155

$$$ European coastal cuisine, seafood

A relative newcomer, though the family has been in the restaurant business for many years. Some of the best seafood in the Gables. Try the golden-fried hogsnapper accompanied by lobster bisque with whole chunks of Florida lobster. Also serves delicious ceviches.

264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448

$$$ Seafood

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 4 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

$$$ Spanish

Bulla Gastrobar

As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla’s is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart 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 / $$ Spanish

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 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

$$ Spanish

Mara Basque Cuisine

If you have ever wanted to taste authentic Basque cuisine from northern Spain, this is your chance. Less than a year old, this entry into the international cuisine scene on Giralda brings the best of Basque cooking: Cod prepared with Vizcaina sauce (made from red onions and choricero pepper), Iberian ham with eggs and potatoes, meatballs with tomato sauce and guindilla peppers, and beef oxtail stew. Many dishes served as tapas to be shared.

112 Giralda Ave. (Plaza)

305.504.9274

$$$-$$$$ Spanish

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.

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.446.1400

$$$ Steakhouse

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

$$$-$$$$ Steak & Seafood

Morton’s Coral Gables

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

$$$ Steakhouse

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

There is a reason that the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on week nights. 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, wonderful service, and huge wine selection complete the package.

2320 Salzedo St. 205.461.8360

$$$$ Steakhouse

PUBS, CAFES & MISC.

John Martin’s Irish Pub

Where else in the Gables can you find a relaxed Irish pub with excellent comfort food like shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and fish & chips? Answer: nowhere. Which is why this long-established eatery and bar is so beloved by its clientele. Lots of American staples as well, from hot pastrami on rye to their signature Pub Burger. Jazz every Wednesday night.

253 Miracle Mile 305.445.3777

$ Pub Food

The Seven Dials

Calling itself an “eclectic American gastropub,” Seven Dials is a fusion of American recipes with British culinary standards, with nice twists like a chicken breast cooked with curry sauce. There is also a tasty 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

$$ British American ThreeFold Café

You have to love a place that is dedicated to breakfast all day long. But 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. 141 Giralda Ave. 305.704.8007

$$ American

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

$$ Caribbean

Coral Gables is proud of its Art in Public Places Program

Over the last two years, eight installations have come to Coral Gables with art enhancing both residential and business areas. Eight more projects have been approved, reinforcing the City’s focus on art.

Be on the lookout for future projects!

www.CoralGables.com/publicart

What Just Under $2 Million Will Buy in Coral Gables

“Coral Gables has long set the high bar for luxury real estate,” says Forbes Magazine, and indeed it has some of the most valuable – and historic – homes in South Florida, with a median price per square foot ($423) almost twice that of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.

This month we take a look at three older homes in the center of Coral Gables, all completely redone and updated, with price points just under $2 million. While retaining their outward appearance, all have modernized interiors, with a penchant for spotless white.

Revamped Near the Biltmore

4

half bath/pool. 3,363 sq.

In central Gables, this 1938 home was taken down to the studs and redone with new wooden floors, impact windows, high ceilings and fine finishes. The open kitchen has marble countertops and a wine cooler. Private backyard with pool, walk-in master closet, two-car garage, butler’s pantry and laundry room. Listing Agent: Ashley Cusack (EWM Realty International), 305.798.8685

A Historic Makeover in White

1317 OBISBO AVE

Listing Price

$1.76m

4 bed/3 bath/pool. 3,599 sq. ft. Two blocks north of the Granada Golf course, this 1925 Old Spanish-style home has been completely remodeled. The formal living room has vaulted wood ceilings and a fireplace. There is also a formal dining room, breakfast room and library. There is a heated, saltwater pool, a one-car garage, impact windows and soundproofing. Modern kitchen with Italian cabinetry.

Listing Agent: Drew Kern (EWM Realty International), 305.329.7744

Westport Tri-deck Motoryacht 2012 “ANGEL WINGS”

Westport RPHMY 2017 “BLACK GOLD”

Westport RPHMY 2010 “BOXER”

Transformed to Open Space

a gentleman, and a good boss. Sometimes he is strict, because he has to be, but he’s always on top of the people, since the first.” But ask him why the restaurant is a success, and he’ll tell you, “Because he [Pernetti] always has to check all of the dishes as they come out. Food is first. Then, of course, service, but food first.”

Though he has collected recipes all his life (and naturally has plenty from his extended family in Italy), Pernetti is modest about the food at Abbracci.

“I’m from the north of Italy. There is a myth about food coming from the north, south, east or west. The truth is that good food is good food. You blend what people like the most,” he says. “What we serve is comfort food, but still good food. At the end of the day, the stomach responds to good food. Like love. The idea is to never let you down. That’s what leads to longevity in love or in food.”

Pernetti himself eats lightly, at least at lunch, usually some fish and vegetables, a sip of prosecco, some berries in a martini glass and maybe an espresso – though he is not averse to a little pasta now and then. “Pasta is good for talking,” he says. He maintains a trim figure and maintains compulsive habits.

He reads the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald every day for precisely one hour, in case there is an item about one of his patrons (more likely than you would think). He arrives at Abbracci at precisely 10:30 a.m. and stays there until 3 p.m. He then returns at 7 p.m. and stays for a couple of hours, sometimes longer.

“I am extremely disciplined on time,” says Pernetti. “In my house I must have 10 clocks, one in the closet, one in the bath-

room, one in the hallway. I have seven French clocks, and they all chime at the same time. Every Sunday I have to rewind them and adjust them.” One reason for his methodical discipline of time is so that Pernetti can devote at least two hours a day to what he calls his addiction: reading. He maintains a large library and alternates between biographies and fiction.

“I have thousands of books, I mix them up, but curiosity drives me all the time,” he says. “If I don’t read every day for at least two hours I feel like I am missing something. It’s my medicine, or my drug, and I need at least two hours a day.” Among his recent reads are biographies of Mao Tze Tung and Thomas Jefferson, and among his favorite authors of fiction Nabakov and Grisham. He is currently reading a biography of Pope Pius IX and his troubles in the mid 1800s, and was thrilled when he recognized a reference to the Roman philosopher and orator Cicero. “The common reader would not know the reference. But I did, having read his book many years ago. When I read that in a passage it was a moment of joy.”

While reading is his guilty pleasure – Pernetti looks forward to the exquisite moment when he gets to pick his next book from among his unread – he also attributes his ability to converse with anyone to the storehouse of intelligence he’s derived from reading. “Probably this is my fountain of youth. It makes me feel so rich in knowledge. I can sit here with you, or the president, or the bus boy, and I will engage you at the level of anyone.”

Engagement. Perhaps that is what best describes Pernetti’s success. Abbracci feels engaged with its customers and its community, and visa-versa.

“Nino is an icon, and Abracci is part of the fabric of Coral Gables,” says Mayor Raul Valdez Fauli. “And the food is not bad, either.”

Rodney Barreto Rich Barbara Bradley Barreto

Relaxing Retreat

MID-CENTURY MODERN, PLUS LIGHT, COLOR, AND A CREATIVE GARDEN SCAPE, DEFINES THE STYLE OF GABLES HOMEOWNERS TERRY COOK AND STEVE YEVICH

By Karen Buchsbaum

Working with local home improvement company

Habify, five years ago Terry Cook and Steve Yevich gutted a 1950s house and redefined the interior and yard to bring in as much of the outdoors as possible. Triple sliding doors and expansive windows were installed to showcase native plantings, a new pool, patio, and other outdoor areas.

As seasonal residents, they wanted to create a private setting filled with as many native plants as possible to minimize the landscaping maintenance. A native of Texas who spent his childhood on a farm, Cook completed a Master Gardner’s program in New Hampshire where the couple also has a home. But he had to start fresh to learn about local plants and flowers. Hours of research and classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden helped him plan a free-form yard that packs a lot of interest into a compact 10,000-square-foot lot. With the help of architect Buck Reilly from Habify, a long-range plan was developed and Cook went to work.

The result is a happy, colorful vibe from the inside

out. Even the poolside décor was carefully curated, using a mid-century-inspired outdoor fabric from Robert Allen on the patio furniture (Yevich’s involvement focuses on hardscape maintenance and some of the trimming).

As in much of the Gables, the property has extensive coral rock just under the grass, including some outcroppings. Cook quickly learned to master a jackhammer to shape their massive beds of bromeliads, palms and other plantings. During the time they’ve been in the home, Cook and Yevich have also collected a large variety of orchids for placement throughout the property and house.

Only a half dozen of the original plants on the property still exist; new native plants were selected, with varieties chosen that are attractive to butterflies and birds. Vines cover the rail chains used in place of downspouts to direct water from rooftop gutters. The entire garden is at once intimate and relaxed, with a cozy ambiance that makes you feel comfortable enough to sit – and stay awhile.

Terry Cook and Steve Yevich gutted

a 1950s house and redefined the interior and yard...

Above: Steve Yevich and Terry Cook with Westie Chappy

Opposite left:Metal sculpture is by Joanie Drizin, whose work they first spotted at Beaux Arts

Opposite right; Outcroppings of coral rock delineate the lawn

Bottom: The poolside furntiure was chosen carefully to match the mid-century decor

THE SEAMLESS LIFE

AT STUDIOBECKER, IT’S ALL ABOUT KEEPING THINGS ORDERLY AND DISCRETE

By James Broida

Photos by David Duncan Livingston

Walk into StudioBecker on Ponce de Leon just south of Bird Road and it looks like your typical upscale showroom. There is the curved wall of a home entertainment center, a kitchen setting, and some elegant living room furniture. But step through a sliding door at the back and you enter another world: A huge dark chamber with installations of kitchens and dressing rooms, displays that come to life under spotlights. The feeling is theatrical, if not surreal, like the final dining room scene in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

“Everyone is able to walk

through a showroom. We don’t do that. We want someone to understand what takes place in our process,” says Frank Rosell, one of the owners of StudioBecker. “We take space very seriously.”

What that means is a modern aesthetic in which everything is concealed until needed, behind panels, behind doors that look like walls, or inside cabinets and table tops. Push a button or use a phone app, and whoosh, a panel slides aside and reveals kitchen utensils, appliances, spice racks. Push another button and a table top slides aside to reveal a sink and faucet. Push a wall

panel and it pops open to reveal a refrigerator.

“Some people describe it as very James Bond, because a lot remains hidden,” says Rosell. “For me, it’s that we all have a little OCD, and we like things to be where they should be.” Being in the business of providing custom, luxury installations, he says, “We feel that the ultimate luxury is not only that it looks [impeccable] but that it functions as such, and that you know where everything is, in order.”

Being a German company, StudioBecker is also fanatical about detail. Even the insides of the drawers have veneers,

Some people describe it as very James Bond, because a lot remains hidden...

Frank Rosell, co-owner at StudioBecker.

not just the outsides. Cabinets use special slot hinges so that you won’t see a hinge on the outside. And everything is built to exact specifications, such as kitchen drawers than can take 150 pounds of contents but glide open effortlessly. All made in Germany, of course.

With due deference to the cabinetry craftsmanship, we were most intrigued by the secret panels and hidden spaces. One of the installations – a dressing room – has a cabinet that rises from a center console, revealing small shelves for everything from watches to colognes.

One of his customers, says Rosell, had a special dining room wall unit installed that would reveal one of two very important works of art. During the evening, the panel would quietly close and then reopen. Inside would be a different piece of art. He wanted to see if his guests would notice the change, a personal test of their powers of observation.

“Your imagination is the only limit to what we can do,” says Rosell. “That, and your pocketbook.” A complete custom installation can cost anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000.

Opposite Left: A dressing room island bureau

Opposite Right: The same dressing room with pop-up console

Top Left: A contemporary kitchen where all is concealed.

Top Right: The same kitchen showing shelves, a fridge, a pantry and a cabinet with coffee maker.

Bottom Left: The same kitchen from the side, buttoned up

Bottom Right: The same kitchen showing the pantry and the cabinet with coffee maker.

Voices

From City Hall by Michael Mena

Time for Transparency

We live in an era of unprecedented distrust in government. Ironically, we also live in the information age. In 2019, people expect data and information to be available to them at their fingertips. We want to pull out our latest smart phone and immediately put the dinner table debate to bed with verifiable facts. So then why the distrust?

The Dalai Lama once said, “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” As a local government, if we want to foster a sense of trust and security with our residents, transparency is fundamental. Although the City of Coral Gables has always strived for financial transparency – abiding by applicable laws, operating in the sunshine, and employing staff who spend hours upon hours responding to public records requests – we can and must do more.

Transparency alone is not enough; our information must also be easily accessible. Do you want to know how much that park cost? Do you want to know how many taxpayer dollars were spent on those sidewalks or review a breakdown of annual pension contributions? I do, too. City staff can get you that information, but I believe that information should be available to you at your fingertips.

With that goal in mind, the City of Coral Gables has partnered with OpenGov to provide residents, business owners and the public at large with an online portal that fosters financial and operational visibility, openness, and accountability. The platform allows you to manipulate and access the City’s financial data in a variety of ways and is

designed to be user-friendly, implementing pictures and frequently asked questions that quickly lead you to the information sought.

Residents can access the Coral Gables Financial Transparency Platform at www.coralgables.com/financial-transparency. From there, you can follow prompts to review the City’s budget, sources of general revenue funds, capital improvement projects (including their current status and projected completion dates), and much more.

While this transparency platform is still in its nascency and there remains room for ample augmentation, I believe that its conception is an imperative step toward an elevated dialogue with our residents. Reasonable people can have respectful disagreements on issues of substance. But to engage in a productive discourse, we need to lay all our cards on the table. As residents, you should never fear that our budget process is an exercise in smoke and mirrors. Instead, you should have total and complete ease of access to the City’s financial information and budget. If the City cannot defend its decisions against such scrutiny, what good are those decisions?

As an elected official in a representative democracy, I owe a duty to the people of Coral Gables to represent your interests. An important aspect of that role is ensuring responsible financial stewardship of your taxpayer dollars. By increasing transparency, we nurture a greater level of trust, we improve the speed, efficiency and quality of our decision making, and, most importantly, we hold ourselves accountable.

Michael Mena is a Coral Gables City Commissioner and a partner in the Akerman law firm

Transparency alone is not enough; our information must also be

easily

accessible...

From Main Street By Mark Trowbridge

One Year Later…

It has been exactly one year since we dedicated the new and improved Miracle Mile, a fantastical fête years in the making for our community’s main street. The gathering of merchants and property owners and elected officials that afternoon heralded a new day for our downtown and newer opportunities for growth, as well. It was an amazing evening full of energy and camaraderie, a celebration like no other in recent memory.

Yet, as the past year has shown us, if you build it, it does not necessarily mean people (and customers) will come. We have seen the after-effects of the streetscape project take their toll on merchants and retailers, many of whom share the frustration that their businesses are still off from prior years. This is our current challenge and one that we continue to be invested in solving.

I recall when I first arrived at the Coral Gables Chamber nearly 13 years ago that the Miracle Mile Streetscape Project was a priority of our downtown merchants and our organization. Yet, in 2006, little progress had been made on actual plans and no political will had been garnered. Enter our Chamber leadership, with a renewed enthusiasm to get this project done, joining forces with the BID and other stakeholders to make it happen. With changes in administration – and new voices on our City Commission – we started to gain real momentum. Conversations on parking (parallel

versus angle, loss of spaces, etc.), construction disruption and rising rents gave way to design ideas, a curb-less street and pedestrian-friendly pavers.

We were then on our way. And yes, the process was painful at times and stressful at others, but like any facelift, we just needed time to heal. That is the phase we are in now and part of the process of rebuilding a beautiful main street is to remind everyone – old customers, prospective ones and new shoppers – that we have something incredibly special to offer in our gorgeous downtown and retail mix. There is nothing that compares to our Miracle Mile anywhere in Greater Miami or South Florida. Even after one year, it still smells like new car!

And so, on the first anniversary of our newly reimagined downtown, we invite you all to celebrate with paper – the green kind! Come shop, spend, dine and explore. And don’t forget Giralda Plaza, which has now been completed for 18 months and has directly benefitted from the outdoor seating, pedestrian-friendly plaza and public art installations par excellence.

With many thanks to our retail strategist Francesca Valdes, our partners in the BID and City, along with the fearless retailers and merchants we love and adore, we invite you to once again experience our gorgeous Miracle on the Mile. Happy Anniversary to all!

Mark Trowbridge is the President and CEO of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce

We have something incredibly special to offer in our gorgeous downtown and retail mix…

THE MAKEOVER OF MIRACLE MILE AND GIRALDA PLAZA IS NOW A YEAR OLD, BUT STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP... AT LEAST AS CHEERLEADERS

Boat House Parity

One of George Merrick’s early visions for Coral Gables was to make it a kind of Florida Venice, with waterways providing boating access to Biscayne Bay. First and foremost of these Venetian canals was the Coral Gables Waterway, which snakes its way from the bay all the way to the Biltmore. In the lower half of the waterway, before low bridges cut off access, riverfront homes routinely sported boat houses for their pleasure craft, unique structures still in use today.

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