Coral Gables Magazine June 2023

CORAL GABLES

Summer Reading

THE BEST NEW BOOKS

PLUS SUMMER TRAVEL: FLORIDA TRIPS

DOROTHY THOMSON: A PROFILE

Mitchell Kaplan Proprietor, Books & Books

“BROAD GLOBAL REACH AND ABUNDANT RESOURCES”

Nicolas

“THE GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS”

Janine

“THE FAMILY ATMOSPHERE AND UNMATCHED PROFESSIONALISM AND SERVICE”

Cristian

“THE AMAZING RESOURCES, GREAT CULTURE, AND HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM”

Ashley

“UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL WITH OUR TRUSTED NETWORK”

Oscar

“A COMPANY GROUNDED IN CHARACTER, INTEGRITY, REPUTATION AND RESPECT.”

Lynley

Scan here.

One look and you know it’s The Palace.

You’ll be surprised!

WE TALK ABOUT URBANISM, ARCHITECTURE, AND OUR ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT DETERMINING HOW WE LIVE IN A SPACE AND HOW TO BE FULLY PRESENT.... ”

SUMMER READING

It’s that time again, when summer vacations (hopefully) grant you the respite to pick up a good book. With that in mind, we asked the most iconic local leader in the world of reading, Mitchell Kaplan, along with two more esteemed readers to give us their list of worthy books.

DOROTHY THOMSON: A PROFILE

The life and times of Coral Gables’ only woman mayor. During daughter June’s senior year at Gables High in 1979, Dorothy and Jack gathered the family together and announced her decision to run for the Coral Gables Commission. “I loved campaigning,” says Dorothy. “I was used to campaigning for other candidates but never gave it a thought to run myself.”

SUMMER TRAVEL GETAWAYS

Our recommendation for three Florida journeys that were taken by our staff writers to Key West, Islamorada, and the Panhandle.

You can support growing children and their families. BaptistHealth.net/GenerosityHeals or 786-467-5400.

Why it Matters: South Miami Hospital Child Development Center

18,200

children assisted

Some children, especially those born pre-term or with disabilities, require a unique and personalized level of care. Thanks to Baptist Health Foundation donors, these kids and their parents can get the services they need.

Since 1999, donor philanthropy has supported the Child Development Center at South Miami Hospital, where highly trained professionals evaluate infants, neonatal intensive care unit graduates and children for developmental delays and disabilities. The Center, which sees more than 1,000 patients each year, provides individualized therapies to help children achieve their developmental potential.

When kids need a little help, generosity lends a hand.

The Once and Future Raja of Reading

When we launched Coral Gables Magazine five years ago, our first cover was a photograph of Mitchell Kaplan, the founder of Books & Books (and of the Miami Book Fair). No one, we surmised, was more beloved in this community, and no one more exemplified the intelligence of our residents. We are, after all, a highly educated city.

It is a great pleasure, then, to have Mitchell once again grace our cover. Much has happened since then – a pandemic, some raucous national elections – but through it all, Coral Gables has remained an island of civility and culture. We also remain a city of readers – our public library branch regularly rates as the highest in usage, per capita, of any in Miami-Dade.

So, we asked Mitchell to help us assemble a section of recommendations for our Summer Reading section. We also asked Dave Lawrence, the former publisher of the Miami Herald (back when it was a great newspaper) to make a few suggestions. And we asked Mark Trowbridge, CEO & president of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, to throw in his suggestions for business and leadership books.

When Mark made his suggestions, he also offered a few comments on Mitchell Kaplan and Books & Books, which we wanted to share:

“For the past five years, through the challenges and isolation of COVID, our

Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce has worked collaboratively with our partners at Books & Books to produce a stellar summer reading list for readers of all genres, desires, and tastes. This year is no different, and it reminds us of our pre-pandemic summers of leisure and travel that brought us such reading joy. Now, we can return to this favorite pastime with a vengeance, further understanding how lucky we are that Books & Books is again along for the ride.

Mitchell Kaplan and his team are the very best at picking a great summer read, whether to be enjoyed on a plane, by the pool, or on a sandy beach somewhere in our big, beautiful world. We are back to travel, but most of us have never left a great book behind. There is comfort in the page, light in the journey, life in the diverse characters. Use the time to escape, unwind, heal, or laugh. While I am a fan of history, I have also learned that when the team says, ‘Read this book,’ they do know best.

So, enjoy these recommended titles and fill up that carry-on backpack with a great book, courtesy of Books & Books and our friends at Coral Gables Magazine.”

CEO & PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P. Faber

EVP / PUBLISHER

Gail Scott

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

VP SALES

Sherry Adams

MANAGING EDITOR

Kylie Wang

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Natalia Clement

EDITORIAL INTERN

Isabella Cascio

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Grace Carricarte

SENIOR WRITERS

Katelin Stecz

Mike Clary

Doreen Hemlock

WRITERS

Rachel Costa

Karen Buchsbaum

PROOFREADER

Lesley Fonger

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rodolfo Benitez

Tiege Dolly

Jonathan Dann

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

OFFICIAL FRAMER

Adam Brand / Frames USA

we neglected to credit Alice Goldhagen for her excellent photos of the Villages of Coral Gables. Sorry Alice!

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 1200 Anastasia Ave. Suite 115, Coral Gables FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 995-0995. Copyright 2023 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 subscriptions@coralgablesmagazine.com. General mailbox email and letters to editor@ coralgablesmagazine.com.

On the cover: Mitchell Kaplan, Proprietor, Books & Books. Photo by Rodolfo Benitez.

Private Client

Banking should be personal. Very personal. At Amerant, our people understand that. It’s why we make ourselves available to you 24/7, giving you an experience that goes beyond private banking. Protecting and growing your wealth is what matters most to us – so you can focus on what matters most to you. Let

Each month, we print letters we receive from our readers. We encourage all commentary, including criticism as well as compliments, and any thoughts about our community. If you are interested, please send your thoughts to letters@coralgablesmagazine.com. Letters are edited for brevity.

The Election Dilemma

Please note my letter to you as editor is written only on an individual basis and not on behalf of any other individual or organization. With that said, I am concerned about voter turnout. While you write about the election upset this Spring, why is no one concerned that only 20 percent of voters in the City VOTE? It is not the weather, it is not that this election didn’t include election for our Mayor, it is about either indifference or a bigger problem!

Should 20 percent of the residents be the voice for the other 80 percent, and make decisions for our entire community? What can and should be done to encourage voter participation? Can this be a topic for commissioners to address? Any thoughts or suggestions? If you don’t vote then how can any resident or organization allege that the voice of the residents in the community is not being heard by the commissioners?

Gema Pinon Lopez, Esq.

Another Village

Nice article about the Villages [May 2023 issue]. Did you know that in the early 2000s, the McBride family built another of Merrick’s “proposed” villages – Bermuda Village – on Ponce and Riviera?  They did a really nice job of making it into a village with small street access and everything. [Also,] you’ve got to do better on the “Guess Where” photos. Cafe Demetrio is instantly recognizable.

Sally Baumgartner

No Place for Politics

Shame on you. I used to respect and enjoy your magazine, but after reading your last editor’s note [April 2023 issue], I am extremely disappointed with your political comments and spreading your personal politics in this publication. You stated yourself that for over five years the magazine has never endorsed or took sides in CG politics, and why you decided to do this now is a very poor choice. The fact that you talked negatively about a very solid candidate in Ariel Fernandez speaks of YOUR personal opinion, and he is a well-respected citizen who has done much for this community. This magazine USED to be an interesting outlet for all other

things in Coral Gables besides politics, but you have now changed that to voice your personal opinion.

Jeremy Flores

parking usage of the next 99 years.

Honorable Commissioner Fernandez admits he has no work experience working in a retail store, managing a retail store, or owning a retail store or property. I know of no retail experience by the head of the CGNA [Coral Gables Neighbors Association].

Why the Burger Bob Delay?

On March 13, 1925, George Merrick and various notables formally broke ground in what, a few months prior, had been the Merrick family’s vegetable garden, in order to build his flagship new hotel in the center of Coral Gables.

On Friday, January 15, 1926, two chartered trains, filled with Hollywood stars, European aristocracy, Wall Street tycoons and Washington big shots, left New York’s Pennsylvania Station at 6:30 pm and arrived in Miami 12 hours later in order to join the 1,500 guests celebrating the grand opening party of the Biltmore Hotel. From start to finish, the whole 16-story, 400-room hotel had been constructed, ready to party, in just ten months! A living monument to one man’s vision and determination.

One hundred years later, on January 23, 2022, Bob Maguire and Rita Tennyson, beloved hosts to generations of Gables residents at Burger Bob’s on Granada Golf Course, closed their doors so that the City could renovate the building. Almost 17 months later, the building is still a complete mess, months, if not years, from completion. A living monument to bureaucratic ineptitude

Patrick Alexander

Why We Need the Hub

Past and present critics of the Mobility Hub have claimed to be experts on parking, only to find, in one prominent example, that expertise was based on the assumption [of] historically low coronavirus parking rates – at one point all retail stores were ordered closed for two months! – representing the

I submit that with Coral Gables budget statistics continually showing, for decades, that the downtown generates about 30 percent of our city’s tax collection income each year, and experts including former Assistant Economic White Cabinet Member Tony Villamil [attesting] that negligence relating to these matters will cause residents significant tax increases, opponents of the Mobility Hub need to provide experts.

For those who missed the Town Hall last [month], there was lots of uninformed, ignorant, hatred of the Mobility Hub.

My 25-year multiply published focus on the 245 Andalusia Parking Garage tells me that if the Mobility Hub large parking facility is “stopped” – Commissioner Fernandez’ stated goal – this will lower City revenue by some 7.5 percent for the next 99 years.

Jackson Rip Holmes

That Metallic Flower

Regarding the article in May’s issue of Coral Gables Magazine “Art for Everyone” it was nicely written. So nice that one would think that the public art supported by Catherine Cathers, Coral Gables Arts and Culture Specialist, actually enhances the character and identity of our city. In the article Cathers says, “I seldom, if ever, hear somebody go, ‘Eh’ in reference to the enormous flower sculpture in the traffic circle at Segovia and Biltmore Way. Cathers must have heard that in 2016 those of us who detested the look of the futuristic monstrous metallic flower took to the streets wherever possible to gather hundreds of signatures from discontented residents to get rid of the sculpture. We held meetings all over the Gables including City Hall and were written up in The Herald. But to no avail.

June Frost

Streetwise

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Page 28

UNFINISHED SIDEWALKS HAVE BECOME AN ISSUE IN THE GABLES

From City Hall

AT ITS FIRST MEETING IN MAY, THE CITY COMMISSION:

DISCUSSED THE FATE OF THE PROPOSED MOBILITY HUB. The futuristic-looking Hub, designed to replace the aging parking garage behind the Miracle Theatre, has engendered considerable controversy. Newly elected Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who sponsored the discussion, said “The two concerns that most residents have about the Mobility Hub are the design and the size… obviously, the price as well. Nobody wants to spend $63 million on a garage.” When first proposed, the Mobility Hub had a projected cost of $42 million. Fernandez suggested a smaller scale with a different design.

Civic activist Dr. Gordon Sokoloff, who used the existing garage for 23 years for his Coral Gables Dentistry staff, echoed the complaints of citizens who objected to the modern look of the proposed building. “The original drawing and photo for the Mobility hub as presented was really offensive. It did not fit in at all with the neighborhood,” he told the Commission, calling it a “giant white monstrosity.” As for cost, the Commission entertained several options, including lowering the height by reducing the size of each floor – currently 12 feet, which allows for adaptive re-use as an office or apartment building in the future. Also discussed was the elimination of the rooftop park, which would save $6 to $8 million.

Most importantly – and with the strong endorsement of Commissioner Rhonda Anderson, who opposed the original design – the Commission agreed to ask the original architecture firm of Gensler to provide alternative looks to the “shell,” ranging from Art Deco to Mediterranean to one that included greenery.

The Commission decided to hold a Sunshine meeting for residents to provide more input. Mayor Vince Lago, who has championed the idea of the Mobility Hub, agreed that “we need a conversation on the aesthetic appeal of the building,” but was pleased “that we agree that we need to build a [new] parking garage,” pointing out that between 27 and 30 percent of the city’s taxes are paid by commercial tenants in the downtown, which require parking. He also pointed out that the cost of the new garage would ultimately be paid by parking fees and rents from ground level retail.

VOTED 3-2 TO RETAIN PETER IGLESIAS AS CITY MANAGER. The termination of Iglesias was one of the campaign priorities of newly elected Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, and the Commission listened for close to three hours to residents opine on the issue. The argument for his termination was succinctly expressed by Coral Gables Neighbors Association president Sue Kawalerski, who said the recent election of Fernandez and Commissioner Melissa Castro “was about the establishment. The voters said we don’t want the establishment

in there anymore… Unfortunately, our current city manager is part of the establishment.”

Most of the residents who addressed the Commission, however, were in favor of retaining the city manager – even some who had voted for Fernandez. Joe Martucci, a city resident for 40 years, said he saw no evidence that Fernandez was speaking for most residents. “It looks as though it is a small, vocal group of people that just don’t like Peter Iglesias,” he said. “Someday they are not going to like someone else that works here, and I don’t think that’s the standard.”

Commissioner Anderson said the city manager had done a superlative job, especially during COVID. “He kept this city running without losing a single city employee, without raising taxes, and maintaining a level of service that our residences expected. I can’t say that for other cities,” she said.

As expected, Fernandez voted to terminate Iglesias, while Lago, Anderson, and Menendez voted to retain. Commissioner Castro apologetically voted to oust Iglesias, saying “It breaks my heart,” but that she had to follow the will of her voters. However, Castro then joined Lago, Anderson, and Menendez in a 4 to 1 vote of confidence for Iglesias, saying, “Given that you are going to stay, I am more than willing to work with you.” Only Fernandez voted no.

LISTENED TO AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF BURGER BOB’S, the neighborhood eatery on the Granada Golf Course. Hermes Diaz, the city’s director of public works, said that design work was nearly complete and that the city could begin construction in three months when the drawings were permitted, assuming that one of the current bids is accepted. Commissioner Fernandez accused the city of dragging its feet. “The community has been clear, for over a year – almost a year and a half – they want this to be a priority. And here we are,” said Fernandez. “Burger Bob’s closed in February of last year, so it’s been 14 months and we don’t even have a timetable of when we are planning on opening.”

Mayor Lago and Diaz contradicted Fernandez’s declaration that nothing had been done, noting that a new roof had been installed along with impact resistant windows. “I promise you nobody wants this done more than I do,” said the mayor, who also noted that cost escalation had put the price beyond what was budgeted. Commissioner Menendez added that the current design for the interior was way too slick, and that residents want it redone. “We are looking for a retro kind of experience, not a modern-day Neiman Marcus look.” Commissioner Fernandez suggested that the city create a portal where the progress and status of the project could be transparently monitored. The Commission agreed, with a 5-0 vote in favor.

THE NEW BURGER BOB’S?

Real Estate That Moves You

DURING ITS SECOND MEETING IN MAY, THE CITY COMMISSION:

LISTENED TO AN UPDATE FROM STATE SENATOR ALEXIS CALATAYUD on the legislative session that recently took place in Tallahassee. Coral Gables received several million dollars from the state this year, enough to fund seven of eight proposed projects, including the citywide bridge repair program, the construction of Fire Station 4, and the Venetian Pool facility repairs.

LISTENED TO PRESENTATIONS FROM TWO HOMEOWNERS and their attorneys regarding the decision of the Historic Preservation Board to designate their homes as historic landmarks. “Now that we’re trying to exercise what should be our right to build a better, safer, and more sustainable home, we’re facing… this prejudicial historic designation. The hardship created by this designation will affect me and my family forever,” said Peter Saliamonas, who owns a home commissioned by George Merrick at 1221 Milan Avenue. The Commission voted 4-1, with only Mayor Lago dissenting, to remand the Saliamonas’ home for further proceedings to the Historic Preservation Board, which will likely affirm its decision. The second home’s designation was affirmed after a 5-0 vote by the Commission. Located at 517 Aragon Avenue, the home is owned by Shaan and Pooja Patel. Both families had originally bought the homes before they were designated historic, although in the case of the Patels, they had been informed that the home was “historically significant” and subject to potential designation prior to purchase.

VOTED 2-3, WITH ONLY COMMISSIONERS CASTRO and Fernandez in favor, to override the mayor’s decision to operate the Commission meeting’s agenda as usual regarding public comment. The two commissioners expressed concern over the current procedure, which allows public comment only on items where the Commission takes official action (usually a vote) or during the Public Comments section of the meeting. The current procedure is used by all 34 municipalities in the county and there is no legal necessity to allow public comment on any “discussion” items where the Commission does not take official action. Commissioner Menendez explained to his two colleagues that allowing public comment on all items would lengthen the meetings even further, which are already so long that many residents complain. As chair of the Commission, Mayor Lago said definitively, “We are going to run the agenda the way that I want to run the agenda.”

VOTED 5-0 TO ACCEPT THE DONATION OF A LARGE CLOCK by F.P. Journe to be added to the downtown area. The city manager will propose locations for the clock in a future meeting. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)

DISCUSSED THE PARKING OF DELIVERY SCOOTERS in the downtown in an effort to curtail them from taking up valuable spots on Miracle Mile while they await new deliveries. The main idea floated was to force them into designated areas, but how that would occur remains to be seen. Mayor Lago asked for Police Chief Ed Hudak to come up with ideas based on what other U.S. cities or municipalities are doing and the city will reach out to delivery companies to help with cooperation. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)

DISCUSSED ALTERNATIVE DESIGN IDEAS TO THE MOBILITY HUB presented by Vice Mayor Anderson, including Art Deco and “green” architectural designs, the latter of which involves draping the Hub

in vegetation. No further decisions were made. “It could be one of those iconic buildings Coral Gables has,” Commissioner Menendez said optimistically. The city is still in the process of getting a re-design from the original idea (seen above), which residents strongly objected to at previous Town Hall and Commission meetings. Vice Mayor Anderson is in favor of putting pickleball courts in the park on the roof, while Commissioner Fernandez supports removing the park to cut down on the building’s cost (see previous City Commission item). (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson and Commissioner Fernandez)

DISCUSSED THE INSTALLATION OF CAMERAS AND DEFIBRILLATORS at parks not permanently staffed by city personnel for public safety. Fire Chief Marcos De La Rosa recommended using Code Blue Smart emergency stations, which have 360-degree night vision cameras, activated when the emergency button is pressed. Other options were presented at various costs, and the Commission agreed to wait until final budget proposals were presented to make a decision. Rotary Park and Salvadore Park were both proposed as potential locations for a pilot program. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)

DISCUSSED THE NEW ONLINE PORTAL for all current city projects (see previous City Commission item). IT Director Raimundo Rudolfo presented the new webpage, which is located on the city’s website under the Public Works Department. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez)

DISCUSSED A RESIDENT CONCIERGE SERVICE for the Development Services Department, which would provide information on permitting and ensure residents will be able to speak with someone either via phone or online live chat. Department Director Suramy Cabrera said the city already performs most of the functions outlined in Commissioner Castro’s presentation, but will look into expanding those services with a dedicated staff member who can offer residents advice and support. Commissioner Menendez and Mayor Lago both expressed their support for the department, which Menendez said was “doing a fantastic job” already. (Sponsored by Commissioner Castro)

DISCUSSED THE EXTENSION OF THE FREEBEE service to the Coral Gables Country Club beginning on June 8, the day summer break begins for students. (Sponsored by Commissioners Castro, Fernandez, and Menendez) ■

Talk of the Town

transparency and greater public access. But two recurring subjects dominated the night: overdevelopment and the Mobility Hub.

Multiple residents spoke out about the city’s growing developments encroaching on their neighborhoods and creating secondary issues, such as a lack of available street parking and an increase in traffic. Attendees pointed out how some of the larger developments deviate from the architectural vision for the city. Questions were also raised about the Commission bending zoning codes to cater to developers. The overall message from most of the crowd: “We don’t want Coral Gables to turn into Brickell Avenue.”

Residents were also up in arms against the Mobility Hub, the city’s proposed parking garage and micro-mobility station planned to replace Parking Garage No. 1 at 245 Andalusia Avenue, directly behind the Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile. From criticizing the design to pointing out empty parking spaces in other downtown garages, many residents firmly voiced their criticism for the project. The funding was also put to the question, from the $2 million-plus spent on the design alone to the current $63 million price tag the project will ultimately cost.

Town Hall: “A New Day in Coral Gables”

The meeting room at the Police and Fire Headquarters was packed the second Monday evening in May, filled with Coral Gables residents eagerly waiting to voice their opinions on the direction of the city at the behest of the Commission’s newest members, Commissioners Ariel Fernandez and Melissa Castro. An estimated 150 attendees – made up of residents, police officers, city staff, and the remaining members of the Commission (Kirk Menendez, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, and Mayor Vince Lago) – participated in the lengthy town hall meeting.

Commissioner Fernandez, who called the meeting, said it was “a great opportunity to hear from residents about the issues that are important to them… We’ve heard about them during the campaign, but this is an opportunity to ask staff questions directly and get answers as to what’s going on.”

For the most part, Fernandez and Castro listened to the residents, occasionally adding a glimpse into their perspectives on certain topics and pressing city staff for concrete answers. Castro emphasized her role as the residents’ advocate, stating that she will vote on issues based on their feedback. The crowd seemed optimistic with this dynamic, providing a round of applause to Fernandez’s statement: “It’s a new day in Coral Gables.”

The Retail Rush

City staff, including City Manager Peter Iglesias and Development Services Director Suramy Cabrera, were placed in the hot seat throughout the night with a few tense moments (and a couple of disdainful laughs and boos from the crowd). The concerns raised by residents covered a myriad of topics, from sidewalk repairs to

With its Miracle Mile streetscape project long in the rearview mirror, Coral Gables is experiencing a retail occupancy that is the envy of other municipalities in Miami-Dade County. According to the most recent Collier’s report, of the 2.5 million-square-feet of retail space in the Gables, only 1.3 percent is vacant, far less than the county average of 3.3 percent. Part of the reason is the surge in foot traffic. Last year, the number of visitors to Miracle Mile rose by 55 percent from the year before, from 431,587 in 2021 to 667,229.

Miracle Mile is not alone in its retail plentitude. The Shops at Merrick Park is welcoming a bevy of new specialty stores anxious to occupy the few remaining empty spaces. Arhaus, an artisan-crafted home furnishings store, will open shortly on the first level, followed

COMMISSIONERS ARIEL FERNANDEZ AND MELISSA CASTRO

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PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE / YARD HOUSE / VILLAGIO RESTAURANT

by Coco Cigars and the Miami Royal Ballet Dance School. And on the second level, Boisson (“a sophisticated sips retailer for those looking for an alternative to alcohol”) will also open, along with upscale women’s, children’s, and “sleepwear” retailer Splendid. Trendy women’s clothing vendor Shusha Boutique will join them on the third level near Nordstrom.

Of course, there is a price tag to accompany the up-trending occupancy. City-wide, Gables retailers paid average rents of 26 percent higher last year than the year before, with asking rents of $48 a square foot, up from $38 in 2021.

Books, Please

After nearly two years and more than $3 million in upgrades, the Coral Gables library has reopened. The iconic stone and glass structure at 3443 Segovia Street opened just two days after the annual Family Literacy Festival took place at the nearby Memorial Youth Center. With more than 120,000 “materials” (books, videos, audio discs, etc.), the refurbished facility has new carpeting, expanded seating areas, technology booths in the teen areas, wireless upgrades, new and additional desktop computers, and renovated restrooms. The temporary branch at 308 Miracle Mile was simultaneously closed, sending its 20,000 materials back to the main branch.

In Bloom Again

This year marks the 86th annual Royal Poinciana Fiesta, a celebration of the blooming tree that has become synonymous with South Florida. While it is a native of Madagascar, the Royal Poinciana (named after Gov. Lonvellier de Poncy of the French West Indies) was probably first planted in Coconut Grove in the early 1900s –the oldest documented one was planted at The Kampong in 1917 by Marian Fairchild, wife of Dr. David Fairchild of Tropical Botanic Garden fame.

The annual festival celebrating the tree started in Miami in 1937, when Royal Poinciana Tree Day was proclaimed by then Mayor Robert R. Williams. The next year, it became the Poinciana Tree Pilgrimage to the largest tree in the county, which was in Kendall. The following year, it became Royal Poinciana Week, and by 1940 it had become the Annual Royal Poinciana Festival. In the subsequent years, it was funded by the City of Miami, which changed the name to the Poinciana Fiesta in 1996. After the city declined to fund it any longer, the Tropical Flowering Tree Society took it over in 1999, and in 2018 the City of Coral Gables became a co-sponsor.

The Gables-based Tropical Tree Society, which formed in 1988, meets monthly at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. Their plans for this year’s festival (June 4 to 11) include cocktail parties, musical events, walking tours, a symposium, trolley tours, bike tours, and plantings. Go to tfts.org or royalp.org for details.

Fashion for a Cause

This past May saw the Biltmore Hotel turned into a fashion runway show with a humane purpose. The 2nd Annual Fashion for Freedom event, put on by the nonprofit Glory House Miami, raised money for survivors of human trafficking. “Our goal is that those who have been broken by sex exploitation will be restored to healthy mind, body, and spirit,” says Betty Lara, executive director of Glory House. “What we do as a nonprofit organization is reaching, rescuing, and restoring survivors of human trafficking,” she says, including providing trauma therapy, counseling, medical care, life skills, vocational training, and financial assistance.

ANNUAL ROYAL POINCIANA FIESTA

Josie Wang’s Featured

The organization is also raising money for a facility that will provide a safe space for victims as they re-integrate into society. “Human trafficking is a very real problem not only in our own backyard, but throughout the U.S. and the world. It is modern day slavery inflicting tremendous psychological, emotional, and physical damage on its victims,” says Lara. “These people need our help.”

For several hours, the 210 guests at the Fashion for Freedom event watched as models paraded in dresses and suits at the Biltmore’s International Center, raising more than $600,000 for the cause. Guest speakers for the event included DawnCheré Wilkerson, one of the pastors of the VOUS Church in Miami, who has 345,000 followers on Instagram. It is estimated that 27 million women, men, and children are currently enslaved and trafficked worldwide.

Garden Club to the Rescue

Back in 1945, when the then-named Girl Scouts of Dade County purchased an 11.5-acre campsite next to Matheson County Park (for $3,337 from cookie sales!), it was a native hardwood hammock. Three years later, it was dedicated to the aplomb of 7,000 people who attended, replete with shelters, meeting space, and cabins. Fast forward 75 years and what has happened to “Camp Mahachee” is what’s happened to countless South Florida natural environments: the invasion of alien species.

Now, the Coral Gables Garden Club has come to the rescue. In a three-phase project that began last October, the Garden Club spearheaded the clearing of several acres worth of invasive vines

(phase one), the removal of dead wood and trash (phase two), and the planting of native trees (phase three). They have now added a pollinator garden to attract native butterflies. “It was a good project, and it energized our club,” says Susan Rodriguez, president of the Garden Club. “We have a lot of younger members now, thanks to this.”

Rodriguez said the project was initiated in 2022 when she asked the membership if they “had any great ideas for a project we could get behind.” She was contacted by Bill and Lynn Kerdyk Jr., who suggested they come to the rescue of Camp Mahachee. “They introduced me to Chelsea Wilkerson [CEO of Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida] and [we] talked about their vision to clean up the front entrance and get rid of the invasive vines... I got the Garden Club to donate time and money.” With $25,000 in seed money (more than $150,000 was eventually raised), the group induced a small army of volunteers to help, ranging from City Commissioner Rhonda Anderson to Miami-Dade County environmental scientist James Duncan, plus (of course) scores of Girl Scouts.

The result is a small forest of 1,100 native trees, from the Gumbo Limbo to the Jamaican Caper. “They look fantastic, they look amazing,” says Rodriguez. They are enhanced by a temporary irrigation system set up by Duncan, and by three coral rock benches, one of which is dedicated to the Kerdyks.

Summer’s Urban Sketch Crawl

The Coral Gables Museum is exploring the city’s architecture and history through a new lens this summer with its Urban Sketch Crawl. The program, meant to replace the museum’s downtown walking tours during the summer hiatus, provides a weekday evening outing that will tour different parts of the city with an artistic element.

As the name suggests, the events will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about historic landmarks and notable sections of town while sketching them. Gianna Riccardi, the museum’s director of education and public programs, says there will be a variety of additional art aspects implemented, such as photography and watercolor painting, depending on the theme.

“We want people to see the beauty that’s all around them,” Riccardi says. “We talk about urbanism, architecture, and our environment, but it’s also about determining how we live in a space and how to be fully present. When we stop and look at something and appreciate the history of it … looking at the details and how it has aged, you get a better understanding of how it started and where it is now.” In addition to tour guides providing historical context, the tour will also have art guides present to give pointers and creative direction.

Each tour, every other Wednesday, will explore a different theme: Aragon Roundabout (June 14), Along Miracle Mile (June 28), Art in Public Places (July 12), Back to the Beginning (July 26), Recent Renovations (August 9), Paist Buildings (August 23), and Lush Landscapes (September 6). For more information, visit coralgablesmuseum.org. ■

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Where the Sidewalk Ends

IN A CITY THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON WALKABILITY, SIDEWALKS ARE NOT A GIVEN

BY MIKE CLARY

Thanks to an urban forest estimated at 41,000 trees, Coral Gables claims the largest canopy coverage of any city in South Florida, a natural umbrella that provides welcome shade and beauty. Due largely to those trees, the city has three miles of cracked, uneven, root-raised sidewalks. The price tag to fix them: $3.4 million.

The city also has 79 miles of streets with no sidewalks at all, including major thoroughfares such as Blue Road, where walkers and joggers are forced into the roadway to compete for space with cars and trucks. The price tag to install them: at least $26 million.

“It’s interesting,” says Commissioner Kirk Menendez. “We call ourselves a walkable city. In reality, we are walkable in certain parts of the city. And walking in the middle of the street doesn’t make us a walkable city.”

The issue of sidewalks has recently become a front burner topic in the Gables, the focus of a February commission meeting and a March community meeting where residents and city officials expressed dismay over the dearth of walkways and the condition of existing paths. “I’m tired of seeing the elderly, the disabled, people

with strollers, have to go into the middle of the street,” said Mayor Vince Lago. “That’s not acceptable.”

To deal with a steady stream of complaints about the damage that trees cause to pavement, as well as to sewers, drainage systems, and utility lines, engineers at the Public Works Department have come up with new construction techniques. These include designing sidewalks that curve around trees and a concrete reinforced with fiber mesh and compacted structural soil – a mix of crushed stone and organic material – that allows tree roots to grow through it without lifting the walkway.

These techniques of sidewalk construction will face a critical test this summer when work is scheduled to begin along several blocks of University Drive between Bird and Blue Roads. At a projected cost of $750,000, the city will lay sidewalks on both sides of the street, relocate some trees, and install a drainage system, according to Senior Transportation Engineer Melissa De Zayas.

Of course, the concrete sidewalks will be tinted, as required by city ordinance, in a color known as Coral Gables Beige. And since the University is a vital connector street – a main thoroughfare through local streets – the city will pick up the tab; residents will not be assessed. Next up, says De Zayas, are sidewalks for Blue Road and for Alhambra Circle between San Rafael Avenue and the narrow bridge over the Gables Waterway.

“There are some blocks where the sidewalk just ends before reaching the other end of the block,” says Menendez. “I think we need to make sure someone is not walking on the sidewalk and it just stops. We should complete the work.”

The peril of walking in the street is one of the factors that propelled Debbie Swain to lobby hard for the University Drive sidewalks in front of her home. Swain, chair of Bike Walk Coral Gables

Photo by Mike Clary

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and a former member of the Transportation Advisory Board, says she has twice survived near-misses with cars on University Drive while hiking to the University of Miami campus. “The public rights of way need to be safe for all users,” she says. “I’d love to see more sidewalks in the city before I’m in a wheelchair and need them.”

Also hazardous is walking on fractured sidewalks that are trip-and-fall magnets. The city does get sued for injuries blamed on sidewalks in poor condition, and it has made recent settlements, according to city attorney Cristina Suarez. “Yes, there are pending lawsuits alleging injuries purportedly suffered due to uneven or broken sidewalks,” she said in an emailed response to a query. She said she did not have readily available information on the cost of recent settlements.

Swain urges the city to be more aggressive in pursuing grants to finance sidewalks. “The city has not been applying for those,” she said. “There is a massive amount of money out there.”

But not all residents who live on un-sidewalked streets want pavement in front of their homes. Opponents cite concerns that trees will be harmed, or that sidewalks will attract walkers from other neighborhoods. “People don’t like change,” Swain said.

Another factor is cost. If the city installs sidewalks in so-called connector streets, there is no cost to residents. If residents request sidewalks in front of their homes, they have to pick up 50 percent of the price tag, which they must pay for with installments over a five-year period.

Mayor Vince Lago has heard the arguments against new sidewalks for years. “We have neighbors oppose each other on whether they want a sidewalk or not,” says Lago. “But on main thoroughfares, they have to be completed. We have to deliver on [those] sidewalks.” ■

“THERE ARE SOME BLOCKS WHERE THE SIDEWALK JUST ENDS BEFORE REACHING THE OTHER END OF THE BLOCK.” - COMMISSIONER KIRK MENENDEZ

Living A Day at The Venetian Page 38

THE VENETIAN POOL, REPLETE WITH CORAL STONE BUILDINGS, GONDOLA POLES, AND A VENETIAN BRIDGE

Best Bets for June

of the season starting at 2:30 pm. Alternatively, join a bike tour by Bike Walk Coral Gables on June 11 at 10 am, starting at the Coral Gables Museum. For more information, visit tfts.org.

MIAMI CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY AT SANCTUARY OF THE ARTS

The Mainly Mozart Festival of the Miami Chamber Music Society continues into June with two concerts at the Sanctuary of the Arts, across the street from City Hall. On June 3 at 4 pm, delight in the Classical Masters by violinist William Hagen and pianist Marina Radiushina, featuring the works of three of the most celebrated classical music composers: Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. On June 10 at 4 pm, experience the breathtaking musical artistry of three illustrious musicians – pianist Marina Radiushina, violinist Risa Hokamura, and cellist Alexander Hersh – in an exhilarating program of classical works that will transport you into a world of sonic beauty and elegance. Tickets are $10 to $30. 410 Andalusia Ave. sanctuaryofthearts.org

COMEDY NIGHT AT BOOKS & BOOKS

Have some laughs during free comedy nights at Books & Books, taking place June 5 and June 19, presented in partnership with Villain Theater. Sit in the bookstore’s courtyard and enjoy some delicious bites and drinks as Miami’s best local stand-up comedians perform starting at 8 pm. 265 Aragon Ave. booksandbooks.com

86TH ANNUAL ROYAL POINCIANA FIESTA

Celebrate the natural beauty within the city during this year’s Royal Poinciana Fiesta (see story pg. 22). This week-long event, occurring when Poinciana trees are at their most colorful, is presented by the Tropical Flowering Tree Society. Learn about the history, horticultural aspects, and artistic inspiration of the Royal Poinciana at the Coral Gables Public Safety Building on June 10 at 1 pm and stick around for trolley tours highlighting the best trees and blossoms

SIP & STROLL: ‘80S MIAMI

Live out your “Miami Vice” fantasies while strolling the grounds of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden during the first Sip & Stroll Summertime Series event on June 22. This series travels back in time through the decades, with June’s theme focusing on ’80s Miami. Explore the garden after hours, starting at 5 pm, and enjoy an evening of music and cuisine from that era. There will be live entertainment, signature cocktails, lawn games, and more. Tickets are $19.95 and $9.95 for adult and child members respectively and $24.95 and $11.95 for nonmember adults and children respectively. Kids six and younger are free. 10901 Old Cutler Road. fairchildgarden.org

“NATIVE GARDENS” AT GABLESTAGE

Cultures and gardens clash in the latest GableStage production, “Native Gardens’’ by Karen Zacarías. Watch as well-intentioned neighbors turn into feuding enemies after a young couple purchases a home next to a well-established couple with a prize-worthy English garden. An impending barbeque and delicate disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spiral into an all-out border dispute, exposing both couples’ notions of race, taste, class, and privilege. Wed. at 2 pm and 7 pm, Thurs. to Sat. at 8 pm, and Sun. at 2 pm. Show runs from June 9 to July 16. Tickets (including fees) range from $45 to $75, with a streaming option available ($27).

1200 Anastasia Ave. gablestage.org

A SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

The Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series returns for its 38th year, celebrating classical music and jazz while spotlighting artistry and education. Every other Thursday at 7:30 pm from June 8 to August 17, concertgoers will listen to music by classical and jazz musicians and learn about each artist’s journey with music. June’s lineup includes a reunion Big Band performance by alumni from the program’s ALL-STAR Jazz Ensemble (June 8); and a performance by Mark Kosower (June 22), the principal cello of the Cleveland Orchestra, joined by pianist Melivia Raharjo for music by Beethoven, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Krenek, Myaskovsky, and Martinů. At the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ. General admission is $35 in advance and $40 at the door, with additional ticket options available for the front nine rows for one, four, or all six concerts ($50-55, $190, $270). 3010 De Soto Blvd. communityartsprogram.org.

MEMORY LANE: CLASSIC CAR SHOW

Celebrate Father’s Day a week early and “Take A Trip Down Memory Lane” at a classic and exotic car show at the Coral Gables Golf & Country Club on June 11 from 10 am to 2 pm. The event features food trucks, refreshments, and cigar rolling. $10 per vehicle to park, free entry per person. Alhambra Parking Lot at 990 Alhambra Circle. For more information, email events@coralgablescountryclub. com.

Each Monday, the Miami Jazz Co-Op puts on a world-class performance at the UU Congregation of Miami Church on Ira Sullivan Way, which is just south of Sunset Drive, east of 826. The Jazz Co-Op, long a Gables fixture at the now closed Open Stage Club on Galiano street, is hosting a Summer of Bands. The first is June 19 at 8 pm: Horizons Jazz Orchestra. Tickets at the door $20 to $30. 7701 SW 76th Ave. miamijazz.org. ■

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Piper and Skye

LOOKING FOR A CHIC NEW HANDBAG? HOW ABOUT ONE MADE OF INVASIVE BURMESE PYTHON LEATHER?

BY ISABELLA CASCIO

At Piper and Skye, where the tagline is ‘We love what we’re made of,’ you can find handbags at the corner of style and sustainability. The brand was founded by CEO and Gables resident Joanna MacDonald, a style and sustainability enthusiast who is committed to using the most ethical and sustainable business practices in the creation of her wares.

To qualify for use in Piper and Skye’s handbags, an animal skin must meet specific criteria. Firstly, it should come from a species that is either overpopulated in its natural habitat or considered an invasive species. This ensures that the reduction or eradication of the species is justified. Secondly, the animal should be used as a food source, meaning its meat is consumed. This approach honors the animal by utilizing every part possible, including its skin. In this way, Piper and Skye focuses on minimizing waste, maximizing resource utilization, and addressing environmental concerns.

MacDonald, who has been growing her business since its founding in 2015, recently moved to Coral Gables to be closer to her retailers, which are based throughout Florida – including Showfields on Miami Beach. You can go there or order online. “I call it a slow burn,” she says of the brand’s growth. Her passion for ethical business and sustainability stems from her upbringing, working for her family’s farm equipment manufacturing business in Canada. There, she learned about sustainable practices. “It’s about doing things the right way, not the easy way [or] the quick way,” she says.

Her love for handbags can also be traced back to her family. She fondly recalls the influence of her grandmother, who she says instilled her appreciation for handbags. “That’s where my interest comes from — she loved everything from expensive handbags to taking me to Tijuana to barter for $10 bags,” says Macdonald. This familial connection fueled the CEO’s passion, blending her personal mission of sustainability with a heartfelt personal connection to the craft.

Though Piper & Skye was founded in Canada, MacDonald relocated to Coral Gables in 2022, in part inspired by the desire to use the skins of invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades for the brand’s handbags. Piper and Skye is now partnered with Inversa Leathers, a tannery that exclusively uses leather from invasive species. In addition to using their raw materials, the company has also partnered with Inversa in an educational capacity. “We’re going to team up and go out to design schools to educate emerging designers on biodiversity and the ecological benefits of using these materials

in their designs,” says MacDonald.

Piper and Skye uses ethically sourced animal products over vegan leather or other manufactured materials because natural materials are actually more sustainable when properly sourced. “There’s a lot of misinformation amongst the general population about the fact that the chemicals required to make vegan leather are way more damaging to the planet than just using regular cow leather,” says MacDonald, referencing her experience in the world of agriculture. “Just like the materials we use, cows are already a food source for so many people. If the skins were not used in beautiful handbags, they would be headed to a landfill.”

This dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices has earned Piper and Skye the prestigious Butterfly Mark certification, an internationally recognized independent award for luxury brands that meet the highest standards for sustainability. “This is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” says MacDonald of the Butterfly Mark. “I’m very proud to have achieved it.” ■

TOP: JOANNA MACDONALD, CEO OF PIPER AND SKYE VISIT ONLINE AT PIPERANDSKYE.COM

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

A Day at The Venetian

NOTHING SAYS CORAL GABLES LIKE ITS HISTORIC PUBLIC POOL

BY RACHEL COSTA

In 1924, the Venetian Pool opened as the Venetian Casino, one of many popular bathing casinos in early 1900s Miami. These were fanciful “bathing pavilions,” mostly on Miami Beach, and had nothing to do with gambling. The Venetian in the Gables was originally a four-acre quarry, its coral rock used for many of the city’s historic structures. Abandoned in 1921, it was re-designed by famed Coral Gables artist Denman Fink and architect Phineas Paist as part of George Merrick’s plan to develop a Mediterranean-style city. Replete with coral stone buildings, gondola poles, and a Venetian bridge, in 1981 it officially earned a spot in the National Register of Historic Places, the only pool to be so designated. “It’s got magic,” says Oliver Robles, who’s been a lifeguard at the Venetian for eight years. “There’s an ambiance to it.”

The Venetian has always been a popular destination for residents and non-residents alike, a place where families, couples, and teens can relax – and, of course, swim. The pool holds over 820,000 gallons of freshwater, which is drawn daily from the Biscayne aquifer. Unlike normal chlorinated pools, the Venetian is refilled every day to ensure the natural spring water is always at its prime.

The pool has one main waterfall at the deepest area, so Venetian’s lifeguards warn swimmers there not to get too tired, or to take advantage of the pool’s free lifejackets. Jumping off the falls is not

allowed – despite vintage photos that show teens from the past doing just that – but you’re likely to see some adventurous kiddos trying anyways. Discouraging that is part of the lifeguards’ job. The pool is also renowned for its cave-like grottos on its far side, away from the main buildings, where swimmers can escape the sun and enjoy the sound of their own echoes. These are open periodically throughout the day when there is at least one staff member inside for safety.

Your day at the pool should start early, especially if you’re looking to avoid crowds. According to Robles, the best time to come is weekday mornings. This will assure you a good spot if you want to lay down and soak up the sun. For this, you can rent a lounge chair for the day for $7 and set it up on the pool deck or the sandy beach area behind it. If you prefer a shaded area for a picnic, or if you want to avoid being near the crowded pool deck, the upper deck has shaded tables, most of them with a clear view of the pool.

“[The pool] is a lounging space,” says Robles. “If you’re not hanging back and taking a nap on your chair or towel, you’re floating on your back or with a lifejacket, you’re cooling off, going for a nice swim, or standing in the shallows tossing a ball back and forth, making small talk.” The staff asks that you use the outside showers first before plunging into the water; you can use the lockers in the changing rooms to hold your things.

The café inside, with tables, offers some basic options for food, including chicken tenders and burgers. While there are no gourmet meals here, devotees say “pool food” tastes great after you’ve been swimming and sunning. Re-entrance with a receipt is also allowed, so a visit to downtown Coral Gables, just a mile away, affords plenty of other options if chicken tenders aren’t your thing. Outside food is also allowed so long as it is not eaten near the pool or pool deck.

During the summer between June and July it will be hard to avoid crowds, so Robles advises opting for Saturday and Sunday mornings because a lot of summer camps come during the week. The pool tends to reach its capacity during summer so to guarantee entrance you can buy tickets by calling or emailing ahead of time. Prices for residents are $5.50 for children and $6.50 for adults, while non-residents pay $11 for children and $16 for adults during the off-season (Sept. 6 through Nov. 27) and $16 for children and $21 for adults during the busy season (from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). ■

“ IT’S GOT MAGIC... THERE’S AN AMBIANCE TO IT. ”

OLIVER ROBLES, LIFEGUARD, ON THE VENETIAN POOL, RENOWNED FOR ITS WATERFALL, CAVE-LIKE GROTTOS, AND VENETIAN-STYLE BRIDGE

Fight or Flight

IN WHICH OUR WRITER TRAINS IN THE ANCIENT ART OF SELF DEFENSE

BY GABRIELLE LORD

Ialways thought that if someone were to attack me, I’d be able to fight back. Yet it was within mere minutes of my private jiu-jitsu lesson at Valente Brothers that I was proven wrong.

After putting on the robe for my lesson, I met Professor Burak Eyilik on the mat, where he explained that we would be working through a series of scenarios. But instead of teaching me the proper maneuvers first, he asked that I show him what I would do if each were to happen in real life.

What I had failed to consider was that a perpetrator would likely not be an equal opponent; rather, it’d be someone greater in size and strength. So, when Eyilik grabbed my wrist and began pulling me away, I quickly realized that running in the opposite direction was not the key to survival. What I needed to do instead was step toward him and bend my elbow so my forearm lined up with his. Then, I would be free. While it may seem too simple to be effective, it’s one of the moves that has helped hundreds of Valente Brothers’ students, aged three to 83, defend themselves.

One of the most common reasons Eyilik sees students come in for is bullying. “We’ll train them for six, eight months,” he said. “The kid defends himself one time and then his school life changes from there.”

For one of Eyilik’s students, the gym became a safe haven from the bullying he faced on his swim team. That is, until the day he put his skills to the test against his bullies and was able to stand up for himself. From there, he went on to become the swim team’s captain. “Once you know you can defend yourself, your confidence builds up,” says Eyilik. “Everything builds up around your confidence.”

Since being introduced to jiu-jitsu two years ago, assistant instructor Gabriella Kayal says the martial art has been a “complete game-changer” for her. “I’m not a walking target anymore,” says the 25-year-old blue belt.

The same can be said for Marie Baumer who, after being involved in an accident that left her blind, moved from Naples to Coral Gables just to train with the Valente Brothers. It was the only studio she found that was able to accommodate her. “I would say after losing my sight, this is the place I’ve felt the most comfortable,” she says. “This feels more like home.”

Today, the 26-year-old holds a blue belt, three belts away from the coveted black belt, and walks a mile and a half to the studio with her guide dog three times a week. “I think for people looking to try something new, stay open-minded and realize that you learn so much from coming here,” Baumer says. “Not only knowing how to defend yourself but also just challenging yourself to try new things.”

In addition to offering private and group lessons, Valente Brothers trains military members and law enforcement officers in the F.B.I., U.S. Customs, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Miami Police Department. The gym also offers a free introductory class, as well as free self-defense classes for women each month. For more information regarding current offerings, go to valentebrothers.com or stop by their studio. ■

“ THE KID DEFENDS HIMSELF ONE TIME AND THEN HIS SCHOOL LIFE CHANGES FROM THERE.”

PROFESSOR BURAK EYILIK, SHOWN ABOVE LEFT WITH A WOMEN’S SELF DEFENSE CLASS.

TOP PHOTOS: ADULT AND CHILDREN’S JIU-JITSU CLASSES

VALENTE BROTHERS JIU-JITSU 275 UNIVERSITY DRIVE, UNIT 1 305.444.6161

Bites

THE OUTSIDE COURTYARD BY THE FOUNTAIN IS A GREAT LOCATION TO SAMPLE BAY 13’S ELEVATED BEER-PAIRED DINNERS.

Quick Bites

The Cauliflower Cascade

Food fads come in waves, and the latest is cauliflower. A few years back you never saw it on the menu, but now the crunchy “cabbage flower” seems to be everywhere. Originally from Cyprus, and not common in Europe until the early 1700s, the cauliflower is touted by nutritionists as a superfood. It is a cruciferous vegetable, from the same family as broccoli and Brussel sprouts, and it’s full of dietary fiber, choline, folate, and vitamins C, K, and B6. It’s considered a cancer-fighting food that helps the immune system. It can also taste great.

TACOS BY ANY OTHER NAME

Ecléctico Restaurant & Bar prides itself on being a little bit, well, eclectic. Which means pulling together disparate tastes, in a good way – in their case, pan-Latin with a Mexican override. Their cauli la flor ($12.99) uses big chunks instead of broken up pieces, is fried not grilled, and served on a bed of romesco sauce. It’s got a little bit of heat to the tomatoey sauce, with a buttery flavor to it. Great presentation, served with edible flowers. 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 786.615.5735

SWEET MEDITERRANEAN

Taking a leaf from the page of a Chinese kitchen preparing honey garlic chicken, the folks at Motek – the Mediterranean restaurant that replaced Forte on Miracle Mile – have transformed cauliflower into culinary candy. Served as one of its “Hot Mezzes,” their crispy cauliflower ($13) has a spicey harissa honey glaze with fresh mint as a garnish. Served in a basket, like fries. 45 Miracle Mile. 305.396.8547

A KOREAN VERSION

As much as we’d like to eschew the Cheesecake Factory for being a chain restaurant, it continues to impress with the breadth of its selections. Their Korean Fried Cauliflower in BBQ sauce tastes good enough to make even a carnivore consider becoming vegetarian. It may as well be BBQ chicken. Crunchy, sweet, tangy, filling – and fried, with toasted sesame, green onions, and a side of ranch. ($10.50). 2418 Ponce de Leon. 305.529.0703

GET ME TO THE GREEK

It probably doesn’t hurt that Kaia Greek Restaurant serves food inspired by the Aegean cuisine of Mykonos, not too far from the first home for cauliflower. Their version, served as a side dish, is a hefty bowl of grilled cauliflower ($11) tossed with tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios, crunchy with a nutty, fruity edge. Who says cauliflower can’t be refreshing? 232 Miracle Mile. 786.362.6997

ROASTED TO PERFECTION

At Beauty & The Butcher, things are done differently. That’s true for the Aleppo Roasted Cauliflower ($24) too. It comes in a bowl with a citrus-caper sofrito mix, sunflower seeds, and herbs. The result is something that wants to be spicy but stops just short, with an oily base and a salty flavoring somewhere between Caribbean and downright American. Michelin-starred Chef Jeremy Ford recommends you squeeze the provided lemon over the dish before you tuck in. 6915 Red Rd. 305.376.7338 ■

TOP TO BOTTOM: ECLÉCTICO RESTAURANT & BAR: CAULI LA FLOR

MOTEK: CRISPY CAULIFLOWER

CHEESECAKE FACTORY: KOREAN FRIED CAULIFLOWER

KAIA GREEK RESTAURANT: GRILLED CAULIFLOWER

BEAUTY & THE BUTCHER: ALEPPO ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

New Places to Dine

The spring season has brought numerous new restaurants to the city. From the perfect brunch spot and an immersive omakase experience, to a wine bar that goes heavy on organics, we present the five latest additions to the Gables food scene.

Nuevo Argentine Pasta

Walking along the south side of Alhambra Circle, you may come across the semi-obscure Altagracia, which occupies the space previously filled by Tapas Coral Gables, and, before that, Indian restaurant Mint Leaf. Not only does it have a refreshing modern décor, this Argentinian-Italian fusion restaurant brings a new and welcome twist to the city’s already plentiful pasta options.

Mix-and-match appetizers pay homage to the restaurant’s roots, including a pair of golden brown, hand-cut beef empanadas ($11.95) that can be dipped in a spicy tomato sauce with a recommended squeeze of lemon added on top. The meatballs ($13.95) are covered in a rich tomato blend that makes a perfect dip for the accompanying sourdough.

The stars here, however, are the three creamy raviolis to choose from: a pumpkin and cheese ravioli drenched in truffle cream ($18.95), a short rib ravioli ($19.95), and the ricotta ravioli in a fourcheese sauce ($18.95). Both the pumpkin (topped with fried quinoa) and the ricotta ravioli (topped with almonds) have an added crunch that makes the taste experience delightfully complex. We balanced everything with a bottle of Rutini Cabernet-Malbec ($38.25), a blend of fruity aromas, and closed out the night with a decadent dulce de leche flan ($11.95) – a heavenly ending to a flavorful outing.

ALTAGRACIA

276 ALHAMBRA CIRCLE

786.862.1636

Puerto Rican Breakfast

The popular Puerto Rican restaurant Bistro Café has opened a location in the Gables following its stellar success in Downtown

Miami. Lucky for us, they brought their upscale breakfast, right by The Shops at Merrick Park. All-day breakfast is never a bad idea, especially when it’s this elevated. The expansive menu has a huge list of savory and sweet options, from innovative plates to upgraded classics.

We’ve all had a taste of avocado toast in our lives, but you may never want to try another after Bistro Cafe’s burrata and prosciutto version ($28). Two pieces of toast hide below a mountain of generous ingredients: a thick base of avocado spread topped with slices of prosciutto, creamy burrata, rainbow cherry tomatoes, and sweet balsamic glaze drizzled throughout. Easily shared by two. The huevos rancheros ($19) come with two gooey fried eggs served over English muffins, surrounded by extravagant amounts of chorizo and cooked tomatoes, peppers, and onions. For an indulgent dessert, order the Oreo pancakes ($15 for a side of two, $21 for a stack of five) – fluffy, golden-brown pancakes coated with cream cheese, Nutella, and Oreos. It’s as sweet as it sounds — in the best way possible.

The modern decor makes a fitting Instagram backdrop, with neon phrases and brightly colored seating throughout. Add to that their two-for-one mimosa deal ($15) on weekdays, and we’ve found our go-to brunch spot.

BISTRO CAFÉ

4155 LAGUNA ST 305.530.8193

Upscale Burgers

Lots of buzz surrounded this newest addition to Miracle Mile, filling the spot formerly occupied by California Pizza Kitchen: The Capital Burger, owned by the same folks as The Capital Grille. This upscale burger joint – one of four locations and the first in Florida –delves into gourmet cuisine with signature burgers, boozy milkshakes, and craft cocktails.

Kicking it off with a kick, the flash-fried shishito peppers ($9), coated with spicy togarashi flakes, are made to be shared while sipping cocktails ($14) and waiting for the main event. The restaurant is known for its tender beef patties that blend short rib, chuck, and brisket, and you can’t go wrong with The Capital Burger ($20), a combination of caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru Gruyere, and shallot aioli. If you’re feeling adventurous, the Roasted Wild Mushroom and Swiss Burger ($19) is the way to go, topped with roasted portobello mushrooms, Jarlsberg Swiss, 15-year aged balsamic, and truffle aioli. We recommend upgrading the sides of fries for

AVOCADO TOAST AT BISTRO CAFE

HAND-CUT BEEF EMPANADAS AT ALTAGRACIA

an extra $3 to those with creamy smoked gouda cheese or parmesan truffle.

Ordering one of the three spiked milkshakes ($7) is a must. The Stoli Doli combines vodka, vanilla ice cream, and candied pineapple to create a rich, sweet vanilla shake. Dessert is otherwise served in charming little mason jars – Key lime pie or Belgian chocolate mousse ($6).

THE CAPITAL BURGER

ing, the restaurant is the brainchild of Michelin-starred Chef Shingo Akikuni. The multi-course menu prepared by Chef Shingo and his two sous chefs takes you through an authentic Japanese journey.

To start, you are served a Shigoku oyster, plump with a slightly brackish taste balanced by a refreshing cucumber mignonette on top. It pairs well with the complimentary champagne, served by the attentive wait staff. The second course is a seasonal sashimi beautifully

presented with flowers and paired with ponzu sauce. The show-stopping portion of the meal consists of the 11-piece nigiri. Each piece is individually served on top of custom, Miami-inspired ceramic plates made by Japanese artist Shin Murata. From grilled kinmedai to Japanese uni (sea urchin) your taste buds become enthralled in exquisite umami flavors. Afterwards, Akadashi soup is served to cleanse your palate for dessert, a soft dulce de leche ice cream with a hint of coffee sandwiched between crisp wafers.

Every element of the restaurant is carefully curated, from the pristine presentation of the 14-seat table to the order and method in which each course is served. The chefs are happy to talk about their techniques and the type of fish used. Over the course of the two-hour experience, you’ll feel immersed in Japanese culture.

A Natural Wine Bar

Coral Gables’ newest wine bar delivers on everything you might expect. Inside Sospiro’s storefront tucked away on Ponce is a short bar and comfortable couches printed with grandmotherly patterns. You can sit by the window and take in the sun (which sets across from the restaurant) or take up one of the couches along the wall where the ambiance is slightly darker. The vibe is somewhere between a Parisian and Italian wine shop, with an extensive list (over 300) of organic natural wines both bottled and by the glass, sorted by their country of origin. There are 30 different “orange” wines, which are made from white grape varieties that have spent time in contact with the grape skins – not something you can get anywhere else in the Gables.

The food menu is somewhat short, with dishes meant to be shared, but it features a delicious stack of truffle fries and peculiarly elongated gnocchi in a creamy queso fundido sauce (ask for bread to dip). It’s the kind of place you can take a date or meet some friends for a casual chit-chat over a shared bottle – and the ambiance will soon be even more elevated by cocktail nights and live music. Sospiro, which means “sigh” in Spanish or Italian, is open for lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. ■

SOSPIRO

2626 PONCE DE LEON BLVD.

INSTAGRAM: @SOSPIRO_NATURALWINEBAR

ROASTED WILD MUSHROOM AND SWISS BURGER AT THE CAPITAL BURGER

GNOCCHI AT SOSPIRO

NIGIRI AT SHINGO

Your swale is the low and often grassy area that stretches from the far edge in front of homes to the edge of the street, used to collect yard debris and small household items.

GREEN MATTERS

Loose green matter such as trees, shrubs, branches and leaves can be placed out during the week.

SAVE IT FOR SIX

Small household items must be placed on the swale only after 6 p.m. the night before scheduled collection day.

TRASH PIT, NOT A DUMP

Schedule bulky items such as appliances and furniture for pick-up. Furniture must be placed out after 6 p.m. the night before your collection day.

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED IN SWALE

Pet waste bags, cardboard, construction materials like glass, sand, paint, and hazardous materials such as pesticides and household chemicals.

To schedule a bulky pick-up, call 305-460-5346 or email pwsolidwaste@coralgables.com

Pints & Plates

BAY 13’S ELEVATED BEER-PAIRED DINNERS

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

As we sat soaking up the sunset on the outdoor patio along Alhambra Circle, we chatted with an intimate and wide-ranging group. Under normal circumstances, we might never have crossed paths or acknowledged each other given our differences, but that night our eclectic company came together to share a four-course meal.

What brought us here was Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen’s beerpaired dinner, held every first and third Tuesday of the month. Each dinner has its own theme – ours was “cocktail party” with a seafood focus, a menu thought up and executed by Chef Diego Armendaris. Each course comes with its own house-brewed beer, courtesy of Bay 13’s Head Brewer Greg Berbusse and Assistant Brewer Cole Janssen, both of whom joined us for the meal.

Staying true to Bay 13’s Australian roots, our first course was Oysters Kilpatrick, an Australian dish consisting of slightly broiled oysters topped with bacon and Worcestershire sauce. The combination of the smokiness from the bacon and a hint of spice complemented the crispy brown oyster, but what took the flavor over the edge was the grilled lemon, generously squeezed to activate the tastebuds. The plate was served on top of ice, family-style, giving everyone the opportunity to go back for seconds – or, in my case, thirds.

The accompanying beer, a Bamberg Marzen Rauchbier aptly named “Alhambra Honey,” was brewed in collaboration with the Coral Gables Art Cinema. The smooth beech smoke and toasted malt character reinforced the charred flavoring of the dish. As we shared a pint with brewer Berbusse, he shared the not-so-secret ingredient: local honey.

For the second course, we were served one of the brewery’s staples: “Old Man.” This German Hefeweizen’s flavor profile of banana and cloves comes from the fermentation process of the yeast. The name originates from Berbusse’s journey perfecting the brew; he spent two years working on the recipe, taking each new batch home to enjoy with his grandfather.

To say Chef Diego is an artist is an understatement. His smoked salmon causa, a traditional Peruvian potato cake, was almost too beautiful to dig into. This thick yet creamy dish’s potato base is layered with avocado and smoked salmon, then topped with pickled eggs, beets, and salmon caviar.

After the causa, I thought the meal couldn’t get better. But I was wrong. Our main course, inspired by the chef’s Ecuadorian roots, was a juicy clam ceviche with generous amounts of lime and toasted corn, topped with a slice of grapefruit. As I tasted each new dish, I thought, “Now, this is my favorite.” But this was truly it. The softness of the clam and the acidic taste of the citrus crowned it the best ceviche I’ve ever had. Contrasted with its heavy beer counterpart, “Drop Bear,” a full-bodied double IPA with tropical aromas, it was a perfectly balanced dish.

At that point, we were all reaching a comfortable level of fullness, but we powered through for dessert. Our sweet tooths were satisfied by the hazelnut and raspberry Napoleon, beautifully plated and wonderfully saccharine. The final beer pairing was “The Irwin,” named after the late celebrity wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin

(also an Aussie). This soft, easy drinking ale closed out the meal perfectly, with its toffee and caramel notes complementing the dessert. For the $55 price tag, the beer-paired dinners at Bay 13 are well worth the value. And the short lectures from Berbusse and Chef Diego on each pint and plate gave us all a little more appreciation for the food and drink we so regularly consume without thought. ■

BAY 13 BREWERY AND KITCHEN 65 ALHAMBRA PLAZA 786.452.0935

Photo by Tiege Dolly

Dating Dalliances

A LOOK AT SOME BREEZY, BUSY, AND TASTY PLACES TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP

BY KYLIE WANG

THE CASUAL CHOICES

We’ve all been there before: You’ve asked someone out that you thought was a nice person, you ended up disliking them from the moment you sat down for dinner, and now you’re stuck for two hours making awkward small talk over a meal that – no matter how good it is – just can’t salvage your night. Well, maybe it can salvage it just a bit, especially if you can get away expeditiously. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best first date spots in Coral Gables, places both casual and sophisticated where you can get a drink and a bite – and make a quick getaway if you must.

out through the glass doors, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from getting there early and enjoying their famous Spanish tapas over a $7 house martini. And if you like your date enough to stick around for a while, order a pitcher of their excellent sangria ($24) and bond over a custom charcuterie board. 2500 Ponce de Leon. 786.810.6215

Cebada

This rooftop bar on Giralda Plaza has some of the best people watching in the Gables and we guarantee ordering one of their hilariously named drinks will break the ice on your first date. Seriously, try saying “Bro, Why Are Your Pants So Tight” or “Your Wife’s in My Pina Colada” in front of a person you just met without laughing. With over three pages of drinks and an inventive food menu courtesy of Chef Jorge Ramos, featuring everything from a whole suckling pig to a raw bar, you’ll never run out of things to talk about here. 124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287

Bay 13 Brewery

This is THE spot for beer lovers in the Gables that also comes with a full bar for the cocktail inclined. When the weather is nice, the big couches on the expansive outdoor patio make it easy to snuggle up to your date and share a plate of beer-steamed mussels or spiced lamb ribs. The daily happy hour has great discounts on beer, wine, and margaritas, and if all goes well, you can bring your partner back for one of their beer-paired dinners or wine tasting yoga sessions. 65 Alhambra Plaza. 786.452.0935

Bulla

Probably the best part about taking a date to a Bulla happy hour is that if you don’t like them, it’s almost guaranteed there’ll be someone else there you will! (Not that we recommend ditching your date.) On weekdays after work, a younger crowd is virtually spilling

Mamey on 3rd

This third-floor rooftop bar at the THesis Hotel features all the best bites and drinks from the main restaurant’s menu, including a

They began years ago simply as a skin tightening procedure, producing noticeable improvement despite the not infrequent ‘pulled’ appearance. You probably have seen someone with that somewhat obvious, yet uncomfortable look and thought ‘I don’t want to look like that’, I’d rather stay how I am.’

Aside from the pulling, the excessive tension on the skin, trying to lift and hold up the face, also can lead to poor scars around the ears, plus ear and hairline distortions. So why do we still see those less than desirable results? Because they are relatively easy, and quick, to produce, under local anesthesia in an office, and for less cost. These types of ‘mini-lifts’ however produce less than optimal results although they might just suffice for some self-selected patients (“That’s all I want, doc.”) and something might be better than nothing.

So, what if you want more than quick and easy? You want to look natural, a younger, fresher version of yourself, without discernible signs of having had surgery, and the longest result possible. Well, you need to go beyond simple skin tightening and do more, and deeper, with more innovative facelift techniques.

Anatomically, the function of skin is to provide a cover (akin to a building’s facade); it is not designed to lift and hold up the face through excessive tension. The facial support function is served by its deeper infrastructure (similar to a building), comprised of muscles and connective tissues, all resting on top of your facial bone structure.

The principles for improved results with modern techniques are simple:

1. Restore prior tightness to the lax facial infrastructure which has drooped over time, thus actually lifting the face from within, restoring earlier anatomy, followed by:

2. Careful mobilization and trimming away of the loose and excess facial and neck skin, with meticulous suturing along aesthetically placed, anatomic lines, and without undue tension. All the saggy skin in the neck and along the jawline must be elevated to allow it to be properly trimmed and redraped.

Shortcuts in technique are an invitation to suboptimal results and an early recurrence of loose skin, especially in the central neck.

Trimming excess skin and ‘bags’ around the eyes, restoring lost facial volume with fillers or fat, when indicated, along with Botox® and dermatologic skin care, all can help to optimize results.

The surgery takes time, typically no less than four hours for the lower cheek/jawline/neck area, under carefully selected

Stephan Baker MD

anesthesia provided by a safe anesthesia team (MD and CRNA) in a hospital operated outpatient surgery center. Recovery varies from 7 to 14 days to resume usual daily and work activities.

These innovative techniques, beyond simple skin tightening, render exciting and natural looking results - a clean neck and jawline without jowls - the key to a pleasing result. A refreshed but not pulled look. A younger, not distorted version of yourself, keeping others wondering why you look good.

The surgery requires continuous spot-on surgeon focus and stamina, but the results are worth the time and effort. And, of course, it takes an aesthetic eye, along with years of experience (and training) in Plastic Surgery.

So, when you feel ready to refresh and rejuvenate your face, research and reflect carefully before proceeding, and be in good health with realistic expectations.

STEPHAN BAKER, MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery of the Face Breast and Body

Facelifts have come a long way.

daily happy hour from 3 to 6 pm that features the best grilled cheese you’ve ever tasted for only $6. Thursday through Sunday, there’s live music from 6 to 10 pm, occasionally accompanied by dancing from some of the braver patrons – a nice way to get close to your date. If you don’t want to break the bank on an $18 cocktail, happy hour is an essential here. 1350 S. Dixie Hwy (THesis Hotel). 305.266.2639

THE SOPHISTICATED CHOICES

high ceilings and comfortable booths and if you really end up liking your date, you can come back for the $61 “churrasco experience” and spend all night talking over a never-ending parade of meat. 2801 Ponce de Leon. 786.297.8788

Perry’s Bar 79

With the summer heat coming on fast, Perry’s Bar 79, with its wide open doorways and stacked bar menu, is a great compromise to sitting outdoors. During “social hour ” – Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm and Sunday from 4 to 9 pm – you can get $2 off bar bites, wines, and cocktails. The bar isn’t huge so come early to impress your sweetie with a round of beef carpaccio or cherry pepper calamari and a cocktail from the extensive drink menu. 4251 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park). 786.703.9094

NOMA Beach at Redfish

It might be a little hard to make a smooth exit from NOMA Beach, what with it being deep down in Matheson Hammock Park, but it’d be hard to dislike anyone here enough to want to leave early. Come at sunset and enjoy golden hour from the bar or a table outside along the beach. You’ll be in love before the end of the night – if not with your date, then definitely with the view. Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm is happy hour, where beers go for $6, cocktails for $12, and Chef Donatella’s famous meatball sliders for $14. 9610 Old Cutler Rd. 305.668.8788

Fogo de Chão

With the best happy hour in town, Fogo de Chão is upscale enough that you can radiate sophistication while also keeping your wallet happy with a couple of $9 caipirinhas. The Brazilian steakhouse has $5 happy hour bites weekdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the bar area and an all-day happy hour on drinks. The interior is refined with

La Terrazza

This open-air rooftop lounge on top of Fiola might rival its sister restaurant downstairs in terms of price, but its signature events coupled with a gorgeous view of Coral Gables make it well worth it. Sunset happy hour with two-for-one cocktails is available Wednesday through Friday from 5:30 to 7 pm, and on Fridays you can pair that with live music – or live music and a cigar on Thursday nights. Request a table at the edge of the patio so you can woo your date under the stars and lights of Coral Gables. 1515 Sunset Dr. / 1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639 ■

RACHEL SILVERSTEIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIAMI WATERKEEPER

PHOTO BY RODOLFO BENITEZ

Rachel Silverstein

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIAMI WATERKEEPER

The South Florida waterways have their own Lorax: the Miami Waterkeeper. Rachel Silverstein joined the nonprofit organization as executive director and official waterkeeper in 2014. Her mission: advocate for swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water for all.

Silverstein researched coral reef ecology as part of her marine biology doctoral degree at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science. After graduating in 2012, she received a crash course in federal legislation working on the subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in charge of matters that impact oceans, coasts, and inland waterways. All of this prepared her for her role as the leading investigator, scientist, educator, and legal advocate of Miami Waterkeeper.

Throughout the years, Silverstein has grown the Coral Gables-based organization to over 13 staff members. She leads her team in achieving “water wins,” like successfully challenging the unsustainable license extension at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant located between the Florida Everglades and Biscayne National Park.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Silverstein was one of this year’s Elevate Prize winners, a global award recognizing nonprofit leaders for their work in environmental and social issues. She was also awarded the 2023 Mayor’s Pioneer Award by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who has worked extensively with the organization. The mayor first appointed Silverstein to the county’s Biscayne Bay Shoreline Development Review Committee during her time as a commissioner.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“I have a deep passion and love for the South Florida ecosystem, and its uniqueness, its beauty, its biodiversity,” Silverstein says, “and really how it interacts with this large, growing metropolitan center in its backyard. There’s a lot of nature in everyday life – even in urban settings – and fostering that, appreciating it, and allowing nature a place to thrive benefits all of us.”

“ THERE’S A LOT OF NATURE IN EVERYDAY LIFE – EVEN IN URBAN SETTINGS...”

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Top producer Mauricio J. Barba has been a mainstay in Miami’s uber competitive high-end real estate market since 1994. Respected in his native community by clients and colleagues alike; he has logged top honors for elite performance in his field. Mauricio is connected worldwide but specializes in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, Brickell, Village of Pinecrest, South Miami, Palmetto Bay/Falls area and the Beaches. His expertise is demonstrated through his ability to facilitate trouble-free transactions winning him clients for life who also become friends.

Mauricio enters every room with confidence and professional approachability. But more importantly he is prepared and precise, saving you time and effort. Clients rely on him to deliver and he takes the responsibility very seriously. “People trust me with their single largest asset. It’s a role that drives me to push for excellence every day. I give 110% because my success is their success.”

305.439.8311

mauricio@miamisignaturehomes.com

MiamiSignatureHomes.com

Liv Dockerty

Growing up in Coral Gables, Liv Dockerty took ceramics classes at the Youth Center and painted at home, dreaming of one day becoming a real artist. The young Dockerty was always fascinated by clouds, but it wasn’t until after she received an art degree from the Parsons School of Design in New York City that she discovered the tools to evoke them in her works. “[Originally,] my paintings were more abstract but they were always inspired by the clouds,” Dockerty says. “I didn’t have the technical skill to really create the type of clouds that I could envision.” With all the time in the world during the pandemic, she found that skill. Now, her works make use of interference paints, which contain mica flakes that interfere with light waves, giving the canvases shifting colors that offer new perspectives with changes in vantage point. Somewhere between abstraction and realism, Dockerty’s paintings of the clouds are rich in color, with titles often referencing classic rock songs, evoking a sense of dreamy movement.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

In 2022, Dockerty was picked up as an artist at The Americas Collection gallery on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Originally featured as one of many artists in a group exhibition entitled “Work in Progress” in February 2022, the 30-year-old is now on display as a single artist. The gallery is currently showcasing her “Atmospheric” exhibition through June 17, featuring 15 paintings, each depicting the clouds at different times of day. She also has a residency with the Kimpton EPIC Hotel later this winter and plans to work with fashion designers to make some of her art wearable.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“What I love most about the clouds is that you can look outside in the sky and one second there’s a bright peach, and you run to get your phone to take a photo, and when you get back, there’s lavender suddenly. They change so quickly,” says Dockerty. “This effect [of interference paints] gives it that motion, that ever-changing effect that clouds actually have in the sky. Because they’re not stagnant; they really are always changing and evolving and moving.”

“ THEY REALLY ARE ALWAYS CHANGING AND EVOLVING AND MOVING.”

Photo by Richard Novak // 1

OAK Studios

WE’VE BEEN AROUND YOUR BLOCK

When it comes to a significant real estate transaction, working with an experienced team is imperative. Lowell International Realty is expertly acquainted with your neighborhood, your market, the banks, schools and resources in your area, but most importantly, we know your buyers. Engaging a dedicated, skilled team to guide and advise you as you prepare for what’s next, guarantees the best results every time.

OVER $1B IN SALES EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING

Olga M. Ramudo

Olga Ramudo was an independent contractor for a small travel agency when she, her sister, and a friend founded the Express Travel in 1989. It has since grown into one of the largest woman-owned businesses in Florida, with 30 employees and annual billings of more than $33 million. Ramudo has served in numerous capacities to advance the travel industry in South Florida, including on the national board of directors of the American Society of Travel Agents and the board of World Trade Center Miami. She chaired the International Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and served as a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Board. Her corporate clients include Baptist Health, Mastec, and HBO, among many others.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Ramudo’s firm, Express Travel, was recently acquired by London-based Gray Dawes, a global travel agency that will use Express Travel as their gateway to the Americas. Ramudo will stay on for a minimum of three years as Gray Dawes’ Senior Vice President for Florida and Latin America.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“My sister [Christina] is my partner, and we obviously didn’t want 33 years of effort to disappear. So, this ensures that that effort does not disappear. The whole staff stays, and we will be growing the U.S. Market and Latin America for Gray Dawes,” says Ramudo. That market is growing fast, post-pandemic, says the travel executive. “For vacation, Europe is extremely popular right now. We are having a hard time keeping up with our requests. The demand is incredible…. All over the world, the prices are out of whack, but people are paying them for airfares and hotels. After a pandemic, it’s like letting a bird out of a cage. I, myself, am shocked at the prices people are paying.”

SENIOR VP, EXPRESS TRAVEL, A GRAY DAWES COMPANY

“THE DEMAND IS INCREDBLE... ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE PRICES ARE OUT OF WHACK, BUT PEOPLE ARE PAYING THEM, FOR AIRFARES AND HOTELS.…”

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Summer Reading

“ THE NOVEL INTRODUCES YOU TO A WORLD YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH AND SOMEONE ELSE’S EXISTENCE. AND YOU DEVELOP AN EMPATHY FOR THAT...”

MITCHELL KAPLAN, PROPRIETOR OF BOOKS & BOOKS

PHOTO BY RODOLFO BENITEZ

BY J.P. FABER

It’s an American tradition: The idea that you can take a couple of weeks off in mid-summer to rest and recuperate from the stress of work. And what is more relaxing – if not reviving – than taking a good book (or two) with you to read during your idle on the beach or in that mountain cabin or wherever you go to get away.

With that in mind, we asked the most iconic local leader in the world of reading – Mitchell Kaplan, the proprietor of Books & Books – to give us a list of great fiction to read this summer. We also asked Dave Lawrence – the revered former publisher of the Miami Herald, the founder of the Children’s Trust, and one of the best-read people in South Florida – to give us a list of his favorite reading material: history. And we asked Mark Trowbridge, CEO and president of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, to give us his list of favorite books about business and leadership. Those titles, with brief summaries, fill the ensuing pages.

We also asked Kaplan for his take on what’s happening in the world of reading today, especially the reading of books and not electronic screens, and why anyone should bother with fiction.

“I think people are reading more,” Kaplan says. “Our past two years have been the busiest we have ever seen.” Part of what is behind the resurgence of his Books & Books outlet on Aragon Street (and at his other locations) is the post-pandemic appreciation of social contact and community. “What has driven it more than anything is the sense that younger people are reconnecting with the notion of the great third place, where you come after work and

[before] home,” he says. That is helped, of course, by the courtyard, bar, and café at Books & Books, where customers can converse over food and a glass of wine.

Kaplan says that sales are up across the board, but more for nonfiction than fiction, for the simple reason that there are more nonfiction titles in print. He remains, however, an unabashed fan of fiction. “My take is that in our very, very fractured society today, the most important role a book can play is to generate empathy in readers. The novel introduces you to a world you are unfamiliar with and someone else’s existence. And you develop an empathy for that. People who don’t read and only listen to the white noise of the very rough discourse that goes on today are not able to tap into empathy in a way that a book does.”

Having said that, he is also an avid fan of nonfiction, especially history that is not familiar to the reader. “Being open to history and understanding history in a different way is another thing books can give you. One of the things we are concerned with today is the horrible manipulation of people’s fears, the book-banning in libraries, and we have to push back,” he says. “To see more people reading is a push back against all of that by their actions. Readers should read whatever they want to read.”

And need we add that reading, and the journey of imagination it takes you on, is not only fun, but just makes you smarter in a way that the passive experience of broadcast media cannot provide. So read on, summer book lovers.

It’s that time again, when summer vacations (hopefully) grant you the respite to pick up a good book

Chain-Gang All-Stars: A Novel

BY NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx”

Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE – Criminal Action Penal Entertainment – a popular, highly-controversial, profitable program in America’s private prison industry. It’s a return to gladiators as prisoners compete for the ultimate prize: their freedom. ChainGang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic look at the American prison system’s unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration.

Code 6: A Novel

BY JAMES GRIPPANDO

Aspiring playwright Kate Gamble is struggling to launch a script she’s been secretly researching her entire life, mostly at the family dinner table. Her father is Christian Gamble, CEO of Buck Technologies, a private data company whose clients include the CIA and counter-terrorism organizations. Kate’s father adores her, and a play about the dark side of Big Data would be the ultimate betrayal in his eyes. But Kate is compelled. Harper Lee Prize winner.

Dulcinea

BY ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ

The daughter of a wealthy merchant, young Dol a Llull Prat is besotted with the dashing Miguel Cervantes. Despite Miguel’s entreaties, however, the ever-practical Dol refuses to upend her life for him, although she always welcomes his attentions. When Miguel renders her as the lowly Dulcinea in his great “Don Quixote,” he commits an unforgivable offense and their decades-long affinity is severed – until he reaches out to her one last time.

The Faraway World: Stories

BY PATRICIA ENGEL

Two Colombian expats meet as strangers on the streets of New York City, both burdened with traumatic pasts. In Cuba, a woman discovers her deceased brother’s bones have been stolen, and the love of her life returns from Ecuador for one night. A cash-strapped couple hustles in Miami to life-altering ends. “The Faraway World” is a collection of arresting stories from the New York Times bestselling author of “Infinite Country.”

Go as a River

BY SHELLEY READ

Seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash runs the household on her family’s peach farm in Iola, Colorado – the sole female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past. Victoria encounters him by chance on a street corner, a meeting that profoundly alters both their young lives, igniting as much passion as danger. When tragedy strikes, Victoria flees into the surrounding mountains with no clear notion of what her future will bring.

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel

BY BONNIE GARMUS

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman, and she would be the first to point out that there is no such thing. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans, the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with her mind. True chemistry results. A Best Book of the Year.

My What If Year: A Memoir

BY ALISHA FERNANDEZ MIRANDA

On the cusp of turning forty, Alisha Fernandez Miranda has reached the peak of professional success, but at a price – she’s overworked and exhausted. Bravely, she decides to give herself a break, pausing her stressful career as the CEO of a high-powered consulting firm. With the tentative blessing of her husband and eight-year-old twins, she leaves home in London to spend one year exploring the dream jobs of her youth, seeking to answer “What if?”

Swamp Story: A Novel

BY DAVE BARRY

Pulitzer Prize–winning, New York Times bestselling author, and actual Florida Man Dave Barry returns with a Florida caper full of oddballs, twists, and turns. Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems – if she can keep it.

The Apartment: A Novel

BY ANA MENÉNDEZ

From the acclaimed author of “In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd” comes a new novel about the search for freedom and community. The Helena is an art deco apartment building that has witnessed the changing face of South Miami Beach for 70 years, observing the lives housed within. Among those who have called apartment 2B home: a Cuban concert pianist, the widow of an intelligence officer, and a man waiting on a green card marriage to end.

The Collector: A Novel

BY DANIEL SILVA

#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva delivers another stunning thriller in this action-packed tale of international intrigue. Legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world’s most valuable missing painting, but soon finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia and the West. Silva’s powerhouse novel showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination.

The Covenant of Water

BY ABRAHAM VERGHESE

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited novel by Abraham Verghese, author of the word-ofmouth bestseller “Cutting for Stone,” which has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Spanning 1900 to 1977, “The Covenant of Water” is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning – and in Kerala, water is everywhere.

The Postcard

BY ANNE BEREST

Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, “The Postcard” is a vivid portrait of 20th century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, an enthralling investigation into family secrets, and a poignant tale of a Jewish family devastated by the Holocaust and partly restored through the power of storytelling. It begins with an anonymous postcard delivered to the Berest home, with the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents killed at Auschwitz on the back.

The Stolen Coast

BY DWYER MURPHY

Jack might be a polished, Harvard-educated lawyer on paper, but everyone in the village of Onset, Massachusetts, knows his real job: moving people on the run from powerful enemies. The family business (co-managed with his father, a retired spy) is smooth sailing, as they help clients shed their identities in preparation for fresh starts. But when Elena, Jack’s former flame, makes an unexpected return to town, her arrival upends Jack’s routine existence.

The Wishing Pool and Other Stories

BY TANANARIVE DUE

In her first book in seven years, Tananarive Due further cements her status as a leading innovator in Black horror and Afrofuturism. The American Book Award-winning author’s second collection of stories includes offerings of horror, science fiction, and suspense. From the mysterious, magical town of Gracetown to the aftermath of a pandemic to the reaches of the far future, Due’s stories all share a sense of dread and fear balanced with heart and hope.

Trust

BY HERMAN DIAZ

Even through the roar and effervescence of the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the top of a world of endless wealth – all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. But at what cost have they acquired their fortune? Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

When the Hibiscus Fall

BY M. EVELINA GALANG

Seventeen stories traverse borderlines, mythic and real, in the lives of Filipino and Filipino American women and their ancestors. Moving from small Philippine villages to the coast of near-future Florida, “When the Hibiscus Falls” examines the triumphs and sorrows that connect generations of women. Daughters, sisters, mothers, aunties, cousins, and grandmothers commune with ancestors and descendants, mourning what is lost and what is gained when we safeguard the legacy of older generations.

King: A Life

BY JONATHAN EIG

Vividly written and exhaustively researched, Jonathan Eig’s “King: A Life” is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. – and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. In this revelatory new portrait of the preacher and activist who shook the world, we see an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled man who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself.

Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience and Family Secrets

BY BURKHARD BILGER

As a boy, Burkhard Bilger often heard his parents tell stories about the Germany of their youth. “Fatherland” is the story of Bilger’s nearly 10-year quest to uncover the truth about his grandfather Karl Gönner, who was an elementary school teacher and father of four when the war began. In 1940, he was posted to a village in Alsace, in occupied France, and ordered to reeducate its children. But did he help or hurt them? A study in human complexity.

An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford

BY RICHARD NORTON SMITH

For many Americans, President Gerald Ford was the genial accident of history who controversially pardoned his Watergate-tarnished predecessor, presided over the fall of Saigon, and became a punching bag on “Saturday Night Live.” Yet as Richard Norton Smith reveals in a book full of surprises, Ford was an underrated leader whose tough decisions and personal decency look better with the passage of time.

Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy

BY HENRY KISSINGER

In “Leadership,” Kissinger analyzes the lives of six leaders through the strategies of statecraft they embodied: Konrad Adenauer (Germany, postWWII); Charles de Gaulle (France, post-WWII); Richard Nixon; Anwar Sadat (Egypt, Middle East peace); Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore); and Margaret Thatcher (Britain). Kissinger brings historical perception, public experience, and personal knowledge of each.

After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller

BY MAX EASTMAN

From books to movies to Barbie dolls, most mainstream portrayals of Keller focus heavily on her struggles as a deafblind child – portraying her teacher, Annie Sullivan, as a miracle worker, and Keller as an almost secondary character in her own story. Few people know that her greatest accomplishment was not learning to speak, but what she did with her voice when she found it, opposing racism, Nazism, apartheid, and McCarthyism.

A Fever

in

the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them

BY TIMOTHY EGAN

The Roaring Twenties has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. This historical thriller by a Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author tells the riveting story of the Klan’s rise to power in the 1920s (in the Mid-West!), the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them.

Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad

BY MATTHEW DELMONT

Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities at home. In a time when questions regarding race in America are troublingly relevant, this meticulously researched retelling makes for necessary reading.

The Hard Road Out: One Woman’s Escape from North Korea

BY JIHYUN PARK, SHE-LYNN CHAI

North Korea is an open-air prison from which there is no escape, a symbol of human injustice and collective brain washing. Only a handful of men and women have succeeded. Jihyun Park is one of these rare survivors. This is the harrowing story of a woman who escaped famine and terror in North Korea, not once but twice. It will be the most insightful book you’ll ever read about how it is to live and suffocate in North Korea.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GULLIVER PREP CLASS OF 2023

The University of Alabama (2)

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

American University (2)

The American University of Paris*

Arizona State University

The University of the Arts

Auburn University

Ave Maria University

Babson College (8)

Bard College

Barnard College*

Barry University*

Bates College

Baylor University

Belmont Abbey College

Bennington College

Bentley University (4)

Berklee College of Music*

Bethune-Cookman University

Binghamton University

Bocconi University

Boston College (10)

Boston University (2)

Brandeis University (2)

University of British Columbia

Brown University*

Bryant University

Bryn Mawr College*

Bucknell University

University of California-Berkeley*

University of California-Davis*

University of California-Irvine*

University of California-Los Angeles*

University of California-Merced

University of California-Riverside

University of California-San Diego*

University of California-Santa Barbara*

University of California-Santa Cruz*

California Institute of Technology

Carnegie Mellon University (2)

Case Western Reserve University*

Catholic University of America*

Central Connecticut State University

University of Central Florida*

Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design

Chapman University

Charleston Southern University

Clemson University*

Colgate University*

College of Charleston

University of Colorado-Boulder (3)

University of Colorado-Denver

Colorado College

Colorado State University

Columbia College-Chicago

Columbia University*

Cornell University (3)

University of Connecticut*

Dartmouth College (2)

Denison University*

University of Denver*

DePaul University*

Dickinson College*

Doshisha University

Drew University

Drexel University*

Duke University (2)

Durham University

University of East London

Eckerd College*

The University of Edinburgh*

Edward Waters University

Elon University*

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University*

Emerson College*

Emmanuel College*

Emory University (2)

ESCP Business School-Paris

ESSEC Business School

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School

University of Exeter

Fairfield University*

Falmouth University

Fashion Institute of Technology

Ferris State University

Flagler College

University of Florida (8)

Florida Atlantic University (2)

Florida Gulf Coast University*

Florida International University (12)

Florida Southern College

Florida State University (5)

Fordham University*

Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin University

Switzerland (2)

Full Sail University

Furman University*

George Mason University

George Washington University*

Georgetown University (3)

University of Georgia

Georgia Institute of Technology*

University of Glasgow

Goucher College

Guilford College

Hampshire College

University of Hartford*

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Hawai’i Pacific University

Hendrix College

High Point University (4)

Hofstra University

Holmes Community College

Howard University

Hult International Business School-Boston*

Hult International Business School-London

IE University (3)

IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems

Indiana University-Bloomington*

Iona University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Istituto Marangoni-London

Ithaca College*

Jacksonville University

Johnson C. Smith University

Kenyon College

King’s College-London

Lafayette College*

Lawrence University

Leiden University

Louisiana State University*

University of Louisville

Loyola Marymount University*

Loyola University-Chicago*

Loyola University-Maryland

Loyola University-New Orleans*

Lynn University (2)

Maastricht University

Manhattanville College

Marist College

University of Maryland-Baltimore County

University of Maryland-College Park*

Marymount Manhattan College*

Marymount University

University of Massachusetts-Boston*

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

McDaniel College

University of Miami (17)

Miami Dade College (4)

University of Michigan (9)

Michigan State University*

Michigan Technological University

Middle Tennessee State University

Monroe College

Morehouse College

Mount Holyoke College

Muhlenberg College

The New England Conservatory of Music

University of New Orleans

The New School (2)

New York University (9)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill*

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina

School of the Arts

North Carolina A & T

State University

University of North Florida

Northeastern University (12)

Northumbria University

Northwestern University*

University of Notre Dame*

The University of Nottingham

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Ohio University

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University of Oregon*

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Pace University-New York City*

Parsons School of Design at The New School*

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Pennsylvania State

University-Harrisburg

Pennsylvania State

University-University Park*

Pennsylvania State

University-World Campus*

Pepperdine University

Point Park University*

Pomona College

Pratt Institute

Princeton University

Purdue University*

Queens University of Charlotte

Quinnipiac University

Regent’s University-London

University of Rhode Island*

Rice University*

University of Richmond*

Richmond American

University-London

Roanoke College

Rochester Institute of Technology (3)

Roger Williams University*

Rollins College*

University of Rochester*

Roosevelt University

Rutgers University-New

Brunswick

Saint Leo University*

Salve Regina University

University of San Diego

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Santa Clara University*

Sarah Lawrence College*

Savannah College of Art and Design*

Scripps College

Sewanee: The University of the South

Siena College

Skidmore College*

Smith College*

South Carolina State University

University of South Florida*

University of Southern California*

Southern Methodist University (12)

Spring Hill College

University of St Andrews*

St. Thomas University (2)

Stanford University

Stetson University*

Stevens Institute of Technology

Stony Brook University

Suffolk University*

SUNY at Purchase College

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Tallahassee Community College*

The University of Tampa*

Temple University*

Temple University-Japan Campus

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

The University of Texas at Austin*

The University of Texas at Dallas

Texas A&M University

Texas Christian University*

Trinity College

Trinity College-Dublin

University of Toronto

Tufts University*

Tulane University of Louisiana (5)

University of Utah

University College Utrecht

Vanderbilt University (3)

Vassar College*

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Villanova University*

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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University*

Virginia Union University

Wake Forest University (7)

University of Washington-Seattle (2)

Washington University in St. Louis (3)

Webber International University

Wellesley College

The College of William and Mary*

Williams College

University of Wisconsin-Madison*

Wofford College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute*

Yale University (3)

Business & Leadership

Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism and the Golden Age of Fraud

BY BEN MCKENZIE

In “Easy Money,” TV star Ben McKenzie (“The O.C.,” “Gotham”) enlists the help of journalist Jacob Silverman for an exposé of the final days of cryptocurrency now upon us. Weaving together stories of traders and victims, crypto “visionaries,” Hollywood’s true believers, anti-crypto whistleblowers, and government agents searching for solutions at the precipice of a major crash, “Easy Money” is a look at a perfect storm.

These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs – and Wrecks – America

BY GRETCHEN MORGENSON

Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling journalist Gretchen Morgenson and financial analyst Joshua Rosner investigate the world of private equity, revealing how it leeches profits from everyday Americans. The book lucidly traces the 30-year history of corporate takeovers in America, investigating the biggest names in private equity, exposing how they buy companies, load them with debt, and then bleed them.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being

BY RICK RUBIN

From a legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us. “The Creative Act” is a beautiful and generous course of study by a nine-time GRAMMY winning producer that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience.

The Wisdom of The Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)

BY ADMIRAL WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN

The title “Bullfrog” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven received this honor in 2011 when he took charge of the US Special Operations Command. When McRaven retired in 2014, he had 37 years as a Navy SEAL under his belt. The book draws on the experiences from his incredible life, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas.

Poverty, by America

BY MATTHEW DESMOND

The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why?

Elegantly written and fiercely argued, this compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds an original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity.

The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

BY PETER FRANKOPAN

Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and scientific research, “The Earth Transformed” will reframe the way we look at our future.

Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything

BY MICHIO KAKU

The runaway success of the microchip processor may be reaching its end. Running up against the physical constraints of shrinking sizes, silicon chips are not likely to prove useful in solving humanity’s greatest challenges, from global starvation to incurable diseases. But the quantum computer, which harnesses the power of the atomic realm, promises to be as revolutionary as the transistor and microchip once were.

Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock

BY JENNY ODELL

In her first book, “How to Do Nothing,” Jenny Odell wrote about the importance of disconnecting from the “attention economy” to spend time in quiet contemplation. But what if you don’t have time to spend? To answer this seemingly simple question, Odell took a deep dive into the fundamental structure of our society and found that the clock we live by was built for profit, not people. Here is her solution.

LEADERS OF TOMORROW Congratulations Class of 2023!

Daniel E. Arias

Lexy Johana Banegas-Quiroz

Emma Monique Barthet

Riley Hope Bell

Daniel Jesus Benitez

Corbin Berg

Justo Berisso

Samuel Burnitz

Sofia Isabella Capote

Isabela Angelina Cardona

Valentina Sofia Coll

Claudia Colmenares

Emily Anne Cordero

Giselle L. Cortiñas

Donovan Jake Costello

Aden Davenport

Titouan Adrien Baptiste de Buchet

Vasco Andre De Melo Gomes

Sebastian Jesus Debasa

Eduardo Roberto del Rosal

Daniela Fabiana del Rosal

Angelica Felice Deribeaux

Cayetana Elena Diaz-Mengotti

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

American University*

Amherst College*

Arizona State University*

Auburn University

Babson College*

Bard College*

Barnard College*

Baylor University

Belmont University

Bentley University

Berry College

Boston College*

Boston University*

Bryant University*

Butler University

California Institute of the Arts

California State Polytechnic University (Pomona)

California State University (Bakersfield)

Carnegie Mellon University*

Case Western Reserve University*

Catholic University of America*

Centre College

Charleston Southern University

Clarkson University

Clemson University*

College for Creative Studies

College of Charleston*

Columbia University

Connecticut College

Cornell University*

Davenport University

Davidson College

DePaul University*

Dickinson College

Drexel University*

Duke University*

Duquesne University*

East Carolina University

Eastern University*

Elon University*

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University*

Emerson College

Emmanuel College*

Fairfield University*

Isabel Domenech

Samuel L. Drody

Valentina Rosario Erigoyen

Jahmir L. Everett

Zachary Lewis Faber

Julian Antonio Fals

Ana Luiza Fonteles Camps

Charles Anthony Fornaris

Austin Lucas Foster

Felicity Grace Franklin

Ruby Alice Friedman

Emme Star Fundora

Caroline Elizabeth Gallagher

Eduardo Agustin Gamarra

Danna Gabriela Garcia

Jaydis Dayana Garcia

Anna Isabela Giraldo

Sofia Girotti

Camila Akemi Massaki Gomes

Luna Quinn Greenan

Hannah Grene

Andrea Gutiérrez

Chloe Olivia Haynes

Fisher College

Florida Atlantic University*

Florida Gulf Coast University*

Florida Institute of Technology

Florida International University*

Florida Southern College

Florida State University*

Fordham University*

Franklin & Marshall College

George Washington University*

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology*

Gettysburg College

Gonzaga University

Goucher College

Guilford College

Hampshire College

Hobart and William

Smith Colleges*

Hofstra University

Hult International Business School (Boston)

Hult International Business School (London) – UK

IE University – Spain*

Illinois Institute of Technology*

Indiana University (Bloomington)*

Ithaca College

James Madison University

Kent State University

Lafayette College

LaGrange College

Lawrence University

Les Roches SwitzerlandUniversity –

Long Island University (Brooklyn)

Louisiana State University*

Loyola University Chicago*

Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University New Orleans*

Lynn University*

Manhattan College

Marist College

Marquette University

Marymount Manhattan College

Marymount University

Massachusetts College of Art & Design*

McDaniel College

Sofia Maria Hegewisch

Gabriel F. Herrera

Richard Scott Jackson, IV

Cecilia Jimenez

Drew Michaud Kaplan

Kyle Ifeanyichukwu Kelsey

Ryan Kleber

Henry Kuemmel

Carla Loreta Lombardo

Audrey Jessica Lopez

Isabelle Lopez Negrete

Yansheng Luo

Andres A. Maduro Muller

Miranda Alyssa Martel

Signe Kullgren Marthinsson

Luca Giorgio Martinez

Giselle Marie Martinez

Max Milian

Alexander A. Montepeque

Emily Madison Montes

Alejandra Mora Ortega

Isabella Moralejo

McPherson College

Merrimack College*

Miami Dade College

Miami University*

Michigan State University*

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Monmouth University

Muhlenberg College

New York Institute of Technology

Northeastern University*

Northwestern University

Nova Southeastern University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Otterbein University

Oxford Brookes University – UK

Pace University (New York City)*

Pace University (Westchester)

Penn State University*

Purdue University (Fort Wayne)

Purdue University (Northwest)

Purdue University*

Quinnipiac University

Regent’s University – UK

Regis University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*

Rhodes College*

Rochester Institute of Technology*

Roger Williams University

Rollins College

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rutgers University

Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Leo University

Saint Louis University – Spain

Santa Fe College

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College of Art and Design*

Seton Hall University*

Simmons University

Smith College*

Southern Methodist University*

St Lawrence University

St. Thomas University*

Stetson University

Suffolk University*

Elena Morin

Mariana Daniela Morin

Ricardo D. Navarro

Morella Niembro Rincón

Michael Anthony Nieves

Emma E. O’Connor

Christopher Athanasios Oeltjen

Simon Andres Olea

Lucas Ignacio Ortega-Morales

Rene Marcelino Paez

Akshay Mahir Panjabi

Helena Pascon Bastos

Ana K. Perez Sanchez

Joseph E. Polo

Isabella Porto

Sydney Allison Powell

Jude Powell

Nicole Marie Ratmiroff

Gabriel Bruno Richard

Sofia Maciel Rocha

Matthew Roblan Rodriguez

Alejandro Andres Rodriguez

SUNY (Buffalo)

Syracuse University

Tecnologico de Monterrey – Mexico

Temple University

Texas A&M University

Texas Christian University

The American University of Paris – France*

The College of Wiliam and Mary

The Ohio State University*

The University of Alabama*

The University of Edinburgh – Scotland

The University of Manchester – UK

The University of Tampa

The University of Tennessee

The University of Texas (Dallas)

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Tulane University of Louisiana*

Universidad Nacional

Autonoma de Mexico

University College Dublin – Ireland

University of Alabama at Birmingham

University of Arizona

University of Bologna – Italy

University of Bolton – UK

University of Bristol – UK

University of California (Davis)*

University of California (Irvine)

University of California (Riverside)

University of California (San Diego)

University of California (Santa Barbara)

University of California (Santa Cruz)*

University of Central Florida*

University of Cincinnati*

University of Colorado (Boulder)*

University of Colorado (Colorado Springs)

University of Colorado (Denver)

University of Delaware

University of Derby – UK

University of Florida*

University of Georgia

Nicolas Fernando Rodriguez Almerini

Daniel Delpizzo Rombaut

Nicholas Delpizzo Rombaut

Marco D. Ross

Clementina A. Saldivia

Saverio A. San Lorenzo Turco-Rivas

Eva Grey Sanko

Simone Schwedel

Carolina Mia Segredo

Kirksey Margaret Smith

Marianna Stol

Akari Elena Torres

John L. Turner-Smith

Andres Arturo Velis

Sofia Vidaguren

Giancarlo Vidal

Madeline Ann Vinas

Zoe L. Warshaw

Isabella Christine Westgate

Alan Bowers Wilson

Juan Cruz Yu

Gregory V. Zhamgotsev

University of Hartford

University of Hertfordshire – UK

University of Houston

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois*

University of Maine

University of Maryland*

University of Massachusetts (Boston)*

University of Massachusetts (Lowell)

University of Massachusetts*

University of Miami*

University of Michigan

University of Michigan (Dearborn)

University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)

University of Mississippi*

University of New Hampshire

University of New Orleans

University of North Alabama

University of North Florida*

University of Pittsburgh*

University of Redlands

University of Richmond*

University of Rochester

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of Seville – Spain

University of South Carolina*

University of South Florida*

University of Southern California

University of the District of Columbia

University of Toronto – Canada

University of Vermont*

University of Virginia*

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin*

Ursinus College

Virginia Tech University*

Wake Forest University*

Washington University in St Louis*

Wentworth Institute of Technology

West Virginia University

Whittier College

Wingate University*

Worcester Polytechnic Institute*

* Multiple acceptances. As of 5/18/23.

Dorothy Thomson: A Profile

“ MY GROUP WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE COULD ASK TO GET SOMETHING DONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN SOMEONE SAID, ‘WHY NOT ONE OF US?’”

DOROTHY, VISITING THE EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO HER LIFE AT THE CORAL GABLES MUSEUM

The life and times of Coral Gables’ only woman mayor

THE THOMSON FAMILY, CHRISTMAS 1966

BY KAREN F. BUCHSBAUM

As a young mother walking her baby in the Bird Road/Red Road area, Dorothy Thomson used to look across Red Road and think “I’m going to live in Coral Gables someday because they have sidewalks.” In 1959, she and her beloved late husband Jack made good on that dream.

Advance the clock 64 years. She’s engaging, intelligent, and full of interesting, colorful tidbits of local history. Sharp as a tack, turning 91 this month, Dorothy still has the innate ability to have a thought-provoking conversation. And the

most important part of that conversation, she’ll tell you, is to listen to what people have to say.

You could say listening got her where she is today. Involved with the community, PTA, and civic groups, this busy mother of four was encouraged to run for office in order to be heard. “My group was trying to figure out who we could ask to get something done in the community when someone said, ‘Why not one of us?’” she recalls.

Dorothy was already a force in the community. Her daughter, June Thomson Morris, recalls sitting with a friend outside West Lab Elementary School when she was in third or fourth grade. “I saw my mother walking across the grass, perfectly dressed with heels, as always, and my friend said, ‘Is that your mom? She’s so beautiful.’ I remember feeling such pride. I always had that pride. When she walked in, she commanded the room, feminine but strong. She always had a presence about her.”

During June’s senior year at Gables High in 1979, Dorothy and Jack gathered the family together and announced her decision to run for the Coral Gables Commission. June laughs when she says, “She forced me to recruit my friends to go door-to-door and campaign for her.”

“I loved campaigning,” says Dorothy. “I was used to campaigning for other candidates but never gave it a thought to run myself.” When she did jump in the race a few months before the election, it was, in her words, a “tough row to hoe.” She walked

miles, visiting about every home in the Gables to introduce herself and her ideas.

“My dad was the creative one, coming up with campaign ideas, and he and mom would have fun working out the details and getting them done,” says June. In those more innocent times, campaign promotions included a sewing kit and a heart-shaped sponge. Eventually, a friend of Dorothy’s, Coral Gables composer Vera Hunt Gallogly, even sat down at a piano and composed a campaign song.

The Commission race followed different rules back in 1979 when Dorothy first ran. “It was so unique, people made fun of it,” she says. Comparing the contest to a crowded horse race, she explains that residents got to cast candidate votes for both mayor and commissioner, which meant you voted for one person twice. When the votes were tabulated the two with the most votes got a four-year seat and the next two a two-year seat. The mayor’s position was a two-year seat.

June explains, “One of the things that makes me proudest is the fact that she even

“ I LOVED CAMPAIGNING. I WAS USED TO CAMPAIGNING FOR OTHER CANDIDATES BUT NEVER GAVE IT A THOUGHT TO RUN MYSELF.”

DOROTHY, ABOVE, BEING SWORN INTO OFFICE.

ran for office when she did. It was a good old boys club then and she ran against an incumbent.”

Not long before election day, Dorothy’s opponent took out a two-page spread in the Miami Herald filled with names of all the prominent men who supported him. When Dorothy saw the ad, she was surprised and had a moment of doubt. It was Jack’s idea to take out a full-page ad in response, with a photo of the family and the theme, “I am supported by my family and my dog Brandy.”

THE CAMPAIGN SONG WAS WRITTEN BY A FRIEND, VERA HUNT GALLOGLY

Presents

by Karen Zacarías

Directed by: Victoria Collado

Starring:

Kevin Cruz

Diana Garle

David Kwiat

Barbara Sloan

With the support of Shell Lumber & Hardware Company

JUNE 10 - JULY 16

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“And then she won,” says June, “and that was another great inspiration to me.”

Dorothy was elected to a two-year seat, winning a four-year seat after the next election, and, in 1985, was elected the first (and only) female mayor of Coral Gables. In each race, she won against all odds on the strength of support from her neighbors. “I met Dorothy during my first campaign season prior to her election as mayor,” said former Mayor Raul Valdés-Fauli. “I liked her and hoped she would win. She was always a very, very hard worker and she had foresight.”

At the time, the Biltmore Hotel was in desperate shape. It was “horrible, falling apart,” according to Valdés-Fauli. “She was the leader of the movement to keep the Biltmore in accord with George Merrick’s ideas.”

By the late ’70s, the once-grand Gilded Age hotel was shuttered and crumbling. Frequented by squatters and littered with broken glass and debris, it had become a neighborhood eyesore. Many wanted it torn down, builders were salivating over the property, and some wanted condos on the site.

Because of her work to save and restore

the Biltmore, Dorothy found herself at a crossroads of opinion with many residents. The controversy surprised her, and she compared the situation to “a sword through my heart.” Everyone had an opinion. Dorothy decided she needed to listen to what the residents had to say.

During the most incendiary meeting she ever conducted, the Commission chamber was packed with angry residents. Because there was so much discord, Dorothy decreed everyone would have the opportunity to be heard, without interruption. And, one by one, everyone got to speak their mind. Leave it alone, repurpose the building, or tear it down. When no one was left to talk, Dorothy took a deep breath, called for discussion, and took a vote of the Commission. It narrowly carried three to two, with Valdés-Fauli voting in favor. The Biltmore would be saved and restored to reflect George Merrick’s vision. “It was the right historic move,” says Valdés-Fauli. “If not saved, it would’ve been a blow to our historic memory.”

That was also good news to share with Eunice Peacock Merrick, the widow of George Merrick, who would call Dor-

“ I MET DOROTHY DURING MY FIRST CAMPAIGN SEASON PRIOR TO HER ELECTION AS MAYOR. I LIKED HER AND HOPED SHE WOULD WIN. SHE WAS ALWAYS A VERY, VERY HARD WORKER AND SHE HAD FORESIGHT.”

FORMER MAYOR RAUL VALDÉS-FAULI

othy and ask, “Tell me what’s going on in George’s city.”

Saving the Biltmore is certainly Dorothy’s most prominent legacy, but just one of many, including co-founding the Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County Citizens Crime Watch. But the combative battle hurt Dorothy’s prospects for re-election. “You can’t make everyone happy,” she reflects. Things were changing and, politics being politics, she lost.

Dorothy didn’t waste the years she

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wasn’t holding elected office. She served in other ways. She headed to Tallahassee, working in Emergency Management and the Department of Transportation, seeing another side of the political fence, commuting home on the weekends. In retrospect, she says she should’ve stayed in the Gables during those years, but she gained even more experience and brought back new ideas, including a concept borrowed from the League of Cities about launching foundations to augment a city’s community support. From that spark, the Coral Gables Community Foundation was born.

She waited six years to run again, and then won big, winning all precincts, going on to serve on the Commission for another eight years as vice mayor.

June describes her mother as having a mind like a “steel vault,” but that she never holds a grudge, remaining friends even with people who supported her opponents. “Something I think is unusual and pretty great is that my mother has stayed involved in the city after being in office,” says June. “Some never show their face again after their term ends, [but] she loves Coral Gables.”

After leaving office in 2001, Dorothy stayed involved on city committees and with community organizations, including the Coral Gables chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. For the city, she served on the Historic Preservation Board for many years and chaired the Parking Advisory Committee. As Valdés-Fauli sums it up: She’s a “wonderful activist, with her heart in the right place.”

In 2008, she also found the time and energy to complete a very important personal goal, one interrupted by motherhood almost 50 years earlier. Heading back to college, Dorothy finished her degree, graduating cum laude from the University of Miami.

Her commitment to the city continues to this day. She watches every Commission meeting on cable and will text Commissioners directly if she feels they need additional perspective, facts, or background.

Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who was elected in 2021, benefits from those texts and finds Dorothy’s input welcoming and needed. “We have a 24/7 open line of communication,” he says, adding that he reaches out to her more than she does to him and appreciates that someone with her stature and experience is watching and following every word of the Commission meetings. “Her advice is always on point,” he says. “She’s up-to-date on all the issues and she sees things from multiple angles.”

Taking great pride in her family ancestry and the importance of legacy is evident throughout Dorothy’s life. She instilled those lessons in her children, about the importance of having a voice and what democracy needs in order to work. An example for her children and others, she showed “you can do great things if you really work hard,” says June. “She taught us not to be ruled by the fear of failure and have the guts to go against the flow. When she walked through the door, she was there to get things done.”

Being Mayor was the “pinnacle of what I always wanted to do,” says Dorothy. And then she smiles and laughs, “I wanted sidewalks and got the throne.” Says Commissioner Menendez, “She helps me find the strength I need sometimes, and I am blessed to call her my friend. Quite honestly, if the city had a Mount Rushmore, Dorothy Thomson would be on top.” ■

“ BEING MAYOR WAS THE PINNACLE OF WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO... I WANTED SIDEWALKS AND GOT THE THRONE.”

DOROTHY THOMSON, ABOVE CENTER, WITH HER FAMILY IN 2017, CELEBRATING HER LATE HUSBAND JACK’S 85TH BIRTHDAY. UPPER RIGHT IS HER CHILD CAMPAIGNER, JUNE THOMSON MORRIS

Dorothy Thomson has donated her private collection of campaign materials and mementos from her time in office to the Coral Gables Museum, which has put together a curated exhibit of her memorabilia and an exhibition catalogue. The exhibit will be on display through August 13, 2023.

Summer Travel Getaways

To Key West (and back)

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

The furthest and most popular Key is filled with a myriad of shops, restaurants, historic sites, attractions, and activities — making it hard to choose what to cram into a two-day getaway. We’re breaking down how we maximized 48 hours in Key West.

Location is key. We chose the Marquesa in the center of Old Town. This quaint hotel is a block from Duval Street, and a short walk from most tourist sites. The picturesque complex is a historic property, originally the James Haskins House built in 1884. Last year, Forbes declared it the Best Boutique Hotel in Key West. It feels like a hidden oasis, with three pools surrounded by lush tropical gardens. A fine place to sip wine on your private porch. It also has onsite parking (critical for Key West), access to a nearby fitness center, and dining at the celebrated Cafe Marquesa.

Day one started with a jet ski trip by

Barefoot Billy’s. This 90-minute tour around the island is a unique way to sightsee landmarks, like the always-popular Southernmost Point Buoy. It’s guided by a knowledgeable local who keeps you moving; the few minutes of free play on the water will add to the adrenaline rush of cruising at around 45 miles per hour. The two-person jet ski rental ($160) includes complimentary pickup and drop-off at your hotel.

After refreshing at the Marquesa and stopping for a bite at nearby Clemente’s Trolley Pizzeria, we were ready to cruise the rest of Old Town. Stopping by The Hemingway Home and Museum is a must, whether you’re a literary fan or a cat lover. Arrive by 4 pm for the last guided tour, where you’ll get all the gossip on Hemingway’s time in Key West and get to peer into his preserved writing studio where many of his works were born. The friendly (and unbothered) felines

ABOVE: THE MARQUESA HOTEL, ONE BLOCK FROM DUVAL STREET, WITH SWIMMING POOL AND PRIVATE PORCHES.

THE CAFE MARQUESA IS NEXT DOOR FOR A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE.

OPPOSITE:

TOP: WIND AND WINE SUNSET SAIL

MIDDLE: ONE DUVAL RESTAURANT, DINING WITH A VIEW.

BOTTOM: A SIX-TOED CAT INSIDE HEMINGWAY’S HOME AND THE KEY WEST KEY LIME SHOPPE.

throughout are mostly descendants of Hemingway’s six-toed cat Snow White.

We closed out the day with Danger Charters’ two-hour Wind and Wine Sunset Sail ($109 per person). This romantic experience is shared by a small group of about 20 guests, all taken care of by friendly staff who serve a wide range of eight wines paired with delicious charcuterie bites. You’ll leave the dock moderately buzzed and deeper in love with your partner.

If you still have energy, hit the nightlife on Duval Street. We opted for hopping on a Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour, where you hear tales of the haunted places in a town built on burial grounds with two centuries of shipwrecks and untimely deaths. The occasional pedestrian will shout, “You are doomed!” in which you are cued to respond with, “Yes, we are the doomed!” A

chilling experience for $38.

Let’s hope you didn’t drink too much the night before, because day two starts bright and early with morning snorkeling by Sunset Watersports. This three-hour trip ($40.95 per person) provides gorgeous views through the pristine blue waters of the world’s third-largest living coral reef. An hour-long snorkeling session above coral ecosystems, thriving with colorful fish, is more of a workout than you think; you can cool off with complimentary mimosas and beers as you sail back to shore.

In the afternoon, we took refuge from the summer sun in the old Key West Aquarium ($22 for adults and $13 for children ages four to 12). If you get there by 2:30 pm, you can catch the last stingray and nursery shark feedings of the day, filled with neat facts about marine animals.

If you’re a foodie it’s tough to go wrong in Key West, especially if you like seafood. For lunch, we stumbled upon Rams Head Southernmost, a family-owned establishment with a vast, shaded outdoor patio and an air-conditioned indoor dining room. Great stuffed avocado, chicken tacos, and a tender steak au poivre. For dinner, we selected a beautiful waterfront spot, One Duval Restaurant, where we had a great white conch chowder, a mushroom spinach pasta, and a New York Strip (okay, so we love beef). Bonus: another beautiful sunset.

You can’t leave the island without a slice of Key lime pie. We got ours from Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe. The founder, Kermit Carpenter, has been selling pies for over 30 years at the original shoppe at 200 Elizabeth Street. Pick up a slice (or a whole pie) and enjoy it in their charming courtyard. Or eat it on the drive home, which we did, slowly remembering we had to return to our busy city life 150 miles away. ■

Islamorada Idyll

THE TRUE KEYS ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

The palms overhead swayed lightly. A gentle breeze made ripples across the surface of the pool. Other than a few distant mockingbirds and the sound of the palm fronds rustling, everything was silent. I twirled my glass of wine and took a sip. This was more than a vacation. This was an escape.

When you think of the Keys, it’s easy to imagine sunburnt tourists in Key West stumbling down Duval Street in a rum-runner-induced haze. But the rest of the Keys are much more local, relaxed, and less centered on drunken shenanigans. Islamorada, about two hours south of the Gables on Plantation Key, is famous for its small-town feel, easy access to the water, and bevy of upscale boutiques and restaurants.

I started my trip by arriving at The Maison Residences, a set of luxury vacation rentals that rival any major resort. Once you

BY KATELIN STECZ

turn onto Old Highway and enter the gates, you’re in your own private world. Complete with pool, private beach, and dock, it’s tempting to spend your whole time here.

The property has just four buildings with 21 residences. Rentals range $5,000 to $15,000 per week. Two of the buildings were built just a couple of years ago – they even still smell new. According to Patti Stanley, owner of the Island Villa Rentals, each of the buildings has its own unique design. The one I stayed in had a West Palm feel: all-white furniture and cabinets, modern, beachy decor, with a fantastic view from the balcony.

One of the best ways to travel around Islamorada is by golf cart, especially if you stick to Old Highway. Plus, bopping around in a golf cart adds to Islamorada’s cozy feel. You can rent one at Kokomo Carts ($875/week).

I was lucky to arrive on a Thursday

ABOVE: THE MAISON RESIDENCES IS A LUXURY RESORT COMPLETE WITH PRIVATE BEACH, POOL, DOCK, AND PRIVATE TERRACES.

GOLF CARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR GETTING AROUND.

OPPOSITE:

TOP: LUCY DE LA VEGA DISPLAYS HER WORK AT MORADA WAY ART WALK ON THE THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH. PLUS, THE FLORIDA KEYS BREWING COMPANY.

MIDDLE: THE OTHERSIDE BOARDSPORTS OFFERS PADDLEBOARDING ON WATERWAYS AND AT ANNE’S BEACH.

BOTTOM: ROBBIE’S, PART RESTAURANT AND OUTDOOR MARKET, IS POPULAR WITH TOURISTS AND LOCAL FISHERMAN.

THE MAISON RESIDENCES

PATTI STANLEY, EXCLUSIVE AGENT

ISLAMORADA, FL

when the Morada Way monthly art walk was in full swing, so I drove my golf cart over. The Morada Way Third Thursday Art Walk occurs every – you guessed it – third Thursday of the month. Vendors from across South Florida display handmade crafts, jewelry, and Keys-inspired art. While there, I ran into Coral Gables resident and jewelry designer Lucy de la Vega. You can find her work at Brenda Noy in the Gables.

De la Vega only recently started coming to the art walk. She says one of her favorite things is the people, a mix of Keys locals and tourists. From 6 to 9 pm, the art walk is in full swing; afterwards, most visitors migrate to the Florida Keys Brewing Co.

Florida Keys Brewing Co. is the type of place you think of when you hear a Jimmy Buffet song, as in laidback. I ordered a brew at the bar and headed out back to the beer garden, which felt like my best friend’s backyard. Fairy lights surrounded the beer garden and snaked up every tree. Candy-colored wooden tables were filled with happy patrons, while live music played. I sipped an “Iguana Bait,” a Kolsch-style beer made with hibiscus and local honey.

Islamorada actually has a lot to do. It is the self-proclaimed sportfishing capital of the world, and it’s well-known for paddleboarding, kayaking, kiteboarding, and other watersports. I headed over to oTHErside Boardsports to rent a paddleboard for the day ($60/day, $195/week). Owners Mike and Shana Walsh recommended I check out Anne’s Beach, so off I went.

Few things are more relaxing than paddling in crystal clear water while a light breeze blows at your back. Anne’s Beach is a must for nature lovers and water athletes. On windy days, kiteboarders flock there; on calmer days, it’s paddleboard paradise. After working up an appetite on the water, I headed to one of Islamorada’s best-known outposts, Robbie’s Marina.

Part restaurant and open-air market, part tarpon-feeding spot and fishing charter hub, Robbie’s is Islamorada’s one-stopshop approach to tourism. Famous for the population of tarpon surrounding its docks, Robbie’s is a huge draw for out-of-towners, but a lot of local fishermen hang out at its bar to talk about their day on the water. It’s a must for people-watching, strong pours, and the ever-popular feeding of tarpon.

Toward the end of my trip, I sat on my balcony and gazed at the ocean, watching the sky turn from yellow to orange to pink and finally purple. Islamorada might not hold the history and antics of Key West, but it’s perfect for a little escape. ■

A Paradise of Play

HANGING OUT IN THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY PANHANDLE

“This is the best day ever!” a tiny, be-tubed youngster crowed as he ran past us toward the glittering Gulf waters ahead. Nearby, his siblings were building one of many sandcastles dotting the beach as his parents lounged in shaded beach chairs, their heavy eyelids open just enough to keep an eye on their most adventurous son. In every direction, there were children building core childhood memories, splashing in the chilly water or hopscotching up and down the white beach, shrieking with laughter. Here at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa on Miramar Beach exists a child’s paradise, an oasis of play.

Originally intended to be a timeshares property, the building was repurposed right before its opening in 1984 to be a hotel.

BY KYLIE WANG

As a result, every room in the main tower has bunk beds and virtually every amenity is designed for families – from the three pools (one indoor, two outdoor) to the private stretch of beach to the grab-and-go store, Picnix, which has kid-friendly food. “We don’t close off anything to the kiddos,” says Maggie Weaver, the hotel’s marketing director.

Even the Village of Baytowne Wharf, just a short shuttle ride away from the Hilton, caters to families. By dinner time on the weekend, the Village, vaguely reminiscent of Disney’s Tom Sawyer Island with a large pond in the middle, is full of kiddos rock climbing, hopping through one of the rope courses, or soaring through the air between trampoline jumps. Meanwhile, there are plenty of options for food, including our

ABOVE:

THE HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA ON MIRAMAR BEACH OFFERS A LUXURY FAMILY VACATION. THE SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA OFFERS FACIAL TREATMENTS, MASSAGES, AND A FITNESS CENTER.

OPPOSITE:

LEFT: SUNSET AT A DOCK IN THE VILLAGE.

RIGHT: MIRAMAR BEACH ON THE GULF OF MEXICO IS A CHILDREN’S PARADISE, OFFERING ENDLESS DAYS OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA 4000 S. SANDESTIN BLVD., MIRAMAR BEACH, FL 850.267.9500

HILTONSANDESTINBEACH.COM

favorite, Dude & Meatball’s, an Italian joint named after the owners’ two pups and featuring live music and an amazing tomato cream pasta sauce. On the other side of the pond is the marina and some more bayside restaurants, perfect for a romantic sunset stroll or a drink.

Back at the hotel, however, is the best option for dinner – Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood. The price tags here are on the higher side, but ultimately worth it if you prize dining on the finer side. With only a few exceptions for things like Alaskan king crab, the seafood dishes are sourced locally, about as fresh as you can get. The steaks, meanwhile, are just as good, and customizable with extra toppings like foie gras-infused butter and pan-seared diver scallops. But you would be remiss not to try the locally sourced grouper with wild mushroom risotto or the dover sole, filleted tableside and served with brown butter, capers, and lemon. For more economical options, there’s

Sandcastle’s, Hadashi, and Barefoot’s, the latter of which sits poolside overlooking the beach, a perfect spot for lunch or happy hour. Sandcastle’s and Hadashi, meanwhile, share a space inside the lobby and you can order from either, no matter where you sit. Sandcastle’s hosts breakfast in the morning with a bespoke omelet bar and buffet ($29.95 for adults and $19.25 for kids) and has the usual sandwiches and pizza for lunch and dinner. Hadashi is the on-site sushi and raw bar, offering a unique option for the area, which leans mostly toward Americanized options.

For the parents, there’s plenty of opportunity for play as well, with four golf courses on the property that hosts the hotel, all within a short distance. The Raven Golf Club has even hosted the PGA Champions Tour. And, of course – fitting the kid-friendly theme – there are mini golf courses too.

While the dads golf and the kids explore the private beach or the pools, moms

can take a trip to the Serenity by the Sea Spa, which offers hair, makeup, and nails services in addition to the usual massage and facial treatments, and access to the fitness center. The best part of Serenity, however, might be the lounges, which are separated by gender and offer up healthier fare, drinks, access to the sauna, and private hot tubs.

No matter what you decide to do or who you come with, the beach at the Hilton Sandestin is the main draw, a semi-private stretch of surf and sea that would be hard not to enjoy. The waters are crystalline blue and the sand almost blindingly white. You might notice a faint squeaking sound as you walk across the beach or a dark residue on your feet – that would be the quartz deposits in the sand, which flowed down from the Appalachian Mountains thousands of years ago. Today, that soft sand is host to thousands of little feet, scampering through “the best day ever,” a memory they’ll keep well into adulthood. ■

The Googie in the Gables

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER WITH A SIDE OF SPACE-AGE ARCHITECTURE

BY KARELIA MARTINEZ CARBONELL & BRUCE FITZGERALD PHOTOGRAPH BY DON QUERALTO

You may well wonder – if you stop to look at its undulating roof line – how this one-story futurist restaurant ever landed in Coral Gables. But the structure we know today as Denny’s (originally a Sambo’s Pancake House) did indeed land in 1969 on the north side of Miracle Mile, just inside the Douglas Avenue entrance at the east end of the city. More than 50 years later, it still serves up a full plate of comfort food at affordable prices.

Back then, Futurism was in the air - literally, after Russia’s 1957 launch of Sputnik - and figuratively, with the introduction of the Unisphere as the symbol of the 1964 World’s Fair. America was infatuated with new lifestyle choices inspired by car culture, mass suburban migration, affordable air travel, rock ‘n roll, and even visionary animated TV sitcoms like “The Jetsons.” The future was here and now and much of it was quick and easy – and fun!

FROM PANCAKE HOUSE TO GOOGIE ICON

Change was already part of the game plan in 1949, when John Lautner designed a small coffee shop in West Hollywood, California called...wait for it...Googie’s Diner. Exuberant and a bit outlandish, Googie Architecture soon became part of the mid-century design aesthetic – and its first appearance in Coral Gables came when local architect O. K. Houstoun, Jr. conceived the bold yet unpretentious structure that now houses Denny’s.

Houstoun’s professional legacy also includes other significant buildings around South Florida: the sleekly columned Colonnade Plaza (formerly the Mutual of Omaha Building) at 1201 Brickell, designed in 1968 with H. Maxwell Parish, and 550 Biltmore Way, with its ziggurat stacking of floors, designed in 1986. Clearly, the man and his work confirm a long-standing architectural pedigree.

“One of the things about Googie Architecture,” says architectural historian Alan Hess, “is that it wasn’t custom houses for wealthy people. It was for coffee shops, gas stations, car washes, banks... the average buildings of everyday life that people of that period used and lived in.” And ate in.

While today there may be a whiff of irony in knowing that a traditional diner-style restaurant chain was once on the leading edge of architectural innovation, we can also celebrate the end result of such dichotomy: One Miracle Mile still thrives as one of those places that never seem to go out of style. The Mile’s east-end Googie restaurant anchors the street’s eastern flank, just as the1928 Coral Gables City Hall anchors its western flank, each building steeped in notable design history and pioneering concepts of “City Beautiful” urban planning. Both buildings represent milestones in the ongoing development of Coral Gables, but only one of them can truly be called a “Slam” dunk. ■ Karelia Martinez Carbonell is the president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables.

DENNY’S ON MIRACLE MILE IS A ‘GOOGIE’

Meandering About Town #2

IN WHICH A FORMER MAYOR CONTINUES TO SEEK THE SOUL OF THE CITY

BY DON SLESNICK

Having built up enough courage to leave the friendly confines of my own home, “Gumbo Grove,” I ramble south along Granada Boulevard – a street which shares its name with the City of Granada, Spain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, most fittingly, one of our long-time “Sister Cities.”

My destination is the Ruth Bryan Owen Waterway Park, located where the Coral Gables Canal flows out of the Biltmore Golf Course to cross under Bird Road. This public space was named in honor of the daughter of William Jennings Bryan, the famous orator, several-time presidential candidate and, surprisingly, member of the George Merrick land sales team. Ruth, a Coral Gables resident, was the first female this side of the Mississippi River elected to Congress; her district encompassed the entire east coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Key West. She later served as a delegate to the United Nations’ General Assembly. Locally, Ruth served as vice president of the University of Miami’s Board of Regents and collaborated with Marjory Stoneman Douglas to establish Everglades National Park. She is one of our community’s most notable, but least remembered, citizens.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, on a bench donated by the Harry and Mary Perrin Fund housed at the Coral Gables Community Foundation (the same fund that helped create the Coral Gables Museum and Coral Gables Art Cinema), I am meeting former City Commissioner Maria Anderson. Her efforts in 2006 helped bring redevelopment of the park to a successful conclusion. Historically, it was a tree-filled vacant lot, home to a sizable flock of ducks. It would become a peaceful recreational retreat of picnic tables, a barbecue pit, and a canal-side scenic boardwalk overlooking the Biltmore Golf Course. (Environmental alert: the trees and ducks are still there!)

Maria is recognized as one of the significant female leaders of this community, being the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Commission since its inception in 1925. Despite the political aggravations that accompany public service, she remembers with fondness her 12 years as part of the city’s leadership team. While there are many legacies left from her tour of duty, she treasures the efforts her commission made in the area of historic preservation to ensure the Mediterranean character of the City Beautiful. She recalled with earnest satisfaction the many projects to protect city landmarks: the restoration of De Soto Fountain, the rehabilitation of the City Hall cupola, the renovation of the entrance features where Country Club Prado meets the Tamiami Trail, and the refurbishment of the Merrick House and Venetian Pool.

During her last years in office, Maria sought personal peace outside the political arena by studying for the ministry, attending seminary in Boston when her commitment to City responsibilities allowed. Upon leaving City Hall, she became an ordained chaplain within the Baptist Health System, and now serves as pastoral care director at Homestead, Mariners, and Fisherman’s hospitals. She tells me that her studies and vocational transformation helped her to adopt an attitude of forgiveness toward those who hurled the “slings and arrows” that came her way during public service. To this day, she

is still dedicated to the betterment of her hometown and hopes that we will find ways to preserve its historic fabric.

My delightful day “on the road” (within the city limits, of course) having finished, I now have time to plan my next excursion. Who knows, I may even venture south of US-1! ■ This column appears monthly by Don Slesnick, who served as mayor of Coral Gables from 2001 to 2011.

“ ON A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY AFTERNOON, ON A BENCH DONATED BY THE HARRY AND MARY PERRIN FUND, I AM MEETING FORMER CITY COMMISSIONER MARIA ANDERSON” (ABOVE)

FORMER MAYOR DON SLESNICK ON HIS VISIT TO THE RUTH BRYAN OWEN WATERWAY PARK

Coral Gables Dining Guide

TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

The New Year is here, and what better way to celebrate than by dining in one of Coral Gables’ many fine dining establishments. What follows is our list of the best of the tried and true, and the best of the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

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

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

$$$ ........ $35-$75 $$$$ ...... $70-$100+

Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, without tax, tip, or drinks. Prices are approximations.

AMERICAN Bachour

Maybe it was the lure of pastries by world-renowned chef Antonio Bachour, but this airy, industrial-chic spot has become the new power breakfast place in town, with amazingly good eggs benedict and challah French toast. Also open for lunch and an early dinner, with great Greek salad and roast chicken breast. $$

2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

Cebada Rooftop & Raw Bar

It’s hard to pigeonhole this new rooftop restaurant by Chef Jorge Ramos (fresh from his acclaimed Barley restaurant in Dadeland). He calls it “contemporary American with a Latin overlay,” which means roast bone marrow with salsa verde and baby back ribs with pimiento marmalade. A good raw bar, a great view. $$-$$$

124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287

Cheesecake Factory

We still don’t know how they can offer over 250 menu items, but there is something for everyone here, from Thai peanut lettuce wraps to chicken salad sandwiches on toasted white bread. Their cheesecake is still a calorie overload, but now balanced by their “SkinnyLicious” menu. Still, our favorite: Godiva chocolate cheesecake. $$

2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.529.0703

Clutch Burger

You may have to unhinge your jaw

to take in some of their burgers, but they are the best. Most of the burgers hover close to $20 because they’re made with quality Wagyu beef. The “Clutch” is the cheeseburger of the house, but our favorite is “My Boy Bleu.” They also specialize in craft beers brewed here in Miami. $$

146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar serves craveable American fare dishes made from scratch daily. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner, and a solid happy hour, signature dishes include the Wok Out Bowls, but our favorites are the candied bacon, the grilled artichokes, and the Southern fried chicken. $$

301 Miracle Mile. 786.864.1220

The Globe

The Globe is a Gables icon, and one of the coolest places to eat in the city – assuming you like a smart, Euro-style bistro. Decorated with classic paintings (and globes over their old-world bar), the menu is mostly American dishes – salads, burgers, fish, steaks, etc. – perfected over the years. Best conch fritters. $$

377 Alhambra Cir. 305.445.3555

The Gramercy

They meant it to be over the top, and they succeeded. To us, it feels a little like a bordello in New Orleans, circa 19th century. But this is now the singles hot spot, replacing Tarpon Bend. Good sushi counter, interesting sides, and Wagyu hamburgers, but happy hour is where they shine. $$$-$$$$

65 Miracle Mile. 786.747.4854

Hillstone

There are very few restaurants in the Gables where clients will wait in a line outside. Hillstone is one of them. A power lunch spot, a happy hour singles anchor, and a family restaurant at night, the food and service are consistently top notch,

with an elegant interior that is both comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. $$$

201 Miracle Mile. 305.529.0141

Lion & The Rambler

At Lion & the Rambler, everything is made from scratch, from the créme fraîche down to the finishing salts, which are extracted from Miami seawater and hand-delivered to the restaurant by a local fisherman. The inventive restaurant serves up a menu as much inspired by the three-Michelin-star Denmark restaurant Noma as the humble Cool Ranch Dorito. Try an infladita and see what we mean. $$-$$$ 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.603.7612

Orno

Located in the same building as Mamey (THēsis Hotel), Orno is Chef Niven Patel’s latest creation, focusing on “New American” cuisine with farm-to-table local produce. An eclectic menu lets Patel stretch his culinary imagination, using a wood-burning oven and a wood-burning grill. Be prepared for new and fascinating flavors. $$$ 1350 S. Dixie Hwy. (THēsis Hotel) 305.667.6766

Seasons 52

The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups, and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flatbread menu is a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them. $$ 321 Miracle Mile. 305.442.8552

Tap 42

Tap 42 is big, noisy, and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks, and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian

dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$

301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

Yard House

A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic rock in the background, and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone. $$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

ASIAN

Canton

Why there are not more Chinese restaurants in the Gables remains a mystery, but Canton has been serving reliably good Cantonese-style food for decades. Feels like you are in New York’s Chinatown, with sweet and sour pork, chicken chop suey, barbecue spareribs, and wonton soup. Plus, the best lunch deals in town. $$

2614 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.3736

Ichimi

This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to stand and wait just for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich, and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space. $-$$ 2330 Salzedo St. 305.960.7016

Izakaya

Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. $$

159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Khaosan Road

Formerly Bangkok, Bangkok, this

TUR KITCHEN

Giralda Plaza mainstay – with plenty of outdoor tables – has reinvented itself as the new home for Thai street food. Think you know Thai food? Be prepared for new and delicious flavors. $$

157 Giralda Ave. 305.444.2397

KAO Sushi & Grill

Not sure of the vibe here – the décor inside feels oddly like you’re in Las Vegas – but the outside seating on the Mile is quite nice. Menu-wise, it has specialty rolls with an interesting Peruvian spin that includes a wide selection of ceviche, along with empanadas and chorizo. $$

127 Miracle Mile. 786.864.1212

Malakor Thai Isaan

This eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai food. That means pork skewers with sticky rice, grilled fatty pork neck sliced and tossed with lime juice, or the Gang Aom, a Thai curry with fish sauce, dill, and herb paste. $$ 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Miss Saigon

Repeatedly voted the best Vietnamese restaurant in Miami by the readers of New Times, Miss Saigon serves the kind of vegetable-rich food that makes you feel light and clean afterwards. Excellent seafood choices, and

any of their crispy rolls or dumplings make great starters. Their clear, hearty soups – what they call Pho – are the big winners here. $$ 148 Giralda Ave. 305.446.8006

Moon Thai & Japanese

Can’t decide between Japanese or Thai food? No problem. Here, you can have a Japanese house salad or miso soup as an appetizer and pad thai as an entrée. Truly the best of both worlds. Comfy booths inside and umbrella-covered outdoor tables. Across the street from UM’s campus. $-$$ 1118 S. Dixie Hwy. 305.668.9890

Namaste

Hidden on a side street off Ponce, the last standing Indian restaurant in the Gables is small and humble (“namaste” means “I bow to you”), yet superb in its rendering of classic Indian dishes, from tandoris to biryanis. Our favorite is the mango curry chicken, followed by the chef’s special black pepper shrimp. $$ 221 Navarre Ave. 786.534.2161

Sakura Japanese

A vast menu for rolls, along with selections of noodles, yakitori, katsu, tempura, teriyaki, etc. But they serve some of the best sushi and sashimi in town if raw fish is your thing. We also love their seating – a half

dozen alcoves that line the walls and provide a sense of private space. $$

440 S Dixie Hwy. 305.665.7020

Sawa

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

360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.6555

Sushi Sake

Just one block south of Sushi Maki, Sushi Sake is the latest contestant in the battle for sushi fans, with an upscale edge and a menu that stretches past sushi, sashimi, and handrolls to hibachi, katsu, and noodle dishes. A full bar gives them happy hour honors (weekdays 4 to 6 pm) with half-off drinks, appetizers, and Thai donuts. $$-$$$

202 Miracle Mile. 786.636.8125

Zitz Sum

Brought to you by Chef Pablo Zitzmann of No Name Chinese fame, this “pop up” restaurant off the huge lobby of the 396 Building is

here to stay. The result of a year-long pandemic dive into dim sum by Zitzmann, the dumplings (dinner only), hand-rolled daily, are superb. Other menu items are highly inventive and flavorful. $$-$$$

396 Alhambra Cir. 786.409.6920

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal’s on Ponce, this restaurant is half inside, half outside in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread, and superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches. $$-$$$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.536.9388

Chef Sucre Café

“A French restaurant bistro with a Latin Twist,” this inexpensive café serves breakfast all day – including great croque madams and croque monsieurs. Good sandwiches, lovely croissants, and a flourless chocolate cake to die for. $

475 Biltmore Way. 305.444.2025

Chocolate Fashion

This restaurant and bakery is a breakfast and lunch hotspot. Lunch

DINING GUIDE

is a steal with most sandwiches priced around $11 with a side salad and cornichons – those mini pickles the French are famous for. Don’t forget the French pastries and desserts, ready to go. $-$$

248 Andalusia Ave. 305.461.3200

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

Gustave

Launched by a couple of friends with a track record in Paris, Gustave’s a light-filled, lovely addition to the local French cuisine scene. With a good selection of baked goods, this is a Paris-style café with good coffee and solid fare. Good to know where you can get a croque monsieur for lunch and boeuf bourguignon for dinner. $$-$$$

366 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5675

Pascal’s on Ponce

Elegant, quaint, and delicious, 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 foie gras. Try the diver sea scallops and tomato tartin. $$$-$$$$ 2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024

ITALIAN

Amore

Small Italian spot with a half dozen tables and umbrellas outside. A wide selection of pastas, including pumpkin and lobster ravioli, and fagottini de pera – pasta stuffed with mascarpone and pears. Great homemade gnocchi. Nice service, reasonably priced, good house wines. $$ 94 Miracle Mile. 305.200.3216

Bugatti

Bugatti prides itself on its pasta –and for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary with lots of booths, and the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. And as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. $$ 2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545

Caffe Abbracci

A Gables icon, the late 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. Abbracci is quiet and elegant, and the food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. $$$ 318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Caffe Vialetto

Not a huge menu, but when it comes to risotto, pappardelle, fettuccini, and ravioli, they do it right. And we love their Wednesday and Thursday “family” dinners for $100 that serve four or five diners. Reservations required, always full. $$$ 4019 Le Jeune Rd. 305.446.5659

Fiola

Brought to you by Washington, D.C. chef Fabio Trabocchi, this is fine dining at its finest. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, sea scallops ceviche, and the signature lobster ravioli. Beautiful presentations. $$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Fontana

The ambiance is as elegant as it

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

1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Fugato

They will tell you they serve “continental” fusion cuisine, and yes, there is a touch of French and Spanish cooking here. But the chicken florentine, ravioli aragosta, ravioli zucca, golden calamari, and veal ossobuco say otherwise. Well prepared dishes in an intimate setting make this a romantic choice. $$$-$$$$ 325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910

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, as is the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms, and green peas. $$$

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

Fontana | Cascade | 19th Hole Bar & Grille | The Culinary Academy

Whether you are seeking the warmth of a traditional restaurant interior, the bliss of dining al fresco, either formal or casual, or an educational challenge, the Biltmore Hotel takes you on an exceptional culinary journey in a stunning historic setting offering a myriad of award-winning options

Luca Osteria

Local celebrity chef Giorgio Rapicavoli (Eating House) made Luca Osteria an overnight, reservations-only hit for dinner on Giralda Plaza. His inventive take on classic Italian food is fresh and new; the Pasta al Limone and mortadella toast with fig balsamic are just the beginning. Great Italian cocktails. $$-$$$$ 116 Giralda Ave. 305.381.5097

Opera

Chef Consiglio, along with partner-chef Gianluca Canna, makes a point of offering an array of dishes that include veal ossobuco, 10 varieties of pizza, fresh “al dente” pastas, and starters, including a wickedly delicious plate of truffle oil-laced prosciutto with baby artichokes ($16). But for us, the trip is worth it just for the branzino. $$ 130 Miracle Mile. 786.391.1276

Portosole

When they bring the pecorino cheese wheel to toss your pasta, you’re in heaven. Short of that, they do a fine job with the fritto misto, a mixture of calamari, shrimp, filet of sole, tiny artichokes, and zucchini, all lightly fried. Equally appetizing is the fresh burrata with heirloom tomatoes, a deceptively simple salad

of tomato and burrata cheese. $$$ 2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.359.4275.

Salumeria 104

Tratorria-style Salumeria is now two years old with a loyal clientele, especially at lunchtime. Partly because the food and ambience is authentically Northern Italian and rustic. It may also be thanks to their inventive pastas and sandwiches of artisan cured meats, always fresh and flavorful. Those sliced salumi meats are buono! $$ 117 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5547

Tullio

This elegant new Italian restaurant focuses on northern Italian seafood, especially from the area around Venice, the hometown of owner and maitre d’ Lucio Zanon. Inventive dishes along with comfort food favorites create an elevated and satifying dining experience. $$$$ 160 Andalusia Ave. 305.926.4208

Villagio Ristorante

Surprisingly good prices in this cavernous restaurant in the Shops at Merrick Park, with lots of outdoor seating. Even the dinner menu serves pasta entrees for less than $15, and the amazingly extensive

selection of meat and fish mostly runs in the mid to low twenties. Also – randomly enough – the best apple pie anywhere. $$

358 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.8144

Zucca

Located at the elegant Hotel St. Michel, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with recipes that chef Manuel Garcia developed in a career that included the legendary Casa Tua on Miami Beach. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with great service. $$$-$$$$

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

LATIN AMERICAN

Agasago

The food here is authentically Colombian. Try their pescado camaronero, a seafood showstopper of grilled white fish filet topped with garlic cream and large shrimp, served with coconut rice and fried plantains. Also good: the sancocho de costilla, a beef rib stew with corn on the cobb, yucca, potatoes, bananas, onions, and beef broth – a meal in itself. $$

205 Aragon Ave. 786.401.7189

Aromas del Peru

Yes, they serve ceviche here. But it’s the breadth of the menu that impresses, with traditional soups, grilled meats, wok stir fries, and signature dishes such as aji de gallina (shredded chicken in yellow pepper sauce) and seco de res (beef stewed in beer and cilantro). $$

1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886

Divino Ceviche

Divino Ceviche is known, of course, for its ceviche. From the Ceviche Tradicional to Ceviche de Mercado to Ceviche Nikkei, there’s no shortage of the stuff. The restaurant also has non-ceviche dishes like octopus croquetas and three different causas (layered potatoes with tuna, boiled eggs, onion). $$

160 Giralda Ave. 786.360.3775

Ecléctico

Brought to you by the folks at nearby Sawa, Ecléctico is an open, airy, Latin-fusion restaurant that serves “light” and inventive variations on Latin small plates with a Mexican overlay – and a truly awesome selection of mezcal and tequila. A fun place for dinner. $$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.615.5735

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Where Am I?

If you know where this statue in Coral Gables is located, send the answer to editor@coralgablesmagazine.com. The first two winners will receive two free tickets to the Actors’ Playhouse production of their choice at the Miracle Theatre,

and the next two will receive the same to any GableStage production. The next 10 winners will receive two free tickets to the Coral Gables Museum. Last month’s “What Am I Now?” was a historic photo of the Café Demetrio building.