Coral Gables Magazine May 2018

CORAL GABLES

INSIDE BACARDI

WITH THE FOUNDING FAMILY’S SIXTH GENERATION ARCHIVIST

FUTURE OF THE UNDERLINE PARK

FINDING FAMILY TIME: GABLES BUSINESS WOMEN

There is a reason Brown Harris Stevens has had a reputation as the preferred luxury real estate brokerage for 144 years. We know our clientele. And they know us as the brokerage with the most distinguished properties and the most accomplished agents in New York City, the Hamptons, Palm Beach and now, Miami.

How do we continually attract the most admired and productive agents in town? By offering them the tools, technology, support and autonomy they need to build lasting client relationships. Luxury has been our neighborhood since 1873. Let us show you around.

These luxury French-style villas are located within walking distance from Miracle Mile and Merrick Park. With the most prestigious golf courses, elegant shopping & dining venues, residents of Villa Blanc will be just a few steps from The City Beautiful’s urban core.

3-BEDROOM VILLAS WITH STUDY

PRICES STARTING AT $1.49M

Inside the World of Bacardi

Coral Gables is home to the North American HQ of the Bacardi empire. It’s also where the spirits company keeps its private museum, archives and art collection. An inside peek.

The Working Mom’s Dilemma

For working mothers, it’s a constant concern: How do you spend enough quality time with the family while devoting sufficient time to be a successful professional? For the answer, we talked to exemplary working moms in Coral Gables.

Walking the Line

In 2015, longtime Coral Gables entrepreneur Meg Daly started an ambitious plan to make the 10-mile strip of land under Miami-Dade’s Metrorail a safe and inviting public space, with a focus on Coral Gables’ three-mile Underline stretch. Since then, she has obtained $70 million in public and private pledges.

Making An Impression

Developer Alirio Torrealba has been working to develop his Biltmore Square project for the last three years, making a name for himself as a local player – and patron of the arts.

As the #1 brokerage in Florida for luxury home sales*, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate provides an exclusive marketing program reserved for exceptional $1 million-plus properties. The result? Your extraordinary home will get more targeted marketing and reach more affluent buyers – which means more opportunities for a quick sale.

Get more than you expect from a real estate company. Contact us today.

Meg Daly , founder of the Underline project

Editor’s Letter

Thanks for the Welcome

Being a veteran journalist and editor of nearly a dozen magazines, I am rarely surprised by the reaction to any new publication. Typically, a new title must shoulder its way into the market, and win acceptance, sometimes begrudgingly.

Not so Coral Gables Magazine. As we go to press with this second edition, I can say without hesitation that I am stunned by the reception from the city, its residents, and our advertisers.

From old friends who tell me this is the first magazine they have read cover to cover in a long time, to strangers that I meet in the elevator, we have been given nothing but encouragement and kudos. From all sides of the community, from the business, entertainment, retail, educational and international sides, the feedback has been enormously encouraging.

While I would like to thank the members of our team for their efforts, but what makes this magazine top notch is the city and its citizens. Our choice of Mitch Kaplan for the first cover showed us just how much Coral Gables values its native sons (and daughters).

What it comes down to is that no other municipality in Florida comes close to Coral Gables in terms of physical beauty, education levels, international headquarters, corporate leaders, government services, dining options, live theater, unique retailers – the list goes on and on.

Someone recently asked me if we would run out of things to write about in Coral Gables. Much like the mimosas served for Sunday brunches in the downtown, I said no, it’s bottomless. Our biggest challenge is finding the space to tell all the stories we have.

Fortunately, we now have another venue to tell the tales of the Gables: Radio. Our publisher Richard Roffman will be hosting a weekly radio talk show “Coral Gables Live” on 880 AM, every Friday at 5 pm. We can’t think of a better way to wrap up your work week than by tuning in. Or by calling in! Then you can head home and get ready for bottomless mimosa on Sunday.

PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR IN CHIEF

J.P.Faber

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

VP SALES DIRECTOR

Sherry Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES

Magguie Marina

Gloria Glanz

SENIOR WRITER

Doreen Hemlock

WRITERS

Robin Shear

Julienne Gage

Odalis Garcia

Kimberly Rodriguez

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Nicholas Faber

Robert Sullivan

Cyn Zarco

SOCIAL MEDIA

Ella Aire

SENIOR ADVISOR

Dennis Nason

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

J.P.Faber

Editor in Chief

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2018 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. General mailbox email and letters to editor@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2018. thecoralgablesmagazine.com

On the cover: Juan Bergaz Pessino, sixth generation of the founders of Bacardi rum. Photograph by Jon Braeley

Streetwise

Where are the Gondolas?

Bye-Bye Plastic Bags

Pop Ups & Sticky Space

The Saving of the Lights

Top Cops

Power Suit Update

p12

The original idea for the project came from the city manager Catherine Cathers , arts and culture specialist

But Where are the Gondolas?

Bye-Bye Plastic Bags

Coral Gables’ cutting-edge ban on plastic bags, passed last year by the City Commission, is now in effect. What that means is that, following a year’s worth of public ‘education,’ retailers can no longer bag their customer’s purchases in plastic. If they do so, code enforcers can begin a series of fines that start at $50, then climb to $100, $500 and finally $1,000 within 12 months. The ban is the city’s second of its

type (Styrofoam containers are also banned), and has brought the Gables national recognition as a eco trend-setter. “It’s going fine so far,” said one retailer on the transition to paper bags.

“The only problem is heavy rains. If it’s a Tsunami, we keep some plastic bags stashed in the back.” The Florida Retail Federation and Super Progresso (parent company of 7-11) are challenging the ban in court, but for now it’s in the bag.

Pop Ups and Sticky Space

MORE LISTINGS AT WWW.SHELTONANDSTEWART.COM

JUST SOLD! Our Seller | Sold for $4.950M Cocoplum, Coral Gables - 146 Isla Dorada Blvd. Best wide water, no bridges to Bay. 7/6/2 | 8,268 adj. sf. | 24,468 sf. lot

JUST SOLD! Our Buyer | Sold for $3.4M Cocoplum, Coral Gables - 119 Paloma Dr. Waterfront estate, private dock. 6/6/1 6,103 sf. | 14,984 sf. lot

JUST SOLD! Our Seller | Sold for $2.528M Coral Gables - 5817 Riviera Dr. Open interiors, elevator, beautiful pool & terrace 5/5/1 | 4,766 adj. sf. | 12,000 sf. lot

First came Miami’s Flamingoes. Then the roosters of Little Havana. Now come the Venetian mooring posts of the Gables. You know, those tilted columns where the gondoliers of Venice tie up their boats?

In its latest public art project, the city is launching Venice in the Gables this month. Be prepared to see up to 30 of the 8-foot replicas throughout the downtown, all imaginatively painted by artists who are paid $750 by sponsors who themselves pony up $3,500 per poll. As of press time, the sponsors included EWM, Torre Construction, Mercedes Benz, UM and the Chamber of Commerce. “The original idea

for the project came from the city manager [Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark],” says the city’s arts and culture specialist Catherine Cathers, who is overseeing Venice in the Gables. “She wanted a celebratory project that would coincide with the completion of the [Miracle Mile] street project, something to celebrate the space and activate it.” The actual choice of gondola moorings came from idea sessions by city staffers.

Each reinforced fiberglass poll will be anchored to a 750-pound base, “so they are not going anywhere,” says Cathers. Except after a month or so, when they’ll be auctioned off for charity.

Pop-ups – stores that occupy a vacant retail space for a short period of time – are popping up all over the Gables these days, especially on the recently redeveloped Miracle Mile. Shop owners like them because they can test their business in a location without committing until they know it works. City planners like them because they create what’s called “sticky space,” meaning that customers are more likely to stick around a neighborhood if they find something to look at in every retail window.

Sticky space is something that Gables’ Business Development Specialist Francesca Valdes is actively promoting. Pop-ups can create a “new moment” explained Valdes, a Key West native who returned to South Florida in 2016 after nearly two decades in New York working in public relations for high-end jewelry companies Georg Jensen and Tiffany.

“It’s good for the landlord in that they get some fresh activity and a fresh look,” says Valdes, and for retailers, well, they get

PENDING SALE! Our Seller/Our Buyer Cocoplum, Coral Gables - 7223 Monaco St. Move-in perfect! Rarely available, one story. 6/6 | 6,251 adj. sf. | 21,763 sf. lot | $3.6M

PENDING SALE! Our Seller/Our Buyer Coral Gables - 5320 Riviera Dr. Enjoy the boating life in this gated 2001 villa! 5/4/1 3,995 adj. sf. | 9,120 sf. lot | $3.095M

NEW LISTING! Cocoplum, Coral Gables 7125 W Lago Dr. Tropical contemporary, both cool and cozy. Great for entertaining & family privacy!

5/6/1 | 6,913 sf. | 14,200 sf. lot | $3.195M

NEW LISTING! Cocoplum, Coral Gables 6920 Tulipan Ct. Contemporary two-story home extensively renovated in 2017-18. Great finishes! 6/5/1 | 4,782 adj. sf. | 17,804 sf. lot | $2.850M

NEW PRICE! Cocoplum, Coral Gables 166 Isla Dorada Blvd. Updated two story home ready for move in. Great eat-in kitchen and family. 5/5/1 5,363 adj. sf. | 17,597 sf. lot | $2.628M

NEW PRICE! Cocoplum, Coral Gables 321 Costanera Rd. Contemporary home. Bright, open floor plan! Completely remodeled/expanded. 4/4/1 | 5,935 sf. | 15,950 sf. lot | $2.599M

#1 TEAM IN COCOPLUM & TOP 5 IN CORAL GABLES BY THE REAL DEAL

WE SPEAK ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, PORTUGUESE AND JAPANESE

CONSUELO STEWART

305.216.7348

TERE SHELTON BERNACE

305.607.7212

TERESITA SHELTON

305.775.8176

ELBA FERNADEZ

305.799.7972

to see what Coral Gables can do for their products. “If you’re in North or South Carolina, or if you’re coming from Washington, DC, it’s going to take a few touch points before you’re going to commit,” she says.

And that’s where Valdes comes in. “I’m a people connector,” she says. While the city doesn’t own most of the properties in downtown, Valdes knows who does and she also knows that at an average of $45 per square foot, the rents are certainly competitive. Her job is to learn about a retailer’s vision, consider whether it fits the tastes of Coral Gables shoppers, and then link those retailers to the brokers of the empty retail spaces.

The first signs of Valdes’

efforts are already popping up. At 263 Miracle Mile, the 828 Clothing store will be in place through the end of May. At four other locations, pop-up art galleries are now operating: at 217 is the Million Orchid Project sponsored by Fairchild gardens; at 359 is Urban Art; at 259 is Space Traveler; and at 360 is CG-Art Visions. Off the mile, there is Color Ride at 290 Aragon Ave.

Not to be left out, the Shops at Merrick Village did their own pop up in April, the Luxury Garage, which sold consignment fashions from Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes for up to 90 percent off retail.

Now, with Miracle Mile upgraded, “We’re really poised to make this happen,” says Valdes.

The Saving of the Lights

Today an estimated 65 rusty, crumbling light fixtures remain of the once graceful White Way Lights. The cast iron bases were crafted to portray the four sides of life in Coral Gables: Art and Architecture, Horticultural Planting, Labor, and Industry. Designated a City Historic Landmark in 1981, efforts are now underway to have ownership transferred from FP&L so the City can begin to restore the survivors – some-

thing the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables has been urging since 2011. The remaining fixtures are on University Drive from Granada to Ponce, and on Riviera Drive between University and Granada. You can still see remnants of their original verdigris and silver paints. Look closer and you can read the inscription around the top of the base: “Coral Gables – The Miami Riviera, FLA.” – Karen Buchsbaum

Top Cops

Just before Christmas in 1922, Coral Gables turned on more than 500 electric streetlights to illuminate eight miles of “white way” boulevards and streets. According to The

Miami Daily Metropolis, they were “standards of attractive design,” and the event was reported to “arouse great interest” and “increase the well-known beauty of Coral Gables.”

As police departments across the U.S. scramble to recruit officers, the Coral Gables force has zero vacancies for the first time in a decade. The reason: A nationwide effort by ranking officers to recruit from police academies and university criminal justice programs – combined with an ad blitz featuring a “Force Be with You” video of a menacing Darth Vader subdued by a Jedi cop. The Gables also promoted starting salaries of $53,551 to $76,350, plus a $2,500 sign-up bonus.

“We went all out,” said Frank Fernandez, assistant city manager in charge of public safety. The numbers suggest success. In 2016, Coral Gables received only 387 applicants. Last year: 1,447.

With five new officers on duty in February, 11 new recruits in the police academy, and two more slated to start in June, all 188 positions in the police department are now filled. The number of female officers also increased, from 18 to 31. –

Mike Clary

Kvell and Kvetch

Recognize that expression?

It is Yiddish for “Beaming with Pride and Complaining.” It’s also the nickname for the most popular class offered at the Palace, the award-winning senior living mid-rise on Andalusia Avenue just south of Miracle Mile. Turns out that many of the residents had grandparents and parents from Eastern Europe and were exposed to Yiddish as children.

As publicist Janis Ehlers notes, Yiddish has been making a comeback thanks to shows like HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” So, thank you Larry David for using the words like klutz, mensch, nosh, schlep, schmooze and schmuck. Oy vey!

Power Suit Update

The first round in the bout between the city and FPL is now over, with both sides claiming victories. Of the four complaints brought by the city – which feels FPL did not properly maintain power lines prior to Hurricane Irma hitting – only one will advance to mediation set for June: that the city can seek damages for

How to Avoid Being Evicted

Mitch Kaplan, founder of Books & Books – and last month’s cover subject – has found a way to make sure the rent never gets out of control for his flagship store on Aragon Avenue: he and two partners have purchased the historic 1927 building where

FPL’s slow response to Irma. While that seems like a 3-to-1 for FPL, Gables city attorney Miriam Ramos says last month’s hearing was a ‘big win’ for the city for two reasons.

First is the fact that a circuit court judge took jurisdiction of the case, rather than handing it over to Florida’s Public Service Commission (FPL has big

sway with the PSC). Second, one of the claims was dismissed because FPL admitted to the judge that it was their sole responsibility to maintain the vegetation that downed so many wires. FPL says that Gables residents resist their attempts to trim. Which is no wonder if you’ve ever seen how FPL ‘trims’ trees.

Coral Gables by Numbers

B&B moved its flagship store in 2001.

The trio paid $15 million for the complex; the partners are Raimundo Lopez-Lima

Levi and Eric Glinsky of the accounting firm Lopez Levi Lowenstein Glinksy, P.A., located on Alhambra Circle.

The Jewel Miracle Mile of

While staying at the Biltmore Hotel, visit Downtown Coral Gables. There you'll find Jae's Jewelers, a full-service family owned boutique & the oldest business on Miracle Mile.

Discover Jae’s Jewelers, a full-service family-owned boutique & the oldest business on Miracle Mile.

Founded in 1945, Jae's Jewelers sells, repairs, creates, purchases, and appraises jewelry and watches. Owner Bruce Hornik & his daughter Jillian Hornik are both Graduate Gemologists, educated at GIA. "We have a loyal clientele because of our personalized customer service & decades of experience" says Jillian. Bruce adds, "Clients who purchased their engagement rings and wedding bands from our store, now bring in their children & grandchildren who are getting married. It is wonderful to celebrate happy times. We are very fortunate."

Jae's Jewelers' best-selling designer lines are John Hardy, Montblanc, Roberto Coin, Rebecca, & Alor. The store is also the only authorized dealer in South Florida for Masriera, Mattioli, & Roberto Demeglio.

Oh So Chic

BRIDAL GOWNS

Filomena Fernandez

THE SPRING SUMMER LINE

p20

237 MIRACLE MILE, CORAL GABLES

HOURS: TUES-SAT 11 AM - 6 PM

PHONE: 305-443-7724

In addition to new designs, Jae’s Jewelers curates a large collection of fine vintage jewelry & pre-owned watches from brands such as: David Yurman, Tiffany, Rolex, Cartier, Breitling & Omega at significant savings.

In addition to new designs, Jae's Jewelers carries a large collection of fine vintage jewelry & pre-owned watches such as Rolex, Cartier, & Chopard, at up to half of the original price.

Cleaning Bot 2.0

ALEXA... CLEAN MY FLOOR

To Protect... and Detect

WHAT’S TRENDING AT SPY WORLD?

There was no grand plan, but I realized... I can do this

The entire Jae's Jewelers family looks forward to welcoming you to their store soon!

DESIGNER

Catherine Fox Milian Chic Parisien

ine Fox Milian.

“It wasn’t necessarily what I was going to do. I was never pressured to go into the family business,” says Milian, who grew up in her parent’s store helping on the weekends. “It just kind of happened when my mom said she wanted to retire. So, I bought the business from her when I was 23 years old. There was no grand plan, but I realized ‘I can do this.’ I was good at it.” When you

visit her store and speak to her about the industry and her growing business, you understand why she is good at it – and why Chic Parisian will be celebrating its 50-year anniversary in May 2019.

As the footprint of the metropolis expands, there are bridal boutiques scattered all over Greater Miami. So, what brings the brides here? Chic Parisien stands apart from the rest for good reasons.

By Kim Rodriquez

Photos by Cyn Zarco

Chic Parisien is a family owned high-end bridal boutique that has called Coral Gables its home for 49 years. It is a mecca of beautiful bridal dresses and accessories that has blushing brides from all over the globe swooning for their appointments to view exclusive dresses from both domestic and international designers, all housed here in this local institution.

WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGNER BRIDAL GOWNS, FEW SHOPS CAN HOLD A CANDLE TO CHIC PARISIEN. AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD TO TRAVEL TO FRANCE FOR THE BEST. Weekend

to Miracle Mile, where within a few years of their 1976 arrival they were followed by other bridal boutiques. Chic Parisien, in fact, helped pave the way for Miracle Mile to become what has been fondly called “the street for brides” or “bridal row” for decades. It is still today an area synonymous with bridal fashion and accessories, though inhabited by far fewer boutiques.

Originally called Frances Novias, Chic Parisien was founded by Frances and Emilio Fox. It was a small “mom and pop” bridal store that became a thriving business in a tough and capricious industry. Their success eventually moved them

In 2007, after having eclipsed the traditional bridal boutique category, Chic Parisien itself left The Mile and relocated. Today it grandly sits on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, not too far from its original home, and is now owned by the founder’s daughter Cather-

Chic Parisien

3308 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

(305) 448-5756

They have exclusivity on several designer brands, such as Monique Lhuillier, Ines Di Santo, Berta, Inbar Dror, and Mira Zwillinger, and they host weekend trunk shows where they feature one designer brand for a few days. Consequently, a bride can focus on a brand she loves and see a full collection of what the designer does, not just a few pieces. Of course, on any given day a bride can go in and be shown all the dresses that fit her style and budget, from one of the largest wedding gown collections in the country.

Among their other attributes, Chic Parisien has a fulltime, in-house alterations department that can turn around your dress within days, not weeks or months. Any brideto-be can appreciate what this means. Another savvy business move was to open a “one-off outlet” next door, with off-therack designer gowns and brides maid dresses selling at 40% to 60% off retail. This is great for a bride who may have couture taste but not the budget, or who is getting married fairly quickly and needs a wedding dress asap.

Some bridal boutiques offer their version of “white glove” service but Chic Parisien goes beyond. They have just started their VIP experience by appointment only, for all of you soon-to-be beautiful brides.

Founder’s daughter Catherine Fox Milian tweaks a gown.

Kim Rodriguez is a Personal Stylist and Shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. krpersonalstyle.com

Filomena Fernandez THE SPRING / SUMMER LINE

This year’s Spring/Summer line by Coral Gables fashion boutique

Filomena Fernandez was designed with the colors and patterns of Morocco in mind, says proprietor Maritza Fernandez. “I was inspired by my last trip to Morocco, by the prints there, and by the sand, and the tiles, and the very strong colors,” says Fernandez. “It’s from both the Moroccan patterns and the Spanish culture they were based on.” The show that debuted the line took place in April at Filomena Fernandez, 4217 Ponce de Leon Blvd., and was produced by Solasta, a Miamibased company that specializes in immersive experience events.

Clockwise top left:

Silk Chiffon handmade fabric Coat and tank top White or black. Coat price $540, tank price $335

Silk Chiffon maxi long dress, pink or emerald green. Flow skirt slid on one side, V neck opening with tiny buttons and ruffles. Price $640

Stretch Cotton, blue and white or grey and white maxi long dress, button down. Price $425

Silk Chiffon Blouse, pink, Chinese neck with small ruffle details on neck and cuffs. Price $338 & Skinny stretch denim with silk scarf belt. Price $225

Photography by Filomena Fernandez

CLEANING BOT 2.0

By Cyn Zarco

WHAT IT IS:

In this lazy-day era of self-driving cars, now there’s a smart way to clean your house without being there. Introducing Miele’s Scout RX2 (sounds like R2-D2), a luxury robotic Roomba, if you will, that sweeps the floor at your command via its MobileControl app. And you thought Miele only made great kitchen appliances.

HOW IT WORKS:

Scout’s Home Vision stereo cameras transmit live images direct to your iOS or Android cell phone so you can watch it work from anywhere. (Tip: Doubles as spyware!) Its new Quattro Cleaning Power feature sweeps dirt under the unit, where a beater bar brushes all coarse dirt up and the fine particles are sucked into an easy-to-empty dust container. Super neat. Scout’s 3D Smart Navigation enables it to travel from floor to carpet and roam around the room avoiding collisions. It does corners, too, and you can control its path manually via your phone.

BEST CASE SCENARIO:

Over drinks at a bar, people want to come over after dinner. Start your engines! Choose from several “flight plans” (mapped grids) then set the timer to stop and park dear Scout back in its charging station before your ETA. Ta-da!

Shop

To Protect... and Detect

WHAT’S TRENDING AT SPY WORLD?

It’s seems an unlikely store for fashionable Miracle Mile, but Spy World on the corner of Galiano Street gets a steady stream of customers. And what are they looking for in this emporium of devices that range from night vision goggles to palm-sized Tasers?

“Hidden cameras are the thing right now,” says owner Steven Gonzalez (above), who is an expert in both surveillance equipment and counter intelligence products. “When you have visible cameras, they can act as a deterrent. But hidden cameras provide a higher level of security.”

They also let you spy on employees who might be stealing, or on nurses in grandma’s retirement home. And the cam-

eras are so tiny that they can fit into the head of a screw, let alone disappear inside a clock or the eye of a watchful Teddy Bear ($125 to $550).

The other big trend is to avoid detection. One way is to sweep your office with anti-bugging devices ($99 to $1,200). But the latest? A wallet-sized purse where you can put your cell phone. It blocks all signals, so no one can track your whereabouts ($99). And if you want to locate your kid (or his/her car), GPS tracking devices come in all sizes ($99-$399).

The most expensive item in the shop? The full-body radiation suit for $2,500. Guaranteed to protect you from a melt-down at Turkey Point.

Hidden cameras are the thing right now...

SIZE MATTERS...

SMALL ENOUGH TO BE PERSONAL LARGE ENOUGH TO BE GLOBAL

OUR BOUTIQUE FIRM IS READY TO EXPERTLY HANDLE THE COMPLEXITIES OF MIAMI’S LUXURY PROPERTY MARKET WITH PERSONALIZED SERVICE AND BRILLIANT RESULTS.

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

Steven Gonzalez, Spy World owner

A small screw hides a camera (top). A microphone (below) can be smaller than a fingernail.

Photography by Nick Faber

The Taming of the Brew

Sometimes the best way to judge a place is to order something straightforward and familiar. And sometimes a new place just needs to do the old stuff better.

That goes for the chicken sandwich at Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen. Not sure if it’s the cheddar or the Dijon honey mustard. But you’ll know why this tony, understated newcomer to Miracle Mile –open just since March – is an overnight hit.

It was enough to send Miami Herald food editor Carlos Frias into a rage: the new Starbucks “ventanita” next to the Miracle Theater, the Mile’s first Cuban-style walk-up coffee window, serving $3.15 cortaditos? Outrageous.

The true Cuban ventanita sells a cortadito for less than $2, even haute Cuban café Versailles. But are theirs oversized (an 8 ounce cup) plus secretly pumped up with white mocha syrup? Didn’t think so.

La Provencal

By J.P. Faber

When Carlos Padron started his career as an attorney in Coral Gables more than twenty years ago, he never anticipated that he would become the proprietor of a brewery. Padron, a UM law school grad and partner in the firm Villa, Padron and Dias, says it all came about due to cigars.

Carlos Padron, Attorney and Brewer

Back in 1995, young attorney Carlos Padron had a client whose company made hand-rolled cigars. “I’m mostly a real estate transactional lawyer, but since then I’ve [also] been heavily involved in the cigar industry. For us cigar smokers it’s a lifestyle and an artisanal product,” he says. Fast forward to 2013, when Padron was drinking a craft beer at The Local 150 on Giralda. “I happened to go there for the Cigar City Maduro Beer. I had no idea [about craft beers] but this intrigued me.” In that moment, he saw the connection between hand-made cigars and locally brewed beer. “There are a lot of similarities in the passion and the lifestyle. That’s what led me into it.”

To learn about the art of beer making, Padron took a brewing class at FIU’s School of Hospitality. There he met

future partner and head brewer Matthew Weintraub, and plans were put in motion to build a beer making company.

For the brewery, known as The Tank (top right), they chose a commodious warehouse just off the Palmetto at 51st Street and NW 72nd Avenue. There was no similar space in Coral Gables, says Padron, plus he and his partners already owned the building as part of a cigar import business. “We happened to own the building, so that made it more attractive,” he says. “We had a lot of space there.”

Construction began in 2014, and the beer started flowing two years later. Last year they built a tasting room, which has now become a popular place to drink beer, eat burgers, and hold local gatherings. Since its inception, the tank has hosted events for everything from golf and fish tournaments to Easter

Seals and the United Way. “It’s a nice, relaxed place to talk,” says Padron, who remembers an event by the Arch Diocese of Miami as his favorite. “It was called Theology on Tap. ‘Two priests and a nun walk into a bar,’ is how the promotional literature began.”

In the meantime, The Tank’s beer has made it into 400 different establishments in South and Southwest Florida, with about 200 places keeping it as a regular offering. In the Gables, you can find it in Tap 42, Doc B’s, Graziano’s, The Globe, La Taverna Giralda and The Brickhouse, among other places. The most popular types are their El Farito IPA, their Freedom Tower amber ale, and La Finca Miami, which just won the gold medal for French and Belgian-style beer at the World Beer Cup.

This month the Tank will

start to bottle their brews as they look to expand beyond the local market, something of a challenge. “It’s a little bit harder for small guys to keep a semblance on the market, because we don’t have the same scale as the big guys,” says Padron. “But so far, so good.”

In the meantime, you can try their beer at one of the Gables places that serves it consistently, or ask at some of the places that rotate it in their tap array, like 7 Dolls, the Titanic, Shula’s 52, the Rathskeller on the UM campus, or at The Local 150, where it all started.

Chances are, however, that you won’t be allowed to smoke a cigar at any of these places. For that you’ll have to head out to The Tank itself. “We’re trying to mix a little of both worlds,” says Padron. “We’re the only brewery in the world that has a cigar shop.”

If the mark of a good French restaurant is the quality of its bread, its ratatouille, and its duck, then La Provencal wins the prize. All three are truly exceptional; the bread alone will make you swear off that gluten-free diet. As for the rest of the menu, it leans toward the Mediterranean side of French cuisine, says managing partner Carlos Duarte.

One of a group of new owners who have revamped the venerable French standard, Duarte says his team spent

months in La Provence testing and tasting local dishes. The result is a new menu – though Duarte says they studiously retained many of La Provencal favorites, like escargot, veal sweetbreads and onion soup. What really may spark a new customer base, however, is something no other French restaurant in the Gables offers: Comfortable seating outside on the wide, boulevard-like sidewalk of the new Miracle Mile. Did someone say Café society?

We happened to own the building, so that made it more attractive

The Happiest Hours

With a Happy Hour schedule that is more like a Happy Afternoon, Evening and Night, Tarpon Bend offers daily two-for-one deals on select drinks from 3 p.m. until close. And don’t just think weekends. On Wednesdays the cavernous raw bar & grill on The Mile offers $5 margaritas all day, with some offbeat flavors like mango and coconut.

On Thursdays the mojitos are $5 all day. Just watch out for the blackberry variation: Delicious, yet dangerous, as the Bacardi can barely be tasted. (Tip: ask your server for a larger straw because the blackberry seeds tend to get stuck in smaller ones.) For daytime drinkers the tangy pineapple mojito is an antidote to humid Miami days. –

Lizzie Wilcox

The Real Thing

“Authentic,” says Martin Lynch, the co-owner of John Martin’s Irish Pub. “Everything here is authentic. That’s important.” By everything, Lynch means, well, everything. The menu is true Irish pub grub (like bangers & mash, above), the beer on tap is Harp, the bar’s wood is from the old country – even the floor

in the so-called print room is from an old Irish church. We tested his premise on the last Saturday night in April, the evening each month when they play traditional Irish music. Sure enough, the band was singing “I lost my heart to the Galway girl.” And sure enough, the couple next to us knew all the words. Or was it the Harp?

It’s All About the Box

What’s better than one happy hour? Two happy hours. Yard House, tucked into the corner of the open square at Shops of Merrick Park, offers a weeknight happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., and a late night happy hour Sunday to Wednesday,

10 p.m. till closing. Both offer the same deals (half price appetizers and $2 off drinks) but the late night happy hour offers a more relaxed, quiet atmosphere than the happy hour madness that ensues at 5:01 p.m. –

Lizzie Wilcox

In Japan, both time and space come at a premium. That clearly inspires Chika Abe, the owner of Izakaya, the small, bustling Japanese restaurant on Aragon Avenue across from the Colonnades. Abe sorts out incoming diners like a traffic controller.

And they come and go in a steady stream at lunchtime for one thing: the Bento Box, with its compartments for tempura, rice roll, sushi, teriyaki, and salad with a killer ginger dressing. Unbeatable for ten bucks and two bits a box. No substitutions please.

On Your Mark…

Mauricio J. Barba, P.A.

Broker-Associate I Estate Agent

ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

t 305.444.7224 c 305.439.8311

mauricio@miamisignaturehomes.com

MiamiSignatureHomes.com

HomesofSplendor.com

Umbrella Sky

One of the nicest things about the Doctors Hospital Annual Tour of the Gables 5K/10k run/walk is that the course takes you through the tree-covered streets of historic and residential Coral Gables. Another nice part of the annual charity event is that it is specifically a run/walk affair, meaning you don’t have to strain yourself if you don’t want to.

That’s why they are calling it a Tour and not a Run. If

you register the day of the run/walk, it will cost $40$50 for adults and $30-$35 for students, depending on whether you go for the 5k or 10k version; knock off $5 if you register before then. The ‘race’ starts and ends at City Hall, and the first 750 to register get a commemorative T-shirt.

Date: Saturday May 19, 7 am to 10 am. Brought to you by Doctor’s Hospital and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. 305.446.1657

Child Prodigy

One of the hottest commodities on the jazz scene today is 12-year-old whiz kid pianist Brandon Goldberg. With critics raving about the mature sensibilities and stylings that young Brandon brings to the keyboard, Brandon’s debut CD is set for release in the next few months.

The young piano master has appeared at New York City’s Apollo Theater and with such

musical greats as Monty Alexander and Harry Connick, Jr. You can see (and hear) what all the fuss is about at the WDNA Jazz Gallery as Brandon performs with bass player Ben Wolfe and drummer Marcus Grant.

May 19, 7:30 pm. WDNA Jazz Gallery. $50 general admission, $25 WDNA members. Reservations telephone 305-662-8889.

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a massive public installation of multi-colored umbrellas, suspended over Giralda Plaza. This month the city will collaborate with the Coral Gables Community Foundation and Downtown Coral Gables to install 700 colorful umbrellas over the newly completed Giralda pedestrian plaza between Ponce de Leon Blvd. and Galiano Street. The Umbrella Sky Project is being set up by Portuguese company

Sextaferia, which specializes in public installations.

Coral Gables is the third city to experience Umbrella Sky, following Pittsburg and Pensacola; the project will remain up in the air for about 60 days.

“The city puts an emphasis on public art and this [will be] absolutely beautiful,” says Mary Snow, executive director of the Community Foundation. “This will be a public art installation that will bring people from all over Miami.”

See Video - 647AlmeriaAve.com

647 Almeria Avenue, $1,796,000

4/1 baths 3,485 adj sf 4 beds 2,840 sf lot

CORAL GABLES — Almeria Row’s Phase 1, number 647, is newly available for purchase. This luminous residence enjoys an elevator, a sweeping staircase, 11 and 17 foot ceilings, marble floors, impact windows/doors, skylight and a rear access 2-car garage. Its magical, walledin courtyard features a European Bath Pool and fountain; a wonderful space for dining al fresco while enjoying the sights and sounds of trickling water. Almeria Row, a collective set of 10 luxury townhomes, has garnered architectural awards and accolades and has also been featured in magazines and commercials. The floor plan consists of a 2/2.5 main house plus a 2/2 beyond the courtyard and above the garage. It’s a sweet location especially for those yearning to be able to walk to restaurants, shoppes, parks and the golf course.

See Video - 3920PalmaritoSt.com

3920 Palmarito Street, $849,000

3 baths 2,137 adj sf 3 beds 2,304 total sf 5,000 sf lot

CORAL GABLES — Villa Valencia, a historically designated Old Spanish residence originally designed in 1926 by noted architect, Charles Paul Nieder, is now available for purchase. Resurrected in 2011, the renovations herald its original design and is now infused with all the modern amenities we have grown accustomed to. Significant attributes include impactresistant windows/doors, corner fireplace, tall ceilings, wood & marble floors and a gourmet kitchen featuring a charming breakfast nook. All 3 bedrooms are generously sized and the 3 baths are stunningly renovated. Adjacent to the media/TV room is a separate kitchenette (possible in-law quarters here) which is perfect for storing your libations and snacks as you binge your favorite shows. Drenched in natural light and dripping in charm, this residence will not disappoint! This offering is best suited for “love” buyers only

SOLD!

7911 Los Pinos Circle, $5,000,000

8 baths 5,100 adj sf 6 beds 6,235 total sf 25,064 sf lot

CORAL GABLES — Florida-Contemporary style waterfront estate in prestigious guard gated community of Cocoplum. Bright and spacious open floor plan with soaring ceilings, highend finishes, chef’s kitchen and bar with Subzero appliances. Featuring 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, den, resort style pool with summer kitchen and 127 ft dock with only 1 bridge to bay. Real estate in Cocoplum is desirable not only for the stunning quality of the homes found there, but also for the resort-style amenities offered to residents. With both a 24 hour manned gate and a roving security patrol, Cocoplum is one of the safest and most private communities in Coral Gables. Within the neighborhood is the private Cocoplum Yacht Club a full service marina with a dock master and a variety of boating services offered to members only. Adding to its appeal to those with families is its proximity to top rated public and private schools.

SOLD!

1115 N Greenway, $2,196,000

4/1 baths 4.590 adj sf 5 beds 15,000 sf lot

CORAL GABLES — Reflecting the characteristic flavor of the Mediterranean Revival Style is this historic residence that is the beacon of The Greenways. Architect Louis D. Brumm accomplished this by the juxtaposition of one and two story sections, classic barrel tile roof, prominent arched windows and an open porch featuring round arches springing from turned free-standing columns. The sconces on either side of the doorway are converted horse hitches taken from the original Waldorf Hotel in NYC. Be sure to notice the stained glass panel of the stairwell. It was made around 1920 by the Louis Comfort Tiffany workshop. While the home maintains its 1920’s glamour it also enjoys some modern amenities/ necessities including impact-resistant windows and doors. The floor plan is comprised of a 3 bedroom and 2 ½ bath main home with dens, sitting rooms and formal living and dining parlors. Most rooms face the Granada Golf Course and its serene views. Beyond the main home are 2 separate guest suites/maids quarters, garage and a dreamy backyard with large pool, spa and covered patios.

COME RAIN OR SHINE

Living

MUSIC

Robert Heredia & La Tradición Jazz Quintet

The scaled back version of the full orchestra led by veteran New York bass player Robert Heredia. Young musicians are invited to join in.

May 11 (Fri.) 8 pm

Tickets: $15 general admission

WDNA Jazz Gallery

Classical & Jazz Favorites from Cuba & Latin America

Manuel Valera & Orlando Alonzo perform piano favorites, including a tribute to the 100th birthday to Cuban masters Israel Lopez Cachao & Bebo Valdes

May 11, 7:30 pm

Tickets: $35

Miami-Dade County Auditorium

Albita en Concierto

Cuban-American, Garmmy-winning singer Albita Rodriguez, known simply as Albita, brings music, rhythm and love for all the mother’s on Mother’s Day.

May 12 (Sat.) 8 pm

Tickets: $33-$85

Miami-Dade County Auditorium

Russ Spiegel Big Band

Jazz guitarist and recording artist Russ Spiegel is joined by brass, drums, bass and piano

May 14 (Mon.) 7 pm, 9 pm

Cover $10

Open Stage Club

Ed Calle Special

Area favorite jazz saxophonist’s tribute to Argentine Gato Barbieri

May 16 (Wed.) 6 pm, 8 pm

Cover $10-$15

Open Stage Club

Nu Deco Ensemble

The cutting edge symphonic orchestra closes out their 2017-18 season

May 17-19 (Thur-Sat) 8 pm

Tickets: $40-$90 The Light Box

Maria Toledo

Cutting-edge flamenco, as two-time Latin Grammy nominee Maria Toledo performs while accompanying herself on the piano

May 18-19, 8 pm

Tickers: $28

Miami-Dade County Auditorium (Mid-Stage Theatre)

Brandon Goldberg Jazz Ensemble

Fine Arts Concert featuring the piano child (12 years old) prodigy Brandon Goldberg. Accompanied by Ben Wolfe on bass and Marcus Grant on drums.

May 19 (Sat.) 7:30 pm

Tickets: $50 ($25 WDNA members)

WDNA Jazz Gallery

Sandy Poltarack Quartet

Renowned jazz guitarist who has played with everyone from the Boston Pops to Frank Sinatra

May 21 (Mon.) 7 pm, 9 pm

Cover $10

Open Stage Club

The Mighty Diamonds Reggae royalty comes to the Gallery, as the Mighty Diamonds perform gems from their hit list. Backed up the Benaiah Band, which includes a horn section.

May 26 (Sat.) 8:30 pm

Tickets: $50 ($25 WDNA members)

WDNA Jazz Gallery

Eva Ayllon en Concierto

The legendary voice that embodies the spirit of a nation, Eva Ayllón is one of Peru’s most enduring stars

May 26 (Sat.) 8 pm

Tickets $49 to $120

SMDCAC (Main Stage)

Through

Sept 2

Contemporary art devoted to the beautiful game

THEATER

Thoroughly Modern Mille

Tony Award-winning Best Musical, about a small town girl in New York

Through May 6 (Fri. & Sat. 7:30 pm, Sun. 5 pm)

Tickets $10 to $25

Area Stage Company

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown

Musical based on the Charles M. Schultz “Peanuts” comic strip

Through May 19 (Saturdays, 2 pm)

Tickets $20

Actor’s Playhouse

Million Dollar Quartet

Tony Award-winning musical about the recording session that brought Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee

Lewis and Carl Perkins together, a true tale with 21 timeless hits

May 9 – June 24, 8 pm

Tickets $20

Actor’s Playhouse

Fun Home

Recent Tony Award winner for Best Musical about growing up with a volatile, brilliant dad

Through May 13 (Wed.-Sat. 7:30 pm, Sat. 3 pm, Sun. 4 pm)

Tickets: $55, general admission

Arsht Center (Carnival Studio Theater)

Chicago

The longest running American musical, the story of housewife and nightclub dancer Roxie Hart as she beats a murder rap in the 1920s

May 8-13 (Tues.-Sat. 8 pm; Sat. 2 pm; Sun. 7 pm)

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Tickets: $29 to $120

Arsht Center (Ziff Ballet Opera House)

Qué Pasa U.S.A.?

Steven Bauer from the original cast joins the Peña family from the popular 1970s Spanglish sitcom, as they continue to adapt some 40 years later May 17-26 (Tues.-Sat. 8 pm; Sat. 2 pm, Sun. 7 pm)

Tickets: $39 to $149

Arsht Center (Ziff Ballet Opera House)

Shrek the Musical

A zany, snappy rendition of the Shrek tale, with six players performing all the roles and instruments.

May 18-June 3 (Fri. 7:30 pm, Sat. 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Sun. 5 pm

Tickets: $15-$35

Area Stage Company (Riviera Theatre)

An Evening with Steven Bauer

An intimate evening with the veteran actor (Scarface, Breaking Bad, Ray Donovan) who started his career with Qué Pasa U.S.A.? some 40 years ago.

May 23 (Tues. 8 pm)

Arsht Center (Peacock Foundation Studio)

Summer Shorts

Every summer thousands enjoy this series of ten-minute plays and musicals that mix comedy with drama for 90-minutes of entertainment.

May 31 to July 1 (Thurs.-Sat. 7:30 pm, Sat. 2 pm, Sun. 4 pm)

Tickets: $39, general admission

Arsht Center (Carnival Studio Theater)

ART/MUSEUMS

Sheltering Survivors

Explores how forcibly displaced populations resettle with innovative shelters

Through May 27; admission $7, $5 children

Coral Gables Museum (Felwell Gallery)

Antillean Visions: Maps and the Making of the Caribbean

Nearly 200 rare, beautiful, and historically significant maps of the Caribbean

Through May 27; admission $12.50, $8 students and seniors

Lowe Art Museum

The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art

Contemporary art devoted to the beautiful game

Through Sept. 2; admission $16, $12

students and seniors

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Now’s the Time: Narratives of Southern Alchemy

Works by painter, photographer, sculptor William Cordova

Through Oct. 7; admission $16, $12 students and seniors

Pérez Art Museum Miami

“Year of Glass”

Installation of 150+ pieces from Palley collection of studio art glass

All year; admission $12.50, $8 students and seniors

Lowe Art Museum (Myrna and Sheldon Palley Pavilion)

Sebastian Spreng: Dresden

A depiction of the destruction of this beautiful German city by Allied bombers in February 1945, 61 works created on an iPad.

Opens May 17

Admission $12.50, $8 students/ seniors

Lowe Art Museum

INDIE FILM

Let the Sun Shine In

Romantic comedy directed by Clair Denis, starring Juliette Binoche

May 11-17 (Fri.-Thurs. 6:30 pm, Fri. 8:30 pm, Sat. 2 pm, 4 pm; Sun, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm)

Tickets: $10, $8 students, seniors

Bill Cosford Cinema, UM

Back to Burgundy

Three siblings unite to save the family vineyard in Burgundy

May 12 (Sat.) 2 pm

Tickets $11.75 ($10 seniors, students)

Gables Art Cinema

Belle de Jour

Catherine Deneuve takes a walk on the wild side as a part-time prostitute

May 18-20 (Fri.-Sun.) 4 pm, 8:15 pm (8:30 pm Fri.)

Tickets $11.75 ($10 seniors, students)

Gables Art Cinema

Cold Water

France in the 1970s: Young, in love and in trouble

May 18-20 (Fri.-Sun.) 6:15 pm (8:30 pm Fri.)

Tickets $11.75 ($10 seniors, students)

Gables Art Cinema

Grey Gardens

Cult classic documentary about mother-and-daughter Big and Little Edie in their mansion May 20 (Sun.) 8 pm

Tickets: $8

Bill Cosford Cinema, UM

Vivere all’Italiana

Four unique contemporary films from Italy, presented by the Consulate General of Italy

May 21-24 (Mon.-Thurs.) 7:30 pm

Free of charge

Gables Art Cinema

Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day

Fassbinder’s epic miniseries about three generations of toolmakers in West Germany

May 25-30 (Fri 7pm; Sat. 4, 6, 8 pm; Sun. 4, 6:15 pm; Mon. 4:15, 6:15 pm; Tues. 9 pm; Wed 6:45 pm)

Tickets $11.75 ($10 seniors, students)

Gables Art Cinema

That Summer

Documentary of summer at Grey Gardens, 1972, with Warhol, Mick Jagger & Truman Capote May 26 (Sat.) 6:30 pm

Tickets: $10, $8 students, seniors Bill Cosford Cinema, UM

thecoralgablesmagazine.com

BOOK READINGS

Hari Kunzru//White Tears

Novel that is part ghost story, part murder mystery, part love letter to American music May 9 8pm (at Books & Books)

Gilbert King//Devil in the Grove

Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, the gripping true story of a small town with a big secret May 11 8pm (at Books & Books)

Steven Raichlen//Project Fire

A celebration of the best in contemporary grilling from America’s master of live-fire cooking May 16 7pm (at Books & Books)

Michael Ondaatje//Warlight: A Novel

From the best-selling author of The English Patient, a gripping new novel

set in the decade after World War II May 17 8pm (Coral Gables Congregational Church)

Michael Pollan// How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

The title says it all, from the author of The Botany of Desire May 18 7pm (MDC Chapman Conference Center)

Jon Meacham//The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author comes an uplifting look at the dramatic hours in our nation’s history May 22 7:30 pm (MDC Chapman Conference Center)

Franchesca Ramsey// Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist

The host of MTV’s web series Decoded chronicles her difficulties navigating the early days of social media May 24 7pm (Coral Gables Congregational Church)

EVENTS

Chef Allen’s Hook, Catch & Cook: A Sustainable Seafood Dinner

A night of delicious local seafood and environmental education as multiple Chefs collaborate May 22 (Tues.), 7 pm

Tickets: $82 per person + tax and gratuity

Books & Books (at Arsht Center)

Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant Society Show

Considered one of the most beautiful shows of the year, rare and unusual plants for sale

May 26-27 (Sat. & Sun.) 10:30 am to 5:30 pm

Tickets: $25 adults, $18 seniors, $12 children, 5 and younger & Fairchild members free Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

VENUES

Actors Playhouse

280 Miracle Mile www.actorsplayhouse.org

305.444.9293

Area Stage Company

1560 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 103 www.areastagecompany.com 305.666.2078

Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami www.Arshtcenter.org 786.468.2000

Books & Books

265 Aragon Ave. www.booksandbooks.com 305.442.4408

Arsht Center: 786-405-1745

Coral Gables Art Cinema

260 Aragon Ave. www.gablescinema.com 786.472.2249

Coral Gables Museum

285 Aragon Ave. www.coralgablesmuseum.org 305.603.8067

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

10901 Old Cutler Road www.fairchildgarden.org 305.667.1651

The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse

404 NE 26th St., Wynwood 305.576.4350

www.miamilightproject.com/tickets-and-calendar

Lowe Art Museum (UM) 1301 Stanford Drive 305.284.3535 Tues.-Sat. 10 am to 4 pm Sun. Noon to 4 pm

Miami-Dade County Auditorium 2901 West Flagler St. 305.547.5414 https://www.miamidadecountyauditorium.org

Open Stage Club 2325 Galiano St. www.openstageclub.com 305.441.7902

Pérez Art Museum Miami 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami 305.375.3000 pamm.org

SMDCAC (South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center) 10950 SW 211th St., Cutler Bay Smdcac.org 786.573.5316

WDNA Jazz Gallery 2921 Coral way, Miami wdna.org 305.662.8889

Dafnis Prieto

UM FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC

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FILOMENA FERNANDEZ

COSENTINO NORTH AMERICA

Maritza Fernandez Eduardo Cosentino As an adult, I love teaching...

Dafnis Prieto

People

Dafnis Prieto fell in love with percussion in his native Santa Clara, Cuba, when he first picked up the bongos at the age of 7. He studied at Havana’s National School of Music and gigged in the late 1990s with the experimental quartet Columna B before leaving the island – first for Barcelona and then, in 1999, New York. There he taught jazz studies at New York University from 2005 to 2014. In 2011 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grant. He joined the Frost School faculty in 2015. He has worked with a host of luminaries, including Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch.

Dafnis Prieto

LATEST ENDEAVOR WHAT HE SAYS

The release in April of the Dafnis Prieto Big Band album

“Back to the Sunset,” hailed by Downbeat magazine as “a big, beautiful, bodacious tribute to Prieto’s heroes and one of the best recordings of the year.”

As a child, Prieto says drumming “felt natural to me.” As an adult, “I love teaching,” he says. “I think it is a very high way of communicating experiences and knowledge, touching the spiritual realm of giving and receiving. I come from Cuba, and I bring that culture

with me in the way I play, the way I teach. It’s personal. I basically explain myself, and how I got to do what I do. It makes me feel happy to see the process of growth in young students who are eager to learn. You see yourself in them.”

modern estate is located in coveted Hammock Lakes. Tucked away and extremely private and secure, the home is poised upon an acre of land, nestled behind mature oak trees and a private gated entry. Web# A10421936

DRUMMER, COMPOSER, FACULTY MEMBER, UM FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC

I come from Cuba, and I bring that culture with me in the way I play...

Reported by Mike Clary

Photo by Henry Lopez

People

Maritza Fernandez graduated from fashion school in Caracas, Venezuela at the age of 21, and then moved to Japan, where she started working for a high-end brand as fashion design assistant. Four years later she brought that brand –Kyoko Higa – to the U.S., where she spent the next 20 years promoting it. Six years ago, she founded her own shop and line in Coral Gables, named for her grandmother Filomena.

Maritza Fernandez

DESIGNER & OWNER, FILOMENA FERNANDEZ LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT SHE SAYS

Launched her Spring/Summer line in April, based on Moroccan colors and themes, with a runway show at her Gables boutique (see page 22).

to the Gables

“I have lived in Coral Gables for 26 years, and I love it, so when I thought to open a shop I thought only Coral Gables. Mine is more of a classic type of look than the beach, so I didn’t see myself in South Beach. I believe the type of things I do and the price points belong to the Gables. Even

though we do get a lot of tourists here, we cater to the people who live here,” she says. “My lines are very simple and clean. I believe in clean cuts, but with clean cuts if you don’t do something feminine, then it’s too structured, which is why I use colors and prints and lace. It gives femininity to it.”

I believe the type of things I do… belong

Reported by J.P. Faber

Photo Courtesy of Filomena Fernandez

Cosentino’s father and uncle grew the family stone quarrying and supply business from 17 employees in Spain in 1979 to a global company that now employs 4,000 people in 82 countries. Beyond stone, the company developed ways of mixing raw materials into durable quartz, glass, and porcelain surfaces. Their North American expansion is largely due to Eduardo. He opened a division to serve the U.S. and Canada in Houston in 1998; this past year, the division netted a record $70 million.

Eduardo Cosentino

CEO, COSENTINO NORTH AMERICA

Relocated the headquarters of Cosentino North America from Houston to Coral Gables last year, growing local staff from 35 to 117 employees.

When I look at where our family’s business started and where we are today, I am both humbled and inspired,” says Cosentino, who also runs offices in Tampa, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale. As for the HQ move to Mediterranean-inspired Coral Gables, “Both history and heritage are incredibly important to the Cosentino business, so we recognize the

importance of honoring that history through architecture and design that preserves it,” he says. “What I like most [in the Gables] is the neighbors, the landscape, the historical charm, and the sense of community.” He calls Greater Miami an “indispensable reference point for the most prestigious architects and designers in the world.”

Reported byJulienne Gage

Both history and heritage are incredibly important to the Cosentino business

CORAL GABLES IS HOME TO THE NORTH AMERICAN HQ OF THE BACARDI EMPIRE. IT’S ALSO WHERE THE SIGNATURE RUM BRAND KEEPS ITS PRIVATE MUSEUM, ARCHIVES AND ART COLLECTION. AN INSIDE PEEK.

By Doreen Hemlock

Photography by Jon Braeley

Juan Bergaz Pessino, the sixth generation of the family that founded Bacardi rum, in front of the painting by Cuban artist Antonio Gattorno

Inside Bacardi’s North American headquarters in Coral Gables, near its well-lit bar and tasting rooms, hangs a wall-sized painting of Cuba’s countryside, complete with farmers, a goat and thatched huts. The pioneering rum company commissioned the work from famed Cuban artist Antonio Gattorno for the opening of its Empire State Building office in 1938.

The story goes that Gattorno would blast recordings of Cuba’s Trio Matamoros band while he painted, windows open, even in winter. And when the white goat he used as a model got loose, it set off a chase inside the New York City skyscraper. Today, the painting likely would fetch more than $7 million.

Juan Bergaz Pessino shares that history with drama and pride. He’s a sixth-generation of the Bacardi family that founded the signature rum brand in 1862 in eastern Cuba, and the company’s official archivist. The 40-year-old Spaniard never imagined when studying theatre in New York that he’d end up one day in Florida gathering and overseeing the company’s treasures, from photos and papers, to pins and paintings.

“The archive is the living soul of the Bacardi company, so everything related to the brand comes out of it,” says Ber-

gaz. For example, Bacardi’s mixologists often use its Coral Gables library to read cocktail-recipe books of yore to imagine new drinks. “That’s one of the things the bartenders love the most.”

Bacardi formally launched the archive in 1998 with a shoebox of slides. Today, more than 30,000 items are catalogued. The onsite library now features century-old bottles, blueprints for company buildings from famed German architect Mies van der Rohe, and even the Oct. 14, 1960 newspaper announcing the Cuban government’s nationalization of Bacardi and 381 other businesses – to name just a few items.

When journalist Tom Gjelten researched his 2008 book “Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba,” he found gems in Bacardi Grafico magazines produced on the island. They revealed the company’s sophistication in marketing, savvy in fashion photography, and long-time role as a patron of the arts in Cuba, he says.

“My favorite Bacardi poster, which is in my book, is a black-and-white from the 1920s and very Art Deco in its design. It says, ‘Cuba is great. There is a reason. Bacardi.’ And there’s a gorgeous image of a flapper sitting on a bar stool drinking a Bacardi cocktail,” says Gjelten. “Their advertising was great.”

Bergaz enjoys sharing selections of

Top: Juan Bergaz shows the library featuring century-old cocktail recipe books.

Middle: Vintage Bacardi rum case and rare bottles of Bacardi rum from the Santiago de Cuba distillery

Bottom: The archives’ bottles and memorabilia, plus blueprints of the Bacardi rum and Hatuey beer plant in Santiago

The archive is the living soul of the Bacardi company, so everything related to the brand comes out of it...

BACARDI AT A GLANCE

Bacardi Worldwide

Parent company: Bacardi Limited

Headquarters: Bermuda

Ownership: World’s largest privately held spirits company, owned by the Bacardi family for seven generations

Products: More than 200 spirits brands and labels featuring Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka, Dewars blended Scotch whisky, Bombay Sapphire gin, Martini vermouth and sparkling wines, Cazadores blue agave tequila,

the archive with employees, researchers and invited guests curious about how his family left Spain’s Catalonia region in the 1800s, developed their top-selling rum brand, and built what’s now the world’s largest privately-held spirits conglomerate.

Our special tour begins on the 8th floor of the 2701 South LeJeune Road building, where the elevator opens onto a wall-sized, sepia-toned photo of the family of Emilio Bacardi, son of the man who first crafted Bacardi rum and the company’s first president. He’s known for founding Cuba’s first museum more than a century ago.

Through doors on the right is the archive office lined with book shelves, display cases and filing cabinets. The entry walls hold paintings of key family members: patriarch Facundo, a bricklayer’s son who came to Cuba as a teenager in 1814 and revolutionized rum-making through chemistry and craftsmanship; his son Emilio, an independence fighter jailed by the Spanish who became the first Cuban mayor of Santiago and compiled chronicles of the city’s history; and Facundo Jr., “my great-great-grandfather, who was known as a master blender,” Bergaz says.

Next come black-and-white photos, including a 1940s aerial showing Bacardi’s rum distillery, its Hatuey beer plant, and an ice-making factory on its Santiago campus. “When you’d get a case of Bacardi

or Hatuey, you’d get a token to go over there and get ice,” says Bergaz, pointing at the ice plant. Ice was a luxury back then and Bacardi’s operations ranked among Cuba’s most modern, he says.

Also prominently displayed: a blackand-white of U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway celebrating his 1954 Nobel Prize at the Hatuey beer garden on the outskirts of Havana. “My grandparents organized the party,” says Bergaz, identifying those in the photo. “So, here you see Hemingway, my grandmother, Felipito Pazos who played the boy in [The Old Man and the Sea], the workers, and Gregorio Fuentes, the original Old Man who he based the novel on and who fished with Hemingway in Cuba,” he says. “In his writing, Hemingway mentions Bacardi and mentions Hatuey.”

Up the elevator is the next stop, a small, private museum plus a selection of paintings, some by Latin American masters including Cuba’s Wifredo Lam and Amelia Pelaez, and Colombia’s Fernando Botero. The Botero by the boardroom shows a rotund nun eating a green apple. Its value: Likely near $650,000, says Bergaz.

No company history could leave out the backstories behind the coconut palm and bat that appear on most Bacardi labels.

Bergaz said his great-great-grandfather planted El Coco in front of the tin-roofed bourbon distillery the family bought to start making their rum in 1862. Bourbon

St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Leblon cachaça, Angel’s Envy bourbon, and others

Production: More than 20 facilities worldwide, including Scotland, England, Switzerland, Italy, India, Mexico, United States and Puerto Rico

Employees: Approximately 5,500 in 55 offices worldwide.

Sales: Estimated to top $5 billion per year.

Bacardi North America Region

Headquarters: Coral Gables.

Employees: Nearly 300 in Coral Gables, mostly for sales and marketing of different brands and labels in the United States and Canada. More than 600 across North America.

Production: Includes rum distillery in Cataño, Puerto Rico,

1862

on 127 acres, and a bottling plant, with a research and development unit, on 92 acres in Jacksonville, Florida.

Regional president: Peter J. Carr, who has worked more than 25 years in the beverage industry.

Sales: World’s largest sales region.???

Key Dates in Bacardi History

Company founded by Facundo Bacardi Masso in eastern Santiago de Cuba

1910

Opens bottling plant in Spain to become Cuba’s first multinational company

1919

Prohibition becomes US law; Americans flock to Cuba to drink spirits, including Bacardi

1930s

Opens production facilities in Mexico and Puerto Rico

1960s

Facilities in Cuba nationalized by government

1993

Buys Martini & Rossi vermouth group, doubling in size

1998

Buys Dewar’s Scotch and Bombay gin to rank among world’s four largest spirits companies

2002

Opens facility in China

2004

Buys Grey Goose vodka

2014

Unveils environmental initiative, including no-plastic straws

2018

Buys premium tequila Patrón

Top: The iconic palm tree in front of the first Bacardi distillery in 1862

Right: The Bacardi distillery and Hatuey beer plant in Santiago, Cuba

The bottle collection ranges from a coarse 1909 flask that U.S. Navy men would keep in their boot to fill at Bacardi’s distillery in Santiago de Cuba, to a limited-edition Millennium made from fine Baccarat crystal, complete with a 3-D bat on its stopper and recently offered online for $8,000-plus.

was aged in American oak barrels, and the family re-used those barrels, contributing to the distinct flavor of its rum. The tree withstood wars, earthquakes and a distillery fire at the Santiago site. “We now plant a palm at all our facilities as a reminder of our homeland,” says a current label of Bacardi’s signature white rum.

The bat logo traces back to family matriarch Amalia Moreau, Facundo’s wife. She was born in Cuba to a prosperous French-Haitian family that helped finance the Bacardi’s rum business. When visiting the distillery for the first time, she found a colony of fruit bats in the rafters. The family considered removing the bats, but Amalia called them a good omen for islanders. “It’s a symbol of good fortune and family unity” in Facundo’s homeland too, says Bergaz, citing a bat on the crest of Barcelona city.

Of course, politics plays in, too. What makes Bacardi unique, Bergaz says, is a proprietary yeast from Cuba used in fermentation. The family had that yeast at its Puerto Rico and Mexico distilleries and destroyed its stash held in Santiago when Castro’s government came to nationalize the company’s Cuban operations in 1960.

Bacardi had been sparring with military strongman Fulgencio Batista and backed

Fidel Castro and his rebel army in Cuba’s eastern mountains. It even pre-paid taxes when the rebels took over, eager to end Batista’s corruption and build democracy. Company leaders never expected the new government would go communist and seize businesses. But with their yeast, trademarks and distribution rights abroad, Bacardi could keep operating. “We had everything outside Cuba, so we saved the company,” says Bergaz.

In Miami, Bacardi made headlines in the 1960s and 1970s for building architectural gems – innovative structures on Biscayne Boulevard that still draw acclaim for their painted tiles and pulley systems. Those buildings became the headquarters for the National YoungArts Foundation in 2012.

Since consolidating its seven Miami locales at its Coral Gables hub in 2009, Bacardi keeps expanding its archive. Bergaz is making digital images and seeking new items through family and consumers. One recent find complements the original doorknob to Bacardi’s stylish Havana building that opened in 1931. “This Christmas, I found out from my aunt,” says Bergaz, “that my grandfather has the original key.”

The headquarters’ lobby leads to a private art museum and to art from such masters as Colombia’s Fernando Botero (right)

The original Art Deco bronze door handle from the Bacardi building in Havana, decorated with the bat logo

THE WORKING MOM’S DILEMMA

HOW CAN MOTHERS BEST JUGGLE TIME FOR CAREER AND FAMILY? FOR ANSWERS, WE TALK TO FOUR WORKING MOMS ACTIVE IN CORAL GABLES. TRUTH IS, IT’S NEVER SIMPLE.

By Doreen Hemlock

Photos by Robert Sullivan/ Art by Robin Morris

For working mothers, it’s a constant concern: How to spend enough quality time with the family, while still devoting the hours needed to be a good professional. And then, how to find time for yourself?

Experts recommend flexible work schedules, so parents can take time from the typical work day to attend school events and finish tasks later, perhaps when the kids are asleep. They also suggest building a support network of family, friends and others who can pick up children or take them for weekends. And they

urge scheduling time for the gym and other personal needs, just like business meetings. Easier said than done.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Coral Gables magazine talked to four working moms about how they approach the challenge. All four were finalists or winners in the 2018 Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce-AXA Advisors Businesswomen of the Year Awards. All four also are immigrants, who likely would juggle their time differently in their countries of origin.

Here are their stories.

As a real-estate developer and contractor, Monique Selman has always had plenty of control of her work schedule. She could attend her children’s school activities and then head back to a job site to check on construction. Or she could fill out paperwork for projects from her home office after the family dinner.

Even so, after a divorce and the death of her ex-husband about a year later, the British mother of two young children had more than she could handle in the Miami area, far from relatives. So she accepted a gig through her father’s construction business in London, where she could earn more, better afford household help, and receive greater family support – at least temporarily. She returned to South Florida refreshed and by then re-married, the children also a bit older and easier to manage.

“I don’t know how women do it who have rigid work hours,” said Selman, 50, mom to Jessica, 23, and Max, 20. Though working mostly from home, she recalls time management with youngsters in Miami as complicated. She occasionally left the kids alone when she went for early morning runs. And her daughter still teases her about that one time she forgot to pick up the children from after-school care.

Had she stayed in England, the time juggle might have been simpler. In London, adolescents routinely take the bus, metro or other public transport to visit

MONIQUE SELMAN PILAR BAENA

WORK FLEXIBLE HOURS STAY ORGANIZED

friends, so parents need not drive them. “The bus network is extensive here, but it only comes about once an hour,” says Selman of her Gables’ Riviera neighborhood.

What’s more, many British moms don’t work, able to raise families on their spouse’s income alone. That’s possible because Brits don’t spend heavily on doctors or college under their government-subsidized system. “In the UK, you don’t have to worry about [buying] health insurance, so I imagine that’s a contributing factor. And there’d be no student loans to pay off,” says Selman. “In America, it seems to be expected that women will work.”

Nowadays, with her children grown and working, Selman has fewer time pressures. Heading up the U.S. arm of her family’s Albany Homes group, she can comfortably show up as needed to her latest project at 6345 Riviera Drive. She’s building a modern five-bedroom home with high ceilings, marble bathrooms, and a pool, a tree-studded development she aims to sell for $3 million-plus. “It’s really important to me to work to be a strong, independent woman,” Selman says.

Her advice to other working moms: “I know the feeling that there’s never enough time and you’re never doing enough, either for work or the kids,” says Selman. “Work flexihours, if you can.”

BORN: UNITED KINGDOM

CHILDREN: ONE DAUGHTER, ONE SON

CAREER: REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Friday afternoons at 3:15 pm are sacred for Pilar Baena. That’s when the divorced mom who manages a dentist’s office, runs her own micro-business, and volunteers with community groups always picks up her Nicolas from school, come what may. She thrills in starting each weekend by spending time with him.

Baena is crazy about organization. She keeps to-do lists of both her professional and personal obligations each day, so she can “make it all happen” – work, family and fun. She takes pride in staying happy and positive, pushing what’s negative out of her life, including TV news. After busy days that often begin at 5:30 am, she likes to read action books to disconnect and help her fall asleep after 11 pm.

Even before she became a mom, high-energy Baena was adept at juggling. She worked two jobs in her native Colombia, where she earned a degree as a dentist. Had she stayed there, life as a working mom likely would have been simpler. Housekeepers are the norm for Colombia’s middle class, and some families have drivers. “Here, you pay more attention to your kids and everything that happens to them, because you’ve got to be on top of it. I don’t have a nanny. I have to drive my son. I have to pick him up. I check his homework. I have to do everything,” says Baena.

Baena has taught herself to write chores down to address the items methodically. At the

Smiles & Sonrisas office where she manages a team of nine, she’ll stop dentist Jose Gurevich when he’s about to ask for something and get her pad. “I realize when I write down tasks and scratch them off, I feel accomplished. I feel my day is coming together, I’m getting to the end and taking things out of my head,” says Baena.

At home, she’s just as organized, teaching Nicolas to follow rules and not procrastinate. Yet she also coaches her 12-year-old that solid organization leaves more room for spontaneity, so mom and son can head out to the movies or ride their bikes to the beach.

Baena credits Smiles & Sonrisas for igniting a passion for business and customer service. She now volunteers with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and has started a micro-business from home, Little Detail Design. She makes gift packages for companies to share their products with social media influencers, sometimes single gifts, sometimes hundreds. “I love it, because I’m a shopaholic,” says the 43-year-old, with a laugh.

“It’s crazy all I do.”

Her advice to working moms: “Follow your dreams, no matter what.” And don’t let a drive for independence harden you. “You have to be open for love.”

BORN: COLOMBIA

CHILDREN: ONE SON

CAREER: MANAGES DENTISTRY OFFICE AND HAS HOME-BASED BUSINESS

I know the feeling that there’s never enough time and you’re never doing enough, either for work or the kids...

I don’t have a nanny. I have to drive my son. I have to pick him up. I check his homework. I have to do everything...

Cover artwork by Robin Morris robinmorrisstudio.com

When her eldest son David Jr. was diagnosed with autism, Mary Palacio-Pike pushed into overdrive to help him. The former advertising executive researched doctors and therapies in South Florida, and soon found herself traveling back and forth to Broward County twice a day to drop off David for care, take younger son Josh to school in Miami-Dade, and then pick David up. After a near crash on Interstate-95 and years of grueling commutes, she ended up sick. “I-95 still makes me nervous,” she says.

Palacio realized she needed a place near home where she could take her son for his therapies. By then, her software-engineer husband, inspired by their son, was working on an online venture for children with autism. In 2009, the couple launched Crystal Academy in Coral Gables, initially to offer behavioral, occupational and other therapies in one locale. Crystal has become Palacio’s life work.

Today, the academy serves 23 children at a full-time school plus another 30 for therapies, operating with a staff of 40 and a budget topping $1 million yearly. Among those enrolled: her son David Jr., now 15, whose lessons include running a mock coffee shop to help him master vocational skills and online banking.

“It’s very emotional but very satisfying,” said Palacio, 53, of work at the center, where some students can’t speak and

MARY PALACIO-PIKE MARICHI TINOCO-O’ROURKE

others scream in frustration. “I never thought I had it in me, but I do it for my son. Our team gets hit. They get bit…. But they’re the first to celebrate the triumphs of our students. They’re dedicated professionals who love what they do.”

Born in Cuba and raised in Puerto Rico, Palacio earned a master’s in communications from the University of Miami and worked in advertising at Telemundo, J. Walter Thompson and other top employers before David’s diagnosis. She could not have afforded to leave those jobs and cover costs for her son’s care without financial support from her parents. “I’m blessed,” she says, gratefully. She initially worked for free at the nonprofit academy and only began taking a token salary two years ago.

While she sticks to schedules with family for TV shows, church and other activities, Palacio still feels guilty sometimes for hours away at work.

“As a parent, you’re always asking yourself: Is it enough time for them? Am I too tired when I get home?” She often gets short-shrift herself, no longer frequenting the gym, for instance.

Her advice to other working moms: “Find 5-10 percent of the time for yourself.

I think we need that to balance it all out.” Then she adds, with a smile, “I’m still working on that.”

BORN: CUBA

CHILDREN: TWO SONS

CAREER: AD EXECUTIVE, NOW LEADS SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Christmas Eve dinners can be lavish affairs in some homes. Marichi Tinoco-O’Rourke recalls making reservations at upscale Italian restaurant Café Abbracci instead. For decades, she’s led the business that her parents started, Montica Jewelry. Christmas was peak season. She had no time to cook Dec. 24.

“I’ve always been a workaholic,” admits the well-groomed, stylish jewelry executive. With your own company, “you’re on call every day. You always do at least a little something for work.”

When her children were young, Tinoco-O’Rourke used to drop them at school in the mornings and rely on their grandmothers to pick them up. Her parents would sometimes take the kids for weekends, too. The children still fondly recall playing chess and poker with their grandparents. She wonders how working moms can make it without lots of relatives nearby to lend a hand.

Even so, it typically fell to her to arrange scheduling. For school events, for example, “I made sure one of us, even if a grandmother, would attend, because the kids feel awful if you’re not there,” she says.

As the kids got older, Tinoco-O’Rourke tried to set an example and encourage them to be independent. Her teenage son figured out his own rides, carpooling with the mothers of children living in the area, so he could join school sports teams. She also tried to show

the children what company ownership entails. “Get kids involved in the family business, at least to make an educated decision if they want to be in it,” she suggests, “and to understand how hard we all work.”

Tinoco-O’Rourke came to the United States from El Salvador at age 12 and graduated from Babson College, known for entrepreneurship studies. Today, at 52, she leads Montica with a staff of five, opening her boutique at 500 South Dixie Highway Tuesdays through Saturdays, with appointments encouraged. She also serves as treasurer of the Miami chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Though her children now are grown – Jack is 22 and Katherine 26 – Tinoco-O’Rourke recognizes that the joys and responsibilities of motherhood never end. Jack recently moved back home after college, aiming to save up to buy a house. “He does my supermarket shopping, and he cooks for me,” she says, thankful. Katherine already has bought a home in the Orlando area, where she works. Yet both millennials reach out to mom for guidance. “I’m the one in charge of their tax returns,” she says, shaking her head yet smiling.

Her advice for other working mothers: “Use the family to the max to help with the children.” And as the kids grow up, “teach them to be independent.”

BORN: EL SALVADOR

CHILDREN: ONE DAUGHTER, ONE SON

CAREER: OWNS MONTICA JEWELRY COMPANY

Find 5-10 percent of the time for yourself. I think we need that to balance it all out...

I’ve always been a workaholic. With your own company, you’re on call every day...

Walking the Line

IN 2015, LONGTIME CORAL GABLES ENTREPRENEUR MEG DALY STARTED AN AMBITIOUS PLAN TO MAKE THE 10-MILE STRIP OF LAND UNDER MIAMI-DADE’S METRORAIL A SAFE AND INVITING PUBLIC SPACE - WITH A FOCUS ON CORAL GABLES’ THREE MILE UNDERLINE STRETCH. SINCE THEN, SHE HAS OBTAINED $70 MILLION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLEDGES

By Julienne Gage

Ask entrepreneur Meg Daly how much urban planning experience she had before launching the Underline, an ambitious initiative to create a multi-purpose public space below the Miami-Dade Metrorail, and she’ll laugh. She’ll say she didn’t have any, but what she did have was a vision, based largely on hard-won experience.

“I’ve driven past the Metrorail my whole life and I never really paid attention to it,” said the Coral Gables life-long resident, who has spent decades commuting along – and across – U.S. 1 while working South Florida marketing jobs. Then in 2014, she broke both her arms in a biking accident, prompting her to spend months taking the Metrorail to get to physical therapy.

“I’m such an independent person, I was tired of asking people to drive me here and there. So, I ended up taking the Metrorail

from the UM station to the Coconut Grove station,” she explained. “I ended up below the Metrorail walking that last half mile to my physical therapy and that’s when I realized there’s so much land underneath this train.”

The experience got her to thinking about how Miami’s public spaces compare to those of other major American cities. Take, for example, New York City’s Highline, a 2.5-mile park built on an elevated rail line that was to be torn down. City planners managed to salvage it by planting grasses, flowers, and trees, as well as installing benches. Today, more than 5 million visitors stroll down its path each year.

Back in South Florida, Daly discovered that the average resident gets less than 20 minutes of daily exercise, and that the area is among the nation’s top dozen most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to an annual report by Smart

ARTIST RENDERING BIKE PATH AND JOGGING PATH ON THE UNDERLINE

Above: Meg Daly, Coral Gables life-long resident

Growth America. Combining walking with biking, South Florida rises to the No. 4 most dangerous areas, according to Transportation for America.

Soon Daly was imagining the underbelly of the Metrorail as something like the Highline, but on the ground and with a public green corridor running all the way from downtown Miami through three miles of Coral Gables and into South Dade.

As a marketing executive, she knew the first step was to start networking, so she called Miami-Dade Department of Parks and Recreation Director María Nardy to see if the county would be interested in supporting such an endeavor.

“This was just the kind of project that the county likes to see, where we can make use of existing property for the public benefit. We were ecstatic that Meg was taking this on,” said Nardy.

But they needed a design team, so

they called Rocco Ceo, director of the University of Miami School of Architecture’s Design and Build Program. “I volunteered to run an ideas studio with upper-level students,” explained Ceo. “Students were assigned a one-mile portion and then had to come up with ideas for projects along those different lengths.”

One of those segments will directly enhance the entrance to the University of Miami across from US-1.

“You enter Coral Gables off US 1 and what does it look like from Douglas Road?

What does it look like from Bird Road?

What does it look like from LeJuene?

It’s not a gateway. It should be a gateway moment. There’s no front door to the university, like there is if you go to Harvard Yard,” says Daly. “It’s a great university with no street-level presence, and kids have to get in their car and drive across the street just to go to Starbucks.”

Plus, many millennials – students among them -- would prefer to hoof it than to drive. Some even prefer not to own a car at all. “There’s a whole generation of them coming into the city and they’re not interested in dishing out $5,000 to $6,000 a year to pay for a car, insurance, and maintenance. They’re looking for alternatives, and the Underline fits into that idea,” said Ceo.

By the time the project design was up for final review, dozens of local officials came to the presentation hoping they, too, could address these new urban demands.

“What sparked my interest in the Underline is the concept of taking underutilized space and transforming it into a ‘destination’ site,” said Coral Gables City Commissioner Vince Lago, who has taken a lead role in making the city more environmentally sustainable. “Many cities across the country have similar concepts,

all of which are highly successful and widely used by the community. It’s about time South Florida leadership began to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. It is practically non-existent.”

Since registering The Underline as a 501c3 non-profit, Daly has put together a board of directors, trustees, and more than 800 volunteers. City and county government agencies have pledged tens of millions in public funds, while real estate developers, medical facilities, and other small businesses have pledged millions more, for a total of $70 million.

GREENING THE EMERALD CITY AND THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

All this support comes attached to a plethora of initiatives, including a plan to green and shade the area with native trees, plants, and orchids provided by Fairchild

Tropical Botanic Gardens.

“We love the idea of converting unused spaces into habitats for rare plants,” said Fairchild’s director Dr. Carl Lewis. “It is part of Fairchild’s mission to help conserve plants and improve the aesthetics of our community.” Their botanists have chosen vegetation hardy enough to rely solely on rainwater, which it can help filter back into the aquifer while absorbing carbon emissions and serving as a bird sanctuary and butterfly corridor.

And what would any stretch of tropical South Florida be without orchids?

The Underline will also be a beneficiary of Fairchild’s Miami Orchid Project, an initiative encouraging students and volunteers to grow and plant tens of thousands of orchids in urban areas throughout greater Miami.

“The Underline will be a special opportunity to create a contiguous corridor

There’s no front door to the university, like there is if you go to Harvard Yard. It’s a great university with no street-level presence...

Meg Daly

ARTIST RENDERING METRORAIL STATION ENTRANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

of native orchids through downtown Miami,” said Lewis.

PRIVATE DEVELOPERS

Brent Reynolds, CEO and managing partner of NP International, which is also developing Coral Gables’ Paseo de la Riviera Project, says connecting to green spaces, urban trails, and transportation hubs is part of his company’s core business model.

Last year NP International won approval for Gables Station, a development project that will replace a parking lot and small commercial building at 251 South Dixie Highway with a 4.3-acre mixed-use development. NP International knew the development would be across US 1 from the Underline and has pledged more than $3 million to build out and landscape that section.

“We’re actually expanding it to create one of the largest public parks in the City of Coral Gables,” he said, noting that the Underline, and more specifically the strategic location of this green space “is really going to bring force to the connectivity of the South and North Gables.”

He’s also confident his portion of the project – which includes apartments, hotel accommodations and retail space – will connect residents across demographic lines.

“We don’t want an overwhelmingly large portion of any one demographic, so we are targeting our marketing to millennials all the way up to empty nesters, and seniors in select cases, so it really is a full spectrum,” Reynolds said.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

That’s good news for healthcare professionals who want to see residents getting fresh air and exercise all throughout their lives.

“Part of our initiative toward preventive health is to increase the amount of exercise that people get, and for that you need green and open spaces”, said a spokesperson for Coral Gables’ Baptist Health Network. In addition to generating ideas and activities, Baptist has also pledged to build out a portion of the Underline where it meets the network’s hospital in the City of South Miami, located just a few blocks from Coral Gables.

Baptist sees this space generating activities like yoga or tai chi, as well as for educating the public on basic health, like coordinating first-aid workshops.

These features and activities are especially important to the community’s older population, says Florida International University Professor Ebru Ozer. In 2017, she teamed up with FIU gerontologist Dr. Iveris Martiez to get students to stroll portions of the Underline with elderly people who live in proximity to it.

“The older adults pointed out the shortcomings – the issues with safety and comfort,” Ozer said. “They weren’t able to walk too long. They needed rest stops, meeting points, and bathrooms, as well as proper signage letting them know which direction they’re going.”

They also said that the distance they could walk wasn’t nearly as important as the ability to feel connected to the larger community.

“They said they would like to sit and watch other people do things,” Ozer said, like people tending urban gardens, or parents playing with their kids.

DEVELOPING PUBLIC TRUST AND SAFETY

Daly welcomes the public input, and knows Friends of the Underline have a lot of public campaigning and educational work in the years ahead.

For example, the public will have to understand that the planning and permitting process for building public restrooms will require more time and money than the Underline can currently afford.

Then there’s the question of public safety. Built properly, Daly says the Underline could do more to deter crime than invite it. In fact, the corridor will be lit with sensors that pop on whenever a person is passing and shut off once they’re gone, thereby deterring crime without flooding light into nearby homes.

But all this requires funding, and local taxpayers will want to be informed about who’s paying for this public-private partnership and from what sources.

“I think if someone really doesn’t understand how public dollars are expended, they may think ‘Oh you’re building this

beautiful park, you’re taking away from X,’ and that’s not true,” explained Daly. “You’re actually creating new funding sources for something that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”

At the same time, she hopes residents will see the Underline as a metropolitan draw, one that makes the city more inviting as well as more competitive.

“If we really want that 21st Century City, one that offers amenities to talent for growth industries, [we have to realize that] they’re demanding mass transit, walk-able, bike-able communities,” says Daly. “We’re not as green as we think. We have a lot less park space per capita than a lot of other metropolitan areas.”

“Hopefully this project is a paradigm shift and changes our heavily car dependent culture,” said Lago. “It is the responsibility of government officials and administrations to prioritize public safety and encourage recreational sites such as the Underline.”

With a least several more years to go before the Underline’s Coral Gables stretch gets built, residents have plenty of time to weigh in with ideas about the plans, either through public meetings, volunteering with Friends of the Underline, or even offering financial or material support.

“The communal tables, the game tables – those weren’t our ideas, those were the people’s ideas,” Daly reflected. “We seethe Underline as a spine of the future.”

We’re actually expanding it to create one of the largest public parks in the City of Coral Gables

Brent Reynolds, CEO of NP International

ARTISTS RENDERING UNDERLINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

ALIRIO TORREALBA STARTED MG DEVELOPER IN CORAL GABLES THREE YEARS AGO AND NOW IS BUILDING BILTMORE SQUARE, WHILE EARNING A NAME FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS

By Doreen Hemlock

Sullivan

For real estate developer Alirio Torrealba, entrepreneurship began with a 1987 Fiat Regata. The young Venezuelan was attending university when his father gave him the three-year-old car as a gift. He asked permission to sell it and start an auto business. Ever since, he’s enjoyed creating new ventures.

In his South American homeland, the law school graduate developed a chain of used-car stores and then launched new-car dealerships for Kia, Fiat, Ford and Chinese brands JAC and Dongfeng. He expanded into Puerto Rico, opening a Kia store and more recently, a finance company.

In South Florida, Torrealba began investing eight years ago, initially renovating apartments and selling them. But what’s put him on Coral Gables’ map are his ambitious efforts as CEO of MG Developer, the real-estate group building luxury residences and sponsoring art shows and installations in the City Beautiful. His Coral Gables-based company now is pumping nearly $80 million into

its Biltmore Square project, developing 65 residences in four adjacent properties. The Square’s initial Biltmore Parc segment is already completed and half sold, with 32 units priced from $1.2 million to $2.5 million each. His group is also developing single-family houses and townhomes for $1 million-plus each, in other parts of the city.

“My hobby is working. I like to create,” says the athletic Torrealba from MG Developer’s unpretentious Coral Gables headquarters at 301 Almeria Ave. near Miracle Mile. “On weekends, I’ll go for a run and think about what I’d like to do next. Then, I’ll call a manager and say, ‘I’ve got this idea. Let’s do it.’”

Torrealba leads the Coral Gables push, while also commuting regularly to oversee his businesses in Puerto Rico and Venezuela, mainly in Caracas. “The secret is the team and having good communication and direction,” he says. “Because the truth is, the team gets it done.”

Working in multiple places comes easily for Torrealba. His father owned a

Photos by Robert

bus company that provided service between Venezuelan cities. “I was practically raised in a bus,” he jokes. He now flys to Caracas and other locales sometimes every week, while his wife and teenage sons stay in South Florida. “It’s a question of getting used to it,” says the 47-year-old. “For me, it’s normal.”

In Venezuela, Torrealba’s companies employ some 285 people that have been shifted among ventures as the economy recedes. With car sales weak, for example, the group recently began offering motorcycles from Italy’s Benelli brand. “With the same team, we’ve been re-inventing ourselves and entering new businesses,” he says. Managers strive to keep staff motivated, even as Venezuela’s inflation soars and supermarkets lack basics. The group now provides lunches for employees and has stepped up scholarships, turning more paternalistic.

Helping Torrealba run his companies is long-time partner Fernando Pinto, who also moved from Venezuela to South Florida several years ago. The two men met in the 1990s at a shopping mall in Caracas, where Torrealba had a used-car business and Pinto a ladies’ shoe store. “We’re brothers now,” says the 55-year-old Pinto. Indeed, they’re so close that when attending functions that serve Scotch Venezuelan-style, Pinto knows his pal won’t turn his drink back, even though Torrealba doesn’t like whiskey. “I have to laugh inside about the times over the years I’ve finished his drink,” jokes Pinto.

Torrealba handles more of the group’s strategy and organization, while Pinto focuses more on operations, serving as director of MG Developer, for instance. Learning the U.S. ropes has been a challenge for both. “It’s very different – the rules, the laws. You have to adapt,” says Torrealba during a wide-ranging interview in Spanish. “Teaming with local people who have solid reputations and strong local knowledge, that’s helped us.”

The U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico turned out to be a valuable stepping stone for the group to enter Florida. The island of nearly 3.5 million residents shares the same Spanish language and Caribbean culture as Venezuela, yet follows U.S. law. When MG set up a Kia concession in Puerto Rico’s Bayamon-Humacao

area almost a decade ago, the group had to learn U.S. rules and regulations, helping ease the transition to the states later. “If we’d come directly to Florida, it would have been harder,” says Pinto.

In Coral Gables, MG Developer now counts among its associate firms: Bellin & Pratt and Maria de la Guardia for architecture; T.A. Builders and Torre Construction for contracting; and Fortune International for sales. With the group, Torrealba is “very hands-on,” says Daniel Guerra, Fortune’s vice president for development sales. He also follows through – even when details promised to homebuyers may cost more than expected: “What I like about him,” says Guerra, “is he’s here for the long-term, not for the moment.”

Many of MG’s townhome and condo projects appeal to empty-nesters and retirees seeking to move closer to the city center. Those buyers want to forgo the responsibility of large homes and big gardens in more suburban settings, says Ron Shuffield, president of EWM Realty International, whose brokerage has sold MG units. Finding the appropriate sites near the city core, getting approvals to re-purpose them, and then building modern, quality housing takes “staying power to do something so complex,” says Shuffield.

Three-year-old MG Developer takes its name from Torrealba’s core business in Venezuela, Multibrand Group, or in Spanish, Grupo Automotriz Multimarca. The group also uses the “Multi” prefix in Puerto Rico, where it has sold its Kia store. Its latest venture on the island, Multibanco International, provides funding for companies expanding in Latin America and on the U.S. mainland.

Torrealba learned first-hand that financing can be elusive for foreign investors new to the United States. In Venezuela, banks typically knew his company and track record. But in Florida, his group has had to build a name. That process required time, patience, and humility, he concedes.

To foster its brand in Coral Gables, Torrealba’s team has mobilized around the arts. MG has commissioned a fourfoot-high, 30-foot long stone bench as a centerpiece for Balboa Plaza. The group also hosts Art & Culture nights at its Biltmore Parc development and sponsors other art-linked events. It backed three

pop-up galleries for Miracle Mile’s “Back to Beautiful” celebration, for example, that kicked off April 14.

The group has long been active in philanthropy in Venezuela, where it tries to stay clear of politics. It works there with Fundahigado, a foundation which helps provide liver transplants, says Torrealba.

To keep sharp at business, Torrealba typically rises around 6:30 am and heads to the gym most mornings. “Exercise relaxes me,” he says, his blue eyes bright. He stays in touch with his companies all day, often attends work-related functions at night, and sleeps usually by 11 pm, sometimes watching a documentary first. As he meets people who share his values of teamwork and long-term development, he often mulls opportunities to start new ventures with them.

“I like creating, so people can work, grow and benefit together,” says Torrealba. “We want to leave a legacy.”

BILTMORE SQUARE

MG Developer’s Coral Gables signature development, the $80 million Biltmore Square, comprises four adjacent developments offering 65 residential units that span roughly 150,000 square feet. It is expected to be complete by 2020.

Here’s a look at projects within the Square:

Biltmore Parc at 718 Valencia Ave.: 32 two- and three-bedroom units, ranging from 1,650 square feet to 2,400 square feet. Five stories. Completed. Half sold. Units run from $1.2 million to $2.5 million. Price includes one-year membership to The Club at The Biltmore Hotel.

Beatrice Row at 744 Biltmore Way: Nine Georgian-style townhomes, offering four bedrooms and two- to four-car garages. Units range from 5,537 square feet to 5,636 square feet. Three stories. Under construction. Half sold. Residences are currently at $2.4 million.

Althea Row on Almeria Ave: Five units planned. Named for Althea Merrick, the mother of Coral Gables founder George Merrick. Prices not yet set.

Biltmore Row on Anderson Road: 10 townhomes planned. Prices not yet set.

Biltmore Parc

Beatrice Row

I like creating, so people can work, grow and benefit together. We want to leave a legacy

Alirio Torrealba CEO of MG Developer

Real estate developer Alirio Torrealba outside Biltmore Parc

Home & Garden

Thinking Outside the Windowbox

YES, THE SUMMER HEAT IS NEARLY UPON US AND TRADITIONAL GARDEN VEGGIES ARE MONTHS AWAY FROM THEIR PLANTING SEASON. BUT FOR THESE FLORIDA SUMMER FRUITS & VEGGIES, NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME

By Kenneth Setzer Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum)

There are all kinds of heat- and deluge-tolerant, edible plants we can grow with little trouble here in the deep southeast summer. While the northern, more temperate regions can grow tomatoes and other vegetable staples, we must look towards the tropics for plants suitable to our torrid spring and soaking summers.

1. A katuk bush forms edible landscaping

2. Purslane is a nutritious weed

3. Nasturtiums are both boldly beautiful and edible

4. Everglades tomatoes sprawl inches above the soil

5. Mint is easy to grow, but prefers shade

6. Spicy to eat, beautiful to behold, peppers like hot summers

unexpectedly in parts of Fairchild (even in shade), but plants can be found at native plant nurseries.

vored mints.

KATUK

Katuk (Sauropus androgynous) is a common leafy green throughout much of Asia. I recently picked a handful and ate them in front of my amazed coworkers. I assured them I would never eat anything that isn’t completely known to me to be edible. The next question is taste. Katuk greens taste a lot like green beans or peanuts to me—quite good.

Sometimes called tropical asparagus, katuk forms a compact bush that can be cut

down to near the soil and will regenerate. The leaves contain almost 50% protein and can be cooked like any other leafy green or tossed raw into salad. The small red flowers and fruit are attractive and used in some recipes as well. A health craze in parts of Asia encouraged consuming huge amounts of raw katuk, which led to illness for a few people. But just about any food eaten in huge quantities to the exclusion of others can be dangerous (raw lima beans, for instance).

Katuk is a favorite of mine because it is attractive and does not need constant attention. It is easily grown from cuttings placed in damp soil or water and thrives in heat and high humidity. Small plants are sold online. Katuk likes the understory, with dappled shade, but not deep shade. It’s grown for the foliage, so a common practice after harvesting leaves is to add fertilizer for a good nitrogen boost. Manure, especially of poultry, is a good source, and it improves our sandy soil.

PURSLANE

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent, evolved to grow in dry places and tolerate periods of drought. But, unlike some other succulents, it doesn’t seem perturbed by heavy rains, poor soil and direct sun. You can find it on lawns as

the weed with long, purplish red stems with small teardrop-shaped green leaves.

Purslane is rich in alphaLinolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), vitamins A, C and B, as well as beta carotene, and plant pigments shown to have anti-mutagenic properties, meaning they may inhibit cells from mutating. As a companion plant, purslane provides ground cover, retains humidity, and the deep taproot breaks through difficult soil and extracts nutrients nearby plants can use. Since you can’t know what’s been sprayed on

wild plants, I do not recommend eating purslane you find. Seeds are available online.

NASTURTIUMS

Did you know nasturtiums are edible? Tropaeolum is the genus of this tough but elegant plant (genus Nasturtium is that of unrelated watercress). The seeds you’ll find at most stores are probably those of T. majus, common garden nasturtiums. Both flowers and foliage are edible and add a little kick to salads, similar to arugula. It thrives in poor soil; if fertilized it is known to produce fewer flowers but more foliage.

The neon orange flowers have been observed to “flash” against the rounded, water lily-shaped leaves in an optical illusion. A common pest to watch for is moth caterpillars, which can be hosed off.

SUMMER TOMATOES

If you really want to grow tomatoes in the summer, try the Everglades Tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium), naturalized to South Florida. These are small currant tomatoes — about the size of a large pea — but to me very flavorful. They are indeterminate and like to sprawl, but the small fruit is light and won’t necessarily need a support to keep off the ground. These thrive in our summers, and while short-lived they produce so much fruit that some is bound to fall to the ground and regrow. It has volunteered

I’ve also had minor success with Florida 91, a heat-loving, determinate tomato variety growing to about 3 feet. They’re known to resist cracking from intense rains, but problems come from tomato hornworms that devoured my plant mercilessly. Soapy water helps kill them.

Patio Choice Yellow Hybrid Tomato is another option and is designed for pots as it is determinate and stays compact. The cherry-sized fruit are delicious and ornamental. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sun and well-draining soil.

MINT & BASIL

Nearly any mint provides seasoning, variety, and tolerates summer. Grown easily from seed or bought as seedlings, Mentha species need shade from our harsh midday sun, and also prefer moist, rich soil — a good candidate for pots.

Mentha spicata, spearmint, has been crossed with other species to produce peppermint, chocolate mint, and citrus-fla-

Try as we might to grow basil (Ocimum basilicum), all the sweet varieties are prone to downy mildew, and there’s not much we can do about it. Red or Thai basils are less susceptible. You can, however, buy a sweet basil plant and keep cuttings in water, thus increasing your supply a little as the original dies. But I’d be remiss if I forgot to mention that we have a native basil, Ocimum campechianum. Also called “least basil,” it is hard to find and listed as endangered in South Florida, but is more common in the West Indies and tropical America.

PEPPERS

Lastly, peppers grow well in summer. From sweet bell peppers to habaneros, peppers like full sun and well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Start from seeds in small containers to avoid the small seeds washing away, or buy plants. General fertilizer is fine, but avoid one with excess nitrogen once fruits appear. Even if you don’t love eating hot peppers, they are beautiful ornamentals in shades of green, orange and deep red.

Kenneth Setzer is a writer for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

What $10-12 Million Will Buy in Coral Gables

Coral Gables has some of the most valuable real estate in South Florida, with a median price per square foot ($423) that is almost twice that of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Average prices over the last five years have risen 43 percent.

To see what $10 million would buy today, we asked four real estate agents to submit one of their homes for sale in that price range – give or take a few hundred thousand dollars. Here is what they came up with, in different Gables locations.

Inside Sunset Harbour

6939 SUNSET DRIVE

Listing Price

Inside Gables Estates

515

Listing Price

8 bed/8 bath, 2 half bath. 12,492 sq. ft. - 70,727 sq. ft. lot Palm Beach style estate in gated community, resplendent in details. Spaces opulent and intimate throughout, for grand scale entertaining or intimate family gatherings. Spectacular gardens with meandering paths, hidden tennis court pavilion.

5 bed/7 bath. 6,388 sq. ft. 16,500 sq. ft. lot Contemporary design with dramatic views. Located in gated Sunrise Harbour, 3-story home with high ceilings, spacious walk-in closets, commercial elevator, pool, private dock, gym, and arts & crafts room.

$11.0M

$10.1M

Listing Agent: Audrey Ross, (Compass Realty), 305.330.5481 Photos Courtesy of: Compass Realty

Listing Agent: Saddy Delgado, (One Sotheby’s International Realty), 305.632.4256 Courtesy: One Sotheby’s International Realty

On the Gables Waterway

60 EDGEWATER DRIVE

Listing Price $10.5M

On

Listing Price $12.9M

80 LEUCADENDRA DRIVE

3 bed/6 bath/ 2 half bath. 10,190 sq. ft. 360-degree views, 2-story penthouse with private elevator, 7 terraces, gourmet kitchen, second staff kitchen, formal dining room, media room, and glass staircase. Master suite with separate bathrooms and Kohler steam showers.

5 bed/6.5 bath. 10,351 sq. ft. - 48,351 sq. ft. lot

Direct access to bay with 270 feet of water frontage and 52-foot dock. Media room, 2 offices, chef’s kitchen, butler pantry, breakfast room, craft room, wine cellar, generator, 4-car garage.

Listing Agent: Liz Hogan (Liz Hogan/Compass), 305.804.9700

Photos Courtesy of: Liz Hogan Group/Compass

Listing Agent: Jill Hertzberg (Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate), 305.788.5455

Photos Courtesy of: Coldwell Banker

Crème de la Crème

IN

Quite simply, when it comes to haute cuisine, nothing quite compares to Palme D’Or. A meal at this pantheon of fine dining is not just about having a meal. It’s about embarking on a culinary adventure.

Let’s start with the interior, which is decorated in rich gold, yellow and brown, and feels like you are in an elegant apartment in Paris, or a chateau in Monte Carlo. The walls are decorated with black & white photos of classic American celebrities, from Liz Taylor & Richard Burton to Sophia Loren and Robert De Niro. They somehow work, in a kind of Jean Paul Belmondo cinema-noir way, adding an edgy but subtle sophistication to the opulence.

We started with an amuse bouche with tiny slivers of mango, avocado, hearts of palm, and amber jack. It was accompanied by a light and delightful Drappier champagne.

Next came the official first course, and the sign of things to come: An eggcup that held a layered mixture of Oscietra caviar, cauliflower puree, quail egg and smoked salmon. It came with a white Sancerre from the Loire Valley. Delicous.

By Andrew Gayle

But these trappings pale in comparison to the food. And what food! There are no ordinary menus at Palme D’Or. There are only two choices: the 6-course tasting menu or the 11-course tasting menu. Neither comes cheap: The first will set you back $115, the second $155.

Most patrons choose the first, which offers several options for each course. But for those who can afford it, or who want to splurge for that very special occasion, the chef’s tasting menu of 11 courses is a culinary magic carpet ride. If you go the extra $115 for the wine couplings rather than ordering your own bottle, then, as our steward Stefan told us, “put your seat belts on.”

Our next course consisted of a single tip of white asparagus gently resting a atop a rake of cashew paste, topped with a tiny slice of toasted brioche for crunch and enhanced by tiny squares of mango, wisps of Comté cheese, and diminuative florets of parsley. It came with a taste of La Fleur Renaissance Sauternes white wine, just a tad richer than the previous white. And so the evening proceeded. Each course arrived with fanfare, revealed rather than served. Plates were brought to the table with sliver domes covering each, and, voilá, all were revealed at once.

Each course was a marvelous, tiny construction done with such fastidious care and imagination that it became a show itself, a revelation like having the

THE CULINARY WORLD OF CORAL GABLES, WITH ITS PROUD TRADITION OF FINE DINING, PALME D’OR REMAINS THE CERISE ATOP THE FOOD PYRAMID

Top: Le Bar de ligne or The line bar is the freshest catch served daily

curtain pulled back on the latest painting by a French master. In this case, each course was like a miniature diorama, created in perfect detail.

These delightful presentations were literally works of art prepared by chef Gregory Pugin, who previously worked as the executive chef of Le Cirque in Las Vegas’ Bellagio hotel before joining The Biltmore. In person, he is a modest man, especially considering awards that include being recognized with a Michelin Star, and years of work with renowned master French Chef Joël Robuchon at his Paris food laboratory.

Unfortunately, there is not room here to describe each course of the meal – which Pugin describes as classic French with a twist of modernity – though some were so stunningly good they must be mentioned.

One was a succulent piece of Alaskan king crab in a buttery mussel emulsion, atop a paste of celery puree, adjacent to a slice of leek. A sort of earth-meets-sea

concoction, accompanied by an Alsatian Lucien Albrecht white wine. Amazing.

Another was a slice of melt-in-yourmouth Kobe beef in a tiny pool of diablo sauce – itself a bone-marrow white-wine reduction – chaperoned by a hollow bone shaft that carried a tiny cargo of mushroom cap, crispy potato nub and green asparagus tip. This came with a velvety red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone Valley’s Château Fargueirol. Dreamy.

And so the evening went, with each dish blending into the next, the wines evolving from white, to rosé, to deep red, the glassware changing to match the pourings. In the end, it required a ‘pre-dessert’ of raspberry sorbet to cleanse the pallet for the 11th course, La Fôret Noire (the black forest), a dessert montage of chocolate sponge, mascarpone mousse, and Illanka Valrhona dark chocolate. Exquisite.

What made our culinary journey even richer was guidance by our table captain, a superbly knowledgeable Romanian gentleman named Stefan Pauna. Our

These delightful presentations were literally works of art prepared by chef Gregory Pugin...

questioning of the dining choices and wine pairings became an educational experience. Where else can you discuss the tastes of French novelist George Sand and diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand with your waiter – at the same time he is describing why the salty flavor of your cheese course should be paired with a sweet Muscat from the village of Beaumes de Venise? Only at the Palme D’Or.

TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

Coral Gables is a moveable feast, a veritable mecca of fine dining. It has the highest density of quality restaurants for any city in South Florida – close to 100 good dining establishments. The restaurants do cluster near the main street of Miracle Mile, but are also spread throughout the Gables. This is not the sort of town where one wanders about in shopping malls, but nonetheless there are some hidden gems in the larger malls and even out-of-the way strip malls.

Dining hours in the Gables stretch from the early evening – when it is common to see people dining at restaurants close to where they work – until

$ Under $25

$$ $25-$40

$$$ $35-$75

$$$$ $70-$100+

Approximate prices per person for appetizer and entrée, without tax, tip or drinks.

Aromas del Peru

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

1930 Ponce de León Blvd. // 305.476.5886

$$ Peruvian

Bellmónt

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

339 Miracle Mile // 786.502.4684

$$$ Spanish

Caffe Abbracci

A Gables icon, Nino Pernetti’s Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and a cozy evening gathering place for families and couples. Closely shepherded by the welcoming Pernetti, Abbracci is quiet, elegant and flavorful. The food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook.

318 Aragon Ave. // 305.441.0700

$$$ Italian

Bulla Gastro

As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla’s is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart neighborhood hangout with a young, boisterous vibe. Great ‘small plates’ and refreshing sangria. Yes, it is a national chain, but it still feels local.

2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. //305.441.0107

$$ Spanish

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal of Ponce fame, the restaurant is half inside, half in the courtyard of the Shops.

late at night, when it’s not unusual go to a restaurant at 10 pm and find the place packed, even with children. Restaurants in Coral Gables do well, and in many cases are world-class. But the culinary scene is also changing. Where once the top-flight, traditional dining spots catered to lawyers, bankers, businessmen and diplomats, there is a new crop of edgier places, with young chefs and new tastes, and more millennials eating out. What follows is our list of the tried and true, and the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread, and a superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches.

Shops at Merrick Park // 786.536.9388

$$-$$$ French

Bricktop’s

Massive bar, lots of booths and an indoor/outdoor area with a fire pit all add to the traditional chop house and seafood Americana feel of Bricktop’s. The place to go for Lobster bisque, grilled grouper or blackened rib eye. Good bites for happy hour (4 to 7 pm).

2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. // 305.443.9992

$$ American

Caffe Vialetto

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

4019 LeJeune Rd.

$$$ Cuban/Latin California Pizza Kitchen

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

300 Miracle Mile // 305.774.9940

$$ Pizza/American

Christy’s

Touted as Coral Gables oldest steakhouse, Christy’s was long the power lunch go to – until it stopped serving lunch except on Fridays. Still, its aged steaks are consistently excellent, as are the seafood entrees. And their classic Caesar salad

is still the best in town.

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. // 305.446.1400

$$$ Steakhouse

Eating House

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

804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. //305.448.6524

$$ Innovative American

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine cellar that appears to have no end of its

depth. A place for special celebrations.

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. //305.569.7995

$$$ Steak & Seafood

Fratellino

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

264 Miracle Mile//786.452.0068

$$$ Italian

Frenchie’s Diner

It looks like an all-American diner (which it once

was) but this pure French cooking. Frenchie himself is usually there. Some items on the menu can get pricey (duck confit, $32) but the onion soup ($9) and escargots ($11) are great values, and the croquet-monsieur ($12) for lunch is a meal unto itself.

2618 Galiano St. // 305.442.4554

$$ French Graziano’s

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

394 Giralda // 305.774.3599

$$$ Argentine

La Taberna Giralda

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

254 Giralda Avenue // 786.362.5677

$$ Spanish Ichimi

This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to wait and stand and stare, just

Be

for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space.

2330 Salzedo St. // 305.960.7016

$-$$ Japanese

John Martin’s Irish Pub

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

253 Miracle Mile // 305.445.3777

$ Pub Food

La Dorada

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

177 Giralda // 305.446.2002

$$$$ Spanish Seafood

La Palma

Exquisite setting in a historic building with lovely courtyard dining. For years, La Palma was known

for its incredible lunch buffet. At $13.95 it’s still a bargain, but now served only on Tuesdays. For other weekdays, they have an executive lunch for $17.95. And good to know they always have pasta fagioli, the Tuscan white bean soup.

116 Alhambra Circle //305.445.8777

$-$$$ Italian

La Provencal

This Gables mainstay (30 years in the same location) is under new ownership, so expect some innovations to French standards duck l’orange and steak au poivre – like a Mediterranean grill with octopus, mussels, scallops, black rice and saffron garlic aioli. New sidewalk seating, perfect pre-theater location.

266 Miracle Mile //305.448.8984

$$$ French Mediterranean

Mariposa

Mariposa floats like a butterfly in a far-off corner overlooking the garden courtyard of the Park. The food is light fare, as one might expect at a Neiman Marcus, with prices not so light. Salads, soups, cocktails – a casual place to rest after having spent far more than you planned.

Shops at Merrick Park //786.999.1018

$$$ New American

Matsuri

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

5759 Bird Rd.// 305.663.1615

$$-$$$ Japanese

Mesa Mar

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

264 Giralda Ave. // 305.640.8448

$$$ Seafood

Morton’s Coral Gables

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

2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. // 305.442.1662

$$$ Steakhouse

Old Lisbon

It’s just outside the Gables in South Miami, but if you want great Portuguese food this is the place. The best codfish in town (11 variations), great mussels with a special sauce, and unique dishes like grilled Portuguese sardines and traditional caldo verde (potato and sausage) soup. Good service, and Portuguese wines at good prices.

5837 Sunset Drive// 305.662.7435

$$-$$$ Portuguese

Ortanique

on the Mile

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

278 Miracle Mile // 305.446.7710

$$ Caribbean

Palme d’Or

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

1200 Anastasia Ave. (at the Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200 $$$$ French

Pincho Factory

One of the few places where you can get really delicious food at a low price in the Gables, this home-grown chain (based here) combines Brazilian shish kabob (served in rice bowels or as wraps) with uniquely flavored hamburgers. A guilty pleasure. 30 Giralda Ave.//305.446.5666

$ Latin Street Food

Red Koi Lounge

If you like Thai food, then you will love Red Koi, which takes the Asian specialty up a notch. Their Bangkok Shrimp is worth the visit alone, and

their cashew curry chicken will make you come back. Hopefully they will be expanding their few outdoor tables soon.

317 Miracle Mile //305.446.2690

$$ Thai

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

There is a reason the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on week nights. This is where cholesterol is sent to the devil for the sake of extraordinary taste. Lots of wood paneling, wonderful service, and huge wine selection complete the package.

2320 Salzedo St. //305.461.8360

$$$$ Steakhouse

Seasons 52

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

321 Miracle Mile // 305.442.8552

$$ Healthy American

Swine

Like the name says, this place is about everything porcine, from pork belly salad ($8) all the way to the suckling pig ($38). A kind of upscale-rural woodand-brick feel, and a tad pricey for country fare, but man, do they know their way around a pig – along with other Southern things, like fried chicken.

2415 Ponce de Leon // 786.360.6533

$$$ Southern

Talavera Cocina Mexicana

High ceilings and ceramics make this a pleasant venue, but it’s the authentic fare that shines. The place for Mexicans home sick for cooking that’s not TexMex. The chicken mole poblano is a winner at $20, and their huarache grill is great at $17.

2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. // 305.444.2955

$$ Mexican

Tarpon Bend

Tarpon Bend is full even on off days. Why? Great, fresh fish at reasonable prices, like cedar plank salmon with veggies for $25 or Asian tuna burger for $15. Owner Wayne stays on top of quality and it shows. Their daily special features three fish prepared any way you like. Big happy hour scene, loyal followers. 65 Miracle Mile // 305.444.3210

$$ Seafood

Zucca

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

162 Alcazar Ave. // 786.580.3731

$$$ Northern Italian

From the Boardroom

By Dennis Nason

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Coral Gables, aka the City Beautiful, aka the Beverly Hills of the South, is not exactly synonymous with Wall Street. But it is one of the more prominent banking sites in Florida. Not only do locals feel comfortable with the banks in Coral Gables, its proximity to the airport makes it convenient for visitors, many of whom maintain residences here.

It is not just Latin Americans who are bringing their savings (and spoils) to the Gables. They are complemented by Europeans, Russians, Africans, Ukrainians, Indians, Chinese, lots of Canadians and many more, even New Yorkers.

People will go where the quality of life is better and banks will just follow the money. Remember Al Capone?

We will soon be asking ourselves what is money.

Bitcoins and other crypto currencies are here to stay and they will have their place in exchange, despite their current volatility. There is a demand for this type of anonymous currency even with the risk. And it’s easier to lug around than gold.

Technologically, the changes are dramatic. We now have virtual banks – just ledgers of debits and credits. Furthermore, the banking system is in the process of consolidation. Some new banks have come to town but a lot more of our old familiar names have left, been bought up, merged or gone under. This trend will accelerate, and with mergers, some local banks have grown.

From Main Street By Mark Trowbridge

Bank United, the largest bank home-based in Greater Miami, has $ 22 billion in deposits compared with $12 billion five years ago, still small by international standards. But small banks – those with less than ten million dollars in total assets – will have trouble eking out a profit.

How important is convenience in all this? Very. Who wants to travel to a branch and stand in line, when you can go to an ATM and get cash without waiting? With today’s electronic access, it makes little difference where the bank is; one can deposit and move money at will, even with a cellphone. And yet, one of the main reasons a depositor chooses a bank is convenience. There is something about having a branch nearby that is compelling.

At last count, there were five banks that call Coral Gables home, but there are 36 others with facilities here that service their clients in comfort. And with transparency and compliance now driving the system, banks want to know who their clients are, as well.

So, who will hold your money when the leading banks become Twitter, Pay Pal, WalMart, Facebook, and Google? Don’t worry. There will still be a need for a community bank where they know your name.

A Toast To Hard Work And Stone Cold Success

AS OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND START-UP VISIONARIES CREATE NEW ENTERPRISES, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT OLD FASHIONED VIRTUES OF HARD WORK STILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

This past weekend, I was driving through the Gables and happened upon a boy and his parents running an old-fashioned lemonade stand by the roadside. The young entrepreneur was standing on the sidewalk, waving wildly to beckon me (and others) to stop for a glass of frosty, tart lemonade. I thought as I pulled over that even though nearly two generations have passed since I was born, this is still one of the best ways to teach young people about running a business, having a plan, marketing a product, and earning a little pocket change.

Add this enterprise to the list of typical first jobs like the local paper boy (and girl), the kid who cuts your grass, or the babysitter who watches your little ones. We all must start somewhere in business and a lemonade stand is as good a place as any.

My first paid “job” was working for my dad in one of his Wendy’s stores in Northwest Ohio. I was 12 and had my own blue and white tailored uniform and station on the floor. I was responsible for pouring drinks and staffing the Frosty machine. I earned $5 for a full day’s work (plus all I could eat) and would leave my double-shift feeling satisfied and proud. I knew I had accomplished something and learned even more in the process (like being the boss’ kid was not an advantage).

I never had a lemonade

stand of my own, probably because I was already in the food service biz and had bigger dreams. But, I did deliver newspapers, cut lawns, rake leaves, and shovel snow. There was no rest for the weary in the Trowbridge household. Even today, working hard remains a valued workplace skill we can all embrace and a foundation I’ve built our Chamber upon.

Recently, Tom Garfinkle, the CEO of the Miami Dolphins, told an audience of young people and business leaders that the way to be successful was to “work your butt off.”  I could not agree more. That ideal will never go out of style.

Today, entrepreneurs and start-up visionaries all have one thing in common: They are not afraid to roll up their sleeves, take risks, and work around the clock. It is the bedrock of their business model. And, fresh off the closing bell of the fifth edition of eMerge, I am more convinced than ever that even the most difficult challenges become excellent life lessons.      These challenges go far beyond bumps in the road and hairpin turns. They are the lemons that ultimately end up in the most delicious and delightful lemonade.

EVEN IN OUR VIRTUAL WORLD, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING A LOCAL BANK

Gables-based Dennis Nason is a long-time banker and executive placement consultant

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

We all must start somewhere in business and a lemonade stand is as good a place as any

At last count, there were five banks that call Coral Gables home...

Artwork by Jon Braeley

Your Money

By John W. Harris

The 2018 Tax Reform Bill: What You Need to Know, Part II

ON DECEMBER 22, 2017, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED INTO LAW THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT REFORM OF THE U.S. TAX CODE SINCE RONALD REAGAN WAS IN OFFICE. HERE IS PART II OF HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOUR FINANCES

The new tax act will affect how we make decisions on estate planning, buying a home, health insurance, setting up a business, and even divorce agreements. In this series, we will highlight major parts of the law to keep in mind. Last month we started with individual income taxes. This month we look at estate planning.

Planning for family wealth transfer is an important step in assuring assets are passed down to your loved ones with the least amount of tax consequences. While the new law did not repeal the estate tax as originally expected, it temporarily doubled the estate tax exemption for single filers to $11.2 million from $5.6 million, indexed for inflation. For a married couple, this means a $22.4 million exemption for the next eight years.

with the least possible estate tax applied. The law did not modify the current income tax basis rules related to gifts and transfers at death.

Although some may see less of a need to undertake material trust and estate planning, they in fact may miss potentially compelling opportunities. Not to mention that the benefits of avoiding probate alone are significant. Higher exemptions provide increased opportunities for multi-generational, legacy wealth planning. Many are utilizing trust and estate planning increasingly for qualitative and values-based issues above and beyond tax issues. Qualitative measures might include thresholds as to when, how much, and for what reasons future generations can access legacy wealth from a family trust.

is

This provision expires (or sunsets) at the end of 2025 and since death is unpredictable, wealthy individuals should still plan for the estate tax using traditional strategies such as purchasing life insurance policies inside irrevocable life insurance trusts. This will allow for the possible exclusion of life insurance proceeds from the estate tax by acting as both the owner and beneficiary of life insurance policies. However, it is critical that the trust is drafted and funded properly to ensure that your family members receive the full benefit of your life insurance proceeds

Those with existing estate and wealth plans are encouraged to have their plans reviewed particularly if they were created before 2013. Many current documents will try to maximize funding of the credit shelter trust and may include formula based clauses in order to do so. With the higher exemptions, this may now result in far less assets being left to a surviving spouse then was originally intended.

John W. Harris

the

managing director

and

chief wealth advisor

for the Coral

Gables Trust Company Planning for family wealth transfer is an important step in assuring assets are passed down...

Social Seen

The American Red Cross Honors Chayanne

It may as well have been held in Coral Gables, with this year’s event dominated by philanthropists from the City Beautiful. As it was, the Greater Miami & The Keys Chapter of the American Red Cross held its 36th Annual Ball, “A Masquerade in Red,” at the Ritz-Carlton on Key Biscayne.

The fundraiser, which honored pop music star and Red Cross volunteer Chayanne, was chaired by Gables Estates residents Ana and Cecil Milton, alongside Philanthropic Chairs Swanee and Paul DiMare, longtime Gables supporters of numerous programs at the

University of Miami and recipients of the UM Frost Legacy Awards. Another prominent Gables resident, former Carnival CEO and wine aficionado Bob Dickinson, sponsored a “wine wall” for the evening’s auction.

Almost 400 guests attended the April event, sporting their finest red attire and ball masks in keeping with the theme of the evening. “We are thrilled with the success of our chapter’s most highly anticipated event of the year,” said co-chair Ana Veiga Milton. Proceeds will be used to assist with Red Cross disaster preparedness, response and recovery programs.

THE GREATER MIAMI CHAPTER HOLDS ITS 2018 BALL AND FUNDRAISER

Masked revelers

Andrea Hanley and Bob Dickinson

Cecil Milton, Joanne Nowlin, Chayanne, Ana Veiga Milton, Paul & Swanee DiMare

Time Machine

THE FIRST CHURCH

In 1923, city father George Merrick founded the Coral Gables Congregational Church. It was to honor his father, Solomon, a Congregational minister. It was also the first public building in the city. The Mediterranean Revival design patterned

its bell tower after one in Seville, Spain, while its barrel roof tiles came from Cuba. It is the first church to be listed in Florida’s National Register of Historic Places. Today it continues to thrive as part of the United Church of Christ.

Insulin first produced for diabetes

The first baseball game at Yankee Stadium (Babe Ruth hits a home run)

King Tut’s burial chamber is opened

Premiere Issue of Time Magazine published

Warner Brothers film studio opens

Photo top: History Miami Museum, Archives and Research Center

Photo bottom: Nicholas Faber

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