Coral Gables Magazine July-August 2019

CORAL GABLES

The Best of the Gables 2019

PRECISION CANCER CARE

Miami Cancer Institute is Florida’s only next-generation cancer center, bringing South Florida access to personalized clinical treatments delivered with unparalleled compassion and support. No other cancer program in the region has the combination of cancer-fighting expertise, advanced technology and comprehensive support services to best understand what’s driving your cancer and deliver the precise treatments to achieve the best outcome. Selected as Florida’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, Miami Cancer Institute is part of a meaningful clinical collaboration to improve the lives of cancer patients.

With Miami Cancer Institute, you no longer have to leave South Florida to receive the best and latest cancer care.

Executive Leadership Team

Leonard Kalman, M.D. Executive Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer

Minesh Mehta, M.D., FASTRO Deputy Director and Chief of Radiation Oncology

Michele Ryder, MSN, MSHSA, R.N., CENP Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer

Miguel Villalona-Calero, M.D., FACP, FAAAS Deputy Director and Chief Scientific Officer

Michael J. Zinner, M.D., FACS CEO and Executive Medical Director

Guenther Koehne, M.D., Ph.D. Deputy Director and Chief of Stem Cell Transplantation, Hematologic Oncology and Benign Hematology

FIRST PROTON THERAPY CENTER IN SOUTH FLORIDA

In the fight against cancer, cutting-edge clinical trials and innovation bring us closer to finding a cure. No other cancer center in the world offers the most advanced radiation therapies in one place – including the first proton therapy center from South Florida to South America. Our revolutionary technology and internationally renowned, subspecialized expert teams provide you the best treatment options for your cancer.

To schedule an appointment, please call 786-596-2000 or visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Palliative Radiation Oncology, Endocrine Neoplasias and Initial Consultation)

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Thoracic Malignancies)

Santiago Aparo,

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Gastrointestinal Malignancies)

Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology (Bethesda Health) Breast Surgeon

Specialty: Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery Chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Andres Gelrud, M.D. Chief of Pancreatic Disease Program

Gladys Giron, M.D. Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology Breast Surgeon

Robert Derhagopian, M.D. Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology Breast Surgeon

John Derosimo, M.D.

Specialty: Thoracic Surgery Thoracic Surgeon

John Diaz, M.D.

Specialty: Gynecologic Oncology

Gynecologic Oncologist, Lead Physician for Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials and Medical Director of Gynecologic Minimally Invasive Surgery, Baptist Health

Vy Dinh, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Inpatient Oncology Hospitalist

Mark Dylewski, M.D. Specialty: Thoracic Surgery Chief of General Thoracic Surgery, Medical Director of General and Robotic Thoracic Surgery

Christopher Gomez, M.D. Specialty: Urology, Female and Reconstructive Surgery Female and Reconstructive Urologist

Sergio GonzalezArias, M.D. Specialty: Neurosurgery Neurosurgeon (Brain/CNS)

Edwin Gould, M.D.

Specialty: Pathology Chief of Pathology

Victor Guardiola, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Matthew Hall, M.D. Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Pediatric Malignancies, Thoracic Malignancies, Hematologic Malignancies, Sarcomas and Proton Therapy)

Nicholas Lambrou, M.D. Specialty: Gynecologic Oncology Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, and Medical Director of Robotic Surgery, Baptist Health

Alberto Larcada, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Outpatient Benign Hematologist

Alan Lewin, M.D. Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Breast Cancer, Endocrine Neoplasias, Hematologic Malignancies and GI Malignancies)

Omar Llaguna, M.D. Specialty: Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgeon

Cristina LopezPenalver, M.D. Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology Breast Surgeon

Murugesan Manoharan, M.D. Specialty: Urologic Oncology Chief of Urologic Oncology

Constanza Martinez Piñanez, M.D. Specialty: Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine Psychiatrist

Govindarajan Narayanan, M.D. Specialty: Interventional Oncology Chief of Interventional Oncology

Yazmin Odia, M.D. Specialty: Neuro-oncology Lead Physician of Neuro-oncology

Steven Olszewski, M.D. Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Genitourinary Malignancies and Endocrine Malignancies)

Claudia Paba Prada, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Hematologic Oncologist and Benign Hematologist

Joseph Panoff, M.D.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Breast Cancer, Pediatric Malignancies, GI Malignancies, Pancreas and Hepatobiliary Malignancies, Melanoma and Non-melanoma Skin Cancers)

Guilherme Rabinowits, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology, Medical Oncologist (Head and Neck Cancer and Melanoma and Non-melanoma Skin Cancers)

Lisa Reale, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Hematologic Oncologist and Hematologist

Antonio Ucar, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Gastrointestinal Malignancies)

Robert Udelsman, M.D. Specialty: Endocrine Surgery Chief of Endocrine Surgery and Director of the Endocrine Neoplasia Institute

Siddhartha Venkatappa, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer, Sarcomas)

Jill Waibel, M.D. Specialty: Dermatology Dermatologist

Grace Wang, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Geoffrey Young, M.D., Ph.D. Specialty: Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Chief of Head and Neck Surgery

Talia Zahra, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Inpatient Benign Hematologist and Medical Oncologist and Outpatient Hematologic Oncologist

Doured Daghistani, M.D. Specialty: Pediatric Oncology Medical Director of Pediatric Oncology

M. Beatriz Currier, M.D. Medical Director, Cancer Patient Support Center

M.D.

Raul Arroyo, M.D.

Horacio Asbun, M.D.

Frances Behrmann, M.D.

Federico Albrecht, M.D.

Andre Abitbol, M.D.

Jeffrey Boyd, Ph.D. Associate Deputy Director and Director, Translational Research and Genomic Medicine

AND CLINICAL EXPERTISE

Naiara Braghiroli, M.D.

Specialty: Dermatology Dermatologist

Lauren Carcas, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology (Broward) Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Neeta Erinjeri, M.D.

Specialty: Endocrine Surgery

Endocrine Surgeon

Marcio Fagundes, M.D.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Medical Director of Radiation Oncology (Genitourinary Malignancies, Breast Cancer, Orthopedic Malignancies and Proton Therapy)

Jorge Caso, M.D.

Specialty: Urologic Oncology Oncologic Urologist

Ludimila Cavalcante, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Sarcomas)

Steven Fein, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology

Inpatient Benign Hematologist and Hematologic Oncologist

Kristin Haushalter, M.D.

Specialty: Dermatology Dermatologist

Luis Oscar Hernandez III, M.D.  Specialty: Colorectal Surgery Colorectal Surgeon

Lyle Feinstein, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology

Inpatient Hematologic Oncologist and Benign Hematologist

Michael Chuong, M.D.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Malignancies, Hematologic Malignancies and Proton Therapy)

Peter Citron, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Hematologic Oncologist

Adrian Cristian, M.D.

Specialty: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Chief of Cancer Rehabilitation

Arelis Martir-Negron, M.D. Specialty: Medical Geneticist Center for Genomic Medicine

Starr Mautner, M.D. Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology Breast Surgeon

Ramon Jimenez, M.D.

Specialty: Melanoma and Sarcoma Surgery Chief of Melanoma and Soft Tissue Sarcoma Surgery

Ripal Gandhi, M.D. Specialty: Interventional Oncology Interventional Oncologist

Noah Kalman, M.D.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Head and Neck Cancer, Melanoma and Non-melanoma Skin Cancers, Gynecological Malignancies, Thoracic Malignancies, Sarcomas and Pediatric Malignancies)

Paul Kaywin, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Thoracic Malignancies)

Sara M. Garrido, M.D.

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Troy Gatcliffe, M.D.

Specialty: Gynecologic Oncology Gynecologic Oncologist, Lead Physician Liaison for Baptist Health International

Rupesh Kotecha, M.D.

Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Brain/ CNS Malignancies, Thoracic Malignancies, Orthopedic Malignancies, Head and Neck Cancer and Proton Therapy)

Eduardo Krajewski, M.D. Specialty: Colorectal Surgery Colorectal Surgeon

Maria-Amelia Rodrigues, M.D. Specialty: Radiation Oncology Radiation Oncologist (Breast Cancer, Genitourinary Malignancies, Gynecologic Malignancies and Thoracic Malignancies)

Miguel Medina III, M.D. Specialty: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Director of Microsurgery

Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Malignancies)

Harry

M.D. Specialty: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Breast Cancer)

Ana

M.D. Specialty: Symptom Management and Palliative Medicine Palliatrician

Suleyki

Jane

M.D. Specialty: Breast Surgical Oncology Chief of Breast Surgery

Antonio Muina, M.D. Specialty: Medical Oncology and Hematology Medical Oncologist (Genitourinary Malignancies)

Geetha Nampiaparampil, M.D. Specialty: Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine Psychiatrist

Surgeon

To schedule an appointment, please call 786-596-2000 or visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com.

Fernando I. de Zarraga, M.D.

Brian Schiro, M.D. Specialty: Interventional Oncology Interventional Oncologist

Eric Schroeder, M.D. Specialty: Gynecologic Oncology Gynecologic Oncologist and Lead Physician of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program for Gynecologic Oncology

Vitaly Siomin, M.D. Specialty: Neurosurgery Neurosurgeon

Marcos Szomstein, M.D. Specialty: Colorectal Surgery Colorectal

Sandoval Leon,

Salinas,

Medina,

Mendez,

Living in Biltmore Square is a Midsummer Night’s Dream

Askresidents of MG Developer’s latest luxury residences in Coral Gables why they moved in, and the answers are similar: Walkability to downtown from a leafy, residential neighborhood, plus spacious, modern quarters with the attributes of a private house but without the difficult maintenance.

Giselle and Mario Obregon sold their house of 20 years in South Miami to start up “like newlyweds” in Biltmore Parc this January. With the children grown, the duo was looking for something smaller, newly built for easy upkeep and centrally-located. The Gables was where both had lived after arriving from Cuba. “I’ve always felt that when you’re driving into Coral Gables … through those beautiful oaks, there’s like an “Aaah.” It feels different,” said Giselle Obregon, calling the city serene, elegant and “like home.”

The couple relishes the privacy of their new residence: “I love the fact that the doors of the elevator open into our condo,” said photographer Obregon. And they appreciate the proximity to restaurants and shops. Many nights, they stroll back from dinner on Miracle Mile, admiring the tree canopy.

Alejandro Rodriguez says he and wife Carolina Vizcarrondo chose Biltmore Parc “to be in a practical, friendly area where they could be more

We have the city behind us in walking distance, and in my front yard, I look out on a residential neighborhood, so it’s a nice mix of both worlds

Joy Lundeen

active.” College sweethearts since their days studying law in Venezuela, the two marketers in their 40s had lived in a large house in southern Coral Gables, but wanted something more urban and streamlined after their older daughter moved out.

Alejandro now jogs along the nearby golf course, while Carolina plays tennis in courts just steps away. “We walk to Miracle Mile all the time,” said Rodriguez. “It takes us two conversations, literally, to get there.”

Joy and Scott Lundeen moved to Beatrice Row with their youngest daughter in December, leaving a house in Pinecrest for “a more downtown lifestyle” in an area “not as congested and hectic as Brickell or downtown Miami.” They fell in love with their townhome’s three-story layout, setting up their living quarters upstairs, dining and entertaining on the middle floor, and offices and work space downstairs. Joy adores “the beautiful flowing staircase, tall ceilings and the second-floor terrace to entertain on,” as well as the elevator helpful for groceries and essential for her dad to visit.

“We have the city behind us in walking distance, and in my front yard, I look out at a residential neighborhood,” said Joy Lundeen. “So, it’s a nice mix of both worlds.”

Biltmore Parc and Beatrice Row are part of Biltmore Square, a group of properties soon to feature adjacent Biltmore Row and Althea Row. Coral Gables-based MG Developer, led by Alirio Torrealba, is investing some $80 million to create Biltmore Square, slated to feature 65 deluxe townhomes and residences.

For additional information on Biltmore Row, Althea Row or any other MG Developer projects, please visit: www.MGDeveloperMiami.com or Biltmore Parc, located on 718 Valencia Avenue.

305.460.6719 @MGDeveloper #BiltmoreSquare

I love the fact that the doors of the elevator open into our condo. The privacy, it feels like a home.

Giselle Obregon

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

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN LEADS THE MARKET

Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the second largest independent residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. With more than 7,000 agents, the company operates approximately 118 offices nationwide and 22 in Florida. From Miami, to Palm Beach, to St. Petersburg, let’s put the power of Elliman to work for you. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit elliman.com.

Kitchen Trends from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery

Makeovers and renovations involve more than just sweat and sledgehammers. When it comes to designing your dream kitchen, there are endless considerations involving products, colors, styles and more. Ensuring your kitchen remains relevant to modern standards is important, not just for personal reasons—family get togethers, entertaining and socializing—but for fiscal ones as well. Because kitchens are often considered to be the most important room in a house, they can also be the deciding factor in potential home sales. Homeowners, as well as designers, renovators and flippers, must consider current industry trends when creating beautiful new kitchens that can stand the test of time.

KITCHEN TRENDS FOR 2019

While planning your kitchen makeover, keep this list of trends in mind:

Space-saving built-in appliances are a neat freak’s saving grace. Avoid bothersome handles and edges by installing built-in refrigerators, wine coolers, stoves and dishwashers that fit in seamlessly with your beautiful new cabinets. Highlight your wine collection with built-in wine refrigerators from Miele, which feature unique elements such as individual temperature zones, LED lighting and tinted glass fronts for optimal UV protection.

Dark kitchens and matte finishes remain on the rise. Once associated with luxury and elegance, the bright, glossy surfaces of older appliances have fallen out of favor. Replace outdated appliances with contemporary, matte black ones to add classy contrast and drama to your

kitchen. On top of the visual benefits, matte appliances tend to reduce the appearance of smudges, fingerprints and stains—meaning your kitchen stays cleaner, longer.

Decorate open kitchens with stunning pendant lighting. Recessed lighting is still very useful for streamlined appearances, but pendant lights can become your kitchen’s jewelry, so to say. Unique statement pieces that become the focal point of your home’s most important room—an anchor point that friends and family will gather around, talk about and be inspired by. Elegant pieces from Park Harbor, available exclusively from Ferguson.

Visit your local Ferguson showroom to learn more about kitchen trends and innovative products from the world’s top manufacturers. While our product associates are always happy to assist walk-ins, we take pride in offering one-on-one customized service, which is best arranged ahead of time. Visit fergusonshowrooms.com to schedule a consultation to find out how we can make your dream kitchen a reality.

KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ with Powered Attachment

Do you want a caption here???

Unique statement pieces that become the focal point of your home’s most important room—an anchor point that friends and family will gather around, talk about and be inspired by.

OUR BRAND NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION

The Best of the Gables

For our inaugural foray into the finest that our city offers, we decided to search for the best in 120 categories of Arts & Entertainment, Food & Drink, Shopping & Retail, Sports & Recreation, and Architecture & Public Places. Naturally, since Coral Gables is nothing if not a movable feast, half of our best of choices fell in the area of Food & Drink.

Best Drinks in the Best Bars

With summer upon us, we search the bars of the Gables for the perfect antidote to the heat. Lucky for those who work in the downtown, the best bars in the city are within walking distance. With so many options, choosing just one can be overwhelming. But we’ve got the inside scoop on the best watering holes in the Gables, and their bartenders’ favorite drinks.

Well located inside gated Gables by the Sea. New modern home. Top finishes. Long water views create a special visual experience.

6 BEDS | 6.5 BATHS | 4,720 SF | 12,233 SF LOT $2,599,000 | 13055sw57.com . 520

Beautifully re-envisioned home in the Platinum Triangle. Chef’s kitchen, marble baths, custom woodwork, heated pool & summer kitchen.

4 BEDS | 4.5 BATHS | 3,226 SF | 10,000 SF LOT $1,995,000 | 520Tibidabo.com

TIBIDABO AVENUE ∏ CORAL GABLES

Editor’s Note

The Middle Kingdom

CORAL GABLES

PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P.Faber

EVP / PUBLISHER

Gail Scott

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

VP SALES

Sherry Adams

SENIOR WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Doreen Hemlock

STAFF WRITER

One of the most famous magazine covers ever printed was artist Saul Steinberg’s “View of the World from 9th Avenue,” which appeared on the cover of The New Yorker in 1976. It was a view that presented Manhattan as the center of the world.

We commissioned Coral Gables artist Carlos Garcia-Barbón – whose paintings of local architecture can be seen at the Biltmore and Coral Gables Museum – to recapitulate that cover. This time, of course, Coral Gables is presented as the center of the world.

We thought the cover an apt image for our first annual Best of the Gables issue, in which we scoured the town (and the thoughts of its citizens) for the best in food, drink, shops, art, entertainment, public places, and recreational options. It has been both a fun and vexing exercise; Coral Gables has such an embarrassment of riches that it’s not always easy to pick the best.

Hopefully you’ll agree with most of our

choices. For those who do not, or who have a “Best Of” selection that eluded us, we would love to hear from you. Please email us as at letters@ thecoralgablesmagazine.com. And if you do agree – or find some interesting place you never knew existed – we’d like to hear from you, too. This being summer, we also wanted to address the subject of keeping cool. Last year we ran a feature on all the places to stay cool while recreating – think bowling alleys with thermostats set on “ice.” This year we went more adult, with a survey of some of our finer watering holes and their best summer cocktails. You might want to try a few; all are guaranteed to cool your jets. Beyond these features, you’ll find our usual smorgasbord of items about the people, places and events that make Coral Gables such an amazing place to live, work and play. We are, after all, the center of the world.

J.P.Faber Editor-in-Chief

Lizzie Wilcox

WRITERS

James Broida

Mike Clary

Nicholas Faber

Andrew Gayle Mallory Evans Jacobson

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jonathan Dann

Robert Sullivan

Donna Victor

SENIOR ADVISOR

Dennis Nason

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2019 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. General mailbox email and letters to editor@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2018. coralgablesthemagazine.com

Readers Letters

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

Are We Ready for Annexation?

The fire quickly overwhelmed the CGFD on-duty units and a request for mutual aid was made to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR)… During this alarm, which lasted well over six hours, [there was no loss of life] MDFR had 18 units on the fire scene, and additional units needed to staff all three of the Coral Gables Fire Stations.

Since this issue was proposed [the annexation of High Pines/Ponce Davis and Little Gables] Local 1403 has expressed concerns about the impact it will have… The loss of [county] revenue from these proposed annexation areas reduces the funding for existing service and future fire rescue service to the rest of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue District. This also results in an increased demand for fire rescue service by CGFD. Despite the loss of revenue there is still an expectation that when there is a significant event, MDFR will be called to assist.

Coral Gables Fire Department provides excellent fire rescue service to their citizens. The problem is that there are simply not

enough on-duty personnel. This is just one of many reasons why we respectfully ask for a moratorium on these proposed annexations by the City of Coral Gables.

Omar “OB” Blanco President, IAFF Local 1403 Metro-Dade Firefighters

Development Concerns

My wife and I have loved living in Coral Gables for more than 30 years. We are fortunate enough to live within walking distance of the downtown area. A 10-minute stroll through a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood brings us to all the sophisticated pleasures of a vibrant urban core.

Miracle Mile, and the downtown in general, used to be rather drab and provincial, but over the past 20 or so years, we have watched it blossom into a world-class city with a fabulous bookstore, theatre, movie house, museum and countless great restaurants, bars and cafes, all within easy walking distance of each other. But all that changes when I need to drive my car within the city. What once took 10 minutes, now can take

almost an hour; sitting at one jam-packed intersection after another. The automobile traffic is destroying the quality of life in our city and it will only continue to get worse with all the current monster development projects.

Patrick Alexander

From the Chamber Board

In the words of our Chamber President, “Let’s collaborate, innovate and create together”- a message that surely all Coral Gables community members can get behind, whether elected or not. The Board of Directors of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce stands behind Mark [Trowbridge]'s article in the May issue of Coral Gables Magazine, as our organization is and will always be committed to growth and positivity when it comes to our City Beautiful.

Patrick M. O’Connell Chairman of the Board  Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce

Editor’s Note: This letter is a response to a letter published last month by former mayor Don Slesnick, who took issue with Chamber CEO Mark Trowbridge’s article The War is Over, which criticized (without naming her) the anti-development mayoral campaign of Jeannett Slesnick.

Streetwise p22

Name That Shark!

Sun Stories

And Now... Uber Couriers

News & Notes

Name That Shark!

HOW ONE GABLES NATIVE HELPED FUND SHARK RESEARCH AT UM – AND HOW YOU CAN, TOO

By J.P. Faber

The first encounter between Ruta Maya coffee company CEO Tim Sheehan and UM shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag actually took place at the Starbucks on Miracle Mile.

Sheehan was wearing a special “U Miami Shark Research” T-shirt. Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research & Conservation Program at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, walked up and thanked Sheehan for his support. Sheehan had no idea what Hammerschlag was talking about; the T-shirt had been a gift, not a purchase to help fund shark studies.

That meeting blossomed into a relationship between Sheehan and Hammerschlag, and it was a perfect fit. Sheehan is a Coral Gables native who left years ago to start a socially responsible organic coffee company in Texas. That company – Ruta Maya – roasted and marketed coffee purchased from small farmers along on The Maya Route, a historic trek that starts in Mexico and goes through Guatemala and Honduras. Ruta Maya, via a distribution deal with Costco, did very well, and Sheehan wanted to give back (besides helping the farmers). The idea of supporting shark research and preservation was so appealing that Sheehan’s company became a regular donor to the program, also carrying its logo and web-

site on each coffee bag. And for Sheehan it was a homecoming; having missed Coral Gables since he departed, the company president moved back three years ago, restoring a 1926 cottage home.

“We work with organic farmers in Chiapas [Mexico],” says Sheehan. “When we came across the shark program, we wanted to see how we could help. We actually went out with him [Hammerschlag] on a boat to tag some sharks.”

Hammerschlag himself has become a world renown shark researcher, studying shark populations in an effort to prevent their extinction. Some 100 million sharks are killed by humans every year, and in some places they have virtually disappeared.

“It’s much harder to get government grants these days, so we need the help of corporate America,” says Hammerschlag. “Ones like Ruta Maya, that feel a corporate responsibility, are absolutely critical to what we are trying to do. We have a lot of goals, from research to educational outreach. We want to understand these threatened species and what the impact [of their decimation] will be. We also bring middle and high school kids out, to inspire them about STEM and marine biology, and to instill in them a conservation ethic.”

Even if you are not a corporate donor, you can still help support the program. For

$3,000 you can adopt a shark, which is then tagged and tracked by satellite; as the proud sponsor, you get weekly location updates. And if that price tag is too steep, you can name a shark for $25. The shark is ID tagged and you get a little card with details about your beast – size, sex, species, tag number. Go to www.sharktagging.com for details. And if you want to see Hammerschlag and his team in action, two segments of Shark Week (Discovery Channel, July 28 to Aug. 4) focus on their work in coastal South Africa and the Bahamas.

Top: For $3,000 you can name and adopt a shark, which is then tagged and tracked by satellite, As the proud sponsor, you get weekly location updates.

Above: Neil Hammerschlag, UM shark researcher

Urgent care you can

With more neighborhood urgent care locations throughout South Florida, Baptist Health is making it easier to get convenient, same-day care for life's inconveniences.

Meet

Urgent

Two Coral Gables locations:

• 10 Giralda Avenue

• 1240 South Dixie Highway

Open daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

You can also get urgent care online when you download our Baptist Health Care On Demand App. Now that’s Carevenience. Learn

Virtual urgent care visit right from your phone. Download the App and sign up today.

Sun Stories by Nite

GIRALDA PLAZA’S SUMMER INSTALLATION

After last summer’s unforgettable Umbrella Sky, Sun Stories is the latest public art installation to hit Giralda Plaza. Created by Miami artist Jessy Nite, Sun Stories consists of large, multicolored plexiglass words and phrases that are projected by the sun onto the walkway below.

This isn’t Nite’s first typography-based project. For about 10 years she has been doing “sun installations” both locally – at the Soho Beach House – and internationally – at the Liesing Transit Hub in Vienna.

W hile those projects are just one phrase, Sun Stories “picks up” where those shorter pieces left off. “It feels so great to see it come alive,” says Nite. “I think at first people

are looking at it because they want to see what it says, but now there’s all these elements, projecting light onto trees and people and clothing and tables.”

To see the words clearly, Nite advises visiting during the middle of the day when the sun is at its peak. She herself likes to go either in the morning or the late afternoon when the phrases are illegible, but cast a long, colorful shadow. “It’s really fun to see how these pieces perform,” she says. The words in red are from a long-form poem that she wrote about Coral Gables, which will appear in a kid-friendly zine available at various events for Sun Stories throughout the summer. –Lizzie Wilcox

And Now... Uber Couriers

In another nod to the city’s innovative inclinations, Norwegian courier company ASAP has launched its first U.S. operations in Coral Gables. The concept, already successful in Scandinavia, is to create a “driver-on-demand” platform for couriered documents and packages. Like Uber, the middle man is cut

out, prices are slashed, and a new pool of under employed people can cash in on owning a car.

The cool thing, ASAP technology director Vittorio Pinelli tells us, is that “you have online, real-time tracking function, so you know exactly where the package is.” Learn more at asapdelivers.com.

NEWS & NOTES

BUMMER FROM THE GOVERNOR

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his budget in June, a spending plan for just under $91 billion. Before signing, however, he vetoed $131 million in projects he didn’t think it was the state’s business to fund. Among them: $1 million for Coral Gables’ public safety and emergency operations center.

DEAL OF THE MONTH

The 550 Biltmore building, the pyramid-shaped office midrise with fountain and twin lions on Biltmore Way, has been purchased by the CGI Merchant Group for $54.4 million. That’s a bump up from the $50.2 million price it sold for in 2014; it was originally built in 1986.

THE HERALD’S FAINT PRAISE

The new installation over Giralda Plaza is now up. Sun Stories is a series of plastic letters strung between wires, designed to shine colorfully on the sidewalk. The Miami Herald noted that “Sun Stories isn’t as easy to photograph as the famous Umbrella Sky… but it’s hard to beat a bunch of colorful umbrellas when you want to Instagram.”

THE LATEST CONSULAR OFFICER

Coral Gables’ consular corps now tops 20 with the recent appointment of Carolina Rendeiro as honorary consular officer for Portugal. A native of the Iberian nation, the Gables business consultant plans to bring Portuguese trade fairs to the Gables. “They have excellent wine,” she notes, along with top olive oil and

goods.

leather

Above: Coral Gables artist Jessy Nite on Giralda Plaza at high noon

Below: Vittorio Pinelli, ASAP technology director and CEO Tommy Larsen

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new contemporary transitional-style home in prime, gated corner Ponce Davis location. Open interiors.

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Landmark-resort living in this boutique condo of 11 units on the golf course. Prices from $1,698,000 to $2,468,000

Shop

Priscilla Reyes, owner, Earthy Chic

Earthy Chic

THE NAME SAYS IT ALL: DOWN TO EARTH, HAND-MADE, STYLISH

By Kim Rodriguez / Photos by Lizzie Wilcox

You may have noticed a new store pop up last November in the beautiful space formerly occupied by the beloved Kate Spade collection in the Shops at Merrick Park. Earthly Chic, appropriately named, is the second store for owner Priscilla Reyes. Her first outpost opened in Miami’s Design District in 2015, and she has now brought her “chic” collection of global, bohemian beach and lifestyle brands to the Gables.

“Coral Gables is a very different market for me and I’m always looking for new opportunities to expand,” says Reyes. “And moving into such a beautiful space in the city beautiful was a dream come true.”

Reyes was born in New York to Cuban immigrants and moved to Miami while in elementary school. She graduated from FIU’s international business program and then worked in advertising for Univision. When she married and became a mother, she wanted to find a

better work-live balance. She’d always wished to run her own business, so after six years in the corporate arena she and her best friend Eileen did just that. In 2010, they started selling jewelry and accessories via trunks shows and at different marketing events. Selling direct to consumers allowed Reyes to hone a niche that blossomed into Earthy Chic.

Earthy Chic appeals to women across the board –Reyes says their customer base is 15 to 70 years old. Any retailer will tell you it’s almost impossible to fill this demographic, but it seems to work here. “We try to curate products that are timeless but trendy, bridging the age gaps and offering something for everyone that walks through the door. We have a bohemian feel and carry products from across the globe – handmade products at an attainable price point, but never compromising quality.”

That in itself is somewhat

unique; handmade accessories will set you back quite a bit in many retail outlets. “Our focus is to highlight independent brands, mixed in with trendy designers, to really appeal to different age groups and styles. Our main focus is to bring a product that stays clear of the norm and really helps express our clients’ individual style.”

So, what can her clients can expect to see from Earthly Chic this summer and fall season? Her immediate answer is color. “Geometric prints and color blocking will be strong,” she says. “We try to keep it bright and airy year-round, bringing the Miami vibe to clients.... When you visit us there is always something new, and our clients appreciate the diversity of our products and the constantly changing inventory.”

Our focus is to highlight independent brands mixed in with trendy designers to really appeal to different age groups and styles...

Priscilla Reyes, top left owner, Earthy Chic

WHAT’S HOT

Summer is upon us and while that generally means more time enjoying leisure activities outdoors – or recovering inside to beat the heat – there is always time for a good shopping expedition. Especially since stores are typically very air conditioned.

By Mallory Evans Jacobson

HOT SEAT (left)

KEEPING TIME

This classic time piece is the perfect summer accessory, especially for the adventuring type. It’s great for fishing and boating, as the Coastline Chronograph watch is water resistant, yet evokes a sophisticated style with its rose gold finish and deep blue face. Retail: $255.

Tommy Bahama

320 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park), 305-445-8896

The ultimate tool for the adrenaline junkie, the Peloton bike takes workouts to the next level – from the comfort of home. With access to hundreds of themed spin classes, it’s no wonder that the sleek cycle has reached somewhat of a cult status as of late. Retail: $2,245 (including delivery) and $39/month for unlimited live and on-demand classes.

Peloton (showroom opening this summer at Shops at Merrick Park), Also available at onepeloton.com

ROCK STEADY (below)

SUNSCREEN (right)

If you’re planning on spending any time outside this summer, some serious sunblock is a necessity. We think that the M-61 Hydraboost Moisturizer SPF 30 from Miracle Mile’s recently opened Bluemercury outpost is the ideal option because it hydrates and firms your skin while protecting you from those harmful rays. Retail: $68.

Bluemercury

317 Miracle Mile, 305-476-1180

SUMMER LOVIN' (right)

Infuse your seasonal wardrobe with a pop of color with the “Amor” handbag from the Downtown Coral Gables boutique My Best Friend’s Closet. While the shop usually caters to the millennial crowd, we think that anyone would be thrilled to accessorize with this chic piece. It’s also a fabulous conversation starter. Retail: $55.

My Best Friend’s Closet

68 Miracle Mile, 305-443-4840

Not all bassinets are created equal. This one offers your baby not just a comfortable sleeping situation; it’s so sleek that it also basically doubles as an art piece. Made from rose gold-plated steel and sold at Nini & Loli, the Aura bassinet from Nursery Works would be the perfect gift for an expecting mother who likes to push the envelope. Retail: $500.

Nini & Loli, 2300 Salzedo St., 786-534-7766

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JUST LISTED!

Bites p34 A Taste of

India

Brunches We Love

Lamb biryani at Mint Leaf Brasserie, made with marinated lamb, spices and yogurt cooked with basmati rice and saffron

A Taste of India

THE GABLES IS HOME TO A DUO OF EXCELLENT INDIAN RESTAURANTS

By James Broida

Trying to describe Indian food is a little bit like the proverbial tale of blind men trying to describe an elephant; each describes only one part of the whole. Indian food comes in a wide variety, with more than three dozen distinct regional cuisines.

For most of us, the dishes we are familiar with – tikka masala, tandoori chicken, beef vindaloo – were brought back to England from places in India where the Brits dominated as colonial rulers, mostly northern regions like the Punjab or cities like Delhi. But there is far more to Indian food. One reason we like the weekday buffet at Taste Buds of India is because it presents some of this variety, changing on a daily basis. In its bright, pleasant space on Ponce south of the Mile, the cooks prepare nine Indian dishes daily – two appetizers, two carb dishes (rice or noodles), two veggie dishes, two meat curries, one tandoori and a dessert. They include two Chinese dishes as well, all for $14.95.

During our last visit, they had buttery lentils and lemon rice, eggplant bharta (a sort of eggplant stew), paneer Manchurian (fried cheese with ginger, garlic and tomatoes), grilled chicken tikka, chicken tikka masala (in a creamy tomato sauce), Goan fish curry and Rabdi, a sweet, condensed milk dish, for dessert. All fresh and delicious.

One reason for the food quality in the Gables location is that it serves as a central kitchen and training facility for the growing Taste Buds of

India chain, now also in Miami Beach, South Miami and Coral Springs.

“My employees are from IHM [International Hospitality Management, in India], schooled back home,” says manager Benson Thomas, who has been with Taste Buds of India in the Gables since they opened in 2016. “Then the workers come here to be trained. We have a huge kitchen, for catering and training.” Thomas, a native of Hyderabad, originally came to the U.S. for a masters in IT at Florida Atlantic University. “I worked as an IT analyst for a year, then I went into hospitality. I felt like this was a better way to serve people and make them happy.”

The food at Taste Buds of India is mostly what Americans are familiar with, though Thomas insists there is no Indian cuisine beyond their culinary skills. “We cater a lot of food… If you name any dish from back home, we can cook it. Our chefs are from Maharashtra and Calcutta [eastern and western India].” Not surprisingly, the music played in Taste Buds is straight from Bollywood, with Hindi songs and music videos on two large-screen TVs, each filled with frenetic, colorful Bollywood dancers. The art work is also apropos: images of the Taj Mahal and religious statuary. For dinner, the buffet is replaced with a full menu, including a vegetarian's dream selection of entrees with eggplant, lentils, spinach, potatoes, okra, chickpeas, and

Top: Marinated chicken tikka buffet style, with vegetables and rice at Taste Buds of India

If you name any dish from back home, we can cook it. Our chefs are from Maharashtra and Calcutta...

Benson Thomas, manager Taste Buds of India

more. Chicken dishes –madras, curry, vindaloo – also abound, as do lamb dishes with similar spice treatments. Their tandoori selections – everything roasted in a clay oven – include fish, chicken, shrimp, lobster, lamb and, for vegetarians, mushroom. Adding a unique flavor array, they also have “Indian Chinese” selections; our pick is the Gobi Manchurian, crispy cauliflower with onions.

On the north side of Miracle Mile, on Alhambra Circle, is the other top Gables Indian restaurant, the Mint Leaf Brasserie. It is smaller and more formal [the screens for their Bollywood videos are not as large], bringing to the table another set of Indian tastes. While they share similar dishes, Mint offers more than a dozen variations of the traditional Indian naan bread, such as the peshawari naan, which is stuffed with shredded coconut,

almonds, raisins, dates and fennel seeds. They also do great briyani dishes, which combines slow cooked meats with rice.

The most interesting dish we tried at Mint was from their selection of South Indian specialties, far from what we think of as traditional Indian food. We ordered the lamb dosa, which consists of spiced, shredded lamb rolled up in a foot-long rice and lentil pancake, and served with coconut chutney and a spicy sambar vegetable soup. And, while they do not have a lunch buffet, for the same price ($14.95), their lunch menu includes a selection of Thalis – the Indian equivalent of a bento box, with steamed rice, a meat or fish curry, naan bread, a cucumber yogurt dish, a lentil dish, and a sweet dessert. “The Thalis are very popular,” our server told us. “The cucumber dish is to keep it from being too hot.”

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Taking the time to understand your needs is essential to bringing your dreams to life. Meet the community bank, reinvented.

Thalis at Mint Leaf Brasserie, with lamb curry, steamed rice, cucumber, yogurt, a lentil dish and naan bread

Brunches We Love

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT FIOLA

For those seeking an elegant atmosphere and a lofty, light space for brunch, look no further than Fiola. On Sundays, they offer a champagne brunch, which includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, bottomless champagne or cocktails, and pastry basket for $75. All paired nicely with a live jazz band.

The hard part here is picking just one of each course. For the appetizer, we picked the Burrata. Accompanied by heirloom tomatoes and pesto of basil Genovese, it was one of the most beautiful dishes we’ve ever seen. The smoked salmon toast, our other choice, was essentially a high-end avocado

toast topped with tomato and salmon. All avocado toast should come so dressed. Among the other popular choices: The bison tartare with crispy maitake mushrooms, and the mango-banana smoothie bowl, topped with pineapple, toasted coconut, granola and fruit.

The entrees lean toward either the breakfast or lunch side of the aisle, from French toast to lobster rolls. If you tilt toward the lunch end, the pasta carbonara is one of the best we’ve had in Miami. Traditionally the dish calls for spaghetti, but at Fiola they switch it up with small shells bathed in parmigiano and sheep’s pecorino cheeses, with copious black pepper.

We also ordered the jumbo lump crab benedict, which caught our eye enroute to another table. It surpassed all human expectations as to what eggs benedict could be. Two giant biscuits stacked with patty-sized servings of crab fonduta, poached eggs and rosemary hollandaise. We could only eat one; maybe we should’ve taken it easier on the pastry basket.

Even though we didn’t clear our plates, they still let us have dessert. At an Italian restaurant, it’s blasphemy to not order the Tiramisu. The light coffee zabaglione (custard) and rich chocolate sorbet complement each other perfectly. For something a little sweeter, try the Bomboloni. It’s a basket of doughnut holes – served with a butterscotch sauce made with Facundo Bacardi Eximo rum. Heavenly.—Lizzie

Wilcox

Jumbo lump crab benedict and tiramisu (below)

p42

Living Summer Reading Best Bets

A Farmer’s Market

Living Best Bets

FOR THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER

THE DOORS: THE FINAL CUT

Starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, “The Doors: The Final Cut” captures the hedonistic chaos of the late ’60s, following the life and times of the band’s enigmatic and magnetic front man from cradle to grave. Oliver Stone’s powerful musical portrait charts Morrison’s turbulent relationship with muse Pamela Courson, his experimentation with hallucinogens and the occult, and his tragic death at age 27 in Paris. Fri. July 27-Thurs. Aug. 1 at Coral Gables Art Cinema.

MIAMI SPA MONTHS AT THE BILTMORE

July and August are Miami Spa Months. Celebrate accordingly at the Biltmore spa with treatments at discounted prices like the 70-minute Mind & Body Balancer full body massage for $109. Or show your skin some love with the 50-minute Mind Beauty Rejuvenation facial for $109. Treat yourself and get both for just $199. Go to www.biltmorehotel.com for additional treatments.

34TH INTERNATIONAL HISPANIC THEATRE FESTIVAL

See a number of theatrical productions during the month of July at two venues: Adrienne Arsht Center and Miami-Dade County Auditorium. Productions include “Millones de Segundos,” presented in Spanish with English subtitles, July 26-28 at MDCA, and “Bayamesa,” July 25-28 at the Arsht Center. Tickets: $34.

SKELETON CREW

Skeleton Crew tackles the corrosion of the American Dream and the economic, racial, and social tensions of a city, a workforce and a nation. Set in a factory in Detroit, the play articulates the workers’ struggle to survive. Their banter and confrontations are a powerful currency, posing urgent questions and revealing startling truths. July 20 - Aug. 18 at GableStage.

MIAMI SPICE

If there’s one thing worth enduring the summertime heat, it’s Miami Spice. The annual event returns Aug. 1 and runs through Sept. 30. Enjoy prix-fixe menus at select restaurants for lunch, brunch and dinner. The lineup of participating restaurants has already been released and it includes Gables favorites like MesaMar, Christy’s, Bulla Gastrobar (above), Ad Lib and Fiola. $23 for lunch and brunch; $39 for dinner.

LET IT BLEED

A recreation of the famous 1969 Rolling Stones album, this live concert features songs that became staples of the band and on rock radio stations, including “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Experience the magic of rock and roll, note for note, cut for cut, played by an entourage of superb musicians (and performers.) Sat., Aug. 17, 8 p.m. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Tickets: $37.50, VIP: $50.

Summer Reading

MITCH’S PICKS FOR THIS SEASON’S BEST READS

By Lizzie Wilcox

While summer reading used to mean an assignment to read and write about some dull novel before the first day of school, hopefully it’s now associated with the freedom to delve into a fictional world while lounging on a weekend getaway to the Keys. Books & Books owner Mitch Kaplan gave us some insight on the must-have novels to drop in your summer beach bag. For more recommendations, listen to his podcast “Literary Life.”

LESSONS FROM LUCY BY DAVE BARRY

Kaplan recommends this book to “someone who wants to be moved in many different ways.” We recommend it to all dog people. The book is a series of essays that about Barry’s dog, Lucy. When he turns 70, Barry realizes that his dog is handling old age better than he is, so he learns from her how to lead a happier life.

SOLITARY BY ALBERT WOODFOX

A memoir by Woodfox, who spent 43 years in solitary confinement, the longest solitary imprisonment in U.S. history. To make matters worse, he was sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Kaplan describes it as “a very timely book.” Fox Searchlight

recently acquired the movie rights, with Mahershala Ali set to play Woodfox. A must-read for anyone who religiously reads the book before seeing the movie.

WARLIGHT BY MICHAEL ONDAATJE

A thriller/human interest novel that takes place in post-World War II England. Two teenagers stay behind in London when their parents move to Singapore, left in the care of a mysterious guardian. A “moving, beautifully written” book by a best-selling author who has won many awards.

FLASH COUNT DIARY BY DARCEY STEINKE

This nonfiction book can only be described by Kaplan as “the most unusual account you’ll ever read about menopause.” This honest, open and personal work is a stark contrast to the silence surrounding menopause that Steinke found while going through it.

THE OTHER WOMAN BY DANIEL SILVA

A work of suspense that recounts a series of mysteries in Israel. An enigmatic Frenchwoman holds the Kremlin’s most guarded secret. The chief of Israel’s vaunted secret intelligence service who doubles as an assassin is the only one who can unravel the conspiracy.

MOSTLY DEAD THINGS BY KRISTEN ARNETT

A “Most Anticipated Book of 2019” at Esquire, BuzzFeed, HuffPost and more. When the father of a family of taxidermists commits suicide, the daughter Jessa takes over the business while the rest of the family falls apart. Though the plot sounds dark, Kaplan says, “It’s a lot of fun… very Florida.”

A Farmers Market in the Rain

NOT THE LARGEST, BUT THE DRIEST

On a recent Sunday we toured Miami-Dade in search of farmers markets. To be honest, such places really don’t exist anymore. They are actually gourmet/artisanal food markets where you can buy snacks and knickknacks, with perhaps one or two stands of actual local produce. Regardless, they are fun to visit on Sundays, especially with the family in tow. The problem with such places in summer is that it’s also the rainy season. In our expedition, we got

soaked everywhere (we won’t name the places) except one: The Farmers Market of Shops at Merrick Park. Thanks to its covered archways, we were able to shop and sample from 18 stands, even as the rain roared down. There were empanadas, smoothies, candles, incense, breads, spreads, dried fruits, jams, handbags, salads, jewelry, sandwiches, arepas, Indian chutneys, cakes, falafels – and a stand of fruits and vegetables organically grown in Homestead. Dragon fruit anyone?

every Sunday 11 AM – 6 PM.

For this and other local events scheduled around Coral Gables visit thecoralgablesmagazine.com/events

The Farmers Market of Shops at Merrick Park is located between Cole Haan and Nordstrom. Open

Drew Kern Closes a Sale EVERY 4 DAYS

Cheryl Andrews (L) launched her travel public relations firm, Cheryl Andrews Marketing & Communications, three decades ago in Coral Gables. Since then she has become known as the “Queen of the Caribbean,” representing numerous clients in the islands and on the Caribbean coasts of Central America and Mexico. Holly Zawyer joined the firm in 2004, quickly becoming Andrews’ right hand.

Cheryl Andrews & Holly Zawyer

EXECUTIVE VP, CORAL GABLES MANAGING DIRECTOR (RESPECTIVELY) FOR ZAPWATER COMMUNICATIONS

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT THEY SAY

In May of this year, the firm was acquired by Chicago-based Zapwater Communications, which will continue to use Coral Gables as one of its principal offices, with Andrews continuing as executive vice president and Zawyer as managing director. In June, Andrews was selected by the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Caribbean Tourism Organization to receive the prestigious Marcella Martinez Award for outstanding public relations for the Caribbean.

“I started by working in advertising for Burdines and Jordan Marsh [Florida department stores now departed]. They were lovely but I had a windowless room and wanted to work in the sunshine. And we have managed both to get, and to give, a little sunshine,” says Andrews. As for Zawyer, “What I love about travel public relations is the people, who go into the [travel] industry to create wonderful memo-

ries for their guests. And that bubbles over.” As for Zapwater, she says, “What attracted us was their similar PR DNA, and that’s made it a seamless transition. Plus, they bring us real resources, especially in analytics, to customize our campaigns.”

Photo by Yelssing Espinoza

Our office has always been in Coral Gables, and that has differentiated us from the rest of the pack…

Cheryl Andrews

Shelly Berg

Born in Cleveland to a writer mother and a salesman father who played jazz trumpet, Shelly Berg could always see his future path. “When I first sat down at the piano at the age of four, I just knew how to play it,” he says. “It wasn’t a mystery to me. I could play songs by ear.” A child prodigy, Berg had a full resume of musical accomplishment even before studying piano at the University of Houston School of Music. He went on to teach jazz at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music while working in Hollywood as a composer and arranger and performing and recording with his own trio.

I always had a strong affinity for Gershwin and learned ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ at 10 or 11 years old. Performing it live in London and going into the studio was the culmination of a dream I’ve had for 50 years.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT HE SAYS

Now in his 12th year as Frost School dean, Berg, 63, is a master teacher for the Frost Experiential Music Curriculum and maintains a busy globetrotting schedule as an accompanist, lecturer and performer. His latest album, “Gershwin Reimagined: An American in London,” recorded last year with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, has reached the Top 20 on the Billboard classical charts.

As a teacher, Berg strives to illuminate for his students “that pathway to depth” in performance. “You may be able to play a thousand miles an hour, and people will be wowed by it, but that’s ephemeral,” he says. “Can you play or sing one note that somebody never forgets?” Beyond talent and technique, Berg and his faculty instruct students in

“how to market themselves, how to teach others, how to be a business, so they have more control over the opportunities they have. The message is, you can make a living at this.”

Words by Mike Clary

Photo by Daniel Azoulay

PIANIST, COMPOSER, ARRANGER AND DEAN OF THE FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Millar Wilson

When Venezuela’s Mercantile Servicios Financieros acquired Commercebank (with one branch in Coral Gables) in 1987, it had assets of $53 million. Three decades later those assets had grown to more than $8 billion. A big part of that growth took place under the guidance of Millar Wilson, who became CEO of the bank and its investment and trust subsidiaries in 2009 after having worked for Mercantile in various capacities since 1977 (he moved to the Gables in 1982). As CEO, he expanded the bank’s presence not only in South Florida, but also in the Greater Houston and now Dallas areas of Texas, and as a commercial real estate lender in New York.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Millar oversaw the spinoff of Mercantile Bank as a U.S.-based community bank, completed last year with its listing on the NASDAQ , its Initial Public Offering, and its rebranding this year to Amerant.

WHAT HE SAYS

“Our biggest challenge now, being a public company, is all the reporting and the formalities required for an organization that has to report to the OCC, SEC and NASDAQ,” says Wilson. As for the future of Amerant – now the largest community bank based in Florida – he says, “For the short term, we are focusing on

being a traditional community bank. We want to simplify everything to focus exclusively on the U.S. market – though we have a very large foreign deposit base of loyal, long term customers. They are a key pillar of our success... Looking forward, our idea is to continue expanding.”

Photo by Lizzie Wilcox

As an independent spinoff, we can make decisions very quickly...

VICE CHAIRMAN & CEO OF CORAL GABLES-BASED AMERANT BANK

Best in Facelift

Facelifts have come a long way.

They began years ago as a skin tightening procedure. But skin is not designed by nature to lift and hold up under excessive tension.

You probably have seen someone with a stretched or pulled look who is uncomfortable to look at and thought ‘I don’t want to look like that’, I’d rather stay how I am.’ The abnormal tension on the skin also produced poor scars around the ears, along with ear and hairline distortions visible on profile.

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This takes time, about four hours, and when expertly performed, renders beautiful and natural looking results. A clean neck and jawline without jowls. A refreshed, not pulled look. A younger, not distorted version of yourself, making others wonder why you look good.

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Best Gables The of the

2019

WELCOME TO OUR FIRST ANNUAL BEST OF THE GABLES ISSUE

For our inaugural foray into the finest that our city offers, we decided to search for the best in 120 categories of Arts & Entertainment, Food & Drink, Shopping & Retail, Sports & Recreation, and Architecture & Public Places. Naturally, since Coral Gables is nothing if not a movable feast, half of our "Best Of" choices fell in the area of Food & Drink.

In order to produce this monumental journalistic probe into what makes living in Coral Gables so spectacular, we enlisted the help of 25 local luminaries, in addition to what our staff could discern through diligently traversing the city at all hours of the day and night.

You may agree or disagree with our determinations, but we think this is a worthy guide to some of the best things that Coral Gables has to offer. If you would like to offer your own take on the best, please reach out to us at letters@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. Now, read on…

OUR “BEST OF” BOARD OF ADVISORS

John Allen, Coral Gables Museum; Veronica Villegas Baldwin, Kreps de Maria; Bradley Barreto, Coral Gables Title & Escrow; Rodney Barreto, the Barreto Group; Greg Barnes, Bill Ussery Motors Group; Grace Carricarte, Ganely Foundation; Mayda Cisneros, Mayda Cisneros Couture; Stacy Conde, Conde Contemporary Gallery; Jack Firestone, Firestone Capital Management; Pamela Fuertes, City of Coral Gables; John Harris, Coral Gables Trust Company; Maria Higgins-Fallon, City of Coral Gables; William Holly, Patton Realty; Israel Kreps, Kreps de Maria; Ben Mollere, Baptist Health South Florida; Belkys Perez, City of Coral Gables; Olga Ramundo, Express Travel; Carolina Rendeiro, Connect2Global; Frank Rosell, StudioBecker; Adam Rosenblum, the Palace; Don Slesnick, attorney and former Mayor; Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, former City Manager; Venny Torre, Torre Construction; Mark Trowbridge, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; Francesca Valdes, City of Coral Gables.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BEST SATURDAY NIGHT JAZZ

THE GLOBE

377 Alhambra Circle

305.445.3555

Three cheers to Danny and Lorraine Guiteras for keeping this local institution going for more than two decades. Top jazz trios and quartets, curated by musical director Rodolfo Zuniga, in a Euro style café and bar with good food. And you thought there were no hip places in the Gables!

BEST KARAOKE

JOHN MARTIN’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT

253 Miracle Mile

305.445.3777

So, it’s Friday night at midnight and you’ll be damned if you’re going to go home before belting out a soulful version of Last Dance by Donna Summer. Or was that Brick House by the Commodores? Fortunately, you’re someplace where everyone’s had enough Jameson not to care.

BEST NIGHT TO DANCE

THE OPEN STAGE CLUB

2325 Galiano St.

305.441.7902

It only happens once a week, but after the disco ball descends at 10 p.m. every Saturday night, you can dance your heart out until 2 a.m. It’s like Brigadoon for people who like the hustle.

BEST FLAMENCO

LA TABERNA GIRALDA

254 Giralda Ave.

786.362.5677

Maybe it’s because it feels like you’re in a neighborhood hangout in Salamanca, but the Flamenco at La Taberna feels as natural as a folksinger in a coffee house. It’s like part of the fabric of Saturday night, rather than something exceptional. Which it is.

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE OUTSIDE ON GIRALDA PLAZA

Seriously, at any outdoor café. Then you aren’t enclosed, staring at each other in some restaurant booth wondering what to say. Here there are plenty of distractions from people walking by; plus, his or her observations can be revelatory.

BEST MOVIE HOUSE

CORAL GABLES ART CINEMA

260 Aragon Ave. 786.472.2249

This is the place to go to see independent or foreign films you won’t find elsewhere in Miami. Intimate, with 140 seats, they also have delightful showings of period films from Hollywood’s golden age (think “Gone with the Wind”) as well as a series of remarkable “filmed-live” presentations from the British stage. – John Allen

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE OPEN STAGE CLUB

2325 Galiano St.

305.441.7902

Never a dull night at the Open Stage, where owner Juan Della Torre programs an amazing array of music for his oversized stage. Lots of new programming, so check their sched, but usually it’s jazz on Mondays, rock on Tuesdays, Latin on Thursdays and Sundays, and karaoke on Wednesdays. Excellent acoustics.

BEST NIGHT OUT FOR A MYSTERY NUT

THE GREAT ESCAPE ROOM

2315 S. Le Jeune Rd. #200

786.322.6619

Figure out how to escape from Sherlock Holmes Library before the clock runs out – or you flip out from claustrophobia. And just when you thought there was nothing fun for geeks to do on a Saturday night!

BEST THEATER EXPERIENCE

ACTOR’S PLAYHOUSE

280 Miracle Mile

305.444.9293

For live theater, the indominable Barbara Stein has taken Actor's Playhouse to a new level year after year. A real treat is their mezzanine-floor stage, where you feel you’re part of what’s taking place just yards in front of you.—John Allen

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

FAIRCHILD BOTANIC TROPICAL GARDEN

10901 Old Cutler Road

305.667.1651

This assumes your guest is not from South Florida, and does not understand what it means to live in a semi-tropical environment. In which case, the flora of rare palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines – not to mention the butterfly house – will blow their minds.

BEST PLACE TO LEARN BALLROOM DANCING

FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIO

45 Alhambra Plaza

305.443.0085

World Champion Ballroom Dance partners and husband/wife team Vladimir and Vera Kosarev opened Fred Astaire Coral Gables eight years ago. Since then they’ve built a community of ballroom dancers that compete and hold monthly dance parties. You don't even have to know who Fred Astaire was.

BEST ART GALLERY

CERNUDA ARTE

3155 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.461.1050

An unfair category really, since Conde Contemporary and the Americas Collection have wider appeal, and Virginia Miller has artists from the U.S. and Europe. But if you are in the market for Cuban art, nothing else comes close, and their two-building, two-story gallery presents the grandest showcase.

FOOD

BEST FRENCH BISTRO FRENCHIE’S DINER

2618 Galiano St.

305.442.4554

&

DRINK

This casual spot doesn’t pretend to look French, but it’s got that Paris café thing, where a truck driver can feel comfortable sitting next to a professor from the Sorbonne, ordering good French food from the chalkboard menu until it runs out.

BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

MISS SAIGON BISTRO

148 Giralda Ave.

305.446.8006

The readers of New Times voted this café the best restaurant in Coral Gables last year. And while we would not necessarily agree, it is nonetheless a perfect place for what it delivers – great Vietnamese food, excellent service, and authentically dressed wait staff. The pho is a must.

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT

SAWA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Shops at Merrick Park

305.447.6555

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Maybe it’s because the owner hails from Lebanon, but you won’t find any fresher hummus or baba ganoush, made from scratch daily, or any better moussaka or lamb kebabs. Forgive them for carrying a parallel Japanese menu. Most of the seating is outside, where belly dancers cavort on weekend nights.

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT TASTE BUDS OF INDIA

2624 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

786.483.8379

This is the place to learn about Indian food. Just come at lunch and try their buffet, which changes daily. Okay, so you don’t want goat curry on Tuesday. But Wednesday, the tikka masala will make you a convert. Very fresh, the central kitchen for the growing chain.

BEST PERUVIAN RESTAURANT AROMAS DEL PERU

1930 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.476.5885

For those who thought that ceviche was the only dish worth trying from Peru’s gastronomic war chest, start with their ají de gallina, Peru’s answer to yellow Asian curry. This is haute Peruvian, and reasonably priced.

BEST THAI RESTAURANT BANGKOK, BANGKOK

157 Giralda Ave. (Plaza)

305.444.2397

Other Thai restaurants have come (and sometimes gone) but Bangkok, Bangkok has stayed the course with traditional Thai cuisine. Best part is their “authentic” dining section, where you sit cross-legged on an elevated platform in a dark room with cushions and carvings.

BEST NEW ASIAN RESTAURANT MALAKOR THAI ISAAN

90 Miracle Mile

786.558.4862

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

BEST THEATER EXPERIENCE

You can stay safe at this new house of Thai street food, which manager Yotin Keeriang describes as “Pork skewer, noodles, sticky rice, very local.” Or you can go bold with grilled fatty pork neck, sliced and tossed with lime juice, mint, cilantro and ground roasted rice. Already a local favorite (the place, not the neck).

BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT BURGER BOB’S

2001 Granada Blvd. (Granada Golf Course)

First, it’s American. Other places claim to be American, but Burger Bob’s is “real American.” There are no frills at Burger Bob’s, only homestyle cooking. All the food has gluten, fat, calories, and flavor. No acai or quinoa here! –

Rodney Barreto

BEST ARGENTINE RESTAURANT GRAZIANO’S

394 Giralda Ave.

305.774.3599

Graziano’s is the Argentine answer to Fogo de Chão, where the greeting is meat on a skewer roasted by an open flame. Same here. Argentines won’t even buy meat from the same stores as the rest of us. Plus, walls of Argentine wine.

BEST COFFEE AT A BANK CAPITAL ONE CAFÉ

50 Miracle Mile

305.506.9000

Is it a coffee house? Is it a bank lobby? Is it proof that not all coffee at banks is terrible? It’s all of these things, and a unique statement about financial institutions looking to make human connections.

BEST PANCAKES

THE EATING HOUSE

804 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.448.6524

There’s just something about the Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli’s pancakes. Maybe it’s the Captain Crunch cereal added to the batter, or the way they sit in a pool of condensed milk, or the slab of butter on top. Served during weekend brunch so you have time to nap afterwards.

BEST POWER BREAKFAST RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB

1155 Blue Rd.

305.661.5331

On any given day, you will find the City’s movers and shakers in the Founder’s Lounge enjoying breakfast while overlooking the picturesque Riviera golf course all while congratulating themselves on being masters of the universe. And you know it’s a power breakfast because many people are dressed in golf attire….on a Tuesday morning! – Rodney

BEST BUFFET

Barreto

POC AMERICAN FUSION BUFFET & SUSHI

2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.529.0882

This is the upscale version of an all-you-can-eat buffet, the only place that Gables diners will stand in line for lunch except Hillstone. How upscale? How about Waldorf salad, lobster bisque, and a plethora of sushi. They claim to have 100 different dishes every day; we stopped at about a dozen.

BEST BAR FOOD

YARD HOUSE

The Shops at Merrick Park

305.447.9273

At most bars, the happy hour food selection is pretty weak. But at Yard House, they slash the price on all the best appetizers like fried mac and cheese, boneless wings, queso dip and poke nachos. Oh, and half-prized pizzas. There’s just no competition.

BEST STEAK HOUSE

FLEMING’S

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.569.7995

With places like Christy’s, Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse nearby, this is a tough category. What puts Fleming’s over the top besides superb steaks and service is a deep wine cellar of wonderful reds for pairings – along with beef at the bar and great seafood dishes.

BEST SANDWICH SHOP

GUSTO FINO ITALIAN DELI CAFÉ

271 Alhambra Circle

305.444.0504

Go figure that an Italian sandwich shop just happens to have a killer hot pastrami sandwich, the Brad-Bino! Granted, it's not traditional (BBQ sauce?). But, patrons come from miles around for it. Also have a slew of other non-Italians, like corned beef and a wickedly good New York Reuben. But hey, not bad with the Italian classics, either.

BEST ICE CREAM/FRUIT BAR

MORELIA GOURMET PALETAS

76 Miracle Mile

305.456.1306

When it’s over 100 degrees for an entire week, this is vital information. Morelia’s Gourmet Paletas is the perfect antidote for the torrid summer and any craving. Need a pick me up? Get the coffee filled-with-cream paleta. Feeling fruity? Get the strawberry filled with condensed milk. Want something richer? Dip it in dark chocolate.

BEST POWER LUNCH

CAFFEÉ ABBRACCI

318 Aragon Ave.

305.441.0700

Maybe it’s the service, or the walls with their acoustic dampers, or the sense of protection

BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT

A Scarless Recovery From Thyroid Surgery

TELLTALE THYROIDECTOMY SCAR A THING OF THE PAST WITH NEW PROCEDURE PERFORMED AT MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE

By Tim Dodson and John Fernandez

A scar across the throat – a vivid slash up to several inches long – is a common aftermath of thyroid surgery. Although the scar may fade over time, most patients are understandably eager to quickly return to a normal life that includes dressing in open-neck shirts and blouses.

A Miami Cancer Institute surgeon is now performing an advanced thyroid surgery technique that eliminates exterior scarring. With this procedure, called trans-oral thyroidectomy, the surgeon accesses the thyroid through a small incision in the lower lip, rather than an across-the-neck incision.

“For the right patients, this esthetic approach is ideal,” said Robert Udelsman, M.D., MBA, chief of endocrine surgery and director of the Endocrine Neoplasia Institute at Miami Cancer Institute, and the first physician in the U.S. to be fully trained in the new surgical technique. “With outcomes similar to those for open thyroidectomy, an option that leaves no scar is important for some patients, particularly those who don’t want a daily reminder of their cancer.”

Critical hormone factories

The thyroid and parathyroid glands are part of the body’s endocrine system, which produces hormones that affect many aspects of the body’s operation.

The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland wraps around the trachea at the front of the neck, sitting underneath the larynx and just above the collar bones. The thyroid uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism and body growth.

Just behind the thyroid gland are four tiny parathyroid glands that secrete parathyroid hormone, which regulates calcium levels in the blood. This function is critical to heathy bones, muscles and the nervous system.

Thyroid surgery is quite common in the U.S., with more than 130,000 procedures performed each year. The surgery is indicated for a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, goiter or suspicious nodules on the thyroid. The surgeon may remove the entire gland or only part of it. Thyroid or parathyroid surgery is often performed as an outpatient procedure, and most patients go home the same day.

Training is essential

Dr. Udelsman had done more than 7,000 thyroidectomies the traditional way when he heard about the new trans-oral technique being performed in Thailand. After speaking with Angkoon Anuwong, M.D., the surgeon pioneering transoral thyroidectomies there, Dr. Udelsman traveled overseas to learn more and receive training.

For patients to do well with the trans-oral surgical technique, this special training is vital, Dr. Udelsman says. The approach involves intricately navigating around delicate anatomy that surrounds the thyroid gland and taking measures to avoid damage to the delicate structures.

Besides the cosmetic benefits of thyroid surgery through the mouth, the trans-oral procedure is also as safe as traditional thyroid surgery, according to a research study published earlier this year in JAMA Surgery. Trans-oral thyroidectomies cause less bleeding and result in shorter recovery times.

Firsts in Florida

Dr. Udelsman performed Florida’s first trans-oral thyroidectomy in February 2018. Then, in April 2019, he performed Florida’s first trans-oral parathyroidectomy. The patient, Lynette Boodhoo, needed surgery to remove one of her parathyroid glands due to her hyperparathyroidism.

Ms. Boodhoo suffers from vitiligo, which results in loss of skin color in the form of depigmented, or white, patches of skin. She sought Dr. Udelsman’s expertise in scarless techniques because traditional parathyroid surgery would make a neck scar even more visible than normal because of her vitiligo.

Ms. Boodhoo said her surgery went very well and she was able to have breakfast the next morning. “Besides having many skills, Dr. Udelsman is just a kind and compassionate person and he listens to you,” she says. “My advice to anyone who wants to consider this surgery is to have a consult with Dr. Udelsman.”

ROBERT UDELSMAN, M.D., MBA , chief of endocrine surgery and director of the Endocrine Neoplasia Institute at Miami Cancer Institute, speaks to a patient before thyroid surgery.

For more information about trans-oral thyroid and parathyroid surgeries, as well as the full range of services offered at Miami Cancer Institute, visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com.

from having no windows, or the warm greetings from owner Nino Pernetti that make you feel like family. However it works, this place remains the go-to lunch choice for the city’s power elite.

BEST NOODLE BAR

OHHO NOODLES MARKET

1100 S Dixie Hwy

305.663.5881

Across the street from UM’s main entrance, Ohho has an amazing menu ladden with all different types of noodle dishes. Pad Thai, Lo Mein, Pad See Eiw, Ramen, Wonton soup, Pho – you get the picture. Although not in the noodle family, the steamed BBQ pork buns are so darn delicious. The steamed ones. Not baked.

BEST CAESAR SALAD

CHRISTY’S

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.446.1400

What goes with great steaks more than the best Caesar salad anywhere in Miami-Dade, let alone Coral Gables? This is the real deal, old school, with full-on anchovies. The recipe is of course a secret, which keeps locals coming back for more – including buying it by the quart, to go.

BEST PLACE FOR TEA

SMALL TEA

205 Aragon Ave.

786.401.7189

In a city peppered with coffee houses, this is the tea oasis. Cool interior space – we’d call it Scandinavian chic – with a collection of teas that would make even a Brit quiver. Has a ‘scent station’ with 84+ choices to sniff and sip. Good sandwiches, too.

BEST SECRET PLACE TO EAT

TINTA Y CAFÉ

1315 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.285.0101

Don’t drive too fast on Ponce or you’ll miss this cozy neighborhood spot tucked in one block east on Salamanca. This is Cuban comfort food at its best, and the mismatched furniture makes you feel like you’re in someone’s home. Great eggs, all the sandwiches on baguettes, perfect coffee.

BEST BENTO BOX

SU SHIN IZIKAYA

159 Aragon Ave.

305.445.2584

Part of the fun here is how owner Chika Abe yells across the place to seat you and say goodbye, like an air traffic controller at Tokyo International. Lots of interesting daily specials, but nothing beats the $11.50 bento box with soup, sushi, tempura, teriyaki and salad with killer ginger dressing.

BEST HARDCORE BAR

THE BAR

172 Giralda Ave.

305.442.2730

If you are a bar purist, The Bar is for you. It’s just a bar. Nothing else. Established in 1946, with a large following of regulars. Reasonably priced, with a wooden bar and wooden walls that haven’t been replaced in forever. The bar-food menu’s leftover from yesteryear? The pie of the day.

BEST BAR TO WATCH SPORTS

FRITZ AND FRANZ BIERHAUS

60 Merrick Way

305.774.1883

It’s cavernous, their big screen is humongous, and the wall of beer tells you all you need to

know about their selection of brewskies. Live loud or go home!

BEST CHOCOLATE SHOP CHOCOLATE FASHION

248 Andalusia Ave.

305.461.3200

Other chocolate shops have come and gone, but not this 15-year-old shrine to the sacred cocoa bean. It’s also a nice little café, and one of the busiest breakfast spots in town. Their chocolate comes from Switzerland and France, of course.

BEST CUPCAKES BUTTER CREAM

1411 Sunset Drive

305.669.8181

Raised in the Gables, Kristine Graulich and Jose Cuellar opened their shop in 2008 next door to the popular Whip & Dip Ice Cream on Sunset. It was an instant hit: 18 cupcake flavors, baked fresh daily, offered full size and mini. We worshipped the chocolate peanut butter until we tried the chocolate orange.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT FIOLA

1500 San Ignacio Ave.

305.912.2639

The fact that chef Fabio Trabocchi chose Coral Gables to expand his high-end restaurant group from Washington, D.C. is a nod to the city’s growing rep for fine dining. The fact that it arrived as a fait-accompli, with gorgeous dishes and a cracker jack staff, didn’t hurt either. The best lobster ravioli you’ll ever taste.

BEST RICE BOWL ICHIMI

2330 Salzedo St.

305.960.7016

This is an industrial casual, perennially millennial hangout, and while it is actually a ramen restaurant it has the best rice bowls anywhere. Their $16.50 Gyudon bowl with beef brisket, onions and two poached eggs will feed you for a week.

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT MESAMAR

264 Giralda Ave.

305.640.8448

Seafood lovers have found their shrine. Where else do they show you your fish before cooking it, except maybe in Hong Kong? And those lobster tacos make everything in the universe right.

BEST LUNCH BARGAIN

SALUMERIA 104

117 Miracle Mile

305.640.5547

There is no better return on investment for a $10 bill than Salumeria’s lunch special, which consists of the soup of the day, a handsome salad and half of one of their amazing paninis. Ciao bella.

BEST CHICKEN WINGS

SPORTS GRILL

1559 Sunset Drive

305.668.0396

The secret is in the name of the place. These wings are never exposed to the indignity of the fry basket. These babies are all grilled, and

NEWRESTAURANT

BEST PLACE FOR TEA

BEST BENTO BOX

you’d be amazed at what that does for the flavor. The Miami Heat style wings – they have eight varieties – are a slam dunk.

BEST AFFORDABLE BRUNCH

TAP 42

301 Giralda Ave.

786.391.1566

What’s not to love about Tap 42’s brunch? The prices, the food, the vibe and especially the bottomless mimosas. You know it’s affordable just by the customers: everyone is in their 20s and 30s. No one here is leaving and driving their brand-new matte army green Mercedes G Wagon home, mostly just stumbling into Ubers.

BEST UNAFFORDABLE BRUNCH

THE BILTMORE

1200 Anastasia Ave.

305.913.3200

At $90 per person, it’s the most extensive spread we have in the city. Traditional items like omelets and Eggs Benedict are just the tip of an iceberg of delicacies, from caviar, extensive grilled meats, an incomparable salad bar and an array of desserts you won’t believe. You will only need one meal on a Sunday when you go, so pace yourself and enjoy. – John

Allen

It’s narrow and dimly lit, with lots of old photos on the wall, like at your Italian grandmother’s house. And the food, it’s so homemade, like the fettuccine alla papalina, or the risotto ai funghi porcini. Family run, with a fanatical following, so reserve early.

BEST TURKISH FOOD

MAROOSH

223 Valencia Ave.

305.475.9800

Maybe it’s the music, or the paintings of belly dancers and pashas with their red fez hats. Or maybe because there is no other Turkish restaurant in town. But you have to love the tea glasses with their gold metal handles. And their baklava with cinnamon.

BEST NORTHERN ITALIAN

ZUCCA

162 Alcazar Ave.

786.580.3731

Now into its third year in the old St. Michel Hotel, Zucca continues to dazzle with sophisticated food from the region around Milan, where Chef Simone Mua was raised and where he learned to cook from his family at an early age. Think rice and polenta rather than pasta.

BEST PASTA NIGHT

BUGATTI

2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.441.2545

Originally opened in 1985 as a retail shop for pasta freshly made, pasta is still their thing. The regular menu carries tagliatelle, spaghetti, linguine, penne, ravioli, tortellini, etc., but on the first Wednesday of every month it’s lasagna night. Mama mia.

BEST BAKERY

MADRUGA BAKERY

1430 S. Dixie Hwy

305.262.6130

Come to Madruga and you will understand why Oprah Winfrey has sworn to never give up bread. Their bread and pastry menu includes everything from sourdough to babkas, but they pride themselves on craft bread baked from fresh-milled heirloom wheat on a stone hearth.

BEST EARLY-EVENING HAPPY HOUR BULLA GASTRO BAR

2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.441.0107

After 5 p.m., you know where to find us. Bulla has such an eclectic happy hour menu that there’s something for everyone. As a Spanish restaurant, it’s only fitting that they have killer sangria – but they have three different types! We’re obsessed with the beer sangria.

BEST LATE-NIGHT HAPPY HOUR YARD HOUSE

The Shops at Merrick Park

305.447.9273

Sometimes it’s hard to leave work in time for happy hour. Which is why you go to Yard House. Sunday through Wednesday they offer a late night happy hour from 10 p.m. till closing, offering the same food and drink deals as the daytime happy hour. We also love the Sunday time, because sometimes just thinking about the week ahead can require a drink.

BEST FAMILY-STYLE ITALIAN FRATELLINO RISTORANTE

264 Miracle Mile

786.452.0068

BEST DOG MENU

SAWA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

The Shops at Merrick Park

305.447.6555

One of the advantages of having tables in the courtyard of The Shops at Merrick Park is that you can accommodate patrons with dogs. And okay, it may be about the only dog menu in town, but you have to love the filet mignon kebab for Fido.

BEST GOURMET LUNCH DELI

SACHA’S CAFÉ

2525 Ponce de Leon

305.569.1300

This gourmet hideaway sits in a courtyard down a breezeway from Ponce. Find it and you won’t forget it. Daily specials like carrot ginger soup, pan-seared salmon steak with couscous and greens, or turkey and brie with honey mustard on a baguette.

BEST CARIBBEAN ORTANIQUE ON THE MILE

278 Miracle Mile

305.446.7710

Who knew that Caribbean food could reach such heights? Under the skilled direction of cu-

BEST AFFORDABLE BRUNCH

BEST NORTHERN ITALIAN

Park

Proud Sponsor of

linary master Cindy Hutson, you can enjoy such delights as West Indian Curried Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Cake or Jerk Chicken Penne Pasta with sun dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms and roast garlic cloves. Pass the Red Stripe.

BEST TACOS

CAJA CALIENTE

808 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

786.431.1947

Packed with patrons, this home to the Original Cuban Taco goes way beyond Tex-Mex. Start with the lechon taco ($5) for seven-inches of flour tortilla stuffed with “Abuelo’s pulled pork.” It’s a family affair.

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

TALAVERA COCINA MEXICANA

2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.444.2955

On the corner of Giralda Plaza at Ponce, this is the Gables' answer to Mexican food: an elegant, festive setting with high ceilings, a rustic orange and cobalt blue color scheme, ceramic vases and a bar wrapped in paintings of famous Mexicans. Yes, we knew about Salma Hayek and Frida Kahlo, but not Santana.

BEST SPANISH RESTAURANT

BELLMONT SPANISH RESTAURANT

339 Miracle Mile

786.502.4684

Very neighborhood feeling, but when you see that roasted baby pig coming out of their 14,700-pound iron oven, you’ll know it’s a neighborhood in Madrid not Miami. Owner Sergio Bellmónt personally carves the Jamón de Jabugo, truly the world’s best cured ham from Spain, more valuable than gold.

BEST OVERALL BREAKFAST

THREEFOLD CAFÉ

141 Giralda Ave.

305.704.8005

Don’t try showing up for dinner here. Like myriad places in proprietor Nick Sharpe’s hometown of Melbourne, Australia, this is an all-day breakfast place. And home to the first smashed avocado toast in the Gables. Plus, great coffee.

BEST COFFEEHOUSE

PASION DEL CIELO

100 Giralda Ave.

305.448.0007

No, it doesn’t have a folk singer in the corner. This is Coral Gables, after all, and not San Francisco. But you go there just for the coffee, and not a meal, and the clutch of comfy couches are about as close as you’re going to get to a traditional coffeehouse hangout.

BEST CAFÉ COURTYARD

CAFÉ DEMETRIO

300 Alhambra Circle

305.448.4949

On the inside of this historic landmark building there is a standup piano frequently put to use. And the patrons are deeply into the joy of great coffee, pastries and sandwiches regardless of where they sit. But its shady outside courtyard is a gem.

MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT

FONTANA AT THE BILTMORE HOTEL

1200 Anastasia Ave.

305.913.3189

When you are sitting in the courtyard of the Fontana Restaurant, ensconced by the pillars and arches of the Biltmore, listening to its massive Renaissance Italian fountain bubbling away, it’s hard to be anything but enchanted.

BEST PIZZA

TERRE DEL SAPORE

246 Giralda Ave.

786.870.5955

Owner Angelo Angiollieri will tell you that it’s all about the ingredients that go into his Neapolitan-style pizzas, which basically means everything comes from Italy – including flour that is far less processed, and hence easier to digest. Fantastic flavor.

BEST LOCAL VIBE

CAFÉ AT BOOKS & BOOKS

265 Aragon Ave.

305.448.9599

This Gables institution feels like a community center, with cozy seating amidst the books and an outdoor courtyard where you can read and nosh. And the café’s wine bar, located at the entrance to the courtyard, sells bottles half off on Wednesdays.

BEST FRIED CHICKEN

THE LOCAL CRAFT FOOD & DRINK

150 Giralda Ave.

305.648.5687

Chef Juan Bedoya wants to create a “local” feeling with comfort foods. His comfort fried chicken is brined then dredged in flour mixed with BBQ spices, fried and served on a short stack of cheddar cheese pancakes with bourbon maple syrup and watermelon jelly on the side.

BEST BREAKFAST BEER

FRITZ AND FRANZ BIERHAUS

60 Merrick Way

305.774.1883

Yes, you read that right. Fritz and Franz serves a light and refreshing grapefruit infused beer, called a breakfast beer. I was introduced to this by the former German Consult General in Miami, Jurgen Borsch. – Stacy Conde

BEST DESSERTS

BACHOUR

2020 Salzedo St.

305.203.0552

This relative newcomer, while it serves a full menu, was really created to showcase the cre-

BEST LOCAL VIBE

BEST SPANISH RESTAURANT

BEST OVERALL BREAKFAST

ations of Antonio Bachour, voted last year by his colleagues as the best pastry chef in the world. That’s why Armando Codina lured him to the Gables. The desserts are displayed in glass cases that rival Tiffany.

BEST OYSTER DEAL

HOUSE KITCHEN & BAR

180 Aragon Ave.

786.482.5599

In a city that has, for some mysterious reason, no exceptional raw bars, the oysters here make up for it. The secret is to arrive between 3 and 4 p.m. when they’re half off.

BEST HAUTE FRENCH

PALME D’OR

1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel)

305.913.3189

Exquisite, understatedly elegant, intimate without feeling crowded, it has hosted everyone from heads of state to film stars. Their eight and 12-course tasting menus are works of art. Throw in the wine pairing menu and you’ll leave a little poorer, but with a most memorable dining experience.

BEST RESTROOM MUSIC

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE

2320 Salzedo St.

305.461.8360

Most people don’t really listen. We did.

SHOPPING & RETAIL

BEST BARBER SHOP

WELL GROOMED GENTLEMAN

130 Miracle Mile

786.362.6360

This place harkens back to an era when men were men, and went for hot towels and razor shaves, at places where you could also get a shot of booze and a copy of the Police Gazette. Just layer that with modern metrosexual tweaks, like manicures and cups of latte, and you’re here.

BEST LIQUOR STORE

CROWN WINE & SPIRITS

1590 S Dixie Hwy

786.621.9463

Crown is essentially everything you would imagine a liquor store in Coral Gables to be, with customers buying top notch brands of all kinds of liquor and restricted wine tastings in the back room. For our underage readers, they’re very strict on IDs, so don’t even try.

BEST BROOKLYN-VIBE HAIRDRESSER

PHULA

1001 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.542.9124

Maybe it's the raw, industrial chic. Or the chihuahua that runs around. Or the coolness of the proprietors Milanka and Jose. But so New York!

BEST PLACE TO BUY A NANNY CAM

SPY SHOP

96 Miracle Mile

305.542.4600

Hey, we’re not saying that you can’t trust the hired help. But in this day and age of craziness, sometimes you might need to calm your paranoia with a little camera posing as a Teddy Bear belly button. Good for nursing homes, too.

BEST WINE STORE

WOLFE’S WINE SHOPPE

124 Miracle Mile

305.445.4567

Does anyone know more about wine than affable proprietor Jeffrey Wolfe? He vacations to vineyards. Plus, on weekends he brings his Golden Retrievers into the shop. Feels more like some country village store in Europe.

BEST DOG BOARDING

MIAMI PET CONCIERGE

305.773.3999

We get it, your dog is family, and when you leave home you want him/her to have the best care. We wouldn’t even call Miami Pet Concierge just a kennel. Your pooch stays with owner Nicole Packin to be loved and cared for – or at your home while you’re away – by a team of true dog people.

BEST DOG WALKING

EQUIPAWS PET SERVICES

305.794.3733

The philosophy here is that “a tired dog is a happy, well-behaved dog.” Not only will Equipaws take poochie for a daily walk, they’ll take him (or her) for a daily run. So, get your pet fit for the next 5K, or just break the tedium, while you’re putting in a long day.

BEST SHOE STORE

NORDSTROM

4310 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.999.1313

Nordstrom’s annual sale starts July 19 and it includes the legendary shoe department. Easy access to all your favorite brands makes this sale a must. Carrie Bradshaw watch out.

BEST HAIR SALON

AVANT GARDE SALON AND SPA

155 Miracle Mile

305.442.8136

Avant Garde has been servicing Coral Gables women since 1976. That’s a lot of hair styles. What we love is the extensive list of what they provide. We couldn’t find a service they don’t offer. Microblading, yes. Eyelash extensions, yes. Mermaid Unicorn Hair. Yes. Balayage hair color. yes.

BEST CIGAR SHOP

GALIANO CIGAR ROOM

2310 Galiano St.

305.753.8888

Just three months old, already the gold standard for cigar smokers. A large smoking room with bar and plenty of easy chairs to lounge in, plus a glassed-in humidor where the goods are kept. Buy ‘em and smoke ‘em right there with a good drink.

BEST FLORIST

BELLE FLEUR

333 Alcazar Ave.

305.444.0883

Walk into the pleasantly crowded shop, and you are suffused with wonderful smells. It feels old world, a quiet compartment protected from the blab of the outside world, where the beauty of flowers still means something. Owner Mario Fernandez could not be more accommodating.

BEST HAUTE FRENCH

BEST OYSTER DEAL

BEST DESSERTS

BEST MANICURE FOR THE MONEY

MY TIME NAIL BAR

460 Biltmore Way

786.502.8623

Mondays and Tuesdays, you can get a manicure-pedicure combo for $35. We can’t think of a better way to spend the money.

BEST TIME MACHINE

COULTER DISCOUNT

1800 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.446.2325

In the Old West this would be called a general store. It’s a post office. It’s a coffee shop. It’s a locksmith. They sell hardware, canned goods, religious icons, dresses, suitcases, silverware, house wares. etc. You would expect to find Coulter at a whistle stop depot in the middle of nowhere.

MOST ACCESSIBLE HIGH-END FASHION

BOUTIQUE

FILOMENA FERNANDEZ

4217 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.661.4448

Among the city’s elite haute designers, Maritza Fernandez is also a woman close to our cost-conscious hearts. In her upstairs boutique she offers her Spring and Fall lines as prêt-àporter blouses, dresses and slacks that should cost vastly more.

BEST TEEN CLOTHING STORE

TREND BOUTIQUE

258 Andalusia Ave.

786-942-2626

Featuring clothes for the often neglected “tween” and young teenage market, we love this small boutique where you can shop for the family (some adult sizes, too) and enjoy a personal experience with owner Ana Mari Fuentes.

BEST CHILDREN’S STORE

MACANOCO & CO.

2394 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.771.3433

What we like here is the spread. Everything from trendy art pencil sets shaped like an avocado for less than $20 to handmade prams from England for your child’s dolls, for more than $500. Dress your toddler like Little Lord Fauntleroy or buy him a small plastic dinosaur.

BEST SIGN AND PRINT SHOP

FASTSIGNS

146 Madeira Ave.

305.747.7115

Who says you can’t have something that is fast, cheap and good? Rosella at FastSigns will deliver on their name with a custom sign quickly made – or an entire stock of marketing materials. Their online reviews are off the charts. Delivers on every job with attention to detail and great customer service.

BEST BOOKSTORE BOOKS & BOOKS

265 Aragon Ave.

305.422.4408

Books & Books is one of the foremost independent booksellers in the U.S. Founder Mitch Kaplan has weathered the storm in the book business (remember Borders?) and carries a huge number of autographed coffee table volumes you won’t find anywhere else. It’s also a great place to meet the intelligentsia at one of their regularly-held author’s lectures. – John Allen

BEST EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE

EDWARD BEINER EYES FORWARD

Shops of Merrick Park

866.375.4954

We forgive Edward Beiner for keeping his HQ in South Miami. That’s because we can buy his ultra-cool glasses in his Gables shop. Beiner is one of the nation’s few independent eyeglass designers; he also carries brands like Barton Perreira and Mykita, but we covet his latest 3D-print collection made in France ($390 a pair).

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

PEPI BERTINI

357 Miracle Mile

305.461.3374

Pepi “Bertini” Gonzalez has been at his Gables location for three decades, hand tailoring suits. He can sell you a suit off the rack from a couple of hundred dollars or stitch you a custom one for more than $1,000. Pepi’s other passion is vintage bicycles, which he often incorporates into his window treatments, along with tribal masks.

BEST GIFT SHOP

CORAL GABLES MUSEUM

285 Aragon Avenue

305.603.8067

Aren’t the best gift shops always in museums? Like the Metropolitan in New York or LACMA in Los Angeles? Ours is no different. Instead of plastic baubles you’ve got hammered metal art from Haiti, dreamcatchers from the Navajos, wooden dolls from Russia. Think anthropology.

BEST BIKE SHOP

SUNCYCLING

2710 Ponce de Leon Bvd.

786.502.3069

Gables resident Oliver de Abreu launched SunCycling on Ponce Circle two years ago, selling bikes that range from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000. His biggest customers? Those who want an alternative commute. Trending: foldable bikes for apartment dwellers.

BEST TEEN CLOTHING STORE

MOST ACCESSIBLE HIGH-END FASHION BOUTIQUE

BEST GIFT SHOP

SPORTS & RECREATION

BEST TENNIS COURTS

BILTMORE TENNIS COURTS

1150 Anastasia Ave.

305.460.5360

The 10 hard courts here are well maintained, lit at night, with shaded spots for changeovers and brief breaks. What makes it glamorous is the historic backdrop. You play in the shadow of history.

BEST YOGA STUDIO

PRANA YOGA

247 Malaga Ave.

305.567.9812

Prana is the Sanskrit word for breath, or the life force, and it is through the control of breathing that stress is released. That is the philosophy here, that manipulation of breath can release the negative and create positive energy. It’s also a beautiful space, of wooden floors and bamboo walls, with a lovely vibration.

BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

CORAL GABLES WATERWAY

Miami Eco Adventures

305.666.5885

Taking a canoe up the Coral Gables Waterway takes you to a secret world, one that is filled with manatees, alligators, ospreys, cormorants, kingfishers and Egyptian geese, all surprisingly surviving – and thriving – in the midst of the city.

BEST GYM

EQUINOX CORAL GABLES

The Shops at Merrick Park

786.497.8200

Does luxury help your workout? We think so. Equinox is a styling place for all things fitness. Group fitness, indoor pool, cycling studio, Pilates, filtered water, saunas, steam rooms. It’s the works and great hours, so no excuses!

BEST PLACE TO BICYCLE

OLD CUTLER ROAD

It’s all about the shade and trees and having a dedicated bike lane. Riding down Old Cutler is

like biking through a forest with a tarmac floor.

BEST GOLF COURSE

THE BILTMORE GOLF COURSE

1210 Anastasia Ave.

855.454.0196

With its recent renovations, the Biltmore is more magnificent than ever, and welcoming for beginners as well as advanced players. Stunning views, and an ambience that only a hundred years of history can provide. Plus, starter Mike is the Godfather of Golf in the Gables.

BEST GOLF BARGAIN

GRANADA GOLF COURSE

2001 Granada Blvd.

305.460.5367

The course is in great shape and perfect for a quick nine holes. It’s within walking distance of downtown Coral Gables, is comparable to the Biltmore for a third of the price; And Burger Bob’s is on site. It’s a win/win. FORE!!

– Rodney Barreto

BEST PLACE TO WALK YOUR DOG OFF LEASH

MATHESON HAMMOCK NATURE TRAIL & DOG PARK

10900 Old Cutler Rd. (Roughly)

We almost don’t want to reveal this place to you. All we can say is, park your car in that unassuming gravel lot opposite the entrance to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and take the trail that leads into the woods. The rest is up to you.

BEST PLACE TO WINDSURF

MATHESON HAMMOCK PARK

9610 Old Cutler Rd.

305.665.5475

You’re never going to be able to surf in the Gables, but on most days there is enough of a Bay breeze at Matheson to send you flying. They call it kite surfing here, and the folks at Coral Gables Adventure Sports will show you how it’s done.

BEST SPORTING EVENT TO WATCH

UM BASEBALL GAMES

Mark Light Stadium

6201 San Amaro Drive

305.284.4171

There is nothing quite as much fun as watching a UM baseball game at home. The crowd alone is worth it. Overheard at the game: “Hey Umpire! Are you blind? You must be, because I saw your wife!” And everyone knows that the world’s best milkshakes are on tap here.

BEST SUMMER COOL OFF VENETIAN POOL

2701 De Soto Blvd.

305.460.5306

Everyone knows that the water for the Venetian Pool is ice cold, drained each night and then refilled from the aquafer. But in the summer, it gets crazy with kids. The secret is to wait until after 4 pm, when the camp kids leave for the day. Then, bliss.

ARCHITECTURE & PUBLIC PLACES

BEST GABLES ENTRANCE DOUGLAS ENTRANCE

800 Douglas Road

305.444.1941

Yes, the road through its grand archway is no longer an active entrance to the city, and yes, it is now dwarfed by adjacent residential and office towers. But of all the entrances planned and built for Coral Gables, none has the magnificence of the Douglas Entrance.

BEST GOLF COURSE

BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

BEST SUMMER COOL OFF

BEST HISTORIC RESTORATION

THE H. GEORGE FINK STUDIO

2506 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Kudos to the city for acquiring and restoring the studio of original Coral Gables architect H. George Fink. It looks like a small church, an appropriate honorarium to the man.

BEST CHEAP THRILL

THE GLASS ELEVATOR

Banesco Center

150 Alhambra Ave.

Ever notice those two glass elevators on the outside of the dozen-story building across from the Alhambra Towers? So smile at the desk clerk and take a free ride to the top for a breathless view. Just don’t say we sent you.

BEST HISTORIC LANDMARK

THE BILTMORE HOTEL

1200 Anastasia Ave.

855.454.0196

Few things are more magical than the approach to the Biltmore, with its central tower rising above Coral Gables’ residential canopy like a sentinel. With its nearly century old beauty impeccably restored and maintained, this is the living icon to what city founder George Merrick envisioned.

BEST PUBLIC ART

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Balboa Plaza

Not everyone in Coral Gables has welcomed all of the city’s public art (giant metal flowers anyone?). But who can help but love this whimsical installation of an oversized stone couch in Balboa Plaza park, funded by MG Developer. Welcome to Alice in Wonderland.

BEST HISTORIC LANDMARK

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PARK

BEST PEOPLE WATCHING SPOT

GIRALDA PLAZA

It is a pedestrian plaza, after all. But Japanese tourists taking selfies? With its now ever-changing installations hanging overhead, you’ve got a whole new flow of humanity strolling the cobblestones.

BEST VIEW FROM A TERRACE

HOTEL COLONNADE POOL DECK

180 Aragon Ave.

305.441.2600

One block north of Miracle Mile, the Colonnade has awesome views of the downtown from its pool deck. It also has a community feeling to it because you don’t have to be a guest to use the pool. The deck itself is also very comfortable, with couches and pool beds for relaxing.

BEST PLACE WE MISS THE MOST

TARPON BEND

Formerly on Miracle Mile

The ritual Friday night mating melee – aka happy hour crowds spilling onto the newly widened sidewalks of Miracle Mile – was a staple of the Gables nightlife scene. Alas, it is no more. But just where have all these beautiful young people gone to?

BEST PARK FOR KIDS

SALVADORE PARK

1120 Andalusia Ave.

305.460.5333

First, there is a green, shady field with playground gear for little kids, and then there are 13 lighted clay tennis courts for when they get older – all in the midst of a densely canopied neighborhood. This is why you move your family to the Gables.

BEST FOUNTAIN

THE DESOTO FOUNTAIN

Intersection of Granada Blvd., Desoto Blvd., and Seville Ave.

Every time we drive past this magnificent fountain, with its obelisk and streams of water, we think that we are in Paris. Or Rome. Or anywhere but the U.S.A.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PARK

BETSY ADAMS

4650 Alhambra Circle

305.460.5620

This is the kind of neighborhood park we all wish we had nearby. Transformed with city money by the Coral Gables Garden Club, the park is named after beloved local citizen Betsy Adams. Basically two lots repurposed into an utterly charming and sweet open space with a play area for tots.

BEST STATUE

ALTHEA MERRICK

Merrick House, 907 Coral Way 305.460.5361

Another project of the Coral Gables Garden Club, this lifesize bronze statue of the mom of Gables’ founder George Merrick was unveiled in 2010. Now you can sit next to her in the garden in back of the Merrick house and thank her.

BEST PLACE TO MEET WOMEN

YOGA STUDIOS

There are at least half a dozen good yoga studios in the Gables, as well as yoga programs in places like Fairchild, the Biltmore and the Youth Center. Most of them are populated with wom-

Motivating your most coveted

en who care about their bodies and souls. Just remember the Buddha’s advice, that patience is the best virtue.

BEST PLACE TO MEET MEN

DOC B’S RESTAURANT + BAR

301 Miracle Mile

786.864.1220

Great food and great drinks, and there are eligible men to be met here, especially at the bar. But while Doc B’s is a popular Gables spot, we may or may not have made this choice based on a crush we have on the general manager. Bryan, we love you.

BEST PLACE TO MEET INTELLIGENT WOMEN

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

If you don’t want to search for your soulmate at a bar, the University of Miami is replete with smart, attractive female undergrads who are not necessarily interested in dating male undergrads. UM is also a center for fun, intellectual activities – lectures, concerts, adult classes, museums, indie movies – for intelligent women of all ages.

BEST PLACE TO MEET INTELLIGENT MEN

GALLERY NIGHT

First Fridays Each Month

Any Gallery in the Gables

If he doesn’t respond well to the question of why that particular painting a) is quite interesting b) beyond anyone’s comprehension or c) shows that the artist is a shameless narcissist, then he is clearly not smart enough for you.

BEST PARKING PLACE

Do you really think we would reveal this?

dreams

Taking the time to understand your needs is essential to bringing your dreams to life. Meet the community bank, reinvented.

Best Drinks in the Best Bars

WITH SUMMER UPON US, WE SEARCH THE BARS OF THE GABLES FOR THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE TO THE HEAT

By Lizzie Wilcox

Photography by Jon Braeley

It’s 5:00 and you’re ready to grab a much-deserved drink. Lucky for those who work in the downtown, the best bars in the city are within walking distance. With so many options, choosing just one can be

overwhelming. But we’ve got the inside scoop on the best watering holes in the Gables, and their bartenders’ favorite drinks. Narrowing it down to just eight was the hard part. The drinking was not.

Opposite: The drink of choice at Christy's is Bryan's Old Fashioned, made with Facundo Eximo rum, and poured from a flask.

Above: Bartender Linette shaking things up at Tap 42

FLEMING’S

Thedebate on whether Fleming’s is one of the best is settled by the crowd alone. Walk in on a random Tuesday evening and there’s not an empty seat at the bar. But for Rich, who has been with the steakhouse for 10 years, this is a relatively quiet night. Usually, not only are all the seats at the bar occupied, but also every adjacent booth and table. “I think it’s a really good high-end happy hour,” he says,

explaining that happy hours elsewhere that also serve great food and drink are not as cheap – and consequently not as good. Having been at Fleming’s for a decade, his favorite drink is no longer on the menu, but the longtime regulars still order it: The Farmer’s Daughter. The strawberries and basil are muddled, releasing a “farm fresh flavor.” It’s two parts sweet, one part tangy and all parts refreshing.

Put aside all drinking gender norms. Though fruity and pink, this cocktail is too good to be deemed “just for women.”

INGREDIENTS

Muddled strawberries and basil

Vodka

Lemon juice

Simple syrup

Cranberry

FLEMINGS PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINEBAR

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.569.7995

Mon – Thurs: 5 – 10 p.m.

Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. & 5 – 10 p.m.

Sat: 5 – 11 p.m.

Sun: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Happy Hour: 5 – 7 p.m. nightly

The Farmer’s Daughter

CHRISTY’S

With a separate room for just the bar, Christy’s is for serious drinkers. The drink of choice? Bryan’s Old Fashioned. What makes this drink not so old fashioned is their use of rum instead of bourbon. For rum to work in an Old Fashioned, it has to be amazing rum, which is why they use Bacardi’s Facundo Eximo. A drink like this reminds us why bartenders need to go through training, and that there’s more to making a drink than using a cocktail shaker. Juliana, the bar manager of three years, explains the detailed process. The orange peel is more than just a garnish. When peeling the orange, she cuts off a part

of the orange as well, squeezing the juice onto the single, massive ice cube in the glass. She then takes a lighter, burns the peel and rubs it on the rim. The drink itself is served in a glass flask. They’ll pour just half of it in the glass, so as to not water it down. The remainder of the drink is poured as you please. This is not a drink that you sip and say, “Wow, you can’t even taste the alcohol!” You can definitely taste the alcohol, but it’s a really nice rum, so you want to. “The touch is the [simple] syrup,” Juliana explains. “The guests want the sweetness.” It takes a cocktail this good to be both the most expensive and the most ordered.

BRYAN’S OLD FASHIONED

Yes, this is the most expensive drink on the bar menu, but the serving size is more than generous. Even after the waiter pours the first round, half of the flask is still full. Remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

INGREDIENTS

Facundo Eximo rum

Orange bitters

Aromatic bitters

Simple syrup (or agave)

Orange peel

Stirred, not shaken

CHRISTY'S

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.446.1400

Mon – Thurs & Sat: 5 – 10 p.m.

Fri: 12 – 10 p.m.

JOHN MARTIN’S

Youmay not think to order a cocktail at an Irish pub, but at John Martin’s you should, especially their Cool as a Cucumber botanical spritzer. With just four ingredients, anyone can make it and then head out to the pool. The liquor component is Ketel One Botanical cucumber and mint vodka. Ketel One Botanical uses real botanicals and is infused with natural fruit essences, meaning no artificial flavor or syrupy aftertaste like with typical flavored

vodkas. The only other ingredient is Fever Tree tonic water. Garnish with cucumber and mint leaves.

“It’s nice for the summertime,” says bartender Sam, who then states the obvious, “Well, it’s always summer here.” Luckily at a pub you don’t have to wait for the clock to strike 5 to start drinking, and it’s not uncommon to find a few retirees sitting at the bar for a late lunch, already a couple of scotches deep.

COOL AS A CUCUMBER

We love this drink for its simplicity. Whereas most of your favorite cocktails at a bar are your favorite because they’re drank only on occasion and only a mixologist can make them, this spritzer is user friendly.

INGREDIENTS

Ketel One Botanical cucumber and mint vodka

Fever Tree tonic water

Cucumber

Mint leaves

JOHN MARTIN’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT

253 Miracle Mile

305.445.3777

Mon – Thurs: 11:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Fri & Sat: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

Sun: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Happy Hour: Mon – Fri, 4 – 7 p.m.

DON’T BE A PRICK MARGARITA

Ironically an ideal drink when dealing with a prickly person. It takes just one of these to forget why you needed a drink in the first place.

INGREDIENTS

Cazadores Blanco tequila

Prickly pear puree

Orange liqueur

Basil syrup

Fresh lime

Basil salt (on the rim)

TAP 42

301 Giralda Ave.

786.391.1566

Mon – Thurs: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Sat: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Sun: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Happy Hour: Weekdays 4 – 7 p.m.

Late Night Happy Hour: Weekdays 10 p.m.

Tap 42

Thiswas an obvious choice. There’s a crowd at their large, circular bar on any given day at nearly any time, whether it’s for happy hour, weekend brunch, day drinking, you name it.

Here we drank the Don’t Be A Prick margarita. The name may sound harsh, but it comes from the prickly pear puree that’s used. According to our bartender Linette, “The ladies really like it.” We can see why

this might be labeled as a “girly drink,” due to the deep pink color of the drink itself and the bright green salt on the rim. But don’t let the color fool you, this is a strong one. It’s also customizable. If you like a spicy drink, ask for jalapenos in it. Or it could be made with Mezcal for a smokier flavor. However you take it, drink with caution.

HOUSE KITCHEN + BAR

AtHouse, you’ll find workers ditching the office and bringing their laptops to the bar even before happy hour kicks off at 4 p.m. When you can’t decide what to drink, it never hurts to ask a bartender for a recommendation.

If you ask House bartender Samantha, she’ll recommend the Cucumbertini. Even

people who don’t like gin will be a fan, like Samantha herself. “It’s one of my favorite cocktails on the menu,” she says. It’s now one of our favorites, too. The gin is actually the perfect liquor selection for this cocktail, giving it a hint of floral taste. Light and refreshing, it’s perfect for those scorching Miami summertime afternoons.

CUCUMBERTINI

If you find yourself staring at a bar menu, unsure of what to order, take our word and get anything cucumber-related. It’s light and cool and refreshing and everything that Miami in the summer isn’t.

INGREDIENTS

Hendrick’s gin

St. Germain

Lemon juice

Simple syrup

Garnish with cucumber

HOUSE KITCHEN + BAR

180 Aragon Ave.

786.482.5599

Mon – Thurs: 11:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

Sat: 9 a.m. – 2 a.m.

Sun: 9 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Oyster Happy Hour: Weekdays 3 – 4 p.m.

Happy Hour: Weekdays 4 – 7 p.m.

BELOW ZERO

INGREDIENTS

Stoli Elite vodka

Ginger beer

Fresh lime juice

Simple syrup

Chili pepper flakes

Sage

Crushed garlic

ZUCCA

162 Alcazar Ave.

786.580.3731

Tues – Sat: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sun & Mon: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Happy Hour: Weekdays 4 – 8 p.m.

ZUCCA

The test of a good Italian restaurant is if its customers are speaking the language. At Zucca, not only are its patrons authentically Italian, but also the staff.

Ask the bartender Lorenzo a question and he’ll respond with a nod of the head and a “Si.” Lorenzo doesn’t just make a drink; he puts on a show while doing it. Flipping, slapping, tapping and shaking glasses, it’s all one fluid movement (no

pun intended). The finished product is a signature cocktail appropriately named Below Zero.

The recipe calls for Stoli Elite vodka, a Russian vodka filtrated at -18 degrees Celsius. Made with ginger beer, chili pepper flakes and crushed garlic, it may be intense to those who don’t like spice, but for those who do, it’s just delicious. We could drink these all day.

A Russian vodka cocktail made by an Italian bartender served at a restaurant in America. World peace at last.

THE GLOBE

Anyone who has been to The Globe is familiar with “A Man with a Quilted Sleeve,” the painting of the Renaissance-era looking man wearing a blue puffy shirt. It’s only fitting that they have a drink named after their “mascot,” The Man with the Blue Sleeve. Cucumber cocktails are the unofficial official summertime drink, so the main ingredient, other than Tito’s vodka, is cucumber muddled with

basil. Before garnishing the cocktail with a basil leaf, Shira lays it in the palm of her hand and smacks it.

Addressing our raised eyebrows, she explained that when you muddle certain herbs, like basil, the taste can become bitter. Smacking them quite literally awakens their taste and scent, leaving a fresh tasting drink, and a nice herby smell as you bring the glass up to your mouth.

MAN WITH A QUILTED SLEEVE

This drink goes down very easily, which is a good thing for the most part. Just be careful, too many of these and The Man with the Blue Sleeve will come to life.

INGREDIENTS

Tito’s vodka

Muddled cucumber & basil

Agave

Fresh Lime Juice

Simple syrup

THE GLOBE

377 Alhambra Circle

305.445.3555

Tues: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Weds & Thurs: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Sat: 6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Happy Hour: Tues – Fri, 5 – 8 p.m.

OLD FASHIONED

If you order drinks neat or on the rocks, this is the cocktail for you. With simple syrup and aromatic bitters as the only additives, it pretty much tastes like straight bourbon.

INGREDIENTS

Old Grand-Dad bourbon

Simple syrup

Aromatic bitters

Garnish with orange peel

COPPER 29

206 Miracle Mile

786.580.4689

Mon & Tues: 5 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Weds & Thurs: 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Fri: 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Sat: 12 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Sun: 12 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Happy Hour: Mon – Sat, 4 – 8 p.m.

COPPER 29

We couldn’t write about the top bars in Coral Gables and not mention the venue that has people stumbling out onto Miracle Mile at 2 a.m. Copper 29 caters to the younger population of Coral Gables with a half-off happy hour weekdays at 4 p.m. and a DJ set from 5 p.m. to close every Friday.

On Tuesdays, an Old Fashioned is just $5, which is just what Yiannis made for us.

Their version of the Old Fashioned is as traditional as it gets: made with bourbon and topped with an orange peel. Nothing fancy here, just like grandpa used to make.

The décor is also chosen with a younger crowd in mind. Something tells us Baby Boomers wouldn’t obsess over a plant wall (made with real plants!) and a painting of Brad Pitt dressed as an army general.

THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

2019

Coral

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

Dining hours in the Gables stretch from the early evening – when It is common to see people at restaurants close to where they work – until late at night, when it’s not unusual go

$ Under $25

$$ $25-$40

$$$ $35-$75

$$$$ $70-$100+

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

AMERICAN Ad Lib

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

2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.504.8895

$$$ American

Bachour

World-renowned pastry chef Antonio

Bachour opened his new bakery and restaurant back in Feb. 2019. The menu, on top of rows of fresh and decadent pastries, features eggs benedict, croissant French toast, guava and cheese pancakes, sandwiches and salads.

2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

$ - $$ Contemporary American

California Pizza Kitchen

A local favorite, the home of “California-style” pizza, this national chain that started in Beverly Hills is both casual and polished, with a truly inventive array of non-traditional pizzas. Things

like cauliflower crust, spicy chipotle chicken, carne asada. And then there are the patrons who come only for the butter cake, which they consider one of the best things on earth.

300 Miracle Mile 305.774.9940

$$ Pizza/American

Clutch Burger

Not your average burger. Most of the burgers hover around $20 because they’re made with quality Wagyu beef. They also specialize in fine wines and craft beers brewed here in Miami.

146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242

$ Burgers

Copper 29

Mostly known for its happy hour, the Miracle Mile bar/restaurant also has a wide range of food options. We especially love the BBQ Chicken Flatbread and Pork Sliders. They also serve bottomless brunch all weekend that includes mimosas, wine, mojitos, Bloody Mary’s and champagne.

206 Miracle Mile 786.580.4689

$ American

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

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

301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

$$ American

Eating House Groovy place with inventive ever-changing menu, with dishes like nutmeg risotto, pumpkin tiradito, and

to a restaurant at 10 pm and find the place packed, even with children.

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

What follows is our list of the tried and true, and the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

fried Brussels sprouts. Dynamite freerange fried chicken. Simple artsy décor but superb food, excellent presentation, great value.

804 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

305.448.6524

$$ Innovative American

Hillstone

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

201 Miracle Mile 305.529.0141

$$$ American

House Kitchen & Bar

On the corner of Ponce and Aragon, right next to the Colonnades, House is

open for lunch, dinner, happy hour and brunch. They even have a happy hour solely for oysters, weekdays from 3 – 4 p.m. We recommend sitting outside on their gorgeous and covered patio.

180 Aragon Ave. 786.482.5599

$$ - $$$ American

Seasons 52

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

321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

$$ Healthy American

Shula’s 347 Grill

If it’s beef you are after but want to avoid the formality of a high-end steak

Honored and Joyful

Once again, we’re proud and honored to announce Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is listed in U.S.News & World Report’s 2019-20 pediatric rankings. With a total of 7 specialties ranked, we have more than any other hospital in Florida. The highestquality, world-class pediatric care has always been right here in your own backyard – delivered with compassion and dedication. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. For health. For life.

house, Shula’s is perfect for you. Good service and pleasant décor – including lots of photos of the coach – make this a go-to place for professionals in the area. Great use of cheeses – boursin in their mac & cheese, and gorgonzola in their cream spinach. Best Specialty Burger says Coral Gables magazine. 6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661

$$$ Steak and seafood

Tap 42

Winner of Best Overall Burger by Coral Gables magazine, Tap 42 is big, noisy and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian cole slaw).

301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

$$-$$$ American Pub

The Local Craft Food & Drink

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

150 Giralda Ave. 305.648.5687

$$ American

Yard House

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

320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

$$ American and more

ASIAN

Ichimi

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

$-$$ Japanese

Izakaya

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

159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

$$ Japanese

Kao Sushi & Grill by Sushi Club

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

$$ Peruvian Japanese

Malakor Thai Isaan

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

90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

$$ Thai

Matsuri

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

5759 Bird Rd. 305.663.1615

$$-$$$ Japanese

Red Koi Lounge

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

317 Miracle Mile 305.446.2690

$$ Thai

Sawa

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

360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops of Merrick Park) // 305.447.6555

$$$ Japanese and Mediterranean

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal of Ponce fame, the restaurant is half inside half in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread and a superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh,

What started in 1994 as Estate Wines and Gourmet Food on Miracle Mile has become Sacha’s Cafe with multiple locations

Sacha’s at Blue Lagoon | Sacha’s at Brickell | Sacha’s in Coral Gables

Euro Table Catering & 800 Beans and Coffee Bar

French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches, though not cheap.

Shops at Merrick Park 786.536.9388

$$-$$$ French

Frenchie’s Diner

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

2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554

$$-$$$ French

Palm d’Or

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

1200 Anastasia Ave. (at the Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

$$$$ French

Pascal’s On Ponce

Elegant, quaint and delicious, Pacal’s is the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart

of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés and desserts. Try the leeks & hearts of palm salad.

2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024

$$$ French

ITALIAN

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

Cibo Wine Bar

Cibo has two locations in South Florida, one on South Beach and the other here, on Miracle Mile. Rustic Italian food in a warm interior with exposed brick, wood finishes, butcher block tables and a wall of wine selections. Extensive traditional Italian menu, with lots of pizza options cooked in a brick oven.

45 Miracle Mile 305.442.4925

$$-$$$ Italian

Fiola

Brought to you by Washington, D.C.

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

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

$$$$ Italian

Fontana

The setting is as elegant as the service and food: The Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy Italian classics. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Great octopus, pastas cooked perfectly. Voted the most romantic restaurants in the Gables by Coral Gables Magazine.

1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

$$$ Italian

Forno’s

Owner Artan Kapxhiu opened this charming spot back in 2017. Forno’s serves pasta, but people come for the pizza, cooked in a wood-burning oven. From a simple margherita to a stacked pistachio, ham, cherry tomato and shaved grana Padano cheese pizza,

there are no bad choices here.

1403 Sunset Dr. 305.661.3964

$ Italian

Fratellino

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

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

$$$ Italian

La Palma

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

116 Alhambra Circle 305.445.8777

$$-$$$ Italian

P.Pole Pizza

A fresh take on pizza, each pie is made on the spot at this Miracle Mile pizzeria. At the start of the assembly line-like production, you choose the dough and sauce you want. Then choose as many toppings as you want

before sending it into the miniature oven that cooks it right in front of your eyes. Great quality of dough, sauce and toppings.

279 Miracle Mile 786.618.5287

$ Pizza

Salumeria 104

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

117 Miracle Mile 305.640.5547

$$ Italian

Terre Del Sapore

True Neapolitan pizza in the heart of Coral Gables. Owner Angelo Angiollieri is obsessed with quality ingredients, including minimally-processed flour from Italy, and you can taste it. Offers a great lunch special of a side salad, entrée and drink for $13. 246 Giralda Ave. 786.870.5955

$ Italian Zucca

A worthy heir to the hallowed grounds of the old St. Michel restaurant, this one-year-old is a new star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with the

home-taught recipes that chef Simone Mua learned in his native Milan. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with haute comfort food and great service.

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

$$$-$$$$ Northern Italian

LATIN & SOUTH AMERICAN

Aromas del Peru

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

1930 Ponce de León Blvd. // 305.476.5886

$$ Peruvian

Caffe Vialetto

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

4019 LeJuene Rd. 305.446.5659

$$$ Cuban/Latin

Caja Caliente

Opening its second location in Coral

Gables in May 2019, Caja Caliente serves “the original Cuban tacos.” Their flour tortillas come stuffed with any kind of meat from lechon to mahi mahi, and are topped with pico de gallo, aioli, beans and cilantro. Also serve poke and quinoa bowls.

808 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.431.1947

$ Mexican

Graziano’s

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

394 Giralda Ave. 305.774.3599

$$$ Argentine

Havana Harry’s

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

4612 S. LeJeune Rd. 305.661.2622

$$ Cuban

Mikuna Peruvian

“It’s time to feel the real Peru” boasts the Mikuna web site, and they do indeed move beyond ceviche to the other dishes that make Peruvian food one of the best cuisines in Latin America. These include lobster with Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, seafood rice with squid ink, and skewered swordfish. Other unique tastes include shrimp bisque with rice and egg.

325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910

$$$ Peruvian

Seek + Find

Executive Chef Miguel Gomez Fernandez brings his Peruvian flare to this 2018 to the Gables. For lunch on Wednesdays, burgers and a beer come at $13. We recommend the Tropical Burger, which is not made with beef, but pork and lamb and topped with grilled pineapple. For dessert, the Fire Dome is a must.

2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.902.6220

$$ Peruvian

Talavera Cocina Mexicana

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

OPEN DAILY

Lunch & Dinner 7 Days

Breakfast Available Weekends

DAILY HAPPY HOUR

Monday - Sunday 4pm - 7pm

Half off drinks

MONDAY BEER & BURGER NIGHT

HALF OFF BOTTLE WINE TUESDAYS FROM 4PM-CLOSE

THURSDAY LADIES NIGHT

Free Champagne from 4pm - 7pm Half off drinks 9pm - Close

“HOUSE DJ” Friday Nights

2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955

$$ Mexican

SEAFOOD

La Dorada

Regarded by many to be the finest restaurant devoted to seafood in the Gables, La Dorada is traditional Spanish cooking with a deep-sea focus (and a pleasant, ocean-deco décor).

The house specialty is a baked whole fish crusted in sea salt, but don’t miss the traditional Mediterranean seafood stews or the shellfish prepared Galician style.

177 Giralda Ave. 305.446.2002

$$$$ Spanish Seafood

MesaMar

Some of the best – if not THE best –seafood in the Gables with inventive fusions between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Their fish is caught daily in local waters and brought to your table for inspection. Their whole fried fish is a marvel. Also, make sure to try the lobster tacos.

264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448

$$$ Seafood

Sea Grill

Just a few months old, Sea Grill is already a popular weekend destination for lovers of Mediterranean seafood. A large, brightly lit and futuristic space

with lots of energy, it serves fish that is caught in the Aegean Sea and flown to the Gables. Their octopus, which takes two days to prepare, is simply the best.

4250 Salzedo St. 305.447.3990

(Shops of Merrick Park)

$$$ Seafood

SPANISH

Bellmónt

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

339 Miracle Mile // 786.502.4684

$$$ Spanish

Bulla Gastrobar

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

2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.0107

$$ Spanish

La Taberna Giralda

Routinely rated among the top tapas

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

254 Giralda Avenue 786.362.5677

$$ Spanish

Mara Basque Cuisine

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

112 Giralda Ave. 305.504.9274

$$$ - $$$$ Spanish STEAK

Christy’s

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

3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.446.1400

$$$ Steakhouse

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine cellar that appears to have no end of its depth. A place for special celebrations. Recently redecorated, but the open kitchen with its copper ‘sash’ across the top still gives the main dining room a glow. Good menu at the bar.

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.569.7995

$$$-$$$$ Steak & Seafood

Morton’s Coral Gables

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

2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662

$$$ Steakhouse

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

There is a reason that the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on week nights. This is where the best steaks are sent and where cholesterol is sent to the devil for the sake of extraordinary

matilda Coral Gables

What $5.5 to $6 Million Will Buy in Coral Gables

Coral Gables has some of the most valuable real estate in South Florida, with a median home value of $753,800 – more than twice the median home value for Miami-Dade County as a whole ($302,600). The median price per square foot ($454) is also more than twice the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach average ($221). Median prices for home sales have fall-

en 10 percent over the last year (according to Trulia) so now might be a good time to buy.

To see what $5.5 to $6 million would buy today, we asked three real estate agents to submit one of their homes for sale in that price range – give or take a few hundred thousand dollars. Here is what they came up with.

Historic Spanish Home

Listing Price

$5.7m

A Gables Villa

9400 OLD CUTLER ROAD

6 bed/6 bath/2 half baths. 8,804 sq. ft.

Built in 1970 and remodeled in 2000, “Villa Ventura” sits on 1.5 acres of tropical fruit trees, exotic palms, oak trees and winding paths. Swarovski crystal chandeliers, ornate columns, crown moldings, Venetian painted walls, mosaics by Versace’s artist, chef’s kitchen. Spacious master bedroom with his/hers closets. Outdoor kitchen, covered patio and pool with waterfall.

Listing Agent: Hilda Jacobson (Douglas Elliman Real Estate), 786.213.4511

Luxury with an Urban View

515 VALENCIA AVE. UNIT LPPH1

Listing Price

$5.99m

5 bed/5 bath/1 half bath 4,267 sq. ft./Built in 2021

Villa Valencia aims to be just that, a villa in the sky. Being built just off the downtown, with views of Granada Golf Course and historic City Hall, Villa Valencia will feature luxury condos with cutting edge technology, sophisticated design and two lower penthouses with corner exposure made for indoor/outdoor living – at an altitude.

Listing agent: Jorge Uribe (ONE Sotheby’s International Realty) 786.371.8777

The Seen

Merrick Manor Mirth

Arecent private event held at the Merrick Manor Club Lounge celebrated the completion of Merrick Manor, the 227-unit mid-rise residence that is raising the bar of excellence in the Merrick Park neighborhood. Built adjacent to the Shops of Merrick Park, the new residential enclave is the latest entry in the Gables’ trend toward luxury urban lifestyles. Seen here, from left to right, is Mauricio Umansky, Sasha Ezquerra, Steven G. and Henry Torres inside the Club Lounge. Umansky is CEO and founder of the international real estate brokerage The Agency, which is now handling all sales for the building; Ezquerra is The Agency’s managing director; Seven G. is the renowned interior designer; and Torres is the developer of Merrick Manor. Located at 301 Altara Ave., the 10-story complex (20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space) is the largest condominium project built in the Gables in more than a decade.

Rodney Barreto

Rich Barbara

Bradley Barreto

Home & Garden

Palm Paradise

A MEMBER OF THE CORAL GABLES GARDEN CLUB, JEANNE ANN RIGL (AND HUSBAND CHARLIE) HAVE CREATED A SHOWCASE OF PALM-PUNCTUATED FLORA IN THE LUSH LANDSCAPING OF HER HOME

By Karen F. Buchsbaum

Originally built in the 1930s, Charlie Rigl describes his home as a “run of the mill” George Fink house, where he and wife Jeanne Ann moved in 1966, and where they raised their family. But there is nothing run of the mill about their yard, which Charlie and Jeanne Ann have cultivated for decades.

Along the way there have been challenges. Hurricane Andrew wiped out Charlie’s orchid house, along with a Canary Island Date Palm. But this merely set him on a determined course to build a palm collection. He got tips from friends and began attending the annual Palm Sale at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to supplement his plantings. Some of his favorites include an Old Man Palm and an expansive Ponytail Palm.

Gardening has long been a passion for both Jeanne Ann and Charlie, who took a very active role in the yard work until recently, now transitioning into more of a supervisor.

Debra De Marco was grounds manager of the Doral Resorts of Florida when she met Charlie more than 30 years ago and began advising him about landscaping. Today she owns DDM Horticulture Services and regularly helps Charlie and Jeanne Ann keep the yard maintained and refreshed.

Jeanne Ann has put her imprint on the landscaping with creative, artistic touches throughout. It was her idea to turn a Japanese Fern Tree, usually planted as an ornamental tree, into an unusual hedge across the back of the property. One of her ongoing projects is to tend to several Euphorbia Punicea trees, with their striking red flowers, which she has nurtured from seeds.

Orchids like the Wooly Congea add splashes of color to the yard and still find a good home underneath the trees. A native Lignum Vitae tree with blue-purple flowers thrives along with colorful bromeliads, date palms and stately royal palms. It all comes together in a mixture of opulent and variegated hues.

Jeanne Ann loves to cook and confesses that if she were solely in charge, the garden would probably be filled with vegetables. Case in point: the substantial pot near the front door filled with what must be the largest rosemary plant in the Gables, enviable for any chef.

A few years ago, the Rigls were honored with the Landscape Beautification Award from the City of Coral Gables. Today the yard is still a showcase and a testament to years of dedication. It was, and still is, an evolutionary process for the couple.

Top: Charlie Rigl and his wife Jeanne Ann moved in to their George Fink designed home in 1966

Opposite: Plants such as rosemary (top left) provide the kitchen with herbs for the avid cooks. The Rigl’s passion and hard work was recognized with the Landscape Beautification Award from the City of Coral Gables

TheFamily Key

THE REFURBISHED HAWKS CAY RESORT REMAINS A FAMILY FAVORITE FOR ESCAPING TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

By Nicholas Faber ship for tykes.

There comes a moment in any vacation when you realize that you’ve forgotten everything else and you are just there, enjoying yourself, all the stress of the real world vanished.

For me, it was when I wrapped my arms around a bottlenose dolphin named Balla, a nine-foot male who nuzzled up to me in the enclosed water pen at Hawks Cay Resort. His skin was smooth and rubbery, and we were allowed to gently touch him, along with other dolphins in the resort’s Dolphin Connection program.

“This is awesome,” a teenage girl in the water next to me said. “This is the second time we’ve done this today.” She was waiting to go for a ride holding onto the dolphin’s dorsal fin. Hawks Cay is the kind of place you wish your parents had taken you every summer when you were a kid. It is a self-contained 66-acre compound with pools, lagoons, kayaks, sailboats, tennis courts, snack bars, restaurants, and a kid’s club with a basketball court, soccer field, golf putting course and waterslide pirate

“We are a multi-generational resort,” says marketing manager Wilner Henri. “We see the same families all the time. They come, they fall in love with it, and make it their yearly vacation spot. But we can cater to adult couples as well.”

Hawks Cay Resort is located on Duck Key, roughly half way down the chain of islands from Miami-Dade to Key West. The main hotel creates a crescent-shaped enclosure on the Atlantic side of Duck Key, within which is the main pool, a tiki bar, a breakfast hall and a lagoon where kids can safely fool around with paddle boards and kayaks. Around the north side of the crescent are the water pens of the Dolphin Connection and a conference center; around the south side is the adults-only Oasis Bar and, further tucked away, the adults-only Tranquility Pool.

The main pool, meanwhile, is not exactly tranquil, permeated by a soundtrack of Caribbean steel drums and the squeals of happy kids. “They have their own des-

ignated pool at the Kid’s Club, but they all flock to here,” says Henri. Poolside, parents with cocktails in hand keep half-open eyes on the youngsters. Parents can further unplug by dropping off their bambinos at the Kid’s Club for morning or afternoon mini-camps. That compound is conveniently located next door to another adult amenity, the day spa.

In its own building, the spa is a refuge of relaxation, with muted pastel-blue walls, a sauna, a steam room, a sizeable gym, lockers and showers, and a “resting room” with chaise lounge chairs and Asian meditation music. All of which is an ultra-comfy setting for what we came for: the “Barefootin’” massage. It was administered perfectly – including hot towels wrapped around one foot while the other was being massaged into butter.

There are other adult-oriented tweaks as well, like 61 Prime, their new highend beef (tomahawk steaks!) and seafood restaurant. Its bar offers a selection of cigars (as well as a nice collection of scotch).

Left: The main hotel pool

Above: The enclosed lagoon is a safe place for children to kayak

Right: Families can get to know the dolphins up close in the resorts water pens

While the resort has a no-smoking policy elsewhere, you can puff your stogie in the adult zone, which includes a nighttime firepit. For family meals you can walk (or take the Island Tram) to the Angler and Ale at the adjacent marina, where we ate a fantastic whole-fried grouper.

Accommodations at Hawks Cay come in two forms: hotel rooms or villas. Their 170 hotel rooms, all recently upgraded as part of a $50 million facelift for the property, are in the main resort building. On one side they offer views of the pool, the sunrise and the Atlantic; on the other, views of the sunset and Gulf of Mexico. The 250 villas are two-story townhomes built Key West style, with balconies and one, two or three bedrooms. We stayed in one of the villas, all individually owned and pooled for rental. It was clean and tidy, with a kitchen, nice high ceilings and a steep flight of stairs to bedrooms on the second floor. Great views and comfortable beds.

We also liked the Hawks Cay location. It’s much closer to the Gables than Key West, but sufficiently far away for The Keys Effect, where your worries peel away as you leave the urban maze behind. And for the more ambitious, Key West is 60 miles away.

But we were at Hawks Cay for just the weekend, and once ensconced in our villa, the rigorous schedule of dolphin playtime and spa treatments, along with a dash of early morning tennis, was enough to keep us pleasantly occupied. We came home feeling refreshed, having visited a foreign yet family-friendly place.

The Tale of Tahiti Beach

THE DREAM OF A SOUTH SEAS PARADISE FOR THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

By John Allen

As the popularity of his “City Beautiful” soared through the Roaring Twenties, Coral Gables founder George Merrick was always searching for something new and exotic. In 1925, already busy with construction of the Biltmore and finalizing plans for the University of Miami, Merrick turned his attention to an overgrown stretch of bayfront property, thick with mangroves, in a remote area of the Gables called Cocoplum. The property had been owned by the Deering family; they planned a beach there, but it never came to pass. Merrick saw through the dense overgrowth, and by December had secured the property. Under the management of the Biltmore, the great development work had begun, with small armies of workers carving out roadways, creating atolls, and clearing the beach.

Merrick’s advance publicity trumpeted the newly named Tahiti Beach as “a spot which will attract the best people from every part of the country.” More significantly, it would open Biscayne Bay to Coral Gables, connecting the Bay to the waterways of Coral Gables, linking the “old” section of the Gables with the ‘new’ section, which Merrick’s publicity mill confidently referred to as the “newest stretch of Millionaire’s Row.”

Work proceeded at Merrick’s typical breakneck pace. By January 1926, he was holding special events for Biltmore guests at Tahiti Beach, as the thatched roof Tiki huts went up, constructed by Seminole Indians from palm fronds, palmetto leaves and long grasses.

“The Lure of the South Sea Isles” was in full tropical swing by March. Open from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., guests could rent a bathing suit ($1.00), a desirable hut ($5.00 for the day), or splurge for dancing to the popular Jay Garber Orchestra. From opening until 2 p.m., the Biltmore orchestra played for dancers, breaking for a musical revue featuring Tahitian natives. At 10 p.m. the orchestra returned for moonlit dancing until 1 a.m. Tahiti Beach quickly became "The Place to See and Be Seen," morning, noon or night (or all three).

Then on Sept. 18, 1926, the unthinkable happened when the Great Hurricane swept through Miami with a vengeance. While the devastation would bookmark the end of the frenetic Florida Land Boom, of more immediate effect was that Tahiti Beach, Merrick’s tropical oasis, was virtually leveled overnight.

Shell-shocked Florida watched the Boom turn to Bust as building ground to a

Top: A 1926 ad for Tahiti Beach. That same year a great hurricane almost erased it. It would disappear completely some 48 years later when the developers of Cocoplum built luxurious homes and a small marina, and in the process, filled in the once proud Tahiti Beach

halt. Nonetheless, newspapers proclaimed that Tahiti Beach would soon re-open. Newspapers also announced that the new Tahiti Beach would no longer be operated strictly by the Biltmore, but would be managed by the Coral Gables Hotels Corporation, a spin-off of the Venetian Pool, Tahiti Beach, the Antilla Hotel, the San Sebastian Apartments and other commercial properties from the mounting debt of the original Coral Gables Corporation. It was a sign that Merrick’s heady years of glory were coming to an end.

Work proceeded rapidly on Tahiti Beach’s renovation, and the grand re-opening took place on January 15, 1927, a mere four months after the Hurricane. Opening day was complimentary but going forward admission would be 50 cents, the equivalent of approx-

imately $7.00 today. The rebuilt atoll extended approximately 250 yards into Biscayne Bay, a beautiful accent to the South Sea Island atmosphere. Everything that had been destroyed, and then some, had been restored. New bathhouses for changing were opened along with a new parking area that could accommodate several hundred autos.

Sadly, 1927 did not bode well for Tahiti Beach. By February admission was free, and instead of dancing there, the Antilla Hotel was promoting their own evening entertainment back in the City. By Labor Day, 1928, the pleas for guests were almost pitiful. “Free!” Free dancing, free vaudeville, free wiener roast, free parking – and everyone in Greater Miami was invited.

Then another blow came – the Stock Market Crash of

October 1929. Tahiti Beach stoically soldiered on, promoting itself anew in June 1930, assuring tourists that Tahiti Beach was still a romantic dancing rendezvous. A damper on this comeback hit the following month when a 6-yearold boy drowned, making headlines when his body was found in four feet of water in the lagoon. Little was heard about the beach for the next few years.

In the ensuing decade, Tahiti Beach was marketed simply as a “salt water lagoon,” its dancing, dining and romantic aura having been erased by the grim reality of the Depression. Despite an occasional beach party or swimming classes, little was heard of Tahiti Beach from the ‘30s and through the World War II years.

Later in the 1940s, efforts were made to create a yacht

club at Tahiti Beach, but nothing came of it, and the slightly seedy Tahiti Beach lingered on for another 25 years, frayed at the edges, a shadow of what it had once been. In 1974, the developers of Cocoplum launched a plan for luxurious homes, a small marina – and the filling in of the once proud Tahiti Beach. For all intents and purposes, it disappeared from public view.

Today, some two dozen estates are majestically situated inside the private enclave named Tahiti Beach. Sitting on the terrace of one of the new great estates, one might imagine it is 1926 again, a soft breeze drifting over the Tiki Huts, a shell-shaped bandstand with a tuxedo-clad orchestra playing, the whispered swish of satin and silk across the dance floor. -John Allen is the executive director of the Coral Gables Museum

Shhhhhh…

The Silence Project by photographer Flor Mayoral has finally reached Coral Gables, with 75 iconic photos of notable locals who live and work here. Launched June 27 with an exhibit at Conde Contemporary Gallery on Miracle Mile, the images will be showcased through August in 14 storefronts along the Mile and in McBride Plaza

(150 Miracle Mile). Here are nine to whet your appetite. Top row (L to R): Realtor Ron Shuffield, Wellness Guru Laura Posada, Artist Jose Bedia. Middle row: Banker John O’Rourke, Minister Che Scott, Marketing Manager Katherine Dagand. Bottom row: Chef David Acosta, Police Chief Ed Hudak, Historian Arva Parks.