“Baptist is just a shining star.”
Michael and Valerie KatzPhoto by Lynn Parks
“We felt that Baptist does so much in the community, we wanted to be a part of it.”
Gerald Jr. and Jennifer Adger GrantPhoto by Lynn Parks Generously funded by an in-kind donation from our corporate partner
“Baptist is so important to our community. And what they did for my family is amazing.”
Liana and Carlos de MenaPhoto by Lynn Parks
As South Florida’s leading not-for-profit healthcare provider, Baptist Health is committed to outstanding patient care and the well-being of our community. Your philanthropic contributions to Baptist Health Foundation make an impact in so many ways:
Advancing research in cancer, cardiovascular medicine, neurosciences, orthopedics and more
Offering nursing scholarships and ongoing clinical training
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Supporting our healthcare heroes throughout the pandemic
It’s a mission our donors support because they understand the power of generosity. Get to know Baptist Health Foundation, and we will make you a believer, too.
Christmas and Hannukah are right around the corner, and you still have shopping to do? Fortunately your local retailers are at the ready, with a great selection of gifts that don’t require shipping from some supplychain challenged depot a thousand miles away. So go old school, and do your shopping at home. It’s a holiday win-win.
In Coral Gables, the torch is no longer being passed just to the male heir. Research shows many hurdles for daughters following after well-known, successful dads. The biggest challenge is to build credibility, both with people inside the family business and with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders outside.
When it comes to Florida cities, Coral Gables ranks at the top in categories like affluence, education and cultural institutions. It is also a bastion of charitable engagement. In The Givers, we feature a handful of the people who give back, both to our city and to those in need across Greater Miami. And, as always, we ask why they contribute.
The holidays are upon us again, time once more to be thankful for all our blessings –and to thank others who are near and dear.
In this, our holiday issue, we genuflect in gratitude to some of the admirable philanthropists in our midst. In our feature on The Givers, we pay homage to just a few of those amongst us who best exemplify the quotation from Luke 12:48, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” There are many such givers in our community, and to all we give our thanks.
For those of us who are not in the position to donate substantially to charity, there is always the option of volunteering. There are myriad such opportunities in our community and beyond, through churches and various philanthropic organizations. United Way, for example, promotes something called “episodic volunteerism.” Things like helping refurbish a school, repairing a playground, painting a community building – projects that require manpower more than money.
And for those of us with neither treasure nor time to donate, at least we can do our best to
come up with captivating presents for those we love. Since this publication abides by the credo “Everything within the Gables, nothing outside of the Gables,” we’ve done our best to give you recommendations on where to go inside the city for that gift which lets someone know you are both caring and discerning. Our Gift Guide is a compendium of ideas from local merchants, who also need your help as we emerge from the pandemic. In our Shop section, as well, we provide you with a quick guide to where the toys are, for all those parents worried about the demise of Toys R Us and FAO Schwartz.
So, enjoy your holidays, and give thanks that you live in a city that is not beset by many of the travails affecting the rest of the country, things like torrential flooding, forest fires, rampant crime, droughts, tornadoes, freezing snow, etc. Here’s to another green holiday, safe and warm, in the canopy covered shire known as the City Beautiful.
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Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 1200 Anastasis Ave. Suite 115, Coral Gables FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 995-0995. Copyright 2021 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to subscriptions@ coralgablesmagazine.com. General mailbox email and letters to editor@coralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2019.
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Each month we print letters we receive from our readers. We encourage all commentary, included criticism as well as compliments, and of course any commentary about our community. If you are interested in writing to us with your opinions, thoughts, or suggestions, please send them to letters@coralgablesmagazine.com. Letters are edited for brevity.
As always, I greatly enjoyed your annual, fourlegged, canine edition, focused on all things ‘Doggie’ – however, I was amazed at the glaring omission of perhaps the most significant dog-related event in the South Florida calendar. How could you not have mentioned the annual Halloween Doggie Costume Contest?
For the past ten years, each October 30th, The Coral Gables Museum has hosted an extremely popular and well attended Halloween Doggie Costume Contest. It begins at 4:30 pm on the Salzedo Plaza in front of the Museum. This is a splendid opportunity for Gables animal lovers to mingle around the cash bar while their imaginatively costumed, furry friends strut their stuff along the red carpet, competing for fun prizes donated by various local pet stores, groomers, and shelters. So don’t forget: October 30, 2022. Mark your calendar now.
Patrick Alexander Coral Gables MuseumEditor’s Note: Timing is everything, and our annual Dog Issue goes to press about 10 days before the annual costume contest. Next year we will run this year’s winners to encourage more residents to dress their pooches to the nines for Halloween.
It has been a couple of months since you ran your thorough and balanced September cover story “Carved in Coral Rock” by Mike Clary. The topic of historic preservation should always be front page news in a city founded on old world charm. As noted in the article, the late Arva Parks once observed, “Coral Gables’ past is a vital part of its future.” Today, Arva’s quote is more prescient than ever. Over the past year, more than 70 properties 50 years and older have been granted demolition permits. Many are already gone. Although some may not have met the significance criteria for preservation, many others could have qualified. Lack of research condemned them to be lost forever.
Homes with historical pedigree are being razed and the land sold at a premium to build oversized McMansions that encroach onto neighbors’ properties and disrupt the synchronicity of historic neighborhoods. Just in the last three months close to 20 requests for significance review have been submitted by either de-
velopers and/or architects with the intention of demolition, including a 1965 Alfred Browning Parker home, a 1926 Robert L Weed property in the Italian Village, and a 1929 Mediterranean residence in Gables Estates.
Coral Gables has one of the strictest Historic Preservation Ordinances in the state, yet significant properties continue to be lost. The designation process follows a set of objective criteria that includes architectural, cultural, and historical qualifications. Designation is not, contrary to some readers, based on whether a property is deemed “beautiful” or “ugly.” It must meet one of five criteria as defined by national guidelines, not personal taste. So, for the record, 1208 Asturia, La Salle, Coral Gables Museum, and the Fink Studio share one commonality: All met at least one criterion under the national standards for historic designation. Too bad for La Salle. It fell victim to ugly ignorance.
Karelia Martinez Carbonell Historic Preservation Association of Coral GablesRecently, I addressed the City Commission regarding the new Mobility Hub that’s slated to be constructed where Garage No. 1 currently exists, just across from Chocolate Fashion on Andalusia. I am against the Hub as currently presented by the Gensler Company, the developer who also constructed the Coral Gables Public Safety Building, the Paseo de Riviera, and Gables Station, now called “Life
Time” on US1. The city is currently restoring the building immediately west of City Hall on Biltmore Way where the Planning and Zoning Department and Code Enforcement offices will be located. This building and the newly opened Public Safety Building do not conform at all to the Mediterranean style that defines our city. The proposed city-owned Hub is another example of how the city is choosing to ignore its own historical charm. The Hub looks futuristic, completely incompatible with the building next-door, the iconic, historic-designated Actors’ Playhouse. The current City Commission and City Manager are clearly shifting their preference away from Mediterranean architecture as the City’s “signature” architecture to more of a smorgasbord of “any styles” architecture.
The price tag for the Mobility Hub is projected to be over 40 million dollars – a hefty amount for a replacement parking garage, which is all that’s really needed. So why not at least try to make the architecture more compatible with the surrounding buildings if not make it altogether Mediterranean? Modern technology and engineering can still be incorporated into an architecturally classic building. Artisans still exist today who could showcase beautiful Mediterranean design even in a parking garage. This Mobility “SNUB” not only turns its back on classic aesthetics, but also on the residents who are loudly protesting the out-of-character architecture. Our city can and should do better.
Gordon Sokoloff
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AT ITS LAST MEETING IN OCTOBER AND IN ITS NOVEMBER MEETING THE CITY COMMISSION:
RESOLVED 5-0 TO ACCEPT, from the Florida Department of Transportation: $22,600 for an automatic passenger counting system for the city’s trolleys; $34,000 to install trolley stop signs; $130,450 to extend trolley service to Saturdays; $170,299 to extend trolley hours into the evening.
VOTED 5-0 TO AUTHORIZE a special fund for the “extraordinary maintenance” of public art.
VOTED 5-0 TO APPROVE, on first reading, a tightening of the Mediterranean Ordinance which incentivizes developers to build in the Mediterranean style. A second vote is required for final approval. The commission also voted to end the moratorium on new projects using the Mediterranean style to seek bonuses for added height and density.
VOTED 5-0 TO APPROVE, on first reading, an amendment to the zoning code so that new developments along the transportation corridor (US1 and the Metrorail) follow the most restrictive zoning provisions. This is another salvo in the battle between the city and county regarding development along the corridor. A second vote is required for final approval. “We want to control our destiny,” said Mayor Vince Lago.
DEMANDED THAT PROFESSIONAL Parking Management, which operates private parking lots in the city, change their signage and ticketing processes so that residents who park there understand they are not city lots, that the tickets do not carry civil or criminal penalties and that ticket recipients will not be towed or booted (both against city rules).
VOTED 5-0 TO CREATE A “Landmarks Advisory Board” that will make recommendations for the maintenance and creation of new entrance landmarks for the city.
VOTED 5-0 TO LIMIT THE testing of home generator systems to weekdays between 11 am and 2 pm, and to 70 decibels in residential areas.
LISTENED TO A PRESENTATION on the lack of sidewalk access on city bridges, many of which are not connected to sidewalks or have steep drop-offs that make pedestrian use difficult and handicap use impossible. A report on their repair and upgrade is expected in December.
VOTED 5-0 TO APPROVE, on first reading, approval of a one-full-
block (2.6 acre) planned area development called “Gables Village,” a low-rise complex of Mediterranean style residences. The block is bound by Segovia Street, Hernando Street, Malaga Avenue and Santandar Avenue. A second vote is required for final approval.
VOTED 5-0 TO AUTHORIZE up to $150,000 for defensive training of Coral Gables police officers, on a session-by-session basis, by Coral Gables-based Kaizen Defensive Tactics.
VOTED 5-0 TO APPROVE the site plan for the futuristic 10-story, $40 million Mobility Hub, despite strong pushback from residents and community organizations. The new structure will have a public park on its top floor and retail on the ground floor, with parking for 626 cars. The Hub will replace parking garage No.1 (on Andalusia Avenue next to the Miracle Theater) which currently has space for 210 cars. Commissioners felt the need build a modern structure that could be repurposed in the future while supplying much needed parking for Miracle Mile in the meantime.
Civic activist Maria Cruz called the building “a beautiful monster” that does not fit in the Gables. Commissioners felt a Mediterranean parking building would too heavy (the new hub is airy and will glow at night) and “obsolete the day it broke ground,” said Commissioner Kirk Menendez. Commissioner Michael Mena showed slides with examples of modern architecture in historic cities, saying, “I think there is room in a world class city to have other types of architecture.” Only Commissioner Rhonda Anderson objected to the “skin” of the building, suggesting the use of living walls of green plants instead of aluminum ribbing. The commission agreed to another December vote on the aesthetics of the outer shell.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT recently inaugurated an annual report to rank the best U.S. public elementary and middle schools, based on test results, graduation rates and other measures. The list includes, as you would expect, some of the institutions in the Gables. Of the top three public elementary schools in Miami-Dade County, two are here: the Henry S. West Laboratory School (aka West Lab), a magnet school on the University of Miami Campus, and Sunset Elementary, a magnet school with an international studies program. (The third was Somerset Academy in South Miami). Among the public middle schools, West Lab was also one of the top three. ■
THE FATE OF THE CORAL GABLES COUNTRY CLUB MAY BE DECIDED AS EARLY AS THIS MONTH
BY MIKE CLARYIs the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees public green spaces, runs softball leagues, and offers Zumba classes for seniors, about to get into the restaurant business?
That seems a distinct possibility as the deadline approaches for the current operator of the Coral Gables Country Club and Liberty Cafe – Liberty Entertainment Group – to clear out after the city’s bitter breakup with that Canadian company, which has operated the place for the past 10 years. Its lease expires April 2022.
City Manager Peter Iglesias says he will announce in December a recommendation on whether to lease operation of the club, the café and the gym to the Barreto Hospitality Group, the only suitor offering to take on the job, or let the city run it. “We intend to keep it the same,”
said Iglesias. “But we need to put some money into it…”
Indeed, the city is now spending $1.4 million for a new roof and has plans to repair the pool. Ultimately, Iglesias sees the property again being run as “an affordable country club,” with members paying $3,000 to $4,000 a year for golf, gym, and pool privileges. There would also be a restaurant for future members. “It won’t be a Flemings [the upscale downtown steakhouse], but a small restaurant,” says Iglesias. “And there will be rooms for nice events,” like birthday parties and weddings.
Whatever Iglesias’ recommendation, the final word will come from the city commission. At his last town hall meeting, Mayor Vince Lago took questions about the Club’s fate and that of the adjacent Burger
Bob’s and assured the audience that their character would not change, even if that meant the city would ultimately run both facilities. In an e-mail to Coral Gables Magazine, the mayor said, “Burger Bob’s and the Coral Gables Country Club are iconic destinations that have helped build a sense of community. We are committed to ensure that any plans provide the opportunity for public input... and that any decision be made in a fair and equitable manner.”
At least two commissioners have reservations about the parks department diving into the restaurant business. “As a general proposition, I wouldn’t want the city running it unless it has to,” said Commissioner Jorge Fors, Jr. “For sure, our parks and recreation department is fantastic…. The question is, do we want to put the operation of the country club and the restaurant on their plate?”
Commissioner Rhonda Anderson said a “split arrangement,” in which an experienced restaurateur runs the food operations while Parks and Recreation handles other country club operations, could work. As Iglesias ponders his
decision, what is certain, he says, is that Liberty Entertainment will be gone, despite an outpouring of support expressed during a community meeting in September. In deciding not to renew the lease, the city cited a list of grievances, including late payments, broken agreements, and inadequate maintenance of the historic property.
As for Burger Bob’s – the beloved, cash-only hamburger joint that shares space with the pro shop on the Granada Golf Course – the lease on that property expires Dec. 31, after which it will be on a month-to-month basis. Two proposals have been submitted, one from businessman Rodney Barreto’s Hospitality Group, the other from Rita Tennyson, who has worked with current lease-holder Bob Maguire for nearly three decades.
Barreto has offered to come in with plenty of cash to upgrade and expand seating at the old-school eatery. Tennyson has offered only $60,000 for needed improvements but has a wealth of community support. Iglesias says a decision could come as early as the first quarter of 2022. ■
Walking into a biochemistry class, surrounded by a sea of masks, senior Anders Swanson thinks back to his first day at the University of Miami. “All of the new freshmen were out on the intramural field for orientation,” Swanson says. “And I remember there were huge crowds of people talking to each other and just a lot of group activities.”
Three years have passed since Swanson’s first day at UM, and since then much has changed. Freshmen no longer congregate in enormous groups for orientation, and instead of seeing his friends’ smiling faces in class, Swanson sees only masks.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities nationwide have had to adapt to life ruled by pandemic protocols. But now, after a year and a half, UM has managed to return most classes to in-person (vs. Zoom). And with zero cases of in-classroom transmission for the 2020-21 school year, and more than 80 percent of
BY KATELIN STECZundergraduate students now vaccinated, UM has lifted many of its COVID-19 protocols. Curfews are no longer in effect, and masks are no longer required outside, including at athletic events. Getting to this point has not been easy, however. During the last school year, UM monitored student organizations and student behavior closely.
On the Canes Care for Canes website, UM students could – and still can – report any student behavior that might be cause for concern. In the past this has included behaviors ranging from bullying to criminal activity. But since the start of the pandemic, the university has also encouraged students to report classmates, other students, or student organizations for behavior that violates the university’s COVID-19 protocols – even off school grounds. “If there was an off-campus problem that we became aware of, it was handled,” says Senior Vice President for Student Af-
fairs Dr. Patricia Whitely. Junior Matthew Maya says two of his friends faced disciplinary action for violating COVID-19 protocols off-campus. “They posted something on their Snapchat stories at a club. And I guess someone reported them because the university contacted them a few days later, and they got in trouble,” says Maya. His friends were placed on disciplinary probation, meaning that if they incurred a second offense, they could lose scholarship money or on-campus housing. Additional offenses could result in suspension or expulsion. Some Greek life organizations went so far as to enact a no-cell phone rule at parties, to stop students from taking pictures and reporting any mask-free revelry to Canes Care for Canes.
Now, while mandatory masking is still required indoors and recommended when in large groups outside, many students don’t wear masks at football games or while walking around
campus. “Sometimes, it’s hard to interact in class when everyone’s wearing a mask, but it really feels like things are going back to normal,” says Swanson, a music major.
UM still requires all students, staff, and faculty to get the COVID vaccine; unvaccinated students must get tested twice a week on campus. Even with that stick, the administration has used some big carrots: Starting in August and continuing until November 5, vaccinated students could participate in a raffle to win prizes that ranged from a poolside cabana at the Biltmore Hotel to an American Airlines voucher worth $350. For the grand prize, one student received $5,000 in cash. ■
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Among the perks of living in the Gables are the city’s Neighborhood Safety Aides, eight civilians who work for the police department. One of their key jobs, as they tool around in electric carts, is to spot exposed packages from Amazon (and others) on front porches. These are bait for porch bandits, so SAs place them out of sight and leave a note. The result, says police spokeswoman Officer Kelly Denham, is that last year only four packages were stolen between Thanksgiving and Christmas, out of thousands delivered.
But what happens to the empty cardboard boxes? Many are tossed into “trash pits” in front of homes – and in such volume the city commission passed an ordinance requiring citizens to break them down and put them
in recycling bins. “Even if you just put them next to the recycling bins, that would be helpful,” says Mayor Vince Lago, who previously sponsored legislation to place cardboard recycling containers in commercial alleyways. Now comes the ordinance for residential areas, effective Dec. 1, carrying penalties ranging from a warning to a $500 fine.
Rather than punish, however, the city would rather educate, using the UM Ibis mascot as a spokesperson. The city’s Nov.17 E-News even included a video of Vice Mayor Michael Mena with his family. “At home, it has become a family custom to recycle correctly,” the vice mayor explains, while his two daughters yell “Break the box!” and stomp a couple of them flat. Dad then places the boxes in the bin. ■
Snow Hansen Real Estate Advisor 305.608.8750 jj@jjsnowhansen.com
Raul has cerebral palsy and receives regular medical care at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
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You may not have noticed the black, futuristic looking pole in the median where Alhambra Circle meets Ponce de Leon, but it has been quietly collecting data for the past half year. This month it will be connected via cable to the city’s Community Intelligence Center (CIC), providing seamless 5G wifi to anyone within range. Once the quirks are worked out – technically it is still undergoing a pilot test program – the smart pole can accurately monitor air quality, temperature, noise levels, pedestrian and vehicular traffic, vehicular speed, and traffic light infractions, in addition to supplying public internet access.
“This is an AI powered smart pole that can provide valuable data,” says Raimundo Rudolfo,
the city’s Information Technology director. The pole is already providing video and sensor data to the urban analytics AI platform of the Smart City Hub (coralgables. com/smartcity), the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the CIC. Once connected via high-bandwidth cable, it can provide more data at faster speeds, and connect anyone within several blocks to the internet.
The smart pole is the latest in the ongoing effort to make Coral Gables a “smart city,” says Rudolfo, whose team just won the Cyber Trust Award for Innovation in Civic Government at the recent Cybersecurity Symposium for Smart Cities, held in San Jose, CA, under the umbrella of the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). ■
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BEST THINGS TO DO MILLER AT THE GABLESTAGE MENENDEZ’S MOVIES
A NEW FARMER’S MARKET
Coral Gables’ favorite surreal experience is back again, and bigger than ever. From Nov.12 all the way until Jan. 2 Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will come back to life by night. Experience beautifully illuminated gardens, as well as special effects and surprises, a perfect experience for the whole family. Along with the magical display, participate in interactive activities, and dine with Miami’s most popular food trucks. 10901 Old Cutler Road. For tickets visit thenightgarden.com.
On display at the Coral Gables Museum beginning on Dec. 1 is “Julio Larraz: The Kingdom We Carry Inside.” This show displays a superb selection of the renowned Cuban artists’ works from private and public collections, as well as archives and pieces that integrate his private collection, showcasing his skills in technique, color and light. Visit www. coralgablesmuseum.org for more information. 285 Aragon Ave.
FROST LIVE!
Frost Live has a week’s worth of performances for you before they take a break until the new year. Each day from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8 has different options to choose from, like “Winter Wonderland: Frost’s School of Music Holiday Dinner” on Dec. 5 or “American Voices: Frost Symphonic Winds” on Dec. 8. For ticket purchases and a full calendar of events, visit www.frost-music-live.miami.edu. Performances are held at the Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Dr.
AREA STAGE COMPANY & CRYSTAL ACADEMY: “POLAR EXPRESS”
Area Stage Company is getting into the Christmas spirit with their Inclusive Theatre Project, a one-of-a-kind theatre training program for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities. They will perform “Polar Express” with the students of Crystal Academy on Dec. 16 at 10 am., an adaptation of the beloved 2004 Christmas film. You can experience this delightful performance at the Holiday Park in Coral Gables, across from City Hall. For more information, visit www.areastage.org/itp or call (305) 666-2078. ■
Experience gorgeous choreography, costumes and sets as you join Clara on her magical journey to bring her Nutcracker Prince to life. On Sat. Dec. 4 at 7pm, the Christmas magic comes to life at Miami Dade County Auditorium with Armour Dance Theatre & New World School of the Arts’ performance. Purchase tickets online for $20-$40 at www.miamidadecountyauditorium.org. 2901 W. Flagler Street. You can also view the Miami Youth Ballet’s rendition at South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center on Sat. Dec 4 at 8 pm and Sun. Dec. 5 at 2 pm. Purchase tickets at www.smdcac.com for $26-$41, 10950 SW 211 St. For a funky twist to the traditional ballet, head to the Adrienne Arsht Center for a Hip-Hop Nutcracker on Sat. Dec. 11 at 3:30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets $29-$79. Or attend the classic Balanchine version at Arsht, performed by the Miami City Ballet, Dec. 16–26 at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm or 7 pm, depending on the day. Tickets $34-$125. Visit www.arshtcenter.org for both. 1300 Biscayne Blvd.
“MADELINE’S
Get into the holiday season with Madeline and friends. Join Madeline as she tries to save Christmas when the 11 other little girls at the orphanage come down with the flu. This festive musical production runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 30 at Actors’ Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile. Visit www.actorplayhouse.org to purchase tickets. You can also catch the star-studded “Middletown” until Dec. 12.
On a rainy Saturday evening in late September something special took place at UM’s Gusman Hall: The first public, live performance in 18 months of the Frost Symphony Orchestra. Under the baton of Maestro Gerard Schwarz, the 90+ musicians of the orchestra took to the stage, performing Brahms’s 3rd Symphony, along with smaller works by Stravinsky and Valerie Coleman. Not since February 2020 had there been a full orchestra on that stage.
The house was full – or as full as it could be with every other seat unoccupied as a Covid protocol. All the concert goers wore masks, as did orchestra members; theirs were black, to match their all-black wardrobes.
And when Maestro Schwarz walked onto the stage, the house exploded with cheers.
For any fan of classical music, nothing compares to a live performance. The orchestra is like a gigantic living creature, undulating as the music ebbs and flows. And nothing compares to watching an orchestra under the guidance of a gifted conductor like Schwarz. His control of the orchestra is visceral, and it responds like an extension of his body: As he gesticulates each section comes to life – the strings, the wind instruments, the brass, and the percussion, from violins to cymbals to French horns.
Maestro Schwarz will tell you that, during the pandemic,
the music never really died. He continued to conduct small performances of half-sized orchestras, musicians separated for social distancing, with only students allowed in the audience. And some of those performances, live-streamed, garnered huge online audiences. But as anyone knows, all music was once live, and the in-person experience is unbeatable.
Originally trained at Julliard, Schwarz joined the Frost School in 2019 as Distinguished Professor of Music and Conductor of the Frost Symphony Orchestra. His long and stellar career has included 26 years as the music director of the Seattle Symphony, nine years as music director of New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, and five years as the music director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He has recorded over 350 albums as a conductor, and has received 8 Emmy awards, 14 Grammy nominations, 8 ASCAP Awards and numerous other accolades. He is also an accomplished composer, and a
champion of new music, having conducted more than 300 world premieres.
“This [Frost] orchestra sounds like a great professional orchestra, not like students. These are gifted students, and they play on a high, professional level,” says Schwarz. “You can conduct a professional orchestra where they simply get bored. Here they care deeply, and when you get gifted musicians who care, the result is extraordinary.”
In addition to September’s Brahms, and Mahler’s Sixth Symphony in October, Maestro Schwarz will be conducting Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (Dec. 4 at Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall); Strauss, Ravel and Debussy (Feb. 12 at UM’s Gusman Hall); a world premiere opera The Leopard, March 5&6 (at SMDCAC because they have an orchestral pit); and twice more in April at Gusman (Bruckner and Mozart on April 2; Tchaikovsky and Chávez on April 30). You will thank yourself later if you book tickets now at frost.miami.edu. ■
F
orever on the short list of the greatest American playwrights, Arthur Miller had a gift for crafting dramas steeped in time and place, yet timeless in their exploration of the complexities of the human experience.
In his major works – ranging from “All My Sons” in 1947 and his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Death of a Salesman” in 1949 to “The Crucible” in 1953, “A View from the Bridge” in 1955 and “The Price” in 1968 – Miller explored the dark side of the American Dream and the consequences of ignoring bedrock ethical principles.
After a sudden COVID-19 closure and a 20-month production pause, GableStage has come back to life with its production of Miller’s “The Price.” The play was to have been the last one directed by GableStage’s longtime producing artistic director, Joseph Adler, who passed away after a long battle with cancer. Now, it’s the first directed by his successor, Bari Newport, who has already put her stamp on the company.
Changes become apparent from the moment you walk up to GableStage’s space at the eastern end of the Biltmore Hotel. A staffer checks for vaccination status, then issues a wristband before you proceed to an outdoor box office. Newport herself may be found outside, talking about the play, and taking questions, and there’s more outdoor, pre-show seating. The space inside is sprucedup but reassuringly familiar. After a welcoming speech from
Newport, the art begins – and that too is familiar, engrossing and delivered at the company’s customary high level.
Set in 1968, “The Price” has four characters, but you could argue that Lyle Baskin’s set constitutes a fifth. Chockablock with the possessions of a oncewealthy family ruined by the Depression, the attic of a soonto-be-demolished Manhattan brownstone symbolizes loss, betrayal, and poisonous family secrets. It had been home to Victor’s late father until the elder man’s passing 16 years earlier.
Victor Franz (Gregg Weiner), a New York police sergeant, is turning 50 and eligible to retire. He and wife Esther (Patti Gardner) are meeting used-furniture dealer Gregory Solomon (Peter Haig) at the attic. Missing, at least initially, is Victor’s estranged brother, Walter (Michael McKenzie), a successful doctor and the legal co-owner of all that clutter.
Though many contemporary plays run 90 minutes with no intermission, “The Price” is old-school: 2½ hours (with intermission) of character exploration and carefully plotted revelations. In the first act, Miller makes room for humor; Solomon, on the cusp of turning 90, is a cagey old fellow with a lifetime of self-benefiting tactics at his disposal, including jokes, misdirection, delays, and faux outrage.
But once Walter shows up and the second act gets rolling, “The Price” shifts into more serious territory as it becomes a reckoning between the brothers. Sacrifice, selfishness, and the
GableStage, the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave. 305-445-1119 or at gablestage.org.
Wed: 2 & 7 pm; Thurs: 7 pm; Fri: 8 pm; Sat: 2 pm & 8 pm; Sun: 2 pm. Through Dec. 12. Tickets: $45-$80 (includes processing and COVID cleaning fee).
Safety: Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test required.
Continued from page 34
sins of omission all come into play. And some of the twists are shocking, piercingly painful and, for anyone questioning the wisdom of life choices, unnerving.
The production is beautifully acted, with Weiner delivering a richly shaded performance as Victor; McKenzie’s Walter is the perfect portrait of a cocky doctor accustomed to power who ends up cracking to reveal the damaged man underneath. Gardner’s Esther, known to enjoy a cocktail or three, is a lovely woman raggedly on the edge.
It isn’t difficult to speculate why Adler chose “The Price” as his final production. He knew his remaining days were limited, and a play about choices and regrets spoke to him, as it does to us. Newport, who will carry GableStage into its future, has made sure of that. ■
ArtburstMiami.com is a non-profit source of theater, dance, music and performing arts news.
This month marks the third installment of Commissioner Kirk Menendez’ movie series at the Gables Art Cinema. Starting with “Singing in the Rain” in October and “Bonnie and Clyde” in November, this month’s classic flick is “Some Like it Hot” (Sat. Dec. 18, 1 pm), followed in January by “Goldfinger” (Wed. Jan. 5, 5 pm). Menendez launched the program because of his lifelong love of cinema, going back to his childhood when his parents took him to movies “I probably should not have seen at that age,” he says. Menendez picked films “with star power, highly acclaimed, iconic and with a pacing that keeps everyone, regardless of age, entertained.” Free to anyone 50+, Menendez is underwriting the films from his office budget and his pocket. “If we can touch the heart of one person in a hundred, then we have done a good deed,” he says. ■
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One of the perennial complaints about the Coral Gables Farmer’s Market is that it’s so short lived. Like Brigadoon, it appears for just a brief period each year, displaying goods in front of City Hall each January through March.
One theory as to why the Farmer’s Market lifespan is so limited comes down to something that’s anathema to any Gables resident – an absence of shade. Unlike the year-longshady Pinecrest Farmer’s Market, there is no protection from the sun during the mean season.
Now comes the North Gables Harvest Market, advocated for years by Mayor Vince Lago. Open Saturdays from 9 am until 2 pm, the new market offers something special: Shade. This didn’t seem to matter much the day we went, when a “cold-
front” with clear blue skies kept the temperature in the high 60s, but it will pay off on other days. Over 25 vendors were set up, with more expected this month, selling locally grown fruits and vegetables, home-made honey and jams, hand-crafted jewelry and soaps, flowers, baked goods and more. You can consume your edibles at tables there, while the kids are entertained by face painting and other arts & crafts.
But go soon, as the Harvest Market’s short lifespan ends this month to make way for Brigadoon. ■
HARVEST MARKET
140 MINORCA AVE.
DECEMBER 4, 11, AND 18 (SATURDAYS)
9 AM TO 2 PM
St. Catherine's School, Ashley's alma mater
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OLD SCHOOL AT THE GLOBE
French Baguette: Gustave
If a superb baguette is what you seek, look no further than Gustave. While you can enjoy this French staple (let’s face it, the French Revolution was sparked by a baguette shortage in 1789) as a sliced addendum to your onion soup, you’ll want one to-go from their small but excellent selection of French baked goods. Theirs has a perfect, chewy consistency and rich flavor. Just make sure to get there early, especially on weekends. 366 Miracle Mile. (305) 640-5675. Opens at 8 am Tues.-Sat., 9 am Sun. Closes at 4 pm except Thurs.-Sat. (10 pm).
Vegan Croissant: L’Artisane
Vegan doesn’t have to mean unappetizing. L’Artisane, Coral Gables’ first entirely vegan French bakery on Ponce de Leon, proves itself with pastries that we will most definitely be returning for. Recommended: the Nicciolata Croissant. Tasty, not to mention beautiful, this golden croissant is crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and stuffed with nutella. Another recommendation: the Monkey Bread. Think a cinnamon roll-like shape and flavor but not as moist, with caramel and topped with hardened chocolate. 2526 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Mon.-Sun. 7:30 am to 7 pm. (786) 502-8595
For elegant baked desserts, Bachour is the place. Yes, they have lots of lovely breakfast pastries. But it’s their extraordinarily crafted desserts, each like a work of art, that elevate Bachour to the culinary Olympus where world-class pastry chef Antonio Bachour resides. These glazed concoctions, often with unusual fruit flavors (plus chocolate), are displayed like jewels in glass cases, and sent home in Tiffany blue boxes, glued with sugar to avoid sliding around. 2020 Salzedo St. Mon.-Sat. 7 am to 9 pm. (305) 203-0552
Just south of US 1 near UM lies Madruga Bakery, the only complete bakery in the Gables. And that means freshly baked bread. Theirs is baked from scratch daily with organic flour; the wheat is stone milled in house, preserving its full nutrition. We went for the Country Blonde Loaf, which had a tough, tasty bread crust and soft inner texture with a flavorful sourdough taste; mass-produced breads just can’t compare. And they don’t lack for options, offering fresh ciabatta, poppyseed rolls, multigrain, Jewish rye and more. On the corner of Madruga Avenue and Madruga Court. Wed.-Sun. 8 am–2 pm (305) 262-6130.
Chocolate Fashion’s glass display case is so stocked with delicious chocolate desserts it’s difficult to make a choice. Our recommendation: the Opera and the Chocolate Eclair. The Opera is a small rectangular pastry comprised of almond cake stacked with layers of coffee mousse and chocolate mousse. Almost too beautiful to eat. The Chocolate Eclair is another delicious choice, a soft oval shaped cookie topped with a thin layer of hardened chocolate and stuffed with a chocolate filling. 248 Andalusia Ave. (305) 461-3200. Open Tues.-Sat. 7 am–3 pm; Sun 8 am–3 pm. ■
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It is off the beaten path, hidden away on Galiano just south of Valencia. But for its devotees, Frenchie’s Diner offers a truly bohemian Paris café experience, with standard fare that includes quiche lorraine, croque monsieur, escargots and duck confit. While their menu offers no mercy for lunch vs. dinner, you can still walk away full by splitting one of their huge servings of mussels. From curried to marinieres style (they change daily) at $25 they come with – and we’re not trying to be cute here – the best French fries in the Gables, bar none. Great coffee, too.
When it comes to local brews, nothing beats the beer at Bay 13, where drinkers can imbibe inside by the great copper brewing tanks, or outside under canvas awnings by a sparkling fountain. We have wondered about the pub grub, however. Since proprietor Nick Sharp is from Melbourne, Australia (where Bay 13 is the rowdy section of the local cricket stadium), we decided to stay with the “Aussie Favourites” part of the menu, with its meat pie, fish & chips, lamb burger and the surprisingly good Bay 13 Chicken Parmi. The secret to the latter is a slice of ham – and an Arvo Pacific Ale to wash it down.
The word “salumi” is the Italian umbrella for all cured meats, from salami to prosciutto. Naturally, then, you would expect Salumeria 104 on Miracle Mile to excel at such sliced edibles – and they do (make sure to order some melon with yours). But what impresses us more are the pasta selections devised by chef Angelo Masarin. These are not your sloppy, red-sauced spaghettis, but sophisticated dishes like ricotta cheese cavatelli with porcini mushrooms, and black ink house-made tagliolini with shrimp, garlic and Calabrian chili. At $18 to $24, molto benne!
For fans of Mexican cuisine, the only game in town has been Talavera on Giralda. For the last six months, however, chef Hillary Fernandez has been challenging that monopoly at Maia House in the Aloft Hotel on Le Jeune Road. Fernandez takes Mexican food to a new level, with inventive dishes like her ceviche Acapulco (with curry ketchup and avocado mousse) and her fish al pastor quesadilla (catch of the day with Oaxaca cheese). She also uses a Josper oven for her wonderful citrus roasted whole snapper and corn-crusted sea bass. Now, if they would only stop playing the pounding house music at night… ■
For longtime residents of the Gables, the name Randazzo’s goes back to 2002, when former professional boxer Marc Randazzo opened a small place on Giralda Avenue. With Italian American recipes from his mother and grandmother –the kind of tomato sauced pasta with sausage and meatballs they ate in “The Godfather” – Marc Randazzo quickly gained a following. So, he expanded to the two-story Randazzo’s Little Italy at the west end of Miracle Mile (now demolished). For reasons ranging from a bad marriage to hubris, Randazzo left the Gables in 2017 and relocated to Key Biscayne. Now he has returned, with the backing of ex-Chicago restaurateur and racehorse-owner Sam Villardito. “Horses are my passion, and the restaurant is my hobby,” says Villardito, whose horse Sole Volante, winner of the Tampa Derby, hangs
on one wall.
As for the food at Randazzo’s, forget about the subtle, nuanced kinds of Italian food you find in places like Zucca, Fiola or Portosole. This is Italian food, New York and Chicago style. “I would say there is Southern Italian, Northern Italian and Italian-American food,” says Randazzo. “The south of Italy does a lot with tomatoes, and the Italians who immigrated here were mostly southern Italians. Italian Americans came here with the same recipes, but different ingredients. We didn’t have a lot of meat in Italy, but we got meatballs here. You won’t find meatballs in Italy.” But you will find them at Randazzo’s, which daily makes the tastiest tomato sauce you will find anywhere. This is Italian comfort food at its best, and it’s a comfort to have it back in the Gables. ■
If you’ve gotten a drink lately at Forte Restaurant on Miracle Mile you may have noticed that the bar is made of metal. Copper to be exact, the same stuff used to make pennies – and cups for Moscow Mules. The choice is no accident; co-owner and master of the kitchen Chef Adrianne Calvo has long been fascinated by the power of copper, which is an essential mineral for human nutrition and a natural antibacterial agent. “It is also a great conductor of energy, and magnifies energy transfer,” she says. Which means that if you sit at the bar, your chances of getting lucky just might improve. “You catch good vibes, because copper cancels our negative energy,” says Chef Adrianne. It is also supposed to improve circulation, get oxygen pumping, boost your immune system, and sharpen your mind – a perfect counterbalance to the booze you’ll imbibe while sitting there.
The Globe is about as old school as you can get in the Gables. Inside the venerable oasis of food and drink on Alhambra Circle, you will find classical works of art as well as a wooden wainscotting and a wooden bar that feels like you’re in a centuries-old European tavern. Now owner Danny Guiteras has taken the old school agenda one step further, printing match boxes with the Globe’s artistic imprimatur. “Once upon a time, coasters, porcelain ashtrays and elegant matchboxes were common accoutrements of even simple restaurants and bars,” says Guiteras. “In addition to advertising the establishment, they also served as mementos full of sophistication, romance and panache.” Guiteras says he thinks of The Globe as “a portal to those all but forgotten days.” Time travelers step this way. ■
KAT LLERENA’S APTLY NAMED STEM SHOP REFLECTS HER LOVE OF EVERYTHING FLORA
BY KIM RODRIGUEZ
Giralda Avenue, as any Gables foodie knows, is eating destination central, with a parade of international restaurants and cafés. It is now also home to women’s retail boutique Stem Shop. Owner Kat Llerena just opened her doors in October, relocating from a small location in South Miami. Already, she seems right at home in the heart of the city, and especially on this acclaimed street.
“I’ve been a resident of Coral Gables for years,” she says. “I moved to the downtown Gables [because] I was fascinated by how everything is within walking distance and how safe it is at all hours of the day and night. I am in love with Giralda.”
Kat is a Cuban immigrant from the city of Cienfuegos. She left Cuba as a child with her family during the1994 raft exodus and eventually landed in
Puerto Rico for several years. As a young adult her family moved to Miami where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from FIU and worked in the entertainment/television industry. Despite successes in the corporate world, she decided to pursue her dream of entrepreneurism by becoming a small business owner. When Covid-19 hit, she’d only been open for a year, but despite that challenge her business survived. With the pandemic waning, and a loyal clientele base in tow, she decided to move her store to the City Beautiful.
Because she is a self-professed plant lady (with flora on full display throughout the store – and gorgeous palm tree wallpaper on one wall), Kat says she “wanted to create an indoor tropical oasis for my clients. I want them to experience a relaxing atmosphere filled with kind
and positive energy.” The store’s namesake derives from that love of plant beauty, because “without a stem, flowers can’t bloom. So, we aspire to become the ‘stem’ that helps our customers bloom with confidence and enhance their inner beauty.”
Stem offers a panoply of fashionable, on trend items, carefully curated to give her clients well priced pieces that can’t be found everywhere. She boasts an entire wall of dresses, separates which work with each other to make outfit options easy, especially when accessorized with her affordable bags and beautiful selection of jewelry. For the holiday season her clients will find color block pants, skirts,
and cardigans paired with vegan leather bottoms. Also big for the holiday will be pretty pastels in nude shades. Her clients skew toward the younger side, in their 20s and 30s, but she does have a little something for everyone (even my age!)
Kat has spent countless hours getting her store ready pre-holidays, so please make sure to visit her little oasis soon. I promise she will be waiting with a smile, her genuinely sweet personality, and a bouquet of beautiful scents to draw you in. ■
Kim Rodriguez is a Personal Stylist and Shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. Krpersonalstyle.com
BY CARMEN FRAGA
We won’t judge you if you’ve walked past “The Bakery ‘’ on Miracle Mile and thought you would stop in for a cupcake. But the Bakery is downtown Coral Gables’ first smoke shop – aka “head shop” – selling everything from brightly colored glassware to the latest vaporizers, CBD gummies, and even Delta 8, a legal and less potent form of cannabis, containing only .3% THC.
In mid-September, owner Raameel Anwaar’s dream to have a smoke shop cleverly named “The Bakery ‘’ – for “getting baked” – became a reality. Getting the permit was a long and winding road starting with multiple city commission debates as to whether the city should permit such a place. In the end, the argument that smoke shops should be considered free enterprise and controlled in the same way as liquor and wine stores, won the day.
But why Miracle Mile specifically? Anwaar says his father gave him the idea, pointing out that, unlike places such as Coconut Grove or Miami Beach, there was no competition in the Gables. “If it doesn’t work here, it won’t work anywhere,” says Anwaar.
Prior to The Bakery venture, Anwaar, 26, had plans to attend law school, but dropped out of the University of Miami to follow his gut. “You have to do what feels right for you,” he says. “At the end of the day, whether you’re right or wrong, you’ll be happy.” With the gradual legalization of cannabis and the normalization of its use, all kinds of Gableites are popping into The Bakery. “I get everything from UM students who know exactly what they want, to adults in their 60s who ask a bunch of questions,” says Anwaar.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Florida since June 2014,
when Governor Rick Scott signed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act. This allowed patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, or muscle spasms to use cannabis as prescribed by a doctor. Fast forward to June 2017 when the Medical Use of Marijuana Act was passed, establishing rules to regulate the availability of medical marijuana to Floridians (after 71 percent of voters approved of the Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative!). Under current Florida law, conditions which meet the criteria for medical marijuana cards include ALS, cancer, Crohn’s Disease, epilepsy, PTSD, Parkinson’s, chronic pain, or any terminally ill condition. Others that may qualify include anxiety, Alzheimer’s, and nausea. With cannabis becoming a popular remedy for such conditions, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing places like CannaMD medical marijuana clinic on Ponce de Leon – and The Bakery on Miracle Mile. It’s the beginning of a new industry.
Despite having a smoker’s dream inventory, The Bakery is inclusive to non-smokers. “Even if you’re not a smoker, there’s something here for you,” Anwaar says as he points out scented candles and shelves stocked with vibrant cereal boxes, and snacks like Cheetos and Oreos, from countries like Japan, West Indies, and Thailand. Aside from the foreign big-brand snacks because “they taste so much better,” around 60 percent of The Bakery’s merchandise is handpicked, as much from Coral Gables sources as possible. Anwaar also plans to collaborate and host events with local breweries, and if you stop by the store on any Friday, you can grab a free, harmless baked good from Coral Gables-based Dan Bakes. ■
TRADER JOE’S NEW OUTPOST IN THE GABLES IS ALL ABOUT ORGANIC FOOD PRICES
Trader Joe’s could not have picked a better spot than the LifeTime complex on US 1 at Ponce. The focus of Life Time is health, and if there’s one thing that Joe’s delivers, it’s organic produce at low prices. But just how low does Joe go? We did some comparison shopping.
At Joe’s, organic red peppers are only $3.69 for two; at Publix they cost $4.09 each. Publix also loses with organic strawberries; at Joe’s they cost $4.99 for 16 oz.; at Publix the same amount goes for $6.99. The price difference for organic spinach is even worse. At Joe’s, a 6 oz. bag is just $2.29. At Publix, a 5 oz. bag of baby organ-
ic spinach is $4.39. Not that it’s all divergent. At Joe’s an 11 oz. bag of organic green beans goes for $4.49; at Publix a 12 oz. bag cost $4.99, about the same. Meanwhile, at Whole Foods on Red Road, the organic pricing is more competitive. The organic red bell peppers at $3.99 a pound is just a tad higher than Joe’s ($3.69 for about the same); the organic spinach is just a tad higher than Joe’s ($2.29 for 5 oz., vs. $2.29 for 6 oz.); and their organic blueberries at $5.99 per pint (about 18 oz.) beats Joe’s ($4.49 for 11 oz.). Their organic baby bella mushrooms, however, are losers at $3.99 for 8 oz. compared to $2.49 for 8 oz. at Joe’s. ■
There used to be something called a toy store. Those are long gone, but there are still plenty of places in the Gables to find holiday gifts for the little ones. Here are some choices.
Aside from their miniature furniture, Pottery Barn Kids is stocked with kids’ gifts, including traditional toys such as Lionel trains or wooden train sets. It also has small doll sets with different dollhouse options, larger baby dolls and toy strollers – along with beginner art kits, animal toys, educational puzzles, and toy kitchens. Shops at Merrick Park. 305.446.6511.
A nice selection of video games such as Far Cry, Fifa 22 and Call of Duty, as well as extra remotes for Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PS4. For young athletes there are basketballs, bouncy balls, baseballs and mitts, tennis rackets and pool toys. They also carry Nerf and Hot Wheels; Barbies or Baby Alive dolls; and classic board games like Monopoly. 1906 Ponce. 786.437.3207
Surprise your young Einstein with a National Geographic science kit – such as Fossil/Shark Tooth Dig, Build Your Own Volcano, or Crystal Growing Lab. For your little Potter Heads, there is an entire section of Harry Potter-themed toys, from LEGO’s to wands to stuffed Buckbeak’s and Hedwig’s. Also, strategic mind games and puzzles. 152 Miracle Mile. (305) 446-4152
If superheroes in the form of action figures or comic books are what your child enjoys, then Korka Comics and/or Gables Records N Comics are just for you. Think of Batman, Superman, the Hulk, Star Wars and Ninja Turtles. Also: An army of Anime. Korka Comics. 4708 S. Le Jeune. 786.953.7092. Gables Records N Comics. 277 Miracle Mile #203. 786.879.4407
They don’t sell toys per se, but when it comes to reading for children, Books & Books has an entire section just for kids. From the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series to “The Kid’s Book of the Elements,” B&B has it all – including everything by Dr. Suess (in Spanish, too) except for the now politically incorrect ones, like “If I Ran the Zoo.” 265 Aragon Ave. 305.442.4408. ■
Christmas and Hannukah are weeks away, and you still have shopping to do. What’s the solution? Buy local. Go to stores here in the Gables that actually have items in stock – gifts that are immediately available, no shipping required. Take them home the same day. So, even though we live in an online universe, where everything appears to be yours at the stroke of keyboard, it’s good to know we can still go old school in Coral Gables. Supply chain prob-
lems from your online vendors? Visit retailers here in the real world. And re-live those days when you could touch and taste the thing you were buying, instead of relying on a pixelated website image.
In the pages that follow are a slew of options to make your holidays just a little brighter. It’s time to think global but shop local. Happy holidays.
BELLMÒNT SPANISH RESTAURANT
339 Miracle Mile (786) 502-4684
www.bellmontrestaurant.com
BLISS IMPRINTS & GIFTS
293 Miracle Mile (305) 661-2030
www.stationarybliss.com
BLUE SERENITY
258 Andalusia Ave. (305) 633-1479
www.blueserenityboutique.com
BOOKS & BOOKS
265 Aragon Ave. (305) 442-4408
www.booksandbooks.com
CAFÉ GRUMPY 2516 Ponce de Leon Blvd. (305) 364-5012
www.cafegrumpy.com
CASA BAKE
366 Miracle Mile (305) 896-6363
www.casabake.com
CASA MARIA 4100 Salzedo St (305) 799-4280
www.casamariaonline.com
CORAL GABLES ART CINEMA
260 Aragon Ave. (786) 472-2249
www.gablescinema com
EDWARD BEINER
370 San Lorenzo Ave. (305) 461-1808
ewww.dwardbeiner com
GABLES CIGAR 2324 Salzedo St. (305) 631-2139 facebook.com/gablescigarshop
GABLES GEMS
250 Miracle Mile (305) 444-2335
www.gablesgems.com
JAE’S JEWELERS 237 Miracle Mile (305) 443-7724
www.jaesjewelers com
MANKIND 290 Aragon Ave.(305) 446-2500
www.mankindformen.com
MIAMI ALKALINE WATER 68 Miracle Mile (305) (305)677-9897
www.miamialkalinewater.com
MONTICA JEWELERS
500 S. Dixie Hwy #203 (305) 446-2957 www.montica.com
NANDOG 60 Miracle Mile (786)391-0733
www.nandog.com
NO BOUNDARIES
220 Aragon Ave. (305) 444-3206
www.noboundariessport.com
PEPI BERTINI 357 Miracle Mile (305) 461-3374
www.pepibertini com
RAZZLEDAZZLE 392 Miracle Mile (305) 774-0074
www.dazzlebarbershop.com
RODILLA 135 Miracle Mile (786) 332-3294
www.rodilla.com
SANTAYANA 4100 Salzedo St. #15 (305) 694-2651
www.santayana.com
SNOW’S JEWELERS 270 Miracle Mile (305) 443-74498
www.snowsjewelers.com
STEM 102 Giralda Ave. (305) 440-8169
instagram.com/shop_at_stem
THREEFOLD CAFÉ
141 Giralda Ave. (305) 704-8007
www.threefoldcafe.com
VICTORIA’S ARMOIRE
4077 Ponce de Leon Blvd.(305) (305) 445-3848
www.victoriasarmoire.net
VIOLETAS
221 Miracle Mile (305) 381-0711
www.violetashomedesign.com
WELL GROOMED GENTLEMAN
130 Miracle Mile #102 (786) (786) 362-6360
www.wellgroomedgentleman.com
WOLFE’S WINE
129 Miracle Mile (305) 445-4567
wolfeswines.com
ZUCCA
162 Alcazar Ave. (786) 580-3731
zuccamiami.com
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Tisthe season to drink wine and be merry. Or to drink coffee to get through the shopping. Or to drink alkaline water, to stay hydrated, for heaven’s sake (and balance your PH).
Books, Baking, Baskets and Bluetooth: When you have no time left or need something unique for that exceptional person on your list, sometimes you have to go rogue.
FOR THE ART FANATIC: Perfect for the art enthusiast in your life, this Frieda Kahlo tome pres ents the art and never before seen ephemera from Kahlo’s life. $200
COFFEE LOVER’S BASKET: Everything you need for the caffeine lifestyle, including locally roasted coffee from Deco Coffee Co. Starting at
FOR THE JULIA CHILD IN YOU: Learn how to bake macarons, tartes, and classic pastries at Casa Bake’s French pastry classes in Gustave Restaurant.
PACKING FOR SHORELINE: This “Beach Please” canvas bag will fit everything you need for yoiur sojourn by the ocean. $34.95
How often have you gone shopping for someone else, only to discover the perfect gift for yourself? Or maybe the perfect gift for both of you? A bit of jewelry, a cute dress, a flowery blouse, or a necklace you just simply must have.
May I have more please?
BLUE FIRE DUO: These sapphire and diamond earrings are the perfect gift – for yourself! And who could blame you?
FOR THE GIRLS: For the trendy, fashionable, smart, and chic woman who loves to shop small and support women owned businesses, this is the boutique for you in downtown Coral Gables.
INTIMATE GIFTING: Artisanal tableware, soaps, candles, jewelry and clothing, including these holiday 3 piece PJ sets $64
DIFFERENT STROKES: A potpourri of affordable necklaces, rings, earrings and unique household items, including this NY designer Bounkit string of blue topaz and fluorite semi-precious stones.
OBJECTS D’ARTS: Step it up a notch with high-end designer items for your home at Violetas Home Design. Art reigns supreme here, a store that interior designers frequent for special and unique pieces, such as this hard to find Fornasetti decorative plate.
THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD: The sandwiches from this Spanish chain are so elegantly prepared they even cut the crusts off. Unique flavors for every taste, and catering too.
FOR THE ROYAL DOG: This Cloud Crown bed (purple) is a cozy, perfect fit for your favorite furry friend. Available in multiple colors $69 -
A comfortable chair, a dog at your feet and a catered meal specially ordered for the holidays. When it comes to being at home, it’s best to surround yourself with things you love. It is your safe harbor.1. NANDOG PET GEAR 2. RODILLA 3. VICTORIA’S ARMOIRE 4. VIOLETAS
Money can’t buy you love. Jewelry, however, is something entirely different. Nothing wows a woman more than a precious stone. So, what are you waiting for? After all, ‘tis the season to sparkle.
HOLIDAY SPARKLE:
This Ti Sento - Milano gold-plated silver necklace flaunts a stream of rectangular and circular links. With an elegant Y shape, you can clip off the tail and wear it as a classic chain neckace. Crafted from 925 sterling silver, it’s a bold and sophisticated eye-catcher.
$1,499
STILL A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND: For quality, service and price, Snow’s has been your family owned and operated hometown jeweler since 1958.
TECHNICOLOR BLING: This Italian collection of 18kt gold jewelry has straight line bracelets and rings with innovative oval stretch designs set with natural color sapphires.
First, dress to the nines – a gown for her, a tux for him, and a trim for both of you. Then go and order a roast pig cooked in a 14-ton oven from Spain. Finally, check out an indie film at the Gables Cinema. Dinner and a show – the accoutrements of romance.
A FINE REPAST: Enjoy a Spanish delicacy this holiday season, with seafood paella or roasted suckling pig at Bellmónt on Miracle Mile.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: This holiday season, give the gift of movies, or go yourself. For a limited time only, get $5 free for every $25 loaded on your gift card for tickets and concessions.
HAIR TODAY: Its not how much hair you have, but how you have it coiffed. Buy a $40 gift card and get a complementary hair wash. Value $5.00
EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES: Stay young and stylish with this rhinestone denim jacket.
Some things in life are just for men. Like a custom Italian clothier and shirt maker who asks if you dress to the left or to the right. Or a fountain pen to sign the big deal. Or a cigar to celebrate the deal, along with steam bath at Mankind. Hemmingway watch out.
WHEN THE CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN: Stop by this holiday season for classic, timeless gifts for the men on your list:
• Coat: Blue reversible, 100% wool $2,200
• Scarf: Double print book scarf $330
• Belt: Navy leather belt with stitching $270
• Shirt: Dark tan cotton $360
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RACK ’EM UP: Shouldn’t every barbershop have a pool table and a bar? Yes, especially if it’s Driftwood – or Coral Gables. Receive an extra 20% on every Holiday Gift Card.
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NOTHING BEATS A GOOD SMOKE: Casa Cuevas Patrimonio Corojo Toro Box $220.00
GREEN WITH ENVY: Make all your girlfriends jealous with these diamond Halo emerald stud earrings
$1,795
DINING IN STYLE: Beautiful plated and exquisitely prepared, fine dining at Zucca is an extravagance worth every penny.
BESPOKE TAILORING: Nothing says extravagance like a hand-crafted suit from the finest materials. Spare no expense for elegance. $2,000-$8,000
WHEELS OF FORTUNE: You can start at $300, but be prepared to go north of $10,000 for the top of the line. Titanium anyone?
When you have more money than time, or just want to show someone you really, really, really care: A bauble for your neck, a bicycle for the Grand Prix, a suit that fits you like a glove, and an elegant dinner if you have any cash left.
When all is said and done, what’s wrong with loving yourself a little bit and buying something, well, just for you? Custom jewelry for the lady, titanium eyeglass frames from France, or just a damn good haircut and shave – pick your indulgence, and then dodge the guilt.
THE EYES HAVE IT:
60’s inspired design with a bold rectangular lens shape. Featuring dual laminated temples with precious metal hardware. Limited edition numbered piece. Jacque Mari Mage - Torino in Platinum • $585
HEARTS OF GOLD:
Sometimes you just have to spend it on you. Reward yourself with:
• 14k yellow gold star pendant on a diamond necklace $2,450
• 14k yellow gold heart and cross necklace with ruby pave $2,495
•14k yellow gold heart ring $625
ROCKING THE LOOK: its no longer old school barbering when a beautiful woman cuts your hair. Its a razzle dazzle fun indulgence.
“SHE EARNED IT. WE ARE NOT A FAMILY BUSINESS. WE ARE A BUSINESS OWNED BY A FAMILY. WE ARE A MERITOCRACY, AND SHE HAD THE PASSION, THE INTELLECT AND LEARNED THE BUSINESS... ”
Growing up, Ana-Marie Codina Barlick remembers visiting her father’s real-estate projects on Sunday afternoons and working at his company summers during college. Today, she’s CEO of Codina Partners, joining her high-profile dad Armando to develop Downtown Doral and other ventures across South Florida.
The studious 45-year-old with a top MBA is shifting their business strategy. With land for new development becoming scarce, she’s switching from his build-andsell model to a strategy of build-and-hold. She wants Codina Partners to be known for “creating, managing and operating great places for people to live and work,” and not just buildings but entire communities.
“As the second generation in the organization, I see my role more as steward than pure entrepreneur,” says Ana-Marie, a mother of three and patron of the arts. During Covid, for instance, her team organized outdoor events at Downtown Doral for residents to gather safely, helping restaurants and stores there as well. “We feel you can do good and do well,” she says.
Ana-Marie exemplifies a growing trend: daughters moving up to lead their family’s business or at least part of it, including their family foundations. In Coral Gables, that’s the case with Christina Pappas, who’s set to helm The Keyes Company real-estate brokerage built up by her father Mike; and with Melissa Medina, who runs eMerge Americas, the venture launched by her dad Manny to develop Miami as a tech hub for the Americas. It’s also the case with Adriana Cisneros, CEO since 2013 of The Cisneros Group, the international media and real-estate conglomerate begun by her grandfather in Venezuela, expanded by her dad Gustavo and based until recently in the Gables.
Research shows many hurdles for daughters following after well-known, successful dads. The biggest challenge is to build credibility, both with people inside the family business and with suppliers,
customers and other stakeholders outside, says Marianna Makri, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at University of Miami. That’s partly because women remain under-represented in leadership positions in business in general.
“Daughter successors need to overcome the ‘invisibility factor’ and work harder than sons to establish themselves as the new leader,” says Makri. “What helps build credibility is the daughter’s education and previous work experience outside the family business.”
Daughters do have one advantage over sons, however: less testosterone and hence less direct rivalry. “The father-son relationship is usually more competitive, which makes for more conflict and more abrupt change in control,” says Makri. “The power play is less likely with ‘Daddy’s little girl’ dynamics.” But harmony can have a downside. Dads may delay succession to daughters, “because the power struggle is not there,” she says.
Active planning helps ease the shift in control, says Adriana Cisneros, 42. She and her dad Gustavo spent five years preparing
her to become CEO, even restructuring the business in line with her vision. Without that groundwork, “tough questions about decisions are not answered and … the new leader is not given the budget or space to decide what the direction for the company is,” she told a Yale University forum.
Codina Barlick never planned “to take over” her father Armando’s business. As a teen, she thought she might pursue a different field.
“DAUGHTER SUCCESSORS NEED TO OVERCOME THE ‘INVISIBILITY FACTOR’ AND WORK HARDER THAN SONS TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AS THE NEW LEADER...”
MARIANNA MAKRI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STRATEGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
IN CORAL GABLES, THE TORCH IS NO LONGER BEING PASSED JUST TO THE MALE HEIR
She studied art history at Trinity College in Connecticut and tried a stint in fashion.
But real-estate called. She worked two years in leasing at Tisch Speyer Properties in New York, earned an MBA at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then headed home to work in project management with her father’s company. “I love real estate. It’s concrete. You’re building something. You’re leaving something behind,” Ana-Marie says.
After her dad and his associates sold their business in 2006, she and Armando started a new venture together, Codina Partners. Their key project was Downtown Doral, a city within a city spanning 250 acres, with residences, retail and commercial space the family aims to manage long-term. Ana-Marie led master planning. She even forged a unique partnership with the Miami-Dade School Board to create dual-language schools that now rank among Florida’s best, drawing families to the area.
“Everything we do – the schools, public art – it’s about ‘How do we make this community really special?,’ instead of ‘Here’s a checklist of what you need to do,” she says, underscoring her long-term vision.
Research shows that father-daughter transitions work best when roles are well-defined. Ana-Marie says that part came easily. Each plays to their strengths. Armando tends to be more big-picture and people-oriented. She’s happy behind the scenes, building organizations and making operations run smoothly.
“There are certain things he doesn’t like to do and shouldn’t have to do at his age, so I let him cherry pick what he wants,” says Ana-Marie, the only one of Armando’s four daughters in the business.
Armando says Ana-Marie worked her way up to become CEO, as any top executive does in a serious company. “She earned it,” he tells Coral Gables Magazine. “We are not a family business. We are a business owned by a family. We are a meritocracy, and she had the passion.. the intellect.. and learned the business. She can operate it better than me. I don’t even go to staff meetings anymore.”
The duo come from very different backgrounds. Armando arrived in the US alone as a child, one of some 14,000 Cuban “Pedro Pan” children sent away for their safety by their parents after the island’s 1959 revolution. He’s self-educated and self-made, making his first fortune selling a medical data company. Starting in 1972, he bought land and developed industrial parks around Miami International Airport. More recently,
in Coral Gables, he’s developed such iconic buildings as Bacardi’s regional headquarters on Le Jeune Road – not to mention the mixed use complex on Salzedo Street that houses the corporate headquarters along with apartment residents and the restaurant Bachour. Ana-Marie in contrast was born into a more comfortable life in Florida, and into a family business she cherishes and seeks to steward for future generations.
Those backgrounds – plus South Florida’s evolving market with less land for development, rising prices and tighter regulation – shape their different approaches: Armando the risk-taker, Ana-Marie the more cautious. “There’s an expression in entrepreneurial families. You don’t want to gamble money you already have to make money you don’t need. We’re trying to have that perspective,” she says.
Build-and-hold is the business model for Codina Partners’ proposed Regency Tower in downtown Gables, for example, luxury apartments where Armando plans to live, and for their Beacon Logistics Park, a
“I LOVE REAL ESTATE. IT’S CONCRETE. YOU’RE BUILDING SOMETHING. YOU’RE LEAVING SOMETHING BEHIND...”
ANA-MARIE CODINA BARLICK, CEO OF CODINA PARTNERS
warehouse-industrial complex underway in Hialeah. Their company currently employs some 60 people.
Outside of work, Ana-Marie says her dad respects her private life, leaving her time to pursue her interests. She’s devoted to the Miami City Ballet, led its board of trustees and keeps a signed poster from its ballet director on her office wall. “I was a terrible dancer,” she concedes. “The closest I could get to being a ballerina is supporting the ballet.”
For Christina Pappas, the spark to join the family business was her grandfather’s death. It was 2011, and Christina was working in sales for hotels in Los Angeles. She realized she no longer wanted to be so far from her loved ones. She didn’t want to regret not spending more time together.
Her grandfather Ted – a gifted negotiator – had built up the real-estate brokerage that Kenneth Keyes founded in Miami in 1926. He’d bought out Keyes in the early 1960s. Her father Mike took over the business in the 1990s, further growing its agent network and also buying properties, managing them and renting them. As Christians, the Pappas had been tithing 10 percent of company profits for decades and also giving time and cash to many community groups. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” says Pappas, quoting the New Testament. Then 26, new to the Keyes’ Gables office, Pappas knew she’d have to prove
herself, especially to peers. It wasn’t enough to have spent Decembers helping her mom bake baklava and other treats for company employees, Sundays playing real-estate sales with her siblings at dad’s office, or summers working at the firm. She’d studied hospitality at Cornell University and spent four years in sales for hotels in L.A. But her dad had warned her about the challenges in taking over a business from a parent, that she would have to work harder than others to earn her stripes. “Once you’re leading, if you do really great, they’ll say, ‘It’s because of what your predecessor did.’ If you do really horribly, they’ll say, ‘Oh look, she couldn’t handle it,’” she says.
Pappas opted to build credibility through professional groups. She started NextGen within Keyes for young professionals, joined the Women’s Council of Realtors and eventually became active with the Miami Association of Realtors, working her way up. This year, at age 36, she becomes president of Florida Realtors, the nation’s largest state realtor group, the 13th woman
“ONCE YOU’RE LEADING, IF YOU DO REALLY GREAT, THEY’LL SAY, IT’S BECAUSE OF WHAT YOUR PREDECESSOR DID...”
MIKE PAPPAS, FATHER OF CHRISTINA PAPPAS WHO IS SET TO HELM THE FAMILY FIRM OF KEYES COMPANY
to lead the group and the youngest president in the organization ‘s 105-year history. She’s also volunteered with many civic groups, from the Junior League to United Way, chairing key committees. “That [professional and community work] has helped earn peer respect and confidence in my own skills as a leader outside of the company,” says self-driven Christina, now a mom raising two children.
As vice president at Keyes, Christina is planning to shift strategy. She takes to
heart the teaching of her granddad and dad that “We’re here to be good stewards and take care of the people who work with us,” but she aims to extend that credo beyond commissions, training, and other longtime benefits for independent agents and employees. She wants to offer them a stake in real-estate itself, creating investment funds they can participate in and profit from, as property values increase. “We’re looking to purchase multi-family and retail properties with a buy and hold idea, and once we pay off debt, start to pay dividends to realtors, and at the right time, sell and buy more,” says Christina.
Today, Keyes operates with some 3,600 agents from Volusia County south to Miami-Dade, and is ranked as the largest independent brokerage in Florida. It also runs a title company, mortgage firm and management company. Together, the group handled more than $8 billion in real-estate sales and other transactions in 2020, the last full-year data available.
Christina says her father is helping prepare her to make bigger decisions for the hefty group. The two discuss their
decision-making process, analyzing each step and the consequences of decisions. By now, Christina says, she’s internalized their discussions, even joking to herself: “What would Mike ask?”
MEDINA: HEADING UP SOME OF THE FAMILY ENTERPRISE, NOT ALL
Daughters usually don’t want to “fill Daddy’s shoes,” but rather stake out their own path, building on contributions before them, studies show. Some choose to lead just part of their family enterprise.
Melissa Medina, for example, isn’t active with two big companies her dad Manny founded, software maker AppGate and data-center network Cyxtera, both publicly traded and based in the Gables. The mother of five with an MBA from the University of Florida instead runs the two civic-minded ventures he launched: eMerge Americas and the Medina Family Foundation. With both, she champions women and children, donating family funds to such groups as Women in Innovation (WIN) Lab.
“My drive comes from my parents and
“MY DRIVE COMES FROM MY PARENTS AND THEIR JOURNEY TO THE U.S. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CONTINUE THEIR LEGACY AND THE PASSION THEY HAVE TO GIVE BACK TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY THAT NURTURED THEM. ”
MELISSA MEDINA, ABOVE WITH HER CHILDREN, NOW RUNS EMERGE AMERICAS
their journey to the U.S.,” says Medina, 42, recalling, for instance, her dad’s arrival by boat from Cuba in the middle of the night. “I want to make sure I continue their legacy and the passion they have” to give back to the South Florida community that nurtured them. Today, the children of Medina and her peers are growing up in their mom’s offices. As barriers to women erode in the workplace, a younger generation of daughters may soon also rise. ■
CORAL GABLES enjoys – and deserves – a litany of accolades. When it comes to Florida cities, it ranks at the top in categories like affluence, education, cultural institutions, “smart” municipal technologies, and fine dining, to name a few. It is also a bastion of charitable engagement.
“This is an incredibly giving city,” says Mary Snow, president and CEO of the Coral Gables Community Foundation. “We are blessed to be a city with so many citizens who have the resources to help others. But more importantly, we are blessed with the number of those citizens who give back to their community and help those who are less fortunate.”
The Foundation is the city’s principal platform for channeling donations to worthy causes in education, the arts and culture, and small business. It currently stewards more than 90 Donor Advised Funds for local individuals and families which support local causes and charities. In addition to two annual events (Tour of Kitchens and the Foundation Ball) that raise money for outreach efforts and scholarships, it jumps in when crises occur. In the past year it raised money for the survivors of the Surfside condo collapse; during the pandemic it set up meal distribution centers and donated computers for those in need of home schooling or remote workstations.
But the Foundation’s efforts are only one part of the army of charitable endeavors by those who live in the Gables, and even its work would falter if not for support from residents.
In the following pages we feature a handful of the people who give back, both to our city and to those
in need across Greater Miami. And, as always, we ask why they contribute. The answers range from deeply held religious convictions, to family values that have been passed on, to simply the overriding feeling that those who are fortunate should share with those who are less fortunate. “If you are lucky enough to have the resources to get involved [with charitable giving], what an opportunity that is to help other people,” says Adam Carlin, a wealth management advisor in Morgan Stanley’s Gables office. “It feels so much better to do nice things for other people than yourself.” Or, as Ana VeigaMilton, director of the José Milton Foundation puts it, “I am so grateful [for what I have], and the best way to express that gratitude is to give back.”
For others, giving is grounded in family and faith. “It’s the Christian philosophy to help others,” says Gables philanthropist Carol Williamson, who with husband Ed owns one of the largest Cadillac dealerships in the nation. “We were raised that way… It’s in our DNA.”
And while the recipients of Gables philanthropy range from ecological causes to gay rights, a central theme is education – not surprising for a city that houses the state’s top private university and where two thirds of adults hold college degrees. Educational opportunities, especially early in life, are “profound for the future of our country,” says Gables resident David Lawrence, former publisher of the Miami Herald who founded the Children’s Trust. “No other need is more important than that every child have the fullest opportunity to fulfill his or her potential.”
For Lawrence, and all the other members of the Gables community who give back so that others can
FOR THE past nine years, Ana VeigaMilton has been the president of the José Milton Foundation, established by her father-in-law to improve quality of life in South Florida –and close the opportunity gap in education and healthcare. She is also co-founder (with her husband) of the Cecil & Ana Milton Family Foundation and director of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Milton family business. “I was born in Cuba and this country saved our lives,” she says. “It makes me so grateful, and the best way to express that gratitude is to give back and be involved… [This country] gives everyone the ability to reach their potential, so I wanted to shrink the opportunity gap.”
Today the Gables resident spends much of her time – anywhere from 30 to 60 hours a week – leveraging the family real estate business and its foundations to fund scholarships and public-school facilities, such as the 700-seat José Milton Performing Arts Center at the Zelda Glazer 6-12 school in West Miami. “We are so privileged in Coral Gables that it’s important to get out of our bubble and help out with the needs of other communities,” says VeigaMilton. Other significant JMF donations to date include $10 million toward the José Milton Memorial Hospital in Doral, and $1 million towards a new Mount Sinai Surgical Center in Miami Beach.
What VeigaMilton is most passionate about, however, is the ability to help individual students. “I have seen a lot of work that helps a lot of people. But really, touching one person at a time makes the most impact.” Of special focus for her are scholarships for minorities in STEM programs. “Especially if you are curious in science, studying STEM [curriculum] is your quickest way out of poverty. The salaries are at the top and the skills you learn are transferrable to anything that uses numbers. And it affords you to do a lot of good for the world, to solve its greatest problems.” ■
“I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT REALLY, TOUCHING ONE PERSON AT A TIME MAKES THE MOST IMPACT...”
WHEN it comes to early childhood development in Miami-Dade County, few people have had as much of an impact as David Lawrence. “I decided years ago to devote the rest of my life to issues of social justice, and no other need is more important than that every child have the fullest opportunity to fulfill his or her potential,” he says. After heading up a task force on “school readiness” for then Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, he retired in 1999 to lead two successful campaigns to create (2002) and then make permanent (2008) The Children’s Trust, a dedicated source for funding underprivileged children in Miami-Dade. “It struck me as profound for the future of our country,” he says.
The Children’s Trust is funded by a half-mil increase in property taxes, which now generates $150 million annually for early intervention in Miami-Dade County. The dollars are dispersed to hundreds of non-profits, enabling them to offer high quality early education and after school care. According to a variety of studies, early childhood is a critical time for cognitive development. “There is enormous research that every dollar wisely spent upfront for a child’s development saves seven dollars later on, for things like prison,” says Lawrence.
While there have been other contributing factors, over the last two decades the number of juvenile offenders placed under arrest in Miami-Dade dropped 85 percent, from 16,532 in 1998 to 2,446 in 2019. The county today has one of the lowest juvenile crime rates in the country. “In one way or another I am still working on this every day. I am not saving my energy for the next world,” says Lawrence, 79, who is also on the boards of the NAACP, Florida A&M, Barry University, Casa Familia, Cristo Rey and the Lucy Project. “I don’t know of anything more fun, or important, than learning.” ■
“I DON’T KNOW OF ANYTHING MORE FUN, OR IMPORTANT, THAN LEARNING.”
During the holiday season, our thoughts turn to our families, celebrations, love, and concerns about the future well-being of those we care about Have you planned well for your family’s legacy, and are your financial needs and considerations for your loved ones’ security and care covered? Our South Florida based senior professionals are available to work with you to develop a comprehensive financial plan to give you and yours peace of mind.
Our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and all good health and happiness in the New Year!
AS THE granddaughter of Jose Ortega, the founder of Sazon Goya seasonings company, Ana Mari Ortega Schwarzberg is the director of the Ortega Family Foundation. But she will tell you that it’s very much a family affair, involving not only her brother Jose, but also their spouses – not to mention her aunt, a trustee of the foundation. “I have a flexible schedule, so I have a lot of time to devote to it,” she says, “but we as a family participate.”
“My grandfather was quietly philanthropic throughout his lifetime, so when he passed away, he endowed the foundation. I see us stewarding these dollars to benefit others,” says the Gables resident, who also heads her own jewelry manufacturing company. Currently, Ortega Schwarzberg is the chair of City Year Miami, a division of AmeriCorps that gets volunteers to work in high schools. “It takes up a lot of my time, but it’s like a blessing to be able to be active in the community,” she says.
In addition to City Year Miami, the Ortega Family Foundation also supports Madison Middle School (in West Little River), contributes to the Coral Gables Community Foundation, “and I personally support Friends of Coral Gables High,” says Ortega Schwarzberg. “I like the idea of Coral Gables High School being a world class institution.”
Ortega Schwarzberg says that while it is a cliché, she learned to be philanthropic from her family. “The idea was that you had a family job and then some sort of civic engagement,” she says. Each year, the women in her family – including her aunt and mother, who also support the Centro Mater childcare center in Little Havana – sit down and go through college applications to pick 40 students for scholarships. “When I was young, I thought to make the world a better place I had to work at the UN. Then I heard a phrase – pragmatic idealism – where you don’t have to change the world. You just have to help the zip code next to you.” ■
“THE IDEA WAS THAT YOU HAD A FAMILY JOB AND THEN SOME SORT OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT...”Ana Mari Ortega Schwarzberg, shown seated left, with husband Marc Schwarzberg, brother Jose Ortega, and sister-in-law Karina Ortega.
AS THE managing director of private wealth management for investment powerhouse Morgan Stanley, Adam Carlin is in a unique position as a fundraiser and an advocate for philanthropy. Many of his clients use either a Family Foundation or a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) as a vehicle to make charitable contributions. “I often meet at the end of the year [with clients] and a portion of that discussion is the charitable efforts of the family. Often it’s done through one of these two entities.”
While both offer tax advantages, Family Foundations are more generational, set up for the long term and managed by family members. They have no legal requirements beyond having to donate 5 percent of assets annually. A DAF has no requirements for spending minimums and has higher tax benefits but is less flexible in terms of giving; specific charities sponsor the DAF and handle its management.
Carlin, who has worked at the same Morgan Stanley office in Coral Gables for 17 years, is himself an active and engaged philanthropist, serving as the chair of the UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, on the board of trustees for the University of Miami, and on the boards of the Frost School of Music, the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and the New World Symphony. He also personally funds an annual prom for children being treated for serious illnesses at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “If you really think about it, it doesn’t take all that much time as long as you are engaged when you are supposed to be… You have to be ready to serve even when it’s not convenient.”
When it comes to personal charities, “I consider myself very lucky and very blessed. I see community involvement as an obligation and a privilege.” As for fundraising, he says, “I probably spend five percent of my time reaching out to others. Sometimes I just write the check.” ■
“I OFTEN MEET AT THE END OF THE YEAR [WITH CLIENTS] AND A PORTION OF THAT DISCUSSION IS THE CHARITABLE EFFORTS OF THE FAMILY...”
When you give to the Jackson Health Foundation, you help fund the tools our doctors and nurses use to resuscitate patients, stabilize them, heal them, and return them to the loving arms of their families. You help us continue to provide the very best that medical science has to offer. The best facilities, the best technologies, and the best people.
Your
THE LIST of charities supported by the Williamson family is so extensive this page could hardly do it justice. “They are kind of in groups,” says Ed, who with wife Carol runs the No. 3 Cadillac dealership in the country – down on U.S. 1, not far from their Gables home. While United Way was the first major involvement for the Williamsons, they have spread their largess to three separate community foundations (including the Coral Gables CF), ecology and nature-related charities (Everglades Foundation, Friends of the Everglades), medical and health institutions, gay and lesbian rights groups, minority enhancement, and higher education.
“We like to support causes for academia,” says Carol, which range from Miami Edison High and her alma mater (Valparaiso University) to Ed’s alma mater (Auburn University) and UM, where Ed has been on the board of trustees for 40 years.
Both Ed and Carol attribute their charitable instincts (“It’s in our DNA,” she says) to their Christian upbringing. Both are active members of Christ the King, the Lutheran church on Red Road, and their first charitable contributions went to the church. That was followed by United Way, where Ed volunteered starting in 1968.
“We got married in late ’68, and as we became more and more successful, we picked those things we wanted to support. It started with United Way and the church, but it has just kept going,” says Ed.
The Williamsons have also inculcated their army of almost 400 employees in South Florida (215 here, 170 in Broward) with the notion that charity should be a way of life. “It’s not just what we do personally. We have an employee United Way campaign with payroll deductions every year. Our employees have been very generous.” And they give back to them as well, at one point taking all their employees and their spouses on a United Way cruise.
“It’s the Christian philosophy to help others,” says Carol. “We were raised that way, and we get a lot of pleasure out of it.” ■
“IT’S THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY TO HELP OTHERS. WE WERE RAISED THAT WAY...”
First, the ‘easy’: If you look in the mirror and like what you see but it’s only a bit small, consider yourself blessed, as only an implant should serve you well. The main challenge here is to find the anatomically appropriate, proportional implant size for you (best done during surgery), which will optimize your beauty - the main goal (!), not just making you bigger. Also, an implant looking great on your friend does not mean it’s the best one for you.
If your initial implant size exceeded your anatomical boundaries, due to your or your surgeon’s choice, future, and potentially avoidable, challenges are courted: excessive thinning of the breast, premature sagging, rippling, palpable implant edges - to name a few. Oversized implants likely will increase the difficulty for future surgery, when replacing or removing aged implants. Some patients develop symptomatic internal scarring around their implants (“capsular contracture”) that can be a challenge to manage and may require scar release or other surgery.
Implants simply become old after 10 to 15 years and need to be replaced or removed. A broken silicone implant often requires additional surgery to remove the silicone impregnated scar membrane (“capsule”) around the implant. It’s always easier to replace implants before their “expiration date”, involving minimal discomfort and downtime.
Quite a number of young patients have developmental issues with their breasts. Some simply grow too large and disproportionate, causing discomfort and interfering with their lifestyle. These can be helped, almost dramatically, with breast reduction surgery, an artistically challenging operation as the goal is not just smaller but beauty as well. Of course, this operation also helps non-adolescent patients whose previously pleasing breasts may have become heavy and sagging with nursing and time.
Not a small number of young patients suffer with ‘Tubular (aka Constricted) Breast Deformity’, a congenital condition. This can vary from mild, requiring only an implant to distressingly severe, requiring several, separate challenging surgeries to arrive at an acceptable result. Hallmarks are significant asymmetry, underdevelopment, a tube-resembling (or constricted) breast appearance, along with disproportionate areolar dimensions.
Major (“bariatric”) weight loss also presents breast challenges. Usually, the severe atrophy and sagging requires substantial volume replacement with silicone implants plus major breast lifting.
If you were an A or B when young, then a small implant alone can do wonders for the deflation incurred after breast feeding or simply with time. Patients who were happy with a full B or C or larger cup in earlier years typically develop undesirable
sagging in later years, with or without heaviness. These are helped with either a breast reduction or a breast lift or a combo of a lift and silicone implants. The latter presents its own unique challenges as the tightening forces set into motion with the breast lift run opposite to the expanding force of the implant.
On the cryptic topic of ‘Breast Implant Illness’: there are patients who, for unknown reasons, just don’t seem to do well with implants. They report a number of difficult to explain, nonspecific symptoms. If these symptoms cannot be medically explained or treated otherwise, despite a thorough medical work up, it’s probably best to remove such implants, at least to find out if the symptoms would disappear.
After all, you choose to have implants to make yourself happier. If implants don’t accomplish this goal, for whatever reason, removing them makes sense, even though you might need a breast lift to restore your aesthetics. Yet it’s worth mentioning that the majority of patients have no significant problems and are happy with their choice to have implants.
Overall, cosmetic breast surgery is highly variable and always challenging as creating beauty is never easy, yet worth all the effort.
As always, research and reflect carefully before proceeding with any cosmetic plastic surgery.
Over the past couple of years, our outdoor spaces have become true extensions of our homes. And now that we’re experiencing cooler climes and will be spending even more time alfresco, let this round up inspire you to create the ideal area for relaxation.
If you’ve yet to invest in an outdoor dining table that can comfortably fit your guests, consider the super sleek Grande Arche extendable dining table from JANUS et Cie. The California-based furnishings house recently launched a new flagship showroom in the Gables, so head there to see the brand’s newest pieces on display. Retail: from $7,045. JANUS et Cie, 273 Giralda Ave., 305-4380005, janusetcie.com.
You’ll need a spot for corralling drinks and dishes, and this teak and aluminum console by Four Hands is a piece that would work seamlessly on any patio. Retail: $1,199. Neiman Marcus, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., 786-999-1000, neimanmarcus.com.
While we may only have a need a fire table for a couple of months out of the year, why not indulge yourself for the sake of ultimate coziness? This modern style from Crate & Barrel is lined with black lava rocks and would look chic year-round. Retail: $3,899. Crate & Barrel, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., 305-460-3560, crateandbarrel.com.
Featuring the plank seat and back construction that’s characteristic of most outdoor furniture, Kettal’s Riva armchair ups the ante (and the comfort level) with weather resistant cushions in a variety of hues. Retail: from $3,982. Kettal, 147 Miracle Mile, 786-552-9002, kettal.com.
The most underrated piece of outdoor furniture might very well be the daybed. And when said daybed is the featured Peacock style by Cane-Line, and is both aesthetically pleasing and supremely comfortable, it’s a no brainer. Retail: from $11,195. Patio & Things, 240 Aragon Ave., 305-446-6163, patio-n-things.com. ■
Planning for the future is always a good idea, no matter where you are in life. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital relies on community support, including gifts of non-cash assets, to continue creating a healthy future for every child.
From stocks and real estate, to insurance, retirement assets, and cryptocurrency, there are many ways to fund a gift that ensures the people and causes most important to you benefit from your generosity. Contact us to help change kids’ lives today and in the future. www.nicklauschildrens.org/plannedgiving
Evelyn Politzer has never been shy about featuring her woven works of art. The self-described fiber artist has displayed her creations across South Florida, in places like the Design District, the Perez Art Museum, and Miami International Airport, along with out-of-state galleries and museums in North Carolina, Washington, D.C. and her native Uruguay. Here in the Gables, her Knitting at the Museum and World Wide Knit in Public Day – both at the Coral Gables Museum two years ago – were big hits.
When Politzer and husband Gabriel sold their home in Gables Estates, they knew they would be embarking on a substantial revamp of the interiors in their new home. What they did not know was
that long-time friend Elizabeth Steimberg, the New York-based architect and interior designer, would incorporate Evelyn’s work throughout the home. The Mediterranean-style house already had great bones: a palatial double-height living room from which all other rooms diverged, a room for Politzer’s art studio, and a sprawling backyard studded with mature mango trees. But the patterns were dark and heavy, the marble flooring felt cold, and the ceilings were adorned with large, ornate light fixtures.
What Steimberg proposed was a modern approach characterized by a light, fun aesthetic. The first task was the living room chandelier, which Steimberg designed to spatially connect the vertical space to the
LIVING ROOM INSET: THE LONG, FLUTED CHANDELIERS OF THE VERTICAL ROOM ARE “PAINTED” WITH WOVEN FABRIC.
LIVING ROOM : THE COLORFUL LIGHT FIXTURES ARE ECHOED BY CURVED SOFAS FROM ROCHE BOBOIS THAT ARE TOPPED WITH PILLOWS IN VIBRANT HUES AND TEXTURES.
other areas of the home. Evelyn “painted” over the structure with cloth. “Evelyn said that working with textiles is like painting with yarn, and that resonated with me,” recalled Steimberg. “That notion prompted me to imagine a home where the artwork takes center stage but is seamlessly woven throughout the property.” ■
BEDROOM: CLOTH SCULPTURES HANG FROM LIGHT FIXTURES, AS LIGHT GREEN WALLS AND COLORFUL FURNISHINGS BRIGHTEN THE SPACE.
DINING ROOM: CEILINGS WERE ALTERED AND MOLDED, DOORS AND WINDOWS WERE CHANGED OUT, TO CREATE A LIGHT, BRIGHT EXPERIENCE
POOL BATH: FROM THE VANITY BATHROOM OFF THE POOL, A VIEW OF BRIGHTLY COLORED POOL CHAIRS
BATHROOM: COLORFUL WOVEN MEDALLIONS BRIGHTEN THE SPACE
“....IMAGINE A HOME WHERE THE ARTWORK TAKES CENTER STAGE BUT IS SEAMLESSLY WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY”
ELIZABETH STEIMBERG ARCHITECT & INTERIOR DESIGNER
PANNA COTTA ALLO ZAFFERANO
CHEF MANUEL GARCIA OF ZUCCA RESTAURANT
This particular Panna cotta has a flavor you don’t expect. Traditional panna cotta is one of the most popular desserts in Italy, made of sweetened cream. This one is spiced with a hint of saffron, to give it a new flavor depth and an irresistible bright yellow color. The subtle flavor of the saffron combines with the tanginess of the passion fruit coulis and the texture of the cracker soil.
INGREDIENTS: (4-6 PANNA COTTAS)
PANNA COTTA:
1 qt. heavy cream
90 grs. sugar
4 ea. gelatin sheet
5 grs. saffron pistils
PASSION FRUIT COULIS:
8-10 ea. fresh passion fruits
½ of weight of passion fruit pulp after cleaned for sugar
CRACKER SOIL
250 grs. graham cracker
50 grs. butter
30 grs. sugar
PRESENTATION: Mixed berries
PANNA COTTA PREPARATION:
In a small saucepan place the gelatin sheets over cold water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Gently heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat. In a large saucepan bring the heavy cream and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Add the saffron pistils and keep stirring until
dissolved. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture. Pour the cream mixture into cup mold or gelatin molds and cool to room temperature. Chill covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
PASSION FRUIT COULIS
PREPARATION:
Slice the passion fruit in half. Scoop out the pulp and measure until you have one cup of pulp. Add to a small saucepan on a medium heat. Add the sugar and stir well until the fruit seeds are
separated from the pulp. Strain the mixture.
CRACKER SOIL PREPARATION:
Grind the crackers, add the melted butter and sugar, mix with hands.
FINISH AND PRESENTATION:
Unmold the panna cotta on a plate, pour the passion fruit coulis around, sprinkle with soil and decorate with mixed berries. ■
World Trade Center Miami, the largest and oldest trade association in Miami, is part of the World Trade Center Association global business network of 319 World Trade Centers in 91 countries with over two million members.
Whether your business is looking to find your next customer, expand to international markets or make global connections we have the resources, services and decades of expertise to successfully grow your bottom line.
• The annual Americas Food and Beverage Show now in its 25th year – the ideal meeting place for decision makers and buyers from all sectors of the global food and beverage industry.
• The Air Cargo Americas Show, now in its 16th year, held bi-annually, brings together top executives from all sectors of the aviation and logistics industry.
• The Supply Chain Americas Conference is held annually and in conjunction with the Air Cargo Americas Show is one of the leading events focused on innovation and resiliency in the global supply chain.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
• Air Cargo Americas/Supply Chain Americas: March 8-10, 2022
• International Women’s Day Luncheon: March 8, 2022
• Miami World Trade Month: May 2022
• Americas Food & Beverage Show: September 12-13, 2022 Miami Beach Convention Center
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There was a time when mansion sales in the million-dollar double digits was a rare event, taking place perhaps once or twice a year. With the influx of investment dollars – and CEOs – relocating from places like New York and California, however, multi-million-dollar mansion sales have become common. This past September, Gables attorney John Ruiz sold his waterfront mansion in Gables Estates for $13.8 million, $2.8 million more than what he
purchased it for just 18 months earlier. A month before, another Gables Estates home sold for just under $17 million, and the month before that yet another Gables Estate mansion sold for $22 million. Earlier in the year, the heir to the Rowland Coffee Roasters empire sold his Tahiti Beach home for $16 million. To see what $10 million-plus buys today, we asked three Gables real estate agents to submit one of their homes in that price range.
Listing Price
$34.9m
Listing Price
$13.995m
5275 HAMMOCK DR.
6 bed/6 bath/6 half bath. 7,150 sq. ft.
A charming home on one acre in the gated Hammock Lakes community, with a sandy beach on one of the lakes. High ceilings, arched hallways, vine-covered porticoes, and a gym all contribute to the spaciousness reflected in the master bath with double vanities. Also has a pool, outdoor kitchen/bar, fire pit, and half basketball court. Listing Agent: Judy Zeder (Coldwell Banker Realty), 305.613.5550
Listing Price
$54.9m
8 bed/9 bath/2 half bath. 18,963 sq. ft.
Recently built (2018) on a spit of land on Biscayne Bay, this vast residence designed by Ramon Pacheco has unbeatable views of open water and downtown Miami. A new Mick De Giulio kitchen adds to the amenities of a glass mosaic infinity pool, a 140-ft. dock, a five-car garage, and premium finishes and fixtures throughout.
Listing Agent: Jill Hertzberg (Coldwell Banker Realty), 305.788.5455
THESE MISUNDERSTOOD MAMMALS SHOULD BE MORE WELCOME THAN THEY ARE
BY GRACE CARRICARTEIt was war. A once amicable relationship between squirrels and a young opossum dwindled as quickly as their mango supply waned. It was the summer of 2019 and at their dining room table, the Keepax family of Sevilla Avenue held front row seats.
It began innocently, says mom Laura Keepax, a Gables resident and biology science teacher for 22 years. “We found a baby opossum by our wall, and it was very sweet. We didn’t bother it. It had plenty of food, as we live under a fabulously large mango tree.” The possum, the size of a kitten, even got along with the family cat and dogs. Then came backyard scuffles beneath the mango tree, “and before we knew it was WWF every evening,” says Keepax.
At first, they thought it was cats fighting, says daughter Haley. But it was squirrels. “It was like a chittering. They would flick their tails rapidly, very vocal. The opossum, rather outnumbered, wasn’t so loud and kind of cackled back.” The idea was to put off the squirrels just long enough to head in for a steal.
That, it turns out, was rare behavior for an opossum. “Opossums are actually rather docile, clean animals who groom themselves like a cat,” says local environmental specialist Amida Frey. “Their low body temperature means they do not carry rabies, and really they just want you to leave them be.” Them and their mangos, that is. The opossum will also “play dead,” an involuntary shutdown that mim-
ics death by appearance – and the smell of a deceased animal.
Smell is big for the opossum. Opossums navigate using their keen senses of smell and touch. Gables resident Marialena Lopez, whose first encounter with possums was over an outdoor bowl of cat food, agrees. No matter where she hid it, they would find it. “They are so ugly they are cute,” she says. “And I still don’t even know how to pronounce it. Does it start with the letter O or a P?” It turns out both are correct. What we see in the Gables is the Virginia Opossum. The word comes from the native-American Algonquian term for “white dog” or “white beast.” The possum, however, hails from Australia.
This past year, opossum opinions have been all over Nextdoor, an app platform for Gables neighbors. Many posts are in their favor. Ale Evans on Granada Boulevard, in his post entitled “Yard Angels,” says we need them. Turns out opossums are nocturnal scavengers who eat insects (cockroaches, crickets, and beetles), as well as rats, mice, snakes, dead animals, and rotting fruit. Resident Elena Mendes posted opossum trivia following one neighbor’s worry that the creatures were using their pool as a giant toilet. (The actual culprit, caught green-handed on camera, was an iguana). Other posts come from citizens who find opossums injured or orphaned. Since it’s illegal to keep one without a wildlife permit, any you find injured must be taken to a certified wildlife rehabilitator (CWF). Fortunately, we have
Pelican Harbor and Seabird Station on the 79th Street corridor in Miami Beach, available 24/7 to accept all native species of animals. In 2020 they treated about 50 opossums from Coral Gables.
As for me, this summer my neighbor Rodrigo Nieto sighted an opossum family crossing his fence into my yard, with two baby opossums riding the original Gables Freebie, momma’s back. Word on the street from the Keepax family is that it could be the same opossum, now grown up. Regardless, a housewarming gift was in order. At Publix I bought them one. Rhymes with tango, but you already guessed that. ■
DON’T TRY TO NURSE AN OPOSUMM BACK TO HEALTH IF YOU FND ONE INJURED. GABLES RESIDENTS CAN TAKE IT TO PELICAN HARBOR AND SEABIRD STATION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: 1279 N.E. 79TH STREET, MIAMI CALL BEFORE COMING: 305-751-9840 OR TEXT A PHOTO OF THE ANIMAL TO 786-459-9155 PELICANHARBOR.ORG.
ILLO BY HALEY KEEPAXThe Club at The Biltmore offers multiple benefits, including Technogym® strength and cardio equipment, numerous weekly group classes, special savings on stays and spa services, world-class restaurants, and much more. Join today.
Membership: 305-913-3230 1200 Anastasia Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33134 www.biltmorehotel.com
Taking cues from Mykonos, Athens and Crete, friends of the Coral Gables Community Foundation broke records at the end of October dressed in an array of Greek-inspired costumes. There were togas, gods and goddesses, warriors and plenty of Assyrtiko wine and Ouzo. More than 400 guests, including 120 who dined at Sea Grill in Merrick Park, helped the organization raise $400,000 to support the Foundation’s outreach programs. The event was co-chaired by Greek goddesses Sissy De Maria-Koehne and Lauren Harrison Brown. Among those feted were Brian Keeley for the Legacy Award, Nancy Hector for the Philanthropy Award, Lee Schrager for the Arts & Culture Award, and Jim & Deborah Davidson for the Community Award. The presenting sponsors were philanthropists Trish & Dan Bell; the matching gift sponsor was Coral Gables Trust (Jim & Deborah Davidson), and platinum sponsors included Ray Corral & Mosaicist, Baptist Health, the Mas Family, and Norma Jean Abraham and the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation.
1.... GUESTS AT THE RESIDENCE OF HONOREE TRACY KERDYK (LOWER LEFT)
2.... FOUNDATION CHAIR LAURA RUSSO, ANITA SHUFFIELD, HONOREE RON SHUFFIELD, FOUNDATION CEO MARY SNOW, AND EVENT CO-CHAIR LAUREN HARRISON BROWN
3.... JOHN & MARIA HARRIS, EVENT CO-CHAIR SISSY DEMARIA KOEHNE & GUENTHER KOEHNE, JIM & DEBORAH DAVIDSON
4.... LEGACY HONOREE BRIAN KEELEY AND PRESENTING SPONSORS TRISH & DAN BELL
5.... HONOREE NANCY HECTOR, NANCY COLE, JON & NANCY BATCHELOR
6.... ALINA MELEDINA, PLATINUM SPONSOR RAY CORRAL AND CITY COMMISSIONER JORGE FORS
1. 2. 3. 4 5.
This year’s annual fundraiser at the Coral Gables Museum was a night under the stars, “Casablanca” style. Taking its cues from the famous 1942 movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the museum was transformed into Rick’s Café Americain, replete with a big band and gambling tables. And while it wasn’t played again by Sam, the melody of “As Time Goes By” brought sighs of romance from the crowd of local luminaries – some of whom actually danced the night away.
1.... DEVELOPER ALLEN MORRIS AND MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN ALLEN VIE FOR WHO IS THE BEST BOGART.
2.... CORAL GABLES CHAMBER PRESIDENT & CEO MARK TROWBRIDGE, CHAMBER CHAIR ANA CHAOUI, WITH HER HUSBAND JOSE.
3.... COL. JACK THOMSON AND FORMER MAYOR DOROTHY THOMSON (SEATED) WITH THEIR DAUGHTER JUNE MORRIS AND SON ROBERT
4.... MUSEUM BOARD MEMBER JOSÉ VALDES-FAULI (LEFT), ACTOR’S PLAYHOUSE BOARD CHAIRMAN DR. LAWRENCE STEIN, AND ACTOR’S PLAYHOUSE EXECUTIVE PRODUCING DIRECTOR BARBARA STEIN
5.... MR. & MRS. EDDY DEL RIO, DEIRDRE NERO, AND MUSEUM BOARD MEMBER ERIC GROS-DUBOIS
6.... SPONSOR THOMAS CHRISTOPHER AND MUSEUM EVENTS DIRECTOR JESSALYN HUERTAS
2. 1. 3. 4. 5.
Chef Niven Patel has already left his indelible mark in Coral Gables with Mamey, his Caribbean-Asian fusion restaurant in the Thesis Hotel. Now his culinary imagination has been let loose right next door, where his latest creation Orno takes the New American palette to new heights.
New American? In a city saturated with Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Argentine, Thai, Steakhouse, and French cooking, about the only thing that says American cuisine are national chains like Hillstone’s, Doc B’s or Seasons 52. Chef Patel’s new restaurant adds another dimension to the genre. “New American [cuisine] is all about diversity, which is kind of how America is,” he says. “I have travelled a lot and worked in all these different places, and I don’t want too many parameters.”
What that translates to is a wildly inventive menu studded with what Patel likes to call “flavor bombs,” ingenious combinations of simple ingredients that explode into new taste sensations.
Take the Australian lamb chops. They are dry rubbed with a coriander and cumin spice mix, then grilled with a drizzle of date molasses. They are then served with a surfacing of fresh mint and cilantro pesto, for a stunning “flavor bomb” result. Or the whole grilled Branzino, which is first brined for six hours then refrigerated overnight to crisp the skin. It’s then grilled and dressed with a fennel sofrito that’s been cooked down with onion and garlic. “We spend a lot of time during the day building layers of flavor,” says Patel. “Then, when it’s showtime, we execute.”
Orno is also the Italian word for oven, and one of the paramount elements of the cooking here is the use of wood, both for grilling and for an oven similar to what pizza makers use – a dome shaped kiln with an opening in front. Patel uses this for all sorts of dishes, from pizza to his vidalia onion “gratin,” stuffed with a gruyere/potato/horseradish mix then wood-baked till caramelized. The wood-fired grill, meanwhile, is used for meats and for veggies such as his wood-roasted summer squash, cooked with north African chiles, coriander, cumin, toasted hazelnuts and garlic.
What Patel obsesses over, besides his flavor combinations, is farm to table sourcing, using as much local produce as possible.
TOP RIGHT: WHOLE GRILLED BRANZINO
BOTTOM LEFT: VIDALIA ONION “GRATIN”
BOTTOM RIGHT: AUSTRALIAN LAMB CHOPS
Whether intentional or not, this gives dishes a kind of earthiness, in the best sense of that word. His chanterelle mushroom pizza, using shrooms that are now in season, is oven-baked with a taleggio fondue, shallots, and thyme for a deep, woodsy taste. And taking the earthy flavors to the cave man extreme, Patel also offers an amazing roasted bone marrow, served “in bone” after the marrow (Wagyu of course) is cooked down with a red wine/shallot/honey “marmalade” and combined with herbs, tiny orange segments and a hint of lemon juice. Primitive and sophisticated at the same time.
Besides Patel’s dedication to uber fresh produce (don’t miss the “vadouvan” cauliflower or grilled farm beans) he is also a master in preparing pork, beef, and chicken dishes, often married to a fruit or root to bring out the flavor, like his pork presa laced with sweet peppers, or his flat iron steak served on a sundried tomato tapenade.
What you realize when eating at Orno is that this is Chef Patel’s food laboratory, where the acclaimed cook (named one of America’s “Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine Magazine) can let his culinary imagination run wild.
You can watch Patel operate in the open kitchen, which anchors one end of the large space where most of the tables at Orno lie under an array of trapezoidal chandeliers with old Thomas Edison style light bulbs. The other end of the room is anchored by the marble-topped bar. Or you can eat in an alcove called “the library” if you would like a mood that is less frenetic than the main hall. For both there is a perfect soundtrack, just loud enough, of curated blues and classic rock. It is a spectacular space, with great attention to detail – an appropriate setting for a war chest of flavor bombs that will awaken even the most jaded taste buds. ■
With the pandemic receding and a preponderance of people vaccinated, the restaurant scene in Coral Gables is undergoing a renaissance. Coral Gables has always been a moveable feast, a mecca of fine dining with more than 100 quality establishments. Now those restaurants are back in full swing, with hardly a seat to spare on weekends nights. For the past year and a half, in an abundance of caution, we listed only restaurants with outdoor seating. While most still do have dining al fresco options – and this is the season for it –- we now list all restaurants. What follows is our list of the best of the tried and true, and the best of the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.
$ ............ Under $25
$$ .......... $25-$40
$$$ ........ $35-$75 $$$$ ...... $70-$100+
Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, no tax, tip or drinks. Prices are approximate.
It’s hard to pigeonhole this new rooftop restaurant by Chef Jorge Ramos (fresh from his acclaimed Barley restaurant in Dadeland). He calls it “contemporary American with a Latin overlay” which means roast bone marrow with salsa verde and baby back ribs with pimiento marmalade. A good raw bar, a great view. $$-$$$
124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287
Forte by Chef Adrianne
Chef Adrianne’s new restaurant, in the former Cibo Wine Bar space, features her take on Italian food (the name comes from her Sicilian grandmother). One of the Gables’ star chefs, Adrianne punches up traditional dishes with some bold flavors. Best: Tuscan white bean soup, wagyu truffle-oil meatballs, spaghetti carbonara. $$$-$$$$ 45 Miracle Mile. 305.517.6181
Luca Osteria
The latest place by local celebrity chef Giorgio Rapicavoli (the Eating House), Luca Osteria became an overnight, reservations-only hit for dinner on Giralda Plaza. His inventive take on classic Italian food is fresh and new; the Pasta al Limone and mortadella toast with fig balsamic are just the beginning.
Great Italian cocktails. $$-$$$$ 116 Giralda Ave. 305.381.5097
Mamey
Chef Niven Patel, who is fast gaining a national reputation, hits it out of the park with this new restaurant, heir to the creative Caribbean cuisine of Ortanique, but with its own unique and refreshing overlay of Polynesian, Thai and Indian gastronomy. If your taste buds seek a new adventure, this is the place. $$$
1350 S. Dixie Highway (Thēsis Hotel) 305.667.5611
Pascal’s on Ponce
Elegant, quaint and delicious, Pascal’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 foie gras. Try the diver sea scallops and tomato tartin. $$$-$$$$ 2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024
Tur Kitchen
This relative newcomer to the Gables has a wonderfully inventive menu of Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Christian plates beautiful dishes that combine the flavors of Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, and Egypt. Amazing stuffed Turkish pide bread, stunning braised goat with gnocchi. Elegant seating under arches along Giralda. $$$-$$$$ 259 Giralda Ave. 786.483.8014
Zitz Sum
Brought to you by Chef Pablo Zitzmann of No Name Chinese fame, this “pop up” restaurant off the huge lobby of the 396 Building feels pretty solid. The result of a year-long pandemic dive into dim sum by Zitzmann, the dumplings
(dinner only), hand-rolled daily, are superb. Other menu items are highly inventive and flavorful. $$-$$$ 396 Alhambra Circle. 786.409.6920
Zucca
Located at the elegant St. Michel hotel, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with recipes that chef Manuel Garcia developed in a career that included the legendary Casa Tua on Miami Beach. Lovely outdoor seating, modern Italian design inside, sophisticated, with great service. $$$-$$$$
162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731
Bachour
Maybe it was the lure of pastries by world-renowned chef Antonio Bachour, but this airy, industrial chic spot has become the new power breakfast place in town, with amazingly good eggs benedict and challah French toast. Also open for lunch and an early dinner, with great Greek salad and roast chicken breast. $$
2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552
We still don’t know how they can offer over 250 menu items, but there is something for everyone here, from Thai peanut lettuce wraps to chicken salad sandwiches on toasted white bread. Their cheesecake is still a calorie overload, but now balanced by their “SkinnyLicious” menu. Still, our favorite: Godiva chocolate cheesecake. $$
2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.529.0703
You may have to unhinge your jaw to take in some of their burgers, but they are the best. Most of the burgers hover close $20 because they’re made with quality Wagyu beef. The “Clutch” is the cheeseburger of the house, but our favorite is “My Boy Bleu.” They also specialize in craft beers brewed here in Miami. $$
146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242
Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar
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. $$
301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220
The Globe is a Gables icon, and one of the coolest places to eat in the city – assuming you like a smart, Euro-style bistro. Decorated with classic paintings (and globes over their old-world bar), the menu is mostly American dishes – salads, burgers, fish, steaks, etc. – perfected over the years. Best conch fritters. $$
377 Alhambra Circle 305.445.3555
There are very few restaurants in the Gables where clients will wait in a line outside. Hillstone is one of them. A power lunch spot, a happy hour singles anchor, and a family restaurant at night, the food and service are consistently top notch, with an elegant interior that is both comfortable and sophisti-
cated at the same time. $$$
201 Miracle Mile 305.529.0141
Public Square
This popular re-configuration of the former Shula’s steakhouse still serves great steaks and burgers, but with lots of other options (seafood, pasta, sushi, salads) and plentiful outdoor seating on Red Road and San Ignacio Ave. $$$
6915 Red Rd. 3221.342.1695
Seasons 52
The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flatbread menu is really a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them. $$
321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552
Tap 42
Winner of Best Overall Burger by Coral Gables Magazine, Tap 42 is big, noisy and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$
301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566
Yard House
A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic rock in the background and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone. $$
320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273
Ichimi
This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to wait and stand and stare, just for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space. $ -
$$ 2330 Salzedo St. 305.960.7016
Izakaya
Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny,
bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. $$ 159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584
Khaosan Road
Formerly Bangkok, Bangkok, this Giralda Plaza mainstay – with plenty of outdoor tables – has reinvented itself as the new home for Thai street food. Think you know Thai food? Be prepared for new and delicious tastes. $$ 157 Giralda Plaza 305.444.2397
Malakor Thai Isaan
This eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai food. That means pork skewers with sticky rice, grilled fatty pork neck sliced and tossed with lime juice, or the Gang Aom, a Thai curry with fish sauce, dill and herb paste. $$ 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862
Miss Saigon
Voted the best restaurant in Coral Gables a few years back by the readers of New Times, Miss Saigon serves the kind of vegetable-rich food that makes you feel light and clean afterwards. Excellent seafood choices, and any of their crispy rolls (spring, vegetarian, shrimp) make great starters. Also, good dumplings. But their clear, hearty soups, called Pho – are the big winners. $$ 148 Giralda Ave. 305.446.8006.
Moon Thai & Japanese
Can’t decide between Japanese or Thai food? No problem. Here, you can have a Japanese house salad or miso soup as an appetizer and pad thai as an entrée. Truly the best of both worlds. Comfy booths inside and umbrella-covered outdoor tables. Across the street from UM’s campus. $ - $$
1118 S. Dixie Hwy. 305.668.9890
Sawa
Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. World’s best lamb chops. Also has a doggy menu. $$$
360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.6555
Taste Buds of India
Go for the lunch buffet for $15,
which changes daily with nine Indian dishes – two appetizers, two carb dishes (rice or noodles), two veggie dishes, two meat curies, one tandoori and one dessert. They include two Chinese dishes just for the fun of it. A bright, pleasant space on Ponce south of the Mile. $$
2624 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.483.8379
FRENCH
Brasserie Central Secretly owned by Pascal’s on Ponce fame, the restaurant is half inside half in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread and a superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches, though not cheap. $$ - $$$ Shops at Merrick Park 786.536.9388
Chocolate Fashion
The restaurant and bakery is a breakfast and lunch hotspot. Lunch is a steal with most sandwiches priced around $11 that come with a side salad and cornichons – those mini pickles the French are famous for. Although being in Miami they still serve cortadito. Don’t forget the French pastries and desserts. $-$$
248 Andalusia Ave. 305.461.3200
Frenchie’s Diner
It looks like an all-American diner (which it once was) but this is pure French cooking in a small but comfy setting. Frenchie himself is usually there. Some items on the menu can get pricey (filet mignon, $34) but the onion soup ($9) and escargots ($11) are great values, and the croque monsieur ($14) for lunch is a meal unto itself. $$$
2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554
Gustave
Launched by a couple of friends with a track record in Paris, Gustave’s a light-filled, lovely entry into the local French cuisine scene. With a good selection of baked goods, this is a Paris-style café with good coffee and solid fare. Good to know where you can get a croque monsieur for lunch and boeuf bourguignon for dinner $$-$$$ 366 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5675
tables with umbrellas outside. A wide selection of pastas, including pumpkin and lobster ravioli, and fagottini de pera – pasta stuffed with mascarpone and pears. Great homemade gnocchi cooked with porcini powder. Nice service, reasonably priced, good house wines. $$
94 Miracle Mile. 305.200.3216
Bugatti
Based on Ponce for several decades, Bugatti prides itself on its pasta. And for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary, with a good number of booths, while the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. We especially like the fact that they have as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. $$
2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545
Caffe Abbracci
A Gables icon, Nino Pernetti’s Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and a cozy evening gathering place for families and couples. Closely shepherded by the welcoming Pernetti, Abbracci is quiet, elegant and flavorful. The food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. He now has a new chef who hails from Tuscany, so the daily specials have a whole new spin. $$$
318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700
Fiola
Brought to you by Washington, D.C. chef Fabio Trabocchi, this new entry into the Gables dining scene is a game changer. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, the sea scallops ceviche, and the signature lobster ravioli. Elegant presentations only add to this encounter with gustatory greatness. $$$$
1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639
Fontana
Amore
Small, sweet Italian spot on Miracle Mile, with a half dozen
The setting is as elegant as it comes: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy classic Italian dishes. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Great octopus, pastas cooked
perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables. $$$
1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200
Fratellino
Small, family run, with a fanatically loyal fan base, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set up with tile floors, wooden chairs and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, and the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms and green peas is to die for. $$$
264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068
Salumeria 104
Tratorria-style Salumeria is now two years old, with a loyal clientele, especially at lunchtime. Partly that is because the food and ambience is so authentically Northern Italian and rustic. It may also be thanks to their $10 lunch special of sandwich (with artisan cured meats) with soup or salad, always fresh and flavorful. Regardless of price or time of day, those sliced salumi meats are buono! $-$$ 117 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5547
Villagio Ristorante
Surprisingly good prices in this cavernous restaurant in the Shops at Merrick Park, with lots of outdoor seating. Even the dinner menu serves pasta entrees for less than $15, and the amazingly extensive selections of meat and fish mostly run in the mid to low twenties. Also, good soups (the fresh crabmeat is a delight) and –randomly enough – perhaps the best apple pie anywhere. $$ 358 Sand Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.8144.
The shrine for ceviche, with a wide range of choices – 18 ceviches at last count – for great prices. Haute Peruvian appetizers and good fish dishes, right up to the whole fried snapper. And don’t miss the pisco sour soup. Comfortable leather seats, too. $$
1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886
Divino Ceviche
Bringing a taste of Peru to Giralda Plaza, Divino Ceviche is
known for, well, its ceviche. From dishes like Ceviche Tradicional to Ceviche de Mercado to Ceviche Nikkei, there’s no shortage of the stuff. The restaurant also has notable non-ceviche dishes like octopus croquetas and a tasting of three different causas (layered potatoes with chiles, avocados, tuna, boiled eggs, onion). $$
160 Giralda Ave. 786.360.3775
Eclectico
Brought to you by the folks at nearby Sawa restaurant, Eclectico is an open, airy Latin-fusion restaurant that serves “light” and inventive variations on Latin American small plates with a Mexican overlay – and a truly awesome selection of mescal and taquilla. A new and fun place for dinner. $$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 786.615.5735
Graziano’s
This large, popular Gables mainstay is true Argentine. A deep selection of Argentine wines (which line several walls) 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, a carnivore’s delight. $$$
394 Giralda Ave. 305.774.3599
Talavera Cocina Mexicana
High ceilings and ceramics make this a pleasant place to dine, but it’s the authentic fare that shines. The place for Mexicans homesick for cooking that’s not Tex-Mex. The chicken mole poblano is a winner at $20, and their huarache grill – masa flatbreads that are really haute tacos – are great at $17. $$ 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955
Gringo’s Oyster Bar
A great selection of oysters at this neighborhood favorite. And they change sources twice weekly, like malpeques from Canada, or wellfleets from Main, or steamboats from Washington state. Also, great lobster rolls, crab cakes and conch ceviche. Specials include Lobster Tuesdays and a daily oyster happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. when prices drop in half. 1549 Sunset Dr. $$ 305.284.9989
MesaMar
Some of the best – if not THE best – seafood in the Gables with inventive fusions between Peruvian
and Japanese cuisine. Their fish is caught daily in local waters and brought to your table for inspection. Their whole fried fish is a marvel. Also, make sure to try the lobster tacos. $$$
264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448
The only waterfront restaurant in the Gables, Red Fish was reborn last year after being closed for years from hurricane damage. With the addition of Chef Adrianne, the menu presents a stellar display of gourmet seafood. $$$$ 9610 Old Cutler Rd. 305.668.8788
Sea Grill
Just a few months old, Sea Grill is already a popular weekend destination for lovers of Mediterranean seafood. A large, brightly lit and futuristic space with lots of energy, it serves fish that is caught in the Aegean Sea and flown to the Gables. Their octopus, which takes two days to prepare, is simply the best. $$$
4250 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.3990
Bellmónt
Modern décor meets traditional Spanish dishes. Their house specialty is the roast suckling pig. If you want the whole pig ($230 for 4) you need to order four hours in advance. If it’s just you ($49), you’ll need to wait just 50 minutes. As for the rest: authentic Spanish cuisine, with great seafood dishes, fantastic paella. $$$
339 Miracle Mile 786.502.4684
Bulla Gastrobar
As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart neighborhood hangout with a young, boisterous vibe. Great “small plates” and refreshing sangria. Yes, it is a national chain, but it still feels local. $$
2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.0107
La Taberna Giralda
Routinely rated among the top tapas places in South Florida, La Taberna brings the added twist of a chef from Galicia, who puts his own regional spin on the dishes. It’s a small place with a neighborhood vibe, orange walls, string lights and live flamenco on the weekends ($5 cover), so reservations are a must. $$
254 Giralda Avenue 786.362.5677
Las Tapas Coral Gables
Intimate setting in the space previously occupied by Mynt, Las Tapas is the newest entry in the category of fine Spanish cuisine. Fish flown in from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, with a special focus on dishes from Galicia in the northwest and Barcelona on the east, run by the consummate hand of chef/manager Florian Tomas. $$$-$$$$
276 Alhambra Circle. 305.381.0636
Christy’s
Touted as Coral Gables oldest steakhouse, Christy’s was long the power lunch go-to – until it stopped serving lunch except on Fridays. Still, its aged steaks are consistently excellent, as are the seafood entrees. Their classic Caesar salad is still the best in town, and the jumbo shrimp cocktail is a house specialty. $$$ 3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.446.1400
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine
cellar that appears to have no end of its depth. A place for special celebrations. Recently redecorated, but the open kitchen with its copper “sash” across the top still gives the main dining room a glow. Good menu at the bar. $$$-$$$$ 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.569.7995
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Morton’s in the Gables is not just another Morton’s. Its setting in the Colonnades gives it a unique elegance, with outdoor seating under the arches. Dependable quality, prime-aged beef, and excellent salads. Good place to take that important client. Great happy hour with filet mignon sandwiches or short rib tacos for $8. $$$ 2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
The latest entry among Coral Gables steak houses, Perry’s is a Texas chain that gets its beef from the heart of the Lone Star State. Great outdoor space with fire pit and a huge interior with its own lounge area piano bar. The entrees are all carefully concocted, including excellent reduction sauces for
the finer cuts and their famous five-finger giant pork chop that is carved at the table and can easily feed two. $$$$
4251 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.703.9094
PUBS & CAFÉS
Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen
Yes, it’s largely Australian pub food – salmon Rangoon, chicken skewers, meat pies, fish & chips –but the setting is spectacular and the beer unbeatable at this newest hot spot. $$ 65 Alhambra Plaza. 786.452.0935
Fritz and Franz Bierhaus
Be transported from Coral Gables to Oktoberfest. Enjoy German comfort food like Weisswurst and Heringsschmaus. Naturally, you have to order a beer, but here you can have it served in a giant class boot. Proost. $$ 60 Merrick Way 305.774.1883
Pinch Me Gastrobar & Market
Who says there aren’t cool neighborhood pubs in the Gables? And they have a leafy patio out back! Happy hour sliders, bennies and crepes for brunch, and a tasty
dinner selection of meat and fish. $$-$$$
216 Palermo Ave. 786.801.1071
Sports Grill
A go-to spot for any major sporting event, but also a popular destination for any given night of the week. You don’t even need to look at the menu: the pub is home to the Special Grilled wings, dipped in their signature sauce, then charbroiled and lightly covered in a secret sauce. $
1559 Sunset Dr. 305.668.0396
Threefold Café
You have to love a place that is dedicated to breakfast all day long. But who needs dinner when you can get shrimp tacos for breakfast, along with salmon scrambled eggs, chicken parma, and that Millenial favorite, smashed avocado toast? The brain child of Australian Nick Sharp, Threefold is also popular for Sunday brunch – partly because of nice outdoor seating on Giralda Plaza. And the coffee is some of the best around. $$ 141 Giralda Ave. 305.704.8007 ■
There are very few dental practices with a hyper-focus on cosmetic and implant technology. Drs. Laura Davila and Cristina Osorio have an emphasis and specialization in Prosthodontics - i.e. Full Smile Restorative Dentistry (veneers & implants) with timely dental treatment. There are very few dental practices with a hyper-focus on cosmetic and implant technology. In addition to Prosthodontics, we perform all General and Family Dentistry. Coral Gables Dentistry believes in making their patients’ comfortable and o er complimentary nitrous gas sedation as an adjunct to treatment and hygiene visits. Their philosophy is to provide comprehensive dental care along with treatment options that cater to one’s specific needs. Identifying and addressing your unique desires is often the best way for patients and dentists to share a fulfilling relationship and meaningful outcomes.
The downtown Business Improvement District, in partnership with the city’s Economic Development Department, has now completed its downtown wall murals. Located in McBride Plaza (next to Barnes & Noble), on Ponce de Leon Boulevard and on Salzedo
Street, all just south of Miracle Mile, they are designed to be colorful, fun and selfie worthy. “The visual arts are something that attracts everyone,” says BID executive director Aura Reinhardt. Here we see a visitor from South Miami in front of the Salzedo mural.
