Coral Gables April 2024

CORAL GABLES

Baptist Health was first in the U.S. to offer new robotic technology for liver cancer. In May 2023, the procedure was performed by Govindarajan Narayanan, M.D.

Welcome to Innovative Healthcare. Welcome to Baptist Health.

In healthcare, innovation is not just a buzzword, it has the potential to ease suffering and save lives. It comes in many forms novel therapeutics, new technologies and unprecedented approaches to patient care. At Baptist Health, innovation is such a vital component of our culture that we launched a business unit in 2017 dedicated to providing physicians and staff with the resources they need to turn great ideas into reality. Patients who receive care at Baptist Health know that innovation is woven throughout everything we do. It defines who we are and sets us apart as one of the leading healthcare providers in Florida and beyond.

Cancer Care

Innovation in oncology has revolutionized the way cancer patients receive care. Immunotherapies and targeted treatments, often referred to as “personalized medicine,” have increased survival rates and led to a better quality of life for many. At Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, our cancer experts have fully embraced novel approaches — as part of clinical trials and after regulatory approval to ensure patients have the highest chance of beating even the most challenging forms of cancer. As a result of our outstanding patient care and use of novel therapies, Miami Cancer Institute is ranked in the top 10 percent of high-performing cancer centers in America by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to using novel technologies such as proton therapy to shrink tumors, artificial intelligence

(AI) to help in the analysis of images and MRI-guided radiation to destroy cancer cells without affecting the surrounding tissue, we are conducting hundreds of clinical trials that are giving hope to those who have often run out of treatment options. At Miami Cancer Institute, our experts are also committed to bringing more diversity to clinical trials and helping reduce disparities in care through our new Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research.

...Miami Cancer Institute is ranked in the top 10 percent of highperforming cancer centers in America by U.S. News & World Report.

Miami Cancer Institute is home to the first proton therapy center in South Florida.

Heart & Vascular Care

Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is well established as a leading center for cardiovascular care. Our heart and vascular experts are committed to reducing the devastating impact of heart disease. For example, they are working on a novel device to reduce heart failure symptoms while protecting patients from sudden cardiac death, and they are studying how AI in wearable and digital technology may help predict postoperative complications. Our experts offer numerous minimally invasive procedures, and they have pioneered several of these approaches, which are now used worldwide. We are also home to the only dedicated arrhythmia center in South Florida and one of only a few in the U.S. Our physician-scientists are committed to reducing the negative effects of cardiac disease and are leading and participating in clinical trials for carotid artery disease, congestive heart failure and deep vein thrombosis, among others.

Orthopedic Care

At Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, our team leverages the advantages of robotics so patients can leave the hospital on the same day as their joint replacement surgery. The deliberate use of robotics allows our experts to preserve soft tissue, save healthy bone and speed up the patient’s recovery. During orthopedic procedures, our surgeons are also capturing data to understand the knee anatomy and alignment, which helps them adapt to individual patient needs. Capitalizing on 3D printing, it is now possible to provide custom implants to fix serious bone defects and significant bone loss. We’re also the official sports medicine providers for many professional, college and student athletes ― bringing the most innovative treatments to them as well as to our community.

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is well established as a leading center for cardiovascular care.

Our orthopedic team leverages the advantages of robotics so patients can leave the hospital on the same day as their joint replacement surgery.

Juan Carlos Suarez, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon, Baptist Health Orthopedic Care

Tom C. Nguyen, M.D. Chief Medical Executive, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Brain & Spine Care

At Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, our experts are pioneering innovative techniques and approaches to treating diseases and conditions associated with the brain and spine. They are using pulses of electromagnetic energy to target areas of the brain associated with depression and are delivering high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to eliminate and reduce tremors, among many other procedures. Our physician-scientists are conducting groundbreaking research to investigate ways to pass or bypass the blood-brain barrier, a protective lining that makes it challenging to administer medications. They are also involved in an international clinical trial that studies how low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU)-aided liquid biopsies can help avoid surgical biopsies, which can have serious complications. Miami Neuroscience Institute is ranked among the top neurology and neurosurgery programs in the nation.

Miami Neuroscience Institute is ranked among the top neurology and neurosurgery programs in the nation.

Robert J. Rothrock, M.D. Spinal Neurosurgeon and the Director of Spinal Oncology, Miami Neuroscience Institute, Miami Cancer Institute

Innovation Benefitting Patients

At Baptist Health, multidisciplinary teams of experts bring together the best minds to offer the most innovative, compassionate and effective care to all of our patients. Innovation is a key driver of who we are. It is an important reason why patients with even the most complex conditions trust us and come to us for their care.

Welcome to Innovative Healthcare

For more information about our Baptist Health services or physicians, please visit BaptistHealth.net.

Kathy Schilling, M.D. uses AI to read mammograms and find cancers years before we would find them without AI.

What’s different about The Palace? No nickel & diming. Our price covers most everything.

The Palace spends a fortune designing and furnishing every new community to look like a Palace. There’s nothing else like it.

The staff is amazing. In fact, The Palace was rated Fortune’s #1 Workplace in Aging Services in the nation in 2023.

The Palace is not corporate-run. It’s family run, by Helen & Jacob Shaham and their two sons. The owners give you their personal phone number so you can call them about anything.

The Palace invests in the newest and the most innovative technologies. That’s why we have our own Oculus Virtual Reality so residents can visit any place in the world virtually. And we are the only senior community in South Florida with our own hyperbaric chamber for oxygen therapy.

Nothing is typical. And almost everything that goes into this remarkable life they give us is included.

Luxury Living for Seniors

LEADER IN GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATION EMBRACES INNOVATION

Using virtual reality to experience a patient’s environment and understand their physical challenges or communicating via a two-way robot that can deftly maneuver around a patient’s bed are important skills in today’s healthcare environment. That’s why the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) in Miami leverages the latest technology to teach the next generation of rehabilitative professionals.

“We embrace innovation. It ensures our graduates can succeed as practitioners and change agents in their professions,” says Miami-based Vivian Sanchez, Chancellor of USAHS, a national institution with five campuses including one located at the historic Douglas Entrance in Coral Gables. Sanchez, who has led an impressive expansion at USAHS over the last eight years, says the future of physical and occupational therapy integrates technology with direct patient care.

After a multi-million dollar retrofit at the Douglas Entrance location, USAHS serves over 600 students

“

To us, innovation is the process of developing approaches that make education more accessible, maximize learning, and prepare students to meet society’s evolving healthcare needs.

-Maria Puzziferro, PhD, Assoc. Chief Academic Officer

in 10,000 square feet of space devoted to graduate programs in rehabilitative health. That singular focus sets USAHS apart. The inpatient simulation hospital unit, robotics, driving simulators and other technology are used solely by the USAHS community.

The cadaver lab, or wet lab–traditionally the domain of medical schools–is used by PT anatomy students. Microsoft HoloLens allows students to use mixed reality to take a deeper dive in the wet lab and the virtual dissection Anatomage tables in the dry lab. The head-mounted HoloLens augments the student’s reality.

A Culture of Innovaton

“Innovation isn’t only technology, and not all technologies are innovative,” says Maria Puzziferro, PhD, Associate Chief Academic Officer and Vice President, Teaching, Learning and Innovation. “To us, innovation is the process of developing approaches that make education more accessible, maximize learning, and prepare students to meet society’s evolving healthcare needs.”

Dr. Puzziferro leads USAHS’ Innovation Steering Committee (ISC), which tests new solutions and technologies. “We ask, ‘Does it solve a real educational or healthcare problem?’ Then we design research-based pilots that inform whether or how the solution will be integrated within and across the university. This iterative transformation is the heart of our innovation culture,” she says.

Sanchez, who oversees campuses in three states, says the state-of-the-art simulation centers, along with community clinical partnerships and pro-bono clinical experiences, provide invaluable experience and expose students to a wide range of patient populations.

Community Connections

Students at the Coral Gables campus conduct weekly pro-bono clinics to enhance mobility for Parkinson’s patients. Research by USAHS faculty indicates that interventions to prevent falls don’t slow the progression of the disease but mitigate some of its debilitating effects and improve a person’s quality of life.

Born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents, Sanchez is a product of Georgetown University’s renowned School of Foreign Service and holds an MBA from Harvard. She had a successful career in international finance before turning her sights on higher education.

In 2004, lured by the opportunity to effect positive change in the community she loved, she joined Florida International University (FIU) as Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President for Administration. Sanchez played a pivotal role during a transformational time in FIU’s history, including the creation of a medical school. Inspired by the lasting impact of higher education, Sanchez moved on from FIU to serve in various executive leadership roles including overseeing a network of universities across Latin America followed by a global coalition of internationally renowned universities.

Under Sanchez’ leadership, USAHS enrollment has tripled and campuses in five thriving cities

are poised to fill critical workforce gaps in those regions. Becoming the nation’s largest degreegranting institution in graduate rehabilitation programs, USAHS alumni are estimated to be treating more than 500,000 patients each week across 50 states and 21 countries.

USAHS opened 45 years ago as the Institute for Physical Therapy, the first independent school to confer a graduate degree in physical therapy. Today, the University has campuses in California, Texas, and Florida, where the school is investing over $73 million to relocate the St. Augustine campus this year to a retrofitted historic building.

Accepting applications for Summer and Fall 2024

www.usa.edu | (904) 712-5018

Vivian Sanchez

“

DAVID WINKER, COUNSEL FOR COMMISSIONER MELISSA CASTRO, TALKING TO CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE. SEE PAGE 20.

Features

INNOVATORS

The Coral Gables community is filled with hundreds of innovators who’ve found a new way to run a business or improve the community by using technology, financial savvy, or pure cleverness combined with perseverance. Each year, our annual Innovation Issue highlights the city’s latest high-tech advances – in everything from transportation and law enforcement to city apps and sustainability programs. Now we are focusing on one of the community’s most innovative features: its people.

6TH ANNIVERSARY

This April marks the sixth anniversary of the launch of Coral Gables Magazine. From the start, we have endeavored to bring you, our readers, a comprehensive, intelligent look at your city and all its wonderfulness: the dining, the culture, the nightlife, the politics, the businesses, the history, the homes – that stunning quilt of people, places, and ideas that comprise the City Beautiful. We here at the magazine are, of course, unabashed fans of Coral Gables, clearly the most exceptional city in Florida, let alone Miami-Dade County.

Shown right: Premier issue, April 2018

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Innovators Awaken!

Most outsiders think of Coral Gables as something of a staid community. Certainly, its affluent demographics, its heavy presence of legal and financial professionals, and its historic, old-world architecture lends to the image of a calm, conservative, even insular city.

When we started the magazine six years ago, we found that not to be the case. We began to produce an annual Innovation issue and discovered that Coral Gables was in the lead among Florida cities in numerous categories. The first few years we focused on the city’s infrastructure, looking at advances in municipal software, transportation alternatives, research at UM, shared workspace incubators, police technology and so forth. Very much Big Picture POV, high-tech and systemwide.

Last year we diverged from the Smart City approach and wrote about efforts by

the public and private sector to increase sustainability. In the process, we realized that innovation in sustainability – and other areas – was not just a matter of advanced software systems and technical gadgetry. What it came down was the people – the innovators – leading the charge.

This year we stayed with that idea, that what makes Coral Gables an innovative city are its residents and small business owners, individuals who are working to solve problems we all face in creative ways. Not all are high tech. But all are highly interesting. We present this year five innovators worthy of the name, and of your time as a reader. Now go get inspired and invent some new way of doing things!

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Each month, we print letters we receive from our readers. We encourage all commentary, including 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 may be edited for brevity.

Running Afoul of the Fowl

“The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things: of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether PIGS HAVE WINGS.”

Perhaps Charles Dodgson visited Coral Gables!

Peafowl have invaded our home, and these PIGS HAVE WINGS! They are shrieking at all hours of the night and day; damaging our gardens; scratching at our cars and windows; defecating around our swimming pools, walkways, and yards; pecking at and thumping on our rooftops; interfering with traffic; etc. The problems are well-known and are not unique to my home or neighborhood.

My understanding is that this invasive species is protected by law as Miami-Dade County is a designated “Bird Sanctuary.” I believe it is time to review this law and amend it to protect us residents from this disruptive, destructive invasion which, coincidentally, is detrimental to our communities’ health. The animals are not only a cause of sleep deprivation but are carriers of lice and fungal diseases. Recent measures to control this invasion by performing vasectomies on captured males are as laughable as if in Ukraine it were proposed to stop the Russians by performing vasectomies on them!

Charles Hyams, M.D.

Efficient but Ugly

It was with great joy and satisfaction to read your article “Historic Homes” in the February issue. As an owner of a historic house, I am happy to see there are those who treasure the history and homes that make our city such a unique and beautiful place. It is because of this that I’m reaching out to voice my concern regarding the planned electrical utility development spearheaded by FPL (Storm Secure Underground Program). The program calls for the placement of a transformer on the ground, on my property, in front of our home!!

My house is a historical Coral Gables house. Every time I had to make any

changes to my property, I had to obtain all the required permits from the city, including approval from the Coral Gables Historic Board. Windows, doors, roof tiles, the color of the paint, to name a few, were all decided by the Historic Board. My wife and I have tried to maintain the historic value of our property by preserving not only the structure, but its historic looks. Now, they are asking me to agree to place such a monstrosity in front of a historic site, almost obliterating the front yard. By doing so, not only will it affect the value of the property, but also the overall aesthetics.

My concern is not the transformer itself, but its placement. I will be more than happy to allow the transformer in the back of the property. I’m aware that this new transformer will improve our electrical service by leaps and bounces, but it does not have to sit as a sour sight in front of my home! I have reached out to the City of Coral Gables and in turn they have notified me that the placement of the transformer is still under consideration.

Oscar Compain

Concerns for UM

What has happened to the University of Miami (which really is the university of Coral Gables)? Relatively speaking, almost nothing has been written about it. Since [President Julio] Frenk took over as president, the university’s ranking has all but collapsed (from 38 to 67, in just a few years!). During this time, every major university in the state has shot up in the rankings. The most impressive of all is Florida State University, which, never having been able to crack the top 100, today is ranked 53.

This situation at the ‘U’ is a travesty. Yet, there has not been anything written about this or why this has occurred. If you look at the university’s website – silence. If you respond to the student paper in this regard – silence. If you look for a letter from the president as to why this happened and what he is going to do about it – nothing. I think the city, donors, and community deserve a straightforward answer (and even a resignation).

I think it would be interesting if CGM reached out to the ‘Office of the President’ and asked the very simple and obvious question: “Mr. President, during your tenure the university’s ranking has fallen by nearly 80 percent in the most quoted ranking of all, USNWR. What say you?” I would be very surprised if they respond to this question, and in the off chance they do, you will receive some bland, committee-written spin of a response stating something to the effect that the university does not follow rankings nor is it pre-occupied with them. No one, including Coral Gables, will benefit if the ‘U’ returns to being known as ‘Suntan U’.

Franc J

Pigna

Don’s Recent Ramblings

I enjoyed [Don Slesnick’s] recent article about your visit with the Biltmore culinary team. It gave me the chance to remember all the wonderful meals that I’ve had there and to dream up some new reasons to visit. Hmmm… birthdays, anniversary, holidays, end of the school year – so many reasons to celebrate. Keep on rambling!

Nancy Famulari

The Original Beaux Arts

I enjoy your magazine each month and the January issue was especially interesting with the story about Beaux Arts. There was only one thing incorrect about the former name of the art show.

I am an associate of Beaux Arts and worked many years registering the artists and marking their spaces at the Lowe Art Museum grounds. The [original] name was Clothesline Sale – not Fair. I’m sure that Ms. Powell [the author] was given the wrong information. Looking forward to the next issue.

H. R. Bowles

Thanks for the info

Happy spring!! Congratulations on the real estate issue, full of facts and it was a great read. Also, the chaos at city hall. I’ve lived here for 30 years and I’ve never seen this.

Linda Lawrence

“This program made me want to pursue a career in neurosurgery.”

Lucas Martinez, Summer Scholar Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute

Lucas Martinez had just completed his first year at Vanderbilt University when he was accepted into the Summer Scholars Program at Miami Neuroscience Institute. The Christopher Columbus High School grad had always been interested in neuroscience. “I’m genuinely interested in how the brain works — the neural mechanisms that affect the way we think, the way we live,” he says.

The program, which is funded by philanthropy, gave Lucas the opportunity to participate in research into neurology, physiatry and neurosurgery. He was mentored by Michael McDermott, M.D., a neurosurgeon and chief medical executive at the Institute. “For an undergrad, being able to work in neurosurgery is hard to do, so it was an amazing experience,” he says.

Lucas is now working in Vanderbilt’s neurosurgery labs, has started a non-profit to improve stroke outcomes and plans to attend medical school in Miami. He is grateful to Baptist Health Foundation donors for the opportunities he received. “I honestly believe this program can be one of the best and most sought-after in the country,” he says.

You can help support the next generation of pioneering physicians. Visit BaptistHealth.net/GenerosityHeals or call 786-467-5400.

Photo by Lynn Parks

Streetwise

Talk of the Town

See Page 22

KEN GRIFFIN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S SYLVESTER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER, WHICH RECEIVED A $50 MILLION GIFT FROM THE PHILANTHROPIST,

From City Hall

At its meeting in March, the Coral Gables City Commission:

THE NAME GAME

Voted 5-0 to rename several parks to honor community leaders. William A. Cooper Park (4920 Washington Dr.) was renamed “William and Leona Cooper Park” to include Leona, who helped save the black MacFarlane historic neighborhood in the Gables in the early 1990s and for her contributions to Roman Catholicism (she received an award from the Pope in 1992).

A recently acquired property located at Toledo St. and Alava Ave. was named “Mayor Dorothy H. Thomson Park” after the city’s first and only female mayor, whose involvement in the sale of the property was “integral” to making it a park and who is credited with saving the Biltmore Hotel during her tenure as mayor. She called the park naming “the pinnacle of my success.”

Sunrise Harbor Park (25 E Sunrise Ave.) was renamed “The James and Sallye Jude Park” to honor the longtime community activist and medical pioneer. Dr. James Jude was instrumental in the invention of CPR, while Sallye was a well-known community and environmental activist and strong supporter of historic preservation.

Tiziano Park (7700 Old Cutler Rd.) was renamed “Staff Sergeant Carl Enis Veterans Memorial Park” to honor the fallen pararescueman of the 308th Rescue Squadron. In 2018, the Gables native died in a helicopter incident on the Syrian-Iraq border along with six other airmen serving their country.

IN A PICKLE

Listened to an update on the rooftop pickleball court project in Parking Garage 4. The idea is to include eight courts for a tournament-sized facility, with fences, lighting, and a waiting area that could be constructed indoors or outdoors, depending on budget. The total project cost is estimated at $600,530. Cost-saving measures like reducing gates and fencing and changing the court surfacing were suggested. The next step is to provide a funding request for consideration during the present budget cycle; private parties have already expressed interest in helping pay for the facility.

The Commission talked over several options in the hour of discussion, including making the courts free, having a discounted resident rate, or having a company operate the courts – though under the Commission’s discretion for pricing. Mayor Lago advocated for free resident use, charging only for non-residents. He also suggested looking at alternative sites.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

Voted 5-0 to fund and deploy traffic safety personnel, including crossing guards and police officers, at Coral Gables Senior High School, and to conduct a review of current traffic patterns near the school. The issue turned into a larger discussion on public safety encompassing recent vehicular accidents, including one that had happened just that morning when a CGPD employee was hit by a car outside the police station.

Police Chief Ed Hudak said there has been an uptick in accidents involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and people using electric scooters. In the vicinity of Coral Gables High alone, 1,864 citations were issued to drivers in 2023. Hudak also recommended using school security personnel to dole out punishments to students who violate traffic laws by jaywalking, for example. County Commissioner Raquel Regalado is working to allow cities like Coral Gables additional oversight of micro-mobility devices on county roads to help address the problem.

PUBLIX PROJECT

Voted 5-0 on second reading to approve an amended plan for the proposed Publix that will replace the current grocery store on Le Jeune Rd. Between first and second reading, changes were made to reflect the Commission’s requests, including increasing the size of the property’s future public park, moving overhead electrical lines underground, and adding more landscaping to the rooftop parking lot to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

SHUTTERING SHUTTERS

Voted 5-0 on second reading to amend the zoning code to provide penalties for homeowners who leave hurricane shutters up after hurricane season. Fines will be issued for those who do not comply after a 30-day warning period, and the city may step in to remove shutters in special cases where the homeowners are physically unable to do so. Mayor Lago emphasized the latter issue, expressing concerns over elderly residents who cannot remove shutters themselves and suggesting the city have a plan in place to address these cases. The ordinance will not take effect until the conclusion of this year’s hurricane season on December 1.

BONJOUR, LE PARC!

Listened to an update on Le Parc Café at the Coral Gables Country Club. The operator, Bonjour LLC, will be permitted to run the restaurant until May 27, after which the city will decide whether to extend their contract. Since taking over on November 27, Bonjour has expanded the café’s operating hours to seven days a week and provided a greater variety of menu items, including beer and wine as of Feb. 14. It also took responsibility for some of the city’s expenses and operating costs.

Overall, the café has received mostly positive reviews online and sales are up dramatically – 51 percent more in February compared with the year before under a different operator. Bonjour has agreed to increase staff to deal with the increasing popularity of the restaurant and expects to begin new revenue-generating initiatives, including Sunday brunch and corporate or event catering.

MORALE BOOST

Discussed the creation of the city’s Employee Ambassador Committee, which will bring back the yearly employee picnic and create an anonymous suggestions system online for employees. The committee will meet every month for lunch to hear from employees, with the city manager available afterwards for private meetings. ■

A Question of Official Conduct

THE ETHICS PROBE OF COMMISSIONER

MELISSA CASTRO DEEPENS

BY KYLIE WANG

It’s been close to a year since Commissioner Melissa Castro’s ethics case was first brought to the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. Now, finally, an opinion is being issued that should clarify matters.

The issue at hand is a potential conflict of interest between the commissioner’s two jobs: Coral Gables city commissioner and owner of permit expediting company M.E.D. Expeditors. Previous Ethics Commission meetings had debated over the optics of a city commissioner’s company working for clients in the city they represent and whether a permit was considered ministerial or discretionary, and therefore requiring advocacy by the expeditor to city staff.

Commissioner Castro, absent from the March meeting due to illness, said in a previous meeting that “everything” her company does is online and strictly clerical in nature. But Ethics Commissioners Nelson Bellido and Dava Tunis seemed skeptical of this at the March meeting, with Tunis even reading out a list of services M.E.D. claims to provide on its website. “When I look at that, in my mind, it’s not ministerial,” she said.

To help clarify matters, former Miami-Dade County Building Official Charles Danger was brought in. In response to Tunis’ question of whether M.E.D.’s services qualified as exclusively ministerial, Danger responded definitively, “No.” He added, “You have other cities you can do business in. Stay away from your city. Don’t influence your city.” He testified that, in his experience, most permit requests have problems that have to be addressed in face-to-face meetings between city staff and someone on the requestee’s side, such as an expeditor. According to Castro, her company only uses software to expedite permits, and therefore will not be affected by the Ethics Commission’s ruling. In an interview with Coral Gables Magazine, her counsel, David Winker, said, “The old days of walking in there and schmoozing [city officials] to get things done [are over]. That’s no longer the case.” Today, he says, “there is no advocacy.”

Elizabeth Hernandez, former general counsel for the City of Coral Gables, had some qualms, however, citing “red flags” about the process and optics involved. “If I want to pull a permit for something and I know that an elected official has a company in my city, that’s where I’m going to go with my business,” she said. Furthermore, she added that permits almost always necessitate using some discretion, and that city staff might feel pressure to put permits handled by M.E.D. Expeditors “to the front of the line” rather than risk the ire of Castro, who could push for their termination. “They’re nervous. They don’t want their boss to call them in and say, ‘Why did you make these people wait?’”

Hernandez also pointed out that in cases regarding appeals and violations, employees of expediting companies may have to advocate in front of code enforcement boards like Coral Gables’ Planning and Zoning Board. She, too, appeared skeptical of any permit expediting process that did not require discretion by city staff. “You’re talking about .0001 percent of the time when the permit application and the response of the city is purely ministerial,” she said.

“IF I WANT TO PULL A PERMIT FOR SOMETHING AND I KNOW THAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HAS A COMPANY IN MY CITY, THAT’S WHERE I’M GOING TO GO WITH MY BUSINESS.”

ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ, FORMER GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES

In the end, Ethics Commission Director Jose Arrojo made it as plain as possible: “If you have an elected official who is involved in some type of advocacy and on the other side of that advocacy is a [member of the city government] who is exercising some discretion, that is prohibited…. If, at any point after you submit that permit, there is some interaction with an inspector or you have to go the job site, well, you can’t do that.” An official opinion will be drafted and presented to the Ethics Commission in April. ■

COMMISSIONER CASTRO ON THE M.E.D. EXPEDITORS WEBSITE: A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

A Native Forest for Girl Scouts

Last month, the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida were joined by volunteers and VIPs to dedicate the restoration of the original hardwood hammock at the entrance to Camp Mahachee. The 11.5-acre property on Old Cutler Road opposite Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has been home to the Tropical troop since 1948. Recognizing that it was being overrun by invasive species, the Coral Gables Garden Club initiated

Ken Griffin’s Big Gift

Ever since billionaire Ken Griffin moved his Citadel corporation from Chicago to Miami last year, he has become increasingly active as a local philanthropist, donating $25 million to Gables-adjacent Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, $20 million to Miami Dade College, $50 million to Baptist Health, and $5 million to the U.S Soccer Foundation to create 50 new mini-pitches in Miami-Dade County. Now, he has topped them all with a “transformational gift” of $50 million to the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The donation will double Sylvester’s research “footprint” to develop better cancer therapies at its new 12-story, 244,000-square-foot facility, due to open next year. “Sylvester’s team of physicians, scientists, and healthcare professionals plays a leading role in our community’s efforts to defeat cancer,” said Griffin when the gift was announced. “Our” community? Welcome home, Mr. Griffin. Maybe we should name the research building after him. Wait a minute – it will be. And deservedly so.

the restoration of its entranceway in June of 2022, at the suggestion of club member and Girl Scout mom Lynn Kerdyk. Since, then, 1,100 trees have been planted and a butterfly garden, three coral rock benches, and a coral rock bridge were also installed. To restore the original hammock, $90,000 in cash was raised ($25,000 from the Garden Club), along with more than $60,000 of inkind services. Among those at the ceremony were Gables Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson

(volunteer and club member), Miami-Dade

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Garden Club

President Susan Rodriguez, Community Foundation CEO Mary Snow ($10,000 contributed), Tropical troop CEO Chelsea Wilkerson, and, of course, Lynn Kerdyk. Even more exciting – the Girl Scouts just got a $450,000 federal grant to restore the rest of Camp Mahachee.

KEN GRIFFIN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S SYLVESTER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER SIGNING A STEEL BEAM

DEDICATION CEREMONY AT CAMP MAHACHEE WITH GIRLS SCOUTS, VOLUNTEERS, AND VIPS

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From the Tide to the Gables

Maybe it comes down to the winning ways of Nick Saban (above center). As the coach of the famous Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 2007 until he retired earlier this year, Saban is widely recognized as one of the greatest football coaches in history (292 wins vs 71 losses, with six national championships). He also coached the Dolphins for two years before joining ‘Bama. Now, as one of the owners of Dream Motor Group – which last year purchased Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables and of Cutler Bay – he’s winning again. This time, it’s for the prestigious Mercedes-Benz “Best of the Best Dealer Recognition Award” based on outstanding performance in 2023 out of all its dealerships. “With roots in this community going back to 1957, it is an honor to be able to bring the best Mercedes-Benz has to offer going on seven decades,” said Greg Barnes, president of both the Gables and Cutler Ridge locations.

GablesStage’s “Fat Ham”

In a unique regional partnership, our own GableStage, along with Broward County’s Island City Stage and Brévo Theatre, have been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Warten Foundation to produce “Fat Ham,” a 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by James Ijames. This first-time collaboration among leading theater groups in the two counties is a South Florida premiere for this witty in-

LUIS

NICK

GREG

terpretation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” that tackles identity, race, and family issues. “Fat Ham” will premiere as part of the companies’ 2024-25 seasons. “The Warten Foundation is pleased to fund this historic collaboration,” said Clifford J. Cideko, chairman of the Boca-Raton Warten Foundation.

“Fat Ham” transforms Shakespeare’s  Hamlet into an over-the-top tale set in a North Carolina BBQ pit: the Danish castle

CLIFFORD

becomes a Southern backyard barbecue, while Prince Hamlet becomes Juicy, a Black, gay southern kid who navigates a ghostly demand for vengeance. Shakespeare might be turning over in his grave, but presumably with a sense of humor. ■

LEFT TO RIGHT:

GUTIERREZ, GENERAL MANAGER OF MERCEDES-BENZ OF CUTLER BAY

SABAN, DREAM MOTOR GROUP

BARNES, PRESIDENT OF MERCEDES-BENZ OF CORAL GABLES AND MERCEDES-BENZ OF CUTLER BAY

J. CIDEKO, ABOVE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOCA-RATON WARTEN FOUNDATION, SIGNING THE AWARD GRANT OF $250,000

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 appreciated stock and mutual funds, to insurance policies, retirement assets, and real estate, there are many ways to efficiently fund a charitable gift that also has the welfare of your family in mind. Contact us to help change kids’ lives today and in the future. Contact Greg Romagnoli, Senior Director, Gift Planning, CAP®

Charter Review Committee

Every 10 years, the City of Coral Gables convenes a Charter Review Committee to receive recommendations from qualified individuals on possible amendments or revisions. In 2023, the City Commission voted 3-2 to move this up two years due to unresolved issues amongst a divided Commission. Normally, the committee consists of seven members, but the same 3-2 majority (Commissioners Menendez, Fernandez, and Castro) eliminated the positions traditionally appointed by the city attorney and the city manager, so that only five committee members – one appointed by each Commissioner – could recommend changes to the city’s charter.

The first town hall meeting was convened on March 21 to allow residents to provide public input on the issues that affect them. Former mayor Don Slesnick led the meeting as Mayor Vince Lago’s appointee and said the result, “whether it be firm recommendations or firm denials of recommendations” had not yet been discussed. “Our role is advisory; we do not make any final decisions,” he added.

The hour-long meeting mostly consisted of public comment from residents. The most interesting and favored recommendation was that of hiring an inspector general, who would act as a watchdog for potential corruption. Other suggestions included publishing any revisions made to the official city budget and making commissioners’ terms part of mayoral term limits (meaning mayors that were former commissioners would have less time to serve); and reducing the threshold for recalls, which currently requires at least 10 percent of residents’ signatures. This

“WHETHER IT BE FIRM RECOMMENDATIONS OR FIRM DENIALS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.... OUR ROLE IS ADVISORY; WE DO NOT MAKE ANY FINAL DECISIONS.”

FORMER MAYOR DON SLESNICK, MAYOR LAGO’S APPOINTEE, LEADS THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE

latter item was shot down by the city attorney, who pointed out that state law precludes any city from changing recall requirements.

A second town hall meeting will be held within the month, after which the committee will present its recommendations to the Commission during a joint sunshine meeting. –Kylie Wang

Quicker Response Times in South Gables

After nearly a decade-long effort to build a new firehouse to provide quicker response times to the southern half of Coral Gables, Fire House 4 is now underway. The new facility, located next to the Riviera Presbyterian Church on Sunset Drive, will significantly cut the time of emergency rescue units.

Time is a critical when it comes to saving the lives of people who suffer life threatening events such as heart attacks or strokes. The groundbreaking was celebrated in February by the full City Commission, along with officers of the Coral Gables Fire Department. The City Commission adopted its resolution to build a new firehouse in 2018, but its initial location near Cartagena Circle was opposed by residents. “We’ve continued to maintain our mission to have the best response times in Miami-Dade County,” said Mayor Vince Lago, an early proponent of the firehouse, who also thanked former City Manager Peter Iglesias for overseeing the project. ■

CONSTRUCTION OF FIREHOUSE 4 IS NOW UNDERWAY ON SUNSET DRIVE (CHIEF MARCOS DE LA ROSA, CENTER)

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“End the Corruption” Seeks to Recall Mayor Lago

A DUBIOUS CAMPAIGN TO UNSEAT LAGO BEGINS

BY BREAKING THE LAW FOR RECALLS

BY KYLIE WANG

Anyone who has watched a Coral Gables City Commission meeting in the last few years knows who Maria Cruz is. A former Miami Beach Senior High teacher, the longtime Gables resident has, for years, been present at City Hall as a resident “activist,” addressing and lecturing the City Commission at virtually every meeting. For years, she and Mayor Vince Lago had a friendly relationship dating back to his time as a commissioner. Now, she’s finally picked up an official title – just not one at City Hall. Cruz is chairperson of the political committee End the Corruption, which is seeking to recall Lago based on charges of “misfeasance and malfeasance.”

“She used to be someone willing to entertain different opinions and ideas,” said Lago of Cruz. But after it came out at a City Commission meeting that she had misappropriated approximately $69,000 in funds from other school clubs into the booster club account at Miami Beach Senior High, “she started becoming angry, resentful, and distrustful,” he said. The settlement led to her transfer from the school, a letter of reprimand from the district, restitution payments, and a three-year probation.

Cruz did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Coral Gables Magazine, but attorney David Winker, who Cruz hired as the registered agent for End the Corruption, said his perception is that the recall effort is not personal. Residents “are tired of reading in the paper about the mayor doing deals they don’t think he should be doing with people they don’t think he should be doing deals with,” he said.

Winker is presumably referencing several Miami Herald articles that detailed Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ties to developer Rishi Kapoor, now under investigation by the FBI and SEC. In the articles, the Herald tied in Lago as a childhood friend of Suarez, though it could not come up with any wrongdoing except by association. Photos used by the Herald showed Lago at a ribbon cutting for a dog park that Kapoor donated to the city, for example, and at the groundbreaking for Kapoor’s Villa Valencia condo project.

The charges of “misfeasance and malfeasance” the recall petition notes are just two – the rental of a storefront property to Kapoor, at market rate, as a sales office across the street from Kapoor’s 1505 Ponce condo project (Lago, who owned 40% of the storefront, announced the lease and recused himself from any vote on the project) and a commission of $640,000 that went to a brokerage firm where Lago had his realtor’s license registered. Lago did not receive any of the commission, and again recused himself from any vote on the property. The petition also states that “it was reported that he [Lago] helped Kapoor’s project behind the scenes using his influence as mayor,” with no reference to where this was reported nor any details.

While End the Corruption posits that the mayor is in the pockets of developers, he claims the recall is likely being funded by developers “who want to transform Miracle Mile into Brickell, and who will not stop with their political attacks until they get their way.”

One thing is clear: Someone is paying people to collect signatures for the recall, even though Florida law says only volunteers

“WHY WOULD ANYONE TRY TO RECALL A MAYOR THAT WILL FACE THE VOTERS IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS? ”

MAYOR VINCE LAGO, ON THE THE RECALL PETITION BY MARIA CRUZ , SHOWN ABOVE, CHAIRPERSON OF THE POLITICAL COMMITTEE END THE CORRUPTION

can collect such signatures. Despite a firm denial by Winker that there is any funding to End the Corruption’s political committee, Coral Gables Magazine has independently confirmed that the signature collectors were being paid $15 per hour “by the people behind the recall.” Someone also paid for a website, T-shirts, social media blasts, and flyers. Rumors abound that developer Stephen Bittel, who owns multiple properties on Miracle Mile, and political consultant Jeffrey Garcia, are helping fund the effort. Bittel funded Lago’s last political opponent, Pat Keon, who ran against him for mayor in 2021. Keon was considered pro-development, while Lago was against up-zoning Miracle Mile. Garcia, meanwhile, has been twice convicted for election mischief. Neither his nor Bittel’s involvement has been confirmed; Bittel did not return emails from Coral Gables Magazine.

Lago is up for re-election next April and says that he thinks the recall effort is meant to distract voters from other, more important issues. “Why would anyone try to recall a mayor that will face the voters in less than 12 months?” he asked. To get a recall done in the State of Florida, at least five percent of registered voters in Cora Gables must sign a petition for recall. After that, a second petition must receive at least 10 percent of voters’ signatures. ■

I hardly ever get lap time with George these days.

Ever since we moved in to The Watermark, his social calendar has filled right up. But fortunately so has mine. I get to hang out at the pool with my buddies and sniff around the rooftop garden. Who knew we’d have so much fun?

Call 786-437-0192 today to see for yourself.

Best Bets for April

“THE LEHMAN TRILOGY”

In 1844, Henry, Emanuel, and Mayer Lehman were three brothers with a dream of a better life. Immigrants from Germany working in Montgomery, Alabama, the brothers went into business together, with one storefront eventually expanding into one of the biggest corporations in the United States. In 2008, their empire would collapse quickly and suddenly in one of the biggest financial disasters in the world. “The Lehman Trilogy” showcases not only a saga of family conflict, but a history of greed in American society. Written by Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben Power, the original Broadway production won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play. The show runs through April 21 on Tues. at 7:30 pm, Wed. at 2 pm, Thu. through Sat. at 7:30 pm, and Sun. at 2 pm. Tickets are $25 to $65. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave. gablestage.org

“URINETOWN”

In this biting satire, a decades-long drought has made a dystopia where water is the biggest luxury, making it a privilege to use the

bathroom. Bobby, a lowly bathroom attendant, sparks a revolution while also falling in love with Hope, the toilet company owner’s daughter. This dark musical comedy pokes fun at politics, big business, and musical theater, with the original Broadway production taking the 2001 Tony Award for Best Book and Score. The show runs for two weekends, April 19-20 and April 26-27. Showtime is at 8 pm, with a 2 pm matinee on Sat., April 20. Tickets are $15 to $30. The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, 1312 Miller Drive. ring-theatre.as.miami.edu

“CAROLINE, OR CHANGE”

This spellbinding drama set in 1963 Louisiana follows Caroline, a black maid and single mother working for a white Jewish family, as she reconciles with her place in society and the future of her children amid the backdrop of the intensifying Civil Rights Movement. With a book by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori, this musical blends blues, gospel, classical music, and traditional Jewish melodies to create a profoundly thought-provoking experience. The show runs through April 14, with regular performances at 8 pm, as well as three matinees on April 3 at 2 pm and April 7 and 14 at 3 pm. Tickets are $40 to $100. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. actorsplayhouse.org

GABLES BIKE TOUR: BIKE AND BBQ

The most popular bike tour of the year is here! The Bike and BBQ Tour is set for April 21 at 10 am. Beginning from the Coral Gables Youth Center (405 University Drive), cyclists will bike the 11.5mile journey to Matheson Hammock Park, and afterwards enjoy a delightful barbecue picnic at the pavilion. This event is sponsored in partnership with the City of Coral Gables and Dade Heritage Trust, and is not recommended for small children. Tickets are $10, or $5 for museum members and children under 12. The Coral Gables Museum, coralgablesmuseum.org

CELEBRATING BLACK STORIES

The Coral Gables Art Cinema will be showing a selection of short films straight from the New York International Children’s Film Festival on Sat., April 13 and Sun., April 14 at 11 am. The films, which celebrate Black stories in English, French, Shona, and ASL, will be screened in one sitting. From magical castles to a first trip to the barbershop, these short films highlight Black joy and achievements. Tickets are sold on a “pay what you can” basis. Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave. gablescinema.org

RHYTHM AND BLOOMS

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden invites guests to sit under the stars and enjoy live music with Rhythm and Blooms: A Sunset Jazz Series. Guests can wander the gardens in the moonlight, listen to live music, and enjoy food and signature cocktails crafted for the event. This month’s lineup features singer Nikki Kidd on April 11

and the Lemon City Trio on April 25. Both events run from 5:30 to 9 pm. Standard tickets are $24.95, while children’s tickets are $14.95. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd. fairchildgarden.org

CAM FEST 2024

The University of Miami Frost School of Music’s Creative American Music Program presents CAM Fest 2024, a four-day showcase of the best of tomorrow’s hit singers and musicians. Audiences can enjoy student selections in various genres, including rock and roll, hip-hop, country, Latin music, and more. Tickets are free but must be reserved ahead of time. Showtimes are Wed., April 17 at 7:30 pm; April 18 at 7:30 pm; April 19 at 7:30 pm; and April 20 at 2 pm. Clarke Recital Hall, 5479 San Amaro Dr. frost-music-live.miami.edu

BEST REASON TO LEAVE THE GABLES: “LA BOHEME”

The classic Puccini opera comes to Florida in the final performance of the Florida Grand Opera’s 2023-2024 season. Set in the Latin Quarter in the days of 19th century Paris, four starving artists eke out a living by following a Bohemian lifestyle. Rodolfo, the poet, falls in love with Mimi the seamstress, but their whirlwind romance turns quickly into tragedy. Showtimes are Sat., April 6 at 7 pm; April 7 at 2 pm; and April 9 at 8 pm. Tickets range from $26 to $234. Ziff Ballet Opera House, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. arshtcenter.org ■

“The Lehman Trilogy” Review

BY MICHELLE F. SOLOMON / ARTBURST MIAMI

PHOTO BY MAGNUS STARK

The stage is raised higher than the seats for “The Lehman Trilogy” in the small GableStage theater. It forces you to look up slightly from probably any seat in the house. The reason for its height is technical (trap doors are built in for moments in the show when space is needed below). But what it achieves, perhaps by happenstance or divine intervention, is the perspective that you are here to be the observer of 164 years of history of three brothers, “who came to America with nothing… but built an entire universe.”

The stage frames the opening scene of “The Lehman Trilogy” in a Manhattan high-rise building where a janitor drags a large trash bag around a turned upside-down office. Cardboard boxes are strewn about, chairs are askew, an apple sits solo on the edge of a boardroom table, probably left behind in the chaos. Spanish news plays on a radio the janitor has on his cleanup cart.

It’s 2008. Although the radio announcer speaks in a different language, certain words stand out: “Lehman Brothers.” “Bankruptcy.” “Wall Street.” The janitor gathers his things, picks up the apple, turns off the lights, and leaves.

Almost out of nowhere, a man dressed in a matching threepiece suit and holding a suitcase is standing lit in a spotlight. But instead of onstage, he’s on the same level as the audience at the front of the theater. That he’s up-close makes the telling of his story so much more personal. Behind him on the completely dark stage are a series of white hand-drawn numbers revealing the year: 1844.

And with that, the three-act play about three penniless Ger-

GABLESTAGE

1200 ANASTASIA AVE. (BILTMORE HOTEL)

GABLESTAGE.ORG

305.445.1119

PERFORMANCES THROUGH APRIL 21 ON SUN. AND WED. 2 PM, TUES. AND THURS. THROUGH SAT. 7:30 PM.

man-Jewish immigrants who create the American Dream only to have it end in financial ruin, begins. Except for bits and pieces of dialogue, the story is told in the third person and spans three hours, not including two 15-minute intermissions. (Don’t be daunted by the time – it flies by and may leave you wanting more when it’s over.)

This is a complex play, although you won’t know it by looking at it at face value. A Herculean theatrical task on multiple levels, we give kudos to GableStage’s producing artistic director Bari Newport for her devotion in bringing this to South Florida audiences, only the fifth production done in the U.S.

Only three actors play between 50 and 75 roles, from toddlers to damsels to divorcees. There’s never a costume change. Characters are brought to vivid life by the actors with the use of props taken out of a pocket or subtly plucked from behind one of the stage panels: a small bouquet, eyeglasses, shawls, cigars, cigarettes, pipes, hats for both ladies and men.

All three actors are New York-based; however, Brandon Morris, who plays Emanuel Lehman, grew up in Miami and has appeared in three GableStage productions: “This Is How It Goes” in 2006 and “Fat Pig” and “Romance” in 2007. James Zannelli (Henry Lehman) and Mark H. Dold (Mayer Lehman) round out the trio.

It took a village to build the universe of “The Lehman Trilogy,” including the three actors who astonish with the ability to create the illusion of a world of people. It would be a shame to miss this monumental achievement. ■

LEFT TO RIGHT: MARK H. DOLD, JAMES ZANELLI, AND BRANDON MORRIS ARE THE LEHMAN BROTHERS IN GABLESTAGE’S “THE LEHMAN TRILOGY.”

A Crack in a Snap!

IN WHICH WE GOT OUR FULL BODY ALIGNED IN A JIFFY

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

In the 21st century, having back problems is inevitable, regardless of age. We all live hunched over our electronics, tapping away as our posture slowly but surely slips (guilty as charged). After struggling with neck tension and lower back pain, it was time for me to venture into the world of chiropractic care.

With the bustling life of someone in their mid-20s, I needed somewhere I could pop in and out during a lunch break or after work. Enter SnapCrack, a chiropractic and vitamin infusion establishment located just off Miracle Mile. On a weekday afternoon I strolled by between errands and decided to finally do something about my aches and pains. Walk-in friendly, I was done with my intake and lying face down in less than five minutes.

Admittedly, there is something unsettling about trusting a stranger with your vertebrae. But I was put at ease by the handheld massager that made its way down my back. The chiropractic assistant could instantly tell I worked on a computer, with the amount of tension lodged between my shoulder blades. His recommendation? A series of back stretches periodically over the course of the workday. Noted.

Once my muscles were relaxed, the chiropractor analyzed my spine, asking questions about my posture and muscle tenderness. I mentioned my frequent lower back pain, and sure enough, I had a slight leg length discrepancy caused by hip misalignment. We then jumped into business, starting off with the neck. I tried to remind myself that chiropractors are musculoskeletal experts, but before I could finish hyping myself up, I heard the initial crack in the back of my head. Despite the name, it wasn’t the result of a bone cracking or snapping – it was simply gas leaving the joint capsule. A few more movements to each side, and it felt like my head was placed correctly on my shoulders.

The more intense movements came when adjusting the body. I took a large breath and exhaled completely, which is when the chiropractor applied a thrust of pressure along my back. Crack. Crack. Crack – and my spine was aligned. For the lower body, the true bane of my existence, I laid on each side with one leg slightly bent over the other as the chiropractor used his bodyweight to align my hips. If this sounds a little too intense or personal, there’s the option of “the click.” Here, the chiropractor uses a handheld tool at a very low thrust level along different points of the vertebrae. Instead of the full crack, it results in a gentle click.

The alignment took about five minutes, followed by another brief massage and some cooling cream. Tenderness afterwards

is normal, and I was told to soothe it for the next day or two with a couple of 15-minute ice pack sessions. With an initial session price of $29, I perused their lengthy menu of services including vitamin injections and IV infusion cocktails that target a variety of health concerns. Feeling a bit low on energy, I tried the Vitamin B12 intramuscular shot ($15 for members; $39 for nonmembers).

I walked out feeling refreshed and centered. After a few days, I convinced myself that these preventive measures were a necessity – securing my chiropractic membership ($59 a month for six visits) and potentially a shot or two when needed. Who knows, I might even get an IV next time! ■

Little Finds

WHERE TO SHOP FOR TRINKETS AND GIFTS IN THE GABLES

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

Etsy In-Person

Described by patrons as “a Hallmark movie in real life,” Coco Bella is a one-stop shop for charming gifts and home items. Aside from the standard gift shop themes (think weddings, children, and religious ceremonies), the store is a curation of knickknacks for any person on any occasion.

Most items won’t break the bank, though you can still find a few high-end items for the posher people in your life. Each corner is neatly organized with dozens of trinkets that are aesthetically pleasing and useful as well. From cheese boards and tumblers to tote bags and journals, visiting Coco Bella is like entering an Etsy store made physical. If you’re big on sustainability, you can find eco-friendly items like collapsible food containers and reusable makeup remover wipes here too.

Whether it’s a token of appreciation for a coworker’s birthday, a unique find for the person who has everything, or a “manly” anniversary gift for him, you won’t have trouble finding it at Coco Bella. The dangerous part is that you’ll walk out with extra things for yourself.

COCO BELLA

305 ALCAZAR AVE. 305.444.1334

OPEN MON.-THURS. 10 AM-6 PM; FRI. 10 AM-5 PM; SAT. 10 AM-3 PM

Wonderland of Decor

If you peer into the storefront window of The Rose Tree Cottage, you’ll see a showcase of decor items highlighting the spring season, from faux flowers to Easter bunnies. Walking inside is like entering a portal to a holiday workshop, where every nook and cranny is filled with an eclectic assortment of home accessories and gift ideas. The best approach to shopping here is walking in with an open mind and letting the items catch your eye.

Here, you’ll find a diverse range of picture frames, vases, pillows, candle holders, etc. Name the home decor item and they’ll have it in

five different styles. From Berger fragrance lamps and scented drawer sachets to serving sets and decorative dish towels, this is the spot to scout for housewarming gifts. There’s also a sizable kid’s section filled with plush stuffed animals, swaddle blankets, and christening gifts. Then there are the more unconventional trinkets, like their trendy “dupe” jewelry, and a letter-opener/magnifying glass set made from Indian Ocean shells!

THE ROSE TREE COTTAGE

388 MIRACLE MILE 305.448.9688

OPEN MON. TO SAT. 11 AM TO 6 PM; CLOSED SUN.

From the Golden Triangle

Right around the corner from Giralda Plaza, you’ll see The Golden Triangle, a colorful shop full of South Asian religious objects (think Buddhas… lots and lots of Buddhas) and decorative items. From hanging feng shui crystals and singing bowls to an endless sea of incense, you’ll find all the tools you need to de-stress and tap into your spiritual side.

Here, you can pick up a few gold coins or evil eye talismans to bless and protect your loved ones, or stock up on sage and crystals to cleanse your home and attract good energy. Aside from the plethora of spiritual trinkets, there’s also a collection of vibrant jewelry, handbags, and flowy clothing that you can wear effortlessly under the hot Coral Gables sun.

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

2308 GALIANO ST. 305.447.1900

OPEN MON.-THURS. 10:30 AM-9:30 PM, FRI. 10:30 AM-11 PM, SAT. 9:30 AM-11 PM, AND SUN. 9:30 AM-9:30 PM.

COCO BELLA

ROSE TREE COTTAGE

GOLDEN TRIANGLE

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A Guide To Cosmetic Facial Surgery

As the years go by, along with the stresses of life, we can’t help but notice the not-so-welcome signs of aging For many, this begins with looking a little less fresh or a bit more tired than we actually feel. Early on, various non-surgical therapies such as Botox, fillers, peels, light, and mild laser treatments can help.

In time though, we simply develop slack and sagging skin, first in the upper eyelids, then in the neck and jowls. If you’ve looked at yourself in the mirror recently and pulled on

or other photo of yourself, you know what I’m talking about. It happens to everyone, sooner or later. We age, and most of us don’t like it (“hate it”) and we want to put up a fight

Well, beyond the simple (or not), but important things, like getting more sleep, eating smarter, avoiding /reducing ‘vices’, exercising more/again and reducing your stress (never easy, especially this year), what else can you do?

The three, and most impactful, surgical things to do are: trimming away excess upper eyelid skin, ‘getting rid’ of sagging jowls and ‘cleaning up’ the neck. This ‘opens’ the eyes, restores a refreshed appearance to the mid-face (cheeks) and re-defines the all-important youthful neck and jawline. Think of it as age-related ‘maintenance work’ - all accomplished in one outpatient procedure with a Lower Face/Neck Lift and Upper Eyelid Surgery, along with a 1 to 2-week downtime.

Not everyone needs to have lower eyelids ‘done’ or their brows lifted, only those with significant ‘bags’ under their eyes or noticeably droopy brows, especially on the sides. If the outer brows do deserve to be lifted, then this is accomplished with a ‘Lateral Brow Lift’, a much easier procedure and more natural looking than the full brow lift of the past

Less is more in facial cosmetic surgery today, and doing too much, takes you away from your natural looking self, which, to me at least, is not desirable. You want to continue to look like yourself- but a fresher version! Trying to look 25 again, sadly, is a fantasy and only makes you look, let’s just say, ‘desperate’.

treatment (always helpful around the eyes and forehead) plus targeted and conservative use of fillers for cheek volume and lines around the mouth, as well as other cosmetic treatments Of course, dermatological skin care is important with at least a good cleanser and a daily sunblock

Naturally, aging is highly variable, and to decide what to do for the individual patient, requires a careful discussion and physical assessment. Patients in their forties typically don’t need facial surgery except for possibly their upper eyelids. But in their fifties, and beyond, facial cosmetic surgery becomes increasingly pertinent and certainly helpful.

sexes. However, both have in common that they want to ‘look good and like themselves’ and not like they had ‘something’ done. That natural look is the ‘art’ part of cosmetic facial surgery which requires an aesthetic eye and much experience. So, as always, research and reflect carefully before proceeding.

STEPHAN BAKER , MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery of the Face Breast and Body

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

305.381.8837 | www.drbaker.com

3850 Bird Road Suite 702, Miami, FL 33146

Brunch on Sunday

See page 56

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT MAMEY IN THE THESIS HOTEL, NOW UNDER THE NEW CULINARY GUIDANCE OF CHEF DE CUISINE RAUL ZAMBRANO

Quick Bites

Tacos

To celebrate the recently opened Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, which has already made a splash on Miracle Mile, we devoted this issue’s Quick Bites to the heavenly taco. Here are some of the best in Coral Gables:

SERVED ON A SILVER PLATTER

Awarded “Best Tacos in Florida” by Yelp, Caja Caliente offers seven varieties ($5.50 to $8.50). Or, you can forgo making a choice and order the Taco Platter ($16), which combines the steak, chicken, and lechon options in five “mini” tacos. The lechon (pork) is slightly spicy, the chicken is easy eating, and the steak, our favorite, is drizzled with an addictive green aioli. Each is topped with pico de gallo, avocado, and cotija cheese. 808 Ponce de Leon. 786.431.1947. caja-caliente.com

TOLERABLE TACOS

On the northwest corner of Giralda Plaza, you’ll find old-world Mexican comfort food with a modern twist. As big fans of Talavera’s refreshing ceviches, we had to taste test the bistek tacos to see if they were worth the price ($21 for three tacos served with rice and beans). The chopped flank steak, onions, and cilantro left a little to be desired — but were rescued by the fresh guacamole and the amazing tequila cocktails. 2299 Ponce de Leon. 786.746.7444. talaveracocinamexicana.com

PLAYING COYO

Coyo Taco has all the classics – carne asada, beef birria, carne al pastor – along with more interesting selections, such as duck carnitas, fried grouper, and char-grilled “beyond” chicken. Our favorite is the carnitas de pato ($12), duck confit with cotija cheese. Sweet and smoky, as good duck should be, with serrano salsa and red onion to give it a nice, spicy kick. The savory beef birria tacos, always a classic, surpass expectations as well. 126 Giralda Ave. 786.629.7929. coyo-taco.com

A COLLEGE TRY

Tacos and Tattoos is a beloved dining option for University of Miami students, where the on-the-go and “Build Your Own” serving styles make it convenient without sacrificing quality. Our favorite ingredients are the Caribbean-inspired items, so we built a Caribbean taco: jerk chicken, fried plantains, and spicy guava sauce (three for $10). The combination made for a satisfying experience both sweet and spicy. 1306 Stanford Drive, Suite 1350. 305.200.3441. tacosandtattoos.com

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

The open-air garage of Bodega Taqueria y Tequila’s new Coral Gables location offers a casual dining experience, serving the authentic Mexican street food the brand is known for. Choosing from their classic and specialty tacos, the winner was the Tequila Camarón ($5.50), its tequila-marinated shrimp delivering a quiet kick. The richer Steak Chimichurri ($5.75), topped with fresh radish, and the Aguacate ($4.25), a vegetarian option with crunchy potato sticks, were also contenders. 317 Miracle Mile. 786.785.1501. bodegataqueria.com ■

FROM THE TOP:

CAJA CALIENTE: TACO PLATTER

TALAVERA: BISTEK TACOS

COYO TACO: CARNITAS DE PATO

The Cathedral of Flavor

IL DUOMO DEI SAPORI IS A ROMANTIC, GUSTATORY ADVENTURE

BY ANDREW GAYLE

Chef Tony Maldonado’s new restaurant on Ponce feels like it has been there for years, running with smooth, well-polished confidence. This is not by accident. Chef Maldonado landed with a dozen years of experience under his belt, honed at the helm of his other establishment in Caracas. And it shows. Every detail of this wonderfully romantic addition to the Gables dining scene has been meticulously worked out, from unique, playful plates made by an Italian ceramicist to the pistachios imported from the Bronte region of Italy.

While Maldonado is himself Venezuelan, he may as well be from Italy, where he attended a culinary academy in Perugia and where he sources most of his food, even the San Marzano tomatoes from the volcanic Campania region of Italy (his other veggies come from local farms).

The restaurant itself is elegant and refined, with subtle track lighting overhead and a forest of table lamps that give a romantic glow to the room. Hanging overhead are opaque, fish-like mobiles that add just a touch of movement, accenting blond ceiling beams, a gray slate wall on one side, and a weave of thin wooden slats on the other that read as fabric. The overall effect is calming and comfortable, with controlled house music at the perfect pitch for conversation.

Chef Maldonado calls his cuisine “modern Italian with classic roots,” giving particular attention to organic, quality ingredients that allow him to create dishes both rich in flavor yet light and “easy to digest,” as he puts it.

Our first round of appetizers proved the point. Il Duomo offers three small starter pizzas, but we ordered one off-menu (and you can do the same): a “white” pizza with fontina mozzarella cheese topped by fresh mortadella, crumbled pistachio, and a sweet pistachio reduction. The mortadella is fluffy, with a hint of crunch from the pistachios. Amazingly light, yet laced with taste, worth the trip by itself.

We also tried the Vitello Tonnato Classico Piedmontese, a piedmont classic that mixes sliced veal with Parmesan, arugula, Si-

TOP LEFT: PISTACHIO PANNA COTTA DESSERT

TOP: CHEF TONY MALDONADO ATTENDED COOKING

SCHOOL IN PERUGIA, IN THE HEART OF ITALY

ABOVE: THE INTERIOR IS ROMANTIC, WITH A REFINED ELEGANT CALMNESS IN SLATE AND WOOD

OPPOSITE PAGE:

TOP LEFT: VITELLO TONNATO CLASSICO PIEMONTESE

TOP RIGHT: LASAGNA VERDE APERTA

BOTTOM LEFT: FILET MIGNON WITH MUSHROOMS

BOTTOM RIGHT: COTOLETTE ALLA MILANESE (PORK)

cilian capers, and sun-dried tomatoes on a bed of tuna tonata paste. This is the star of the antipasti menu, a masterful combination of textures and flavors; there is something about the way the tuna paste meshes with the salty cheese and the juicy chew of the medium-rare veal that creates an exquisite sensation in the back of the jaw. Co-manager Kevin Lucena calls it an Italian surf and turf, but that hardly does it justice.

From the primi piatti menu, we ordered the Rigatoni Salchicha, a hearty and traditional al dente pasta with a sausage ragu, and their Chicche De Patate Al Tarufo, mini potato gnocchi in a creamy truffle sauce. Because the gnocchi are made with only egg and potato – no flour – they literally melt in your mouth. Our favorite, however, was the lasagna verde aperta, an open-face lasagna that is built on each plate with layers of homemade green (spinach and basil) pasta, Bolognese sauce, and a pecorino cheese reduction, then finished in the oven with parmigiana and grana podano cheese on top.

We tried two meat dishes from the secondi piatti menu. The

first was a showstopper: filet mignon in a pool of Bartolo wine demi-glace and sauteed porcini mushrooms. The filet was cooked in Il Duomo’s Josper oven, which gives it a deep, smoky flavor that is impossible to beat, enhanced by the mushroom wine sauce. Simply excellent. We also sampled the Cotolette Alla Milanese, which can be ordered with either pork or veal. We chose the former. The thinly sliced pork is breaded and pan-fried and then finished in their pizza oven to give it a crispy edge. It was like schnitzel gone to heaven.

We finished the meal with a sampling of desserts, all top-notch, including a deconstructed cannoli, a cherry mascarpone, and our favorite, a creamy pistachio panna cotta. All were in line with Maldonado’s goal of creating light, rich flavors that are both nuanced and practiced, and like the restaurant itself, elegant and balanced. “I’m passionate about eating well, and from there it begins,” says the chef. “Italian food is not about dishes with a lot of ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, the lighter it is. What the Italians know is how to combine different tastes.” ■

BITES / NEW PLACES

New Places

Piccola

We’ve long wondered when Coral Gables would get its first Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza, but it seems another restaurant specializing in star-shaped pizzas has taken matters into its own hands. Piccola, which replaced Coppola’s on Ponce de Leon, already has two locations in Doral, but is now our new Gables go-to. Though they have other dishes, like pastas, paninis, salads, and chicken parm, the pizza menu is a full page in and of itself, and this is where Piccola truly shines.

We tried three pizzas from different sections of the menu, including our favorite, the Piccante Pixette. The “pixettes” are star- or X-shaped pizzas that include ricotta-filled crusts. Of the four options available, the Piccante is Piccola’s take on a traditional Diavola pizza, with spicy salami strips, fresh mozzarella cheese, and handcrushed tomatoes. Every bite was an explosion of cheese and spice, and when we came down to the crust, we mopped it up with Piccola’s homemade spicy olive oil dressing for an added spicy bonus.

The pizzeria also has a robust “Pizze Bianche” section with eight options for those who prefer their pizzas sans tomato sauce. The 4 Formaggi was our selection, which combines mozzarella, parmigiano, gorgonzola, and pecorino cheese on a 12-inch thin crust pizza.

From the regular “Pizze Rosse” menu, we tried the Cotto E Funghi pizza for something a little different. A perfectly well-done pizza with ham and mushrooms – but we couldn’t help wishing it came in X form.

– Kylie Wang

Tabanco

The newest edition to Coral Gables’ tapas scene has arrived! Tabanco, which is nestled comfortably into the storefront that used to host the vegan haven MyRoots Juice Bar on Alhambra Circle, has all of the usual suspects: croquetas, patatas bravas, Jamón Iberico, etc. Most of the plates are under $17, but the Iberico slices, which come from pigs exclusively fed on acorns, run from $22 to $45 and include chorizo, lomo, salchicon, and jamón imported from Spain. Most of the restaurant’s ingredients come from Spain, in fact, with the exception of some locally sourced items like the eggs and the filet mignon.

Of course, it’s pork that’s the star of the show here, even outside the myriad Iberico options. By far our favorite dish of the night was the Puntas De Solomillo entrée, an Iberian pork tenderloin that comes swimming in a Cabrales blue cheese sauce. With hand-cut potatoes on the side, a perfect bite is a combination of each of the three elements. The Cabrales cheese sauce follows an artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers in Asturias, Spain and was packed with flavor. We’d probably eat anything that came with it, but the tender pork loin was a huge bonus, as were the potatoes, which effectively soaked up the sauce for each perfect bite. We paired it with a Spanish red wine, of course, which was aerated and decanted for us at the table.

Interestingly enough, Tabanco’s owners are also the owners of Prison Pals Brewing, the South Florida-based brewery that’s a staple of Doral and Oakland Park. You’ll probably want to stick to wine at Tabanco though, which is the ownership’s first foray into Coral Gables.

– Kylie Wang

OPEN WEEKDAYS FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM;

SAT. 11 AM TO 11 PM;

SUN. 11 AM TO 4 PM; CLOSED MON.

327 ALHAMBRA CIR.

786.449.5203

BITES / NEW PLACES

The Collab

When we first heard Chef Niven Patel was leaving his two concepts at the THesis Hotel, Orno and Mamey, we were despondent. But, we’re happy to report that Orno’s replacement, Chef Nicolas Mazier’s The Collab, is a gastronomic success equal to that of Chef Patel’s. The restaurant officially opens on April 4, but is already one of our favorites, with a menu divided by “sea” (seafood), “land” (meat), and “earth” (veggies).

We tried a bit of everything, beginning with a beef tartare that supplants every single other tartare we’ve ever tried. Served on bite-sized pieces of crispy bao buns, the beef is combined with black garlic aioli, pickled mustard seeds, chives, and an onion jam that elevates the dish to astronomic levels. Simply divine. We also sampled the chicken and sausage pizza from the “land” menu, which was delightfully herby and came with the perfect crust – light and airy but still crispy. Indeed, crispy seems to be the name of the game at Collab.

From the “sea” portion of the menu, we ordered the tuna crispy rice, which was delicately flavored and served on a bed of hash brown-esque rice. Then, we enjoyed the crispy cauliflower from the “earth” menu, which was easily the best shareable dish of the night. As you chew, the gochujang glaze and the spices emulsify underneath your tongue for a slightly spicy kick. Absolutely delicious.

We also tried the Wagyu picanha steak, which was surprisingly lightly flavored for a cut that comes drizzled with jalapeño corn purée and chimichurri sauce. Next time, we’ll probably just order a few dishes of the tartare instead. – Kylie Wang

Osumi

Over the past few years, a number of eateries have come and gone in the locale next to Luca Osteria. The latest restaurant to test its luck is Osumi – which means “to reside or dwell” in Japanese – offering elevated Japanese-American fusion cuisine with a Latin flair. This cocktail and sushi bar has pulled out all the stops to cater to Gableites, from its sophisticated low-light ambiance to its signature drinks designed by the mixology masters from Cafe La Trova.

Starting with some light bites, we dug into the shishito peppers ($12) cooked with Andean corn, sesame ponzu, and bonito flakes. The slight kick of the peppers balanced well with the delicateness of our other appetizer, the Sakana & Cassava ($21): three cassava (aka yuca) chips topped with tuna tartare, tofu, and avocado cream.

Moving onto the crudos, we indulged in the Sachi of the Sea ($26), composed of fresh shrimp and scallops and served with charred avocado, coconut milk, and a delicious citrus passion fruit sauce. The star of the night, however, was the Tuna Sumibiyaki ($22), made up of thin slices of tuna laid in a creamy sesame sauce and topped with Asian pear and more cassava chips.

To fully satisfy our polished palates, we next ordered the fivepiece Wagyu dumplings ($25) and the Surf & Turf Maki ($34), the latter of which combined shrimp tempura, lobster, and avocado in a roll topped with Wagyu and Japanese teriyaki.

As for drinks, we recommend the refreshing Lychee Highball ($17) and Barabato, Osumi’s take on the classic paloma with Patron reposado and Ilegal mezcal ($27). With delectable bites and sublime cocktails, we predict Osumi is here to stay!

–

Natalia Clement ■

OPEN

110

786.452.9902

OSUMISUSHIBAR.COM

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER AT THE COLLAB

SHISHITO PEPPERS AT OSUMI

A French Twist

BOUCHON BISTRO IS A WORLD AWAY BUT JUST DOWN THE STREET

BY KATELIN STECZ

When you think of Bouchon Bistro, you’re probably thinking about traditional French dishes like steak frites, escargots de bourgogne, and soupe à l’oignon. And you would be accurate – one of the missions of acclaimed chef Thomas Keller is to deliver the kind of authentic French cuisine you would find in a café on the banks of the Seine River.

You might also be thinking about the restaurant’s 40-page deep wine list and their immense cache of vintages – and, of course, the fin-de-siècle decor that transports you to the finer parts of Hemingway’s Paris. But this brainchild of French culinary virtuoso Keller is probably not your first choice for an after-work drink. Perhaps it should be.

Even though Bouchon does not have a happy hour menu, it’s one of the best places to escape the sometimes-hectic happy hour crowd for an after-work drink. Sit at one of the eleven seats at the bar for an intimate, relaxed experience and wind down from your day with a nice cocktail or glass of wine. Bouchon does have a full bar, so yes, you can order a margarita. However, we suggest asking the bartender for a recommendation, or ordering a classic French

ABOVE: GENEROUS BOUCHON COCKTAILS PAIRED WITH OEUFS MIMOSA (DEVILED EGGS)

LEFT: SELECTION OF OYSTERS TO GO ALONG WITH A CASUAL DRINK AT THE FULL BAR.

cocktail off the menu.

BOUCHON CORAL GABLES

2101 GALIANO ST.

305.990.1360

We tried the French ‘75 ($18) with Beefeater gin, champagne, and a lemon twist; the Sidecar ($22) with Hennessey cognac, Cointreau, orange liquor, lemon juice, and a sugar rim; and a delightful off-menu gin-cucumber concoction the bartender suggested. The French ’75 – named after the 75-millimeter mobile artillery piece made famous in the First World War – matched its namesake: light but with a strong kick. The Sidecar is a more sophisticated balance of sweet and sour, blending the richness of the cognac, the acidity of the lemon and Cointreau, and the sweetness of the orange. Magnifique! And the gin-cucumber combo is always refreshing.

Overall, the cocktail pours are generous and well-made, and augment the small plates, which will run you anywhere from around $8 to $34. We opted for the Oeufs Mimosa ($8), four delightfully deviled eggs topped with fried capers; the Tartare de Boeuf ($21.50) with radishes, cornichons, frisée, horseradish, and crème fraîche, served with grilled bread; and the truffle pommes frites ($19) –French-style French fries, for you Anglos. There is also a wonderful selection of oysters and other shell fish on ice, reminiscent of Le Zinc in Paris.

Bouchon recently arrived in the Gables in the restored, historic La Palma building across the street from Alhambra Towers on Galiano, just up from Alhambra Plaza. It might create the impression of being a little haute for the average citizen to just drop in, but it’s an approachable, warm, and aesthetically pleasing place still new enough to be undiscovered by most. Get there before it gets too busy and take a trip to another time and place. Outdoor seating in the courtyard is also available. Voulez-vous une Gauloises with that ’75? ■

NOW OPEN

SENIOR LIVING REDEFINED

By Belmont Village and Baptist Health.

At Belmont Village, senior living goes beyond luxury amenities and hospitality – it’s anticipating your every need, so you can enjoy life. You can rely on best-in-class care with licensed nurses on-site 24/7, in-house tness and therapy, and a unique partnership with Baptist Health that o ers our residents support from the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida.

Live Healthy by Baptist Health at Belmont Village Coral Gables o ers a holistic approach to healthy living in a spa-like setting on our ground oor. With preventive care, quick access to Baptist Health practitioners, virtual wellness programs and telehealth options, health has never been closer to home.

BelmontVillage.com/CoralGables | 305-760-4408

A Star for SHINGO?

FINALLY, A GABLES RESTAURANT IN THE RUNNING

In 1926, the Michelin Guide (published by the Michelin tire company to encourage more tourists to go on the road) began to list what it considered the finest restaurants in the world. It also began to award stars to the best of the best, a symbol of excellence that chefs and restaurateurs around the world vied for. However, whereas Coral Gables has nine restaurants in the Guide (Bachour, Beauty & The Butcher, Fiola, Havana Harry’s, Lion & The Rambler, Luca Osteria, Tinta y Café, Shingo, and Zitz Sum), none have won the coveted star. That may soon change.

Located in the historic La Palma building is SHINGO, the brainchild of already Michelin-starred Chef Shingo Akikuni, who received the honor while working at the Japanese fine-dining experience Hiden in Wynwood. Under his direction, Hiden joined the ranks of the first restaurants to receive a star in Miami. Now SHINGO, which opened last year, is on the short list of eateries that could receive a Michelin star at the annual Florida Michelin Guide’s award ceremony in Tampa on April 18.

To receive such distinction, restaurants must: use quality products, master flavor and cooking techniques, showcase the personality of the chef in the cuisine, provide value for cost, and maintain consistency. With every element of SHINGO carefully curated, from the pristine presentation of the 14-seat table to the presentation of each course, Akikuni creates an omakase experience that immerses you in Japanese culture – making SHINGO worthy of Coral Gables’ first Michelin star ■ —Natalia Clement

A Bright Brunch

The best way to get up to speed with loved ones, in my opinion, is through Sunday brunch – so my latest outing with friends led us to Mamey at the THesis Hotel. Now under new culinary guidance, Chef de Cuisine Raul Zambrano transported us to a tropical oasis filled with vibrant flavors.

After raising our glasses of bottomless mimosas ($40 per person; two-hour limit), we began our culinary journey with complimentary cheddar jalapeño cornbread sticks and two petite banana nut bread loaves plated with a cup of seasonal fruit ($13). Perfect for sharing a sweet bite or enjoying with coffee. (Tip: you must coat it in the honey butter!) Keeping it light, we dug into the refreshing watermelon salad ($18), a mix of greens topped with juicy pickled watermelon, agave feta, pomegranate, and a light cilantro mint vinaigrette.

A true measure of any brunch is the avocado toast. Mamey’s ($17) balances the dollop of bright green avocado with queso fresco, pickled onions, and scallions over two slices of Sullivan sourdough. We opted to complete it with fine slices of buttery smoked salmon ($8 extra; $6 for a soft-boiled egg). The ahi tuna in our poke bowl ($19 base +$9 with tuna) was equally fresh, seasoned beautifully with furikake on top of the sushi brown rice and quinoa.

The heavyweights of the meal were the Chicken & Waffles ($21) and the Happy Eggs Steak ($18). The former’s sweet and savory combination nicely coupled crispy fried chicken with spicy pineapple rum syrup. As for the steak, it was superbly cooked and topped with two sunny side up eggs and bright chimichurri, with fried yucca on the side. After a few more rounds of bubbly, we made our way up to the third-floor terrace where we sipped margaritas while taking in some afternoon sun. ■ – Natalia Clement

SATURDAY MAY 18 2024

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Register at The Loews Hotel in The Plaza

Each registered team will be given a packet of clues to solve at The Plaza and in the surrounding neighborhood Return to The Plaza at 2:00pm to submit your answers

2901 Ponce de Leon Blvd

Prizes will be awarded at 2:30pm

events@coralgablesmagazine.com

Chef Shota Matsumoto

Eva Tapanes

Philip “Flip” Glassman

CHEF SHOTA MATSUMOTO, OFFICIAL CHEF AT THE JAPANESE CONSULAR RESIDENCE

Chef Shota Matsumoto arrived in the United States for the first time when he secured the role of official chef to Japanese Consul General of Miami Kazuhiro Nakai. Previously, Matsumoto had gone to culinary school in Japan and then worked in restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka specializing in washoku (traditional Japanese food). Today, the 32-year-old spends his days preparing intricate meals for the consul and his guests and studying English. He’s always experimenting with new cuisines, like yoshoku, a Westernized take on Japanese food that was popularized in Japan after World War II. (Think katsus and deep-fried osyters.)

Shota Matsumoto

CHEF, CONSUL GENERAL OF JAPAN’S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE

“ BY LEARNING THE CRAFT, I’M ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD THROUGH CUISINE... ”

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Matsumoto became the official chef for the consul general of Japan just over two years ago, but he first had to pass a cooking test. After tasting his four-course test meal, Consul Nakai gave Matsumoto the proverbial gold star. Now, the chef spends his days preparing meals not only for the consul, but also for visiting dignitaries and diplomats. He often prepares multi-course menus for large parties that take into account everything from dietary restrictions to simple preferences. His specialty is kaiseki, traditional Japanese haute cuisine.

WHAT HE SAYS

“I became a chef because I love to eat,” Matsumoto says. “By learning the craft, I’m able to experience the world through cuisine.” Asked what surprised him the most about Miami, the 10-year veteran chef replies, “I was most shocked at the difference in cuisine. And I was also surprised at the availability of tropical fruits, like mangoes being everywhere and Florida avocados being so big!” He likes to incorporate these elements into his dishes, like his agemono: salmon cutlets on papaya vinegar, drizzled with tartar sauce and topped with locally sourced micro coriander and Japanese pepper powder. ■

If you can dream it, we’re the bank to help you get there.

At Synovus, we provide the solutions, advice, and experience for you to bank whenever, wherever. From rewarding credit cards to loan options tailored to your needs, we’ll help get your money working the way you want. Let’s see what we can do together.

Philip “Flip” Gassman has 38 years of experience in the South Florida financial services industry. For the last 24 of them, he has specialized in private banking, working for local institutions such as Gibraltar Private Bank + Trust, Coconut Grove Bank, Marquis Bank, Professional Bank, and Seacoast Bank –which purchased Professional last year for its strong base in Coral Gables. A Miami native, Gassman has been philanthropically involved with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade, and the Miracle League of Miami Dade. As a private banker, it has been his job to provide immediate and exemplary service to bank clients, winning their loyalty – and their deposits – for the institutions he has served.

Philip “Flip” Gassman

“ HAVING WORKED IN THE GABLES FOR 25 YEARS OF MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, I CAN SAY IT’S AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY, WITH LOTS OF PROFESSIONALS... ”

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

In January, Gassman joined Pacific National Bank as senior vice president and senior relationship banker. Once there, he was joined by most of the team he has worked with for decades, including veterans in operations, treasury management, business development, customer service, and marketing. “The beautiful part is that we are so familiar with each other,” he says. “When that happens, it makes for a wonderful team, and lets us service our clients really effectively.” Gassman says he joined PNB because of its deep connections in the Gables – they maintain offices on Aragon next to Books & Books – and because of the bank’s CEO Carlos Fernandez-Gusman, who he says is the kind of leader “that soldiers will walk through a wall for.”

WHAT HE SAYS

“Having worked in the Gables for 25 years of my professional career, I can say it’s an incredible community, with lots of professionals – lawyers, doctors, real estate entrepreneurs, developers – which are my specialty [to service]. When it comes to money, it’s a touchy thing. Money is near and dear to everyone, so when you respond to people on a day-to-day basis, making their banking life as seamless as possible though a high level of service, that’s where the special sauce is. It’s about access, execution, and responsiveness. Even if you don’t have a million dollars, you’ll get [the same] level of comfort and service. Because one day that client is going to be a success, and that $500 is going to be a million-dollar account.”■

I did it with support from their entire team.

When Gables resident Eva Tapanes was 10, her parents sponsored an immigrant family from Cuba in their move to Florida. Over two years, Tapanes watched the family, including their five-year-old son, struggle to assimilate to life in the U.S. and get the legal help they needed to remain in America. In the end, the family was forced to return to Cuba after being unable to secure the necessary documents. “It was devastating for me,” Tapanes says, as she watched the boy who had become her little brother ripped away. “I didn’t understand why they had to go back to the place they were so desperate to escape.”

Now a junior at Carrollton School of the Scared Heart, Tapanes has taken that experience and used it as fuel for her philanthropic journey. Her Cakes for a Cause nonprofit raises money through bake sales for organizations that help sponsor immigrant refugees. The teen is also planning a career in immigration law, already working as an intern for an attorney on her days off.

“ THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE [OF SPONSORING AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY], I GOT TO SEE FIRSTHAND THE STRUGGLES THAT IMMIGRANTS GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO BECOME CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTRY. ”

Eva Tapanes

FOUNDER,

CAKES FOR A CAUSE

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Cakes for a Cause has already raised over $3,000 and Tapanes says she’s on track to reach $12,000 by the end of the year. “All the proceeds go toward organizations that are dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees assimilate into South Florida, with a specific focus on legal documentation,” she says. She recently donated $1,000 to Catholic Legal Services and is also involved with the Society of Saint Vince de Paul, which has assistance programs for migrants and low-income individuals. Her bake sales are primarily at her school and St. Dominic’s parish but she also takes orders through her Instagram: @cakesforacause_byeva.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“Through that experience [of sponsoring an immigrant family], I got to see firsthand the struggles that immigrants go through in order to become citizens of our country. It’s what eventually inspired me to help other families in similar situations to assimilate into our community and hopefully lessen some of the burdens they experience. I’ve always loved baking, so I decided that if I could combine my passion for helping immigrants and refugees and my love for baking, I could make an impact.”■

Merriam Webster defines an “innovator” as someone who “makes changes” or “does something in a new way.” According to this definition, Coral Gables is filled with innovators.

Each year, our annual Innovation Issue highlights the city’s latest high-tech advances – in everything from transportation and law enforcement to city apps and sustainability programs. Now we’re focusing on the community’s most innovative feature: Its people.

The Coral Gables community is filled with hundreds of innovators who’ve found a new way to run a business or improve the community by using technology, financial savvy, or pure cleverness combined with perseverance. This year, we’ve decided to pay homage to our Gables innovators, highlighting a few who have used technology to improve the world, and a few who’ve simply relied on native ingenuity. In the end, all have dared to dream, and, as a result, have done something important to make our world – and our local community – a better place.

Lloyd Yates: Measuring Life

“

SIXTY PERCENT OF WEALTH INEQUALITY STEMS FROM INHERITANCE, AND ONLY ONE OUT OF FIVE HOUSEHOLDS ACTUALLY RECEIVE INHERITANCE...”

When Lloyd Yates was a sophomore in college, he sold ties out of his dorm room. The ties were hand-made from silk and became a hot commodity among Yates’ peers. Inspired by stories of his great-grandfather, Jimmy “Tylmen” Keyes, Yates took his dorm room operation to the next step and created Tylmen Ties in 2017.

Three years later, Yates began working on a mobile body-scanning software that could measure clients virtually to help create a custom luxury suit perfectly tailored to their bodies. All a client would have to do was take a 360-degree video of themselves and upload it to the Tylmen Ties app.

In 2023, Yates experienced firsthand how challenging an end-of-life care plan could be with his elderly grandmother. So, he decided to switch gears and use Tylmen Ties’ software to make life insurance more accessible. He named the new concept Tylmen Tech.

“Sixty percent of wealth inequality stems from inheritance, and only one out of five households actually receive inheritance,” says Yates. “Then, if you’re a minority, you’re three times less likely to have an inheritance. I saw life insurance as being such an effective, easy, straightforward tool to bridge this gap and pass on a legacy. But there are still 100 million Americans who don’t have life insurance. Our goal is to change that.”

The costs and standard procedure to get life insurance can be a high barrier to entry for many minority communities, says Yates. “The question is, ‘How do you get life insurance?’ Usually, someone has to come to your house, take a urine sample, a blood sample. It’s very intensive and laborious. On the other hand, there’s a trend called accelerated underwriting. You fill out a questionnaire online and get issued policies within a couple of days. But with these types of solutions, companies jack the prices up.”

So, how does using a body scanning app make lifecare more accessible and affordable?

According to a 2020 study featured in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, waist circumstance and waist-to-hip ratio are “vital” signs of health and better predictive measures than BMI for many chronic diseases like diabetes,

heart disease, and hypertension.

Yates believes that life insurance companies will see the value in tapping into markets that historically have not purchased life insurance. Moreover, by selling a greater number of smaller policies, life insurance companies can acquire more clients at lower rates, thus bridging the wealth inequality gap for accessible end-of-life care plans.

Tylmen Tech is still in the early stages of development and has begun working

with several Midwestern life insurance carriers, but Yates hopes to soon expand to Florida and beyond. He recently moved the headquarters to Coral Gables because of its charm, potential, and professionalism in conjunction with Miami’s burgeoning tech scene. Even though Yates is a relatively new member of the Gables community, he plans on becoming more entrenched in the community as Tylmen Tech grows in a city filled with retirees and new parents. ■

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Brett Beveridge: Technology of Communication

“I STARTED T-ROC WITH THE PREMISE OF WORKING WITH HOME DEPOT AND OTHER BIG BRANDS, SAYING, ‘WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT’S COMPLICATED?’”

When Brett Beveridge was 23, he sold cell phones out of an over-financed van in Walmart parking lots. He and his partner, a fellow student at the University of Miami, had one van, but every week they would change the numbers on the van, so it looked like they had multiple. “It was the ultimate ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ situation,” says Beveridge.

Nine years later, the van operation turned into Let’s Talk Cellular & Wireless, the largest independent mobile wireless retailer in the country at the time with just under 300 stores. In 1997, Beveridge took Let’s Talk public and sold it to Nextel for $32 million. He then began his next endeavor, LetsTalk.com, a company that evaluated and rated cellular and internet services. LetsTalk.com was later acquired by Brightstar Corporation, the largest wireless handset distributor in the world.

By 2006, Beveridge had launched The Revenue Optimization Companies (T-ROC). Inspired by the dotcom era and the beginning of the information age, Beveridge created T-ROC with the idea of providing retail assistance for big box companies. “I started T-ROC with the premise of working with Home Depot and other big brands, saying, ‘What do you guys have that’s complicated? Well, we can do that for you,’” says Beveridge.

He describes the Coral Gables-based company as the ultimate one-stop shop for solutions at some of the biggest retail brands in the world, helping companies like Home Depot and Walmart stay relevant by offering turn-key, trained sales staff that understand the latest technologies. Now, a lot of that is starting to look more AI-driven.

Beveridge gives a hypothetical example: “Say you go into Home Depot and you’re trying to buy a fan for your patio. It’s a Saturday. It’s busy. First of all, you maybe see an orange vest every fifth aisle, and even when you do find someone to help you, they work in power tools. They don’t know anything about fans. What do you do now?” This is where T-ROC can employ its virtual agent, Valerie. “You get to the fans, scan the QR code with your phone, and now you’re talking to Valerie,” he says. “She asks and answers your questions,

gives you a couple of options for fans. But what about installing it? Well, then she sends you a video or information.” Home Depot gets a sale, and the customer leaves happily with their new fan, rather than frustrated with the lack of help. “Everyone is happy,” Beveridge concludes.

T-ROC currently has thousands of full-time employees and 30,000 contractors

across the globe, along with clients in Mexico and Canada. Aside from being a “professional innovator” with T-ROC, Beveridge is also involved in the Coral Gables and greater Miami community through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami; the Orange Bowl Committee; the Foundation Board at his alma mater, the University of Miami; and the United Way Tocqueville Society. ■

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Arianne Hirsch: Cyber Mindfulness

“ I SEE THIS AS A TOOL FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE STRESSED OUT IN CORPORATE WORKSPACES...”

When Arianne Hirsch was 16, she wasn’t like most “normal” high schoolers. Of course, she still obsessed over her grades, what college she would get into, and getting her driver’s license. But while her peers would come home and turn on the TV or scroll endlessly on social media, Hirsch would meditate… sometimes for eight hours straight.

“After I started meditating, my grades skyrocketed. I was a lot less stressed out. I was almost in a sort of blissful state. For me, it honestly became my favorite thing to do. It was just like entering this state that’s nothing and everything at the same time,” says Hirsch.

Hirsch went on to attend the University of Miami (UM) where she continued her marathon meditation sessions, and it was here that she first got the idea for Levitate, a cross-platform spatial computing meditation and well-being app. Hirsch was taking an art history class when her professor encouraged students to work on an NFT project; Hirsch didn’t see the value of NFTs until she thought about using them with guided meditation.

“I was on the fence about cryptocurrency because I really understood it to be a fad at the time, and an NFT didn’t make sense unless you could go inside of it,” says Hirsch. “The idea was that we can curate this world inspired by art, inspired by things that make people feel calm, and introduce them to meditation.”

Hirsch consulted with her professor, brainstorming ideas about how to make a virtual reality application that would make it easier for people to enjoy the benefits of meditation. In May 2022, the same year she graduated from UM, Hirsch launched the first VR version of Levitate on Meta’s Oculus Headset.

“I see this as a tool for everyone, especially people who are stressed out in corporate workspaces,” she says. “You can’t exactly go outside and sit in the park in the middle of your workday, but if you have a headset, you can put it on in your cubicle and take a little time for yourself.” Hirsch describes Levitate’s visuals as soothing and relaxing. One guided activity called “Leaves on the Stream” takes users to a lush meadow by a

flowing stream where they are instructed to imagine their thoughts appearing as leaves and then floating away downstream.

Levitate is currently working with clinical psychologists trained in acceptance and commitment therapy to create more worlds and blend modern psychology with meditation practices. In a few months, Levitate will launch on the Apple Vision Pro, and in

2025, Hirsch expects to have a 2-D product available in the iOS and Android app stores. This month, Levitate will be featured at eMerge Americas’ 2024 start-up showcase. Hirsch hopes the platform will spread awareness about the app and introduce more people to the benefits of meditation. “It completely transformed my life…I think it can change the world,” she says. ■

Manny Garcia: An Easier Way to Pay

“WHY IS IT EVER THE CASE AT A RESTAURANT THAT YOU HAVE TO WAVE YOUR HAND OR WAIT FOR THE WAITER TO GET A CHECK? WHY CAN’T YOU JUST PAY ON YOUR PHONE AND LEAVE WHEN YOU WANT?”

When Manny Garcia first started his legal career at the former Downs Brill Whitehead law firm in Coral Gables, he never thought he’d leave law. But in 2020, after working as the legal counsel for One Payment for nearly four years, Garcia decided to create his own point of sales (POS) system: On the Fly POS.

Founded months before the pandemic took hold in the U.S., On the Fly flourished with its innovative, contactless payment methods. The company now has just under 50 employees and operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Garcia describes the beginning stages of working during the pandemic and coming up with new methods of payment that were not widely used or implemented at the time. “We were three months into the company, and we had this client, this huge hotel chain out of Las Vegas. This was in the middle of COVID, and they were like, ‘I heard you can put a QR code in every room in the hotel so people can order and pay there.’ We made like $30 a month off this huge chain, but that, for us, proved the concept worked.”

On the Fly currently offers both hardware-backed solutions and software-only packages, primarily catering to restaurants and retailers. But Garcia says the company can create customized solutions depending on whatever a business’ goal is. The primary mission is to “provide software and solutions that make things easier for business owners,” he says.

For On the Fly, revolutionizing POS systems means moving everything to mobile and using the smartphones in our pockets. Before the pandemic, paying on your phone or even scanning a QR code to look at a menu wasn’t standard practice. Now, these mobile, contactless solutions are an increasingly common way to pay your bill. And according to Garcia, they’re more efficient.

“Why is it ever the case at a restaurant that you have to wave your hand or wait for the waiter to get a check? Why can’t you just pay on your phone and leave when you want?” the innovator asks. He notes other benefits of mobile payment solutions as well; for example, reducing the chance of human error. After all, we’ve all had a waiter accidentally get our order wrong. And with the

rising cost of labor, On the Fly reduces the need for additional waitstaff.

On Giralda Avenue, On the Fly’s solutions have been put into place at Clutch Burger, where many customers are also patrons of nearby Galiano’s Cigar Bar. Since Galiano’s doesn’t serve food, customers would often call over to Clutch to place an order. A runner would then deliver the food. Oftentimes, however, the result was incorrect, or

the wait was far too long. But since Clutch implemented On the Fly’s QR code, Galiano’s patrons can now place their orders and pay on their phones, streamlining the process and removing the possibility of human error.

Whether it’s in Las Vegas or Coral Gables, Garcia hopes to stay ahead of the technology curve, providing businesses the best payment solution to increase efficiency –and make life easier for their patrons. ■

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Vanessa Bedoya: Adversity into Inspiration

“WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED, I REALLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AND I TRIED TO DO IT ALL ON MY OWN...”

When Vanessa Bedoya was 21, she sat in the waiting room of a neurologist’s office, anxiously anticipating her test results. Over the last year, she had been steadily losing sensation in both of her legs. She feared the worst. Eventually, after what felt like ages, the neurologist came in with her test results and told Bedoya that she had Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.

At that time, the only way to find a doctor specializing in MS was through referrals and word of mouth, and even when Bedoya found a doctor, the chances they would take her insurance were slim. After a few years of fighting with insurance companies, searching for doctors, and maxing out her credit cards to pay for medication, Bedoya finally turned to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). There, she found resources and support she didn’t know existed.

“When I was diagnosed, I really didn’t know how to navigate the healthcare system, and I tried to do it all on my own. But the people at the National MS Society held my hand through the entire process. They helped fill out financial forms, connected me to support groups… everything,” says Bedoya.

Years later, when Bedoya finally settled in Coral Gables, her experience of working with the NMSS and her own struggles with MS inspired her to create Choice MD, a community-based website that connects individuals with medical resources. Bedoya says the beauty of Choice MD is that it not only helps individuals find doctors, but it also consolidates every resource that someone undergoing a medical ordeal might need.

“There are so many sites and nonprofits out there, whether it’s the Alzheimer’s Association or the Children’s Trust,” she says. “The idea behind Choice MD is to have one site that helps link everyone to whatever support they need and inform them of what’s happening in the community.”

Launched as Bedoya’s passion project in 2019, Choice MD currently has 53 partner organizations and is now a Google-recognized news source. The website’s directory of doctors is updated weekly with data from the Florida Department of Health; Bedoya also

updates the site personally with events happening in Miami-Dade County. She hopes to eventually take Choice MD nationwide and have a greater impact on healthcare.

Bedoya was recently recognized at the 2024 Coral Gables Chamber Businesswomen of the Year Awards, winning one of the “Outstanding Entrepreneur” awards for Choice MD. She currently sits on the Coral Gables City Advisory Board on Disability Affairs; Mayor Levine Cava’s Blue Ribbon Commission for Health, Equity, and Special

Needs; the Beacon Council Life Sciences and Healthcare Committee; and is a board member of Advocacy Network on Disability.

While Bedoya may not be directly entrenched in the tech scene, she’s using her online platform to change the lives of patients and their families, making access to treatment and support more available. As an innovator living with her own disease, Bedoya has made the best of her circumstances. “Choice MD is the result of my life experiences,” she says. “I started it because of my MS.” ■

Photo by Rodolfo Benitez

Coral Gables Magazine 6th Anniversary

This April marks the sixth anniversary of the launch of Coral Gables Magazine. From the start, we have endeavored to bring you, our readers, a comprehensive, intelligent look at your city and all its wonderfulness: the dining, the culture, the nightlife, the politics, the businesses, the history, the homes – that stunning quilt of people, places, and ideas that comprise the City Beautiful. We here at the magazine are, of course, unabashed fans of Coral Gables, clearly the most exceptional city in Florida, let alone Miami-Dade County.

The metrics of a highly educated citizenry, a preserved architectural environment, a fastidiously maintained canopy, and a moveable feast of dining, theater, music, and shopping make us an unbeatable place to live, work, and play. As humble patriots of the Gables, we thank you for the privilege of coming into your homes each month to shed some light on your city.

So, here are the covers of our first six years, a visual march down memory lane. Some of them we love, others not as much. What we would love is for you, our readers, to tell us your favorite covers, the very best – and the ones you thought were the worst. Send your suggestions to editor@coralgablesmagazine.com. We’ll publish the results in our June issue. We’ll also hold a raffle drawing of all entries, and award three prizes – to be announced during our Gables Scavenger Hunt on May 18 (see page 58).

2024 Covers

2024

“A Night at the Museum”

Friday, April 19th | 7:00-10:00 pm

Enjoy an evening with avant-garde fashions, cocktails, fantastic fare, and a silent auction. Featuring a National Garden Club Standard Flower Show.

Coral Gables Museum | 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL

Visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets and for more information

Ticket cost: $125.00

Designers:

Tammy Apostol

Alejandro Barzaga

Carla Bronzini

Judith Cabrera

Gustavo Cadile

Julian Chang

Vakleria Krasovin

Juan Pisonero

Rene Ruiz

Stylist Danny Santiago

Hair Stylist: Juan Carlos Atelier De Beaute

Want to Know What to do in the Gables?

Each Wednesday morning Coral Gables Magazine provides a quick guide to interesting events in the coming week. If you would like to receive this free newsletter, just send your email to: nclement@coralgablesmagazine. Then get ready to explore your city and its cultural offerings. View our events calendar at : https://coralgablesmagazine.com/events/

Echoes of Deco

THE JAZZ AGE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE KNOWN AS ART DECO LEFT A LEGACY OF GLAMOUR AND MODERNITY

BY BRUCE FITZGERALD AND KARELIA MARTINEZ CARBONELL PHOTOS BY VICKI CERDA

From the start, Mediterranean Revival was one of the foundational styles by which Coral Gables rose from its Pleistocene bedrock and pine forests. In 1925, along with a team of artists, architects, landscapers, dreamers, and marketers, George Merrick founded the Coral Gables Corporation to develop and finance his tropical planned paradise. It was the same year that the Internationale Exposition des Arts Decoratifs burst upon the cultural scene in Paris, suddenly confronting antecedent design genres with a bold new style called Art Deco. The result in American cities (including Coral Gables) was what architecture historian Richard Guy Wilson has described as “an eclectic coexistence of traditionalism and modernism.” Mediterranean Revival collided with Art Deco – and the rest is history.

Art Deco captured the rhythm and zeitgeist of the era. The new style showed up in hotels, theaters, skyscrapers, ocean liners, offices, and houses. It was manifest in art, fashion, jewelry, furniture, and even music. Envision New York’s Empire State Building or Chrysler Building; jaunty automobiles like Cadillacs, Cords, and Pierce-Arrows; and exquisite transatlantic ocean liners like the Normandie. Listen to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” as its jazz-infused notes proclaim: yesterday was then; this is now!

Down among the sheltering palms of Coral Gables, Art Deco hit home... literally. But as the roar of the 1920s diminished with the Great Depression, Art Deco morphed into a less flamboyant version of itself (Art Moderne) in which a new generation of place-makers

280 MIRACLE MILE (1948) LEFT

DESIGNED BY WILLIAM H. LEE IN STREAMLINE MODERNE STYLE AS A LUXE MOVIE PALACE, THIS HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED BUILDING HAS BEEN REPURPOSED AS A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER KNOWN TODAY AS THE MIRACLE THEATRE, HOME TO THE ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE.

PHOTO: MARY ANN HULL/MURNOR STUDIO

2601 DE SOTO BOULEVARD (1937) TOP

THIS HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED HOME DISPLAYS MANY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DECO/MODERNE ARCHITECTURE: BANDED COLUMNS FRAMING THE ENTRANCE, A CURVED FLANK, AND SIGNATURE USE OF GLASS BLOCK. IT WAS DESIGNED BY WILLIAM H. MERRIAM, WHO ALSO DESIGNED THE CORAL GABLES WOMAN’S CLUB.

PHOTO: SHERRY SHU ZHANG

1101 NORTH GREENWAY (1937) ABOVE

THIS TWO-STORY RESIDENCE DESIGNED BY PAIST & STEWARD IS PUNCTUATED BY BOTH RECTANGULAR AND ROUND WINDOWS, NOTABLY IN THE BUTTON-LIKE DESIGN OF THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR, PERHAPS REMINDING US THAT POLKA DOTS ARE FOREVER.

emphasized horizontality over verticality. Stretched linear forms, minimal surface decoration, porthole windows, and glass-block walls simplified Art Deco’s complex geometry in keeping with the new economic reality.

The reality today is that many of our between-the-wars structures are still in existence. Homes from the period still add a dash of panache to our avenues and boulevards – with an illuminated Deco marquee still announcing theatrical productions on our main commercial thoroughfare. While the buildings shown here by no means comprise an exhaustive tally of our Deco/Moderne architectural treasures, they open a window on yet another signature style that makes the City Beautiful... well, beautiful. With this 20th century style, Coral Gables embraces the new and the old as it continues down the road to what’s next. ■

1261 NORTH GREENWAY (1936) TOP

THE CENTRAL MASS OF THIS TWO-STORY HOME DESIGNED BY V.H. NELDENBOGEN IS FLANKED BY TWO SYMMETRICAL WINGS, GIVING IT (WITH ITS TWO SIGNATURE PORTHOLE WINDOWS) UNIQUE PHYSICAL PRESENCE.

1212 ALHAMBRA CIRCLE (1940) ABOVE

THIS HORIZONTALLY EXPANSIVE HOME FEATURES A DOMINANT CENTER SURROUNDED BY TWO HORIZONTAL WINGS. DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT GENE E. BAYLIS, THE HOUSE PRESENTS AN ATYPICAL CIRCULAR/ANGULAR COMPOSITE VERSION OF DECO MODERNE ARCHITECTURE.

1001 EAST PONCE BOULEVARD (1937) TOP-RIGHT

THE FOUR-SIDED “GODDESS OF THE SEAS” COLUMN AT THE CORAL GABLES WOMAN’S CLUB WAS CREATED IN BAS RELIEF BY NOTED AMERICAN SCULPTOR RALPH HAMILTON HUME. IT’S A TACTILE YET SYMBOLIC FUSION OF THE PLASTIC ARTS AND THE NUDE FEMALE FORM.

1750 PONCE DE LEON BOULEVARD (1948) RIGHT

THIS UNASSUMING ONE-STORY OFFICE BUILDING IS NOTABLE FOR THE TWO INCISED DECO WALL PANELS ABOVE ITS MAIN ENTRANCE. DESIGNED BY C. LEROY KINPORTS (WHO ALSO DESIGNED THE 1933 MEDITERRANEAN REVIVAL HOME OF FEMINIST TRAILBLAZER ROXCY O’NEAL BOLTON), 1750 PONCE SUGGESTS THE EMERGING “LESS IS MORE” AESTHETIC OF THE 1950S.

2819 ALHAMBRA CIRCLE (1938) ABOVE

THE ASYMMETRICAL MASSING OF WINDOWS, MAIN ENTRANCE, AND A SIDE CURVATURE HOUSING A GRAND INTERIOR STAIRCASE DISTINGUISH THIS STUNNING TWO-STORY ART DECO RESIDENCE – BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.

1217 NORTH GREENWAY (1933) LEFT

WHILE THE “GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933” WAS PROVING TO BE ONE OF THE TOP-GROSSING MOVIES OF THE YEAR, ARCHITECT L. MURRAY DIXON WAS DESIGNING ONE OF THE CITY’S CLASSIC MODERNE HOMES. ITS SYMMETRY AND USE OF INTERLOCKING GEOMETRIC FORMS MAKE IT ONE OF THE CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES OF THE TIME…. AS WAS THE BLACK-AND-WHITE FILM.

Meandering About Town #10

AN ADVENTURE IN WHICH A FORMER MAYOR CONTINUES TO SEEK THE “SOUL” OF HIS HOMETOWN

BY DON SLESNICK

This month’s ramble takes me on a personal journey on a family mission which is a reflection of the day-to-day life experiences shared by many of my neighbors. I am meandering to my mother’s home on nearby Giralda Avenue, where she lived for the last half century until her recent death at the age of 101. This outing reminds me of the lyrics to one of my parent’s favorite 1940’s songs: “Gonna take a sentimental journey, gonna set my heart at ease, gonna take a sentimental journey, to renew old memories....”

Many of us have (or have had) parents and grandparents living close by. Their presence plays an important role in our families’ daily lives and produces an important tone of generational depth to the human fabric of this community – something missing in most 21st century suburbs.

Coral Gables’ municipal personality is comprised of a combination of lush vegetation, handsome historical structures, and numerous households with extended familial ties within the same neighborhood. This isn’t a new phenomenon; the founding of this city was not the work of just one man but the product of the efforts of a whole family spread across several generations.

Growing up as a member of the Country Club of Coral Gables, I was, over many years, able to participate in social and athletic activities with my grandparents, parents, wife, and children. It was a source of bonding experiences which strengthened our family ties. We were surrounded by other families consisting of several generations of what were known as “Gableites.” Many of these folks had been residents of the City Beautiful all their lives, some having served in positions of public service (e.g.: mayors, commissioners, judges, police chiefs, fire chiefs, etc.). Such a societal mix helped make Coral Gables a special place in South Florida.

Even those residents who did not have extended family members in the area quickly became part of each other’s close-knit circle of friends. People like Ed and Kay Fahringer, Mona Casey, Judy Friedman, Harry and Mary Perrin, and Evelyn Budde shared one another’s company and companionship.

Civic clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, and the JC’s were flourishing while inspiring enduring ties to the community. Houses of worship have always held a special place in the life of the Gables and members of various parishes effectively created their own neighborhoods, bound together by their shared religious beliefs and customs.

Despite our community’s growth and changing demographics, the same family environment still exists, even if to a lesser extent. It is possible to daily encounter families golfing, playing tennis (or pickleball), swimming, shopping, praying, or dining throughout the city. Just visit a church or synagogue, Riviera Country Club (if you’re a member), special events like the Winter Farmers Market, Caffe Abbracci, Venetian Pool, Publix, or any of our numerous public parks. And it is encouraging for the future of a community based on family values that the influx of a Hispanic population has intro-

duced a culture that welcomes intergenerational living. These uplifting thoughts and memories took center stage in my mind as I reached the front porch of Mother’s residence – a house constructed just after World War II, added last year to the city’s “Register of Historic Places” just months before her death. Yes, we are so fortunate to live in this wonderful place that still clings to its residential neighborhood environment where families are valued and meaningful relationships are cherished. ■

This column appears monthly by Don Slesnick, who served as mayor of Coral Gables from 2001 to 2011. If you wish to reach him with suggestions on where he should next meander in search of the city’s soul, email donslesnick@scllp.com.

ANNE LEIDEL SLESNICK IN FRONT OF HER HISTORIC 1948 HOME WITH MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY

ANNE SLESNICK IN FRONT OF HER HISTORIC 1948 HOME WITH (LEFT TO RIGHT): SON, DON; GRANDSON, DONALD; SECOND HUSBAND, DAVID LEIDEL; ANNE’S MOTHER, RUTH THOMPSON FARRIOR; DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, JEANNETT; AND TWO LONGTIME “GABLEITES” MARY & HARRY PERRIN.

Hosted by 3 time All-Star NCAA/NBA Champion and NBA Legend Glen Rice

Friday, May 17th

Normandy Shores Golf Club

2401 Biarritz Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33141 and The Spa at St. Regis

9703 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33154

Registration, Range Practice & Box Lunch – 11:30 AM

Shotgun – 1:00 PM

Cocktail Reception and Putting Contest – 5:30 PM

Followed by Buffet Dinner and Awards

To attend, or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jenny A. Ray, Executive Director of Development, at 305.898.5602 or jray@miamijewishhealth.org

Gables High Garden Party

Friends of Gables High raised $30,000 on behalf of Coral Gables High School at a March Garden Cocktail Party hosted by June and Allen Morris. Some 130 people attended the event on the Morris’ sunset patio with The Biltmore as a backdrop. Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago challenged the crowd to match his $5,000 donation, which Luciana and Jose “Pep” Gonzalez immediately accepted. Coral Gables Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, whose two children are Gables grads, also pledged a matching $1,000 donation. All Coral Gables commissioners were in attendance, underscoring the importance of education in the city - a subject everyone can agree on! (Coral Gables Commissioner Kirk Menendez is a graduate of Gables High). Friends of Gables High organized in 2018 as an alumni and community support group for the city’s namesake traditional public high school. For more information: friendsofgableshigh.org

1:  Richard Ebsary, June Morris, Mallory Horton

2:  Group of Gables High students: Audrey Lezcano,Tamaya Wallace, Alexandra Roa, Gabriela Roa, Santiago Giraldo, Melissa Hernandez, Chiara Ortiz De Rozas, Charlie Trowbridge

3:  Dale and Lon Dowlen

4:  CG Mayor Vince Lago, CG Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, June Morris, CGHS Principal Tony Ullivarri, CG Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, CG Commissioner Kirk Menendez, CG Commissioner Melissa Castro

5:  Sadia Raja Alfonso, Lon Dowlen, kimberly McGrath Moreira, Luciana Gonzalez, June Morris, Sarah Christensen, Jackie Kellogg, Aleida MolinaMartinez, Laura Horton, Richard Ebsary, Brett Gillis

6:  Lon Dowlen, Aleida Molina-Martinez, Sadia Raja Alfonso, Kimberly McGrath Moriera, Richard Ebsary, Susan Corrigan, June Morris, Laura Horton, Jackie Kellogg, Luciana Gonzalez, Kevin Moure

7:  Amy Donner, Annette Tellez, Jeanne Panoff, Jane Souaid, Caroline Sory, June Morris, Dinah Marzulo

An Extra Day of Appreciation

In light of 2024 being a leap year, International Finance Bank chose February 29 to host the One More Day, Countless Thanks client appreciation event to celebrate their relationships with their customers, including many from Coral Gables. Over 100 guests gathered on the fifth floor terrace at IFB’s headquarters on Douglas Road to connect with their account officers. Many clients traveled from Latin America to join the team for a festive night with delightful bites, crafted cocktails, and valuable networking opportunities.

1. Akiva Segal, Sahar Goldboim, Carlos Delgado, Alon Orbach

2. Gigi Rivera, Juan Pablo Copushian, Rosa Estrada

3. Maria Elizabeth Lacasa, Mariana Camacho, Maria Alejandra Cabello, Brian Betancurth

4. Michelle Kaplin, Thiel Bennaim, Akiva Segal

5. Sonia Canessa-Gonzalez, Betania Romanos, Marena Alvarez, RominaRomanos, Maria Teresa Pena, Romaly Romanos, Carlos Heighes

6. Steven Trujillo, Karen Jarquin, Adriana Lopez, Carlos Rincon

7. The Senior Management Team

8. The Khachan’s and Andrew Werber

50 Restaurants in Coral Gables

APRIL DINING GUIDE

April 2024

With so many new restaurants opening in the Gables, you’ll always have plenty of places to try. What follows is our list of the best of the tried and true, and the best of the new, many opening just this year. This month, we look at steakhouses, fast food chains, American cuisine, Italian restaurants, pubs & cafes, and Latin cuisine. Next month we will feature Asian, French, and Seafood.

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

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

$$$ ........ $35-$75

$$$$ ...... $70-$100+

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

STEAK HOUSES

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 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 warm glow. Good menu at the bar.$$$-$$$$ 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.569.7995

Fogo de Chão

At Fogo de Chão, meat reigns supreme. Try the “churrasco experience” ($61) and let expert gaucho chefs keep the finely cut slabs coming, from beef ribeye to flank steak to lamb pincanha. If you’re a Wagyu fan, this is the place to be. The interior is as grand as the experience, which is a show in itself, Brazilian style. Great cocktails in the upstairs

lounge for before or after. $$$-$$$$ 2801 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.297.8788

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 bar food with filet mignon sandwiches or short rib tacos. $$$

2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille

The youngest 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 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 can feed two. $$$$ 4251 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.703.9094

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Some of the most expensive steaks in the Gables, but also some of the best. A chain with a surprisingly sweet backstory in Ruth Fertel, who bought the original steakhouse in New Orleans in 1965, their Gables location is both spacious and business-like. Almost all the beef is USDA Prime and the menu ranges far beyond steak, including menus for those on specialty diets (glutenfriendly, vegetarian). $$$-$$$$ 2320 Salzedo St. 305.461.8360

FAST FOOD & CHAINS

Cheesecake Factory

We still don’t know how they can offer over 250 menu items, but there is something for everyone here, from Thai peanut lettuce wraps to chicken salad sandwiches on toasted white bread. Their cheesecake is still a calorie overload, but now balanced by their “SkinnyLicious” menu. Still, our favorite: Godiva chocolate cheesecake. $$ 2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.529.0703

Grilled Cheese Gallery

The Gallery’s menu consists entirely of affordable grilled cheeses, salads, and poutine. The sandwiches range from $8 to $15 and feature a wide range of unexpected ingredients, from kimchi to truffle oil to fresh lobster. Some of the heartier options are stuffed with macaroni and cheese and each can be ordered with a side of tomato basil soup, perfect for dipping.  1573 Sunset Dr. 786.953.4056

Beauty and the Butcher

You may know Chef Jeremy Ford from Stubborn Seed, a sexy South Beach hotspot that earned him a Michelin Star last year. Beauty & The Butcher is a separate concept.  The highlight here is the Wagyu beef tenderloin, made from grade eight Australian meat and accompanied by a side of crispy fried polenta and a sour cherry mustard sauce. It’s somehow smooth and savory while also being salty and tangy, with Chef Ford’s famous sauce drizzled warmly over the most tender cut of meat you’ll ever have.  $$$-$$$$

6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661.

Capital Burger

Lots of buzz surrounded this newest addition to Miracle Mile, filling the spot formerly occupied by California Pizza Kitchen. Owned by the same folks as The Capital Grille, this upscale burger joint delves into gourmet cuisine with signature burgers, boozy milkshakes, and craft cocktails. 300 Miracle Mile. 786.437.3741. $$

AMERICAN

FONTANA

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE

Cascade Pool Café at the Biltmore

A more relaxing place to dine would be hard to find. This hidden secret at the Biltmore Hotel, with good seafood dishes and basic American food (grouper filet, fish tacos, turkey club sandwiches), is a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of downtown. All seating is waterside, next to the largest pool in Florida, with tables in the shade of a logia. Easy parking at the vast Biltmore lot to the right of the main building. Open for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner (closes at 7 pm). 1200 Anastasia Ave. 855.311.6903. $$

Cebada Rooftop & Raw Bar

It’s hard to pigeonhole this new rooftop restaurant by Chef Jorge Ramos (fresh from his acclaimed Barley restaurant in Dadeland). He calls it “contemporary American with a Latin overlay” which means roast bone marrow with salsa verde and baby back ribs with pimiento marmalade. A good raw bar, a great view. $$-$$$ 124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287

Clutch Burger

You may have to unhinge your jaw to take in some of their burgers, but they are the best. Most of the burgers hover close $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

CRAFT

A classic take on American food with an emphasis on breakfast, CRAFT is one of the latest additions to Giralda Plaza, open early (8am everyday) and serving everything from picante pizza sprinkled with Doritos, jalapeños, and onions to their Post-Apocalyptic Brunch Plate (eggs, bacon, mini croissant, mini waffle, granola, prosciutto and melon bite, avo-toast, goat cheese croquette). Surprisingly, some of the best bacon we’ve ever had. $-$$

127 Giralda Ave. 305.339.5981

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

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

301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

Eating House

It’s back, it’s back, it’s finally back! Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli’s maiden Coral Gables restaurant has returned with fanfare after closing in the summer of 2021. Now it’s back, this time on Giralda Plaza, serving brunch, dinner, and a new lunch menu. Plus, try their prix fixe tasting menus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. $$-$$$

128 Giralda Ave. 786.580.3745

The Globe

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

377 Alhambra Circle 305.445.3555

Hillstone

There are very few restaurants in the Gables where clients will wait in a line outside. Hillstone is one of them. A power lunch spot, a happy hour singles anchor, and a family restaurant at night, the food and service are consistently top notch, with an elegant interior that is both comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. $$$

201 Miracle Mile 305.529.0141

John Martin’s

The venerable pub that closed during Covid is back, updated as a “21st Century” Irish pub. This means a bright new bar and lots of light from floor to ceiling windows. Along with the new look is a significantly upgraded menu, with things like Guinness glazed meatballs and duck flatbread added to the Shepherd’s pie. $$-$$$

253 Miracle Mile. 305.209.0609

Lion & The Rambler

At Lion and the Rambler, everything is made from scratch, from the creme fraiche down to the finishing salts, which are extracted from Miami seawater and hand-delivered to the restaurant by a local fisherman. The inventive restaurant serves up a nine-course tasting menu as much inspired by the three-Michelin-star Denmark restaurant Noma as the humble Cool Ranch Dorito. $$-$$$ 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.603.7612

Seasons 52

The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The

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

Tap 42

Tap 42 is big, noisy, and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$ 301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

Vinya Table

A wine lover’s retreat and former pop-up, Vinya is a full restaurant with seafood, pasta, charcuterie, and a 42 oz tomahawk steak, among other meats. But if you’re not looking at the wine list first, you might be in the wrong place. Categorized by region, rarity, price, flavor profile, winemaking, and varietal, Vinya has wines for every kind of sommelier wannabe and then some. And they have food to go with your wine too! 266 Miracle Mile. 305.203.4229. $$-$$$

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

ITALIAN

Bugatti

Bugatti prides itself on its pasta – and for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary, with lots of booths, and the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $30 and entrees mostly under $40. And as many dessert listings 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. Abbracci is quiet and elegant, and the food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. We miss him every day. $$$

318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Fiola

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

Beautiful presentations. $$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Fontana

The ambiance is as elegant as it comes: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy classic Italian dishes. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Excellent seafood. 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 fanbase, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set-up with tile floors, wooden chairs, and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, as is the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms, and green peas. $$$

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

La Terrazza

The showstoppers here, at Fiola’s reinvented rooftop bar, are the fish and meat. The one-pound Margaret River New York Strip is an Australian Wagyu of exceptional flavor, rich and easily shared by a party of four. The fish is painted with an Adriatic blend of herbs in oil, like herb butter but less fatty, which lets the skin crisp to a sweet wafer that compliments the moist morsels of fish that flake apart at the touch of a fork. Yum. $$$-$$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Luca Osteria

Local celebrity chef Giorgio Rapicavoli’s (Eating House) second restaurant in the Gables, 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 patate fritte with black truffle

and egg yolk are just the beginning. Great cocktails. $$$-$$$$

116 Giralda Ave. 305.381.5097

Portosole

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

2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.359.4275. $$$

Tullio

The brainchild of Lucio Zanon and his son Sebastiano — who previously launched Portosole — Tullio is a refreshing twist on Italian cuisine, with a northern sensibility, a focus on seafood, and some very inventive dishes. The fish is exceptionally fresh, the branzino flown in from the coastal waters of Italy, the shrimp from the coastal waters of Argentina, and the lobster from the coastal waters of Maine. $$$

Tullio “Simply the Best”

Italian fine dining restaurant Tullio is still less than a year old, so remains up for awards as a “Newcomer.” As such, Tullio recently received a major accolade from the International Event & Exhibition Management (IEEM) organization, which puts on the Simply Italian Great Wines Tour of the Americas each year. This year they honored Tullio owner Lucio Zanon with its “Simply the Best Italian Fine Dining Newcomer” award. The IEEM is the Miami-based branch of the IEM (International Exhibition Management) organization, founded in 1999 in Italy and expanded to the U.S. in 2007. They specialize in promoting the dining and wine industries.

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

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

PUBS & CAFÉS

this one. Rated the best bagels and deli sandwiches in Miami, it’s also a great breakfast spot (waffles, blintzes, French toast). But this is where you come for a real pastrami or corned beef sandwich on rye. Yes, $20 a pop, but a time machine to New York’s lower East Side. $$-$$$ 1238 S. Dixie Highway. 305.666.9519

Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen

spot. You can sit inside by the vast beer tankards, or outside with a fine view of the Alhambra fountain. $$

65 Alhambra Plaza. 786.452.0935

Books & Books Café

A charming and somewhat bohemian place to have lunch, where you can eat among the bookshelves inside, or dine in the courtyard outside. A tidy little menu with a cluster of excellent salads, sandwiches & wraps. Our favorite is the curry chicken salad ($14) and the café grilled cheese ($12), with a mix of goat and cheddar cheese, greens on the side.

265 Aragon Ave. 305.446.9599. $

Cortadito Coffee House

Jewish delis had disappeared. Not

The cuisine is largely Australian pub food – salmon Rangoon, chicken skewers, meat pies, fish & chips –the setting is spectacular, and the beer unbeatable at this newest hot

The newest Cuban coffee shop and bakery to hit the Gables, Cortadito offers all the classics, like cafe con leche, espresso, and – of course –cortaditos, as well as signature drinks, like iced matcha latte and their Cafe Bon Bon (espresso and condensed milk). The coffee house also has a full breakfast/lunch menu with items like the Cuban Breakfast (scrambled eggs, two ham croquetas, and a tostada with your choice of bacon or sausage), the Cuban Sampler and empanadas for a quick on-the-go bite.

200 Miracle Mile. 786.410.0175

ANTONIO CERRATO Creator Chef

ZANON AND HIS AWARD

Crema Gourmet

Principally a coffee shop (with wonderful coffee), Crema also has excellent breakfast dishes and reliably good sandwiches for lunch. Seating inside is limited, but outside there are numerous tables in their space under the arches of the Colonnade Building or on the sidewalk under umbrellas.

169 Miracle Mile. 796.360.4026. $$

Fritz and Franz Bierhaus

Be transported from Coral Gables to Oktoberfest. Enjoy German comfort food like Weisswurst and Heringsschmaus. Our favorite is the currywurst. Naturally, you must order a beer, but here you can have it served in a giant glass boot. $$ 60 Merrick Way 305.774.1883

MIAM Cafe

This casual bistro joint is the second of its kind in Miami – the original location in Wynwood opened back in 2014. The menu mostly consists of breakfast and brunch food, plus smoothies and sandwiches. But the real standouts here are the pastries, in particular the Nutella croissant ($4.50), which is large enough to count as a full meal, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with the hazelnut spread. $

2300 Ponce de Leon. 305.200.3190.

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

Tinta y Café

Funky and comfortable, this former gas station turned Cuban café has 1) the best Cuban coffee 2) great fluffy eggs for breakfast 3) furniture that makes you feel like you are in someone’s living room and 4) all the other things that make you love Cuban food, like croquetas and media noche sandwiches. $ 1315 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.285.0101

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 Millennial favorite, smashed avocado toast?

The brainchild of Australian Nick

Sharp, Threefold is also popular for Sunday brunch. And the coffee is some of the best around. $$ 141 Giralda Ave. 305.704.800 ■

LATIN AMERICAN & CARRIBEAN

Aromas del Peru

Yes, they serve a dozen types of ceviche here. But it’s the breadth of the menu that impresses, with traditional soups, grilled meats, wok stir fries, and signature dishes such as aji de gallina (shredded chicken in yellow pepper sauce) and seco de res (beef stewed in beer and cilantro with vegetables). Good service, good prices, nice ambiance. $$ 1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886

Bistro Café

The popular Puerto Rican restaurant has opened a location in the Gables following its stellar success in Downtown Miami. Lucky for us, they brought their upscale breakfast, right by The Shops at Merrick Park. All-day breakfast is never a bad idea.The expansive menu has a huge list of savory and sweet options, from innovative plates to upgraded classics. $$ 4155 Laguna St. 305.530.8193.

Divino Ceviche

Bringing a taste of Peru to Giralda Plaza, Divino Ceviche is known, for its ceviche. From the ceviche tradicional to ceviche de mercado to ceviche nikkei, there’s no shortage of the stuff. The restaurant also has 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

Graziano’s

This large, popular Gables mainstay is true Argentine. A deep selection of Argentine wines (which line several walls) go with beef slowly roasted over a quebracho wood fire, old schoolstyle. 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. $$

2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955 ■

Tour of the Gables

Tour of the Gables

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024 | 6 AM

CORAL GABLES CITY HALL / GEORGE E. MERRICK PARK

405 BILTMORE WAY, CORAL GABLES

LACE UP YOUR RUNNING SHOES, LOAD UP YOUR STROLLERS, FIRE UP THE FAM & FLOCK TO THE STARTING LINE!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

REGISTRATION/CHECK-IN & EXPO: 6 AM

WARM-UP: 6:45 AM

RACE START: 7 AM

KID’S DASH: 8:15 AM

the

COMMEMORATIVE RUN SHIRT

CUSTOM BRANDED RACE MEDAL

LARGEST TEAM REGISTERED WILL RECEIVE THE COVETED CHAIRMAN’S CUP!

Where Am I?

Coral Gables’ distinctive Mediterranean Revival style is wellknown to all who reside here, but some of it is less flamboyant than the Alhambra or Biltmore towers – like this door, which is in plain sight on a busy commercial street but rarely noticed. If you know where the door is located, send the answer to kwang@coralgablesmagazine.com along with your home address. The first four winners will win two tickets to the Actors’ Playhouse or GableStage production of their choice and the next 10 will receive two tickets to the Coral Gables Museum. Last month’s “Where Am I?” was the fountain outside Bermello Ajamil & Partners on the corner of Le Jeune Road and Ponce de Leon Blvd.

DIANA BENEDETTI ARTIST

info@dianabenedetti.com

dianabenedetti.com