Coral Gables Magazine June 2021

CORAL GABLES

CITY OF THE FUTURE

INNOVATION IN THE GABLES

Better is incomparable cancer care, close to home.

When it comes to cancer care, you have choices. Making an informed choice can make all the difference in your journey. At Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute we offer unmatched cancer care to help you get better.

Don’t delay care. Better cancer care is here.

MiamiCancerInstitute.com

At Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute, we know that peace of mind is important, now more than ever. That’s why we’re observing all protocols to ensure a safe environment for patients and medical staff, including Covid-19 screening, testing, contact tracing and infection control. Don’t delay regular screenings and appointments, which can be critical for early detection.

A Better Team of Doctors Fighting for You

At Baptist Health’s Miami Caner Institute, our multidisciplinary approach to care means you have a highly skilled team from many areas of expertise focused on your treatment plan. Your team’s clinical proficiency and deep understanding of your cancer and your individual needs, combined with advanced cancer-fighting technology and innovative research, ensures Miami Cancer Institute will provide you with a personalized plan of therapy that is the best possible treatment for your cancer. Our proximity to Coral Gables gives you convenient access to this exemplary care that others travel from around the globe to receive.

Leading Research, Advanced Treatment Options and the Latest Technology

Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute is dedicated to finding better ways to treat cancer, with a full range of clinical trials in both medical and radiation oncology. Our physicians and surgeons offer the most advanced surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for common, rare and complex cancers. Some of these options are stem cell transplantation, minimally invasive and robotic surgery techniques and radiation oncology modalities. We are often among the first in the country to offer new technologies to our patients. Cancer-fighting technology at Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute includes:

 Three-room, pencil-beam scanning proton therapy — the latest and most precise radiation oncology modality delivery system

 CyberKnife® for robotic, image-guided radiation oncology modality delivery almost anywhere in the body

 ViewRay MRIdian Linac® for more accurate delivery of radiation for certain tumors

 PET/MRI scans for highly detailed imagery

 Vectra 3D whole-body photo imaging for skin cancer; we have one of only a few of these devices in the world

Established and Unique Care Programs

Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute offers many unique clinics and programs that focus on particular aspects of certain cancers, cancer prevention and health concerns connected to your cancer diagnosis.

Patient-centered Care

Through our Patient Navigation Program, each patient is paired with a patient navigator to help alleviate the stress that comes from a cancer diagnosis, from treatment to survivorship and beyond. Our Cancer Patient Support Center offers a full range of patient and family support services, including:

 Acupuncturists

 Cancer rehabilitation physicians

 Nutritionists

 Psychologists

 Psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists

 Social Workers

Don’t Delay Care

Cancer does not stop for COVID-19, and for that reason, Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute encourages you to stay up to date with your cancer screenings. Don’t delay care. Better cancer care is here. To make an appointment or referral, visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com or call 786-596-2000.

Who dreamed we would nd America’s #1 Senior Community right here in the Gables?

VOTED WORLD’S BESTYEARS IN A ROW 25

AT THE WORLDTRAVEL AWARDS

At Sandals® Resorts, you will discover a place so serene, so pristine, it defies the very definition of heaven on earth. A tropical oasis boasting azure skies, turquoise waters, and powder-white sands, where every indulgence is worldclass and endless pleasures are created for two people in love. Spectacular pools as big as lakes. Unlimited land and water sports*, including daily scuba for certified divers. World-class 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining at up to 16 specialty restaurants per resort. And decadently romantic Love Nest Butler Suites® that offer the utmost in refinements, including extravagant bathrooms, 24-hour room service, and professionally trained butlers who cater to your every whim. This is 5-Star luxury, Sandals style.

HAFNER’S WAY

At Coral Gables Congregational Church, parishioners have come to expect the unexpected. And are all the happier for it. Reverend Dr. Laurinda Hafner, senior pastor of the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ says, “We’re a Church that thinks out of the box.”

INNOVATION REPORT

With a core drive to be the nation’s top “smart” city, the Gables opens itself to innovation. Raimundo Rodulfo, the city’s head of Information Technology, says, “A smart city leverages technology and innovation and best practices to improve quality of life – in mobility, public safety, transportation, environmental sustainability – everything that matters to the quality of life for the citizens.”

DIVE INTO DREAMY GABLES POOLS

Whether historic or modern, a home’s architecture offers major inspiration for outdoor pool areas. This month, we spoke with the visionaries behind two of the city’s most beautiful backyards to present two stunning projects, to encourage you to imagine the retreat of your dreams.

A Whole Lot of Smart

This is our second cover story that takes a look at innovation in Coral Gables. Our previous one was before the pandemic; during the plague we focused on how the city was surviving, rather than how it was moving forward. It’s now time to look again to the future.

It goes without saying that we could not include everything innovative occurring in Coral Gables. Just what is happening at the University of Miami alone could fill volumes; this is a university with a fulltime provost for innovation, Dr. Norma Sue Kenyon.

Innovation is simply everywhere in the Gables. At the youth center, they have launched a new virtual reality game for the visually handicapped. Our parks have benches with solar charging stations for mobile devices, an idea suggested to the city by a resident student. Electric cabs offer free rides in the downtown.

And it’s not all high-tech innovation. It’s the mini-libraries – tiny kiosks with books to borrow – that now dot our neighborhoods. It’s the roundabouts the city uses to solve traffic flow. It’s the pedestrian friendly curb-less sidewalks on Miracle Mile.

Innovation is also green. Because, as we head into the future, all aspects of sustainability will require innovation and new ideas. And our city is there, experimenting with ways to stop pollution entering the Gables Waterway,

expanding its electric vehicle fleet, requiring new buildings to be environmentally certified, and maintaining its extraordinary canopy with a data base that monitors the location, height, species and health of 38,000 trees in public spaces.

At the heart of this culture of innovation is the city’s IT director, Raimundo Rodulfo, who is determined to make the Gables the leading “smart city” in the U.S., and the city’s manager, Peter Iglesias, who is pushing through a threeyear transformation of the Gables into a “paperless” city, where all departments in government are horizontally integrated, so they can speak to each other in real time.

We also have a new mayor who, as a commissioner for the last eight years, pushed forward much of the legislation to keep the city green, through innovations in transportation, recycling, clean energy, pollution control, climate change mitigation and citizen cleanup campaigns. He inherits from his predecessor a keen commitment to innovation, which he believes is “in the DNA of the city.”

So do we.

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Cover: The 1960s Jetsons family lived in Orbit City... is

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Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 1200 Anastasis Ave. Suite 115, Coral Gables FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 995-0995. Copyright 2021 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to subscriptions@ coralgablesmagazine.com. General mailbox email and letters to editor@coralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2019.

this the Gables of the future?

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

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

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

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

The principles for improved results with modern techniques are simple:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stephan Baker MD

Facelifts have come a long way.

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

UM Do Your Research

Like many of my fellow citizens of Coral Gables, I am disturbed by the recent decision of the University of Miami to remove George Merrick’s name from one of its buildings. While it is certainly the prerogative of the Board of Trustees to make such a decision, the process and the rationale are deeply troubling.

We are a nation based on the “rule of law” which allows a person to refute allegations concerning their conduct. Of course, that is impossible for a person who died 69 years ago. Unfortunately, the research used as a foundation for the “cancel” decision appears to be incomplete.

A few more facts might have been considered: (1) When Merrick fought to provide an adequate water supply for the Black inhabited neighborhoods, he argued: “Now collectively, as well as individually, we cannot receive fairness, unless we give fairness.”; (2) In his early years, Merrick lived among the Bahamian workers hired by his father and honored these Black Bahamians in a series of stories he wrote, entitled “Men of the Magical Isles.”; (3) Merrick developed the MacFarlane Homestead and St. Alban’s subdivisions to provide adequate housing for these workers who helped create Coral Gables. His additional acts of “civicmindedness” included donating land and a clubhouse to the Boy Scouts, providing free or deeply discounted sites for churches, and converting the third floor of the San Sebastian Apartments into dormitory space for women attending his new University.

As to the role of Merrick in establishing UM, it was much more than a land and money donation. It was a multi-year act of love and dedication, which provided South Florida with a first-class institution of higher learning. “In all the ensuing turmoil of the Land Crush, Hurricane and then Depression, there was one person who clung steadfastly to the vision and supported it financially, more than any other. That person was George Merrick. The University was built in Coral Gables because of his efforts and sustained thereafter by his great support. If there was ‘a’ founder, rather than several, that person was George Merrick, although he never sought to make that claim.” [Ren-

dezvous with Greatness, The 75th Anniversary of the University of Miami 1926-2001, University of Miami Press, William Marina & Charlton W. Tebeau].

Does this sound like a historical person whose name should be removed from the UM campus?

Jeannett Slesnick

A UM Travesty

George Edgar Merrick was “adored as a human being,” observed Arva Parks in her 2015 book Son of the South Wind. The late historian was Merrick’s greatest cheerleader.

How insensitive is it, then, that on the 135th anniversary of Merrick’s birth, the University of Miami decides to cancel Merrick’s memory. It is a disservice to the man whose actions are contrary to the narrative being espoused. Dr. Dorothy Fields, historian and founder of the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex, credits Merrick for his “admiration of the [Black] Bahamian community for their expertise and impact.”

When examining history, one must accept the whole story, not pick and choose. One must balance history, not carve it or cancel it. Taking one quote and using it to describe a man’s whole life is unfair. The past should be discussed within a measured and relevant historical context.

The University of Miami solely exists because of George E. Merrick. He not only donated the land but also committed to a $5 million personal donation. Others pledged but only Merrick made good on his promise. George Merrick served as Regent and Trustee of the University from its beginning to the time of his death in 1942. The University of Miami must rightfully honor their founder George E. Merrick. However, if the point is to disassociate the school with the Merrick name, then it must disassociate itself completely with Merrick. No name. No school.

Karelia Carbonell

It’s About Context

As a history buff, I am opposed to any rewriting or cancelation of the historic record. However, following the recent Black Lives Matter movement, I understand why certain confederate monuments have been removed

and various streets renamed. Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, among others, were confederate leaders remembered for one thing only: they lead an insurrection against the United States in defense of slavery. That is their sole claim to fame. Otherwise, no statues would have been erected

We also have statues for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who were both slave owners. But that is not why they are revered today. Like all the founding fathers, we honor them because they had the vision and determination to create this nation. We forgive their attitude to slavery because it reflected society at that time. It is wrong to impose today’s social values on the past.

Should we no longer read the poems of T.S. Eliot or the novels of Ernest Hemingway because of their ant-Semitic and homophobic references? Should the statues of Winston Churchill be torn down because of his racist comments? The faults of these men were a reflection of their zeitgeist, the values of their time, and we honor them not for these faults but for their greatness.

Now there is a movement to remove George Merrick’s name from the University of Miami and his statue from the front of Coral Gables City Hall.

We honor George Merrick, not because he may have reflected the Jim Crow attitudes of his time, but because his vision transformed an empty wilderness into one of the most beautiful cities in America. Merrick donated $5 million and 100 acres to found the University of Miami, while he himself died penniless and childless, with no heirs to carry on his name or preserve his memory. Only the City of Coral Gables. This movement to remove his name from the city and university which would not exist without him, is an outrageous example of ‘woke’ culture becoming a mockery of itself.

I would recommend a Google search for “Letter of Request for Structure Name Preservation by Amanda Rose,” a student at the University of Miami School of Law. It provides a detailed and well researched list of all the ways that George Merrick was not a racist, and his many actions to encourage racial harmony.

Patrick Alexander

Streetwise

THE HONOR GUARD AT THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY FOR THE NEW MAYOR AND TWO NEW CITY COMMISSIONERS. IN THE FOREGROUND ARE THE MAYOR’S DAUGHTERS. PAGE 18.

From City Hall

AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW CITY COMMISSION IN MAY, COMMISSIONERS:

OFFERED CONGRATULATIONS TO Firefighter Louie Fajardo, who belatedly received the March 2020 “Firefighter of the Month Award” – for inventing and building an ultraviolet device to sterilize the masks of firefighters.

VOTED 5-0 TO SELL THE CITY’S PARKING LOT across from Havana Harry’s on Le Jeune for $3.5 million to a developer who will build a low-rise, private parking garage there. The sale was made on the condition that the new garage offer 34 spaces to the public (the number there now) and that it will have electric car charging stations.

VOTED 5-0 TO EXTEND THE ABILITY OF RESTAURANTS to create outdoor seating and signage as a way to expand their business opportunities for Covid recovery, through January 2022. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)

VOTED 5-0 TO ALLOW RESIDENTS OF COCOPLUM to vote on whether to tax themselves to double the number of streetlights in their neighborhood. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)

VOTED 5-0 TO EXPAND THE DEFENSIVE TACTICS training for Coral Gables police, so that officers have the training to take down suspects “without injuring themselves or those they are trying to apprehend,” said Commissioner Jorge Fors. Added Police Chief Ed Hudak: “This is a skill set that has to be practiced” so that officers do not escalate to deadly force. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fors)

VOTED 5-0 TO CREATE “YOUTH ZONES” in neighborhoods where there are a lot of kids playing, with signage similar to school areas. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fors)

LISTENED AGAIN TO OBJECTIONS ABOUT THE WAWA project across from GW Carver Elementary School and explained again to parents that the city could no longer stop it from being built. While Mayor Lago agreed that a gas station/food store was not the best option, it was within the rights of the landowners – the local community association – to lease the land for income to their community center. Dr. Julie Kanter, who is part of a group of parents currently suing the city to stop the project, suggested the city at least bring the developers to the table to mitigate the design – like putting the entrance to the gas station on U.S. 1, and not across from the elementary school. To be continued… ■

It was a moment of pomp and circumstance, replete with an honor guard of axe- and flag-carrying firefighters. On a late Friday morning at the end of April, two new city commissioners – Rhonda Anderson and Kirk Menendez – were sworn into office, along with Mayor Vince Lago.

The swearing in took place in the conference center at the new Public Safety Building, packed with city officials past and present, family members and civic leaders. At the dais was outgoing Mayor Raul Valdés-Fauli and outgoing City Commisioner Pat Keon, both of whom said goodbye.

In his acceptance speech, Mayor Lago announced two “transparency” objectives: To shed

The New Team UM Erases a

light on the “dark money” that funds local political campaigns, and to conduct an audit of city lobbying protocol, to make the efforts of lobbyists public. He also announced transportation and water quality task forces. But his key policy announcement was his “100 Days Listening Tour,” taking input from residents, business owners, and civic organizations for 100 days (started May 1) in order to create a Strategic Priorities Plan for the city.

“Remember, as I have always said, my door is always open,” Lago told the audience, which then went outside for a light lunch, Morelia paletas and a brass band under a tent on Alcazar Avenue. ■

The University of Miami is removing the name of George Merrick – the founder of the school as well as the city of Coral Gables – from a campus parking structure. The decision was made in response to student demands that Merrick’s name be removed because of his racist behavior as chair of the Dade County Planning Board in the

late 1930s, more than a decade after he funded UM. The school’s board was not able to remove the name of Merrick’s father, Soloman G. Merrick, from the School of Education building, however. That structure was a Merrick gift to UM in 1925 and cannot be renamed without returning the land it was built on and the money used to build it. ■

LEFT TO RIGHT: COMMISSIONERS JORGE FORS AND RHONDA ANDERSON, MAYOR VINCE LAGO, AND COMMISSIONERS MICHAEL MENA AND KIRK MENENDEZ.

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Stop the Misinformation

LOCAL “MEDIA” NEEDS TO STICK TO THE FACTS

It is not the habit of this magazine to correct misinformation about the city published by other local media, but lately it has gotten out of hand. The most recent attack on Commissioner Michael Mena and City Attorney Miriam Ramos is so egregiously misinformed that we had to address the balderdash.

In the first meeting in May of the new city commission – with Rhonda Anderson and Kirk Menendez as new commissioners and Vince Lago as the new mayor – the commission unanimously voted to sell a 34-space parking lot on Le Jeune Road to developers who intend to build a low-rise parking garage on the spot. The price of $3.5 million was based on two independent appraisals of the property’s value.

Commissioner Mena, for the record, let everyone know that the purchasing entity –JRFQ Holdings, LLC – was owned by two of the principals in the MSP Recovery Law Firm where Mena works. Since there was no connection otherwise to his place of employment, and since there was no benefit to himself, City Attorney Miriam Ramos opined that there was no conflict of interest. The commissioners then voted 5-0 to approve the sale on first reading, with a second vote to come later.

For this act, Gables Insider and Community Newspapers both ran the same opinion piece demanding the resignations of both Mena and Ramos. The opinion piece, by Leon Kellner, portrayed the vote by Mena as an unethical, insider deal engineered to cheat the public. Nothing could be more ridiculous.

Negotiations to sell the parking lot began in 2019, when the commission voted to allow

the city manager to negotiate with two adjacent property owners to see if they wanted to buy the property. On its own, the property was too small to be of interest; it would have to be part of a larger tract to be of value. Negotiations with the first property owner fell through, so talks began with the second. As the deal got closer, JRFQ Holdings (the initials stand for John Ruiz and former Commissioner Frank Quesada) bought out the second property owner and completed negotiations for purchase.

That’s it. No mystery. The connection to Mena was not even known by the Gables Insider and Community Newspapers until he publicly declared it. Yet they portrayed this information as some dirty secret they uncovered.

The hypocrisy of these publications is what really needs to be uncovered. Why didn’t Gables Insider note that the other city commissioners, who also voted for this deal, had all been endorsed by former Commissioner Quesada. Some were even financed by him. Could it be because Gables Insider is owned by a political operative who had been paid by both Commissioner Anderson and Mayor Vince Lago to run apsects of their election campaigns?

As for Community Newspapers accusing Mena and Ramos of questionable ethics, this publication should make no claim to objective journalism. Most of its stories are simply press releases published verbatim by whoever cares to supply them. Likewise, the Kellner piece was run as a factual story, not as opinion.

As for Gables Insider, at least they identified the story as opinion. But they positioned it as a news item on their blog, with no refutation. Nor is this the first time they have played

loosely with the facts. During the recent election campaign, their attacks on the city commission for its rezoning of Miracle Mile were astonishingly inaccurate. While its parent company, the Americas Strategy Group, represented three anti-development candidates (Anderson, Lago and Javier Baños) Insider went out of its way to portray the commission as rabidly pro-development. Their headline “Developers Defeat Residents: Miracle Mile Up-Zoned” was the opposite of the truth. The new code actually down-zoned the Mile from six stories to four stories, with the fourth story set back, so as not to create a canyon effect.

The story ran with a picture of a proposed six-story hotel at Ponce and Miracle Mile – a project not only previously blocked by the commission, but the very proposal that sparked the effort to reduce permissible

heights.

The story was so wrong that even normally reserved Commissioner Jorge Fors blasted it on social media. “It was completely out of control and disgraceful in my opinion,” says Fors. “I don’t know how you can call it an up-zoning with a straight face. You could build six stories before, and now you can only build four. That is the opposite of up-zoning.”

Interestingly enough, Mena was the commissioner who proposed the final iteration of down-zoning the Mile. Perhaps that was why Gables Insider has been looking for any way to blast him. As for City Attorney Miriam Ramos, anyone acquainted with her work knows she is a consummate professional who has served the city with integrity and hard work. Gables Insider and Community Newspaper should be ashamed. ■

RIGHT: COMMISSIONER MICHAEL MENA, FACING UNFAIR ACCUSATIONS

Business Briefs

THE BILTMORE’S COMEBACK

One sector badly hit by the pandemic was hospitality, from restaurants to hotels. The iconic Biltmore was among those forced to close down – and had a tougher time recovering than most hotels, because so many of its guests typically arrive by air.

Now business is back. Though weekdays are still lagging, weekends are more than 80 percent booked, some at full capacity. Also roaring back are bookings for group events, like weddings and conferences. The only problem, says Biltmore executive Tom Prescott, is staffing. The hotel employee count is now past 300, but pre-pandemic employment was more than 500.

Prescott attributes the short fall to the fact that some former employees moved on to new jobs. But the other factor is one that looms large for the entire industry: Workers who are receiving unemployment benefits don’t see a reason to return until those benefits expire. Prescott says the hotel had to increase wages by 25 to 50 percent to attract employees.

“While the stimulus bill was passed for the right reasons, state and federal relief has driven the incentive out of work,” says Prescott. “We can’t get the people.” Those back on staff are working harder than ever – many pulling overtime – to provide the service customers expect, says Prescott. Nonetheless, he adds, “The morale is good, because they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Next year should be a blowout.”

COMING UP TO SPEED

When the pandemic hit, small businesses – especially retailers – had to pivot to the internet for sales. But not all were adept at selling online. A survey taken by the city’s Economic Development Department last summer revealed that 63 percent of small businesses felt unprepared for online commerce.

“For us that was eye opening,” says Belkys Perez, the city’s assistant director of economic development. “We decided to give them the skills they needed.” Perez hosted what has become a series of seven tutorials, two on digital marketing, two on creating e-commerce sites and three on innovative technologies. Bringing in experts to put viewers through “virtual bootcamps,” Perez’s programs addressed such things as how to set up a secure consumer website and how to optimize that site for search engines.

“The city is now a Google partner, which means we have access to webinars that Google puts out,” says Perez. “So, we are setting up

four new webinars to start at the end of June, and then continue in July, August and September.” The city is also donating 19 licenses to small businesses for CommentSold, a program that allows businesses that use social media to convert potential customers. To watch the city seminars, go to coralgables.com/businessworkshops.

BOOK THAT IN BITCOIN

The THēsis Hotel on U.S. 1 has become the first hotel in Florida to accept cryptocurrency for payments. Brent Reynolds, CEO of CRI, the parent company of THēsis, said the hotel had accepted bitcoin from a guest for room nights. While it was tempting to ride the fluctuations of that digital currency (which fluctuates like a stock), “we converted the bitcoin into cash,” he says. The world may be going virtual, but greenbacks still rule for now.

MOVING TO TOWN

Some big companies are relocating to the Gables – notably ACI and PNC to the Plaza Ponce office tower, and Titan Home Improvement to the downtown. But business titans themselves are coming here as well, part of the diaspora of New Yorkers and Californians to Greater Miami. We note that a trust of Ingram Micro CEO Alain Monié recently bought a waterfront mansion in Gables Estates for $14.5 million, while former investment banker William McKinley Osborne spent a record $29 million for an estate in Tahiti Beach.

BITTERSWEET FAREWELL

After 44 years in business, Swensen’s Grill & Ice Cream Parlor on South Dixie Highway has closed forever, apparently unable to pay its property taxes. The classic and popular milkshake and burgers hangout was a franchise of the chain that began in San Francisco in 1948, and one of the last three in the U.S. (the others are in San Francisco and Midland, Texas). But fans, fear not. The corporation, now based in Canada, lives on with 300 locations worldwide, including in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Shanghai, China. Closer to home there is one in Ontario. ■

BELKYS PEREZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Let Us Guide You Home

10 Edgewater Drive #4A/3A Coral Gables

$5,495,000 | 6 Bed | 7 Bath

7,660 SF | The Gables Club

Amenities

The Gables Club is well-located and minutes to Miami International Airport, top rated schools, upscale shopping, fine dining and entertainment, and offers the following amenities:

• 24 hour concierge

• Gated entrance, 24 hour security

• On-site restaurant and bar, offering delivery and catering services

• Beauty salon and spa

• Fully equipped gyms

• Pilates and therapy rooms

• Two pools

• 4 Tennis courts

• Putting green

• Marina with boat slips

Living

The Ultimate Yard Sale

SHOPPING AN ESTATE SALE IN THE GABLES

BY JAMES BROIDA

The Gables estate sale we went to was in a home in the French City Village, on Hardee Road. It was a lovely house, surrounded by a white wall, and there was a small, tasteful sign by the entrance to the driveway indicating that the house was for sale. We were here just for the cast-off contents of the home, however.

Potential buyers entered through wrought iron gates that opened onto a driveway, festooned with blooming bougainvillea. You did not enter the house proper, however. Some estate sales last for days, with much of the furniture and art inside the home priced to move. Instead, this was closer to an upscale yard sale, everything on display for one Saturday in a walled garden, with long tables covered with items.

By simplest definition, the difference between a yard sale and an estate sale is that the latter is conducted by third-party professionals, rather than the homeowner in jogging sweats. The other difference is that estate sales proffer a higher caliber of goods. The range of items and prices at the Hardee home was considerable: Small wooden frames ($1 each); a gravy boat

($5); China cups and saucers ($15 each); a wooden stool ($20); an end table ($50); a bronze Art Deco lion ($125); a Chinese carved jade box ($200); an oil painting of Marilyn Monroe, in the style of Andy Warhol ($500).

I wondered why all these things were for sale. Had the owner passed away? I imagined not; otherwise, the furniture inside would also have been for sale. This was clearly someone who was moving and didn’t want to drag all these knickknacks along with them. This was a cleansing sale, which made me feel less predatory.

What I purchased: A leather-bound book by Heidi Fleiss, the notorious Hollywood madam whose confessions ruined the career of Charlie Sheen ($5); a large glass globe to protect a candle from the wind ($10); a wind-up metal toy robot, made in China, in its original box ($20). It felt more like an episode of “American Pickers” than “Antique Road Show” but was still a fun and satisfying morning jaunt.

If you are interested in pursuing the estate and yard sales of the Gables, go to estatesales.org or gslar.com, and enter your zip code. Good hunting! ■

TOP: THIS ESTATE SALE IN THE FRENCH CITY VILLAGE ON HARDEE ROAD WAS CLOSER TO AN UPSCALE YARD SALE, EVERYTHING ON DISPLAY FOR ONE SATURDAY IN A WALLED GARDEN.

BOTTOM: A WIDE RANGE OF GOODS INCLUDED THIS PAINTING OF MARILYN MONROE, IN THE STYLE OF ANDY WARHOL, FOR $500.

Paseo Pop-Up

A MONTHLY POP-UP MARKET AT THE THESIS HOTEL

THēsis Hotel is home to 245 guest rooms, Mamey Miami and now a pop-up market. Taking place on the third Sunday of every month, the Market at THēsis brings local vendors to the hotel’s ground-floor Paseo courtyard.

At last month’s event, attendees strolled from booth to booth – or laid down on a massage table to receive a treatment from One Point Acupuncture. Vendors included jewelry companies like Nikki E. Designs and Puro Cielo, plant shops like The Bloom Room and Silver Garden Co., and boutiques like Violet + Sophia. Shoppers could also cool down with a cold brew from Le Jardin, a pop-up coffee shop. There was even something for our furry friends at the market, with Top Dawg Treats selling their homemade, organic dog goodies.

On the third floor rooftop, also known as Mamey on 3rd, Chef Niven Patel hosted a stand that sold baked goods from Pastry Chef Amy Kalinowski, while Mamey’s Beverage Manager Shawn Giorgio sold boozy ice pops.

The next Market at THēsis is Sunday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free of charge, but guests are encouraged to RSVP on Eventbrite. Parking is complimentary with a market purchase. ■

—Lizzie Wilcox

Best Bets FOR JUNE

JURASSIC GARDEN (TOP)

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is bringing the prehistoric world to Coral Gables. Discover life-size dinosaurs surrounded by Fairchild’s collection of cycads, ferns, conifers and flowering plants that all date back to the prehistoric world. There will also be Roar and Explore walking tours, Dino Discovery Carts and other educational programs. On view now from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July 18. Tickets are $12-$25 and free for members and children 5-years-old and under. Fairchildgarden.org/events/jurassic-garden.

TOUR OF KITCHENS: OUTDOOR EDITION

Thanks to Covid, the annual Tour of Kitchens was postponed and is finally happening this month. Instead of touring inside the kitchens of Gables residents, the event will feature the city’s best pools, patios and outdoor kitchens. There will also be bites and home goods from local restaurants and stores. Saturday, June 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets: $75. Proceeds benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation’s scholarship program. Gablesfoundation.org/news-events.

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (RIGHT)

Directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, “The Perfect Candidate” follows a young female doctor who runs for city council. Despite the community’s struggle to accept her as their town’s first female candidate, her ambitious campaign builds momentum, becoming a symbol for a larger movement. A revealing look at the changing roles of women in Saudi Arabia. In-person screening at Coral Gables Art Cinema June 4 - 10. Tickets: $12.75, $8 for members. Gablescinema.com. ■

Behind every heartbeat is a world-class team

The Heart Institute at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is a world leader in pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery and the care of children with congenital heart disorders.

We offer the most innovative, least invasive approaches in pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery for the treatment of congenital heart disease, including many first-inthe-world procedures that were pioneered by our own physicians.

The Heart Institute offers a variety of pediatric care offerings including:

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To schedule an appointment at one of our locations in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, please call 305-662-8301

Drew Kern Closes a Sale EVERY 4 DAYS

Many things have changed in our local real estate market. If you are wondering what is happening in your neighborhood, I would be happy to spend some time discussing it with you. Contact me today!

Bites

REDFISH GOURMET FRIED CHICKEN, BRINED AND THEN FRIED IN A BUTTERMILK BATTER LACED WITH HONEY. PAGE 38.

Weekend at Mika’s

BRUNCH AT CAJA CALIENTE GOES SATURDAY

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

Sunday and brunch go hand in hand. But Sunday brunch is turning into weekend brunch, with restaurants offering the menu on Saturday as well. One of those restaurants is Caja Caliente, owned by Mika Leon, who puts a Cuban twist on traditional breakfast dishes.

Since they were named the Best Taco in Florida for their lechon taco, we had to give the breakfast taco a try. Scrambled eggs, bacon, queso frito, avocado and an herb aioli are all stuffed inside of a tortilla. Following Caja Caliente’s “one you’re satisfied, two you’re full” rule of thumb, we ordered two.

Another menu item that caught our eye was the Si Me

Parece sandwich, above. If you like bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, you have to try this. It’s made with a fried egg, bacon, a block of queso frito, tomato, red onion and aioli in between an everything brioche bun. After managing to unhinge our jaw, it was probably the best breakfast sandwich we’ve ever had. Plus, it held us over until dinnertime. Caja even puts a Cuban spin on breakfast potatoes, serving instead a side of yucca home fries.

They also have sweet dishes like Mika’s Disco Volador Pancakes: Guava pancakes filled with whipped cream cheese and topped with condensed milk and a homemade guava reduction. Inspired by Chef Mika’s grand-

father, Abuelo’s French Toast is dipped in a café con leche mix, coated with Frosted Flakes and drizzled with a homemade cream cheese syrup.

Almost as good as the food are the prices. The most expensive item on the menu are the pancakes, Si Me Parece sandwich, French toast and arroz con pollo, each for $16. The least expensive is the breakfast taco for $8 (another reason we ordered two).

Brunch also goes hand in hand with mimosas, which is why Caja Caliente offers bottomless for $20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Or, just wash everything down with a strong yet sweet café con leche. ■

Threefold Café on Giralda Plaza (with a Red Road satellite) is already known for its smashed avocado toast and salmon scramble. Now it’s adding seven new items to their menu. The Chili Eggs are folded with harissa, red chilies, Sriracha and pico de gallo. The Nuts and Berries is fried French toast with Nutella, blueberry compote, berries, mint and anglaise (above). They’ve also added oat milk to their coffee menu.

Mediterranean seafood eatery Seasy on Miracle Mile is launching two new lunch specials. Build your own Seasy Bowl with a selection of grains, fruits, vegetables and protein. With soda, it’s $15; with beer or wine it’s $17. The other special gives diners the option to choose the Seasy Fish Piccata, Tempura Seasy Fish Sandwich or Miso Baked Salmon, served with rice, asparagus, a side salad, espresso and soda, for $18. Change that soda to beer or wine and it’s $20. Lunch specials available from noon to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.

When is a bakery more than a bakery? When it’s Madruga Bakery, off U.S. 1 on Madruga Avenue. They open at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 8 a.m. on weekends, for freshly baked goods. But starting at 11 a.m., you can get amazing sandwiches, like their free-range chicken salad with dill, walnuts and golden raisins, or their crazy good roast beef, cooked with a coffee-rosemary rub and drizzled with garlic aioli. Also, great vegan options of sweet potato or roasted veggie sandwiches. ■

THE SI ME PARECE BREAKFAST SANDWICH

And Then There Were Three…

FRENCH BAKERIES ARISE

Is there any culture or cuisine that worships bread more than the French? Doubtful. It can be argued that the French Revolution was sparked as much by poor wheat harvests and a lack of fresh bread in the late 1780s than merely hatred of the aristocracy.

In the Gables there has long been a dearth of French bakeries. Chocolate Fashion on Andalusia has been the lone stalwart for years (and yes, chocolate is another French obsession). Now two new players have joined the scene.

Gustave, on 366 Miracle Mile, was launched at the end of last year (they proudly put “Est. 2020” with their logo). While it declares itself a French

restaurant, they also bake with a vengeance, including the best baguette you will find anywhere, along with a nice assortment of croissants and tarts. With their new outdoor seating and awning, they have also become a weekend brunch hot spot.

Gustave was launched by two Parisians, Quentin Dubois and Sam Dis, who have plenty of culinary experience; Dubois comes from the catering side, while Dis still owns two restaurants in Paris. And if you didn’t guess by now, the restaurant is named for Gustave Eiffel, the man who designed that little tower named after him.

Meanwhile, L’Artisane has sprung up at 2526 Ponce. It would be an exceptional bakery

just by virtue of its selection –strawberry tarts, apple pie croissants, chocolate pastries, peanut butter cookies, pecan cookies, macarons, madeleines – but has the added accolade of being vegan. That means nothing from animals, including no butter (or cheese) for the baked goods, and no milk for the coffee. No matter. L’Artisane proudly declares itself to be the first vegan French bakery in the U.S., and the only mystery is how they get their goods to taste so good without the contribution from cows. But they do. And, as for the café au lait, go for the creamy oat milk. Even better: Next door they will soon launch a sister shop that sells only doughnuts. ■

There is a lot of creativity around town when it comes to salads. Like the scrumptious Crab & Asparagus salad at Public Square, or the Baby Gem at Tur, which enhances the green with quail eggs, blue cheese and prosciutto fried like bacon. Having said that, the chopped Globe Salad (at The Globe on Alhambra Circle, naturally), with its perfected mix of grilled chicken, green apple, gorgonzola cheese, caramelized walnuts and mesclun field greens, needs no further improvements (above).

Celebrate 35 years of Sports Grill (on Sunset Drive) with their new “35 Burger.” A spin-off of their classic Smashburger, it’s made with a single or double patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and aioli. It can also be ordered as individual sliders. Available since April, the 35 Burger is a permanent addition to their menu. And you thought they just had the best chicken wings in town.

If you think all water is the same, think again. The new Miami Alkaline Water store at 68 Miracle Mile offers bottles of Alkaline water, rich in calcium, silica, potassium and magnesium. Alkaline? Remember your high school chemistry: The human body has a natural pH scale that balances acidic and alkaline levels. Because we have too much acidity in our lives, Alkaline water balances things out, increasing hydration levels, immunity, oxygen levels and disease prevention. Or so proponents say. You be the judge. ■

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6/8/1 | 6,885 sf. | 22,546 sf. lot | Sold for $4,800,000

Contemporary home, perfect for entertaining. High ceilings, glass doors

4/4 | 6,188 adj. sf. | 15,700 sf. lot | Sold for $2,400,000

SHELTON STEWART GROUP

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191 Los Pinos Court - Cocoplum, Coral Gables

470 Costanera Road - Islands of Cocoplum, Coral Gables

SOLD! Our Seller/Buyer

Tere Shelton Bernace Broker-Owner

Consuelo T. Stewart Broker-Owner

Elba Fernandez Realtor-Associate 305.799.7972

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overlooking pool and patio.

1228 Anastasia Avenue - Coral Gables

In Search of Fried Chicken

WHERE HAS THE GABLES’ FRIED CHICKEN GONE? TODAY IT’S A RARE BIRD

BY JAMES BROIDA

There was a time when good fried chicken could be found in Coral Gables with some ease. Over at Tarpon Bend, the nutty flavored bird was a delight. It is not on the menu of The Gramercy, the restaurant which replaced TB. The Local, under then-Chef Juan Bedoya, served a delicious fried chicken with watermelon jelly and a side of cheddar cheese pancakes. No longer. Yard House served a real Southern-style version, with a creamy bourbon gravy and spinach mashed potatoes. No more. Even our fastfood version, at Spring Chicken on U.S.1, has gone with the closing of that outlet (please reopen!).

So, what’s a fried chicken lover to do? We scoured the city and found a few places that still serve top-notch versions of this classic Southern dish – crisp, juicy, spicy and salty – one of the great contributions by African Americans to our national cuisine. Enjoy.

THE BEST

REDFISH: GOURMET FRIED CHICKEN

How ironic it is that the best fried chicken in town should be served at a seafood restaurant? But that is the case with the amazing fried chicken at Redfish by Chef Adrianne, which is brined and then fried in a buttermilk batter that is laced with honey. Yes, it is also the most expensive in town (with no sides) but you do get an entire half chicken, and it tastes wonderful! Plus, the view of the lagoon and the bay beyond at Redfish is so pleasant you won’t want to leave. $35.

REALLY GOOD

EATING HOUSE: THE SALTY SIDE OF FRIED

Is there any better way to salt up your fried chicken than by serving it with slices of salty meat? Not according to this popular spot on the north end of Ponce de Leon Boulevard, where the flavorful fried chicken is served with waffles and candied Applewood-smoked bacon. The only problem is that they are now only open for dinner or weekend brunch. Otherwise, a fine job by Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli. $26.

DOC B’S: A JUICY STACK

A first, the double stack of fried chicken breast at Doc B’s seems a little underwhelming, since it is only mildly seasoned. But the meat itself is off-the-charts succulent and juicy, and the more you eat the more you want. The secret is their 24 hours of marination. It is also served with a toothsome creamy coleslaw, with honey mustard and BBQ sauces for dipping. $25.

WORTHY VARIATIONS

TAP 42: FINGERLINGS OF CHICKEN

Real fried chicken means the whole bird – wings, legs, breast and thighs. So, serving only fried chicken tenders seems a little too “twee,” as the British would say. Nonetheless, the meat is wonderfully tender with a good crunch to the batter. And the “Asian style” cole slaw may be the best in town. $16.50

CHEESECAKE FACTORY: SEOUL FOOD

We were suspect of something called “Korean Fried Chicken” but we had to leave no stone unturned. And yes, it is nothing like the Southern classic. It consists of chicken chunks, fried and tossed in spicy (mild) Korean BBQ sauce and served on steamed rice, with some Kimchi, cucumbers and avocado thrown in. Not the real deal, but darn tasty. $14.95.

THE WORST

THE

LOCAL: BREADED BEAST

If someone gives you a choice between being shot or eating the fried chicken at The Local, take the bullet. This place used to serve some of the best fried chicken anywhere. But the rectangular patty of tough, dry breast meat they now serve really should be taken off the menu. Even the cornbread that comes with it is desiccated. Not worth $16.

YARD HOUSE: HOT MESS

Since when has a coating of blistering hot sauce been the way to serve fried chicken? Yes, the coupling of their Nashville Hot Chicken with sweet potato pancakes gives you a mouthful of carbs to cool the burn. But what happened to their wonderful, old fashioned fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes? $17.99. ■

RED FISH TAP

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Shop

COCO BELLA ON ALCAZAR HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE SEE PAGE 44.

PHOTO BY EMILY FAKHOURY

What’s Hot

FEELING GROOVY IN JUNE

BY MALLORY EVANS JACOBSON

From apparel and accessories to home décor, the 1970s are a main source of inspiration this summer, and Coral Gables retailers are following suit. Here are five items you can pick up around town. Can you dig it?

OVER THE RAINBOW (1)

Local jewelry designer Jaimie Nicole’s Rainbow Bling necklace will add a healthy dose of sparkle to any outfit. Constructed from 14-karat gold and colorful stones, it’s a piece that you’ll reach for often. Retail: $348. Jaimie Nicole, 4649 Ponce de Leon Blvd. #305, 305-351-7704, jaimienicole.com.

BRIGHT LIGHT (2)

The Niagara chandelier by Portuguese furnishings company Ginger & Jagger was designed to evoke water drops, but it’s also reminiscent of the long, layered gold chains that were all the rage in the ’70s. Retail: $22,900. Decor House Furniture, 4119 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 305-448-6200, decorhousefurniture.com.

SHAPE UP (3)

Coral Gables designer Silvia Tcherassi’s Fall collection is centered on vibrant prints, geometric shapes, and an overall artful feel. The Macumba bodysuit (available in August) could be worn casually or to the pool, and has a plunging neckline and a truly flattering silhouette. Retail: $240. Silvia Tcherassi, 207 San Lorenzo Ave. 305-529-0004, silviatcherassi.com.

BOLD AND BEADED (4)

Madewell’s clothing and accessories have always exuded a chill vibe, but recently, the brand has been bringing ’70s trends to the forefront. One example is the Small Transport Tote: Beaded Edition; made with polished wooden beads and a canvas interior, it’s totally vintage looking. Retail: $78. Madewell, 342 San Lorenzo Ave. #1080, 305-442-7462, madewell.com.

SUNNY DAYS (5)

Aviator sunglasses really took off (literally) during the ’70s, and they’re still popular. Louis Vuitton’s contemporary take, the My LV Chain Pilot sunglasses, feature a gold chain link design on the sides. Retail: $765. Louis Vuitton at Neiman Marcus. 390 San Lorenzo Ave., 305-446-0116, us.louisvuitton.com.

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A Colorful and Exclusive Collection of Sapphire Jewelry

An independent jeweler for 25 years, Gables Gems in Coral Gables is home to an unsurpassed collection of fine jewelry from the world’s most exclusive and innovative jewelry designers and manufacturers.

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A Charming Secret

COCO BELLA MIAMI GIFT & HOME IS THE PLACE TO GO FOR THOSE IN NEED OF GIFTS

BY KIM RODRIGUEZ

I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never been to this gem of a store, Coco Bella, on this gem of a block, Alcazar Avenue. I’ve driven by hundreds of times thinking what a beautiful storefront, but never stopped to park. My loss. When I walked into the store to interview owner Esther Prinz, I was first surprised that Esther looks like she could possibly still be in college, and secondly, by the size of the store and the breadth of products offered.

Coco Bella has been around for 10 years, previously owned by a mother-daughter duo. Prinz worked there while in college at Miami-Dade, and even after graduation. It was her happy place. In Jan. 2020 the owners decided they wanted to close the store and move on. Prinz was heartbroken and couldn’t imagine Coral Gables without Coco Bella. So, she figured out a way to buy the store from them – just one month before our world would implode with the pandemic.

Prinz had a score of ideas about how to grow the store but wanted to make a few improvements right away. “I wanted to bring in local products to support others in Miami chasing their dreams,” she says. “And to bring in companies that do good for the world – companies and products that will help everybody live a more sustainable life.” Just as she began to accomplish this, however, everything was put on the back burner in March 2020.

So how did Prinz keep a gift store from going under during the pandemic? She turned to selling homemade hand sanitizers from North Carolina and masks made in Miami. She partnered with local businesses to sell these wares at their stores, as well as in-house. Because of this she was considered an essential

business, and therefore could remain open. Nothing like being young, smart and resourceful.

Coco Bella literally has something for everyone. It even carries a brand of soap named after your favorite wines, and candles that are named after your favorite cocktails. I promise you they smell amazing! She says women are her biggest clients but “some of my favorite cases are guys who stop by with no idea what to get and leave with a wrapped gift that’s beyond perfect. I love helping anybody and everybody find that perfect something.”

The offerings run deep: Candles, soaps, beach bags and towels, dishware, wine bags, cards, baby gifts, teacher gifts, personal care items, jewelry, party accessories and celebratory gifts. Naturally, all holidays are covered. Her dream of bringing in the brands of local artisans, women-owned businesses, and ethical, sustainable products means they have premium position in her store. “I want my little store to not only be a happy place to visit, but also a place that genuinely helps others in whatever way possible,” she says.

Coco Bella Miami is a unique specialty gift store. There are no clothes or furniture, just gifts of all kinds at all price points starting at $8. Prinz prides herself on customer service; she will stay open for customers if they can’t get there during regular store hours, and she offers curbside pickup from Instagram purchases. “I’m happy to do this,” she says. “But it really is the kind of place where you need to come inside and see it to fully understand it.”■

Kim Rodriguez is a personal stylist and shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. Krpersonalstyle.com

“I WANTED TO BRING IN LOCAL PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT OTHERS IN MIAMI CHASING THEIR DREAMS.”

ESTHER PRINZ, OWNER

OWNER ESTHER PRINZ TOOK OVER COCO BELLA JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND MANAGED TO SURVIVE BY BEING CREATIVE - AND BY PARTNERING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.

PHOTO BY EMILY FAKHOURY

A Tail of Friendship

A VISIT TO NANDOG PET GEAR

BY GRACE CARRICARTE

My rescued pooch was extra excited on our car ride to Nandog, the dog-friendly store. I told her she could pick out any toy she wanted. I apologized for not taking her earlier, but their walls are lined with dog toys, plush beds and a lot more things that dogs covet, and I was worried she would lose all self-control. I soon learned from the proprietors not to be concerned, that man’s best friends are what launched this store.

“I’ve been a dog lover all my life, so I bond with dogs,” says Gables co-owner Alfonso Navarro. Dogs can sense that, and Elle immediately galloped toward him for a happy hug.

The store is put together with exactly that sentiment. It is about friendships both furry and human. Specifically, the inspiration came from Navarro’s childhood friend Hernando Vergara. The two grew up together in Barranquilla, Colombia.

After immigrating to the U.S., they went their separate ways, Navarro to New York and then Miami, and Vergara to Los Angeles, where he opened the first Nandog Pet Gear store. That was 14 years ago; three months ago, Navarro opened the brand’s second store in the Gables with local partner Javier Reyes.

The store name comes from founder Vergara’s first name, Hernando, shortened to Nando. The logo comes from a French Bulldog he rescued and named (naturally) Nanda. The team was joined by interior designer

Mitch Klapow, as designer of dog toys and beds. Both urged Navarro to launch here.

“The store is an expression about dogs,” says Navarro, and their available merchandise is a testimony to that: Dog bags, carriers, tennis balls, plush toys, large dog pillows, grooming essentials, collars, leashes and car seats. Car seats? Yes, because canine safety comes first – and their leather car dog seats, $89$99, can be fastened securely with a seat belt. For back home, their crown-shaped beds are a perfect throne for your royal furry one, with whimsical hedgehog shaped beds for smaller dogs. These best sellers go for $60 to $80 and are made with a material called “cloud” (80 percent polyester and 20 percent cotton) so your pampered pet can have heavenly dreams of all the instore plush toys ($18 each).

My doggie Elle did not wait that long and went right for the lobster plush toy. She then realized she wanted all of them (she is not an inexpensive date) and spent one of her happiest afternoons galivanting around the store.

The kicker was a $5 dogsicle – popsicles for dogs – which come in flavors like Strawberry Bliss Paws, Easy Breezy Peanut Butter, and store favorite Piña Colada Pop. These are sort of chilled dog biscuits; the Piña is made from pineapple, yogurt, honey, wheat flower, peanut butter, eggs, chicken bone broth and cinnamon. I was ready to try one, but Elle wouldn’t let me. ■

TOP: ELLE HAVING FUN EXPLORING THE SELECTION OF PLUSH TOYS FOR DOGS.

BOTTOM: GABLES CO-OWNERS ALFONSO NAVARRO (LEFT) AND JAVIER REYES: “WE LOVE DOGS.”

DANIELLA

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

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

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People

LAUREN BARTEL IS A HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR AT GULLIVER PREPARATORY SCHOOL WHO WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL AWARD SILVER MEDAL, SEE PAGE 50.

PHOTO BY EMILY FAKHOURY

Born and raised in Coral Gables, Lauren Bartel is a high school junior at Gulliver Preparatory School, which she has attended since kindergarten. With over 1,500 hours of community service, she was awarded the Congressional Award Silver Medal, the highest honor the U.S. Congress can bestow a minor. The 17-yearold is a published author, winning the Mainstream/Literary Short Story award for best original work in the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Bartel’s artwork has been published in magazines like Florida Audubon, Skipping Stones and Teen Ink. She is also a Conservation Student Scholar at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where she built a botanical exhibit and is conducting research in orchid propagation. This past school year, Bartel was the only junior at Gulliver to receive academic awards as a top student in four subjects: Science, English and Literary Arts, Social Sciences, and Visual Arts. On top of all of this, her SAT scores were in the 99th percentile.

Lauren Bartel

STUDENT, GULLIVER PREPARATORY SCHOOL

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Bartel was selected to be one of 250 students to attend the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment in Washington, D.C. this summer. Hosted by George Mason University, the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, it is a weeklong program for high-achieving students who are interested in conservation and sustainability. These students get access to field visits and lectures with researchers and scientists. The Youth Summit was supposed to be held last year, but was postponed due to Covid.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“Ever since I was little, I was really interested in the biological sciences and the natural world,” says Bartel. “With all of these environmental issues that face us, especially with our country and our community, I knew that I definitely wanted to become involved, both on a communal scale – because we can see a lot of the effects of climate change right in our backyards – but also on a national scale,” she says. ■

“ULTIMATELY, THE BEST WAY TO HAVE REAL ACTION HAPPEN IS TO GET INVOLVED ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL.”

Thank You for Your Support

Baptist Health Foundation expresses its sincerest gratitude to the committee members, donors and corporate sponsors of the virtual Pineapple Pajama Gala on April 24,2021. With your support, we raised more than $1.5 million to benefit Baptist Health’s hospitals, Centers of Excellence and outpatient centers throughout South Florida. Your generosity is a valuable investment in the health and well-being of our community.

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Karel Foti

Mr. & Mrs. John Haley

Anesthesia Associates of Greater Miami

Robert Coward & Mark Bradley Jones

Mr. Brian Keeley & Dr. Suzanne Keeley

Dr. Barry & Judith Katzen

Dr. Steven & Kathy Holmes Suzy & Sadek Wahba

Lindy & Joe Roth

South Florida Critical Care Services, LLC.

Manny & Marlene de Zarraga

Carlos Saladrigas

Twenty years ago, Gables resident and former Vincam CEO Carlos Saladrigas co-founded the Cuba Study Group with Miami beverage magnate Carlos de la Cruz. The idea was to study the Cuba problem with an open mind. Their conclusion – in a white paper published 10 years later – was that the 50-year-old embargo against Cuba (now 60 years old) was a failed policy that only hurt the people of Cuba. They advocated instead a lifting of economic restrictions in order to create a growing middle class in Cuba that could oppose the Communist regime. While progress was made during the Obama administration, under Trump the sanctions against Cuba were dramatically increased, including an end to Cuban family reunifications, travel to (and from) Cuba, and remittances for family members on the island.

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

A month after Joe Biden was inaugurated, the Cuba Study Group advised the new president to re-engage with Cuba and rescind the “severe, inhumane and cruel” sanctions against Cuba, which Saladrigas says have done little damage to the regime but have caused severe hardships for the average Cuban citizen. In a policy memo sent to the White House, the study group advised Biden to take steps to increase economic freedom in Cuba – and to help lessen the immediate human suffering there – but to not make the same mistakes as Obama. Among them: Do not ignore the private property claims against the Cuban government, and require some economic reforms by the Cuban government to increase the strength of the private sector there.

WHAT HE SAYS

“I am confident that Biden will remove those ugly, hurtful sanctions that Trump imposed. But to restore the relationship and [create] reforms, it’s going to take effort by the Cuban government,” says Saladrigas. “If they don’t change, there is no political capital for it [elimination of sanctions].” Saladrigas remains convinced that economic sanctions will not dislodge the Communist regime, but will only make it more entrenched, while starving innocent Cubans. “It hurts the people and does not hurt the top leaders of the regime. They eat well at night,” he says. “Cuba is in a dire situation right now – a humanitarian crisis – and something has to give.” One possible outcome he sees is a new wave of boaters fleeing Cuba for Miami. ■

CHAIRMAN, THE CUBA STUDY GROUP

“WE HAVE BEEN SANCTIONING CUBA FOR 60 YEARS NOW, BUT WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED? I DON’T SEE ANY RESULTS.”

PHOTO BY MATIAS OCNER

Silvia Rosales

MANDALA ARTIST

Ever since she was a child, Silvia Rosales has engaged with the arts. She learned painting from her mom, an art teacher in her native Argentina – where she worked as a child actress on TV. As a young adult she appeared in Telemundo soap operas and on Nickelodeon. She has been a model for multiple international companies, including Pierre Cardin, Elizabeth Arden, Coca Cola, Samsung, Toyota and Publix. In the U.S. for more than 15 years, Rosales decided in 2014 to become a visual artist to express a growing sense of religious thankfulness. Her first painting turned out round, symmetrical and mandala-like. From there she developed her own style, and now creates mandalas representing virtues of the soul, such as love, peace and gratitude. Rosales moved to Coral Gables in 2020 and now paints from home.

LATEST ENDEAVORS

Over the last few years, Rosales’ work has been featured at the Beijing International Art Exhibition, the Los Angeles Art Show, the Shanghai Art Fair and in galleries in Argentina, Miami and Doral. Some of her pieces are displayed in homes and offices in the Gables (silviarosales.com). Prior to the pandemic, she created several large works as a performance art show at the Spectrum Red Dot show during the last Miami Art Week-Art Basel. Her most recent work will be showcased at the Ninoska Huerta Gallery on Miracle Mile beginning June 11.

WHAT SHE SAYS

“My art focuses on powerful virtues, emotions and energy,” says Rosales. “Nikolai Tesla said we’re all energy, frequency and vibrations… I paint with both hands simultaneously, sometimes with pointillist style. I start from the center, without a sketch. I follow my intuition, inspired in God. I work for hours, maybe seven or more, and don’t get up until the mandala is finished. The colors flow from each virtue: Red is gratitude; pink, love; orange, abundance and prosperity; green, hope and healing; and yellow, wisdom. I live and feel my artwork during the process.” ■

“WHEN YOU FEEL GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, MORE BLESSINGS COME TO YOUR LIFE.”

Hafner’s Way

Reverend Dr. Laurinda Hafner, senior pastor of the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, is quick to let it be known she’s not all that formal.The tagline for the church says it aptly: “We’re a Church that thinks out of the box.”

The church itself, built in the early 1920s across the street from the iconic Biltmore Hotel, may be a stately reminder of a more traditional past, but under Rev. Hafner’s leadership, their parishioners’ way of approaching religion lives up to the tagline. A perfect example: Sunday, Feb. 15. If the City of New Orleans was wondering where its Mardi Gras went to this year, they could’ve found it in Coral Gables, strutting under the palms and

BY KATRINA DANIEL PHOTOS BY EMILY FAKHOURY

oaks in the parking lot of a Spanish Colonial Revival church. That’s when the multicolored, feathered, beaded and Mardi Grasmasked reverend led a New Orleans-style parade. The parade featured an umbrella-toting, marching, Bourbon Street-style jazz band. You can just imagine the old Spanish saints rolling over in their graves. After all, how many times have you heard your minister, rabbi, priest or shaman begin the sermon with the words, “Let’s get this party started”?

Rev. Hafner has been senior pastor of this colorful group of untraditional parishioners since 2006. And she has reveled in that role. “I heard someone describe ‘ministry’ as one of the last generalist jobs. In most other professional positions, folks are specialists in a particular area,” she says. For instance, in law, you might be a corporate lawyer; in

medicine, you may choose to be an allergy specialist. “The pastor is not only a preacher and teacher,” says Rev. Hafner, “but often a sociologist, psychologist, landscape architect, life coach, building code enforcer, social worker, CEO, plumber, custodian, copy machine fixer and, now in the days of Covid, a producer, director and choreographer.”

Rev. Hafner doesn’t see her multiple roles as a burden, but rather a welcome challenge. “In a deeper sense, my job is about creating a safe space where people are welcomed in as they explore and grow a vital and meaningful faith, to ask important questions and to serve beyond themselves. It is also important to accompany folks as they face life’s challenges and changes, and to be a living reminder of the presence of God with them.”

Anthony Cabrera, who’s been a church member for 21 years and sings tenor in the

ABOVE: THE NEW ORLEANS-STYLE MARDI GRAS OUTSIDE THE CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST.

RIGHT: REVEREND DR. LAURINDA HAFNER CLIMBED UP THE CHURCH TOWER ON JANUARY 6 AND STAGED A HUNGER FAST TO BRING ATTENTION TO FOOD SCARCITY.

“EVERY YEAR I GO UP TO THE TOWER FOR MY HUNGER VIGIL AS A WAY TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF FOOD SCARCITY AND TO HELP RAISE NOT ONLY AWARENESS, BUT SUPPORT.”

choir, says, “The spirit Laurie has brought in her 15 years here has been transformative. She has made this place truly welcoming to all people.” Adding to that sentiment are two relatively new members who recently moved to the Gables from Delaware: Robert and Sara Platz, “This church was one of the major attractions to our moving here.”

It is hard not to be drawn in by the reverend’s outsized personality, and her embrace of the human experience. “I’m fully engaged in life, meaning I’m curious, a dreamer, a bit of a risk taker, a worrier, an observer of others and a frustrated stand-up comedian,” Rev. Hafner says. A comedian? For that sense of irreverence and humor you needn’t go farther than the sign posted over her computer. It reads: “Jesus Saves. So Should You.” This went up after she kept losing files that she forgot to save.

One of Rev. Hafner’s deepest concerns is food scarcity and hunger in South Florida. To fight that, she has literally gone to great heights. On Jan. 16, she climbed the Tower of the Church, where she staged a hunger fast, vowing to stay aloft until she met her goal of raising five tons of food for the hungry of South Florida. She almost doubled that goal in less than three days.

“For me, one of the great injustices in the world is food scarcity, especially when we know that we can feed each person living on this earth. I’m appalled that in our own community [Miami-Dade County], with all its extravagant abundances, that one in five children goes to bed hungry each night,” she says. “Every year I go up to the tower for my hunger vigil as a way to bring attention to the problem of food scarcity and to help raise not only awareness, but support, with folks bringing food and financial resources to help the hungry of our community.”

Three days after climbing the tower, Rev. Hafner came down, several pounds lighter, but more than 17,000 pounds richer in food donations. “It shows what is possible and the goodness and generosity of people,” she says.

Preaching to her flock weekly, Rev. Hafner says coming up with new sermons isn’t a challenge. After 40 years of Sunday sermons, it comes naturally to her. “I once heard someone say that preachers only have a couple of good sermons in them. All the others are just variations on the same theme,” she says. “As I look back, it seems clear what my themes are

[that] all people, no matter who they are, are God’s beloved, that we are called to love one another, and we are to use our precious lives well and in the service of others.”

In additional to those themes, the reverend strives to make her sermons relevant to the world outside of the church. “ I also stand by the adage that preachers should preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other,” she says. “I always hope there is something in each sermon that resonates with what is happening in people’s lives, or in the world around them, that then [provides] hope in the week ahead.”

Rev. Hafner’s favorite quote is by author of “Charlotte’s Web” E.B. White, who said, “I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.” It is a quote that captures how the reverend intends to live each day. “While I hope to be a transformative agent through my life, work and faith, I also want to enjoy life and live in its fullness, joy and beauty,” she says. “Ultimately, loving and

being loved is what’s important. And if I can achieve a semblance of that while having a good time, then at the end, I will be grateful.”

Under Rev. Hafner’s leadership, the church has implemented “out-of-the-box” ways to attend services during the pandemic. You can attend in-person, masked and outside. You can stay in the comfort of your corona cave home and livestream the service. Or you can sit in your car in the parking lot, observe the service, listen on your radio and honk along with the applause or hymns. And if you’re sleeping in, you can listen to the recorded service at any time. And with so many ways to attend services, she will call your bluff on the “Gee, I just couldn’t get to the church” excuses.

“The religion I profess isn’t oppressive or heavy handed, rather one of liberation and freedom,” says Rev. Hafner. “My ‘faith’ is as simple and as complicated as these words of Jesus: ‘You should love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ For me, everything else is commentary.” ■

“WHILE I HOPE TO BE A TRANSFORMATIVE AGENT THROUGH MY LIFE, WORK AND FAITH, I ALSO WANT TO ENJOY LIFE AND LIVE IN ITS FULLNESS, JOY AND BEAUTY. ULTIMATELY, LOVING AND BEING LOVED IS WHAT’S IMPORTANT.”

ABOVE: REVEREND HAFNER AT THE CHURCH’S MARDI GRAS, LIVING LIFE JUST AS SHE PREACHES.

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CORAL GABLES... CITY OF THE FUTURE?

WITH A CORE DRIVE TO BE THE NATION’S TOP “SMART” CITY, THE GABLES OPENS ITSELF TO INNOVATION

BY J.P. FABER AND DOREEN HEMLOCK

To understand just how “smart” the City of Coral Gables has become, one need only visit the new Public Safety Building, which houses the police, fire and emergency services department. There, on the fourth and fifth floors, is the high-tech hub that runs the city’s neural network. Here you will find the 911 operators, the Emergency Operations Center, and the Community Information Center that monitors the streets of the downtown

Continued on page 66

RAIMUNDO RODULFO (LEFT) AND NELSON GONZALEZ (RIGHT) IN THE CITY’S NEW PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING

PHOTO BY JONATHAN DANN

THE INNOVATIVE CITY

TRANSPORTATION

The city has a fleet of 65 electric cars, 22 public/ private electric charging stations, a free trolley service, street scooters and “freebee” downtown cabs reachable by mobile apps (above).

SAFETY

The city’s new Public Safety Building has advanced training simulators, computer-aided dispatchers, monitors for cameras that watch the streets and power back-up systems.

DIGITAL GOVERNMENT

New enterprise software systems are on track to make Coral Gables a paperless government by late

2022 with all departments horizontally integrated in real time and transparent citizen access.

SUSTAINABILITY

Coral Gables is at the forefront of recycling hazardous wastes, reducing chemical pollutants going into the water table, and eliminating the use of wasteful plastic packaging.

GREEN BUILDING

The city requires all new commercial structures to be built according to environmental LEED standards, while reducing red tape and permitting fees for residential solar installations.

Innovator: Rishi Kapoor

REINVENTING THE SHARED WORKSPACE –AND LUXURY LIVING

By its very nature, the phenomenon of shared or “co-working” space is innovative, providing low cost for startups and flexibility for larger companies. Rishi Kapoor, launching his Forum co-workspace during the pandemic, took the concept to the next level.

Kapoor’s Gables-based firm, Location Ventures, purchased an office building on Alhambra, retrofitting the ground floor with a state-of-the-art co-location center. It then populated the upper floors with business support service firms in marketing, accounting, IT, social media, law, etc. In other words, Kapoor vertically integrated the business model, literally as well as functionally.

“We are trying to innovate what real estate can be for an entrepreneur, and using the latest and greatest technology,” says Kapoor, who is also using smart engineering on the residential side. His firm’s new Villa Valencia condominium on the edge of downtown “is bringing technology to luxury real estate,” he says, with circadian lighting, air purification and water filtration standard in every unit. Likewise, every seat in the Forum center comes with private, dedicated, secure internet connectivity, with videoconferencing equipment for the new world of Zoom and free access to video forums that provide mentoring symposia and tutorials.

Ultimately, says Kapoor, the Forum replicates what Coral Gables has to offer: A dense cluster of professional services and resources. “It’s a complete business ecosystem here,” he says. ■ - J.P. Faber

Continued from page 64

and beyond in real time. You will also find the electronic brains of the city, in an ice-cold “server farm” of miniaturized computers, more advanced than any other city in the State of Florida.

“A smart city leverages technology and innovation and best practices to improve quality of life – in mobility, public safety, transportation, environmental sustainability – everything that matters to the quality of life for the citizens,” says Raimundo Rodulfo, the city’s head of Information Technology. “The smart city leverages the technology of the moment.”

Under Rodulfo’s stewardship, Coral Gables has taken a lead among cities nationwide in the use of advanced technologies. These range from camera systems that watch vehicles and pedestrians to computer-assisted radio dispatch communications for medical emergencies. Everything is about supplying information about the city at faster and faster speeds, and with better data analysis. Like tracking the patterns of people walking down Miracle Mile, so that retailers can see if their window displays are causing (potential) shoppers to stop and stare. Or providing an app so citizens can request free taxi service downtown, with real time estimates of the vehicle’s proximity.

The IT department’s efforts have not gone unrecognized. For two consecutive years, Coral Gables has taken first place in the nation in the Open Cities Index, which looks at how cities are using online transparency and open data to better the lives of residents. “This is for any size city. Los Angeles, which is a very large city, was also in the competition and placed highly. But not as high as we did,” says Rodulfo, who displays the awards in the IT department’s

PHOTO BY JONATHAN DANN

“CORAL GABLES WILL BE ONE OF THE SMARTEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY WHEN WE ARE FINISHED. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE SMART CITY UNDER 75,000. I WANT TO BE THE NUMBER ONE CITY PERIOD, NO CAVEATS.”

CITY MANAGER PETER IGLESIAS (SHOWN OPPOSITE)

“brainstorming” room for planning new projects. The city has also won a slew of other awards for its smart prowess, including the Center for Digital Government’s first place for innovative technologies in cities with fewer than 75,000 residents.

Being number one among smaller cities will not do for City Manager Peter Iglesias, however. Since he became city manager two years ago, Iglesias has been on a quest to transform Coral Gables’ government into a paperless, horizontally integrated system where everything is digital, and all departments can talk to each other in real time. It is a transformational, multi-million-dollar process that should be completed by the end of next year – and promises to radically improve city efficiency and transparency.

“Coral Gables will be one of the smartest cities in the country when we are finished,” says Iglesias. “I am not looking at it statewide, I am looking at it nationally. Right now, we are the number one smart city under 75,000. I want to be the number one city period, no caveats.”

In the last two years the city has scanned and put into enterprise software systems all of its departments – public safety, HR, finance, parks and recreation – except for development services (planning, zoning, building, code enforcement) and permitting. This is what Iglesias calls the “last push” and it is that last department –permitting – that may have the most palpable impact on residents. The new system for paperless permits should dramatically speed things up at city hall. Previously, any plans for home or business construction (including something as simple as repainting your home) went the way of paper, from one department to the next.

“What a beautiful thing – to not have to carry paperwork [from place to place],” says Iglesias. “The drawings will go to all departments simultaneously, and can be reviewed by fire, building, code enforcement, etc.” Just as importantly, plans can be viewed online at any time by a homeowner or business. “This is also part of the push for open transparency in government,” says city Director of Communications Martha Pantin.

MORE THAN SOFTWARE

The sense of innovation rippling through city government is not limited to high-speed data. It has become a municipal culture, a collective embracing of innovation across the board. Six years ago, the city adopted a Sustainability Management Plan, and since then has become a leader in areas like green construction, pollution reduction, water quality control, solar incentives, transportation and green space. The city’s mayor for the last four years, Raúl Valdés-Fauli, was an advocate for sustainability and resiliency, launching an Innovation Council to advise him on city policies. Current Mayor Vince Lago, a city commissioner for the past eight years, has pushed relentlessly to advance safe environmental practices for the city, as well as alternative transportation and energy.

Innovator: Sissy DeMaria REINVENTING PUBLIC RELATIONS IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Sissy DeMaria isn’t sure if it was the words of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg – to shake up your life every 10 years and do something innovative – or from re-reading Tom Peters’ book “The Circle of Innovation.” Or maybe it was just time. But after leaving her highly ranked firm of two-plus decades, Kreps DeMaria, it was time to reinvent herself. In the process, she reinvented how to approach the business of public relations.

In January, DeMaria launched Cultivate PR, taking key clients with her (Coral Gables Trust, DeBeers Jewelry, Rolls Royce, Ritz Carlton Residences) as well as key personnel (Laura Acker to run the New York office, Ansley Campbell as president in the Gables office). But she did not take with her many old ideas. “You cannot rest on your laurels, that is the equivalent of death. You have to rebrand,” says DeMaria. “You have to leave your comfort zone.”

For DeMaria that meant moving into the digital world with a vengeance, and toward events that engage. “The two things booming in this industry are experiential events and social media,” she says. While there are exceptions, such as targeted magazines, “there are less ink opportunities because the news holes are shrinking.” What is also shrinking is the American attention span, so that quick hits in a gossip column, or a video clip on Instagram, can beat in-depth stories. To adapt to this brave new world, DeMaria reshuffled her staff. Rather than a single account executive handling a client, a new array of company personnel – a social media director, a digital director, a creative director and an experiential events manager – touch all accounts.

“You still need excellent communications and writing skills, and crisis management hasn’t changed,” says DeMaria. “But technology and society are moving almost faster than we can adapt. That is why the young have such an advantage – because they have embraced [the new] technology.” And why the firm’s head of social media is not Sissy, but her daughter (and partner)

Stephanie ■ - J.P. Faber

PHOTO BY JONATHAN DANN

Innovators: Monica and Rafael Garrido

THE CREATIVE SOLUTION TO WASTED FOOD –AND SLIM WALLETS

If necessity is the mother of invention, the Lovvett app is one of its children. Invented by a Gables husband-and-wife team, the app solves that perennial question we all ask about restaurants: What do they do with the food that isn’t sold?

This is no idle query, with an estimated 30 to 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. going to waste. Restaurants are one of the main culprits, so Monica and Rafael Garrido came up with a solution: At the end of each day, before that unsold food heads for the trash, why not sell it at a discount to potential customers?

Launched last year during the pandemic, the Garridos’ Lovvett app alerts users to last-minute deals which “helps save the planet,” says Monica, as well as money for users. “We were raised in Spain and France, and everything [served] had to be consumed,” she says. “Anything left over would be donated.”

With Rafael’s background in IT, and Monica’s in marketing, their Lovvett app now serves more than 155 restaurants, including Clutch Burger, Rodilla and Aromas del Peru here in the Gables. Example: A 305 Burger with fries and soda normally costs $20 at Clutch. At the end of the day, it’s just $9.99 on Lovvett. Bon appétit! ■ - J.P. Faber

On the recycling front alone, Coral Gables is a model of cutting-edge practices. The city’s hazardous waste collection drives – in which residents can dispose of anything from obsolete electronic gear to noxious chemicals (old paint!) at city hall – have become popular bi-annual events. “Over the past six years we have collected 290,000 pounds of hazardous waste that would have ended up in a trash dump or in our environment,” says the city’s Senior Sustainability Analyst Matt Anderson.

Likewise, the city was the first in Miami-Dade County with a prescription drug disposal program, which has collected 1,200 pounds of drugs to date. These are collected and then escorted by the police to be incinerated, rather than end up in the water supply.

In a similar vein, the city has been experimenting with a variety of ways to reduce pollution in the Coral Gables Waterway. In February it passed a fertilizer restriction ordinance to reduce nutrients leaching into the waterway; it is also now testing filter baskets in the city’s storm drains and “smart sponges” that capture hydrocarbons from rainwater sloshing off city streets.

For Anderson, nothing is more emblematic of the city’s sustainability efforts than its 65 electric vehicles. “We have been at the forefront on this since 2016, when we started electrifying our fleet,” he says. “With 12 percent [now electric], that puts us at the forefront not only in the state, but in the country.” Anderson says the city’s use of electricity as a cleaner source of energy is meant to encourage residents to follow suit, with 23 free charging stations now in the city. “I have received calls from residents who bought electric for their personal vehicles because of what the city is doing, including the charging stations,” he says. “The city likes to lead by example.”

ALSO BRICK & MORTAR

If you ask Nelson Gonzalez, the city’s assistant IT director, what the most important thing the new Public Safety Building provides – which the old headquarters for police, fire, emergency and IT did not have – he will answer with one word: Reliability. “We support all operations, from 911 to finance, and in this new facility we have better protection,” he says. That means a building designed to withstand Armageddon-strength hurricanes, with two massive diesel back-up generators, each of which can power the complex during outages so that no systems fail.

The idea that innovative technology also depends on brick and mortar is a critical leg of Igesias’ plan to take the city into the future. “You have to have the technology – the software and hardware –[but] you have to have the infrastructure, the space,” he says. For this the city has launched a substantial building program, which really began with the Streetscape project to modernize Miracle Mile. This was followed by the new Public Safety Building, Fire Station No. 2 (with a backup communications center) and the new Trolley Building (ready to charge tomorrow’s fleet of electric vehicles).

Still to come are the 427 Biltmore Way building to house the paperless building and permit departments, Parking Garage No. 7 (capable of connecting to Public Safety for disaster parking), Fire Station No. 4 and finally, the Mobility Hub, a visionary replacement for Parking Garage No. 1 (behind the Miracle Theatre), ready to handle everything from autonomous vehicles to drones.

With a goal of embedding innovation into private commercial buildings, the city now requires that all future structures larger than 20,000 square feet be built to the LEED Silver standards, which requires energy and water efficiency, safe materials, indoor environment quality and other measures of health and sustainability. “A lot

PHOTO BY FRANCISO AGUILA

“WE HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT ON THIS SINCE 2016, WHEN WE STARTED ELECTRIFYING OUR FLEET. WITH 12 PERCENT [NOW ELECTRIC], THAT PUTS US AT THE FOREFRONT NOT ONLY IN THE STATE, BUT IN THE COUNTRY.”

MATT ANDERSON, SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY ANALYST (ABOVE)

of people want to live and work in environmentally friendly and healthy buildings,” says Anderson. “They are of the utmost importance now, more than ever.”

Some buildings go beyond LEED, such as the new Villa Valencia condominium, which regulates the quality of the air, water and light in each residence. The massive Plaza Ponce de Leon project, now more than half completed, decided to go LEED even before the ordinance was passed. “We are building with 40 years in mind,” says Carlos Beckmann, the project director for the Plaza. “We wanted to be sustainable.” They also have two and a half acres of “green roof” on the nine-acre site, with all buildings constructed three feet above street level (in addition to the central Gables elevation that is already 16 to

17 feet above sea level) in anticipation of sea rise. “Brickell is going to be underwater. We won’t be,” says Beckmann.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE PEOPLE

The third part of Iglesias’ drive to modernize the city is what he calls “operations,” by which he means the people to operate the new technologies in their new buildings. Adapting to the future means little if municipal workers are not sufficiently trained, or if residents do not embrace a culture of innovation.

Fortunately, the city is aware of its role in providing training, and the private sector – including its bastions of higher education and business incubation – are also geared to the task. Even at the uber-tech Public Safety Building, Police Chief Ed Hudak puts the training capabilities at the new facility on par with its array of sophisticated gadgetry.

“From a technology standpoint, the speed with which we are processing information is huge. And the use of our non-lethal devices – more advanced tasers, bolo wraps – are moving forward, for everybody’s safety. But training the officers, especially in how to take down suspects in a safe way, is just as important,” says Hudak. To that end, the new building has special training facilities and programs for dealing with potentially violent encounters, with an eye toward state-of-the-art techniques in de-escalation.

In the area of education, the University of Miami is on the

Innovator: Wayne Eldred

REINVENTING THE WAY BUSINESS IS TAUGHT

On any given Tuesday or Wednesday evening, Coral Gables Museum becomes an interactive classroom. Here you will find a band of dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to become larger, raptly listening to real world experiences that can guide them in startups or scale-ups.

This is Outliers Institute, a new business school with a hands-on strategy. “In all of South Florida there is no school like this, with a realistic approach to business,” says Wayne Eldred, the proprietor and ringmaster of the nonprofit academy. “My class is full of business leaders, owners, managers – it’s really an immersive incubation to learn how to overcome challenges.”

Classes start at 6 p.m., but students arrive at 5 p.m. for a happy hour of networking and a bite to eat. Fortunately, the museum has a liquor license and Eldred – who successfully ran Tarpon Bend for more than a decade – is also an accomplished chef.

But a drink in hand and gourmet food is just one deviation from traditional classrooms. “We have a core curriculum, but we layer in guest speakers who talk about their experiences. You don’t get that at universities. They miss a lot of description on how to actually get there. We have a mix of speakers who have already done it.” Semesters are one month long and cost $1,500. ■

- J.P. Faber

XR (EXTENDED REALITY) LEARNING AT UM. leading edge of innovative teaching technologies. One effort fueling buzz: Extended reality (XR) learning that brings virtual reality and other immersive technology into the classroom. It’s a partnership backed by such companies as South Florida tech powerhouse Magic Leap (run by a UM grad), which is sharing its head-set technology for use by students. In one XR iteration, students becoming nurse anesthetists are creating an app to help simulate conditions for surgeries. In another, students who are becoming architects can manipulate building designs in virtual space.

UM also is expanding experiential learning, so students get real life experience for future careers. One example: The ‘Cane Angel Network, an angel investment program started in April 2020 to help fund ventures started by students, faculty, staff and others in the U community. Participants in the network class receive rigorous analyst training and then evaluate ventures, just as they would working in any investment fund.

With Big Data now ubiquitous, UM is also out front with one of the country’s most powerful supercomputers. In 2020, the university launched the Institute for Data Science and Computing, which aims to add 15 faculty members and boost staff to 30 by 2025, says Founding Director Dr. Nicholas Tsinoremas. “The idea is to create a hub that takes the U’s intellectual capital and brings it together with industry,” he says. “We want to be a leader in research and [real world] innovation.”

On the private sector side, business in Coral Gables is alive with entrepreneurial creativity, reflected by its cluster of shared workspace facilities – more spaces per capita than any other city in

BANK WISELY LOCAL TEAM WITH

A

The Plaza Coral Gables:

After many years of working on the ideas and concepts for The Plaza Coral Gables, and now after two and a half years of construction, we are very excited to see the first glimpses of completed areas and street sections. While construc tion remains at full speed on the South Parcel (towards a full com pletion in late 2022), the North Parcel now has an office tower, The Reserve at The Plaza Residential Apartments, and commercial food & beverage places on the ground floor, all open for business.

The Project is revitalizing a long-neglected section of the city’s business district while keeping the beauty and balance of its design as a priority. It is bringing a full range of services and opportunities to the community, including a luxury Loews Ho tel with meeting space for business and social events, and a unique one-acre open space for the public. This open plaza faces Ponce de Leon Boulevard and features a sculpture garden, specimen trees and palms, water fountains, a central lawn area and many recreational and food & beverage amenities.

THE ORIGINAL VISION AND SUBSEQUENT HISTORY

The Coral Gables Crafts Section was originally planned and designed by George Merrick as a neighborhood where artisans and craftsmen would create items such as furniture, rugs, iron work and tile. Trade professionals like contractors, electricians, photographers, and printers would also have offices in the area. Even an apartment complex (San Sebastian Apart-

HISTORIC RENDITION OF MERRICK’S ORIGINAL VISION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

LOOKING SOUTH: OPEN, PUBLIC SPACE BETWEEN THE LOEWS HOTEL, RESIDENCES AND OFFICE TOWER.

between Sevilla and Palermo, while other commercial buildings (former Century Bank Building) and parking lots were built. Areas farther east remained as parking lots, unoccupied land, and a few single-family homes. In the early 2000s there was an attempt to use the site for a mixed-use development that included an office tower with garage, condos and townhomes. This project, known as “Old Spanish Village,” never fully materialized and the site remained abandoned for over a decade until the current re-development plan started in early 2016.

CONSCIOUS RE-DEVELOPMENT

Almost 100 years after Merrick’s original vision, The Plaza is bringing back the original concept of the neighborhood, but with 21st Century technology and innovation – such as energy efficient construction with LEED certification, all green roofs, public transportation (trolley) stops, generous sidewalks and building setbacks, internal streets for deliveries and services, and even a “Coral Gables Townhome Liner” to serve as a transition between commercial space and the neighborhood to the East. We believe this sets a new standard for future urban developments.

Besides all the latest technological features that every first class 21st century building should have, the two Plaza Coral Gables project design elements that we are most proud of – and are quite innovative for such a development in the Coral Gables Central Business district – are:

• Modern façade elements that occur between adjacent buildings, and the 65-foot-span pedestrian bridges and connectors in between the city

blocks. These modern architectural features nicely complement and separate the various Mediterranean architectural elements and are unique to the project and the City of Coral Gables. These elements are reminiscent of great classical buildings that have been restored in world class cities throughout Europe.

• The signature one-acre garden/public plaza area. Giving up one of the most precious pieces of real-estate facing Ponce de Leon Boulevard, especially considering the high costs of development in Coral Gables, is not an easy sell to the financial analysts and consultants. We firmly believe, however, that the public will recognize and appreciate this and thus become regular visitors.

As part of the Art-in-public-space program, and well beyond the percentage required by the City, the Plaza is also contributing several million dollars more to the Art in Public Places program in order to further develop and realize the cultural impact that this area of the city always deserved.

Other project-related items and improvements to the area, aside from impact fees, include several million dollars’ worth of neighborhood street improvements (new sidewalks, pavement, landscaping and pedestrian lighting in the neighborhood and on Ponce de Leon Boulevard) and significant contributions for the Ponce Circle Park enhancements and the Coral Gables public trolley system that connects the Plaza to Metrorail and the rest of the Coral Gables Business District.

As a final realization of the Crafts District as a commercial hub, completed in Mediterranean style, the Plaza is all about connecting with the Gables of yesterday and today ■

MANAGING DIRECTORS JOSÉ ANTONIO PÉREZ (LEFT) AND CARLOS BECKMAN (RIGHT), INSIDE THE SPACIOUS LOBBY OF THE NEW OFFICE TOWER: COMMITTED TO INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.

Innovator: Luis de la Aguilera

THE NEW FACE OF BANKING

Since taking the helm of U.S. Century Bank, Luis de la Aguilera keeps on innovating, turning around the bank’s finances, expanding into new fields and now, designing prototypes for branches.

The University of Miami alum mastered the ropes of banking over 26 years, first at Ocean Bank and then Total Bank, where he became CEO. In December 2015, he saw a challenge at troubled U.S. Century and moved over, with many from his Total Bank team soon joining him.

Back then, Doral-based Century relied too much on housing loans. De la Aguilera closed overlapping branches. He debuted an office in Coral Gables specializing in law firms and private banking services. And he prioritized digital offerings – all contributing to a turnaround and assets topping $1.6 billion.

Today, the 11-branch bank sports a new ATM network, plus Zelle money-transfer and DocuSign e-signature services. This fall, it will roll out new digital platforms for customers, letting businesses send wire transfers and stop payments remotely. Next up: A prototype for branches for our more digital age. The bank is piloting the idea of halving the space in branches and adopting a more open layout, with fewer offices – but still with people.

“Banking for us is a combination of tech and people,” says de la Aguilera. “Our customers insist on the best technology possible, but it’s just as important for an experienced banker to guide them through services not led by technology – an asset loan, an SBA loan…We’re [still] very much a relationship bank.” ■

- Doreen Hemlock

MOBILE APPS ALLOW CORAL GABLES TO SHARE BLUEPRINTS

Florida. “We have a combination of stable, mature companies and young, innovative startups,” says Philippe Houdard, CEO at Pipeline Workspaces, of his Gables co-working locale on Merrick Way. Houdard says he chose the Gables location in 2015 partly because of the concentration of businesses in the downtown area, and partly because of the city’s multinational diversity. “Innovation at its core is a diversity of ideas. And if you can’t get that [here], where can you get it?”

This fertile, multicultural ground helps explain why business accelerator Endeavor, the ultra-selective global network for high-impact entrepreneurs, planted its first U.S. office in Coral Gables in 2013. It keeps finding talent in the city – among them, Gables-based entrepreneur Otto Othman of the Pincho restaurant chain, known for its twist on Latin American street food. Now Endeavor has attracted another Gables-based venture and its founder into its prestigious fold: Aprende Institute, an online platform for vocational education in Spanish, led by Martin Claure.

UM helps spur business in the city, too. Some of the clients at Gables co-working spaces are UM alumni, developing ideas they nurtured at the U, says Houdard. The university directly promotes business innovation through myriad programs, even helping bring UM discoveries to market. Ventures linked to its biomedical research alone have received more than $500 million in follow-on funding in recent years, with some working from the Converge Miami center near the UM medical school, says Norma Sue Kenyon, UM’s vice provost for innovation. Among successes at Converge this year: HealthSnap, a platform to monitor patients remotely, which garnered $4 million in early-stage funding this January; and Longeveron, known for cell-based therapies for aging-related conditions,

Innovator: Melissa Medina

REINVENTING THE TECH PLATFORM AS INCLUSIVE

As the mother of five children under age 14, Melissa Medina thinks a lot about the future. She knows she’s lucky to have Cuban parents who came to the U.S. with little and made it big. And she wants to extend their legacy by lifting up future generations, especially women and the under-represented.

That explains why after founding the eMerge Americas tech platform with her dad and seeing few women at their first event, Melissa helped launch a Women, Innovation & Technology summit at their subsequent conference in 2015. Since then, she’s so diligently incorporated women at eMerge – as teammates, panelists and attendees – that a separate female track is passé. “Now, women are part of our fiber and DNA,” she says.

Born in Miami, Medina holds a bachelor’s and MBA from the University of Florida, came up through her dad’s real estate tech firm Terremark and today leads both eMerge Americas, the Gables-based group promoting South Florida as a tech hub, and the Medina Family Foundation. In every role, she champions youth and women, donating family funds, for example, to SEED School of Miami and partnering with Women in Innovation (WIN) Lab.

For eMerge’s next mega-conference set for Miami Tech Week in April 2022, Medina is planning panels on such cutting-edge topics as cryptocurrency, climate resiliency and, of course, cybersecurity – the field that made her serial entrepreneur dad Manny Medina a tech icon and her role model. Jokes Melissa: “I’m hoping some of my father’s ‘crazy’ ideas and passion has rubbed off on me.” ■

- Doreen Hemlock

ELECTRIC SCOOTERS FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS

which raised $27 million in February.

“There’s not one nucleus for innovation in Miami. There are many pockets across South Florida, [but] Coral Gables is a gem,” says Melissa Medina, president of Gables-based eMerge Americas, the organization promoting Miami as a tech hub for the Americas. “You have the shared office space. You have the walkable lifestyle. You have some big corporations that are headquartered in Coral Gables. All of that together creates an incredible work life and personal life,” she says. “There’s just a ton of opportunity.”

Indeed, if a city’s innovation can be defined by its business successes, Coral Gables appears to be punching above its weight class. Some evidence so far this year: Serial entrepreneur Manny Medina (Melissa’s dad) and partners are taking two of his tech ventures public on Wall Street: Data center giant Cyxtera, valued at more than $3 billion, and cybersecurity leader Appgate, valued at $1 billion-plus. Not far away is infrastructure builder MasTec, which announced record revenues of $1.8 billion for the first quarter, propelled in part by its advanced technologies in sustainable energy. And then there is advanced payments software company ACI Worldwide, which is moving its headquarters (and 180 employees) to new offices in The Plaza Coral Gables.

“I see a lot of different types of tech companies represented in Coral Gables, from startups to organizations like ours and Endeavor Miami, that are helping high-impact entrepreneurs,” says Melissa Medina. “I am not seeing a particular vertical in tech but rather a variety of types, which is good. That helps fuel the growth of the tech eco-system in general and the micro-tech ecosystem within the Gables as well.”

THE FUTURE CITY

So, what will Coral Gables, city of the future, look like? Ironically,

PHOTO BY DAVID SUTTA

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Innovator: Dr. Robert L. Hannan, MD

USING TECHNOLOGY TO REINVENT HEART SURGERY

As a cardiovascular surgeon working at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Dr. Robert Hannan performed some 3,000 operations to repair the hearts of his young patients. But Dr. Hannan’s role as head of the hospital’s Cardiovascular Surgery Advanced Projects Laboratory (CSAPL) may prove to be a legacy of even greater value.

Under Dr. Hannan’s leadership (and with the help of Nicklaus’ director of heart surgery, Dr. Redmond Burke), the hospital now uses immersive “mixed reality” technologies to help plan complex heart procedures. Working with the German company ApoQlar, Nicklaus creates 3D holograms of patients’ hearts, viewing them with virtual reality headsets to study a particular case.

Since nothing beats the feel of the real thing, Hannan also had the hospital purchase a Digital Anatomy Printer from the U.S. firm Stratasys for a half million dollars. “We print 3D hearts that are operable,” says Dr. Hannan. “They can be cut and operated on like a real heart.”

While Dr. Hannan says there is nothing like having a heart in your hands, they are expensive to create. Holograms, on the other hand, can be changed instantly – and easily transmitted to other doctors. “We [used to] put you into the MRI scanner and look at it as a two-dimensional image. Now we can look at it as true 3D hologram. It’s an enormously powerful technology.” ■

- J.P. Faber

not too much different from today, at least in terms of the historic architecture the city is famous for preserving.

One thing that will look different is the transportation. While it will be a long while before we have the kind of flying cars that appeared in the 1950s cartoon program “The Jetsons,” the streets will be transformed by a mix of what city Parking Director Kevin Kinney calls micro-transit solutions: More of the freebee service of small, free electric cabs; more trolleys, only electric; individual scooters; small surface drone delivery vehicles and autonomous self-driving cars. What there will be less of are private cars with owner-drivers, with most city parking lots repurposed or sold to the private sector.

Key to this transformation will be the city’s mobility hub, to be built in place of Parking Garage No. 1 behind the Miracle Theatre. It will be designed to house all modes of future transportation, including electric self-driving cars with multiple owners, and even drone platforms. The design is currently underway. “The new hub is going to be light years ahead, something never before seen in the State of Florida,” says Mayor Lago. Downtown will also have new, futuristic gadgetry mounted on polls at street corners: Coral Gables is currently engaged with one German company (for the technology) and one Italian company (for the aesthetic design) of new 5G devices that will offer functions ranging from high-speed telecom to traffic and safety sensors, including air quality monitors.

“I think innovation is in our DNA,” says Lago. “We are pushing the envelope in technology, resiliency, sustainability and advanced transportation.

“At the end of the day, our residents and business community deserve innovation,” says the mayor. “If you want to welcome businesses and residents to the community, you have to be on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest technologies – both for protecting the citizens and simplifying the processes of government. We have to continue to look for the next great thing.” ■

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HOME & GARDEN

DIVE INTO CORAL GABLES POOLS PAGE 84

DIVE INTO TWO DREAMY CORAL GABLES POOLS

BY MALLORY EVANS JACOBSON

A VIBRANT LAGOON WITHIN A LUSH GARDEN SETTING

For Coral Gables mosaic artist Ray Corral, who has been crafting his awe-inspiring designs for over 25 years, incorporating a home’s history into his work is key. “Historic homes present a challenge, which I like,” he says. “The answers are in the architecture and I have to investigate the property to find the design intent.”

While many of the local projects that Corral has worked on have been rooted in more traditional design, he’s seeing frequent requests for work on modern homes as well. “I’m not going to find a unique tile to draw ideas from like I might with an older home, so I look to the shape of the structure and the shape of the windows,” says Corral. “I grab the shapes and start flipping and reversing them and make a design out of repetitive forms.” He employs a style known as Cosmati, named for the Roman family that constructed church floors from decorative mosaics beginning in the 1200s. “Mirroring shapes, and enhancing the design with a border allows me to tell a story and create synergy,” says Corral.

For the design of the angular pool shown here, Corral chose to incorporate sea marine-colored glass which created a dark, rich color in the vein of a lagoon. “The surrounding environment was very lush, so I wanted to conceive a natural looking water vessel with an earthy tone,” he explained. “Older pools were always dark in color, and the result goes well with the architecture of the home.” Mosaicist, Inc., 305-447-1977, mosaicist.com.

A CONTEMPORARY POOL AMIDST A TROPICAL LANDSCAPE

Having grown up in Coral Gables, landscape architect Carlos Somoza credits the tree-lined streets for inspiring his love for foliage and design. In practice for over 25 years, he is recognized for his work on private residential gardens and sustainable outdoor spaces. The majority of his projects are modern in scope, and highlight native plants and materials.

The featured home is in a Coral Gables locale known for its mature oak canopy and hardwood hammocks. It lies hidden behind layers of emerald green foliage dotted with mature palm trees, creating a special allure. The project was a collaboration between Somoza and architect Hamed Rodriguez, who kept true to the design vocabulary of the original home, a contemporary 1970s residence designed by Donald Singer.

The resort-style backyard, which is centered on an expansive pool deck, was envisioned in a thoughtful manner. “Hamed placed the cabana and terrace on a pedestal, offering distinct views of the adjacent landscape and essentially creating a lower garden and walkway at the base of the pool,” Somoza says. As for the pool, “we utilized bone-hued limestone and cerulean mosaics – and when the azure skies reflect off the water’s surface, it creates an allusion to Caribbean beaches.”

And as you walk the grounds, it’s impossible to resist relaxation. “A sequence of meandering pathways and covered walkways lead through a series of garden rooms,” he explains. “Each outdoor living area is defined by a distinct collection of palms, complemented by subtropical flora and a tranquil feel that will make almost anyone feel totally at peace.” Carlos Somoza Landscape Architecture, 786-4406567, designsomoza.com; Hamed Rodriguez Architects Inc., 305-529-9967, hamedrodriguez.com.

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR POOL AREA THIS SUMMER

IT’S CLEAR THAT WE’RE IN FOR A SUMMER THAT MIGHT JUST BE HOTTER THAN EVER BEFORE. THAT BEING SAID, THE POOL IS THE PLACE TO BE; HERE ARE SEVERAL NEUTRAL ITEMS WE THINK WOULD GIVE IT A MAJOR GLOW UP

BY MALLORY EVANS JACOBSON

ARTFUL ACCENTS

DEDON’s new DALA collection by American designer Stephen Burks features circular outdoor furnishings that highlight a novel weaving style in five vibrant colorways. Featured here are one of the planters and two of the lanterns, items that would infuse your space with a unique touch. Retail: Planter from $1,020 and lantern from $370. Patio & Things, 240 Aragon Ave., 305-446-6163, patio-n-things.com.

SILVER LINING

Upgrade your tired outdoor seating with a set of the ultra-sleek Conic stackable chaise lounges. Shown here in the graphite and shale finish, the lounge features a solid aluminum frame that’s accented by intricately woven rope. Retail: $1,700. JANUS et Cie, 2332 Galiano St. #101, 305-438-0005, janusetcie.com.

MADE IN THE SHADE

No outdoor setting is complete without a proper parasol. Constructed primarily from recycled materials, this option from a collaboration between Kettal and German designer Konstantin Grcic offers total sun protection and an innovative design that allows you to plant your favorite flowers within its base. Retail: $3,064 Kettal, 147 Miracle Mile., 786552-9022, kettal.com.

KICK BACK

Made from thick woven leather and weather resistant fabric, the Fold armchair by Coral Gables furnishings house Artefacto would be a cozy addition to your patio area. It easily fits two people, but it’s more likely that you’ll want this special seat all to yourself. Retail price available upon request. Artefacto, 4440 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 305-774-0004, artefacto.com.

Designing a Homeschooling Haven

BY MALLORY EVANS JACOBSON

It started with the initial closures in March of last year. Parents waited and wondered until the fall, when most schools cautiously reopened and offered students the option to return on a fulltime basis, participate in hybrid schooling models, or adapt to an online-only curriculum. No matter which schedule worked for your family, it was clear that the pandemic had turned our educational system on its head.

In Coral Gables, many parents continued to keep their children at home, and this decision ignited a need for functional workspaces akin to at-home classrooms. Local designers responded in a big way by working with families to create vibrantly outfitted settings that might just make kids excited about studying at home.

We spoke with Coral Gables-based designer Elizabeth Ghia,

who was called on during the quarantine to transform a garage into a homeschooling space for two young children. “With the kids being stuck at home, they needed a space that was all theirs where they could learn and play without disturbing their father, who was working from home,” says Ghia.

She endeavored to keep the garage functional, so it still opens normally and houses the washer and dryer and an independent air conditioning unit. “It’s really an ode to Home Depot and a bit of creativity,” says Ghia, who installed trellis panels along the wall and painted the floor with a splashy coat of pink. The pint-sized table and chairs were sourced from Pottery Barn Kids and the tribal rug is from the online retailer Rugs USA. elizabethghia.com. ■

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clean cu t wife - approve d man, that waS nice! CORAL GABLES DOWNTOWN SCAN CODE POINT CAMERA AT ENTIRE AD

Pool Homes For Less Than $2 Million in Coral Gables

The shrinking supply of homes for sale continues to drive prices up in Coral Gables. According to Redfin, the average sale price in the 33134 area – roughly bound by Bird Road on the south, Red Road on the west, Douglas Road on the East and Flagler Street on the north – has risen 34.9 percent over the past year. By com-

parison, that is nearly twice the rise as the city of Miami, where prices have gone up 18.8 percent, and triple that of Aventura, which went up 11.7 percent. Because June is the beginning of summer, we asked three real estate agents to submit one of their homes with a pool – and for less than $2 million.

On the Southern Edge

5800 SW 116TH ST.

Listing Price $1.875m

5 bed/3 bath/1 half bath. 3,926 sq. ft. (living); 5,625 sq. ft. (total)

This light-filled, one-story home is located on a half-acre just west of the Matheson County Preserve in the South Gables. Built in 1969, the house has an enormous covered patio facing a pool, Jacuzzi and lush landscaping. The master suite has an oversized walk-in closet with an expansive bathroom. Two car garage and mature trees.

Listing Agent: Diana Caldera (Coldwell Banker Realty), 305.333.6446

Listing Price

On the Golf Course

1201 CAMPO SANO AVE.

Listing Agent: Gabriela Dajer (One Sothebys Realty) 786-290-3832

4 bed/4 bath/2 half bath. 3,676 sq. ft.

Located on the Riviera Golf Course, and across the street from UM and Doctor’s Hospital, this 1956 house has great views with three bedrooms and three full baths on the ground floor. Open kitchen with breakfast area, expansive living room and huge pool. Master bath has dual sinks, walk-in shower and soaking tub.

$1.85m

Listing Price

$1.49m

Quiet Living

1530 CONSOLATA

AVE.

3 bed/2 bath. 2,647 sq. ft. Located west of the UM campus, this updated 1953 home is on a tree-lined culde-sac so traffic is never an issue. The salt-water pool is surrounded by a coral stone patio, accessed via glass doors from the master bed or the open-floor-plan living room and kitchen. Both front and back yards are walled. Listing Agents: Aleksandra Obraztsova 954-830-7425 and Pablo Alfaro 305-613-1186 (Douglas Elliman)

+ Ed Breese + Charlie Fluery + Billy Maus + Louis Dvorak

The Annual Beaux Arts Ball Goes to Sea

With social distancing in mind, the city’s longest running costume ball transformed itself this year in a “ball by boat.” More than 200 guests participated in the annual event, which raises money for the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami. Usually held at the Biltmore Hotel, this year’s ball was at Marine Stadium, with guests arriving by private vessel. The ball featured a giant floating LED screen, a silent auction and live DJ music. But the highlight was the annual costume contest, with ocean-themed attire. A Kardashian Yacht Party took first place, with World War II sailors coming in second. “Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t host our signature event in a ballroom, so we made a creative pivot,” says Beaux Arts Co-President Michele Reese Granger, who envisioned the event with cochair Monica Mase. Sponsors included Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables, the Ashley Cusack Team, Bacardi and the Bermont Gold Wealth Advisory of Ray-

mond James.

(1) Alexandra Clark, Michele Reese Granger, Stefanie Mederos Hill, Jacqueline Coleman, Alexa Freyer, Sanela Ebbeskov Jankovic, Chris Granger, Eddy Denison, Morten Ebbeskov Jankovic, Tony Hill

(2) Monica Mase, Michele Reese Granger

(3) Dorris Richards, Jaclyn Taylor, Carli Hoppe, Meredith Kallaher, Malena Giro

(4) Monica Mase, Jeanne Cabonell, Gabrielle O’Quinn, Meghan Burns, Nancy Levy, Kate Valois

(5) Priscilla Rettig and Albert Maloof Berdellans

Face First

SUFFERING FROM TOO MUCH MASKING? MINT WELLNESS CENTER CAN FIX THAT, AND LOTS MORE

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

If you think that all skin can be treated the same way, think again. Tucked between Pepi Bertini and Veneta Cucine on Miracle Mile, Mint Wellness Center offers an array of spa treatments, but their skin treatments extend much further than your average facial. Founded by medical aesthetician Paula Christiansen, Mint Wellness Center bases their procedures on each patient’s individual skin composition.

Upon entering the wellness center, I was given a number of options from corporal mesotherapy to lymphatic drainage. After dealing with maskne (acne that you get from constantly wearing a pandemic-protecting mask) since last March, I opted for a facial treatment. To determine which procedure would be best for my skin, Christiansen used a skin analyzer that measured the age of my skin by taking into account pore size, wrinkles, dark spots and hydration levels.

The machine determined that I had the skin of a 25-yearold. As a 24-year-old, I can’t complain. Where the focus may be on wrinkles for older patients, the problem for my skin was pores (too large) and hydration (too dry). Christiansen explained that pores open in heat and close in the cold. This is problematic in Miami where we walk around outside and then enter an air-conditioned building; everything that entered the pores while outside is immediately trapped in

the skin once the pores close.

During the consultation, Christiansen applied a variety of nutrients and products to my face, including collagen, which reduces wrinkles and dryness. She decided that the best treatment to reduce the size of my pores would be microneedling. She also recommended products so that I could improve my skin on my own in the meantime.

I returned a week later for the first session. First, Christiansen cleaned and exfoliated my face. She then began microneedling, which uses tiny needles to prick the skin and generate new collagen and skin tissue. It sounds a lot worse than it is; it really doesn’t hurt at all. The only after-effect is feeling like you have a mild sunburn, and Christiansen recommends wearing sunscreen the following day.

After the microneedling, she applied a hydrating face mask (not the Covid kind!), and then set up LED lighting around my head for 20 minutes; LED light therapy has many benefits, like treating acne, stimulating collagen and regulating oil production. My skin already looked better after the first session, and I returned for a second two weeks later.

Mint Wellness Center is planning to relocate to a larger space soon – to accommodate more clients – so check that out when you call to schedule an appointment. ■

TOP: MEDICAL AESTHETICIAN PAULA CHRISTIANSEN, OWNER OF MINT WELLNESS CENTER

A World of Its Own

VACATIONING AT THE NAPLES GRANDE BEACH RESORT

BY LIZZIE WILCOX

With summer here and a year’s worth of being at home during the pandemic, there has never been a better time to hop in the car and get away for a weekend. Our choice? The Naples Grande Beach Resort, a four-star resort overlooking the Gulf of Mexico that is only two hours across Alligator Alley. It turned out to be a great escape, perfect for couples or families.

We stayed in a Gulf View room, which had a king-sized bed, his-and-her sinks, a desk for those taking a work-cation and, most importantly, a furnished balcony with views of the gulf. The property is massive and has three separate pools. The family-friendly Mangrove Pool is for the little ones, complete with a 100-foot waterslide. For a more peaceful sunbathing experience, there is the adult-only Palm Terrace Pool, which has a Jacuzzi. For those who like to actually exercise on vacation (not us), there is also the Hibiscus Hideaway lap pool.

Speaking of staying active, the resort’s private 18-hole, par-72 Naples Grande Golf

Club is just a 10-minute drive from the resort. They also have 15 tennis courts and were named one of the top 50 tennis resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online.

Naples Grande Beach Resort owns three miles of white sand beach right on the Gulf of Mexico. While the resort is set back just under a mile from the water, they offer a golf cart tram service to the beach – or you can take a 15-minute stroll down the boardwalk. The boardwalk winds through a 200acre protected mangrove estuary, replete with information plaques on the different species that inhabit the mangroves. It feels like you’re moving through a tropical rainforest.

Once you reach the beach, you can set up camp with a lounge chair or in a beach cabana. The lounges are included; the cabanas are $150 for the day and come with a queen-sized beach bed, two lounges and two umbrellas. They offer kayak and paddleboard rentals, but we were content just relaxing in our beach cabana. Though the heat and humidity are definitely back for the summer, the sea breeze and a dip in the gulf kept us

ABOVE: THE BEACH OF THE NAPLES GRANDE BEACH RESORT ON THE GULF OF MEXICO.

OPPOSITE TOP: THE RESORT IS SET BACK FROM MILES OF WHITE SANDY BEACH, WITH AMENITIES THAT INCLUDE THREE POOLS, A SPA, TENNIS COURTS AND A PRIVATE GOLF COURSE.

TOP RIGHT: A CHOICE OF SIX RESTAURANTS OFFERS ASIAN, SEAFOOD AND AMERICAN MENUS, WITH A CHOICE OF SOPHISTICATED DINING OR RELAXED POOLSIDE TERRACES.

BOTTOM LEFT: SPACIOUS ROOMS INCLUDE A LARGE FURNISHED BALCONY WITH VIEWS ACROSS THE GULF.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A CHOICE OF THREE POOLS INCLUDE ONE JUST FOR ADULTS.

NAPLES GRANDE BEACH RESORT 475 SEAGATE DRIVE, NAPLES 844.489.9663

NAPLESGRANDE.COM

cool and comfortable.

If you do need a break from the sun, take a trip to the spa. The stress melts right off the moment you enter, with calming music, the aroma of essential oils and a friendly staff. The spa at Naples Grande offers just about every treatment you can think of, from facials to body wraps to manicures and pedicures. After living through the chaos of the past year, their classic Swedish massage was a godsend. The 50-minute massage felt more like 15, so we recommend 80 minutes if you can carve out the time from your beach/pool day.

There are six on-site dining options at Naples Grande. Between the Mangrove and Palm Terrace pools is the Gulf Coast Oasis

Restaurant, ideal for a poolside lunch or a sunset cocktail. At the end of the boardwalk, Rhode’s End is a casual lunch spot (definitely try the Rum Runner). Overlooking the water, it’s also the best place on property for viewing those famous West Coast Florida sunsets.

Though Mantra Lobby Lounge seems like your average hotel bar, it actually has a superb Pan-Asian menu. We recommend the Dagwood roll – shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, honey Sriracha, chipotle mayo and sesame seeds – and the chicken stir-fry.

The Catch of the Pelican restaurant was our favorite. Offering both indoor and outdoor dining, it’s the most formal option. Specializing in local seafood and premium steaks, we were blown away by both. For

starters, the tuna poke and Brussels sprouts – made with sweet peppers, oranges, toasted almonds and unagi, and tossed in a balsamic reduction – are a must.

For the main course, we ordered the eight-ounce filet mignon – delicious, with a garlic potato puree, roasted asparagus and bordelaise sauce – and the shrimp rice bowl – fresh shrimp with a jerk seasoning, served over coconut rice and topped with a mango salsa. (A special thank you to our server Zoran for making our dining experience impeccable).

After getting our much needed R & R, we packed up the car and headed back to the East Coast. The trip home was just a little more relaxed. ■

And Dim Sum

BY ANDREW GAYLE

The only restaurant outside of Coral Gables this magazine ever reviewed was No Name Chinese in South Miami. It broke our mantra of “Everything Within the Gables, Nothing Outside the Gables.” But it was that good. (And just a few hundred yards outside the city limits).

For those of you who still miss the light, nouveaux Chinese dishes at No Name (which closed two years ago) the news is good. For those who’ve never tasted the cuisine of Chef Pablo Zitzmann, the news is also good.

After reinventing himself as an online purveyor of Chinese dumplings, Chef Zitzmann is back – along with the delectable dumplings he has perfected – in a new Coral Gables restaurant, Zitz Sum. He is calling it a popup restaurant, albeit with a oneyear lease. But what a pop-up it is, located on the ground floor of the 396 Alhambra office tower.

If nothing else, visiting Zitz Sum is an excuse to walk through the magnificent lobby of 396 Alhambra, starting with its gigantic, brass filagree doors. Tucked to one side, the restaurant immediately scales you down to a more intimate space, which faces a pleasant outdoor courtyard with Sapporo umbrellas. One wall inside is a giant, deep red lotus mural, while another is a recessed bar where you can also eat.

The star here is the food, a welcome reinvention of Chinese dishes with some Korean tastes thrown in for good measure, all of it overlaid with a creative spin from the Mexican side of Zitzmann’s heritage (the other side is German, and we can only

be thankful that’s not in the mix). His charred Chinese cabbage is infused with chili butter, for example, while his shrimp dumplings are served in a pool of mole.

The menu is limited and focused, and you’ll want to eat everything on it. When we visited, there were three “Small Plates,” four “Large Plates” and four “Dim Sum” – i.e. dumplings. All looked amazing, from the sweet and sour cucumber and lychee salad to the black angus steak with kimchi vinaigrette, black garlic and onion soubise. But we were here for the dumplings.

First we tried the har gow: Steamed pink shrimp dumplings resting on a spread of mole, that unique dark sauce of chiles, peanuts, cumin, cinnamon, chocolate, cloves, raisins, etc. Wonderful. Then we tried the “wonton in brodo,” which takes traditional Chinese pork dumplings and bathes them in a broth of charred leek and onion. Fantastic. Finally we tried the chicken pot stickers, which came in a sauce of Calabrian chili and crunchy garlic. Out of this world. Though we did not have room (especially after a lager that was brewed, of all places, in Hialeah) we had to try the crispy rice, which provided the bed for a rich stir fry of trumpet and oyster mushrooms plus soft egg, salsa verde, snow peas and green beans. You mix it, like a Korean bibimbap, and the result is a delicious contrast of the chewy rice with softer veggies. The salsa verde (Mexico again) gives it an unexpected, refreshing edge. We also tried the equally refreshing and toothsome cucumber salad. Not to be missed.

OPPOSITE CENTER : CHICKEN POT STICKERS, IN A CALABRIAN CHILI SAUCE.

OPPOSITE

CHEF PABLO ZITZMANN LANDS IN THE GABLES WITH POP-UP CHINESE ZITZ SUM

TOP : CHEF PABLO ZITZMANN, RENOWNED FOR HIS CHINESE DUMPLINGS.

ABOVE & OPPOSITE : ZITZ SUM IS INSIDE THE BEAUTIFUL LOBBY OF 396 ALHAMBRA

OPPOSITE TOP : HAR GOW DUMPLINGS, PINK SHRIMP ON A BED OF MOLE SAUCE.

BOTTOM: WONTON IN BRODO, PORK DUMPLINGS IN A LEEK BROTH.

PHOTO BY JACLYN WARREN

Zitzmann developed these fabulous flavors during quarantine with his wife Natalia Restrepo, herself a Chilean pastry chef and co-owner. Her influence shows up in the selection of Chilean wines from vintners near her hometown. She also hand-rolled dumplings with Zitzmann for 10 hours a day when they were selling them online.

“Every culture has its rituals and making dumplings with you and yours is a wonderful way to connect and comfort each other. Everything’s so personal for us here,” Zitzmann says. “There’s nothing better than sharing warm, tasty dumplings and a glass of wine with friends and family. That’s where real joy comes from.”

That sense of joy is palpable at Zitz Sum, where the attentive staff will enthusiastically break down any of the dishes with detailed descriptions and recommendations. And if you can’t get in on the weekends (Zitzmann’s followers are booking well in advance) then go on a weeknight; we snuck in for an early Tuesday happy hour bite at 6 p.m., which made the weekday all the more enjoyable. ■

June 2021

THE TOP 50 OUTDOOR RESTAURANTS

Usually our dining guide is a listing of the finest restaurants Coral Gables has to offer, sorted by types of cuisine. Once the coronavirus forced dining rooms to shut down, we switched to listing restaurants that were offering takeout options, then those with outdoors dining. Even though indoor dining is allowed again, we’re sticking with our listing of outdoor dining, which feels like a safer bet when venturing out. We list the best establishments that have al fresco dining in some form or another.

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

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

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

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

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

AMERICAN

Bachour

Known for their pastries, Bachour also serves innovative breakfast and lunch items in their expansive courtyard, which has plenty of outdoor seating options and a constant breeze circulating fresh air throughout. $ - $$ 2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

Doc B’s

With some of the nicest outdoor seating on the Mile, this American eatery has the best fried chicken in the Gables, along with wok bowls and a popular shredded brussels sprout salad – not to mention cinnamon swirl pancakes. $$ 301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

Eating House

Pre-coronavirus, Eating House didn’t have any outdoor seating, so they made their own. Now there are tables on Ponce and under a tent where two parking spots used to be. An A for effort. $$ 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.6524

Public Square

This popular re-configuration of the former Shula’s steakhouse still serves great steaks, but with lots of other options (seafood, pasta, sushi, salads) and plentiful outdoor

seating on Red Road and San Ignacio Ave. $$$ 6915 Red Rd. 321.342.1695

Seasons 52

The restaurant itself is massive –especially for a space on Miracle Mile – which means they have plenty of sidewalk real estate. Their desserts alone are worth the visit. $$ 321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

The Globe

Plenty of tables on Alhambra Circle, and wide, open doors, so you can sit inside and enjoy the cooler air while munching on incomparable conch fritters and their famous Globe salad. $ - $$ 377 Alhambra Circle 305.455.3555

The Local

Plenty of shaded seating on Giralda Plaza where you can enjoy their downhome cooking, though we wonder what has happened to their fried chicken. Stick with the warm spinach salad. $$ 150 Giralda Ave. 305.648.5687

Titanic Brewery

The venerable brewery/restaurant next to the University of Miami has teamed up with the university to create outdoor seating on picnic tables in a big yard behind the restaurant. $-$$ 5813 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.667.2537

Yard House

Plenty of outdoor patio seating under umbrellas in the courtyard of The Shops at Merrick Park lets you enjoy their extensive American menu with lots of Asian twists (garlic noodles, Korean ribs,

etc.) $-$$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

ASIAN

Canton Chinese

The only sit-down Chinese restaurant in the Gables now has outdoor seating on Ponce. Their fried rice, lo mein and sweet and sour chicken is just the comfort food we need right now. $$ 2614 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.3736

Izakaya

Across from the Colonnade hotel on Aragon, Izakaya is a must for lunch, with lots of excellent specials and the best bento box around. Now they have a few outdoor tables, too. $ 159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Kao Sushi & Grill

This Miracle Mile eatery has a plethora of tables outside, from tables out on the sidewalk to the

entrance-way alcove. Amazing deals on rolls and their Peruvian chaufa fried rice. $$ 127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212

Khaosan Road

Formerly Bangkok, Bangkok, this Giralda Plaza mainstay – has reinvented itself as the new home for Thai street food. Think you know Thai food? Be prepared for new and delicious tastes. $$ 157 Giralda Plaza 305.444.2397

Malakor Thai Isaan

Malakor prides itself on authentic, tasty Thai food (pork skewers with sticky rice, great pad Thai and Thai curries). Now they have tables on the Mile. $$ 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Miss Saigon

Being on Giralda Plaza, Miss Saigon has plenty of seating for excellent, healthy Vietnamese fare. You can’t beat their special pho or

LUCA OSTERIA

TITANIC BREWERY

their fried seafood rolls. A favorite in the Gables. $$ 148 Giralda Ave. 305.446.8006

Moon Thai

With lots of tables and an umbrella at each, this is a great spot to eat outside if you don’t mind the noise from U.S. 1. Highly recommend: The Japanese house salad (who doesn’t love ginger dressing?) and anything duck. $ - $$ 1118 S. Dixie Hwy. 305.668.9890

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

This little slice of Parisian bistro is a tad pricey but top quality. Plus, in addition to seating in the vast Shops at Merrick Park courtyard, they have more tables in the San Lorenzo Avenue underpass for when the rain comes. $$$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 786.536.9388

Chocolate Fashion

This tiny but delightful French bakery café on Valencia now has a handful of tables outside, spreading into the parking spaces street-side. Great for breakfast and lunch; excellent baked goods. $$ 248 Andalusia Ave. 305.461.3200.

ITALIAN

Bugatti

Known for its pasta (it started as a past factory before it became a restaurant), Bugatti’s now has outdoor seating, including next door at the historic Fink house courtyard. $$$ 2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545

Caffe Abbracci

Nino Pernetti’s superb Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and an evening gathering place for families and couples. Now it has a dozen tables on Aragon for outdoor dining. $$$ 318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Fiola

This upscale Italian restaurant offers intimate al fresco dining with tables tucked away on the side of the building facing San Ignacio Avenue or street-side under a tent. Expensive but brilliant cuisine. $$$$ 1500 San Ignacio Avenue 305.912.2639

Fontana

The setting is as elegant as it comes: The Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars in a covered archway to enjoy classic Italian dishes. $$$ 1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Portosole

Wonderfully friendly, with open walls and sidewalk tables, this latest entry in the battle for Italian food lovers in downtown Gables serves superb northern Italian food. Great branzino, excellent pasta. 2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. $$$ 786.359.4275

Salumeria 104

You can sit underneath the alcove overhang or right on the street to enjoy the best shaved Italian meats in town. And don’t miss pasta Monday! $-$$ 117 Miracle Mile 305.640.5547

Terre del Sapore

We love eating here (seriously, they have the best pizza in the downtown), and their small outdoor seating on Giralda west of Ponce has expanded – as has their menu. $$ 246 Giralda Ave. 786.870.5955

Villagio

One of the most popular Italian restaurants in town, with lots of outdoor seating in the Shops at Merrick Park courtyard and down the “tunnel” of San Lorenzo Avenue. Great apple pie dessert. $$-$$$ 358 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.8144

LATIN &

SOUTH AMERICAN

Aromas Del Peru

There is more to Peruvian cuisine that ceviche, and Aromas Del Peru is the place to discover that. Lots of grilled fish, various stews with white beans, beef, or shredded chicken, creamy shrimp chowder or bouillabaisse Peruvian style. $$ 1930 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.476.5885

Buenos Aires Bistro

Every table has wide, cushioned chairs and couches, under the arches of the Colonnade building. Perfect for relaxing with a cool cocktail, or dining on their Argentine grill – or healthy quinoa and salmon bowl. $$ - $$$ 180 Aragon Ave. 786.409.5121

Caja Caliente

Prior to COVID, Caja didn’t have any tables outside. Now they have

tons of tables (all six feet apart, of course) on the sidewalk on Ponce. Great place to enjoy the lechon tacos, voted the best in the state of Florida. $ 808 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.431.1947

Divino Ceviche

Divino takes ceviche to another level, along with lots of other authentic Peruvian foods and beer. Add to that their cluster of tables under umbrellas on Giralda Plaza for a winning formula. $$ 160 Giralda Ave. 786.360.3775

Talavera Cocina Mexicana

The only Mexican restaurant in Coral Gables also happens to be its best, with plenty of seating on Giralda Plaza. All your Mexican favorites plus some off-beat authentic dishes, like iguana soup. $-$$ 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955

MEDITERRANEAN

Maroosh Mediterranean

While the décor of Maroosh Mediterranean is Turkish, the food is Pan-Middle Eastern, with dishes like falafel with tahini sauce, baba ghanoush and hummus. And with a $16 executive lunch menu, it’s a great weekday lunch spot. $ - $$ 223 Valencia Ave. 305.476.9800

Sawa Restaurant & Lounge

Sawa has some of the prettiest outdoor seating at the Shops at Merrick park, with a reflecting pool, greenery and umbrellas, along with Sawa’s parallel Lebanese-Japanese menu. Daily

FONTANA

DINING GUIDE

fresh hummus and inventive rolls. $$-$$$ 360 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.6555

Tur Kitchen

This relative newcomer to the Gables has a wonderfully inventive menu of Mediterranean cuisine, including excellent lamb and Aegean seafood dishes. Elegant seating under the arches along Giralda. $$$-$$$$ 259 Giralda Ave. 786.483.8014

SEAFOOD

Gringo’s Oyster Bar

A shrine for fresh seafood with the tastiest oysters you will find anywhere (as they should be at $3 each). Also, great lobster rolls. Seating in an alleyway on the side of the restaurant with overhead fans, plus out front. $$ - $$$ 1549 Sunset Dr. 305.284.9989.

Mesa Mar Seafood Table

Is this the best seafood place in the Gables? Their customers think so, with super fresh local fish that is heightened by a delicious,

inventive overlay of oriental and Latin flavors. Dinner only, in tables along Giralda. $$$ 264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448.

Redfish by Chef Adrianne

The only waterfront restaurant in the Gables, Red Fish was reborn last year after being closed for years from hurricane damage. With the addition of Chef Adrianne, the menu presents a stellar display of gourmet seafood. $$$$ 9610 Old Cutler Rd. 305.668.8788

Sea Grill

Tucked away in a corner of the courtyard at Shops at Merrick Park, plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy Greek style seafood flown in from the Agean. $$$-$$$$ 4250 Salzedo St. 305.447.3990

SPANISH

Bellmónt Spanish Restaurant

Their new al fresco seating on Miracle Mile is the perfect way to enjoy their very authentic Spanish food (including the world’s best

cured ham). $$$ 339 Miracle Mile 786.502.4684

Bulla Gastrobar

Bulla has created a pleasant outdoor space on Andalusia, surrounded by large planters, so guests can enjoy their great selection of Spanish tapas al fresco. Also superb sangrias. $$ 2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.810.6215

Only a few tables out front on the sidewalk, but a spacious, lovely courtyard out back. From tapas to paella, great Spanish food and wine, and amazing lunch specials. $$ 254 Giralda Ave. 786.362.5677

Tapeo Eatery & Bar

The former home to the only Basque cuisine in the Gables, Tapeo has morphed into a popular tapas bar with tastes from

Live Vibrantly in the City Beautiful.

Convenience, comfort and community make The Reserve at The Plaza a step above all of your apartment options! Live in the heart of Coral Gables.

The Reserve was created to accommodate your desires, meet your needs and support your dreams. It’s new and modern. Uncommonly luxurious. And built with easy access to designated parking in the garage as well as the premium retail complex and array of offices at The Plaza.

GRINGO’S OYSTER BAR

La Taberna Giralda

across Spain. Lots of seating outside. $-$$ 112 Giralda Ave. 786.452.9902

STEAK

Christy’s

One of the oldest continually operating restaurants in the Gables, Christy’s is famous for its Caesar salad, prime rib and shrimp cocktails. Despite a recent update with modern art, it still has that classic vibe. $$$-$$$$ 3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.446.1400

Morton’s the Steakhouse Morton’s in the Gables is not just another Morton’s. Its setting in the Colonnade gives it a unique elegance with outdoor seating under the arches. Prime aged beef, excellent salads. $$$ 2233 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine cellar that appears to have no end of its depth – and now tables wrapped around the building,

under arches, if you wish to eat outside. $$$ - $$$$ 2525 Ponce de Leon Bvld. 305.569.7995

Perry’s Steakhouse

In the battle for the hearts of steak lovers, Perry’s also brings it with the world’s biggest pork chop and surprisingly good salad entrees. Lots of outdoor seating at the Shops at Merrick Park. $$$$ 4251 Salzedo St. 786.703.9094

MISCELLANEOUS

Bay 13 Brewery and Kitchen

Yes, it’s largely Australian pub food – salmon Rangoon, chicken skewers, meat pies, fish & chips –but the setting is spectacular and the beer unbeatable at this newest hot spot. $$ 65 Alhambra Plaza. 786.452.0935

Fritz and Franz Bierhaus

Massive outdoor patio on Merrick Way for German fare and beer. Enjoy schnitzel and Weissbier in a two-liter boot, sans fear of getting infected with COVID. $$ 60 Merrick Way 305.774.1883

Mamey

It is hard to pigeonhole this new restaurant, with its mix of Caribbean, Polynesian and Thai gastronomy. The good news is that they have massive outdoor seating so you can sample its fascinating new taste palate. $$$ At the Thēsis Hotel, 1350 S. Dixie Highway. 305.667.5611

Who says there aren’t cool neighborhood pubs in the Gables? And they have a leafy patio out back! Happy hour sliders, bennies and crepes for brunch, and a tasty dinner selection of meat and fish. $$-$$$ 216 Palermo Ave. 786.801.1071

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE

Pinch Me Gastrobar & Market

Double Trouble

We couldn’t think of a better homage to Father’s Day than this photograph of Sgt. Bo Williams of the Coral Gables Police Department. He is pictured here with his two sets of twins; the boys are 5 and the girls are 18-months-old. With no history of twins in the family, he is still trying to figure out the odds. Sgt. Williams has been with the force for 13 years and is currently assigned to the patrol division on afternoon duty.