Coral Gables May 2024

CORAL GABLES

LEADING LUXURY REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

SOUTH FLORIDA

Innovation WHERE TRADITION MEETS

SINCE 1964

From our pioneering roots to our global real estate presence today, the commitment to excellence instilled by our Miami-based founders remains unwavering in the hearts & principles of our 700 associates and staff members.

Working from seven locations across South Florida, our Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty Family has redefined luxury living, offering unparalleled service and expertise. As we celebrate our legacy, we look forward to serving you with the same level of passion, professionalism and dedication that has defined us for six decades.

SERVING OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY IN THE DELIVERY OF EXCEPTIONAL SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES.

One look and you know it’s The Palace. You’ll be surprised!

Luxury Living for Seniors

One Andalusia Ave. Coral Gables, FL

Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

New surgeon leader for Baptist Health

Miami Cardiac & Vascular

Institute plans major expansion

From its humble beginnings in 1987 in two small rooms tucked behind the Baptist Hospital Emergency Center to developing technologies and treatments that have changed the course of cardiovascular medicine worldwide, Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is primed for its next move to expand and elevate cardiovascular services.

Spearheading the ambitious growth initiative is the Institute’s new leader, Tom C. Nguyen, M.D., FACS, FACC. In his role as chief medical executive and Barry T. Katzen Endowed Chair of Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, where he is also the director of Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery, Dr. Nguyen plans to focus on research and innovation with patient-centered care at the Institute’s core.

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, whose experts have pioneered many innovative and less invasive cardiovascular procedures, recently opened a new cardiovascular care office that includes a dedicated arrhythmia center, the first of its kind in South Florida and one of the few in the U.S. Building upon the Institute’s strong foundation, Dr. Nguyen will continue to strengthen teams that will enable the launch of other new programs such as robotic heart surgery.

“To best serve the needs of the community and make Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute the crown jewel of South Florida and beyond, we will be exploring new services and recruiting the best cardiothoracic surgeons and other specialists from around the world,” he says.

Tom C. Nguyen, M.D., FACS, FACC

With a passion for minimally invasive surgery and for treating valvular heart disease, Dr. Nguyen has spent more than 20 years researching the mitral valve and has published more than 300 peerreviewed articles. He comes to South Florida from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was chief of cardiothoracic surgery and the Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor of Surgery. While at UCSF, he transformed the cardiothoracic surgery program as co-director of its Heart and Vascular Center.

Growing up, Dr. Nguyen never imagined he’d be an internationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon. A political refugee whose family fled Vietnam when he was only 4, he believes life is about opportunities, second chances and paying it forward. His experience left him vowing to always fight for the underdog and the sickest of the sick, particularly when patients are told that they have no options left.

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” he says. “When my dad and older sister and I came to Houston, we spoke no English. We were very poor and lived on rice, eggs and soy sauce,” he recalls.

At a young age, Dr. Nguyen realized that their close-knit community cared deeply for each other. Neighborhood “nannies” stepped in to watch children while parents worked. Helping hands were never far away. From this, he became aware that his success was not his own doing but was the result of support systems, luck and many mentors.

Dr. Nguyen graduated from Rice University with honors in economics and then attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency at Stanford University, a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian and a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) fellowship at Emory University. As an innovative heart surgeon, he has performed many first-in-man operations.

“I had the chance to go back to Vietnam for the first time after I completed medical school,” he says. “One morning at the crack of dawn, I saw a young man working tirelessly on a shrimping boat. We were about the same age. I wasn’t stronger or smarter. I was just luckier.”

Because of its complexities and challenges, cardiac surgery was of particular interest to Dr. Nguyen. “I can zone out and get laser-focused,” he explains. “There are at least 100 critical steps in heart surgery with small margins of error. You need to be composed in the most

chaotic environment. Everyone has a role, and every person is vital to the team. You can’t be duplicating efforts. If we work together as a team, we are unstoppable.”

He and his wife, interventional radiologist Gina Landinez, M.D., are the parents of two young girls. As someone who is keenly aware of women’s contributions to society, he is an active advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.

The stories of hardship and the obstacles overcome by many immigrants and marginalized people resonate with Dr. Nguyen and give him special reason to appreciate the diversity of South Florida and that of his patients and their families.

“My experience shaped me as a doctor,” he says. “It’s a privilege and an honor to care for patients who have put all of their trust in you. When a patient comes back to me and says, ‘I’ve gone fishing again,’ or ‘Here’s a picture of me hiking,’ that is amazing. Getting them back to their families is magical.”

For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Heart

Your Sanctuary on the Bay

Designed by internationally acclaimed Robert A.M. Stern Architects, The St. Regis Residences, Miami are situated along the beautiful coastline of South Brickell, with exquisite bayfront views, a private marina, and an exclusive fine-dining restaurant by MICHELIN-starred chef Fabio Trabocchi. The Residences offer a lifetime of legendary moments — a place where the history and heritage of a timeless brand enable a signature way of life, propelled by impeccable service and unparalleled connoisseurship.

Demolition has commenced 1809 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida 33129 Schedule an appointment 786 544 8010 MiamiSRR.com

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ARTIST’S CONCEPTUAL RENDERING; SURROUNDING BUILDINGS AND LANDMARKS MODIFIED OR OMITTED. THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS ARE IN A CPS-12 APPLICATION AVAILABLE FROM THE OFFEROR. FILE NO. CP23-0071. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. St. Regis

Departments

EDITOR’S

READERS’ LETTERS

STREETWISE

The Recall that Wasn’t Chapman Field Unfinished Friends of Gables High

LIVING Best Bets for May Gallery Night Travels Mother’s Day Shopping

BITES

Quick Bites: Salads Dining at Eating House Three New Places BACK

FOR SALE $6,700,000. 6 Beds / 7 Baths | 5,321 Adj. sf. | 24,767 sf. lot. 7001 ROBLES ST, CORAL GABLES, FL. Be surprised by this renovated one-story Cocoplum home on oversized lot in Flood Zone X. FOR SALE $11,250,000. 5 Beds / 6.5 Baths | 6,236 Adj. sf. | 20,300 sf. lot. 7210 E LAGO DR, CORAL GABLES, FL. Islands of Cocoplum home, fully gutted, re-designed by Pacheco Arch, re-built/expanded in 2017. FOR SALE $11,500,000 | 7 BEDS / 7 BATHS / 2 HALF BATHS | 7,462 SF | 26,416 SF LOT 430 COSTANERA ROAR, CORAL GABLES, FL. Be amazed by the breathtaking water views from this home with over 300 feet waterfront in Islands of Cocoplum. Large dock with boat-lift and two jet-ski platform.

tbernace@sheltonandstewart.com

THE ARTISTS OF CORAL GABLES

Our local artists range far and wide. There are Coral Gables natives and escapees of communism, general contractors and princesses of pop culture, rebels and allegorists, history makers and dreamers, realist painters and abstract sculptors… a collage of the young and old and the new and renowned, using everything from fiber and found objects to paint and pencil to show us something; to make us think. To see their works in person visit the Coral Gables Museum for our collaborative exhibition: “Visions From Inside the Walls,” starting May 25.

THE SUITE LIFE OF SENIORS

When most people think about senior living facilities, they think of the stereotypical nursing home decorated in monochromatic gray tones and sterile lighting, where elderly people play checkers and the food served is as lifeless and colorless as the surroundings. However pervasive that stereotype may be, it’s a far stretch from what life is like in Coral Gables’ elite senior living communities.

EACH

CURATED WITH EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN AND CRAFTED RH FURNITURE.

174 FURNISHED TURNKEY 1,2,3-BEDROOM RESIDENCES.

STARTING FROM THE $700,000’s

Cassia introduces a new dimension to upscale living in Coral Gables. Located in the heart of the Merrick Park district, this captivating address offers city sophistication with stunning views of skylines, lush tree canopies, and sunsets.

Barbarians at the Gate

Among the more disturbing emails and phone calls I received in the last month were from residents concerned with “strangers” knocking at their door and asking for a signature to recall Mayor Vince Lago. They alleged various fictional misdeeds, including that he was “being investigated by the FBI for money laundering.”

In a testimony to the educated intelligence of Gables voters, this recall effort failed to acquire the necessary signatures to move forward (see story pg. 26). It is also noteworthy that this failed coup, nominally led by perennial City Hall gadfly Maria Cruz, is being investigated for breaking Florida laws that prohibit the hiring of recall petition collectors. You see, a recall is supposed to come from the voters themselves, not from non-residents hired by someone with a grudge against a given elected official.

But that was clearly the case here. Those who collected the signatures freely admitted to being hired at $15 per hour, part of a well-funded effort that backed Mrs. Cruz with a blitz of attack fliers, mailers, T-shirts, etc. Interestingly, those who funded the recall campaign hid their identities – displaying the very lack of transparen-

cy alleged against Mayor Lago. The suspects are several, including a developer who wants to increase downtown density – opposed by the mayor – and unions disappointed with his response to their demands. We may never know, but what’s clear is that the recall movement was less a grassroots effort than a shameful political attack.

We do not agree with every action taken by our mayor. But he has done many good things; constantly fighting for more green spaces, for fiscal restraint and good management, for public safety, for sustainability and environmental protections, for clean streets, and for minority rights, including those of the Jewish community. Yes, he is a pro-business mayor, predicated on how much businesses pay in taxes, and for what that community offers a full-service city. But he is a mayor deeply concerned with the needs of residents, with years of making himself available to hear all citizen complaints, something that voters recognized by refusing to support the efforts of a well-funded minority group to unseat him.

JP FABER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE

CORAL GABLES

CEO & PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P. Faber

EVP / PUBLISHER

Gail Scott

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

VP SALES

Sherry Adams

MANAGING EDITOR

Kylie Wang

DIGITAL EDITOR

Natalia Clement

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Alex Luzula

Pari Walter

Ava Volman

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

SENIOR WRITERS

James Broida

Andrew Gayle

Doreen Hemlock

Katelin Stecz

PROOFREADER

Lesley Fonger

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rodolfo Benitez

Jonathan Dann

Tiege Dolly

Jorge Oviedo

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

OFFICIAL FRAMER

Adam Brand / Frames USA

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 1200 Anastasia Ave. Suite 115, Coral Gables FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 995-0995. Copyright 2024 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.

The cover: “Carl Jung Contaba Boleros,” by Gables artist Rubén Torres Llorca

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

It’s All About Process

The Gables Good Government Committee (GGG) was formed to advocate for accountable and responsible government in Coral Gables. Cities rely on established processes, precedents, and policies to uphold the integral democratic tenets of honesty, transparency, and trust to guide government decision-making.

Recent actions made in urgency, and with little opportunity for public input, by the Coral Gables City Commission regarding significant pay raises and the sudden firing and replacement of the city manager have raised concerns among voters and the GGG. These actions appear to circumvent established city processes that ensure fairness, transparency, and public participation.

Why were established procedures bypassed? No apparent emergencies or circumstances indicated that immediate action was necessary. Politics, rather than urgency, may have driven these decisions. The processes

emphasized by precedents and historical records highlight the importance of public input, transparency, and accountability. These recent Commission actions disregard the principles of ethical governance and responsible decision-making.

Despite claiming to represent residents’ voices, the Commission acted without adequate public opportunity for discussion and debate. This lack of transparency and public input undermines confidence in our government.

The Gables Good Government Committee questions why established processes were not followed and why the public was excluded from these decisions. As concerned and engaged citizens, we expect accountability and adherence to established procedures and processes that provide transparency by our elected officials.

Respectfully, Gables Good Government Committee

On the Recall Campaign [Thanks] for your article clarifying the criminal nature of the campaign against our Mayor Lago. It is necessary to mobilize residents to denounce the door-to-door activists paid by Maria Cruz by calling the police when they are visited or pamphlets are left behind. This activity is illegal, and it must be denounced to the police so they may expel these street activists (not residents) from our city. Coral Gables Magazine has been a blessing for now five years. God bless you!

Dr. Claudio Cioffi

Inconsistent Once Again

On page 18 [of your April issue] Police Chief Ed Hudak is quoted about an uptick in accidents involving pedestrians [and] bicyclists. On page 31, you display a photo of a bicyclist riding without a helmet and she’s most likely one of the Bike Tour monitors, since she’s wearing a safety vest!

Aaron Philipson

From City Hall

At its meeting in April, the City Commission:

ARGUED OVER THE RECALL

Agreed to schedule a special meeting to discuss the issue of the recall that is targeting Mayor Vince Lago and the letter he released attempting to clear his name, which Commissioner Ariel Fernandez claimed included false accusations directed at himself and his fellow commissioners. The discussion turned heated during the public comment portion of the meeting, with members of the Commission on both sides leveling accusations at each other. Maria Cruz, chair of the recall campaign against the mayor, asked to speak a second time, which Lago, as chair of the Commission, initially declined. Commissioner Melissa Castro made a motion to allow Cruz to speak for an additional minute, which Commissioners Fernandez and Kirk Menendez moved.

DECIDED ON A PICKLEBALL HOME

Voted 5-0 to use the Youth Center as an alternative site for pickleball courts, as opposed to the initial plan to build them at the rooftop of Parking Garage 4. Many sites were suggested over the course of the discussion, which lasted over an hour, but the Youth Center was chosen because of its existing infrastructure and the ability to have a faster turnaround, which residents pointed to as extremely important. Yet to be determined is whether the courts will replace one of the baseball triangles or parking spaces on the street. A proposal that considers funding, ADA compliance, and other important factors will be presented at the next Commission meeting for both sites.

ATTACKED THE MAYOR’S COUNCIL

Deferred a motion by Commissioner Castro to dissolve the mayor’s advisory board, which allows volunteer residents to make suggestions for the Mayor’s Strategic Priorities Plan and hosts meetings open to public comment. Commissioner Castro took issue with the board being labeled as the mayor’s, saying, “We need to work as a Commission as a whole and not keep dividing this Commission.” The mayor argued that the board is not divisive in the slightest and that Commissioner Castro was blatantly politicizing something that was created four years ago only “to do good.” Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson offered a compromise to create an additional advisory board for the Commission, which agreed to consider alternatives before voting at the next meeting.

PROPOSED AN ANTI-CORRUPTION AUDIT

Discussed implementing a forensic audit in addition to the city’s annual audit. The forensic audit would take an even closer look at the city’s spending, though the most recent audit did not find anything close to claims Commissioner Kirk Menendez had made previously of the city being “awash in a cesspool of corruption” or to Commissioner Fernandez’s previously stated concerns over employees’ spending. Mayor Lago, who sponsored the item, made it clear that a forensic audit would be expensive but ensured the city’s integrity. He also suggested the audit start with his own office and that they hire an inspector general to sniff out potential corruption.

FOUND NO MISUSE OF FUNDS

Listened to an update on the audit that Commissioner Fernandez requested in January on Amazon purchases made with city employees’ p-cards. The first stage of the audit covered from June 2023 to January 2024 and will continue back another 16 months, with those findings to be presented at a later meeting. All transactions are reviewed by department directors and then by the procurement division of the finance department. “We found that no misuse of city funds had been identified,” said Finance Director Diana Gomez. “All purchases were made in accordance with city and departmental past practices and policies in effect at the time.” In response, Commissioner Fernandez said, “I don’t agree with the fact that taxpayer dollars were spent in a way that they should have [been].” City Manager Amos Rojas, Jr. has put in place methods to curb employee spending on things like coffee.

REVIEWED POLICE VACANCIES

Listened to an update on vacancies in the police department, which currently number around 38, not including five more to be added later this year. Thus far in 2024, 15 officers have left the department. Chief Hudak cited many reasons for the departures, including better salaries at the county level. “This is not endemic to us,” he added, explaining the issue is nationwide while also conceding that morale was low. The president of the police union, Christopher Challenger, said officers believe their voices are being ignored, specifically on the issues of compensation and morale. An anonymous department-wide survey showed that 90 percent of employees rated overall morale as “extremely poor” or “below average,” 72 percent rated communication between leadership and officers as “poor,” and 79 percent said they did not feel all officers are treated fairly. The city is currently negotiating with the union.

SAID YES TO A SMALLER PONCE PROJECT

Voted 5-0 on first reading to approve zoning changes to allow the new Ponce Park Residences development, being built on Ponce de Leon near The Plaza Coral Gables, to move forward. The project has been in the works for almost two years. Mayor Lago had opposed the size of the initially proposed plan, as had residents, which led to a reduction in height and fewer condominiums. Around 20,000-square-feet of park space, as well as retail, restaurants, and a paseo, are included in the new plan. Developer Allen Morris will also execute long-awaited improvements to nearby Ponce Circle Park to the tune of nearly $9 million. “I was a ‘no’ vote until we had discussions on the issue of Ponce Circle Park,” said Lago. “To me, public spaces are the key and the future of our city.” Many residents who live near the building came to give public comment and spoke in favor of the project based on its changes and the way the Allen Morris Company worked with them. ■

19 years of experience, help you navigate

Q&A with Richard Lara

Attorney Richard Lara announced his intention to run for the Coral Gables City Commission on Feb. 27 during the public comments portion of the Commission meeting. He’ll be opposing current Commissioner Kirk Menendez. We caught up with Lara to discuss why he decided to run for the seat and what he intends to do should he win it.

Why did you decide to run for commissioner?

My deep affection for the City Beautiful drives me. Above all, I am a devoted husband of 27 years, a proud father of three daughters, and a resident with a vision for Coral Gables’ improvement. These three pillars inspire my candidacy. I aspire to forge a brighter future for Coral Gables, not only for my own family, but also for my fellow neighbors and the businesses here driving our economy.

What are the main tenets of your platform?

Transparency, integrity, accountability, and professionalism form the cornerstone of my campaign, and they will continue to underpin my service to the City and its residents. My aim is to act as a conduit for my neighbors, ensuring their voices are not only heard, but also valued.

What makes Coral Gables special enough to you to run for its Commission?

I love Coral Gables. And I have ever since I graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School many years ago. This is where my wife and I and our daughters call home, where we enjoy unmatched walkability and beauty in the city’s abundant nature. Our city’s unparalleled diversity and cultural richness stand as formidable strengths. It is this profound sense of pride in calling Coral Gables home that drives my desire to contribute to its governance and ensure its continued prosperity.

Some controversies have arisen lately in the Commission, like raising commissioners’ salaries, keeping the elections in April, and taking money from the emergency reserves to fund capital improvement projects. Where do you stand on these issues?

In a pattern evident through repeated three-to-two votes during the last two years, certain commissioners, including my opponent [Commissioner Kirk Menendez], have consistently disregarded, subverted, or ignored due process in their decision-making. My stance is clear: I advocate for a return to strict adherence to inclusivity, transparency, accountability, and openness of discourse throughout the decision-making process. My commitment is to reintroduce these vital qualities to the Commission. It’s not about opposing advocates for specific decisions; rather, it’s about ensuring that deci-

sions are made with proper regard for due process and public input. That is the key to ensuring that the residents and their needs always come first.

You’ve said that you hope to bring a consensus to the Commission. How do you plan to do this?

As a commissioner, I anticipate fostering robust and inclusive discourse over the many important issues facing our residents and businesses. With over 30 years of experience as an attorney, I bring a unique background in advocacy, diplomacy, and consensus-building, even in situations where agreement is challenging. Professionally mediating disputes and diligently working towards consensus on contentious issues are skills I intend to leverage to facilitate a dynamic and efficient decision-making process within the Coral Gables Commission, one that truly reflects the perspectives of all residents. ■

I thought my life was over, but after bariatric surgery, I’m a lot happier.

The Recall That Wasn’t

With 1,719 initial signatures submitted last month, the recall effort against Mayor Vince Lago seemed poised to push into its second phase. But that conclusion was premature. “End the Corruption” needed 1,650 signatures from registered voters in Coral Gables to advance. But the county’s Elections Division office judged that only 1,533 were legitimate. Recall over.

Maria Cruz, chairman of the campaign, claims there was a deliberate effort to delegitimize petitions. In an April 27 email to Gables residents, she explained that her own name was signed on multiple petitions by Lago supporters “to sow chaos and create duplicates.” However, each signature collected by the campaign was supposed to be witnessed by a representative from End the Corruption, which presumably reviewed them before submission.

Meanwhile, the organization is dealing with its own issues of “misfeasance and malfeasance” – the grounds for which it sought Lago’s recall. According to the City of Coral Gables, law enforcement is actively investigating End the Corruption for violating state laws regarding the use of canvassers in recall efforts. According to Florida Statute 100.361, “No person shall employ or pay another… for circulating or witnessing a recall petition.” The offence is a second-degree misdemeanor, with a fine and/or up to 60 days in county jail.

Residents of the Gables have reported (and recorded) numerous conversations with canvassers who admitted to being paid $15 per hour to solicit signatures. Beyond that, the canvassers spread misinformation, including a false claim that Lago was being investigated by the FBI.—Kylie Wang

Three Referendums

Among the more contentious proposals at City Hall this year have been the doubling of commissioner salaries, the rejection of an attempt to move the city elections to November, and a proposal to draw on the city’s emergency reserve funds for capital projects. While the latter was just a verbal proposal by Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, the other two items were passed by a 3-2 vote, with Fernandez joined by Commissioners Melissa Castro and Kirk Menendez and Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson dissenting.

Convinced these votes did not represent the will of the citizens of Coral Gables, in March, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Alex Bucelo, a Gables attorney who lost to Fernandez in last year’s election. That committee, Accountable Coral Gables, has now gathered more than 4,000 signatures to put these items up for a citywide referendum: 1) To require that all future salary increases for commissioners be approved by voter referendum. 2) To move the April city elections to coincide with the national November elections, which would save the city $200,000 and dramatically increase voter turnout. And 3) To require that any drawdowns of the city’s emergency reserve funds be approved by four-fifths of the City Commission.

The 4,000-plus signatures collected (only 3,200, or 10 percent of registered voters, are required) will be turned into the city clerk to be certified by the county Supervisor of Elections. Once the 10 percent threshold is reached, Coral Gables’ city attorney needs to draft the ballot language and get it approved by the Commission. The items would then be voted on as part of the statewide primaries on Aug. 20 or the national elections on Nov. 5.—J.P. Faber ■

THE RECALL: PAID CANVASSERS WERE USED TO ILLEGALLY SOLICIT SIGNATURES

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Talk of the Town

The Water Below Us Educates from Above BLUE Missions, the nonprofit organization renowned for its waterrelated initiatives, has collaborated with the City of Coral Gables to unveil “The Water Below Us” on Giralda Plaza. The piece was installed in honor of World Water Day on March 22. However, in typical South Florida fashion, the inclement weather on World Water Day postponed the official ribbon cutting to April 3.

The augmented reality art installation, brought to life by Vaco Studio and Sunken Blimp, was approved by the City Commission as part of the Gables’ Art in Public Places program. It features a hanging cylindrical “well” adorned with illustrations by Miami artist (and Vaco Studio cofounder) Nic Vasquez. Following the journey of water from nature to our homes and back, the artwork highlights the importance of protecting the region’s resources. “The idea was to draw attention to the water that flows through the aquifers below our feet by displaying it over our heads,” said Leslie Ramos, chief experience officer at BLUE Missions Group. “This valuable resource is often overlooked or taken for granted and we all have a role to play in protecting it.”

The immersive experience, with a QR code to activate the augmented reality portion, turns your phone into a portal for Everglades-inspired wetlands. Users are also directed to explore ways they can add their “own drop” into protecting our water by conservation at home. “The Water Below Us” is on view for free at Giralda Plaza through May 21. Visit thewaterbelowus.com for more information. —Natalia Clement

The Apple Has Landed

It seems tech giant Apple has caught the Coral Gables bug. One of several new kids on the block, the massive tech company is planning to take up residence at The Plaza Coral Gables, adding to other recent relocations by Ryder System and FIFA in downtown Gables.

With almost 42,000-square-feet of office space, Apple’s is the largest office lease in the Miami-Dade market this year, according to commercial brokerage Avison Young. It’s more than twice the size of the second-largest recent lease, which belongs to Venture X in Downtown Miami.

But Apple has always had a presence in the Gables, even if minute. It had a small office on Alhambra Plaza for years, focused on its Latin American division. But The Plaza’s relatively low cost per square foot (at least compared to Brickell or Downtown Miami)

made it an attractive spot for an expansion. Of course, The Plaza’s other amenities – the Loews hotel, walkability to restaurants and retail, proximity to the airport and other Miami neighborhoods –made it an easier decision. Pairing the nation’s most profitable firm in the U.S. with a trophy-class building in a city recently named the country’s “ritziest”? Simply a no-brainer.—Kylie Wang

A Show of Support

April was Autism Acceptance month, and the Gables came out in support, beginning with the raising of the Autism Acceptance Flag at City Hall on April 1. Those present included students from Crystal Academy and Project Victory, UMCARD, County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, parents, business owners, and Gables officials Vice Mayor Anderson, Commissioner Kirk Menendez, and City Manager Amos Rojas, Jr. The next day, the Autism Awareness Caravan arrived, the annual showcase of wrapped vehicles and motorcycles from more than 15 police and fire agencies in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Later in the month, the Coral Gables Museum hosted an Area Stage Inclusive Theater production, the City Commission had a Principles of Inclusion reading, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast performance, and teams from the city’s police and fire departments competed in a Battle of the Badges kickball game to promote acceptance and inclusion. “The dedication and effort put forth by the officers for this community event are truly appreciated,” said Maria “Mary” Palacio, founder and president of the Crystal Academy therapy center and school for children with autism. “The impact of such an event in promoting acceptance cannot be underestimated.” – J.P. Faber

Strengthening the Grid

Florida Power & Light (FPL) is fortifying the energy grid in Coral Gables with planned upgrades throughout 2024. Improvements include strengthening 10 main power lines, trimming vegetation along 110 miles of power lines, and inspecting 1,626 power poles. The company will also install automated underground switches that help detect and isolate outages. Once completed, FPL will have strengthened 16 main power lines, inspected over 16,000 power poles, maintained vegetation near 1,512 miles of power lines, and installed 1,041 automated switches in our community since 2006. “We are so pleased to be able to offer these system upgrades to our customers in Coral Gables,” says local area manager Javier Palma. “These upgrades, including the very latest grid technology, will help get the lights back on faster after storms.”

FPL’s push to reinforce the city’s energy grid is part of their heightened efforts to improve service reliability following extensive

power outages during Hurricane Irma in 2017, after which the city threatened to sue the energy company. Last year, FPL began undergrounding city power lines as part of its Storm Secure Underground Program. The program aims to strengthen the power grid of vulnerable neighborhoods that are prone to outages from storms and hurri-

canes. Mayor Vince Lago negotiated the deal that will underground about 40 percent of the city’s lines, a $240 million project paid for by FPL. According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, FPL’s service reliability was nearly three times better than the national average. — Natalia Clement

RAISING THE AUTISM ACCEPTANCE FLAG AT CITY HALL ON APRIL 1

FPL IS REINFORCING THE CITY’S ENERGY GRID TO COMBAT OUTAGES

THE BRAND BEHIND THE BRAND AND THE GRAND REOPENING OF

An inspiring account of a Peruvian immigrant who achieves the american dream with a story of challenges, perseverance, and evolution.

Philanthropic Recognition: Gables residents shine

Last month, the online publication SocialMiami hosted an evening honoring 10 of the leading philanthropists in Greater Miami for their commitment to giving back. These 10 individuals or couples were spotlighted for their love of humanity. Of them, we note that half are Gables residents.

Among them were Trish and Dan Bell, whose accolades include their support of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, among so many other worthy causes, including the Frost Museum of Science, Branches, the Chapman Partnership, the FIU Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Florida United Methodist Children’s Home.

Also honored were Gableites Jeff and Yolonda Berkowitz, who have supported the Voices for Children Foundation, the Guardian ad Litem Program, the Miami Children’s Museum, the United Way, and more. Another philanthropic couple honored was Ana ViegaMilton and Ceciel Milton, for their work with the Jackson Health Foudation, the Red Cross Miami, Zoo Miami, United Way and numerous healthcare, environmental, and educational causes.

Among individuals, few can compare to Swanee Di Mare, who supports a vast array of organizations, including Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Miami City Ballet, Red Cross, the Archdiocese of Miami, the Chapman Partnership, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Miami Children’s Hospital, the Junior League, and much more. Named a Living Legend by Miami Today in 2013, Di Mare continues to honor the legacy of her late husband Paul Di Mare with her philanthropy.—Amy Poliakoff ■

SWANEE DI MARE, HONORED BY SOCIALMIAMI AS A LEADING PHILANTHROPIST IN GREATER MIAMI

“THE COUNTY HAD TO FIX THE FIELDS. I GET THAT. IT’S JUST A SHAME IT’S TAKEN SO LONG.”

ETHAN SHAPIRO, PRESIDENT OF THE HOWARD PALMETTO RECREATIONAL BASEBALL/SOFTBALL LEAGUE

ABOVE: OVERGROWN BATTING CAGES

Field of Dreams? Not Quite

THE ONGOING FRUSTRATION AT CHAPMAN FIELD PARK: DON’T BUILD IT AND THEY WON’T COME

BY KATELIN STECZ

Ethan Shapiro walks beside the abandoned baseball fields at Chapman Field Park. He peers past the fence and overgrown foliage. Invasive trees have taken over the ball park, and the field of dreams Shapiro remembers playing on when he was a kid now looks like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie. “Look,” he says, gesturing toward the field and shaking his head, “There’s even a tree growing on home plate.”

In 2014, Miami-Dade County discovered that the three Chapman Field Park baseball fields and parking lot were contaminated with arsenic 20-times higher than normal levels. The 483-acre park at the southern end of Coral Gables (of which 51 acres are open, the rest remaining mangrove forests and saltwater estuaries) was prompt-

ly shut down. County officials assured park-goers and baseball lovers alike that the repair and remediation would take only a few months. Instead, it took almost a decade for just one field to be remediated.    One might think the extended closures of the other two fields are due to arsenic toxicity, but Shapiro, the president of the Howard Palmetto Recreational Baseball/ Softball League says it has more to do with bureaucratic red tape.

COUNTY RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY OUTRAGE

“The reality is you would have to consume bucketfuls of dirt to have arsenic poisoning. I played here growing up as a kid. I had friends that played right next to me, and not

one of us has had what I believe to be complications from arsenic,” says Shapiro. “But it’s the law. The county had to fix the fields. I get that. It’s just a shame it’s taken so long.”  Immediately after the arsenic discovery, there were plans in action to remediate the three baseball fields. But just before the Miami-Dade County Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) and construction company Cherokee Enterprises (CEI) were set to begin the remediation in 2015, Colin Henderson, an environmental consultant for the Capital Programs Division of the county parks department, sent out an email saying to cease all work.

He wrote, “There ha[ve] been some internal discussions here about the use of the Chapman Field ball field area in that the use of the fields may change. Please hold off any work on the [Corrective Action Plan] until PROS [Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces] decides what future plans are going to be for the park.”

In March 2016, an email chain between CEI and officials at PROS revealed how the plan to restore all three baseball fields at Chapman Field Park had been scrapped in favor of only restoring one and turning the other two into a greenspace. The email chain also detailed plans to remove the batting cages the Howard Palmetto League donated, along with light poles, bleachers, and fences.

When discussed at community meetings, the new plan faced harsh criticism. Parents involved in the Howard Palmetto League argued that the community needed all three fields to host baseball practices and games for all the community’s schools and leagues. After the initial closure of the park, Howard Palmetto League, along with some middle and high school teams, were displaced to other parks, some more than 45 minutes away.

Following more protests from the community, a plan divided into two phases came out in 2018. Phase 1 would fix one field, while designs for Phase 2 were to be determined later. The community was unsure if Phase 2 would remediate the other two baseball fields. However, at a public meeting in 2018, Matilde Reyes, assistant director of planning, design and construction excellence for PROS said that plans for Phase 2 would not be finalized until the county could gauge public interest.

Between 2018 and 2020, minimal progress was made in Phase 1. Frustrated at the county’s slow pace and indecision, Shapiro founded the Save Chapman Field Park campaign in 2020. He hoped his call to action would push the county to start on Phase 1 and listen to the community’s desire to restore the other two fields.

Remediation on Field 1 finally started in August 2021 and finished in November 2022, nine months later than expected. The remediation involved removing 12 inches of soil from the field, relocating that soil, installing a liner, then replacing the dirt and sod, and installing a new irrigation system. The final cost of the project was $2 million.

Currently, the county has unfinished plans for a second ballfield that it estimates will be completed in Fall 2025 and cost approximately $2.6 million. According to Caridad Mesa, spokesperson for Miami Dade PROS, there is a second ballfield in the works, but “as it is an active project, Miami-Dade Parks is currently still reviewing the design,” she wrote in an email.

Despite the county’s announcement of a second field, Shapiro and other parents involved in the Howard Palmetto League still fear the county doesn’t understand the importance of baseball to the community. “I don’t think there’s any effort from [the county] to steal the ball fields like some people think. But people [don’t] understand the true significance of these two ball fields,” Shapiro says.

FIGHTING FOR THE FIELD OF DREAMS

The growth of the Howard Palmetto League alone should be enough to communicate

the community’s desire for a quick return of all three of Chapman Field Park’s baseball fields. Since 2019, the league’s enrollment has increased 244 percent, making it the largest recreational league in Florida. Shapiro says the league has even had to turn away 75 players due to a lack of practice space. “It’s frustrating that there are people out there making a false argument that demand for baseball and softball in the community is low when the demand is clearly there,” he says.

Laura Gray, scheduling chairperson of the Howard Palmetto League, echoes Shapiro’s remarks. “I could fill another field Monday through Friday with night practices, 5 to 9 pm,” she says. “I could possibly fill two fields. That’s how many kids we have and how

many teams we have. We’re overflowing with kids that want to be involved in the league.”

For many people, Chapman Field Park and the Howard Palmetto League represent more than just baseball. It’s a chance for the community to engage and grow. Says Ronald O’Brien II, coach in Howard Palmetto’s bantam division: “These kids are making memories that last forever. We’re more than just baseball coaches and baseball leagues. We’re the community.” ■

TOP: LOCATION MAP SHOWING THE CHAPMAN FIELD PARK AND THE CORAL GABLES BOUNDARY

BELOW: THE TEAM IS THE BREWERS (THEY’RE ALL AROUND 8) AND THE COACH IS JOSH CARROLL

CORAL GABLES BOUNDARY

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Friends to the Rescue

THE CAVALIERS NEEDED A FRIEND. THEY GOT AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY

BY ALEXANDER LUZULA

June Morris hadn’t ever thought much of her high school days since she graduated in 1979. In fact, she says her time at Coral Gables Senior High School wasn’t “defining of my life in any way,” but does add that she had “a positive experience” at the school.

Then, while on a drive with her stepdaughter one day, Morris saw how much the campus had deteriorated over the last 30 years. A veteran journalist, Morris went to investigate for herself, documenting everything on video. “I could not believe the state of the campus,” she says. “All the paint was peeling, weeds were growing up the sides of the building, there were wires hanging down from the ceiling, there was mold…. It just looked really, really terrible.”

The video caused an immediate controversy, prompting School Community Relations Committee Chair Sam Joseph to lead a meeting at Morris’ house to discuss the issue. Over 40 people turned out, including then-mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli. It was here that Friends of Gables High was born. Composed of alumni, parents, and community members, the Friends now have a lot to show for their efforts to raise the school’s profile and support both students and faculty.

In their inaugural year of 2019, Friends of Gables High began working with School Board chair and representative Mari Tere Rojas, who became instrumental in raising more state funding for school upgrades. The School Board had initially approved $11.2 million in 2012, but while there were improvements to the air conditioning and electrical infrastructure, its main project – construct-

ing a new two-story building – had still not started. The funds were also not enough for all that was needed. In the end, Rojas pushed the budget up to $48 million. This was earmarked for a new cafeteria, new windows, new roofs, renovated bathrooms, security cameras, hallway lighting, fresh exterior paint, a new fence, and artificial turf for the football and soccer field. Rojas is also working on acquiring an additional $10 million to replace the school gymnasium.

At the same time, Friends of Gables High raised over $500,000, which has gone towards a renovated staff lounge, grants for classroom needs, a senior’s courtyard, helping to fund beach volleyball courts, and more. Board Chair Jackie Gross-Kellogg says the organization is now focusing on renovating the Media Center to give students a more comfortable place to study, socialize, and take exams.

The Friends also brought back the school’s Hall of Fame, which has inducted two classes comprised of 17 outstanding alumni since.

With more opportunities, the academics and demographics of the school have also improved. Under its new principal, Dr. Tony Ullivarri, Gables High has increased from a C-rated school to an A-rated school, which Morris says is particularly difficult to achieve in Miami-Dade County “because of our minority-majority status, which includes many English as a second language (ESOL) students and students who come and go throughout the school year.”

Changing public perception over the last five years has also brought Gables residents back to the school, with enrollment of local students increasing from eight percent in 2018 to 25 percent in 2024.

With the school approaching its 75th anniversary in Oct. 2025, Friends of Gables High is ramping up efforts to complete the remaining upgrades, which, with the exception of the gym, are expected to be finished in time to showcase the newly renovated school to the public next year.

“When you have a good idea and you present it at the right time and it makes sense, the right people show up,” Morris says. “It’s taken on an energy all of its own and it’s a delightful thing to see.” ■

TOP: FRIENDS OF CORAL GABLES HIGH AND THE NEW COURTYARD (RIGHT) BOTTOM: OLD STAFF LOUNGE (LEFT) AND NEW STAFF LOUNGE (RIGHT)

Living

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SCAVENGER HUNT

Unleash your inner explorer at Coral Gables Magazine’s May 18 scavenger hunt. With clues spread throughout The Plaza Coral Gables and the surrounding area, seasoned sleuths and first-time detectives alike will compete in this ultimate Gables mystery. A free family-friendly event, the scavenger hunt will also offer up prizes for the most successful sleuths. Participants should meet at the Loews Hotel in The Plaza at 11 am to register for the adventure! Winners will be announced at 2:30 pm. 2901 Ponce de Leon Blvd. RSVP: events@coralgablesmagazine.com

GABLES BIKE TOUR: LITERALLY CORAL GABLES

Join Mitch Kaplan, owner of the beloved Books and Books, as he leads the way on this month’s Coral Gables Bike Tour, presented by Bike Walk Coral Gables. Kaplan will take riders through the rich literary history of Coral Gables, home to many bookstores, libraries, and even local writers. Held the third Saturday of every month, this month’s tour is May 19 at 10 am. Tickets are $5 to $10. Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave. coralgablesmuseum.org

MOTHER’S DAY MAD HATTER TEA PARTY

The Coral Gables Woman’s Club will be leading us down the rabbit hole and into a wonderland this Mother’s Day, serving up a tea party befitting of both mad hatters and queens of hearts. The 5th Annual Mother’s Day Tea Party is aimed at raising funds for the maintenance and refurbishment of the historic club’s property, as well as providing support for the Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic, which offers dental care for children in need. Tickets are $85 to $100. The tea party is Saturday, May 11 from 1 to 4 pm. 1001 E Ponce De Leon Blvd. gfwccoralgableswomansclub.org

“A ROCK SAILS BY”

Astrophysicist Dr. Lynn Cummings, already grappling with the loss of her husband and attempting to reconnect with her daughter, finds her reputation and her faith in science on the line when a journalist misquotes her regarding an unidentified object flying in Earth’s direction. As everyone waits with bated breath, all Dr. Cummings can do is hope it’ll sail by without impact. The play runs from May 15 to June 9. Showtimes are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, with a Sunday matinee at 3 pm. Tickets are $40 to $75. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. actorsplayhouse.org

MOTHER’S DAY IN THE GARDEN

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is offering a special day out for the moms in everyone’s lives this Mother’s Day! Guests can enjoy a special Mother’s Day picnic and mimosas in the tropical beauty of the South Florida sunshine. And kiddies can enjoy the Jurassic Garden exhibit, a prehistoric adventure that brings to life the dinosaurs of the Jurassic era with life-size animatronics. Sunday, May 12 from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $11.95 to $24.95. Admission free for children five and under. 10901 Old Cutler Rd. fairchildgarden.org

CORAL

“LAUGHS IN SPANISH”

The regional premiere of this Miami story follows Mariana, an art gallery manager in Wynwood in the middle of Art Basel. This stressful time of the year takes a turn when her movie star mother turns up to help, for better or worse. Written by Alexis Scheer, this mother-daughter story brings laughs at a mile a minute. The play runs from May 18 to June 9. Showtimes are Wednesdays at 2 and 7 pm; Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm; and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets are $30 to $65. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave. gablestage.org

YOUNG TALENTS BIG DREAMS COMPETITION

“Big things come in small packages.” It’s a common saying, but it rings true at the 2024 Young Talent, Big Dreams Competition, where dozens of Miami’s most talented young performers come to compete, showcasing musical, vocal, dance, and spoken word talents. This year’s grand prize includes four tickets to Universal Orlando and a two-night hotel stay for two, courtesy of WSVN 7, as well as a $500 cash prize, courtesy of Actors’ Playhouse. Semi-finals

are Saturday, May 4 at 7 pm and Sunday, May 5 at 3 pm. Finals are Saturday, May 11 at 7 pm. Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. actorsplayhouse.org

CANDLELIGHT: MOZART, BACH, AND TIMELESS COMPOSERS

The Candlelight Concert series has found a home in Coral Gables, presenting a selection of classical music from the finest composers, including Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and more for this special classical performance! Surrounded by a breathtaking array of candles, a live orchestra will perform some of the most beloved and memorable works of classical music, including Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”, Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” and more. Showtimes are on Thursday, May 23 at 7 and 9 pm. Tickets are $38 to $66. Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd. feverup.com

VISIONS FROM INSIDE THE WALLS: CORAL GABLES ARTISTS TODAY

On the evening of Friday, May 24, join Coral Gables Magazine and the Coral Gables Museum for the opening-night of our exhibition featuring local artists who live or work in the City Beautiful. Mingle with the artists themselves while checking out their featured works – from the vivid colors of Polish artist Justyna Kisielewicz and the effervescent clouds of Gables native Liv Dockerty to the iconic pop culture imagery of the internationally renowned Rubén Torres Llorca. Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave. coralgablesmuseum.org ■

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Gallery Night Gallivanting

GETTING AROUND ON GALLERY NIGHT WITHOUT A CAR

BY KYLIE WANG AND PARI WALTER

Participating Coral Gables galleries and art venues open their doors for “Gallery Night” on the first Friday of every month so patrons can enjoy live music and fine art. Bouncing between the city’s best local galleries can require some athleticism though, especially if you want to make it from the Coral Gables Museum on Aragon to The Americas Collection on Ponce. We took to the streets last month to time the most popular transportation modes.

SCOOTER

24 total minutes, $12.10

We started our night at the Coral Gables Museum, where, after sipping on one of their Gables-themed cocktails, we had enough liquid courage to begin our two-wheeled adventure. It took only about two minutes to download and sign up for the Bird scooter app, and then another minute to locate the closest scooters. After a short walk around the corner, we used the app to “unlock” the mini-mobility machines and set up payment. Our ride to The Americas Collection cost us a total of $12.10 each – a bit steep for the 1.7-mile ride.

We had to make a quick detour around Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Miracle Mile because scooters aren’t allowed there, so we wound around the back of The Plaza before getting back on Ponce. Despite a maximum speed of only 15 miles per hour, these things feel fast! We would not recommend them for the faint of heart. It took us 18 minutes to get to The Americas Collection, and by the end, we were flying along at max speed, crossing Bird Road like seasoned professionals.

TROLLEY:

9 minutes, free

After perusing The Americas Collection’s newest exhibition, “Gestures: The Action Paintings of Ramiro Lacayo,” which had just opened that day, we began our short one-minute walk to the nearest trolley stop. We were lucky to be able to catch one almost immediately by using the Trolley Tracker (available on the city’s website) to time our stop.

By far the fastest option, the ride itself took only six minutes, but we did have to walk a couple of blocks from the corner of Aragon and Ponce to the museum. All told, we were back at the museum by 7:47 pm, only nine minutes from when we left The Americas Collection. And we rode in comfort, with plenty of seats available.

FREEBEE:

39 minutes, free

If you’re not in a hurry, the Freebee is another free option for Gallery Night. While the ride itself is usually fast, the wait times can be killer. On this night, we were also assigned three different drivers, since our first two cancelled on us.

Not counting those, our third driver, Debra, took 21 minutes to pick us up – actually shorter than the 30-minute estimate the app initially gave us. A 20-minute wait or more is standard for any Friday night, according to Debra. We were also lucky to ride alone, so we didn’t have to drop anyone else off, which can add delays.

Unfortunately, the Freebee doesn’t make it as far as The Americas Collection. Though we made our case to Debra, she stood firm: the Freebee has limits! Instead, we chose a drop-off point at Cernuda Arte, which opens quarterly for Gallery Night, and then walked for 15 minutes to The Americas Collection. With the initial cancellations and the walk, it took us a whopping 45 minutes to get there, though we took six minutes off the total once we had secured a driver. ■

OUR INTREPID TRAVELLERS ARRIVING ON SCOOTERS AT THE AMERICAS COLLECTION GALLERY ON PONCE

Lift Off

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

At The Plaza Coral Gables, you’ll find a slew of beauty and wellness options, from a state-of-the-art facial bar to the latest trendy Pilates studio. The newest addition to the list, however, focuses on enhancing one’s natural beauty – the kind that radiates through your eyes. With that in mind, I visited The Lash Lounge in hopes of achieving the “no makeup” look with their luxurious lash and brow styling services.

Walking into the second-floor location, I was greeted with a glass of champagne – a welcome surprise that helped settle my first-time nerves. Lash lifts and brow laminations had always piqued my interest (I am of the mentality that less is more when it comes to beauty), yet I never got around to committing. But with a busy social schedule coming up, I decided to take a leap of faith and placed my trust in the hands of Tamara, my lash stylist. After our initial consultation, she reassured me that the change would be subtle yet noticeable.

I lay down on the bed, listening to soothing lo-fi covers of popular songs as Tamara began cleaning my eyelashes and eyebrows. After preparing the eyelid and under eye areas, she started sculpting a custom curl that complemented my natural lash shape. The lash lift, similar to a perm, consists of using a soft silicone rod

to create a lifted curl, which is then set in place with industry-renowned products. Tamara recommended adding a tint to darken my lashes and bring out my green pupils, giving the illusion of mascara. The full process took about an hour, with timed breaks for both the lift and tint to set in.

To complete the look, I had to get my rebellious eyebrows in check. I opted for a more subtle brow lamination, one that would keep the hairs perfectly in place without over-lifting them into the fully brushed up shape (trendy, but not for me). My sensitive skin reacted slightly to the chemical solution, but the redness faded within a few minutes. For a final touch, Tamara cleaned up the brows with some light threading and plucking, removing any leftover hairs. Within an hour, my unruly eyebrows had been tamed.

Glancing into the mirror at the final results, I was in awe of how polished my features appeared. Nowadays, facial filters on social media apps give the illusion of slick brows and fluttery eyelashes, but here I was flaunting both in real life for the next six to eight weeks. Aside from conditioning my lashes with castor oil during my nighttime skincare routine, I haven’t had to put much thought into the upkeep. Three weeks in and the effects have softened into what I consider the ideal look. Goodbye makeup, hello au naturel! ■

FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A MORE DRAMATIC LOOK, THE LASH LOUNGE ALSO SPECIALIZES IN LASH EXTENSIONS, LASH FILLS, AND MICROBLADING.

Mother’s Day Shopping

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

For the Bohemian Mom: Artisanal Bliss (Right)

Next door to the Miracle Theatre is Ben & Giules, a concept store for handmade and artisanal items perfect for the laid back, free-spirited mothers in your life. Inside is a bohemian-style boutique with earth-tone hammocks draped along the walls and an eclectic yet cohesive collection of nature-inspired clothing, jewelry, accessories, and home decor. The store’s push for sustainable, slow fashion means mindful pieces that make each present feel a bit more intentional. With summer around the corner, two go-to gifts for sunny beach days are woven wicker bags (starting at $80) and stylish artisanal hats ($80-$250). You can find the latter in a variety of colors and materials, our favorite being a beige suede hat made in Mexico. For a more subtle present, peruse the front table of dainty jewelry items featuring pieces by local artists ($50-130). Another gifting route is compiling a self-care or spiritual gift bag of smaller trinkets. From sustainable shampoo bars and cocktail themed soaps ($14-$16) to cosmic intention cards ($38) and bundles of sage and crystals ($15), you’ll find everything she needs to pamper and realign herself.

For the Trendy yet Classic Mom: Fashionable Gems (Left)

No one’s more deserving of jewels than the women who raised us, so consider gifting mom some sparkling presents from Montica Jewelry. Whether you’re looking for timeless fine jewelry or trendy fashion pieces, Montica carries collections for every style and price point. Not quite sure what her taste is? Have mom come in for the luxury shopping experience, where she’ll sip champagne while adding to her wish list. Start off by browsing Ti Sento, a European luxury jewelry brand that specializes in sterling silver pieces ($100 to $1500). Their motto? “Inspired by classic shapes, but never old-fashioned.” From 18-karat gold-plated hoops or pearl drop earrings to colorful link necklaces, you’ll find the ideal set. We suggest a trio of bangles ($209-$249 each), mixing the solid gold-colored with two zirconia-studded bangles in silver and gold – ideal for stacking! If you want to truly spoil mom, Montica also offers fine jewelry. From classic tennis bracelets to dainty butterfly bangles, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” after all. On the more playful side, we recommend Doves by Doron Paloma. Their collections feature

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For the Mom that Has Everything: Home Finds (Right) What do you get the woman that seems to know and have everything? Unique home decor items are always a best bet. At Violetas on Miracle Mile, there’s a sea of upscale houseware for both the minimalist and maximalist homemakers. Of course, there’s the standard candles and coffee table books, including full-size Baobab candles ($150+) and the trendy Assouline travel volumes. However, moms deserve more than a simple housewarming gift, so we scoped out some of the finer items.

Violetas is known for their large collection of Fornasetti creations – conversation porcelain pieces inspired by “practical madness” – notably displayed along the boutique’s wall. Perfect for art-loving moms, snag a set of coasters ($90+ each) or a decorative box ($180+) depicting the signature whimsical black and white faces. From Baccarat, we suggest the practical, yet lavish crystal ring holder ($420) or the eye-catching crystal butterflies in an array of shades ($195-295 each). Sticking to the theme of colorful and regal is a set of hand-blown crystal champagne flutes with gold rims by Vetrerie di Empoli ($1,500 set of six). ■

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Bites Fine Dining Review

See page 52

PLUS BEST GABLES SALADS

HAPPY HOUR AT MOTEK NEW RESTAURANTS

Quick Bites Salads

With healthy eating at the forefront of the latest culinary and fitness trends, the humble salad is now becoming something other than the usual mundane Caesar or chopped salad. Here are some of our more interesting favorites in the Gables:

SEASONAL SPRING

As the name implies, Seasons 52 has an ever-changing seasonal menu, including its Spring Wood-Grilled Tenderloin entrée salad ($22), which is only 470 calories yet remarkably filling. The base consists of baby spinach and romaine, and it’s topped with sweet corn, wood-grilled red peppers, pumpkin seeds, Gorgonzola cheese, and, of course, steak. The whole concoction is drizzled with a cumin-lime vinaigrette for a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. 321 Miracle Mile. 305.442.8552. seasons52.com

FARM TO TABLE

Naked Farmer is a farm-to-table restaurant serving seasonal food sourced from local farmers. We love the Charred Chicken Salad ($14.96), starring robust in-season winter produce like earthy roasted sweet potatoes and golden beets, complimented by a tangy cilantro avocado dressing. The most non-salad-looking salad you’ll ever have that will leave you feeling satisfied. 137 Giralda Ave. 305.487.7327. eatnakedfarmer.com/coralgables

WONTON SOME MORE

Something we appreciate about the fast-casual chain Just Salad is its diverse menu and wide array of ingredients. One of our favorites is the iconic Thai Chicken Crunch ($12.69), which combines romaine, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and crispy wonton strips to make a crunchy and vibrant salad. The sweet and savory peanut sauce ties everything together to make a healthy and fulfilling meal. 2346 Ponce De Leon Blvd. 866.673.3757. justsalad.com

LOADED YET LIGHT

Despite the name, the Loaded Salad at Shahs of Kabob is surprisingly refreshing ($14). A bed of shredded lettuce is dressed with the traditional tomato, cucumber, and onion combo – good enough on its own, yet elevated by the sweet tartness of dried cranberries, the tangy kick of feta, and the crunchiness of walnuts. To properly dig into this medley of flavors, one must drench the plate with Shah’s addicting sumac sauce. 2624 Ponce de Leon. 786.580.5865. shahsofkabob.com

SAVORY & SWEET

Serving up salads, bowls, and protein plates, Sweetgreen is a safe bet for any salad lover. We tried the Barbecue Chicken Salad, which packed a wide variety of flavors into a single bowl – savory blackened chicken, sweet honey barbecue sauce, tangy red apples, salty tortilla chips, and a balancing Green Goddess ranch dressing on a bed of romaine, kale, and cabbage. Sweetgreen also offers the option to build your own salad bowl or protein plate. 122 Giralda Avenue. 786.847.7300. sweetgreen.com ■

FROM THE TOP:

SEASONS 52: TENDERLOIN ENTRÉE SALAD

NAKED FARMER: CHARRED CHICKEN SALAD

JUST SALAD: THAI CHICKEN CRUNCH

SHAHS OF KABOB: THE LOADED SALAD

SWEETGREEN: BARBECUE CHICKEN SALAD

The Genius of Giorgio

THE CHEF OF EATING HOUSE KEEPS IT REAL

BY J.P. FABER

It has been more than a decade since Giorgio Rapicavoli became the darling of the Miami foodie scene, opening his edgy Eating House on the northern edge of Coral Gables. Fresh from winning The Food Network’s “Chopped” competition, his bohemian hangout made waves with madly inventive dishes (including his infamous Cap’n Crunch pancakes) and earned him three semifinal James Beard finishes.

Chef Giorgio then hung that apron up for a sophisticated take on Italian food, which he created at Luca Ostoria, opening on Giralda in early 2021 to rave reviews. It’s still one of the toughest places to get a table at in the Gables.

Despite the success of Luca – or maybe because of it – part of Rapicavoli wanted to get back to his wilder culinary side. So, Eating House was born again a few hundred feet away on Giralda, close enough for the chef to keep his eye on both spots. Now in its second year, Eating House “2.0” is still a stage for creative cuisine, but with a more adult, cosmopolitan flair, including a full bar. “You have to grow up eventually, right?” says Rapicavoli. “You can’t open up a little bistro after opening up a place like Luca.”

The inside space (there is plenty of outdoor seating as well) was designed by Miami’s Locus Architecture, with a modern elegance from somewhere on the Milan/Tokyo border. The space has dramatic 20-foot ceilings, the remaining shell of a former U.S. Post Office. The main room is accented by black metal poles and tall glass doors, with yellow banquets and a long back-lit bar.

For all its warm glow, there is a sparseness to Eating House, with black tables and dark metal and leather chairs that say the focus here is on the food. As well it should be. The wonderful playfulness that earned the first Eating House its cultish following is back, albeit more refined. Looking for a new taste? Try the butternut

TOP: CHEF GIORGIO RAPICAVOLI AT EATING HOUSE ON GIRALDA PLAZA

ABOVE: THE INTERIOR IS A FUSION OF MILAN MEETS TOKYO WITH DRAMATIC INDUSTRIAL CEILINGS

OPPOSITE PAGE:

TOP LEFT: GRILLED LAMB CHOPS & BRUSSELS SPROUTS

TOP RIGHT: BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI

MIDDLE RIGHT: ARROZ CON POLLO (CHICKEN)

BOTTOM RIGHT: AMERICAN CAVIAR & TATER TOTS

TOP LEFT: STRAWBERRY DESSERT

squash ravioli. “We do pasta at Eating House a little different. We do a traditional ravioli with a ricotta butternut squash filling, very traditional Italian. But the sauce is vadouvan curry,” says Rapicavoli with impish enthusiasm. Add a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime for a Thai twist to the Indian/Italian mix and you have a meeting of three worlds. “But it works,” he says. “It’s one of my favorite dishes on the menu. It’s a very, very cool dish.”

Rapicavoli has an updated menu this month, with about half the dishes new and half left onboard by popular demand. Along with the ravioli, he’s also keeping his beloved pasta carbonara, where the server mixes an egg yolk tableside into a creamy mix of breadcrumbs, bacon, and black truffles. New to the entrees are impeccably salted lamb chops and Rapicavoli’s take on arroz con pollo, where, instead of “bland rice and overcooked chicken, you have the opposite,” he says. The chicken is dry-rubbed, dipped in buttermilk, Southern fried, then amped up by a finishing of pickled red onion and homemade adobo (a Cuban powder of onion, garlic, and citric acid). And instead of yellow rice, the juicy chicken rests on a bed of yellow rice risotto.

Certain themes emerge from a dinner at Eating House, one of which is Rapicavoli’s exploration of texture. Many of his dishes combine creamy with crunchy, often augmented by a refreshing dash of citrus. This is exemplified by two holdovers on the menu, his butter-soft Yellowfin Tuna Tartar with egg yolk, chimichurri, and a squeeze of lemon topped by crispy potato sticks, and his American Caviar, set in a fluffy bed of crème fraiche flanked by a squadron of light but crunchy salt and vinegar tater tots. On the new menu

is another lovely contrast, his take on classic Peruvian antichuchos, where instead of thinly sliced, charcoal-grilled beef hearts, the dish substitutes grilled baby carrots previously marinated in wine vinegar, cumin, pepper, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and dried chilies, served on a bed of Peruvian corn, burnt jalapeño peppers, crema, and lime. “It’s very nice, a little spicy, and honestly better, in my opinion,” he says.

In a city replete with chef-driven restaurants, Rapicavoli’s is perhaps the most fearless, pushing his cuisine into ever new territories both delicious and fascinating. This is why you dine out. ■

Mezzes at MOTEK

BY KYLIE WANG

Ducking out of work early on a Friday? We won’t tell anyone if we see you at the bar for MOTEK’s weekday happy hour, which, strangely enough, runs from 3 to 6 pm Monday through Thursday but only from 3 to 5 pm on Fridays. If you’ve got flexible hours, this could be the place for you. And if you don’t – we’ll keep your secret. Happy hour at the Mediterranean-Middle Eastern restaurant means half-price on most cocktails and wine, but the real deal is the $5 mezzes and $7 half-sandwiches. If you’re with friends and looking to share, tapas-style, go with the mezzes. Separated by cold and hot plates, these include the refreshingly light and deliciously chill Israeli salad (think pico de gallo with added veggies) and our personal favorite, the zucchini latkes – crunchy and packed with flavor.

Of course, no Mediterranean restaurant would be classified as such without traditional bread, and at MOTEK that means laffa, also known as “Iraqi pita.” Simple and vegan, commonly used as a wrap, it’s elevated at happy hour by za’atar seasoning, a blend of herbs and spices from the Levant region.

If you’re on your own and looking for something to tide you over until meal time, go for a half-sandwich. We tried the classic chicken shawarma and found it pleasantly filling – and at half-sized portion you’ll still have room for dinner. We paired it with a Miracle Mile Mojito, which puts a spin on the classic drink with citrus agave and a lychee garnish. ■

HAPPY HOUR COCKTAILS AND LAFFA AKA ‘IRAQI PITA’ WITH HERBS

New Places

With three stories, three menus, and three different concepts for lunch, dinner, and happy hour/drinks, Maiz y Agave is probably Coral Gables’ most ambitious restaurant. Which is why we cut them a bit of slack for the service during their soft launch – the restaurant employs over 100 people, from bartenders to dishwashers to maintenance workers, and not everyone has gotten into the swing of things yet.

The first floor is devoted to a more casual lunch, which ends at 5 pm. That’s when the second-floor dinner area opens, as well as the rooftop bar. We haven’t had a chance to explore the latter two yet, but we were happy overall with the lunch menu, which, like everything else here, is inspired by dishes from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Our favorite was the esquite tradicional mexicano, a creamy dish

La Pata Gorda

Ecuadorian restaurant La Pata Gorda has expanded its reach to Coral Gables, the first outside of its home country. Taking over the Miracle Mile spot that was previously KAIA Greek, La Pata Gorda showcases authentic Ecuadorian sea cuisine. The restaurant’s name, as proprietor Josué Sánchez puts it, alludes to eating Ecuadorian crabs family-style, where everyone is vying to grab “the fat crab leg.”

We sampled their uñas de cangrejo – eight crab claws in a flavorful stew, served with criolla sauce ($24). The star appetizer, however, was the carapacho croquetas, filled with Ecuadorian mangrove crab meat and combined with sweet and spicy plantains and red pepper aioli ($17). Stepping out of our comfort zone, we ordered “the most iconic Ecuadorian ceviche” – Jipijapa-style. Here, shrimp, octopus, and the catch of the day are submerged in roasted peanut sauce and citrus marinade, topped with avocado mousse ($26). Fair warning: order only if you like the strong taste of peanuts.

For the main course, we tried the Chopsué (Sánchez’s proud creation) and the signature cazuela. Both plates followed that traditional, homestyle feel of La Pata Gorda. The must-order Chopsué consists of crab meat served over cocolon, or crunchy toasted rice, with chopped bits of fried plantain, criolla sauce, and the tangy house special sauce ($27). The cazuela, or “cooking pot,” melds a green plantain base with roasted peanut sauce, shrimp, fish, and rice ($26). We finalized our intro to Ecuadorian cuisine with a maracuya (passion fruit) stracciatella ($9) – a perfect palate cleanser. 232 Miracle Mile. 786. 963.8171. lapatagorda.com – Natalia Clement

akin to street corn made with mayonnaise, epazote (a Mexican herb commonly used to season black beans), cheese, and Metchi worm salt, a smokey salt made from dried chiles and ground agave worms that we sprinkled on top. The quesadillas also get an honorable mention, as well as the birria tacos, which were served with their own cup of birria broth and salsa verde. We were too scared to try anything from the insectos side of the menu.

Of course, we paired everything with margaritas, of which there are seven on the menu, mostly the same outside of various juice mixers. Classic cocktails are also available, but if you’re a mezcal or tequila fan, this is the place for you. 375 Miracle Mile. 305.723.9898. maizyagave.com – Kylie Wang

Maiz y Agave

QUESADILLA, COCKTAILS & MARGARITAS AT MAIZ Y AGAVE

“Patients always talk about how they feel cared for by the entire team in a holistic way.”

Sebastian Duncan-Portuondo, Artist in Residence

Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute

Sebastian, a visual artist in the Arts in Medicine program at Miami Cancer Institute, believes that creating art can support the healing process. “We work with our cancer patients and have a moment of beauty together,” he says. “It changes their perspective on the treatment experience.” What’s more, the program works on several levels. “It’s not always just about making art, but also the companionship and spending time together.”

Studies have shown that patient engagement with the visual and performing arts helps lessen anxiety and alleviate pain. “This program is treating the mind and soul as well as the body,” Sebastian says. “It proves the power that art can have in someone’s most challenging moments.”

Sebastian is grateful for the Arts in Medicine Program, which is fully funded through philanthropy. “It’s a wonderful job for an artist,” he says. “It allows us to continue our work while doing something meaningful in our community.”

You can support programs for patients with serious illness. BaptistHealth.net/GenerosityHeals or 786-467-5400.

Photo by Lynn Parks

Fairways

This long-awaited golfer’s paradise at the Biltmore Hotel easily fills the hole left by The 19th Hole (pun intended). The ambience and views wow here with huge windows that lend it a bright, airy feel, antithetical to the previous restaurant’s darker atmosphere. That golden, sunlit feeling is enhanced by the large outdoor terrace, elevated by the addition of TUUCI umbrellas (made locally) and comfortable patio chairs. The sunset views of the golf course are without comparison, and watching aspiring athletes test their chipping and putting skills on the green is a nice plus.

The bar inside is similarly beautiful, well-stocked and great for happy hour or a quick beer after a day on the links. For a refreshing twist, we went with Butterfly Kisses ($17) – Tito’s, lemon, strawberry, and Butterfly Pea Flower tea – and for something heavier we tried the Pineapple & Corn Margarita ($19) with Ilegal Mezcal Reposado and Nixta corn liquor. Both excellent, ice cold, and strong without being overwhelming. On happy hour (Mon. through Thurs. 4 to 6 pm), draft beers are $6 and pitchers $20.

One happy addition to the food menu is a short list of all-day breakfast items, but we went for a traditional dinner. We started with the Clubhouse Chili ($12), served with oyster crackers and all the fixings, and a Pretzel Bucket ($15) with surprisingly good warm beer cheese. The churrasco ($38) was our favorite, an eight-ounce cut with chimichurri and two sides, well-worth the price tag. The sides include healthy options like marinated grilled broccolini or the simple yet effective onion ring. We’ll be back, especially for the breakfast menu. 1200 Anastasia Ave. (The Biltmore Hotel). 305.445.8066. biltmorehotel.com/coral-gables-dining/fairways – Kylie Wang

Artist Shaun Now rouzi

CRAFTS CAPTIVATING SCULPTURE

G A RDENS FOR COLLE CT IONS AND LUXU RY HOMES & MANSIONS

Artist Shaun Nowrouzi has created a buzz around his imaginative sculpture gardens, which combine his original, large-scale metal works with nature’s beauty. The gardens he designs are intended to showcase the interplay between his sculptures and the vibrant flora of our region.

“My garden sculptures are meant to blend seamlessly with nature, incorporating shapes and forms that harmoniously complement the surrounding scene,” he added

Known for creating unique artwork for ultra-luxury residences, Shaun is exhibiting at the Coral Gables Museum starting May 24 The announcement comes after major features in Coral Gables Magazine, Miami Living Magazine and Florida Design Magazine.

Shaun designs garden environments where the landscape embraces each sculpture, as they are placed in relation to one another to convey an immersive experience. He has been called a “gifted artist” by admirers of his work

The Coral Gables resident takes great pride in his collaboration with craftsmen who skillfully apply welding and metalworking techniques to produce an exact replica of his design. The fabrication phase demands meticulous attention to detail and a dedication to precise execution, as each piece plays a unique role in the garden.

Shaun forges close relationships with buyers, offering each client thoughtful and personalized attention. He collaborates with them to discover perfect location that highlights the collector’s investment in his artworks.

To schedule a viewing of his gallery, contact Shaun today at info@shaunnowrouzisculptures.com.

Shaun Nowrouzi

The Artists of Coral Gables

IN WHICH WE LOOK AT ART CREATED BY RESIDENTS OF THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

BY KYLIE WANG

In a city recently named the nation’s “ritziest” home market, known for its immensity of culture, it’s no wonder there’s so much art in Coral Gables. What we do wonder at is how many artists there are here. Truly, there is no such thing as a “starving artist” in the City Beautiful. How could there be?

Our local artists range far and wide. There are Coral Gables natives and escapees of communism, general contractors and princesses of pop culture, rebels and allegorists, history makers and dreamers, realist painters and abstract sculptors… a collage of the young and old and the new and renowned, using everything from fiber and found objects to paint and pencil to show us something; to make us think.

When we first set out to profile these creative Gableites, we were surprised to find so many here.

Even more surprising was the breadth and scope of their works. So we have compiled some of the best and brightest, many of whom are internationally renowned. You’ll read about a criminal plot to steal six-figures’ worth of one artist’s works, how one Gables native rediscovered her home in the sunsplashed skies of South Florida, and how one of the best Cuban artists in the world found happiness in our fair city after a life of constant movement. Each has a different philosophy, a different style, and a vastly different personality.

To see their works in person and get a chance to hear from them directly, join us on Friday, May 24 at the Coral Gables Museum for our collaborative exhibition: “Visions from Inside the Walls: Coral Gables Artists Today.” Until then, read on….

RUBÉN TORRES LLORCA

JUSTYNA KISIELEWICZ

Mixed Media on Canvas The Pride of Poland: Justyna Kisielewicz

Born into the drab world of communist Poland, Justyna Kisielewicz had always dreamed of being not just a professional artist, but a professional artist in America. In 2015, that dream was about to become a reality, when she was invited to do a show in San Francisco. There was only one problem: her entire life’s work had just been stolen.

“The story is crazy,” Kisielewicz says. “It could fill a couple of Netflix episodes, to be honest.” Right after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poland, Kisielewicz was approached by a gallery that was co-owned by a high-ranking French politician and a Polish Secret Police agent.

It was the latter that first spoke to Kisielewicz. “He offered me stuff that any artist would fall for,” she says. “He was going to show me internationally, he was going to take me to Art Basel…” What he did instead was steal from her.

Robbed of the 17 paintings that comprised her life’s work, Kisielewicz fell into a deep depression. But then hope appeared when the San Franciscan gallery reached out and gave her the time to create new work. The amazing reception for the exhibition led to a visa for “extraordinary abilities in art.” And now, Kisielewicz is hoping to secure U.S. citizenship this month.

Amid all of this, she also found love. When she told her now-husband, an American lawyer she met in California, about the story of the stolen paintings, his reaction was to “sue everyone,” she says with a laugh. “He’s a lunatic!”

Even her brother, also an attorney, told her she had no chance of saving her works, given the caliber of people involved in the conspiracy. But Kisielewicz had found in a gem in her husband, and three years later, she flew to Poland to testify, returning home with her paintings intact.

In 2021, the couple bought a house in Coral Gables, perfectly situated near two of Kisielewicz’s favorite art stores: Jerry’s Artarama and Blick Art Materials. “My head is full of colors and ideas and I need to have a place to unwind,” the artist says. “Coral Gables is the perfect spot for after-work chilling.”

The rebellious artist’s works have now been featured internationally, from Germany to Australia to Poland. Her distinctive use of vibrant colors and the sometimes-controversial nature of her subject matter has led to high praise from critics and even protests from conservatives in Poland.

“There are a lot of feminist artists who are still using female bodies. At the end of the day, when you look at that, you’re still exploiting females. So, my take was, how about we [do that] to men?” Kisielewicz says with a mischievous grin.

Many of her works feature muscular nude male bodies paired with 3D appendages that she crochets and then spray-paints. Most have deeper theme as well, from commentaries on colonialism to the exploration of popular culture. She’s been called the “princess of pop culture,” by Elle Magazine and several of her paintings now hang in the National Museum in Gdansk, Poland.—Kylie Wang

A Generational Talent: Rubén Torres Llorca

Paint on Canvas, Sculpture, Collage

One of the most celebrated Cuban artists of his generation, Rubén Torres Llorca would likely tell you he’s more of an “anthropologist” than anything else. His work, which is world-renowned, encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, and photography, focusing on 20th century techniques. “I don’t really tell you anything; I don’t give you an opinion about life,” says Torres Llorca of his work. “What I try to do is create a space where we can think together about problems.”

The artist believes there are two “creative moments” associated with every work of art. The first is when the artist creates the piece; the second, when it is viewed by someone else “with a completely different life experience.” Many of his works feature iconic images from American pop culture, especially from 1940s and 1950s film, which he encases in expanding circles of color, juxtaposed with contrasting titles: “Another Happy Ending” with an image of fear.

Torres Llorca grew up in Cuba, inspired by stories of his artist father, who passed when he was young. “[Art] was a way to be connected to him,” he says. But he wouldn’t consider himself an artist until much later. He graduated from the San Alejandro School of Fine Arts in 1976 and then the Superior Institute of Art in ’81, both in Havana. Around that time, in January 1981, he was part of a groundbreaking exhibition of Cuban art called “Volumen Uno” (“Volume One”), widely considered to be the launching point of a new era in Cuban art. Since then, his work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across the world, from the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami to the Ludwig Forum for International Art in Germany.

But even now, he says, art is not the center of his life. Family holds that title. In fact, that’s how he eventually ended up in Coral Gables. “I promised my children that I would not let them suffer what I did, growing up in Cuba,” explains Torres Llorca. Initially, he moved to Argentina, but the market for art was smaller there, so the family packed up and headed to Mexico. When the Cuban government began pushing him to return to Cuba, Torres Llorca took an opportunity to move to New York and begin doing shows and exhibitions there. Still, Miami – and Coral Gables – was the end goal, mostly because Torres Llorca thought it was a better place to raise children. In 1993, that goal was accomplished.

“I chose Coral Gables because I try to live a very, very simple life. I don’t like cars. I like to work. I like to buy the food I’m going to use that day. I do whatever I want to do and [people] pay me for it.” However, he acknowledges, “I’m not an easy artist. I’m the kind of dog who bites the hand that feeds him. But I’ve loved, I’ve been loved, and I have two wonderful kids. It’s been a fantastic life, especially considering I was born in a very, very difficult place.”—Kylie Wang

Living in the Clouds: Liv Dockerty

Paint on Canvas

As a native Gableite, Liv Dockerty has always been fascinated by the South Florida skies – specifically, with the clouds. “We get some of the most spectacular skies,” she says. “I’ve lived in other areas where I’ve experienced other sunsets and sunrises, but I just feel like the ones in Miami are so spectacular.” The combination of South Florida’s flat terrain and the tropical fronts that come in off the ocean, forming the puffy cumulus clumps we all know so well, are what makes the sky come to life, she says.

Dockerty’s depictions of these skies are made evocative by her use of interference paints, which reflect and refract light so that her clouds look like they’re moving as you walk past, or as the light changes in the room. “The clouds in the sky never stagnate, so it shouldn’t feel flat and stagnant in the art,” says Dockerty. “I live in an apartment building on the eighth floor, and I’ll see the sky, run and grab my phone, and by the time I go to take a photo, it’s changed.”

Despite being a self-described “Gables girl,” Dockerty left in 2010 to pursue an art degree at Parsons School of Design in New York. But she longed for the City Beautiful and its patchwork of colorful skies – so much so, she says, that it affected her mental health. “I was trying to stick it out in New York,” she says, where opportunities for artists are more widespread. Ultimately, she decided to move back to the Gables, and art became something akin to therapy for her. “I started painting and painting and painting and my career took off from there,” she says.

In 2022, she was part of a group exhibition at the Americas Collection, a Gables-based hotspot for local and Latin American artists. That led to a solo show there in 2023, which she recalls fondly as the moment she felt she’d “made it.” “I’d driven by this gallery hundreds and hundreds of times,” she says. “To have a solo show was major. It felt really special.”

Today, the young artist is wrapping up a residency with the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Downtown Miami, where she created an interactive pop-up art exhibit called “Liv in the Clouds.” Walking along a hallway lined with mirrors and Dockerty’s works, participants could, in fact, “live in the clouds.”

Dockerty isn’t slowing down anytime soon. This summer, she plans to release a collection of limited-edition prints on her website, with the idea of becoming accessible to those without deep pockets. Several episodes of a new HGTV show will be aired in July, featuring Dockerty as she works with a client on a customized work depicting a view of the sky from their home. The show is a similar concept to Netflix’s “Designing Miami,” and will showcase the same host, Miami native and interior designer Eilyn Jimenez. “The whole process will be featured on the show, which is exciting,” says Dockerty. “It’s kind of opening a new field for me.”—Kylie Wang

Flexing with Fiber: Aurora Molina

Fiber Arts

The use of fiber as a textile dates back to 5,000 BC when Ancient Egyptians made linen burial shrouds for their pharaohs. Cotton, wool, and silk are similarly ancient fibers, while today manmade fibers like nylon, polyester, and rayon are commonplace. While you’re likely to see these words printed on your clothing tags, however, you’re less likely to identify them as materials for art. But that’s just what artists like Aurora Molina use them for.

Molina is a Cuban immigrant who arrived in Coral Gables as a highschooler, attending Gables High while her artist father and architect mother worked. “[My father] used to be the art teacher in the cultural center where we lived and I was his assistant since I was little,” she says. “I used to doodle on my mother’s blueprints. So, I grew up in that world.”

But it wasn’t until Molina took a class at Florida International University called “fiber painting” that she had her “aha” moment. “It gave me the freedom of drawing with a sewing machine,” and the speed to bring her many ideas to life, she says. The sheer variation of methods used to create fiber art was another draw, with the ability to use embroidery, tufting, knitting, weaving, sewing, and more under the same creative umbrella. But deeper than all of this was her realization of what fiber truly meant to her, its history, and its deep feminine tradition.

“[Fiber] holds many memories that have to do with womanhood,” Molina explains. “This has been our language [for so long]. Why not speak through it, tell stories with it?” To Molina, a crochet quilt is art, or a denim jacket that’s been embroidered. But because of the “sense of domesticity” that’s intrinsic to fiber art, “it hasn’t been elevated.”

She aims to change this, partly through her Red Thread Studio, which she opened this year in Coral Gables. Eighteen multidisciplinary artists work out of the studio, using everything from sewing thread to tufting guns in order to create their pieces. Molina also hosts classes and workshops for both adults and children who are interested in fiber arts.

“I feel like I also have a responsibility to do much more than just my work,” she says. “My work is in different collections and museums, but I’ve always felt that was circumstantial. That’s more like a consequence of the hard work. It means more to me seeing [one of my students] get into art school.”

That sense of community is also represented in her art, like a series she just finished that focuses on childhood memories, using felt to replicate photos of her family. “The texture that it has and the colors I’m using have to do with memory,” she says. “The quality of the material, the technique, and the fact that I have to sit there for hours [making it] has to do with the same thing, of going back to that particular time that I want to represent in the piece. It’s soft, it’s fragile… almost like a dream of a memory.”—Kylie Wang ■

Lang-Adams house 1896 Peter Studl Avignon Studl

Angela Bolaños

Angela Bolaños is a multidisciplinary artist and educator whose vibrant, textural works explore identity, perception, and the amalgamation of her Honduran roots with experiences in Miami and Portland. Born in Honduras, Bolaños’ early memories shaped her affinity for vivid colors and organic forms as an escape from monotony.

After studying theatre in Portland for eight years, she returned to Miami in 2014, reigniting her passion for the visual arts. Bolaños creates dimensional pieces using textiles, reflective surfaces, found objects, and traditional media. Her process-driven practice juxtaposes geometric patterns with free-flowing, biomorphic shapes achieved through expressive brushwork and embroidery techniques connected to her ancestry.

Bolaños’ rich, ebullient artworks represent physical expressions examining how memory and the ephemeral nature of time influence one’s sense of self across cultures. In addition to her studio practice, she is an active teaching artist, facilitating creative discovery at institutions like Perez Art Museum Miami. Bolaños aims to inspire others to explore their own identities through artmaking.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, with notable recent and upcoming shows at Books & Books Coral Gables, the Breakwater Hotel during Art Week Miami, and Guadeloupe. With an MFA and background in arts administration, Bolaños’s multidisciplinary approach harmonizes diverse perspectives into a distinctive vision celebrating the human experience.

James Palma

James Palma is a talented architect and photographer with a career spanning over 35 years. His expertise in architecture, urban design, and interior design has led him to work on numerous large-scale projects for prestigious clients such as the U.S. General Services Administration and Miami-Dade County. Among his notable contributions, Palma served as the senior project manager for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the Miami International Airport Terminal, and the Frost Museum of Science, showcasing his ability to oversee and execute complex architectural projects.

As a photographer, Palma has garnered significant recognition for his work, which exhibits a mastery of various themes and subjects. His photographs have been featured in several exhibitions and are included in both corporate and private collections. Palma’s primary focus is on capturing the artistic essence of the built environment, showcasing his keen eye for composition and detail in architectural photography.

Palma’s photographic portfolio also demonstrates his versatility and sensitivity as an artist. His studies of Italian memorial sculpture reveal an uncommonly delicate vision, providing a striking contrast to the bold, polished, and hard-edged style of his architectural images. This ability to adapt his photographic approach to different subjects highlights Palma’s artistic range. In addition to his photographic and architectural work, Palma has designed and published more than 25 books. He is also a sought-after speaker, having delivered numerous live presentations on his various subjects, further cementing his position as a respected figure in both the architectural and photographic communities.

TOP: “CORAL GABLES PEACH” BOTTOM: “CORAL GABLES VENUS VIEW”

“OPERCULUM COLORUM” TEXTILE, ACRYLIC AND GOUACHE ON FABRIC. 85X34

Linda Burgess

Linda Burgess is an acclaimed artist whose poetic paintings inhabit the elusive space where memory and reality overlap. With deft brushwork and a mastery of light and atmosphere, she elevates mundane elements into iconic images loaded with underlying allegory. By capturing familiar yet fragmented moments crystallized in time, Burgess creates evocative visual narratives that intrigue the viewer.

Over her three-decade career, Burgess has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Her works are in major public and private collections including the National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Mint Museum, The Polaroid International Collection, and the Zimmerli Museum of Art. In addition to her prolific studio practice, Burgess is an accomplished writer and former professor. She has authored articles for Art & Antiques, ARTnews, and The Washington Review. She received her BA in Art and Music from Appalachian State University, and her MFA from Rutgers under painter Leon Golub. She also taught painting as an associate professor at Birmingham-Southern College and the University of New Haven in Saudi Arabia.

Burgess is married to artist William Dunlap, with whom she had a visiting artist residency in Rome in 2009. The family resides between Florida, Virginia, and Mississippi, spending significant time in the artistically rich Mississippi Delta region. Through her luminous works and cross-disciplinary pursuits, Burgess continues to push the boundaries of how we perceive and engage with the fragmented recollections that shape our lived realities.

William Dunlap

William Dunlap born in Houston, Mississippi in 1944, is a renowned artist, writer, arts advocate, and commentator with a career spanning more than four decades. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi College in 1967 and his M.F.A. from the University of Mississippi in 1969. Dunlap taught at Appalachian State University in North Carolina from 1970 to 1979 and at Memphis State University from 1979 to 1980 before dedicating himself fulltime to his artistic practice.

His work, which he describes as “hypothetical realism,” encompasses large-scale narrative paintings, constructions, printmaking, sculpture, and photography, exploring history, allegory, and the creative process itself. Dunlap’s paintings, sculpture, drawings, and constructions are included in numerous public and private collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Mississippi Museum of Art.

The artist has received various honors and awards, including the Danforth Award in the Visual Arts (1969), international artist fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lila Wallace Foundation, and grants from the Warhol Foundation and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. He has also co-curated exhibitions that have traveled throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In addition to his visual art, Dunlap is the author of “SHORT MEAN FICTION: Words and Pictures” and the subject of a comprehensive survey entitled “DUNLAP.” He is a sought-after lecturer and a regular contributor of arts commentary on Washington, D.C.’s “Around Town,” a cultural round table review on WETA-TV.

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A Viennesse Soiree

Orchestra Miami

May 4, 2024

Miami Dances 2024 Master Dance Classes

Miami Dance Hub

May 5, 2024

Serenade to Motherhood: A Choral Celebration

Miami Collegium Musicum

May 11, 2024

Love's Magic IlluminArts

May 16, 2024

Cuba 2024: A Contemporary Showcase of Cuban and Cuban American Composers

Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation

May 17, 2024

Mainly Mozart Festival

Miami Chamber Music Society

May 18, 2024

Seeds Of The Future

Student Choreography Showcase

Armour Dance Theatre

May 19, 2024

Dancing Sinatra Sanctaury of the Arts Choreographic Ensemble

May 24, 2024

Marisa Tellería

Marisa Tellería’s minimalist approach encourages attentive viewing, drawing attention to both what is present and what is absent. The references to her personal history within some pieces explore the interplay between self and place, the subjectivity of memory, and how the filters accumulated through movement and transition affect one’s perception. Her practice is centered on exploring perception through reductive, elemental forms, and attenuated signs. By distilling situations and creating seemingly unaltered environments, Tellería invites viewers to slow down and experience quiet, fleeting moments of sensorial engagement. Her works serve as documents of these ephemeral instances, aiming to suspend the space between observation and conceptualization, allowing for a corporeal, synesthetic understanding unencumbered by immediate notions of meaning.

Tellería was born in Nicaragua and received her BFA from Florida International University in 1993 and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in ‘96. Her works are held in the collections of the Frost Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Weatherspoon Museum, among others.

Notable solo exhibitions include shows at the Frost Art Museum (2014), Lehman College Art Gallery (2005), and Fusebox Gallery (2003). Tellería has also participated in group exhibitions at the Pérez Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Albright-Knox Gallery, and the Museo del Barrio. She continues to explore the landscapes of perception through her reductive, experiential works, inviting viewers to engage with the present moment and their own processes of seeing and understanding.

Shaun Nowrouzi

With a knack for creativity and a lifelong interest in the mechanics of working parts, Shaun Nowrouzi started his career as a builder and contractor, which is where his passion for creation first bloomed. His company, Modular Contractors, specialized in niche markets with a focus on high-end buildings and educational and healthcare facilities. Clients included Baptist Hospital, University of Miami, and Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart.

It wasn’t until a 2006 visit to Europe cemented his inspiration in monuments, museums, and exhibits that Nowrouzi realigned with his long-held passion for metalworking as art. The results are evocative: three-dimensional fabrications, a blend of colorful physicality and abstract metals, many of which he exhibits at his Coral Gables home. There, amongst lush foliage and gentle sunlight, Nowrouzi seamlessly merges metal and nature in a whimsical sculpture garden.

Dreamily harmonizing with flora amidst figurative ballet dancers and purple metal flames, each pedestal and piece is imagined and designed by Nowrouzi before being sculpted in aluminum and other metals. All are designed, he says, to appear as outdoor pieces in gardens. “They dance with the landscape the pieces are set in,” he explains. “It’s not just about dropping statues in a yard…. It’s about the garden as a whole.” The deeply personal nature of the backdrop adds another element of intimacy to his works; the idea is not to simply view individual works, but to understand the exhibition as artwork itself.

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Plastic Surgery

Fears and Anxiety

Many patients harbor fears about Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. That’s understandable and even serves a protective function, since it is real surgery, though a personal choice and not medically required. You may have heard about complications in the news, seen bad results in celebs, on media and even in your own circles (“don’t want to end up or look like that”).

There are two categories of fear causing anxiety: medical risks and poor aesthetic outcomes - “Will I be ok?” and “How will I look?

Regarding the first, some patients have anxiety about anesthesia. There are three basic types of anesthesia - local, sedation and general. With local, you’re wide awake and the site of surgery is numbed with injections. Sedation involves numbing injections but while under the influence of sedatives for relaxation. With general anesthesia you are asleep, not just the site of surgery. General anesthesia represents a spectrum from light to deep, depending on the procedure. An advantage with facelifts is that all areas can be numbed with local anesthesia. Thus the level of general anesthesia can be light, just enough to keep you asleep until surgery is over. Having a patient asleep and safely monitored during surgery provides the highest level of surgical control during delicate procedures and is most comfortable for patients, especially anxious ones.

Sometimes patients are told, likely to ease their fear, that their procedure will be done under ‘only’ sedation even though the level of sedation will be so deep that they are asleep. The line between deep (i.e. unconscious) sedation and general anesthesia is blurry and depends on medications used and how the patient’s airway and breathing are managed. For conscious sedation, nasal oxygen may suffice as the patient is still able to control their own airway. For deeper levels (i.e. when you’re asleep) more secure options are a laryngeal, or the safest, an endotracheal airway. Monitoring and controlling the patient’s breathing during surgery is critical for safety. Being asleep for surgery under anesthesia with a proper airway has an excellent safety record (better than driving!) if provided by an experienced, board-certified anesthesiologist in an accredited surgical center.

Other medical fears include actual medical/surgical risks such as bleeding, infections, damage to deeper structures or blood clots. When in the hands of an experienced surgeon, these risks can be minimized, to less than 1%. So these risks should be viewed relative to other risks of daily living.

What about aesthetic risks - what is your result going to look like? That’s where most risk exists as it varies widely with surgeon training, experience and artistic skill. Board certification in Plastic Surgery is only a starting point and thoughtful research is strongly advised to reduce the potential for disappointment. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery should strive for beauty, yet be subtle, and look normal and natural. Overly obvious results are probably not very good - better to have others wonder as to why you look good.

In summary, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in a properly selected and realistic patient, with an experienced surgeon and appropriate anesthesia has the potential to improve one’s quality of life, with high safety and low risk.

STEPHAN BAKER, MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery of the Face Breast and Body

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

305.381.8837 | www.drbaker.com 3850 Bird Road Suite 702, Miami, FL 33146

Stephan Baker MD

Peter Studl

Austrian native and Gables resident (his home is the city’s oldest), Peter Studl is a curator of found objects and the intimate grains of the physical world, creating multi-dimensional abstract works.

Studl received his bachelor’s from the University of Illinois and a law degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, then ventured into real estate development before settling on art. Studl was founding chairman of the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and was an early board member of The New Art Examiner magazine.

In his works, the self-taught artist combines intense natural, industrial, and traditional materials to bridge the gap between visual art and physical objects. Scraps, coal dust, and metal shavings all have a permanent place in his works, which often represent technologies constantly being replaced. With movement, depth, and interest beyond the new technologies of the art world, Studl’s works move fluidly between memory and sound, crisis and peace, violence and love. Sometimes soft and sweeping, but mostly edgy and imbued with energized emotion, they are textured and layered with complexity.

Relying on flashes of memory from world travel as well as local moments from inside the City Beautiful, Studl’s pieces are experiential and sensory, with messaging that still often transcends technological motifs to allow the viewer to question planetary subjects from respect to freedom to the political machine. Studl’s teenage daughter, Avignon, an aspiring artist, works alongside him in his Gables studio, combining copper, selenite, and gold to make similarly layered works.

Kenia Arguiñao

Kenia Arguiñao, born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, in 1983, is a contemporary artist whose works have garnered international recognition. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts “Benny Moré” in Cienfuegos in 2006 and the Higher Institute of Art in Havana in 2011, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a focus on painting.

Arguiñao’s artistic practice has been showcased in numerous prestigious venues, including the Centre of Visual Arts Development, Havana Galerie (Zurich), James Braddock Park Art Center (New Jersey), and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. She has participated in notable events such as the Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art, the Havana Biennial, and Art Basel Miami. In addition to her solo exhibitions, Arguiñao has been featured in significant group shows, including “Abstracting History: On the Horizon of Contemporary Cuban Art” (PAMM, 2017), “Kindred Spirits: Ten Artists by the Hudson” (Coral Gables Museum, 2018), and “Cuba Inside & Out” (TOTH Gallery, New York, 2019). Her works are held in the collections of PAMM and private collections throughout the U.S., Europe, and Latin America.

Arguiñao’s talent has been recognized through residencies at the Gilbert Brownstone Foundation in Paris (2012) and the Vermont Studio Center (2019). These opportunities have allowed her to further develop her artistic vision and engage with international art communities. Through her thought-provoking and visually striking works, Kenia Arguiñao continues to make a significant impact on the contemporary art scene, both in her native Cuba and abroad. ■

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The Suite Life

of Seniors

A LOOK AT THE LIFE OF RESIDENTS IN THE TOP GABLES ADULT LIVING COMMUNITIES

WHEN MOST people think about senior living facilities, they think of the stereotypical nursing home decorated in monochromatic gray tones and sterile lighting, where elderly people play checkers and the food served is as lifeless and colorless as the surroundings. As Josh Cabrera, general manager of the Palace puts it, they’re probably thinking of somewhere, “where people are waiting to die.” However pervasive that stereotype may be, it’s a far stretch from what life is like in Coral Gables’ elite senior living communities.    The leading senior living communities in and around Coral Gables are just that -

communities. And living in one feels like you’ve escaped Coral Gables and wandered into one of the communities described in Dan Buettner’s seminal book “The Blue Zones.” Known for having the highest concentration of octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians in the world, Blue Zones demonstrate some of the most important lifestyle factors that contribute to a long, healthy, and happy life. The good news is that most of those factors – social connections, mental stimulation, good diets, active lifestyles – can be found right here in Coral Gables’ senior living communities.

Alberta Darling

THE PALACE

“ YOU’RE AROUND SO MANY INTERESTING, WELL-EDUCATED PEOPLE.”

ALBERTA DARLING walks toward the bar with her Havanese pup Daisy in tow. Every once in a while, she’ll come to the community’s daily happy hour for her favorite drink, a vodka soda with Absolut, and to participate in the lively conversation among residents. With its opulent chandeliers and Baroque-inspired decor, The Palace looks more like a luxury hotel you’d find in Paris than a senior living community (it was modeled after the George V Hotel), but Darling, a former Wisconsin state senator, says it reminds her more of college.

“I feel like I’m in a college dorm. People literally come and stop by your room to say hi, or call if you’re not down for dinner… and you’re around so many interesting, well-educated people,” she says. Residents are also walking distance from the shops, restaurants, theaters (live and movie), and art galleries of downtown Coral Gables, so there is no lack of culture.

Darling moved to The Palace two years

ago after retiring from a 30-year career in politics. She made the move to Miami to be closer to her daughter and has loved living at The Palace so far. Known for her work balancing Wisconsin’s state budget and supporting education reform, Darling is a big fan of the programs The Palace offers to keep their residents learning even in the latter part of their lives. Partnering with the University of Miami, the community offers a multitude of classes for residents, covering subjects from AI to new languages. Darling herself is considering taking up Spanish, and she’s also learning how to play mahjong with the other residents.

In addition to educational classes, The Palace also offers a wealth of physical activities, like chair Pilates and yoga, water aerobics, tai chi, meditation, low-impact movement classes, and Zumba – a very popular option according to general manager Josh Cabrera. Darling doesn’t have a favorite form of exercise, but she does love

to garden on her balcony and watch her hibiscus plants grow.

As a former politician, Darling says she makes sure she stays up to date on the news. She watches the news twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, and in between she exercises, reads, and talks to her friends. The social aspect of living at The Palace is Darling’s favorite thing about the community. She compares it to what she liked most about her career in politics.

“People always asked me, ‘How can you stand politics?’ And I said, ‘It’s because of the people. I’ve met so many great people.’ I really enjoy that,” she says.

For Darling, there wasn’t a stigma associated with moving to a senior living community like The Palace because it doesn’t feel like a stereotypical senior living community. Instead, it’s just a beautiful place to live close to her family where she has the chance to learn new things and meet new people.

The Liebermans

BELMONT VILLAGE

“ WE WANTED TO LIVE WHERE THERE’S SOCIAL LIFE.”

THE LIEBERMANS’ apartment at Belmont Village is like walking into a cool, exclusive art gallery. Pieces the couple has collected over the years from their time in North Carolina, Georgia, and Coral Gables line the walls. Fresh flowers sit atop almost every table, and not one pillow, painting, or light fixture is out of place.

David and Renee Lieberman are also a sight to behold. David’s button-up shirt is perfectly pressed, and Renee’s maroon lipstick matches the exact shade of her top. Given the two’s former professions – David worked for the University of Miami as the senior vice president for business and finance for nearly 30 years, and Renee worked for over 17 years at the New World School of the Arts as a college advisor – their exactness and attention to detail makes sense.

For the last 50 years, the Liebermans have lived in South Florida, and for a large part of that time in Coral Gables. However, when Belmont Village opened up in January

adjacent to the Shops at Merrick Village, the couple decided to move into the community to be around more people. They were actually the first residents to sign on.

“We wanted to live where there’s social life. When we saw the Belmont and looked into it, it was everything we wanted it to be. It’s such a beautiful, beautiful place, and the national company has a great reputation.… The financial model is wonderful because it’s rental. It’s not ownership, which means that in order to retain us, they have to take good care of us,” says David with a laugh.

Renee shakes her head with a smile before listing the activities the pair do every week. In some ways, the 10-story complex resembles a college campus, with an art studio, theater, game room, swimming pool, gym, and spaces for classes and events. It’s also walking distance to restaurants and shops. The facility was created in partnership with Baptist Health, so residents have access to a holistic wellness center staffed by

specialists in nutrition and disease prevention as well.

Belmont Village is currently at 49 percent occupancy, and Renee says that she pretty much knows everyone in the community. She also enjoys her weekly chair Pilates class and looks forward to water aerobics. David drives to the University of Miami a few times a week to swim laps like he’s done for the last 25 years and plays poker regularly with his friends.

Outside of moving to a new location, not much has changed for the Liebermans. Living at Belmont doesn’t feel too different because they still enjoy all the activities they did before moving to the community, but with an expanded social circle. “The people are very, very welcoming. The staff are all very nice, very warm. From day one, they made me feel welcome here,” says Renee. David follows, “I think Belmont Village knows what they’re doing. They know how to build a culture overnight.”

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The Feinbergs

THE WATERMARK

“ IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHT DECISION. LIVING HERE IS JUST SO EASY.”

ELI FEINBERG has always been a wine aficionado. It’s one of his great passions in life. So, when he and his wife Andi Feinberg were considering a move to a senior living community, finding somewhere to store Eli’s wine collection was paramount. It just so happened that at the community they were interested in, the Watermark, that was possible.

When you walk into the Feinbergs’ apartment, the first thing you see is a wardrobe-sized double-door wine cooler holding anywhere from 200 to 400 bottles at any given time. Past the giant wine cooler, there are bookshelves filled with Andi’s cookbooks. Living at the Watermark, the couple is able to pursue and enjoy some of their favorite activities in life. Eli has his cooler filled with wines, which he shares with other residents at dinner, a tradition he calls “toasting the golden grape.” And Andi fulfills her love of food and new cuisines by indulging in Coral Gables’ rich restaurant scene.

The hardest part of moving to a senior

living community for the Feinbergs was making the decision to move in the first place. “After that, everything fell in place,” says Andi. “It just seemed like the right decision. Living here is just so easy. If I want to make my bed lower, all I have to do is call someone downstairs and it’s taken care of. It’s not like I have to find someone, call them, and then wait around for them to come.”

After living in Pinecrest for 30-something years and working together for 40 in Eli’s lobbying practice, the couple finally made the move to the Watermark in July after they both faced some health complications. Since moving, they haven’t looked back, and have even picked up some new hobbies as a result.

Eli is currently working on improving his Spanish and learning from the other residents. He still meets with his friends for their regular poker game, and Andi has taken charge in the community. Outside of attending some of her favorite exercise class-

es like “Balance and Stretch,” she’s organized a resident’s committee to make suggestions on improving the community. In March, she also spoke on a women’s panel for International Women’s Day at the community.

For the Feinbergs, there’s no stigma about living at the Watermark. From the rooftop pool there are views of Coral Gables in every direction, and activities include movie matinees, yoga programs, art classes, and music concerts – not to mention nearby restaurants, like Havanna Harry’s, Erba, and those at the Shops at Merrick Park (which also has the luxury Landmark cinema). There are Sunday shuttles to local churches as well.

More than anything, the Feinbergs love the sense of community they’ve found there. “I know everyone’s names here,” says Andi. “When we first moved in, I made it my goal. I would study the directory. The socialization is key. I can’t begin to tell you the stories that are in this building. The people are amazing.”

Ana Maria Sastre

THE CONTEMPORARY

“ I HAVE MET THE BEST FRIENDS HERE. REALLY ”

ANA MARIA SASTRE wakes up every day whenever she wants to, eats breakfast and lunch whenever she wants to, and generally does whatever she wants to. Some days, that means spending time talking to her three new best friends – Vivian, Cuqui, and Elaine – all of whom she met when she first moved into The Contemporary in December 2022. On other days, it may mean visiting her family or an old client.

Sastre has been a lifelong resident of the Gables. She never imagined leaving the city until she found The Contemporary, located in Westchester. After retiring from the software company she founded in 1993, Sastre Systems Inc., Sastre became extremely lonely. She noticed that she could go days without speaking to a single person. That’s what prompted her to look into a senior living community.

“I was dying of loneliness. All I would do was either eat by myself, go out to eat by myself, then come back and be by myself,” says Sastre. Since moving into The Contemporary,

she says that quality of life has improved vastly, and most of it has to do with talking to people and socializing every day. “I have met the best friends here. Really, I mean, the absolutely bestest friends in the world. I call us the Four Musketeers. We travel in a clan. If you want one of us, you have to put up with the other three. Okay? That’s it.”

Initially hesitant about moving to a senior living community due to common stereotypes, Sastre changed her mind when she toured The Contemporary and saw the social dynamics. “Everybody’s talking to everybody. Everybody knows each other. As soon as somebody new comes in, I go over there and I meet them and I find out who they are,” says Sastre.

The Contemporary staves off some of the other stereotypes that befall senior living because it is 100 percent independent living. Berta Ramirez, director of sales and marketing at The Contemporary, says that most residents have their own cars, and when she

comes in the morning around 8 am, some of the residents are already on their way out to run errands or meet up with friends.

The 84-unit residency takes a boutique approach to traditional senior living communities. It offers planned activities like lectures, fitness classes, crafting workshops, and group outings to local restaurants, theaters, movies, museums, and parks. There is also a well-stocked library, billiards game room, piano cocktail lounge, and chef-managed restaurant. Like Sastre, most of the residents tend to do what they want when they want while enjoying the community.

Currently, The Contemporary is 86 percent occupied, but Ramirez suspects it won’t stay that way for long because many residents have convinced friends and family to move in. “It makes it a lot of fun to live in a place where you feel good with others. The people here are just fantastic,” says Sastre.

“Like later today, I’m meeting my friends down in the lobby for our weekly cafecito.”■

Where Independent Seniors Love to Live

Friendlier. Closer. More affordable than you think.

The Contemporary is Miami’s most popular new senior community because it’s exactly what you really want today.

Independent living. Fresh contemporary design. An active, amenity-rich setting. A full social calendar. And lots of like-minded new friends.

Plus, our carefree, all-inclusive pricing bundles everything — from rent, utilities, and cable/internet to all your chef-prepped meals, limo service, and housekeeping — into one discounted, fixed fee every month. No surprises, no unexpected extras. And we top it off with your free happy Hour every week.

It’s the ambiance of a boutique hotel. The fabulous dining of a luxury cruise ship. And the laid-back ambiance of a 5-star resort. All in one place you get to call home. Come take a tour… It’s where you’ll love to live.

Meandering About Town #11

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

BY DON SLESNICK

This month’s ramble takes me to Biltmore Way, originally planned to be part of a thoroughfare bisecting the center of the city from the Douglas Entrance past City Hall to the Biltmore Hotel (three structures highlighting Merrick’s vision of a model Mediterranean village that his advertising team characterized as the “Miami Riviera”). This street was paved wide enough to handle railway tracks for an extension of the streetcar system that carried riders from Miami to the Gables – a plan that was never realized.

Biltmore Way is now the home of some of our most sought-after condominium residences. But nestled amongst those towering structures sits a historic two-story structure designed in 1923 by H. George Fink as a miniature Venetian Palace. Completed in 1925, over time it has housed a haberdashery, a liquor store, a restaurant, a hotel, and possibly a brothel(!).

In the 1970s, funeral director and city commissioner W.L. Philbrick acquired the property to serve as his library and repository of the hearse that carried George Merrick to his final resting place. (Yes, this is the same man who saved the nearby Merrick family home “Coral Gables” from demolition.) He later donated the building to the Miami Chapter of the Sons of the American Legion, which, in 1995, sold it to the Junior League of Miami for use as that organization’s headquarters. The Junior League has spent large sums of money raised by its members to renovate and restore the building to its earlier grandeur. The League’s efforts were recognized when the building was presented with a “City Beautiful Award” for historic preservation. How appropriate to have such an important community organization located in the heart of the city.

The Junior League (which, like the Gables, will proudly celebrate its 100th birthday next year) focuses on advancing women’s roles in projects and causes that will have a meaningful impact in our community through volunteer action, collaboration with other civic organizations, and leadership training. The League now claims over 600 members county-wide (many of whom are from Coral Gables) – women who come together around a shared passion for making our city a better place in which to live, work, and raise families.

The Junior League has been an incubator for organizations which serve critical societal roles throughout Miami-Dade such as The Children’s Home Society and INN Transition (helping survivors of domestic abuse). It partners on projects with Food Rescue US, Miami Diaper Bank, and ICU Baby. In 1949, the League established Miami’s first science museum, which, over many years, evolved into the Frost Museum of Science.

The Junior League has produced many community leaders such as Amanda Altman, CEO of Kristi House; Debbie Koch, executive director of the American Red Cross Greater Miami and the Keys; and Kadie Black, president and CEO of Voices for Children. Public officials that entered politics after gaining experience in the League include Coral Gables Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, Palmetto Bay Vice Mayor Leanne Tellam, and the late Coral Gables Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick.

AVA HABIF, PRESIDENT ELECT; LAURA VAN GORDEN, PRESIDENT; SARA WALKUP, EXEC. V.P.; AND VANESSA BLANCO-BANOS, EXEC. V.P. ELECT.

Junior League President Laura Van Gorden offers us a good closing thought: “Our organization offers so many different opportunities for women in our community – from giving back through hands-on volunteer work to leadership assignment to meeting other like-minded women who will become life-long partners in finding ways to serve their fellow citizens.”

It seems clear that we have successfully found another important “piece” of our City Beautiful’s soul. ■

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

JUNIOR LEAGUE LEADERSHIP IN FRONT OF ITS HISTORIC CORAL GABLES HEADQUARTERS. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: HEATHER WOODS, CHAIR OF THE “WOMEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” AWARD PROGRAM;

Modern French

IVETTE ARANGO INTERIORS DESIGNS THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A HOME IN THE SOUTH GABLES

BY J.P. FABER

This new construction home, a bespoke creation by Ivette Arango Interiors, skillfully combines traditional and modern elements with French influences. The client provided the vision for their home. The Ivette Arango Interiors team, under the direction of its President and Founder, Ivette Arango, designed everything within the shell of the house from furnishing, colors, moldings, beams, electrical and woodwork.

“Our design process is disciplined in technical drafting and its execution to maximize the space and realize the creative potential of our design”, says Ivette A. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s what we love to do. In this case we wanted to combine light colors with warm and rich with a lot of lovely detailing.”

Ivette’s daughter, Ivette Arango O’Doski, works mostly behind the scenes in this family owned business but takes an active role in client development and intake. “The client gives us direction – the things that inspire them – to give us a sense of what their personal styles are,” says Ivette O. “Then we take that and communicate that idea using visual boards for each room.”

ENTRANCE FOYER (BELOW)

The staircase is wrought iron, designed – along with the side panels – by Arango, with a walnut handrail and walnut steps. The floor is comprised of white and checkered black marble. The foyer table, of maple wood with brass footings, was also designed by Arango. “We also design furniture for our clients and have our carpenters build it,” she says.

IVETTE ARANGO (RIGHT) WITH DAUGHTER IVETTE O’DOSKI

WET BAR & WINE CELLAR (ABOVE)

The bar stools are upholstered in blue velvet to compliment the teal wall and ceiling paint. The island is a grey taupe marble with a leather-brush finish. The two towers were constructed to provide more storage. The floor of the wine cellar is mirrored, while the main floor is walnut. “We decided to do the whole room in a soft blueish teal color, which brings a lot of warmth,” says Arango. “The painting is by a Cuban artist.”

THE MUDROOM (ABOVE

RIGHT)

One of the things which makes this space special is the use of wallpaper, which Arango says, “gives you the idea of flying trees.” Wallpaper is now the rage, says O’Doski, “something you haven’t seen much of, but back with a vengeance.” The floor is Negro Marquina marble, with an inset marble mosaic that looks like an area rug. The window seat is a black, weatherproof acrylic fabric, set in a low wooden cabinet with lacquer finish. The overhead lamp is framed in black iron.

KITCHEN (RIGHT)

The island and counter tops are quartzite with brush leather finishes and a white subway tile backsplash; the island side panels, like the floor, are composed of dark walnut. The decorative ceiling beams are designed to incorporate the AC venting. The gas stove and hood, made of blue enamel, are L’Atelier Paris Haute Design. The cabinets are in an soft, off-white lacquer, with handles of polished nickel.

DINING ROOM (BOTTOM

RIGHT)

The chairs were purchased from the manufacturer and then upholstered in a soft linen fabric. The dining table and buffet table are both walnut with etched design; the walnut flooring likewise has alternating panels for design. Two chandeliers above the dining table were purchased as is, made from traditional cut glass and polished nickel. The working fireplace was designed by Arango Interiors and is made of limestone. The applied molding wainscotting was also designed by Arango. The two vases on the buffet table are made from amber glass. ■

50 Restaurants in Coral Gables

MAY DINING GUIDE

May 2024

With so many new restaurants opening in the Gables, you’ll always have plenty of places to try. What follows is our list of the best of the tried and true, and the best of the new, many of which opened just this year. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

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

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

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

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

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

450 Gradi

With so many Italian restaurants in Coral Gables, it’s incredible how hard it is to find a good slice of pizza. But 450 Gradi’s pizzas are wonderfully inventive and deliciously layered, featuring ingredients like Italian buffalo cheese, basil pesto, pork cheek, and truffle cream. Under the direction of Chef Antonio, the rest of the menu is just as delicious and filled with similar panache. 130 Miracle Mile #101. 786.391.1276.

$$$

Armstrong Jazz House

Ever since the city shuttered Open Stage Club on Galiano Street, Coral Gables has suffered a deficit in jazz venues. Now, your jazz sweet tooth can be satisfied all week long at Armstrong Jazz House. The nightly schedule features a jazz saxophone from 5 to 7 pm, then a jazz combo from 7 to 10 pm, followed by the return of the solo saxophonist. The menu is a work in progress, but the vibe is sweet and well worth a visit. 271 Miracle Mile. 305.488.9955. $$

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila’s eighth location gives us our latest go-to locale for all-day quick bites, including a hidden backroom mezcal lounge.

The wide selection of authentic cuisine mixed with unconventional interpretations solidifies Bodega as a true taqueria, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the classics here. And, of course, grab a shot of tequila. 317 Miracle Mile. 786.785.1501. $$

Bouchon Bistro

Michelin-starred Chef Thomas Keller is considered one of the top masters of French cuisine in the country, which he proves with aplomb at his latest venture into traditional French fare. With romantic courtyard seating outside at the restored La Palma Hotel and an elegant interior, to sup in Bouchon is to dine in late 19th century Paris. Try the Poulet Roti and the rainbow trout. 2101 Galiano St. 305.990.1360 $$$$

The Collab

When we first heard Chef Niven Patel was leaving his two concepts at the THesis Hotel, Orno and Mamey, we were despondent. But, we’re happy to report that Orno’s replacement, Chef Nicolas Mazier’s The Collab, is a gastronomic success equal to that of Chef Patel’s. We love the beef tartare, served on bitesized pieces of crispy bao buns and combined with black garlic aioli, pickled mustard seeds, chives, and an onion jam that elevates the beef to astronomic levels. Simply divine. 1350 S Dixie Hwy. (THesis Hotel). 305.667.6766. $$$

CVI.CHE 105

If you want to delve into the wide array of flavors that Peru has to offer, there is no better place than the new CVI.CHE 105 at The Plaza Coral Gables. The menu is rich with seafood, including a fine selection

of tiraditos, ceviches, and rolls, along with an array of fried and grilled selections of mahi mahi, snapper, Pacific white fish, shrimp, etc. And there’s even a special Gables menu that you won’t find at any of the other South Florida locations. 111 Palermo Ave. #108. 786.527.3939. $$-$$$

FAIRWAYS

Though the food is great, and the drinks even more so, it’s the ambience and the views that wow at this golfer’s paradise by the Biltmore Hotel golf course. Sunset views of the course and a beautiful outdoor patio pair with an airy interior well-suited for the hotter summer days. All-day breakfast items are a huge plus. 1200 Anastasia Ave. (The Biltmore Hotel). 305.445.8066. $$

Il Duomo Dei Sapori

Yet another entry into Coral Gables’ spate of Italian eateries, Il Duomo Dei Sapori appears to have simply materialized as a fully formed fine dining restaurant on Ponce. Our favorite here is the chicche di patate

al tartufo ($35), which is code for “creamy gnocchi with truffle.” 2312 Ponce de Leon. 305.381.5604. $$$$$$$

Maiz y Agave

With three stories, three menus, and three different concepts for lunch, dinner, and happy hour/drinks, Maiz y Agave is probably Coral Gables’ most ambitious restaurant. The first floor is devoted to a more casual lunch, the second-floor is for a more refined dinner, and the rooftop bar has spectacular sunset views of City Hall. Every dish here comes straight out of Oaxaca, Mexico, including the insects! 375 Miracle Mile. 305.723.9898. $$-$$$

Osumi

Offering elevated Japanese-American fusion cuisine with a Latin flair, this cocktail and sushi bar has pulled out all the stops to cater to Gableites, from its sophisticated low-light ambiance to its signature drinks designed by the mixology masters from Cafe La Trova. The star here is the Tuna Sumibiyaki

($22), made up of thin slices of tuna laid in a creamy sesame sauce and topped with Asian pear and more cassava chips.110 Giralda Ave. 786.452.9902. $$$

Piccola

Though Piccola has other dishes, like pastas, paninis, salads, and chicken parm, the pizza menu is a full page in and of itself, and this is where it truly shines. Of the “pixettes” (star- or X-shaped pizzas that include ricotta-filled crusts) we like the Piccante, Piccola’s take on a traditional Diavola pizza, with spicy salami strips, fresh mozzarella cheese, and hand-crushed tomatoes. Pro tip: When you get to the crust, mop it up with Piccola’s homemade spicy olive oil dressing for an added spicy bonus. 2305 Ponce de Leon. 786.615.5980. $$

Pisco y Nazca

Peruvian seems to be the taste of 2024, including the opening of ceviche gastrobar Pisco y Nazca. This prime location received a modernizing facelift and has myriad seating options ideal for happy hour outings and group dinners. The pisco sours are exquisite. 101 Miracle Mile. 786.810.2266. $$-$$$

Shahs of Kabob

From a hole in the wall takeout place to a brick-and-mortar on Ponce, this instant hit serves up kabobs by the dozens, along with classic Middle Eastern dishes like slow-cooked meat stews ($16) and even some vegan dishes (hummus, $8; falafel, $14) for the non-carnivores among us. 2624 Ponce de Leon. 786.580.5865. $$

Sundays Croissanterie

Conveniently located on the first block of Miracle Mile, Sundays Croissanterie specializes in intricately made croissants, but also offers coffee, sandwiches, and other pastries in a light and airy space. Limited seating and a delectable case full of colorful sweets at the front. 374 Miracle Mile. sundaysbakeries.com. $

Tabanco

The newest edition to Coral Gables’ tapas scene has arrived! Tabanco has all of the usual suspects: croquetas, patatas bravas, Jamón Iberico, etc. Most of the plates are under $17, except for the Iberico slices, of course. Our favorite dish is the Puntas De Solomillo entrée, an Iberian pork tenderloin that comes

swimming in a Cabrales blue cheese sauce. With hand-cut potatoes on the side, a perfect bite is a combination of each of the three elements.

327 Alhambra Cir. 786.449.5203.

$$$

FRENCH

Chef Sucre Café

Chef Sucre Café

“A French restaurant bistro with a Latin Twist,” this inexpensive café serves breakfast all day – including great croque madams and croque

monsieurs. Good sandwiches, lovely croissants, and a flourless chocolate cake to die for. 475 Biltmore Way. 305.444.2025. $

Frenchie’s Diner

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

450 GRADI

is a meal unto itself. 2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554. $$$

Pascal’s on Ponce

Elegant, quaint, and delicious, the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés, and foie gras. Try the diver sea scallops and tomato tartin. 2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024. $$$-$$$$

Ichimi

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

Izakaya

Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive

array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. 159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584. $$

Khaosan Road

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

STEAK HOUSES

Namaste

Hidden on a side street off Ponce, the last standing Indian restaurant in the Gables is small and humble (“namaste” means “I bow to you”) yet superb in its rendering of classic Indian dishes, from tandoris to biryanis. Our favorite is the mango curry chicken, followed by the chef’s special black pepper shrimp. 221 Navarre Ave. 786.534.2161. $$

Sawa

ASIAN MEDITERRANEAN

Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas

that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. Also has a doggy menu and late-night happy hour. 360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.6555. $$$

Shingo

If you’re looking for a luxurious experience, consider the omakase menu ($180) at Coral Gables’ first Michelin-starred restaurant. Located in the historic La Palma building, the restaurant is the

brainchild of now twice-starred Chef Shingo Akikuni, previously of Hiden in Wynwood. Every element of the restaurant is carefully curated, from the pristine presentation of the 14-seat table to the order and method in which each course is served. The multi-course menu prepared by Chef Shingo and his two sous chefs takes you through an authentic Japanese journey. 112 Alhambra Circle. shingomiami.com. $$$$

ANTONIO CERRATO

Creator Chef

SHINGO

Calista Greek Seafood Taverna

There aren’t many pure Greek restaurants in Coral Gables but Calista is aiming to change that, serving up authentic Greek dishes with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers’ markets. Their specialty dish is the Moussaka, an eggplant or potato-based dish reminiscent of a lasagna that is commonly served in Egypt, the Balkans, and the Middle East. Also excellent spinach and feta phyllo pie. 150 Giralda Ave. 786.310.7660 $$-$$$

Levant

Another Middle Eastern restaurant has come to the Gables: Levant, named after the Mediterranean region of Western Asia that includes Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and most of Turkey (also Cyprus, depending on who you ask). At the Coral Gables restaurant, all the chefs are Turkish and the owners hail from Iraq. The food is similarly eclectic, featuring dishes from across the Levant, including Lebanese batata harra (spicy potatoes), Grecian Saganaki cheese, and Turkish baklava. 2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.762.2905. $$-$$$

MesaMar

Some of the best – if not THE best – seafood in the Gables with inventive fusions between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Their fish is caught daily in local waters and brought to your table for inspection. Their whole fried fish is a marvel. Also, make sure to try the lobster tacos. 263 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448. $$$PUBS & CAFÉS

Montauk Lobster House

One of the fixtures of the South Gables has been Gringo’s Oyster Bar, for years the go-to place for fresh seafood. Now they are gone. The good news – especially for lovers of lobster – is that they’ve been replaced with the Montauk Lobster House. Try the Montauk Lobster Roll ($34), with cold lobster meat and mayo, or the Lighthouse Lobster Roll ($34), with warm lobster in butter. 1549 Sunset Dr. 305.284.9989. $$-$$$

Motek

Surprisingly enough, this Israeli-inspired restaurant has taken home the prize for the best burger at Burger Bash twice in a row now, an unexpected feat explicable only by a bite of the sandwich itself. But as popular as the Arayes Burger is,

it’s not why you should visit Motek. You come here for the Eastern Mediterranean food: a smorgasbord of shish kebabs, mezzes (the Middle Eastern version of tapas), shawarma, and hummus. 45 Miracle Mile. 305.396.8547. $$

Sea Grill

Sea Grill is a popular weekend destination for lovers of Mediterranean seafood. A large, brightly lit and futuristic space with lots of energy, it serves fish that is caught in the Aegean Sea and flown to the

Gables. Their octopus, which takes two days to prepare, is simply the best. Lots of outdoor seating. 4250 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.3990. $$$

TUR Kitchen

A wonderfully inventive menu of Mediterranean cuisine courtesy of Chef Christian, who plates beautiful dishes that combine the flavors of Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, and Egypt. Amazing stuffed Turkish pide bread, stunning braised goat with gnocchi. Best crème fraiche. Elegant seating

ZUCCA

under arches along Giralda. 259 Giralda Ave. 786.483.8014. $$$-$$$$

ITALIAN

Bugatti

Bugatti prides itself on its pasta – and for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary, with lots of booths, abd the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. And as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. 2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545. $$-$$$

Fontana

The ambiance is as elegant as it comes: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy classic Italian dishes. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Excellent seafood, pastas cooked perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables. $$$ 1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Fratellino

Small, family run, with a fanatically

loyal fan base, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set up with tile floors, wooden chairs and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, as is the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms and green peas. 264 Miracle Mile. 786.452.0068. $$$

Luca Osteria

The latest place by local celebrity chef Giorgio Rapicavoli (the Eating House), Luca Osteria became an overnight, reservations-only hit for dinner on Giralda Plaza. His inventive take on classic Italian food is fresh and new; the Pasta al Limone and mortadella toast with fig balsamic are just the beginning. Great Italian cocktails. 116 Giralda Ave. 305.381.5097. $$$-$$$$

Tullio

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

the lobster from the coastal waters of Maine. 2525 Ponce de Leon. 305.926.4208. $$$-$$$$

Villagio Ristorante

Surprisingly good prices in this cavernous restaurant in the Shops at Merrick Park, with lots of outdoor seating. Even the dinner menu serves pasta entrees for less than $15, and the amazingly extensive selections of meat and fish mostly run in the mid to low twenties. Also – randomly enough – the best apple pie anywhere. 358 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.8144. $$-$$$

Zucca

Located at the elegant St. Michel hotel, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with recipes that chef Manuel Garcia developed in a career that included the legendary Casa Tua on Miami Beach. Sophisticated, with great service. $$$-$$$$ 162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731 ■

FONTANA

Where Am I?

This charming fountain featuring four Pegasi is outside downtown Gables but not far off the beaten path. If you know where it’s located, send the answer to kwang@coralgablesmagazine.com along with your home address. The first four winners will win two tickets to the

Actors’ Playhouse or GableStage production of their choice and the next 10 will receive two tickets to the Coral Gables Museum. Last month’s “Where Am I?” was the blue door outside Juan Carlos Atelier De Beaute on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Thanks for playing!