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24 62

CONTENTS THE REAL ESTATE ISSUE

REALtor® LOVE Couples who work in real estate. PROFILES BY DAVID WARNER

SARAH & DON HOWE

JANET & LARRY MENDEZ

TRACIE MAYO & EILEEN DONOVAN

DEPARTMENTS

37 Real Estate: Luxury Living in Tampa Bay and Beyond 56 Style: On Trend On The Course by Tracey Negoshian

62 Travel: Georgia’s Château Élan by Megan Padilla 66 Culinary Travel: Le Grand Vefour by Jon Palmer Claridge

70 Dining: Restaurant Romance by Cindy Stovall

74 Auto: Bentley Continental GT by Howard Walker

BELLEAIR BEFORE & AFTER Karen Post’s staging tips BY DAVID WARNER

77 A&E Guide: dRTBest Bets Winter 2020 by David Warner

85 Parties/People: Debs dance, Bucs give back and more

RISING HIGH St. Pete Rising’s Brian Zucker

58 Sports: Valspar Takes Another Big Swing by Eric Snider

LIFE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH Florida’s Emerald City BY HEIDI KURPIELA NEW AGAIN IN OLD SOUTHEAST A stunner on the water BY DAVID WARNER

BY DAVID WARNER

IN EVERY ISSUE: PUBLISHER’S LETTER PAGE 6 | EDITOR’S LETTER PAGE 8

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ON THE COVER: Nautical detail in Old SE, p. 8 & 28

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Dear Reader, Let’s set the record straight. We are not entering a new decade punctuated by the year 2020 nor are we experiencing the final days of a previous decade ending with the end of 2019. Decades start and stop at the beginning and end of 10 years.Therefore, the current decade will not be over until the end of the 10th year on the final day of 2020. However, this does not mean we cannot celebrate the beginning of the Roaring ’20s, not to be confused with the roaring ’20s of 100 years ago. Things are certainly good this time around. But we hope that the next decade, beginning at the end of 2030, is in no way a repeat performance of the 1930s. So now that we have settled that situation, let’s talk about trends going forward. For starters the real estate market in the Tampa Bay area is on fire. Let’s look at the cumulative value of the last five transactions in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The Tampa side of the bay experienced a new high with sales of approximately $29 million. In Pinellas County, with the help of the Gulf beaches, sales set a new record by exceeding $55 million. Grand total: $84 million plus. A thriving marketplace, to say the least. The marketplace for fine art was not quite as exciting. Authorities on global art auction transactions indicate that sales in 2019 were somewhat flat. When it comes to the collector car marketplace, investors and enthusiasts were even less fortunate, with values sliding down approximately 5%. What does all this mean? Clearly you must be discerning and well-informed when it comes to any purchase that you plan on making in the next decade. I hope that you enjoy every page of this issue and look forward to visiting with you on the airwaves with our new duPont REGISTRY TAMPABAYTALKS podcast and our webpage www.dupontregistrytampabay.com. And through our various email blasts from WEDNESDAY WONDERS to WEEKEND TOP10 to WEEKEND WHEELS. And don’t forget to check in on GIVE BACK WITH ZACK as our ace cub reporter uncovers the philanthropic passions of professional athletes. Other regular EBLASTS will keep you up to date and informed on the very best in luxury living in TAMPA BAY. Happy Living,

Thomas L. duPont Publisher/CEO tdupont@dupontregistry.com 6

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FROM THE EDITOR It’s the little things. A seemingly small detail — in a room, in an anecdote, in a relationship — can reveal a great deal. Take the captain’s wheel on our cover and at left. It’s far from the most spectacular feature in the Old Southeast house I write about on p. 28, yet its provenance is a story in itself. How it was salvaged from a sunken sailboat in the Withlacoochee River. How Eva Forney found it in a nautical antiques store. (Who knew there was such a thing as a nautical antiques store?) How she surprised her husband with it. (I’m still not sure how she pulled this one off.) Wrapped up in all of that is a larger story about the Forneys’ sense of style and their love for each other that I’m sure they’ll carry with them wherever they live. (Note to self: Find $3 million somewhere so you can buy their house, captain’s wheel and all.) As novelists from Jane Austen to Ann Patchett have reminded us, love and real estate can get all tangled up together, and it’s the little things that can seal the deal. My husband and I have been looking into buying a house (yes, I know, in last year’s Real Estate issue I wrote about moving into an apartment; Americans are itinerant, what can I tell you). In the house we’ve settled upon (contract pending), I fell in love with a detail: a niche paneled in shiplap. I didn’t even know what shiplap was at the time (for any fellow design ignoramuses out there, it’s a form of siding characterized by overlapping boards). So I was somewhat dismayed to discover in a Washington Post article that, thanks to HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines, shiplap has become “the popcorn ceiling of the 2010s.” Ouch! The 2010s! My design crush is already over the hill? Never mind. I like it anyway. This issue is full of people who pay attention to detail. Realtor Janet Mendez, who always sends thank-you notes. Staging expert Karen Post, who knows the little (and big) things that can make a house sell. The sharp-eyed guys at St. Pete Rising who report on how the city’s growing. The inspired chefs at Paris landmark Le Grand Vefour (see page 66), who make a huge impact with the tiniest of lagniappes. The couples who work together and know when their partners need a little space. As an editor, I love writers who have an eye for the telling detail. I hope you, as a reader, do too. Here’s to a new year full of small kindnesses, thoughtful gestures and little things that mean a lot. Thanks for reading!

David Warner Editor in Chief dwarner@dupontregistry.com

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Family owned and operated. Celebrating 34 Years in Pinellas County.

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PUBLISHER/CEO Thomas L. duPont EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Warner CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bruce Bicknell DIGITAL MEDIA Eric Kennedy SALES MANAGER/COMMUNITY RELATIONS Molly duPont - Mdupont@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS Rosemary Nye - Rnye@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Tracey Serebin - Tserebin@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF BAY AREA SALES Sharon Castellano - Scastellano@dupontregistry.com ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Ron Barreto, Marty Binder, Cindy Carr, John D. Chapman, Jill Massicotte CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Todd Bates, Heidi Kurpiela, Tracey Negoshian, Megan Padilla, Jon Palmer Claridge, Eric Snider, Cindy Stovall, Howard Walker DESIGN Khoi Nguyen PRESS MANAGEMENT Charlie Walsh PRODUCTION MANAGER Tony Alvis

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The duPont REGISTRY™ is copyright 2020 by Registry Media, LLC. All rights reserved. duPont REGISTRY™, duPont REGISTRY Luxury Living in Tampa Bay, the Steering Wheel design, dupontregistry.com™, and various titles and headings herein, are trademarks of duPont Publishing, Inc. and may not be reproduced without written consent. Printed in the U.S.A. Published six times per year. Single copies available at your newsstand or call our publishing office for shipping information. Canadian GST not included in cover price. The pictures for sale and the written offer for sale are the responsibility of the individual advertiser. duPont REGISTRY™ and duPont Publishing, Inc. make no representation or warranty for accuracy or content. All photos become the property of duPont Publishing, Inc. when printed unless otherwise agreed to by the Publisher.

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The Real Estate Issue 2020

REALtor® LOVE PROFILES BY DAVID WARNER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD BATES

oyalty. Honesty. The willingness to listen. Respect for each other’s differences. Good qualities for a lasting marriage, no? As it happens, they also make for a successful career in real estate. No one knows this better than the three married couples profiled in the following pages. Partners in life and business, working together as real estate agents or mortgage brokers, they’re not only attuned to their own strengths and weaknesses, they know how important it is to understand their clients’ psychologies as well. There are few business deals as intimate or as fraught with potential misunderstandings as a real estate transaction, so it’s imperative that everyone be up front and comfortable with each other. “The most important assets are our people skills,” says Don Howe, who’s profiled with his wife and fellow agent Sarah. “If you can’t find that connection with someone, they’re not going to work with you.” As a leadoff to our annual Real Estate issue and a lead-in to Valentine’s Day, we’re happy to celebrate six people who’ve found a way to make love and real estate the perfect match.

A note about Realtor®: There’s a lot of confusion out there about this term. On the one hand, it’s a registered trademark for a member of the National Association of Realtors and according to them MUST be printed in ALL CAPS with the trademark insignia. On the other, there’s the stance of the Oxford English Dictionary, which says the term has become generic enough that it can run in lower case. I split the difference — you’ll see a lot of capitalized Realtors in this issue, but I saved the ® for the headline, along with a little love. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Photo by Todd Bates 16

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REALtor® LOVE

Yin & Yang

Sarah and Don Howe

t’s not often I make an interviewee cry. Her styling services aren’t cheap — they can cost Actually, I can’t take credit for the sniffles. Sarah the seller 1 to 3 percent of the sale price on top Howe teared up because of what her husband said of commission, or the list price can be adjusted in when I asked him what makes her a good Realtor. advance. But the investment seems to pay off. A couple “People love her,” he answered. “She’s just the most who hadn’t agreed with the Howes’ recommendations genuine and authentic person you’ll ever meet. She’s for list price and property upgrades tried to sell their just…” home through two other Realtors without success, then A somewhat startled Sarah interrupted, “That makes came back to Don and Sarah. After the Howe team was me cry! I would never say that. That’s what I say about done making changes (new carpet, better lighting, etc.), you. I’m a battleaxe!” the sellers got a cash contract in only two weeks. Which seemed to bear up his next point: “She’s very Since getting into the real estate biz, the Howes self-effacing — she’ll just say things you would never have bought or rented homes for themselves in the share with somebody else, because that’s who she is. Old Northeast, in Bayshore, in Grenada Terrace, in We think people like that personality that we have with the Vinoy and at Signature Place. “There’s a little bit each other, the kind of yin and yang.” of gypsy in us,” says Don. But now they’ve settled into Together 10 years and married for nine, the Howes what they feel is their forever home, where we spoke in met in a sailing class at the St. Petersburg Yacht early December just five weeks after they moved Club and quickly found common ground. in: a graciously proportioned 1925 bungalow “I’m very Both had had successful corporate careers — in the Euclid St Paul’s neighborhood that is impatient,” says Sarah said to have been the residence of gangster Don with Clear Channel in Cincinnati and Howe. “But Don is so Florida (at one point he managed 100 radio Al Capone, a theory backed up by its steelgood — nothing ever stations), Sarah with IBM as a marketing reinforced stucco facade. explodes.” manager in Paris and London and with Whether chatting in their living room, Salon Lofts, the suite-rental salon concept she posing for photos in a brisk winter breeze on launched in Florida. Their backgrounds served the home’s shuffleboard court, giving instructions them well when they moved into real estate, first with to workers in the midst of renovations, or looking after Smith & Associates, and now with Coastal Properties their scampering pups Howie and Deuce, they shared Group, an elite affiliate of Christie’s International. a charmingly easy rapport with each other and their When they represent a property, they treat it “like a visitors. product we’re taking to market,” says Sarah. “We do But Sarah still insists Don is the nice one. a sales plan and a marketing plan. And we don’t take “Real estate is really hard,” she said, “because any house. If you look at our listings there’s not an ugly there’s a lot of personalities involved. And with 10,000 house on there.” licensed agents in South Country, a lot of times they’re Which is true — in part because, as Sarah says, not experienced and it can be so aggravating. I’m “We make them do stuff.” That “stuff” — what some very impatient. But Don is so good — nothing ever realtors would call “staging” but which they prefer to explodes. I would probably get fired or would fire half call “styling” — is key, and Sarah clearly has a knack the people…” for it. She shops for weeks and months for the right “I have to wheel it back,” said Don. elements to make a house more saleable, from paint “I think he would be a good mediator or a colors to drawer pulls, and even scrubs the floors counselor,” she added. “He has three adult boys that and cleans the windows. The Howes also work with I’m stepmom to, and then he mentors a Ready for Life contractors who stand ready to make improvements in kid, and I would say he mentors me, too — because a home that’s for sale. all these people call with issues, and I listen to the “We have one in Brightwaters,” says Don, “that after conversations and I’m like, ‘This is helping me!’ He’s Sarah did what she did to the house, they didn’t want helping people off the ledge all the time. I would say to move.” that’s our secret sauce.” —David Warner www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Photo by Todd Bates 18

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REALtor® LOVE

Laughing All The Way

“

Janet and Larry Mendez

We never started out thinking about working But… together,” says Janet Mendez. Before she and her “She looks around at houses for five years,” says Larry, husband, Larry Mendez, teamed up as real estate “and nothing.” agents at Smith & Associates, she was enjoying her job “I was the worst client you’d ever want,” says Janet. “I as concierge for what is now Bank of America Plaza could never find a house that I liked.” in downtown Tampa, and Larry was selling boats and (They wound up tearing down the interim house and acting as a fishing guide. building on the lot.) “Then I had to get a real job as a Realtor,” said Larry, The couple has a grown son and daughter and three “and I don’t even like working for myself.” young grandsons for whom Janet is a regular Saturday That line got a big laugh from Janet, as we sat talking babysitter; Janet’s parents (her father’s 99 and her mom’s by the dock at a friend’s waterfront home in South 95) live in an expansion at the back of their home. Tampa’s Belmar Shore neighborhood. He makes her Tampa natives and Plant High grads, they didn’t know laugh a lot, which is likely one reason they’ve been each other in high school. married for 37 years and are going into their 25th year as “We probably wouldn’t have liked each other,” said a real estate team. Janet. “As a senior in high school I wouldn’t have paid “I joined Smith in 1995 when I quit guiding,” said attention to a tenth grader... please!” Larry, “and Janet joined me a year and a half later But commerce and blood ties prevailed. Their families because she got jealous that I’m always looking at were professionally connected — his father had a houses.” trucking company, her family had a tire business “I was They’ve developed an effective partnership — leading to Larry and Janet being set up on a the worst client you’d ever want. I since then, judging by the comments on their blind date by his brother and her father. could never find a website praising Larry’s negotiating smarts They went to Bern’s. “Larry didn’t say house that and Janet’s charm and perseverance. but maybe three words the whole time,” I liked.” They share a clear sense of each other’s remembers Janet. But then he took her on a strengths and weaknesses. For instance, says ride to the beach in his 1974 Porsche Carrera Larry, “I am not good at follow-up thank-you (he’s a lifelong Porsche fan) and the romance kicked notes. Janet is better at that.” into gear. “My mother brought me up right,” she explained. What are the advantages of working together as a “You always have to write a note.” couple? “The fact that we have the same life goals pretty [She sent me a thank-you note a few days after this much,” says Janet. “And there’s no one that you can be interview.] more honest with than your spouse.” Larry also admires his wife’s work ethic. “Like when The other advantage is what you might call the tagyou’re working up a market analysis for somebody, you team effect. “Sometimes one of us is going to click better can do it in a few minutes, but with Janet it takes hours with somebody,” says Larry. “I’m not a warm and fuzzy because she’s gonna go back and look at all the pictures.” guy. She is.” (Another laugh from Janet.) And the disadvantages? “You don’t really ever turn it As for Larry, says his wife, “He tends to be pretty off,” said Janet. “You come home, but so much of your straightforward with people — as you can tell. And I day is wrapped up in what you’re working on. We keep think he can be very creative in the way he presents saying we should take a vacation together.” offers and how to negotiate. There’s an art to that But there’s no question that they are together. The because there’s a lot of feelings involved.” owner of the home where we met for the interview once They both allow that he’s a bit more patient with hosted a Valentine’s dinner there during which she asked clients than he can be at home. She tested his patience the husbands to write notes about what makes their big-time with one particular real estate transaction — marriages work. Guests then tried to figure out which their own. When they moved into a home in Parkland husband wrote what. Neither Janet nor Larry remembers Estates, the South Tampa neighborhood where Larry exactly what he wrote, but she says it was “the most romantic thing.” And it made an impression. grew up, he expected they’d only be there for two or “Larry,” she said, “was the hero of the night.” —DW three years until they found something else. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Photo by Todd Bates 20

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REALtor® LOVE

They’re So Savvy

Tracie Mayo & Eileen Donovan

heir company’s name is Savvy Mortgage Lending, very level, very calming. Her weakness is sometimes I have and it suits them. Tracie Mayo and Eileen to pull her along — ‘C’mon, we gotta do this!’” Donovan radiate savvy — they’re knowledgeable “She’s the big-picture person,” Eileen says. “I’m more, and warm and share a quick, joshing wit. ‘Let’s stay put.’” “How’d you meet?” I asked the couple as photographer But neither wanted to stay put once they saw St. Pete, Todd Bates was setting up their portrait in the backyard of their first stop in Florida in a search for what they thought their new home, a pristine 1948 ranch in South St. Pete’s would be a second home. Bahama Shores neighborhood. “We came here for four days in 2015 and fell in love,” Tracie: “I picked her up on the side of the road. She remembers Eileen. “I’m not impulsive, but it spoke to us.” didn’t even have her thumb out.” “Then six weeks later,” said Tracie, “we lived here.” Eileen: “I was working the corner in Charlotte.” A Google search for “Gay Realtors in Pinellas” led them And when Todd asked them to look at each other, to Connie Lancaster, one of the best-loved gay Realtors in Eileen wisecracked, “Because we sit and stare at each town. She hooked them up with a house to rent and also other all the time.” reached out to a mortgage company that had a position Which they may do occasionally, but really, how would inside a Keller Williams real estate office. “That’s when we they fit it in? They moved into their home only two days decided — we can do this.” before our interview, and it’s the fifth place they’ve lived After that head start, they worked in two other together during the seven years they’ve been a couple. mortgage companies before deciding to form their They did meet in Charlotte, though not own — first as Mayo Mortgage Group in 2016, “Our differences via roadside pickup. Eileen was working as and then at the beginning of 2019 as Savvy balance each other out,” an underwriter for Wells Fargo and Tracie Mortgage Group. says Eileen. was “floundering,” having left her job at While they don’t keep track of the numbers, “That’s what makes our the U.S. Postal Service after 21 years. She’d they do have a significant number of LGBTQ marriage strong.” started there when she was 20, following in the clients. “They want to be comfortable saying, footsteps of her postmaster father, and worked ‘This is not my sister, this is my wife.’ It’s her way up the ladder to labor relations, where she specifically why we reached out to Connie. We don’t had to represent USPS in disputes with the unions — even want to work with [a Realtor] who asks, ‘Is your husband when the agency was in the wrong. “It was horrible.” going to join us?’ ” Then, after a mutual friend connected her with Eileen Their own coming-out journeys were quite different. and their love affair began, a new door opened. Tracie came out when she was 16; Eileen, who’s originally “She was in the mortgage industry, she thought I’d be from Brooklyn and grew up in Staten Island, got married good at it, and Wells Fargo was hiring,” says Tracie. (to a man) when she was 19. “My only defense is I was This was in 2013, two years after the bank had set young and not brave.” She had two sons, both grown now, up improved systems in the wake of the subprime loan and worked for 20 years in real estate on the Jersey shore debacle. And she was good at it. So good that later when before a cousin suggested she move to South Carolina to she moved on to another company, she asked Eileen to work with Wachovia (antecedent of Wells Fargo). join her — as her assistant. Even though Tracie admits “Our differences, our strengths and weaknesses, balance it felt a little weird to call Eileen “assistant,” especially each other out,” says Eileen. “That’s what makes our after they were wed in South Carolina in 2015, “We don’t marriage strong. We’re not the same person.” get hung up on titles. We just know that we work well And that’s what makes their business strong, which is together.” doing so well they may consider opening offices back in “Tracie is so good at the things I’m not,” said Eileen. the Carolinas and Georgia while maintaining their home “And I’m so good at the things she’s not.” base in St. Pete. I asked who handled their mortgage. Like what? I asked. “A great little mortgage company called Savvy,” “She’s good at talking with people and hearing their answered Tracie. needs,” responded Eileen. “I’m more a numbers person. Added Eileen: “We happen to know someone who got us But she’s not organized.” “I have a short trigger, too,” admitted Tracie. “But she’s a great rate.” —DW www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

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dR REAL ESTATE: LAKEWOOD RANCH

Lakewood Ranch: Florida’s Emerald City

How 31,000 acres of Manatee County cow country became the hottest master-planned community in the U.S. STORY BY HEIDI KURPIELA

Photo by Heidi Kurpiela

ary Frances Emerson is the classic Lakewood Ranch resident. Exuberant. Well-coiffed. Newly retired. Philanthropic. Social. Crazy about dogs. From the bejeweled teacup terrier sitting on her lap to the stash of Fresh Market snacks she offers house guests, Emerson is as warm and fuzzy as any longtime Ranch resident. Except she wasn’t so cheerful before she moved to Lakewood Ranch. Two years ago, the Westport, Connecticut native was cynical and acerbic, too busy for friends, hobbies and small talk — “an alligator person,” as she puts it. Divorced for 18 years, she was an admitted workaholic with no intentions of ending a 25-year career at a New York Cityarea hedge fund. Then she married Vic Emerson, a CFO with a Florida retirement fantasy and a penchant for golf, and all of that changed. KINDER, SWEETER: Mary Frances and Vic Emerson, Connecticut transplants at home in the Esplanade community. Vic wanted out of Connecticut. The taxes were rising and the weather was lousy. When he floated the idea of Three decades ago, it was a rugged hinterland of cattle moving to a Florida golf course community, Emerson ranches, row crops and timber farms. balked. Florida was boring, she said. Golf was silly. Manatee County developer Pat Neal, one of the When he bought a lot on the eighth hole of first homebuilders in Lakewood Ranch, describes “I could feel Esplanade Golf & Country Club in Lakewood it as having been nothing but “pine and myself opening up Ranch, Mary Frances figured he was building palmetto” that stretched on for miles east of to it, like I could be a a vacation home. When the Tuscan-inspired kinder, sweeter person the burgeoning suburbs of Bradenton. Sarasota 2,800-square-foot retreat was complete, she here.” —LWR resident residents called it the boonies. Tampa Bay Mary Frances still considered it a part-time getaway, agreeing residents barely knew it existed. According to Emerson. only to stay there in her downtime from work. Neal, it was a good place to go hunting. Or grow She commuted back and forth to Connecticut peppers. for six months, until one day she realized she was Now it’s a 31,000-acre utopia of residential enclaves, happier in Lakewood Ranch. “It was paradise,” says nature parks, educational institutions and shopping plazas, Emerson. “And everyone was so nice and welcoming. I plus a biotech hub devoted to brain research, cancer care could feel myself opening up to it, like I could be a kinder, and other cutting-edge life science enterprises. In 2018, sweeter person here.” it was ranked the second-bestselling master-planned community in the country, second only to The Villages, From boondocks to boomtown which it surpassed in new housing starts in 2019. Lakewood Ranch was designed to be a kinder, sweeter “We’re starting to reap the benefits of the critical paradise, a kind of modern-day Mayberry in East Manatee mass that exists here,” says Laura Cole, senior VP of County that would serve as an idyllic and affordable LWR Communities. “We have the commercial centers, alternative to coastal living. the public schools, the colleges and universities and www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 25 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 25

LAKEWOOD RANCH lifestyle programming. Obviously the market has been on our side, but we kind of got ahead of it when we brought in neighborhoods that would resonate with both the boomer and millennial demographics.” Lakewood Ranch was founded in 1994. Located east of I-75 between State Road 70 and University Parkway, its earliest villages — Summerfield and Edgewater — were targeted squarely at middle-class families. Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, which opened in 2001, was decidedly more ambitious, boasting three 18-hole courses, a 21-court tennis center and a clubhouse designed to look like an Italian villa. In the boom years that followed, developers continued to break ground on upscale projects, most notably The Lake Club, an exclusive community of luxury estates designed by a cadre of custom builders. Touted as the “crown jewel of Lakewood Ranch,” The Lake Club sold its first lot in 2007 just as the real estate market was starting to crash. Now home to over 650 residents, the 1,500-acre enclave boasts a resortcaliber clubhouse, spa and concierge desk, in addition to a 24-hour guard gate and some of the most expensive listings on the ranch.(The average Lake Club home sells for over $1 million.) “People are moving from the water to Lakewood Ranch because of the amenities,” says Claudine Léger-Wetzel, vice president of sales and marketing for Naples-based Stock Development, which began building in The Lake Club three years ago. “It’s gorgeous, of course, but it’s also convenient and easy to navigate.” John Manrique, vice president of marketing at Kolter Homes, credits the community’s success to the fact that its land planners have been judicious. Many developers who embark on projects of this magnitude get sloppy over time — or worse: sell the property to someone who isn’t invested in the vision. “You see it all the time, sections start getting bolted together and you lose cohesiveness,” says Manrique.

VILLA VIEW: The Cypress Links course and clubhouse at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

“Everything here still flows and has flowed over a 25-year span. Yet nothing looks cookie-cutter. Each village feels a little different. All the cool little park spaces and bends in the road, the big water views … I love driving through it. You can tell nothing was rubber-stamped.” Kolter, one of the more recent builders to enter the Lakewood Ranch market, is currently selling homes in Cresswind, a new 55-and-up community for active seniors. Like Manrique, LWR Communities’ Cole says the secret sauce boils down to one simple fact. The community is still owned and operated by its original developers: SchroederManatee Ranch (SMR), an East Manatee County land development and ranching juggernaut run by the Uihlein family, descendants of Milwaukee’s Schlitz Brewing dynasty. “The Uihleins bought this property almost 100 years ago,” Cole says. “They were willing to see it through. That’s been our top advantage — stable and patient owners who care about their legacy.”

A-list allure More than 36,000 people live in Lakewood Ranch. Unlike Mary Frances Emerson, many of them moved here without hesitation, including one of the town’s most vocal cheerleaders, ESPN sports broadcaster Dick Vitale. The 80-year-old “Dickie V” still lives with his wife Lorraine in the same behemoth home they built 15 years ago in Lakewood Ranch. “Back then there was a lot of negative talk at the time about living east of I-75,” says Vitale, whose two daughters and five grandchildren live within a five-mile radius of one another. “I did research and talked to different people involved with the community. What they were planning looked special.” Vitale appreciated the golf courses and tennis courts popping up at every turn, and the town’s close proximity to FACE: ESPN’S Dick Vitale at LWR’s Another Broken Egg. 26FAMILIAR www.duPontREGISTRY.com

LAKEWOOD RANCH

spring training games in Sarasota and Bradenton. The fact that he could build a 13,000-square-foot compound on two lots in the Country Club sealed the deal. The announcer, whose broadcasting contract with ESPN was recently extended through 2022, takes every opportunity to brag on Lakewood Ranch in interviews, on TV and via social media. Some say he’s played a part in drawing a cadre of high-profile sports celebs to the area, most notably four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw, whose 4,560-square-foot Concession estate, located just outside the bounds of Lakewood Ranch, was recently listed for $1.6 million. Vitale says he had nothing to do with luring Bradshaw to Manatee County, though he does routinely invite professional athletes and ESPN bigwigs to his home each year following the Dick Vitale Gala at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. “I don’t keep track of these things, but I can say our home has been open like you cannot believe to a lot of very successful people,” says Vitale, whose gala has raised over $230 million for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. “For someone who likes sports, this is the place to be.” If you hang out in Lakewood Ranch long enough, chances are you’ll see Vitale. He’s a regular at First Watch and Another Broken Egg, where he often holds court in the morning beside a stack of autographed merch, the proceeds from which benefit the V Foundation. Another notable, also from the world of professional sports: retired Cincinnati Bengals running back Archie Griffin, college football‘s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. He lives in Esplanade Golf & Country Club, and like Vitale is known for his charity work: For 10 years, The Concession Golf Club has hosted his Archie Griffin Celebrity Golf Tournament, benefiting the Boys & Girls

Clubs of Sarasota County. Even the town’s 130-acre Sarasota Polo Club has seen its star rise in recent years, drawing players and spectators from all over the world, including its new owners: decorated equestrians James Miller and Misdee Wrigley Miller, the great-granddaughter of Wrigley chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. “We’re like a little big city now,” says longtime resident and business owner Jamie McCue. “It used to be sleepy.” When McCue and her sons moved into Summerfield 18 years ago, kids still played basketball in the streets and rode their bikes from neighborhood to neighborhood. “We’ve evolved since then,” McCue says. “We’ve still got that hometown down-to-earth vibe, we just want higher quality services — the kind of stuff you’d find in a big city, minus the big-city coldness.” McCue, who now lives in the Country Club, kept that in mind when she purchased the old Lemon Blossom Salon & Spa on Market Street earlier this year. With a focus on topnotch customer service and organic and vegan products, she transformed the business — now named Evan Alexander Salon & Spa after her two sons — into the kind of oasis you’d find in New York or California. She says she wanted to a create a place that was “both luxurious and humble, first-class and friendly.”

LAKE CLUB LUXE: A four-bedroom, 5,348-sq-ft home on sale for $2,825,000. 27 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRY.com 27

HARDIE! BOY! The siding looks like cedar shakes but is actually HardieShingle, a weather-resistant fiber-cement product.

A Stunner on the Water A property more than a century old is re-imagined as a family compound in the Old Southeast. STORY BY DAVID WARNER

The first time John and Eva Forney laid eyes on the place where they would eventually live, they had no idea what they were looking at. They were in their son’s sailboat on Thanksgiving weekend in 2013 when he stopped at a sandbar in Tampa Bay with a view of a waterfront park they’d never seen before. Longtime residents of St. Pete’s Old Northeast neighborhood, they’d rarely if ever ventured to the Old Southeast and weren’t aware of its crown jewel, Lassing Park, or the row of gracious homes that ran along the park’s border. “We really didn’t know this existed,” said Eva. “We just thought this street looked really cool,” said John, “but really didn’t give it another thought.” Eva and John weren’t yet married at the time, but they were engaged and looking for a place that would suit their blended family (eight kids in all, ranging from 14 to 29). A while later, Eva found an online listing for a property at 1803 Beach Drive SE that looked intriguing, but the main house had been divided into two rentals with no interior staircase between floors, and one of its two ramshackle garages had a second-floor apartment that was also occupied by a renter. The rehab seemed too complex to bother with. But one day while John was on a business trip (he’s the president and CEO of UPC Insurance), Eva decided

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she’d check out 1803 in person — and realized when she got there that it was on the street they’d seen from the boat. “Omigosh,” she remembers thinking, “this is where we were!” She immediately called John, who was in Bermuda, and said, “I think you need to see this.” Although the buildings were, in John’s words, “dilapidated and dangerous,” in December of 2013 they bought the entire property for $825,000. “You had to have imagination,” said John. That’s for sure. But their imagination — plus five years and almost $2 million in renovations and improvements — transformed the property, which is more than 100 years old, into a uniquely beautiful waterfront compound. And now it’s for sale, listed by Sotheby’s at $2,895,000. Why would they sell such a home after putting so much work into it? “John and I are both very much always ready for the next thing, the next period in our life,” said Eva. “And we’re excited about it.” “We’re not attached to things, even things as beautiful as 1803,” said John, who said they would be moving to a condo on Bayshore Boulevard in South Tampa. “It feels like we did what we came here to do.” Did they ever. Take a look:

REAL ESTATE: Home Restoration OPEN HOUSE: The interior of the main house was essentially torn down to the studs, said John. “There’s nothing original except the floors.” Walls were removed to open up the space as much as possible, allowing views of the outside from almost anywhere one stands. “Our vision was God’s creation is crazy right here,” said Eva. “We didn’t want to disturb that.”

BRIDGING THE GAP: The Forneys renovated the second-floor apartment in the garage first so that they could live there while construction proceeded on the main house. One night in the summer of 2014, they were sitting on the apartment porch when Eva wondered out loud, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we connected these two buildings?”

SHELL GAME: The Forneys’ contractor, Joey Schultz, gave them the idea of using shell stucco in fireplace surrounds and exterior posts. The family gathered the sand dollars and shells from the same sandbar where they’d briefly anchored in 2013. www.duPontREGISTRY.com 29

REAL ESTATE: Home Restoration STAIRWAY TO PARADISE: Artisan Murray Fox handmade the main staircase “right in front of us,” said Eva, constructing it so that it followed the curve of the bay window.

RAISING THE ROOF: The home’s original roof was ripped off to create a vaulted master bedroom with a spectacular view of the water. “We send a sunrise picture almost every day to our kids,” said John.

EVA’S LADDER: “This is my favorite part,” said Eva about the ship’s ladder (far left) on the second floor landing, “but you have to be careful going up.” The steps lead to a charming little aerie (not pictured) with a banquette, a porthole window and walk-in attic access. 30 www.duPontREGISTRY.com

REAL ESTATE: Home Restoration GATHER ʼROUND: Winding paths and indigenous plantings grace the backyard as well as a firepit, site of many a family conversation. The area was once so overgrown that the Forneys lost sight of their dog amidst the ferns.

WINE NOT? The couple transformed the ground floor of the former garage into a wine room, with reclaimed barnwood walls, wine-barrel bar and a TV/conversation area. “This is where the fun happens!” said Eva.

GARAGE MAHAL: The wine room/apartment (left) and gym (right), which also used to be a garage. The outdoor swim spa between the two includes an underwater treadmill.

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FRESH FACE: Post recommended the brighter, whiter paint job on the home, which had been a drab beige.

Before & After

A Belleair home gets a sales-ready makeover from Home Frosting’s Karen Post.

aren Post calls her staging company Home Frosting, but when she prepares a house or condo for sale she doesn’t just stick to what’s on the surface. She considers all the ingredients — color, light, space, furnishings — with an eye toward making the property look tasty to prospective buyers. “Staging is really marketing,” she says. “It’s presenting and packaging the real estate asset.” The author of two books who at one time had her own advertising agency, she decided after meeting her husband, a Tampa executive, that she was tired of traveling the world giving speeches on branding. Now she does regular decorating segments on WFLA’s Daytime show and helps homeowners make the most of their cherished real estate. “You have to remind the seller that a staging is different from home decorating,” she points out. It’s not about doing what the seller likes, but making changes so that the house appeals to the largest number of qualified buyers. 32 32 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

“When home sellers get that look on their face — ‘You’re hurting my feelings’ — we really try to be gentle,” she says. It’s not that their art, or their furniture, or that special knickknack from Grandma, isn’t good. It’s just that it may not fit into a broader vision. “As a stager you want to make it look as large as possible, as upscale as possible, and help guide the prospect on the purpose of the room,” she says. “We need to understand who the new buyer might be — a family with children? Empty-nesters? People who entertain a lot? Then it’s about creating vignettes that will connect with the new buyer — less pieces of furniture but enough to show the possibilities.” Recently, she worked her magic on a property in Belleair currently listed for $1,695,000 by Realtor Martha Thorn. The transformation, which took 90 days from start to finish, was remarkable. The Before and After photos from the Belleair project suggest some of the key the elements Karen Post considers when she’s “frosting” a home.

Courtesy Rick Mohler

INTERVIEW BY DAVID WARNER

dR REAL ESTATE: STAGING Kitchen

Before

After

Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish “Not only did we paint the kitchen and breakfast room,” says Post, “we updated the hardware and light fixtures.” Expensive, perhaps, but “hiring the lowest-priced stager may cost you a lot more in the end. I don’t get jobs when people are price-shopping. I remind them there is Walmart and Neiman’s — which best fits your home buyer? Spending between .5-1% of home listing price is a good range.”

Dining Room

Before

After

Sitting Room

Before

After

Detach from your personal style and belongings “Unless there is a privacy or sunlight matter,” says Post, “window treatments can go. This change really brightened the rooms up.” Remember, she adds: “What the seller’s design preferences are, and all the art they bought on travels, don’t matter in staging. What buyers resonate with does. Trust your stager.” www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 33 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 33

STAGING

After

TV Room Less is more “Clutter and over- furnishing a home can cheapen the look and make the home feel smaller. Always remove anything political, religious or too sexy. Here we lightened things up with less furniture and removed the ceiling fan to make the room feel more spacious.” Before

Piano Room Focus on the lifestyle aspects of the home “Staging is storytelling with space. Prospects should be able to imagine themselves entertaining, enjoying a work/life balance and relaxing in their sanctuary. It’s easy to imagine an elegant cocktail party in this room and a pianist playing Sinatra.”

After

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Before

Urban Development

Rising High

Talking with Brian Zucker of the must-read blog St. Pete Rising.

Kelly Nash Photography

INTERVIEW BY DAVID WARNER

f you’ve been to downtown St. Pete recently, or even if you just see it in passing from I-275, you can’t help but notice the amount of construction. In the EDGE District alone, three apartment buildings and a hotel are going up at the same time steps away from one another. That’s just one example. All over downtown and beyond, the question of the moment is “What’s that?” You don’t have to go far to find an answer. The go-to destination for info on the whats and wheres of St. Pete development is a blog called St. Pete Rising (stpeterising.com). It’s authoritative, it’s easy to navigate, and for downtown residents and real estate

DOWNTOWNERS: Anthony Close (left) and Brian Zucker.

junkies like myself, it’s a whole lot of fun. But I’ve often wondered: Who’s behind this thing? “Turns out it is almost entirely a labor of love by two young guys who share a knack for data-gathering and a genuine enthusiasm for the city where they live: Anthony Close, 26, and Brian Zucker, 32. Close, who works for a local financial services firm, was a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville when he began the blog as a hobby, a way to keep connected with his hometown. Zucker, a Ft. Myers native, graduated from UCF and moved to the Tampa Bay area for a job (he’s an actuary), at first settling in Palm Harbor. He discovered St. Pete Rising in 2014 and started 35 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 35 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Urban Development

Red Apple Group

sharing tips and ideas with Close, who invited him to come aboard the following year. By that time Zucker knew that St. Pete was really where he wanted to live, so he moved there in 2015. (He bought a house in the Arlington Townhomes development, where he lives with his wife, Carly, and their dog Zeke; Close lives a short distance away at 930 Central Flats.) Begun as an aggregator of what other news sources had reported, St. Pete Rising has evolved into an originator of in-depth stories about multiple local real estate projects, keeping track of what’s proposed, what’s in progress and what’s complete. Brian has also made a point of covering local retail and restaurants coming onto the scene. I spoke to him recently about how he and Anthony dig up their info, how they make it work financially and whether there would ever be... a Tampa Rising? On filling a need: You drive down Central and see all this construction and you don’t really know what it is. You can piece it together from a Google search, but there wasn’t a one-stop shop to find out what was coming soon to St. Pete. On getting the scoops: You’d be surprised what’s available to the public if you know where to look. Without giving away my secret sauce, a lot was available to everybody. I just happened to notice it… Over the years we’ve built relationships with everyone from

SO BIG: The 45-story condo/hotel tower 400 Central proposed by developer John Catsimatidis’s Red Apple Group. 36 www.duPontREGISTRY.com

the mayor to small local business owners. So now we get a lot of people contacting us with the scoop. On going deep: We have the advantage of being hyperlocal. Our entire focus is on one city, and focused on downtown. [Other real estate journalists] do great work, but most of them cover a territory way bigger than St Pete. On getting it right: It means more to us than anything to get the story right, especially because we’re a small publication. How they pay for it: For the first five years it was — still is — a passion project. We not only didn’t make a dime, we lost money [expenses for Wordpress, Facebook, etc.] As we’ve gotten more popular and readership has increased [118 percent increase in pageviews from 2018 to 2019] our expenses have as well. Instead of banner ads, we decided to bring on a few community supporters for a flat fee per month, 6 months or a year at a time. That money has allowed us to spread our wings and grow. We’re looking to add a few more [paid] contributors and we just hired a photographer. Plans to expand? A Tampa or a Clearwater Rising, perhaps? We’re not looking to those others, to be honest, because we don’t live there. We would love to expand coverage of other neighborhoods beyond downtown, though — the Skyway Marina District, the Tyrone area, Crescent Heights — but we’re now up against a bandwidth issue. The projects he’s looking forward to seeing develop in 2020: I do think 400 Central [the 45-story tower from developer John Catsimatidis] is going to be exciting. What’s happening at the old police station is really exciting. That is a huge piece of land that has enormous potential for the EDGE. What about folks who worry St. Pete is getting too developed? I totally understand — St. Pete has an amazing history, and people think we’re growing too fast. But this is the problem of a successful city. To me, cities are either growing or they’re dying; they never stay the same.There are some people who think a city should be preserved in amber. We preserve dead things in amber, and I don’t think St. Pete is dead. And what is it you love so much about St. Pete, anyway? It’s the community — it’s the people. It’s infectious, to be honest with you. There’s a sense of belonging here which I think you don’t get everywhere. You see everybody wearing Chad Mize’s World Tour shirts — city pride shirts. I didn’t see that in Ft. Myers!

Find St. Pete Rising at stpeterising.com and on social media. Brian Zucker also writes a column, “Downtown Developments,” for Green Bench Monthly.

37 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRY.com 37

REAL ESTATE

A Magnificent Sprawling Country Estate 12321 Fort King Highway, Tampa $22,000,000

he Oaks, a magnificent sprawling country estate situated on Lake Thonotosassa, is one of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most significant homes to be built within the last century. The French-Normandy style gated manor includes 8 bedrooms, 12 full bathrooms, and 14 half baths for 36,361 SF of air-conditioned space and 42,782 SF under roof. In addition, there is a separate 11,000 SF air-conditioned state of the art workshop with 2 half baths and a gatehouse with 1 half bath. Surrounded by handcrafted rolling hills with manicured lawns, gardens and trees, the grounds encompass a long private brick driveway, main house, 2-story guest house, antique collector garage that can hold up to 20 cars, workshop, well-appointed pool house, gatehouse, horse barn with grazing pasture, indoor and outdoor salt water pools, expansive loggias, 2-story boat house, race track, and 1 mile jogging trail. 4 contiguous properties were acquired to form the 36 acre estate with 1,278 feet of lake frontage. Main residence with elevator access to all levels comprises 4-stories with 6 bedrooms, 8 full and 7 half baths, plus 7-car garage. The Oaks offers a world class mens lounge, chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen with finest cabinetry/appliances, master suite with sitting room and his/her bathrooms/closets, grand salon, craft room, fitness room, steam and sauna rooms, massage area, bowling alley, an indoor heated saltwater pool, game room, 3 fireplaces, and magical night lighting. Every detail was chosen to accommodate the most cordial and comfortable lifestyle!

Mary Pond & Ed Gunning | 813-294-8867 Dina Sierra Smith | 813-760-6354 | Smith & Associates Real Estate www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 38 www.duPontREGISTRY.com

REAL ESTATE

www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRY.com 39

REAL ESTATE

Magnificently Restored Waterfront Estate 802 Druid Road S., Clearwater | $13,900,000

16 Bed/ 13 Full & 7 Half Bath / 21,758 Sq. Ft. / 10 Car Garage

nparalleled Waterfront Estate. Overlooking Clearwater Harbor, pure privacy, grandeur and breathtaking views await behind the stately walls of this expansive 3.5-acre resort property. Boasting a lavish 16,000 SF Main House and 5,000 SF Guesthouse, the noteworthy address is the jewel of the historic Harbor Oaks neighborhood. Designed for refined living and entertaining, a porte cochĂ¨re entry and circular drive welcome you to impressive architecture, period features and designer finishes, a grand ballroom, movie theater, full service wine cellar, fitness, Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, executive office and library. An opulent master retreat provides the perfect escape with a sitting room, custom dressing room, luxurious bath and private terrace. The magnificent manicured grounds deliver endless hours of recreation with lighted tennis courts, 2 pools, a 60 ft covered dock/ lift, waterfront promenade, historic bell tower and terraced gardens. A guesthouse greets distinguished visitors with generous living areas, 6 bedrooms, 5 full baths, 2 half baths, game room and sitting room. Positioned high on a bluff and featuring 304 feet of waterfront and seawall, Submerged Land and Riparian Rights are in place for waterfront protection. Appointments include original marble and hardwood flooring, French doors, professional-grade appliances, Swarovski crystal chandeliers, Versace wallpaper and carpet, internal and external sound systems, video security and garage parking for 10 vehicles. One of the last great estates on Clearwater Harbor, this one-of-a-kind work of art is not to be missed.

Martha Thorn with The Thorn Collection | 727-432-9019 Jennifer Zales | 727-432-9019 | Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

REAL ESTATE

Space - Beauty - Intimacy

430 Jasmine Way, Clearwater | $1,269,999

RING ALL OFFERS!! Luxurious living in a magnificent, almost 5000 square foot home which offers an award-winning “Constanza Victoria” floor plan with 25 ft soaring cathedral ceilings and plenty of windows allowing in an abundance of natural light. This Open Concept home is stunning from the moment you enter through the double front doors. This home sits on a13,029 SQ FT Lot! Terri Novitsky | 727-298-8888 | TerriLMREP@Gmail.com

Newly Listed! Tim Clemmons-designed townhome.

f you want to be in the heart of DTSP, this is the place. Straub Court is located 4 blocks from Beach Drive and directly across from the new Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. This contemporary Tim Clemmons-designed townhome has a spacious floorplan that boasts 2,000 square feet with recently refinished hardwood floors throughout and includes a newly upgraded high-end kitchen. The balcony off the living room overlooks the private courtyard. First floor consists of bedroom with a full bath, with French doors leading out to the private courtyard and a large two-car garage. Second floor living area contains an open floor plan with picture windows giving the home an abundance of bright natural light throughout. Third floor includes a 2nd bedroom with an ensuite bath. The master bedroom has a superb master bath with a tumbled stone walk-in shower, double sink, and spa tub. You don’t want to miss living the lifestyle in a luxury turnkey DTSP townhome. Offered at $665,000 Contact Toni W. Russell Broker/Owner Russell Property Group | 696 First Avenue N., Suite 205, St. Petersburg, FL 727-421-2627 | Toni@RussellPG.com or Spencer A. Russell Broker/Associate | 727-420-7822 | Spencer@RussellPG.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

ROBYN GUNN

LIVE TRANQUIL 1803 Beach Drive SE | $2,895,000

Introducing an exquisite resort style property located on the scenic waterfront of Lassing Park, with fabulous expansive views of Tampa Bay. Comprising a 3 bed, 3.5 bath main house, 2 bed, 1 full bath guest house, wine room/studio apartment with kitchenette and full bath, and gym with kitchenette and half bath. All three buildings have been meticulously rebuilt or restored, and have a combined 4919 sf under air, on just under half an acre of privately gated grounds.

Robyn Gunn | 727.421.7234 robyn.gunn@premiersir.com 120 2nd Avenue NE | St. Petersburg, FL 33701

YOUR TRUSTED HOMEBUILDER As the premier homebuilder in Southwest Florida for over 45 years, Neal Communities partners with every homebuyer to deliver the Neal Difference. From the start of your journey, we are excited to build your dream home together. Where you live matters, and our promise to provide a home and a quality community will always reflect that.

941-229-2389 NealCommunities.com CBC 1256375

Experience the Luxury of Living Well Neal Signature Homes provides you the opportunity to build and customize your new dream home - a place where you always belong and celebrate life’s richest moments. Award-winning ﬂoor plans, majestic locations and luxurious ﬁnishes strike the perfect balance. Create your Signature Moment with us today.

visit us or schedule an appointment

941-241-0317

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MOVING TAMPA BAY FORWARD

SINCE 1969

HISTORIC PASS-A-GRILLE 2909 Sunset Way 7 Bed | 6/2 Bath | 5,623 SF | $3,250,000 Debbie Momberg & Lee Stratton 727.560.1571

TIERRA VERDE WATERFRONT 404 8th Avenue N 4 Bed | 3/1 Bath | 4,852 SF | $1,349,900 Tia Hockensmith & Anna Womack 727.422.6127

DAVIS ISLANDS WATERFRONT 581 Marmora Avenue 4 Bed | 3/1 Bath | 3,913 SF | $1,390,350 The Wood Team 813.957.3941

THE OAKS ESTATE 12321 Fort King Highway 8 Bed | 12/14 Bath | 36,361 SF | $22,000,000 | theoaksestate.com Dina Sierra Smith, Mary Pond & Ed Gunning 813.690.7902

SALTAIRE Starting in the $800s | 1,663 - 6,182 SF The Saltaire Sales Team 727.240.3840 SaltaireStPete.com

ALTURA BAYSHORE Starting in the $1.1Ms | 2,176 - 3,575 SF The Altura Sales Team 813.492.2420 AlturaBayshore.com

STILLWATER IN ODESSA 7742 Still Lakes Drive 7 Bed | 6/1 Bath | 8,420 SF | $2,150,000 Melanie Atkinson 813.368.6084

CLEARWATER 837 Harbor Island 5 Bed | 5/2 Bath | 8,548 SF | $8,500,000 Sophia Vasilaros 727.430.0141

HARBOUR ISLAND WATERFRONT 905 Mariner Way 4 Bed | 5/1 Bath | 4,334 SF | $2,600,000 Traci Burns 813.833.7510

HYDE PARK HOUSE Starting in the $900s | 1,835 - 5,057 SF The Hyde Park House Sales Team 813.605.1119 HydeParkBayshore.com

LOCAL â&#x2122;¥ GLOBAL REACH

TARPON SPRINGS 1235 N Florida Avenue 7 Bed | 5/1 Bath | 7,551 SF | $2,499,999 Tiffany Spyridakos & Michelle Agostinelli 727.641.9869

OurGlobal Global Partners Our Partners

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C RI

85 BELLEVIEW BLVD #705, BELLEAIR

Embrace luxury living from this 7th floor penthouse within the private Belleair Golf & Country Club. Overlooking the implacable golf course greens, this 3-Bed/3.5-Bath home has over 3,600 sq.ft. of space with large open kitchen of granite counters/center island & panoramic views from the broad terrace & massive windows featuring automatic Hunter Douglas shades. Offered at $1,975,000 | BelleviewPlacePenthouse.com

909 BAY ESPLANADE, CLEARWATER BEACH

A boaters delight! This North Clearwater Beach home has deep water dock & covered boat lift with shady backyard and positioned on a 95 x 199â&#x20AC;&#x2122; lot with two car garage & carport. Open dining + living space have magnificent waterfront views; with bay windows expanding the perimeter of the home and along the breakfast nook with coved ceiling with views from kitchen. Offered at $1,855,000 | 909BayEsplanade.com

The Thorn Collection | 727.432.9019 | www.TheThornCollection.com ÂŠ2018 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The property information.

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108 HARBOR VIEW LANE, BELLEAIR BLUFFS

This stunning five bedroom, five bath contemporary home, built in 2003 on a bluff, features peaceful waterfront views, boat dock and pool and spa. Copious windows bring the outside into the bright open plan with two living areas, study, breakfast area and kitchen with granite and stainless. Second floor master suite includes terrace, two walk-in closets and private bath. No waterfront insurance needed for the house. Offered at $2,995,000 | 108HarborViewLane.com

C RI

8 WINSTON DRIVE, BELLEAIR

This magnificent 5/4.5 waterfront home includes a dock with lifts and pool with spillover spa. The granite and stainless kitchen opens to a breakfast area and family room with fireplace and adjoining terrace. The split master suite features a luxury bath. The ground level contains a huge garage area and carpeted recreation area with sliders to the pool. Offered at $2,184,000 | 8WinstonDrive.com

Luxury Collection

418 SAINT ANDREWS DR | BELLEAIR | $3,500,000 SCOTT & AMY FERGUSON | 727-744-0993

940 MONTE CRISTO BLVD | TIERRA VERDE | $2,850,000 CATHY HYPES | THE HYPES TEAM | 813-690-1491

1778 OCEANVIEW DR | TIERRA VERDE | $2,395,000 DENISE REILLY | 727-458-6161

15539 REDINGTON DR | REDINGTON BEACH | $1,745,000 KARL MOELLER | 727-656-7440

115 8TH ST E | TIERRA VERDE | $1,249,000 BOB & MARSHA CARGO | 727-798-2656

213 SANCTUARY DR | CRYSTAL BEACH | $1,050,000 MARGOT TOOMEY & MARK LEONGOMEZ | 727-515-1445

21215 SKY VISTA DR | LAND O LAKES | $850,000 ALEXANDREA WHITE | 813-995-1921

29302 WHIPPORWILL LN | WESLEY CHAPEL | $775,000 THE WERTZ GROUP | 813-419-0750

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Dania Perry

Luxury & Waterfront Specialist MOBILE: 727-215-2045 dania.perry@gmail.com www.DaniaPerry.com

#1 Selling Realtor in Tampa Bay

CAPRI ISLE – TREASURE ISLAND, FL

BELLEAIR BEACH

A True Rarity – The Essence of Zen in Coastal Luxury. Remarkable 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 6,830 total sqft open waterfront floorplan of masterful design and function. Towering ceilings and extraordinary finishes throughout. Impressive list of superb features and amenities. From your dock to the Gulf in four minutes! Offered for $2,380,000.

Virtually flawless in its finishes, updates and design, this stunning 5,743 total sqft, 5 bedroom executive residence rests on a beautifully landscaped 2 ½ lots and 200ft of pristine waterfrontage. Gorgeous, elegant living spaces, superb private pool compound, large dock with 2 lifts. Just one block from the beach! Offered for $1,850,000.

BAYFRONT TOWER – ST. PETERSBURG

BACOPA BAY – ST. PETERSBURG

Soaring high above the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, this exceptional corner double-unit, 3-bedroom condominium provides stunning panoramic views of Tampa Bay and a spacious 3,346sqft of living area. 2-car garage parking. Extraordinary top floor clubhouse, rooftop pool and truly incredible amenities. Offered for $1,595,000.

Magnificent sweeping panoramic water views! Brilliantly updated 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 3,028 sqft top floor residence boasts a sophisticated cosmopolitan appeal. Sumptuous gourmet kitchen, posh executive office, luxurious living areas, elegant private verandahs, exceptional world class amenities, easy access to beaches and Tampa Airport. Offered for $1,350,000.

The Dania Difference • The Professional Difference • The Real Difference in Real Estate 52

CENTURY 21 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

JIM WHITE AND ASSOC. • 10645 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, FL 33706

#1 CENTURY 21 Realtor in the World For the 6th time!

Dania Sold $112M+ in 2019 and $900M+ since 2010

Dania Perry

Luxury & Waterfront Specialist MOBILE: 727-215-2045 dania.perry@gmail.com www.DaniaPerry.com

BEACHFRONT - REDINGTON BEACH, FL

KIPPS COLONY – PASADENA Y & CC

MILLION DOLLAR PRICE REDUCTION! Built in 2014 on a deep, wide beachfront lot in one of Tampa Bay’s finest beach communities, this astonishing 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath, 11,622 total sqft coastal contemporary estate with separate guest house is the pinnacle in design, craftsmanship and luxury. Top-of-the line features and finishes throughout. Offered for $6,495,000.

This spectacular and luxurious 10,769 total sqft executive estate enjoys miles of dazzling open water views! Towering ceilings, grand open living spaces and brilliant craftmanship give this remarkable home a plush, lavish appeal. Huge master suite, wide covered balconies, pool/spa, updated seawall/dock and 2 boat lifts. Offered for $2,999,950.

MARINA BAY – ST. PETERSBURG

PASS-A-GRILLE - BEACHFRONT

Magnificently finished 4-bedroom waterfront estate located in a beautiful community. Huge open gourmet kitchen. Deep water dock with dual boat lifts and rapid access to the Gulf. The best waterfront commuting location in Tampa Bay! Just 5 min to the beach, 8 min to downtown, 25 min to Tampa Airport, 30 min to Sarasota. Offered for $2,695,000.

You’ll love this private area with two Old-Florida beach cottages, a world class powder-soft white sand beach, and a short walking distance to the renowned Don Cesar Resort. Build your dream home in Tampa Bay’s posh, high demand beach community or enjoy the income produced by this intimate, well-landscaped compound. Offered for $2,350,000.

Independently Ranked one of Florida's 10 Best Real Estate Agents CENTURY 21 JIM WHITE AND ASSOC. • 10645 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island,www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com FL 33706

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dR STYLE

On Trend On The Course

TrendyGolf is bringing fashion to the fore.

hough the sport of golf has not been known as a trend-setter in the world of fashion (unless you count the introduction of knickers), the folks at TrendyGolf are aiming to change all that with color, fit and details that pop. All items by G-Fore except where indicated and available at trendygolfusa.com. Styles selected by Tracey Negoshian.

MEN’S

INFORMAL: Tux polo in onyx, $225.

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IN THE PINK: Tipped polo in bougainvillea, $125.

.# LIC

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SLAY ‘EM: Killer T’s skulland-crossbones shorts in charcoal, $165.

WOMEN’S

GET A GRIP: Seasonal left glove in snow and flamingo, $35.

RUFFLE ‘EM: Tech twill ruffle golf skort in snow white from Tory Sport, $148.

HAPPY FEET: Cap toe Gallivanter shoe in snow and day-glo pink, $225.

dR GOLF

Valspar Takes Another Big Swing The PGA Tournament at Innisbrook will feature Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and lots of fan extras. STORY BY ERIC SNIDER

HE’S #1: Brooks Koepka, ranked the #1 golfer in the world, will be playing in Valspar 2020.

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Courtesy Rick Mohler

ow’s this for a dream golf vacation? Walk the the event a success take up every room we have.” Copperhead Course at Innisbrook marveling Oh, well. at the best golfers on the planet as they There’s always this: Amateurs — from duffers to 3-handicappers — are free to book a suite and compete in the PGA’s Valspar Championship, then retire to one of the resort’s 304 newly actually play Innisbrook’s four highly rated Innisbrook renovated suites or rooms for a cozy night’s courses during other times of the year. “We’ll may sell out during sleep. Wake up and do it all over again. Valspar, but it’s a prime get groups from clubs up north — 12, 24, 64 Apologies for the tease, but that scenario players for a three-day, two-night package,” golf-cation option any simply cannot happen. says Williams, who adds that booking picks other time. “The resort is completely sold out every up directly before and after Valspar. “I was sitting in one of our restaurants in May [’19], year,” says Mike Williams, Innisbrook’s two months after the tournament, and at the table managing director. “The players, the caddies, the were four guys from Connecticut, talking. One of them TV talent and all the background personnel that make

said, ‘I watched Valspar on TV and the course looked so beautiful I had to come down and play where the pros play.’” Williams promptly handed that overheard phrase — “play where the pros play” — to the marketing department, which made it one of Innisbrook’s advertising slogans (along with “salt your margarita, not your sidewalks”). The 2020 Valspar Championship takes place March 16-22. This year’s tournament landed a couple of big fish before the curtain closed on 2019: Brooks Koepka, who began 2020 ranked #1 in the world, and #5-ranked Dustin Johnson. Koepka played Valspar in 2014 on a sponsor exemption because he’d not yet earned a tour card. (He missed the cut.) Johnson competed last year and finished in a three-way tie for sixth. Englishman Paul Casey, ranked #14 at the beginning of the calendar year, will be vying for his third consecutive Valspar title. Fans come to the Valspar tournament to see the top golfers in the world, but they get far more than that.

NEW LOOK: A renovated room at the Innisbrook Resort.

“Every PGA tour event knows that people now want an experience, something that goes beyond the quoteunquote normal sporting event,” says tournament director Tracy West. To that end, Valspar adds a lot of extras. For several years, organizers have mounted a Saturday night country music concert near the 14th hole that draws around 15,000 fans. This year’s show features Chris Young (“I’m Comin’ Over,” “Hangin’ On”) and Big & Rich, who gave us the bawdy anthem “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” The concert is free with tournament admission. New in 2020 are a couple of diversions that involve adult beverages, which, we’ve been told, go hand-in-glove with golf viewing. Attendees are welcome to partake in Another Round: Happy Hour Friday (4-7 p.m.) on the Osprey range. It will feature a cash bar, food trucks,

Photo by Matthew Berinato

dR GOLF

HE’S COMIN’ OVER: Country star Chris Young will play Saturday night.

craft beer tastings and celebrity appearances by Ronde Barber, Nick Price and others. Valspar is also offering the Copperhead Crawl, a special ticket package that includes five coupons for one drink each — from specially crafted cocktails to beer — at five strategically located outposts along the course. Each spot will have seating areas that feature fun activities: oversized lawn games (chess, Connect 4) at one, a beach area with crystal white sand and Adirondack chairs at another. West, who directs a year-round staff of 10 full-timers, is confident that a special time awaits attendees, from hardcore golf fans whose attention never wavers from the on-course action, to kids 15 and under who get in free and can enjoy the Family Fun Zone. “The Copperhead is such a fan-friendly course,” she says. “It’s easy to walk — there’s some undulation but it’s not up-and-down hilly. It’s compact enough that you can see many holes in a short period of time. It’s easy to start from, say, the fifth tee, jump to the eighth, then ninth, and it’s the same on the back nine. Valspar is an ideal blend of fun for fans and a challenge that the players really love.”

MAGIC JOHNSON: Dustin Johnson, ranked #5, is also among this year’s Valspar golfers..

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Come Play in the Sunshine There’s always something festive going on in beautiful Gulfport.

ulfport is a unique and nostalgic Florida coastal city in the midst of an exciting renaissance. Its positive energy is attracting the transformative power of arts and cultural activities for people of all ages. Celebrating over 100 years as an incorporated full-service city, Gulfport encompasses 3.8 square miles and has approximately 12,000 residents. Known for its beautiful waterfront, the city boasts a multitude of artists, restaurants, and the friendliest people in southern Pinellas County. (Bonus: Gulfport is the only city in Pinellas County that offers free municipal beach parking.) The Historic Gulfport Casino Ballroom, built in 1934 and completely renovated in 2001, is a 10,000-sq-ft facility overlooking Boca Ciega Bay with a waterfront view on three sides. The Casino is an historic landmark recently added to the

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National Register of Historic Places. Gulfport offers a variety of family-friendly events and activities that are open to the public. These special events give residents and visitors a chance to utilize the city’s beach amenities, support local eateries, browse various artists’ shops and boutiques, and create lasting memories in the beautiful Florida sunshine.

COMING UP IN GULFPORT The 11th Annual So Classic Car Show. Sat., Feb. 1, 2020 at the newly proclaimed Trolley Market Square, 4901 Tangerine Ave. S. The 49th Street South Business Association actively promotes 49th Street South businesses and activities that stimulate the economy in our area. so49.org/so-classic-car-show.

16th Annual Gulfport Get Rescued. This free event on Beach Boulevard in the Waterfront District on Sat., Feb. 22, 2020, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., has evolved from a handful of animal rescue groups into one of the largest animal rescue events in the state. 4th Annual Gulfport Grand Prix Boat Race. On Fri.-Sun., March 27-29, 2020, Gulfport’s Shore Boulevard will transform into a mecca of activity during the Grand Prix Boat Race, featuring F150, SST45, Jersey Speed Skiffs and a Boat Show. grandprixgulfport.com. O’Maddy’s Bar & Grille Annual St. Patrick’s Day Street Party. O’Maddy’s famous bash is back on Tues., March 17 at 11 a.m. Expect corned beef & cabbage, green beer, live music and, of course, lots of SHENANIGANS! This event is a fundraiser for the Michael J. Yakes Foundation. Annual Gulfport Springfest Garden Art & Faerie Festival. Gulfport’s downtown waterfront district on Beach Blvd. S. will become an enchanted village inhabited by Renaissance-era characters, gypsies, minstrels, wizards and roving entertainers in costume during Springfest, Sat., May 2, 2020, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A free pet and family-friendly event. The City of Gulfport Independence Day Celebration. Events on July 4, 2020, include a Kids’ Fishing Derby at the Recreation Center seawall, a Family Sand Sculpture contest on Gulfport Beach and a parade on Beach Boulevard at 6 p.m. The celebration caps off with a spectacular fireworks display at 9 p.m. The 20th Annual GeckoFest. A full day of free family-friendly fun on Sat., Sept. 5, 2020, GeckoFest is preceded each year by the Gecko Art Show, Gecko Crawl and Gecko Ball. Events are hosted by the non-profit Gulfport Merchants Chamber. Free parking and admission. Pet and family friendly. Information courtesy Justin Shea, Cultural Facilities Events Supervisor for the City of Gulfport.

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Wine Country Within Reach Great grapes and good times at a luxurious Georgia resort.

Photo by Megan Padilla

STORY BY MEGAN PADILLA

weekend in wine country — sounds idyllic, right? But we’re not talking about California or France. There’s an oenophile’s paradise in Georgia that’s just a 90-minute direct flight from Tampa, no change in time zones required. Welcome to Château Élan Winery & Resort, a multi-dimensional property about an hour northeast of Atlanta’s airport. There’s a full-service 276-room inn, a spa with 14 of its own overnight guest rooms, a golf club overseeing 45 holes on wooded courses, and an impressive conference center, but the heartbeat of Château Élan is wine. After living in Central Florida for 14 years, I was surprised to learn that award-winning wines in a beautiful destination are just a short trip away. In the spirit of curiosity, I visited the resort last November on the heels of its $25 million head-to-toe renovation.

VINE COUNTRY: A view from the vineyards.

Courtesy Chateau Elan

TRAVEL: CHATEAU ELAN

TASTEFULLY DONE: The Winery’s tasting room and wine bar.

From grape to glass First, I needed to understand how this winery came to exist bringing these complex elements into harmony. His vision for in Georgia. The story goes like this: Dr. Don Panoz and his wife Château Élan wines has since garnered more than 300 awards. Nancy wanted to bring a taste of Europe to the South by buildAfter the tour it’s time to taste, and for this our group is ing a château-style resort around a winery. Others shut him fortunate to have Cecilia, a native of Argentina, as our tasting down. “You can’t grow grapes in Georgia!” they told Dr. Panoz. guide. “You could say I was born with wine in my blood,” she “Watch me!” he said. tells us as we stand in front of our respective stations, each one The vineyards were planted and the first vintage released before set with a white wine glass and a cheese and charcuterie tray The Inn (the inn’s formal if generic name) welcomed its first guests — a worthy opt-in, if for nothing more than to soak up some in 1985. The Panozes grew the resort and established a level of of the alcohol (I sip rather than spit my way through the flight). service that cultivated loyal guests over the decades. But 30 We look at the wine and learn from its color (gold means it’s years later, the wine was in need of support. Panoz hired been aged in oak), its body (thicker skins of red grapes I was the Italian vintner Simone Bergese in 2013, who result in a thicker body), and aroma (liberated as wine ripped out all the vines and started from scratch. swirls and breathes). “The first taste is a shock in your surprised to learn Bergese led our small group on a tour of The mouth,” says Cecilia. Everyone sips and nods their that award-winning Winery, a castle-like building atop the highest heads. “The second and third sips are when you wines in a beautiful point of the gently rolling landscape. It is the destination are just a really begin to taste the wine.” first thing you see after turning in to the property. We start with the Chardonnay Reserve. “White short trip away. Within it are a state-of-the-art production facility, wine needs to be drunk cool,” she says. Whites at a beautifully designed tasting room and wine bar, a 40-55 degrees and reds at 62- 68, she explains. “Warm full-service restaurant called Marc and a cooking school wine will taste bad.” I am reminded of how much care is that teaches students how to pair wine with food. required to give each bottle the respect it deserves until it reaches Bergese’s goal, he says while we stand on an overlook of the wine the glass. production area and its enormous stainless steel vats and stacked After a full evening in The Winery, where we also get to oak barrels, is to make healthy wines, using only grapes from experiment with blending and bottling our own wine, we finally where they are meant to be grown. To do that, he exclusively sit down at Marc and dine on dry-aged ribeye paired with the planted muscadine, “the only grape native to the Southeast,” Tempranillo Reserve. from which he’s created six wines. For most of the other 22 wines A short brisk walk back to The Inn on this fall evening is on his list, Bergese hand-selects the vinifera grapes to use from welcome — though a few of us are sidelined along the way, farm vineyards in California. drawn inside Paddy’s Irish Bar, where a singer with a guitar and It may sound complicated, but Bergese is like a conductor, a “favorites” song list has the place hopping. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

TRAVEL: CHATEAU ELAN Beyond the tasting room

It’s easy to explore off campus. Braselton is a 10-minute drive or Uber ride away (or 22 if you ride the free trolley that cycles through on weekends). The tiny downtown is an exemplary case study in adaptive reuse, preserving the buildings of the past by filling them with businesses of the present. The efforts in recent years have resulted in a vibrant little hub packed with a sense of place evoking an early 20th-century farming town. It’s also a fine place to shop for antiques (the Antique and Artisans Festival is April 24-26 and attracts some 300 vendors) and upscale resale furnishings at House of Boykin. The former Braselton Brothers mercantile is a brick warehouse where you can shop for clothing, gifts and olive oil, refuel with authentic French crepes at the Galloping Galette or book a table for a fine-dining experience at the Cotton Calf. Across the street, the former cotton gin is now Braselton Brewing Company and a one-time gas station is The Local, offering casual table service and a cocktail menu. Tiny white clapboard buildings that may have been part of the original Braselton family homestead house a bakery, pottery studio and other passion projects of Braselton entrepreneurs.

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CLASS ACT: Chef Lindy at the Viking Culinary Studio.

Courtesy Chateau Elan

Braselton: A trolley ride away

Megan Padilla

Finally it’s time for bed, and I’m grateful The Inn is within view of the pub. The lobby, fresh off its renovation, is welcoming, with a carved limestone fireplace at the center of a cozy configuration of caramel-colored leather sofas. Beyond it there’s a soaring glass-roofed atrium lit both by sunlight and a new chandelier with 1,400 hand-blown bulbs from the Czech Republic. The restaurants, bars and the entrance to the 40,000 squarefoot conference center all open off the atrium. The next day is devoted to health and fun. Yoga in the barrel room at The Winery, a cooking class at the Viking Culinary Studio where chef Lindy teaches us to make hummus from boiled peanuts, followed by an entire afternoon at The Spa. The Spa is a “hotel within a hotel” on a secluded part of the wooded property where guests never have to change out of their bathrobes, whether dining in the airy Fleur-de-Lis restaurant, lounging by the fire in the intimate lobby or using the spa or salon facilities outside of the extensive facial and body services offered in the 35 treatment rooms. Those staying overnight in one of the 14 Spa Suites have 24/7 access to all of the facilities (and scheduled fitness classes), so if you’re in the mood for a eucalyptus steam or to swim laps in the indoor heated pool with resistance jets at midnight, you’re in luck.

GIN UP: The Braselton Brewing Company is in a building that once housed a cotton gin.

Courtesy Chateau Elan

TRAVEL: CHATEAU ELAN

FAST LANE: Amazing vehicles like this one are on view during the Motul Petit Le Mans.

Wine Country, right away

Dr. Panoz brought more to Braselton than wine and hospitality. He also brought sports car endurance racing by founding the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and the Motul Petit Le Mans, which has been raced every October since 1998. Panoz and his son established their own motorsports company to build custom cars capable of competing alongside the major manufacturing teams such as Mercedes, Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari. You can visit the Panoz Museum just five minutes from Château Élan to see models past and present and learn more about the legacy of endurance racing. Every October, Château Élan is a hub of action during the Motul Petit Le Mans (this year it’s Oct. 7-10). For car enthusiasts, there couldn’t be a better time to lounge on the terrace in front of The Winery. Last fall, a Pagani purported to be worth $21.5 million was photographed on the lawn at Château Élan during the Petit Le Mans.

No need to flag Château Élan Winery & Resort as a “someday” trip. If there’s room at The Inn or The Spa, you can go today. Hop on the next flight to Atlanta and call Cooper Global Chauffeured Transportation to drive you there. If you envision buying cases rather than a few bottles, then consider driving. Château Élan is a day’s drive from Tampa Bay. For owners of performance sports cars, the most compelling reason to road trip rather than fly is the chance to drive your own car on the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta during Track Days, hosted year-round by different Car Clubs and manufacturers.

Courtesy Chateau Elan

The Panoz legacy

Château Élan: chateauelan.com Braselton: visitbraselton.com, braseltontrolley.com/route.html Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta: roadatlanta.com, panoz.com Cooper Global Chauffeured Transportation: cooperglobal.com

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GILT TRIP: The dining room is worthy of Versailles.

Postcard from Paris: Le Grand Vefour Napoleon loved it — and so did we. STORY BY JON PALMER CLARIDGE

ining at a Michelin-starred restaurant is like going from zero to luxury in 2.8 seconds. You may not be pulling 2Gs, but surely the thrill that NASCAR racers feel when they see the green flag and put pedal to the metal can’t be more exhilarating. My recent lunch at Paris’s Le Grand Vefour, which predates the French Revolution, is a feast for the senses and a showcase for chef/owner Guy Martin’s culinary artistry. First of all, the dining room is worthy of Versailles. Jean Taittinger (of Champagne fame) oversaw the restoration after a bomb attack damaged the space in 1984. It’s all floor-to-ceiling gilt and filigree, with frosted glass panels in all the windows to ensure privacy while dining, away from the glance of any curious Parisians strolling in the adjacent Palais Royal gardens. The aristocratic Directoire-style silver is placed tips down, an18th66 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

century practice done to reveal the family’s coat of arms. The stemware’s luminous shine comes from crystal being steamed and hand-polished by the sommelier team. Champion NASCAR drivers would welcome a pit crew with this attention to detail. The sense of history is palpable; after all, Napoleon, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Honoré de Balzac, Jean-Paul Sartre and George Sand all dined here. Colette, Cocteau, Buffet and Chagall left behind drawings or watercolors which now grace the walls. We begin with dazzling Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé Champagne (a favorite of both Queen Victoria and Edward VII) poured from magnums. It’s got a deep, surprising rosy color with active pinpoint bubbles and a chorus of red fruit aromas. Our amuse-bouche follows: a thin circle of broccoli floret bits dotted

CULINARY TRAVEL with Roquefort cream, surrounding a small vessel made from the outer shell of a braised pearl onion and filled with more cream that’s been charred with a brûlée torch. Simple, but scrumptious. Much like a NASCAR race, there’s lots going on; it is, after all, nearly a four-hour event. The primary difference is that drivers accelerate, while luxury diners are allowed to float on a cloud of decadence. Soazig Bilien, our peerless server from Brittany, seamlessly orchestrates our meal. The choreography of Michelin service is a thing of beauty. A handsome gold-rimmed bowl is filled tableside from a sterling silver boat. Creamy pale-yellow cauliflower bouillon perfumed with soft curry spices is then topped with a huge oval of meringue-like fish emulsion made from fresh haddock. It’s sigh-inducing — especially with the 2014 Domaine Geantet-Pansiot Marsannay, a lovely chardonnay. Champion We also share two beautiful Twix-like bars of duck foie gras terrine surrounded by shaved multi-hued NASCAR drivers radishes and kohlrabi. Sommelier Romain Alzy’s would welcome a pit 2000 Leon Beyer Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardives crew with this (late harvest) from Alsace is the wine surprise of attention to detail.

PERFECT PEARS: A pear and blackcurrant compote is garnished with two tiny pear-shaped tuiles.

the day — only moderately sweet (unlike Sauternes), but with intense flavors. Our main dishes begin with a tender rectangle of roasted codfish topped with bougainvillea-pink beetroot glaze on a bed of whole white Paimpol beans. The unexpected wine pairing is a 2015 Château Ste Anne from Bandol in Provence, a light, earthy Mourvedre blend that displays soft, red fruit. We also share two pieces of panfried veal rump surrounded by candied fruits with hints of ginger plus a split caramelized fennel bulb with chorizo jus. A simple 2010 cab/merlot blend from Château Peyrat-Fourthon in Bordeaux’s Haut-Medoc brings an Old World nose of black fruit aromas. Each of our entrees comes with a small bowl displaying a ring of confited vegetables that showcase the kitchen’s mastery of craft. Like the race car driver, we’re at the halfway point and it’s time for a pit stop. One of the highlights of great French haute cuisine

SAY FROMAGE: One of the highlights of great French haute cuisine is the cheese cart.

is encountering the cheese cart. Before us on two huge silver trays are 25 perfectly ripe examples of France’s greatest hits, including my personal favorite, Époisses, Burgundy’s gloriously pungent soft cow’s milk creation that demands two spoons to coax a single serving to the plate. Sommelier Alzy comes through again with a pair of splendid wines: Roux Père & Fils Santenay and the rich Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Blanc, which shows butterscotch and glazed fruits aromas plus a note of quince paste on the finish. Finally, the desserts are an absolute delight: thin roasted apple squares on Brittany shortbread topped with apple spheres and single popcorn kernels, all thinly coated with luscious caramel; and a pear and blackcurrant compote with chestnut mousseline and quenelles of pear and Indian long pepper sorbet, garnished with two tiny pear-shaped tuiles, complete with stems. The late chef Charlie Trotter, America’s perfectionist king of elegance, mused that “when all four elements were happening in equal measure — the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience… dining could [reach] a spiritual level.” Clearly, Le Grand Véfour has that in spades. As I stroll through Le Jardin du Palais-Royal with my dining companion back to our AirBnB, there’s a lightness to our step. For even as our bellies are full to the brim, it’s our hearts and minds that are joyously overflowing.

Jon Palmer Claridge is the restaurant critic for Creative Loafing, the Tampa Bay newsweekly. “Postcard from Paris” is excerpted from his new book, Drink More Wine! A Simple Guide to Peak Experiences NOW, available on Amazon and at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg.

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dR DINING: VALENTINES

Perfect Pairings Love’s the main course for these noted restaurateur couples. STORY BY CINDY STOVALL

s Valentine’s Day approaches, thoughts turn to romance. Delicious food at a fine eatery can certainly be the way to our epicureal hearts, but what happens when you’re the owner of the restaurant….. and you’re married to your business partner? Does the couple that cooks together stay together? For two of St. Petersburg’s most successful restaurateur couples, the answer is definitely yes.

Steve & Nancy Westphal

Beach, The Annex, The Hangar at Albert Whitted Airport, Cafe Gala at the Dalì Museum. Any of these places would be appropriate for romantic Valentine’s dining. But let’s talk about the Westphals’ love story first. I sat down with Nancy & Steve at 400 Beach Seafood & Taphouse, a mecca of fresh seafood with elegant yet approachable style. Following Nancy on social media, it is no secret that this couple is happy and in love. The chemistry between these two is immediately palpable — proof that some people don’t fib on Facebook. “I grew up in this neighborhood,” relates Nancy, “Be flexible and who came to St. Pete as a child from Wisconsin. agreeable. And give “I had walked down Beach Drive a million times. each other space if it’s Then, about 13 years ago, when this place [400 needed.” —Nancy Beach] was no more than a construction zone, I Westphal walked past with my ‘entourage’ — my mother Kitty, my boyfriend at the time and some friends.” Steve, a New Orleans native and well-traveled army brat, picks up the story. “I had a bunch of blueprints in my hand and I saw her walking by. I remember thinking, ‘If I could ever meet a girl like that, I’d marry her,’” eliciting an “awww” and a kiss from his still smitten wife. “All I could think to say was ‘How do you like my restaurant?’ It would be a year before they met again. Fast forward. The restaurant is opened and Nancy is now single. This time, Steve was ready for the next walk-by. “I found a way to ask Kitty [who resides at Bayfront Tower] if Nancy was available,” says Steve. “Her answer was all I needed [was to] ask for a date.” “On our first date,” explains Nancy, “we boated to Egmont Key, and though so many things went wrong [mechanical Photo by Cindy Stovall issues, etc.], we still had a great time and really connected. NOW & THEN: The Westphals at their 400 Beach condo and (inset) in their 2011 We’ve been together ever since.” At this point, Steve had eswedding photo. sentially been a lifelong bachelor. Nancy had ended a 17-year he Westphals have built what can only be described as a marriage some years before and had two children. “I knew she culinary empire. Their restaurants line Beach Drive and was special,” says Steve. the southern downtown waterfront: Parkshore Grill, 400 When asked how they fell in love, Steve starts, “I know that

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dR DINING: VALENTINES

Put together a custom gourmet gift basket at the Annex and follow it with dinner at Parkshore or 400 Beach, where they’ll be offering a special called “The Loving Couple” — a surf & turf of petite filet and king crab legs). The next morning, continue the romantic mood with brunch at the Hangar while watching the planes at Whitted — or visit the Dalì and get some specialty pastries and gourmet coffees at Cafe Gala.

Jason Ruhe & Hope Montgomery

Photo by Eve Edelheit

anything I want to do — hiking, boating, camping, whatever — she’ll be up for it. She’s comfortable in flip-flops or a ball gown. I was at a place in my life where success didn’t mean much without someone to share it with.” He has a catch in his voice. Nancy, moved by Steve’s emotion, says, “It meant so much to me that he cared about how I felt... about everything. We just made each other happy, and still do.” They’ve been married for nine years. So how does a couple manage the overlap of business partnership and marriage, especially in the high-stress restaurant business? “I learned to say I’m sorry as soon as possible,” Steve laughs. (Shoulder nudge from Nancy.) “It’s not just about me anymore. Gratitude and appreciation keeps you working it out.” Nancy adds, “Be flexible and agreeable. And give each other space if it’s needed. I still have my Realtor’s license and continue to list homes with Smith & Associates. It can be a nice change of pace. And I love spending time with my children [who are now grown]. Steve and I love to travel and we love to share great food. You have to make time to have fun.” Another thing that is important to these life partners: community service and charitable giving. The Westphals work closely with The Kind Mouse and Feeding America. They have food drives in the restaurants. They sponsor many events and not-for-profit organizations. “We’ve been so fortunate,” says Steve. “It means everything to us to give back.” Looking forward, the Westphals shared some exciting news: They’re going to be grandparents. They were both visibly excited at the prospect. “We can’t wait to take our grandchild traveling with us,” beams Steve. “We are always excited to see what’s around the next corner.” Also in the works — the opening this year of its mobile Sunshine City Kitchen, the newest jewel in the crown. “We couldn’t do any of it without a great team and great chefs [like Tyson Grant, part of it all from the start]. We love our people.” “We’re incredibly lucky,” says Nancy as she hugs her husband.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Hope Montgomery and Jason Ruhe in front of Brick & Mortar with their sons Quintan, 21, and Maxwell, 6..

he owners and founders of Brick & Mortar and In Bloom Catering have come a long way to get to the level of success they currently enjoy after opening almost five years ago. The rustic new American cuisine prepared by Chef Jason is award-winning and consistently acclaimed. His team of sous chefs and line cooks, for the most part, has been there from the start. The front of the house, managed by Hope, runs like clockwork and boasts similar longevity. That’s a true unicorn in the restaurant business. “Great teams in front and back mean everything to a restaurant’s success,” says Jason.“We’ve been so lucky,” says Hope. “They’re like family. And a huge shout-out to our patrons as well. They are incredible.” Jason & Hope met at a South Tampa tapas restaurant called Sangria’s. It was 2002 and both were in other relationships at the time. Jason had a young son. “We became friends,” says Hope. “I knew other family members of Jason’s and we hung out.” “We both had a love of food, wine and boating,” adds Jason. “We had done every kind of job in the restaurant business since we were teens. There was a lot of common ground.” During this time, both were bartenders but hoped to break into the food business in a bigger way. “Eventually, both of our relationships ended and the friendship continued,” recalls Hope. “Jason was someone I trusted and knew he understood who I was.” “Then, one day, “ Jason shares, “it just dawned on both of us, almost at the same time, that we should be to

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dR DINING: VALENTINES

TEAM EFFORT: Hope & Jason at work.

“Once we figured out a division of responsibility that played to our strengths, Jason being executive chef and me managing, things fell into place. I have input in curating the menu and we share all big decisions. Of course, there is still stress that needs to be managed.” Jason shares, “We sense when the other might need space and that is encouraged. We know the value of compromise.” “Before a Hope says, “Patience, lots of it, in business disagreement gets out of hand, we open a and at home.” Jason adds, “Before a disagreement or bad bottle of wine and start mood gets out of hand, we’ll just shut it down cooking.” and hop on the boat, or we open a bottle of —Jason Ruhe wine and start cooking. We know where we want to be — together.” Looking into an ever-brightening future, Jason & Hope told me they intend to open a second restaurant, this one in Tierra Verde. It does not have a name yet, but a location has been chosen and it is slated to open in 2020. The menu will focus on Gulf seafood with the same commitment to handmade foods and pastas as B&M. Stay tuned!

gether.” They have been — ever since. In the first year, In Bloom Catering was born. Neither had attended culinary school, but their love of cooking and wine, “and the school of hard knocks,” he adds, helped Jason and Hope grow a lucrative boutique business. Soon the couple was doing weekend pop-ups at MacDinton’s Tampa location, where they eventually took over the kitchen. They were living in Seminole Heights and married in 2005. “Catering can be very labor-intensive,” they both agree. Hope and Jason started to think a restaurant might actually be less work. “At least everything you need can stay in one place,” says Jason. “And we wanted to think about what would be best for raising a family.” Hope continues, “We decided it was time to look for a ‘brick and mortar’ space [hence the name]. We loved what we were seeing in St. Pete’s arts and culinary community,” she continues. “We just couldn’t afford the space vacated by the St. Pete Brasserie” on the 500 block of increasingly thriving Central Avenue. Then, by some sort of divine real estate intervention, the space was broken up, making it attainable for the hopeful restaurateurs. The doors opened in 2015 and the couple settled in St. Pete. Oh, and somewhere in there, they managed to have a baby boy. How do you balance marriage, two sons (Quintan, 21, and Maxwell, now 6) and a busy restaurant? How do you keep love and great food from getting cold? “We had our power struggles at first,” Hope shares. 72 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Jason Ruhe loves developing holiday menus. “For Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking about a special tasting featuring lobster or scallops with some fresh pasta made in-house. Oysters might make an appearance too,” he adds. “It’ll be romantic, for sure.”

GOOD COMPANY: Hope and Jason with renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adrià.

dR DINING: VALENTINE DINING

Hearts à la carte

Eight restaurants that are ripe for romance The Westphals and the Brick & Mortar team told us their plans for Valentine’s. Whether you’re planning for the big day or just a weekly date night, here are eight more eateries that offer the perfect combo of romantic ambience and meals that will seduce your taste buds (and maybe your date). —Cindy Stovall

Alésia

Under the sparkling lights in the garden, sharing potstickers, noodle soup, a dish of chocolate mousse and a bottle of Riesling from the tantalizing French-Asian menu, you’ll feel as if you’ve found your own private oasis. The unfailingly affable servers set the mood. 7204 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-345-9701, alesiarestaurant.com.

The Black Pearl

In their own words, “Dining is like a symphony.” The Black Pearl, a gem in a charming waterside town. proves that good things come in small packages. Very intimate, so make reservations early. Veal osso buco wellington with white truffle lobster risotto — that’s all I have to say about that. 315 Main St., Dunedin, 727-734-3463, theblackpearldunedin.com.

Cafe Largo

Step in the door and feel transported to a Parisian bistro. Classic French courses and freshly baked bread are served at a European pace that allows diners to linger and talk in quiet surroundings. You’ll fall in love… one way or another. (And you can’t leave until you’ve indulged in a Grand Marnier souffle.) 12551 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo, 727-596-6282, cafelargorestaurant.com.

Cafe Ponte

It’s easy to get excited about anything from the kitchens of James Beard semifinalist Chris Ponte. For a dining experience that will be long remembered, indulge in the four-course prix fixe menu (just $36 from 5:306:30 p.m.) or the splendid six-course Chef’s Tasting. 13505 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, 727-538-5768, cafeponte.com.

Chief’s Creole Cafe

For an authentic taste of New Orleans, there is no one better in the ’Burg than Chief’s. Jambalaya, tender crawfish, gumbo and more — all with gourmet flair and a lovely lighted garden in which to enjoy it. During St. Pete’s Second Saturday Art Walk (the night after Valentine’s Day this year), take in some of the galleries and artists’ studios in the nearby Warehouse Arts District before dinner. 901 South 22nd St., St. Petersburg, 727-498-8979, chiefscreolecafe.com.

Harry Waugh Dessert Room at Bern’s Steak House

Bern’s, of course, is the stuff of culinary legend in Tampa Bay. But the ultimate “dessert date” is upstairs. Named for a London friend of Bern Laxer who used his parlor for dessert and brandy, Waugh’s can be enjoyed after a great Bern’s steak or on its own. The seating design affords privacy, and you can even control the music in your intimate environment. And oh, yes: The desserts are heaven. 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-251-2421, bernssteakhouse.com.

Left Bank Bistro

Inspired by the current “Midnight in Paris 1929” exhibit at the Dalì Museum, we had to include this beautifully restored 1920s home (pictured below) just a short drive from the museum. The menu is classic French cuisine inspired by the era, with Valentine’s specials like cognac bisque with lobster, tenderloin with lump crab, and Belgian chocolate torte. Plus… Heart-shaped cookies!1225 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-256-1691, theleftbankbistro.com.

Oak & Ola

A culinary destination inside the bustling Armature Works. Though the seating area is large, the atmosphere is lovely and the service attentive. The Euro-American menu is overseen by James Beard award-winning chef Ann Kearney. A unique cocktail program rounds out the experience 1910 N. Ola Ave, Tampa, 818-773-1901, oakandola.com.

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AUTO

Sugar Rush

Bentleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand new V8-engined Continental GT Convertible is one delicious confection. STORY BY HOWARD WALKER

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AUTO

emember Toblerone? How could any true chocoholic forget? One nibble and that hedonistic concoction of milky cocoa, nougat, crunchy almonds and honey will be imprinted on your taste buds for all time. Even if you don’t remember the taste, you’ll certainly remember the distinctive pyramidic shape of each morsel. And how each triangle is squeezed perfectly into that distinctive yellow and red cardboard packaging. You have to thank Swiss chocolatier Theodore Tobler who, back in 1908, came up with the unique shape of this tantalizing treat. So what, you may ask, has Toblerone got to do with the magnificent new 2020 Bentley Continental GTC convertible I’ve been driving? More than you think. Seems it was the inspiration behind one of the coolest, surpriseand-delight features of this new, third-generation Continental. Press one of the shiny-chrome buttons on the Bentley’s mirror-varnished dash, and watch in awe as the big 12.3inch touchscreen rotates, revealing a second panel with three, gorgeous analog dials. Press again and you’ll get a third panel of just dashboard-matching veneer. Bentley says that this triple-sided rotating display can reduce driver distraction on the move. Me? I love that the trio of circular dials gives the car a cool ’60s retro vibe. I mean, why use a nav screen when you have a compass? All the superlatives in Webster’s don’t come close to describing the overpowering joy of piloting this redesigned, reimagined Bentley convertible. Based closely on the all-new Continental GT Coupe, this new GTC droptop combines elegance, style, blistering performance, driving sophistication, and hand-crafted luxury in one delicious grand touring package. Style-wise, it’s just gorgeous. I love the bolder, wider grille, the more chiseled lines, the broader, more muscle-y shoulders covering those optional 22-inch rims. And feast your peepers on the new ovoid LED headlamps, inspired by the finest cut-crystal goblets. They’re just a work of art. As before there’s a tight-fitting cloth top that can raise or lower in just 19 seconds, and at speeds up to 30mph. Choose from seven different fabric colors and, for the first time, a tweed cloth.

For me, the big elevation in appeal comes with the redesigned interior. Bentley’s artisans have taken the art of diamond quilting to a new level with raised ‘3D’ quilting for the door panels. The look is stunning. Settle into the new 20-way-adjustable front seats and enjoy more side support, more adjustment and new neck-warmers to keep you toasty on chilly days. The big news, however, is not what’s inside, but what’s under the hood. For 2020 the convertible gets a new, state-of-the-art V8. Yes, the famous W12 continues, but after spending a couple of blissful days behind the wheel of the new eight-cylinder droptop, you have to wonder if the extra cost (a nontrivial $16,100), additional thirst, and added complexity of the big-12 is worth it. This is pretty much the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the latest Porsche Panamera Turbo and Lamborghini Urus sport-ute. In Bentley guise, it punches out 542-horsepower and a muscular 568 lb-ft of torque. If that wasn’t intriguing enough, this turbine-smooth V8 is mated to a brand new eight-speed double-clutch transmission for lightning-fast shifts and right-now responses. This is a truly formidable combo. Stand on the gas and this all-wheel drive cabrio will lunge off the line and hit 60mph in a mere 4.0 seconds. And not quit till the speedo needle is showing 198mph. What I love most about the way the big, brawny V8 delivers its power is its duality of character. One second it’s happy purring along with four cylinders deactivated; the next it’s burbling and barking and hurling the GTC at the horizon, making it feel like an oversized supercar. This is a truly spectacular car; the finest, most special, most joyous-to-drive convertible out there. A car where V8-power is more enjoyable than the 12. Yes, this new GTC V8 will set you back $218,350 and up. But as a car in which to savor our Florida winter — with the occasional Toblerone to satisfy your chocolate cravings — this is one tasty treat. To test-drive this latest Continental GTC, put a call in to Bentley Tampa Bay in Pinellas Park. Look for Howard Walker’s online column, “Weekend Wheels,” every Friday at dupontregistrytampabay.com.

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THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA Benefit Concert

A Gala Evening with Bernadette Peters The multiple award-winning Broadway, film and TV star joins the orchestra for heartfelt renditions of songs by Sondheim, Rodgers & Hammerstein and more. Michael Francis conducts. A great concert for a great cause: your Florida Orchestra.

Sat, Feb 1, 7 pm, Mahaffey Theater Tickets: $75, $100, $150 and $200 Service charges apply. Concert tickets do not include the Full Gala Experience reception or dinner.

Raymond James Pops

Music of Bond... James Bond Feb 8 & 9

Out of this World Feb 28 & 29 With Space Video

With Michael Francis Tampa Bay Times Masterworks

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks

American Masters with the Rascher Sax Quartet Feb 14 & 16

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 Mar 6 - 8

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto Feb 21 - 23

Bach’s St. John Passion Mar 21 & 22

LISTEN LOCAL | Concerts in Tampa, St. Pete & Clearwater FloridaOrchestra.org | 727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286 76

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WINTER 2020

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WHAT TO SEE IN A&E BY DAVID WARNER

Alexandra Exter costume design for “Salomé,” 1917, from “Art of the Stage: Picasso to Hockney” at the Museum of Fine Arts opening 1/25. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of The Tobin Endowment.

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WINTER 2020

Want to be considered for dRTBestBets? Send your event info to dwarner@dupontregistry.com.

A polar bear in Greenland. Photo by Andy Mann, at the Straz Feb. 25. ARTy Parties

Good Talk

‘The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg opens a new exhibition January 25 that sounds like a must for theater and art geeks alike: Art of the Stage: Picasso to Hockney, featuring over 100 studies for scene, costume, curtain, and program designs by noted artists from the 19th century to the present day (mfastpete.org). Taking a cue from the exhibition, the Margaret Acheson Stuart Society is throwing a fundraiser for the museum on Feb. 8 called pARTy of the STrAnGE (see what they did there?), billed as “a celebration of the dramatic” with “edgy entertainment, flamboyant food, dramatic drinks, and entertainment surprises” (stuartsociety.donorshops. com). Later in February another arty party takes over the museum when the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance holds its annual MUSE Awards on Feb. 28, honoring a slew of local worthies: dance guru Suzanne Pomerantzeff, arts patrons Hal Freedman and Willi Rudowsky, Your Real Stories co-founders Lillian Dunlap and Jaye Sheldon, glassmaster Duncan McClellan and painter D. Yael Kelley (stpeteartsalliance.org). On the other side of the bay, Stageworks Theatre invites guests to Come As Thou Art and dress as “The Creative Expression of Yourself” (or black tie) for their fundraising gala on Feb. 1 at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC. And in honor of a landmark achievement in the cinematic arts, the theme of Tampa Theatre’s annual movie-minded WineFest on Feb. 7-8 is Cabbyshack. “Somebody step on a duck?” (tampatheatre.org).

Sometimes you just want to sit and listen to someone smart. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do that in the next few months. This American Life’s Ira Glass, the most imitated man in public radio, brings his live show, “Seven Things I’ve Learned,” to the Mahaffey Jan. 25 (the mahaffey.com). Rick Steves, the most indispensable man in travel, stops at Tampa Theatre on Feb. 10, hosted by WEDU (tampatheatre.org). Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, the professional snowboarder, skateboarder and entrepreneur, kicks off this season’s Limelight speaker series at Tampa Theatre on March 5. Filmmaker and photographer Andy Mann is a daredevil of a different sort: he climbs mountains and swims with sharks in an effort to save our planet, and he’ll be at the Straz to share his adventures on Feb. 25 (strazcenter.org). Speaking of saving the planet, the St. Petersburg Conference of World Affairs is bringing in a mighty lineup of diplomats, academics, journalists, and professionals in the arts, military and intelligence services to discuss the state of the world on Feb. 18-21. Now in its eighth year, the conference features an opening address by Carol Bellamy, former executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the Palladium on February 18 and a concluding speech by General John Nicholson (retired), recently the commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, on February 21 in Fox Hall at Eckerd College. More than 30 panels on today’s hot-button international issues (and boy, do we have a lot of those!) will be held during the weekend on the campus of USF St. Pete (worldaffairsconference.com).

Girl Power

Bill Murray in Caddyshack, inspiration for WineFest 2020.

The winter theater season is an extended girls’ night out. Mean Girls, the hit Broadway musical based on Tina Fey’s sharply funny movie satire of teen cliquedom, comes to the Straz Feb. 18-23. Morningside, at Stageworks Theatre Feb. 7-23, could be subtitled When Mean Girls Grown Up, as a group of women in Atlanta (played by some of the funniest actors ever to grace local stages, including Karla Hartley, Jonelle Meyer, Kari Goetz, Susan Haldeman, Emily Belvo and Jaime Giangrande-Holcom) gather for the worst baby shower ever (stageworkstheatre.org). One of the theater’s most hilarious catfights — the knock-down drag-out fairy dust-induced brawl between Hermia and Helena in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream — is on stage through Feb. 9 at Jobsite Theater, with Sadie Lockhart and Kara Sotakoun putting up their dukes, along with a terrific cast of star-cross’d lovers led by the gifted Giles Davies as Bottom and Katrina Stevenson as the mischievous Puck (jobsitetheater.org). Skeleton Crew, at American Stage Jan. 22-Feb. 23, is about tensions between women and men working at a failing auto plant in 2008 Detroit; it’s the company’s Continued

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Charles Rowe, “Salt River”

THINK SMALL Artworks measuring only inches in size are the stars of the International Miniature Art Show, the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s 45th annual competition on display at the Dunedin Fine Art Center Jan. 19-Feb. 9. Over 800 works of art will be on display, including the society’s permanent collection of more than 100 miniatures. Starting Helen Mathyssen-Dobbins “Misty Marsh” Monday January 20 through the end of the show, artists from England, Canada and the U.S., including Florida, will be on hand to demonstrate their techniques. Also at DFAC through Feb. 16: “Monochromatic Minis,” a community art show for which entrants were invited to submit small artworks in shades of a single color. 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin, 727-298-3322, dfac.org. Paintings on this page are actual size. Linda Wacaster “Turtle Shell Headdress”

Chrysoula Argyros “Resting”

John Brennan “Roseate’s Rest” 79

Mean Girls at the Straz Feb. 18-23. second production of a play by MacArthur “genius” Dominique Morisseau (author of last season’s Pipeline). At freeFall through Feb. 16, Marie and Rosetta, a play with music, looks at the relationship between influential gospel singer Sister Rosetta Thorpe, the so-called “Godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll,” and her protégée Marie Knight (freefalltheatre.com). In A Shayna Maidel at Innovocative Theatre through Jan. 19, a survivor of World War II is reunited with her father and sister in America in a hopeful story about a Jewish family finding their way back to each other. Finally, one of Tampa Bay’s most powerful actors, Roxanne Faye, reprises her one-woman show about Lady Macbeth, Thrice to Mine, in benefit performances for Tampa Repertory Theatre Jan. 24-25.

Classical & Choral The Florida Orchestra in coming weeks will be showcasing virtuosic performances on the piano, violin and even the saxophone: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #3 with soloist Gilles Vonsattel Jan. 17-19; Rachmaninoff’s fiendishly difficult Piano Concerto #3 with soloist Joyce Yang Mar. 6-8; Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist Simone Lamsma Feb. 21-23; and the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Feb. 14 & 16 (the floridaorchestra.org). Hear more heart-stopping string-plucking when Black Violin comes to the Straz on Feb. 20 with their mash-up of classical and hip-hop, string instruments and turntables. Thrill to the skills of the

Steve Ross at Side Door at the Palladium 80

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Calidore String Quartet at the Palladium on Feb. 5 (mypalladium.org). Vocal instruments will get workouts at St. Pete Opera’s Rigoletto (Jan. 24, 26 & 28 at the Palladium) and Opera Tampa’s Carmen (Feb. 7-9 at the Straz). Romantics looking for a Valentine’s Day weekend date can take in Andrea Bocelli at the Amalie Feb. 14 or the joyous sounds of One City Chorus at the Palladium on Feb. 16.

Pop, Rock, Folk — and Ruth If you’re a singer/songwriter fan, you can always depend on the artists booked at the Straz Center’s JaebTheater, and you can find few better than David Wilcox (Feb. 3), whose warm, empathetic vibe makes him one of the most unassumingly alluring talents in American music. A few days later and a few blocks away at the Amalie Arena, that tireless troubador Billy Joel makes a welcome return visit Feb. 7. But wow — have you seen who’s headed to Clearwater? The newly renovated Ruth Eckerd Hall, its black-box Murray Theatre and its satellite space in downtown Clearwater, the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, are killing it. Robert Cray, Kris Kristofferson and Lyle Lovett, all in one week at the Cap from Jan. 25-28. The great, gravelly-voiced Lucinda Williams at the same venue on Feb. 7, followed by Arlo Guthrie a few days later, Los Lobos on Feb. 13, and a few days after Valentine’s Day, on Feb. 18, the champion of the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein. The great American songbird Judy Collins, still vital at 80 years old, comes to the Cap on Feb. 23, and in March look for John Mayall, Art Garfunkel and Graham Nash. And that’s just at the Cap: the big hall, Ruth Eckerd, runs the gamut from your mom’s big crush (Johnny Mathis, Jan. 18) to rock legends (STYX on Jan. 30) and perhaps the ultimate Valentine’s date, Willie Nelson & Family on the Day Itself. The Beach Boys, Little Big Town, Gladys Knight, George Thorogood, even Paul Anka singing Sinatra — they’re all headed to Ruth Eckerd in February and March. (And don’t overlook Dar Williams at the Murray on Mar. 11, as beloved a singer/songwriter as there is (rutheckerdhall.com).

Come to the Cabaret “Palladium Paul” Wilborn has made Side Door at the Palladium a destination for jazz fans. Upcoming attractions include “Daydreaming: Soul Jazz” on Jan. 31 with saxophonist Jeremy Carter (who’s also part of a dance-jazz collaboration with projectALCHEMY at The Studio@620 on Valentine’s weekend) and Whitney James’s Jazz Valentine on V-Day. But the big story is cabaret; Wilborn tested the waters by booking the wondrously talented Ann Hampton Callaway and her program of Linda Ronstadt songs in December, and the Side Door was packed. That bodes well for the success of Steve Ross, the “Crown Prince

Judy Collins comes to the Cap on Feb. 23.

of New York Cabaret” on Feb. 6, and Australian singer Queenie van de Zandt’s Joni Mitchell tribute on Mar. 21. And in other venue news: Don’t miss Gregory Porter & Ledisi on Feb. 21 at the Mahaffey; he’s a nationally acclaimed singer with a rich velvety baritone and she’s a singer and actress who’s been acclaimed as one of the best soul singers of her generation.

Feet First It’s Paul Taylor time hereabouts. The Sarasota Ballet hosts the late great choreographer’s company Feb. 28-Mar. 1 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts (sarasotaballet.org), and then the dancers travel up the Gulf coast for a performance at the Straz on Mar. 4 of three of Taylor’s greatest works: Company B, Piazzolla Caldera and Esplanade. Dance in a different mode explodes at the Straz on Feb. 26 with the all-male Argentinian company Che Malambo, whose performances involve dance duels, drums, and long cords with stones tied to the ends called boleadoras. Testosterone gets put to more comedic use with Les Ballets

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WINTER 2020

ANNE’S WORLD If you’ve read The Diary of Anne Frank , you will have already imagined what it felt like for Anne and her family to hide from the Nazis in the cramped, concealed rooms of a friend’s home. Visitors to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam can experience those close quarters with visceral immediacy, and now there’s an exhibition coming to the Florida Holocaust Museum that recreates that haunting, claustrophic environment through Virtual Reality. That’s just one way in which Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank carries her story into the 21st century, addressing issues of identity, exclusion, and discrimination and tracing her life from her birth in 1929 to her death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. Opening reception, Sat. 1/25, 7-9 p.m., RSVP required; exhibition continues through 1/24/21. Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 5th St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-820-0100. flholocaustmuseum.org. Images of Anne and her sister from Photo Collection, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

Paul Taylor Dance Company in Sarasota Feb. 28-Mar. 1 and at the Straz Mar. 4. Trockadero de Monte Carlo, who will bring their inimitable mix of classical technique and hilarious slapshtick to the Cap Feb. 15.

Picture This Photography opens new worlds in exhibitions around the bay this season. At the Tampa Museum of Art, Modern Women: Modern Vision, Works from the Bank of America Collection showcases the work of women photographers in the 20th and early 21st centuries from Berenice Abbott to Cindy Sherman (Feb. 20-May 24, tampamuseum.org). The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts’ Griff Davis and Langston Hughes, Letters and Photographs 1947-1967: A Global Friendship brings to the public a selection from the archives of 62 never-before-seen photographs and material reflecting the decades-long friendship between the photographer, journalist and Senior Foreign Service Officer Griffith J. Davis and the renowned poet Langston Hughes (Jan. 17-April 19, fmopa.org). At the USF Contemporary Art Museum, two solo exhibitions — Sponge Exchange with artist and educator Hope Ginsburg and FloodZone with artist Anastasia Samoylova — draw attention to threatened environments both above and below the sea’s surface via photos and video (through Mar. 7, usfcam.usf. edu). At the Studio@620, the always revelatory

Through Our Eyes: Midtown and Beyond gives students in grades K-12 in South St. Pete the chance to share their worlds via writing and photography (through Jan. 29). And in Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchings at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art through Mar. 1, it’s painting and printmaking that opens new horizons in works by an artist whose intricate, geometric compositions broke boundaries in Native American art (thejamesmuseum.org).

Play ball! Though the Tampa Bay Rays may have traded away your favorite players (Travis! Avi! Tommy Pham!), and there’s that pesky Montreal thing hanging over our heads, Rays Fan Fest (Feb. 8, Tropicana Field, raysbaseball.com) is still a surefire fun time for baseball fans of all ages, and it’s free. College basketball fans are in for some thrills. too, when USF hosts the first and second rounds of the NCAA March Madness Tournament at Amalie Arena Mar. 19-21. That’ll be a crowded sports weekend; the Valspar Golf Championship will be happening at Innisbrook Mar. 18-22 (valsparchampionship.com).

to President Barack Obama, and got very famous himself in the process, appearing of late in GLOW on Netflix and the blockbuster flick Joker. Martin Short & Steve Martin are two of the funniest men alive, and you get two for the price of one at Ruth Eckerd on Jan. 24. And what can you say about Pee-Wee Herman? Well, there are the obvious jokes, but never mind that: Pee-Wee himself, in the person of Paul Reubens, will be at Tampa Theatre on Mar. 13 for a special 35th anniversary screening of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, after which he’ll share stories about the making of the film, which was directed by Tim Burton.

You have to laugh Comic Marc Maron (Feb. 15, Straz Center) got just about everybody famous to chat with him on his garage podcast WTF, from Keith Richards

Martin & Short at Ruth Eckerd on January 24

A photo from Anastasia Samoylova’s FloodZone series, USF Contemporary Art Museum through Mar. 7.

WINTER 2020

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THE SONGS OF BERNADETTE The headliners of the last two Florida Orchestra fundraising galas at the Mahaffey — Sting in 2018, Seal in 2019 — tore the roof off the place (TFO Music Director Michael Francis rocks!) A Gala Evening with Bernadette Peters promises to be equally soul-shaking, if not quite as loud, because when Peters sings, audiences hang on her every note. With a particular affinity for Sondheim (in the 2010 revival of his A Little Night Music she sang the absolute best version of “Send in the Clowns” I have ever heard), she is not only blessed with a wide vocal range, she’s also such a good actress (c.f. Mozart in the Jungle and The Good Fight on TV, Gypsy and Follies on Broadway, Pennies from Heaven in the movies, just to name a few) that she lets you hear songs like you’ve never heard them before. Tickets are $75, $100, $150 and $200 at FloridaOrchestra.org and no doubt worth every penny. (Service charges apply. Concert tickets do not include the reception or dinner.) Sat. 2/1, 7 p.m., Mahaffey Theater at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg.

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CEO of the Children’s Cancer Center, Patty O’Leary, with a Center ambassador at the Wine, Women & Shoes event at Armature Works.

LET’S CELEBRATE!

DEBS DANCE, TREES SPARKLE, BUCS GIVE BACK & MORE www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com

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PEOPLE DEBUTANTE CLUB OF CLEARWATER COURTIER BALL

11 The Debutante Club of Clearwater celebrated its 60th anniversary during the Clearwater Courtier Ball on December 29, 2019 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, chaired by Ela Landegger and Beth McMullen. The presentation began by recognizing all former Clearwater and Carlouel debutantes and marshals in attendance at the Ball, including Merry June Jackson Burwell, one of the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original debutantes of 1959. Following the presentation, there was dinner and dancing to the 12piece band DeLeon. Photos by Beth Kelly Photography (www.BethKellyPhotography.com).

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1 The 2019 debutantes: Katherine Kudelko, Megan Erickson, Caroline Carlisle, Nicolette Jennings, Kelsey Coletti, Shannon Flaharty, Laurel Wanger and Avery Welz, and Austi Critchfield (not pictured). 2 Chase Burwell & Katherine Kudelko. 3 Mark Jennings and his daughter Nicolette. 4 Shon & Renee Flaharty with their daughter Shannon. 5 Avery Welz and her father, Jason Welz. 6 The debutantesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; marshals: Lucas Gelep, Chase Burwell, Trevor Gardella, Max Rizzo, Duncan Hayslett, Jackson St. Louis, Nicholas Amaro, Connor Flaharty and James Gelep.

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PILOT BANK EXECUTIVE FORUM AT dRTB

1 The classic motorcars on display at duPont REGISTRY Tampa Bay’s offices in St. Petersburg provided a colorful backdrop for Pilot Bank’s Annual Executive Forum Holiday Party on December 5. Roy Hellwege and Rita Lowman, the CEO and president of Pilot Bank, respectively, greeted the crowd along with dRTB Publisher/CEO Tom duPont. Pilot Bank Executive Forum events bring together local leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals in a collective effort to make stronger connections, with special guests ranging from astronauts to economists to body language experts. Photos by Rick Tauceda of Rick Visuals Inc.

1 Pilot Bank CEO Roy Hellwege addresses the party attendees. 2 Jody Avery, Sharon Castellano, Rita Lowman and Tom duPont. 3 Dianne and Wesley Martin. 4 Dr. Ignacio Ferras and Diane Ferras. 5 Hors d’oeuvres delivered with an automotive touch by caterers Dash of Salt N Pepper.

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FESTIVAL OF TREES PREMIERE NIGHT

On Saturday, November 22, 2019, The Arc Tampa Bay Foundation hosted Premiere Night in conjunction with its 35th Annual Festival of Trees, presented by AmeriLife at the Long Center Sports Complex in Clearwater and hosted by The Thorn Collection. Over 300 guests in festive holiday attire got to enjoy auctions, live entertainment, delicious hors d’oeuvres donated by local restaurants and caterers, holiday shopping from local vendors — and, best of all, the dazzling indoor public display of holiday trees and wreaths decorated by individuals and businesses in the community. Funds raised during the event directly support The Arc Tampa Bay and the services it provides to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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1 Madison Orr Hauenstein, executive director of the Arc Tampa Bay Foundation, with Vinnie, an ARC Tampa Bay consumer. 2 Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos and his wife, Carolyn Cretekos, share a moment with Santa. 3 The festival’s Feature Tree, created by presenting sponsor AmeriLife. 4 Brian Siracusa, associate executive director of The Arc Tampa Bay (left) and Nate Freeman, president of Network People (center). 5 Jerry Figurski, board member emeritus of The Arc Tampa Bay; his wife, Melody Figurski; and auctioneer Bruce Molz.

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WINE, WOMEN & SHOES

1 The 7th Annual Wine, Women & Shoes event presented by Nu Image Medical benefiting the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cancer Center took place on November 7 at the Armature Works in Tampa. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event raised a record-breaking $350,285 to make an immediate impact on the lives of the children and families battling childhood cancer.

1 Bobbie Dietrich, Cody Calvo, Jennifer Medley, Melissa Whitney, Ashley Ely, Caroline Doyle and Melissa Polo. 2 Entertainment during the Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Fashion Show. 3 Kyla and Ryan Callahan. 4 Vinny Minutolo, Matthew Barker, Amadea Minutolo and Allison Barker. 5 Danielle and Frank Nicholas.

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SUSTANY

WHEELS, WINE…

Dimmitt Automotive and Festivals of Speed sponsored two glamorous events in November 2019 for fans of fine automobiles — in particular, the beautiful new Bentley Flying Spur. A crowd of roughly 250 car enthusiasts turned out for the unveiling at Dimmitt’s Bentley Tampa Bay dealership in Pinellas Park on Nov. 23, during which multiple orders were placed for the new model. The night before, the Flying Spur attracted attention at Festivals of Speed’s annual Wheels, Watches, Whiskey & Wine bash at The Studio, Dimmitt’s elegant Sarasota dealership. Wine-tasting winners were awarded a cupcake bouquet from Luscious Bouquet and a crystal vase from Festivals of Speed. Some notable guests were Hans-Gunter Vosseler; Tom and Roslyn Puderbaugh; Bentley brand manager Todd VanHerwynen; Pete Leite of Hichens, Harrison & Co., a main sponsor; Lori Crawford of Remax Luxury Realtors; and John Franz of Franz Wealth Management, the presenting sponsor of the Sarasota event.Toojay’s Deli catered, and other luxury vendors included Da Sesto Italiano Ristorante e Vino, Fast Lane Travel, Dracula’s Legacy Wine Bar and Bistro, Buzzpop Cocktails, International Diamond Center and, of course, duPont REGISTRY Tampa Bay.

1 Sarasota wine-tasting winners Roslyn Puderbaugh (center) and Tom Puderbaugh (right) with John Franz of Franz Wealth Management and brand ambassadors from Festivals of Speed. 2 The Flying Spur and other luxury vehicles were on display at Dimmitt’s Sarasota Studio. 3 Franz Wealth Management’s Ryan Williams and John Franz with Marianna Murillo. 4 duPont REGISTRY Director of Media Partnerships Rosemary Nye (left ) with Teresa Reyes at Wheels, Watches, Whiskey & Wine in Sarasota.

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AND A BRAND NEW BENTLEY 1

1 The big reveal at Bentley Tampa Bay in Pinellas Park. 2 Pete Leite of Hichens Harrison & Co. (left) with his wife, Kelly Leite, and Festivals of Speed founder Joe Sabatini. 3 Steve and Nancy Westphal in USF green and gold with Fred Jenkins and his son Walter at the Pinellas Park event. 4 Todd VanHerwynen, Bentley brand manager for Dimmitt Automotive.

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WHISKEY TAMPA FOXTROT GRAND TASTING

1 Bern’s Steak House held its third annual Whiskey Tampa Foxtrot Fest over the pre-Veteran’s Day holiday weekend with unique dinners, tastings, and classes for whiskey lovers at The Epicurean Hotel, Haven Restaurant and Bern’s. Proceeds from the event benefited the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation in support of military families, Operation First Response, and the Southeastern Guide Dogs organization. On Saturday, the VIP Grand Tasting at the Epicurean Hotel was a culmination of the week’s events, featuring more than 200 hand-crafted whiskeys, vendors offering mixed drinks using their bourbon brands, and food sampling tables strategically located throughout the hotel.

1 The Epicurean Theatre was home to the Whiskey and Chocolate Lounge, which featured desserts made from Old Forester Kentucky bourbon. 2 Southeastern Guide Dogs representatives. 3 dRTB’s Tracey Serebin with a member of the WTF team. 4 The team from Maker’s Mark.

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ALDEN SUITES 50TH BIRTHDAY BASH

The historic St. Pete Beach resort Alden Suites observed its golden anniversary throughout 2019 and finished out the year in high style with an epic “Alden Family Reunion” on November 9 “to celebrate 50 years of memories,” said resort president Gary Renfrow. Longtime guests, local dignitaries and close friends gathered to celebrate on the beach with the Renfrow and Featherstone families (owners of the resort) and their team. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners was on hand to proclaim 11/9/19 as Alden Suites Day, and like the rest of the guests, they fully embraced the party’s Swingin’ ’60s theme.

1 Jeremy and Tara Quellhorst with a vintage VW. 2 Bobby and Annie Fleeting with Gary Renfrow. 3 Alden Suites’ VP of Operations Tony Satterfield (far right) with wife, Katy, and friends. 4 Chris Bauders of Bank of America and Belinda Bauders. 5 Mary Ann Renfrow with Pinellas County Commissioners Pat Gerard. Charlie Justice, Janet Long and Ken Welch.

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RUTH ECKERD HALL GRAND UNVEILING

On November 1, 2019, over 400 attendees gathered at Ruth Eckerd Hall to witness the unveiling of the most recent phase of construction in the Expanding the Experience Capital Campaign. Guests were the first to enjoy the brand new Grand Lobby, the Kate Teidemann and Ellen Cotton Cabaret Theatre, the Holt Family Stage, the Raymond James Central Ticket Office, the Bouchard Observation Window and the soaring Hoffman Family Dress Circle Lounge. The Gatsby-themed event celebrated the progress of the current campaign ($25 million raised to date toward the $34 million goal) and raised record-breaking funds for the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts. After dinner, guests danced the night away with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

4 1 Guests arrive for their first look at the all-new Ruth Eckerd Hall. 2 Guests enjoy cocktail hour in the expanded 6,000-square-foot Grand Lobby. 3 REH Board Chair Frank Hibbard recognizes the donors who made this phase of construction possible. 4 Pinellas County Commissioner Kenneth T. Welch, Ruth Eckerd Hall President & CEO Susan Crockett and Clearwatrer Mayor George Cretekos during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS UNBOXING DAY

The NFL launched a program called My Cause, My Cleats in 2016 as an opportunity for players to bend the uniform guidelines and wear cleats highlighting a charity or cause they are passionate about. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among the hundreds of players taking part in the program, and on December 3 (Giving Tuesday), teams across the NFL held an event called Unboxing Day, during which players got to “unbox” their cleats for the first time and see the designs created just for them. The Bucs’ “big reveal” took place at the team’s training facility in Tampa. The captions identify the players and the causes they chose to promote.

1 Justin Watson with team reporter Casey Philips: Both chose to highlight Give Kids the World Village. 2 Donovan Smith: Autism. 3 Jordan Whitehead: American Cancer Society. 4 Zack Bailey: Pat Tillman Foundation. 5 Mike Evans: Evans Family Foundation.

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Choosing To Be Happy: Able Threads A clothing brand that reflects the positive vibe of The Arc Tampa Bay Foundation. Story by Molly duPont | Photos by Jessica McKnight Photography

hink different! This is just what The Arc Tampa Bay Foundation Executive Director Madison Hauenstein decided to do. In November of 2019 the foundation launched a clothing brand called Able Threads to benefit those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.This newly created line of apparel features inspirational graphics using the hashtag #EmpowerEmployEnjoy.

“Empower” signifies the use of graphics inspired by stories reflected on the campus of The Arc Tampa Bay. One shirt option bears the saying “Choose to Be Happy.” This best-seller was developed from a story about Scottie, a gentleman with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who lost his sight and his ability to walk due to hydrocephalus. During a stay at a local hospital, Scottie was asked as his body slowly deteriorated why he was so happy. His answer was simple: ”I choose to be.” “Employ” is a natural addition to Able Thread’s tagline. Those receiving services at The Arc Tampa Bay who wish to work but are unable to do so in a traditional work environment will be employed for labeling, packaging and mailing. A small biography of each worker will be included with each Able Threads shirt as a thank-you for the work opportunity to the purchaser. Finally, “Enjoy” is part of Hauenstein’s creed. She wanted the apparel to be soft, comfortable and fashionable. And it is! “Visitors to The Arc Tampa Bay’s campus consistently give feed-

back that their time on our campus leaves them feeling joyful and empowered,” says Hauenstein. “I wanted to create a product that would spread this same message of positivity and perseverance to everyone! Our friends at The Arc live this mindset every day and I believe it needs to be shared with the world.” Speaking of “Enjoy,” Belleair Living Editor Clint Jones and I had the privilege of joining the Able Threads photo shoot with photographer Jessica McKnight. As “friendly competitors” and community activists, Clint and I wanted to share this campaign with our readers in the Tampa Bay area and beyond. There is nothing that can’t be accomplished if we work together — and live Able Threads messages like these: Epic. Authentic. Choose to be happy. Do all you can. Limitless. Unstoppable. To thine own self be true. Think Different! Shop for Able Threads clothing at able-threads.com.

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