BARN TO HOME COCKTAIL INGENUITY
This bar isn't just adapting, it's soaring
Model gives new life to Amish barn wood
Culinary leaders reflect on Thanksgiving and gratitude with a side of kitchen tips
Ml-12G
F U R NITU RE
Modern Indoor & Outdoor Furniture • Immediate Delivery• Home Decor
www.mh2g.com
661 Tamiami Trail, Naples I T 239.776.7776
Naples· Miami/Doral· Fort Lauderdale
UNBELIEVABLE LOOKS WAREHOUSE PRICES • HOMETOWN SERVICE
One-of-A-Kind Treasures, Perfect Accessories, or A Room Full of Exquisite Furniture. We Have It All, And At Greater Savings Than You Thought Possible!
Voted “Best Furniture Store” By Readers of Naples Daily News 9 Years In A Row!
5450 TAMIAMI TRAIL N. • NAPLES 239.594.1555 M - S AT 9 - 5 S U N 1 0 - 5 • W W W. A L I S O N C R A I G H O M E . C O M • FA M I LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D, C E L E B R AT I N G O U R 1 9 T H Y E A R !
You Deserve Better Vision Free From Cataracts! Choose a surgeon who has been voted the *BEST in Southwest Florida and is the *#1 PanOptix Surgeon in the State of Florida Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS Enhance your cataract procedure with a Lifestyle Lens: PanOptix For clearer vision at near, far, and intermediate distances.
Light Adjustable Lens Customize your vision with non-invasive adjustments after cataract surgery.
Vivity IOL
Improves vision for cataract patients with corneal astigmatism.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS!
Call Frantz EyeCare Today to Schedule Your Consultation! The Official Sponsor of 20/20
Dial **2020 on Mobile Call 239.418.0999
BetterVision.net *As Voted By News-Press Readers *Alcon Data 2020
Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS
FORT MYERS • NAPLES • CAPE CORAL • PUNTA GORDA • LEHIGH ACRES 4 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
WE MAKE BANKING ABOUT YOU!
“BANKING ISN’T JUST ABOUT NUMBERS. ”
It’s about people.
— Geoff Roepstorff, CEO and Robbie Roepstorff, President
Like Thomas Edison, we believe there
is always “a better way.” We embrace a solutions-oriented approach to serving your needs. One that analyzes the big picture, not just the numbers. It’s an approach to serve people better. We’re Standing Strong with Money to Lend. Experience the benefits of joining Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands. Edison National Bank/ Bank of the Islands customers enjoy:
• free online and mobile banking • no-fee access to their account funds • • •
at any Publix® Presto! ATM free bill pay services for personal account holders courier and cash management services for business clients streamlined processing for all loans including commercial and residential mortgage loans
To learn more about our customer services and convenient locations, please visit EdisonNationalBank.com or call 239.466.1800. An Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC | Bank of the Islands is an office of Edison National Bank.
| STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS |
ON THE COVER
CELEBRATING THE GOOD LIFE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
The Continental may be known for its perfectly seared steak, but it also has an outstanding array of cocktail offerings. And pandemic challenges bring out staff’s ingenuity. Read more on page 67.
VOLUME 17, NUMBER 2 | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Editor | General Manager Art Director Associate Editor Production Director Contributing writers
Kathryn Robinson Kinsey, kkinsey@gannett.com Lindi Daywalt-Feazel, ldaywalt@gannett.com Pamela Hayford, phayford@gannett.com Dennis Wright, drwright@gannett.com Gina Birch, Jennifer Thomas, Anne Reed, Lance Shearer, Andrea Stetson Contributing photographers Jon Austria, Alex Driehaus, Amanda Inscore, Andrew West Regional VP, Sales VP, Sales Manager Sales / Naples Manager Sales / Fort Myers
William R. Barker Shawna Devlin Robin Calabrese Karin Doty
Director Circulation Distribution Jim Keeble Distribution Manager Greg Fyvie Distribution Services Asst. Eileen Serrano
PHOTO BY ALEX DRIEHAUS
Grandeur is published 8 times a year by The News-Press, a Gannett company. Complimentary copies are home delivered to News-Press subscribers in select neighborhoods throughout Lee and Collier counties. Copies are also inserted into Sunday editions of The News-Press in Collier County – in newsstands only. Subscriptions to the magazine are $24.95, and single copies are available at the News-Press offices and at various locations throughout Lee and Collier counties. To read the free e-edition visit grandeurmagazine.com. To advertise: 239-335-0457 To subscribe: 239-335-0211 To reach the editor: editor@grandeurmagazine.com
FOOD THAT
shines, AN EXPERIENCE THAT delights Savor unmatched fine Italian food like you’ve never experienced prepared with ingredients fresh from Italy. Recognized as one of the most awarded restaurants in Southwest Florida, Angelina’s offers delectable flavors, divine refreshments, and an exceptional experience that never disappoints!
Make a reservation or place a curbside carryout order today! (239) 390-3187 | AngelinasofBonitaSprings.com | 24041 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134 NP-0000977142
6 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| INSIDE |
NOVEMBER 2020
CONTENTS 14 FACES
14
20
Tom Maish turned in his business suit for hip waders, working to preserve Southwest Florida’s environment. Adenike Johnson taps into clean eating to overcome obstacles and create Fibrre.
29 COVER STORY
Several of Southwest Florida’s most talented chefs and restaurateurs talk about the upcoming holidays, their favorite food memories and wise kitchen tips.
42 STYLE
Rachel Burttram, an actor who hails from Southwest Florida and plays Betty Grissom in Disney+’s “The Right Stuff,” shares with us a bit about Betty’s style, her own style and must-have items for a dinner out — or in.
50 GRAND RIDE
50
At three stories and 60,000 square feet of automotive elegance, Ultimate Garages offers a place for car collectors to work on and store their treasured rides. It also offers a sense of community for all who step through the door.
60 OPEN DOOR
Find surprises around every corner as Luxe Gallery’s Patty Egan shows us around her antiques-filled home in The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples.
ALSO INSIDE 10 Editor’s Letter 12 The Colors Pages 20 Model Behavior 24 Dining
60
44 Wine & Spirits 46 Getaway 54 Pets 67 Make it a Double
67 GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 7
| ONLINE |
Creating a Path to a Brighter Future, One Child at a Time
You can explore the Grand life anywhere you go with our mobile-friendly website. From galas and fine dining to the amazing homes of Southwest Florida.
Child's Path is a local nonprofit organization that gives underserved young children scholarships so they have access to high-quality early education and care.
N
O
E
N
LI
LY
N
O
NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
See photos from opening night of this year’s outdoor event.
Will you join with Child's Path to break the cycle of poverty at one of its roots? Research indicates that at-risk children who receive high-quality early education are exponentially more likely to graduate high-school, attend college, own a home and enjoy higher wages later in life.
Our Annual Impact 300 children served 85,000 free meals 4 Centers in Collier County $375,000 in scholarships
Cinder
Visit grandeurmagazine.com/living/film-festival to see more.
Discover how you can help Website: www.childspath.org Email: info@childspath.org Phone: (239) 643-3908 8 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
Follow us on Instagram @GrandeurMagazine
Like us on Facebook @GrandeurMagazine
Read any issue of Grandeur on Issuu at issuu.com/grandeur2
239-425-4888
239-425-4888
NP-0000977058
| EDITOR'S LETTER |
B
MAKEUP BY: Ina Zeineddine
y this time of year, I’m usually excited for the fall season in Southwest Florida. The weather is still warm, but we have occasional days with lower humidity; our seasonal visitors haven’t quite made their way back down to escape the winter freeze, so our roads are still tolerable, and the holiday season starts to gear up. But this year feels very different. As many of our other routines, milestones and special occasions, there’s still an uncertainty in the air that has dampened my exuberance. I wonder, is it safe to spend the holiday with my family? Should I Zoom our festive feast from the safety our individual dining tables, or do I sit this holiday out all together? None of these ideas appealed to me so I plan to keep my gathering small and hope to make reservations for outside dining. The best part of this plan is finally having my sister and her husband join us for the first time in many years. Growing up Ann (Annie back then) and I shared everything: a bedroom, clothes, secrets, sorrows and occasional arguments. In adulthood all those moments spent together have only strengthened our bond and love. Even though I’m running behind with my enthusiasm, I know how lucky I am to have the love of my large family, to have healthy and happy children and granddaughters Marilyn, Naomi and Ellie, a wonderful partner and lasting friendships. In all the hustle and bustle of life, and the many challenges we have all been facing, take the time to be thankful for the true meaning of this holiday, giving thanks. Until next month,
PHOTO BY: Brian Tietz LOCATION: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa
PHOTO BY BRIAN TIETZ
Kathryn (right) and her sister n n A circa 1968.
10 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
KATHRYN ROBINSON KINSEY EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER
SCANDESIGN.COM
FORT MYERS • 13411 METRO PKWY (METRO & DANIELS) • 239.425.0706 NAPLES • 2160 TAMIAMI TRAIL N (US41 & GOLDEN GATE) • 239.690.7312
| THE COLOR PAGES |
Geometric joy
• Annie Handbags’ Nyx patent leather clutch has become a popular accessory on the red carpet, seen in the arms of celebrities like Tara Reid, Courtney Lopez and Cassie Randolph. $310 at anniebags.com.
Rosy outlook
• This Sydney Evan ring is sure to be a timeless classic, reflective of designer Rosanne Karmes’ celebration of family, love, luck and good fortune. The brilliant round diamond is 0.095 carat surrounded in 14 karat yellow gold. $3,920 at Marissa Collections, marissacollections. com.
GOLD+BROWN
These warm colors of autumn give us a soft, secure feeling,
grounded, yet illuminated and courageous. A perfect mood as we enter season’s shorter days and softer light. It makes us feel thankful for all that we have and the beauty in all that surrounds us, like these examples of exquisite design. — PAMELA HAYFORD
Pushing boundaries • Called the “avantgarde” Range Rover, the Velar is golden. The 2021 model sports flush door handles, the latest in in-car artificial intelligence, including a self-learning navigation system, 8-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive (for those off-road adventures) and up to 61.1 cubic feet of space for gear and luggage. Explore the Velar at landroverusa.com.
12 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| THE COLOR PAGES |
Soft & edgy •
Flirty, flouncy, with an edgy python print, this dress at Jennifer’s boutique in Fort Myers is perfect for Southwest Florida autumn. 100% cotton crinkle. $242 at Jennifer’s, in The Design Center, Fort Myers, jennifersfortmyers.com.
Just in case •
Romantic picnic for two? Perhaps Louis Vuitton could be of assistance. This wine case in the classic LV monogram print offers a functional layout with elegant design. $11,500 at louisvuitton.com.
Naturally elegant • Mimicking a canopy of autumn trees, this metal pendant light by Metropolitan is an elegant addition to an interior space. $2,100 at Wilson Lighting, wilsonlighting.com.
Golden aroma • In a
bottle as beautiful as its scent, you’ll find notes of juniper berries, nutmeg, coriander, musks, ambery woods and vanilla. Gentle Fluidity gold eau de parfum comes courtesy of world-renowned perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. $135, 1.2 ounces, at Saks Fifth Avenue, saksfifthavenue.com.
Kick up your heels • The Freda bootie by
Treasure & Bond easily moves from the office to cocktail hour with sophistication. And a part of every sale helps organizations that empower young people. $99.95 exclusively at Nordstrom, nordstrom.com.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 13
| FACES |
THE
POWER
OF
PLANTS
A vegetarian upbringing helped Adenike Johnson, founder of CAJUOL and Fibrre, grow a sunny life out of adversity and pain.
STORY BY ANNE REED | PHOTOS BY RICARDO ROLON
o truly survive and thrive in a global pandemic takes the kind of strength gleaned from a lifetime of challenges. Immigration, racism, abuse, teen pregnancy, a spinal injury — just one of those is enough to break a person’s spirit. But not Adenike Johnson, a local entrepreneur and restaurateur. Her strength and grace in the face of adversity led to the success of her restaurant, Fibrre, and a loving husband and a beautiful family. Her journey to Southwest Florida took her through three countries, starting and ending in blue skies and sunshine.
14 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| FACES |
ROOTS
Adenike’s early childhood was spent climbing trees in her mama’s yard. “She had plum trees, guava trees, mango trees and an ackee tree,” she recalls. Growing up in Mandeville, Jamaica, Adenike had a small brown dog, named Lassie, and went to a Catholic school with pink uniforms. It was a happy, sunny childhood on what she calls an “island of adventure” until 1986. “I was 9 years old and I heard sobbing in the living room,” Adenike says. Her mother was crying in the living room and, the next day, she kissed Adenike goodbye and told her she would see her soon. Soon turned into three years of letters, pictures and tears. With her mother miles away in Canada and her father frequently away in Kingston, Adenike and her two siblings were often in the care of their nanny and their grandmother, who lived down the hill from their home. Eventually, Adenike’s older sister was rewarded for good grades with a ticket to go see their mother in Canada. Then, in 1989, her father arrived at the house and dressed Adenike and her younger brother in new clothes and told them they were leaving to go see their mother — and stay. Life was different in Canada. “The sky was darker; the air was cooler. The people seemed mechanical, and there were buildings everywhere,” she recalls. “In Jamaica, the sky was brighter; the air smelled sweet. And the people were different shades — warm tones, ranging from caramel hues to dark chocolate. But in Canada, it was hues of white. There was no one like me.” The bright spot was reuniting with her mother, who had been staying with her father’s sister. “My father didn’t stay long,” Adenike says. “He said he had to go back to Jamaica, and that Junior and I would be staying with mommy.” He never returned.
GROWTH Adenike faced a mountain of challenges in Canada: bullies, moving to different homes and adjusting to new rules. Her mother worked long hours to support her family and Adenike grew rebellious and started “hanging out with the tough crowd. They made me feel a sense of protection.” But that protection didn’t keep her from the violence of rape and the challenge of teen pregnancy. Adenike had dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but the University she hoped to attend advised her that she would not be able to attend pathology classes while pregnant. “Education was highly regarded in my family, but I just couldn’t get into the program, any program,” Adenike says. “I had a baby coming, and I needed money.” Her mother suggested she apply to job agencies and look
for temp positions, but many employers turned her away due to her obvious pregnancy. “That’s when I decided on the next one I would hide my stomach, sit forward and smile,” she says. “And that’s when my love for tech started.” It was the start of a career in the technology field and brought Adenike the training, money and benefits she needed for herself and her newborn son. “I became an obsessed critical thinker, an analytical problem solver,” she says. “I sought to create systems and processes that would make life easier.” And that extended to food. “My mother raised us vegetarian. She made her own ‘veggie meat’ from scratch, by herself and with her friends from church,” Adenike says. During family time in their home, her mother would lead her children (and first grandchild) through Biblical discussions about what God wanted them to eat and how he wanted them to treat their bodies. “Eating was structured, planned, engaging and fun,” she says. “Eating brought energy, strength and beauty.” When Adenike moved to her own condo with her son, Nathan, the two cooked together. “Mealtime was like a science experiment,” she recalls. “Putting different veggies together, creating sauces and then watching him to see his response. He loved it all.” At age 27, more change arrived. Adenike married her first husband. “It was in my first ‘I do’ that my life changed, not for the better, but for the worst, and my health with it,” she says. The relationship was stressful and emotionally abusive. Gone was her independence, the life she worked to build for herself and her son and, in its place, was a new narrative — that the man builds a life for his family, not the woman. Adenike became pregnant with her second child, who was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 pound. She spent months at the Ronald McDonald House, surviving on quick meals instead of her own healthful cooking. Her husband pushed for the family to move to his home country. “I gave up all I had and moved to America to support a man that promised stability in a time of uncertainty,” she says. Emotional abuse turned to physical abuse, which led to insecurity and instability. “With every year came more weight, more depression, more trauma and more sadness,” she says. “No longer was food sought for energy, strength and beauty, but for comfort, as a refuge, as an escape…it was in this time that I was not only in need of healthful eating, but also mindful eating.” A person’s body and spirit can only take so much stress. Adenike’s body started to send her signals that something was wrong. Fainting, lethargy, dizziness and hair loss led to a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism. GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 15
| FACES |
Eating plant-based is a human thing and not reserved for one race. It’s a privilege to provide the healing benefits of plants to our customers, and the pandemic has allowed me to see the greater importance of our food and why Fibrre must make it.” — ADENIKE JOHNSON 16 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| FACES |
HEALING After her divorce, Adenike focused on rebuilding her health and life with her children. While working in the information and technology industry in Dallas, she met Curtis Johnson. A year later, in 2011, her mother stepped in to help her, sending Adenike the keys to a new home in a new location — Southwest Florida. “She told me to get living again,” Adenike recalls. “Not only was this new home a blessing, but it was familiar to me — the warmth of the sun, access to the beach, the shades of the people and the big open sky.” Curtis followed and the couple married in her living room in 2012. The money they would have spent on a large wedding instead went toward their dream — opening a restaurant that focused on plant-based foods and clean eating, foods that Adenike used to help manage her hypothyroidism. They named it CAJUOL, an acronym for “Curtis Adenike Jesus Under One Love,” she says. “Very quirky but intentional.” It was pronounced “casual” and was meant to be a space filled with healthy food, community and conversation in Lehigh Acres. While they expected the stress that comes with opening a new restaurant, they did not expect the community’s reception. “Lehigh wasn’t having it,” she says. “They were not having anything healthy.” Customers asked for fried foods, foods that Adenike was not familiar with. “The expectation was you are Black — where is the soul food? The fried chicken? The sweet teas? I didn’t get it… It was tough having to face those narratives that were already established for people of color, especially in the restaurant industry.” In 2016, the couple moved CAJUOL to its second location in Fort Myers — and were met with more challenges, including racism. “As a Jamaican, growing up my mom told me that I am entitled to everything, that I can be and do anything, just make sure you do it all in God’s glory,” Adenike says. “So I never had the mindset that I was limited because of race. In Jamaica, the motto is ‘Out of many, one people.’ “In Canada, I experienced being questioned, as though I had gone outside of an area, being looked at in shock like, ‘How did you find this?’ or ‘What are you doing here — are you lost?’ or ‘Can I touch your hair?’ and ‘Wow, your skin color is so cool.’ That’s the type of racism I encoun-
tered in Canada. “But here in the United States, it’s different. It’s a question of ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘Why are you going outside of this area that is set aside for your kind?’ or ‘Are you serious? You own this?’” At the new location, customers walked out when they saw that Fibrre was owned by a Black couple. They were also targeted because they did not solely cater to vegans (meat is included on the menu), and they were vandalized for unknown reasons.
BRANCHING OUT A steady customer base, including snowbirds and athletes, kept CAJUOL going. Adenike knew she could grow the business if she just had the right tools. Her background in the tech industry helped, but she needed more, so she pursued a business degree at Florida SouthWestern State College. “While others were making up companies, I used Fibrre as an opportunity to get the help I needed to have my business plan looked over and corrected,” she explains. The new name — Fibrre — was chosen to reflect more of what the restaurant was, and what it meant. She completed nutrition classes and continued cooking with her husband, creating recipes and testing them in their kitchen. Meanwhile, Adenike’s own health journey soared. She joined LA Fitness and was training regularly with Curtis — until her world stopped due to an injury during a chiropractic visit. Adenike was bedridden for three months, then had emergency spine surgery in February 2018. As she recovered, Adenike went back to LA Fitness, now with a walker, to rebuild her strength. “I went there because they had a pool, which I used to get strong enough to walk again,” she says. “When we left, we would walk by an empty juice bar, and I would wish that I had something to drink…and we thought, why not?” Curtis and Adenike pitched her business plan, the one she created while earning her degree at FSW, to LA Fitness and brought Fibrre to Gulf Coast Town Center in September 2018. Many of their customers followed them to their new location, and the couple met more customers through LA Fitness, sharing their knowledge of nutrition and the power of plants. “Eating plant-based is a human thing and not reserved for one race,” Adenike explains. “It’s a privilege to provide the healing benefits of plants to our customers, and the pandemic has allowed me to see the greater importance of our food and why Fibrre must make it.” And she isn’t stopping there. Adenike started four companies in addition to Fibrre: Ask Adenike, a business consulting company; bbrand, a marketing and design company that offers branding and marketing services to small businesses; Neriish, a plant-based hair and beauty company, and CAJUOL, a fashion and design company. She does all this while being a mom and home-schooling her children, preparing healthy meals at home, going on walks and “teaching them the science of business,” she says. “Today, my kids get to live out some of the life I had growing up in Jamaica — a sunny slice of adventure.”
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 17
| FACES |
STORY AND PHOTOS BY LANCE SHEARER
GETTING HIS
FEET
WET Tom Maish is a handson champion of our natural ecosystems
ome people really get into their work. For Tom Maish, that has meant slogging hip-deep through cypress swamps, wrangling Burmese pythons at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and breaking trail deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. It has also meant wading into the bureaucratic swamp of politics, sitting through meetings, serving on boards, buttonholing legislators and convincing them to support spending public money on causes to which he has contributed his own hard-earned dollars. In a region seemingly overflowing with environmental causes and nature preservation, Tom has primarily devoted his time and efforts to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the Everglades Wetland Research Park and especially the Fakahatchee. Tom came into environmental activism late in life, after earning a degree in business from Ohio State University and a career in which he built a startup venture, Contract Sweepers, into a municipal services company with operations in five cities. He knew little about Florida’s natural ecosystems when he and his wife, Judy, together now for 61 years, relocated to Bonita Springs. While attending the Naples premier of “Adaptation,” the film version of Susan Orlean’s “The Orchid Thief,” Tom became intrigued by the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, featured in the film, and asked a park ranger in attendance how to “get into the swamp.” 18 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
Tom Maish walks through the muck helping to guide a “swamp stomp” in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. The Friends of Fakahatchee offers guided swamp walks through the wet parts of Florida’s largest state park.
| FACES |
“Just show up Saturday,” he was told, and Tom proceeded to get into the swamp in serious fashion. On their first trip, Tom says, he and Judy drove deep into the park on the access road called Jane’s Scenic Drive, got lost, and almost ended up spending the night in the woods. Undaunted, he persevered, kept going back, went out on “swamp stomps,” the guaranteed-to-get-wet slogs through the submerged backcountry of the Fakahatchee, Florida’s largest state park and home to 47 native orchid species. Tom began volunteering for the swamp walks as a guide, although he has always been quick to point out he is not credentialed as a naturalist and refers to his role as “tail-end Charlie,” making sure as many people come back as go out. Soon, Tom was also “volunteered” to be on the board of the Friends of Fakahatchee, the citizens’ support group for the park. “Oh, and next year, you’ll be president,” he was told. So began a pattern for Tom’s activism, both serving in an executive capacity and hands on, literally getting his feet wet doing the physical work. At the Fakahatchee, Tom helped galvanize and grow the Friends group to contribute sweat equity and financial contributions to augment state funding. “The park’s budget is $52,000 or $53,000 a year, and we raise enough to more than double their budget,” he says. “Also, volunteers contribute over 10,000 hours of labor per year.” Tom realized that the Fakahatchee, although Florida’s largest state park at 85,000 acres, is something of a “redheaded stepchild” among Florida’s eco-community, without the name recognition, cachet or resources of better known areas like Everglades National Park or the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. But while a relative handful of people visit the backcountry around Jane’s Scenic Drive, the Fakahatchee also has a boardwalk directly adjacent to the Tamiami Trail that garners about 100,000 visitors each year. While helping the Friends group maintain the boardwalk, Tom decided the facilities needed a major upgrade, and he would make it happen. In 2005, the Boardwalk Vision initiative was born. Years of patient interfacing with county and state office holders, despite numerous setbacks and periods where nothing seemed to happen, eventually bore fruit. The Florida Legislature designated about $3 million for improvements to the Fakahatchee boardwalk, including a visitors’ center with interpretative areas and restrooms, safe parking — an urgent need — and a pedestrian bridge to access the 2,300-foot boardwalk. Future plans include an aerial walkway to allow visitors to see a canopy-level view of the park. Tom, as always, deflects credit onto others. “You know, (the late) Lester Norris is the one who saved the boardwalk. He stepped in and bought the land within two weeks, or it would have been gone forever,” he says.
Politicians, including Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala and state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, Tom says, carried the load and worked in their respective arenas to educate fellow lawmakers on the treasure that was just out of sight along US 41. The senator, in turn, lauded Tom as the visionary who dreamed of the Boardwalk Vision, and then made it happen. “He’s very modest. He came to see me a couple of years ago. I was so impressed by his forward thinking, passion for the project and his unrelenting enthusiasm. I decided to do whatever I could to convince the Legislature to financially support the project,” she says. “I credit Tom and his vision. He was able to articulate for my colleagues how important this was for the future of Florida, not just to Collier County but the entire state.” Along with the vision, Tom and Judy made a personal $150,000 contribution to the project. The groundbreaking came in late 2018. When people in Southwest Florida think “nature” and “boardwalk,” though, the Fakahatchee probably isn’t top of mind. The iconic boardwalk in the area is at the Corkscrew Swamp, and there, too, Tom has been instrumental in preserving and maintaining it. He is a member of Corkscrew’s Sustainability
Board and, just as in the Fakahatchee, finds himself engaging in both managerial and hands-on work. Examples of the latter have included traipsing well beyond the boardwalk, helping scout a path for advanced nature walks, which involve wading hip-deep with alligators, water moccasins and jumping spiders. Particularly hands-on was participating in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission training session for the Python Roundup, which involves subduing a live, and unhappy, Burmese python with just a crooked stick. On the administrative side, Tom helped the sanctuary find sustainable, durable and eco-friendly wood to replace damaged and rotted sections of the famous boardwalk. “Tom Maish is completely dedicated to Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. As a volunteer, I can count on him to do whatever work needs to be done,” says sanctuary director Lisa Korte. “He has been instrumental on repairs for the boardwalk following Hurricane Irma. He is equally comfortable researching materials for repairs as he is doing the actual repairs. As a member of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Sustainability Board, I can count on Tom for sound and reliable advice in the best interest of the Sanctuary.” Going full circle, Tom’s original hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and alma mater Ohio State University come into play on another eco-initiative. Tom is a member of the advisory committee for the Everglades Wetland Research Park, a project of Florida Gulf Coast University. The director of the park, and professor emeritus of environmental studies at OSU, Bill Mitsch, who has a ready supply of grad students to do his field work, says he relies on Tom for managerial advice. “Careerwise, he was a very successful businessman in the Columbus area. He knows business practices, what works and what doesn’t. He’s a great person to get ideas from.” Bill also expressed his admiration for the Fakahatchee Boardwalk Vision project. “He’s done fantastic work in the Fakahatchee — it’s the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever seen.” Bill’s work at the research park is tackling the problem of how to deal with the blue-green algae that has plagued area waterways. He has two demonstration projects, one in Ohio and one in Naples, establishing “mesocosms” to try various mitigation techniques. Tom and Judy also work with the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels, which sees them delivering food every week when they are at their winter home. The couple has two children and seven grandchildren. “Having clean natural areas is so vital to our life. I want to leave a legacy and do whatever little bit we can to preserve what we have, or it’s gone,” Tom says. “Since the pandemic, I see more people out walking than I’ve ever seen. I just love being outside, and I feel we’ve got to preserve that.” GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 19
| MODEL BEHAVIOR |
Dan Dodrill’s home in Horse Creek has the unusual element of being decorated with wood from a 137-year-old Amish barn. Here in the entry you can see a barn door that was made from the roof of the barn and a long ledge table and ceiling beams made from that same rustic wood.
20 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| MODEL BEHAVIOR |
BARN TO HOME STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY ANDREW WEST
The new Palm Beach model home incorporates wood and stone salvaged from a 137-year-old Amish barn.
The outside of the home might not look like it has pieces of the past, but inside many accents are made of wood from a 137-year-old Amish barn from Pennsylvania. Builder Don Dodrill also included hand-chiseled foundation blocks from the barn in the landscaping of the house.
137-year-old Amish barn from Pennsylvania has a new life inside a model home in the Horse Creek community of Fort Myers. Builder Dan Dodrill, owner of Daniel Wayne Homes, used the wood from the historic barn to create unique focal points inside the new Palm Beach model. When you enter the foyer, there’s a long ledge table with rustic wood from the barn. A large barn-style door made of wood from the barn’s roof
leads to the den. The back wall in the den and one large wall in the living room are covered in antique hemlock barn siding boards. Two large sleeper beams in the ceiling of the foyer are also from the old structure. “We got the whole barn,” Dan says. Right down to the foundation. “Back in the day, they did not have cement, so they hand chiseled rock,” Dan explains. The builder used the hand-chiseled foundation blocks in the landscaping as accent pieces. Getting the barn wasn’t easy. When Dan heard that an Amish family wanted to sell the barn, he began a long, challenging quest to get in touch with the owner, Alan Miller.
“The guy with the barn is Amish,” Dan says. “They have no phones. I asked my friend who lives near there if he could use his cell phone, but the guy said, ‘The Amish won’t use a cell phone.’ Alan got in his horse and buggy and rode a mile and a half to the general store to use the pay phone.” After that one call, Dan headed to rural Dayton, Pennsylvania, to see the barn and later to dismantle it and salvage the wood. “You’ve heard of farm to table and seed to table. We are barn to home,” Dan says. “The builder is harvesting the wood and turning it into a house. The wood was all reclaimed, refined and refurbished by Daniel Wayne Homes. Nobody else is doing it. We are preserving history.” GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 21
| MODEL BEHAVIOR |
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Wood from the 137-year-old Amish barn in Pennsylvania was used as an accent wall in the den. • The large focal wall in the living room was created with wood from the historic Amish barn. • The interior designer used lighter colors to keep the house bright and to form a contrast with the darker wood from the barn.
“The barn wood to me is just an exceptionally unique accessory,” says Carol Jean Annand, owner of CJ Décor, who designed the interior. “It is bringing the old with the new. It is over 100 years old. How often do we get to use old wood that has such a history like that? You just don’t get that.” Dan has black-and-white photos from the 1880s, when the barn was built. He also has a photo of the family who originally constructed the barn. In more recent years, the structure was covered with metal siding, so the wood was preserved quite well. Dan did such a good job removing the barn that Alan has recommended him to other Amish farmers and Dan now has other offers of barns to purchase. This isn’t the first time Dan used an old barn as a main feature in a home. It all began with his father’s barn in Indiana. Years ago Dan dismantled the decrepit structure on his father’s land and brought the wood to Florida. “I took the wood from Dad’s barn and it is in my own house now,” Dan says. Ever since he did that, he’s been wanting to try it again. The new model was the perfect place to showcase his latest acquisition of barn wood. The designer kept the rustic theme consistent by adding other wood details. The more modern wood complements the historic barn style. A branch-shaped coffee table in the living room was made from a slab 22 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
of wood from a black walnut tree. The table in the breakfast nook is wood. Wood was also used for the headboard in one of the guest rooms. “We wanted to bring more of a natural feel to his home,” Carol Jean says. “Since he already had the older wood, we wanted to bring it up to date by bringing the natural items to it. We wanted the more natural feel. It’s very earthy.” The focal points are rustic, but the amenities and design are modern. “All the lights are LED can lights,” Dan says. “It’s the old and new.” The living room ceiling’s four-tray design features inserts of nickel board surrounded by shiny black wood. The open floor plan brings lots of light from the outdoors into the great room where the kitchen is separated from the living room by a wide island. Instead of creating a dining room, Dan designed a large breakfast nook. The model has a table for six there, but Dan says it can be expanded to seat up to 10 people. Two sets of double French doors in the great room lead to the lanai. “French doors go with the architectural style and they are more energy efficient,” Dan says. The outdoor area is simple and peaceful. It has a sitting area and an outdoor kitchen. The lanai has a pale blue ceiling inspired by a South Carolina superstition. “In Charleston people used to leave buckets of wa-
ter on the porch to keep away goblins,” Dan explains. “Later instead of buckets of water, people started painting the ceiling the color of water.” In Charleston, belief in haints was so common, they even spawned their own color of house paint. They called it haint paint. Dan decided to use that tradition in the home. The house also has a wide front porch with a twoseater sofa and table on one side and two chairs on the other side. From the porch you can see the chiseled rock foundation pieces in the planter beds and near the driveway. “Everything came back that was usable,” Dan says. “He used every bit of it, which I think is spectacular,” Carol Jean adds. “No one would think to add those elements to their home. It’s that cool. I think that’s just awesome.” The builder also wanted the house to be very functional, especially with storage. All the bedrooms and the study have large walk-in closets. The two-car garage is extra deep, adding more storage space, and just off the garage is another air-conditioned storage area. He also created a large walk-in pantry. The master bedroom has a king-size bed in front of a board and batten wall. “In the master bedroom, we did the border and shiplap look and that kind of adds to that old feel to the home,” Carol Jean explains. “It just ties it all in.”
| MODEL BEHAVIOR |
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: This is a photo taken in the 1880s of the original family who built the barn. • While the table and the beam seen here are not from the old barn, the interior designer found wood to complement the focal accents of the Amish barn. • The new Palm Beach model at Horse Creek in Fort Myers is a modern home with sleek countertops and a light Florida look. Yet the repurposed wood from the old Amish barn gives the home unusual focal points. • The Amish barn was built in the 1880s.
A wall of windows lets in lots of light. The master bathroom has a free-standing tub and an oversized walk-in shower with a rain head. The house has three additional bedrooms. One in the back of the house has a bathroom that can be a private bath or can be shared with the rest of the home. That room has two twin beds. The other two guest rooms in the front of the house share a bathroom. They each have a queen-size bed. The house has 100% Hardie siding and trim cladding that’s engineered for 200 mph winds. The 5V metal Galvalume roof is engineered for 180 mph winds. The Palm Beach model, with its four bedrooms, study and three bathrooms, spans 2,718 square feet under air and a total of 4,020 square feet. The house sits on one acre of land in Horse Creek. The model is for sale at $647,300. A similar one can be built starting at $473,900. Dan loves the new model and is especially proud of the old barn features. He looks forward to creating that look again. He says it will be a lot easier next time. “I got referrals now from him,” Dan says. “I have another possible barn. It’s word of mouth if they trust you.” GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 23
| DINING |
BY JEAN LE BOEUF
HEALTH’S ON THE MENU
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet have long been touted. These seven restaurants and seafood markets from Naples to Fort Myers offer a healthy taste of it.
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
Ancient grains bowl from True Food Kitchen.
24 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| DINING |
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
doubt many people look to a restaurant critic for nutrition advice. My inbox is packed with questions about burgers, pizza and sushi. Readers are always asking: Where should we be eating? Not: How should we be eating? But when your life revolves around food the way mine does, you learn a few things (burgers and pizzas aside) along the way. Usually the publicists spam me with their dieting shticks in December or January, when people are gearing up for their New-year-new-me! resolutions. But just last week, a story caught my eye. “Scientists say they have zeroed in on the world’s healthiest diet,” it began. It goes on to talk about that old standby, the Mediterranean diet, a mix of fresh fish, legumes and produce, drizzled in all the olive oil you can handle. The article made me realize how perfectly suited Southwest Florida is for this way of eating this time of year. Fish? We’ve got it by the boatload, direct from our Gulf-of-Mexico backyard. Local produce is about to burst from the ground in spades. And olive oil, well, that’s why we have grocery stores. I know it’s not New-year-newme! time, but if you’re looking to clean up your eating, or just eat better, then these area markets and restaurants can help.
|2|
Vegan tacos stuffed with avocado and limemarinated mushrooms from Vibrant Beat.
|1|
VIBRANT BEAT
When a veteran cardiologist opens a restaurant, you know health and nutrition will be top of mind, as it is at Vibrant Beat in south Fort Myers. Dr. Brian Taschner opened this cafe and lifestyle center in mid-August, after growing tired of seeing patients continually sick. The plant-based kitchen is led by Chef Lisa Brown, who packs big flavors into her herbivore offerings. Think butternut-squash falafel on warm pita, or Indian-style “butter chicken” made with tempeh and chickpeas in a cashew-cream curry. Or don’t think. Just go, eat and feel good.
(Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday at 9371 Cypress Lake Drive No. 14, south Fort Myers; 239-579-3900; vibrantbeat.com)
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN
Healthful, innovative and stylish, True Food is a dazzling combo. Start with a glass of organic red wine or an herb-infused cocktail. Continue with edamame-laced guacamole, jackfruit-stuffed lettuce wraps, butternut-squash pizzas, shrimp tacos with Anasazi beans. This is healthy eating on another level. It’s food that looks and tastes as good as it makes you feel.
(Waterside Shops, 5375 Tamiami Trail N. No. 15, Naples; 239-431-4580; truefoodkitchen.com)
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 25
| DINING |
Brooke Wagenheim bakes vegan faerie cakes at Chef Brooke’s Natural Cafe.
|3|
CHEF BROOKE’S NATURAL CAFE To adjust to the pandemic, this 11-year-old health-food cafe launched phone ordering with no-contact payment and pickup, making it not just delicious, but easy. Chef Brooke Wagenheim offers plates for vegans and omnivores alike. I’m a sucker for her Mardi Gras salad topped with a juicy fillet of wild salmon. When I’m not feeling meaty, her raw tacos and nori rolls make you see food in a new light. And no Chef Brooke’s order is complete without one of her famous faerie cakes — or seven.
(1850 Boy Scout Drive No. A106, south Fort Myers; 239-332-2433; chefbrookeonline.com)
|4|
ISLAND SEAFOOD MARKET
Owned and operated by local anglers, this is one of my favorite places for honest-to-goodness Gulf seafood. From grouper and snapper, to shrimp, stone crab and mullet, if it swims here, chances are you can find it at this Matlacha market. Island Seafood contracts with a fleet of local fishermen who unload their catches at its back-door docks. It does not get any fresher.
Island Seafood Market
26 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
(4330 Pine Island Road, Matlacha; 239-283-2525; seafoodmarketinmatlachafl.com)
| DINING |
The “Cali Burger” is a homemade burger patty with American cheese, avocado, coconut bacon, secret sauce, green leaf.
LIFE — THE VEGAN DRIVE THRU
|5|
This Cape Coral restaurant checks all my boxes for a non-review lunch mid-pandemic: easy (check); quick (check); healthy (check); don’t have to get out of my car or interact closely with people (double check). Life opened late last year, offering a 100% plant-based menu packed with fresh juices, smoothies, soups, salads, coconut-bacon BLTs and so much more. Eating well doesn’t get much easier than this.
|6|
(3310 Del Prado Blvd. S., Cape Coral; 239-5992291; thevegandrivethru.com)
SANIBEL SPROUT
I don’t live on Sanibel, but if I did, the Sprout would be my downfall — at least my wallet’s. Chef-owner Nikki Rood cares deeply about food. She sources the best ingredients, then tests (and re-tests) the best recipes for showcasing them, wrapping it all up in a beautiful package that makes you want more. Rood re-launched the Sprout earlier this month in a slightly smaller, more takeout-focused space. I’ve not yet been. When I do, I’m going to go overboard (waffles, vegan pho, lentil soup, smoked-paprika hummus), and it’s going to be worth every penny. (2407 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel; 239-558-4003; find it on Facebook)
|7|
SWAN RIVER SEAFOOD
Part fish market, part restaurant, part raw bar, Swan River’s seafood selection goes on for days. From cold-water salmon and lobsters, to local shrimp, clams and crabs, this market has you covered. Swan River’s restaurant offers raw and grilled offerings, which keep its fresh seafood on the healthier side.
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
(3741 Tamiami Trail N., Naples; 239-4037000; swanriverseafood.com
A roasted portobello stuffed with guacamole and a blackbean burger.
Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The NewsPress and Naples Daily News. Email JLB at jleboeuf@ news-press.com; follow the critic at facebook.com/ jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 27
| COVER STORY |
FAMILY, FOOD AND Local chefs share Thanksgiving memories with kitchen tips on the side
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 29
| COVER STORY |
STORY BY GINA BIRCH
egardless of where you are from and what your traditions are, the holidays are brimming with memories. For most people, food is a big part of that, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving. It’s the one annual meal where almost everyone sitting around the table contributes to what’s on it — or at least offers to. The only gifts that are exchanged are those of gratitude and togetherness.
On the other hand, chefs, or anyone who works in the food service industry, feed people 365 days a year. The holidays often signify more work, forfeiting time with their families, to feed yours. Even though food is their passion, it can be a double-edged sword, even in the best of times. Looking at the holidays through the lens of 2020 offers
30 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
a new perspective for both chefs and anyone who enjoys food. More restaurants are closed this year, more diners are staying in, some are even reducing the number of people around their tables. We asked a few local chefs and restaurant owners for tips to help make your time in the kitchen more flavorful and efficient. They also share holiday food memories and take a moment to reflect on a year that crippled their industry but still offers hope.
| COVER STORY |
AKIN EXECUTIVE CHEF OF CIELO ON SANIBEL
Thanksgiving dinner was never served on the holiday itself in the Massachusetts home of Melissa Akin, executive chef at Cielo on Sanibel Island. Her father was (and still is) a chef who worked most Thanksgivings. The family celebration was off by a few days, but they still found a way to celebrate and there was always a seat at the table for anyone who didn’t have a place to go. This year, the newly renovated island restaurant, which specializes in seafood with a worldly flair, is closed for Thanksgiving. Melissa will be sharing home cooking duties, on the actual holiday, side by side with her dad. Despite her years of professional experience, she says, “He’s still over my shoulder asking, ‘Are you gonna put this in or do that?’ He’ll never stop being dad, but I love it,” she says affectionately. “We work well together and learn from each other.” A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, Melissa moved to Southwest Florida for the first time about 20 years ago. She left briefly to work in Charleston, South Carolina, but returned to be closer to family. Five years ago, she was hired as pastry chef at Cielo, moving into the executive chef position a couple of years later. A talented chef on the savory side, Melissa still loves desserts. “I’m a cheesecake freak,” she declares with pride. Her newest creation for the restaurant, as well as her home celebration, is a four-layer apple crumb cheesecake: shortbread crust, cheesecake filling, diced apples and cinnamon, and a crumb topping. Caramel sauce is served on the side.
COOKING TIP:
“Let your kids help in the kitchen, even create something of their own. If it doesn’t come out right, who cares; it’s about doing it together as a family. Let someone in the family contribute a new recipe, something that they are proud of. It might not be the best but that’s OK. Cooking should be from the heart. Always cook from the heart.”
THANKFUL THOUGHTS:
“In this business, you don’t realize how much family time you don’t have until you do. This year has given me more time with family, being home while the restaurant was closed, interacting with my kids. It’s been great, well except for the home-schooling part.”
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 31
| COVER STORY |
GILLMORE CHEF/OWNER OF RESTORATIVES CAFE IN ESTERO
Born in Fort Myers, Jay Gillmore’s family served a traditional Thanksgiving feast every year: roasted turkey, green bean casserole topped with fried onions, apple and pumpkin pies. And then there was the butternut squash — his least favorite. “It was mushy and bland,” he remembers. The chef and owner of Restoratives Cafe in Estero graduated culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando. Since then, he says, “Mom has graciously let me into her domain — a little. I try to help dress up the squash every year. I did not have any authority as a kid, but now I have a little more weight.”
While his mom may resist occasionally, he has turned the family tradition of butternut squash into items such as soups and gnocchi. In 2013 Jay opened Restoratives in a small strip mall on US 41, just north of Corkscrew Road. It’s a quirky hipster restaurant serving comfort food with a twist. Before becoming a business owner, the holidays were a working blur for the chef, who is now reclaiming Thanksgiving, as well as time with his family. “Thanksgiving gets better every year knowing I’m not working. It’s taken awhile, but I look forward to it now more than ever,” the chef says.
THANKFUL THOUGHTS:
“Staying thankful in these ominous times has been tough for everyone. The changes in schedules and routines have caused us to rely on people in different ways. It’s time to try and heal our differences with loved ones, neighbors, even strangers; find a way to make some peace.”
“Start saving the heels of your bread along with any bread that is starting to get COOKING TIP:
stale, all kinds of bread. Put it in a bag in the freezer and use for your stuffing. “As for cranberry sauce, it’s time to abandon that Jello-like stuff in a can. It’s so easy to make your own cranberry relish with a small bag of frozen cranberries and Cutie mandarin oranges or clementines. Cut two of them into quarters and put in a blender, skin and all. Add a small bag of frozen cranberries, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Start with one cup of sugar and add more to taste. Blend all together and use in place of the canned cranberry sauce.”
32 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| COVER STORY |
COOKING TIP:
CASEY
CHEF/OWNER OF KC AMERICAN BISTRO IN NAPLES Keith Casey spent many a Thanksgiving in restaurants, not just as a chef but as a kid. “We had a small family, so we went out a lot,” says the chef and owner of KC American Bistro in Naples. When his family did cook for Thanksgiving, the Boston native says it was mostly traditional fare with one exception: steamed or boiled turnips. He laughs, “We would have to choke them down and then my family started substituting rutabagas.” He explains that his grandparents’ generation often had two philosophies when it came to cooking. The first was to make sure food was safe, which often involved overcooking things. Second was looking at food as medicine, eating for health first, rather than flavor. “Now things are coming full circle where people want to eat for health again but with the realization that it can be flavorful at the same time,” Keith says. “People are starting to equate the cost of poor health. They are buying better food because they are recognizing the cost on so many levels, not just the body but farming, and the environment as well.” A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Keith worked all over the United States before landing in Naples, with an idea of serving American regional cuisine, dishes featuring indigenous ingredients from their respective regions. Having worked many a Thanksgivings over the span of his career, Keith joins the ranks of more and more of his fellow chefs in closing on Thanksgiving to be with family.
“Cooking is creating. Don’t get caught up in the details of a recipe. Learn technique and create your own style. Rather than just read a bunch of instructions or the how-tos, take the time to think about the whys.”
THANKFUL THOUGHTS:
“When I think of the holidays I think of humility. There are people suffering out there, even on the verge of becoming homeless, because of the virus (COVID-19). I saw in the news recently photos of the growing number of homeless people in Centennial Park in Fort Myers. I don’t remember seeing a lot of that here until now. It’s images like that that keep me a little humble for the holidays. I’m also grateful for my health; without health you don’t have anything.”
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 33
| COVER STORY |
BOYE
CHEF/CO-OWNER OF LIBERTY IN FORT MYERS “The most powerful ingredient in the kitchen is love,” says Bob Boye, chef and owner of Liberty in Fort Myers. Like many kids whose parents were divorced, the Cape Coral native participated in not just one, but two Thanksgiving meals growing up. Celebrations with his father were large and had an Italian twist: lasagna made by his grandmother, soup that was cooked overnight and dozens of side dishes. “We have a big family and we didn’t want to spend a lot of time cooking on Thanksgiving,” he says. More traditional fare was found at Bob’s mother’s house where his grandfather was known for making two turkeys; one was always roasted in the oven while the other is described by Bob as a “test project.” One year it was a gadget that looked like a fryer but instead of using oil, the holiday bird was cooked via infrared technology. “I still don’t know how it worked,” Bob says. “It tasted just like a deep-fried turkey, crispy outside and juicy inside. It defied all logic and science.” Like his grandfather, Bob is always trying new things at his restaurant next to the Bell Tower Shops. The menu is full of small plates, designed for sharing, where the only thing that is consistent is change. The ingredients and their combinations rotate in and out weekly. He refers to it as a culinary workshop.
THANKFUL THOUGHTS:
“A lot of people aren’t able to have a hot meal for whatever reason; they are deployed, homeless, out of town, in jail. Some are sitting alone battling depression or have lost everything or are in jail. Not everything has worked out the way everyone wanted it to this year, but at the end of the day there is still opportunity. “I could sit and moan about all things that have gone wrong, but at the end of conversation where am I? The reality is I do
COOKING TIP:
“Use the right tool for the right job. Don’t use a 6-inch knife for a 30-pound turkey. Also remember that Thanksgiving dinner does not have to be served at 2 in the afternoon. Sometimes later is better.”
34 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
have something to be thankful for because I have the opportunity to serve people and spend time with my friends and family. Be grateful for what you have and always cook with grace.”
| COVER STORY |
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 35
| COVER STORY |
JOHNSON
CHEF/CO-OWNER OF RUMRUNNERS IN CAPE CORAL “My dad makes the best freaking stuffing on the planet,” says Todd Johnson. The Executive chef and co-owner of Rumrunners in Cape Coral moved from Chicago to Naples as a young boy and was a student in the first class to graduate culinary school at the Johnson & Wales University campus in Miami. Now a decorated chef, he still raves about his dad’s stuffing. “He doesn’t realize what he’s doing but he’s making confit, cooking turkey legs and thighs overnight. The broth is blended, the meat removed from the bones and all is added to the well-prepared breadcrumbs. He’ll make enough stuffing to last for two days but he won’t
share the recipe with his son, not yet anyway. “I’m letting him keep it so that it’s fully his. But if I really pressed him…” Todd laughs. Chef worked at high profile restaurants in Naples, leaving Fifth Avenue to open one of the first upscale restaurants in south Fort Myers (Bistro 41) before setting his sights on Cape Coral. Along with partners Jeff Gately and Ralph Centalonza, Todd opened Rumrunners at Cape Harbor in 2003. The large waterfront restaurant, known for seafood and bistro creations, is open for Thanksgiving this year. In preparation Todd plans to brine 26 turkeys. “That takes up a lot of cooler space,” he says with a laugh.
COOKING TIP:
“Always brine your turkey. Not only
THANKFUL THOUGHTS:
“It’s easy to get sucked into the dark side of
does it add flavor, but it also adds
things this year, but really the only way to look
insulation, which hides common
at 2020 is to try and find gratitude. My wife,
mistakes such as over cooking. Brining
Dana, gets a lot of credit for pulling me out of
allows the meat to absorb the fluid,
the dark side. We were in Napa during harvest
making it extra moist, and it’s easy to
and the smoke was horrible; you couldn’t
do. Cover the bird in a simple mixture
escape it. Instead of complaining, my wife said,
of salt, sugar, buttermilk and sage. Let
‘How lucky are we to be able to take a week off,
it sit in the refrigerator for two days.”
come out here and drink wine.’ She was right.”
36 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
asdfasdfasdf Orum faccus es anditio tet dolorporeic tem quos reptate est, iniscipicid ut ad quam fugiat quibus culles iust reptium eum ut dolutatur aliquam, suntotat. Nam iunt l
Corsica homebuyers can enjoy a limited-time offer of a Sports Membership that affords access to Talis Park’s celebrated Greg Norman and Pete Dye-designed golf course.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 37
Corsica coach homes offer 2,550- and 3,400-square-feet of customizable living space. A designer-furnished model awaits to inspire homebuyers.
Corsica at Talis Park: A stylish take on customizable coach home living Talis Park has reimagined today’s golf and lifestyle club with a youthful attitude and a full array of refined amenities – coupled with a selection of distinctive homes that perfectly complement a modern-minded, active approach to life. Within Corsica, Talis Park’s enclave of fairway, water and garden view residences by FrontDoor Communities, homebuyers discover coach home convenience with the luxury of customization traditionally reserved for single-family homes – along with a limited-time offer of a complimentary Talis Park Sports Membership. A uniquely fresh take on coach home living, Corsica’s secluded arrival courtyards welcome homebuyers to their choice of thoughtfully designed three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath open concept floor plans that maximize natural light. A blended great room and dining area opens to an enclosed screened lanai that spans the entire 53foot width of the home, creating an outdoor oasis. Ideal for entertaining, the gourmet kitchen boasts an oversized island for gathering with friends, along with a convenient bar and pantry. The owner’s suite features a spa-style bath with a dressing room, dual walk-in closets, and a private lanai. Two additional bedrooms complete with
38 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
en suite baths provide privacy for guests. The 2,550-square-foot Messina design offers the option of golf cart storage, or the addition of a den. The second-story Sienna’s 3,400-square-foot design features a flexible loft and a private elevator at no extra cost to the buyer. Homebuyer Beth Marchi said she and her husband Bob were attracted to Corsica’s modern architecture and quality construction, the views from its spacious lanai, and the flow of its open floor plan. “We also appreciated the opportunity to be involved during construction to customize the design and make it our own,” said Marchi, adding that they personalized their home with white marble stairs. She designed the flexible loft space as an intimate retreat, complete with an electric linear fireplace and a one-armed chaise lounge. “We love having a private two-car garage too,” she said. “It really lives like a single-family home.” A beautiful model home at 16340 Corsica Way stylishly showcases the possibilities in Corsica. With a Sports Membership, Corsica residents can enjoy all the clubhouse amenities of the awardwinning Vyne House, from gourmet and casual dining, fitness studios and personal training, to spa services and a resort-style pool. The beach is also
within easy reach: Talis Park residents hop on The Beach Runner, the community’s exclusive complimentary Mercedes-Benz Sprinter beach shuttle. Corsica is also convenient to Talis Park’s Sports Complex, which boasts six lighted Har-Tru Tennis Courts, a tennis pro shop, four bocce ball courts, a 50-foot lap pool, a playground and basketball hoop. Next to the driving range, Casa Cortese sports pub is a great spot for sports enthusiasts, with billiards, shuffleboard, darts and a Trackman golf simulator to help improve your game on Talis Park’s legendary Greg Norman and Pete Dye co-designed golf course. While Talis Park is renowned for its beautiful homes and remarkable amenities, it is the community’s residents that impress homebuyers the most. Their welcoming spirit makes it easy for new residents to find golf buddies, workout partners and new friends. Find your home at Talis Park, with a full offering of move-in ready and to-be-built opportunities for future residents. Homes start from the high $500,000s to $10 million. Models are open daily. Visit the Talis Park Information and Sales Center at 16980 Livingston Rd., visit www.talispark.com or call 239-449-5900.
BIG ENOUGH TO IMPRESS, SMALL ENOUGH TO MAKE FRIENDS. Is there such thing as a perfectly sized community? Where neighbors are never strangers and a welcoming spirit brightens each day? The answer is clear at Talis Park, where sweeping vistas and stunning design meet charm, intimacy and a thirst for living. Discover a most extraordinary community in the heart of paradise. You’ll see it fits just right.
Luxury Residences From the $600s 239.449.5900 | Naples, Fl TalisPark.com
Broker participation welcomed. Prices, plans and specifications subject to change without notice. Oral representation cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the representations of the developer. For correct representations reference should be made to the documents required by section 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee. Not an offering where prohibited by state law.
Talis_BigEnough_Grandeur_Oct2020.indd 1
10/15/20 12:58 PM
WildBlue Sophia Model III exterior.
Stock’s New Furnished Models and Neighborhoods Wow Homebuyers Stock Development is well known throughout Southwest Florida for beautifully furnished models of exceptional quality. Building on strong sales this year, the company is opening even more models for homebuyers to tour and has begun construction on many more for the upcoming winter season. According to Brian Stock, CEO of Stock Development, new models have been completed in Fiddler’s Creek, Isles of Collier Preserve, Naples Reserve and WildBlue. “Our construction team has been busy this summer building new models and inventory homes for the winter season,” said Stock. “We had a great summer of sales with 276 new home sales worth $342.6 million for the year. Sales contracts are up 21.6 percent for the year and sales revenue is up 30.5 percent. In addition, the company has closed on 189 homes worth $266.8 million.” Stock were also big winners at the CBIA Sand Dollar Awards, earning 16 awards across several furnished models and neighborhoods. Naples Reserve is a remarkable gated, waterfront community located minutes from downtown Naples and the beaches. Stock Signature Homes has already sold out Sparrow Cay and is now offering exceptional homes in three more neighborhoods: Canoe Landing, Crane Point and its newest release - Bimini Isle. Stock has introduced new floorplans and new furnished models for these homesites. The new homes are priced from just the $500s! Bimini Isle is an intimate neighborhood of only 35 high-end homes from Stock’s renowned Signature Series. This private enclave is situated along an elegant cul-de-sac that is surrounded by three lakes. Four new beautifully-furnished models are open for viewing. Prices in Bimini Isles will begin in the $700s. Crane Point is a neighborhood of 85 homes dominated by stunning water vistas. It is almost completely encircled by the shimmering waters of Naples Reserve’s largest lake and will feature lush
40 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
landscaping. In the center of the neighborhood is yet another lake. Eight floorplans are available and priced from just the $500s. Canoe Landing consists of 64 homesites, neary all of which offer wonderful waterfront views. Half of the homesites have been released in the first phase with home and homesite packages beginning from the $500s. At Fiddler’s Creek, Stock Signature Homes is building within the exclusive gated village of Marsh Cove. The Livorno and Capistrano neighborhoods are sold out! Capistrano features three spacious floorplan options with extraordinary flexibility of design and options. The Cambria III model has 2,627-square-feet under air and 4,033 total-square-feet. It includes three-bedrooms, three and one-half baths, a large great room, island kitchen and a large screened and covered lanai. This outdoor living area features a summer kitchen with fireplace, pool and spa. The plan also includes a three-car garage and has an interior deisgn by Pizzazz Interiors. Stock’s floorplans at Fiddler’s Creek are priced from the $700’s. The Isles of Collier Preserve has been a big hit with homebuyers and Stock Signature Homes provides an amazing array of choices in the community. Stock has a new Covington III, Easton III model and Cambria III models open and a Cocoplum model nearing completion. The luxury coastal lifestyle community features The Isles Club, with a boathouse, dock and kayak launch, and the newly opened Overlook Bar & Grill with waterfront views of the Cypress Waterway. Stock offers three series of homes, many of which are on display among its numerous furnished models. WildBlue is a spectacular 3,500-acre community nestled between Naples and Fort Myers in Estero.
The first phase of amenities is now under construction. These are located on a spectacular peninsular site that offers expansive views of WildBlue’s largest lake. The Sports Club, which recently began construction, features more than 8,500 square foot under air with a large exercise room and state-of-the-art equipment. Stock’s 148 lots are situated on WildBlue Lake and offer breathtaking views, encompassing the beauty of this singular community. Stock’s pricing begins from the $900s and new homesites have been released for sale! Stock Signature Homes is offering nine floorplans on 85’ lots. Three furnished models are open with a new furnished Covington III model just completed. On The Peninsula, Stock Signature Homes and Stock Custom Homes are offering a variety of awardwinning floorplans and custom homes designs on 102’ and 140’ lots and three opulently furnished models open for viewing. Quail West is the premier golf and resort-lifestyle community in North Naples. Stock just sold its final home in the neighborhood. The Calista by Stock Custom homes sold immediately upon completion and won awards for Product Design of the Year, Best Outdoor Living Area, Best Master Suite, Best Kitchen Design and Best Flooring. It is a 5,506 square feet residence that includes a sprawling great room and island kitchen, a formal dining room, a clubroom/library, four bedrooms, four full baths and two half-baths, and an outdoor living area with an outdoor kitchen and dining area, a bar, conversation areas, and a pool and spa. A four-car garage is also included. The interior design as by Laurie Walter at Cardamon Design Please join us at our sales centers to view our best home offerings yet! To see all that Stock has to offer, please visit the Stock Development website at www.stockdevelopment.com/tour. Email at info@stockdevelopment.com or call (239) 592-7344.
The name you trust
THE HOMES YOU LOVE Q
As we begin our 20th anniversary, STOCK launches a new season... bolder, brighter and better than ever. From exceptionally crafted Signature Residences to uniquely inspired Custom Estates, we offer a beautiful collection of award-winning floor plans and home designs in the most sought-after lifestyle communities in Florida. As the region’s leading luxury homebuilder, we stand by quality and take pride in delivering the best to our customers.
Tour our luxury models and move-in-ready homes today and find the home of your dreams. BONITA SPRINGS / NAPLES / ESTERO SARASOTA / WELLINGTON / PALM BEACH
STOCK SIGNATURE HOMES
STOCK CUSTOM HOMES
from the $600s
from $2 million
Learn more at StockDevelopment.com 2639 PROFESSIONAL CIRCLE | SUITE 101 NAPLES, FL 34119 | 239.592.7344
FLStockDevelopment
StockDevelopment
BROKER PARTICIPATION WELCOMED. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. NOT AN OFFERING WHERE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
| STYLE |
RACHEL
BURTTRAM Actor in National Geographic’s ‘The Right Stuff’ on Disney+ INTERVIEWED BY ANNE REED
Southwest Florida actor Rachel Burttram Powers plays Betty Grissom in “The Right Stuff,” now streaming on Disney+. We caught up with her to learn more about the gorgeous costumes on set, Betty’s style and how that compares with Rachel’s own, and her must-have items for a dinner out — or in. Who she is: I’m a Southern girl. I’m liberal-minded. I’m a
nature lover; I love plants. I love my handsome husband. I guess I’m a cat mom, although I hate that phrase. I’m a theater-maker. I’m a professional actor for stage and screen. Her fashion inspirations: I would say that I’m classic
with a little bit of rock ’n’ roll thrown in for good measure. And maybe red lipstick. Betty’s style — she was definitely fashion-forward for her day and not afraid to take a risk. She had an attention to detail… and really fabulous shoes. Her fashion tip: If there was something I learned from
Betty, I would say don’t be afraid to wear what’s current. I don’t necessarily ascribe to that myself — I’m pretty traditional but I applaud that sense of boldness when someone is on trend.
known to enjoy a cocktail. “That was the part of the culture, in a way — cocktail hour,” Rachel explains. If Rachel had to choose a cocktail that represented Betty, it would be the mai tai. Why? Rachel laughs and refuses to spoil the reason why, noting we’ll have to watch the show to find out.
42 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
RAPHIC/GEN E PA
Bonus - Betty’s cocktail: The astronaut wives were
Rachel Burttram as Betty Grissom in National Geographic’s “The Right Stuff” streaming on Disney+.
NATIONAL GE OG
a designer wardrobe, much of which she bought at Neiman Marcus. Some of the other astronaut wives were more conservative and classic and thought that Betty was a little tacky. She definitely went for it. I don’t have the hot pants in the show because Rachel isn’t showing off her gams that way.
GE
Betty’s fashion: Betty had a pair of fur hot pants. She had
| STYLE |
5
Rachel’s
FASHION ESSENTIALS
FOR A VINTAGE-INSPIRED DINNER OUT (OR IN):
A sensible earring that frames the face: Both Rachel and Betty love a good earring. Rachel is more of a hoop girl, but Betty was a bit more daring. As Betty, Rachel wears a pair of “really hilarious Bakelites.” The earrings appear in a few episodes and Rachel noted they are fabulous. 1
ALEXIS BITTAR ESSENTIALS LARGE HOOP EARRINGS, $125 AT NORDSTROM.COM
A swing dress: Rachel loves the silhouette of a swing dress for a vintage look, and she had one made to her measurements by eShakti. “It has black buttons and a little collar; it’s very fitted through the waist and has a fabulous full skirt.” 2
PINTUCK PLEAT BIB-FRONT POPLIN DRESS $54.95 AT ESHAKTI.COM
A retro-inspired headband or bandana: “Atomic prints are my jam,” Rachel says, and she has a great set of vintage atomic-print curtains in her home. Her style is definitely more 1950s, while Betty’s style was very 1960s. A cute bandana or headband adds pop to Rachel’s favorite color combination: black, white and red. 3 RETRO MID CENTURY MODERN HAIR WRAP, $18 AT ETSY.COM/ SHOP/HANDMADERETROTOPSHOP
Red lipstick: Rachel loves red lipstick. Her daily go-to is her trusty tin of Rosebud Salve but, for date nights or events, she loves a strong, stay-put red lip. Which is quite the opposite of Betty. “I have a really funny story for you about the astronaut wives and lipstick,” Rachel says. “The ladies did a Life Magazine shoot where all seven of them were surrounding the capsule. They all wore a shade called ‘Respectable Pink.’ When Life edited the cover, they put the wives in red lipstick.” This was scandalous at the time but, after the cover, more women wore red lipstick.
4 CHARLOTTE TILBURY MATTE REVOLUTION LIPSTICK, $34 AT NORDSTROM. COM
Great shoes: Rachel has a favorite pair of wingtip Oxfords she bought in Italy that are her go-to favorites. They fit her style — and Betty’s, too. One of the many pairs of fabulous shoes Rachel wore as Betty was a pair of high-heeled Oxfords. 5
MRS. DOUBT MIDHEEL, $550 AT THEOFFICEOFANGELASCOTT.COM GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 43
These Thanksgiving picks come courtesy of one who knows how to plan celebrations with wine in mind. ovember is traditionally a month peppered with sentiments of gratitude, an expression that many people have had to dig a little deeper to find this year. But not Cindie Barker. The manager of Rumrunners in Cape Coral says, “2020 has been a great year of learning. I’m so thankful for the time I was able to spend with family.” We spent an afternoon sharing stories of gratitude over a delightful bottle of Blanc Limé. A sparkling beverage popular in France in the 1950s, Vignobles Ducourt resurrected the recipe, mixing sauvignon blanc and semillon with natural citrus aromas, water, sugar and carbon dioxide for fizz. In a flip-top glass bottle with a vintage French label, it’s refreshing, zesty and not only perfect for a warm Southwest Florida afternoon but also as a welcome beverage for Thanksgiving celebrations. Planning celebrations with wine as a focal point is one of Cindie’s superpowers. “When I sip a wine, it takes me back to the people and place where I first tried it,” she says. “Wine is not clinical to me, it’s about memories.” It’s in that spirit we offer these wines for enjoyment during the Thanksgiving holiday season.
Gina Birch Gina Birch is the wine columnist for The News-Press in Fort Myers. Follow her social media here: Twitter: @ ginabirch Facebook: GinaBirch
Cindie Barker
Guest columnist and manager of Rumrunners in Cape Coral
GINA’S WINE PICKS
‘IT’S ABOUT MEMORIES’
CINDIE’S WINE PICKS
| WINE & SPIRITS |
Mauritson Rockpile Zinfandel • Zinfandel is one of the best wines to match the flavors of Thanksgiving. This one holds a special place for me. When I first met winemaker Clay Mauritson, he apologized for his purple stained hands. It was harvest and it was the first time I witnessed the entire winemaking process from picking to pressing. Then for dinner, I ordered a bottle of that wine off the restaurant’s list. It instilled in me a great appreciation for the passion behind winemaking. Rockpile is fullbodied, has great texture, is ripe, spicy, and one of my favorites of all times. ($50)
Tether Chardonnay • A wine with heart, the label features an astronaut adrift, held by a thin tether. The back label reads “Be bold. Take risks. Always stay connected.” I first tried Tether cabernet sauvignon with its creator, Kimberly Jones, and loved it as much as the story. She talked about her deep sense of loss when her mother died. Losing her most vital connection, she felt “untethered.” The chardonnay is new. Oaky, it has a creamy texture with honey and marzipan on the finish. For a twist, I might serve for dessert with almond biscuits, and salty cheese. ($40)
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape • Chateauneuf du Pape is wine that speaks to earth, to terroir. You smell it, taste it and you know where it comes from and this is one of the best in the world. It has beautiful dark fruit and spice, and is so good with food. I was fortunate enough to visit this winery on my first trip to France and was taken by every aspect, including the vineyards covered in river rocks. This wine brings me back to earth and Thanksgiving, getting back to our roots, back to the basics, resetting and being thankful. ($110)
Lucienne, Smith Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2018 • It’s hard to think of Thanksgiving without pinot noir. Wines made from this grape have enough versatility to complement a wide variety of foods. I’ve been a fan of Hahn Estate, producer of Lucienne, since visiting the picturesque estate in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands many years ago. The Smith Vineyard was one of the first that the Hahn family purchased, and it produces exquisite pinot noir grapes. The new vintage is silky and bright, with cherry and spices that are reminiscent of the holidays. ($50)
Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs • Bubbles are a symbol of celebration, of joy, and joy is something we need more of. They represent the holidays and go well with almost everything. I first tried Le Reve with the winemaker at Domaine Carneros’ stunning chateau in California. She was strong, smart and independent with this incredible sense of grace. I admired that. Her bubbles are beautiful and this one just takes your breath away. It has nice brioche and apple flavors; it’s a treat. We’ve all been on lockdown in the basement waiting for the tornado to pass. We want to treat ourselves. We deserve it. ($120)
Chateau des Muraires L’Excellence des Muraires Côtes de Provence 2019 • Rosé is another wine that I think should be on every Thanksgiving table, or at least served as an aperitif. Not only do they whet the appetite, but some rosé wines are big enough to stand up to your roasted turkey and cured hams. Chateau des Muraires L’Excellence des Muraires Côtes de Provence 2019 has an air of sophistication with its embossed, pearlized label and glass closure. It foreshadows what is to come. A beautiful wine, round, dry, with fresh red fruit and spice that lingers. ($25) (Wine prices may vary.)
44 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| WINE & SPIRITS |
COCKTAIL PICK bsinthe is a centuries old spirit that has quite a colorful history. Once used for medicinal purposes, the anise-flavored spirit was the rage for cocktail hour in Europe in the late 1800s. Nicknamed “green fairy” due to its brilliant blue-green color, it mysteriously turned a cloudy white when mixed with water, part of its allure. Another part of the allure included allegations that it contained hallucinogenic properties at best, inducing madness at worst. Popular in the artist community, it was also said to be a favorite of painter Vincent Van Gogh who infamously cut off part of his own ear. By the time World War I began, the spirit had been banned in the U.S. and much of Europe. It wasn’t until 2001 that absinthe hit the U.S. market again and it was Absente, Absinthe Refined.
Absente is handcrafted and distilled in France following a recipe dating back to the19th century. Besides the signature ingredient of wormwood, it incorporates a host of botanicals and spices such as star anise, green anise and mint. For the holidays, find it packaged in a colorful Van Gogh gift box that also includes a traditional absinthe spoon ($50). Part of the fun in drinking this famous spirit is the ritual. Pour 2 ounces of Absente into a glass. Place a sugar cube in the absinthe spoon, across the top of the glass. Slowly pour 3 ounces of cold water over the cube to dissolve it, then stir. Ice is optional although purists might protest. The sugar takes away absinthe’s bitter edge and the water helps dilute it. Besides this classic method, try absinthe in a cocktail such as the Oaxacan Diplomat at your next holiday gathering.
OAXACAN DIPLOMAT • ½ ounce Absinthe Refined • 1 ½ ounces mezcal • ½ ounce suze • 1 ounce horchata syrup • 1 ounce lime juice Shake with ice, strain and serve up
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 45
| GETAWAY |
STORY BY JENNIFER THOMAS
FIND TRANQUILITY IN THE LOWCOUNTRY
The southern coastal region of South Carolina offers abundant serenity for the holidays
ravelers looking for tranquility, serenity and calmness at a secluded, luxury destination need only go north to the South Carolina Lowcountry. The coastal region offers scenic vistas, fresh seafood, beautiful beaches, live oaks dripping in Spanish moss and a Southern hospitality resort that’s nestled in 20,000 acres of coastal nature preserve. The South Carolina Lowcountry is a nature lovers’ haven, says Peach Morrison, executive director of the South Carolina Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Commission.
46 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
“It is naturally amazing and elegantly simple,” Peach says. “Bluffton and the surrounding area are eclectic, artsy and definitely unique — wide open spaces and pristine rivers, where nature is the spotlight.” For travelers looking for nature, cuisine, activities, peace and majestic scenery, the Montage Palmetto Bluff nestled along the May River, between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia, awaits. Located within 20,000 acres of coastal nature preserve, the resort features 32 miles of riverfront and acres of lush maritime forests, where moss-draped ancient oaks and serene lagoons evoke a sense of place — delivering cultural, historical and natural experiences indigenous to the South Carolina coast. “The resort occupies an exceptional Lowcountry
setting surrounded by the May, Cooper and New Rivers and features 200 luxury accommodations, from inn rooms, spacious guest houses, suites, private cottages and standalone residences, Spa Montage, an array of shops, eight restaurants, and several stunning waterside pools,” says resort General Manager Casey Lavin. “Located along the banks of the May River sits an inviting lawn of fire pits where guests can enjoy our evening tradition of s’mores served from our custom-crafted s’mores cart.” Montage Palmetto Bluff also offers an array of romantic dining options, experiences and amenities for couples looking for a love-filled getaway, mini-moon or anniversary celebration. “From couple’s treatments in Spa Montage, luxurious accommodations and turn-down amenities, to
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
Montage Palmetto Bluff
| GETAWAY |
“Bluffton and the surrounding area are eclectic, artsy and definitely unique — wide open spaces and pristine rivers, where nature is the spotlight.” — PEACH MORRISON
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 47
delectable dining in Octagon with a hand-crafted selection of wines and cocktails, and our new Veuve Clicquot Picnic + Pedal experience, the opportunities to create a personalized itinerary are endless,” Casey says. For a romantic waterview dining experience with river-to-table cuisine, reserve a spot at the Canoe Club. “The restaurant is located on the second floor of the building overlooking the May River on one side and the lagoon waterway on the other. The screened porch is ideal for watching the light change over the May River as the sun sets and catching glimpses of dolphins,” Casey says. “The menu here is inspired by those coastal waters and the bounty of local farms.” What is more romantic than a Southern picnic in nature where guests can bicycle to their selected setting, spread out a blanket, enjoy the view and dine on custom-made delectable food and beverages? The resort’s Clicquot Picnic + Pedal experience features items from five custom-made menus curated by Montage Palmetto Bluff’s Executive Chef Nathan Beriau, three Veuve Clicquot champagne options, a custom Veuve Clicquot bicycle for the adventure and a Montage branded picnic blanket. “This experience is personalized based on guests’ needs — whether they’re looking for a fun-filled day date or romantic escape to themselves,” Casey says. “Picnicking is a classic American pastime for good reason, and with the finest bottle of champagne along for the ride, it’s sure to be a highlight of any guest’s stay.” Spa Montage’s luxurious wellness treatments use organic and natural skincare formulas with brands like Tata Harper and Valmont and include advanced technology with HydraFacial, Casey adds. “Spa Montage is a soulful Lowcountry sanctuary, occupying 13,000 square feet of tranquil space. Guests can swim a few laps in the relaxing outdoor pool surrounded by scenic maritime forests; settle into separate men’s and women’s relaxation areas featuring a cozy fireplace, light snacks and beverages; enjoy the saunas, 48 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
| GETAWAY |
steam rooms, cold plunge pools and whirlpool amenities,” he outlines. “Our Heart of the Bluff massage is the most requested (treatment). Massages are incredibly popular because guests are on vacation to relax and escape from the intensity and pressure of daily life and this is a great way to loosen the body up and get in vacation-mode. This service takes care of your body from the literal top of your head to your toes.”
Another activity Casey recommends is sunrise or sunset kayaking on the May River. “Guests can enjoy tours or go out on their own, with an opportunity to paddle alongside friendly bottlenose dolphins and navigate the marshes,” he says. A long-standing tradition at Palmetto Bluff is shooting sports. “The Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club features 13
PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GRANDEUR
| GETAWAY |
sporting clay stations throughout a 40-acre forest, where guests from beginner to advanced will enjoy a fun, yet challenging course led by team instructors,” he says. Resort guests can also take a scenic cruise along the May River on Grace, the resort’s 60-foot restored 1913 antique motor yacht. Grace is available for weekly cruises, wine cruises, Sunday brunch or it can be reserved for a private or group charter.
The historic town of Bluffton is a 20-minute drive from the resort. “You can explore the town on a Bluffton Bike Taxi, where the pedicab service will take guests on a tour, showcasing the town’s history, architecture, artisan shops and mom-and-pop restaurants. While in downtown, don’t forget to take a walk down Calhoun Street and explore the many art galleries and shops,” Casey advises.
Peach also recommends a few regional cuisine and beverage selections. “Make sure to get some homemade pastries at The Cottage; visit the Church of the Cross and check out the May River view from the bluff that the church sits on; (dine on) fresh, salty oysters from the (Bluffton) Oyster Company; (partake in) hand-crafted beer and spiked milkshakes at Salt Marsh Brewing Company… an amazing field-/tide-to-table dinner at FARM, coffee at the Corner Perk, and definitely hit Cahill’s Market for lunch and market goodies,” she advises. “Also, make sure to visit neighboring treasures like Daufuskie Island, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island.” At this resort, holidays are not canceled due to the pandemic; however, celebrations might be a bit different. “Each year, our Thanksgiving itinerary offers a variety of dining, entertainment and activity options for guests to choose from; it is always our goal to create lasting traditions for families,” Casey states. “As we want families to celebrate safely this holiday season and still honor our traditions, we’ve updated the itinerary this year to allow for ample social-distancing, offering dining options and activities with multiple seatings, while also providing the same luxury, family-friendly experiences guests expect when visiting Montage Palmetto Bluff.” Thanksgiving festivities include a 5k Turkey Trot, a pop-up sushi bar, nightlight putting on the Boat House Lawn and the traditional Moreland Oyster Roast. On the days leading to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the resort features a Santa-themed cruise aboard the Grace, a Jingle Bell Dog Jog 5K, weekends with Santa and Reindeer Games at the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club. “We modify our activities slightly every year,” Casey says, “but with the dedication to our traditions we truly enjoy taking the experiences that our guests know and love and continuing to elevate those experiences and make them better each year.” EDITOR’S NOTE: For the latest in how COVID-19 is affecting openings and travel in the South Carolina Lowcountry, visit southcarolinalowcountry.com.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 49
| RIDE |
STORY AND PHOTOS BY LANCE SHEARER
COUNTRY CLUB
CARS
Cardiologist Eliot Hoffman’s 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition takes its color scheme from Ford’s 1966 Le Mans winner.
50 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
ULTIMATE GARAGES PROMOTES AN
AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLE WITH A PURPOSE
| RIDE |
ABOVE: Retired Naples cardiologist Jim Buonavolonta has created Ultimate Garages, what he refers to as “the first country club for cars.” LEFT: Brian Penn tries out the Assetto Corsa race car simulator.
im Buonavolonta calls his creation “the first country club for car enthusiasts.” More formally, the facility in East Naples is known as Ultimate Garages, LLC. With three stories and an automotive elevator that accesses all three, the 60,000-squarefoot building wraps around a courtyard that you drive through the building to access, your entrée to a world of automotive elegance where the car is king. Jim, a Naples cardiologist who sold his practice and retired from medicine, is bringing together many threads with his new venture. Ultimate Garages gives car enthusiasts a place to work on and store their valuable vehicles in climate controlled, hurricane-rated comfort. Beyond warehousing their autos, the garages offer a chance for car fanciers to hobnob and mingle with other likeminded individuals, creating a social setting and a community of car lovers.
Another aspect of Ultimate Garages is using the facility, its cars and car owners, as a force for social good, hosting charity events and raising money for local causes. Jim is partnering with a wide range of area charitable organizations, using his venue for fundraising events and opening it up to give youngsters the chance to experience the thrill of riding in — and even driving, via a Formula One simulator— some mouth-watering motor vehicles. Ultimate Garages has held events to help charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Matthew’s House, Camelot Community Care and the American Heart Association. A recent Saturday morning saw a “Cars and Coffee” event to benefit the Salvation Army Naples taking place in the courtyard, using the draw of some of the premier examples of American muscle car manufacturing to bring in the automotive faithful, after they were scanned with a forehead thermometer. The Salvation Army is a fitting recipient for Jim’s and Ultimate Garages’ largesse. The organizations are literally neighbors, sharing a parking GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 51
| RIDE |
lot, and to hear Salvation Army Director of Operations Tony Tidwell, who spoke glowingly of “Doctor B” to the assembled guests, they are very good neighbors. Ultimate Garages has some additional neighbors who are big in the Naples high-end automotive scene, with its facility sitting between the Porsche dealership and Naples Motorsports. In addition to the cars that live full-time at Ultimate Garages, including some impressive specimens owned by Jim himself, and those that club members showed up in for a “drop by” that morning, two Shelby Cobras were on display — one of them hand-signed by Carroll Shelby, the legendary race car driver and pre-eminent race car designer. The 2012 Shelby 500 Super Snake was one of the last four of the classic racers produced before Shelby’s death that year. His signature scrawled across the dashboard in permanent marker makes the car something of a shrine or icon for American muscle car enthusiasts. The other Shelby Ford, a 1967 Cobra GT 500, is even more historic, a throwback to the car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three years running in the ’60s, as documented in the 2019 film “Ford vs. Ferrari,” and ended Ferrari’s and Europe’s dominance of road racing. There was another link to the Ford triumphs at Le Mans, and for that matter to the practice of cardiology, displayed at the Cars and Coffee event. Dr. Eliot Hoffman, a cardiologist who unlike Jim is still practicing, brought his 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition, with a color scheme modeled from Ford’s winning entry in the 1968 Le Mans race. The powderpuff blue and orange livery was a tribute to the Gulf Oil Company, which sponsored the original racer, Eliot says, and the original’s number 9 was prominently emblazoned on the hood and the vertically opening doors. Both the colors and the “9” were even carried through in Eliot’s shoes, which did make him look a little as though he had gone home from the bowling alley still wearing rented bowling shoes. THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Two Shelby Cobras on display. • Jim Buonavolonta’s personal 2016 Porsche GT4 Clubsport goes way beyond a mere roll bar for rollover protection, but it is not street-legal. • Jim has created Ultimate Garages, which he refers to as “the first country club for cars.” • A social lounge area at Ultimate Garages.
52 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| RIDE |
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Naples artist Elaine Murphy offers personal paintings of members’ cars. • Jim Buonavolonta keeps his 2017 Ferrari 488 Spider at Ultimate Garages. • The air scoops on a 2005 Ford GT.
The specs of the Heritage Edition were nothing to smile at, though. The car’s twin turbo EcoBoost engine delivers 647 horsepower, even though it’s a V-6, clocks 0-60 in three seconds and hits a top end speed of 217 miles per hour. Another car displayed in the courtyard, Jim’s arctic white 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport track car, also has a racing pedigree. Tricked out as a pace car for Indy-style racing, the Clubsport features an extensive tubular steel cage, going way beyond a roll bar, to keep the occupant safe in case of a rollover. That’s “occupant” and not “occupants,” as the car is fitted only with a left-hand seat, and an empty space next to it. You can’t take your date to a drive-in movie in this car — anyway, it’s not streetlegal. Speaking of drive-in movies, drive-in movie night is one of the social events that the Ultimate Garages Club holds for its members, along with cookouts; Welcome to Havana, which features mojitos, cigar rolling and 1950s cars; Extreme Vetting (Corvettes), and Tuesdays with Tesla — “feel the electricity,” says the promotional brochure. They also hosted the after party for Cars on Fifth, the biggest annual auto show in Southwest Florida. Jim has another couple of cars that live in his personal suite at Ultimate Garages, along with a concert grand piano he will sometimes play but did not that morning. His Alfa Romeo 4C and Ferrari 488 Spider, both 2017 models, share the garage — it almost seems unfair to use that term for an enclave with grand piano, a kitchen and lounge upstairs, chandeliers and recessed lighting — with a high-tech Assetto Corsa Formula One race car simulator, with advanced electronics paired with a big high-definition video screen. “The kids love the simulator,” Jim says of the children, who visit as part of a program, such as the Guadalupe Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of America or Big Brothers Big Sisters. “They can choose their car, choose about any track in the world, and be a race car driver for a little while.” Ultimate Garages offers a host of additional services for members and space renters, including maintenance, arranging vehicle transport, preparation for seasonal arrival and departure, detailing, tinting, bra installation (for cars), catering, and interior design and installation of suites, providing for items such as cabinetry, humidors, wine storage and refrigeration. “I like the chance to do some social things, while tied in with charity events that benefit the community,” says Ultimate Garages Club member Grace Hennessey. “To bring together car enthusiasts with a larger purpose — there’s a good feeling about that.” “This whole thing that Jim does is fantastic. He is geared to help people,” says member Steve Regester, pun presumably not intended. “He is an amazing person.” “At this stage in my career, I’m looking to do something to give back,” Jim says. “If we have an opportunity to do something for those in need, it’s a privilege. Naples is car-centric, and such a giving community.” But undergirding everything at Ultimate Garages is his love of cars. “There’s nothing like cars. Every one has a story. You just have to ask and they’ll tell you.”
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 53
| PETS |
A DOG NAMED MOO Meet the canine behind the counter at The Pet Food Market
oo lies behind the counter on the cool tile snoozing, but as soon as she hears the shop door open, the 65-pound dog is ready to go to work. “She greets everyone,” says owner Emma Franks. “She is here helping a lot,” adds Ryan Franks, Emma’s husband and co-owner of The Pet Food Market in Bonita Springs. “She is always getting up and introducing herself to people. She is up and down all day. They tend to come in for her mainly.” Emma and Ryan purchased the shop last November, making a big move from Essex, England. Now the 7-year-old American bulldog-Old Tyme bulldog mix is settling into her new routine. “Normally she doesn’t move off the sofa, or she will be in our daughter’s bed at night.” Emma says. “She has a raw diet. We thaw that out while everybody else gets ready. And we have our breakfast. She goes on the school run with us and says goodbye to her best friend. My daughter would not go until she crawled in the boot (trunk) to say goodbye. We stop at Starbucks. Then we come to the store and she goes into welcome mode. We have some regulars. One goes to the gym next door and comes in to say good morning to Moo every morning.” For Moo, hanging out in a pet shop is like a kid in a candy store. On the bottom shelf in the front of the store is Moo’s favorite treat: cow ears. “That one is the best treat because she does not go through it as quickly as everything else,” Emma explains. “We had to move the lamb ears because she was helping herself quite often to them.” Moo also gets treats from customers. “She can quite willingly give them the eye and they will give her a treat,” Emma says. “We have one customer that always buys six sausages and always gives her one, so she always leaves with just five.”
When Emma and Ryan are stocking the shelves and there is an empty space on the bottom level, Moo will climb in and stretch out on the shelving. “She has a bed by the cash register, but normally she wants to go on the concrete because it is cooler,” Emma says. Photos of Moo with her treats, stretched out on the shelf and in the store fill her Instagram page. Moo also helps with sales. “She is a great help,” Emma says. “There has been a lot of foods that I have tried on her and seen a massive difference in her well-being. For example, she used to have really bad tear stains, so we spoke to lots of people and suppliers to try to figure
out what to give her, and people said try raw goat’s milk and it really did help.” Emma also discovered Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm is a superfood that helped Moo. “I have had her on that for five weeks, and after two weeks she has cleared up massively,” Emma says. “Her coat has become super soft like a puppy. It has been fantastic. You can see a tremendous difference, and then my customers see that and say, ‘What are you feeding her?’” Moo also demonstrates how Denta Treat helps her teeth. For some customers, Moo becomes a model, showing off how to wear a costume or a lifejacket.
STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY ALEX DRIEHAUS
54 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| PETS |
“KIDS COME IN AND THEY CAN GIVE HER TREATS AND SHE CAN DO SIT, LAY AND BANG. BANG IS WHEN SHE PRETENDS TO BE DEAD, AND THE KIDS LOVE IT. SHE IS VERY GENTLE AND VERY CALM CONSIDERING HOW BIG SHE IS.” — EMMA FRANKS
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 55
| PETS |
The big white dog also enjoys entertaining children in the store. “She does a couple of tricks,” Emma says. “Kids come in and they can give her treats and she can do sit, lay and bang. Bang is when she pretends to be dead, and the kids love it. She is very gentle and very calm considering how big she is.” Going to work is nothing new for Moo. Before the couple’s daughter Aubree was born, Emma worked in equestrian yards in England, and Moo always came along. “She was very obedient, and she would stand at the gate and wait for us,” Emma says. “When we had Aubree, I had to change careers. I became a child minder, so she was also at work with us there. She has pretty much always been with me.” The life change has been greater for Emma and Ryan. Ryan was on the police force in London. Emma had once worked in a pet shop, but not as a manager or owner. “We kind of jumped into this feet first,” Emma says. Emma’s mother has lived in Naples for 15 years. They also have close friends who opened a coffee shop in town and encouraged them to make the
56 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
move. “We started looking at stores for sale,” Emma says. “Ryan is a really great chef, so we were looking at restaurants and cafes.” “Then this came up,” Ryan says. “We were lucky enough that the previous owners stayed with us for just under a month and it was high intensity learning and we did our research,” Emma says. Moving a large dog wasn’t easy. Moo had to fly from London to Germany to Miami in a special animal compartment in the belly of the plane. “She literally had the biggest crate I could find,” Emma says. The Franks have had Moo since she was a much smaller 12-week-old. They got her from a friend in England who had adopted her and needed to rehome the dog. Her original name was Myah. “We called her Myah Moo,” Emma says. “Our daughter’s first word was actually Moo.” After that the dog officially became Moo. Aubree, 4, loves to play with her furry friend. “They have races,” Emma says. Moo also goes for walks while Aubree rides her
little bicycle. Moo’s short white fur makes a fun palette for Aubree and her parents when it’s time to dress up for Halloween. “Last year we did ‘Dawn of the Dead,’” Emma says. “We put some black on her face and a purple tutu around her neck. That was as much as she would put up with. She quite often takes things off.” This year Aubree selected the costume. “Our daughter is obsessed with Vampirina and she is apparently dressing her up as Vampirina,” Emma said in September. The family just bought a house with a pool and hopes to get Moo to swim with them. If Moo becomes a good swimmer, she might lose her cat nickname. “We always call her a big cat,” Emma says. She got the new moniker after climbing onto the shelves at the store. “It is a bit of a joke that she is a big cat. She would always go and lay under the cat section as well, so we say, ‘You want to be a big cat?’” Yet with her big stocky looks, her fondness for bully sticks and cow ears, Moo is all dog. “The cat thing is just a joke,” Emma says. “She’s our big dog. She’s part of the family.”
WELLNESS DIRECTORY
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 57
Engagement Earns Excellence for Millennium Physician Group Defined simply as the emotional commitment to one’s work, engagement in the workplace is a difficult quality to measure, but a leader in measuring, understanding, and improving the delivery of healthcare has measured the immeasurable, and Millennium Physician Group has come out on top. Millennium has been named a 2020 Pinnacle of Excellence Award® winner in Physician Engagement by Press Ganey. The award recognizes topperforming healthcare organizations nationwide based on extraordinary achievement and consistently high levels of excellence for at least three years. This is the second year in a row Millennium has received the honor. Only nine other organizations nationwide received the honor this year, out of nearly 9,000 healthcare facilities who were considered. According to Millennium CEO Kevin Kearns, the award represents an important recognition from an industry leader, and Millennium’s physicians deserve such high praise each and every day. “Although our engagement survey results are impressive, every day we see the commitment and dedication of our physicians come to life through their relationships with their patients.” The Press Ganey Pinnacle of Excellence Award is a highly regarded symbol of achievement in the healthcare industry. When considering Millennium Physician Group for the honor, Patrick T. Ryan, chairman and chief executive officer of Press Ganey says the caregivers and staff of Millennium Physician Group touch the lives of patients and their families in profound ways, adding “This award reflects their deep commitment to listening to the voices of their patients and our shared mission to reduce suffering and improve the safety, quality, and experience of patient-centered care.” According to Millennium Physician group staff, patients often comment on this patient-centered approach. “What a great doctor and staff. Friendly,
58 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
professional, organized, caring, explains and listens well,” one patient recently commented about her experience. “Knowledgeable but down-to-earth and spends time. The office staff and atmosphere is alive with electricity. Obviously love their work and they really like patients.” 2020 has been a particularly challenging year for the healthcare industry. A few weeks into the pandemic, the Medical Group Management Association found that COVID-19 had a negative financial effect on 97 percent of the 724 medical practices it surveyed. Millennium Physician group credits its team’s extraordinary engagement with each other and their patients as a top reason for being able to continue to provide outstanding care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Millennium’s Chief Medical Officer Alejandro Perez-Trepichio, M.D., explains, “The patients have trusted us, and we told them we could still connect with them, let us prove it to you,” and they did. Early on in the COVID-19 crisis, Millennium Physician
Group launched its telehealth service in just one week’s time. A feat that is virtually unheard of. The use of telehealth technology is not new, but widespread adoption had been relatively slow. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, trends showed some increased interest in the use of telehealth services, but the worldwide pandemic spurred recent policy changes that have knocked down barriers and promoted the use of telehealth as an acceptable and accessible way to deliver care. Millennium Physician Group is the largest comprehensive independent physician group in the state with more than 500 healthcare providers throughout Florida. Its telehealth service, MPG Connect, provides patients the opportunity to see their physician in the comfort of their own home through the convenience of their computer, smartphone or tablet. With corporate headquarters in Fort Myers, Millennium Physician Group consists of primary and specialty-care offices, imaging centers, lab services and walk-in centers, with a footprint that stretches from Marco Island to Jacksonville. And in the seven months since the pandemic began affecting Florida, the practice has hit another milestone -- topping 150,000 telehealth visits through MPG Connect! Referring to MPG Connect, Dr. Perez-Trepichio says, “That trust that we created through the years allowed us to provide care to these patients at the moment of greatest need, by their own doctors.” Staying on a dedicated path to continued excellence, Dr. Perez-Trepichio assures that Millennium’s physicians consistently strive to improve patient experience and outcomes by successfully engaging with their patients as well as each other. He adds “We will never get it right if we think we are there.” Perez-Trepichio describes the award as a confirmation the group is on the right path adding, “But it’s not the award that makes us better, it’s making sure the patient is satisfied and wants to come back.”
Connect with Millennium Physician Group today and be ready Accepting New Patients for tomorrow. in Office and thru Telehealth
Call or go online to schedule your first appointment in the office or through our telehealth service MPG Connect.
R
Your Connection to a Healthier Life
(844) CALL-MPG www.MillenniumPhysician.com Offering Primary and Specialty Care | Telehealth Walk-In Medical Centers | Lab Services | Imaging Centers Physical Therapy and More
| OPEN DOOR |
STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY ANDREW WEST
STORIED
DECOR Patty Egan, owner of Luxe Gallery, populates her Naples home with an array of unusual antiques
The very European style of Patty Egan’s home is evident as soon as you walk in the door and see antique statues and chairs. While the house is modern in design, there are surprise antiques from all over the world in almost every room.
60 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| OPEN DOOR |
From the outside Patty Egan’s home looks like a typical house in The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples. It’s the inside that is so unusual. Patty says that is the style in Europe where homeowners keep their mansions modest on the outside and upscale on the inside.
Patty Egan created this house to be her dream home. She loves every room and antique and especially loves the private courtyard. But now that her son has grown up and moved away, she wants something a bit smaller.
rom the outside the home looks modest, but upon stepping inside it is immediately apparent that Patty Egan’s home is anything but ordinary. It’s full of unusual architecture, valuable antiques and amazing views. “It is hidden so it’s the secret,” Patty says. “That is the way in Europe. They don’t want people to know they are in this mansion.” Patty owns an antique shop in Naples and has filled her home with extraordinary finds. A Chinese wedding bed, rare panels of wallpaper from 1804 and a 17th century sculpture from Indonesia are just a few of the unusual antiques that pop up in almost every room. Patty Egan and her late husband, Joe, built the home in 2015 in The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples. They took a Tamarind Grande floor plan and tweaked it to meet their needs.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 61
| OPEN DOOR |
The home is built around a large courtyard that has a raised fire pit, a little pond and a huge 16-person spa with a waterfall. Two antique chairs from France sit like bookends on either side of the wall of glass windows and sliders in the foyer giving people a glimpse of the courtyard and uniqueness of the home right from the start. A European flavor continues just left of the foyer where a den is decorated in items from around the world. There’s a pillow from Paris, a throw blanket from Rome, a giant gold medallion on the wall and a huge wooden trunk that showcases Patty’s love of travel. Nearby, the formal dining room houses bronze statues, a British red phone booth, goblets for wine and a 225-year-old French antique railroad clock. The home opens into a great room with a triangular-shaped island separating the kitchen from the living room. A Steinway piano that’s more than
100 years old is the centerpiece of the living room. “My late husband used to play the piano so well,” Patty says of her husband, who was a nuclear physicist and attorney. “He loved Chopin. He was so amazing. He played in a Russian style and people would just cry. He really could have been a really famous pianist, but he didn’t go that route.” Sliding glass doors lead to the courtyard and to the covered lanai and pool area. While the lanai has the typical outdoor kitchen, eating and sitting areas, it also has some unusual decor. A large lounger that looks like a posh bed with a fur throw and a carved headboard provides comfortable seating. Two round swinging wicker chairs with lime green cushions add more places to relax. A red crested macaw sits on a perch eyeing a passing cat. The courtyard is one of her favorite places in the home. “Sometimes at night I just go in the hot tub,”
Patty says. “The courtyard is a whole other house. It is outside, but it is private. When you have a courtyard nobody hears anything. That is the magic of a courtyard home.” The master bedroom has some of the most valuable antique items. Artist Joseph Dufour created wallpaper panels depicting Captain Cook’s expeditions. These 1804 original panels cover one of the bedroom walls. She has a third piece that is part of the collection that she plans to frame. Patty says she had gone into an antique center in Naples to purchase the Chinese bed when she was given a box. “These would have been thrown away,” she recalls. “That box would have been thrown in the trash. I never dreamed that was from the originator. He (Dufour) originated wallpaper. I never sold them because it is such a great story.” Patty owns Luxe Gallery in Naples.
The private courtyard in the center of the home is one of Patty Egan’s favorite places. She enjoys going in the hot tub that bubbles beneath a waterfall. She enjoys relaxing by the fire pit and she likes the views from the house that overlook this special place.
62 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| OPEN DOOR |
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The outside area has two sections, a courtyard and this lanai. The lanai has a spacious area under roof with an outdoor living room, kitchen and dining area. There's even a parrot that lives on the lanai. • This spacious Naples home is full of antiques from around the world. While the bar area is sleek and modern, the accessories are vintage. • One of the most unusual things in Patty Egan’s home is a Chinese wedding bed. The handcarved bed is from the 1800s. Patty says the room with the Chinese wedding bed is one of her favorite places in the house. • Her late husband, Joe, was an excellent pianist. While his career was as a nuclear physicist and attorney, Patty says he could have been a professional pianist. His Steinway piano, which is more than 100 years old, has a prominent place in the living room.
“I was a corporate buyer for Macy’s and had a family late in life,” Patty says. “The one thing I always wanted to do was to go to art school, so I retired and went to art school. I really got into antiques, so the house is full of antiques.” One of Patty’s favorite rooms is her spa room. It features an intricately carved, bright red Chinese wedding bed from the 1800s. There’s also a massage bench and a steam room. “I call it a spa bedroom,” Patty says. “I sit on the Chinese bed and there are aroma therapy oils that I use in the spa. It is like I have this resort. A lot of
people say, ‘Why do you have a steam room when it is so steamy?’ But I love it. It is a very healthy thing to do. It keeps you healthy. I don’t get colds. If I start getting a cold and I go into the steam room and it is 120 degrees; it steams it out. I am in there all the time.” When her son moved out recently, Patty redecorated his bedroom and now calls it the Chanel bedroom. Stairs in the living room lead up to a billiards room with a long bench beneath a flat-screen television. “The bench is very, very special,” Patty explains. “It is from the 1800s. It is very very long, 12 feet long.”
Beyond this room is a bedroom that’s in an open air porch. The bedroom overlooks the courtyard on one side and the lanai and yard on the other. It is screened in, so bugs are not a problem. “In the cool months, I have guests that want to sleep up here,” Patty says. The antique bed with wooden posts and a canopy is from Indonesia. White billowy curtains usually surround it. Nearby are egg-shaped chairs. There’s also a gong hanging from a handcarved wooden frame and a wooden sculpture from the 17th century from Indonesia. GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 63
| OPEN DOOR |
ABOVE: Patty Egan sits in the den of her Naples home. This den is decorated with items from around the world from a pillow purchased in Paris to a throw blanket from Rome. BELOW: Patty seamlessly combines the old and the new. Just up the stairs on the second floor is the billiards room with its pool table and a flat-screen television. Under the TV is a 12 foot long bench from the 1800s.
A door leads to another bedroom in the airconditioned part of the house. This bedroom has a staircase leading to the courtyard. The courtyard and lanai combined are 5,000 square feet. The home is more than 4,500 square feet. Patty says this is now too big for her. So she is building a home in North Carolina and then plans to build a smaller house in Naples. This home has four bedrooms and four full and two half bathrooms. It’s listed for $2.195 million. Patty says while some of the antiques, like the piano, Chinese wedding bed and wall panels are definitely going with her, other antiques could be left behind for an additional price. “Now that my son is in his own home, I don’t need something so big,” she says. “I am going to cry when I leave this home because it is like a resort. It is the kind of house that you really live in. I don’t really go anywhere much unless I am traveling because I love to be here.”
64 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| OPEN DOOR |
Now Two Ways to Enjoy Southwest Florida’s Premier Art Festival
February 6 & 7 Downtown Fort Myers River District
BE SMART
Art for Everyone 150 Nationally Known Artists LOVING ART We will be following all Kid’s Activities CDC Guidelines. Food & Entertainment WHILE
FROM TOP: The Chinese wedding bed was intricately carved by hand when it was created in the 1800s. •Patty shares her home with a cat and a parrot. Her cat enjoys sitting in the outdoor kitchen watching the bird and the wildlife beyond. • Little antiques are interspersed with more modern collectibles in the home. Patty says she is taking the very special antiques like the Chinese wedding bed and the art panels with her, but other items will be negotiable in the sale
ArtFestFortMyers.com GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 65
| MAKE IT A DOUBLE | Here Comes the Sun is a fresh, slightly spicy vodka-based cocktail at The Continental.
THE
CONTINENTAL CRAFTING COCKTAILS IN COVID TIMES STORY BY GINA BIRCH PHOTOS BY ALEX DRIEHAUS
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 67
| MAKE IT A DOUBLE |
he Continental in Naples is not only known for its outstanding beef program but also for ingenuity in the craft cocktail department. One of the most striking features of its popular outdoor bar is a suspended row of glass orbs that contain colorful, housemade infusions of spirits. Since the onset of the pandemic, their contents have shifted slightly, along with other bar practices. Restrictions on opening and capacity made stocking the plethora of fresh herbs and other items needed to make true craft cocktails unfeasible for most bars. Even after much of the restrictions lifted, the COVID-19 fallout is still being felt. “After being closed for three months, we had to start from scratch and work with what we had in stock instead of bringing in more,� says bar manager Drew Martin.
68 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
| MAKE IT A DOUBLE |
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: New to The Continental’s appetizer selections is this artichoke and goat cheese soufflé with mouthwatering pickled mushrooms. • Bar supervisor Heather Smith creates new cocktails every week at The Continental’s well-stocked bar. • Brilliant in color, earthy and dry in flavor, this Beet Negroni features London Dry Gin and Spanish Vermouth. • Giant orbs are used to infuse spirits, a famous feature at The Continental’s al fresco bar.
His bar has always been a treasure trove of undiscovered liqueurs and spirits from around the world, so along with bar supervisor Heather Smith, the two had more to work with than most bartenders. Before COVID-19, the mixes mellowing in the orbs were consistent, with a few rotating in and out seasonally. But now, change is constant, the cocktail menu is fluid, literally and figuratively. “It’s been fun creating new drinks all the time,” says Heather, who points to her recent riff on a Tom Collins. It featured gin infused with house-made lavender syrup and butterfly pea flower that changes color when acid is added, an interactive cocktail. Heather adds lemon juice in front of guests who watch their cocktail shift from blue to pink. A signature cocktail, Italian in NYC, is still of-
fered, but the type of bourbon rotates. The spirit rests in an orb with Amaro, then mixed with orange bitters and cherry syrup and served over a block of ice. One creation that Drew says will be a fall fixture features Comoz Blanc Vermouth de Chambery. Drew infuses it with green apple and tarragon for five days. Next, he makes a black plum and ginger reduction with Les Reserves d’Arton Crème de Peche, a French spirit crafted from heirloom peaches. When the two are combined it’s like having the flavors of the holidays in one glass — a delicate, vintage looking Nora glass. The cocktail is also lower in alcohol (ABV) so you can have one more. “Low-ABV cocktails is a trend that was picking up before COVID and I believe it will continue,” Drew says.
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 69
| MAKE IT A DOUBLE |
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Steak tartare has been a popular appetizer since The Continental opened its doors. • Refreshing and tart, Party Pants is made with hibiscus syrup, citrus and Himalayan sea salt. • New for the fall, this low-alcohol cocktail has sweet peach with a touch of holiday spices such as cinnamon. 70 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
Great cocktails deserve great appetizers and steak tartare has been a favorite at The Continental since Day 1. Made from finely diced Piedemontese beef tenderloin, it’s topped with salsa verde and a quail egg; picked radishes and freshly grated horseradish are on the side. It’s rich, delicious and beautifully presented. New to the appetizer menu is an artichoke and goat cheese souffle. Artichoke hearts are cooked in white wine and herbs, shaped into a thick medallion, topped with goat cheese and baked. The pickled mushrooms on the side send flavors over the top. A new dinner and drink menu debuts at the end of November, and a Friday through Sunday Champagne brunch is slated for December. The craft cocktail program at The Continental is not just adapting to operating in a global pandemic, it soars above in quality, creativity and service. “It’s been challenging but it has stoked our creativity, and our guests are excited to try so many new things,” Drew says.
| SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION |
The T S E W H T U
SO
A D I R O FL ERS
N N I W 0 2 0 2
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 71
The
CAPE CORAL
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Armex Construction & Design Studio
Gold Winner Duplex Builder
Armex is a family owned company. We are licensed and insured in the state of Florida. We have been proudly serving customers in Southwest Florida since 2004, when we humbly began in Masonry. Armex Construction Inc. and The Design Studio is committed to providing the highest possible standards in construction while maintaining core values such as honesty, integrity, & responsibility. Customer satisfaction is held above all else as we strive to complete your project quickly and efficiently as possible. The Armex team is always open to new and innovative ideas, as well as staying up to date with all the latest styles and modern design ideas.
Address: 3810 Del Prado Blvd S, Cape Coral; Email: Armexswfl@gmail.com, Phone: 239.645.1517
Armex Construction & Design Studio
Gold Winner New Home Builder
Armex is a family owned company. We are licensed and insured in the state of Florida. We have been proudly serving customers in Southwest Florida since 2004, when we humbly began in Masonry. Armex Construction Inc. and The Design Studio is committed to providing the highest possible standards in construction while maintaining core values such as honesty, integrity, & responsibility. Customer satisfaction is held above all else as we strive to complete your project quickly and efficiently as possible. The Armex team is always open to new and innovative ideas, as well as staying up to date with all
Address: 3810 Del Prado Blvd S, Cape Coral; Email: Armexswfl@gmail.com, Phone: 239.645.1517
Zak’s Jewelry
Gold Winner Custom Jewelry
When looking for high-quality jewelry from elite designers or a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted objet d’art, Zak’s Jewelry offers an expansive selection. Brands include Belair, Shula New York, Kattan, Carla Nancy B and Rembrandt Charms. Its in-house artisans have achieved worldwide fame with custom pieces. The shop also offers a vast selection of pre-owned Rolex watches. Established in 1977, Zak’s accepts trade-ins, provides repairs and offers financing.
Address: 1314 Cape Coral Pkwy East, Cape Coral; Phone: 239.542.7766;
Zak’s Jewelry
Gold Winner Fine Jewelry
When looking for high-quality jewelry from elite designers or a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted objet d’art, Zak’s Jewelry offers an expansive selection. Brands include Belair, Shula New York, Kattan, Carla Nancy B and Rembrandt Charms. Its in-house artisans have achieved worldwide fame LOGO with custom pieces. The shop also offers a vast selection of pre-owned Rolex watches. Established in 1977, Zak’s accepts trade-ins, provides repairs and offers financing.
Address: 1314 Cape Coral Pkwy East, Cape Coral; Phone: 239.542.7766; Email: zaksjewel@aol.com; Website: www.zaksjewelry.com
Zak’s Jewelry
Gold Winner Diamond Jewelry
When looking for high-quality jewelry from elite designers or a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted objet d’art, Zak’s Jewelry offers an expansive selection. Brands include Belair, Shula New York, Kattan, Carla Nancy B and Rembrandt Charms. Its in-house artisans have achieved worldwide fame with custom pieces. The shop also offers a vast selection of pre-owned Rolex watches. Established in 1977, Zak’s accepts trade-ins, provides repairs and offers financing.
Address: 1314 Cape Coral Pkwy East, Cape Coral; Phone: 239.542.7766; Email: zaksjewel@aol.com; Website: www.zaksjewelry.com
72 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
The
BONITA/ESTERO
The
CAPE CORAL SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Truly Nolen of Bonita Springs
Downtowner Car Wash
Gold Winner
Gold Winner Car Wash
Pest Control
Truly Nolen of Bonita Springs provides guaranteed Termite, Pest control, Rodent and Lawn services. Save $50 on Pest Control included with our new PC Elite Service and $75 on Termite Control initial service. Our new and improved PC Elite service approach is a proactive program that addresses changes in pest behavior from season to season in Florida. If a new infestation occurs we promise to respond within 24-hours, retreating your home or business at no additional charge. Making a difference in a positive way and adding value to the lives we touch. The proof is our guarantee.
Address: 25071 Bernwood Dr, Bonita Springs; Website: www.trulynolen.com; Phone: 239.495.3668; Email: info@trulymail.net
Downtowner Car Wash is a family-operated car wash utilizing the latest technology, innovative products and state-of-the-art equipment. Downtowner strives to provide a fast, high-quality car wash at a great value and with the best in customer service. Our professional staff will provide an amazing service with smiles to match our quality. Visit us online at downtownercarwash.com/ to learn more about our services and specials.
Locations: 1009 Del Prado Blvd S.; 1203 Pine Island Rd.; 1707 Cape Coral Pkwy E.; 2537 Skyline Blvd; Website: downtownercarwash.com/
GRANDEUR | NOVEMBER 2020 | 73
| NEXT MONTH |
THE
HOLIDAY ISSUE
Unwrap our exclusive holiday gift guide and discover unique items to celebrate the loved ones in your life in next month’s Grandeur Magazine. We’ll have something for everyone on your holiday shopping list!
74 | NOVEMBER 2020 | grandeurmagazine.com
Quality Furniture & Interior Design
BAERS_Grandeur_Nov2.indd 1
10/13/20 12:12 PM