Gulfshore Life April 2023

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118 / Defenders of the Gulf

Southwest Florida visionaries embody what it means to preserve and persevere.

Amy Wicks, photographed by Anna Nguyen

134 / The Gladesmen Way

Jack Shealy lives and breathes the Everglades pioneer life of his forefathers.

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Community Advisory Board

Brian Tietz (11); Courtesy Shirlene Elkins, Ellin Goetz, Mark Loren, Sandy Stilwell Youngquist

Elliott H. Singer Managing Director and Founder, Fairview Advisors Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation Member-at-Large

Mark Loren Head Jewelry Designer/Owner, Mark Loren Designs 2016 Man of the Year

Gail Markham Founding Partner, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company 2011 Woman of the Year

Rebecca Maddox Owner/Developer, Three60 Market, Three60 Wine and Celebration Park 2019 Woman of the Year

Denise Cobb Chair, Community Advisory Board Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2000 Woman of the Year

Dwayne Bergmann Principal Designer/ Owner, Dwayne Bergmann Interiors 2020 Man of the Year

Mary Susan Clinton Founder, Gallien Global Vision Inc. Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2002 Woman of the Year

Ingrid Aielli Co-Owner, Aielli Group 2016 Woman of the Year

Shirlene Elkins Real Estate Professional, John R. Wood Properties Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2003 Woman of the Year

Brooke Denson Real Estate Professional, Dina Marie Realty Trustee and Treasurer, SWFL Children’s Charities 2019 Woman of the Year

Ellin Goetz President, Goetz+Stropes Landscape Architects 2000 Woman of the Year

David Corban President, David Corban Architects 2020 Man of the Year

Adria Starkey President, Collier FineMark National Bank & Trust Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2000 Woman of the Year

Sandra Stilwell Youngquist Owner and CEO, Stilwell Enterprises 2006 Woman of the Year

Jennifer McCurry Jewelry Buyer and Curator, G. J. G, Marissa Collections

On the Cover

Shot on location at The Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City by Omar Cruz

Model Danielle Fried, NEXT Management

Stylist Anna Ruiz HMUA Dani Taverna, Duality Artistry

On the cover, Danielle wears a vintage jacket and earrings, Ralph Lauren scarf, Isabel Marant belt, Koral leggings and Coach boots.

Gulfshore Guardians

Perhaps as her best defense, Southwest Florida draws us in with her natural charms and makes us want to protect her.

In a way, this makes producing our annual “Defenders of the Gulf” feature (p. 118) an easy feat. Scientists keeping tabs on red tide and leading wildlife counts; The Water School at FGCU staff training the next generation of stewards; captains who stop to pick up trash in the Gulf; you, who plant native flowers and trees— the names pour in.

What comes next is more complex: narrowing down the list. For our Defenders, we look for a boots-on-the-ground, let’s-getcreative commitment to preserving and bettering our ecosystems and way of life. These people aren’t afraid to inconvenience themselves in the name of community, and they put their all into the mission.

In this year’s batch, you’ll meet fishing captain and Everglades City native Jimmy Wheeler, who created an outfitter line and a series of beers with proceeds benefiting Everglades restoration. There’s also Amy Wicks, who designed the blueprint for the systems that ensured Babcock Ranch remained unscathed and could take in neighbors during Hurricane Ian; Nathalie White, who’s still leading all-volunteer crews on weekend missions to clean up battered neighborhoods; and fourth-generation shrimper Anna Erickson, who proudly uplifts and continues Fort Myers Beach’s ‘pink gold’ heritage.

Elsewhere in the issue, we dive into the Gladesmen lifestyle, which dates back to the Ten Thousand Islands’ pioneer days, when people lived off and with the land (“Of the Wild,” p. 134). Descendants like Jack Shealey preserve the way of life and in the process play a significant role in Everglades conservation.

We also talk with Kathleen Kapnick, who has never rested on her laurels (“How Her Garden Grows,” p. 50). Though most of us know her name as attached

to Naples Botanical Garden, she often works silently behind the scenes, fortifying efforts for Collier Community Foundation, the Everglades Foundation and Conservancy of Southwest Florida. She does the big and everyday things, like opening her Keewaydin Island home to sea turtle-monitoring volunteers. We know that as Gulfshore Life readers, you’re already invested in protecting our little slice of paradise, and we hope in these stories, you find more inspiration to keep the Gulf wild.

Stephanie Granada Editor in Chief

Anna Gunselman

Coming Together

It’s been six months since Hurricane Ian caused widespread devastation in our region, and many Southwest Floridians are still fighting to recover. As we think about local sustainability, I’ve been reflecting on our efforts to bounce back and ensure our region’s ability to sustain a thriving future. In a word, I’ve been thinking about our resiliency.

Ian was a gut punch that requires individual and collective responses. The storm rendered my house unlivable as it did for thousands of others. But my family’s resiliency kicked in, and because we have the resources to repair and rebuild, we are bouncing back.

Unfortunately, many of our most vulnerable residents are not in the same position. The possibility of recovering can feel unsurmountable for people who were already fighting to meet their basic needs.

Stable lives begin with stable housing. The interrelated issues enmeshed with accessible housing are innumerable. When parents can’t provide a safe home,

children’s education and academic performance suffers, since their ability to sleep and study is affected; families have to spend more on childcare; transportation costs rise for individuals who have to commute from farther towns; and everyone’s health and quality of life takes a hit without a reliable place to call home. Lack of attainable housing also affects the workforce that underpins our economy, as employers can’t attract or retain talent who can’t find a suitable place to live.

Ian greatly accelerated what was already an escalating housing crisis into an unprecedented one. As a board member of Collaboratory, I’ve been heartened by our region’s rallying response. Housing is one of the key issues Collaboratory has taken on as part of our mission to help solve all of our region’s major social problems on an 18-year deadline. To tackle Southwest Florida’s formidable housing challenge, we have partnered with Bright Community Trust, a nonprofit with a track record of success providing long-term, affordable housing throughout Florida. Together, we are organizing a groundbreaking regional housing effort: the Stable and Attainable Housing Coalition.

Through the coalition, we’re forming teams among regional organizations and individuals to understand the challenges we face related to housing and creating multisector solutions (you can learn more about the coalition and how you can contribute at collaboratory.org).

In this time of unparalleled urgency to rebuild the lives and livelihoods of so many, coming together in innovative ways will fuel our resiliency and our steadfast focus on rebuilding and sustaining a thriving place to call home for all.

Gail Markham Founding Partner, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company 2011 Woman of the Year

Guest Curator Wilfredo Emanuel

Gulfshore Treasures

Few things are more emblematic of the Everglades than the alligator. These armored reptiles have stalked our waterways for thousands of years, virtually unchanged by evolution. The apex predators keep the ecosystem in balance, creating habitats for critters through their ‘gator holes’ and serving as an indicator species for the health of the Everglades. Dan Cutrona captured this striking image while riding in a traditional pole boat with Gladesman Jack Shealy, featured on p. 134. “It was beautiful to glide along with this alligator from about 20 feet away in complete silence,” Dan says.

Dan Cutrona

INSIDER / People, places and ideas making waves on the Gulf

The recently appointed chair of Naples Botanical Garden’s board maintains a strong connection to the land— in her Port Royal home, made largely of Florida keystone; in the family’s Keewaydin Island refuge; and at the Garden. “Living down here ... we’re surrounded by nature,” she says.

Wardrobe from Marissa Collections

How Her Garden Grows

Kathleen Kapnick works to restore balance in Southwest Florida’s delicate ecosystems.

For some, the love of nature is instilled from an early age. They spend days running through the woods, catching critters in the marsh and exploring secret mountain trails. For others, like Chicago-raised Kathleen Kapnick, the connection is preternatural.

Growing up in the city, Kathleen didn’t have much exposure to nature. A road trip out west to Estes Park, Colorado, when she was around 6, changed her perspective. “I got out of the car and was astounded by the blue of the sky, the 100 different greens of the trees and the mountains all around,” she says. Over the years, while attending law school, raising four children, and moving around Manhattan and Europe with her family, Kathleen sought nature as a respite. In Germany, she learned the art of ‘spazieren gehen,’ or strolling, through the three miles of lush greenspace across the street from their home.

Keewaydin Island, with its unspoiled landscape, holds a similar appeal for Kathleen, who started coming to Naples four decades ago when she and her husband, Scott, would visit his parents, Mary and Harvey Kapnick. “[Keewaydin] is so wild and so a piece of original Florida—the mangroves, gopher tortoises and dolphins that we see every single time we go out there,” she says.

Harvey would take the family out to the southern end of Keewaydin. He couldn’t swim, so Kathleen would jump out of the boat and haul it onto shore, where the kids would eat sandy sandwiches on the beach. Eventually, Harvey built a dock to make the journey easier. The kids would find shade under neighbors’ homes until their grandfather built a one-room house with a bathroom, a sink and solar power. “He always needed to have a project,” Kathleen says.

Perhaps Harvey’s loftiest project was Naples Botanical Garden. He found and purchased the $5 million, 170-acre property in 2000. Kathleen remembers seeing the barren plot. “It was just weeds and weeds and weeds,” she says. “But Harvey could do anything.”

After Harvey passed away in 2002, Kathleen and Scott bought his Naples house, Scott joined the Garden’s board and the couple gave millions to realize Harvey’s vision. Kathleen helped chair the second Hats in the Garden fundraiser in 2005, four years before the Garden formally existed. “Every single year [at Hats], someone will still say, ‘I never knew this was here; this is amazing,’” she says. “Anything that brings them to the Garden is great because they always come back.”

She joined the board in 2018 and became the chairperson last year. While her involvements with Naples Botanical Garden are well documented, what’s intentionally less known is what the Kapnicks do behind the scenes. Those who know Kathleen know if she is at a fundraiser or giving to a nonprofit, it’s because the cause resonates deeply. She’s only ever on one board at a time. “If you’re on a board, you need to give it your all; it’s a big job, and it deserves 100 percent of your attention,” she says.

The Everglades Foundation is another cause Kathleen holds dear. She was awestruck by the Everglades at first sight. “I didn’t understand how the Everglades worked or that it’s a giant water filtration system and provides much of our drinking water and habitat for so many plants and animals,“ she says. The more she learned, the more

“We need the Everglades—and it’s not about being antidevelopment, it’s about preserving our water supply.”

Wardrobe from Marissa Collections

Kathleen started visiting Naples 40 years ago, when she and her husband, Scott, were dating as law students at University of Chicago, and they’d come down to visit Scott’s parents, Mary and Harvey Kapnick.

Wardrobe from Marissa Collections

EXERCISE YOUR

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she wanted to know—and the more she wanted others to know. In 2020, she helped scale up the Everglades Literacy Program, which provides tools to teach students about the wetlands. It was available to elementary schools, and with her aid, the project expanded with tailored materials for middle and high schoolers. Today, the program is in 995 schools, and 50 campuses are recognized as Everglades Champion Schools for making conservation a core part of their curriculum. “If you can get them early, and get them to understand not just the beauty, but the importance of preserving it, then you’ve got a friend for life,” she says.

On Keewaydin, where the family still maintains the home Harvey built, the Kapnicks helped fund a cabin for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, inspired by volunteers monitoring sea turtle nests on the beach. Now, Kathleen is in talks with Naples Botanical Garden about collaborating on replanting the landscape around their home affected by Hurricane Ian. They envision creating a dune restoration demonstration garden with sustainable and salt-resistant plants that don’t need watering or cutting.

The same priorities are in mind when redesigning the grounds around her Port Royal home with renowned landscape architect Raymond Jungles, who worked on Naples Botanical Garden’s design. “We’re getting rid of some of the plants we have that are very pretty but use a lot of fertilizer and way too much water, and we’re replacing them with equally beautiful but less high-maintenance plants,” she says, of vegetation like mondo grass and liriope. Kathleen’s heartened to see homeowners’ associations and the community getting on board with the Garden’s long-touted message to plant Florida-friendly flora and avoid problematic plantings, like zoysia grass. “The runoff and grass clippings go into the water, creating more problems for us,” she says.

When she thinks about the Garden’s accomplishments, she’s most proud of its reach beyond the 170 acres: its role as a source of peace, especially after the pandemic and Hurricane Ian; that many materials are available in three languages (English, Spanish and

She’s quick to point to the many generous patrons that have developed Naples Botanical Garden. But without the Kapnick family’s commitment—including the $5 million land and vision Harvey put in at the onset, and Kathleen and Scott picking up the mantle when Harvey passed away—the Garden may not exist as it is.

Wardrobe from Marissa Collections

Kathleen helped scale up The Everglades Foundation’s Everglades Literacy Program, which is now in 995 Florida schools. The family also helped fund a cabin on Keewaydin Island for Conservancy of Southwest Florida researchers to stay during overnight studies.

Wardrobe from Marissa Collections

Creole); that 90 acres of the Garden are preserved land. She’s proud of the seed bank that safeguards local plants, and the partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University through the Harvey Kapnick Research and Education Center—another of Harvey’s visions. “He understood there was going to be a connection between the Garden and the science of conservation; he saw the Garden as a natural laboratory,” she says.

She also sees more support for Everglades restoration. She thinks about the mass draining of the wetlands that started before we knew better; the damming of the natural flow of freshwater from Lake Okeechobee toward Florida Bay; and the increase in red tide and loss of wildlife and fresh drinking water if we don’t continue and escalate restoration efforts. “We need the Everglades— and it’s not about being anti-development; it’s about preserving our water supply,” she says.

For her, environmental conservation is about respecting life’s natural rhythms: “There’s a balance of life on Earth, and we’ve got to maintain it, and I want to help do that.”

“I now have grandchildren, and I just wonder what the world’s going to be like when they get to be my age,” she says. “It’s so important to maintain greenspaces and preserve natural resources and maintain the balance.”

A Stitch in Time

Fort Myers artist Shimul Chowdhury explores identity through interactive, thought-provoking installations.

Mixed-media artist Shimul Chowdhury recalls a seemingly innocuous survey she participated in as a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “On a scale of one to 10, I was asked, ‘How much do you feel you belong?’” Shimul says. “I felt that wasn’t enough—as a Muslim person, as a woman, as a person of color.”

Now living in Fort Myers, that simple question is a keystone in the second-generation Bangladeshi-American’s studio practice, which revolves around identity and multicultural crossroads. She teaches digital media, from game design to emerging technologies, at Florida SouthWestern State College. In her studio, Shimul taps into software programs, such as 3D modeling tool Maya and video game development software Unreal Engine to create videos, illustrations and projections with overlapping animated scenes.

Sometimes, she juxtaposes the imagery with embroidery or other textile work. In 2021’s Noise, a softly pixelated self-portrait undulates; in 2015’s video montage #worship, she intersperses footage of a pilgrimage her father shot on his smartphone with 3D renderings of men standing and kneeling in prayer.

Her work turns the conventional, one-sided art-viewing experience on its head, encouraging audience participation. “I’ve

Insider — Artist Profile — By Lauren Amalia Redding

Shimul Chowdhury in front of her #worship (2015) piece; shot by Anna Nguyen

always been interested in interactivity and the reciprocal—rather than the passive—relationship between the artist and audience,” Shimul says. She may manipulate software circuits so that the artwork’s imagery moves in response to the presence of a hand. The connection between the audience and creator is as pivotal in her work as in the video games she helps her students create.

“When my mom immigrated to the States, my dad purchased a Super Nintendo so she could learn English when she was pregnant with my brother and me,” Shimul says with a grin. “I’ve been playing video games as long as I can remember, especially with

my mom.” After growing up primarily on Florida’s east coast, she enrolled at the University of Florida and majored in computer science. However, she was most drawn to the elaborate storylines and illustrations in her beloved video games and shifted to pursue a studio art degree with a concentration in art and technology. “Folks still tend to create this binary between fine art and digital art and don’t see digital art as a mode and a method that exists within the same realm,” she says. “The tools I use—whether it’s my computer, electronic circuits or a video camera—are tools like a graphite pencil or a paintbrush.”

Shimul balances her work teaching digital media at Florida SouthWestern State College with being an organizing member of the MIPSTERZ art and cultural collective and creating her personal artwork. Her art combines digital technologies with traditional crafts to paint a layered picture of her Muslim culture.

As a graduate student in Santa Cruz a few years later, she began developing her thesis, Stitching Solidarity, which urged her to meld tactile art into her digital work. “I’ve used craft as a mode of relief,” she says. “I learned how to sew by hand and machine from my mother at a young age, and I taught myself crocheting and knitting in my teenage years.” Her mother sewed Shimul’s childhood clothing and traditional kanthas—hand-embroidered South Asian quilts made from repurposed saris.

Stitching Solidarity featured video interviews with 11 Muslim-Americans projected within a tent assembled with

kanthas Shimul made from her mother’s saris. In the center, she placed an embroidery hoop with bare, blank fabric, where viewers were asked to record their response to a prompt that still haunts her: Stitch or write a word or phrase that represents a sense of belonging.

Six months after completing her master’s program, Shimul joined MIPSTERZ, a Muslim art and culture collective, where she found her place. (MIPSTERZ founder Abbas Rattani half-jokingly coined the term Mipsterz, combining ‘Muslim’ with ‘hipsters.’) MIPSTERZ members don’t need to preface every

“We’re not here to speak to the theological end or define who is or isn’t Muslim, but we want to use our shared cultural experience to connect and show that ‘Muslim’ can mean so many things,” Shimul says. She sorts through works by fellow MIPSTERZ creators Driss Chaoui, Sara Alfageeh,

Anna Nguyen

Hisham Akira Bharoocha and Nabi H. Ali.

The firsts that have followed us.

Imagination requires a kind of empathy—the ability to envision an idea as well as its benefits for the future. Barron Gift Collier funded the completion of the Tamiami Trail—the first highway connecting the south Florida coasts. He also introduced Collier County’s first bus line and telephone service. Following in his footsteps, Barron Collier Companies firsts today include innovations in Florida citrus production, ranch management advances in one of the state’s largest cattle operations, along with building a town—Ave Maria—from the ground up. Inherited empathy, to recognize long-term benefits, and the advantage of experience and vision, make Barron Collier Companies one to follow for future firsts.

Shimul’s work is often interactive. For The Mirage , viewers scanned a QR code, selected a word to represent an envisioned inclusive future, and then walked into a room, where videos of Muslim people and music flashed along with phrases from the Quran and popular culture on cloth panels.

project pitch by explaining its connection to Islam—something she’d found tiring and time-consuming with peers of different ethnicities at UC Santa Cruz.

Shimul’s one of three core organizers who run the international collective. Each organizer contributes traditions and experiences from their respective countries. “That’s what gets left out of the conversation so often: Other groups get treated as multidimensional identities, but Muslims are treated as a singular entity,” she says. “We’re not here to speak to the theological end or define who is or isn’t Muslim, but we want to use our shared cultural experience to connect and show that ‘Muslim’ can mean so many things.”

In 2021, Shimul collaborated with fellow MIPSTERZ members to create the immersive, choice-based installation The Mirage at Duke University’s Rubenstein Arts Center in Durham, N.C. After scanning a QR code, viewers select a single word from 15 options, ranging from ‘indifference’ to ‘harmony,’ to share how they’d contribute to a future in which marginalized communities were emphasized and celebrated. Then they enter a dark room, where videos project onto fluttering cloth panels. Islamic music plays in tandem with a range of imagined Muslim future worlds and its people; the scene flashes kaleidoscopically with uplifting phrases in English and Arabic text, arranged in patterns evoking Islamic tiles. The phrases, tailored by the viewer’s survey response, come from the Quran, poetry and colloquial expressions. Like a video game, The Mirage doesn’t just begin and end with the viewer’s interaction but exists because of it. “It’s cathartic to make work about my own lived experience and process my own emotions,” she says. “For so many folks—true of young Muslim folks or any young person of marginalized identity—creativity in any form can be so freeing.”

The Sweet Life

For 53 years, Allen and Joyce Walker have made artisanal honey from the nectar of native plants—and in turn, fed the ecosystem—through their North Fort Myers farm.

A conversation with Allen Walker one January morning calls to mind an old children’s rhyme: “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly …” The woman went on to consume a spider to eat the fly, a bird to eat the spider, a cat to swallow the bird, and on up the food chain.

And so it is with the bees that Allen has tended for more than 50 years. “I wish people understood our entire food chain starts with bees,” he says. A bee pollinates a flower; a bug crawls in to enjoy the pollen; a bigger bug eats the first; a bird swoops in after that. Not to mention all the plants that can’t produce fruits, seeds and nuts without the help of bees. “The whole chain ends up with us,” Allen says. “Without bees, we don’t survive.”

Allen and his wife, Joyce, own Walker Farms in North Fort Myers, where they have harvested the honey bees produce from Southwest Florida native plants— wildflowers, orange blossoms, black mangroves and saw palmetto—since 1970. All

Anna Nguyen

four varieties come from plants within a 60-mile radius: Pine Island mangroves, Alva orange groves, wildflowers and saw palmetto in the woods near their home. The nectar yields distinct colors and flavors. Black mangrove honey is deep in color, like maple syrup, with woody undertones. The orange blossom, by contrast, is as bright as Florida sunshine and tastes as though it’s been infused with juice. No two batches of Walker Farms Honey are the same. How could they be? The plants are forever changing, the composition of wild-growing bouquets—unpredictable. The bees might toss in a little buttonwood from a strand growing near the mangroves. In the fall, they blend nectar from some eight to 10 species of wildflowers. “The bees mix it for me,” Allen says. “We give you Mother Nature’s stuff.”

Walker isn’t one for making speeches, but he’ll jump on a soapbox if you ask him about his concerns. “The world is really rough on bees right now,” he says, blaming pesticides and climate change for the loss of so many insects. He’s learned to protect and nurture them by detecting and treating viruses, eliminating mites, inoculating bees and assisting unproductive hives by raising and installing new queens.

Allen, who is now 78 years old, was born in North Fort Myers and delved into beekeeping for a Boy Scout project when he was 12. A neighbor, Harry Hill (“I remember him to this day!”), offered to sell him two beehives for $5 each. “I went back to pay him, and he said, ‘Nuh-uh. You can’t pay me in money. You need to pay me in honey.’”

Soon after, Allen presented Harry with two jars. In 1968, he decided to turn his

hobby into a full-time profession.“I was his honey until, all of a sudden, he mentioned he wanted to be back in the bee business again,” Joyce quips. “I didn’t know there was a thing!”

Two years later, the couple moved to their wooded, 7.5-acre property off Slater Road in North Fort Myers. Allen built the structures by hand: the rustic retail store, the adjacent production facility (known as a honey house), the storage area, the home where they raised their two daughters. One of them, Penny, operates Just Bee Brands and sells her handmade, honey-infused soaps and related products at her parents’ shop.

The Walkers’ production method is the same one that’s been used for centuries, with a few modern indulgences— most notably, a forklift that saves Allen from hauling and hoisting beehives and

Walker Farms co-owner Allen Walker hand-built the rustic production facility (or honey house), shop and the family home on the 7.5-acre North Fort Myers property where he and his wife, Joyce, have made their honey since 1970.

A proponent of bees’ role in cultivating a healthy ecosystem, Allen harvests honey from the nectar of native plants within a 60-mile radius, including Pine Island mangroves, Alva orange groves, local wildflowers and saw palmetto near their home.

Reagan Rule; Anna Nguyen (2)

P RI V A TE JEWELERS

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barrels as he once did. The process works like this: Beekeepers set up hives amid flowering plants. The hives contain multiple removable frames upon which the insects build honeycombs. These days, Allen hires three other beekeepers to set up the hives in groves, shorelines, and forests and transport them back to his farm once the bees have filled them with liquid gold. In his younger years, he managed 1,500 hives on his own.

At the honey house, a motorized blade shaves the beeswax seal, releasing cells of honey. A centrifuge extracts the liquid from the combs. As orders come in, Allen

uses simple machinery to lift and pour the honey from storage barrels into a 2,500pound capacity vat. The honey is warmed to 110 degrees, which makes it easier to strain any lingering comb particles and pour into bottles. The Walkers don’t filter the honey because they want to capture the local pollen that boosts immunity and minimizes allergies. The couple hires one helper to pour the honey from the vat into bottles, hundreds at a time. Joyce labels each one. “Think of me if you get a crooked label!” she says.

The couple produces approximately 250 barrels a year, each containing 650 pounds

of honey. Last year yielded less; storms, like Hurricane Ian, changing climate conditions and development continue to affect bee populations and productivity. Still, you can find Walker goods populating independent grocers, specialty stores and farmers’ markets across Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Hendry Counties.

“We like to think we continue putting bees into this world of ours that’s taking them out as fast as we can put them in,” Allen says. He points to a sign above a rack of honey. “There’s my favorite sign,” he says. It reads: “Listen to the bees and let them guide you.”

Each honey has a distinct flavor that reflects the land where its bees pollinate and feed. The mangrove one is woodsy, while the wildflower variety may blend nectar from eight to 10 species of flowers for its light, goes-with-anything taste.

Anna Nguyen

In Search of Adventure

Supple leathers, silky knits and a warm palette keep you protected while finding your element in the wild.

The Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City provides the perfect base camp for exploration. For nights when the temp drops by 30 degrees in the Everglades, reach for a vintage Ralph Lauren blazer, P.A.R.O.S.H. turtleneck and Akris skirt paired with suede Marc Fisher boots and a Royal & Awesome topper. The look nods to the 1800s, when the hunting lodge was established.

Ernest Hemingway once walked the halls where Danielle now pays homage to his craft with a well-read hardcover. A cream-colored Cinq à Sept blouse with a bit of shine adds glamour, befitting the club’s earlier days lodging Tinseltown’s elite, musicians and presidents.

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Danielle is primed for exploration with a J.Crew jacket over a vintage vest, Dover Saddlery pants under Coach boots and Wolf & Badger gloves. The layered look can be pared down when the heat rises.

perfection awaits

Infinity at The Colony

Your search for an immeasurable lifestyle and everlasting design has culminated in the creation of Infinity at The Colony. The Ronto Group’s thoroughly modern perspective on high-rise living. Inspiring residences with gulf, golf and preserve views. Plus, incredible social spaces and gathering places. It’s perfection, personified and it’s all at Infinity.

A poncho by In2 By InCashmere transitions well from now into cooler days. The look—with an Acne Studios shirt, REISS pants and boots by Vince Camuto—provides coverage from the harsh sun while being lightweight.

Studious types can appreciate a Marni button-up, paired with a Todd Snyder vest, Paul Smith tie and vintage pants. The look evokes an air of effortless elegance.

Hair and makeup by Dani Taverna, Duality Artistry

1 Claudia Kryszalowicz, MaryAnn DeAngelis, LeAnne Thrasher Chang

2 Mauricio Umansky, Dolly & Jenny Lenz, Steve Bailey

3 Magda & Jason Schappert

4 Elizabeth & Randall Huizinga

5 Deena Folz, William Munholland

6 Mark & Heather Gerber

7 Keaton Phillips, Stephanie Rayner

8 George & Carol Keys, Steve Bailey, Kara & Chris Resop

Naples Automotive Experience’s Jetport Reception / Hosted at Elite Jets by the Ferrari Club of Naples in support of St. Matthew’s House

The Jetport Reception at Elite Jets kicked off this year’s Naples Automotive Experience Weekend. Guests admired the exotic cars lining the private hangar while they learned about the benefiting cause, St. Matthew’s House, and their efforts to help people recovering from addiction or facing homelessness and hunger in Collier County. The four-day event raised $1.2 million for the nonprofit.

Insider — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

visiting chefs, sommeliers and vintners at NWWF’s opening-night event at Campiello on Third Street South. Richard D’Amico and his team set up gourmet, buffet-style stations, a Champagne bar kept the bubbly and caviar flowing, and guests sipped on prized wines from trustees’ collections.

Photography by Reagan Rule

1 Guests mingle at Campiello.

2 Karen & Dale Medford

3 Marcello Palazzi

4 Carol Norfleet, Chris & Kristine Williams

5 Andrew Barowsky, Ann Bain, David & Jerri Hoffmann, Rick & Katrina Kash

Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Grand Crew / Hosted at Campiello in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Naples Children & Education Foundation trustees hobnobbed with the

Naples

Insider — Guest List — Photography by Reagan Rule

1 Sandi & Tom Moran, Denise Cobb, Debbie Arnold, Brian Cobb, Lee Arnold

2 Guests mingle in the courtyard at Campiello.

3 Laura & Jim Dixon

4 Richard & Amy Brazil D’Amico, Jody & Paul Fleming

Winter Wine Festival’s Grand Crew / Hosted at Campiello in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Meet the Kids Day / Hosted at NCH

Business Center in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Hundreds of patrons attended Meet the Kids Day, where guests personally interact with nonprofits and children who benefit from the wine auction. NWWF beneficiaries shared personal stories, kids from Opera Naples got the crowd grooving with a mini concert and Naples’ The Continental catered the lunch that followed.

2

3 Sharon Hallberg, Maria Jimenez-Lara

4 Assistant state attorney Amanda Newkirk speaks to guests about her experience with Youth Haven.

1 Jayden representing Fun Time Early Childhood Academy, Donna Solimene

Troy Munn, Paula DiGrigoli, Dr. Kristin Mascotti, Monica Biondo, Dr. Jim Mahon, Paul Hiltz

Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Meet the Kids Day / Hosted at NCH Business Center in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Insider — Guest List — Photography by Reagan Rule

1 Encel representing Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Amelie Rider, Sebastian Martone

2 Debra Miller, Beverly Fanning, Jeannine Stetson

3 Janet & OJ Buigas

4 Yasmin & Erik Papenfuss

5 Opera Naples participants perform for guests.

6 Catherine Paretti & Dave Gibbons

7 Jerry & Adria Starkey

Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Auction Day / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

The main event didn’t disappoint, as Naples Winter Wine Festival’s auction continued the record-breaking tradition, bringing in nearly $26 million for Collier County children. Actress Sela Ward, of CSI: NY, was one of the VIPs in attendance, and patrons vied for superb winnings, including several million-dollar-winning lots, like a wine-soaked trip to Italy with Antinori, a customized 2023 Bentley Bentayga and a 40-couple dinner at Naples’ new private restaurant Butcher.

1 Sela Ward, Kathy Woods

2 The crowd looks on as bids soar.

3 Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, Nada & Sam Simon

4 Adam & Ashley Gerry

5 Stephanie & Fred Pezeshkan

6 Jeff Gargiulo & Valerie Boyd, Chris & Sandi Sullivan

Naples

1 Jennifer Roe, John

2 Tom Koehn, Grace Evenstad

3 Jennifer Parisi, Ira Dean

4 John & Jamie Brown

5 Mimi Groom-Traina

6 Brian & Jeanelle Brady

7 Joseph Sanda, Julia Van Domelen

Insider — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander and Reagan Rule

Tesar

Winter Wine Festival’s Auction Day / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Naples

Winter Wine Festival’s Auction Day / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

1 Patrick & Lindy Salvi

2 Amy & John Quinn

3 Humphrey Butler

4 Jennifer McCurry, Amanda Miller & more celebrate.

5 Joy & Terry Smith, Linda Koehn

6 Johnny Goedhuis, Shirlene Elkins, Tisha Lestorti

7 Nancy & Joe Masterson, Olivier Krug

8 John Mocker, Sherie Marek

9 Paul & Barbie Hills

10 Rick & Libby Germain, Bill & Nena Beynon, Julia & Robert Heidt Jr.

11 Rosann Nunnelly

Insider — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander and Reagan Rule

Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Celebration Brunch / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Naples Winter Wine Festival guests wind down with a celebratory brunch on February 5, the morning after the auction. NWWF announced the event’s 2024 chairs as Shelly and Ralph Stayer before

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ART OF STYLE / Designers, jewels and finery for a sophisticated look

106 Style Points: Marissa Collections’ inclusive, fabulous jewels

Shine Bright

The Radiance by COUTURE gems at Marissa Collections celebrates emerging fine jewelry designers of color.

Diamond purveyors have been raising the stone’s value beyond its carats or how brilliant it looks shining on your finger. Now, jewelers and gemstone dealers are working to deliver gems with purpose.

COUTURE, the preeminent fine jewelry trade show, created their Diversity Action Council to address the lack of representation in the industry. Last year, they partnered with De Beers to create The Radiance by COUTURE, with capsule collections from 13 of the most exciting BIPOC designers today. The modern pieces feature De Beers Code of Origin diamonds, which all have a unique code that guarantees they were mined conflict-free.

Marissa Collections’ jewelry buyer Jennifer McCurry returned from last year’s COUTURE show dazzled by the series, and the full collection now lives exclusively on the boutique’s website, where you can be among the few to shop these radiant jewels with a story and soul.

Art of Style — Style Points — By Stephanie Granada — Photography by Anna Nguyen

Puerto Rican-born Viviana Langhoff is known for her intricate metalsmith work. The Fire Ring —inspired by the Greek belief that the Universe is made up of four elements—burns bright with its 1.14-carat, round-cut diamond. Opening spread: Sara Bautista’s Common Rite Supply brand is layered and cheeky (ask the Marissa team about the Super Smile grill, with a tiny De Beers diamond hanging between gold-plated front teeth). Sara’s Paradigm and Portals Rings reflect on our role in creating a shared reality.

Art of Style — Style Points

After fleeing Afghanistan as a child and having a successful career as a human rights attorney, Zulaikha Aziz of MAZAHRI , started making jewelry that celebrates the stories and beauty of her native country. Every element has meaning, from the use of lapis lazuli, which has been mined in Afghanistan for thousands of years, to the cosmos motifs that reflect the spiritual connection to the skies, to the ‘Bibi’ name, a title of respect and endearment for grandmothers. The Bibi Pendant with Chain (inspired by a jewel from Zulaikha’s great-great-grandmother) prominently displays a rhombus, MAZAHRI’s signature shape and a symbol for women, creativity and fertility in Afghan design. The Bibi Van Der Velden and Cosmos Dangle Earrings are convertible and can be worn as studs or dangles.

Olivia Shih draws from her experience growing up between the United States and Taiwan as she aims to translate cultural nuances and emotions through jewelry. The glacier-like Lucid Rock Studs use ultralight acrylic and gold to showcase vulnerability and strength.

Sculptural metal jewelry has been in high demand, and few do the look better than Bermudian-born, London-based designer Melanie Eddy . Architecture guides Melanie’s design principles, while constellations play a starring role in her Vega collection, with pieces like the Deneb Slide Necklace and Vega, Albireo and Altair Solitaire Rings (the latter two come with stacking bands).

Ashley Thorne, of A.M. Thorne , considered waves, curved furnishings by Jean Royère and rhythmic flow during breathing meditations with a shamanic herbalist when designing her The Radiance by COUTURE collection, with pieces such as the Kem Cuff and Yemaya Necklace

The signet ring gets an update at the hands of L.A.-based Maggi Simpkins . Maggi made news in 2021 with her $1 million pink diamond, pink sapphire and ruby masterpiece ring for Sotheby’s “Brilliant & Black: A Jewelry Renaissance” sale. Her Bubble Rings feature hand-cut gemstone inlays, with Australian opal, lapis lazuli and malachite surrounding a De Beers Code of Origin diamond.

Inspired by her British-Jamaican heritage, Kassandra Lauren Gordon, of KLG Jewellery , uses braided elements to frame her designs. The Hairloom Crossing Borders Ring has yellow gold with cornrow-style twists looping around the .70-carat oval diamond.

All jewelry is available at Marissa Collections on Third Street South in Naples, marissacollections.com

FEATURES / A deep dive into the soulful stories of the region

“All of Florida is changing. It’s really important for us to preserve it, to preserve the natural resources and the landscapes because those are the very threads of our way of life here.”

—Jack Shealy, Gladesman

Defenders of the Gulf

Seven spirited locals work to keep Southwest Florida beautiful, from the crystalline shores to the hardwood hammocks to the riverside neighborhoods we call home.

Photography by Anna Nguyen

Photographed at The Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City

Amy Wicks had just graduated with a civil engineering degree from Indiana’s Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and made the trek to the Sunshine State when her new boss at Johnson Engineering dropped an assignment on her desk. “Don’t mess it up,” he said.

It was 2006, and the assignment was retired NFL player Syd Kitson’s Babcock Ranch. Amy was in over her head; she was tasked with mapping out a sustainable, storm-safe water system for the 27-square-mile, solar-powered community. While working fulltime, she enrolled at University of Florida for her master’s degree, tailoring her studies to help her create something truly innovative. She spent 12 years on the project before Babcock welcomed its first resident in 2018. “My whole career has been an adaptation to this new concept—I don’t know anything other than constantly changing, constantly evolving and looking for new ideas for how to do things,” Amy says.

At Babcock Ranch, she added strategic greenspaces—perfect for an afternoon soccer game for neigh-

Amy Wicks

CIVIL ENGINEER, BABCOCK RANCH

borhood kids—that collect excess water in the event of flooding. The water filters through the grass, then seeps through overland treatment areas, known as bio-trails, where it absorbs nutrients from the soil and native vegetation before flowing into retention ponds throughout the community. The water is cleansed again when it flows from the ponds to the created wetlands Amy designed with native plants to mimic Florida’s natural swamps. “I’m not trying to out-nature nature,” she says.

Sixteen years later, Amy’s plans proved effective when Hurricane Ian hit and Babcock was nearly unaffected. “Syd called me into his office Tuesday morning [before the storm] and asked, ‘How’s this going to perform?’” she recalls. “It was a stressful question, but I said, ‘I don’t think it’s

going to be a problem, Syd. I think it’s going to work.’” And it did. Amy lives in the solar-powered community with her husband and three children, Callisia, Xyris and Acer (all named after native plants throughout Babcock).

Amy kept peeking out her window as the storm went on, watching her systems work as the retention ponds and multipurpose greenspaces kept the lake’s ocean-like waves from crashing into the surrounding homes.

Her career has been flush with ecological practices, innovative systems and city planning that is at one with nature. She’s now vice president at Kimley-Horn, where she continued her work with Babcock when she started in 2014, and is working with Lee County on the Larry Kiker Preserve—the second-largest land acquisition from the county’s Conservation 20/20 program—that banks on water quality features similar to those at Babcock. “I want more of these projects; they’re important to society in general,” she says. “We’ve done a lot of damage to our bodies of water, and we need to fix it.” — Jaynie

Bartley

Jess Ryals, who works with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Collier County, has a vision for grocery shopping in Southwest Florida. Imagine browsing the markets to find locally sourced kale microgreens from the Naples Micro-Farm, jars of honey from Walker Farms and cartons of lion’s mane mushrooms from Care2Grow filling the shelves. Jess understands the power of shopping local: Opting for those over national producers gets you a fresher item, reduces your carbon footprint and stimulates the local economy. “I think people are really disconnected from where their food comes from because we’re so little involved in agriculture—most of us,” Jess says.

The SWFL Fresh brand launched in March 2020 to narrow the gap. On the website, Jess and the team

Jess Ryals

AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS AGENT,

UF/IFAS identify and highlight food and beverages made or grown in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota County. Local producers can apply to be featured and wear the SWFL Fresh logo. The site provides a hub for consumers to identify and locate where to shop regional producers, learn what restaurants are cooking with local ingredients, find local farmers’ markets, and see what foods are currently in season (like guava, grouper and radishes in April). Most recently, SWFL Fresh benefited from a $750,000 USDA grant to expand the effort.

Though Jess proudly proclaims that SWFL Fresh is a team effort, the Florida Gulf Coast University grad, who spent much of her youth on Marco Island and graduated from Lely High School, was the original force behind it when she sought a way to connect growers and producers in 2018. “We are part of a global food system. There is absolutely no denying it,” Jess says. “If we can move the needle a little bit and move some of that consumption to here, in our region, that makes a huge impact for people.”

Jess sees the brand becoming something on par with Blue Zones Project, a community designation earned for providing access to healthier choices where people live, work, learn and play. “I feel real honored that I’m able to be an agricultural agent in the county I grew up in and serve the people here,” she says. —Andrew Atkins

Born on Florida’s east coast, horticulturist Eryk

Jadaszewski has watched the state’s landscape transform. “This doesn’t look anything like Florida to me,” Eryk says. “This looks like Australia or Brazil because most of the plants brought here are foreign.” Where he could once drive for miles without spotting another car, he now sees bustling roads, condos, chain restaurants and big-box department stores. He doesn’t recognize his hometown.

The sentiment rings true for many Floridians who have seen their favorite landscapes flattened by development. Eryk relishes his new neighborhood, within one of Naples’ last frontiers: Golden Gate Estates. There, towering slash pines and untrimmed sabal palms paint a picture of the Florida of his youth. On Eryk’s rural 3-acre property, he experiments with growing various local plants and gauging their tolerances to the harsh weather, which can drop from 80 degrees to as low as 40 overnight in the winter. “There’s an ecological reason to plant native: They evolved here, they adapted to here, they thrive here—because they’re from here,” Eryk says.

Eryk Jadaszewski

HORTICULTURIST AND LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, EVERGLADES NATIVE DESIGNS

Through his landscape firm, Everglades Native Designs, he helps like-minded homeowners rewild their landscapes with species that foster a healthy Florida ecosystem. You might find his team on Marco Island building a front yard habitat for endangered burrowing owls, which are prominent on the island. Taking design cues from the coast, Eryk maps out patches of sand for the tiny birds to dig into and shells for the critters to disperse around their dwellings (the owls are famous for collecting ‘treasures,’ often including garbage). Sabal palms, which can house micro-ecosystems in the spiky boots that shoot up from the trunk, are popular in his designs.

The landscape designer occasionally uses nonnative palms that adapt easily to the region. He points out that non-Florida species that are either

sterile or won’t overpower the surrounding ecosystem work just fine in the subtropical area. “We have a lot of native species here that are from the Caribbean,” Eryk says. “They came here naturally by bird droppings, storms, tides—and they have thrived here in South Florida for thousands of years.”

Having run nurseries throughout the state and now sitting on the board of directors for the Florida Association of Native Nurseries (commonly known as FANN), Eryk is a self-proclaimed evangelist for the state’s flora. His love for the subject runs deeper than the roots of a slash pine; he met his now-wife, Polish master horticulturist Beata, at a Florida horticulture conference. And, he’s become a go-to native landscaping source locally. In January, he and his team volunteered to help the Calusa Garden Club plant heat- and salt-tolerant gumbo limbo trees in Marco’s Leigh Plummer Park. This month, Eryk presents during a two-day seminar at Naples Botanical Garden to teach landscape professionals the importance of planting the right plants to protect the state’s delicate ecosystems. —J.B.

In more than 20 years as an education-focused park ranger, Toni Westland has learned one lesson: Hand a kid a pair of binoculars, and they’ll see one bird. Become a part of that kid’s culture, community and life, and you can cultivate a lifelong conservationist.

The center’s education program was slim when Toni started at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in 2002. She came armed with a scholastic background in natural resource management and environmental education, gleaned from her time working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Okeechobee Waterway. “[“Ding” Darling] really let me fly—I got to spread my wings, design my own programs,” Toni says. She first partnered with next-door The Sanibel School to bring students in for interpretive programs before working with homeschoolers, mommy-and-me programs, and, eventually, busloads of Lee County School District students.

When fund shortages and travel time stopped the school district from bussing students in, the refuge’s nonprofit arm stepped up to fill the gap by creating Wildlife on Wheels (WoW), a mobile classroom

Toni Westland

SUPERVISORY REFUGE RANGER, J.N. “DING”

DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

that promotes bilingual education for Title-1 schools and underserved communities. Each school year, WoW visits about a dozen area schools, reaching upward of 7,000 students and families. The refuge also hosts bicycle giveaways and sports programs, such as Soccer for Success, which incorporates nutrition lessons.

Toni’s intent on getting nature and environmental education into the community. To better reach students in urban schools, she created a position for a community connector, hiring Tice Elementary’s cultural studies teacher, María Santiago, for the Fort Myers neighborhood, which is identified as a food desert. “Many of those students have never seen the Gulf of Mexico, they’ve never been able to come to the refuge because their family doesn’t have the transportation and the funds to come to Sanibel. So we

decided to go to them, to take the refuge to them,”

Toni says. In exposing the children, “Ding” also reaches their families. “As a mom of two, if I know my daughters are engaged in something, I know I’ll be engaged too,” she says.

For the past 18 years, “Ding” has awarded grants to local schools, resulting in projects like the recent Pocket Refuges, where 13 Title-1 schools received funds to install pollinator gardens with native plants, bird houses, trails and solar-powered fountains. Students learn about the interconnectedness of bees, butterflies, food and health, and help tend the gardens.

In the greenspaces, Toni and her team teach mindfulness, trash awareness, and the value of conservation and being outdoors. “By the time I’m done, those kids are hanging on me. They know I love them, and they love me,” Toni says. “Back when we first visited them, the kids would go home, and that would be it. We call it ‘catch and release.’ Do you ever see them again? No. What we’re doing now is impacting their lives in a repeatedly consistent way that becomes part of what they believe in.” —Chelle

Koster Walton

“I’ve always had a love for the wild,” Jimmy Wheeler says. “The raw wild.”

The captain motors his customized 26-foot Pathfinder boat to the mouth of the Barron River and into Chokoloskee Bay. Civilization disappears in his wake. Seafarers are few this frigid January morning.

Jimmy likes the solace. He carries fishing rods and tackle, but he’s not compelled to cast: “I like coming out here and just sitting. I don’t even need to fish anymore. I like to just watch nature.”

The 38-year-old is the founder of Everglades Fishing Co. in Everglades City, which his family has called home since the 1920s. Jimmy started as a fishing guide and then, compelled to do something bigger, developed a line of outdoor gear. It began with a deck boot, born out of his frustration with existing products that didn’t hold up to a fisherman’s grueling routine. This morning, Jimmy is attired in his merch—a rugged jacket, a baseball cap. The boat is EFC branded. So is the cooler of beer. Jimmy’s Gator Bait IPA, Everglades Ale, Airboat

Amber and Skunk Ape Lager are brewed at Everglades Ale Company, a subsidiary of Bone Hook Brewery, and distributed at 60 locations between St. Petersburg and Key

Jimmy Wheeler

FOUNDER, EVERGLADES FISHING CO.

West. A portion of their sales benefits the Everglades Foundation and its restoration efforts.

Yes, Jimmy’s building a business. But that’s tangential to a bigger goal. He is growing the visibility, voice and recognition he needs to advance his community and protect its surrounding ecosystem. “We’re trying to bring as many eyes as we can to the Everglades,” he says. “Nobody knows about this place, and we’re just 45 minutes away from Naples and an hour from Miami.”

He admits that not everyone loves his marketing efforts, concerned about increasing tourism in an already strained ecosystem. But he argues that if people aren’t aware of the Everglades, its fragility and the harm we’ve caused, they will not likely fight for restoration and protection. “Change would never happen,” he says.

On his boat, Jimmy notes changes to the waters he’s navigated since

boyhood: the loss of seagrass, the absence of once-ubiquitous mullet, the inland spread of mangroves into former marsh and grassland. He shares his observations with conservation organizations and pushes policymakers to strike a balance between the needs of nature and those of people who make their living in the outdoors.

And people are top priority for Jimmy as he builds EFC. During his childhood, Jimmy’s mom whisked him to Naples to broaden his perspectives (though she ensured he maintained close ties to his hometown and family). He came home for good eight years ago after a successful but not-quite-fulfilling stint in the corporate world. Now the father of two girls, ages 5 and 1, Jimmy is focused on growing the horizons of the area’s youth. He hopes EFC shows Everglades City’s young people that small-town upbringings need not equate to small dreams. “If I can get as far as I can get and shine the light so someone else can get a little farther, that’s my duty,” Jimmy says. He intends to start manufacturing some of his products here, introducing new jobs and spurring economic growth. “I want these kids to have opportunities.”

—Jennifer Reed

It’s mid-January, and Rebuild SWFL co-founder Nathalie White is finally taking a break. The mom-of-two spent her weekends—while working Monday through Friday as a project manager at Estero’s SchenkelShultz Architecture—in the thick of Hurricane Ian’s aftermath, wrangling thousands of volunteers to remove debris from storm-torn homes. “I didn’t even have time to buy Christmas presents for my kids,” she says.

A Florida native and University of Florida grad who lived through Hurricane Andrew and has worked for architecture firms throughout the state, Nathalie is no stranger to the building codes and preventative measures against catastrophic storms. But, she wasn’t prepared for the lack of boots on the ground in the days that followed the storm. “We design, we prevent—but seeing it actually flooded is different.”

The weekend after the storm, as the internet returned to her Bonita Springs home, Nathalie scoured social media and added her phone number to a post for a cleanup effort. She missed the first meeting but promised to join the next one in a group chat of random, unsaved numbers. She returned to work on Monday to hear that her client, Estero’s fire chief Scott Vanderbrook (Nathalie’s working on the new Station No. 45) and nine firefighters had

Nathalie White

CO-FOUNDER, REBUILD SWFL

lost everything. “Instead of being distraught, I was like, ‘We need to do something about it, and we need to do it now,’” she says.

That day, she texted the strangers in her new group chat, all of whom, she learned, were FGCU students: Catherine Cortes, Bradley Cook, Taylor Eisenhuth and Hannah Frazier. Appointed as the group’s organizer, Nathalie created an Instagram account, posted three meet-up sites and times for locals to pitch in, and racked up 400 followers within the first day (now up to more than 5,000). Many early volunteers were local students who saw the online posts. People also came from around the world to help restore their favorite vacation destination.

Though the areas they tackle are often in shambles, a Rebuild SWFL site emanates hope. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds team up to lift heavy appliances, pull furnishings from tangled mangroves and pile debris for pickup. Chefs often stop by with food, and neighbors bring out water for the team.

Since their first cleanup on October 4, the group has organized thousands of volunteers to clear out more than 500 homes in 80-plus areas throughout Collier and Lee County— mostly elderly communities in Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach. And they don’t plan on stopping. SchenkelShultz allotted Nathalie 20 hours a week to dedicate to the effort.

She’s also preparing for the next step: rebuilding stronger. Nathalie plans to work with homeowners to assess damage and pull the necessary permits to build back—or, in some cases, start new. She’s also working on a social media campaign to gather sketches for locals’ visions to rebuild: “We have an opportunity, like never before, to rebuild stronger and more sustainable. It’s our focus to have a voice in the future of Southwest Florida, to create the kind of community we want to live in,” she says.

One homeowner they helped in Fort Myers’ San Carlos Park left an emotional voicemail that moved Nathalie to tears: “I don’t feel good asking this question,” he says. “But I’ve probably got about a half-dozen people asking if there’s any chance that you and some of your folks might come back. If it’s a ‘no,’ and everyone’s worn out, I understand.” Nathalie’s response: “Send me more houses. I can have 50 people out there by tomorrow.” —J.B.

Anna Erickson used to tell her dad—Grant, the third-generation owner of Erickson & Jensen Shrimp—that she was too sick to go to school. Instead, she’d ask: “Can I go to the shrimp docks?”

Now 36, Anna embodies and champions the local shrimping industry as she prepares to one day take the helm of the family business, which has been at the heart of the industry since the dawn of commercial shrimping in Southwest Florida in the 1950s. The job is strenuous enough on a typical day: Managing an eight-man crew to unload bags of pink shrimp, stacking and wrapping one-ton pallets of the shellfish while determining their quality, and coordinating with retailers and wholesalers.

Lee County has long been a leader in pink shrimp harvesting, and over the last decade, Anna has proved instrumental in maintaining that. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data from 20112021 report Lee County represented 48 percent of total pink shrimp landings in the state—more than any other county. NOAA Fisheries report that the shrimp are sustainably managed and responsibly harvested.

Anna Erickson

FOURTH-GENERATION

SHRIMPER, ERICKSON & JENSEN SHRIMP

Things took a turn when Hurricane Ian barreled into Lee County with 150 mph winds and lethal 15-foot storm surges, threatening livelihoods (and lives) of hundreds of dock workers and shrimpers. As the storm approached, Anna and her crew prepared the docks, unloading two tractor-trailers worth of shrimp and stockpiling funds to get them rolling after the worst of it had passed. She spent hours on the phone, offering insight and comfort where she could, experiencing what she described as a 24-hour panic attack. “These are people I’ve known my whole life,” Anna says. “To wake up the next day and know that everybody survived and know everybody was safe was unbelievable. And I knew right then and there that I would never give up on my people, and I would never give up on my heritage.”

Her fleet of 11 boats wasn’t so lucky. Still in the water immediately after the hurricane: Malolo , named for her family’s first boat to arrive in Southwest Florida; Babe, named for her great-grandmother’s nickname, and her eponymous craft, Anna . In the months after the hurricane, Anna estimated the total number of shrimping boats in Fort Myers Beach waters at around 10, down from more than 40. Anna’s business went from employing at least 200 people to about 30. “Those people are not giving up,” Anna says. And neither is she; her work has only increased.

Aside from managing the repairs of five damaged boats and assessing the potential loss of three more in various states of catastrophe (split in half; sunk; bow smashed in), Anna is working with a network of out-of-state shrimpers who agree to do business with her while she balances assessing the mental and physical health of those she’s known all her life. She’s always done that, she says, but more so now than ever. “We’re going to work with what we have and we’re going to move forward,” Anna says. —A.A.

Jack Shealy lives, promotes and preserves the Gladesmen way of life.

BY JENNIFER REED

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CUTRONA

OF WILD

THE WILD

Jack Shealy raps on a piece of wood. The concrete-like density deadens the sound. Lighter pine, he announces. It’s the center, or heartwood, of a tree that had been struck by lightning and dried in the sun over many years.

“That’s how I lit the (camp) fire so fast this morning,” he explains. In addition to the lack of moisture, the wood contains flammable turpentine, a natural byproduct of some pine species. A modest-sized piece of lighter pine will spark an impressive flame. Jack points out some of the forest’s other resources: Wax myrtle leaves make a cleansing tea; black bay ones enhance the flavor and color of smoked mullet; saw grassroots will sustain you in a pinch; and if you’re willing to labor, you can extract the tender, edible heart of a cabbage palm tree and boil it into a stew.

Meet Jack Shealy, Gladesman.

Jack is determined to preserve the old ways. The 39-year-old is among a dwindling number of people who rightly can call themselves “Gladesmen,” a group shaped by the Everglades and defined by their connection to land and water. The earliest of them settled in the Ten Thousand Islands in the 1800s and lived on houseboats that they tugged from camp to camp, chasing fish. They are the inventors of swamp buggies and airboats, purveyors of a ‘swamp-to-table’ and ‘sea-to-table’ cuisine, jack-of-all-tradesmen who can rig something out of nothing because that’s what you had to do—and sometimes still must do—in Florida’s Last Frontier. If civilization ended tomorrow, people like Jack would shrug, grab fishing rods, light cooking fires and go on with life.

There are forces threatening to erode the Gladesmen culture—and it is a culture, a point we’ll get into later. This is not a new issue. Government edicts dating back to the establishment of Everglades National Park in 1947, population shifts, the aging of community matriarchs and patriarchs, land management practices, ever-changing landscapes, and kids more familiar with posting to TikTok than pitching a tent have eroded their way of life. So, too, have self-inflicted wounds that carry grave consequences. We’ll get into that later, too.

Two years ago, Jack founded the Gladesmen Heritage Foundation, dedicated to preserving the pioneering folk culture of the Everglades and passing on skills and stories to the next generation.

While the ‘Gladesmen’ term dates to a 1998 book of the same title and was formally authenticated as a subset culture of Florida Crackers in 2011, the traditions and lifestyle go back to the 1800s when pioneers settled in the Ten Thousand Islands. The people are shaped by the Everglades and defined by their connection to the land and water.

Jack Shealy is a third-generation Gladesman; he’s founder of the Gladesmen Heritage Foundation and owner of Everglades Adventure Tours and Trail Lakes Campground within Big Cypress National Preserve. His father, Dave, created the famed Skunk Ape Research Headquarters at the family campground in 1994.

Outside of his nonprofit, he’s among the generational landowners speaking up about matters of land management, Everglades restoration and balancing conservation concerns with cultural ones. Jack is also the third-generation owner of Trail Lakes Campground, nestled in Big Cypress National Preserve, and the founder of Everglades Adventures Tours, an ecotourism company that introduces people to the Everglades and Gladesmen history and, he hopes, inspires a love of the land. “When I’m out in the Glades, it’s always a reminder that that’s where I’m supposed to be,” he says. An indigenous elder once remarked to his grandfather, “Even after all the people that are coming here are gone, you’ll still be here.”

Life in these remote stretches of Collier has never been easy—not for the pioneers, not for the commercial fishing families, and not for him, with six-figure operating costs, the remoteness of the place and restrictions on land use. He’s been offered millions to sell and rejected each proposal. “This place is priceless to me,” says Jack, who, with his wife, is raising two sons on this land. “It’s a whole way of life here.”

Wait here, and I’ll grab the boat.” We’re at a Turner River canoe access in Ochopee, a one-time agricultural community along the Tamiami Trail. Its most famous structure is the nation’s smallest Post Office, a 61-squarefoot roadside shed, where Jack’s grandmother served as postmaster. Jack disappears around a bend and returns tugging his craft. It is a pole boat, a shallow skiff reminiscent of a dugout. We climb in, and Jack pushes off using a 12-foot cypress pole with a tapered end.

An early morning shower has passed, though the sky remains overcast, and we have the river to ourselves. Jack points out the stump of a once-magnificent pond apple tree, a hawk nesting in the canopy, a heron that seems to trail us. Jack has been navigating these waters since boyhood. His dad had taught him to fish and frog, a nighttime practice that involves using a lantern to illuminate

the frogs’ eyes and a harpoon to spear them. As a kid, he used to clean the legs to help his dad, who caught them commercially. Fried frog legs are common fare in these parts. So are mullet, a fish once so abundant that the old-timers say it would take more than a day to unload their catch. They’re scarce now, but every December, Jack hauls in 50 at a time (the daily catch limit), smokes them in traditional fashion and gifts them to residents and the occasional passersby, a way of introducing tourists to traditional fare. “You have to come back for the mullet,” he says. He laments my deadline will hit before I can experience other traditions, which take place throughout Southwest Florida: the Wild Hog BBQ, hosted by The Everglades Conservation and Sportsman Club in Ochopee, the Swamp Buggy races in South Naples, the Swamp Cabbage Festival in LaBelle, the Everglades City Seafood Festival, the highlight of the year, Jack says.

We glide further into the wilderness. The advent of motors rendered the pole boats obsolete and all but forgotten. Jack reintroduced them when he launched Everglades Adventure Tours in 2012. That’s also around the time he took over the campground from his dad, Dave. I had never met Dave but knew him by reputation. Before the internet took hold, Dave would call local newsrooms to report sightings of the Skunk Ape: Florida’s Big Foot. He erected a skunk ape statue at the entrance to the campground and opened a gift shop, the Skunk Ape Headquarters. Jack doesn’t share his dad’s obsession with the lumbering humanoid, but he doesn’t reject it, either. “Any recognizable, definable culture has its own folklore,” he says, a perfect opening to discuss what I’d come to learn: What exactly is Gladesmen culture?

Anthropologist Laura Ogden and Glen Simmons, a lifelong Glades resident, introduced the term “Gladesmen” in their 1998 book of the same title. “The landscape was central to their daily existence,” they wrote. The land nourished them, taught them, and offered endless adventures. “At the end of the day, Gladesmen often gathered around campfires smoking smudge pots, some sipping moonshine, to rehash their observations, to speculate and to tell tall tales.” About a decade later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commissioned a study at the insistence of community activists who feared that culturally important lands, fish camps and homesites might be destroyed as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan changes how water moves through the Glades. Moreover, they worried about losing access to the land and, thus, their way of life. That study, released in 2011, authenticated “Gladesmen” as a standalone culture, a subset of Florida Crackers.

Early Gladesmen survived by hunting and fishing. Today, some of these multigenerational families remain in the commercial fishing and crabbing business, passing boats, nets and trade secrets from fathers to sons. Others, like Jack, tap into their wilderness upbringings to run ecotourism companies or make a side business rescuing stranded visitors, contractors and others who think they know how to navigate the wild but end up with spent motors, flat tires and vehicles mired in muck.

Gladesmen have had to let go of some ancestral traditions. You can’t hunt gators anymore, ending the hide trade and erasing gator meat from supper plates (if you’ve ever had gator tail

Through his eco-adventure company and Junior Gladesmen program, Jack shares his culture and its riches: the pole boats used to traverse the Everglades, the camps that served as outposts for months-long fishing and hunting expeditions, and traditions like smoking mullet and storytelling.

Previous generations invented swamp buggies and airboats to access the most remote stretches of the Glades. Jack recently kept one of the mechanical marvels on his family’s campground.

at a restaurant, it is farmed and regulated). Nor can you legally eat “Chokoloskee chicken,” the white ibis that was once a staple is now protected. You can still catch softshell turtles and fry them up, if that’s your family’s tradition, though the reptiles are far more regulated these days. But other customs hold firm. At Jack’s house, located on his campground, a mountain of oyster shells accumulates by the firepit. “One day, this is going to be the highest point in Ochopee,” Jack quips. “It’s not about the oyster shells. It’s about all the good times … getting together with a cold beer, a little oyster bar and telling stories.”

Jack was aware he was a part of the Gladesmen culture but didn’t realize how unique it was to other people when he started Everglades Adventure Tours. “I’ve been called a ‘redneck,’ a ‘swamp rat,’ a ‘hillbilly,’ and 500 other things,” he says with a grin. Frank Denninger, one of the residents who’d pushed for the study, told a 20-something Jack: “This is ‘heritage tourism,’ and when people ask you, ‘What are you?’ You tell them you’re a ‘Gladesman.’”

But I wonder how many self-described Gladesmen are left, with technology’s hold on the young, spiraling real estate prices and the hardships of wilderness living. I pose that question to Jack as we ride past the marshland between Ochopee and Everglades City. Jack, who is typically loquacious, falls silent. He hates this question. A film producer once suggested calling him, “The Last Gladesman,” an idea Jack flatly rejected.

“It ain’t gone while I’m here,” he says of his community. He’s quite serious. That’s why he started the Gladesmen Heritage Foundation. With the help of other legacy families, he amasses memorabilia, artifacts and audio-recorded stories. Some items are on display in a mobile museum and housed on his family’s land, where he intends to develop a permanent museum. Among his holdings: Artifacts once belonging to Glen Simmons, the aforementioned writer, and Totch Brown, another Gladesman legend and author. Their autobiographies, which detail everything from establishing homesteads to coexisting with wildlife to navigating a Wild West-style rule of law, make them among the most famous pioneers in this Last Frontier. Glen was renowned for his wooden skiffs; Jack is acquiring one for his museum.

Aside from his burgeoning collection, Jack partners with the Museum of the Everglades, the place where we’re headed, to tell his people’s story. Conversations with museum manager Thomas Lockyear II help Jack see the uniqueness in his way of life, as familiar to him as it is foreign to outsiders. The recent Gearheads in the Glades, their second collaborative exhibition, showcased the mechanical ingenuity residents employed to traverse the unforgiving terrain. Dave Shealy’s “Swamp Thing,” a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle, dominated the display. “History is best told through people,” Thomas says.

Jack wants people to experience the Gladesmen ways, too. He’s led tours out to Totch Brown’s island, and through his Junior Gladesmen program, he treats kids to summer programs and fishing tournaments designed to impart traditional skills and a love of the outdoors. “By teaching these kids some of the old ways of doing things, it fosters an appreciation for our way of life,” he says.

Jack meets me one morning in a mud-splattered off-road vehicle.

“Climb in,” he invites, and we set off northward along Turner River Road through Big Cypress National Preserve. A few minutes later, he veers onto a grassy pathway. We’re going to camp.

Hunting and fishing camps are central to Gladesmen culture.

When Big Cypress was established in 1974 as the nation’s first preserve, the government allowed for some of these traditions to continue, though, in truth, Gladesmen like Jack continually negotiate to maintain access to the land. The camp we’re heading to is just far enough in to feel adventurous but close enough that Jack sometimes takes his boys there after school. It’ll take you a half day or more to access the remote outposts, which is why previous generations invented the swamp buggies and airboats celebrated in the Gearheads exhibition and in Jack’s collection.

Camps range in complexity from mosquito-netted tents to fully wired homes. This one, belonging to a family friend, is somewhere in between. It’s a two-story structure elevated on poles to account for seasonal rain. We settle into folding chairs in the shade beneath. “Have you ever sat in a tree stand before?” Jack asks. He’s referring to a portable platform-and-ladder system that hunters affix to trees for an elevated view. I had not. He explains the “rush” he feels when birds and wildlife approach his camouflaged form. “Sometimes, a bird lands right on your tree stand,” he says.

Hunting isn’t really about the take, he continues. It’s the escape from daily life, the communing with nature, the fireside stories, the memories. “All of Florida is changing,” he says. “It’s really important for us to preserve it, to preserve the natural resources and the landscapes because those are the very threads of our way of life here.” Years ago, Jack asked an indigenous elder who mentored him about his life’s purpose. The older man was unequivocal: “You have to speak up for things that don’t have a voice.”

Jack took those words to heart. He worries about the future of this land, and he believes Gladesmen, with their intimate knowledge of it, deserve a say in how it is managed and protected. “I say with no hesitation that the families that are the

Gladesmen continue to fight for access to and use of ancestral lands. “If we had the same opportunity down here to be land managers that the cattlemen have had for generations, Rome would not be burning right now,” Jack says.

“You have to speak up for things that don’t have a voice,” Jack recalls an indigenous elder once telling him. He, with other longtime Glades families, collects memorabilia that are displayed in a mobile museum and kept for the future museum Jack aims to build on his land.

biggest landholders in this state have been some of the best stewards of our natural resources,” he says. “If we had the same opportunity down here to be land managers that the cattlemen have had for generations, Rome would not be burning right now.”

As we sit in the stillness of the forest, Jack offers a few examples of the many things he thinks regulators need to address: What will happen to wildlife habitat when engineers send water gushing to places where it had disappeared decades ago? Nature adapts gradually, he says. What are the ramifications of the Florida panthers’ comeback? Are they to blame—at least in part—for the disappearance of the deer? Would mullets reproduce at higher rates if fishing restrictions were loosened and their populations pressured?

For a long time, Jack says people from his community didn’t ask those questions. Relations between longtime residents and government entities soured generations ago. The federal government removed settlers and outlawed camps in Everglades National Park following its establishment. Commercial fishing rights in the park, upheld under one administration, ended under another. Later, the state abolished gill nets, bringing the commercial fishing industry to its knees. Dejected—and probably retaliatory—fishermen smuggled marijuana instead of catching fish. Residents have sought to distance themselves from that history, but the communal black eye delegitimized them.

But things are changing. The cultural study, Jack says, gave Gladesmen a seat at the table. “I’m starting to see that (the parks) are trying to work with us.” Recently, through the Gladesmen Heritage Foundation, he advised Big Cypress National Preserve staff on their interpretive plan, which guides how park rangers tell the region’s history. Members of the Gladesmen community also show up at public hearings pertaining to Everglades restoration, even if it means a two-hour drive to South Florida Water Management District headquarters. Jack encourages civil, reasoned arguments.

He turns to me, and his voice grows serious: “There’s no longer room for underserved cultural communities anywhere in this great country. I don’t care if it is the corn farmer out west. Or the guy whose dad was a sponge diver in Tampa. Or the guy like me that lived out here as just a ‘swamp rat.’ Our cultural communities paint the history and the historical map of this part of the region. It’s very, very important, and we can’t afford to lose any of that anymore.”

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BUILDER: Florida Style Ventures, Inc.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Hive Architects, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ryan Gamma

Straight Ahead

Iconic furnishings and sleek interiors establish a modernist milieu for a couple’s waterfront home in Punta Gorda.

Dreaming of a waterfront lifestyle, real estate developers Buz and Linda Berson packed up their longtime Orlando home and moved to Punta Gorda more than two decades ago. It was a return to Southwest Florida for Buz, who grew up in Naples and longed for lazy days on the Gulf. “It’s very restful, and there’s always something to look at,” he says.

The couple bought a stucco-clad build on a lot overlooking Charlotte Harbor and hired Gwen Leroy-Kelly and Joseph Kelly, of Sarasota-based Hive Architects Inc., to design the interiors. A longtime fashion aficionado who adores vibrant ’50s and ’60s attire, Linda envisioned a modernist retreat that recalled the chic style of the Mad Men period. “There’s a sexiness to that era that’s romantic,” she says. “It’s Hollywood glamour.”

To realize Linda’s vision, the team eliminated walls and wall arches throughout the 3,200-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bathroom dwelling, enhancing the modern aesthetic. “Gwen and Joe took my dream to new heights,” Linda says.

“They waved their magic wand, and a Bauhaus-influenced design was created.” Within the open layout, slatted wood screens lend a sense of intimacy and delineate spaces. One such screen replaced the wall between the dining room and the corridor to the bedrooms. “The screen creates a textural quality. It allows air to flow, and you’re getting filtered views,” says Gwen, who carried the slatted feature over the table onto the 12-foot ceilings. A wooden screen likewise adorns the ceiling in the entry foyer, dispersing the sun’s rays from the skylight. More wood details are found in the walnut veneer cabinetry, which the designers incorporated throughout the home to blend with the existing materials. “We created a cohesive language throughout the entire house,” Joseph says. “Every space reflects the whole, so it has a nice flow.” Lighting also plays a vital role in establishing the sophisticated mood the

Hive Architects designed the contemporary home with a nod to the 1960s. Vintage pop-influenced artwork packs a punch, while wood throughout —including for the base of the Isamu Noguchi coffee table—warm up the mostly white and gray palette.

The sleek slatted screen delineates the dining room (with its Sonneman chandelier) and the corridor to the bedrooms, creating an intimate space in the open plan. Horizontal renditions on the ceilings echo the texture and draw the eye upward.

Bersons envisioned. A linear Sonneman chandelier dazzles in the dining area, and the primary bathroom has layers of light, including illuminated mirrors and lighting strips under the floating vanities. “It creates different moods, and that speaks to people,” Joseph says. Dimmers enhance the effect.

Taking cues from an in-depth PowerPoint presentation Linda created, Gwen and Joseph selected timeless furnishings from George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi and Soft Square, which mingle with contemporary Italian pieces and vintage pop-influenced artwork. In the great room, a textural area rug anchors a tailored sectional sofa and a pair of barrel-back armchairs, which face a walnut media cabinet with black, hot-rolled steel shelving. “It has an organic texture that relates to the wood tones and creates a natural feel, even though it’s completely manmade,” Joseph says. Another steel shelving insert accents the sleek white upper cabinets and

The contemporary aesthetic continues in the bedrooms and baths. In the primary bedroom, pops of blue pull from the hues of the harbor and pool beyond, while the bath’s slatted ceiling feature recalls the main living areas.

floor-to-ceiling walnut veneer cabinetry in the open kitchen, which is outfitted with Dacor Modernist Collection appliances, white quartz countertops and a back-painted glass backsplash that reflects the water outside.

During the cooler months, the owners like to throw open the 12-foot-high pocket doors to create a sprawling indoor-outdoor entertaining space with covered areas for conversation, dining and cooking alongside the 41-foot infinity pool that overlooks the water. “It feels like we’re on a ship,” Linda says. The outdoor space is also accessible from

the primary bedroom and a sitting area Linda has dubbed the “morning room,” where she enjoys her coffee with a view. And while the couple no longer has a trawler for getting out on the water, they never tire of sitting on their deck with their toy poodle, Rose, at their side, watching the fishing vessels, dolphins and squadrons of pelicans go by.

From the location to the design, the home feels like a fivestar resort. “The house kidnaps you,” Linda says. “I pinch myself and can’t believe that Buz made this Michigan girl’s life beyond her wildest dreams.”

All the Right Places

If you like clean, expressive lines that perfectly blend sophistication with warmth and freshness, you probably already know Freestyle Interiors’ lead designer, Ana Oates. Forward-thinking without losing touch with the basics, Ana’s repertoire pulls in natural elements, sleek lines and a timeless quality that leaves us fully appreciating her favorite pieces.

Galerie Glustin Bench

Sitting needn’t be boring—especially when you lounge aboard this wonderfully textured bench wrapped in a bouclette Dedar fabric. The sumptuous, looped fabric continues down the wide legs, adding an extra dose of coziness and whimsy.

Conceived by third-generation Parisian antique dealers Karine and Virginie Glustin, the piece showcases the designers’ knack for European antiques and decorative arts.

“I love the asymmetrical curved back of this bench,” Ana says.

glustin.net

If you have an entryway begging for attention, you’d be wise to consider this powerful console by designer Markus Haase. The sculptor utilizes wood as a fluid substance in this furnishing that appears muscular and delicate thanks to its proportions. “The movement in the wood carving and marble is stunning,” Ana says. The American black walnut and Bardiglio marble piece is wall-mounted and outfitted with a storage drawer for optimal function.

toddmerrillstudio.com

BANG III by Markus Haase for Todd Merrill Studio

This 15+ acre organic farm is nothing short of a five-star equestrian center! No stone was left unturned by its present owner when it came to transforming this farm into a thing of function, accessibility, comfort, & beauty. Enter the paved, gated, entrance to the land of enhancement. As you make your way to the professionally designed main lodge, you will you pass the exquisitely landscaped grounds surrounded by citrus trees, fruit & vegetable gardens, free range organic chicken coups, 60-year-old olive trees, palms from around the world & a magnificent butterfly garden. Upon entering the grand lodge, you walk into soaring ceilings, a well-designed kitchen, living area and one bedroom. From there you have direct covered access to the stables and paddocks. This state-of-the-art facility includes six 12 x 12 stalls, together with every amenity you would expect. Lastly, for the car lover there are two oversized car garages that can hold up to 22 cars comfortably with room to expand. This farm is so much more than words can describe, but rest assured, it will leave you speechless. Price upon request.

Piegatto Corozo Dining Table

It almost doesn’t matter what you’re serving guests when the meal lands on this stunning work of art from Guatemala-based design studio Piegatto. “I love the base,” Ana says.

“Elegance and sexiness all in one—a gorgeous dramatic statement.” Who could argue?

The wooden foundation of birch and spruce was designed to resemble the Corozo plant, a religiously significant plant in Guatemala. Its shape sturdily props the tempered glass top and seems to cup the surrounding air, creating a tempting perch for your cat.

piegatto.com

Dream Homes

An Addison Mizner-inspired estate in Aqualane Shores, a sustainability-focused exterior in downtown Naples and covetable views in Fort Myers Beach.

Gold Standard

Aqualane Shores recently made headlines as the eighth-priciest neighborhood in the nation (Port Royal snagged the second spot), and this abode exemplifies the graceful beauty of the area. Built in 2020 by Naples-based Barnes Homes, the house welcomes you with dual rows of Italian cypress trees and a brick driveway with an inlay of natural grass. The property’s stucco, stone and concrete exterior, tile roof and arch-top wrought iron gate evoke Addison Mizner’s Mediterranean design legacy in the region. Beyond the double-entry access, a courtyard greets with lush, climbing bougainvillea; pink buds frame the perimeter and front door.

Inside, an open plan features Old World touches, like natural earthen plaster walls, curved archways and exposed Florida pecky cypress beams, while the elevator and design elements from Naples-based François & Co. ensure the space lives well in a modern-day context. The homeowners emphasized quality craftsmanship, which shines through in the limestone fireplace, kitchen hood imported from Turkey and hand-painted floor tiles in the bathrooms. Fanlight windows and French doors in the primary bedroom allow plenty of natural light to pour in and a balcony overlooking the courtyard serves as a relaxing retreat. Outside, the pool is flanked by a row of trees bordering the canal edge and a quaint outdoor entertaining space with a kitchen and big screen. The four-bedroom, four full-, two halfbath property at 475 15th Avenue South was listed by Sotheby’s International Realty for $13,750,000 as of February.

Courtesy Sotheby’s International Realty/Premier Media Group

Curb Appeal

When designing this marvel on Naples’ First Avenue North, Michaela Reiterer Henning, of Naples-based Hlevel Architecture, prioritized sustainable design, privacy and a modern sensibility. The firm worked with Naples’ Doria’s Landscaping to design a front yard with geometric concrete paths topped with locally sourced coquina shells. Diverse plants define the landscape, with triple Alexander palm, clusia hedge and Fakahatchee grass mixing up the scale with varying heights.

Water conservation was top of the mind for the architect. She and the team installed subsurface drip irrigation, which uses up to 50 percent less water than overhead sprinklers, minimizes evaporation, impedes weed growth and eliminates water runoff. Recycled composite trim on the hidden-in-plainsight garage adds warmth. To create a cohesive, contemporary palette, Michaela continued the horizontal design of the paths with wooden slats that partially cover the second-floor windows

and frame the front entry; wooden features scale down the volume of the 3,800-square-foot home, providing privacy, she says. Mammy crotons line the area above the garage, adding texture to the minimalist exterior. The straight-lined block and wood rafter construction reflects the sleek, uncluttered design of the transom windows and sidelights, beckoning toward the many gathering spaces beyond.

Must-Have: A Glass-Clad

Water View

Southwest Florida’s universal access to the water is one of the area’s greatest treasures, so when designers create clever ways to maximize those stellar views, it’s a home run. When Becky and John Duffey commissioned an alfresco space for their Fort Myers Beach property (the largest home on the beach), they had clear directives: keep the gathering spaces close together and amp up the view.

AQUALANE SHORES

508 16TH AVENUE SOUTH

Preferred southern exposure and comfortably situated in a quaint waterfront neighborhood. Designed by MHK Architects and constructed by Source Construction and Development. Featuring 5 bedrooms and 7 baths, with 5,243 square feet of living space and over 7,000 total square feet of luxury living! A very short stroll to the dining, shopping, and lifestyle hub of Third Street South, as well as 5 short blocks to the sugar sand of our Naples beaches!

AQUALANE SHORES

611 18TH AVENUE SOUTH

Beautiful waterfront custom-built home comprises 4,311 square feet of living space under air with additional outdoor living areas totaling 5,514 square feet overall. Featuring 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 2 half bathrooms, plus office. The first floor master suite bathroom features indoor/outdoor rainfall showers, his and hers water closets with jetted tub. Large tropical outdoor areas and 75’ dock with a separate boat lift, situated on Duck Channel opening into Naples Bay.

For more information, or a current market analysis on your property, please contact:

CHIP SHUMWAY, REALTOR®

239.580.8332 w chip@gcipnaples.com

1144 Third Street South w Naples, Florida 34102 www.gcipnaples.com w www.portroyalwaterfronthomes.com w www.gcipluxuryrentals.com

®

Alair Homes Sanibel and Michelle Stahl of Freestyle Interiors delivered a flipped floorplan, with the living space and infinity pool on the upper level for elevated vistas. But, the raised layout also required a protective perimeter be installed outside for safety. To avoid obstructing the panorama, the team got smart with an impact-resistant glass railing. The infinity rail has no posts, so it disappears into the scene. The lanai connects to the more-than-8,400-square-foot home’s interior via lift-and-slide doors, meaning there’s no step to get outside. When the doors are open, the rooms appear as one giant space.

To capitalize on the perch, they installed the fascia-mounted rail, which mimics the property’s angle; the metal matches the windows and wall colors for a smooth look. While the lanai has multiple sitting areas, a stone fireplace, an outdoor kitchen and a dining room, sweeping views of Estero Bay remain the star thanks to the barely-there railing, which allows the home and bay to seamlessly stand as one.

A smartly designed glass railing yields stellar views of Estero Bay in Fort Myers Beach’s largest home.

OVER $2 BILLION IN CLOSED SALES

With over 28 years of experience from Port Royal to Bonita Beach, no one sells luxury better than The Bua Bell Group

For Over 17 years, The #1 Mother - Daughter Real Estate Team in the Southwest Florida Market

Our family has grown. Shane Bua and his wife Taylor Meritt-Bua have moved from Los Angeles to join our team

Emily received the John R. Wood Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022

Recipients of the Top 100 Business Leaders in Naples

John R. Wood Properties was chosen by Christie’s International Real Estate and we hope you choose the Bua Bell Group.

buabellsellsnaples.com

buabellgroup@johnrwood.com

At Premiere Plus Realty, we understand that your needs are unique when it comes to purchasing or selling a luxury property. You deserve an exclusive, personalized experience with a knowledgeable expert advisor. As the area leader in real estate for 20 years, we would be honored to work with you. homes@pprmail.com (239) 732-7837

683

A triumph in architectural excellence! Shimmering with couture style and sophistication, this masterpiece was masterfully curated by Borelli Construction providing a world class refinement and offers pure luxury with every amenity expected in a home of this caliber. This approx 2 acre estate vaunts magnificent living space and gracefully positioned rooms designed for exceptional entertaining and executive style living. Just off the chef's kitchen, a 3,000 bottle temp controlled wine room awaits your favorite vintage. Attached private apartment offers privacy and convenience. Truly awe-inspiring grounds feature a tropical paradise swimming pool, tennis/pickle ball court and a romantic gazebo completes the sanctuary. Refined elegance is found in the custom lighting (Murano glass and more), niches and built ins. Artfully crafted from top to bottom. Guests will be graciously accommodated in the separate guest house w/ kitchen, bath and LR (currently an art studio). The car collector will appreciate the 4 car air conditioned garage and the gated circular driveway. THIS is luxury in paradise!

HICKORY ROAD IN PINE RIDGE ESTATES. $8,999,000

LAURA GEORGELOS

ABR, CNS, SRS, CLHMS

550 5TH AVE S, NAPLES, FL 34102 (239) 262-7131

WWW.KEYTONAPLESLUXURY.COM

SPECIALTIES: LUXURY HOMES, BOATING LIFESTYLE, GOLFING COMMUNITIES

Laura’s success in the industry has been built on the principles of always putting her client's interests first and instinctively going above and beyond to provide the highest quality solution-based service and experience possible. Her clients enjoy the concierge style experience she offers: they sense her passion, trust her expertise, and feel comfortable putting their biggest investment in her hands. Laura has curated her expertise through her extensive knowledge of golfing communities and the boating lifestyle in addition to Olde Naples and Pine Ridge.

She is also currently spearheading the housing component for STARability to secure a safe home life for developmentally disabled adults in Collier County.

Laura

Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Coldwell Banker Global Luxury International President's Elite

Georgelos, ABR, CNC, SRS, CLHMS

"Chosen for my service. Famous for my results"

- INCREDIBLE VALUE

2 bedroom, 2 bath 1,420 sq. ft. luxury tower residence with updated kitchen, beautifully remodeled bathrooms, spacious lanai, 2 garage spaces, and amazing view of the Gulf.

$1,475,000

- PENDING SALE

3 bedroom, 3 bath 2,000 sq. ft. 10th floor residence with fabulous views sunrise to sunset – Gulf view to the west and Club Pelican Bay golf course view to the east. Convenient under building garage parking.

$2,350,000

ST

- PENDING SALE

3 bedroom, 3 bath 2,250 sq. ft. tower residence with 9’ ceilings and spectacular views east and west – Enjoy sunrise on the golf course and sunset on the Gulf of Mexico! 2 parking spaces and extra storage in garage directly below.

$ 2,885,000

- PRIVATE POOL

3 bedroom, 3 bath 2,000 sq. ft. garden residence with 10’ ceilings and private outdoor space including yard and pool maintained by Condo Association for the exclusive use of #G-12 homeowner. Experience the convenience, security, and amenity-rich luxury tower lifestyle with many of the benefits of a single family home. 2 parking spaces in garage. Perfect for pet owners. Two small dogs allowed at St Raphael.

$1,850,000

RAPHAEL #1106

ST RAPHAEL #1007

ST RAPHAEL #G-12

ST RAPHAEL #508

JEAN NILES TARKENTON, LLC

Jean has listed and sold single family homes, villas, and condos throughout the Naples area for over 20 years. However, her proven sales track record with the Pelican Bay luxury tower market is most impressive. Jean has first-hand knowledge of luxury tower living and the incomparable lifestyle of Pelican Bay with its amazing location and fabulous amenities. Jean is known for her product knowledge, innovative marketing, discreet, savvy refined style, high level of professionalism, dedication, and strong negotiating and closing skills. She has built a successful career by putting her customers first and artfully uniting extraordinary properties with extraordinary lives.

239.595.0544

JEANTARKENTON@MSN.COM

800 SEAGATE DRIVE, SUITE 101 NAPLES, FL 34103

ST RAPHAEL

A 20 story luxury tower in Pelican Bay with impact resistant glass on all windows and sliders, 9 to 10’ ceilings, fabulous 40’ x 80’ pool, two Har-Tru tennis courts, four guest suites, and well-equipped health club on lobby level. Enjoy being just steps away from the boardwalk to one of two Pelican Bay beach clubs with beach and umbrella service, dining overlooking the Gulf, and all the fabulous amenities of Pelican Bay. Both beach clubs are expected to be operational by November.

MEET THE EXPERIENCED YORK REAL ESTATE TEAM

The York Team – James, Morgan, and Michael York – are members of the National Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, and the Naples Board of Realtors. They have a combined 30 years of real estate experience, including 25 years in Southwest Florida. The York Team is the most recent winner of the prestigious award “Best of the Best: Best Real Estate Team” at the SWFL People’s Choice Awards, a spot they’ve held for three consecutive years. In addition, James York is the winner, for two consecutive years, of SWFL People’s Choice Award as “Star Realtor.”  The York Team takes pride in their business education and in sharing their real estate experience and knowledge with the community. They give educational lectures and seminars covering current topics in real estate, and teach real estate courses for the general public through the Collier County Public Schools Adult and Community Education program. The York Team has authored a weekly real estate column in the local Naples Daily News for the past twenty years. They have served on the local real estate board’s Legal Resource Committee, which oversees all local real estate contracts, currently serves on the collier code enforcement board. The York Team is also the host of the local weekly real estate show, Southwest Florida Real Estate Update.

MORGAN E.

MANAGING

received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from FGCU, is a Certified Real Estate Negotiation Expert, and completed the Graduate Realtor (GRI) designation program. Morgan has been practicing real estate for the past 12 years.

JAMES D. YORK,

PARTNER was a custom builder in Pennsylvania prior to starting real estate sales in SWFL, which has given him extensive knowledge in the fields of real estate and building construction. He grew up in Syracuse, N.Y attended Syracuse University. James has been practicing real estate for the last 30

ROBERT SLAUGHTER

SALES MANAGER

U.S Bank, Mortgage : NMLS 339102

Robert is one of the leading professionals in the local banking industry, with 25 years of lending experience. He has handled thousands of mortgage transactions.

York Real Estate Team Of Downing-Frye Realty, Inc.

www.NaplesYorkRealEstate.com

Jdy@YorkNaples.com | (239) 273-6727

Office Coverage Locations:

Naples - Bonita Springs - Fort Myers- Marco Island - Bradenton - Sarasota

MICHAEL P.

received his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from FGCU, is a Certified International Property Specialist, and received the 2017 Rising Star Award from the local board of realtors. Michael has been practicing real estate for the past 11 years.

CHRIS MITCHELL, OWNER AGENT

at Brightway Insurance - The Smith and Mitchell Agency. Chris is currently insuring over 8,000 families in SWFL, and for the last 10 years has won the “Gulfshore Life 5 Star Insurance Professional Award.”

YORK,P.A. PARTNER

P.A.

YORK, LLC,

PARTNER

THE YORK REAL ESTATE TEAM OF

DOWNING-FRYE REALTY

EST. 1996

MISSION STATEMENT

We will use collaborative teamwork, expertise, and integrity to make the experience of buying and selling real estate as positive, costeffective, and hassle-free as possible for our clients. We specialize in properties from four hundred thousand and upwards of multi-million dollars.

Breathtaking views from 660 Ft of open water frontage, on 1.75 acres of privacy in Gated Stirrup Key. Beautiful pool deck, tiki hut, and tiered terraced gardens outside. Inside boasts cathedral ceilings in every room, a coral fireplace, and an elevator. 3 boat slips in a protected basin, and a large garage!

BROKER ASSOCIATE

“It’s all about the water for Lisa Ferringo. Originally from Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Lisa fell in love with the Keys after purchasing a vacation home in 2004. Six months later, she made the Keys her permanent home. Throughout her 34 years of experience, Lisa has consistently outperformed the competition. She has been named the #1 Residential Agent in the FL Keys for dollar volume every year since 2015 and her group was ranked the #4 small team by Coldwell Banker for ALL of North America in 2021 with $160 million in sales!”

4500 FILER COVE, BIG TORCH, FLORIDA KEYS

Secluded & private 4BR/4BA Estate with over 2,000 ft. of waterfront situated on over 12 picturesque acres. Boater's paradise located along Niles channel allowing for direct access to either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico is complete with 65 x15 foot concrete seawall on a deepwater canal, davits, & dock house.

111 WINDY POINT CIRCLE, MARATHON, FLORIDA KEYS

57417 MORTON STREET, MARATHON, FLORIDA KEYS

Fabulous 1/2 Acre Gulf front home featuring 150' of waterfront and protected boat basin! Open concept D'Asign Source home featuring Open Water views from the Main Suite with access to the sprawling back Porch. Separate guest wing for privacy. Resort-style pool with spa and swim-up bar, this masterpiece truly is the epitome of luxury!

COCONUT LANDING

EFFORTLESS RESORT ST YLE LIVING IN A PERFECTLY TUCKED AWAY TROPICAL ENCLAVE

• • •

Coastal contemporary homes, resort style living, and an ideal location just west of U.S. 41 combine to embody the ultimate Southwest Florida lifestyle. Located on Coconut Road just 1⁄4 mile from the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Coconut Landing will feature 25 single family homes, each one boasting seamless indoor/outdoor living, open and uplifting floor plans, and a sparkling private pool and spa. With lush manicured surroundings, VIP membership option to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, and nearby beaches, golf, shopping, and dining, Coconut Landing invites you to enjoy every moment, whether relaxing at home or stepping out.

Spec home offerings from $1.6 million*

Phase Two homes available Spring/Summer 2023

The Palm offers a spacious open concept layout to provide the feel of a larger home in our most efficient floorplan. Featuring plenty of space for family, guests, and entertaining, the Palm's great room and dining room flow effortlessly into the lanai.

kmarx@headwaters-development.com

headwaters-development.com PO Box 110062, Naples, Fl. 34108

*Pricing and availability subject to change.

The Bay floor plan incorporates the open concept indoor-outdoor flow of the Palm into a larger plan to provide additional space for entertaining and relaxing. With the added benefit of a powder room, this floor plan allows each bedroom to have an en-suite bathroom.

The Beach floor plan provides a generous master suite and 2 spacious guest suites while ensuring the main living area is an entertainer's dream. The impressive great room with coffered ceiling treatment is anchored by a wall of glass pocket sliders leading out to the covered outdoor living area.

3 BEDROOMS+ STUDY I 3 BATHROOMS I 2,305 SF

3 BEDROOMS+ STUDY I 3.5 BATHROOMS 12,578 SF

3 BEDROOMS+ STUDY 14 BATHROOMS I 3,160 SF

Coming soon from the developers of La Perle, comes Downtown Naples newest luxury condominiums, Inlet Quay. This exclusive 37-unit private waterfront retreat is located on the Gordon River. With 19 boat slips, boaters can enjoy a scenic ride straight to the Gulf. Centrally located in Downtown Naples, the shopping & dining districts of 5th Ave. S. & historic 3rd St. S. and Naples Airport are all nearby. For additional recreation enjoy one of the 24 neighboring Naples golf clubs.

Looking to soak up the sun at home? Each three and four-bedroom residence includes an expansive terrace. The onsite private amenities feature a stunning rainbow shaped pool, sunset viewing firepits, outdoor grilling spaces, a fitness center, social bar and perfectly appointed lobby. Inlet Quay is naturally enclosed by a border of protected mangroves.

It’s not just your life, it’s a style.

CATHERINE MCAVOY

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL

239.370.2539

CATHERINE.MCAVOY @ PREMIERSIR.COM

CATHERINEMCAVOY.PREMIERSOTHEBYSREALTY.COM

Cathy is a 27-year resident of Naples specializing in luxury residential sales in Old Naples, Aqualane Shores, Park Shore, Moorings and Pelican Bay.

Cathy grew up in Buffalo, New York, and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She earned her law degree from the University of Buffalo and worked as an attorney at the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Rochester, New York, until 1995 when she relocated to Naples with her family.

Cathy raised her three children in Naples and worked in real estate law as well as for Collier County Public Schools as a GED instructor, substitute teacher and volunteer. Her husband, Brian, is a Trusts and Estates attorney in Naples and their children all attended the University of Florida. Meredith is an attorney in Orlando, Max is a craft brewer in Broomfield, Colorado, and Jack is a civil engineer in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Cathy is a member of the Florida and New York Bar Associations, and earned her broker’s license and her GRI designation.

“My legal background and work ethic enable me to provide the exceptional service you deserve.”

CHARLINA MCGEE ELAINE BETZIOS

Charlina McGee and Elaine Betzios are highly accomplished global real estate advisors, having earned a place among Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s “Top 100” list of Realtors. They are consistently recognized as top producers in the Naples area. With 50 years of combined real estate experience, Charlina and Elaine pride themselves on their professionalism, negotiation skills and work ethic. Both are from the Northeastern US, Charlina from Massachusetts and Elaine from Greenwich, Connecticut. They take great pride in using their expertise, resources and global connections to perfectly unite extraordinary places with extraordinary buyers. For the unique. For the savvy. For the refined.

"Professional, thorough, enjoyable, supportive, humorous and just downright perfection!"

D.

PREMIER SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

RANKED IN THE TOP 1.5% OF REALTORS ® IN THE USA

A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL. Amy’s focus is providing elevated service for her customers by listening to their needs, paying sharp attention to detail and providing solutions to navigate the ever-changing real estate market. With over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry, Amy spent 16 years specializing in the custom home market in the award-winning community of Mediterra before bringing her broad skill set to customers throughout the Naples luxury market.

“Top Notch! Professional, pays great attention to detail, her marketing strategy is impeccable.”

— Kimberly M.

Selling the Florida Lifestyle since 1978

A top-producing, award-winning real estate professional and longtime Naples resident, Patrick O’Connor is dedicated to serving his customers and his community. Armed with distinguished business acumen and a unique local perspective, buyers and sellers alike trust in his accomplished portfolio of seamless and successful transactions. Patrick prioritizes the customer experience and is known for his acts of service and professionalism. He is deeply rooted in the Naples community, involves himself with positive philanthropic work and values the shared joy of living on Florida’s beloved Gulf Coast.

He was exceptional! Really understood our criteria & when that home came up he did everything possible to make our purchase as smooth as possible! Patrick has so much integrity which is rare to find. We knew we could trust his advice & the people he recommended. We were very fortunate to work with him- he really cares!”

– Ed R.

“Pat O’Connor defines what a real estate agent should be. Professional, personable and confident that he will sell your property and to the right buyer.” – Robert U.

NITA RAPP

LEVITAN REALTY

13741

PONDVIEW CIRCLE NAPLES, FLORIDA 34119

This majestic lakefront estate in Quail West with a TRANSFERABLE GOLF MEMBERSHIP is move in ready with new furnishings and is a showcase of timeless elegance. Brimming with privacy this residence lords almost an acre of land & offers over 6700 sq ft of living space & luxurious upgrades throughout. Pocket sliders 1 of 2 living rooms give away to the 1200 sq. ft. loggia. The coveted indoor/outdoor lifestyle is perfectly encapsulated in this estate's entertainment deck with a gas-heated pool, spa & numerous lounging areas. Additional features include soaring ceilings with exquisite details, woodpaneled executive office/library, marble flooring, 3 spacious ensuite guest rooms, a A/C 3-car plus cart garage, renovated gourmet kitchen with all new stove, microwave, dishwasher & wine cooler. Sprawling master suite houses two sitting areas, his/her closets & baths with a pass-through shower. Upgrades include 5 2019A/C units, rewired electric panels, Lutron system & Sonos throughout, 2019-whole house generator, 2 propane tanks, newly painted interior/exterior, newly reconfigured driveway with all new pavers, landscape & new stone tile outdoors. This home has it all and luxury awaits!

MARCO BEACH - CAPE MARCO, 990 CAPE MARCO DRIVE, #507

Now you can in this fully renovated 5th floor residence. This professionally designed and decorated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condominium has not missed one detail. The balcony with its gorgeous view of the Gulf is perfect for sipping your favorite beverage and entertaining guests.

DARLENE RODDY

“Selling Real Estate is a business but for me it’s also about building relationships that last long after leaving the closing table.”

MARCO ISLAND - THE PRINCE

176 SOUTH COLLIER BOULEVARD, #101

The Prince is one of the finest luxury condominiums on Marco Island. Incredible Gulf views just steps away from the beach. Completely transformed and professionally designed. The open layout is exquisite with its new light and warm wood tones.

Growing up in the Midwest, I take great pride in using my expertise, resources, and global connections to perfectly unite extraordinary places with the extraordinary buyers who will cherish them as I do. Over the last 22 years I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge and guide my clients through the intricacies of buying and selling property in Naples and Marco Island. I offer a highly personalized concierge service tailored to each individual’s needs.

MARCO ISLAND - ROYAL MARCO POINT II

5000 ROYAL MARCO WAY, #535

Riviera is one of the finest luxury condominiums on Marco Island. Incredible Gulf views with three expansive terraces. This exceptional 4010 square for residence presents four bedrooms three and a half bath. Enjoy world class lifestyle with all Hideaway has to offer.

1589 SOUTH BARFIELD COURT | $12,900,000

Enjoy 143’ of waterfrontage, southern exposure, and endless views of the Ten Thousand Islands and Gulf from this completely renovated 6 bedroom plus den, 9 bath home boasting exquisite details throughout and rare 1600+ square foot under home storage. The custom dock is sure to accommodate all your toys with 2 boat lifts and jetski lift.

CHRIS SULLIVAN

RE/MAX AFFINITY PLUS

1710 CANARY COURT | $2,350,000

Rare, tip lot with western exposure, converging waterway views, and 181’ of waterfrontage. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home boasts stunning sunsets, new pool and spa, private oasis with beach sand and palm trees, and new seawall. Excellent boating locating offers short egress to the Gulf from new dock with lift and descendible platform.

Chris Sullivan is a top producer, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, and leader in the luxury real estate market on Marco Island and fine communities in Naples. Chris is the recipient of many fine awards including RE/MAX Titan Club, RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement, RE/MAX Hall of Fame, Institute of Luxury Home Marketing Million Dollar Guild, and has been named a Five Star Professional. She has been recognized as a Market Leader in both Forbes and Fortune and has been included in America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents ® and Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Professionals – Top 1.5% USA.

239-404-5548

chris@marcoluxuryhomes.com

naplesluxbroker.com

103 WEST PAGO PAGO DRIVE | $2,299,000

Light and bright 2 bedroom, 3 bath cottage is situated on 2 waterfront lots with wide open views of Johnson Bay and 109’ of waterfrontage – a rare find for Isles of Capri. Enjoy the extra space yourself, or use the opportunity to build a second home on the additional lot. Lower level offers full bath and 2 additional rooms, both with closets.

Instagram: @chrisluxbroker

599 South Collier Boulevard, Suite 306 Marco Island, FL 34145

MARCO ISLAND – ESTATES 1598 Heights Court

One-of-a-kind 6BR/7.5BA luxury resort home situated on a rare 0.59-acre lot with deep-water direct access, 167 feet of waterfront, and an open floorplan featuring 27-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass. Spacious covered outdoor space, double garages boasting up to 8-car capacity, generator, and more; built with premium features and materials. $9,675,000

MICHELLE THOMAS

PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

An award-winning professional with over two decades of experience in the Naples and Marco Island real estate market, Michelle Thomas is well-known for her deep familiarity with the area. Specializing in everything from luxury golf course estates to gorgeous Gulf-front condominiums, she has a passion for pairing her customers with pristine properties. An accomplished industry leader, Michelle has achieved numerous accolades and has been ranked among REAL Trends “The Thousand,” America’s Best Real Estate Professionals list and is a Five Star award winner. She is a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist. Michelle leads the #1 real estate team in Collier County and Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

FIDDLER’S CREEK – ISLA DEL SOL 3855 Isla Del Sol Way

Elegance and overwhelming beauty define this 5BR/8BA estate with marble tiling, a chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, a custom wine room with space for over 1,000 bottles, an in-home theater with reclining seats, and an elevator. Enjoy breathtaking views of the open-air pool and spa, lake, and golf course. $4,990,000

7711 Collier Boulevard, Suite 105

Naples, FL 34114

(239) 860-7176

michelle.thomas@premiersir.com

michellethomasteam.com

OMEGA AT BONITA BAY 4991 Bonita Bay Boulevard #1602

RECENTLY SOLD! A new standard of luxury. Floor-to-ceiling windows, an open floorplan, and a private terrace with an outdoor kitchen and gas grill, this 3BR/3.5BA has golf course, bay, and Gulf views. Opulent amenities include an infinity-edge pool, fire pit terrace, putting lawn, dog run, fitness center, movie theater, and a 24-hour staffed front desk. $3,900,000

With 140 feet of water frontage this property is one of Port Royal’s most exciting New Construction opportunities. Featuring a coastal yet modern design this home is highlighted by a show-stopping 80-foot pool/spa complex with a 3-sided spill over edge. Lush landscaping and a cul-de-sac location create extra privacy and a feeling that you’ve entered a world unto itself.

ALFRED “ABBIE” VALENTINE III

ALFRED ROBBINS REALTY GROUP

With a strong track record in the Luxury Sales Market, Abbie consistently ranks among the top Realtors in Naples.  Graduating with honors from Bucknell University in 2004 Abbie earned degrees in both Economics and Psychology.  His knowledge of market forces and human behavior has made him uniquely qualified to both assess the value of a home as well as negotiate its price.  As a 4th generation Real Estate Broker, Abbie comes from a long line of tough negotiators, thoughtful salesmen, and pragmatic problem solvers.

Just beyond the stately front gate and through the massive Mahogany entry doors lies an expansive southern exposure home with open spaces and an adaptable floorplan. The centerpiece of the home is a dramatic pool flanked by 6 specimen palms, that emerges from within the home's envelope and culminates with multiple sun decks and an infinity edge.

arvalentine@alfredrobbins.com

239-450-1728

749 12th Ave S. Naples, Florida 34102 1795 Tamiami Trail N. Naples, Florida 34102

Situated amongst the mature trees and quiet charm of Olde Naples’ northern corridor, this new construction home provides a rare opportunity to live on over a half-acre of land, 1.5 blocks from the beach. Built by the iconic home builder A. Vernon Allen this legacy property has an astounding 7320 square feet under air with 5098 of those square feet on the first level.

1365 SPYGLASS LN, NAPLES FL 34102

SOLD | 900 17TH AVE S, NAPLES FL 34102

SOLD | 425 3RD ST N, NAPLES FL 34102

379 LAGOON AVE

Move in today and start enjoying the beach & waterfront lifestyle! Gulf access pool/ spa custom home with Expansive boat dock with 24,000 lb lift. Elegantly updated! Stunning 3 bed and 3 bath with 12 ft ceilings, free standing tub, Grand entrance with handsome 8 ft double doors, new quartz counters plus island And circular paver driveway.

MARI VESCI

Broker Associate

538 104TH AVE N

Bike to the Beach!Southern EXPOSURE 4 bedroom pool/spa home in the preferred 500 block! 2400 sq ft home with 12 ft ceilings and double car garage. Salt water pool and overflow spa. Generous under cover area with backdrop of the lush landscaping affords maximum privacy!High elevation; no flooding. Excellent rental potential! Enjoy sugar sand beach of Vanderbilt & fabulous sunsets to enjoy!

395 OAK AVE

The view matters!!! Enjoy the wide views! Gulf access cleared lot just waiting for you to build your dream home! The ultimate in boating from your very own private backyard! Imagine impromptu sunset excursions! Short stroll to beautiful Vanderbilt Beach and Ritz, Mercato, the plethora of fine dining and shopping.

JOHN R. WOOD PROPERTIES

CHRISTIES INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE

Mari Vesci moved to Naples, Florida in 1986 and has enjoyed over 30 years of real estate. Her focus is primarily on beach and waterfront properties, selling upscale condos and luxury homes along our Paradise Coast. Born and raised along the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, she started her career in property management and went on to obtain her Florida Real Estate Broker's License. Mari thrives in negotiating for her buyers and sellers through every aspect of the Real Estate transaction with diligence and ease.

870 97th Avenue Naples, Florida 34108 239-269-8889

mari@vesci.com

WATERFRONT

NEWEST WATERFRONT estate home in gated Marsh Links with over 236’ on the water & very Contemporary finishes throughout over 4,300 sq. ft. 4 spacious Bedroom suites, Office/Den, open Contemporary kitchen with double Sub-Zero fridges, truly spectacular pool deck with fountains, bar seating, outdoor kitchen, TV & fire pit. 3 car garage with AC & furnishings negotiable. $4,750,000 www.TraceyYoung.com/222081094

TIBURON VENTANAS

RENOVATED 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, end unit with marble flooring, 2 large balconies PLUS.... $1,395,000.

PEBBLEBROOK

NEW Roof & new exterior paint February 2023. Beautifully updated stainless kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 3 NEW full baths, soaring ceilings ++$759,000 www.TraceyYoung.com/223001497

ORCHARDS

PENDING WATERFRONT

TIBURON CASTILLO

Fabulous renovation & location. Bright & open 3 bedroom 2 car garage with a giant side lawn. Available Turnkey $1,345,000 Visit TraceyYoung.com/223014596

NAPLES ESTATES

Waterfront & Immaculate 4 BR + giant game room or BR#5/ office, ALL wood flooring, light stainless & granite kitchen, screened pool/spa & sellers would lease back, if desired. $799,000 www.TraceyYoung.com/222083275

Waterfront TOP FLOOR end unit with soaring ceilings, electric shutters, garage, new wood & tile flooring, new marble countertops, whole home filter & newer appliances. Big water views $559,000 www.TraceyYoung.com/222081933

2.27 Acres, Fully Cleared, 3 bed 2 bath Pool Home Featuring a 2,400 sqft Red Iron Steel Shop. The shop also includes separate driveway, 9,000 lb car lift, multiple garage doors and an air conditioned office. $839,000

Tracey Young

Luxury Estate Agent 1031 Exchange Specialist

239-209-7511

Tracey@TraceyYoung.com

WORLD TENNIS CENTER

HEALTH AND WELLNESS SPOTLIGHT

Achieving Your Health Goal Doesn’t Have to be that Hard

Most people’s resolutions are about health, and at this time of the year, most of them are off track. But for the clients at Performance Optimal Health, those resolutions are very much alive. Based on their data, 9 out of 10 of their clients say they are achieving their health goals. At Performance, their healthcare provider starts the client’s experience by asking what optimal health means to them. From there, they create a personalized plan incorporating exercise, recovery, nutrition, and stress management. Whether they want to run your first marathon, increase distance off the tee, or just keep up with their grandchildren, Performance says they can help.

In their light-filled location in North Naples, someone can step off a Pilates Reformer and onto a massage table, and finish off with a nutrition consultation. And if they’re experiencing any pain, a physical therapist can step in and intervene. Performance is a completely different type of healthcare concept: they’re a physical therapy clinic, a personal training gym (no membership required), and a Pilates studio all at once. It is common to see someone come in for a massage and finish their visit with a mental performance consultation. This 360° analysis of your health what allows their clients to achieve their goals. And it all starts with what they call an “Optimal Health Assessment,” where they evaluate your health across the four pillars of optimal health: exercise, recovery, nutrition, and stress management. By incorporating accountability and multiple disciplines into one strategy, Performance promises real results.

The founder, Todd Wilkowski, says that

his mission has always been to empower more people to live better. “People have so much medical information at their disposal due to the internet, yet approximately 3 out of 4 people still suffer with a chronic disease. Most chronic diseases can be prevented by maintaining a balance between the four pillars of optimal health, so our goal is to guide our clients on their journey toward improved health and empower them through education,” Wilkowski explains. Though the company’s offering has grown over the years, that philosophy has never changed.

Over the past 20 years, Performance evolved from providing best-in-class physical therapy to introducing more innovative services to expand their offering. Wilkowski recognized that the company — and its offering — needed to evolve to truly help people live their optimal lives. By focusing on being proactive instead of reactive, Wilkowski believes that his company will be able to make a greater difference in his clients’ lives, improve their quality of life, and even prevent chronic disease. With locations in Connecticut and New York, Performance started their expansion into Florida last year when they launched their first location in North Naples. They are already opening their second location in Central Naples (located in Athletic Republic) with more coming soon. Their rapid growth is a clear sign that there is a need for this unique approach, and just how much it will influence the future of healthcare.

To contact Performance, visit their website at PerformanceOptimalHealth.com or call at (239)342.1422.

HEALTHY LIFE / Rituals, resources and goods for a balanced life

Healthy Life — Wellness — By Ayn-Monique Klahre — Photography by Kelly Jones

Peace of Mind

The new Urban Meditation on Naples’ Fifth Avenue South aims to demystify the mindfulness practice.

The idea of meditation continues to garner buzz. Some science points to mindfulness’ ability to dampen activity in the amygdala—which helps regulate emotions and process fear—and thicken the prefrontal cortex, where complex and rational thinking occurs. And, though the science isn’t bulletproof, plenty of anecdotal insight tells us that quieting the mind, focusing on the now and working with the breath reduces stress and anxiety. But for many people, making the time to meditate—let alone doing it properly—can be a challenge. Enter: Urban Meditation.

Tina Hallett founded Urban Meditation with two partners in Indianapolis in 2020 after discovering how meditation benefit her health. “I was going through a lot of stress and anxiety and hired a meditation coach,” Tina says. “She trained me to use meditation, and it worked for me—and it made me want to bring it out into the world.” With the success of the Indiana location, Tina expanded the business to Naples, with a place on Fifth Avenue South, last September. “There’s great energy down in Florida,” she says.

Peeking in from the windows, you might think this 1,000-square-foot outpost is a jewelry boutique. Inside, gleaming shelves sparkle with crystals of all hues, shapes and sizes. Signs explain each stone’s reported benefits, from harnessing wisdom to decreasing worry to bolstering resilience. “It’s a cheerful, happy place,” Tina says. Tucked into the back are two private rooms where Tina offers 30-minute, private meditation sessions on the hour, seven days a week.

Part of the appeal of Urban Meditation is the accountability it brings: Just like signing up for a fitness class, you’re more likely to meditate if you commit to a date and a time. “Many people struggle to do it consistently,” she says. The studio also offers an environment that eliminates the to-dos that distract people trying to meditate at home. “It’s a place that’s not active for the client, where there’s space and time to decompress,” she adds.

Tina Hallett founded Urban Meditation to share mindfulness with others. The new Naples location has a crystal-filled storefront and a designated meditation studio in the back.

Looking for the one-time and done dental solution? That’s what Dr. Randold Binns DMD, M.S. and associates can provide for you with a proven protocol for an immediate smile on dental implants. Dr. Binns is amongst a select group of surgically trained prosthodontists that can provide you with a long-lasting, implant supported fixed zirconia dental option.

Zirconia has revolutionized dentistry as we can provide strong, stainless, pearly white dental bridges without the need of any metal in most cases. See for yourself the featured case shown above.

Dr. Randold Binns obtained his Doctor in Dental Medicine degree at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and completed a 3-year specialty residency program and received a Masters Degree in Prosthodontics at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2017. Naples is where Dr. Binns wants to be and serve the community.

“Your New Smile Starts Here”

The studio is designed so clients can show up, no preparation or experience necessary.

Tina’s goal: make meditation easy and natural.

“We declutter your thoughts so that you can gain clarity. When you have clarity, you can make the right decisions.”

We a r e a M e d S p a

f o r a r e a s o n . . .

w e o e r s o l u t i o n s f o r

a l l y o u r h e a l t h , b e a u t y

a n d w e l l n e s s n e e d s ,

c o m b i n i n g s p a - l i k e

p a m p e r i n g w i t h

p r o v e n r e s u l t s .

L a ser Sk in R ejuvenation

C oolsculpting

Scit on BBL Hero & Mox i

Hydra facia l MD

Injec t ables a nd Der ma l Filler s

S ecret R F Microneedling

Per ma nent Ma keup

Medica l Grade Facia ls

L a ser Ha ir R emova l

Chemica l Peels

Ma ssage T herapy

Inside, the studio’s meditation beds are made from volcanic rock, which Tina says is rich in minerals and emits infrared heat, said to have detoxifying properties. During a session, she’ll get a client comfortable with bolsters, pillows and essential oils, then arrange a series of crystals before starting the guided meditation. “The crystals carry an electric charge, a pulse that helps amplify our frequencies,” Tina says. All the elements work together to ease doubts and negative feelings and calm the nervous system. “This is mental and emotional exercise,” she says.

Arber Balidemaj has become a regular client. “With the crystals and essential oils, you are physically, spiritually and emotionally healing throughout her process,”

Tina lowers the barrier to entry so anyone can feel its benefits. “So often things seem so overwhelming that we just don’t start,” she says. She wants practicing meditation to be as easy and natural as signing up for a fitness class or making an appointment to get your nails done; it’s scheduled self-care. The studio is designed so clients can just show up— no preparation necessary. “You don’t have to be experienced,” she says.

The goal is to make space in the mind. “We declutter your thoughts so that you can gain clarity,” Tina says. “When you have clarity, you can make the right decisions.”

Caving In

Finding peace, quiet and healing at Naples’ Praha Spa & Salt.

Entering the salt cave at Praha Spa & Salt in North Naples is like stepping onto a cool, dimly lit beach. Only, as we unfurl our yoga mats and settle into ardha padmasana (half lotus, palms upturned on crossed legs) instead of sand, we find a shore of loose salt beneath us. Salt—20 tons of it—is everywhere.

In 2021, Owner Oksana Acosta launched her wellness center, dubbed in honor of the Czech name for Prague, where Oksana spent much of her life. Since then, the spa has become a go-to for its spiritual spa offerings, like reiki, massage and harp therapy—a massage-like treatment delivered through musical vibrations—along with aesthetic services, including botox, waxing and mud masks.

Through their salt cave, the team offers halotherapy (or salt therapy), a practice with ideas that date back to the 1800s when a physician found that workers in Polish salt mines had fewer breathing issues than the general population. Halotherapy reproduces the natural conditions found in salt mines, so guests can breathe the salty air and reap its touted benefits. Though a slate of perks is promised—from clearer skin to improved sleep—the practice is most recognized for addressing respiratory illnesses, like asthma, allergies and sinus infections.

You can always book a time slot at Praha to simply lounge in their salt cave or marry it with more services. The Saturday-morning Salt Life yoga classes aim to amplify the healing and antibacterial properties of the Himalayan pink salt through focused breathwork (they have kids’ classes, too).

Shoes, phones and water bottles are stored in lockers just outside the cave, and all guests wear hair nets to minimize impurities in the sanctuary.

A colleague and I stopped by Praha’s salt cave this December for an hour-long yoga class, where instructor Shannon O’Connor guided us through an intimate, all-levels flow focused on breathing and meditation. With every breath, I draw in surprisingly cool air that sends goosebumps up my arms. The uneven sand helps me dig deeper into my foundation as I grapple for stability with each inhale and exhale. I expect to break into a sweat but don’t, and the glow of the cave leaves me heavy-lidded at the end, as if waking up from a restful dream.

At the beginning of our session, Shannon tells us: “Change your breath, change your world.” By the end of the class, I can feel the transformation take place. With looser muscles, eased minds and a dusting of sandy salt, we emerge from the cave renewed, refreshed, recharged.

Christina Bankson

IRENE GLADSTEIN, MD FACS

WHO’S WHO IN HEALTH

GRACIELA GARTON, M.D., FACRO

Advocate Radiation Oncology

Dr. Graciela Garton brings knowledge, experience, and passion to the cancer patients she serves. Fluent in Spanish and French, she is known for her warmth, precision, and collegiality.

She earned her medical degree at the University of Buenos Aires and completed her residency at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Garton is a former chief resident and assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, she developed and managed several radiation oncology practices throughout the Southeast U.S.

Dr. Garton has authored and co-authored 25+ research projects for peer-reviewed journals and is a recognized international speaker at scientific conferences.

TODD PEZZI, M.D., MBA

Advocate Radiation Oncology

Dr. Todd Pezzi is passionate about delivering state-of-theart, individualized oncologic care to patients with a variety of cancers in Southwest Florida.

Dr. Pezzi earned his doctorate degree from Baylor College of Medicine and obtained his MBA from the Rice Jones Graduate School of Business and completed one year of residency in internal medicine. Dr. Pezzi also completed a four-year residency program at the nation’s largest oncology department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He has published nearly 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts in prestigious journals. Additionally, he has experience serving as a primary investigator for a clinical trial.

BayView Dental Arts welcomes Neopolitans to become more familiar with, comfortable with and excited to experience the latest technology available. At each visit, advanced knowledge, skill and equipment are maximized so that every patient experiences optimal dental care.

Bayview Dental Arts is please to introduce our new associate, Dr. Kurtis Hussey, DMD. Dr. Kurtis Hussey was born and raised here in Naples, Florida. His father, Dr. Keith Hussey, was a Gastroenterologist in the community for over 30 years before recently retiring. Dr. Kurtis Hussey decided to also pursue a career in the healthcare field, finding his passion in dentistry where he could merge his love for art and science.

Dr. Edward Scherder would like to welcome you to BayView Dental Arts in Old Naples overlooking beautiful Naples Bay. As a prominent specialist in prosthodontics, Dr. Scherder

takes great pleasure in the utilization of modern technology to promote more advanced dental treatment options.

Within Dr. Robert Hedgepath’s array of expertise, he enjoys administering exceptional aesthetics and function with the use of Invisalign or crowns and veneers. From bridge work to partials and dentures, he offers the very best in dental care!

As a recognized endodontic specialist, Dr. Patrick Carrigan utilizes advanced techniques in order for our patients to receive the very best treatment available for the most successful long-term prognosis of their teeth.

Drs. Hussey, Scherder, Hedgepath and Carrigan look forward to the opportunity to meet with you individually to discuss your dental health and expectations and to create the smile you have always dreamed of.

LASER CATARACT SURGERY: RESTORE THE VISION OF YOUR YOUTH

Cataract surgery must be performed with the utmost precision, and luckily, Naples is home to one of the nation’s leading ophthalmology practices, Center For Sight. Cataract & Lens Replacement Surgeons at Center For Sight use advanced laser procedures to improve efficiency and precision while painlessly removing the cataract. Cutting-edge laser technology softens and disassembles the cataract with micron-level precision. Once the cataract is fragmented, the surgeon removes the cataract and inserts a new artificial lens in its place. Laser cataract surgery ensures the patient receives the best technique and technology available to result in minimal procedural and recovery times.

M.D.

Today, patients have many lens options when considering cataract surgery. In earlier years, intraocular lenses were fixed for one distance and required the patient to wear glasses after surgery. Patients can now choose to have their natural lens replaced by an advanced intraocular lens based on their individual vision goals, which could limit - or eliminate - the need for glasses post-surgery. The most advanced intraocular lenses give patients the opportunity to return (or improve) their eyesight to a perfect 20/20!

The results of laser cataract surgery speak for themselves. Schedule your cataract consultation, today.

Center For Sight

Jon R. Berlie, M.D.; George Brinnig, M.D., Ph. D.; Julie Carter, M.D.; Glenn Campbell,

Laser Cataract Surgery • Glaucoma Care • Facial Cosmetic Surgery

DR. RALPH GARRAMONE

GARRAMONE PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Ralph R. Garramone has been a Fort Myers medical community member since 2000. In that time, he has earned a reputation for excellence in the two decades he has been practicing. “It is an awesome responsibility to create and alter the appearance of another human. There is more to performing cosmetic surgery than having a great eye and great hands. I strive for impeccable results with every patient, and I find it a true privilege that I humbly respect.”

Dr. Garramone specializes in breast, body, and facial procedures and is proud of his award-winning results.

After graduating cum laude from Bucknell University in 1983 with dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Biology, Dr. Garramone earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1987. Over the next decade, Dr. Garramone distinguished himself as a practitioner, researcher, and contributing author in various respected medical journals.

In 1993, Dr. Garramone completed a six-year residency in general surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine/Hartford Hospital.

Dr. Garramone fulfilled his plastic surgery residency requirements at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital from 1993 to 1995. While at Rhode Island Hospital, Dr. Garramone also served on the surgical faculty at Brown University.

Dr. Garramone earned fellowships in craniofacial surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Salt Lake City, UT, and in hand surgery at the Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at New York University Medical Center.

Dr. Garramone entered private practice in 1997 in Salt Lake City, UT, while serving as co-director of the Craniofacial Fellowship Program at Primary Children’s Medical Center. During this time, he also served on the clinical faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine in the division of plastic surgery.

Dr. Garramone is a board-certified member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

IGOR LEVY-REIS, M.D.

NASA MRI

Dr. Levy-Reis is board-certified in neurology and in the subspecialties of geriatric neurology, neurophysiology headache medicine and neuroimaging. His neurology training was at Northwestern University in Chicago, followed by a fellowship at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and then a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

He is the author and co-author of several publications in peer-reviewed neurological journals, with contributions in journals such as New England Journal of Medicine and Neurology. He has participated in several drug trials of new neurological therapies and presented research in national and international neurological meetings.

He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and American Headache Society.

Dr. Levy-Reis has been practicing in Naples over the past 15 years and sees patients with a broad range of neurological diseases. He has special interest in patients with memory loss (such as that from Alzheimer’s disease) and chronic headache, particularly migraine.

He is a member of the International Neurotoxin Association, with experience in treating migraine patients with botulin toxin, and he is certified by the American Board of Neurology in interpretation of nerve studies as well as electroencephalograms. He is also a reviewer for international meetings and actively involved in national studies. Recently, he was elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology for his valuable contributions to the Academy and to the neurology community at large.

He is currently involved in the nationwide study in imaging Amyloid in patients with memory impairment . He also uses Evoked Potential testing (Cognision)in patients with cognitive complains.

He’s a reviewer for the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego. He’s a preceptor for the Lincoln Memorial University Medical School.

MILLENNIUM PHYSICIAN GROUP

At Millennium Physician Group, our physicians and care teams lead the nation in the quality of care they deliver, especially to patients of Medicare age. We do this by specializing in all the preventive care proven to lead to a healthier you.

“Now, more than ever, it's essential to make your health the priority,” explains Millennium Physician Group’s Chief Medical Officer Alejandro Perez-Trepichio, MD. “When you’re with your primary-care provider, this is the time together to achieve that objective. Let’s work together. Let us help you achieve the best health possible.”

Focused on improving patient outcomes with a mission of connecting the best doctors, service, and quality -- every

patient, every time, Millennium Physician Group has quickly become the leading independent physician group with more than 800 healthcare providers across the Southeast and growing. Services center on primary care and are complemented by specialty care, walk-in centers, radiology and lab services, physical therapy, telehealth, wellness programs, home health, hospital care, and much more.

“You are not my patient only when you’re in the office,” explains Dr. Perez-Trepichio. “You're my patient when you're at home. You're my patient when you're in the hospital, when you're in rehab, when you suffer a fall. Our goal and Millennium's is to keep you as healthy as possible, as long as possible.”

To schedule your appointment today, call 239-348-4277 or visit PhysiciansRegionalMedicalGroup.com Physicians Regional - Collier 8340 Collier Blvd., Naples, FL 34114

DR. LISA HENDRICKS, M.D.

Physicians Regional Medical Group

Dr. Hendricks is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and provides expertise in  all aspects of gynecologic care including menstrual cycle irregularity, dysmenorrhea, contraceptive care, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, abnormal pap smears, pelvic support problems and incontinence as well as menopause and fertility. She specializes in preventative testing for genetic predisposition syndromes and minimally invasive surgical procedures including robotic assisted operative laparoscopy and hysterectomy. She has extensive experience in the evaluation of genetic cancer predispositions such as BRCA and Lynch. “I treat every patient as I would want to be treated. There is not one right answer for every person, and I work to educate the patient to understand the benefits and risks of options while they are deciding on the best mode of treatment.” Dr. Hendricks provides a full range of surgical and non-surgical options and has over 2 decades of experience. She completed medical school at New York Medical College and residency at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in New York. Dr. Hendricks is located at Physicians Regional - Collier Blvd 8340 Collier Blvd, Ste. 405, Naples, FL 34114.

Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida is now offering of a full-spectrum pelvic floor center for women's urogynecologic needs. Dr. Cathy Dahl, who is board certified in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, has brought her years of urogynecology experience to the practice, adding to the extensive surgical experience of Dr. Blaise Kovaz, an expert in the treatment of pelvic prolapse.

The Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Center at Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida offers treatment for:

• Pelvic floor prolapse

• Urinary and fecal incontinence

• Urinary retention • Painful bladder syndrome

• Pelvic pain

Available treatments include in-office bladder Botox and nerve stimulation therapy (PTNS) for incontinence and overactive bladder, as well as Interstim, an implantable nerve stimulator for urinary and fecal incontinence. Minimally invasive surgical options include daVinci robotic and laparoscopic surgery. With three convenient locations to serve you, Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida is now offering more of the care you deserve.

Premier Women's Care of SWFL

CATHY DAHL, DO, FACOG, AND BLAISE KOVAZ, MD, FACOG

2 Convenient Locations

Naples • Sanibel 4001 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 280, Naples, FL 34103 (239) 434-0400

• SmilesByRembos.com

• “No Ouch” Computerized Anesthetic System used on all patients, providing the most comfortable injections available!

• Now accepting new patients. Emergencies welcome.

• Zoom2 advanced whitening system

• Root canals

• Botox/Juvederm Facial Cosmetics

• VELscope Vx oral cancer screening offered for all hygiene patients

• Implants placed AND restored in-office

ALAN N. REMBOS D.D.S

Dr. Alan N. Rembos and his associates provide highquality dental care for all their patients. Consistent “5 Star Reviews” from the most anxious dental patients validate this year after year. Computers are used for all injections to make them as comfortable as possible.

Patients appreciate that implants are placed and restored in the office. No running around!

Dr. Rembos meets all his patients’ dental needs to give them a healthy mouth and a bright new smile. As an added service for his patients, at routine checkups, Dr. Rembos offers the VELscope exam service. The VELscope is an invaluable tool that detects the early signs of oral cancer, which are not visible to the naked eye.

As a graduate of Northwestern University, Dr. Rembos is also a member of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics; Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry; and Academy of Implant Dentistry. He has appeared on television and radio providing dental advice.

The office is currently accepting a limited number of new patients. Visit SmilesByRembos.com to see patient reviews.

ALEXANDER BRAO, D.D.S

Dr. Alexander Brao moved to Naples in 1986 when he was just a year old. He attended Poinciana Elementary, Pine Ridge Middle, and Barron Collier High schools. He moved to Gainesville, Florida to attend the University of Florida for his bachelor’s degree and moved across the country to pursue his dental education at the University of California, San Francisco.

Throughout dental school, Dr. Brao was elected into several leadership roles on campus, in the community, and nationally. He is proud to have been selected by his colleagues as the Class Sweetheart. Dr. Brao received several honors for exceptional clinical skills and was recognized as the L.D. Pankey Institute Student Scholar. After graduation, he trained and became certified in placing and restoring dental implants. He has subsequently earned his fellowship with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

Dr. Brao continues to pursue quality continuing education courses to stay abreast of the most recent technology and advances in restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentistry. His practice provides general dentistry with an emphasis on preventive care, as well as implants, cosmetic and restorative dentistry. He has practiced in Northern California and The Villages, Florida, and is excited to return home to Naples to serve this wonderful community.

DIANE BRZEZINSKI, D.O., FACOI

Dr. Diane Brzezinski is a physician specializing in internal medicine who has earned praise for her “patient-first” focus, helping patients take ownership of their health through education and a healthy lifestyle. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. B treats many chronic disease states like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Dr. Brzezinski offers BioTE® hormone pellets that consistently release bio-identical estrogen and testosterone. Both men and women have found this therapy effective for increasing energy, muscle strength, mental clarity, and libido. In addition, Dr. B performs diVa™, a vaginal laser therapy that can reduce intimate challenges such as vaginal laxity, weak muscle tone, lack of lubrication, painful intercourse, and bladder leakage. Peptide Therapy treatments offered by the practice benefit the immune system, digestion, sexual health, weight loss and more.

For patients struggling with their weight, Dr. Brzezinski offers physiciansupervised weight loss programs. Dr. Brzezinski is a member of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association and serves on the medical advisory committee of Bosom Buddies, a nonprofit that assists with breast cancer treatment.

RICHARD J. CAPIOLA, MD, FAPA

Psychiatric Consultation Services

Having triple board certification in general psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and forensic psychiatry, Dr. Capiola moved to Naples in 2003 and has been in practice for 28 years. In his years of training at Tulane Medical School and UCLA, Dr. Capiola developed a keen interest in the treatment of depression and anxiety overlapping with drug and alcohol abuse. This focus eventually led to his 14-year role as Chief Medical Officer for Oglethorpe Inc., a hospital company specializing in the treatment of mental health and addiction. He has been instrumental in the clinical development and oversight of 12 specialty treatment centers in five states.

Dr. Capiola is the Chief of Psychiatry for Physicians Regional Medical Center and previously served as the Medical Director for the Willough at Naples for many years. He also has a 10-year history of service with The Joint Commission, which evaluates hospitals around the country for quality of care and patient safety.

Dr. Capiola consistently receives high praise for his confidential private practice that focuses on using each person’s own inherent strengths to achieve the goal of living a happy, healthy and well balanced life. Dr. Capiola treats children, adolescents and adults.

Dr. Capiola was the featured neuropsychiatrist in the book Don’t Give Up On Me with Darryl Strawberry, discussing the impact of addiction on the brain.

RICHARD, A HILER, DC, DABCN

Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute

Dr. Richard Hiler is a co-owner and Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist at Feel Amazing Institute. The clinic focuses on preventative medicine, regenerative medicine, chiropractic, and physical therapeutics. He designs comprehensive health programs, such as the Ultimate neuropathy relief program, the Ultimate spinal decompression program, the Ultimate joint pain program, and the Ultimate car accident recovery program.

His office his mission is to help as many people as possible live healthy and active lives naturally without the need for drugs and surgery.

JAMES J. GUERRA, M.D.

Collier Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center

Dr. Guerra is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. He completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an additional year of fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery with internationally known sports medicine expert James R. Andrews, M.D.

Dr. Guerra is a specialist in complex shoulder and knee problems and currently serves as Head Team Physician for Florida Gulf Coast University, Community School and First Baptist Academy. Previously, Dr. Guerra served as Team Physician for the Baltimore Orioles (MLB) and the Florida Panthers (NHL).

Dr. Guerra is a leading innovator in minimally invasive surgery, serving as the Medical Director for Arthrex, the world’s preeminent arthroscopy company. He teaches surgeons from around the world in advanced techniques, has authored more than 30 publications, and has lectured at national and international meetings. This unique experience allows Dr. Guerra to remain at the forefront of his field and bring cutting-edge medical developments to his patients.

LINDITA HOBDARI, M.D.

Hobdari Family Health

Dr. Hobdari is nationally recognized and has been nominated multiple times by her peers to Castle Connolly Top Doctors from 2008 to 2023. Board certified in Family Medicine, she is a member of FMA, AMA, AAFP, FAFP, FMCA and CCMS. Born in Delvine, Albania, she graduated with Doctorate of Medicine diploma from University of Tirana, Faculty of Medicine, Albania, 1998. She completed residency training at Bon Secours Cottage Health Services, GP, MI, 2003-2006. She is affiliated with NCH and PRMC. She has served Naples for 17 years as a Family Physician. In 2012, she founded Hobdari Family Health Clinic and has built a compassionate group of providers who reflect passion and selfless contributions to healthcare. In August 2022, she was certified Functional Medicine Health Coach by FMCA. “She believes prevention and the art of alternative medicine are major components of good health as outlined by the “Father of Medicine,” Hippocrates, “I WILL PREVENT THE DISEASE WHENEVER I CAN, FOR PREVENTION IS PREFERABLE TO CURE.” The Hobdari Family Health team is caring, professional and very responsive. They go the extra mile for their patients. Accepting new patients and same day appointments.

Lindita R. Hobdari, MD

COREY HOWARD, MD, FACP

Howard Health And Wellness

Anti-Aging, Functional and Regenerative Medicine Concierge Medical Practice

Experience the difference at Howard Health and Wellness, where optimizing your health is our goal. Dr. Howard spends time getting to know each person, understanding their goals and treating their individual needs. During a consultation with Dr. Howard you will discuss your overall medical care as well as lifestyle medicine and how your habits affect your health and overall wellbeing. You will also talk about how to decrease your risks, improve your health, and live better longer. Additionally, Dr. Howard will talk about nutrition and your diet, as well as high quality pharmaceutical grade supplementation specific to your needs.

As an Anti-Aging and functional medicine specialist, Dr. Howard will review advanced biomarker testing for metabolism, hormone balance, heart health, thyroid disease, adrenal health and fatigue. He has specialized training for hormone regulation and pellet therapy. Dr. Howard is board certified in internal medicine, anti-aging, functional and regenerative medicine and is fellowship trained in gastroenterology. He is an ironman triathlete, a published author, musician and is a trained plant-based cook. He is a past president of the Florida Medical Association, past president of the Collier County Medical Society, past chair of NCH internal medicine and an associate professor of internal medical at the Morsani School of Medicine at the University of South Florida.

THE INSTITUTE FOR ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY & SPORTS

The Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine is Southwest Florida’s premier provider of orthopaedic care. Our team of board-certified surgeons, pain management specialist and podiatrist provide the most advanced surgical and non-surgical techniques to ensure the best outcome and quickest return to your active lifestyle.

We treat all orthopaedic conditions, including: Joint replacement and reconstruction surgery; Arthroscopic knee and related injuries; Treatment of sports-related injuries, pains and problems; Joint pain and arthritis care; Fracture care; Pain management; Comprehensive foot and ankle care. The Institute also offers in-office digital x-rays and MRI facilities. New Patients Welcome!

EDWARD HUMBERT, D.O.,

Joint Implant Surgeons of Florida

Dr. Humbert is one of the country’s most experienced jointreplacement surgeons. He specializes in knee and hip replacement, and is board-certified through the AOBOS. He has been ranked as the No. 1 volume surgeon in Florida for hip and knee replacement (Data, AHCA). Increased surgical volume has been proven to improve patient outcomes and reduce complication rates in total joint replacement. He has dedicated his practice to providing safe, top-quality hip and knee replacements. He instructs at orthopedic learning centers and specializes in the latest minimally-invasive techniques, custom joint replacement, partial knee replacement and complex revision surgery of the hip and knee.

Dr. Humbert obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s in biomedical engineering from the University of Akron. After medical school and orthopedic residency at Ohio University, he completed a fellowship in total joint replacement. When it comes to hip and knee replacement, Dr. Humbert truly is “The Best Surgeon in the Joint.”

One visit to Naples Plastic Surgery, formerly Gardner Plastic Surgery, is all that is needed to discover the steadfast commitment to patients shown by our team of Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Paul M. Gardner, Dr. Leopoldo M. Baccaro, Dr. Mark Walsh, and Dr. Andrew M. Bonett and staff realize that there are many choices when it comes to picking a plastic surgery practice, so they go out of their way to provide the highest quality and most comfortable experience possible. Drs. Gardner, Baccaro, Walsh and Bonett strive to make each patient feel like they are the only patient in the practice throughout the entire process – from their first consult to their final postoperative appointment.

The surgical expertise exhibited by our doctors gives renewed confidence for patients in their appearance. Over the years, numerous face-lift, eyelid lift, breast-lift and augmentation, liposuction and other cosmetic surgery patients have benefited from the attentive care and superlative surgical skills found at Naples Plastic Surgery. The surgeons and staff at Naples Plastic Surgery pride themselves on their attention to detail. Begin the process of transforming your image with a consultation at Naples Plastic Surgery today.

Naples Plastic Surgery

PAUL M. GARDNER, M.D., FACS; LEOPOLDO M. BACCARO, M.D.; MARK WALSH, M.D., FACS; ANDREW M. BONETT, M.D.

With 30 years in Southwest Florida, All Saints Eye Center continues to deliver excellence in eye care with five convenient locations in North Naples, South Naples, Bonita Springs, South Fort Myers, and North Fort Myers.

Trust your eyes to Jeffrey L. Zimm M.D. and his professional eye care team for your cataract surgery, LASIK, cornea issue, or routine eye exam.

Call 239-592-5511 to make your appointment today!

Are you in menopause? Are you suffering from insomnia, hot flashes, decreased sex drive, irritability and memory loss? Did you know that prolonged lack of estrogen leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, premature disability and death in women?

Naples OB-GYN, Blane Crandall M.D. has a passion for restoring health and vitality to women of all ages. Recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 16 years, Dr. Crandall specializes in advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging treatments. (239)

Hearing loss is too important to one’s overall health to have testing and management done by just anyone. Audiology is a rare specialty that requires extensive schooling. All of our audiologists are university-trained and hold doctoral degrees from accredited universities. For over 10 years, Decibels has administered thousands of complimentary hearing tests and is proud to offer hearing devices from all manufacturers which allows us to prescribe hearing devices for any lifestyle and budget. We work with and service all brands of hearing aids. 239-325-0588 |

Dr. Cheryl L. Malick, a Naples resident since 1985, celebrates 20 years of serving our community at Dental Excellence, her privatelyowned, state-of-the-art dental office. Dr. Malick is an honors graduate of the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering, and a research honors graduate from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She offers general and cosmetic dentistry services, including veneers, crowns, dentures, partials, implant restorations, fillings, whitening, dental cleanings, digital impressions and xrays, and CariVu caries detection. We are pleased to be serving the Naples area and look forward to welcoming you to Dental Excellence, located near the corner of Airport Road North and Vanderbilt Beach Road. Call us today to schedule your complimentary

7955 Airport-Pulling Road N., Suite 201, Naples, FL 34109 (239) 596-3434

NaplesDentalExcellence.com

CHERYL L. MALICK, D.M.D.

Dental Excellence

DR. SARAH SESSLAR, AUD, DR. RACHEL SPENCER, AUD & DR. BRITTANY COLBURN, AUD Decibels Audiology & Hearing Aid Center

BLANE MILTON CRANDALL, M.D.

JEFFREY L. ZIMM M.D.

DR. GISELLE MARTIN

Eye Care Specialists of SWFL

Board-Certified general ophthal–malogist specializing in small incision cataract surgeries with a concentration in premium intraocular implants, laser assisted cataract surgeries, pterygium removals and early detection and treatment of glaucoma. She also performs refraction, contact lens fitting, dry eye evaluation and retinal diagnosis.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science, Dr. Martin attended the University of Puerto Rico Medical School, where she completed her residency program in Ophthalmology. Dr. Martin has worked in a successful private practice for more than 20 years, as well as serving as an Assistant Professor in the training of residents in ophthalmology. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

JOSEPH GAUTA M.D. FPMRS

Florida Bladder Institute

Dr. Joseph Gauta, is one of the first physicians in the country to achieve board certification in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (aka urogynecology). This subspecialty of OB/Gyn combines the knowledge of gynecology, urology, colorectal surgery and neurology as it pertains to the female pelvis.

As a center of excellence in women’s pelvic health, the Florida Bladder Institute treats women from throughout the world who seek specialized comprehensive care for disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, recurrent urinary tract infections, bladder and bowel dysfunction, endometriosis, fibroids, heavy bleeding and cosmetic gynecology.

3455 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL 34109 (239) 597-5700

eyecareswfl.com

Mitchell Dentistry

Building trust and treating each patient as a special individual has always been the foundation of our family dentistry practice. For more than 30 years, we have provided the latest state-of-the-art technology to give you the smile you have always dreamed of.

Along with our dedicated, caring team, we offer general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry in a warm, inviting atmosphere. Call Mitchell Dentistry today to learn more about how we make your smile our top priority.

32 Barkley Circle Fort Myers, FL 33907

(239) 939-5556

MitchellDentist.com

1890 SW Health Pkwy, Ste. 205 Naples, FL 34109 (239) 449-7979

FloridaBladderInstitute.com

DR. ALEXANDRA KONOWAL Konowal Vision Center

Dedicated to advance your vision to a new level of precision and clarity with emphasis on patient care and service. At Konowal Vision Center, you will find complete, specialized, state of the art eye care.

Dr. Alexandra Konowal, Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology, Fellowship trained in Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the highly trained staff at Konowal Vision Center are among Southwest Florida’s best ophthalmology team. Konowal Vision Center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders, glaucoma, corneal disease, laser cataract surgery and Custom Laser Vision correction.

9500 Corkscrew Palm Circle #3, Estero, Florida 33928 (239) 948-7555

DrKonowal.com

JAMES MITCHELL, D.D.S.; YOLANDA MITCHELL, D.D.S.; JOSEPH MITCHELL, D.D.S.

TASTE OF THE GULF / Flavors, philosophies and institutions shaping our culinary scene

230 Chefs’ Table: Cape Coral’s punk-rock pizza bar

235 Dining Guide: 150-plus essential restaurants

Come One, Come All

For 10 years, Nice Guys’ owners have served up creative cocktails, pizzas and a damn good time in Cape Coral.

Jovana Batkovic isn’t expecting to work when she shows up to Nice Guys on a Saturday night in navy heeled cowgirl boots, flared yellow paisley-print pants, and a cutoff T-shirt emblazoned with a woman on a chopper, but seeing the crowd at the Cape Coral haunt she owns with her husband, Greg Gebhard, that’s exactly what she does. She hops on the line, a walking bolt of energy (the counter to Greg’s unflappable demeanor), and spends a few hours slinging cocktails and pizza to the eager crowd. “My feet were killing me,” Jovana says.

Born in Bosnia, Jovana fled the war to Germany before immigrating to the United States in 1997 and landing in Cleveland. In Ohio, she earned her undergrad in theater and master’s in social work. Her career in social work grew her empathy, but it also proved a recipe for burnout. She met Greg playing pinball in 2008, and soon after, he joined Jovana’s formerly all-girls band HotChaCha as the bass guitarist. Together they toured the country, sleeping in their van or couch surfing to save money so they could eat at the best-reviewed restaurants in each city.

As Nice Guys’ co-owner, Greg Gebhard (above) likes to keep things interesting with imaginative pies and pours. Case in point: The General Tso’s Pizza, with fried chicken, broccoli, pineapple and the namesake spicy-sweet sauce.

The couple relocated to Florida in 2012 and opened Nice Guys the next year (May marks the restaurant’s 10th anniversary), putting their dining-out research and thrifty ethic to work as they cultivated the decor and menu. The duo tackled most of the interior themselves, creating a distinct atmosphere: Red light bathes collaged tabletops where diners, nestled in their booths, can peruse and purchase the pop art-inspired local works hanging on the walls.

In another room, pinball machines populate the space.

In lieu of big spending on decor, Nice Guys invests in quality ingredients, the bulk of which they source from local purveyors, such as Fort Myers institution Pair-A-Dice Produce and the threedecade-old J. Van Hart Provisions. The menu is an eclectic mix: You’ll find corn dogs next to marinated olives, or a heap of tater tots served with a flight of homemade sauces. Pizzas, which make up the bulk of

the menu, don’t conform to your standard toppings, either. There’s the Black Gold topped with black garlic, seasonal fruit, gorgonzola, mozzarella, fresh basil and prosciutto; the Truffle Shuffle with truffle oil, garlic, cremini mushrooms and crisp sage; and the capsaicin-heavy Final Desecration loaded with housemade ranch, hot chicken, bacon and jalapeño. “I always followed food fashions,” Jovana says. “I ate everything. There’s nothing I wouldn’t try.” Meanwhile, Greg’s always pondering

what unusual inspirations he can turn into a pizza or cocktail.

Themed cocktail menus find unique inspiration, as well. A past list was composed entirely of drinks named after employees’ pets, like the Puff, a riff on a Moscow Mule, made with Polish żubrówka (or, herbal bison grass vodka), spiced pear liqueur, ginger beer and blood orange, that proved popular enough to earn a spot on the regular menu. Another libation, the

Shame! Shame! Shame! (vodka, honey, bitters, lemon, pomegranate and grapefruit juice) was named for the iconic Game of Thrones scene.

The dynamic, punk-rock vibe space transitions throughout the day. In the afternoon, it draws a relaxed crowd, while in the evenings, it transforms to host trivia nights and live bands. (Jovana and Greg have an ear for music with deep cuts and up-and-coming artists.) Since opening,

Nice Guys has garnered a reputation as a deep-rooted ally for the local LGBTQ population, hosting drag shows and PRIDE Cape Coral events. After one online reviewer used a slur to attack LGBTQ people, Jovana and Greg printed the review on T-shirts, which they sold and donated the proceeds to Pride SWFL. With Nice Guys, they wanted to create a welcoming space where all could feel at home. “It’s anybody and everyone,” Jovana says.

Jovana Batkovic (above) initially met Greg over a pinball game in Cleveland, Ohio. He and a friend asked if they could join her and Jovana declined; she preferred to play alone. That was that—until Greg landed a position as the bass player for Jovana’s (then) all-women band, HotChaCha.

DINING GUIDE

The Dining Guide is crafted each month based on editorial discretion and may include restaurants that advertise regularly (denoted by an asterisk). All phone numbers are area code 239 unless otherwise specified. Please email diningout@gulfshorelife.com to report changes in a restaurant’s location, prices or menu.

Downtown Fort Myers jewel, The Veranda, whisks diners away from the cacophony of city life to indulge in Southerninspired and other upscale fare, such as baked rack of lamb finished with a rosemary-merlot wine sauce.

MARCO ISLAND

Ario

400 S. Collier Blvd., 642-2695. arioatjwmarco. com. At the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Ario has striking Gulf views, elevated culinary offerings and an impressive bar program. $$$$ STEAK o v w

The Oyster Society

599 S. Collier Blvd., 394-3474. theoystersociety. com. At this chic locale, the raw bar has more than eight oyster selections daily, as well as sushi and fresh catches.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Sale e Pepe

480 S. Collier Blvd., 393-1600. sale-e-pepe.com. A gem with Italian dishes, a formidable wine cellar and a waterfront patio in the Marco Beach Ocean Resort.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p v w

NAPLES

THIRD STREET SOUTH

Barbatella

1290 Third St. S., 263-1955. barbatellanaples.com. Casual

Italian cuisine from the team behind Sea Salt. Meet up at the trendy wine bar or on the relaxed patio.

$$$ ITALIAN b o p

The Bevy 360 12th Ave. S., 228-4220. naplesbevy.com. Enjoy craft cocktails and varied influences at this locale off Third Street. The open-air setup with a retractable roof is nothing short of grand.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Campiello/

The Club Room

1177 Third St. S., 435-1166. campiellonaples.com. A favorite for its contemporary Italian cuisine and courtyard. During season, The Club Room, a restaurant within, has its own menu and live music most nights. $$$$ ITALIAN

D’Amico’s

The Continental 1205 Third St. S., 659-0007. damicoscontinental.com.

Experience top-quality cuts of steak from all over, enhanced by stylish decor.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Jane’s Cafe on 3rd 1209 Third St. S., 261-2253. janesgardencafe.com. Come for the lobster Benedict and stuffed French toast; stay to sit around the lovely koi fountain on the sunny patio.

$$ CAFE b o p v

Ridgway Bar & Grill

1300 Third St. S., 262-5500. ridgwaybarandgrill.com. A

quintessential Old Naples restaurant. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN

Sea Salt

1186 Third St. S., 434-7258. seasaltnaples.com. Loved for sophisticated seafood and accompaniments, this spot offers monthly wine dinners and events

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o p v

Mediterrano 336 13th Ave. S., 261-7498. mediterrano-naples.com

Bright decor and a lush patio complement robust dishes and decadent desserts.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o

FIFTH AVENUE SOUTH

Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro* 865 Fifth Ave. S., 594-5557. bhabhabistro.com. Iranianborn chef Michael Mir serves the flavors of his homeland in a jewel box of a dining room known for its indulgent fare.

$$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Casa Neri 382 Fifth Ave. S., 963-9060. casanerinaples.com. This boutique eatery from Molto Trattoria and La Pescheria owners Francesca and Andrea Neri highlights creative dishes and a curated wine list.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Bistro 821

821 Fifth Ave. S., 261-5821. bistro821.com. You’ll love the

open kitchen and menu filled with creativity, including its Original Neapolitan pasta and seafood dish.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Chops City Grill 837 Fifth Ave. S., 262-4677. chopscitygrill.com. An elegant, Baroque-inspired steakhouse.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Del Mar 494 Fifth Ave. S., 350-0134. delmarnaplesrestaurant.com. From restaurateur Cameron Mitchell, this two-story, fine-dining eatery draws from various Mediterranean cuisines.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN b o p

The French Brasserie Rustique 365 Fifth Ave. S., 315-4019. thefrenchnaples.com. From chef Vincenzo Betulia, expect exquisite escargot and steak tartare in a buzzworthy atmosphere.

$$$ FRENCH b o p

HobNob Kitchen & Bar 720 Fifth Ave. S., Unit 101, 580-0070. hobnobnaples.com. Updated takes on American cuisine in a cool, contemporary dining room. $$$$

MODERN AMERICAN o p

Ichi Togarashi

800 Fifth Ave. S., Unit 102, 228-5945. togarashinaples.com. This is a favorite for its authentic

takes on dim sum, seafood and 20 types of ramen.

$$$$ ASIAN

Ocean Prime

699 Fifth Ave. S., 430-0404. ocean-prime.com. Cameron Mitchell presents surf and turf, an elegant dining room and highly attentive service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Osteria Tulia/Bar Tulia

466 Fifth Ave. S., 213-2073. osteriatulia.com. Go for Sicilian-inspired fare in a rustic-chic setting or craft cocktails at the Bar Tulia gastropub. $$$ ITALIAN

Pazzo! Cucina Italiana

853 Fifth Ave. S., 434-8494. pazzoitaliancafe.com. Beautiful presentations and twists on Italian favorites.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Pizzata Pizza + Aperitivo

1201 Piper Blvd., 631-1021. pizzatanaples.com. The lauded Philly pizzeria lands in Naples with its famed sourdough pizza and Italian bites. $$$ ITALIAN

Sails Restaurant

301 Fifth Ave. S., 360-2000. sailsrestaurants.com. This establishment is famous for its raw bar and weekend Champagne brunch.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

Sushi Thai Downtown

898 Fifth Ave., 430-7575. sushithaidowntown.com. With locations in Collier and Lee Counties, find a selection of sushi and Thai dishes.

$$$ ASIAN

Truluck’s 698 Fourth Ave. S., 530-3131. trulucks.com. A fine-dining locale touting seafood from the Gulf and beyond.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

Veranda E 290 Fifth Ave. S., 659-3466. hotelescalante.com. A courtyard setting and menu with Asian and French influences in the Hotel Escalante. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

The Vine Room 465 Fifth Ave. S., 316-1202. vineroom.com. Behind an ivy-shrouded door, this cocktail lounge crafts drinks with flair to pair with small plates.

$$$$ COCKTAIL LOUNGE

Yabba Island Grill 711 Fifth Ave. S., 262-5787. yabbaislandgrill.com. Enjoy surf and turf, and seasonal stone crab on the patio.

$$$ SEAFOOD

DOWNTOWN NAPLES

The Claw Bar 221 Ninth St. S., 231-3912. theclawbar.com. Southern charm, the best oysters and

exquisite seafood are served inside the Bellasera Resort.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

Grappino

90 Ninth St. N., 331-4325. grappinonaples.com. This Aielli Group eatery offers a fine selection of charcuterie, as well as build-your-own pasta dishes. $$$ ITALIAN

La Colmar Bakery & Bistro

80 Tamiami Trail N., 315-4303. lacolmar.com. Find some of Naples’ top bread and pastries, plus sandwiches and salads.

$$$$ BAKERY o p

The Lake Park Diner

944 Seventh Ave. N., 228-6351. thelakeparkdiner. com. This casual spot serves healthy, organic fare with many vegan options, plus modernized diner classics.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Nosh on Naples Bay 1490 Fifth Ave. S., 384-9208. noshonnaplesbay.com. Chef Todd Johnson crafts a menu of haute small plates.

$$$$ ECLECTIC o p v w

The Rooster Food + Drink

600 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Unit #101, 228-5973. theroosternaples.com. Comforting

breakfast, lunch with dinner Wednesday-Friday in season.

$$ AMERICAN b o p

Seventh South Craft Food + Drink

849 Seventh Ave. S., 231-4553. seventhsouth.com. One of Naples’ best—food and drink earn equal acclaim.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

BAYFRONT

Industry Beer & BBQ

449 Bayfront Place, 331-4160. industrybeerandbbq.com. The team behind LowBrow Pizza & Beer takes on slowsmoked ‘cue and craft beers.

$$ BARBECUE o p

CRAYTON COVE

Bleu Provence 1234 Eighth St. S., 261-8239. bleuprovencenaples.com. Channel southern France with food and select from Naples’ only Grand Award-winning wine list. $$$$ FRENCH o p v

Chez Boët 755 12th Ave. S., 643-6177. chezboetnaples.com. French staples pair with an impressive Scotch list. $$$$ FRENCH o p

The Dock at Crayton Cove 845 12th Ave. S., 263-9940. dockcraytoncove.com. This

laid-back spot serves Florida seafood on Naples Bay.

$$$ SEAFOOD

EAST NAPLES

21 Spices by Chef Asif

4270 Tamiami Trail E., #21, 919-8830. 21spicesdining. com. Authentic cuisine from an award-winning chef.

$$$ INDIAN

Z’s Music Kitchen*

12655 Tamiami Trail East, 304-9552. zsmusickitchen.

com. Hearty bites, a full bar and live entertainment.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Carole’s House 8793 Tamiami Trail E., 3318003, caroleshouse.com.

French pastries with a robust breakfast and lunch menu.

$$ BAKERY o b

Celebration Park 2880 Becca Ave., 316-7253. celebrationparknaples.com

From the owner of Three60 Market, this waterfront food

truck park has a lively bar scene and boat-up slips.

$$ ECLECTIC

Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen

4270 Tamiami Trail E., 315-4167. kareemskitchen.com Try seven types of hummus, salads and chicken with za’atar potatoes.

$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN

Lima Restaurant

5047 Tamiami Trail E., 280-0167. lima-restaurant.com. Authentic Peruvian cuisine and a wide selection of pisco are the calling cards. $$ PERUVIAN

LowBrow Pizza & Beer

3148 Tamiami Trail E., 529-6919. lowbrowpizzaand beer.com. Creative wood-fired pies are served with craft brews in a fun, art-filled space.

$$ ITALIAN o p

Rumba Cuban Café 1265 Airport-Pulling Road S., 659-2996. rumbacubancafe. com. Classic Cuban cuisine with fun twists and attentive service.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Tacos & Tequila Cantina 4834 Davis Blvd., 732-8226. tacosandtequilanaples.com.

Tacos with lots of clever spins, plus margaritas aplenty. $$ MEXICAN o p

Three60 Market 2891 Bayview Drive, Naples, 732-7331. three60market. com. The popular spot features a breakfast and lunch cafe with gourmet flair,

a specialty market and an impressive wine shop.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

The Med 3929 Bayshore Drive, 307-4755. themednaples. com. Artfully plated dishes showcased intimately. $$$$

MEDITERRANEAN

MIDTOWN

Alexander’s Garden Restaurant 4077 Tamiami Trail N., 262-4999. alexandersnaples. com. Menus filled with seafood and flavors from around the world presented in a modern cafe and lush garden atmosphere. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN o p

Andre’s Steakhouse 2800 Tamiami Trail N., 263-5851. andres

steakhouse.com. If you’re a fan of New York’s iconic Peter Luger chophouse, opt for this tiny joint founded by one of its former chefs. $$$$ STEAK

The Franklin Social 5926 Premier Way #100, 3161200. franklinsocialclub.com. A spin on the social club. Relaxing

Ario at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort impresses guests with its elegant setting, curated wine list and indulgent dishes.

Courtesy JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort

vibes, live entertainment and craft cocktails.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Café Nutrients

3080 Tamiami Trail N., 919-8732. cafenutrients.com. At this organic, plant-based cafe, owner Ming Yee sources ingredients from local farms and producers.

$$$ VEGAN

Cibao Grille

814 Neapolitan Way, 434-6653. cibaogrille.com. Dishes from the owners’ native Dominican Republic mix with American classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Dorona

2110 Tamiami Trail N., 529-2819. doronanaples.com.

The Aielli’s chic steakhouse has a diverse menu, with seafood, pasta and prime cuts. $$$$ STEAK

Escargot 41

4351 Tamiami Trail N., 793-5000. escargot41.com.

This traditional spot features a page of escargot specials alone. $$$ FRENCH

Fernández the Bull

3375 Pine Ridge Road, #101, 653-9097. fernandezthebull. com. Authentic Cuban

dishes, like picadillo a la criolla and ropa vieja.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN

Food & Thought

2132 Tamiami Trail N., 2132222. foodandthought.com.

An organic grocer and cafe with raw and vegan options.

$ CAFE

Fujiyama

2555 Tamiami Trail N., 261-4332. naplesfujiyama. com. Japanese master chefs prepare dinners with flair at your hibachi table.

$$$ ASIAN

FUSE Global Cuisine/ FUSE BBQ

2500 Tamiami Trail N. #114, 455-4585. fuseglobalcuisine. com. Cuisines from around the world at fine-dining FUSE; stellar barbecue next door.

$$$ ECLECTIC o p

Harold’s Place

2555 Tamiami Trail N., 263-7254. naplesharolds place.com. This chickee bar serves a winning charbroiled burger. $ AMERICAN

Hogfish Harry’s 600 Neapolitan Way, 776-7623. hogfishharrys.com

The menu sources 90 percent of its seafood from local fishers. $$$ SEAFOOD o p

Hyde N Chic

923 Creech Road, 404-3065. hydenchicrestaurant.com.

In his artfully appointed dining room, chef Andy Hyde guides you through inspired tasting menus from Africa, Europe and the Americas.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Jimmy P’s Charred

1833 Tamiami Trail N., 6432427. jimmypscharred.com. A casual steakhouse specializing in Wagyu beef from Naples’ longtime trusted butcher.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche

Multiple locations in Lee and Collier counties. komoonthai. com. A fun mix of Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare in a contemporary locale that often hosts live music.

$$ ASIAN

Lamoraga Restaurant

3936 Tamiami Trail N., 331-3669. lamoragarestaurant. com. Contemporary upscale twists on Spanish dishes, plus inventive vegan fare.

$$$$ SPANISH o p v

Le Indya

975 Pine Ridge Road, 591-5156. leindya.com. The authentic cuisine includes plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

$$ INDIAN

The Local* 5323 Airport-Pulling Road, 596-3276. thelocalnaples.com. A farm-to-table restaurant with locally sourced, healthy cuisine.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Martin Fierro

13040 Livingston Road, 3004777. martinfierrorestaurant. com. At this Argentinian and Uruguayan parrillada, you’ll find grass-fed beef and tango music.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Moura Bistro

3369 Pine Ridge Road, 7388883. mourabistro.com. Flavorful Lebanese fare, like falafel, tabbouleh and shawarma.

$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Shula’s Steak House

5111 Tamiami Trail N., 430-4999. shulasnaples.com. Late NFL Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s classic steakhouse.

$$$$ STEAK

Swan River Seafood & Fish Market

3741 Tamiami Trail N., 403-7000. swanriverseafood. com. Find Cape Cod-style seafood and a market with fresh catches, wine and more.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

USS Nemo 3745 Tamiami Trail N., 261-6366. ussnemorestaurant. com. Masterful fresh seafood

creations from a classically trained chef.

$$$ SEAFOOD

Ziggy D’Amico’s Whiskey Bar & Diner

4691 Ninth St. N., 430-0955. ziggydamicos.com. This D’Amico & Partners spot emphasizes whiskey.

$$ AMERICAN

THE VILLAGE SHOPS ON VENETIAN BAY

Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar

4270 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 649-5552. baysideseafood grillandbar.com. Dine on more than 200 feet of waterfront.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

MiraMare Ristorante

4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 430-6273. miramarenaples. com. Enjoy classic Italian fare on the waterfront patio overlooking Venetian Bay.

$$$ ITALIAN

Fish Restaurant

4360 Gulf Shore Blvd., 2633474. fishrestaurantnaples. com. Find seafood and a waterside breeze overlooking the bay. $$$$ SEAFOOD

M Waterfront Grille

4300 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 263-4421. mwaterfrontgrille. com. Expect organic meals served in the main dining room (with bay views) and on the waterfront terrace.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

b o p v w

T-Michaels Steak & Lobster House

4050 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 261-0622. t-michaels.com.

Steakhouse dining on the water, featuring USDA Prime meats and Maine lobster.

$$$$ STEAK v w

WATERSIDE SHOPS

True Food Kitchen

5375 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 15, 431-4580. truefoodkitchen. com. The menu caters to flexitarians but has plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. $$$ CAFE

b o p

NORTH NAPLES

BALEEN

9891 Gulf Shore Drive, 5985707. laplayaresort.com. A wraparound terrace sets the stage for creative cuisine.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o v w

The Bay House 799 Walkerbilt Road, 5913837. bayhousenaples.com.

Southern-inspired menus and a raw bar star in the spot with

panoramic mangrove and water views.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

Black Forest Restaurant

2366 Immokalee Road, 592-4784. blackforestnaples. com. Here, you’ll find classic German and Austrian fare like traditional sauerbraten.

$$$ EUROPEAN

Bone Hook Brewing Co.

1514 Immokalee Road, 631-8522. bonehookbrewing. com. This microbrewery has a taproom with a full kitchen. $$ BAR BITES o p

Café Gourmand

9853 Tamiami Trail N., 260-7109. cafegourmand.net. Here, find crepes by day and formal dinner service by night.

$$ FRENCH o p

Côte d’Azur

11224 Tamiami Trail N., 597-8867. cotedazurrestau rant.com. Old World French cuisine in a cozy Provençal setting. $$$$ FRENCH

The Crust 8004 Trail Blvd., 244-8488. thecrustpizza.net. This sports bar is one of the area’s most popular pizza joints.

$$ ITALIAN

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Fish Market

8777 Tamiami Trail N., 880-3337. deeplagoon.com. The family behind Pinchers owns this popular eatery.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Dusk

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 598-6644. ritzcarlton.com. This stylish sushi lounge in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, has a patio overlooking the Gulf. Closed until further notice. $$$$ ASIAN o p v

Fernández the Bull

1201 Piper Blvd., Unit #10, 2549855. fernandezthebull.com.

Authentic Cuban dishes and daily happy hour.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Grain De Café

8803 Tamiami Trail N., 594-8081. frenchcafenaples. com. The pain au chocolat, quiches and crepes are worth it.

$$ FRENCH b o

The Grill

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 598-6644. ritzcarlton.com. This elegant steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, evokes the ambiance of a private club. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ STEAK v

Jimmy P’s Burgers & More 1833 Tamiami Trail N., 1201 Piper Blvd., #11, 514-1800. jim-

mypsburgers.com. Superior meats from the longtime trusted butcher.

$$$$ AMERICAN o p

Namba

8847 Tamiami Trail N., 5924992. nambanaples.com. The Japanese menu gives a remarkable selection of ramen, sushi and small plates.

$$$ ASIAN

New York Pizza & Pasta

11140 Tamiami Trail N., 5943500; 8855 Immokalee Road,

597-3800. nypp.com. Go here for hand-tossed pies and classic Italian fare. $$ ITALIAN o p

Parmesan Pete’s 7935 Airport-Pulling Road, 992-3663. parmesanpetes. com. Order huge portions of Parmesans, meatballs and lasagna. $$$ ITALIAN o p

Two Fillets

10395 Tamiami Trail N., 788-0222. twofillets.com. The latest surf-and-turf restaurant and market from the folks behind Pinchers. $$$ AMERICAN o p

Zen Asian BBQ

10823 Tamiami Trail N., 260-7037. eatatzen.com.

A pan-Asian joint with fresh sushi, ramen, bar bites and Korean barbecue. $$$ ASIAN

MERCATO

Bar Tulia

9118 Strada Place, #8150, 4381031. bartulia.com. The second location of this Italian gastropub features expertly crafted cocktails. $$$ ITALIAN b o p

The Hampton Social 9114 Strada Place, 202-2038. thehamptonsocial.com.

A lofty Chicago export with a chic, rosé-all-day bar scene complemented by great seafood. $$$ SEAFOOD

b o p

Rocco’s Tacos 9123 Strada Place, 500-8226. roccostacos.com. Go for the roughly 500 selections of tequila and mezcal.

$$$ MEXICAN o p

Whether you're sipping poolside, on the rooftop at Beacon Social Drinkery, or overlooking the river at Oxbow Bar & Grill, we have a colorful collection of hand-crafted cocktails for every tastebud.

The wine list at Bonita Springs ’ A Table Apart earned 2020 and 2021 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence nods.

The 239 Naples 9108 Strada Place, 631-1902 the239naples.com. Local ingredients from seafood purveyors, farms and more.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o b

THE PAVILION

KC American Bistro 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 566-2371. kcamericanbistro. com. Seasonal, American cuisine from chef Keith Casey.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

Tacos & Tequila Cantina 8971 Tamiami Trail N., 254-8226. tacosandtequila naples.com. Inventive tacos and margaritas abound.

$$ MEXICAN o p

GALLERIA SHOPPES AT VANDERBILT

Alpine Restaurant 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 325-9499. alpineofna ples. com. Expect the best of German, Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian cuisines.

$$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN b o p

Real Seafood Co. Naples 8960 Fontana Del Sol Way, 591-3523. realseafoodcorestaurant.com.

Fish from New England, the Great Lakes and the Gulf pair with local produce.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar 2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 513-0095. thecavenaples.com.

A magnificent selection of wines and small plates.

$$$ WINE BAR o p

Mister O1

Extraordinary Pizza

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 631-6844. mistero1.com. Extraordinary isn’t hyperbole; try the star-shaped pizza with ricotta-stuffed crust for proof.

$$ ITALIAN o p

Poke Mahi

2349 Vanderbilt Beach Road, #520, 260-5722. pokema hi.com. Hawaiian-style poke bowls customized with your choice of fish and toppings.

$ CAFE o p

BONITA SPRINGS

Angelina’s Ristorante

24041 S. Tamiami Trail, 390-3187. angelinasofbon itasprings.com. This fine Italian restaurant has plush banquettes, live piano music and an award-winning wine list.

$$$$ ITALIAN v

The Bohemian 27975 Old 41 Road, 451-9619. thebohemianbonita.com. From the team behind Downtown Coffee and Wine, enjoy a globally inspired menu and low-ABV cocktails. $$$$ ECLECTIC o

Chops City Grill

8200 Health Center Blvd, 992-4677. chopsbonita.com.

The sister restaurant to Naples’ elegant steakhouse was recently renovated, including a new menu and cocktail list.

$$$$ STEAK

C Level Bistro & Wine Bar

4450 Bonita Beach Road, 221-7046. c-levelbar.com. This intimate locale is dependable for continental fare like steak au poivre.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille 5370 Bonita Beach Road, 676-7777. coconutjacks.com.

A perfect stop for quick bites with water views.

$$$ SEAFOOD

DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant

26811 S. Bay Drive, #140 and #148, 325-3583. deromos. com. This restaurant with a big-city vibe is part and parcel of an Italian market.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Downtown Coffee & Wine Company 27546 Old 41, 272-6068. downtowncoffeeandwine company.com. Light bites accompany specialty coffee and more than a dozen wines by the glass. $ CAFE

El Basque Vin & Pintxo Bar

25245 Chamber of Commerce Drive, 301-4973. elbasque. com. Spanish and French influences merge at this tapas-style Basque wine bar.

$$$ BASQUE

Figs Grille

25987 S. Tamiami Trail #109, 390-1700. figsgrille.com. Find a refreshing fusion of Spanish, Turkish, Moroccan, Lebanese and French cuisines.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN

Jimmy P’s Charred

25301 Tamiami Trail S., 390-0301. jimmypssteaks. com. The trusted butcher serves superior meats and shareable plates. $$$$ STEAK

Lapa’s Costa Rican Bistro

26251 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite #9, 221-7016. lapascr.com. A reliable spot for authentic plates such as arroz con pollo, gallos and tostadas.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN

Olde Florida Chop House 3401 Bay Commons Drive, 948-4400.

oldefloridachophouse.com.

Waterfront dining serving Florida-style dishes.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

The Other Side Bistro 24630 S. Tamiami Trail, 992-7433. othersidebistro.com.

Chef Brian McCarley serves comfort dishes with modern flair. $$$$

MODERN AMERICAN

Malinche Mexican Cuisine

3250 Bonita Beach Road Southwest, 301-2902. malinchebonitasprings.com. Brothers Jorge and Antonio Salazar dish traditional Central and Southern Mexican flavors like cochinita pibil. $$$ MEXICAN

Petar’s Restaurant

3300 Bonita Beach Road, #120, 249-4064. petarsre staurant.com. Chef Petar Al Kurdi has developed a strong following for his deftly prepared cuisine. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN o

Roy’s Restaurant

26831 S. Bay Drive, 498-7697. roysrestaurant.com. Enjoy celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian and Pacific fusion fine dining. $$$$ ASIAN o

A Table Apart

4295 Bonita Beach Road, 221-8540. atableapart.com. Fusion influences from the Pacific Rim and beyond.

$$$ ECLECTIC

Wylds Café

4271 Bonita Beach Road, 9470408. wyldscafe.com. Three chefs join forces for a fine-dining experience.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

ESTERO

Divieto Ristorante

23161 Village Shops Way, #101, 390-2977. divietoristorante.com. Its famous fettuccine Alfredo is prepared in a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel. $$$ ITALIAN o p v

El Nido 23161 Village Shops Way, SUITE #113 319-1900. elnidoeats.com. A contemporary joint using local ingredients for housemade sauces and a modern spin on Latin dishes. $$ MEXICAN o p

The Saloon 23151 Village Shops Way, 9492583. thesaloon.net. A taste of the Old West with grilled steaks, barbecue, and original cocktails. $$$ AMERICAN o p

Tacos & Tequila Cantina

10952 Eagle Village Drive, 330-8226. tacosandtequi lanaples.com. Tacos with clever spins, plus margaritas. $$ MEXICAN o p

FORT MYERS

SOUTH FORT MYERS

Artisan Eatery

8951 Daniels Parkway, 887-4844. artisaneatery.com. Look for outstanding specials at this stamp-size favorite.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Coldwater Oyster Market

5611 Six Mile Commercial Court, 220-5918. coldwa teroystermarket.com.

Coldwater seafood from the North Atlantic and Pacific Northwest. $$$ SEAFOOD

p

Ember 7091 College Parkway, #9, 771-8818. emberfortmyers.

com. A gem with tabletop barbecue, fusion dishes and sushi. $$$ ASIAN

Fancy’s Southern Café 8890 Salrose Lane, #101, 561-2988. fancyssouthernca fe.com. Southern favorites in a casual atmosphere.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Harold’s 15250 S. Tamiami Trail, 849-0622. haroldscuisine. com. Chef Harold Balink recently expanded his cozy, farm-to-table bistro. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN

La Trattoria Café Napoli

12377 S. Cleveland Ave., 9310050. latrattoriacafenapoli. com. Known for paella, this Spanish restaurant also features a variety of tapas and seafood. $$$

MEDITERRANEAN

Liberty

12995 S. Cleveland Ave., #112, 689-5528. eatliberty.us

Chef Bob Boye’s dinner-only gem features artfully presented progressive menus.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Osteria Celli

15880 Summerlin Road, #308, 267-1310. osteriacelli.com. Fresh pasta is a highlight. $$$

ITALIAN

The Saucy Meatball

12401 Commerce Lakes Drive, 800-7172. saucymeatball.com

Industrial-chic pizzeria with crave-able entrees.

$$ ITALIAN

Viet Village

16571 S. Tamiami Trail, 208-8368. This spot is famous for its rare-beef pho and rice specials cooked in a clay pot.

$$ ASIAN

BELL TOWER SHOPS

DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge

13499 S. Cleveland Ave., 344-0037. darumarestaurant. com. Enjoy the Teppan-style tableside cooking, tempura and sushi. $$$$ ASIAN

CENTRAL FORT MYERS

El Gaucho Inca

4383 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, 275-7504; 22909 Lyden Drive, Estero, 494-1564. elgauchoinca.com. A mix of Argentinian and Peruvian dishes. $$ LATIN AMERICAN

Ginger Bistro

4650 Cleveland Ave., #8, 689-3113. gingerbistrousa. com. Traditional dim sum and Cantonese barbecue are highlights. $$ ASIAN

KJ’s Steakhouse

10950 S. Cleveland Ave., 275-4745. kjsfreshgrill.com. They pride themselves on aging and searing.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

MCGREGOR CORRIDOR

Azure

15301 McGregor Blvd., 288-4296. azurefortmyers. com. Enjoy modernized French classics with a southern flair. $$$ FRENCH

Blanc

13451 McGregor Blvd., 887-3139. blancentertain ment.com. Chef Jean Claude Rogé’s restaurant mixes global flavors. $$ FRENCH

Cibo

12901 McGregor Blvd., #5, 4543700. cibofortmyers. com. This Italian spot serves stellar food and wines.

$$$ ITALIAN p

Crave Restaurant

12901 McGregor Blvd., 466-4663. cravemenu.com. From-scratch comfort food.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House

14040 McGregor Blvd., 6895474. deeplagoon.com. A waterfront spot with a raw bar.

$$$ SEAFOOD

Roadhouse Café

15660 San Carlos Blvd., 4154375. roadhousecafefl.com. Try a wide range of dishes (including steak). $$$$

MODERN AMERICAN

DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS

Bullig Coffee & Bites

1815 Fowler St., 738-8582. Pair espresso drinks with savory or sweet waffles. $ CAFE b o p

Izzy’s Fish & Oyster

2282 First St., 337-4999. izzysft myers.com. A raw bar with New England-style seafood.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p v

King’s Kitchen

2150 W. First St., 208-8518. kingskitchenandbar.com. Go for the warehouse vibe, beer garden and global comforts.

$$ ECLECTIC b o

The Silver King Ocean Brasserie*

2200 Edwards Drive, (833) 918-1512. luminaryhotel. com. Inside Luminary Hotel & Co., this restaurant serves fine coastal cuisine. The hotel also houses riverfront Oxbow Bar & Grill and the rooftop Beacon Social Drinkery.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

The Standard Restaurant

1520 Broadway, 219-6463. thestandardftmyers.com. From-scratch eats and craft cocktails. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN b o p

The Veranda

2122 Second St., 332-2065. verandarestaurant.com. Fort Myers’ grande dame serves filet mignon, veal and topnotch service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

SANIBEL ISLAND

Note: Many restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva were affected by Hurricane Ian. Call for the latest info.

Bleu Rendez-Vous French Bistro

751 Tarpon Bay Road, 565-1608. bleurendezvous. com. This restaurant is lauded for authentic French fare, like coq au vin and cassoulet.

$$$$ FRENCH

Cielo

1244 Periwinkle Way, 472-5555. cielo-sanibel.com. Elevated island fare.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille

Locations throughout Lee County. docfords.com. Seafood, mojitos and a namesake rum bar. $$$ SEAFOOD

MudBugs Cajun Kitchen

1473 Periwinkle Way, 472-2221. mudbugssanibel. com. Find Crescent City classics. $$ MODERN AMERICAN

Sweet Melissa’s Café

1625 Periwinkle Way, 472-1956. sweetmelissascafe. com. Sanibel’s first James Beard Award semifinalist. Closed until further notice.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

T2 Bistro & Wine Bar

2340 Periwinkle Way, 558-8919. t2traders.com.

Retro-chic joint serving

French-inspired cuisine. Closed until further notice.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

CAPTIVA ISLAND

Keylime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn

11509 Andy Rosse Lane, 395-4000. keylimebistrocap tiva.com. Colorful island spot with a full bar. Closed until further notice. Meanwhile, visit the Boca Grande location.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

The Mucky Duck

11546 Andy Rosse Lane, 472-3434. muckyduck.com.

A British pub with seafood platters, beer and live music.

$$$ AMERICAN o p w

RC Otter’s Island Eats

11506 Andy Rosse Lane, 395-1142. captivaislandinn. com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music. Closed until further notice.

$$ AMERICAN b o p

Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar

11508 Andy Rosse Lane, 4726200. captivaislandinn.com.

Sophisticated beachy cafe. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

CAPE CORAL & PINE ISLAND

Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar

837 SE 47th Terrace, 542-6622. corksoakers.net. An irreverent tone shows in the decor and on the menu.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Fathoms

Restaurant & Bar

5785 Cape Harbour Drive, 542-0123. fathomsrestarant. com. Modern cuisine with international influences.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

Fish Tale Grill By Merrick Seafood

1229 S.E. 47th Terrace, 257-3167. fishtalegrill.com. With an adjacent fish market, many items earn nods.

$$$$ SEAFOOD b o

Gather

5971 Silver King Blvd., 673-9939. gathercape.com.

Celebrated chefs blend Mediterranean flavors with classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

Next Door

5971 Silver King Blvd. #114, 984-2453. nextdoorcape.com. From the team at Gather, Next Door elevates small dishes with focused flare.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Ginger Bistro

2366 Surfside Blvd., #101,

558-8865. gingerbistrousa.com. Authentic Chinese fare and traditional Cantonese barbecue. $$ ASIAN

Jungle Bird

Authentic Tiki

1520 Lafayette St., 471-4111. junglebirdtiki.com. Clever Pacific Rim dishes and signature house rum. $$$ ASIAN

b o p

Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro/ Nauti Mermaid

5961 Silver King Blvd., 5415016. marriott.com. Bay views and entrees from these two restaurants at The Westin Cape Coral. $$$ SEAFOOD

b o p w

Point 57 Kitchen & Cocktails

3522 Del Prado Blvd. S., 471-7785. point-57.com.

A critically acclaimed menu from one of Lee County’s best.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Sip & Dine

4820 Candia Street, 540-6800. slatescapecoral.com New Orleans evoked through its dishes and jazz lounge.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, 283-3999. tarponlodge.com. Dine in a 1920s fishing lodge. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

ARTS + CULTURE / Movements, creatives and experiences to spark imagination

Natural Selection

United Arts Collier teams up with Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center for a photography exhibit highlighting our flora and fauna.

French writer Jules Renard once said: “On Earth, there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.” More than a century later, the sentiment holds as glimpses of the natural world whisk us to a more ethereal realm. For nearly two decades, United Arts Collier (formerly United Arts Council of Collier County) has honored the Earth’s artistic tendencies through juried photography exhibit Natural Selections. This year, the show is on view through April 27 at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center.

Naples juror Christine Cook weighs technical excellence, composition, cohesiveness and overall impact to select the nearly two dozen works in the exhibit. Christine’s ideal photo stokes an emotional connection. “I really like to look for the maker’s personality,” she says. “They speak about Florida—the unique landscapes of Florida—the swamps, the ponds, the pine trees, the clouds.”

Here, we catch up with photographers from the show to learn the story behind their photos. “Earth is the art, right?” says Maureen MacNeal, whose kaleidoscopic image Pond Life is on view. “The world is teeming with life. Wherever you go, even if it seems ordinary, you can find something extraordinary.”

Early Bloom by William Boling

A retired Air Force colonel and lifelong photographer, William Boling is an enthusiastic world traveler who encourages viewers to stop and appreciate nature’s simplest treasures. Though William didn’t venture far for this stunning shot of a giant water lily at Naples Botanical Garden. “I like to be one of the first members of the Garden in the morning when the light is beautiful,” he says. William, who learned to shoot as a child on an old-school Polaroid Land Camera, used a Nikon mirrorless and a macro lens to get a close view of the budding bloom in all its delicate glory.

One quiet morning in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Doug Poe set up his tripod for the perfect shot. Using a telephoto lens, the photographer zoomed in on an immature great blue heron resting atop a small mangrove island. The tangled branches, juxtaposed with the bird’s regal stance, reflect in the water below with mirror-like clarity. The water and sky blend seamlessly, so the “little blue” and tiny island appear to be weightless, as if floating in space.

Little Blue Island by Doug Poe

Twig Season by Doug Poe

“‘Twig season’ is my term for wintertime shooting when most leaves are gone ... I like the native cypress trees when they get that way. It shows the form of the tree,” Doug notes. One morning, Doug and a friend were driving along Jane’s Scenic Drive—a gravel road near Copeland in southern Collier County—when he spied a solitary, bare-branched cypress tree mysteriously shrouded in fog. Thin clouds rolled in above like curling waves. Early morning snaps like this motivate the photographer: “It’s about fulfilling my desire to be in nature. It renews me.”

Bird with Attitude by John Dodge

John Dodge used a zoom telephoto lens to capture this detailed photograph of a black-crowned night heron at Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. There were birds everywhere, but this one stood out with its challenging expression and ruffled feathers, the retired electrical engineer says. “Ansel Adams said, ‘There are always two people in every picture—the photographer and the viewer.’ I always look for a story in the picture,” John says. Here, the subject becomes the viewer as John captures the moment the skeptical creature caught the photographer watching him—the lens snapping just in time for the bird’s startled reaction.

TOP EVENTS FOR APRIL

Fill your calendar with local art shows, live entertainment and other community gatherings happening this month. We recommend checking with the organizations for the latest information.

See Juan Gerstl’s hypnotic works at East West Fine Arts’ new, expanded location at Mercato in Naples.

Performing arts shine this month, kicking off with a jazz show at Naples’ River Park Community Center, followed by Sister Act on stage at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre and Miami City Ballet’s return to Artis—Naples.

Apr. 1

Naples Jazzmasters at River Park Community Center

The Naples Jazz Society band pays tribute to greats from the 1920s and ’30s, including Louis Armstrong and W.C. Handy. naplesjazzsociety.com

Apr. 2

Cinematic Sounds at Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center

The Punta Gorda Symphony performs scores from popular films, including The Sound of Music, West Side Story and Pirates of the Caribbean. pgsymphony.org

Apr. 4-9

Tootsie at Barbara B. Mann

Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

See the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical, based on the 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman. bbmannpah.com

Apr. 7

SWFL Mural Fest in downtown Fort Myers

The guys behind Artsemble Underground organize this community event that showcases seven new murals throughout downtown Fort Myers. Proceeds

benefit artists affected by Hurricane Ian. artsembleunderground.com

Apr. 7-9

Bonita Springs Shrimp & Music Festival

The second-annual festival brings fresh Gulf seafood and nearly a dozen bands to the former greyhound race track site off Bonita Beach Road. paragonfestivals.com

Apr. 7-28

Sounds & Color at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers

Colombian-born abstract artist Maria Collier finds

inspiration in music, visualizing the rhythm and vibration of songs as paint on canvas. sbdac.com

Apr. 9

Naples Dixieland Jazz Band at Cambier Park

The Naples Jazz Society brings the New Orleans sound to downtown Naples with their season’s last free concert in the park. naplesjazzsociety.com

Apr. 11-25

Fragmented Realities at East West Fine Art, Naples

Two artists showcase distinctive styles: Juan Gerstl fashions aluminum and printed acrylic into geometric shapes, while Ryan Coleman’s broad brushstrokes carry a whimsical vibe. eastwestfineart.com

Apr. 14 – May 20

Sister Act at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Fort Myers

The musical take on Whoo -

pi Goldberg’s comedy garnered five Tony Awards for its Broadway run. broadwaypalm.com

Apr. 15

Blooms & Brews at Naples

Botanical Garden

Local breweries descend on the 170-acre garden at sunset for a tasting event; proceeds benefit the Garden’s conservation work. naplesgarden.org

Apr. 15

WINK Taste of the Town

Naples at Cambier Park

More than 25 food trucks and kiosks liven up downtown Naples and showcase some of the best restaurants in Southwest Florida. bscevent.com

Apr. 15-22

US Open Pickleball Championships at East Naples Community Park

Pro pickleball players compete for the championship

purse in one of the growing sport’s highest-profile tournaments. usopenpick leballchampionship.com

Apr. 16

Naples Concert Band at Cambier Park

After 15 years with the band, conductor Harris Lanzel takes his final bow to the tunes of great American composers. naplesconcertband.org

Apr. 18-29

Miguel Saludes at Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples

The Cuban-born artist captures vibrant American landscapes, including Florida’s flowering fields. harmonmeekgallery.com

Apr. 18 – May 7

The Foreigner at Players Circle Theater, Fort Myers

This fish-out-of-water comedy tells the story of a shy British man staying at a rural Georgia lodge. playerscircletheater.com

Apr. 18 – May 21

Lobby Hero at Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers

Kenneth Lonergan (of the Oscar-nominated Man-

* FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFIED REAL ESTATE AT TORNEYS CONROY, CONROY & DURANT, P.A. IS PROUD TO PROVIDE REAL ESTATE LAW SERVICES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

J. THOMAS CONROY, III*

MICHAEL A. DURANT*

BRADLEY D. FRIEDMAN*

KRISTIN M. CONROY* GREGORY W. WETZEL PATRICK C. CONROY, CPA

Arts + Culture — Agenda

Miguel Saludes’ Sunset Over a Field (2017), 34x34, oil on canvas, and Life After the Fire (2017), 34x34, oil on canvas, on view at Harmon-Meek Gallery

Harmon-Meek Gallery, in Naples, showcases Cubanborn artist Miguel Saludes’ serene landscapes.

Namaste

and Elizabeth Swank, and additional community support.

chester by the Sea fame) wrote the script for this dark comedy about an ambitious security guard in Manhattan. floridarep.org

Apr. 20-30

August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson at Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers

A Black American family grapples with the legacy of slavery and the modern realities of inequality as they disagree about selling a family piano. artinlee.org

Apr. 21 & 30

Don Giovanni at Barbara B. Mann

Performing Arts Hall & Artis—Naples

Gulfshore Opera stages one of Mozart’s all-time top masterpieces, featuring Naples Philharmonic and New York’s Metropolitan Opera baritone Luis Orozco. See the show at Barbara B. Mann on Apr. 21 and at Artis—Naples on Apr. 30.

gulfshoreopera.org

Community School of Naples’ signature event, creating ONE night to remember, bringing ONE community together, with ONE purpose - to make a difference in the lives of others by providing need-based tuition assistance for deserving families in our community.

April 15, 2023

For more information, visit: www.communityschoolnaples.org/angelball

Community School of Naples

SWFL GO RED FOR SWFL GO RED FOR WOMEN WOMEN

Arts + Culture — Agenda

Apr. 22

Earth Day Festival at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples Celebrate Mother Earth with family-friendly boat tours, animal shows, educational exhibits, live music and food.

conservancy.org

Apr. 23

Gulf Coast Symphony: Cirque Goes to the Movies! at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

Touring acrobatic troupe Cirque de la Symphonie joins the symphony to bring classic film scores to life with aerial feats and dance. bbmannpah.com

Watch the famous tale of playboy Don Juan unfold at Artis—Naples as Gulfshore Opera presents Mozart’s twoact classic Don Giovanni.

Apr. 26

Miami City Ballet at Artis—Naples

The Miami City Ballet returns to Naples with choreography originally produced by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, accompanied by Naples Philharmonic. artisnaples.org

Apr. 27 – May 14

Morning After Grace at Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples

In this sharp comedy, three neighbors contemplate love, loss and relationships as they come to terms with aging in a Florida retirement community. gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Courtesy Gulfshore Opera

Recurring Events We Love

With live music on the streets, nibbles at local galleries and shops, and other fun diversions, these monthly events keep us coming back.

Apr. 7

Fort Myers Art Walk at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

Downtown Fort Myers’ growing arts scene is on full display the first Friday of the month. Don’t miss the accompanying rooftop party at SBDAC, which hosts the monthly event. sbdac.com

Apr. 8

Naples Artcrafters at Cambier Park

The series showcases locally produced pottery, jewelry, photography and fine art at Old Naples’ Cambier Park. naplesartcrafters.com

Apr. 8

Music in the Garden at Naples Botanical Garden

On second Saturdays, Naples Botanical Garden fills with music. This month, singersongwriter and slide guitar champion Kraig Kenning performs a blend of folk, blues and rock. naplesgarden.org

Apr. 13

Evening on Fifth in Old Naples

The shops stay open late, restaurants offer dining specials and live music fills historic Fifth Avenue South on second Thursdays. fifthavenuesouth.com

Apr. 20

Musical Interludes at Marco Island Center for the Arts

Keeping in tune with this season’s Latin theme, the jazzy Marco Grispo Ensemble performs Sounds of Argentina. marcoislandart.org

Apr. 21

Fort Myers Music Walk in the River District

Enjoy live music by local and regional musicians in the streets of downtown Fort Myers on the third Friday of the month.

myriverdistrict.com

BLACK & WHITE | HOPE & COURAGE

PRESENTED BY DR. RICHARD LUBLIN & CHRISTINE STAHL LUBLIN

The American Cancer Society is grateful for the overwhelming generosity of the Naples community and corporate partners at this year’s Bucket List Bash. Together we support cancer patients in our community, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. EVERY CANCER. EVERY LIFE.

The Orchid Keeper

The elusive ghost orchid has long fascinated plant lovers. Charles Darwin was notably stumped when imagining its possible pollinator. “Good heavens, what insect can suck it?” he queried, examining the flower’s long nectar tube. For a long time, it was thought the giant sphinx moth could be the only pollinator, until 2018, when Florida photographers Carlton Ward Jr. and Mac Stone independently documented various moth species probing the plant at Florida Panther Wildlife Refuge and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, respectively. Sightings of the sinewy white epiphytes are still rare, though a few local sites— including Corkscrew and Naples Botanical Garden—offer reliable opportunities to spot them blooming in the summer. In the January 2000 issue of Gulfshore Life , we recognized the Naples Orchid Society’s efforts to reintroduce ghost orchids into the wild. More than two decades later, the society continues to preserve the native orchids, encouraging locals to grow their own as part of the rewilding mission.