Gulfshore Life November 2022

STANDING STRONG

& WOMEN OF THE YEAR

+ SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES, ARTS GROUPS AND NEIGHBORS TO REBUILD

FLORIDA

Legendary Waterfront Living Has Arrived in Naples

Inspired by the endless beauty and rhythm of the sea, a new address comes to the shores of Naples. Captivating modern design rises alongside a marina-front lagoon, overlooking dazzling sunsets, and the endless sparkling horizon of the Gulf. This is a world where enjoyment lives without limits with curated amenities and unique experiences designed to enrich and elevate all of life’s moments. Around every turn, a gracious smile and attentive service anticipates your every need, all while granting you the exclusive privacy you desire.

The time has come to make The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples your own.

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES, NAPLES ARE NOT OWNED, SOLD OR DEVELOPED BY THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C. OR ITS AFFILIATES (“THE RITZ-CARLTON”). STOCK RESIDENCES, USES THE RITZ-CARLTON MARKS UNDER A LICENSE FROM THE RITZ-CARLTON, WHICH HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS OR REPRESENTATIONS MADE HEREIN. ORAL REPRESENTATION CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY THE DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ALL RENDERINGS AND PLANS ARE PROPOSED CONCEPTS SHOWN ONLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES AND ARE BASED ON THE DEVELOPER’S CURRENT PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY,

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VINEYARDS

86 / Men and Women of the Year

This year’s cast of philanthropists, changemakers and community leaders make waves in Southwest Florida.

Beverly Fanning, photographed by Omar Cruz

Creativity. Cooperation. Vision.

Your values have helped you succeed—and they are the most special thing your children can inherit. Having a plan is essential. We can help.

Myers

Trust and

Housing

the

may lose value.

WILL THEY INHERIT YOUR VALUES ALONG WITH YOUR WEALTH?

132 / Reviving a Storied Estate

Philanthropists John and Amy Quinn move into and refresh Lucille “Lu” Drackett’s singular Port Royal home.

106 / Season Preview

While season will look different this year, many small businesses and arts groups are persevering and offering new opportunities to celebrate the enduring beauty of Southwest Florida.

Marvin Rouse, photographed by Brian Tietz; Dan Cutrona

STARTS HERE!

Contents

Insider

Stylist Anna Ruiz captures the season’s sleekest look in a shoot at Naples’ METHOD & CONCEPT.

Contents

Departments

Home

Stylish Living 148

Stofft Cooney Architects took this Venetian Bay lot in Naples and maximized the view with contemporary design.

— Home 148

Stylish Living: Contemporary digs in Park Shore 162 Alfresco: An ultimate outdoor playground 170 Favorite Things: Pamela Durkin’s artful picks

174

Realty Check: Dream homes

— Healthy Life 202 Fitness: Work out with a view 212 Editors’ Pick: Vibe Yoga’s mission for veterans

— Taste 218

Chef’s Table: A Michelinpedigreed chef lands in Naples 224 Dining Guide: 150-plus essential restaurants

— Arts + Culture 256 Agenda: Top events for November

Lori Hamilton

“As

Dr. Kiran Gill

Come and See

Advent Lessons & Carols

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27th - 11:15 A.M.

Advent is a season of both quiet reflection and joyful expectation. Join us as we watch and wait for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

the spiritual potential of your child. Contemplation and enjoyment of God individualized for each child.

more: trinitybythecove.com/cgs

“The complete, authentic youth formation this church offers children, starting as infants, is a precious and rare gift to our family.”

Reader Services

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Gulfshore Life and Gulfshore Life Media, LLC retain exclusive rights to all editorial and photographic materials used. Materials cannot be reproduced in any manner without written consent.

© Copyright Gulfshore Life is published by Gulfshore Life Media, LLC. The entire document of Gulfshore Life is © 2022 by Gulfshore Life Media, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems without the express written permission of the publisher. Gulfshore Life HOME Gordon Drive MINI Healthy Life Southwest Florida Guide to the Arts Visitors’ Guide, Men and Women of the Year, Best of the Gulfshore, Taste of the Gulf, Weekend Insider and Shore Thing are copyrighted service marks and are the property of Gulfshore Life Media, LLC., all rights reserved. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice, but it is considered informative. Gulfshore Life is locally operated. Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers, please advise us at Gulfshore Life, 26101 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Please include your name and address as it appears on the mailing label of your most recent issue.

Board

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

Denise Cobb Chair, Community Advisory Board Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation

2000 Woman of the Year

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

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

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

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

Mary Susan Clinton Founder, Gallien Global Vision Inc.

Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2002 Woman of the Year

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

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

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

Brian Tietz (12); Courtesy Shirlene Elkins, Ellin Goetz, Mark Loren, Shelly Stayer/Roland Scarpa

Scott Burgess President and CEO, David Lawrence Center 2018 Man of the Year

Shelly Stayer President/Co-Owner, Johnsonville Foods 2013 Woman of the Year

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

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

Adria Starkey

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

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

On the Cover

METHOD & CONCEPT

founder Chad Jensen, photographed by Omar Cruz . Shot on location at The Collective in Naples.

Stylist Anna Ruiz

On the cover, Chad wears an Eton shirt, Givenchy pants and Burberry coat.

Omar Cruz

46

A trained figurative artist and our go-to arts writer, Lauren Amalia Redding, taps into her education from Northwestern University and the New York Academy of Art to understand the intrica cies of crafting custom guitars with Naples’ Tyler MacDonald.

46, 132

Cape Cod- and Miami-based photog rapher Dan Cutrona turns his lens to John and Amy Quinn’s Port Royal estate, which once belonged to the late philanthropist Lu cille Drackett. You can also see his work in this month’s Artist Profile.

56, 106, 218

A Southwest Florida photographer for more than a decade, Anna Nguyen captures the best of the region, including a low-ABV wine at USS Nemo Restaurant, artisanal pies at the Pizzata Piz zeria + Aperitivo and a progressive executive chef at The Cave in Naples.

66, 86

This month, celebrity photographer Omar Cruz, who’s shot for Vanity Fair, Time, Vogue and Esquire , captures the influential locals featured as “Men & Women of the Year” in an artistic cover shoot at Naples’ METHOD & CONCEPT. Omar also photographed the cov er and “Coat of Many Colors” fashion story.

202

Florida Magazine Asso ciation award-winning journalist Nila Do Simon explores local communi ties that offer top-notch fitness and wellness centers, including skyhigh gyms with spanning views of the Gulf.

218

Award-winning food and travel writer Adam Erace catches up with peripatetic chef Daniel Swofford, who’s settling down among the abundant seafood of Southwest Florida and blockbuster wines at The Cave in Naples.

86, 106, 256

Former Gulfshore Life editor Justin Paprocki now serves as student media adviser at FGCU. Here, he pens the stories of local changemakers in our “Men & Women of the Year” feature, reports on new debuts for “Sea son of Hope” and curates the monthly agenda.

Brian Tietz (2); Courtesy Dan Cutrona, Omar Cruz, Nila Do Simon, Adam Erace

After the Rain

It’s been four days since Hurricane Ian ripped through our region, and so much is still being evaluated. The effects are staggering—a reminder of how daily life can be uprooted overnight. We know there are some invaluables we’ll never regain: cul tural institutions, beloved restau rants, landmarks and landscapes, and, most importantly, people.

Though the path ahead is racked with uncertainty, our community hasn’t stopped moving forward. Since the storm subsided, people have been out helping wherever they can. This moment definitively proves what our community is made of: courage, kindness, gen erosity, selflessness. The day after the hurricane, speaking with our Community Advisory Board mem ber Sandy Stilwell Youngquist (she has five restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva), she said: “It’s a huge loss, but I’ll rebuild and do it again.”

That level of resilience and hope is what’s driving us. Storms may rage, but we know some things can’t be shaken, like the love we share for Southwest Florida.

I know those of us who are safe and able are eager to continue to help rebuild. If you’re looking to donate but unsure where to start, look to foundations, which can holistically assess needs and distribute funds to be most effec tive. In Naples, Collier Commu nity Foundation ( colliercf.org ) promptly activated the Collier Comes Together Hurricane Relief Fund. Collaboratory (collaboratory. org), headquartered in Fort Myers, reaches nonprofits in five counties. And, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (sccf.org) has firsthand, intimate knowledge of the needs of—and a direct pipeline to help— the islands.

Several Men & Women of the Year honored in this issue (p. 86) have also mobilized to assist and are taking donations. Daniel Andrews and Chris Wittman of Captains for Clean Water (captainsforcleanwater.org) have been leading rescue missions, deliv ering essentials supplies and creat ing vetted lists of captains to shuttle those who need it, among tackling other needs. And, Rob Moher’s Conservancy of Southwest Florida (conservancy.org) has been instru mental in helping wildlife recover.

Meanwhile, Jesse Bryson of I Will Mentorship Foundation (iwmf2. org), lost much of the community garden, where he teaches kids in Fort Myers’ Dunbar neighborhood about food, science and life, and is eager to rebuild.

As far as places mentioned in this issue, we did our best to check on everyone’s status. Though many groups are still unreachable or evaluating their plans, wherever we were able to confirm openings, we noted them. One of the best ways to help our community rebuild is to support the businesses and groups that are operating. Let’s take comfort in all the beauty that remains and keep empowering our Gulfshore Strong community.

Stephanie Granada Editor in Chief

WONDER OUTSIDE, WONDER INSIDE

Back to the Land

Our region’s most valuable trea sure, Everglades National Park, has its 75th birthday this Decem ber. The Everglades ecosystem stretches back to more than 5,000 years ago, and once spanned from South Florida up to its headwaters in Orlando. Draining from real estate and agricultural interests began as early as the mid-1800s, removing thousands of acres of precious wetlands and distorting the natural water flow. By 1928, the irreversible effects of these changes were becoming evident, inspiring fellow landscape archi tect Ernest F. Coe to campaign for the creation of a national park. It took almost 20 years of planning, lobbying and fundraising until President Truman formally ded icated the park on Dec. 6, 1947—a fortunate day for us all.

When I think about the Men & Women of the Year honored in this issue and in past editions of Gulfshore Life, I think of individu als like Ernest, who dedicate their voices and talents to protecting our vital wetlands. Photographer Clyde Butcher, honored as a Man of the Year in 2011, retreated into the Everglades during a time of great personal loss after his son

passed away. He found solace in the park and captured the won der of this vast landscape through large-format, black-and-white photographs that are unrivaled in translating the haunting magnifi cence of the Everglades for those who often can’t see it. One look at Clyde’s dramatic photography and it’s hard to deny the allure of this one-of-a-kind watery wild place—and the critical need to protect it. Past honorees Lavern Norris Gaynor and Juliet Collier Sproul both came from families that were instrumental in land preservation in the Western Ever glades in Collier County, as well.

This year, we honor the next generation of Everglades keep ers, like Chris Wittman and Daniel Andrews of Captains for Clean Water. The fishing guides-turned-activists are some of the most genuine, hardworking and mission-focused individuals we’ve ever seen. They are refresh ingly candid about the needs of our waterways, and their voices join forces with others across our state and country to advocate for restoration policy. My family and I are proud to support their efforts. The restoration of Amer

ica’s Everglades is an issue that unites us all, and it’s something that needs continuing support.

As you make your plans for the upcoming season, consider spending some time appreciating the Everglades. You’ll discover why so many of us have fallen under the spell of the magical River of Grass.

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

Courtesy Ellin Goetz

From The

Advisory Board

Gulfshore Treasures

Self-taught luthier Tyler MacDonald handmakes wooden electric guitars in his Naples Design District workshop. The young Marco Island native started crafting guitars three years ago, thinking the better he understood the instrument, the better he could play it. The experiment paid off—he now has a national clientele and steady waitlist for his work-of-art stringed instruments. Read his story on p. 46.

Dan Cutrona

/ People, places and ideas making waves on the Gulf

Insider — Artist Profile — By Lauren

Amalia Redding — Photography by Dan Cutrona

String Theory

From his studio in the Naples Art District, Tyler MacDonald handcrafts electric guitars with precision and passion, creating a symphonic experience for the senses.

Upon entering Tyler MacDonald’s studio in the Naples Art District, you’re struck by the rich wood tones and opalescent inlays of the guitars in his showroom. Some times, Tyler will be playing a few riffs that dance and mingle with the earthy scent that permeates the space.

The 27-year-old Marco Island native is a luthier, a craftsperson who builds and repairs string instruments, such as violins and guitars. The design and fabrication of his handmade electric guitars begin with sourcing and shaping rare pieces of wood. While Tyler cuts the mahogany he uses locally, he imports other rough-cut

lumber from all over the world, each piece carefully chosen for its durability, beauty and acoustics. “That’s a purpleheart from South America,” he says, pointing to a thick, pomegranate-colored slab, set amid neatly stacked rows that include pale moon ebony from Southeast Asia and padauk from Central and West Africa. His other hand reflectively scratches Slayer, his Belgian Malinois and studio cohort.

The process of handcrafting an electric guitar is split into two parts: The first is the construction of the guitar’s body, neck and head. For this, he uses power tools to saw, plane, drill and laminate the wooden

pieces together, notching and beveling to allot space for the electrical components, which he’ll insert later. The second part involves sanding and refining the assem bled guitar body, work so precise that only hand tools, like the old-fashioned wood chisels that hang on the wall can provide the control needed.

Tyler began his craft in 2019 when he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. “Building it first was a great way to under stand the instrument,” he says. “It was easier to play, because I understood it.” In turn, being a musician allows him an intimate knowledge of his clients’ needs.

“The neck is the most complex and intricate part,” Tyler says. He carves the neck using rasps and files, and runs a thin steel rod, called a truss rod, through its interior. The rod functions like an artery through the core of the neck and can be adjusted to counteract the strings’ pull on the instrument. For Tyler, the fin icky, complicated insertion process is worth the effort for the rods’ stabilizing effects. He also adds carbon fiber bars to strengthen the instrument for what he calls “ultimate tuning stability,” meaning his guitars rarely go out of tune.

He picks up one of the first guitars he made back in 2020. “It still plays really well,” he says proudly. It’s the first edi tion of his Arachnid series—each line of guitars falls under a different moniker influenced by heavy metal music or the natural world, such as Destroyer or Lotus. In keeping with the name, the Arachnid guitar’s shape echoes the angular body of a spider. “Each guitar is a very personal thing,” he continues. “Each has a personality and plays differently, depending on their different woods or how the neck is sanded.” He chooses not to lacquer or polish his guitars heavily, instead opting for a matte finish to com plete the look. “I like to leave the wood more raw, so that you can feel the guitar vibrating when you play it,” he explains. “Lacquer is a layer of plastic that con strains the instrument.”

Though building guitars and playing them is a newer venture, Tyler has been a musician and artist for most of his

The 27-year-old Marco Island native uses sustainable wood, including local mahogany, to craft electric guitars in his Naples Art District workshop.

Every series of guitars he designs pays tribute to metal music or elements from nature, with names like Destroyer and Lotus. Tyler doesn’t use heavy polishes, opting to keep the wood close to its raw form.

It all started with a desire to learn how to play guitar. “Building the guitar first was a great way to understand the instrument,” he says.

life. The Marco Island native spent his childhood drawing or playing with clay.

He started learning the saxophone at age 10; by age 11, he picked up photography, attracted to the camera’s mechanics.

Two years later, his photos were gain ing enough traction that he began sell ing them at art fairs around the state.

When he graduated high school a year early, in 2013, he found himself running a profitable photography career while beginning an associate’s degree in art at Florida SouthWestern State College.

It all boils down to his appreciation for “sophisticated tools or instruments.”

But Tyler knew something was off bal ance in his life. Even with international travel opportunities, his photography career felt stagnant. “I needed music back in my life,” he says. “It all goes back to the saxophone. I was mastering the saxophone, and then my path changed because my photography took off. I missed music. I didn’t play for years.”

Tyler says his desire to become a luth ier was “somewhat irrational.” There was

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no proverbial lightning bolt that struck; he just felt a growing attraction to the mechanical and creative process of build ing guitars in tandem with his increasing desire to play them. So, he changed tack and began teaching himself the craft. Logically enough, the skills he honed as a photographer—his ability to compose or arrange an image, familiarity with the relationships between color and shape, and exacting attention to detail—prove indispensable when sketching and design ing his instruments.

He also photographs his guitars. And they are far from standard studio shots. He leans his guitars against trees, tucked between roots; sometimes, small fires are lit between each tree, or a gui tar is framed by dramatic foliage. This connection between the wooden instru ments and their elemental settings is intentional: he’s reinforcing the point that “they all came from nature.”

With only three years under his belt as a luthier, Tyler’s established himself with clients across the country and a

waitlist to purchase his guitars. Now he wants to focus more on finding the balance between playing music and making instruments. “What really excites me as a musician is the expe rience of setting up an atmosphere, an experience, an immersion,” he says. And that comes through in every visit to his studio, where he’s constructed a small stage where his band sometimes performs. Maybe the desire to build guitars was more rational and organic than he admits.

Insider — Wine Watch — By Lane Nieset

Basque Bubbles

Mostly a secret beyond Spain, Txakolina is catching the attention of sommeliers at spots like Naples’ USS Nemo, where the team is constantly on the hunt for the next gem.

Txomin Etxaniz

Until about 20 years ago, Txakolina was mostly known only in its native region of Spanish Basque Country, which brushes up against the French border. There, the slightly spritzy white wine is served alongside tapas and seafood. Txakolina (pronounced chock-oh-lee-nah) is produced in northeastern Spain, just west of the gastronomic capital of San Sebastián, in the country’s first and largest wine region, Getariako Txakolina.

“Txakolina is getting more popular within the sommelier com munity, but it’s not something everyday wine drinkers may know about,” says sommelier Piotr Lewandowski, half of the wine team at Naples seafood institution USS Nemo. “It’s effervescent, but not a sparkling wine; it has a little spritz on the tongue with a really fresh nose. It feels like a nitrogen blanket on top of the wine.”

Piotr—who has been at the restaurant for about 15 years, since he moved from his home country of Poland after high school— works on the wine list alongside Québec City-born Éric Blais, who is also a certified sommelier and has been at USS Nemo nearly two decades. While the restaurant’s wine program has long been strong, it’s only recently, under new ownership, that they started putting their list forward for prizes like Wine Spec tator’s Award of Excellence, which they received this year on their first try.

Piotr says it’s the diversity of their list (with selections from across France, Italy and Spain) and pricing (“We’re not on Fifth Avenue; we’re in a strip mall in the middle of U.S. 41.”) that make it stand out from others in the area. “Naples is still heavy

on oaked Chardonnay and Cabernet—that’s what people are drinking and familiar with, but we try and step outside of the box,” he explains. “We don’t have typical mainstream wines on the menu.”

When selecting wines—especially by the glass—the duo tries to have an “alternative” white and red, ones from producers or varietals that diners might not necessarily know but would be curious to try. About six years ago, they started serving albariño, another coastal white wine made in Portugal and Spain. Three

The second half of USS Nemo’s sommelier team, Éric Blais, likes the mineral profile, spritz and low-alcohol content of Basque Txakolina. “It’s perfect with seafood,” he says. Anna Nguyen

years ago, they introduced the dry white grüner veltliner, crafted primarily in Austria and parts of Eastern Europe.

In early summer, Mikel Txueka, one of the members of the family-run Txomin Etxaniz, brought in a bottle of the winery’s white Txakolina, and the somms were instantly intrigued. Txomin Etxaniz is the largest winery in the coastal town of Getaria and was part of the group that established the official Getariako Txakolina wine appellation in 1989. Crafted primar ily from native white hondarrabi zuri grapes, the wine is fresh, light and floral. “It’s mineral with a little bit of spritz, and low in alcohol (between 9.5 and 11 percent)—it’s perfect with seafood and is a great summer wine,” Éric says.

The family has been producing wine in the windswept region near the Atlantic since around 1649, and the white Txakolina is crafted from 124 acres of historic, hillside vineyards that have been cared for by the Txuekas for generations. “Outside of

Sommelier Piotr Lewandowski, who has been with USS Nemo for 15 years, likes to find lesser-known, smallproducer bottles for the restaurant, making Txomin Etxaniz’s Txakolina a perfect fit.

Anna Nguyen

ACCESS HEALTHLINE

YOUR NEW PHYSICIAN IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY

If you are looking for a doctor close to home, want more information about our services, or have a question about NCH, call to speak with one of our representatives about the many healthcare options and physician choices that are here for you, only at the NCH Healthcare System. Call us from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week at NCH-7777 (239-624-7777)

Basque Country and Basque restaurants, this is not a wine you’ll find in a lot of places,” Mikel says, adding that they produced a mere 560,000 bottles of the 2021 vintage (compared to the mil lions of bottles produced by larger wineries), and 65 percent of total production is sold in the Basque area.

Back in 2001, only about 12,000 bottles of Txakolina were exported to the U.S., according to trade organization Foods and Wines From Spain. But in 2019, that number more than doubled to nearly 230,000. The Basque area’s rise as a culinary destina tion, consistently churning out legendary chefs and restaurants (many with Michelin stars), has also helped visitors discover

Txakolina and want to relive their vacation by sipping the wines back home. “It’s growing because the market wants these kinds of lighter wines,” Mikel says.

At USS Nemo, the menu lends itself to fresh, easy wines like Txakolina, since the salinity acidity, dryness and low alcohol level pair beautifully with seafood like grilled Mediterranean octopus or sautéed calamari. “The wine is great with seafood and for the Florida palate, but I don’t think it’s going to get super popular or trendy anytime soon,” Piotr says. “But that’s why we’re including it—we want to introduce people to wines like that.”

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The family-run Txomin Etxaniz winery, which produces this Txakolina, dates back to 1649 and was part of the group that founded the Getariako Txakolina wine region in Spain’s Basque country.

Simply the prettiest jewelry.

1185 Third Street South • Naples, Florida • 239.643.8900 • www.uniqueboutiquejewelry.com Monday thru Saturday 10-9pm Sunday 11-6pm Delray Beach, FL 561.272.6654 • Cape Cod, MA 508.477.3900

Anna Nguyen

Fashion — By Anna Ruiz — Photography by Omar Cruz

Coat of Many Colors

As soon as the temps drop below 80, we Southwest Floridians start shivering. Cover up in style with deep colors, shiny textures and clean lines that deliver powerfully androgynous silhouettes.

Long, straight-lined coats dotted the runways during the fall fashion weeks. The sleek silhouette packs a punch with minimal effort. Above: Coat by The Row, pants by Alice + Olivia. Opposite: Coat by FRAME, collared shirt by Helmut Lang, vintage hat.

Bold hues modernize the traditional garment and make an oversized fit look endlessly chic. Coat by Stella McCartney, black jumpsuit by Theory.

last.

one

last.

offers

While

only, see store

Total

For a topper that commands attention, look for textured fabrics and wow accents, like shearling trim. Coat by Saks Potts.

Our TALENT is the Heart of Our Craft

At NCH Heart Institute, our professional craft speaks to the excellence of our team. With nearly 25 years of expertise, our innovative and talented cardiac team is committed to a positive patient experience. NCH Healthcare System ranks among the top 5% in the nation for quality cardiac care.

For more information on our award-winning cardiac services, please call 239-624-4200 or visit NCHheart.com.

At the HEART of What Matters Most.

Gaston Cudemus, MD

Ball / Hosted

— Photography by Peter Falencik

— Photography by Peter Falencik

BEAUTIFUL HOMES BEGIN

Go Red for Women / Hosted at The Club at

on

in

of American Heart Association

Insider

Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

PRIVATE JEWELERS

BRIAN DENNEY & AMY PERRY

Brian Denney and Amy Perry of Gems of Note in Naples, collect the earth’s most magnificent works of natural art for those with a discerning taste for beauty and rarity.

Brian Denney, FGA, GG is recognized worldwide as an expert in colored diamonds and rare gemstones. As a master diamond grader, he is pleased to share his knowledge with retailers and private clients across the United States.

Amy Perry brings extensive knowledge of the jewelry industry and direct connections with some of the world’s most important diamond and gem sources. By purchasing directly from the origin mines and partnering with esteemed global suppliers, Gems of Note curates the finest diamonds and gemstones available. The personal jewelers at Gems of Note can customize your jewelry buying experience by offering some of the world’s finest treasures that fit your exact specifications. They take great pride in showcasing diamonds and colored gemstones of exceptional rarity and bespoke jewelry of outstanding quality. Let this award-winning team take you on a journey to create your very own jewelry masterpiece from their one-of-a-kind gallery.

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Insider — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

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

“You

—Brian Rist, Founder of The Rist Family Foundation

MEN AND WOMEN OF THE YEAR

SHAPING THE THROUGH AND

HANGEMAKERS

Photography by Omar Cruz Styling by Anna Ruiz

CHAD JENSEN

When METHOD & CONCEPT founder Chad Jensen graduated from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, he moved to Florida and couldn’t find a job. Here was this young guy with a portfolio filled with experimental objects, like laminate chairs that nod to the Memphis Group, sculptures made from bike seats and ceramic side tables with deconstructed legs. He had a dream to merge the worlds of fine art, craftsmanship and design with ideas that were all a little too out there for the time. “They said, ‘I don’t think we can keep you engaged enough,’” Chad recalls. One poten tial employer pointed him to the respected woodworking group Thomas Riley Artisans’ Guild in Naples. Chad called the Guild’s main line and owner Tom Riley answered within a few rings. Tom immediately offered Chad a job as a maker, with a direct line to pitch all his wild ideas. And he had plenty of those.

The 45-year-old artist, curator, furniture maker and designer has made his mark in the art and design community. He’s one of the found ing directors for the bustling Naples Design District; he lobbied for public art and championed local artists through his work on the board for the United Arts Council of Collier County, where he served as pres

ident from 2016 to 2018; he men tors arts students at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), where he teaches young creatives to turn their talents into gainful careers; and he represents upcoming and midcareer artists in his contemporary art gal lery-meets-design atelier, METHOD & CONCEPT, which he opened with Tom’s help in 2003 as the Thomas Riley Studio. Two years ago, the gallery expanded from a small space nearby to its current 3,000-squarefoot home in The Collective.

On the cusp of METHOD & CON CEPT’s 10th anniversary in 2023, Chad reflects on a quote from writer Ralph Waldo Emerson that inspired his career; “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” He’s com mitted to cementing progressive art and design in Southwest Flor ida, where traditional styles have dominated. His approach has been varied over the years—stocking genre-defying artists; collaborating with Naples Botanical Garden and Artis—Naples; hosting immersive events (like the TEDx-style talks he used to do with industry profes sionals); cultivating promising local talent, like Naples sculptor Brett F. Harvey. All of it is served up with approachable hospitality, aimed to introduce new artists and mediums

and bring new aficionados into the fold. No cliquish attitudes here.

And soon, Chad unveils the ACL|ROW Sculpture Park, named after a historic train marker he found in an empty stretch of grassy dirt between METHOD & CONCEPT and Quattro at Naples Square. He researched the letters engraved on a small concrete stump and learned it had served as a marker for Atlan tic Coast Line Right-of-Way in the once-bustling railroad area: “I said to myself, ‘This is an opportunity, with this little piece of dirt over here, to be a small introduction to [the history of] Naples and Southwest Florida.’” He worked with Naples Botanical Garden to fill the space with subtropical plants, a crouching sculpture by Brett F. Harvey and an electrical box wrapped with Naples painter Carmelo Blandino’s vibrant florals. Chad’s currently working to convince city officials to extend the garden to create a walkable art path from Naples Design District to the new Gulfshore Playhouse cultural campus. “That’s the ‘method and concept’ part; we don’t want to be seen as just an art gallery; we want to be kind of like an octopus, with as many tentacles as we can get out there. It’s about engaging people with interesting, compelling content,” Chad says. —Jaynie Bartley

LESAGE

“I like to do impossible things,” Tessa LeSage says.

That’s a good thing because eight years ago, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation (now Col laboratory) recruited Tessa from the Lee County government and charged her with the organization’s biggest undertaking to date: Turn a fledg ling student financial aid initiative into a full-scale regional workforce development pipeline. Tessa admits she didn’t know where to begin.

But she had been honing her skills and big-picture thinking from the start of her career as a mental health case manager in the early 2000s. During that time, “I realized that it was almost impossible to help any one because of how our community is designed,” she says, referring to the region’s minimal public trans portation and the unwieldy distance between residential neighborhoods and downtown jobs and services. She studied public policy and worked as Lee County’s inaugural sustain ability manager, intent on solving

community challenges from a holis tic, systemwide, collaborative, datadriven approach.

The FutureMakers Coalition launched in 2015 with Tessa at the helm and a vision to increase the number of Southwest Florida adults holding college degrees or other career credentials to 55 percent by 2025. The shift required reimagin ing how industries, educators and civic leaders work together to ensure residents acquire the tools they need to advance themselves and the region.

Within a year, the group had set its regional outcomes as one of 75 of Lumina Foundation’s national Com munity Partners in Attainment, which was likewise pushing to transform the workforce. Today, FutureMakers Coa lition includes some 140 partnering organizations, from employers to ear ly-learning providers. The percentage of adults with career credentials has ballooned to 42.2 percent. The Coali tion achieves this through initiatives such as a push to re-enroll FGCU and Florida SouthWestern State

College students who had stopped their schooling. The effort yielded 1,500 returning students, 240 more degrees—and a deeper understanding of why they paused their educations and how to dismantle such barriers.

The needs are even more critical in the wake of Hurricane Ian, which left many FutureMakers beneficia ries homeless. “We’ll be focused on how FutureMakers can ensure folks have the training for these muchneeded jobs as we rebuild,” she says.

And, the group’s about to acceler ate even more. The federal govern ment awarded FGCU, in partnership with FutureMakers, a $22.9 million grant—the largest in the universi ty’s and Collaboratory’s history—to develop the Southwest Florida Equi table Jobs Pipeline. Efforts focus on growing the talent pool in K-12 education, healthcare, manufac turing and logistics. “Education is the pathway to success,” Tessa says. “Once one generation changes, they create change for their families for generations to come.” —Jennifer Reed

ROB MOHER

As CEO of the Conservancy of South west Florida for the last 20 years, Rob Moher has become synonymous with conservation in Southwest Florida. Now, the Moher name might become synonymous with music education.

After his daughter Amaya grad uated high school, Rob and his wife Sandra faced a dilemma. Amaya is gifted musically but had difficulty finding post-secondary education because of her struggles learning in a traditional classroom setting.

They were looking for music schools that specialized in students with neurodivergence, which includes conditions like autism, Tourette syndrome and ADHD. There aren’t many–certainly none in Southwest Florida. So, they created one: the Southwest Florida Music Education Center in Naples.

The school recently acquired the former Hodges University campus for

its future home and partnered with Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs to develop a cur riculum for neurodivergent students ages 18 to 30. “It’s a first-of-its-kind program,” he says.

It’s also the latest success story for the native Canadian. Rob came to Naples in 1999 and made his mark as an expert fundraiser at the Con servancy before being named CEO in 2013. Since, he’s helped establish the Conservancy as a force protecting the local ecosystem.

Recently, their python program made headlines internationally for capturing a 215-pound, 18-foot-long python, the largest discovered in the state, as part of its ongoing work to study and control the invasive spe cies. Reining in the python popula tion is daunting, but that’s life at the Conservancy. One hour, they may be working to prevent blue-green algal

blooms; the next, facing off against deep-pocketed corporate interests. Always humble, Rob credits his 60-person staff and small army of volunteers. “This is not an easy job when you’re up against powerful interests,” he says. “This team does not stop.” The Conservancy quickly stepped in to help nearly 100 mis placed and injured animals in the von Arx Wildlife Hospital after Hur ricane Ian, despite power outages that spanned days.

As passionate Rob is about the local ecology and community, he may have had to leave Naples to find the best education for his daughter.

“I have a rule that I tell my staff, too: ‘Family first.’ We would have gone wherever the best program existed for my daughter,” he says. “But we had the chance to create something here. And it allowed us to stay in this beautiful city.” —Justin Paprocki

BRIAN RIST

The first time Brian Rist went to col lege, he, well, survived. “I wasn’t nec essarily the best student in the world,” he says with a laugh. “But I graduated.”

Forty-two years later, he returned to the University of Mas sachusetts Lowell and got a master’s degree in entrepreneurship. There he was, with 25 years of experience running a successful storm shut ter business, in a classroom with students decades younger. In some cases, he could probably teach the classes. But that wasn’t the point. “I truly believe that learning is a lifelong process,” he says.

It’s the reason why education is one of the pillars of The Rist Fam ily Foundation, which he started in 2020 before selling his controlling interest in Storm Smart last year. He started the hurricane protec tion company from scratch in 1996 and grew the business until it made Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-grow ing companies multiple times and employed more than 250 people. “I thought I had taken it about as far as I could really take it,” he says.

From there, he went about the business of giving away much of his wealth to help others. Since launch ing, the foundation has donated mil lions to UMass Lowell, including a $3 million donation to start the school’s first endowed deanship. Locally he’s given to Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State Col lege, including $2.5 million to support FSW’s cybersecurity program and $4 million for the Rist Family Founda tion Institute for Entrepreneurship at FGCU, where he’s also now teaching as an adjunct professor. “We are doing what we can to make education a little better, a little stronger,” he says.

Throughout his life, Brian embraced opportunities to lend a hand. He recalls seeing a news story of a woman whose water got shut off because she couldn’t afford the $272 water bill; he qui etly paid it for her. When he met the young women of the now-pop ular wedding music group Jade Strings, he gave them money to buy a car through FGCU’s entre preneurship Runway Program.

He helped another woman who had gotten pregnant young and had to drop out of school return to her studies, and she’s now working with Lee Health.

Brian can see the value in sup porting everything from social ser vices to local business associations. Still, to make his giving more effec tive, he focuses on certain pillars: the community (“Southwest Florida has been very good to us”), entre preneurship (“because it’s who we are”), education (“the only true way of solving problems”), health (tack ling issues like hunger, because he can’t stand the idea of kids going to bed hungry) and veterans (“We can’t say thank you enough for people who gave up their lives so we can live the way we live”).

His motivation is simple—he knows every life touched makes a difference. “You can’t take it with you when you go,” Brian says. “I’ve already taken care of my family, so from there, all you can do is try to make the world better. It’s all our jobs to make the world a better place.” —J.P.

BEVERLY FANNING

Beverly Fanning first met her mentee, Vonte Parris, at a Naples Children & Education Foundation event in 2020. Vonte, an avid football player, was in his senior year of high school and staying at Rob’s Cottage at Youth Haven, a shelter for at-risk teenagers. She was a football fan, and he played running back; they bonded quickly. Over the next several months, she stayed in touch with Vonte and Youth Haven. With her financial support, Vonte was able to play in a post-grad football program at the prestigious athlete prep school IMG Academy in Bradenton. Now, the budding athlete is on the roster at Morgan State Uni versity in Baltimore.

Though Beverly only moved to Naples full-time three years ago, people who know her will tell you she gives and gives and gives. Her Beverly B. Fanning Foundation has donated to charities locally and throughout the South, including in Atlanta, where she lived for 40 years and raised her two children. Naples Children & Education Foundation, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, St. Matthew’s House, Immokalee Foun dation—naming all her beneficiaries would take up much of this page.

She walks the walk, too. After Hurricane Ian, she bought pizzas and sandwiches from local restau rants and then drove around to

heavily impacted communities to distribute food to essential work ers. When shelters and hotels were full, she opened her doors to a fam ily whose home had flooded nearby. She also housed an out-of-town lineworker (whom she met via a Facebook post from his mother) in need of a warm bed.

This month, she plans to team up with T-Michaels Steak & Lobster House to provide free dinners for vets and first-responders on Veter ans Day. She loves helping wher ever she can. “You develop so many lifelong friendships, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile,” she says. — J.P.

JESSE BRYSON

The world must have looked small to Jesse Bryson, growing up in the low-income Dunbar community in Fort Myers, where his single mom worked multiple jobs and college was not presented as an option.

He made his world big, regardless: 20 years in the U.S. Army, a doctor ate, a stint in the White House Com munications Agency and a second career as a JROTC instructor at Fort Myers High School where his work won him the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

He’s also making the world big— no, huge—for local kids whose lives are limited. In 2015, Jesse founded the “I Will” Mentorship Foundation (IWMF), alarmed by a surge in com munity violence and acutely aware of the need to provide young people with the skills, opportunities and hope that can shatter generational poverty.

IWMF focuses on “E-STEM” edu cation: environment, science, technol

ogy, engineering and math. With such training, Jesse says students can land good jobs, whether they pursue college degrees or industry certifications.

IWMF students build robots and electric vehicles and compete against other teens (the robotics team won the 2022 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship). They learn to operate drones and work on fabrica tion machines. They’re introduced to welding, a trade in high demand. Jesse and his cadre of mentors (all of whom, including Jesse, are unpaid) take students on campus tours, offer SAT and ACT exam preparation, and help with college applications.

The mentoring doesn’t stop when high school ends. IWMF offers young adults training in E-STEM-related trades. “We’re not just an afterschool enrichment program; we become your extended family. No matter how old you get, you can always come back,” Jesse says.

Jesse had left Washington because he felt the tug of home and a longing to give back. He uses another IWMF ini tiative, the Urban Community Farm in Dunbar, to instill a civic spirit in his young charges. The foundation’s students grow produce to donate to human service organizations. Some adult men also work the farm in exchange for contributions to their children’s college savings accounts. In the process, they learn about nutri tion, home gardening and green tech nology (the garden operates using biofuels, solar panels and hydroponic techniques). While Hurricane Ian destroyed much of the farm and its structures, Jesse is hopeful that they can rebuild. “A root doesn’t have a single stem, it spreads out, and the more the roots spread out, the stron ger the plant becomes,” he says. “The stronger the stem becomes rooted in a community, the greater the harvest will be for the community.” —J.R.

JOYCE OWENS

Joyce Owens considers herself a cit izen of the world. Born just outside of Chicago, her family often camped in national parks, where she built an appreciation for the Earth and its elements. Now, the modernist archi tect has built a reputation for designs that sync with Mother Nature’s rhythm, leading with sustainabil ity and rooted in a deep respect for the architecture of the past (she studied architecture in Rome and spent 11 years running her firm in London, where she specialized in historic buildings). Since landing in Fort Myers in 2004, she’s been keen on understanding, reclaiming and creating a native language for archi tecture in Southwest Florida, gath ering clues from traditional cracker houses, Seminole chickee huts and the midcentury modern design that’s synonymous with nearby Sarasota. For a time, she penned a column in a local newspaper detailing the rele vance of modern architecture locally, and she has curated museum exhibits in the region dedicated to local mid century modern buildings.

Through her firm, Architecture

Joyce Owens, she draws elements from the past with current design innovations to create residences that are wholly at home and resilient in their environment with elevated floorplans to protect from flooding,

high-pitched roofs that allow hot air to rise and rain to run off, deep overhangs for shade, cross-ventila tion to capture the Gulf breezes, and details like using tinted glass to keep turtles on the beach and away from artificial light sources. “No matter what, we never forget that we are in Southwest Florida, and we have to deal with the climate, and we have to learn from the past,” Joyce says.

Today, Joyce is a go-to for sus tainable architecture and modern ist designs. She’s a force of nature, restoring island structures (like the 1970s cottage by innovative post-modernist Charles Moore, which she renovated on Captiva), designing sustainable homes and commercial buildings, and creating new techniques to ensure safe coastal living. As the islands recover from devastating hurricane damage, Joyce stresses the importance of building safer and smarter. She works with structural engineer Shawn Anderson at Select Structural on the islands. Together, their teams found a more effective alternative for stilt-like pilings, instead driving the pilings underground to act like tree roots, creating a foundation that lasts.

She’s also inspiring a new genera tion of female leaders in the industry, working with young women on her team and local talent, like landscape

architect Mariah Bakke. Joyce’s latest accomplishment through the American Institute of Architects marks a critical time for women in the traditionally male-dominated field. She revels in the number of women working in design and architecture today. Though female coworkers and mentors were far and few between early in her career, she points to a former colleague Andrea Clark Brown, who passed this year, as someone who inspired her with innovative designs that stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter developments.

In July, Joyce was the first woman to win the Gold Medal from the Flor ida chapter of AIA, the organization’s highest award. “It’s my responsibility to remind people where we live and what we need to do, and how archi tects, if you give them the chance, can help with many situations,” she says.

Overdevelopment is a key concern for Joyce, who values sustainability and walkable communities. She thinks a lot about climate protection and affordable housing and how architects can be a force for good by building more thoughtful spaces.

“It’s important for architects to find our place in the community as we’re moving forward,” Joyce says. “I want to be the voice of my profession right now, to remind people that we do more than blueprints.”–J.B.

PAUL FLEMING

Paul Fleming isn’t a shy guy. But he’s not likely to thrust himself into the spotlight, either.

He listens more than he talks and pays attention to the people and things around him, looking for the real deal: What’s going to move the needle? Who is doing things for the right reasons?

The Louisiana oil man-turnedrestaurateur has built a culinary empire that includes dozens of concepts and restaurants nationwide (you know them well—P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Lake Park Diner) over nearly four decades. While each venture has partners, Paul remains hands-on. Walk with him into Lake Park Diner or Fleming’s in Naples, and you’ll see him greet staff by name and ask about their families and recent vacations. Visit the test kitchen for his upcoming PJK Neighborhood Chinese, and he’ll invite you to join the staff in sampling contenders for the menu over a Yuengling.

His businesses are built on Southern values cultivated growing up in Louisiana with a farmer grandfather and a dad who was a lawyer and judge. The Fleming family fished, hunted and ate with the seasons. “When tomatoes were ripe, we ate tomatoes; when cucumbers, or spinach, or whatever was growing—that’s what we ate.

We ate quail, duck,” he says. “I didn’t know any of that was unusual.” It was natural that in 1993, when he developed P.F. Chang’s with the help of Philip Chiang (son of the ChineseAmerican food pioneer Cecilia Chiang), the menus were filled with fresh vegetables, free-range chicken and homemade sauces—practices that were still rather novel then.

He cultivates employees that stay on for decades and can earn a stake in the business. The Lake Park Diner chef oversaw Fleming’s before coming over to build the fledgling local chain that will soon include a Bonita Springs location. The chef who will lead the kitchen at the PJK Neighborhood Chinese—an elevated version of P.F. Chang’s, debuting on Fifth Avenue South—has been with Paul for 20 years.

When it comes to giving back, he’s naturally inclined toward feeding people. He likes to give where he can see tangible results and finds that locally in Naples Children & Education Foundation, which he’s supported for 15 years and has been a trustee with his wife, Jody, for the past five years. In San Francisco, Paul and Jody helped overhaul the soup kitchen at GLIDE to feed 2,000 people a day. He’s also supported NCH Healthcare System, where Lake Park Diner kept workers fed with a steady rotation of healthy

meals through critical points of the pandemic. “We did it because it was the right thing to do,” he says.

He likes to be boots-on-the-ground help: “You can learn what the real issues are and who’s legit.” Earlier this year, Paul joined celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen effort on the PolandUkrainian border to feed refugees. “They let me clean up a lot,” Paul says, adding that he was primarily on trash duty. It was a throwback to a job in high school at a burger joint, where there was a hierarchy of responsibilities. “The furthest I got was putting the French fries in the bag,” he recalls.

He’s happy to go where he’s needed. A few years ago, after reading a front-page news story about Sister Judy Dohner of Our Lady of Guadalupe and their soup kitchen’s broken kettle, he went out to Immokalee to meet the nun. She was instrumental in growing the Guadalupe Center education nonprofit in the ’80s. He helped replace the kettle, donated other kitchen supplies and has remained close with Sister Judy since, heeding her advice on how he can best assist. Lately, that’s meant driving over with 3,000-to4,000 diapers a month. “The thing about Paul is that he doesn’t just write a check,” Sister Judy says.

—Stephanie Granada

CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER

In a mere six years, Captains For Clean Water has gone from a couple of fishing guides trying to save their livelihoods amid recurring algae outbreaks and seagrass die-offs to a full-fledged nonprofit dedicated to the long-term health and protection of the state’s water.

The anglers-turned-activists spurred momentum in stalled Ever glades restoration projects, including the construction of a 240,000-acre reservoir near Lake Okeechobee, considered the linchpin in the 50-year, $23 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. What happens at the lake directly impacts Southwest Florida because the Calo osahatchee River serves as one of its drainage pipes. Too much or too little Lake O water hurts the estuaries. The same holds true for communities along the St. Lucie River, the lake’s eastern discharge route.

Earlier this year, a bill filed qui etly and outside the typical legisla tive process threatened to unravel all Captains had fought to achieve. Senate Bill 2508 would prioritize the sugar industry’s irrigation

needs over reducing the damaging discharges to the coasts.

The team leapt into action. Their messages reached more than 9 mil lion people on social media; website traffic surpassed 735,000 views; almost 100 guides showed up in Tallahassee (even at the height of tourist season); and nearly 50,000 supporters signed petitions and lob bied state lawmakers. “People were seeing this [bill] as something that was going to jeopardize the impact their efforts had made—tangible things that were happening because they got involved. And that did not sit well,” says Chris Wittman, who co-founded the organization with fellow fishing guide Daniel Andrews.

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the legislation.

The group had been gearing up to celebrate more good news—a new, estuary-friendly management plan for Lake Okeechobee, which was years in the making—when Hurricane Ian walloped Southwest Florida. Cap tains, which tallies some 135,000 guides, supporters, and donors, sprung to action. Guides on the east

coast launched a drive to help those on the west. The organization also established a long-term relief fund.

“Our mission to restore and pro tect our waterways is dependent on something we’ve taken for granted—a safe community with the infrastruc ture necessary to live in paradise,” Daniel says. “... We will continue to support any way possible until we rebuild stronger than ever.”

Daniel remembers the triple punch that gave rise to Captains: the 2016 Lake Okeechobee releases that chased away mid-winter tourists; 2017’s Hur ricane Irma; and 2018’s red tide and blue-green algae disaster, in which fish and sea mammals washed up on shore, residents along afflicted canals retreated indoors, travelers aban doned Southwest Florida, and food banks fed a suffering workforce.

That’s why Captains remains ever-vigilant. “We’re not going to redirect hurricanes,” Daniel says. “But we can direct the water. That’s something that’s attainable.” Adds Chris: “I’m optimistic … We have an amazing movement of people that is growing by the day.” —J.R.

SEASON OF HOPE

By Jaynie Bartley I Samantha Garbarini I Dorothea Hunter Sönne I Zahra Khan I Lane Nieset I Justin Paprocki I Addison Pezoldt

While season will look different this year following the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, small businesses, arts organizations and other groups that could have quickly mobilized to reopen. One of the best ways we can help our community is by supporting local businesses and institutions. Here, find people, places and ideas to uplift Southwest Florida community as we rebuild.

While we have done our best to update information regarding businesses’ status after the storm, many were still unreachable as of press time. Please contact the organizations for their most up-to-date information.

Getty; Brian Tietz

TASTE OF THE TOWN

Eat, drink and commune at these new restaurants, cocktail lounges and other long-awaited openings.

Hot Tables

These newcomers make for the most coveted reservations.

Butcher Private

You’ll need to be a member (or the lucky friend of one) to nab a table at this North Naples steakhouse from Sails Restaurants’ Corinne Ryan and Veljko Pavicevic. Clad in wall-to-wall wine cabinets, French oak parquet flooring and gleaming Greek mar ble, the private club—slated to fire up its wood-burning grill in early 2023—sources rare cuts of beef, presented with the same artistry and white-glove service diners expect from Sails. Don’t miss the Portoro—a sustain able, luxuriously marbled Australian beef that Butcher will be among the first restaurants in the United States to import. Pair it with wine from the impressive 80,000-bottle cellar.

Le Colonial

Like its lauded locations in Chicago, Atlanta and Houston, the Naples Fifth Avenue South iteration of the French-Vietnamese Le Colo nial promises 1920s Saigon style. Expected to open in the first half of 2023, the restaurant’s palm-punctuated dining room is the back drop for modern Vietnamese fare that goes beyond pho and bánh mì. Sip a Grey Goose lychee martini under the retractable navy awning, then tuck into delights, like the crispy red snapper with chili, garlic and fish sauce.

LoLa 41

The wide-ranging flavors of countries along the 41st parallel—such as Japan, Italy and the United States—comprise the menu at the

225-seat LoLa 41, coming to Ninth Street this spring. Named for the longitude and latitude of its Nantucket flagship (there’s also a Palm Beach outpost), the restaurant leans heavily into its Asian-inspired dishes, including sushi rolls and signature lobster fried rice. The bar program keeps with the latitudinal theme, too, with cherry blossom martinis, yuzu liqueur-spiked spritzes and sake.

The Med

Chic Old Naples restaurant Veranda E has a new Francophile cousin in the Bayshore Arts District. Owner Mary Brandt transformed the former location of Sicilia into The Med, com plete with oh-so-Mediterranean whitewashed walls, blue shutters and a petanque court in the outdoor courtyard. The menu focuses on family-style dishes and draws on the flavors of Greece, Italy and the south of France—plus plenty of rosé and bubbles. Hurricane Ian delayed the expected September debut, but The Med still plans to open its doors this fall.

Next Door

Inky black-garlic macaroni, naturally red roasted pepper fusilli and sheets of pasta marbled with vivid blue butterfly pea flower are hallmarks of chef John Hill’s modern pastificio. Owned by the Gather restaurant group, Next Door sits adjacent to its parent restaurant at Cape Coral’s Tarpon Point Marina. The centerpiece of the space is the open kitchen, churning out a mélange

of extruded pastas tossed with Immokalee tomato marinara, sous vide egg carbonara, truffle cream or broccoli velouté with house made mozzarella.

Rebecca’s

Rebecca Maddox—founder of Three60 Mar ket and Celebration Park in Naples’ Bayshore Arts District—shakes things up again in the neighborhood with a contemporary wine complex this fall. The two-part oenophile emporium is complete with a wine club, The Maddox (read more about it on p. 56), and Rebecca’s, a wine shop and gourmet market. While the Maddox is only for dues-paying members, Rebecca’s welcomes all, with its marble-clad 40-foot bar and the same mod est $3.60 markup on all vinos (regardless of wholesale price) found at Three60.

The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar

Restaurateur and hotelier Peter Tierney keeps bringing us new restaurants. This fall, The Syren opens in the former Wharf Tavern space on Tenth Street South, with sustain able Gulf seafood, like mullet, sheepshead and tripletail. Anchoring the remodel is a raw bar, with oysters and chilled crus taceans on ice, and a selection of ceviche and crudos. Next: The Churchill Library at Bellasera Resort, a piano lounge inspired by classic hotel bars like Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle in New York, serving cocktails and desserts. —Samantha Garbarini

Courtesy Public Content/Neil Burger

TASTEMAKER

Gerald Sombright

After racking up a Michelin accolade, a former Top Chef returns to Naples.

In a homecoming of sorts for a chef whose rise can be traced to our shores, Gerald Sombright—a Top Chef alum (2016) who was chef de cuisine at Ario at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort—is now helming the kitchen at The Club at The Dunes. While the Club saw significant damage from the storm, Gerald has been spearheading efforts to reopen the kitchen. He’s been keeping residents fed and creating a sense of community by hosting cookouts in the parking lot.

This new executive chef role follows his return from Orlando, where he was the opening chef de cuisine at John Tesar’s Knife & Spoon, which just received a lauded Michelin star. At The Dunes, he oversees the community’s five food and beverage outlets. When the club is restored, expect to find items like housemade pizza poolside at lunch and at the main restaurant, inventive dinner plates, such as gnocchi loaded with lump crab meat and a yuzu-brown butter sauce that’s infused with zesty ’nduja (an Italian cured meat that spreads like butter).

Because The Club at The Dunes is only open to residents of the private community, food lovers need to check with their contacts to see who might be able to get them an invite. The return of a chef of this caliber is not to be missed. —D.H.S.

Courtesy Alchemy Agency; Anna Nguyen

What Else is New?

Opening a restaurant these days can be unpredictable, thanks to supply-chain issues and labor shortages. Still, chefs and owners persevered over the summer, with a slate of delicious debuts and more on the way.

In Naples, tiny Ichi Togarashi has been a big hit since opening on Fifth Avenue South in June, with more than 20 interpretations of ramen (try the Thai spicy beef) and dim sum sets. After a three-year delay, West Indian-spiced Le Martinique French Cuisine & Bakery opened downtown in May. And North Naples upped its pizza pedigree with the debut of Pizzata Pizza + Aperitivo, where owners Vinny Gallagher and Davide Lubrano sling the same slow-fermented New York-style pies that landed the flagship Philadel phia location on many national “Best” lists.

Looking for just desserts? Pick up a box of milk chocolate chip, brownie batter or almond frosting-topped sugar cookies at Naples’ Crumbl Cookies, the first local outpost of the fran chise with a cult-like following. Or, peruse the viennoiserie, including flaky kouign amann and fruit tarts, at Carole’s House Café & French Bakery in East Naples (a second location opens in North Naples this fall).

Local restaurateurs also readied their second acts during the off-season. Food & Thought 2, the second iteration of the popular organic cafe, opened in North Naples with a full bar and sit-down restaurant (the outdoor courtyard with daily live music and the organic market should debut this fall). Chef Massimo Puglielli, of Mino, transformed the former Parrot Bar and Grill at Tin City into Sea Monkey, serving Old Florida favorites like conch fritters and coconut shrimp. And Sal Sinzieri, of MiraMare Ristorante, heads north with the white-tablecloth Italian Mare Terra Ristorante located in Bonita Springs.

Paul Fleming continues to expand his culinary empire with PJK Neighborhood Chinese, a block from Fifth Avenue South in the former Ristorante Ciao space, and his second location of Lake Park Diner should start serving mega milkshakes and haute diner fare in Bonita Springs early next year. In other Lee County culinary news, Bonita debuts the second location of Fifth Avenue South’s Aqua soon, and in Cape Coral, look out for the city’s first highend steakhouse, Prime 239

This season brims with new spots for coffee breaks and cocktail hours, too. In Fort Myers, Shift Coffee Bar, which

built its reputation on serving nitro cold brew from its coffee tricycle at events, opened its first brick-and-mortar at West End at City Walk. And Cape Coral drive-through coffee shop Urban Buzz has plans to open a location off Colonial Boulevard. Charcuterie bar The Board Room plans to open in Naples soon, with a wine list that favors California bottles. And Delray Beach’s Warren American Whiskey Kitchen expects to shake its first drinks by the end of the year, bringing more than 500 whiskeys, a private cocktail club and hearty New American fare to Naples Design District.

There’s no opening date yet for Estia at the Galleria Shops at Vanderbilt, but plans are underway for the elegant restaurant—the fourth location (and first in Florida) for the Philadelphia- and New Jersey-based restaurant—that evokes the Greek isles. Dates are also still to be announced for Sava, the long-anticipated gluten-free restaurant from the owners of Sails, which continues to move forward with the support of celebrity doctor David Perlmutter. —S.G.

Style and substance elevate Naples’ dining scene via Warren American Whiskey Kitchen opening soon at The Collective (top left), and Philly transplant Pizzata Pizza + Aperitivo’s (left) stellar pies in North Naples.

— TASTE OF

Following the national trend toward rethinking our relationship with alcohol, Southwest Floridians are looking to shake up their standard bar routine with lowABV drinks and booze-free alternatives. Kava bars—like the artsy Cosmic Kava and neon-filled Nectar Lab Kava Bar, which have been big hits since opening two years ago—meet the demand. These spirited locales focus on kava and kratom, plantbased brews with mild stimulating effects, sans the high intoxication and hangover.

Earlier this year, two literature-themed spots set up shop in Lee County. The Rabbit Hole Kava Bar in Bonita Springs’ Entrada plaza recalls Alice In Wonderland,

A New Drink in Town

Local kava bars offer a night of good ole sober fun.

with beverages like the kratom and straw berry syrup-filled Lotus energy drink, served in glasses that echo the funky inte rior’s ornate mirrors, glow-in-the-dark Cheshire Cat portrait and a neon sign proclaiming, “We’re all mad here.” Harry Potter fans leave the muggle world behind at The Four Broomsticks in Fort Myers, with kava and kratom-infused drinks inspired by the series, and brick wallpaper, taper candles and jars full of “potions and elixirs” to match.

In March, Punta Gorda got its first kava lounge, when the jazzy Downtown Kava opened in a 100-year-old train depot build ing. Led by Sarah Desrosiers and her hus

band, Ryan, the bar offers kava-infused coffees and teas throughout the day; at 5 p.m., they break out their Speakeasy Menu with reimagined classic cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned Feeling, with alcohol-removed bourbon and added kava, kratom or a CBD extract, topped with a torched CBD flower.

Soon, Elevate Social Lounge plans to open locations in Estero, Mait land and Bradenton. And Millennial Brewing Company recently launched the non-alcoholic Thirsty AF menu serving kava and kratom to the 21-plus crowd, alongside kid-friendly lemonades and sodas. —Addison Pezoldt

There’s a bumper crop of bars for plant-based imbibing, from The Rabbit Hole in Bonita Springs (right) to Downtown Kava in Punta Gorda (opposite).

Brian Tietz, Anna Nguyen

On Tap

Florida lore and brews reign at this new bottleshop.

This spring, Naples native Cody Shadley partnered with three friends to open the craft brew-focused Brookside Beer Market next to his family’s longstanding fly shop, Man grove Outfitters, at Brookside Marina in East Naples. Though Hurricane Ian caused 3 feet of water to rush into the shop, the team is working to repair and reopen promptly.

When they started initial construction on the bottle shop and bar, they uncovered the original 1960s Sawyer’s Carpets & Tiles store sign and used it to accent the six-seat bar and lounge area. They extended the Florida outfitter vibe from next door by commissioning artist Rob Bengino, of Lakes Rivers Streams, to paint a large mural that incorporates elements of Everglades folklore, like the Squallies pig people, who are said to live on the edge of the swamp. “We all grew up in Naples and wanted a ‘come-asyou-are’ vibe while keeping the funky character of the area’s history,” says one of the four partners Bryan Flores.

Captains and guides from Mangrove Outfitters often walk over for a post-trip drink or to fill up on the stock of sandwiches from Jimmy P’s, the beloved Naples butcher shop and deli. The majority of the 160 craft brews are from Florida, and most of the taps are local. Brookside fully embraces the Florida vibe, with a constant lineup of events, including mullet contests, yoga-and-beer sessions and a monthly market with local makers. —Lane Nieset

Over the Moon

When Argentinian-born-and-raised pastry chef Clara Fasciglione moved from Michigan to Naples during the pandemic, she started making medialunas, the Argentinian take on croissants, as a way to build community. She quickly found a strong following for her baked goods. In January, on what’s known as the full wolf moon, she started selling her croissants—filled with dulce de leche or topped with parmesan—online, and now she’s set to debut a brick-and-mortar in Bonita Springs. Clara always wanted to have her own cafe. She grew up working alongside her mother in her family’s restaurant in the tiny mountain village of Villa Traful and later ran an artisanal foods delivery service, before leaving Argentina. Her dream is realized when Wolfmoon Bakery opens this winter in downtown Bonita’s Entrada Plaza. In it, she’ll have a laboratory-like kitchen so diners can watch the bakers at work, along with a handful of French cafe-style tables to enjoy small-roaster specialty coffees and pastries, like oversized, double-chocolate pain au chocolat. —L.N.

Anna Nguyen

— TASTE OF THE TOWN —

Wolfmoon Bakery delights with its singular focus on croissants.

ART FIX

Theater shines and shows diversify in this season’s cultural lineup. Here are the events and names you’ll want to know.

¡Arte Viva!

Collier County arts organizations salut Hispanic arts and culture.

This fall, about a dozen Collier County arts organizations start their year-long ode to Spanish-speaking cultures. The initiative, coined as ¡ARTE VIVA! A Celebration of Hispanic Arts & Culture, was inspired by two Frida-themed shows planned this season.

The Naples Botanical Garden’s immersive Frida and Her Garden exhibit, which runs from Jan. 14 through Sep. 10, recreates the artist’s La Casa Azul home in Mexico with paintings and architectural features installed through out the Garden. The theme carries throughout the season, with dedications to Central American traditions, including a photo series by Lisette Morales on Immokalee women with plants from their native countries. Naples Art District artists have also worked with the Garden to help visiting artist Ricardo Soltero create a large ofrenda (offering table) for the Las Calavera Catrina exhibit, expected to run from October through the end of January, to celebrate Día de los Muertos.

In the spring, Naples Art presents Miradas de Mujeres: Isabelle de Borch grave and the World of Frida Kahlo, showcasing the Belgian sculptors’ paper creations inspired by Frida’s wardrobe. And, in April, for its III Festival Under the Stars at Cambier Park, Opera Naples debuts Frida, tracing the life of the surrealist artist, along with the Spanish classic Carmen Latin music takes centerstage at Artis—Naples for the salsa orchestra Grupo Niche, planned for Nov. 6. And, in Marco, Marco Island Center for the Arts plays Latin beats throughout the season for its Musical Interludes series, which includes shows by Gulfshore Opera’s GO Diva Erika Ramirez and Grammy-winning, Latin jazz artist Dr. Eduardo Calle. —Jaynie BartleyGetty

Florida Rep’s Silver Anniversary

Downtown Fort Myers’ flagship theater turns 25.

Florida Repertory Theatre took over downtown Fort Myers’ Historic Arcade Theater in 1998 and has since grown to be one of the top regional theaters, earning national attention from critics and helping to revitalize downtown Fort Myers’ now-bustling arts scene. The silver anniversary season was supposed to kick off with a musical dedication to jazz icon Billie Holiday, which was halted due to the storm. While the 107-year-old theater suffered flooding, restoration is underway and the troupe is gearing up for a brilliant return. We’re particularly excited for the witty historical fan-fiction piece, which artistic director Greg Longenhagen dubs a “play of ideas,” with Freud’s Last Session. The story pins the neurologist against Chronicles of Narnia writer C.S. Lewis in an intellectual tour de force. The show goes on! —J.B.

Gallery Watch

Local artists open new spaces.

The region is flush with artists making moves. Naples message-driven painter, sculptor and poet Marvin Rouse moved from a shared creative space in Bonita Springs to his first studio and gallery, Rouse Designs, down town on Fourth Avenue South in Naples. Marvin incurred some flooding and damage during the storm but is still working toward hosting his official opening party, with a target date of mid-November. Nearby at the Dockside Boardwalk on Naples Bay, Cory Patterson, known as TenToTwo, does fre quent takeovers at Passionfruit Art Gallery, while owner Natalia Stepina is traveling to museums around the world. When Cory is in charge, expect to see a variety of local art ists, including tattooist-painter Matt “Mully” Mulhern and abstract painter Maureen Gol gata. In North Naples, Quidley & Company Fine Art opened Project Space at Magnolia Square to sell a small selection of the gallery’s contemporary pieces, with a special focus on Neo-Expressionist painter Hunt Slonem.

Further north, in Fort Myers, Brian Weaver and Cesar Aguilera moved their colorful Artsemble Underground gallery from the retail-filled Bell Tower Shops to a more fitting location on the Alliance for the Arts Campus, where they plan to grow their monthly Battle of the Arts competitions— allowing participants to spread out on the vast lawn as they paint live for honors and awards. —J.B.

Courtesy Florida Repertory Theatre, Marcus Jansen, When Coloniasts Fall

Artists Helping Artists

Lauded Fort Myers painter Marcus Jansen starts a relief fund for local artists affected by Hurricane Ian.

Through his Marcus Jansen Foundation Fund, the Neoexpressionist painter is working with Naples-based artists Dennis Goodman and Juan Diaz to gather funds to help Southwest Florida creatives affected by Hurricane Ian. The money raised through their “Operation: Artists Helping Artists” goes toward rebuilding studios, restocking supplies and covering other expenses resulting from the devastating effects of the storm. You can donate through Collaboratory (collaboratory.org), the Fort Myers-based community foundation, which the Marcus Jansen Fund is part of. —J.B.

HOT TICKETS

Visual Arts

Boundary-pushing art shines throughout local galleries this season. At the Bob Raus chenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College, The Exquisite Moving Corpse (running through Dec. 10) is a video installation collectively assembled between more than 60 internationally renowned artists, who passed clips among each other, producing 1-minute segments that riff on the pre vious. The piece was inspired by the surrealist parlor game, where each artist contributes to the project without seeing their predecessors’ addition.

In one of the most antici pated shows of the season, Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum presents postwar abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler: Late Works, 1990-2003 (running through Nov. 27), with rarely seen works created later in her career. Then, continuing its upward trajectory of bringing world-class art to the region, Naples Art presents M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion (Nov. 12 - Feb. 12), which show cases more than 150 works from the Dutch artist’s stellar five-decade career, including the famed Drawing Hands Early next year, big exhibits focus on local artists. In Fort Myers, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center hosts dual shows for local nature-assemblage artist Ran Adler and figurative painter Lynn Davison (Jan. 6-25). And, Naples floral abstract darling Carmelo Blan dino’s solo exhibition Bloom Ka-Pow! (Jan. 17 - Mar. 2) at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Wasmer Art Gallery features the artist’s lively, blooming floral paintings. —A.P.

M.C. Escher: Reality to Illusion features the mind-bending works of the Dutch artist at Naples Art, while Hadestown at Artis—Naples dives into Greek tragedies.

HOT TICKETS

Performing Arts

The Sacred Sisterhood: Steel Magnolias

Nov. 12-Dec. 4 at Gulfshore Playhouse

If you loved watching Dolly Parton, Sally Field and Julia Roberts in the 1989 flick, you’ll want to see this rendition on stage, directed by the playhouse’s CEO and producing artis tic director, Kristen Coury. In the show, an ensemble of female forces join forces to use their friendship—and their salon—to navi gate the tragedies of life.

The Love Story: Romeo et Juliette Dec. 4-5 at Artis—Naples

Opera Naples performs the great, albeit tragic, love story. This performance, a pairing between the troupe and the Naples Philharmonic, tells the Shakespearean story in a five-act performance filled with intimate duets. Don’t miss this triumphant display of passion, betrayal, love and loss in Hayes Hall.

The Mythical Musical: Hadestown

Dec. 27 - Jan.1 at Artis—Naples

This eight-time Tony- and Grammy Award -winning musical journeys through two, ill-fated love stories: Orpheus and Eury dice, and King Hades and Persephone. Expect musical scores infused with ele ments of folk, jazz and blues from the Broadway tour in Hayes Hall.

The Cult Classic: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Feb. 10-Mar. 11 at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

A Tony Award-winning show for Best Musical and Olivier Award-winner for Best New Musical, this gritty piece brings gothic London to life with music from legendary lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim. Follow the demon

barber as he sets up shop above a little pie place, using his skills to create a dish that’s (literally) to die for. Teens can attend a free performance and get a meet-and-greet with the cast on Feb. 11.

The Family Show: The Sound of Music Mar. 1-Apr. 2 at The Naples Players at Sugden Community Theater Welcome spring with this timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration, which fol lows the von Trapp family as they “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” and fight against the Nazis for a better and brighter future in this multiaward-winning musical at Blackburn Hall. naplesplayers.org

The Ode: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash Mar. 24-Apr. 16 at the Florida Rep ertory Theatre

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the rockabilly artist is honored in this inspired production, directed by Jason Parrish in his 18th season with the company. Hits like “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line” from the 13-time Grammy Award-winning star shine. —A.P.

Well Read

Big-name authors come to town.

Friends of the Library of Collier County celebrates its 20th season of the Nick Linn Lecture Series at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, with luncheons featuring New York Times bestselling authors. On Jan. 16, historical fiction author Fiona Davis (known for The Lions of Fifth Ave nue) talks about her newest book, The Magnolia Palace, where two stories of love and betrayal contribute to a murder in one of New York City’s Gilded Age mansions.

On Feb. 20, Delia Owens, novelist behind the bestselling book and mystery movie Where The Crawdads Sing , lectures in tandem with Mary Alice Monroe, Low country author of The Beach House series. On Mar. 13, Robert Dugoni, who wrote The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, visits; and the suspense novelist David Baldacci of Absolute Power, a book-turned-movie starring Clint Eastwood, visits on Mar. 27. Each luncheon is followed by lectures, raffles for stays at the resort and book signings. —Zahra Khan

A-List Comics

Chelsea Handler, Kevin Hart and others descend on Southwest Florida.

Renowned comedy stars promise big laughs over the next month. First, Kevin Hart, known for movies such as Get Hard and Ride Along, performs his routine at Estero’s Hertz Arena on Nov. 12. The next week, Saturday Night Live and Mean Girls actor Tim Meadows takes the stage at Off the Hook Comedy Club in Naples Nov. 17-20. For a more cynical approach, Bill Burr comes to Hertz Arena (Nov. 20) with his dark-humored quips. Then, Tom Segura, co-host of the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, brings his cooler-than-you-vibe to Barbara B. Mann (Nov. 21-22), and Emmy Award-winning come dian John Mulaney makes a stop on his world tour at Hertz Arena on Dec. 2. Two leading ladies of comedy hit the local stage, too, with Chelsea Handler stepping up to the mic at Fort Myers’ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on Nov. 18 with her bawdy wit and Taylor Tomlinson, known for her millennial humor, visiting Barbara B. Mann on Dec. 3. —Z.K.

Radu Paponiu (right) takes over as musical director of Southwest Florida Symphony.

Courtesy G.P. Putnam’s Sons Scott McIntyre

Meet the Artist

Southwest Florida Symphony gets a new conductor.

Southwest Florida Symphony has changed the game for classical musicians, hosting forward-thinking concerts that merge the styles of Beethoven with melodies from contemporary bands, such as Coldplay. And now, after a three-year search, the company found the ideal maestro to fill the music director role: Enter Radu Papo niu. Having worked with symphonies and orchestras across the globe, such as Roma nia’s Banatul Philharmonic and Colorado’s National Repertory Orchestra, Radu built a reputation with locals throughout his last five years as associate conductor and Youth Orchestra Director for Naples Phil harmonic. You may recognize him as one of the main conductors for Artis—Naples’ Masterworks Series, where his expressive style stirs up the crowd and the musicians.

Now, Radu leads Southwest Florida Symphony into its 62nd season, bringing the same lively energy to his new sympho ny’s Masterworks Series, which highlights a slate of visiting artists, including former members of English rock band Electric Light Orchestra in May. The series con cludes with a collaborative concert with Bonita Springs’ Grand Piano Series in April. Expect to see classical renditions of Elton John and David Bowie in the Pops Series in January and February. —J.B.

RETAIL THERAPY

One of the best ways to support our community after Hurricane Ian is to shop local.

Heirloom Pieces

Interior designer Dwayne Bergmann debuts a swanky line with Kreoo marble masons.

While Fort Myers designer Dwayne Bergmann’s star continues to rise interna tionally (Dwayne made his debut at the prestigious Salone del Mobile in Milan this summer), he’s first and foremost a man of the town. Within a day of Hur ricane Ian hitting, he was coordinating for trucks full of supplies to get carted into Fort Myers. His generosity makes us all the more eager to shop his new line of tables, sinks and home decor pieces, made in partnership with Italian marble masons Kreoo.

This fall, you can shop the collection at his Naples and Fort Myers show rooms. Inspired by the designer’s propensity for liveable luxury and intended to last for generations, the pieces (think pendant lights, console tables, tabletop objects) are made from marble, wood and brass with a midcentury modern flair. —J.B.

Right after the hurricane, Dwayne created Designers + Builders Unite to gather and distribute thousands of essential supplies locally.

Courtesy

Style Points

Indie boutiques and showrooms come ahead of big-box stores among newer openings, as exemplified by these four debuts.

For Handcrafted Home Goods:

Over the summer, pastry-chef-turned-candlemaker Lymarie Jimenez expanded her Nokomis Home Fragrance with a working studio and retail space in Fort Myers’ Cypress Lake neighborhood. Here, find her eco-friendly candles, made with coconut-based wax and wood wicks from felled trees, plus other scented goodies, like her all-purpose Eversprays made with organic ingredients. She also has a new line of handcrafted home goods, which includes pretty trinket trays made from a plaster-like material (an eco-friendly alternative to epoxy resin).

For Modern Design:

A go-to for of-the-moment home decor and furnishings, the Naples-based Duo Furniture and Lighting debuted a new showroom in Marco Town Center this summer. A blackpainted ceiling and glossy concrete floors allow the selection of colorful Kenneth Cobonpue chairs, clean-lined EGO Paris loungers and sculptural Terzani lighting to shine. To cater to the island aesthetic, they stock designer twists on coastal staples, like colorful rattan porch swings and showpiece chan deliers that look like coral dangling from the ceiling.

For Old-Fashioned Flavors:

The Farm Stand at Naples Canning Co., in Bonita Springs,

is a new shop that started as a booth at local farmers’ mar kets. Owner David McCone sells preservative-free canned foods—such as pickles, heirloom tomato sauce and jams—that showcase Southwest Florida’s bounty. Run by David, who’s a former chef, the one-man operation works with organic farm ers to transform fresh produce into jarred and pickled goods.

Shop the selection, along with other artisan items from small producers, in his new storefront on Bonita Beach Road.

For Luxury Fashion:

In October, the go-to boutique for made-to-order men’s fashion, D. Lacquaniti Bespoke, moved into a new home in Parkview at Cambier in downtown Naples. With a focus on heightened hospitality, the designer treats clients to a bar that offers coffee, snacks and a signature Manhattan, made with a recipe from one of Dominic’s friends. On the other side of the building, Dominic debuted a ladies’ shoe lounge with handmade Italian designs and matching hand bags. Thanks to a new delivery truck, the team can deliver same-day alterations or footwear (tell them your size and they’ll swing by with options for a same-day gala) straight to your door. Because, as Dominic says, if you’re not going above and beyond for clients, why be high-end at all?

—J.B and A.P.

The new D. Lacquaniti Bespoke, in downtown Naples, perfects the art of boutique shopping.

(Man)icured R&R for the boys.

Men’s grooming has long taken the backseat in salons and spas. In February, Rick Sander set out to change that, opening a North Naples location of Hammer & Nails Grooming for Guys, where men can go for a mani-pedi, haircut or shave in oversized leather chairs, surrounded by rich wood-paneled walls. —J.B.

Sip and Shop

Bubbly and blooms mingle at this new Naples shop.

In Naples’ Crayton Cove, the sustainably minded Flora & Fauna blooms onto the scene in December.

At the floral shop-meets-Champagne bar, you can sip a flute of your favorite bubbly, with the occasional floral twist, plus coffee and teas, while attending one of their event styling workshops or shopping for a gorgeous arrangement that blends pastel-hued petals and vibrant wildflowers with reusable and recyclable floral supplies. Potted plants, fine linens and maintenance tools are on sale, too, and individual flowers can be bought weekly at the shop’s flower bar. —J.B.

PLAYTIME

Resort life gets an upgrade with more options for exploring, outdoor events and multigenerational family fun.

On the Horizon

Caloosa Sound Amphitheater banks on Fort Myers’ riverfront views.

Fort Myers’ River District gets another covetable amenity, with Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, set on about 40,000-square-foot along the Caloo sahatchee River. A collaboration between Luminary Hotel & Co., Auto graph Collection, and the city of Fort Myers, the amphitheater is one of the largest performing arts venues in the region, holding up to 3,000 people for alfresco movie nights, live music and community events, like WINK Taste of the Town (Nov. 5-6). When they resume, check out the free musical series with acts, like country star Lorrie Morgan and jazz ensemble Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, performing this season, against the stellar river backdrop. —Z.K.

Play Outside

Three new reasons for everyone to get out in nature.

For Environmentalists:

A David Corban-designed boardwalk, stretching over 2 miles in the 85,000acre Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, gets visitors closer to the Everglades when it debuts next year, with picnic tables and shady spots for lounging. The next phase of the project adds a raised walkway that takes visitors 20 feet up above and through the bald cypress canopy.

For Golf Enthusiasts:

Saltleaf Golf Preserve, a new luxury golf course, is slated to replace the public Rap tor Bay Golf Club next year. As part of London Bay’s 800-residence development along Estero Bay, Saltleaf features an 18-hole course and shorter 9-hole course,

designed by Raymond Floyd and Harry Bowers, the minds behind Raptor Bay. Players can expect an environmentally friendly course with views of the water, trails through pines and a minimally altered landscape.

For Kids:

The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gar dens takes visitors deep into the South American forests and grasslands with a new exhibit. Though the $1.4 million South American Trail project was slated to open in January, it may be delayed after Hurricane Ian halted construction. Still, we look forward to soon getting up close with the new critters, such as a sloth, cotton-top tamarins, capybara and a giant anteater. —Justin Paprocki

An environmentally friendly course replaces Raptor Bay Golf Club in Estero (above); Fakahatchee Strand Preserve flaunts upgrades, like an upcoming raised boardwalk (right).

Cape Coral’s Art Takeover

Rubicond Park in Cape Coral gets the artist’s touch as part of the onsite Cape Coral Art Center’s nearly two-year renovation. The makeover was completed this month with about 9,000 square feet of updated green space. Outdoor sculptures, interactive exhibits, benches and a paved pathway lined with native plants now surround the art center, which has added a new gallery space and doubled its programming in the past year. Seen from above, the circular brick walkway resembles an artist’s palette, proving it’s all about the big picture. —Z.K.

Elite Jets Takes Off

Crossing the Atlantic just got a lot easier.

Your next overseas flight just got more luxurious. Elite Jets has introduced the Gulfstream G550, an 18-seat private plane that can fly up to 6,750 nautical miles (or 15 hours) nonstop. It’s the longest range for any of Elite Jets’ seven aircrafts, which puts Europe, parts of Asia and Africa within reach for the Naples-based airline. Aside from all the cushy amenities expected from business class flights (fast Wi-Fi, comfy accommodations), there are also sofas to kick back and a personal flight attendant that delivers meals and drinks you select beforehand. If there’s an upgrade from first-class, this is it. Reserve the entire plane for your party—pets are welcome aboard, too. —J.P.

Getty; Courtesy David Corban Architects

—

Rubicond Park’s Cape Coral Art Center gets an upgrade.

The Grand Dame

In four months, Dani Glickson, of LVD Spaces, helped the Quinn family transform Lucille Drackett’s European-inspired estate on Admiralty Parade into a bright, functional family home. B y Michael Korb Photography by Dan Cutrona

The Port Royal home was built by architect Jeff Harrell in 1999 for philanthropist Lucille “Lu” Drackett. After a four-month renovation, John and Amy Quinn moved in with their three kids last year. European influences play a major role in the architecture, with its vaulted ceilings, reclaimed wood beams and stone walls. Designer Dani Glickson honored the design with complementary pieces like the Crystorama chandelier at the entrance (opposite). Previous spread: The sunroom.

Amy and John Quinn never met Lucille “Lu” Drackett, the late Naples philanthro pist and former owner of the Keewaydin Club. And yet their lives are intertwined. The Quinns now reside in Lu’s beloved Admiralty Parade home, which she lov ingly designed to her exact tastes, using master artisans and drawing inspiration from her many travels.

In other hands, the estate would have likely faced the wrecking ball. But the Quinns, with the help of the home’s original architect, Jeff Harrell of Jeff Harrell Architects, and interior designer Dani Glickson of LVD Spaces, recognized the value in preserving and updating this piece of local history. That’s not to say it didn’t take a lot of imagination and a little convincing.

The 6,637-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bathroom home was built in 1999 to exacting standards, using some of the latest techniques and materials. Cove lighting, reclaimed beams and precast stonework all feature prominently throughout. A soaring vaulted great room makes quite the impression upon enter ing, and grand fireplaces, exposed vintage beams, a glorious sunroom and enough stone and millwork to make an Italian countess blush, let you know you’re some where special. The home is, like its former owner, a grand dame. “I’ve worked in a lot of homes and this one, from the moment we walked in, I felt this incredible energy,” Dani says. “It felt very special, and I did not want that to go away as we started stripping it down.”

When Lu passed away in 2018, her four sons (Chad, Chris, Spencer and Barrett Ott) listed the home, still filled with the deep colors and heavy furnishings and fixtures Lu hand-selected all those years before. “Our mom loved the design pro cess, and she built the house she wanted. She wasn’t afraid to be different,” Chad says. “Leaving the house intact allowed us to remember her.”

Though plenty of offers came from buyers who planned to tear down the home, the Ott brothers were in no rush to sell and opted to wait for someone who would be mindful with the sanctuary their mother had created. The Quinns, who arrived in Naples from Newport Beach, California, in February 2020 (“Basically, two weeks before the country shut down,” John recalls), initially had the same idea. The couple was at first deterred by the Victorian-style furniture, ornamental architectural features and dark, heavy colors throughout. “It wasn’t us,” Amy says.

In the meantime, various friends of the Quinns also considered buying the property but were equally turned off by its gothic design cues. Everyone agreed the house needed to be torn down. But in 2021, Amy and John returned for another walk-through—this time, with architect Jeff Harrell in tow. “His houses are very unique,” John says.

Jeff knew the house was worth sav ing. “Lu loved antiques and art and was well-traveled,” Jeff says. “She wanted an elegant European-style house.” The vaults were an essential detail for Jeff and

The den was transformed into Amy’s office (previous spread and above). Recognizing the original wallpaper provided a great opportunity to add texture, Dani sanded and painted the green wallcovering. “Many people don’t know you can repurpose wallpaper,” the designer says. In the powder room (opposite), a Gucci wallcovering nods to the original lion motifs throughout the home.

Lu as a way to make a lofty space more welcoming. “Because it springs from a low level, you don’t feel you are in a cavern,” he says. “That’s the beauty of walking into the space, it feels cozy when you get inside.”

Ultimately, it was interior designer Dani who saw past the Old World quirk and convinced the Quinns of the poten tial. “You couldn’t build this house today with what they paid for it,” she says. “Many people don’t know what to do with an older house; they think we have to knock it down. We wanted to show you can take something like this and make it work.” Dani was captivated by the home’s history and craftsmanship and the sto ries of its owner and her famous parties. “Everything was curated to her lifestyle and taste and she loved to entertain,” she says. But Lu’s lifestyle, with her husband gone and all her kids grown and out of the house, was very different from what the Quinns, a family with three kids under the age of 10, would need. “We thought, “How do you make it functional and still honor the original architecture?” Dani recalls.

She saw a clear path forward: They would lighten the palette, recapture the space to make every square inch usable, and allow the architecture to set the stage for a modern-day home unlike any other, with the bones of a French countryside estate and the attitude of a breezy Cali fornia beach house. “We knew we wanted to go light and bright, because the space was very dark,” she says. “And we knew we couldn’t remove the stone. So, we started thinking of the stone as the primary ele ment and working back from there.”

Dani and the team—which included Newberry North for the majority of the build and D. Garrett Construction for the bathrooms—had four months to trans form the stately abode into a welcoming, liveable space for a family of five. “You never know what you’ll find in a home like this, she says. “You have to be patient and amenable that it may not all end up exactly where you wanted.”

The exterior, which was a Mediter ranean gold, was painted white. Inside, Dani covered the walls with a creamy white, removed excessive moldings and stonework (including a few faux columns scattered about), redid the fireplace’s interiors, cleaned all the Jerusalem stone on the floors and walls, and, where appro priate, painted the mahogany trim on windows, doors and walls a stark, modern black. Dani loved the stately reclaimed wood beams but felt the colors in the home weren’t doing them justice. “The dark paint distracted you and you didn’t look up,” she says. She tested 15 shades

The team—including builders Newberry North and D. Garrett Construction—had two primary objectives: brighten the palette and increase functionality. They swapped all the light fixtures, painted interiors a creamy white and optimized every square inch. The kitchen was surprisingly modern already; here, they just added contemporary amenities and a mudroom area.

of white before landing on the perfect hue to complement the stone and beams: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, diluted to 75 percent.

Lighting presented the biggest challenge. The home was dim and needed a lot more light, but whenever the electrician would cut into the ceiling, they’d find trusses, where the fixtures couldn’t go. “We had to come up with a lot of solutions on the fly,” Dani says. Throughout, all the fixtures were replaced, LEDs were added where old halogen bulbs resided, and recessed cans were cut into the ceiling to provide more overhead lighting.

In the dining room, the team got rid of the maroon Venetian plaster and gold candlesticks and added neutral-toned, minimal furnishing and accents, “just to break up the stone a little and balance out the heavier stone and wood,” Dani says. A painting by local artist Kristy Gammill now anchors the space.

The kitchen was surprisingly modern for a 21-year-old home. Other than adding contemporary amenities and a mudroom area (matched closely to the original cab inetry) for backpacks and sundry items, it largely remains the same, with its Dacor appliances and leathered granite island top. “A lot of these things, like leathered finish granite, are back in style but so hard to find, so I said keep it,” Dani says.

The living room’s major transformation involved the television on top of the (work ing) fireplace. “The fireplace had a top on it with painted mural and doors storing a little tiny TV. And I was like, ‘That’s not going to work for you, John.’ So, we cut the

top of the stone off and all that drywall and redid it.” Where they could, furnishings were repurposed from the Quinns’ former home. But Dani had fun adding pieces like the Lazar Industries sofa in the family room with quilting on the back that matches the French pattern of the floors. After the sunroom was painted from its lime green shade, all the furnishings were added new (RH chairs, custom Kelly Wearstler pillows, Dovetail coffee table, Circa chandelier). “This is the best room in the house, where you’re going to sit with your friends and spend all your time—I wanted to maximize the space and not distract from the view with color,” Dani says. “I didn’t want the eye to go anywhere except the view, but I also wanted it to look more than one-di mensional, so we played with tone.”

Upstairs, the primary bedroom had its carpet replaced and heavy gold tap estries and murals gave way to a more calming blue palette. The primary bath was gutted: Out went the big inset dou ble-layer tub; in came new plumping on a platform for a freestanding tub, textured tile and repositioned sprays for the shower, and a double vanity to replace the small, storage-less version that stood there before. The only thing that remains is the floor tile, which “feels like the St. Regis,” Dani says.

While their son Austin’s room needed little work, the other kids’ shared room required a total makeover to make it feel special for two little girls who previously had their own spaces. Unfunctional nooks became arts and crafts stations,

Dani says she felt a special energy from the moment she entered the home. “Many people don’t know what to do with an older house; they think we have to knock it down. We wanted to show you can take something like this and make it work,” she says.

They painted much of the mahogany trim and exterior doors a stark black to create a modern contrast. Outside, furnishings like the Kenneth Cobonpue rattan chairs (right), provide space for the family to gather and entertain.

reading nooks, and a secret playroom in a tiny sloped former storage area. “We used every inch of this house,” Dani says.

Back downstairs, the den, which Amy uses as her office, was one of the first rooms refinished. “It was dark green with burlap paneling,” John recalls. “We sanded and painted the burlap a Nan tucket Blue and the trim white.” They also added cove lighting, updated the sconces and overhead lighting, painted the ceiling all white, and kept the wood flooring. It was an easy upgrade.

Nearby, the powder room is a playful ode to the original design of the home, with its Gucci lion print wallpaper. “Amy let me go wild in here,” Dani says. “The wallpaper nods to the lion details that pop up throughout the home—in the fountain outside, the scones, the fireplace.”

By renovating, the Quinns were in their new home within months. If they had to build new, construction would have taken at least two years. “While some older homes would cost more to renovate and aren’t worth it, there are so many homes here that could be this,” Dani says. “You eliminate so much of Naples’ vibe by knocking down every house. This city, and especially Port Royal, was built in a very special way; why are we just scraping all of that?”

She points to the home’s state after Hurricane Ian and how the property stands unscathed after one of the fifth-largest storms reported in U.S. his tory: “It’s a testament to the craftsman ship and how meticulously well this home was constructed.”

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/ Spaces, concepts and characters for inspired design

Home — Stylish Living — By Michael Korb

Water World

This contemporary stunner, by Stofft Cooney Architects, gorgeously exemplifies the concept of oceanfront living.

Rising from the waters of Naples’ Venetian Bay like a glimmering jewel box, 4100 Gulf Shore Blvd. N. in Park Shore, is an ultramod ern testament to design and engineering. Built on the waterfront former homesite of Park Shore mastermind Ray Lutgert, this Stofft Cooney-designed home is as close to waterfront living as you can get.

Coming in at 10,000 square feet with four bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half baths, the 2018-built home was designed for a longtime friend and client of firm partner John Cooney. The architect had designed the couple’s Captiva Island home 22 years ago (a classic Old Florida design with corbels and shutters), and they became fast friends. John also designed the couple’s Manhattan co-op. With their Naples home, they wanted to break away from the traditionalist inclinations of their other spaces. It was also a departure for the city’s architecture: “We’re doing a lot more modern homes [in Naples] now, but four years ago [when we began this project] not so much,” John says.

It took a year to draw and three more for BCB Homes to build the sculptural home, given the difficulty of the 1.02-acre lot, with half of the home hanging over the water and sitting on pilings.

ARCHITECT: Stofft Cooney Architects

Built in 2018, the Park Shore residence sits on local legend Ray Lutgert’s former homesite. Inside, artist and designer Eric Beare plays with color and shape, as seen in the dining room’s bamboo silk rug and Roche Bobois table and chairs.

The exterior is an architectural work of art—solid and with voids—featuring expansive walls of glass. “There is a view from every room,” John adds. “The one property line abuts the neighbors,’ and that got the garage.” The house unfolded according to the couple’s desired room count and what they were looking for: pool, hot tubs, shaded areas—most of which extend over the water. A large, monolithic sun shade covers the spa and offers a terrifically framed view of the sparkling turquoise bay as you enter the foyer and look straight out to the pool and beyond.

Inside, clean lines and a minimalist palette create the per fect backdrop for pops of color, such as the custom tulip swivel chairs in Cool Pool Blue indoor/outdoor velvet introduced by Miami-based artist and designer Eric Beare. He also created several artworks and custom rugs for the couple’s Captiva home.

Turquoise plays a prevalent role throughout the home, including in the den’s linen wall coverings and the kitchen’s glass backsplash.

Home

Stylish

Stofft Cooney Architects, who also handled the original homeowners’ Captiva Island and New York homes, created an ode to contemporary design, with clean lines, unornamental detailing and mixed materials.

On the waterfront side, a monolithic sun shade offers a framed view of the bay as you enter the foyer and look straight out to the pool and beyond.

This time, he handled the entire interior design—his first largescale project.

In Eric’s hands, the interiors strike a balance of color and light, texture and shine. “It’s maximalist in scale and color and minimalist in accessories,” he adds. The great room is a glisten ing diamond with 22-foot ceilings and a glass wall that looks onto the pool and the bay beyond. Eric created a 15-by-18-foot bamboo silk rug inspired by photographs the homeowners had taken during their travels. High above hang five Raimond Puts for Moooi reproduction pendants ranging from 35-inches-to47-inches in diameter from LuxLuk Miami. The custom fur niture—much of it inspired by Iranian-French architect India Mahdavi—was built by Artistic Frame in New York to scale appropriately within the space. Eric painted the 80-by-65-inch artwork—a reproduction of Picasso’s Jacqueline with Flowers above the linear fireplace.

The dining room features a bamboo silk rug similar to the great room, along with a Roche Bobois Diapo dining table and Roche Bobois Celeste chairs in Baltic blue ultrasuede.

Turquoise is a theme that pops throughout the home but most aggressively in the main-floor den, where it adorns the walls in linen wall cloth and balances the high-luster nylon rug laid in alternating 14-inch strips of black and white. Tur quoise also finds its way into the minimalist kitchen, where it is

reverse-painted on a glass backsplash, which also houses a largescreen TV, installed to handle the range’s heat. Venetian glass pendants were brought from the Captiva home and found new life above the large kitchen island. But inevitably, eyes find their way to the view. “Normally, in every home, there is a place you gravitate to,” John says. “But here, you get blown away in every room in the house.” As of October, the home was listed through agent Michael G. Lawler of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

The kitchen’s backsplash houses a large-screen TV, which was custom-created to handle the range’s heat.

Home — Alfresco — By Maria Longo

Around the Bend

Situated on a curve of the Caloosahatchee in North Fort Myers, a sloping slice of paradise makes for the ultimate family oasis.

This Caloosatchee collaboration from MHK Architecture & Planning and Jinx McDonald Interior Designs brings riverside living to a new level. It’s a fun, personalized home—built by Sawgrass Construction—with a British West Indies feel, situated on a more than 10,000-square-foot lot, hugged by a nat ural lagoon. The team was determined to make the most of its aquatic setting and unique, pie-shaped lot. “It comes down to solving a simple math prob lem,” architect Matthew Kragh says. “Where are the owners going to spend 90 percent of their time, and how can we maximize it?”

The answer, as for many living in our paradisiacal setting, was the outdoor living area. The house maintains a sym metrical layout—keeping the entrance as the focal point—and incorporates a maintenance-free stucco facade, hori zontal siding and a flat, concrete splitpitched roof. An open-plan interior creates contemporary coastal vibes, and a second-floor wraparound balcony offers understated Caribbean embellishment that sets the stage for unobstructed views of the waterway below.

The homeowner called in landscaper Hunter Booth of St. Petersburg-based Booth Design Group to fill the grounds

Courtesy Jinx McDonald Interior Designs/Blaine Johnathan Photography

In the center of the pool, a sunken gathering area provides an intimate space to entertain outdoors. The design team tucked a private, threehole putting green off the side of the house, separated by foliage.

with blooming bromeliads, fanning monsteras and swaying palms to high light the region’s subtropical climate while keeping the vistas free and clear. A wall of windows along the back of the home showcases the pool, which appears to spill into the river, interrupted only by four distinctive fire features along the sloping edge. Custom porcelain pavers and limestone coping create a seamless expanse along the edges and a subtle sensuality that aligns with the rhythm of the undulating river. In the center of the pool, there’s a sunken conversation area to gather around the fire. And, off to the side, a spa and sunning deck are shaded by towering palms.

Designers Minka McDonald and Beth Walker-Fenton fine-tuned the home’s finishes with natural materials. Minka calls the house “extremely sensual and tactile.” She chose exterior materials that mirror the elegant indoor palette, such as Carrara marble-inspired Dekton counters and backsplash for the outdoor kitchen and a natural coral stone-clad

Courtesy Jinx McDonald Interior Designs/Blaine Johnathan Photography

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The sloped, infinity-edge pool appears to spill into the river and follows the curved shape of the lot.

Courtesy Jinx McDonald Interior

Designs/Blaine

Johnathan Photography

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, graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, earned her law degree from the University of Buffalo and is a member of the New York and

fireplace. A kitchen and lounge casually flow around a central TV focal wall and the fireplace for resort-living vibes. The result is an alfresco space that embraces its natural surroundings while maintain ing modern comforts.

Taking advantage of the curved lot, the team tucked a private, three-hole putting green off the side of the house. And boaters swoon for the dock, on the opposite end of the property, perfectly aligned to drift into the backyard with style. The space quite simply amplifies the pleasures of being outside at home.

An open-plan interior creates a contemporary coastal vibe while offering unobstructed water views.

Courtesy Jinx McDonald Interior Designs/Blaine

Johnathan Photography

Quail West Golf & Country Club Naples,

Home — Favorite Things — By Michael Korb

The Artist’s Way

We’re tapping local design pros to share the global finds inspiring them. This month, Naples-based Pamela Durkin shares artful furnishings and objects for the well-curated home.

Erik Kellar

Phillips Collection, Outdoor Sculptures

“Our outdoor spaces in Florida are everything,” Pamela says. She likes to create plein-air living rooms with the level of sophistication typically reserved for interior spaces. To add art, she looks to Phillips Collection’s aluminum sculptures, which come in forms like The Bending Diver (pictured). Renditions can stretch up to 9 feet tall and are made of stainless-steel pipes, covered in aluminum. “These textured aluminum statues command attention and bring art to the outdoors,” she says. Though the metal is rust-proof, within a year, it oxidizes, creating the look of a long-held treasure.

phillipscollection.com

Dax Chandelier

“I’ve always admired [designer] Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz,” Pamela says. “She’s an amazingly creative woman with an impeccable design sense, and her pieces are the epitome of sexy.”

Even lighting has sensual appeal in the hands of the California-based talent, who presents gold-leaf rebar hand-twisted in a frenzied fashion for a statement-making fixture. “The Dax Chandelier is chaos and sophistication all rolled into one,” Pamela says. The fact that it is made in the United States is a bonus for her, as she likes to support American-made designs.

shinebysho.com

Monster Chair

Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ Monster Chair presents a gorgeous spin on functional art. “Marcel is known for taking classic shapes and turning them on their side,” Pamela says. “I love his interpretation of a typical dining chair, with its puffed-up dimensions and diamond quilting.” The tongue-in-cheek monster embroidery adds to the artistry. The Monster family of products includes dozens of models (from dining tables to rugs to a basketball) and more than 587 fabrics, but Pamela is partial to the original black synthetic leather upholstery, which subtly showcases the embroidered creature on its backrest. moooi.com

Home — Realty Check — By Kelly Gray

Dream Homes

A waterfront French West Indies-style gem on Gordon Drive dials up the Zen factor, while a designer’s clever camouflage conceals unsightly equipment.

Gold Standard

Perfection takes time. The home at 3675 Gordon Drive in Naples is an ideal rep resentation of what can happen when patience is combined with inspiration. It took almost two years for builder Knauf-Koenig Group and Bethany O’Neil

Interior Design to finish the renovation, completed in June.

One of Naples’ finest examples of waterfront house envy, the home, origi nally designed by architect Jeff Harrell in 2006, sits on a rare and secluded sandy cove, overlooking Champney Bay and a protected preserve. With 7,873 square feet on a three-quarter-acre lot, the residence has six bedrooms, seven full and two half baths, guest quarters and a nine-car garage. A breezeway connects the main house to the three-bedroom guest house, with an attached garage for

each, and there’s a new boat dock with a lift for direct Gulf access.

The naturally lit home has three levels with water views. Love is in the details here: Interior accents include coral stone and beadboard walls, a tin ceiling, hickory and marble floors, custom built-ins and a double-sided fireplace.

Interior clean lines give the space an overall sleek aesthetic, but the commu nal and outdoor gathering spots take centerstage. This house was made for celebration and fellowship, with options for alfresco dining, cocktail hour around the outdoor bar and gourmet kitchen, and a whole playground of water features.

“The outdoor space is reminiscent of a tropical resort, with a koi pond, pool and multiple terraces,” says Jordan Delaney, listing agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

Courtesy Premier Sotheby’s International Realty/Lori Hamilton

— Realty Check

Standout features of the estate include coral stone walls, tin ceilings, hickory and marble floors, a guest house, new dock, resort-like exterior, and a rare location on a sandy plot overlooking Champney Bay.

Courtesy Premier Sotheby’s International Realty/Lori Hamilton

SAVE THE DATE

WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF COLLIER COUNTY’S WOMEN ROCK PHILANTHROPY

DECEMBER 6

This rockin’ event rolls out the red carpet to recognize and celebrate the Women of Initiative, an inspiring group of local women selected annually for their philanthropy and civic engagement who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in Collier County. womenrockphilanthropy.org

The breezeway, a covered walkway that connects the main house through a gazebo to the guesthouse, adds panache to this French West Indies-style retreat. Floor-length drapes hang from each cor ner of the gazebo for a modish boost of island style.

Mature tropical vegetation and covered verandas surround the home. “The deep lot sets the house back behind gates,” Jor dan says. “The lush landscaping provides privacy from street views and neighbor ing houses.”

A special bonus for homeowners: own ing the property makes them immedi ately eligible to join the private Port Royal Club, which includes access to the coveted club and its private beach. The home was listed at $31 million as of October.

Must-Have: A Hide-and-Seek Media Center

Walking into a well-appointed room where a bulky TV is the focal point is the visual equivalent of a needle dragging across a vinyl record. Nothing detracts from decor like electronic clutter. That’s why great designers go to great lengths to conceal it. And, while anyone can hide them, the challenge lies in rendering elec tronics invisible and accessible.

Fortunately for the owners of this home, Naples-based designer Jeffrey Fisher is like a special ops commander when it comes to functional design. He eschews camouflaging with paintings or mirrors, which require fussing when you want to access your media center. Instead, he creates custom compartments that add texture and depth to the space, rather than simply concealing something.

Jeffrey Fisher concealed a television behind sliding wooden screens that blend into the decor for a seamless design.

“We are always trying to conceptualize new ways to hide a TV in public spaces,” he says. For this project, he created slid ing wooden screens that neatly cloak the megascreen. Jeffrey chose 4-by-8-foot slotted, walnut-stained mahogany, which he mounted on the wall between a pair of shelves. “When closed, the screens cover the television; when open, they park in front of the shelves,” he says.

Even exposed, the TV doesn’t detract from the room’s aesthetic. Jeffrey firmly believes that a TV should hang on a background that matches its tone—no light colors. So, here he opted for Phillip Jeffries Husk wallcoverings, made from strips of banana tree bark, in a dark indigo shade. He wanted to hide the hardware that anchors the screen, so he hung slot ted doors from the top—with nuts and bolts fully concealed—and eliminated a bottom track. “The hardware operates so incredibly smoothly you can open each screen with a single finger,” he says.

People and

Courtesy Jeffrey Fisher

Home/Venjhamin

Reyes

WHO’S WHO IN

GRACIELA GARTON, M.D., FACRO

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

Dr. Todd Pezzi is passionate about delivering state-of-the-art, 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.

1775 Davis Blvd, Naples, FL 34102 (239) 372-2838

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.

Your Smile. Our Specialty.

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.

1001 10th Ave. S., Suite 218, Naples, FL 34102 (239) 434-5545 www.BayviewDentalArts.com

KURTIS HUSSEY, DMD; EDWARD A. SCHERDER DMD, JD; AND ROBERT C. HEDGEPATH DMD; PATRICK J. CARRIGAN DMD

LASER CATARACT SURGERY: RESTORE THE VISION OF YOUR YOUTH

Center For Sight

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

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 micronlevel 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.

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.

Laser Cataract Surgery • Glaucoma Care • Facial Cosmetic Surgery

700 Neapolitan Way, Naples, FL 34103 (239) 310-2020 www.CenterForSightSWFL.com

DR. RALPH GARRAMONE

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 awardwinning 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.

DR. LAURA CHANG KIT

Encore Urology

Dr. Laura Chang Kit is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and Castle Connolly Exceptional Woman in Medicine. She completed her urology residency at the University of British Columbia in 2010 followed by a prestigious fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2012. Prior to joining Encore Urology in 2020, she was a full-time faculty urologist and Associate Professor of Urology at Albany Medical Center, Albany NY.

She specializes in female urology, urogynecology, complex bladder dysfunction, male reconstructive urologic surgery including female and male incontinence (bladder slings, artificial urinary sphincters, sacral neuromodulation, botox to the bladder), female pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic floor dysfunction and urethral stricture disease. She has authored numerous papers and book chapters in esteemed peer-reviewed journals and textbooks in urogynecology and urologic reconstructive surgery, besides presenting original research nationally and internationally. She has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Urology, Journal of Neurourology and Urodynamics, Journal of Endourology, and Urology Practice.

She welcomes patients with all urological diagnoses to her practice. She prides herself on providing exceptional, evidence-based, personalized care in a compassionate manner.

DR. MICHÈLE LABODA & DR. ROSALIE BRAO

Gulf Coast Orthodontics

Dr. Michèle Laboda started Gulf Coast Orthodontics over 25 years ago and still loves what she does! As the daughter of a local Oral Surgeon, she was no stranger to dentistry. She pursued a communications degree at the University of Florida (UF) and entered the corporate world before returning to dental school at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. She completed her orthodontic residency training at Louisiana State University. Dr. Laboda and her husband, Eric, a cellist at the Naples Philharmonic, have twin daughters in college. She is currently the Chair of the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and has served as President of the Lee County Dental Society.

Dr. Rosalie Brao obtained her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Zoology at UF before attending dental school at the University of California, San Francisco. She practiced for several years as a dentist in Northern California before returning to UF to pursue her orthodontic residency training. Dr. Rose is a Board Certified Orthodontist. She and her husband Alex, two young children, and their dog, Leia, live in Naples with their extended family. She currently serves on the Board of the Collier County Dental Association and is a faculty member at the University of Florida.

Drs. Michèle Laboda and Rosalie Brao genuinely enjoy creating healthy and beautiful smiles for children, teens and adults. As experienced Invisalign providers with a digital practice, Gulf Coast Orthodontics provides a modern orthodontic experience in Naples, Estero and Fort Myers.

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WHO'S

OLIVIA PIERRELOUIS

MEDICARE NAVIGATOR

Millennium Physician Group Medicare Navigator

Connecting patients with the confidence to make their Medicare choices with ease, that’s Millennium Physician Group’s Medicare Navigator Olivia Pierrelouis’ mission. Every day, she helps folks 65 and older jump-start their Medicare journeys.

“Medicare can be really confusing,” she admits. “And when people first start learning about their Medicare options, they have a lot of questions, and they’ve often found a lot of conflicting information out there. They don’t know who to trust.”

Pierrelouis brings nearly 10 years of healthcare customer and guest services experience to her role as Millennium’s Medicare Navigator. Hers is often the first voice or face patients see or hear when starting their Medicare journeys with Millennium. They connect with her over the phone and at community health expos and informational meetings across Florida. Calling on the resources of Millennium’s Medicare Connect Program, she connects patients with trusted Medicare advisors who can help them navigate the overwhelming process of choosing the right Medicare coverage for them.

“Medicare decisions can affect a person’s health,” explains Pierrelouis. “Studies show people who are uninsured or underinsured are less likely to take advantage of preventive services and more likely to have poorer health outcomes. And that’s not OK with Millennium.”

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.

Premier Women's Care of SWFL

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.

Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Center

Cape Coral 1265 Viscaya Parkway Cape Coral, FL 33990

Fort Myers at Park Royal 9021 Park Royal Drive Fort Myers, FL 33908

Fort Myers at The Forum 3230 Forum Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33905

CATHY DAHL, DO, FACOG, AND BLAISE KOVAZ, MD, FACOG pwcswfl.com | (239) 432-5858 | @pwcswfl.com

ALAN N. REMBOS D.D.S

Dr. Alan N. Rembos and his associates provide high-quality 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.

WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH

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.

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 be currently practicing in Naples serving this wonderful community. Dr. Brao is supported by a highly trained and caring staff that provides an unmatched level of service.

855 Central Avenue, Naples, FL 34102 (239) 262-1341

alexanderbraodds.com

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.

704 Goodlette-Frank Road North, Suite 222 Naples, FL 34102 (239) 649-7494 | Fax: 877-894-4908

drcapiolanaples@gmail.com

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.

1706 Medical Blvd., Suite 201, Naples, FL 34110 (239) 593-3500

CollierSportsMedicine.com

THE COLORECTAL INSTITUTE

Leading the way in the fight against colon and rectal cancer.

For nearly 20 years the surgeons of The Colorectal Institute have been caring for patients in Southwest Florida. Our surgeons are all fellowship trained and board certified in Colorectal Surgery, providing expert care for colon and rectal concerns.

Utilizing the latest surgical technologies, including laparoscopic and robotic colorectal surgery, our specialty care includes treatment for all colorectal conditions.

Dr. Valerie Dyke is the medical director for The Colorectal Institute and received her undergraduate and medical degree from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Janette Gaw graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida. She obtained her medical degree from Yale University where she also completed her general surgery residency.

Dr. Nagesh Ravipati received his medical degree from the University of Mysore, India. Dr. Ravipati previously practiced in England where he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Main Office:

Gulf Coast Medical Park

13770 Plantation Road, Suite 2, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (239) 275-0728

Cape Coral Medical Plaza

2721 Del Prado Blvd. S., Suite 210, Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 275-0728

Shoppes at Pelican Landing, 24600 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 500, Bonita Springs, FL 34134 (239) 275-0728

Dr. Jeffrey Neale obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa, Canada. He received his medical degree and Master’s degree in hyperbaric medicine at the University of St. Eustatius.

Dr. Fia Yi received her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Yi served 16 years in the US Air Force including 4 years as Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center.

JONATHAN M. FRANTZ, M.D., FACS

Frantz EyeCare / Frantz Cosmetic Center

Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS, is the founder, medical director, and chief surgeon at Frantz EyeCare. Dr. Frantz is a true pioneer in the field of Ophthalmology, and one of the area's most experienced, innovative, and respected eye surgeons.

Frantz EyeCare has been serving Southwest Florida for over three decades with locations in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. As a multispecialty practice, Frantz EyeCare offers specialized vision correction including Bladeless LASIK/SMILE, EVO Visian ICL, Bladeless Laser Cataract Surgery with enhancement lenses, the treatment of eye diseases of the cornea, retina and glaucoma, as well as functional and cosmetic oculoplastic surgery.

As the leader of a practice that is at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, Dr. Frantz was the first surgeon in Southwest Florida to introduce advanced technologies such as SMILE Laser Vision Correction and EVO Visian ICL. He is also one of the top surgeons in the country in PanOptix lens enhancements for cataract surgery patients.

9617 Gulf Research Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (239) 418-0999 | BetterVision.net

Other locations: Naples, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte

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 2022. 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.

1855 Veterans Park Drive, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34109 (239) 260-1033

HobdariHealth.com

Back row from left to right: Dr. Yunmin Chen, APRN; Anisa Jani, PA-C; Genesis Flanagan, APRN; Athena Custodio, APRN; Keith H. Shamrock, DO

Front row from left to right: Yanis Alfonso Fernandez, MD; Lindita R. Hobdari, MD; and Noeli K. Pinelo Nicholson, MD

WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH

COREY HOWARD, MD, FACP

Howard Health And Wellness

Experience the difference at Howard Health and Wellness, the concierge medical practice of Corey Howard, MD, FACP, where the focus is on optimizing health and habits to fit the lifestyle that works for each patient.

As a skilled physician, Dr. Howard spends time getting to know each patient, understanding their goals and treating their needs. This personalized care and attention to detail earns him the trust of patients and peers, and the outstanding reviews he enjoys.

Dr. Howard is board certified in internal as well as functional and anti-aging medicine. He is fellowship trained in gastroenterology and is a trained plant based cook. He is Past President of Florida Medical Association, Past President of Collier County Medical Society, Past Chair of NCH Internal Medicine, and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at University of South Florida.

1048 Goodlette Road #101, Naples, FL 34102 (239) 331-2285 howardhealthandwellness.com

THE INSTITUTE FOR ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY & SPORTS MEDICINE

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!

INSTITUTE FOR rthopaedicSurgery & ports Medicine

8350 Riverwalk Park Blvd., Suite 1, Fort Myers, FL 33919 10201 Arcos Ave., Suite 206, Estero, FL 33928 (239) 482-5399 | www.JointTeam.com

EDWARD HUMBERT, D.O., MS

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.

7331 College Parkway, Suite 300, Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 337-2003

JointImplant.com

DR. MANUEL PEÑA

Peña Plastic Surgery

Dr. Peña wants to enhance your aesthetic surgery experience! He accomplishes this by listening to your concerns, careful evaluation of the situation, proposing the correct procedures, precise planning using state of the art 3D photography and simulation, and most importantly “under promising and overdelivering"! Dr. Peña opened his AAAASF accredited state of the art in office operating facility in 1995. In 1998 he opened La-Piel Spa, the first medical spa in Collier County.

Currently working on "The Instant Neck Lift", a minimally invasive neck contouring procedure, Dr. Peña combines the latest technology with classic surgical results and artistic innovation.

Dr. Manuel Peña is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is currently the President elect of the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County for more than twenty years. He and his wife Regina host an annual Crawfish Boil benefiting the Boys and Girls Club.

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.”

6370 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 101, Naples, FL 34119 (239) 348-7362

dr-pena.com

PAUL M. GARDNER, M.D., FACS; LEOPOLDO M. BACCARO, M.D.

Naples Plastic Surgery

One visit to Naples Plastic Surgery formerly Gardner Plastic Surgery is all that’s needed to discover the steadfast commitment to patient service shown by our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Paul M. Gardner and Dr. Leopoldo M. Baccaro. Both surgeons 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 best experience possible. Drs. Gardner and Baccaro strive to make each patient feel like the only patient in the practice throughout the entire process—from their first consult to their final postoperative appointment.

The surgical expertise exhibited by Dr. Gardner and Dr. Baccaro allow them to help patients attain renewed confidence in their appearance. Over the years, numerous face-lift, rhinoplasty, breast-lift and augmentation, tummy tuck, 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 attention to detail. Begin the process of transforming your image by consulting with Dr. Paul M. Gardner or Dr. Leopoldo M. Baccaro today.

1250 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 101C, Naples, FL 34108 (239) 566-2611

www.naplesps.com

JEFFREY L. ZIMM 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!

BLANE MILTON CRANDALL, M.D.

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) 592-5511

AllSaintsEyeCenter.com

1660 Medical Blvd., Suite 101, Naples, FL 34110 (239) 596-2300

DrBlaneCrandall.com

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

CHERYL L. MALICK, D.M.D. Dental Excellence

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.

3000 Immokalee Rd, #8 Naples, FL 34110

971 Michigan Ave Naples, FL 34103

(239) 631-5744 | napleshearingaids.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.

Dr. Cheryl L. Malick, a Naples resident since 1985, celebrates 20 years of serving our community at Dental Excellence, her state of-theart 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 consultation.

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

NaplesDentalExcellence.com

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

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.

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

DrKonowal.com

32 Barkley Circle Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 939-5556

MitchellDentist.com

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

202 Fitness: Work out with a view 212 Editors’ Pick: Vibe Yoga’s mission for veterans Getty

Healthy Life — Fitness — By Nila Do Simon

Work Out with a View

Condo communities up the ante on fitness centers with stellar views to boost motivation.

The Ronto Group

In the world of wellness and fitness, there’s a rapidly growing supplement that’s been connected to overall improvement in performance, lowered stress and increased vitality: Vitamin N (a.k.a. nature).

Fitness facilities have caught on and are matching their state-of-the-art equipment with settings that bank on the added health benefits of biophilic living, which harnesses the restorative, energizing effects of Mother Nature. In Southwest Florida, newer residential developments are positioning their on-property fitness centers with unobstructed views of the

Gulf of Mexico, nature preserves and championship-level golf courses. “Back in the day, the penthouse had the best views. Now, we’re beginning to realize that in order to give all of our residents the best amenities possible, we need to flip that model to offer incredible views to all our residents,” says Ed Gonzalez, director of sales at Aura at Metropolitan Naples, which is slated to debut in 2024 with a fitness center and yoga studio atop its 15-story tower.

The luxury condo community of Kalea Bay, which sprawls across nearly 48 acres in North Naples, has wholeheartedly

At Aura at Metropolitan Naples, slated to debut in 2024, cardio equipment is strategically positioned to allow for sunset views. Previous spread: Omega, the new tower at Bonita Bay, has a third-floor gym with floorto-ceiling windows facing Estero Bay.

Close to cancer experts. Closer to what you love.

Florida Cancer Specialists’ top-ranked cancer experts provide the most advanced treatments in our local community.

From genetic screening to immunotherapies, our quality care brings effective, targeted treatment to you so you can stay close to home.

We take care of all the big things in cancer care, so you can focus on all the little moments that matter—every step of the way.

Courtesy B-Squared Advertising

TRAVEL E R’S PEACE OF MINDfor the sophisticated

subscribed to the benefits of biophilic design. “We asked ourselves, ‘How do we make it inspiring if you want to workout?’” Inga Lodge, the property’s vice president of marketing and sales, says of the team’s plans for the fitness centers. The answer: elevate the gym. By the time the entire development is completed in 2024, Kalea Bay will be home to five high-rise towers, all with rooftop fitness centers that showcase open-air design. All the workout cen ters are unenclosed on two sides for clear views of the rooftop pool and the Wiggins Pass inlet beyond, sky-high breezes and a covered, shady area to sweat it out alfresco. The cardio equipment is strategically positioned so gymgoers overlook the Gulf while they jog or spin. On a clear day, mem bers can see Captiva Island from the rooftop perch.

Matching the movement toward wellness-centric real estate, Kalea Bay takes a holistic approach throughout. Next to each rooftop gym is an infin ity-edge pool for swimming laps. An amenity center located centrally on the ground level of the development is also home to three pools, bordered by towering palm trees and views of the nearby lake. Attached to the amenity center will be a 14,000-square-foot wellness center, which is slated to open before the end of the year. The

LUGGAGE

BAGS

BLANKETS

SLIP PERS

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

Healthy

AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE©

center will offer personal trainers, a sauna, spin room and group fitness classes. “It’s about delivering on phys ical, mental and social wellbeing for our residents,” Inga says.

A short drive north of Kalea Bay, another development is intent on vaulting wellness real estate. Set to begin its closings in December, Omega Bonita Bay stretches 27 stories high with vistas of Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The third-floor fitness center features 12-foot-tall, curved glass panels, so athletes can take in north and west views, including the ninth and tenth holes of the Bonita Bay Club golf course.

In a more urban setting, Aura at Metropolitan Naples, at the inter section of U.S. 41 and Davis Bou levard, features an approximately 2,350-square-foot rooftop fitness center and yoga studio, plus a 50-foot infinity-edge pool, all with wide vis tas of Old Naples and Naples Bay. Ed imagines early evening runs on the west-facing cardio equipment becoming a popular option for resi dents. “Aura at Metropolitan Naples is being designed to take advantage of what all of us in Naples love: the glorious sunset,” he says. “If you time it properly, you can have a great workout 156 feet up in the air while the sun sets.”

Healthy Life — Fitness

—

— By Zahra Khan

Good Oms

Fort Myers resident Lindsay Smith of Vibe Yoga goes above and beyond for those who have or are serving their community and country.

When Lindsay Smith and her family returned to Fort Myers after 10 months away on her husband’s military orders, she found the studio where she used to teach—and many others—was closed due to the pandemic. So, in May 2021, she opened her 1,500-square-foot stu dio, Vibe Yoga in Fort Myers, to offer classes, including prenatal, kids, chair, power, restorative and stand-up pad dleboard yoga.

After 22 years of being a military spouse, Lindsay is most passionate

about her trauma-sensitive, free, War riors at Ease classes, which can help first responders and veterans mitigate PTSD and the effects of traumatic brain injuries, through classes with modified movements and guided meditation.

Lindsay has also expanded her efforts beyond the mat to offer healing oppor tunities. She and her husband host free, family trivia nights for veteran families at their 7-acre Buckingham property. In January, the couple plans to host fully funded, week-long retreats at the farm,

where attendees can practice yoga, interact with barn animals and enjoy cookouts. Lindsay, who also teaches free classes at National Alliance on Mental Illness Collier County and at local high schools, seeks to break stereotypes of what the practice really is: “Yoga is not just picturesque poses; it’s incorporat ing the mind, body, breath and soul. When we get onto the mat or chair, it’s extremely emotional,” she says. “My job is to serve them … the ones that are used to serving.”

Healthy

Avow Treasures Resale Shop

New to North Naples, Avow’s Treasures Resale Shop opened with nearly 10,000 square feet of furniture, housewares, clothes, purses, jewelry, shoes, and more! The location is in the former For the Love of Golf building at 9765 Tamiami Trail N., across from Pelican Marsh. This new store offers more than just retail therapy. The store’s second floor has two apartments Avow will use for workforce housing. The apartments have been renovated and will be of tremendous value as Avow uses them to house traveling clinicians. These roles allow Avow to fluctuate staff during season and can

sometimes be left vacant due to the cost of living in Collier County. “The apartments are one way Avow is combating the inflated housing costs. Many clinicians have turned down roles because they couldn’t afford to live in the county,” Avow President & CEO Jaysen Roa explained. Plans are in the works to expand the resale shop as well as the workforce housing.

patients follow the same predictable path. That’s why Avow uses an artificial intelligence (AI) application that predicts which patients will need intensive support in the coming few days. With this information, clinical leaders can plan how best to schedule visits by care team members, concentrating visits on those patients predicted by the AI to need additional care.

“The promise we make to our patients and their families is to make each patient’s journey as comfortable and personal as we can,” says Dr. Rebecca Gatian, Chief Clinical Officer. “That means increasing the number of visits we make as patients may experience exacerbated symptoms and need more support. The AI system guides Avow staff in anticipating which patients will need focused care so we can proactively put our team members at their bedsides when they need us most.”

Additionally, the AI can compare an Avow patient’s symptom profile with those of similar, anonymous patients in other hospices also using the same AI application. According to Gatian, the AI’s accuracy rate is 97-99%. The results from the program’s success show on Medicare.gov’s Care Compare website. September records show Avow patients received 29.1% more visits from nurses and social workers in their final days of life when compared to the other Collier County hospice.

“It’s so important to patients and families in those last days for our nurses and social workers to be present to help them through transition,” says Gatian. “With this artificial intelligence application, we know when a patient is likely to need visits every day. AI can also show us which patients are stable, how we should allocate our team resources, and which teams will likely need additional staff to meet patient care needs. The software reviews our patient documentation every four hours, 24 hours a day, so our clinical leaders always have real-time data to make the patient and family experience the very best it can be.”

The AI application analyzes the patient information charted in Avow’s electronic medical record system by every care team member, for every visit, looking for indicators that the patient’s symptoms are progressing or indicating a likely change in prognosis.

“The promise we make to our community is to bring peace of mind to those we serve,” Gatian says. “The system is one important tool to help us do exactly that. It turns data into an actionable care plan enhancement that brings calm and relief to patients and their families alike.”

Avow Campus

Avow Palliative Care Program Achieves National Quality Certification

In the months or years before seriously ill people need hospice end-of-life care, they can find pain relief and improved quality of life through palliative care. This specialty treatment focuses on relieving distressing symptoms and helping patients find joy and comfort in living. Avow has offered palliative care to Collier County since 2004, pioneering approaches to supporting those who need extra care but who are not yet ready for hospice. Avow has about 150 palliative care patients on the service each day, visiting them in Avow’s palliative care clinic, or in their homes when they are not able to travel for appointments.

“Palliative care can help anyone at any stage of illness,” says Rebecca Molina, an Avow director who manages palliative care services. “We are a partner to community physicians whose patients need extra support while they seek to cure a condition or live more comfortably with a chronic or serious illness. Our program focuses on relieving burdensome symptoms and helping patients and their families cope with the overwhelming physical and emotional impacts of advanced illnesses,” she says.

Avow has a long history of seeking and achieving quality accreditation by external standards bodies. Its hospice program has been continuously quality certified by The Joint Commission since 2001. Avow also measures the quality and effectiveness of its bereavement programs by comparing client survey feedback to measures established by outside standards bodies.

“The public and medical communities alike are becoming more familiar with how palliative care can improve outcomes and quality of life,” Molina says. “This program reduces cost of care, focuses support where it’s needed, and relieves difficult conditions in those who live with a severe chronic illness. Patients and medical professionals are informed: they seek out the experts whose programs are proven to meet the highest standards. We are proud to have earned the CHAP seal of approval.”

In 2022, Avow’s palliative care program earned national quality certification from Community Healthcare Accreditation Partner (CHAP), an independent, nonprofit accrediting body for home and community-based healthcare organizations. It is the first palliative care program in Florida to earn this certification.

While Medicare and insurance programs pay for palliative care treatments, those payments cover only about 15 percent of Avow’s cost to provide them. Donor support is critical, particularly from those who prioritize making an annual commitment of support. Avow’s Compassionate Care Society recognizes those whose yearly gifts help sustain the program today and ensure its future. Society members are making a critical difference in the quality of life in Southwest Florida. For more information, contact Avow Foundation at foundation@avowcares.org.

Veterans Program Expands to Reach More Vets and Families

End of life is a time when many people evaluate the choices they have made and the beliefs that have guided their actions. For Veteran patients, taking that self-inventory can be deeply painful because of what they experienced as members of the armed forces. They may bring long-buried traumas to the surface for the first time, sometimes surprising their families who had no idea that their Veteran had suffered.

their experiences of loss and grief are intimately intertwined with cherished feelings of victory and glory.

To better support Veteran patients, Avow has earned the Level 5 (highest) designation in the We Honor Veterans program. A collaboration of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the program guides partner hospices in developing sensitive training, cultures and tools to support their Veteran patients. All Avow employees and volunteers learn about Veterans’ needs.

For Avow, caring for Veterans begins long before they become patients. Avow’s rich outreach program celebrates national recognition days such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day, as well as every service branch’s birthday.

Many of the Veterans in Avow’s care come with complex, deeply held feelings about their military service. Their reactions may be influenced by their combat or non-combat duties, which war they served in, whether they were enlisted or drafted, and their branch of service and rank. Female Veterans may wrestle with difficulties related to perceptions of their gender. For many Veterans, endof-life physical or psychological pain connects them to the past;

In 2022, Avow expanded its outreach program to include special ceremonies for Korean War Veterans, Purple Heart recipients and their families, and female Veterans via a Women Veterans Day event. Avow is also growing its “Vet to Vet” volunteer program, which pairs a Veteran volunteer with a patient who also served. This partnership can bring a sense of “being seen and understood” to patients at a time when they need it most. Veterans who are interested in exploring this unique and meaningful volunteer opportunity should contact Avow’s Volunteer Services Department at volunteerservices@avowcares.org or (239)261-4404. Please visit avowcares.org/resources for a copy of local and national Veteran resource guides.

Avow honored more than 1,600 Veterans and their families for their service in 2021. New outreach efforts in 2022 and 2023 promise to extend that reach even further, bringing comfort and understanding to people who so selflessly defended and protected their country.

34105 | (888) 484-AVOW (2869) | (239) 261-4404

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

Fresh on the Scene

Daniel Swofford’s Grandpa Ross didn’t talk too much. “He was a very old-school country guy and farmer, who’d show affection by showing you things and just spending time with you,” Daniel says. Often, that meant fishing at the local lake near his grandparents’ home in Columbia, Missouri, or along the trout-stocked waters of Montauk State Park during summer break. Growing up between the city and suburbs of St. Louis, Daniel’s main exposure to fish came from those languid afternoons with his grandfather, who passed away two years ago. They’d reel in blue gill, trout, maybe some catfish, all to be crusted up in cornmeal for a classic Mid western fish fry. Other than those freshwater catches, Daniel says, “I really didn’t know anything about seafood.”

Nearly three decades later, Daniel is surrounded by the ocean’s bounty in Naples. In May, he became the chef of Jim and Laura Dixon’s legendary The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar. While menu mainstays like the epic Caveman Burger and bacon-flecked chicken Marsala meatballs aren’t going any where, Daniel’s signature is already noticeable, evidenced by an overall lighter touch, attention to local ingredients and finessed preparations of seafood from waters nearby and abroad—all paired with wines from the Dixons’ stellar collection, of course. “Naples was exactly what I was looking for; it’s a beautiful place to live,” Daniel says. But, it’s been a long road to get here.

The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar goes all in on its culinary program with chef Daniel Swofford leading the charge.

Taste — Chef’s Table — By Adam Erace — Photography By Anna Nguyen

Taste

Daniel Swofford chefed at the Michelin-starred Modern and Eleven Madison Park in New York, as well as The Painted Lady in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, before taking the helm at The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar.

Having recently come from Oregon’s wine country, he delights in The Cave’s (a sister restaurant to Naples Wine Collection) vast access to world-class wines, around which he enjoys creating clever pairings.

Laura and Jim Dixon have built their North Naples restaurant as a destination for oenophiles, discerning industry chefs and bartenders.

Talk to any chef, and there’s a strong chance that cooking wasn’t their initial creative pursuit. Maybe they were in a punk rock band in high school or they had a roll of paintbrushes long before they had a roll of knives. For Daniel, the artistic outlet was writing. He wanted to be a novelist, like his literary heroes Twain and Hemingway, and figured a journalism degree from the University of Missouri would make an effective springboard into fiction. For a job near campus, he started cooking at what he calls a “nice-for-St.-Louis-at-the-time restaurant in the Central West End,” which was then a trendier part of town. “I just fell into it and slowly in love with it. It introduced me to a lot of food and another artistic pursuit working with my hands,” he says. Daniel dropped out of school in December 2005, and

that following January, three weeks after turning 20, he moved to New York.

Within three days of landing in Manhattan, a connection from a family friend led Daniel to the Modern, at the Museum of Modern Art, where he started “working at the very bottom” under renowned chef Gabriel Kreuther, who now runs his eponymous two-Michelin-starred restaurant near Bryant Park. “Gabriel is a big Alsatian guy, so [we were working with] lots of hearty food and German influences,” he says. Gabriel also had an affinity for delicate fish preparations: “He made a point of trying to get fish that people wouldn’t necessarily know ... [like] rouget and barramundi—things you wouldn’t see most other places in the city.” During his four-and-a-half years there,

The Missouri-bred chef arrived earlier this year to up The Cave’s culinary ante, taking advantage of the plethora of seafood that surrounds us on the Gulf, farm-fresh ingredients and our region’s robust wine culture.

Daniel cooked through all eight kitchen stations. “Gabriel shaped and really expanded my understanding of cooking and how to handle food, from all the classical French techniques to how to evolve a menu through the seasons,” he says.

After the Modern, Daniel continued to hone his skills at the acclaimed Eleven Madison Park (three Michelin stars) and Dovetail (one star) before moving across the country to Ore gon for a change of scenery. He spent the next decade in the Pacific Northwest, cooking in Portland and most recently at Oregon’s only Forbes four-star restaurant, The Painted Lady, in the Willamette Valley, “the high heart of wine country, home to the best pinot noirs in the world, in my opinion,” he says. “My wine knowledge and appreciation have evolved over the years

and are a huge part of dining. The connection with the Naples Wine Collection was a big component in my taking the job at the Cave, where we have access to basically any wines we want.”

Daniel’s creativity shines brightest in developing weekly paired menus. Tasting with sommelier and general manager Olga Khorunzha is his starting point for creating dishes and playing with ideas, some of which come straight out of our waters. “In Naples, we have access to so much incredible fish and shellfish, and that’s really fun for me,” he says. Grandpa Ross might not recognize his grandson’s local rock lobster with radishes, caviar and a froth of yuzu-ginger lobster stock, or the lush purple heirloom grits crowned with pink shrimp from the Keys, but he would certainly be proud.

Taste of the Gulf — Dining Guide

DINING GUIDE

The Dining Guide is crafted each month based on editorial discretion and may include restaurants that advertise regularly (denoted by an asterisk). We have done our best to report on the status of each restaurant after Hurricane Ian. While some are still unreachable or their plans are uncertain, the restaurants denoted with an open-door icon ( ) are confirmed to be open and welcome your support. All phone numbers are area code 239 unless specified.

It’s a toss-up for first place between the artful dishes and stunning waterfront views at Ario at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort .

Courtesy Ario at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

Dining Guide Key : b Brunch o Outside Dining p Pet-Friendly v Valet w Water Views Open

Indulge in an Italian delicacy

Plan ahead for the holidays and treat yourself and a loved one to a night out in December. You’re invited to join us for a celebration of the seasonal truffle during exclusive wine dinners held each Wednesday at 6 p.m. The dinners will feature five delectable courses, each paired with exquisite wines selected by our sommeliers. Delight all of your senses with a luxurious dining experience at one of Southwest Florida’s most-awarded restaurants.

MARCO ISLAND

Ario

400 S. Collier Blvd., 6422695. arioatjwmarco.com

At the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Ario has striking Gulf views, elevated culinary offerings and an impressive bar pro gram. Expected to reopen mid-October.$$$$ STEAK o v w

The Oyster Society 599 S. Collier Blvd., 3943474. theoystersociety.com.

At this chic locale, the raw bar has more than eight oys ter selections daily, as well as sushi and fresh catches.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o p Sale e Pepe 480 S. Collier Blvd., 3931600. 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 people 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 influ ences 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. Closed until further notice. $$$$ ITALIAN o p v

D’Amico’s The Continental

1205 Third St. S., 659-0007. damicoscontinental.com. Ex perience top-quality cuts of steak from all over, enhanced by stylish modern decor, private cabanas and a cock tail lab. Closed until further notice. $$$$ 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 with creative American fare. Closed until further notice.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

Sea Salt 1186 Third St. S., 434-7258. seasaltnaples.com. Loved for its sophisticated seafood and its accompaniments. Attend monthly wine dinners and other events $$$$ SEAFOOD o p v

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 this jewel box of a dining room known for its indulgent fare. Closed until further notice. $$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Bistro 821 821 Fifth Ave. S., 261-5821. bistro821.com. You’ll love the open kitchen and menu filled with originality.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Chops City Grill

837 Fifth Ave. S., 262-4677. chopscitygrill.com. An elegant, baroque-inspired steakhouse. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Del Mar 494 Fifth Ave. S., 350-0134. delmarnaplesrestaurant.com. The latest from restaurateur Cameron Mitchell is this twostory, fine-dining eatery with a menu drawing 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 atmos phere. $$$ 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 small restaurant has quickly become 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. National restaurateur Cameron Mitchell presents surf and turf, an elegant dining room and highly attentive service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN v

of the Gulf — Dining Guide

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 o p

Pazzo! Cucina Italiana 853 Fifth Ave. S., 434-8494. pazzoitaliancafe.com. Beautiful presentations and twists on Italian favorites. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p

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 o p

Sails Restaurant 301 Fifth Ave. S., 360-2000. sailsrestaurants.com. This establishment with a raw bar has a weekend Champagne brunch that’s a refined destination. $$$$ SEAFOOD b o p v

Sushi Thai Downtown 898 Fifth Ave., 430-7575. su shithaidowntown.com

With multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee Counties, this spot has a large selection of sushi and Thai dishes.$$$ ASIAN o p

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

$$$$ SEAFOOD v

Veranda E 290 Fifth Ave. S., 659-3466. hotelescalante.com. A court yard setting and menu with Asian and French influenc es in the Hotel Escalante. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

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 elevated small plates.

$$$$ COCKTAIL LOUNGE

Yabba Island Grill 711 Fifth Ave. S., 262-5787. yabbaislandgrill.com. Surf and turf, seasonal stone crab and patio seating abound.

$$$ SEAFOOD o

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 b o v

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 o p

La Colmar Bakery & Bistro

80 Tamiami Trail N., 3154303. lacolmar.com. Here, you’ll find some of Naples’ top bread and pastries, plus sandwiches and salads.

$$$$ BAKERY o p

The Lake Park Diner 944 Seventh Ave. N., 2286351. 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. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ ECLECTIC o p v w

The Rooster Food + Drink

600 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Unit #101, 228-5973. theroosternaples.com. A breakfast and lunch spot for comfort fare, with dinner Wednesday through 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. Expected to reopen late-October.

$$$ 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 the south of France with the food and select from Naples’ only Grand Award-win ning wine list. Closed until further notice.$$$$ FRENCH o p v

Chez Boët 755 12th Ave. S., 643-6177. chezboetnaples.com. French staples, plus 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. Closed until further notice.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p w

EAST NAPLES

21 Spices by Chef Asif

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

$$$ INDIAN o p

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

From the owner of Three60 Market, this waterfront foodtruck park has a lively bar scene and boat-up slips.

$$ ECLECTIC o p w

Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen

4270 Tamiami Trail E., 315-4167. kareemskitchen. com. Here, you’ll find seven types of hummus, salads and chicken with za’atar potatoes. Expected to reopen mid-October.

$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Lima Restaurant

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

$$ PERUVIAN o

LowBrow Pizza & Beer 3148 Tamiami Trail E., 529-6919. lowbrowpizzaand beer.com. 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. rumbacuban cafe.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. A breakfast and lunch cafe with gourmet flair, a specialty market and an impressive wine shop.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

by the Season

Dairy-Free

Vegan, Vegetarian,

created by Chef Jeff Mitchell

Taste of the Gulf — Dining Guide

MIDTOWN

Alexander’s Garden Restaurant

4077 Tamiami Trail N., 262-4999. alexandersnaples. com. The menus are 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. andressteakhouse.

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 o Café Nutrients

3080 Tamiami Trail N., 9198732. cafenutrients.com. At this organic, plant-based cafe, owner Ming Yee sources ingredients from local farms and producers. $$$ VEGAN b o p

Cibao Grille

814 Neapolitan Way, 434-6653. cibaogrille.com.

Dishes from the owners’ native Dominican Republic mix with American classics. $$$ MOD

ERN AMERICAN o p

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 o p

Escargot 41 4351 Tamiami Trail N., 793-5000. escargot41.com. This traditional spot features a page of escargot specials alone. $$$ FRENCH o p

Fernández the Bull

3375 Pine Ridge Road, #101, 653-9097. fernandezthebull. com. Expect authentic Cuban dishes, like picadillo a la criolla and ropa vieja.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Food & Thought

2132 Tamiami Trail N., 213-2222. foodandthought. com. An organic grocer and counter-service cafe with raw and vegan options.

$ CAFE o p

Fujiyama

2555 Tamiami Trail N., 2614332. naplesfujiyama.com. Japanese master chefs pre pare dinners with flair at your hibachi table. $$$ ASIAN

Harold’s Place

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

Hogfish Harry’s 600 Neapolitan Way, 776-7623. hogfishharrys. com. The menu follows a commitment to sourcing 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.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Jimmy P’s Charred 1833 Tamiami Trail N., 643-2427. jimmypscharred.com. A casual steakhouse special izing in Wagyu beef from Naples’ longtime trusted butcher. $$$$ STEAK o p

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

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

Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche 1575 Pine Ridge Road, #9, 234-2442. komoonthai.com.

A fun mix of Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare in a con temporary locale that often hosts live music.

$$ ASIAN

Moura Bistro

3369 Pine Ridge Road, 738-8883. mourabistro.com.

A tiny spot with 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. ussnemorestau rant.com. Masterful crea

tions using fresh seafood from a classically trained chef. $$$ SEAFOOD o Ziggy D’Amico’s Whiskey Bar & Diner 4691 Ninth St. N., 4300955. ziggydamicos.com. This D’Amico & Partners spot has an emphasis on whiskey. $$ AMERICAN b o p

THE VILLAGE SHOPS ON VENETIAN BAY

Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar 4270 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 649-5552. baysideseafood

grillandbar.com. Here, you’ll find more than 200 feet of waterfront dining. $$$$ SEAFOOD o p w

MiraMare Ristorante 4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 430-6273. miramarenaples. com. Enjoy classic Italian fare on the waterfront patio overlooking Venetian Bay. Closed until further notice. $$$ ITALIAN o w

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. Expected to reopen early

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 at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. Closed until further notice. $$$$ 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 o v w

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., 5978867. cotedazurrestaurant. com. Old World French cuisine, from filet mignon to quail, 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., 8803337. 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, 254-9855. fernandezthebull. com. Authentic Cuban dish es and daily happy hour. $$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Grain De Café 8803 Tamiami Trail N., 5948081. frenchcafenaples.com.

The wait is worth it for the pain au chocolat, quiches and crepes. $$ FRENCH b o

The Grill

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 598-6644. ritzcarlton.com.

This steakhouse in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, evokes the ambiance of an elegant private club. Closed until further notice. $$$$ STEAK v

Jimmy P’s Burgers & More

1833 Tamiami Trail N., 1201 Piper Blvd., #11, 514-1800. jimmypsburgers.com. The same superior meats from the longtime trusted butcher, with an emphasis on juicy burgers. $$$$ AMERICAN o p

USS Nemo in Naples has been a local favorite for years thanks to its impeccable seafood, wine program and cocktails. Brian Tietz

Taste of

Gulf

Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche

1514 Immokalee Road, 2342442. komoonthai.com. A fun mix of Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare in a contempo rary locale that often hosts live music. $$ ASIAN o p

Namba 8847 Tamiami Trail N., 5924992. nambanaples.com. The Japanese menu is limit ed to a remarkable selection of ramen, sushi and small plates. $$$ ASIAN

New York Pizza & Pasta* 11140 Tamiami Trail N., 594-3500; 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., 7880222. twofillets.com. The lat est surf-and-turf restaurant and market from the folks behind Pinchers and Deep Lagoon. $$$ AMERICAN o p

Zen Asian BBQ 10823 Tamiami Trail N., 2607037. eatatzen.com. A pan-

Asian joint with fresh sushi, ramen, bar bites and Korean barbecue. $$$ ASIAN o p

MERCATO Bar Tulia 9118 Strada Place, #8150, 438-1031. 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

THE PAVILION

KC American Bistro 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 566-2371. kcamericanbistro. com. Seasonal, American cui sine 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. $$ MEXICAN o p

GALLERIA SHOPPES AT VANDERBILT

Alpine Restaurant 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 325-9499. alpineofnaples. com. Expect the best of Ger man, Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian cuisines. $$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN b o p

The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar 2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 513-0095. thecavenaples. com. An ode to Burgundy’s cellars, complete with small plates. $$$ WINE BAR o p Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 631-6844. mistero1.com. Extraordinary isn’t hyperbo le; try the star-shaped pizza with ricotta-stuffed crust for proof. $$ ITALIAN o p Poke Mahi 2349 Vanderbilt Beach Road, #520, 260-5722. pokema hi.com. Here, you’ll find 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 glob ally 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 has been recently renovated, including a new menu and cocktail list.

$$$$ STEAK o p 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. $$$$ MODERN AMERI CAN o p Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille 5370 Bonita Beach Road, 676-7777. coconutjacks.com. A perfect stop for quick bites with water views. Closed until further notice. $$$ SEAFOOD o p v w

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 o p

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. Don’t miss Champagne and oyster popup nights. $ CAFE o p

El Basque Vin & Pintxo Bar 25245 Chamber of Com merce Drive, 301-4973.

elbasque.com. Spanish and French influences merge at this tapas-style Basque wine bar. $$$ BASQUE o

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

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o p

Jimmy P’s Charred 25301 Tamiami Trail S., 390-0301. jimmypssteaks. com. The trusted butcher

serves superior meats and shareable plates.

$$$$ STEAK

Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche 3300 Bonita Beach Road, 234-2442. komoonthai.com

Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare in a contemporary spot that often hosts live music. $$ ASIAN o

Lapa’s Costa Rican Bistro 26251 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite #9, 221-7016. lapascr.com. Expect authentic plates of

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. bonitaspringsbis tro.com. Chef Brian McCa rley serves comfort dishes with a modern flair.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

A TRANQUIL TROPICAL HIDEAWAY

Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant is known for its historic “Old Florida” atmosphere, acclaimed dining, stunning sunsets and unparalleled inshore and coastal fishing. We’re proud to have won BEST SUNSET VIEW & BEST KEPT SECRET in Gulfshore Life’s “Best of the Gulfshore” 2022.

239-283-3999

BY CAR OR BOAT: N 26.39.562 W

TripAdvisor

Taste of the Gulf — Dining Guide

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, 4987697. 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.

This restaurant fuses influenc es from the Pacific Rim and beyond. $$$ ECLECTIC

Wylds Café

4271 Bonita Beach Road, 947-0408. 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. divietoris torante.com. Its famous fet tuccine Alfredo is prepared in a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel. $$$ ITALIAN o p v

El Nido

23161 Village Shops Way, SUITE #113 319-1900. elni doeats.com. A contemporary joint that uses local ingredi ents for house-made sauces and a modern spin on Latin dishes like arepas and tacos.

$$ MEXICAN o p

The Saloon

23151 Village Shops Way, 9492583. thesaloon.net. A taste of Old West Americana, with grilled steaks, barbecue, clas sic sides 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 spe cials at this stamp-size local favorite.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Coldwater Oyster Market 5611 Six Mile Commercial Court, 220-5918. coldwa teroystermarket.com. Cele brate coldwater seafood from the North Atlantic and Pacific Northwest. $$$ SEAFOOD o 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. fancyssouth erncafe.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., 931-0050. latrattoria cafenapoli.com. Known for paella, this Spanish restau rant also features a variety of tapas and seafood.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN

Liberty

12995 S. Cleveland Ave., #112, 689-5528. eatlib erty.us. Chef Bob Boye’s dinner-only gem features artfully presented progres sive menus. Closed until further notice.

$$$ 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. saucymeat ball.com. An industrial-chic pizzeria with crave-worthy entrees.

$$ ITALIAN

Viet Village 16571 S. Tamiami Trail, 2088368. This eatery 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. Here, the focus is on Teppan-style tableside cooking, tempura and sushi. $$$$ ASIAN o p

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. Estero location is open.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

JOIN SWFL Children’s Charities JANUARY 20 & 21, 2023

CHEF VINTNER DINNERS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023

Creatively hosted in luxury venues across the region, experience fabulous cuisine created by celebrated chefs expertly paired with vintners from some of the finest and most exclusive wineries.

for the 15th Annual SWFL Wine & Food Fest swflwinefest.org | 239.433.4260

THE GRAND TASTING & LIVE AUCTION

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2023 Suncoast Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College

Festivities continue! Savor chefs’ signature creations and taste wines from our participating vintners. Raise your paddle at our spirited live auction and take home a spectacular travel escape, once-in-a-lifetime experience or help fund a children’s cause.

SWFL CHILDREN’S CHARITIES, INC. IS A 501(C)(3) TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7252) TOLL FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. FEIN: 26-2302491/FL REG: CH 35035

Ginger Bistro

4650 Cleveland Ave., #8, 689-3113. gingerbistrousa. com. The 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. Chef Joe Pittman ex cels at modernized French classics with Southern flair. Expected to reopen mid-October. $$$ FRENCH o Blanc 13451 McGregor Blvd., 8873139. blancentertainment. com. Chef Jean Claude Rogé’s contemporary res taurant mixes global flavors.

$$ FRENCH

Cibo 12901 McGregor Blvd., #5, 454-3700. cibofortmyers. com. This Italian spot serves stellar food and wines.

$$$ ITALIAN p

Crave Restaurant 12901 McGregor Blvd., 4664663. cravemenu.com. Com fort food, made from scratch.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House* 14040 McGregor Blvd., 6895474. deeplagoon.com. A waterfront spot with a raw bar. $$$ SEAFOOD o v w

Roadhouse Café 15660 San Carlos Blvd., 4154375. roadhousecafefl.com.

Try a wide range of dishes (including steak).

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

DOWNTOWN

FORT MYERS

Bullig Coffee & Bites 1815 Fowler St., 738-8582. Pair espresso drinks with sa vory or sweet waffles. Closed until further notice. $ CAFE b o p

Izzy’s Fish & Oyster 2282 First St., 337-4999. izzys ftmyers.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 the Luminary Hotel & Co., it serves fine coastal cuisine. The hotel also houses riverfront Oxbow Bar & Grill and the rooftop Beacon Social Drinkery. $$$$ SEAFOOD o p v w

The Standard Restaurant 1520 Broadway, 219-6463. thestandardftmyers.com. From-scratch eats and craft cocktails— served in a convivial atmosphere. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Twisted Vine Bistro 2214 Bay St., 226-1687. twistedvinebistro.com. Go for the extensive wine list. The Barrel Room next door stocks rare whiskeys and plays live blues. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p The Veranda 2122 Second St., 332-2065. verandarestaurant.com. At Fort Myers’ grande dame, you’ll find filet mignon, veal and top-notch service. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

SANIBEL ISLAND

Note: Many restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva were heavily damaged and/or are inaccessible until the causeway reopens. Call for the latest.

Cielo

1244 Periwinkle Way, 472-5555. cielo-sanibel.com. Elevated island fare. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o v

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille

Multiple locations throughout Lee County. docfords.com. Go for the seafood, mojitos and its namesake rum bar. Closed until further notice.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p w

MudBugs Cajun Kitchen

1473 Periwinkle Way, 472-2221. mudbugssanibel.com. A menu of Crescent City classics (beig nets, po’boys). $$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Sweet Melissa’s Café

1625 Periwinkle Way, 472-1956. sweetmelissascafe.com. Sani bel’s first James Beard Award semifinalist crafts creative men us. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

T2 Bistro & Wine Bar 2340 Periwinkle Way, 558-8919. t2traders.com. The retro-chic joint serves short rib flatbreads, curried snapper and stellar bread pudding.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

SAT & SUN, NOVEMBER 5 & 6 CENTENNIAL PARK, FORT MYERS

A weekend of family fun...all in good taste!

Taste of the Gulf —

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. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

The Mucky Duck

11546 Andy Rosse Lane, 4723434. muckyduck.com. A British pub vibe with seafood platters, beer and live music on the beach. Closed until further notice. $$$ AMERICAN o p w

RC Otter’s Island Eats*

11506 Andy Rosse Lane, 395-1142. captivaislandinn.com. RC’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with daily live music. $$ AMERICAN b o p

Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar*

11508 Andy Rosse Lane, 4726200. captivaislandinn.com. A beachy cafe with sophisticated entrees. 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

Taste of the Gulf — Dining Guide

Bonita Springs’ Chops City Grill has reopened and offers a refined atmosphere for steakhouse dinners.

Fathoms Restaurant & Bar 5785 Cape Harbour Drive, 542-0123. fathomsrestarant. com. Expect modern cuisine with international influences. Closed until further notice.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

Fish Tale Grill By Merrick Seafood

1229 S.E. 47th Terrace, 257-3167. fishtalegrill.com. With an adjacent fish mar ket, many items here earn nods. $$$$ SEAFOOD b o Gather 5971 Silver King Blvd., 673-9939. gathercape.com. Two celebrated chefs team

up at this locale. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

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. Enjoy clev er Pacific Rim dishes. Closed until further notice. $$$ ASIAN b o p

Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro/ Nauti Mermaid 5961 Silver King Blvd., 541-5016. marriott.com. Find views of the

bay while enjoying entrees and plates.

$$$ SEAFOOD b o p w Nevermind Awesome Bar & Eatery 927 E. Cape Coral Parkway, 994-3062. nevermindcapecoral.com. A hip spot with comfort food, strong cocktails and music. Closed until further notice.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

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 restaurants.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Sip & Dine 4820 Candia St., 540-6800. slatescapecoral.com New Orleans is evoked in all dishes and in the lively jazz lounge.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant*

13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeel ia, 283-3999. tarponlodge. com. Crafted lunch and din ner in a 1920s fishing lodge. Closed until further notice.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

Nguyen

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with local relief efforts,

Sorry won't cut it, anymore.

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

locals

PROCEEDS BENEFIT

The Shelter for Abused Women & Children For more information, contact Susan Utz at sutz@naplesshelter.org

naplesshelter.org

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

NOVEMBER AGENDA

Fill your calendar with local art shows, exhibitions, live performances and other community events happening this November. We made our best effort to contact all organizations after Hurricane Ian, Still, as some are in the process of repairing, rebuilding and reopening, we recommend you contact the organizations for the latest information.

Through July 16 Florida Contemporary at Artis Naples—The Baker Museum

In its 10th year, the exhibit showcases the breadth of artistic talent across the state, with Haitian-born Edouard Duval-Carrié, whose work explores

the Caribbean diaspora; Orlando printmaker and painter Robert Rivers; and Tampa-based Ya Levy La’ford, known for her labyrinthine, multimedia installations. artisnaples.org

Nov. 3, 15, 17

Gulfshore Opera’s Latin Infusion! at Various Locations

Nov. 4

Here Come the Mummies at Seminole Immokalee Casino

Visual artists Anne Stagg (whose work is shown opposite) and Laura Tanner Graham (whose work is shown above) reflect on the South in their show at Alliance for the Arts Nov. 4-27.

The troupe plays Latin American traditional and pop music as part of their open-air concert series at Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers (Nov. 3), Shangri-La Springs in Bonita Springs (Nov. 15) and Bodega Olé in Naples (Nov. 17). The Naples show is complete with a four-course Spanish dinner. gulfshoreopera.org

The members of the eight-person funk band hit the stage, dressed up like mummies, in this high-energy show. semin oleimmokaleecasino.com

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens celebrates the Florida panther with a festival Nov. 5.

Nov. 4-20

The Thanksgiving Play at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers

Native American playwright

Larissa FastHorse satirizes an elementary school’s at tempt to put on a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play. laboratorytheaterflorida.com

Nov. 4-23

Shivoo-Shivoo, The Birth of Aesthetic Ecology at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers

This group exhibit blends art, science and philos ophy to examine the connections between nature and humankind in the face of climate change. sbdac.com

Nov. 4-27

Feedback Loop: Anne Stagg and Laura Tanner Graham at Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers

Two Southern artists—an abstract painter and a col lage artist—turn a critical eye on their native region, reflecting on revisionist histories and systemic in equity through their work. artinlee.org

Nov. 5

Florida Panther Festival at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Meet the zoo’s resident panther during this family-friendly event featuring expert presenta tions about endangered species preservation. floridapantherfestival.com

Courtesy Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Nov. 5-6

WINK Taste of the Town at Centennial Park, Fort Myers Get your fill of Lee County’s best restaurants, like El Guero Tacos and Viet Yum, during this family-friendly, weekend-long fest, fea turing about two dozen food trucks and live music. bscevent.com

Nov. 10

BalletX at Artis—Naples

The Naples Philharmonic accompanies BalletX, the Philadelphia-based con temporary dance compa ny known for its innovative and experimental chore ographies. artisnaples.org

Nov. 10

Reba: Live in Concert at Hertz Arena, Estero

The Queen of Country plays the Hertz Arena with special guest Terri Clark. hertzarena.com

Nov. 10-13

Fort Myers Boat Show at Centennial Park

The Gulf Coast’s largest boat show celebrates its 50th anniversary, with more than 600 marine ves sels and vendors selling on-the-water necessities like fishing gear and boat apparel. swfmia.com

Cindy Stegemann | Louise Ost

CHAIR Mayor Teresa Heitmann

Courtesy Artis—Naples

EVENT CORRECTION

JOIN KOVA FOUNDATION FOR AN ELEGANT EVENING OF COCKTAILS, DINNER, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, LIVE AUCTION AND SILENT AUCTION AT TALIS PARK, THURSDAY, MARCH 9TH. ALL MONIES RAISED DURING EMMA'S WISH GALA 2022, WILL REMAIN LOCAL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND HELP THOSE IN NEED.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KOVA FOUNDATION, EMMA’S WISH, AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO OUR 3RD ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT KOVAFOUNDATION.ORG

INGRID AIELLI left

“I’ve always had a passion to give back to the community. It’s something that comes from heart. Basically, giving back is a moral obligation. If you can, please do so.”

SUSAN M. HARRIS right

“We all have skills and talents and experiences that can be used to leverage the work agencies and organizations are doing to improve the lives of others. I hope what I do is lead by example. Let’s get in there and get the job done.”

GLENNA M. HAYHOE left

“There is such a need locally and in the surrounding area. Incomes of many do not allow them to pay for services. That is where charities must step up with help. In fact, the whole world needs assistance to take care of the souls who are struggling.”

LINDA KOEHN right

“It’s a family tradition. My father was a high school principal who wanted to help people. Education was a selfless mission on his part. He was quite inspirational.”

JENNIFER SULLIVAN left

“It truly was ingrained in my blood from my mom: Always give back, lend a helping hand, help someone in need.”

JUDY SPROUL center

“I like to be challenged and I like to get involved when I can. Working with intelligent people inspires me.”

KATIE SPROUL right

“My mother is one of my huge inspirations. She has given a tremendous amount of her time and talent, as well as treasure, to the community. She instilled in us [her three daughters] a very strong commitment that we’ve been recipients and it’s really a responsibility to give back to the community.”

LINDA MEAK

“The many incredible women in this community who do so much to help those in need. I am in awe of all of them.”

DAUGHTER + MOTHER + DAUGHTER

Nov. 10 - Dec. 4

Steel Magnolias at Norris Community Center, Naples Gulfshore Playhouse stages Robert Harling’s beloved dramedy about the ties that bind a group of women in a small Louisiana town. gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Nov. 12

Kevin Hart: Reality Check Tour at Hertz Arena, Estero The celebrity comic, known for films like Ride

Along and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, embarks on his first tour in four years with new material. hertzarena.com

Nov. 12-13

WolfStock BrewFest at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Naples Raise a glass of local beer to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center, then grab a bite from local restaurants, bid in the online auction and rock out to Punta Gorda child prodigy guitarist Champ Jaxon. wolfstockfl.org

Nov. 12 - Feb. 12

M.C. Escher: Reality & Illusion at Naples Art Get lost in the Dutch artist’s mind-bending illustrations, lithographs and woodcuts of archi tectural fantasies, flying animals and reflective self-portraits. naplesart.org

NOVEMBER 17-20, 2022

TIBURÓN GOLF CLUB AT THE RITZ-CARLTON GOLF RESORT, NAPLES

November 17-20, 2022 ❘ CMEGroupTourChampionship.com ❘ Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

Jin Young Ko (Defending Champion)

Naples artist Beth Carter Bell is one of the artists showing at Shivoo-Shivoo, The Birth of Aesthetic Ecology , an exhibit that explores climate change issues, at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

Courtesy Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

Nov. 13

Jazz on the Lawn at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Naples Friends of the Collier Coun ty Museums and Naples NAACP present 15-time trombonist of the year Wy cliffe Gordon. foccm.com

Nov. 18-20

Tim Meadows at Off The Hook Comedy Club, Naples One of Saturday Night Live’s longest-tenured cast members brings his stand-up act to Naples. offthehookcomedy.com

Nov. 19

Riders in the Sky at Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs

The Grammy Award-winning Western musical revue evokes Hollywood’s singing cowboys, like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. artcenterbonita.org

Nov. 23 - Dec. 18

A Christmas Carol: The Musical at Blackburn Hall, Naples The Naples Players dives into the story of the cynical Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical. The score is adapted by composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid ) and Tony-winning lyricist Lynn Ahrens (Seussical ). naplesplayers.org

Local brewers, food trucks and musicians unite for WolfStock BrewFest at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in support of Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center.

Brian Tietz

Attend the 'Moana' Storybook Ball

Saturday, February 18, 2023 6:00PM 11:00PM Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa 5001 Coconut Rd., Bonita Springs, FL 34134

D e t a i l s

In black tie or island inspired attire, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour with an incredible silent auction, followed by a three-course meal, live auction, raffles, dancing, and more!

F e a t u r i n g

Honoree: Suzanne Costa, Interior Designer & Philanthropist

Emcees: Matt Devitt, Chief Meteorologist & Lindsey Sablan, Anchor/Reporter, WINK News

Auctioneer: Joe Girvan, Alpert Enterprises Entertainment: Robert Williamson Band Committee Chair: Carly Schwartzel

p r o c e e d s

Proceeds directly benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida's free services for children and families, pictured on the right.

at

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®

Ronald McDonald Family Room®

Ronald McDonald House®

Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida Presents

Nov. 26-27

Naples Uptown Thanksgiving Arts Festival

This second-annual event brings juried artists from around the country to the Naples Design District. artfestival.com

Nov. 27

Nutcracker! Magic of Christmas Ballet at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center, Fort Myers The Mouse King and Sug ar Plum Fairy come to life in Tchaikovsky’s timeless Christmas ballet led by Ukrainian ballet dancers. bbmannpah.com

Nov. 29 - Dec. 18

The Lady With All the Answers at Players Circle Theater, Fort Myers Drawing from the life of advice columnist Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer (a.k.a. Ann Landers), this

one-woman play looks back on her clippings as she attempts to write the most personal column of her career. playerscircletheater.com

gala. More party.

more dancing.

An evening in celebration of the pets who rescued us.

HONORARY CHAIRS: PATTY & JAY BAKER

raise the

TICKETS ON SALE

For

can email:

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, PS Form 3526-R. 1. Publication Title: Gulfshore Life. 2. Publication Number: 0745-0079. 3. Filing Date: September 30, 2022. 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: Twelve (12). 6. Annual Subscription Price: $19.95. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 26101 South Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Contact Person: Kerri Nolan; Telephone: (239) 498-8501. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 2824 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: James W. Schwartzel, Publisher, 26101 South Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134; Stephanie Granada, Editor in Chief, 26101 South Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134; Gina Valentino, Managing Editor, 26101 South Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. 10. Owner: James W. Schwartzel, 2824 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916; Joseph C. Schwartzel, 2824 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916; MBK GL INVESTORS LLC, Rita M. McBride Irr. Trust of 2012, Lineal Descendants of Brian A. McBride, Kathleen Plum & Maureen McBride, 2824 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, 2824 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916. 12. (Does not apply.) 13. Publication Title: Gulfshore Life. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October 2022. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months; Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: A. Total Number of Copies: Average: 18,315; Actual: 18,250. B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution: 1: Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 8,504; Actual 8,876. 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS: Average: 934; Actual: 875. 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS: Average: 0; Actual: 0. C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average: 9,438; Actual: 9,751. D. Nonrequested Distribution: 1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 4,631; Actual: 4,132. 2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 3. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: Average: 3,615; Actual: 3,661. E. Total Nonrequested Distribution: Average: 8,246; Actual: 7,793. F. Total Distribution: Average: 17,684; Actual: 17,544. G. Copies not Distributed: Average: 631; Actual: 706. H. Total: Average: 18,315; Actual: 18,250. I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average: 53%; Actual: 55%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation: Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: Average: 209; Actual: 255. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies and Requested/Paid Electronic Copies: Average: 9,647; Actual: 10,006. Total Requested Copy Distribution and Requested/ Paid Electronic Copies: Average: 17,893; Actual: 17,799. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average: 53%; Actual: 56%. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2022 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner: Scott Glick, Creative Director. Date: September 30, 2022.

Recurring Events We Love

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

Nov. 4

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

Nov. 10

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

Nov. 12

Music in the Garden at Naples Botanical Garden

On second Saturdays, the Naples Bo tanical Garden fills with music and artists performing on the Water Garden stage. naplesgarden.org

Nov. 12

Naples Artcrafters at Cambier Park

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

Nov. 18

Fort Myers Music Walk in the River District

Enjoy live music by local and regional musicians through the streets of down town Fort Myers on the third Friday of the month. myriverdistrict.com

SPONSOR

SPONSORS

Standing Ovation

We call for an applause —for the first responders, volunteers, essential workers and creatives who are pushing through the aftermath of Hurricane Ian to rebuild area landmarks and uplift the community. Treasured neighborhoods including downtown Naples, Pine Island, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and downtown Fort Myers saw devastating damage from the storm that swept through our region. Florida Repertory Theatre, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023, announced that the Historic Arcade Theatre, seen above in 1987, stands strong, with mild damage from the surge. The ensemble troupe took over the space in 1998 and has remained an institution since. While the curtains will be closed for a few weeks as the troupe restores its stages, plans for an exciting season remain. Look out for feel-good comedies like Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest this winter.

Parting Shot — December 1987 — Publisher Anita Atherton — “Fort Myers’ Phoenix”