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M I C H A E L L AW L E R . C O M Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Users may not copy, modify, reproduce, republish, distribute, display, or transmit for commercial, nonprofit, or public purposes all or any portion of this document except to the extent authorized by Michael Lawler 239.213.7474. Information is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. MGL_20006
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Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.
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NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Features THE FRONT OF HOUSE RESTAUR ANT M AGIC
Zach Stovall
110
20
GULFSHORE LIFE
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NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Fe a t u r e s NAPLES FINE WINE ’S FIRSTR ATE COLLE C TION
Brian Tietz
124
24
GULFSHORE LIFE
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CAN YOU GROW YOUR VALUES WITH YOUR WEALTH?
What is it you really want to give them? 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.
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NO _ 5 0 3
CONTENTS Departments
01_ 2 0 21
IN EVERY ISSUE
INSIDER
40 Editor ’s Note
50 A rtist P rof ile: Fort Myers A rtist Leila Mesdaghi
46 Gulfshore T reasures 382 Parting Shot
68 Table Ser vice: T he Allure of Club Dining
84 Ret rospective: T he Veranda in Downtown Fort Myers 92 Books 94 Guest List
76 Personalities: Emillions A rt ’s Marlissa Gardner
INSIDER Artist Prof ile
50
Fort Myers multimedia artist Leila Heidi Schumann
Mesdaghi explores various mediums and uses her craft to connect with others and the world.
26
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
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NO _ 5 0 3
CONTENTS Depart ments
01_ 2 0 21
HOME
H E A LTHY LI F E
TASTE OF TH E GULF
156 St ylish Living: A n A rtistic Bay Colony Renovation
326 Wellness: T he Rise of Kombucha
336 Raise a Glass: T he French’s Absinthe Colada
168 Fa vorite T hings: Date Night
332 House Call: Health Ne ws and Events
338 Dining Guide: 150+ Essential Restaurants
176 Realt y Check: Dream Homes
Af ter p. 186 Gulfshore Life Salut! T he P ublication of the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
H OM E St ylish Living
156
Go behind the design of this reimagined Bay Colony home that plays with bright colors, Hunt Slonem art and other
Volume 50/Number 4, Gulfshore Life (ISSN 0745-0079) is published monthly, 12 times a year, by Gulfshore Life Media, LLC., 26101 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL, 34134. Subscription price is $19.95 per year. For customer service inquiries, subscription inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Subscription Department, Gulfshore Life Media, LLC, P.O. Box 16147, North Hollywood, CA, 91615-6147. Telephone (239) 498-8501 or email subscriptions@gulfshorelife.com. Periodicals postage paid at Bonita Springs, FL, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2021 by Gulfshore Life Media, LLC, Library of Congress Card No. 8538973. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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© Copyright Gulfshore Life is published by Gulfshore Life Media, LLC. The entire document of Gulfshore Life is © 2021 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. Along the Gulfshore, Best of the Gulfshore, Design Yearbook, Discover Southwest Florida, Gulfshore Dining, Gulfshore Galleries, Gulfshore Shopping, Men and Women of the Year and The White Party are copyrighted service marks and are the property of Gulfshore Life, 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, P.O. Box 16147, North Hollywood, CA, 91615-6147. Please include your name and address as it appears on the mailing label of your most recent issue.
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COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
Lydia Black Executive Director, Alliance for the Arts 2016 Woman of the Year
Scott Burgess President and CEO David Lawrence Center 2018 Man of the Year
Mary Susan Clinton Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation Founder, Gallien Global Vision Inc. 2002 Woman of the Year
Denise Cobb Chair, Community Advisory Board Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2000 Woman of the Year
Shirlene Elkins Real Estate Professional, John R. Wood Properties Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2003 Woman of the Year
Todd E. Gates Chairman, GATES Construction 2003 Man of the Year
Ellin Goetz President, Goetz+Stropes Landscape Architects 2000 Woman of the Year
Mark Loren Head Jewelry Designer/Owner, Mark Loren Designs 2016 Man of the Year
Gail Markham Founding Partner, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company 2011 Woman of the Year
Elliott H. Singer Managing Director and Founder, Fairview Advisors Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation Memberat-Large
Adria Starkey President, Collier, Finemark National Bank & Trust, Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2000 Woman of the Year
Shelly Stayer President/Co-Owner, Johnsonville Foods 2013 Woman of the Year
Sandra Stilwell Youngquist Owner and CEO, Stilwell Enterprises 2006 Woman of the Year
36
GULFSHORE LIFE
Brian Tietz (10); Courtesy Shirlene Elkins, Ellin Goetz, Mark Loren, Shelly Stayer/Roland Scarpa
Ingrid Aielli Co-Owner, Aielli Group 2016 Woman of the Year
g ulf shorelife.com
M A K I N G
G U L F S H O R E
L I F E
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O n T h e C ove r
Shot on location at ECHO Global Farm in North Fort Myers by Brian Tietz. The model wears Long Skirt with Slit by Naeem Khan, Lantern Sleeve Top by Rosie Assoulin and Double Grommet Belt by FRAME Denim. All available at Marissa Collections. Givenchy Boots and hat, stylist’s own. Stylist: Matthew Kritis. HMUA: Dani & Gabby with Duality Artistry. Model: Danielle Fried, NEXT Models
Brian Tietz
Model also seen in Silk Taffeta Midi Shirtdress by Atelier Caito for Hervé Pierre over a Black Leather Pleated Lace Skirt by Ermanno Scervino with a Thick Leather Belt by Oscar de la Renta. All available at Marissa Collections. Givenchy Boots and hat, stylist’s own.
38
GULFSHORE LIFE
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Photographer First Last info goes here and here and here
ophthalmology you can TRUST
OLDE NAPLES • GINSBERGEYE.COM • 239.325.2015
FROM THE EDITOR
M A D E W I T H L OV E
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
staffs and creating new ways for
Naples Children & Education
is through its food. In Southwest
us to gather safely.
Foundation (NCEF) to produce
The role that restaurants play
Salut!, the publication of the
in enhancing our lives can’t be
organization’s fundraiser, the
You often hear people say our
overstated. Most of my best
Naples Winter Wine Festival
food scene can’t be beat. We have
recent memories surround
(NWWF). As NCEF trustee Kath-
culinary institutions that rival
great food experiences—falling
leen Rooney recently said to me,
those in any major city, as well as
in love over authentic Lebanese
the event shows how wine (and
high-ranking chefs and somme-
food at Kareem’s and cocktails
other culinary delights) can be
liers and oenophiles with stellar
at Bar Tulia; chatting with chef
an instrument for good. She and
wine collections (see Cheryl and
Andy Hyde in between inventive
her husband Francis certainly
Larry Andrews’ story on p. 124).
courses at his Hyde N Chic restau-
prove that through their support
And with a growing support for
rant; bonding with colleagues and
of the NCEF and their Bodega
small farms and artisan food mak-
new friends at Dorona, Namba,
202 winery, which is profiled on
ers, we’re raising the bar on local
The Veranda, The Continental
p. 64 of Salut!
food from the ground up.
and Angelina’s; and honoring our
With this issue—which also
It’s been a tough year for the
2020 Men & Women of the Year
includes stories on front-of-
industry, though. On p. 42, Ingrid
at an outdoor dinner party at the
house staffers, private club din-
Aielli tells of the challenges that
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point.
ing, vintner dinners and the very
Florida, a study of our culinary culture paints a brilliant picture.
restaurants have faced. We have
Following a laundry list of safety
tangible impact that a mighty
been saddened to see many
measures, we were able to gather
wine festival has had in our
great establishments go or scale
that evening over food and wine.
region—it’s easy to see why peo-
back. But the ingenuity and
Longtime friends reunited, seeds
ple brag about our food culture.
perseverance that is inherent
were planted for new partnerships
While we may not be able to
to the culinary world is shining
and ideas were discussed among
freely commune yet, we can
through, too. Not only have
some of the brightest minds in our
raise a glass from wherever we
many local restaurateurs held
region.
are to a brighter 2021, which
strong throughout the pandemic
That’s the power of food—it
will undoubtedly continue to be
(some are even working on new
nourishes us, while bringing
fueled and fed by our culinary
ventures), they’ve also helped by
us together. This year, we are
community. Cheers to the new
feeding people, caring for their
honored to partner with the
year!
40
GULFSHORE LIFE
Stephanie Granada Editor-in-Chief
Omar Cruz
The best way to get to know a place
g ulf shorelife.com
GOOD. CLEAN. FUN.
MOREINPARADISE.COM MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD TO PLAY SLOTS AND TABLE GAMES OR TO RECEIVE SEMINOLE WILD CARD BENEFITS. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A GAMBLING PROBLEM, PLEASE CALL 1.888.ADMIT.IT.
MINUTES AWAY FROM MORE
FROM OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
ON T H E M E N U: C OM PA S S I ON
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Restaurants have the ability to survive
Managers assisted with the distribution
once we heard the sounds of customers
all sorts of disasters, from kitchen fires to
of the funds, and chefs provided meals
enjoying meals and watched our staff
hurricanes. But even the most seasoned
to our restaurant families. When the
working together again. We appreciate
restaurateurs were not prepared to face
federal relief program was announced,
how steadfastly our patrons stood by us
the challenges the pandemic presented.
we went into action to ensure we could
more than we can express.
What had begun as a strong and success-
receive funds to keep all our employees
We are choosing to focus on the silver
ful season, changed overnight with the
on payroll. Meanwhile, chefs were anx-
linings during these cloudy pandemic
governor’s mandated shutdown. My hus-
ious to return to work and we opened
days. We will continue to support our
band, Fabrizio, and I closed the doors of
our restaurants for take-out meals.
community and local nonprofits by
our five restaurants in Southwest Florida
Watching our community band
hosting various socially-distanced events
unsure of the future of our business and
together to help each other—as well as
to show our appreciation. Above all, we
our almost 400 employees.
our restaurant staff and other workers—
would like to personally thank our work-
The pandemic has impacted the entire
was a beautiful thing to see. The gener-
ers for everything they do. The resilience
restaurant community in ways we are all
osity of our customers with our gift card
and strength of our entire staff, from
still trying to understand. I can’t speak
program, and those calling to check on
managers, servers, dishwashers, bussers,
for all my fellow restaurateurs, what
our well-being, inspired us to join the
to cooks, hosts and chefs, have reminded
follows here is my experience—what
many other restaurants and organiza-
us why we love this business.
we have lived and seen in the past year.
tions in supporting our hospital work-
What restaurants provide—bringing
However, I am endlessly impressed and
ers, the real heroes of the pandemic, by
people together—makes it an honor to
inspired by the resilience and creativity
providing meals.
be in this business and we’re looking
put forth by local restaurants, as well as
When we were able to reopen our
forward to a continued positive upswing
the compassion and goodwill shown by
doors to the public, we did so to a new
in 2021. Thank you to our beautiful
our customers and supporters.
way of doing business. Seating limita-
community for all of your continued
For our part, as we closed our restau-
tions, distancing and enhanced sanitary
love and support.
rants, our management team worked
protocols were the orders of the day.
diligently on plans to assist our staff.
Many businesses and institutions found
We launched a gift card sales program
themselves in similar situations. The
with proceeds benefiting our workers.
pandemic changed how we learn, work factor remained the same: hospitality. The added hurdles all seemed worth it
42
GULFSHORE LIFE
Brian Tietz
and interact with one another, but one
Ingrid Aielli Co-owner, Aielli Group
g ulf shorelife.com
™
375 Fifth Ave. South, Naples, FL 34102 | (239) 206-4460 | www.marilynhellman.com
Your Concierge Broker.
$100+ million in sales for 2020 More than $450 million in career sales
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GULFSHORE TREASURES
The restaurant experience is about more than fine food and wine. Much of the magic comes from adept front of house folks— those affable, refined general managers—who know how to create a sophisticated, welcoming ambiance, like the one found
Zach Stovall
at Ocean Prime in Naples. Meet Ocean Primes' GM and two others who elevate the dining scene in Southwest Florida on p. 110.
47
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The Toungue by Leila Mesdaghi
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Artist Profile: Fort Myers Artist Leila Mesdaghi
p_ 50
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Table Ser vice: T he Allure of Club Dining
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Personalities: Naples A rt Dealer Marlissa Gardner
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ARTIST PROFILE
CR E AT I V I T Y U N B OU N D
INSIDER
Fort Myers artist Leila Mesdaghi embraces her interest in everything—and ponders her next move.
During the long, isolated months
10 people a day, one by one. The
of quarantine earlier this year, Fort
Alliance started collecting photos
Myers artist Leila Mesdaghi looked
for her project, too. Soon enough,
to the sky to connect with friends and
she’d amassed hundreds of images of
family around the world.
the sky as viewed from such diverse
She’d been invited by the Alliance
places as Iran, Brazil, Australia,
for the Arts to create a piece of art for
France, Denmark and South Africa.
Pop of Color, an exhibit that is part
“In Farsi, there’s a proverb that says,
of the Art in Flight partnership with
‘wherever you go, the sky is the same
the Lee County Port Authority and
color.’ There was a sense of being in it
is on display at Southwest Florida
together,” she says.
International Airport through May. “I
As she sat down to work on the
had recently had an exhibition of all
piece, feelings of loneliness dissipated.
paintings, so they were thinking of me
“It just made me feel like I belonged,”
as a painter,” she says. “But I explained
she says. The result was What Colour
that I wanted to make something dif-
is Your Sky, a digital collage of 141
ferent—I like making new work when
slices of sky captured around the
I have the opportunity.”
world, all cropped to the same size.
For the multitalented creator, who
Sharing the human experience has
considers herself a thinker as much as
always been a driving force behind her
an artist, it was a chance to embrace
work, says Mesdaghi, who was born
the community around her and con-
in New York to a Colombian mother
nect with people in lonely times. “I
and Iranian father. She and her family
started reaching out to people, asking
moved to Iran in 1979, just after the
them to look up at the sky, take a photo
Iranian revolution.
and send it to me,” she says.
Although she was interested in art
Over the course of about two
from a young age and took her first
months, Mesdaghi contacted about
course when she was 10 years old,
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GULFSHORE LIFE
Heidi Schumann
By Terry Ward
g ulf shorelife.com
The multimedia artist plays the Kurdish tanbour in front of her 2016 work Deeper Than Sorrow. The piece is made up of 117 tiled photos that depict her painting a Farsi poem trailing from her uncle’s grave to the empty pool in her father’s garden in Tehran.
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INSIDER ARTIST PROFILE
Mesdaghi decided to study law in Tehran at the Islamic Azad University Law School, while simultaneously taking classes from artists in her free time. Eventually in 2002, after a difficult breakup and at her father’s urging, she followed other family members to Mission Viejo, California, where she started taking art classes at a local college. A few years later, after giving birth to her son, she moved to Orlando to be closer to her mother and eventually settled in Fort Myers in 2005. It was here that she embarked on a career in real estate, which ended up being the unexpected inspiration for one of her first major works. At the height of the 2009 recession and housing crisis, Mesdaghi found herself showing and evaluating houses in foreclosure. She was struck by the sight of doorknobs yanked out from houses—many replaced with shiny new knobs—and their accompanying lock boxes. “It was a strange ghost town here during that time. Between Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lehigh, there were houses selling for $30,000. I was having a personal relationship with people who were losing and buying houses, and the doorknobs became something emotional,” she recalls. She began collecting the knobs, not really knowing why at the time. Soon, she took up art SouthWestern State College). “That’s where
Leila Mesdaghi focuses on conceptual art, such as her 2019
I was introduced to art in a way like never
painting The Tongue (top) and 2020 digital collage What
before,” she says. A media exploration class
Colour is Your Sky (below), composed of photos of the sky
changed her perspective. The class exposed
submitted from around the world.
her to new concepts, from activist and femi-
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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Courtesy Leila Mesdaghi
classes at Edison State College (now Florida
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INSIDER ARTIST PROFILE
Born in New York to a Colombian mother and Iranian father, Mesdaghi moved to Fort Myers in 2005. After obtaining an art degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, she worked at the Rauschenberg Residency on Captiva Island.
nist art to installation and performance art. “I didn't even know what performance art was,” she says. Other classes helped refine her views on large-scale painting, abstract art, drawing and more. As a result, she found herself becoming more interested in conceptual art. While she was still a student in 2013, a vision came together for the collected doorknobs. The culminated work is called Foreclosures, a social commentary piece made from 107 knobs dangling from mounted wire. Like so many interrupted dreams and lives, the objects hang frozen in time. It was then that Mesdaghi decided to commit herself to art full-time, and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University’s art program. Her first post-graduation exhibition was part of FGCU’s 2016 Quest for Permanence show, where she debuted an installation called Deeper Than Sorrow. During a visit back to see family in Iran Heidi Schumann
the previous year, she’d filmed herself painting a poem in Farsi, the words stretching from her uncle’s grave onto the empty swimming pool in her father’s garden in Tehran. The pool’s peeling walls and basin became a canvas for family memories as she explored the pain of separation and longing, leaving traces of her presence that would eventually
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fade when she returned to Fort Myers. The installation at the FGCU galleries featured 117 tiled photos of the pool, a mirror and hanging frames, among other elements. Over the past three years, she has worked with over 170 artists as an assistant at the Rauschenberg Residency, the Captiva Island artist-in-residence program known for fostering multidisciplinary talent. There, she assisted arriving artists, helping to set up their studios, introducing them to the available equipment and generally lending a hand. “For me, it was important just to see how these world-class artists would make art,” she says. “I would come home energized just from being there.” Inspired by the creativity around her, the artist challenged herself to paint daily for all of 2019. “I really wanted to navigate myself back to painting, but I’m lazy, I have to push myself to do it,” she says. The effort resulted in the January 2020 Love Cannot Alter It show at the Cape Coral Art Center. “That show became a lot about things we do or don’t things. We can’t talk about love and fix it.
Mesdaghi’s 2013 piece Foreclosures consists of 107 doorknobs that
I became fixated on the power of words
she compiled while working in real estate during the recession. “I
and the mouth, and whatever is going on
was having a personal relationship with people who were losing and
there. I still can’t articulate it.”
buying houses, and the doorknobs became something emotional,”
Her sentiments are conveyed in her
she says.
painting, The Tongue, which seems to
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Heidi Schumann
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INSIDER ARTIST PROFILE
leap from the canvas with its rich crimson
She suspects that a myriad of pursuits
important to her that she’s hired a coach
and black tones. The image could be inter-
she’s devoted time to in the past year may
in Iran for virtual lessons twice a week.
preted as a flower or a blood-filled heart,
influence her future works. “I use my
The game, she says, affords her the same
as easily as a tongue. “I didn’t paint it with
short attention span to try multiple things
intellectual and emotional challenges as
the intention of painting a tongue at all,”
at a time,” she says. “I cannot sit down and
creating art. “What’s important to me in
she says. “I just went with my thoughts
paint for hours.”
being an artist is how we observe, react
and it evolved.”
Among the interests she’s pursued
and respond to the world and people,”
What her thoughts and art may evolve
more seriously in recent months are stud-
she says. Similar qualities one engages in
into next remains to be seen—Mesdaghi
ies in Persian classical vocal music called
while playing chess.
was invited to exhibit at the 2020 Bien-
avaz, playing the Kurdish tanbour and
During the pandemic, pondering her
nial Fort Myers Individual Artist Grant
advancing her chess game. “I’ve learned
moves on the chessboard has become a
Recipient Show, but it was postponed due
to embrace my interest in everything,”
substitute for social and emotional inter-
to the pandemic.
she says, adding that chess has become so
actions. “All these emotions I need as a
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INSIDER ARTIST PROFILE
human and were missing, playing chess has been a substitute for that,” she says, explaining that during a single game she may
“What’s important to me in being an artist is
experience infatuation, passion, struggle, hope, desperation,
how we observe, react and respond to the
relief and pain all in one game.
world and people,” Mesdaghi says. Heidi Schumann
For her, the chessboard is an open environment with no surprises. “I don’t like surprises,” she says. “I am responsible for what I do and I like that. I like that when I make art, too.”
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THE ETER NA L A LLUR E OF CLUB DINING
INSIDER
Armed with strong budgets and a discerning clientele, private communities claim some of the best restaurants in town.
Once you pass the guard gate to Hide-
that compete against each other in
away Beach Community and continue
Southwest Florida. They’ll look at
snaking through the streets in this
their own and other restaurants’ net
northwestern corner of Marco Island,
worth—but they always forget about
you pull into the porte-cochère of
the private clubs.” In Naples, he
the members-only club on the water.
points to Grey Oaks as an example.
There, you’ll be surrounded by peo-
“They have three restaurants across
ple—often friends and neighbors you
two clubs. Pelican Bay has three, as
have known for years—but also by
well. And they’re all really good.”
top-notch food that could go toe-to-
With the financial backing of
toe with any of the elite restaurants
sometimes insane buy-ins to the tune
in town. Two of the Hideaway’s three
of a Porsche 911 Turbo, not to men-
distinct dining spaces are new, and
tion often needing to own property
the product of a nine-month, multi-
on-site and annual dues in the five
million-dollar renovation.
figures, clubs have been undergoing a
“It’s almost like the unknown
renaissance of late. The organizations
competition,” says Eamon Murphy,
are putting a premium on expanding
the general manager and COO, who
their culinary offerings, adding more
is implementing its transforma-
outdoor dining spaces and angling to
tion. “Think of all the restaurants
poach decorated chefs.
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Nick Shirghio
By Dorothea Hunter Sönne
g ulf shorelife.com
With many communities undergoing drastic makeovers in recent years, country clubs keep raising the ante on fine dining. “At the root, clubs are a different business model than restaurants,” says the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Michael Mueller, who oversees the menus at Bay Colony Beach Club. “Food and beverage is more of an amenity ... Members want to see new stuff. We can’t rest on our laurels.”
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In the past seven years at Bonita Bay Club, more than $30 million worth of upgrades introduced five unique dining venues, all overseen by chef Richard Brumm (right).
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It was a noticeable trend that predated
equipped kitchens (Mueller just ordered
COVID -19 but one that continues to
a custom smoker from an artisan in
grow. The pandemic has made the allure
Georgia), and the promise of growth—the
of private clubs, which by their nature
product of regular upgrades, which have
control the number of people who can
become the norm among local clubs.
pass through their gilded doors, even
Nick Shirghio
more appealing.
There are few better examples of that than Bonita Bay Club. One of the original
A year before Café & Bar Lurcat closed
golf communities in Southwest Florida
on Naples’ Fifth Avenue South, its popu-
in the early 1980s, the sprawling develop-
lar chef Michael Mueller had left in favor
ment along the Gulf was built to cater to
of more manageable hours, higher pay
luxury-seeking residents in an area that
and a consistent coterie of guests who
had not been known gastronomically for
appreciated his fine dining bona fides.
much more than fish shacks and pizza
Those include time spent honing his
joints. The main club is now deemed the
craft at two Jean-Georges Vongerichten
West Club—the subtle name change indi-
New York restaurants, his first bistro
cates just how much the offerings have
JoJo and the Michelin-starred flagship
grown in the past decade. Chef Richard
Jean-Georges. Mueller is now at Bay
Brumm, who oversees all of the commu-
Colony Beach Club, a residents-only
nity’s culinary operations, started there
facility in the gated community of Bay
in 2011. In 2013, the traditional country
Colony within Pelican Bay. “What we’re
club was reinvigorated for a cool price
doing is really cutting edge. At the root,
tag of $11.5 million, defining the three
clubs are a different business model than
distinct dining venues there today. A year
restaurants. Food and beverage is more
later, a $17 million Lifestyle Center was
so an amenity. We order the best of the
constructed, housing the health-focused
best—fish, truffles, foie gras,” Mueller
WAVE Cafe to complement the facility’s
says. “Members want to see new stuff.
spa. Then another $6 million addition
We can’t rest on our laurels.”
with a resort pool and tennis complex
Another draw for chefs with Mueller’s
ushered the Breezeway Bar & Cafe, bring-
talent is the prospect of bigger and better
ing the number of dining establishments
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to five on the main Bonita campus. There is also a Naples branch with two extra golf courses and an eatery. Naples’ Grey Oaks Country Club—the emerald-striped paradise with a gorgeous collection of estate homes lining its fairways—has taken a similar approach, concentrating on expanding the scope and footprint of its club. As one of the few premier clubs that offers social memberships to nonresidents, it was already a nexus for grand social events when the team hired one of the area’s top sommeliers, Victor Valdivia, to join its staff in 2013. Then in 2016, they launched the club complex 2.0, which sealed its transformation into an oasis that hits every dining and entertainment need. Among the changes were the addition of a sprawling resort pool, plus a gorgeous indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant, with one room flowing to the next. For his part, Valdivia chose more than 100 bottles to offer his guests on that wine list, and he continually works to enhance the club’s A short drive north within the gated
Grey Oaks Country Club was already considered a grand
community of The Estates at Bay Colony,
venue for gatherings and galas when it hired one of the
which is within Pelican Marsh, is Bay Col-
area’s top sommeliers in 2013 and launched its club
ony Golf Club. An intimate option with a
complex 2.0 in 2016.
pared down membership roll, it too has cultivated its dining program to be one of the best. Wine there takes a star turn with
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Courtesy Grey Oaks Country Club
cellar selections across all outlets.
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sommelier Mladen Stoev. He’s one of only a handful of professionals in the South to have achieved the penultimate Advanced Sommelier designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2019, further adding to its prestige, the club welcomed a new executive chef, the Culinary Institute of America Nick Shirghio
grad Tyler Field, who had previously been at Mediterra, a larger club. A mini-facelift in 2019 debuted private wine storage lockers for members, too.
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Membership ($60)
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Sommelier Rocco DiMieri has worked at Bay Colony Beach Club for years. The club is known for its extensive wine list and has wine storage lockers for its members.
And even if members at all these clubs pull up for dinner in a Maserati or a Rolls Royce, Murphy, the COO of Hideaway, insists everyone still wants to know they’re getting value. “When someone goes out to a restaurant on the street, they’ll pay $70 for a rib-eye when normally they’d pay $50 at a club,” he says. “You also get that club pour—you get way more in your glass. It’s good living for sure.”
PERSONALITIES
WHEN ART AND LIFE ALIGN
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Local art consultant Marlissa Gardner’s appreciation for beauty spans the globe. By Alyssa Morlacci
The first time Marlissa Gardner recalls feeling awestruck by a piece of art was when her father bought a line drawing from a local artist to hang in their Fairview, Pennsylvania, home. It portrayed a woman with flowers and butterflies in her hair on a 2-by-2.5-foot woven archival paper. “She had the most beautiful eyes and lips, and I was thinking the whole time, ‘My God, how much I want to be this woman,’” she says. Now as the founder of Emillions Art on Fifth Avenue South in Naples, Gardner has graduated to working with contemporary creators from across the globe. She now facilitates the sales and acquisitions of collections by Banksy, Rubens, Picasso, Warhol and other renowned artists. Early exposure played an essential role in Gardner’s interest, and her appreciation grew synonymously with her travels. Her family would take frequent trips to museums all over the world. When she was 12 years old, she recalls visiting 30 countries throughout Europe for five weeks, making a stop at the Vatican to sit in the Sistine Chapel and look up at Michelangelo’s painted ceiling. exchange student in Brazil, where paintings of landscapes, birds and flowers colored with bright reds, greens and yellows left her wondering what
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Tina Sargeant
At 16, Gardner lived as a high school foreign
Marlissa Gardner, the founder of Emillions Art on Fifth Avenue South in Naples, started her art consulting firm and online gallery with a single client about seven years ago. Now, she deals in museum-worthy works from local and national artists. She recently aided a client in the world’s first trade of an original Picasso using IDON tokens, a cryptocurrency.
INSIDER PERSONALITIES
In addition to representing contemporary artists, such as Joan Sonnenberg of Naples (right), Gardner also facilitates the acquisitions of modern and old masters works by artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol and Peter Paul Rubens.
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else was out there. Later, while attending Boston University to study broadcasting and film, she traveled to Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore to explore everything from Asian pottery to Balinese teak furnishings. A few years after graduating, she worked for an Indian film company in Mumbai (at the time Bombay) during the explosion of Bollywood. “It was fascinating,” she says. “People running around and learning and taking every job they could get and pumping out films as quickly as they could. India was hungry for entertainment.” While working on a Hindi sitcom and game show, Gardner made her first art acquisitions with three large paintings. One was called Emerging To Life, which Gardner says depicts an “explosion of pain while evolving into adulthood.” Soon after arriving back in Boston, she got an offer to return to India to work for a big-time director under a bridge contract for three years that would lead to a Los Angeles transfer. She had eight months to get out of her lease and find a new place to live in India when her boyfriend at the time, who lived in Boston, asked her to marry him. “I ended up Courtesy Louis Venne
giving up a job for a marriage, and ultimately a family,” she says, adding that she now has two beautiful kids. Still, she was drawn back into the arts, taking up sports photography on the sidelines of
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her son’s football games or her daughter’s equestrian competitions. Then about seven years ago, she found herself in the middle of a divorce and jumping out of airplanes on the east coast of Florida.“I was doing all kinds of crazy things, and I decided to get my skydiving license. The day I was doing my 15th jump, the clouds were hanging too low and they told me I could not jump.” To fill the time instead, she grabbed her camera and sent herself on a photojournalistic jaunt. She happened upon an antique shop and art gallery and began chatting with the owner who said something that really stuck with Gardner: “I get to do some of the things I love the most in life, which is travel, visit other countries, learn about their culture, buy what I like, bring it home and share it.” She thought to herself, “He just summarized every little element of who I am in one sentence.” One week later, Gardner had an LLC for her own online global art consulting firm, named after her favorite wine region of Saint-Émilion outside of Bordeaux on the west coast of France. “The Gardner moved her business from Boston to Southwest
same people who are buying that wine
Florida four years ago. “The people here are very cultured,”
are interested in art,” she explains.
how it affects every little element in our lives.”
Six months into her new venture, she visited Art New York to search for artists to represent. A Mexican artist said yes; she and her husband were going to Art Monaco that summer, and they agreed to
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Tina Sargeant
she says. “They understand art and the essentialness of art,
pay for nearly all of Gardner’s expenses
coast, a place where her family often
Nottebohm—a German artist based in
while also giving her 50% of everything
vacationed while she was growing up in
Maui, Hawaii and known for his oil on
she sold. “It really launched my career,”
the Midwest. “The people here are very
aluminum works—and Dario Campan-
she says. “It took me to a point where I
cultured. They understand art and the
elli, an Italian-born painter, who created
suddenly had a whole new element in my
essentialness of art, how it affects every
the mountainous 75th anniversary logo
life—princes, and senators, and prime
little element in our lives,” she says.
for Paramount Studios.
ministers, who came from all around the
Not only does she work with local tal-
In addition to working with contempo-
ent, like Joan Sonnenberg, a 90-year-old
rary artists, Gardner also has a masters
Four years ago, Gardner brought her
artist of all forms based in Naples, but
division through which she facilitates art
business from Boston to Florida’s west
she also represents artists like Andreas
acquisitions. Recently, she aided a client
world, were now in my network.”
Your golfing friends at Eagle Creek wish you a
and invite you to tour our golfing lifestyle at one of our 2021 Community-Wide Open Houses. Visit JoinEagleCreek.com for dates and times. Non-Resident Memberships also available.
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INSIDER PERSONALITIES
in the world’s first trade of an original Picasso using IDON tokens, a cryptocurrency for luxury assets. The piece is one of 15 artist’s proofs from the Marina Picasso Private Collection. “[Picasso] was still making changes to the looks of it, he was still going through a mental process, which makes these etchings and their prints so important,” she says. “The artist’s proof becomes a mental process that you get to see into the mind’s eye of the artist himself—where was he going with this?” Gardner was asking herself a similar question about the trajectory of her career a few years Tina Sargeant
ago. Like an artist tweaks a piece before presenting a final proof, Gardner made adjustments throughout her life until reaching this moment of total alignment, able to immerse herself in other cultures and share the art she discovers with her community.
´ La Boheme Rescheduled Debut
SEASON 7
Celebrating the Artof Singing
A Vivid Original Production!
TOURING SOUTHWEST FLORIDA STEFFANIE PEARCE,• GENERAL DIRECTOR CHARLOTTE LEE • COLLIER
January 24th | 6:30pm Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
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orld of Lloyd
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Gulfshore Opera Gala OUR SIGNATURE
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EVENT
February 28th
On Tour Feb. 16th - 23rd
On Tour Jan. 29th - Feb. 4th
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February 23rd | 8pm Hayes Hall | Artis Naples
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RETROSPECTIVE
THE VER ANDA
INSIDER
Past and present come together at this historic downtown Fort Myers restaurant. By Anne Reed
Tucked away from passersby on the cor-
Brooke in Tampa. When the family set-
ner of Second Street and Broadway in
tled as homesteaders after the Civil War,
downtown Fort Myers sits a cool, shaded
father and son operated a trading post
courtyard where countless couples have
while wife and mother, Evalina, became
pledged their love, decades’ worth of
the first teacher in the community. The
hopeful revelers have toasted the New
corner house was built in 1902 for the
Year and families have gathered to cele-
younger Gonzalez and his family and the
brate milestones for generations.
second home was built in what is now The Veranda’s parking lot for his mother. In the 1970s, the two homes were
restaurant known for its nostalgic
joined together by Herbert “Peter” Pulit-
charm, tuxedo-clad waitstaff and table-
zer, former husband of fashion designer
side service. Here, the past and present
Lilly Pulitzer and grandson to Joseph
are blended so seamlessly that guests
Pulitzer of Pulitzer Prize fame, for his
enjoying cocktails and conversation are
friend and longtime fishing buddy Fin-
unaware of the history that lies beneath
gers O’Bannon. A few restaurants and
their feet.
bars floundered in the space until Paul
The restaurant is comprised of two
Peden purchased it in 1978 and trans-
homes built by Manuel S. Gonzalez,
formed the houses and courtyard into
one of the first residents of Fort Myers.
The Veranda.
His father, Capt. Manuel A. Gonzalez,
Due to its proximity to the courthouse,
founded the city on Feb. 21, 1866. The
the bar at The Veranda was called Court-
older Gonzalez had an established history
room B by the initial regulars, who were,
with the abandoned Union fort; during
according to Peden, “four or five judges
the Seminole Wars, he brought mail and
and a slew of attorneys.” The bar business
supplies on his route from Cuba to Fort
was booming but Peden who at the time,
84
GULFSHORE LIFE
Courtesy The Veranda
The sunlight-dappled space is the centerpiece of The Veranda, a historic
g ulf shorelife.com
At the turn of the 20th century, Manuel S. Gonzalez built the two homes that together would go on to make up The Veranda restaurant. His father, Capt. Manuel A. Gonzalez (top right), founded Fort Myers in 1866.
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INSIDER RETROSPECTIVE
The two homes were combined by Herbert “Peter” Pulitzer, the former husband of fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer and grandson to Joseph Pulitzer of Pulitzer Prize fame. In 1978, the space was Courtesy The Veranda
transformed into what is now The Veranda.
86
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
INSIDER RETROSPECTIVE
owned and operated the old Smitty’s bar on West First Street, chose to focus on bringing a classic dining experience to downtown Fort Myers. The transformation started structurally, with the addition of private dining rooms on the second floors of both houses and office space on the third. Porches were enclosed, creating small dining areas that feel private within the limited-seating dining rooms. “We just kind of grew,” Peden explains. “We adapted as we went along.” The restaurant’s tableside service has been in place for decades, including salads, entrees, desserts and Irish coffee—the flames touching the rims of the glasses as customers gaze in wonder. The presentation is part of what makes the dining experience unique, a vintage touch that, along with the pressed white tablecloths and historic setting, transports diners to a time when a night on the town meant more than a meal—it was an event. That may be why the restaurant has been the scene of many events in its patrons’ lives, including engagements. The small pond in the courtyard and seen their fair share of proposals. Micki
Known for its elevated setting and cuisine (overseen by chef
Carlson-Funk, office and guest relations
Daniel Frier, above), The Veranda has hosted many special events,
manager, estimates that in the last four
including engagements and weddings, as well as celebrities,
decades, 500 couples have tied the knot
such as actress Carol Burnett and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
on the property. “It’s a special place,” she says. “The couples come back and visit us, they send postcards from their
88
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Courtesy The Veranda
alcove tucked under the stairs have
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INSIDER RETROSPECTIVE
honeymoon and come back with their kids.” Peden points out that part of what makes The Veranda unique is the staff, many of whom have been part of the restaurant’s family for decades. “Turnover is very small, so when you come back and see the same people,
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same service staff, they know you,” he says. “They are not just customers, they are relationships. Our first priority is seeing that our guests are happy and satisfied.” While the restaurant has been part of many public events, its walls have also offered privacy to famous guests, including actress Carol Burnett, choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov and one of Peden’s favorites, the famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Other big names have graced the private dining rooms, but, like the business that is still conducted over drinks in the bar, the restaurant keeps its secrets within its century-old walls. The courtyard, though, is a different story. There are few secrets there, as laughter fills the air, happy applause rings loud as another proposal plays out near the pond. “We are definitely a special occasion destination,” Carlson-Funk says. “We are part of the fabric of someone’s memories for the rest of their lives.”
g ulf shorelife.com
"He has underestimated you for the last time."
Divorce and Family Law
2 3 9 3 3 4 7 6 9 6 wilbursmith.law
2 2 0 0 B ro a d w a y, F o r t M y e r s , F L 3 3 9 0 1
EDITORS’ PICK
LETTERS FROM BOURDEAUX Saskia de Rothschild’s new book offers an inside look into her family’s 150-year-old wine legacy. By Jaynie Bartley
INSIDER
Patrons from last year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival may remember Saskia de Rothschild, the winemaker and manager of Bordeaux’s Château Lafite Rothschild, as the Honored Vintner for the 20th anniversary festivities. Since taking the reins of one of the world’s most respected wine houses in 2018, de Rothschild has made a name for herself as the youngest chair of a first-growth estate; the first female chair of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), her extended family’s global wine empire; and for evolving the label with innovative practices. 92
GULFSHORE LIFE
Now, with the help of her father, Baron Éric de Rothschild, the visionary winemaker releases Château Lafite: The Almanac. Her chops as a Columbia University journalism grad and former New York Times reporter come through in the 620-page, hardcover book that thoughtfully details the winery’s history throughout six generations. Within the beautiful pages, she tells the year of each vintage, starting with when her family took over the estate. Among the technical details, there are sentimental anecdotes from har-
vesters, black-and-white photos and pictures of wine labels that date back to the late 1800s. Archival maps and other materials show the evolution of the vineyards. Along with the history, de Rothschild includes scientific background on grapes and tasting notes on blends. Fans can sip and learn as they flip through—within the pages, there are designated spaces to make notes as readers dive deeper into the lore. A true interactive tome, this new release deserves a spot on every oenophile’s coffee table. $175, Flammarion. g ulf shorelife.com
Courtesy © Château Lafite: The Almanac by Saskia De Rothschild, Flammarion, 2020; Rizzoli/Marlène Awaad
BOOKS
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INSIDER GUEST LIST
GR A N D OPEN I NG OF THE COLLECTIVE Phot ogra p hy by La u ren a n d Ha n a w ith Dar r en Miles Ph otog ra p hy
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1 Maria Jimenez-Lara, Laura Dixon
1
2 Ray, John and Kelly DeAngelis
2
3 Callhan Soldazini, Raegan Gillette, Alina Smith
3
g ulf shorelife.com
4 R andall Stofft, Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann, Randy Kurtz and John Cooney cut the ribbon to
officially open The Collective
5 4
5 John and Amy Quinn, Chris and Rochelle Schucart
6
6 Jennifer Adams snaps a picture of a piece in the METHOD & CONCEPT studio
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NA PLES I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I L M F E S T I VA L Hosted at Artis—Naples
Ph otog ra p hy by Peter Fa len cik
3
1 Fiona Baldwin, Brian and Tes Manley 2 Artis—Naples employee, Kathleen van Bergen
1
3 Terry Edwards, Christine Fauls, Carol Stout and Colleen Nicholson
2
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GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
INSIDER GUEST LIST
4 Vlad and Alexis Popovic, Buddy and Annabelle Martin
4
5 Stan and Sarann Kraushaar 6 Guest laughs with friends as they wait to enter Norris Garden
5
6
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97
HARMON-MEEK GALLERY Established in Naples, Florida in 1964
Hunt Slonem is an internationally renowned neo-expressionist who has had hundreds of solo exhibitions at museums across the nation and abroad. Harmon-Meek Gallery has proudly represented Slonem for 25 years. Hunt Slonem’s works can be found in the permanent collection of 250 museums internationally, including: • Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum • Metropolitan Museum of Art • The Whitney Museum of American Art • The Miro Foundation • New Orleans Museum of Art Numerous books and monographs have chronicled Slonem’s art, including most recently, Gatekeeper: World of Folly (Assouline 2018).
HM
®
Quantum Leap by Hunt Slonem, oil on wood, 30”x40”, 2020
382 12th Ave S, Naples 34102 | www.harmonmeek.com | (239) 261-2637 Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5, and by private appointment
T H E N A P L E S P L AY E R S P R E S E N T
CULTUR
E
The Naples Players and Naples Zoo are joining forces for a day of Wild Culture! Featuring a mix of live performances, zookeeper presentations, and even a VIP animal encounter cocktail hour, this one-day-only event will be the talk of the town! From Shakespeare to Simba, this family-friendly event is a safe and fun opportunity to enjoy the wild world of arts and culture!
JANUARY 21 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
FOR TICKETS: NAPLESPLAYERS.ORG | 239.263.7990
For those who seek exceptional service
Contact us for a private consultation. PremierSothebysRealty.com | 877.539.9865 Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated.
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1 2 8 6 Wa g g l e Wa y, N a p l e s , F L 3 4 10 8 $4,750,000 Enjoy spectacular sunsets over scenic water and golf course views from this classically designed estate built by BCB Homes. This gracious home offers over 7,500 square feet of flexible living space including a luxurious ground level master, gourmet kitchen that opens to a light-filled family room with a seamless transition to the expansive outdoor living space and summer kitchen. Additional entertaining areas feature a state-of-the-art theater, billiards/ game room, a living room with elegant gas fireplace and a dining room that boasts views of a lovely fountain. A handsome custom office overlooking lush landscaping is the perfect work retreat. Pamper your guests with three guest suites with en suite baths including a detached poolside guest cabana. The luxurious Bay Colony lifestyle awaits with owner access to the exclusive Bay Colony Beach Club and tennis facility and optional membership to Bay Colony Golf Club. Lisa Tashjian receives highest praise from customers from Bay Colony to Port Royal as a skillful marketer and exceptional negotiator. Lisa has brought the buyer herself 50% of the time for her listings – an extraordinarily high rate. When it’s time to sell your Naples home, turn to a name you know and trust – Lisa Tashjian.
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Olde Naples 3 7 0 1 2 t h Av e n u e S o u t h , Re s i d e n c e 4 , L a G a l l e r i a , O l d N a p l e s $2,495,000 Envisioned by Naples Redevelopment and designed by Jeff Harrell and Associates, La Galleria is the ultimate in urban-chic downtown living. The latest in modern finishes, with Legno Bastone floors, soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide an endless amount of all-day natural light. Epicurean kitchen with custom painted cabinetry, quartz countertops, gas cooking, and illuminated clerestory windows. Separate and distinct guest quarters with designer finishes, custom closets and separate lounge area. Private master retreat includes a generous walk-in shower with a separate floating tub, substantial custom closet and den with built-ins. A spacious outdoor terrace leads to a private screened cabana with gas fireplace, hot tub and outdoor kitchen, creating seamless indoor/outdoor entertaining opportunities. A private two-car garage with alley access completes the property. Ranked 34 out of all agents in Florida on the 2020 America’s Best Real Estate Professionals by Real Trends, a trusted source in the real estate industry. Accredited as a leading top sales associate by Premier Sotheby’s International Realty with over 18 years of experience facilitating residential listings and sales throughout luxury communities in Naples.
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For your view from the top
4 2 5 1 G u l f S h o r e B l v d N U n i t 9 D, N a p l e s , F L 3 4 10 3 $2,195,000 This stunning 3-bedroom, 3-bath beachfront condominium in Park Shore Tower has it all. Located on the ninth floor in the coveted “D-stack” it offers sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico. Recently updated and beautifully furnished it has a relaxed and elegant style, perfect for entertaining. Enjoy nightly sunsets on the spacious lanai with the gentle sound of the waves or start your day in the sunny breakfast nook overlooking the beach. The décor features a cool neutral palette, travertine flooring, custom wood accents and plantation shutters. A plus - it comes with 2 under building parking spaces. Residents of Park Shore Tower enjoy the low density of 4 units per floor, newly renovated Gulf-side pool with fire pit, chic community room with coastal flair, 2-bedroom guest suite, on-site gym and 24-hour security. A short distance to world-class shopping and dining at the Village on Venetian Bay. Bonnie is a long-time resident of our beautiful community, living here since 1987. As a REALTOR® with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, she specializes in the luxury market and has enjoyed many years of success helping people buy and sell their homes in the nicest neighborhoods in Naples!
BONNIE NAGEON DE LESTANG Bonnie.DeLestang@PremierSIR.com 239.280.6997
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Live Extraordinary
2 7 5 7 M e d a l l i s t L a n e , N a p l e s 3 4 10 9 $1,828,000 Welcome to the home of your dreams. Not a detail was missed in this stunning, completely remodeled, single family home. 36” marble flooring welcomes you into the spacious dining room and salon. The beautiful kitchen has new Wolf and Subzero appliances. Expansive glass sliders frame the remodeled pool with new mosaic tile, limestone pool deck, and new outdoor kitchen. Enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset over the gorgeous landscaped yard, with a meandering river and stone water feature. Other updates include; roof, AC, duct work, and a picture frame pool enclosure, just to name a few. This is the property you’ve been looking for. Earning accolades as a top producer, and Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Vanderbilt office Sales Associate of the Year 2018 and 2019, Kimberly Wagner specializes in luxury residential properties throughout Naples’ most exceptional waterfront and golf course communities. With deep market knowledge, coupled with an analytical, detail-oriented approach, Kimberly is equipped to understand the needs of the most discerning buyers and sellers, delivering an experience rooted in customer service, integrity and expertise.
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CATHERINE MCAVOY R E A L E S TAT E P R O F E S S I O N A L 2 3 9. 3 7 0 . 2 5 3 9 C AT H E R I N E . M C AVOY@ P R E M I E R S I R .C O M C AT H E R I N E M C AVOY. P R E M I E R S O T H E BY S R E A LT Y.C O M
Cathy is a 25-year resident of Naples specializing in luxury residential sales in Old Naples, Aqualane Shores, Park Shore, Moorings and Pelican Bay. Cathy grew up in Buffalo, New York, and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She earned her law degree from the University of Buffalo and worked as an attorney at the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Rochester, New York, until 1995 when she relocated to Naples with her family. Cathy raised her three children in Naples and worked in real estate law as well as for Collier County Public Schools as a GED instructor, substitute teacher and volunteer. Her husband, Brian, is a Trusts and Estates attorney in Naples and their children all attended the University of Florida. Meredith is an attorney in Orlando, Max is a craft brewer in Broomfield, Colorado, and Jack is a civil engineer in Breckenridge, Colorado. Cathy is a member of the Florida and New York Bar Associations, and earned her broker’s license and her GRI designation.
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NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Features
“In ma ny ways it’s like a production, like live theater. Ever y n ig ht is open ing n ig ht for us.” — Ocea n P r i me G enera l Ma nager R ick Gia n na si, on r u n n i ng t he popu la r Naples d i n i ng room
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110
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T he Front of House
Naples Fine Wine’s
Restaurant Magic
Impressive Collect ion
T
H
F
R
O
Arguably the most important job in a restaurant is that of a general manager, but few know the far-reaching, all-or-nothing nature of the role. We shine the spotlight on three who are at the top of their field in Southwest Florida.
L 11 0
I GULFSHORE LIFE
E N N
T
By
Photography
Dorothea Hunter Sรถnne
by Zach Stovall
E 111
The restaurant world, in the simplest
Here we shine light on three exceptional
terms, is truly a tale of two houses.
general managers who take the restaurant
The back of the house is the one that
experience from ordinary to extraordinary.
gets most of the attention: It refers to the kitchen and all those who work in it. Most
Rick Giannasi, Ocean Prime
of the focus is on the wizardry behind
If you happen to pass by the wall of windows
those swinging porthole doors—what chefs
looking into Ocean Prime from Sugden
are coming up with to dazzle, comfort or
Plaza in downtown Naples, you’ll notice
nourish you. But the front of the house,
that every day at 2 p.m., like clockwork,
the very public face of servers, bartenders,
there will be a table of the restaurant’s
managers and others who tend to the
leaders chatting over some nibbles from
guests’ needs, constitutes the other side
the menu. There’s an even larger group
of that coin. At some restaurants, such as
that convenes there at 4:30 p.m.
Pazzo! on Fifth Avenue South, there is a
The constant at both of the daily “pit-
hostess who has been with the team since
stops”—where everyone downloads and
it opened 25 years ago and guests know
shares important information for the night
her by name. Likewise, people will plan
of service ahead—is the uplifting, warm
a visit to Bar Tulia around which of their
and steady presence of the gregarious
favorite bartenders is working that night.
and gracious Giannasi. “In many ways it’s
But while there is a focus on the quality
like a production, like live theater. Every
of service—arguably that it makes or breaks
night is opening night for us. It’s one of our
a night out—there is very little attention
philosophies and part of our culture. The
on how the people at the front of the house
lights are set right, the music is on point,
go about their jobs. The general man-
the temperature is perfect, our uniforms
ager is the glue that holds the restaurant
are our costumes—I love seeing the servers
together, as he or she motivates, informs
looking in the mirror and checking that
and supports the entire team. They are
their ties are straight,” he says. “We’re
ringleaders, quality-control officers and
feeding people, but it’s an experience at
train conductors all rolled into one. GM’s
Ocean Prime. What we do is why they
are some of the most recognizable people
come back—the genuine hospitality, the
on staff, but customers barely know the
warm welcome, the entire experience.”
scope of what they do beyond saying “Hi.”
And he should know.
At any time, you might find one of them
Before being offered the job to launch
stocking the bar or training their staff or
what has become one of the most con-
being the chief complaint department
temporary, yet elegant, spaces on Fifth
officer or throwing on a tuxedo to help
Avenue South from its debut in 2016,
serve if someone calls in sick. There’s
Giannasi had a robust professional life in
almost nothing they don’t have a hand in.
acting and hospitality for 40 years. He even
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Rick Giannasi, the general manager at Ocean Prime in Naples, has worked as a bartender, a bar owner, an actor and held essentially every front-of-the-house job you can name. That breadth of experience informs his current role. “We’re feeding people, but it’s an experience at Ocean Prime,” he says. “What we do is why they come back—the genuine hospitality, the warm welcome, the entire experience.”
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Giannasi pitches in behind the bar. He encourages the staff to go above and beyond what would normally be expected of them. His years as a performer help him to enhance the dining experience. “In many ways, it’s like a production, like live theater,” he says. “Every night is opening night for us. It’s one of our philosophies and part of our culture.”
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GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
remembers being a host before then as the
When his wife’s father passed away,
captain of his high school football team
he relocated to Detroit. There, his acting
and amateur party planner in New Jersey.
career was able to flourish monetarily. “I
He laughs recalling those event-planning
was a big fish in a small pond and booked
days, remembering the operation he’d run
lots of car commercials and SAG videos,”
out of his family’s home: checking keys at
he says. And he got his first GM job at the
the door, having cups of water for friends
local branch of Blue Martini.
and cab numbers on speed dial.
After a few years, the family of four
Until finding a permanent home and
relocated to Orlando, and Giannasi got a
a position that perfectly embraces his
job bartending at Ocean Prime, where his
strengths at Ocean Prime, he’d make
cocktails would sell out night after night
strides simultaneously in acting and the
and his affable demeanor drew regulars
restaurant business. He’s held every role
to the bar. He was eventually promoted
in the front of the house at some point in
to a managerial role and then given the
his career, which gave him an unrivaled
honor of being the founding GM of the
breadth of experience. He was a bartender
Naples location.
at The China Grill when a producer of
Although he’s no longer officially in
the soap Another World approached him
the acting business, he has a penchant
because she felt he’d be perfect for a part
for theatricality and how it can enhance
they were casting. It was his first big
a guest’s experience. He reminds his
break and he acted opposite Anne Heche
staff to go above and beyond. One of his
in that scene. He got a taste for royalty,
happiest moments was when he saw in the
like Prince Rainier, and their well-heeled
reservation system that a couple who had
compatriots working at places like the
met at Booth 24 wanted to get married in
Four Seasons in Manhattan. He owned
that same booth a year later. “To take it to
his own bar, The Construction Zone, in
another level, I thought, how can I make this
SoHo that he sold after seven years (he
special,” he says. He spoke to The Naples
remembers being ahead of the times by
Players, next door, and borrowed a bridal
using exposed ductwork and hanging light
arch from the props department, which
bulbs long before they became popular
the team mounted over the booth. “Each
because he was on a shoestring budget).
year they come back on their anniversary
He also starred in an indie comedy that
and sit in the same booth,” he says.
got a three-star review from a New York
Every day, after those afternoon pit
Times critic and later took on cult classic
stops, Giannasi does a perimeter check,
status (search for Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
a facility check and a line check. Then he
and you won’t be disappointed). He joined
settles into what he does best—hosting.
the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), moved his
He makes sure to check on every one of
young family to Los Angeles, California,
the 280 available seats throughout the
and earned more roles on shows, including
night. “Studying acting really pushes you
one on the science fiction television series
into being observant of body language or
Star Trek: Voyager.
an attitude—an aura or demeanor around
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Irena Wigley, general manager of The Continental, studied to be a reporter in her native Czech Republic. In a field with very few women, this single mother of two has worked her way up the ladder at a number of Naples’ best-known restaurants. “If I’m working at the restaurant, my phone is never off,” she says “It’s a 24-7 job—it’s a lot of emotional labor.”
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GULFSHORE LIFE
somebody—and you can act honestly. Part of being a great leader is making a connection with a guest even if it’s a glance over to let them know there’s someone they can turn to,” he says. “My eyes are everywhere. I’m the innkeeper. ‘What’s wrong with this picture, and how can I make it better?’ Nothing’s perfect in life. We’re all human. How you handle the hiccups is what makes the gravy.” Irena Wigley, The Continental Most days, Wigley goes to bed long after the sun goes down and wakes up hours before it starts peeking out. At 5 a.m., without fail, she laces up her running shoes and logs some miles. Then she starts checking her email and looking at the restaurant’s reservation system before her kids rise to get ready for school. “If I’m working at the restaurant, my phone is never off. It’s a 24-7 job—it’s a lot of emotional labor,” she says. She has an enormous amount of compassion for her team and tries to always be there for them. “For me, I try to see potential and just grab it—and hold each person accountable for their growth,” she says. “I will be by their side to help them get there.” This single mom of two, who holds the reins at one of the most exclusive steakhouses in downtown Naples, didn’t grow up thinking she’d be in the hospitality industry. But she has the gumption, ambition and experience to rival anyone in the field. After having studied to be a reporter in her native Czech Republic, a friend suggested she come along on a vacation to Naples in 2002. Wigley met and fell in love with her now ex-husband, and the
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rest became history. Wigley got a job as
chef Dominique Crenn—the first woman
a server at Riverwalk, and its owner, Vin
to ever achieve three Michelin stars in the
DePasquale, took her under his wing for
United States—at a party for the chefs
the majority of her 20s. He promoted
being honored by the Naples Winter
her up the chain of command first at that
Wine Festival at The Continental. The
restaurant and then at The Dock. Intrigued
practice of staging is a thousand times
by the possibility of working in upscale
more common for chefs than managers,
fine dining, she heard about a managerial
and regardless of who is doing it, it is
position open at the Third Street South
unpaid. Wigley approached D’Amico
stalwart Campiello in 2008, and that’s
about the possibility of going to learn
when she found her calling. She’s climbed
from Crenn. He not only supported her
the ladder under the D’Amico & Partners
going during the summer, but offered to
umbrella ever since.
continue her salary for the six weeks she
In a field with very few women and
was gone. “A lot of it was poise—handling
fewer female leaders, Wigley has the
the dishes—because she’s so focused on the
distinction of being the opening GM for
poetic aspect of the dish,” Wigley recalls.
first Masa (a critically acclaimed Mexican
“But the most beneficial aspect for me was
spot in Mercato for several years) and
knowing they have a team that sits down
then The Continental. For the latter, she
daily and goes over every guest. They do
worked side-by-side with owner Richard
max 50 to 60 per night whereas we have
D’Amico for six months in 2014 before its
300 to 400 reservations in season, but I
December opening, hiring the 100-person
always look at who is coming in and I read
team, calling vendors, ordering silverware,
those notes. I may not remember every
light fixtures and chairs.
guest specifically on a full March night,
In D’Amico, she’s found a truly sup-
but I have a general overview of what is
portive boss and he’s found someone he
happening and I convey that to my team.”
can trust. “It’s funny, I was speaking with
She admits it was incredibly hard to be
Richard earlier today. He knows single
away from her kids for that long (she missed
mothers are not usually general managers
her daughter’s first day of kindergarten),
of restaurants. He was asking how I was
and that it’s a difficult lifestyle for anyone.
doing, making sure I was alright,” Wigley
But she encourages people to not limit
says. Then she notes that, to conserve
themselves. “We ourselves have to change
funds mid-pandemic, the GMs are pitching
the mindset. Apply for these positions.
in to help with things like caring for the
Sometimes women have to work harder
restaurant’s lush botanicals.
than men and sometimes we get paid less,
One of Wigley’s most unique experiences
but if we just give up and don’t apply, then
is doing a “stage,” or apprenticeship, in 2018
we’re not part of the solution,” Wigley says.
at the Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in
“I’ve hired many women over the years,
San Francisco. Wigley had met the great
and I say to them all the time, ‘You tell me
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Wigley considers her relationship leading her staff as paramount. “I have an enormous amount of compassion for my team, and I always try to be there for them,� she says.
119
what you want, where you think you are and how I can help you succeed.’” Denny Genge, The Veranda In Fort Myers, Genge has a bit of a celebrity following. Most regulars know him by his name, as he does by theirs. He’s technically Dennis, but even went so far as to name a restaurant he owned on a canal in New York State’s Great Lakes region Denny’s Harbor Hideaway. Chances are if anyone has been to The Veranda in the past decade, he’s walked you to your table from his podium at the entrance and checked on you mid-meal. “I put in a lot of miles,” he says. It has been his spot every night, except Sundays, for the past 15 or 16 years. He chuckles trying to remember the exact timeline. But he’s been with the Pedens, who own The Veranda, since he and his family first arrived in Fort Myers in 2000, yearning to escape the long New York winters. He had gotten the job lead through a friend and started as one of the storied property’s tuxedo-clad servers. The restaurant, a national gem that’s comprised of two 100-year-old houses attached by a kitchen, occupies a treeshaded courtyard that’s essentially a gateway into downtown Fort Myers. It’s
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GULFSHORE LIFE
Denny Genge, The Veranda’s general manager, started at the Fort Myers restaurant as a tuxedo-clad server 20 years ago. He still keeps a tuxedo—along with a kitchen shirt and a pair of jeans—in his upstairs office, just in case he needs to lend a helping hand to his 34-member team. “I like dealing with people. I like to make them smile, I like the conversation,” he says.
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The Veranda is as well known for its discreet atmosphere as it is for its fine cuisine, which has secured it a national reputation. “A lot of deals get done here. They come for the anonymity. I think you could say I’m the gatekeeper of it,” Genge says. “When we get celebrities in, we are professional and let people have their experience.” Still, everyone is welcome to a complimentary photo, courtesy of Genge, to memorialize their meal.
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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an integral part of the community that’s
back-of-the-house experience. Aside from
been under the same ownership for 42
running the kitchen of his own restaurant,
years. It has a reputation of being the
he worked for decades in the kitchens of
place for bigwigs to slice into an aged
country clubs up north. To this day, he
Black Angus NY strip or fork through a
likes to walk a certain path back to his
piece of seared snapper, and Genge knows
host stand so he can pass by the kitchen
discretion is greatly appreciated. “A lot of
window to make sure the consistency
deals get done here. They come for the
that The Veranda prides itself on is there.
anonymity. I think you could say I’m the
Genge is always in a black jacket, but he
gatekeeper of it. When we get celebrities
keeps a whole wardrobe in his upstairs
in, we are professional and let people have
office—a pair of jeans, a kitchen shirt,
their experience. The staff is really good
a tuxedo—because he’s always ready to
about it—we don’t ask them for a picture
jump in and help his team of 34 wherever
and an autograph.”
an extra pair of hands might be needed.
But that’s not to say pictures are not
Asked why he ultimately has chosen to
a part of The Veranda experience. A few
make the front of the house his permanent
years back, Genge decided to introduce
home, he says, “I like dealing with peo-
complimentary on-the-spot photo taking
ple. I like to make them smile, I like the
and printing. He was inspired at first
conversation. If you don’t love what you
because the restaurant gets a lot of spe-
do, there’s no sense in doing it. I want to
cial-occasion business (anniversaries,
be around people and make sure they’re
birthdays, etc.). But the practice has
having a nice experience. The conversation
become a mainstay, with Genge trying
could be short or long, but as long as it’s
to get to every table each night. “They
sincere, that’s what’s important.”
remember that kind of thing, the little
He recognizes the industry’s long hours
things that make them feel special,” Genge
can be grueling and that support from
says. He also prints business cards for
home is paramount. All three of his kids
every server—another touch from what
were in elementary school when he started
seems to be a bygone era. “Everybody
at The Veranda. “You’ve got to love what
takes pictures on their phone now, and
you’re doing and want to come to work
that’s where they stay. So I thought why
everyday. Everything else can be trained
not take a picture? It’s something they
or learned,” he says. “My wife, Shelly, is
can put on their fridge or their coffee
a very supportive person, and you need
table. I thought it was a nice touch and
that. It is very demanding, and you miss
people seem to enjoy it.”
things with your kids and that kind of
He’s one of the rare examples of a front of the house team member who has extensive
thing. It’s a sacrifice she understands, and I’m fortunate.”
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W
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GULFSHORE LIFE
I
N
E
F
I
N
E
R
Y
Naples Fine W ines’ Larry and Cheryl Andrews refine the palate, one glass at a time.
By Drew Limsky
Photography by B r i a n T i e t z
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Larry Andrews, the founder of
sion. But the Cordillera holiday
who like wine rather rapidly,’”
Naples Fine Wine (formerly
stands as a turning point in his
Larry recalls.
Fairways Wine Vault), remem-
wine education. Despite the
Wine has enhanced Larry’s
bers when he first fell in love with
revelry, the week proved to be as
life in ways he never could have
wine. It was 1992, and he was at
much about quality as quantity,
imagined. Raised in Michigan,
The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in
when Larry learned to appre-
he’d come to Naples to follow his
the Beaver Creek, Colorado area,
ciate offerings from two Napa
dream of becoming a professional
where he was visiting for a golf
wineries—Colgin Cellars and
golfer, found the sport far more
tournament. “I was a pretty good
Bryant Estate. “I knew they were
competitive than he’d imagined,
golfer at this time,” he says.
more expensive than what I had
then got into the building industry
There, he met an avid collector
been drinking,” he says. “We
and stayed. In 1975, he founded AA
from Castle Pines, Colorado, and
settled in and started enjoying it
Stucco & Drywall, which outfits
a long wet dinner ensued. “It was
properly.” After a period of four
commercial and residential build-
hilarious because I’m 6 foot 4
or five days refining his palate,
ings from Tampa to Marco Island.
(inches tall) and the young pro that
he was invited to Castle Pines for
As his construction business flour-
I brought with me was 6’ 7, and he
more golf and wine. He took to
ished (at one point he had 1,000
was drinking (wine) like soda pop,
the latter so quickly that he asked
employees), Larry found that he
so I had to kick him under the table
his host how he could get involved
was able to travel the world, golf-
to get him to slow down,” Larry
with viticulture. The answer was
ing as an amateur. Thus, his life in
says, laughing.
for him to read up and join a wine
Naples has allowed him to focus on
Before this trip, Larry drank
organization. “And he said, ‘You’ll
his three loves: golf, wine and his
wine on occasion; his go-to wines
be surprised—you’ll meet friends
wife, Cheryl, who helps him run
were Sonoma Valley’s Jordan
Naples Fine Wine, with its impres-
and Napa’s Caymus—maybe
sive 25,000-plus wine inventory.
he’d go for an Opus One if it was
Cheryl, fortuitously, has a back-
an anniversary or special occa-
ground in beer and wine distri-
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GULFSHORE LIFE
Owners Larry and Cheryl Andrews among some of their 25,000-plus wine inventory at Naples Fine Wine, which started as Fairways Wine Vault. About 90% to 95% of the store’s stock is in collectible wines. “For the most part, they’re stored in the original boxes that they came in,” Cheryl says.
12 7
Larry is the wine connoisseur of the family, while Cheryl, with a background in beer and wine distribution and accounting, is the businessperson. In addition to having wine clubs, the couple also host two wine tastings a month, including some with vintners, where guests can try newer and older vintages side by side.
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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Before opening the wine shop, Larry owned Zoe’s, a wine-focused restaurant on Naples’ Fifth Avenue South. “It had an 1,800-bottle list, 30,000 bottles of wine, and a 40-spigot Cruvinet to pour wine by the glass,” he says.
bution and accounting. She met
(The idea for the Cruvinet system
Cheryl’s help, to sell off some of
Larry around 2007 and became
came from a visit to the restaurant
that inventory. Selling wine proved
acquainted with fine wines through
Tra Vigne Pizzeria in St. Helena,
lucrative.
him. When Larry decided to sell his
California.) With Zoe’s, he intro-
Now, with Naples Fine Wine
portfolio, Cheryl developed a web-
duced the community to the rare
up and running, and offering two
site to aid him in that endeavor. But
pleasures of Romanée-Conti, the
tastings per month during season,
Larry remains the connoisseur of
famed Burgundy label and Shafer
aficionados can come by to inspect
the family: For Cheryl, wine is
Vineyards’ Hillside Select from
the fruits of Larry’s good taste. He
strictly business (save for the occa-
Napa’s Stags Leap District. Colgin
says that 90% to 95% of his bottles
sional glass of bubbly).
and Bryant, fondly remembered
are collectible wines. “For the most
Before there was Naples Fine
from Larry’s Colorado wine initi-
part, they’re stored in the original
Wine, there was Zoe’s, a wine-fo-
ation in the ’90s, were also poured
boxes that they came in,” Cheryl
cused restaurant on Fifth Avenue
by the glass. “I think I was ahead of
says. And when vintners come
South in Naples that Larry owned
my time,” he says now.
to town, Naples Fine Wine gives
and operated from 2000 to 2008.
When Larry sold Zoe’s, the
locals the chance to taste older
He says the restaurant was a
buyer was only interested in the
vintages with the new vintages
hobby, but its emphasis on wine
low-priced wines, which left Larry
was deadly serious. “It had an
with around 28,000 bottles of first-
1,800-bottle list, 30,000 bottles
rate wine. So he stored the bottles
of wine, and a 40-spigot Cruvinet
for a couple of years as the eco-
to pour wine by the glass,” he says.
nomic slowdown hit the building industry. “Nothing was built here for five years,” Larry says. So it was an opportune time for him, with
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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Naples Fine Wines has gained a national following since it first opened. The pandemic has further fueled the business, with patrons seeking out Naples Fine Wine’s coveted stock, including Billecart-Salmon Champagne and RomanÊe-Conti, the famed Burgundy label. Cheryl often finds herself on the phone for as much as 13 hours a day, fielding orders from around the country.
13 3
that the distributors and wineries
dren & Education Foundation,
deers the store’s phone lines for
offer. “People can sample those
which organizes the festival, set-
as much as 13 hours a day, fielding
and appreciate the taste of wine as
tled on a virtual event, including
orders from Central and Pacific
it matures when it’s 10 years old, or
an online auction. “I feel sorry,”
time zones. When local and state
older,” Larry says.
Larry says. “We were going to hold
governments were curtailing retail
If you're unsure what to pair
a dinner, but they're still going to
sales throughout the country,
with your meal, Larry is quick to
raise money for the kids and God
Naples Fine Wine remained open
offer valuable recommendations.
bless them. Last year, it raised $20
for business. “They were ordering
With duck, he likes a merlot-based
million.” One memorable year of
wine and a lot of it,” Cheryl says.
Bordeaux blend or pinot noir from
the festival saw the Andrews host-
“That helped us out a lot this year.”
Oregon or Burgundy. If Italian
ing a 40-person dinner overseen
Unsurprisingly, much of their
wine is preferred, he suggests a
by famed chef Michael Mina.
business has remained in shipping
mature Tuscan red. For celebra-
To the Andrews’ delight, their
throughout the pandemic, but
tory occasions, Cheryl favors the
business has become nationally
COVID-19 has also had an impact
Billecart-Salmon Champagne
known. “When we originally
on locals’ purchasing habits. Larry
Brut Rose, onto which she bestows
set up the wine shop, we didn’t
tells of an orthopedic surgeon
a string of pleasing summery
know which way we wanted to
friend—no longer in high demand
adjectives: “It’s just a very light,
market our product,” Cheryl
due to the reduction in elective
crisp, bubbly, pretty wine.”
says. “Then we got a presence on
procedures—who came in one
She always keeps Krug Cham-
wine-searcher.com, and as soon
day and nonchalantly picked out
pagne on hand, as the brand is a
as we got our website hooked up
four cases of wine from Northern
frequent sponsor of the Naples
with that site, it was like the light
California and France. The doctor
Winter Wine Festival. This year,
bulb switched on, and we started
said to the couple: “While I'm not
due to COVID-19, the Naples Chil-
shipping. We had quite a shipping
working, I'm drinking.”
operation and then of course when COVID hit, we were set to go.” Sometimes Cheryl comman-
13 4
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Operating out of a 3,500-square-foot warehouse building in the Naples Art District, the Andrews’ Naples Fine Wine is a gem for oenophiles. While much of their business is in shipping, locals like to stop by to peruse the value-minded racks in the front retail space and the rows of crates in the temperature-controlled cellar in the back.
13 5
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$2.2 BILLION WEALTH MOVED FROM THE GREATER CHICAGO AREA TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA*
IN 2020, THE DAWN MCKENNA GROUP IS THE
CHICAGO, IL
#1 REAL ESTATE TEAM IN ILLINOIS *
#2 SMALL REAL ESTATE TEAM IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA*
NAPLES, FL
#3 REAL ESTATE TEAM IN THE U.S. *
239.316.3883 W W W. D A W N M C K E N N A G R O U P. C O M If your property is listed with a real estate professional currently, it is not our intention to solicit your home for sale. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
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Victoria Dawn Clarke-Payton McKenna
239.316.3883 @ T H E D AW N M C K E N N A G R O U P The Coldwell BankerÂŽ System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. *Source: Within Coldwell Banker Realty ranked by Wall Street Journal RealTrends The Thousand 2020 & howmoneywalks.com.
kristen coury, PRODUCING aRtIstIC DIReCtOR
c o M i n G FA L L 2 0 2 3 : The Gulfshore Playhouse Cultural Campus featuring our new Baker Theatre and Education Center Our new 40,000-square-foot theatre and education center will CREATE an imaginative world brought to life on two architecturally superb stages, ENGAGE audiences through expanded programming, and INSPIRE hearts and minds of theatre lovers throughout Southwest Florida. To learn more about leaving a lasting legacy, contact Chief Advancement Officer Kimberly Dye at kdye@gulfshorelplayhouse.org
Directed by Kristen Coury
A SpeciAl Benefit for GulfShore plAyhouSe
Spanning half a century and many miles, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III’s relationship unfolds across a series of letters. From childhood friends to complicated adults grappling with the choices they’ve made, Love Letters takes us on a nostalgic and vivid journey. Beloved actors Maureen silliman and William Parry passionately bring to life this story of hope, heartbreak, and love. tickets available now at GulfshorePlayhouse.org
For updates on 2021 live performances and extensive health and safety protocols, visit www.GulfshorePlayhouse.org
®
HOMELOOK
A COLLECTION OF LISTINGS FROM OUR PORTFOLIO
®
Pine Ridge
482 Ridge Drive, Naples, FL 34108 $6,900,000 On over an acre of manicured grounds, this magnificent estate home was created to enjoy the fruits of life here in paradise. Inspired by traditional French architecture and crafted of the finest materials resulting in a masterful blend of Olde World romance and state-of-the-art technology. Nearly 7,000 square feet of living space offers a chef’s kitchen, formal dining, a family room ideal for large gatherings, four bedrooms plus a study, and game room. Soaring ceilings, walls of glass open to the spectacular pool, spa, spacious lanai with pizza oven and fireplace. Plus a four car garage and putting green.
The EARLS | LAPPIN Team
Bill Earls (239) 777-6622 Bill@BillEarls.com BillEarls.com
Larry Lappin (239) 571-8247 Larry@LarryLappin.com
Le Jardin At Venetian Village/Park Shore
4201 Gulf Shore Boulevard North #302, Naples, Florida 34103 $4,325,000 Once you enter into this beautiful condo you immediately feel as though you are in a single-family home. The expansive owner-terrace overlooking the Gulf of Mexico where you can walk down to the pool or to the manicured green space/park to walk your dogs. This 3-bedroom, 3.5 bathrooms, and den with an open floor plan is perfect for any family. Recently painted, new light fixtures throughout, marble flooring and new carpet. You have electric hurricane shutters and high-impact windows. Walking distance to Venetian Village too. The building has 3 newly remodeled guest suites for visitors.
John J. Robert III (239) 571-2231 JRobert@JohnRWood.com JJRobert3.com
Shirlene Elkins (239) 777-9574 Shirlene@JohnRWood.com HomesByShirlene.com
HGT V National Award Winner Best Outdoor Space
15927 Roseto Way, Naples, FL 34110 $3,995,000 Masterfully appointed custom estate home located on premier location with spectacular golf course and sparkling lake views! One of the finest estate homes and views in Mediterra! Entertain on your expansive tropical lanai featuring western exposure. Show stopping pool, spa, fountains, lush landscaping and outdoor kitchen and bar. Meticulous details and finishes throughout the home. Soaring 20-foot ceilings. Award winning Tom Fazio golf courses, private beach club, pickleball, bocce ball and resort amenities. Over 8,600 Sq. Ft of absolute luxury living! Golf membership availability.
Emily K Bua & Tade Bua-Bell (239) 595-0097 BuaBellGroup@JohnRWood.com BuaBellSellsNaples.com
Aqua At Pelican Isle
13665 Vanderbilt Dr # 502, Naples, FL 34110 $2,700,000 N Naples locale close to airport plus many conveniences N Naples offers: Coconut Pointe, Mercato and Waterside Shops to name a few! Professional dĂŠcor & high end finishes in latest 2017, serene Aqua water/boating themed, built tower w/ wide winding hallways and tasteful high-ticket decor. Docks and long, unobstructed water views highlight a sizzling sunset backdrop having quick boating access to the Gulf! Amenities, with views galore, include indoor/outdoor Skytower w/birds-eye views, indoor simulated golf driving range and outdoor putting green plus a motion picture theatre, waterfront pool, spa and mood-setting firepit gathering area!
Mitch and Sandi Williams (239) 370-8879 m.swms@JohnRWood.com 13665VanderbiltDr502.info
Audubon Country Club
353 Chancery Cir., Naples, FL 34110 $2,350,000 Enter this magnificent French Provincial home through the massive 18th Century restored Iron and Cypress front doors and let the pristine 150-year-old reclaimed Heart Pine floors welcome you to begin the experience of timeless architecture, with attention to only the finest details that blend the new and the old. 1800s German crystal chandelier, 18th century office door and parquet flooring from Turkey, Italian hand carved walnut mantel, circa 1885. There is a story to be told about every piece that has gone into this home. This property is so unique and amazing, it is like NO other.
Lorri Bruno (239) 319-8536 LBruno@JohnRWood.com LiveTheNaplesLifestyle.com
The Colonade Park Shore Exceptional Living
255 Colonade Circle Naples, FL 34103
Tom McCarthy
Price – upon request
(239) 243-5520 Tom@NaplesShore.com
Enjoy your stunning, designer home with open floor plan and expansive family room. Featuring a gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, Induction cook-top and granite counters. Retreat to the luxurious grand master suite with oversized spa tub. Ideal for entertaining and everyday living. Light & Bright with volume ceilings, chiseled stone floors and private elevator. Spacious guest bedroom and den offers exceptional space for guests. The Colonade is a private, gated retreat located in the heart of Park Shore. Stroll to the Private Park Shore Beach, or exquisite dining & shopping at Venetian Village. Ready for you to enjoy this season! Call for a personal showing.
Naplesshore.com
Carolyn McCarthy (239) 300-8880 Carolyn@NaplesShore.com
Contemporary Pool Home Just Blocks To The Beach
10262 Vanderbilt Dr, Naples, FL 34108 $1,125,000 Just blocks to the beach located directly on beautiful Vanderbilt Drive. Contemporary two-story pool home boasts over 3000 sq ft of resort style living, complete with media room, on-suite guest bedroom, plus a balcony to enjoy sunsets overlooking the canal! Great-room leads out to the covered area with heated pool surrounded by tropical landscaping. Open kitchen boasts custom cabinetry, breakfast bar, separate dining room and additional living room. Master bedroom on main floor with luxurious master bath. New flat tile roof, new AC, freshly painted, 8 ft doors, volume ceilings, ground floor is wired for music, and brick paver driveway.
Mari Vesci (239) 269-8889 Mari@Vesci.com Vesci.com
An Entertainer’s Dream On An Acre Lot In Port Royal 2361 Lantern Lane Naples, FL 34102 $7,900,000 An extensive renovation has transformed this exquisite property into a modern show piece. Located on almost an acre of land on navigable water. At nearly 5,000 sq. ft. the owners spared no expense in creating the ultimate entertainer’s dream. Behind the private gates at 2361 Lantern Lane the ultimate in Luxury living awaits.
Annie Hagstrom (239) 231-9999 AHagstrom@JohnRWood.com NaplesGulfcoastRealty.com
A Luxury Beachfront Estate 4601 Gulf Shore Blvd. N #15 Naples, FL 34103 $5,899,000 Spectacular coastal seascapes and unparalleled gulf shore views await you from every room! Welcome to Enclave, with only 28 rarely available residences in arguably the finest Park Shore location. This 15th floor masterpiece boasts 6,800 square feet of luxurious living space with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. Enjoy Naples at its best.
Gabriele H. Vretta, PA (239) 784-0249 Gabriele@GVLuxuryProperties.com GVLuxuryProperties.com
Bruce Farrell, PA (239) 370-8533 Bruce@BruceSellsNaples.com BruceSellsNaples.com
Award Winning Home In Royal Harbor 1325 Marlin Drive Naples, FL 34102 $5,499,500 Perhaps one of the most expertly crafted homes available. Winner of the Sand Dollar award for Most Sustainable and Smart Home by the Collier Building Association. Built by BCBE homes, and Design West as the Interior Designers. Lavish kitchen and bathrooms, custom wood flooring. Solar panels, grey water harvesting, and a Tesla 80 amp. charging station make this a home for now and the future.
Annie Hagstrom (239) 231-9999 AHagstrom@JohnRWood.com NaplesGulfcoastRealty.com
New Construction – Woodlake At Bonita Bay 3850 Woodlake Dr Bonita Springs, FL 34134 $3,495,000 NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Coastal estate home. 4 Bed+Den+Bonus Room. 4.5 Baths. 4,373 s.f. with 6,902 total s.f. Long lake water views. Open floorplan. Spacious outdoor living/dining area. High quality interior finishes. 3 car garage. Estimated completion March 2021.
Ginger Lickley (239) 860-4661 GLickley@JohnRWood.com GingerLickley.com
Modern Marco Island 870 Partridge Court Marco Island, FL 34145 $3,395,000 Custom built waterfront masterpiece features soaring metal ceilings, polished concrete floors and fold-away sliders. The huge quartz island and walnut push-open cabinets will delight the chef. Glistening JewelScapes glass bead Infinity Pool on expansive waterfront Ipe deck. Boaters will appreciate the direct access location and custom dock. Vibrant landscaping and beautifully furnished. This home is the definition of thoughtful design.
Beth M Smith PA (239) 451-1822 BSmith@JohnRWood.com BethMSmith.com
Bay Colony 8751 La Palma Lane Naples, FL 34108 $2,950,000 Ask us about our ever-changing Bay Colony & Pelican Bay masterpieces, including this 4 Bedroom + Family Room, 4.5 Bath Villa Jewel, along with our other Villa, Beachfront and Bay Tower Gems. Your #1 Pelican Bay & Bay Colony RealtorsÂŽ 2011-2020.
#1 Naples High-Rise Resale RealtorsÂŽ 2011-2020
Jill Rogers (239) 450-6856
Lexi Martin (239) 776-1210 Naples34108.com
Azure At Bonita Bay 4931 Bonita Bay Blvd #1601 Bonita Springs, FL 34134 $2,595,000 16th Floor. 3 Bed+Den. 3.5 Baths. 4,240 A/C s.f. 4 large terraces. Spacious great room and media room. Panoramic views of Gulf & Bonita Bay golf courses. Summer kitchen with gas vented grill. Private elevator entry. Enclosed 2 car garage. A/C storage.
Ginger Lickley (239) 860-4661 GLickley@JohnRWood.com GingerLickley.com
Gramercy – Beachfront Moorings 2777 Gulf Shore Blvd, North, #3N Naples, FL 34103 $2,475,000 Ask us about our ever-changing Beachfront & Bay Masterpiece Gems, including this 3 Bedroom + Family Room, 3.5 Bath totally re-mastered & turnkey furnished Jewel, smack-dab on the sand! Your #1 Naples High-Rise Resale Realtors 2011-2020®.
#1 Naples High-Rise Resale Realtors® 2011-2020
Jill Rogers (239) 450-6856
Lexi Martin (239) 776-1210 CoastalHomesNaplesFlorida.com
Grand Lakefront Estate At Collier’s Reserve 1404 Gormican Lane Naples, FL 34110 $2,275,000 A happy marriage of classic architecture and remastered contemporary interior has created a sophisticated, yet comfortable home within a private Audubon Sanctuary setting. Luxe upgrades from impact windows to marble and wood floors await. Featuring four bedroom suites, four full plus one half baths, a large dual-desk office, an expansive lanai with pool and spa, and three-car parking.
Monika R.DeBenedictis, P.A. (239) 450-4222 Monika@YourHomeInNaples.com YourHomeInNaples.com
Stunning Private Courtyard Home In Windstar Spyglass Pointe at Windstar 3300 Lookout Lane Naples, FL 34112 $1,350,000 Enjoy life in this beautifully updated home with courtyard, pool, spa, and guest cabana. Designer, chefs kitchen with ample storage. Solarium overlooking lake and golf course to a preserve. The entire home opens for indoor/ outdoor living. Private Keewaydin beach shuttle and opportunities to join Windstar Country Club.
Beth H. McNichols, P.A. Broker Associate Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (239) 821-3304 BMcNichols@JohnRWood.com BethMcNichols.com
Last Waterfront Penthouse In Downtown Fort Myers 2631 First Street, PH3E Fort Myers, FL 33916 $1,337,000 Last penthouse available. Brand new waterfront construction in historic River District of Downtown Fort Myers. Breathtaking views of sunrise over the Caloosahatchee River. Luxury amenities include heated zero-entry swimming pool, fitness center and yoga studio. Close to dining, shopping, arts and activities in Downtown. Lowest COA fees in the area.
Susan Yarab (239) 789-6400 SunnySusany@gmail.com PrimaLuceLife.com
Bay Villas At Pelican Bay 549 Bay Villas Ln Naples, FL 34108 $849,000 This charming detached villa boasts a gorgeous interior with soaring ceilings, crown molding and gleaming wood floors. The kitchen has quality cabinetry, granite counters and stainless appliances. Natural light shines through the Pella windows, skylight and French doors. The serene outdoors has lovely brick-paver pathways and patios with two fountains.
Jim Scartz (239) 877-9726 JScartz@JohnRWood.com JimScartz.com
Ready For This Season 8922 Shenendoah Cir Naples, FL 34113 $834,000 Scottsdale floor plan, 2,546 sq. ft. 3 bedroom 3 bath plus a study & 3 car garage. Eat in kitchen with granite countertops, paver driveway and walkways, heated pool and spa with paver decking, outdoor kitchen. Located in the gated community “Majors� in Lely Resort golf and Country Club. Players Spa and Club membership available featuring 3 pools, tennis, exercise facility, fine and casual dining.
Cheryl Turner (239) 250-3311 CTurner@JohnRWood.com CherylTurnerNaplesRealEstate.com
Boat Slip Included 10562 Gulf Shore Dr #201 Naples, FL 34108 $650,000 Wonderfully updated bayfront 2 bedroom 2 bath end unit with a separate den/office area. Boat slip included. This unique floor plan offers mesmerizing panorama bay view and a gulf vista. Re-imagined kitchen opened to see the bay. Both baths have been updated. Clever features include extra kitchen cabinetry, a lovely glassed hall display cabinet, all tile & wood flooring, new appliances, AC and water heater. Fully shuttered with an assigned under building parking space and extra storage.
Cheryl Turner (239) 250-3311 CTurner@JohnRWood.com CherylTurnerNaplesRealEstate.com
Local Homes
Global Exposure
Starting from here
imagine where you’ ll go next Change is good, sell with confidence. As the area’s #1 brokerage, rely on our local expertise and six decades of experience.
Above property available by appointment.
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johnrwood.com | 239.262.1900
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
Courtesy Venjhamin Reyes
HOME
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St ylish Living: A n A rtistic Bay Colony Renovation
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Fa vorite T hings: Date Night
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Realt y Check: Dream Homes
A R C H I T E C T : Herscoe Hajjar Architects B U I L D E R : Porter Van Arsdale Construction I N T E R I O R D E S I G N : Judith Liegeois Designs P H O T O G R A P H Y : Venjhamin Reyes
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STYLISH LIVING
A CHEERFUL ABODE
HOME
This Bay Colony home plays with bright hues to create a cheery, hopeful space. By Michael Korb
The team behind this Bay Colony
geois to reimagine the original con-
home makeover had one concept in
fines in hopes of creating something
mind: hope. Like most in the neigh-
entirely different. “The house had a
borhood, it was built in the ’90s and
very small galley kitchen and a large
sported a decidedly Mediterranean
dining room that we knew wouldn’t
tone: heavy on the moldings, rusts,
work for the Naples lifestyle that we
reds and mustards. It was also cramped
wanted,” Sarah says. “We eliminated
thanks to a questionable layout.
those and made one large kitchen
But a quick peek at its new look
area that opened everything up. We
shows a space with light, openness
just wanted a casual home and for the
and modern elegance, proving that, in
kitchen to be the center.”
design, all things are possible. Sarah
The problem was that building
and Phil Warren of Nashville bought
restrictions in the neighborhood
the home and hired architect Rob
allowed for very little exterior
Herscoe of Herscoe Hajjar Architects
changes, so the only way to gain more
and interior designer Judith Lie-
square footage was to incorporate an
HOME
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HOME STYLISH LIVING
“The house had a very small galley kitchen and a large dining room that we knew wouldn’t work for the Naples lifestyle that we wanted,” homeowner Sarah Warren says. The team—including architect Rob Herscoe and designer Judith Liegeois—opened the kitchen to flow into the living and dining spaces.
odd, dark, damp courtyard placed between the home and the garage. Luckily, that made a major difference.“The irony is that the courtyard was probably only 180 square feet,” Herscoe says. “But that 180 square feet meant everything to update and make more dignified the flow of the house, access from garage to the house and the size of the kitchen.” The change allowed for a large mudroom/laundry/pantry upon entering from the garage. And the expanded kitchen now opens into a casual eating area and a family room. The wall separating the family room from the living room was opened up as much as possible, includ-
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HOME STYLISH LIVING
ing pass-through shelving in the built-in bookcases that filter light from one room to another. “That took away the heaviness of the spaces,” Liegeois says. “And it took away the silo feel of the formal living room, which has 25-foot-tall ceilings. It gave a sense of bringing the room down to normal level.” Another key change for the living room was changing out the stair and balcony railings. The old wooden spindles sat on the treads, taking up valuable space, while the new custom iron version mounts to the wall and is equal parts sophistication and elegance (and goes beautifully with the large chandelier). In addition, the second floor wall overlooking the living room was given curvature—rather than its original octagon shape—in order to soften it and give it a more sensual detail, Herscoe says. Liegeois then used a European white oak flooring with a smoked wire-brush finish throughout, splashed the home in crisp white and used fun pops of color and
Replacing the formal dining room with this casual spot in the great
bold patterns to bring life to the space.
room allows for a more laid-back vibe that the homeowners, who live
(It’s not every day that a chartreuse rug
in Nashville the rest of the year, hoped to achieve in their winter home.
gets to lay claim to a family room.) Matte black paint above the bar and the refrigerator helps draw contrast to select barware and accessories. “Sarah was daring,” Lie-
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HOME STYLISH LIVING
A major change for the living room was to take out the stair and balcony railings. The old wooden spindles sat on the treads, taking up valuable space, while the new custom iron version mounts to the wall for a sleek, elegant feel.
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HOME STYLISH LIVING
geois says. “We offered color palettes to her and she wasn’t afraid at all.” Sarah notes that in Nashville, her home is quiet and a bit more formal and reserved. “In Naples we wanted something totally different: more fun and feel-good, comfortable and welcoming, but with an elegance that we enjoy.” Wisely, because of kids, pets and grandkids, the fabrics on the first floor tend to be Sunbrella, giving the home a real level of usability after visits to the beach. Meanwhile, the walls feature artwork from Naples artist Mike Browne, as well as works from Hunt Slonem and Nashville artist Anton Weiss. And much of the black and white pho-
Designer Judith Liegeois used European white oak flooring
tography showcased in the home is by their own
with a smoked wire-brush finish throughout, splashed the
son, Philip, taken during annual father-and-son
home in crisp white, and used pops of color to bring life,
week-long excursions.
vitality and fun to the home.
All it takes is a little vision to reinvent a dated Mediterranean model, and it seems the Warrens knew just where to look.
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OUR DESIGN STUDIO NOW OPEN FOR APPOINTMENTS
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We are residential contractors offering full-service remodeling with professional kitchen and bathroom designers
BONITA SPRINGS 25987 S Tamiami Trail #97 Bonita Springs, Fl 34134 Open Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm P 239-985-5530 BonitaSprings.KitchenSolvers.com
CRC1331863
The Lisa Ferringo Group
306 Cypress St, Duck Key, Florida | 4/4
2768 Sq Ft
1.57 acres | $5,999,000
Approx. 310 ft of Concrete seawall providing Big Boat Deep water dockage or Multiple Boat Dockage. Featuring 2 Boat lifts 20k and 12k, approx. 1.57 acres on prestigious Yacht Club Island, Duck Key! Comprising of 3 undeveloped Parcels, and 1 Existing 4/4 pool home, this is one of the last opportunities to customize an Oceanfront Estate on the entire Island. This Oceanfront 4 BR 4 BA Pool home sets on a 30,000 sq. ft lot of its own in addition to the Adjacent 39,000 sq. ft. lot that can also be sold separately for $2,500,000. See MLS #592991. As you enter into the spacious Great Room a wall of glass greets you boasting picture perfect ocean views from every angle. Days are enjoyed lounging by the oceanfront Pool or out on the water where world-class fishing & diving are just minutes away. Guests will appreciate the private 1 BR Guest Suite downstairs. Plenty of room for all of your gear in the spacious 3-Car attached Garage. Multiple lots allow Multiple homes to be built. Property is East facing, Metal roof was put on 2018, All doors and sliders on back of house have been replaced with impact, 170 ft of the seawall was brand new in 2015. Seawall includes 3 Fish Cleaning Station’s and has been outfitted with Power Pedestals, Hose Bibs, and Water lines.
15620 Old State Road 4A, Sugarloaf Key, Florida | 7BR/5BA
53628 Sq ft
152,460 Sq ft | $4,699,000
16750 Old State Road 4A, Sugarloaf Key, Florida | 6BR/6BA
5208 Sq Ft
101,536 Sq ft | $4,499,000
This gorgeous 3.5 Acre Oceanfront Compound boasts a 3 BR 2 BA beachfront main residence plus 2 beachfront 2 Bedroom Guest Cottages all located on one of the prettiest beaches the Keys have to offer. This is the complete package with fantastic fishing & snorkeling right off the shore, 350’ of beachfront, deep water dockage, 3 Tiki Huts complete with bars, TV’s and outdoor Living Rooms, & a colossal lagoon-style Pool with swim-up bar, waterfalls & grottos. Lushly landscaped and gated for complete privacy. This is the perfect property to just get away from it all or for a family compound, corporate retreat or vacation rental. Transient rentals allowed on all 3 homes.
Arriving to your stunning 5,200 sq. ft. Oceanfront Estate you will be greeted by majestic gates opening to a professionally landscaped 2.5-acre property boasting an 8 Slip Boat Basin with 16,000 lb Lift and a designer Lagoon-Style Pool. Once here you will enjoy world-class fishing and diving within eyesight from your back yard. After a day on the water sip cocktails at the poolside Tiki or watch beautiful wildlife from the sand Beach. The colossal Great Room looks out to the ocean and features wood floors and an open Kitchen with stainless appliances plus a Dining Room that also boasts fantastic ocean views. More picture-perfect views of the ocean, pool and gardens are seen from the grand Porch. Guest are accommodated in the private 3 BR Guest Suite complete with Media Room, 2 Baths & large covered Lanai overlooking the ocean and basin or in one of the two main level Guest Rooms. The spacious Master Suite offers a Sitting Area plus large Bath with double sinks, soaking tub and separate shower. Fantastic 180-degree views are seen in the soaring Bell Tower which could be used as a library or office. Plenty of room for all of your toys in the garage or storage room with separate lockers for each boat slip. Lots of tropical landscaping and room for RV, trailers and more.
Serving all of Your Real Estate Needs from Key Largo to Key West!”
24622 Overseas Hwy, Summerland Key, Florida | 8/5 6771 Sq ft
24,000 Sq ft | $3,900,000
This CAT 5 constructed, mixed-use residential/commercial/warehouse complex is ideal for a Buyer seeking the pinnacle of quality construction and design. Located in the heart of Summerland Key and across from the airport. Ideally suited for a wide array of high-profile business operations or the investor seeking income. The property may be sold in parcels or entirely as; the three-story residential/commercial/office building or the complex and site in its entirety consisting of; warehouse, residential/commercial/office building and additional water-front land site.
820 Shelter Bay, Key Colony Beach, Florida | 5BR/5BA
5175 Sq Ft
23,500 Sq ft | $2,999,000
Fantastic deep-water dockage & gorgeous views of Shelter Bay at this half acre open water point estate in Key Colony Beach. The 4 Bedroom 5 Bath plus Office, Loft & Sunroom home was custom built & designed and boasts 5,175 sq. ft. with soaring ceilings & lots of glass to enjoy the views. Days are enjoyed lounging by the Bayfront Pool complete w/spa & pool side cabana Bath. Lots of room for all of your toys with 232’ of seawall including finger pier, lift & davits plus a 9-car garage with tackle room for all of your gear. Well equipped with elevator and whole house generator. Key Colony Beach is a fantastic coastal community offering a gorgeous beach, beach club, golf, tennis, restaurants and shops all within walking distance.
4100 Filer Cove, Big Torch Key, Florida | 3/2
2485 sq ft
8.46 acres | $2,950,000
This rare offering lies over 4 miles from the Overseas Highway providing unmatched privacy set amid an 8 1/2 Acre native landscape on the open water that is almost unattainable in the Florida Keys. The western horizon consists of small uninhabited Keys over a mile away, creating priceless sunset views that can never be altered by development. Over 550’ of natural shoreline frames the million-dollar views of the open water. The intimate beach provides the perfect launch site for kayak and paddle boards while the dock offers further easy access to the gulf and ocean. The 2,500 sq. ft. home features numerous architectural accents and offers premium finishes including coquina stone, Brazilian slate, travertine, and mahogany.
LISA FERRINGO Broker Associate
305-797-1221 Lisaferringo@gmail.com
HOME F AV O R I T E T H I N G S
FUN AND GA MES With 2020 in the rearview mirror, we’re looking forward with stylish playthings to bring a smile to your game face. By Michael Korb
Checkmate Ralph Lauren's Fowler Chess Set seamlessly blends the art of contemporary design and Old World craftsmanship with its handmade leather tiles and metallic playing pieces. Checkers, backgammon and domino sets are also available. $1,995; ralphlauren.com
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WE BUILD THE HOME. YOU LIVE THE DREAM.
For more than 35 years, Divco Custom Homes has built dream homes in neighborhoods throughout Southwest Florida. Distinctive in their design, masterful in their craftsmanship and delivering a dream to those who dwell within them. Discover the Divco difference today and start living the dream tomorrow.
6628 Willow Park Drive | DivcoHomes .com | 239. 592.7222 License #CGC052793
HOME F AV O R I T E T H I N G S
Royal Flush
Lucky 7
Puzzling
You’ve got to know when to
Perfect for a game room, this
Shot by food photographer
hold ’em, fold ’em and a few
19-inch square Burnt Red
Sarah Phillips, the Artichoke
other pertinent things that
Accent Table by Uttermost is
Floral Puzzle will provide
could play a large role in your
a fun addition for any player.
hours of quiet reflection and a
quest for success. However, with this deck of Tiffany Travel
good reason to pour yourself a $334; wilsonlighting.com
pairing drink.
Playing Cards, you’ll always look like a winner.
$22; summerfieldsnaples.com
$125; tiffany.com
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CARRIE BRIGHAM DESIGN
W W W.CA R R I E B R I GHA M DE S I G N .COM
HOME F AV O R I T E T H I N G S
Take it Outside No more worrying about our humid weather ruining your gaming tables— R&R Outdoors’ Outdoor Shuffleboard Table is just one of many patiofriendly options made right here by the Naples-based company. Powdercoated marine-grade aluminum and wrapped granite make this a solid poolside option. From $9,995; randroutdoorfun.com
i n n o vat i v e
d e s i g n
,
i m p e c c a b l e
c r a f t s m a n s h i p
a n d
f l aw l e s s
Create Function & Storage with Style! Visit our NEW Showroom 13180 Livingston Rd. Unit #105 Naples, FL 34109
Custom closets, wall units, laundry areas, garages, home offices and so much more. Our installations reflect your dreams and your personality, while enhancing your home.
Call us today for a free design consultation!
239.303.5829 | www.allaboutclosets.com
s e rv i c e
.
Make a statement by living a statement.
Only on the shores of Babcock Ranch’s shimmering lakes can you get away to nature’s quiet, or take a short stroll to farm-to-table dining, and still feel right at home. From the state-of-the-art wellness and fitness center with on-site health clinics, to a firstclass education system, America’s first solar-powered town is unlike anywhere else in the world. Let us show you lakefront living that makes a statement.
custom Lakefront estate homes from $800s to over $1.5 miLLion 888.659.7488 | Babcockranch.com/lake-babcock-estates ©2020 Babcock Ranch. Broker participation is welcome. Prices, plans, specifications and community design are subject to change. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the representations of the developer. For correct information regarding Babcock Ranch, interested parties should refer to written materials provided by the developer, legislative acts related to Babcock Ranch and the covenants and restrictions of the Babcock Ranch Residential Association, Inc. The information provided above is not intended to be an offering and should be considered as informational only.
HOME F AV O R I T E T H I N G S
Pity the Foos It’s a question as old as time: how much is too much to spend on a foosball table? It’s surely somewhere north of this lust-worthy French-made EPI Leather Foosball Table in Cyan Blue. In true Louis Vuitton style, the set is elevated with hand-painted players, LV signature engraving and gold-color accents. $87,500; louisvuitton.com
For your premier landscape services.
3889 Sanibel Captiva Road (239) 768.5655 www.rswalsh.com
Furnit ure I L ighting I Rugs I Patio I Accessories I Art I Floral I Gifts
NAPLES
9465 Tamiami Trail N.
239-596-7273
WESTHOMECOLLECTION.COM
HOME
R E N OVAT I O N S P OT L I G H T
SLEEK AND STEADY A black-and-white palette set the tone for this Park Shore condo makeover.
The kitchen is the heart of this home
The homeowners reside in Chicago and
inets,” Lou Shafran, principal designer
located in the 20-story Aria building on
travel the world but spend the winters in
and owner of Pacifica Interior Design,
Gulf Shore Boulevard North. However,
Naples. They knew the 14-year-old condo
says. “We live in the land of sunshine
prior to the renovation, it had a weak
was in need of a facelift and were excited
and we knew the owners were looking
pulse. “We started with the kitchen rede-
with the vision that Pacifica Interior
for uncluttered, cleaner lines but they
sign, and the room turned out to be the
Design presented. “Our goal was to sim-
still wanted the home to be comfortable
centerpiece of the condo and the most
plify, get rid of all the dark colors, heavy
and elegant.”
transformative,” Michael Diamond, pres-
textures, the ornate fireplaces, fussy
The six-month renovation of the ninth-
ident of Diamond Custom Homes, says.
lighting and traditional wood-tone cab-
floor unit posed some challenges. Not
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Courtesy Lori Hamilton
By Lynne Groth
HOME
The owners tapped interior designer Lou Shafran of Pacifica Interior Design to simplify the space—removing harsh textures and opting for clean lines.
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Courtesy Lori Hamilton
R E N OVAT I O N S P OT L I G H T
The
Best of Luxury Living
Cap Ferrat
St. Laurent
Cap Ferrat
6597 Nicholas Blvd #1606
6849 Grenadier Blvd #1901
6597 Nicholas Blvd #405
3,150 total sq ft / 3 BR / Den / 3 BA
3,120 total sq ft / 3 BR / 3 BA
3,150 total sq ft / 3 BR / Den / 3 BA
3,495,000
$
St. Nicole
$
2,150,000
$
1,495,000
Grosvenor
Dorchester
5550 Heron Point Dr #1804
6001 Pelican Bay Blvd. #1006
6075 Pelican Bay Blvd #1404
1,514 total sq ft / 3 BR / Den / 2 BA
2,855 total sq ft / 3 BR / 3 BA
1,932 total sq ft / 2 BR / 2.5 BA
$
1,275,000
$
995,000
$
799,000
LAUREN FOWLKES
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HOME R E N OVAT I O N S P OT L I G H T
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only was work restricted from May 1 to Oct. 31, but the work schedule of Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. made planning all the more important. “We measured twice and cut once,” Diamond says. Access to the unit and demolition were challenging, as well. outside had to be towed in and out every day. And when ren-
Working on a ninth-floor renovation proved to be a challenge
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HOME REALTY CHECK
Ask A Realtor
“There are a lot of considerations
playability, type of grass and more. It’s
PJ Smith, the managing broker for Golf
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important to match the course with your
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your real estate agent: types of member-
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Another important thing is pricing. Does the club have an initiation fee? What are the annual recurring golf and HOA fees? What are the exit strategies during resale? Many buyers love having amenities such as wine tasting, state-ofthe-art fitness, a wellness spa and unique ways for connecting socially with others. Once we narrow down the development and amenities (quality of the practice range is very important), I’ll take my buyers to meet the membership director and the club pro. If there’s a match, then we’ll preview homes. A current trend in golf property searches includes preview memberships, which allow prospective members to try a club out for a defined period of time before they join. Another interesting trend is nonresident memberships. This gives buyers the flexibility to be a member of a premier club and live outside the development. Some love this option, especially if they want
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SALUT!
MEET THE KIDS
Courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Collier County
28 About NCEF: Generosit y in Action
10
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live the outdoor life....
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MEET THE KIDS
Eve Edelheit
44 Impact: Youth Ha ven’s Star Athlete
12
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SALUT! IN THIS ISSUE 20 Welcome Let ter 22 T he Volunteers 24 W hat We’re Pouring at Home
RAISE A GLASS 56 Meet the Chef: Fabri zio Aielli 64 Vint ner T rustees: T he Roone ys’ Bodega 202
20
Courtesy NCEF; Zach Stovall; Tina Sargeant
64
56 14
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We would like to congratulate the Trustees of The Winter Wine Festival on their 21st anniversary
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SALUT!
RAISE A GLASS 72 Vint ner Dinners: T hree Elegant Fundraising Fêtes 92 In P ictures: T he 20th A nniversar y of the N W W F 98 Online Auction: 2021 Top Lots 107 Giving Back: Six Ways to Support the Mission of the NCEF
98
92
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Courtesy NCEF/Sweet Emotions Photography; Silver Oak Vineyards/Sara; Peter Falencik
72
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Pairing Fine Wine with Fine Art
Emillionsart.com
“Dreaming of Now� - Dario Campanile
Marlissa Gardner, President 837 5th Avenue S outh, Suite 202, Naples, FL | (239) 687-3101
Board of Directors
Trustees of the Naples Children &
Libby and Rick Germain
Education Foundation
Linda and Victor Grijalva Sharon and Chuck Hallberg
Peter Welsh Chairman of the Board
Past Festival Chairs:
Julie and Rob Heidt, Jr. Barbie and Paul Hills
2001 – Jeff Gargiulo
Jerri and David Hoffmann
Vice Chair of the Board
2002 – Brian Cobb
Katrina and Rick Kash
2003 – Tom Wajnert
Linda and Tom Koehn
Dale Medford
2004 – Shirlene Elkins
Nancy and Joe Masterson
Treasurer / Secretary
2005 – Scott Lutgert
Susie and David+ McCurry
2006 – Grace Evenstad
Anne Welsh McNulty
Bill Cary
2007 – Linda Richards Malone
Karen and Dale Medford
Immediate Past Chair
and Jim Malone
Kathy and Dan Mezzalingua
2008 – Don Gunther
Carol and Harry Rose
John Walter
2009 – Connie and Tom Galloway
Marilyn Scripps
Grant Committee Chair
2010 – Kathleen and Francis Rooney
Angela and Don Smith
2011 – Cynthia and Bruce Sherman
Susan Stielow
Barbie and Paul Hills
2012 – Joan and Bob Clifford
Julia Van Domelen
Immediate Past Festival Chairs
2013 – Terry and Bob Edwards
Carol and John Walter
2014 – Anne Welsh McNulty, Linda
Shirley and Peter Welsh
Nancy and Joe Masterson
Paul Hills
Richards Malone, Adria Starkey
Beth and Jeff Wessel
Immediate Past Festival Chairs
2015 – Sharon and Chuck Hallberg and
Kristine and Chris Williams
Sandi and Tom Moran
Sissy and Bill Wilson
Shirley and Peter Welsh
2016 – Laura and Jim Dixon
Immediate Past Festival Chairs Valerie Boyd Board Member Terry Edwards Board Member Paul Fleming Board Member Rick Kash Board Member Nancy Masterson Board Member Julia Van Domelen Board Member Maria Jimenez-Lara CEO
and Sandi and Tom Moran
Lifetime Trustees:
2017 – Debbi and Bill Cary, Denise and Brian Cobb, Valerie Boyd
Jean Ackerman (2003-2013)
and Jeff Gargiulo, Simone and Scott
Usha and Monte Ahuja (2010-2020)
Lutgert
Patricia Aluisi (2000-2015)
2018 – Becky and Lewie Card,
Penny and Lee Anderson (2002-2012)
Susie and David+ McCurry,
Larry Andrews (2002-2012)
Kathy and Dan Mezzalingua
Ann Bain (2003-2014)
2019 – Jeannelle and Brian Brady and
Barbara and Ron Balser (2007-2018)
Linda and Tom Koehn
Joan and Bob Clifford (2007-2018)
2020 – Barbie and Paul Hills,
Mary Susan and J.D. Clinton (2000-
Nancy and Joe Masterson,
2012)
Shirley and Peter Welsh
Denise and Brian Cobb (2000-2013) Arlene and Michael D’Alessandro (2000-2011)
Trustees
Shirlene and Bob+ Elkins (2000-2012) Grace and Ken+ Evenstad (2002-2014)
Jeannelle and Brian Brady
Martha and Jim Fligg (2007-2018)
Becky and Lewie Card
Connie and Tom Galloway (2000-2011)
Debbi and Bill Cary
Pat+ and Dave Gibbons (2010–2020)
Laura and Jim Dixon
Mosey and Don Gunther (2002-2012)
Terry and Bob Edwards
Mary Pat and Frank Hussey (2000-
Jody and Paul Fleming
2011)
Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo
Barbara and John Jordan (2007-2017)
Susan and Gary Garrabrant
Carol and Tom Lund (2000-2012)
Simone and Scott Lutgert (2000-2012) Jim Malone (2000-2012) Linda Richards Malone (2000-2012) Fran and Jim McGlothlin (2003-2015) Sandi and Tom Moran (2010-2020) Judith Liegeois and John Scot Mueller (2004-2014) Joyce and Bill O’Meara (2000-2004) Kathleen and Francis Rooney (2004-2014) Ned Sachs (2000-2009) Karen and Bob Scott (2007-2017) Cynthia and Bruce Sherman (2003-2015) Retta and Elliott Singer (2000-2012) Donna Solimene (2002-2015) Adria and Jerry Starkey (2006-2016) Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson, Jr. (2000-2008) Therésa and Tom Wajnert (2000-2009) Dottie and Bryant+ Yunker, Sr. (2000-2007) Honorary Trustees: Humphrey Butler Ann Colgin Michael DeGroote, Sr. Bob Dickinson Ron Kuhn Teri Franklin Kuhn Joan and Bill Martin Bruce Nichols Rosann and Bill Nunnelly Judy and Jerry Sheindlin Ed Staros John Vega Naples Winter Wine Festival: 2590 Goodlette-Frank Road North, Naples, FL 34103 (239) 514-2239 (888) 837-4919 napleswinefestival.com
+ Deceased
O n T h e C ove r
Photography by Craig Hildebrand Wines provided by Naples Fine Wine, naplesfinewine.com
18
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g ulf shorelife.com
For the past 35 years, the Community Foundation of Collier County (CFCC) has been connecting people who care to causes that matter, growing their charitable legacies, and funding nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in Collier County. In 2017, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, CFCC, and 30 other community partners undertook an initiative to listen and respond to needs voiced by our community. As a result, the Community Foundation of Collier County has launched a $15.5 million dollar campaign, Your passion. Your Collier. We will be addressing the spectrum of community needs including:
We are here for you Collier, for good and forever. Follow your passion and become part of the solution in our community. Contact Eileen Connolly Keesler, president and CEO, or Julie Van Tongeren, VP of Development, for more information.
1110 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 200 Naples, FL 34108 239.649.5000
cfcollier.org
WELCOME LETTER
A I N ’ T NO M OU N TA I N H I GH E NOUGH
20
MARIA JIMENEZ
NCEF Chairman of the Board
NCEF Chief Executive Officer
committed to making sure that everyone who requires help will receive it, and we’re calling on our friends, neighbors and past donors to assist us in making that effort a reality. We invite you to join us for our first-ever televised event, courtesy of WINK-TV, on Saturday, Jan. 30. This one-hour broadcast will build awareness of NCEF’s mission and the many systems of care we have built to support children. The program weaves together live and pre-recorded segments offering inspirational success stories, personal testimonials from parents and beneficiaries, reflections from NCEF founders and the measurable impact that NCEF has had in Collier County. Throughout the hour, members of the community will have the opportunity to help us accomplish this important work by making a pledge of support either via text or online. In addition, — SALUT!
our popular online auction will be available for all to participate until Tuesday, Feb. 2. In designing the rest of the festival schedule on Jan. 30, the board and trustees are responding to dual challenges: safeguarding the health and safety of attendees, while ensuring that our nonprofit partners receive the aid they need to help our recipients. Whether we can all celebrate in person or not, we invite everyone to participate and give generously. Our theme for 2021 is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”—and we know that with your help, we can reach the summit for the underserved children of Collier County.
Courtesy NCEF
Over the past 21 years, the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) and the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) have raised more than $212 million to improve the lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County. Through the unparalleled generosity of donors and trustees, more than 45 nonprofit organizations have received grants to provide more than 275,000 children with vital vision and dental care, nutrition, early learning programs, mental health screening and out-of-school services. We don’t have to tell you that this year is different. Due to the COVID -19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, life is far more challenging for the neediest members of our community. The trustees of NCEF are
PETER WELSH
g ulf shorelife.com
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THE VOLUNTEERS
BIG H E A RT S , H E L PI NG H A N D S The people who give their time are the fuel of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Here, a few volunteers share their favorite festival memories. Their report: Giving is a gift.
GET INVOLVED
“The first dinner I did
“The memory that stands
“One year, I was working
was amazing. We gave
out the most is from Meet
security near the golf
each guest a framed
the Kids Day. We were led
course when two young
There are plenty of ways to lend
photo of them with the
into the gymnasium at
men approached me in
a hand. Before the festival, there
chef or vintner. I took the
the YMCA to hear from
a cart and asked what
are more than 20 opportunities to
photos, and then rushed
various survivors. There
was going on inside the
volunteer with prep, including
to the Ritz camera store
was a pack of Kleenex on
tent. I told them we were
helping design the auction lot
to get them printed and
each chair as we entered
auctioning cases of wine.
room, mailing save-the-dates and
then back to put them in
the gym. I vowed not to
Just then, the auctioneer
assembling patron bags. During the
frames (we didn’t have
be the first person to cry.
yelled ‘Sold for $500,000!’
event, you can assist on one of the
instant photos or camera
I was the second. I think
They drove off mumbling,
10 wine-service assignments or 42
phones back then).
many people have a top
‘Must have been a good
other roles, including registration,
line view of the festival, as
vintage.’ Having volun-
tent set-up, camera assistant and
Raymond Lutgert bid
1. ‘It’s Naples, there are no
teered for many charita-
setting up for Meet the Kids Day.
more than $1 million for
poor kids here,’ and 2. ‘It’s
ble events since coming
the 2008 Rolls-Royce
just a bunch of wealthy
to Naples, I have to say
To join the team, go to
Phantom—it was so
people throwing money
the NWWF is by far the
napleswinefestival.com/volunteers.
exciting under the tent
around.’ And that’s not
highlight. One reason is
that day. And, the pride
the case. It was great to
all the money goes to the
in Jacques Cariot, owner
see the various organiza-
children. I am honored
of Bleu Provence, as he
tions with the kids and
to have a small part in
beamed the first year that
their ‘lemonade stands’
making that happen.”
his lot received $350,000.
talking about the impact
—Ray Marasco
I could go on and on, but
from the NCEF.”
what is most important is
—Jarad Slipp
I also remember when
what is next.” —Billie-Jean Ferguson
22
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g ulf shorelife.com
INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER
30 Y E A R S
Volunteering and philanthropy improve lives and remind us how interconnected we all are. That’s why E D W A R D S A S S E T M A N A G E M E N T is honored to devote time and resources to a variety of organizations.
Investing in Naples
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FOR THE LOVE OF WINE
W H AT W E ’ R E P OU R I NG AT H OM E Naples Winter Wine Festival patrons share a refined appreciation for fine wine. This is cultivated at the festival, where attendees meet vintners from around the world. We asked Naples Children & Education Foundation trustees to share their favorite wines they’ve been enjoying while staying in.
JO DY G O O D E NOUGH-F L E M I NG A N D PAU L F L E M I NG “Being hunkered
lighter, elegant, lower in
down over the past
alcohol, and has lovely flo-
eight months, we have
ral and herbal notes and
become besties with
a silky texture. Crissante
our wine cellar. Paul
Alessandria is a tiny,
and I are drinking the
family-owned, Barolo
2017 Pilcrow Ghost
winery that goes back
Block Vineyard Cab-
seven generations. Their
“We’re pouring the full-
ernet Sauvignon from
old-vine Galina vineyard
bodied, yet elegant Il Borro
Yountville and the 2013
produces Barolo wines of
Toscana 2015 (a perfect
Crissante Alessandria
great depth and intensity
pairing for traditional
Barolo “Galina” from
that aren’t heavy, and are
beef tenderloin). We met
Piedmont. Pilcrow is a
highlighted by red fruit
“We are thoroughly
the owner, Salvatore
boutique Napa producer
and rose petal aromas.
enjoying the 2015
Ferragamo, at the Naples
of single-vineyard caber-
Both wines share a finesse
Walter Hansel North
Winter Wine Festival; have
nets made by our friends
and a drinkability that we
Slope Russian River
traveled with him and his
Sara and Jonah Beer, who
are just loving.”
Valley Chardonnay. It
wife Christine and enjoyed
specialize in an old-Napa
is comparable or even
their hospitality at the Il
style of wine that is
better than many white
T E R RY A N D B O B E DWA R D S
K AT R I NA LU N DM A R K-K A S H A ND R ICK K ASH
Borro estate, a medieval
Burgundies at many
village they beautifully
times the price. Robert
restored. We appreciate
Parker calls the wine
their family orientation
‘sultry,’ and that seems to
and commitment to the
be a creative and accu-
environment: They use
rate description of the
organic farming, and the
pleasure that the
property qualifies as a
wine delivers.”
negative carbon footprint program because they Courtesy NCEF
produce their own solar energy.”
24
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g ulf shorelife.com
S H A RON A N D C H UC K H A L L BE RG “Sharon and I are eclectic
ation in some manner,
wine drinkers, and each
and they are incredibly
day may bring a new wine
philanthropic. Carefully
delight to accompany
crafted and meticulously
our dinner. One winery
tended, the cabs can be
whose wines are always
enjoyed young or can be
within reach, though,
cellared for 25 years or
is Staglin Family
more. The chardonnay
Vineyard—particularly
is so velvety crisp and
the 2005 vintages. Shari
luscious that it rarely
and Garen Staglin have
lasts a year in our house.
been producing iconic
Not the easiest to find, but
cabernet sauvignon and
with a production over
chardonnay (among
5,000 cases, these wines
“We have been very
Evenstads showed us
other wines) since
can be procured by any
fortunate to be involved
their upcoming fields
1985. The whole family
persistent wine lover.”
with the Naples Winter
planned to produce
Wine Festival and to have
seven different varieties
become acquainted with
of sparkling wine. They
wineries and vineyards
recently unveiled the
that produce truly great
‘Evenstad Reserve’
wines. We found the
Dundee Hills Brut
Domaine Serene winery
Multi-Vintage (M.V.) 1
in Oregon’s Dundee Hills
Sparkling Wine, which
through an auction lot
we had the pleasure of
we won at one of the
sampling at an event not
festivals. We became very
long ago.”
participates in the oper-
NA NC Y A N D JO E M A S T E R S ON
close with the owners Grace and Ken Evenstad (who sadly passed recently). After admitting that Champagne is our favorite wine, the
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Investing in our children’s futures.
BMO Wealth Management is proud to sponsor the Naples Winter Wine Festival benefitting the Naples Children and Education Foundation.
S A L U T
01
MEET THE KIDS
28 About NCEF: Generosit y in Action —C h i l d r e n’s H u n g e r p. 3 0 —C h i l d r e n’s H e a l t h c a r e p. 3 4 —C h i l d r e n’s M e n t a l H e a l t h p. 3 6 —C h i l d r e n's E a r l y L e a r n i n g p. 3 8 —C h i l d r e n's O u t- o f- S c h o o l T i m e p. 4 0 —C h i l d r e n’s O r a l H e a l t h p. 42 —C h i l d r e n’s V i s i o n p. 4 3
44 Impact: Youth Haven’s Star Player Artist Profile: Fort Myers Artist Leila Mesdaghi
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ABOUT NCEF
G E N E RO SI T Y I N ACT I O N There’s a good reason patrons are so committed to the Naples Children & Education Foundation—every dollar raised changes the lives of local kids. Its reach has become more apparent since the pandemic. Here, we look at seven key initiatives the organization supports and nonprofits that benefit from each. By Er in Shaw St re et
A little more than 20 years ago, after identifying the dire needs of underserved children in Collier County, a brain trust of engaged individuals founded the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF). They created the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) as the organization’s primary fundraiser. Over the years, the event grew to become the top nonprofit wine auction in the country. The world-class pours and chefs, glittering lots and camaraderie are all undoubted attractions. But what motivates patrons, donors, volunteers and the nonprofit employees most, is that the efforts go a long way. Ann Bain, a former member of the grant committee, is one of the longtime trustees who has witnessed the impact of NCEF up close for years. In 2005, when members of the committee noticed that local charities were duplicating services and often competing for the same dollars, NCEF commissioned an independent study from the University of Florida Lastinger Center of Learning that resulted in a focus of seven key strategic initiatives: hunger, healthcare, mental health, early learning, out-of-school time, oral health and vision. “We took the competition out of it and allowed charities to get funded to serve the maximum number of children,” she says. By stressing collaboration, not competition, and constant communication, the beneficiaries are able to help care for the whole child—it’s not uncommon for children who benefit from NCEF dollars to require services from many of the organizations it supports. This proactive approach allows groups to pivot to specific community needs. “We’ve been able to Courtesy David Lawrence Centers
create so much positive change,” Bain says. “We see it in the behavior in school, the graduation rates, the number of children who are healthy.” The strategy has also proven invaluable in coordinating pandemic relief efforts. Just how does all this play out in action? Let’s take a look.
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ABOUT NCEF
CHILDREN’S HUNGER In Collier County, nearly 70% of children receive free or reduced meals. For many kids, these meals represent their entire diet. The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida—which serves five counties, including Collier—maintains relationships with 31 nonprofit agencies who distribute food to the most vulnerable populations. As a result of NCEF funding, more than 8.3 million meals have been distributed throughout the county since 2011, according to the organization’s president and CEO, Richard LeBer. This includes partial funding for Harry’s Helpings, an innovative program that provides food kits for more than 250 families each month. NCEF also helps fund Fulfill Mobile Pantries, which serves areas of high need, like Immokalee, Golden Gate and East Naples. Each distribution easily serves Gutter Credit
more than 500 families, providing them with fresh produce, canned or dry goods, frozen meat, bread, Vanessa Rogers (2)
grains and other foods. “NCEF has a long history of supporting Harry Chapin Food Bank, and this impact is enormous,” LeBer says.
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Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida’s president and CEO Richard LeBer says NCEF funding has helped distribute more than 8.3 million meals throughout Collier County since 2011. Through the pandemic, distribution has ballooned by 177% in the county’s most vulnerable areas.
31
ABOUT NCEF
“The NCEF is a leader in supporting the concept of comprehensive programmatic funding for organizations like ours, and they bring awareness to the issue of hunger.” It’s needed more than ever, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an economic crisis that has triggered a wave of need. “Many of the families we serve are experiencing hunger for the first time. Seas of cars, full of families and children who are hungry, are flooding our drive-through distributions. Some families have lost all income while others are facing reduced hours,” LeBer says. In response, with NCEF’s help, the group has taken decisive action. They modified their Fulfill Mobile Pantries to be drivethrough to protect from the virus and added additional distributions in Collier. They also adjusted their processes to accommodate the increased needs of partner organizations, such as Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee. At the Naples distribution center, for example, they increased production to 7,000 food kits each week. As a result, the distribution in the county has increased by 177%. “The funds raised during the Naples Winter Wine Festival have a ripple effect across Collier County,” LeBer says. “Children’s lives are changed forever.”
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g ulf shorelife.com
“Many of the families we serve are experiencing hunger for the first time. Seas of cars, full of families and children who are hungry, are flooding our drive-through distributions,” says LeBer of the increased need. Since the onset of the pandemic, Harry Chapin has been able to modify its
EARLY CHILDHO OD COURT
Fulfill Mobile Pantries to be drive-through and increased food aid to its 31 partner organizations.
A new NCEF initiative assists in child welfare cases for children up to age 3. Collier’s new Early Childhood Court (ECC), which rolled out this summer, couldn’t have come at a better time. “Substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence—they’re all on the rise right now with the pandemic,” ECC community coordinator Danielle O’Conner says. “Poverty, people losing their jobs, stress levels are high. In turn, there’s the child abuse or neglect that comes with that. It’s all just kind of a domino effect, unfortunately.” The ECC was developed to empower families with children up to age 3 who’ve been separated from their parents. The program’s goal is to provide families with the resources they need to be reunited, whether that’s by gaining access to psychotherapy, daycare, reliable transportation or other solutions. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the NCEF, the program is already making a difference. “The ultimate goal is to do everything we can to stop that cycle of abuse,” O’Conner says. “We’re trying to help with brain development during this
Vanessa Rogers (3)
early time in these children’s lives, so they have the ability to form healthy and safe attachments and be more resilient going forward.” —Alyssa Morlacci
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CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE The Healthcare Network makes sure that quality care is accessible to all—regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Last year, that mission took on new meaning. “Just because there’s a pandemic doesn’t mean that essential medical care can stop, or you’ll have two or three more public health crises on your hands," CEO Dr. Emily Ptaszek says. That means continuing to provide medical, vision and dental services for 50,000 patients a year, including about 60% who are children. This year, the team opened the Nichols Community Health Center in Golden Gate, one of the most underserved communities in the county. The 51,000-squarefoot building provides primary care services, including pediatric care, obstetrics and gynecology, adult and senior care, integrated behavioral health and a drivethru pharmacy. The center also provides access to a new pediatric behavioral health model, which
The Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida provides medical services for 50,000 patients
supports the child and family.
a year, including about 60% who are children. Transformational gifts from the NCEF have
The services are a matter of life and death, Ptaszek says: “The pan-
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facilitated the addition of centers in high-need areas, like the Nichols Community Health Center in Golden Gate.
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g ulf shorelife.com
ABOUT NCEF
demic has only widened economic and healthcare disparities. Our patients are experiencing multiple stressors all at once, from economic to psychological health issues. At first, we saw people who were afraid to come for care and address acute issues, and that can be a real problem.” The team has also cared for residents who themselves are frontline workers, including first responders, teachers and caregivers, while expanding technology and telehealth services. Ptaszek says that the Healthcare Network could not provide this level of care without the help of NCEF. “They have supported us for a long time and made multiple Courtesy Nichols Community Health Center (3)
transformational gifts to this organization. They have supported every service line we have for children, from behavioral health to dental health,” she says. As the uninsured rate increases, community health centers like Nichols Community Health Center, will continue to be vital to community health. “Collier County is very fortunate to have NCEF,” Ptaszek says. “They are able to meet needs that other counties really struggle with. This community is very different because of their support.”
35
Scott Burgess (bottom left) leads David Lawrence Centers, which works to reduce the stigma related to mental health topics and provide comprehensive care to all. “There are certain individuals and certain organizations that, instead of running away from a fire, they run right into it, and that’s NCEF,” he says, about the organization’s support.
CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH David Lawrence Centers (DLC) is a comprehensive community health program that is leading the charge on increasing access to and reducing the stigma surrounding mental healthcare. With inpatient, outpatient and community-based programs, the teams are on the frontlines of responding to a mental health crisis worsened by the pandemic. “We are a 24/7, 365 days a year organization—we are always here,” CEO Scott Burgess says. Since last year, DLC has not just maintained access to care, but expanded virtual services. More than 70% of patients are considered low income, and many are uninsured or underinsured, which is why partners like NCEF are so instrumental. In particular, NCEF’s funding of children’s services has transformed access to mental health for kids in Collier County. The organization was key in helping launch the only children’s partial hospitalization program in Southwest Florida, caring for minors with issues including depression and bipolar disorder. This approach allows children to receive intensive care as in a hospital setting—such as individual, group
36
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g ulf shorelife.com
ABOUT NCEF
and family counseling, while having a sense of normalcy by returning home in the evenings. “Because of those symptoms and struggles, they may be having trouble with school, academics, parents and family— quite often they are multichallenged situations,” Burgess says. In 2020, factors like isolation from school closures and family job loss added to the uncertainty for many, particularly the most vulnerable. NCEF has also provided funding to train staff, including specialty, evidence-based care for children with certain behavioral health challenges. They’ve supported training for trauma-informed therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, which helps patients change negative thinking patterns and unhealthy behaviors. To reduce the stigma around mental and behavioral health, the group funds
Courtesy David Lawrence Centers (3); Vanessa Rogers
programs that create community dialogue about a pressing subject. “We know that there will be a dramatic need for mental health services in the months and years to come,” Burgess says. “And we are so thankful for NCEF. The way that I characterize them is this: there are certain individuals and certain organizations that, instead of running away from a fire, they run right into it, and that’s NCEF.”
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The Early Learning Coalition, led by Susan Block, reaches more than 8,000 children annually with programs that benefit them during the first five years of life. ELC relies on NCEF support to fill the gaps in government funding.
38
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ABOUT NCEF
CHILDREN’S EARLY LEARNING Early childhood education has always
the NCEF to fill gaps. “Because of
been a core mission for the NCEF—
NCEF funding, we’re able to serve up
and that includes learning that starts
to 45 children who would remain on
before a child enters school. Since
the waitlist otherwise,” CEO Susan
research shows that the first five years
Block says. “The NCEF is a tremen-
of life are the most critical for brain
dous partner. Not only has the group
development, and economically dis-
been incredibly generous through
advantaged children often don’t have
the funding that they raise through
access to care that their peers do, the
the Naples Winter Wine Festival,
organization works to find solutions
but they are good partners in thinking
for families.
about moving forward in a strategic
Vanessa Rogers (3)
A key component of this is the
way when we receive funding.”
Early Learning Coalition (ELC),
This hands-on, strategic thinking
which serves more than 8,000 chil-
has been invaluable during the pan-
dren each year through childcare
demic, as childcare centers worked
and prekindergarten services. This
to continue to provide care during a
includes administering the School
time in which some were losing rev-
Readiness Program for low-income
enue from low enrollment. The ELC
and at-risk children, and the volun-
worked across providers and organi-
tary prekindergarten program that
zations to help everyone stay safe and
serves all 4-year-old children in Lee,
open. “The pandemic has really shone
Collier, Hendry and Glades counties.
a big bright light on how important
The Early Learning Coalition
childcare is for the economy. In
administers grant funding and works
order for people to go back to work
with providers, such as day care cen-
in Collier, they need to have reliable
ters, to care for at-risk children and
childcare,” Block says. “People are
get them prepared for school.
concerned about K-12, rightfully so,
Although the Early Learning Coali-
but for communities and businesses
tion receives funding from the state,
to be open, younger children must be
it relies on substantial support from
cared for.”
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ABOUT NCEF
CHILDREN’S OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME Learning doesn’t stop outside the
reading interventions and making
classroom. But in Collier County,
sure kids get a hot meal every day.
many economically disadvan-
This includes comprehensive
taged students don’t get the sup-
after-school programs, making
port they need during the hours
sure children get a hot meal each
outside of the 8 a.m.-to-3 p.m.
day, homework help and reading
school day. The Out-of-School
interventions, Scott says.
Time Initiative fills in with exten-
Services are provided at orga-
sive services designed to support
nizations such as the Boys &
a student’s academic success and
Girls Club, Guadalupe Center,
personal development. “When
Redlands Christian Migrant
the initiative started, there were
Association and The Immoka-
many organizations operating to
lee Foundation. Together, these
provide services, all in their own
organizations provide assistance
silos,” NCEF Out-of-School Time
throughout the K-12 experience,
director Jamie Scott says. “NCEF
from reading help early on to
recognized an opportunity to help
leadership training and career
these organizations work together
immersion later in high school.
to serve more children for the same amount of money.”
One program of the Guadalupe Center, called Tutor Corps,
The needs are great. In Immoka-
empowers high school students
lee, 95% of students live in homes
to tutor K-2 students, while also
that are economically disadvan-
receiving their own mentoring as
taged. With only 16% of parents
they prepare for college.
here with a high school diploma,
Among offerings at The Immoka-
many have limited resources to
lee Foundation are certified profes-
support their children’s academic
sionals who provide children with
growth. That’s where the Out-of-
an extra level of reading support.
School Time Initiative comes in,
All programs are free of charge to
supporting organizations that
any child who needs extra support.
provide comprehensive after-
“More than just an after-school
school programs, homework help,
program, we’re looking at the
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g ulf shorelife.com
child as a whole, and that’s what the NCEF is really good at,” Scott says. “These children have so many barriers. Their families are wonderful and supportive, but have their own challenges, so we bring in professionals who can help support them.” This includes frequent communication with other organizations supported by the seven strategic initiatives, such as healthcare, vision and dental care. Three years ago, the initiative began to partner with the FSU Clinic of Child Stress and Health, making a clinical psychologist available for Vanessa Rogers (2); Courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Collier County
students with behavioral issues. This care has continued during the pandemic, as each of the after-school care providers has moved to adjust programming and spaces to keep children and staff safe. Though it’s impossible to know the long-term impact of current events, Scott says she is encouraged by seeing how children who have grown up with Out-of-School Time have flourished. “We’ve seen children receive many of these services The Out-of-School Time Initiative provides at-risk students with support needed outside the
and grow up to be true leaders and
regular school day. "More than just an after-school program, we're looking at the child as a
academic superstars. It’s amazing
whole," NCEF Out-of-School Time Director Jamie Scott says (top left).
to watch how they flourish with good support,” she says.
41
ABOUT NCEF
CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH Historically, more than a third of Collier County children haven’t had access to basic dental care. The NCEF Pediatric Dental Health Center, established in 2008, is dedicated to changing that. “Children can’t learn in school when they have a toothache, they can’t sleep well when they have a toothache—some don’t even want to smile because of their decayed teeth,” clinical director Dr. Lauren Governale says. The center has provided dental care for more than 150,000 children. Managed by the University of Florida College of Dentistry, its home to one of the most competitive pediatric dental residency programs in the country. Here, residents learn how to treat severe dental issues, while children and their families get access to state-of-theart care. “We’re one of the few programs in the country able to offer this highly skilled service, and it makes a big difference for children and their families,” Governale says. The NCEF also funds extensive prevention programs. The center is home to a bilingual health educator who helps patients and families learn about dental hygiene and diet. The team brings programs into the community, too, through school-based initiatives. There’s evidence that these prevention efforts work, with fewer children needing urgent dental care. “We’ve been able to improve the quality of life for the children,” Governale says.
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CHILDREN’S VISION The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has long partnered with NCEF. Last year, Bascom Palmer started to manage prevention efforts, including initial screenings at all Title I schools. The organization’s goal: to ensure all children are evaluated and receive care. “It’s going to be very good for the children to receive this level of comprehensive vision care,” Dr. Eduardo Alfonso, the director, says. As issues are identified, children receive corrective care, including, if necessary, two pairs of eyeglasses—one for home, and one for school. If the problem can’t be corrected with glasses, they receive additional attention at one of the initiative’s tertiary care providers. Courtesy Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (2); NCEF Pediatric Dental Health Center (2)
Though the outreach is for children, the program can reach entire families, many of whom have never had an eye exam. “When we identify children with severe astigmatism and we get a history from the parents, many say, ‘I’ve never had an eye exam myself.’ The parents may have the same issue but have never had to work on a computer because they are farm workers, so their astigmatism didn’t prevent them from doing their work. But it may affect them and their children in other areas of life,” Alfonso says. They also teach about eye protection, which is vital for many families in which the parents are manual laborers. “These The NCEF Pediatric Dental Health Center aims to serve the thousands of Collier
children may not stay in Collier County
children who don’t have access to care. Working with the Bascom Palmer Eye
the rest of their lives, but regardless of
Institute, the NCEF also helps provide early detection and corrective vision care to
where they go, the impact of this program
kids throughout the county.
will be felt for generations,” he says.
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44
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T A K E
T H E
A N D
B A L L
R U N
Funding from the Naples Children & Education Foundation provides lifechanging resources for children like Vonte Parris, a young man who a year ago was living at Youth Haven and is now on the fast track to a star football career.
By
Photography
Artis Henderson
by Eve Edelheit
45
Five days a week, by 6:15 a.m., Vonte Parris is already in the cafeteria for breakfast at IMG Academy, an elite prep school in Bradenton that trains top-tier high school athletes. He fills his tray with the same breakfast most mornings—two hard-boiled eggs, a bowl of oatmeal and a banana—and sits at a table with his teammates. By 7:45 a.m., he’s in the locker room for football team meetings, and by 9 a.m., he’s on the practice field. He’ll train for the next two hours, working to become a top-notch running back, until his academic day starts at 11 a.m. Then it’s school, lunch, more school, an evening break with friends, dinner and lights out by 10 p.m. Though 20-year-old Parris has a schedule like many young adults his age, his life wasn’t always headed in this direction. Thanks to a series of fortunate events facilitated by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) and Youth Haven, a Naples nonprofit that offers counseling and residential programs for at-risk children and teens, Parris was able to go from a kid facing homelessness and struggles to a young man firmly on the path to success. “The odds were stacked against Vonte, and look at him
46
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After arriving at Youth Haven in 2019 and participating in the 2020 Meet the Kids Day, Vonte Parris met a NWWF patron who helped him get an interview at IMG Academy in Bradenton, and continues to support his education.
47
Parris dreams of becoming a professional running back. Most days, he wakes at 6 a.m. to get to football team and position meetings by 7:45 a.m. His busy days continue with practice, classes and schoolwork into the early evenings. “If you sleep eight hours a night, that’s one-third of your life. Now you’ve only got two-thirds left to go out and make something of it. Me? If I get five hours, I’m not complaining,” he says.
48
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
now,” NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara
pated in the NWWF’s Meet the Kids Day,
says. “When you see kids like Vonte, all
where he shared his dream of becoming
of our work is worth it.”
a professional football player. An NWWF
Through funds raised during the Naples
patron felt compelled by his story and
Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), NCEF
helped secure an interview for him at
helps the area’s most vulnerable children,
the prestigious IMG Academy (where she
focusing on seven strategic initiatives and
continues to support his education). After
supporting nonprofits through an annual
graduating from Golden Gate High School
grants program. Youth Haven is one of
in June, he started IMG’s post-graduate
the organization’s grant recipients. Just
program in July. He’ll spend this year
last year, NCEF awarded Youth Haven
improving his SAT and ACT scores and
$300,000. Those funds contributed to
working on his football game. This will
the Homeless Teen & Transitional Living
put him on track for top universities
Program, which helps kids 14 and older
next year.
move toward self-sufficient living by assisting with housing, life skills classes and other resources. “NCEF provides a blueprint for how to change the community one issue at a time,” Jimenez-Lara says. “We’ve developed consortiums and strategic initiatives to make sure there’s
O
n the weekends, when his team takes a break, Parris still practices on his own, drilling on precision
and speed. “Usually you have to make teenagers do things. Vonte is the exact
a safety net so that no one falls through
opposite,” Laquentin Cotton, associate
the cracks. The journey for a young man
director of group home operations at
like Vonte could have been very bumpy,
Youth Haven, says. “The first couple
but we provided the support he needed
of weeks here, he was already working
to transform his life.”
hard.” Cotton reports that Parris would
Parris arrived at Youth Haven in March
stay up late working on homework, and
2019. There he stayed at Rob’s Cottage,
get up at 3:30 a.m., if needed, to finish his
a voluntary residential group home for
schoolwork. He recognized Parris’ work
teens ages 16-19. He was referred by a
ethic as a differentiator from other kids
school counselor who saw enormous
in the house.
potential in him but worried about his
“Time doesn’t wait for anybody,” Parris
home life. Parris’ family had been moving
says, explaining his drive. “If you sleep
between houses and hotels, and five of
eight hours a night, that’s one-third of your
his siblings were either in jail or had just
life. Now you’ve only got two-thirds left
been released from jail.
to go out and make something of it. Me?
At Youth Haven, Parris started off
If I get five hours, I’m not complaining.”
quietly, but over time he opened up to
Among his group of friends, Parris’
his mentors and advisors. He improved
personality falls in the middle. “I’m quiet
his grades and continued to excel at
sometimes, and sometimes I’m rowdy,” he
football. Last January, Parris partici-
laughs. “I’m just a buff, short kid who runs
49
Laquentin Cotton, associate director of group home operations at Youth Haven, recognizes a fierce dedication in Parris. “Vonte understands that an education is his avenue to success,” Cotton says. “He’ll take football as far as he possibly can, and in the process, get an education that will help him build a better future for his family.”
50
GULFSHORE LIFE
fast.” At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Parris says he’s short for a football player but he makes up for it with speed and agility. As a running back, those qualities serve him well. But his ambitions extend beyond the football field. He excels in math and science, and he plans to have a career in computer engineering after he plays professional ball. “Vonte understands that an education is his avenue to success,” Cotton says. “He’ll take football as far as he possibly can and, in the process, get an education that will help him build a better future for his family.” Family is important to Parris. When he speaks about his ambitions for the future, he includes those he loves. “I want to be able to support my family, mainly my mother, my brothers and my little sister,” he says. He looks forward to a time when he can share the lessons he’s learned with his own children. “I want to make sure the kids I have when I get older are successful,” he says. “I want them to go down a good road.” For now, he continues to focus on the goals in front of him: waking up at 6 a.m., practicing football, working on his academics. He draws inspiration
51
from his favorite quote, a line from composer and lyricist Irving Berlin: Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it. “There are going to be a lot of things that come to you in life, and your reaction pretty much defines you,” Parris says. “There could be a thousand streams, and you have to choose to take the right one.”
52
— SALUT!
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S A L U T
02
RAISE A GLASS
56 Meet the Chef: Fabrizio Aielli
64 Vintner Trustees: The Rooneys’ Bodega 202
72 Vintner Dinners: Three Elegant Fundraising Fêtes
92 In Pictures: The NW WF ’s 20 t h A nniver sar y
98
Gutter Credit
Online Auction: Artist
S uppor t t he Mission of t he NCE F During t he 2021 Online Auction Profile:
Fort Myers Artist Leila Mesdaghi
p_ 00
MEET THE CHEF
F R O M W I N E F E S T I VA L C H E F T O DY N A S T Y R E S TAU R A T E U R
Fabrizio Aielli and his wife Ingrid have raised the standard of wining and dining in Naples since their culinary debut during the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
“Wine is a very, very important
Festival (NWWF) played a crucial
part of food culture,” Fabrizio
role in the trajectory of his career.
Aielli, chef-owner of five Florida
He was running an A-list Wash-
restaurants, says. “Being from
ington, D.C., restaurant when he
Italy, wine is the way we grew up.
was invited in 2005 as a celebrity
I cannot imagine having dinner
chef for the fifth annual festival.
without wine. A glass of wine
He and his wife Ingrid, who
emphasizes your palate and just
is also his business partner, had
makes you happy.”
been vacationing in Naples since
As important as wine itself is
2001. “That time, with the wine
to Fabrizio’s life and restaurant
festival, we were down here not
empire, the Naples Winter Wine
for vacation but for work, and
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Tina Sargeant
By Chelle Koster Walton
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Fabrizio Aielli and his wife Ingrid have been inextricably linked with the Naples Winter Wine Festival since he was first invited as a celebrity chef in 2005. Soon after, they relocated to Naples from D.C. and created five of the region’s most respected restaurants.
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that’s when the idea came to my mind to open a restaurant,” he says with his infectious, trademark smile. Since then, the Aiellis have created a restaurant dynasty that started with Sea Salt Naples, 12 years ago. Then Barbatella opened a couple of doors down, followed by Sea Salt St. Pete in 2014, Dorona Modern Italian Steakhouse in mid-Naples three years later and, last year, Grappino downtown. All are known for their ascendant level of good taste and regularly scheduled wine dinners. Each restaurant harkens to Fabrizio’s Venetian birthright, yet has its own feel, taste—and even smell, he says. They all share, however, the chef’s philosophy de cuisine: “Food for me is very, very simple, just don’t compromise it. Simplicity and quality. We all live a very complicated life. When you cook, make it easy and simple.”
NWWF tradition as high-yielding auction donors and behind-the-
Grappino (above), the Aielli’s newest restaurant, opened in downtown Naples last year. All of the couple’s businesses abide by Fabrizio’s culinary ethos: “Food for me is very, very simple, just don’t compromise it," he says. “Simplicity and quality.”
Tina Sargeant
The years have entrenched the Aiellis ever more firmly in the
scenes masters. Their multicoursed dinner auctioned off in
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MEET THE CHEF
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MEET THE CHEF
2016, for instance, fetched $110,000. Over the years, they have partnered with Norman Love and others on attractive do-and-dine packages, each earning in the six-figure range. They have also become a strong resource for visiting culinary masters during the festival. “Sea Salt is like an anchor for the chefs when they come to town,” Ingrid says. “We help them to find ingredients and are involved in many different ways.” Since the traditional, in-person festival is not taking place this year, the Aiellis have been participating in other Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) fundraisers, such as the inaugural Purposeful Pairings in October, with a virtual dinner, cooking demonstration and wine tasting. For the couple, it’s all about the kids and families. They contribute
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time, events, proceeds and energy to a number of local causes, but the NCEF is close to their hearts, as is Naples’ Youth Haven shelter. Each year, the couple hosts a Christmas luncheon
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Tina Sargeant
During previous Naples Winter Wine Festival auctions, lots featuring Aielli Group pairing dinners have gone for six figures. The couple also gives back in other ways, such as hosting children from Youth Haven for an annual Christmas luncheon.
Gulf Coast International Properties® and their Associates raise their glass in appreciation to NCEF and it’s trustees for their unwavering commitment and dedication to the youth of Collier County.
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® Representing the Finest Properties in Naples and Boca Grande, Florida 239.434.2558 w vip@gcipnaples.com 1144 Third Street South w 691 Fifth Avenue South w Naples, Florida 34102 2425 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 102 w Naples, Florida 34103 BOCA GRANDE: 411 Park Avenue w Boca Grande, Florida 33921
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MEET THE CHEF
for Youth Haven kids at Barbatella, complete with Santa and gifts for everyone. Other altruistic efforts include an October breast cancer awareness campaign, where proceeds from sales go to alternating charities, including the Cancer Alliance of Naples and American Cancer Society. Philanthropy and a heightened Naples’ standard for restaurant quality aside, the Aiellis believe their proudest accomplishments are the impact they’ve had on the town’s restaurant industry and its young chefs, who they see work hard, stick with the Aielli Group and blossom. That’s because the Aiellis try to take care of their more than 300 employees, even when the pandemic closed their doors. All proceeds from the sale of gift cards online and generous donations from clientele were distributed among staff, whom they kept fed with takeout meals during the shutdown. “You know, for me, this is a great opportunity to have some brilliant young talent to work for me,” have a passion for cooking. It reminds me of when I was much younger, and it makes me very proud.”
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Tina Sargeant
Fabrizio says. “These young people
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VINTNER TRUSTEES
T H E R OA D T O R I O JA For Francis and Kathleen Rooney—NCEF trustees and owners of Bodega 202—their wine story stretches from Naples to Spain. By Lane Nieset
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Over the course of three years, Francis and Kathleen Rooney crisscrossed through Spain along the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage nearly 500 miles long. The couple tackled the trail in three parts, through towns like Pamplona and Leon, en route to the rumored resting place of martyr St. James in Santiago de Compostela. When the husbandwife duo passed through Rioja, they fell in love with it, says their son, Michael Rooney, who met them at Burgos during the second part of their journey. This was around 2013. The couple visited wineries around the country’s northern wine region, considered the Bordeaux of Spain, where the dominant tempranillo grape undergoes long aging in oak barrels similar to French wines. Soon, Rioja became a frequent vacation spot, as their appreciation for Spanish wine and culture grew. Back in their seasonal home of Naples, the couple fueled their love of wine over the years as Zach Stovall
trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF). They chaired the 2010 Naples
INSIDER
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Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) and regularly participate in annual vintner dinners for the organization. After their Spanish pilgrimage, the Rooney family considered the idea of starting a winery and soon began vineyard scouting. In 2014, they found their perfect plots in Alavesa, near the Atlantic, and Bodega 202 was born. Located in what is considered to be one of the best grape-growing subregions in Rioja, Bodega 202 has vines between 80 to 100 years old. Most of the acreage sits at an elevation between 1,600-1,800 feet, with two over 2,000 feet. “We always wanted altitude—that was most important,” explains Michael, who is based in D.C. and heads up managing and finances for the operation. He visits six to seven times a year, including to help with the harvest. The high altitude and low temperatures balance the slow ripening of the tempranillo wines they produce, he explains. By looking east and west at vines of varying age, they can pick and choose which plots to pull from for their two mainstay wines: the more traditional Ansa and the Aistear, a mosaic wine blended from vines averaging 30 years in age. Since 2017, the grapes for Ansa have come from one of Bodega 202’s oldest plots, a nearly the year it was planted. “They are the strong, typical Rioja tempranillo, but Ansa has more complexity and
Drawing from their vineyards in the Alavesa region of Rioja, the Rooney family—including son Michael (top right), who manages the operation—produce two mainstay tempranillo wines: the more traditional Ansa and the lighter Aistear.
Courtesy Bodega 202 (3)
2.5-acre vineyard dubbed 1945 after
depth—since it’s created using the oldest, best grapes we have,” Michael
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VINTNER TRUSTEES
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Zach Stovall
VINTNER TRUSTEES
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Francis and Kathleen Rooney have participated in the Naples Winter Wine Festival for almost 20 years, including hosting vintner dinners, chairing the 2010 festival and donating Bodega 202 wines for the auction last year. Here, the couple enjoy a small gathering and tasting with fellow Naples Children & Education Foundation trustees Denise and Brian Cobb and Sharon and Chuck Hallberg.
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VINTNER TRUSTEES
Francis Rooney shares his wines with Brian Cobb (left) and Chuck Hallberg (right). The Rooneys have long partnered with Lisa Resch of Carolina Catering Co. and florist Matthew Huddleston of 50Fifty Creative Services for vintner dinners. For this recent tasting, Resch prepared Spanish tapas, focusing on small plates that are easy to share for intimate, pandemic-safe gatherings and great to pair with the Bodega 202 tempranillos.
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says. “Aistear is a little more playful, since we can experiment with blending younger grapes, and get a little more lightness.” The best wines from Rioja are made around the same area where 1945 sits, says Bodega 202’s technical director and winemaker Luis Güemes, who helped the Rooneys on their vineyard hunt. “This vineyard produces small quantities and the grapes are extraordinarily concentrated, so the wines have power and intensity, but they are also elegant and balanced.” The first vintage (and current wine on the market) is the 2015. “We are proud of that vintage, but we were working out of a shared space and didn’t have as much control,” says Michael, explaining that the winery was built the following year. “The 2016 vintage was the first one we truly call our own; it shows a lot more growth and maturity, a lot more depth.” Bodega 202 produces between 25,000-27,000 bottles per year, and the Rooneys plan to keep the production small. “As people are starting to branch out and explore different places, they’re looking for boutique, quality producers, and we can bring that kind of small-batch Rioja wine to the U.S.,” Michael says. During the 2020 NWWF, with the winery fully up and running, the Rooneys participated with Bodega Zach Stovall (3)
202 as one of the featured vintners and donated wines for the auction. “The auction shows how wine can be an instrument for good,” Kathleen says.
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2020 VINTNER DINNERS
P O U R I N G —A N D P L AT I N G — W ITH A PUR POSE Some of the most spectacular, local culinary events happen during the Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner dinners. These three highlights from last year prove as much.
Courtesy Nicole Nixon/Andrew Budz Photography
By Nila Do Simon
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CHIR PING BIRDS AND SINGING ‘EAGLES’ GREETED GUESTS HOSTS: Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo with Kristine and Chris Williams
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VINTNER DINNERS
Not even a broken bone could marr the decadent evening that hosts Valerie Boyd, Jeff Gargiulo and Kristine and Chris Williams had in store for their guests. When James Beard Award-winning chef Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas arrived at the Williams’ Port Royal home in an arm sling ready to direct the four-course meal, Kristine knew the evening was bound to be one for the books. Paying homage to the Florida of yesteryear, the home—designed by renowned architect Kasimir Korybut—was filled with charm that gave not only a sense of place but also of a moment in time. Live palms filled the entrance, alongside nearly half a dozen parrots and macaws, some of which gave friendly squawks at passersby. “I wanted a bit of fun when guests arrived,” Kristine says. At the pool patio that overlooked Treasure Cove, guests— which included the Williams’ good friend, golf legend Greg Norman—heard the wafting classic rock sounds from the band Alter Eagles filling the air as hors d’oeuvres were passed. Inside the covered patio with grand arched windows and doorways, dinner was served on a 74
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Courtesy Sweet Emotions Photography; Jay Staton Photography (2); Nicole Nixon/Andrew Budz Photography
Golf legend Greg Norman (top right, pictured with members of the Alter Eagles band) was one of the guests at this vintner dinner, which featured tropical birds, a James Beard Award-winning chef and a 40-foot-long table filled with Floridian decor.
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memorable 40-foot-long table filled with a tablescape of Florida treasures, including an abundance of shells, corals and white moth orchids. Dinner co-hosts Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo doubled as vintners, sharing bottles of Gargiulo Vineyards from Oakville, California. Guests enjoyed one-on-one conversations with the vintners in between Fearing ’s courses, which included roasted quail and smoked rib-eye. Boyd, a Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) founder, addressed the group by making an impassioned speech about the purpose of the dinner. “Valerie eloquently reminded guests that they may be feasting now, but it’s all in the spirit of helping needy children,” Kristine says. “Not only were people happy to be at the dinner and enjoy themselves, but also for feeling good about the cause they were helping.” 76
During the dinner, co-hosts Jeff Gargiulo (top) and Valerie Boyd (bottom) gave speeches underscoring the importance of the work accomplished by the vintner dinners and other festival celebrations. Wines from their Gargiulo Vineyards were poured.
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Courtesy, clockwise from left: Sweet Emotions Photography; Jay Staton Photography (2)
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
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2020 VINTNER DINNERS
Award-winning chef Dean Fearing wasn’t deterred by a recent injury. The Dallas-based culinary star and his
Courtesy Sweet Emotions Photography
team delivered a magnificent feast.
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2020 DINNERS
A NIGHT OF GREAT EX PECTATIONS HO S T S : Laura and Jim Dixon with Karen and Dale Medford
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Courtesy Charlie McDonald Photography
How does one improve upon perfection? If you’re the ultimate event hosts like Laura and Jim Dixon, you pull out all the stops, including hosting at your nearly 8,500-square-foot event space that’s filled with exotic Italian cars, a 22-foot bar, commercial kitchen, video wall comprised of nine 55-inch TVs and an enviable cellar with aisle after aisle of wines housing the couple’s more than 10,000 bottles. Dubbed the Dixon Man Cave, the couple’s extravagant respite has hosted memorable charity events, Super Bowl parties and Masters Tournament parties. But for the 2020 vintner dinner, the Dixons and their co-hosts, Karen and Dale Medford, wanted to wow their guests, as Laura says. The co-hosts, all of whom are trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), celebrated with a “Great Expectations” theme, canvasing the space with life-size replicas of safari animals. Adding to the wow factor was a violinist serenading the crowd and illusionist Wayne Hoffman, who mystified the audience with a few spellbinding tricks. The five-course meal by chef Dustin Valette of Valette in 81
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
Hosted at the Laura and Jim Dixon man cave, the “Great Expectations”-themed dinner was co-hosted by Karen and Dale Medford (below) and included
Courtesy Charlie McDonald Photography
performances by an illusionist and a violinist.
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Healdsburg, California, included caviar and wagyu beef. These were paired with wines by Chappellet Winery in St. Helena, California. The plated dinner was made all the more special by its Louis XIII moment. The Dixons, who own Naples Wine Collection and The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar, had a representative from the storied cognac brand invite a guest to crown a bottle of Louis XIII, considered one of the world’s most coveted spirits. As part of the ritual, after the bottle’s foil is removed and the honored guest makes a ceremonious wish on the stopper, the cognac is poured into exclusive Louis XIII crystal glasses and served to the crowd. “Wine, food and philanthropy are our passions,” Jim says. “And this was a chance to connect all three facets.” 84
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Courtesy Charlie McDonald Photography
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
The five-course meal—with pairings from the Chappellet Winery in St. Helena, California—was enriched with a ceremonious crowning of a coveted Louis XIII Cognac bottle.
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Goldman Sachs is proud to support the Naples Winter Wine Festival
Š 2021 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved.
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
A VENETIAN NIGHT IN NAPLES HO S T S : Joan and Bill Martin with Darlene and Don DeMichele
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Courtesy Peggy Farren Photography
Joan Martin wanted her first NWWF vintner dinner to be remembered for several reasons— with one shining moment being the view. That’s why along with her husband Bill, and co-hosts Darlene and Don DeMichele, Joan selected her home in Aqualane Shores, which overlooks Crayton Cove’s stellar sunsets, as the site for the fête. Following the “Venetian Carnival” masquerade theme, guests donned ornate masks, while performers wowed the crowd at the waterside home. As people entered, they were greeted by instrumental music reminiscent of tunes one would hear during a romantic gondola ride in Venice. It was music that “made your heart sing,” says Joan, who co-founded luxury handbag brand Brahmin with her husband. “The music set the tone with a feeling of wonderment and intrigue.” Music wasn’t the only element that captivated guests. There was also a magician, juggler, sword swallower and costumed performers on stilts, in addition to the Martins’ Horizon 60-foot catamaran motor yacht, Lil, which dinner guests were welcome to tour. Chef Gavin Kaysen of Minneapolis-based Spoon and Stable served a six-course meal 87
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
A magician, juggler, sword swallower and stilt walkers dazzled guests at Joan and Bill Martin’s waterfront home in Aqualane Shores during their “Venetian
Courtesy Peggy Farren Photography
Carnival”-themed vintner dinner.
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Your paradise awaits.
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples offers endless possibilities with access to two luxury resorts, each featuring an abundance of amenities paired with the finest personalized service. ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/naples
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2019 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
Chef Gavin Kaysen of Minneapolis-based Spoon and Stable prepared a six-course meal to pair with the Staglin Family Vineyard wines.
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that progressed from sea, with langoustine crudo and scallop dishes, to land, with a veal ravioli with black truffle. The meal was paired with wines from Staglin Family Vineyard in Rutherford, California, an outfit known as much for its vintages as its philanthropy, raising more than $1 billion since its inception in 1985. The evening ended as festively as it began: with a generous parting gift for each couple. As individuals who love to give, the hosts procured substantial items as a thank you for their charitable guests. Each couple took home a bag filled with, among other gifts, a Brahmin wine tote, authentic handmade baklava, a carving knife with the NWWF logo etched into the handle and a bottle of Staglin wine. As for the sunset view on that particular evening? “Absolutely breathtaking,” Joan says. g ulf shorelife.com
Courtesy Peggy Farren Photography
2020 VINTNER DINNERS
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NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL 2020 CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
M E E T T H E K I D S DAY The Friday before the Naples Winter Wine Festival auction, patrons gathered at Artis—Naples to get to know some of the children— dressed in costumes for their future dream careers—who benefit from the Naples Children & Education Foundation.
1 Joe and Nancy Masterson 2 Karen and Bob Scott 3 Jennifer McCurry, Jamie Dockweiler, Susie McCurry 4 Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Barbara Jordan, Maria Jimenez-Lara, John Jordan 5 Ron and Barbara Balser
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1 Youth Haven’s Vonte Parris dresses as a football player 2 A woman reads to the kids 3 A girl plays dress-up as a superhero 4 Three children dress for their dream careers 5 A young police officer shares her dream with NWWF patron Rob Coats 6 A girl plays as a chef 7 A boy interacts with NWWF patron Mark Chandley
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T H E AU C T I O N The festivities culminate during the Saturday auction at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, starting with a tasting from The Ritz-Carlton chefs from around the country and world-renowned wines. Then it’s under the tent for the live auction, which raised more than $20 million in 2020.
1 Ashley Gerry, Ryann Cindrich, Bridgett Chandley 2 Auctioneer Humphrey Butler 3 Bill and Debbie Toler, Bill Cary, Donna Solimene 4 Jill Miller 5 Dan and Kathy Mezzalingua
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1 Wine service volunteer Eric Blais pours wine for a patron 2 Volunteers cheer as guests enter the tent 3 NCEF Lifetime Trustee Mary Pat Hussey 4 Janet Buigas, Sharon Hallberg, OJ Buigas, Chuck Hallberg, Jennifer Parisi 5 Valerie Boyd and Joe Masterson 6 Lee Anderson 7 Scott and Simone Lutgert
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T H E BRU NC H Patrons wrap the weekend with a Sunday brunch, including a recap of the impact from the auction and an elaborate spread of provisions at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples.
1 Terry and Bob Edwards 2 Ann Bain and Julia Van Domelen 3 Sharon Hallberg and Jennifer Parisi 4 Jerri and David Hoffmann 5 Chris and Kristine Williams
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WEALTH IS ABOUT MORE THAN MONEY.
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At PNC, we understand that wealth is about more than just your finances. Security, health, family and your future are all important aspects of your wealth. You can rely on a PNC Wealth Manager to take all this into consideration. With our personalized approach and flexible solutions, we can provide you with the right guidance, even as your plans evolve. When we combine what we know with what we know about you, it’s easier for you to protect what matters while pursuing your goals. > Call Russell Beckner, Senior Vice President, Market Leader, at (239) 687-7260 or visit pnc.com/wealthsolutions
PRIVATE BANKING | WEALTH PLANNING | INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the marketing name PNC Wealth Management ® to provide investment consulting and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDICinsured banking products and services, and lending of funds to individual clients through PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”), which is a Member FDIC, and to provide specific fiduciary and agency services through PNC Delaware Trust Company or PNC Ohio Trust Company. PNC does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice unless, with respect to tax advice, PNC Bank has entered into a written tax services agreement. PNC Bank is not registered as a municipal advisor under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. “PNC Bank” and “PNC Wealth Management” are registered marks of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. ©2020 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. INV WM PDF 0720-0173-1691002
ONLINE AUCTION
SUPP ORT THE MISSION OF NCEF Bid on the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s one-of-a-kind wine lots, virtual and inperson winery packages, and exclusive travel experiences and packages.
Since 2015, the online auction has raised nearly $1.5 million to support the Naples Children & Education Foundation’s (NCEF) initiatives. Here are four of the top lots you can bid on during the Wine Down, Bid Up! online auction Jan. 22 through Feb. 2.
1. A KEY WEST VACATION The southernmost point in the United States is famous for watersports, lively nightlife, beaches, historic sites and its pastel-hued, conch-style architecture. This trip offers a four (4)-day, three (3)-night stay in Key West, complete Getty/iStockphoto
with private airfare and accommodations for up to four (4) guests, and one full day of deep-sea fishing. INSIDER’S INFO: Mutually agreeable dates between the months of May and August 2021. DONORS: Libby and Rick Germain
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Placing a Big Emphasis on Little Patients NCH is an alliance of two hospitals, two free-standing emergency departments, 775 physicians, and dozens of medical facilities throughout Southwest Florida that offers nationally recognized, quality health care to our community. NCH delivers 3,500 babies annually and houses the only 24/7 pediatric ER in Collier County, serving more than 19,000 children every year. For more information, call 239-624-0570.
ONLINE AUCTION
Chef “Nash” Cognetti of Napa Valley’s Tra Vigne Pizzeria teaches winners how to make a perfectly round, crispy pizza during a private online class, which you can stream from your own home. No pizza stone needed—class includes kits shipped from the restaurant with dough and toppings for two perfect pizzas. Gargiulo Vineyards supplies the wine for this perfect date night package. INSIDER’S INFO: Mutually agreeable dates DONORS: Tra Vigne Pizzeria and Gargiulo Vineyards
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Courtesy Gargiulo Vineyard/Sue Negrini
2. A PRIVATE VIRTUAL PIZZA DINNER AND WINE PAIRING FROM GARGIULO VINEYARDS
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3. A NAPA WINE EDUCATION Join David Duncan, owner of Napa’s Silver Oak and Twomey Cellars, for a private conversation and tasting via Zoom to discuss the state of the wine industry moving forward past COVID-19 and the California fires. Wines for the tasting will be shipped to the winning bidder. INSIDER’S INFO: Mutually agreeable dates DONOR: David Duncan
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Courtesy Silver Oak Vineyard/Sara Sanger
ONLINE AUCTION
SMALL CAROLINE SATCHEL OCEAN OMBRE MELBOURNE $345
ONLINE AUCTION
4. A COLLECTION OF 100-POINT CALIFORNIA RED WINES This pristine collection represents the best of California wines, all with excellent provenance and delivered in the original wood presentation cases. The collection includes: Three (3) – 750ml 2013 Harlan Estate Red Wine Three (3) – 750ml 2013 Hundred Acre “Few and Far Between” Cabernet Sauvignon Courtesy Sue and Gary Garrabrant
Three (3) – 750ml 2014 Promontory Red Wine Three (3) – 750ml 2014 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Three (3) – 750ml 2015 Colgin Cellars IX Estate INSIDER’S INFO: Wines shipped to the winning bidder DONORS: Sue and Gary Garrabrant
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WE’RE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE
NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL
Being Naples’ community bank means more than just offering solid banking solutions. It also means doing our part to give back to the local charities and organizations that unite and strengthen our area. We’re particularly proud to support the Naples Winter Wine Festival, a premier event based on raising funds for its founding organization: the Naples Children & Education Foundation. Enjoy the event!
Wintrust Banking Center is a branch of Lake Forest Bank & Trust Company, N.A.
B ANKING C ENTER 3401 Tamiami Trail North | Naples, FL 34103 239-687-5200 | www.wintrustflorida.com
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Working to Make a Difference PURE and BridgePoint Risk Management are proud to support the Naples Winter Wine Festival and the Naples Children & Education Foundation. We applaud the hard work and dedication of all those who make such a profound difference in the lives of so many children. We are honored to play a part in this year’s event and look forward to the many contributions that will be made within our community. We hope that you will take time to learn more about PURE, an insurance company owned by its members and driven by a purpose of doing what’s right for them. Contact BridgePoint Risk Management at 855-632-2646 or stop by the local office to meet with a consultant at 400 5th Avenue South.
BP Risk and Insurance Services, LLC, CA License #0I18125 © 2020 BridgePoint Risk Management. All rights reserved. PURE® refers to Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange, a Florida-domiciled reciprocal insurer and member of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. PURE Risk Management, LLC (PRM), a for-profit entity, serves as PURE’s Attorney-In-Fact for a fee. PURE membership requires an executed Subscriber’s Agreement & Power of Attorney. Visit pureinsurance.com for details. Trademarks are property of PRM and used with permission. ©2019 PRM. All Rights Reserved. 44 South Broadway, Suite 301, White Plains, New York 10601. PURE HNW Insurance Services, CA Lic. 0I78980.
GIVING BACK
PLEASE JOIN US! Here’s how you can help make a difference in the lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County.
Become a Supporter Contribute to the
Donate an Auction Lot Share an exclusive,
Donate online Go to napleswinefestival.
Naples Children & Education Foundation
one-of-a-kind travel package, jewelry piece
com/donate to give with the click of a
(NCEF) by donating generously during the
or wine lot, and watch as patrons bid big in
button.
call-to-action in the televised event on Jan.
support of local children.
30 at 7 p.m., courtesy of WINK-TV. Every dollar raised goes to help the kids. Become a Sponsor Underwrite the Naples
For more information, contact the Naples Volunteer Be one of the more than 300
Children & Education Foundation, 2590
people who work behind the scenes to
Goodlette-Frank Road North, Naples, FL
help make NWWF a success.
34103, (239) 514-2239 or (888) 837-4919.
Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) or contribute in-kind services.
Wine Down, Bid Up! From Jan. 22 to Feb.
Courtesy NCEF
2, take part in the online auction at nwwfonlineauction.com.
REMEMBER, IT’S ALL FOR THE KIDS!
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Your Smile. Our Specialty.
1001 10TH AVENUE SOUTH, SUITE 218 | NAPLES, FLORIDA 34102 239.434.5545 | WWW.BAYVIEWDENTALARTS.COM
PATRICK J. CARRIGAN DMD
EDWARD A. SCHERDER DMD, JD
ROBERT C. HEDGEPATH DMD
GULFSHORELIFE.COM
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INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY HOLIDAY AUCTIONS 18kt David Webb designer diamond and pearl brooch
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Where the locals shop… S H O P S O F M A R C O | 1 3 3 S O U T H BA R F I E L D D R I V E | M A R C O I S L A N D 2 3 9 . 2 5 9 . 8 9 3 7 | I S L A N D J E W E L @ YA H O O. C O M | W W W. K AT H E I N J E W E L E R S. C O M
Glorious Food, Great Shops & Graceful Byways Third Street South Shopping Over 65 High-End Shops and Galleries Women’s, Men’s and Children’s Clothes, and Accessories Fine Jewelry Interiors and Gardens Antiques and Fine Art An Gift and Pets Gourmet Wine and Food
Third Street South Restaurants and Cafes Nationally Awarded Restaurants and Cafes Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Live Entertainment Indoor and Outdoor Dining Fine Wine, Craft Beers and Cocktails Pet-Friendly Family and Fine Dining
Third Street South Lifestyle Third Street South Farmer’s Market each Saturday, 7:30-11:30am Stroll flower-filled walkways that have St earned Third Street South designation as a member of the American Public Gardens Association. Linger by antique fountains. Soak in the historic charm of Naples’ first neighborhood.
Glamour and Good Times Since the 1930s
Third Street South Concierge (239) 434-6533 www.thirdstreetsouth.com 1207 Third Street South Naples, FL 34102
Beth Moné Children’s Shoppe
TANZANITE from our large selection
shopping destinations third street south and the avenues
INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE including designer lines
EVERYTHING 30% TO 75% OFF A few exclusions
1301 3rd St South • (239) 261-3447 or (800) 747-BETH SHOP US LIVE at www.Bethmone.com Instagram@BethMoneStore | Facetime (239) 910-2711
Home of the NAPLES MEDALLION
239.261.7952 1197 Third Street South, Olde Naples www.cleopatrasbarge.com
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HAIR COLOR & DESIGN KERATIN SMOOTHING MANICURES & PEDICURES EUROPEAN & RENEWAL FACIALS
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239.263.8050
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New designs
shopping destinations third street south and the avenues
Simply the prettiest jewelry.
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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
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4. Fly into 2021 on the wings of a dragonfly with these light and airy designs. Available in 14-karat yellow, white and rose gold and features motherof-pearl accents. Available at Kathein Jewelers, 133 S. Barfield Drive, Marco Island. (239) 259-8937; katheinjewelers.com
1. For a fashion master, inspiration can come from anywhere, including nature, like with this hand-painted The Marilyn France Loup-Maison Silk Bumblebee Print Dress. Available at Marilyn’s, 375 5th Avenue S, Naples. (239) 206-4460; marilynhellman.com 2. Two hot looks from Tori Richard bring out your inner environmentalist. Available at Coastal Outfitters, Port Sanibel Marina, 14311 Port Comfort Road, Fort Myers. (239) 433-0099. Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26821 S. Bay Drive, Suite 118, Bonita Springs. (239) 333-3666; coastaloutfittersswfl.com
3. For a chic, sustainable look, consider this vegan leather Sondra Roberts clutch with laser-cut cork, leopard-print pattern and bamboo clasp. The necklace is by a snowbird artist that created it with hand-painted clay and turquoise beads. Maydanier Designs. Available at Kathryn’s Collection in the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt. (239) 4341885; kathrynscollection. com
5. Build strength while showing off your wild side with this athletic bra and leggings set from Varley. Available at ROUZE, 5th Street S, Naples. (239) 6928253; shoprouze.com
6. Make a statement with this sterling silver Triple Snake Pendant. Historically, serpents represent rebirth, fertility or a creative life force. Available at Silver Eagle Gallery, 850 5th Avenue S. (239) 403-3033; silvereaglegallery.com
7. A sophisticated snake print makes this dress a standout. Side-zipper details add a bit of edge. Available at Jennifer's, 13251 McGregor Blvd., Suite 111-1, Fort Myers. (239) 481-8582; jennifersftmyers.com
8. This black porcelain and 24-karat gold-plated catchall is sure to keep all of your treasures protected. Available at Judith Liegeois Designs, 363 12th Avenue S, Naples. (239) 430-6811; judithliegeoisdesigns.com
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Let your beauty blossom...again Turn back time at the Center for Cosmetic Surgery. Facial procedures are our specialty, renewing your beauty and refining those bestowed by nature. Open yourself to a new world of confidence ... and let your youthful essence blossom once again.
Call NOW to schedule your personalized consultation or to reserve your spot for the next COMPLIMENTARY FACIAL REJUVENATION SEMINAR
239-498-4YOU (4968) • 1-800-481-FACE (3223) www.facialdoctor.com THE CENTER FOR COSMETIC SURGERY
ROBERT D. KLAUSNER MD, FACS Listed in Consumer’s Research Council of America’s Guide to America’s Top Physicians & A Castle Connolly “Top Doctor”
Fellowship and Ivy League Trained Board Certified – American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
WHO'S WHO IN HE ALTH SPECIAL A DVER TISEMENT
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Your Smile. Our Specialty. PATRICK J. CARRIGAN DMD; EDWARD A. SCHERDER DMD, JD; AND ROBERT C. HEDGEPATH DMD 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. Utilizing cuttingedge CAD/CAM technology, Cerec crowns are fabricated here in our ceramic laboratory so that patients may leave with permanent and beautiful high-strength ceramic restorations in a single office visit! We also utilize digital radiography and Zeiss microscopes to aid in the precision of micro-dentistry performed here at BayView Dental Arts. 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.
Dr. Edward Scherder would like to welcome you to BayView Dental Arts in Old Naples overlooking beautiful Naples Bay. As a prominent specialist in prosthodontics, Dr. Scherder takes great pleasure in the utilization of modern technology to promote more advanced dental treatment options. Within Dr. Robert Hedgepath’s array of expertise, he enjoys administering exceptional aesthetics and function with the use of Invisalign or crowns and veneers. From bridge work to partials and dentures, he offers the very best in dental care! Drs. Carrigan , Scherder and Hedgepath 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
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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.; Reena Patel, O.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 • Retina Care • Facial Cosmetic Surgery
700 Neapolitan Way, Naples, FL 34103 (239) 310-2020
www.centerforsightnaples.net
WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH
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. 877 111th Ave. N., Suite 1, Naples, FL 34108 (239) 594-8002
nasamri.com
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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. Dr. Rembos’ expertise has not gone unrecognized over the years, with several publications voting him among the best dentists in Naples and Sanibel. He was recently voted as a “Top Dentist for 2018 as voted by his dental peers.” Four Convenient locations in Naples,Fort Myers, Sanibel & Marco Island. Visit SmilesByRembos.com to see patient reviews.
4 Convenient Locations 4001 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 280, Naples, FL 34103 (239) 434-0400 • SmilesByRembos.com Sanibel • Fort Myers • Marco Island • “No Ouch” Computerized Anesthetic System used on all patients, providing the most comfortable injections available!
• Now accepting new patients. Emergencies welcome. • Zoom2 advanced whitening system • Root canals • Botox/Juvederm Facial Cosmetics • VELscope Vx oral cancer screening offered for all hygiene patients • Implants placed AND restored in-office
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WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH
SNEAD EYE GROUP Dr. Brad A. Snead, M.D., MBA, F.A.C.S., Medical Director of Snead Eye Group proudly announces the grand opening of their new Bonita Springs location at 28420 Bonita Crossing Blvd Ste. 120. Just South of Bonita Beach Road. The new, modern 3,200 sq. ft. facility is furnished with state-of-the-art equipment for the diagnosis and management of all aspects of eye care including cataracts, glaucoma, eyelid abnormalities, and dry eye. In addition to comprehensive eye examinations, this location also has a full-service optical department with the latest eyewear trends. In addition to the new Bonita Springs locations, Snead Eye Group is proud to have added five new Board Certified Optometrists, Dr. Len Brown, Dr. Allison Coll, Dr. Salvatore DeCanio, Dr. Kate Maloney and Dr. Michael Pham. Each of these experienced eye care specialists will bring their unique talents and unparalleled patient care to Southwest Florida,
BONITA SPRINGS 936-8686
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delivering high quality, personalized treatment. “We are very pleased to open our new office to better serve the fast-growing and diverse community of Bonita Springs,” said Dr. Brad A. Snead. “We look forward to bringing our tradition of outstanding surgical results and remarkable patient experiences to a location convenient for all Bonita Springs residents.” Snead Eye Group is one of largest ophthalmology practices in Southwest Florida with offices and Surgery facilities in both Naples and Fort Myers. Snead Eye Group has more than 50 experienced staff members, three ophthalmologists and five optometrists. Snead Eye Group provides eye care services for a lifetime, from fitting children with their first pair of glasses to curing cataracts. The latest technology and treatment options are available from Snead Eye Group where seeing is believing with locations in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples and coming soon to Cape Coral.
28420 Bonita Crossings Blvd., STE. 120 Bonita Springs, FL 34135 We are accepting new patients (239) 360-6991 www.Sneadeye.com
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WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH
JOSEPH FREEDMAN, M.D. Cardiac Care Group Cardiac Care Group offers state-of-the-art cardiology services to Southwest Florida. Dr. Freedman specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all cardiac disease. Dr. Freedman trained at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, achieving five board certifications in internal medicine, cardiology, comprehensive adult ECHO, nuclear cardiology and cardiac CT. As the leading noninvasive cardiologist at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, he helped the hospital achieve the highest level of chest pain certification. He has participated in the research trials of several leading cholesterol- lowering drugs, and he has extensive experience in pulmonary hypertension. Dr. Freedman has spoken on national radio programs and has appeared on local news to highlight the latest in cardiovascular care, including venous ultrasound and ablation techniques that increase circulation and prevent lower extremity thrombosis. Dr. Freedman prides himself on being an advocate for the patient, and he works carefully with leading local and national experts to make sure patients receive the best specialty procedural care possible.
South Cape Business Center 3208 Chiquita Blvd. S., Suite 110, Cape Coral, FL 33914 (239) 574-8463 | flccg.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 3 19
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JONATHAN M. FRANTZ, MD, FACS Frantz EyeCare Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS, is the founder, medical director, and chief surgeon at Frantz EyeCare. Dr. Frantz, a true pioneer in the field of Ophthalmology, is one of the area's most experienced, innovative, and respected eye surgeons. As one of our country's top Bladeless Laser Cataract Surgeons and the *largest implanter of PanOptix lenses for cataract patients in the State of Florida, Dr. Frantz founded his practice on two main principles: patients always come first and our success is measured by the lives that we improve through better vision. Dr. Frantz and his team provide compassionate patient care and strive to optimize outcomes by setting the standard in vision technology. Frantz EyeCare has been serving Southwest Florida for 26 years, and has seven locations and growing. A true, multi-specialty practice, Frantz EyeCare offers comprehensive eye care and specialized vision correction including Bladeless LASIK, Bladeless Laser Cataract Surgery, eyelid surgery, and the treatment of glaucoma and retinal disease. *Alcon Surgical Laser usage data 2020
12731 New Brittany Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 418-0999 | bettervision.net Other locations: Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Punta Gorda, Naples
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. 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.”
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7331 College Parkway, Suite 300, Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 337-2003
jointimplant.com
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DR. SCOTT A. GARTNER, O.D. Low Vision Solutions Center When your eye doctor says nothing more can be done to help you see better — It’s time to come SEE ME. Low Vision Solutions Center helps patients maximize their remaining vision to achieve a better quality of life. Dr. Gartner, the former Director of Low Vision Services at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, combines intensive vision evaluation and state-of-the-art low vision technology devices and rehabilitation programs that address the social and medical needs of every patient. Proudly offering the new eSight 4 eSight is the most versatile and advanced all-in-one low vision assistive device. Clinically-validated to provide a 7-line improvement on the doctors’ eye chart, eSight is worn daily by thousands of people with serious visual impairment caused by over 20 different eye conditions. Many patients with natural visual acuity of 20/60 to 20/1400, caused by over 20 different eye conditions, see 20/20 with eSight. Wireless and hands-free, eSight 4 provides easy to use vision controls like zoom, focus and contrast built right into the headset. Designed for life on the go, it features a halo comfort band for all-day comfort and use, and offers patented bioptic tilt technology that integrates the wearers remaining peripheral vision for 100% mobility retention. Call to learn more or to schedule your private eSight 4 evaluation.
4851 Tamiami Trail N #200 Naples, FL 34103 (561) 729-7500 | MyLowVisionSolutions.com
PAUL M. GARDNER, M.D., FACS; LEOPOLDO M. BACCARO, M.D. Naples Plastic Surgery
1250 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 101C, Naples, FL 34108 (239) 566-2611
www.naplesps.com
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 allows 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. Offering a full array of cosmetic surgery options, we recently expanded the practice with Dr. Jason Crespo to meet reconstructive and hand surgery needs. 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.
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GERARDO SANTIAGO, D.D.S. Children's Dentistry of Naples At Children's Dentistry of Naples, Dr. Santiago has been proudly serving Naples and surrounding communities for over 25 years. Dr. Santiago provides quality pediatric dental care you can trust. He is passionate about helping children develop positive feelings towards dental health while ensuring even the littlest smiles get the best start. Y our family will receive the highest level of pediatric dental care in a modern child-friendly environment. Dr. Santiago completed an additional 3 years of specialized training for children's oral health including those with special needs. Contact us today to join our family.
3021 Airport-Pulling Road, Suite 203, Naples, Fl 34105 (239) 262-3898 childrensdentistryofnaples.com
BLANE MILTON CRANDALL, M.D. Naples OB GYN Blane Crandall, M.D., has a passion for restoring health and vitality to women of all ages. To help them understand the truth behind the confusing and misleading information about hormone replacement therapy, he has co-authored a book with Donna Walters titled Estrogen Revisited: Lifelong and Fearless. Longstanding evidence proves a reduction in heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease in women on HRT. Recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 10 years, Dr. Crandall specializes in outpatient laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy and ultrasound-based obstetrics with 3-D ultrasound each visit.
"The only thing in my practice that rivals the miracle of the birth of a baby is delivering a woman from the ravages of menopause."
1660 Medical Blvd., Suite 101, Naples, FL 34110 (239) 596-2300
www.drblanecrandall.com
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Children’s Dentistry of Naples
CHERYL L. MALICK, D.M.D. Dental Excellence
Dr. Cheryl L. Malick, a Naples resident since 1985, celebrates 18 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
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DR. STEPHEN HELGEMO; DR. IVAN OLARTE Florida Hand Center
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What makes us different? The Florida Hand Center is a group of highly skilled medical professionals dedicated to providing the most advanced treatments of common hand and arm problems. We are experts in non-surgical care and will use this method for most problems. When surgery becomes necessary, we focus on minimally invasive procedures that allow quicker healing times with less discomfort. We always look for the most cost-effective and efficient treatments. We deliver world class care and successfully treat thousands of patients each year, giving them back the use and function of their hands and arms.
Locations in Port Charlotte & Fort Myers Main Office: 941-625-6547 floridahandcenter.com
JAMES MITCHELL, D.D.S.; YOLANDA MITCHELL, D.D.S.; JOSEPH MITCHELL, D.D.S.; HELEN MAY, D.D.S. Mitchell Dentistry
32 Barkley Circle Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 939-5556
mitchelldentist.com
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 safe, inviting atmosphere. Call Mitchell Dentistry today to learn more about how we make your smile our top priority.
CYNDI YAG-HOWARD, M.D., FAAD Yag-Howard Dermatology and Aesthetic Center Cyndi Yag-Howard, MD, FAAD, is a nationally-recognized and award winning dermatologist with over 20 years of experience specializing in the art of aesthetic facial sculpting and dermatologic skincare, including surgery. Viewing each patient’s face as a canvas, she uses her artistic eye and sensitive touch to bring out the natural beauty in every patient. Regarding skin cancer surgery, she states: “My goal is to make it look as though the skin cancer never existed, and no surgery was ever done.” Voted a top doctor by her patients, Dr. Yag-Howard also earned national recognition by being elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and appointed Chair of the American Medical Association’s Dermatology Section Council representing all of our nation’s dermatologists and their patients.
1000 Goodlette Road North #100 Naples, FL 34102 (239) 529.DERM (3376)
yhderm.com
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Carolyn Langford, DO, FACOS Urologic Surgeon Dr. Carolyn Langford is one of the top urologists in the area specializing in female urology, voiding dysfunction and pelvic floor reconstruction. As a leading expert in Florida, Dr. Carolyn Langford has been treating patients with Sacral Neuromodulation therapy for 20 years. Dr. Carolyn Langford is a Board Certified Urologist who has completed a fellowship in Female Urology, Voiding Dysfunction and Pelvic Floor Reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic Florida and has performed thousands of pelvic floor procedures in Lee County over the past 13 years. Dr. Carolyn Langford is an Axonics® Center of Excellence, a recognition for her expertise in Axonics Therapy. Her commitment to patient education and providing exemplary care to achieve optimal clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Are you tired of your bladder controlling your life? Are constant trips to the restroom affecting your quality of life? With Dr. Carolyn Langford, you no longer need to suffer in silence! Offering Axonics Therapy, a long-lasting solution that may help regain control of your bladder, this therapy is clinically proven to treat overactive bladder symptoms, urinary retention and fecal incontinence.
It’s time to regain control! Get started today, call 239-221-0992
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DR. CAROLYN LANGFORD UROLOGIC SOLUTIONS 9400 Gladiolus Drive, Suite 30, Fort Myers, Florida 33908 (next door to Lakes Park Library)
drcarolynlangford.com Important Safety Information: Implantation and use of the Axonics System incurs risk beyond those normally associated with surgery, some of which may necessitate surgical intervention. Results and experiences may vary and are unique to each patient. No promise or guarantee is made about specific results or experiences. For more information about safety and potential risks, go to: www.axonics.com/isi Caution: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale and use by, or on the order of, a physician. 3 2 4 Modulation Technologies, Inc. GULFSHORE LIFE © 2020 Axonics
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Juan Antonio Barrio Miguel/Getty
TH E L AT E S T I N W E LL N E S S
p_ 000
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Wellness: T he Rise of Kombucha
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House Call: Health Ne ws and Events
HEALTHY LIFE
WELLNESS
DAILY GL ASS OF CULTURE Fans claim probiotic-filled kombucha carries a wealth of health benefits. And like other fermented sippers, it goes down easy. By Artis Henderson
Maddy Eagle is a strong believer in the
Brewing Company in downtown Fort Myers. The health benefits had a lot to do with
When she was in her mid-20s, she began to
starting the brand, but she soon recognized
experience digestive problems and inflam-
another appeal in her potions. “I also really
mation in her joints. While researching
just wanted a nonalcoholic beverage that
all-natural solutions, she discovered kombu-
gave me that rewarding feeling at the end of
cha, the fermented tea beverage filled with
the day. I wanted something that uplifted my
gut-friendly probiotics that some say help
vibrational frequency, rather than dumbing
with everything from arthritis to acne to
it down.”
irritable bowel syndrome. Eagle would drink
She is definitely onto something. Kom-
kombucha when she felt a flare-up coming
bucha has been consumed as a health tonic
on, and her symptoms would disappear.
for centuries. It first appeared in China
It wasn’t long before she began making
around 220 B.C. under the Tsin Dynasty
her own version of the fizzy drink at home.
and was revered for its ability to detoxify
In September 2018, she started selling her
and energize the body. Another 600 years
homebrew at farmers’ markets, under the
later, a physician named Kombu brought the
brand Flying Eagle Kombucha. This fall,
fermented tea to Japan, where he used it to
she launched her first taproom at Millennial
heal the digestive troubles of the emperor.
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GULFSHORE LIFE
Courtesy Flying Eagle Kombucha (2)
power of kombucha.
g ulf shorelife.com
In addition to reportedly tackling everything from digestive issues to skin woes, the fizzy fermented tea beverage also offers a great nonalcoholic option for a nightcap.
H E A LT H Y L I F E
327
HEALTHY LIFE WELLNESS
Its popularity quickly spread. Eventually, trade routes took the drink to Russia, then Eastern Europe and finally into Western Europe. By the mid-20th century, it was widely consumed in Germany, France and Italy. Today kombucha is widely available across the United States. Proof that kombucha has gone mainstream: PepsiCo acquired brewer KeVita in 2016 as part of its brand portfolio. KeVita isn’t the only type of kombucha available nationwide. Local grocery store shelves are filled with a variety of offerings like Health-Ade, 221 BC, Humm, Big Easy Bucha and Mother Kombucha, which is made up Eagle’s brew is available at local
Flying Eagle’s roster of flavors includes lemon lavender, blueberry Cuban
farmers markets as well as her tap-
oregano, strawberry lemongrass, mango cayenne and a Champagne-style
room at Millennial Brewing. She
elderflower. Growlers and bottles are available at local farmers’ markets,
likes to get creative with flavors,
various small grocers and restaurants, and in the Flying Eagle taproom
often sourcing local ingredients.
inside Fort Myers’ Millennial Brewing.
Some of the current offerings include lemon lavender, mango cayenne
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GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Courtesy Flying Eagle Kombucha (2)
the road in St. Petersburg.
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added elderflower. “The elderflower is my Champagne-style kombucha,” she explains. “It’s buttery and smooth and sparkling. We serve it in the taproom in a Champagne flute, and it makes you feel fancy.” She likes to rotate brews based on what’s currently growing—a rosé-like roselle and apple-spiced kombuchas in fall, jackfruit in summer. Eagle locally sources as many of her ingredients as she can, opting for cold-pressed fruits and herbs to infuse the brews with natural flavor. The mangoes for her mango cayenne kombucha, for example, come from FruitScapes in Bokeelia. Southern Fresh Farms, in Fort Myers is another favorite resource. Many of kombucha’s health claims are anecdotal in nature, with plenty of
8pm on
people—like Eagle—who swear by it. At the very least, it sure makes for a nice drink on a hot Florida afternoon.
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GULFSHORE LIFE
Gutter Credit
Advocate
HEALTHY LIFE HOUSE CALL
5 WAY S T O S TAY F I T IN JANUARY Jan.1 Ring in the New Year with a focus on balance and wellness in one of the most peaceful places around, when the Saba Movement Center and FMB Yoga & Wellness Project join to offer an hour of multilevel yoga in the gazebo at Lovers Key State Park. $10. sabamovementcenter.com Jan. 5 Head to Cambier Park for a Qigong class held by White Dove Qigong. The slow, measured body movements and coordinated breathing are said to help you relax and boost the immune system. $7. whitedoveqigong.com Jan. 22-24 For the 30th anniversary of the Tour De Cape, participants can head to Fathoms Restaurant & Bar for a pre-event celebration, where you can also pick up shirts and maps. A 5K run/walk takes place on Saturday, followed by 15, 30, 62 and 100-mile bike ride courses throughout Cape Coral on Sunday. 5K run $20; bike tour $40; combination $50. tourdecape. net
Tim Platt/Getty Images; WoodysPhotos/Getty Images
Jan. 23 The Commando Challenge is a product of the Green Beret Challenge, so expect the eight-mile course to try your strength in all areas: pushing, pulling, crawling, running and carrying heavy items. Rather than competing against others, the goal is to push yourself and race against the clock. $100. raceentry.com Jan. 30 Get in steps for a good cause. The National Alliance on Mental Illness hosts a morning walk around Baker Park to raise awareness for mental health. Free. namicollier.org
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GULFSHORE LIFE
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333
founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival
Tune In to Help Out! The Naples Winter Wine Festival is going virtual this year! Tune in January 30, 2021 on WINK-TV for our first-ever televised, hour-long fundraiser. You’ll learn about the safety net the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) has created for Collier County’s underserved children. You’llhear inspirational success stories from the children themselves, as wellas testimonials from parents, community leaders and Trustees. Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to make a pledge of support to help NCEF continue its mission.
Help improve the life of a child—
you won’t even have to get off the couch to do it. JANUARY 30, 2021 7:00PM* WINK TV
N C E F K I D S . CO M
special thanks to media partners *pending final cbs broadcast schedule
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
TASTE OF THE GULF
21 Spices by Chef Asif delivers artfully arranged Indian cuisine, including curries, Tandoori and
Courtesy 21 Spices
vegetarian platters.
336
Raise a Glass: French Absinthe Colada at T he French Brasserie Rustique
338
Dining Guide: 150 -Plus Essential Restaurants
RAISE A GLASS
ABSINTHE M AKES THE HEART GROW FONDER
TASTE OF THE GULF
The once forbidden, mystery-shrouded potion finds a growing fan base in Southwest Florida.
Legend and mystique stir intrigue
The French Brasserie Rustique in
with unrefined coconut oil. It’s then
for cocktails spiked with absinthe.
Naples, says, adding that the bad
poured into an absinthe-rinsed glass
The green fairy, as the spirit became
rap is due to its high alcohol content
and mixed with bitters.
known, is associated with Heming-
and one of its ingredients. “Worm-
He sometimes gets requests for
way, psychedelic spells and madness,
wood— that has some psychedelic
the traditional French absinthe rit-
as evidenced by the story of Van
properties when consumed in
ual, which involves dribbling chilled
Gogh’s missing ear (many believe he
extreme concentrations.”
water over a sugar cube into a glass
was under the influence when the
Belk brings absinthe, which was
of absinthe, making it turn milky.
again legalized here in 2007, out
(Aficionados can appreciate the
Truth is, the strong drink origi-
of the shadows and into the mod-
ornate setup at The Saloon in Estero,
nated in Switzerland, and the emer-
ern-day tropical light with the inven-
where bar manager John Tucker
ald hue is related to the use of green
tion of his absinthe colada at The
uses an antique decanter to prepare
anise. France popularized it back
French. “It’s a nod to our proximity
drip cocktails for a growing cult of
in Hemingway’s days in Paris, and
to the beach,” Belk says. “We still use
absinthe fans.)
New Orleans made it famous in the
a little rum, but we had to go with a
Belk notices an uptick in interest,
United States with the invention of
bold Jamaican style that could stand
too. “It’s a very slow growth,” he says.
the so-called first American cocktail,
up to the absinthe.”
While patrons may not seek the spirit,
incident occurred).
He calls the spirit “a bit of a bully,”
he notices people are often intrigued
The early mental health propa-
as it can easily overpower. With this
when they see it on the menu. Look
ganda stems mainly from French
drink, the anise flavor and herbaceous
for absinthe to make an exotic state-
winemakers miffed by the competi-
complexity cut the sweetness of a tra-
ment at Bar Tulia Mercato, where
tion. Eventually, absinthe was banned
ditional colada.
Belk was involved with the creation of
the Sazerac.
in France and the U.S. “Absinthe
Belk also mixes up his Best Damn
the cocktail menu. The latest addition
became the poster child for the evils
Sazerac, adding a tropical touch
to the Campagna Hospitality Group is
of imbibing,” Ky Belk, bartender at
by washing the classic rye whiskey
slated to open this year.
336
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Heidi Schumann
By Chelle Koster Walton
THE FR EN CH A B SINTHE COL A DA • ¾ ounce St. George Absinthe Verte • ½ ounce gold Jamaican rum • 1 ounce pineapple juice
• ¾ ounce coconut cream • ½ ounce lemon juice • 1 teaspoon green crème de menthe Combine all in a shaker with 3 or 4 ice cubes. Shake until ice has mostly broken down into crushed consistency. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Garnish with pineapple fronds.
TA S T E O F T H E G U L F
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TA S T E O F T H E G U L F
DINING GUIDE The Dining Guide is crafted each month based on editorial discretion, as well as inclusion of restaurants that advertise regularly (denoted by an asterisk). All phone numbers are area code (239) unless specified. Please email diningout@gulfshorelife. com to report changes in a restaurant’s location, prices or menu. As conditions are constantly changing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend you contact the restaurants for the latest information.
DINING GUIDE KEY:
b
Brunch
o
Outside Dining
p
Pet-Friendly
v
Valet
w
Water Views
With a bounty of seafood and a rosé-all-day attitude, a meal at The Hampton Social Scott McIntyre
feels like a trip to New York’s well-heeled beach enclave.
338
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Chef-Led Independent Restaurants WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AT ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL CULINARY EXPERIENCE.
®
1186 3RD ST S, NAPLES, FL 34102 (239) 434-7258 SEASALTNAPLES.COM
1290 3RD ST S, NAPLES, FL 34102 (239) 263-1955 BARBATELLANAPLES.COM
2110 9TH ST N, NAPLES, FL 34103 (239) 529-2819 DORONANAPLES.COM
90 9TH ST N, NAPLES, FL 34102 239-331-4325 GRAPPINONAPLES.COM
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE 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. $$$ ITALIAN
op
French toast, but they stay to sit around the lovely koi fountain on the sunny patio. $$ CASUAL
bopv Ridgway Bar & Grill 1300 Third St. S., 262-5500. ridgwaybarandgrill.com. A quintessential Old Naples restaurant with creative American fare. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
The Bevy 360 12th Ave. S., 228-4220. naplesbevy.com. Enjoy premium craft cocktails and varied influences at this Third Street locale. The open-air setup with a retractable roof is nothing short of impressive, too. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
Sea Salt 1186 Third St. S., 434-7258. seasaltnaples.com. A local favorite, with organic produce and fresh ingredients for sophisticated seafood and its accompaniments. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
opv
bop
Campiello/The Club Room 1177 Third St. S., 435-1166. campiellonaples.com. A longtime favorite for its contemporary Italian cuisine and courtyard fronting the thoroughfare. In early 2020, The Club Room, a restaurant within the restaurant, launched with an independent menu, drinks and live music most nights. $$$$ ITALIAN
opv
D’Amico’s The Continental 1205 Third St. S., 659-0007. damicoscontinental.com. Experience top-quality cuts of steak from around the globe that are enhanced by stylish modern decor, private cabanas and a “cocktail lab.” $$$$ STEAK
bopv Jane’s Cafe on 3rd 1209 Third St. S., 261-2253. janesgardencafe.com. Folks come for the lobster Benedict and stuffed
340
FIFTH AVENUE SOUTH Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro 865 Fifth Ave. S., 594-5557. bhabhabistro.com. Find exquisite Persian cuisine in this jewel box of a dining room. Choose from a wide variety of authentic fare, plus unique twists to vegetables, lamb, chicken, beef and more. $$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN
o
Bistro 821 821 Fifth Ave. S., 261-5821. bistro821.com. Kitchen open for the eyes of the customers and a menu filled with originality. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
Chops City Grill 837 Fifth Ave. S., 262-4677. chopscitygrill.com. Fine steaks are served at this elegant, baroque-inspired steakhouse that was renovated in 2019. $$$$ STEAK
opv
GULFSHORE LIFE
The French Brasserie Rustique 365 Fifth Ave. S., 315-4019. thefrenchnaples.com. Expect exquisite escargot and steak tartare in a buzzworthy atmosphere—from celebrated local chef Vincenzo Betulia. $$$ FRENCH
opv
Hobnob Kitchen & Bar 720 Fifth Ave. S., Unit 101, 580-0070. hobnobnaples. com. Updated takes on American cuisine in a cool, contemporary setting on Fifth Avenue South. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
Ocean Prime 699 Fifth Ave. S., 430-0404. ocean-prime.com. This swanky concept from national restaurateur Cameron Mitchell features a fromscratch kitchen mixing surf and turf. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
v
Osteria Tulia/Bar Tulia 466 Fifth Ave. S., 213-2073. osteriatulia.com. These Sicilian-inspired dishes are arguably some of the best in Naples, served in a rustic-chic farmhouse setting or the Bar Tulia gastropub, which has unbeatable craft cocktails. $$$ ITALIAN
opv
Pazzo! Cucina Italiana 853 Fifth Ave. S., 4348494. pazzoitaliancafe.com. Beautiful presentations and twists on Italian favorites in this warm wood and plush dining room feels like home. $$$$ ITALIAN
opv
Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties.
pinchersusa.com. Seafood from local fishermen in a casual and family-friendly setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
ow
Riverwalk* 1200 Fifth Ave. S., 263-2734. riverwalktincity.com. A Tin City staple with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the river, it specializes in Gulf Coast cuisine. Open for lunch, Sunday brunch and dinner. $$$ SEAFOOD
ow
Sails Restaurant 301 Fifth Ave. S., 360-2000. sailsrestaurants.com. Expect unusual crudos and a large selection of international fish, plus European-style white glove service in this upscale eatery and raw bar. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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Sushi Thai Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. sushithaitoo.com. Large selection of sushi and Thai dishes. $$$ ASIAN
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Truluck’s 698 Fourth Ave. S., 530-3131. trulucks.com. Known for stone crabs brought in from its local boats, the fine dining locale also touts seafood from the Gulf and beyond. $$$$ SEAFOOD
ov
Veranda E 290 Fifth Ave. S., 659-3466. hotelescalante.com. A picturesque courtyard setting and menu with both Asian and French influences in the Hotel Escalante. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
g ulf shorelife.com
dockcraytoncove.com. A laidback spot for Florida seafood on Naples Bay. $$$ SEAFOOD
opw
EAST NAPLES 21 Spices by Chef Asif
4270 Tamiami Trail E., #21, 919-8830. 21spicesdining. com. This Indian spot features an award-winning chef and a full bar.
$$$ INDIAN
op
is known for its superb steak program, artful interiors and lush patio.
DOWNTOWN NAPLES The Claw Bar 221 Ninth St. S., 231-3912. theclawbar.com. With an upscale supper club feel, it exudes genteel Southern charm and serves the best oysters, seafood and cocktails with flair. $$$$ SEAFOOD
ov
Grappino 90 Ninth St N., 331-4325. grappinonaples.com. New from the Aielli Group, this Italian eatery offers a fine selection of charcuterie and bruschetta as well as buildyour-own pasta dishes and pizzas. $$$ ITALIAN
Maria D’Anna Cafe 300 Tamiami Trail N., 2636892. mariadannacafe.com. Flawless, from-scratch Polish dishes and baked goods in a charming, sunny space. $$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN
Seventh South Craft Food + Drink 849 7th Ave. S., Suite 101, 231-4553, seventhsouth.com. Adam Nardis, the former executive chef of M Waterfront Grille, and Barry Larkin, the former bar manager of 7th Avenue Social, have teamed up to launch this spot with a focus on local ingredients. $$$ AMERICAN
The Lake Park Diner 944 Seventh Ave N., 2286351. thelakeparkdiner. com. Grab and go or sit on the patio to enjoy healthy, organic fare, plus diner classics including milkshakes.
The Rooster Food + Drink 600 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Suite 101, 228-5973. theroosternaples.com. A breakfast and lunch spot serving elaborate dishes, like braised short ribs over grits with salsa verde. Dinner is served Wednesday through Friday in season.
op
bop
op
$$ MODERN AMERICA
342
$$ CASUAL
GULFSHORE LIFE
BAYFRONT Stoney's Steakhouse 403 Bayfront Place, 4359353. stoneyssteakhouse. com. This dining room features prime cuts and great herb-crusted prime rib. $$$$ STEAK
CRAY TON COVE Bleu Provence 1234 Eighth St. S., 261-8239. bleuprovencenaples.com. Channel the south of France in Old Naples with great food and a stunning wine list. It’s consistently one of the Gulfshore’s best restaurants. $$$$ FRENCH
opv
Chez Boet 755 12th Ave. S., 643-6177. chezboetnaples.com. French staples with a personal touch from the husband-wife owners. $$$$ FRENCH
opw The Dock at Crayton Cove* 845 12th Ave. S., 263-9940.
MIDDLE EASTERN
o
LowBrow Pizza & Beer 3148 Tamiami Trail E., 5296919. lowbrowpizzaandbeer. com. Expect artisanal cheeses and unique toppings made from scratch and fired in a wood-burning oven. $$ ITALIAN
op
Rumba Cuban Café
1265 Airport-Pulling Road S., 659-2996. rumbacuban cafe.com. Classic Cuban cuisine with fun twists and very attentive service. $$$ LATIN AMERICAN
o
Texas Tony’s*
4519 Tamiami Trail E., 732-8392. texastonys.com. Enjoy ribs, brisket and more are complemented by a large selection of beer at this eatery from the folks behind Pinchers. Brian Tietz
A haven for outdoor dining on Naples Third Street South, The Continental
Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen 4270 Tamiami Trail E., 315-4167. kareemskitchen. com. Locals rave about the seven types of hummus, and roasted chicken with za’atarspiced potatoes. $$$
$$ BARBECUE
o
g ulf shorelife.com
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE Three60 Market 2891 Bayview Drive, Naples, 732-7331. three60market. com. A breakfast and lunch cafe with an extensive wine shop that offers dinner carryout specials. $$ MODERN AMERICAN
bopw MIDTOWN
Alexander’s Restaurant
4077 Tamiami Trail N., 2624999, alexandersnaples. com. The menus are filled with seafood and tastes from around the world— presented in a modern cafe and lush garden. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
Andre’s Steakhouse 2800 Tamiami Trail N., 2635851. If you’re a fan of Peter Luger, opt for this tiny joint founded by one of its former chefs. $$$$ STEAK
op
Cibao Grille 814 Neapolitan Way, 434-6653. cibaogrille.com. Caribbean dishes from the owners’ native Dominican Republic mix with American classics. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
Dorona
2110 Tamiami Trail N., 5292819. doronanaples.com. Upscale-casual steakhouse
from the owners of Sea Salt and Barbatella, with a delightfully diverse menu. $$$$ STEAK
op
Escargot 41 4351 Tamiami Trail N., 7935000. escargot41.com. This French restaurant, with a page of escargot specials alone, recently moved to a bigger space. $$$ FRENCH
op
Fernández the Bull 3375 Pine Ridge Road, Unit 101, 653-9097; 1201 Piper Blvd., Unit 10, 254-9855. fernandezthebull.com. Great, authentic Cuban dishes. $$ LATIN AMERICAN
Food & Thought 2132 Tamiami Trail N., 213-2222. foodandthought. com. The organic grocer and counter-service cafe has a full menu, with raw and vegan options. $ VEGETARIAN
op
Fujiyama
2555 Tamiami Trail N., 2614332. naplesfujiyama.com. Japanese chefs live at your hibachi table. $$$ ASIAN
o
FUSE Global Cuisine/ FUSE BBQ 2500 Tamiami Trail N. #115, 455-4585. fuseglobalcuisine. com. Cuisines from around
op
THE “NEW YOU”
WILL STILL LOVE US. No matter your resolutions, enjoying fresh seafood and waterfront views on a beautiful outdoor terrace is always a good idea. Come enjoy Naples’ original waterfront restaurant!
(239) 263-9940 • DockCraytonCove.com • 845 12th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102 TA S T E O F T H E G U L F
343
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE the world at the fine dining side; insanely good barbecue next door. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
op
Harold’s Place 2555 Tamiami Trail N., 263-7254. naplesharoldsplace.com. This chickee bar serves an award-winning charbroiled burger. $ CASUAL
op
Hogfish Harry’s 600 Neapolitan Way, 776-7623. hogfishharrys. com. Chef Everett Fromm and the team behind 7th Avenue Social opened this upscale-casual eatery with a commitment to sourcing 90% of its menu from local fishermen. $$$ SEAFOOD
o
Hyde N Chic
923 Creech Rd., 404-3065, chefhydegourmet.com. Chef Andy Hyde now serves his brand of eclectic, approachable haute cuisine in an intimate, artfully decorated storefront. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
Jimmy P’s Charred 1833 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, 643-2427; 25301 Tamiami Trail S., Bonita Springs, 390-0301. jimmypscharred. com. An intimate, casual steakhouse specializing in wagyu beef from Naples’ longtime trusted butcher. $$$$ STEAK
o
Lamoraga Restaurant 3936 Tamiami Trail N., 3313669, lamoragarestaurant. com. Upscale twists on Spanish dishes, plus other small plates. $$$$ SPANISH
opv 344
The Local
5323 Airport-Pulling Road, 596-3276. thelocalnaples. com. Healthy cuisine locally sourced from farm and sea, stylishly served. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
o
Martin Fierro 13040 Livingston Road, 3004777. martinfierrorestaurant. com. Authentic Argentinian and Uruguayan parrillada, with grass-fed beef. $$$ LATIN AMERICAN
o
Moura Bistro 3369 Pine Ridge Road, 738-8883. mourabistro.com. Find flavorful selections of Lebanese fare, like falafel, tabbouleh and shawarma. $$$ MIDDLE EASTERN
o
O’mei 6434 Naples Blvd., Suite 406, 631-5633. omeinaples. com. O’mei’s Peking duck is among Naples’ best, with fresh ingredients. $$$ ASIAN
o
Shula’s Steak House
5111 Tamiami Trail N., 4304999. shulasnaples.com. Classic steakhouse fare from Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula. $$$$ STEAK
Swan River Seafood and Fish Market
3741 Tamiami Trail N., 4037000. swanriverseafood. com. Find Cape Cod-style seafood, and a market with fresh catches, Angus beef, wine and more.
$$$ SEAFOOD
o
USS Nemo
3745 Tamiami Trail N., 261-
GULFSHORE LIFE
6366. ussnemorestaurant. com. Masterful seafood from a classically trained chef who is among the best in Southwest Florida. $$$ SEAFOOD
Ziggy D’Amico Whiskey Bar & Diner
4691 Ninth St. N., 4300955. ziggydamicos.com. This former D’Amico & Sons space that boasts a large tree-shaded patio has been redone to incorporate a brand-new bar and an eclectic global menu of haute comfort foods, such as build-yourown pizzas with three kinds of crusts and smashburgers as well as healthier fare. $$$ Modern American
ov
THE VILL AGE SHOPS ON VENETIAN BAY Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar 4270 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 649-5552. baysideseafood grillandbar.com. More than 200 feet of upscale waterfront dining, inside and out, and live music at the deck bar. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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M Waterfront Grille 4300 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 263-4421. mwaterfrontgrille. com. The main dining room has bay views at this perennial upscale favorite for organic meat, seafood and produce. There’s also a full bar and large front terrace. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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MiraMare Ristorante
4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 430-6273. miramarenaples. com. Come for the waterfront patio on Venetian
Bay, stay for large portions of calamari and chicken francese. $$$ ITALIAN
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T-Michaels Steak and Lobster House 4050 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 261-0622. t-michaels.com. Steakhouse dining on the waterfront at The Village on Venetian Bay, featuring USDA prime meats and Maine lobster. $$$$ STEAK
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WATERSIDE SHOPS True Food Kitchen 5375 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 15, 431-4580. truefoodkitchen.com. The majority of the menu at this upscale chain caters to vegetarians, but it’s a perfect place for flexitarians looking for a healthy meal. $$$ VEGETARIAN
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NORTH NAPLES Baleen 9891 Gulf Shore Drive, 598-5707. laplayaresort.com. A beachfront wraparound terrace with creative cuisine at the LaPlaya resort. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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The Bay House/ The Claw Bar at Tierney’s Tavern 799 Walkerbilt Road, 5913837. bayhousenaples.com. Enjoy the Southern-inspired menus with panoramic views of a mangrove-lined waterway, or the rustic tavern and bar with live music every night. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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Bella Mia Italian Cafe 808 Wiggins Pass Road, 2503310. bellamiaitaliancafe. com. A paean to the art of
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exquisite European coffee and pastries, there is also a gourmet flourish throughout the menu from acclaimed chef David Rashty with creative fare such as keto lasagna with zucchini sheets and butternut squash soup with spiced apple crème fraiche.
Café Gourmand 9853 Tamiami Trail N., 2607109. cafegourmand.net. Try the best selection of crepes in Naples. Tuesday-Sunday, white tablecloths come out at night for formal dinner service. $$ FRENCH
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Cote d’Azur 11224 Tamiami Trail N., 5978867. cotedazurrestaurant. com. Delectable French cuisine offering everything from filet mignon to quail in a cozy Provençal setting.
$$ ITALIAN
Black Forest Restaurant Immokalee Road, 592-4784. blackforestnaples.com. Classic German and Austrian dishes in an intimate setting in the Green Tree Plaza. $$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN
Bone Hook Brewing Co. 1514 Immokalee Road, 6318522. bonehookbrewing. com. This microbrewery has a full kitchen and table service to match. $$ BAR BITES
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DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Lounge*
241 Center St. N., 5911200. darumarestaurant. com. Traditional service or Teppan-style tableside cooking. $$$$ ASIAN
Deep Lagoon Seafood & Fish Market*
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10395 Tamiami Trail N., 631-6266. deeplagoon. com. At this spot from the family behind Pinchers, seating is casual and there’s an extensive seafood market. $$$ SEAFOOD
$$$$ FRENCH
The Crust
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8004 Trail Blvd., 244-8488. thecrustpizza.net. One of Naples’ most popular pizza joints, focusing on thincrust pies cut into bite-size squares, plus salads and subs. $$ ITALIAN
Dusk 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 598-6644. ritzcarlton.com. Known for some of the freshest and most intriguing sushi around, this lounge in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, is full of dark corners and couches—or you can sit on
the patio overlooking the Gulf. $$$$ ASIAN
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Grain De Café
8803 Tamiami Trail N., 594-8081. frenchcafenaples.com. Waiting in the often-long line is worth it for the freshest pain au chocolat, quiches and crepes. $$ FRENCH
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The Grill
280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 598-6644. ritz-carlton.com. This highly regarded steakhouse in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, evokes the ambience of a elegant private club. $$$$ STEAK
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Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche 1575 Pine Ridge Road #9; 1514 Immokalee Road; 3300
DRY AGED
ON-PREMISE
LIVE MUSIC • OUTDOOR HEATED DINING & FIRE PITS • SAT AND SUN BRUNCH • FULL LIQUOR LICENSE
Reserve your individual steak now.
239-208-8518
2150 West First Street Fort Myers, Fl 33901
www.kingskitchenandbar.com www.facebook.com/kingskitchenandbar
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. 234-2442. komoonthai.com. A fun mix of Thai, Japanese and Peruvian (ceviche plus a few hot entrees). $$ ASIAN
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Namba
8847 Tamiami Trail N., 592-4992. nambanaples. com. This Japanese menu is limited to a small yet remarkable selection of ramen, sushi and small plates. $$$ ASIAN Parmesan Pete’s
7935 Airport-Pulling Road, 992-3663. parmesanpetes. com. A dependable joint serving huge portions of Parmesans, meatballs and lasagna. $$$ ITALIAN
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The Turtle Club 9225 Gulf Shore Drive, 592-
6557. turtleclubnaples.com. Upscale casual beachfront restaurant offering coastal cuisine. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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Zen Asian BBQ 10823 Tamiami Trail N., 260-7037. eatatzen.com. Pan-Asian fusion joint with sushi, bar bites and Korean barbecue. $$$ ASIAN
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MERCATO 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. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Rocco’s Tacos 9123 Strada Place, 500-8226. roccostacos.com/naples. It’s a perpetual party at this
lively joint with more than 400 tequilas and awesome food to match. $$$ MEXICAN
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THE PAVILION KC American Bistro 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 566-2371. kcamericanbistro. com. Seasonal, regional American cuisine from respected chef Keith Casey in a casual setting. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Tacos & Tequila Cantina
8971 Tamiami Trail N., 254-8226; 4834 Davis Blvd., 732-8226; 10952 Eagle Village Drive, Fort Myers, 330-8226. tacosandtequilanaples.com. Killer tacos, plus margaritas aplenty at this cute, festive spot. $$ MEXICAN
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GALLERIA SHOPPES AT VANDERBILT Alpine Restaurant
2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 325-9499. alpineofnaples.com. Find the best of German, Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian cuisines in one place. $$$
EASTERN EUROPEAN
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The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar
2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 513-0095. naples winecollection.com. An ode to underground cellars of Burgundy, complete with stonework and continental small plates. $$$ BAR BITES
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Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, 631-6844. mistero1. com. “Extraordinary” isn’t hyperbole; try the star pizza for proof. $$ ITALIAN
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The intimate, chef-driven experience at Liberty in Fort Myers is guaranteed to surprise and delight.
BONITA SPRINGS Angelina’s Ristorante 24041 S. Tamiami Trail, 390-3187. angelinasofbonitasprings.com. Fine food, lush banquettes and an award-winning wine list make for a top restaurant. $$$$ ITALIAN
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C Level Bistro & Wine Bar
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Vanessa Rogers
4450 Bonita Beach Road, 221-7046. c-levelbar.com. This intimate eatery is dependable for continental fare like steak au poivre and raspberry duck. $$$$
Cirella’s*
25265 Chamber of Commerce Drive, 948-3885. cirellasrestaurantsswfl.com. An unusual combination that works: Italian restaurant with a sushi bar.
$$$ ITALIAN
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Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille
5370 Bonita Beach Road, 676-7777. coconutjacks. com. Quiet water views off Bonita Beach Road. $$$ SEAFOOD
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DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant 26811 South Bay Drive 26811 South Bay Drive Suites 140 and 148, 325-3583. deromos.com. This restaurant is part of an Italian market, with fresh pastas, cheeses and baked goods. $$$$ ITALIAN
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Figs Grille 25987 S. Tamiami Trail #109, 390-1700. figsgrille.com. Refreshing fusion of Spanish, Turkish, Moroccan, Lebanese and French cuisines. $$$ MEDITERRANEAN
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Olde Florida Chop House* 3401 Bay Commons Dr., 9484400. oldefloridachophouse. com. Waterfront dining specializing in Florida-style dishes. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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The Other Side Bistro
24630 S. Tamiami Trail, 992-7433. bonitaspringsbistro.com. Chef Brian McCarley serves comforting dishes with a modern flair. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Petar’s Restaurant
3300 Bonita Beach Road, Unit 120, 249-4064. petarsrestaurant.com. Chef Petar Al Kurdi has developed a strong following for his cleverly prepared continental cuisine. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. pinchersusa.com. Seafood from local fishermen in a family-friendly setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Roy’s Restaurant 26831 South Bay Drive, 498-7697. roysrestaurant. com. Enjoy celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian and Pacific fusion fine dining. $$$$ ASIAN
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A Table Apart 4295 Bonita Beach Road, 221-8540. atableapart. com. This restaurant fuses influences from throughout the Pacific Rim in clever, unexpected ways. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
Tarpon Bay 5001 Coconut Road, 3904295. hyatt.com. Elegant waterfront dining with a focus on fish and shellfish at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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Wylds Café 4271 Bonita Beach Road, 947-0408. wyldscafe.com. Three chefs join forces for a modern American fine dining experience at a reasonable price. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Photo courtesy of Maxwell Mackenzie
WATERFRONT PARADISE Tarpon Lodge offers a tranquil getaway steeped in “Old Florida” tradition. Famous for its acclaimed dining, whispering Gulf breezes, and spectacular nightly sunset shows.
TARPONLODGE.COM 13771 WATERFRONT DR PINE ISLAND, FL 239-283-3999
COME BY CAR OR BOAT: N 26º 39’ 562” W 82º 9’ 180”
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE ESTERO Divieto Ristorante 23161 Village Shops Way #101, 390-2977. divietoristorante.com. This place is famous for fettuccine Alfredo prepared in a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel. $$$ ITALIAN
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First Watch* Multiple locations throughout Lee and Collier. firstwatch.com. A dependable and quick option for breakfast and lunch. $$ CASUAL
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FORT MYERS BE ACH
Where Fresh, Mexican Food Meets Icily Refreshing Margaritas
Fresh Catch Bistro
3040 Estero Blvd., 4632600. freshcatchbistro. com. A notch above the more casual fare on the beach without feeling stuffy. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Voted Best Tacos in Lee County Indoor & Outdoor Seating Walking Distance to the Beach Open Daily 11:30AM – 10PM 14970 Captiva Dr. Captiva Island, FL
RestaurantsOnCaptiva.com
Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. pinchersusa.com. Seafood from local fishermen in a super-casual, family-friendly setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
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FORT MYERS SOUTH FORT MYERS Artisan Eatery
8951 Daniels Parkway, 887-4844. artisaneatery. com. Counter service and soda machine—plus, outstanding eggs Benedict, flatbreads and daily specials. $$ CASUAL
Ember Korean Steakhouse
7091 College Parkway #9,
771-8818. emberfortmyers. com. A contemporary gem with everything from tabletop barbecue to fusion dishes and sushi. $$$ ASIAN Fancy’s Southern Café
8890 Salrose Lane #101, 561-2988. fancyssoutherncafe.com. Classic southern favorites served in a casually elegant atmosphere. $$ MODERN AMERICAN
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First Watch* Multiple locations throughout Lee and Collier counties. firstwatch.com. A dependable and quick option for breakfast and lunch. $$ CASUAL
bop Harold’s 15250 S. Tamiami Trail Suite 107, 849-0622. haroldscuisine.com. A cozy bistro with farm-to-table cuisine from chef Harold Balink. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
La Trattoria Café Napoli
Villas Plaza, 12377 S. Cleveland Ave., 931-0050. latrattoriacafenapoli.com. Known for chef-owner Gloria Jordan's paella, this Spanish restaurant features a variety of tapas, pasta and seafood dishes. $$$
MEDITERRANEAN
Osteria Celli
15880 Summerlin Road #308, 267-1310. osteriacelli. com. Authentic, freshly made pastas are a highlight of this upscale casual eatery. $$$ ITALIAN Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. pinchersusa.com. Enjoy seafood from local fisher-
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men in a super-casual and family-friendly setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
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The Saucy Meatball
12401 Commerce Lakes Drive, 800-7172. saucymeatball.com. The younger sister to 2 Meatballs in the Kitchen, this industrial-chic pizzeria also serves crave-worthy pasta dishes, salads and entrees. $$ ITALIAN
Silk Road
8646 Gladiolus Drive, 689-4845. Specializing in Central Asian cuisine, this place takes diners on an epicurean journey with Uzbek delicacies and traditional food and wine offerings from throughout the region. $$ ASIAN Viet Village
Refreshed and Enlivened!!! Experience Innovative Culinary Treasures at...
bha! bha! Persian Bistro
The Jewel of Fifth
“Persian Perfection” -NY Times
www.BhaBhaBistro.com
16571 S. Tamiami Trail, 208-8368. vietvillagefl.com. After an extensive renovation, this Vietnamese spot reopened to critical acclaim; try the rare-beef pho and the special rice cooked in a clay pot. $$ ASIAN
BELL TOWER SHOPS DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Lounge*
13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, 344-0037. darumarestaurant.com. Traditional service or Teppan-style tableside cooking. Steak, chicken, seafood, tempura, sushi and more. $$$$ ASIAN
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CENTRAL FORT MYERS Chef Brooke’s Natural Café
1850 Boy Scout Drive #A106, 332-2433. chefbrookeonline.com. Organic, gluten-free and vegan cuisine. $$ VEGETARIAN
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NAPLES . FT. MYERS . SARASOTA
241 Center Street N, Naples, Florida 34108 239-591-1200 13499 South Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers, Florida 33907 239-344-0037 5459 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota, Florida 34232 941-342-6600 4910 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34231 941-552-9465
www.DaRuMaRestaurant.com
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE El Gaucho Inca 4383 Colonial Blvd., 2757504. elgauchoinca.com. Traditional Argentinian (including the Italian specialties popular there) and Peruvian food prepared to perfection. The warm and personal service is also a delight. $$ LATIN AMERICAN
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Blanc
13451 McGregor Blvd., 887-3139. blancentertainment.com. The contemporary restaurant mixes trends, like sous vide and robata grilling, with a strong French influence. $$ FRENCH
Cibo
Ginger Bistro
4650 Cleveland Ave. #8, 689-3113; 2366 Surfside Blvd. Unit C-101, Cape Coral, 558-8865. gingerbistrousa.com. Authentic Chinese fare, including dim sum and traditional Cantonese barbecue. $$
ASIAN
KJ’s Steakhouse
10950 S. Cleveland Ave., 275-4745. kjsfreshgrill.com. The creators behind this upscale-casual chophouse and burger heaven pride themselves on aging and a 900-degree searing technique, plus a fully stocked bar. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
Sasse’s Restaurant
3651 Evans Ave., 2785544. sassesrestaurant. com. Northern Italian and European cuisine cooked in a wood-burning oven to critical acclaim. $$$$ ITALIAN
MCGREGOR CORRIDOR
454-3700. cibofortmyers. com. At Bridge Plaza, this Italian restaurant features seafood, steak, pasta— and an abundance of wines. $$$ ITALIAN
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Crave Restaurant
12901 McGregor Blvd., 466-4663. cravemenu.com. The chef makes all the comfort food from scratch, even the deli meat for breakfast and lunch. $$$
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Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House* 14040 McGregor Blvd., 6895474. deeplagoon.com. This waterfront spot distinguishes itself with a raw bar and scenic marina views. $$$ SEAFOOD
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First Watch* Multiple locations throughout Lee and Collier counties. firstwatch.com. A dependable and quick option for breakfast and lunch.
Azure
$$ CASUAL
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Roadhouse Café 15660 San Carlos Blvd., 415-4375. roadhousecafefl. com. Live jazz is a big draw, and there’s something for everyone.
15301 McGregor Blvd., 288-4296. azurefortmyers. com. At this casual boîte, chef Joe Pittman, formerly of Mereday’s Fine Dining, excels at modernized classics. $$$ FRENCH
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$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bullig Coffee & Bites 1815 Fowler St., 703-2629. Thoroughly modern with a whimsical touch, Bullig has bespoke caffeinated brews that are works of art, plus savory and sweet waffles and more. Not open past 3 p.m. $ CASUAL
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Izzy’s Fish & Oyster 2282 First St., Fort Myers, 337-4999. izzysftmyers.com. A former Miami-based chef relocated his raw bar and New England-style seafood spot to the River District. $$$ SEAFOOD
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King’s Kitchen
2150 W. First St., 208-8518. kingskitchenandbar.com. This spot with a warehouse vibe and beer garden serves global comforts like country fried chicken, shrimp and mussels fra diavolo and mojo roast pork. $$ ECLECTIC Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. pinchersusa.com. Seafood from local fishermen in a casual setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Seed & Bean Market* 1520 Broadway, 243-8137. seedandbeanmarket.com. Half a shop for all things CBD, half a cute cafe with breakfast, sandwiches, salads and bites for lunch and dinner. $$ CASUAL Silver King Ocean Brasserie 2200 Edwards Drive, 239314-3760. luminaryhotel.
com. It’s the signature restaurant inside the River District’s sparkling new Luminary Hotel & Co., and it’s serving up sleek, sophisticated coastal cuisine in a contemporary setting.
$$$$ SEAFOOD
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The Standard 1520 Broadway, 219-6463. thestandardftmyers.com. An indie River District eatery with fresh, from-scratch eats and craft cocktails. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Twisted Vine Bistro
2214 Bay St., 226-1687. twistedvinebistro.com. Expect eclectic twists on grill and seafood dishes. Find rare whiskies at The Barrel Room next door. $$$$
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The Veranda 2122 Second St., Fort Myers, 332-2065. verandarestaurant.com. Dine on filet mignon and veal, surrounded by lush foliage, at Fort Myers’ grande dame. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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NORTH FORT MYERS Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm 8250 Nalle Grade Road, 567-6000. rosy-tomorrows. com. Breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday is a unique treat—as you graze, you can see the humanely raised longhorn cattle, hogs, chickens and more, as they do the same. $$ MODERN AMERICAN
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SANIBEL ISL AND Bleu Rendez-Vous French Bistro
2430 Periwinkle Way, 565-1608. bleurendezvous. com. Chef Christian Vivet’s intimate French bistro is lauded for its authentic cuisine. $$$$ FRENCH
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Cielo
1244 Periwinkle Way, 4725555. cielo-sanibel.com. The modern American fare is all made in-house. Cielo now flaunts swanky, refreshed interiors. $$$$
MODERN AMERICAN
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Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille Multiple locations throughout Lee County. docfordsfortmyersbeach.com. docfordssanibel.com. Go for the seafood, mojitos and its namesake rum bar. $$$ SEAFOOD
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The Mad Hatter
6467 Sanibel Captiva Road, 472-0033. madhatterrestaurant.com. Whimsical beachfront fine dining. Arrive early for a glass of wine on the sand. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Mud Bugs Cajun Kitchen
1473 Periwinkle Way, 4722221. mudbugssanibel. com. From the ornate wrought iron balustrade to a menu chock full of Crescent City classics like beignets and po’ boys, everything at this charming spot is designed to harken the French Quarter. $$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Sweet Melissa’s Café 1625 Periwinkle Way, 4721956. sweetmelissascafe.
com. Chef Melissa Donahue-Talmage’s creative cuisine earned her the title of Sanibel's first semifinalist for a James Beard Award in 2019. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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T2
2340 Periwinkle Way, 5588919. t2traders.com. This retro-chic spot serves dishes like short rib flatbreads, curried snapper and bread pudding. $$$
Take A Break The Italian Way
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C AP TIVA ISL AND Keylime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn* 11509 Andy Rosse Lane, 395-4000. keylimebistrocaptiva.com. Colorful, with an island feel, and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full bar. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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The Mucky Duck 11546 Andy Rosse Lane, 472-3434. muckyduck.com. British pub atmosphere with seafood platters, beers and live music on the beach. $$$
BREAKFAST SANDWICHES AVAILABLE 8AM UNTIL 8PM
Featuring fresh bread daily, Inhouse, Delivery or Carry-out. Outdoor dining available
CASUAL
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Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar 11508 Andy Rosse Lane, 4726200. captivaislandinn.com. A step above the rest of the island’s beachy cafes, with selections such as paella and rack of lamb in a modern yet charming perch. $$$$ SEAFOOD
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EXPIRES: 01/31/2021
808 WIGGINS PASS RD UNIT 104 NAPLES, FL 34110 (239) 250-3310 WWW.BELLAMIAITALIANCAFE.COM
TASTE OF THE GULF
DINING GUIDE
the best of the Pacific Rim, through dishes like this misoyaki butterfish.
Fish Tale Grill By Merrick Seafood
C APE COR AL & PINE ISL AND Blu Agave
1404 Cape Coral Parkway E., 471-2075. bluagaverestaurant.com. Find tacos, enchiladas, margaritas and flan in this winsome place, decorated in shades of azul. $$ MEXICAN
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Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar 837 SE 47th Terrace, 5426622. corksoakers.net. A delightfully irreverent tone shows in decor and menu (“The Hangover sandwich” and curry-brined wings). $$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Fathoms Restaurant & Bar
5785 Cape Harbour Drive, 542-0123. fathomsrestau rant.com. A modern restaurant serving authentic international flavors. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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1229 SE 47th Terrace, 257-3167. fishtalegrill.com. Fresh fish from the adjacent market has earned descriptions like “the best I ever ate.” $$$$ SEAFOOD
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Gather
5971 Silver King Blvd., 673-9939. gathercape.com. This spot from two of the Cape’s most celebrated chefs is known for cutting-edge food and drink. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro/ Nauti Mermaid 5961 Silver King Blvd., 5415600. Enjoy views of an open bay and tasty entrees. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Nevermind
927 E. Cape Coral Parkway, 994-3062. nevermindcapecoral.com. A hip spot
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with seriously good comfort food, strong cocktails and a fun atmosphere.
$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Pinchers* Multiple locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. pinchersusa.com. Seafood from local fishermen in a casual and family-friendly setting. $$$ SEAFOOD
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Point 57 Kitchen & Cocktails
3522 Del Prado Blvd S, 471-7785. point-57.com. A critically acclaimed menu is the bedrock of this upscale-casual eatery that has emerged as one of Lee County’s best.
$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Rumrunners 5848 Cape Harbour Drive, 542-0200. rumrunnersrestaurant.com. On a picturesque mangrove-lined canal, this laidback, indoor-outdoor
spot offers dependable fare. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
opw Slate’s
4820 Candia St., 5406800. slatescapecoral. com. New Orleans is evoked in all dishes, from the traditional to the inventive—as well as in the lively jazz lounge. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Tarpon Lodge Restaurant* 13771 Waterfront Dr., Bokeelia, 283-3999. tarponlodge.com. Imaginatively crafted lunch and dinner in a 1920s fishing lodge overlooking Pine Island Sound. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN
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Texas Tony’s* 738 SW Pine Island Road, 347-7033. texastonys.com. Enjoy ribs, brisket and a large selection of beer at this eatery from the folks behind Pinchers. $$ BARBECUE
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Courtesy Roy’s Restaurant
Celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Roy’s Restaurant in Bonita Springs melds
SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT SECTION
WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN 353
M AT T H E W MOH L E R CHEF DE CUISINE
When did you know that you wanted to become a chef ? I grew up in a family of farmers and businesspeople in a small Indiana farming community, and we always used fresh ingredients off of our farm when we would cook. When I was 17, a family friend invited me to help prep in the local country club kitchen. That experience ignited a passion for food and ultimately led me to the Culinary Institute of America—which is like the “Harvard of the culinary community.” What’s one thing you love about your job? I love how chefs and winemakers put a little bit of themselves into their work when producing a product, whether it’s a beautiful plate or a gorgeous wine, depending on their own unique interpretations. I also have a passion for wine that led me to receive my certification as an International Sommelier Guild wine expert. Identifying flavors in food and wine is a skill and art. How do you stay inspired? I like to use the surroundings and seasons as inspiration. When I worked at the Goodstone Inn and Estates in Virginia, I took over the garden in order to tend and grow the herbs and produce for use in the restaurant.
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“My inspiration p rimarily comes from abroad to remain connected to the ever-changing food scene, but imagination is key.�
T H E S I LV E R K I N G O C E A N B R A S S E R I E 2200 Edwards Drive Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 314-3855 www.silverkingbrasserie.com
355
RYA N F R E DST ROM EXECUTIVE CHEF
Executive Chef Ryan Fredstrom uses his culinary talents to elevate Italian food every day in Angelina’s kitchen. What dish on Angelina’s current menu is a “must-try”? Our signature Shrimp Orecchiette is a dish that’s sure to delight any palate. A new favorite amongst the restaurant’s unmatched fine Italian entrée selections, the Shrimp Orecchiette marries fresh tastes of the Gulf shore with rich, classic Italian flavors. Vibrant and delicious, the Shrimp Orecchiette features fresh rock shrimp and house made orecchiette pasta in a basil pesto cream sauce finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and topped with toasted pine nuts. What do you enjoy most about being a chef ? The opportunity to honor the classic, fullbodied flavors associated with traditional Italian heritage and simultaneously develop innovative culinary concepts is incredible. Angelina’s is committed to integrating seasonal ingredients sourced directly from Italy, providing stunning and sometimes rare delicacies that I enjoy highlighting in new dishes and using to enhance the flavors of existing dishes as well.
“Angelina’s Shrimp Orecchiette combines a fresh, warm water delicacy with savor y Italian flavors to create a robust taste, p roudly showcasing our unmatched fine Italian.”
A N G E L I N A’ S R I S TO R A N T E 24041 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134 (239) 390-3187 AngelinasofBonitaSprings.com
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M EL ISSA A K I N EXECUTIVE CHEF
When did you know you wanted to be a chef ? Growing up in the business, I knew at a young age I wanted to be a chef. In high school I was able to work in different areas of hotels as part of my Hotel Management class. Once I started in the kitchen, I felt at home and I never looked back.
What local ingredients do you use? I feel very fortunate living in Florida and having the endless accessibility to locally grown products. I use locally grown lettuce and micro greens on a daily basis.
What’s your philosophy when it comes to food? Cook from the heart. Keep it simple but make it good.
Who has been the biggest influence in your career? My dedicated staff throughout my career have pushed me to become better as a leader and as a chef. There’s no greater accomplishment than creating that “family” at work. My father has
WHO’S IN bigHinfluence T H also E been K I TaC E N in my career.
What do you love most about your job? Knowing that I am connecting families and making memorable experiences through food.
What makes you an amazing chef ? I have an unbelievable passion for what I do, and I
“Happiness is in
work hard. I’ve been a great instructor and have created a team I am proud of.
cooking for others.” What accomplishments are you most proud of in your career? Working hard and beating the odds at making it as a woman chef.
C I E LO
1244 Periwinkle Way Sanibel Island, Florida (239) 472-5555 www.hogfishharrys.com
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“Proudly showcasing the blend of our ingredients, cultures, and traditions from Argentina and Peru”
M A R I A NO M A LDONA DO & ROCIO NAVA R R ETE CHEFS/OWNERS
Where do you get your inspiration from? It comes from a variety of outlets; family traditions, good quality food, experiments in the kitchen, and our desire to constantly create! El Gaucho Inca is a culmination of our dreams, culture, and our love for food. What makes your business so successful? My husband, Mariano, and I pride ourselves in pushing the boundaries of fusion cuisine. He comes from many generations of chefs with recipes that have been passed down to him that we still use today. Our diverse menu brings something for everyone to the table!
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What do people love the most about your food? Our patrons get the opportunity to experience an entirely new world of flavors. It’s like you’re being transported to the Peruvian coastline when you eat our Ceviche a seafood dish. Or as if you’re walking the streets of Buenos Aires whenever you drizzle our Parrillada with chimichurri sauce. What does the future of your restaurant look like? We are always looking for ways to expand! We will be opening a new bistro location on Estero near Coconut Point mall. We look forward to greeting all of our customers, both regular and new.
E L G A U C H O I N C A R E S TA U R A N T 4383 Colonial Blvd Ft. Myers, Fl 33966 (239) 275-7504 www.elgauchoinca.com
g ulf shorelife.com
“Our dining culture
R IC H A R BAUGH EXECUTIVE CHEF
carries the unwavering b elief that mindful eating can b e delicious, indulgent and fun.�
Where did you attend Culinary School? I attended New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, VT; I attained my AOS in Culinary and AOS in Baking and Pastry. After that, I attended CREA in Northern Virginia and received my Certification in HACCP and Sous Vide training. I am a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator through the American Culinary Federation. Where do you draw your inspiration? The great chefs around me deeply inspire chefs and me from my past; you think of Hartmut Handke, Peter Timmins, Robert Wong, and the future the young culinarians I can motivate and inspire myself. What is your dream piece of equipment? I believe I am so fortunate that our Club and Membership has provided us with all the tools. What do you do to stay educated about new trends? I research what we are doing in the Culinary industry, from small restaurants to large corporate hotels and resorts, plus staying engaged with Continuing Education opportunities. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career? I feel being invited on three occasions to cook at the James Beard House. What would your last supper be? Properly braised Veal Osso Bucco would be my choice.
G R E Y O A K S C O U N T R Y C LU B 2400 Grey Oaks Drive North, Naples, FL 34105 (239) 262-5550 www.greyoakscc.com
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H A ROL D B A L I N K CHEF/OWNER
What makes you an amazing chef ? I don’t think I am. That term implies so much and is so overused today. There are about 15 people I know that I call chef and I’m not one!
“I ’m meant to ser ve, it ’s more than hospitalit y, it ’s a way of life.”
Where do you draw inspiration from? Travel, I’m inquisitive. So, the more nook and cranny places I visit around the globe the more I learn and the faster the wheels turn. Do you have any vivid or memorable food experiences that impacted on you as a child or as a young chef ? I was on a dock in RI early in the morning as the boats were coming in. I remember seeing sea scallops for the first time. One of the fishermen opened one and offered me a bite. It was magical. How could something taste so perfectly sweet, salty, rich and wonderful all at the same time? Right out of the ocean! Who or what has been the biggest influence in your career? Both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks and I was always in their kitchens. What local ingredients/sources do you use? Our area has finally started catching up in the area of small farms. There is now a plethora of local growers with great stuff to choose from. Why did you choose or when did you know that you wanted to become a Chef ? I didn’t, it chose me. I had worked in restaurants since I was 13, got hurt playing college football, went back to the place I worked in high school and some local chefs who knew me sent me to visit the CIA and Johnson & Wales. The rest is history.
H A R O L D ’ S R E S TA U R A N T 15250 S. Tamiami Trail, Ste.107 Fort Myers, FL 33908 239-849-0622 www.haroldscuisine.com
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“I like to think outside the box and steer away from the normal and exp ected.”
C H R I S BE RU BE EXECUTIVE CHEF
What makes you an amazing chef ?
WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN What do you love about your job?
The ability to not see the finish line in learning. I like to think outside
The ability to create for sure. There is a certain feeling of satisfaction
the box and steer away from the normal and expected. I like to put
you get when you see 100 plus people all enjoying your food. It’s all a
ingredients in dishes that you “classically” wouldn’t see. I would say I
team effort and it makes it fun. I believe the old saying that “if you do
like to push boundaries and see what the outcome is.
what you love, you never have to work another day in your life”. There’s something about the rush that is actually quite soothing to be honest.
What would your alternate career be?
Almost like ballroom dancing, just at a higher pace. Lol!
Before I got into hospitality, I was actually in school for a degree in architectural design. When I was younger, my dad owned a swimming
When did you know you wanted to be a chef ?
pool company and I remember going into our office to doodle and draw
I actually worked in the Front of the House for the first three years I
pools. Then when I went to high school, I took architecture/drafting &
was in restaurants. From food runner, barback, server, and host after I
design and loved designing houses just for fun. All in all, being a chef and
broke my wrist in a skateboard accident. After I got my cast off, I started
architecture go hand and hand: you start with a foundation and build
splitting shifts between kitchen and serving. Then the first “very busy”
around it.
night in the kitchen and I knocked it out of the park. I fell in love with it!
HOGFISH HARRY’S 600 Neapolitan Way Naples, FL 34103 (239) 776-7623 www.hogfishharrys.com
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ST E V E N CON N E R EXECUTIVE CHEF
“My goal as I come
What makes you an amazing chef ? I am fortunate to have a diverse team of individuals who have come from all over the world. My team is a constant inspiration to expand our guests’ palates by using multicultural recipes and incorporating them into the menu here at BALEENnaples.
to work ever y day is to make mouths happy.”
What is your favorite oddball ingredient? I’m always open to cutting edge culinary experiments, and one ingredient that is a novel concept to our culture but has old roots in other regions of the world is tobacco leaves. I use this ingredient in marinades and dry rubs. The leaves give an oak-aged richness to the meat with subtle notes of leather and sweet mulled wine spices which allows for a bold and flavorful culinary experience. Where do you draw inspiration from? Having traveled extensively throughout my career allowed me the opportunity to meet some amazing Chefs and mentors from all over the world. Many of them taught me techniques that I still use today like braising meats with wine, and not overwhelming a dish with too many ingredients. What is your dream piece of cooking equipment? A high heat wood-burning oven is key. The scent of roasted meats, artisan bread, and pizza flood the restaurant when cooking in this oven, leaving guests with a sensory experience like no other.
L A P L AYA B E A C H A N D G O L F R E S O R T 9891 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL 34108 (239) 597-3123 www.laplayaresort.com
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RYA N K I DA EXECUTIVE CHEF
What makes you an amazing chef ? All the people that I was able to work under and learn from. I’ve had some great teachers in my life. You have to have the passion for it and be a creative person, cooking is an art form. It’s something that’s handed down. What is your quintessential dish? My Lasagna Bolognese. Where did you go to culinary school? I studied at the Culinary Institute of America, but left shortly after I got there. I spent the rest of my time on the job learning. Where do you draw inspiration from? My environment, music, and raising a family. What is your dream piece of cooking equipment? A brand new, shiny 6 burner stove with a convection oven underneath. Do you have any vivid or memorable food experiences that impacted on you as a child or as a young chef ? When my step-father’s uncle, Louis Chegut, came from Paris, France to upstate New York, he would make these huge French feasts on Sunday afternoons. He was the 3rd chef on the SS L’lle de France and from what I was told, he was a pretty big deal.
“Remain teachable, give 110%,
What do you most love about your job? The comradery of the team, the fresh ingredients, beautiful building, and the ability to create.
and love!”
MUDBUGS
1473 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957 (239) 472-2221 www.mudbugssanibel.com
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DA N I E L F R I E R EXECUTIVE CHEF
What makes you an amazing chef ? I believe that after 25 years in the restaurant business, aside from being able to cook very well which is important, leadership is the best way that a chef is going to achieve success in this in this industry. Where did you go to culinary school? Art Institute of Atlanta What is your favorite menu item at the Veranda? The Filet Mignon at the Veranda is my favorite item on our menu because it is the best cut of meat with the most marbling and the most flavor. What do you love most about your job? I just love cooking. It’s very, very rewarding. Being able to see our guests have great experiences with us is the reward. It’s been extremely rewarding to know that people care about food. Why did you choose or when did you know that you wanted to become a chef ? I found the restaurant industry to be very exciting. My excitement led to success - all across the board – whether it was cooking or leading a team in the kitchen.
“Making a great, simple plate is something that a lot of chefs get confused and overwhelmed on. Simple, ver y light sauces and great tasting food is the key to success.”
T H E V E R DA N A
2122 Second Street (at Broadway) Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 332-2065 www.verandarestaurant.com
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“ Exp erience the
“ Chef quote here Riat aut
Qualit y and Savor
as dolore, cum atur. Qui
CORPORATE CHEF
the Flavor in
aceptatum voluptatur,
What makes you an amazing chef ?
Ever y Bite”
delibus accus sitiur sinvenis knowing humility. Being able to stay humble, and keep
C O RY L AC H One of the most important parts of being a great chef is your staff and kitchen as positive as possible. You are
ea nonsequos apid ullame” able to taste the energy... whether good, or bad. Where do you draw inspiration from? I draw my inspiration from absolutely every person, place, and thing I come into contact with. My grandmother taught me at a young age, that not everything makes sense at first... and to keep myself open to all different styles, flavors, and techniques.
CHARRED BISTRO 25301 S Tamiami Trail Bonita Springs, FL. 34135 (239) 390-0301 www.charredbistro.com
“Having my own team,
A L E X JOH NSON
making p eople happy
CHEF PARTNER
with b eautiful dishes
Where do you draw inspiration from? When I was in London cooking with my family, I discovered
has b een the pinnacle
that I enjoyed creating dishes inspired by different cultures. So, when I am at home cooking, inspiration comes from what
of what I trained for.”
ingredients I can play with in the kitchen.
Who is an inspiration as a chef ? I would have to say the several Chef Partners that preceded me here at Roy’s. Each one taught me something different and helped me learn and grow as a chef and a business person.
What’s your favorite part of the job? The best part is that I get to do what I love every day. I like helping my team grow and learn new skills. I appreciate the praise and loyalty of my customers. I take pride in what our Roy’s contributes to our community and to our company.
R OY ’ S B O N I TA S P R I N G S 26831 South Bay Drive, # 100 Bonita Springs, FL 34134 (239) 498-7697 www.roysrestaurant.com
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Naples Botanical Garden wishes to thank the Sustaining Leadership Council and all participants for their support of this virtual nod to a longstanding tradition, Hats in the Garden. Your support has provided complimentary Garden access for those who truly need it the most. The resilience of the Naples community, first responders, and essential workers is truly something to celebrate! We hope all will find solace and respite at Naples Botanical Garden. THE SUSTAINING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL PLATINUM Jane Purdy Berger Mary Ann E. Bindley Joanne Brown Eleanor B. Chabraja Joan E. Clifford Parker J. Collier Grace B. Evenstad
Donna S. Hall Nancy H. Hamill Barbara J. Hills Jerrilyn M. Hoffmann Kathleen Kapnick Ann Khan Linda Koehn
Jody B. Lippes Joan T. Loos Gloria P. Messey Donna D. Nelson Patrice Schoonmaker Karen M. Scott Lynne Shotwell
Jeannie M. Smith Mary S. Smith Vicky C. Smith Jenny Wren Sutton Carol A. Walter Shirley Z. Welsh Christine G. Williamson Kathryn E. Woods
GOLD Cortney L. Beebe Carol Dinardo Geren W. Fauth Leslie K. S. Fogg
Amy M. Heuerman Melissa G. Keiswetter Paula J. Malone Barbara L. Morrison
Katherine R. Pallas Kathleen Rooney Wynnell Schrenk Shelly Stayer
Susan C. Stielow Connie Vandenberg Linda G. White
Hats Off
To the Following Sponsors & Underwriters for their Generous Support Media Sponsor
Supported by:
City Mattress | Edwards Asset Management | Fiddler Films | Guita M. Fine Jewels The Hoffmann Family of Companies | Amy Moglia Heuerman | Kaleidoscope Floral | Luminaire Foto Marissa Collections | Naples Transportation & Tours | Philip Douglas Salon | PranaSleep Beth Preddy | Premier Sotheby’s International Realty | Sea Salt
naplesgarden.org 3 67
HEART FOR EDUCATION Virtual Gala Wednesday, February 3, 2021 TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT WWW.STANN.NET/GALA
Presenting Sponsor
Media Sponsors
The Ferrao Foundation
Summa Cum Laude
Magna Cum Laude
Cum Laude
Dolphin Pride
Cheryl and Randy Byrnes Shirley and James Curvey John M. and Susan M. Morrison Fund Ruth and Jim Otterbeck Saint Agnes Catholic Church Saint Ann Catholic Church Saint William Catholic Church
Denise and Brian Cobb Christine and Terry Flynn Susie McCurry Kevin and Virginia Ruesterholz Mrs. John C. Wasmer, Jr.
Shera and Casey Askar The Fata Family Patrick J. Longe McShea Contracting Naples Global Advisors, LLC. San Marco Catholic Church Zarina and Alex Urrea
Bear's Paw Country Club D. Brown General Contracting The Gonzalez Family Marco Office Supply Massey Construction Group Megan and Marc Miller
Saint Ann School Foundation 475 Ninth Avenue South | Naples, Florida 34102 | 239.262.4110
NO _ 5 0 3
01_ 2 0 21
AGENDA
The Bonita Springs National Art Festival Courtesy Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs; Ensan III by Reza Pishgahi
on Jan. 9-10 features internationally-acclaimed artists, such as sculptor Reza Pishgahi (whose work is pictured here), at Riverside Park.
ARTS + LEISURE
AGENDA As we make our measured return to normalcy, some venues are opening up with thoughtful safety practices, while others are turning to new and inventive ways to bring the community together. Here are 12 of the most engaging events you don’t want to miss this month. As conditions are constantly changing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend you contact the organizations for the latest information.
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Above: Magda Trocme, who sheltered victims from Nazis, is one of the brave women featured in the Girl Power Heroines of the Holocaust exhibit. Left: The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery’s Christo and Jeanne-Claude show looks at the late couple’s larger-than-life installations, such as Surrounded Islands in Biscayne Bay.
Jan. 4-31
radio operators, resistance
Courtesy: Bob Rauschenberg Gallery; Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center
fighters, social workers and Cape Coral Art & Music
more during World War II in
Festival
this honorary exhibit at the
Despite the Cape’s decision
recently renovated Holocaust
to hold off on in-person
Museum & Cohen Education
events, the 35th annual Cape
Center. hmcec.org
Coral Arts & Music Festival presses on with a new
Jan. 6 through April 3
online format. The switch to virtual means more vendors,
CHRISTO & JEANNE-
extended shopping time and
CLAUDE: The Tom Golden
opportunities to interact on-
Collection
line with the artists—all from
Keeping in tune with the
the comfort of your home.
Bob Rauschenberg Gallery’s
capecoralfestival.com
dedication to show forwardthinking artists, this retro-
Jan. 5 through May 25
spective covers the work of the husband-wife duo behind
Girl Power Heroines of the
installations such as Miami’s
Holocaust
Surrounded Islands and
Commemorate the women
California’s Running Fence, in
who served as undercover
which the pair installed more
TA S T E
371
ARTS + LEISURE
AGENDA
than 2 million square feet
Jan. 9-10
hills of Sonoma and Marin
Bonita Springs National
counties in the ‘70s. The trav-
Art Festival
elling collection includes the
More than 200 artists from
couple’s paintings, sculptures
around the country exhibit
and a section of the white
at this Riverside Park event,
cloth used in Running Fence.
which benefits The Centers
rauschenberggallery.com
for the Arts Bonita Springs. The outdoor show returns
Left: Pittsburgh-born Edward Loedding (whose floral
Feb. 6-7 and March 6-7.
piece Althea is pictured) exhibits along with more than
artcenterbonita.org
200 other juried international artists at the Bonita Springs National Art Festival.
Caption goes here
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Courtesy Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs/ Edward Loedding
of woven fabric through the
THEATREZONE ’S Sponsored by
Sho ws
BRAVO BROADWAY!21 January 7 – 17, 20 AT THE MOVIES 21 February 4-14, 20 THOSE WERE THE DAYS March 4-14, 2021 H THE BEST OF BACHARAC April 15-25, 2021
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January 7-17, 2021
most Featuring Broadway’s s, woven memorable show tune ur favorite together by some of yo s as they TheatreZone performer many styles take you through the incredible, making up Broadway’s enduring history.
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ARTS + LEISURE
AGENDA Jan. 11
Jan. 14
Gentle’men Against
The Latin Divos at Mercato
Domestic Violence 10th
Naples
Anniversary Men’s Tailgate
A new act to work with
Event
Gulfshore Opera, the
After bringing in nearly
Miami-based, pop-opera
$250,000 during last year’s
trio The Latin Divos return
event, the men who lead this
to Naples with this show at
benefit for the Shelter for
Mercato. Patrons can expect
Abused Women & Children
a mix of opera classics and
look to raise the ante for the
pop hits with Latin flair.
event’s 10th year with golf
mercatoshops.com
games and dinner on the greens. naplesshelter.org
S AV E T H E DA T E NAPLES CHILDREN & EDUCATION FOUNDATION’S NAPLES WINTER WINE FESTIVAL
CARS ON 5 TH
GULFSHORE PLAYHOUSE’S BUBBLES, BAUBLES & BROADWAY GALA
JANUARY 30, 2 0 2 1 VIRTUAL
F E B R UA RY 0 6 , 2 0 2 1 P H YS I C A L
F E B R UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 2 1 P H YS I C A L
The 2021 Naples Winter Wine Festival “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” will be a community-wide event highlighted by the first-ever televised fundraiser on WINK TV featuring inspirational success stories, personal stories from parents and beneficiaries, reflections from NCEF Trustees and the measurable impact of NCEF. Viewers also will be moti-
The 17th annual Cars on 5th Concourse show will be held on February 6, 2021 on 5th Avenue South in Naples and is organized by the Naples Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America. As the largest annual one-day event in Naples, Cars on 5th Concourse will feature more than 650 cars including more than 150 Ferraris and other exotic, vintage
Gulfshore Playhouse, with gala chairs Susan Regenstein and Barry Frank, present The Bubbles, Baubles and Broadway Loverly Gala. Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, 5:30pm at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. This physically distanced affair is an evening of Edwardian extravagance inspired by the beloved musical My Fair Lady. There will be horse races, live horses and
vated to make pledges online to help fill critical voids in children’s social services. In addition, the popular online auction will be open from January 22nd through February 2nd on nwwfonlineauction.com.
muscle cars and more this year. All proceeds directly benefit St. Matthew’s House. For more information, visit carsonfifth.com.
a show-stopping performance from the stars of the theatre’s 2016 production. Limited seating, for safety procedures visit gulfshoreplayhouse.org/event/gala2021/.
Courtesy Charlie McDonald; The Latin Divos
Left: The Gentle’men Against Domestic Violence reconvene on Jan. 11 in support of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children. Above: The Miami-based Latin Divos perform at Mercato on Jan 14.
Benefitting
ARTS + LEISURE
Jan. 18
Jan. 20
Jan. 21-31
The Time is Now MLK Day
All That Jazz: Naples Phil-
Outdoor One-Acts with
Dinner Event
harmonic Jazz Orchestra
Theatre Conspiracy
The Greater Naples AAUW
with special guest Billy
Reserve a spot on the lawn
Charitable Foundation shifts
Harper
at Fort Myers’ Alliance for
focus from women’s em-
A modern jazz artist, Harper
the Arts to watch two short
powerment to racial injustice
is touted as one of the first
plays that deliver a good
issues in this thought-
saxophonists to truly build
dose of comedy: The Still
provoking discussion with
on the influential John Col-
Alarm by George S. Kaufman
civil rights leader and
trane’s sounds. Now, he joins
and A Marriage Proposal by
advocate Dr. Micah W. Kubic
Artis—Naples’ star orchestra
Anton Chekhov. artinlee.org
from the American Civil
for this show at Hayes Hall.
Liberties Union Federation.
artisnaples.org
Courtesy Artis—Naples
AGENDA
greaternaples-fl.aauw.net
Thanks to everyone for supporting the 12th Annual
Naples International Film Festival
See you next year— October 21-24, 2021
Artwork © Chihuly Studio
Left: Saxophonist Billy Harper performs at Artis—Naples on Jan. 20.
Get connected to the arts! Online • Onsite • Outdoors - at the Alliance for the Arts! Enjoy interactive art classes and events from the comfort of your home with our online offerings or get creative and inspired onsite with gallery exhibits, a weekly farmer's market, outdoor theatre, classes and more!
• ArtInLee.org • 239-939-2787 • 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers •
ARTS + LEISURE
AGENDA Jan. 21
Courtesy Empty Bowls Naples/Drew Attanasio; The Naples Zoo
Wild Culture at Naples Zoo Stop by for an afternoon of alfresco performances that run the gamut from Shakespeare to Simba and, of course, animal encounters aplenty during this collaborative event between The Naples Players and Naples Zoo. naplesplayers.org
T H E N A P L E S P L AY E R S P R E S E N T
FEB 25 - MAR 07 I N
B A K E R
P A R K
USE CODE:
READERS GET TICKETS FOR ONLY $20!
GSL20
SPONSORED BY:
FOR TICKETS: NAPLESPLAYERS.ORG | 239.263.7990 378
GULFSHORE LIFE
g ulf shorelife.com
Above: Gators, lemurs and Florida panthers—oh my! The Naples Players takes its theater skills to The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens for a one-of-a-kind, wild event. Left: The Empty Bowls event in Naples is a fundraiser to help feed thousands of people in Southwest Florida.
ARTS + LEISURE
AGENDA
As part of Gulfshore Opera’s new residence at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, the troupe performs the classic, Courtesy Gulfshore Opera
four-act La Bohème on the big stage.
M AT T D E V I T T M E T E O R O LO G I ST
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Jan. 23
Jan. 24
15th Annual Empty Bowls
Gulfshore Opera’s La
This longtime Naples event
Bohème
perfectly melds art and
The cast embodies the
philanthropy. Come out to
Parisian bohemians from Puc-
shop handcrafted bowls from
cini's great four-act opera at
local artists or participate
Barbara B. Mann Performing
in the silent auction to help
Arts Hall. The show marks
provide meals for more than
the beginning of the opera’s
100,000 people throughout
new partnership with the hall,
Lee and Collier counties.
where they will hold all of
emptybowlsnaples.com
their large-scale productions. gulfshoreopera.org
Check out our special section in the May issue for a list of 2021 Five Star Professional award winning real estate agents, mortgage professionals and home insurance professionals! Tell us about your home professional today — they could win the Five Star award! Go to www.fivestarprofessional.com/homesurvey or call 651-259-1865. TA S T E
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PARTING SHOT
I SSU E Januar y 2010
ED I T O R Da vid Sendler
S T O RY Welcoming the Celebrit y Chefs
LE BON GOÛ T The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) draws some of the world’s top culinary talent, like Michelin-starred chef Jan. 30 and an online auction Jan. 22 to Feb. 2. Join the wine-soaked celebration and meet the kids who benefit from the Naples Children & Education Foundation in our Salut! publication, which follows in this issue.
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GL Archives
Daniel Boulud who headlined the 2010 festival. This year, NWWF goes virtual with a televised event on WINK-TV
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The perfect work life balance Imagine if your morning commute looked like this one. Where each and every day is filled with brilliant sunshine and glorious sunsets. If you can work from anywhere, why shouldn’t it be here? End your days the same way you start them. At home. Loving your life at Kalea Bay. Prices from $1.5 million | 13910 Old Coast Road, Naples, FL 34110 | KaleaBay.com | 239-793-0110 Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to this brochure and to the documents required by chapter 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee.