VIE Magazine April 2023

EAT

EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION

CELEBRATES 20 YEARS & EJ LAGASSE JOINS the RESTAURANT EMPIRE

BY AUTHOR

LORIA STERN

PHOTO BY ED GUTENTAG

Heritage Dunes, Seagrove Beach, Florida

lazy beach days. summer sunsets. vacation vibes.

The perfect treat for spring! Fresh off a successful episode of ABC’s Shark Tank, baker Loria Stern is taking her company, Eat Your Flowers, to the next level and releasing a cookbook this year! Stern’s delicious shortbread cookies, cakes, and tarts are uniquely beautiful as she bakes fresh wildflowers and other seasonal flora into them for a look and taste you’ve never experienced before. Order yours today, and learn more in our feature story on page 24.

FEATURE

HANDCRAFTED SEASONAL COCKTAILS ARE NEVER IN SHORT SUPPLY AT FARM & FIRE, CHEF JIM SHIRLEY’S GLOBAL-INSPIRED RESTAURANT ON THE BAY IN SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA. LOCAL SPIRITS, CRAFT BEER, AND WINE COMPLEMENT SUSHI, GULF SEAFOOD, UNFORGETTABLE APPS, AND MORE.

88 A Spring Picnic: Recipes to Enjoy Together

Vie is a French word meaning “life” or “way of living.” VIE magazine sets itself apart as a high-gloss publication that focuses on human-interest stories with heart and soul. From Seattle to NYC with a concentration in the Southeast, VIE is known for its unique editorial approach—a broad spectrum of deep content with rich photography. The award-winning magazine was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Lisa and Gerald Burwell, owners of the specialty publishing and branding house known as The Idea Boutique®. From the finest artistically bound books to paperless digital publication and distribution, The Idea Boutique provides comprehensive publishing services to authors and organizations. Its team of creative professionals delivers a complete publishing experience—all that’s needed is your vision.

24 Flour Power: A Botanical Baker’s Dozen

BON APPÉTIT! 23

32 Italia Meets Alabama: An Authentic Experience with Coastal Flair

38 Love of Food, Love of Country

42 Coffee, Cocktails, and Community: A Place “For the People”

46 Eating the Rainbow

51 Petite pause: By the Fire

52 A Twenty-Year Legacy: Celebrating with Emeril Lagasse Foundation

58 International Flair with Local Flavor

63 L’intermission: Whimsical Floral Paradise

64 COOK by VIE: Whipping Up a New Luxury Coffee-Table Book

68 Let’s Do Brunch! The Best Meal of the Week on 30-A

C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION 74

LA MAISON 81

82 A Life Styled: Creating Monumental Moments

92 The Pop-Up Is the New Picnic: Intimate Gatherings in Public Spaces

97 Petite pause: Pretty in Pink VOYAGER

98 Two Chefs Are Better Than One

102 Intriguing Istanbul: Ancient Wonders and Modern Delights

107 L’intermission: Purely Delectable

108 Seashells by the Seashore: Culinary Gems Abound

LE MONDE 113

114 The Supper Club Is Back

118 Shaken, Not Stirred: The Rich History of Dry Vermouth

123 Petite pause: Sip and Sizzle

124 America’s Classics

LA SCÈNE 132

THE LAST WORD 137

AU REVOIR!

Photo by Arna Behar, courtesy of Eat Your Flowers

Photo by Chryseis Golden

CREATIVE TEAM

CEO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LISA MARIE BURWELL

Lisa@VIEmagazine.com

FOUNDER / PUBLISHER

GERALD BURWELL

Gerald@VIEmagazine.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR

JORDAN STAGGS

Jordan@VIEmagazine.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

EMME MARTIN Emme@VIEmagazine.com

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

MARGARET STEVENSON

COPY EDITOR

WENDY ANDERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SARAH COBACHO, ANTHEA GERRIE, TARA LANICH-LABRIE, MYLES MELLOR, CAROLYN O’NEIL, SOPHIA RICHARDS, SUZANNE POLLAK, COLLEEN SACHS, CIARRA SILLER, NISHA VORA

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

TRACEY THOMAS

Tracey@VIEmagazine.com

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

SALLY NEAL

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

HANNAH VERMILLION

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

BRANDON BARRE, ARNA BEHAR, MICHAEL BOOINI, SARA ESSEX BRADLEY, HUNTER BURGTORF, NIKI CRAM, KATIE DESANTIS, LAURIE FRANKEL, JACK GARDNER, CHRYSEIS GOLDEN, ED GUTENTAG, JEFF LANDRETH, LINDY LIN, CARLO PIERONI, ROMONA ROBBINS, LORIA STERN, GABY YERDEN, DAVISTA PHOTOGRAPHY, EPIC PHOTO CO., MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY, MOON CREEK STUDIOS, SHUTTERSTOCK, UNSPLASH

ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

KELLY CURRY

Kelly@VIEmagazine.com

MARKETING COORDINATORS

ADDIE STRICKLAND

HAILEY BETHKE

BRAND AMBASSADORS

LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com

ALEX CURRY Alex@VIEmagazine.com

MARTA RATA Marta@VIEmagazine.com

AD MANAGER

ADDIE STRICKLAND

Addie@VIEmagazine.com

CAST Your BREAD UPON the WATERS

A CELEBRATION of CULINARY LEGENDS

It was 2008, and VIE was in its first year, beginning to make its mark on the world; and so the journey began. Meeting wonderful people along the way and hearing their stories and dreams have been one of the most meaningful parts of publishing for us. For example, we met Sister Schubert Barnes of Sister Schubert Homemade Rolls fame back then. She loved the magazine so much that she asked us if we could publish a coffee-table book for her to raise money for her Ukrainian orphanage called Sasha’s Home. VIE also sponsored a fundraiser we called Change the World at Caliza Pool in Alys Beach, Florida, shortly after the stock market crash, to benefit Sasha’s Home. We raised $130,000, which was miraculous given the mood and economic climate.

We were thrilled to publish Sister’s book, which we titled Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters: Recipes for Success, Cooking, and Living. This launched the book publishing arm of our marketing company, Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Inc. – The Idea Boutique. The name Sister Schubert is synonymous with mouthwatering homemade frozen dinner and cinnamon rolls that you can pop in your oven and look like a hero around the dinner table; they are often devoured well before the meal is done. This Kappa Delta Southern belle hailing from Andalusia, Alabama, is the real deal. She is a generous and charismatic force of nature who started making rolls in her kitchen for church bake sales and turned that enterprise into a company worthy of frozen-food giant Marzetti, who purchased it for over $40 million, retaining Sister Schubert as the face of the brand.

We then embarked on a book tour we crafted for Sister Schubert, where she gave humorous and inspiring speeches to women’s groups from Fairhope, Alabama, to Georgia. We even attended the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, where we met legendary culinary greats, including Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, and Bobby Flay, to name a few. Sister sold all the books in a year, and the proceeds benefited Sasha’s Home.

This was a wild experience for our team, and as we fast forward fifteen years, we have published seven books. Our next luxury coffee-table book—get a sneak peek in this issue’s article “COOK by VIE”—debuts this spring. COOK will celebrate our culture and lifestyle on the Gulf Coast by recognizing and extolling the amazing food scene here. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and his son, EJ, anchor the book as they live

here and operate Emeril’s Coastal in Grand Boulevard Town Center. To learn more about this dynamic duo, read Colleen Sachs’s article, “A Twenty-Year Legacy: Celebrating with Emeril Lagasse Foundation,” in this issue.

We are also publishing The Seaside Style® coffee-table book, the untold story of cofounder and visionary of the town of Seaside, Daryl Rose Davis. She is an integral part of the widely successful story of a town forty years in the making and a retail legacy that birthed its own lifestyle. Lastly, this spring we are publishing a romantic thriller called Janie Blue, a debut novel by Suzy Accola. Don’t miss the excitement and intrigue of this scintillating tale that takes place between Seattle and Las Vegas.

The experience of people entrusting their stories and hearts to us is not taken lightly, as we have a love and passion for all that they do, and we honor all who we serve when storytelling for them. The magazine publishing industry moves at a fast pace; when I pause and spend a few moments recounting our journey from the beginning, I stand in awe of what we have accomplished by the grace of God. It is not an easy business to be in—and amid all that, we recently learned that VIE was voted one of the Top 50 Luxury Media in the World by the Luxury Lifestyle Awards. To say we are honored would be an understatement!

It’s a great time to be alive and to celebrate good food with family and friends, as we have so much to be thankful for.

To Life and Cheers!

Lisa Marie Burwell CEO/Editor-in-Chief

VIE CEO/editor-in-chief and VIE Speaks podcast host, Lisa Marie Burwell

Photo by Romona Robbins

We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.

Private Chef and Lifestyle Expert @cc.boone

This is such a hard question! I love all mealtimes. It just depends on the day of the week and who I am with. Generally, my favorite meal is breakfast. For the most part, I eat breakfast alone, and I typically like to find a spot outside in the sunshine to enjoy it. I do my best to use this time to get in touch with my thoughts and plan for my day ahead. My most nostalgic thing to eat at breakfast is a bowl of grits with scrambled eggs and bacon—all mixed up like my grandaddy makes it!

MAKING SOMETHING INDULGENT AFTER DINNER IS A MUST IN MY HOUSE! I BELIEVE BAKING AND ENJOYING SWEETS CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO CONNECT TO YOUR INNER CHILD.

My favorite meal has got to be dinner! I generally eat small meals throughout the day so that I can eat a large dinner.

My favorite meal of the day is dinner. With my work schedule and the constant recipe testing happening in my kitchen, I often merge breakfast and lunch into one meal and graze/taste test in the afternoon, so dinner is the one meal where I truly sit down, press pause on everything else, and enjoy something more special with my partner.

SOPHIA RICHARDS

As difficult as it is to choose, I would have to go with dessert because of my sweet tooth! I love making healthier versions of my childhood favorites, including homemade brownies, cookies, and creamy milkshakes. I have learned how to make all my sweet treats with 100-percent whole-food ingredients, so they are full of healing superfoods. Some of my favorite substitutions include using maple syrup instead of refined sugar, flax seeds instead of eggs, and plant-based milk instead of dairy. Making something indulgent after dinner is a must in my house! I believe baking and enjoying sweets can be a beautiful way to connect to your inner child. My favorite thing to make right now is chocolate soft-serve ice cream made with frozen bananas. If I feel creative, I’ll pair it with freshly baked oat-flour chocolate chip cookies!

CAROLINE BOONE

LORIA STERN

Culinary Artist, Chef, and Baker @loriastern

NISHA VORA

Food Blogger, Photographer, Stylist @rainbowplantlife

Wellness Blogger @sophiavictoriavegan

IN THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL OF THE DAY?

MY MOST NOSTALGIC THING TO EAT AT BREAKFAST IS A BOWL OF GRITS WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS AND BACON—ALL MIXED UP LIKE MY GRANDADDY MAKES IT!

Spring Forward

We love connecting with our readers and seeing what’s happening in the community. Don’t forget to share, post, and tag VIE in all your exciting conversations and experiences! We enjoy nothing more than hearing your stories and sharing them with our audience. Thank you, and happy reading!

@viespeaks Uplift Others Daily | Plan on uplifting at least three people every day. Choose deliberate action for your mind, body, and overall wellness. Words to live by from Dr. Bart’s latest article, “Biohacking Made Simple,” featured in VIE’s January 2023 issue. For more from Dr. Bart, catch his episode of VIE Speaks, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

@nashgowns @malloryervin loves Nash Gowns! Mallory wore our Lydia dress on the March 2023 cover of @viemagazine and our Everly dress on the cover of her new book. If you’re interested in renting either of these dresses, DM us today!

@kdb17 Working on plans for this year’s VIE x DG Artist Awards Pre-Party today . . . Always such a fun event with @dgalysbeach! Get your tickets now at DigitalGraffiti.com.

@sowalhouse We’re so honored to be included in this month’s Change Makers issue of @viemagazine! Phenomenal work by @jordanlstaggs to capture the heart and soul of SOWAL House in this article.

@sgunnphotography Eastern Lake shining in the afternoon sun! Hoping more folks will explore infrared photography. I’ve been shooting infrared for years now. It’s so fascinating, not to mention gorgeous results, if you put the work in. This image was captured on my @canon gear, converted by @kolarivision. Check it out— it’s an unseen world that’s been there along!

@fonville.press Not only did Fonville Press serve as the location for @malloryervin’s March 2023 cover shoot for @viemagazine, but you can also find owners Jeremy and Angela Walton in the issue, which is dedicated to change makers. Read at VIEmagazine.com.

LET’S TALK!

Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by emailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation!

VIEmagazine.com

Bon appétit!

THE ESSENCE OF

The most happening brunch spot in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood serves Latin American cuisine, craft cocktails, and much more from morning to night. Named after the general stores in South America, La Pulperia offers “simple yet refined” Latin fare with influences from Italy and Spain. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, plus the backroom bar where La Pulperia’s famous all-inclusive drag brunch brings the party to patrons each Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy Happy Hour Sunday through Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., or book your next party or private event with executive chef Miguel Molina and his team for a memorable affair!

LIFE

Lobster taquitos with caramelized pineapple, cilantro, avocado mousse, and spicy mayonnaise at La Pulperia NYC. Visit LaPulperiaNYC.com or follow them on Instagram @lapulperianyc to learn more or make a reservation.

Photo courtesy of La Pulperia NYC

Loria Stern (opposite) is the founder and lead chef at Eat Your Flowers. The sustainability-focused bakery’s edible flowertopped shortbread cookies, cakes, pies, and tarts have amassed a wide following since Stern started experimenting and sharing her creations on social media.

Opposite:

Photo by Lindy Lin

Power Flour

A BOTANICAL BAKER’S DOZEN

By HAILEY BETHKE

Photography courtesy of EAT YOUR FLOWERS

Let’s be honest: we all love flowers. Whether they’re in the form of a celebratory bouquet or a hike through lush wildflower fields, the presence of petals makes it impossible not to feel a little more cheerful.

C

ulinary connoisseur Loria Stern has developed a fresh perspective on what to do with her blooms. Her company name, Eat Your Flowers, not-so-subtly hints at her forward-thinking take on harvesting nature’s bounty to use in the kitchen rather than put on display.

At Eat Your Flowers, edible pressed flowers adorn mouthwatering shortbread cookies, tarts, pies, and cakes, utilizing the natural medicinal benefits of plants to create baked goods that make a statement. These botanical beauties have taken the internet by

storm, raising a community of more than 230,000 on Instagram and gracing the pages of major luxury publications. Most recently, Stern ventured onto ABC’s Shark Tank, where she landed a deal with investor Barbara Corcoran.

At her core, Stern describes herself as a nature lover, optimist, and artistic athlete. “I know, that last one seems like a random combination,” she jokes. “I grew up in Ojai, California, where I spent a lot of time outside learning about the value of the natural world. My mom was artistic, and my dad was athletic, so they raised me to be a bit of both.” A childhood of art classes and playing tennis at a Division I college meant it wasn’t until years later that Stern ventured into the culinary industry. “I immediately fell in love with feeding people and working with my hands,” she shares. “I couldn’t afford to go to culinary school, so I convinced my favorite food establishments to take a chance on me by giving me a job in the kitchen instead.”

Above and right: The shortbread cookies with various colorful blossoms baked into them are the most popular item from Eat Your Flowers and come in seasonal flavors.

STARTING A BAKERY BUSINESS WAS NEVER MY GOAL, BUT LOOKING BACK, IT’S BEEN SUCH AN incredible AND miraculous JOURNEY, FILLED WITH BOTH luck AND preparation.

After landing a highly coveted pastry chef position at a renowned hotel, Stern enrolled in a higher-education course in Santa Barbara and learned about foraging edible and medicinal plants. “Many of these plants were used by the earliest inhabitants of our land. It broadened my creative inspiration to incorporate plants with the pastry techniques I was learning,” she explains. After she casually posted some of these kitchen experiments on Instagram, her flower-pressed shortbread cookies quickly became a viral sensation. Dozens of purchase inquiries led to her opening an online storefront to fulfill orders—which haven’t stopped rolling in since. Now supported by a small team of powerhouse bakers, Stern operates out of a kitchen in East Los Angeles and ships her products nationwide. “Starting a bakery business was never my goal, but looking back, it’s been such an incredible and miraculous journey, filled with both luck and preparation,” she emphasizes.

During her time as a private chef, Stern recognized the staggering amounts of food waste generated by the restaurant and catering industries. She promised herself that she would reduce waste and conserve water whenever possible, making sustainability a cornerstone of her business. Stern honors this commitment

Left: Loria Stern recently made a deal with investor Barbara Corcoran on an episode of ABC’s Shark Tank

Far left: These floral spring rolls are a fun addition to any spring or summer meal. Check out the recipe when you read this story on VIEmagazine.com or pick up a copy of the Eat Your Flowers cookbook, coming April 25!

Below: Colorful focaccia bread from the Eat Your Flowers cookbook

Photo by Laurie Frankel from Eat Your Flowers ©2023 Loria Stern; Published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

by harvesting the flowers from her organic garden in Montecito, California, or sourcing them from local growers. “I tend to favor volunteer flowers and plants: those that I don’t intentionally plant but just sprout up because a seed landed in my yard and yielded gorgeous blooms,” she comments. “Some of my current favorites are sunflowers, California poppies, dandelions, and milkweed.” These favored flowers are often found adorning her bakes alongside a variety of other colorful blossoms.

Stern’s unique take on merging botanicals and baking inspired her to write her premiere cookbook, Eat Your Flowers, coming April 25, 2023. “This project has been five years in the making, and I’m so thrilled with how it turned out,” she expresses. “My goal with the book is to inspire home cooks to become more creative and provide them with new staple items that are always on rotation in their kitchen.” Eat Your Flowers features breakfast bakes, soups, salads, staple dips and dressings, delicious main courses, and Stern’s signature desserts. The book also contains guides on edible flowers, natural pigments, and flavor profiles to introduce foraging and botanicals for the modern chef.

Read this story online at VIEmagazine.com for two of Stern’s go-to recipes from the pages of her debut cookbook: her best-selling Flower Pressed shortbread cookies and floral spring rolls with miso-almond dipping sauce!

MY GOAL WITH THE BOOK IS TO inspire HOME COOKS TO BECOME MORE creative AND PROVIDE THEM WITH NEW staple items

THAT ARE ALWAYS ON ROTATION IN THEIR KITCHEN.

Above: Purple potato coins with fresh toppings from the Eat Your Flowers cookbook

Photo by Laurie Frankel from Eat Your Flowers© 2023 Loria Stern; Published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Right: Creatively delicious Flower Pressed cake and shortbread cookies by Eat Your Flowers

Photo by Lisa Marie Burwell

Sophisticated Urban Escape

Discover the epitome of sophistication and luxury at The Wallace Lounge, a chic new destination in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Indulge in exceptional flavors of fine caviars, decadent charcuterie boards, champagne by the glass, and masterfully crafted cocktails, all in an environment of unparalleled elegance. Elevating the experience, evenings at The Wallace Lounge feature live piano performances by New York’s most talented musicians. Every detail has been carefully curated to transport you to a world of romance, action, and glamour.

Enjoy the spotlight at The Wallace Lounge, where sophistication and style are always on the menu.Visit TheWallace.com to learn more.

Photo courtesy of The Wallace Lounge

The Seaside story that hasn’t been told . . . from the perspective of cofounder/visionary Daryl Rose Davis.

An AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE with COASTAL FLAIR

and culture of hospitality—the community created by serving customers and being part of a team.”

He quickly rose through the kitchen ranks, becoming executive chef of the award-winning Lala’s Wine Bar & Pizzeria in Denver. He later moved to Birmingham, Alabama, and continued racking up accolades. In 2021, Rivera was a finalist for the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association’s Best Chef Awards. He is also a 2020 James Beard Chefs Boot Camp alumnus and is involved in a culinary and arts exchange with Montgomery’s sister city of Pietrasanta, Italy.

Part of Montgomery-based Vintage Hospitality Group, Ravello Ristorante is co-owned and operated by Rivera and restaurateur Jud Blount. The coastal Italian dining destination has made regional and national headlines since opening in May 2022.

rowing up in Colorado, Chef Rivera learned to cook thanks to both of his grandmothers. “We shopped at local farm stands and markets for our ingredients, so I also developed an appreciation for sourcing ingredients from my community,” he says. “I began working in kitchens as a teenager and immediately loved the pace

Before taking the helm at Ravello, Chef Rivera led Vintage Year, another Vintage Hospitality concept. The steak-and-seafood restaurant gained recognition from the James Beard Foundation as a Smart Catch Leader for its sustainable seafood sourcing, as well as a grand prize winner of the Blended Burger Contest. It

was named one of OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America, a Traveler’s Choice winner by Tripadvisor, and Montgomery Advertiser’s Best of the Best Romantic Restaurant.

VIE was thrilled to catch up with Chef Rivera to find out what it takes to create award-winning dining experiences, what inspires him in the kitchen, and more.

VIE: How did you decide to make the culinary arts your full-time career?

Chef Eric Rivera: It wasn’t necessarily my plan, but the more I learned, the more driven I became to understand this industry. I was learning about culinary arts on the job but wanted to know more about how the business ran. I studied restaurant and hotel management at Metropolitan State University in Denver while working and cooking full-time. I quickly became knowledgeable about independent restaurants and worked in every position in fine dining and highvolume kitchens, doing over four hundred covers every night. By age twenty, I had my first opportunity to serve as a sous chef at the well-respected Marlowe’s at Denver’s 16th Street Mall.

Left: Chef Eric Rivera

Far left: The melanzana fritta (fried eggplant) at Ravello Ristorante in Montgomery, Alabama

VIE: What was it like to be an executive chef at twenty-three years old? How have things changed from then to now?

ER: Becoming an executive chef early in my career was a daunting challenge. Luckily, I was part of a much larger restaurant group and had a great team surrounding me, often lifting me up daily. Fifteen years later, I have had many opportunities to do the same for others. The role has been reversed, and I take so much pride in those who I have helped become chefs themselves.

VIE: Many have said Birmingham, Alabama, has seen a “restaurant revival” in the past several years, elevating its status as a Southern cultural capital. Do you plan to build the same legacy in Montgomery?

ER: My time in Birmingham coincided with the beginning of that “revival,” and it has been gratifying and motivating to see how the hospitality community there has become known for its creativity and quality. At all of our restaurants in Montgomery, we are committed to delivering an outstanding dining experience with the best possible ingredients and service. We also work to expand the

local palate through our inspiration, techniques, and hospitality. This, along with our commitment to growing our workforce and community, has transformational power for Montgomery’s restaurant and dining scene. We’ve also been honored to represent Montgomery and the state’s restaurant industry at some excellent festivals, including 30A Wine Festival, Charleston Wine + Food, and the Sip and Savor Festival in Meridian, Mississippi, which helps get the word out that there’s excellent dining in Alabama’s capital city.

VIE: What key elements are needed to pull off a successful event or even a regular evening in the kitchen at Ravello?

ER: Teamwork is essential. I learned early in my career that a culture of mentorship is key to developing a team that can handle anything from a small wine dinner to a full restaurant buyout. It’s how you assure consistent quality and the resiliency needed to address the inevitable, unexpected challenges of the kitchen.

Above: Chef Rivera and his team continually work to evolve the menu at Ravello and provide new experiences for guests.

Opposite bottom: Ravello, located in the historic City Fed building in Montgomery, is also available to rent for special events.

VIE: What inspires you about food? How does that passion come through in your dishes and the way you motivate your team?

ER: I believe food is the ultimate art form, and there are endless creations to be made and ingredients to work with. I am inspired by its beauty, flavor, and texture. I enjoy having the ability to transform food in a multitude of creative ways to present to my team, educate them, and present to the table where I can create a lasting memory for each of our guests.

VIE: What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of running a restaurant?

ER: I often find that the most challenging part of this business is the time it requires of you and the emotional fortitude you must show daily for yourself and those depending on you. The reward is growth—growing yourself, your team, the business, and success within the community.

VIE: How did you get involved with the 30A Wine Festival in Alys Beach, Florida, this year?

ER: We were honored to be invited to participate in the 30A Wine Festival this year. This was a great showcase of some of the best restaurants in the region, and the attendees appreciated the outstanding cuisine offered. I incorporate fresh Gulf seafood in many of our dishes, particularly with Ravello’s coastal Italian cuisine, so the setting was absolutely perfect for enjoying what we love to create. We had the opportunity to get to know fellow pros, learn and share a few things, and enjoy sharing what we do with a new audience of potential guests.

Bon appétit!

VIE: Italy is world-renowned as one of the best destinations for food and wine. What, in your opinion, makes Italian cuisine so special?

ER: Simplicity—it’s the care for each flavor, individually and as a whole. Our daily lives are complicated, and food connects us to our past, present, and future. Italian cuisine is masterful at doing so.

VIE: What’s your favorite meal to make at home?

ER: I love to make breakfast, and it is the meal I am most consistently around for. It is important to me that we get to start our day as a family, and no matter how late I worked the night before, I make it a point to get up and make breakfast. I want my kids always to remember breakfast with Dad.

VIE: Tell us a little about Ravello’s involvement with area nonprofits and how you aim to give back to the community.

ER: Besides supporting and participating in several local nonprofit and charity events and teaching classes at Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, we find it rewarding to work with the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association and their Pro-Start program. We provide instruction and mentorship and serve as judges in this training program that helps our state develop talent and show young people there are rewarding careers available in hospitality.

VIE: Are there any projects or events coming up for you and Ravello this year that you’d like to share?

ER: Soon, we’ll welcome Chef Gianluca Tolla to our kitchen at Ravello as part of our culinary exchange program with Montgomery’s sister city of Pietrasanta, Italy. Chef “Luca” will bring his own authentic touch to the menu, and our team will learn from him while we share our knowledge of local produce and ingredients. This will enhance the experience at Ravello and continue pushing the boundaries of the local palate.

I encourage readers always to explore local restaurants in their home city or wherever they travel; there is so much opportunity to uplift small businesses and become a part of their family. We love our regulars and visitors alike. Our doors are always open!

Visit RavelloMGM.com to learn more, check out the menu, make a reservation, or inquire about hosting your special event at the historic City Fed building in downtown Montgomery.

A robust wine selection and carefully crafted cocktail menu by beverage director Carson Moore and his team round out the menu at Ravello.

OVE of FOOD,

OVE of COUNTRY

By Addie Strickland

Photos courtesy of American Charlie

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS AMERICANS ARE KNOWN FOR—TWO BEING THAT WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY AND WE LOVE OUR FOOD. AMERICAN CHARLIE GRILL & TAVERN, AN ALL-AMERICAN RESTAURANT LOCATED AT THE SHOPPES AT EDGEWATER IN PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA, CELEBRATED ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY IN FEBRUARY. THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE LOCAL EATERY IS AS CLOSE TO A FRIENDLY BACKYARD COOKOUT AS YOU CAN GET, WITH CLASSIC DISHES AND DRINKS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE TEAM BEHIND FIREFLY PCB AND ON THE FLY.

y business partner Mike Whitmer and I had always talked about doing something together,” says Dave Trepanier, co-owner of American Charlie, who opened the award-winning Firefly restaurant in 2007. “We talked about having a really patriotic, all-American restaurant, and that’s how American Charlie came to fruition when the Montego Bay space became available in the Shoppes at Edgewater.”

American Charlie’s mission is to serve locals and visitors their classic American favorites while celebrating the heroes who serve our country and local communities. The restaurant offers a 10-percent discount to all active military members, veterans, and first responders. During a time when police and military have been the subject of much dispute throughout the US, Trepanier says, the discount is a way to show support for the individuals who protect and serve others daily, whether they’re local or visiting from outside PCB. “It’s not political; it’s just patriotic,” he says.

With breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner menus that celebrate American cuisine, community, and culture, American Charlie has something for everyone. The lunch menu includes items such as the Surf & Turf Quesadilla, Louisiana Seafood Gumbo, a Philly Cheesesteak, and a Southwest Chicken Salad, while the dinner menu includes Kentucky Bourbon Steak, Blackened Redfish over a Carolina Grit Cake, and Fresh Grilled Gulf Grouper, to name a few. Of

course, visitors can also go for the “Americana Backyard Cookout” section of the menu featuring mouthwatering burgers and hot dogs—build your own with all your favorite toppings!

“We have great seafood coming from the Gulf and a lot of familiar favorites on the menu,” Trepanier says. “It’s not complicated, it’s not rocket science; it’s just good food and good service. We believe in that and love the concept of this all-American neighborhood grill. Now that we’ve got a year under our belt, we’re looking forward to the spring and summer season and hopefully seeing a lot of new faces and some returning visitors who found us last year.”

he offerings also include brunch on Sundays starting at 10:00 a.m. and Happy Hour from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. daily. In line with the “backyard cookout” feel of the restaurant, American Charlie hosts weekly live music on Thursdays and some special events, such as a Veterans Day Salute last year, to support local veterans and first responders. A private dining room is ideal for larger groups, such as meetings, sports teams, or family events, and the American Charlie team is also available for catering opportunities.

All this is found in an inviting pub-style space featuring iconic USA decor, including murals of Old Glory and the Statue of Liberty and a bronze bald eagle sculpture affectionately named Sam. The central

location on Richard Jackson Boulevard makes it an excellent destination for those staying at nearby Edgewater Beach Resort or Gulf-front condos and hotels within easy walking distance. Visitors can also find Firefly in the Shoppes at Edgewater, where Trepanier’s team serves up handcrafted sushi, fresh seafood, steak, and much more in a casual fine-dining setting beneath twinkling lights. On The Fly, right next door, is a perfect place for lunch on the go with sushi, gourmet sandwiches, salads, freshly baked bread, coffee, and desserts designed to grab for a quick, delicious, and affordable lunch or snack that beats fast food any day.

Meanwhile, American Charlie aims to become a fundamental part of the Panama City Beach community representing a love of food, country, and good company and giving thanks to everyone who has served their fellow Americans.

IT’S NOT COMPLICATED, IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE; IT’S JUST GOOD FOOD AND GOOD SERVICE. WE BELIEVE IN THAT AND LOVE THE CONCEPT OF THIS ALL-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL

COFFEE, COCKTAILS, AND COMMUNITY “FOR THE PEOPLE”

A PLACE

By JORDAN STAGGS

Photography by KATIE DESANTIS

WHEN A BELOVED LOCAL WATERING HOLE OR CAFÉ PERMANENTLY CLOSES ITS DOORS, IT CAN BE AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. THIS WAS CERTAINLY THE CASE FOR FONVILLE PRESS, A CHARMING COFFEE SHOP AND BAR IN ALYS BEACH, FLORIDA, WHOSE CLOSURE IN 2018 WAS MET WITH SADNESS FROM THOSE WHO LOVED IT—BUT ALSO WITH A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT FOR THE FUTURE FROM THOSE WHO HOPED TO SEE IT RETURN.

“I

t was obvious by the outpouring of support from locals and homeowners that there was a deep love for Fonville,” says former Fonville manager and Alys Beach VP of resort operations, Jeremy Walton. “It had become a special and beloved brand. Because of that, we couldn’t think of a reason to do anything else but try to reimagine it and see it return. We understood we couldn’t recreate the original Fonville. However, we wanted to honor it in a meaningful way and recapture its connection with people as a beloved gathering place.”

Jeremy and his wife, Angela, formed Quest Hospitality Concepts a few years ago when they decided to branch out independently. Their first restaurant, The Citizen in Alys Beach, quickly became a favorite among locals and visitors alike. The Waltons felt encouraged by this success and working closely with the Alys Beach team. It wasn’t long before the dream to reopen Fonville Press in a new capacity started coming to fruition in the community’s newly completed Lucian building facing Scenic Highway 30-A.

“We wanted to expand on the experiences offered at Fonville, given we had a much larger space to develop,” says Jeremy. The previous location now houses Raw & Juicy, an organic juice bar and café equally loved by the community. Hoping to create a new look and feel in Fonville’s new space, Jeremy says, “We decided to do something completely different. The Citizen is elegant and colorful. So for Fonville, we wanted it to be the

sister restaurant with a warmer, more vibrant, fun, and colorful design. Angie and I had been spending time visiting our daughter in San Diego, and while there, we fell in love with the idea of creating a look and feel that was very southern California, with lots of wood paneling, bright colors, brass, tile, and greenery. There’s certainly an homage to old Florida in the details, as well.”

In addition to the original coffee offerings, the reimagined Fonville Press is home to a small grocery, an upscale cafeteria-style food counter, a full indoor-outdoor bar, and casual seating areas inside and out.

In partnership with Jeremy and Angela Walton of Quest Hospitality Concepts and Alys Beach, the new Fonville Press was designed by architect Anthony Vallee and interior designer Melissa Skowlund.

market, café, and coffee shop all in one space can often feel industrial, and we wanted a designforward space that didn’t feel like a grocery store,” Jeremy continues. “Integrating those parts into the design took a lot of work. Architect Anthony Vallee and Melissa Skowlund’s team at Summer House Lifestyle were great collaborators and made the vision come together. Angie and I are very involved in the design details, so it was great to have a team willing to work with us on the project. The exterior was also a big part of the space, and activating that was an important part, from design and guest experience standpoints.”

The bar’s open-air design was Angela’s idea. Just as it does at The Citizen, expansive bar seating offers a lively energy that gives guests a sense that they are in a more urban environment, surrounded by world-class architecture, food and drink, and entertainment—with undeveloped white-sand beaches just a short walk away.

The menu continuously evolves but already includes some favorites that keep locals and visitors returning. “We knew we would pick up where we left off with the original Fonville in that coffee, breakfast, and lunch would be staples,” Jeremy says. “But now we can create indoor and outdoor dining, a large full bar, a bakery, a pizza oven,

In addition to the café and bar, Fonville Press includes a full market and grab-and-go options for guests.

a rotisserie, grab-and-go options, and nightly take-home meals in addition to the market and retail section. We felt there was much more we could offer to create a versatile dining experience on 30-A with simple, fast, and delicious food in a designforward space.”

Fonville recently launched an all-day breakfast and lunch menu from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and a new dinner menu from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and has weekly live entertainment. Visit FonvillePress.com or follow on Instagram @fonville.press.

INTEGRATING THOSE PARTS INTO THE DESIGN TOOK A LOT OF WORK. ARCHITECT ANTHONY VALLEE AND MELISSA SKOWLUND’S TEAM AT SUMMER HOUSE LIFESTYLE WERE GREAT COLLABORATORS AND MADE THE VISION COME TOGETHER.

U n f u l f i l l m e n t i s o n e o f t h e m o s t c o m p e l l i n g c a t a l y s t s f o r c h a n g e . A s a l a w s t u d e n t a t H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y, N i s h a V o r a h a d b e e n e n t h u s i a s t i c a b o u t t h e c h a n g e - m a k i n g p o s s i b i l i t i e s h e r c a r e e r s e e m e d t o p r o m i s e . B u t a f t e r g r a d u a t i o n , s h e b e c a m e d i s i l l u s i o n e d b y t h e l a c k o f i m p a c t h e r p o s i t i o n c o u l d m a k e i n t h e c o r p o r a t e a n d n o n p r o f i t s e c t o r s .

Right: Rainbow Plant Life founder and vegan lifestyle coach Nisha Vora

Photo by Niki Cram

EATING THE

R A I N B O W

By HAILEY BETHKE | Photography courtesy of RAINBOW PLANT LIFE

During this time, Vora watched ten documentaries that opened her eyes to the gut-wrenching truths behind the factory farming industry—and revealed to her the influence one person can have by choosing to go vegan.

Although Vora may not have made big waves in the legal system, veganism empowered her to choose a lifestyle that aligned with her values of compassion and equality. She was hooked. “After becoming vegan, I instantly felt happier and healthier,” Vora notes. “This decision was rather easy to make, as it naturally tied in with my passion for social justice activism.”

Above: Crispy Sesame Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Today, Nisha Vora is a plant-based culinary sensation with more than 1.6 million followers across various social media channels. Her blog, Rainbow Plant Life, is designed to teach you how to master vegan cooking through flavorful recipes you are eager to eat—there’s more than bland salads to be found here! Through her recipes and guided cooking videos, Vora shares her expertise on stocking a plantbased pantry, meal prep with minimal ingredients, vegan cooking tips, and gaining more confidence in the kitchen.

Her passion for creating vibrant dishes with satiating flavor combinations goes back to her childhood. Vora grew up in Barstow, a quaint town in Southern California’s Mojave Desert. Her parents are Indian immigrants, and home-cooked vegetarian dishes were a childhood staple that featured aromatic South Asian spices and flavor combinations. “My mother is an excellent cook, but as a picky child living in a culture that viewed Indian food as too smelly and spicy, I started to develop my own food interests,” Vora shares. She began cooking meals for herself at fourteen, and her passion for cooking continued well into high school and college; Vora remarks that she was often curled up in the cookbook section of Barnes & Noble or watching episodes of Barefoot Contessa between classes. She also enrolled in diverse culinary courses while her friends were at parties.

“Law school didn’t leave much time for cooking, but whenever I did cook or bake, I had a cohort of hungry friends who let me know how much they loved my food,” she remarks. “I had flirted with the idea of going to culinary school, but once I got to Harvard, I was fully invested in the ‘become a lawyer, save the world’ career path.”

When asked what later gave her the courage to quit her law career to pursue food blogging full-time, Vora quickly says, “The promise of happiness. I practiced law for four years, and the entire time I dreaded waking up and going into the office. I told myself I deserved more out of life. So I left law and started working at a vegan food startup in 2017 while building Rainbow Plant Life as a side hustle. It felt like the right move, but I agonized over it a lot in the beginning.”

Though leaving her law practice was a predictable hurdle, what Vora didn’t expect was the identity crisis that followed. For the first few years, she was concerned with what people thought of her. “Did they still think I was smart? Ambitious? Worth taking seriously?” she questioned. The antidote to her people-pleasing fears came from only one thing: focusing on building Rainbow Plant Life, where her true passion for cooking flavor-packed vegan recipes lies.

Right: Fifteen-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta Find these recipes and many more at RainbowPlantLife.com.

One aspect of Vora’s work that may come as a surprise is how her methodical nature assists her in the kitchen. “I think there’s this assumption that people who work in creative fields are naturally born right-brained artsy types,” she explains. “But I’m naturally analytical and pretty left-brained. I mean, I loved law school and became a lawyer, after all. So I apply the same meticulous rigor I’ve always applied to my work. I spend hours, if not days, researching recipes that are outside my wheelhouse before developing them. I test my recipes over and over until they are perfect. For instance, I made my vegan pancake recipe three dozen times before I felt ready to share it on my site. Plus, I include a ton of detail on the ‘why’ behind cooking in my content because I want my viewers and readers to become more confident home cooks.”

Before starting Rainbow Plant Life, Vora and her partner quit their jobs to travel around the world for six months. “When we backpacked throughout Southeast Asia, I fell in love with the flavors there, which inspired me to make plant-based versions of dishes like Thai green curry and Indonesian tempeh kecap,” she muses. “But I also find sources of inspiration closer to home. I love making vegan versions of classic Indian dishes, like dal makhani, naan, and palak paneer.” Many plant-based renditions of these regional staples are found on Vora’s blog.

The number one question any vegan will get asked, in tones ranging from shock to pure curiosity, is, “How do you do it?” With so many preconceived notions about veganism, many believe that a plant-based diet only includes crunchy kale salads and is near impossible to maintain. “Going vegan all at once is daunting for most

people, so I’d suggest starting small,” Vora recognizes. “Make it a fun challenge to cook one new vegan meal each week. Recruit a family member or friend to join you, which will make things more exciting. And there is such a range of meals you can eat on a vegan diet! If salads aren’t your thing, start with something heartier. A great entry point would be a creamy chickpea curry or velvety vegan chili. If you’re short on time and effort, try weeknight-friendly chili-garlic noodles or chickpea tacos. For most people, once they discover just how delicious, varied, and satisfying vegan meals can be, taking the next step of going vegan doesn’t seem nearly as scary.”

Vora’s palette-pleasing recipes are grounded in a supportive, easy-to-execute manner, finding a harmonious balance between humans and nature. What’s not to love?

Follow Nisha Vora on Instagram @rainbowplantlife and check out her blog RainbowPlantLife.com to get inspiration for your next plant-based meal.

Above: Vegan Thai Kabocha Squash Curry

Right: No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH DELICATA SQUASH AND CILANTRO CASHEW CREAM

BY NISHA VORA (@RAINBOWPLANTLIFE)

Serves 4

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS

3 delicata squash

2 red onions, cut into large wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 cup French green lentils

1 bay leaf

4–6 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 of a medium-size lemon, zested and then juiced

1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup pistachios, chopped

CILANTRO CASHEW CREAM

1 cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for 8 hours or soaked in boiling water for 1 hour

1/2 cup water

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon sea salt and more to taste

Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

Roast the squash. Slice each delicata squash in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and then slice each squash into half-inch half-moon slices. Transfer the squash and red onion wedges

to the prepared baking sheets and toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, salt and black pepper to taste, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat the veggies. Arrange the squash slices and onion wedges in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the edges of the squash are browned and the flesh is tender.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils. First, rinse the lentils to remove any debris. To cook the lentils on the stove, add them to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with a few inches of water. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and add a pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. (To cook the lentils in an Instant Pot, add the lentils with 1 and 3/4 cups of water or vegetable broth and cook on the Manual/Pressure Cook setting at high pressure for 6 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release.)

While the squash is roasting and the lentils are cooking, make the Cilantro Cashew Cream: Place all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender or processor and blend for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, creamy, and well combined. Ensure that all of the cashew pieces are pulverized before serving.

Once the lentils are cooked, drain well and transfer them to a serving bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, parsley, cilantro, and mint leaves to the lentils. Toss well to coat. Serve the roasted delicata squash and onions on top of the warm lentil salad and scatter the pomegranate seeds and pistachios over it. Generously drizzle the Cilantro Cashew Cream on top. Serve warm and enjoy!

NOTE: To make ahead, cook the lentils and prepare the lentil salad, make the cashew cream, and roast the veggies. Store in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Assemble and dress the salad when ready to serve.

the Fire By

Located on the ground floor of

Bowery Hotel in New York City, Gemma is an Italian Trattoria led by Chef Andrea Taormina. From the rustic, seasonal cuisine to

Photo courtesy of The Bowery Hotel

Bon appétit!

Emeril and EJ Lagasse outside Emeril's restaurant in New Orleans, where EJ is currently chef patron and helping revamp the menu and dining experience

Photo courtesy of Emeril’s

A

Year Legacy

CELEBRATING WITH EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION

By COLLEEN SACHS

of EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION

Every November in New Orleans, temperatures get more pleasant, festive decorations go up (some won’t come down until after Fat Tuesday), and Chef Emeril Lagasse hosts the Carnivale du Vin. The Carnivale du Vin packs abundant food and drink, outstanding entertainment, and stellar fundraising into a fun-filled weekend.

Photography courtesy

ovember 3 and 4, 2022, marked the twentieth anniversary of the event, which is one of three annual signature fundraisers for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. The other two are Line, Vine, and Dine, a fishing tournament held in the warmth of the Fort Lauderdale winter, and the Chi Chi Miguel Throwdown weekend, a barbecue competition held each spring in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

The Emeril Lagasse Foundation was founded in 2002 by Emeril and his wife, Alden. The foundation’s mission is “to create opportunities to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development.” Among the beneficiaries of the foundation’s community grants program are the St. Michael Special School, which has an accessible learning kitchen for students with special needs, the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), which offers high school students a four­year program in the culinary arts, and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Hospitality Center at Café Reconcile, which provides hospitality training for at­risk youth. The mission’s success is displayed throughout the weekend, with students from NOCCA designing the dinner menu for Carnivale du Vin’s Saturday evening gala. As Emeril says, “It’s all about children and mentoring children . . . giving them the opportunity to learn and move forward in the industry.”

It’s all about children and mentoring children . . . giving them the opportunity to learn and move forward in the industry.

Opposite: Chef EJ Lagasse at Emeril’s in New Orleans

Photo courtesy of Emeril’s

Left: November 2022 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Carnivale du Vin fundraising gala and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Below: Emeril, Alden, and Meril Lagasse at the welcome luncheon for Carnivale du Vin 2022

The weekend began Friday afternoon with guests checking into the event hotel, the charming Eliza Jane, on Magazine Street. The Eliza Jane was ideally located at the edge of the Central Business District, just a block from the other event hotel—the Windsor Court—and two blocks from The Fillmore, the location of the Saturday evening festivities. Check­in for the event was also set up at the hotel. To give attendees a taste of the good the foundation does, tables displayed food, artwork, and other goodies from some of the foundation beneficiaries. They included: the St. Michael Special School; Sprout NOLA, supporting established and developing farmers; Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (G.L.O.W.), an all­girls public charter school that helps its students develop confidence, compassion, critical thinking, and personal responsibility; and Liberty’s Kitchen, using food to provide pathways to success for young New Orleanians.

After spending a few hours enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of New Orleans, we headed to the Patron Celebration at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). The Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a founding donor of NOCHI, providing education in the hospitality industry. Live music and enticing aromas welcomed us into the building. Each floor featured tasty bites and creative bourbon cocktails—a nod to the Boudin, Bourbon, and Beer events that have raised millions of dollars to support programs for children’s education and basic needs. Plenty of local Abita beer was also available, including their strawberry lager. Among the dishes we were treated to were: duck prosciutto and melon from Chef Geordie Brower at Acorn; tuna tostada with Cajun caviar from Chef Miles Landrem at Johnny Sánchez; heirloom grits with smoked mushrooms, butternut squash conserva, and trout roe from Chef Alex Harrell at Commons Club; and beef short rib with bourbon jus, spiced Gulf shrimp, and Palmetto Farms grits from Chef Dan Vargo, a popular personal chef in the DestinSouth Walton area of Florida.

It was a fun and casual evening. This avid home cook enjoyed wandering the kitchens and admiring the shining professional equipment. The best part of the evening was the pop­up restaurant created in the Food Hall by NOCHI students. Highlights included onigiri (seaweedwrapped rice balls with miso chicken), Carolina BBQ pulled pork on cornbread crostini with Southern­style slaw, and a clever and delicious vegan chicharron with a puffy rice flour crisp holding fried yuca and curtido slaw. This bright Salvadoran slaw gets tanginess from vinegar and spiciness from chilies. The students were eager to talk about their creations, and their pride in their work and joy in watching people enjoy the food was unmistakable.

Saturday brought additional time to visit New Orleans’ stalwart longtime and exciting new restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops from the Warehouse District to Uptown. As evening approached, we made our way over to The Fillmore for the black­tie Carnivale du Vin gala. After registering for the auction, guests entered a room buzzing with excitement. Guests sampled the food and beverages offered for the first act of the

evening. Chef Dustin Valette of Healdsburg offered smoked duck breast with pickled dried cherries and liquid nitrogen­frozen foie gras torchon. Chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr. of Chicago had crystal bread. The ingenious hollow blocks of “bread” were crisp and light as air and provided a perfect base for savory stracciatella crème, shavings of black truffle, egg yolk, and Serrano ham. I was fortunate to live in New Orleans when Susan Spicer received recognition from Food & Wine magazine as a Best New Chef. That was in 1989, and she is still a New Orleans favorite. Her contribution to the evening was fried smoked quail breast with pear, bourbon, and a molasses vinaigrette. Always gracious, Emeril also took time to mingle with guests and other chefs.

Many auction lots that would be bid on later in the evening were displayed along a corridor. From the first lot, Room Full of Magnums (twelve large­format wines from vintners at the event), to the twenty­fourth lot, Line, Vine, and Dine for three couples, complete with accommodations at the Fort Lauderdale Ritz­Carlton and a fishing charter for six, the bidding options posed plenty of temptation. Some of the standout items were: Behind the Scenes of MasterChef, including a studio tour and a dinner at Chef Aarón Sánchez’s Los Angeles home (the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund is a grant recipient of ELF); a cooking class with Andrew Zimmern at the winning bidder’s home; and London Lights, a four­night London

Emeril in the kitchen with students from the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts during the 2022 Carnivale du Vin welcome luncheon

The students were eager to talk about their creations, and their pride in their work and joy in watching people enjoy the food was unmistakable.

extravaganza with VIP tickets to Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel concerts and dinner at Clare Smyth’s Core restaurant. A silent auction ran concurrently with the live one, with many more fabulous items up for bid.

The dinner was billed as “classroom­to­table.” NOCCA students worked with Chef David Slater, sommelier Johnny Slamon, and Chef Dana Tuohy to create the menu for the evening. Then, at the event, they worked with the chefs from the Windsor Court Hotel and Emeril’s team to bring the menu to life. It featured smoked trout cheesecake and jumbo lump crab ravigote, Gulf snapper with fennel bread pudding and lobster, chicken roulade with black truffle gumbo sauce, balsamic braised beef short ribs with bone marrow, prune baked potato and cardamom carrots, and dark chocolate tart. Beautiful chocolates in tiny boxes were also offered as guests left. These were the work of students at Belle Chasse Academy, one of Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen locations. As to the Culinary School and Garden program, Emeril noted, “We have eight around the country and are continuing to grow.”

The auctioneer for the evening was DawnMarie Kotsonis, whose energy among auctioneers is unparalleled. Bidders were incredibly generous, and DawnMarie’s fun coaxing helped steadily increase the overall total for the evening. Michael Haney of Black Dog Cellars was a guest auction reader. The evening wrapped up with classic rock performances by John Payne of Asia, Fran Cosmo of Boston, and John Elefante of Kansas (all names of their bands rather than the places).

Carnivale du Vin is still going strong after twenty years, as are the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and the chef himself. Emeril says his flagship New Orleans restaurant, which opened in 1990, “has undergone a huge transition, and we are gearing up for a renovation in July.” He has been working on Emeril’s with his son, EJ, the restaurant’s chef patron and an accomplished chef in his own right, with experience that belies his years. “EJ is a risk­taker, and his passion for refinement is contagious,” Emeril says. “We have exciting things planned for the year ahead and are committed to improving our craft one dish, one experience, and one renovation at a time.” Among the changes at Emeril’s, the elder Lagasse says guests in the main dining room will have “a classic seasonal tasting menu,” while a la carte dining is available in the salon. Emeril and EJ are also working on restaurant 34, slated for a late fall opening. This is the beginning of what’s sure to be a family legacy, with the torch passing to EJ on many restaurant projects in the future as Emeril continues building his personal brand and supporting the foundation’s many efforts.

Among Emeril’s other restaurants are Meril in the New Orleans Warehouse District, his two Las Vegas restaurants (Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian and Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House in the MGM Grand), and Emeril’s Coastal Italian in Miramar Beach, Florida. In addition, Emeril’s Table in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was recently honored as the best local­inspired airport restaurant at the AX awards. Emeril also hosts the streaming series Emeril Cooks on Roku and is the new creative culinary director for Carnival Cruise Lines.

Emeril says he is “blessed to have a great team and great people who understand the goals and mission” of his foundation and many projects. His philosophy is to “get up every day and just try a little harder than the day before.” He does that in his business, and it is clear that he does that when he gives back to the community, as well.

Above: Emeril Lagasse Foundation president Brian Kish and Chef Janeè Taylor, a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts culinary arts program

Top left: Emeril Lagasse, Vina Lien Le, EJ Lagasse, Wilfred Liautaud, and Aarón Sánchez at the CDV patron party

Top right: Belle Chasse Academy students enjoying the CDV welcome luncheon

INTERNATIONAL FLAIRwith FLAVOR LOCAL

By ADDIE STRICKLAND Photography by CHRYSEIS GOLDEN

Traveling also influences our perspective of the world in the same way food can expand cultural horizons. Regardless of where they live, people love good food, and there is a story behind each dish. Chef Jim Shirley’s restaurant Farm & Fire in South Walton, Florida, represents his connection to Asian culture and cuisine and his time spent there as a young man. Growing up in a military family, Shirley lived all over the world, and his appreciation for international fare and techniques inspired the founding of Farm & Fire. The recipes and ingredients reflect the culinary heritage and cultural DNA of Asia and other faraway destinations, with a dash of Southern comfort. Guests can enjoy the stories and experiences he has to tell through food.

Located on the second floor above the popular North Beach Social, Farm & Fire overlooks the beautiful

Choctawhatchee Bay on Highway 331, the gateway to South Walton’s beach communities. It’s a meeting place for friends and family to sit down and catch up. Similar to Chef Jim Shirley’s other restaurants, there is something on the menu for everyone. Whether they’re craving something exotic or familiar, Farm & Fire can accommodate the taste of everyone at the table.

The shareable appetizers pull from many worldly cuisines. From the sushi to the charcuterie board or naan bread with whipped goat cheese, each dish offers a different style of food with plenty to go around. The culmination of flavors in each menu item represents the unique culture and heritage from which it is derived, with (of course) a twist unique to Chef Jim Shirley’s restaurants. The shareability and variety of appetizers make this an excellent spot for family dinners or “Happiness Hour” with friends.

It’s widely acknowledged that food and drink create a universal language. Sharing a meal has brought people together since the beginning and continues to be a catalyst for fellowship and connection.

Chef and restaurateur Jim Shirley

Photo by Romona Robbins

Wherever your preference may lie, each dish is comfort and adventure in one. The menu offers everyday favorites like seasonal artisan pizzas and a craft burger, plus more exciting could-become-everyday favorites like pan-seared redfish served over house fried rice and the new-tomenu beef lo mein. Each dish can be traced back to the farm, with many ingredients locally sourced, such as the mushrooms from Vale of Paradise, based in Valparaiso, Florida. First, it’s farm to fire, then straight to your table. Other local companies the Jim Shirley team works with include Farmers and Fishers Purveyors, 30A Olive Oil Company, Gulf Water Wines, and Palmfolly, to name a few.

As with any great meeting place, the atmosphere at Farm & Fire is comfortable, a little funky, and inviting. The space is inspired by the unique meeting places in every culture, from pubs to watering holes. Guests can sit at the sushi bar while they interact with friends and watch the sushi chefs create their rolls right in front of them. Accommodation is at the heart of Farm & Fire Sushi Bar, whether you’d like a custom roll, have any allergies to consider, or want the sushi chef to surprise you with an omakase creation.

With two unique bar areas in addition to the sushi bar, guests looking for adventurous craft cocktails and classic favorites will love the rotating cocktail menu at Farm & Fire. An extensive list of regional and international spirits provides a unique and fresh experience. Similarly, the talented bartenders make each visit a pleasure, ensuring Happiness Hour (daily from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.) is very happy! In addition to their spirits, Farm & Fire works closely with winemakers, local and regional brewers, and other purveyors to keep the beverage list highly curated.

Chef Joyce Russell’s famous paella is a special dish that keeps guests coming back. She joins guests on the deck of North Beach Social for a paella cookout every Wednesday. After spending time in Spain, Chef Joyce returned to the Panhandle with a special recipe combining tradition and Gulf Coast flair. The cooking process itself is a show you want to see, and the paella is served family-style until it runs out. Guests should place an order with their server to make sure they secure a dish of delicious Spanish rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, and more. Check Farm & Fire and North Beach Social’s Instagram and Facebook pages for information on when Paella Night is happening during your visit!

Farm & Fire is a space where you can let go of the day’s worries and meet friends while surrounded by culture, farm-to-fire dishes, and craft cocktails—all with fabulous bay views. Some of life’s most significant moments are shared over a meal, so when you’re ready for a slow day and sunset dinner, Farm & Fire will be waiting.

For more information, visit FarmandFireSouthWalton.com and stay connected by following their Instagram account @farmandfiresouthwalton.

Farm & Fire is a space where you can let go of the day’s worries and meet friends while surrounded by culture, farm-to-fire dishes, and craft cocktails.

SOME CRAFT COCKTAILS TO CONSIDER DURING YOUR NEXT VISIT INCLUDE:

Summer Crush

Aperol, Italicus, prosecco, orange juice, citrus, mint, hibiscus

Coffee at the Roosevelt

Brewed tableside for two. Illy coffee, bourbon, Frangelico, rye, spiced cream, nutmeg, star anise

Boochy Hooch

Empress gin, Noli South kombucha, lemon, blackberry agave

Above: Bao buns, dumplings, and sushi creations (previous page) are some of the delights awaiting diners at Farm & Fire.

Left: Don’t miss Paella Night with Chef Joyce Russell cooking her Gulf Coast-inspired version of the Spanish favorite weekly at North Beach Social and Farm & Fire.

Opposite: A rotating cocktail menu features seasonal ingredients, local craft spirits, and old favorites.

Plata O Plomo

Pineapple-infused Reposado, pomegranate lime foam, basil, pineapple juice

Clara Bow Cosmo

Tito’s vodka, Combier, lime, cucumber, hibiscus

Al Capone

Roasted apple bourbon, simple syrup, Angostura, orange bitters, finished with a smoke citrus cube

Whimsical Floral Paradise

Escape to a flower bed as you’ve never seen it before at The Garden Room, a botanical haven in Atlanta’s Buckhead Plaza. Indulge in innovative cocktails and sumptuous bites amid layers of captivating floral installations. Whether for Easter or any special occasion, The Garden Room provides a perfect backdrop to celebrate life’s precious moments with friends and family.

Discover The Garden Room’s enchanting ambience and experience the magic for yourself.

Photo courtesy of The Garden Room

CO OK

By VIE

Photo by Gaby Yerden

By Jordan Staggs

Upon VIE magazine’s inception, its mission was to tell rich, vibrant human-interest “Stories with Heart and Soul” about the people, places, and happenings in a region coined “COLA 2 COLA®” by the publication’s creators. Florida’s coastal communities from Pensacola to Apalachicola are near and dear to the hearts of VIE’s publishers and audience. ere seems to be an inherently creative and talented pool of people drawn to this beachside haven. People ock to the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent bright white sands to be inspired and inspire others, just as VIE’s makers have. Cofounders Lisa and Gerald Burwell and the pioneers of VIE’s early days recognized this pool of talent and authentic creativity and the need to share stories with the world about the slice of nirvana they called home.

Fast forward to 2020, when the publication released its rst luxury co ee-table book, HOME: Inspirations for Home and Life by VIE. e photographic tome celebrates stories of talented architects, builders, and interior designers throughout the COLA 2 COLA® region, as there are many. e book also includes “pause pages” throughout, featuring local landmarks, events, past VIE highlights, and restaurants.

e latter is what inspired VIE’s second co ee-table book, coming soon! COOK: Cocktails. Cuisine. Culture. is a love letter to the incredible world-class chefs, restaurateurs, event planners, and culinary teams who bring the zest of life to this region we call home and millions of others call their home away from home each year. From the old favorites that vacationers visit time and again to the new kids on the block, we can’t deny the dining and cocktail scene in the area—particularly the twenty-ish-mile stretch in Walton County, home to the a uent Scenic Highway 30-A—is unforgettable.

We welcome you to join our table as we sip, savor, and celebrate on a culinary tour of this coastal paradise, coming soon! Follow us on social media @viemagazine for more news, or head to VIEmagazine.com/shop-vie to get your copy of HOME

Mint mojito cocktail and poke bowl (below) by Chef Jim Shirley’s restaurants

Photos by Romona Robbins

COOK:Cocktails.Cuisine. Culture.is a love letter to the incredible world-class chefs, restaurateurs, event planners, and culinary teams who bring the zest of life to this region we call home and millions of others call their home away from home each year.

COOK by VIE

30Avenue

Alys Beach

Better Together Beverage

Bijoux Destin

Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant

Café Thirty-A

CC.Boone Creative & Culinary Experiences

Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises

Emeril’s

Firefly PCB

Fonville Press

Fresco Picnic Co.

Geoff Chick & Associates Architecture

Paul Sutton Bourbon

Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar

Raw & Juicy

Roux 30a

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood

Summer House Lifestyle

The Citizen

The Owen Group Interior Design

Vin’tij Food & Wine

. and More!

Health and flavor combine at Raw & Juicy organic café and juice bar.

Photo by Romona Robbins

Let’s Do

Brunch!

The Best Meal of the Week on 30-A

Photography courtesy of SPELL RESTAURANT GROUP

Since 2004, when they purchased Brookhaven Pub & Grill in Memphis, Christy Spell Terry and Rick Spell have built a business around dining destinations that offer a combination of beautiful settings, a great menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, and a superb selection of libations. Now with ten eateries under Spell Restaurant Group, spanning Florida and Tennessee, they aim to continue evolving and creating new experiences for guests to enjoy time and time again. One of those experiences is everyone’s favorite weekend meal—brunch.

Brunch culture has become synonymous with leisure and togetherness. Friends and family gather for a late-morning or early-afternoon meal that, as its name suggests, could include anything from Belgian waffles to burgers. Of course, the mimosa and the Bloody Mary have also become brunchtime staples. The menus at Spell Restaurant Group’s destinations on Scenic Highway 30-A in Northwest Florida offer two distinct but equally exciting brunch experiences.

Edward’s

Located in the heart of Rosemary Beach, Edward’s has delighted tourists and locals with its robust wine selection and Gulf seafood for many years. Edward’s offers fine dishes in a casual setting, with lunch served Wednesday through Saturday and dinner served nightly beginning at 5:00 p.m. Brunch is a special Sunday occurrence for guests dining in the courtyard or indoors from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Let Chef Josh Smith and his team delight your taste buds with favorites like sweet potato pancakes, crab cake Benedict, deviled eggs, and the steakhouse burger.

LaCo Latin Coastal Kitchen in Seacrest Beach, Florida, serves brunch daily until 1:00 p.m.

Opposite: Sunday brunch at Edward’s in Rosemary Beach is a great opportunity to try different menu items from the dining destination and spend time with friends and family.

Brunch

Whether you want a mimosa or a margarita with brunch, LaCo has you covered!

Traditional Latin American favorites at LaCo

The dining room at LaCo

A taco trio from the chefs at LaCo

The indoor dining room at Edward’s

Whether you’re looking for an elevated Sunday meal in Rosemary Beach or a delicious feast with Latin American flair, you can’t go wrong with these two unique brunch spots on Scenic Highway 30-A.

After a glass of rosé or a mimosa, stroll down Main Street and take a peek at the dazzling Gulf of Mexico. And for those who want to come back to experience Edward’s at dinnertime, we hear the capellini pomodoro is a hit! The newly renovated upstairs bar area at Edward’s is also available for special events with views of the Gulf.

LaCo Latin Coastal Kitchen

If you prefer a margarita to a mimosa, LaCo might be the 30-A brunch stop for you! Plus, a little parrot told us a secret—they serve brunch every day until 1:00 p.m.! Enjoy a Latin twist on breakfast and coastal brunch faves, including lobster avocado toast, shrimp and grits, brioche French toast, crab cake Benedict, and sweet potato breakfast hash. All menu items at LaCo are prepared from scratch using the freshest ingredients. The full menu is available from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, except during happy hour from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. when a limited menu is served. Casual and kid-friendly, LaCo has indoor and outdoor seating, plus TVs in the bar area for the big games, all in the heart of Seacrest Beach.

Whether you’re looking for an elevated Sunday meal in Rosemary Beach or a delicious feast with Latin American flair, you can’t go wrong with these two unique brunch spots on Scenic Highway 30-A.

Visit

or

Clockwise from top left: Edward’s on Main Street in Rosemary Beach

with a Latin twist at LaCo in Seacrest Beach

YOUR VIEW, OUR PASSION.

E. F. San Juan’s renowned wood millwork creations are complemented by the highest quality windows and doors. Our craftsmen work seamlessly with the most trusted providers of impact-rated doors and windows, such as Loewen®, to create custom homes that masterfully combine security, beauty, and function.

Architect: Khoury & Vogt Architects

Builder: Hufham Farris Construction

Photo: Layne Lillie | Courtesy of Khoury & Vogt

Drizzle It

Heraclea Early Harvest

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Heraclea.com – $28

Spring is here, and our senses are tingling for fresh florals, cocktails by the pool, and dinner parties under the stars. This C’est la VIE collection is inspired by the homemaker who doesn’t compromise flavor for a fabulous table setting and always looks chic while doing so. Still, even the most experienced entertainer needs to order takeout from time to time—and if it’s presented on beautiful floral tableware, the guests may never even know.

Green Queen 9

Norma Kamali Walter

Off-the-Shoulder Ruched

Stretch-Jersey Midi Dress

NET-A-PORTER.com – $205

Keep It Fresh

10

John-Richard Sweet Lilies Modern Clear Glass Bowl Faux Arrangement

KathyKuoHome.com – $450

Dazzle Me 11

Bina Goenka 18-Karat Gold, Tsavorite, and Pearl Earrings NET-A-PORTER.com – $55,000

Date Me 12

Saudi Dates: A Portrait of the Sacred Fruit Assouline.com – $105

Floral Flair 13

Famille Rose Salad Plates, Set of 4 Williams-Sonoma.com – $75

Layered Up 14

Lilac & Creme

New York-Style Cheesecakes

LilacAndCreme.com – $48–$115

For more information, visit LoriMorris.com.

La maison

WHERE THE HEART IS

We could spend a lot of time in this kitchen without complaint. Lori Morris, the world-renowned interior designer, is a true artist who is never afraid to indulge in luxury. She draws inspiration from the natural beauty of the world around her, including the sumptuous tropical pink and blue hues of the Florida sunset. This stunning natural phenomenon inspired her to create a complementary soft-pink color palette inside a Florida home, bringing personality and sex appeal to the space. With her incredible attention to detail and exceptional skill, Morris has once again proven why she is a leading figure in the world of interior design.

Photo by Brandon Barre

A Life

STYLED

CREATING MONUMENTAL MOMENTS

INTERVIEW BY JORDAN STAGGS

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF A LIFE STYLED

lanning a party or special event takes a lot of organization, imagination, and willpower. For those unsure how to pull off an idea or who don’t feel confident creating their event on their own, hiring an event designer can make all the difference between a fête and a flop. Shelly Harker, a Northwest Florida native and graduate of Florida State University’s psychology program, has always been enchanted with art and photography. Still, it wasn’t until after she gained her doctorate in clinical psychology, ran her own practice, and became a mom that she shifted her focus to a more creative career in event styling.

Shelly Harker, founder and lead designer of A Life Styled event company

Harker was living in Atlanta when, as she puts it, running a private psychology practice alongside motherhood “put my life at a crossroads.” She continues, “I closed the door to my practice and became reacquainted with my passion for art, design, and event planning—but from a unique vantage point, informed by my years of training.” Not long after, she moved back to the beach community along Scenic Highway 30-A in Florida and started A Life Styled, a boutique event-planning company specializing in elegant, intimate events, themed parties, and corporate functions. VIE caught up with Harker to chat about her journey and what it takes to create a successful event.

VIE: How did you decide to start A Life Styled?

Shelly Harker: While aesthetics and design weren’t my set career path, they’ve innately been a part of my life journey. It wasn’t until I was in the throes of motherhood that I was afforded the opportunity to explore my creative drive fully. What started as a labor of love, planning birthdays, holiday events, and special occasions for family and friends, organically evolved beyond the bounds of familiarity as I began networking with local businesses as a creative consultant and event designer. It was from these life experiences and the support and

encouragement of my family and friends that A Life Styled was born.

VIE: How does your background in psychology help you create unforgettable events for your clients?

SH: Psychology is embedded in every facet of life, so having an in-depth knowledge of human behavior gives me a more intentional and intimate understanding of my clients and their needs. Together, we work to cultivate a distinct personal style that communicates something meaningful, something from within. Understanding human needs and motivation also helps to identify more captivating and authentic means of engagement, like tapping into the senses to create memorable moments.

I help clients at all stages of event design, whether they seek consultation for carrying through a preconceived vision or need someone to assist from conception to completion.

VIE: What key elements are needed to create a successful and beautiful event?

SH: Logistically, communication is paramount, whether with the client, your team, or event vendors. Equally important is organization. Events involve moving parts that can easily fall through without proper steps to achieve your final objective. However, the key to a successful event is creating “memory moments” by doing something unique and unexpected. I accomplish this through curating experiences to evoke the senses. This biologically

Understanding human needs and motivation also helps to i dentify more captivating and authentic means of engagement, like tapping into the senses to create memorable moments.

innate response then translates to making positive emotional connections and lasting memories. We’ve all experienced this phenomenon when a smell, sound, taste, or image transports us to another place in time. Through the intentional selection of things like visually inspiring decor, music selections, and, of course, unique tastes and smells, you organically engage your audience to create these lasting memory moments.

VIE: How do you ensure the event decor and refreshments remain elegant and sophisticated? For example, an Alice in Wonderland theme could become kitschy, but you have pulled it off beautifully.

SH: Elevating your experience with formality, high-end selections, and intentionality can set the stage for an elegant and sophisticated event. These can be communicated well before guests grace the threshold with things like the style and delivery of your invitation, the type of venue chosen for the event, and opting for a guest dress code. Events often center around meals, so creating an enticing food

and beverage experience that both delights and satisfies your guests is essential. For instance, offering signature cocktails and creatively involving guests in the food experience always stands out. Sophistication is also conveyed through the thoughtful selection of your aesthetic and decor materials, appreciating that there’s a time and place for plastic and crêpe paper. Finally, hiring quality entertainment that’s both engaging and relevant can upscale any event.

VIE: What is the most challenging part of your business?

SH: Balancing my creative vision with that of the client can be both a challenge and a reward. Navigating differences in opinion and our preconceived ideas can put us outside of our comfort zones. Still, I see these exchanges as an opportunity to reflect, grow, and challenge myself individually and professionally. Timely execution is instrumental to the flow and success of an event, so I personally like to oversee each occasion and guarantee that for my clients should any unforeseen challenges arise. Seeing our ideas come together to create a strikingly unique and meaningful event is incredibly rewarding.

VIE: We all know charcuterie boards have been rising in popularity. What are some tips for creating a beautiful board?

SH: Today’s charcuterie showcases more like an art form, each piece intentionally selected and carefully displayed to create a masterpiece that appeals to the eyes as much as the palate. However, like Picasso and Monet, each artist has their preferred style. I like to offer flavor variety, using savory, salty, and sweet items throughout my boards. Ultimately, this lends to more grazing time, as guests will likely linger in their journey through your full-course culinary creation. Never underestimate the element of surprise, which can easily be captured by diversifying your presentation. Boards are traditionally used and often preferred, but I like to explore vertically with materials like charcuterie cups, skewers, and standing foam molds. This also gives way to creatively customizing spreads themed for special events and seasonal soirees. Beyond

Opposite: Vineyardto-table dining experience for Kokomo Winery and Raw & Juicy in Alys Beach, Florida, designed by A Life Styled

design, being mindful of dietary restrictions and proper proportions to meet the needs of your guests are of the utmost importance. This level of personalization seems like it should be common knowledge but is often overlooked.

VIE: Do you have any upcoming events or plans that we should be looking out for?

SH: I recently designed the Vineyard to Table Dining Experience for Raw & Juicy in Alys Beach, a five-course dinner mindfully curated to complement the natural wines of Breaking Bread from Kokomo Winery. Aligning with both brands’ shared passion for responsibly sourced ingredients, minimal intervention, and sustainability, I wanted the event design to appeal on a sensory level and leave guests with a deeper appreciation for the farm-to-table experience. To carry this through, one of my concepts for this design was creating living tablescapes with local produce, fresh herbs, and wildflowers to complement the thoughtfully paired dinner and boutique natural wines.

Also, to meet the growing demand for new event offerings in our area, I’ve recently teamed with two local entrepreneurs to design a sophisticated leisure experience tapping into all the senses unlike anything offered currently. We’re eager to launch our first pilot project on 30-A in the next few weeks.

Events often center around meals, so creating an enticing food and beverage experience that both delights and satisfies your guests is essential.

Spring has sprung!

s we enjoy warmer temperatures, fresh blooms, and blue skies, spring invites us to immerse ourselves more fully in nature. Whether you’re picnicking on the lawn or gathering on the front porch with friends and family, this recipe roundup is guaranteed to help you set your table (or blanket!) with spring’s finest flavors. VIE asked our favorite fresh foodies what’s gracing their menus this season, and they kindly shared some go-to favorites. The following recipes include dreamy treats spotlighting lemon and rose, vibrant main dishes like BBQ mushroom sandwiches and roasted cauliflower salad, and more featuring the freshest local and seasonal produce. Remember to follow these creators on social media and tag us @viemagazine while stirring up these spring specialties in the kitchen. Bon appétit!

EASY VEGAN LEMON CRUMB CAKE

By Ciarra Siller Peanut Butter Plus Chocolate | @peanutbutterpluschocolate

Ingredients

LEMON CAKE

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp tapioca flour or cornstarch

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup almond milk or plant milk of choice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup organic cane sugar

1/3 cup cold vegan butter, chopped

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

LEMON GLAZE

1/3 cup organic powdered sugar

1 tbsp almond milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

A perfect breakfast cake to enjoy with coffee or a sweet treat to end the day!

SERVES 6 TO 8

Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 6-inch (3-inch deep) round cake pan with non-stick spray. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, tapioca or starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest. Add in the almond milk, lemon juice, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract and stir using a rubber spatula until no dry spots remain.

Place all the crumble ingredients into a food processor and pulse until everything is well combined and crumbles form. Transfer the batter to the pan and top with crumbles. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes until cooked through and topping is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake.

This cake will keep at room temperature in a lightly covered container for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

JUICY PULLED BBQ MUSHROOM SANDWICHES

By Sophia Victoria Vegan SophiaVictoriaVegan.com @sophiavictoriavegan

“Savory, tender mushrooms are cooked to perfection in a quick and flavorful homemade barbecue sauce, making it the perfect pulled pork alternative,” says Sophia. “Served on warm toasted sourdough with crunchy cabbage slaw, pickles, and creamy avocado. Take your spring and summer cookouts to the next level!”

Directions

SERVES 2 – 4

Shred the mushrooms, pulling them apart with your hands or using a fork. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk. Pour the sauce over the shredded mushrooms, toss to coat, then spread thinly across a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until bubbly and browned around the edges, stirring halfway through.

Make your crunchy cabbage slaw: Thinly slice the cabbage. Chop green onions. Add to a bowl with the red wine vinegar, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to build your sandwiches.

Build your sandwiches: Toast the bread and slice the pickles and avocado. Spread avocado onto your bread, line with pickles, and pile on the BBQ mushrooms. Top with the cold crunchy cabbage and enjoy open-faced or with a top bun!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD with HEALTHY RANCH DRESSING

By Sarah Cobacho Plantbaes | @_plantbaes_

Ingredients

1/2 cauliflower head, chopped in florets

1 red onion, chopped in quarters

1.5 cup chickpeas

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

dash salt

1 + 0.5 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp toasted almonds

1/2 avocado, diced

Ingredients

4–6 oyster mushrooms, shredded

(I used local mushrooms from my friends over at Vale Of Paradise Mushrooms!)

Sliced and toasted sourdough bread or buns of choice (I used my favorite sourdough from a local favorite, Black Bear Bread Co.)

Sliced dill pickles

1 ripe avocado

BBQ SAUCE

2 garlic cloves minced OR 1 tsp garlic powder

1/3 cup tomato paste OR ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

2 heaping tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 heaping tsp smoked paprika

CRUNCHY CABBAGE SLAW

1/2 large head of purple cabbage

3 green onions

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1-2 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 tsp salt

“The roasted cauliflower is so flavourful and pairs perfectly with the homemade ranch dressing,” Cobacho says. “Plus, it’s packed with healthy and nourishing ingredients that make it not only delicious but also good for you. It’s equally suitable to pack in your lunchbox or completely wow your guests. Talk about versatile!”

1 small cucumber, diced

2 cups arugula

RANCH DRESSING

1/4 cup cashews

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup soy milk

2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp dry chives

1 garlic clove, minced

2 dash black pepper

Directions

SERVES 2

Preheat the oven to 410°F. Cover the cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain.

In a bowl, add the cauliflower, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and a dash of salt. Mix until thoroughly coated. Transfer to an oven-safe dish. Cook for 30 minutes.

Mix the chickpeas, red onions, 0.5 tbsp olive oil, and garlic powder. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. In a blender, add the soaked cashews, lemon juice, onion powder, and soy milk. Blend until smooth. Mix in the dill, parsley, garlic, chives, and black pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined.

In a large serving bowl, add the arugula, roasted cauliflower, red onions, chickpeas, cucumber, and avocado. Drizzle with ranch dressing and enjoy!

“These are a creamy, lightly sweet treat with the magic of rose petals enrobed in chocolate,” Tara shares. “I was daydreaming of chocolate-shelled ice creams I ate as a kid and imagined the heart-opening addition of wild rose balanced with crunchy pistachios and energizing nettle seeds. Roses are a cooling, astringent flower, high in beneficial tannins, well-matched with the crisp bite of dark chocolate and the sweetness of coconut cream.”

MAKES

In a small pan on the stove, heat the coconut milk. Whisk in the honey or sweetener of your choice and turn off the heat, making sure the sweetener is fully dissolved. Once the honey is dissolved, add the rose powder and vanilla, whisking until mixed well. Stir in beet juice if you’re using it. Pour the milk mixture into popsicle molds and place in the freezer until solidly frozen, about 1 to 2 hours.

Once frozen, prepare a parchment-lined plate and prep the chocolate shells. Ready your chopped pistachios, seeds, and rose petals for decorating

ROSE PETAL DREAMSICLES

By Tara Lanich-LaBrie The Medicine Circle @themedicinecircle

Ingredients

ICE CREAM

1 can full-fat coconut milk

1 tbsp honey or sweetener of choice

1-1/2 tbsp rose petal powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp beet juice for color (optional)

CHOCOLATE SHELL

2 tbsp pistachios, chopped Sprinkle of dry rose petals (You can buy powdered rose petals or grind up your own dried rose petals in a coffee or spice grinder.)

1/2 cup 72% dark chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp nettle seeds

the outside because the shell will harden quickly. Then make a double boiler, a Bain Marie, with a heat-safe bowl and a medium/small saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove, half-filled with water. Bring to a low boil and place the heat-safe bowl on top; make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Combine the dark chocolate and coconut oil in the bowl and stir until melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Take out one popsicle at a time from the freezer and use a large spoon to pour the melted chocolate over the popsicle. Sprinkle the pistachios and other toppings on quickly and place the popsicle on your parchment-lined plate as you work. Put the plate with the popsicle back in the freezer and repeat this step as you make each popsicle. You can save the chocolate in the refrigerator for up to a month and reheat it for a later batch if you have extra. Let the popsicles rest in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to harden the shells and ice cream before you enjoy them.

Directions

4 STANDARD-SIZEDPOPSICLES

POP-UP NEW PICNIC

INTIMATE GATHERINGS IN PUBLIC SPACES

BY SUZANNE POLLAK

The group wasn’t big, but the attendance represented a broad demographic as the word spread as far as Dakar, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, the Pentagon, and all points in between. The thirty-minute sessions provided a midweek breather and a way to connect with new faces—even though we were all just squares on screens. As a bonus, we became expert cocktail makers!

Now, post-COVID, my favorite way to entertain has returned to in-person gatherings—through brief, quirky, community-building “pop-up” dinners. I partner with my friend Autumn, and we combine our imaginations to plan these dinners, from selecting the participants to choosing beautiful public spots throughout Charleston as our dining rooms.

We pick places with action views: a rising moon, a tugboat coming in, or dolphins playing a few yards away. Our sideboard—covered with everyone’s potluck offerings—is often a nearby bench, and our chandelier is the stars.

As we set up tables, one of our pleasures is having passersby express encouragement when they realize what we are doing. Those who are tourists often say they want to do this in their hometowns.

One rainy night, we took over a park gazebo and were privileged during our meal to see a man nearby on his knee proposing to his intended. Once, when the weather was too cold to be outside, we set up at a construction site that offered a sliver of warmth.

Although people have offered their dining rooms when the weather could have been better, we have always declined. Our outdoor borrowed dining rooms have a wide-open psychic energy different from elegant private homes, which often have complicated pasts. These public settings lift the ordinary dinner party experience into a universal realm.

So do the guests. Rather than inviting our nearest and dearest, we reach out to diverse community members. Guests are chosen from our various networks. They are people we want to know better, those we want to introduce to each other, some who need a little TLC, and a few who recently moved to town. We frequently change the guest list, so our networks are enlarged and stronger. New friendships form as a result.

One Christmas morning, we invited people who would otherwise be alone. Nobody knew each other, but we became a family for ninety minutes, a community knit around a table in a public space. The bonds we forged that Christmas made it one of my favorites.

One thing that never changes in my life is my love of entertaining. I’ve been hosting all sorts of parties, from little dinners to garden events, all my adult life, and even COVID-19 didn’t stop me. For sixty-three consecutive Wednesdays, I entertained by hosting Zoom cocktail classes/parties with live entertainment, open to anyone who wanted to join.

(Thank you to musician Wycliffe Gordon, who played for us!)

We ask the guests to do some work so they are engaged from the get-go. The invitation by text message gives specific instructions: You are invited to Autumn and Suzanne’s Pop-Up. 5:30 Cocktails. 6:00 Dinner. We will bring: A long table and tablecloth, candles, plates, and some food. You should bring: a chair, silverware, a cup/glass, and a dish to share. Please let us know if you plan to join.

Guests help unload cars. We all set up, drink a cocktail, talk, eat, connect, break the tables down, and leave the place as we found it—all within an hour and a half, doing our best not to attract much attention or cause much commotion.

My tasks are carrying two iron chairs from my upstairs balcony and fitting them into the car trunk, bringing my grandmother’s silver candelabra and two antique ivory linen sheets for tablecloths, and remembering to pack napkins, my silver fork and cup, and garbage bags, plus the food I’ve prepared.

Autumn brings an eight-foot folding table, her grandmother’s china, and four chairs. One frequent guest brings an eight-foot folding table, his grandmother’s silver candelabra, silver julep cups, and Georgian forks. The two tables covered with heavy linens and four silver candelabras are magical

and fit well with our city’s elegance, hospitality, and tradition.

We have a dedicated cocktail maker who shows up with milk punch at Christmas, mint juleps in the spring, margaritas in the summer, and her Love Potion No. 9 for Valentine’s Day.

But other guests bring their own traditions. The result is that we always have a hodge-podge menu. For example, our first Christmas meal was eggnog, milk punch, fresh orange juice, sticky buns, tenderloin, sausage and egg casserole, cassoulet, rigatoni, and banana pudding. As odd as the combinations are, it all works.

The charming character and eccentricity of the hodge-podge have become established features of our pop-ups. The chairs don’t match. We do not micromanage who brings what. The menu is revealed when dinner begins. The guests don’t know each other. There is always someone who just moved to town. If someone asks to bring a visitor, the answer is yes. We’ve had a number of people from overseas attend.

A fulfilling vibe results from the public setting, the unconventional nature of the night, and the varied guests, all invested in the event. People talk

to whomever they want and make connections in a short period. We have discovered that even socially awkward people are more comfortable outside in nature, away from the confines of a formal dining room and the structure of a regular dinner party.

Autumn and I believe we are improving our city one pop-up at a time. Our dinners have an inclusive social impact that expands community: They connect different professions and parts of the city, create a sense of belonging and outreach, provide emotional support, and strengthen resilience.

I have always believed the world can be changed one dinner party at a time. A pop-up is one of the best ways to do that. It overcomes the limitation of a small dining room filled with your customary friends. It lets you hold the dinner parties you want with the people you want in beautiful public places. So give it a try, and put your tax dollars to work by using the public spaces your city offers.

Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal Mansion section and Town & Country magazine. Visit CharlestonAcademy.com or contact her at Suzanne@CharlestonAcademy.com to learn more.

A pop-up dinner organized by Suzanne Pollak and Autumn Phillips at a beautiful park in Charleston, South Carolina

Below right: Suzanne and Autumn

Photos courtesy of Suzanne Pollak

A fulfilling vibe results from the public setting, the unconventional nature of the night, and the varied guests, all invested in the event.

Protecting your piece of paradise.

Jenny Lus

LUXURY HOME & CONDO INSURANCE SPECIALIST

OFFICE: (850) 231-0042

MOBILE: (850) 585-3800

COASTALCOVERAGE.COM

Known as London’s most beautiful venue, it would be wrong to call Sketch just a restaurant. Instead, it is a destination for food, drinks, music, and art, comprising different dining and bar spaces, each with a unique design and menu. The imaginative interiors offer a sensory experience in their own right, but that doesn’t mean the food is compromised— the Sketch Lecture Room and Library currently holds three Michelin stars.

To learn more, visit www.Sketch.london.

Photo courtesy of Sketch London

BY ANTHEA GERRIE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

Chefs

ARE BETTER THAN ONE

IN THEIR TWENTIES, THEY

HEADLINES

FRANCE

ow, thirty years later, they have conquered the world. After colonizing Paris, Tokyo, and many other Asian cities with outposts that showcase their fabulous take on French cuisine, they are once again wowing diners in their hometown with a gastronomic apotheosis that looks set to win them a whole new trio of stars before they hit sixty.

Meet Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, who make magic five nights a week at Le Jardin des Sens in the town that has grown rapidly since their debut to become France’s seventh most populated city. Montpellier is the center of the burgeoning Languedoc wine trade and a vibrant student town. Le Jardin des Sens, born in a much more humble neighborhood, now sits on the city’s oldest and most beautiful square, the Place de la Canourgue. The twins have converted the old seventeenth-century town hall into Montpellier’s first and only five-star hotel, the incredibly beautiful Hôtel Richer de Belleval.

“We travel the world, but this will always be our home,” Jacques relates as we sip coffee in one of three gorgeously renovated Renaissance rooms that make up the restaurant— in this case, the one boasting lavishly painted and gilded vaulted ceilings. Laurent, who commands a brigade of fourteen chefs under his sole control in the kitchen, is already at work—before 10:00 a.m.—on the twenty to thirty individual dishes each guest will enjoy for dinner that night. The menu may suggest only ten plates make up its

tasting offering, but that doesn’t include the multicourse amuse-bouches and many extra treats and surprises that inevitably come forth to delight diners.

Usually, they’re brought out by Jacques, who dons his whites not only to meet and greet guests but to serve them personally with whichever whimsies have been dreamed up on the spot by his brother. “We don’t really specialize; I used to lean more toward patisserie, but now the entire kitchen is the province of Laurent, and I’m the one who presents our face directly to the guests,” explains the youthful-looking fifty-eight-yearold, whose handsome bald head and almond eyes bring a beautifully painted brown egg to mind.

MADE

IN

AS THE HOT, YOUNG TWIN CHEFS WHOSE MULTIMICHELIN-STARRED CULINARY ACUMEN TRANSFORMED THE CHARMING BUT UNSUNG TOWN OF MONTPELLIER INTO A DINING DESTINATION.

Opposite: Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, the twin chefs who have brought the three-Michelin-star dining experience Jardin des Sens to Montpellier, France, along with a host of other award-winning eateries throughout the world

Above: A creative lobster dish dreamed up by Chef Laurent Pourcel at Jardin des Sens

shock of dark hair distinguished the twins at age fifteen, when they were already giving up their weekends and holidays to serve as commis chefs in the tiny town of Florensac, near Montpellier, where they were raised. “It had a oneMichelin-star restaurant, and as the only two of us four children who were interested in cooking—we got our love of it from our mother and grandmother—we were in there chopping vegetables and peeling shrimp as soon as we were allowed,” says the chef born into a wine family that continues its vinicultural pursuits today.

After studying at catering college and executing “stages” with great French chefs like Pierre Gagnaire and Michel Bras, the twins leaped headfirst into their audacious first adventure, launching the original Jardin des Sens when they were only twenty-four. “Within eighteen months of opening, we had our first Michelin star,” says Jacques, recalling that the second and third followed hard on its heels over the next eight years, making theirs only the second three-star restaurant in the region.

Naturally, le tout-Paris clamored for the Pourcels to bring their magic to the French capital, as did bons viveurs in the nearby Provençal town of Avignon and, more surprisingly, the tastemakers of Tokyo. Here Sens & Saveurs has remained a fixture for the

past twenty years, followed by outposts in Shanghai, Singapore, and Bangkok. The Pourcels’ latest undertakings in Asia are a French bistro in Colombo, the former capital of Sri Lanka, and a clone of the Jardin des Sens due to reopen in Saigon post-COVID-19. While they have exported Mediterranean cuisine with a twist to these locations, they have imported Asian flavors and techniques to France, which now “pepper” their French menus with eastern spices and more than a modicum of fruit in savory dishes—not to mention a visual aesthetic picked up in Japan, whose eye for detail the twins endlessly admire.

What is served today at the new Jardin des Sens is pure poetry, and we’re not just talking “official” dishes like the tiny tranche of roast blue lobster served with tarragon ravioli, which follows an exquisite first course

of cured mackerel and candied beetroot dressed with caviar and honeyed lemon. On my second visit, the pigeon with cherries—the climax of my first dining experience chez Pourcel (pigeons eat cherries in the wild, which is why the combination is so inspired and sublime)—is out of season. Still, I am loving a runny yolk of quail egg mingling with the earthy notes of creamed truffle, potato puree, and Comté cheese, which arrives in an unannounced eggcup toward the start of the meal. The most lavish dish of all comes in the simplest of vessels—a gorgeous mélange of liquidized foie gras, truffle, and cream swirled up in a glass yogurt pot; this is a Pourcel classic from the earliest days of Jardin des Sens and is equally unannounced.

The old, beloved Jardin may be gone, its home victim to urban development, but there has never been a

WHAT IS SERVED TODAY AT THE NEW JARDIN DES SENS IS PURE POETRY, AND WE’RE NOT JUST TALKING “OFFICIAL” DISHES LIKE THE TINY TRANCHE OF ROAST BLUE LOBSTER SERVED WITH TARRAGON RAVIOLI, WHICH FOLLOWS AN EXQUISITE FIRST COURSE OF CURED MACKEREL AND CANDIED BEETROOT DRESSED WITH CAVIAR AND HONEYED LEMON.

time when the twins were not active in Montpellier. As the first Jardin closed its doors, they opened Terminal#1, a riverside restaurant offering weekend cabaret that has remained wildly popular with locals, while the elegant bistro within the hotel attracts a well-heeled business crowd. There is a beach restaurant, too—Montpellier sits close to France’s glorious Mediterranean coast—and a newer restaurant in Paris inside the Galeries Lafayette department store. But the reimagined Jardin des Sens, which landed its first star last year within eight months of opening, is clearly their baby—the place in their hometown of thirty-five years where they can indulge their gastronomic imagination and whimsy to the limit while feeding their neighbors with imaginative but affordable food based on the superb local ingredients of field and shore as well as Spain just across the border. “Fine dining is not finished—there is more interest than ever, and more restaurants—but it’s changing and becoming democratized,” observes Laurent.

Do they have a secret weapon to account for their longevity in difficult times? I ask them, and Jacques modestly replies, “We’re identical twins—that has always grabbed the attention.” But that’s just an

accident of birth, and there’s so much more to this pair than a visual gimmick. After thinking carefully, Jacques decides it’s the loyalty of followers who stream in from all over the world to enjoy the food they may have first tasted in London, Paris, Bangkok, or Tokyo—and Americans are among the most regular visitors. Laurent is convinced it’s something simpler: “We are constantly reinventing our dishes, but our desire is first and foremost to share our passion and give pleasure.” Visit

Anthea Gerrie is based in the UK but travels the world in search of stories. Her special interests are architecture and design, culture, food, and drink, as well as the best places to visit in the world’s great playgrounds. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, the Independent, and Blueprint

Top left and right: Jardin des Sens is located inside the chic Hôtel Richer de Belleval in Montpellier.

Photos by Anthea Gerrie

This page and opposite: The tasting menu at Jardin des Sens changes based on what’s in season and what the Pourcel brothers have imagined each day for diners.

Left: Foie gras, truffle, and cream served in a yogurt pot

Opposite: A creative presentation of cured mackerel and candied beetroot with caviar and honeyed lemon

INTRIGUING ISTANBUL

Ancient Wonders and Modern Delights

BY CAROLYN O’NEIL

Istanbul continues to lure world travelers to its magnificent metropolitan destination on the Bosporus Strait. Physically unaffected by the recent earthquake in the southern part of Turkey (also spelled Türkiye), hotels, restaurants, historic sites, shops, and museums in Istanbul are open for business and bustling.

Istanbul is uniquely situated in Europe on one side of the strait and Asia on the other, so it’s literally positioned where East meets West. Simply cross a bridge and enjoy two continents in one day.

There are many worlds to discover when visiting Istanbul, with multiple layers of history revealed through spectacular ancient architecture. Founded as Byzantium by the Greeks, it became Constantinople as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire and then was renamed Istanbul by the conquering Ottomans. Today, Istanbul is the largest city in Türkiye and the country’s economic, cultural, and historic hub known for its many glittering mosques and palaces.

The Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest holy shrines in the world, was initially built as a cathedral and then converted into a mosque with the addition of towering minarets used to project the Muslim call to prayer. Arrive early to avoid long lines, and note that women are asked to wear a headscarf to respect tradition.

Nearby is another dramatic landmark, the Blue Mosque, so called because of the countless brilliant blue tiles inside the structure. You can see what it was like to live like a sultan at Topkapi Palace, a complex of magnificent courtyards and exquisite buildings, including the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire. For a 360-degree view of Istanbul and its waterways, climb to the observation deck of the Galata Tower. It was the city’s loftiest building in the 1300s and still stands tall on the skyline today.

More recent history is revealed in the Pera area, now called Beyoğlu. Here you’ll find bars, cafés, arts, music, and Istiklal Street—a vast shopping avenue with everything from Zara’s latest fashions to Mandabatmaz Türk Kahvesi, one of the best places to sip meticulously brewed Turkish coffee.

You can sleep, or at least enjoy a cocktail, surrounded by history at the luxurious Pera Palace Hotel, which was built in this district in 1892 for hosting passengers of the Orient Express. Its exceptional period furnishings, decor, chandeliers, and artwork make you feel as if you are time traveling to the early 1900s with the characters of the hit Netflix show, Midnight at the Pera Palace. Not new to books or movies, the Pera Palace Hotel is where Agatha Christie is said to have written the novel Murder on the Orient Express.

Left: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Mosque, an iconic architectural marvel

Photo courtesy of GoTurkiye.com

Right: Pide flatbreads, a delicious start to a Turkish meal

Photo courtesy of Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar

MODERN ISTANBUL

Today, gleaming skyscrapers, luxury hotels, contemporary retail developments, and rooftop bars and restaurants add fresh energy to this historic city. Whether new construction or thoughtful renovation of older buildings, much of the architectural focus has stayed the same over the centuries: prioritizing expansive waterfront views.

The latest addition to the hotel scene is the Peninsula Istanbul, with a compound of glamorous buildings and gardens overlooking the Bosporus. The hotel is located within the Galataport, a lively waterfront development in the fashionable Karaköy district.

The Galataport is home to many new restaurants, including Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar, which offers a marvelous take on the tradition of meze, or Turkish tapas. Just sit back and enjoy as the small dishes with big tastes keep coming to the table! One of my favorite food discoveries is the deliciousness of pide, an elliptical-shaped Turkish flatbread topped with vegetables and herbs.

A CENTER OF TRADE

Once the end of the Silk Road, the route for precious goods flowing from China and India to the Western world, Istanbul is still an epicenter of trading in busy marketplaces. Enter the winding aisles of the overwhelming Grand Bazaar under an arch dated 1461, and you walk into one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets. There are over four thousand merchants selling carpets and kilims, gold jewelry, engraved metal tea sets, lamps and lanterns, colorful ceramics, and leather crafts, just as shopkeepers did centuries ago. But today, you’ll also find a cache of counterfeit designer fashions and many cashmere pashmina scarf shops. While retail temptations abound, remember to admire the vaulted mosaic ceilings, and make sure to mark a meeting spot in case you wander too far from friends.

Shoppers tip: For the best pashminas, ask the seller or look for tags that say 100 percent pashmina or a percent blend of cashmere and silk. Don’t like the price? Feel free to bargain or move to the next shop!

On to the food court! The “new” Spice Bazaar, built in 1660, is an aromatic carnival of coffee, teas, dried fruits, nuts, pomegranates, Turkish delight sweets, and a kaleidoscope of colorful spices and herb blends.

Shoppers tip: Vendors will vacuum pack your spice purchases, keeping them fresh and safely sealed to place in your luggage.

The merchants are friendly and eager to share samples and a conversation. I loved tasting sips of Turkish tea perfumed with dried roses and sniffing the varying qualities of saffron. It’s a great way to get to know the Turkish people and to hear how grateful they are for visitors today.

Above right: The Ottoman-era Blue Mosque, still a functioning place of worship

Right: Inside the lively Spice Bazaar, open since the 1600s

Photos courtesy of GoTurkiye.com

Opposite left: A table filled with Turkish tastes at Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar

Photo courtesy of Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar

Opposite top right: The elegant Kubbeli Lounge at the historic Pera Palace Hotel

Photo courtesy of Pera Palace Hotel

Türkiye is a major world tourist destination, and many people here are dependent on these revenues after being affected by pandemic shutdowns—and now they fear news of the earthquake will affect tourism numbers.

“Istanbul is far from the areas hit by the earthquake and will not present a problem to anyone wanting to visit its beautiful shores,” says Mona Sunshine, Honorary Consul General of Türkiye in the state of Georgia. “I hope others will take the opportunity to visit the city and experience Türkiye’s colorful and diverse culinary heritage waiting to be discovered!”

A TASTE OF TURKISH CUISINE

If you’re a breakfast lover, then Türkiye is the country for you! It’s not just a meal; it’s a very social experience designed to be shared and savored. Plates of sweet and savory bites fill the entire table, accompanied by bread and tea poured into tulip-shaped glasses. Eggs and sausages are served surrounded by the fresh bounty of the land, including cheeses, olives, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs, fruit jams, oranges, and Turkish pastries. Simit, a round bagel-like bread topped with sesame seeds, is torn and dipped into whatever condiment you desire, from honey and clotted cream to spicy red pepper paste. Breakfast ends with a Turkish coffee to aid digestion. After this morning meal, you’ll be ready to walk the entire Silk Road! Turkish hotels pride themselves on their breakfast buffet offerings. At The Marmara Pera hotel, I enjoyed selections from the above menu (not all of them!) every morning.

Walking tours of local food shops are popular just about everywhere today, and Istanbul is one of the best places to sample while you saunter. Our group visited neighborhood shops, family-run for decades, specializing in candies, pickles, dried fruit, and jams. Then we had a lesson in firing skewers of seasoned lamb or beef over hot coals at Dürümzade in Beyoğlu. A durum is a carefully folded wrap of flatbread filled with grilled meats. Photos of the late Anthony Bourdain’s visit here proudly adorned the wall outside.

Right and below: Burnt pistachio dessert with cherry ice cream, octopus cooked in ash, and grilled lamb sausages with pickles at Mürver Restaurant

Photos courtesy of Mürver

“I hope others will take the opportunity to visit the city and experience Türkiye’s colorful and diverse culinary heritage waiting to be discovered!”

More delights at Mürver include monkfish hanging over the live fire, celeriac from the brick oven (above), and shared plates matched with Turkish wines (far left).

Türkiye’s cuisine has been praised for centuries, but it wasn’t until recently that it was included in the famed Michelin Guide, the worldwide organization that awards stars for culinary excellence. One of the restaurants making the prestigious guide is Mürver on the terrace level of the Novotel Hotel in the Karaköy district overlooking the Bosporus. Mürver head chef Mevlüt Özkaya was named Michelin Young Chef in 2023, the first year of the Michelin Awards in Türkiye. His passion for live fire cooking includes an entire fire wall where he employs over a dozen techniques of roasting, grilling, charring, smoking, and searing. At the marble-topped chef’s table, Özkaya prepares and presents dishes paired with an extensive collection of the finest Turkish wines. Enjoy spicy beef sausages with house-made pickles, succulent octopus cooked in ash, roasted artichokes with artichoke foam, slow-roasted lamb with spicy apricot compote, and a crème brûlée-style burnt pistachio dessert with cherry ice cream. This is an elegant and contemporary tour of traditional Turkish cuisine.

TURKISH HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Türkiye is also well-known for the spa rituals of the hammam in Turkish baths dating back to ancient Rome. There are many historic and modern bath facilities, and most luxury hotels feature hammam spa treatments. Soak away your travel aches, pains, and the dust of the road, and then emerge refreshed and clean, ready for the next adventure.

Turkish cuisine is among the healthiest in the world, as part of the celebrated Mediterranean diet. “You’ll find that it’s remarkably similar to Greece and Italy with many plant foods such as fresh produce, whole grains, nuts, and olives and lesser amounts of meats, dairy, and sweets,” says Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways, a nonprofit group that leads global culinary tours. “The Mediterranean diet has always included the cuisines of countries around the Mediterranean, including Türkiye.”

Visit GoTurkiye.com for more information or to plan your visit.

Travelers should know that while Türkiye grapples with the aftermath of earthquake devastation in the country’s southeastern region, the Turkish people warmly welcome visitors to experience the timeless beauty of Istanbul and beyond.

“Türkiye’s cuisine has been praised for centuries, but it wasn’t until recently that it was included in the famed Michelin Guide, the worldwide organization that awards stars for culinary excellence.”

Photos courtesy of Mürver

Above middle: Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar

Photo courtesy of Muutto Anatolian Tapas Bar

Purely Delectable

Häagen-Dazs has unveiled its latest indulgent innovation, the Butter Cookie Cone— a luxurious blend of rich ice cream and toppings nestled inside a sumptuous cookie cone and finished with tempting cookie pieces. Coffee is just one of four flavors from the recent Häagen-Dazs Butter Cookie Cone launch. Check your local grocery store for these delectable treats, and trust us, your taste buds will thank you later!

Photo courtesy of Häagen-Dazs

SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE Culinary Gems Abound

If you’re up for an out-of-the-way food adventure and willing to explore, there are unique culinary experiences in Walton County, Florida. Whether your savory search leads you to fried green tomatoes with a Gulf Coast twist, homemade ice cream at an 80s-themed café or one-of-a-kind fried New Orleans bread pudding in a historic Florida downtown, we’re here to help you navigate through Walton County’s hidden culinary treasures.

ROYAL PALM GRILLE

Just off Scenic Highway 98 in Miramar Beach, a landmark for thirsty beachgoers is connected to a restaurant with a Gulf view and a menu worth sinking your teeth

into. Located right on the sand, the Beach Bar offers a selection of thirst-quenching cocktails, but many patrons don’t realize the bar is connected to a casualdining seafood sports bar. “They come for the location, and we keep them with the quality of the food,” says owner Nicki Cox. A hidden gem on their menu is the Gulf Coast-style fried green tomatoes topped with sauteed jumbo shrimp and a spicy beurre blanc sauce. This dish combines a classic southern staple with a taste of the Gulf. It’s an appetizer made to share, but you won’t want to.

Also, enjoy a free beach bonfire every Monday and Friday evening after grabbing a frozen drink at the

Photography courtesy of WALTON COUNTY TOURISM

Beach Bar, fresh sushi from the restaurant or trying a new dish from their extensive menu.

POLISHED CHEF

In Walton County, there’s no need to leave your home or vacation accommodations to enjoy fine dining. The award-winning Polished Chef Nathan Davis specializes in custom-catered cuisine, offering a variety of fresh seafood, meat and produce to bring you a personalized culinary experience.

Davis, based in Santa Rosa Beach, says other private chefs and catering companies will batch cook, preparing the meal ahead of time and reheating it. “I don’t take shortcuts,” says Davis. The Polished Chef cooks with a higher standard and prepares everything in your home. “While they’re eating their salad, we are just now cooking their fish,” says Davis.

Davis came up with the Polished Chef brand while working in hotel restaurants at the start of his career. He would be sent to assist at restaurants in other cities, and those chefs seemed to have doubts about Davis because of his age.

“I was the young gun. I was 23… These guys were working for John Besh or Emeril Lagasse,” says Davis. “They were very serious about their business when it came to food. They used to always say, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll like him. He’s polished.’”

NICK’S SEAFOOD

Located on the Choctawhatchee Bay, one of Freeport’s oldest restaurants began as a fishing camp and grew into a 60-year-old family-owned restaurant.

“My Grandaddy started the business in 1956,” says owner Trey Nick who proudly carries on the family name and business. With waterfront views of the Bay and fresh local seafood, it’s no wonder this mom-and-pop operation with a familyfriendly atmosphere is a locals’ favorite.

“We have the best fried shrimp you’ll find anywhere,” proclaims Nick, “We also are known for our blue crabs and fresh mullet.”

CAFÉ NOLA

Tucked away in historic DeFuniak Springs, Café Nola offers an authentic Cajun experience with an old Florida vibe. Walking into the 20s-style restaurant will take you back 100 years to when the freemasons first built the place.

The most popular dessert, created by restaurant owner Chef Ernie Danjean himself, is the Deep-Fried Bread Pudding. “People have had bread pudding every kind of way before, but they’ve never had it deep fried. And I know that because I invented it,” says Danjean. “You know, we warn people – you will be coming back and back.”

Previous Page: Royal Palm Grille offers Gulf views and a menu worth sinking your teeth into. 2A’s Mossy Head Diner is an 80s-themed café that boasts a variety of specialty grilled-pressed sandwiches.

This Page: Nick’s Seafood is a family-owned restaurant that serves up bay views, fun times and some of the best fried shrimp.

“We’re spearheading the redevelopment of this really awesome downtown DeFuniak,” says Danjean. “It’s nice to see old-town America making a comeback.”

2A’S MOSSY HEAD DINER

Mossy Head’s newest diner is a blast from the past. This 80s-themed café in north Walton County boasts a variety of specialty grilled-pressed sandwiches like the Grilled Spicy Thai Chicken, a 2A Café original grilled sandwich with smoked pulled chicken flavored with Thai red curry, peanut butter and orange marmalade.

Owners Jason and Amanda Ramsey started their restaurant journey after being shut out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their entrepreneurial spirit and love of food led them to founding the 2A Cafe Food Truck in June 2022.

They recently expanded and opened a storefront located off Highway 90 in Mossy Head, Florida, with 80s-themed décor that draws in folks from

WE’RE

all walks of life. “We get people that have cars that are more expensive than our house, and we get people pulling up on 4-wheelers that are our local friends,” says Jason Ramsey.

Along with their love of the community and welcoming attitude, they also offer specialty sandwiches, including alligator. “People say they have never had gator until they eat our sandwiches,” declares Ramsey.

Often the best part of any vacation is experiencing new flavors. Walton County offers an out-of-the-box experience, in sometimes the most unexpected places, that brings hungry visitors and locals alike back for another course.

This Page: Polished Chef specializes in custom-catered cuisine. The Deep-Fried Bread Pudding at Café Nola will keep you coming back. Walton County’s creative culinary scene stretches from the sugar-white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Lake Jackson.

SPEARHEADING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS REALLY AWESOME DOWNTOWN DEFUNIAK. IT’S NICE TO SEE OLDTOWN AMERICA MAKING A COMEBACK.

Le monde

GOES ROUND AND ROUND

Indulge in the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia with Assouline’s Saudi Dates. This visually stunning coffee-table book explores the significance of the beloved date palms to the region’s traditions and landscapes. Through its insightful curation and breathtaking imagery, readers are taken on a fascinating journey through the history and cultural importance of these delicious fruits. And for culinary enthusiasts, the book offers a glimpse into how dates are used in traditional cuisine. Whether you’re an art lover or simply seeking a beautiful addition to your living space, Saudi Dates is a captivating choice for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the beauty and depth of Saudi Arabian culture.

Photo courtesy of Assouline

SUPPER Le monde

THE IS BACK 114 | APRIL 2023

By Jordan Staggs

Photography courtesy of Saltwater Supper Club

No matter how much a couple, family, or group of friends loves going out for dinner, the experience can sometimes get stale. We fall into a rut, going to the same restaurants and ordering the same menu items. Even though they’re delicious and we love the staff who have come to treat us like family, it’s occasionally good to break out of our routine and try something new. That’s where Caroline Boone comes in.

The owner and lead designer of CC.Boone Creative & Culinary Experiences in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, specializes in “après-beach” events. She and her team set up dreamy picnics, boho lounge decor, sumptuous charcuterie spreads, and entertainment for clients visiting the beach, locals celebrating special occasions, and businesses throwing soirées. Her casual elegance and breezy style perfectly suit those looking for an elevated picnic or outdoor lounge for bachelorette parties, girls’ getaways, birthdays, and much more. CC.Boone can set up on the white-sand beaches, in a backyard, on a porch, or anywhere the vibes are right.

In 2022, Boone’s passion for gathering people around the table evolved into a new social experiment—a dinner series. After hosting friends and family for indoor or outdoor meals around beautifully designed tables with incredible food and drinks by local chefs, she knew the concept could elevate her business. The Saltwater Supper Club was born.

“Saltwater Supper Club was created as a way for us to create a charming dining experience right in the heart of your home,” Boone says. She partnered with other locals who share her passion, reviving the art of the dinner series by curating events patrons could buy tickets to and hosting commissioned dinners for clients who want to invite their loved ones or celebrate a special occasion at home.

“Our team is small, and we like to take the time to get to know the people at the table,” says Boone. “Maddie Bilderback, our culinary director, is such an easy presence and makes everyone feel right at home—literally. Bill Leavy is our head chef, and his approach to food is always very well thought out. His passion for cooking really shows up in his dishes, and he’s the friendliest chef you’ll ever meet!” Creating memorable meals with fresh Gulf seafood, local produce, and creative cocktail setups has been the foodie formula for many successful Saltwater Supper Club events throughout the past year.

Right: David Railey and Caroline Boone set the table for a Saltwater Supper Club event

Left: A private dinner setup by Boone and her team at Kaiya Beach Resort

Photo by Hunter Burgtorf

Good quality, locally sourced food is important. We also like to change it up by incorporating seasonal native foliage, block-print tablecloths, and curated playlists.

Boone says good music, the right people, and candlelight can take your dinner party a long way. “Good quality, locally sourced food is also important. We also like to change it up by incorporating seasonal native foliage, block-print tablecloths, and curated playlists.” Customprinted menus, signature cocktails or mocktails, wine pairings, and grazing boards are also available to give each supper club event a one-of-a-kind feel.

Expanding its offerings from intimate dinner parties, the Saltwater Supper Club team is excited to take on more small weddings and other events this year. They have recently partnered with Raw & Juicy café and juice bar in Alys Beach, whose stunning outdoor courtyard and patio make a perfect gathering place for wedding welcome parties and rehearsal dinners for up to one hundred guests. Boone says she can’t wait to see what comes next for the company and looks forward to every opportunity to cook for clients and their closest friends while customizing the event details so guests can sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Visit CCBooneStyled.com or follow @saltwatersupperclub and @cc.boone on Instagram to learn more or book your event!

Above: David Railey, Caroline Boone, Maddie Bilderback, and Chef Bill Leavy

Right, top right, and opposite top left, middle right: Photos by Hunter Burgtorf

SHAKEN,

By Anthea Gerrie

STIRRED NOT The RICH HISTORY of DRY VERMOUTH

Astonishingly, this heady mix of aromatic wine fortified with herbs and spices, without which the majority of the world’s favorite cocktails would not exist, dates back three thousand years, when the Chinese of the Shang dynasty started brewing it as a medicinal drink. The Hungarians took up the practice in the fifteenth century. Still, we can thank the Italians and French for introducing the pleasure principle and the world’s great mixologists for creating the martinis, negronis, and Manhattans to which vermouth is essential.

Bond was not the only famous aficionado of the dry martini. Ernest Hemingway and Humphrey Bogart were practically brand ambassadors for the iconic cocktail in its 1950s heyday. The late Queen

Elizabeth was such a fan of pale vermouth that she gave Noilly Prat, who invented the dry white in 1813, a royal warrant to produce it for her in 1959.

Of course, Bond operated on Her Majesty’s Secret Service, so as a Brit, I felt compelled to visit the tiny Mediterranean fishing village of Marseillan, home to Noilly Prat since 1859, to learn the secret of a perfect martini. Bond ordered his shaken, not stirred; but either way, as I’m told in the distillery’s delightfully retro cocktail workshop, the essentials are to thoroughly chill the glass and shaker before mixing and to add enough Extra Dry to the spirits to get some flavor into the drink—in the distillery they use vermouth and gin or vodka in equal measure.

Right: Noilly Prat is the original French vermouth, now distilled in the town of Marseillan near the Mediterranean.

Photo courtesy of Noilly Prat

Left: A golden Manhattan made with Noilly Prat vermouth at Aperture Montpellier

Photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Blame it on Bond, James Bond the craze for vermouth, that is. The appetitestimulating beverage predates cocktails by three millennia yet has taken over the world big-time in the twenty-first century.

How much vermouth makes a martini has been the subject of hot debate since 1922 when the recipe called for one part of white vermouth to two of gin or vodka. Over the past century, that’s dropped to as low as one to eight, with wits like Winston Churchill even suggesting it’s enough to just show the vermouth bottle to the martini without putting any in. What a waste of an aromatic opportunity!

This particular fan loves to drink it neat, as they do in Spain, where vermouth is a daily habit—almost a religion—enjoyed by the tumbler before every main meal, often straight from the barrel. At Noilly, I enjoy a golden glass of Original Dry poured over rocks with

a twist of lemon peel and recall how my cousin used to serve a half and half—half white and half red vermouth—as a bittersweet aperitif before dinner when I visited him in California. After not seeing it for decades, I’m reconnected with this somewhat-forgotten mid-century cocktail in its town of origin, where it’s known as a Marseillanaise. At La Table d’Emilie, the local fine dining restaurant, they consider the spirits an intrusion—“we don’t even show the gin bottle to the cocktail,” jokes our bartender in a sardonic poke at Churchill.

In nearby Montpellier, France’s cocktail capital second only to Paris, I learn the shocking truth—they don’t drink vermouth neat in the rest of France. The bottle of Noilly in every refrigerator is valued more for cooking—deglazing the pan after sautéing a nice piece of fish, for example—and as a mixer. Cocktail creators in many of the city’s best bars often reach for Italian vermouth when they want some red for a mixed drink—many are made with rich Barolo or Chianti rather than the more workaday varietals favored by the French—and Lana Labermeier, an American living in Montpellier, is making a name for herself by creating a drier version of red vermouth based on kumquat, bay and fig leaves, and sarriette, the savory herb prevalent in the South of France.

Traditional sweet red is driving the boom in vermouth now, thanks to the negroni having overtaken the martini and old fashioned as the world’s favorite cocktail—it’s fully one part red vermouth to one each of gin and Campari. Although Noilly was most famous for its white vermouths back in the day, it’s their red, perfumed with camomile, bitter orange, coriander, saffron, and lavender, which has fueled sales in the US, their second-largest world market. Meanwhile, the French prefer the vanillascented amber with its aftertaste of roses, sweet orange, and cardamom, which is the company’s newest expression.

Above: Vermouth is a key ingredient of the fig negroni by mixologist Julien Escot at Aperture Montpellier.

Photo by Sara Essex Bradley

This page and opposite: Visitors can discover vermouth’s rich history with a tour and tasting at Maison Noilly Prat in Marseillan, which is “surrounded by the sun-drenched vineyards that overlook the Mediterranean Sea and its famous oyster farms.”

Photos courtesy of Noilly Prat

A martini, Mr. Bond, or a negroni to bring you up to date?

While Noilly, Cinzano, and newer artisanal brands continue to go from strength to strength, what you get served in your local bar may well not be branded at all—Brits at famous bars like London’s Connaught have long been making their own vermouth, and some American mixologists are following suit. However, whether their products are as good as the branded varieties is up for debate. Julien Escot of Aperture in Montpellier, recently voted one of the world’s ten best new bars by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation in New Orleans, doesn’t even try—like Paul Perie of the city’s hippest watering hole, Le Quatrième Tiers, Escot feels it’s impossible to better the tried-and-tested formula of the legendary distillery down the road. The procedure reads: “Take picpoul and clairette grapes, add alcohol, leave to ferment in oak sherry or whisky casks in the salty sunshine for a year, then add up to thirty different herbs and spices gathered from all over the world and a generous slug of ‘mistelle’”—the magic ingredient made of sweet white muscatel grapes fortified with alcohol—“Rest in vast century-old vats for several more months, bottle, and send out to the waiting world.”

A martini, Mr. Bond, or a negroni to bring you up to date?

To learn more about these craft vermouth distilleries or to plan a visit, visit NoillyPrat.com and Cinzano.com.

Anthea Gerrie is based in the UK but travels the world in search of stories. Her special interests are architecture and design, culture, food, and drink, as well as the best places to visit in the world’s great playgrounds. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, the Independent, and Blueprint

AVAILABLE ON:

AMAZON MUSIC, AUDIBLE, APPLE MUSIC, SPOTIFY, AND IHEART RADIO

Sip

Zuma is renowned for its modern take on elevated Japanese cuisine and award-winning world-class cocktails. The Las Vegas location offers one of the rarest Japanese whiskey collections in the western US, with some bottles no longer made here. In addition, Zuma Las Vegas is located at the lustrous Cosmopolitan Hotel, making it the perfect spot to grab a bite and perhaps a glass of rare spirits before dancing the night away.

To learn more or book your reservation, visit ZumaRestaurant.com.

and

Sizzle

Photo courtesy of Zuma Las Vegas

AMERICA’S

The Avila family of Austin, Texas, has created a community at Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop since its inception as La Oriental Grocery & Bakery in 1935.

The James Beard Foundation recently announced the six recipients of its 2023 America’s Classics Award. A Restaurant and Chef Awards category, the America’s Classics Award is given to locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal that are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of their communities.

“The mission of the James Beard Awards is to celebrate excellence, and that means recognizing the incredible work of long-standing restaurants that play such a crucial role in our communities, as our America’s Classics winners do,” says Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “We are so excited to announce this year’s winners. Congratulations to all!”

The James Beard Awards, considered among the nation’s most prestigious honors, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries. The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards celebrate excellence among restaurants, from fine dining to casual gems in our communities, while supporting and encouraging the foundation’s commitment to ethnic diversity, local community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. Six of the twelve Restaurant and Chef regions are included in each awards cycle and rotated the next cycle to represent each region every other year. Established in 1990, with the first ceremony in 1991, the Restaurant and Chef Awards is one of five separate recognition programs for the James Beard Awards.

This year’s honorees join the ranks of more than one hundred restaurants nationwide that have received the award since the category was introduced in 1998. They will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Texas Region

Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop

Austin, Texas

The Avila family has served Austin’s quickly gentrifying East Austin neighborhood since 1935 when Sophia De La O operated La Oriental Grocery & Bakery from their home on East 9th Street. The business moved to East 7th Street in 1962, and Joe Avila, with the support of his wife, Paula, bought the company and created Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop. Though he didn’t realize it at the time, by bringing his childhood dream to fruition, Joe cemented a legacy through food and hospitality that continues to this day. The colorful pan dulce Mexican pastries and Tex-Mex family recipes draw large crowds hungry for migas, home-style pork carne guisada, and myriad breakfast tacos on homemade flour tortillas. (The infamous “fried bacon”—dredging thick-cut bacon through flour and cooking on the flat top grill—is a masterful touch).

But it’s the service and firm sense of community under the stewardship of three generations of Avila women, led by Joe’s widow Paula, that keeps people coming back. A melting pot of new and old Austin, here it is not unusual to find old-timers reminiscing about the city and sharing their stories and recommendations at the breakfast counter with Joe’s Bakery newcomers. It’s commonplace to encounter voter registration on the front patio. And despite its struggles during the pandemic, the restaurant doubled as a general store during the peak of COVID-19, selling toilet paper, paper towels, and other essentials. The neighborhood surrounding Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop is undergoing rapid development, but the restaurant remains a gathering place and piece of Austin history for regulars and newcomers alike.

CLASSICS

Story and photography courtesy of James Beard Foundation

South Region

La Casita Blanca

Villa Palmeras, San Juan, Puerto Rico

In 1980, Jesús Pérez Ruiz opened the doors to Casita Blanca in the Villa Palmeras section of Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The restaurant represents the traditional Puerto Rican fonda, a casual and affordable family-run locale that serves delicious comfort food. For locals, it’s like stepping into your tía’s or abuela’s house with vintage furniture and colorful tablecloths, evoking feelings of nostalgia and fond memories of family gatherings. Patrons come from all walks of life—the obrero who works construction, the adventurous tourist, lawyers on an extended lunch break, students from the nearby university, and anyone looking for excellent comida criolla. Everyone is treated with kindness and respect, and since its inception, diners have been welcomed with a sopita del día and bacalaíto fritters with homemade pique (hot sauce). The menu is written on a chalkboard and always includes favorites like patitas de cerdo (pig’s feet), fricase de pollo, carne guisada, and rice and beans. Each meal ends with a chichaíto, an anise-based digestif. Today, Jesús’s two sons run the restaurant with the same love and dedication as their father.

Right and below: Everyone is family at La Casita Blanca in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Below right: Arroz con pollo at Casita Blanca

“For locals, it’s like stepping into your tía’s or abuela’s house with vintage furniture and colorful tablecloths, evoking feelings of nostalgia and fond memories of family gatherings.”

Pacific and Northwest Region

Manago Hotel

Captain Cook, Hawaii

Manago Hotel is a place that reminds locals of childhood and old Hawaii. It is Hawaii’s oldest continually operating restaurant—it began in 1917 when Kinzo Manago and his “picture bride,” Osame Nagata, immigrants from Fukuoka, Japan, began selling udon, bread, jam, and coffee out of their home and then added cots for those traveling between Hilo and Kona. The hotel and restaurant survived and expanded over the decades, including through World War II, when the Army contracted Manago Hotel to feed soldiers. It’s still a simple place, the rooms have neither AC nor TVs, and the restaurant is largely unchanged since the 1940s—from the hand sink by the entrance that the coffee farmers would use before entering to the pork chops fried in a cast iron pan rumored to be as old as the hotel itself. The udon and bread are gone, but the menu is still spare, with less than a dozen items, including liver and onions and small local fish such as ‘ōpelu. All entrees come with a large bowl heaped with rice and side dishes on little melamine plates, like Hawaii’s banchan, and usually include potato macaroni salad.

The fourth generation—sisters Britney and Taryn Manago—now run the hotel and restaurant. Britney grew up below the kitchen and went to college in California before homesickness drove her back to the family business. “This is the only thing I’ve ever really known that I’ve loved and wanted to always be a part of,” she says.

Far left and below: Hawaii’s Manago Hotel has provided visitors with great food, shelter, and comfort since 1917.

Above and left: Kinzo Manago and his wife, Osame Nagata, founded the family-run hotel, now operated by their great-granddaughters Britney and Taryn Manago.

The first organic dairy farm in Maine, Nezinscot Farm, now includes a café, boulangerie, charcuterie, and fromagerie, with visitors enjoying its fresh offerings year-round.

Northeast Region

Nezinscot Farm Turner, Maine

When Gloria married Gregg Varney, she insisted that they open a café on the farm in Turner, Maine, that has been in the Varney family for more than a hundred years. The first organic dairy farm in Maine, Nezinscot Farm takes its name—shared by a nearby river—from the Abenaki word signifying a place to gather. The Abenaki name is seemingly also a mission for the Varneys. In 1987, Nezinscot opened its café and coffee shop, and Gloria’s original vision has since expanded to include a bakery, fromagerie, and charcuterie. Nezinscot Farm Café has something beautiful and exciting on every shelf—cases of homemade cheeses and meats, bagels, freshly baked pies, and perfect slices of bread rolling out of the kitchen topped with farm eggs and homemade sausage and cheeses. The energy behind it all feels directed at building community, with delicious homemade everything (even the teas and crackers) vital to creating and sustaining that sense of gathering. The Varneys feed the community in many ways, significantly providing a warm space to meet around food on a farm in the middle of Maine.

“Nezinscot Farm Café has something beautiful and exciting on every shelf—cases of homemade cheeses and meats, bagels, freshly baked pies, and perfect slices of bread rolling out of the kitchen topped with farm eggs and homemade sausage and cheeses. ”

Did you know America’s oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant is in Butte, Montana? Discover a taste of tradition with incredible Big Sky views at Pekin Noodle Parlor.

Mountain Region

Pekin Noodle Parlor Butte, Montana

The Pekin Noodle Parlor, located on the historic main drag in Butte, Montana, is the oldest continuously operating Chinese family restaurant in America. Hum and Bessie Yow, the original owners of the Pekin Café and Lounge, opened the restaurant in 1911 with the help of Tam Kwong Yee. The Yows built the building that still houses the restaurant in 1909 as a legal office and mercantile. Two years later, the Yows began serving noodles and created their version of the ChineseAmerican dish chop suey, which satisfied the yearnings of Chinese immigrants working in the mines and railroads.

To access the restaurant, diners climb a flight of long, steep stairs to arrive on the second floor. Seventeen tables, found in booths separated from each other with orange beadboard partitions, occupy the space that once hosted illicit activities. A front room with windows to Big Sky vistas provides space for large groups, while a bar serves up spirited beverages. The menu is a time capsule featuring Chinese-American dishes created when authentic ingredients were unavailable. These dishes were a close approximation of home for the hardworking Chinese immigrants. The lengthy menu of mostly Americanized versions of Chinese food spotlights sixteen chop suey varieties. There’s also barbecue pork, egg rolls, sweet-and-sour pork, pineapple fried rice, chow mein, and noodles in broth and “gravy”—a thickened, soy-based sauce. The meal is finished with fortune cookies brought with the bill.

Great-great-great-grandson Jerry Tam has taken over the restaurant from his parents, Sharon and Ding K. Tam. Ding, who purchased the restaurant in the 1950s from his grandfather, was affectionately known as Mr. Wong by the community. His passing at the end of 2020 brought a hundred well-wishers when the nearby alley was renamed Danny Wong Way.

Great Lakes Region

Wagner’s Village Inn

Oldenburg, Indiana

For generations, Kentucky’s fried chicken tradition has overshadowed neighboring southeastern Indiana’s. Blame Colonel Sanders—who was, in fact, a native Hoosier. Some of the best fried chicken in the Midwest sizzles in cast-iron skillets at Wagner’s Village Inn in Oldenburg, population 674, otherwise known for its German-American history and historic churches. The elements of the fried chicken at Wagner’s are as unpretentious as the wood-paneled dining room: chicken, salt, pepper, flour, and lard. There is no recipe. But, as in other southeastern Indiana kitchens, the cooks are heavy-handed with the coarse-ground pepper, adding so much that the chicken could almost be called au poivre. The gentle heat of the pepper pairs well with the farmhouse fixings that make up a family-style dinner: coleslaw, green beans, and mashed potatoes with gravy. With Midwestern frugality, the kitchen serves each bird in ten pieces, including the back and ribs.

Former owner Ginger Saccomando’s parents opened Wagner’s Village Inn in 1968. According to Saccomando, the roots of the signature dish run even deeper. Her parents learned to fry chicken from the owners of the Hearthstone in Metamora, a now-closed restaurant that she says pioneered the regional fried chicken style. The restaurant has since passed into the capable hands of Dan Saccomando, grandson of the original owners.

Congratulations to all!

For more information about the James Beard Foundation Awards, visit JamesBeard.org/awards. For up-to-theminute news, follow @beardfoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and keep an eye out for posts using #jbfa.

“Some of the best fried chicken in the Midwest sizzles in cast-iron skillets at Wagner’s Village Inn in Oldenburg, population 674, otherwise known for its German-American history and historic churches.”

Fried chicken is a way of life at Wagner’s Village Inn in southeastern Indiana.

30A WINE FESTIVAL 2023

The 30A Wine Festival returned to Alys Beach, Florida, February 22–26. Patrons enjoyed Bourbon, Beer & Butts with tastings from distilleries across the country, craft brews from local and national breweries, and savory barbecue creations showcasing the top culinary talents in the Southeast, all while enjoying the sweet sounds of The Cleverlys band! Saturday’s Grand Tasting featured over eighty wines from around the globe, light bites from incredible restaurants and chefs, live musical performances from Jared Herzog, Mike Whitty, and Tanner Gray, and Carnivale dancers. The grand finale, Rosé & Croquet, was a circus-themed extravaganza on the sunny Kelly Green. Congratulations to Alys Beach on another beautiful event benefiting Children’s Volunteer Health Network!

The Grand Tasting

Photo by Michael Booini

Bourbon, Beer & Butts

Photo by Michael Booini

The Cleverlys performing at B3

Photo by Michael Booini

Mary Ellen DiMauro and Jonah Allen

Photo by Michael Booini

Guests at Rosé & Croquet

Photo by Kurt Lischka, Moon Creek Studios

The lovely event team at Rosé & Croquet with the Laurent Perrier Citroën

Photo by Kurt Lischka, Moon Creek Studios

Stiff competition at Rosé & Croquet

Photo by Kurt Lischka, Moon Creek Studios

The Michter’s Bourbon team at B3

Photo by Michael Booini

SOIREE ON THE BAY 2023

Our hearts are full from seeing the funds raised for Children’s Volunteer Health Network March 10–11 at the second Soiree on the Bay auction and wine tasting. The generosity of our local community toward its nonprofits is always inspiring. Saturday was dedicated to the late Harriet Crommelin, owner of Café Thirty-A and a staunch supporter of many local charities, including CVHN. Café Thirty-A’s David Kessler paid tribute with a heartfelt dedication, and the song “Love and Happiness” was played by the Tip Tops band in her honor.

VIE is thrilled to support the mission to provide kids in our community with dental and mental health care. Congrats to CVHN executive director Megan Trent and her event team for a fabulous weekend at the stunning Dugas Estate.

Photography by Epic Photo Co.

The CVHN Board of Directors

Lynn Dugas and Pam Burden

Greg Bahr, Lisa Peters, Jane Bahr, and Sheila Benson

Robin and Chris Wray

Dr. Bradley and Kasey Harrelson, Bill and Lori Askinazi, Jordan Staggs, and Alex Curry

Steve and Lynn Dugas

Dale Trice and Carol Follman

Dr. Bradley and Kasey Harrelson

Ashley Caylor and Jordan Staggs

Photo by Davista Photography

Blake and Sarah Svoboda with Jeff Dannelly

Photo by Davista Photography

The Dugas Estate

Solution on next page

A BACKYARD BARBECUE

BY MYLES MELLOR

I wake up in the morning thinking about food.

—Guy Fieri

SEASON 2

Tuesday, February 14th ............. DARYL ROSE DAVIS

Tuesday, February 21st ............. LETTYE BURGTORF

Tuesday, February 28th ................................... CVHN

Tuesday, March 7th ........................... LINDA MILLER

Tuesday, March 14th ............... DEMETRIUS FULLER

Tuesday, March 21st .............. DR. BART PRECOURT

Tuesday, March 28th ...................... MALLORY ERVIN

Tuesday, April 4th ...................... VALE OF PARADISE

Tuesday, April 11th ................................. ALMOST 30

Tuesday, April 18th ...................... NATHAN YOAKUM

Tuesday, April 25th ............................... DIANA LANE

Tuesday, May 2nd ......................... ANTHEA TURNER

A Miami staple for over thirty years, A Fish Called Avalon has delighted guests with award-winning seafood, like this fresh tuna tartare. Visit AFishCalledAvalon.com or follow on Instagram @afishcalledavalon to learn more or make a reservation.

Photo courtesy of A Fish Called Avalon

Au revoir!

BEFORE YOU GO . . .

Here’s one last bite to keep you satisfied! A Fish Called Avalon opened in 1989 in the glory days of Miami’s Art Deco District and became an icon on the beach. Now, thanks to recent renovations, the award-winning seafood destination is primed to spearhead the revitalization of Miami Beach. The iconic Avalon Hotel—which opened in 1941 and has served as a backdrop for many movies and cultural happenings—is also home to an iconic yellow-and-white 1955 Oldsmobile, one of the most photographed cars in America. The lively indoor-outdoor restaurant on Ocean Drive has been a favorite haunt of many celebrities, including Harrison Ford, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and Guy Ritchie.

BEETHOVEN V. COLDPLAY

A Merging of Musical Giants

In Beethoven V. Coldplay, visionary conductor/composer Steve Hackman transforms the Eroica Symphony into an anthem, weaving the melodies and lyrics of Coldplay into the original Beethoven and pairing them together based on content and context. It is the alternate Eroica Beethoven may have created had he known the music of Coldplay at the time. Awe-inspiring vocalists join Sinfonia Gulf Coast to perform interpolations of many of Coldplay’s most beloved songs, including Yellow, Viva La Vida and The Scientist.

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