Emerald Coast Magazine August-September 2022

Documentary recalls the filming of Jaws 2

Smoking makes for mouthwatering meats

Dune Laker Vodka: It’s oyster-shell filtered

Ship Ahoy!

A community of boaters relies on the expertise at Miller Marine

P r i v at e r e s id e nc e i n A l y s B eac h , Flor id a , feat u r i n g L o e we n w i n d o w s a n d c u s t o m a r c h i t e c t u r a l m i l l w o r k b y E . F. S a n J u a n A r c h i t e c t : M c A l p i n e Ta n k e r s l e y A r c h i t e c t u r e | B u i l d e r : A l y s B e a c h C o n s t r u c t i o n | P h o t o : J a c k G a r d n e r

The PR I DE of a M A ST ER CR A F T SM A N

EFSANJUAN.COM

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM August–September August-September 2022 2022 2020

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DRIVE INTO ENDLESS SUMMER IN A VELOCITY SIGNATURE CLASSIC FORD BRONCO

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August-September 2022

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Paradise has arrived ON THE EMERALD COAST

LIVE THE LIFE YOU’VE DREAMED AT LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE WATERSOUND! Sunshine and cool breezes. Palm trees and margaritas. Welcome to Latitude Margaritaville, a 55-and-better community inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, built on food, fun, music and escapism.

Escape to the place where fun and relaxation meet. Escape to island-inspired living as you grow older, but not up.

Escape to Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, located on Hwy 79, less than 8 miles from the beach.

New Homes from the high $200s

Sales center and 13 models open daily!

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound (866) 220-1954

9201 Highway 79, Panama City Beach, FL 32413 Mon. - Sat. 9:00am - 5:00pm | Sun. 11:00am - 5:00pm

Visit online for more information LatitudeMargaritaville.com

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THE OFFERINGS. Latitude Margaritaville Kentucky Registration Number R-201. For NY Residents: THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS FOR THE SALE OF LOTS ARE IN THE CPS-12 APPLICATION AVAILABLE FROM SPONSOR, LMWS, LLC. FILE NO. CP20-0062. Pennsylvania Registration Number OL001182. Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is registered with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 710, Boston, MA 02118 and with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20552. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required and has not been completed. The facilities and amenities described are proposed but not yet constructed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. ©Minto Communities, LLC 2022. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored, or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. Latitude Margaritaville and the Latitude Margaritaville logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license.

Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. St. Joe and the St. Joe logo are trademarks of The St. Joe Company and are used under license. CGC 1519880/CGC 120919. 2022

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August-September 2022

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Contents

AUG/SEPT 2022

FEATURES

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TWO LADIES AT THE HELM

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TAKE THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN

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BLOW-UP BOATS ARE CATCHING ON

Mandy Warren and her sister, Megan Miller, own Miller Marine in Southport, a business they purchased from their father, Mike, who founded the boatyard in 1996. Mandy specializes in customer service, and Megan is a numbers person, and the combination works well. Meanwhile, Dad, at age 66, is still at it, building a 52-foot sportfishing yacht commissioned by an Atlantan who is prepared to wait for a custom vessel masterfully crafted to his specifications.

These days, boating has become a family affair more than ever before, says Todd Royall of Legendary Marine in Destin. There was a time, not so long ago, when boating was a largely male bastion. Dad and his buddies would leave the shore with a cooler of beer, orange peanut butter crackers for lunch and a collection of stories, some of them true. Now, boating is bringing families together, and pontoon boats are enjoying a surge in popularity.

Inflatable kayaks provide portability and durability, and they look good. Their military-grade, PVC thermoplastic skins range in color from classic teak wood and camo to tropical aqua and seafoam green and offer sleekness as well as strength.

Corey Cooper of BOTE discourages anyone from thinking that “iKayaking” is like boating on a balloon. Inflatables provide an experience similar to that of a rigid kayak, he says. “It’s the same material you’d find on whitewater rafts and skiffs.”

by STEVE BORNHOFT

by STEVE BORNHOFT

by HANNAH BURKE

photography by SEAN MURPHY

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Contents

AUG/SEPT 2022

31 ABODES

43 PANACHE

21 PERSONALITY Once a

middle-school teacher, artist Katlyn Arnold heeded an inner call and created for herself a more independent lifestyle. She paints with women in mind, hoping that they will find her works empowering.

26 CHAMPIONS In

Jessica Berry’s preferred look says comfortable, classy and unhurried. For the hospitality manager at downtown Pensacola’s Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel, that’s just right.

34 BEAUTY Florida’s

48 D INING IN From Boston

butts to briskets and from salmon to squab, smoking gives meats incredible flavor profiles that ovens and grills are powerless to provide.

50 DINING OUT Satisfied that

Destin captures a sense of New Orleans hospitality and Southern charm, the Ruby Slipper clicked its heels together and landed in Northwest Florida.

EXTERIORS

Vines make for an attractive vertical element in yardscapes.

Some aggressive varieties grow up on their own, while others may need a little help.

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IN EVERY ISSUE

65 ART When Gia Roche

14 FROM THE

arrived in the United States from Paraguay, she was intrigued by the variety of eye colors here.

That fascination led to a penchant for photographing irises and the opening of a unique studio.

72 FILM A new

documentary unites Emerald Coast residents who joined in the making of the first sequel to Jaws, the film that placed the fictional town of Amity Island on the map and popularized shark fishing around here.

74 ETHICS Should visual

artists be entitled to rights that have long been enjoyed by published authors? The issue has occasioned the adoption of protections in Europe for hundreds of years, but the U.S. has been slow to the party.

16 104 110 114

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play a pivotal role in the making of Dune Laker Vodka, a product of Distillery 98, an enterprise committed to using locally grown products in spirits that give consumers a sense of place.

» RUBY SLIPPER » CLIMBING PLANTS » EYE WONDER

New businesses, including a jewelry store, a hair salon, a shapewear shop and a grocery chain, are planting flags along the Emerald Coast.

43 L IBATIONS Oyster shells

EXPRESSION

hummingbirds, tiny creatures with huge appetites, are always a welcome sight at feeders and in gardens.

Documentary recalls the filming of Jaws 2

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EDITOR’S LETTER SOCIAL STUDIES DINING GUIDE POSTSCRIPT

Smoking makes for mouthwatering meats

Dune Laker Vodka: It’s oyster-shell filtered

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

38 W HAT’S IN STORE

GASTRO & GUSTO

88 G REEN SCENE Hovering

number of households, advanced technologies have made it all the way to the necessary room.

Prepare to be pampered in new ways.

AUG–SEPT 2022

Grayton Beach structure known as the Washaway House was knocked off its pilings, once by a brutal hurricane in 1926 and again by Hurricane Opal in 1995. Today, it’s looking better than ever.

summertime temperatures and humidity can attack makeup with a ferocity unmatched by other less tropical climates. Thankfully, there are workarounds, including permanent makeup, that beat the heat.

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

Niceville, CALM House provides a safe place for women and their children who have experienced violence, poverty, homlessness and other obstacles in their efforts to become self-sufficient.

28 HISTORY Twice, the

31 CITIZEN OF STYLE

79 I NTERIORS In a growing

Ship Ahoy!

A community of boaters relies on the expertise at Miller Marine

ON THE COVER:

The boating bug may be a dominant gene. To be sure, it has been in the Miller family of Southport. Mike Miller, who comes from a long line of captains, built his first boat in his backyard before establishing Miller Marine, a full-service boatyard, where he has been assisted at all times by his brother, Bimbo. Today, Mike’s daughters own the business.

PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

PHOTOS BY MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY (43), DON DEROSIER (31), SEAN MURPHY (21) AND DON ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: PICTUREPARTNERS (86)

THE WAVE

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August-September 2022

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Contents

PROMOTION

AUG/SEPT 2022

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

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PITCHER PERFECT More than

200 breweries will participate in the Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. The event is held to benefit military veterans.

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↑ EXPERT CRAFTSMANSHIP E. F. San Juan meets and exceeds clients’ specifications and expectations when enhancing home interiors. The featured Sandestin home offers clean lines, custom wooden accents and coastal influences throughout.

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→ FALL FASHION

102 CALENDAR

Grand Boulevard retailers offer transitional pieces that will easily and breezily move you from summer to fall in style.

FREE & CLEAR

Dermatology Specialists of Florida has expert advice on how to face the new school year free of blemishes.

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THIRTY & THRIVING

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County is celebrating 30 years of providing art education and advocacy through classes, fundraisers and community events such as ArtsQuest and the 30A Songwriters Festival.

108

GONE FISHIN’ Walton

County presents varied opportunities for fishing from backcountry creeks and bays to inshore waters to the deep blue Gulf of Mexico.

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We announce the results of this year’s Best of the Emerald Coast balloting.

August-September 2022

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stroll through the Town Center of Alys Beach and enjoy the boutiques, shops and eateries hosted by signature, whitewalled structures.

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As summer fades into fall, events along the coast are heating up with a full calendar including concerts, beer festivals, seafood festivals, boat shows and more.

ST

↑ ICONIC ALYS Take a

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

In this special section, we feature the pros you should know from insurance agents to roofers to bankers and more.

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↑ LATITUDE LIFESTYLE

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is a 55-and-better community dedicated to the proposition that every day should feel like a vacation day.

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PHOTOS BY MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY (36) AND COURTESY OF LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE (90), E.F. SAN JUAN (82), AND ALYS BEACH (24)

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August-September 2022

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 23, NO. 4

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2022

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MCKENZIE BURLEIGH

EDITORIAL

FRESH SEAFOOD FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Emilee Struss SENIOR STAFF WRITER Emma Witmer STAFF WRITER Hannah Burke CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paige Aigret, Don J. Derosier, Les Harrison, Lis King, Thomas J. Monigan, Rebecca Padgett Frett, Wynn Parks, Liesel Schmidt, Evgeniya Stetsenko

CREATIVE VICE PRESIDENT/PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Lindsey Masterson SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Saige Roberts, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brandon Babineaux, Michael Booini, Don J. Derosier, Mike Fender, Will Hepburn, Nicole Hill, Jacqueline Ward Images, Matthew Kuka, Land Air Sea Productions, Lynn Crow Photography, Modus Photography, Sean Murphy, Kay Phelan, Devon Ravine, Teri Voyles Photography, Zandra Wolfgram, The Workmans

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi ADVERTISING SERVICES SPECIALIST Tracy Mulligan SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Julie Dorr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Darla Harrison DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Zandra Wolfgram MARKETING MANAGER Javis Ogden INTEGRATED CONTENT MANAGER Don J. Derosier SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett Frett ADMINISTRATIVE & CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST Renee Johnson

OPERATIONS CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE/AD SERVICE COORDINATOR Sarah Coven PRODUCTION EDITOR Paige Aigret PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan STAFF BOOKKEEPER Amber Dennard

DEWEY DESTIN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin, FL • (850) 837-7575

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE RESTAURANT

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE emeraldcoastmagazine.com facebook.com/emeraldcoast twitter.com/emeraldcoastmag instagram.com/emeraldcoastmag pinterest.com/emeraldcoastmag youtube.com/user/emeraldcoastmag ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

202 Harbor Blvd., Destin, FL • (850) 837-7525

DEWEY DESTIN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

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EDITORIAL OFFICE 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. (850) 878-0554 SUBSCRIPTIONS One year (6 issues) is $30. Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to emeraldcoastmagazine.com.

Single copies are $3.95. Purchase at Barnes and Noble in Destin and Pensacola and Books-A-Million in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Pensacola.

Availability may change subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBMISSIONS Emerald Coast Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. Emerald Coast Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor.

Copyright August 2022 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Dr. Robinson

Minimally invasive surgery and diagnostics

SERVING THE EMERALD COAST Specialty surgery, internal medicine and NOW DERMATOLOGY for your furry family member is available here on the Emerald Coast at Capital Veterinary Specialists.

Full-time specialty veterinary dermatology is led by Dermatologist Dr. Karly Robinson.

Our dermatology service specializes in chronic skin disease, chronic ear infections, autoimmune skin disease, skin allergy testing, advanced inner ear imaging and minimally invasive skin and ear assessment.

Dr. Drygas

Dr. Robinson is an expert in the field and board certified in all aspects of dermatology.

Capital Vet Specialists offer specialized care and imaging including MRI, CT, interventional ultrasound, minimally invasive surgery, ACL repair, cancer treatment, open chest surgery and all forms of endoscopy and laparoscopy.

Our specialists partner with your primary care veterinarians to maximize care and quality of life for your family member pets.

This advanced care helps to maintain and restore the human-animal bond that enriches and completes our day-to-day lives.

2842 US HWY 98 WEST, SANTA ROSA BEACH (850) 622-6223 | CAPVETSPECIALISTS.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

August-September 2022

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from the

associate publisher

INSPIRED LEADERSHIP

In 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Carlan, who was then president of the Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation. In that role, she raised funds in support of health care facilities from Pensacola to Port St. Joe. When I met her, Carol was about to be honored by 850 Business Magazine as a Pinnacle Award recipient.

Over the last seven years, Carol has inspired me with her resilience and the way in which she unconditionally gives to others. As a small child, Carol was abandoned by her mother and grew up in a series of foster homes. Maybe her early exposure to different people and environments helped provide her with the emotional intelligence, sympathy and empathy that everyone experiences as they get to know her.

I have never met another individual who so effectively connects and stays present with everyone she encounters.

Carol was a founding member of the Escambia/Santa Rosa PACE Center for Girls and has served on scores of boards. She is undeterred by challenges that most people would view as insurmountable. At the Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation, she headed up a $30 million capital campaign for the Studer Family Children’s Hospital project.

No fundraiser of that magnitude had ever been attempted in Pensacola. Carol got it done. She is a pioneering woman who achieves any mission to which she devotes her mind and energies.

In May, Carol announced plans to step down as Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation president after 10 years of service. Her successor, Adrienne

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August-September 2022

Maygarden, is sure to honor Carol’s legacy by continuing to move Ascension Sacred Heart forward.

Adrienne was the first ever winner of the Marjorie Turnbull Award, a Pinnacle Awards honor reserved for a young woman on her way to becoming a community leader and exemplary professional.

Right after Hurricane Michael, Adrienne and Carol invited me to visit Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola and tour the neonatal intensive care unit. Adrienne knew by name every medical professional we encountered during that tour and shared moving stories about differences they had made in patients’ lives.

As the tour progressed, Adrienne was as attentive to custodial and service staff members as she was to physicians. She introduced me to them while reflecting genuine appreciation for their contributions.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

I knew then that I was in the company of a future leader.

Adrienne truly sees people for who they are and what they can be, and she cares about them with the same kind of big heart that Carol always exhibited. She has the strength, positivity and vision to knock down challenges like her predecessor did. The maturity of her outlook makes it seem that she has already lived five lifetimes.

We are fortunate to have both Carol and Adrienne in Northwest Florida. I thank them for changing my life and bettering the lives of countless others. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. I have seen Carol and Adrienne overcome hurricanes, a pandemic and economic downturns while staying upbeat and moving, always and in all ways, toward the light.

By the way, there is no rest for the blessed. While writing this, I have learned that Carol has accepted a position as the director of philanthropy at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola. She will be called upon to grow community and national support for the institute’s work.

And, she will succeed.

Be inspired,

MCKENZIE BURLEIGH, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SEAN MURPHY / RPI FILE PHOTO

A torch is passed, and a foundation remains strong

New location!

36 years of Good Food. Good People. Good Times.

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Bud & Alley's BudandAlleys.com 850.231.5900

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Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner E

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Voted Best Tuna Dip Emerald Coast Magazine

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Pizza Bar 850.231.3113

Taco Bar 850.231.4781

Bud & Alley's restaurants are proudly following CDC protocols to ensure the health and safety of our employees and patrons.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM August–September August-September 2022 2022 2020

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editor’s letter

Countless people, I will suggest, associate the word “humbug” with Ebenezer Scrooge without really knowing what it means. They view it as a critical epithet or a negative exclamation of some sort. In truth, however, a humbug is a hoax; to humbug someone is to deceive him.

The 19th-century showman and huckster P.T. Barnum famously traded in humbugs, but far from apologized for doing so. Rather, he wrote a self-exonerating book, Humbugs of the World, in which he concluded that such hoaxes “consist in putting on glittering appearances — outside show — novel expedients by which to suddenly arrest public attention and attract the public eye and ear.”

What mattered, then, was not the truth or authenticity of an exhibit or a performance, but its effect on people and whether it was deemed worth the price of admission. Indeed, Barnum wrote, “There are various trades and occupations which need only notoriety to ensure success.”

Politics comes to mind.

“Growing up in the antebellum North, Barnum took his first real dip into showmanship at age 25 when he purchased the right to ‘rent’ an aged black woman by the name of Joice Heth, whom an acquaintance was trumpeting around Philadelphia as the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington,” wrote Jackie Mansky in a 2017 article in Smithsonian Magazine.

“With Heth, he saw an opportunity to strike it rich. Though slavery was outlawed in Pennsylvania and New York at the time, a loophole allowed him to lease her for a year for $1,000, borrowing $500 to complete the sale.”

Eventually, Barnum would experience George Wallace-like

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apologetic moments when he expressed regret about the subjugation of African-Americans and his own exploitation of Heth and others. He had exploited, too, fear and ignorance.

The otherwise impure showman may have been at his best when he recognized that “the noblest art is that of making others happy.”

Joseph Coker gets that.

I met Coker and his co-performer Morris at the Bay Pride 2022 festival held in June at McKenzie Park in Panama City. Morris is a rather convincing puppet monkey and in speaking with me, Coker involuntarily moved Morris’ lips, even as his own lips moved.

Coker departed Alabama for Bay County four years ago in what would seem for a gay man to have been a leap from the frying pan into the fire. He introduced me to his partner, and they talked about the work that is being accomplished on their place at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach. It turns out that we have mutual friends — Bob the greeter and Ron the piano player from the UU Fellowship of Bay County.

Coker battles depression and high anxiety, he told me. He is teaching himself ventriloquism, he said, because it transports him to a different place where his inner child is unchained, and he is confident there, not hiding behind characters, but discovering himself.

He practices every day and has begun to hand out business cards and to look for opportunities to perform.

Coker wants to score paid gigs, of course, but every bit as much, he wants to bring smiles to the faces of people who live in assisted living facilities or visit nonprofit organizations that serve

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

people with emotional, cognitive or physical challenges.

Because the noblest art is that of making others happy.

Unlike Barnum, Coker is humble and not given to any conduct that is remotely exploitative. He is genuine and kind.

At the Pride festival, he was buoyed and joyful and surrounded by people, including some in outfits so outlandish that if worn on a commercial aircraft, they would make the national news.

Their glittering appearances, however, were not novel expedients designed merely to attract attention.

They were songs of myself that added up to mellifluous harmony.

Smile,

STEVE BORNHOFT EXECUTIVE EDITOR sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI / RPI FILE PHOTO

A HUMBLE SHOWMAN IN THE MAKING An earnest ventriloquist pursues the noblest art

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM August–September August-September 2022 2022 2020

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PROMOTION

EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM GIVEAWAYS

Best Giveaway Ever We are excited to host Best of the Emerald Coast on Oct. 15, 2022. Post a picture of your favorite memory from a past Best of event on Facebook with the hashtag #BestofEC before Sept. 30, and you may win a prize.

Every face is unique to each of us. The experts at Dermatology Specialists work with each acne patient to create a customized treatment plan suited to their skin's needs.

They clear everything right up here at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ sponsored-content/beauty-links.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

FALL FESTIVITIES As we near fall, we are excited to welcome cooler temperatures, less traffic, shorter lines and … local outdoor events. Check out our digital exclusive on festive fall events at Grand Boulevard Town Center at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ sponsored-content/culture-links.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO, DO WHAT YOU LOVE

In honor of Labor Day, we’d love to hear from you. What was your favorite job, and why?

Tag us in Instagram at @emeraldcoastmag and use hashtag #loveeclaborday.

@emeraldcoastmag

@EmeraldCoastMag

Emerald Coast Magazine

REWIND

THE BEST DOG-FRIENDLY BEACHES ON THE EMERALD COAST As we pant through the dog days of summer, we thought a refresher on the Best Dog-Friendly Beaches on the Emerald Coast by our dog-loving staff writer Hannah Burke would be the perfect way to get tails and tongues wagging.

EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/the-best-dog-friendly-beaches-on-the-emerald-coast

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PHOTOS BY LAND AIR SEA PRODUCTIONS (GIVEAWAY), MICHAEL BOOINI (DOG), ANDREAOBZEROVA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (BEAUTY LINKS) AND TERI VOYLES PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GRAND BOULEVARD AT SANDESTIN / RPI FILE PHOTO (FALL EVENTS)

FACE IT

EXPERIENCE Upscale shopping, sophisticated dining options and South Walton’s premier events and entertainment await you Along the Boulevard.

DINE

SHOP

Another Broken Egg Café

Altar’d State Anthropologie Arhaus (Now Open) Arula The Beaufort Bonnet Company Billabong Bluemercury Hemline J.Ji l l J.McLaughlin johnnie-O (Now Open) The Jewel Kendra Scott (Now Open) La Luna Lilly Pulitzer lululemon (Now Open) Ophelia Swimwear Orvis Peter Millar Pottery Barn Pure Collective Salon (Now Open) Rose & Co (Now Open) Seabags (Now Open) Southern Tide Sunset Shoes Vineyard Vines Williams Sonoma

The Bistro

(Located in Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard)

Black Bear Bread Co. (Now Open) Cantina Laredo Modern Mexican The Craft Bar Emeril’s Coastal everkrisp Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria Kilwins PF Chang’s China Bistro Starbucks Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar Vin’tij Food & Wine The Wine Bar

Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Grand Fitness

AMC CLASSIC Boulevard 10

Emerald Coast Theatre Company

grandboulevard.com #GrandBlvd

lu lu lem o n & P u re C o llecti ve Sa l o n NOW OPEN

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM August–September August-September 2022 2022 2020

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KNOCK KNOCK, YOU’RE THERE With single family homes starting in the $400s and an array of beautiful floor plans and architectural styles, it’s time to open the door to your sweetest SweetBay life.

Discover your next home at SweetBayFL.com.

• • •

PANAMA CITY | SWEETBAYFL.COM • 20 August–September 20 August-September 2022 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA 2022 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM

Community Parks, Pools, and Bayside Trails Priority University Academy Admission Bay Access and Boat Dock Model Homes Open Daily

wave

THE

AUG/SEPT 2022

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

PERSONALITY

ART TEACHER TURNED ADVOCATE Katlyn Arnold Paints for the Sisterhood

by WYNN PARKS

CHAMPIONS photography by SEAN MURPHY

Restoring CALM

|| HISTORY

Fortifying the Washaway

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August-September 2022

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rtist Katlyn Arnold is from DeFuniak Springs — semi-quaint, Our Town, DeFuniak Springs!

Not that the artist is herself either quaint or sedate, far from it. She meets me near her father’s welding shop. There, she’s working on an 8-by-40 shipping container into which she’s already installed halfmoon windows, a step toward converting it into her new studio.

Parked next to the nascent studio sits a “Creative Cruiser” — a 20-foot box truck converted into Arnold’s classroom on wheels and decorated on the outside like a crafts booth from a carnival caravan.

She shows me around, and we talk.

“What did I do in high school?” she repeats a question. “Well, I remember one thing was artsy, hands-on processes like papier-mache and ceramics. A close second was boys!”

Arnold graduated from Troy University and went straight to Walton Middle School where she designed and taught the school’s first art course.

But, after three middle-school years, she blew off being “Hey, Miss Arnold!” and dove off the deep end to start her own art business.

“I think I might be a little ADHD!” Arnold conceded. “That’s my professional self-diagnosis. I’m lucky to have a wide range of knowledge in different art forms.

I love jumping from drawing to painting on windows or sometimes people.”

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As much promise as Arnold’s creative artwork might display, her sense of enterprise is as over-the-top as it is intuitive. When the man says, “If it don’t move, paint it,” the man is being prissy compared to Arnold. So it’s no great surprise to later discover that she will paint it even if it does move. As a consequence of Katlyn’s dive off the deep end, she might just as well have thrown herself into a two-ring art circus with prospects of soon adding a third.

Uniquely Clever would be ring No. 1 — art classes, parties, camp events for kids and adults, and artwork for sale or executed upon by commission.

Whatever else goes on in the first ring, its most anticipated feature is its gypsy art studios. The original, a 38-foot retired school bus called “Imagination Machine,” was a bigger classroom than the new “Creative Cruiser,” but it was tough on gas and

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hard to maneuver when traveling to elementary schools and private parties and such. But in either vehicle — OMG! — to have a work-play adventure, doing art in some kind of Willy Wonka studio that rolls up out of nowhere and afterward disappears once more? How can Arnold’s seductive admixture of art appreciation classes and social happenings not recall a page from DeFuniak’s Chautauqua past?

Ring No. 2, Au Naturel, is where, for Arnold, art gets more serious.

Self-expression is a main gig for prepubescents doing art elbow to smudged elbow in freewheeling gypsybus studios. For such kids, life is a bowl of cherries. On the other hand, Arnold’s adult programs happily include a studio session called Paint and Sip — that is, BYOB seminars celebrating fine arts and wine simultaneously. Hemingway did say to write drunk and edit sober. photography by SEAN MURPHY

←

Katlyn Arnold, a former middle school teacher turned artist, kicks back in her studio where she paints and conducts classes. At the far left, she shows off her Creative Cruiser, an inviting classroom on wheels.

↑ The Artist at Work Katlyn Arnold is both introspective — and not. She creates art that she hopes women find empowering, and she plans to start an organization for “sisters” who are art lovers.

Arnold’s taste in modern painting includes the sensual imagery of Georgia O’Keefe on one hand and the acrylic bas reliefs of Emerald Coast painter Justin Gaffrey on the other. She paints with acrylics but is simultaneously experimenting with oil paints. In 2021, her chalk work was a Merit Winner at the South Walton Street Art Festival.

Her products range from bright murals on trucks, walls and storefront windows, to moody drawings of stark, monochrome nudes, not to mention the occasional mature-viewer-only drawings.

Her early fascination with a spectrum of media and techniques has lately evolved into experimenting with found art pieces — repurposed objects of everyday life, mixed with disparate materials like acrylics and clay.

Sometimes, painting things that move includes the human body. Arnold does it from face to toe. Things get busy around

Halloween, so haunted by mini-me Draculas and green faced Fionas.

For one mom-to-be with a sense of humor, Arnold made a house call to paint a huge watermelon over her rather substantial baby bump.

“Don’t know whether she wore it outside the house,” Arnold said, “but she wanted me to take a picture of that watermelon to show her new baby when baby’s old enough!”

And in ring No. 3, Arnold aims to start an organization for art-minded women.

“I want to teach the sisters the best way to stretch a canvas or how to use a circular saw,” she said. “I want to teach the things you need to know to be selfsufficient at art work.”

Feeling herself drowning in lonely struggles as a woman, Arnold realized she needed to get out of the house, make connections and help other women to rise. She slowly started meeting more people, including female entrepreneurs who talked about the struggles of running a small business, being a mom, being a woman, dealing with life’s worldly issues.

She hopes that whoever views her art will find in it an uplifting power and a realization that they are not alone in life’s challenges and amid suppressing influences.

That’s seriously taking Katlyn Arnold in the direction of becoming an art polymath.

Meanwhile, paint party, anyone? EC

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August-September 2022

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C U STO M C O N T E N T

C U STO M C O N T E N T

In the vibrant heart of Alys Beach, energy is building. residents, In the Beach-dwellers, vibrant heart of Alys Beach, vacationers, energy is building. Beach-dwellers, residents, vacationers, shopkeepers and restauranteurs alike mingle in shopkeepers and restauranteurs mingle the growing Town Center of Alysalike Beach, within the growing Town Center of Alys Beach, with new merchants arriving on the scene in the sumnewand merchants arriving on the scene in the summer fall of 2022. mer and fall of 2022.

The Citizen, a coastal tavern with a fine dining Citizen, a coastal tavern with a fine dining and The beverage experience, celebrated its one-year and beverage experience, celebrated its one-year anniversary in January and already feels like a anniversary in January and already feels like a placemaking addition to Alys Beach. placemaking addition to Alys Beach.

Barefoot Princess, in The Camden, features Barefoot Princess, in The Camden, features apparel and accessories for women and girls, apparel and accessories for women and girls, with such lines as Lilly Pulitzer, Peter Millar with such lines as Lilly Pulitzer, Peter Millar and Alys Beach’s Beach’sfavorite favorite andmore. more.In InThe The Camden, Camden, Alys donut under the thename name donutshop shopwill willopen open aa flagship flagship under ofofCharlie’s its offerings offerings Charlie’sDelights, Delights, expanding expanding its totoinclude and more. more.The The includeice icecream, cream, coffee coffee and Whitby spaces will willfeature feature Whitby’s’sthree threecommercial commercial spaces newlyreimagined reimagined concepts concepts by Mary newly Mary Clark: Clark: SummerStorywill will carry carry sophisticated sophisticated home SummerStory home décor; Holiday Café will be aa beach-inspired décor; Holiday Café will be beach-inspired coffee,tea teaand andwine wine bar bar with with small coffee, small bites; bites;and and Parasol will be an elevated women’s Parasol will be an elevated women’s clothing clothing and accessories boutique. and accessories boutique.

On the ground level of The Lucian condoOn the ground level of The Lucian condo-

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June-July 2022

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minium, facing 30A, the long beloved Fonville Press will reopen a new concept.

Fonville minium, facing 30A, under the long beloved Fonville Press will reopenCafé under a new Fonville Press Market will offerconcept. breakfast and lunch Press Market Café will food, offer breakfast and bar, lunch menus, grab-and-go a full coffee gromenus, grab-and-go food, a full coffee bar, groceries and sundries, and a courtyard lounge area ceries and sundries, and a courtyard lounge area featuring a full bar. featuring a full bar.

In the space currently occupied by MAST,

In the space currently occupied by MAST, Mary Clark will open a children’s boutique, Mary Clark will open a children’s boutique, Bebette. Next door, the proprietors behind WilBebette. Next door, the proprietors behind Willow and Willow + Mercer have introduced their low and Willow + Mercer have introduced their new jewelry and fine accessories concept, Merit, new jewelry and fine accessories concept, Merit,

to an enthusiastic welcome.

to an enthusiastic welcome.

Finally, plans are nearing completion for the Finally, plans are nearing completion for the fifth and largest Town Center building at the fifth and largest Town Center building at the north end Amphitheatre, Della. north end of of thethe Amphitheatre, TheThe Della.

NextNext door, mixed-use condominium buildings door, mixed-use condominium buildings The The

Dannelly and The Varian complete the Town Dannelly and The Varian willwill complete the Town Center horseshoe around Amphitheatre, Center horseshoe around the the Amphitheatre, offering ground-level retail along withwith residences offering ground-level retail along residences ononthe upper levels. the upper levels.

Each merchant continues to bring theirtheir own own Each merchant continues to bring sense of celebration of a life defined by joy, sense of celebration of a life defined by joy, beauty and community, andand as the Town Center beauty and community, as the Town Center grows, so does the spirit of a lively community

grows, so does the spirit of a lively community of residents and visitors alike.

of residents and visitors alike.

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August-September 2022

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CHAMPIONS

RESTORING CALM

Niceville nonprofit offers helping hand to mothers in need

by EMMA WITMER

I

n 2019, Florida law enforcement agencies received 105,298 reports of domestic violence across the state, including 1,246 in Okaloosa County. And those numbers are just part of the picture. The victims of such crimes are primarily women, many of whom do not report abuse due to fear of being harmed further, losing → their children or simply because they have Director Dave Glinka nowhere to go. and board president Chanie Erb combine to lead CALM Niceville’s CALM House (Crisis Aid House, an organization that for Moms and Littles) offers a safe place promotes self-sufficiency for for women to escape violence, poverty, women who have experienced violence, poverty, addiction addiction and generational trauma and other obstacles to and work toward self-sufficiency for financial freedom. Many themselves and their children. clients have suffered domestic abuse.

“The sad reality of women who are in a domestic abuse predicament is, first, that they stay for a long time before they find the courage to go,” said CALM president Chanie Erb. “Secondly, they usually don’t have the money to go because their significant other has been controlling them and has kept money from them.”

CALM House offers a six-month, Christian Throughout a mother’s time in faith-based program that provides secure housing, CALM House, she progresses through healthy meals, child care, counseling and classes on four phases in what director Dave a wide range of life skills like finances, parenting, Glinka calls a “whole-person concept.” self-defense and nutrition. CALM’s volunteer job “As they go to each phase, they get coach helps each mother find employment with more freedom — more time during the goal of saving at least $3,500 by the time they the day to go do things on their own graduate from the program. and weekend time,” Glinka said.

Mothers with three or fewer children and “When they first come in, though, it’s pregnant mothers in their third trimester are pretty restrictive. That’s intentional. eligible to apply for the program. Erb noted, With some of the things these moms however, that CALM House has been at are coming from, we want to control capacity in the months following the lifting of a that environment for a while.”

COVID-19 eviction moratorium.

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Women receiving assistance at CALM are free to leave the program at any time, but while they live in the house, they are expected to follow certain rules. Leaving without asking, skipping chores and smoking outside of designated areas, for instance, may lead to a warning or writeup. Possession of alcohol, drugs or weapons leads to immediate dismissal.

“Society has rules, so we have rules,” Erb said. “We have communal living for a reason. In society, you have to go photography by JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

←↑ A living room and play area are central to CALM House. Modestly appointed bedrooms provide the comforts of home.

Board president Chanie Erb, a Realtor, is familiar with the shortage of affordable housing in Northwest Florida.

to work and talk to your co-workers. You have to pull your weight and get along with people, so that is what we expect from them.”

Whether or not they leave on good terms, Erb and her team stay in touch with every mother who has ever come through the program.

“I tell every single one of them, ‘If you aren’t ready to be a part of a family, don’t come here,’” Erb said. “I have invited them to my house for Easter. Dave will show up on the weekends to help and give them rides. He isn’t paid for that.”

Right next to CALM House is a small chapel that is often used as a fundraising rental venue for weddings and parties, but for Erb, the chapel is best used to celebrate her CALM family. She has held birthday parties, baby showers and even a wedding for mothers under CALM’s care.

After one resident joined the program to deal with addiction and become a better mother, an old boyfriend also sought treatment. Reunited, the couple pledged to stay drug free and be the parents their child deserved. Then, he proposed.

“We want you to co-parent,” Erb said.

“If it is safe, we want mothers to have a

life with their baby’s daddy. We do not want them to shun him and tell him he is worthless. If he is a good man, he deserves to be a part of this life, and we promote that.”

Since opening in 2018, the cozy little house on Redwood Avenue has helped 33 mothers and 46 children, and those numbers are set to increase dramatically thanks to the nonprofit’s newest venture, CALM Village. In coming months, CALM is planning to build seven cottages to house mothers who have graduated from the program but are not able find safe, affordable housing.

“I’m a Realtor, so I know the housing market is awful,” Erb said. “Affordable housing in the Panhandle is next to none.

So, when I became president in January 2021, I went to my executive board and said, ‘Look, this is what I need. This is what this organization is stepping into.’”

Each cottage in CALM Village will be approximately 576 square feet with two bedrooms, one bathroom, washer and dryer, a combined living room/kitchen and a front porch. Sidewalks will connect the cottages with the main house and a small playground for the kids.

Thanks to grant funding and outstanding support from the community, CALM projects that after nearly two years of fundraising and planning, the first three cottages will be completed by Oct. 1, 2022.

Community support, Erb and Glinka said, is the reason CALM has been able to succeed like it has. The local Domino’s Pizza and Chick-fil-A donate dinner once per week, while the hunger relief team at Destin Harvest provides surplus food from regional grocery stores, essentially zeroing out CALM’s food budget. Nearby churches, businesses and individuals within the Niceville community raise funds and donate money, cars, appliances and labor. A few people have gone so far as to donate the full construction cost of a cottage in CALM Village.

“I’ll tell you what,” Glinka said. “We have had such great outreach in this community that I cannot keep things on the Amazon wish list.”

“We have discovered that many people are from a home that was not great, and they are able to take that personal experience and say, ‘I see what you are doing, and I wish this had been available when I needed it,’” Erb added. EC

WANT TO HELP?

C.A.L.M. Organization Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on community contributions to create a safe place for mothers and children in crisis. Donations help CALM provide shelter, provisions and counseling to women who want a better way of life for themselves and their children. Consult the organization’s website, nicevillecalm.com, for a list of needed items or to make a financial contribution.

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August-September 2022

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HISTORY

FORTIFYING THE WASHAWAY

Twice, the Washaway House has been knocked off its pilings — once by a monster hurricane in 1926 and again by Hurricane Opal in 1995. Inset photo is from the early 20th century.

19th-century home gets new underpinning and much more

by WYNN PARKS

T

he three of us, contractor Daniel Brock, estate agent Russell Harris and I, are in the southwest corner of Grayton Beach standing on a pile of white sand while a little front-end loader works impatiently around us.

Before us, the old-style, “oyster-shell” mansion is buzzing with carpenters, tile setters, electricians and painters. It’s the first and last 19th-century dwelling left in Grayton Beach, a survivor from the days when one great Florida cattle herd ranged unfenced from Panama City to Pensacola.

Yet the venerable old place never would have survived today’s housing speculation if not for the folks of Grayton Beach leaning into legacy rather than the bulldozing of local culture. At stake was the place’s ambiance accumulated over 132 years.

Since 1890, owners have included notable Panhandle names like McCaskill and Butler; it was once called Wickersham’s Place, but the name that has stuck is Washaway House. The structure was blown off its foundations, once by the great hurricane of 1926 and again in 1995 by Opal. So, the name’s not hard to puzzle out. ← Harley Emmett Wickersham and his wife Corralie were among early restorers of the Washaway House. Harley was a funeral home operator whose wife’s prominent family members included a brother, Donald Stuart Gillis, who served as a circuit judge and as president of the Florida Senate.

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Perhaps because of its seeming indestructibility, the Washaway’s current owners, the Hull and McNellis families, have opted to save it and make it grand.

We walk underneath the building to inspect the forest of pilings that the building rests on.

The “crawl space” is 8 feet high.

“There’s 96 of those things!”

Brock said. “Sunk ’em 20 feet into the ground.”

“No more wash aways here,” Russell added.

“Part of the plan,” said Brock, “is to make a game room and maybe a workout room, down here.”

Back at the street entrance, as we pass through the compound’s gate, Brock talks to me about floor space.

“The building’s original square footage was 2,200, including porches,” he said. “We’ve added another 3,500 square feet inside and brought the total, all around, up to 10,000! And, oh, that gate?

It’s made with some of the original hard pine we replaced.”

On the first living level are an outside fireplace and grotto, christened the Butler Bar and equipped for outdoor cooking.

Across the patio is a 12,000-gallon swimming pool. A commons room on the south corner has a wavy line molded on the inside wall showing the level of the 1926 hurricane’s storm surge.

The elevator isn’t operational, so hugging the wall, we take the photography by MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUSS HARRIS (HISTORICAL SHOTS)

unbanistered stairs to the next level — a labyrinth of bedrooms and balconies with postcard views. Sunlight penetrates the bathroom showers through walls of glass brick. Washaway’s layout is quirky and complex in a Victorian-era way.

We take more stairs. A landing at the top of them enshrines pictures and objects from the Washaway’s past.

Turning left, there are more suites with glorious views from even higher up, plus a bunkroom for kids.

Turning right leads through a cupola.

“There’s a story about a fisherman lost in ’26,” Brock said, “and how for years before she died, his wife kept a light burning for her husband’s return. So there’s going to be a light up there.” He points to the high windows below the cupola vault.

Proceeding on, Russell said, “There’s a local legend about Al Capone hiding

↑ The refurbished exterior of the Washaway House is far more storm-worthy than earlier

iterations of the structure. Inside, an effort is being made to retain elements from the house’s past. Plank ceilings have been preserved, vintage furniture is sprinkled about and the original fireplace is unchanged.

out in Grayton Beach, so this room here is the Al Capone Room. We’re debating whether to put bullet holes in the walls.”

Briefly, the three of us are standing on the Al Capone balcony looking down at the swimming pool and joking about whether we could jump far enough out from the balcony to make the pool.

It wouldn’t feel right to regard the Washaway as soulless property. It’s more like a homegrown memorial filled with reminders of such as Charles Gray, the Army major for whom the town is named, or Gen. William Miller, who along with a friend, built Washaway.

Miller helped turn back a detachment

of Union troops at the Battle of Natural Bridge near Tallahassee.

In World War II, a Coast Guard contingent bunked at Washaway and rode the beach on horseback to patrol against saboteurs from German u-boats.

Seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms later, we come back poolside via the stairs. We’re shaking hands and moving toward the entrance gate.

“Is this all for the owners’ private use?” I ask at the last minute. “Or is it commercial?”

“Well, maybe,” Brock said, “but there are two different families. But maybe.”

In Emerald Coast real estate, that’s transparency. EC

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August-September 2022

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CRESTVIEW 129 Redstone Ave. Suite A Crestview, FL 32539 (850) 682-7212

panache AUG/SEPT 2022

ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

→

Jessica Berry, the hospitality manager at the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel in downtown Pensacola, chills in a print dress from Anthropologie.

CITIZEN OF STYLE

WHITE ON WHITE

Jessica Berry merges wellness with hospitality

by DON J. DEROSIER

BEAUTY photography by WILL HEPBURN

Haute Makeup Tips for Hot Weather

|| WHAT'S IN STORE

Retail Round-up

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← Jessica Berry opts for comfort in a denim dress. ↑ This bedroom at Oyster Bay is

T

he Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel’s 19th-century, Southern-style charm heightens my senses. Its all-white decor and upscale furniture suggest a seaside oasis — or a heavenly perch.

Jessica Berry, the hospitality manager at the hotel located in Pensacola’s downtown historic district, greets me

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warmly. Born in Pensacola and raised in Atlanta, she moved back home upon deciding to start a family. Her entrancing blue eyes complement her stunning Calvin Kline blue dress. She wears a small necklace by Anthropologie and sports an Apple watch as she glides toward me in Madewell sandals.

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Here is a setting made for healthand-wellness retreats or romantic getaways. Removed by far from your typical Holiday Inn or Best Western, the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel boasts modern and sophisticated elegance in its eight guest rooms upstairs, a full kitchen, conference room, sitting area and additional rooms downstairs.

“My role here is a little bit of everything,” Berry said, listing duties including marketing, website development, systems programming, training and monitoring supply inventories. “It’s a different feeling here than when I go home to my two little boys.”

Berry has been the hospitality manager for the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel for the last four years and has seen the hotel go through some drastic changes.

“When I got the job here, it was the Lee House, which was a bed-and-breakfast at the time. The owners sold it to the Studers,” Berry said. “They did a $3 million renovation and made it into what you see today, which is this coastal clean, relaxing vibe which I love.”

Designer Quinn Stinson reimagined the space, and the hotel reopened in 2008 as the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel.

“Originally, the hotel was designed by this lady who loved the color red. From the countertops to the bed coverings, with lots of dark leather taupes and greens. It reminded me of my friend’s parents’ homes in North Georgia,” Berry said.

PHOTOS BY DON J. DEROSIER AND WILL HEPBURN (TOP RIGHT)

adorned with driftwood pieces and gold accents and admits lots of natural light.

The hotel now focuses on corporate and wellbeing retreats.

“We have them come and take over the hotel,” Berry explained. “We do one where it’s three days of no coffee, no alcohol and no sugar. They just eat clean. There are different workouts set up and a sound bath at night in the courtyard with ice baths and rose petals. It’s all really cute but focused on well-being, which I love, and it’s eco-friendly. We try to be as eco-friendly as possible. We’re a completely geothermal property.”

Indeed, Oyster Bay has been recognized as Pensacola’s No. 1 wellness hotel.

“I’m all over the place,” Berry said. “I do our newsletter and all of our social media, so if I want to step away from it all, I have my assistants take over so I can focus on putting out a good product, while they answer phones, take reservations or help our guests — because that’s why we are here.” EC

↑ The hotel lobby adheres to Oyster Bay’s theme favoring neutral colors and blond woods. Even knick-knacks are true to form. Thought tokens deliver positive messages to guests.

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BEAUTY

Haute

Makeup Tips for Hot Weather Make sure your look doesn’t smudge or budge this summer

Y ↑ Makeup artists emphasize that priming eyes and the area under the eyes helps prevent smudging by preventing oils from seeping into mascara.

Steps for Stabilizing Your Makeup 34

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ou take a plunge into the cool depths of the pool to escape the sweltering heat of the summer barbecue. Exiting the water, you reach for your towel and dry your face.

You’re left with raccoon eyes, no brows to speak of and lipstick colored far outside of the lines.

Florida’s heat and humidity and dips in the Gulf can spoil the time, money and energy you devote to your makeup. Fortunately, makeup is continuously evolving in ways that will help you avoid meltdowns.

“Often what is underneath your makeup is the most important step in helping it stay in place,” said Brittany Sigler, owner and master artist at Destin/30A Mobile Beauty Box. Think of your face as a palette, a palette that is clean and primed. Once you’ve washed your face, apply a facial sunscreen, preferably one with zinc.

Next, apply a lightweight gel moisturizer to smooth the skin and hydrate it.

FIRST, START WITH A CLEAN AND PRIMED FACE. EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

APPLY A FACIAL SUNSCREEN, PREFERABLY ONE WITH ZINC.

Melody Weber, a professional makeup artist in Pensacola, recommends the Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Water Burst as a lightweight gel moisturizer. Lastly, apply a primer, which is the key to locking your makeup in place.

If you plan to swim, invest in waterproof makeup, which is easily removed with wipes, liquids or gels.

Stains and creams are the way to go for cheeks and lips. Powder blush cakes in the heat and lipsticks or glosses smudge or wear away quickly. A cream blush or lipstick blends nicely. A lip or cheek stain is much like a stain on clothing — it stays!

“Dewey skin is in,” says Weber. “Natural, minimal coverage is popular right now.”

Foundation looks worse in the heat the more you use. Instead, Weber suggests using a tinted moisturizer to add just a hint of color. Save your foundation application for areas that might need more attention such as under the eyes, blemishes or dark spots.

APPLY A LIGHTWEIGHT GEL MOISTURIZER.

APPLY A PRIMER, WHICH IS THE KEY TO LOCKING YOUR MAKEUP IN PLACE.

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: FIZKES (CLEAN FACE), OLHAKOZACHENKO (FACIAL SUNSCREEN), TANYAROW (GEL MOISTURIZER), HBRH (PRIMER), LUDA311 (PERMANENT MAKEUP), ND3000 (POOL) AND PRIVETIK (MASCARA)

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

On top of your tinted moisturizer or foundation, add a swipe of bronzer. Sigler suggests that bronzer is the ultimate ingredient for a natural glam, sun-highlighted look. As a bonus, it also masks overheated cheeks and blends to cover sweat.

There is a way to avoid foundation and bronzer altogether, should you wish.

“Sunless tanning enhances your natural beauty, allowing you to select your ideal shade,” said Allison Viviano, executive beauty director and certified spray tanner with Destin/30A Mobile Beauty Box. The ultimate stay-in-place face trick is a setting spray or setting powder, which is applied at the end of your makeup regimen. If you’re prone to oily skin, Weber advises applying the setting spray before makeup as well.

Whether it be for convenience or cost, more women are opting to cut out makeup application completely with permanent makeup.

“Permanent makeup eliminates daily makeup application and ensures your makeup stays in place no matter what you do from a beach day to working out,” said Angie Hill, permanent makeup practitioner and owner of Permanent Makeup by Angie in Panama City Beach. “For many women, it’s about the convenience but also feeling confident and beautiful no matter the situation.”

Hill provides permanent makeup application of eyeliner, microblading, brow shading, lip liner and lip color as her most popular services. She also specializes in permanent makeup for those who have been through reconstructive surgeries, cancer and alopecia.

While it’s referred to as permanent makeup, Hill said “semi-permanent” is a more fitting term as touchups are advised every 12–18 months for desired results. Hill and her team help each client decide the look that’s best for them based on their relationship with makeup. Do they tend towards bold, or do they prefer a more natural look?

Makeup should complement your personality and contribute to your confidence and happiness.

The least it can do is stay in place for you. EC

← So-called permanent makeup is popular among women who value its convenience and its reliability.

Makeup artists recommend that it be touched up every 12–18 months.

CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH ART

LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE ROTATING ART EXHIBITS GALLERY SHOP SCULPTURE GARDEN STUDIO ART CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL 125 North Gadsden Street Tallahassee, FL 32301 850.222.8800 LeMoyne.org

EMERALD COAST CATERING

EMERALD COAST GOURMET TO GO

Full-service catering for Private Dinners, Corporate Parties and Weddings events.

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Prepared Meals, Sides, Soups, Gumbos and Desserts made from scratch for delivery or pickup.

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Gary Serafin, Chef/Owner | (850) 585-5979 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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panache

➸ BODIED BY CHAZZ is a new store

in Pensacola specializing in women’s shapewear. After struggling to lose weight following the birth of her children, owner Chassity Bush was inspired to open a store that helped women feel confident in their own skin. The store caters to all body types with a vast selection of waist trainers, shapewear, sweat bands and more.

A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast

by HANNAH BURKE

Prepare your jewelry boxes for more baubles and bangles.

Kendra Scott has opened its newest pop-up shop at Grand Boulevard. As a leading accessories and jewelry brand, Kendra Scott is known for colorful stones, genuine materials and innovative designs. This location will feature a Color Bar, which affords shoppers an interactive opportunity to create and customize their own jewelry.

SALON CUTS

➸ More than just a grocery store, German discount grocery chain ALDI has made its way to Pensacola. Aldi carries their own exclusive brands alongside other well-known, regional and national brands, including Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, Crystal Hot Sauce and Blue Bell ice cream. The store is located on Blue Angel’s Parkway in Pensacola. ➸ Online boutique LOLAANDROSA

BOUTIQUE has established a brick-andmortar location at Destin Commons. Its fashion-forward clothing and accessory inventory is handpicked by motherdaughter duo Rhonda and Morgan Stamey.

Styles are approachable for all with an emphasis on sundresses, cute tops and an assortment of sandals.

In need of a cut, color or curl? Adrianne Brackett has opened her second full-service salon, PURE COLLECTIVE SALON, in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. Her first salon, Pure & Couture, opened 17 years ago in Destin. Services offered include specialized color, cut, hair extensions, facials, eyelash extensions, makeup applications and eventually will include barbering and hot shaves.

The salon partners with brands such as Loreal Professional, Kerastase and Oribe.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENDRA SCOTT GRAND BLVD (JEWELRY) AND CORK & BARREL (WINE)

↑ WHAT’S IN STORE?

➸ Searching for a fine wine for a dinnertime party? How about a quality bottle of bourbon to impress the boss?

CORK & BARREL in Rosemary Beach is your new liquor locator with a highly knowledgeable staff equipped to help you with any libation need. Premium products and classic favorites are available along with local brands.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Shop all of your back to school looks at the ShopSandestin family of stores located in the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Stock up on everything you need from clothes and shoes to book bags and accessories. Our ShopSandestin stores have everything you need to get back to school in style!

850.351.1800 | @ShopSandestin | Sandestin.com

Financial planning that fits you to a

Financial planning isn’t just about retirement. It’s about you and your family working toward financial security now and for future generations. Trustmark’s experienced Tailored Wealth advisors can provide guidance and a plan tailored to help you pursue your specific goals.

The perfect time to start planning is today. Learn more at trustmark.com.

Financial Planning services are offered through Trustmark Wealth Management, a division of Trustmark National Bank.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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All About Acne Prevention

A

Professional Advice from Dermatology Specialists

cne is the result of pores becoming clogged with dirt or dead skin cells resulting in inflamed sebaceous glands causing pimples, blackheads or bumps. Living in a hot, humid state can increase sweat and oil production making acne even more likely.

While people of all races and ages can experience acne, it is most common in teenagers. It’s estimated that 80% of people ages 11 to 30 will have at least a mild form of acne, and most people are affected by it at some point in their lives.

Genetics, hormones, oil production and bacteria are leading causes of acne.

According to Angela Pearson, a nurse practitioner at the Watersound Origins office of Dermatology Specialists, “The best way to prevent acne is to wash your face every night with a gentle cleanser.”

Pearson recommends a gentle cleanser such as Cerave and stresses that patients need to use a cleanser specific to the face as opposed to a hand or body soap.

“If consistent face washing is not sufficient, there are over-the-counter topical medications such as Differin

that can be used,” said CRNP Pearson.

She further explains, “These medicated gels contain retinoids which work by prompting surface skin cells to turn over and die rapidly, letting go of dead skin, dirt, bacteria and oil.” For body acne, Angela recommends a benzoyl peroxidebased body wash.

If problems persist, Dermatology Specialists can prescribe a stronger retinoid called tretinoin — an effective treatment for acne. Prescription strength tretinoin is especially effective on cystic acne but may result in dry, flakey skin in the first week of use. After that stage has passed, most patients see desired results.

CRNP Angela Pearson recommends the use of retinoids to both acne patients and those patients wishing to turn back the hands of time. “A thin layer of retinol should be applied every evening, after face cleanser, even when pimples are not present. Retinoid use should become a lifetime practice as it not only prevents acne, but it also promotes the production of collagen that evens skin tones and prevents fine lines and wrinkles.”

As all dermatologists will tell you, sunscreen use is vital. For acne-prone skin, an oil-free non-comedogenic sunscreen, used daily, is advised since some sunscreens can contribute to blocked pores.

The experts at Dermatology Specialists work with acne patients to customize a treatment plan that works for their individual needs. With any acne treatment, consistency is key. Pearson says, “Daily dedication to your treatment plan will help you get the best results — clear, healthy skin.”

DERMATOLOGY SPECIALISTS OF FLORIDA & AQUA MEDICAL SPA | (850) 659-9393

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CUSTOM CONTENT

ANGELA PEARSON, CRNP

PROTECT + PRESERVE Preserve the Walton County beaches we love for generations to come. By replenishing sand, the beach nourishment process bolsters and reconstructs coastline elevation against storms, safeguarding our dune system, upland structures and economy. Storms are inevitable. Losing our beaches isn’t.

Learn more about Hurricane Storm Damage Reduction at FriendsOfTheBeachFL.com.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM August-September February–March 2022 2020

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3899 E. County Highway 30A, Seagrove · 850.231.2166 · Open Daily at 4:30 · cafethirtya.com 42

June-July 2022

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DINING IN A Meatier Matter || DINING OUT Cajun Cuisine and Southern Hospitality

gastro&gusto AUG/SEPT 2022

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

↘ Smoky Old Fashioned Green maple wood chips are smoked and add to the cocktail’s depth of flavor along with bitters, sugar, orange and lime peel and Dune Laker Vodka.

LIBATIONS

GRAIN TO GLASS

Distillery 98 crafts vodka infused with Panhandle spirit

by EVGENIYA STETSENKO

photography by MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY

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I

t’s colorless and by itself tasteless and can be enjoyed unadorned — neat or on the rocks — or enhanced with a host of fruity flavors. Vodka has been around for centuries. It originated in Europe where it was administered for medicinal purposes before it evolved to become a spirit that is used in “self-medication,” only as loosely applied.

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“Pour freely. Toast generously.” That’s the slogan at Distillery 98, where Dune Laker Vodka is crafted. The business presents itself as a “homegrown, sustainably operated micro-distillery,” one that is fueled by the passions of its crafters and their commitment to quality.

Opened in 2019, Distillery 98, located in Santa Rosa Beach, was intended

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY

↑ At Distillery 98, patrons take a break from beering at the beach. Speciality cocktails

including the Island Spring, made with pineapple, rosemary simple syrup and Dune Laker Vodka cross a newly renovated bar.

as a meeting place where Northwest Florida residents could gather to enjoy spirits made with ingredients from local farms. As a “grain to glass” operation, Distillery 98 conducts its processing, distilling and bottling activities in one place. Its personnel closely supervise every step.

Dune Laker is distilled 18 times and is naturally infused with the spirit of the Panhandle. It is intended to honor “dune lakers,” people who enjoy the outdoors and are especially drawn to the dune lakes located along Walton County’s Gulf shore. Distillery 98’s Harrison Holditch and his brother-

in-law David Kapitanoff qualify as lakers, themselves.

They visited South Walton for years with their families before establishing their business and became avid paddleboarders. Indeed, a paddleboarder in silhouette appears on Dune Laker Vodka’s label.

“It’s the perfect activity to enjoy on the lakes and be more connected to nature,” Holditch said.

Distillery 98 produces a flavored vodka, Martin Migration, in addition to Dune Laker while maintaining an event space that hosts birthday parties, bachelorette parties and gatherings of EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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gastro & gusto

Mimmo invites you to enjoy and experience traditional C R E A T I N G C O M M U N I T Y authentic THROUGH ART Italian cuisine from LOCATED IN DOWNTOWNhis hometown of Sicily.

TALLAHASSEE ROTATING ART EXHIBITS GALLERY SHOP SCULPTURE GARDEN STUDIO ART CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

↑ Distillery 98 was established as a place where people might gather to enjoy spirits made with corn and other ingredients produced by local farmers.

A

ITALIAN

850.460.7353

EatMimmos.com

Chances to win prizes when you make a purchase from vendors.

Special Event Market September 18, 2022

For details visit our website FreeportFarmersMarket.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

ERALD C O

anyone who wants to celebrate the Emerald Coast lifestyle.

The business also conducts tours of the distillery.

“We love supporting our local military and veterans as well as sports teams in the community,” said Holditch, who has fostered connections with other local businesses.

Nearby Amavida Coffee has a signature espresso martini that combines Dune Laker Vodka, pecan liqueur and Amavida cold brew. The coffee house adds Dune Laker to its lotus drop and pineapple mule drinks, both ideal on a hot summer day.

Distillery 98 supports local events including Paddle for Peace, an activity designed to familiarize people with the healing qualities of water.

At this writing, the business is preparing to market a new product, Half Shell Vodka, which is filtered through oyster shells and will be packaged in a cardboard bottle that people can take to the beach, pool or out on the boat.

Holditch and Kapitanoff strive to limit their carbon footprint in any way they can. Corn used in production is cooled and distributed back into fields. They use locally sourced oyster shells to filter their vodka. Bottles for the new Half Shell Vodka will be made of materials that are 94% recycled.

“It just makes sense for us to do our business that way.

Distillery 98 We love this area and want to unites people with preserve its beauty and natural activities taking resources,” Holditch said. place in the world around them. Its Never content to hold still, motto reflects its Holditch et al have renovated spirit: Pour freely. the bar and upstairs area at Toast generously. their building and are tacking (850) 919-2400 INFO@ a porch onto the front of DISTILLERY98.COM Distillery 98 — the perfect 35 SERENOA ROAD vantage point for watching SANTA ROSA the sunset while sipping BEACH Dune Laker. EC

SPIRIT

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISTILLERY 98

EM

Variety of Vendors | Food Trucks Pets Welcome | Live Music

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ST

E

Come see us first and third Sundays Every month 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

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E’S N

979 US HWY 98 E | Destin

(in the 98 Palms Shopping Plaza)

OAST MAG AZ DC I AL

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2022

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gastro & gusto

DINING IN

A MEATY MATTER

Smokers enhance flavor of steaks, chops and chicken

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

S

moking, while discouraged by the surgeon general, is one of the best ways to prepare meats — especially when it comes to imparting deep flavor.

From Boston butts and briskets to salmon and squab, smoking gives meat an incredible tenderness and a flavor profile unlike anything that can be achieved in the oven or even on the grill. The trick is in knowing the right cook times and temperatures to adhere to and the best wood chips and rubs to use.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s explore the steps to achieving the best results from a smoker.

IMBEDDED IN OUR GENES

Prehistoric humans smoked fish and meat over an open fire. The heat would dry up the flesh, making it possible to preserve it for longer periods. Then, by accident, our ancestors stumbled upon the fact that smoking increases the flavors of food. Thus began the journey of thousands of years when humans learned and perfected the process of smoking food. The feeling of contentment that the smell of a smoked meal provided to ancient humans has been transmitted through selfish genes to modern humans. When we barbecue meat on our fancy smokers, we stoke primitive feelings of happiness, tucked away in the subcortical area of our brains.

— Makhdum Ahmed, media.com

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First comes prep. Preparing the meat can often be the most important step; it’s a time when you can impart a lot of flavor. Some people prefer complex rubs, while others lean on salt and pepper and perhaps the addition of another spice or two.

Naturally, different types of meat will call for different seasonings. Sweetening things up will require a bit of sugar, while spicier profiles may need the addition of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.

Get creative, and think about the flavor profile of the meat. For instance, dry mustard rubs complement the flavor of pork, and coffee goes great with beef.

CHOOSING the RIGHT WOOD OAK

Flavor: Medium to heavy Burn: Hot and slow Color: Dark mahogany Common Food Pairings: Beef and lamb

HICKORY

PHOTO BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: GOLUBOVY AND SVETLANA MONYAKOVA (WOOD CHIPS)

↑ A rack of smoked pork ribs is enough to make any pig-consuming carnivore salivate. The use of apple wood in a smoker lends a mild sweetness to pork; its use is also recommended for poultry.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your rubs, and try both wet and dry versions.

“Dry rubs are great for fattier meats, but I tend to use a wet rub for leaner meats like poultry,” offers Rachel Jane Fleming, a seasoned home cook who spends her days working at Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar on Pensacola Beach.

“Butter and spices are a go-to for wet rubs.”

If you can, rub your meat the day before, and leave it to marinate overnight. This allows the salt to infuse flavors of the rub deeper into the meat — especially ribs or large cuts of red meat.

In the absence of time, rubbing the meat shortly before it goes in the smoker will still bring about great flavor.

Wood is the next consideration. Wood types can largely be left up to personal preference, but there are some general guidelines to follow.

For instance, hickory is great for imparting strong flavor to the meats. However, too much hickory smoke can cause meats to taste bitter. For hardwoods, red oak is best for smoking meats.

Oak is strong but does not overpower the taste and texture of meat — it’s ideal for smoking beef or lamb. Apple wood gives a mild sweetness to meats and is best used for barbecued pork and poultry. Cherry wood is also perfect for barbecuing pork and also complements beef.

“Apple and cherry woods are great for meats that need a milder flavor,” says Frank Dubec, a frequent smoker who lives in Fort Walton Beach.

Pecan wood is great for low and slow smoking, as it burns slowly and gives meats a more delicate flavor than other woods. However, because pecan tends to be pungent, it is best used in moderation. Other woods popular for use in

smoking meats include maple, alder ash, pear and plum. Mesquite wood, while a great source of flavor, is not ideal for smoking because it burns hot and fast. Whatever wood is used, you’ll want to soak the wood chips.

“Soaking the wood chips helps them from burning too quickly, which is crucial to smoking meat,” Fleming said.

Naturally, smoking time and temperature are also crucial to achieving the best results. Cooking temperatures vary depending on what type of meat you are cooking. Higher fat meats like a pork butt or brisket require more cook time and a slightly lower temperature. Chicken, by contrast, doesn’t require as much time and needs a slightly higher temp.

Fattier, bigger cuts of meat generally need a temp of 225 degrees, with a cook time of about 1.5 hours per pound. For a chicken, set the smoker at 250 degrees, and plan at least four hours in the smoke.

Naturally, cook times depend on the level of doneness desired in the meat. The higher the internal temp on fatty cuts such as a pork butt or brisket, the easier the meat will fall apart, so determine whether you want to slice or pull the meat.

Ever heard of mopping meat? For smoked meats, mops are a great way to keep things moist and infuse flavor while you’re cooking. Mops are added while meats are smoking and are most often used for red meats such as ribs, briskets, butts and shoulders. They are applied regularly in layers to retain moisture. Mops works in tandem with the barbecue rub to build a crusty surface on meats.

Finally, let the smoker do its work. Sit back, relax and dream smoky dreams. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Flavor: Sweet and strong, similar to bacon Burn: Hot and slow Color: Dark mahogany Common Food Pairings: Pork, beef and lamb

MAPLE

Flavor: Sweet and light Burn: Hot and slow Color: Darkens meat Common Food Pairings: Beef, lamb and poultry

MESQUITE

Flavor: Very strong Burn: Hot and fast Color: Red/pink-ish Common Food Pairings: Beef and lamb

APPLE

Flavor: Light, fruity and sweet Burn: Hot and slow Color: Red/pinkish Common Food Pairings: Pork and poultry

PECAN

Flavor: Fruity and sweet Burn: Slow and cool Color: Golden brown Common Food Pairings: Pork and beef

CHERRY

Flavor: Light, fruity and sweet Burn: Hot and slow Color: Mahogany Common Food Pairings: Poultry, ham and salmon

TIP: Apple and cherry woods have similar flavor profiles to peach and alder, however alder burns cooler.

Source: northshorefireplace.com

August-September 2022

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gastro & gusto DINING OUT

CAJUN CUISINE AND HOSPITALITY Ruby Slipper delivers a taste of the Big Easy to Destin

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

C

onceived and developed in New Orleans, the Ruby Slipper Cafe in Destin is the company’s 21st location.

It occupies the freestanding building at 34902 Emerald Coast Parkway that was once the home of Graffiti & The Funky Blues Shack.

“We had been looking at Destin for years,” said co-founder Jennifer Weishaupt, “but we just couldn’t find the right pace or the right timing. We really like this location. It’s the right place at the right time.”

Weishaupt said that Michael Carro of SVN Southland Commercial Real Estate Group was instrumental in finding the location.

Julie Payne serves as general manager and is in charge of 60 employees. There are 164 seats in the dining room and another 15 at the bar.

“We’re excited to bring our Big Easy-inspired brunch to the beautiful Florida Panhandle,” Peter Gaudreau, the CEO of the Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group, said in a press release.

“Destin is a natural next step for our expansion along the Gulf Coast with restaurants already in Mobile, Orange Beach and Pensacola,” Gaudreau added. “We think the Destin area captures that sense of New Orleans hospitality and Southern charm that Ruby Slipper is all about.”

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↗↘ BREAKFAST IS SERVED Pancakes, Eggs Benedict and a flight of Mimosas. Lower photos: a bloody toast and grand opening day.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUBY SLIPPER

→ CROSS-PROMOTION Ruby Slipper co-founder Jennifer Weishaupt shares a few moments with Geoffrey Meeker, the owner of French Truck Coffee, outside Weishaupt’s restaurant.

Ruby Slipper has a tradition of partnering with charitable organizations, and in Destin its preferred partner is Food For Thought Outreach, which helps children in need.

“It’s a different concept from anything out here, and they’re going into a great location,” said Shane Moody, CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce. “So that will be something new and attractive, and it’s positive that they’re a communityoriented company.”

Weishaupt was born on Long Island and first came to New Orleans to attend Tulane University. After earning a master’s degree there in 1997, she became a chemical engineer with Shell Oil. She and husband Erich were married in 2001. He was an electrical engineer with Shell Oil. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, flooding their neighborhood.

“We made the decision to rebuild our house, and we got really active in the neighborhood association,” Weishaupt recalled.

Soon afterward, a neighbor offered to let them build a restaurant at a former corner store site just a few blocks from the family home.

“We really didn’t know anything about the restaurant business, but you kind of have to look inside yourself to find solutions to problems,” Weishaupt said. “We decided to take some of our management and real estate business experience and see if we could open a restaurant that would really help rebuild our neighborhood.”

The restaurant, she said, became a “gathering place where people could escape some of the chaos of rebuilding their homes and dealing with insurance companies.”

READY TO EAT?

Weishaupt’s idea for the name Ruby Slipper came from something she heard on radio station WWOZ in early 2006.

“The DJ was talking about her child who had just come back to New Orleans from Houston after being evacuated for the hurricane,” Weishaupt said. “And she was telling the story of her daughter seeing her schoolmates for the first time in a year. Her daughter told them that she had learned that as someone from New Orleans, she grew up in Oz and every place else is just Kansas.

“And I thought that was such a beautiful sentiment that spoke to the colorfulness and quirkiness of life in New Orleans,” Weishaupt said. “All of us were homesick for all that during those days.”

In July 2015, Ruby Slipper Cafe opened its first location outside of New Orleans in downtown Pensacola.

It added an Orange Beach, Alabama, location in June 2016.

The company now includes a Ruby Sunshine division, which owns and operates locations in Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina. EC

Check out Ruby Slipper’s extensive menu at RubySlipperCafe.net.

The restaurant is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Reach the business by phone at (850) 388-6248.

↑ MOUNTAINS TO BE CONQUERED Top: Eggs Cochon — slow-cooked, apple-braised pork debris served over a buttermilk biscuit, topped with two poached eggs and finished with Hollandaise sauce. Lower photo: Sweet Heat Chicken & French Toast Bites, served with fruit.

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Bodacious Shops Turns 10 Collection of businesses helped re-energize Pensacola

M

ore than 10 years ago, civic leaders in Pensacola recognized that the city’s downtown area was in need of revitalization.

Consistent with those aims, Rishy and Quint Studer brought about the Bodacious Shops, which debuted in May 2012 at the corner of Palafox and Main streets.

The Bodacious Shops comprise several businesses, all located under the roof a historic two-story building.

The Bodacious Olive, a premium olive oil and balsamic vinegar store, was the first to open and was soon followed by The Bodacious Brew coffee shop and So Chopped Salad Bar & Bistro. The collection of stores also includes a culinary shop upstairs called So Gourmet, Bubba’s Sweet Spot next door and the Bodacious Bookshop on East Intendencia Street.

“Part of Rishy’s vision and our mission was to create a gathering place that supports the health, comfort and quality of life in the community we serve,” said Noelle White, the retail operations director at Bodacious Shops.

The manifestation of that vision has meant patrons enjoying fresh and creative salads, wraps, flatbreads and more dressed in Bodacious oils and vinegars; people sipping lattes made with coffee roasted on-site; and afternoons spent on an upstairs balcony sipping wine and snacking on charcuterie boards. At the Bodacious Shops, people may find a housewarming gift, take a cooking class or join in celebrations with loved ones.

To commemorate 10 years, the shops hosted a three-day celebration May 5–7 that included food and wine samples,

demonstrations by local vendors, discounts and a special performance on the building’s steps by a church choir.

A raffle with items donated by local supporters generated funds for the Studer Community Institute’s Early Brain Development Program, which encourages and educates parents on how to develop their baby’s brain from day one.

Bodacious Shops encourages visitors to check their social media and website to stay up to date on events such as cooking classes, wine dinners, kids camps and more.

“We love celebrating the vibrancy of Pensacola,” White said. “We are grateful and proud that we have been able to flourish and be embraced so fully by the community for 10 years.”

BODACIOUS SHOPS 407 S. PALAFOX ST., PENSACOLA | BODACIOUSSHOPS.COM | (850) 433-6505

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Maverick, Hewes, Pathfinder, and Cobia Boats EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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Water At Miller Marine in Southport, some dreams materialize while others languish on boat stands.

Vessels are built and launched — or pulled, rehabbed and returned to the water — provided the money is there.

Because, it is true, boats can be holes that you pour savings into.

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story by S T E V E B O R N H O F T photography by M I K E F E N D E R

is in

their

Blood HEADBOAT BUILDER SPAWNED AN ENDURING BUSINESS

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one time worked for the shipbuilder Eastern Marine in Panama City, is a numbers person. Their strengths are complementary.

Prominent in the office they share is a framed certificate issued by the International Game Fish Association and attesting to what at the time was a 12-pound-line-class world record red snapper catch made by Warren. The walls are festooned, too, with the skulls and antlers of deer harvested by the sisters. Almost lost in a corner of the room is the tail fan from a wild turkey.

The sisters are outdoors women born to a family that has been immersed in the world of boats for five generations.

Warren’s great grandfather, George W. Davis, beginning in the 1950s, built the headboats that came to comprise the Queen Fleet of party-fishing vessels docked at Capt. Anderson’s Marina in Panama City Beach.

George’s three sons — Grover, Joe Ed and Duck — each had a knack for boats. Grover and Joe Ed were genius mechanics and engineers, and Duck was an inventor. Often, they would work deep into the night on the headboats’ engines to make them ready for fishing trips that left out at 2 a.m.

Grover went on to start Marine Transportation, a business that ferried supplies to offshore oil rigs. Duck

PHOTOS BY MIKE FENDER

“That one over there probably hasn’t been touched for three or four years,” said Mandy Warren, pointing toward an excursion boat that was once used in dolphin sightseeing tours. “Customer brought it down from New York. But he still pays his rent every month. That shrimp boat has been abandoned here. We’ve hired a private detective to try to find the owner.”

Bobby Sullivan, meanwhile, is near the finish line.

Miller Marine built his 60-foot sportfishing yacht, the Knot Now — it was the Alvin’s Island when it was owned

by Panama City Beach’s Walsingham brothers — in 1997.

Newly refurbished, the boat is back in the water. Boatyard founder Mike Miller, chewing an unlighted cheroot, happens by the boat and remarks, “It’s my pride and joy.”

A shakedown cruise had presented only a minor hiccup.

“We’re about there,” Sullivan said with obvious excitement. “We get this deck stained, and we’re ready to go.” Extensive woodwork and unique detailing are among the Knot Now’s strengths. Warren points out carved drawer pulls shaped like scallop shells made in the carpentry shop at the boatyard.

Warren owns Miller Marine along with her sister, Megan Miller. The two women bought the business from Mike Miller, their father. Warren is a people person, specializing in customer service. Miller, who at

↙ FAMILY BUSINESS

From left, Mandy Warren, James “Bimbo” Miller, Mike Miller and Megan Miller. The two women now own the Miller Marine boatyard, started by Mike Miller in 1996 after he met with success in building a boat, the Seminole Wind, in his backyard. The Knot Now, a Miller Marine boat, was recently refurbished throughout.

opened Queen Craft, a manufacturer of small boats. The three boys had a sister who would become Warren’s grandmother.

At age 19, Mike Miller started running headboats. In the 1970s, he got his own charter boat, the New Beginning, which he operated downstate primarily.

It remains in operation today.

In 1983, about the time that Warren was born, Miller decided to build a boat in his backyard. Dubbed the Seminole Wind, that boat, too, is still going. Billy Archer, one of the most popular fishing charter captains in Northwest Florida, captains the vessel.

In order to provide an income stream steadier than the one that custom boat building could provide, Miller in 1996 bought a pipe company that had been foreclosed upon, acquired a travel lift and started his boatyard. His kid brother, James “Bimbo” Miller, has been by his side ever since, running the business’s day-to-day, non-office operations.

Mike Miller is currently at work on a 52-foot boat commissioned by a customer in Atlanta. He is 66, and this boat is likely to be his last build.

“Custom boats take a special person,” Warren said. “You have to be willing to wait. A custom boat is more expensive.

Materials costs are increasing. Resin is double what it was.”

↑ At any given time, the boatyard at

Miller Marine is the temporary home for commercial boats, sportfishing yachts, sailboats, even government vessels. When storms threaten, the yard fills in a hurry.

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Miller Marine is sitting on a 72foot hull that needs to be finished.

An economic downturn affecting the construction business forced the man who ordered the boat out of the project.

“We’re waiting for the right person to come along and take over,” Warren said. “He’s out there. There’s probably a million in the boat already. Engines alone are another million. When all is said and done, we’re talking about a $7 million to $9 million boat.”

Miller Marine employees focus on boat exteriors from the waterline down, but subcontractors present at the business are prepared

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←↑ At age 66, Mike Miller has undertaken what likely will be his last boat build, a 52-footer commissioned by a customer in Atlanta who is willing to wait for a vessel custom crafted to his specifications.

Miller’s grandfather was a headboat builder.

PHOTOS BY MIKE FENDER (LEFT) AND MATTHEW KUKA COURTESY OF LEGENDARY MARINE (RIGHT)

to work on other aspects of boat maintenance and repair from towers and engines to curtains and decks. Effectively, then, Miller Marine is a fullservice yard.

“You can organize your contractors yourself and rent a space from us, or we will do it all for you, and you don’t pay rent,” Warren said.

Miller Marine offers hurricane plans whereby customers pay $1,500 a year in advance so that they will have a place to put their boats if a bad storm threatens. All spaces are spoken for, however, “and we’ve got a waiting list as long as that book you’re holding,” Warren said. “The only way you’d give up your spot is if you sell your boat or you die.”

As Hurricane Michael approached Bay County, Miller Marine had 86 boats in its yard. Sailboats and Bertram, Hatteras and Viking yachts and more.

“We got lucky,” Warren said. “We had just two boats that kind of laid over, but we had lots of broken masts and outriggers. When we have a storm, it gets interesting around here. We keep hauling until our yard is a kid’s dream full of 60- to 80-foot yachts.”

A key player then and every day is the man who drives Miller Marine’s 88ton travel lift. One time, Warren drove it onto the concrete runners at the mouth of the yard, just to see if she could run it in an emergency.

Now, she hopes that emergency never comes.

shallow Drafts, shorter

Gunnels

CONSUMER DEMAND LEADS TO BOON IN VERSATILE BOATS story by S T E V E B O R N H O F T

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A chief driver affecting the boating industry and boat design in recent years has been consumer demand for vessels that are easily boarded and exited, have shallow drafts and place boaters in close proximity to the water.

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Deep-V hulls and big gunnels have gone the way of cringy mustaches and business suits with shoulder pads. In is the kind of boat that fishes well in both nearshore and skinny waters, the kind of boat you can swim up to and easily retrieve a toy or a beer or snorkeling gear from without leaving the water.

Gonzo anglers willing to sacrifice amenities for added fuel capacity so that they can run from the Destin Harbor to oil rigs off Louisiana on a tank of gas are far outnumbered by family boaters who prefer not to leave all the comforts of home on the shore.

Women and children are more involved in boating than ever before, according to Todd Royall, general sales manager at Legendary Marine in Destin. They’re not content to operate from stripped-down fishing platforms with a couple of beanbag chairs to relax in.

“That’s why you are seeing all these unique seating arrangements,” Royall said, “and teak-and-holly floors and beautiful cabinetry and nice enclosed heads and separate showers.”

Royall is a boat owner, himself, and has been steadily since joining Legendary Marine 19 years ago. He runs an Everglades 243 center console powered by a 300-horsepower Yamaha four-stroke engine.

“Ultimately, it’s a big family cruiser,” he said, “but for the few times each year that I can get out and fish, it’s a very capable fishing vessel. It has a very shallow draft and a second steering station up top that I can use if I decide to sight-fish for the many species that we have up and down the beach.

“But most importantly, it’s got a lot of versatile seating. The bow is a big sun pad that can accommodate nine

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW KUKA COURTESY OF LEGENDARY MARINE

children. But after just a couple of minutes of removing cushions, I’ve got a massive fishing platform.”

In that sense, it’s a convertible, the “Swiss Army knife” among boats, according to Royall. “I call it a coastal boat, but most people call them hybrids.”

The Everglades 243 is the vessel that kickstarted the trend toward easier-access boats, according to Royall.

“Shorter gunnels make it easier to net or gaff or release a fish,” he said. “And we needed them so that boats could accommodate marine trolling motors.”

Small drafts mean that a boater blown out while fishing for snapper in 90 feet of water can shift gears, come inshore and fish for redfish or speckled trout in two feet of water.

“But when it’s nice out, you can run 40 miles offshore and drop that trolling motor in the water, and with the tap of a button, it will hold the boat within a couple of feet of a set of GPS coordinates.

Now, Dad doesn’t have to sit behind the wheel and keep drifting back and forth trying to find that bottom spot.”

Center console boats are popular, yes, but among shallow draft boats, “The pontoon boat craze is absolute insanity,” Royall said. “At Shell Island or Crab Island, 80 percent of the anchored boats in that drone photo will be pontoons.”

They may not be the sexiest boats afloat, but pontoons offer some distinct advantages.

“Nobody wants to own a pontoon boat — until they run a pontoon boat,” Royall said.

Most are 8.5 feet wide and 23 feet in length, but the available space and seating is probably three times what is available in a 35-foot center console, Royall estimated.

“Kids feel safe because it’s like a living room that’s fenced in,” he said. “You have three to four access doors around the boat, but when you are running, they are all closed and parents and children feel comfortable walking around the boat.”

A third, center “toon,” once reserved for the largest of pontoon boats, is now common among even 20-footers.

“That middle toon takes an average seaworthy pontoon boat and turns it into one of the smoothest rides in our industry,” Royall said. “I would put it up

against any mono-hull or any catamaran on the planet. A triple-toon at 40 miles per hour is steady as a rock.”

Most are equipped with oversized, telescoping, three- or four-step swim ladders and ski-tow bars, and when you run a pontoon boat onto the beach, you don’t have to worry about scratching gel coat.

“With a pontoon, you can beach it, open the center entrance door in the bow, place a cooler on the sand and use it as a step,” Royall said. “When you’re running, you can have eight or 10 people on board, and no one is up against anyone else.

Everybody is relaxed because you have good back support and the boat is not shifting from port to starboard.

“Then you catch yourself saying, ‘Why the heck do I not own a pontoon boat?’”

Making of a Legendary For four years, the state Department of Transportation leased land owned by Peter Bos as a staging area during the construction of the Mid-Bay Bridge linking Destin and Niceville. When the project was done, Bos was left to contemplate the future of the property.

He chose to build a marina that would provide a dry-storage option for area boaters, but a few months after its completion, Bos wasn’t seeing the results he

had envisioned and decided along with another local resident to tack a boat dealership onto the facility.

“He starts with a single-wide trailer, a very small floor plan and one salesperson,” Royall said. “Fast forward 10 years, and he’s built the industry’s largest service department and a state-of-the-art showroom with a much larger floor plan and many more boat lines.

“In 2012, Boating Industry magazine named us the No. 1 dealership in North America, and in 2013, we won that honor again. In 2015, we were inducted into the Boating Industry Hall of Fame.”

Today, following a merger with the Atlanta-area Singleton Marine Group, Legendary is part of One Water Marine, operators of 82 dealerships from South Florida to Indiana to Boston.

“Everybody in this industry starts their job because of the lifestyle,” Royall said.

“They are not chasing money. You have the water gene, and you get a chance to constantly change people’s lives.

“People come into our offices just to talk to us about what they did on the water. Conversations lead to relationships, and we take part in special occasions with customers — birthdays, graduations. That happens here a lot. We love it. That’s what we’re all about.”

↖↑ Pontoon boats are experiencing a surge in popularity. “Nobody wants a pontoon boat until

they run a pontoon boat,” says Todd Royall of Legendary Marine in Destin. According to Royall, women and children are now more involved in boating than ever before, and pontoons make kids feel safe. “They’re like a living room that’s fenced in,” Royall notes.

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whatever

Floats your

Boat I N F L A T A B L E K A Y A K S O F F E R C O N V E N I E N C E, DURABILITY AND STYLE story by H A N NA H B U R K E

Five years ago, BOTE CEO and co-founder Corey Cooper discovered that people would rather rent kayaks than own them.

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“Looking at the history of kayaking, one of its most prohibitive considerations has been size,” he said. “Kayaks are huge, heavy as hell, and from an ownership perspective, storing them requires either a truck, a vehicle with a roof rack or a house with a garage or yard.

People found they were just easier to rent.”

BOTE, a Fort Walton Beachbased watersports business that Cooper founded with his wife Magda in 2009, had already revolutionized stand-up paddleboards by developing blow-up boards as sturdy as their rigid counterparts.

The same concept was easily applied to kayaks.

“Most heritage kayak brands weren’t making stand-ups, so

PHOTOS BY SEAN MURPHY (AERIAL) AND COURTESY OF BOTE

they weren’t familiar with the technology we were using on the inflatable side,” Cooper said. “We were able to come at it from a strategic angle and touch traditional markets.

Recreational and whitewater kayaking, fishing and even pedal driving are now possible with inflatable kayaks.”

It’s a move that expanded BOTE’s pool of potential customers and also advanced its mission of creating products that define the water lifestyle. Whether you’re a paddling aficionado or just dipping your toes in, “iKayaks” slake a thirst for adventure.

The Zeppelin Aero Inflatable Kayak may be BOTE’s most versatile model. Simply strap in an extra Aero Paddle Seat, and a one-person kayak becomes one built for two. The 10-foot and 12-foot, 6-inch Zeppelins are both well suited for recreational paddling most anywhere.

They’re roomy, stable and, Cooper said, “ideal for kids and family.”

“On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ve got our LONO,” Cooper added. “Those are our pedal-drive fishing kayaks and are more for the kayak enthusiast who spends a lot of time on the water. You don’t even need a paddle to get from point A to point B seamlessly.”

When equipped with an APEX Pedal Drive + Rudder system that is sold separately, the LONO enables anglers to keep their fingers on the rod as they navigate their favorite fishing hole.

Too, serious fishers stand to benefit from the LONO’s various features and upgrades.

BOTE’s Rocket Rac can hold up to four fishing rods and allows for trolling. Invest in one of BOTE’s MAGNEPOD coolers, tumblers or koozies, and they’ll cling like ivy to a magnetic strip at the base of the boat.

Perhaps as a nod to the god of the sea, BOTE’s third model, the DEUS, offers some middle ground. “DEUS is your all-around kayak for someone who wants something a little bit faster than Zeppelin,” Cooper said. “It has a higher seating perspective; it can fish and do a little bit of everything.”

That high seat works well for people looking to stay dry in colder weather, Cooper said.

The DEUS and LONO both convert easily to paddleboards.

All models are, undeniably, aesthetically pleasing. Their military-grade, PVC thermoplastic skins range from classic teak wood and camo to tropical aqua and seafoam green and offer sleekness as well as strength.

← The LONO Apex AERO inflatable kayak is pedal driven. ↑ The tanden Zeppelin Aero

inflatable kayak, propelled here the old-fashioned way, features elevated seats that give paddlers more leverage in pushing the intimate vessel across the water.

For those who wonder just how tough an inflatable kayak can be, Cooper said it’s like this: Imagine a top sheet and a bottom sheet. Between them are tens of thousands of threads. Inflate with high pressure, and those stitches grow taut and solid.

“You’re left with something similar to what you’d experience with a rigid kayak,” he explained.

“It’s the same material you’d find on whitewater rafts and skiffs. I can say my inflatable kayak has survived better with my kids than the rigid ones because they get so dinged up.”

The heftiest of BOTE’s inflatables can support up to 600 pounds of weight but, while impact-resilient, they aren’t puncture-proof. But Cooper said all BOTE kayaks are easily repaired, coming with a kit consisting of glue, patches and a valve tool.

And, as most iKayaks are constructed with multiple air chambers for maximum buoyancy, you’re not likely to sink.

Cooper said customers most enjoy its portability. In a matter of minutes, they can go from travel bag to river, lake or sea. Simply rinse them off with fresh water and soap, let them dry and roll them up for storage wherever you like.

BOTE was recently acquired by sporting goods manufacturer Kent Outdoors, a partnership Cooper said will “get a much larger audience into our garden.”

“Inflatables help us be more accessible to customers and get more people engaged in the water lifestyle,” Cooper said. “That’s the whole point for me, to provide that access. Stop sitting inside and staring at your phone or playing video games and just go outside.” EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

CARING FOR YOUR KAYAK » Salt water, if

not rinsed off, may corrode your craft over time. Always clean your kayak with fresh water.

» Prevent molding,

odor and paint blistering and bubbling by allowing your kayak to completely dry before storing.

» Prolonged UV

exposure may cause cosmetic and structural damage.

Your storage spot should be cool, dry and covered.

August-September 2022

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June–July 642020 August-September EMERALDCOASTMAGA 2022 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM ZINE.COM

expression AUG/SEPT 2022

CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

ART

Illuminating the PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS / DEVON RAVINE

Iris

Gia Roche brings her vision to life with eye-popping photography

by PAIGE AIGRET

↓

FILM

Getting Back in the Water

|| ETHICS

Royalty Treatment

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E

ye Wonder offers people a unique opportunity to look into their own eyes and bring home a personalized art piece.

“I’ve always been obsessed with eyes,” the Destin business’s owner, Gia Roche, said. In her native Paraguay, owing to the influence of indigenous populations, most people have brown hair and brown eyes. When Roche moved to the U.S. in 2005, the range of eye colors piqued her interest.

Roche photographs eyes — irises to be precise.

She loves lighter-colored eyes because it is possible to see so much detail when images of them are enlarged.

Still, she finds the many intricacies of even the simplest brown eyes fascinating.

“You never know what you’re going to find — yellow on the edges, green rings.”

The iris photographing process is simple and takes less than 10 minutes. Eye Wonder customers can purchase

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↑ In her native a digital photo delivered via email or order a Paraguay, Gia photographic print. Either is ready in an hour Roche was part of a or two. Acrylic, canvas or metal prints are also rather homogenous population — available. Metal is Roche’s favorite, and it’s popular at least where with customers. It results in especially vibrant color. eye color was Roche, even given her longtime iris intrigue, concerned. Upon her arrival in the never expected to find herself running an United States, she iris photography studio. Not having studied became fascinated photography, her only experience in the field was with the variety of eye colors present working at a Sears portrait studio in 2009 and in the melting pot doing a few shoots on the side. For a long time, she that is America. felt she was just another person with a good camera.

Currently pregnant with her sixth child, Roche said with a laugh that she has “a lot of kids” and is the type of person who takes a lot of photos. She was always inclined to take detailed photos of her children, zooming in on baby toes and fingers, and trying to get the perfect shot of her children’s eyes.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS / DEVON RAVINE

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expression

Eventually, she fell into a portrait-photography funk, and when she tragically lost a daughter to brain cancer in 2012, she lost interest in business altogether.

After the death, Roche and her husband at the time divorced.

She was living in Scranton, Pennsylvania, grieving and trying to figure out her next move.

“I was just like, I do not like Scranton, I do not like the weather,” she said. She visited Destin on vacation and moved to Northwest Florida less than three months later.

On the Gulf Coast, Roche rediscovered herself and healed.

She returned to photography and developed an interest in her specialty.

“Really, what inspired me was I wished I would have been able to get my daughter’s iris, the one that passed away,” Roche said.

She married a man with the “most amazing turquoise eyes,” Roche said, and he became her first iris photography subject.

“I don’t know if I hadn’t met my husband and his gorgeous peepers if I would have been inspired to get those initial macro photos,” Roche said.

She did research and found that there were no iris photography studios in the United States at the time. She wanted to be first and started shopping for a storefront.

When Destin Commons showed interest, she went all-in on the project, opening in November 2021.

Eye Wonder has since been featured nationally on websites like PetaPixel and My Modern Met, and locally in the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Roche is looking toward expansion, planning to open additional Eye Wonder studios in Panama City and Pensacola. EC

Common to humans and most mammals and birds, the iris is a thin structure in the eye that is responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. The iris is usually strongly pigmented, with colors ranging among brown, hazel, green, gray and blue. Despite the wide variety of colors, the only pigment that contributes substantially to normal human iris color is the dark pigment melanin.

IRIS HUES

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↑ Iris photography reveals more than the eye can

see. “You never know what you are going to find,” said Gia Roche, who turned her focus on eye colors into a successful business. Her first subject was her husband, a man with “gorgeous peepers.” Every iris, like teeth, fingerprints and DNA, is unique. Roche’s process is simple and takes less than 10 minutes.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS / DEVON RAVINE AND COURTESY OF GIA ROCHE (IRISES)

↑ Gia Roche launched Eye Wonder, her iris photography studio, at Destin Commons after learning that there was no such business elsewhere in the United States at the time. She is now planning to open additional studios in Panama City and Pensacola.

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County Marks Milestone 70

August-September 2022

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

F

rom the child with paintbrush in hand to the professional with works on gallery walls, the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) for 30 years has fostered the growth of artists through advocacy, funding and education.

In 1989, a group of art lovers led

by Susan Foster, Jeff Ellis and Jan Clarke gathered to organize what was then called the Grayton Beach Fine Arts Festival and would later become the ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival. The success of the event necessitated the formation of an organization, and the CAA was founded as a nonprofit in 1992.

“Celebrating 30 years is exciting, but this milestone also is symbolic of many things we have in the works to help further solidify CAA as the premier arts organization in Northwest Florida,” said Jennifer Steele, the executive director of the CAA. Through three decades, the CAA has carried out its mission of supporting the arts by serving as a hub for cultural and artistic excellence that enriches lives, bolsters the local economy and strengthens communities in Walton County. It produces ArtsQuest, the 30A Songwriters Festival, the Valentine Tour of Homes, the

CUSTOM CONTENT

Flutterby Festival and an Under the Sea fundraiser that benefits the Underwater Museum of Art. These events support local, regional, national and international artists and generate funds for CAA’s Art for All Program.

Annually, Art for All awards tens of thousands of dollars in grants to teachers, students, artists and arts organizations.

The CAA holds classes and workshops that bring art to local students. Throughout the year, the CAA provides more than 250 art classes in a variety of media to participants of all ages and skill levels.

The Foster Gallery, named in honor of CAA co-founder Susan Foster, was established in 2016. The gallery features more than a dozen artists on a rotating basis and frequently produces art shows open to the public. It makes available prints, pottery, posters, jewelry and more for purchase at the gallery or online.

Steele said inclusivity will always be important to CAA and expressed the hope that everyone who comes into contact with the alliance — volunteers, sponsors or even children attending a creative kids

camp — will gain in their appreciation of art’s impact on their lives.

When asked about her hopes for the next 30 years, Steele said, “As the CAA continues delivering its ongoing programs and services, we will grow our vision to ensure the arts are a catalyst for positive change in our community.

Over the next decade and beyond, the CAA will strive to make Walton County a unique home and destination for creativity, one that provides unlimited access to the arts and opportunities for human connection.”

CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE 105 HOGTOWN BAYOU LANE, SANTA ROSA BEACH | (850) 622-5970 | CULTURALARTSALLIANCE.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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expression

↙ A sequel to the original Jaws film, Jaws 2 centers on a killer shark terrorizing Amity Island, a fictional seaside resort. It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starred Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gray. Much of the filming, above, took place in Navarre Beach and Okaloosa Island.

The Jaws movies stimulated interest in shark fishing along the Emerald Coast.

FILM

GETTING BACK IN THE WATER ‘Jaws 2’ documentary resurfaces a beloved bit of community history

by HANNAH BURKE

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or many, Jaws 2, the sequel to one of Hollywood’s most iconic, highest-grossing creature features of all time, is a movie still lurking beneath its predecessor’s shadow.

Met with mixed reviews upon its release in 1978, the film departed from the slow-burning, suspenseful formula of Jaws and was instead a full-blown slasher. Director Steven Spielberg had been replaced, and only two of the original film’s actors, Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gray, reprised their roles.

“Basically, Universal Studios brought over the smallest number of people from Hollywood they could to make this movie, and everyone else was locals they hired out,” Brody Cantrill said of the production of Jaws 2, which was shot in Destin, Navarre Beach, Pensacola and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Cantrill met Navarre native Savana Morie while working at a Panama City Beach television station. When Morie learned that Cantrill’s mother was a Jaws fanatic — she named her son after the protagonist in Jaws — and that he had a penchant for horror films, the two embarked on a Jaws 2 sightseeing tour along the Panhandle.

The trip inspired an idea for a television news story, Cantrill said. The friends posted on the Concerned Citizens of Navarre Facebook page to see if any locals who participated in the filming of Jaws 2 were still around.

“The post kind of blew up,” recalled Morie, who today is a news producer in Knoxville, Tennessee. “All these people wanted to talk to us, and we thought we could really make something of this.”

And they did. Back in the Water is a documentary that explores not only the

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAVANA MORIE (CURRENT FILMING), STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA MEMORY (JAWS 2 FILMING), MOVE COVER ART COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.COM

making of Jaws 2, but its impact on the Emerald Coast’s once idyllic neighborhoods of the late ’70s.

“The mission of the documentary is to create a sort of historical time capsule because Jaws 2 was filmed 45 years ago at this point,” said Cantrill, the film’s director.

“We want to preserve all the memories of locals who were a part of it.”

Morie is Back in the Water’s producer. She and Cantrill teamed up with Tennessee-based cinematographer Nathanael Taufer and digital media producer Carson Brennan. I met with the crew in Navarre Beach last April when they had just begun filming some 20 interviews with former cast members.

“A lot of Jaws 2 was filmed right here,” said Morie, gesturing toward Santa Rosa Sound near Navarre Beach. “Some was shot in Pensacola and in the Destin Harbor. You look in the background of these scenes, see that white sand and know it could only be one place.”

Morie said it took several months to round up interviewees by finding names in articles, poring over books on the film’s production and sorting through over a hundred inquiries received on social media.

“We’ve already spoken with Phil Kingry who, back then, was a tugboat captain who ended up handling all the logistics for Universal and became the film’s marine coordinator,” Cantrill said. “He had 30 members of his crew alone working on boats for this movie.”

Beach scenes are packed with hundreds of locals and their families serving as extras. For a dancing scene, Universal enlisted 10 girls from Gulf Coast High School and told them to pick out 10 guys they liked well enough to have as partners.

“They even made a local woman the head sail director, and she taught all the teenage actors how to sail,” added Morie. “She’s no longer with us, but we spoke with her family, who still has some of these Sunfish sailboats from the movie and gave us a crash course on how to sail.”

Too, the crew conducted an interview with Okaloosa County Tax Collector Ben Anderson, who had a small speaking role in the film and had much to share. Another source, Morie said, was excited to talk about the time she got to skip school for two weeks to “play on the beach.”

Not a bad gig at all.

“You have to wonder how much of this area was built on Universal money,” Morie said. “At the time, there wasn’t much here. But Universal threw money into this place, and we’ve met people like Jim Johnson, a small business owner, who said Universal was his first customer and essentially launched his career.”

Cast members treasure their moviemaking memories.

“People are telling us it’s the most fun they’ve had in their lives, yet they rarely get to talk about it,” Cantrill said. “Now that they’ve been invited to sit down and

↑ Toni Britton was a Fort Walton Beach High School

student when she and members of her family were picked as extras for Jaws 2. Two weeks away from classes made for a nice gig, made even nicer when Britton figured in a close-up shot. The Jaws films stimulated interest in shark fishing along the Emerald Coast.

talk about nothing but that, it’s like they’re unbelievably happy to have someone listen.”

At our interview, the team shared with me a photo album put together by one of their interviewees. It includes behind-the-scenes shots of Scheider and animatronic sharks. Others have shared rubber shark teeth from the set, newspaper articles and other keepsakes.

The documentary, which is likely to debut at film festivals in early 2023, will also include conversations with a few of Jaws 2’s Hollywood squad but, really, “It’s a film that belongs to this community,” Morie said. “People are proud of this area, and for them, Jaws 2 captured a sentimental time in its history. As someone who grew up here, it means a lot for me to show a huge audience why this place is great.”

“This is for them,” added Cantrill.

That said, if Universal wanted to pick up the documentary and “include it in the bonus features of every Jaws 2 DVD made for the rest of forever,” Cantrill laughed, he wouldn’t complain. EC

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK IN THE WATER Classic movie poster featured the foreboding tagline for Jaws 2 and was even more horrifying than the movie, itself.

FILMING LOCATIONS Destin Harbor:

The Aquanaut, a vessel featured in the film’s lobster diving scene, is operated today as a diving charter vessel at Emerald Coast Scuba.

Navarre Beach:

Chief Brody mistakes a school of bluefish for a shark and waves his gun around, warning Navarre beachgoers to “Get out of the water!”

Fort Pickens National Seashore:

The first sign of trouble, a mutilated killer whale, washes ashore here.

Lighthouse scenes were also filmed at the park.

416 Government St., Pensacola:

BACK IN THE WATER

is planned for official release June 16, 2023, on the 45th anniversary of Jaws 2. For more information, visit backinthewatermovie.com.

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St. Michael’s Creole Benevolent Association Hall figured in both exterior and interior shots of Amity Town Hall.

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expression

ETHICS

ROYALTY TREATMENT Should visual artists be assigned rights like those of writers?

by WYNN PARKS

ARTIST RIGHTS: A Timetable

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Theo’s wife and from there to Vincent’s nephew. Today, Van Gogh paintings go for as much as $120 million — money that finally overstuffed the accounts of someone of the third generation.

Today, not much has changed, even for artists fortunate enough to make periodic sales. If they’re tough enough and their commitment to art turns out to be enduring, they are still likely to lead a hand-to-mouth existence. And, they may watch the one $500 sale they make in a given year later auctioned off for a hundred times that and enriching a latter-day collector.

Artists of all stripes know that scenario, including Florida-born B.F. Taylor, who in the flush of his love affair with painting, founded the Aegean School of Fine Arts in Greece. There, he died pulled apart

1883

The Berne Convention establishes copyright laws in participating European countries.

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1928

The Rome revision of the Berne Convention includes the adoption of a Moral Rights of Artists bill.

1979

by trying to straddle the abyss between artist and administrator. He was intense when painting and straightforward with two generations of students in taking potshots at the perennial problem of artists’ rights.

“Sure you can copyright both visual art and literary art, but look at this — a writer can get royalties on his book sales and rights for life and 70 years more,” Taylor once said. “And on top of that, in a sense there’s no original; a writer is selling copies! When you or I sell an original painting or a sculpture, copyright aside, that’s all we get!”

In addition to copyrights, artists might certainly profit from moral and resale rights. When questioned about the latter, a majority of Emerald Coast artists viewed the “all you get” principle as an

In the spirit of measures adopted in Europe, California passes an Arts Preservation Act.

1990

Inspired by European precedents and the California law, Congress passes the federal Visual Artists Rights Act. illustration by LINDSEY MASTERSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM / BRITANNICA.COM (VAN GOGH)

B

eing an artist, especially if your vision of the world doesn’t match the current aesthetic zeitgeist, can be as rough as a cob. Most people interested in the visual arts, especially painting, know the tales of Vincent van Gogh trading for food or art supplies without having sold any of his canvases. Fortunately for subsequent generations, his brother, Theo, aware of Vincent’s gift and recognizing Vincent’s crippled emotional state, contributed to the artist’s support.

Yet even between the two devoted brothers, it must have been a case of the blind leading the selfmutilated. Barely six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died of syphilis. Except ↑ for the paintSelf-Portrait, oil painting by Vincent ings he’d bartered van Gogh, 1887, in with, Vincent’s the Rijksmuseum, collection went to Amsterdam.

inescapable reality as if “continuing rights” were a tale from either the Big Rock Candy Mountain or France.

On the other hand, Preston McLane, director of FSU’s Fine Arts Museum, put in perspective the gradual shaping of artists’ rights over the past century and a half. French and German movements embraced the issue. The Berne Convention in 1883 established copyright laws in the signatory European countries.

Forty-five years later, with the 1928 Rome revision of the convention, came the adoption of the Moral Rights of Artists bill. The gist of “Moral Rights” involved listing on paper an artist’s legal rights over his or her creation based on the nature of the artist’s livelihood.

That roaring, pre-Depression era convention guarantees that the integrity of an artist’s work shall be preserved, even if he or she no longer owns it, thus preventing a collector from cutting up a sculpture and selling off pieces of it. The second guarantee is that of paternity, meaning that a work of art can’t be shown without the name of its creator. The other two rights, disclosure and withdrawal, declare that an artist is not obliged to show a work until he or she deems it to be completed, and that an artist has the prerogative to remove a work from a display.

It took the U.S. a while — B.F. Taylor to catch up with these conventions. In the spirit of European conventions, California passed in 1979 its Art Preservation Act, a precursor to the federal Visual Artists Rights Act passed in 1990.

However, despite all the gains in “continuing interest,” the bill of Moral Rights does not entitle artists to remunerations like Taylor’s writer collecting royalties.

Segundo Fernandez, a senior partner in the Tallahassee law firm of Oertel, Fernandez, Bryant & Atkinson, is a go-to guy on the subject. He’s an FSU graduate with degrees in both law and art history and was asked about how an artist could, after the initial sale of an art object, collect on subsequent sales.

“At this point, the question comes down to a legal issue,” Fernandez said. “I know of an artist in Seattle who works in glass. I don’t know the details, but his sales contracts are set up so that if the buyer wants to resell, the artist gets first refusal to buy back. And the buy-back price is specified.”

At that point, something comes to yours truly, and I ask the attorney, “What would you think of putting a QR code on the back of artists’ canvases or under their sculptures’ bases to authenticate the piece and keep track of owners, stuff like that?"

“Hmmm,” Fernandez says thoughtfully.

The early brush strokes of an idea, I’d say. EC

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CUSTOM CONTENT

The Best in Brews

BAYTOWNE WHARF BEER FESTIVAL BENEFITS VETERANS

T

ents offering a total of more than 200 craft beers will line the streets of The Village of Baytowne Wharf the weekend of Oct. 7–8, making for a “pitcherperfect” event. Gather your most enthusiastic brews crew to celebrate the booming Florida beer scene.

In 2008, the Baytowne Wharf Neighborhood Association launched the event as a way to recognize the 100plus craft breweries in Florida, over a dozen of which are located along the Emerald Coast. The Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival now ranks as the No. 1 beer festival on the Gulf Coast.

The weekend begins on Friday with a Beer From Around Here event from 6–8 p.m. An intimate setting encourages attendees to learn about craft beer culture by interacting with local brewers.

Festival-goers will enjoy light bites from The Village of Baytowne Wharf merchants while listening to live music supplied by Jarred McConnell and The High Aces.

On Saturday from 2–5 p.m., the Grand Tasting will feature more than 60 craft breweries offering domestic, international and new-release options.

Brewery representatives will be on tap to answer questions and steer you toward your perfect pour. Foods including barbecue and pretzels with beer cheese will be available. The Trest Richardson Band will provide entertainment, and a VIP experience will take place from 1–2 p.m.

For out-of-town visitors or local residents ready for a staycation, the Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort will be offering discounted accommodations packages and

tickets to Saturday’s event. The resort is one of the most scenic on the Emerald Coast and is only a short walk or complimentary tram ride away from the festival.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast, which provides housing for military and veteran families dealing with a medical crisis and supplies many event volunteers.

“This event is a combination of all the best things — beer, beautiful weather, food, music and strolling The Village of Baytowne Wharf with some craft brews that haven’t even been released in stores yet,” said Leighann Elliott, events manager at The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

To learn more and book your stay with Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort, visit sandestin.com.

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TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

INTERIORS

Technology’s reach extends to the necessary room

↗ This space in a Florida penthouse functions as a master bathroom and closet while delivering an exquisite spa experience. The vanity island serves as a sink cabinet and dresser. Cabinets are from the Ornare Australe Collection and feature recycled wood, and the vanity is topped with Silestone.

by LIS KING

→

PHOTO COURTESY OF KOHLER

BRAINY BATHS

EXTERIORS

Climbing Vines ||

GREEN SCENE

Feathered Jewels

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S

uddenly technology is invading every corner of the bathroom, and analysts studying what homeowners want after COVID-19 aren’t surprised. After all, soaking and showering became a comforting pastime during lockdowns, along with sanitizing everything and dealing with the dreaded toilet paper shortage. Consequently, more people are upgrading their baths in numerous ways.

The NKBA, a trade association of the nation’s kitchen and bath designers, surveyed its members to learn what homeowners want from their baths these days, and the answer was high-tech faucets and toilets with bidets, heated seats and self-cleaning technology. Plus, overwhelmingly, spa-like indulgences, such as showers and baths with sophisticated functions, sound and light systems were on wish lists.

One item that appeared at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is the socalled Wellness Toilet that will interact with you as you check out the artichokes, beets or whatever in the produce aisle.

It will start speaking to you via your phone, recommending what you should

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buy and how to cook it. The concept of toilets whose content can be analyzed has been on clinicians’ radar for a long time, but designers are guessing that homeowners aren’t yet ready for that kind of technology. At any rate, it’ll be a while before it is ready for the marketplace.

SMART TOILETS

Still, there’s no doubt that available toilets are becoming very smart and are being welcomed with open arms. Today’s options by Toto include automatic closing

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and opening of the seat, which can also be heated and light up at night. Flushing and cleaning also happen automatically, and you can absolutely play your favorite tune — that may put you in such a good mood that you are ready for a built-in bidet option.

Certainly anybody who has ever traveled to Europe is familiar with bidet functions, and in Japan, people have been using an electronic bidet-seat toilet since 1980. Called a Washlet, it cleans and dries you; 80 percent of Japanese households and certainly most hotels use it. Strangely, bidets have been slow gaining acceptance in the U.S. despite the fact that it was actually an American, Arnold Cokes, who invented the technology. After COVID, though, bidet sets are gaining acceptance in the U.S. as well, and Derick Berry, digital marketing manager for Pensacola Winsupply thinks that’s an excellent trend. ←↑ Highly sophisticated sound and lighting systems are often built into today’s most posh bathrooms. Lighting effects in photo at top, created by McManus Kitchen & Bath, provide an example. Kohler’s Avoir toilet, at left, won a gold award at the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Show.

“I’ve sold quite a few of them and have two of them in my house,” said Berry, who previously worked as the Pensacola plumbing supplier’s showroom manager.

“The TOTO Washlet is popular; it’s got auto open and close functions, instantaneous heating, front and rear wash, an air dryer and temperatures are adjusted by a remote control. We even have one in the women’s restroom at our store. Once a lady sits down and feels that heated seat — it’s over, they have to have one.”

24 HOUR SERVICE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KOHLER (TOILET AND CONTROL PANEL) AND MCMANUS KITCHEN & BATH

THE REST OF THE BATH

There was lots of great product news at the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Show. For example, tub lovers will adore Kohler’s new Perfect Fill system. It consists of a smart drain and filler that automatically adds or removes water to fill the tub to your desired depth and temperature, and it is voiceactivated. An additional control can store 10 bath profiles, including a shallow, toddlerfriendly wash.

Want to save shower water?

Then Moen’s new RainStick will shower you with a 3-gallona-minute spray while using 80 percent less water. This happens by pulling the water back up ↑ Control panel enables users through the shower’s column, of Kohler’s Perfect Fill system to draw baths to a desired filtering and disinfecting before depth and temperature. respraying. It won the 2022 Best in Show Award.

Interested in massages? Then BainUltra’s 42-jet Thermomasseur tub handles massages while keeping the water warm and also features chromotherapy.

Paul McManus of McManus Kitchens & Baths in Tallahassee thinks lighting is too often overlooked.

For example, add green or blue low-power night lights for those late-night trips to the toilet so your night vision isn’t ruined and your sleep disturbed. And use bacteria-killing lights that can be turned on after using the bath, he added.

The findings at the Kitchen & Bath Show as well as designer surveys point to trends other than those involving the most sensational innovations. Smart and low-flow toilets will be commonly used within the next three years. Other changes will include voiceactivated lights, mirrors that hook up to Bluetooth, smart technology for pre-heated water, mood lighting, and water sensors in condos and townhouses where others’ negligence could damage homes.

Finally, there’s something homeowners came to wish for during lockdowns: heated bathroom floors. They are becoming even more popular than rain sticks and chromotherapy showers, say the NKBA designers. EC

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Modern Sanctuary A

STORY BY EMME MARTIN

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PHOTOS BY EMERALD COAST REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

F

or this chic modern home located in the distinguished Burnt Pine community in Sandestin, Florida, the elite team of woodworking professionals at E. F. San Juan, a family-owned and operated firm based in Youngstown, Florida, enhanced the interiors with a sleek trim style throughout and custom wooden accents such as the focal-point white oak beams lining the great room. The shakerstyle paneled interior doors came from Trustile and were also supplied by E. F. San Juan. The exterior doors and windows are Weather Shield Premium Coastal Impact Series, except for the large WinDoor pocketing door leading to the pool area. The team also installed frameless Eurobox-style cabinetry in a high-gloss acrylic finish in the kitchen, pantry, laundry room, bathrooms, great room, and office for a cohesive look.

E. F. San Juan worked closely with builder Chase Green Construction on this project, which was designed by Geoff Chick & Associates with interiors by Allyson Runnels. The impressive ceiling height in the home’s living area made fulfilling the owner’s request for solid beams quite challenging. Therefore, the installation process required some finesse to achieve the desired look. In addition, the pocket slab doors needed a custom design to allow a seamless open floor plan.

CUSTOM CONTENT

The team at E. F. San Juan came up with the solution to install mitered boxed beams in the living room to give a solid beam appearance. The result beautifully accentuates the vaulted ceilings while adding natural character to the room. Further custom work involved the E. F. San Juan full-lite pocket slab door, which elegantly separates the living room from the entrance hallway when required.

As for the trim, the simplicity of the home’s style creates a pronounced emphasis on the structural details, warranting a minimalistic approach.

“The interior trim package is very modern, clean, and simple,” says company president Edward San Juan. The end product is an elegant coastal design that exudes calming and peaceful energy.

Visit EFSanJuan.com or follow on Instagram @e.f.sanjuan to see more projects.

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abodes EXTERIORS

CLIMBING VINES

← However thorny, roses, in all of their romantic colors, add a wow factor to flowerscapes and make any day a special occasion. Wisteria, right, is a flowering member of the legume family with woody, twining vines.

Twiners and tendrils add new dimension to yardscapes

S

avvy home gardeners know there’s more to a lush yard than the ground covers, flower spreads and shrubs that grow at ground level.

They are finding that climbing vines can add welcome elevation and contrast as they wind in and around all sorts of structures. Many vines are so showy that they are bound to become a wow factor.

Climbing vines are readily available at Tallahassee nurseries and garden centers as well as from plant catalogs and online. However, combining vines that work well together can be a problem. That’s because they don’t all climb the same way, so while one may twine upward by itself, another may need to be pinned up to a structure to climb in the preferred direction.

Another thing to keep in mind is how vigorous a grower a vine is. Some of them are so profuse that they will keep you wielding your pruning shears more often than you’d prefer. For example,

garden blogs often complain about wisteria growing too aggressively. While it’s true that this vine, if allowed to grow unchecked, can make a building look like a wooly beast, that reputation isn’t quite fair, says the horticultural team from W. Attlee Burpee & Company. If placed right and tended to, wisteria, with its stunning flower clusters, can climb up the walls and across the roof of an unsightly building and give it a look of a charming cottage in a storybook village.

TYPES OF VINES

There are more than two dozen ways that vines climb, but most are variations on four themes. There are twiners, and then there are vines that climb via tendrils, aerial rootless, or some kind of hook.

The twiners, which send out shoots that will wind around a support, include varieties like wisteria, honeysuckle, hyacinth bean and chocolate vine. They need only a sturdy support to get going.

Members of the grape family, sweet peas and passion flowers are tendril vines, meaning that they have angel hairlike antennae that whip around until they find a support. Their tendrils are short and erupt all over the place, so they need something sturdy like mesh or chicken wire to keep them from latching to each other and ending up in a tangled mess.

Plants like English ivy and wintercreeper climb by aerial rootlets, and they’re unbelievably tenacious. They’ll latch on to a fence or a house, and it’s recommended that you prune them away from windows and gutters.

There are variations on these climbing methods. For example, roses use thorns to attach to a wood lattice or a tree trunk, but the canes still need a bit of direction.

Weave them through a trellis, or tie them to a support. Virginia creeper and Boston ivy form tendrils that end in little sucker disks.

Clematis fashions tendrils; help it out by hooking a leaf stem around a support.

TYPES OF VINES TWINERS These vines send out shoots that wrap around a support.

Beyond the support itself, they need no assistance.

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TENDRILS Vines in this group produce thin antennae that whip around until they contact an object or another tendril.

AERIAL ROOTLETS

The aerial rootlets of plants including wintercreeper readily latch onto fences and houses and may need pruning.

HOOK

Plants that rely on hooks to go vertical may need a hand.

They may be wound through a trellis or tied to supports.

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: VIVIAN SONG (ROSES), SOHADISZNO (WISTERIA), PICTUREPARTNERS (HONEYSUCKLE), YANA BOIKO (TWINERS), MABELIN SANTOS (TENDRILS) AND SWEETPEAANNA (HOOK)

by LIS KING

PLANTING TIPS

Vines don’t have to be all about gorgeous flowers.

Burpee’s horticultural team thinks vegetable vines can be interesting, too. For North Florida, they suggest pole beans, Malabar spinach and cucumbers. Among perennial vines, they like passionflower, lonicera and honeysuckle, and in the annuals category, their choices are morning glory, moonflowers, cypress vine, thunbergia and cup-andsaucer vine.

If you like to spend time outside in the evening, Robin Ruether, product manager at Burpee, says you will do particularly well with moonflower, with its saucer-like, white blooms that light up the night and soften the air with a lemony fragrance. Honeysuckle, too, is an after-dark winner, smelling so sweet it will attract giant moths and other pollinators from blocks away. She also likes the cup-and-saucer vine, a South and Central American native and a vigorous climber with giant white flowers.

“It’s best to plant these climbers in early spring, before there is too much heat, or in the fall,” she said.

“They need a well-draining soil that is loose with a lot of organic matter such as compost mixed in. Dig a hole to accommodate the roots. Remove the plant from the pot and place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil. Fill with soil to the top of the root, pat down the soil firmly and give the plant a good drink.”

Fences are natural supports for vines, and the most attractive way to cover an ugly chain link fence is with flowering climbers. Wood trellises are also good supports and are easy to install. Landscape designers discourage homeowners from installing trellises up against house walls since so many climbers tend to get out of hand. Instead, add the trellises to flower beds where they will provide dimensional contrast. Finally, think of adding a vine-covered arbor to your yard. It’ll quickly become your favorite romantic tea house or dinner spot. EC ← Aromatic honeysuckle, best enjoyed in the evening, attracts large moths and other pollinators.

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GREEN SCENE

FEATHERED JEWELS by

LES HARRISON

H

ummingbirds take every advantage of the late summer smorgasbord of blooms and feeders in preparation for their eventual flight south.

For their size, hummingbirds have the largest appetites in the bird world. They feed every 10 or 15 minutes from dawn until dusk. In a day, they eat more than half their weight in food and drink eight times their weight in water.

Nectar is their energy-rich food of choice and is absorbed rapidly. One adult hummingbird may need nectar from hundreds of blossoms daily just to maintain its body weight.

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common one in Florida. This feathered jewel is about 3 inches long and weighs as little as a penny coin.

Hummingbirds must consume large amounts of high-energy food to acquire enough strength to support their hypersonic aerobatic activities. While adult hummingbirds feed primarily on the

high carbohydrate solutions, the young are fed insects by their parents while still in the nest.

Feeders should be removed from home landscapes during Labor Day weekend to encourage the departure to Central and South America. Declining blooms combined with the absence of feeders will stimulate the instinct to move to warmer climes with ample nectar sources from which to choose.

Hummingbirds have been documented to overwinter in the Emerald Coast area, but the risks of not surviving are high.

In addition to few nectar sources, a hard freeze will quickly prove fatal to the delicate birds.

Black-chinned and rufous hummingbirds are seen in our area during the autumn and early winter en route to their cool season latitudes. The rufous has the longest migration route of all North American hummingbirds, flying from Canada to Mexico.

Even though its bright green leaves with their distinctive heart shape may be attractive, this plant is in reality a hard to control pest species.

The stems and foliage of the air potato vines will soon be dying back as autumn approaches, revealing potato-like tubers.

Each time the vine drops a “potato,” another plant is likely to grow from it. This exotic plant has caused severe damage to the native environment and costs homeowners millions of dollars annually in attempts at eradication.

Its twining herbaceous vines grow up to 60 feet in length. The vines are salt tolerant and flourish near the coast. Even air potatoes the size of a pea will start a new plant, but most of its tubers are much larger.

Homeowners can limit the spread of air potatoes by picking up every bulb hitting the ground before it sprouts. Once the bulbs are removed, the vine can be treated with a broad-leaf herbicide. Typically, at least one follow-up collection of bulbs will be necessary for success.

Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County extension director.

Anyone taking an early evening walk in North Florida during the late summer or early autumn has experienced the near-deafening calls of cicadas. Their mechanical buzzing originates from the protection of foliage in trees and bushes during the day or twilight hours. The 19 Florida cicada species fall into three groups based on overall size measured by the length of the forewings. They produce their nightly serenade with timbals, paired drum-like structures on the sides of the abdominal segments. In some northern states, cicadas are famous for their periodic appearance in colossal numbers, sometimes as many as 1.5 million per acre. These once every 13-to-17-year swarms do not occur in Florida, which has an insect-friendly environment. Both the adults and the nymphs feed on xylem sap from grasses and woody plants. The solution transports water and nutrients from the roots to the stems and leaves. The plants usually recover quickly from the damage left by the snacking cicadas.

CICADAS

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Air Potatoes

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150 Lynn Drive, Santa Rosa Beach | (850) 213-4505 KitchenDesignsGroup.com

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BUSINESS

Are You Ready For Progress?

A business relationship with us will move you in the right direction.

Before you know it, you’re expanding the biz, upgrading to a new house, strengthening your legacy through investments.

To think, it all started with someone who believed in your dream.

Are you ready for Progress?

Because Progress Bank is ready for you!

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Destin 35008 Emerald Coast Pkwy 850.837.1380

Inlet Beach 12805 US Highway 98 E Ste A100 850.909.0420

Panama City 107 W 23rd St Ste W4 850.347.2496

Santa Rosa Beach 3063 US Highway 98 850.724.1400

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CUSTOM CONTENT

A Change in Latitude Every day feels like a vacation in Latitude Margaritaville Watersound

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elcome to Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, a 55-and-better community inspired by the lyrics of legendary singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett whose songs evoke a passion for tropical escape and relaxation. Latitude Margaritaville Watersound has captured the imagination of today’s vibrant 55-and-better homebuyers who are growing older … but not up.

Offering an irresistible concoction of food, fun, music and escapism, this dynamic all-new community for active adult living is redefining how pre- and active-retirement living is viewed forever. Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is a distinctly happy place where every day is like an island vacation. Colorful, coastal-themed architecture, walkable neighborhoods and golf cart friendly streets create a setting where neighbors wave to neighbors and visitors are made to feel right at home.

Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is located on Northwest Florida’s gorgeous Emerald Coast between Pensacola and Panama City, near Panama City Beach. Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is being developed in partnership with master developer Minto Communities, global lifestyle brand Margaritaville Holdings and the St. Joe Company, one of Northwest Florida’s largest real estate development companies.

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ISLAND COLLECTION Aruba Floor Plan

ISLAND COLLECTION Aruba Floor Plan

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ISLAND COLLECTION Aruba Exterior

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CUSTOM CONTENT

13 Fully Furnished Model Homes

CONCH COTTAGES COLLECTION Aloha Floor Plan

Island-styled homes are designed to capture the “no worries” tropical vibe that is so much a part of life at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. There are four distinct home collections: Conch Cottages, Caribbean Villas, Beach and Island single-family homes. Prices start in the high $200’s.

Conch Cottages offer convenient two bedroom, two bathroom living, ranging from 1,204 to 1,466 square feet.

All Conch Cottages have a two-car garage, and select floor plans offer a den or hobby room.

Villa homes range from 1,503 to 1,862 square feet under air. All have two bedrooms, den or hobby room, two baths, covered lanai and two-car garage.

Single-family homes range from 1,684 to 2,568 square feet under air and feature two to three bedrooms plus den, two- to three-car garages, two to three-and-a-half baths and a covered lanai.

CONCH COTTAGES COLLECTION Dreamsicle Floor Plan

The low-maintenance homes feature open, airy spaces that maximize natural light and flow into uniquely designed outdoor living spaces. Homes are designed for relaxing, entertaining and comfortably accommodating house guests. Spacious master suites feature large walk-in closets and raised height vanities in the master bath.

Living with a License to Chill Construction on the Latitude Town Center is coming along, and work has started on the phase one amenities which will include a Town Square that features an amphitheater with a thatched roof bandshell, full-size concert stage, jumbo screen for concerts and movies, and dance area. A two-story Bar & Chill restaurant overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, Changes in Attitude Bar, and a second floor Overlook Bar will serve up great views along with Margaritaville-inspired fare and liquid concoctions.

ISLAND COLLECTION Trinidad Bay Floor Plan

Also included in the phase one amenities is a state-of-the-art Fins Up! Fitness Center with indoor pool and spa. Residents also will be able to sun and swim at the lagoon-style Paradise Pool. There will be tennis and pickleball courts with lighting for night play and a Barkaritaville Dog Park for resident pooches.

Phase two amenities will include a Workin’ N’ Playin’ Center, Last Mango Theater, Hangar Workshop for golf cart tune ups and Barkaritaville Pet Spa. For more information about life in Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, visit the Sales Center, open daily Monday–Saturday, 9 am–5 pm, and Sunday, 11 am–5 pm.

You can also call (866) 220-1954 or visit LatitudeMargaritaville.com.

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Come sample the wares of premier businesses that readers named Best of the Emerald Coast for 2022. Winners will show off their products and services in this 23rd annual extravaganza featuring the Emerald Coast’s best food, fashion, boats, gear, live entertainment and more.

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE:ADVANCE: $50 GENERAL / $100 VIP WEEK OF: $65 GENERAL / $115 VIP

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S PO NS O RE D BY

SPEC IA L A DVERTISIN G SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES The Emerald Coast is home to a community of business professionals who serve their customers as both consultants and service providers in important areas that relate to their finances, health and livelihoods.

Choosing the right company to trust can be critical. In this special section of Emerald Coast Magazine, we profile selected, highly regarded professionals who have proven accountable, dependable, trustworthy and dedicated to improving the lives of the people they assist.

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

Warren Averett

CYNDI WARREN, MANAGING MEMBER

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yndi Warren, managing member of the Warren Averett office in Pensacola, is an Enneagram 2 — that is, she’s a “helper,” one who is highly trained. The title applies to many aspects of her life, including her role as an advisor to businesses.

Studying the Enneagram, a model of the human psyche, has helped Warren understand the path she has taken to her current position. She holds degrees in accounting and enjoys the challenge of tax planning, but as a member of the Warren Averett team since 1990, she has discovered that she derives satisfaction especially from investing in client relationships.

Warren Averett came about 50 years ago, and the firm as it exists today is the combination of 20 CPA firms throughout Florida, Georgia and Alabama that have merged over the years to create one of the largest regional accounting firms in the nation. The company is a business advisory firm providing traditional accounting services, auditing, taxes, technical services, HR services and more.

Warren has been around long enough to witness the life cycle of many businesses. Some of her clients are members of families that have been Warren Averett clients for generations.

“We provide a holistic approach to serving our clients, which allows them to thrive from a business standpoint,” Warren said. “Our clients trust us so completely that they are able to focus on other aspects of their business.”

Warren Averett encourages its employees at each of its offices in four states to give back to their communities. In 2022, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the firm, the company enacted the 50 Acts of Service initiative that calls upon employees to

coordinate and carry out service projects that support local causes.

“We are committed to the community of the Florida Panhandle,” Warren said.

“We are a team that will serve whatever needs are necessary because we have the expertise and talent to do so.”

Warren’s most rewarding professional moments have included passing the CPA exam, making partner and building relationships with clients. Now, she enjoys watching those very same moments occur for members of her Warren Averett team.

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MillCreek Financial Consultants

WILLIAM GREEN, CFP®, PRESIDENT, FINANCIAL ADVISOR

William Green, CFP®

Robbie Kinney

ROBBIE KINNEY, PARTNER, FINANCIAL ADVISOR

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illCreek Financial Consultants is in the business of providing tailored advice and solutions to its clients, recognizing that no two persons’ circumstances are exactly alike.

Seven years ago, after years in the financial planning industry, William Green and Robbie Kinney joined to form MillCreek Financial Consultants.

They shared a desire to take a different approach to financial planning, one that offered clients a strategic relationship rather than just a catalog of products.

MillCreek Financial Consultants offers services that span life insurance, IRAs, retirement planning, investments, financial management, business planning, stock portfolios and more. No matter your level of sophistication, the team is committed to thoroughly understanding your unique financial situation.

“We are financial coaches and educators,” Kinney said. “We specialize in strategy and macroeconomic

solutions. You can think of it as setting the game board for your financial life.”

Rather than assuming clients know their way around financial language or situations, the team aims to educate and ultimately build financial literacy and confidence.

When mapping out your financial plan, you have access to the entire MillCreek team. Where other financial institutions might direct your questions elsewhere, someone on the MillCreek team will find answers or locate someone who can, even if that means bringing in an attorney or CPA.

When hiring, Green and Kinney carefully describe jobs and then strategically consider candidates until they find people who are perfect fits and will be an asset to the company and the clients.

The company has grown largely on the basis of recommendations from satisfied clients.

“Our goal is for clients to leave with the confidence that we provided them with financial services they wouldn’t be able to get as comprehensively anywhere else,” Green said.

Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA,SIPC. OSJ: 3664 Coolidge Ct, Tallahassee, FL 32311, 850-562-9075 PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. Mill Creek Financial Consultants is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. 2022-138095 Exp 5/24.

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

WealthTrust Asset Management LLC, DBA Duncan McHugh Investments JOHN MCHUGH, PRESIDENT, AND CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

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Darlene Duncan, John McHugh, Barbara McHugh

ohn McHugh will tell you that the average person spends more time planning vacations than seeing to their personal finances. Through the financial planning services offered through their retail division, Duncan McHugh helps people enjoy those trips fully and responsibly.

The company provides in-house experienced portfolio management. They work with clients to determine their risk profile and investment objectives. The company’s risk adjusted performance has been recognized by Wealth Advisor Magazine as 5-Star Strategist with results dating back to 2013.

McHugh, along with Darlene Duncan, opened their own company in Destin in 2016. They bring to clients over 25 years of experience helping investors and 20 years in private portfolio management. Together they couple proven approaches with a commitment to continued study of markets and trends.

McHugh is a student of his profession, but when he isn’t learning, he enjoys teaching his investment methodology at seminars, on webinars or one-on-ones.

“I love the challenge of the analytical side of this career, and I also greatly enjoy working with and getting to know people,”

McHugh said. “Together it is the ideal combination for this profession. With us, clients get both a money manager and a personal advisor.”

Having earned his own money since he began selling newspapers at a very young age, McHugh appreciates the importance of protecting what’s yours. He works tirelessly to achieve financial results for his clients and enjoys an assist from his wife Barb McHugh, the Marketing Director for the company.

“My hope is that our clients sleep well at night knowing we are watching over their finances,” said McHugh. “I do the work of gaining their trust so they can enjoy life.”

4 4 5 8 L E GE N D A RY D R IVE , SU ITE 1 4 0 | ( 8 5 0 ) 4 6 0 - 8 4 4 0 | WEA LTH TRU STA M.C O M WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Additional information about the company, including disclosures, can be found at www.wealthtrustam.com. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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FBBINSURANCE

A SUBSIDIARY OF TRUSTMARK NATIONAL BANK HOW DID YOUR FIRM GET STARTED?

FBBINSURANCE is our new name for Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance, an independent insurance agency and subsidiary of Trustmark National Bank. We are one of the South’s leading and most respected fullservice insurance agencies.

Founded in 1911, Fisher Brown Insurance was acquired by Trustmark in 2004 and merged with its insurance company, the Dan Bottrell Agency, to create the current firm. Since then, Trustmark has acquired other successful insurance agencies, which has allowed FBBINSURANCE to broaden its product and service offerings through more than 190 associates.

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?

We specialize in commercial and personal insurance solutions, providing coverage and advice in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Our Integrated Risk Management (IRM) solutions combine technology, processes and data analytics, enabling the simplification and integration of strategic initiatives for our clients. Our business practice focuses on risk management and cost containment strategies for property, casualty and employee benefits. Our personal insurance coverage options include homeowners, automobile and disability income.

WHAT SETS YOUR AGENCY APART?

Our mission is to provide our clients with innovative insurance and risk management advice and solutions by identifying their unique needs and creating strategies to help meet their goals. Our associates work collaboratively with our customers and insurance carriers to provide support and customized insurance solutions in each of our markets. Many of our associates also possess professional industry designations that represent the knowledge and expertise needed to tailor appropriate insurance strategies for a wide range of customers.

The agency has been ranked as one of the top retail insurance agencies in the U.S. for

Douglas H. Bert FL Market President, FBBINSURANCE

the last five consecutive years and has been recognized as a Best Practices Agency by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA).

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY? Creating a

positive community impact, supporting local businesses and non-profits, volunteering and connecting with people have always been important to our company. Our team works to ensure that we are present and participating

in local activities and events — not only throughout the Panhandle, but in all of the communities in which we serve. For example, our fellow associate, JT Tollett, founded 30A Trails in 2020. JT set out on a mission to meaningfully connect people with trails to engage their physical and spiritual lives, while also promoting and preserving each trail’s natural character and beauty. This is just one instance of our team being dedicated to the communities in which we serve.

( 8 0 0) 4 1 0 - 8 2 0 0 | t r us t m ar k. com / fbbi Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance, Inc., branded as FBBINSURANCE, is a subsidiary of Trustmark National Bank. Risk management products are: Not FDIC Insured | Not Bank Guaranteed | Subject to Loss in Value | Not Bank Deposits | Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency, except in the case of Federal Flood Insurance or Federal Crop Insurance EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

Specialty Roofers

COLE BAKKER, CEO

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pecialty Roofers began as three employees working from home. Ten years later, they have 50 employees and a new office in Freeport. The roofs over their heads have improved, which is the same thing they can guarantee each customer.

In 2007, Cole Bakker and Mike Miller worked together at another roofing company. They parted from the company but kept in touch before deciding to open their own roofing company in 2011. They welcomed their third partner, Josh Diehl, this past year.

Specialty Roofers provides residential, commercial and new construction roofs alongside a service department offering repairs and maintenance. While they began as a residential roofing company, commercial roofing is a majority of their work.

Notably, they partner with GAF, which is the largest roofing manufacturer in the country.

They are GAF master elite contractors, a level that only 3% of contractors achieve, qualifying them to provide manufacturer warranties that other companies are unable to offer.

“It’s an honor to celebrate 10 years of business,” said Bakker. “Our company has maintained steady growth and success because of our employees and customers.

The reviews of happy clients are the highest measure of success.”

Growth is also on the horizon, with a new state-of-the-art metal fabrication shop and the opening of their Alabama-based office within the next year.

“We want every customer to experience great service, from the day they call our office to meeting their project manager to the end result of a quality new roof,” said Bakker. “We pride ourselves on building relationships — and roofs.”

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Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy REGINA K. JAQUESS, PHARM.D.

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egina Jaquess leads two professional lives, one as the owner of Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy and another as a member of the elite USA water ski team. For her, there are strong connections between those roles.

Donning water skis for the first time at age 5, Jaquess learned that she liked standing up to a challenge. Later, as a scholarship athlete, she joined a water ski team at the University of Louisiana-Monroe that won two national championships.

As an athlete, she pursued optimal health and conditioning. As a student, she was drawn to pharmacy school and the mindbody-spirit connection central to healing through pharmaceuticals.

In 2010, she opened her business, Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy, in her hometown of Santa Rosa Beach.

“Compounding pharmacy is really the origin of pharmacy in general because you’re making adjustments and modifications to fit the needs of each patient,” Jaquess said. “I love the challenge of compounding pharmacy because there are so many avenues you can take in order to find the medicine that will most benefit the patient with the least side effects.”

Her pharmacy addresses prescription compounding, bio-identical hormones, thyroid replacement, veterinary pharmacy, dermatology, dental, pain management, pediatric care and more.

She is a 10-time world champion and has set 13 world records. Five times, she was the international water ski athlete of the year — she has won more than 300 medals in international competition. This year, she will compete in the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Capital City Bank STEPHEN STABLER, PRESIDENT, WALTON COUNTY WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE THIS CAREER? My father worked in

finance, so I became familiar with the banking system at an early age and knew it was my calling. What attracted me to banking was seeing how deals come together and move from start to finish.

IMAGE COURTESY OF CAPITAL CITY BANK

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Whether helping someone

purchase a first home, providing working capital for a business to expand or funding a commercial development, seeing our clients succeed gives me the greatest satisfaction.

WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR COMPANY PROVIDE? Traditional

deposit and credit services, digital banking,

mortgage banking, asset management, trust, merchant services, bankcards, securities brokerage and financial advisory services, including life insurance, risk management and asset protection.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT?

Building successful, cohesive teams is my greatest professional achievement. I have always been fortunate to surround myself with dedicated associates who are able to work toward a common goal of being best-in-market bankers — best among financial institutions, best at delivering exceptional client experiences and best at one’s individual responsibilities.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE FROM WORKING WITH YOU? Hopefully my clients appreciate

the common-sense approach I take to understanding their needs, responding in a timely manner and making the banking experience easy. I’ve developed lasting relationships with clients who value having more than a bank on their side because they have found a trusted banker in me.

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calendar PROMOTION

AUG/SEPT 2022 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com. compiled by JAVIS OGDEN,

REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

and ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

OCT. 7–8

Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival

↓

The Village of Baytowne Wharf is preparing to host the 14th annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest, an event that delights visitors with activities and programs including “Beer from Around Here,” craft beer tasting, live music and great food.

Visit BaytowneBeerFestival.com for more information.

SATURDAYS, SEPT. 10–OCT. 1

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation presents

FALL FLIX

→ Lights, Camera, Action! For the first time, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation presents Fall Flix. Bring the family for a night in the village to enjoy iconic films we all know and love.

The exciting lineup includes The Wizard of Oz, Ratatouille, Hairspray and The Goonies. These films will take place every Saturday at 7 p.m. Food trucks will be on-site, and table and lawn seating will be available. Event proceeds help fund the foundation’s community Artsreach programs, serving those lacking access to the arts in our community.

For more information or to become a member, visit MKAF.org.

REGIONAL

OCT. 15

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August-September 2022

PINNACLE AWARDS

→ For the ninth year, 12 women will be selected to receive the 2022 Pinnacle Award, which recognizes women who have distinguished themselves professionally and as community servants. Honorees from throughout an 18-county region will be recognized during a luncheon at the Dunlap Champions Club in Tallahassee, featuring keynote speaker Jennifer Conoley, president and CEO, Florida’s Great Northwest.

2022

ERALD C → Join us for an evening of celebration in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin as we gather to showcase the winners of Best of the Emerald Coast for 2022. The 23rd annual event will feature food, fashion and fun and highlight the best restaurants, shops and businesses on the coast.

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BANDS ON THE BEACH AUG. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & SEPT. 6, 13, 20, 27 Pensacola Beach’s popular outdoor summer concert series, Bands on the Beach, features a lineup of regional performers sure to satisfy every musical taste.

Make plans to visit the beautiful Gulfside Pavilion overlooking the Gulf of Mexico for hot music, smooth grooves and good times. visitpensacolabeach.com/whatshappening-bands-on-beach

JJ GREY & MOFRO AUG. 18 JJ Grey & Mofro will take the Saenger stage with spunk and soul. From playing local juke joints to major festivals, Grey and his band keep audiences entertained by merging Americana and Southern soul rock and roll. pensacolasaenger.com/events/jj-greymofro11

PADDLE AT THE PORCH PHOTOS BY LAND AIR SEA PRODUCTIONS (BEST OF EC), BRANDON BABINEAUX (30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL), KAY PHELAN (MKAF), THE WORKMANS (PINNACLE AWARDS) AND COURTESY OF SANDESTIN GOLF AND BEACH RESORT, DCWAF AND NORTH FLORIDA ECONOMIC SUMMIT

AUG. 20 The 10th annual Paddle at the Park Sponsored by HCA Florida Destin Emergency is returning to the beautiful white sandy beaches of Henderson Beach State Park. It features 1- and 3-mile recreational races and a 6-mile elite race, to be followed by an awards presentation. destinchamber.com/paddle-at-the-porch

emeraldgrande.com/calendar-of-events/ harborwalk-village-events/arts-drafts

PERFECT HUES: BAYTOWNE ART & FOOD FEST SEPT. 2–4 Kick off fall by strolling the streets of The Village of Baytowne Wharf, browsing and buying artwork from local and regional artists, savoring food from restaurants and food trucks and enjoying live music.

A fireworks show will take place on Sunday. baytownewharf.com

GULF COAST SUMMER FEST JAZZ EDITION SEPT. 2–4 An impressive lineup of jazz musicians will headline the Gulf Coast Summer Fest Jazz Edition at Pensacola’s Community Maritime Park. Bring your beach chairs, umbrellas and coolers, and enjoy a variety of live jazz performances at this beautiful venue on Pensacola Bay. gulfcoastsummerfestjazzedition.com

26TH ANNUAL EMERALD COAST BEER FESTIVAL SEPT. 9

ARTS & DRAFTS SEPT. 2 Stroll along the Destin Harbor with a brew in hand, and enjoy

SAVE THE DATE

refills along the way. This event features local and regional brewers, the opportunity to engage with local artists and live music all evening.

Beer galore! Sample beers from microbreweries, specialty bottle beers and even homebrewed beers from throughout Northwest

Florida. Enjoy live music and the offerings of food vendors. visitpensacola.com/events/26th-annualemerald-coast-beer-festival

PENSACOLA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL SEPT. 23–25 Offering fresh seafood, live music, and arts and crafts, the Pensacola Seafood Festival provides an all-around sensory experience. Sample scrumptious bites from a variety of vendors, listen to music from talented acts and get in touch with your artistic side at a crafting booth. pensacolaseafoodfestival.com

EMERALD COAST HOME AND BOAT SHOW SEPT. 24–25 Attend the biggest and best home and boat show in the region featuring over 100 indoor vendors and 30,000 square feet of outdoor space. Vendors include home, boat, health care and retail businesses. All proceeds will benefit United For A Good Cause.

OCT. 13-16

6th Annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival Guests are invited to sip worldclass wines paired with some of the Emerald Coast’s finest cuisine as four festive days of epicurean excellence return to WaterColor.

Tickets are available at HarvestWineandFood.com.

emeraldcoasthomeshow.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH FISHING RODEO SEPT. 24–OCT. 9 The tournament is a threeweekend, 17-day event with two weigh-ins daily. This year will feature competition in 11 species that anglers may pursue from shore, boats, paddleboards, kayaks and more. There will be live music and food sponsors daily. pcbfishingrodeo.com

JAN. 13–16

30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL → The 30A Songwriters Festival, co-produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and Russell Carter Artist Management, will celebrate 14 years in 2023. Some 250 artists will perform original songs at more than 30 venues and listening rooms throughout Northwest Florida.

OCT. 17–18

NORTHWEST FLORIDA ECONOMIC SUMMIT → The Northwest Leadership Forum will present its inaugural Northwest Florida Economic Summit at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. Local, state and national government and industry leaders will provide insights and advice to contractors and other businesses with an interest in participating in publicly funded projects.

To find out more, contact sales@ northwestfloridaleadershipforum.org or visit NorthwestFloridaLeadershipForum.org.

For more information, visit 30ASongwritersFestival.com.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Details of listings can change at the last minute. Check websites to see if the listed events will occur as scheduled.

PROMOTION

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER?

Send an email to sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com.

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival APR. 21–23 A dazzling roster of celebrity winemakers, mixologists and chefs converged at South Walton’s Grand Boulevard Town Center to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the 10th anniversary celebration in support of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.

PHOTOS BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

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1 Tracy Walton, Mary Smith and Yolonda Merritt 2 Don and Angela Reese 3 Stacey Brady and Greg Brewer 4 Mary Fletcher, Jill Russell and Linda Kuykendall

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Sacred Heart Foundation Emerald Ball APR. 30 The black-tie Emerald Ball benefiting Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital and presented by the Howard Group, the Grand Boulevard Sandestin Town Center, Silver Sands Premium Outlets and Jim and Tammy Pierce, was a rousing success. Patrons embraced the theme for the evening by dressing in emerald green and combined to generate $190,666 for the purchase of a state-of-the-art CT scanner for pediatric and adult patients.

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PHOTOS BY PHOTOGENIC PHOTOGRAPHY, NICOLE HILL

1 Jay and Meredith Neese with Dana and Robert Hahn 2 Chris and Amanda Sause 3 Dr. Jonathan Smith, Christine Collier and Dr. Robert Hruby 4 Paula Martins, Hilary Farnum-Fasth and Bobby Parker

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mattie kelly arts foundation

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

NEW EVENT Lights, Camera, Action!

Join us Saturday evenings in the village for Fall Flix featuring an exciting variety of films. Table and lawn seating available. Food trucks on site each week!

SEPT 10 SEPT 17 SEPT 24

SCAN ME Purchase Tickets at MKAF.org/Events

FREE for Members JOIN NOW!

OCT 01

MKAF.org

Sponsor & VIP Table holders are included

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Under the Sea MAY 4 The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County kicked off Art Month Walton County by hosting the fourth annual Under the Sea fundraiser sponsored, in part, by First National Bank.

The festive affair, held at the Grand Boulevard Town Center, celebrated the Underwater Museum of Art’s fourth installation with a night of art, music, cocktails, food and fun.

PHOTOS BY LYNN CROW PHOTOGRAPHY

1 First National Bank sponsors (back row): Guy Smith, Todd Scali; (front row): Lorenda Smith, Shanna Scali, Irina Vrancean-Zamsha with Harry and Bonnie Pastuszek

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2 Jennifer Steele 3 Jayy Hopp and headliner Jontavious Willis

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ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival MAY 7–8 Art lovers flocked to the Grand Boulevard Town Center during Mother’s Day weekend to enjoy live music, sip chilled beverages and browse original artwork displayed by more than 150 local, regional and national artists. Presented by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, the 34th annual juried art event awarded more than $10,000 in cash prizes to 14 artists.

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PHOTOS BY LYNN CROW PHOTOGRAPHY

1 Ann Welch, Orestes Barrios Marañon and Jennifer Steele 2 Abe Partridge 3 Joseph Messer 4 Jimmy Murray and Mrs. Whatley

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91 SCENIC GULF DRIVE

MIRAMAR BEACH, FL

WWW.FNBDC.COM

2022-2023 Season

850.608.2088

For more information and tickets: 850.729.6000 www.mattiekellyartscenter.org/nfso

Ravish and Mayhem

Stars of Tomorrow

Halloween Spooktacular!

Michael Cavanaugh

A Tribute to our Heroes

Carnegie Hall LinkUp/5th Grade Education Concerts

Opening Classics September 17 7:30 p.m.

BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST multiple award winner

Creepy Creatures October 22 7:00 p.m.

A Veterans Benefit Concert November 10 7:30 p.m.

Holiday Pops

The original, award-winning wood-fired pizza and classical Italian cuisine Lunch M–F 11–2 · Dinner M–Sat 5–9 · 850.650.5980 12273 US Hwy 98, Miramar Beach · fatclemenzas.com

Christmas at the Movies December 9 7:30 p.m.

A Tribute to Dance January 21 7:30 p.m.

Billy Joel Songbook February 18 7:30 p.m.

March 14-16 The Orchestra Sings/ Seascapes

A Dream of America April 6 7:30 p.m.

The NFSO is in residence at Northwest Florida State College 1 0 0 C O L L E G E B O U L E VA R D E A S T | N I C E V I L L E F L 3 2 5 7 8 Northwest Florida State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit www.nwfsc.edu. Materiales de la Universidad son disponibles en Española llamando a la Oficina de Admisiones de Northwest Florida State College al 850-729-5205.

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Fishing Explorations in Walton County

P

Countless Ways to Soak in the Experience

eople are drawn to water. Maybe it’s the fact that about 60% of the human body is water. Or maybe they are just looking for a break from dry land.

Regardless, when it comes to getting out for some fishing, Walton County’s incredible array of waterways and 26 miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico offer countless ways to soak in that experience.

Even if you’re just a novice, there are all sorts of opportunities to do a little sportfishing around Walton County. It’s always a good idea to book a charter in advance. Having a knowledgeable guide helps ensure the best possible experience.

They will know exactly where to find the fish you’re after, and you won’t need a fishing license if the boat is appropriately licensed. Consider using travel sites like TripAdvisor to find the right charter for you. The reviews from actual visitors will give you specific details about each option to help determine the right match for your group.

Departing from Grayton Beach aboard a Cape Horn vessel, fishing charters aboard the Trigger Happy will take you 3-10 miles offshore for a guided excursion. Capt. Mike with Trigger Happy Fishing Charters has been fishing the Grayton Beach area since 1983 and knows the offshore reefs well.

For inshore charter flats fishing and flyfishing excursions, check out Florida Boy Adventures. And Reel 30A has exciting surf charters where they meet you right at the beach and guide you through everything you need to know. If you prefer to fish on your own, they also have premium fishing gear and tackle for rent and will deliver it right to you.

Looking for something a little different from the turquoise Gulf waters? Consider a

charter on the Choctawhatchee Bay instead.

The calmer waters and a more laid-back vibe offer an experience that’s ideal for all ages and levels of experience. Santa Rosa Charters specializes in unique back bay outings. Headed up by Capt. Sidney Little and departing from Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Lil’ Lucky Fishing Charters will put you in the right spot to catch a wide variety of fish, including redfish, speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead and jack crevalle.

A whole other world awaits in the local rivers, cypress swamps and rare coastal dune lakes. Kayaking is a quick and nimble method of exploration, allowing you to maneuver easily in and out of tight spaces where the fish often like to lurk. To get going, check out Butterfly Bike & Kayak in Seagrove for a nice selection of rentals.

And if you are interested in joining the fish rather than catching them, maybe a scuba outing is more your speed. Morrison Springs, just east of DeFuniak Springs, offers one of Florida’s most unique diving experiences. The main spring-fed pool is 250 feet in diameter with crystal-clear water for optimal visibility. There are three cavities for underwater exploration, the deepest of which is 300 feet and leads to an underground chamber that has yet to be fully measured.

With so many options for services (and scenic backdrops), fishing in Walton County truly creates a unique experience for all anglers. Getting out on the water also just lets you appreciate the surrounding beauty. It provides a perfect vantage point for witnessing an otherworldly sunrise or sunset — a perspective that helps fill those moments when the bites aren’t coming quite as quickly.

VISIT SOUTH WALTON VisitSouthWalton.com

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Take in sweeping views of stunning turquoise water as you embark on a saltwater fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico.

CUSTOM CONTENT

Know Before You Go: DO I NEED A FISHING LICENSE? If you’re over the age of 16 and plan to saltwater fish here, you need a license, except if: T

You fish from a for-hire vessel that has a valid charter license.

T

You fish during Free Fishing Days.

T

You fish from a pier with a valid saltwater pier license.

T

You have a valid Saltwater Products License or FWC Charter Captain License.

Above: Fishing provides a perfect vantage point for witnessing an otherworldly sunrise or sunset.

Far Left: Enjoy a little peace and quiet as you drop a line while gliding along the surface of a coastal dune lake.

Left: Booking a charter excursion with a knowledgeable local guide is one of the best ways to fish in Walton County.

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dining guide

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 432-5226. $$ L D

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits and Cajun seafood gumbo. 775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D

LULU’S

AMERICAN

pork tenderloin. 300 S. Alcaniz St., Pensacola.

(850) 433-1275. $$ L D

DIXIELAND CHICKEN CO. ★

ARA ROOFTOP POOL & LOUNGE ★

Lucy Buffett’s funky hangout features cocktails, burgers and seafood, plus allergy-friendly menus. 4607 Legendary Marina Dr., Destin.

(850) 710-5858. $$ L D

Hotel Effie’s rooftop oasis offers panoramic Gulf views plus handcrafted cocktails and high-end wines. 1 Grand Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach.

(850) 351-3033. $$ L D

Authentic Creole-style fried chicken, walk-up and drive-thru only. 4629 Opa-Locka Lane, Destin.

(850) 353-2464. $ L

BUFFALO’S REEF ★

Hot wings and cold beer. 116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-9463. $L D

Located at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, the famed chef’s first restaurant in Northwest Florida combines Italian cuisine with the variety of fresh Gulf seafood and local ingredients. 435 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 608-7040. $$$ L D

MARINA BAR AND GRILL

CLEAN EATZ ★

EMERIL’S COASTAL ITALIAN

MAGNOLIA GRILL

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 302-0266. $$ L D Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-7778. $ B L D

Serving up diet-friendly meals to promote a healthy lifestyle. 1191B N. Eglin Pkwy., Shalimar.

(850) 613-6880. $$ L D

FIREFLY ★

MARINA CAFÉ ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. 535 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine.

404 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-7960. $$$ D

THE CRAFT BAR ★

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

NICK’S BOATHOUSE

Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin. Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola.

(850) 460-7907. $$ L D

DHARMA BLUE

Atmosphere and service match an expansive menu including everything from sushi to

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. 30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach. (850) 641-0017. $$ L D

GREAT SOUTHERN CAFE ★

This all-day cafe puts a new spin on classic with a mix of international cuisines, Southern cooking and local food and produce. 83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-7327. $$ B L D

technique. 1 Grand Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 351-3030. $$$ D

RESTAURANT PARADIS ★

Restaurant and lounge offers rich coastal flavors in its innovative dishes. 82 S. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach. (850) 534-0400. $$$ D

SHADES BAR & GRILL ★

A 30A mainstay for over 20 years, Shades features 17 high-def TVs plus a menu of salsas, steaks, sandwiches and fish tacos. 10952 E. Hwy. 30A, (850) 231-9410. $$ L D

SPORTS TO GEAUX ★

Find great American food with a Cajun flare from this food truck. Freeport. (850) 520-0429. $

THE BODACIOUS CAFÉ

This coffee house and eatery specializes in handcrafted espresso, lattes and cappuccinos.

For breakfast, try their omelets and acai bowls; for lunch, salads, wraps and flatbread pizzas are on the menu. 407 S. Palafox St., Pensacola.

(850) 434-6300. $ B L

THE GROVE

Serving American cuisine for brunch and dinner. 3375 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 660-1594. $$ L D

THE RED BAR ★

Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola. (850) 912-8775. $$ L D

New and improved and now reopened; get classic meals at one of the area’s most renowned locations. 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach.

(850) 231-1008. $$ L D

OVIDE ★

THE WINE BAR ★

Located inside the new Hotel Effie, acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson brings together classic Gulf Coast flavors and impeccable classic French

A gathering spot for lunch or dinner, plus daily happy hour specials. Destin and Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 269-2902. L D

ADVERTISEMENT

Restaurant Spotlight

Mimmo’s Ristorante Italiano

Mimmo La Innusa, the owner of Mimmo’s Ristorante Italiano, is at his happiest when plates are piled high with his family’s recipes and conversation and wine flow freely. His earliest and fondest memories revolve around Sunday dinners with his grandparents in Sicily. La Innusa, in turn, now works to deliver memorable experiences to his customers.

It is Italian cuisine that is authentic, featuring homemade sauces, breads, dressings and recipes for pastas and pizzas that have been passed down for generations. Over the past nine years, patrons have become like family, and La Innusa was set to open his second location in Blue Mountain Beach in the early summer of 2022.

“I’ve dreamed of opening a second location since I opened my first location,” La Innusa said.

“I was able to do so because of the reputation I’ve gained through loyal clientele.”

Diners can expect to encounter La Innusa. When he isn’t tending to pizzas, he is fond of stopping by tables to speak with customers.

The new location features a white-concrete facade, patio seating and an interior reminiscent of Old World Italy. La Innusa’s pride and joy is the kitchen, which was built to conform precisely to his exact specifications.

“I’ve worked really hard to design and own this building, and I’m just excited and grateful to be able to welcome people into it,” La Innusa said.

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO 979 U.S. HWY. 98 E., STE. 5, DESTIN | 2700 W. CR 30A, SANTA ROSA BEACH | (850) 460-7353 | MIMMOS.COM

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ASIAN

and hearty comfort food. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin (also in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach). (850) 837-8824. $ B

BAMBOO SUSHI AND HIBACHI ★

Offering fresh Japanese cuisine like sushi, tempura and hibachi dishes, plus a sake bar. 117 W. John Sims Pkwy., Niceville. (850) 678-0771. $$ L D

DOMO CAFÉ ★

This Asian kitchen offers dozens of sushi options, including vegetarian, signature, fried and baked rolls. 1823 Hurlburt Rd., #3, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-6412. $$ L D

GOT BAKED ★

Whether gluten free, low carb, vegan, no sugar or dairy-free, this bakery has the right bite for any dietary restriction. 80 Mc Davis Loop #1110.

Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 598-7438. $

MAMA CLEMENZA’S EUROPEAN BREAKFAST

This family-owned restaurant serves up fresh authentic Chinese street fare and classic entrees.

12889 U.S. 98, Miramar Beach. (850) 837-6675. $$ L D

Casual and outdoor dining overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay, featuring locally sourced ingredients and sustainable seafood.

158 Sandestin Blvd. N. (850) 267-7108. $$ B L D

Known for its sushi but serves a variety of dishes, including chicken, steak and seafood. 34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 650-4688 or (850) 650-4689. $$ L D

DESSERT

THAI ELEPHANT AUTHENTIC THAI CUISINE ★

This shaved ice truck spreads smiles one frozen treat at a time. Main St., Freeport. (850) 567-5057. $

FRENCH

BARBECUE

BAY CAFE FRENCH RESTAURANT ★

98 BAR-B-QUE ★

Award-winning barbecue, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take out, catering. 5008 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 622-0679. $ L D

Step out on the bay for authentic European cuisine, featuring fresh local seafood and decadent creme sauces. 233 Alconese Ave. SE, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-3550. $$ L D

GREEK

BLUE MABEL ★

This local smokehouse features made-fromscratch dishes and is stocked with everything from smoked meats to homemade sauces.

2260 W. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 744-0040. $$ L D

AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

Authentic Greek restaurant. 11225 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach (and Shalimar).

(850) 460-2728. $$ B L D

CHIPPER’S BBQ

This family-run barbecue joint offers an array of smoked treats like ribs, brisket, pork and chicken, plus steak, burgers, salads and pulled pork nachos.

4419 Commons Dr., #101, Destin. (850) 353-2753. $$ L D

ALI BABA GRILL CAFÉ

Casual spot for familiar Turkish and Greek recipes offered à la carte and at a buffet, plus beer and wine. 550 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 986-5555. $$ L D Traditional Greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther. (850) 302-0691. $ L

Lively brunch/lunch destination known for its French toast, rolled omelets and cheery ambiance. 2629 Thomas Dr., Panama City Beach. (850) 230-0014. $$ L D

★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2021 Winner

Easygoing pub providing Irish and American eats, a game room for kids and deck seating.

2298 Scenic Hwy. 30A, Blue Mountain Beach.

(850) 267-0101. $$ L D

MCGUIRE’S IRISH PUB ★

Burgers and pub grub and the famous 18-cent Senate Bean Soup. 33 Hwy. 98, Destin (Also in Pensacola). (850) 650-0000. $$ L D

ITALIAN/PIZZA AMICI 30A

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Cristina L. Paredes Maria Toledo Karen Vogter

TURNBULL AWARD

POSTHUMOUS AWARD

Jessica Proffitt Bracken

Iris Pittman Fellows McMillan

850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE’S 2022

PINNACLE AWARDS HONORING THE OUTSTANDING WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

SEPT. 29, 2022 | 11:30 AM ET DUNLAP CHAMPIONS CLUB, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, 225 CHAMPIONS WAY BUILDING B, TALLAHASSEE TO PURCHASE TICKETS, PLEASE VISIT:

850BusinessMagazine.com/Pinnacle-Awards PRESENTED BY

SPONSORED BY

Offering authentic Italian cuisine with a flair

The restaurants that appear in this guide are included as a service to readers and not as recommendations of the Emerald Coast Magazine editorial department, except where noted.

B L D

Anna Johnson-Riedel Diane McCain

JOHNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

Contemporary cafe for craft coffee, housebaked breads, pastries and sandwiches and all-day breakfast. 26 Logan Lane, Grayton Beach.

(850) 213-4528. $ B L

THE KEY

Helen Costa Kelli Godwin Allison Hill

IRISH

ANDY’S FLOUR POWER CAFE & BAKERY

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts

THE 2022 PINNACLE AWARDS FINALISTS: Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper Autumn Beck Blackledge

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE ★

and hear from keynote speaker and past Pinnacle Award recipient, Jennifer Conoley, President and CEO, Florida’s Great Northwest.

KONA ICE OF SOUTH WALTON COUNTY ★

Serving traditional Thai favorites that were voted the area’s best. 3906 Hwy. 98, Ste. 5–6, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 660-6711. $ L D

Featuring catering, sweet treats as well as meals-to-go for breakfast and lunch.

2217 W. County Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 267-0400. $$

JOIN US AS WE HONOR THE 2022 PINNACLE AWARD RECIPIENTS

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ

OSAKA ★

BLUE MOUNTAIN BAKERY ★

9TH ANNUAL PINNACLE AWARDS LUNCHEON

Old World family recipes. Multiple award winner. 273 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 424-3157, 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0707. $$ B

DYNASTY CHINESE CUISINE ★

BLACK BEAR BREAD CO. ★

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive $$$ Expensive

For sponsorship opportunities or event details, contact McKenzie Burleigh at MBurleigh@rowlandpublishing.com.

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for celebration. 12805 U.S. Hwy. 98 E., Ste. R101, Inlet Beach. (850) 909-0555. $$$ L D

ANGELENA’S ITALIANO ★

In the heart of downtown, nationally renowned Chef James Briscione’s menu serves up rusticyet-elegant plates with an Italian coastal vibe.

101 E. Intendencia St., Pensacola. (850) 542-8398. $$ D

CLEMENZA’S UPTOWN

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, private dining, cooking school. Multiple award winner. 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 243-0707. $$ B L D

FARM & FIRE SOUTHERN PIZZERIA

Featuring a clean-burning coal oven to impart a unique, full flavor to their pizzas, whole fish, steaks and roasted chicken. 24200 U.S. Hwy. 331 S., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-3871. $$ D

FAT CLEMENZA’S

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, specialty desserts, fish Fridays. Multiple award winner.

Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach.

(850) 650-5980. $$ L D

GRIMALDI’S PIZZERIA ★

Pizzas and calzones baked to perfection in their signature coal-burning oven, delivering experience not possible from conventional ovens. 780 Grand Blvd., Ste. 100, Miramar Beach.

(850) 837-3095. $$ L D

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO ★

Authentic Italian dishes bursting with flavor and color. 979 Hwy. 98, #5, Destin. (850) 460-7353. $$ L D

PAZZO ITALIANO

Destin’s newest Italian restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine such as wood-fired

pizzas, pasta, calzones, salads, chef specialties and nightly specials. 34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Ste. 114, Destin. (850) 974-5484. $$ L D

THE PIZZA BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Artisan cheese, fresh salads, antipasto dishes, homemade soups, seasonal vegetables, hearty pastas and homemade wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-3113. $$ L D

TRATTORIA BORAGO

Pork tenderloin or pan-seared grouper from the open kitchen. 80 E. Hwy. 30A, Grayton Beach.

(850) 231-9167. $$ D

MEXICAN BURRITO DEL SOL ★

This Mexican restaurant serves fresh Bajastyle Mexican food, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. 201-B Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-8016. $ L D

CANTINA LAREDO ★

A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites.

585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 654-5649. $$ B L D

PEPITO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT ★

Serving award-winning authentic Mexican food with the finest ingredients available since 2000. Multiple locations: Destin, Niceville and Fort Walton Beach. $$ L D

RED FISH TACO ★

Featuring fresh takes on classic fare, such as street tacos, burritos, taco salads and quesadillas.

2052 W. Hwy 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 994-7443. $$ L D

THE TACO BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Baja fish tacos, homemade guacamole, burritos and top-shelf margaritas. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-4781. $$ L D

SEAFOOD THE BAY SOUTH WALTON ★

This family-friendly waterfront restaurant overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay features Gulf Coast cuisine, sushi, a 12-draft beer system, plus wine and crafted cocktails. 24215 Hwy. 331, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-2291. $$ L D

DEWEY DESTIN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin. (850) 837-7575. $$ B L D

THE FISH HOUSE ★

Fresh seafood cuisine and Southern specialties in a setting overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Seville Harbor. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. (850) 470-0003. $$ L D

FOOW RESTAURANT

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair.

Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 534-5050. $$$ D

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

HARBOR DOCKS

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7406. $$ L D

Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes.

Destin Harbor, Destin. (850) 460-8900. $$$ B

BUD & ALLEY’S WATERFRONT RESTAURANT ★

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-5900. $$$ L D

CAPT. ANDERSON’S RESTAURANT

Since 1967, offering traditional seafood items, flavorful salads and soups with a view of the marina. 5551 N. Lagoon Dr., Panama City Beach.

(850) 234-2225. $$$ D

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE

Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

202 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-7525. $$$ L D

Capt.on Dave’s the

A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and great sushi. 538 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2506. $$ B L D Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches. 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 460-2909. $$ L D

OLD BAY STEAMER ★

The perfect place for quality steamed seafood, outstanding steaks and incredible ribs.

102 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 664-2795. $$ D

RUNAWAY ISLAND

Crab, oysters and grouper sandwiches in a casual beach bar and grill with steps onto the sand. 14521 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach. (850) 634-4884. $$ L D

SHUNK GULLEY OYSTER BAR ★

This seafood and casual fare restaurant features classic coastal cuisine and genuine Southern hospitality plus live music daily inside the

SERVING LOCAL FLORIDA SEAFOOD AND STEAKS Dinner 4pm UNTIL …

For more information visit captdavesonthegulf.com

Gulf

C ald er m Ser rS ving the e yea 0 5 for over

Enjoy cocktails on the deck for sunset Happy Hour: 4–6pm Open 6 days a week (closed Tuesdays)

oaSt

Casual Gulf Front Dining. Gulf to plate since 1968!

3796 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin | 850.837.2627 | captdavesonthegulf.com

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This seafood and wine mainstay promises Gulf-fresh fare. 5960 W. County Road 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-3053. $$ L D

AUSTONS ON 98 OYSTER BAR AND GRILL

BEACH WALK CAFE ★

Located at the Henderson Park Inn, this award-winning fine dining establishment features a range of favorites including grouper Vince, pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna and seafood pasta Rockefeller. 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 650-7100. $$$ D

Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired.

Silver Shells Resort, 1500 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 337-5108. $$$ D

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS & SEAFOOD ★

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar.

Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 622-1500. $$$ D

DESTIN ICE SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI ★

Offering the best in steaks and Gulf fare, Café Thirty-A is also available for weddings and special gatherings. 3899 E. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach. (850) 231-2166. $$$ D

CAPTAIN DAVE’S ON THE GULF

Fresh fish and seafood items, pastas, salads and side dishes, Buckhead meats, decadent desserts, wines, cheeses, spices and more.

663 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 837-8333. $$ L D

Known for their jumbo-lump crab cakes, Sarah K specializes in gourmet, ready-to-heat, take-out cuisine. Everything is hand-packed in aluminum tins along with complete cooking instructions. 34940 Emerald Coast Pkwy. #183, Destin. (850) 269-0044. $$

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE ★

High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines.

Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 469-9898. $$$ D

MARLIN GRILL

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers.

The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach.

(850) 351-1990. $$$ D

NOLA BOILING CO. ★

From crawfish and crab legs to chicken to sausage, these classic Creole and Cajun boils are perfect for groups and catering jobs. 47 Talon Court, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 672-2847. $$

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Destin Ice Seafood Market & Deli 663 Harbor Blvd • Destin, FL (850) 837-8333 • destinice.com

A chilled mix of fresh shrimp, lime zest and vinegar-soaked cucumber, red onion and sweet pepper, this is shrimp ceviche-style. 4621 Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 687-2810.

GRAYTON SEAFOOD ★

Locally inspired food and beverages in a beautiful waterfront setting, alongside a curated vinyl record collection.

284 Marler Ave., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 387-1300. $ L D

of

BEST

JC’S GOURMET

MODICA MARKET ★

THE GULF – FORT WALTON BEACH

2021

Fast delivery of all the high-quality cuisine that 30A has to offer. Download their app on Google Play or the Apple Store, or visit 30agrub2go.com to get started. (850) 260-3139.

Inspired by traditional waterfront dining, Captain Dave’s features American seafood cuisine infused with a contemporary Gulf Coast twist.

3796 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2627. $$$ D This fishing shack eatery serves up fresh Southern seafood favorites, including Sunday brunch. 50 Uptown Grayton Cir., Grayton Beach.

(850) 714-2155. $$ L D

OAST MAG AZ DC I AL

TAKE OUT

BOATHOUSE OYSTER BAR ★

CAFE THIRTY-A ★

Thank you for voting us Best Seafood Market!

Family-friendly seafood and oyster bar featuring locally caught fare and nestled in picturesque Baytowne Wharf. 140 Fisherman’s Cove.

(850) 347-5060. $$ L D

30AGRUB2GO

Your new favorite spot for fresh oysters, cold beer and live music, right on Destin Harbor.

288 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-3645. $$ L D

Buckhead Beef Fresh deli salads and entrees Mrs. Dean cakes Assortment of breads & wines

SLICK LIPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE

BIJOUX RESTAURANT & SPIRITS ★ Fine dining coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair, Gulf seafood, prime steaks. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., #22, Miramar Beach.

(850) 622-0760. $$$ D

WE STEAM, WE PACK TO TRAVEL

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Home of the 102-foot bar, specialties include littleneck clams, raw oysters, clam chowder and jumbo shrimp cocktail. 125 Poinciana Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 842-3200. $$ L D

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ★

Fresh, to go.

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STEAK & SEAFOOD

Nestled beside Eastern Lake, find your retreat for oysters, fresh seafood fare, sushi and other classics. 33 Heron’s Watch Way, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-3045. $$$ L D

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STINKY’S FISH CAMP ★

OLD FLORIDA FISH HOUSE ★

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panoramic bar. 1875 S. Hwy. 393, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-2733. $$ L D

Find delicious lunch specials and brews at this gourmet specialty food store. 109 Seaside Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-1214. L

SARAH K'S GOURMET ★

Join us for a meal experience to remember

STEWBY’S MARKET ★

The area’s freshest and best seafood, and the first seafood market around that offers steamed dinners for dining in. 231 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-8448. $$ L D

TOWNSEND CATERING COMPANY ★ Outstanding service and meticulous menu planning for your next event or family meal.

124 Mussett Bayou Rd., Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 622-0663.

VEGAN THE OASIS SANTA ROSA BEACH

This 100% vegan restaurant offers a cozy, speak-easy dining room, outdoor bar, patio, pizza bar and pool lounge area. 306 Bald Eagle Dr., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 660-2000. $$$ D

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/Restaurants.

100% PLANT BASED VEGAN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR BARS AND DINING PATIO AND POOL LOUNGE AREA NOW DOING PRIVATE DINNER PARTIES 306 BALD EAGLE DRIVE, SANTA ROSA BEACH (850) 660 - 2000 • THEOASISSRB.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

August-September 2022

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postscript

THE LANGUAGE OF LIFE Healthy introspection can produce a gentler world

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ny attempt at living a non-violent life is not for weak constitutions. History reflects that people who have spoken out the most loudly against violence and oppression — Jesus, the Gnostics, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. — have been met with grim fates. When one commits unwaveringly to living a nonviolent life, he must be willing to fail spectacularly.

As a lifelong yoga practitioner and professional teacher who has trained and certified hundreds of yoga instructors over the past decade, I can feel like a hypocrite when lecturing about nonviolence or what in yoga is called ahimsa. I may be an expert on the topic, but I’m still a novice at implementing some of these yoga philosophies. So it is with great humility that I cast here some of the pearls of wisdom I’ve picked up over the years on how to live a nonviolent, or at least a less angry, and more authentic life.

Violence often begins internally with negative self-talk, saying yes when we really want to say no, or denying our own needs in an effort to “not rock the boat.” We have become accustomed to subtle forms of violence, including passive aggression, sarcasm and cynicism. Even prolonged sadness or depression can be viewed as a form of self-inflicted violence.

We may direct anger at ourselves if we are unable to release it in a healthy way.

What others do to make us angry is seldom about them, but it’s always about projection and one’s perceptions of self. Anger results when we feel unfulfilled as to power, status, love or even knowledge. These lacks, real or perceived, are associated with the potential for loss, which gives

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rise to anger. When understood this way, anger can lead us to the underlying issues involved.

Anger always wants something, so when it is present, we can ask: What do I want?

Anger coexists with fear, so we can also ask: What am I afraid of?

Once we become clear about what is triggering our anger, we can consciously choose how to respond to life instead of unconsciously reacting to it with aggressively angry and even violent behaviors. Anger directed outwardly always imposes, judges and demands.

The late Marshall Rosenberg was the founder of a system, Nonviolent Communication, that he called “the language of life.”

Rosenberg believed that people possess of an innate goodness

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

and that we are all compassionate by nature. He proclaimed that “we all share the same, basic human needs, and all actions are a strategy to meet one or more of these needs. Violent strategies — whether verbal or physical — are learned behaviors taught and supported by the prevailing culture.”

Consider the last time you acted out of anger, and ask yourself what you were wanting or needing.

Why did you not appropriately pursue that need and instead become angry?

If we want to learn how to speak “the language of life” and cultivate healthier societal norms, we must get in touch with our true feelings and learn how to relate empathically to others. Stay away from contentious language that dehumanizes others through blame, shame and attack.

“Judgments, criticisms, diagnoses and interpretations of others are all alienated expressions of our own needs and values,” Rosenberg said.

“When others hear criticism, they tend to invest their energy in self-defense or counterattack. The more directly we can connect our feelings to our needs, the easier it is for others to respond compassionately.”

Reclaiming the rejected and suppressed aspects of our human experience allows for a greater connection with the whole of humanity. Once we evolve spiritually to view others as an extension of ourselves and our god, we realize that we cannot harm others without also harming ourselves.

Then, the practice of ahimsa (nonviolence) reveals itself as our true nature. Then, we are prepared to turn inwardly and do the work necessary to outwardly manifest a nonviolent life. EC

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by ASHLEY THESIER

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