Emerald Coast Magazine • December ’23/January ’24

Holiday Fare

’Tis the season to eat like a kid and worry about consequences later

BLACK BEAR BREAD CO.’S SPRINKLED COOKIES

HALL WHERE

HANK ONCE PLAYED SEES NEW LIFE

CHANUKAH CELEBRATES

POWER OF A CANDLE

CHRISTMAS ALBUMS: GOOD, MIDDLING AND ‘PLEASE, NO!’

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@geoffchickandassociates @geoffchickandassociates

Contents

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

FEATURES

58

GIVING AS GIFTS

62

BANISHING DARKNESS

The Bay County Nature Conservancy preserves green spaces and wetlands. The faith-based St. Andrew Community Medical Center extends medical care to people unable to obtain it elsewhere. The Full Circle Music Foundation makes it possible for children to begin playing instruments. An early childhood initiative of the Studer Community Institute places due emphasis on healthy brain development. Consistent with the giving spirit of the holiday season, you may wish to make a contribution to one or more of them or to another deserving organization anonymously, in your name or in the name of a loved one.

For Rabbi Shaya Tenenboim, Chanukah — the Jewish festival of lights — and the events that brought about the observance have countless layers of meaning that yield an inexhaustible supply of insights. The rabbi likes to cite a line, “A little light banishes a lot of darkness,” from Tanya, a foundational work of the Chabad movement written in 1796. He observes, “Light a single candle in a dark room, and you can see it from all over. Do one good deed, and it will have a greater impact than you might think. Light will surround you by an amount that exceeds the effort you put in.” And if one light is good, two are better.

by STEVE BORNHOFT, HANNAH BURKE and EMMA WITMER

by STEVE BORNHOFT

photography by FOREVER YOUNG IMAGES

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Contents

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

24

80 G REEN SCENE Before mass production, candles made from the berries of wax myrtles were found in many Emerald Coast homes.

Today, the trees are used in patio plantings and as landscape screens.

31 19 HISTORY Led by

a retired member of the U.S. Army’s special forces, a dedicated cadre of volunteer laborers and fundraisers intervened to save storied Roberts Hall in Lynn Haven from the wrecking ball.

31 CITIZEN OF STYLE

Zachary Edward sees makeup as a stylized expression of self, regardless of gender.

He advises men, “Don’t care what other people think. If it makes you happy, do it. You’re not hurting anyone by putting on concealer.”

chuck the lingering holiday leftovers in your fridge.

Repurpose and reimagine that tired turkey by combining leftovers with a few kitchen staples to create entirely new meals.

GASTRO & GUSTO 47 TREATS You don’t

need to pull out the family archives to elicit memories of Mom and Grandma’s best holiday cookie or cake recipe.

Plenty of local bakers are happy to rise to the occasion.

EXPRESSION

67 DANCE Riani Pokipala inherited a passion for Polynesian dance from her parents. She manages a troupe of performers who introduce Emerald Coast audiences to an honored form of storytelling.

54 LIBATIONS Since the 1700s,

34

FASHION

The sweater vest becomes a practical option when the weather turns chilly.

Layer it over a buttondown or pair it with leather pants or a satin skirt. At right: Holiday sweater vest from H&M.

6 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

the hot toddy has been sipped in efforts to combat the common cold.

70 MUSIC Unable to hold

out any longer, Cher got around this year to recording a Christmas album. Hers joins a large stack of holiday recordings, some good, some not so much.

ABODES

77 I NTERIORS In a

simmer pot, also known as stovetop potpourri, a mixture of spices, citrus fruits and other ingredients come together to release natural and enticing fragrances in aromatherapeutic ways.

Holiday Fare

» LEFTOVER LOVE » RIANI POKIPALA » GIVING AS GIFTS

PANACHE

50 DINING IN Don’t be quick to

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 14 EDITOR'S LETTER 86 SOCIAL STUDIES 88 DINING GUIDE 90 POSTSCRIPT

QUILTING

business, Coastal Stitches, hums like a sewing machine. The well-stocked shop caters to quilters, offering classes in making everything from table runners to king-size heirlooms.

A Destin skin care center and a Panama City Beach gifts and clothing boutique are ready to help you primp and shop as the holiday season nears.

12 FROM THE

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

24 H OBBIES A Destin

67

36 WHAT’S IN STORE

’Tis the season to eat like a kid and worry about consequences later

BLACK BEAR BREAD CO.’S SPRINKLED COOKIES

HALL WHERE

HANK ONCE PLAYED SEES NEW LIFE

CHANUKAH CELEBRATES

POWER OF A CANDLE

CHRISTMAS ALBUMS: GOOD, MIDDLING AND ‘PLEASE, NO!’

ON THE COVER:

It’s that time of year when bakers — at homes and at businesses including the Black Bear Bread Co. — replenish their supplies of sprinkles. Our cover cookies are among the terribly tempting treats that Black Bear, with three Walton County locations, has to offer.

All their sweets may undo your efforts to look your very best in your holiday finery, but, hey, resolution season is on its way.

PHOTO BY MADRA MCDONALD

PHOTOS BY BOO MEDIA (31), MIKE FENDER (67), FOREVER YOUNG IMAGES (24) AND H&M (34)

THE WAVE

IN EVERY ISSUE

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December 2023-January 2024

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Contents

PROMOTION

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

42

→ STOCKED SHOPS If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer or maybe something for a gift exchange, a culinary gift set from the Bodacious Shops in Pensacola may be just the ticket.

72 ↑ WINTER STAGINGS Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents a calendar of heartwarming and humorous performances that add life to the season of short days.

AUTISM AWARENESS

The Emerald Coast Autism Center, a nonprofit school and therapy center, works to improve the lives of learners with autism and maximize their special abilities.

26

40

↑ RETIREMENT REFLECTIONS

Seaside Community Development Corporation honors Pam Avera as she celebrates her retirement and reflects on 24 years with Seaside.

56

VINO GALORE Stroll the streets

Dr. Audrey Kunin is joining the team of providers at Dermatology Specialists.

She brings with her a commitment to helping people stay healthy, inside and out.

of Grand Boulevard’s Town Center while sipping wines and sampling culinary delights at the 12th annual South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival.

38

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Our gift guide features stocking stuffers, luxury items and everything in between, all from local businesses.

→ PRECIOUS PIECES

Give the No. 1 person on your list a gift that shines this holiday season. Let McCaskill & Company help you select a luxury watch for him or a dazzling bracelet for her.

present a salute to the history of contributions made by women to homes, families and communities.

NEXT ISSUE We 8 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

BOARD-CERTIFIED EXPERTISE

74

↑ HOLIDAY HITS Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Holiday Pops concert will feature Broadway baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell singing holiday favorites, Broadway standards and American songbook classics.

82

CALENDAR The holiday season on the coast offers theater performances, parades, holiday festivals and New Year’s Eve celebrations. End 2023 and enter 2024 with a packed social calendar.

PHOTOS BY NIKKI HEDRICK (72) AND COURTESY OF SEASIDE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (26), MCCASKILL & COMPANY (40), BODACIOUS SHOPS (42) AND SINFONIA GULF COAST (74)

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VOL. 24, NO. 6

DECEMBER 2023-JANUARY 2024

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MCKENZIE BURLEIGH

EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hannah Burke, Raemi Creteur, Rebecca Padgett Frett, Linda Habib, Les Harrison, Carrie Honaker, Wynn Parks, Evgeniya Stetsenko, Emma Witmer

CREATIVE VICE PRESIDENT/PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Scott Schiller, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Wardlow Photography, Blake Jones Photography, Boo Media, Epic Photo, Mike Fender, Forever Young Images, Nikki Hedrick, Kristy Holditch, Jacqueline Ward Images, Kendall Kapitanoff, Madra McDonald, Sean Murphy, Rhonda Murray, Theresa Nooney, Saige Roberts, Katja Schulz, Mark Seliger, Emily Veal, Bobby Wagner

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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 December 2023 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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from the

associate publisher

THE HEALING POWER OF SOUND Good vibrations relax and empower people frequency. It can relieve stress, anxiety and more.

I recently had the pleasure of learning about the healing benefits of sound while completing requirements for a sound bowl certification. Those lessons were underscored when I took in a sound bath led by a talented and dear friend, Dustin Borlack.

Once a month, he hosts a sound bath at Studio Thirty A in Santa Rosa Beach.

He delivers healing with the sounds produced by more than 20 instruments.

“Sound healing is a powerful tool to help access deeper levels of relaxation and meditation,” Borlack says. “Coupled with conscious breathing, this practice will assist in breaking through old, stuck energy and make way for a more clear and empowered you.”

After the sound bath, Borlack encourages participants to share their experience with the group. The resulting connection, vulnerability and sharing is remarkable. Participants reveal that they attend for a range of reasons. They may be dealing with the loss of a loved one, celebrating upcoming nuptials or carrying out part of a monthly wellness routine.

All who show up, no matter what brought them to the sound bath, come together in a spirit of community and mutual support. Sound and music unite us. How lucky are we to live in a place that supports beautiful artists such as Borlack and invites them to share their gifts with us.

During this holiday season, make it a point to use music to not only bring back beautiful memories but to start you on a path toward healing and fulfillment. Throughout the year ahead,

12 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

The associate publisher’s photos were taken at the beautiful Alys Beach — a place where mind, body and spirit delight in carefully curated amenities. With the finest culinary talents on the coast, shopping suitable for those with distinctive tastes, outdoor activities on an exclusive beachfront, miles of nature trails and a state-of-the-art wellness center, Alys Beach is a seaside town like none other.

be open to how sound can help soothe the mind and body.

If there is an open mat next to me at the next “Sound Bath with Borlack,” I hope you take it.

Much love and happy holidays,

MCKENZIE BURLEIGH, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SEAN MURPHY / RPI FILE PHOTO

My favorite holiday music surfaces in me cherished memories of treasured times. Sadly, some of those memories include loved ones who have left this life, but I am grateful to have known them and to have benefitted from what they brought to the world. My grandparents and my sister loved Christmas, and I could hear them sing in the kitchen as they baked traditional treats.

As humans, we enjoy many strong and varied connections to music, some of them fleeting and others elemental.

I once met a Sioux Indian who sought to explain the hold that music has on us.

“As fetuses in our mother’s womb, the first sound we heard was the beat of the heart,” he said. “That was the first rhythm and vibration we ever heard, and that inspired the beat of the drum, which connects us not only to our own mothers but also our Mother Earth.”

The drum has been central to Native American dance and music for thousands of years.

“One of the most important things in the life of a Native American is the drum,” said Paul Gowder in an interview with South Dakota magazine.

Gowder owns PowWows.com, a leading online community that celebrates Native American arts and culture.

“Our whole culture centers around the drum,” he said. “The drum brings the heartbeat of our Earth Mother for all to feel and hear. Drumming brings everyone back into balance. Whether dancing, singing or just listening, people around the drum can connect with the spirit.”

I believe sound can bring us back into balance through its vibration and

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editor’s letter

A PRIMER ON PRESERVING FREEDOM Lessons for next year and the year after that

far more grizzled than Jim. I was disappointed when the place became a COVID casualty.

I have come to regard Jim as the neighborhood pamphleteer, a latter-day Thomas Paine. Moving about on a nofrills Taxi bicycle with spring-loaded seats, he distributes copies of a digestsize, 128-page book titled On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, written by Timothy Snyder, a historian who was educated at schools including Oxford and teaches at Yale, and published in 2017.

“History does not repeat, but it does instruct,” Snyder begins, then proceeds to demonstrate how freedom can be both a strength and a vulnerability while offering advice on how to avoid descents into authoritarianism, fascism, toxic populism and/or unhealthy concentrations of power.

“The odd American idea that giving money to political campaigns is free speech means that the very rich have far more speech, and so in effect far more voting power, than other citizens,” Snyder writes. “We believe that we have checks and balances, but have rarely faced a situation like the present when the less popular of the two parties controls every lever of government at the federal level, as well as the majority of statehouses.”

As a nation, we survived that circumstance, somehow.

Here are three of the 20 lessons, which are prescriptions, really. I encourage you to catch up with the other 17.

■ Contribute to good causes.

Be active in organizations that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or

two, and set up autopay. Then you will have made a choice that supports civil society and helps others to do good.

■ Listen for dangerous words.

Be alert to the use of the words “extremism” and “terrorism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.

■ Make eye contact and small talk.

This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers and understand whom you should and should not trust.

I am pleased that Jim regularly enacts the third lesson. I wouldn’t have expected a Paducah, Kentucky, native who wears the same haircut he did in the Navy to give me a copy of Snyder’s book. He did, and now I trust him.

Be safe and well,

TEVE BORNHOFT, S EXECUTIVE EDITOR sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

SETTING IT STRAIGHT The websites for two Best of the Emerald Coast winners were incorrect as they appeared in the October/November edition of Emerald Coast Magazine. The website for the Tortoise Clinic of Chinese Medicine is tortoiseclinic.com. The correct website for Williams Plumbing is WilliamsPlumbingFL.com.

14 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTO BY BOO MEDIA / RPI FILE PHOTO

Over the past three years, I have gotten to know Jim, who each morning walks an ancient terrier with a black skin tag on its nose, a blemish that seems to bother neither man nor beast.

“It’s been there a long time” is all that Jim has to say about it. Were it my dog, I’d have to have it removed right now, but Jim is more mellow than I. Old Navy man, he is. Says about his non-combat military experience that it “was like a bad drink. Lots of water.” Jim is dry like that.

Most days, we will pass one another on the sidewalk as I labor to get in one more 5K and he walks his dog in short stretches.

“Fifteen feet,” he said one morning.

“We go 15 feet, and then we rest.”

“High-intensity interval training,” I kidded him. He is familiar with the term, having been a gym regular until recently.

And then, well, he just up and quit about the time he underwent cataract surgery.

No plans to go back. Over it. He’d had some bad experiences. Many gyms pretend to be inclusive of seniors, but few genuinely are.

I have experienced one that welcomed me as a person living with years, a Crossfit gym located in what had been home to a machine shop. The black rubber floor was disintegrating, and if you did any floor exercises to speak of, especially on a humid day, you’d leave the place looking like you had taken a turn as a chimney sweep.

Organically, the 7:30 class came to be what we called the Geriatric Class and included me, a gay couple I called The Jackal (they were Jack and Al), a senior bank teller, a physician, an aging homebuilder and a Navy veteran

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Emerald Coast Magazine

A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE Emerald Coast Magazine soirée rocks Grand Boulevard For Best of the Emerald Coast celebrationgoer Bruce Bickley of Blue Mountain Beach, the festivities equated to an immersive, multi-sensory experience that “coalesced everything that is good about living here — food, music and the arts.” Indeed, the event, held at Grand Park at the Grand Boulevard Town Center, was designed and intended to activate all five senses.

To relive the night, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ a-party-with-a-purpose.

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JUAN C. ZARATE, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist ANTHONY S. AL-DEHNEH, DO, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist GEORGE A. YOUSSEF, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist SHADY HENIEN, MD, MBA, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist JOHN B. DUDLEY, MD, MPH, Interventional Cardiologist ANGEL D. MORROBEL, MD, FACC Invasive Cardiologist

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wave

THE

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

HISTORY

HANK PLAYED HERE Saved from the wrecking ball, Roberts Hall welcomes all

by STEVE BORNHOFT

→ HOBBIES A New Generation of Quilts photography by ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

19

THE

wave

A

rlene Harrison made her way upstairs at Roberts Hall where her attention was diverted by something she didn’t expect to see.

She turned to Harry Warnberg and asked, “Do you see light up there?”

The appearance of a mysterious, luminous aura or the ghost of Hank Williams Sr. would have been deemed plausible by people familiar with the hall.

But instead, there was a far more prosaic explanation that accounted for the shining.

A wall had separated from the roof.

Warnberg, a career Army man who was heading up an effort to restore the building that would consume six years, was unfazed, as was his manner.

“He was not a builder,” said Warnberg’s daughter, Charlotte Moreau. “He was not a carpenter in the military, but he was a Green Beret, and he learned how to do everything. He’d see a problem and figure out a solution and fix it.”

Warnberg, who died at age 90 in 2023, procured four of the biggest bolts he could find and closed the gap, cinching the wayward wall to the rafters. The bolt heads and washers remain visible at the exterior of the building.

The issue was far from the only surprise Warnberg and a team of volunteers encountered in working to stabilize and bring up to code a structure that was built

by Leslie James “Lee Jay” Roberts in 1912 after he moved to Lynn Haven, Florida, from Idaho. Located at Florida Avenue and 9th Street, it has been one of the most prominent buildings in the city ever since.

Roberts was a community-minded businessman. He rented the ground floor of his namesake building to operators of a restaurant, a mercantile and other concerns. But the upstairs he reserved for events and, at times, essential public functions. Dances were held there and political rallies and fundraising dinners.

School classes were conducted at the hall after a student, upset with his grades, burned Lynn Haven Elementary School to the ground.

→

Arlene Harrison, a retired nurse, is the noble grand at the Odd Fellows Scarlet Lodge No. 75, owners of Roberts Hall in Lynn Haven.

Harrison was influential in establishing the hall as a community events center.

From the beginning, members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows conducted meetings at the hall, and in 1922, they acquired it for $4,000 and closed the second floor to the public. It would be reserved for lodge members and meetings.

Among downstairs tenants, the one most remembered by Lynn Haven residents is Papa and Kitty Lloyd’s Country Store.

“It had everything you needed from feed for livestock to bolts of fabric,” Harrison

20 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

said. “They were here for 43 years. Not a week goes by when I don’t hear someone say, ‘Oh, I used to come in here and buy penny candy and sodas.’”

A bench outside the hall served as a bus stop for students awaiting delivery to Bay High School near downtown Panama City.

“There were all kinds of things scratched on the side of the building,” Harrison said.

“Jerry and Barbara. Then Barbara was photography by ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

crossed out and it was Sally. We hated to cover it all up, but we had to paint.”

The genesis of the restoration effort was a 2007 tour of the hall, known familiarly by then as The Country Store, by members of the preservationist Lynn Haven Heritage Society. With special permission from the Odd Fellows, the delegation was permitted to go upstairs.

They concluded unequivocally that the building must be saved and tabbed Warnburg, Richard Walker and James Dean as leaders of the actual restoration work.

The trio met with lodge members in January 2008 and offered to see to the hall’s refurbishment by raising funds, arranging for workers, and completing repairs and improvements free of charge.

The offer was refused.

The lodge was concerned about exposure to liability in the event that a non-member was injured while working on the building. They had no insurance to cover outsiders. It was left to Libby Tunnell and Lyn Hindsman of the Heritage Society to suggest a workaround: The liability issue might be avoided if workers on the building were to become lodge members.

And that they did.

Restoration work commenced in May 2008, and less than two months later, progress was obvious to the crowd that gathered for the city’s Fourth of July parade. Two sides of the building had been cleared of tar-paper covering, stripped of nails, scraped and painted.

“The building was no longer an eyesore when viewed from the City Hall and Highway 77 to the east,” wrote Warnberg in a book he titled If It Were Easy, Anybody Could Do It: A History of the Restoration of Roberts Hall, 2008-2014. Only a few copies of the spiral-bound book were produced, enough to ensure that documentation of the project would not vanish.

The project was not universally popular. For some, it did not marry up with their vision for the future of Florida Avenue. In 2012, Main Street Program work began in the area of the hall. In March of that year, the city’s building inspector closed down the building pending receipt of a satisfactory code completion study and structural evaluation report by an agreedupon engineering firm.

↑ Odd Fellows Lodge noble grand Arlene Harrison recounts the history of Roberts Hall, which opened in 1912 as a focal point of Lynn Haven, an early planned community established by Yankee Civil War veterans. Right: Harrison’s office contains Hank Williams memorabilia; the performer took the stage at Roberts Hall in the 1940s as a member of the Pappy Neal McCormick Band. Lower right: A poster seeking donations to Roberts Hall featured before and after photos as evidence of the progress of restoration work.

The Heritage Society, the Odd Fellows and most especially Warnburg were undaunted.

Telling Warnburg he couldn’t do something, his daughter said, was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Red meant green.

Early on, Warnberg consulted a contractor and asked whether the building could feasibly be leveled and was told it couldn’t be done.

“He knew better,” Moreau said. “He devised his own way of slowly raising a corner of the building with a bunch of jacks spaced a foot apart.

He contacted the house mover Ducky Johnson, and Ducky’s brother Wayne came out to look at what he was doing. Wayne said, ‘You are doing exactly what I would do,’ and Dad pressed on.”

Warnberg raised the sagging corner of the hall a quarter-inch a day, stopping at seven inches. Nine inches would have gotten him to level, but he feared that if he went any farther, he would crack the plaster walls upstairs.

On those walls, John Zelm, a Lithuanian immigrant, painted a series of murals in 1941.

They combine, in fantastic fashion, subtropical topography with mountains and waterfalls.

Harrison said some believe that the paintings were intended to unite Florida and the Holy Land.

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December 2023-January 2024

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THE

wave

↑ Top: Ryan Ivey and his daughter Meadow, 7, paint a portrait of John Lennon as part of a variety show at Roberts Hall. Bottom: Audience members react to a comedy set during the show. Behind them are murals painted in 1941 by John Zelm, who depicted elements of both Florida and the Holy Land.

“A picture of a waterfall with palm trees, it kind of floored us,” said Zelm’s granddaughter, Joyce Fox, recalling a visit she made to an open house at Roberts Hall in 2009. For many years, she had known that her grandfather had completed paintings at the hall, but because she wasn’t a member, she couldn’t get upstairs to see them. (And for a long while, because she was a woman, she couldn’t become a member.)

When Fox, accompanied by Zelm’s daughter, arrived upstairs, guide Bob Schultz informed her that the murals were the work of an itinerant painter who happened to come through town.

Recalled Fox, “I said, ‘Nah-ah, that was my grandfather who did them, and he lived on Chestnut Street behind the old post office in St. Andrews.’ From then on, they changed their story.”

The murals provided much of the motivation for saving the building. So did a chapter in the tragically short life of Hank Williams, who played at Roberts Hall as a singer with the Pappy Neal McCormick Band. Williams was a member of the band, led by the “inventor of the four-sided guitar,” from 1938 to 1941 and hooked up with McCormick occasionally as a guest thereafter.

Harrison once met a woman, then in her 80s, who said she knew Williams very well when he lived with his mother in a Lynn Haven boarding house.

“She told me, ‘We swam all day and danced all night, and I was his only girlfriend when he was here. I guess he was satisfied with me.’”

As to the restoration project, it didn’t hurt that Warnberg, a musician himself, was a Hank Williams fan.

These days, Harrison, a retired critical care nurse, is Scarlet Lodge No. 75’s noble grand, and Roberts Hall has been established as a community event space and listening room, upstairs and down.

When the restoration was ongoing, Moreau said, “My dad and Arlene and I would sit in Dad’s living room and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing this for? Why are we restoring this building if we are going to rent it out as offices? Why are we breaking our backs?’

What we wanted to see was for the building to become a hall used by the community that would generate rental-fee income to support the charitable mission of the Odd Fellows.”

22 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

← Matt Law, left, and Corey Hall headlined a variety show at Roberts Hall in October. ↑ Show host Jason Hedden warmed up the audience with a comedy routine.

Its progress that way was interrupted by COVID-19, but it has since gained momentum.

Tim Parrish, the lodge’s mildmannered warden and, like Harrison, a nurse, helps book shows at Roberts Hall. He has long been part of the Bay County music scene through years in which he had a country band, Emerald County Line; a rock band, One Track Mind; and a trio, Tequila Mockingbird, that played Top 40 hits.

When in 2015, Parrish had booked shows at downtown Panama City venues and arrangements fell apart, he turned to Roberts Hall and has been hanging around ever since.

In recent months, the hall has welcomed performers including the rising eclectic star Abe photography by ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

Partridge and Steve Winwood’s daughter, Lilly.

It has hosted weddings, Thanksgiving dinners and activities of other nonprofits.

The Warnberg/Moreau/Harrison vision is being realized.

In an author’s note that appears in his book, Warnberg wrote: “I never hesitated to resort to the expedient to accomplish a mission, and (in restoring Roberts Hall) I was somewhat casually observant of the burdensome procedures that were held sacred by bureaucrats.

“On the world stage in conflicts between nations, the winner writes the history. On the local level, perhaps the same obtains — I am writing the History of the Restoration of Roberts Hall.” EC

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

23

THE

wave HOBBIES

A New Generation of Quilts Shop caters to experts and newcomers, near and far

by LINDA HABIB

C

ontained in a shop that caters to people who are more than sew-sew are sea turtles, dolphins, whales, starfish, and if you’re lucky enough to spy her, a fantastical mermaid riding a seahorse — all quilted on lushly colored fabric.

Although my immigrant grandmother supported her family as a seamstress in New York City’s Garment District, I inherited no such talent and attach buttons with a Buttoneer. So it was that I entered Coastal Stitches in Destin with barely a thimbleful of knowledge but prepared to dip my toe into the world of quilting — its history, its tools, its enthusiasts and its intrigue.

Three canine furballs — Snuggles, Fluffy and Miesie — were quick to greet me and were followed by shop owners Michele Vangraan and her husband Quinton.

Michele, a talented graphic designer, has been consumed by a love of sewing since she was a young girl who made her own clothes. As her expertise evolved, she began to “paint with thread” as a quilt maker.

Immediately, I was impressed by her breathtaking “Royal Beauty,” a quilt dominated by a rose. Check it out at coastalstitchesinc.com.

→

Michele Vangraan, who with her husband Quinton owns the Coastal Stitches shop in Destin, loads a customer’s quilt onto a machine used to sew quilt tops to batting.

Upon taking up quilting, Vangraan, a graphic designer, learned to “paint with thread.”

↑ Students in a class taught by Laura Cumbee complete early steps on their way to creating a table runner.

24 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by FOREVER YOUNG IMAGES

Always updating her training and certifications, Michele offers passion and an immense depth of knowledge to her clients in this service-oriented shop that offers numerous classes to people of all experience and skill levels. Quinton is an expert on the shop’s longarm Handi Quilter sewing machines, which are up to 12 feet wide. The shop sells, installs and services the machines. Quinton’s expertise also extends to laser-cutting of fabric and acrylic templates.

A quilt titled “Toes in the Sand” and coastal-themed quilted products and fabrics also greet visitors at ↑ Coastal Stitches in Destin has an inventory the door. Beyond 2,500 beautifully of more than 2,500 bolts of fabric in addition organized bolts of fabric, popular to pre-cut Fat Quarters. → A “Whalesong” quilt was created by shop owner Michele Vangraan. patriotic and traditional quilts are on In adding finishing touches to the piece, she display. Four Handi Quilters are loaded used fusible hot-fix Swarovski crystals to create with eye-catching quilt tops in the a water reflection effect. process of being artfully sewn to the batting (various types available) and interpretation of their works of art. And, bottoms, with the aid of Pro-Stitcher there are the all-in quilters who have computerized software. longarm machines at home in dedicated The edge-to-edge stitches can be sewing rooms. pantographs (intricate, wallpaper-like Kim Lyster is one such avid quilter. repeating patterns, curves, swirls and Retired from the fast-paced world of stars); custom, one-of-a-kind stitchery finance, and with no ability to sew, Kim for a one-off quilt destined to become discovered an old letter from a deceased an heirloom (which can last a hundred aunt, who had included a quilt pattern. years); or free-motion stitches, which Many years later, on her own Handi Michele calls “doodling with thread.” For Quilter, with both patience and a heavy a fascinating look at what computerized foot on the pedal, Lyster created her machines can do, click the Videos tab on aunt’s Cathedral Window quilt, which the Coastal Stitches website. won Kim her first blue ribbon. It’s on While I was at the shop, a woman innovationswithkandk.com. brought in a quilt top, and Michele According to Michele, quilting today discussed with her available choices is an activity enjoyed by hundreds and a time frame for of thousands of artists completing the project. around the globe. The In Michele’s office are earliest surviving quilt boxes of quilt tops which is from 1360 and was have been shipped from made in Sicily. Over The shop, featuring state-of-the art quilting far-flung parts of the 3,000 years ago, Chinese machines, is located country and Canada for warriors wore quilted at the Target shopping her to assemble. Some vests under their armor. center in Destin at 809 Harbor Blvd. Store are from snowbirds who In America, quilting hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m., have visited the shop. has evolved from pioTuesday through Friday, Michele consults neering days when priand 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday. Information on with these quilters by marily women sewed by classes is available phone and with pictures hand in quilting bees and at coastalstitchesinc.com. to provide the best circles. Working alone,

COASTAL STITCHES

they made household items like blankets and window coverings.

Pioneers even made quilts from empty flour sacks to which millers had ingeniously added lovely designs.

In addition to being fully stocked with almost anything a quilter might need, Michele displays inspiring finished products, throws, blankets, memory and graduation quilts and fun T-shirt quilts. Very popular are tuffets, which range from pincushions to ottomans to mechanics’ creepers with male-themed fabrics (for male mechanics) on wheels.

Quilting is a way of storytelling, communicating and fellowship. As such, there are many quilting guilds across our area. The Flying Needles Quilting Guild and Silver Threads are two guilds that have by-laws, officers, regular meetings and give donations to charities that help veterans, children in need, prison inmates and hospitals.

If not already in, might you add a stitch to the quilt of humanity? EC

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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CUSTOM CONTENT

Reflections Upon Retirement Seaside Community key player Pam Avera shares experiences from storied Seaside tenure

I

t’s autumn, and a line of smiling faces await the purchase of their signature Seaside apparel to commemorate their time in the iconic coastal town. Pam Avera, vice president and general manager of Seaside Community Development Corporation, smiles too, recalling a time when such a line wasn’t imaginable, especially outside of the summer season.

For 24 years, Avera has not only witnessed Seaside grow and change but also been integral in it doing so. With her retirement arriving at the close of 2023, Avera’s been reflecting on why she believed in Seaside from the start and how she knows the community will continue to flourish.

In 1999, Avera was working as the human resources director for a hotel company in Fort Walton Beach when she received a call that would alter the course of her life. The caller was Erica Pierce vice president of Seaside Associated Stores, who was given Avera’s information from a colleague who suggested her as a resource for an HR audit.

Avera’s contract work quickly turned into a full-time position. At the time, Seaside Community Development Corp., owned by Seaside visionary and founder, Robert Davis, had over 200 employees and needed new policies and procedures. Over the next seven years, Avera would improve staffing, institute workers-compensation policies and establish a drug-free workplace.

Impressed by her work to improve the company, and in turn the Seaside brand, in 2006, Robert Davis asked Avera to become the general manager. Avera recalls being hesitant at first, but Davis assured her she had the drive and relational skills to succeed in the role.

Davis told Avera it would only take a year to learn all she needed to know. Today, Avera revealed with a laugh that it’s taken her 24 years, and she’s still always learning.

“It turns out Robert was right, this role was always right for me because it comes down to relationships — taking care of people and creating an environment that they want to work in,” said Avera. “That energy of our employees attracts people to want to visit here.”

While no day on the job has been the same, Avera works with Seaside Community Development Corp. largely as its landlord, securing tenants and ensuring tenant happiness.

Tenants and merchants that align with Seaside’s vision and meticulously maintained public spaces compose the simple, beautiful life residents and visitors know to expect. Avera noted that it’s hard to ever be in a bad mood on the job when your locale is that of a vacation.

“Since 1999, I’ve witnessed Seaside evolve and mature as we continue to consider elements in an elevated way and incorporate new ideas based on valuable visitor feedback,” she said. “We are never stagnant here, largely because Robert Davis lives in the future and is always thinking and dreaming up ways to improve.”

There are many monumental moments and policies placed that Avera is proud of, but the mark she’s most grateful to have made is mentoring and helping people excel in their own careers. Throughout the years, she’s found joy in helping staff and merchants solve problems and achieve their potential.

Her final act of mentoring has been imparting the knowledge she’s gained about the inner workings, policies and history of Seaside. She holds no doubts that Seaside will continue to build upon the tenets with which it was founded.

“I’m thankful to have worked with Robert, Daryl, Micah Davis, who has taken Robert’s place as president and the entire staff at Seaside,” said Avera. “They’ve given me freedom, trusted and appreciated my judgment in running their business for them. Seaside is a place that’s brought countless people joy, and it makes me proud to have been a part of that.”

SEASIDEFL.COM

26 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

CUSTOM CONTENT

“Since 1999, I’ve witnessed Seaside evolve and mature as we continue to consider elements in an elevated way and incorporate new ideas based on valuable visitor feedback. We are never stagnant here, largely because Robert Davis lives in the future and is always thinking and dreaming up ways to improve.” — Pam Avera

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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panache DEC 2023/JAN 2024

ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

CITIZEN OF STYLE

↗

While Zachary Edward may get caught with his nose in a conventional medium, especially for the sake of a photo — it was his social media success that led him to a career as a makeup artist and opportunities to work with celebrities.

GETTING GOOD

With Looks Makeup artist says yes to opportunity

by RAEMI CRETEUR

→

FASHION Vests || WHAT’S IN STORE Retail Roundup photography by BOO MEDIA

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December 2023-January 2024

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panache

Z

↑↗ Zachary Edward has a lot of pleather in his wardrobe, finding that when wearing black over black, multiple textures can make an outfit more dimensional and interesting. In inset photo, he sports a red blazer set by BoohooMAN x Landon Barker and a plaid shirt from Ralph Lauren.

32 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

achary Edward never intended to be a makeup artist, but that didn’t stop him from saying yes when opportunities came around.

Edward discovered an interest in photography as a high school student and invited his friends to participate in photo shoots.

“I wanted to move to New York and be this big editorial fashion photographer,” Edward said. “My best friend was my main client.

I wanted to get into editorial photography with makeup, but she didn’t know how to do makeup.”

Edward thought it would be easy enough, so he set out to learn.

“I went to the Mac cosmetics counter in the Dillard’s in Panama City, and they said I could come in every Saturday,” Edward said. “They would demonstrate how to do a look on half of a face, and I would do

the other half. I learned from other artists, and eventually they invited me to apply for a job.”

On the way to the interview, Edward was stuck in traffic. He notified the store that he would arrive late, but the interviewer called off the meeting, citing his tardiness as a red flag. They would not be moving forward with the hiring process.

Edward sought comfort from a friend in Orlando who consoled him by saying that any Mac counter in Orlando would hire him on

photography by BOO MEDIA

the spot. That was all the encouragement Edward needed. He headed south with $500 to his name.

In Orlando, Edward began learning from other artists until he was invited by an old friend to move out to Las Vegas to serve as the on-set makeup artist for magazine photo shoots. He used this opportunity to create content for social media.

“I posted the looks that I was doing and got a really good reaction,” Edward said. “I just kept posting, and that’s how I became friends with (makeup artist and social media influencer) Patrick Starrr. Once I moved to Las Vegas, I saw a big boom of new clients reaching out to me on social media.”

Posting on social media turned into a career. Edward began working with celebrities including Erica Mena, French Montana and even boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. “It wasn’t ever about schooling or anything.

It was just learning from pushing myself into the industry,” Edward said. “Every opportunity that I saw or that I got offered, I took it. I didn’t know where it was going to take me, but I was gonna learn from it.”

His Instagram account grew, and he started a YouTube channel where he shared two of his hobbies: movies and makeup. Edward started posting makeup looks inspired by films while reviewing the film at the same time and garnered thousands of views.

“I love storytelling, and I love movies — I could talk about them all the time,” Edward said. “It’s never been a thing for me to be famous on social media. I post things because I want to be educational and fun.”

Edward recently moved back to Panama City to be closer to family following the pandemic. His Instagram page features Alys Beach prominently as a backdrop for his photos. He shares excursions to local restaurants to promote community businesses.

“I’m a very aesthetic person, and Alys Beach works with where my color story is right now — gray, white, black and beige,” he said. “They have the best walkable spots, and I love to go out there and try the new restaurants, walk around the space and just take photos because it looks really good.”

Edward said makeup can be a stylized expression of self, regardless of gender.

“I mean, there’ve been men in makeup for years with kabuki theater, on the runway or on the red carpet,” he said.

→

Zachary Edward, photographed at Thistle & Thorne in downtown Panama City, sees life as a confidence game — and a little makeup can’t hurt. He encourages people to pursue their loves. “Do what makes you happy and feel hot,” he advises.

Edward has advice for young men looking to venture into the world of makeup.

“First tip is just don’t care what other people think,” he said. “If it makes you happy, do it. You’re not hurting anyone by putting on concealer.”

He recommends trying out brow gel to tame frazzled eyebrows. It’s simple to do and won’t be immediately noticeable as makeup. Next, he suggests grabbing a color corrector and a bronzer. Finally, round it all out with a good lip balm. “You can’t walk around with crusty lips.

“Be confident in what you want to do,” Edward said. “People always feel like they are being judged. Confidence is gonna change everything.

“Do what makes you happy and feel hot.” EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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panache FASHION

LOOK YOUR BEST IN A VEST

It can be far more than just an extra layer

T

hink about vests, and various personas come to mind: the gun-slinging cowboy, the Harley Davidson rider, the shirtless rockstar, the avid outdoorsman, a sharp-dressed businessman or your great aunt at Christmas.

Vests are iconic, and such a statement piece does not stem from humble beginnings. The first noted and notable vest wearer was King Charles II of England in the 17th century.

What we now know as the vest was then referred to as the waistcoat. Royalty wore vests as a sign of status. Uppercrust folks liked them because when buttoned, they gave the appearance of broader chests and thinner waists.

Beginning in the 19th century, vests were largely reserved for formal occasions or as business attire. Men would wear them as part of suit ensembles, adding a bit of flair or a pop of color.

As men were donning their vests while lighting cigars in speakeasies, the women of the 1920s were experimenting with gender-bending fashion.

The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City notes that many women began wearing vests and trousers in the early 1920s.

In the same decade, Irving Schott designed the first leather biker jacket, which would evolve to become the biker vest. The style wouldn’t reach its full potential until the 1960s when bikers started wearing “cuts” — cut-off vests typically made of leather or denim.

Rock stars and shunners of gender-specific clothing, including Harry Styles, Prince and Mick Jagger, took to wearing vests without shirts.

“Traditionally vests were created for performance, providing warmth during movement and activities, allowing the arms to move freely while covering and protecting the chest,” said Laurie Olshefski, owner of Coastal Casuals in Panama City Beach.

This proves true, as many wear vests when running, hiking, fishing or hunting during cooler weather. Today, vests are often worn as an accent piece for layering an outfit.

“Living in coastal areas, the weather can be unpredictable,” ↗ Sean Lambskin Suede Vest is from Overland. Crafted in a frontier spirit, it is designed to layer with ease. The vest is made of soft yet durable lambskin, thus adding dimension without bulk when paired with a dress shirt or a cashmere sweater. And, it’s equipped with four pockets inside and out to hold essentials.

34 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OVERLAND AND H&M

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

said Debra Fortson, owner of Gigi’s Boutique & Eats. “Wearing a vest gives you the option to add a layer of warmth that can be taken off if needed.”

Shoppers look for vests in the fall and winter when Floridians begin to add layers. And, the holidays bring occasions for vest wearing.

Fortson likes to style a vest with a turtleneck, jeans and boots or a jean vest paired with a sundress.

For a timeless take, style a vest with a smart collared shirt and trousers or a skirt. Think polished, preppy and professional. For a more laid-back look, let the vest shine when paired with a simple tank and a fitted pair of jeans.

“A vest can be a great statement piece,” said Fortson “It can add a pop of color or a texture to your outfit giving you warmth when needed while still being stylish.”

For both men and women, the sweater vest becomes a practical option when the weather turns chilly. Layer it over a buttondown for a classic, clean look, or do the unexpected and pair it with leather pants or a satin skirt.

“We like to style comfy reversible or sherpa-lined vests with long-sleeve tees or lightweight sweaters paired with jeans, leggings or sweatpants,” Olshefski said. “This casual coastal look is perfect for walking the beach or Pier Park streets during our shoulder season.”

A buttoned vest with fitted linen trousers is a look that has long been popular. Utility vests paired with cargo pants provide plenty of pockets and that edgy streetwear style we can’t get enough of.

Remember, vests are best when worn with confidence. Dig out that denim vest you’ve had since the ’90s, and give it new life. EC

↘ Short, fitted twill vest from H&M is lined and features a low-cut, square neckline, buttons in the front and shaping seams at front and back. It makes for a boldly elegant look even when paired with baggy jeans.

↖

Rib knit holiday sweater vest from H&M

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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panache Aubrey & Oliver ➸ Experience the

essence of Christmas in the Florida Panhandle with their COASTAL

CHRISTMAS CANDLE

BY TIDE & TILL. This

handcrafted candle captures the spirit of the coast in harmonious notes of zesty orange, warm nutmeg and soothing cedar. Each candle is meticulously poured in small batches in Panama City. ➸ Say cheers to the holidays with a SET OF FOUR MINI HOLIDAY LIGHT CUP SIPPERS. In

festive hues and with a built-in spill-proof stopper, these are the ideal party accessory or secret Santa gift.

Individual sippers hold 12 ounces each and have green and white striped removable and reusable straws. Each includes 41 gold, water-resistant alphabet stickers for easy customization.

↑

WHAT’S IN STORE? A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

Aubrey & Oliver, a gift and women’s clothing boutique in Panama City Beach, is the ideal shopping experience for holiday gifts or updated accessories for the new year.

FRESH FACES

BEACHSIDE BEAUTY IN DESTIN is a go-to business

for skin care, hydrafacials, dermaplaning, nails, lashes, waxing and more. In opening her store in February 2020, Susie Wetzel knew she wanted to provide a place where customers could treat themselves to world-class products and services offered by the best artists and aestheticians. This year, she won a Best of the Emerald Coast award in the Best Cosmetic Services category.

Entering a new year, many customers seek an updated look or try a new service. Wetzel suggests hydrafacials because they provide rejuvenation and can be customized to address anyone’s specific needs. From there, the experienced aestheticians can equip you with a range of high-quality skin care solutions from the Image Skin Care line. Enhance your natural beauty with expertly applied lash extensions or award-winning manicure and pedicure services.

36 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

➸ Add a pop of festive pink and holiday whimsy to your look with the HOLI-YAY

EARRING COLLECTION BY MICHELLE MCDOWELL. It

features a dazzling array of styles, including pink beaded presents, pink and green striped acrylic trees, festive pink beaded bows and much more.

PURGGO

is a car air purifier that sucks up and removes problem odors including pet odors instead of covering them. Traditional fresheners rely on artificial fragrances to hide odors, blending them with the unpleasant smell of chemicals. PURGGO absorbs and eliminates odor; it contains all-natural bamboo charcoal, an air cleanser that's been used in Asian countries for thousands of years. The asthmaand allergy-friendly product operates passively and lasts 365 days or more.It is easily installed by looping a strap around a head rest and hangs unobtrusively at the back of a car seat. Available at purggo.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AUBREY & OLIVER, BEACHSIDE BEAUTY IN DESTIN AND PURGGO.COM

The Vanessa Plaid Midi Dress

by Mud Pie

➸ THE VANESSA PLAID MIDI DRESS BY MUD PIE is a stunning blend of timeless elegance and contemporary style. Crafted from premium flannel, this midi boasts a sophisticated polished design and showcases smocking at the chest, accentuating the silhouette while providing a comfortable fit.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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PROMOTION

Holiday GIFT GUIDE Whether you are looking to put your best face forward at the events of the season or seeking something special for the folks on your nice list, our Holiday Gift Guide has you covered.

Sensational shopping is in the bag! Now, that’s the spirit!

OBAGI HYDRATION HEROES GIFT SET

ELECTRIC CART COMPANY Our Exclusive 007 Moke, the 60 Years of Bond edition, features midnight blue exterior and a sleek wooden dashboard, steering wheel and gear shift knob. The variety of unique options make this a collector’s item you won’t want to miss.

Designed to give skin an extra boost of hydration all day and night! Includes a full-size Obagi Hydrate, Obagi Hydro-Drops, and a travel-size foaming cleanser and travel-size Hydro-Drops. $130

(877) 563-3772 | AquaMedicalSpa.com Panama City | PC Beach Watersound | Santa Rosa Beach Fort Walton Beach | Gulf Breeze

5426 US Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach | (850) 622-2000 ElectricCartCompany.com

GIGI’S BOUTIQUE & EATS Treasure Jewels products are one-of-a-kind handcrafted designs that highlight Colombia’s colorful culture. Each piece is created by Colombian women, and your purchase helps create a positive economic impact for these artists.

2 East 9 Mile Rd., Ste. 9, Pensacola (850) 898-3303 | GigisBoutiquePensacola.com

HAWLEY Trucker hats are back and easily styled

for a coastal cool look. Create your own combination of locally inspired patches and colors for a truly customized look. Available online and in-store.

63 Hotz Ave., Santa Rosa Beach HawleyTruckers.com

SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA Give the gift of Serenity this

holiday season. An award-winning spa and salon, Serenity by the sea Spa presents infinite ways to indulge and unwind. Cards may be redeemed for services or products. $25 minimum.

4000 Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach | (888) 519-0426 | SerenityByTheSeaSpa.com

38 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

COASTAL SKIN SURGERY & DERMATOLOGY

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December 2023-January 2024

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PROMOTION PROMOTION

McCASKILL McCASKILL & & COMPANY COMPANY DAZZLES DAZZLES

This holiday season, dazzle and delight with the gift of fine jewelry from McCaskill & Company, featuring the This holiday season, dazzle with the gift of fineajewelry & Company, the Emerald Coast’s largest and and mostdelight exclusive selection.

Select luxuryfrom SwissMcCaskill watch, a stunning piecefeaturing of statement Emerald Coast’s largest and most exclusive selection.

Select a luxury Swiss watch, a stunning piece of statement jewelry or give the promise of forever with a hand-selected engagement ring. With a wide variety of your favorite jewelry or give promise of forever with a hand-selected Withholiday a wide shopping variety ofdestination. your favorite designers andthe impeccable customer service, McCaskill &engagement Company isring. the ideal designers and impeccable customer service, McCaskill & Company is the ideal holiday shopping destination.

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JUDE FRANCES BANGLES JUDE BANGLES Fun andFRANCES flirty 18K gold and Fun and flirty 18K gold and diamond bangles. diamond bangles.

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ERICA COURTNEY “Drop Dead ERICA COURTNEY “Drop Dead Gorgeous” one-of-a-kind pendant Gorgeous” one-of-a-kind pendant

by Erica Courtney with rubellite by Erica Courtney withgarnets, rubellite tourmaline, Mandarin tourmaline, garnets, chrysopraseMandarin and diamonds set chrysoprase in 18K gold. and diamonds set in 18K gold.

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OMI Showstopping sapphire ring OMI Showstopping ring

by Omi with tapered sapphire baguettes.

by Omi with tapered baguettes.

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ERICA COURTNEY Stunning ERICA COURTNEY “Wisteria” drop earringsStunning with

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“Wisteria” drop earrings with moonstone, Paraiba tourmaline moonstone, Paraiba tourmaline and diamonds. and diamonds.

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KWIAT DIAMOND KWIAT DIAMOND EARRINGS Sparkling tiara-cut EARRINGS Sparkling tiara-cut diamond classic stud earrings in

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diamond earrings in platinum classic martinistud setting. platinum martini setting.

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40 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

41

PROMOTION

FESTIVE FINDS Unwrap a Bodacious Holiday Gift Set this Season!

1.

BODACIOUS VINAIGRETTE SET Perfect for salad lovers, this set includes one small bottle each of our Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and Traditional Dark Vinegar, our favorite dressing shaker, a mini mason jar of local East Hill Honey and a wonderful classic Dijon mustard imported from France. $65

1

2.

POPCORN LOVER SET Everything you need for popcorn movie night! This set includes a medium bottle of our Butter Olive Oil with a spout, a personal popcorn popper, Pop ’N Wow popcorn kernels with two seasonings and our all-time favorite Black Truffle Sea Salt for topping! $75

2

3.

BREAD DIPPING CRUET SET This set includes a beautiful glass cruet filled with Italian bread dipping spices and one medium bottle each of our Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and Traditional Dark Vinegar with two spouts. $80 4.

GOURMET BREAD DIPPING SET Our best gourmet bread dipping blends, a handcrafted olive wood bowl and two small bottles of our favorite Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and Traditional Dark Vinegar with spouts. $95

GO

4

3

➺ Bodacious Shops

407 S. Palafox St., Pensacola | (850) 438-7857 | BodaciousShops.com

42 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Bodacious Shops

is a women-owned business. All profits support our mission to improve the quality of life for all people in our community.

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

SHOP

DINE

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

Another Broken Egg Café

AMC CLASSIC Boulevard 10

Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Grand Fitness Emerald Coast Theatre Company Ohana Day School (Coming Soon)

grandboulevard.com

The Bistro (Located in Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard) Black Bear Bread Co. BrickTop’s (Coming Soon) 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 ...and more!

Scan to view the directory.

Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

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l ul ul e m o n & P ure Co l l e c tive S alon NOW O PEN

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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CUSTOM CONTENT CUSTOM CONTENT

Dermatology Dermatology Specialists Specialists Welcomes Welcomes Audrey Audrey Kunin, Kunin, M.D.

D

r.r.Audrey AudreyKunin Kunin entered entered into into the dermatologyfield fieldto tohelp help people. people. In In her over 30 tology yearsininthe theindustry, industry, she’s she’s not not only aided years her own own patients, patients, but but also also thousands thousands of her people throughout throughout the the United United States.

States. Her vast people knowledge ofof dermatology dermatology has has resulted resulted in prodknowledge ucts,media mediaappearances appearancesand and her her own own book. book. ucts, Dr. Kunin will now be bringing her expertise Dr. Kunin will now be bringing her expertise to Panama City Beach and Santa Rosa Beach to Panama City Beach and Santa Rosa Beach Dermatology Specialists offices in January 2024.

Dermatology Specialists offices in January 2024.

Dr.Kunin Kunincompleted completed her her undergraduate undergraduate degree degree Dr. at Ohio State University, going on to medical school at Ohio State University, going on to medical school at the Medical College of Ohio and completing her at the Medical College of Ohio and completing her residency in dermatology at the Medical College of residency in dermatology at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.

“Beingaaboard-certified board-certified dermatologist dermatologist offers offers the the “Being best of many worlds and is a good mix of adult best of many worlds and is a good mix of adult and pediatric medicine,” Dr. Kunin said. “I was and pediatric medicine,” Dr. Kunin said. “I was drawn to the specialty because, with the skin being drawn to the specialty because, with the skin being the largest organ, so many medical disorders show the largest organ, so many medical disorders show themselves on the skin.” themselves on the skin.”

Much of her interest lies in helping patients purMuch of her interest lies in helping patients pursue optimal health on the exterior as well as the insue optimal health on the exterior as well as the interior. By examining the skin, much can be learned terior.

By examining the skin, much can be learned about the person and additional medical help can about the person and additional medical help can be provided. be provided.

To Dr. Kunin, dermatology has changed the To people Dr. Kunin, dermatology hasPracticing changedsince the way think about cosmetics. way people think about cosmetics.

Practicing since 1989, she’s witnessed the evolution of cosmetic der1989, she’s witnessed the evolution cosmetic matology, with injectables such asofBotox and derdermatology, with injectables such as Botox and mal fillers. She has trained alongside some of derthe mal fillers. hasindustry. trained alongside some of the early gurusShe in the early gurus in the industry.

Her experience created a strong belief in conHer experience created a strong belief in continued education and thinking outside of the box. tinued education and thinking outside of the box.

This This led led her her to to the theproduction productionofofher herown own skin care line, DERMAdoctor, holding skin care line, DERMAdoctor, holding four four patents patents including includingaaretinol retinoland andaatopitopical acne treatment. cal acne treatment.

Being Being passionate passionate about aboutsharing sharingthe theimimportance of skin health, Dr. Kunin has portance of skin health, Dr. Kunin has reached the masses through local and reached the masses through local and national television appearances, such national television appearances, such as being featured on QVC and being a as being featured on QVC and being a source for articles in media outlets insource for articles in media outlets including Allure, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, cluding Allure, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Marie Claire and more. In 2005, Simon Marie Claire published and more. her In 2005, & Schuster book, Simon The & Schuster published her book, The The DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual: DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual: The Smart Guide to Healthy, Beautiful Skin and Smart Guide to Healthy, Beautiful Skin and Looking Good at Any Age. Looking Good at Any Age. “I spent a while working in the consumer “I spent a while working in the skin consumer space, problem solving common conspace, problem solving common skin concerns that can be anxiety provoking,” Dr. cerns that be anxiety Kunin said.can “I really enjoyedprovoking,” being able Dr. to Kunin said. “Iconquer really enjoyed being able to help patients their skin concerns help patients conquer their skin concerns

that felt there were nono options thatperhaps perhapsthey they felt there were options for before.” for before.”

When When relocating relocatingfrom fromKansas KansasCity, City, Missouri, to the Emerald Missouri, to the EmeraldCoast, Coast,Dr.Dr. Kunin Kunin began began researching researchingdermatology dermatology offices in the area. She was immediately offices in the area. She was immediately impressed by the skilled physicians and impressed by the skilled physicians and staff at Dermatology Specialists of Florida staff at Dermatology Specialists of Florida & Aqua Medical Spa and the vast offer& Aqua Medical Spa and the vast offerings the practice provides from Mohs miings the practice provides from Mohs micrographic surgery to advanced cosmetic crographic surgery to advanced cosmetic treatments offered at their physician supertreatments offered at their physician supervised medical spa. vised medical Dr. Kunin, herspa. husband and children are Dr. Kunin, husband andthe children looking forwardher to experiencing Floridaare looking forward to experiencing the lifestyle, weather and vibrant beaches. Florida lifestyle, weather beaches.

“I’m excited to and meetvibrant my new commu“I’m excited to meet my new nity and establish a patient base,” shecommusaid. and a patient she said.

“Inity want to establish make patients feel base,” comfortable, “I want and to make patients comfortable, welcome well cared for.feel Those aspects welcome and well cared for.

Those aspects lead to incredible relationships and the ullead to incredible relationships and the ultimate rapport.” timate rapport.”

DERMATOLOGY SPECIALISTS OF FLORIDA & AQUA MEDICAL SPA DERMATOLOGY SPECIALISTS OF608-3050 FLORIDA| AQUAMEDICALSPA.COM & AQUA MEDICAL SPA MYDERMSPECIALISTS.COM | (850) MYDERMSPECIALISTS.COM | (850) 608-3050 | AQUAMEDICALSPA.COM

44 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

45

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46 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

gastro&gusto DEC 2023/JAN 2024

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

TREATS

SWEET! Bakers bustle at the holidays

←

Blue Mountain Bakery’s holiday treats include loaded cinnamon-crusted banana bread, pumpkin cream cheese croissants, themed cupcakes (pictured) and devilishly good chocolatecovered Oreos.

by CARRIE HONAKER

→ DINING IN Give Leftovers New Life || LIBATIONS Hot Toddies photography by JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

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gastro & gusto

↓

As temperatures drop and days shorten, tables filled with roasted turkey, mountains of mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles and desserts, desserts, desserts dance in our heads.

Local bakeries are ready to assist with all the heavy-lifting prep work of the holidays. You can pick up pies and cakes for the main event, croissants and danishes to go with your morning coffee, and a slew of cookies and cookie kits for sweet holiday entertainment.

We talked to the people tempering the chocolate, laminating the dough and applying the icing at the best bakeries on the coast to find out what they have in store for the coming holidays.

←Black Bear Bread Co.

Bourbon Pecan Pie

What started out as a funky little bakery known for sourdough bread has grown into three locations along the coast: Grayton Beach, Grand Boulevard and Seaside. New this year is fire-roasted cornbread in plain or pumpkin flavor, and cranberry walnut-studded sourdough for all those leftover sandwiches. Pumpkin cheesecake never disappoints, but pastry chef Kara Enache whips up a peanut butter pie with chocolate shortbread crust for something different — it’s the ultimate homage to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

As year’s end approaches, Enache braids her traditional challah bread into a festive wreath, prepares stollen, and bakes the classic bûche de noël in two festive flavors: black forest and mocha. Or you can opt for a more traditional bourbon pecan pie and a loaf of cranberry orange sweetbread for that classic holiday taste. And if you want some cookies or croissants for snacking, BBB has lots of take-and-bake options, ready for pickup.

48 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES (BLUE MOUNTAIN BAKERY), JACK GARDNER (BLACK BEAR BREAD CO.), EMILY VEAL (CRAFT GOURMET BAKERY) AND COURTESY OF CAVA & CAKES AND CHRISOULA’S CHEESECAKE SHOPPE

Bûche de Noëls (Yule Logs)

←CRAFT

GOURMET BAKERY Pensacola natives flock to this bakery for their artisan bread and authentic laminated croissants.

Many know about their spicy maple bacon pull-aparts and chai-spiced cinnamon rolls, but something special happens around the holidays. The scents of pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust and maple sugar cookies fill the sidewalks surrounding the bakery. Cranberry walnut loaves fly off the shelves, destined for leftover turkey and dressing sandwiches.

Close to Christmas, the cases fill with eggnog cheesecakes, and bûche de noëls (yule logs). Don’t miss out on the spicy gingerbread men that owner and pastry chef Jordan Hewes mixes up. They’re soft but sturdy and have a hint of black pepper. The big attraction, though, are the cookie decorating kits, complete with sugar cookies, royal icing and sprinkles, designed to get families in the kitchen and spend time together around the holidays.

↗Blue

Mountain Bakery

A Blue Mountain Beach community staple for nearly three decades, Blue Mountain Bakery (BMB) bakes legendary cinnamon rolls (Miss Linda has been baking them since the beginning), moist yet cakey scones and a bevy of delicious pastries daily. Holiday treats include loaded cinnamon-crusted banana bread, pumpkin cream cheese croissants, themed cupcakes and devilishly good chocolate-covered Oreos. There are sweet potato rolls, pumpkin rolls and a dark chocolate bourbon silk pie with a brown butter chocolate crust you will not want to share.

← CAVA & CAKES

↓

TOP: German chocolate cupcakes with pecan and coconut topping. LOWER PHOTO: red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Both are from Cava & Cakes.

Tucked into Gulf Place on 30A, Cava & Cakes satisfies two holiday cravings: sweets and bubbly. A trip to Europe inspired this pairing.

Traveling in Barcelona, the owners noticed it’s customary to pair dry Cavas (the Spanish version of champagne) with dessert. So they brought the idea back to Florida’s Emerald Coast. They have coffee and croissants, but the main event is cupcakes and a glass of sparkling wine. Over the holidays, red velvet, carrot, German chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes make an appearance, and of course, there’s lots of Cava to keep it festive.

Pistachio Cheesecake

↑CHRISOULA’S

CHEESECAKE SHOPPE Did we need a cheesecake shop in our roundup of holiday pastries? Um … yes. On a normal day, Chrisoula’s has 18 flavors available in their downtown Pensacola shop, and everything is fresh, never frozen. At the holidays, the flavors get an extra kick. Owner and head cheesecake maker Chrisoula Hulion prepares pumpkin swirl, pecan pie, apple crumb, pecan caramel and sweet potato cheesecakes.

Holiday classics like eggnog, mint chocolate chip and pistachio fill Chisoula’s cases, but Hulion has a soft spot for the cherry almond.

If you’re on Santa’s nice list, you might even happen upon her baklava cheesecake, a true house specialty that blends her classic batter with chunks of homemade baklava, honey and secret spices.

AMERICAN WRITER AMELIA SIMMONS IS CREDITED WITH INVENTING THE CUPCAKE IN 1796 WHEN SHE WROTE A RECIPE TITLED “A LIGHT CAKE TO BAKE IN SMALL CUPS” AND INCLUDED IT IN HER BOOK, AMERICAN COOKERY.

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gastro & gusto

←TURKEY POT PIE

A warm and cozy dish ideal for fall and winter, featuring leftover turkey and vegetables tucked cozily into pastry.

INGREDIENTS

➸ 1 tablespoon olive oil ➸ 2–3 cups of leftover vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces (carrots, green beans, broccoli, peas, etc.) ➸ 1 onion, chopped ➸ 2 cloves minced garlic ➸ 1 teaspoon fresh thyme ➸ 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley ➸ 1 cup of gravy ➸ 1 cup mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes ➸ 1 pound shredded turkey ➸ 1 pie crust INSTRUCTIONS

DINING IN

Give Leftovers New Life Continue enjoying your holiday feast with reinspired meals

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

During the holidays, we deck our halls and our homes with festive decor, and we fill our tables with an overabundance of indulgent foods. But on the weekend following Thanksgiving and in the meandering days between Christmas and New Year’s, we often find we can only eat so many slices of spiral ham and helpings of Aunt Linda’s sweet potato casserole. Your taste buds may be craving something new, but don’t be so quick to chuck the lingering leftovers in your fridge. Instead, repurpose and reimagine that tired turkey by combining leftovers with a few kitchen staples to create entirely new meals.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. While heating, add olive oil to a large pot or skillet on the stove. Add in desired vegetables, onion, garlic, thyme and parsley, and cook to a simmer. Reduce heat and add potatoes and gravy to the pot, stirring gently.

Add shredded turkey, stirring all ingredients together to reach a heat that simmers the gravy.

Reduce heat and roll the bottom layer of pie crust onto an oven-safe pie dish. Spoon filling evenly from pot into pie dish.

Cover with the top layer of pie crust. Bake at 400 F for 35–40 minutes or until golden.

←TURKEY ON WHITE

I’ve had many sandwiches in my life, but the day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich is always unparalleled in my mind. There have been variations over the years, but there are two that have stuck which always satisfy consumers; two recipes so simple in nature, I hesitate to call them recipes. Each is always best served on classic white bread and piled high with turkey. The first is savory — mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper. The second is sweet — butter and cranberry sauce. These sandwiches are not a culinary revelation, but they are something I look forward to every year because those exact combinations seem to only make sense during the holiday season.

50 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

SCHOOL

The 22nd annual running of the

SE ASIDE SCHOOL HALF MAR ATHON + 5K presented by

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All proceeds from the 2024 Seaside School Half Marathon + 5K benefit The Seaside School, Inc. EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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gastro & gusto

↑LUCKY SOUP Ring in the New Year with luck, good fortune and tasty soup. Don’t forget to serve with cornbread.

INGREDIENTS

←HAM AND TURKEY SLIDERS WITH GRAVY DIPPING SAUCE These sliders are ideal for post-Thanksgiving game days, nights gathered around the fire or a New Year’s Eve fete.

INGREDIENTS

➸ 12-count pack of Hawaiian rolls or dinner rolls ➸ 12 slices of your preferred cheese ➸ 8 ounces sliced turkey ➸ 8 ounces sliced ham ➸ 2 cups of stuffing INSTRUCTIONS

➸ 5 tablespoons of butter ➸ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ➸ 2 teaspoons poppy seeds ➸ 1 cup cranberry sauce ➸ 1 cup gravy

Cut rolls in half and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place slices of cheese on top of rolls. Top cheese with sliced turkey and ham. Spread stuffing and cranberry sauce on top. Replace top half of the rolls. Melt the butter then combine with Worcestershire sauce. Spoon or brush butter and Worcestershire sauce mixture over tops of rolls. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Heat gravy. Place gravy in a bowl for dipping.

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➸ 1 tablespoon olive oil ➸ 1 large onion, diced ➸ 1 clove minced garlic ➸ 10 cups of chicken broth ➸ 1 pound diced ham ➸ ½ pound of precooked black-eyed peas ➸ 8 ounces precooked rice ➸ 3 cups of your preferred greens (collard, mustard, etc.) ➸ 1 tablespoon thyme ➸ 1 tablespoon parsley ➸ Salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth.

Add in ham, black eyed peas and rice.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and add greens, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook on low for at least one hour and up to two. photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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December 2023-January 2024

53

gastro & gusto ← VARIATIONS ON A THEME At O’Riley’s Irish

LIBATIONS

Pub in downtown Pensacola, bartenders have departed from form by introducing Fireball Cinnamon Whisky to hot toddies. In another hot concoction, apple cider replaces water.

THROW DOWN A WARM ONE

Hot toddies take the edge off winter

by EMMA WITMER

A

s a Florida girl, I just can’t tolerate the cold. Riding river rapids in North Carolina, hiking through Yosemite National Park and strolling through the streets of New York were beautiful experiences, but my violent shivering and thin skin always put a damper on the adventure. Not to worry — a hot toddy always brings me around.

Every restaurant, bartender and athome enthusiast has their take on the classic cocktail, but most recipes follow a similar formula: hot water, sweetener, citrus, spices and a spirit. Purists cling to whiskey or bourbon, though some modern

CLASSIC HOT TODDY

INGREDIENTS

➸ 2 ounces (¼ cup) bourbon ➸ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) ➸ 1 tablespoon honey

takes incorporate sweeter spirits like rum or brandy. Add a dash of honey, a cinnamon stick and a twist of lemon, and you are on your way to something special.

Believed to have originated in 18thcentury Scotland, the hot toddy was often prescribed as a tonic to fight off the common cold. Opinions on these purported health benefits vary wildly today. Hot water and honey certainly have their benefits, but calling any liquor medicinal is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Still, there is no denying that a shot or two of warm whiskey can ease the bite of chilly weather.

More importantly, hot toddies are delicious.

➸ Boiling water, to fill a mug (6 to 8 ounces) ➸ Cinnamon stick for garnish ➸ 3 to 4 cloves for garnish ➸ 1 star anise pod for garnish

54 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

They are easily made at home, and several local bars feature a toddy variation or two on their winter cocktail menus.

Even if you don’t see a toddy on the menu, most bartenders can whip one up with the ingredients on hand.

Known for billiards, bites and sublime spirits, O’Riley’s Irish Pub in downtown Pensacola brings a few variations on the classic toddy to its winter cocktail menu.

“We’ve set up a whole winter drink menu,” said hostess Emma Tracy. “We are working with a lot of Fireball, a lot of pumpkin spice cream liqueurs and a lot of cinnamon drinks.”

As you might expect from an Irish Pub, Irish whiskey is a go-to recommendation at O’Riley’s. This year, however, the bartenders have cooked up some new concoctions that would make a purist blush. Fireball has found its way into one of O’Riley’s specialty toddies, adding a rich cinnamon kick without the cinnamon stick.

In other variations, Tracy said, apple cider serves as a seasonal substitute for hot water.

“Normally we just do whatever whiskey we’re using, probably either Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey or Jameson, maybe Tully (Tullamore Irish Whiskey),” Tracy said.

“Then we’ll sweeten the drink with either honey or simple syrup and add a bit of lemon juice.”

The hot toddy becomes somewhat enigmatic with all of these adjustments, substitutions and additions. While most bartenders agree on honey, some recipes call for sugar or agave. Across the pond, substituting hot water for Earl Grey is standard practice.

Without a time machine and a Scottish brogue, we may never know the definitive, original recipe for the hot toddy. That’s what makes the drink special. The simple recipe can be adapted to anyone’s taste, whether classic or elaborate. EC

INSTRUCTIONS Combine the bourbon, lemon juice and honey in a

mug and add the boiling water (use more or less, depending on how strong you’d like the drink to be). Stir until the honey is dissolved and the ingredients are well combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Garnish with the cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise pod. Source: onceuponachef.com photography by BLAKE JONES PHOTOGRAPHY

NO BAKE RICOTTA CHEESECAKE Crust Ingredients 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup sugar 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted Filling Ingredients 15 oz. POLLY-O RICOTTA CHEESE 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla Zest from 1 lemon 8 oz. heavy whipping cream Directions For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Press into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely before filling.

For the filling: Beat the Ricotta, powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest in a bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream and beat until thickened and increased in volume, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour filling into prepared crust and smooth out with an offset spatula.

Refrigerate tart for at least 4 hours, overnight for best results. Top with fresh berries. Remove tart from pan and place on serving plate. Cut and serve cold.

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December 2023-January 2024

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South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival Sipping and sampling the best of Northwest Florida and beyond

M

ore than 500 of the finest wines and spirits, and local cuisine will be tasted and enjoyed at the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. Attendees can sip and satiate at the 12th annual event during the weekend of April 25-28.

The festival spans across Grand Boulevard’s Town Center, merging winemakers, chefs, distillers and brewers for four days of events that include wine tastings, educational seminars, culinary stations, entertainment, a charity component and more.

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The festival begins on Thursday with a Winemakers & Shakers event. Friday includes a VIP wine tasting followed by the Craft Beer & Spirits Jam. The Grand Tasting main events will occur Saturday from 3–6 p.m. and Sunday from 1–4 p.m.

This year’s event will include more activations than ever before, allowing guests to interact with ambassadors from wineries, distilleries, breweries and eateries in convivial and engaging settings.

At the Grand Tasting, guests can sample from hundreds of varieties of wines from throughout the world, many of which stem from rare and impressive collections.

This year, the festival will have a focus on the increasingly popular Willamette Valley, Oregon, wines. The region is home

CUSTOM CONTENT

to over 500 wineries with a unique focus on some of the world’s best Pinot Noirs.

More than a dozen Willamette Valley wineries and industry renowned winemakers will be pouring the best of Oregon wines for guests to experience in the featured Grand Tasting tent.

Additionally, Jackson Family Wines, a notable crowd favorite from the 2023 lineup, will be returning with an even larger presence at the Culinary Village and will be paired with care and finesse with a menu from the Wine World Restaurants.

“The wines poured are not your everyday wines, nor are the spirits,” said Stacey Brady, executive director of South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival.

“We hope you experience something new, something you haven’t tasted before or always wanted to try. We hope you find your next repeat, go-to bottle for every day or a special occasion.”

The 2024 event will include four total seminars throughout the Saturday and Sunday Grand Tasting. The tasting seminars are presented by seasoned winemakers, chefs and distillers who impart their expert knowledge and samplings of unique flavor profiles.

“The seminars are immensely popular because they are an exciting, yet informative way to learn something new and taste something you’ve never experienced before,” Brady said.

Throughout the Grand Tasting days, guests can visit the Savor South Walton Culinary Village, which presents a pairing menu of delights from the Wine World restaurants. Additionally, Nosh Pavilions are located throughout the festival grounds, offering samplings from renowned restaurants throughout South Walton and Destin.

Musical performances will be provided by the Casey Kearney band and the Nashville Songwriters Showcase brought in by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.

Brady recommends attendees peruse the tasting program, released two weeks before the event to the SoWalWine.com website, to plan for tastings, activations and seminars they want to attend.

All events during the weekend raise funds for the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, benefiting children’s charities located throughout Northwest Florida.

“Coming off of the 2023 event, we received such amazing feedback from attendees and industry professionals that we feel like we’ve hit our stride in terms of executing an amazing, world-class event,” Brady said. “We look forward to continuing that momentum while exceeding expectations in 2024.”

TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND LEARN THE LATEST, VISIT SOWALWINE.COM. 585 GRAND BLVD, MIRAMAR BEACH (850) 837-3099 EXT. 203

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Giving as Gifts Deserving organizations warrant generous support

Holidays, concentrated as they are at year’s end, help brighten days that are cold and short and bridge the gap between harvest and renewal seasons. They also serve to focus attention on people who may be unable to afford or enjoy holiday celebrations that for so many, are characterized by excess rather than restraint. They lead us, too, to appreciate the world around us and to recognize that its survival is not guaranteed. All along the Emerald Coast, good people are doing good works in support of nonprofits that among other activities protect the environment, heal the sick and injured and start marginalized children along paths to succeed. Following are profiles of four organizations that have an inclusive sense of community on their hearts. This holiday season, you may wish to make a contribution to one or more of them or to another deserving organization anonymously, in your name or in the name of a loved one. — Steve Bornhoft

In 2017, Panama City artist Jane Perry completed a three-dimensional nature landscape mural that faces the Mary Ola Reynolds Miller Palm Preserve. Miller, an art and nature lover and the original owner of the Gallery of Art in downtown Panama City, donated the land for the preserve to the Bay County Conservancy in 2011. PHOTO BY THERESA NOONEY

58 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Bay County

Nature Conservancy

01

BAY COUNTY NATURE CONSERVANCY

Candis Harbison is passionate about Chinese tallow trees, known familiarly as popcorn trees.

She hates them.

Left unchecked, the invasive plant spreads like kudzu and overtakes native vegetation. In Bay County, the unwelcome trees have no greater adversary than Harbison and the volunteers she marshals at the Conservancy, an organization that was established in the first place in 1998 to manage a 30-acre urban wetland threatened by development.

The property would come to be known as the Audubon Nature Preserve. The nascent Conservancy secured grants with which to establish it as a center for environmental education and spiritual renewal. With the assistance of Americorps workers, a boardwalk, gazebo and informational kiosk were constructed.

And those popcorn trees, they had to go.

An enthusiastic group of 30 middle schoolers pulled up 12,000 popcorn tree seedlings and saplings. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection used the site to perform a demonstration of popcorn tree removal; Americorps contributed labor and expertise; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service donated herbicide and tools for further exotics removal.

Over time, the Conservancy has acquired additional environmentally sensitive parcels. It now owns 22 preserves in five counties totaling 390 acres. Accordingly, its full name is now the Bay County Nature Conservancy – The Land Conservancy of Northwest Florida.

The nonprofit organization is a member of the Land Trust Alliance.

Its overarching goal is to acquire land that will enhance the natural resources of the area now and into the future. The Conservancy both purchases land, such as endangered wetlands, and accepts parcels as tax-exempt donations. Land is also preserved through the use of conservation easements.

As part of its educational efforts, the Conservancy promotes understanding of the various benefits of wetlands including wildlife habitat, stormwater retention, aquifer recharge, air cleansing, recreational uses and value as green space.

“Land conservation is truly an area where individuals can make a difference,” Harbison emphasizes. “We invite people to join us in preserving the Panhandle’s natural environment by joining others who value clean water, open space, and diversity of plants and animals. Become a member of the Bay County Conservancy – The Land Conservancy of Northwest Florida. Volunteer your energy and abilities, donate money or land, and spread the word.”

Harbison is grateful for the many people who have contributed to the Conservancy’s effectiveness.

“The success of the BCC has been possible only because of the massive volunteer effort,” she said. “Past and present members of the board of directors have given time, talent and money to the cause, while citizens, family foundations, businesses, school groups and civic organizations have supported land preservation through donations of money and equipment plus hard, sweaty volunteer work on the ground. Government entities and large foundations have been the source of funds from time to time. And, of course, there are the landowners who have donated their property.” — Steve Bornhoft

The Bay County Nature Conservancy may be reached at (850) 381-7500 or by using the Connect With Us form located at baycountyconservancy.org.

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ST. ANDREW COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER

02

A MAN WHO APPEARS TO BE IN HIS 50S

Maynard reports that the man had visited a local hospital but was not admitted or treated. Instead, he was referred to an orthopedist whose services, McCready said, he likely would be unable to afford.

“I kind of set it,” Maynard says. “I got him in a shoulder brace and sling. I told him not to move his arm, and he is coming back tomorrow.”

Full Circle Music Foundation

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“Chrissy is awesome,” McCready says.

“With Jesus’ help, she can heal anything.”

At St. Andrew Community Medical Center (SACMC), Maynard engages in her healing ministry free of charge. She is among some 45 licensed medical professionals — nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and doctors — most of whom volunteer their

03

MARLAYNA GOOSBY’S

daughter, Kilaya, has always struggled with conventional academic curriculum.

Year after year, she watched as her child failed both classroom and standardized tests. Kilaya’s self-esteem suffered. Because she had a low GPA, she was not allowed to participate in extracurricular clubs. She was humiliated by a teacher in front of a class.

It wasn’t until Kilaya received a dyslexia and test anxiety diagnosis that Goosby understood how to help.

“As a mother, I wondered how I could support her and rebuild her confidence because I know when kids feel like they can conquer things; it translates to other areas of their life,” Goosby said. “I have been a musician for 33 years and figured, ‘Why not let her see if she wants to play music?’”

Kilaya picked up the trombone in fifth grade, and as Goosby predicted, self-assurance began to become apparent in the classroom in addition to the band room. Inspired to transform the lives of other students with learning difficulties through music education, Goosby founded the Full Circle Music Foundation in 2021.

The foundation, which has raised $20,000 through private donations and fundraising since its inception, targets Okaloosa County children, who do not present behavioral issues, but whose talents may be overlooked due to poor academic performance.

It partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, the Montessori Learning Center, Choctaw High School and Goosby’s

PHOTOS BY MIKE FENDER (02), DENISFILM / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (03) AND COURTESY OF THE STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE (04)

arrives at the St. Andrew Community Medical Center in obvious pain, an arm hanging loose by his side.

He is met by Christina Maynard, an advanced practice RN and the center’s wound care specialist.

After a few minutes, Maynard displays a phone photo of the man’s injury and the associated discoloration and swelling to Dr. Jimmie McCready, the center’s medical director who, for 31 years, worked as an ER physician.

services at the community-supported facility. In exchange, the state guarantees them sovereign immunity. Another 30 volunteers handle duties ranging from filing to grant writing.

SACMC was established in 2004 in a house in Panama City’s St. Andrew neighborhood. Eight years later, it moved into a building that had been acquired by St. Andrew Baptist Church.

“We’re a clinic that provides support to the working poor, the people who fall through the cracks,” said Delbert Summey, Ph.D., who is SACMC’s board president. “Our patients have no medical insurance, and their income has to be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Plus, you must be residing in Bay County.”

SACMC acts as a primary care physician for people who would otherwise be without one.

“We keep people out of the ERs,” Summey said. “The reason that people of means don’t go to the ER much is because they have primary care physicians who are monitoring their health.

Some of our patients have never seen a doctor in their lifetimes.” — Steve Bornhoft

The St. Andrew Community Medical Center is located at 3101-B U.S. Highway 98 in Panama City; (850) 785-1419; sacmc.org.

for-profit music lesson business, Grow Your Gift Conservatory of Music, to provide music instruction and the tools that elementary, middle and high school students need to learn an instrument.

Goosby said in the case of Kilaya, dedicating herself to playing an instrument taught her to be a self-advocate. She now asks for extra time should she need it, and she is the Trombone Section Leader at Choctaw High School for her senior year.

“I share a lot of the same fears and wishes parents have about hoping our kids can make their way in the world,” Goosby said. “Watching the 50 children we serve grow and learn to master difficult things is something special.”

As of this writing, the foundation is gearing up for its first Full Circle Music Fest, a full-day concert showcase and celebration slated for summer 2024. Goosby welcomes new sponsors and said there are vendor opportunities for local artists.

— Hannah Burke

Full Circle gladly accepts donations of musical instruments and private contributions to further its mission. To help, visit fullcirclemusicfoundation.org/donate.

STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE/EARLY LEARNING

04

STUDIES SUGGEST THAT BETWEEN 80% TO 85%

of brain development occurs in the first three years of life. In view of that data and driven by a heart for its community, the Studer Community Institute (SCI) has invested heavily in early learning. SCI offers a number of tools, resources and partnerships that empower parents and other caregivers and emphasize the importance of talk and interaction in stimulating healthy brain development.

In 2017, SCI launched its “Brain Bag” program with a grant from IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay. Brain Bags, which are distributed at Baptist, Sacred Heart, Santa Rosa Medical and West Florida hospitals, include a video lesson and tool kit stemming from two years of collaborative research involving SCI and the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health. SCI also partners with The Basics Learning Network to provide educational materials as well as access to Basics Insights, a weekly texting service that shares advice with caregivers.

In-person programs, such as SCI’s Parent Outreach and Sibling Brain Builders Programs, offer materials and curriculum that provide guidance and encouragement as caregivers and siblings work together to build literacy and speaking skills through early life interactions and engagement.

While a great deal of early learning and development takes place within the home, SCI also understands the power of play. Communal spaces give growing children the opportunity to get exercise, experience nature and build social skills. That is why SCI has worked to develop a series of playgrounds through its Make Play Smart effort. These playgrounds, which include those at the Bodacious Brew Thru and Moreno Court housing complex, provide safe spaces for children and their families to enjoy. — Emma Witmer

To support the Studer Community Institute’s Early Learning Program and its Brain Bag and Parent Outreach initiatives, visit studeri.org/donate-early-learning.

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December 2023-January 2024

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BANISHING DARKNESS 62 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

story by

STEVE BORNHOFT photography by

F

FOREVER YOUNG IMAGES

or Rabbi Shaya Tenenboim, Chanukah — the Jewish festival of lights — and the events that brought about the observance have countless layers of meaning that yield an inexhaustible supply of insights.

“It is very hard to summarize Chanukah in a few phrases because there are so many aspects to it, so many teachings,” said Tenenboim of the Chabad of the Emerald Coast in Destin. “Every year, I learn something new that I pass on to others.”

Still, he was willing to capsulize Chanukah by citing three fundamental lessons for the benefit of someone who is not well-versed in Jewish beliefs, traditions or practices. “ A LITTLE LIGHT BANISHES A LOT OF DARKNESS.” Tenenboim cited

that passage from Tanya, a foundational work of the Chabad movement written in 1796, and added, “Light a single candle in a dark room, and you can see it from all over. Do one good deed, and it will have a greater impact than you might think. Light will surround you by an amount that exceeds the effort you put in.”

ONE IS GOOD, TWO ARE BETTER. “During Chanukah, we add a new candle every night,” Tenenboim noted.

“One little candle does a lot, but it is not enough. If you can do two candles, do two. And if you did two yesterday, that was good for yesterday, but now increase the number. As much as you do good, try to do more. If you are just sitting back, you are falling behind. The clock is ticking; it is not waiting for us.”

Chanukah celebrates the power of a candle

STILL, LIFE IS NOT A NUMBERS GAME. “You may be in the minority, but if you do the right thing, you shouldn’t be afraid of the many. Stand your ground, stick to your morals, beliefs and values, and God will help you as he did when the Maccabeans took on the Syrian Greeks. It’s not a bad thing to be in the minority. There are many more living

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↙ Rabbi Shaya Tenenboim and his wife Rochel are pictured with three of their children.

From left, Toba, 7; Shterna, 10, and Levi, 3.

things than there are human beings.”

The Jewish people endured a dark period beginning in 332 BCE when Alexander the Great overran Judea. As of 175 BCE, Jerusalem had been made a Greek city.

“The Syrian-Greek (Seleucidian) empire encompassed much of the Middle East,” Tenenboim said. “The occupiers tried to force all the people they conquered to adopt their way of life, but the Jewish people, most of them, could not abandon their traditions or beliefs. They were too devoted to God and their way of believing. Many centuries earlier, the Jewish people had received the Torah at Mount Sinai and swore an oath to abide by Torah law.”

Jews found ways to preserve traditions and relay them to children, sometimes hiding out in caves in order to do so.

“Decrees were issued targeting the

Jewish religion and requiring Jewish people to pay high taxes,” Tenenboim said. “The daughters of Israel were violated. The Syrian Greeks were in power, and they used it and abused it; they were the law.”

At times, according to the rabbi, soldiers found Jews in their hideouts and demanded to know what they were doing. With their scrolls stashed away, the Jews would reply that they were merely playing dreidel, a game involving a four-sided spinning top. It is played at Chanukah celebrations today as a way of recalling the Jews, especially children, who were confined to caves.

The Jews remained thus sequestered for decades until a family of priests, the Maccabees, assembled an army and while vastly outnumbered, took on their oppressors.

“Anyone could see that the Maccabees

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had no chance of winning,” Tenenboim said. “A small minority of Jewish people took on an empire. But they succeeded, miraculously, in reclaiming the land they had lost. The Maccabees were brilliant military strategists, but they recognized that they could not have succeeded without God on their side.”

The triumph was the first of two miracles related to Chanukah.

The Jews proceeded to reclaim their temple, which had been desecrated spiritually more so than physically. The occupiers knew that the Jews required unsealed bottles of olive oil for use in a golden menorah. They had spoiled every bottle of oil in the temple by opening them.

Except for one.

“The Jews found a single small jug of oil that remained sealed,” Tenenboim said. “But it was enough to last only

one day.”

To resupply the temple with oil would require a four-day trek to Northern Israel and a return trip. Eight days.

Nonetheless, the menorah was lighted with the limited oil on hand.

“It lasted for eight days,” the rabbi said. “This is the second miracle and to commemorate it, we celebrate Chanukah by lighting a menorah with eight branches.

“The menorah in the temple was elaborate and ornate as specified by the Torah. Today, a household menorah doesn’t have to be fancy — it may be made of plastic or metal — but it has to have places for eight candles and usually one more, the service candle, which represents the cohen or priest.”

↑ Dreidel is a traditional game played in Jewish homes during Chanukah. Players take turns spinning a four-sided top. Depending on the side it lands on — nun, gimel, hey or shin — a player is entitled to game pieces in the pot or may be required to add pieces to it. Dreidel dates to the period of Greek-Syrian rule over the Holy Land during which study of the Torah was forbidden. Jewish children approached by patrols would put up their studies and get out their tops and pretend to be playing a game.

Only fairly recently did the rabbi discover why the service candle is typically taller than the rest: “Why? If you are willing to give from your light to others, this elevates you.”

Tenenboim stressed that Chanukah is “not just about a war of bad people against good people or people who wanted to rob others of freedom of religion. That’s part of it, but there have been times when Jews did not experience oppression. Chanukah always has spiritual relevance. Always, there is a desire to share light. People want to bring light and God to the world.”

In weeks leading up to the eight days of Chanukah, the rabbi, his wife and family reach out to members of the regional Jewish community in Crestview, Navarre, DeFuniak Springs, Inlet Beach and other locations to encourage attendance at Chanukah events.

If people are unable to travel, the rabbi goes to them and presents them with a gift that includes a menorah, candles, a guide for celebrating the holiday, treats and a dreidel.

This will be the 11th year in which the Chabad of the Emerald Coast has conducted a large Chanukah celebration at HarborWalk Village. Central to it is the lighting of a 15-foot menorah. The 2023 celebration will take place on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

A similar celebration is conducted by the Chabad of Panama City Beach at Pier Park and is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 4:30 p.m. New this year, a third menorahlighting celebration will take place in Rosemary Beach on Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m.

“It is unbelievable and beautiful,” Tenenboim said. “We had 200 people last year. The main idea is for the large group to light the menorah together. For one night, red and green give way to blue and white. Everyone is welcome.”

After the lighting, singing and dancing commence. A preferred musician from Miami performs. And traditional foods, deep fried in oil, are served.

“HarborWalk does a tremendous job in helping us stage the event with sound and lights, and they provide the security,” Tenenboim pointed out. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Mindful of Miracles A bell rings, and Rabbi Shaya Tenenboim excuses himself and goes to the door. A brief conversation takes place, and the rabbi explains that he is in a meeting.

“That was a visitor who came to one of our services,” the rabbi says, returning to the meeting.

“He promised to contribute $100, and he just brought it.

I didn’t have to remind him.”

Often, visitors to the Chabad of the Emerald Coast are curious to know how it gets by financially.

Some may assume that a large benefactor covers expenses.

“We don’t ask for anything,” Tenenboim explains. “Some people come and they eat and they make a donation. Others don’t give anything, but that is fine. It breaks even. Collectively, it works even if individually it doesn’t make sense. Miracles are part of our project.”

The rabbi offers up a joke.

A man is trying to get to a highly important meeting in Manhattan on time. It is set to begin in five minutes, and he is having a hard time finding a parking spot. He doesn’t want to park illegally and run the risk of being towed. He turns to God and begins to pray, promising to be a good person and do good deeds if only God will provide a space for him. Before he finishes, a big truck leaves the curb and the man suspends his prayer, saying “God, forget about it. I managed.”

At the Chabad of the Emerald Coast, Tenenboim said, “We are mindful that we do not manage without God.” — Steve Bornhoft

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MacMaster & Leahy Celtic Family Christmas

FEBRUARY 1

Sons of Serendip

7

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Contemporary Classical Crossover

Celtic, Holiday

JANUARY 10

Elvis Costello

11

Jesse Cook

Broadway-Style Tribute

Rock, Alternative

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PRISM

12

Vienna Boys Choir

Flamenco, Jazz Guitar

18 Delirium Musicum

Contemporary Chamber Music

24 Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

University Band

Choral

14 Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Speaker

Dance

17 Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles with Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra Symphony, Rock

29 Ruthie Foster Blues

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MUSIC Yule Tunes: Presenting the Best and Worst Christmas Albums

expression DEC 2023/JAN 2024

CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

DANCE

CULTURAL AMBASSADOR

↓

FSU PC grad introduces audiences to Polynesian history and dance

by EVGENIYA STETSENKO

photography by MIKE FENDER

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Riani Pokipala joins with other dancers during a performance before guests at the Holiday Inn Resort in Panama City Beach.

R

iani Pokipala is passionate about Polynesian dance and comes by that interest honestly.

In the 1980s, her parents opened the Spirit of Aloha Luau at Disney’s Polynesian Village. In 1991, they used their skills in traditional South Pacific music and dance to form their own Polyneisnan entertainment company, Lanakila.

Years later, they launched the Wantilan Luau at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.

Pokipala said she was inspired by her parents and their drive to introduce Pacific Island culture to people from around the world. About six years ago, she joined her parents in establishing a small dance company in Panama City Beach. While going to school at Florida State University Panama City, she began managing the new company, which performs at resorts along the Gulf Coast.

↑ FOLLOWING ALONG Riani Pokipala engages children while introducing them to Polynesian rhythms and dances. She takes seriously her role as a representative of Polynesian culture.

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“I am very lucky that the career I have right now supplements what I am passionate about and allows me to share my culture with diverse audiences,” Pokipala said.

In 2021, her dance troupe performed in front of students and guests at FSU PC during an Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. A year later, they closed out the campus’s homecoming festival as the grand finale. Both events were huge successes.

Lanakila has been performing abroad since its beginning and in front of celebrity guests such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Wayne Brady and Ellen DeGeneres. Last year, the company was invited on a European military tour, performing at U.S. and NATO military bases in Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.

“It was very special to visit our brave men and women of the Armed Forces and give back to them and their families in the best way we know how,” Pokipala said. “For many of those serving in the military, it was a piece of home away from home, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of the performers to travel to Europe and explore the beauty overseas.”

Pokipala enjoys the chance to share the rich history of Polynesia. Through intricate dances with tightly choreographed movements and traditional chants, the performers honor gods and tell stories of their people and the world around them.

Different regions and island nations in Polynesia each have their own dances, songs and languages, making for a variety of movements and sounds.

Pokipala’s favorite part of performing is engaging audience members on a very personal level. The evening luaus are interactive; people of all ages take the stage to join in the fun.

DANCE ORIGINS

Before written communication existed, Polynesian cultures preserved memories by recording them as dances.

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↑ Jordan Pokipala’s fire dance enthralled an audience at the Holiday Inn Resort in Panama City Beach. Performers managed by Riani Pokipala pay tribute to gods and depict stories from Polynesian culture.

During the summer, Lanakila employs professional entertainers who perform seven nights a week along the Gulf Coast. At other times, members of the Northwest Florida troop travel with performers based in Orlando.

Pokipala, who earned a bachelor’s degree in professional communication at FSU PC, is currently pursuing her master’s. Balancing work with her studies is difficult, she said, but her family and her faith keep her going.

She plans to open a dance studio and grow Lanakila beyond Florida.

Her mother continues to perform as a dancer, and her father is the best emcee, musician and singer she knows. She is grateful to her parents for paving the way for her to grow in the entertainment industry.

“I owe all my talents and successes to them,” she said. EC

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MUSIC

YULE TUNES Presenting the Best and Worst Christmas albums

by HANNAH BURKE

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h, the sounds of the season — a genre as polarizing as pineapple as a pizza topping or American politics. Some revel in the nostalgia-inspiring tunes of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, while others hasten to complete their holiday shopping to escape the department store’s drone of schmaltzy, earworm-inducing carols. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that some artist’s renditions of Christmas classics are superior, and that some, truly, should have never been recorded. In an effort to elevate the Christmas spirits and playlists of Grinches and Whovillians alike, we have compiled a list of the best (and worst) holiday albums to spin this season.

One of the most iconic Christmas albums ever made, the beloved baritone’s compilation ranges from the wistful sentiments of I’ll Be Home for Christmas to the plucky, upbeat Mele Kalikimaka. Having sold over 50 million copies as a single, the album’s title track is widely regarded as America’s favorite Christmas song — and for good reason. We may be old with kids of our own, but the colder, shorter days have us all reminiscing about the joyous, traditional holiday gatherings of yore.

➺ WORST: THE CHIPMUNKS, CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHIPMUNKS (2008) We’ve all

heard it. “Christmas, Christmas time is near, time for toys and time for cheer,” comes the grating, high-pitched voice of Alvin and his anthropomorphic rodent brothers over your radio, effectively sullying any cheer you may have had. This reissued album includes not only one of the most universally detested carols of alltime, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), but the gimmicky cartoon’s defilement of 19 other seasonal standards — including White Christmas.

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➺ BEST: ELVIS PRESLEY, ELVIS’ CHRISTMAS ALBUM

(1957) The King of rock ’n’ roll was known for pushing the envelope when it came to musical genre, dance and style, and for him, the gospels and gushes of Christmas were no exception: Even the most wonderful time of the year can bring on the blues. While sprinkled with crowd-pleasing, secular standards, it’s the raw, bluesy grit of Santa Claus is Back in Town, and the ever-devastating Blue Christmas that, according to Billboard, cements this album as the bestselling Christmas record of all time.

➺ WORST: REGIS PHILBIN, THE REGIS PHILBIN CHRISTMAS ALBUM (2005)

Perhaps you’ve heard of the contemporary controversy surrounding the lyrics of Baby It’s Cold Outside, said by some to suggest predatory behavior and dubious consent? Take a listen to the late television host’s rendition, featuring a questionable duet with his wife, and you’ll suddenly understand why. Boasting 12 tracks that will have you asking, “Why, just why?” again and again, this obvious cash-grab is enough to kill festive vibes anytime, anywhere.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JENNIFER EKRUT AND ALBUM COVERS COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.ORG (CROSBY, CHIPMUNKS, PRESLEY, HASSELHOFF AND FITZGERALD) AND AMAZON.COM (PHILBIN, CASH AND SHATNER)

➺ BEST: BING CROSBY, WHITE CHRISTMAS (1945)

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➺ BEST: JOHNNY CASH, THE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS ALBUM (2013) From I Hear the Bells on Christmas Day:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth He sleep The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, goodwill to men.

The Man in Black released several Christmas albums throughout his prolific career, and this soulful collection ranks at the top. Featuring signature songs and noels such as Little Drummer Boy and Joy to the World, Cash’s compilation is drenched in passion and profundity.

➺ WORST: DAVID HASSELHOFF, THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (2004)

Even if you don’t identify as a jazz nut, there’s something about the sweet, soulful pipes of Ella Fitzgerald that feels like a cup of cocoa on Christmas morning. Though familiar, it feels as if the selection of quintessential carols is recreated through the swinging arrangements and Fitzgerald’s sprawling range of vocal talent. Somehow, even the redundant, superficial lyrics of Frosty the Snowman seem profound.

➺ WORST: WILLIAM SHATNER, SHATNER CLAUS

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(2018) Oh, Bill. The man has been to space, both in reality and in his famous role as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, but can’t carry a tune or sing in time with his backing tracks. This 14-track LP is padded with collaborators such as Brad Paisley, Iggy Pop, Joe Louis Walker and Henry Rollins, but not even a verse from Santa Claus himself could save the actor’s cacophonous interpretations of Winter Wonderland, Silent Night and a punk rock version of Jingle Bells.

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If you didn’t know “The Hoff” has a musical career before now, you’ve got some catching up to do. The Baywatch alum has recorded over a dozen albums across the decades and, like any serious musician, figured a holiday record was an appropriate rite of passage. You know it’s bad when it kicks off with a reverberating, nightmarefueled narration of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (recall Gene Wilder’s performance of the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory). The dissonance only grows worse from there. Visions of sugarplums, there are not.

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CUSTOM CONTENT

What to Watch this Winter Emerald Coast Theatre Company heats up the stage

The 2023 season concludes in the most fitting way with an adaptation of the Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol. The play, which first appeared on ECTC’s stage in 2020, is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s play, complete with characters you know and love — Tiny Tim; the Cratchit family; the Fezziwigs; the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come; and of course, the beloved curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge.

ECTC’s rendition will be directed by guest director Marci Duncan, and Bruce Collier will appear once again as Scrooge.

While the play remains true to the tale, creative touches directed by Duncan enhance the holiday spirit, depicting Scrooge as a multidimensional character by delving deeper into his past.

The production will run from Dec. 8–22: Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The Play That Goes Wrong

You’ll be transported back to the year 1958, as four young women prepare to graduate high school in the offBroadway hit, The Marvelous Wonderettes — Caps and Gowns.

This production is a sequel to The Marvelous Wonderettes, following the same characters, Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, as they say goodbye to their high school years and hello to their futures.

The musical will feature smash hits from the ’50s and ’60s including Rock Around the Clock, At the Hop, Dancing in the Street, and River Deep, Mountain High, plus 25 others.

mania. Audience members are welcomed to opening night of a play called The Murder at Haversham Manor, when things quickly take a turn as actors forget their lines, props are misplaced, set pieces break and overall chaos consumes the production.

The production is guaranteed to keep you laughing during its run from Jan. 26–Feb. 4: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; and Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

The show will be on stage from Jan. 19–March 3: Jan. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 21 and 24 at 2:30 p.m.; Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m.; Feb. 29, March 1 and March 2 at 7:30 p.m.; and March 3 at 2:30 p.m.

“All three plays are very different, but they all have elements that will have you laughing and singing along,” said Nathanael Fisher, producing artistic director at ECTC. “The winter is a great time to escape the busyness of the holidays and the start of a new year and venture into a different world that theater creates.”

Noted as the “funniest play Broadway has ever seen,” The Play That Goes Wrong is a classic murder mystery packed with mishaps and madcap

Save on tickets to all three shows by purchasing a winter subscription package through ECTC’s website, EmeraldCoastTheatre.org.

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PHOTO BY NIKKI HEDRICK

When winter brings a chill to the coast, the best place to be is enjoying the warmth and entertainment provided by the theater. Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s winter lineup provides a roster of productions that will warm the heart with comforting tales and lift the spirits with humorous portrayals.

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Broadway Star Brian Stokes Mitchell Sure to Shine at Holiday Pops

Save the Date!

Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, 7:30 PM MUSIC OF THE KNIGHTS Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center

“B

rian Stokes Mitchell is a behemoth of Broadway and concert stage and has quite the festive holiday program with orchestra,” says Demetrius Fuller, music and artistic director for Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

As founder of Sinfonia — the region’s only fully professional symphony orchestra — Fuller has become known for “redefining the symphony experience.” Since 2005, he has surprised and delighted audiences by bringing A-list musicians and award-winning celebrity performers to the Emerald Coast.

Sinfonia’s 18th season is no exception.

On the heels of featuring a showstopping, sold-out performance by Tony Award-winning Laura Benanti and a powerhouse Gala evening by one of New Orleans’ most venerated horn players, Trombone Shorty, Fuller keeps the excitement going by showcasing yet another sparkling star. This year’s festive Holiday Pops concert is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention

Center and features veteran Broadway baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Mitchell is a two-time Tony Award winner with a versatile career spanning Broadway, television, film and concerts. Receiving critical acclaim and awards for his performances in Kiss Me, Kate, Man of La Mancha, and Ragtime, Stokes has collaborated with renowned conductors like John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel performing at Carnegie Hall and the White House.

Mitchell will surely charm audiences performing holiday favorites, Broadway tunes and American Songbook classics with the sensational Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra.

“How fun is it that we get to present Trevor from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air?” Fuller asks. “Holiday Pops is always a patron favorite, and this year will be no different. It is always such a fun way to celebrate the season with the sounds of the orchestra enveloping you. This year we will have table seating to create an even more festive occasion.”

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, each knighted by the Queen of England, are three of the world’s most successful songwriters.

From Broadway to the top of the pop charts, these musical geniuses each created an incredible individual musical legacy.

Music of the Knights honors their lasting musical influence with hits like Memory, Yesterday, Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Circle of Life, Hey Jude, The Phantom of the Opera and more.

SINFONIA GULF COAST Tickets to Holiday Pops featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell start at $30 per person. Premier Preferred table seating is $75.

This concert will surely sell out, so act early to secure the best seats at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT SINFONIAGULFCOAST.ORG OR CALL (850) 460-8800.

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GREEN SCENE Wax Myrtles

abodes

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

↘

In a simmer pot, a mixture of spices, citrus fruits and other ingredients come together to release natural and enticing fragrances. Starting your first simmer pot is easy; any pot will do. Or bring out a clear glass container to add elegance.

PHOTO BY KARANDAEV / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

INTERIORS

SIMMERING SCENTS Cooking up holiday aromas →

by RAEMI CRETEUR

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aromatherapy SIMMER POTS

Dressed up, the containers make great stocking stuffers. Whole cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger and cloves can be purchased in bulk to use all season long as only a few are needed in each pot.

baking cookies or Mom preparing the turkey. Recreate those scents, and voilà!

You have the memory or emotions brought right back.”

Starting your first simmer pot is simple. Grab any pot you have on hand — or consider investing in a clear glass pot that has an elegant visual aesthetic — and add in some water and your favorite ingredients to create a symphonious scent.

There are some guidelines to follow when experimenting to create your perfect simmer pot combination. Start with citrus, such as orange, lemon, lime and even grapefruit. Cranberries are a good addition to a holiday blend and

Trigger memories of past holiday get-togethers and help make this year’s celebration special by infusing your home with scents of the season.

↑

HOLIDAY BLENDS

↑ Dried ingredients of appropriate amounts can be placed in jars or bags in advance of simmer pot use.

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WINTER PINE ➺ Orange, apple and lemon peels ➺ Cinnamon sticks ➺ Star anise ➺ Pine sprig

provide a beautiful red color, especially eye-catching in a clear pot.

Spices and herbs can be added to complement the blend. Whole cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger and cloves can be purchased in bulk to use all season long as only a few are needed in each pot.

Finally, consider some fresh herbs, such as rosemary, oregano and mint.

Flowers and fruit can be added, but take care to not heat ingredients for too long as they turn to mush after a few hours, creating a less attractive visual experience.

Dried ingredients can be portioned into jars or bags in advance, and these simmer pot starters also make perfect holiday gifts. EC

CRANBERRY-ORANGE

➺ Cranberries ➺ Orange slices ➺ Cinnamon sticks ➺ Rosemary ➺ Cloves

PUMPKIN SPICE

➺ Pumpkin puree ➺ Apple and orange slices ➺ Cinnamon sticks ➺ Pumpkin pie spice ➺ Cloves

PHOTO BY BROOKE BOYER / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

o sense fills you with the holiday spirit quite like your sense of smell.

Cinnamon pine cones, pumpkin pie and hot chocolate all set the mood for gift giving and quality time with those we hold dear. You can produce those same magical aromas in a simmer pot.

In a simmer pot, also known as stovetop potpourri, a mixture of spices, citrus fruits and other ingredients come together in simmering water to release natural and enticing fragrances. By adding moisture to the air along with the warm scents, the pot provides the added benefit of softening dry, frigid air seeping in from the wintery outdoors.

Dr. Monica Hayes, a certified aromatherapist, loves to share the joy of educating others on the physical and mental benefits of aromatherapy.

“I’m all about getting us back to more natural ways of living,” Hayes said. “If you know about the natural things, and so often we grow them in our backyard, they can help relieve pain, keep away insects and diminish headaches.”

Studies have uncovered a phenomenon now known as the Proust effect, which provides an understanding of how our brains process smells in relation to our memories. Arousing your senses with a familiar smell or taste can bring nostalgic memories flooding back. Imagine, then, how a simmer pot at holiday gatherings might instantly remind family and friends of past years, spawning conversations about the good old days.

“The limbic system controls emotion, and the olfactory system is connected,” Hayes said. “If you smell something good, it can bring up memories and have therapeutic effects. You begin to feel better. You can remember Grandma

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GREEN SCENE

HARDY AND VERSATILE Wax myrtles once figured in candlemaking

by LES HARRISON

UF/IFAS EXTENSION AGENT EMERITUS

A

mong the ubiquitous holiday decorations are the scented red and green pillar candles. One, the bayberry candle, has a distinctly North Florida connection.

The bayberry and local wax myrtle trees are both members of the Myrica plant genus.

The wax myrtle is a native Florida plant.

It is a small tree or large shrub which can be grown anywhere in the state.

The bayberry’s larger berries are collected commercially to produce the popular candle scent. Before the advent of mass-market candles, wax myrtles had the same use in many Emerald Coast homes.

Currently, these trees are used extensively in patio plantings and as landscape screens.

Wax myrtle does well in a moist environment. It is excellent for use in poorly drained soils, but it grows well in drier soils. This durable plant can serve many uses in the landscape and is salt

tolerant. They can be grown from seeds, cuttings and simple layering techniques.

Seeds can be started in a mixture of equal parts sand and peat moss.

Another method for propagating wax myrtle is to dig up established plants during the winter months. Cut the plants back, and place the root clumps in containers.

In a few months, the plant will regrow. A small tree 10 to 12 feet in height will take a few years to grow using this method.

Wax myrtles have male and female flowers produced on separate plants. Female flowers grow in close bunches producing light green round fruits about ⅛ inch in diameter. The fruits are coated with a thick, bluish wax useful in making candles.

Wax myrtles can reach a height of 25 feet. Their evergreen leaves are narrow at the base and broader toward the upper end of the leaves. About midway up the leaf toward the tip, coarse teeth appear on the leaf edges.

Local rabbits are cottontails of the genus Sylvilagus. These year-round residents will dine on home landscapes during the winter when natural forage options are few. Rabbits are strictly herbivores and will eat a wide variety of tender foliage plants. Many vegetable gardens and highly manicured landscapes have been reduced to little more than decimated wastelands by troops of ravenous cottontails. They are most active at dawn and dusk when they are not easily detected by predators. Cottontails utilize nests in thick, well-disguised sites to hide when not foraging and to raise their young. When ensconced in the safety of their camouflaged fortification, they silently wait for any predators or threats to lose interest. Repellents are of little use in dealing with rabbits. Chicken wire 24 inches high can help, but rabbits may dig under it.

Capturing rabbits with live traps is an option, but they must be diligently and consistently employed.

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL

80 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Mistletoe plants grow in a variety of local hardwood trees, most typically in pecans and oaks.

This plant’s sprouts are equipped to utilize available nutrients and water until they are firmly attached to a host, which will do most of the work for them.

Classified as hemiparasites, mistletoe does engage in some photosynthesis while deriving most of its sustenance from the host plant. Mistletoe is easy to spot in the tops of trees that are seasonally shedding their leaves.

The growth position in the tree provides mistletoe with several advantages. Birds are primarily responsible for spreading mistletoe seed, and the plants are an attractive source of food during the sparse winter months. The plant’s location in the top of the tree is easily visible to birds and a safe location for the birds to dine.

The growth clusters in the top of the tree also minimize the possibility that the rather brittle, delicate plants will be damaged by larger animals looking for a meal. Stalks of mistletoe are easily broken with minimum effort.

As a parasite, heavy infestations of mistletoe are an indication of a tree in decline. The tree’s defenses are helpless against mistletoe’s roots which penetrate the bark and rob it of needed nutrients.

If within easy reach, the mistletoe should be broken off. If at heights in established trees, a professional arborist should be engaged.

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

PHOTOS BY CREATIVE COMMONS / FLICKR.COM / KATJA SCHULZ (WAX MYRTLE) AND ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES: SCISETTIALFIO (MISTLETOE), IRVING A GAFFNEY (COTTONTAIL)

Mistletoe Feeds on Trees

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

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calendar PROMOTION

DEC 2023/JAN 2024 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com. compiled by ALIX BLACK,

SARAH COVEN, JAVIS OGDEN

and REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

DEC. 8–22

A Christmas Carol

↓

From the first “Bah humbug” to the final “Wassail,” this timeless classic is sure to rekindle your holiday spirit. This thrilling adaptation uses only five actors to bring Dickens’ most beloved characters to life.

Witness Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from a stingy miser to a man who generously celebrates the spirit of the season all year long.

DEC. 8 Sinfonia Gulf Coast presents

HOLIDAY POPS FEATURING BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL

→ Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Brian Stokes Mitchell is a two-time Tony Award winner whose versatile career spans Broadway, television, film and concerts. Receiving critical acclaim and awards for his performances in Kiss Me, Kate, Man of La Mancha and Ragtime, Stokes has collaborated with renowned conductors like John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel, performing at Carnegie Hall and the White House. He is remembered by many as Trevor in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Get into the spirit as this A-list star performs holiday classics, Broadway tunes and classic favorites with the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. Tickets are $30-$75. SinfoniaGulfCoast.org.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Times and dates for events are subject to change.

Check websites to see if the listed events will occur as scheduled.

82 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER? Send an email to sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com or promote an event at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/things-to-do at no cost.

PHOTOS BY MARK SELIGER COURTESY OF OPENING NIGHTS, EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY, SINFONIA GULF COAST AND CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE

Performances are slated for Thursday, Dec. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 22.

Consult EmeraldCoastTheatre.org/ on-stage for showtimes.

PROMOTION

CHRISTMAS AT THE HENRY’S DEC. 1

REGIONAL

JAN. 10

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS

→ Experience the legendary Elvis Costello live in concert, brought to Tallahassee by Opening Nights at Florida State University.

Tickets for this iconic performance are available at OpeningNights.fsu.edu or contact (850) 644-7670.

Christmas at the Henry’s is a story about love, faith and hope. The family’s story is centered around Ben and Maxine Henry and their efforts to maintain holiday traditions amid a health crisis, getting older and navigating family dynamics. mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/christmasat-the-henrys

SEX N’ THE CITY A (SUPER UNAUTHORIZED) MUSICAL PARODY DEC. 1 Join Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha on a hilarious trip through New York in the ’90s, staged at the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola. pensacolasaenger.com/events/sex-n-thecity-a-super-unauthorized-musical-parody

→ The annual Valentine Tour of Homes generates funds for the Cultural Arts Alliance’s Art for All program, which provides much-needed funding for arts education initiatives in Walton County, including grants and scholarships for students, teachers, artists and arts organizations.

The two-day rain or shine event offers a self-guided tour through some of Walton County’s most unique homes representing diverse architectural styles, beautiful interior design, historic significance and fine art collections.

Details can be found at CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

visitpensacola.com/events/season-yourholidays-lighted-boat-parade

THE PROPHECY SHOW: THE MUSIC OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA DEC. 2 The Prophecy is entering its 17th season of presenting its extravagant Christmas musical production. This powerhouse group of classically trained musicians comes together to create an electrifying evening of holiday rock music.

DEC. 1–9

HANDEL: MESSIAH

Two compelling stories come together in this heartwarming play inspired by the famous editorial.

On Christmas Eve 1897, in New York City, an 8-year-old Virginia is left pondering whether Santa really exists. Meanwhile, a young newspaper editor struggles with tough holiday times as he is faced with losing his job.

DEC. 2–7

DEC. 1–23

Valentine Tour of Homes

The parade will set sail from Sabine Marina in Little Sabine Bay at 6:30 p.m., make a loop and wind its way around the Santa Rosa Sound/Boardwalk area. After the parade, a dazzling fireworks display will take place along the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk.

pensacolasaenger.com/events/theprophecy-show-the-music-of-transsiberian-orchestra

12 NIGHTS OF LIGHTS

FEB. 10–11

DEC. 2

YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS

emeraldcoasttheatre.org/on-stage

SAVE THE DATE

LIGHTED BOAT PARADE

This December at The Village of Baytowne Wharf, enjoy a festive light show every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday leading up to Christmas. This sparkling event will also be featured during the special holiday edition of the Wednesday Night Concert Series. baytownewharf.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH MARATHON DEC. 2 Run along award-winning beaches in the marathon, half-marathon, 5K or Kid’s Fun Run. This Panama City Beach event attracts thousands of residents and visitors each year. pcbmarathon.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

There may be no better way to ring in the holiday season than by being a part of the great tradition of Handel’s Messiah featuring the North Florida Symphony Orchestra and outstanding local soloists. The orchestra travels to two beautiful local church venues to perform this great music. mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/ handel-messiah

WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES HOLIDAY EDITION + VISITS WITH SANTA DEC. 6–20 Join in some of your favorite sing-along classics every Wednesday this December at the holiday-themed Wednesday Night Concert Series.

Each concert will feature visits with Santa. Musical acts include the Fort Walton Beach High School Choir, Alissa Steffens Vocal Studios and Matt McCarty Band. baytownewharf.com

ICE SKATING EXTRAVAGANZA DEC. 8 Baytowne on Ice is hosting its annual Ice Skating Extravaganza featuring two performances by professional ice skaters. Before and December 2023-January 2024

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calendar

DEC 2023/JAN 2024

in between the shows, lace up those skates and skate around the ice with the pros!

a showing of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

his signature piano style and soothing vocals.

baytownewharf.com

pensacolasaenger.com/events/jimbrickman-a-joyful-christmas

WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE!

TOYS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION CHRISTMAS BALL

BAYTOWNE COUNTDOWN

DEC. 13

DEC. 16

One of the greatest game shows of all time has been converted to a stage show. Audience members are randomly chosen to go on stage where they feel like they have stepped into the game show, itself.

The 26th Toys for Kids Foundation Charity Christmas Ball, presented

by Ramey Law Offices, is the blacktie event of the holiday season in Bay County. The foundation provides toys to deserving children during the holiday season.

mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/wheel-offortune-live

toysforkidsbay.org

baytownewharf.com

THE MEAN ONE DEC. 15 Put a little snark in the season with the Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Meet the maven of mischief, himself, for a photo opportunity, then enjoy

DEC. 31 Ring in the New Year with an evening to remember at The Village of Baytowne Wharf, with two breathtaking fireworks displays at 8 p.m. and midnight. Enjoy a familyfriendly evening from 6–8 p.m. with face painting, kids’ activities and live music. Dance the night away at the 21 and up event after 10 p.m.

that culminates with the lowering of a gigantic, glowing beach ball and the showering of the crowd with 10,000 beach balls. The event at Pier Park in Panama City Beach also includes fireworks and live music. visitpanamacitybeach.com/events/ holiday-events/new-years-eve-beachball-drop

PENSACOLA NEW YEAR’S EVE DEC. 31 Head to downtown Pensacola to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024 with live music, vendors and impressive midnight fireworks.

JIM BRICKMAN: A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS FEATURING CHRISSY METZ

baytownewharf.com

downtownpensacola.com

PCB ANNUAL BEACH BALL DROP

BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY PRESENTS JOURNEY’S ESCAPE

DEC. 22

DEC. 31

JAN. 6

Jim Brickman captivates Christmas concert-goers with

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this family-friendly countdown

The Black Jacket Symphony recreates Journey’s iconic

January 19 | 7pm | $35

For more information and ticket sales

Visit MattieKellyArtsCenter.org Call the Box Office at 850.729.6000 or Scan here Northwest Florida State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit www.nwfsc.edu.

84 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Feb. 22 7pm $50

PROMOTION

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

STINKY CHEESE MAN

JAN. 10

Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales deconstructs the tradition of the fairy tale. Characters slide in and out of tales, Cinderella rebuffs Rumpelstiltskin and Goldilocks meets the Three Elephants. Nothing is quite the same as you remember it.

Welcome to the magical world of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This charming story for all ages with the beautiful grandeur of classical ballet promises a happily ever after. pensacolasaenger.com/events/snowwhite-and-the-seven-dwarfs

30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL JAN. 12–15

More than 200 singers/ songwriters will take the stage at over 30 venues throughout the 30A region. Headliners include Jeff Tweedy, Roseanne Cash, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and KT Tunstall.

30asongwritersfestival.com

HYPROV

mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/ hyprov-improv-under-hypnosis

THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES CAPS AND GOWNS JAN. 19–MARCH 3

It’s 1958 and time for the Wonderettes to graduate in this delightful sequel to the smash off-Broadway hit. Join Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy as they sing about their final year in high school,

mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/stinkycheese-man

TAYLOR HICKS JAN. 25

Taylor Hicks will bring his American Idol-winning talent to Mattie Kelly Arts Center’s stage with his signature blend of soul, blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll. mattiekellyartscenter.org/event/ taylor-hicks

SAVE THE DATE

FEB. 16–18

Seaside School Half-Marathon & 5K Race Weekend

→ Celebrating its 22nd year, the Seaside School Half Marathon + 5K Race Weekend will begin with the coastal cuisine event, “Taste of the Race,” on Friday night and culminate on Sunday morning with the running of the half-marathon and 5K along Scenic Highway 30A. The race starts and finishes in Seaside. This year, runners and spectators are encouraged to don their masks and capes for the superhero-themed Race Weekend.

Register at RunSeasideFL.com.

The Original Cruisin’ Tikis Destin Putting smiles on faces one cruise at a time

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

2023 of

BEST

JAN. 26–FEB. 4 Called “the funniest play Broadway has ever seen,” this classic murder mystery by award-winning comedy creators Mischief is full of mishaps and madcap mania!

COAST MAGA LD ZI RA

TH

This 100-minute live show combines hypnosis and improv — two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans, skeptics and everyone in between worldwide — in a totally unique comedy experience that welcomes 20 volunteers on stage to be hypnotized.

JAN. 22

E’S N

JAN. 19

PHOTO BY BOBBY WAGNER COURTESY OF SEASIDE SCHOOL HALF MARATHON + 5K RACE

emeraldcoasttheatre.org/on-stage

ST

pensacolasaenger.com/events/blackjacket-symphony-presents-journeysescape

celebrate with their fellow classmates and teachers, and prepare for their next step toward a bright future.

EM E

album Escape in its entirety plus a full set of Journey’s greatest hits.

E

EM

ERALD C O

A

Thank you for voting us the Best Place to Watch a Sunset on the Emerald Coast!

emeraldcoasttheatre.org/on-stage

STOMP JAN. 30–31

This international percussion sensation has garnered an armful of awards and rave reviews and has appeared n numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps and more in filling the stage with magnificent rhythms. pensacolasaenger.com/events/stomp

CruisinTikisDestin.com 850-200-0573 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

85

PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation Check Presentation AUG. 31 The culmination of connecting wine enthusiasts to raise money to benefit children in need in Northwest Florida occurred on Aug. 31, 2023 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Sixteen well-deserving partnering charities were awarded $3.4 million. The benefit Destin Charity Wine Auction makes to impact these children exceeds over 100,000 youth to date.

1

2

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RHONDA MURRAY

1 Point Washington Medical Clinic 2 Diana Phelps and Megan Harrison 3 Lane Redding, Jeanne Dailey and Tiffany Edwards 4 Karah Fridley-Young and Kate MacMillan

3

4

Capt.on Dave’s 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

86 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Emerald Coast Spirits Festival The Emerald Coast Spirits Festival, held in Santa Rosa Beach, showcased more than 10 Florida craft distilleries. The festival also featured local small businesses and creative organizations, such as Sully’s Mix and the Cultural Arts Alliance, a local arts agency that supports the arts through leadership, advocacy and education.

SEPT. 23

PHOTOS BY KENDALL KAPITANOFF AND KRISTY HOLDITCH 1 & 2 Over 300 festivalgoers gathered on the main drag for the Emerald Coast Spirits Festival where they sipped spirits, tasted dishes and purchased bottles from craft distilleries.

1

3 Representatives of Florida craft distilleries including,

St. Petersburg Distillery, spent the day in Santa Rosa Beach and introduced locals and visitors to their spirits.

4 Local distilleries, including Distillery 98, showed off their

spirits, too! This festival was a great opportunity for local small businesses to promote awareness of their brands.

2

3

4

Tom Glavine’s Field of Dreams Golf Tournament Golf enthusiasts and supporters of education converged at WaterSound Club’s Shark’s Tooth Golf Club for a day of spirited competition and philanthropy at the third annual Tom Glavine Field of Dreams Charity Golf Tournament. Hosted by baseball Hall of Famer Glavine and his wife, Chris, the event exceeded expectations, raising over $150,000 in support of The Seaside School Foundation.

OCT. 3

1

2

PHOTOS BY EPIC PHOTO AND COURTESY OF SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL

1 Tom, Chris and Mason Glavine with Mike Ricks, and Ryan and Jessica Fay 2 Rhonda Murray, Jessica Proffitt Bracken, Sara Becnel, McKenzie Burleigh and Sarah Davidson 3 Jeff Mower, Dave Rauschkolb, Daniel Hoey and Brian Starkman 4 Trish Robertson, Kelly Trafton, Chloe Hogg, Ben Chase and Mason Mabrey

3

4

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

87

dining guide AMERICAN

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

BUFFALO JACK’S LEGENDARY WINGS & PIZZA ★

Catch the game and enjoy legendary wings, pizza, burgers and Italian dishes with a New Orleans flair. 11275 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. (850) 424-6288. $$ L D

COMMELFÓ RESTAURANT

LULU’S

Lucy Buffett’s funky hangout features cocktails, burgers and seafood, plus allergyfriendly menus. 4607 Legendary Marina Dr., Destin. (850) 710-5858. $$ L D

American dining; enjoy steak and eggs for breakfast, a Southeast Cuban sandwich for lunch or lobster ravioli for dinner, among many other options. 10859 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. (850) 353-2991. $$$ B L D

MAGNOLIA GRILL

DHARMA BLUE

MARINA BAR AND GRILL

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 302-0266. $$ L D

Atmosphere and service match an expansive menu including everything from sushi to pork tenderloin. 300 S. Alcaniz St., Pensacola.

(850) 433-1275. $$ 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

EMERIL’S COASTAL ITALIAN

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine.

404 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-7960. $$$ 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

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. 535 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D

GALLION’S ★

Elevated small plates, chef-inspired dishes and specialty craft cocktails in a sophisticated, relaxed setting. 104 N. Barrett Square, Unit C, Rosemary Beach. (850) 399-4909. $$$ L D

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches.

30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach.

(850) 641-0017. $$ L D

GEORGE BISTRO + BAR

Husband and wife owners are driven by a passion to create exceptionally humble, ingredient-driven food, coffees and cocktails while treating guests like family. 6205 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola. (850) 912-4655. $$ L D

GREAT SOUTHERN CAFE

This all-day cafe puts a new spin on classics 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

IVY & ALE ★

A boutique plant nursery and beer garden offering a selection of shareable apps, sandwiches and entrees along with wine, craft beer and spritzers. 222 Staff Dr. NE, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-2263. $$ L D

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 432-5226. $$ L D

MARINA CAFÉ ★

NICK’S BOATHOUSE

Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola. (850) 912-8775. $$ L D

aboard the SOLARIS yacht offering three decks of indoor and outdoor spaces. 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. (850) 650-2519. $D

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 CRAFT BAR ★

Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin. Also in Grayton Beach, Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola.

(850) 460-7907. $$ L D

THE RED BAR ★

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

THE WINE BAR

A gathering spot for lunch or dinner, plus daily happy hour specials. Destin and Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 269-2902. L D

VUE ON 30A

Fine New American dining in a modern, cream and beige waterfront spot with bar, lounge and views. 4801 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-2305. $$$ L D

VIN’TIJ FOOD & WINE ★

Award-winning boutique wine shop and restaurant offering seasonally inspired culinary creations paired with high-quality wines.

500 Grand Blvd., Suite 100K, Sandestin.

(850) 650-9820. $$ L D

NORTH BEACH SOCIAL ★

Favorites include the Great Southern Café’s famous Grits a Ya Ya, the Bay’s Bomber Burger, fresh raw oysters, and tuna poké bowls. 24200 U.S. Hwy 331, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 622-8110. $$ B L D

OVIDE ★

Located inside the new Hotel Effie, acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson brings together classic Gulf Coast flavors and impeccable classic French technique. 1 Grand Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 351-3030. $$$ D

RESTAURANT IRON

Buzzy, stylish locale serving gourmet, reimagined takes on Southern cuisine, plus clever cocktails. 22 N. Palafox St., Pensacola.

(850) 912-4655. $$ 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, Inlet Beach. (850) 231-9410. $$ L D

SPORTS TO GEAUX ★

Food truck meets sports bar and grill. Serving up American food with a Cajun flare and bringing the party to you. Rotating location schedule. (850) 520-0429. $

SUNQUEST CRUISES SOLARIS YACHT

Enjoy a fusion of ambiance, food and live music

ASIAN 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

DOMO IZAKAYA RAMEN + SUSHI ★

Expansive sushi options and ramen, noodle and rice bowls in an authentic, modern atmosphere. 753 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

(850) 353-2096. $$ L D

OSAKA JAPANESE HIBACHI STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR ★

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

P.F. CHANG’S ★

A Chinese restaurant serving Mongolian, Thai, Korean and other Pan-Asian dishes.

640 Grand Blvd., Sandestin. (850) 269-1806. $$ L D

SUSHIMOTO

Family-owned casual eatery with a sushi bar offering up creative rolls, plus other Japanese fare. 12889 Hwy. 98, Ste. 103B, Miramar Beach.

(850) 424-5977. $$ L D

THAI CHIANG RAI

THE KEY ★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2023 Winner

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 Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive $$$ Expensive

88 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Soups, curries and specials including Papa’s Crab Meat Fried Rice. 4942 U.S. Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 213-3972. $$ D

THAI DELIGHTS RESTAURANT ★

Thai soups, curries and rice and noodle dishes in a variety of meat, seafood and veggie options for dining in or takeout. 821 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 650-3945. $ L D

BARBECUE 98 BAR-B-QUE ★

Award-winning barbecue, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take-out and catering. 5008 Hwy. 98 W., Ste. 1, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-0679. $ L

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

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY ANDY’S FLOUR POWER CAFE & BAKERY 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

BLACK BEAR BREAD CO. ★

Contemporary cafe for craft coffee, housebaked breads, pastries and sandwiches and all-day breakfast. 26 Logan Lane, Grayton Beach. (850) 213-4528. $ B L

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin (also in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach). (850) 837-8824. $ B

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

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

NAVARRE BAKERY & CREAMERY ★

Goodies fresh from the oven: bagels, kolaches, scones, cinnamon rolls and more; sandwiches for lunch. 9914 Navarre Pkwy., Navarre. (850) 844-9705. $ B L

RUBY SLIPPER CAFE ★

A New Orleans-inspired brunch spot offering classic takes, signature Southern specialties and eye-opening cocktails. 34902 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 660-7100. $$ B L

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ

Casual and outdoor dining overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay, featuring locally sourced ingredients and sustainable seafood.

158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach.

(850) 267-7108. $$ B L D

DESSERT 30A COOKIES & CREAM

Treats from Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery make for an irresistible combination. 174 Watercolor Way, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-2552. $

BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH CREAMERY ★ Homemade ice cream, yogurt and sorbet at The Creamery and milkshakes, coffee and donuts at the Shake Shop. 2129 S. Co. Hwy. 83, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 278-6849. $

FRENCH BAY CAFE FRENCH RESTAURANT

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 AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

Authentic Greek restaurant. 11225 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach (and Shalimar).

(850) 460-2728. $$ B 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

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

Traditional Greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther. (850) 302-0691. $ L

IRISH JOHNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

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 ITALIAN KITCHEN

Offering authentic Italian cuisine with a flair 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 an 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. Located in Destin and Santa Rosa Beach. (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

Enjoy classic Italian cuisine and favorites like 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

PEPPER’S MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

Casual eatery with familiar Mexican dishes, including seafood and vegetarian options, plus a full bar. Five Emerald Coast locations: Niceville, Crestview, Panama City, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 353-2625. $ L D

FOOW RESTAURANT

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair.

Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-5050. $$$ D

Captain Dave’s features American seafood cuisine infused with a contemporary Gulf Coast twist. 3796 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin.

(850) 837-2627. $$$ D

HARBOR DOCKS ★

THE EDGE SEAFOOD & SKYBAR ★

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

$$ L D

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

PESCADO SEAFOOD GRILL & ROOFTOP BAR ★

Dining room, inside bar and outside rooftop bar overlooking the Gulf of Mexico; extraordinary service and cuisine by Chef Brendan Wakeham. 74 Town Hall Rd., Ste. 4B, Rosemary Beach. (850) 213-4600. $$$ L 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 ★

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

This seafood and casual fare restaurant features classic coastal cuisine and genuine Southern hospitality plus live music daily inside the panoramic bar. 1875 S. Hwy. 393, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-2733. $$ L D

TACO 30A ★

STINKY’S FISH CAMP ★

RED FISH TACO ★

Food truck and catering service dishing up authentic street tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. Weekly rotating location schedule. $ D

This seafood and wine mainstay promises Gulf-fresh fare. 5960 W. County Road 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-3053. $$ L D

THE TACO BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

THE CRAB TRAP

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

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7406. $$ L D

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER

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

DEWEY DESTIN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET

Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin. (850) 837-7575. $$ B L D

DOWN ISLAND GULF SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

A modern casual restaurant serving Gulf South cuisine; chef-owned and family-operated. 2780 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 777-3385. $$ D

Beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico and fresh local seafood processed in the restaurant’s own facility. 3500 Hwy. 98 E., Destin; 1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach; 16945 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola.

(850) 654-2722. $$ 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

STEAK & SEAFOOD AUSTONS ON 98 OYSTER BAR AND GRILL ★

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

BEACH WALK CAFE

Located at the Henderson Park Inn, this award-winning establishment features grouper Vince, pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna and seafood pasta Rockefeller. 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 650-7100. $$$ D

BIJOUX ★

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

CAFE THIRTY-A ★

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

Inspired by traditional waterfront dining,

Located at the Destin Harbor, fresh catches soon land on plates at The Edge. Head up to the adults-only Skybar fOr great views and live music. 302 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 659-3549.

THE GULF – FORT WALTON BEACH

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

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

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. $$

THE OCEAN CLUB

Storied restaurant serves fresh Gulf seafood and the finest steaks. Enjoy live music, great service and a full bar. 8955 US 98 W. 107, Miramar Beach. (850) 267-3666. $$–$$$ D

OLD FLORIDA FISH HOUSE

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

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

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

SLICK LIPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE Family-friendly seafood and oyster bar featuring locally caught fare and nestled in picturesque Baytowne Wharf. 140 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. (850) 347-5060. $$ L D

TAKE OUT DESTIN ICE SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI ★ 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

EMERALD COAST CATERING & GOURMET TO GO

Offering full-service catering and prepared gourmet meals to go. 3906 Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 585-5979. $$ L D

MARROW PRIVATE CHEFS ★

Marrow takes the hassle of planning out of fine dining, offering private chef, meal delivery and catering services to South Walton and 30A areas. 3906 Hwy. 98, Ste. 20, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 280-4319. $$$

REEL ’EM IN FRESH SEAFOOD AND GOURMET ★

Delivering fresh Gulf seafood — fish, shrimp, crab and more — from Miramar Beach to Panama City. Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 420-2240. $$

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/Restaurants.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2023-January 2024

89

postscript

THE TWO FACES OF CHRISTMAS

Really, we can joyously celebrate it both ways

H

ow does one reconcile the secular and religious aspects of Christmas? Legions of angels have been singing about reconciling God and sinners for two millennia. You start to wonder if we should even try.

Tim Burton’s commercial and critical success, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), seizes upon the conflicting natures of Halloween and Christmas.

Audiences are enthralled as Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King who presides over Halloween Town, stumbles upon Christmas Town and determines that the Christmas holiday is due for a makeover.

In a way, the tale’s ingredients make it a wannabe myth, the kind of transcendental story we tell ourselves about the nature of things. Who knows whether the film will ever work its way into our crazy-quilt New World mythology, but it’ll be interesting to check 500 years from now when Birmingham, Alabama, is a coastal community.

Until then, come Christmastime, who doesn’t face the North Pole like a compass and find himself caught between two Yuletide fires: the Secular and the Religious? It’s a bit like having a jolly-old-elf of a devil on one shoulder and a pious hark-the-herald, star-crowned angel on the other, whispering in opposite ears, to the point of driving one to distraction.

The Secular yule log will have been lighted since midJuly, starting when TV begins to interlard its schedule with quasi-subliminal sugar-plum signals — snow and family and Red Ryder BB guns — against the background of a blazing hearth, all while it’s a stifling 95 degrees outside.

And, if stocking/candy dramas aren’t your bag, there’s always the naughty office party, replete with spiked punch bowls and co-workers locked in a passionate embrace.

On the side of the Religious, our culture’s dilatory angels collar and sermonize us on the true meaning of

90 December 2023-January 2024 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Christmas, breaking down the word by syllable to impress upon us the day’s significance.

No sooner does one angel warn us of the seductive enticements of materialism than another — not always the angel of Tolerance — impugns pagan rituals like the glorified Canadian spruce, lit up in the living room.

Xavier Remington’s Mystic Investigations website is a great place to get the scoop on things supernatural.

Remington is a paranormal investigator in Woodland Springs, Colorado, and writes Amazon-touted books like The Night Jesus Met Santa Claus. On that subject, Remington, in his collected writings about Saint Nick, later known as Santa Claus, notes the little-known biographical fact that Nick was genetically a “demi-angel.”

According to Remington, St. Nick, at the age of 16, discovered that he possessed the power of chronokinesis, that is, the ability to time travel. Living a good 300 years after the time of Jesus, Nick was, back then, a Christian bishop and felt compelled to use his special ability to hit the chrono-road, witness sacred moments like the Nativity and actually meet Jesus while dressed exotically in his traditional, red sledding togs. So there, Hosanna! It is the Secular reconciled to the Religious!

In hindsight, maybe it would have been easier not to even ponder the reconciliation conundrum. But, considering the Cornish adage “None so queer as folk,” maybe the adrenaline rush that comes with simultaneously surviving two Yuletide Fires is worth it.

So, what the heck, God bless us every one! EC

PHOTO BY TOMACCO / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

by WYNN PARKS

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