Tallahassee Magazine • March/April 2025

HEEDING THE MUSE

Paul Tamanian takes the local art scene to the next level

SWEET SPOT

Greg Cohen in candy land

Spectacle Style

Viewing art through Dan Taylor’s lens

Advanced Spine Surgery in Tallahassee to living BACK Get pain free.

Your life shouldn’t stop because of chronic back or neck pain. If your pain stems from another complicated condition, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) offers a solution: complex spine surgery. Fellowship-trained and board-certified spine and neurosurgeon, Griffin Baum, MD, MSc, specializes in addressing the most challenging spine diagnoses. Using cutting-edge technologies and innovative techniques, Dr. Baum delivers care designed to get you back to the life you love. At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, we tailor every treatment to your unique needs to provide optimal recovery and lasting results.

To learn more about complex spine surgery at TMH, visit TMH.ORG/ComplexSpine

PATIENT TESTIMONIAL

Please see our story on pages 20-21 about Jack Smith and his advanced spine surgery experience.

PERIOD MANSIONS

A stroll down memory lane uncovers the lore and allure of Tallahassee’s most notable mansions and historic homes. by MARINA

BROWN

84 PAUL TAMANIAN

Hometown artist Paul Tamanian brings his eclectic, energizing art to his new gallery located in Midtown. by MARINA

BROWN

photography

DESTINATIONS

Support

Stephanie Chandler of Tally Ghost Tours walks through the region’s haunted

Lauren Book of Lauren’s Kids aids child abuse survivors in their recovery journey.

Set

For over 25 years, Opening Nights has brought shining stars to stages.

114 ART

Beth Appleton creates vibrant, intricate worlds in her art.

118 BOOKS

Get inspired with our list of art-related new releases. 120 FESTIVALS

Word of South founder, Mark Mustian, makes his own festival debut.

Sweet

Dan Taylor, in his dapper duds, is an

Delve into past decades in a roundup of local vintage shops.

Redesign or refresh your home with the top 10 trends for 2025.

Embrace your backyard with a guide to native shrubs.

Bring positive vibes and equilibrium to your home with Vastu Shastra.

Dan

56 ↑ SPRING SIGHTS Spring is the ideal time to get out and about exploring the sites and sights of Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

74 ↑ FRESH FROM THE FARM

Buying local never tasted so good— Florida farmers offer freshly harvested flavors with in-season produce and always-fresh seafood.

139 CALENDAR   To many, there’s no better time of year than spring in Tallahassee with a calendar bursting with outdoor events, parades, arts festivals, and more.

TURNER

TRADITIONS

Turner’s Fine Furniture celebrates 110 years of supplying North Florida and South Georgia with quality furniture, excellent customer service, and family values.

↑ SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE Springtime is a state of mind! We bring you the annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival guide complete with the schedule of events and introductions to this year’s krewes.

VOTE

NowSelling THC Infused HIGH SELTZER

MARKET DISTRICT

FLAGSHIP STORE

1410 MARKET ST. C-4

Sun-Thurs 8am-9pm Fri-Sat 8am-10pm

MIDTOWN KAVA BAR

BANNERMAN CROSSINGS

3437 BANNERMAN RD. #102

Sun-Thurs 9am-9pm Fri-Sat 9am-10pm

BANNERMAN CROSSINGS

RAILROAD SQUARE

FLOAT PODS

KAVA BAR 1000 RAILROAD AVE. Mon-Sun 9am-11pm

PARK AVENUE 2901 EAST PARK AVE. Mon-Sun 9am-9pm

LOVE SHOP 1350 MAHAN DR. UNIT E-1

Sun-Thurs 10am-10pm Fri-Sat 10am-12am

KAVA BAR

1306 THOMASVILLE RD.

Sun-Thurs 9am-9pm Fri-Sat 9am-1am

Sun-Thurs 9am-9pm Fri-Sat 9am-1am

THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA

3437 BANNERMAN RD. #104

14844 US HIGHWAY 19 S.

Thomasville, GA Mon-Sun 8am-9pm

PORT ST. JOE 232 REID AVE Port St Joe Mon-Sun 9am -9pm

PUBLISHER MCKENZIE BURLEIGH

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Daphne Nikolopoulos

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Mary Murray

SENIOR EDITOR Rebecca Padgett Frett

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Melinda Lanigan

STAFF EDITOR Paige Aigret

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paige Aigret, Jules Aron, Paige Bowers, Joe Capozzi, Les Harrison, Katherine Lande, Kelley Marcellus, Tracy Mulligan, Mary Murray, Katy Riley, Paul Rubio, Liza Grant Smith, ZandraWolfgram

CREATIVE

PRODUCTION MANAGER Daniel Vitter

DESIGN DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts

STAFF ART DIRECTOR Sarah Burger

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Barfield, Sharon Bradford, Marina Brown, CapeHart Photography, Tobin Davies, TrickeyDurham, Andrew Frasz, Gabriel Hanway, Tyler Hogan, Tim Jackson, Haley Jacobs, Shervin Lainez, Alexsa Laverria, MaryKatherine, Fulkerson Photography, Molly Culver Photography, Marshall Moyall, Nanuko Digital, Nova Soul Imagery, Chris Ocken, Bob O’Lary, Alicia Osborne, Gyorgy Papp, SaigeRoberts, Paul Rubio, Sarah Shields Photography, Brandon Smith, Teri Fotheringham Photography, Vitaliy Vorobyov

SALES, MARKETING, AND EVENTS

SALES MANAGER Lori Magee Yeaton

DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Tracy Mulligan

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Julie Dorr

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Darla Harrison, Erica Wilson

ACCOUNT MANAGER Renee Johnson

MARKETING & EVENTS SPECIALIST Alix Black

OPERATIONS

CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan

OFFICE MANAGER Amber Ridgeway

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Brian Rowland

by Palm Beach Media Group North, LLC, P.O. Box 3344, Palm Beach, FL 33480 (561) 659-0210 • Fax: (561) 659-1736

EDITORIAL OFFICE 118 N. Monroe St., Unit 402, Tallahassee, FL 32301. (850) 878-0554

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CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBMISSIONS Tallahassee Magazine and Palm Beach Media Group North,LLC are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography, or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. Tallahassee Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright March 2025 Tallahassee Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Partners of Visit Tallahassee and Member, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

from the editor

IN ART WE TRUST

The expression of art inspires us, emboldens us, and connects us to one another

I was at a museum fundraiser recently, and the artist honoree said something that struck a chord (I paraphrase): Because art is shaped of the clay of the shared human experience, it re ects our universal emotions, our basest instincts, and our deepest desires. Art connects humanity and helps us interpret the world through the lens of our most fundamental truth.

I couldn’t agree more. Art is an instinct as vital as breath; it’s been that way since the days of Neanderthals scratching on cave walls. If you doubt it, just watch Paul Tamanian at work. An artist of boundless imagination and endless innovation, Paul lives and breathes his art, whether it’s shaping metal in bold organic shapes or “pouring melted automobile chrome over a clay vessel, then setting re to the whole thing.” Watching him, it’s clear that the process consumes him until he deems the piece nished. And when it is, the observer is left in awe of what can come from humble materials and human ingenuity. I invite you to read Marina Brown’s excellent portrait of the artist (“PaulTamanian Takes His Stand in Tallahassee,” page84) and nd out about his new gallery that’s poised to change the game in Tallahassee’s art scene. The expression of art comes in many forms, as our cover star, Dan Taylor, can attest. The self-taught

artist, who began sculpting as an alternative habit to smoking, has evolved into an abstract artist with gallery representation and an impressive following— talk about a success story. Like many artists, Dan’s art comes from deep within, but there’s also an outward expression—namely, his sartorial style. Always dapper in his signature pearls, outrageous shoes, and a pair of funky eyeglasses from a 100-plus-deep collection, Dan is a walking work of art. Learn more about this Citizen of Style in “When Living and Art Come Together,” on page 39. Throughout the magazine, you’ll nd a wealth of content about artists, arts festivals and exhibitions, and even ordinary things made artful by local creatives and visionaries. Thanks to our universities and a burgeoning creative spirit, our Capital City has never been more enriched by the arts. I encourage you to go out there and discover it foryourself.

DAPHNE NIKOLOPOULOS, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR daphne@tallahasseemagazine.com

PHOTO BY

April 3, 2025 - 5:30 PM

The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at Florida State University

With worldwide sales of 80 million albums, Foreigner is one of the biggest selling bands of all time and a 2024 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. New for this year’s Gala, VIP tables will enjoy a private set featuring comedian Fortune Feimster. You may know her from her Netflix special, “Sweet & Salty,” which was nominated for a Critics Choice Award. Proceeds will help TMH launch an ECMO program, which offers lifesaving support for patients whose lungs or heart are not working properly.

from the publisher

THE GIFT OF SERVICE

Recognizing those who strive to make a difference

Service is one of the most impactful and rewarding endeavors. My mother taught me about serving others at a very young age, and I have experienced a profound ful llment in the act of giving. When I am experiencing a low, I nd serving others brings not only perspective but lifts my spirits. It inspires me how many people in Tallahassee feel the same way. I have never known so many people collectively in one area wanting to help others and make a better future for us all.

Our sister publication, 850 Business Magazine, recognizes the impacts and accomplishments of women leaders and in uencers across Northwest Florida. These visionaries contribute to their communities as entrepreneurs, educators, volunteers, and di erence-makers throughout the regional, state, and national levels. Honorees are passionate about making a di erence in the lives of others and are motivated to elevate the members of the communities they serve.

This marks our 11th year in recognizing these trailblazing women, and I am honored to have built long-lasting relationships with most of them. Dozens of women have been recognized through the Pinnacle Awards program, and the cloth they are all cut from is apparent—the servant’s heart cloth.

Of the 12 women acknowledged this year, the 2025 class has six women from our Tallahassee community: Dr. Alma Littles, Dean of the Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine; Berneice Cox, President and CEO of the United Way of the Big Bend; Carol B. Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association; Carrie Zimmerman, USA Olympian and Co-Founder and Former CEO of The Zimmerman Agency; Tracey Cohen, President and CEO of Target Print & Mail; and this year’s Turnbull

Award Recipient, Summer Gri th, the Founder of Drip Drop Fitness.

I encourage you to read more about them by visiting 850businessmagazine. com/category/2024-pinnacle-awards.

Just like all the women making waves in our region, Dr. Alma Littles has been making impacts with her passion for advocating for quality health care in rural and underserved populations by empowering young people who want to pursue the medical profession. Her leadership in enhancing relationships and opportunities for the FSU College of Medicine is a signi cant milestone for the university and increases the community’s access to advanced health care.

Florida State and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) are partnering to address the region’s most pressing health needs by launching a new health care ecosystem across the region. Two new FSU Health facilities are underway. The rst is a state-of-the-art research and medical facility being built at TMH in Tallahassee performing “bench to bedside”

research for clinical use. In Panama City, FSU and TMH are partnering with The St. Joe Company to build a new FSU Health medical campus, with the rst ribbon cutting completed in December. I attended and saw rsthand the impressive campus that is now open.

I am proud of the foresight our community has and the progress made through collaboration and communication. When we share ideas, opportunities and solutions to our biggest issues can not only be found but can provide future enhancement to our quality of life. Seeing more and more of these multifaceted partnerships and collaborations gives me hope.

Thank you to all of our Pinnacle award recipients for the unseen and untold progress you are making every day.

Knowing these visionary women inspires me to do more, and I encourage you to nd ways to let your curiosity and passion lead you to join forces with others and serve those around you. You don’t have to receive a prestigious award to make a di erence in the world. I have found that most of our award recipients are hesitant to have public acknowledgment of their acts because each of them does what they feel needs to be done—the act alone is the reward. It can be as simple as serving the senior citizen who needs their grass mowed to providing a meal for a neighbor in need. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.”

Much love,

MCKENZIE BURLEIGH, PUBLISHER mburleigh@palmbeachmedia.com

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Getting Back to Enjoying ‘Paradise’

Complex Spine Surgery at TMH Helps Jack’s Quality of Life

by Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare

Asa native North Floridian, Howell “Jack” Smith always enjoyed nature and being outside. For 28 years, he was a Physician Assistant (PA) for the United States Army and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Jack had a passion for activity–he often spent his days biking, sailing or skiing with his friends before medically retiring.

Jack spends his time between Marianna, Florida and Highlands, North Carolina. He considers Highlands his “paradise” for hiking and gardening, which are his favorite hobbies in retirement.

“My favorite thing about gardening is watching the plants die and grow back to life, kind of like a resurrection,” shared Jack.

Pain Interrupts Passion

Over the last few years, Jack’s ‘paradise’ hobby had become more and more restricted due to his chronic neck pain.

Jack developed cervical myelopathy, a chronic condition that occurs when the spinal cord in the neck is compressed, resulting in problems with fine motor skills, pain or stiffness in the neck, loss of balance and trouble walking. His neck pain started in the early 1990’s, and he underwent three separate spine surgeries starting in the early 2000’s to help with his pain.

But none of his surgeries permanently cured his pain, and it started to affect his quality of life. By 2012, Jack could no longer participate in activities he loved, like biking, sailing and skiing. As a result, Jack’s groups of friends started to see him less, and he was starting to feel isolated. In 2014, Jack medically retired due to his neck pain and moved to Highlands, North Carolina.

His son, Ryan, noticed both the physical and mental toll Jack’s neck pain was taking on him.

“I started to see his quality of life decline significantly due to his chronic pain; he could no longer function normally,” shared Ryan. “He was very active, but those things started to dissolve overnight with the pain. On top of losing the things he enjoyed, the pain he experienced made life more challenging.”

A Growing Issue

In 2009, to help treat his myelopathy, Jack underwent a cervical laminoplasty, a procedure to relieve pressure on his spinal cord. The laminoplasty was successful and led to spinal diffusion, where the spinal cord spreads out in the widened spinal canal, but this resulted in limited movement. Jack developed a degenerative condition that affected the joint between his atlas and axis vertebrae in the neck – atlantoaxial osteoarthritis (AAOA) -- and a condition that affects the bones in the upper spine or neck under the base of the skull, atlantoaxial instability (AAI). Both his AAOA and AAI eroded Jack’s C1 and C2 vertebrae, causing extreme pain and chronic spinal instability, a condition where abnormal movement in the spine’s vertebrae occurs. This led to radiating pain and inflammation that compressed nerve roots in his spine.

When Jack turned his head slightly, an electric shock would go through his body. He limited his movement due to his fear of the pain, which got so bad over the next few years that Jack turned to pain management, which included medication.

Jack sought help for his pain from a specialist in Gainesville in April 2024. The specialists suggested an approach to help with the shock through his body, but it would still leave him with chronic pain and limit his ability to swallow and turn his head. He left the visit with the specialist feeling discouraged.

Finding a Solution at TMH

Shortly after his appointment, his son Ryan, the Chief Clinical Officer at TMH, met TMH’s newest spine surgeon, Griffin Baum, MD, MSc. Dr. Baum is a fellowship-trained, board-certified spine and neurosurgeon specializing in complex and revision spine surgery of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.

Ryan heard Dr. Baum was accepting new patients and quickly set up an appointment for his dad. From his first visit, Jack and Ryan knew Dr. Baum could help with the chronic pain, and Dr. Baum echoed that sentiment.

With the complications that arose from Jack’s previous surgeries, Dr. Baum knew the best approach would be to find a comprehensive solution to ensure Jack did not need any further surgeries.

“You wouldn’t give someone insulin to treat blood pressure –the diagnosis matters,” shared Dr. Baum.

Based on his previous scans and procedures, Dr. Baum knew the best approach would be to address the issues above and below the main problem, rebuilding and performing a multi-level fusion from Jack’s C1-T3 vertebrae. With the surgery date set, both Dr. Baum and Jack began preparing.

Dr. Baum fed Jack’s MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), CT (computed tomography) scans, and X-rays into UNiD™ ASI, an Artificial Intelligence algorithm that predicts how the body will react to help surgeons achieve goals and improve patient outcomes. This tool allowed Dr. Baum to simulate the surgery and design specialized implants made from cobalt chrome rods to match Jack’s post-surgery alignment.

During the surgery Dr. Baum executed his customized approach for Jack. He placed personalized spine implants, devices used to treat and stabilize the spine, and screws. He also completed bone grafting, a practice that transplants bone tissue to rebuild damaged bone in the spine, and inserted metal rods. Throughout the surgery, Dr. Baum used the O-arm surgical imaging system, an intraoperative 2D/3D imaging system designed to view vital structures and ensure implants are correctly placed during surgery, making the surgery more efficient.

After five hours in surgery, Jack was transferred to Vogter Neuro and Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for four nights while he recovered.

“Around the clock, the care was amazing – the nursing staff, physical therapists and physicians were all remarkable,” Ryan shared about Jack’s time in the ICU. “Dr. Baum provided his number to check with us throughout the weekend. The care coordination and communication of the ICU staff was truly incredible. We could not have asked for a better experience.”

Immediately after surgery, while still recovering in the hospital, Jack noticed the primary pain was already gone. After five days in the ICU, he was discharged. Jack spent six weeks recovering at his home in Marianna with Ryan’s help for the first few days.

“During this recovery, he was self-sufficient,” said Ryan. “I had to pull him back and say, ‘Don’t over-do it.’”

Now, Jack has fully recovered from his surgery.

“I went from laying on the floor crying to walking two to three miles at a time,” said Jack. “I’m living my life again.”

Getting Back to Paradise

Jack says he can enjoy paradise again by taking small hikes with his fiancée. He has been able to return to his garden and admire his favorite perennials without worrying about his pain. Jack believes God placed Dr. Baum in Tallahassee at the right moment so he could perform his surgery.

“Mr. Smith is a good example of the importance of seeking care from the right healthcare provider,” shared Dr. Baum. “If you have issues with blood vessels and blockage in your heart, you will see a cardiothoracic surgeon. When you have a complex spine problem and have had prior surgeries, you must see a person who has training in revision spine surgery.”

Could You Need Spine Surgery?

Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability and affects 30% of adults in the United States. While medication can help with the pain, it usually indicates an underlying issue with your spinal cord.

To learn more about spine surgery available at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, visit TMH.ORG/ComplexSpine.

Carrots from The Good Ground Farm

Braised short ribs on a bed of smoky polenta and a side baby kale salad. Sautéed mushrooms on sourdough toast with a perfectly fried pasture-raised egg. Shaved fennel salad with satsuma wedges and honey-balsamic vinaigrette topped with fresh chives. Is your mouth watering? Good. You may be surprised to know that all those meals were fully prepared with items found at the local Northeast Tallahassee farmers market.

Just off Thomasville Road, nestled in a large lot in front of Cornerstone Church, lies the Tallahassee Farmers Market. The setting is ideal: It is surrounded by tall trees— in true Tally fashion—but is right next to Northampton Shopping Center, so parking is abundant. On a typical Saturday, this parking lot is bustling with parents picking up their kids from dance class at Tallahassee Ballet, couples traipsing into Ology Northside for a drink, and college students heading into Red Elephant for a slice.

The market traces its roots to the 1930s when it was known as the Tallahassee Curb Market on Gaines Street. It became what is now known as the Tallahassee Farmers Market back in 1978 when it moved to the pavilion at Market Square. It has been at its current home since 2019.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

←↙ Fresh and pickled produce from K&K Farms. → Sourdough bread from Rocky Soil Family Farm. “We have about 32vendors, though some may not be here at the same time, depending on the season,” says Scott McAnally of Lucky Dog Farm, who serves as the market’s board president.

The market is open year-round and takes place every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. It is entirely volunteer run, with its own purveyors sitting on the board. They often host cooking demos, a children’s story time, and other special events. The vibe is friendly, and the sellers take pride in their products and enjoy talking about their processes.

“We have about 32 vendors, though some may not be here at the same time, depending on the season,” says Scott McAnally of Lucky Dog Farm, who serves as the market’s board president. “There’s nothing of scale here—it’s mostly family farms. This is as local as it gets.”

PARADISE FOUND FARMS is owned by Kelly and Chris Cogswell. What started as a half-acre backyard homestead has become a thriving farm on more than eight acres. They sell chicken and turkey as well as pasture-raised eggs. Chris touts the eggs as their bestseller, with whole chicken as their second. Their egg sales are all done through preorders on their website. They get their day-old chicks from a hatchery in Valdosta. From there, the chickens live a happy life where they graze on fresh grass and eat non-GMO feed. All their chickens are then processed and packaged by hand to ensure humane treatment from beginning to end. They believe their practices make for happy birds and the most nutritious food.

ROCKY SOIL FAMILY FARM is a market farm located in Monticello selling fresh produce as well as homebaked sourdough and their very own grits, cornmeal, polenta, and corn flour. They began milling their own products from 100 percent heirloom corn in 2024, but Kiona and Chris Wagner have owned their farm since 2019. Kiona reports that their top sellers are their fresh sourdough and carrots. Along with the farmers market, you can find Rocky Soil products at the Community Co-op Market, online through Red Hills Online Market, and at local restaurants.

PLAY OF SUNLIGHT MUSHROOMS was started back in 2016 by FSU College of Music grad Josh Saul. He joined forces with Kyle Jackson during the pandemic and expanded the company to what is now one of the largest specialty mushroom farms in the Southeast. They produce black pearl, blue, gold, and phoenix oyster mushrooms, as well as chestnut, coral tooth, lion’s mane, and Pioppino out of their indoor mushroom farm here in Tallahassee. They also make mushroom powders and seasonings. They recommend storing mushrooms in the fridge in a paper bag versus a Ziploc to avoid trapping too much moisture.

Michaela Teasley began brewing kombucha in her home as a way to combat her gastritis, asthma, and brain fog. After seeing the benefits firsthand, she founded Tally Kombucha in 2016. Along with kombucha, which changes seasonally, she also makes “bucha rollups” (an alternative to processed sugary fruit snacks made with fresh fruit and kombucha) and vegan elderberry syrup, which is one of her bestsellers. You can find Tally Kombucha at various specialty stores around Tallahassee. There is also a tasting room off Apalachee Parkway that is open to the community on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

TALLY KOMBUCHA owner

↑→ The market offers regional produce, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and eggs, local honey, sourdough, kombucha, and even fresh oysters. Pictured above: Chris and Kelly Cogswell from Paradise Found Farms. Pictured right: Florida Georgia Citrus out of Monticello.

The market offers regional produce, grass-fed beef, pastureraised chicken and eggs, local honey, specialty jams, regional citrus, locally produced pork, sourdough, kombucha, and even fresh oysters. With such variety, you can truly get everything on your grocery list. There are also some pre-made items available, if you feel like phoning in a dinner while still benefiting from fresh, local products.

McAnally endorses the first week in May and the first week in November as the best times to be at the market, as they coincide with the first crop of the spring and fall growing seasons, respectively. The market capitalizes on the peak crops by hosting family-friendly spring and fall festivals.

You can find a full list of vendors as well as info about upcoming events through theTallahassee Farmers Market website (tallahasseefarmersmarket.com). You can also follow them on social media (@tallahasseefarmersmarket) and find participating vendors on their websites as well as on social. Give them a follow and see where your food comes from. TM

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

Strolling Through the Past

Stephanie Chandler’s walking tours take locals and visitors on a journey through Tallahassee’s rich—and haunted—past

by PAIGE BOWERS

As a child, Stephanie Chandler never groaned in disgust when her parents booked family vacations at historical sites. As far as she was concerned, stories about Revolutionaryera Boston, Amish Country, and other locales held as many exciting twists and turns as the average theme park rollercoaster. Now, as founder of Storied Paths, a historical walking tours business,

Chandler shares riveting stories about Tallahassee’s little-known past with locals and touristsalike.

“I think what resonates with people is when a building that they pass by all the time and don’t know anything about suddenly comes alive,” Chandler says. “So, when you connect the daily and mundane to something new and exciting, that’s what people like. I have

a lot of people at the end of my tours telling me, ‘Oh gosh, I’ll never drive through here and look at that building the same way again,’ or, ‘I’ll be sure to keep looking for that ghost,’ and things like that. When we hear stories like these and make connections with other people or places, then they suddenly become important to us, and we want to take care of them.”

PERSONALITY

↖ Stephanie Chandler’s aim is to teach history to people in a way that’s fun, accessible, and interesting through her Storied Paths tours in Tallahassee.

Chandler credits her parents for giving her a passion for the past. Chandler spent the first decade of her life in Michigan, before her parents moved her and her younger sister to the Jupiter area for high school. After graduation, Chandler pursued a bachelor’s degree in religion at Florida State University because she was curious about the interplay between cultures and faith. Degree in hand, she returned to Jupiter to work at Burt Reynolds’ Backstage Restaurant. It was fun at first, she says, and very fastpaced, but it was no place to indulge her growing interest in apocalyptic movements and millennialism. She returned to FSU earning a master’s degree and completing doctoral coursework. However, once she married and became a mother of two, she noticed that her interests began tochange.

“I completed the doctoral program but chose not to finish my dissertation,”

she says of her decision to stay at home with her children. “I know a lot of women can make that work, but it was too much for me. I thought I would go back and finish at some point, but I had been doing all this work in ancient history and on ancient groups and found that I was becoming more interested in Americanhistory.”

Life doesn’t always work out the way you think it will, she says. But she has no regrets about the way things have unfolded for her. As her children became teenagers, Chandler began thinking about what her own next steps might be, the closer she got to emptynesterdom. During the height of the COVID pandemic, Chandler reflected

on her longstanding love of history tours and realized that Tallahassee had plenty of overlooked history worth sharing. She had put together informal trips for friends who had visited her over the years (“I put stuff together because I’m kind of a nerd, and that’s okay,” she laughs), so she had the framework there for something more formal. She just needed a little bit ofencouragement.

“Our backyard became the gathering place for some of our friends during the pandemic,” she recalls. “We’d sit around the fire pit, six feet apart, talking about how life was going and wondering when things would get back to normal again. There we were around the fire pit, and I asked, ‘What about a ghost tour in Tallahassee? We don’t have one, and I really miss that.’ My friends got really excited about it, and it made me want to move in thatdirection.”

↓

Chandler heads toward The Knott House on Park Avenue, one of the stops on her historic district homes tour.

And move she did. In December 2022, she approached the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority about her ghost tour idea, and they were so enthusiastic about it, they asked her whether she could start the very next day. Chandler wasn’t quite ready yet. She researched starting a business of her own and gave her

first tour as founder of Storied Paths in February 2023. Chandler began with three different types of tours: Ghosts and Grim Tales, Tallahassee Black History, and Historic District Homes—and added a Downtown Tallahassee Food Tour in February 2025. But she says more offerings are on the horizon.

↑ Standing at the gravesite of Elizabeth “Bessie” Budd-Graham (aka “TheTallahassee Witch”) in the Old City Cemetery, Chandler explains how visitors, to this day, will leave trinkets and other offerings in honor of the woman who died in 1889 at the age of 23.

“I feel like our history has not gotten the recognition that it deserves, and the importance of Florida in American history has often been overlooked,” she says. “There are just so many characters in Florida history.”

Tallahassee began as a pretty rough town, she says, so it’s likely she’ll tell you a story or two about duels on one of her tours. Chandler loves a good duel story or a haunted tale, like the one about the ghosts of Westcott Fountain at FSU. The fountain rests on ground where the town’s most notorious criminals were hung in the 1830s.

“That story isn’t on the FSU tour, so it’s a fun one to tell to kind of shock people,” she says, with no shortage of delight. “Probably the scariest ghost story I tell is about the student who was struck by lightning at Cawthon Hall. The campus rumor is that on a stormy night, she’ll show up at your window, screaming to be let in.”

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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Creating a New You

Not all her stories are this chilling. Chandler loves delving into the city’s civil rights history. One of her favorite tales is about Florida A&M students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson, who started a local bus boycott in 1956.

“Frankly, Tallahassee had a very deep civil rights movement, and yet we don’t do a lot as a city to celebrate it or tell those stories,” she says. “I mean, why don’t we have a Civil Rights Museum here? We’re a state capital, and so much legislation came through here.”

It’s a valid question. And, as Chandler’s business continues to grow, she hopes to partner with area history students for help in expanding her repertoire and the types of tours she gives. Little by little, she’s making her mark.

“What I’m really trying to do is just teach history in a way that’s fun and accessible and not intimidating,” she says. “Because I really do think, at our core, we all want to feel like we are connected to something that’s bigger and deeper.”

Alfredo A. Paredes Jr., M.D.

Harper, M.D., FACS

M. Rawlings, M.D., FACS

↑ Looking down College Avenue to the hilltop in the distance, Chandler talks about Westcott Fountain at FSU, located on the original public execution grounds known as Gallows Hill in Territorial Period Tallahassee. Claims of ghostly apparitions, strange sounds, and other paranormal activity are reported frequently around the fountain and in the Westcott Building.

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

One woman’s journey to protect children and help survivors thrive after childhood sexual abuse

by KELLEY MARCELLUS

Fifteen hundred miles is a long way to walk, but you don’t need to tell Lauren Book that. She’s planning to spend the month of April traveling across the state of Florida on foot. And she’s been doing it for a decade.

Book is a former state senator representing parts of Broward County. She was the Senate minority leader from 2016 until last year and hopes to return to the state senate in the future. She’s a wife, mom of 8-year-old twins, and founder and CEO of the nonprofit Lauren’s Kids. She’s also a survivor—“a thriver,” she corrects—of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted adult. She launched Walk in My Shoes in 2014 to raise awareness, help protect children, and support her fellow thrivers.

The best part about the endeavor, she says, is that she’s not alone.

“We have people come from all over—Texas, Ohio, even France—to be a part of it, so that their child can feel what it is to be a thriving survivor,” Book explains.

“We always end in Tallahassee because that is where true change takes place, where you can make legislative differences, where you can truly make the world a differentplace.”

Lauren Book

CHAMPION

↖ Former state senator Lauren Book launched Walk in My Shoes in 2014 to raise awareness, help protect children, and support her fellow thrivers.

in Tallahassee during her statewide Walk in My Shoes monthlong event in 2024. Local

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. Walk in My Shoes kicks off with opening ceremonies in Key West on April 1, and Book and fellow participants begin walking the next day.

“We are going to walk every day until [April] 30, all day every day,” she says.

“It’s very, very intense.”

Book uses the collective pronoun to describe walk participants, but in fact, she’s the only one who completes the entirety of the journey. “Walking 1,500miles across the state of Florida is kind of crazy,” Book says, adding that if she had anticipated repeating the walk every year for a decade “I might have done a Segway or something.”

Book covers up to 25 miles a day and does some strength training to prepare. She forgoes pedicures in advance as calluses help protect her feet from blistering, and she often damages or loses toenails along the way. She invests in quality socks and multiples of her favorite athletic shoes, which she stores in a freezer when they’re not in use to slow their breakdown on the hot asphalt. “I’ve really gotten the particulars down to a science.”

This year, walk participants will wear friendship bracelets representing a specific child or advocacy group. Book plans to wear bracelets to represent the overall Florida initiative and looks forward to trading bracelets along the way.

Walk in My Shoes has stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Parkland, Sunrise, Naples, Sarasota, Lakeland, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, The Villages, Orlando, Ocala, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Panama City, Fort Walton, and Marianna before concluding with great fanfare in Tallahassee on April 30. She aims for an early afternoon arrival, though the exact time is hard topredict.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

←→

Book

walk participants included state representative Allison Tant (top right) and a group from Pace Center for Girls (red shirts), among many others.

Pictured left to right: JD Huggins, Associate Vice President/Investments; Linda S. Winders, retired as of 12/31/24; Stephen C. Huggins, Senior Vice President/Investments, Branch Manager; and C. Blair Huggins, Vice President/Investments

2024,

“We walk the final mile up Apalachee Parkway and end in front of the historic Old Capitol,” Book says. “We always end in Tallahassee because that is where true change takes place, where you can make legislative differences, where you can truly make the world a different place.”

The last mile is a literal uphill climb, which is an exhausting task after the month-long journey. It’s also true for the figurative, acknowledging the challenge of bringing healing to those who’ve faced childhood sexual abuse. According to Lauren’s Kids nonprofit, in the U.S., more than 42 million people have experienced childhood sexual abuse—that’s one in three girls and one in five boys before their eighteenth birthday. Book was part of that statistic. Her seven years of abuse began when she was 10 years old at the hands of a nanny. “I can’t tell you how upset I get when I hear ‘stranger danger,’” she says. “[Most often] it’s not somebody who jumps out from behind a trash can. It’s somebody that those children know, love, and trust.”

Book’s abuser was eventually prosecuted and is serving a jail sentence, which was just a small part of her healing journey. Her nonprofit and advocacy work, development of Safer, Smarter Kids—a school curriculum to help protect and empower kids—and legislative role all play a part. So does the camaraderie she shares with those who have been touched by abuse and join her in her advocacy journey.

“I look forward to being with all those young kids,” Book says. “It’s a special thing to become part of the fabric of these different communities.” TM

↗ Book speaking to a classroom of children in

as part of her initiative, Safer, Smarter Kids—a school curriculum to help protect and empower kids.

OUR AESTHETIC SERVICES CAN HELP YOU SOAK UP THE SUMMER WITH RADIANT SKIN.

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MAR/APR 2025

REGARDING MATTERS OF ALL THINGS STYLISH

↗ Dan Taylor has been president of the LeMoyne Arts Association; president and board member of Big Bend Cares which supports HIV and other services with its Artopia Auction; and board member and past chairman of COCA, an arts support entity, among many other community service organizations.

CITIZEN OF

Dan Taylor’s journey to becoming a self-taught artist and advocate by MARINA

BROWN

There’s always a certain anticipation when Dan Taylor is spied from behind at one of the art exhibitions, symphony performances, community volunteer galas … or simply walking in the park. And why is that? It is probably because you’re guessing: “Which one of the over 100 pairs of whimsical eyeglasses will he be wearingtoday?”

It could also be that even short interactions with Taylor are likely to bring a burst of joie de vivre that the 61-year-old carries with him in his way of dressing, his brilliant art avocation, and in those delightfully playfulspectacles.

Dan Taylor’s life and his personal style are living evidence that you are what you want to be—maybe not conventional, but that is just fine.

Some in Tallahassee know Taylor as the long-time IT consultant with the Florida Department of Children and Families, where he’s been since 2001. Yet most others recognize him as not only a creative visual artist, but also as a committed volunteer to dozens of arts and charitable organizations. Art, however, was not the path Dan Taylor seemed headedfor.

“I was born in a small town in Illinois,” he says. “There was some music in our house, but art was not part of my growing up.” Instead, after a year at college where, he says, “I was struggling with the death of my brother and my own sexuality,” he dropped out and abruptly joined the Marine Corps. “My father said, ‘Youwhat?’”

Taylor did well in the Marines, while not “seeing the world” as he’d expected, he did become an expert in computer communications. But, he says, he was a “loner,” and after six years in the Corps decided, “I needed to have a life.” In the civilian world, he worked in Washington, D.C., Texas, Jacksonville, and eventually cycled to Tallahassee. Art had not yet entered his life, but

his life partner, TonyArcher, had.

This year, the couple will have been together for 23 years.

But art? Taylor says to chalk it up to quitting smoking. “I needed something to do with my hands.”

He had enjoyed making “sculptural” arrangements with copper tubes in his

front yard, but he decided if he could do it with pipes, why not try oils? And with a neophyte’s enthusiasm, he laid in supplies of oil paint. Taylor already was passionate about color, but he soon realized that acrylics were quicker to dry and held onto the color he was laying down in thickpatches.

“I always loved abstract art, and that is how mine has evolved.”

Self-taught with a few online videos for technique, he now is represented by Venvi Gallery in Tallahassee, has had solo shows at LeMoyne Arts, and shown at restaurants Sage and Il Lusso, and the Hotel Duval. But with a personality that vibrates with confidence and humility, Taylor offered himself up as a supporter of art in general. He has been president of the LeMoyne

↑ Taylor's paintings: Hope Blooms and Ancient Garden (top) ← Taylor with cat, Kevin, wearing a velvet blazer by Banana Republic and red velvet shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo. Opposite page: Cream linen suit by Banana Republic and red tongue sneakers by Jean Lanvin. Big painting beside piano is by artist John Lytle Wilson who is in Birmingham now but got his MFA at FSU.

Arts Association; president and board member of Big Bend Cares which supports HIV and other services with its Artopia Auction; and board member and past chairman of COCA, an arts support entity, among many other community serviceorganizations.

And what does one wear to the meetings and galas that an arts creator and devotee must attend? Taylor laughs as he points to “my Jimmy Choo python skin loafers, my cow-hair leopard-printed sneakers, or maybe my floral printed slacks? Or if it’s formal, I’ll definitely have a blazer, maybe pin-striped, or perhaps something in velvet or lamé.” He also says the pearl necklace he took to wearing a few years ago has become a “trademark” by which people recognizehim.

At home, surrounded with eclectically curated cow-hide chairs, an Isamu Noguchi coffee table, and a cherished 200-year-old chest, Taylor’s abstract art fits in perfectly. “I still paint in my garage, but I find plenty of time for the Broadway musicals that come through and a little pickleball, too,” he says.

Currently, though, the bit of art he is most proud of is a tiny tattoo— his first—peeking out on his wrist. “My mother died recently, and it represents the little faux tattoos the family would all put on when we got together in the summers. This one is permanent, though.”

And it goes with everything. TM

↗ Taylor at home in his garage studio wearing jeans by AG, shirt by Faherty, and cowhair shoes by

Cavalli. → About his wrist tattoo: “Mymother died recently, and it represents the little faux tattoos the family would all put on when we got together in the summers. This one is permanent though.”

Roberto

Brooch $15, earrings $14, sunglasses $12

Painterly patterned dress $65

FASHION

RETRO REVIVED

With vintage shopping, something old can become something new

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

Aworn-in leather motorcycle cut complete with patches from the original wearer. Distressed denim Levi cutoffs that were a part of someone’s best summer days. A slinky, sweeping designer gown worn to many fabulous fêtes. Shopping and wearing vintage gives clothing a continual life cycle and with each wearer a new purpose.

When you think of the chicest fashionista or most dapper dude you know, it’s likely because their style stands out. They don’t look like everyone else. They don’t concern themselves with trends. They wear what they like, and often it ends up being vintage.

In a world where we rely on social media to tell us what to wear and how to wear it, and most of our shopping is done online, shopping vintage sparks a creativity with clothing that’s often missing. All the scrolling numbs us, where sifting and sorting through racks and stacks for a unique piece is reinvigorating.

In a town that caters to everyone from the college student to the retiree, the thrift stores prosper with a delightful selection of wardrobe treasures. Speaking with three of Tallahassee’s most prized vintage shops, all of which have been in business for 15 or more years, we learned why shopping at local vintage stores will never go out of style.

AVANT GARB

As many creative souls are, Heather Wade, owner of Avant Garb, was a teenager inspired by her art teacher. Outside of the classroom, that teacher owned a vintage shop that Wade would help in, gaining skills like recognizing value in vintage wares and how to run a business.

Years later, in 2006, Wade opened her own vintage shop modeled after her art teacher’s store.

“Avant Garb is a labor of love and isn’t just another business; it’s a creative outlet,” says Wade. “While we keep the same general aesthetic, it’s also fun to mix in the ever-changing and rotating products and styles.”

Wade searches both locally and globally for pieces for the shop, but some of her favorite surprises come from customers who sell to her store.

“It’s always interesting to meet the people who are selling their mom’s or grandma’s items. Many are sentimental, and I am honored that they trust me to find good homes for their cherished belongings,” says Wade.

Wade delights when entire collections are sold to her store, especially antique items such as 1920s dresses or 1950s intricately beaded sweaters. A whimsical collection of poofy crinoline skirts in a rainbow of hues remains one of her favorite scores to this day.

When shopping, Wade encourages customers to take note of the fabric, as many older fabrics are not machine washable. Even still, she states that fabrics from past decades tend to stand the test of time.

Through the years, she’s noted that customers’ most coveted search is always for the perfect pair of denim. Vintage jewelry is continuously sought by buyers. Inspired by the uniqueness and craftmanship of vintage jewelry and accessories, Wade handmakes and sells her own line in-store.

For Wade, vintage shopping is an art form and the customer, the canvas.

goosebumps. Get it!”

Walker and her team of pickers scour estate sales, garage sales, church sales, and walk-in stores all over the world to bring unique items to the Tallahassee market.

Walker has found that her customers tend to gravitate toward clothing, furniture, art, and music. Where she encourages people to indulge their own creativities, she also enjoys helping customers conceptualize an outfit.

“I enjoy finding pieces from different genres and putting them together,” says

Walker. “A gothic distressed T-shirt with a classic vintage blazer, funky colorful vintage skirt, and platform or Western boots. Throw on all the accessories that bring you joy, and go meet a friend for coffee.”

A tip Walker shares when it comes to vintage clothing shopping: measure yourself. In vintage clothing, the label may read a size 12 while it fits like a modern size 6. Knowing your own measurements can ensure you don’t miss out on an exceptional piece because sizes vary by designer and decade.

“Everything we do at The Other Side Vintage is to curate unique, funky, and classic pieces for your home and wardrobe, all in a fun atmosphere at the Art Park,” says Walker.

Dr. Martens platform boots $110, wide leg pants $40

Graphic T $22, sunglasses $14

Plaid blazer with bows and buttons $30

OUTFIT STYLED BY EMILY CHAPIRO OF THE OTHER SIDE VINTAGE

Fringe leather bag

$58

DIVAS & DEVILS HOUSE OF STYLE

While Michelle Torregrosa, owner of Divas & Devils House of Style, undoubtedly has an affinity for the curated pieces she welcomes into her store, she might show even more interest in the customers who walk through thedoor.

To her, clothing wouldn’t be much without the stories of those who woreit.

“Vintage shopping is more than just buying an article of clothing; it’s purchasing a piece of history, a piece that’s had an entire lifetime before,” says Torregrosa.

Torregrosa’s favorite part of owning a clothing store that sells vintage is to be able to style a customer and watch

them leave with clothing that has been revived with new life.

Customers may come in to casually browse, but Torregrosa finds that most people have a purpose when they shop. Very much attuned to her inventory, Torregrosa delights in helping a customer find exactly what they are looking for.

↗ “Vintage shopping is more than just buying an article of clothing; it’s purchasing a piece of history, a piece that’s had an entire lifetime before,” saidTorregrosa. Her vintage fashion collection includes a large selection of Guchi accessories.

OUTFIT STYLED BY MICHELLE

TORREGROSA OF DIVAS & DEVILS HOUSE OF STYLE

She’s helped everyone from a 16-year-old seeking the perfect prom dress to a congresswoman in the market for a striking pantsuit to a grandmother wanting to look her best for her grandchild’s wedding.

SUSTAINABILITY IS ALWAYS IN STYLE

For almost 30 years, Torregrosa has owned this gem of a store that merges vintage, new, high-end, upcycled, and even no-name brands. Her knowledge of clothing is vast, but her dedication to vintage has been woven into her since childhood, searching flea markets in Miami with her grandmother.

“People tend to fear shopping vintage because they don’t think they can pull it off, or they don’t want to do something that could be seen as different,” says Torregrosa. “Our mission is to make vintage accessible and approachable to everyone. With an open mind, you’ll see that your favorite clothing, the pieces everyone asks you about, are going to end up being vintage.” TM

1300 N. Monroe Street

Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m

The fashion industry has been criticized for its impact on the environment, largely due to textile waste and pollution. Every year, millions of tons of textiles are sent to landfills. By vintage shopping or thrifting, you are repurposing those pre-loved items and reducing the demand for new clothing. As our demand for the latest and greatest increases, the quality of our clothing diminishes. Ever notice how pieces from 20 or more years ago hold up better than many of the “new” items in your closet? While treating yourself to a new item isn’t discouraged, it helps to ensure it’s a staple piece that is composed of high-quality materials. For your next outfit, consider shoppingvintage. —R.P.F.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

Frye boots $350, kimono $130, Wrangler shorts $98

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TRENDS

Eastern Edge

Style nods from the Far East result in red-hot fashions

by KATHERINE LANDE

➸ NICE STEMS Strappy 100mm pumps with a crepe satin flower ($3,895). Christian Louboutin us.christianlouboutin.com

➸ BEAD IT Beaded fringe wristlet ($1,098). Tory Burch toryburch.com

BOTTEGA VENETA PRE-SPRING 2025 Craftsmanship plus quality materials equal the ultimate luxe look.

➸ BASKET WEAVE Earrings with garnet, pink sapphires, diamonds, and bamboo set in 18-karat gold ($11,000). Silvia Furmanovich marissacollections.com

KNOCK ON WOOD Bamboo necklace ($2,600). gucci.com

STYLE

NOTES SWAYED AWAY

Add sartorial air with a full-on fringe handbag. BRANCH OUT

Bamboo accents are a timeless touch to the trend.

FORTUNE COOKIE Red owers symbolize luck, prosperity, and joy.

➸ FRINGE BENEFITS Nolita fringe bag (price upon request). Dior dior.com

➸ RED ALERT Valentino Garavani Foliefoliage pumps ($1,290), Valentino valentino.com

➸ GARDEN STATE Ai small top-handle tote ($1,990). Akris akris.com

➸ CURVE APPEAL Sneak-Elyse sandals ($720). Stella McCartney stellamccartney.com

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destinations

NOTEWORTHY

VOYAGE of DISCOVERY

Sail the Galápagos Islands in style aboard superyacht Aqua Mare by

PAUL RUBIO

Even in an era when travel enthusiasts are constantly seeking out the next “it” destination, a voyage to the remote Galápagos Islands remains a quintessential rite of passage for world explorers. Situated in the Paci c Ocean more than 500 nautical miles west of Ecuador, this ecologically diverse and visually stunning archipelago of 13 large volcanic islands and 42 islets serves as a living museum of natural history. It’s an awe-inspiring, alien landscape where plants and animals have evolved over millions of years, both before and alongside humanity. The surrounding waters teem with marine life of all sizes, telling their own tales of natural selection. While the inherent allure of the Galápagos lies in its natural splendor, the experience is further elevated by Aqua Mare, a 50-meter, 16-passenger Italian superyacht now navigating the iconic sights and wildlife-rich environs of this bucket-list destination.

Aqua Mare stands out among the new wave of luxury cruises in the Galápagos, setting the bar for expedition-ship elegance.

It’s the latest plot point by award-winning out t Aqua Expeditions, which has already made waves through the Amazon, Mekong, and Indonesia with its one-of-a-kind itineraries and collection of tricked-out water toys. Aqua’s newest yacht features seven Francois Zuretti-designed suites and an array of walnut-paneled common areas, from a living room-style panoramic lounge on Deck 3 to a formal dining room below. The fourth and top deck is replete with premium outdoor amenities, including a Jacuzzi, a tness area, a barbecue grill, sun loungers, and more, complemented by an alfresco seating area at the aft on three where most meals areenjoyed.

Embarking on sevennight voyages weekly, Aqua Mare presents action-packed days exploring the diverse species and landscapes that

captivated Charles Darwin and cemented the archipelago as one of Earth’s greatest wonders. Each hour is a sensory feast, with multiple stops spanning di erent islands and the breathtaking marine worlds in between.

On a recent East Galápagos Expedition Cruise aboard Aqua Mare, I was privy to a new echelon of such wonders. (This was my fourth visit to the Galápagos Islands, a testament to their enduring magic.)

↑ Sublime scenes from the Aqua Mare superyacht, clockwise from above (this page only): aerial view of the ship at sea; the breezy seating area at the aft where most meals are shared; the comfy and cozy panoramic lounge; a premium cabin suite.

Early in the trip, I deemed our day on Genovesa Island unbeatable. During two separate hikes—one in the morning along Darwin Bay and another in the afternoon on the cli s of El Barranco—we wandered among red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, great frigate birds, and short-eared owls, all at close range. Genovesa lived up to its “Bird Island” nickname, with thousands of fearless, feathered residents at every turn. However, later in the voyage, Española Island surpassed the birding bliss of Genovesa, with colonies of waved Galápagos albatrosses courting, cavorting, and taking o from the cli s of PuntaSuárez.

A mid-morning snorkel at Santiago Island provided more pinch-me moments, with penguins darting through the water

past whitetip reef sharks, schools of tropical sh, and playful sea lion pups. This adventure fell on a day packed with four— yes, four—activities, starting with an early morning hike across the craggy, lava-hewn coastline of Sullivan Bay, followed by another deep-water snorkel and a cli side zodiac ride to observe penguins and sea lions on solid ground. Even on my repeat visit to Bartolomé Island, I savored every moment

en route to the summit, less focused on capturing perfect photos and more enthralled by the geological majesty of Pinnacle Rock, the symbol of theGalápagos.

These were just a few standouts from a week brimming with them, and I can only imagine Aqua Mare’s west itinerary is equally riveting. (It is possible to combine both the east and west journeys for a 14-day sojourn.) Every sailing

promises unparalleled encounters with the Galápagos’ diverse wildlife and surreal natural formations—plus fabulous photos to prove it. At all times, Mare’s team of naturalists guides guests through the greatest hits in island biogeography, ensuring an enrichingexperience.

Aqua Mare accents daily excursions with exceptional meals that introduce passengers to Ecuadorian cuisine and the gastronomy of neighboring Peru, with items curated by celebrity chef Pedro Miguel Schia no. Breakfasts unfold as familystyle feasts, featuring familiar favorites like crepes, wa es, and eggs alongside regional delights like humitas (steamed corn cakes), yuca bread, tree tomato juice, and local Islander Co ee (roasted on Santa Cruz Island). Highlights from the multicourse

lunches and dinners on my voyage included tangy ceviche with day-caught scorpion sh, grilled Galápagos lobster, and sh maito (prepared in banana leaves with peppers and onions). A dedicated pastry chef crafts two decadent desserts daily, both of which are worth saving room for. Su ce to say, you’ll never go hungry on Aqua Mare and may nd yourself seeking out Ecuadorian fare once back home.

Between excursions and meals, Aqua Mare’s meticulously planned itineraries facilitate a maximum Galápagos experience. However, there’s no harm in taking a breather, balancing active pursuits with leisurely ones. I skipped two snorkeling trips to enjoy serene moments on the yacht’s top deck, drink in hand, watching boobies dive for food and marveling at the dramatic

To learn more and to book your cruise, visit: aquaexpeditions.com/destinations/galapagos-cruise

Clockwise from top left: The east itinerary includes a hike to Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, kayaking at Genovesa Island, combing the shoreline for sea lions, and bird-watching on Genovesa and Española islands, home to short-eared owls and waved albatrosses.

landscapes around me. I also passed on a scheduled cooking class for more time alone in my thoughts. It was then, while tempering my type-A tendencies and re ecting on the Galápagos’ splendor, that I was able to grasp and appreciate the true essence of Aqua Mare: The ship opens one of Earth’s greatest destinations to a new generation of travelers seeking a harmonious blend of nature and luxury, allowing them to experience the best of both worlds at their own pace. TM

PHOTOS BY PAUL RUBIO (PINNACLE ROCK, OWL, ALBATROSSES) AND COURTESY OF AQUA EXPEDITIONS (KAYAKING, SEA LION)

↖

Apalachicola . Carrabelle . Eastpoint . St. George Island . Alligator Point

Florida’s Forgotten Coast

Embrace the Pace this Spring

MARCH

Plein Air Paintout

Carrabelle Culture Crawl

Apalachicola Chef Sampler

APRIL

Carrabelle Riverfront Festival

Estuaries Day

Monthly Full Moon Lighthouse Climbs

Complete event list online at www.Floridasforgottencoast.com/fc

Plan a weekend trip to Franklin County this spring and embrace the pace along the Forgotten Coast. Come hike a wooded trail, stroll a deserted beach, book a spring fishing trip or enjoy a hometown festival. Make plans now for a weekend getaway to Apalachicola, Carrabelle and our other coastal communities to enjoy quiet, pet-friendly beaches, local events, historic landmarks and fresh local seafood.

TAKE A STEP BACK IN TIME TO THE RANEY HOUSE MUSEUM

Located in downtown Apalachicola, the Raney House Museum is an example of architecture and the interpretation of life in Pre-Civil War Florida. Apalachicola was one of the ports along the Gulf which shipped cotton, grown upriver, along with Mobile and New Orleans when “Cotton was King.” The Raney House Museum is operated by the Apalachicola Area Historical Society, and admission is free, but door donations are accepted.

LET’S CAMP AT THE BEACH!

Many visitors think of the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park as just a secluded beach perfect for a quiet weekend stroll. However, this 1,962-acre park offers a full facility family campground featuring 60 campsites, a playground, electricity, water hookups, and dump station nearby. Two buildings provide hot showers and restrooms. Two primitive campsites can be accessed by a 2.5-mile trail or by canoe or kayak. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.

VISIT THE LOCAL BREWERIES FOR LOCALLY INSPIRED BREWS

Enjoy excellent craft beers brewed on-site from two local breweries, Apalachicola’s Watercraft Brewing Company and the Eastpoint Brewery. Watercraft Brewing is located in the heart of Apalachicola’s historic downtown district. And in Eastpoint, the Eastpoint Brewery sits perched overlooking St. George Sound where you can watch the commercial fishing boats slide by on their way to the dock.

RALPH G. KENDRICK DWARF CYPRESS BOARDWALK

If you’re looking for a unique outdoor adventure, the Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk in the Tate’s Hell State Forest is worth the trouble to find to experience one of Florida’s most unusual natural wonders: a dwarf cypress swamp featuring 150-year-old ancient cypress trees no taller than 15 feet. The boardwalk to the cypress swamp is located less than 10 miles from several of Franklin County’s commercial RV and campgrounds as well as close to state and federal camping areas within the state and nearby federal forest lands.

TATE’S HELL IS HEAVEN

Tate’s Hell State Forest offers a variety of recreation activities for the outdoor enthusiast. There are 35 miles of rivers, streams, and creeks available for canoeing, boating, and fishing. A concrete boat launch is located at Cash Creek, with additional launch sites available at locations throughout the forest. Fishing requires a valid license and is regulated under the direction of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Picnicking at one of the many day-use areas is a popular activity on the forest.

Visit floridasforgottencoast.com/fc for more outdoor spring adventures.

gastro&gusto

MAR/APR 2025

FROM THE SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE TO THE PI È CE DE R É SISTANCE

TASTEMAKERS

SWEET SUCCESS

A drive for reinvention and engagement has turned local rainmaker Greg Cohen into a vintage candy guru with global appeal → by

KELLEY MARCELLUS

DINING OUT Zaan Indian Cuisine || LIBATIONS Honey Cocktails

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

If the guy making Victorian-style hard candy on your social media channel looks familiar, your eyes aren’t fooling you. Greg Cohen, owner and mastermind behind Lofty Pursuits—an ever-evolving Market Street retail shop—has become something of a sensation with nearly 600,000 subscribers to the YouTube channel, where he leads viewers down a rabbit hole where history, science, and inventionintersect.

The “citizen scientist and candymaker” (as his business card reads) directs, narrates, and often stars in videos, manipulating molten sugar on equipment that dates from the 1880s, using top-notch flavorings and nearly lost-to-historytechniques.

“Mass manufacturers can’t do what we do,” Cohen says brazenly. “They’re working on tiny margins, and I’m using the best quality ingredients I can find and making it all by hand.”

His busiest season is Christmas when his staff is inundated with orders for handmade candy canes flavored with high-quality peppermint oil that costs Cohen $130 a pint, while bigger operations settle for oil that goes for $6 a pint.

“It means I’m charging more for hard candy than anyone ever has in the history of mankind,” Cohen blusters, though his website has candies starting at $5.99 for 2.75-ounce package and $7.99 for two individually packaged candy canes. He believes that the taste of his confections is worth the price.

Spring brings a plethora of fruit in the constantly evolving lineup

↖ The “citizen scientist and candymaker” (as his business card reads) directs, narrates, and often stars in videos, manipulating molten sugar on equipment that dates from the 1880s, using top-notch flavorings and nearly lost-to-historytechniques. ↓ High-quality ingredients, such as peppermint oil and other flavors, give Cohen’s candies a flavor edge.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

of flavors that include strawberry, citrus, watermelon, cherry, and banana, each with an image of the fruit in the candy’s center. Sours, especially tangerine, are popular—Cohen tinkered with the recipe until they replicated a long-discontinued Altoids variety. His most attention-grabbing candies are the “crystal flower” series.

“We made crystal-clear pieces of candy with 3D flowers in the center,” says Cohen, who took his inspiration from his cousin’s Washington State lavender farm. “This is one-of-a-kind magic because clear is very unforgiving.”

All hard candy starts clear. As it’s folded and rolled on a water-cooled table, air bubbles form, quickly turning the confection white. The crystal demonstrations online prompted orders from as far away as New Zealand,

↑ Cohen demonstrates making a “crystal flower” rose. “We made crystal-clear pieces of candy with 3D flowers in the center,” says Cohen, who took his inspiration from his cousin’s Washington State lavender farm. “This is one-of-a-kind magic because clear is very unforgiving.” All hard candy starts clear. As it’s folded and rolled on a water-cooled table, air bubbles form, quickly turning the confection white.

including those for custom designs. Cohen says he has limited slots for custom orders because the process is time- and costprohibitive, but “we always give priority to people in Tallahassee,” he says.

Interestingly, increasing orders wasn’t the reason Cohen got into candy making.

Lofty Pursuits sells general-interest toys, but when it launched in 1993, it was an outgrowth of a mail-order business that sprung from a teenage hobby of juggling, which he picked up when his family moved to Orlando, Florida from Brooklyn, New York. “I didn’t have a driver’s license, and there was nothing to do,” says Cohen, who came to Tallahassee for college. Juggling led to involvement in yo-yo competitions and selling all manner of skilled toys such as juggling equipment, yo-yos, kites, Frisbees.

“Then along came Amazon, and the world changed,” says Cohen, who was unable to compete, so he shifted his inventory and added an old-fashionedstyle soda fountain to bring in customers, as well as a locally sourced breakfast menu. All that was missing was a reason for patrons to linger.

Cohen, who leans into nostalgia and a desire to get his hands dirty, decided he needed some kind of entertainment in the shop and stumbled across antique candy-making equipment and someone to show him the ropes. Before long, his entertainment, which he dubs “Public Displays of Confection,” kept customers in the store as they watched the construction of the sweet treats. It also draws new customers, diverting interstate travelers who’ve encountered a YouTube video intoTallahassee.

What’s the next pursuit for this loftythinking businessman? Time will tell, but he hints about studying chocolate making. “The cocoa industry has a big problem right now,” he says, referencing how changing climates are influencing the regions where cocoa grows. “If I’m going to do it, I’m going to start with thebeans.” Sounds like a next act in the making. TM

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

↓↗ Cohen, who leans into nostalgia and a desire to get his hands dirty, decided he needed some kind of entertainment in the shop and stumbled across antique candy-making equipment and someone to show him the ropes.

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DINING OUT

MUMBAI ON MONROE

Zaan brings authentic Indian flavors to Tallahassee

by KATY RILEY

Indian food enthusiasts might recognize one of the newest additions to the Tallahassee food scene: Zaan. The restaurant, which previously made its mark in Thomasville, recently opened along North Monroe Street, o ering a fresh and authentic taste of India.

Born and raised in Mumbai, owner Neeraj Jeswani hopes to share the rich, complex flavors of his home city with Tallahassee. His co-owner, Aspen Barnes, has been a vegetarian for eight years and was intrigued by all the vegetarian options within Indian cuisine.

Despite not having formal culinary backgrounds—Barnes is an accountant and Jeswani is a CPA—their passion for food and hospitality isevident.

“We want it to be an experience,” Barnes says of Zaan. “We want you to come in and feel like you’re being taken care of.”

While some Indian restaurants focus on specific regions of India, Zaan is distinctly Mumbai. As a port city, Mumbai’s long history of immigration has left its mark on the food scene. “In Bombay [now Mumbai], you can find

↑ Zaan features Mumbai street food, as well as traditional Indian dishes. One of the restaurant’s bestsellers, The 65, features spicy, deep-fried chicken flavored with red chilies and curry leaves, inspired by the streets of Chennai. ↓ Zaanco-owners AspenBarnes and NeerajJeswani.

↗

food from the north, the south, things from the east coast,” explains Jeswani. Mumbai is home to an eclectic mix of flavors, and this is best reflected in the “Khau Galli” section of Zaan’s menu, which honors the city’s bustling street food culture. Jeswani explains that many of the street food dishes in India are more Indian-Chinese. Momos, for example, are fried dumplings filled with vegetables or protein, often served with chutney. One of his personal favorites is the vada pav, a popular Mumbai street dish of spiced potatoes, battered and deep-fried, with perfectly sweet and sour sauces stuffed inside a traditional dinner roll.

“All our spices are imported from India ... but we want it to be at a price point where it is accessible to everyone,” Jeswaninotes.

In addition to street food, Zaan’s menu features more traditional Indian dishes. The shrimp curry of Goa, a seaside state on India’s southwestern coast, boasts a tangy-sweet spice blend rounded out with coconut milk. One of Zaan’s signature dishes, the paneer pasanda, features slices of paneer (traditional Indian cheese), stuffed with cashews and khoya in a creamy, spicedgravy.

Upon entering Zaan, you are struck by its lounge-like atmosphere. The walls are dark, but the space feels expansive. The bar is a central focus, as it runs almost the length of the restaurant. Chill Indian instrumental music plays as scents of buttery naan, cumin, and cardamom fill the air. You could easily be walking into an ultra-hip, Art Deco–inspired restaurant off the busy streets ofMumbai.

The previous Zaan of Thomasville closed its doors in 2024 after two years in operation. “We were nervous to open in Thomasville, but they completely blew us away,” says Barnes. “I am proud to say I’m from Thomasville.”

“When we first opened, there were fewer than 50 people of Indian origin living in Thomasville, but everyone was very supportive,” adds Jeswani.

When asked if they have adjusted their flavors for the western palate, Jeswani affirms that is not the case, indicating that to do so would be disingenuous to

his native cuisine. If you take the spice out of biryani (a rice dish popular across the subcontinent), at some point it’s no longer biryani. “We do not want to be known as the place where you can just get food,” he adds. “We want to sell Indianfood.”

A great example of this is The 65, a popular street dish (originating from Chennai in the southeast) that features deep-fried chicken layered with red chilies and curry leaves, which has become their most popular appetizer. Another is onion pakora, which hits all the notes of a traditional deep-fried onion ring but incorporates Indian spices to create something entirely different.

Barnes recommends the tikka masala, butter chicken, or the maharaja curry for the Indian food novice. “Those are more mild dishes, but they still have the spice and flavor,” and they can be customized ranging from mild to “Indian hot.”

↖ Paneer pasanda, one of Zaan’s signature dishes.

The amritsari chole is a spicy and tangy chickpea curry with garlic, whole spices, and pomegranate seeds. It is served with a bhatura and shown with a mango lassi. ↙ Barnes recommends the tikka masala for the Indian foodnovice.

Zaan Sundae

The craft cocktail menu has an alluring array of classic cocktails, like a French 75, as well as those with more of an Indian twist, like the Essence of India, a rum drink with mango juice, or the Vanilla Chai Old-Fashioned. As of press time, Jeswani was anticipating the imminent addition of brunch to include such classics as bottomless mimosas plus cool Indian mashups, like a butter chicken omelet. With this, Zaan is poised to serve patrons any time of day, whether it’s for brunch, dinner, or an Indianinspirednightcap. TM

Located at 1019 N. Monroe Street. For more information, call (850) 825-1238, or visit tallahassee.thezaan.com.

FROM THE CRAFT COCKTAIL MENU: ↑ Essence of India with rum and mango juice.

↗ Tallahassse Sunset with Empress Gin, lavender peach syrup, and club soda.

← The bar is a central focus, asit runs almost the length of the restaurant.

↓ Classic martini with a pop of smoke.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

Dr. Lauren Combs and Max

PROUD SPONSOROF

GETTING BUZZED ON HONEY COCKTAILS

Discover the buzz for yourself with these bee-witching libations

by JULES ARON

With a provenance older than the cocktail itself, honey has been a beloved natural sweetener for centuries. With its floral notes and viscous texture, honey adds depth and complexity to recipes and fosters unique enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that bestow a slew of health benefits. From classic sips like the Hot Toddy to modern favorites such as Penicillin, there is a rich history around honeycocktails. Discover the buzz for yourself with these bee-witching libations.

HIVE FIVE

This classic old-fashioned is reimagined with the essence of the hive. The richness of honey is infused with seductive notes of rose and the earthiness of pollen, which coats the rim of this sophisticated sip.

INGREDIENTS:

➸ 2 oz. bourbon

➸ ¾ oz. rose honey syrup (recipe to the right)

➸ 2 dashes apple bitters

➸ Honey and pollen to rim glass

➸ Orange peel to garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rim a glass with honey and pollen, and set aside. In a mixing glass, stir together the bourbon, rose honey syrup, and apple bitters. Pour into the rimmed glass and garnish with a classic twist of orange.

ROSE HONEY SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

➸ ½ cup water

➸ ½ cup honey

➸ 1 tbsp. dried rosebuds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat, let steep, and then strain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

THE SWEETEST STING

The combination of spicy ginger and exotic citrus notes gives this bright, effervescent drink a lively punch of flavor, while the golden nectar offers subtle sweetness like no other. Garnish with a cube of honeycomb, allowing it to drip playfully into your glass.

INGREDIENTS:

➸ 2-3 fresh ginger slices

➸ ½ oz. lemon juice

➸ ¼ oz. chamomile honey syrup (recipe below)

➸ ½ oz. dry vermouth

➸ 1 oz. Amaro Nonino

➸ 1 bottle Fever Tree Sparkling Lime and Yuzu Soda

➸ An assortment of citrus wheels to garnish

CHAMOMILE HONEY SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

:

➸ ½ cup orange blossom honey

➸ ½ cup water

➸ 2 tbsp. dried chamomile flowers or 4 tea bags

BUY LOCAL

INSTRUCTIONS:

Muddle the slices of fresh ginger in a shaker, then add all other ingredients except the soda. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a wine glass filled with fresh ice. Top with sparkling soda. Garnish with an assortment of citrus wheels and enjoy the sweetness of the sting.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat, let steep, and then strain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Support your local beekeepers in their hard work to spread the benefits of honey and provide the best quality products in the state. Nestled in the Red Hills Region of Tallahassee, Orchard Pond is an organic, family-owned farm that produces its own raw, unfiltered honey. Inaddition to specialty honeys, Orchard Pond offers three standard varieties: tupelo, gallberry, and wildflower. orchardpond.com

HANGOVER CURE?

Sure, honey is a sweet and tasty superfood with antibacterial and antiviral properties that can boost your immune system and fight sickness, but did you know it could also prevent your next hangover? The natural sugars in honey help the alcohol metabolize in the body and prevent sudden changes in blood sugar levels. A tablespoon before bed and again in the morning can help seal the deal.

BUZZ

WORTHY

This exotic blend of mezcal, mango, and passion fruit, complemented with a touch of honey, will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise. For an elevated experience, coat the rim with lightly toasted black sesame seeds, adding aroma and drama to the glass.

INGREDIENTS:

➸ 1 ½ oz. mezcal

➸ ½ oz. lemon juice

➸ ½ oz. salted honey sesame orgeat (recipe below)

➸ ½ oz. passion fruit puree

➸ ½ oz. mango juice

➸ Honey and toasted black sesame seeds to rim glass

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rim the glass with honey and sesame seeds, and set aside. Add all ingredients to a mixing tin with ice and shake well. Strain into your rimmed glass with a large ice cube.

SALTED HONEY SESAME ORGEAT

INGREDIENTS:

➸ 1 ½ cups sesame seeds

➸ 1 ½ cups water

➸ 1 cup honey

➸ Pinch Maldon Salt

➸ ½ tsp. orange blossom water

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a food processor, finely grind the sesame seeds. Combine the remaining ingredients (except the orange blossom water) in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the ground sesame seeds and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the orange blossom water and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 12 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

FRESH FROM FLORIDA:

Taste the Benefits of Buying Local

Discover the flavor and impact of homegrown goodness

When it comes to avor and freshness, nothing compares to produce picked straight from the farm and served close to home. “Food simply tastes better when it’s grown nearby,” says Susie McKinley, director of marketing and development for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “Produce is crisper and fresher, and seafood is rmer and more avorful.

Why wouldn’t you choose local?”

Florida’s agricultural landscape is vast and diverse, boasting 44,400 farms and ranches across nearly 10 million acres.

From citrus groves to cattle ranches, these lands o er a rich variety of fresh products.

Known as the “winter garden” of the U.S., Florida supplies fresh produce to the Eastern Seaboard during the cold winter season. “When you choose local, you’re getting the freshest food while supporting your neighbors,” McKinley explains.

“Farmers are deeply connected to the land, managing natural resources responsibly with sustainability in mind.”

Seasonality is key to enjoying Florida’s freshest o erings. From October through July, Florida’s farms yield abundant produce, while its waters provide seafood year-round, with only a few species under seasonal restrictions. Understanding what’s in season can elevate your meals. Fresh From Florida provides a wealth of resources, including seasonal guides and recipes, to help you enjoy Florida’s bounty at its peak. “Knowing what’s fresh ensures the best avors on your plate,” McKinley says.

To stay connected to Florida’s vibrant agricultural community, join the Fresh From Florida

Club. Members receive monthly emails featuring exclusive recipes, insights from the state of Florida’s culinary ambassador Chef Justin Timineri, and updates on Florida products. “It’s the perfect way to celebrate and savor Florida’s incredible bounty,” McKinley shares.

“Fresh From Florida is more than a frontfacing brand for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The sunny logo indicates that products are from Florida and provides shoppers the con dence in their food’s origins,” McKinley adds. By choosing Fresh From Florida, you’re not just treating yourself to superior avor—you’re supporting sustainable practices, investing in local farmers, and strengthening your community.

Visit freshfromflorida.com to explore what’s in season, discover inspiring recipes, and sign up for the free e-newsletter. To catch up with Fresh From Florida follow us on social media @FreshFromFlorida on Facebook and Instagram.

by MARINA BROWN

A look at one of Tallahassee’s historic districts YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Setting the Stage

In 1824, Tallahassee, the halfway point between Pensacola and Jacksonville, must have seemed the perfect place to set up a new capital city. Still a territory, Florida wouldn’t become a state until 21 years later. Yet planters and entrepreneurs knew opportunity when they saw it. Mild winters and sunny skies, as well as connections to ports like New Orleans, held promise for the accumulation of great wealth. The early founders were right about the money, and the new residents wasted no time in figuring out how to spend it.

Tallahassee at its birth was platted as only one square mile. Planners laid out Adams, Calhoun, and Gadsden streets surrounding the Capitol building. It was along these dirt roads that newcomers from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia began to build businesses, churches, banks, and magnificent homes. Along the originally platted streets sprawled gabled houses under live oaks, with sweeping verandas, elegant gardens, carved balustrades, and long shutters to keep out the warm Southern sun.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Calhoun Historic

District still maintains 16 homes from the era. What were once known as the “Gold Dust Streets” are now bordered by high-rise apartment buildings, towering banks, and the State Capitol. Just blocks away from busy thoroughfares and two university campuses, the district remains an oasis of the past.

A shady stroll along the slightly undulating sidewalks takes you past houses like the Perkins House, the Chittenden House, Bloxham, and Bowen, all named for famous residents or owners. They’re now lovingly maintained by professional occupants from attorneys and doctors to history lovers, and it is not unusual to see business meetings conducted on a wide veranda. “I used to drive to downtown meetings,” says Gary Yordon of the Zachary Group, which rents space in attorney John Moyle’s Perkins House. “But now I walk everywhere. The air is different here—[it’s] from another time, and peaceful.”

In a time of no air-conditioning, most homes were built with wide central halls and a dramatic stairway flanked by high-ceilinged parlors or sitting rooms. Six or seven fireplaces were not uncommon. Kitchens were

unattached to the main house, as were sanitary facilities. Today, many homes are lovingly maintained and decorated with period furniture, showing off the “tiger-oak carvings of a fireplace,” unique “tripartite design of windows,” or the gleaming resiliency of wide-planked heart pine floors. But what was life like before the Civil War? Even before the last of the three Seminole Wars?

PHOTO BY

The Bowen House The Bloxham House

House

House

Gladstone

HOUSE

Built by merchant and two-time Tallahassee Mayor James Kirksey, the circa-1830s Bowen House is thought to be the oldest “prefabricated” home in the state, its white pine traveling from New York to New Orleans and via St. Mark’s to Tallahassee. No nails were used; only morticed wood and pegs. It features a Greek Revival style, with elegant doublestoried wraparound verandas supported by glistening white pillars. The home is currently the law office of attorney Tiffany Cruz.

RUTGERS HOUSE

507 NORTH CALHOUN STREET

Though appearing smaller than other mansions, this 5,000-square-foot Queen Anne–style home was built by George Proctor— another prefabricated and shipped, no-nails home—for Henry Rutgers, a banker and former Territorial Treasurer. The home was acquired by Erastus Clark, a jeweler and watchmaker whose family kept cows in the back pasture and sold milk. Later, it is rumored that Clark’s elderly daughters drew straws as to who would marry the property’s caretaker so that he might stay inside the house on cold nights. It is currently the home of the Tallahassee Garden Center and the TallahasseeSymphony.

Nancy Steadman, a realtor and history buff, looks to the early 1820s, when Florida was a territory created from the lands of the Seminole tribe. From 1817 until 1858, three conflicts concluded with the indigenous people being expelled from the area that had become Tallahassee. A 200-foot-wide “no-man’s land” was cleared as a buffer along what is now Park Avenue to prevent attacks from local Native American tribes. Today’s Chain of Parks Art Festival is celebrated along this wide esplanade once known as “200FootStreet.”

THE PERKINS HOUSE

»

NORTH GADSDEN STREET

The grand 8,000-square-foot mansion was built for George Betton Perkins in 1903 and is currently owned by attorney Jon Moyle, who loves history and being its steward. The three-story building boasts shallow tile-faced fireplaces in every room, each one flanked by hand-carved gargoyles and mirrors. Moyle rents the upstairs rooms as offices and uses the downstairs as reception and meeting rooms and for his own sprawling office. His desk sits beneath an internal “arched portico” overlooking a room of period furniture.

Most of the Federalist, Georgian, and Queen Anne-style homes in the Historic District were constructed by enslaved persons who were brick artisans and excellent carpenters. There was, however, at least one exception: GeorgeProctor.

George Proctor was a free Black man. His father, Antonio Proctor, was born enslaved in the Dominican Republic. But, Antonio could speak Native American dialects, and he gained his freedom and praise when he assisted in treaties with Florida’s indigenous inhabitants. George, also free, became an architect and builder in the new capital, creating four of the most iconic homes in the city, including the current home of the Tallahassee GardenClub.

Yet for well-to-do white residents and the entrepreneurs who sought their fortunes in antebellum Tallahassee, and

even after the War of the States, life in the capital’s downtown nucleus was filled with excitement and “curiosities.” Below are a few examples from historians David Lang, Julian Proctor, and Joy Hevey:

H Jewelry store owner Erastus Clark walked pet alligators by leash. Pre-war Attorney General John Galbraith kept a pet panther in hisbackyard.

H Balls, dances, barbecues, and hunting parties were held during the 1840s and ’50s social seasons in Tallahassee. The corner of Calhoun and Park is where hunters gathered for fox hunts with their dogs andhorses.

H A local doctor carefully applied “spider poultices” to draw outinfection.

H In 1828, four years after it was named the capital, Tallahassee had four hotels, a watchmaker, and a “curb market” where farmers brought their produce and meat every day. Chickens were 25cents each. Their necks could be wrung for free if you were cooking that day.

H Sixty years later, a female guest at the Bond Boarding House on Monroe Street tripped over a cow asleep on the sidewalk— and expressed her annoyance that the street’s gas lamps had not been lit. Patrons of the Bond House were called to dinner each evening by a man standing in the street blowing a conchshell.

Though so much has changed in Florida’s capital, there seems to linger along these quiet, historic streets a nostalgia that both acknowledges the injustices of the period and cherishes the vision that the early creators brought to fruition. Like benevolent overseers, the great oaks still arch across these gardens and roofs and somehow sequester memories here.

THE GLADSTONE

On October 14, 2024, it only took a few hours to rip apart a 127-year-old home that once stood beneath storybook oaks and shared a strip of Tallahassee’s tree-canopied North Monroe Street with other Victorian mansions—now all long gone. After months of haggling, the State of Florida, which had owned the Gladstone House since 2021, declined to either restore, move, or sell the property, and instead tore it down to provide better security for the Governor’s Mansion that sits behind it.

THE BLOXHAM HOUSE

410 NORTH CALHOUN STREET

Built by Richard Shine in 1844, the 4,972-squarefoot home was owned by the proprietor of a department store, was the residence of twotime Governor William Bloxham (who rented it to his successor between terms), and became the well-known White House Hotel in the 1940s. Later, it housed World War II recruits during training. In 1979, new owners Robert and Frances Erwin had the entire stairwell “moved back to its original position in the entry hall” and the old hotel’s reception desk removed.

On a quiet afternoon, you might even imagine soft laughter and the creak of carriage wheels on old brick. Or even the swish of an alligator tail along thepavement.

So, take a walk on the Gold Dust Streets. Listen. And maybe look for a porch swing gently swaying—even when you know nobody’s there. TM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Bob Hollaway, Tallahassee Historical Society; David Lang, historian and past president of Tallahassee Historical Society; Julian Proctor (no relation to George Proctor), lifetime resident of Tallahassee; Nancy Steadman, realtor with Coldwell-Banker; Joy Hevey, Susan Weaver, and members of the Tallahassee Garden Club for so much generosity in sharing Tallahassee’shistory.

PAUL TAMANIAN artist

Takes His Stand in Tallahassee

New gallery of abstract works may revolutionize city’s art scene

STORY BY MARINA BROWN // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALICIA OSBORNE

← Artist Paul Tamanian stands among his many works of art in his spacious gallery on Thomasville Road in Midtown.

In Tallahassee, you just never know what lies around the corner. In this case, it is the emergence of something the Capital City has never had before. Something that just might thrust our leafy North Florida metropolis onto the major art world’s stage. And something brought to us by a “local boy” with the energy of a steamroller and creativity that has landed him at the top of the international arts market.

If you haven’t already, meet Paul Tamanian. He’s an artist to his calloused fingertips and a man whose mind and imaginative vision keep him bounding from a chair in his new Tallahassee gallery to point out different facets of his creations: a curve in the aluminum with which he works over to a monolithic abstract painting to delve into its creation.

“I just decided to give it a try—opening my own stand-alone gallery here in my ‘hometown’ city,” says Tamanian, now 70. And he has pulled out all the stops. In the evolving arts nexus of Midtown, just across the street from Midtown Reader, which itself plans to enlarge, Paul Tamanian has created a gallery of more than 3,000 square feet, brilliantly lit, with enough space for a viewer to step back and take in some of the dozens of works of art on display.

Here, contemporary aluminum panels, which some might compare to abstract impressionist Jackson Pollock’s “dripped” freedom technique, colorfully explode into what could be thunderous cascades, or constellations and volcanoes, cataracts or caverns, all brought to life by the imagination of the artist and transferred to viewers who sometimes stand like children, mesmerized by what they see.

←↖ Among Tamanian’s works are contemporary aluminum panels using the “dripped” freedom technique, which some might compare to abstract impressionist Jackson Pollock.

←↑ Located in Midtown, the gallery houses Tamanian’s vast body of work and is large enough for viewers to take in the dozens of pieces on display—including the “sur oards,” painted and glazed to give them a new identity as objets d’art.

There are Tamanian’s sculptures, flowing ribbons of foot-wide metal that seem to braid themselves loosely in coils and pouring from an organic source, then playfully perching on a wall or undulating gracefully in a corner. And then there

are the surfboards. Yes, surfboards that Tamanian’s eye has given a new identity as objets d’art, and that painted and glazed, stand like pillars or masculine statements from ancient civilizations, or perhaps, simply the tangible memory of a great day at the beach.

Now, after 30 years within the sometimes cut-throat professional art world, the diminutive energy source known as Paul Tamanian has decided to invite new and old followers into

his own vibrant gallery on Thomasville Road. Represented by some of the nation’s most prestigious art emporiums from San Francisco to Atlanta to New York and Miami, and working with collectors from around the world for decades, Tamanian has decided to “take a chance” on Tallahassee, believing that North Floridians are connoisseurs of fine art as much as a Manhattanite or the collector from Taiwan who once “bought the whole gallery of my work.”

And just as Tamanian’s brilliant art pieces evolve from unexpected beginnings and materials, so, in a way, has Tamanian himself. “I was born in New York,” he says. “My grandfather was an Armenian immigrant, dirt poor, who raised my dad in the slums there. But after the war, my dad went to college on the G.I. Bill … and became a physicist. When he went to work for General Electric, we moved down to Clearwater where I was mostly raised.”

Young Paul filled his days with fishing and swimming, leading an active and what he calls “beach bum life” then. And art? “Not a part of my life,” he says. At least, not for a while. After a college go at accounting, which failed, he would go on to earn a degree in interior design from Florida State University. But that route, too, was not for him. “I spent seven years as a sporting goods store manager and another nine or 10 years working at Bill’s Art Supplies here in Tallahassee,” perhaps gestating the creativity that, at 40 years old, was getting ready to explode.

Then, “On a whim with a girlfriend, we decided we should take a pottery class at a local art center.” He smiles, just shaking his head. “The rest is kind of history.” Tamanian loved the feel of the clay, the stretching, the pounding, the things he could make appear. He says he destroyed lots of projects in kilns and through ignorance, but he was learning and most importantly, learning to experiment with each thing he made— like pouring melted automobile chrome over a clay vessel, then setting fire to the whole thing. Like a boy giggling, “I wonder if I could …” Tamanian was soon creating unique pieces that galleries began to sell.

“The next years were kind of ‘art isolation,’” he says. He added a barn and three kilns to the house he’d built himself. He quit his managerial job and devoted himself exclusively to making art and, more importantly, “hauling it across the country to art shows and eventually to the galleries that now had a demand for my work.”

↑↓ Tamanian’s sculptures look like flowing ribbons of foot-wide metal that seem to braid themselves loosely in coils, pouring from an organic source, then playfully perching on a wall or undulating gracefully in a corner.

Working without instruction or mentoring, Tamanian says he moved from heavy clay pieces to lighter, but often larger, sheets of aluminum. “I work outside, even now, because the products I use are so volatile and so physical.” Indeed, to see him work, pouring colored latex paints, sometimes automobile acrylic polyurethane or enamels, and firing the whole surface with a torch—only to go over the entire piece a second, third, or fifth time for the artistic expression he’s seeking—Tamanian looks like a foundry worker happily staked out in the woods.

←↑ Tamanian says he moved from heavy clay pieces to lighter, but often larger, sheets of aluminum pouring colored latex paints, sometimes automobile acrylic polyurethane or enamels, and firing the whole surface with a torch.

Of course, sometimes, when the muse has descended on an innocent artist, she just settles in and will not let go. “I have new ideas all the time,” says the restless Tamanian, who has now found photography “filled with possibilities.” But the commissions still keep coming. “The surfboards are collected by more people than you would imagine,” he says, gazing at a 10-foot-tall streamlined sculpture. And he’s just checked in on a collector who’s positioned two 16-foot metal pieces at the end of his dock.

“I wanted to make sure they were secure when the hurricanes were coming close.”

But if there is any down time, what might the world-class creator and now gallery owner do with his non-committed hours? “Well, let me tell you,” he says, grinning, “there’s just got to be time reserved for golf. Yeah … I’m really good at it. Lots of other things just have to be worked around a good day for golf.” Until the muse taps him on the shoulder, of course, and tells him there’s a new idea on the way. TM

Trina Searcy

Carla Stephens

Will Shepherd Lucretia Thomas

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Jeff Doxsee

Clay Ketcham

Joy Blomeley

Danielle Andrews

Beth Allen

M. Sullivan Ellinor

Patti Ketcham

Danielle Galvin

Anthony Gifford Nick Graganella

Wallisa Cobb

Nga Nguyen Miller

Leah Chapin

Steven Louchheim

June Wright

Mariela Bartens

Jamie Bellamy Miranda Ard

Nicholas Mihalich Michael Lee

Hall of Fame Hall of Fame

Othell Broger Jim Butler

Gearing up for a revamp this year? Consider one or more of the top 10 home design trend predictions for 2025 from Houzz →

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK MAR/APR 2025

1

ENGLISH-STYLE KITCHENS

You don’t have to relocate to the U.K. to embrace this kitchen trend. Achieve a cozy vibe and country aesthetic—as seen in this kitchen by Sun Design Remodeling Specialists Inc.—by incorporating rich woods and deep hues of blue and green. Other elements that convey an English feel include natural countertop materials like soapstone and butcher’s block, large range alcoves (another 2025 trend), and wood ceilingbeams.

2

ROUNDED FURNITURE FORMS

As a complement to the growing popularity of organic modern design, furniture with gentle curves and rounded forms can make a big impact in a subtle way. This design by Annette Jaffe Interiors marries clean colors with curved furniture, resulting in a space that is at once contemporary and demure. To achieve the look, opt for circular coffee and dining tables, bulbous sofas and accent chairs, and oblongmirrors.

3 ARCHES

Similarly to curved furnishings, arches play into the trending organic modern style seen in many new constructions. Not only do arches soften harsh angles, but they can be used in a variety of areas within the home—including doorways, windows, cabinets, and niches, as shown in this living space by Simply Home. The team at Houzz expects arches to pop up in furnishings as well, including arched mirrors, headboards with ogee or trefoil profiles, and chairs with scallopedsilhouettes.

6 RANGE ALCOVES

A beloved feature of English-style kitchens, range alcoves add visual interest, serve as a focal point, and provide a defined area for showcasing a bold backsplash. These niches or recessed spaces (sometimes with an arch) house the range and are typically framed by side walls and countertops. This alcove by Hoskins Interior Design features a juxtaposition of different materials, resulting in a strong architectural element.

4 WOVEN AND MESH CABINET FORMS

Both practical and stylish, woven and mesh details add texture and warmth, especially in kitchens, where they break up large cabinet surfaces. These materials soften hard edges and complement cooler elements, creating a cozy and cool atmosphere, as showcased in this kitchen by Hope Pinc Design. They’re also appearing on bathroom vanities, furniture, and windowtreatments.

5 SHOWER ROOMS

While frameless glass showers continue to trend— thanks to their light and open feel—some homeowners prefer the privacy of a shower room. This enclosed design, accessed via a glass door (as with this example by DLC Builders Inc.), offers a spa-like experience and accommodates features like steam, sauna, aromatherapy, and chromotherapy. Install a ventilation fan to contain moisture within the space.

WOOD-INFUSED ARCHITECTURALWARMTH

In recent years, homeowners have prioritized “warmth” in design, moving away from cool whites and grays toward softer tones like offwhites, creams, beiges, tans, and browns. Complementing these warm neutral palettes, earthy hues and organic colors are paired with wood features, such as ceiling beams, trims, paneling, posts, and cabinetry, to bring architectural warmth to homes. This space by Round Table Design perfectly captures this concept while also embracing naturallight.

NARROW WET ROOMS

Wet rooms (combining a shower and tub in one enclosed space) are gaining in popularity, as noted in the 2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Report. Though common in larger layouts, they’re now being adapted for narrow spaces by placing the tub at the back and the shower in front—as seen in this design by Morey Remodeling Group—offering a luxurious alternative to the standard shower-tubcombo.

LAYERS OF COLOR, PATTERN, AND TEXTURE

Homeowners are gravitating toward a “moreis-more” style, blending bold colors, patterns, and textures to showcase their personalities. Known as maximalism or more colloquially as “cluttercore,” this trend features elements like grooved paneling in vibrant hues, woven accents, and patterned drapery, furniture, rugs, and pillows. A celebration of abundance, as showcased in this room by Nicole Forina Home, this approach empowers homeowners to try something new and gobig.

MULTIPLE OUTDOOR COOKING OPTIONS

While most homeowners have a grill for backyard dining, the Houzz team is seeing a surge in alternative outdoor cooking methods as well. These include pizza ovens, smokers, ceramic kamado-style barbecues, and Argentinian-style gaucho grills that use wood or charcoal. This example by Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors takes the notion of “summer kitchen” to a whole otherlevel. TM

Blooms Berries

Native shrubs sparkle and shine with attractive spring flowers and edible fruit

by

Vaccinium is a low maintenance native plant genus with dependable spring blooms. The plant also produces edible berries that are a favorite of birds.

Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboretum) is the only North American member of the Vaccinium genus capable of reaching the size comparable to a small tree. Mature specimens can reach up to 30 feet in height and will take full sun or partial shade.

Their blooms emerge in clusters measuring 2 to 3 inches long. The fragrant white flowers are bell-shaped in appearance, as are most blooms in this genus.

This species flourishes in Northwest Florida’s quick draining acidic soils and produces a bountiful crop of berries that turn blue-black at maturity. The common name, sparkleberry, comes from the glossy appearance and texture of its fruit.

Sparkleberry blooms emerge in clusters measuring 2 to 3 inches long and have a bell-shaped appearance.

Some Bugs Cause a Stink

Finding gold nuggets in the home landscape, even small ones, is usually good. However, if the nuggets are stink bug eggs, immediate action is required to minimize the potential for horticultural damage.

Stink bugs, which are members of the Pentatomidae family of insects, have a well-deserved reputation for bad behavior and an offensive odor. This bug’s common name comes from an internal chemical protection system used to deliver a foul-smelling substance when it is threatened. This anti-predator mechanism is located in the stink bug’s thorax pores and is hard to overlook when it is used.

The shiny, black ¼-inch berries contain eight to 10 seeds. Berries ripen in the fall and remain attached to the plant throughout the winter, serving as a consistent food source for birds and mammals. Their bark is thin, flaky, and brownish red, and commonly has lichen growing on the surfaces that shed as it grows. The trunk can be a single or multi-stemmed tree with branches creating wildly twisting shapes that offer a distinct contrast to straight trunked trees in a landscape.

Other Northwest Florida native Vaccinium species include the scrub blueberry (Vaccinium darowii), which is known for its heat tolerance and low requirement for chill hours, or times when winter temperatures fall below 45 degrees.

The shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites) is found in Northwest Florida, too. It will form thickets by utilizing subterranean runners in addition to producing berries almost a half-inch in diameter and containing several seeds.

Slugs, terrestrial snails without shells, are currently in search of meals and mates. Only a few months old, they deposit hundreds of eggs in moist spots away from direct sunlight. Sometimes the deposits are left slightly below the soil’s surface. The eggs incubate for three weeks, with juveniles emerging ready to roam and eat. Initially less than ¼-inch and earth toned, the nascent creatures can quickly grow to several inches in length. Snails and slugs both propel themselves on a muscular foot, which extends the length of its body. Its eyes are simple and located at the end of tentacles, which constantly move. Unable to recognize shapes, it searches for the lowest light, usually signaling a hospitable environment. Dining preferences are tender vegetation and decaying organic matter. A voracious consumer, its mouth has a conveyer belt-like structure covered with tiny teeth for shredding and digesting its meals. Mealtime for slugs depends on where the sustenance is located and its exposure to sunlight. Nights are a time of high activity for slugs. The cooler temperatures and higher moisture of Northwest Florida’s spring evenings combine with emerging foliage to form an ideal dining experience. Slugs are easy to catch, but heavy infestations may require a commercial treatment to achieve control.

These insects use their rigid proboscis or straw-like beak to suck out the juices from the stems, buds, and fruit. Tender vegetation and immature vegetables are particularly attractive.

The wound opening in a plant’s surface also exposes it to a variety of fungal diseases.

As spring warms to summer, an abundant quantity of this family’s malodorous members will be feeding on ornamental plants and vegetables. They will also leave tiny, metallicappearing eggs on leaf tops.

Gardeners can collect any eggs found and destroy them. Once hatched, juvenile and mature stinkbugs are usually controlled with insecticides. Capturing stinkbugs is difficult. They are good flyers and are agile and alert.

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

year.

↗ Slugs are in search of meals and mates during this time of

↙

LES HARRISON, UF/IFAS EXTENSION AGENT EMERITUS

GREEN SCENE and

INTERIORS

VASTU VICTORIOUS

Make your home a haven for peace and positive energy with Vastu Shastra strategies

by LIZA GRANT SMITH

An ancient Hindu system of architecture and design, Vastu Shastra assumes that the universe is built of positive and negative energy, and that by applying its rules, you can create a home that is balanced, harmonious, and conducive to overall well-being. Vastu principles correlate with the cardinal directions and sub-directions, with each possessing its own energy and impacting various aspects of life. True Vastu Shastra proponents will adopt a foundation-up approach to the design and construction of their home to ensure rooms are in the correct positions, entrances are facing the appropriate direction, and the home itself faces north for prosperity or east for success. But that doesn’t mean you can’t up your Vastu allegiance in your existing abode. Try incorporating these strategies to tap into its harmonizing powers.

THE LIVING ROOM

BEST WHEN LOCATED: in the northeast corner of a home to attract prosperity and spiritual growth.

• Avoid circular and oval furniture as it exudes negative energy. Opt for rectangular, square, or hexagonal pieces instead.

• Place heavy furniture in the west or southwest direction of the room to create a sense of grounding and stability.

• Leave space behind the sofa so as not to restrict the energy flow.

• Keep the northeast corner of the room clear, clean, and without clutter.

• Prioritize pictures and decor that evoke happiness and calm, such as light-colored abstract artworks or images of nature or birds.

• For the walls, consider shades such as light pink, green, white, or peach.

THE KITCHEN

BEST WHEN LOCATED: in the southeast, where Agni, the Lord of Fire, prevails.

• Paint the walls with bright colors like yellow (for energy and freshness), green (for hope and harmony), orange (for optimism), white (for cleanliness and light), or red (for happiness, luck, and an unwavering attitude toward life’s challenges).

• A soothing green island is a good way to encourage proper digestion, while yellow accents can simulate natural light where it is lacking.

• Place the microwave and stove in the southeast corner, the fridge in the northwest, and storage containers in the southwest.

↖ A Vastu Shastra chart may be used as a guide for constructing and organizing spaces in the home.

Audio Video Connections

THE DINING ROOM

BEST WHEN LOCATED: in the west or northwest to usher in abundance and prosperity during mealtimes.

• Decorate a square or rectangular dining table with fresh flowers and vibrant linens, and surround it with an even number of chairs.

• Add splashes of color to your wall decor, tableware, or chair fabric, such as orange (which represents strength, spirituality, joy, optimism, and good relationships), green (the color of hope that provides a therapeutic, uplifting environment), or pink (for love and mutual respect among family members).

THE PRIMARY

BEDROOM

BEST WHEN LOCATED: in the southwest to promote a sense of security and well-being.

3 PLANTS

for instant Vastu

1. Bamboo plants are considered lucky in Vastu Shastra. Place them in the east to attract well-being and in the southeast to invite money and wealth. Keep one at the center of the dining table to boost positive energy and attract abundance.

2. Put a snake plant in the southeast to reduce stress and promote a positive ambiance. These types of plants absorb toxins and remove carbon dioxide to create a healthy environment.

3. Aloe vera is said to bring good luck and positive energy to homes. Place it in the east or north of the house or within 2-3 feet of your computer to filter electromagnetic energies.

• Face the head of the bead to the east or south for positive energy and better sleep.

• Don’t place the bed opposite the door as it can cause disrupted sleep and energy imbalance, and don’t hang a mirror opposite it either as this placement is associated with bad luck and domestic disruptions.

• Leave space around your bed so energy can flow smoothly, and incorporate nightstands in pairs for symmetry and balance.

• Eliminate clutter (especially in the northeast corner) as it represents unfinished tasks and may block positive energy from entering the space.

• Avoid dark colors for walls, sheets, and curtains in favor of hues such as gray, light rose, blue, or green.

• Elephants are believed to help enhance marital harmony. Bring them into the space in the form of artwork, a figurine, or throw pillows. TM

LEGACY OF Commitment

The Turner family celebrates 110 years of serving South Georgia and North Florida communities with value, service, and quality furniture

In the heart of Pelham, Georgia, a legacy was born in 1915. What began as a modest hardware store has grown into one of the region’s most cherished family businesses—Turner’s Fine Furniture. With over a century of history, the Turner family has built more than a brand; they’ve cultivated a tradition of quality, community, and care.  e story took a transformative turn in the 1930s when the Turners shi ed from hardware to selling furniture, recognizing an unmet need for a ordable, quality home furnishings. is decision laid the foundation for a business rede ning how families across South Georgia and North Florida experience their homes.  2151 US Hwy 319, 10 minutes north of Chiles High School (229) 377-1030 | TurnerFurniture.com

Fourth and fifth generations: Austin Turner with his son Whit Turner, and Fortson Turner with his son Wright Turner.

Thomasville location

1956 Tifton showroom

Expansion followed as the Turners brought their vision to new communities. Bainbridge welcomed its rst store in 1942. By 1961, the third generation of Turners—Moses Wright Turner— had joined the business, blending fresh ideas with timeless values that had become the company’s hallmark.

e family’s dedication to quality cra smanship ourished. By the 1980s, the fourth generation— Fortson and Austin Turner—entered the fold, introducing innovations like the rst budget store in Valdosta in 1990, ensuring high-quality furniture was accessible to a broader audience.

To meet the diverse needs of their customers,

the Turner family introduced two distinct stores: Turner’s Fine Furniture and Turner’s Budget Furniture. is approach ensures nearly every option in quality and style is o ered, with a broad price range to t almost any budget.

If you are on a strict budget and want good quality Ashley Furniture that ts within your means, Turner's Budget Furniture may be the perfect choice. On the other hand, if your primary concern is better and best quality furniture with more unique styles, Turner’s Fine Furniture o ers an unparalleled selection from the best brands including Bernhardt, Wesley Hall, Flexsteel, Hooker, Bradington Young, La-Z-Boy and Bassett.

Clockwise from top: 1956 showroom, 1976 Valdosta ribbon cutting, Moses Wright Turner

Both stores share the same commitment to value and service, o ering brand-new furniture at the best prices. Together, they embody the Turner family’s dedication to helping every customer create a home that re ects their unique style and needs.

Turner’s Furniture didn’t just expand geographically—it built a reputation for excellence. Recognition soon followed, with Turner’s earning the prestigious Georgia Trend Magazine Family-Owned Business of the Year award in 2009, a testament to the dedication of the Turner’s employees to the customers. “ anks to our loyal customers and dedicated employees we have been able to grow and expand over the years," Fortson Turner says.

Today, the h generation of Turners—Wright and Whit Turner—has started a journey in the family business, bringing fresh energy and ideas while honoring the business’s de ning traditions. In 2023, Turner’s was named one of Furniture Today’s Top 10 Places to Work, re ecting a workplace culture rooted in family values and mutual respect.

As the company approaches its 110th anniversary in 2025, Turner’s Fine Furniture continues to look forward while cherishing its storied past. With locations spanning Tallahassee, omasville, Ti on, Valdosta, Moultrie, Albany, and Warner Robins, Turner’s remains rmly anchored in its local roots, prioritizing the needs of the communities it serves with unlimited possibilities and unbeatable values.

Above: 2022 Valdosta expansion

Right: 2022 Valdosta expansion ribbon cutting

CAPOZZI

OPENING NIGHTS

↓ Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha performs at The Moon on April 1-2 as part of the performing arts series.

Comedian Jay Leno, the Count Basie Orchestra, country music legend Emmylou Harris, disco kings KC & The Sunshine Band, classic rocker Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, and Pulitzer Prizewinning author Colton Whitehead might be as diverse a collection of artists as they are talented.

But all share a common theme: They’re among the dozens of entertainment alumni from around the world who have wowed Tallahassee audiences at Opening Nights, Florida State University’s popular performing arts series.

For more than 25 years, Opening Nights has been a premier entertainment staple in Tallahassee, epitomizing the phrase “bridging the town and gown” by offering a diverse lineup of performances for both residents and FSU students and faculty.

“We are pretty unique in the performances we are bringing in,’’ said executive director Kevin L. Maynard, who joined the organization in November. “Our purview is to do something a bit more cultural and something a bit more overarching with the community and the campus.’’

Opening Nights continues FSU’s tradition of bringing performing artists to campus, roots that go back to the 1921 launch of the Florida State College for Women Performing Arts series.

The inaugural Seven Days of Opening Nights started in 1999 and morphed into the current Opening Nights, offering performances in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and spoken word.

The current season continues that momentum with a lineup including dance legend Twyla Tharp, the Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha, and London’s Kingdom Choir

↖

THREE TO SEE!

Here are a few performers coming up at Opening Nights

MARCH 6

TWYLA THARP DANCE

DIAMOND JUBILEE

Legendary dancer/choreographer

Twyla Tharp celebrates her sixtieth anniversary featuring her Oliver-nominated Diabelli Variations set to Beethoven’s masterpiece, and a new dance to a reimagining of Philip Glass’ Aguas de Amazonia.

MARCH 19

TIME FOR THREE

For an introduction to classical music for people who think they aren’t into classical music, the Grammy- and Emmy-winning ensemble Time for Three merges various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music on violin, bass, and vocals.

APRIL 1-2

DAKHABRAKHA

The name of this quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine, translates as “give/ take” from old Ukrainian language. Known as a “Ukrainian ethno chaos band,’’ DakhaBrakha incorporates Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian instrumentation to create unforgettable sounds.

Executive director Kevin L. Maynard joined the Opening Nights organization in November.

(best known for performing at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018).

Programming such an eclectic mix of performances starts with “getting to know the community and seeing what the community is interested in seeing,’’ Maynardsaid.

↑ London’s Kingdom Choir (best known for performing at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018).

But it’s more than that. Maynard and his staff also try to expose residents and students to performances new to them or that they might not think to see.

“It’s easy to stay in your lane, but I like to push an audience a little bit further and show them something a little bit different than what they are used to seeing, but I know that they’ll love it. And a lot of that is getting to know your community,’’ hesaid.

“Our philosophy is we want to be diverse, we want to represent the community that we are living in, and we want it to be something different that you’re not going to be able to see anywhere else in Tallahassee,’’ he said.

Since education is a core mission of Opening Nights, the series also offers Opening Nights In Class, bringing some performing artists into the Leon County school system and FSU campus to offer master classes, lectures, and question-and-answer sessions forstudents.

While ticket costs for Opening Nights performances are either less expensive or on par with other performing arts venues, the quality of acts is made

“I like to push an audience a little bit further and show them something a little bit different than what they are used to seeing, but I know that they’ll love it.”

— Opening Nights executive director Kevin L. Maynard

possible “in large part to our sponsors and our donors. They allow us to not only have these performances in our community, but they allow us to bring them in and get them into our public school systems,’’ Maynard says. “We are blessed here in Tallahassee to have a really strong arts community.’’ TM

Experiments in MAGIC

Artist Beth Appleton’s cut-paper creations throb with color and life

by KELLEY MARCELLUS

Sitting beneath a sprawling live oak, the figures of artist Beth Appleton and her husband, David Harbaugh, shimmer in the afternoon shadows. They seem a tableau made of many colors, different pieces that merge into form—much like the images that Appletoncreates.

Renowned for her unique cut-paper assemblages, Beth Appleton is an internationally collected artist whose phantasmagorical images of animals, swaying trees, complicated mandalas, diatoms, and cubist-like portraits have been sought-after since 1989 when she first began to professionally “wield” an X-Acto knife on paper. Since then, the award-winning artist helped found the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy and will be honored this year at the International Society for Experimental Artists inOrlando.

Yet Appleton had a busy and hardworking artistic life even before the public discovered that tiny bits of paper, arranged by the hundreds in brilliant spirals and scenes, were mesmerizing and needed to be on theirwalls.

“I’d come to Tallahassee from Ocala,” says Appleton, then a young FSU art student who had found herself thrilled by the colors and patterns she found in an aunt’s tiny roadside fruit and souvenir stand. “Art has always been in my life,” she says. “It is how I see the world. At FSU, I learned to experiment with many media— oils, found-object sculptures, pottery, metal soldering, and lost-wax casting.” Appleton still immerses herself in photography, video art, digital assemblages, and microscopy, which influence her cutpaperwork.

But after graduation and five years of teaching art in public schools, Appleton and her husband, David, decided it was time for Beth to “go for it”—to establish a career as a professional artist. Beth would create the art. David would do the framing, transporting, and handling of all the other details of an art business. “Traveling back and forth across the country to outdoor art shows and exhibitions, we noticed that what really sold were the small cut-paper pieces.

↖ Beth Appleton working on Tornado!, one of the new pieces that will be showing at her exhibition at LeMoyne Arts Center in April.

ART

I couldn’t make them fast enough.” The couple settled into a large farmhouse in Quincy where Appleton made art on five verdant acres and let her soul absorb the colors and charm of animals and nature.

“Iworked as a ‘cut-and-paste’ artist for the local Quincy paper, and David was its editor. But I also created a body of work that I began exhibiting in large venues in Sausalito, Miami, and Ann Arbor.” Later, the estuary near Apalachicola became her inspirational home, and her followinggrew.

Today, sought-after by collectors and museum curators, Appleton’s art, each a slowly developed master work, is eagerly awaited—even by the artistherself.

“The creation of a new piece is intuitive,” she says, “and still holds awe and mystery for me. I love it when a viewer can glimpse an expanded universe, the illusion of worlds within worlds within my work.” But what is the actual process for turning simple bits of paper intoart?

↑ A selection of Appleton’s older works including: Sea Hag, 2023 (top) and The Diatomist, 2018.

← Floridala: Tree Frogs, 25” x 25”, completed piece (circle) and several inprogress stages.

First, says Appleton, she gets out her journal. “I quickly jot down a word or a poem as I work. I remain flexible as the piece comes together, moving pieces around, trying out new ideas as I go.” She speaks of patterns that “swirl all around us, even inside us. The repetition in my work is innate, detached from my analytical self.” Appleton says that she’s always found inspiration in nature—the life of a diatom inside a water droplet has produced mesmerizing images. Her newest exhibition will lean heavily on the hurricanes which have visited Florida in recent years.

↖→

New works including: Hurricane Milton, portrait series in-progress, and When Planets Align (right).

“The piece is a composite of faces, including my own, though it looks nothing like me. I guess you can say the woman depicted lives in my imagination.”

The mechanics of Appleton’s method are straightforward. She begins as a painter using heavy watercolor paper that she paints in brilliant colors on both sides. She then cuts the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hand-painted squares, triangles, and circles … or minute images of frogs or flower buds … with the X-Acto knife. “I fold and paste layer upon layer to create these dimensional shapes before actually attaching them to the background—the last step.” Working at night is her favorite time for creation. She says, “Seven hours is myaverage.”

Yet time is an ephemeral thing for Appleton. “I never know how long a piece will take to complete. It may be weeks or months—a large

piece may take a year to finish.”

And today, at 75, the art world wishes Beth Appleton many more years of “wielding her X-Acto” and gifting the world with her tiny bits of magic.

Those who know Appleton’s unique body of work eagerly await her April2024 exhibition at the LeMoyne Arts Center, where new and personally selected retrospective pieces will be ondisplay.

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Byrd is now seeing clients full time at our Diana Health Tallahassee practice!

Miles Byrd, MD

OB/GYN Physician

Dr. Byrd is beloved in the community and by his long-term clients who know him for his caring, compassionate care. We couldn't be happier to have him on our team.

BOOKS

FRESH PRINTS

These art-related new releases are chock-full of inspiration and intrigue

by MARY MURRAY

↑  ME, MYSELF, AND I

Slated for release March 20, Self-Portraits: From 1800 to the Present (Assouline, $160) boasts more than 60 self-portraits curated by art advisor Philippe Ségalot and studio manager Morgane Guillet. Presented chronology, the works cover a variety of mediums and makers—some ultra-famous, others lesser-known—providing a compelling visual narrative on the evolution of self-portraiture across recent history. assouline.com

↑ CREATIVE PROCES S

Available for purchase April 9, The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations from the Atelier (Phaidon, $30) seeks to spur the creative process via inspiring artworks, short essays, poignant quotes, and practical exercises. Herself a painter and educator, author Juliette Aristides illuminates the principles of classical instruction, with the goal of helping readers awaken their artistic minds and hone their technical skills. phaidon.com

↑ STROKE OF GENIUS

Dive into the emerging field of neuroarts in Your Brain on Art: How the Arts

↑  PAPER TRAIL

When does an object become art? Surrealism Through its Journals 1924-2024: Les Portes du Rêve (Skira, $40) proves there is little distinction. Released this year to mark the centennial of the first Manifeste du Surréalisme, this book of ephemera chronicles the Surrealist movement vis-à-vis its formative publications. By perusing the various chapters dedicated to historic art journals and periodicals that circulated Surrealist imagery, readers can gain a comprehensive understanding of Surrealism’s complexities and enduring appeal. artbook.com

Transform Us (Random House Trade Paperbacks, $20). In this new book, Susan Magsamen (founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and Ivy Ross (vice president of hardware design at Google) explore how the arts can impact the brain, body, and behavior. With input from such influential artists and performers as Renée Fleming and David Byrne, Your Brain on Art presents evidence—both anecdotal and research-based— for the vast benefits of engaging with the arts. penguinrandomhouse.com

↑ LAND BEFORE TIME

Immerse yourself in dreamlike landscapes in Damien Hirst: The Civilisation Paintings (Heni Publishing, $50). For those who couldn’t attend the 2024 exhibition of the same name at Phillips, London, this catalog-style tome includes 54 reproductions from Hirst’s series of oil paintings that capture the intersection of nature and human development. The book also features a foreword by art historian Norman Rosenthal and an interview between Hirst and journalist James Fox. artbook.com

Au rendez-vous des amis, Max Ernst, 1922, Cologne, Museum Ludwig

SPREADING WINGS

A lifelong love of reading inspired Mark Mustian’s foray into writing

by KELLEY MARCELLUS

The open road and time on your hands is as good an invitation to creativity as any, and in his early career, Mark Mustian had plenty of both. The bond attorney spent hours driving across the state to visit clients— municipalities looking to bonds to fund their infrastructures—and used the long stretches in the car to compile a bucketlist.

“Maybe it was an early midlife crisis,” says Mustian who lives with his wife Greta Sliger in Tallahassee where the couple raised three children. “I remember thinking, ‘There’s got to be more thanthis.’”

So, he set goals: to teach, run for public office, and maybe write a book. Mustian taught at Tallahassee Community College for a few years, and “that was enough to cure me of wanting to do that,” he says. In his mid-30s, he gave novel writing a go, publishing The Return in 2000 after years of work and a lucky break with a smallpress.

“Then, in a fit of insanity, I ran for the city commission,” says the author who remains a practicing attorney and serves as president of Nabors Giblin & Nickerson, PA. He was elected, and from 2003-2012, he served his hometown where he’s lived since he was 5 years old, save for his college and law schooling and a threeyear stint inJacksonville.

↗ Attorney Mark Mustian leans into the creative spirit with the March launch of his third novel and debut as a performer in April’s Word of South—Tallahassee’s literary/music festival he founded a decade ago.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

This month, Mustian debuts his third novel, Boy with Wings—a story set in the South in the 1930s that explores what it means to be different through the lens a youngster born with a physical difference that relegated him to life in a “freak show.”

Mustian came to the book business through a lifelong love of reading but says, “I had no idea what I was doing.” His second novel, The Gendarme, was published in 2010. It’s historic fiction, as is Boy with Wings, and both books required exhaustive research. “If you write historical fiction, you live in fear—I try to be really careful and have people review it for accuracy,” says Mustian who acknowledges that “sometimes, it’s necessary to be intentionally inaccurate.”

The Gendarme introduced Mustian to literary festivals, where he gave readings from the book across the South, and a new idea was born. “We should do something like this in Tallahassee,” he remembersthinking.

Mustian started brainstorming ways to make a Tallahassee event stand out, considering literature and the environment or politics. Turns out, books and music were the most appealing combination. “There was really nothing like this that I found anywhere,” he says about of Word of South, the literature and music festival he and a small group founded in 2015 with seed funds that came from deferred income he earned as city commissioner. He currently serves as the festival’spresident.

This year’s festival takes place April 4-6 at Cascades Park. The ticketed headlining event on April 4 is a concert by the Violent Femmes and the

Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. The rest of the weekend’s performances are free “mu-aushups”—collaborations between authors and musicians, some of whom have never met before. “We have 50 different acts on eight stages this year,” Mustian says. Mustian will appear with pianist Daniel Bedrosian, who also serves as the keyboardist for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.

“We mix it up, and that’s what’s interesting,” says Mustian, who likes the unexpected connections that come from the pair-ups. “We have authors and musicians from different places and genres—this year, we have some romantic fiction pieces and poetry. It’s going to begood.” TM

← Previous Word of South performances at Adderly Amphitheater at Cascades Park include Ben Folds, who headlined in 2023 with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. The ticketed headlining event for 2025 is a concert by the Violent Femmes, also to be joined by TSO. ↑ATallahassee Writers Association table featuring localauthors rounds out the literary side of the festival.

→ Mustian’s third novel, Boy with Wings

SpringtimeTallahassee FESTIVAL

TALLAHASSEE

INSIDE YOUR GUIDE

As President and General Chair of Springtime Tallahassee, we welcome you to our 57th Annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival and Parade. Our theme this year is “Dancing in the Streets,” and there is no limit as to the fun one can have during our festival weekend.

Fifty-seven years ago, our founding fathers created a festival that would highlight the historical charm and beauty of springtime in Tallahassee. We are proud to say that the capital of Florida is Tallahassee, and Springtime is still going strong.

PUBLISHED BY:

Palm Beach Media Group

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY:

Ivory Fine Art Portraits

“SPRINGTIME DANCING IN THE STREETS”

LOGO DESIGN: Dodi She eld, Springtime Member

Springtime Tallahassee would like to thank Tallahassee Magazine for their time and e ort while putting together this year’s Festival Guide. Thank you for your hard work.

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

Florida Memory/State Archives of Florida, City of Tallahassee and Visit Tallahassee

There is something for every member of the family, beginning with our Music Festival, continuing with the Grand Parade, and then the Jubilee in the Park. We will have craft vendors, local works of art, and entertainment, just to mention a few of the activities to help make your day an unforgettable memory.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our hundreds of Springtime volunteers and members who have devoted countless hours of time to assure the success of our 57th Springtime Festival. We would also want to thank our sponsors for their financial support and our many community partners who assist in making our festival a reality. Springtime Tallahassee was again named the Best Community Event by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine

We can hardly wait to see you March 28 and 29 as we take the 57th annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival “Dancing in the Streets” to our community.

RANDY NUNN, PRESIDENT, AND SUSIE MOZOLIC, GENERAL CHAIRMAN

2025 SPONSORS

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

PREMIER MUSIC FESTIVAL SPONSORS

PREMIER JUBILEE SPONSORS

CHAMPION SPONSORS

SIGNATURE SPONSORS

JUBILEE STAGE SPONSORS

CHILDREN’S PARK SPONSORS

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

2025 SCHEDULE OF SPRINGTIME FESTIVAL EVENTS

MARCH 5, BREAKFAST ON THE MOON

7-9 a.m., The Moon

Join us for a delicious breakfast while mingling with old friends. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance or at the event.

MARCH 28,

MUSIC FESTIVAL ON KLEMAN PLAZA

5:30-10:30 p.m., Kleman Plaza

Featuring national entertainment. Unwind at the Beer Garden as we rock the plaza for this free festival event. Beer, Coco-Cola products, and food will be available for purchase.  Make sure to arrive early to enjoy the opening acts as this event will get packed quickly.

MARCH 29, GRAND PARADE

10:30 a.m.-noon, Monroe Street

Being one of the largest parades in the Southeast, the Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade needs no introduction. Come see over 100 colorful units and floats, marching bands, dance groups, Springtime Krewe floats, and much more.

MARCH 29, JUBILEE IN THE PARK

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee

With more than 125 arts, craft, and food vendors from around the country, this event is represented by some of the best. You can expect artists displaying original, handmade masterpieces and find cuisine with international flavors to ignite anyone’s taste buds.

MARCH 29, THE SPRINGTIME ROAD RACES

The Springtime Races (10K/5K/1M) are roaring back to life in 2025, following a strong resurgence last year. All three races will again start and finish on Suwannee Street next to Cascades Park in Florida’s Capital City. The 5K and 10K race courses run through the beautiful Myers Park neighborhood while the 1-mile race will be a flat out and back down Franklin Blvd. The 1-mile race will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the 10K and 5K races will start at 8 a.m. All race finishers will receive a medal.

MARCH 29, CHILDREN’S PARK

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee

This fantastic day of funfilled activities includes face painting, clowns, sirens, and a host of other magical experiences that provide culture, education, and recreation for the whole family. This magical area will be sure to unleash the imagination of all ages. Springtime Tallahassee and Tobacco Free Florida are working together to reduce your child’s exposure to secondhand smoke. The Children’s Park is proudly designated a tobacco-free zone.

Storytime with Leon County Public Library

We are thrilled to have the Leon County Public Library hosting these storytimes at their booth throughout the day, o ering a wonderful opportunity for kids to enjoy captivating stories in a fun and interactive environment. We will have a rolling storytime from noon. to 4 p.m., with the main readings scheduled at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. There will be an ongoing series of shorter storytime sessions, ensuring that families can drop by at their convenience and enjoy the festivities.

JUBILEE IN THE PARK ENTERTAINMENT

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

COMMUNITY STAGE

11:45 a.m-5 p.m., McCarty Park

Killearn Kids Dance Troupe 11:45 AM

The Tallahassee Ballet 12:00 PM

Rockstar Ravens Cheer Squad 12:20 PM

Dance Electric Dance Academy 12:35 PM

Troupe Arabesque 1:10 PM

Young Actors 1:40 PM

Mau’oli’oli Hawaiian Dancers 2:15 PM

Desoto Trail Blazerettes 2:40 PM

Capital Celtic Dancers 3:15 PM

Timberlane Arts and Dance Academy 3:50 PM

Fryson Drum Academy 4:30 PM

JUBILEE MUSIC STAGE

Noon-5 p.m., College Street & Adams Street

The Jubilee Music Stage is the place to be Saturday afternoon if you love good music. This year’s Music Stage will host some of your favorite local and regional artists that you don’t want to miss. Check our website at springtimetallahassee.com for entertainment updates.

AGES 6 MONTHS-ADULT

SPRINGTIME

TALLAHASSEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• President — Randy Nunn

• General Chairman — Susie Mozolic

• President-Elect — David Hutcheson

• General Chairman-Elect — Glenda Cato

• Secretary — Pat Crowley

• Treasurer — Matt Howard

• Governor — Wendy Harley

• Immediate Past President — Sean Marston

• Immediate Past General Chairman — Kiki Slaton

• Immediate Past Governor — Ken Martin

Krewe Chiefs:

• Spanish — Sheila Feldman

• War & Reconstruction — David Slaton

• 20th Century & Beyond — Connie Crowley

Board Representatives:

• Spanish — Michael Rowe

• War & Reconstruction — Chris Turner

• 20th Century & Beyond — Roy Smith

• Parliamentarian — John Curry

Springtime Tallahassee Sta :

• Executive Director — Blake Moore

• Assistant Director of Events — Kate Eldridge

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

GOVERNOR AND FIRST LADY

WENDY HARLEY, GOVERNOR & SUE ANN SMITH, FIRST LADY PHOTOS BY IVORY FINE ART PORTRAITS

SPANISH KREWE | 1528-1821

KREWE CHIEF SHEILA

FELDMAN AND HUSBAND

MICHAEL FELDMAN

GOVERNOR AND FIRST LADY/ GENTLEMAN HISTORY

To promote the rich history of our community, Springtime Tallahassee annually selects two members to portray the Governor and First Lady or First Gentleman, reflecting the role of government in Florida’s capital city of Tallahassee. They serve, together with the President and the General Chairman, as representatives of the organization.

The Governor’s Sta is composed of members of the three Krewes, having been selected by each Krewe for a five-year active term. The Sta is a marching unit and participates not only in the Springtime Parade, but also in several festivals throughout Florida and other states.

WAR & RECONSTRUCTION

KREWE | 1821-1900

KREWE CHIEF DAVID SLATON AND WIFE KIKI SLATON

20TH CENTURY & BEYOND

KREWE | 1901-PRESENT

KREWE CHIEF CONNIE CROWLEY AND HUSBAND

PATRICK CROWLEY

Governor Sta

First Lady Sta

MR. & MISS SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE

MISS SPRINGTIME ADDISON MARSTON

MR. SPRINGTIME CAMDEN WEBSTER

MISS CONGENIALITY ALYSSA BEGUE

PHOTOS BY IVORY FINE

•Daily breakfast for two at Sandcastles

•A $150 credit for Serenity by the sea Spa

•Dinner for two

•An experience/activity for two

BELLES AND GENTS

Springtime Tallahassee’s Belles and Gents program is made up of young men and women from grades 9 through 12. Throughout the year, the Belles and Gents along with the Jr. Belles and Gents, grades 5 through 8, develop poise, proper etiquette, and self-confidence while studying the history and traditions of Florida, Springtime Tallahassee, and the city of Tallahassee. Along with learning about our history, the Belles and Gents participate in several community projects that give back to our community. Springtime Tallahassee is very proud of the Belles and Gents and the wonderful way they care about our community.

Belles and Gents

TALLAHASSEE’S

TALLAHASSEE’S BEST CHOICE IN ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING

SENIOR LIVING

Enjoy an active lifestyle emphasizing wellness and lifelong learning opportunities at our Life Plan Community on 140 acres of rolling hills in Tallahassee. At Westminster Oaks, every residence is maintenance-free, so you can take a wellness class in the tness center, savor a chef-prepared meal, or enjoy the many walking and biking paths nearby instead of keeping up with your home. You’ll love the wide variety of spacious residences available, all with great services and amenities to enhance your lifestyle, like housekeeping, scheduled transportation and 24-hour security. Best of all, you’ll nd safety and security for the future with our full continuum of healthcare services, including Assisted Living, Nursing Care, Memory Care and more, should your needs change.

Enjoy an active lifestyle emphasizing wellness and lifelong learning opportunities at our Life Plan Community on 140 acres of rolling hills in Tallahassee. At Westminster Oaks, every residence is maintenance-free, so you can take a wellness class in the tness center, savor a chef-prepared meal, or enjoy the many walking and biking paths nearby instead of keeping up with your home. You’ll love the wide variety of spacious residences available, all with great services and amenities to enhance your lifestyle, like housekeeping, scheduled transportation and 24-hour security. Best of all, you’ll nd safety and security for the future with our full continuum of healthcare services, including Assisted Living, Nursing Care, Memory Care and more, should your needs change.

APRIL 25

COMMUNITY GOLF CLASSIC

Join United Way of the Big Bend for the 27th annual Community Golf Classic on April 25 at the Southwood Golf Club. Tee off for a great cause, supporting United Way of the Big Bend and the community they serve. Enjoy a day of fun, camaraderie, and giving back.

For more information, visit UWBB.org.

MARCH 20

POWER OF THE PURSE

→ Gather with friends old and new at this year’s Power of the Purse event, supporting Women United & United Way of the Big Bend on March 20 at the Goodwood Museum for an unforgettable evening of fun, connection, and purpose—all for a great cause!

Proceeds from Power of the Purse support United Way of the Big Bend. For more information, visit UWBB.org/power-of-the-purse or contact Caylie Atkins at caylie@uwbb.org or (850) 414-0862.

MARCH 27

Bevs, Bites & Ballet

→ Experience a beautiful blend of fine food and drinks by Hayward House and a taste of Tallahassee’s premier ballet company. The historic beauty of Maclay Gardens will provide a sophisticated backdrop for the evening’s inaugural fundraising gala, benefiting The Tallahassee Ballet. The event will be held at the Maclay Gardens Visitors Lawn from 6:30-9:00 p.m. For more information, contact CEO Lauren Hernandez at Lauren@Tallahasseeballet.org or call (850) 556-6618. To buy tickets, visit TallahasseeBallet.org/bbb.

↖ Special guest Jackson Dean perfomed at the 2024 Springtime Tallahassee Music Festival.

MARCH 28-29

SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE

→ The annual festival marking the arrival of spring in Tallahassee is back! Springtime Tallahassee will once again bring food, entertainment, krewes, and fun when it returns March 28-29. Enjoy all of the festivities that this highly anticipated event has to offer. The Springtime Music Festival, Jubilee in the Park, the Grand Parade, the Children’s Park, and more are back and bigger than ever in what is sure to be a fantastic continuation of this yearly Tallahassee tradition. Visit SpringtimeTallahassee.com to learn more.

PEBBLE HILL POLO CLASSIC

MARCH 8

Head to the Red Hills to enjoy a women’s polo match, children’s activities, fine food, spirits, and more. The event benefits Pebble Hill’s Preservation Fund, dedicated to the continued care and restoration of the historic 3,000-acre estate and its more than 60 structures.

pebblehill.com/pebble-hill-poloclassic

PBR PENDLETON WHISKY VELOCITY TOUR

MARCH 14-15

For the first time in tour history, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour will buck into Tallahassee for two nights only. Some of the best bull riders in the world will duel with some of the rankest bovine competitors bred to buck in a must-see showdown. tuckerciviccenter.com/events

TREASURE ISLAND

MARCH 22

Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola , this thrilling adventure tells of a perilous journey across the Spanish Main, encountering

a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver. openingnights.fsu.edu/events

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR

MARCH 23

Anoushka Shankar, alongside her new band of musicians, carves out an original and dynamic sound as she performs songs from her three newly released minialbums, plus reinterpreted gems including the Grammynominated live album Between Us openingnights.fsu.edu/events

GARRISON STARR

MARCH 27

Singer-songwriter and Grammy-nominated record producer Garrison Starr calls her latest album, Garrison Starr and The Gospel Truth, a collection of “swamp gospel hymns for humans.” openingnights.fsu.edu/events

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

MARCH 27-APRIL 13

Step into the bizarre and captivating world of Little Shop of Horrors where Seymour, a downtrodden floral assistant, discovers an unusual plant with a taste for blood. As the plant’s voracious appetite for human flesh grows, so

APRIL 26

Save the date and bring your children to Tallahassee’s premier family event, KidsFest 2025 at Cascades Park from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy free admission, family-friendly entertainment, and kids activities at every booth. Contact KidsFest@KidsIncorporated.org or find more information at KidsIncorporated.org.

MARCH 29

Nostalgia and Nature

→ See Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra conductor candidate Kellen Gray and guest pianist Stewart Goodyear at this beautiful concert program at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Surround yourself with the sounds of nature through the music of Florence Price, Dvorak, and Beethoven.

For more information, visit TallahasseeSymphony.org.

APRIL 9-JUNE 2

CREATIVE

TALLAHASSEE 2025

→ Presented by the Council on Culture & Arts, the Tallahassee City Hall Gallery proudly showcases Creative Tallahassee from April 9 to June 2.

For more details, contact Sam Joslin, our dedicated Public Arts and Exhibitions Manager at sam@tallahasseearts.org.

APRIL 26 & 27

CHAIN

OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL

→ Expect a fun-filled outdoor cultural experience at the 25th annual Chain of Parks Art Festival in downtown Tallahassee. Visitors will enjoy a weekend filled with unique works of fine art from over 150 national juried artists, 3D street art, live entertainment, children’s art activities, local heritage, delicious food, craft beer, and more. In partnership with Leon County and Scott Carswell, the festival welcomes musical guests Wilco and Waxahatchee to Tallahassee on April 26 at the Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park. Visit ChainofParks.org for more informaton. Festival times are Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, April 26 special ticketed concert starting at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 27 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

REGIONAL APRIL 24-27

SOUTH WALTON BEACHES

WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

→ Enjoy more than 600 wines and spirits available to taste at the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. An expanded Culinary Village will offer exclusive Napa Valley vintners and featured wines to delight the senses, a showcased Willamette Valley Wineries Grand Tasting tent, fun and informative tasting seminars, and celebrity winemakers from around the world to celebrate the best in wine and food at the beach. Plus, a Friday night Craft Cocktail Competition and more!

Visit SoWalWine.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

does Seymour’s fame and fortune. But at what cost?

theatretallahassee.org

MUSIC FESTIVAL ON KLEMAN PLAZA

MARCH 28

Head to Kleman Plaza downtown to kick off the 57th annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival. Enjoy the spring night air, savor the treats of food vendors appealing to all tastebuds, stop by the beer garden, and enjoy an evening of entertainment on the main stage.

springtimetallahassee.com/ st_event/music-festival-withbeer-garden

JUBILEE IN THE PARK

MARCH 29

Part of the 57th annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival, Jubilee in the Park will be held at the downtown Chain of Parks from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., offering live music and food, beverage, and art vendors.

springtimetallahassee.com/ st_event/music-festival-withbeer-garden

GRAND PARADE

MARCH 29

Over 100 colorful floats, marching bands, dance groups, and horse-drawn carriages will liven the streets of downtown Tallahassee from Monroe Street to Brevard Street. springtimetallahassee.com/ st_event/music-festival-withbeer-garden

TMH GOLDEN GALA

APRIL 3

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) and the TMH Foundation will host the 2025 Golden Gala. The event will feature two sets by comedian Fortune Feimster and a private concert by the iconic rock band Foreigner. tmhgoldengala.org

WORD OF SOUTH FESTIVAL

APRIL 4-6

Writers, musicians, and artists explore and celebrate the relationships among these

disciplines by combining spoken word and live music performances. A headlining performance by the Violent Femmes with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra will kick off the weekend. wordofsouthfestival.com

AMERICAN PATCHWORK QUARTET

APRIL 11

Led by Grammy-winning guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross, the American Patchwork Quartet creates a masterful confluence of tradition and innovation, combining American folk, jazz, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornamentation. openingnights.fsu.edu/events

THEO VON: RETURN OF THE RAT

APRIL 12

Theo Von brings his widely popular comedy tour to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Known as host of podcasts This Past Weekend and King and the Stink as well as his recent Netflix comedy special Regular People, Von keeps crowds and viewers in stitches with his relatable comedic style. tuckerciviccenter.com/events

ANDRA DOUGLAS

APRIL 24

The art of FSU alumna Andra Douglas captures passing moments in scenes of wistful tones. In her new show, Exit 65, Douglas’ landscapes and passages paint themes of loss, adventure, mystery, and celebration. openingnights.fsu.edu/events

LEMOYNE’S CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL

APRIL 26-27

Ranked one of the top fine art shows in the nation, LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival is free and open to the public. The Artists in the Park event welcomes visitors to peruse over 150 art vendors. Enjoy live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, professional chalk artists, heritage art, and libations. chainofparks.org

SOCIAL STUDIES

Leading Ladies of Florida House Gala

NOV. 19 The Tallahassee Trustee Chapter of Florida House on Capitol Hill honored three Leading Ladies of Florida House on Nov. 19, 2024, at the Governors Club. The honorees at the Leading Ladies of Florida House Gala were Florida House Tallahassee trustees Cynthia O’Connell, who has served Florida House for more than 25 years, and Dee Ann Smith who has volunteered for the organization for nearly two decades. Trustee Emeritus Pat Mica of Winter Park was also recognized for her involvement and decades of service. Mica was the featured speaker.

PHOTOS BY MARY KATHERINE FULKERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

1 Rebecca Harrell, Host Committee member Melanie Flowers, Fran Shaw and Kye Harrell

2 Mark and Martha Fletcher of Quincy along with host committee members Tina Campbell and Fraser Smith of Tallahassee

3 Florida House Chairman of the Board of Trustees Rick Derrer of Fort Lauderdale with President of the Tallahassee Trustee Chapter Mary Bebout and Tallahassee Trustee Dominic Calabro

WinterFall, A Night of Giving featuring the Kingdom of Sweets

NOV. 21 Held on Nov. 21, 2024 in the Esposito Garden Center, this signature fundraising event featured culinary delights, libations, entertainment, a live auction, and much more. Proceeds from WinterFall support Apalachee Center Children’s Services.

PHOTOS COURTESY WINTERFALL, A NIGHT OF GIVING

1 Mona McGregor, Julia Walls, and Mary Kelly

2 Ralph Esposito and Rick Kearney

3 Mylisa Chemento and Kellie Kraft

Thoughtfully designed for patient comfort and convenience

Offering a broad range of treatments and services on-site for patients with all forms of cancer and blood disorders:

• Behavioral Health Therapy

• Chemotherapy

• Clinical Trials

• DigniCap ® - Cool Cap Therapy

• Genetic Testing

• Hematology

• Imaging

• Infusion Therapy

• Laboratory

• Medical Oncology

• Non-oncology Infusions

• Nutrition Counseling

• Oncolytic Pharmacy

– Rx To Go

• Pathology Lab

• PET/CT Scan

• Radiology

• Targeted Therapy

• Telemedicine

Tien Do, MD

Viralkumar Bhanderi, MD

Paresh Patel, MD

Scott Tetreault, MD

SOCIAL STUDIES

Holiday Magic! Cirque de Noel

DEC. 14 On Dec. 14, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra with Cirque de la Symphonie returned for its annual Christmas show, Holiday Magic! Cirque de Noel. This breathtaking event thrilled audiences with exceptional acrobatic performances, beloved holiday music reconceptualized, and a shared feeling of holiday magic and cheer.

PHOTOS COURTESY LORI YEATON

1 Special to Cirque de la Symphonie, the group works exclusively with orchestras to provide the soundtrack to their captivating show. The performance included circus performers juggling, balancing on tightropes, audience flyovers, and more.

2 Coy Lefeavers and Renee Johnson with Lori and Jon Yeaton kicked off their holiday season with this unique and cherished holiday tradition.

3 The team of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, and various other acts travel year-round across the world to perform with notable orchestras. Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra held a coveted spot on the performance schedule.

dining guide

AMERICAN

BACKWOODS CROSSING ★

Sit down at this 2024 Best of winner for fresh gourmet food. This farm-to-table, destination concept restaurant features locally caught, curated, and produced softshell crabs, sausage, duck, and blueberries. 6725 Mahan Dr., backwoodscrossing.com

$$ L D

BAR 1903 ★

In the historic Walker Library, Bar 1903 honors the history of mixology in the cocktail experience. Small plates, snacks, bar sandwiches, sweets. Intimate setting, 36-seat capacity. Voted Best Bar for 2024. 209 E. Park Ave., bar1903tlh.com $$ D

BIRD’S APHRODISIAC OYSTER SHACK

Tallahassee’s classiest oyster shack, serving burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, and grouper sandwiches plus hot dogs with sides. Full bar. Entertainment includes live music, comedy, and karaoke. Close to downtown and the FSU campus. 325 N. Bronough St., birdsoystershack.com

$$ L D

CHARLIE PARK

Tallahassee’s first rooftop cocktail experience offering small plates and shareables has an innovative and exciting menu built around plates to share and experience with others. The specialty craft cocktails are inventive, and the views of Tallahassee’s downtown and beyond are spectacular. 801 S. Gadsden St., charlieparkrooftop.com $$ D

DOG ET AL ★

Foot-long and veggie entrées alike grace this award-winning menu. Also ask about the incredibly valued family packs. Multiple locations, dogetalusa.com $ L D

THE EDISON

This relaxed, fine dining establishment is equipped with a beer garden, wine cellar, casual café, open-air alternatives, and a gorgeous view that has become a Tallahassee favorite. 470 Suwannee St., edisontally.com $$/$$$ B L D

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

★

The name says it all! This restaurant boasts a palate-pleasing combination of personalized service, eclectic ambience, and award-winning cuisine and is the Best Desserts winner for 2017-24. 1950 Thomasville Rd., foodgloriousfood.com

$$ L D

HOBBIT

★

Serving award-winning wings, handcrafted burgers, and specialty sandwiches, plus cold beer and cocktails.

Voted 2024 Best of winner for wings. Multiple locations, myhobbitonline.com $ L D

HOPKINS’ EATERY ★

A Best of 2024 winner, Hopkins’ provides favorites such as the Ultimate Turkey, the Linda Special, and a variety of salads to keep customers coming back. Multiple locations. Hours vary. hopkinseatery.com $ L D

ISLAND WING COMPANY

Get baked! Island Wing Company won’t serve greasy, fried wings; instead they bake them fresh. 1370 Market St., islandwing.com

$ L D

LIBERTY BAR AND RESTAURANT

Carefully crafted unique cocktails mixed with a gourmet menu that features fresh, local produce. 1307 N. Monroe, Unit No. 2., libertytlh.com $$ D

LOFTY PURSUITS ★

This old-fashioned soda fountain serves ice cream, milkshakes, and candy—plus brunch dishes and a selection of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. 1355 Market St., A11, loftypursuits.com $ B

MIDTOWN CABOOSE ★

Outrageous burgers in a laid-back atmosphere—Wells Bros. lives on at this burger joint, voted Tallahassee’s Best for 2024. 1406 N. Meridian Rd., midtowncaboose.com $$ L D

MIMI’S TABLE BISTRO & WINE BAR

American Southern cuisines inspired by French and Italian Old World cooking with fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever available. 1311 Miccosukee Rd., mimistabletally.com $$$ D

OLOGY BREWING CO ★

Craft brewery born in a spirit of innovation. Best of Tallahassee winner for 2024 in Brewery/Craft Beer category. From IPAs to stouts and sours to barrel-aged brews, an ever-evolving tap list invites a journey of taste and exploration. Also offers shareable plates. 2910 Kerry Forest Pkwy. (Northside location), ologybrewing.com $$

SAGE RESTAURANT

Sage’s menu masterfully melds regional influences, including Southern and French. The setting is gorgeous but cozy, and the outdoor patio sets a charming, romantic tone for a relaxing evening. 3534 Maclay Blvd., sagetallahassee.com $$$ B L D

SAVOUR ★

Downtown fine dining with a vision for seasonally inspired, regionally sourced and creative cuisine, such as dry-brined bone-in pork chops, Gulf Coast bouillabaisse, or pecan-crusted grouper. 115 E. Park Ave., savourtallahassee.com $$$ D

PHOTO BY JENNIFER G PHOTOGRAPHY

TABLE 23

This “Southern porch, table, and bar” is cozied up among oak trees on one of Tallahassee’s favorite street corners. Lucky Goat coffee-rubbed rib eye and Schermer pecan-crusted chicken are among the regional offerings. 1215 Thomasville Rd., table23tally.com $$$ L D

THE HUNTSMAN

★

The Huntsman creates exceptional dining experiences focused on ethically sourced wild game, as well as field and stream to table. Also offering vegan and vegetarian fare. Five-course guided culinary expeditions require group participation. Happy hour and late-night menu. 320 E. Tennessee St., huntsmantallahassee.com $$$ D

THE MONROE

Modern American cuisine in a vibrant atmosphere. This restaurant is the mainstay to the entire South Monroe restaurant and retail development. SoMo Walls on the Southside. 1327 S. Monroe St., themonroetlh.com $$$ D

UPTOWN CAFÉ

Specialties at the bustling, family-run café include apricot-glazed smoked salmon, oneof-a-kind omelets, banana bread French toast, and flavorful sandwiches. 1325 Miccosukee Rd., uptowncafeandcatering.com $ B L

WALK-ON’S SPORTS BISTREAUX ★

Not your usual sports bar, this import from Louisiana offers seafood, traditional Cajun cuisine, and burgers built for two hands, plus 40 beers on tap and wall-to-wall TVs for the big games. 3390 Capital Circle NE, walk-ons.com $$ L D

ASIAN

AZU

LUCY HO’S ★

Enjoy an extensive array of classic dishes with a modern flare, including gyoza dumplings, crab rangoon, General Tso’s chicken, and Szechuan beef, all in a relaxed setting. 3220 Apalachee Pkwy., Ste. 13., azutally.com $$ L D

DAO RESTAURANT

Indulge in lobster, blue crab, spicy prawns, Peking duck, or a grouper filet with mapo tofu. 3425 Bannerman Rd., daotally.com $$ L D

KIKU JAPANESE FUSION ★

From tempura to teriyaki and sushi to sashimi, Kiku Japanese Fusion, voted Best Sushi in 2024, fuses vibrant flavors with fresh ingredients. 3491 Thomasville Rd., kikubogo.com $$ L D

MASA

Masa’s menu offers a creative blend of Eastern and Western cuisines. 1650 N. Monroe St., masatallahassee.com $/$$

OSAKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR ★

Rated Best Hibachi for 2024, Osaka provides dinner and a show, with the chefs seasoning and preparing your meal right in front of you. 1489 Maclay Commerce Dr., theosakasteakhouse.com $$$ D

ROCK N ROLL SUSHI

This American-style sushi chain born in Mobile offers fresh rolls, salads, and hibachi—all with

a rock-and-roll theme. 1415 Timberlane Rd. #305, rocknrollsushi.com/locations/tallahassee- $$ L D

BARBECUE

4 RIVERS SMOKEHOUSE ★

Offering the best slow-smoked barbecue, the Best Barbecue winner for 2024 specializes in slow-smoked barbecue, homestyle sides, and fresh desserts made daily in their bakery. 1817 Thomasville Rd., 4rsmokehouse.com $ L D

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY

CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ ★

Traditional breakfasts, fluffy omelets, skillets, French toast, and sweet potato pancakes keep customers coming back to this 2024 Best Breakfast winner. Canopy also goes all out on lunch favorites. Multiple locations, canopyroadcafe.com $ B L

LUCKY GOAT COFFEE

★

Coffee roaster, wholesaler, distributor, online retailer, and café serving high-quality beverages. Flavored coffees include pumpkin spice and Southern pecan. Best Coffee Shop winner as voted by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine in 2024. Multiple locations including Bannerman Crossings, luckygoatcoffee.com

JERI’S LOVE ON A PLATE

Filling bellies and hearts with love. Jeri’s Love on a Plate offers homestyle dishes

created with farm-to-table, top-quality ingredients. Brie from France, baguettes from New York, and heaping portions of gouda grits and shrimp, enough to share with a fellow diner. 1370 Market St., Ste. #1, jeristallahassee.com $$ B L

MA’S DINER

No one does it like Ma! Ma’s Diner serves family-style food in a family-friendly setting. Homestyle classics are served for breakfast and lunch with quick, attentive, and friendly service. 6668-9 Thomasville Rd., facebook.com/ masdinertally $ B L

THE EGG CAFÉ & EATERY

When you’re looking for breakfast favorites, even if it’s lunchtime, The Egg is the place to be. Multiple locations, (850) 907-3447. $$ B L

TASTY PASTRY BAKERY ★

Tallahassee’s original cakery and 2024 Best Bakery winner features fresh breads, bagels, pies, cakes, and catering. Open Monday through Saturday, 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1355 Market St., Ste. A-5, tastypastrybakery.com

$ B L D

CAJUN

COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE ★

This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2024 brings a menu jam-packed with Louisianastyle dishes, including favorites like jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, po’boys, and seafood gumbo. Multiple locations, cooshs.com

$$ B L D

942-2722

CATERING

CATERING CAPERS

Offering meals, bar services, and more, Catering Capers makes entertaining and planning corporate events, weddings, or private parties in Tallahassee easy. 2915 E. Park Ave., Unit 4, thecateringcapers.com

SIMPLY ENTERTAINING

Serving as a “one-stop shop” for intimate parties. Committed to making events simple by taking care of everything. Also offering simple dinners on Tuesday and Thursday nights. 1355 Market St., simplyenty.com

SOCIAL CATERING & EVENTS ★

This 2024 Best of Tallahassee winner offers catering ranging from high-end dropoffs to five-course fine dining experiences to servicing upward of 2,000 guests in a single meal period. 227 W. Carolina St., socialcateringandevents.com

ITALIAN/PIZZA

BELLA BELLA ★

Voted Best Italian in 2024, this locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and serves all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. 123 E. Fifth Ave., thebellabella.com $$ L D

GAINES STREET PIES ★

Touted for its fresh ingredients, this 2024 Best of winner has a vibrant atmosphere and is the perfect spot for local pizza lovers. Multiple locations, gainesstreetpies.com $ L D

MOMO’S PIZZA

After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at Momo’s, chain pizza simply is not gonna cut it. Multiple locations, momspizza.com $ L D

RICCARDO’S RESTAURANT

A Tallahassee tradition since 1999, Riccardo’s features savory Italian classics, from pasta and pizza to homemade subs and calzones—plus a wide-ranging selection of wines and craft brews. 1950 Thomasville Rd., riccardostally.com $$ L D

MEXICAN

EL JALISCO ★

In the mood for sizzling fajitas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2024 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection. Multiple locations, eljalisco.com $ L D

SEAFOOD/STEAK

CRAFTY CRAB

Offering the freshest seafood and most authentic recipes in the area, including crab, crawfish, calamari, lobster, oysters, mussels, scallops, and more. Multiple locations, craftycrabrestaurant.com $$ L D

GEORGIO’S FINE FOOD & SPIRITS

George Koikos has over 50 years of experience in Tallahassee restaurants,

and his hands-on commitment has made this upscale restaurant a local favorite featuring local seafood, prime steaks, and banquet rooms for private parties. 2971 Apalachee Pkwy., georgiostallahassee.com

$$$ D

HARRY’S SEAFOOD BAR & GRILLE

Serving Southern, Cajun, and Creole flavors in classic and modern dishes since 1987. 301 S. Bronough St. in Kleman Plaza, hookedonharrys.com $$ L D

IL LUSSO ★

Homemade pasta, local seafood, and a choice of prime steaks define this downtown fine dining experience. 201 E. Park Ave., Ste. 100, illussotally.com $$ D

SHULA’S 347

Located in Hotel Duval. Keep it light and casual with a premium Black Angus beef burger or a gourmet salad, or opt for one of their signature entrées—a “Shula Cut” steak. Reservations suggested. 415 N. Monroe St., 347grille.com/location-tallahassee $$ L D

SOUTHERN SEAFOOD ★

Whether you’re looking for fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab, or lobster, the 2024 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee. 1415 Timberlane Rd., southernseafoodmarket.com

TALLY

FISH HOUSE

& OYSTER BAR

Explore four types of topped oysters, load up with stuffed grouper, or opt for “turf” with a chef’s choice cut steak. Serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday. 6802 Thomasville Rd., tallyfishhouse.com $$ L D

TED’S MONTANA GRILL

Co-founders Ted Turner and George W. McKerrow imagined a restaurant that would provide friends and family with an experience founded on the ideals that made America great—simplicity, honesty, and authenticity. And nothing is more authentically American than bison. 1954 Village Green Way, tedsmontanagrill.com $$ L D

THE SEINEYARD

Fried, grilled, or blackened, the area’s best and freshest seafood is found at The Seineyard. Grab your basket, or mix it up with a plate of grouper, catfish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and more. 3870 Coastal Hwy., Crawfordville, theseineyard.com $$ L D

WHARF CASUAL SEAFOOD ★

Voted Best Seafood Restaurant in 2024, the Wharf will fill your need for the coast with fresh seafood, salads, seafood tacos, and po’boys. Also available for catering. Multiple locations, wharfcasualseafood.com $$ L D

SOUTH

AMERICAN

CAFÉ DE MARTIN & EL BAR ★

The home of Peruvian cuisine in Tallahassee. Chef Martin, originally from Lima, Peru, is renowned in Leon County’s Hispanic community for his authentic dishes. 2743 Capital Circle NE, cafedemartin.com $$ L D

WINTER CALM

Walking in a (Florida) winter wonderland

Enzo, the history-making winter storm, transformed Northwest Florida’s sugar-white beaches into a landscape of an entirely di erent kind—blanketed in “the other white stu .” Towns throughout the Sunshine State, more accustomed to sunbathers than snowdri s, awoke to a dazzling frost as urries danced along the Emerald Coast. Roads iced over, palm trees shimmered with silver, and residents embraced the rare magic of a Southern winter wonderland—an extraordinary moment forever etched in the region’s memory.

–Zandra Wolfgram

This photograph was taken in the evening the day after Winter Storm Enzo at local photographer Dave Barfield’s home near Defuniak Springs. This area received a total of 9.5 inches of snow.

PHOTO FINISH

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