Coral Gables Magazine November 2019

CORAL GABLES

Take a Snow Day!

A HANDBOOK FOR THE HOLIDAYS

ALSO: DON’T CRY: WE LOVE ARGENTINA GRACE’S LAW: ARREST CYBER STALKERS!

CINDY’S STORY: SPICING UP ORTANIQUE

Mary Snow, Executive Director Coral Gables Community Foundation

Althea Row

Honoring Coral Gables History

Acentury ago, Coral Gables founder George Merrick took inspiration to develop the City Beautiful from his trail-blazing mom Althea, a college-educated woman who was an artist, entrepreneur and civic leader. She had designed the Merrick family home, with a base of coral rock and a roof that was gabled.

Now, MG Developer is honoring the remarkable matriarch with a luxury townhouse development in her name, Althea Row. MG’s innovative project features five, three-story townhomes, each spanning more than 7,000 square feet. Each townhome has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a four-car garage, high-end appliances, expansive terraces and other elegant amenities. Prices start at $3.1 million apiece.

Alirio Torrealba, chief executive of MG Developer, says his team drew inspiration from Althea’s drive, artistry and community spirit. When Althea came to South Florida from Massachusetts,she left an enduring legacy, starting the first school in the area, instilling a love of art and architecture in her children and helping to run the family business while still taking part in such community groups as the Woman’s and Garden clubs,” said Torrealba.

“It’s nice to be aware of one’s regional history while paving the way for the future,” says Malcolm Lauredo, historian

at the Coral Gables Museum, when asked about MG Developer’s tribute at Althea Row. “She had a larger role in the aesthetics of Coral Gables than most people know.”

Althea Row is designed by Harvard-trained architect Maria de la Guardia and inspired by George Merrick and his contemporaries, architects H. George Fink, Phineas Paist and Richard Kiehnel. The project is the latest segment in MG Developer’s Biltmore Square. In all, the Coral Gables-based company is investing some $80 million in Biltmore Square, projected to offer 65 luxury townhomes and residences.

When Althea came to South Florida from Massachusetts,she left an enduring legacy, starting the first school in the area, instilling a love of art and architecture in her children and helping to run the family business while still taking part in such community groups as the Woman’s and Garden clubs,” said Torrealba.

Left to right: Malcolm Lauredo, Daniel de la Vega, Jeannett Slesnick

Coral Gables Vice Mayor Vince Lago, María de la Guardia Alirio Torrealba, Fernando de Nuñez y Lugones, Venny Torre.

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SOPHISTICATED MOVE-IN READY RESIDENCES IN CORAL GABLES

Merrick Manor is a collection of remarkable, 1 to 4 Bedroom Modern Residences starting from $379,990 Located steps away from the Shops at Merrick Park.

24-HOUR SECURITY, CONCIERGE & VALET | CLUB LOUNGE | STATE-OF-THE-ART FITNESS STUDIO | GROUND-FLOOR BOUTIQUE RETAIL RESORT-STYLE SALINE POOL & SUMMER KITCHEN | BUSINESS CENTER | PET-FRIENDLY AMENITIES

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN LEADS THE MARKET

Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the second largest independent residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. With more than 7,000 agents, the company operates approximately 120 offices nationwide and 21 in Florida. From Miami, to Palm Beach, to St. Petersburg, let’s put the power of Elliman to work for you. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit elliman.com/florida.

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors!

With your help, we were able to raise nearly $2 million to support the programs and services of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the children we serve.

CHAMPAGNE DIAMOND SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

PARTNER

healthcare

UNDERWRITING SPONSORS

NEW LISTING! Spanish Colonial estate with beautiful architectural details and materials hand-selected in Spain.

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NEW LISTING! Modern two story home, updated in 2017. 2019 roof. 3 car garage. Perfect for entertaining! 5/5/1 | 5,693 adj. sf. | 16,187 sf. lot | $2,995,000

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Only 3 Left! Enjoy Landmark-resort living in this boutique condo of 11 units on the golf course. Prices from $1,971,000 to $2,468,000

Villa Biltmore - 1228 Anastasia Ave - Coral Gables

7801 Los Pinos Blvd. - Cocoplum, Coral Gables

7103 Mira Flores

FORGING NEW INTERNATIONAL BONDS

The ostensible purpose of the trip last month to Argentina, which saw a dozen representatives of the city wing their way south, was to sign and shake hands with our latest sister city, San Isidro. That was accomplished, but so were numerous business liaisons that could blossom with our southern neighbor.

Read more....

LONDON CALLED AND THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANSWERED…

The Coral Gables Community Foundation and its honorees celebrated with pomp and circumstance at London Calling, Windsor Wonderland, this year’s ball held at the Biltmore Hotel. In the spirit of the October ball’s theme, 400 of Miami’s philanthropic, social, civic and business influencers donned tiaras and sported tails in a nod to the monarchy.

Read more....

Child’s Play

As Actors’ Playhouse kicks off its new season, children play a key role in the group’s continuing success. Of the more than 150,000 people who visit the Coral Gables venue annually, some 60,000 come for children’s theatre, many of them Miami-Dade students on field trips.

It takes courage to change. Making the choice to have gastric sleeve surgery isn’t easy, but once you do, you begin to see the possibilities. Don’t let old habits or routines hold you back any longer. Make the change for you, your health, and your future. Start now by registering for a FREE seminar.

CHANGE IS LIFE.

The Power of Small

In this issue we pay a great deal of attention to the small, independent vendors in Coral Gables’ downtown. Our map and walking tour of two dozen shops, in the center of our Handbook for the Holidays, pays homage to the spirit of the independent retailers of the Gables, many of whom have been in their locations for decades.

While we do appreciate the array of national brand stores that occupy the floors at the Shops at Merrick Park, and though there are a couple of national brands in the downtown (especially among the restaurants), the downtown is where the proverbial mom & pop stores live and thrive, offering unique, artisanal shopping experiences. They are an important part of what gives Coral Gables a hometown feel – despite its intensely international business community.

With this in mind, we would like to bring your attention to something our Chamber of Commerce has long championed: Small Business Saturday, which this year takes place on November 30th. Why this is important cannot be better articulated than how Chamber CEO Mark Trowbridge puts it: “We all know the impact that small businesses have on our local economy, starting with the jobs they create. That’s why we pledge our enduring support to the little guys – the brick

and mortar locations that bring so much charm and appeal to our City Beautiful. They are the local coffee shops where you order your morning brew, the independent bookstore that has all the latest reads, the bridal shop ready to help you celebrate your big day and the salon that spiffs up your weekend hairdo.”

Well, perhaps not my hairdo, but you get the idea.

So, on the last Saturday of this month, celebrate local, independent retail businesses serving our Coral Gables by taking the #ShopSmall Pledge. For every item you purchase from a big-box purveyor or national chain, commit to purchasing at least one more article from your favorite local store. If you find something really special, please share it with us at letters@ thecoralgablesmagazine.com as we celebrate all things local.

Speaking of local, our grateful thanks to local leader Mary Snow, local queen of couture Mayda Cisneros, local jeweler Snow’s, and the local crew of Michael Russell, Kristen Daryl and Alex Diaz, who all helped put togehter this month’s cover.

J.P.Faber Editor-in-Chief

Cover: Mary Snow, Executive Director

Coral Gables Community Foundation

Photo by: Michael Russell

Dress and Jacket: Mayda Cisneros

Makeup: Kristen Daryl

Hair: Alex Diaz

Jewelry: Snow’s Jewelers

PUBLISHER

Richard Roffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P.Faber

EVP / PUBLISHER

Gail Scott

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amy Donner

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci

ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Toni Kirkland

VP SALES

Sherry Adams

SENIOR WRITER

Doreen Hemlock

STAFF WRITER

Lizzie Wilcox

WRITERS

James Broida

Andrew Gayle

Mallory Evans Jacobson

Kylie Wang

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michael Campina

Jonathan Dann

RESEARCH

Gloria Glanz

SENIOR ADVISOR

Dennis Nason

CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

CircIntel

Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2019 by City Regional Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. General mailbox email and letters to editor@ thecoralgablesmagazine.com. BPA International Membership applied for March 2019.

coralgablesthemagazine.com

READERS LETTERS

Each month we print letters from our readers. We encourage any and all commentary, including criticism as well as compliments, and of course any commentary about our community. If you are interested in writing to us with your opinions, thoughts or suggestions, please send them to letters@thecoralgablesmagazine.com. We edit letters for brevity, grammar and clarity.

HEEL HO

Women raised in seaside towns know not to wear high heels on docks. It is sacred knowledge passed down from mother to daughter and shared amongst girlfriends. We know the risk is not so much to our own health and well-being – though there is a hazard – but to our shoes. No matter how careful you are, eventually your heel will land between the slats of wood and scrape the leather off. The damage is impossible to repair.

This may seem trivial or vain to some. After all, why would you wear stilettos on a dock? But how about going out to dinner? What about wearing high heels to meet friends for a drink, attend a gallery opening, a fundraiser, a business lunch? Those all seem perfectly acceptable occasions.

So why is it then that Miracle Mile, the street in Coral Gables where walking to and from restaurants, galleries, shops and bars takes place, is covered in tiles set just wide enough apart to catch your heels and destroy them? A ravaged shoe is a probability and best-case scenario, while a fall and/or a twisted ankle are other possibilities.

This makes me wonder if there were any

women on the StreetScape design team. Local women. Women who know about docks.

Stacy Conde

Conde Contemporary, Miracle Mile WATER WARNINGS

Miami Waterkeeper recently had the pleasure of holding our quarterly Lunch and Learn series in conjunction with Berkshire HomeServices/EWM and the Coral Gables Community Foundation. We were particularly pleased to be speaking about Coral Gables-specific issues because of the key role that the Gables Waterway plays in the health of Biscayne Bay. We have a vision of a clean and clear waterway, free of debris, algae, and pollution, and full of marine life.

Miami Waterkeeper has been focused on working with the City on ways to reduce nutrient (fertilizer) pollution. A strong fertilizer ordinance would limit excess fertilizer running off into our waterways, which causes algae blooms that turn the water green, smell bad, and are harmful to wildlife and humans. We also have an urgent need to address contamination from septic tanks in Coral Gables, especially those at risk from sea level rise.

We want to encourage the community to be vigilant about water pollution, to observe, document, and report pollution in our 1,000 Eyes on the Water program. Miami Waterkeeper invites Coral Gables community members to visit www.miamiwaterkeeper.org  to learn more about our issues, program, and ways to get involved to help protect the water you love.

Rachel Silverstein, Ph.D. Executive Director, Miami Waterkeeper

ANNEXATION BLUES

I read your article “Annexation Blues” with interest, since I am a resident of High Pines (actually unincorporated Dade County) and live in the area being discussed as becoming part of Coral Gables. My husband (a zoning attorney in Coral Gables) is all for annexation. I think his main motivation is being able to leave our trash curbside.

I am undecided but do feel our little niche is underserved re: services like police and fire. I am also a part of a Book Club (the 51st Avenue Book Club) in this area and most of the ladies are vehemently opposed to annexation. So, I just wanted you to know it’s not just T-shirt wearing protestors who are against being annexed into the Gables, but well-read, suburban moms (and grand moms) as well.

Gina Guilford

FORSTER

2 PARK GROVE #10A ∏ COCONUT GROVE

10A offers the buyer a one of a kind custom floor plan with modifications not found in any other condo at Park Grove. One of the hardest things to find in condo living is large open spaces. The most important change in this condo is the enlarged main social areas that enjoy expansive water views and expanded room for comfortable living. 4 en suite bedrooms, large pantry/closet. 2 best parking spaces and large storage room. 5 star amenities.

4 BEDS ∏ 4.5 BATHS ∏ 3,592 SF $3,550,000 ∏ ParkGrove10A.com

1674 NOCATEE DR ∏ COCONUT GROVE

Designer’s Spanish Revival home on a gated corner lot with a coral rock wall. Spectacular living room, formal dining room, 5th bedroom or den, and new family room addition. Magazine quality cook’s kitchen, bar and breakfast room. 2nd story tree top terrace overlooking the fishpond, waterfall, free form heated pool, and BBQ. 2-car garage, impact glass, security, mosquito repellent system, and smart house. This is a treasure of a home.

4 BEDS ∏ 3.5 BATHS ∏ 4,757 SF ∏ 12,524 SF LOT $2,595,000 ∏ 1674Nocatee.com

13055 SW 57 AVE ∏ GABLES BY THE SEA

Located inside the gated community of Gables by the Sea, this new construction modern house is ready for a buyer who appreciates fine detailing. The heart of the home is the open social areas with an oversized terrace that gives magnificent long water views of an enclosed lagoon. Take a canoe, paddle board or kayak and enjoy the serenity. The master suite has a large terrace to watch the sunset and to relax. Elevator ready. Why buy just a house when you can get an experience beyond your walls?

6 BEDS ∏ 6.5 BATHS ∏ 4,720 SF ∏ 12,233 SF LOT CLOSED 10/1 FOR $2,445,000

C E L E B R A T E FALL I N T H E C I T Y BEAUTIFUL

Sunday, Oc tober 13

Adventure Day for All

Embracing People for All Abilities

11 a m –3 p m

In front of City Hall, 4 0 5 Biltmore Way

In celebration of Disability Awareness Month. This family-friendly event is for all ages and features a resource fair, challenges, craf ts, water ac tivities, food truck , live enter tainment, and more.

Fre e

Saturday, Oc tober 19

Pumpk in Patch at Pittman Park

2– 6 p.m.

2 2 0 0 Galiano Street

On the corner of Galiano Street & Merrick Way

Hundreds of pumpk ins in all sizes will take over Pittman Park. Enjoy live music, pumpkin decorating, face painting, food and beverages for purchase, and adorable pic ture -per fec t por trait areas.

Fre e

T hursday, Oc tober 31

Halloween Haunted House

6:30 –10 p.m.

War Memorial Youth Center 4 05 University Drive

Prepared to be scared! Join us for a frightful evening at the 4 0 5 Haunted House if you dare! Tour our haunted house and hope that you don’t get spotted by the creepy crawlers that dwell in it.

Not suitable for children under 5 years of age.

Tickets: $5 available at w w w.playgables.com

Vis

C

The City of Coral Gables provides a variety of events for children, adults and the entire family all year-round.

w w w.GablesRecreation.com

parks@coralgables.com

305-460-5600

Forging

Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli with the mayor of San Isidro.

Forging New International Bonds

THE GABLES GOES TO ARGENTINA

The ostensible purpose of the trip last month, which saw a dozen representatives of the city wing their way south to Argentina, was to sign and shake hands with our latest sister city, San Isidro. That was accomplished, but so were numerous business liaisons that could blossom with our southern neighbor.

Team Coral Gables included Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli; acting head of the city’s Economic Development Department Belkys Perez; Chamber of Commerce President Mark Trowbridge; and Olga Ramudo, who chairs the city’s Economic Development Board – along with various private sector participants. Also on board – and technically the lead agency – were members of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

“The purpose of the mission was to make contact with the government and businesses in Argentina, and to gauge their interest in expanding into the U.S. – primarily in Miami and Coral Gables,” said Perez. “For Coral Gables, the main mission was to go to San Isidro to establish a sister city relationship.” Why San Isidro?

“It’s the same type of city, a suburb to Buenos Aires, as we are to Miami,” said Mayor Valdés-Fauli. “It also has a lot of businesses, the same population size, the same technology systems [for crime

control] – and it’s a beautiful, tree lined city.” One advantage such a relationship brings, said Perez, is shared best practices. “They have a very robust downtown, with a lot of people shopping – and it wasn’t tourist generated, but local… The tips and information we get from the shops can translate to our downtown.”

Team Coral Gables also met in Buenos Aires with the U.S. embassy, the U.S. chamber, the Argentine chamber, Argentine senators, and 60 private businesses, to better understand the volatile political situation in Argentina and how it will unfold after the late October election of leftist Alberto Fernandez as president. “The takeaway was there are many parties interested in expanding to the U.S. due to the political situation,” says Perez.

That is one reason that Gables-based business consultant Carolina Reindero joined the mission. “I came out of there with new business,” said Reindero, who snagged three clients on the trip. One of them has already agreed to exhibit in eMerge Americas, the annual high-tech conference put on by Gables entrepreneur Manny Medina. “As for the city of San Isidro, it’s got the water and the lovely buildings and the beautiful trees,” she says. Sounds like home.

Oh, That Gables Brand…

In a recently re-run episode of the adult Fox cartoon series “Family Guy,” the protagonist Peter is talking with Jesus, who in this sacrilegious parody is a store clerk. Peter asks Jesus, “Hey, how come you aren’t with your family during Christmas, anyway?” To which Jesus answers, “I can’t deal with my

family during the holidays. And besides, my dad always spends Christmas in his timeshare in Coral Gables with his girlfriend.” They then flash to a high-rise condo overlooking Biscayne Bay, where the whiterobed and bearded father (i.e. God) is having a glass of wine with a woman wearing a bikini.

Top: Team Coral Gables meets the ambassador and members of the business sector in Buenos Aires. Above: Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli shakes hands with the mayor of San Isidro after signing a sister city agreement.

Solar Power Now

Nationwide, some 800 homes opened their doors to the public on National Solar Tour day in October, including a dozen in Miami-Dade County. In Coral Gables, Daniel Martinez and Sandra Miller (above) on Hardee Road joined in. With snacks, drinks and blueprints waiting, the sun-happy couple shared insights with several dozen visitors. Their motivation to install a $31,000 solar system (albeit with a 30 percent tax credit) was not just to eliminate the electric bill, said Martinez.

“I want to have power when a hurricane hits,” he said. “We had a generator for Irma, and it didn’t work.” Coral Gables is a solar-friendly city, the couple noted, and permitting can take less than two months – except if you run afoul of the Board of Architects. For Martinez and Miller, it took five months and several hearings because their south-facing solar panels were visible from the street. In the end they compromised, putting some there and others in back.

– J.P. Faber

Story of the Month

The biggest national story about Coral Gables this month was that Major League Baseball great Manny Machado had purchased a Coral Gables mansion for $11.3 million. The story appeared in papers like the L.A. Times, The New Haven Register, The Seattle Times, The New York Daily News, and The Orlando Sentinel, as well as in real estate websites. As the story spread, the deal got better and

better for Machado. The L.A. Times headline disdainfully said Machado “drops” $11.3 million for the mansion, not much by their standards. The next day the New Haven Register had it as “scores” the buy. A week later the Orlando Sentinel declared that Machado had hit a “home run” with the buy. Okay, the home in Cocoplum was originally listed at $13.4 million, but still…

CBD on hold... sort of

THE CITY WAITS FOR STATE REGULATIONS

Last month the city commission unanimously passed a 120-day suspension on reviewing business permits for new shops where CBD is sold. The city wants to wait for federal and state regulations to come forth before allowing stores that primarily sell it to open.

But fear not, CBD lovers, you can still get your fix at

various places that already sell the product, like adding CBD oil to any tea for just an extra $2 at Small Tea or the Vybes drinks at the Café at Books & Books (above), which contain 25mg of the hemp extract. CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits as well as improving sleep, mood, memory and decreasing anxiety.

Sacre Bleu! A Modern Twist to Notre Dame

A GABLES ARCHITECT MAKES A BID TO TOP OFF THE CATHEDRAL WITH SOMETHING CONTEMPORARY

By Kylie Wang

When the Notre Dame de Paris burned on April 15, the whole world mourned. But even as grief-stricken Parisians gathered around the smoking ruins of the cathedral, the plans to reconstruct the roof and spire were already being born around the world—including here, on the 10th floor of the Colonnade building on Miracle Mile.

Cooper Copetas, born and raised in Paris, moved here to attend the University of Miami eight years ago. After graduating with a degree in architecture, he worked independently in a boutique partnership focusing on “smart” city design before joining SB Architects in their Gables offices (they are also in San Francisco, and Shenzhen, China). His English is perfect, even when he starts talking excitedly about his plans to redesign the spire at the top of the Notre Dame de Paris.

“The fire was tragic. But it was also an opportunity for the cathedral to have something new built on it,” Copetas says. “What I’m suggesting here is a style that hasn’t been explored in over 100 years, but with a 21st century spin. It’s in one sense an homage to the original creator [but] it’s also spiced with technology.”

As a native Parisian, Copetas has a unique perspective on the plans to reconstruct the cathedral’s roof; he hopes to win the contest the French government has issued to redesign the collapsed areas. His version of the spire uses the exact same

proportions of the original but changes the materials.

“The [new] spire is glass brick framed by steel. So, different times of day give different levels of transparency.” When the sun is rising or setting, the colors will reflect and refract through the glass, revealing the intricate brickwork beneath. At night, lights placed strategically around the spire will turn it into a gleaming tribute, a “ghost hinting that there was something else once there.”

Copetas has already garnered praise for his work, which was mentioned in TIME magazine. He has been in contact with the French government, and eagerly awaits the chance to debate his design choices.

Many Parisians believe there should be no change to the historic landmark. But others, including “starchitects” like Norman Foster and Copetas himself, believe the fire presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine modernity with classic Parisian architecture – similar to the addition of glass pyramids to the Louvre, designed by I. M. Pei.

“Some people want it stone for stone the same thing. Find me the masons who are able to craft that. The architecture has to be contemporary—it can’t go back in time,” says Copetas. The French government, which announced an international competition to redesign the ancient spire in April, is expected to release initial results in December.

Top: Renderings and sketches by the architect, Cooper Copetas, for the restoration of the Notre Dame de Paris, which suffered a major fire April 15.

Above: Copetas, born and raised in Paris, works on the design in his office at SB Architects in Coral Gables.

Demystifing the Facelift

Q &A’s: Mini or What?

1. MINI FACE: For someone with early cheek skin relaxation but no neck concerns.

2. MINI NECK: For the patient whose mid face looks good but with early neck skin loosening and no need for muscle band tightening.

3. FACE PLUS MINI NECK: Addresses prominent cheek jowls and early neck skin relaxation but no muscle bands

4. NECK LIFT: For the patient with a saggy neck and visible muscle bands that need tightening. Usually part of the Face and Neck Lift.

5. FACE AND NECK LIFT: The gold standard and longest lasting results. For the patient with cheek jowls, neck sagging and muscle bands that need tightening. Restores tone to the cheek and neck muscles and removes all loose skin. You look yourself but refreshed and no longer tired. Skin looks young again.

What to Choose?

It depends on anatomical findings and a patient’s expectations.

Where are the scars?

Designed carefully around the ear to be imperceptible.

Is there a scar under the chin?

Only if the neck muscles deserve tightening which provides for the longest lasting and best neck result. One inch long and hidden.

What about anesthesia?

Everyone’s worry, yet it’s safer than driving in South Florida, Local numbing is always utilized to prevent pain. How much other anesthesia is used depends on the procedure, but most patients prefer to sleep and wake up when surgery is over.

How to get started?

Consult with an experienced plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Face surgery isn’t easy, so do your research - it’s your face after all.

STEPHAN BAKER, MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery of the Face Breast and Body

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

3850 Bird Road Suite 702, Miami, FL 33146 305.381.8837

www.drbaker.com

Stephan Baker MD

Everyone’s worry, yet anesthesia is safer than driving in South Florida

The Commissioner Comes Home

MICHAEL MENA JOINS A LOCAL FIRM –AND THE UNDERDOGS

The Power of One

A CITIZEN CHANGES THE CYBER LAWS

Until this summer, Gables City Commissioner Michael Mena – re-elected unopposed in April – had worked 12 years in litigation for Akerman, the gorilla-sized Miami law firm (700 attorneys). Now Mena works at MSP Recovery, a young Coral Gables law firm that takes on major medical insurance companies accused of dumping their claim payments onto Medicare.

“The idea is to preserve Medicare and force these insurance companies to behave, so that Medicare doesn’t get pillaged,” says Mena, who was

lured to his new post by former City Commissioner Frank Quesada, MSP’s chief legal officer.

Besides Mena, MSP has other new muscle, namely financing from a venture capital company for fledgling litigation firms (yes, that’s a thing). This means strong backing for small firms that pursue cases on a contingency basis, where they only get paid if they win. “As we bring these claims against big insurance companies that have big law firms,” says Mena, “we can actually go toe-to-toe with them because we are significantly funded.” – J.P.

Faber

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: Fairchild Garden’s Growing Beyond Earth (GBE) program, funded by NASA to help collect data on plants that can grow in space, reached a new orbit with the free distribution of 135 Food Growth Chambers to schools across South Florida. The grow boxes are modeled after NASA’s veggie unit aboard the International Space Station, LED lights and all.

THE UM BOOST: Smart Assets has released its list of the Florida schools of higher education whose graduates earn the highest starting salaries. The University of Miami comes in only behind Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, and the Florida

The case is now settled, but for months Coral Gables resident Grace Carricarte was cyber stalked by someone who hacked her home security system, including its in-house camera system, and infiltrated her email accounts. According to Katherine Fernandez Rundle, State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, when Carricarte tried to defend herself, she found that Florida’s laws against stalking in person didn’t apply to the online version of that crime. “Florida criminal law has not completely kept up with the emerging technology, and Grace’s circumstance highlighted a very important gap in what the law addressed,” Rundle said. “There was no law explicitly on the books that covers accessing home security, surveillance and smart devices belonging to someone else without their permission.’”

In what amounted to record

time, Rundle got the Florida legislature to upgrade the anti-stalking statutes to include up-to-date definitions of what it means to “cyberstalk.” The result was a cause for celebration at Carricarte’s home last month, when the new law that Rundle crafted went into effect. Also present was Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak.

“It was amazing that [Rundle] had that law amended and passed in such a short time,” Hudak said. “And the fact that Grace turned a very devastating incident into something life saving for the rest of Florida was incredible. Before, we could make the arrest, but we couldn’t prosecute. We couldn’t go forward.” – J.P.

Faber

Institute of Technology in Melbourne. At UM, a grad’s average starting salary is $55,100, compared with $61,900 for pilots from Embry-Riddle and $57,600 for engineers from FIT. Then again, who wants to live in Daytona or Melbourne for four years?

EVEN IF YOU RENT: Coral Gables is not the cheapest place to live, as a recent report by RentCafé confirmed. According to the report, Coral Gables is the most expensive place to rent a residence among 33 cities surveyed. Coming in at the cheapest is Homestead, at $1,280 per month. Coming in at No. 1 is the Gables, at $2,601 per month. Then again, who wants to live in Homestead? (The Miami-Dade average is $1,705)

Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney for Miami-Dade County (left) with Grace Carricarte and Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak

Shop p36

Merrick Style Shop Shorts

Merrick Style

THIS MONTH’S MERRICK STYLE VISITS THE SHOWROOM OF BOSS MENSWEAR IN THE SHOPS AT MERRICK PARK. OUR MODEL FOR THEIR SMART STYLES IS CORAL GABLES PRIVATE BANKER AND WEALTH ADVISOR JOHN O’ROURKE, WHO IS ALSO THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Photography by Jon Braeley

Words by James Broida

Fashion icon BOSS, formerly known as Hugo Boss, prides itself on a history of sleek, upscale design in menswear, a GQ look that is both fashion-forward and business elite. Now they are moving into active outerwear styles, even adding a splash of color, for clothes that look good on the move.

Our fearless model this month is John O’Rourke, vice president for First American Bank in Coral Gables. O’Rourke has been active in the South Florida Business Community for more than 32 years, initially as a private banker with the Northern Trust Company. He has been featured in national and local news outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, The South Florida Business Journal, Smart Asset, and Magnify Money. Today he is Private Banking VP and Wealth Advisor for First American.

O’Rourke remains actively involved in the local community and is the Immediate Past Chair of The Coral Gables Community Foundation and former Chair of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. He is also an avid motorcyclist, which is why we thought he was perfect for the new, more aggressively outdoor wear at BOSS, in addition to the smooth business garb the brand excels at.

BORN TO RUN (COVER)

Vest: Cila... $348

Pants: Banks... $228

Sweater: Domino... $545

Shoes: Velocity Runn... $248

WHEN IN BRUGES (ABOVE)

Overcoat: Gerrey3... $895

Suit: Norwin4/ Banks3J... $795

Shirt: Jason... $248

Tie... $98

Shoes: Stanford Monk... $495

BUSINESS PRIME (OPPOSITE)

Suit: Norwin4/ Banks3J... $795

Shirt: Jason... $248

Tie... $98

Shoes: Stanford Monk... $495

Merrick Style

THE ELEGANT TRAVELER

Overcoat: Nido2... $895

Pants: Banks3... $228

Turtleneck sweater: MussoP... $178

Shoes: Oracle Halb... $398

Repurposed Display

Look closely and you will see the seed pod of a Royal Palm, deftly in-filled with purple blooms. And then there is the driftwood. All part of a recent window display at Belle Fleur on Alcazar.

Hit Me One More Time

In order to introduce themselves to the community, and win quick friends, Mystic Wines & Spirits on Giralda is holding Friday evening tastings of different alcoholic beverages, at no charge, from 6 pm to 8 pm. On our radar: Tastings of Laphroaig scotch on Nov. 22.

Bites p44

The Queen of Caribbean Cuisine

Think Globally, Brunch Locally

Tranquil Hour Comings & Goings

Hot Plates

Chef Cindy Hutson in the kitchen at Ortanique on Miracle Mile.

The Queen of Caribbean Cuisine

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE WOMAN BEHIND ORTANIQUE

By Lizzie Wilcox

Once a month, food lovers gather for a cooking class at Ortanique on the Mile in hopes of improving their own culinary skills. They have come to learn from the master, Chef Cindy Hutson. Born and raised in Summit, New Jersey, Hutson grew up far from the Caribbean sun. She got a lot closer when she was 19, when she moved to Miami – but not to live out a lifelong dream of becoming a chef. Instead, she got a six-pack captain’s license, which allowed her to take up to six passengers and crew out on the water for fishing expeditions. This began her relationship with restaurants and cooks – through selling them fish.

“I never thought I would be a chef,” admits Hutson. “I just liked to cook.” Despite her own disbelief, she opened her first restaurant, Norma’s on the Beach, on Lincoln Road in 1994 with her business and life partner Delius Shirley, who she met in Jamaica. Hutson describes his mother as “the Julia Child of the Caribbean,” so when the two of them were creating the concept for Norma’s, she thought Delius’ mother would be the chef.

“We were about four weeks from opening and Delius said to me, ‘You need to come up with a menu,’” Hutson recalls.

Two months into their first restaurant venture together, Hutson was ready to give up. Then, USA Today called Norma’s on the Beach “the best Caribbean restaurant in South Florida.” That was the first of many accolades Hutson would receive, including Miami’s Best Chef from New Times, The Top Female Chef from the American Chef Association and a Five

Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality and Sciences.

Though it’s hard to imagine that at one point there were few places to dine on Miracle Mile, that was the case in 1998 when the City of Coral Gables approached Hutson and Shirley. From that dialogue, Ortanique on the Mile was born.

At their new restaurant, the duo did what they do best: Caribbean cuisine. The menu consists of dishes like West Indian Curried Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and a Jerk Chicken Breast Sandwich. “As Coral Gables began to grow, so did the ethnicity,” Hutson says. Her menu evolved to feature not only food from the Caribbean, but also countries from South America. So, when people asked her what kind of food she cooked at Ortanique, she came up with “Cuisine of the Sun,” meaning fresh, seasonal, and ethnic.

The range of that cuisine was present in the cooking class we attended. To start, the chefs-in-training prepared a salad tossed in an orange-ginger dressing. The main course was a tender braised lamb shank served over a mushroom parmesan polenta. For dessert, a warm apple-pear crumble was topped with cinnamon ice cream – perfect for the holidays.

Today, the decorated chef travels to the Caribbean once a month. Their other restaurant, Zest, has locations in Downtown Miami and, fittingly, Negril, Jamaica. “I always felt like I had a past life in the Caribbean,” Hutson says.

For the past three years, Hutson has also been the culi-

nary ambassador at the Miami Cancer Institute. In layman terms, she creates the food for the café at MCI. She also teaches both past and present cancer patients and their caregivers how to cook healthier for themselves. “Cancer loves sugar,” says Hutson, who often creates recipes that are plant-based, low in sugar and high in fiber.

Hutson’s daughter Ashley has followed in her culinary footsteps as chef de cuisine at Ortanique. The two of them run the Interactive Cooking Class together ($108 per person), which feels more like a family gathering, and not just because of the mother-daughter pair. Many of the students attend every class, or as many as they can. Cindy and Ashley know them well, and the restaurant is filled with chatter as they eat and drink. The adoration by regulars makes it clear: It’s Chef Cindy Hutson’s world and we’re all just living in it. Luckily, it has great food.

AWARDS:

Best Mojito in Miami (Zagat)

Best Woman Chef Cookbook (Gourmand World Cookbook Award)

Miami’s Best Chef (New Times, 2009)

ORTANIQUE ON THE MILE

278 MIRACLE MILE

305.446.7710

Chef Cindy Hutson grew up in New Jersey before moving to Miami to open her first restaurant with partner Delius Shirley in 1994. Five years later they opened Ortanique on Miracle Mile.

Photos by: Michael Campina

Everybody loves to visit Dad since he moved to e Palace, because there’s so much to do together. It’s the best place to celebrate birthdays and holidays, and nobody has to cook or clean up.

For the kids, there are Disney parties and live stage shows. We even go as a family to watch movies and football games in e Palace eater. And Sunday dinner at our family table at e Palace is something we all now look forward to. Even little things like cooking classes we do with Dad, or watching him play his harmonica in a talent show, are times we could never share back in his previous apartment. And whether it’s catching a beer with him after work at e Palace’s Happy Hour, or watching him treat the kids to ice cream, we’re grateful for all the times we now can share.

“When Dad moved to e Palace, our family time came back to life.”

Think Globally, Brunch Locally

There is a seemingly endless list of great brunch spots in Coral Gables. Giralda Plaza is home to a handful of those, notably The Local, where we dined recently for a laid-back brunch. Like many restaurants on Giralda, it offers outdoor seating on the pedestrian walkway, where most of our fellow brunchers were enjoying their Sunday afternoon mimosas. If you’re dining around kickoff, you can sit at a table or at the bar inside to catch the game.

While brunch for the most part is associated with heavy day drinking that can leave you hungover for work on Monday, The Local is a safe haven for those who just want a good meal. Okay, and maybe a drink or two.

The menu here is replete with mouthwatering plates, small and large. We turned to the French Melt to satisfy both our savory and sweet needs. In The Local variation, short rib slices are sandwiched between two slices of French toast, and topped with melted gruyere cheese. Incroyable! Locals know that The Local has some of the

best fried chicken in the city, so don’t scoff at having the Fried Chicken Sandwich for breakfast.

The large piece of breast meat is also paired with gruyere cheese and dill pickles, all sandwiched in a hamburger bun. Their drinks are listed under the “Easy Like Sunday Morning” portion of the menu, but picking just one is not. Unlimited mimosas are $25, and the rest of the craft cocktails are priced between $12 and $16. The runner up was the Summer Sangria, made with vodka, Aperol, lemon, raspberry syrup, and mango Falernum (a syrup liqueur) topped with your choice of red or white wine.

But The Local MicheLOUda was the winner in the game of What-Do-I-Want-To-DrinkToday. A simple combination of Bloody Mary mix and draft beer, it’s an unusual twist on a brunch classic. Just don’t ask us how to pronounce it. -Lizzie

Wilcox

THE LOCAL CRAFT FOOD & DRINK

150 GIRALDA PLAZA

305.648.5687

Tranquil Hour

Happy Hour was invented to blow off steam from meetings and conference calls and project deadlines. But when you just want to unwind with a drink without having to elbow your way to the bar, La Taberna Giralda is the place. Their deals are simple: $5 on select tapas and house wines, and discounted draft beers. While we came for the drinks, the food blew us away. The Tortilla Española is, surprisingly, not a tortilla at all, but more of a Spanish quiche. The aioli on the side is a creamy complement to the egg and potato omelet. The Garbanzos Fritos

is a simple combination of chic peas, Serrano ham, Spanish sausage, and sofrito served in a small soup bowl. We love anything with Serrano ham. The dish that really took us by surprise was the Chistorras o Chorizo al Cava: Spanish sausages and tangy peppers and peas, cooked in white wine and topped with Serrano ham (above). While not a friend to vegetarians, we ate every last link. It’ll change the way you view sausage forever.

Comings & Goings

Carrot Express is the latest health rage on Miracle Mile, serving up healthy fare that also tastes good. Complex veggies salads run $11, with a $5 surcharge to throwing in a protein.

The Cheesecake Factory is not the latest health rage, which is why many Gableites are looking forward to the chain opening on Ponce and Andalusia on Nov. 26. Okay, so they have healthy “super” foods. But the $9 fresh strawberry cheesecake? Yes!

Rodilla is a known brand in Spain, where the artisanal eatery has 160 locations. Now opening on Miracle Mile, we can’t wait for their amazing crustless sandwiches of tuna, walnuts and port cheese; chicken curry; mushroom, red pepper and anchovy – and on and on.

Miracle Mile can be tough on fast food joints that aren’t entirely unique. The loss of Burger Fi can probably be notched up to the double hits of Clutch Burger and Pincho on Giralda.

John Kunkel’s experiment in the Chef-driven concept Ad Lib did not survive the departure of its driving chef, Norman van Aken, who departed to oversee his projects in Central Florida. John, could you please bring back Swine to that spot on Ponce?

Even with the addition of the cool concept of Room 25 atop Seek & Find, and even after a decided shift to Peruvian food in the bar-heavy Millennial-aimed downstairs restaurant, the coveted corner restaurant spot on Ponce and Valencia has burned out.

Hot Plates

SOME OF THE BEST BITES IN TOWN

THE GLOBE SALAD (TOP)

This salad has been honed for decades by Globe owner Danny Guiteras, and it delivers a perfect combination of tastes: grilled chicken, green apple, gorgonzola cheese, carmelized walnuts, mesclun field greens, and sherry-red grape vinaigrette. It’s also a favorite of local NBC news anchor Jackie Nespral, who calls it “something healthy but exquisite… that never disappoints!”

SCALLION PANCAKES (RIGHT)

They are made from sweet soy pancake batter that is fried into a crisp, yet chewy, pancake that is sliced into eighths and served with scallions and sour cream. Not what you might expect in a Ramen noodle shop, but an instant addiction for any regular at Ichimi restaurant on Salzedo between Miracle Mile and Aragon.

BANGKOK SHRIMP (BOTTOM)

Once, in another lifetime, we had a dish called Slippery Shrimp, which we ate at a tiny family restaurant in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. We have searched for years to find a similar dish of shrimp tempura tossed in tangy, spicy, sweet chili sauce. Then we found it, under a different name, at Red Koi on Miracle Mile.

A Light in the Tunnel? One Lump or Two?

A NEW ART GALLERY OPENS IN THE GABLES

For anyone who has followed the art scene in Coral Gables over the years, it’s no surprise that the number of galleries has slowly diminished. If you go on the city’s website, and check out the Gables Gallery Night, at least a half dozen of the galleries listed there are no longer around. Thankfully, the stalwarts like ArtSpace (Virginia Miller), Cernuda Arte (Ramon Cernuda), Conde Contemporary (Stacy Conde), and The Americas Collection (Silvia Ortiz) soldier on, with a little help from H. Benitez and Kara Chavarria. But, are things starting to look up? In the last year, while we have lost Jorge Sori Fine Arts on Ponce, we’ve gained Art Labbe, also on Ponce. And now comes the Tranter-Sinni Gallery, newly opened this past month at 2600 S. Douglas Road, with a show by Chinese artist Canal Cheong Jagerroos. The show, entitled “Floating Islands - Realm

of Wonder” was an explosion of large canvases hanging from the ceiling, with lights and mirrors creating different spaces in what amounted to an installation. “My pieces are not just paintings, but the abstraction of my thoughts and emotions,” says the artist. “‘Floating Islands’ transcends my body and soul, always forward and moving.”

A little more down to earth, we asked gallery proprietor Monica Tranter-Sinni why she relocated her gallery to the Gables after being in Miami for five years. “Many of our clients live in Coral Gables and coming to Miami was an outing for them,” says Tranter-Sinni. “We wanted to make it easier and more enjoyable [for them]. Coral Gables, in our time here, feels like a very supportive, tight knit community where the art scene all began and is slowing moving back to.” From your mouth to God’s ear, as they say.

Afternoon Tea is something we normally associate with upscale places in London, like The Ritz or Claridge’s. But Gables residents do not need to book a flight over the pond to experience this epitome of civility. Every Thursday through Sunday afternoon, the lobby of the Biltmore Hotel transforms into an English tea parlor.

With seating times at 2, 2:30 and 3 p.m., afternoon tea in this grand space is a perfect way to recharge before proceeding on to the rest of a hectic weekday. Or it can be a nice addition to a relaxing weekend, perfect for dressing up the youngsters in holiday finery.

As with any proper Afternoon Tea, it’s not just a cup of tea in the lobby of a hotel. And the Biltmore rises to the occasion. Shortly after being seated, a three-tiered tray arrives at your table, stacked with finger foods – scones, deviled eggs, salmon and chicken salad sandwiches –all delicious enough for Queen Elizabeth herself to snack on. As for the tea itself, all the popular

varieties are on hand: green, black, oolong, and various caffeine-free herbal teas. And they are served in lovely china. On the recommendation of our waitress Izzy, we chose something a little different – the White Petal tea.

As with all the afternoon offerings, you are served real tea leaves that steep in your personal teapot; when you pour the tea, you place a filter over the teacup, so that you don’t ingest any stray leaves. The flavors are stronger with each cup as the leaves soak in the hot water.

The entire ambience is completed by a live harpist. If you’ve never heard a harp being played in person, you’re in for a real treat. It is serene in the best sense of that word, and if the tea hasn’t mellowed you out, the music definitely will. The Biltmore’s harpist-in-residence (so to speak), Katherine, sits on one end of the room, deftly strumming the giant, golden instrument. She may even throw some familiar tunes in, like the Pink Panther. As the Brits like to say, “Cheers.” –Lizzie Wilcox

Canal Cheong Jagerroos in her studio with “Floating Islands – Realm of Wonder”

LIVING

LIVING

BEST BETS

FOR NOVEMBER

course, beer! Oct. 3 – 13. Free admission. Visit www.oktoberfestinmiami.com for details.

VINOS AT THE VENETIAN (ABOVE)

CITIES OF THE MIND (RIGHT)

Enjoy drinks and live music poolside at the Venetian Pool. A curated wine auction will benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation. Nov. 15 from 6 – 10 p.m. Tickets: $50 - $500.

THE NIGHTGARDEN AT FAIRCHILD (RIGHT)

The most recent project by renowned Cuban-American artist Carlos Estévez, Cities of the Mind features nine large circular paintings that reference the artist’s fascination with city planning. Inspired by the Havana of his youth and the Medieval European cities he has visited, Estévez has created personal maps of the human mind. Opens Oct. 24 at the Lowe Art Museum

7TH ANNUAL DOGGIE COSTUME CONTEST

After much success last year, NightGarden will be back and better at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. This year’s event will be three times larger than last year with a majority of the lighting displays, holograms and immersive activities being brand new. Don’t worry, the talking tree will still be there. Starts Nov. 15. General admission tickets: $29 - $33.

WATSON

Dress up your pooch and head over to the Coral Gables Museum on Halloween. Dogs can strut their stu down the “catwalk” for a chance to win prizes. Registration begins at 6 p.m., contest begins at 6:30. $5 registration fee benefits the Humane Society of Greater Miami. Don’t have a dog? You can still attend and watch the pups parade in their outfits.

PUMPKIN PATCH AT PITTMAN PARK (OPPOSITE TOP)

Celebrate fall in the City Beautiful. There will be hundreds of

Based on the life of IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, Sr., this is the story of the Nazi’s use of IBM’s pre-computer technology and the world’s first “personal information” catastrophe – the systematic identification of Jews. In 1937, Watson became the first American to receive the Order of the German Eagle award, one of the highest

honors Adolf Hitler ever bestowed on a non-German. Opens Nov. 23 at GableStage. Tickets: $50 - $65.

BURGERLISCIOUS 9 (OPPOSITE TOP)

The annual burger bash returns to Fred B. Hartnett/Ponce Circle Park (2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd.). Participating restaurants this year

coralgablesthemagazine.com

include Bulla Gastrobar, Pincho, Clutch Burger, House Kitchen & Bar, and John Martin’s Irish Pub. Who will be crowned the next Best in Bun champion? Find out on Nov. 7 from 6 – 10 p.m. General admission tickets: $60; VIP tickets: $125.

pumpkins to choose from, live music, pumpkin decorating, face painting, portrait areas, and food and beverages. Oct. 19 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the corner of Galiano St. and Merrick Way. Free and open to the public.

CLASSICS COME ALIVE! (TOP RIGHT)

HISTORIC GHOST TOUR (TOP RIGHT)

Step into the past as you explore the haunted history of the Deering Estate. Learn about the Estate’s previous inhabitants and the paranormal activity that has been witnessed by staff and visitors alike. Oct. 10 and 24 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets: $35.

The Frost Saxophone Ensemble welcomes to the stage virtuoso violinist Charles Castleman for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major that you will never forget. Also, pianist Santiago Rodriguez performs Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. $20 ($15 seniors), UM Gusman Concert Hall, 8 pm., Sunday November 17.

HALLOWEEN AT THE BILTMORE (BOTTOM RIGHT)

PURPLE RAIN (RIGHT)

The iconic Halloween party at the Biltmore returns on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. Enjoy an open bar, buffet dinner, and costume contest. Tickets: $150. Available for purchase at Eventbrite.com. Discounted hotel rooms available with ticket purchase.

Rockstar Prince plays “the Kid,” a headstrong young musician who leads his band The Revolution in 1984 Minneapolis. After meeting aspiring singer Apollonia, the Kid discovers that talent alone isn’t all he

needs to succeed.

Banesco USA combines the latest technology and the human touch because we´re more than a bank; we´re a mindset and a way of doing things. Local, technological, human and FDIC Member.

PROUD TO BE A LOCAL BANK

Purple Rain’s score won an Academy Award and the titular album won a Grammy. Nov. 30 at Coral Gables Art Cinema. 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 and include a free popcorn and happy hour.

Coming to a Church Near You

A NEW “SANCTUARY OF THE ARTS” COMES TO THE DOWNTOWN

Leave it to Mike Eidson and wife Dr. Margaret Eidson, with their long history of philanthropy in our community, to found a new nonprofit foundation dedicated to the performing arts in Coral Gables. The Eidsons have committed $1 million to the Sanctuary of the Arts, a new multi-disciplinary arts project that will renovate and repurpose the First Church of Christ, Scientist on Andalusia at Le Jeune.

The idea, says the Sanctuary’s founding Artistic Director & CEO Olga Granda, is to provide a space for artists and performances in theater, dance, music, poetry, and even pup-

petry. “Mike and I have together been exploring places where this could be done,” she says. “It started with the Coconut Grove Playhouse, then this opportunity came up.”

The foundation is leasing the main church building (with 454 seats) along with 10 classrooms for the next 100 years. Much of the initial investment will be used to upgrade the church interior, which will be used not only for performances but to give working office spaces to playwrights, directors, producers, etc. The first events are scheduled for late December, a three-day festival of dance, music and theater. Stay tuned.

THINK BIG! SHOP SMALL

We all know the impact that small businesses have on our local economy, starting with the jobs they create. That’s why we pledge our enduring support to the little guys - the brick and mortar locations that bring so much charm and appeal to our City Beautiful. They are the local coffee shops where you order your morning brew, the independent bookstore that has all the latest reads, the bridal shop ready to help you celebrate your big day and the salon that spiffs up your weekend hairdo. SMALL

Celebrating 10 years of local, independent retail businesses serving our Coral Gables!

Take the #ShopSmall Pledge!

For every item you purchase from a big-box purveyor, commit to purchase at least one more article from your favorite local store. Then, SHARE your special finds with us on social media @GablesChamber as we celebrate all things local!

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 410 ANDALUSIA AVE.

DONNA SPAIN

Donna Spain

Retiring Director, Historic Resources & Cultural Arts, Coral Gables

Donna Spain began as a medical technologist at Mt. Sinai on Miami Beach, then moved to the Gables, where she got a B.A. in architecture and a Master’s in Town Design from UM. For the past 23 years she has worked for the city, mostly as the head of its Historic Preservation department (now called Historic Resources & Cultural Arts), with stints as Zoning Administrator and Assistant City Manager. In 2003, she was instrumental in making the Historic Preservation Board the final authority for historic protection of buildings and variations for homeowners, with only final appeals going to the City Commission.

Donna Spain

LATEST ENDEAVORS WHAT SHE SAYS

Using a county grant, plus funds from the city and the Community Foundation, her department restored two homes in the MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision, the only part of Coral Gables listed in the National Register of Historic Places (it’s also a Local Historic District).

“The hardest thing has been making historical significance determinations,” says Spain. “You really have to pick your battles, because it’s important to figure out what to save for future generations. You can’t save everything, and there has to be a balance [with development].”

Asked which lost buildings have most broken her heart, she says, “There have been a few.” Most

recently? “I am actually very upset about the 333 Catalina building,” the last remaining worker building in the city’s Craft Section. It was recently turned down for protection by the Historic Preservation Board she helped create, despite her recommendation to preserve it.

RETIRING DIRECTOR, HISTORIC RESOURCES & CULTURAL ARTS, CORAL GABLES

It’s important to figure out what to save for future generations. You can’t save everything…

Preston C. Howell is just 15 years old but already a fan favorite on NBC’s “The Voice.” Howell, who attends Florida Christian School, began his musical journey at the age of 8. When he was 12, the Pembroke Pines native attended a performance at Coral Gables’ Area Stage Company. After seeing their production of Heathers: The Musical, he knew it was the kind of program he needed to join. “I wanted to go to a high-level performing studio,” he said. “They’re amazing at what they do. It’s like you’re almost on Broadway.”

Preston C. Howell

THE VOICE SEASON 17 CONTESTANT, GABLES THEATER STUDENT

LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT HE SAYS

Being a contestant on “The Voice.” He sang “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong during the blind auditions, where he got four chair turns, meaning all four coaches (Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Blake Shelton) wanted him on their team. He chose John Legend to be his coach. “I felt like he could help me the most in this type of competition,” Howell said.

Howell says he didn’t actually intend to audition for “The Voice.” He just wanted to see what the process was like for when he auditioned in the future. When it became a bidding war between four music icons, he said it was “surreal,” but gave him the self assurance that he needed.

His mother added that they are “eternally grateful” to the Gables’ Area Stage Company. “What they provide is

something that nobody else in South Florida does,” she says. On this whirlwind of a journey, Howell says, “It’s been a dream, honestly.”

It’s been a dream, honestly.…

There aren’t a lot of college football punters like Lou Hedley. At 6 foot and 4 inches, and 215 pounds, Hedley strikes an intimidating figure for his position, and that’s without the tattoos crisscrossing his arms, chest, and neck.

Hedley looks more like a tattoo shop owner or a scaffold builder from the Australian desert… which is exactly what he was. The 26-year-old hails from a tiny fishing town on the west coast of Australia where he and his two siblings grew up. He started playing Australian Rules football as soon as he could walk. When his family moved to the city of Perth when he was a teenager, Hedley had the opportunity to play at a higher level. He spent the time playing football, laying scaffolding, or flying to Bali, Indonesia to oversee a tattoo shop he started.

In the fall of 2017, Hedley moved to California, where he attended San Francisco City College and started punting for American football. In early 2019, the University of Miami offered him a scholarship.

Lou Hedley

UM FOOTBALL PUNTER

LATEST ENDEAVORS

“A 45 [yard] net punt average is something that we [didn’t have] a year ago, so he’s a big weapon for us,” Head Coach Manny Diaz says. “I think Louis is getting more comfortable with being in the game. Like anybody else [in their] first ever experience of American football at this stage, it’s quite a big

deal.” During an overtime loss against Georgia Tech, the punter hit his career long, bombing the football for 67 yards. Hedley will continue punting for UM for two more years and then hopes to make the pros.

WHAT HE SAYS

“The whole American culture

I’m sort of adapted to, but now here… I feel it’s more of a family,” says Hedley. “I’ve been here for a while getting to know the coaches closer and the players. It’s got a real home feel. [We have] an amazing stadium and amazing fans so [it’s always] good to run out there in front of them.”

Words by Kylie Wang

Photo courtesy of UM

coralgablesthemagazine.com

The Coral Gables Holiday Handbook

FEATURING

HOLIDAY EVENTS

GIFTS: ALL THAT GLITTERS

GIFTS: STRANGER THINGS

GIFTS: BUYING DOWNTOWN MAP

GIFTS: BEST & WORST

AN INSIDER’S SHOPPING TIPS

HOME ENTERTAINING: PARTIES

HOME ENTERTAINING: SPIRITS

DISCOVER PREMIUM RUMS THIS HOLIDAY

BACARDÍ CUATRO SMASH

11/2 parts BACARDÍ® Añejo Cuatro Rum, 1 part St. Germain® Liquor, 1 part ruby red grapefruit juice. Top with tonic water

METHOD: Shake all ingredients, serve into a highball glass filled with ice, top with tonic, garnish with grapefruit peel and fresh mint sprig

BACARDÍ EL PRESIDENTE NO.4

2 parts BACARDÍ® Añejo Cuatro Rum, 3/4 parts MARTINI & ROSSI® Rosso Vermouth, 1/4 part dry Curaçao, 2 dashes

ANGOSTURA® Bitters, 1 orange peel

METHOD: Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir to chill and dilute the drink. Fine strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel twist.

BACARDÍ OCHO OLD FASHIONED BACARDÍ DIEZ NEAT

1.5 parts BACARDÍ® Gran Reserva Diez

METHOD: Add rum to a tumbler glass.

2 parts BACARDÍ® Reserva Ocho Rum, 2 dashes

ANGOSTURA® Bitters, 1/2 part (splash) water, 1 tsp.sugar

1 orange peel

METHOD: Add all ingredients into an old fashioned glass, add ice and stir until well mixed and very cold. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Book It Now: Holiday Events

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (ABOVE)

The Charles Dickens classic takes a musical turn in this festive holiday favorite. Tiny Tim and the entire Cratchit family join three unearthly spirits in trying to convince Ebenezer Scrooge to change his “Bah Hum-

2019 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR (BELOW)

Take photos with Santa and enjoy carnival rides, games, musical entertainment, a bounce house, face painting, and arts & crafts at Merrick Park by City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way. Friday, Dec. 6 from 5 – 10

p.m. The tree lighting will take place at 7 p.m. Santa will return to Merrick Park on select days for more photos until Dec. 23. GO TO CORALGABLES.COM FOR DATES & TIMES.

16TH ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING

CEREMONY WITH SANTA’S ARRIVAL

One of the largest tree ceremonies and holiday celebrations in South Florida. The evening includes the lighting of a 50-foot Christmas tree, live entertainment, retailer pop-up stations and, of course, the arrival of Santa Claus.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (BELOW)

A perennial Christmas favorite, Miracle on 34th Street tells the story of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Claus. In spite of his good nature and widespread appeal, poor Kris Kringle is put on trial for his claim, putting everyone’s faith to the test. Over 70 years after its premiere,

bug” ways. A true holiday classic. ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE AT MIRACLE THEATRE, NOV. 30 – DEC. 22. TICKETS: $25.

MERRICK FESTIVAL CAROLING COMPETITION

A Coral Gables holiday tradition since 1987. Thirty Miami-Dade and Broward middle and senior public, private and parochial school choirs will compete for $25,000 by singing the music of the season on the steps of the 550 Building.

DEC. 4 – DEC. 8 (7 P.M. NIGHTLY, 3 P.M. DEC. 8) AND THE AWARDS SHOW IS DEC. 10 (7 P.M.) 550 BILTMORE WAY.

AS THE HOLIDAYS APPROACH, YOU CAN GET IN THE GABLES HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH THESE FESTIVE FAMILY EVENTS

the film continues to delight audiences and charm even the staunchest nonbeliever.

DEC. 14 & 15 AT 11 A.M. AT CORAL GABLES ART CINEMA. TICKETS: $5

CAROLING ON THE MILE

Local high school students will fill the streets of Coral Gables with holiday cheer, singing carols along Miracle Mile.

THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS FROM DEC. 5 – 21.

SERAPHIC FIRE HOLIDAY SHOW (RIGHT)

The beloved and acclaimed classical South Florida vocal ensemble performs favorite traditional carols and mystical chants in a concert that brings the spirit of the holiday season to dazzling, musical life.

DEC. 22 AT 4 P.M. MAIN STAGE, SOUTH MIAMIDADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER. TICKETS: $20$55.

THE CORAL EXPRESS

Back by popular demand, McBride Plaza will be transformed into a winter wonderland. Enjoy holiday-themed photo ops, carol

singers and complimentary hot chocolate. Mrs. Claus herself will be in attendance reading stories to children. Both children and adults can compete in an ugly sweater contest.

END THE NIGHT WITH A SCREENING OF THE POLAR EXPRESS. DEC. 14.

ANNUAL MISTLETOE & MARTINIS (LEFT)

Okay, this one isn’t for the kids. Deering Estate will come alive with the sights,

music, flavorful martinis and lavish bites and desserts. All proceeds will benefit The Deering Estate Foundation.

DEC. 13 AT 7:30 P.M. MEMBER TICKETS: $100; NON-MEMBER TICKETS: $125.

THE NUTCRACKER (BELOW)

No holiday season would be complete without the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. Step into the magical world of toy soldiers, ballerinas, the Mouse King and the Nutcracker

sounds and libations of the holiday season. Stroll through the historic homes on the property decorated for the holidays by some of South Florida’s top interior designers and be dazzled by thousands of lights as the estate grounds are transformed into an enchanted Festival of Trees. Enjoy festive

Prince, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. See George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the Ziff Ballet Opera House, Adrienne Arsht Center. Dec. 13 – 22. Tickets: $30 - $125.

(Photo by Alexander Iziliaev) SOUTH MIAMI-DADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER. DEC. 6 & 7. TICKETS: $26 - $41.

All That Glitters

LUXURY GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

While it’s still unseasonably warm in the City Beautiful, it’s nearing that time to cozy up around the (artfully decorated, not actually lit) fireplace and dole out some presents. Here are some gems that even the most discerning loved ones are guaranteed to adore.

CHARM SCHOOL

This nostalgia-inducing heart charm necklace by David Yurman is guaranteed to wow any woman, no matter her age. With sparkling pave diamonds set in 14-karat gold, it’s the type of piece that is perfect for every day, dressed up or down.

RETAIL: $725. NORDSTROM, 4310 PONCE DE LEON BLVD., 786-999-1313.

DIAMOND STUNNER

Snow’s has a reputation for elegant, timeless jewelry that will not require a mortgage payment, but every once in a while they go super high-end – as with this stunning $100,000 diamond ring. Want to make a major statement? Snag this beauty – you deserve an upgrade!

SNOW’S JEWELERS

270 MIRACLE MILE, 305-443-7448.

OFF THE CUFF

Any man in your life would be delighted to receive these classic cufflinks from Tiffany & Co.’s latest collection. Made from 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, they add a touch of elegance to any outfit.

RETAIL: $2,900. TIFFANY & CO., 342 SAN LORENZO AVE., 305-529-4390.

GO FOR THE GOLD

As it’s been a fixture on the Mile for many years, heading to Jae’s Jewelers is a no brainer if you’re looking for an extra special gift. We’re especially drawn to this pair of 18-karat yellow gold and diamond ear crawlers by John Hardy, which can be worn several ways and make a major statement.

RETAIL: $795. JAE’S JEWELERS, 237 MIRACLE MILE, 305-443-7724.

LUXURY SAFARI

We’re not sure if this sleek new model is just getting you ready for the apocalypse or if it’s simply an invitation to off-road through the back tracks of the Everglades. Regardless, this Mercedes-Benz G-Class is all the rage, as it should be starting at $124,495.

MERCEDES BENZ OF CORAL GABLES, 300 ALMERIA AVE., 786-284-1010

Top to bottom:

David Yurman heart charm necklace

Snow’s $100,000 diamond ring

Tiffany’s classic 18-Karat cufflinks

Jae’s diamond ear crawlers

Mercedes-Benz G-Class wagon

By Mallory Evans Jacobson

Stranger Things

When it comes to gift buying in the Gables for the holidays, sometimes it’s more fun to leave the ordinary and look for something unusual. We took a look around the downtown and picked up a few items that are sure to raise an eyebrow – and remain unforgettable – for the person lucky enough to receive such a strange present.

A DRACMA FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

What could be more unusual than an ancient coin for a holiday gift? Fortunately, Gables Coin & Stamp has just what you want: Coins from ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. For a mere $325, you can acquire a Tetra Dracma coin with the face of Ptolemy (55-51 B.C.). Or for $155 a Roman coin with the face of Emperor Claudius (41-54 A.D.)

GABLES COIN & STAMP

82 MIRACLE MILE

305.446.0032

THE GOD OF WEALTH

Dzambala, also known as Jambhala, is the Tibetan God of Wealth. It can be spiritual or material wealth, but the main thing is the attainment of financial stability so that you can then go on a spiritual journey without worries. At the Silver Dragon, you can acquire a handmade Dzambala, with a 24-carat gilded-gold face, for $279. Welcomed by all friends, relatives and bankers.

THE SILVER DRAGON

81 MERRICK WAY

786.307.5575

A SIMPLER TIME

With so much sex streaming across the internet, it’s hard to imagine what a more innocent time was like. A helpful reminder can be acquired from the Books & Books gift shop at the Coral Gables Museum – a vintage Playboy magazine. Preserved in plastic sleeves, your gift will take its reader back to 1960s, when Playboys sold for 60 cents. Today they are yours for $15.

THE GIFT SHOP BY BOOKS & BOOKS

THE CORAL GABLES MUSEUM

285 ARAGON AVE.

305.603.8067

ALIEN KITCHENWARE

The art of design can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Take the common

juicer you use to squeeze liquid from an orange or lemon. At Luminaire, they have taken this routine item and made it a work of art. The squeezer – the Juicy Citrus Squeezer by Alessi (aluminum $105, lacquered white $85) – looks like a Martian spaceship but works like an earthly dream.

LUMINAIRE

2331 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. 305.448.7367

OFF THE GRID

The collection of listening devices, tracking tools, hidden cameras, etc., at Spy World will surely have something unusual that you can gift. For us, the best present in the house is a purse which shields your phone from the electro-magnetic spectrum. What that means is that when you drop your cellphone in the Phone Blocker Case, voila, no one can track you. You disappear for $59.

SPY WORLD

96 MIRACLE MILE

305.542.4600

Top to bottom:

Ancient Coins

Tibetan God of Wealth

Playboy Magazine

Alessi Citrus Squeezer

Phone Blocker Case

A Walking Tour of Downtown Shopping

You can start wherever you like, but we started on the east end of Miracle Mile, on the south side, where you can grab a quick coffee at the Capital Café. Depending on the time of day, you can start with a quick glass of wine at Cibo across the street. But it was early yet, and we weren’t ready to nap.

Walking west toward City Hall, our first stop was Gables Coin & Stamp. A fantastic selection of money and postage from the past. Nothing like gifting an ancient Roman coin that cost less than $100. Next came Spy World, where you can buy anti-bugging devices for your paranoid friends, or a chip to track your teenager. Proprietor Steven Gonzalez will explain it all.

Crossing Galiano Street, but staying

on the south side of Miracle, we stopped at Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe. Jeffrey Wolfe was there, along with his two giant golden retrievers. Best place to buy good wines at any price. “We focus on the unsung heroes of the wine industry, and that doesn’t mean it has to be pricey,” he told us. His sage advice is complimentary.

Further down the street is Barnes & Noble, with its cavernous collection of books and magazines. We stopped in, however, for the best reason to shop here during the holidays: Their huge collection of educational toys. Robotics. Smithsonian motors. Giant volcanoes. Lego sets. Biology labs. Insect Explorer. Glow in the dark crystal factory. Gummy Candy Lab. Need

we say more?

From here we crossed the Mile for a blast of three super stores on the north side of the street between Ponce and Salzedo. First came Violeta’s, worth a visit just to see what imagination and deep pockets can do. Expensive but wonderfully eccentric objects for your home, from Fornasetti face pillows ($235) to hand candles ($60) where the fingers slowly burn. Next is Jae’s Jewelers, reputed to be the oldest store in the Gables, a family affair for three generations. We were fascinated by their collection of vintage jewelry, now the rage, much of which comes from the estates of Coral Gables. They are also launching an array of super-affordable UM bling, for you ‘Canes fans. Toward the

AN INTREPID TOUR OF SELECT PLACES BY OUR SHOPPING TEAM. JUST SET ASIDE TWO OR THREE HOURS.

end of the block is YoYo Chidlren’s Boutique, which answers the question of where you can buy exquisite baby clothing. Theirs is all knitted cotton from Spain, for ages newborn to four. Most items between $40 and $200. Pricey, yes, but sooooo soft!

We crossed the Mile again at Salzedo and back tracked a half block to Snow’s Jewelers. This is another icon of the Gables, in business for 45 years. Their selection is laden with classic diamond jewelry, in a wide price range. What makes them unique is their collection of sterling bracelets, rings and broches, all enamel inlaid, and their selection of pocket watches, the kind you would get after working 40 years for the railroad. Priceless.

Next came the upstairs walkup hideaway that makes us feel like Miracle Mile can actually be a groovy place: City Collectables. The dream of a husband and wife team who are both local schoolteachers, it’s

laden with old vinyl LPs, comic books and movie posters. Also, some vintage lunchboxes, like from Happy Days. They are only open 1 pm to 7 pm, next to Miracle Theatre, but worth the walkup. Crossing Salzedo, we continued down Miracle toward City Hall. Before we reached the end, we stopped in at Leica, the high-end German camera store. These are cameras for people who really want to be professionals, starting at $1,000 and going up to $21,000. Our choice for the photo-bugs we know was to pick among the cloth and leather camera bags, priced between $150 and $800.

Around the corner from Leica, where the Mile bends, lies Rose Gift Cottage. It’s really a holiday hangout (there for 25 years) gorged with a treasure hunt of holiday gee-jaws, including elf and Santa dolls ($40). This is the place to go when you can’t think of what to buy for

someone. For them you can buy an enameled metal box with Van Gogh’s irises for $43. Also, linens, lamps and fragrances. Now we crossed Miracle and made our way north along Le Jeune, taking a right on Aragon. When we reached Salzedo we took a left to visit Nini & Loli. This is an everything-for-the-baby place – not just Peruvian cotton dresses, but strollers, cribs and highchairs (the Stokke brand from Norway). So, it’s really a place to buy the parents something.

Speaking of parents and other assorted adults, down the street on Giralda is Mystic Wine & Spirits, where the array of liquor is worth the visit – scotch, pisco, gin, tequila, bourbon, champagne, brandy, cognac, and whiskeys of every blend, all the things that a parent might need to survive the holidays. Plus, a nice selection of cheeses and cured meats to go with their wine selection.

Now it’s time to cut back to Aragon, for drop ins at two side-by-side stalwarts that never disappoint: The Coral Gables Museum Gift Shop and Books & Books. The

gift shop is actually part of Books & Books but resides inside the museum. Here you can find unusual gifts for friends and relatives: Dream catchers, miniature books, really interesting socks, bizarre ash trays, hand tools, native jewelry, gift cards with unusual messages, old Life Magazines. Next door at Books & Books are, well, books – but not just any books. The latest, the greatest, the most beautiful, and many signed by their authors. We love to follow the staff recommendations – and to stop at the café for a snack and sip.

Further down Aragon are two stores that could not be more different. On the south side of the street is No Boundaries Sport, where you are sure to find something for the athletic types you know. Not just a bicycle (prices range from $300 to $12,000), but all the accessories of locks, water bottles, helmets, riding gloves, super lightweight riding shirts, etc. Across the street is the gentle, Zen-like cave of Small Tea, which is where you can pick up an offbeat gift for the non-athletic type in your life: an $8 copper container that you can fill with $4 to $16 worth of tea from their selection of 86 “scents.”

Around the corner on Ponce is Macanoco & Co., a quirky high-end store for

kids. Here you can get a baby carriage for your kid’s dolls, handmade in England. For $500, it’s called a pram, not a carriage. They also have a large selection of tiny plastic figurines of mammals and dinosaurs which cost considerably less.

Crossing back onto Aragon, a muststop would be Luminaire. This is a 15,000-square-foot shrine to ultra-high design, with home furnishings, objects of art, and super-cool kitchen gadgetry. But don’t expect any bargains. A simple wall lamp will set you back $400; a deck chair, albeit beautifully designed, can reach $1,000. More affordable is the kitchen wear: $48 for a sleek spaghetti tester.

Continuing down the street we took a left turn on Galiano and stopped at the Galiano Cigar Room. Perfect place to find a gift for that cigar-chomping colleague. Most of their stogies run $8 to $30, with special packaging for several cigars together. If you want to be on the safe side tastewise, you can go for a Colibri lighter. Like a blowtorch, for $50 to $175.

The final stops on our downtown shopping trek were a pair of oriental gift shops, The Golden Triangle and The Silver Dragon. The Golden Triangle is right up the street from the Galiano Cigar Room and is filled with all the accoutrements for mental cleansing and focusing, from incense and candles to singing bowls and CDs of meditation music. Buy the sage and cleanse thy home. Over on nearby Merrick Way is the Silver Dragon, a smaller, more upscale version of the same. Here they have serious statuary and oriental scroll paintings which can run into hundreds of dollars but are real works of art. Fortunately, our walk through the downtown finished at the tail end of Giralda Plaza, where Merrick Way and Galiano collide with that pedestrian promenade, so libations to celebrate our successful shopping journey were readily available. The beer was flowing at Fritz and Franz, the coffee was brewing at Passion del Cielo, and the food options on the Plaza itself were abundant. A job well done and worth rewarding.

Moisture-Wicking

Four-Way Stretch

Wrinkle-Resistant

Machine-Washable

*Warning, may cause comfort and extreme confidence

FLORIDA HEAT HAS MET ITS MATCH

A new wave of performance menswear is now available in Merrick Park. Mention this ad in store to receive $10 off your performance dress shirt. Conquer. Comfortably .

MIZZEN+MAIN | MERRICK PARK | 358 SAN LORENZO AVE #1100, CORAL GABLES, FL 33146 | MIZZENANDMAIN.COM

The Best and Worst Holiday Gifts Ever... sometimes they

shine sometimes they sting

Everybody has them: Memories of their best holiday gift ever, and of their worst holiday gift ever. So, we asked various folks from around town to share with us some of these memories. The good news? You are not alone with getting some real bombs. But the better news? You are also not alone in those warm memories of that wonderful gift that made the holiday shine.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE

BEST: A surprise Christmas engagement I really wasn’t expecting.

WORST: A Dyson hairdryer to throw me off the trail.

ASHLEY MAGLUTA

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS, CORAL GABLES MUSEUM

FANTASY AND REALITY

BEST: Year after year growing up, books of adventure (Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Kidnapped”) and sports (“Highpockets” by John Tunis) and history (“The Little Maid” series about the Revolutionary War”).

WORST: The never-ending-never-got on Christmas: A Red Ryder BB gun. My mother was quite sure I would hurt myself or others.

DAVID LAWRENCE

FORMER PUBLISHER, MIAMI HERALD

CHAIR, THE CHILDREN’S MOVEMENT OF FLORIDA

WAITING FOR THE OTHER TO FALL

WORST: The kids gave me a shoe and one sock one year with a promise of the other shoe and the other sock the following year.

BEST: The other shoe and sock

NELSON LAZO CEO, DOCTOR’S HOSPITAL

TOO COOL AND TOO HOT

BEST: A Lionel model train set brand new and ready to go! Unfortunately for my father, he had to construct the entire platform, all the props, and assemble the train – and work out the bugs

WORST: A hand-knitted, ill-fitting, mauve, lopsided, ugly wool sweater decorated with bizarre forms meant (I think) to represent reindeer and Santa. Since the gift was from a favorite aunt who came to Christmas lunch, I had to bake in this hideous contraption and accept the really snide looks and below the belt comments from friend and foe alike — to say nothing of my siblings!

JACK LOWELL

EVP, COLLIER INTERNATIONAL CHAIR, CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

BEST: The birth of my beautiful grandson Matthew on December 26. It forever enhanced the celebratory spirit of the season, and brings back wonderful memories of the day a bright young man (and excellent athlete to boot!) was brought into this world.

WORST: A hideous Christmas tie that was given to me in the early 1970s by my brother Gonzalo. It was a circus clown Christmas tie. It was so horrendous as to be laughable.

coralgablesthemagazine.com

But, given my penchant for pleasing my siblings, I was forced to wear it at Christmas occasions for years. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as I look back on photos from that era, my sartorial challenges clearly ruined many festive occasions.

RAÚL VALDÉS-FAULI MAYOR, CITY OF CORAL GABLES

WORST: A Red Ryder BB gun (also at age 12). Don’t get me wrong, I liked it at first, but with the damage done to the real estate, flora, and fauna of my small suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, the initial shine wore off quickly with the ensuing punishment.

PATRICK M. O’CONNELL SENIOR VP, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES/EWM REALTY CHAIR, CORAL GABLES

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

A DOG AND A REAL DOG

BEST: A puppy. Since I’m an only child it meant a lot to me to have a dog I could share life with.

WORST: A sweater knitted by a relative. It was too small but I had to wear it anyway for family pictures.

ANDREW PEACH, SR. GENERAL MANAGER, SHOPS AT MERRICK PARK

BLING AND BLACK-AND-WHITE

BEST: My most memorable and cherished Christmas gift came from my dad. It was during the early 1980s in Coral Gables. The year is often lovingly referred to as the ‘Cartier Christmas’ when everyone received an iconic Cartier red box! My gift was an exquisite 18k gold Cartier choker of carved jade and silverium beads with matching bracelet and earrings. I treasure it more each day. The piece is now part of my vintage collection. Thank you Papi!

WORST: My worst gift was a printer for my computer. Ugh! My hubby had the best intentions since I needed a replacement. However, this girl is all for the frilly and fashionable. Needless to say, it was returned.

KARELIA MARTINEZ CARBONELL PRESIDENT, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION OF CORAL GABLES

GROWS ON YOU

WORST: Many, many years ago my brother’s girlfriend got me a set of dinner trays for Christmas.  I thought it was the most bizarre thing to give someone. They came in a huge box too – what a disappointment when I opened it.

BEST: For some reason I kept them. Now, my kids love them and use them all the time. I’ll never get rid of them.

CHRISTOPHER B. SPUCHES

ATTORNEY, CHAIR CORAL GABLES MUSEUM BOARD

BIONICS AND BOOKS

BEST: A Steve Austin “Bionic Man” action figure that had an incredible magnified eye socket to see through for “bionic vision” (I also received the Oscar Goldman doll, too, with the exploding briefcase!) Amazing!

WORST: Pretty much what I get every holiday from my sister since I moved to Miami more than 25 years ago – a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Every single year!

MARK TROWBRIDGE

PRESIDENT & CEO, CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LEATHER AND LEAKS

using a backpack to carry everything around. When my mom and dad found out about this, they said it was time for me to upgrade to use a “big boy backpack” and gave me the briefcase. I have used this same briefcase for over a decade and continue to get complements on it.

WORST: Someone gave me a portable clothing steamer. The wrapping job was pristine with a very impressive bow. Upon opening the gift, I noticed the packaging looked a little old and worn but figured maybe it had been dropped in the store or by UPS if it was ordered online. When I went to use the steamer, I took it out of the packaging and noticed that there was still a little water in the steamer. This is when I realized the person who gave me the gift had wrapped up their steamer rather than purchasing a new one.

MICHAEL WALSH SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, EVENSKY & KATZ/ FOLDES FINANCIAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT

A SLICE AND A BANG

BEST: A Swiss Army pocketknife with all of the attachments. It was given to me by my Uncle Dennis O’Connell who always gave gifts that were a little forward thinking for my age. I was 12 or so. I still have it and use if frequently.

BEST: A leather briefcase from Allen Edmonds. When I completed my higher education degree my parents told me it was time to start my career. I was armed with knowledge from my classes and ready to take on the world. At that point I was

COOK IT, DON’T WEAR IT

BEST: I’ve had friends and family tell me that I’m difficult to buy for (I could see why they would think so) but I’ve realized that absolutely anything from Williams-Sonoma makes me squeal in delight! I’ve received gifts ranging from beautiful knives to silicone spatulas that say Coco’s Kitchen on the handles. You can never go wrong with that!

WORST: Any item of clothing, just because I’m difficult to fit straight off the rack. Nothing ever fits correctly.

COCO PALENQUE TORRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS BEAUX ARTS

A printer for your computer? Maybe a little too practical

A Swiss Army knife will last a lifetime and be useful every day

You can never go wrong with a gift from Williams-Sonoma

Shopping: How to Navigate the Holiday

SHOPPING TIPS ON HOW TO SURVIVE THE HOLIDAY MADNESS FROM A CORAL GABLES PERSONAL SHOPPER

By Kim Rodriguez

The holidays are upon us, so what does this mean to you? Family time, the kids at home, parties, vacations, decorations? Yes, and the inevitable shopping that’s on everyone’s minds.

The never-ending gift-giving list can be the most stressful part of our holiday traditions, but it must be done. Here’s an insider’s view for the CG Mag reader on just how to tackle your list and create a strategic plan so that you, too, can enjoy what the true spirit of the holidays should be. Which is to collapse and enjoy it.

GO ROGUE. This means go out and shop on your own, following your own will. It’s the best approach. Just shop till you drop and get it done. You might be tempted to bring a friend, but that just adds an anchor. I prefer to shop alone in order to just wrap it up, no pun intended.

GO EARLY. If you are the weekend warrior type, then you have to start as early as the stores open. Almost all stores have extended hours and are open on Sundays during the season. But don’t fall for that. Call ahead if you know the exact stores you want to visit and confirm their opening hours.

SHOP DOWNTOWN. We like shopping the downtown because it’s filled with quirky, individual stores and fewer chains. I suggest parking midway on the Mile using either the Aragon or Andalusia parking lots. You won’t waste time looking for parking on the street or worrying about adding money to the meter. Parking in the middle of the Mile also helps because you can drop off packages along the way.

PRIORITIZE. I would start with the most important gifts on the list, but more importantly plan out where your stores are and hit them geographically. If you have children to shop for, definitely start here first. Kids usually have very specific lists and almost always want the most sought-after, trendy toy of the year. Get in there early for the overnight deliveries. Don’t risk his or her favorite being sold out until 2020.

STAY FUELED. Shopping can be tiring, so whether it’s a meal or just a cup of coffee, stay fueled and caffeinated. You can grab a cup of java on the east end of the Mile at Capital Café, and on the west side at Starbucks. Depending on what time you stop at Books & Books (a must for any downtown shopping) this is also a favorite place to have breakfast or lunch.

FOR THE MEN & WOMEN. This comes down to particulars. Is he athletic? Then go to No Boundaries on Aragon. Is he metrosexual? Then cross the street to Small Tea for a copper container of rare blends. For anything

skincare, there is Bluemercury on the Mile. For the women on your list there is My Best Friend’s Closet, Habit, and Trend Boutique, to name a few.

FOR EVERYONE ELSE. Okay, so who’s left on the list? Teachers, friends, office colleagues, service providers, hostess gifts? These gifts may require delving into boutiques, some place like Violeta’s (if your budget has no restraints) or Rose Cottage (if you want something small and quirky). Also, specialty boutiques usually have a version of pretty holiday wrapping, so make sure to ask if they offer it.

AND FINALLY. Always include a gift receipt. I’m sure the recipient will love your thoughtful gift, but this makes it easy for them to return or exchange for a different size, color, etc. Most return policies are generous during the holiday season, and this will ensure they have something they truly love.

ONE LAST TIP. That isn’t really a hack, but just start early if you can. As in November. I promise you’ll have a much more enjoyable holiday season. Or you can always hire a personal shopper.

Kim Rodriguez is a personal shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. Krpersonalstyle.com

The Art of the Holiday Dinner Party

THE IDEA OF ENTERTAINING AT HOME CAN BE DAUNTING. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF

by Nino Pernetti

What makes it so hard to commit to having friends over to the house for a proper dinner party? Time, hassle, pressure? Actually, I understand. I run a busy restaurant and have two active daughters. Sometimes you just have to set a date and start inviting people. Pride, or more accurately fear of embarrassment, will take care of the rest. Luckily, the holiday season is here and with it, the perfect reason for throwing a proper dinner party.

Over the years, I’ve helped friends host dinner parties and I’ve attended a few myself. The key to success is preparation and attention to detail. The whole process can be easier than it sounds, if you follow a few simple rules of thumb.

WHO TO INVITE?

This is going to make or break your party. You should cap the guest list at 12 people for a sit-down dinner party. That means five couples plus two hosts. Any more than that and you won’t be able to really connect with your guests, and that is the whole point of the affair. This may sound trite but try to invite people with outgoing personalities. It will give a significant boost to the energy level. A room full of introverts can make for an evening of awkward silences. Take your quiet friends to a restaurant instead.

HOW TO INVITE?

I recommend calling first to check availability. Once you’ve pinned down a date, and I can hear the groaning now, send a handwritten invitation. It’s a simple gesture that sets

the tone for the evening. Prepackaged paper invitations are okay, as long as you include a short personal note on each. Don’t forget to include the required attire, so that men don’t show up in jeans and a golf shirt. Don’t be afraid to expect your guests to dress up. I’ve been to black tie dinners in people’s homes.

WHERE TO SIT?

Do you think musicians in a symphony orchestra sit wherever they want? Of course not. No different for your holiday dinner party. You know the personalities of the people attending so give some thought to where you place everyone. And by all means separate couples to prevent six semiprivate conversations. Little cards with each guest’s name nicely written on it will do the trick. Also, don’t forget to say a few words after everyone is seated. Talk about what the holidays mean and how grateful you are to celebrate with the lovely people seated around the table. I also recommend thinking of a few safe topics for discussion. If you find someone is not contributing to the conversation, ask them an open-ended question.

Remember, you are the conductor for the evening. It’s up to you to keep the conversation interesting and fun.

WHAT TO SERVE?

Cocktail hour is a must. It allows your guests to introduce themselves, mingle and converse. The living room or an outside patio make the perfect backdrop. Have some seating in case someone prefers to sit and chat, but it’s not necessary to have seating available for everyone. I also suggest offering limited drink options. Maybe three beverages, including champagne or Prosecco, a batched cocktail like a holiday version of a Negroni, and maybe vodka or scotch. Don’t feel the need to have every possible cocktail on hand. A few high-quality options will still impress. And save the wine for dinner.

As for the menu, you don’t need to serve traditional holiday fare. In fact, assuming you may be hosting guests of different religious persuasions, be thoughtful about what you serve. I suggest that you draw the line at dietary restrictions. As host, you can’t be expected to prepare individual dishes to order. It’s up to the vegetarians to eat around the meat dishes and the hypertensives to go easy

on the salty dishes! I recommend serving four or five courses for a festive holiday meal. Be sure that each dish is sized appropriately, so that you don’t have guests pushing back from the table after the third course.

Pair each course with a wine. If that seems like too intimidating a task, ask for help from one of your wine-savvy friends, download a pairing app, or do a little online research. Better yet, bring a copy of your menu to a wine shop like Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe on Miracle Mile. They are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

I usually recommend having your food prepared by someone else. A good caterer is worth their weight in gold. Two servers and one kitchen person is what you want, so you may entertain your guests with your full attention. If you insist on cooking, prepare as much as can ahead of time, so that your kitchen responsibilities are limited to warming and garnishing. Otherwise you’re not really part of the party.

HOW TO ACHIEVE NEXT LEVEL STATUS?

I once attended a dinner party at a friend’s house. Much to the guests’ surprise a local choir sang Christmas carols during cocktail hour. Talk about putting people in the holiday spirit! My friend later shared that the choir cost about $500, a worthwhile investment, to create that special moment.

Another great touch, if you have a piano, is having a pianist play during cocktail hour. Have them play a few holiday songs along with a set of upbeat jazz standards. At the very least, create a playlist from your music library to capture the mood. At the conclusion of the evening, give each couple a small token of your gratitude, perhaps a scented candle or some other small gift. It’s a great reminder of the warmth and hospitality they experienced in your home.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 8 thru

550 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables www.carolingcompetition.org

Presented by The Anthony Abraham Foundation

Nino Pernetti is the owner/founder of Caffe Abbracci on Aragon Ave.

Holiday Spirit(s)

A WARM-WEATHER GUIDE FOR NAVIGATING YOUR HOLIDAY ALCOHOL NEEDS

By Manny Santana

With temperatures in the 70s and 80s (and sometimes 90s), we live in a unique environment when it comes to the holiday season. Instead of snow, we have sunshine. That doesn’t always jibe with classic holiday images – Sinatra holding a martini by a warm fireplace, or Clark Griswold loading a massive fir tree onto his station wagon. But regardless of where we are, the holiday season brings the warmth of family, good food and great drinks, and there is no better time to eat, drink and be merry.

With that in mind, you’ll need to stock your at-home bar in advance of the myriad parties and family gatherings. Holiday drink is about indulging in comfort, so when making your purchases, think warm, savory, and fun: A great rum, red and sparkling wines, aged whiskey, vodka, and a variety of mixers and garnishes like soda water, lemons, mara-

schino cherries and cinnamon sticks. When hosting a gathering, I recommend starting with a classic shareable cocktail. Because this is South Florida, put a warm-weather spin on it to keep everyone cool. In the north they drink the Hot Toddy; here you can impress with a local twist by serving the Gables Toddy. Start with two parts Bacardi Gold Rum or, to deepen the flavor, opt for a Bacardi Anejo Cuatro, add one part fresh lemon juice, one part cold tea, a teaspoon of honey, ice, and a cinnamon stick. Not only does it look amazing, but it smells great too. If you’d rather go simple or neat, try swapping your Scottish whisky for Japanese. The top trend in high-end whiskey this year comes from the Far East. Hibiki Japanese Harmony ($75) makes for an excellent holiday gift as well.

W. C. Fields once said, “I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.” Consider this your philosophy when preparing for holiday parties. Good wine is food’s best friend. When hosting, pair your cheese and fruit with a light sparkling. I recommend the Cremant d’Alsace ($18). This French sparkling has a mild nutty undertone to balance the citrus zest. It pairs especially well with a soft French cheese like Brie or Camembert. If you want to add a little color to your flutes, pour a glass of the Cleto Chiarli

Rosé Italian Sparkling. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better value at under $20.

When serving poultry, consider a red wine. Yes, a red. We think of white wine with white meat, but surprise and impress with a light red. The latest trend (and for a good reason) is Oregon Pinot Noir. If you’re looking for value, Oregon is a diamond in the rough with some of the best quality to value available. I recommend the Elouan Pinot Noir ($25).

Desserts and holidays pair like afternoons and cafecitos. They’re not only obvious but mandatory. While you could go with a standard dessert wine or digestif, why not use the opportunity as a final chance to demonstrate your epicurean prowess? Keep the party going with a Cuban coffee martini, a typical martini with the added bonus of your favorite espresso pick-me-up. If you aren’t already using Tito’s Vodka in your martinis, by the way, you should be. It is now the most popular vodka in the United States. Or add a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream for color and flavor. So, no matter what the weather brings – a cold front of 65 or a balmy beach day in the 80s – you can serve seasonal favorites with a local flourish. Then you can send a pic of you holding a Cuban coffee martini to your friends up north.

Manny Santana is the owner of the newly opened Mystic Wine and Spirits, 248 Giralda Ave., 305.456.8553

Child’s Play

ENTERTAINING YOUNG AUDIENCES, AND TRAINING YOUNG ACTORS, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MIRACLE THEATRE FORMULA

By Doreen Hemlock

Isabella Souza had never spoken to a “king.” So, the 10-year-old hesitated before approaching the actor dressed in regal attire in the lobby of the Miracle Theatre after the show “Puss in Boots.” She soon learned what actors do and rushed to tell her mom that “kings” often study for weeks to prepare.

As Actors’ Playhouse kicks off its new season, children play a key role in the group’s continuing success. Of the more than 150,000 people who visit the Coral Gables venue annually, some 60,000 come for children’s theater, many of them Miami-Dade school children on field trips. Income from shows for kids – sometimes staged twice a day during the holiday season – helps defray the higher costs of performances for older audiences, says the group’s executive director Barbara Stein.

The group also offers theater classes, summer camps, and other training for tots

and teens. With The Children’s Trust, it’s been organizing an annual Miami-Dade youth talent show for the past decade. Some graduates have gone on to careers in the performing arts, even on Broadway and in Hollywood.

“We’re the only professional children’s theater company in Miami-Dade offering a year-round schedule of shows and training for youth,” Stein says proudly from her eclectic office, filled with mementos like set drawings from “The King and I” and the gold-lined garment from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Adds Stein: “That has helped us grow and develop, and now generations of families are coming to the theater together.”

A MISSION TO DEVELOP FUTURE AUDIENCES

Stein and her team started reaching out to children in the summer of 1988, when their

theater group launched in a strip mall in suburban Kendall. The fledgling arts company included among its early members Earl Maulding, a performer with a master’s in fine arts and experience working in children’s theater and writing plays for kids. Eager to build audiences long-term, the company decided to also stage plays for kids, convinced, as Maulding puts it, that “the future of live theater is young people.”

Those early offerings took off “like crazy,” attracting more families than anyone expected, Maulding recalls. He found himself thinking: “Ooh-aah, I have to keep doing this.”

More than 30 years later, Maulding continues to lead children’s theater programs at Actors’ Playhouse, now based on Miracle Mile and operating with a $4 million annual budget. He writes adaptations of musicals for young audiences and often introduces them, priming the seated crowds by asking

Childrens Theater Director Earl Maulding with Barbara Stein, Executive Producing Director

them to repeat after him: “Ha, ha, ha… ha, ha, ha.” “Of course, they love that,” says Maulding, with a smile.

His efforts extend beyond the stage. To help teachers who are bringing classes to what may be their first musical, his team creates Enrichment Guides, offering information on the story, author and history of the show, plus related games. In recent years, they’ve also teamed up with schools to offer special “sensory friendly” performances for kids with autism, reducing loud noises and blinking lights that can disturb, and streaming shows live into the lobby for those who may need to leave suddenly.

During holiday season, Miami-Dade schools send busloads of students on weekdays to the group’s 600-seat, Mainstage theater, often twice daily for performances at 10 a.m. and noon. Student tickets typically run $10 each (half the price of the Saturday performances).

To develop future artists, Maulding’s team also manages classes in acting, film, and musical theater for hundreds of students yearly, with scholarships offered in some cases. That includes the Repertory Company for youth ages 10-18, which stages shows; members are often accepted by MiamiDade’s prestigious New World School of the Arts. Recently, his team has been coordinating internships in lighting, directing, and other technical fields for students at Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, a magnet program in west Dade.

The training programs teach more than art, say Stein and Maulding. Students also learn teamwork, discipline, punctuality, and other basics needed for success in any field. “We teach children confidence, self-worth, and critical thinking skills which they can take with them into everything life brings,” says Stein.

STARTING A NEW SEASON, WITH ONE BILINGUAL SHOW

For the 2019-2020 season, Actors’ Playhouse is presenting four musicals adapted for children ages 5 to 12: “Puss in Boots” through Nov. 1, “A Christmas Carol, The Musical,” during the holiday season, “The Wizard of Oz” in late winter and spring, and “Disney’s Aladdin Dual Language Edition” next summer. The “Aladdin” adaptation

OPPOSITE: Adaptations for children’s theater – such as “Beauty and the Beast”– can be a harder task than writing for adults, says Maulding. “I never think, ‘Oh, it’s just for kids.’ We have the same standards for any performance.”

TOP: “Cats” performed by the Pre-Professional Youth Camp features actors and actresses ages 8-18.

ABOVE: Earl Maulding and the cast of “Peter Rabbit and the Garden of Doom” applaud the students for attending the production.

features some actors speaking in Spanish and others in English. The bilingual play, says Maulding, aims to draw Spanish-speakers and, like the “sensory friendly” shows for youth with autism, brings together diverse groups of children.

Maulding adapted two of the works and concedes the task can be harder than writing for adults, “because you can’t trick them. If you entertain them first, get them laughing and have a very clear story, then you can sneak in some moral lessons and ideas,” he says. “And if there’s a conflict introduced, I like to give them answers and examples of ways to deal with it, in an entertaining way.”

When directing, he recognizes children are as demanding an audience as adults. “I never think, ‘Oh, it’s just for kids.’ We have the same standards for any performance.”

Maulding still thrills at the way young audiences can engage with theater. “There’s nothing better than seeing 600 children staring rapt at the stage,” he says. For her part, 10-year-old Souza looks forward to enjoying a new performance and maybe meeting another “king” – or perhaps a “princess.”

St. Philip’s Episcopal School

Tuesday, November 5th, 2019

Tuesday, November

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

Thursday, December

Tuesday, January 14th, 2020

Tuesday, January 14

RAISING THE STEAKS

PERRY’S IS THE LATEST ENTRY INTO THE GABLES STEAKHOUSE RING, AND IT’S READY TO RUMBLE

By Andrew Gayle

Coral Gables is not exactly virgin territory when it comes to steakhouses. In the downtown alone there is Fleming’s, Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris, with triple-decade icon Christy’s just down the block on Ponce de Leon. All are firstclass.

So, what does Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille bring to the fray, besides bragging rights for having started as a butcher shop in Texas?

Well, that’s part of it, memorialized in a blown-up photo of a Texas steer on one wall, and with a set of horns hanging over a display case of meat that greets you in the lobby. Perry’s started in Houston in 1979 as a meat market, so they know their beef, pork and lamb. But it’s where they take those cuts, pushing them just a little past the traditional, that puts them on the meat map.

As you would expect, the basic selections, like filet mignon, prime ribeye and New York strip are all outstanding, cooked at high temperatures to seal in the moisture and flavor. But taking it up a notch is their signature Chateaubriand, which we tried. It is carved tableside into thick round slices and served with two reduction sauces, one a truffle merlot demiglace and the other a bearnaise with peppercorn. Both add sophisticated flavors to a buttery steak that has just the right crusted edge.

Another signature dish

that we tried is Perry’s “famous” seven-finger pork chop, which is cured, smoked and slow roasted so that the fat is caramelized and infused with a rub of herbs and honey. This is also carved tableside into loin, ribs and the “eyebrow” of crusted deliciousness, and comes with homemade applesauce. A perfect dish for pork-crazy South Florida.

Standouts among the appetizers are Perry’s fried asparagus and their BBQ octopus. Fried asparagus? Yes, with a thin breaded skin, like some sort of healthy croqueta. And who knew it paired so well with a topping of jumbo lump crabmeat? The octopus, now a trendy must at any new restaurant, was uniquely barbecue charred, served on a bed of homemade coleslaw. If you have never warmed up to octopus, this Texan take is your chance.

The most pleasing surprise on the Perry’s menu is their selection of stunning salads. These are robust salads, with some explosive flavors. Their spinach and warm bacon vinaigrette is succulent comfort food, perfectly dressed; their field green, pear and candied pecan salad is just as scrumptious as it sounds; and the Caesar salad is the real thing, salty, cold and crunchy. They are the best deals on the menu, as well, at $11 to $12 each and alone worth a visit (their steak entree prices are on par with other steak houses at $50 to $60).

As for desserts, they have

OPPOSITE TOP: Perry’s “famous” seven-finger pork chop.

OPPOSITE CENTER: Spectacular setting for outside dining also features a flame pit.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM: The main dining room features a glass wall of fine wines.

TOP: Baked Alaska, Perry's signature flaming dessert. ABOVE: Chef Rick Moonen, who design their signature dishes in Houston.

several signature flaming treats, like the baked Alaska for two. But we were felled by the butterscotch bread pudding in caramel sauce, with chocolate chips and candied walnuts and toasted homemade marshmallow. Words cannot describe how ambrosial this gooey, chewy, crunchy mess tastes.

Beyond the food is the polish which this growing chain, determined to sear its brand on the national palate, brings to the table. With 13 locations in Texas, plus ones in Chicago, Birmingham and Denver, Perry’s landed here with an experienced team plucked from other locations. Even company chieftain Chris Perry spent most of his September and October nights at the Gables location, making sure all ran smoothly.

Then there is the spectacular setting in the Shops at Merrick Park. There is seating for 640 in the cavernous space, which is broken into three parts: a large courtyard area out front, with a flame pit and turquoise umbrellas; a lounge area with piano bar; and the main seating area, a large interior dining room that feels like the lobby of a big city hotel, in the best sense.

Green leather booths with dark mahogany woodwork give it an old club feeling. One wall is a vast, glassed-in wine cellar; one wall is dark wood with a pattern of golden barnacles; one wall carries a glass partition that encloses the huge kitchen, with its ballet of background activity.

Like the kitchen on display, Perry’s is a vast, bustling production, so well-oiled it feels choreographed. At the very least, it feels like it’s already a local institution.

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE

4251 SALZEDO ST. (SHOPS AT MERRICK PARK)

786.703.9094

$$$$

2019 THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES

Coral Gables is a movable feast, a veritable mecca of fine dining. It has the highest density of quality restaurants for any city in South Florida – close to 100 good dining establishments. The restaurants do cluster near the main street of Miracle Mile and on the Giralda pedestrian plaza, but are also spread throughout the Gables. There are some good choices at the Shops at Merrick Park, and some hidden gems to be found even in out-of-the-way strip malls.

Dining hours in the Gables stretch from the early evening – when it is common to see people at restaurants close to where they work – until late at night, when it’s not unusual go to a restaurant at 10 p.m. and find the place packed, even with children.

Many of the restaurants in Coral Gables are world-class. But the culinary scene is also changing. Where once the top-flight, traditional dining spots catered to lawyers, bankers, businessmen and diplomats, there is a new crop of edgier places, with young chefs and new tastes, catering to a younger clientele. What follows is our list of the tried and true, and the innovative and new.

$ ............ Under $25

$$ .......... $25-$40

$$$ ........ $35-$75

$$$$ ...... $70-$100+

Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, no tax, tip or drinks. Prices are approximate.

AMERICAN

Bachour

World-renowned pastry chef Antonio Bachour opened his new bakery and restaurant back in Feb. 2019. The menu, on top of rows of fresh and decadent pastries, features eggs benedict, croissant French toast, guava and cheese pancakes, sandwiches and salads. $ - $$ 2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

California Pizza Kitchen

A local favorite, the home of “California-style” pizza, this national chain that started in Beverly Hills is both casual and polished, with a truly inventive array of non-traditional pizzas. Things like cauliflower crust, spicy chipotle chicken, carne asada. And then there are the patrons who come only for the butter cake, which they consider one of the best things on earth. $$ 300 Miracle Mile 305.774.9940

Clutch Burger

Not your average burger. Most of the burgers hover around $20 because they’re made with quality Wagyu beef. They also specialize in fine wines and craft beers brewed here in Miami. $$

146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242

Copper 29

Mostly known for its happy hour, the Miracle Mile restaurant and bar also has a wide range of food options. We especially love the BBQ Chicken Flatbread and Pork Sliders. They also serve bottomless brunch all weekend that includes mimosas, wine, mojitos, Bloody Marys and champagne. $ 206 Miracle Mile 786.580.4689

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

Offering a no-veto menu, meaning there’s something for everyone, Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar serves craveable American fare dishes made from scratch daily, incorporating the highest quality ingredients. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour, signature dishes include the Wok Out Bowls, The Wedge Burger and “Hot” Chicken.$$

301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

Eating House

Groovy place with inventive everchanging menu, with dishes like nutmeg risotto, pumpkin tiradito, and fried Brussels sprouts. Dynamite free-range fried chicken. Simple artsy décor but superb food, excellent presentation, great value. $$

804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.6524

The Globe

The Globe is a Coral Gables icon, and one of the most pleasant, relaxed places to eat in the city – assuming you like a smart, Euro-style bistro. Decorated with classic paintings (and globes over their old-world bar), their Saturday night live jazz sessions offer the weekend’s coolest entertainment. The menu is a collection of mostly American dishes – salads, burgers, fish, etc. – that have been perfected over the years by owner Danny Guiteras. Best conch fritters anywhere. $-$$

377 Alhambra Circle 305.445.3555

Hillstone

Situated at the corner of Ponce de Leon and Miracle Mile, Hillstone has been a longtime staple in the Gables. Known for their steaks, like the Hawaiian, which is made with a pineapple-soy-ginger marinade. Though an American restaurant, they also have great sushi and offer dozens of fresh rolls. $$$

201 Miracle Mile 305.529.0141

House Kitchen & Bar

On the corner of Ponce and Aragon, right next to the Colonnades, House is

open for lunch, dinner, happy hour and brunch. They even have a happy hour solely for oysters, weekdays from 3 – 4 p.m. We recommend sitting outside on their gorgeous patio. $$ - $$$ 180 Aragon Ave. 786.482.5599

Seasons 52

The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flatbread is really a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them. $$ 321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

Shula’s 347 Grill

If it’s beef you are after, but want to avoid the formality of a high-end steak house, Shula’s is perfect for you. Good service and pleasant décor – including lots of photos of the coach – make this a go-to place for professionals in the area. Great use of cheeses – Boursin in their mac & cheese, and gorgonzola in their cream spinach. $$$ 6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661

Tap 42

Winner of Best Overall Burger by Coral Gables Magazine, Tap 42 is big, noisy and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$

301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

The Local Craft Food & Drink

One of the best places in Coral Gables to enjoy locally sourced food, hence the name. Chef Juan Bedoya wants to create a pub feeling with comfort food. We’re obsessed with the fried chicken, which served on a short stack of cheddar cheese pancakes with bourbon maple syrup. The flavor is enhanced by watermelon jelly on the side for a sweet, spicy bite. $$

150 Giralda Ave. 305.648.5687

Yard House

A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic

TAP 42

What started in 1994 as Estate Wines and Gourmet Food on Miracle Mile has become Sacha’s Cafe with multiple locations

Sacha’s at Blue Lagoon | Sacha’s at Brickell | Sacha’s in Coral Gables

Sacha’s at Blue Lagoon | Sacha’s at Brickell | Sacha’s in Coral Gables

Euro Table Catering & 800 Beans and Coffee Bar

Euro Table Catering & 800 Coffee Bean

DINING GUIDE

rock in the background and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone. $$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

ASIAN

Ichimi

This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to wait and stand and stare, just for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space. $-$$

2330 Salzedo St. 305.960.7016

Izakaya

Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box for $11.25 – along with an impressive array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. One nice touch: Hot towels for your hands before you eat. $$

159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Kao Sushi & Grill

A fresh and interesting take on sushi as it is blended with the flavors of Peru. Steamed gyoza dumplings with chorizo? Tuna tataki with traditional Peruvian sauce? Cooked white rice over chipotle seasoned furikake? They also do some interesting things with steak, since the creators of the Sushi Club come from Buenos Aires. Outdoor seating on the Mile. $$

127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212

Malakor Thai Isaan

This eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai food. That means pork skewers with sticky rice, grilled fatty pork neck sliced and tossed with lime juice, or the Gang Aom, a Thai curry with fish sauce, dill and herb paste $$

90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Matsuri

Just over the city line at Bird and Red roads, Matsuri is tucked humbly away in non-descript Red Bird Shopping Center. Yet it serves world-class sushi, the finest anywhere in South Florida, and has an enormous menu of traditional Japanese food as well. You will need reservations to snag a seat from its devoted clientele. $$-$$$

5759 Bird Rd. 305.663.1615

Red Koi Lounge

If you like Thai food, then you will love Red Koi, which takes the Asian specialty up a notch. Their Bangkok Shrimp is worth the visit alone, and their cashew curry chicken will make you come back. Hopefully they will be expanding their

few outdoor tables soon. $$ 317 Miracle Mile 305.446.2690

Sawa

Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. Some nice “samplers” let you check out the menu’s range, plus great naan flatbreads. World’s best lamb chops. Also has a doggy menu. $$$ 360 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.6555

FRENCH

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal’s on Ponce fame, the restaurant is half inside half in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread and a superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches, though not cheap. $$-$$$ Shops at Merrick Park 786.536.9388

Frenchie’s Diner

It looks like an all-American diner (which it once was) but this is pure French cooking in a small but comfy setting. Frenchie himself is usually there. Some items on the menu can get pricey (filet mignon, $34) but the onion soup ($9) and escargots ($11) are great values, and the croque monsieur ($14) for lunch is a meal unto itself. $$-$$$ 2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554

Palme d’Or

The award-winning Palme d’Or is a dining icon. At once traditional and innovative, the French cuisine created by Chef Gregory Pugin is a work of art, literally. Each serving in his $115 six-course meals – or his $155 chef’s tasting menu – is impeccable. $$$$

1200 Anastasia Ave. (at the Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Pascal’s On Ponce

Elegant, quaint and delicious, Pacal’s is the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés and desserts. Try the leeks & hearts of palm salad. $$$

2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024

ITALIAN

Bugatti

Based on Ponce for several decades, Bugatti prides itself on its pasta. And for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary, with a good number of booths, while the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu

is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. We especially like the fact that they have as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. $$

2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545

Caffe Abbracci

A Gables icon, Nino Pernetti’s Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and a cozy evening gathering place for families and couples. Closely shepherded by the welcoming Pernetti, Abbracci is quiet, elegant and flavorful. The food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. $$$

318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Cibo Wine Bar

Cibo has two locations in South Florida, one on South Beach and the other here, on Miracle Mile. Rustic Italian food in a warm interior with exposed brick, wood finishes, butcher block tables and a wall of wine selections. Traditional Italian menu, with lots of pizza options cooked in a brick oven. $$-$$$

45 Miracle Mile 305.442.4925

Fiola

Brought to you by Washington, D.C. chef Fabio Trabocchi, this new entry into the Gables dining scene is a game changer. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, the sea scallops ceviche and the signature lobster ravioli. Elegant presentations only add to this encounter with gustatory greatness. $$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Fontana

The setting is as elegant as the service and food: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy Italian classics. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that made daily. Great octopus, pastas cooked perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables. $$$

1200 Anastasia Ave. 305.913.3200

Forno’s

Owner Artan Kapxhiu opened this charming spot back in 2017. Forno’s serves pasta, but people come for the pizza, cooked in a wood-burning oven. From a simple margherita to a stacked pistachio, ham, cherry tomato and shaved grana Padano cheese pizza, there are no bad choices here. $ 1403 Sunset Dr. 305.661.3964

Fratellino

Small, family run, with a fanatically loyal fan base, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set up with tile floors, wooden chairs and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, and the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms and green peas is to die for.  $$$

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

P. Pole Pizza

A fresh take on pizza, each pie is made on the spot at this Miracle Mile pizzeria. At the start of the assembly line-like production, you choose the dough and sauce you want. Then choose as many toppings as you want before sending it into the miniature oven that cooks it right in front of your eyes. Great quality of dough, sauce and toppings. $

279 Miracle Mile 786.618.5287

Salumeria 104

A rustic, trattoria-style restaurant serving traditional, house made Italian classics. Since a salumeria is the Italian equivalent to a delicatessen, we definitely recommend some sort of meat dish, whether it’s prosciutto for an “antipasti” or porchetta for a “secondi.” Unbeatable lunch special of a sandwich and a soup or salad for $10. $$

117 Miracle Mile 305.640.5547

Terre Del Sapore

True Neapolitan pizza in the heart of Coral Gables. Owner Angelo Angiollieri is obsessed with quality ingredients, including minimally-processed flour from Italy, and you can taste it. Offers a great lunch special of a side salad, entrée and drink for $13. $ 246 Giralda Ave. 786.870.5955

CAFFE ABBRACCI

DINING GUIDE

Zucca

A worthy heir to the hallowed grounds of the old St. Michel restaurant, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with the home-taught recipes that chef Simone Mua learned in his native Milan. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with haute comfort food and great service. $$$-$$$$

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

LATIN & SOUTH AMERICAN

Aromas del Peru

The shrine for ceviche, with a wide range of choices – 18 ceviches at last count – for great prices. Haute Peruvian appetizers and good fish dishes, right up to the whole fried snapper. And don’t miss the pisco sour soup. Comfortable leather seats, too. $$

1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886

Caffe Vialetto

Two brothers, managing to keep sibling rivalry at bay, have concocted a menu of upscale Latin food that is consistently changing and interesting. Yuca, mofongo (garlic flavored mashed plantains), and other Caribbean and Latin flavors make for an out of the ordinary experience. Reservations required. $$$

4019 Le Jeune Rd. 305.446.5659

Caja Caliente

Opening its second location in Coral Gables in May 2019, Caja Caliente serves “the original Cuban tacos.” Their flour tortillas come stuffed with any kind of meat from lechon to mahi mahi, and are topped with pico de gallo, aioli, beans and cilantro. Also serve poke and quinoa bowls. $ 808 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.431.1947

La Casita

Often overlooked in a region overrun with Cuban eateries, and not far from the top competition of Versailles, La Casita holds its own as a quiet, elegant place to enjoy classic Cuban dishes like vaca frita (the Monday lunch special!), ropa viejas and lechon asado. They also venture into Central American territory with an excellent churrasco skirt steak. And, surprising for Cuban restaurants where green is rarely seen, a fine selection of salads. $

3805 SW 8th St. 305.448.8224

COYO Taco

Bringing its “Todo es Fresco” philosophy to the Gables, COYO opened its third location in Miami on Giralda Plaza in August 2019. Their guac and array of salsas can’t be beat and their tacos are the real deal – and mouthwatering. We love the Grouper Frito. Don’t forget to hit the speakeasy lounge in the back. Open until 2 a.m. Thursday

to Saturday. $ 126 Giralda Ave. 786.629.7929

Graziano’s

This large, bustling Gables mainstay is true Argentine. A deep selection of Argentine wines (which line every wall) to go with churrasco meats slowly roasted over a quebracho wood fire, old school style. They have seafood and pasta, empanadas and salads, but come here for the meat, the selection of which will stun even hardcore carnivores. $$$ 394 Giralda Ave. 305.774.3599

Havana Harry’s

It’s big, it’s easy, it’s comfortable, and it’s where the shredded onion/garlic chicken dinner (pollo vaca frita) with rice, beans and plantains is still just $12.95. The same with the fried pork chunks (massas de Puerco). Large menu with all your Cuban favorite dishes along with – surprising for a Cuban place –some nice dinner salads.  $$

4612 S. Le Jeune Rd. 305.661.2622

Mikuna Peruvian

“It’s time to feel the real Peru” boasts the Mikuna website, and they do indeed move beyond ceviche to the other dishes that make Peruvian food one of the best cuisines in Latin America. These include lobster with Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, seafood rice with squid ink, and skewered

swordfish. Other unique tastes include shrimp bisque with rice and egg. $$$ 325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910

Talavera Cocina Mexicana

High ceilings and ceramics make this a pleasant place to dine, but it’s the authentic fare that shines. The place for Mexicans homesick for cooking that’s not Tex-Mex. The chicken mole poblano is a winner at $20, and their huarache grill – masa flatbreads that are really haute tacos – are great at $17. $$ 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955

SEAFOOD

La Dorada

Regarded by many to be the finest restaurant devoted to seafood in the Gables, La Dorada is traditional Spanish cooking with a deep-sea focus (and a pleasant, ocean-deco décor). The house specialty is a baked whole fish crusted in sea salt, but don’t miss the traditional Mediterranean seafood stews or the shellfish prepared Galician style. $$$$ 177 Giralda Ave. 305.446.2002

MesaMar

Some of the best – if not THE best –seafood in the Gables with inventive fusions between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Their fish is caught daily in local waters and brought to your table

for inspection. Their whole fried fish is a marvel. Also, make sure to try the lobster tacos. $$$ 264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448

Sea Grill

Just a few months old, Sea Grill is already a popular weekend destination for lovers of Mediterranean seafood. A brightly lit and futuristic space with lots of energy, it serves fish that is caught in the Aegean Sea and flown to the Gables. Their octopus, which takes two days to prepare, is simply the best. $$$

4250 Salzedo St. 305.447.3990

SPANISH Bellmónt (Left)

Modern décor meets traditional Spanish dishes. Their house specialty is the roast suckling pig. If you want the whole pig ($230 for 4) you need to order four hours in advance. If it’s just you ($49), you’ll need to wait just 50 minutes. As for the rest: authentic Spanish cuisine, with great seafood dishes, fantastic paella. $$$ 339 Miracle Mile. 786.502.4684

Bulla Gastrobar

As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart neighborhood hangout with a young, boisterous vibe. Great “small plates” and refreshing sangria. Yes, it is a national chain, but it still feels local. $$ 2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.0107

La Taberna Giralda

Routinely rated among the top tapas places in South Florida, La Taberna brings the added twist of a chef from Galicia, who puts his own regional spin on the dishes. It’s a small place with a neighborhood vibe, orange walls, string lights and live flamenco on the

weekends ($5 cover), so reservations are a must. $$

254 Giralda Avenue 786.362.5677

Mara Basque Cuisine

If you have ever wanted to taste authentic Basque cuisine from northern Spain, this is your chance. Its entry into the international cuisine scene on Giralda brings the best of Basque cooking: Cod prepared with Vizcaina sauce (made from red onions and choricero pepper), Iberian ham with eggs and potatoes, meatballs with tomato sauce and guindilla peppers, and beef oxtail stew. Many dishes served as tapas to be shared. $$$ - $$$$

112 Giralda Ave. 305.504.9274

STEAK

Christy’s

Touted as Coral Gables oldest steakhouse, Christy’s was long the power lunch go-to – until it stopped serving lunch except on Fridays. Still, its aged steaks are consistently excellent, as are the seafood entrees. And their classic Caesar salad is still the best in town. 3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd. $$$ 305.446.1400

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Fantastic aged steaks, a seafood tower that won’t quit, and a wine cellar that appears to have no end of its depth. A place for special celebrations. Recently

redecorated, but the open kitchen with its copper “sash” across the top still gives the main dining room a glow. Good menu at the bar. $$$-$$$$

2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.569.7995

Morton’s The Steakhouse

Morton’s in the Gables is not just another Morton’s. Its setting in the Colonnades gives it a unique elegance, with outdoor seating under the arches. Dependable quality, prime-aged beef, and excellent salads. Good place to take that important client. Great happy hour with filet mignon sandwiches or short rib tacos for $8. $$$

2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.442.1662

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille

The latest entry among Coral Gables steak houses, Perry’s is a Texas chain that gets its beef from the heart of the Lone Star State. Great outdoor space with fire pit and a huge interior with its own lounge area piano bar. The entrees are all carefully concocted, including excellent reduction sauces for the finer cuts and their famous five-finger giant pork chop that is carved at the table and can easily feed two. $$$$

4251 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.703.9094

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

There is a reason that the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on week-

DINING GUIDE

nights. This is where the best steaks are sent and where cholesterol is sent to the devil for the sake of extraordinary taste. Lots of wood paneling, wonderful service, and huge wine selection complete the package. $$$$

2320 Salzedo St. 205.461.8360

PUBS, CAFES & MISC.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar

Though it’s named an espresso bar (and definitely try the coffee), Crema also has great food options for both breakfast and lunch. Start your day with a croissant breakfast sandwich or take a midday break with a soup, salad or sandwich. Satisfy your sweet tooth with their Nutella cheesecake. $ 169 Miracle Mile 786.360.4026

Fritz and Franz Bierhaus

Be transported from Coral Gables to Oktoberfest. Enjoy German comfort food like Weisswurst and Heringsschmaus. Naturally, you have to order a beer, but here you can have it served in a giant class boot. Proost.  $$ 60 Merrick Way 305.774.1883

John Martin’s Irish Pub

Where else in the Gables can you find a relaxed Irish pub with excellent comfort food like shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and fish & chips? Answer: nowhere. Which is why this long-estab-

lished eatery and bar (just celebrating its 30th anniversary) is so beloved by its clientele. Lots of American staples as well, from hot pastrami on rye to their signature Pub Burger. Jazz every Wednesday night. $

253 Miracle Mile 305.445.3777

Ortanique on the Mile

A long-time favorite on Miracle Mile, Ortanique is named for a tropical citrus fruit (their sister restaurant is in Grand Cayman) and its Caribbean fine dining reflects chef Cindy Hutson’s commitment to “cuisine of the sun.” A warm and welcoming place, which takes dishes like jerk chicken to new culinary heights. $$

278 Miracle Mile 305.446.7710

Pincho Factory

One of the few places where you can get delicious food at a low price in the Gables, this homegrown chain (based here) combines Brazilian shish kabob (served in rice bowls or as wraps) with uniquely flavored hamburgers. A guilty pleasure for the well to do. $ 30 Giralda Ave. 305.446.5666

Someone’s Son

Brought to you by the same people as Threefold Café, Someone’s Son is shifting the focus away from breakfast and toward quality dinner entrées. The Gnudi is a must as a starter. For

an entrée, we recommend The Softy for carnivores and The Branzino for seafood lovers. $ - $$ 800 Douglas Rd. 786.334.6374

The Seven Dials

Calling itself an “eclectic American gastropub,” Seven Dials is a fusion of American recipes with British culinary standards, with nice twists. The shepherd’s pie is made from lamb, the chicken breast is cooked with curry sauce. There is also a nice Welsh Rarebit snack and a beer-battered Indian-inspired cauliflower with mint aioli and tamarind. Relaxed, pub-like interior.

2030 S. Douglas Rd. 786.542.1603

$$ British American Threefold Café

You have to love a place that is dedicated to breakfast all day long. But who needs dinner when you can get shrimp tacos for breakfast, along with salmon scrambled eggs, chicken parma, and that Millenial favorite, smashed avoca-

SOMEONE’S SON

What$900,000 Will Buy in Coral Gables

One of the greatest assets of Coral Gables is its residential neighborhoods, and the homes that fill them. Because it has such a high median value (at $451 a square foot, more than twice that of the median square foot value for South Florida as a whole), it can be hard to

find anything affordable for a young family. This month we look at what you can buy today for about $900,000. We asked three real estate agents to submit a home for sale in that price range. Here is what they came up with, in different Gables locations.

Modern Urban Home

1532 DORADO AVE.

Listing Price

$900,000

3 bed/3 bath/garage/pool. 1,948 living sq. ft. Two blocks west of the Riviera Country Club, this bright, clean mid-century home is bracketed with lush landscaping. A comfortable, covered outdoor patio fronts onto the pool. Inside the one-story home all floors are wooden; a circular drive leads to a courtyard entrance and one-car garage. Listing Agent: Mauricio J. Barba, P.A. (ONE | Sotheby’s International Realty), 305.439.8311

Gables by the Sea (w/o water)

12520 RAMIRO ST.

Listing Price

$899,000

3 bed/3 bath/garage/pool. 2,285 living sq. ft. A remodeled one-story home located on a quiet cul-de-sac within the gated Gables by the Sea community off Old Cutler. Well landscaped (private) pool, screened patio, wooden floors throughout, with good schools nearby and a walkable neighborhood park. Buffered on the north by the Montgomery Botanical Center and the Matheson Preserve. Listing Agents: Adam Levy & Wendy Levy-Jackson (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty) 305.960.2701

Southern Tip High Rise

13643 DEERING BAY DR. Unit 146

Listing Price

$969,000

3 bed/3 bath/1 half bath. 2,750 living sq. ft. Condo on the 4th floor of the Venice Building, in the Deering Bay neighborhood near the Marina and Country Club. Impact glass and plantation shutters for protection and charm, with huge bedrooms, a wraparound balcony, and views of the water and the Deering grounds. Comes with two parking spaces and storage room. Listing agents: Evan & Hazel Goldman (Goldman Residential Group, Re/Max Advance Realty) 305.607.8880

MERRICK TALKS: WHAT BUYERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SALT

The Astor Companies and The Agency Collective recently hosted the second edition of “Merrick Talks,” an exclusive speaker series at the Merrick Manor Sales Gallery. The event focused on how the cap on SALT (State and Local Taxes) deductions and other provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are fueling substantial domestic migration to South Florida from high-tax states. Faith Gorman of Daskal Bolton LLP, Joseph Hernandez of Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, and Mike Pappas, CEO of the Keyes Company, gave the real estate professionals and other invited guests an in-depth understanding of the impact of the Act on the South Florida real estate market and the steps an out-of-state buyer must take to establish residency in Florida.

Popping Up

Below: Joe Hernandez, Faith Gorman, Mike Pappas, & moderator Erick Kalis

Top right: Henry Torres, Joe Hernandez, and Al Arostegui

CORAL GABLES’ INITIATIVE FOR EMPTY STOREFRONTS STARTS HERE

Bottom right: Joel Valencia, Nancy Dowson, Myriam Mandiola, David Dowson, and Alvaro Coraspe

The game is on: With a mid-November cut off, the city is taking applications for a pop-up store front on Miracle Mile. The winner gets to use the storefront at 290 Miracle Mile, adjacent to the Starbucks at Salzedo, for $1,000 a month plus 15 percent of sales.

“The purpose is to provide a very affordable entry into Coral Gables,” says the city’s retail strategist Francesca Valdes. “We’d like them to have a positive experience in the downtown.” So would we. Send queries to fvaldes@ coralgables.com

Rodney Barreto Rich Barbara Bradley Barreto

Dental Distress? Not Here

AT GABLES SEDATION DENTISTRY, THE OBJECT IS TO OVERCOME ANXIETY – AND PAIN

By James Broida

The idea that it’s good to avoid pain has not always been in vogue. Before the advent of morphine and anesthesia in the 19th century, there were many – doctors among them – who felt that pain was a necessary part of the healing process.

Fortunately for the citizens of the 21st century, the medical community is now dedicated to alleviating pain in any way possible. And very fortunately for those who fear visiting a dentist, a growing number of these medical specialists are becoming adept at overcoming any and all pain their patients experience.

Nowhere is that dedication to a painless dental experience more pronounced than at Gables Sedation Dentistry. Launched in 2007 by Drs. Jorge Fornaris, DMD, and Ramiro Esparragoza, DDS, the practice is immersed in the avoidance of pain, with both doctors trained and board certified to administer nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas) and intravenous (injected) sedation.

“More than half the population has a fear of dental procedures,” says Dr. Esparragoza, “and the reason is their fear of pain. That is the number one reason they postpone dental procedures. And of course, if you wait, the condition will get worse.” For the patients of Gables Sedation, everything is done to allay fear and anxiety right from the start: In the waiting room there is a large screen TV showing nature scenes from the Animal Planet channel. Next to it is a coffee/tea machine that dispenses everything from café mocha to chai tea. Once you are seated in a dentist’s chair, you are handed a “Comfort Menu,”

with choices of blanket, chap stick, mint or chocolate, stress ball, water, coffee, juice, and/or noise cancelling headphones for your cellphone playlist. You may not need the latter; the piped-in music is soothing light jazz.

Next comes the fun part: your choice of laughing gas or an injection of sedatives. Pick the latter and you will fall asleep. Pick the former and you will drift into a delightful twilight zone, where you can feel what’s being done to you, but somehow it doesn’t hurt – or even matter.

“With the gas you are very relaxed, but awake and aware of where you are. But the anxiety is gone,” says Dr. Esparragoza. “With the intravenous [injection] you are pretty much asleep during the entire procedure.” The only deeper place to go is via an anesthesiologist; the center has one on retainer, but they rarely use this procedure, which requires intubation to support your breathing. For those who use gas, the recovery time is almost immediate; patients can drive themselves home. For injected sedation, you’re not allowed to drive for 24 hours (or operate heavy machinery!)

Not everyone can be a painfree patient at Gables Sedation, says Dr. Fornaris. Highly obese people and those with sleep apnea are not candidates, because they have compromised airways. But for the rest, game on.

“Normally people think of the dentist and think it is painful. That’s where we come in. This is an unmet need for the population,” says Fornaris whose practice has hit such a nerve (pun intended) that they “can hardly field the patients we have.”

Gone are the days of full face masks. Today nitrous oxide, ( also known as laughing gas) is administered by a discreet nose cup.

Gables Sedation Dentistry was launched in 2007 by Drs. Jorge Fornaris, DMD (left) and Ramiro Esparragoza, DDS (right)

London Called

AND THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANSWERED…

The Coral Gables Community Foundation and its honorees celebrated with pomp and circumstance at London Calling, Windsor Wonderland, this year’s ball held at the Biltmore Hotel. In the spirit of the October ball’s theme, 400 of Miami’s philanthropic, social, civic and business influencers donned tiaras and sported tails in a nod to the monarchy. Several influential leaders of Coral Gables were honored, including: Jim & Susan Carr for the Philanthropy Award; Gene & Frances Sevilla-Sacasa for the Arts & Culture Award presented by Trish & Dan Bell; Dr. Paul George for the Education Award; and Andre Dawson for the Sports & Wellness Award. Co-chaired again by Sissy DeMaria-Koehne and Lauren Harrison, the black-tie fundraiser is a time-honored tradition and benefits the pivotal outreach efforts of the Foundation. —Katherine Dagand

George

Sevilla-Sacasa

1. Andre Dawson and Dr. Paul

2. Trish and Dan Bell & Gene and Frances

3. Foundation Merrick Society Member Rod Hildebrant

4. Jack and Natasha Lowell

5. Ball Co-Chairs Sissy DeMaria-Koehne and Lauren Harrison

6. Her Majesty’s Consul General Nicolette Brent and Karl Brent

7. Susan and Jim Carr and Brian Keeley

Guests danced the night away to tunes from Beatlemaniax

Time to Ski?

FOR MANY CORAL GABLES RESIDENTS, AN ANNUAL TRIP TO SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS IS A MUST

By James Broida

For Gables resident Joan Fleischman, taking a flight out west to go skiing is a holiday tradition. “I go annually,” says the former Miami Herald columnist. “I really haven’t missed a year since 1991. I grew up in New York, upstate, and have skied since childhood. Then I went to the University of Miami…”

Rather than give up her passion to ski, Fleischman made it a point to return to the slopes every year. And she is far from alone. Thousands of South Floridians ski with such regularity that there are several direct flights weekly from Miami to Vail, Colorado. So many fly from Miami that the Miami Ski Club, which usually meets in Coral Gables, was for years one of the largest ski clubs in the U.S. “At one point it [the Miami Ski Club] was the largest in the nation,” says Olga Ramudo, who runs Coral Gables-based Express Travel. “It comes down to a change of atmosphere. We live in Florida where we don’t have the change of seasons.”

Ski fever was so intense in the 1980s and ’90s, says Ramudo, that her travel agency would regularly book charter flights to ski destinations out west. “She is the founding mother of these trips,” says local dentist Joaquin Novoa, a skiing enthusiast. “She would get a group of people from Miami, usually during Christmas, and everyone would go with their family, to wherever.”

Since then the market has gotten more fragmented, and regular flights out west so routine, that only the Miami Ski Club still puts together group charters.

What’s clear, however, is that the interest is still strong.Reflecting that demand is the thriving Peter Glenn Ski & Sports shop on South Dixie Highway, just outside the Gables in Pinecrest. Here they sell an astonishing array of apparel for those who don’t want to freeze on the slopes.

“Ski underwear, ski pants, ski socks, sweaters, fleece jackets –you have no idea of all the things you need,” says Fleischman, a regular customer. “They have stuff like glove leashes, which is kind of like the things that keep a glove attached to a little kid’s jacket… and the technology keeps getting lighter and thinner.”

David Mahoney, marketing director for the Peter Glenn shops in Pinecrest and Fort Lauderdale, says that skiing remains a hot ticket for South Floridians.

“I think we have more people skiing more often. It grows… especially now that people from the Northeast are coming down here to get away from taxes,” says Mahoney.

“They are coming from the cold weather, and they miss it. And then there are the South Americans coming up here, with disposable income they can use to go skiing.” That translates into things like waterproof, insulated pants, which can sell for anywhere from $60 to $600 a pair, depending on brand and quality. Then there are base layers, fleece jackets, helmets and goggles.

“It can get extremely ex-

pensive,” says Ramudo, especially when it comes to skiing at top resorts in the U.S. “There are places in Canada that are a lot more cost effective. And the Europe buy is great,” with Austria, for example, less costly than Colorado.

That may be so, but nothing can beat the convenience of flying to a U.S. snow destination, says Mahoney. “The top destination is still going to be Colorado,” he says. “You can’t go to Aspen and not run into someone from Miami.” And by that, he really means Coral Gables.

Vail, Colorado, is home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in the state. The mountain’s base is 8,120 feet high; the summit reaches 11,570 feet.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH:

The Towers, Spires & Domes of Coral Gables

Coral Gables is a city filled with architecture that rises above the norm, by which we mean the rectangular boxes and squared-off high rises of downtown Miami and other Florida cities. What distinguishes us, among other things, is an appreciation for the fluted spires, cupolas, and rounded domes that decorate European cities.

Here, then, is a selection of these fanciful steeples and cones, reflecting the city’s aspirations as they climb skyward. And if you can name where they’re located, you are a true aficionado of the Gables, and will receive a poster of our Summer issue cover “The View from 37th Avenue.” Send answers to letters@thecoralgablesmagazine.com.

When you need to scale big challenges before you, it’s nice to know you have a bank that stands behind you. At First Horizon Bank, that’s exactly where we’re excited to be. Strengthening your resolve to rise above with personal and business banking services that demonstrate a deeper understanding of you, your path and your potential. Make the climb with us today at firsthorizon.com/leap.

Understanding Runs Deep

For every climb you need to conquer, a bank that has your back.