Mr. Mayor
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ONCE AND FUTURE MAYOR OF CORAL GABLES, RAUL VALDES-FAULI
TOP LAWYERS IN THE CITY
THE GREAT GABLES GALLERIES
THE TOWNHOUSE ALTERNATIVE
MAY 2019 $5.99 THE MAGAZINE
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While no community is fully immune from real estate cycles, Coral Gables certainly stands in its own category. Coral Gables has consistently focused on quality and consequently property values continue to increase. The median price of a single family home is now over $1 million and one-third of Miami-Dade’s luxury properties are located within Coral Gables.
Although there may be a surplus supply of high-end condominiums in South Florida, prospective buyers are particularly active in the niche luxury market in Coral Gables. This is mostly because empty nesters and even some millennials with families want to live in a suburban neighborhood, but still be in proximity to the core of a city that offers entertainment and a variety of lifestyle amenities, and the City of Coral Gables offers exactly that.
MG Developer understands fully this interesting dynamic, which is why several of MG’s projects fall into that category and why properties like its Valencia Townhomes, Beatrice Row, Biltmore Row & Althea Row are so attractive to high-end residential buyers.
Pioneering luxury town homes in the central core is MG Developer, with its Valencia Townhomes located at 444 Valencia Avenue. The sevenresidence town house community in the Gables features three-story units that are approximately 4,000 square feet, with expansive open terraces, a four-car garage, and elevators. All of our town homes are a single family with a Home Owner Association and minimum maintenance fee.
Beatrice Row is The City Beautiful’s newest enclave of luxury town homes situated along the dreamy tree-lined streets on Anderson Road between
Beatrice Row
Town homes with a Coral Gables address stand in their own category…
Coral Gables
truly provides a distinct lifestyle found nowhere else in South Florida
Alirio Torrealba, CEO of MG Developer
Biltmore Way and Valencia Avenue, bringing a new level of sophisticated urban ‘row’ living reminiscent of the town homes found in London’s Grosvenor Square. The limited collection of three-story Georgian style town homes range in size with up to 5,600 square feet of space.
Launching sales soon are Biltmore Row and Althea Row, joining MG’s condominium development Biltmore Parc and the City’s revered Beatrice Row to create Biltmore Square, which will embody MG’s vision of
a communal area that reflects the city’s tradition of luxury living with cafés, fine dining establishments, and country club golf courses. Upon completion, Biltmore Square will unveil a destination replete with elegant lifestyle amenities. “Coral Gables truly provides a distinct lifestyle found nowhere else in South Florida,” said Alirio Torrealba, CEO of MG Developer.
Currently, Coral Gables is experiencing a shift within its civic core. People want to increasingly live in downtown Coral
Gables, so they can escape heavy traffic and morning commutes and be close to work while having easy access to a broad range of restaurants, entertainment, gyms, shops and a host of other lifestyle amenities, as well as major points of transit such as Miami International Airport which is less than 15 minutes away. In the next few years, Coral Gables is expected to grow hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail, restaurants and offices.
The City Beautiful is a place that takes you through a journey of the city’s past, present, and future. MG is looking to make this city the most desired living destination in South Florida that is undoubtedly perfect for multi-generational families looking for sophisticated modern living with its developments. All of MG’s contemporary enclaves offer their own unique charm and distinct design elements, yet they all coalesce with The City Beautiful’s rich history and architectural style.
High-end residential buyers will continue to be attracted to Coral Gables and communities like those MG Developer is building, since they are located in residential neighborhoods with relatively low property taxes and in close proximity to a thriving urban core.
For more information, visit: mgdevelopermiami.com or 718 Valencia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134 305.460.6719 #BuildingBeautiful Sponsored Content
Althea Row
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The City Beautiful is truly a place that takes you through a journey of the city’s past, present, and future.
Biltmore Row
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8 coralgablesthemagazine.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE May 2019 Departments 15 Streetwise 12 Editors Note 14 Readers Letters 51 People 100 Dining 102 Dining Guide 112 Interiors 23 Shop 31 Bites 108 Real Estate 111 The Seen 116 Wellness 118 Voices Living 41 Gatherings 120 My parents raised me with the mentality of ‘Do good by your family, your kids and your community’... 100 112 23 p23
Mary Snow, Executive Director, Coral Gables Community Foundation
The Once and Future Mayor
We spoke with Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli shortly after his re-election to get an idea of what his main priorities would be in the coming two years and his thoughts about the city
The Urban Solution
As Coral Gables continues to evolve into a walkable city, townhouses are providing an urban – and urbane – alternative for homeowners who want to downsize. The only limit is zoning.
The Great Gables Galleries
Despite years of winnowing, a handful of successful galleries have stood firm in the Gables, a nucleus of talent that could provide the foundation for a rebirth of the Gables art scene
Top Attorneys in Coral Gables
From the throughly 450 attorneys with a license to do business in Coral Gables, we pick 120 of the best, from all legal categories
I love walking Miracle Mile on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It’s packed with people and it’s lovely...
Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli
10 coralgablesthemagazine.com Features INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Editor’s Note
A Family Affair
We had the pleasure of attending the recent swearing in of our newly elected city officials: Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli, City Commissioner Michael Mena and, new to the dais, City Commissioner Jorge L. Fors, Jr. It was a family affair, with all three officials sworn in by Senior Judge Paul C. Huck while placing their right hands on bibles held by their wives. Both Mena and Fors had their toddler daughters on the stage with them, while Valdés-Fauli was celebrated by a video of his 15 grandchildren individually wishing their “Pipo” good fortune.
The atmosphere was one of high spirits and good humor. Outgoing Commissioner Frank Quesada arrived late, just after the first call for a vote. As he rushed into the room he yelled out “Yea” to the vote, without hearing what it was for, sparking a roar of
laughter from the audience. Each commissioner and the mayor pledged, in turn, to support and protect the U.S. constitution, the Florida constitution and the Coral Gables City Charter. They also pledged to act with “fairness, integrity and civility in all actions taken and in all communications.”
The notion of civility is particularly important in light of some of the rougher campaigning that preceded last month’s election. Each newly elected official made a brief speech in which they promised to represent not only those citizens who voted for them, but those who voted for other candidates. “The beauty of our democracy is that it allows a dissenting voice,” said Mayor Valdés-Fauli, without having to punish those who voice that dissent.
Vice Mayor Vincent Lago also spoke, mostly to welcome
newcomer Fors. “Apologies to Mrs. Fors ahead of time. Your husband will be coming home late on many nights,” he said. While that seemed like a quip, it was also quite serious. Regardless of your opinion of the candidates who won, the commitment of each to the future well-being of the city was palpable. “The next four years will be about giving everything to the city,” said Fors, and he meant it. The job of city commissioner can be a thankless, exhausting task, requiring long hours and considerable dedication if you want to do it right. We have to give our elected officials the benefit of any doubt. Even if you disagree with their particular vision, they all want a better Coral Gables.
“Thank you for seeing in me a bright future for our city,” said Fors at the end of his talk. We can only say, you’re welcome, Mr. Commissioner.
J.P.Faber Editor-in-Chief
PUBLISHER
Richard Roffman
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
J.P.Faber
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Amy Donner
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
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ART DIRECTOR
Jon Braeley
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Toni Kirkland
VP SALES
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SALES EXECUTIVE
Gloria Glanz
SENIOR WRITER
Doreen Hemlock
STAFF WRITER
Lizzie Wilcox
WRITERS
James Broida
Mike Clary
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Mallory Evans Jacobson
PHOTOGRAPHERS
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SENIOR ADVISOR
Dennis Nason
CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION
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Coral Gables Magazine is published monthly by City Regional Media, 2051 SE Third St. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Telephone: (786) 206.8254. Copyright 2018 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 2018. coralgablesthemagazine.com
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Cover: Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli Photograph by Jon Braeley
Commissioner Michael Mena and family at City Hall with Judge Paul C. Huck
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Readers Letters
Each month we print letters that we receive from our readers. We encourage any and all commentary, including compliments as well as criticism, and of course comments about our community. If you are interested in writing to us with your opinions, thoughts or suggestions, please send them to: letters@thecoralgablesmagazine.com
Keep Watching
I want to thank you so much for the article on Birding in Coral Gables. Sometimes birding in urban areas makes people nervous. They don’t understand why someone is walking around with binoculars. Sometimes they even call the police department. Hopefully this will educate them.
Helen Torres
Keep it Civil
As a native of Coral Gables, I have to say that I found this last election to be a little rough on the edges. I’m all for running a hard campaign, but I don’t think we needed some of the nastier edges that came up – not just during the debates, but via social media and direct mail pieces. Can’t we keep the messaging positive?
Gayle Z
An Asset to the Business Community
As a Coral Gables based business celebrating 20-years, and as a proud resident of the City Beautiful for over nearly 15 years, it has always been my pleasure to compliment our business community for extraordinary impact. One such business is Coral Gables Magazine. Despite the rise of technology and transition to digital medium for the consumption of information, you’ve found a niche we so desperately needed. A true community focus, with great stories about some of our most prized people and businesses, with an appropriate amount of advertising that creates a high-quality experience for the reader.
Thank you for providing such a wonderful asset to our Coral Gables community!
Jeffrey J. Stay Business Network International
La Salle Did Not Matter Enough
It is a sad day anywhere when a place’s cultural patrimony is erased. The recent demolition of the iconic La Salle property in Coral Gables brings the sadness home. The loss of La Salle can only be called a travesty to history; a snub to George Merrick’s legacy. Although the walls just came down, its fate was sealed last year when the Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board disregarded the recommendation of the City’s Historic Resources Department and rejected historic designation. Coincidentally, a resolution was passed last year to give Historic Landmark Designation to the Coral Gables Historic City Plan. It is no use writing books about it or claiming saving this or that. It is about preserving the cultural patrimony of a community each and every time it presents itself.
Karelia Martinez Carbonell President, Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables
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15 Streetwise p17 Going to the Dogs It’s All About the Students Dental Mission Goodbye to the City’s Birthplace Leave the Car at Home
Developed by Exclusive Commercial Sales by Exclusive Residential Sales by 16
Going to the Dogs
FINALLY, A PLACE TO LET CANINES RUN FREE. WITHIN LIMITS, OF COURSE
We’ve already established that Coral Gables is a pup-friendly city, rife with groomers, dog friendly hotels, dog menus at restaurants like Sawa, and thriving dog walking and sitting businesses. Just one thing is missing: a dog park. Thanks to City Commissioner Michael Mena and Vice Mayor Vince Lago, this void will be filled a year from now. The city has been working with the Savino & Miller Design Studio and the Friends of the Underline to make the first Bark Park in the Gables possible. The dog run will be located between US 1 and Ponce de Leon, down the street from the under-construction Gables
Station mixed-use development. At a public meeting last month, Barry Miller of the Savino & Miller Design Studio revealed renderings of the park, showing an 11,000-square-foot area for large dogs and a 6,700-squarefoot area for small dogs. The path that cuts between the two sections will contain both a wash station and a drink station. There will also be a 4-foot fence surrounding each area. The park will be a part of the Underline project and will open in conjunction with Gables Station in May 2020. The project will cost an estimated $400,000.
–Lizzie Wilcox
Leave the Car at Home
THE LINK AT DOUGLAS PROJECT HAS FINALLY BROKEN GROUND
The idea behind it sounds logical: Build “workforce” housing complexes at the Metrorail stations, and people will use public transport to go to and from their jobs. That, at least, is Miami-Dade County’s justification for permitting the Adler Group and 13th Floor Investments to build a 36-story tower at the Douglas Road Metrorail station on the very edge of Coral Gables.
The $600 million project, called the Link at Douglas, will ultimately comprise five towers on a seven-acre parcel at the Douglas Road station. When finished in five years, it will have 1,500 residential units,
a 250,000-square-foot office building and 25,000-squarefeet of retail space.
In remarks made at the groundbreaking in April, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez called the project “a cutting edge look into the future” of the county. That may very well be, but not a look into the future of Coral Gables – unless you are talking about how the height will exceed the Gables’ 16-story building cap by 20 stories and be visible from most places in town. Construction of a first 22-story tower will begin this summer. Work on the 36-story tower begins in October.
17 Streetwise
If you’ve been on the University of Miami campus over the past year or so, you’ve noticed a massive construction project underway: Lakeside Village, a state-of-the-art housing hamlet where students can live and learn. The 12-acre village consists of 25 interconnected buildings with outdoor spaces in between, including a courtyard, study spots and recreational spaces.
The seven-story dorms will have two types of units:
suite-style and apartment-style, ranging from one to four bedrooms. The suites come with individual kitchenettes and a common area, while the apartments have a full shared kitchen and living room.
“It’s so important for the quality of life for our students to be able to have quality living spaces,” says Jessica Brumley, vice president of facilities for the University of Miami.
Construction is slated to be complete in May 2020.
Dental Mission
THE WOMAN’S CLUB BRINGS DENTISTRY TO KIDS IN NEED
“We have to get the word out,” says Arely Ruiz (right), president of the Woman’s Club of Coral Gables. “It’s such a wellkept secret. Parents need to know we exist.” What Ruiz is talking about is a children’s dental clinic located within the Woman’s Club compound of two historic buildings located on East Ponce de Leon Boulevard, a spur off of the main road that bends northeast at Salamanca Avenue. Aligning
itself with the national Operation Smile initiative, the Woman’s Club operates a full-fledged dental clinic for underprivileged children. “This is just so important for their early self-esteem,” says Ruiz, who has been president for just over a year and has already added two fundraising events to the annual Masked Ball gala held in February (which raised $45,000): A Mother’s Day Tea this month and a Halloween event in October.
It’s All About the Students
Sophomores, juniors and seniors will be able to move in that fall.
The $153 million Lakeside Village is just phase one in a 10-year plan to update UM student housing. Next comes the $260 million Centennial Village for freshmen housing, a four-year project that will start once Lakeside Village is finished. The entire project will be wrapped up in 2025 with the renovation of Eaton Residential College.
ANTI-AGING Everyone ‘Anti-aging’ But The • the • no water. • motion generates • you. • • All can’t Yearly early What ‘maintenance’ Being So, your 18 coralgablesthemagazine.com Streetwise
UM DORMS ARE UNDERWAY
NEW
It’s so important for the quality of life for our students to be able to have quality living spaces...
Jessica Brumley, vice president of facilities for the University of Miami.
ANTI-AGING - WHAT REALLY WORKS?
Everyone and everything ages. The secret is to age well.
‘Anti-aging’ means taking good care of yourself - mind and body. But that you can’t just delegate or buy in a bottle - it takes effort!
The Basics:
• Sleep - it all starts with a good night’s sleep-it’s the time when the body repairs itself.
• Healthy and varied nutrition - directly from nature with little or no human interference and not from a bottle. Drink plenty of water. Excess weight is excess stress on the entire body.
• Exercise - the body is a fancy machine built to move. ‘Body in motion stays in motion’ is a law of nature. It relieves stress and generates well-being plus real ENERGY.
• Nourishing relationships - toxic ones are just that - they drain you.
• Positive Attitude - comes from the above and eases your day.
• Spiritual Connection - the ‘big picture’, your purpose in life.
All are intertwined and accessible to all, unlike your genes which can’t be changed.
Yearly physical checkup is vital. Many health issues diagnosed early are treatable.
What does Plastic Surgery have to do with all this? Much is ‘maintenance’ work to take away the physical signs of aging. Being well and looking good is a winning combo.
So, make time to take care of yourself and age well! You and your loved ones will benefit.
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Streetwise News & Notes
Goodbye to the City’s Birthplace
TWO YEARS OF HANDWRINGING END WITH A WRECKING BALL
It had remained standing at the intersection of Aragon and Le Jeune since 1923, older than City Hall. For years the home of LaSalle Cleaners, it was the original headquarters for city founder George Merrick’s construction company. But it could not resist a demolition order signed by the city, and last month was levelled.
The effort to save the building ultimately came down to cost – and how much was left. To the naked eye the building’s exterior appeared fairly intact. But after an exhaustive review, the city’s Historic Preservation Board decided that too much had been lost – buckling walls, collapsing floors, architectural details erased – and declined to grant historic designation.
That was in early 2017, and since then a variety of efforts have been made to save the building, including protests
last year by the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables and an offer from the same developer who saved the Books & Books building. But estimates of what it would cost to bring the building back to its former historic condition would add $2.5 million to any purchase price, and owner Mirella LaSalle felt she could sell the property for more than $5 million if it was positioned for a different development.
LaSalle herself was reportedly unhappy with criticisms of her in the press. As a longtime Gables resident and philanthropist, she has given generously to UM and Jackson Memorial. “I don’t think the public understands who Mirella LaSalle is,” says Myles Stepner, whose firm Avison Young represents LaSalle in the sale of the property. “She has done a tremendous amount for the community, more than most.”
PUSH FOR INDEPENDENTS
“How can you prevent 3.6 million registered Florida voters from voting in the primaries?” That is the question, says Coral Gables business leader and philanthropist Mike Fernandez, which led him to support the All Voters Vote campaign to allow independents to pull the lever in the early Democratic and Republican contests. Fernandez is ponying up $10 million to amend the Florida constitution to permit “the people in the middle” to participate in the primaries. Fernandez says he expects to have 200,000 signatures by mid-May, and another 800,000 by December, to put the change on the ballot by 2020. It would not go into effect until 2024, however, “to give cover to those already in office,” says Fernandez.
THE POWER OF THE VOTE
Speaking of voting, it does seem sad that a mere 26 percent of Coral Gables’ registered voters could decide the recent April elections. But that was the turnout – just 8,519 of the city’s 33,000 registered voters. For the run-off between Ralph Cabrera and Jorge Fors Jr. for the Group IV commission seat, the turnout was even slimmer: just 15 percent. On the other hand, it means that only those who really, really care come out.
SOME RECOGNITION
They say you are never a prophet in your home town. So we are pleased to see that W. Allen Morris (above), the developer behind the iconic Alhambra Towers, recently received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. At least it was some recognition for the man who submitted plans 24 times to the Gables City Commission to rebuild the city’s parking lots on Andalusia, only to be finally turned down.
HOW THEY SEE US
“Colossal only begins to describe Marc Anthony’s recently acquired waterfront mansion in Coral Gables, Florida,” begins the description of the singer’s manse on the “Essential Guide for Men” website The Manual. The article compares it to homes owned by J-Lo and A-Rod in Malibu, Beyoncé and Jay-Z in the Hamptons, and Oprah on an island off Washington State. The article says Anthony paid $19 million for the house last year, “the largest sum ever paid for a single-family home in the community.” Clearly you don’t know the Gables. The highest price was fetched in 2017: $43 million. And this year a home was listed at $68 million.
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www.americascollection.com corporate art consultants | custom framing | art installation 4213 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA 33146 305.446.5578 RAMIRO LLONA | ENCUENTRO CON PERSONAJES ILUMINADOS | OIL ON CANVAS | 62 X 78 INCHES americas collection. apr, 2019.indd 1 4/22/2019 9:43:59 AM
Shop p24 Merrick Style
Birds of a Feather
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Shop Merrick Style
THIS MONTH MERRICK STYLE VISITS THE SHOWROOM OF JOIE IN THE SHOPS AT MERRICK PARK. OUR MODEL FOR THEIR PLAYFUL STYLES IS MARY SNOW, CORAL GABLES NATIVE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
By Katherine Dagand
Photography by Jon Braeley
Just in time for Mother’s Day, May’s Merrick Style highlights contemporary lifestyle brand Joie. Joie draws inspiration from Southern California and creates casual, comfortable, yet luxurious looks for the modern woman. Our model mom this issue is Mary Snow, who has led the efforts of the Coral Gables Community Foundation for the last five years.
Mary is the quintessential modern Gables mother. As the mom of two-yearold Teddy Tellam, she balances family and the demands of a thriving nonprofit organization. Her secret?
“There is no secret. Every day is a juggle. However, I would have to say I strive for peace over perfection,” she says. “Patience is important, as well as having peace of mind and not taking life so seriously. Teddy taught me that.”
Under Mary’s administration, the Foundation team manages more than 70 charitable funds for local families and businesses, runs scholarship and community giving programs, and hosts two premier social events, The Biltmore Ball to benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation and the signature Tour of Kitchens.
Like Mary, most of her family are longtime Coral Gables residents. Her parents, Eddie and Judy Snow, own Snow’s Jewelers on Miracle Mile. “My sisters and I would go to my parents’ jewelry store all the time. That was before Starbucks and Hillstone opened…. we were the youngest people on the Mile,” Mary recalls. As for life lessons, “My parents raised me with the mentality of ‘Do good by your family, your kids and your community.’ I strive to do the same.”
JUST FOR FUN (Cover)
Yadra Top ($298). Cut with a flattering v-neck silhouette and subtly puffed shoulders, this floral-print top proves that low-key doesn’t mean boring. Park Skinny Pants ($218). In dark navy, these are our new favorite utility pants, with oversized front pockets, zipper detailing and cropped ankles with zip cuffs.
COCKTAIL TIME (Above)
Tersea B Dress ($328). A caviar-colored dress with fluttery sleeves and a fluttery hem, it’s all about movement, while the key hole pretties things up.
PRETTY IN PINK (Opposite)
Kaylei Shorts ($178). These high-waisted lavender-rose shorts with waist tie are cut with easy pockets for a laid-back vibe. Kierra B Blazer ($348). This longline lavender-rose blazer is for brighter days, courtesy of the easy, warm-hue, just-right slouchy fit.
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Shop Merrick Style
Taima Dress ($328). This porcelain colored classic shirt dress is always flattering, an ornate upgrade in a muted snake skin print.
26 coralgablesthemagazine.com
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Birds of a Feather
AN ELEGANT DESIGN SHOP BRINGS STYLE TO ANDALUSIA AVENUE
By Mallory Evans Jacobson
Photos by Lizzie Wilcox
Although owning a home décor shop was never on her radar, Susana Cisneros now can’t imagine doing anything else. For four years, she and her mother Magita Rojas have been purveying designer furnishings and accessories at Plume, a chic shop in the heart of downtown Gables.
While Rojas’ transition to retail was linear – she previously operated namesake interior design firm, Magita Designs – Cisneros’ move was more unexpected. Although she always had an interest in design and fashion, Cisneros never envisioned joining her mother’s field until Rojas needed help with her business. “After I graduated from college, I was working at NBC’s Channel 6 in digital marketing,” she says. “But a few years later, I realized that I could use my skill set to assist my mom in creating a marketing plan and promoting her craft.”
The idea for the shop came in 2015, as a result of their own frustrations in sourcing interior design elements without having to traverse all of Miami. “We were forever looking for a place to buy cool stuff, but it didn’t exist. We wanted to fill that need,” says Cisneros. From that challenge, Plume was born.
Cisneros and Rojas quickly decided to shed the interior design aspect of their business — although they still offer design consultations on a smaller scale — and instead focus on offering home décor with a
focus on lighting, pillows, and wallpaper – which Rojas says is now making a comeback. One room of their shop is devoted to displays of colorful and inventive wallpaper designs.
For their other offerings, they display a wide range of interesting objects, from Chinese vases to designer coasters. In addition to stocking offerings from high-end labels such as Arteriors, Pierre Frey, and Regina Andrew, they also carry very affordable designer goods. “We try to have all price ranges,” says Cisneros. “Our pillows, which are our passion, are priced from $50 to $500. Our hand blown glass vases go from $200 to $1,000.” They also continue to add to their repertoire based on what’s trending.
“We know that many people are looking to the Internet to shop for their home, but most of what we offer cannot be found online,” says Cisneros. “We see value in brick and mortar because when it comes to design, people are frequently overwhelmed.” Instead Plume offers the simpler experience of hands-on shopping.
And why Coral Gables?
“The city is special to us because it’s incredibly charming, of course,” Cisneros says. “We wanted to be part of a community that reveres both its architecture and its history.”
Top: Plume specialize in colorful and inventive wallpaper designs. Susana Cisneros and from Magita Rojas-shown holding a wallpaper pattern book
Below: Plume offers the simpler experience of hands-on shopping rather than ordering online
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Shop
Plume 218 Andalusia Avenue
786-534-9293
When it comes to design, people are frequently overwhelmed...
Susana Cisneros of the interior design store Plume
31
Best
Breakfast Places We Love Calling All Shellfish Lovers Seek Again Terre del Sapore create Neapolitan-style pizza in the brick oven
Bites p32
Pizzas
Bites When a Moon Hits Your Eye…
THE BEST PIZZA IN CORAL GABLES
Let’s face it. Pizza is the food of happiness, loved by consumers of all ages. According to food surveys, on any given day at least one in 10 Americans eats a slice of pizza – or more. And it comes in an endless array of styles: Thin crust, Chicago deep dish, Neapolitan, fresh or frozen, with or without toppings, etc. It can be a quick slice or a sit down pie, eaten with knife and fork or with bare hands.
When it was first invented in the 6th century AD, the “bizzo” or “pizzo” (a word used by the invading Lombards, meaning “mouthful”) was just flat bread with cheese, herbs and oils. It wasn’t until the Conquistadors brought back tomatoes from the New World that tomato sauce joined the mix, and it wasn’t until U.S. soldiers came back from Italy in World War II that it became truly popular here.
But what makes a great pizza? Partly it’s a matter of taste. Do you prefer the soft crust of the pizzas from Naples or the thick crust of the pizzas from Sicily? Do you want to keep it simple and pure with just tomatoes and cheese, or do you want a variety of ingredients, creating variations like Hawaiian pizza (with ham & pineapple) or Pizza Rustica (with potato)? We set out to sample every independent pizza parlor in the city, and came up with this selection of the top half dozen. Buon appetito!
TERRE DEL SAPORE
246 Giralda
This new addition to the Gables has captured our hearts and our stomachs. For our money, it’s the best in town – Neapolitan-style pizza, but with a super thin crust and moist, melty cheese and tomato sauce that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy afterwards. With a lunch special consisting of a pizza or pasta, a side salad and a drink (includes beer and wine) for $13, this will quickly become your new favorite lunch spot. With brick walls and a raw, open ceiling, the interior feels rustic countryside. Owner Angelo Angiollieri (on the Bites Cover) is obsessed
with quality ingredients, including minimally-processed flour from Italy, and you can taste it.
FORNO’S
1403 Sunset Dr.
Owner Artan Kapxhiu, born in Albania but raised in Italy, says his skills as a pizza maker come from “22 years of experience.” Before he opened Forno’s (Italian for oven) he catered with a mobile pizza oven. Two years ago he opened this charming neighborhood spot that also serves pasta and wine. But people come for the pizza, cooked in a wood-burning oven. The crust is crisp, the dough made fresh daily. A margherita goes for $12, but you can escalate all
Top: Neapolitan-style pizza from Terre Del Sapore
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Above: Forno’s Owner Artan Kapxhiu serves pizza from his wood-burning oven.
Bites
the way to the top: the $20 pistachio, mortadella ham, cherry tomato and shaved Grana Padano cheese pizza.
ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED
PIZZA
2626 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
We almost left this out as a chain, but it’s a South Florida chain, so we made an exception. Anthony’s prides itself on its coal-fired flavor, which gives it a taste similar to what you get when you cook a burger on a coal grill. And their pies are akin to a traditional New York pizza: big and round, with cheese and tomato baked firmly into place, for $13 to $20. It’s also a full-blown restaurant, with waitresses, chicken wings, meatballs, pork ribs (all coal fired!) etc. And they don’t scrimp on toppings; ask for mushrooms or onions and they layer the surface.
PUMMAROLA
141 Aragon Ave.
Unless you pay attention, you’ll miss this tiny place across from the Colonnades. But it has a great vibe, including the wall-mounted shell of a red Fiat – the nickname for which in Italy is “pummarola,” slang for “little tomato.” Here they serve real Napoletana pizza, which manager/partner Larry Mele says must be “soggy and soft,” cooked only with San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala Campana, made with milk from Italian water buffalo. Now five years old, Pummarola has expanded to locations from the Falls to Barcelona. Here, their one-person pizzas – cooked on a lava stone – still start at $7.95.
P.POLE PIZZA
279 Miracle Mile
This year-old spot on Miracle Mile is the pizza equivalent of Subway. It’s fast food at a reasonable price with an amazing selection of toppings. For $7 you get an oblong cheese and tomato “pie” which is simply run under a heating coil on a small conveyor belt. For $9 you can add as many toppings as you like, and there are dozens – spinach, goat cheese, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, cooked onions, raw onions, blue cheese, pineapple, artichokes, tomatoes, olives, green peppers, Canadian bacon, ham, chicken, pepperoni, etc. They will even crack an egg on your pizza, cooked under the heating coil.
JOE’S OLD SCHOOL PIZZA
1232 S. Dixie Highway
Finally, a place where you can get pizza by the slice. And at $3.25 a slice, it’s most likely the cheapest meal you will ever eat in Coral Gables. Since a slice is so affordable, you can go crazy with toppings like pepperoni, sausage, pineapples or veggies at 50 cents a pop. Joe’s has a special every day where you can get two slices of pizza and a drink for $6, which may be the best deal in the history of cheap deals. They claim to be “award-winning New York style pizza,” and the New Yorkers on our staff approve.
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Top: The oblong cheese and tomato “pie” at P. Pole Pizza
Above: Pummarola serves real Napoletana pizza with San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala Campana
FLORIDA | NEW YORK CITY | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | WESTCHESTER | CONNECTICUT | NEW JERSEY | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | MASSACHUSETTS | INTERNATIONAL © 2019 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 1111 LINCOLN RD, PH-805, MIAMI BEACH, FL 33139. 305.695.6300 SOURCE: BROKERMETRICS® RESIDENTIAL TOTAL SALES VOLUME FROM 1/1/2018-12/31/2018 elliman.com/florida 11275 Southwest 64th Avenue, Pinecrest $4,550,000 | Web# A10470014 Sabina Dinescu M: 786.326.9003 OUR SALES SPEAK VOLUMES #1 in Miami Beach and the second largest independent residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume.
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN LEADS THE MARKET
Bites Breakfast Places We Love Calling All Shellfish Lovers
TINTA Y CAFÉ
This is about as local as you can get. If you don’t know it’s there, a block from Ponce de Leon Boulevard in the embrace of a residential neighborhood, you’ll drive by without noticing. But if you do stop by, you’ll find about the best café con leche anywhere, and a breakfast menu that includes wonderfully fluffy scrambled eggs, egg whites with onions and cheese, and whole wheat baguettes that one-up the typical Cuban toast. A window outside dispenses coffee and the usual array of Cuban treats – croquetas, pastelitos con guava y queso, etc. – but inside you
can sit at one of several funky, unmatched tables or at the counter and watch the short order cooks do their thing. The glass wall of the A-frame roof is lined with bookshelves, so combined with the mismatched furniture it feels like someone’s living room. Which is a good thing if you want a relaxed and pleasant place to break your fast. Their lunch sandwiches have a good reputation as well, but at 8 am it’s too early for that.
Tinta y Café
1315 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.285.0101
Open 8 am to 6 pm
If you have a particular craving for oysters during the late afternoon, you’re in luck. House Kitchen and Bar on Ponce (in the Colonnade Hotel) has a happy hour, just for raw oysters, every weekday from 3 to 4 p.m. Where oysters are usually $3 each, for this one hour they are half-off, meaning you can get a dozen for $18. To avoid any East Coast/West Coast rivalries, they import from both coasts. It’s really just a matter of preference. East Coast oysters are larger and brinier, while those hailing from the west are smaller and more flavorful. On top of the delightful salty snack, the ambience couldn’t be better. House has a plethora of outdoor seating options under their veranda on Ponce, from
standard tables to cushioned chairs at low tables, perfect for curling up with a cool drink on a warm Miami afternoon. Our advice is to get there around 3:45. Even though the deal for these marine mollusks starts at 3 p.m., the drink happy hour specials don’t kick off until an hour later. So, arrive at quarter to, place an order for a dozen oysters, and by the time they’re brought to the table, you can order that Moscow Muley you’ve been daydreaming about. How-ever, they are usually pretty lenient if you’re just dying for a half-priced glass of Prosecco well before the 4 p.m. bell. Tell them Coral Gables Magazine said so.
House Kitchen and Bar
180 Aragon Ave. 786.482.5599
36 coralgablesthemagazine.com
OYSTER HAPPY HOUR? YES PLEASE
3,485 SQ. FT. | 4 BED | 4 ½ BATH $1,795,000 WWW.651ALMERIA.COM
ROLDAN WWW.LOWELLINTERNATIONALREALTY.COM • 305.520.5420 6801 SW 101 STREET 6,236 SQ. FT. | 4 BD + OFF | 4 BA + 2 HA $1,975,000 WWW.6801SW101ST.COM A SAMPLING OF OUR EXCLUSIVE LISTINGS: FIRST TIME ON THE MARKET! CUSTOM BUILT POOL HOME IN NORTH PINECREST ON OVER 1 FULL ACRE 1537 SAN REMO AVENUE, CORAL GABLES, FL 33146 SMALL ENOUGH TO BE PERSONAL, LARGE ENOUGH TO BE GLOBAL 4020 HARDIE AVENUE 4,743 SQ. FT. | 4 BED | 4 ½ BATH $2,625,000 WWW.4020HARDIE.COM ONE-OF-A-KIND HOME AT THE CROSSROADS OF COCONUT GROVE & CORAL GABLES The information contained herein, while not guaranteed, has been secured from sources we believe to be reliable. However, information is subject to verification by purchaser, and broker assumes no liability for corrections thereof. Square feet shown may be living, adjusted or total area - see agent for details. For sale offerings are made subject to errors, omissions, change of price, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. In accordance with the law, properties are offered without respect to race, color, creed or national origin. If a property is located in a flood or hurricane zone, broker assumes no responsibility for providing information on elevations or other information pertaining thereto. If you are working with a Realtor, this is not a solicitation. 612 MAJORCA AVENUE 1,977 SQ. FT. | 3 BED | 3 BATH $839,000 WWW.612MAJORCA.COM 651 ALMERIA AVENUE LUXURIOUS TOWNHOME IN COVETED ALMERIA ROW IS THE EPITOME OF REFINED LIVING IN A RELEVANT LOCATION CHARMING OLD SPANISH POOL HOME FULLY UPDATED TO TODAY’S STANDARDS 441 GERONA AVENUE 3,842 SQ. FT. | 5 BED | 4 ½ BATH $1,849,000 WWW.441GERONAAVE.COM GRAND, SPACIOUS AND BRIGHT POOL HOME BUILT FOR ENTERTAINING IN SOUTH CORAL GABLES 5577 ARBOR LANE 7,148 SQ. FT. | 6 BED + 2 DEN | 6 ½ BATH $4,100,000 WWW.5577ARBORLANE.COM EXCEPTIONAL LOCATION ON QUIET CUL-DE-SAC IN COVETED SNAPPER CREEK LAKES RECENTLY REPRICED! NOT ON MLS
Pictured from left to right: CARRIE FOOTE, SUZANNE SANTOS, BEATRIZ CARDONA, BLAIR SONVILLE, MARIANNA PEREZ, CARLA OLIVARES, LANI KAHN DRODY, PATTI CECCHERINI, JJ SNOW HANSEN, LILIANA QUINTERO-SIDERIS, LAUREN BILLINGSLEA DOWLEN, JOHANNA
Bites Seek Again
THE NEW SPOT ON PONCE REVAMPS
After being open for just six months, Seek + Find has brought in a new executive chef: Miguel Gomez Fernandez, who is bringing his Peruvian roots to the kitchen. The new menu has more familiar, mouth-watering dishes, and less alligator tail corn dogs. The grilled octopus, served over mashed potatoes with panca sauce and cherry tomato chalaquita, is guaranteed to be a fan favorite. We were scraping the plate for the last crumbs. Or go on a Wednesday where they have a lunch special of burger and beer for $13. While it’s not exactly from Lima, we couldn’t pass up the Cubano burger. There are sweet
plantains and tostones ON THE BURGER and – as if this sandwich couldn’t get any bigger – it’s topped with a fried egg. You may have to unhinge your jaw, but it’s worth it. Wash it down with a Veza Sur or La Rubia. It’s a scientific fact that humans have a second stomach for dessert, so go ahead and order the Fire Dome. A flaming coconut sauce with 151 rum is drizzled over a chocolate shell, which melts away to reveal blackberries and profiteroles. It’s as Instagramable as their brick wall backdrop.
Seek + Find Kitchen and Bar
2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd 305.902.6220
38 coralgablesthemagazine.com
www.ashleycusack.com ASHLEY CUSACK SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 6262 SW 50 Terrace Miami EWM Realty International ashley@ashleycusack.com 305.798.8685 cell 305.960.5330 office
A Few Units Left in Coral Gables’ Most Exclusive Golf Course Condominium
Be one of the fortunate few to live next to the iconic Biltmore Hotel and enjoy Landmark resort living in this boutique condo of 11 units - the only condo of its kind in an established single family, golf course neighborhood. Limited units remain; Anastasia and golf course views available. Spacious floor plans, all units 4 bedrooms /4 bathrooms or 3 bedrooms /4 bathrooms plus den. The classic architecture, in keeping with Merrick’s vision, is complemented by contemporary interiors, Italian Veneta Cucine kitchens, Wolf/Sub Zero appliances, sleek European doors, and spa master bath. Secure breeze way entrance and elevator for guests, 2 private resident elevators, gated garage with 3 spaces per unit. One year free membership to The Club at The Biltmore Hotel. Prices from $1,649,000 to $2,468,000.
of interior demising walls and therefore, the stated square footage of the units may vary from the square footage that would be determined by using the description of the “unit” set forth in the declaration.
New Listing! Spacious one-story, split-plan home with a lighted tennis court in a quiet cul-de-sac. Pool, 2 car garage. 5/3/1 | 4,682 sf. living | 36,155 sf. lot | $1,875,000
MORE LISTINGS AT SHELTONANDSTEWART.COM Top 10 Team in Miami Dade by The Real Deal! SHELTON-STEWART GROUP CONSUELO STEWART 305.216.7348 TERE SHELTON BERNACE 305.607.7212 TERESITA SHELTON 305.775.8176 ELBA FERNANDEZ 305.799.7972 Shelton and Stewart Realtors, LLC - Luxury Real Estate 6301 Sunset Drive, Suite 202, South Miami, FL 33143 Office: 305.666.0669 I Fax: 305.666.6674 6001 Riviera Drive, Coral Gables Fully updated/expanded on prestigious Riviera Dr. If you like naturally bright and flowing interiors, look no more! 5/5/1 | 4,003 adj. sf. | 12,000 sf. lot | ↓$1,999,000 11098 Marin St, Coral Gables, FL 33156 Great opportunity to own a Stunning Lake-front estate in gated, prestigious Hammock Oaks. Slips available soon! 5/4/1 | 9,109 adj. sf. | 38,840 sf. lot | ↓$2,995,000 $80.6 M 2018 Total Team Sales including Coral Gables, Ponce Davis, Coconut Grove and Miami Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to this material and to the documents required by section 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee. The sketches, renderings, pictures and illustrations are proposed only and the developer reserves the right to modify, revise or withdraw any or all of the same at its sole discretion without notice, including amenities, features and specifications. Any furniture, appliances, or decorator items depicted herein are shown for artistic and illustrative purposes only and are not included in the purchase and sale of the residence. Stated dimensions are measured to the exterior boundaries of the exterior walls and the centerline
1228 Anastasia Avenue
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Live from Zucca’s! Robo-Kids Best Bets
Living Inside the Play
p42
Inside the Play
THE NEW PRODUCTION OF AMPARO IS TRUE INTERACTIVE THEATER
By Doreen Hemlock
Forget about sitting and watching the stage at the theater production of “Amparo,” the story about the Cuban family behind Havana Club rum. Instead, wear comfortable shoes, because you’ll walk between rooms, dance to live music, stand to drink cocktails and maybe crouch to witness a firing squad.
Actors lead audiences through separate tracks in “Amparo,” each telling the family story from a different viewpoint and asking their group to make distinct choices. In one scene, our group entered a garden where an elegant woman sat on a ledge, desperate, jewelry in hand.
“Help me bury these family heirlooms,” she begged. The revolutionaries were coming. Some in our group dug in the dirt to help her. Suddenly, the woman’s manicurist appeared, saying she’d heard jewels had been hidden, stolen from the Cuban people. “Is there more?” she asked us accusingly, after unearthing a pearl necklace. I opted for silence.
Spirits giant Bacardi, which runs its North American headquarters from Coral Gables, came up with the idea for the show. The company makes the Havana Club brand from the recipe of Cuba’s Arechabala family in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (A
Cuban government joint-venture makes its own version of Havana Club in Cuba.)
Bacardi had first proposed a short play to be performed in bars and restaurants. But what has developed is a 90-minute “immersive theatre” experience, complete with 23 actors, four musicians and two dancers, all Cubans or Cuban-Americans, many of them tops in their fields. Written in English with some Spanish dialogue, it’s a tale of love, loss, prayer, migration and resilience – clearly a Cuban diaspora story, but also one that deeply engages you in the emotions of immigrants everywhere.
Amparo is the story about the Cuban family behind Havana Club rum, a show created by spirits giant Bacardi,
Amparo runs through June 2 (perhaps longer) at a villa at 221 NE 17th St. in downtown Miami. Tickets are $89, which includes parking and cocktails. Cast includes Hector Medina, star of the award-winning Cuban film “Viva;” Roberto Torres, singing his decades-old hit “Caballo Viejo;” and Jose Elias of Miami’s music group Spam All Stars. The playwright is Vanessa Garcia, author of the novel “White Light.” The play’s title comes from the name of the Arechabala family member who shared her story from Miami, and in Spanish, means “shelter.”
42 coralgablesthemagazine.com Living
Live from Zucca’s!
It’s Noche Latina!
Weekends in Coral Gables now start on Thursday nights. That’s when you can catch a live set of authentic Cuban music at Zucca’s bar inside the St. Michel Hotel.
Zucca, now into its second year in the old haunts once occupied by St. Michel’s French restaurant, has earned accolades and a loyal following for its inventive Northern Italian cuisine. Less known is Zucca’s bar, which lives across the hotel’s lobby from the restaurant. It’s a cocktail bar, with a fine happy hour that extends to 8 p.m. And you can order food from the full menu. On Thursday nights, however, it comes
alive with Noche Latina. Starting at 7 p.m. you can hear the rhythmic sounds of renowned Cuban percussionist/singer/ band leader Luis Bofill (shown above). On the evening we went to hear Bofill, the room was crowded with two groups of revelers celebrating birthdays by dancing the mambo in front of the band. Bofill was at the top of his game, wailing and ripping out a percussive rhythm on his güiro. We sat at the bar, with its comfortable low-back stools, and watched the bartender mix pisco sours in copper shakers – almost as entertaining as the band.
James Broida
Robo-Kids
It is Friday morning and a score of kids are sprawled across a room in the Coral Gables Community Recreation Center. Some are huddled in small groups, others working alone, and still others running around yelling and laughing. All are fidgeting with LEGO® parts after wrapping up a week-long Bricks 4 Kidz program, which uses the plastic parts to help children build robots and teach them concepts of technology, engineering and architecture.
The children, most 5-to12 years old, are part of the Spring Break edition of the LEGO® Robotics S.T.E.M. Summer Camp that will run weekly in June and July at the center. Over the course of the week, the kids created multiple robots comprised of LEGO bricks. Each day focused on a different theme, exploring popular characters from Batman, Pokemon and Star Wars, with group and individual projects. The kids told us their favorite was a mechanical dragon they created as a group. Individual “robots” usually involved a
small electric motor to power wheels or robotic arms.
“They made some really cool stuff all week,” says Angela Rendon, director of the program. “You know they were really engaged and were really eager to get to the next day.”
This process of building with LEGOS® might seem simple enough, but it’s an efficient way of introducing children to S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills vital for their tomorrow. When we walked in, Rendon told us the children were engaged in “creative playing.” This was her term for children freely playing with LEGO® parts and creating what they wanted. The children, though loud, were intensely focused and didn’t seem interested in anything but the plastic building parts of their future.
Classes begin June 10 and are held weekly through Aug. 2 at the Coral Gables Community Recreation Center, 405 University Drive. 305.460.5600. $163 for residents, $122 members.
Kay-Ann Kadeja Henry
44 coralgablesthemagazine.com Living
A HANDS-ON APPROACH FOR FUTURE ENGINEERS
THE STELLAR ITALIAN RESTAURANT ADDS MUSIC
MAURICIO J. BARBA, P.A. BROKER-ASSOCIATE I ESTATE AGENT o. 305.444.7224 c. 305.439.8311 Mauricio@MiamiSignatureHomes.com MiamiSignatureHomes.com | HomesOfSplendor.com
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THINGS TO DO IN (AND AROUND) CORAL GABLES THIS MONTH
MIAMI RUM RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL (RIGHT)
The 11th Annual Miami Rum Fest comes to Coral Gables. Discover and taste the best rums on earth. Where rum reputations are made, where new products are released and where the public has easy access to an incredible range of cane spirits. Friday May 17, 4 - 8 p.m. and Saturday May 18, 4 - 10 p.m. At the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, 1001 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd. General Admission $50; VIP $75. Online at rumrenaissance.com/tickets or call 877.855.3378.
LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY
New York’s Limón Dance Company brings two of José Limón’s masterworks: The Exiles, a moving story of immigrants and refugees, and Psalm, a sweeping choreography of urgency, joy, anguish, and rhythmic vibrancy. In contemporary contrast, the digital world envelops the dancers in Radical Beasts in the Forest of Possibilities from choreographer Francesca Harper, and Colin
46 coralgablesthemagazine.com Living
Living
Connor’s The Weather in the Room, is a fresh take on how relationships shift like the weather itself. Tickets $25 to $45. Saturday, May 11, 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 12, 2 p.m. South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. 10950 SW 211 St., Cutler Bay. 786.573.5300.
GIRALDA PLAZA MARKET (RIGHT)
Find goods, products and treats for sale made by local crafters and makers every Sunday at Giralda Plaza. Launched at the end of April, the market is open noon to 5 p.m. every Sunday through Sept. 29. Live acoustic performances will be held every other Sunday.
WINE WALK + SHOP
Mark May 16 as the official day of drinking and shopping. Explore wine regions of the world without leaving the Downtown with the Coral Gables Wine Walk. The event “uncorks” at Kettal Furniture Showroom at 147 Miracle Mile. Wander through tasting shops like Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe with bites by Salumeria 104. Enjoy special offers from participating shops including Books & Books, Gables Cigars, Jae’s Jewelers and more. Must be 21+ to attend. Tickets cost $45. Thursday, May 16. 5 p.m. Brought to you by the Business Improvement District of Coral Gables. 305.569.0311.
SHOP AND STROLL
Shop at your favorite retailers at the Shops at Merrick Park while sampling drinks and bites along the way. Enjoy discounts at par-
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Best Bets cont’d
ticipating retailers like Neiman Marcus, Edward Beiner, Vineyard Vines and Cole Haan. Proceeds will benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, Beaux Arts, The Motivational Edge, Junior League of Miami and Neighbors 4 Neighbors. Buy tickets in advance for $20 (MerrickShopandStroll.Eventbrite.com) or at the door for $25. Thursday, May 16. 6 - 9 p.m. Shops at Merrick Park. 320 San Lorenzo Ave.
FLAMENCO 2019 (TOP RIGHT)
A cast of internationally acclaimed artists will take us to a journey through the different palos of flamenco using the three basic pillars: guitar, song and dance. “Prendidos” is life itself on stage, performed by the bailaor Alfonso Losa; guest dancer Vanesa Coloma; guitarist Jose Luis de la Paz and vocals by Ismael Fernández. May 17 & 18 at 8 p.m. Miami-Dade County Auditorium, 2901 W. Flagler St. Tickets: $28. 305.547.5414.
THE LION KING (BOTTOM RIGHT)
Disney’s The Lion King makes its triumphant return to the Arsht Center. Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. May 8 - 26. Ziff Ballet Opera House, Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Tickets: $25 - $165. 305.949.6722.
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Culture and Charm
In addition to being the ideal place for business, Coral Gables is rich in cultural and historic patrimony. With more than 20 cultural institutions, community events, public art installations, and an exciting culinary scene with new chef-driven restaurants, the Downtown is the perfect place to entertain.
Getting there is easy, with free transportation options and plenty of parking. Once you’ve arrived in the Downtown, you’ll nd culture around every corner and within walking distance.
A vibrant community, full of culture and opportunity makes Coral Gables a world-class city with a home-town feel.
20+ Cultural Institutions
Free Electric Cars
Downtown
10,000 Parking Spaces
Downtown 98 Walk Score in Business Core
coralgables.com
CMY
People
Betsy Tilghman Bo Droga
Olga M. Ramundo
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Australia-born artist Bo Droga painting the pylons under the Metrorail
People
Betsy Tilghman
PRESIDENT, CORAL GABLES GARDEN CLUB
Betsy Tilghman graduated from the University of Florida with a major in English and worked in accounting before settling down on South Greenway Drive to raise her family and plant her garden (the day they moved in, the great Coral Gables Country Club fire had just leveled the clubhouse across Granada Golf Course, and burned receipts were floating in their pool). She joined the Coral Gables Garden Club in 2001, and two years ago assumed the presidency, a role which ends for her this month.
LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT SHE SAYS
After a multi-year hiatus, Tilghman brought back the club’s annual Garden & HouseTour, which took place in March. Because it was the starting point of the tour the club reinvigorated the Butterfly Garden at the Coral Gables Library using funds from a $75,000 beautification endowment donated by the Kerdyk family. This year the club also installed a Blue Star Memorial marker at the Youth Center, to honor service men and women who have served the nation.
“As a club, we are most proud of the three entrances that we built in the ’90s and 2000s, the ones at Red Road and Coral Way; on Ponce at 8th Street; and on Miracle Mile at Douglas,” says Tilghman. As a private gardener, she is most proud of her orchid house, where many of the thriving orchids were inherited from her mother, also an avid gardener. “Gardening brings awareness of how fragile our earth is, and how much we can appreciate
life and the natural beauty of our world,” she says. “It also brings an appreciation of how much our trees and canopy make Coral Gables different from other towns.”
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Gardening brings awareness of how fragile our earth is…
2 Alhambra Plaza, Suite 100 • Coral Gables, Florida 33134 For more information, contact: CenterStateBank.com
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Left to right: Eli Jimenez, VP, Retail Market Manager; Michael Welsh, VP, Commercial Relationship Manager; Maria Gonzalez, VP, Business Banker; David Pruna, SVP, Community President (Miami-Dade & Monroe Counties); Jose Solsona, SVP, Commercial Relationship Manager; Frank Fernandez, SVP, Commercial Relationship Manager.
Bo Droga
Australia-born Bo Droga had been creating art for decades on three continents before he moved to Coral Gables three years ago. He grew up surrounded by art and earned a visual arts degree with a major in sculpture. He’s been creating while traveling and also living in diverse places: first Fiji, then London for six years and then Paris for nine. He moved his Frenchand English-speaking family to the Gables for a new cultural experience and for its international schools.
From home, Droga, now 52, makes modern and often playful works he sells on commission or through galleries in New York, London and Australia. Dominoes is his first big public art piece.
How did I coordinate the numbers?
You need to do the code-breaking. You think I’m going to paint all this and not have a code?
LATEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT HE SAYS
After winning a $2,500 award from Oolite Arts (formerly ArtCenter/South Florida), to help fund the project, Droga and his volunteer team began in April to paint at least 46 pylons under the Metrorail from the University of Miami to South Alhambra Circle. They’re transforming each of the 14- to 18- feet slabs into dominoes; each pylon takes a team of five all day to paint.
Driving through my neighborhood, “I could not believe the pylons hadn’t been used for an artistic form, so it was my dream to do a piece. The process has taken me a year to get off the ground. I’m working for free, with volunteers, mainly mothers who drop their kids off in the morning, work all day and then, go pick up their kids. The core group are French. I met most of them in yoga.” Droga says the
response from the public has been inspiring. “They’re either honking their horns, waving thumbs up or coming over and commenting… That’s what’s quite incredible about dominoes. They cross all boundaries from a young child to an elderly adult. It’s a game that’s been taken out of the cupboard into the public arena. It may be the largest public art piece in Miami. That’s pretty awesome.”
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People
CORAL GABLES ARTIST
Change
Aventura • Boca Raton • Brickell • Coral Gables • Dadeland • Disney SpringsSM Naples • Orlando • Palm Beach Gardens • South Miami • Worth Avenue
the way you see the world... and the way the world sees you.
Olga Ramundo’s Coral Gables-based Express Travel has long made the charts as one of the top woman-owned businesses in Florida and one of the fastest growing Hispanic businesses in the US. Ramundo was an independent contractor for a small travel agency when she, her sister and a friend founded the company in 1989. Now with 29 employees, Express has become the largest independent travel agency in the state of Florida. Ramundo has played a key role in promoting the travel industry in South Florida, and currently chairs the International Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber. She serves on numerous boards, including the national board of directors of the American Society of Travel Agents and the board of the World Trade Center Miami. She is serving her third term on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Board that now advises U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
Olga M. Ramundo
PRESIDENT & CEO, EXPRESS TRAVEL
LATEST ACHIEVEMENT
Expanding from a personal travel agency in the days before the Internet to a multi-faceted travel advisory, Ramundo is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her firm, which now handles corporate travel (HBO, Baptist, Mastec, etc.), group meetings and conferences, study abroad programs, and vacation travel.
WHAT SHE SAYS
“The travel industry has become a lot more professional,” says Ramundo. “The evolution began years ago. The industry has consolidated into mega worldwide agencies, and the mom and pop agencies no longer exist. If you are not at a certain size, airlines and hotels don’t give you the support or attention…” As for what is trending now, says Ramundo, “River cruises are a top, top interest right now. There’s also
educational travel, which is growing, while adventure travel is very much in vogue.” Ramundo attributes her success to full service for clients, be they corporations or individuals. “People come to us for several things, knowledge and expertise, services, and yes, we have some perks that we can pass onto our clients that they couldn’t get directly.”
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Gen Xers and Millenials would rather travel than buy a home…
The Audrey Ross Team 305.206.4003 aross@miamirealestate.com miamirealestate.com Not intended to solicit currently listed property. © Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. 500 Arvida Parkway $26,500,000 5 bed 7 bath 3 half bath 15,522 sf 515 Casuarina Concourse $9,500,000 8 bed 8 bath 2 half bath 12,492 sf Acre +/- Wide Water Lot Private Dock for 100’+ Boat Direct Access to Biscayne Bay 8815 Arvida Drive $15,900,000 6 bed 8 bath 2 half bath 12,839 sf 1.15 Acre +/- Waterfront Lot Private Dockage Direct Access to Biscayne Bay 1.6 Acre +/- Lot Private Tennis Court Repriced to Sell Gables Est ates’ Finest Addresses 555 Arvida Parkway $17,499,000 6 bed 6 bath 2 half bath 15,493 sf Acre +/- Waterfront Lot Private Dock for 100’+ Boat Direct Access to Biscayne Bay
The Once and Future Mayor
AN INTERVIEW WITH CORAL GABLES MAYOR RAÚL VALDÉS-FAULI
By JP Faber
On April 9th the voters of Coral Gables re-elected Raúl Valdés-Fauli for another two-year term. It was an impossibly close election, decided by 123 votes out of 8,519 cast. The principle issue was growth, in particular the recent burst of multi-use buildings rising in the downtown, on the US 1 corridor and around the Shops at Merrick Park, with Valdés-Fauli advocating for what he calls “rational development” and his opponent Jeanett Slesnick advocating for putting the brakes on any more building, at least for a while.
On other issues, the two opponents were not at serious odds. Both advocated the annexation of High Pines and Little Gables. Both want better police protection; he with better technology, she with more police on the street. Valdés-Fauli also championed expanding public art, while Slesnick stumped for a closer relationship between the city and its public schools and UM.
We spoke with Mayor Valdés-Fauli shortly after his re-election to get an idea of what his main priorities would be in the coming two years and his thoughts about the city. This is our interview, edited for clarity and space.
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Photography by Jon Braeley
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Why was the election so close?
The election was close because Coral Gables still has a small town mentality when we are not a small town anymore… People have a nostalgia for Coral Gables the way it used to be. I would like for it to be the way it used to be, but it’s not anymore… When I came here in the 1970s, I bought my house from a sole practitioner on Giralda. I bought my insurance from a small-time insurance agency on Andalusia, my doctor made home visits, my CPA who did my tax returns had a little office on Ponce. Now you have [large professional organizations] who do that, but the small-time solo practitioners, the small-town Coral Gables residents [who remember] when Coral Gables was at the edge of Miami Dade County, these people still vote. Progress has come and progress has marginalized them. And these are the people who voted for [Slesnick] and I understand that. But, the old Coral Gables is no more and cannot be any more.
Are you concerned with the low voter turnout (25 percent) for the election?
The highest the turnout has ever been is 30 percent. But I remain in favor of off-cycle elections. The turnout would be much higher for a presidential election, but we’d be number 372 on the ballot after Trump and Hillary and Scott and Nelson and whatever. People wouldn’t pay attention. The 25 percent that vote do pay attention.
Why are you in favor of ‘rational’ development?
Overall, why not have people living here instead of driving here? And if you had no development, then what? Our downtown is 5 percent of our geographic area and it pays for 45 percent of our expenses. Our taxes would have to go up 75 percent were it not for the downtown contribution. Compare our tax rates to South Miami or Pinecrest. Our residential tax rates are much lower, 40 to 50 percent lower. It’s the downtown that does it. And our services are incredible… Someone has to pay for that.
What are you most proud of during your past two years as mayor?
I am very, very proud of finishing Miracle Mile, which had taken forever. And I’m very proud of the Innovation Council, and what we are doing in that respect. I’m very proud of the art we are bringing here, having been part of Art Basel two years in a row. I’m very proud of the development of the [Coral Gables] museum, which is now having fantastic exhibits. And I am very proud of our very rational development. I think it is going to be a different city in two, three or four years, and a better city, keeping the residential areas sacred, with a vibrant downtown.
What’s been your biggest challenge as mayor?
Traffic. We want to keep traffic away from residential streets. We have tried to put in traffic calming devices, but dealing with the county has been a nightmare. Everybody around us – West Miami, South Miami, Pinecrest – has traffic calming devices on the street. The county finally approved them for us three months ago. I think
Overall, why not have people living here instead of driving here? And if you had no development, then what?
we are being shortchanged by the county staff whenever we try to do anything new. They are doubly bureaucratic with us as they are with the other cities, just because it’s Coral Gables. That has been very frustrating.
Beyond rational development, what specific goals do you have for the next two years?
I want Coral Gables to be the cultural center for people to enjoy, whether it’s a soccer game [at a downtown pub] or the theater, or a lecture at Books and Books. That is what we should be, and I would like to develop that [strong cultural role] even more. I would also like to concentrate on education – our Coral Gables High School, Coral Gables Preparatory Academy [formerly Coral Gables Elementary], and West Lab [at UM] – to maybe acquire space in West Lab for Coral Gables residents. And then, maybe, have a downtown park – though not on Miracle Mile or Andalusia – but perhaps west of Giralda. It’s all about quality of life.
You have been a strong proponent of innovation, including license plate readers for cars passing through the city. There is at least one lawsuit against the city for excessive surveillance. Has it gone too far?
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That’s absurd, and those lawsuits have never gotten to first base. We are being criticized for the license plate readers. But the essence of it is not for you to lose your privacy, but to find out who that car belongs to. It does prevent and reduce crimes, because most thieves will rob a house driving a stolen car. And this detects stolen cars. I think they [opponents to the cameras] are way off the mark, and those kinds of lawsuits never succeed.
What are some specific innovations you would like to see come to fruition?
We are automating a lot of things. Where the garbage pickup trucks are, the perimeter cameras, emergency and police response times. I want to know where our resources are and make better, more efficient use of them.
Besides your role as mayor, and as a solo-practice attorney in Coral Gables, what are your favorite pasttimes?
I lived in Paris for a year [as a young man] and I still go back two or three times a year. I enjoy it very much, its beautiful architecture, its beautiful boulevards… the things one loves about Paris are
the things one loves about Coral Gables in its own way. Beautiful, great schools, great theater, great art, an urbane and civilized place. Paris is also walkable, and we want to make Coral Gables a walkable city, you know?
I also grow orchids. It’s my hobby. I garden on Sunday mornings. It’s very relaxing.
And, I love walking Miracle Mile on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It’s packed with people and it’s lovely.
What annoys you most about the city and what makes you happiest?
When I look at Coral Gables residents it is sometimes like this. You can have the most beautiful woman in the world, but then this beautiful lady has a pimple in the middle of her forehead. That’s the only thing that people look at, the pimple in the middle of the forehead, and they complain about that. To me that is sometimes Coral Gables, their residents and their reactions. There are a lot of things that government can’t fix, but it’s still a wonderful, wonderful city. And for me, that is what makes me happiest, our wonderful quality of life.
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The
Urban Solution
AS CORAL GABLES CONTINUES TO EVOLVE INTO A WALKABLE CITY, TOWNHOMES ARE PROVIDING AN URBAN – AND URBANE – ALTERNATIVE FOR HOMEOWNERS WHO WANT TO DOWNSIZE. THE ONLY LIMIT IS ZONING.
By Doreen Hemlock
After years living in a large, historic home with a swimming pool and gardens, Liz and Edmund Parnes were ready for a place that required less maintenance. The couple sold their house on Granada Boulevard and tried out waterfront condo life, renting a big apartment in downtown Miami. But condo rules felt constricting, including limits on where they could take their dog.
Their solution: a townhome in back in Coral Gables. The couple’s current two-story residence on Valencia Avenue is nearly as spacious as their former house and still offers a rooftop area for Liz’s beloved rose bushes. It also provides easy walkability to restaurants and shops in the way that downtown apartments do.
“You have that kind of feeling of Georgetown or New York. It’s urban, elegant and architecturally beautiful,” says Liz Parnes, a retired marketing executive. “Your home is on the sidewalk. You can park in the back and not take your car out. You can walk to stores and the movies and to get your nails done. You can enjoy neighbors with similar interests. It has the best of everything.” Coral Gables long has been known for its leafy, single-family
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Venny Torre, CEO of Torre Companies and a self-confessed new urbanist, on the steps of the Valencia Avenue Townhomes he built.
Photo: Jonathan Dann
houses and in recent years, for mid-rise condominiums. But there’s another growing niche that distinguishes the City Beautiful from other locales across the Sunshine State: townhomes, especially luxury ones that often top $1.5 million each.
Dozens of the upscale townhomes have sprouted in the past decade near downtown. Many have been built by Coral Gables-based Torre Companies, led by CEO Venny Torre, a self-described new urbanist who promotes pedestrian-friendly living. He lives in a townhouse he built and walks to his office downtown.
“What’s important in the urban setting is to densify,” says Torre. “Townhouses offer a missing middle between apartment buildings and single family housing without having over density.”
Over the next several years, dozens more are planned near downtown, including 15 deluxe homes by MG Developer slated to sell for more than $2.5 million each at Althea Row and Biltmore Row.
Yet, there’s a limit to their growth in the Gables beyond price: zoning. Currently, there are only about fifteen square blocks in the city designated for townhouses, primarily eight blocks on either side of Valencia Avenue just outside the downtown, and another half dozen on the north side of University Park; the only other location is a city block on Granada Boulevard at the southeast corner of Desoto Plaza.
AN AMERICAN CLASSIC, APPEALING TO PEDESTRIANS
Coral Gables tweaked its zoning code about a decade ago to facilitate townhomes in select multi-family areas – but set strict rules. Chief among requirements: attached row houses must be built on streets with alleys, so that vehicles can access their garages through the back. This way the street front can display doors for people, not for their cars.
That’s the way classic “homes in the town” were built centuries ago on the U.S. east coast – next to alleys that could accommodate horse-and-buggies or other vehicles, says Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, an urban designer and UM architecture professor who is working on an update of Coral Gables’ zoning code.
“If you think of the early settlements in the U.S. such as Boston and Philadelphia, townhomes are in our DNA,” says Plater-Zyberk. “They were both for the wealthy class and working class,” ranging from grand residences with stately gardens to small quarters for craftspeople. Philadelphia’s Betsy Ross, who is credited with sewing the first American flag, lived in one.
Across the Sunbelt, rapid development in the 20th century favored single-family houses wscattered across ample land in the suburbs. “But when we started to worry about suburban sprawl and the long commute people were having, it seemed logical to look at townhomes again,” says Plater-Zyberk. Today, urban townhomes can provide a sensible transition from single-family homes to higher-density apartments.
The most important thing to avoid is garage doors facing the street, says Plater-Zyberk. “Generally speaking, urban townhomes make beautiful streetscapes, with doors individualized by each resident and front yard areas decorated with plants. It’s elegant frontage that makes the sidewalk safe, comfortable and interesting for pedestrians.”
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Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, (above) an urban designer and UM architecture professor.
Photo: Jonathan Dann
Opposite (above): Almeria Avenue townhomes, featuring two-car garages, 11-foot ceilings , oak- wood floors and a coral-rock façade (above, with the alley behind).
Opposite (below): Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush put his Almeria townhome on the market for $1.795 million. It features an interior courtyard and a skylight above its sweeping circular staircase.
Generally speaking, urban townhomes make beautiful streetscapes, with different doors and front yard areas decorated with plants...
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BUY A PIECE OF FLORIDA POLITICAL HISTORY?
The Coral Gables’ townhome niche made headlines this winter when former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush put his property on the market for $1.795 million. Bush had moved to 651 Almeria Ave. (in a row of townhouses built by Torre) from a single-family house and has since relocated to a newer townhome in the city.
Bush’s two-story townhouse for sale is light and airy, a perfect example of what makes townhomes such attractive alternatives to condos or traditional homes. It has an interior courtyard and a skylight above its sweeping staircase, says Lani Kahn-Drody, president of Lowell International Realty, the Coral Gables-based boutique brokerage handing the listing. The residence also features four bedrooms, a two-car garage, 11-foot ceilings in many rooms and 16-foot ceilings in the master bedroom. As a luxury home, it also has oak-wood floors, a coral-rock façade and high-end finishes such as teak-wood around the mirrors.
Brokers say most buyers for today’s Coral Gables townhomes come from nearby areas in South Florida. They’re often older couples, like the Parnes’ or the Bushes, who are looking to simplify after decades in big houses or condos, and seeking walkability in a smaller downtown, not the skyscraper-filled streets of Miami.
Some buyers also are heading to low-tax Florida from the greater New York region, now that federal tax reform has cut state and local deductions for residents of high-tax areas. They’re purchasing second homes or establishing residency in South Florida, both for warmer weather and tax advantages. Says Kahn-Drody, “Northeasterners love the urban, yet residential feel around downtown Coral Gables.”
TOWNHOME PIONEERS: TORRE, VILLALONGO AND TORREALBA
In real estate circles, in chronological order three people stand out among pioneers of Coral Gables townhomes: Torre, Maria-Cristina Villalongo and Alirio Torrealba.
Builder and developer Torre has completed seven townhome projects in the city since 2002, for a total of 72 units. “These kinds of homes create an elegant urban fabric around the downtown,” says Torre. “They create urban density but within a human sort of scale.”
Torre says today’s townhomes are expensive because land near downtown is costly. What’s more, only a handful of streets now can host a row of townhouses, based on current requirements for back alleys, setbacks, minimum width and other issues.
Torre would like to see the city tweak its rules to encourage townhomes on alleys near commercial areas in north Gables, east of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and south of downtown. “They are attractive for buyers who want to be in an urban neighborhood but not in a condo” says Torre.
Villalongo is a Coral Gables resident who dreamed of turning her family’s land into townhouses. With a group of community leaders she sought zoning changes a decade ago to spur townhomes her city, noting that founder George Merrick had planned upscale apartment buildings along Biltmore Way. Now she is handling sales for the Althea Row and Biltmore Row projects being built on her family’s land by MG Developer. “Townhouses remind me of old glamorous movies,” she says.
Torrealba is the biggest developer of luxury townhomes in Coral Gables today, including 32 built or planned in Biltmore
Opposite:Artist rendering of MG Developer’s latest townhomes, Althea Row, which are slated to sell for more than $2.5 million each
Square area just west of City Hall and the downtown. He would like to develop more in other parts of the city. “Imagine Ponce de Leon full of townhomes with alleys behind, all the way to Bird Road. That would be beautiful and add value to the neighborhood.”
MEET YOU AT THE CITY PARK?
For buyers, one draw to Coral Gables’ urban townhomes is ownership of the land in a “fee simple” structure like owning a house. That contrasts with condos, where an association owns the building and the land, while the condo buyer owns just their unit.
Some buyers downsizing from large houses seek out convenience for when they travel. “It’s a lot easier to lock up these townhomes and go to England for a month and not worry about mowing the lawn or worry about the security of a single-family home,” said Mauricio J. Barba, a broker associate with real-estate firm One Sotheby’s. He has sold four $1.5 million-plus townhomes in the city last year alone.
Townhouse buyers Marcos Perez and his wife Rosita say they enjoy a more urban lifestyle since they moved to their townhome two years ago. Like the Parnes family, they moved from a waterfront condo elsewhere in the Miami area. “It has a degree of privacy, and it has access to the street without going through the whole building,” says Marcos Perez, a retired pharmaceutical executive. The family can walk comfortably to shops, restaurants and galleries.
The Mariuttos are another family that made the move to a townhouse, from an older home less than a mile away They’ve figured out ways to substitute for the big backyard they gave up, adding plants in the patio and spending more time in the nearby Youth Center and other public facilities. “We’re surrounded by beautiful parks, and we love the location,” says Jissy Mariutto. “We walk all the time.”
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Venny Torre, CEO of Torre Companies.
Today’s townhomes are expensive because land near downtown is costly. What’s more, only a handful of streets can host a row of townhouses on alleys, based on current rules for setbacks, minimum width and other issues...
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THE GREAT GABLES
GALLERIES
Despite years of winnowing, a handful of successful galleries have stood firm in the Gables, a nucleus of talent that could provide the foundation for a rebirth of the Gables art scene
By JP Faber
Photography by Jon Braeley
Ramón Cernuda (shown right) will be the first to tell you that the Gables art gallery scene is nothing like it once was. “The place where our gallery is located (Ponce de Leon Boulevard, south of Miracle Mile) used to be called gallery row. There were 30, maybe 40 galleries up and down Ponce, up to 16th [Mendoza] and down to Bird. We had a terrific, vibrant gallery scene in the late ‘90s and up until about 2006 or 2007….”
That is when the great diaspora took place, when art galleries fled largely to Wynwood, but also to Little Havana and even downtown Miami, all in search of larger spaces and lower rents – especially lower rents. Today there are maybe a dozen galleries in the Gables, and even that takes a stretch of imagination to include artist studios that act as galleries, and places like the Colombian Consulate that houses a gallery of Latin art.
“Our original location was Ponce and Andalusia, where Bulla restaurant is now,” says Silvia Ortiz, owner of the Americas Collection gallery. “Then the rents were doubled, and tripled in some cases. So most of the galleries left. Wynwood was up and coming, and also had very attractive pricing.”
Continued on page 78
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STACY CONDE
MAGICAL REALISM IN THE GABLES
For Stacy Conde, a Miami native, there was never any doubt that Coral Gables was the place she wanted her gallery.
“When I think of Coral Gables, I still think of it as the cultural hub of Miami,” says Conde. “To me, Coral Gables is the center of elegance and sophistication, and that’s what it means to me – and has always meant to me – as a native. So, when we were offered this opportunity from Terranova to come from Little Havana over to Coral Gables [four years ago] to this amazing location on Miracle Mile, we jumped at it.”
Conde says that, like other gallery owners today, success requires that you go beyond the gallery, with an aggressive digital presence and with a presence at various art shows around the country. “We have succeeded because we have a large online presence, we have a large social media presence, and we do art fairs.”
Of course, sometimes nothing match-
es the ability to interact with current and potential clients in the physical space of a gallery, and in the presence of the artworks themselves. “The truth is we give very good customer service,” says Conde. “We have excellent recommendations from one client to the next, and we have this core group of artists that has expanded as our reputation has grown. There is this beautiful balance between the gallery and the collector and the artist. When all three of these entities are in balance, everything flows.”
Cognizant of the different demographics of its potential clients, Conde Contemporary carries artworks that span the range of affordability. For the gallery’s current show, Idols of the Tribe, prices range from a $2,000 oil-on-wood by upand-coming Cuban surrealist Anthony Ardavin to a $90,000 work by Chilean master Roberto Matta.
Conde says she learned about art,
design and fashion while working 10 years as the assistant to famed London designer Barbara Hulanicki, and has since then developed what she calls a “penchant for forced realism,” leading her gallery to specialize more in figurative and representational work than abstract art. “I love surrealism, magical realism and, if you can incorporate a little academic realism here and there, I like it,” she says.
While geography has played a big part in the gallery’s selection of artists to represent – i.e. Cuban and Latin American – Conde says it comes down to personal relationships as much as anything else.
“To me, art is not just some product,” she says. “I prefer to work with people who are putting something of their heart and soul into what they do, and trying to communicate something. Whether that is something sad and tragic, or beautiful and uplifting, it’s all so worthwhile to me, that kind of human experience.”
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Conde Contemporary 204 Miracle Mile 239.961.0452
MARIANA MONTEAGUDO Muñecos, 2018 LUIS ENRIQUE TOLEDO DEL RIO El Dulce Placer de lo Infinito, 2019
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RAMÓN CERNUDA
MASTER OF CUBAN ART
Since establishing his gallery in the Gables in 1999, Ramón Cernuda has focused exclusively on Cuban art, and has become a leading authority on the subject. There are virtually no Cuban masters from the 20th or 21st centuries that are not represented by Cernuda – from Wifredo Lam and Victor Manuel to Tómas Sánchez and René Portocarrero.
“I think that as a country, considering the context of Latin America, Cuba has produced a very interesting body of art,” says Cernuda. “It has to do with the colonial occupation, and being an island with many different ethnicities and cultures, where one element did not control the island.”
Not only does Cernuda specialize in Cuban masters like Lam and Sánchez, whose works can fetch anywhere from a half million to several million dollars, he also works with new Cuban artists who are now in vogue among U.S. collectors. “Cuban art continues to grow and evolve with
a vibrant contemporary movement. So it’s not only the 20th century artists, but the new artists that are coming out,” he says. “They are gradually finding their way into international contemporary collections.”
While Cernuda has a strong local clientele, he says his success is based partly on operating “outside the box” of the Gables. “We have developed outside markets, Dallas, Chicago, Palm Beach, New York. We have not depended on the local market – one of the reasons we have done well.”
Like Virginia Miller and Silvia Ortiz (The Americas Collection), Cernuda also purchased his space early on and so avoided the rental hikes that drove most of his colleagues from the city. Beyond the rent hikes, Cernuda also blames parking restrictions. “Basically it was a combination of factors [that drove galleries away]. The rents were too high but there is also the issue of parking restrictions. In the
areas adjacent to the galleries, the streets that are perpendicular to Ponce, it used to be that people could park on these streets. Now they are reserved for residents of the homes. They are empty all day, but if you park there you get a ticket.”
Cernuda believes the city should lure established galleries from places like New York, rather than trying to attract newbies. “The current reality in the Gables is that it’s the right market for high-end galleries, not for someone who just bought a hammer and bag of nails… You need to actively and professionally go out and recruit the top galleries in the US. Those are the ones that can afford the Gables, and also find patrons here.”
As for Cernuda himself, “I am very happy being in the Gables. I love it and don’t have any desire to leave. I’ve told all my colleagues at FADA [the Fine Art Dealers Association] that they should have a second venue here.”
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Cernuda Arte 3155 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.461.1050
VICTOR MANUEL Novios (Sweethearts), 1948
WIFREDO LAM Rendezvous at Twilight, 1962
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VIRGINIA MILLER
LEADER OF THE PACK
It is hard to exaggerate the importance of Virginia Miller as a pioneer and doyen of the Miami art scene. Since her first shows in the 1970s, to the launch of her Gables gallery in 1981, she has led the pack. Her accolades could fill pages of this magazine, from the Russian art show that drew 2,000 visitors to her Gables gallery opening (the Miami Herald called it “the party of the year”), to her placement of more than 150 works of art in E.F. Hutton’s Manhattan headquarters collection, topping every gallery in the nation.
Miller has curated more than 300 exhibitions, introducing Miami to such renowned artists as Richard Pousette-Dart of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, Leon Berkowitz of the Washington Color School, and Alice Neel, one of the foremost American figurative artists of the twentieth century. And though her gallery has naturally exhibited many Cuban and Latin American artists – such
as Claudio Bravo, Fernando Botero and Roberto Matta – she has also gone well beyond the region. Starting in 2006, for example, she has produced five of South Florida’s first exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art.
“Cuban and Latin American works have been a large part of our sales during the last four decades,” she says. “However, that narrow focus on collecting has slowly changed over the years… Sometimes I think we are the UN, showing art from all over the world. We have shown work from Asia, Latin America and Europe. I even did an Australian aboriginal show at one point.”
As president of the Coral Gables Gallery Association, Miller remains a strong supporter of Gables Gallery Night, which she launched in the 1980s as chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s cultural affairs committee. She also applauds recent city discussions of incentives for galleries
and artists’ residencies. “Coral Gables may never see as many galleries as it had in the 1990s, when at one time we had around 50 galleries. Galleries need inexpensive, large spaces, like old warehouses or this former ballet school with its large open space, and the Gables has very few of those,” she says. “I bought my [4,000-square foot building] in ‘79. Otherwise the rent would be 10 thousand or 12 thousand a month. No gallery can afford that.”
Miller’s gallery, which had been a ballet studio, had also once been a Stutz Bearcat showroom and a stable for Gables trolley horses. That suits Miller just fine, whose roots here go deep; one of her grandfathers came to Miami in 1908 and started the nursery that landscaped City Hall.
“It’s very difficult [to run a gallery] in Coral Gables. But I love the city and wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s so well run and so beautiful,” she says. “I believe Coral Gables will always attract galleries.”
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Artspace Virginia Miller Galleries 169 Madeira Ave. 305.444.4493
RENATO MEZIAT Green Vase, 2018
LINDA TOUBY Homage to Giotto, 2008-2013
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SILVIA ORTIZ
CHAMPION OF THE AMERICAS
Outside of Virginia Miller, no one has been part of the Coral Gables gallery scene longer than The Americas Collection, which was launched by the Nicaraguan family of Silvia Ortiz in 1991.
“We are part of the original group and still belong to the organization [the Coral Gables Gallery Association] with Virginia Miller that we created together,” says Ortiz. “So we have always been involved, and we continue to be, though most of our original colleagues moved to other parts [of Miami-Dade]… but our heart was always here, so we never left the Gables.”
That strategy has served the Americas Collection well, especially since they sidestepped the escalating rents by purchasing a space in what was then the industrial zone of Coral Gables.
“We always believed in our city,” says Ortiz, who estimates that at least half of her clientele comes from the Gables. “We acquired this space and we renovated it.
There was practically nothing around here then, but this became a cultural arts corridor, so we call it the Ponce Corridor of the Gables. And all of us interconnect – like Fine Line and Filomena [Fernandez] and StudioBecker. All of us here have become our own village within the Gables.”
In terms of artists that the Americas Collection represents, many come from Central America and the Caribbean –from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Panama and Honduras, for example – as well as from Ecuador and Chile. And, like other galleries, the offerings can range from a few thousand for the works of new artists to more than $50,000 for the works of established names.
“We do have younger collectors, which are the future, so we cater to any budget,” says Ortiz. “We also have clients that we have had for 15 or 20 years. We get to know them and they become like family. They become friends and family
and sometimes call just to get an opinion. And sometimes we cannot offer what they are looking for, but we try to assist them with an opinion, or an installation, or refreshing their art. We have custom framing, so sometimes it’s just about refreshing what they already have.”
Among the better known artists currently hanging at the Americas Collection are works by Cuban American artist Jose Bedia and Chilean master Andrea Carreño. Then there are works by abstract Nicaraguan artists Ramiro Lacayo-Deshon and Norlan Santana, and canvases by stilllife painter Chilean Enrique Campuzano.
“We have artists that we have represented since our inception, and in the interval we have incorporated emerging artists to give a balance – because we want to cater to our young collectors as well,” says Ortiz. “I feel that Latin American art will always be trending, so we do have our own niche.”
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The Americas Collection
4213 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.446.5578
RAMIRO LACAYO DESHON Amarillo (triptych), 2014
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Continued from page 68
While the Americas Collection briefly opened a second gallery in Wynwood, they followed the lead of Cernuda and bought a building in the Gables to house their art. While Cernuda purchased two buildings on Ponce just south of University Drive, Ortiz bought a warehouse-sized space on Ponce south of Bird Road, an industrial area that has since become the unofficial design center of the Gables, with neighbors like dress designers Filomena Fernandez and Silvia Tcherassi, and home design stores like Artefacto, StudioBecker, Fine Line, and Miele.
Likewise for Virginia Miller, the doyen of the Gables art world, who heads up the Gables Gallery Association and who has been the most recognized art purveyor in Miami for nearly four decades. She purchased her ArtSpace gallery on Madeira Avenue; otherwise, she says, it would have been difficult to continue.
But does this mean the gallery scene in Coral Gables is now moribund? Far from it, say those who have survived the winnowing and those who are returning to, or have opened new spaces, in the Gables.
On a recent Thursday night, the Conde Contemporary Gallery on Miracle Mile held the opening for its new show, “Idols of the Tribe,” a collection of symbolic and magical realism works mostly by Cuban and Latin American painters and sculptors. If the gallery scene in the Gables is dead, no one bothered to tell the more than 400 people who came through the gallery that night.
“Business is good,” says Staci Conde, who runs the gallery that is named both for her and her Cuban American husband Andres Conde, an accomplished painter in his own right. Conde Contemporary was lured from Little Havana to Miracle Mile four years ago, thanks to an attractive rent package from Terranova, the largest landlord on the Mile.
“I have to say that we lost a lot of foot traffic during the renovation of the street. I think that people got accustomed to going other places because it took so long to finish,” she says. “But I do see it coming back.”
A RESURGENCE AHEAD?
The idea that the Gables can once again become the center of the South Florida art scene has not been lost on city officials, either. While South Beach and the Design District have stolen some
of the Gables’ cache as the culture hub of Miami-Dade, neither has grown a blossoming gallery scene. Like the Gables, their rent rates are more suitable to Gucci and Prada outlets than show places for starving artists. Wynwood is also in the process of driving away its galleries in favor of tony stores that can afford rising rents; many have already fled to cheaper locations in Little Haiti and Allapattah.
“For gallery space anywhere in Miami, the rents are going up. It’s happening even in Wynwood, so we are not unique in that,” says Catherine Cathers, the city’s art and culture specialist. “But right now, there’s an artistic resurgence in the [Gables] community, with the streetscape project and art in public places programs,” she says, adding that we have the politically rare support of the mayor and city commission to rebuild our status as an art hub. “Coral Gables is a natural fit for new galleries, emerging galleries and well-established galleries,” says Cathers. “In addition to major collectors living in our community, there are a lot of upscale residences that need artwork.”
In the last few years, while some galleries have left, others have arrived, such as ArtLabbé on Ponce. Several have been in “pop up” locations, such as the Ninoska Heurta gallery on Aragon at the corner of Salzedo. Some newer galleries, such as Imago Art in Action (which opened on Majorca in 2016), have diversified into offerings such as educational programs in order to pay the bills.
“The [city’s] retail strategy hasn’t address bringing in art galleries up to now,” says Francesca Valdes, the retail development specialist in the city’s Economic Development Department. “But the city would love to have more art galleries here in the downtown and find ways to do that. We are exploring how we can use storefronts and use them in their vacant stages to incorporate more art.”
Both Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli and Vice Mayor Vince Lago are in discussions with city staff to explore ways to subsidize galleries as a way to bring them back to the city. “We are very much trying to attract them here,” says Valdés-Fauli, himself an avid art collector. One big idea: Instead of using the 1.5 percent fee the city charges all new million-dollar-plus developments for public art projects, use those funds instead to subsidize gallery spaces.
“The problem with the galleries that
we lost is that we didn’t necessarily have the space for them to thrive, and Wynwood did,” says the mayor. “They had these warehouses and ample spaces, so we lost them. We had Gary Nadar here, for example, in a beautiful space. But look at his warehouse [in Wynwood]. It would take two city blocks of our space to accommodate that.”
Just what the city can do to revitalize the gallery scene in the Gables remains to be seen. Cernuda, for his part, believes the city should target some of the well-established galleries in cities like New York or Los Angeles to encourage them to establish a second location here, based on the Gables’ brand as an affluent city for high-end art collectors. Regardless of tactic, almost all agree that a robust gallery scene should remain a part of the city’s cultural fabric. “In Coral Gables the art scene is important to maintain the city as a viable center of civil discourse and culture,” says Giora Breil, manager of the Rojas Ford Gallery, which opened on Ponce across from Cernuda in late 2017. “The real question is whether it’s a good idea to have a gallery, because the dynamics of showing and selling artists has changed, due to the Internet.”
Having said that, the Rojas Ford Gallery is one of the participants in the city’s monthly First Friday event, where people are encouraged to roam the city’s art spaces, including the Coral Gables Museum, with the aid of free trolley service. While not as vigorous as it once was, the monthly evening event still brings visitors. “We absolutely participate, and we usually get 80 to 120 people,” says Breil. “But it should be re-energized. I come from the television industry, where you have certain key programs that sustain the brand of your network or feed. In Coral Gables, the brand is culture, and that is the magnet.”
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In addition to major collectors living in our community, there are a lot of upscale residences that need art work...
Catherine Cathers, Coral Gables art and culture specialist
Every client need is different that's why every client relationship is different. myprobank.com Boca Raton | Coral Gables | Dadeland/Pinecrest | Doral Fort Lauderdale | Palm Beach Gardens | South Miami | West Palm Beach
TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES
A COMPILATION OF LEADING LAWYERS BASED IN CORAL GABLES FOR CORPORATE, TAX, FAMILY, REAL ESTATE, LABOR, CRIMINAL, INJURY, PROBATE LAW (AND MORE)
PRODUCED BY THE STAFF OF CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE
SPONSORED BY PROFESSIONAL BANK
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We are all believers in the law, even those of us who bend it. Without the law, and all of the ways it regulates and protects us, the world would devolve into anarchy.
The law, however, is no longer a simple set of rules – if it ever was. The law is a vast and complex matrix of local, state, federal and even international regulations. To navigate it, and to use it to your advantage, it is essential to secure professional help. You need a lawyer.
Jokes that mock the legal profession abound, but they evaporate when you really need an attorney. In many ways, lawyers are the guardians of the galaxy, and a good lawyer – like Atticus Finch – is someone to be revered. As comedian Jessi Klein quips, “Everyone wants to say they hate lawyers, and yet I’ve never met a parent who didn’t want their kid to be a lawyer.”
In Coral Gables there are more than 350 lawyers with licenses to practice, specializing in every sort of law – corporate, family, labor, personal injury, divorce, criminal, real estate, tax, probate, immigration, etc. We chose 140 of these lawyers, based on a compilation of their reputation, client recommendations, peer reviews, public recognition, and suggestions.
This, however, does not answer the question of how you choose a top attorney, and how you choose one that suits you.
Many people rely on word of mouth when it comes to finding a new attorney, but that has inherent limitations, depending on the nature of your legal matter. Is
&
THE TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES HOW TO CHOOSE A GREAT LAWYER
By James Broida
19th century proverb
it simple or complex? Is it likely to go to litigation? Do you know anybody who has dealt with similar legal issues?
Having consulted with numerous legal sources in preparing this list, there are certain rules (no pun intended) you should follow. The main thing is to do your homework before you decide on your attorney. This means asking for referrals, checking attorney rating sites such as Martindale-Hubbell, checking their marketing messages, and talking with two or three prospective attorneys.
First and foremost, your attorney must have handled similar matters. What is his or her background or the firm’s specialties? An attorney who did a good job with your cousin’s real estate closing may not have the knowledge or skills to defend you against a criminal charge. How often does the attorney handle your type of case? Experience is important. You don’t want someone who is learning at your expense, which is why many clients chose larger firms, paying for a deeper bench.
Lawyering is usually an expensive proposition, so discussing fees and timelines must precede any engagement. You should also ask how an attorney charges for services and what the total fee is likely to be. For some matters, such as preparing a will, a professional should be able to provide you with a fixed fee for the service. Litigation costs are harder to predict, but an attorney should be able to provide an estimate. And you shouldn’t engage without a clear letter of agreement.
Another less quantifiable criterion is whether you feel “chemistry” with your attorney. Do you think your lawyer sees you merely as a source for billable hours, or wishes to act as a true legal counselor who can help solve your legal issues. Your lawyer needs to show an understanding and interest in your matter.
As a final note, you might want to check if your attorney has malpractice insurance. Florida does not require attorneys to carry malpractice insurance, nor do they have to disclose if they have a policy or not. But you might want to ask upfront, depending on the matter at hand. There can be a risk involved in retaining a lawyer who is not insured, because if something goes wrong, it can be very difficult to recover your losses. If you do your homework, you will certainly be able to find an excellent Coral Gables attorney to represent you, perhaps one that you retain for years, and one who rises to level of what lawyers can be at their best.
“Lawyers have their duties as citizens, but they also have special duties as lawyers. Their obligations go far deeper than earning a living as specialists in corporation or tax law. They have a continuing responsibility to uphold the fundamental principles of justice.”
– Robert Kennedy
Our compilation of top attorneys in Coral Gables is an ongoing project. If you have any suggestions for top firms and why they are a top firm, please contact us at editor@thecoralgablesmagazine.com
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A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client...
TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES
SER & ASSOCIATES
PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY PICTURED: LILLIAN A. SER, ESQ.
Firm specialties: Corporate, Business, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Litigation
Key Clients: Ser & Associates provides corporate, business and real estate services to a broad range of individuals and small to mid-size businesses —many of which operate within highly regulated environments, such as restaurants, health care, financial services, pharmaceutical research sites, and others.
Ser & Associates was founded by Lillian A. Ser, Esq. in 2009 after she was laid off by her employer (a large real estate developer) due to the collapse of the real estate market during the Great Recession. However, armed with an M.B.A, J.D., years of “big law” and in-house experience, plus real-world business knowledge, Lillian was determined to make it on her own.
“Being laid off was the best thing that has ever happened to me because it has allowed me to find my true passion,” says Lillian. And she did – working with business owners, both big and small, as their Outside/In-House counsel. Lillian seeks to understand her clients’ businesses and objectives, then advocates for them in business and real estate transactions, licensing, trademark/patent applications, government contracting and in court, when necessary.
Lillian’s goal is singular: provide clients with the best and most cost-effective solutions for their legal needs. As an entrepreneur herself, Lillian understands the financial challenges inherent in operating a small to mid-sized business – and knows that operating a business without the skilled guidance of an attorney is fraught with unnecessary risk. This is why Lillian created MY GC/My General Counsel®, a tailor-made program with fixed monthly fees which allows a business owner to budget his/her legal expenses, yet have the peace of mind to be able to call Ser & Associates without fear of the proverbial “ticking clock”.
“I am very grateful to my years at Shutts & Bowen and Greenberg Traurig, and even my in-house counsel years. I learned so very much working with corporate America and major developers. But, owning my own firm, although not for the faint of heart, allows me the flexibility and freedom necessary to be able to work with smaller companies and even starts-ups that typically cannot afford the big firm. Most of all, my business owners, through their passion, hard work and dedication, constantly inspire and motivate me to do better in my own business,” says Lillian.
Ser & Associates is the preferred choice for individuals and business owners looking for top quality attorneys with years of experience, while enjoying the boutique feel, quality client service, affordable fees, and personal touch provided by a small firm.
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2100 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Ste. 1180. Coral Gables, Florida (305) 222-7282 www.Ser-Associates.com Founded: 2009
Professionals Serving Professionals: When Less Is More
By Danny Martinez, Executive Vice President, Private Banking, Professional Bank and Rosamaria Klemick, Assistant Vice President, Probate & Guardianship, Professional Bank
Can big be bad? It can be when it involves banking support for probate and guardianship proceedings and final arrangements. Especially when big banks might treat your clients like walk-up customers.
After all, probate and guardianship are two legal specialties that touch many if not most clients during some of the most vulnerable times of their lives. Grief, heartbreak, and other deep-seated emotions can impair their decision-making when clear-thinking is most needed.
That’s why they trust the expertise and experience of their attorney advisors to guide them through the complexities of their personal situations. In that regard, each client’s needs are different and require tailored, sensitive, and highly personal approaches.
No wonder, then, that your clients should expect the same from the financial institution acting in a fiduciary role. That’s why the white-gloved services of Coral Gables-based Professional Bank can be indispensable.
n Why bigger isn’t better
In contrast, big banks and financial institutions can often fall far short of these expectations. Sometimes their untrained staff or rigid, bureaucratic protocols can cause catastrophic consequences of missed deadlines and unpaid bills or denying cash access for no reason.
For example, one new client’s elderly mother was just a day away from being evicted from her assisted living home due to the intransigence of a large, well-known bank’s insistence on following a mistaken protocol.
n The professional difference
How is Professional Bank different? We know our probate and guardianship partner attorneys and their clients by first name, same as they know us — and they know our mobile numbers, so they can call us 24x7 for even the smallest requests.
Just as important, with more than 20 years’ experience, we know both the legal and banking policies and procedures regarding probate and guardianship requirements inside and out. We also personally know the court judges overseeing probate and guardianship in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
Our experience and relationships help our attorney partners ensure that their own concierge legal services extend seamlessly through their clients’ banking experience as well. To that end, we offer:
• Expedited processing of distribution requests
• Distributions of funds within 24 hours or less
• Complimentary notary services
• Complimentary courier services
• English/Spanish bilingual fluency, as well as bicultural understanding, sensitivity, and empathy
• And much more
We invite interested law firms and individuals to contact us and discover how less is more when it comes to serving the fiduciary banking requirements of probate and guardianship cases. Professional Bank was founded on the principle of “professionals serving professionals.” It’s what we do — and what we excel at doing.
In the probate world I have practiced for 35 years, I‘ve dealt with many banks and Professional Bank is the best. Rosamaria Klemick and her team know the probate and guardianship process and what attorneys face in the court system. They are fast, efficient, and incredibly responsive to all of our requests and questions. Their streamlined internal processes and courier services often mean couriers can pick up certified copies of orders while simultaneously delivering client checks all within a day.”
— Enrique Zamora, Founding Partner Zamora, Hillman & Villavicencio law firm, Coconut Grove, Florida, and past chair of the Elder Law section of the Florida Bar
“ I love the professionalism, the concierge service, and the depth of understanding and knowledge that Rosamaria Klemick and Professional Bank offer me as their client. The guardianship and probate world is so difficult and intense, it’s a pleasure to work with a bank that makes its part so seamless. My professional life is so much easier, thanks to them.”
— Barbara A. Reiser, Principal Barbara A. Reiser & Company, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida
DANNY MARTINEZ Executive Vice President Private Banking
SPONSORED CONTENT
ROSAMARIA KLEMICK Assistant Vice President ProBate & Guardianship
NERO IMMIGRATION LAW, P.L.
PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY PICTURED: DEIRDRE D. NERO, ESQ.
Firm specialties: Immigration & Nationality Law
Key clients: Foreign national professionals, investors, business owners, entrepreneurs, students, visitors, U.S. companies (small, medium, and large), International families; clients in 48 countries around the globe.
Deirdre D. Nero, Esq. started NERO Immigration Law in Coral Gables in 2009 after having practiced in two larger law firms, both in Coral Gables as well. The practice focuses on all types of business immigration matters, including employment-based immigrant (permanent residency) and nonimmigrant (temporary) visa petitions. Deirdre has extensive experience with PERM labor certification applications, employer immigration compliance, and family immigration matters and naturalizations.
At the firm, we work closely with small- and medium-sized companies as well as individual clients to coordinate and execute all aspects of the client’s immigration strategy, and to represent them in front of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of State. Our slogan is “Advocates for the American Dream.” At NERO Immigration Law we believe that Immigration Built this Nation, and we take great pride in helping people from all around the world achieve their goals and dreams in the United States.
We are a trustworthy and honest firm that provides personalized, high-quality service. We do not provide cookie cutter solutions; we provide individualized, creative, well thought-out strategies to help clients achieve their short- and long-term goals. We truly care about our clients, their families, and their businesses. We are passionate about advocating for our clients and helping them navigate the ever-changing landscape of immigration law. Our clients love how we work hand-in-hand with them to get the results they need. We represent clients in all 50 States and from countries around the globe, and we take great pride in maintaining a very high success rate, even in these uncertain times.
Deirdre has been practicing immigration law for 16 years and is a seasoned speaker and highly effective advocate for both immigration law and also her non-profit, the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. She was recently chosen as the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 AXA Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Deirdre is AV rated by Martindale Hubble for the past 5 years, and serves on the boards of local, national, and international organizations. In February, NERO Immigration Law celebrated its 10-year anniversary with clients, family, friends and colleagues at Bulla Gastobar.
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121 Alhambra Plaza, 10th Floor, Coral Gables, FL 33134 305.351.1079 info@neroimmigration.com Year Founded: 2009
TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES
TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES
MOORE & COMPANY, P.A.
FOUNDING
PARTNER PICTURED:
MICHAEL T. MOORE CHAIRMAN OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEAKEEPERS SOCIETY
Firm specialties: Maritime & Admiralty Law, Aviation Law, and Art Law
Key clients: Yacht owners, private aircraft owners, art collectors
From declining fish stocks to rising levels of plastics, the oceans of the world are in peril. An estimated 8 million metric tons of trash flows into the oceans every year, primarily from land-based sources. To combat this global threat to humanity, wealthy yacht owners have mobilized their resources and now play a key role as stewards of the ocean (as do their attorneys).
In recent years, we have seen a proliferation of yacht-centric organizations focused on addressing the ills facing the world’s oceans. One of the first was The International SeaKeepers Society, founded in Monaco in 1998. Today it quietly operates globally from its base in Coral Gables, helping coordinate the efforts of yacht owners to help the science community’s efforts to save the oceans.
Other super-wealthy yacht owners like Agnes b, Wendy Schmidt, Paul Allen and Ray Dalio all have institutes focused on various ocean initiatives. Across the maritime world, we see yacht owners moving aggressively to protect, preserve and restore what brought them to yachting in the first place: A love of the sea.
Evidence of this new attitude is everywhere. Last year Prince Albert II’s first ever Gala for The Global Ocean was held in Monaco, raising a stunning $14 million in one evening to save marine species faced with extinction. And this is just the tip of the spear. The private wealth of Baby Boomers is being weaponized for the greater good of the oceans. One of our clients, a billionaire, hopes to single handily eliminate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with a plastic gobbling yacht now under construction in Norway. Another American billionaire will soon launch a global network of satellites to finger and help prosecute outlaws who commit crimes on the high seas, especially overfishing.
Clearly, the wealthy are redirecting their firepower of money and brains toward solving the ills of the oceans, many with massive ocean research expedition yachts called REVS. Just as these visionaries saw the future in business and information technology, they now see what must be done to save the blue part of our planet. And their lawyers are playing a huge role in this global effort.
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255 Aragon Avenue, 3rd Floor. Coral Gables, FL 33134 786.221.0600, Fax: 786.221.0601 moore-and-co.com Year Founded: 2004
GEORGE A. DAVID, PA
PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY PICTURED: GEORGE DAVID
Firm specialties: Homeowner’s claims against insurance companies for house damage, personal injury, insurance contractual disputes, appeals and construction litigation
Key clients: Individuals involved in accidents as well as homeowners who have been shortchanged by their insurance companies
The majority of the practice in George A. David, PA focuses on helping individuals fight insurance companies. We know how frequently individuals are treated unfairly by insurance companies, and we also know how these companies think and act – during the first 10 years of my 27+ year legal career I represented insurance companies. I have tried over 100 cases and handled over 100 appeals, so we have the experience to take any case from the beginning all the way to jury trial, plus handle any appeals an insurance company may file after they are unhappy with the result of your case.
We can handle any type of dispute against an insurance company, be it personal injury claim, wrongful death – or when your insurance company decides to disclaim coverage in a claim being brought against you. A prominent area of our practice is when your insurance company decides to disclaim coverage in your own claim, such as homeowner’s claims against insurance companies for denying coverage or reducing coverage. We also have experiences handling construction litigation claims.
Our clients like the fact that we are able to properly evaluate a claim, and when we see that it is good, we do not give up. What does this mean? Here are two examples. The first was a recent case where the client was injured in an automobile accident. The client had been previously represented by three separate lawyers who took his case and then turned it down as unwinnable. We litigated it and received a $600,000.00 settlement on the eve of trial. The second example is a client who got the runaround from her own insurance company on a $3,000.00 PIP lost wage claim. We pursued a bad faith insurance litigation claim and the client ended up receiving an additional $175,000.00.
We know that insurance companies love to lowball people making insurance claims and we know how to turn that against insurance companies to get maximum results. Our philosophy is to fight tooth and nail for our client’s case and never give up – critical at a time when state laws are making it increasingly hard for the average person to bring claims against insurance companies.
87 TOP ATTORNEYS IN CORAL GABLES
395 Alhambra Cir., Suite 301. Coral Gables 33134 305.569.9980 Year founded: 1997
CORAL
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Firm specialties: commercial and construction litigation, real estate, corporate/ business, finance, construction and design contracts, hospitality and private clubs, business succession plans, estate planning and administration 901 Ponce De Leon Blvd, 10th Floor. Coral Gables, FL 33134. 305.856.2444 katzbarron.com Founded: 1977
TOP ATTORNEYS IN
GABLES KATZ BARRON
ATTORNEYS (IN PHOTO LEFT TO RIGHT): GENE LINDSEY, ERICA ENGLISH, COLIN SIMON, ADAM SCHUCHER, MICHAEL KATZ, JON COHEN, BERNIE ALLEN AND ERIN AUBLE
For over 40 years, Katz Barron has been an enduring presence in the South Florida legal community. With offices in Coral Gables and Ft. Lauderdale, our firm of over 20 attorneys advises clients in select core practice areas tailored to the needs of our clients. The firm’s expertise is anchored in complex transactions and litigation, with practice groups focusing on commercial and construction litigation, real estate, corporate/business, finance, construction and design contracts, hospitality and private clubs, business succession plans as well as estate planning and administration.
Katz Barron understands that our clients need more than just legal advice; they need sound counsel that is practical as well as highly responsive and cost effective. From the inception of a case, we design a strategy that is tailored to fit our client’s business objectives and priorities. Risk, time, and cost factors are balanced against opportunities, amounts in controversy and the effect on our client’s current and future business needs and goals. Practical settlement opportunities are identified, explored and evaluated in litigation matters. Long range planning opportunities are thoughtful-
ly identified and strategies are developed and implemented, such as generational planning for family businesses. Effective teamwork and collaboration are distinguishing features of our practice. Katz Barron’s attorneys are from diverse backgrounds and represent a broad array of experience. We frequently collaborate across disciplines and draw on subject matter expertise in the other practice areas of the firm. Consulting with other practice groups allows our litigation teams to quickly dissect complex transactions and business relationships and analyze the issues in dispute. Likewise, transactional attorneys from corporate and real estate team up to effectively handle transactions calling for expertise in blended areas, such as mergers & acquisitions and private equity deals involving businesses holding significant real estate assets. The longevity of the relationships the firm enjoys is a marker of its success.
Many of the partners and staff have been with the firm for decades and the core group has been together for more than 30 years. Likewise, the firm has had the privilege of representing many of its clients for decades, some of them for more than 40 years.
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LAW LISTINGS
ACOSTA LAW
Julio C. Acosta
Civil Trial
301 Almeria Ave. Suite 100 www.acostalaw.com
305.858.8880
Firm size: 1
ARAN CORREA & GUARCH, P.A.
Fernando S. Aran, Danny Correa & J. M. Guarch, Jr.
Contracts Law, Personal Injury, Intellectual Property Litigation, Business Torts, Mediation, Real Estate Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law
2100 Salzedo St. Suite 303 www.acg-law.com
305.665.3400
Firm size: 5
ARANGO AND GARCIA-MORERA, L.L.C.
Elsa Arango and Enrique Jesus Garcia-Morera
1414 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.569.01890
Firm size: 2
ARAZOZA & FERNANDEZ-FRAGA, P.A.
Carlos Arazoza and Adelaida Fernandez-Fraga
Estate Planning and Administration, International Tax Planning, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
2100 Salzedo St. Suite 300 www.arazozalaw.com
305.444.6226
Firm size: 4
ARNALDO VELEZ, P.A.
Arnaldo Velez, Maria C. Arriola Velez
Commercial Law, Real Estate, Trial Practice, Appellate Practice
35 Almeria Ave. www.velezlawoffices.com
305.461.4270
Firm size: 2
ARONFELD TRIAL LAWYERS
Spencer Aronfeld
Personal Injury
3132 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.aronfeld.com
305.441.0440
Firm size: 9
AVILA RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ MENA & FERRI, LLP
Alcides I. Avila, Wilfredo A. Rodriguez, Patricia M. Hernandez, Daniel O. Mena, Marco Ferri Banking & Finance, Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Immigration, Real Estate, Litigation and Arbitration
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1225 www.arhmf.com
305.779.3560
Firm size: 25
BARAKAT LAW
Brian Barakat
Commercial Litigation, Business Disputes
2701 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 202 www.triallawmiami.com
305.444.3114
Firm size: 12
BERK MERCHANT & SIMS, PLC
William S. Berk, Evelyn M. Merchant, Melissa M. Sims Insurance Defense, Commercial Law
2 Alhambra Plaza www.berklawfirm.com
786.338.2900
Firm size: 13
BICE COLE LAW FIRM, PL Jean Bice, Susan J. Cole Civil Litigation, Insurance Defense Law, Medical Malpractice, Construction Litigation
999 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 710 www.bicecolelaw.com
305.444.1225
Firm size: 11
BILLBROUGH & MARKS, P.A.
G. Bartram Billbrough, Jr. & Geoffrey B. Marks Litigation Law 100 Almeria Ave. Suite 320 www.attyfla.net
305.442.2701
Firm size: 2
BLUESTEIN AND WAYNE, P.A.
Harold Bluestein & Barry Wayne Matrimonial, Family Law 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 770
www.bw-pa.com
305.859.9200
Firm size: 4
BOLANOS TRUXTON, P.A.
Jose A. Bolaños and Gregg S. Truxton Real Estate
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 950
www.bolanostruxton.com
305.567.0424
Firm size: 4
BORGOGNONI LAW, P.L.
Gregory P. Borgognoni Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Corporate Law and Transactions, Healthcare Law
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
www.gbrflaw.com
305.671.3323
Firm size: 1
BOWMAN AND BROOKE LLP
Environmental Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, General Liability Litigation
2 Alhambra Plaza Suite 800 www.bowmanandbrooke.com
305.995.5600
Firm size: 17
BOYERS LAW GROUP, P.A.
Robert Boyers Personal Injury
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Penthouse 1120
www.boyerslaw.com
305.512.7600
Firm size: 2
BREIER, SEIF, SILVERMAN & SCHERMER, P.A.
Robert G. Breier, Evan D. Seif, Adam J. Silverman, Steven J. Schermer Corporate Law, Real Estate, Taxation and Estate Planning 2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1125 www.breierseif.com
305.445.0707
Firm size: 6
BRUCE M. CEASE, P.A.
Bruce M. Cease Personal Injury
225 Alcazar Ave. www.ceaselaw.com
305.445.4331
Firm size: 1
CARL A. KAFKA
Carl A. Kafka
Criminal Defense
1108 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.kafkacriminaldefense.com
305.444.3880
Firm size: 1
COLSON HICKS EIDSON
Dean C. Colson, Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson
Personal Injury
255 Alhambra Circle Penthouse www.colson.com
305.476.7400
Firm size: 18
CULMO TRIAL ATTORNEYS
Tom Culmo
Personal Injury, Hospital Malpractice, Premises Liability
4090 Laguna St. www.culmotrialattorneys.com
305.200.5281
Firm size: 2
DAVID M. ROGERO, P.A.
David Rogero
Intellectual Property Law & Business Litigation
2625 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 280 www.rogerolaw.com
305.999.0020
Firm size: 2
DAVID M. SHENKMAN, P.A.
David M. Shenkman
Personal Injury & Criminal Law
4551 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.shenkmanlawfirm.com
305.859.7272
Firm size: 1
DIANE P. PEREZ, P.A.
Diane P. Perez
Employment and Labor Law
201 Alhambra Circle Suite 1200 www.dianeperezlaw.com
305.985.5676
Firm size: 1
DONLEVY-ROSEN & ROSEN, P.A.
Patricia Donlevy-Rosen & Howard Rosen
Asset Protection
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 320 www.protectyou.com
305.447.0061
Firm size: 2
DUARTE LAW FIRM
Eugenio Duarte
Real Estate Law, Business Law, Estate Planning
999 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 735 www.theduartelawfirm.com
305.444.1958
Firm size: 1
DUBBIN & KRAVETZ, L.L.P.
Samuel J. Dubbin and Jeffrey L. Kravetz
Governmental and Civil Litigation; International Law and Human Rights 1200 Anastasia Ave. Suite 300 www.dubbinkravetz.com
305.371.4700
Firm Size: 2
DUNWODY WHITE & LANDON
Atwood Dunwody, Robert A. White, Robert D.W. Landon, II Trust and Estates Law 550 Biltmore Way Suite 810 www.dwl-law.com
305.529.1500
Firm size: 15
EDUARDO PALMER, P.A.
Eduardo Palmer
Complex Commercial Litigation, International Litigation and Arbitration, and White Collar Criminal Defense 255 Aragon Ave. www.epalmerlaw.com
305.476.1100
Firm size: 1
EISENBERG LEHMAN
Steven Eisenberg and Scott Lehman Construction & Development, Intellectual Property, Entertainment, Business Litigation
255 Aragon Ave., 2nd Floor www.eisenberglehman.com 786.709.0920
Firm size: 2
ESTLUND LAW, P.A.
Michelle A. Estlund Criminal Defense 147 Sevilla Ave. www.estlundlaw.com 395.448.0077
Firm size: 1
FERNANDO J. PORTUONDO, P.A. Fernando J. Portuondo Specialty 2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 950 www.portuondo-law.com 305.567.9953
Firm size: 1
FORS ATTORNEY AT LAW
Jorge L. Fors
Business and Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Contracts 1108 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.forslegal.com 305.448.5977
Firm size: 4
FRIEDLAND | CARMONA
Jonathan R. Friedland and Michael Carmona
Personal Injury 1430 S. Dixie Hwy. Suite 305
90
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(PREVIOUSLY CHARLES O. MORGAN, JR., P.A.)
Firm specialties: Estate planning, probate, charitable planning, real estate, corporate matters, sports law
Our heart, focus, and aim is to provide excellent legal advice, serving multiple generations in estate planning matters, while contributing to local charities for the greatest impact. We focus on the specific needs of each client in the preparation of wills, trusts, and advance directives.
We help clients avoid courtsupervised guardianship and probate administration by providing for private management of financial and health matters. We address succession planning for businesses in order to protect the family of the disabled or deceased business partner. As female attorneys, Laura and Carmen seek to empower women to take control
MORGAN HORTON LAW GUNSTER
of their financial lives and future. Careful planning is also necessary to manage the delicate balance of competing interests when clients have children from prior relationships.
We have facilitated charitable giving through clients’ lifetime and estate planning, giving to universities and non-profit organizations in excess of several hundred million dollars. We serve on the Estate Planning Advisory Council for University of Miami, University of Florida, and Miami Country Day School. Charles O. Morgan, Jr. is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating possible for legal ability and professional excellence.
PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY PICTURED: MARIO GARCIA-SERRA
Much like Coral Gables, the law firm of Gunster is steeped in Florida’s history. For nearly 95 years, Gunster attorneys have helped navigate the evolving needs of Florida’s most prominent companies and organizations. Gunster is one of the state’s oldest, largest and most progressive law firms, with nearly 200 attorneys and consultant
Locally, Mario Garcia-Serra is an attorney who advocates for the people and business who keep Coral Gables growing. Working on behalf of clients like the Agave Group, the Palace Group, Gables Residential, and Nolan Property International, Garcia-Serra seeks favorable outcomes for local de-
velopers with land use and zoning needs. His experience helps them adjust to the evolving demands of the real estate market, develop plans to accommodate increasingly complex regulatory processes and respond to new policies such as public art requirements. Garcia-Serra helps clients navigate some of the most complex real estate projects in the Gables and surrounding areas.
Throughout Florida, Gunster attorneys represent clients in all aspects of real estate, land use, environmental, property rights, development and acquisition matters, as well as advocacy at local and state government levels.
91 TOP ATTORNEYS
IN CORAL GABLES
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 900 305.624.0011 cmorganlaw.net Founded: 1983 600 Brickell Ave., Suite 3500. Miami, FL 33131 800.615.1980/305.376.6000 gunster.com Founded: 1925
Key projects represented: The Plaza Coral Gables, Gables Station, Merrick Manor, Villa Valencia, 100 Alhambra, Gables Ponce
Firm specialties: Complicated real estate transactions, commercial and corporate law, business litigation, and private wealth services.
Principal attorneys
Charles O. Morgan, Jr., Laura Morgan Horton (seated), Carmen Alpizar Hellman (center), with office staff Ashley J. Lopez and Melissa Gonza-
LAW LISTINGS
www.friedlandlawgroup.com
305.661.2008
Firm size: 2
GAEBE, MULLEN, ANTONELLI & DIMATTEO
Greg Gaebe, Michael A. Mullen, Mark R. Antonelli & Anthony DiMatteo
Personal Injury, Maritime/Admiralty, Toxic and Environmental Tort, Consumer & Civil Rights
420 S. Dixie Hwy. Suite 3
www.gaebemullen.com
305.667.0223
Firm size: 21
GAGEL LAW FIRM
James P. Gagel
Immigration Law
255 Aragon Ave. 2nd Floor
www.visas-america.com
305.444.7775
Firm size: 4
GALEGO LAW GROUP, P.A.
Nora Galego
Real Property Probate and Trust Law
232 Andalusia Ave. Suite 202
305.444.9000
Firm size: 1
GEORGE A. DAVID, P.A.
George A. David
Personal Injury, Insurance, Appeals, Construction Litigation
395 Alhambra Circle Suite 395
305.569.9980
Firm size: 1
GONZALO R. DORTA, P.A.
Gonzalo R. Dorta Personal Injury
334 Minorca Ave.
www.dortalaw.com
305.441.2299
Firm size: 2
GRAHAM LEGAL, P.A. Foreclosure Defense
814 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 410
www.grahamlegalpa.com
305.445.9185
Firm size: 1
GROSSMAN ROTH YAFFA COHEN, P.A.
Stuart Z. Grossman, Neal A. Roth, Andrew B. Yaffa & Gary M. Cohen
Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1150
www.grossmanroth.com
888.296.1681
Firm size: 24
GUNSTER
Complex Commercial Litigation, Immigration, International Taxation
600 Brickell Ave. Suite 3500
www.gunster.com
305.376.6000
Firm size: 38
HAGGARD LAW FIRM
William A. Haggard, Michael A. Haggard
Personal Injury
330 Alhambra Circle
www.haggardlawfirm.com
305.446.5700
Firm size: 6
HALPERN SANTOS PINKERT
Jay Halpern, Ernesto L Santos, Jr., Ian
D. Pinkert
Personal Injury & Accident
150 Alhambra Circle Suite 1100
www.hsptrial.com
305.445.1111
Firm size: 5
HOBSON FIRM
Mark D. Hobson
Business & Commercial Finance
135 San Lorenzo Ave. Suite 660
305.456.2122
Firm size: 3
ILISA W. HOFFMAN, P.A.
Ilisa W. Hoffman
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, General Litigation
4601 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 350
305.667.1074
Firm size: 1
INVESTMENTATTORNEYS
Russel C. Weigel, III
Corporate and Securities Law and Litigation
201 Alhambra Circle Suite 1050 www.investmentattorneys.com
786.888.4567
Firm size: 2
J. PATRICK FITZGERALD & ASSOCIATES, P.A.
J. Patrick Fitzgerald
Real Estate, Probate, Estate Planning
110 Merrick Way Suite 3B
305.443.9162
Firm size: 5
JARVIS & ASSOCIATES, P.A.
James W. Jarvis
Complex Aviation and Commercial Transactions
1550 Madruga Ave. Suite 220 www.jarvislaw.com
305.448.4848
Firm size: 5
J.P. GONZALEZ-SIRGO, P.A.
J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo Insurance
814 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 504 www.jpgonzalez-sirgo.com
305.461.1095
Firm size: 6
JASON WARSHOFSKY, P.A.
Jason Warshofsky
Wills, Trusts and Estates
2655 S Le Jeune Rd. www.warshofskylaw.com
305.446.1244
Firm size: 3
JEFFREY D. DECARLO, P.A.
Jeffrey D. DeCarlo
Personal Injury
4090 Laguna St. 2nd Floor www.decarlolaw.com
305.572.0065
Firm size: 1
JOHN M. THOMSON, P.A.
John M. Thomson
Probate, Real Estate, Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning, Retirement 100 Almeria Ave. Suite 310 www.jmtlaw.miami.com
305.445.5444
Firm size: 4
JOSE. R PUJOLS, P.A.
Jose R. Pujols
Real Estate 2655 S Le Jeune Rd. Suite 1C
305.569.9533
Firm size: 1
JUAN LUCAS ALVAREZ, P.A.
Juan Lucas Alvarez
Workers’ Compensation 901 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 303 www.miamiworkcomplawyer.com
305.442.7375
Firm size: 1
JULIO M. GOMEZ ATTORNEY AT LAW
Julio M. Gomez
Personal Injury, Domestic Violence, Misdemeanors 2655 S Le Jeune Rd. Suite 510 www.juliomgomez.com
405.448.7800
Firm size: 1
KATZ BARRON SQUITERO FAUST
Michael D. Katz, John Squitero, Marc
L. Faust
Real Estate, Environmental Law, Business & Corporate Law, Estate Planning 901 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 10th Floor www.katzbarron.com
305.856.2444
Firm size: 20
KELLER & BOLZ, LLP
John W. Keller III, Henry H. Bolz III
Commercial, Insurance, Admiralty & Maritime Law
121 Majorca Ave. Suite 200 www.kellerbolz.com
305.529.8500
Founded in 2002
Firm size: 3
KENNETH J. BUSH, P.A.
Kenneth J. Bush
Medical Malpractice
2100 Salzedo St. Suite 303 www.kjbushlaw.com
305.443.3795
Firm size: 1
KORGE & KORGE, L.L.P.
Thomas J. Korge, Christopher G. Korge, Thomas J Korge, III
Corporate and Litigation Attorneys 230 Palermo Ave. www.korgelaw.com
305.444.5630
Firm size: 3
KOZYAK TROPIN & THROCKMORTON, P.A.
John W. Kozyak, Harley S. Tropin, Charles W. Throckmorton Healthcare, Hospitality 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 9th Floor www.kttlaw.com
305.372.1800
Firm size: 24
LAURA L. RUSSO, ESQ. LLC
Laura L. Russo Trusts, Real Estate 2655 Le Jeune Rd. Suite PH1-F 305.476.8300
Firm size: 1
LANE, REESE & SUMMERS, P.A. Frank A. Lane, C. Page Lane, William S. Reese, William L. Summers Civil Trials, Sexual Abuse, Premises Liability
2600 Douglas Rd. Suite 304 www.lanereese.com
305.444.4418
Firm size: 6
LAW & MEDIATION OFFICES OF MINERVINO RODRIGUEZ, JR. Minervino Rodriguez, Jr. Divorce, Family Law, Business Law, Mediation 306 Alcazar Ave. Suite 205 www.floridalegalsolutions.com 305.461.5667
Firm size: 3
LAW OFFICE OF DAVID H. POLLACK, LLC
David H. Pollack Cruise Ship Injury 2600 Douglas Rd. Suite 1007 www.davidpollacklaw.com
305.372.5900
Firm size: 2
LAW OFFICE OF JACK MARTIN COE, P.A. Jack Martin Coe Civil Trial Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation, and Family Law 100 Almeria Ave. www.coejack.com
305.445.3200
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICE OF A. ANTONIO TOMAS, P.A. A. Antonio Tomas Criminal Defense and Tax Attorney 255 Aragon Ave. 2nd Floor www.tomas-law.com
305.290.2313
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICES OF LEON A. BRUNET, P.A.
Leon A. Brunet Commercial and Business Litigation, Family Law, Real Estate, Wills and Probate 150 Alhambra Circle Suite 950 www.brunetlaw.com 305.774.0991
Firm size: 2
LAW OFFICES OF LOUIS THALER, P.A. Louis Thaler
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice 2 Alhambra Plaza 305.446.0100
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICES OF MARIA LLADO MCMILLAN, P.A.
Maria Llado McMillan Family Law
92
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Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP is a multi-practice business law rm that serves domestic and international clients as a strategic partner in successfully resolving complex and novel legal issues across a wide range of industries.
Banking & Finance
Advising domestic and foreign nancial institutions, lenders, and other nancial service providers.
Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions
Representing companies and investors domestically and internationally in all corporate matters.
Immigration
Assisting companies and executives in navigating the U.S. immigration regulatory process and formulating immigration strategies for multinational operations.
Litigation & Arbitration
Representing companies in commercial cases, domestic and international arbitrations, and corporate and government investigations.
Real Estate
Handling many aspects of commercial real estate transactions and nancings for individuals and companies.
Proudly
YOUR BUSINESS,
PRACTICE.
serving the Coral Gables Community since 2007
OUR
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd, PH 1225 Coral Gables, FL 33134 | 305 779 3560 | www.arhmf.com
LAW LISTINGS
717 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 238
786.552.5660
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICES OF MITCHELL A. HORWICH, P.A.
Mitchell A. Horwich 1541 Sunset Dr. Suite 202
305.666.5299
Firm size: 3
LAW OFFICES OF NEIL G. TAYLOR, P.A.
Neil G. Taylor
Criminal Defense 201 Alhambra Circle Suite 1050
www.ngtlaw.com
305.858.2233
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICES OF RONALD E. KAUFMAN, P.A.
Ronald E. Kaufman
Construction Law
3399 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 202 www.miamiconstructionattorney.info
305.444.1500
Firm size: 1
LAW OFFICES OF SLESNICK & CASEY, LLP
Donald D. Slesnick, II, James Casimir
Casey
Employment and Labor, Appellate, Administrative Law 2701 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 200 www.scllp.com
305.448.5672
Firm size: 2
LAWRENCE F. MICHELSON, P.A.
Lawrence F. Michelson
Estates, Wills, Probate and Trust 1550 Madruga Ave. Suite 120 www.larrym.com
305.661.8929
Firm size: 1
LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH, LLP
Robert F. Lewis, Roy M. Brisbois Business, Finance & Transactions, Insurance Law, Healthcare
2 Alhambra Plaza Suite 1110 www.lewisbrisbois.com
786.353.0210
Firm size: 16
LORENZEN LAW, P.A.
Dirk Lorenzen
Divorce Lawyer
150 Alhambra Circle Suite 1220
305.447.1203
Firm Size: 2
LOTT & FISCHER, P.L.
Leslie J. Lott, Ury Fischer
Intellectual Property
255 Aragon Ave. Third Floor www.lottfischer.com
305.448.7089
Firm size: 6
LOUIS STINSON, JR., P.A.
Louis Stinson, Jr.
Corporate Law, Commercial Law, Insurance
110 Merrick Way Suite 3A
305.444.8807
Firm size: 1
LOURDES M. FERNANDEZ, P.A.
Lourdes M. Fernandez
Family Law
4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 470 www.lmflawpa.com
305.777.0398
Firm size: 1
LUBELL | ROSEN
Steven L. Lubell and Mark L. Rosen White Collar Criminal Defense, Workers’ Compensation Defense, Real Estate Litigation, Family Law
1 Alhambra Plaza Suite 1410 www.lubellrosen.com
305.655.3425
Firm size: 12
M. FUENTES & CO.
Milton Fuentes Civil Law
201 Alhambra Circle Suite 601 www.fuentes.law.com
305.447.1960
Firm size: 3
MACEY LAW
David Macey
Criminal Defense
135 San Lorenzo Ave. Suite 830 www.davidmacey.com
305.860.2562
Firm size: 1
MALTZMAN & PARTNERS, P.A.
Jeffrey B. Maltzman, Anamarie M. Maltzman Litigation and Transactions
55 Miracle Mile www.maltzmanpartners.com
305.779.5665
Firm size: 15
MANUEL CASABIELLE, P.A.
Manuel Casabielle Criminal Defense Attorney 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 300 www.manuelcasabielle.com
305.860.1558
Firm size: 1
MARK L. RIVLIN
Mark L. Rivlin
Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Title Insurance
1550 Madruga Ave. Suite 120
305.661.4600
Firm size: 1
MARK S. SCHECHNER
Mark S. Schechner
Real Estate
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500
Firm size: 1
MARLOW, ADLER, ABRAMS, NEWMAN AND LEWIS Insurance Coverage, General Liability, Medical Negligence, Admiralty and Maritime Law
Joel D. Adler, Robert Scott Newman, Samuel S. Lewis 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.marlowadler.com
305.446.0500
Firm size: 16
MARRERO & WYDLER
Oscar E. Marrero, Lourdes E. Wydler
Personal Injury, Premises Liability, Civil Rights Employment, Municipal Liability
2600 Douglas Rd. www.marrerolegal.com
305.446.5528
Firm size: 4
MCPHILLIPS LAW FIRM, P.A.
Frank McPhillips
Corporate and Real Estate Law
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 300 www.flmlawfirm.com
305.374.0448
Firm size: 1
MICHAEL J. FREEMAN, P.A.
Michael J. Freeman
Corporate Law, Probate, Real Estate 153 Sevilla Ave.
305.442.1567
Firm size: 1
MICHAEL S. CEASE, P.A.
Michael S. Cease
235 Alcazar Ave.
305.445.4331
Firm size: 1
MICHAEL SETH COHEN, P.A.
Michael Seth Cohen
Personal Injury, Insurance, General Trial
255 Alhambra Circle Suite 700
305.448.7676
Firm size: 1
MOORE & CO.,P.A.
Michael T. Moore
Maritime Law, Art Law, Aviation Law
255 Aragon Ave. 3rd Floor www.moore-and-co.com
786.221.0600
Firm size: 8
MORGAN HORTON LAW
Charles O. Morgan, Jr. & Laura M. Horton Estate Planning, Probate, Charitable Planning, Real Estate, Sports Law 2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 900 www.protectyou.com
305.624.0011
Firm size: 5
MOSCOWITZ & MOSCOWITZ, P.A.
Norman A. Moscowitz, Jane W. Moscowitz White Collar Criminal Defense and Commercial Litigation
2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1000 www.moscowitz.com
305.379.8300
Firm size: 3
MURRAY LAW FIRM
John P. Murray
Disability Insurance
2655 S Le Jeune Rd. PH1D www.johnpmurray.com
305.779.4818
Firm size: 1
MURRAY, MORIN & HERMAN, P.A.
John M. Murray, Christopher S. Morin & David P. Herman
Civil Litigation 255 Alhambra Circle www.mmhlaw.com
305.441.1180
Firm size: 12
NEIMAN & INTERIAN, PLLC
Jan S. Neiman, Alberto Interian
Tax, Business Law, Estate Planning, Probate
2020 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1005-B
305.530.9400
Firm size: 6
NERO IMMIGRATION LAW, P.L. Deirdre Nero Immigration 121 Alhambra Plaza www.neroimmigration.com
305.351.1079
Firm size: 3
NICKLAUS & ASSOCIATES, P.A.
Edward R. Nicklaus
Civil Litigation Defense
4651 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 200 www.nicklauslaw.com
305.460.9888
Firm size: 8
NIURKA L. LOPEZ, P.A.
Niurka L. Lopez
Real Estate 255 Alhambra Circle 305.908.1782
Firm size: 1
NOSICH & GANZ
Jim Nosich and Marc Ganz
Professional, General and Corporate Liability 75 Valencia Ave. www.ngattorneys.com
305.442.4800
Firm size: 5
PAUL G. FLETCHER, P.A.
Paul G. Fletcher Family Law 4649 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 303 305.661.6125
Firm size: 1
PAUL MORRIS PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Paul Morris Federal and State Criminal Appeals 9350 S. Dixie Hwy. Suite 1450 www.paulmorrislaw.net
305.670.1441
Firm size: 1
POLLACK & ROSEN, P.A.
Mark E. Pollack, Joseph F. Rosen
Consumer & Commercial Collections, Family Law, Healthcare, Probate, Estate Planning, General Civil Litigation 806 Douglas Rd. Suite 200 www.pollackrosen.com
888.448.1557
Firm size: 2
94
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FORT LAUDERDALE | JACKSONVILLE | MIAMI | ORLANDO | SARASOTA | TALLAHASSEE | TAMPA | WEST PALM BEACH Shutts & Bowen LLP 200 S. Biscayne Boulevard | Suite 4100 Miami, FL 33131 | 305.359.6300 www.shutts.com t Shutts & Bowen proudly congratulates The Coral Gables Magazine on its First Anniversary. We
hope to continue to serve the residents of Coral Gables together, for years to come.
LAW LISTINGS
POST & ROMERO
Robert Post and Carlos A. Romero, Jr. Civil Litigation
804 Douglas Rd. Suite 365
305.445.0014
Firm size: 2
QUARANTA, P.A.
John M. Quaranta, Ann McNally Quaranta Complex Commercial Litigation, Consumer Class-Actions, Employment Litigation
255 Alhambra Circle Suite 1150 www.quarantalaw.com
305.930.6077
Firm size: 2
RAFAEL J. SANCHEZ-ABALLI, P.A. Rafael J. Sanchez-Aballi
264 Almeria Ave. 305.779.5041
Firm size: 1
RANDOLPH E. FAERBER
Randolph E. Faerber Personal Injury, Family Law, Mediation, Traffic Law
2030 Douglas Rd. Suite 105 www.rfaerberlaw.com
305.66.7323
Firm size: 1
RAUL VALDES-FAULI, P.A.
Raul Valdes-Fauli Corporate Law 355 Alhambra Circle Suite 1205 786.502.2646
Firm size: 1
REMBOLD HIRSCHMAN, P.L.
Scott D. Rembold and Kimberly C. Hirschman
Insurance, Construction & Business Litigation
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500 www.therhlawfirm.com
305.442.9111
Firm size: 12
RENE A. SOTORRIO, P.A.
Rene A. Sotorrio Criminal Law 113 Almeria Ave. www.sotorriolaw.com
305.443.6163
Firm size: 1
REX RUSSO LAW
Rex Russo Real Estate Litigation, Bankruptcy Defense, Appeals 1550 Madruga Ave. Suite 323
305.442.7393
Firm size: 2
REYES, O’SHEA & COLOCA, P.A.
Angel M. Reyes, Daniel F. O’Shea, Lina Coloca Mesothelioma 345 Palermo Ave. www.roclawfirm.com
305.374.8110
Firm size: 3
RICHARD A. SCHURR, P.A.
Richard A. Schurr
Divorce
100 Almeria Ave. Suite 340
www.richardschurr.com
305.204.4924
Firm size: 4
RICHARD W. HOFFMAN, P.A.
Richard W. Hoffman
Medical Malpractice, Civil Rights, Personal Injury
4601 Ponce de Leon Suite 350
305.666.2920
Firm size: 1
ROBERTS & ASSOCIATES
Lawrence J. Roberts
Transportation Law
249 Catalonia Ave.
www.lrobertsandassociates.com
305.441.7882
Firm size: 2
ROTH & SCHOLL ATTORNEY AT LAW
Jeffrey C. Roth and Dennis Scholl
Commercial Litigation, Real Estate & Business Law
866 S. Dixie Hwy. www.rothandscholl.com
305.662.4141
Firm size: 4
SACHER MARTINI & SACHER
Charles Philip Sacher, Gregory T. Martini, Charles S. Sacher
Tax Law
2655 S Le Jeune Rd. Suite 1101
305.448.3900
Firm size: 3
SALAZAR LAW
Luis Salazar
Reorganization and Bankruptcy, Corporate and Transactions, Data Privacy and New Media, Trial and Litigation 2000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Penthouse www.salazarlaw.com
305.374.4848
Firm size: 4
SANCHEZ-GALARRAGA, P.A.
Daniel Sanchez-Galarraga, Elena Sanchez-Galarraga, Jorge Sanchez-Galarraga
Real Estate, Probate
1313 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.sgpalaw.com
305.445.5351
Firm size: 3
SANDRA GREENBLATT, P.A.
Sandra Greenblatt
Health Law
1 Alhambra Plaza Suite 1410 www.flhealthlawyer.com
305.577.9995
Firm size: 1
SER & ASSOCIATES
Lillian Ser
Real Estate, Business Law, Intellectual Property, Mediation/Litigation, Trusts and Estates
2100 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 1180 www.ser-associates.com
305.222.7282
Firm size: 4
SHUTTS
Cuba Task Force, Immigration, Government Law, International Dispute Resolution, Labor and Employment 200 S Biscayne Blvd. Suite 4100 www.shutts.com
305.381.9982
Firm size: 110
SILVA & SILVA, P.A.
Carlos E. Silva and Jorge E. Silva Professional Negligence 236 Valencia Ave. www.silvasilva.com
305.445.0011
Firm size: 5
S.M.F. LAW
Sandra M. Ferrera
Real Estate, Corporate, Title 500 S Dixie Hwy. Suite 304 www.smflawgroup.com 786.465.5600
Firm size: 1
SULLIVAN, ADMIRE & SULLIVAN, P.A.
Real Estate
John C. Sullivan, Jr., John G. Admire 2555 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 320 www.sullivanadmire.com
305.444.6121
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THE GOLDEN FIRM
Anthony T. Golden Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Taxation, Corporate Law, Real Estate 145 Sevilla Ave. www.thegoldenfirm.com
305.461.1882
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THE JOSEPHS LAW FIRM
Michael R. Josephs and Adam C. Josephs
Commercial and Business Litigation, Personal Injury Law 255 Alhambra Circle Suite 700 www.florida-attorneys.com
305.445.3800
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THE LAW OFFICES OF ALEJANDRO D. DE VARONA
Alejandro D. De Varona Criminal Defense 2600 Douglas Rd. Suite 1008 www.adevaronalaw.com
305.227.7220
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THE LAW OFFICES OF ANTHONY & ASSOCIATES, P.A.
Andrew J. Anthony
Personal Injury, Insurance Coverage, Commercial Litigation, Business Law 2625 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 201 www.anthonyandassociatespa.com
305.444.8927
Firm size: 2
THE LAW OFFICES OF MARIO M. LOVO, P.A.
Mario M. Lovo Immigration 228 Valencia Ave. www.immigrationlawyers.com
305.441.1994
Firm size: 1
TIRADO-LUCIANO & TIRADO
Alex Tirado-Luciano, Monica Tirado Civil Litigation
2655 Le Jeune Rd. Suite 1109 www.tltirado.com
305.390.2320
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TODD ROSEN LAW GROUP
Todd Rosen
Personal Injury
201 Alhambra Circle Suite 601 www.toddrosenlaw.com
305.285.3022
Firm size: 1
TORRICELLA LAW
Robert Torricella
Business Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Employment and Discrimination 4551 Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.torricellalaw.com
305.677.7644
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WELLS & WELLS, P.A.
Thomas O. Wells, Diane Wells
Tax, Estate Planning & Wealth Preservation
540 Biltmore Way www.twellslaw.com
305.444.0016
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WICKER SMITH O’HARA MCCOY & FORD, P.A.
Business & Transactional, Litigation
J.J. Wicker II, Vivianne Aurore Wicker, Dennis M. O’Hara, Jackson F. McCoy, Richards H. Ford
2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 8 www.wickersmith.com
305.448.3939
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WILLIAM PETROS LAW
William L. Petros Civil Trial & Appellate Lawyer
4090 Laguna St. 2nd Floor www.petroslaw.com
305.446.3699
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YALE T. FREEMAN, P.A.
Yale T. Freeman Criminal Law
201 Alhambra Circle Suite 1050 www.ytfreemanlaw.com
305.444.3400
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ZUMPANO PATRICIOS & WINKER, P.A.
Joseph I. Zumpano, Leon N. Patricios and David J. Winker
Administrative, Antitrust, Corporate, Criminal, Estate Planning, Family, Health, Immigration, International, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Real Estate and Securities Law
312 Minorca Ave. www.zplaw.com
305.444.5565
Firm size: 13
coralgablesthemagazine.com
96
Listening Then leading
Fine Dining
Seafood Superstar
MESAMAR IS ONE OF CORAL GABLES MOST POPULAR RESTAURANTS, AND FOR GOOD REASON – IT SERVES SOME OF THE FINEST SEAFOOD DISHES IN THE CITY
By Andrew Gayle
One of the great mysteries of coastal South Florida is how few seafood restaurants there are –and how few of those are really good. If you are a lover of superb seafood, however, do not despair.
MesaMar is your Mecca.
MesaMar specializes in well-prepared, fresh seafood, with the added twist that it tweaks the taste by fusing Latin and Japanese cuisine. The result is a celebration of fresh fish and crustaceans, with intriguing flavors, spices and preparations that take the ocean’s catch to a new place.
It is also a well-planned, pleasant place to eat, smartly decorated with symbols of the sea and shades of Mediterranean blue trimmed with white molding; the effect is a kind of Brooks Brothers meets Cape Cod look, a natural, sophisticated feeling like being in a big, well-appointed house on Chesapeake Bay.
MesaMar is also like a secret that everybody knows about, a surprise party waiting quietly until you open the doors and find the whole gang inside. Walk through their modest entrance, slightly enhanced by two short Greek columns, and you discover an array of rooms peopled with scores of diners, and with a busy, curvy bar in the center.
One room is called the library, appropriately enough;
one wall is covered with backlit bookshelves. Another more intimate room, with silver starfish on the wall, is called the Happy Lounge. The third and largest room is called the Fish Room, for here is where the parade of the day’s fresh fish are on display in a bed of crushed ice.
These fish are for the Catch of the Day, the signature dish of MesaMar. For this entrée, the waiter brings you the fish first. It’s up to you to approve; those who are canny in such things can judge by how clear the eyes look. But not to worry if you are a landlubber; it’s almost impossible to get anything but the freshest. MesaMar owner and executive chef Lilia “Fifi” Molina has such a reputation for sending back less-thanfresh fish to her suppliers on the Miami River that they only offer her their best.
The Catch of the Day is served either as a whole grilled or fried fish, or fileted, with its meat grilled or fried and placed next to the spiny fish skeleton that rides the middle of the plate like a small dragon. You can also have one side grilled and one side fried, which is the most fun and what we tried. Fantastic. While the Catch is enough to put MesaMar on the seafood map, it’s what they do beyond the traditional, mixing Japanese and Latin flavors, that make them unique.
Above: Catch of the day is the signature dish of MesaMar
Opposite:
Top left: Grilled Lobster served with avocado and asparagus
Top middle: Scallops in pear cream sauce and truffle oil
Top right: Rock shrimp tempura in a secret creamy sauce
Bottom: The library room next to the bar
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MesaMar 264 Giralda Ave. 305.640.8448
One of our main goals is to leave our patrons with powerful flavors they will not forget... Owner
and executive chef Lilia Molina
For starters we tried their Tacos from the Sea. While the tuna in homemade cilantro sauce is good, the lobster taco with garlic and MesaMar’s creamy, tangy sauce (a secret recipe, but we suspect chipotle is involved) was spectacular. Their sashimi is another crossover dish, with thin slices of raw fish marinated ceviche-style in Asian citrus yuzu, with miso and olive oil. Light and full of flavor. Their coconut rolls – tuna sashimi on a stick with caramelized cashews, shredded coconut and capers – is another clever and scrumptious mouthful.
In their menu category of “hot” dishes, we tried two that
were knockouts, well worth the visit. The first was a rock shrimp tempura fried in a mushroom and ponzu batter and then coated with MesaMar’s secret creamy sauce. It was the most popular item on our table. The other was their grilled scallops in pear cream sauce and truffle oil. A new and remarkably good taste.
MesaMar’s extensive menu delves into pastas and meats with great confidence –some excellent linguini dishes and a top notch filet mignon among the choices – but they had us at seafood. As a benchmark we ordered the Paella MesaMar and were impressed with the ratio of seafood to
yellow rice, the copious use of green peas and the hefty chunks of lobster. On the side we ordered some tostones, deftly and lightly fried.
Now four years old, Mesa Mar is the second restaurant launched by Molina. The first, called Fifi’s Place, was started in 2007 on Miami Beach. But, says Molina, “most of my customers were from the Gables, and they always told me to open a place here.”
When she was approached by Felipe Valls Jr. (owner of Versailles and La Carreta), who offered to partner with her, she knew the time had come.
As for the Japanese/Latin fusion, she modestly says the
inspiration came from Nobu on the beach, where she first tasted rock shrimp tempura.
“Our menu is a Japanese and Latin fusion because one of our main goals is to leave our patrons with powerful flavors they will not forget,” she says. “Because of this we have customers that frequent the restaurant every week. When we were on the beach, the restaurant was driven by tourists. Here the regular clientele [including Miami pop star Pitbull] is the important thing. A lot of our customers dine so frequently here they have gotten to know our staff, and feel like they are owners of the restaurant.”
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Dining Guide May 2019
THE TOP RESTAURANTS IN CORAL GABLES
CoralGables is a moveable 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, but are also spread throughout the Gables. This is not the sort of town where one wanders about in large shopping malls, but nonetheless there are some hidden gems to be found there and 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
$ Under $25
$$ $25-$40
$$$ $35-$75
$$$$ $70-$100+
Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, no tax, tip or drinks. Prices are approximate
AMERICAN Ad Lib
Brought to you by the same folks behind Swine, and located in the same place, this new, modern-looking restaurant offers innovative takes on American cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and humanely sourced meats. Try the roasted pumpkin toast, the charcoal roasted shittake mushrooms or the dry-aged duck with crispy rice, sour cherries and black garlic.
2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.305.504.8895
$$$ American 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
$$ Pizza/American
Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar
Offering a no-veto vote menu, meaning there’s something for everyone, Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar serves craveable American fare with dishes that are
made from scratch daily, incorporating the highest quality ingredients. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour, signature dishes include the Wok Out Bowls™, The Wedge Burger, and “Hot” Chicken.
301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220.
$$ American
Eating House
Groovy place with inventive ever-changing menu, with dishes like nutmeg risotto, pumpkin tiradito, and fried Brussels sprouts. Dynamite freerange fried chicken. Simple artsy décor but superb food, excellent presentation, great value.
804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.6524
$$ Innovative American Seasons 52
The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flat bread menu is really a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them.
321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552
$$ Healthy American 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. Best Specialty Burger says Coral Gables magazine. 6915 Red Rd. 305.665.9661
$$$ Steak and seafood
to a restaurant at 10 pm and find the place packed, even with children.
Many of the restaurants in Coral Gables are world-class. But the culinary scene is also changing. Where once the topflight, traditional dining spots catered to lawyers, bankers, businessmen and diplomats, there is a new crop of edgier places, with young chefs and new tastes, catering to a younger clientele.
What follows is our list of the tried and true, and the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.
Tap 42
Winner of Best Overall Burger by Coral Gables magazine, Tap 42 is big, noisy and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks and burgers, plus great side dishes stand out (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian cole slaw).
301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566
$$-$$$ American Pub
Yard House
A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic rock in the background and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone.
320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273
$$ American and more
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
$-$$ Japanese
Izkaya
Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason.
159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584
$$ Japanese
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SHULA’S 347 GRILL
Dining Guide
Malakor Thai Issan
This new eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai street 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. Great new flavors, already a local hit.
90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862
$$ Thai
Kao Sushi & Grill
A fresh and interesting take on Sushi as it is blended with the flavors of Peru. Steamed gyoza dumplings with chorizo? Tuna tataki with traditional Peruvian sauce? Cooked white rice over chipotle seasoned furikake? Yes, to all three. They also do some interesting things with steak, since the creators of the Sushi Club come from Buenos Aires. Outdoor seating on the Mile.
127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212
$$ Peruvian Japanese
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
$$ Thai Sawa
Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. Some nice “samplers” let you check out the menu’s range, plus great naan flatbreads. Great lamb chops. Also has a doggy menu.
360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops of Merrick Park) // 305.447.6555
$$$ Japanese and Mediterranean
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
$$-$$$ French
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
$$-$$$ French
Le Provençal
This Gables mainstay (30 years in the same location) is under new ownership, so expect some intriguing innovations. But what they do extremely well is classic French cuisine, with such crowd-pleasing favorites as duck a l’orange, Coquille St. Jacques, escargot and steak au poivre. New sidewalk seating for the Parisian café experience, perfect pre-theater location.
266 Miracle Mile 305.448.8984
$$$ French
Palm d’Or
The award-winning Palm d’Or is a dining icon in Coral Gables. At once traditional and innovative, the French cuisine created by Chef Gregory Pugin is a work of art, literally. Each serving in his $115 six-course meals – or his $155 chef’s tasting menu – is impeccable in taste and appearance.
1200 Anastasia Ave. (at the Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200
$$$$ French
Pascal’s On Ponce
Elegant, quaint and delicious, Pascal’s is the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés and desserts. Try the leeks & hearts of palm salad.
2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024
$$$ French
ITALIAN
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
$$$ Italian
Cibo Wine Bar
Cibo has two locations in South Florida, one on South Beach and the other here, on Miracle Mile. Rustic Italian food in a warm interior with exposed brick, wood finishes, butcher block tables and a wall of wine selections. Extensive traditional Italian menu, with lots of pizza options cooked in a brick oven.
45 Miracle Mile 305.442.4925
$$-$$$ Italian
Fiola
Brought to you by Washington, D.C., chef Fabio Trabocchi, this new entry into the Gables dining scene is a game changer. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, the sea scallops ceviche and the signature lobster ravioli. Elegant presentations only add to this encounter with gustatory greatness.
1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639
$$$$ Italian
Fontana
The setting is as elegant as the service and food: The Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy Italian classics. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Great octopus, pastas cooked perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables.
1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200
$$$ Italian
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
$$$ Italian
Zucca
A worthy heir to the hallowed grounds of the old St. Michel restaurant, this two-year-old is a new star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with the home-taught recipes that chef Simone Mua learned in his native Milan. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with haute comfort food and great service.
162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731
$$$-$$$$ Northern Italian
LATIN & SOUTH AMERICAN Aromas del Peru
The shrine for ceviche, with a wide range of choices – 18 ceviches at last count – for great prices. Haute Peruvian appetizers and good fish dishes, right up to the whole fried snapper. And don’t miss the pisco sour soup. Comfortable leather seats, too.
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Dining Guide
1930 Ponce de León Blvd. // 305.476.5886
$$ Peruvian
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, always full. 4019 Le Jeune Rd. 305.446.5659
$$$ Cuban/Latin
Graziano’s
This large, bustling Gables mainstay is true Argentine. A deep selection of Argentine wines (which line every wall) to go with churrasco meats slowly roasted over a quebracho wood fire, old school style. They have seafood and pasta, empanadas and salads, but come here for the meat, the selection of which will stun even hardcore carnivores.
394 Giralda Ave. 305.774.3599
$$$ Argentine
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. LeJeune Rd. 305.661.2622
$$ Cuban
Mikuna Peruvian
“It’s time to feel the real Peru” boasts the Mikuna web site, and they do indeed move beyond ceviche to the other dishes that make Peruvian food one of the best cuisines in Latin America. These include lobster with Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, seafood rice with squid ink, and skewered swordfish. Other unique tastes include shrimp bisque with rice and egg.
325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910
$$$ Peruvian
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 flat breads that
are really haute tacos – are great at $17.
2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2955
$$ Mexican
SEAFOOD
La Dorada
Regarded by many to be one of the finest restaurants devoted to seafood in the Gables, La Dorada is traditional Spanish cooking with a deep-sea focus (and a pleasant, ocean-deco décor).
The house specialty is a baked whole fish crusted in sea salt, but don’t miss the traditional Mediterranean seafood stews or the shellfish prepared Galician style.
177 Giralda Ave. 305.446.2002
$$$$ Spanish Seafood
M House
New restaurant on the ground floor of the Aloft Hotel, M House has soaring ceilings and clever plant hangings that create a great space. Fantastic seafood and new tastes abound, as Chef Abraham Silva uses a Josper Oven to bake in flavors at high heats. Great new takes on octopus, scallops and mussels, along with a masterful whole fish. Delicious Josper-cooked lamb chops.
2524 S. Le Jeune Rd. 786.369.5155
$$$ European coastal cuisine, seafood
SPANISH Bellmónt
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
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to order 4 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
$$$ Spanish
Bulla Gastrobar
As valued for its cocktails as for its tapas, Bulla is also something Coral Gables needs – an informal, smart neighborhood hangout with a young, boisterous vibe. Great ‘small plates’ and refreshing sangria. Yes, it is a national chain, but it still feels local.
2500 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.441.0107 / $$ Spanish
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 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
$$ Spanish
Mara Basque Cuisine
If you have ever wanted to taste authentic Basque cuisine from northern Spain, this is your chance. Less than a year old, this entry into the international cuisine scene on Giralda brings the best of Basque cooking: Cod prepared
with Vizcaina sauce (made from red onions and choricero pepper), Iberian ham with eggs and potatoes, meatballs with tomato sauce and guindilla peppers, and beef oxtail stew. Many dishes served as tapas to be shared.
112 Giralda Ave. (Plaza)
305.504.9274
$$$-$$$$ Spanish
STEAK
Christy’s
Touted as Coral Gables oldest steakhouse, Christy’s was long the power lunch go-to – until it stopped serving lunch except on Fridays. Still, its aged steaks are consistently excellent, as are the seafood entrees. And their classic Caesar salad is still the best in town.
3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.446.1400
$$$ Steakhouse
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
$$$-$$$$ Steak & Seafood
Morton’s Coral Gables
Morton’s in the Gables is not just another
Morton’s. Its setting in the Colonnades gives it a unique elegance, with outdoor seating under the arches. Dependable quality, prime-aged beef, and excellent salads. Good place to take that important client. Great happy hour with filet mignon sandwiches or short rib tacos for $8.
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
305.442.1662
$$$ Steakhouse
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
There is a reason that the tables at Ruth’s are typically full, even on week 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
$$$$ Steakhouse
PUBS, CAFES & MISC.
John Martin’s Irish Pub
Where else in the Gables can you find a relaxed Irish pub with excellent comfort food like shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash, and fish & chips? Answer: nowhere. Which is why this long-established eatery and bar is so beloved by its clientele. Lots of American staples as well, from hot pastrami on rye to their signature Pub Burger. Jazz every Wednesday night.
253 Miracle Mile 305.445.3777
$ Pub Food
The Seven Dials
Calling itself an “eclectic American gastropub,” Seven Dials is a fusion of American recipes with British culinary standards, with nice twists like a chicken breast cooked with curry sauce. There is also a tasty Welsh Rarebit snack and a beer-battered Indian-inspired cauliflower with mint aioli and tamarind. Relaxed, pub-like interior.
2030 S. Douglas Rd. 786.542.1603
$$ 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 avocado toast? The brain child of Australian Nick Sharp, ThreeFold is also popular for Sunday brunch – partly because of nice outdoor seating on Giralda Plaza. 141 Giralda Ave. 305.704.8007
$$ American
Ortanique on the Mile
A long-time favorite on Miracle Mile, Ortanique is named for a tropical citrus fruit (their sister restaurant is in Grand Cayman) and its Caribbean fine dining reflects chef Cindy Hutson’s commitment to “cuisine of the sun.” A warm and welcoming place.
278 Miracle Mile 305.446.7710
$$ Caribbean
Any One Service • Must present this Ad at Check In. One Special per client 786 360 5928 | 261 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL www.salonandbeautybar.com SUMMER SPECIAL % OFF Coloring Services Waxing Nail Grooming Keratin Styling Services Botox Silky Hair Treatment AGES 1 - 12 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM PRE-CAMP FUN WEEK JUNE 10-14 SUMMER PROGRAMS JUNE 17-AUGUST 9 POST-CAMP FUN WEEK AUGUST 12-16 1 2 305.665.6274 school@alexandermontessori.com www.alexandermontessori.com Preschool 6050 SW 57th Avenue Toddler and Preschool 17800 Old Cutler Road Toddler and Preschool 14400 Old Cutler Road Elementary 14850 SW 67th Avenue IF IT’S SUMMER, IT MUST BE ALEXANDER CAMP! AMCORALGABLESMAG3.6x4.8.indd 1 3/14/19 2:02 PM 105
Real Estate
What $4.5 Million Will Buy in Coral Gables
Coral Gables has some of the most valuable real estate in South Florida. As Forbes Magazine puts it, “Coral Gables has long set the high bar for luxury real estate,” with a median home value of $766,600 that is more than twice the median home value for Miami-Dade County as a whole.
To see what $4.5 million would buy today, we asked three real estate agents to submit one of their homes for sale in that price range – give or take a few hundred thousand dollars. Here is what they came up with, in different Gables locations.
French Château
6400 SAN VICENTE ST.
Listing Price $4.475m
6 bed/7 bath/1 half bath. 6,900 sq. ft./Pool. This elegant two-story home on a corner lot in South Gables is a self-styled French Chateau. Its oversized gourmet kitchen has custom wooden cabinets, Thermador appliances and marble floors. Other features include high ceilings, a walk-in wine cellar, a summer kitchen, a three-car garage and French glass doors throughout. Built in 2015.
Listing Agent: Jorge E. Uribe (ONE Sotheby’s International Realty), 786.371.8777
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Listing Price
$4.485m
Sprawling Manse
7270 W. LAGO DR.
6 bed/6 bath/1 half bath. 7,061 sq. ft./Pool. Sprawling mansion in Cocoplum with 95 feet of water front and a 60foot dock. Spanish style exterior with barrel-tile roof, and sleek, bright, high-ceiling interior. Huge master suite has a bedroom-sized bath and closet plus large terrace with spiral stairway to pool. Grand entrance, stairway with landing and iron-filigree banisters. Listing Agent: Monica Betancourt (EWM), 305.632.7248
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Listing Price
$3.995m
Historic Gem
FRENCH CITY VILLAGE
4 bed/4 bath/2 half baths/5,716 sq. ft./Pool
Designed by renowned architect Philip L. Goodwin of MoMA fame, built in 1925 by George Merrick, this Registered Historic Landmark has the largest interior and lot in the French City Village. Completely restored in 2000.
Highlights: gourmet kitchen, elevator, flooring of original Dade County pine, balconies and pergolas adorned with specimen palms, lagoon style pool. Agent: Judy Zeder (Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate), 305.613.5550
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The Seen
Kreps DeMaria Celebrates Public Art in Coral Gables and Honors MG Developer CEO Alirio Torrealba
Hosted by Kreps DeMaria President Sissy DeMaria-Koehne and CEO Israel Kreps, the April event celebrated public art donated by Alirio Torrealba and his new role as member of the Coral Gables Museum’s Board of Directors. Presented by the partners of Kreps DeMaria PR & Marketing and Coral Gables Magazine, the event recognized Torrealba’s numerous contributions to the City and his upcoming role as part of the Coral Gables Museum’s Board of Directors. Taking place at the Museum’s Fewell Gallery, the evening affair featured remarks by the City of Coral Gables Arts &
Culture Specialist Catherine Cathers, Coral Gables Magazine’s Richard Roffman as well as Coral Gables Museum Executive Director John Allen. Torrealba culminated the event with remarks highlighting his enthusiasm for his new role and his strong support of art and history.
Top: Israel Kreps, CEO of Kreps de Maria addressing the audience Group Shot (From the left): John Allen, Catherine Cathers, Richard Roffman, Museum Board Chair Lynn Bauer, Alirio Torrealba and his wife Doris, and Rosario Marquardt and Roberto Bejar, the artists who created the MG Developer-funded “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” bench sculpture in Balboa Plaza
Whether
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Interiors with Attitude
VINCENZO AVANZATO’S INTERIORS ARE ALL ABOUT COLOR AND FUN – AND THE CLIENT’S ESTHETIC
By James Broida
The design career of Gables-based Vincenzo Avanzato has encompassed projects ranging from opulent boutiques and restaurants in the Middle East to large-scale residences in New York, Latin America and Europe. In South Florida he has worked on numerous luxury residential projects, including homes in Gables Estates and Cocoplum.
Avanzato Design, his eponymous company, brings an approach to design which translates into different styles that reflect both the client’s esthetic and the architectural envelope. Some of his interiors are baronial in their appearance, others sleek and modern. In all of them there is a sense of play between color and form, and between form and function. The one we chose to feature, from a Cocoplum estate, showcases a spirited and cheerful take on new hues that push the boundaries of home design.
Having been born in Italy, raised in London, and lived in Paris (as well as in California, where he studied design at UCLA), Avanzato brings a broad cultural perspective to his work. He established his boutique office on Douglas Road eight years ago.
“Because I’ve been exposed to a lot of different cultures, when I design something, it’s never the same,” says Avanzato. “I translate the desires of the client into my work, but the sensibilities of the colors come from me.”
Gables-based interior designer Vincenzo Avanzato (top right)
DINING ROOM (right)
The natural oak French dining chairs are covered in a warm fuchia leather, inspired by a painting of two Korean women hanging at the head of the table. The extendable dining table is a modern design. The mirror is an antique reproduction from the Richard Shapiro Studiolo. “We gave the room a nice mix of colors and styles,” says Avanzato.
FAMILY ROOM (below)
In this room all of the walls are upholstered panels, to dampen the TV sound. The TV frame itself has a painting that rolls down to cover it. Among the furnishings is a T-backed klismos chair by L.A.-designer Donghia, lacquered jigsaw puzzle tables and two vitrine display cabinets with bronze doors that were custom made by Avanzato. “The rug we found at the last minute,” he says. “It has a very ‘50s rendition to it.”
IG: 112 coralgablesthemagazine.com Interiors
I’ve been exposed to a lot of different cultures...
1 001 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite C C oral G ables, FL 33134 | p hulamiami.com IG: @ P H ULA M IA M I ph: 786.542.9124
Interiors
LIVING ROOM (top)
The sofa is a periwinkle blue with pink and purple throw pillows, all in the same family of color. The millwork throughout is custom, tying the living room to the foyer. The beige linen armchairs are custom made, and the silk rug is Persian antique.
GUEST BEDROOM (middle)
This guest bedroom has two four-poster beds with drapes made of Chinese red chintz. On the wall are framed Buddhist Sanskrit; the desk is custom designed, and the chair and benches are made by Le Jeune Upholstery. “There is just something about lying in a fourposter bed covered in fabric,” says Avanzato.
MASTER BATH & BED (below)
The master bedroom is colored with an array of hues from the same blue-meets-apricot palette.The curtain fabric from England is adorned with a chinoiserie design, depicting tropial bird and flowers. A bathtub in the bay window was replaced with a new double vanity with pivot mirrors. The new bathtub consists of three pieces of marble and above hangs a smart English polished nickel reproduction pendent light.
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What started in 1994 as Estate Wines and Gourmet Food on Miracle Mile has become Sacha’s Cafe with multiple locations
Sacha’s at Douglas Entrance | Sacha’s at Blue Lagoon | Sacha’s at Brickell Fountain Bistro | Sacha’s in Coral Gables | Euro Table office catering
Wellness
YOGA +
THE PEACE LOVE ART YOGA STUDIO GOES WELL BEYOND EASTERN EXERCISES AND INTO THE ARTS
Words and Photos by
The Peace Love Art Yoga studio on Salzedo Street goes by the acronym PLAY, and it is an appropriate handle. Owner Lotus Baker opened the multifaceted studio in January of this year in hopes of offering a safe space where the community could create. And by offering art, singing and dancing classes in addition to yoga, she has attracted people of all ages and abilities.
A Haitian native, Baker moved to Coral Gables seven years ago after relocating from South Africa with her husband and three girls. Of her three girls, the middle child, Thalya, has multiple disabilities, including autism. Once Lotus introduced her daughter to the arts, everything changed for the better. So she sought to offer art as a therapy at the studio in addition to instruction in yoga.
The art instructor at PLAY is none other than Gables artist, Aurora Molina, who was highlighted in our June issue. Through painting, Thalya is able to communicate despite her disabilities. “These kids have a lot to say, and just because they don’t talk, doesn’t mean that they don’t understand,” Lotus says. Thalya’s work is the main decor of the studio – with paintings from her “Goddess” series lining the wall of the entrance. “She’s a little factory with Aurora,” says Lotus, referring to her output as an artist under the direction of Molina, who is known for her fiber art and soft sculpture, often with cultural commentary. People have even bought some of Thalya’s works.
Lizzie Wilcox
Just as art saved Thalya’s life, yoga saved Lotus’, she says, providing the yoga devotee with focus and emotional healing. Now Lotus is one of the many yoga instructors at the studio, offering everything from “Kids Yoga, Crawlers to Walkers” to chair yoga for the elderly. So far, the most popular class is Kids Yoga Flow, which is held on Saturday mornings. They even offer yoga classes for parents while their children are taking an art class, for $15 per person. There is also an Autism and Special Needs Social Skills Yoga class that helps children “cultivate positive attitudes” as well as learn relaxation techniques and how to understand emotions
Lotus wanted to open a studio that offered classes in the arts to people with disabilities because of the lack of them in the community. At the same time, she didn’t want the space to be open only to the disabled, as she has two daughters without special needs. The oldest girl is a sophomore at the University of Miami, the youngest attends Riviera Day School. And, keeping family close, her husband’s office is right above the studio (which is how they found the studio space).
“I get my kids around, we create together, I have lunch with my husband almost every day,” the matriarch says.
Through Peace Love Art Yoga, Lotus brings not only her family together, but also a like-minded community of people looking for new avenues of healthy self-expression. “At the end of the day, we all slay the same dragon,” she says.
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These kids have a lot to say, and just because they don’t talk, doesn’t mean that they don’t understand...
Owner Lotus Baker
Top: Owner Lotus Baker in front of paintings from the “Goddess” series which line the wall of the entrance.
Above: The owner’s daughter, Thalya loves to paint.
Voices
From Main Street By Mark Trowbridge
The War is Over
With the City Commission and Mayor’s race in Coral Gables now concluded, the time to govern as a political body and focus on the next two years begins in earnest right now.
Yes, there are still open wounds to be salved and disappointments to be dealt with; but one thing is certain, we must move forward swiftly, as there is much good work to be done by our elected officials, City staff and stakeholder organizations, including our own Chamber of Commerce
While the crux of the Mayoral and Commission campaigns – and even the line of questioning at our March Candidate Forum – became more about development than the qualifications of the candidates, this tactic again proved to be futile and did not resonate with the voters as the candidates may have hoped (both in the general election and the run-off). The war on developers and new projects fell short of the tipping point, leading to defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory for some. It is now time to move on and stop battling with scare tactics, political rhetoric and empty promises. The war is officially over and peace has now been declared (at least for the next two years).
Quixote might have jousted at windmills, but just a few short pages into Cervantes’ masterwork, even the most naïve among us knew they were just static ghosts, not enemies to be feared. The same goes for the architects, developers, designers and construction firms who have helped build our City Beautiful into the gem we all esteem. They are good and authentic partners and many are generous to the most needy or-
ganizations in our community. Their thoughtful projects bring new companies, new employees, new consumers and even new business opportunities to Coral Gables and help sustain a robust economic base that keeps our City’s taxes low and services high for residents. The business community downtown represents only 5 percent of the land mass yet pays nearly 37 percent of the City’s tax base.
The voters who live in Coral Gables (well, at least 26 percent of them) rejected once again the idea that we are over-run by out-of-control development and a forest of cranes (and not the avian type), buoyed by greedy developers buying the votes of Commissioners. This is simply not the case and such pomposity smacks of fear mongering that benefits no one – resident, visitor or employee.
Thank you voters once again for wading through the quagmire (and emails and mailers and blogposts) and making thoughtful, future-focused decisions with your votes. Hopefully, once and for all, this type of rhetoric is laid to rest.
As a Chamber, I would challenge our City and its current and new leaders to focus on real issues in our community, ones that have consequences far beyond the desire to get elected or re-elected.
Let’s collaborate, innovate and create together. And maybe, just maybe, this type of authentic, progressive leadership will encourage new names on the ballot in 2021, featuring thought leaders and community-minded citizens dedicated to our collective future and what is best for our City Beautiful.
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… now let’s govern!
Mark Trowbridge is the President and CEO of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
As a Chamber, I would challenge our City and its current and new leaders to focus on real issues in our community…
Investing in our Children
For successful wealth manager and advisor Adam Carlin, one of the most rewarding investments anyone can make is one that will pay dividends in the future. Adam has been involved with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital — South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children — for roughly 25 years, long before becoming a father. Investing in the future of children in our community and beyond is something that reaps great personal satisfaction and worth every penny.
Already committed to the hospital, a few trips to Nicklaus Children’s for simple bumps and bruises on his twin boys, quickly turned into “what more can I do to try and make a difference in the lives of less fortunate children and their parents?”
As advocates for children’s health issues, Adam and his wife Chanin have engaged with other health institutions around the nation. After learning about a patient prom hosted at another hospital, Adam knew he wanted to bring the same experience to patients in the South Florida community.
In 2014, Adam brought his plan to fruition. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital celebrated the first ever Carlin Family Prom, a magical evening that provided patients the opportunity to participate in a prom that offers a safe environment for them to have fun, regardless of their medical needs. This May, Nicklaus Children’s will hold its sixth Carlin Family Prom, having already brought joy into the lives of hundreds of teenaged patients.
“My goal with the Carlin Family Prom is to allow these children who are facing serious illnesses to be able to have an evening which allows them to be kids and try to temporarily forget about whatever illness they are dealing with,” explained Carlin. “It’s our plan for the prom to go on in perpetuity. At some point, many years from today, it is our hope to have our sons take over.”
When asked what or who inspired him to be philanthropic, Carlin revealed, “I’ve learned over the years that life can be so incredibly fragile. I feel very strongly that we all have a responsibility to do all that we can to impact the lives of those who are most in need.”
Children’s health advocates Chanin and Adam Carlin
My goal with the Carlin Family Prom is to allow these children who are facing serious illnesses to be able to have an evening which allows them to be kids...
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Adam Carlin
Gatherings
Tour de Floral
This year’s Coral Gables House & Garden Tour, an annual fundraising event for the Coral Gables Garden Club, started in the Butterfly Garden at the Coral Gables Library and ended at the Coral Gables Merrick House – home of city founder George Merrick – on Coral Way. In between, visitors could peer inside the gardens and homes of those volunteers brave enough to open their private domains to the outside world. Here is a gathering of peeks at some of the garden spaces.
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Forget Winter. Summer Is Coming.
Sure, it feels like summer already in Coral Gables. The steering wheel is getting hot to the touch. The hair is frizzing more than last month. Summer camps are all but sold-out and… my phone is ringing nonstop with listing appointments.
A spike in new listings usually emerges over the next eight weeks because prospective buyers want to buy and move in to their new home before the start of the school year. For those of you considering selling your home, now is an opportune time, interest rates have dipped and timesensitive closing dates are motivating factors.
Contact me today to discuss how to take advantage of this selling window.
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