Gulfshore Life April 2024

SEEDS OF CHANGE

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

SHEPHERDING OUR LANDS WITH UNITY, ACTION AND HOPE

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PORT ROYAL WATERFRONT

3243 GIN LANE

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treatments, curated amenities

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your piece of the legend today and call or visit the Sales Gallery.

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IN CLIENT ASSETS AS OF 9/30/2023

Moran Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For additional information about Moran Wealth Management, LLC, including its services and fees, request the firm’s disclosure brochure using the contact information above or visit adviserinfo.sec.gov. Visit https://moranwm.com/disclosures/ to access the complete list of methodologies and disclosures for the referenced financial accolades. Moran Wealth Management, LLC is a separate entity and not affiliated with any other entity or practice that uses the same name.

The shore less traveled

Introducing a new kind of away. Just north of well known. Beside the protected shores of Estero Bay, Florida’s first aquatic preserve. Where life feels truer to nature. More private and peaceful. And supported by impeccable Ritz-Carlton hospitality. Nestled in the emerging coastal village of Saltleaf on Estero Bay, these refined tower residences offer a rare blend of curated living and unspoiled nature. Walk to your private lagoon for cocktails. Or the marina for a fishing excursion. To extraordinary games of golf. Or hikes through a nature preserve. But whatever the day brings, the best place to end up is your balcony, for sunset over Estero Bay. From the $3 millions. Secure your home now at the Sales Gallery.

Susan Bay Furniture Collection

MICHELLE THOMAS TEAM

239.860.7176

michelle.thomas@premiersir.com

michelle.thomasteamflorida.com

MARCO ISLAND ESTATES

1539 Heights Court $8,975,000

4214 Cortland Way $4,489,500 (Pending)

#1 Team in Naples

#1 Team in Marco Island

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MARCO ISLAND MADEIRA

350 Collier Boulevard #1506 $7,395,000 (Pending)

ISLA

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MARCO ISLAND

585 Goldcoast Court $6,750,000 (Sold)

380 West Street

$3,970,000 (Pending)

QUAIL WEST

FIDDLER’S CREEK

DEL SOL

PINE RIDGE

BEGINS WITH AN EVEN BETTER STORY - YOURS

Every Great Design

Discover how our acclaimed design team creates bespoke luxury interior design solutions driven by chapters of your life that inspire you.

114 / Defenders of the Gulf

The local changemakers exalting environmental, social and cultural growth and preservation in Southwest Florida.

Mariah Landry by Dan Cutrona

128 / Fort Myers’ Master Fly Tyer

Drew Chicone’s handmade ties are a study in craftsmanship.

4951 GULF SHORE BLVD. N. PENTHOUSE 101 LE PARC IN PARK SHORE $8,900,000

81 SEAGATE DRIVE PENTHOUSE 20 SEASONS AT NAPLES CAY | $32,500,000

960 17 TH AVENUE SOUTH AQUALANE SHORES | $29,500,000

2060 GORDON DRIVE GORDON DRIVE ESTATES - OLDE NAPLES AREA $23,000,000

230 CHAMPNEY BAY COURT PORT ROYAL $8,250,000 - Reduced

688 21ST AVENUE SOUTH OLDE NAPLES | $5,950,000

340 PIRATES BIGHT PARK SHORE | $5,495,000

63 COVE LANE CUTLASS COVE BOATHOUSES PORT ROYAL | $4,000,000

4870 WHISPERING PINE WAY PARK SHORE | $2,695,000

3787 FORT CHARLES DRIVE PORT ROYAL | $23,500,000

138 / Southwest Florida’s Revolutionary Farm

As Florida’s only USDA-certified farm for pasture-to-table meats, Circle C Farm nourishes and heals the community and planet.

— Insider

56

Artist Profile: Immokalee’s selftaught portraitist

66

Wine Watch: Bleu Provence’s next act

74 Personalities: A voice of Southwest Florida

— Art of Style

86

Style Points: The House of Turk & Turk’s new collection

94

Guest List: People + places

Christina Bankson

It’s been years in the making. Tower 500. Kalea Bay’s final offering. No detail has been overlooked, nor untouched. Beginning with the desire to create vast outdoor living areas, these sophisticated residences are replete with enviable south and west views. 10-foot ceilings are now standard as are elevated selections. The last of its kind and a first in resort-style living. Only at Kalea Bay.

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Contents

— Home

152

Stylish Living: An organic, moody masterpiece in Naples

162

Talking Shop: Slow design with At Faro

168

Alfresco: Wide water views in Royal Harbor

Home

174

Favorite Things: Kelli Esposito’s sustainable finds

— Healthy Life

208

Community: Building inclusion in the arts

218

Fitness: A fresh take on cycling

— Life on the Gulf

240

Dining Guide: 150+ essential restaurants

268

Agenda: Top events for April

152

Memphis designer Sean Anderson transforms a Naples Aqualane Shores Tuscan home with dark woods, moody hues and plenty of texture.

If there is just one word that sums up the all-new Park Place on Gulf Shore, it’s “beyond.” Beyond belief. Beyond words. Beyond anything you could possibly imagine in an enclave of luxurious condominiums. Just 15 exclusive residences will comprise this extraordinary community complete with beach and bay views in a coveted Moorings location. Live a life that’s beyond compare at Park Place on Gulf Shore. Now accepting appointments. Pricing from the mid $7Ms.

SALES TEAM

Karl Faerber: 239-248-1961

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EMBRACING A NEW ERA OF SENIOR LIVING MBRACING

WHAT IS GRAND LIVING ? HAT ®

At Grand Living, FIRST CLASS HAPPINESS isn't just a phrase; it's our commitment to providing a lifestyle of unparalleled luxury, joy, and care. From the moment you step into one of our communities, you're embraced by an atmosphere designed for your well-being. well-being

From luxurious accommodations to chef-prepared meals, every aspect of life at Grand Living is meticulously designed to bring joy and fulfillment It's a holistic approach that transcends the ordinary, ensuring residents live their happiest chapters.

Ingrid

Mary

Denise

David

Brooke

Shirlene

Mark

Rebecca

Gail

Jennifer

Elliott

Adria

Sandra

Kathleen

On the Cover

Shot on location at Circle C Farm in Hendry County by Christina Bankson.

Model Maja, NEXT Management

Stylist Erica Thebaud

HMUA Kristen, Duality Artistry

The model wears a linen top from Marina St. Barth’s private line, Marlea MonteCarlo’s Nais skirt and a Gas Bijoux Ovo necklace—all from Marina St. Barth on Third Street South in Naples.

REFRACTIVE LASER

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Wild Wonders

When I was returning to Southwest Florida from a recent trip to the Northeast, I didn’t need the pilot to tell me we were nearing our destination. Looking out the window, I could see, I was home.

The sunset slipped under the horizon, wrapping the sky in an ombre blanket of pastels. There was Pine Island Sound, with its bio-rich salt marshes and guardian barrier islands, and then, my Ten Thousand Islands, an archipelago of mangrove forests and sandy islets that vanish at high tide. It may be bold to call this 35,000-acre swath of protected Gulf my own, but when I’m there, I feel I belong. Perhaps it’s truer to say the islands own me. Whatever the case, I know this connection makes me all the more protective of the verdant tapestry.

This edition of Gulfshore Life focuses on individuals who consider the land they inhabit a responsibility. Few of them would call themselves conservationists. Even fewer were born into these roles. They’re people

like Defender of the Gulf (p. 114) Casey Streeter, who recognizes his and fellow fishers’ livelihoods depend on clean waterways, and Annabelle Tometich, who transitioned from a premed track to journalism and, over almost two decades, has helped bolster an entire region’s restaurant scene through her words. With her first book, The Mango Tree, Annabelle gives light to the spectrum of her half-Filipina heritage, making it that much easier for others to share their diverse perspectives. You’ll see the magic that ensues when poet Chanda Jamieson takes on this story about an equally eloquent writer (p. 74). [I humbly digress: This whole issue is filled with darn good writing; some of the best that has come across my desk. You may just want to set aside the time to read this one cover to cover.]

Chanda also writes about Circle C Farm’s Nicole and Manny Cruz, who take charge of caring for the animals they rear to heart (p. 138). The couple, who has a shop in Downtown Bonita Springs, follows regenerative practices on their 200-acre farm, meaning they aim to work in tandem with

the land, leaving a light footprint and contributing to the recovery of our over-taxed planet.

These ideas are as relevant as they’ve ever been, as we face rampant growth. Can we develop in a way that sustains ourselves and our children? Our great-grandchildren? For the sake of my Ten Thousand Islands and your verdant refuge, I hope so. We’ll be here, giving voice to every effort to uplift the natural wonders of this paradise we call home.

Stephanie Granada Editor in Chief

Anna Gunselman

From The Community Advisory Board

A

Coalition of

Sustainability

As an avid gardener, I often think of spring as a season of renewal. This month, when the international Earth Day celebration, on April 22, reminds us to think globally and act locally, it’s fitting to consider our resolutions surrounding sustainability.

As a board chair for Collaboratory, a Fort Myers-based nonprofit committed to addressing social issues across our surrounding five counties, I’ve had the privilege of participating in the efforts of many other passionate organizations and individuals working to address Southwest Florida’s complex challenges. Issues, such as housing and mental health, that have become even more dire in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian.

After nearly 50 years of service as a community foundation, Collaboratory knows that even with the dedicated work of its many members, a single, siloed organization cannot solve all the nuanced problems we face. With this in mind, I propose all of us who care about our Southwest Florida home resolve to come together through coalitions focused on the region’s most pressing issues.

This collaborative approach— which facilitates and coordinates action across a range of organizations and individuals—maximizes our impact and creates a continual feedback loop that provides actionable insight into what’s working and where we need to adjust moving forward.

In 2015, the Collaboratory launched FutureMakers, a coalition to foster a skilled and sustainable workforce for the region. Around 150 regional organizations and more than 260 cross-sector participants have been involved, and the group is currently about 10 points from its goal to get 55 percent more workers with the credentials needed to fill in-demand jobs by 2025.

Following the success of FutureMakers, Collaboratory recently launched two new coalitions—The Health & Wellness Coalition and the Home Coalition— to ensure every local can attain housing and have access to vital health services.

Such momentum is truly heartening, and I invite you to join in the effort. Let’s resolve to establish a lasting and sustainable legacy for our children and grandchildren, the inheritors of Southwest Florida.

Founding Partner, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company

2011 Woman of the Year

Gail Markham

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Gulfshore Treasures

On a 200-acre stretch of land that toes the lines of Lee and Hendry counties, Circle C Farm owners Nicole and Manny Cruz follow regenerative agricultural practices in their operations. Circle C remains the only federally inspected farm for pasture-to-table red and white meats in Florida. Learn more about the couple’s dedication to sustainable farming on p. 138.

Zach Stovall

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

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INSIDER / People, places and ideas making waves on the Gulf

56 Artist Profile: Immokalee’s self-taught portraitist 66 Wine Watch: Bleu Provence’s next act 74 Personalities: A voice of Southwest Florida

Creative Rebirth

Martha Maria Cantu almost abandoned her artistic calling. Now, she is at the forefront of Immokalee’s quietly growing arts scene.

Years had passed since she used these muscles, but it felt natural. The piece was just a simple sketch of a plant cell for her son’s homework, but Martha Maria Cantu was instantly lost in the process. Once finished, the young mother looked up to see a pair of saucer-sized eyes staring at the page. “He called over his siblings and said, ‘Look, look what Mom did! She’s like a professional artist,’ and I was like, ‘What do you mean? I am a professional artist,’” Martha says, chuckling at the memory.

The kids watched in awe as Martha pulled drawings and paintings that hadn’t seen light in years. Some sported blue ribbons or newspaper clippings. Questions came pouring from every direction. Did she miss it? Yes, desperately. Why didn’t she draw anymore? She didn’t know.

That was about eight years ago. When you drive into Immokalee today, you’ll see a welcome sign Martha painted that pays tribute to her community, with calloused hands enveloping a young seedling against a background of farmland, football fields, encroaching tides and a pulsing sunset. Her most prominent mural, three panels depicting Everglades wildlife, migrant farmworkers and early Florida cattle drivers, stretches along the side wall of Main Street’s 7-11 in a graphic riff on expressionist style. Through the public art commissions and exhibits across Southwest Florida, Martha has become one of the breakout artists of Immokalee’s quietly growing arts scene. And portraits are the artist’s calling card.

Insider — Artist Profile — By Emma Witmer — Photography by Anna Nguyen

Courtesy Martha Maria Cantu (4)

Portraitist Martha Maria Cantu captures her subjects’ likenesses and spirits, focusing on fine details like eyes and skin to communicate unspoken stories, like that of Don Andres, an Immokalee resident who works odd jobs to send money home to Mexico to a wife he has not seen in nearly 40 years.

It all begins with the eyes. Light-bleached vacancies shatter irises that burst with fuchsia, amber and goldenrod, adding dimension to darker hues. Shadows and reflections creep out from black, cavernous pupils. The subtle curvature of each eyelid signals uncanny emotion. “Once I get [the eyes] down, I know I’ve got this,” she says. “Everything else is a blur.”

Despite commonalities, the population in Martha’s hometown is no monolith—artistic, agricultural, medical, culinary and educational aspirations abound alongside rigid traditionalism, even when opportunity feels scarce. Complexity and nuance characterize the people of Immokalee and, in turn, Martha’s portraiture.

Crafted in her makeshift bedside studio with colored pencils, pastels, acrylic paint or oils, her arresting portraits depict people she sees every day and people she admires. The artist sees a person’s story reflected in their eyes and the lines etched into their skin—two of the most prominent and detailed aspects of her representational work. She is drawn to subjects whose faces are marked with years of toil and struggle but whose eyes portray kindness and strength. Living in Immokalee, where economic strain and limited resources are met with limitless resolve, subjects like these are often close at hand.

When Martha heard the story of an older man known as Don Andres, she saw all those magnetic qualities in his eyes. For decades, Don Andres has worked odd jobs picking up cans or laboring in neighbors’ yards and sent what money he made back home to Mexico to support a wife he has not seen in nearly 40 years. Martha does not glamorize her subjects. In his portrait, Don Andres’ skin is sun-worn and cracked, and his wardrobe, a tattered baseball cap and sun-bleached T-shirt, sags with daily use. Beneath the oasis of mottled shade cast by his favorite tree in Immokalee, the man’s gaze is burdened but steady.

Courtesy Martha Maria Cantu

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Facing cruelty from her mother and rejection from Ringling College of Art and Design, Martha nearly abandoned her artistic ambitions. Eight years ago, her children pushed her to rediscover and unleash her self-taught talent.

Insider — Artist Profile

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From the makeshift bedside studio her husband built, Martha blends a rich palette with colored pencils, pastels, acrylic paints and oils. The space displays her children’s artwork alongside her own. “The stuff they do inspires me,” she says.

Martha was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States when she was 4. She moved here with her mother, a woman whose cruel and exacting nature would sculpt her daughter’s artistic journey. Martha’s stepfather came into her life around this time, too. He didn’t speak much Spanish, and as a child, Martha spoke little English. In the evenings, while her mother was at work, Martha would sit silently nearby—not so close that she’d get in the way but near enough to not feel alone—as he watched wrestling on TV. Today, she remembers the gruff and kind-hearted man as “Dad,” but at 7, she didn’t know if he could be trusted. Few people in her life had proven worthy of her faith.

In an effort to connect, Martha showed her father a drawing of the Jesus painting that hung on their wall in pious observation. In his best pidgin, her dad told her not to interrupt his wrestling again until her drawing looked just like the picture. Without instruction or books or anything but an ingrained attention to detail, the child set to work. “I don’t remember how long it took—hours, days,

weeks—but I got it to look just like what was on the wall. I showed my dad, and he was astonished,” she says. “He didn’t need to say anything—that was it, and I was hooked.”

Finding approval at home never came easy, but at school, the young artist’s skills were celebrated—and nurtured. She remembers the art teachers who pushed her to enter competitions and got her an interview with Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. “Winning awards, being on the news and in magazines— that was great, but it was just never enough for Mother,” she says.

With only a third-grade education, Martha’s mother did not care for her straight-As and art competition victories. She could be both verbally and physically abusive, and when these methods of discipline failed to faze her daughter, she sprinted to Martha’s room and destroyed every piece of artwork she could find.

The opportunity to attend Ringling felt like the beginning of a new chapter, one where she could silence internal and external voices of doubt. After weeks of courting the young artist over

the phone and through email, the dean of students met Martha face-to-face. As a woman of color from a home that rarely had air conditioning, much less pricey art supplies, Martha was not their typical demographic. Her acceptance was rescinded. Martha would be better suited for community college, the director said. “He looked down on me, not because of what I’ve done or what I could do, but just because of who I was and what I looked like,” she says.

After the rejection, Martha married, had children and gained stepchildren—mothering 10 altogether. The dormant artist focused on creating a different home from the one that raised her. As her children grew, they reciprocated her love and support, pushing their reserved mother to rebuke the fear of rejection and embrace her talents. The artists who inspire Martha are not Renaissance greats or vanguards of modernism; they are her children, who will not allow her to quit again. Among her kids—from elementary to post-graduate age—several aspire to artistry, like their mother.

Martha hangs their clay figurines and Japanese manga panels alongside her own artwork; their creations fill her studio with levity and joy. “I really want to inspire the younger kids. I didn’t have that inspiration or that outlet [growing up], and I want to give that to them—not only with my artwork but also my home,” she says.

Recently, her son asked for a spare sketchbook for a friend who couldn’t afford materials. She happily sent it over as a birthday gift. When Martha came to pick the kids up from school soon after, the boy ran over to her, nervous and excited to flip through the sketchbook and show her his latest work. One of the sketches had won him a $2,000 prize. “If they don’t have that person pushing them, I’m here, I’ll listen,” she says. “I have the time. I have a bunch of kids, but I have room. I love to cook. I do the cleaning like it’s nothing. I’ll be your mom. I’ll be that.”

Martha hopes to inspire young artists in Immokalee to pursue their passions. When her son’s friend could not afford art supplies, Martha gifted the boy one of her sketchbooks. Not long after, he won a $2,000 prize for one of his drawings. “I didn’t have that inspiration or that outlet [growing up], and I want to give that to them,” she says.

Passing the Torch

The elder Cariots laid the foundation for a wine-centric stalwart in the heart of Naples. The next generation continues to refine it.

When Jacques and Lysielle Cariot created their alluring Bleu Provence in Naples in 1999, the French natives opened a portal direct from the Florida shores to the sun-kissed South of France. What began as a rather humble homage to their roots has evolved into a legacy restaurant where gastronauts go to lose themselves in a grand culinary voyage that renders geography irrelevant.

The restaurant, awash in crisp white and vibrant blue hues, exudes casual-chic—a French trademark—where the service is attentive without being overbearing or pretentious. And the voluptuous menu highlights a veritable roll call of classics that instantly transport the palate. From herbaceous pistou to plump pan-grilled mussels kissed with bright citrus to provençal fish soup accented with rouille, the signature garlic-saffron-breadcrumb emulsion that accompanies seafood throughout Southern France.

Perhaps even more luminous than the food is the wine program. The selection has become a beacon for oenophiles the world over. When the banner Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)—one of the world’s most illustrious wine auctions—comes to town, the global best-in-class sommeliers and vintners that descend on the Gulf for the festival usually end up at Bleu Provence.

When the restaurant opened, the list contained a mere 30 selections, all from France. Over the years, partially due to guest pref-

Anna Nguyen

Last year, Jacques and Lysielle Cariot announced they’d be stepping back from the storied restaurant they opened in Crayton Cove in 1999. The couple hands the reins to their two sons, who have been embedded in the businesses from the start.

erences and partially due to the family’s outright obsession with wine, the list has evolved to include a staggering 5,000 selections and 40,000 bottles from practically every classic wine region in the world. The wine experience at Bleu Provence has earned the team the highly coveted Grand Award from Wine Spectator every year since 2015. The restaurant is one of only 93 in the world and one of four in Florida to hold that honor.

Last year, the couple announced they would be stepping back from day-to-day operations and passing the reins to their sons, Clément, an Advanced Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers (one of about three Advanced Somms in Naples), and Kevin, the restaurant’s general manager, who also helps with the massive undertaking of cataloging the wine inventory. The parents are ready to devote their time to their farm, The Sanctuary, located 45 minutes outside of Naples, where the couple cultivates vegetables, fruit trees, and flocks of chickens and turkeys.

But, rest assured, the restaurant and prestigious wine program are in excellent hands. “Wine was always part of our culture,” Clément says. Meals at his grandmother’s home in Grans, a speck of a village in Provence, were punctuated by bottles lovingly shared by his parents, aunts and uncles. He spent his childhood playing in the family’s small wine cellar, captivated by the old bottles. His first wine memory was at age 7. “I remember one Sunday having a big family dinner, a bottle was being shared, and I was running around the table. Jacques stopped me and said, ‘Stop, you need to respect this.’ So I tried it. It was a Château Lafite Rothschild,” he

Insider — Wine Watch

Anna Nguyen (2), Brian Tietz

says of the prestigious, centuries-old producer, known for crafting some of the finest and most expensive reds in the world.

Clément—one of a few certified Advanced Sommeliers in Naples—leads the wine program, which includes a staggering 40,000 bottles. His brother, Kevin, oversees restaurant operations as general manager.

Ever since the restaurant opened when Clément was 17, he has had his hands in the family business, working every position on the floor. At age 24, while he was a server, a guest at the bar beckoned him over and said, “Here, don’t taste this, just smell it—tell me what it is.” Clément had never done a blind tasting before. “I said it was a Côte-Rôtie, which was correct. He asked me to name the producer. It was familiar, a wine I had drunk before. I said René Rostaing. And I was right.”

The experience was a watershed moment. Clément started getting more serious about wine. By 2007, he had taken over the wine program. Under his direction, the wine program has doubled—to the point that the family has had to procure off-site storage for the surplus of their battalion of bottles. The restaurant cellar has also grown alongside the collection. At first, Clément recalls, the wines all reached eye level and shared space with an office for the team. Over time, bottles overtook the office, every square inch of wall,

Insider — Wine Watch

Brian Tietz

and eventually, the next-door space, making for the handsome, wood-clad, 1,300-square-foot masterpiece.

Now, the mere organization of the stock requires savant-level clarity. “We gave every spot where we store the wine a geographic location number. On the list, every wine has a 6-digit number next to it. And we use that to go and locate the wine immediately in the cellar. We have it divided by area, rows, and columns. It’s become like a game of Battleship,” Clément says.

Of course, you’ll find examples of some of the great wines of the world across the list. White Burgundy, the ultimate French chardonnay, is Clément’s personal favorite, and the Big Boys are all present, from Domaine Leroy Corton-Charlemagne to Roulot to Raveneau. But the inherent beauty of this modern collection lies in the surprises, such as the dedication to lower-alcohol wines, natural wines, and a deep roster of lesser-sung expressions and appellations, such as red Sancerre, idiosyncratic pours of France’s Jura region, and European-style California vinifications, like Ceritas chardonnay and pinot noir. “I’m very proud of all the Provence wine we have,” Clément adds. “One of my favorites is Château Simone. Each of their wines brings you a piece of the flavors of Provence: garrigue, lavender, peaches, apricots, a bit of black olive. It really tastes like Provence.”

Great restaurants strive to transport guests, to exude a sense of place. And the Cariot family manages that feat seemingly effortlessly. No passport required.

“Jacques has been—and continues to be—the vision,” Clément says. “I don’t know how he has so much vision, but he does—I am just filling in the holes.”

Insider — Wine Watch

Brian Tietz, Anna Nguyen

WHERE BEAUTIFUL HOMES BEGIN

Award-Winning Interior Design

Fine Rug Galleries, Custom Window Treatments

Fort Myers | Naples | Sarasota | NorrisFurniture.com

Taking Root

Local author Annabelle Tometich’s upcoming memoir shows how Southwest Florida shaped her family, identity and evolution.

On a hot, humid afternoon, the kind where green leaves melt into an embrace, Annabelle Tometich shows me where her mother’s mango tree stood before Hurricane Irma claimed it. Standing just off Fort Myers’ McGregor Boulevard, her mom’s home is a resilient Old Florida bungalow with a low roof and deep eaves. The mango tree, however, is a ghost, a divot in the ground hinting at the girth and age of a once-large tree, the one for which Annabelle’s first book, The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida and Felony, is titled. The tree appears throughout the pages like an oil slick with an iridescent surface, reflecting the pooled memories of Annabelle’s youth—one branch then another—the shimmering image around which all others coalesce.

I’ve met Annabelle many times, as have you—most often, in the typeface of Lee County’s News-Press. For nearly 15 years, she wrote as the pseudonymous food critic Jean Le Boeuf, until 2021, when the seemingly white Frenchman revealed himself to be Annabelle: a

Insider — Personalities — By Chanda Jamieson — Photography by Christina Bankson

After revealing that she had been the main voice behind the presumed white male News-Press food critic, Jean Le Boeuf, for 15 years, Annabelle vowed never to hide herself again. This month, she explores her half-Filipina heritage and multilayered past with her first book

half-Filipina Southwest Florida native. A self-described medical-school flunkyturned-line cook-turned-journalist, she shined a light on every dimly lit corner booth of our community— the strip mall melting pots, the gas stations-turnedfry houses, the simply delicious spot positioned precariously on the edge of an RV dealership.

Annabelle left the News-Press in 2023 to focus on her memoir, released this month. Many of the chapters are named for Southwest Florida locales, such as Pine Island, Cape Coral and McGregor, where her mother’s remaining mango trees form a tight cathedral over the classic home. Since Ian, the mango trees have borne no fruit, though the branches remember the weight, bending toward the earth like fingers folded in prayer. The manicured trees of Annabelle’s youth now grow wild as Annabelle’s mother, Josefina, grows older alongside them. “This woman grows fruit without even trying,” Annabelle says as she surveys the McGregor jungle, still rife with budding bananas, star fruit, avocado and lemon trees.

Josefina opens the porch door and enters the dense thicket of heat. “I told her you wanted to see her fruit trees, so she’s decided to join us,” Annabelle says, looking toward her mother, who stands much shorter than her (Annabelle inherited her height from her father—part Yugoslavian, part Canadian, part English), but is undeniably her kin. Both women’s eyes crinkle around the edges as broad smiles emerge— Josefina’s revealing deeper lines and fuller

GLAMOUR & GOOD TIMES

cheeks, her once jet-black hair now speckled gray. In the book, Annabelle recounts the even brush strokes her mother insisted upon, her inky hair set to shine, and the two fingers she placed around Annabelle’s nose, pinching its width, same as her own.

Annabelle notices one of the trees is heavy with russet brown pods. She opens her phone and turns toward her mother, typing, “What kind of tree is this?” Josefina has lost 90 percent of her hearing. They communicate via text and through the familiar mannerisms of a mother and daughter—the scrunch of a nose, the arch of a brow. “Tamarind,” Josefina replies.

Annabelle hikes one leg up to the first branch and leaps into the feathered foliage, grasping a fistful of pods. She holds one of the husks and presses with both thumbs until it cracks, removing the outer shell.

The thin veins covering the pod’s fleshy inside shift just enough to reveal green fruit that turns light brownish red, then mahogany, then black as it ripens, growing from tart and tangy to sweet and sour.

This yard is etched into Annabelle’s bones, and the story of who she is cannot be severed from the lost mango tree. In 1988, Josefina, an immigrant from the Philippines, planted the tree’s seed, the umpteenth in a long line of mango seedlings, each carelessly mowed over by Annabelle’s father, Lou—until this one. “She only planted what would bear fruit,” Annabelle says. Josefina, a nurse, whip-smart and full of fire, railed against America’s attempts to flatten Filipino culture, to flatten her, yet struggled to value anything beyond the useful. When Lou died in 1989, the tree

The childhood stories uncovered in Annabelle’s memoir center around her mother’s beloved mango tree, a hallowed symbol of the complex relationships that abound within families.

“This very private story that for so long I never wanted to talk about will now be in print,” Annabelle says of the defining moment chronicled in the book.

grew from seedling to sapling. In 1994, Josefina considered moving the family to the Philippines. The tree, now mature, bore fruit for the first time. The family stayed.

Josefina shipped boxes of mangoes to friends in California and New York and enjoyed them at home with her children over newsprint, the fruit’s juices running sticky and sweet. Years were tallied in mangoes until 2015, when Josefina caught a man trying to steal the sunset-skinned fruit. She grabbed her BB gun and aimed at his tires but shot out the back window of his truck instead. What happened next— what Annabelle and her siblings call “The Mango Missile Crisis”—bookends The Mango Tree, shaping the memoir as the tree shapes Annabelle’s understanding of her mother.

The BB gun was not considered a firearm but rather a ‘missile’ fired into an occupied

vehicle. Josefina served five years probation, which could have been commuted had she shown remorse. She refused. “This very private story that for so long I never wanted to talk about will now be in print,” she says.

The memoir began as a collection of recipes and essays, some tongue in cheek, like “The Mango Shooter,” a cocktail riff on “The Mango Missile Crisis.” But a fellow writer and close friend advised her to go deeper. “After that, it came pouring out,” she says. “A lot of the book is me between the ages of 7 and 13. Certain moments just dominate your memory. Losing my father and then my grandmother. My uncle died. All within a three-year timespan.” Each loss, another ring on the mango tree, the visible fruits of invisible graces that distill a hard-fought life. Josefina built a family and a home, and Annabelle, now a mother, did the same, each reaching toward the sun.

I wonder aloud if the ways in which Annabelle has come to know her mother and herself have pushed her toward a radical empathy and allowed her to see the world around her as it is, simply and wholly. “I do think my life, the things I’ve experienced, has lent me certain tools, a way of seeing things,” she says.

As we head toward the driveway, we pass a patch of plumeria, not utilitarian at all. Josefina began planting the flowering trees in her later years. With their large leaves and bright summer blooms, they do best beneath the sun’s full grace—as did the little girl who once spread the skins of fruits around the base of the former mango tree as “an offering to the fruit-tree gods.” Those slips of light, deep yellow and red, would soon dissolve into the soil, only to return again, kissed by the sun.

isn’t fun the best thing to have?

It’s how we roll — which is to say on the courts, at the beach, out on the water, and wherever we’re sharing a bite. Fiddler’s Creek is everything you want, everywhere you want to be, including at home in luxurious, fabulously appointed residences set in a lavish, picture-postcard landscape.

Steeped in History

The House of Turk & Turk’s latest homeware collection draws from ancient civilizations and the Fort Myers founders’ native Turkey.

Art of Style — Obsessions — By Gina Valentino — Photography by Christina Bankson

For husband-wife team Rasit and Ilkay Turk, the best art is inspired by the past. The pair behind Fort Myers’ The House of Turk & Turk silk accessories line sparked buzz when they expanded into the home last year. Their third homeware collection, The Garden of Nile—launched in February—connects to the brand’s wearable art line, with the same name and similar print as Turk & Turk’s best-selling scarf.

Hailing from Istanbul, Turkey, a former capital of the Roman and Byzantine empires, the couple draws inspiration from ancient cultures. When she painted The Garden of Nile motif, Ilkay thought about the Obelisk of Theodosius, transported from Egypt to

her home country during Roman rule. That was more than two decades ago, when Ilkay had a fashion line in Dallas, and the emblem remains equally stylish. The design’s anchoring chariot racer graphic recalls the Roman aristocracy’s sport, and an abstract lily flower nods to the symbol of purity in Byzantine art.

Keeping in line with the Turks’ penchant for vibrant colors, the pieces (from pillows to plates to placemats) blend the brand’s signature orange hue with Egyptian blue—a symbolic element for Egyptians, who first produced blue dye, the world’s oldest synthetic color, around 2500 B.C.

Rasit and Ilkay similarly commit to innovation but always with a focus on time-honored craftsmanship. They worked with global artisans they found while scouting bazaars, bou -

Over the past six years, Ilkay and Rasit Turk have gained a loyal following for their Turk & Turk silks brand, which they recently rebranded to The House of Turk & Turk. For their third tableware line, they take the design from their best-selling scarf and bring it into the home.

Ilkay painted the enduring Garden of Nile motif more than 20 years ago. The vibrant orange (the Turk’s signature shade) and Egyptian blue (invented around 2500 B.C. as the first synthetic hue) embody the brand’s joie de vivre. “[Happiness] is a part of our DNA,” Ikay says.

tiques and the web to design the pieces, which can mix and match with one-off treasures the couple can custom create, like cobalt crystal wine glasses or handpainted, mirrored serving trays.

Within The Garden of Nile, placemats are adorned by an Indian sea glass bead artist; the 100 percent silk twill that defines The House of Turk & Turk fashion line covers pillows; luxe tablecloths are made of silk sateen; and for the plates, they worked with a fine china manufacturer that agreed to the brand’s hallmark small-batch production. Commitment to well-crafted, limited-edition pieces (they’re only making about 15 sets of every item) is ingrained in the Turks from their early days in Istanbul. “When you live in that [rich] culture, you are obligated to respectfully create the best,” Rasit says.

ORAL

This project has been filed in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Equal Housing Opportunity. Rosewood Residences Naples is owned and being developed, offered and sold by WSR NB, LLC (“Developer”).The project is not owned, developed or sold by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. or any of its affiliates (“Rosewood”). Developer uses the Rosewood marks pursuant to a license agreement with Rosewood, which may be terminated under certain conditions. Rosewood does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with the condominium. Copyright 2023 © All Rights Reserved

Winter Dreams Gala / Hosted at a private club in Naples in support of Opera Naples

On December 6, more than 200 guests broke out their winter best to support Opera Naples. The president of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation and Pavarotti’s widow, Nicoletta Mantovani—who is working with Opera Naples to bring the 900-seat Theater in the Garden to town— attended, and the group auctioned off relics from her late husband, including a bow tie the famed tenor wore on stage. By the end, nearly half a million had been raised to support the opera company.

1 Ramón Tebar, Nicoletta Mantovani

2 Cindy Stegemann, Hina Sanghvi Cory

3 Bronwen Adams, Dawn Weilminster, Gerald Goldberg

4 Jennifer Gebeau, Kim Shand

5 Lana Butsky, Connie Leon

6 Krzysztof & Swantje Biernacki

7 Edmundo & Dolly Muniz

8 Ilkay & Rasit Turk

9 Santiago Ballerini

10 Liliya & Ace Gordon

Art of Style — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

Gentle’men Against Domestic Violence / Hosted at Grey Oaks in support of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

On January 10, around 200 men descended upon Grey Oaks Country Club in support of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children and its efforts to prevent domestic violence. Keynote speaker Amanda Price, the CEO of Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence (FPEDV), shared how men can help aid in prevention and protect survivors. The live auction raised more than $300,000 for the shelter.

1 Dennis Lloyd, Zach Maloch

2 Colin Estrem, David Linz, Brady Young, Michael Masius

3 Top - Jim Jessee, Bob Cahners; Bottom - Scott O’Dell, Bill O’Meara, Mike O’Meara

4 Ron Ciesla, Max Guinn

5 Lloyd Bettis, Dan Bennewitz

We plan on breaking ground and beginning construction in 2025...

As

to see our first patients in early Spring 2026.

Gentle’men Against Domestic Violence / Hosted at Grey Oaks in support of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

1 Scott Weinstein, Alex Hayes

2 Amanda Price, Corey Lazar, Linda Oberhaus

3 Bobby Davis, Vincent Keeys

4 John Jordan, Ralph Stayer

5 Charles Weinrich, Joe Meek

1 Cynthia & Greg Lammert

2 Guadalupe Center students

3 Rob Romano, Bonnie Zaikov

4 Chelsea Pittman, Bianca Baldo, Carlos Escoto, Summer Thornberg

5 Darlene & Don DeMichele

6 Camille Forman, Lily Ustayev, Lindsey Sablan

7 Marnette Perry, Alice Arena, Dawn Montecalvo

8 Gina & Andy Lauber

9 Rob Eilers & Heather Pontasch

10 Cortney Howgate, Dyan Smith

Elevate / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of Guadalupe Center

The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, hosted more than 350 Guadalupe Center supporters, on January 12, to celebrate the nonprofit’s 40th anniversary. Students captivated guests with singing performances, and high school senior Alejandro Loredo moved the crowd with his testament to the Immokalee-based center’s impact. The live auction, with trips to Ireland and India, helped the organization raise a record $1.7 million for educational programs.

Art of Style — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

Evening for Better Tomorrows /

Hosted at a private club in Naples in support of Baker Senior Center Naples

1 Jacob & Allison Madigan

2 Sandy Zucker, Hazel Brisker, Rita Logan, Peggy Sparks, Ella Correia

3 David Wolff and Sharon Sheline, Terry & Christine Flynn

4 Lety & Stephen Schwartz

5 Kim & Dwight Thomas

Another stellar nonprofit celebrating an anniversary this season, Baker Senior Center Naples rang in its 10th and celebrated its new North Naples campus with 250 friends on January 13. WINK News anchor Lindsey Sablan emceed, and the nationally touring Shadows of the 60s band performed Motown hits. The event raised nearly $1.24 million to promote social services and programs benefiting local seniors.

Art of Style — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

Evening for Better Tomorrows /

Hosted at a private club in Naples in support of Baker Senior Center Naples

1 James & Mary Chen, Zeila & Phil Cabrera

2 Sherry Pino, Marcia Sheets

3 Matt & Kristin Phillipine

4 Stephen & Penny Pomeranz, Jay Baker

5 Marjorie Weaver, Jaclynn Faffer, Prentiss Higgins, Patty Baker

Art of Style — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

1 Caroline Wiser, Sandra Allen

2 Alexis and Michele Ditomassi, Mary Susan Clinton

3 Sona Chakarian, Christine Flynn, Diane McCaw

4 Shelia Davis, Kevin Rambosk, Tracy Scurto

5 Katherine Malburg, Karen Blalock

6 Jenny and Dolly Lenz

7 Linda Meak, Katy Tetta

8 Karen Colgain, Jaclyn Di Grande

9 Ingrid Aielli, Barb Crooks

10 Adria Starkey, Maegan Dustin

Mending Broken Hearts with Hope / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton

Naples, Tiburón, in support of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

One of the highest-attended events of the season, The Shelter for Abused Women & Children’s 24th annual luncheon took over The RitzCarlton Naples, Tiburón, on January 16. Tommi Vincent—co-founder, with her NFL star husband, Troy, of Vincent Country, a brand that celebrates the Black family unit— shared her testimony of surviving an abusive relationship in high school with the 700 guests, and more than $1 million was raised for the cause.

Art of Style — Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander

Star Light, Star Bright /

Hosted at a private club in Naples in support of Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee

Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee shared its mission with more than 170 guests during the Star Light, Star Bright gala, held at a private club on January 17. Attendees raised nearly $450,000 for the fund-a-need to support tuition assistance, professional development for teachers and early childhood education programming.

1 Paula Whitelaw, Cici Riley, Susan Muth, Ginny McKenzie

2 Hallie Lundon, Sue Sherwin, Meg Hardt, Jocie Jandovitz, Nancy McGinty

3 Maria Rodriguez, Daniel & Julie Gorczyca

4 Pathways students

5 Marilyn & John Stanhope

6 Michele & Robert Chastain

7 Vickie & Jerry Mattys

8 Natasha & Chad Commers, Libby & Steve Romano, Eric Latin

9 Heather Tice, Steven Damon

Taking you to new heights.

PRESERVING OUR PARADISE FOR 60 YEARS

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is working to protect our water, land, wildlife and future through environmental education, scientific research, government advocacy and wildlife rehabilitation. With your support, we can continue to preserve Southwest Florida’s environment together. conservancy.org

FEATURES / A deep dive into the soulful stories of the region

“Architects think a lot about what we’re leaving for the next generation. It’s our job to set a path forward that has both balance and equilibrium.” — Defender of the Gulf Diana Giraldo, of Fort Myersbased Community Development Reimagined

114 Defenders of the Gulf

128 Fort Myers’ Master Fly Tyer

138 Southwest Florida’s Revolutionary Farm

DEFENDERS

Six local warriors champion conservation and preservation efforts in Southwest Florida.

OF THE GULF

Photography by Dan Cutrona

Produced by Addison Pezoldt

Mariah Landry

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, VIVA LANDSCAPES

Mariah Landry isn’t a force of nature. She’s a force for nature. During business hours, you’ll find her poring over blueprints for a lush and liveable native landscape, complete with walkable gardens with endemic plants, to weather the storms on Sanibel Island. After hours, or perhaps before, you may spot her on the water with her charter captain-photographer husband, John, or meeting with longtime partner Captains for Clean Water to brainstorm creative ways to promote native foliage, as they did with the mangrove arrangements that adorned tables this season at the nonprofit’s annual gala.

Mariah got her start through Sanibel darling R.S. Walsh Landscaping, where she learned to harness the power of native flora. In the decade since, the Iowa transplant has established herself as a trusted landscape architect in Southwest Florida. She inspires others to embrace the beauty of our regional vegetation through her Fort Myers-based VIVA brands, including VIVA Landscapes and VIVA La Casa rental homes.

Mariah moved to the region almost 10 years ago for the subtropical foliage, admiring the greenery’s prominence throughout rural and urban areas, and she’s determined to keep Southwest Florida green. “I might not even realize I’m doing it because it’s second nature to me at this point,” Mariah says. “But, the fact that other people are picking it up and sharing it, that’s the ripple effect we need.”

After Hurricane Ian, Mariah and John were among the first to boat to Sanibel and Captiva Islands. They used John’s drone to capture footage of damaged property for clients. Though the islands may look similar to the tropical destinations of South America and beyond, Southwest Florida’s climate is subtropical—and Mariah seeks to respect that—despite local clients having historically been drawn to showy tropical breeds. She points to the newer-built homes where she installed tropical landscapes that were washed away in the storm while the native

plants remained. Mariah is heartened to see more clients eager to embrace the native look for longevity and resiliency. She guides local homeowners to swap nonnatives for similar-looking endemic plants (saw palmettos instead of Chinese fan palm, for instance), and to add storm-smart elements, like inland rain gardens to help retain water in the event of flooding.

Currently, she’s working with Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association on revamping the downtown section of the 5-mile GICGA Bike Path Boca Grande, filling the 2-block segment with native flora. For the eco-conscious DIY enthusiasts, she recently started offering a lower-cost consulting service, where she’ll assess your property and provide guidance on the best plants and placements for your yard.

She walks the talk in her home, too. Mariah is working to incorporate a traditional chickee hut into her backyard’s more-than-50-year-old Cuban laurel to serve as her outdoor office. “I think about growing up and being outside a lot and then recreating that as an adult,” she muses. “What do I enjoy? I enjoy going outside—but we’re grilling now. We’re having a glass of wine, you know? I love just walking the garden and checking on my plants.”

Jaynie Bartley

Casey Streeter

FISHERMAN AND OWNER OF ISLAND SEAFOOD MARKET

Casey Streeter gestures toward the front of his Island Seafood Market, toward the hole where the double doors used to guard the Key limehued fish house where, pre-Hurricane Ian, locals and out-of-towners regularly gathered for picnic fixings and fresh-off-the-water bounty. We are inside a scar; the shell of the building is no longer choked with 2-plus feet of fetid mud deposited from the storm’s churn, and a sturdy roof shields Casey from the day’s drizzle. But exposed rafters and a roar of traffic separating us from the pilings across the street, where more colorful buildings that define Matlacha used to be, remind us there’s still a ways to go in rebuilding the artsy fishing town. Beyond, stand the mangroves. Brown, but not dead. Traces of green tickle the far end of the pass. These are the waterways that the Michigan native has wandered for 12 years. “It’s just pure,” he says.

His son, Kai, and daughter, Sailor, have grown up in this place—one of the few working waterfronts remaining on Florida’s Southwestern shores. Casey and his wife, Katie, built the market as a destination for fresh seafood that’s hauled in on one of Casey or his fellow fisherman’s grouper boats. Island Seafood Market became a staple for food and culture. Passionate about protecting the island’s way of life, Casey founded Florida Commercial Waterman’s Conservation in 2018 in the wake of the devastating red tide bloom. The nonprofit works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to have local captains monitor water quality changes. Casey understands the well-being of our waters is linked to his community’s livelihood and that captains, who are constantly in the field, can help bridge knowledge gaps.

In less than 24 hours, Hurricane Ian upended Casey’s life, but in the immediate aftermath, he wasn’t focused on his business. While he and his family worked to rebuild their homes, Casey called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, county commissioners and state representatives, dialing every number he could

until he was directed on where to help. He formed a new business with fellow fishers, Fisherman’s Disaster Response, and collaborated with a federal emergency management contractor to remove and haul debris. Casey got to work.

The storm surge ripped away Matlacha’s buildings, marooning the shredded structures in gnarls of mangroves. From December 2022 until August 2023, Casey and a team of others scoured every bay and inlet his barges could reach—nearly 700 miles of coastline—and crawled through the mucky undergrowth to clean up debris. “I feel accomplished for what we’ve done,” Casey, who hopes to reopen the market by the end of the year, says. “It’s just like any other infrastructure. [Our work] is the bridge from the water to the land.”

— Andrew Atkins

Kealy McNeal

COASTAL WATCH DIRECTOR AT SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

On a smudged January afternoon, Kealy McNeal cuts the wheel of her truck on a narrow stretch of Woodring Road along Tarpon Bay’s northeastern lip. She peers through branches of weathered mangroves to the eroding shoreline a few feet from the road, a glaring reminder of the island’s dependence on its coastal protectors. “It looks like there’s a few more up here that are alive,” she says, pointing out some small, green stems creeping out of the gnarl of slimy brown roots and sand. It’s her first time back to this mangrove restoration site in about a month; she’s been juggling an endless list of recovery efforts in Hurricane Ian’s wake. Though there are signs of lost seedlings—broken stems and barren patches where volunteers previously planted the trees—there’s promising evidence of little ones surviving.

For three years, Kealy has served as director of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Coastal Watch crew, which implements volunteer-based solutions for local conservation. After landing at Sanibel Sea School

in 2018 as an outdoor education coordinator, she ran camps and kayak tours to share the importance of Southwest Florida’s natural ecosystems. She loves talking about how mangroves, with their sediment-trapping root systems, act as natural seawalls against intense storms and help prevent erosion—an ever-present concern for the island, where sections are slowly disappearing.

When Kealy transitioned to her current role with SCCF, she revamped the programming to incorporate more community-driven conservation strategies. Her adopt-a-mangrove project, introduced in 2020, revolutionized the city’s approach to coastal restoration via natural solutions, calling on locals to be ‘Mangrove Mamas’ and care for propagules from their own backyards—picture kiddie pools and lanais hosting seedlings for five to six months. Between individuals, schools and organizations, the group cared for more than 1,000 mangroves this season. When it comes time to replant, she takes eager volunteers, ranging from teenagers to octogenarians, out on boat trips to nearby sites to rehome hundreds of the vital plants.

Seeing how the community rallied to help SCCF collect thousands of pounds of debris on Sanibel after the hurricane pushed Kealy to create more restoration opportunities for residents. Her next step is to invite Sanibel tourists to join the fight. This year, she’s implementing a voluntourism initiative so vacationers can help preserve the place they return to, year after year, via beach cleanups and invasive species removals.

In the meantime, she continues to urge all of us to act now and commends locals for heeding the call.

“Sanibel and Captiva residents, they move down here for a reason and see its natural beauty,” Kealy says. “They’ve seen the changes. And they want to be a part of the solution.”

Addison Pezoldt

Nick Batty

FARMER, INYONI ORGANIC FARM

Nick Batty was majoring in horticulture at the University of Florida, trying to decide what to do with his degree after graduation, when he stumbled upon the writings of poet Wendell Berry. The writer and farmer often wrote about seeking refuge in nature and the importance of conservation. “He inspired me to look at farming on a sustainable level,” Nick says. As a student, Nick had the chance to work on some organic farms, and Wendell Berry’s words gave him a sense of direction for what path to take next.

Nick, who was born and raised in Southern Africa’s Swaziland, now Eswatini, moved to Naples when he was 10. The son of a farmer, he learned from his father, drawn to the physical part of the work. “I have a hard time at desks, staying focused,” he says with a laugh. Soon after graduating, Nick started Inyoni Organic Farm, a 6-acre,

USDA-certified organic farm in Golden Gate Estates, where he now produces about 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit—including a small batch of pineapple trees left over from his father’s former farm nearby.

In January, rows upon rows of fresh crops, like plump radishes, budding turnips and abundant baby greens, line his fields, all of it grown in ways that prioritize a healthy environment. That means using a natural neem oil instead of harsh insecticides and planting cover crops in the summer to improve the soil. Nick also works to help with the region’s water quality issues by ensuring the farm’s drip-irrigation system delivers water directly to the plants with minimal runoff into the Gulf.

Nick is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and bounty with the community. He sells his crops directly to consumers at farmers markets throughout the week and through his online shop. He’s also a go-to for local fine-dining chefs, who turn to Nick for specially cultivated gems. The farmer might work with a chef to review seed catalogs before planting for the season, grow hard-to-find, coveted ingredients (so long as they grow in harmony with the land), and create special blends of greens so restaurants can offer distinc-

tive dishes. Throughout the year, he hosts events on the farm for visitors, including luncheons with agricultural guest speakers, to keep the conversation about the future of local food at the forefront.

Looking ahead, Nick’s eyeing purchasing additional land with Victory Farms owner Thomas Webb. He knows more organic farming translates to less impact on the larger ecosystem.

While Nick’s approach contributes to myriad facets of protecting the Gulf, he says his role is one of many in a cast of players working at the national and local level. In his poem, A Standing Ground, Wendell Berry wrote, “Better than any argument is to rise at dawn/ and pick dew-wet berries in a cup.” Nick is happy to get his hands dirty for the cause. “I’m just a very, very small part,” he says.

Kristine Gill

Diana Giraldo

SUSTAINABILITY ARCHITECT & CONSULTANT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REIMAGINED

Acity is like a body; it’s a system, Fort Myers architect and urban designer Diana Giraldo says. If one part of the system is failing, then the whole body struggles. As Southwest Florida’s population balloons, Diana says it’s essential to approach development with a sustainable mindset. She launched her Community Development Reimagined (CDR) consulting firm in 2020 to help build human- and earth-friendly projects that enhance communities. She pushes for green building certifications—metrics that recognize stellar environmental and energy standards— on all her projects. That may mean offering interventions for water-saving and energy-efficient techniques, filling a neighborhood with drought-tolerant native plants or ensuring new builds have access points for locals to connect.

For her, designing a building extends far beyond the structure itself. She thinks about how a space can transcend its footprint and positively impact the community as a whole. “It’s never just about the building,” Diana says. “It’s about the context of the building and the environment together.”

The Colombian-born architect, who served as the City of Fort Myers’ first sustainability manager for seven years, grew up in an affordable housing community with a propensity for being outside and limited access to greenspace. As sustainability manager (a role created for her), she implemented the green building program used in all of the city’s affordable housing projects.

Through CDR, Diana works with clients to address transportation concerns (an issue she worked on in her native Bogotá), amplify greenspaces (she consults on the City of Fort Myers’ Parks Master Plan), and create more pedestrian- and bike-friendly paths (the bike crash survivor also founded Streets Alive SWFL in 2012 to promote road safety locally).

She’ll weigh in on development plans that may encroach on sensitive environmental lands when there’s an opportunity, and outside firms consult Diana to understand the local culture and context for their plans. Currently, she’s working on The Greater Dunbar Initiative, which is set to transform the historically underserved neighborhood’s Southward Village into a vibrant, mixed-income community.

Beyond adding 375 new units, the project will invest in nearby schools, add amenities, and introduce essentials, like a local grocery store. A major proponent of responsible landscape solutions, Diana has proposed turning a stormwater drainage pond into a feature with Florida-friendly landscaping, shade trees, benches, a walking path and exercise equipment. “That way, it’s integrated into the community,” she says.

In January, Diana announced her candidature for the Fort Myers City Council Ward 2 seat. At the top of her list of core issues is addressing affordable housing and changing regulations to allow for more sustainable development. Diana’s superpower lies in her ability to have a bold vision and the capacity to bring those ideas to life, creating spaces that foster vibrant, healthy communities. “Architects think a lot about what we’re leaving for the next generation,” she says. “It’s our job to set a path forward that has both balance and equilibrium.”

Artis Henderson

Denise Wauters

FOUNDER, EVERGLADES THREADS AND PUBLISHER OF THE MULLET RAPPER

Adecade ago, ready for new opportunities for her family, Denise Wauters embarked on a road trip through Florida, seeking a new home. The founder and creative director of the Paradise Web advertising agency fell in love with Naples for its serene beaches and connection to nature. Since then, she has directed her ever-churning mind to preserve what makes her adopted community distinct: the art, history and ecological wonders.

Soon after landing on the Gulf, the artistic Denise, who has long been fascinated with the natural world, ventured into the Everglades to explore the cypress swamps and sun-drenched prairies, capturing her experiences through her lens and sketch pad. “I felt like I was living in a postcard,” she says.

As she became aware of community needs, she unleashed her creativity to address them. About three years ago, watching artist friends struggle

to gain exposure, she launched a sales platform, Everglades Threads, where she retails shirts, mugs, tote bags and related items with original art that celebrates iconic elements of Florida—see Denise’s Spoonbill , Hannah Ineson’s serene Wings over Water landscape, and Tara O’Neill’s Women who Fish scene. “It’s a passion project,” she says. “Everything I do is a passion project.”

Denise insists on carrying products that are locally designed, ethically made, eco-friendly and responsibly manufactured in the United States. She has also found other ways to leverage the site, expanding Everglades Threads to include “Threads with a Cause,” specially branded merchandise that raises money for environmental protection and saving the 1927 Bank of Everglades Building in Everglades City, a citizen-led initiative to recover

the historical icon. In 2022, Denise purchased the Visit Everglades City website and The Mullet Rapper , a long-standing community newspaper focused on the town and surrounding areas, like Chokoloskee and the Ten Thousand Islands. Denise, who visits Big Cypress often, had a relationship with the paper and website’s prior owner. When the owner was ready to retire, Denise jumped at the chance to take over. “So many tourists pick up that paper,” Denise says. “It gives us a chance to educate the world, not just the community.”

Denise has expanded The Mullet Rapper’s footprint to include coverage of other nearby environmentally and culturally distinct communities, like Goodland and Port of the Islands, and to cover environmental initiatives like the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and its regional impact.

One thing she won’t change: The quote from the great Florida conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas that has long appeared on the back page of every issue: “The Everglades is a test. If we pass it, we may get to keep the planet.”

—Jennifer Reed

LORD OF THE FLIES

FORT MYERS’ DREW CHICONE LEADS THE SALTWATER FLYFISHING BOOM WITH HIS MASTERFUL, INGENIOUS FLIES.

BY JENNIFER REED

Since leaving the daily grind of “real jobs” and moving to Fort Myers, Drew Chicone has helped supercharge saltwater fly-fishing, an offshoot of the classic freshwater sport, with Florida as the epicenter. In the past decade, he’s written dozens of books and magazine articles, led workshops and shared tricks of the trade with his thousands of newsletter subscribers.

Adam Barker, Michael Owens, Sean Murphy

“OK

, I’m gonna put the hook in the vise. We want the shank parallel to the floor … The next thing we’re gonna figure out is what size eyes we want. The eyes will affect the sink rate.”

I am sitting in the home workshop of Drew Chicone, saltwater fly-tying master, watching him create a salmon-colored imitation shrimp to attract fish. He wraps thread around the hook to form a body, secures little black bead chain eyes and adds silicone legs to mimic the crustacean’s anatomy, sparkling fibers for attention-grabbing shimmer and rabbit fur to regulate the fly’s movement. He snips the thread end and secures it with acrylic. “OK, your turn,” he says, exchanging places with me.

Fly fishing is the art of catching a fish using a fly—a handmade replica of a fish’s prey, like baitfish, crabs, shrimp or insects. It’s my first experience with the sport, and I’m learning from the guy. From his Fort Myers base, Drew shares his knowledge and innovations to advance saltwater fly fishing, a contemporary—and rapidly growing—offshoot of the centuries-old freshwater pastime. The fisherman’s fly designs have won major industry awards; he’s published numerous magazine articles, authors a free monthly e-newsletter and has written a three-volume, 900-page tome on fly fishing. The day after my lesson, the December issue of Fly Tyer magazine hit shelves. The publication named him Fly Tyer of the Year and featured his flies on the cover—an angler’s equivalent to landing in Rolling Stone (Drew’s analogy).

Drew’s been at this since he stumbled upon his parents’ fly-tying materials in the basement of their upstate New York home when he was about 6. The box was a treasure chest—scraps of fur, feathers, tinsel, thread, a few of his dad’s flies and his mom’s handwritten notes. He still has the notes, stuffed between the pages of Art Flick’s Master Fly-Tying Guide, a gift from his grandmother to his dad.

Something stuck. Drew, a restless kid, loved arts and crafts, especially origami. He was obsessed with fishing. “It was like the sky

opened up,” he says of the day he figured out that he could marry his hobbies and make his own lures.

“I think I have my first fly I ever tied with my dad,” he continues, rummaging. “Here it is.” He hands me two, grinning: a delicate mosquito imitation (Dad’s) and a blood-sucker-on-steroids version (his). “I mean, everybody’s got to start somewhere, right?”

Despite his love for fishing, Drew—like most of us—did not think a childhood passion equated to a grown-up job. He pursued a pragmatic career in the mortgage, title and real estate industry. He founded his own company, working so hard that he landed in a cardiologist’s office in his mid-20s. Diagnosis: stress. He shuttered the firm in 2007. “What are you going to do now?” he recalls his wife, Susan, asking. “I’m not 100% sure,” he responded. “But somehow, I’m gonna work in the fly-fishing industry.”

For a time, he continued to work in various industries like banking and supply-chain consulting. But all the while, he studied and practiced fly tying, handcrafting as many as 5,000 flies a year to perfect the art, gain a following and amass inventory to sell. The sport tends to attract obsessives. In an extreme example, an American student studying abroad broke into the Natural History Museum at Tring near London in 2009 and stole feathers and bird pelts for fly tying. Drew crosses no such ethical boundaries, but he’ll scour rummage sales and internet boards for hard-to-find and discontinued products, like a square rubber leg that looks more realistic than today’s rounded silicone products, or Aunt Lydia’s Rug Yarn, coveted for its texture, natural-looking sparkle and ability to hold its shape when wet.

Drew’s workshop is the envy of any crafter. Storage bins line the walls. They’re crammed with fur, feathers, wool, shredded Mylar, foam board, beads, marabou feathers, thread and countless other materials. “You know it’s bad when you go into Michael’s or JOANN’s and the old ladies are like, ‘Hey, Drew!’”

Anything and everything is fair game in fly design. One of Drew’s award winners, Chicone’s Contraband Crab, uses a dish scouring pad, chosen for its natural color variations (fish are suspicious of things that look fake), texture, and availability, among other reasons. He makes the crab’s eyes by holding monofilament to a flame and melting the polymer into a pinhead-sized ball, which he dabs with black nail polish, and voila! Chicone’s Contraband Crab took Best in Show at the 2016 International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) Show for its versatility and the niche it filled in the market.

Drew’s first mentor made Drew promise one thing—no secrets. Fly tyers can be a guarded circle. Drew kept his word and holds nothing back when diving into everything from fish physiology and ethology (where the eyes are placed, where in the water column they feed) to physics (should a fly land with a splash like a falling crab, or light as a feather?).

Drew’s home workshop overflows with bins filled with animal furs, foam boards, beads and myriad craft materials. “You know it’s bad when you go into Michaels or JOANN and the old ladies are like, ‘Hey, Drew!’” he says.

If Drew can’t find a material that serves his needs, he may well invent it. He has conceived several products, including Chicone’s Fettuccine Foam. Drew had been wrestling with how to make a fly more buoyant. He’d tried incorporating deer hair, but it tends to sink when saturated—a problem when you’re targeting snook, which feed on prey above them. One day, over an Italian dinner with his wife, Drew glimpsed a chef feeding sheets of dough through a pasta cutter. “We gotta go!” he announced. The couple raced home. (Such epiphanies are not uncommon—he keeps a notebook on his bedside to capture middle-of-the-night inspirations). In his workshop, Drew began slicing water-resistant foam board into noodle-like strips to replace the hair and tested the flies in his backyard pool until he struck the exact number of strips needed for optimal buoyancy. Fettuccine Foam is a key component to his Tuscan Bunny fly, which won IFTD’s Best in Show in 2017. Fly design is an art, but the practice is grounded in science. Before Drew sits down to create, he must know: what his target fish eats, where in the water column it feeds, and whether it goes after prey located above it or below it. He considers habitat types and seasonal shifts. He thinks about whether a fly should make a splash when it hits the water or land feather-like, so as not to spook the fish he’s after. He knows which species latch onto flies that merely resemble their prey and those that bite at only the most realistic imitations. Drew has even researched how fish see underwater, dedicating a section of his first book, Feather Brain, to explaining the Ultraviolet light spectrum. “I got really nerdy,” he confesses. “It’s extremely tactical, but this level of detail didn’t exist.”

If Drew did nothing more than design flies and products, he would hold a place among fly tying’s elites. He affirmed his mastery by selling to a major retailer, Umpqua Feather Merchants. But that’s not his only contribution. Drew is a gifted teacher—patient, encouraging and detailed. The New York

Michael Owens, Sean Murphy

native fell into the role of saltwater fly-fishing educator and apostle after moving to Fort Myers in 2003.

Florida is the epicenter of sport fishing in general and the place where saltwater fly fishing came into its own, thanks to a generation of fishermen who adapted casting techniques, equipment and fly design for saltwater environments. Drew, who likewise shifted from freshwater to saltwater fly fishing, recognized that the sport was ripe for development, innovation—and education.

About 15 years ago, he offered fly-tying lessons to kids at Bass Pro Shops in South Fort Myers. That’s where, one evening, he encountered the late Eric Leiser, from Cape Coral, who was regarded as one of saltwater fly tying’s pioneers. Drew still remembers their first meeting. “He had a pair of plaid pants from the ’70s and a cap like the paperboys used to wear,” Drew recalls.

Eric, in his 70s at the time, was looking for a student of his own. Something about seeing the younger man at work must have resonated. “I’ll teach you everything I know,” Drew remembers him saying, “You take it from here, and keep teaching it. But you need to make me a promise. No secrets.”

Fly tyers were a cagey bunch, protective of patterns and techniques. The sport smacked of elitism and clannishness, a throwback to the Victorians, who turned fly fishing into a nobleman’s pastime. Eric wanted to change that, using Drew as a conduit.

Along with fly-tying techniques, Eric taught Drew how to write. “Explain it to me as if you couldn’t do it with pictures,” said the older man, the author of several definitive fly-tying guides. Drew published his first free newsletter in 2012, sharing what he’d learned from Eric, along with designs, tips, and time-saving tricks he developed on his own. As his following and reputation grew, he reached out to the sport’s other greats—Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, Lefty Kreh—to learn from them and pass on their wisdom. He expanded his writing into magazine articles and books. His next, self-published work, Bluewater Flies, releases this year.

In addition to his flies that sell through major retailers, sponsorships with various outfitter brands and his stake in a boutique rum brand started by other fly fishermen, Drew leads trips to otherworldly locales, with fine food and wine, hunting, and, of course, fly fishing at the center.

Drew writes the way he likes to learn: Step-by-step, like a recipe book. Even though Eric sharpened his explanatory skills, Drew insists on copious photographs to enhance understanding. He documents his process in a makeshift studio, a cardboard box painted sky blue. Today, Drew estimates he reaches at least 500,000 people a year through his newsletters, website, Instagram, YouTube videos, podcasts and other publications. “It’s passing the torch to the next generation,” he says. This includes his 12-year-old daughter, Lucy, who has a tackle box of flies that she tied with her dad.

Drew balances unpaid endeavors with an amalgamation of financial ventures, from collecting royalties on his fly designs to serving as the United States distributor for a New Zealand-based rod manufacturer. He is sponsored by numerous brands, including BOTE and Patagonia, and runs a tour company, Luxe Cadre, through which he leads private excursions, revolving around fishing and hunting, fine wine, and cultural experiences, to places like the Bahamas and Argentina. And, if that’s not enough, he’s part owner of Frigate Reserve Rum, a premium spirits label developed by a group of friends who brought Drew on for his aptitude with logistics. His entrepreneurial brain is as active as his fly-tying one.

Drew likes to say: You can make a fly that looks beautiful on the bench, you can make a fly that performs, or you can make a fly that does both.

On a perfect weekday morning, we make our way through Drew’s backyard to Whiskey Creek’s tree-shadowed water. We step onto his paddleboard—he in front, me observing from behind—and glide noiselessly from his dock. The board skims the water’s surface, creating so little disturbance that the fish and manatees barely notice us. I watch him cast, turning his torso right, left, and right again, his line gaining energy with each twist. He makes it look effortless.

Drew has chosen a fly that imitates a bait fish. He casts for me, hands me the rod and shows me how to manipulate the movements to make the fly move as if wounded. “Sing ‘Three Blind Mice,’” he suggests. Tug-tug-tug. Pause. Tug-tug-tug. Pause. A little snook latches on, and I reel in my first-ever fish caught on a fly. “People get addicted to it, you know,” he warns over his shoulder.

The morning is still. Mangroves, palms and shrubs obscure neighborhoods and roadways and create solitude. “It’s no longer a craft,” he says. “It’s like a calling.”

Michael Owens

F U L L C I R C L E

THE ONLY USDA-CERTIFIED FARM FOR PASTURE-TO-TABLE MEATS IN FLORIDA, CIRCLE C FARM, BREEDS

FERTILE GROUND FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION.

By Chanda Jamieson Photography By Zach Stovall

When Nicole and Manny Cruz rise at 3:30 a.m., it is already sticky-hot across the couple’s 200acre farm, located near the line between Lee and Hendry counties. Orange groves stretch for miles, surrounding the farm on all sides. Valencias covered in dew scent the air where the calving herds will soon graze, their coats pearlescent from a good rain the night before and the protein-rich grass they feed on all year.

Nicole and Manny pull on mud-caked boots and step out of their unassuming ranch home into the dim light outside. In the distance, thousands of chickens, ducks and guinea hens craft a cacophony, clucking and churring as they peck the earth for worms and grubs. Nicole and Manny take one last sip of coffee and get onto the daily work of tending to Circle C Farm.

From the onset of their agricultural journey, the Cruzes have subscribed to regenerative agriculture, beginning with a homesteading project in 2010 on their small tract of land in Bonita Springs. The holistic approach includes promoting biodiversity, no-till farming, and pasture rotation, where herds change paddocks routinely, allowing the land to regenerate and the animals to forage without end.

By about 5 a.m., as Nicole finishes feeding the puffs of flaxen-colored fuzz in the chick brooder, Manny walks beyond the barn to the eastern pasture, pulling up portable fencing to create temporary paddocks. Alexandra, one of the couple’s three white, shaggy Maremma

Nicole Cruz and her husband, Manny, started Circle C Farm in 2012, with a focus on regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach that restores land health. The couple sells their meats—including pasture-raised pork, lamb, chicken and specialty beef, like Japanese Wagyu—out of their Downtown Bonita Springs store, their on-farm shop in Felda and online.

The 200-acre Hendry County farm might be surrounded by orange groves, but it also neighbors a food desert (an area with limited access to fresh, nutritious food). To bridge the gap and create a place for locals to gather around food, they opened the farm store, recently debuted a from-scratch kitchen and plan to host dinners on the farm.

sheepdogs—an ancient Italian breed known for being loyal livestock guardians—follows dutifully along to help corral a small herd of Florida Cracker sheep, one of the oldest heritage breeds in the United States. The sheep, tan with a reddish-brown crimped fleece, have been grazing this paddock for three days and now need fresh, clean grass.

Grazing herds consume plants and grasses and give back to the land in the form of manure packed with healthy nutrients. The hardier, more fertile soil can absorb and retain more carbon, improving the air, the dirt itself and overall climate health. Nicole and Manny are conscious that agrifood systems account for about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. By allowing nature to cycle itself, to function uninhibited, the farm’s footprint shrinks—and flourishes—simultaneously.

The idea boils down to farming in Mother Nature’s image, as indigenous communities did for millennia. Nicole and Manny don’t till the soil, which would contribute to erosion and loss of organic matter. The land remains pesticide-free. Duck eggs flaunt a charming speckled coloring, the natural staining that remains when eggs are laid on the earth, not in a cage, and blemished ova aren’t discarded to appease consumer aversions.

The plump, khaki-colored fowl lay at night, anywhere they can, forcing Nicole and her

team of 10, mostly family, to comb the 30-acre paddock—dense with saw palmetto and bahiagrass—in search of the spotted treasures. But Nicole doesn’t mind. “They nurture us, take care of us, and we take care of them. Their life begins and ends here. We want to honor that,” she says, her curly, cardinal-colored hair fading into the now-late morning sun.

This is how things are supposed to work, I imagine, looking over the palm-footed land, with 80 head of premium Angus and Wagyu cattle roaming freely, grazing at will. Heritage Berkshire pigs play beneath the sun, nudging their snouts into the earth, and pregnant sows wallow in mud and root into the soil, where they’ll build their nest and soon give birth.

In 2017, Circle C Farm became Florida’s first and only on-farm federally inspected abattoir and butcher shop for red and white meat. ‘Abattoir’ is the French—and Nicole’s preferred—term for ‘slaughterhouse.’ “[It] better reflects the respect and care we show the animals,” she says. Only a few other farms in the U.S. do the rearing and harvesting in one place, with one team seeing the process from beginning to end.

Consumption is viewed on a nose-to-tail basis, and the bulk of the harvest goes direct to consumers, from pasture to plate, shipped nationwide or purchased at one of their two

Nicole, who grew up around horses, focuses on showing respect for the animals in every aspect of the rearing and harvesting process. As Florida’s only federally inspected farm abattoir (her preferred term for ‘slaughterhouse’) and butcher shop, Circle C subscribes to a nose-to-tail philosophy for consumption.

stores—one on the farm and the other in Downtown Bonita Springs.

Nicole and I tour the farm’s 40-foot, walk-in freezer, organized according to breed and cut. The Cruzes only harvest when they run out of all cuts of a particular animal. If they exhaust their popular pastured pork belly (a bacon-style cut), for instance, but are still well stocked on pork chops and country ribs, they’ll keep selling what they have until it’s gone. Only then is it time to process again. Bones are used for broths; fat turns into tallow for soaps and salves, and typically discarded scraps make for a nutritious, protein-packed grind for pets. Even the hides get a second life, sent to a Florida tannery, where they’re dried and sealed, then returned to the farm to be sold on-site as rugs or tapestries—a piece of the farm for the home.

Circle C has come a long way from its 2010 homesteading beginnings. Nicole, who grew up in Virginia with horses and her grandmother’s home cooking, found it increasingly difficult to eat commercially farmed meat and vegetables without getting sick, a sensitivity she attributes to the preservatives and other chemicals inherent to industrial farming. After meeting Manny, a descendant of a multigenerational farming family from the Dominican Republic, the pair began to dream of a small farm of their own. They thought, if nothing else, they could sustain themselves with what they grew.

Before long, they added chickens to their garden and started selling eggs to locals.

Circle C is not a marketplace—it is an ecosystem, working in partnership, rather than competition, with nature. Here, livestock are grown from babe to adult, roaming from one pasture to the next, preserving their natural environment and integrity. Florida Cracker sheep, Heritage Berkshire pigs, and Angus and Wagyu cattle roam freely here.

The Cruzes found a community eager to embrace a supermarket alternative. As demand increased, customers wondered if Circle C might offer clean meats—chicken, duck, pork and beef—too. The couple decided to expand but needed more space to do it right. In 2012, they bought 129 acres in Felda—an unincorporated community in Hendry County, near Lehigh Acres—and an additional 80 acres in 2021.

Hurricane Irma represented a turning point in the couple’s approach. Three weeks after receiving their USDA certification, the storm took 11 of the farm’s 14 structures and most of their chickens, turkeys and ducks, along with a black and white Holstein cow, named Brownie, who believed she was a sheep. Irma devastated Southwest Florida’s agricultural community. It took Circle C six months to recover as they rebuilt structures, hatched and raised chicks, and otherwise worked to remeet the spectrum of nuanced agriculture requirements for Florida’s harsh climate. “We have to farm differently here. Whether it’s raining or lightning, the sky is orange or yellow, we’re on a tractor making sure the water can drain, making sure the pasture doesn’t flood, moving animals to drier ground,” Nicole says. “We’re out here doing what we can in a climate that is hot, hotter, hottest and wet, wetter, wettest.”

After the storm, Nicole and Manny started working with other local farms. At Circle C stores, the Cruzes now sell bread, quiches and

pastries made with their eggs, alongside dairy products from a third-generation family farm in the Florida Panhandle, Joash Dairy. Baked goods are sweetened with Southwest Florida honey, and any produce not grown on-site is sourced from other local organic farms. “Not one of us can feed everyone,” Nicole says. “We have to work together—Florida farms feeding Florida families.”

Collaboration extends to the community; the couple encourages Floridians to know their food. Nicole’s background in education and strategic management gives weight to her efforts, including her podcast, where she delves into unknown facets of our community, local food systems and passionate people working to build a better Southwest Florida. “‘Cows or condos?’ is an oft-asked question around here,” she says. “The answer seems to be, overwhelmingly, ‘Condos.’ But who is going to feed them?”

She thinks about younger generations that show a renewed interest in homesteading but are unable to afford land, as well as those who came of age in a world of small family farms and now find it difficult to see the value in the work when a parcel of land can be sold for much more than it can produce. “Generational knowledge, if not handed down, takes with it a historical understanding of the land, of our land, our geographic space, our topography,” Nicole says. “It creates a void … that can in turn create a lack of food.”

Nicole believes Circle C’s blueprint can be replicated on a small or large scale, but the average person needs access to the infrastructure. “We have to find a way to maintain a food system that people can afford to participate in on both sides,” she says. “The farmer and the consumer. And we want that food to be clean.”

A big part of the reason Nicole and Manny decided to open a store at their farm was to offer a resource for Lehigh, a predominantly agricultural area that’s identified as a food desert for its lack of easy access to fresh, nutritious food. While there’s a necessary premium for slowreared meats that makes grocery shopping at Circle C an investment, the Cruzes ensure the farm serves as a resource for all locals. At the store, families can pick up loaves of fresh-baked sourdough or have their own livestock harvested. The couple recently opened a scratch kitchen—a place for the community to gather over chorizo biscuits and gravy made with pork sourced from their pastures and a rotating selection of burgers.

All the beef comes from grass-fed and grass-finished cows, which means they eat off the land their entire lives instead of being fattened up with grain. There are no federal or other mandated certifications to carry labels like ‘organic’ or ‘grass-fed,’ and brands often exploit such terms for marketing purposes, so Nicole and Manny lean away from certifications and into telling their story, bringing people onto the farm,

Nicole encourages people to eat within their foodsheds and hopes Circle C Farm can serve as a blueprint for those interested in sustainable farming. “For a farm to be here in six month’s time, to carry on from breeding to gestation to birth to growth—it just, it all takes time,” she says.

and lifting the veil on the production of clean food.

Nicole says there are enough farmers and fishers in Florida to feed the state and encourages people to eat within their foodsheds. “Communities must rally around them to ensure their survival,” she says. “For a farm to be here in six month’s time, to carry on from breeding to gestation to birth to growth—it just, it all takes time.”

Nicole looks to the moon dangling in the distance, ready to rise over canopies of hardwoods and citrus. She reaches out for Alexandra. Both human and animal feel the shift as the late afternoon turns to evening, making way for the night hawks, coyotes and panthers to feed in the mist. Alexandra will sleep with one eye open, keeping guard over the flock. Nicole and Manny will do the same. They understand the rhythms of this farm, a heartbeat indistinguishable from their own.

As we walk back toward the farm’s entrance, Nicole reflects on the early years, learning the pulse of this place. One inky night, a mama cow struggled to give birth. Nicole remembers taking a deep breath, measuring the rise and fall of her chest alongside the cows and placing both arms inside the animal, her fingers tracing the shape and position of the calf. The babe needed to be turned. Nicole gently guided the calf out into the twilight, with mother and child each taking their time now. As they should. Born, and grown, with love.

Rustic Reverie

Memphis designer Sean Anderson redefines the Tuscan-meets-organic coastal look with this atmospheric stunner in Aqualane Shores.

When it came time to renovate, Beth and David Genuardi embraced the Mediterranean facade of their Aqualane Shores four-bedroom, five-bathroom home. The retired Philadelphia couple, who winter in Naples, pulled from the dark, organic palette of the Italian countryside to reimagine the interiors but in a fresh way fitting for our modern age and coastal locale.

The couple enlisted Memphis designer Sean Anderson to refashion the interiors in a Neo-Mediterranean style. Out went the typical blue-and-white beachy interiors; in came a rich range of dark woods and natural stone, organic finishes, and a delightful play of textures. Curved, midcentury-inspired furnishings and lighting keep the look grounded in the now.

Near the entrance, a mahogany pod installation by Naples artist Ran Adler and a bonsai tree on a cast stone table lead into a lounge, where light-colored Holly Hunt mohair upholstery on the daybed, side chair and ottoman balance the ebonized wood

INTERIOR DESIGN: Sean Anderson

PHOTOGRAPHY: Haris Kenjar

Sawkille Co. credenza and custom draperies in taupe heathered wool. Legno Bastone European white oak flooring in a dark finish runs throughout the majority of the home, providing depth and warmth against the beige walls and plentiful natural light.

Sean moved the dining room to the former formal living room, where French doors open onto a patio garden with a fireplace and water views. “The architecture had a little drama to it, which made it the perfect spot for a sleek, sexy dining space,” he says. The room now flaunts a blackened brass, leather cord and semiprecious stone chandelier, linen banquette seating and a round maple table. Ran Adler’s acacia thorn birds scatter across the wall atop the banquette.

Sean also creates original artwork for each project—in this case, he made a 60-inch square painting resembling marble, which rests on a wooden console table in the dining room. “I hung the canvas on the first day of our install and worked on it for a couple hours a day as the house continued to come to fruition,” he says.

Dark colors and textured surfaces with cleanlined furnishings and abundant sunlight honor the home’s Mediterranean architecture and the lightness of the Florida coast. Far right: A mahogany pod installation by Naples artist Ran Adler hangs in the entryway.

Sean kept the barn beams but added a darker stain to contrast the lighter walls and furnishings; a concrete coffee table he designed adds an industrial edge. In the adjoining kitchen, quartzite countertops juxtapose leather-clad Richard Wrightman Chatwin bar stools.

The interplay of light and dark finishes continues in the kitchen. Pale gray Crystallus Azulado Quartzite countertops juxtapose Richard Wrightman Chatwin bar stools in acorn with dark chocolate English bridle leather strapping. The quartzite carries into the wet bar, discreetly hidden behind walnut millwork stained in ebonized charcoal. In the great room, Sean stained the existing wooden barn beams a darker color and hung a framed collection of antique loom brushes for added texture and to play off the client’s Southeast Asian antiques.

Across the central courtyard, which features a wading pool, water feature, sunning deck, outdoor living space and kitchen, Sean repurposed a detached guest cabana into an office suite for David. To counter the abundant natural light from the walls of windows, Sean used darker charcoal linen drapery and leather slipcovers. An antique gymnasium ladder provides unconventional storage for David’s reading materials. “The client is a voracious reader,” Sean says. “I sourced some old newspapers from Philadelphia to hang on the rungs to demonstrate the intent while being a charming, layered moment.”

The kitchen’s quartzite and primary bathroom’s travertine countertops and flooring keep the home feeling bright and contemporary. The primary bedroom flaunts a hand-hewn wooden bench and soft linens by the centuries-old Matouk and Italian textile brand Signoria.

Kingdom Chandelier

Kelli is a big fan of lighting designer Lindsey Adelman. “Her material usage range and combinations, scale choices, and the organic multi-directional shapes impress a freedom that we could all use a good dose of,” Kelli says. She was delighted to come across this collaboration between Lindsey and Brooklyn-based designer Karl Zahn. Their

Kingdom Chandelier is modeled after the burro’s tail

a perfect arc—a reflection of our modern-day yearning for sleek

The designer drew from the Tuscaninspired architecture, with a layered design and moody, lived-in palette for the interior makeover.

imperfect beauty of nature. lindseyadelman.com

Courtesy

For the primary bedroom, Sean found an inverted cast of a tortoise shell that appears bleached by the sun. He also designed a bed bench and long wooden table, recovered an antique chair in amber velvet, and added an antique Tonga sisal rug to ground the space. The primary bathroom carries a lighter feel with travertine countertops and flooring and a contemporary bath from Kohler’s Veil collection. “They wanted to use this opportunity to embrace more of that organic, naturally derived texture,” Sean says of the finished home. “We achieved something that reflects both of them beautifully.”

Down to Earth

At Faro, in Naples, is a place where worldly design meets the elements.

In the Naples At Faro showroom, one-ofa-kind, organic, modish furnishings made by artisans across the globe are arranged in artful vignettes. A low-lying daybed with a live-edge base doubles as a table on all sides, holding handmade lanterns and pottery. “It may look simple, but the pieces have a lot of detail,” art director Fadia Bechara says, sweeping her hand over a side table made from petrified wood, polished into a perfect cuboid with marble-like graining.

While her design preference leans modern, the half-Lebanese Colombian native values historic architecture and its innate connection to nature. “Biophilic is not a trend; biophilic is the old way,” she says. Fadia honed her interior design skills in Los Angeles and Miami before spending 16 years as an art director for the century-old Italian stone company Travertini Paradiso. When she returned

Courtesy At Faro

to the United States, she landed in Naples, a short drive from her family in Miami.

In 2023, she opened her custom furniture line, At Faro, in the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt. Named after the Spanish word for ‘lighthouse,’ At Faro seeks to shed light on worldly craftsmanship through cottage industry production— each piece created on a microscale, often within a family home. Fadia frequently taps artisans from Colombia and from Indonesia, which is known for its arti -

sans’ sustainable practices and quality wood. “Everything they cut down, they replant,” she says.

Last year, Fadia met interior designer and Mayo Clinic-certified health and wellness coach April Raque through a mutual friend. The two joined forces to collaborate on April’s preexisting Wellness by Design program (run through April’s Wellness Design Group company), which helps clients create spaces that promote well-being. The design duo

uses the golden ratio—a mathematical equation that yields calming, aesthetically pleasing proportions—biophilic design, sensory details (think soothing scents and soft textiles), and thoughtful spatial planning, blending April’s experience with wellness and Fadia’s organic furnishings. “When we first met, we were talking about hormone balancing and how so many women go through so much in midlife. If you can set up your space to support that, your quality of life

The half-Lebanese Colombian native owner of At Faro, Fadia Bechara, honors modern design and its intersection with nature, often drawing from international artists.

Courtesy At Faro (3)

will improve,” April says. “The colors, the way the furniture is placed, the sounds or the smells in your house—all of it plays a role in creating this feeling of wellness.”

In a home they staged, a modular outdoor sectional made with intricately woven fibers and plush, white cushions calls for backyard family gatherings. Native sabal palms and saw palmettos frame the scene. The home office has

a slatted teak desk across from a traditional wood-posted daybed with a decorative throw blanket trimmed in dried grass fibers to promote a balance of work and rest.

Back at the showroom, Fadia brews her family’s single-origin Colombian coffee for anyone who walks in. She sells the grounds and artisanal, jarred goods behind an oyster stone bar with

bits of fossils set into the creamy, textured surface. She and April are planning health-centric design events in the space. “I want people to understand that it’s more than a shop,” Fadia says. “We’re hoping to raise the community vibration,” April chimes in. “If we get thinking about what their home is doing for or against their quality of life, then it ripples into the community as a whole.”

In At Faro’s showroom, at Naples’ Shoppes at Vanderbilt, cottage industry production shines, with handcrafted furnishings, pottery and other decorative objects.

Courtesy At Faro

BOCA

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Taking it All In

Naples-based Outside Productions International maximizes water views while providing several distinct spaces for lounging and entertaining in Royal Harbor.

When landscape architect Pat Trefz first saw his clients’ home in Naples’ prestigious Royal Harbor area, he knew there was a lot of work ahead for his team. The Tuscan architecture, with ornate columns and yellowed stucco walls, didn’t just cramp the facade; it also foiled one of the property’s best assets—the view.

The homeowners enlisted Pat’s landscape architecture firm, Outside Productions International (OPi), to head the task of revamping the nearly half-acre lot’s outdoor spaces and landscaping. In tandem with contractors of the Knauf-Koenig Group (KKG), the team got to work opening up the backyard, updating the flow and look of the living areas, and unlocking those stellar, clear shots of Naples Bay. One of the first action points was removing the oversized stucco arches that connected the two-story screens, framing the pool area and interfering with the centerpiece vistas of the waterfront lot that faces eastward and gets stellar sunset views most nights.

Home

The team removed an obstructive two-story screen and Mediterranean columns and archways to open the backyard to the water views. They replaced the dated pool with a sleek, infinity-edge design.

After removing the obstructive screen, archways and columns, OPi and KKG demoed the existing pool and replaced it with a sleek infinity-edge design with Agate Moyou glass tile (color Portofino with a pearl finish) for the waterline. Shellstone lines the perimeter, connecting the patio to the fire pit.

The new layout created separate yet cohesive outdoor living spaces that accommodate intimate socials or larger groups. Working from the two lanais out, Pat designed the pergola-covered outdoor kitchen (complete with a pizza oven and 60-inch SunBrite TV) closest to the main interior living area, so the homeowners could have easy access.

Local Expertise, Tailored Service, Christie's Credibility

WHILE I LOVE LIVING IN NAPLES, THE SUMMERS CAN BE HOT. SPEND YOUR SUMMERS LIKE I DO, IN BEAUTIFUL LAKE NORMAN, NC. LET ME HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT SUMMER LAKESIDE HOME WHERE RELAXATION AND ELEGANCE CONVERGE BENEATH THE CAROLINA SUN!

• LAKE NORMAN’S LEADING SELLER OF LUXURY WATERFRONT HOMES

• CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR - 2017 & 2022

Tom Grifferty

BROKER | REALTOR®

Tom@IvesterJackson.com | IvesterJackson.com 239.293.9560

A small set of stairs off the kitchen leads to the fire pit and a turfed lounge area that encourages gathering with its modern, U-arranged sectionals with built-in teak tables. The low-maintenance artificial turf breaks up the scene and softens the look of the extensive Turkish shellstone that weaves its way through the backyard.

The landscaping was equally important in the layout for opening up the backyard. “We try to keep a green fringe on the back of the property where the land meets the seawall,” Pat says. “The planting is a tropical, manicured design and the turf is an important element that emphasizes the manicured nature of the design.” OPi layered in Sylvester palms, hibiscus (for color), tidy coniferous trees and shrubs, and native yaupon hollies to create the feel of a pristine, tropical resort.

Now completely unobstructed, the backyard is open to the horizon—and the view is just as charming looking in. “We want the views from the water to be equally beautiful as from the land, so when boats drive by or the homeowners return from a day on the water, it’s a beautiful sight,” Pat says.

Home

for the manicured look of a five-star resort.

Lasting Style

We tap local design pros to share the global finds inspiring them. This month, Kelli Esposito, of Harper Haus Interiors, shares her favorite sustainably made pieces that prove responsible sourcing and superior style go hand in hand.

Brian Tietz; Courtesy Julian Chichester

Deneuve Cabinet by

Julian Chichester

This cabinet is constructed with vellum, so as it ages, its teal hue changes like the shifting Gulf tides. “I’m always searching for pieces that allude to a beautiful beach location but not literally,” Kelli says. The Deneuve reflects London-based designer Julian Chichester’s commitment to fine craftsmanship and classic English design mixed with innovation. Brass edging—defining the cabinet’s modern but approachable dog bone shape—was molded, beaten and applied by hand to give the piece a perfectly imperfect edge. The antithesis of fast furniture, Julian’s brand follows the sustainability model, planting a tree for every purchase and shipping orders in 100-percent recyclable packaging.

us.julianchichester.com

Urchin Leather Chandelier by Ngala Trading

New York-based African design brand Ngala Trading specializes in exceptional designs from artisans across the continent—all ethically made and sourced. The fringe chandelier, made by South African-based NeKeia McSwain, sprinkles light from above and below through contrasting leather strips, available in four rich tones. Drawing from her background in fashion design (she used to work for White House Black Market), Kelli collaborates with the team to customize the piece to the space she is designing. “If we had a really high ceiling, we could lengthen those tassels on the bottom and really make it dramatic over a dining table,” she says. “If we wanted to make a sconce out of it on a wall, we could make the straps drape down to the floor.”

ngalatrading.com

Courtesy Ngala Trading

Salotto Cocktail Cabinet by Arteriors

Naples- and Chicago-based interior designer Frank Ponterio recently launched his first furniture collection with design powerhouse Arteriors. The centerpiece of the line is this cabinet, inspired by a pair of bronze doors at Milan’s Villa Necchi, a 1930s architectural gem known for its lavish fêtes. Vertical slots mimic the solarium door’s vents. In this contemporary, purely decorative context, the openings create a peek-a-boo effect. “The bold cabinet doors offer so much pattern play and uniqueness,” Kelli says. Inside, geometrically layered shelves allow plenty of space for tall collectible bottles, glassware and other bar accoutrements. Plus, you can feel good about knowing Arteriors adheres to environmentally and socially friendly practices.

arteriorshome.com

Courtesy Arteriors

Brendisi at Mediterra 29120 Brendisi Way #3102: $1.395M

Royal Harbor 2130 Snook Dr: $8.900 M

Park Shore 3750 Fountainhead Ln: $6.495 M

Royal Harbor Area 1307 Chesapeake Ave #3A: $2.499 M

Coronado at Pelican Bay 7225 Pelican Bay Blvd #2001/2002: $5.950 M

Claridge at Pelican Bay 7515 Pelican Bay Blvd #4D: $2.175 M

Padova at Mediterra 15167 Brolio Ln: $6.248 M

Moorings - Waterfront 450 Bow Line Bend: $6.750 M

Eleven Eleven Central 1115 Central Ave #443: $3.250 M

WILLIAM RAVEIS REAL ESTATE

A winning combination of business strategy, creativity, and exceptional customer service, Renée Hahn is among an elite group of the top real estate agents in the greater Naples area for her consistent year-over-year results and extraordinary client satisfaction. Her business acumen, tireless commitment to excellence, solution orientation, and creativity position her to exceed expectations for all that she serves. She always goes the extra mile for those she works with and manages her business as a long-term relationship-based model versus a short-term transaction. This commitment has created a strong referral based business where her clients continue to seek her out for repeated support for themselves and those they care about. She is here to serve you in your pursuit of paradise!

239.287.2576

RENEE@YOURNAPLESEXPERT.COM

YOURNAPLESEXPERT.COM

449 HERON

3

Welcome to your dream waterfront home in the prestigious Conners at Vanderbilt Beach, a haven for boating and beach enthusiasts. Renovated with impeccable style, stands as a testament to luxury living in one of Naples' most sought-after locations.

BAY SHORE PLACE UNIT 1205 | PARK SHORE

2 Bed + Open Den | 2 Bath | 1,622 Sq. Ft. Under Air

12th floor beachfront condo offers unparalleled living with beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico providing potential for customization is ideal for buyers looking to create their dream coastal retreat inviting a modern touch to elevate its impressive surroundings.

478 1ST AVE | OLD NAPLES

5 Bed + Den | 5 Bath | 4,305 Sq. Ft. Under Air

In the heart of highly sought-after Olde Naples, this distinguished residence epitomizes coastal living just a few blocks from the Gulf, sugary beaches, & 5th Avenue. Thoughtfully updated in the last few years this home boasts a harmonious fusion of modern effects & classic elegance.

GROSVENOR UNIT 1506 | PELICAN BAY

2 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,542 Sq. Ft. Under Air

Perched on the 15th floor offering breathtaking views of the surrounding water and preserve space. This wellmaintained condo presents an incredible opportunity to personalize your home while enjoying its spacious layout and captivating views along with 2 parking spaces.

14456 NEPTUNE AVENUE | NAPLES

RESERVE

3 Bed + Den | 3 Bath | 2,604 Sq. Ft. Under Air

Meticulously crafted by the renowned Stock Development in 2021. This architectural marvel stands as a beacon of luxury living, offering a seamless blend of elegance, comfort, and modern amenities, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of a serene lake and lush preserve.

LAMER UNIT 300 | PARKSHORE

2 Bed | 2 Bath | 2,074 Sq. Ft. Under Air

Renovated with expansive living and storage space overlooking the Park Shore beach park and across the street from the Village on Venetian Bay.

CATHY ROGERS, a longtime resident of Southwest Florida and former director of the Marco Island Area Association of REALTORS®, has extensive knowledge of the local market, focusing on the Marco Island and Naples areas. She has been in the business of real estate for over 19 years and has consistently been in the top 1% of REALTORS® in the Marco Island marketplace, currently with over a half billion in sales volume. Cathy’s team was recognized as one of the top 100 global advisor teams company-wide, as well as an elite member of Club 1744, comprised of the top 100 advisors and top ten per region. Well-known in luxury circles for being a top-producing REALTOR®, some of Cathy’s many professional highlights include personally closing over $100 million in sales in 2023, including one of the highest-priced homes on Marco Island for $10.25 million and one of the highest-priced condos at $6.35 million. In 2022, she had the honor of breaking three sales records in Hideaway Beach for the highest-priced home to date at $11.875 million, the highest-priced villa to date for $6.5 million and the highest-priced beachfront lot to date at $6 million, along with her other multimilliondollar sales in previous years. The

Marco Island’s Greystone Manor, an Italian Venetian Palazzo, spans nearly 3 acres with four lots.

1690 North Copeland Drive

This Italian Venetian Palazzo encompasses four lots and nearly three acres of land. This opulent estate was remodeled in 2011 and then again in 2018. Featuring six bedrooms, seven-and-a-half baths, plus den and sta ’s quarters. Over 13,000 square feet of lavish interior space, a total of over 20,000 square feet. The jaw-dropping 2,700-square-foot grand salon boasts a 25-foot hand-painted barrel ceiling embellished and hand-painted by Italian artisans. Entertaining at its finest with gourmet chef’s kitchen, hidden wine cellar and custom cabinetry. Expansive family room on lower level with fireplace and fulllength built-in entertainment center. Primary wing encompasses the entire west wing of the home, crowned with hand-rubbed Venetian plaster barrel ceiling, private spiral staircase to the pool, dual bath suites, separate walk-in closets and a morning room with private balconies. Waterfront views from sunrise to sunset on this vast estate. 190 feet of waterfront on Roberts Bay has deep direct water, minutes to the Gulf of Mexico can accommodate a large yacht. This property, just shy of three acres, features a swimming pool and spa with a summer kitchen, abundant outdoor spaces, Koi pond, imported fountains, tennis court, and exquisite statues. Built like a fortress with stone exterior, porte cochere and copper roof, this property sits on one of the highest elevations on the island. The epitome of luxury living, this estate exudes true quality and elegance like none other.

1589 SOUTH BARFIELD COURT | $12,100,000

Record Sale! This was the highest priced home sold on Marco Island in 2023, for $12,100,000. Chris Sullivan also sold the highest price homesite, 1771 Osceola Court, in 2022 for $10,749,000.

820 EUBANKS COURT | $3,950,000

Magnificent 6 bedroom, 2 den, 7 bath, 3 car garage home including a 1 bedroom, 1 bath suite with private entrance located in the prestigious Estate of Marco Island on an oversized homesite.

BELIZE PENTHOUSE 2208 | $6,000,000

Exceptional penthouse, end residence located within Cape Marco boasts 5 bedrooms plus 2 dens, 4 and a half baths, sauna, a private 2 car garage, and phenomenal views.

200 TAHITI CIRCLE | $3,950,000

This impressive, custom designed home located on Isles of Capri boasts 3 bedrooms plus den, 5 baths, 115’ of waterfrontage on Marlin Bay, and luxurious appointments throughout.

COZUMEL 1001 | $3,850,000

Breathtaking 3 bedroom, 3 bath residence located in Cape Marco has been completely reimagined and offers the most stunning, coastal interior and phenomenal views of the beach and Gulf.

COZUMEL 904 | $3,699,000

Rarely available 4 bedroom, 4 bath Cape Marco residence boasts sweeping views of the entire beach and magnificent year-round sunrises and sunsets from the spacious lanais.

CHRIS SULLIVAN

RE/MAX AFFINITY PLUS

1278 ANTIGUA COURT | $3,250,000

428 PERSIAN COURT | $2,950,000

2006 | $2,950,000

Chris Sullivan is a top producer, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, and leader in the luxury real estate market on Marco Island and fine communities in Naples.  Chris is the recipient of many fine awards including RE/MAX Titan Club, RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement, RE/MAX Hall of Fame, Institute of Luxury Home Marketing Million Dollar Guild, and has been named a Five Star Professional.  She has been recognized as a Market Leader in both Forbes and Fortune and has been included in America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents ® and Real Trends America’s Best Real Estate Professionals – Top 1.5% USA.

239-404-5548 | chris@marcoluxuryhomes.com

naplesluxbroker.com | Instagram: @chrisluxbroker

599 South Collier Boulevard, Suite 306 Marco Island, FL 34145

COZUMEL

Stunning views of the Gulf and Ten Thousand Islands abound from this 3 bedroom, 3 bath end-residence with luxurious appointments throughout located in prestigious Cape Marco.

Phenomenal, completely updated, tip lot home with 163' of waterfrontage boasts new roof in 2022, new pool & spa in 2021, new seawall in 2020, and new dock in 2020.

Gorgeous 4 bedroom plus den, 4 bath home boasts converging waterway views, 146' of waterfrontage, and is less than a mile from Marco Island’s crescent shaped beach.

I won't let you buy that house. Buying or selling your property in Naples requires a partner, not a salesperson.

A partner who loves getting to know her clients and works tirelessly to provide them with options until we find the ideal property. A partner with over two decades of real estate experience and who is recognized and awarded as "Top Producer" yearly nationwide. A partner who knows where to find the hidden gems in this competitive market and knows about properties before they're listed.

You want to partner with Barbara Twiss Stringfellow.

For over 20 years, she ran a successful brokerage on Martha's Vineyard. But now she is laser-locked on Naples.

"When Barbara is on the hunt for a client, our rescue dogs, Daisy, Enzo, and I get used to having dinner for three," Barry said. "Come to think of it, Barbara and I haven't had dinner together since our wedding day.”

Barbara is a proud supporter of Lavern Gaynor Elementary School in Golden Gate, home of the Sea Turtles. Lavern Gaynor Elementary (LGE) is a small school with a big focus on student leadership. LGE develops the unique abilities of each student as they work towards their Wildly Important Goals (WIGS). A portion of each sale is donated to provide the tools that teachers urgently need at Lavern Gaynor Elementary School.

Olde Naples ~ Pristine condo located in the heart of Olde Naples, a block away from Naples Bay and just blocks from the Gulf of Mexico beaches, 5th Ave and 3rd Street South $529,000

BARBARA TWISS Broker Associate (508) 560-0026

Bonita Bay - Exceptional 3 bedroom home offers a unique blend of elegance & sophistication. Live the life you deserve in European tradition & contemporary luxury. Welcome to your new upscale haven.

$2,100,000

PATTI MUFF

Sales Associate

(513) 410-0543

BARBARA TWISS Broker Associate (508) 560-0026

Reflection Lakes of Naples ~ A serene oasis in this sought-after gated community, this captivating 3bedroom, 2-bathroom end unit is being offered furnished $469,000

BARBARA TWISS Broker Associate (508) 560-0026

Pelican Isle - Escape to your very own private oasis on a 15-acre island in North Naples and experience the thrill of luxury waterfront living with expansive water views of the Gulf of Mexico from stunning residence$2,499,000

SUZIE SWINEHART Sales Associate (330) 316-9756

KATHLEEN KELLEHER

Sales Associate

(239) 404-2873

BARBARA TWISS Broker Associate (508) 560-0026

Royal Harbor ~ Stunning waterfront property on an estate-sized lot. Features timeless design, casual elegance, and over 100 feet of deep Gulf frontage with new seawall, 20,000pound boat lift, and Slidemoor dock system for easy Gulf access. $12,700,000

BARBARA TWISS Broker Associate (508) 560-0026

EFFORTLESS RESORT STYLE LIVING IN A PERFECTLY TUCKED AWAY TROPICAL ENCLAVE

Thoughtfully designed coastal contemporary homes and an ideal location just west of U.S. 41 combine to embody the ultimate Southwest Florida lifestyle. Located on Coconut Road just 1⁄4 mile from the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Coconut Landing features 25 single family homes, each one boasting seamless indoor/outdoor living, open and uplifting floor plan with custom touches throughout, natural gas cooking and outdoor fireplace, and a sparkling private pool and spa. With lush manicured surroundings, resort membership option to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, and nearby beaches, golf, shopping, and dining, Coconut Landing invites you to enjoy every moment, whether relaxing at home or stepping out.

Move-in ready new construction homes from $1.77 million*

The Bay continues the open concept theme of the Palm with a soaring great room ceiling and 10’ pocket sliders leading out to the pool deck. A powder bath provides for each guest bedroom to enjoy a dedicated bathroom, and a spacious primary suite creates an added sense of privacy and luxury.

Katherine Marx

Real Estate Broker, Realtor

Headwaters Real Estate 239.298.4351

kmarx@headwaters-development.com

headwaters-development.com

PO Box 110062, Naples, Fl. 34108

*Pricing and availability subject to change.

The Beach sets the stage for entertaining and enjoying time with friends and family. The largest Coconut Landing plan, the Beach features a spacious open concept main living area with 4-panel pocket sliders that open up to the covered living and pool area, a spa-like primary bathroom, and a split garage plan (2 car + 1 car).

The Palm features an open concept great room, dining, and kitchen area with island seating. This efficient floorplan offers ample storage, a vaulted great room ceiling, and 10’ pocket sliders leading out to a spacious covered living and pool area.

3 BEDROOMS + STUDY | 3.5 BATHROOMS | 2,578 SF

3 BEDROOMS + STUDY | 3 BATHROOMS | 2,305 SF

3 BEDROOMS + STUDY | 4 BATHROOMS | 3,160 SF

SARAH HUDGINS

WILLIAM RAVEIS REAL ESTATE

Sarah Hudgins is a Designated Luxury Properties Specialist with William Raveis specializing in Olde Naples. With more than 15 years' experience selling Olde Naples luxury real estate, Sarah is an exceptionally trusted advisor to her clientele.

Sarah recently launched The Huxley in downtown Naples, The Augusterra Group's luxury residences offering expansive estate style living with condominium simplicity. With sales underway, a limited number of exceptional opportunities remain with pricing from $7.3 million.

As the Director of Sales for the Augusterra Group's Stella Naples, Sarah sold 80% of the project prior to construction. Close to sold out, two exquisite residences with designer selections are all that remain. Prices start at $3.6 million.In 2023, William Raveis was named #1 Brokerage in the US by Inman, the leading source of real estate information. Raveis has also been recognized as the #1 Luxury Brokerage by Luxury Portfolio International.

239.331.0748 | sarah.hudgins@raveis.com

720 5th Ave S, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34102

sarahsellsnaples.com

Naples luxury living will never be the same. The Huxley is a one-ofa-kind new concept soon to break ground in Downtown Naples on Eighth Street South between Third and Fourth Avenue South. The Huxley has eight expansive ultra luxury residences in a boutique threestory building with four unique floor plans ranging from 3,733 to 6,671 square feet under air. Residences have a minimum of three bedrooms, abundant outdoor areas, oversized 4-6 car "condos" (lift capable), rooftop pools, outdoor kitchens and more.

Stella Naples is a boutique, three-story enclave in Downtown Naples. Stella's casual sophistication creates a truly unique lock-and-leave lifestyle in prestigious Olde Naples. Just three short blocks to downtown's famed Fifth Avenue South scene, and close to the Gulf, everything you love about Naples is within minutes of your front door.

STELLA NAPLES

THE HUXLEY

CATHERINE MCAVOY

“My legal background and work ethic enable me to provide the exceptional service you deserve.”

BROKER ASSOCIATE

239.370.2539

CATHERINE.MCAVOY@PREMIERSIR.COM

CATHERINEMCAVOY.PREMIERSOTHEBYSREALTY.COM

Cathy is a long-time resident of Naples specializing in luxury residential sales in Old Naples, Aqualane Shores, Park Shore, Moorings and Pelican Bay.

She grew up in Bu alo, New York, and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Cathy earned her law degree from the University of Bu alo and worked as an attorney at the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Rochester, New York, until 1995 when she relocated to Naples with her family.

Cathy raised her three children in Naples and worked in real estate law as well as for Collier County Public Schools as a GED instructor, substitute teacher and volunteer. Her husband, Brian, is a Trusts and Estates attorney in Naples and their children all attended the University of Florida. Meredith is an attorney in Orlando, Max is a craft brewer in Broomfield, Colorado, and Jack is a civil engineer in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Cathy is a member of the Florida and New York Bar Associations, and earned her broker’s license and her GRI designation.

PREMIER SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY DAVE & ANN RENNER

Dave & Ann Renner are proven professionals among the top 100 Realtors (top 16 small teams) in Naples. Ranked 74 for small teams across Florida, they take great pride in their cherished long-term relationships with hundreds of customers over the last 22 years.

Originally from Ohio, Dave and Ann have built a stellar practice that caters to the most discerning buyers and sellers, and their clients have come to trust their honesty and expertise of the luxury home market. They consistently maintain that their goal is “not to be the biggest, but to be the best!”

Dave Renner: 239.784.5552

Ann Renner: 239.784.5555

dave.renner@premiersir.com

annrenner.naples@gmail.com renners2.com

Venetian Village

4300 Gulf Shore Blvd N., #100 Naples, FL 34103

8812

Palm Beach meets Naples in this chic top-to-bottom renovation offering state-of-the-art luxury finish details, fabulous design, playful guest cabana that sleeps 10, dramatic exterior space with elegant landscaping and pool and spa package and loads of thoughtful and distinctive architecural and design detail throughout. Delightfully sunny space and happy vibe will not dissapoint! $6,250,000

1198

Beautifully renovated home with a flare for contemporary design with a Key West vibe. This 4 bedroom plus study home offers unique combination of immediate golf membership availability and a private dock in the back yard for an easy ride out to the Gulf of Mexico. Superb finish details, large wine cellar, three gar garage and immaculate condition make this home move-in ready! $3,500,000

7709

Sleek sophistication describes this fabulous home with a southwest facing lakefront lot with panoramic views on a charming cul-de-sac. The total renovation is fabulous and offers the finest of finish details, distinctive Cristallo quartzide in kitchen, three car garage with electric car hookup, immaculate condition, complete hurricane protection, whole house generator and so much more! $2,395,000

LA PALMA LANE, BAY COLONY

DIMOCK LANE, COLLIER'S RESERVE

SANTA MARGHERITA WAY, MONTEREY

REALTOR®, CLHMS, CRS, CNE DARLENE RODDY

Gulf Coast International Properties® The Roddy Luxury Group, led by Darlene Roddy, has served the real estate needs of Park Shore, Pelican Bay, Marco Island, Hideaway Beach, Cape Marco, and surrounding areas for the past 24 years. With a strong emphasis on beachfront and golfing communities, one of Darlene’s most intrinsic abilities is to match a client's lifestyle preferences with their ideal residence. The Roddy Group team of professionals possess intimate market knowledge and a broad national and international network from which to draw. With record sales of over $35 million in 2023, call or email Darlene today to get started on achieving your real estate dreams.

Three bedroom, 3 bath condominium with wonderful views of the beach, perfectly located just north of the JW Marriott and Hilton Resorts on one of the best stretches of beach on the island. Whether you want your own getaway spot, or a possible potential investment property. $1,995,000

Beautiful home with recent updates. Offering western views, private boat dock with newer composite decking and a 12,000 pound boat lift. Views down 2 waterways that offer access to the gulf. Open-concept floor plan, private heated pool, screened lanai makes this home perfect. $1,800,000

239.404.0685 | darleneroddy@gcipnaples.com

marconaplesluxuryproperties.com

1144 Third Street South, Naples, Florida 34102 www.gcipnaples.com

This highly sought-after condominium with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths have one of the best beach views on Marco. Perfectly located just south of the JW Marriott and Hilton Resorts on one of the best stretches of beach on the island. $925,000

SUMMIT HOUSE AT MARCO BEACH | 280 SOUTH COLLIER BOULEVARD, #805

MARCO ISLAND | 430 NORTH BARFIELD DRIVE

SANDCASTLE AT MARCO BEACH | 720 SOUTH COLLIER BOULEVARD, #602

TIMOTHY P. SAVAGE, P.A.

PRINCIPAL | REALTOR®

Tim Savage, GCIP Principal, routinely ranks nationwide as one of the most successful Realtors in luxury real estate sales, according to NABOR and MLS statistics. Tim and his team achieved over $1 billion in sales for 2023, setting new sales records. Tim has exceptional new construction and local market expertise in Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Old Naples, Crayton Areas, Pine Ridge, Grey Oaks, and other prestigious Communities.

As a member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, Tim and GCIP have the designation as Naples only Board of Regents member, the most elite and comprehensive luxury real estate network in the world. Outside of real estate, Tim recently joined ProSport Competition, a national race team, racing an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the SRO Fanatec GT America series. Savage has been recognized for his philanthropy and commitment to public service by many local organizations and is a Hope for Haiti Board member. Married with three awesome children, Tim supports many community organizations that call Naples home.

PORT ROYAL | 3163 GIN LANE

Custom residence fashioned by a team with impeccable credentials. Drawn by Stofft Cooney Architects, crafted by A. Vernon Allen Builders, Inc. and finely appointed by Lisa Kahn Designs, with great water views. 5 bedrooms, a true Guest Casita for a total of 6 bedrooms, 7 full baths, 2 half baths, 4 car garage and a spectacular outdoor covered living area. Pool and fire-pit area by the waterway. Immediate Port Royal membership eligibility. $28,950,000

OLD NAPLES | 20 14TH AVENUE SOUTH

You have found the ultimate jewel; the only remaining entire city block on the beach. Nearly 3 acres on the Paradise Coast. This property has been maintained by the owner organically without pesticides for decades. Short 3 minute stroll to the world class shopping and restaurants of the historic 3rd Street South, a property like this comes only once in a lifetime, a true unicorn. $99,000,000.

®

239.821.7576 | tim@gcipnaples.com

1144 Third Street South, Naples, Florida 34102

www.gcipnaples.com

PELICAN BAY | MYSTIQUE, 6897 GRENADIER BOULEVARD,

PH4 is an incredible residence offering stunning unobstructed views of the beautiful Naples coastline. The attention to detail in this truly unique penthouse is spectacular. A private, 3,568 sq. ft. rooftop paradise is comprised of a pool/spa, sundeck, and outdoor entertainment areas with simply breathtaking vistas. This is a very special opportunity. $19,900,000.

#PH04

Rarely does an opportunity arise to own a beachfront villa with unparalleled views of the Gulf of Mexico. Tastefully remastered in coastal chic style, capturing the essence of beach living. Secluded outdoor courtyard provides tranquility and relaxation. Generous additional entertainment space, a private elevator, and an air-conditioned two-car garage. Nestled within the exclusive gated community of Villa Mare, just moments from Venetian Village. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a prime Gulf-front villa. Offered at $5,950,000.

VILLA MARE AT PARK SHORE

4720 VILLA MARE LANE | NAPLES, FLORIDA

MADELINE TRACY

STEP INTO THE WORLD OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN NAPLES, FL, guided by Madeline Tracy, leading The Gulf Coast Collective at Compass. With a background steeped in the intricacies of interior design and the construction industry, Madeline seamlessly combines her expertise to prepare her listings all like "model homes" to intuitively appeal through the buyer's eyes. Known for her warm and personalized approach, Madeline's high-touch customer service ensures you feel right at home from the moment you start your real estate journey. Teaming up with Compass means you get the best of both worlds: Madeline's intimate knowledge of construction and real estate and Compass' high-tech advantage and savvy marketing strategies, making her service feel effortless and elevated.

THE GULF COAST COLLECTIVE / COMPASS

Nestled within a pristine natural setting, this stunning former model home in The Isles of Collier Preserve features a colorful update of coastal living inspired by the architecture of Old Naples,

Over half of the 2,400 acres in the community are dedicated to lakes, nature preserves, and natural habitats, combined with myriad outdoor amenities, all within minutes of downtown Naples.

This unique property features many exceptional upgrades: an impressive outdoor area with an outdoor kitchen, dining area, pool, spa, and cabana bath. The seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor living spaces makes hosting gatherings a breeze

The house has three bedrooms, a den, four bathrooms, and a three-car garage with one bay doubling as a game room. With its unparalleled amenities and superior location, this property is truly one of a kind. Barbar

Exclusively offered $2,444,000

Tracie L. Martin Sales Associate yournextflahome@gmail.com

(513) 207-2421

MARI VESCI

BROKER ASSOCIATE

JOHN R. WOOD PROPERTIES CHRISTIES

Mari Vesci moved to Naples, Florida in 1986 and has enjoyed over 30 years of real estate. Her focus is primarily on beach and waterfront properties, selling upscale condos and luxury homes along Paradise Coast. Born and raised along the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Mari started her career in property management and went on to obtain her Florida Real Estate Broker's License. She thrives in negotiating for her buyers and sellers through every aspect of the Real Estate transaction with both diligence and ease.

870 97th Avenue Naples, Florida 34108

239-269-8889

mari@vesci.com

368 GERMAIN AVE

A coastal-style Gulf access home with heated pool, dramatic landscape lighting & covered boathouse/lift with an incredible upper deck. Open the French doors to voluminous ceilings with on trend wood beams, impact windows & doors, & linear fireplace. Bright white kitchen with beautiful quartz tops, SubZero refrigerator, butler’s pantry, and double oven. Two primary owner suites. Panoramic bay vistas complement the beach and waterfront lifestyle!

481 LAGOON AVE

Gulf access pool home with vaulted ceilings sits on oversized lot at high elevation. Bright and airy 3 bedroom open floor plan with tile and crown molding. Brand new white shaker cabinetry, roof, impact windows, and impact sliding glass doors to the covered lanai. Easy access to white sugar sand, only blocks to the world-famous Vanderbilt Beach, Ritz-Carlton, Mercato! Easy care composite boat dock. The ultimate in boating from your own backyard! $2,495,000

LE DAUPHIN

#203 - Upscale beachfront corner residence nearly 3,000 sq ft with 9ft ceilings, travertine flooring and a wall of glass showcasing direct Gulf views and gorgeous sunsets! Le Dauphin, where luxury and convenience meet sugar sand, boating, & adjacent beach club privileges. $4,475,000

#505 - Pamper yourself with a casual yet sophisticated lifestyle in this upscale bayfront beauty. Oversized great room with 9ft ceilings throughout. Luxurious owner’s suite includes enormous walk-in closets, soaking tub and separate shower. Designer dream home with stupendous wide bay view’s just steps from the beach with beach club privileges. $2,295,000

Art for All

Southwest Florida arts and culture organizations lead the charge on radical accessibility.

Belle’s dress was not described as blue; her apron not white. For eight visually impaired guests at The Naples Players’ 2023 production of Beauty and the Beast JR—Belle’s dress was thick and starchy. Beast’s ears were soft and fluffy, like a teddy bear. TNP invited visually impaired guests backstage to meet with the cast and interact with the set and wardrobe as part of the organization’s newer ‘touch tours,’ an offering that TNP aims to incorporate into all of its productions. The tours exalt the community theater’s recently updated mission statement that focuses on inclusivity.

TNP recognizes that art is healing and that experiencing art together amplifies the restoring effect. Studies from the National Institutes of Health show that isolation and loneliness disproportionately affect those with disabilities—a population that comprises roughly one

in three adults in Florida. Engaging in the arts is shown to help manage complex and long-term conditions while boosting a positive sense of self and contributing to improved mental health.

TNP’s soon-to-be-completed renovation on its Naples’ Fifth Avenue South Sugden Theater adds a sensory-friendly viewing booth for up to six guests, where they can control the lighting and volume and get up and move around freely during performances. Theater companies like TNP also welcome diverse audiences with sensory-friendly or ‘relaxed’ performances—special showings of running productions with accommodations for people’s sensitivities to sensory stimuli. At Fort Myers’ The Laboratory Theater of Florida, once per show run, the team welcomes guests into a reduced-capacity theater where the audience can stand and roam. (Catch The

Courtesy Naples Botanical Garden

Laboratory Theater’s next relaxed show on May 2 for the dark comedy Crocodile Fever.) Lights are dimmed rather than turned completely off, and patrons can have fidget toys. These performances challenge traditional theater etiquette— guests sitting still and being quiet—which may prevent those with conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), claustrophobia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) from attending or feeling welcomed.

Further north at Florida Repertory Theatre, collaborations with Fort Myers-

based Sally J. Pimentel Deaf & Hard of Hearing Center and Southwest Florida Council of the Blind help ensure everyone can take in the magic on stage. During one showing of every production at the Historic Arcade Theatre, the team offers audio-description—play-by-plays of what’s happening on stage via a provided earpiece (a service Alliance for the Arts also offers for the visually impaired)—and ASL interpretation, where a professional interpreter translates the dialogue into sign language. “Every patron deserves to have a full and vibrant theater experience,” Emily Yorgey, who works in

development for Florida Rep, says. In Naples, Gulfshore Playhouse is offering an ASL-interpreted session for most of its productions; the next one is for She Loves Me on April 20.

With sound as an anchor for their mediums, performing arts organizations strive to go beyond ADA compliance. Artis—Naples installed a hearing loop system throughout its facilities, which amplifies the effect of any hearing aid or cochlear implant with telecoil technology (most medium- to high-end devices). The loop system sends sound directly to a receiver in the assistive hearing device,

Every Florida Repertory Theater production at the Historic Arcade Theatre includes showings with audio-description and ASL interpretations. Previous spread: Naples Botanical Garden is dedicating its 20th anniversary Hats in the Garden fund-a-need to accessibility.

Courtesy Florida Repertory Theater

delivering crisp sound and eliminating background noise. People with mild hearing loss can pick up an iPod-sized device that transmits audio directly through a set of provided headphones. “If you are someone who isn’t wearing a hearing aid, but you feel like your hearing is not great, this can be an easy solution,” Artis— Naples’ David Filner says. For many deaf or hard-of-hearing music lovers, these systems provide the clearest, richest concert experience they’ve had in years.

It’s not just performing arts groups amplifying the reach of the arts. Galleries depend on bringing people in and getting them thinking and talking, and a key way of ensuring better access for diverse groups is to have them see themselves represented in the space. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC) leads the way this year with its Divergent Inspiration exhibit in partnership with STARability Foundation, opening May 3. And, Naples artist Marvin Rouse is planning to make his big 2025 exhibit at SBDAC geared toward visually impaired audiences. The mixed-media artist is conceiving the works around how a person may engage with the pieces without sight, so all guests

Courtesy Artis—Naples

Artis—Naples recently installed a hearing loop system throughout the campus to deliver crisp sound directly to guests’ auditory devices.

Courtesy Artis—Naples

Artis—Naples guests can tap into the loop system with their personal, telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants. The cultural institution also has free loaner devices that deliver amplified sound to people who are hard of hearing.

• SIGNATURE FACIAL ANALYSIS

• FULL FACIAL CONTOURING

• WRINKLE REDUCTION

• SKIN REJUVENATION

• MEDICAL GRADE SKIN CARE

• AND MORE!

IRENE

experience the art as intended—like reading the book in its original language versus a translated version. He’s creating the sculptures to incorporate braille and other tactile storytelling while tapping into a broader sensory experience through music and fragrance. “This is an opportunity to really tap into the creative process as an artist and bring the gallery experience to life for [the visually impaired],” Marvin says.

Art comes in many forms, and few works are more inspiring than the masterpieces Mother Nature creates. Cultural stalwart Naples Botanical Garden

has made big strides toward cultivating access to the breadth of its outdoor facilities and programming. The gardens’ Sensory-Friendly Saturdays, held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. once a month, are free to individuals with ASD and other sensory-processing disorders (guests preregister online). The extended hours allow families who need additional assistance to enjoy the garden with minimal visitors, sounds and distractions, and with added games and activities to bond with other sensory-sensitive guests. This year, for the 20th anniversary of the Hats in the Garden’s pinnacle ladies-

who-lunch fundraiser, the organization focuses its fund-a-need efforts on accessibility, with the goal of adding shuttle services around the expansive garden and other accommodations.

As local organizations transform arts experiences for people with disabilities, they enrich the scene for all of us. “When we gather as a community, we’re healthier and happier,” says TNP’s Nick Dalton, who is heading up TNP’s transformative inclusivity-centered programming. “We do it through play, which is the first way we learn, and through this shared experience, we leave changed.”

LA PIEL SPA: FIRST MED SPA IN

Katiuska

Wheel Wanderlust

Empower Cycle brings fresh energy to spinning with clever personalization, outdoor sessions and monthly glitter rides.

During one of Brianne “Bri” Murphy’s outdoor Empower Cycle sessions, riders from as far as Ave Maria and North Fort Myers hop on Schwinn stationary bicycles at Bayfront Inn 5th Ave and peddle away, facing the setting sun over the Bay.

Having heard the roving studio had opened a permanent location in Bonita Springs, I rush to check it out. When I arrive, Bri greets me like we’re old friends. “The most important thing I want is for you to have fun. Listen to your body,” she says, and hands me a pair of sanitized cleats, equipping me for the 45-minute ride ahead.

I’ve tried countless group workouts— yoga, Pilates, interval training, strength classes. There’s nothing like spin. Buzzy instructors sing encouraging phrases

In addition to the indoor classes in their Bonita Springs studio, Empower Cycle hosts outdoor sessions at Bayfront Inn 5th Ave in Naples and other places that call owner Brianne Murphy to lead alfresco rides.

over music pulsating through dimly lit rooms filled with Type-A athletes. The energy is always electric, but the scene can be intimidating. The fastest cyclists resemble hamsters on wheels, and it’s easy to compare your revolutions per minute to others’ cadence. Empower employs a secret weapon to get riders out of their heads and into the moment: headphones.

Bri and her husband, Sean, started Empower Cycle as an outdoor pop-up studio at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in 2021. To mind noise ordinances and inspired by silent discos, the entrepreneurial Bri equipped everyone with wireless headphones—a novel amenity that allows riders to hear instructions clearly and adjust volume if desired. It’s a personalized experience with the

intoxicating motivation of working out in a group.

The noise-control feature proved so popular that Bri brought the practice to her indoor studio. In the Old 41 Road studio space, electronic dance music sets the tempo. Bri sets the tone, “Be the energy you want to receive. I’m the conductor, but you are the magic.” We dance and curl three-pound dumbbells while riding to the rhythm of the music. As an indie studio, Empower doesn’t subscribe to any preset program, so Bri’s classes feel more spontaneous and have more dancing than I’m used to seeing. We bop from side to side and do body rolls out of the saddle. “You’ll look stupid if you dance, and you’ll look stupid if you don’t dance, so you might as well dance,” Bri says. I look

around the room and spot a 70-something-year-old man, a yoga studio owner, a seemingly novice couple—all spinning at their own speed in headphone-induced sanctuaries. I feel the thrill of spin, with an added sense of calm.

Bri plans to keep offering outdoor classes at Bayfront Inn and other locales that call on her (she recently hosted a ride at Esplanade Golf & Country Club for 25 residents by the pool). The novelty-loving trainer sometimes moves bikes out onto the studio’s sidewalk, and once a month, she hosts Glitter Rides, with everyone covered in sparkles. Working out en plein air encourages Bri’s riders to push harder, climb higher: “When we’re outside, I tell people, ‘Look up, because the sky is the limit.’”

Denis Vassilinin; Courtesy Empower Cycle

Tiny

Cathy Balogh, DO*

Natasha Bower, MD, FACOG*

David Hunter Brown, MD, FACOG

Samaris Corona, MD

Cathy Dahl, DO, FACOG*

Anita Del Bianco, MD, FACOG

Sarah DiGiorgi, MD, FACOG*

Deidra Duncan, DO

Aparna Eligeti, MD, FACOG

Kevin Fleishman, MD, FACOG*

Blaise Kovaz, MD, FACOG

Sarah Krauss, MD, FACOG

Richard Murray, MD, FACOG

Shannon O’Hara, MD, FACOG*

Kathleen Shimp, MD, FACOG

Amy Borkowski, CNM, MSN, APNP

Theresa Buckley, CNM, MSN, DNP

Kerry Calavano, CNM

Sandra Lewis, CNM, MSN

Tammy Luettich, CNM

Heidi Zielinski, CNM, MSN

WHO’S WHO IN HEALTH

GRACIELA GARTON, M.D., FACRO

Advocate Radiation Oncology

Dr. Graciela Garton brings knowledge, experience, and passion to the cancer patients she serves. Fluent in Spanish and French, she is known for her warmth, precision, and collegiality. She earned her medical degree at the University of Buenos Aires and completed her residency at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Garton is a former chief resident and assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, she developed and managed several radiation oncology practices throughout the Southeast U.S. Dr. Garton has authored and co-authored 25+ research projects for peer-reviewed journals and is a recognized international speaker at scientific conferences.

TODD PEZZI, M.D., MBA

Advocate Radiation Oncology

Dr. Todd Pezzi is passionate about delivering state-ofthe- art, individualized oncologic care to patients with a variety of cancers in Southwest Florida. Dr. Pezzi earned his doctorate degree from Baylor College of Medicine, obtained his MBA from the Rice Jones Graduate School of Business, and completed one year of residency in internal medicine. Dr. Pezzi also completed a four-year residency program at the nation’s largest oncology department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has published nearly 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts in prestigious journals and has experience serving as a primary investigator for a clinical trial.

DR. JOHN COSSU, D.O., ACOFP & DR. CYNTHIA LUKASIEWICZ, D.O., ACOFP

Primary Care Physicians

With over 30 years of experience in Lee County, Board Certified Primary Care Physicians Dr’s John Cossu and Cynthia Lukasiewicz are committed to providing comprehensive medicine in an independent office setting. Their practice keeps the focus on the patient, not the insurance company. This mantra is reflected an array of offerings and commitment to personal attention. In an effort to help patients avoid costly Urgent Care or Emergency Room visits, half hour timely office visits and accessibility to Radiology Testing & Specialist Consults. Additionally, their office provides Electronic Medical Records, Lab/Blood Draws, Ekg’s, In Office Surgical Procedures, Diagnostic Testing and Comprehensive Physical Exams including Female/GYN Exams. Their patients also have access to Dr’s John Cossu and Cynthia Lukasiewicz’s personal cell phones should emergencies arise after-hours.

7050 Winkler Road, Ste 120

Fort Myers, FL 33919 | (239) 985-9518

BackToBasicMedicine.com

PATRICK J. CARRIGAN D.M.D.; JOSE M. HORAK D.M.D.; EDWARD A. SCHERDER

D.M.D.,

JD;

ROBERT C. HEDGEPATH D.M.D.; KURTIS P. HUSSEY, D.M.D.

Bayview Dental Arts

BayView Dental Arts invites Neopolitans to experience the latest and greatest in dental technology. Their advanced technology, skill, and knowledge are utilized each visit to ensure that every patient experiences optimal dental health. This year, they are pleased to welcome Dr. Jose Horak to their practice. As the technologic aspect of dentistry continues to rapidly evolve, all of the doctors at BayView Dental Arts constantly strive to focus on advanced education, innovation while providing the highest quality dental care to our patients.

Dr. Horak, an example of this, has trained at some of

the best dental schools in the country which include The University of Connecticut as well as The University of Florida. Dr. Edward Scherder, founder of BayView Dental Arts, has personally designed every aspect of the practice with very specific goals in mind. One of those goals was to create an atmosphere of low fear and high trust. In addition, he wanted to create an environment that truly reflected the quality of dentistry that is delivered at this exceptional practice. Drs. Scherder, Carrigan, Hedgepath, Hussey and Horak look forward to fulfilling great expectations!

1001 10th Ave.S., Suite 218

Naples, FL 34102 | (239) 434-5545

BayviewDentalArts.com

Dr. Jared Ford is a distinguished dentist with a passion for transforming smiles. With an expertise in cosmetic dentistry, he combines artistry with precision to create life-changing smile makeovers. Practicing general and restorative dentistry, Dr. Ford provides top-quality, high-end care. His commitment to excellence is evident through continuous pursuit of knowledge, having completed numerous advanced courses to perfect his craft. By incorporating cutting-edge techniques and technologies into his practice, Dr. Ford ensures that each patient receives the highest standard of care, tailored to their unique needs for a truly transformative and exceptional dental experience. Outside the dental realm, Dr. Jared Ford finds joy in family moments, cherishing time with his wife and four daughters. He is also an avid golfer and navigates not only the intricacies of cosmetic dentistry but also the fairways. Experience the transformation firsthand – call today for a life-changing consultation with Dr. Jared Ford. Elevate your smile and well-being through an initial consultation, where their dedicated team is ready to guide you towards a brighter, more confident future. If a virtual consultation is more practical for you, they are happy to offer that avenue to better accommodate busy schedules.

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SmilesByDocFord.com

GARRAMONE PLASTIC SURGERY DR. RALPH GARRAMONE

Dr. Ralph R. Garramone has been a Plastic Surgeon in Fort Myers since 2000. In that time, he has earned a reputation for excellence. “It is an awesome responsibility to create and alter the appearance of another human. There is more to performing cosmetic surgery than having a great eye and great hands. I strive for impeccable results with every patient, and I find it a true privilege that I humbly respect.”

Dr. Garramone specializes in breast, body, and facial procedures and is proud of his award-winning results. After graduating cum laude from Bucknell University in 1983 with dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and Biology, Dr. Garramone earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1987.

Over the next decade, he completed a six-year residency in general surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine/Hartford Hospital, fulfilled his plastic surgery residency at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, and served on the surgical faculty at Brown University. Garramone then entered private practice in 1997 in Salt Lake City, UT, while serving as co-director of the Craniofacial Fellowship Program at Primary Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Garramone is a board-certified member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

12998 S Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907

(239) 482-1900 | Garramone.com

IGOR LEVY-REIS, M.D.

NASA MRI

Dr. Levy-Reis is board-certified in neurology and in the subspecialties of geriatric neurology, neurophysiology, headache medicine and neuroimaging. His neurology training was at Northwestern University in Chicago, followed by a fellowship at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and another fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Additionally, Dr. Levy-Reis is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, and American Headache Society.

He has been practicing in Naples over the past 15 years and sees patients with a broad range of neurological diseases. Dr. Levy-Reis has a special interest in patients with memory loss, such as that from Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic headaches, particularly migraine. Recently, he was elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology for his valuable contributions to the Academy and to the neurology community at large.

He is currently involved in the nationwide study in imaging Amyloid in patients with memory impairment and has presented his research in Alzheimer’s disease during the last Alzheimer’s association international conference AAIC in Amsterdam. Dr. Levy-Reis has been invited to be part of the Alzheimer’s Network for treatment and diagnosis to drive innovation in care and therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

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NasaMRI.com

Tyson Eye FARRELL C. TYSON, M.D., FACS

Dr. Tyson is recognized as one of the foremost innovators in the field of ophthalmology. He has introduced some of the latest advancements in the treatment of eye diseases, and has revolutionized eye care in Southwest Florida. His involvement in many research studies gives him first-hand experience of new technologies before they are available to other providers. Dr. Tyson uses the most advanced and effective cataract lenses in the industry, including the Pan-Optix, Vivity, and Light Adjustable Lenses. He is board certified and specializes in cataract and glaucoma surgeries.

Dr. Tyson has been peer nominated as one of the best ophthalmologists in America and is committed to restoring vision and providing exceptional patient care at Tyson Eye. With six locations and a surgery center in both Lee and Collier Counties, outstanding eye care is only a short drive away. Each location is filled with some of the most highly trained and skilled staff in the country. “We are dedicated to providing modern technology with old fashioned concern.”

~ Farrell C. Tyson, MD, FACS

Dr. George Warga is an expert in unravelling the root cause of dental instability from developmental issues, whether from previous dental or orthodontic procedures, or a traumatic event. His role begins in early childhood with a holistic health evaluation and continues throughout life with comprehensive dental care. This care includes cosmetic bonding and veneers, orthodontics without relapse, implant and prosthetic reconstruction, and TMJ treatment.

He diagnoses and treats breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, which can be responsible for ADHD, depression, gastric reflux, diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, strokes, insomnia, TMJ and numerous other health disorders. Through coordination and integration of the various dental specialties, a cost-effective treatment plan is uniquely designed to provide a healthy and naturally beautiful smile to be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Dr. Warga utilizes state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology to design same day smile makeovers for immediate implementation. Dr. Warga is a nationally recognized teacher, speaker, and expert in comprehensive restorative dentistry and has maintained a private practice for over 30 years with a focus on prosthodontics.

NaplesDentalArts.com

info@NaplesDentalArts.com

ROBERT J. ZEHR, M.D.

Zehr Center for Orthopaedics

When you’re ready for relief from the hip and knee pain that prevents you from enjoying your life, you want the best orthopedist in the business. That’s why, following his stellar career with the storied Cleveland Clinic, Robert J. Zehr, M.D. founded Southwest Florida’s premier orthopaedic practice — the Zehr Center for Orthopaedics. Board-certified and fellowship-trained, with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Zehr specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery.

As Southwest Florida’s most experienced surgeon in the direct anterior approach to total hip replacement, he has performed over 2,800 surgeries using this technique, including Southwest Florida's first same-day outpatient total hip replacement. A consistent award winner, Dr. Zehr has appeared on Castle Connolly’s Regional Top Doctors list every year since 2002; been included in the Best Doctors, Inc. database of “Best Orthopedic Doctors in America” annually since 1998; and has been selected by patients for Vitals’ “Patient’s Choice Award” every year since 2009.

In 2021, Dr. Zehr was chosen as Naples’ “Best Orthopedist” in its inaugural Community's Choice Awards, repeating the honor in 2022 and 2023! The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics was established to provide the world-class medical care you deserve...because living with pain isn’t really living®!

DIANE BRZEZINSKI, D.O., FACOI

Dr. Diane Brzezinski is a physician specializing in internal medicine who earned praise for her “patient-first” focus, which helps patients take ownership of their health through education and a healthy lifestyle. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. B treats many chronic disease states, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Additionally, Dr. Brzezinski offers treatments for increasing energy, muscle strength, mental clarity, and libido, as well as reducing intimate challenges such as vaginal laxity, weak muscle tone, lack of lubrication, painful intercourse, and bladder leakage. Peptide Therapy treatments offered by the practice benefit the immune system, digestion, sexual health, and weight loss. Dr. Brzezinski is a member of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association and serves on the medical advisory committee of Bosom Buddies, a nonprofit for breast cancer treatment.

RICHARD J. CAPIOLA, M.D., FAPA

Psychiatric Consultation Services

Having triple board certification in general psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry, Dr. Capiola has been in practice for 28 years. During training at Tulane Medical School and UCLA, Dr. Capiola developed a keen interest in the treatment of depression and anxiety overlapping with drug and alcohol abuse.

This focus eventually led to a 14-year role as Chief Medical Officer for Oglethorpe Inc., a hospital company specializing in the treatment of mental health and addiction. Dr. Capiola is the Chief of Psychiatry for Physicians Regional Medical Center and previously served as the Medical Director for the Willough at Naples. He consistently receives high praise for his private practice that focuses on using each person’s own inherent strengths to achieve the goal of living a happy, healthy and well balanced life.

Dr. Capiola was the featured neuropsychiatrist in the book Don’t Give Up On Me with Darryl Strawberry, discussing the impact of addiction on the brain.

JAMES J. GUERRA, M.D.

Collier Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center

Dr. Guerra is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. He completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an additional year of fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery with internationally known sports medicine expert James R. Andrews, M.D. Dr. Guerra is a specialist in complex shoulder and knee problems, and is a leading innovator in minimally invasive surgery, serving as the Medical Director for Arthrex, the world’s preeminent arthroscopy company. Dr. Guerra currently serves as Head Team Physician for Florida Gulf Coast University, Community School and First Baptist Academy. Previously, Dr. Guerra served as Team Physician for the Baltimore Orioles (MLB) and the Florida Panthers (NHL).

He teaches surgeons from around the world in advanced techniques, has authored more than 30 publications, and has lectured at national and international meetings. This unique experience allows Dr. Guerra to remain at the forefront of his field and bring cutting-edge medical developments to his patients.

LINDITA HOBDARI, M.D.

Hobdari Family Health

Dr. Hobdari, a well-respected Board-Certified Family Medicine specialist, has been a trusted figure in Naples' healthcare for over 18 years, consistently recognized on the Castle Connolly Top Doctors list since 2008. A native Albanian, she commenced her medical journey at the esteemed University of Tirana, Albania subsequently completing her residency at Bon Secours Hospital in MI. An esteemed member of the AAFP and multiple professional organizations, she is affiliated with NCH and PRMC hospitals.

In 2012, she established Hobdari Family Health clinic, emphasizing compassionate care with emphasis on prevention and alternative medicine. Inspired by holistic principles, Dr. Hobdari further honed her skills as a certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. Her dedication to holistic healing prompted the establishment of Naples Functional Medicine Healing in 2023. Dr. Hobdari and her dedicated team extend a warm welcome to new patients and offer same-day appointments, ensuring everyone receives exceptional care.

7331 College Parkway, Suite 300

Fort Myers, FL 33907 | (239) 337-2003

JointImplant.com

EDWARD HUMBERT, D.O.,

Joint Implant Surgeons of Florida

Dr. Edward Humbert is one of the country’s leading and most experienced joint-replacement surgeons. He specializes in knee and hip replacement, and is board certified through the AOBOS. He has been ranked as the No. 1 volume surgeon in Florida for hip and knee replacement, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA). Dr. Humbert specializes in all the latest minimally invasive techniques, custom joint replacement, partial knee replacement and procedures.

Dr. Humbert obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Akron. After medical school and orthopedic residency at Ohio University, he completed a fellowship in total joint replacement. When it comes to hip and knee replacement, Dr. Humbert is “The Best Surgeon in the Joint.”

ANDREW M. BONETT, M.D., PAUL M. GARDNER, M.D., FACS, LEOPOLDO M. BACCARO, M.D., MARK WALSH, M.D., FACS

Naples Plastic Surgery

Dr. Paul M. Gardner, Dr. Leopoldo M. Baccaro, Dr. Mark Walsh, Dr. Andrew M. Bonett and staff realize that there are many choices when it comes to selecting a plastic surgery practice. Because of this, they go out of their way to provide the highest quality and most comfortable experience possible. Board Certified, Drs. Gardner, Baccaro, Walsh and Bonett strive to make each patient feel like they are the only patient in the practice throughout the entire process – from their first consult to their final postoperative appointment. Their surgeons' expertise isn't limited to cosmetic enhancements; it also encompasses a commitment to reconstructive procedures addressing skin cancer, breast cancer, and trauma-related incidents. Achieve your aesthetic goals and book a consultation at Naples Plastic Surgery today.

1250 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 101C Naples, FL 34108 | (239) 566-2611

NaplesPS.com

ERIN WARD, M.D., FACOG

Coastal Women’s Wellness is a boutique-style women’s health practice in Fort Myers specializing in gynecology and weight management. It is independently owned and operated by Dr. Erin Ward, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with over 10 years experience in the field.

Dr. Erin Ward has a passion to help women achieve their healthiest state mentally and physically with a focus on lifestyle interventions combined with pharmacotherapy, physical therapy and surgery as needed. She is known for her thorough visits, bedside manner, and personalized care where patients are encouraged to be directly involved in their medical decision-making. She will explain the reasoning behind any intervention recommended, ensure your questions are answered, and make you feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible in the process. For questions or additional information, please give them a call.

BLANE MILTON CRANDALL, M.D.

Are you in menopause? Suffering from insomnia, hot flashes, decreased sex drive, irritability, or memory loss?Did you know prolonged lack of estrogen leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, premature disability, and death in women? Naples OB-GYN, Blane Crandall M.D. has a passion for restoring health and vitality to women of all ages. A Castle Connolly Top Doctor for 16 years, Dr. Crandall specializes in advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, hormone replacement therapy, and anti-aging treatments.

1660 Medical Blvd., Suite 101

Naples, FL 34110 | (239) 596-2300

DrBlaneCrandall.com

13782 Plantation Road, Suite 102

Fort Myers, FL, 33912 | (239) 237-5529

CoastalWomensWellness.com

DR. SARAH SESSLAR, AUD, DR. RACHEL SPENCER, AUD & DR. BRITTANY COLBURN, AUD

Decibels Audiology & Hearing Aid Center

For over 14 years, Decibels Audiology has provided complimentary hearing tests and solutions for any lifestyle and budget. They work closely with over 200 local physicians to educate patients on the importance of hearing healthcare.

At Decibels Audiology, they are staffed with university-trained Doctors of Audiology ensuring the highest level of hearing healthcare. They encourage anyone over the age of 55 to have a baseline hearing test at either of their convenient Naples offices.

971 Michigan Ave

Naples, FL 34103

(239) 325-0588

3000 Immokalee Rd, #8 Naples, FL 34110

napleshearingaids.com

JOSEPH GAUTA M.D. FPMRS

Florida Bladder Institute

Dr. Joseph Gauta is one of the first physicians in the country to achieve board certification in Urogynecology, which manages female pelvic floor disorders that affect the bladder, reproductive organs, and bowels.

As a center of excellence in women’s pelvic health, the Florida Bladder Institute treats women throughout the world who seek specialized comprehensive care for disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, recurrent urinary tract infections, bladder and bowel dysfunction, endometriosis, fibroids, heavy bleeding, cosmetic gynecology.

1890 SW Health Pkwy, Ste. 205 Naples, FL 34109 (239) 449-7979

FloridaBladderInstitute.com

DR. ALEXANDRA KONOWAL

Konowal Vision Center

Konowal Vision Center provides state-of-the-art eye care with an emphasis on patient care and service. Dr. Alexandra Konowal (Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Fellowship trained in Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery), and the highly-trained staff at Konowal Vision Center are among Southwest Florida’s best in ophthalmology. Konowal Vision Center specializes in diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders, glaucoma, corneal disease, laser cataract surgery and Custom Laser Vision correction.

DENISE C. GAY, D.D.S., M.D.S.

Olde Naples Periodontics

Dr. Denise Gay is a Board Certified Periodontist specializing in all phases of periodontal (gum) treatments, the placement of dental implants and the treatment of dental implant complications, including peri implantitis. Dr. Gay has been placing dental implants and practicing periodontics for over 25 years and in Naples, Florida since 2004.

Dr Gay’s office also offers routine dental cleanings, dental checkups and conscious sedation to ease dental anxiety. Dr. Gay is a graduate of Georgetown University, New York University and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

1132 Goodlette Frank Road Naples, FL 34102 (239) 261-1401

OldeNaplesPerio.com

CHERYL L. MALICK, DMD

Dental Excellence

Dr. Cheryl L. Malick, Naples resident since 1985, celebrates 21 years of serving the community at Dental Excellence, her privatelyowned, state-of-the-art dental office. Dr. Malick is an honors graduate of the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering, and a research honors graduate from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She offers general and cosmetic dentistry services, including veneers, crowns, dentures, partials, implant restorations, fillings, whitening, dental cleanings, digital impressions, and digital radiographs. Call to schedule a complimentary consultation.

9500 Corkscrew Palm Circle #3

Estero, Florida 33928

(239) 948-7555

DrKonowal.com

7955 Airport-Pulling Road N., Suite 201

Naples, FL 34109 (239) 596-3434

NaplesDentalExcellence.com

JAMES MITCHELL, D.D.S.; YOLANDA MITCHELL, D.D.S.; JOSEPH MITCHELL, D.D.S.

Mitchell Dentistry

Building trust and treating each patient as a special individual has always been the foundation of Mitchell Dentistry’s practice. For more than 30 years, they have provided the latest state-of-the-art technology to provide patients with the smile they have always dreamed of. Along with their dedicated, caring team, they offer general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry in a warm, inviting atmosphere. Call Mitchell Dentistry today to learn more about how they make your smile their top priority.

32 Barkley Circle | Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 939-5556

MitchellDentist.com

JEFFREY L. ZIMM M.D.

All Saints Eye Center

With over 30 years of experience in Southwest Florida, All Saints Eye Center continues to deliver excellence in eye care with four convenient locations in North Naples, South Naples, Bonita Springs, and North Fort Myers.

Trust your eyes to Jeffrey L. Zimm M.D. and his professional eye care team for your cataract surgery, LASIK, cornea issue, or routine eye exam. Call 239-592-5511 to make an appointment.

JOHN W. WATFORD M.D.

John W. Watford M.D. L.L.C.

Celebrating twenty years of medical practice, Dr. Watford provides Concierge Internal Medicine to the Naples area. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Watford graduated from the Whiddon College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama.

He focuses on evidence-based disease prevention, management of chronic conditions, and exploration and diagnosis of new problems. His practice has grown through referral since current patients and professional colleagues trust the excellent care he and his team provide. Call to schedule your introduction today.

4085 Tamiami Trail North Suite B103 Naples, FL 34103 (239) 544-7440

DrWatfordNaples.com

LANA UHRIG RN, MBA, PHD

Naples Cancer Advisors

Lana joins Naples Cancer Advisors as an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive experience in operations, strategic planning, board development, community engagement, and leadership development & mentoring. Recently arriving in South Florida, Lana has been instrumental in opening Naples Cancer Advisors (NCA), the second location for the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation, where she serves as the Clinical & Business Development Officer. NCA is a philanthropic organization providing free second opinions and genetic counseling services to those diagnosed with cancer in the SW Florida Community.

(239) 592-5511

AllSaintsEyeCenter.com

3201 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 112

Naples Fl, 34103

(239) 846-2273 (CARE)

NaplesCancerAdvisors.org

The Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Joins Orthopedic Center of Florida

The Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine has announced that they will officially join Orthopedic Center of Florida as of April 1, 2024.

The entire provider team will continue to see patients at their Fort Myers and Estero office locations and a new location in Naples. The newly expanded multi-specialty orthopedic and spine practice includes more than 28 providers serving patients at 4 locations throughout Lee and Collier counties, making it one of the largest in southwest Florida.

The Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine physicians joining Orthopedic Center of Florida include:

• Richard Hood, MD

• David Heligman, MD

• Ed Gomez, MD

• Jeffrey E. Kleinman, DPM, FACFAS

• George Markovich, MD, DACS

• Robert Andrew Follweiler, DO

• Spencer Skinner, MD

“Joining forces as Orthopedic Center of Florida was the next logical step in the evolution of our practice,” said George Markovich, MD of The Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine. “Both practices share a vision of transforming the delivery of orthopedic care in southwest Florida.”

The combined practice will offer comprehensive care services including:

• Orthopedic care

• Spine care

• Sports medicine

• Joint replacement

• Pain management

• Podiatry

• Physical therapy

• X-ray and MRI

“The physicians at The Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine have been providing high-quality care to our community for the past 35 years,” said Dr. John Mehalik of Orthopedic Center of Florida.

“We are excited to now be working closely together as part of the Orthopedic Center of Florida team as it helps ensure we can continue to provide the highest level of patient care for decades to come.”

Orthopedic Center of Florida will now have office locations in:

• Fort Myers

• Estero

• Naples

To schedule an appointment visit us at www.ocfla.net or call 239.482.2663

LIFE ON THE GULF /

A definitive guide to the best locales to eat, shows to see and places to go

DINING GUIDE

The Dining Guide is crafted each month based on editorial discretion and may include restaurants that advertise regularly (denoted by an asterisk). Please email diningout@gulfshorelife.com to report changes in a restaurant’s location, prices or menu.

Nat Nat , in Naples, is a stellar natural wine bar that pairs the eco-conscious talents of Cafe Nutrients' Ming Yee and natural wine master Peter Rizzo.

Anna

Italian Cuisine

ELEVATED TO PERFECTION

Indulge in an unparalleled fine dining experience at Angelina’s Ristorante. Our culinary artisans specialize in crafting the finest Italian cuisine in Southwest Florida, sourcing premium ingredients directly from Italy. Our meticulously trained staff, including our in-house sommeliers, will ensure every aspect of your dining experience is nothing short of exceptional.

Make your reservation today and enjoy an unforgettable dining experience.

COLLIER COUNTY

MARCO ISLAND

844 Gulf and Prime

844 Bald Eagle Drive, (239) 544-9844. 844gulfand prime.com. Stunning spaces make an apt backdrop for shareable small plates and robust entrees.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN w

Ario

400 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 642-2695. arioatjw marco.com. At the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Ario has striking Gulf views, elevated culinary offerings and an impressive bar program.

$$$$ STEAK o v w

The Oyster Society

599 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 394-3474. theoyster society.com. At this chic locale, the raw bar has more than eight oyster selections daily, as well as sushi and fresh catches.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Sale e Pepe

480 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 393-1600. sale-e-pepe. com. A gem with Italian dishes, a formidable wine cellar and a waterfront patio in the Marco Beach Ocean Resort.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p v w

Tesoro

400 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 393-3208. tesoroat jwmarco.com. Beach views and coastal fare make for a dreamy dinner.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o v w

NAPLES

THIRD STREET SOUTH

Barbatella

1290 Third St. S., (239) 2631955. barbatellanaples.com Casual Italian cuisine from the team behind Sea Salt. Meet up at the trendy wine bar or on the relaxed patio.

$$$ ITALIAN b o p

The Bevy

360 12th Ave. S., (239) 2284220. naplesbevy.com. Enjoy craft cocktails and varied influences at this locale off Third Street. The open-air setup with a retractable roof is nothing short of grand.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Campiello/The Club Room

1177 Third St. S., (239) 4351166. campiellonaples.com. A favorite for its contemporary Italian cuisine and courtyard. During season, The Club Room, a restaurant within, has its own menu and live music most nights.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p v

D’Amico’s The Continental American Provisions and Craft Bar

1205 Third St. S., (239) 6590007. damicoscontinental. com. Savor top-quality cuts of steak from all over. Stylish decor enhances the experience. $$$$ STEAK o p v

Jane’s Cafe on 3rd

1209 Third St. S., (239) 2612253. janesgardencafe.com Come for the lobster Benedict and stuffed French toast; stay to sit around the lovely koi fountain on the sunny patio.

$$$ CAFE

b o p

Ridgway Bar & Grill

1300 Third St. S., (239) 2625500. ridgwaybarandgrill. com. A quintessential Old Naples restaurant. For light bites and coffee, head to the neighboring Tony’s Off Third.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Sea Salt

1186 Third St. S., (239) 4347258. seasaltnaples.com. Loved for sophisticated seafood and accompaniments, this spot offers monthly wine dinners and events.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o p v

Mediterrano

336 13th Ave. S., (239) 2617498. mediterrano-naples. com. Bright decor and a lush patio complement robust dishes and decadent desserts. $$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

FIFTH AVENUE SOUTH

Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro*

865 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 594-5557. bhabhabistro. com. Iranian chef Michael Mir serves his homeland’s indulgent flavors in a jewel box of a dining room.

$$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o

Bistro 821

821 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 261-5821. bistro821.com. An open kitchen and menu filled with creativity, including its original Neapolitan pasta and seafood dish.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Chops City Grill*

837 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 2624677. chopscitygrill.com. An elegant, Baroque-inspired steakhouse. $$$$ STEAK o p

Del Mar

494 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3500134. delmarnaplesrestaurant. com. Cameron Mitchell’s two-story, fine-dining eatery draws from various Mediterranean cuisines.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN b o p

Dolce & Salato

300 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3000444.dolcesalatousa.com. A charming, tucked-away cafe. $ ITALIAN b o

The French Brasserie Rustique

365 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 315-4019. thefrenchnaples. com. From chef Vincenzo Betulia, expect exquisite escargot and steak tartare in a buzzworthy atmosphere.

$$$$ FRENCH

b o p

HobNob Kitchen & Bar

720 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 101, (239) 580-0070. hobnobnaples.com. Updated takes on American cuisine inside a cool, contemporary dining room.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Ichi Togarashi

800 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 102, (239) 778-5324. togarashinaples.com. This is a favorite for its authentic takes on dim sum, seafood and 20 types of ramen.

$$$ ASIAN

La Pescheria

474 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3167322. lapescherianaples. com. Fresh seafood stars at this Downtown jewel.

$$$$ ITALIAN o

Le Colonial

457 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3729700. naples.lecolonial.com. Jaw-dropping interiors set the stage for scrumptious global and local flavors.

$$$$ FRENCH VIETNAMESE o

Ocean Prime

699 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 4300404. ocean-prime.com. Cameron Mitchell presents surf and turf, an elegant dining room and highly attentive service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN v

Osteria Tulia/Bar Tulia

466 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 2132073. osteriatulia.com. Go for Sicilian-inspired fare in a rustic-chic setting or craft cocktails at the Bar Tulia gastropub. $$$ ITALIAN o p

Pazzo! Cucina Italiana*

853 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 4348494. pazzoitaliancafe.com.

Beautiful presentations and twists on Italian favorites.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p

Pizzata Pizza + Aperitivo

1201 Piper Blvd., (239) 6311021. pizzatanaples.com. The lauded Philly pizzeria’s Naples location is popular for its famed sourdough pizza and Italian bites.

$$$ ITALIAN o p

Sails Restaurant

301 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3602000. sailsrestaurants.com. This establishment is famous for its raw bar and weekend Champagne brunch.

$$$$ SEAFOOD b o p v

Sushi Thai Downtown

898 Fifth Ave. S, (239) 4307575. sushithaidowntown.com. Find a mix of sushi and Thai dishes with locations throughout Collier and Lee counties.

$$$ ASIAN o p

Truluck’s

698 Fourth Ave. S., (239) 530-3131. trulucks.com. A fine-dining locale touting seafood from the Gulf and beyond.

$$$$ SEAFOOD v

Veranda E

290 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 6593466. hotelescalante.com

A courtyard setting serving Asian and French influences in Hotel Escalante.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

The Vine Room

465 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3161202. vineroom.com. Behind an ivy-shrouded door, this cocktail lounge crafts drinks with flair, plus small plates.

$$$$ COCKTAIL LOUNGE

DOWNTOWN NAPLES

The Claw Bar

221 Ninth St. S., (239) 231-3912. theclawbar.com Southern charm, the best oysters and exquisite seafood are served inside the Bellasera Resort. $$$$ SEAFOOD b o v

District/Staff Only

1200 Central Ave., Suite 105, districtnaples.com. The bar with a speakeasy exudes classy Prohibition-era vibes.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

PJK Neighborhood Chinese

835 4th Ave. S., (239) 3670300. pjkchinese.com. At the latest from restaurateur Paul Fleming, indulge in elevated takes on Americanized Chinese fare, such as the decadent lobster Rangoon.

$$$ CHINESE

Grappino

90 Ninth St. N., (239) 3314325. grappinonaples.com. This Aielli Group eatery offers a fine selection of charcuterie, as well as build-your-own pasta dishes.

$$$ ITALIAN o

The Lake Park Diner

944 Seventh Ave. N., (239) 228-6351. thelakepark diner.com. A casual spot serving organic fare with vegan options, plus diner classics.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Nosh on Naples Bay

1490 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3849208. noshonnaplesbay.com

Chef Todd Johnson crafts a menu of haute small plates.

$$$$ ECLECTIC o v w

Dan Cutrona

Relaxed waterfront dining in Downtown Fort Myers. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Caloosahatchee River while indulging in coastal delicacies for lunch and dinner. Discover retail offerings that spark your sense of adventure.

The Rooster Food + Drink

600 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Suite 101, (239) 228-5973. theroosterna ples.com. Comforting breakfast, lunch with dinner Wednesday-Friday in season. $$ AMERICAN b o p

Seventh South Craft Food + Drink

849 Seventh Ave. S., (239) 231-4553. seventhsouth. com. One of Naples’ best—food and drinks earn equal acclaim.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Unidos

1 Ninth St. S., (239) 3313668. unidosrestaurant. com. The likes of Pervuian ceviche, Cuban ropa vieja and Colombian obleas unite in perfect harmony.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o

Warren Naples

111 Tenth Street S., (239) 330-2611. warrennaples. com. An expansive whiskey and wine collection headline alongside an expansive, contemporary menu.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

CRAYTON COVE

Bleu Provence

1234 Eighth St. S., (239) 2618239. bleuprovencenaples. com. Channel Southern France with food and Naples’ only Grand Award-winning wine list.

$$$$ FRENCH o p v

Chez Boët

755 12th Ave. S., (239) 6436177. chezboetnaples.com French staples pair with an impressive Scotch list.

$$$$ FRENCH o p

The Dock at Crayton Cove

845 Twelfth Ave. S., (239) 2639940. dockcraytoncove.com. This laid-back spot serves Florida seafood on Naples Bay. $$$ SEAFOOD b o p w

EAST NAPLES

21 Spices by Chef Asif 4270 Tamiami Trail E., Suite 21, (239) 919-8830. 21spicesdining.com. Authentic cuisine from an award-winning chef.

$$$ INDIAN o p

Z’s Music Kitchen

12655 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 304-9552. zsmusickitchen. com. Hearty bites, a full bar and live entertainment.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Carole’s House

8793 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 331-8003. caroleshouse.com.

French pastries with a robust breakfast and lunch menu.

$$ BAKERY b o

Celebration Park

2880 Becca Ave., (239) 3167253. celebrationparknaples.

com From the owner of Three60 Market, this waterfront food truck park has a lively bar scene and boat-up slips.

$$ ECLECTIC o p w

Kareem’s

Lebanese Kitchen

4270 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 315-4167. kareemskitchen.

com Try seven types of hummus, salads and chicken with za’atar potatoes.

$$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Espíritu Peruvian Cuisine

3861 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 285-3924. espirituperuviancuisine.com. Don’t miss the ceviche here.

$$$ PERUVIAN o

Lima Restaurant

5047 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 280-0167.

lima-restaurant.com. Authentic Peruvian cuisine and a wide selection of pisco are the calling cards.

$$$$ PERUVIAN o

LowBrow Pizza & Beer

3148 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 529-6919. lowbrow pizzaandbeer.com. Creative wood-fired pies are served with craft brews in a fun, artfilled space.

$$ ITALIAN o p

Rebecca’s Cocktail & Wine Bar

2955 Bayshore Drive, (239) 799-1801. themaddox naples.com. Gorgeous decor and stellar charcuterie headline the latest from the namesake Bayshore visionary.

$$$$ WINE BAR

Rumba Cuban Café

1265 Airport-Pulling Road S., (239) 659-2996. rumbacuban cafe.com. Classic Cuban cuisine with fun twists and attentive service.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Old Vines Supper Club

2795 Davis Blvd., (239) 4174466. oldvinesnaples.com. Find rotating tasting menus at this refined yet unpretentious East Naples hideaway.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Tacos & Tequila Cantina

4834 Davis Blvd., (239) 7328226. tacosandtequilanaples. com. Tacos with lots of clever spins, plus margaritas aplenty.

$$ MEXICAN o p

Three60 Market

2891 Bayview Drive, Naples, (239) 732-7331. three60 market.com. The popular spot features a breakfast and lunch cafe with gourmet flair and a specialty market.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

The Med

3929 Bayshore Drive, (239) 307-4755. themednaples. com. Artfully plated dishes showcased intimately.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

MIDTOWN

Alexander’s Garden Restaurant

4077 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 262-4999. alexan dersnaples.com. Menus filled with seafood and global flavors presented in a modern cafe and lush garden atmosphere. Open October-May.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Andre’s Steakhouse

2800 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 263-5851. andressteak house.com. If you’re a fan of New York’s iconic Peter Luger chophouse, opt for this tiny joint founded by one of its former chefs.

$$$$ STEAK o

Life on the Gulf — Dining Guide

Bar Nat

3080 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 1, (239) 919-8732. natnatnaples.com. This partnership between the owners of the former Café Nutrients and Natural Wine Naples showcases scratch-made small plates and natural wines in a buzzy space.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

The Franklin Social 5926 Premier Way, Suite 100, (239) 316-1200. franklinsocialclub.com. A spin on the social club. Relaxing vibes, live entertainment and craft cocktails.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Cibao Grille

814 Neapolitan Way, (239) 434-6653. cibaogrille. com. Dishes from the owners’ native Dominican Republic mix with American classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

DiGusto

4180 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 228-9414. digustoitaly.com. Plentiful pastas presented with simple elegance.

$$$ ITALIAN

Dorona

2110 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 529-2819. dorona naples.com. The Aiellis’ chic steakhouse has a diverse menu, with seafood, pasta and prime cuts.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Cubans Be Like , in South Fort Myers, taps into the owners' heritage for island classics like the Cuban sandwich.

Escargot 41

4351 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 793-5000. escargot41. com. This traditional spot features a page of escargot specials alone.

$$$$ FRENCH o p

Fernández the Bull Multiple locations, in Collier and Lee counties. fernandez thebull.com. Authentic Cuban dishes, such as picadillo a la criolla and ropa vieja.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Food

& Thought

2132 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 213-2222. foodandthought1. com. An organic grocer and cafe with raw and vegan options. $$ CAFE o p

Fujiyama

2555 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 261-4332. naples fujiyama.com. Japanese master chefs prepare dinners with flair at your hibachi table. $$$ ASIAN

FUSE Global Cuisine/ FUSE BBQ

2500 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 114, (239) 455-4585. fuseglobal cuisine.com. Cuisines from around the world at fine-dining FUSE; stellar barbecue next door. $$$ ECLECTIC o p

Harold’s Place

2555 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 263-7254 naplesharolds place.com. This chickee bar serves a stellar charbroiled burger.

$$ AMERICAN o

Hogfish Harry’s

600 Neapolitan Way, (239) 776-7623.

hogfishharrys.com. The menu sources most of its seafood from local fishers.

$$$ SEAFOOD

o p

Hyde N Chic

923 Creech Road, (239) 4043065. hydenchicrestaurant. com. In his artfully appointed dining room, chef Andy Hyde guides you through inspired tasting menus from Africa, Europe and the Americas.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Jimmy P’s Charred

1833 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 643-2427. jimmypscharred. com. A casual steakhouse specializing in Wagyu beef.

$$$$ STEAK

b o p

Komoon Thai

Sushi & Ceviche

Multiple locations in Collier and Lee counties. komoon thai.com. Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare mix in a music-filled locale.

$$ ASIAN

Lamoraga Restaurant

3936 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 331-3669 lamoraga restaurant.com. Find upscale twists on Spanish dishes, plus inventive vegan fare.

$$$$ SPANISH

p v

Le Indya

975 Pine Ridge Road, (239) 591-5156. leindya.com Authentic cuisine includes many vegetarian and vegan dishes. $$$ INDIAN

The Local 5323 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 596-3276.

thelocalnaples.com. A farmto-table restaurant with locally sourced, healthy cuisine.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Martin Fierro 13040 Livingston Road, (239) 300-4777. martinfierrorestaurant.com. At this Argentinian and Uruguayan parrillada, you’ll find grass-fed beef and tango music. $$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Moura Bistro

3369 Pine Ridge Road, (239) 738-8883. mourabistro.com. Flavorful Lebanese fare, such as falafel, tabbouleh and shawarma. $$$$ LEBANESE o p

Shula’s Steak House

5111 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 430-4999. shulasnaples. com. Late NFL Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s brainchild.

$$$$ STEAK

Swan River Seafood & Fish Market

3741 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 403-7000. swanriver seafood.com. Find Cape Cod-style seafood and a market with fresh catches, wine and more.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Turco Taco

410 Ninth St. N., (239) 331-4527; 1514 Immokalee Road, Suite 116, (239) 431-6682. theturcotaco. com. Bright, comforting flavors take center stage.

$$ MEXICAN o

USS Nemo

3745 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 261-6366. ussnemo restaurant.com. Masterful, fresh seafood creations.

$$$ SEAFOOD o

Ziggy D’Amico’s Whiskey Bar & Diner

4691 Ninth St. N., (239) 430-0955. ziggydamicos.com. This D’Amico & Partners spot emphasizes small plates. $$$ AMERICAN b o p

THE VILLAGE SHOPS ON VENETIAN BAY

Bayside Seafood

Grill & Bar

4270 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 649-5552. baysidesea foodgrillandbar.com. Dine with more than 200 feet of waterfront views. $$$$

SEAFOOD o p v w

MiraMare Ristorante

4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 430-6273. miramarenaples. com. Enjoy classic Italian fare on the waterfront patio overlooking Venetian Bay. $$$$ ITALIAN o w v

Fish Restaurant

4360 Gulf Shore Blvd., (239) 263-3474. fishrestaurant naples.com. Find seafood and a waterside breeze overlooking the bay.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o w

M Waterfront Grille

4300 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 263-4421.

mwaterfrontgrille.com. Organic meals served with bay views.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p v w

T-Michaels Steak & Lobster House

4050 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 261-0622. t-michaels. com. Steakhouse dining on the water, featuring USDA Prime meats and Maine lobster. $$$$ STEAK v w

WATERSIDE SHOPS

True Food Kitchen

5375 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 15, (239) 431-4580 truefoodkitchen.com. The menu caters to flexitarians but has plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans.

$$$ CAFE

b o p

NORTH NAPLES BALEEN

9891 Gulf Shore Drive, (239) 598-5707. laplayaresort.com. A wraparound terrace sets the stage for creative cuisine.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o v w

The Bay House* 799 Walkerbilt Road, (239) 591-3837. bayhousenaples. com. Southern-inspired menus and a raw bar star alongside panoramic mangrove and water views.

$$$$ SEAFOOD o v w

Bicyclette Cookshop

819 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 514-3333. bicyclette cookshop.com. Chic vibes and inventive global cuisine make this a must-visit.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Black Forest Restaurant 2366 Immokalee Road, (239) 592-4784. blackforestnaples. com. Find classic German and Austrian fare like traditional sauerbraten.

$$$ EUROPEAN

Bone Hook Brewing Co. 1514 Immokalee Road, (239) 631-8522. bonehook brewing.com. A microbrewery with a taproom and a full kitchen.

$$ BAR BITES o p

Café Gourmand

9853 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 260-7109. cafegourmand. net. Here, find crepes by day and formal dinner service by night.

$$$ FRENCH o p

Côte d’Azur

11224 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 597-8867. cotedazur restaurant.com. Old World French cuisine in a cozy Provençal setting.

$$$$ FRENCH

The Crust 8004 Trail Blvd., (239) 244-8488. thecrustpizza.net. A sports bar with stellar pizza.

$$ ITALIAN

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Fish Market*

Multiple locations in Lee and Collier counties. deeplagoon.com. The family behind Pinchers owns this popular eatery.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Dusk

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 598-6644. ritzcarlton. com. This stylish sushi lounge in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, has a patio overlooking the Gulf. $$$$ ASIAN o p v

Grain de Café

8803 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 594-8081. frenchcafe naples.com. The pain au chocolat, quiches and crepes are worth it.

$$ FRENCH b o

The Grill

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 598-6644. ritzcarlton. com. The elegant steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, evokes the ambiance of a private club.

$$$$ STEAK v

Jimmy P’s Burgers & More 1201 Piper Blvd., Suite 11, (239) 514-1800. jimmyps burgers.com. Superior meats are a local tradition here.

$$$$ AMERICAN o p

Namba

8847 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 592-4992. nambanaples.com. Enjoy a remarkable selection of ramen, sushi and small plates. $$$ ASIAN

New York Pizza & Pasta

11140 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 594-3500; 8855 Immokalee Road, (239) 597-3800. nypp. com. Go for hand-tossed pies. $$$ ITALIAN o p

Parmesan Pete’s

7935 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 992-3663. parmesan petes.com. Order huge portions of Parmesans, meatballs and lasagna. $$$ ITALIAN o p

IMPACT SCIENTIFIC

Simit Fresh Mediterranean

1230 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 331-4477. simitfresh. com. Lunch is a good bet, but heavy hitters come out on the dinner menu.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN

Sofra

280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 598-6644. ritzcarlton. com. This new gem from The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, highlights Mediterranean flavors in a stunning space.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

Two Fillets*

10395 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 788-0222. twofillets.com. The latest surf-and-turf restaurant and market from the folks behind Pinchers.

$$$ AMERICAN

b o p

Zen Asian BBQ

10823 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 260-7037. eatatzen.com. A pan-Asian joint with fresh sushi, ramen, bar bites and Korean barbecue.

$$$ ASIAN o

MERCATO

Bar Tulia

9118 Strada Place, Suite 8150, (239) 438-1031. bar tulia.com. The second location of this Italian gastropub features expertly crafted cocktails. $$$ ITALIAN

b o p

The Hampton Social 9114 Strada Place, (239) 2022038. thehamptonsocial.com. A chic, rosé-all-day bar scene complemented by great seafood. $$$ SEAFOOD

b o p

Rocco’s Tacos

9123 Strada Place, (239) 5008226. roccostacos.com. Go for the roughly 500 selections of tequila and mezcal.

$$$ MEXICAN o p

The 239 Naples

9108 Strada Place, (239) 631-1902. the239naples. com. Local ingredients from seafood purveyors, farms and more.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

THE PAVILION

KC American Bistro 885 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 566-2371. kcameri canbistro.com. Seasonal, American cuisine from chef Keith Casey.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Tacos & Tequila Cantina 8971 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 254-8226. tacosandtequila naples.com. Inventive tacos and margaritas abound.

$$ MEXICAN o p

GALLERIA SHOPPES AT VANDERBILT

Alpine Restaurant

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 158, (239) 325-9499. alpineofnaples.com. The best of German, Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian fare.

$$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN b o p

Real Seafood Co. Naples

8960 Fontana Del Sol Way, (239) 591-3523. realseafoodcorestaurant.com.

Fish from New England, the Great Lakes and the Gulf pair with local produce.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar

2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 604, (239) 513-0095. thecavenaples.com.

A magnificent selection of wines and small plates.

$$$ WINE BAR o p

Mister O1

Extraordinary Pizza

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 176, (239) 631-6844. mistero1.com. Extraordinary isn’t hyperbole; try the starshaped pizza with ricottastuffed crust for proof.

$$ ITALIAN o p

LEE COUNTY

BONITA SPRINGS

Angelina’s Ristorante*

24041 S. Tamiami Trail, (239) 390-3187. angelinasof bonitasprings.com. This fine Italian restaurant has plush banquettes, live piano music and an award-winning wine list.

$$$$ ITALIAN o v

The Bohemian

27975 Old 41 Road, Suite 104, (239) 451-9619. thebohemian bonita.com. The team behind Downtown Coffee and Wine, enjoy a globally inspired menu.

$$$$ ECLECTIC o

Chops City Grill* 8200 Health Center Blvd., (239) 992-4677. chopsbonita. com. The sister restaurant to Naples’ elegant steakhouse.

$$$$ STEAK o p

C Level Bistro & Wine Bar

4450 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 221-7046. c-levelbar.com. An intimate locale, great for steak au poivre.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille 5370 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 676-7777. coconutjacks. com. A perfect stop for quick bites with water views.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p v w

Brian Tietz

DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant

26811 S. Bay Drive, Suites 140 and 148, (239) 3253583. deromos.com. This restaurant with a big-city vibe is part and parcel of an Italian market. $$$$ ITALIAN o p

Downtown Coffee & Wine Company

27546 Old 41 Road, (239) 272-6068. downtowncoffee andwinecompany.com. Light bites accompany specialty coffee and more than a dozen wines by the glass.

$$ CAFE b o p

El Basque Vin & Pintxo Bar

25245 Chamber of Commerce Drive, (239) 301-4973. elbasque.com. Spanish and French influences merge at this tapas-style wine bar.

$$$ BASQUE p o

Figs Grille

25987 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 109, (239) 390-1700. figsgrille.com. Find a fusion of Spanish, Turkish, Moroccan, Lebanese and French cuisines.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o p

Jimmy P’s Charred

25301 Tamiami Trail S., (239) 390-0301. jimmypssteaks.com. Enjoy superior meats and shareable plates.

$$$$ STEAK

Lapa’s Costa Rican Bistro

26251 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 9, (239) 221-7016. lap ascr.com. A reliable spot for authentic plates, such as arroz con pollo, gallos and tostadas.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN

Olde Florida Chop House 3401 Bay Commons Drive, (239) 948-4400. oldefloridachophouse.com. Waterfront dining serving Florida-style dishes.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o v w

The Other Side Bistro

24630 S. Tamiami Trail, (239) 992-7433. othersidebistro. com. Chef Brian McCarley serves comfort dishes with modern flair.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Malinche Mexican Cuisine

3250 Bonita Beach Road SW, Suite 202, (239) 301-2902. malinchebon itasprings.com. Brothers Jorge and Antonio Salazar dish traditional Central and Southern Mexican flavors.

$$$ MEXICAN

Petar’s Restaurant

3300 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 120, (239) 249-4064. petarsrestaurant.com. Chef Petar Al Kurdi has developed a strong following for his deftly prepared cuisine.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Roy’s Restaurant

26831 S. Bay Drive, Suite 100, (239) 498-7697. roys restaurant.com. Enjoy celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian and Pacific fusion fine dining.

$$$$ ASIAN o

A Table Apart

4295 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 221-8540. atableapart. com. Fusion influences from the Pacific Rim and beyond.

$$$ ECLECTIC

Wolfmoon

27975 Old 41 Road, Suite 107. wolfmoon.co. Go for some of the best croissants around, and pair those with locally roasted coffee, too.

$$$$ CAFÉ o

With a new location in Bonita Springs, Fernandez the Bull adds to its legacy as the area's oldest Cuban restaurant. Don't miss their mojitos.

Wylds Café

4271 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 947-0408. wyldscafe.com. Three chefs join forces for a fine-dining experience.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

ESTERO

Divieto Ristorante

23161 Village Shops Way, Suite 101, (239) 390-2977. divietoristorante.com. Its famous fettuccine Alfredo is prepared in a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel.

$$$ ITALIAN o p v

El Nido

23161 Village Shops Way, Suite 113, (239) 319-1900.

elnidoeats.com. A contemporary joint using local ingredients for house-made sauces and a modern spin on Latin dishes.

$$ MEXICAN o

Brian Tietz

Tacos & Tequila Cantina

10952 Eagle Village Drive, (239) 330-8226. tacosand tequilanaples.com. Tacos with clever spins, plus margaritas. $$ MEXICAN o p

FORT MYERS

SOUTH FORT MYERS

Artisan Eatery

8951 Daniels Parkway, (239) 887-4844. artisan eatery.com. Look for outstanding specials at

this stamp-sized favorite.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Flock Wine Bistro

9405 Cypress Lake Drive, Suite A, (239) 245-7105. flockwinebistro.com. Inspired by Rome’s hipster Monti neighborhood, this wine bar offers curated vinos and obsession-worthy small plates.

$$$ WINE BAR

Coldwater Oyster Market 5611 Six Mile Commercial Court, (239) 220-5918.

cold wateroystermarket.com.

Coldwater seafood from the North Atlantic and Pacific Northwest.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Cubans Be Like

13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 21, (239) 789-1869. cubansbelike.com. Cuban favorites define the menu— don’t miss the vaca frita.

$$$ CUBAN o

Ember

7091 College Parkway, Suite 9, (239) 771-8818. emberfortmyers.com.

A gem with tabletop barbecue, fusion dishes and sushi.

$$$ ASIAN

Fancy’s Southern Café

8890 Salrose Lane, Suite 101, (239) 561-2988. fancyssoutherncafe.com. Southern favorites in a casual atmosphere.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Harold’s

15250 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 107, (239) 849-0622. harolds cuisine.com. Chef Harold Balink’s cozy, farm-totable bistro.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Liberty

12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 112, (239) 689-5528. eatliberty.us. Chef Bob Boye’s gem features artfully presented, progressive menus. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN

Mastello Ristorante & Steakhouse

7890 Summerlin Lakes Drive, Suite 101, (239) 936-3660. mastello.com. Depend on upscale creations dished in a gorgeous dining room.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Osteria Celli

15880 Summerlin Road, Suite 308, (239) 267-1310. osteriacelli.com. Fresh pasta is a highlight.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Taberna Ole

12377 S Cleveland Ave., Suite 3B, (239) 931-0050. taberna ole.com. Spanish small plates and pours shine.

$$ SPANISH

The Saucy Meatball

12401 Commerce Lakes Drive, (239) 800-7172. saucymeatball. com. This Industrial-chic pizzeria hosts crave-able entrees.

$$ ITALIAN

o p

BELL TOWER SHOPS

DaRuMa Japanese

Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge

13499 S. Cleveland Ave., (239) 344-0037. daruma restaurant.com. Enjoy Teppan-style tableside cooking, tempura and sushi.

$$$$ ASIAN o p

CENTRAL FORT MYERS

El Gaucho Inca

4383 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, (239) 275-7504. elgauchoinca.com.

A mix of Argentinian and Peruvian dishes.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Farmers Market

Restaurant

2736 Edison Ave., (239) 3341687. farmersmarketrestaurant. com. Southern classics and comforts at the regional mainstay. $$ AMERICAN b

Ginger Bistro

4650 Cleveland Ave., Suite 8, (239) 689-3113. gingerbistro usa.com. Traditional dim sum and Cantonese barbecue are highlights. $$ ASIAN

KJ’s Steakhouse

10950 S. Cleveland Ave., (239) 275-4745. kjsfreshgrill. com. They pride themselves on aging and searing.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

MCGREGOR CORRIDOR

Azure

15301 McGregor Blvd., Suite 1, (239) 288-4296. azurefortmyers.com. Enjoy modernized French classics with a Southern flair.

$$$$ FRENCH o

Blanc

13451 McGregor Blvd., Suite 10, (239) 887-3139. blancentertainment.com. Chef Jean Claude Rogé’s restaurant mixes global flavors.

$$ FRENCH

Cibo

12901 McGregor Blvd., Suite 16, (239) 454-3700. cibofortmyers.com. This Italian spot serves stellar food and wines.

$$$ ITALIAN

Crave Restaurant

12901 McGregor Blvd., Suite 6, (239) 466-4663. crave menu.com. Scratch-made comforts. $$$

MODERN AMERICAN

Jordan’s Wine Bar and Cellar

12901 McGregor Blvd., Suite 14, (239) 313-7056. The latest venture from beloved chef Gloria Jordan-Cabral.

$$$ WINE BAR

Roadhouse Café

15660 San Carlos Blvd., (239) 415-4375. roadhousecafefl.com. Try a wide range of dishes, including steak.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS

Bullig Coffee & Bites

1815 Fowler St., Suite 1, (239) 738-8582. Pair espresso drinks with savory or sweet waffles. $ CAFE

b o p

Izzy’s Fish & Oyster 2282 First St., (239) 337-4999. izzysftmyers.com. A raw bar with New England-style seafood. $$$ SEAFOOD o p v

The Silver King Ocean Brasserie*

2200 Edwards Drive, (239) 314-3855. luminaryhotel. com. Inside Luminary Hotel & Co., this restaurant serves fine coastal cuisine. The hotel's additional offerings include the riverfront Oxbow Bar & Grill and the rooftop Beacon Social Drinkery. $$$$ SEAFOOD o v w

The Standard Restaurant

1520 Broadway, (239) 219-6463. thestandardftmyers.com.

From-scratch eats and craft cocktails.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

The Veranda

2122 Second St., (239) 3322065. verandarestaurant.com. Fort Myers’ grande dame provides top-notch service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

SANIBEL ISLAND

Bleu Rendezvous

751 Tarpon Bay Road, (239) 565-1608. bleurendez vous.com. This restaurant is lauded for authentic French fare, such as coq au vin and cassoulet. $$$$ FRENCH o p

Cielo

1244 Periwinkle Way, (239) 472-5555. cielo-sanibel. com. Elevated island fare.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o v

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille

Locations throughout Lee County. docfords.com.

Seafood, mojitos and a namesake rum bar.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p w

MudBugs Cajun Kitchen

1473 Periwinkle Way, (239) 472-2221. mudbugssanibel. com. Find Cajun classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

T2 Bistro & Wine Bar

2340 Periwinkle Way, (239) 558-8919. t2traders. com. Retro-chic joint serving French-inspired cuisine.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

CAPTIVA ISLAND

Keylime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn*

11509 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 395-4000. keylimebistrocaptiva.com. A colorful island spot with a full bar. And, visit the Boca Grande location.

$$$

The Mucky Duck

11546 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 472-3434. muckyduck. com. A British pub with seafood platters, beer and live music.

$$$ AMERICAN o p w

RC Otter’s Island Eats*

11506 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 395-1142. captivaisland inn.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music.

$$ AMERICAN b o p

Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar*

11508 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 472-6200. captivaislandinn. com. A sophisticated, beachy cafe with beloved chef Ryan Kida at the helm.

$$$$ SEAFOOD

The Shipyard and Crow’s Nest

15951 Captiva Drive, (239) 472-5161. shipyardcaptiva. com. ’Tween Waters Island Resort presents refined fare in its casual and elevated locales.

$$$ SEAFOOD

CAPE CORAL & PINE ISLAND

Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar

837 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 542-6622. corksoakers. net. An irreverent tone shows in the decor and on the menu.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Fathoms Restaurant & Bar

5785 Cape Harbour Drive, Suite 106, (239) 542-0123. fathomsrestaurant.com. Upscale cuisine with international influences.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

Fish Tale Grill

By Merrick Seafood

1229 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 257-3167. fishtalegrill. com. With an adjacent fish market, many items earn nods.

$$$$ SEAFOOD b o

Front Porch Social

4721 Vincennes Blvd., (239) 347-8914. frontporchsocialcc. com. A breezy, shaded patio, small plates and fab cocktails make for a perfect date spot.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Gather

5971 Silver King Blvd., (239) 673-9939. gathercape. com. Celebrated chefs blend Mediterranean flavors with classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

Next Door

5971 Silver King Blvd., Suite 114, (239) 984-2453. nextdoorcape.com. From the team at Gather, Next Door elevates small dishes with focused flair.

$$$$ ITALIAN

Ginger Bistro

2366 Surfside Blvd., Suite C-101, (239) 558-8865. gingerbistrousa.com. Authentic Chinese fare and traditional Cantonese barbecue. $$ ASIAN

Jungle Bird Authentic Tiki 1520 Lafayette St., (239) 471-4111. junglebirdtiki.com.

Clever Pacific Rim dishes and signature house rum.

$$$ ASIAN

b o p

Marker 92 Waterfront

Bar & Bistro/Nauti Mermaid

5961 Silver King Blvd., (239) 541-5000. marriott.com

Bay views and entrees from these two restaurants at The Westin Cape Coral.

$$$ SEAFOOD

b o w

Point 57 Kitchen & Cocktails

3522 Del Prado Blvd. S., (239) 471-7785. point-57.com. A critically acclaimed menu from one of Lee County’s best.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

b o

Sage on 47th 1015 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 542-0200. sage on47th.com. A locally grown chef returns to his roots with this buzzy space.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, (239) 283-3999. tarponlodge.com. Dine in a 1920s fishing lodge.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Wicked Dolphin

Rum Distillery 131 SW 3rd Place, (239) 242-5244.

wickeddolphin.com

Handcrafted, award-winning rums served up in one of the most spirited spots in town.

$$$$ DISTILLERY

Anna Nguyen

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

Bonita

Springs Farmer’s Market

Join us every Saturday (from October to May) from 8 a.m. to noon

FIRST FAIR EVERYWHERE

Matt Devitt, Chief Meteorologist

Lois Thome

Chris Cifatte

Head to East West Fine Art’s Empower the Flower exhibit to see works from Oleg Kalaytanov (whose bold brushwork and vibrant use of color is seen above), Alexander Fyedorov and Natalia Litosova on display at the gallery’s Mercato location starting April 15.

TOP EVENTS FOR APRIL

Fill your calendar with art exhibits, symphonic concerts and sharply written plays throughout Southwest Florida. As events may change, we recommend you check with the organizations for the latest information.

Through April 21

She Loves Me at Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples

Say farewell to the Norris Center. This charming musical based on the play that inspired the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail is the company’s last performance before moving to the Baker Theatre and Education Center in the fall. gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Through July 13

Purvis Young: Honey in the Sky at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW

The self-taught urban expressionist from Miami found worldwide acclaim for his mixed-media works that represented the underprivileged. The show presents about 75 of the late artists’ pieces from public and private collections. rauschenberggallery.com

April 5

Kevin James at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

The King of Queens is back on the road for his Owls Don’t Walk comedy tour. Expect a family-friendly show with takes on parenting, marriage and modern life. bbmannpah.com

April 5-25

Cinematic Impressions at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers Reynier Llanes’ latest exhibit is about capturing the moment, with each painting seen as a frame in a longer series. Keep an eye out for the artist’s use of watered-down espresso as paint, a method that channels Reynier’s Cuban heritage. sbdac.com

April 6

B. Mann Performing Arts Hall April 23 to May 5. The Broadway hit follows the epic story of Alexander Hamilton and the dawn of a new nation in a production brimming with passion and ambition.

Stacey Kent at BIG ARTS Sanibel Island

The Grammy-nominated jazz singer found worldwide acclaim for her original recordings along with her take on Great American Songbook (20th-century pop and jazz) classics. The vocalist’s I Know I Dream album won Album of

the Year in the vocal category at the Jazz Japan Awards. bigarts.org

April 6 – Sept. 8

Andy Warhol Portfolios at The Baker Museum, Naples Artis—Naples offers a rare chance to see some of the Pop Art master’s iconic screenprints in person. The exhibit, on loan from the Bank of America Collection,

features prints spanning more than 20 years, including the vibrant series of the erupting Vesuvius, one of the artist’s final works. artisnaples.org

April 9-14

To Kill a Mockingbird at Artis-Naples

American playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin offers his take on the Pulitzer

Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee. The production made a splash on Broadway and garnered nine Tony nominations. It’s now on a U.S. tour featuring Emmy Award-winner Richard Thomas (you might know him as John-Boy Walton from The Waltons) as Atticus Finch. artisnaples.org

Courtesy Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall

Hamilton ’s national tour makes a splash at Barbara

Presented by: Drs. Rafat & Zoreen Ansari

Together, we are breaking down barriers and creating a brighter future for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Collier County.

Thank You!

We are beyond grateful to everyone who made this event possible, from our dedicated supporters to our entire passionate host and event committee including Event Co-chairs: Laura Georgelos and Dena Rae Hancock, Sponsorship Co-chairs: Jenny Haire and Vicki Weidle and Auction Co-chairs: Barbie Kellam and Allison Rainey.

STARability exists to transform the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through social, vocational and educational connections to the community, while strengthening awareness and respect for individual abilities.

Andy Warhol’s New England Clam Chowder from Campbell’s Soup II (1969), 35 1/8 x 23 1/16 inches, screenprint/Courtesy Artis—Naples

See famed screenprints from the father of Pop Art at Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum’s Andy Warhol Portfolios exhibit, on loan from the Bank of America Collection, opening April 6.

April 12-14

Kevin Nealon at Off The Hook Comedy Club, Naples

The Saturday Night Live alum has spent decades in the comedy business. The Weeds actor’s dry wit and deadpan deliveries have made him a favorite of late-night talk shows and

April 12 – May 5 (Preview Nights April 10 & 11)

Crocodile Fever at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

This darkly comedic production sees the reunion of two sisters—one pious, one revolutionary—during the Troubles (the ethno-nationalist conflict

April 12 – May 25

The Addams Family at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Fort Myers

A Broadway hit more than a decade ago, this musical comedy takes the macabre TV family into a quirky story: Wednesday has a new boyfriend–who’s

T H A N K Y O U

Naples Art Institute sincerely thanks the designers, models, attendees and sponsors of our 2024 Scene To Be Seen Runway Art Show! Your invaluable support helped create a truly magical evening.

Michael Gauthier

Get in on the paddle craze as the Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships kick off at East Naples Community Park on April 13, with live music, food trucks and pro clinics.

J.THOMAS CONROY, III*

KRISTIN M. CONROY*

April 13

Blooms & Brews at Naples Botanical Garden

Soak in the sunset and cool evening air with a pint in the gardens. This relaxed evening has live tunes and craft brews from regional favorites. Swing by Fogg Café for bites on the grounds. naplesgarden.org

April 13-20

Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships at East Naples Community Park

Dubbed the “Tourney for the People” by Pickleball Magazine, the national tournament kicks off with Party in the Park, featuring live music, food trucks and pro clinics. Visit throughout the week to watch the pros face off. usopenpickleballchampion ship.com

BRADLEY D. FRIEDMAN*

GREGORY W. WETZEL

PATRICK

Famed classical pianist Lang Lang serenades Artis—Naples audiences with selections from Schubert, Schumann and Chopin on April 23.

Charity Classic

Gala

Because of your generosity, we raised over

to transform young lives and support the educational needs of 1,300+ students in Immokalee. $2,300,000

Courtesy

April 15-29

Empower the Flower at East West Fine Art, Naples

A trio of Russian artists—Alexander Fyedorov, Natalia Litosova and Oleg Kalaytanov—showcase their colorful paintings of floral bouquets that border on the abstract. eastwestfineart.com

April 16-27

Gary Bukovnik at Harmon-Meek Galler y The longtime gallery favorite (two of his pieces hang in owner Kristine Meek’s kitchen) exhibits at Harmon-Meek for the first time in three years. The San Francisco artist’s colorful watercolor flowers have been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chicago Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. harmonmeekgallery.com

April 16 – May 12

Godspell at Players Circle Theater, Fort Myers

If you haven’t visited the company’s new location on McGregor Boulevard, now is

Celebrate Earth Day, on April 20, with The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, which rings in 60 years of protecting our coastline this year.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Shotgun Start at 8:30 a.m. Reception & Lunch to Follow

Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples

THANK

YOU for coming together to put kids first!

Lancellot Family Foundation

the time. The rock musical from Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak follows a retelling of the parables of apostle St. Matthew, recognized for writing the Gospel of Matthew, with a full rock band “in the round,” so you’ll feel like you’re a part of the show. playerscircletheater.com

April 16 – May 19

Oleanna at Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers

A two-person show by playwright David Mamet, Oleanna examines the power dynamic between a college professor and his student when sexual harassment allegations surface. Director Chris Clavelli, who has worked with Florida Rep for

nearly 24 years, takes on the controversial production. floridarep.org

April 17, 24, 27 Turandot at various locations

In the culmination of its 10th anniversary season, Gulfshore Opera puts on its most ambitious show yet. Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s fantasy

fable masterpiece comes to life with original sets and a cast of 100 performers. Shows are held at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Charlotte Performing Arts Center and Artis—Naples. artisnaples.org

April 20

Sleeping Beauty at Tribby Arts Center, Fort Myers Gulfshore Ballet tackles Tchaikovsky’s longest ballet in one of the classical ballet academy’s major productions of the year. The performance features students and guest performers. gsballet.org

April 20

Earth Day Festival at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples

Explore the conservancy for free in honor of Mother Nature’s annual day of celebration. The festival features hands-on activities for kids and a chance to meet baby gators and other critters during educational demonstrations. conservancy.org

This year’s SPEAKEASY SOIREE: RAISING SPIRITS FOR A CURE Hope Gala was a great success and raised over $920,000 to increase awareness and provide vital research dollars for a cure for type 1 diabetes.

We want to extend a special thank you to our Gala Chairs DENA RAE HANCOCK & ROB CAITO LINDSEY SABLAN & MATT BOTSFORD

We also would like to thank the South Gulf Coast board members, Gala Committee members, and our generous donors for helping us RAISE SPIRITS FOR A CURE!

Thank you to our T1D community and volunteers that are dedicated to turn Type 1 into Type None.

Enjoy a lush setting and craft brews at Naples Botanical Garden’s Blooms & Brews on April 13.

April 13 | 6 – 10PM 2024

Featuring local breweries, live music, and Garden vibes

Tickets on sale now at naplesgarden.org

SUPPORTED BY

April 23

Lang Lang at Artis—Naples

The charismatic pianist is a classical music rockstar— literally. He’s performed with Metallica at the Grammys, shared the stage with Pharrell Williams for the smash hit single “Happy” and opened the 2008 Summer Olympics. Lang Lang’s recital in Naples consists of selections from Schubert, Schumann and Chopin. artisnaples.org

April 23 – May 5

Hamilton at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

If you can’t make it to Broadway, catching the national tour of Hamilton is the next best thing. Experience the musical that swept the nation as Bronx actor Pierre Jean Gonzalez steps into the shoes of the show’s titular lead—you may recognize him from TV roles in NCIS: New Orleans and FBI bbmannpah.com

April 25 – May 5

Carrie: The Musical at TheatreZone

Catch the musical retelling of Stephen King’s horror/thriller about a bullied teenager with telekinetic powers. Starring in the title role is newcomer Keeley Pendergrass, a promising FGCU student who secured the role over more seasoned actors. theatre.zone

6 out of 10 young people living with mental illness don’t get the treatment they need.

We had a major fight over thing silly, and it feels world is falling apart. I just to escape all this drama.

Kids Minds’ Matter and its community partners are writing a new chapter for children in Southwest Florida whose stories are filled with depression, anxiety and trauma. When communities come together to share their stories and lend their voices, they advocate for enhanced access.

Gulfshore Ballet cements its status as Southwest Florida’s first professional ballet company with its biggest production of the season: Sleeping Beauty at Tribby Arts Center, in Fort Myers, on April 13.

Presented by Dr. Richard and Christine Lublin

Co-Chairs Matthew Kritis and Jennifer McCurry

The streets of Downtown Fort Myers sing on the third Friday of the month as musical acts set up bandstands on and around First Street’s main drag.

Recurring Events We Love

With live music on the streets, nibbles at local galleries and shops and other fun diversions, these monthly events keep us coming back.

April 5

Art Walk in the River District, Fort Myers

Downtown Fort Myers’ growing arts scene is on full display the first Friday of each month. Don’t miss the accompanying rooftop party at SBDAC. sbdac.com

April 11

Evening on Fifth in Old Naples

The shops stay open late, restaurants offer dining specials and live music fills historic Fifth Avenue South on second Thursdays. fifthavenuesouth.com

April 13

Naples Artcrafters in Cambier Park, Naples

Everything from oil paintings to handwoven baskets is shown (and for sale) at these monthly Downtown Naples festivals in season.

naplesartcrafters.com

April 19

Music Walk in the River District, Fort Myers

Enjoy live music by local and regional musicians in the streets of Downtown Fort Myers on the third Friday of the month. myriverdistrict.com

April 27

Music in the Garden at Naples Botanical Garden

These popular open-air concerts are held monthly through May. This month features the eclectic Moonstone Riders, whose musical stylings cover everything from funk to country. Expect covers of Pink Floyd and Johnny Cash from this five-piece ensemble. naplesgarden.org

Courtesy Fort Myers-Islands Beaches & Neighborhoods

FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS 2024 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

These days, it takes a village to manage your financial world. Whether it is managing your assets with a wealth manager, navigating the ever-changing tax landscape, sorting out your estate and succession planning or picking the right life insurance, finding the right team can be a daunting task. In fact, many consumers have a hard time figuring out where to even begin. Sometimes, a few simple questions can put you off on the right path. Asking a professional what makes working with them a unique experience can help you understand how they work and if their style meshes with your own.

This is a great place to start! Five Star Professional uses its own proprietary research methodology to name outstanding professionals, then works with publications such as Gulfshore Life the word about award winners. Each award candidate undergoes a thorough research process (detailed here) before being considered for the final list of award winners. For the complete list of winners, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.

RESEARCH DISCLOSURES

In order to consider a broad population of high-quality wealth managers and investment professionals, award candidates are identified by one of three sources: firm nomination, peer nomination or prequalification based on industry standing. Self-nominations are not accepted. Southwest Florida-area award candidates were identified using internal and external research data. Candidates do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final lists of Five Star Wealth Managers or Five Star Investment Professionals.

• The Five Star award is not indicative of a professional’s future performance.

• Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets.

• The inclusion of a professional on the Five Star Wealth Manager list or the Five Star Investment Professional list should not be construed as an endorsement of the professional by Five Star Professional or Gulfshore Life magazine.

• Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager, Five Star Investment Professional or any professional is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected professionals will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future.

• Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm and the content of this article should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star Wealth Manager or Five Star Investment Professional award programs, research and selection criteria, go to fivestarprofessional.com/research.

FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

Award candidates who satisfied 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. Eligibility Criteria – Required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards. 5. Accepting new clients.

Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 6. One-year client retention rate. 7. Five-year client retention rate. 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered. 9. Number of client households served. 10. Education and professional designations. 769 award candidates in the Southwest Florida area were considered for the Five Star Wealth Manager award. 76 (approximately 10% of the award candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers.

FIVE STAR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

The investment professional award goes to estate planning attorneys, insurance agents and select others in the financial industry. Eligibility Criteria – Required: 1. Credentialed with appropriate state or industry licensures. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 5. One-year client retention rate. 6. Five-year client retention rate. 7. Number of client households served. 8. Recent personal production and performance (industry specific criteria). 9. Education and professional designations/ industry and board certifications. 10. Pro Bono and community service work. This year, we honored 1 Southwest Florida-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

David Anaclethe Emma Hightower Advisors

Danielle Gates

D. Gates Wealth Management Page 7

Timothy Ryan Hawkins Wealth Enhancement Group

Tamar Hana Mogilski Wealth Enhancement Group

Investments

Kathleen Campbell Campbell Financial Partners, LLC

Gary T. Crisci

Crisci Private Wealth Management

Jeremy L. Darstek Verita Wealth Advisory Group

Wes Dawson Morgan Stanley

Wells Fargo Advisors

Caleb Lowman

Lighthouse Wealth Management, LLC Page 5

Sean D. McVey

American Global Wealth Management Page 7

Brian M. Megibow

Private Capital Management & Advisory

Frank Sakowski

Morgan Stanley

Investment

Professional Estate Planning Attorney

Jeffrey Grant

Grant Cottrell, PLLC

Continued on FS-8

This award was issued on 02/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 05/15/2023 through 11/30/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 769 Southwest Florida-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 76 (10% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers.

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F.

– considered:

The

of the

Wealth managers

or

not evaluate quality of

in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 Southwest Florida-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria

6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does

services provided to clients.

award is not indicative

wealth manager’s future performance.

may

may not use discretion

7370 College Parkway, Suite 100 • Fort Myers, FL 33907 Phone: 239-790-7620 • Cell: 239-200-5982 • nick@chlumskywmg.com • www.chlumskywmg.com

This award was issued on 02/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 05/15/2023 through 11/30/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire the award; 76 (10% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, 5/20/19 - 12/20/19; 2019: 707, 68, 10%, 2/1/19, 5/30/18 - 12/20/18; 2018: 646, 63, 10%, 2/1/18, 6/2/17 - 12/27/17; 2017: 477, 124, 26%, 1/1/17, 4/26/16 - 12/21/16; 2016: 426, 128, 2012: 590, 163, 28%, 2/1/12, 7/31/11 - 12/31/11.

standards; designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Left to right: Michael Siefert, CFA; Scott Merhige; Beth Di Roma; Pamela Mahar; Katie Siefert; 2014 – 2017, 2019 – 2024 winner Nick Chlumsky, CFP®, CRPC™, Managing Director – Investment O icer, PIM Portfolio Manager Chlumsky Wealth Management Group

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required:

Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA)

a registered investment adviser in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total

consumer complaint contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services

The Chlumsky Wealth Management Group specializes in helping high net worth individuals and their families build, manage, preserve and transition wealth. Their approach, first and foremost, is to understand you. They then design, implement and review a customized wealth management strategy that is designed to help you pursue your financial goals without sacrificing your lifestyle or taking unnecessary investment risks. Nick is a 2014 – 2017 and 2019 – 2024 Five Star Wealth Manager.

from WFAFN. PM-07192025-6268957.1.1.

was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 769 Southwest Florida-area wealth managers were considered for Research Period. 2023: 642, 76,

representative; 2.

Unfavorable

may have been discovered through a check

complaints registered

a

3.

A.

Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years;

Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not;

Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted process.

feedback

of

with

regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there

12%, 2/1/23, 6/13/22 - 12/9/22; 2022: 740, 73, 10%, 2/1/22, 6/14/21 - 12/10/21; 2021: 750, 66, 9%, 2/1/21, 6/1/20 - 12/18/20; 2020: 687, 74, 11%, 2/1/20, 30%, 1/1/16, 7/31/15 - 12/31/15; 2015: 685, 161, 24%, 2/1/15, 7/31/14 - 12/31/14; 2014: 883, 142, 16%, 2/1/14, 7/31/13 - 12/31/13; 2013: 651, 158, 24%, 2/1/13, 7/31/12 - 12/31/12;

WEALTH MANAGERS

This award was issued on 02/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 05/15/2023 through 11/30/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was 76 (10% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2019: 707, 68, 10%, 2/1/19, 5/30/18 - 12/20/18; 2018: 646, 63, 10%, 2/1/18, 6/2/17 - 12/27/17; 2017: 477, 124, 26%, 1/1/17, 4/26/16 - 12/21/16; 2016: 426, 128, 30%, 1/1/16, 7/31/15 - 12/31/15; 12/31/11.

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 Southwest Florida-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

Thirteen-year winner Christopher A. Fraga, J.D., CFP®, CLTC®, CRPC™, CDFA®

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 769 Southwest Florida-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 2023: 642, 76, 12%, 2/1/23, 6/13/22 - 12/9/22; 2022: 740, 73, 10%, 2/1/22, 6/14/21 - 12/10/21; 2021: 750, 66, 9%, 2/1/21, 6/1/20 - 12/18/20; 2020: 687, 74, 11%, 2/1/20, 5/20/19 - 12/20/19; 2015: 685, 161, 24%, 2/1/15, 7/31/14 - 12/31/14; 2014: 883, 142, 16%, 2/1/14, 7/31/13

2. Actively licensed as a RIA

–

have been

resulted in a

does not evaluate quality of list should not be construed as an endorsement of the

FSP

Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be

or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that

license being may

discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of

considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP

wealth manager by

or this publication.

- 12/31/13; 2013: 651, 158, 24%, 2/1/13, 7/31/12 - 12/31/12; 2012: 590, 163, 28%, 2/1/12, 7/31/11 -

Caleb Lowman, CFP,® and his team believe it is their duty to help protect clients from the financial storms that can negatively impact lifelong dreams. Their mission is to help clients build legacy plans that bridge generational gaps and become the beacon for future generations to follow. Caleb’s team sees clients as families, and this perspective allows them to provide planning and wealth management in a true multigenerational format. Caleb has positioned Lighthouse Wealth Management as a beacon for successful families during financial storms.

Left to right: Bethany Spurlock; Tara Lowman; Craig White; Judy Lowman; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 winner Caleb Lowman; Benjamin B. Lane; Glen Rauch; Jessica Luchan; Dawn Salerno

Robert T. Edwards

Bob Edwards helms a successful asset management team of 19, with over $1.5 billion (as of 6/23) in assets. Beyond finance, he and his wife, Terry, are philanthropic pillars in the community, serving leadership roles in various organizations, from Artis-Naples to the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy. Bob is deeply rooted in the community and has received numerous accolades for his service. His unique blend of professional expertise and social commitment makes him a trusted advisor and revered community figure.

This award was issued on 02/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 05/15/2023 through 11/30/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was 76 (10% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2019:

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 Southwest Florida-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

707, 68, 10%, 2/1/19, 5/30/18 - 12/20/18; 2018: 646, 63, 10%, 2/1/18, 6/2/17 - 12/27/17; 2017: 477, 124, 26%, 1/1/17, 4/26/16 - 12/21/16; 2016: 426, 128, 30%, 1/1/16, 7/31/15 - 12/31/15; 12/31/11.

Left to right: Will Nicholson, Analyst; Charles Sauer, CFA, CFP®, Analyst; Leta Langevin, Client Relationship Manager; Andrew C. Banks, CRPC™, First Vice President, Fundamental Choice Portfolio Manager; Courtney Smuder, Client Relationship Manager; Michael Shear, Managing Principal; Debbie Rodriguez, Client Relationship Manager; Jeff Neuwirth, First Vice President, Financial Advisor; H. Scott Waldman, MBA, Managing Director; 2012 – 2024 winner Robert T. Edwards, CEO, Chief Investment Officer, Senior PIM® Portfolio Manager; 2022 – 2023 winner John P. Kellar, First Vice President – Investment Officer, Senior Institutional Consultant; Todd Finkel, Senior Financial Advisor – Director; Scott Shear, Senior Vice President; Robyn Whitaker, Client Relationship Manager; Sebastian Brinkerhoff, MBA, Business Development Officer; Erin Collins, Client Service Associate; Evan Edwards, Analyst; Matthew Waldman, Client Service Assistant

Naples, FL 34120

Phone: 239-228-3859 • Phone: 239-850-9292 smcvey@napleswealthplanning.com www.americanglobalwealth.com

Sean D. McVey

• Capital preservation

• Risk management

• Alternative asset fiduciary FIVE

1708

FL 33904

As a fiduciary, we organize your assets, financial and others, into a comprehensive wealth plan so you may live your life on your terms.

Securities and Advisory services offered through American Global Wealth Management. Clearing services offered through Charles Schwab. We do not provide tax or legal advice, individuals should seek advice based on their particular circumstances from independent tax or legal professionals.

D.

Mother-Daughter Financial Planning Team

• Comprehensive financial planning and fiduciary asset management

• Retirement planning, business planning, insurance and risk management

We at D. Gates Wealth Management, along with LPL Financial, are dedicated to helping our clients make informed financial decisions about issues that affect their financial needs, goals and objectives. We strive to help clients build a strong foundation for long-term financial health. Additionally, we work with clients to determine what is important in their lives by creating a comprehensive financial plan centered around their values.

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 769 Southwest Florida-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 2023: 642, 76, 12%, 2/1/23, 6/13/22 - 12/9/22; 2022: 740, 73, 10%, 2/1/22, 6/14/21 - 12/10/21; 2021: 750, 66, 9%, 2/1/21, 6/1/20 - 12/18/20; 2020: 687, 74, 11%, 2/1/20, 5/20/19 - 12/20/19; 2015: 685, 161, 24%, 2/1/15, 7/31/14 - 12/31/14; 2014: 883, 142, 16%, 2/1/14, 7/31/13

28%,

2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be

- 12/31/13; 2013: 651, 158, 24%, 2/1/13, 7/31/12 - 12/31/12; 2012: 590, 163,

2/1/12, 7/31/11 -

Nine-year winner Sean D. McVey

YEAR WINNER

Left to right: 2024 winner Danielle Gates, CFP®; Nicole Giannone, CFP®

Continued from FS-1

Wealth Managers

Lorraine Albino-Hinkley · Primerica Financial Services

Carlos A. Amaris · Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Bonevento · ICG next

Amber Friedman Braatz · Finley Wealth Advisors

Adamo Stephen Calistri · Wells Fargo Advisors

Jorge Alejandro Calleja · Morgan Stanley

Richard Kenneth Childress · Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

John Forbes Clark · The Colony Group

Joseph Michael Compitello · Morgan Stanley

Caroline Allegret Coplin · Morgan Stanley

Steven Michael Coplin · Morgan Stanley

Robert Joseph Dimaria · Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Adam Feldman · Farr Miller & Washington

Colin Guimin Feng · Equitable Advisors

All award winners are listed in this publication.

Douglas William Finley · Finley Wealth Advisors

Robert William Frailey · RWF Wealth Management

Kodie S. Fridley · Morgan Stanley

Kerri Anne Goldsmith · HBKS Wealth Advisors

Bruce Graev · LPL Financial

Thomas Joseph Hallman · Prudential Financial

Patricia Ann Hulbert · Regal Securities

Harland Ira Jacobs · Wells Fargo Advisors

Paul Alexander Kassolis · Wells Fargo Advisors

Jerome David King · Wells Fargo Advisors

J. Eric Konuk · Private Wealth Management Group

Chad P. Kunc · CPK Wealth Management, LLC

B. Eliot Legates Jr. · Merrill Lynch

Joshua Andrew Leppo · Wells Fargo Advisors

Larry Evan Leppo · Wells Fargo Advisors

Kenneth Alan Levin · Independent Investment Advisors

James E. Love · Capital Wealth Advisors

Danielle Annette Lucht · Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.

Mark W. Masterson · Hightower Advisors

Matthew William Mathias · MAI Capital Management

Deanne Marie Mathis · Emerald Wealth Management Solutions

Julie Lynn McFalls · Merrill Lynch

Derek S. McNew · Deere Employees Credit Union

Thomas Michael Moran · Moran Wealth Management

David Taylor Morgan · High Net Worth Advisory Group

Ana Tereza Munro · Morgan Stanley

James R. Nici · Nici Law Firm

Amy Christine Novakovich · Nova Wealth Management

Jennifer A. O’Dell · Morgan Stanley

Juan Ocanas · Morgan Stanley

Joseph Gerard Paiva Jr. · Morgan Stanley

Dennis Marc Pearlman · Everhart Advisors

Stephanie A. Petrosini · Morgan Stanley

Tommy Guy Pitser · Robert W. Baird & Co.

Mike John Prioletti · Baird Private Wealth Management

Karon Elizabeth Rathgeber · Wells Fargo Advisors

Alfred Carl Rich · LPL Financial

James Anthony Rocco · Wells Fargo Advisors

Jon Scott Skaff · Truist

Ann P. S. Stickford · Wells Fargo Advisors

Matt Stephen Stratton · Girard Advisory Services

Kevin Paul Sullivan · Conte Wealth Advisors

Lynette Janelle Susi · Morgan Stanley

Jordan Tompkins · Merrill Lynch

Charles E. Weinrich · Morgan Stanley/The Wellington Group

This award was issued on 02/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 05/15/2023 through 11/30/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 769 Southwest Florida-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 76 (10% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 642, 76, 12%, 2/1/23, 6/13/22 - 12/9/22; 2022: 740, 73, 10%, 2/1/22, 6/14/21 - 12/10/21; 2021: 750, 66, 9%, 2/1/21, 6/1/20 - 12/18/20; 2020: 687, 74, 11%, 2/1/20, 5/20/19 - 12/20/19; 2019: 707, 68, 10%, 2/1/19, 5/30/18 - 12/20/18; 2018: 646, 63, 10%, 2/1/18, 6/2/17 - 12/27/17; 2017: 477, 124, 26%, 1/1/17, 4/26/16 - 12/21/16; 2016: 426, 128, 30%, 1/1/16, 7/31/15 - 12/31/15; 2015: 685, 161,

Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered:

One-year

Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to

The

is

indicative of the

manager’s

in

practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. This year, we honored 1 Southwest Florida-area investment professional with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

6.

client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10.

clients.

award

not

wealth

future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion

their

Wild Symphony

Many environmental efforts bank on a simple premise: Give people that one pivotal experience in nature, and you can spark lifetime loyalty for Mother Earth. In this 1978 Gulfshore Life article about the Junior Museum and Planetarium of Lee County, now Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, the center’s first director, Bill Hammond, cultivates wonder for a young girl as the two examine fossils. After five decades, the Fort Myers oasis continues to foster connections through their planetarium, animal talks and cypress-domed trails. And, Calusa is just one of the local organizations working to keep Southwest Florida wild. This year, we tip our hats and wish “happy birthday” to four of our top green guardians. It’s been 50 years since Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park began the acquisition of its 85,000 acres, at a time when Big Cypress was becoming the country’s first national preserve. This year also has Conservancy of Southwest Florida ringing in 60 years of protecting our coastline, and Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary looks to the future as it honors 70 years with a new research hub and volunteer headquarters and an expanded outdoor classroom.

Patrick J. carrigan DMD Jose M. Horak DMD eDwarD a scHerDer DMD, JD robert c. HeDgePatH DMD kurtis P. Hussey, DMD