VIE - People + Places / Winter 2010

NORTHWEST FLORIDA – COLA 2 COLA®

WINTER 2010

BEHIND THE LENS Holiday Style Jacob Meyer

Dressing Tables for the Holidays Michael Granberry

Gourmet Holiday Desserts

Jessie Shepard and Dia Sather

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Neil Young

Still Rockin’ in the Free World

The Written Word

Facade Book Review

Northwest Florida Golf Trail Ten Exceptional Courses

THE HOLIDAY ISSUE

A C E L E B R A T I O N O F F A S H I O N , F O O D & F U1 N VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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NG NI PE ue O outiq NDoe B RA Sh G

Tibi Blumarine Christian Lacroix Emilio Pucci Valentino Barbara Bui Roberto Cavalli Elie Tahari Tory Burch Diane Von Furstenberg Giuseppe Zanotti Tom Ford DSquared Maison Martin Margiela Galliano House of Harlow

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In this issue:

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148

68 46

126

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People + Places The V in Seagrove 116 Rosemary Beach Uncorked 125 Daddy-Daughter Date Night 132 Heart for Children Dinner 132 Third Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest 154 Back to the Beach with Vince Gill 154 Feature Holiday Dessert Recipes 12 Tables Dressed Up for the Holidays 20 Holiday Style 32 Holiday Gift Guide 46 Holidays by the Beach 54 The Shops of Destiny 60 The Art of Life Neil Young 68 Deluna Fest 76 Peir Park Summer Concert Series 80 The Written Word The Facade of Death 84

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Get Out Northwest Florida Golf Trail 91 The Business Corner The Business Corner Announcements 98 Chambers, Challenges, and Charities 102 Get Healthy The American Healthy Diet An Oxymoron? 106 A Q&A with Dr. Rodney Soto 112 Perspectives Dr. Steven Weiner 120 Dr. Andrews and the Andrews Institute 126 Going Green Organic Pioneers 136 A Sense of Place Beantown Baby 144 New Orleans Revived 148

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COLA COLA

®

Primary Targeted Audiences

O

ur stories and distribution cover COLA 2 COLA®—Pensacola to Apalachicola. We explore the people and places of our region in the pages of VIE - People + Places. The magazine is found in all the Tourist Development Council Centers, Chamber of Commerce locations, Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida, boutiques, restaurants, bed-and-breakfast locations, special events and much more!

We are thrilled you have picked up a copy of VIE and hope you enjoy exploring the people and places of our coveted area. We have a passion for VIE, our area, and the people and businesses found within and hope you will share in the excitement and know that we live in a great place and that "life is good."

VIE is excited to announce that its distribution has now branched out to the airports of Baltimore/Washington International, Houston Hobby, Memphis International, Nashville International, and Orlando International, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International. In addition to these highprofile locations, VIE is also being added to the shelves of some of the country’s top-selling bookstores, newsstands and supermarkets, giving our advertisers potential access to millions of people.

VIE: People + Places is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2010 Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Incorporated (The Publisher). All rights reserved.

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from The Publisher. VIE: People + Places is a life-style magazine of Northwest Florida (COLA 2 COLA®) and is published quarterly. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of The Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or The Publisher. VIE: People + Places is a paid publication. Subscription rate: One year $19.95 (U.S. only).

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On the Cover:

VIE Creative Team:

VIE cover girl Stefanie Meyer channels the Mad Men era of the ’60s in the creative and inspired fashion photo-torial, “Holiday Style,” by Tracey Thomas on page 32.

Photography is by Stefanie’s husband, Jacob Meyer, of the I Will Design for Food advertising agency.

Lisa Burwell Publisher lisa@viezine.com

Gerald Burwell Editor-in-Chief gerald@viezine.com

Bob Brown VP of Creative Services bob@viezine.com

Lisa Comeau VP of Account Services lisa.comeau@viezine.com

Eric Shepard Creative Director eric@viezine.com

Jim Ryan Account Executive jim@viezine.com

Tracey Thomas Graphic Designer tracey@viezine.com

Mary Jane Kirby Account Executive maryjane@viezine.com

Tim Dutrow Video Producer tim@viezine.com

Lisa Ferrick Social Correspondent lisa.ferrick@viezine.com

VIE Contributors: Freelance Staff: Margaret Stevenson Copy Editor

Jessie Shepard Photography Romona Robbins Photography

Published by:

Contributing Writers: Harley Benner Sallie W. Boyles Steve Cann Franco Grimaldi Colleen Hinely Brian Haugen

Alex Peet Clark Peters Tori Phelps Charles Siskin David Waddle Sandra Woodward

Contributing Photographers:

(850) 231-3087 114 Logan Lane, Suite 4 | Grayton Beach, FL 32459 www.theideaboutique.com

Contact us at info@theideaboutique.com

Brandan Babineaux Michael Granberry Colleen Hinely Kim Jameson Jacob Meyer Romona Robbins Marta Rose

Dia Sather Jessie Shepard Shelly Swanger Dave Trepanier Allison Yii Marla & Shane Photographers

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Publisher's Note - As Good As It Gets (R-L) Gerald and Lisa Burwell, Bob Brown, Tracey Thomas, and Eric Shepard

L

iving in a coastal resort town definitely has it perks. You feel like you’re on vacation most of the time … or at least that’s how people perceive life along the beach. Most of us welcome the off-season because we get a chance to catch our breath, put on winter sweaters and boots, and maybe get to our destinations a little quicker with fewer tourists on the roads.

Even when harried by the cares of the day, there’s always time to repose and reflect on the beauty of the place we call home—a brilliant winter sunset painted with brushstrokes of purple, fuchsia, orange, and fire red can take you away from the complexities of a busy day. A slower pace blankets life at the beach during the winter months, as tourists come and go during the popular holiday weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. For many, a trek to the beach is an annual migratory event for coveted family reunions. It also leaves time for the local community to celebrate open houses, boat and town parades, treelighting ceremonies, and time with friends and family.

The winter holiday season spent beachside is my favorite time of year, filled with shopping, parties, long walks on the beach, crisp air, decorating, tree trimming, and baking sugar cookies. In this issue, we’re making a big splash to showcase the wonder of the holidays captured by area photographers from COLA 2 COLA (Apalachicola to Pensacola).

using various, and unlikely, background locations in Panama City—the resulting “glam-meets-the-everyday” pictorial is sizzling!

“Dressing Holiday Tables,” replete with ideas to create a unique ambience using different styles from Pensacola’s home and garden furnishings store Duh, is captured beautifully by 2010 Beaches of South Walton Artist of the Year, photographer Michael Granberry. A visit to Duh and the Ninth Avenue Shopping District in Pensacola, Florida, is a must this season. You’ll love it!

For the pièce de résistance to these visual feasts, look no further than our “La Douceur de Vivre—Holiday Dessert Recipes.” Area chefs share some of their favorite holiday desserts with us. The title of “chef” in our area holds significant weight, with many here who are revered for their culinary prowess.

Have fun making the dessert recipes of Chef Paul Stellato of Firefly in Panama City Beach, Chef Philip Krajeck of Fish Out of Water at WaterColor Inn and Resort on Highway 30-A, Chef Irv Miller of Jackson’s Steakhouse in Pensacola, and Chef Tim Creehan of Cuvee Bistro in Destin.

Last but not least, we invite you to peruse our Second Annual Holiday Gift Guide for unique gifts and great stocking stuffers. Remember, shopping locally helps to support our friends and neighbors!

Happy Holidays!

In “Holiday Style,” fashions from Kiki Risa at the Shops of Destiny and BCBG Max Azria at Silver Sands Factory Stores and custom jewelry designs from Sarah Carolyn of Destin take center stage. Photographer Jacob Meyer crafts a creative fashion exposé in an avant-garde interpretation of holiday dressing 8

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—Lisa Burwell lisa@viezine.com

Editor's Note - Storytelling On October 27, 2010, VIE’s name was displayed in lights on this 7,400-square-foot digital board soaring twenty-three stories into the sky in Times Square! As a result, 1.5 million New Yorkers were exposed to the people and places of Northwest Florida—GO VIE!

Photo by PR Newswire

T

elling stories about the people and places of the Northwest Florida region has been an invigorating privilege for the past three years; the people are interesting, warm, intelligent, and generous, and the places are beautiful, charming, and unique. What a great job to have! As editor, I’ve learned so much more about the depth of this area that I have loved since birth, and I consider it an honor to be able to share so many remarkable stories with you.

hard to expand our reach. VIE is now accessible to a much wider audience and our area’s exposure has been greatly enhanced by way of national distribution in the airports of Baltimore/Washington International, Houston Hobby, Memphis International, Nashville International, Orlando International, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and in large national chain outlets such as Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Rite Aid, and more than one 150 bookstores throughout the country—and we are still growing.

The people—Northwest Florida’s artists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, educators, leaders, philanthropists, and professionals—and their perspectives are our focus. Many of our readers tell us how much more enlightened they are after reading about subject matter with which they were already familiar.

They also say that they so look forward to the latest issue that they read it from cover to cover as soon they can get their hands on it. I consider this the highest form of praise that a publication can receive. Whether the topic is art or business, natural resources or fashion, local history or global initiatives, the end result is a very personal perspective.

That’s why, after three years of publishing VIE, seeing our name in lights in New York City’s Times Square was a memorable moment, to say the least.

Two lines from Frank Sinatra’s renowned song “New York, New York” echo our sentiments pretty accurately: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.”

These words resound with us, and we hope that the residents and advertisers of Northwest Florida continue to be proud of VIE as a forum in which to tell the stories of COLA 2 COLA.

When we launched VIE in the spring of 2008, our goal was to create a magazine that would embody a local perspective with a global attitude; on that note, I am pleased to announce that, since our inaugural issue, we have been working

Cheers!

—Gerald Burwell gerald@viezine.com

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La Douceur de Vivre H O L I DAY D E S S E RT R E C I P E S

The sweet life! The busy winter holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, challenge us all to find new ways to make the season special. VIE asked some of the top entertaining experts in the COLA 2 COLA region—chefs who serve up celebration on a nightly basis throughout the year—to share their favorite holiday recipes and some tips on holiday entertaining.

Remember, if your plans for entertaining friends and family during this festive season become too much of a challenge, you can always take the party to these chefs’ doorsteps. Just be sure to check the holiday schedules for each restaurant in advance—and don’t forget to make reservations. Cheers!

B Y S A N D R A W O O D WA R D

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HANDMADE TRUFFLES R E C I P E B Y C H E F PAU L S T E L L AT O , F I R E F LY PH OTO BY J E S SIE SHE PA R D

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Paul Stellato, Firefly 535 Richard Jackson Boulevard Panama City Beach, FL, 32407 (850) 249-3359 www.Fireflypcb.com Photography by Jessie Shepard

HANDMADE TRUFFLES Yield: Approximately 3 dozen FOR GANACHE: 16 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 1 pint heavy whipping cream at room temperature

instead of the truffle will help distribute coating evenly and maintain spherical shape. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

May be stored uncoated and rolled in toppings just before serving.

Melt chocolate in double boiler over low heat. Gradually whisk in cream until smooth. Remove from heat and refrigerate until mixture is firm (may take several hours).

SUGGESTED COATINGS: Unsweetened cocoa powder Confectioner’s sugar Finely chopped white or dark chocolate Assorted finely chopped nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, almonds or walnuts) Finely chopped dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, or blueberries) Coconut, plain or toasted Candy sprinkles

Option: Add 2 tablespoons of your favorite spirit (e.g., cognac, rum, Kahlua, Amaretto or Frangelico) to ganache before chilling.

Scoop the chocolate mixture with a melon baller or teaspoon and roll gently with palms to form smooth balls. Place on a baking sheet or tray covered with wax paper or parchment and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling in coating(s) of choice.

Note: Substitute white chocolate chips to make white chocolate truffles, but do not mix dark and white chocolate. The resulting gray mixture is not pretty.

FOR COATINGS: The traditional candy truffle coating is unsweetened cocoa powder to simulate the dirt that surrounds real truffles in nature. However, other combinations make an elegant presentation for holiday tables. Place small amounts of each coating ingredient in separate small bowls (cereal bowls work fine) and gently roll each chilled truffle in one or more coating. Swirling the bowl 14

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“A fine meal does not have to be complicated. In our cooking classes, we emphasize simplicity so that people learn they can prepare a delicious high-quality meal in a very short time. The same is true for desserts. These elegant candies are sinfully easy to make. Nestle them in fluted paper cups in a decorative holiday tin as a treat for friends, or let children make them as their gift for a special family member.”

Photography by Jessie Shepard

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH GINGERSNAP STREUSEL TOPPING Yield: Approximately 12 servings 12 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 9 eggs 1 15-oz. can (2 cups) pure pumpkin* 1 cup raisins 2 cups half and half 3 cups milk 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves *Fresh pumpkin may be used, but canned is preferable for this recipe. Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling.)

bowl, and then add the milk, half and half, pumpkin, vanilla, sugar and spices. Liberally butter the baking dish and place the cubed bread in the dish. Pour pumpkin mixture over the bread, add raisins, and let soak for 10 minutes. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes in a water bath until firm in the center. Remove foil and cover bread pudding with the streusel topping (recipe follows). Bake 15 more minutes, uncovered. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing.

GINGERSNAP STREUSEL TOPPING 3 cups gingersnap cookies, roughly crushed 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces In a food processor, pulse the crushed cookies to a fine consistency, and then drop in cold butter pieces, add sugar, and continue to pulse until fully blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Steep the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain off water and reserve raisins. Whisk eggs in a large mixing

Irv Miller, Jackson’s Steakhouse 400 South Palafox Street Pensacola, Florida 32502 (850) 469-9898 www.JacksonsGoodGrits.com

“I am a Southern transplant of twenty-eight years and have come to appreciate the gradual seasonal changes of the Northwest Florida coast. To enhance the subtlety of the seasons, we incorporate traditional seasonal foods in our menus. Over the years I challenged myself to develop a holiday bread pudding, and I eventually came up with a fantastic Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Gingersnap Streusel. I make it every year, and it’s a proven favorite!”

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CORLEONE Yield: 2 servings 1/2 cup sliced and blanched almonds 1/4 cup pecans 1/4 cup chopped white chocolate 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 6 scoops vanilla ice cream 1 cup honey Fresh mint leaves Fresh berries Combine first seven ingredients in a food processor. Process till finely chopped. Transfer to a shallow dish. Roll the scoops of ice cream in the crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place in martini glasses or other desired serving dish and drizzle with honey. Garnish with mint and berries.

Note: Never use mistletoe or holly as a food garnish. Both are poisonous.

“My mantra is ‘If it tastes good, it must be right.’ Flavor comes first but, especially during the holidays, people want the ‘Wow’ factor in presentation. At the restaurant, we serve the Corleone in martini glasses, but holiday stemware or other festive serving dishes can certainly be used. Simplicity of preparation always is a plus, even more so during the holidays. The Corleone is beautiful in presentation, simple to prepare and complex in its combination of flavors and textures.”

Photography by Cuvee Bistro

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Tim Creehan, Cuvee Bistro 36120 Emerald Coast Parkway Destin, Florida 32541 (850) 650-8900 www.CuveeBistroDestin.com

NORWEGIAN KRANSEKAKE COOKIES Yield: Approximately 4 dozen 2-inch cookies 1 1/2 lbs. almond paste 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar 3 large egg whites Mix almond paste with 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Add unbeaten egg whites and mix to incorporate. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and mix to incorporate. Cover dough and leave at room temperature.

In batches, roll the dough into 1/2-inch-diameter logs. Cut the cookies to desired length (I prefer 2-inch lengths). Place the cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15–18 minutes, or until done. Allow the cookies to cool on a rack.

FROSTING 2 cups powdered sugar 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. heavy cream 1 tsp. melted but cooled butter 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract Dissolve powdered sugar into cream and extract.

Whisk in butter. Working quickly, pipe the frosting on top of the cookies.

“This is my mother’s recipe for Norwegian Kransekake.

Traditionally the dough is baked in special ring molds to create a tower of cookie rings. The rings can be difficult to find and, unless you are presenting to a large group of people, impractical. The recipe below is for making Kranskake cookies, which do not require the use of the rings. The cookies can be baked in advance and frozen. I recommend waiting to frost the cookies just prior to consumption.”

Philip Krajeck, Fish Out of Water WaterColor Inn & Resort 34 Goldenrod Circle Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459 (850) 534-5008 www.WaterColorResort.com Photography by Dia Sather

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Duh ... Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Tables Dressed Up for the Holidays

TABLE 1

OLD WORLD 20

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In the heart of historic Pensacola, a gathering of specialty stores—coined the Ninth Avenue Design District— attracts an array of serious shoppers and casual browsers. Quite unlike going to a mall or strip center that features the same genre of retailers found in any city, making your way through the Ninth District more closely resembles antiquing or boutique treasure hunting.

Each store—uniquely charming and filled with surprises—is worth a good look around. To take full advantage of the area, plan to spend a few hours.

You’ll probably want to hop in your car as you journey from one store to the next; otherwise, be prepared for a healthy bit of walking.

To help you plan ahead, we at VIE are pleased to share what we learned on our excursion to Ninth Avenue.

BY SALLIE W. BOYLES PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL GRANBERRY Considered the anchor for this hip retail district, Duh assembled the festive tables featured in this article’s pictorial. Photographed at coproprietor Quinn Stinson’s Pensacola home, the vignettes offer a preview of the feast of ideas in this store.

As the name implies, “Why didn’t I think of that?” is often their clientele’s reaction upon seeing what Duh’s creative team has designed with furniture, artwork, and accessories—both in the store and in individuals’ homes. Owned

by Jim Rigsbee and Quinn Stinson, Duh selects home interiors and garden furnishings from across the United States and around the world to sell and inspire. While it might be impossible to characterize any particular look as a certain

style, something about each look—an unlikely mix of objects and textures that peacefully get along—reflects the essence of Duh. “Over and over, people come into our store and say, ‘I just want to move in here,’” says Stinson, who is in charge of buying. “Our lives are hectic, so it’s important to create spaces that are beautiful and calming.” More often than not, a neutral color palate—beige, taupe, cream, and grey, with naturally inspired textures of wood, iron, stone, and linen—set the tone.

Behind the scenes, a passion for design and a continuous search to spot treasures and trends produce seemingly effortless collections and VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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TABLE 2

FRENCH COUNTRY 22

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concepts that sell. Stinson, in fact, attends about fifteen trade shows per year and relies on key wholesalers to source unique, often trendsetting, merchandise. “Fortunately, Jim is here to run the business so that I can travel,” says Stinson, who is not a stranger to Paris, Belgium, Indonesia, China or Singapore.

In addition to attending markets in major cities, Stinson performs plenty of extra legwork. “I’ll take a side trip to a factory and visit dozens of local stores. I’m looking for new and antiques, vintage and artifacts, color waves and trends,” he says. Therefore, he might return home with a primitive piece from an outer province in China, a contemporary chair from Belgium, or a repurposed American artifact from the Midwest.

“Our customers not only want style and comfort, but they also want to know the story behind the items they collect.”

Likewise, members of Duh’s staff—as eclectic as Duh’s merchandise—have their personal stories with hometown expressions and second languages that enable them to connect easily with customers from everywhere. “We genuinely care about serving our clients,” says Stinson, “and that’s the true essence of Duh.” Down the street, Urban Objects adds yet another invaluable dimension to highlighting interiors.

While working for architects, Sarah Gillette found that clients wanted unique lighting options that were not readily available. Seizing

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the opportunity, she obtained a business license and began sourcing and selling exclusive designs for home and work.

Operating their own workroom, Classic Interior Fabrics also makes custom pieces such as draperies, upholstery, slipcovers, bedding, fabric headboards, boat cushions and other watercraft treatments. They offer ready-made silk and linen drapery panels for customers who like what they see and don’t want to wait.

“Typically, you’d have to go to a big city like Atlanta to find the lighting options I bring to Pensacola,” says Gillette. Along with offering brands such as Artemide, Leucos, FontanaArte and Uncommon Radiance, she also commissions local artists to create custom lighting. “I am personally drawn to a contemporary aesthetic,” Gillette adds, “but I carry a mixture of styles, including traditional, to appeal to different tastes.”

Gillette will consult with clients either on-site or in the store using their photographs, helping them choose optimal design and function. “Let’s say you’re looking for a decorative pendant for your kitchen island,” says Gillette. “I’ll help you find the shape and style that you love and then confirm that it will emit the appropriate amount of light for your space. You’ll also leave here with just the right accessories for proper installation.

“Unfortunately,” she continues, “people try to save money by ordering online and then call us to solve problems.” She explains that Web sources often neglect to sell the parts that correctly adapt a fixture to a particular ceiling’s slope and height.

“Consumers are also disappointed to find that they don’t love the lighting in a space the way they loved it in a picture.”

Lighting decisions can be complicated. A dimensional glass mural project for a private home created by a Perdido Key artist is a current focus of Urban Objects. “To showcase the piece, which will hang over a fireplace, we’re using art lights in addition to black lights that reflect glowin-the-dark colors,” she explains. “While this job comes with a unique set of considerations, we view every project like a work of art.”

Lighting is not the only artwork available at Urban Objects. World-renowned Kartell and Blu Dot furniture can be found alongside eco-friendly furniture made of reclaimed rare woods by Savannah craftsmen. Accessories, like Chilewich rugs and place mats, and Fair Trade 24

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Drawing clientele from across the Panhandle and Alabama, the endless options at Classic Interior Fabrics can please any personal preference for design or function. However, Guisasola recognizes strong trends towards neutrals and lighter weights. “Some people will add a pop of color with a throw or pillow accent,” she says.

“We also have many who say they just can’t do this neutral thing.” Personally, Guisasola loves blues and greens. She also loves linen and is selling a large quantity of washed linen, both in solids and prints. gift items round out Gillette’s ever-changing selection of merchandise.

Whether seeking seasonal or more permanent variations to your surroundings, you’ll find a world of textile options from Classy Interior Fabrics. For twelve years, Elizabeth Guisasola managed Classy Cover-Ups, previously located on West Airport Boulevard, before she and husband Lloyd bought the store in 2006 from her employers. Changing the name to Classy Interior Fabrics didn’t disrupt the flow of business, but moving to Ninth Avenue two years ago required that they essentially start over. “We had to reestablish ourselves,” Guisasola says. “People thought we had closed.”

Nevertheless, Classy Interior Fabrics attracted a following of its own by representing more than a hundred manufacturers, including Thibaut, Robert Allen, Duralee, Catania Silks, Kravet and Sunbrella. “In addition to our large selection of fabrics on bolts, we have hundreds of sample books in the store for custom orders.” The shop also sells accessory items, including decorative trim and cable, drapery hardware, pillow inserts, polyfill and down.

Slipcovers are another popular choice because they can create an affordable yet significant seasonal or style change in a room. “People also like the washable feature.”

With so many options, Guisasola invites all shoppers to take advantage of on-site and instore consultations. “We work with consumers, decorators and interior designers,” she says, adding that they have served numerous designer showcases and places of interest such as nearby historic Lee House.

Apart from fabulous fabrics, Guisasola emphasizes that customer service is the mainstay of her business. “We take great pride in having awesome salespeople who are ready to help.”

For assistance in choosing memorable invitations and gifts, a visit to Sassafras Stationery and Gifts is a must. Saranne and Margherita Soule, sisters and partners in business, changed the name to Sassafras when they purchased Ginger Bender Stationery, Etc. from a friend who had owned it for fifteen years. Growing up with friends and family in Pensacola, the Soule sisters always took time to write letters and send thank-yous on special stationery, and

now they take great pleasure in perpetuating the art of sending beautifully crafted paper notes and invites.

“Whether a customer is planning a dream wedding, a kid’s birthday celebration, or the next dinner party, our connections to more than 250 vendors deliver options to suit any occasion, style or budget,” says Saranne. “As a stationery boutique, we are in business to provide the oneon-one services that make great choices possible.”

Considering their options, customers heavily rely on Saranne’s knowledge of different processes—including letterpress, engraving and digital. As an example, she references a bride from a deep-rooted Pensacola family who came to Sassafras with the idea of ordering traditional, hand-engraved, 100 percent cotton invitations.

“With her large guest list, the price of that invitation was too high,” Saranne says, “so we achieved the desired effect with thermography rather than engraving. We added a lovely ribbon, and the bride was thrilled. She received many compliments on her invitation.”

In addition to stationery, Sassafras offers a broad selection of engraved gifts, available in house and by special order. “Depending on your time frame, we can source just about anything,” says Saranne. “It just might take a little thought and planning.”

The lead time for catalogue merchandise typically ranges between two days and two weeks, but inhouse monogram orders can be fulfilled in just twenty-four hours. Among Saranne’s favorite suggestions are etched barware items for bridal and bridal party gifts. Trays, baby keepsakes and jewelry in pewter—considerably less expensive than silver and easier to maintain—are also popular. “For a hard-to-please teen girl, you can’t go wrong with a personalized necklace,” she adds, stating that her customers love to call for shopping advice rather than waste time and money on a gift that will be forgotten.

By focusing on their strengths of customization and service, the Soule sisters look forward to

facilitating fond memories for all occasions for years to come.

To ensure that you enjoy every occasion to its fullest, Pandora de Balthazar encourages restorative sleep. Owner Balthazar used to burn the candle at both ends as a financial planner, but she suffered a neck injury in an auto accident that altered her life forever. With progressive spinal damage that produced pain and partial paralysis, she went on holiday in Hungary for hydrotherapy treatments that promised relief.

“Though I felt better, my physical therapist insisted that I needed surgery,” said Balthazar.

She had the surgery in Hungary and then spent six months in a healing bed with custom-made pillows to support her skeleton.

Physically transformed, Balthazar returned to Pensacola with European bedding that restored her body to health. When Hurricane Opal uprooted her office and home in 1995, she redirected her purpose in life.

Launching her signature business on the philosophy that a good night’s sleep is a necessity and not a luxury, Pandora de Balthazar now operates as a manufacturer, distributor and VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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retailer of a European sleep system that facilitates a soothing, comfortable environment for deep slumber. Beds include the frame, headboard, mattress, bed skirt, 3,000-thread-count sheets (double-sheeted), four pillows, neck rolls, and a comforter. Sumptuous yet practical, the all-natural, handmade bedding can be steam cleaned to kill germs and allergens. Assembling the bed and bedding from an array of custom design choices, Balthazar will send her team to install the entire system in the client’s home.

“We’ll even make up your bed,” she adds.

“It’s my passion to help others understand the necessity for a bedroom environment that encourages romance, rest and restoration,” says Balthazar. “A full eight hours of REM [rapid eye movement] sleep are required for mental and physical rejuvenation.”

She further emphasizes that a bedroom should be designed from the viewpoint of the individual(s) in bed. “Rather than creating an impressive view from the doorway, focus on what will comfort you as you fall asleep and wake up,” explains Balthazar, who serves as a consultant to architects, interior designers and consumers.

In addition to bedding, Balthazar sells her own brand of handmade lavender body creams and face creams. She also carries cotton nightgowns, fine silver, Belgian lace, collectible porcelain and antiques, and she sources specially requested items to give her clients the bedrooms of their dreams.

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CORNUCOPIA

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To complete almost any vision, Moza offers an extensive assortment of tiles from all over world, although the owners are inclined to support American-made products whenever possible.

Collier names Mixed-Up Mosaics as one among a few companies that sources and designs in the United States.

In addition to selling “jewelry for the home,” Moza also carries a signature line of glass tile jewelry handmade by Leathers. Inspiring one another’s creativity, Collier says that she and Leathers will continue to search for new and interesting products to captivate their customers.

For instantaneous options that will spruce up any space, drop into FIORE. Nestled among the other stores of the Ninth Avenue Design District, this wonderful little flower and garden boutique always has a bounty of fresh selections.

Whether you are looking for that special floral arrangement for a hallmark event or striving to tame an unmanageable yard or courtyard, the FIORE experts are ready to help with plenty of creative know-how. For a preview of their talent, look no further, as they assisted with much of what you see in this special holiday section.

Also creating dream spaces are Amy Collier and Robin Leathers, who bring more than a decade apiece of interior design experience to enhancing and developing cohesive areas with tile. Launching Moza and Company six years ago after Hurricane Ivan, they set out to help clients attack major renovation projects. Today, they work especially hard to make lasting works of art that are affordable for their customers.

“People are looking for high impact at a good value,” says Collier, who underscores the importance of being dedicated and providing consistently high levels of service throughout the process. “Each project is completely different,” she says, adding that she loves the excitement of waking up to something new and creative every day.

The newest trends in tile reflect preferences for naturally rich colors, materials and textures.

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“Glass tiles have come to the forefront of the interior design industry,” Collier says.

“Designs are clean but not necessarily contemporary.” Striated patterns that resemble woods and grasses, for instance, have grown in popularity. “We recently completed work with an architect for the Margaritaville Beach Hotel in Pensacola,” says Collier, “and we used porcelain tile with a sisal design to produce a Bahamian feel.” Likewise, in the guest rooms, they installed six-inch by forty-eight-inch tiles with a wood-grain appearance.

No matter the client’s aesthetic preference, Collier recommends using accent panels and single walls for splurging. “Even if you have a large space, you can create a focal point without going overboard,” she explains. “Applying a special tile, floor to ceiling, on a single shower wall can significantly transform a bathroom.”

If you’re charmed by Southern but like a dash of spunk, take a stroll through Inside the Home.

Having practiced her craft as a licensed interior designer for ten years, Megan Jones graduated from LSU with a Bachelor of Interior Design and opened her business five years ago. In some ways, Louisiana will always be home, but Jones unquestionably feels rooted in Pensacola. Inside the Home moved to Ninth Avenue in April of 2010.

Describing her style as eclectic and fun-hearted, Jones allows her senses rather than set rules to guide her choices. “I’ll place fine silver next to baskets,” she says, “and I’ll pair Lucite chairs with an antique farm table.” Similarly, with a lifelong passion for old architecture, as seen in Louisiana, Jones loves to create a sense of surprise by using modern furniture in period spaces. “When implementing clean, contemporary pieces,” Jones adds, “I strive for an effect that is cozy, not cold.”

To help individuals create distinctive looks that reflect a personal lifestyle and aesthetic rather than following fashion with a designer room, Jones brings an array of artwork and accessories to Inside the Home. The merchandise includes one-of-a-kind works from local artists, charming picture frames, Nouvelle candles, Juliska tableware, unique lamps, finely crafted furniture pieces, Dash and Albert rugs, unique gift items and beautiful stationery.

Recently, Jones added a wedding gift registry to the mix. “The service enables me to help young couples establish their style together with pieces they love for their own homes,” she says. “Many register artwork that they want to collect.”

To give a little lift to their lives, Jones further enjoys helping clients “freshen up” a look at home or work. Instead of undergoing major renovations, many of her clients are opting for mini-redos that make a big impact with a minimal investment.

“If you want to give your place a face-lift on a budget, start with fresh paint,” says Jones.

Recently, a home owner wanted to refinish her golden oak flooring, but the veneer was too thin.

Rather than a costly demolition, Jones suggested applying black lacquer paint. “The result was beautiful and dramatic, but it was inexpensive,” Jones says. And, according to Jones, her client gained a priceless fresh perspective.

While a fruitful shopping trip along Ninth Avenue does not have to cost a fortune, you’ll find it hard to leave empty-handed. Along with one-of-a-kind gifts, stationery, interior design services, and products for the home—from sleek to antique—you’ll undoubtedly come away with a bounty of ideas for the holidays and year-round.

Best of all, this inviting group of retailers will treat you to small-town Southern hospitality and follow through with big-city professional expertise.

NINTH AVENUE DESIGN DISTRICT DUH

PANDORA DE BALTHAZAR

501 North Ninth Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 439-0640 Quinn Stinson Jim Rigsbee www.duhPensacola.com Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

698 E. Heinberg Street, Suites 102–104 Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 432-4777 Toni Antal (850) 439-0640 www.PandoradeBalthazar.com Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

URBAN OBJECTS

MOZA AND COMPANY

500 North Ninth Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 912-8683 Sarah Gillette www.UrbanObjects.net Open Monday though Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

After Hours by Appointment

801-A North Ninth Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 791-6818 Amy Collier (850) 232-1832 Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

After Hours by Appointment

CLASSY INTERIOR FABRICS

801 North Ninth Avenue Pensacola, Florida 32501 (850) 607-3543 Megan Jones www.insidethehome.net Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

After Hours by Appointment

512 North Ninth Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 433-8575 Elizabeth Guiasaulia www.ClassyInteriorFabrics.com Classy Interior Fabrics Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

SASSAFRAS STATIONERY AND GIFTS 900 East Moreno Street Pensacola, FL 32503 (850) 435-7797 Saranne Soul www.Sassafras-Online.com Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

After Hours by Appointment

INSIDE THE HOME

FIORE 824 East Belmont Street Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 469-1930 Shannon Pallin www.fioreofpensacola.com Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

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THE

PENSACOLA

DESIGN district

www.duhPensacola.com 501 North 9th Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 850.439.0640

www. MozaandCompany.com 801A North 9th Ave Pensacola, FL 32501 850.497.6011

www.InSidethehome.net 801 N. 9th Avenue Pensacola , Florida 32501 850.607.3543

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www.UrbanObjects.net 500 North 9th Avenue Pensacola, FL 32501 850.912.8683

www.ShopScoutOnline.com 404 East Wright Street Pensacola, FL 32501 850.607.7105

www.PandoradeBalthazar.com 698 E. Heinberg St. Suite 102-104 Pensacola, FL 32502 850.432.4777

The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center www.SkinAndVeinS.Com 12238 Panama City Beach Pkwy. | Panama City Beach, FL 32407 Telephone: (850) 233-0264 | Fax: (850) 233-3113

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HolidayStyle

By T r ac e y T h o m a s

Photography by Jacob meyer

Be Daring Look fabulous in this flowing, figure-enhancing electric blue gown with jeweled neckline. Pair it with a beautiful gunmetal bracelet, earrings and ring to match. Finish the look with a pair of strappy black heels.

Tip: Pick a dress that you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself and try it on ... you might surprise yourself.

Dress: Electric blue evening gown with jeweled neckline by BCBG Max Azria, $608 at BCBG Max Azria. shoes: Strappy black sandals with cuff detailing

by BCBG Max Azria, $198 at BCBG Max Azria. Jewelry: 18-karat gold-plated earrings with oval and round titanium druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $230 at Sarah Carolyn; 18-karat gold-plated bracelet with multiple oval titanium druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $424 at Sarah Carolyn; 18-karat gold-plated stackable rings with oval, round and square titanium druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $212 at Sarah Carolyn.

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Dripping In Gold Drape yourself in this accordion-pleated empire-waisted number. Decorate with some beautiful, fun gold jewelry.

Tip: This style is a great shape for us girls who have been blessed with beautiful hips.

Dress: Gold pleated evening gown by BCBG Max Azria, $448 at BCBG Max Azria. Jewelry: 18-karat gold-plated hammered disk chandelierstyle earrings by Marcia Moran, $85 at Sarah Carolyn; Gold-plated necklace with teardropshaped gold druzy quartz pendant by Marcia Moran, $164 at Sarah Carolyn; Gold-plated ring with amethyst, citrine, and smoky quartz by Marcia Moran, $212 at Sarah Carolyn.

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Get Noticed stand out from the crowd in this gorgeous lemon-yellow dress from BcBG max azria.

Pair it with some fun colored jewelry from sarah carolyn.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix and match your jewelry.

Dress: Strappy lemon-yellow evening gown by BCBG Max Azria, $338 at BCBG Max Azria.

Jewelry: Gold-plated lemon topaz teardrop earrings, $175 at Sarah Carolyn; 14-karat goldplated necklace with large blue and gold druzy quartz pendant by Misha, $634 at Sarah Carolyn; 18-karat gold-plated organic shaped ring with blue druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $215 at Sarah Carolyn.

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Looking Your Best! yes, girls, it is possible to look beautiful while pregnant! all you need is a figureflattering dress to show off your best assets. Try an empire-waisted dress like this black jeweled evening gown from Kiki risa (opposite page) that enhances the elegance of your expecting figure. stay away from super bright colors like yellow or lime green or you might end up looking like a piece of fruit. celebrate your curves! although you may not feel like yourself with that extra baby bump, you should show off what you’ve got. Be proud of your bump, be confident, and enjoy your pregnancy ... you won’t regret it.

Tip: The most important thing may be looking your best on your night out, but make sure to pick out a dress that is also comfortable.

This page: Dress: Red sweetheart strapless gown with shirred empire bodice and brooch detail

by Tiffany Designs, $298 at Kiki Risa. shoes: Strappy rhinestone-embellished silver sandals

by Nina. Jewelry: 18-karat gold-plated earrings with oval and round titanium druzy quartz

by Marcia Moran, $230 at Sarah Carolyn; 18-karat gold-plated bracelet with multiple oval titanium druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $424 at Sarah Carolyn; 18-karat gold-plated stackable rings with oval, round and square titanium druzy quartz by Marcia Moran, $212 at Sarah Carolyn.

Opposite page: Dress: Black jeweled halter evening gown by Aiden Mattox, $420 at Kiki Risa.

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Sparkle & Shine Turn heads with this shimmering party dress from Kiki risa. combine with a pair of strappy heels and simple hoop earrings to finish off the look.

Tip: Don’t overdo it. If your dress is encrusted with sequins, then think simple. Pick out a pair of simple earrings and a cocktail ring to complete the look.

Dress: Marina silver sequin dolman tunic by Alice + Olivia, $396 at Kiki Risa. shoes: Strappy rhinestone-embellished

silver

sandals

by

Nina. Jewelry: Rhodium-plated sterling silver hoop earrings by Claudia LobĂŁo, $80 at Sarah Carolyn; Leather band bracelet in vintage brown with Black Diamond crystals by Rebel Designs, $135 at Sarah Carolyn.

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High Glam Feel like a movie star in this gorgeous oneshoulder evening gown of flowing red silk encrusted with gold sequins by BcBG max azria. Ice yourself with dramatic jewelry from sarah carolyn and a great pair of evening sandals.

Tip: If your dress has a unique back design that flatters your figure, then show it off!

Treat yourself to a stunning up-do that complements your outfit.

Dress: Red silk drape evening gown by BCBG Max Azria, $298 at BCBG Max Azria. shoes: Strappy black sandals with cuff detailing by BCBG Max Azria, $198 at BCBG Max Azria.

Jewelry: Gold-filled double stone earrings of lemon topaz and smoky topaz by Coralia Leets, $375 at Sarah Carolyn; Gold-plated ring with amethyst, citrine and smoky quartz by Marcia Moran, $212 at Sarah Carolyn.

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Show Off Those Legs! reinvent the little black dress with some color. This asymmetric fitted beauty from BcBG max azria is the perfect little cocktail dress. ribbons of red loosely drape along the shoulder and down the bodice giving you a flirty, fun look. Pair it with exquisite jewelry and a stylish pair of strappy black satin sandals.

Tip: Top off the look with beautiful red fingernails and toenails, and a red lipstick that flatters your skin tone.

Dress: Red and black two-toned cocktail dress

by BCBG Max Azria, $198 at BCBG Max Azria. shoes: Strappy black sandals with cuff detailing

by BCBG Max Azria, $198 at BCBG Max Azria.

Jewelry: Gold-filled double stone earrings with lemon topaz and smoky topaz by Coralia Leets, $375 at Sarah Carolyn, 18-karat gold-plated bracelet with three black crocheted medallions

by Claudia Lob達o, $150 at Sarah Carolyn.

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A decade of highly-rated

wine, food and memories.

Credits Photography by: Jacob Meyer, with Jim Clark and Madra McDonald assisting models: Lauren Cottrell, Ashley Gardner, Stefanie Meyer and Tracey Thomas

Market

Bar

Bistro

850.650.9820 www.vintij.com 10859 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach, Florida (Across from Silver Sands Factory Stores)

hair: Brooke Miller of Head to Toe Salon makeup: Jamie Gummere Locations: Bowlarama Lanes, Panama City, Florida; Domestic Laundry & Cleaners, Panama City, Florida; Johnny’s Tint Station, Panama City, Florida.

Dresses provided by: Kiki Risa Clothing 36236 Emerald Coast Parkway, Suite E Destin, Florida 32541 • 850.650.0554 BCBG Max Azria 10562 Emerald Coast Parkway Miramar Beach, Florida 32550 • 850.837.9380 Jewelry provided by: Sarah Carolyn 13390 Emerald Coast Parkway, Suite B Miramar Beach, Florida 32550 • 850.650.1753 shoes provided by: BCBG Max Azria 10562 Emerald Coast Parkway Miramar Beach, Florida 32550 • 850.837.9380 VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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TM

uplifting ultrasound

before

90 days after

before

14 days after

The new non-invasive skin tightening procedure that reaches the same tissue targeted in a facelift – without disrupting the surface of the skin. No downtime, 1 to 2 treatments.

Steven F. Weiner, M.D. Johns Hopkins trained Facial Plastic Surgeon 44

Call for your consultation

WINTER 2010 VIEZINE.COM

850.622.1214

www.theclinique.net

Begin the day and end it with stunning Gulf-front views at Fish Out of Water.

Enjoy family favorites for breakfast and a creative selection of the freshest seafood and local produce for a sumptuous dinner.

O Breakfast: 7am - 10:30am D i n n e r : 5 : 3 0 p m - 1 0 p m ( Tu e s - S a t ) Late night Raw Bar specials including 1/2 price menu items and specialty cocktails from 9pm to close.

Text FishOutofWater to 99699 to view nightly specials.

O Beach Attire Welcome.

Located at WaterColor Inn & Resort 3 4 G o l d e n r o d C i r c l e | S a n t a R o s a B e a c h , F l o r i d a | 8 5 0 . 5 3 4 . 5 0 5 0 | w a tVIEZINE.COM e r c o l o r rWINTER e s o r t2010 . c o m45

L A O C

2

C O L A

Holiday Gift Guide Celebrate shopping this holiday season with gifts from our private selection.** ** All prices shown are before tax. Taxes and other fees may apply.

Other restrictions may apply – please check with the individual retailer for all details.

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Welcome to VIE’s second annual COLA 2 COLA Holiday Gift Guide. If you are the type of person that has a difficult time selecting a present for that special someone in your life, we have assembled some unique gift ideas for you to consider this year. Inside, you will find creative and helpful hints: gift cards to great local restaurants; wines from a neighborhood bistro; glittering treasures from area jewelry stores; fun toys for the little ones; sensational attire and spectacular shoes from specialty boutiques; gifts that pamper; and even Sin in a Tin! From unique lighting to the perfect swimsuit, the COLA 2 COLA Holiday Gift Guide is sure to satisfy everyone on your list.

We hope this will spur your desire to shop locally and help out our friends and neighbors by visiting area restaurants, jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, and other various and sundry establishments along our 226-mile stretch of magnificence.

Think globally. Shop locally.

Give the Gift of Light!

These beautiful lighting gems are available in a color pallet as wild as your imagination and many additional shapes and configurations.

They are available as wall sconces, chandeliers, vanity lights, grouped as multiple pendants or single pendants. Made of Strass Swarovski crystals, this lighting will bring life to any area of any home!

Schonbek Geometrix Vertex Lights $190 and up Beautiful Lights (850) 650-9417 Destin

Treasure the Moment Create your own tribute to the magic moments in your life with this unique, refreshingly new approach to jewelry. Combine, mix, and match elegant Pandora moments to give the world a glimpse of who you really are!

Pandora Moments Beads Starting at $25 Pandora Bracelet (pictured) $1190

Destin Jewelers (850) 837-8822 www.destinjewelers.com

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Kid’s Just Want to Have Fun! Where do you head for a splashing good time? Toys & Treasures, of course! The Dolphin Basin in the Playmobil Zoo is a gift that is sure to make a splash for any boy or girl age 4 and up. One of the many play sets available from Playmobil at Toys and Treasures.

Playmobil Dolphin Basin Set $70 Toys & Treasures The Village of Baytowne Wharf 850.267.6550

Glam It Up! Couture Resort Holiday Fashions. This showstopper will get you noticed coming and going. Pearl detail clasp with open back will leave them wanting more.

Champagne Nicole Miller Gown $695 Kiki Risa kikirisaclothing.com Destin

Happy Feet!

Cozy up to the latest addition to the Ugg® Australia brand—the Kid’s Bailey Button! It’s a super-cute, colorful genuine sheepskin boot that keeps feet warm and dry. If you aren’t looking to outfit your little one’s feet, you can find plenty of grown-up versions at one of Sunset Shoe’s three locations!

Ugg Kid's Bailey Button $110 Sunset Shoes and Sunset Lifestyles www.sunsetshoesonline.net The Market Shops at Sandestin, HaborWalk Village & The Destin Commons

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Pamper Me Softly with Frivolous Necessities There is magic in a box of lotions and potions. You won’t want to open the custom gift box wrapped with a bow and sealed with rose petals and lavender—you will feel that you have received your gift already. Candles, lotions, soaps, lipsticks, eye shadows, eye masks, and silk pillowcases— just some of the “girlie” necessities of life.

Holiday Gift Boxes $15–$1,500 Pish Posh Patchouli’s patchoulis.com Rosemary Beach

Must-Have Purses Give me a “T” for terrific! You can’t go wrong with a purse by Tory Burch. The fashion-icon-turneddesigner, with her knowledge of style, knows what looks good with her all-American classics. This luxury lifestyle brand is attainable and accessible. Be a star this season with a Tory Burch purse. Teena d'Haven has what you’re looking for!

Assortment of Purses $55–$325 Teena d'Haven (850) 269-0781 Miramar Beach

Let’s Wine the Night Away!

Don’t Whine! A variety of specialty wines are available for any budget, so there should no excuse!

Francois Montand Brut $10.00 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc $45.00 Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir $100.00 Vintij –Gift Card Vintij Wine Boutique & Bistro (850) 650-9820 Destin VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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For the Lilly Lover on Your List!

The Murfee scarf is the perfect gift for any Lilly Lover. Don't have the right necklace? Add a Murfee. Wearing a boring dress? Add a Murfee. Cold? Add a Murfee! We have a feeling most questions can be answered by adding a Murfee. So don't go too far into the holiday season without one!

Printed Cashmere/Silk Scarf/Wrap $118 Barefoot Princess – A Lilly Pulitzer Via Shop The Village of Baytowne Wharf 850.267.6808

Sin in a Tin Ordinarily, we wouldn’t encourage bad behavior, but this sinfully sweet chocolate is one desire we think is okay to indulge! This ancient French recipe handed down to Chef William Guthrie will put the taste of Christmas in your mouth.

Sin in a Tin $6.99 Lemon Lust $4.99 sininatin.org Available in fine gourmet shops and Publix throughout COLA 2 COLA.

Share Good Fortune P.F. Chang’s gift cards are the perfect gift for family and friends this holiday season. And while you pick up a gift card for them, treat yourself to Happy Hour, offered 3–6 p.m. daily!

P.F. Chang’s Gift Card $25–$250 P.F. Chang’s China Bistro www.pfchangs.com Grand Boulevard at Sandestin/Miramar Beach

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The World Is Your Oyster Richard Arriaga’s Pearls Gone Wild is a line of handmade one-of-a-kind jewelry. Made from 18K gold and pure silver, the designs feature such stones as South Sea pearls, opals, moonstones, and many more…

Mink Purse by Bizzy Lizzy Prices range from $450 to $9,000.

Arriaga Originals –Pearls Gone Wild 10343 East County Highway 30A, Unit 111 850.231.0084

These Boots Were Made for Walking!

For the fashionable cowgirl in your life, these exceptionally comfortable boots made of fine leathers are the perfect fit! Giddyup!

Old Gringo: L026-37 Monarca Boots $536 Feathers Shoe Boutique feathersshoeboutique.com Pier Park – Panama City Beach

Lookin’ Good Never Looked So Good Leave the sweaters at home – who needs them when you can look good in a James Bondesque bikini! Be a Bond Girl this holiday season!

Heidi Klein Cruise Collection $230 Ophelia opheliagraytonbeach.com Grayton Beach

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Gifts for the Naughty and Nice

Under $500

David Yurman Bracelets prices starting at $325

Konstantino Bracelets prices starting at $260

Pascal Pearl Freshwater Bracelet prices starting below $200

Marco Bicego 18k Gold Freshwater Pearl and Jeweled Bracelets prices starting below $1000

Kwiat Diamond Engagement Rings prices starting below $2000

Rolex Timepieces

Kwiat Diamond Stud Earrings

Under $2,500

Kwiat Cross Pendants prices starting below $2000

The Sky is the Limit!

Louis Glick Blonde Diamond Rings

McCaskill & Company —— Finest Jewelry & Watches ——

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13390 Highway 98 West, Destin, Florida 32550 850.650.2262 • www.McCaskillandCompany.com

g

gggg g g g gg g g ggive generously g CELEBRATE g DELICIOUSLY

With cantina Laredo gift cards you can treat friends and family to gourmet mexican cuisine. Right now,

get a $10 guest caRd* for you when you purchase $50 in gift cards.

Let us make the holiday gathering perfect.

Reserve our pRivate dining Room or let us cateR the celebraci贸n at your location.

grand Boulevard 585 grand Boulevard sandestin 850.654.5649 follow on Facebook & twitter cantinalaredo.com *While supplies last. Guest card valid Jan. 1, 2011- Feb. 28, 2011. No cash value. Limit 2 guest cards per person, per day. Not available with on-line purchase.

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PIER PARK CREATES A WINTER WONDERLAND

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BY FRANCO GRIMALDI PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSIE SHEPARD

P

ier Park has been reshaping life along the beach for visitors and residents alike for the past three years. Located one mile east of Highway 79, across from the Russell-Fields Pier in the heart of Panama City Beach, Florida, Pier Park is a Simon “Signature Project” serving as the premier shopping destination for Panama City and the entire Emerald Coast. Events built around family fun have been the cornerstone of its marketing vision and it has proven to be an effective strategy. “We’re a Southern town and we’re bringing the holidays to the beach. We have a hand-painted house where children can have their photos taken with Santa while giving their lists to him,” said Felicia Cook, Pier Park’s marketing director. “If you are new to the beach, you can buy your first surfboard at the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop, jog across the street, and catch a wave!”

opening three years ago, many stores posted the highest revenues within their company-wide chains. The movie theatre consistently does very well during the holidays and this year promises to be even better.

Having an appearance more like a small town, Pier Park is a lifestyle center with colorful Caribbean architecture, beautifully landscaped grounds, and numerous events held throughout the year that create a lively shopping environment. With over one million square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment space, there is something for the whole family to enjoy. Pier

Pier Park is unique in that it is one of the few shopping destinations in the country where shoppers can enjoy spectacular Gulf views and breezes at restaurants such as Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Guy Harvey’s, and Reggae J’s Island Grill. “Overall Pier Park has held its own this year,” added Cook. “We had the best spring break we ever had and, before the oil spill, the center’s sales were trending up from the previous year. We are 100 percent occupied and with the anchor merchants—The Grand Theatre 16, Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Target—Pier Park has a vitality not commonly found in retail these days.” With performance expectations being exceeded since VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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Park is host to numerous events, road races, and parades throughout the year, many of which help to raise money for local charities.

There are boutique-style specialty shops such as The Eye Gallery for the latest fashion in sunglasses and Déjà vu, offering designer sundresses and beach accessories. And the outfit wouldn’t be complete without a great pair of shoes or boots from Feathers Shoe Boutique. Along spacious sidewalks that lead to the beach, enjoy restaurants with live music and small eateries such as Hofbräu Beer Garden and Red Brick Pizza.

What boardwalk revelry would be complete without amusements? Thanks to the personal touch of Jenny and Teddy Meeks, Pier Park is host to a collection of old-fashioned amusement rides complete with a replica of the Ferris wheel that lit up the old Miracle Strip Amusement Park for three decades. The vintage pieces of merriment have infused the center with loads of fun and an authentic feeling of boardwalk vacation life. Currently the Meeks are campaigning to return the original Miracle Strip roller coaster to Miracle Strip at Pier Park.

Adjoining the west side of Pier Park is the city’s Aaron Bessant Park, Panama City Beach’s premier festival spot offering nature trails and a grass amphitheater, which plays host to annual crowd pleasers such as the three-day spring favorite, the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, and Pier Park’s annual “Summer Concert Series.” And remember, your dog is welcome to these events, too, because we all know that he is man’s best friend!

This season enjoy Santa’s arrival and the tree lighting ceremony on November 26 and the Christmas Parade on December 11 at 5 p.m. Bring the whole family out this New Year's Eve and experience the kids’ beach ball drop at 8 p.m. and a countdown fireworks display at midnight with lots of family entertainment throughout the evening. “Our Christmas parade is very well attended thanks to the Optimist Club. Our Festival of Trees is partnering with Panama City Rescue Mission again this year,” added Cook.

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Escape to Affordable Luxury

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IS YOU.

Santa’s Arrival and Breakfast 9:00 a.m.

Santa House opens following Breakfast Tree Lighting 6:00 p.m.

DECEMBER 4 Run for the Redfish Half Marathon 8:00 a.m.

Friends of Bay County Animal Rescue 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DECEMBER 11 Panama City Beach Christmas Parade 5:00 p.m.

DECEMBER 31 Family Celebration with ball drop countdown to follow 5:30 p.m.

DE STIN 4405 Commons Drive East 850.269.0871 SAN TA ROSA B EACH 2441 Hwy 98 West 850.269.4464 FORT WALTON B EACH 94 Eglin Parkway 850.796.4761 PEN SACOLA 4300 Bayou Boulevard 850.857.0320

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SMITH’S ANTIQUES & INTERIORS MARKET

decorating nirvana 850.654.1484

Located on Highway 98 at Holiday Road midway between Destin Commons and Sandestin Monday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm

Voted Best of the Emerald Coast 10 Consecutive Years!

DINING Amavida Coffee Courtyard Wine & Cheese Cowgirl Kitchen DogManDu La Crema Tapas & Chocolate Onano Neighborhood Café Restaurant Paradis Sno-Balls Summer Kitchen Café The Sugar Shak Wild Olives Market~ Deli ~ Bakery LODGING Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Co. The Pensione Inn

www.rosemarybeach.com on the east end of Scenic 30-A

Shop.

Dine.

Relax.

RECREATION Bamboo Bicycle Co. Rosemary Beach Racquet Club Sea Oats Beach Service FASHION Bombora Sun & Surf

Gigi’s Fabulous Kids’ Fashions & Toys Moonpize Rosemary Beach Trading Co. Willow BEAUTY, GIFTS & HOME Aesthetic Clinique Pish Posh Patchouli’s Shabby Slips Solace Spa Salon The Hidden Lantern Bookstore & Gallery The Savvy Seahorse Tommy Crow Collections Tracery World Six Gallery SERVICES Law Offices of Bryan Kiefer, P. A .

NOOZOO design (TMc Architecture) Paul Johnson Photography Regions Bank Southeast Institute for Optimal Health

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THE SHOPS B Y S A L L I E W. B O Y L E S

For those seeking glam and elegance, The Shops of Destiny, located on Highway 98 next to Destiny East’s main entrance, offer an abundance of both without putting on airs. As independent retailers, the owners reveal a remarkable depth of knowledge and business savvy. Clearly, they know what it takes to attract and keep a customer base of discriminating shoppers. Beyond their sought-after products and services, they emit a congenial, down-toearth vibe that makes doing business with them a pleasure.

T

he Shops of Destiny retailers share an entrepreneurial spirit that involves a passion for making customers happy, but a few have something extra in common: a family connection.

The shopping center’s developer, Jason Romair, is the son of Frank Romair (owner of GG Bloom), brother of Kirstie Carollo (owner of Bella Beach Home) and brother of Marisa Fortenberry (owner of Kiki Risa). Unbelievably to some who have struggled in family enterprises, this is a highly supportive group who are not only proud of one another, but they credit one another for their successes.

A behind-the-counter look inside The Shops of Destiny reveals why customers and competitors alike are taking note.

If searching for the key to AvantGarde Salon’s success, you’ll quickly uncover the passion and drive of Joseph Rogers. Attending cosmetology school while still in high school, he dreamed of owning a prominent hair salon. Having grown up in Destin, he was just nineteen when he opened AvantGarde Salon in the Destin Commons shopping center. Rogers then tripled his hair care business when he launched AvantGarde Salon and Spa, which added full-service treatments by masseuses, estheticians and nail technicians.

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Rogers, still attending to his personal clients four days per week, has earned numerous accolades from patrons and peers. For the past decade, Salon Today, the industry’s premier publication, has counted AvantGarde among the nation’s top two hundred salons. To remain on top, senior staff members continually evaluate the latest trends and techniques, which they teach in-house during monthly training sessions.

Attracting and promoting top talent, AvantGarde employs four different levels of stylists. Sami Jones, manager of AvantGarde Salon and Spa, explains that all employees are carefully vetted to ensure excellence.

Fresh Talent, the newest full-time stylists, have graduated cosmetology school as well as trained on the floor with AvantGarde’s seasoned personnel as assistants for at least nine months before acquiring their own clients. The progression continues to Advanced Fresh Talent, to Advanced Stylists, to Senior Stylists, who are the salon’s educators.

“Our pricing scale reflects the varying levels of experience,” says Jones, adding that the options appeal to a broad customer base.

Patrons further value the spa’s organic products and naturally healing approach to achieving beauty. “As an Aveda salon, our products—from hair color to skincare—are 98 percent organic,” says Jones. “It always smells great in here.” Additionally, she says their process is high touch,

OF DESTINY not high tech. “For example, instead of using microdermabrasion to exfoliate, we offer a botanical (plant-based) peel that is far less irritating to the skin.”

Starting with healthy skin and hair, AvantGarde wants clients to look their best through every trend. Jones emphasizes that applications that improve the integrity of the hair, such as prepping before styling, are priorities. For a seasonal sparkle, many are adding lowlights or warming up with chestnuts and reds. “We’re also enhancing with chunks of colors in hues of brown, red and purple,” she says.

The management further believes in enhancing lives by supporting meaningful causes. Whether to protect the environment, generate breast cancer awareness, or help local children in need, Jones says that they regularly donate their services—the best of what AvantGarde has to offer—to raise funds and make a difference.

To find meaning in her life, Kirstie Carollo, owner of Bella Beach, does not have far to look. A devoted wife and mother of eight children ranging in age from six weeks to eighteen years of age, she has achieved success in a field that she loves.

“I’ve always loved to decorate,” says Kirstie, “but when I first opened the store, I thought, ‘How can I handle this?’ My children have always been my priority.” Nevertheless, her family’s encouragement and support—including children who are willing do chores and grandfathers who happily transport kids to sports—and, most especially, her faith have kept Kirstie on track. When her mother-in-law, Lucille Carollo, a seasoned interior designer, agreed to manage the business, everything fell into place.

Photo by Romona Robbins

Technology also helps. “I have everything on my iPhone,” says Kirstie, who uses it to take photos of her clients’ homes and record measurements, and then goes home to work. Still, she is often on the go with projects across the Gulf Coast, including in her home state of Louisiana. “I recently completed an 8,000-square-foot home in New Orleans and a loft in the warehouse district,’ she says.

Closer to home, she is decorating a model home in WaterColor, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. “The design is crisp and clean, modern with a beachy feel,” says Kirstie. While white is predominant, bold accents give each room its own personality: charcoal grey with a punch of yellow in the den; a blue and white scarf print in the master bedroom; a lime green and white lattice print in a secondary bedroom; tan linen and ocean blue in another bedroom; tan linen and white in a fourth bedroom.

In contrast, one of her favorite projects, the last home she remodeled with a local artist, reflects her preference for European/French country, which is also the theme inside Bella Beach. “It was elegant,” says Kirstie, who mentions canopy beds, white slipcovers on the sofas, sea grass rugs.” Pale sea blues, greens, and whites made up the color palette.

Undoubtedly, their Louisiana roots influence Kirstie and Lucille, who are glad to see outdated Florida decor trends being replaced by a light, airy Florida aesthetic that contains a touch of New Orleans. “I’d see it in Veranda or Architectural Digest, but I could not find it anywhere on the coast before I opened Bella Beach,” says Kirstie. “I definitely felt that our store filled a void in the marketplace.”

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Photo provided by AvantGarde Salon

Along with accessories and art, including originals by local artists, Bella Beach carries well-known furniture brands—Drexel Heritage, Stanley, Lexington, Aidan Gray and Bernhardt—plus a number of boutique lines.

“We also have several lines of upholstery,” says Lucille, who loves to blend clean-lined furniture, contemporary art and traditional pieces.

“The looks we create will remain in vogue for years,” she adds.

From the way this daughter-in-law and mother-in-law genuinely admire and care for one another, their business relationship will also endure.

When it comes to timeless designs, GG Bloom is a reminder that fresh flowers enhance any decor and that creativity takes natural beauty to another realm. Many, therefore, are surprised to learn that this business was launched on an impulse.

Frank Romair, the proud patriarch of his entrepreneurial family, and his wife, Mary, had moved to Destin to retire. Though busy with their children and grandchildren, they missed being business owners.

After working with son Jason in developing The Shops of Destiny, home to two of his daughters’ boutiques, Frank wanted to open an establishment that would please Mary as well as complement his daughters’ boutiques. Since they had owned a thriving restaurant on Lake Pontchartrain, Frank suggested a coffee shop. Mary, however, nixed the idea when she considered rising for work every day in the predawn hours. Since Mary had thirty years of floral design expertise, they decided she should exploit her passion for flowers.

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Offering an array of flowers and greenery, both fresh and silk, Mary spends much of her time creating custom arrangements for clients’ homes and offices. Holiday projects keep her especially busy. “We’ll handle every detail of the decorating and then take it all down at the end of the season,” says Mary. One of her favorite jobs is assembling the backdrop for Santa’s spot in Rosemary Beach’s town center, where children and families gather to take photos.

She also enjoys inspiring others with her in-store arrangements, and for Christmas, the options are abundant. Some trees set a traditional or woodsy tone with ice skates, cotton and huge pinecone ornaments, while others sparkle with bling. “Customers love our color-themed trees, especially the aqua and bronze,” says Mary, adding that trees flocked in red or white are also popular. “People also love the Grinchgreen tinsel!” While many customers linger over choices, others run in and out on a mission. “I’ve had several quickly purchase a fully adorned tree they’ve been admiring through the window,” she says.

Mary also makes life easier for many professional decorators, who grab her ready-made arrangements.

Though pleased to oblige any whim, her general style is Southern. “We frequently use hydrangeas,” Mary says, “and we stick to a natural look, even when we’re working with silk.”

The self-proclaimed errand-delivery boy for GG Bloom and for his children’s enterprises, Frank acknowledges that his wife makes the important decisions. “Mary is the heart and soul of this business,” he says.

In turn, Mary concedes that Frank is the heart of his family. “He can name all twenty-four grandchildren in order of birth without skipping a beat,” says Mary. Indeed, for Frank and Mary Romair, the bottom line is about family.

Kate Powell, owner of Beautiful Lights, also started out in a family business—her father’s electrical construction company in Louisiana. Though she majored in art and design at LSU, her dad encouraged her to change direction for a more lucrative career.

Following his advice, she learned to estimate electrical construction costs for industrial and commercial projects, and she continued in that field for twenty years.

“Over time, I got burned out and wanted to return to an artsy frame of mind,” says Powell. To transition her career, she managed a successful lighting store. Though her boss’s financial problems forced him to close the store, the experience enabled Powell to see the potential value of owning such a business.

Consequently, she launched Beautiful Lights.

“I now design with lighting,” says Powell, who loves to brighten her clients’ lives. Serving a broad clientele, she takes on residential and commercial projects, remodeling jobs and brand-new construction, and contemporary to traditional designs. “With my artistic background and electrical experience, I guide clients and explain what they can feasibly accomplish,” says Powell. Since rearranging or adding lighting can get tricky, the earlier she is brought into the process to consult, the better.

“I love to work with people who come to me before they have a lighting layout,” says Powell. “Most wait until their contractor sends them to the lighting store, but by that time, they usually don’t have enough money set aside to incorporate the best choices.”

Consequently, one of her most enjoyable jobs entailed working with a prominent designer who was building her own home.

“As a professional who has had her homes featured in all the magazines,” Powell says,

SuperStudio:ART:MNH:Mitchell’s:MFM_Wood Background_Shadows_C_300.tif SuperStudio:ART:MNH:Mitchell’s:MFM_Grilled Salmon_C_300.tif SuperStudio:Logos:Mitchells:MFM Logos:MFM_logo_tagc_2c.ai

Any fresher, you’d have to catch it yourself.

G RAND B OULEVARD S ANDESTIN ® • 850.650.2484 •

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(L-R) Kirstie Romair Corollo, Erin Romair Schaumburg, Jason Romair, Brenda Romair, Monette Romair Millet, Marisa Romair Fortenberry

“she appreciated the importance of lighting in terms of design and ambience. She took care of her lighting first so that everything she wanted would be covered in the budget.”

Most have spending limits, so Powell recommends timeless designs for key areas. “Don’t splurge on a trendy chandelier that will soon look dated,” she says. “Instead, get the latest look in an inexpensive lamp that you won’t mind switching out.” Rather than a major fixture, she will also suggest alternatives that could be more pleasing to the eye. “The desired ambience could result with lighting effects that are hidden by furniture or architecture, so you don’t even know the source.”

Today, mixing it all up—artsy, edgy, traditional—is also hot. “Lighting styles tend to cycle in ten-year periods,” says Powell. “Brass and gold are returning, and blingy crystal is in, but today’s chandeliers are not what you’d find in your grandma’s home.” On the coast, a wispy white, shabby chic Hamptons-style is back, punctuated with sea glass and aquamarines.

No matter an individual’s design preferences, Powell begins with a vision that perceives every lighting element as a work of art. “If you trust me,” she says, “you’ll love the result.”

Marisa Fortenberry echoes that sentiment—“trust me”—only her specialty is women’s fashions. Growing up in her family’s premier Louisiana clothing store, Fortenberry says that operating a boutique 64

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is second nature. Like her four sisters, each of whom own thriving retail stores, she was attending New York shows with her parents by age twelve. Learning everything they could about fabrics and design through years of exposure to the business, she and her sister, Kirstie Carollo, launched Kiki Risa in 2000. When Carollo left to pursue home interiors, Fortenberry’s husband, John, joined the business. Recently, the couple opened a second store in Mountain Brook, Alabama.

While Fortenberry doesn’t hold a design degree, she clearly has a knack for dressing her customers, who range in age from twelve to well past eighty. Her staples include timeless labels—Theory, Susana Monaco, Nicole Miller, and Three Dots—to which she adds the season’s hottest trends from up-and-coming names in fashion. “We’ve carried most of the same designers since we opened ten years ago,” Fortenberry says, “but there’s always something new in the mix.”

In addition to the retailer’s great everyday looks, including seasonal boots and sandals, Kiki Risa is also a go-to resource for ball gowns.

“We have beautiful dresses for mother of the bride, debutante and prom,” says Fortenberry.

Another factor in her success is Fortenberry’s personal style. “We are superfriendly in here and low key,” she says. “I love to take care of my customers in a way that makes them comfortable without too much fuss.” As they sit on the sofa and sip a Coke, Fortenberry is pleased to pull outfits with accessories for them to try on. “I love making people feel

Morgan Keegan happy and good about themselves, especially when they listen to my suggestions!”

When it comes to making decisions, Fortenberry acknowledges that being quick on her feet is one of her most important assets, especially now that she has four little girls—ages two, four, six, and eight—and is pregnant with her fifth, a boy due in February. “I don’t stay on any one issue for long,” she says. “When I go on buying trips to New York and Atlanta, I accomplish everything in one day so that I can come right home.”

Her life, in fact, is all about home and family.

“Each new baby comes to work with me,” Fortenberry says. “It’s over when they learn to walk.” If family traditions continue with the next generation, however, her children will be back when they’re old enough to work.

For the foreseeable future, at least, The Shops of Destiny will remain a prime destination for savvy consumers who appreciate good taste and enjoy being treated like family—in a good way!

JAMES A. PARRISH, JR. · Experience · Focus · Results*

*“Results” is putting our clients’ best interest first, ahead of our own and that of our firm and its employees. Seeking the best investments at the best prices at all times and provide impartial advice, acting with skill, care, diligence and good judgment as well as providing full and fair disclosure of all important facts.

JAMES A. PARRISH, JR. • MANAGING DIRECTOR • FINANCIAL ADVISOR 200 Grand Boulevard • Suite 205B • Miramar Beach • Florida • 32550 800.251.9352 • 850.269.8900 • morgankeegan.com A Regions Company | Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. | Member FINRA, SIPC Securities and insurance products are not FDIC insured, not a deposit, not an obligation of or guaranteed

by Regions Bank, its affiliates, or any government agency and may lose value.

AvantGarde Salon, Inc. Open Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday, 9 a.m.– 6 p.m.; Monday and Friday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Bella Beach Open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

GG Bloom Open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Beautiful Lights Open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and by appointment Kiki Risa Open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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splendor in the grass "Golf courses should respect the natural beauty of the settin . Camp Creek combines coastal dunescape and pine forests for a unique olf experience."

-Tom Fazio

Recipient of coveted awards from Zagat, GolfWeek, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, Tom Fazio-designed Camp Creek Golf Club is now open to non-member play!

Call 850.231.7600 for tee times.

www.CampCreekGolfClub.com

Time is running out.

Waiting until next year for cataract surgery could cost you more money.

The future of healthcare may be cloudy, but don’t let your vision be. Get treatment for your cataracts now using your 2010 Medicare deductible before it’s too late. One of Eye Center South’s caring, board-certified physicians can help you see your best thanks to today’s less invasive procedures. Don’t wait for an act of Congress – call your optometrist or Eye Center South for an appointment today.

Medicare participating provider Blue Cross / Blue Shield preferred provider Panama City (850)

763-9550 Destin (850) 650-6550 www.EyeCenterSouth.net 66

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The Shops of Destiny 36236 EmErald Coast Parkway, dEstin, Fl 32541-4707

Kiki Risa www.kikirisaclothing.com 850-650-0554

Beautiful Lights 850-650-9417

Bella Beach www.bellabeachhome.com 850-837-6212

G.G. Bloom www.ggbloom.com 850-460-2078

Avantgarde Salon Inc. www.avantgardeaveda.com 850-654-5057 VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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NEIL YOUNG Still Rockin In the Free World

By Harley Benner Photography by Jessie Shepard

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S

o, I’m in biology class in high school, dissecting frogs or looking at paramecia under the microscope, or maybe I was “making eyes” at Cheryl Magnon. It really doesn’t matter. What does matter is the song playing on the radio. Hey, it was 1970. They let us play the radio in class back then. Anyway, I started to sing along, “Keep me searchin’ for a pot of gold ... I been a miner for a pot of gold!”

Obviously, I did not get the words right, and my friends teased me mercilessly about this until my senior year. This is how I was introduced to the music of Neil Young—his solo music, anyway.

The truth is that, thanks to my brother Jeff, I was already a huge Neil Young fan—and I didn’t even know it. That’s because Jeff (the original hippie and only real musical talent in our family) was a huge fan of Buffalo Springfield.

He introduced me to the band’s psychedelic, folk-country stylings. I loved it! And why wouldn’t I? The lead vocals of Mr. Young were easily mimicked by a thirteen-year-old rock star wannabe like me.

One way or another, I have followed Neil Young’s music (or perhaps it has followed me) for the better part of the last half-century. So, when I heard that his latest tour had booked dates in Panama City and Pensacola, I took a keen interest.

In the world of rock stardom, Neil Young occupies a place that few ever glimpse. Not because of his instrumental prowess, which is, in a word, adequate. And it’s certainly not his vocal talents (do I call his range “sopralto”?) that lift him into the rarefied air of rock superstardom.

No, it’s his songwriting.

Neil Young has elevated songwriting to a level where he is the only musician I can think of who is mentioned in the same breath as Bob Dylan. There’s even a debate among music scholars as to which of the two is the best or the most influential ... Young or Dylan.

When you examine the early career of Neil Young, the adage “It’s not what you know, but who you know” pops to mind immediately. To be fair, the “who’s” that Young knew were just getting started, too. But how many of us cross paths with the likes of Rick James, Joni Mitchell, and Stephen Stills when we’re just getting started? That’s like an actor doing summer stock with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.

It was with Stephen Stills that Young would form his most lasting musical bond. As new arrivals on the L.A. music scene, Neil Young and Stephen

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Stills got together with Richie Furay, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin to form Buffalo Springfield. In just three albums, the band created such classics as “For What It’s Worth,” “Mr. Soul,” “Broken Arrow,” and “I Am a Child.”

Together for barely two years, the band’s influence was so profound that they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Young did not appear at the ceremony, but his absence at such an austere occasion was not out of character. In fact, it’s difficult at times to determine exactly what is in character for Young. An icon of the hippie culture of the late ’60s, Young surprised everyone with an endorsement of Ronald Reagan (although, in retrospect, Young qualifies his support for the fortieth President). He’s a successful musician-songwriter who still won’t allow his work to be utilized where they could make the most profit ... in commercials. “This Note’s For You” is a musical rebuke of those that would allow their work to be utilized to hawk goods and services. Some of his achievements are as contradictory as the artist himself. For instance, MTV banned the playing of “This Note’s For You” and then named it “Best Video of the Year” in 1989.

Regardless of which Neil Young you prefer—folky, country, rockin’ acoustic or electric—his greatest fame came as the suffix to Crosby, Stills and Nash.

If his achievements with Buffalo Springfield were particularly notable, what he accomplished with CSNY was legendary. It brought him fame and an artistic power that the then-twenty-five-year-old was ill-prepared to handle.

Additionally, while still recording (and battling with) Crosby, Stills and Nash, Young recorded a solo effort that would launch him to individual fame. Harvest put Young squarely in the spotlight ... and that illumination proved uncomfortable. The single “Heart of Gold” became his first and only number one tune. But rather than embrace the song’s popularity, he resented it. He said that he felt the song “put him in the middle of the road.”

He went on to say, “So, I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride, but I saw more interesting people there.”

The ’80s and ’90s saw Young reinvent himself numerous times. Through differing musical genres (country, folk, rock, jazz, and rockabilly at varying turns), assorted backup groups (Crazy Horse, The Bluenotes, Ten Men Working), and association with a huge assortment of other artists ( James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Sonic Youth, and Phish), Young seemed to spend the better part of three decades on a journey of musical self-discovery. If nothing else, it was interesting. You never knew what to expect from one album to the next.

Young’s recent passions have leaned toward the environmental and philanthropic rather than musical. A huge fan of green technology, his car is as paradoxical as the man himself. He converted a 1959 Lincoln Mark IV, one of the most inefficient vehicles to roll off a Detroit assembly line,

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to electric and bio-diesel. The “Linc-Volt,” as Young has dubbed it, gets one hundred miles per gallon.

Then there’s his true love, The Bridge School. Founded by Young in 1986, The Bridge School helps children with severe verbal and physical disabilities. The project is near and dear to him because two of his children suffer from cerebral palsy and a third from epilepsy. The school is supported by Young’s annual benefit concerts. In fact, the concert this year featured a reunion of the surviving members of Buffalo Springfield—a first since their breakup in 1968!

Fast-forward to September 28 at a sold-out Saenger Theatre in Pensacola.

Many in the predominantly middle-aged crowd most likely harbored the same question: “Which Neil Young will we hear tonight?”

After an energetic set from the opening act, New Orleans’ own Allen Toussaint, they were about to find out.

With the lights dimmed to an almost eerie level, a lone figure strode onto the stage. With a floppy fedora pulled low over his eyes, you almost had to wonder. This didn’t look like a rock star but rather a weather-beaten 72

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troubadour, ready to set up on a street corner to sing for the pleasure and generosity of passersby. Was this really the man who played the electric set with Crosby, Stills and Nash at Woodstock? Was this really one of the chosen few who graced the stage at The Band’s “Last Waltz”? Could this craggy face really belong to the person who has witnessed (and created) more musical history than we could ever imagine?

Then, out of the dark came the familiar falsetto-tenor singing “My My, Hey Hey.” Oh, yeah, that’s him. Still rockin’.

Harley Benner is a radio personality and freelance writer. He can be heard 8 a.m. to noon weekdays playing an eclectic mix of jazz, AAA, and R&B on The Morning Vibe. He’s also the host of My Generation, a weekly show that examines the history and social impact of rock music from the late ’60s through the early ’70s. It airs Saturdays at 3 p.m. Both shows can be heard on WKGC 90.7 FM in Panama City or online at www.wkgc.org.

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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

DeLuna Fest

BY ERIC SHEPARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSIE SHEPARD

EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

The inaugural DeLuna Fest on Pensacola Beach in mid-October was a big smash! VIE was there to cover the musical extravaganza that featured a diverse blend of headliner music—and the weather was breathtaking.

Best of all, the creators of DeLuna plan to hold another festival next spring! See you there!

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WILLIE NELSON

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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

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30 SECONDS TO MARS

DAUGHTRY

DIERKS BENTLEY DAUGHTRY

VIE’s accommodations at the wonderful resort of Portofino Island were provided by the good folks at Premier Island Management Group. Book yours in advance!

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EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

DIERKS BENTLEY

311 MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

DIERKS BENTLEY

WILLIE NELSON

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Pier Park pier Park Concert Summer concert SERIES

Donnie Sundal—vocalist, keyboardist, and owner of Neptone Studios in Destin, Florida—performs on August 19 at the finale of the 2010 Pier Park Summer Concert Series in Panama City Beach, Florida, featuring former members of New Orleans’ own Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

BY TIM DUTROW PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSIE SHEPARD

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Performers are Donnie Sundal, vocals and keyboard; Derwin “Big D” Perkins, guitar; Cornell Williams, vocals and bass; and Alvin Ford, drums.

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Happiness is Ringing

in the New Year.

Gulf-front accommodations starting at $99 per night at Resort Collection Properties.* Rates valid through January 7, 2011

Festivities for your enjoyment!

Dinner Package 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.; $65 per person: Four-course dinner for Edgewater guests at Ocean’s Bar and Grill with live entertainment, party favors, and complimentary champagne or well drink.

Pier Park Celebration: Family-friendly event starting at 5:30 p.m. with fun activities for all including fireworks, a 148-foot-tall Beach Ball Drop, and live entertainment.

Dinner at Firefly: Special menu, live entertainment, and a champagne toast at midnight** Call 850.249.3359 for reservations.

Book On-line at www.resortspcbeach.com Promo Code: NYE1 or call 877.278.0545

*Excluding En Soleil. Cleaning fee waived with two-night minimum stay. Not applicable to existing reservations. Limited availability.**Not included with stay.

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LUV is in the Air

A Grand Romantic G iveaway to PAn A m A Ci t y BeA Ch !

We loved at first sight.

Our eyes met, and that was it.

There was only ... us. :: to enter ::

Tell your LOVE (LUV) story in a haiku. 17 syllables in 3 lines. :: prize includes :: 7-night stay at Grand Panama Beach Resort • Two round-trip airline tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines • A $10,000 shopping spree courtesy of McCaskill & Company • Car service to and from the airport courtesy of Sunshine Shuttle • Private dinner for 2 courtesy of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach • Massage services courtesy of The Club at Edgewater • Firefly gift certificate courtesy of Firefly restaurant • Flowers courtesy of Blossoms of Chipley • Pier Park certificate courtesy of Pier Park • 4-Hour Eco-Tour courtesy of SunJammers • Dolphin Swim courtesy of Gulf World • Painting by Justin Gaffrey • Body Treatments courtesy of Fusion Spa Salon

for sweepstakes rules and to enter visit

www.luvgiveaway.com McCaskill & Company —— Finest Jewelry & Watches ——

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THE FACADE OF DEATH A NEW BOOK FROM NORTHWEST FLORIDA RESIDENT BILL WADE CELEBRATES THE POWER OF HOPE AND FAITH IN THE MIDST OF EVERY PARENT’S WORST NIGHTMARE.

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WINTER 2010 VIEZINE.COM

t’s been twenty-five years since his fifteen-year-old son, John, died from complications of cystic fibrosis, but Bill Wade still finds it difficult to get through a conversation about John’s life and death without choking up. Clearly, it’s the kind of loss that never goes away.

Yet his recently published book, Facade, focuses not on darkness, but on the grace and peace his family found even as John fought— and lost—his battle.

Bill and Noel Wade with sons, Galen (left) and John

Facade isn’t a Dateline-style chronicle of John’s disease. Instead, it’s akin to an invitation to browse the family’s private scrapbooks. The slim volume features brief reflections from Bill at different points in the journey, poems written by all four family members ( John and Bill, as well as older son, Galen, and wife, Noel), Bible verses and thought-provoking quotes by everyone from Hemingway to Lincoln. Illustrating the pages are personal photos, which are at turns both fun—the pumpkin decked out for Halloween in wire-rimmed glasses and spiky grass hair—and breathtaking—the numerous sunsets that seem to symbolize the beautiful, fleeting nature of John’s time on earth.

At a mere eighty-one pages, Facade appears to be an easy read. It’s not.

Though there isn’t a self-pitying line in the book, it’s impossible to remain unaffected when reading about Bill and Noel at their child’s side as he slips away or upon viewing a picture of the fragile, four-year-old John receiving a breathing treatment. You can’t help but think to yourself, “How could I ever live through that? How did they?” But that’s the very point of the book: that they did live through it and came out the other side not permanently broken, but rather filled with a new understanding of what awaits us all.

LIFE AFTER A DEATH SENTENCE Already the proud parents of a healthy son, Galen, Bill and Noel expected nothing different when John was born in 1969. But within a year or two, they knew something wasn’t right. “By the time John was two years old, he had been ill a lot and finally Noel said, ‘There’s something going on,’” Bill recalls. “We changed doctors, and the new pediatrician told her about the tests he was going to run. One of them was for cystic fibrosis (CF). We looked it up in the encyclopedia and knew immediately that’s what it was.

John had all the symptoms.”

When the official diagnosis came, Bill says the family was understandably devastated. “It was like receiving a death sentence because, at the time, the

life expectancy for someone with CF was fifteen.” As it turned out, this was all too accurate for John.

Although some people have a relatively mild form of CF, John’s case fell on the severe end of the spectrum. In fact, he was hospitalized immediately upon diagnosis and nearly died then. When he got out of the hospital, the Wades’ life—and Noel’s in particular—was turned upside down. “CF patients need constant treatments to clear out the lungs,” Bill explains, “along with a special diet, physical therapy, doctor and hospital visits, etc. This was more than a full-time job for my wife. It was very physically demanding, but emotionally, it’s excruciating because there’s this sentence hanging over everyone’s head.”

Despite the shadow of CF, Bill and Noel were adamant that both of their sons experience as much “normal” life as possible. Bill’s job as an Atlantic Richfield executive took the family all over the U.S., providing opportunities for the creative, impish John to explore his passions. “We tried to balance getting the right care and letting him live a life that was about more than doctor and hospital visits,” Bill says. “For example, he loved comic books and cartooning, so he took a class from a Walt Disney animator. John created an original character, Gil the Alligator, which is the photo on the front cover of Facade. He enjoyed his life, and it was very full.”

That assertion isn’t just wishful thinking on the part of a loving father. John himself attested to the richness of his life in his poem, “Destined Fate,” which appears in the book. It features the line “you are destined to meet a

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dietary changes and supplements—dismissed by doctors at the time but now part of standard CF protocol—John enjoyed some of the best years of his life rather than an immediate death.

It was not a lasting reprieve, however.

When the end came, comfort was nearly impossible to find. One bright spot for Bill and Noel was a poem called “Gentle Breeze” written by eighteen-year-old Galen. “He shared it with us when we got home the day John died,” Bill remembers. “It’s a foretelling of what’s about to happen—what had actually just happened—in the manner of: ‘This is the right time, and it’s the way things are supposed to be.’ It was an incredible comfort to us.”

John with Dusty in Dallas, Texas

life that is complete,” a sentiment that provides reassurance to John’s family even today.

FINDING FAITH A man of science—he earned an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering—Bill admits that faith had never been part of his life before John was diagnosed and certainly not in the decade afterward, when he questioned how a deity described as “good” could allow such suffering for his son. But when doctors said ten-year-old John had a year to live, Bill’s search for God began in earnest. “Faith had always been there for my wife, but I was trained as a scientist, and I had a hard time accepting something I couldn’t see, measure or touch.”

As he describes in Facade, Bill asked God to give him a sign and was immediately pointed toward a Bible passage that resonated deeply. “All I can say is I knew it was a message for me. If I had heard the same experience from anyone else, I would have said there was some other explanation.”

But as he received more signs, Bill moved into a state of cautious faith. Part of that was prompted by the fact that John did not die within the next twelve months. Instead, thanks to Noel’s insistence on holistic elements like

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Another poem also brought solace to the griefstricken family. It was called “Facade,” and Bill found it on John’s computer after his death.

“He must have written it very shortly before he died, and he never shared it with us. I think he had come to understand that he was about to die, and he knew it wasn’t something we could handle. In some of his other works, John was asking questions. In “Facade,” he was given his answers: that death is a glorious thing and not at all what we think it is.”

HOPE AND HAPPINESS Bill and Noel had kept journals full of notes and poems over the years as a much-needed outlet, but it wasn’t until he retired as president of Atlantic Richfield about ten years ago that Bill thought about collecting his thoughts into something cohesive. Without knowing what form it would ultimately take, Bill’s goal initially was simply to put together the family’s story for Galen, now forty-five, and his children. “I wanted them to know there is a God, and He’ll be there in difficult times.”

Bill got more than he bargained for, though. “I went from a ‘maybe’ believer—maybe there’s a God and maybe He’s good—to a true believer in God going through the process of writing this book because, looking back at the string of events I recorded, it’s just illogical to think it’s all coincidence,” he says.

After finishing his self-assigned task and sharing it with close family and friends, he put Facade aside. Then in the summer of 2009, Bill returned

A Gift Gallery for all of your Senses!

"In some of his other works, John was asking questions. In “Facade,” he was given his answers: that death is a glorious thing and not at all what we think it is.”

—Bill Wade

to the book as the dual milestones of John’s fortieth birthday and the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death approached. “I decided I was going to self-publish it, and in the middle of that process, I experienced the extraordinary event recorded in the postscript. It confirmed I was doing a good thing. I was put in touch with The Idea Boutique, and things fell into place quickly.”

Bill doesn’t see Facade as a testimonial. Rather, it’s his own insight into issues every human faces: love, loss, death, God and what comes next. “I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything,” he insists. “With this book, I’m simply sharing our experiences. And hopefully people who’ve had great loss will gain the knowledge that God does care and really can intervene in ways that help. I want it to give people hope because it’s hell to be going through loss without hope.”

Two and a half decades since their youngest son’s passing, Bill and Noel have left behind the gypsy nature of corporate life and are firmly settled in the Florida Panhandle. After a career-driven stint in Alaska, Louisiana-born Noel insisted the couple invest in a home somewhere warm. “We bought a house in Seaside in 1990,” Bill says. “Then we bought some land a few miles down the road and built our dream house on the beach. This is home; we love this place.”

And though it seemed unimaginable at the time of John’s death, Bill describes life now as “very, very good.” He spends his days spoiling his granddaughters, playing tennis, catching sunsets on the coast, volunteering—and now sharing the lessons he learned from John. “Through his search and his words, John taught me not to fear death, that there is something more. I have a firm conviction that death is not the end of things; death is a facade, and we move from this experience to something else. That’s a really powerful thing if you can come to believe it. Because of John, I believe it.”

All net proceeds from Facade benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Facade can be purchased at Amazon.com (ISBN: 9780615368597), Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida, and Magnolia House at Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach, Florida. For more information about Facade, please visit www.deathisafacade.com

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VIE – People + Places is excited to announce the second annual Northwest Florida Golf Trail, brought to you by more than fifty championship courses in the region! The purpose of the Northwest Florida Golf Trail is to create awareness of the region as a premier golf destination, both nationally and internationally.

Sprinkled along 227 miles of beautiful Northwest Florida, from Apalachicola to Pensacola, prestigious courses offer a unique golf experience unlike any available elsewhere in Florida, the Southeast, or the nation. The courses are as diverse as their locations and located in a climate that is ideal for year-round play. Play one course in the morning and, after a few minutes’ drive, a different course in the afternoon. Experience the signature features and challenging layouts of golf ’s most renowned course designers, including Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones and Tom Jackson.

Southwest Airlines to the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, the Northwest Florida Golf Trail is more accessible to travelers from all over the world. And remember that your “golf bag flies free.”

All of these courses are set amid the charm and splendor of one of America’s favorite coastal vacation destinations, complemented by an abundance of award-winning restaurants and accommodations, world-class resorts, unique shops and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. For those flying in, airports conveniently located in Panama City Beach, Destin, Ft. Walton, and Pensacola are just minutes from the courses. Now with the addition of

You will be able to experience the game as it was meant to be played—at the beaches of Northwest Florida. Please visit Northwest Florida Golf Trail on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ northwestfloridagolftrail) for more information about your next golf outing from COLA 2 COLA. Keep checking back as we continue to add courses and accommodations to the Northwest Florida Golf Trail!

In this guide, you will find listings of several courses from the Northwest Florida Golf Trail that are open to both residents and visitors alike. Booking your next golf trip has never been easier— contact one of the golf courses or hotels on the following pages or visit their websites to book your tee times and accommodations.

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BAYTOWNE GOLF CLUB

THE RAVEN GOLF CLUB

Experience the best of both worlds, with landing areas that invite guests to unleash the driver, and greens that reward a strategically placed approach shot. The front nine takes you to the edge of the Choctawhatchee Bay, while the back nine gives you a glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico and the white sand beaches of Sandestin.

Masterfully carved in some of the most scenic terrain in the resort, Robert Trent Jones Jr. crafted this unique and visually stunning 6,900-yard, par 71 course. Rated 4 ½ out of 5 stars by Golf Digest magazine, the Raven is a natural wonder that presents drama and strategy on every tee.

One of the "BEST GOLF RESORTS" in North America For Tee-times (850) 267-8155 | www.sandestin.com/golfers

One of the "BEST GOLF RESORTS" in North America For Tee-times (850) 267-8155 | www.sandestin.com/golfers

BURNT PINE GOLF CLUB

THE LINKS COURSE

An unrivaled experience on Florida’s northwest Gulf Coast, course architect Rees Jones proves in this 7,000-yard layout why he is one of the most respected architects in the world. Breathtaking views along the Choctawhatchee Bay highlight the back nine, while the front side brings golfers through the forests and wetlands of the Emerald Coast.

The Links is the ultimate in risk-reward golf, with some of the most spectacular views on the Emerald Coast. With five holes that run along the Choctawhatchee Bay, guests are treated to a links style golf outing like no other. Renowned architect Tom Jackson designed this winding layout against the backdrop of the Baytowne Marina and the Choctawhatchee Bay.

One of the "BEST GOLF RESORTS" in North America Open to Club members and Sandestin Resort guests.

For Tee-times (850) 267-6500 | www.sandestin.com/golfers

One of the "BEST GOLF RESORTS" in North America For Tee-times (850) 267-8144 | www.sandestin.com/golfers

WINTER 2010 VIEZINE.COM

– N O RT H W E S T F L O R I D A –

Northwest Florida

GU LF OF ME XIC O NUMBERED FOR REFERENCE. LOCATIONS ARE APPROXIMATED.

BAY POINT GOLF CLUB

Experience award-winning golf in full swing at Bay Point Resort Golf Club. Panama City Beach’s premier golf club offering not one, but TWO 18-hole championship courses. Play the area’s only Nicklaus designed course or choose the classic Meadows Course.

Located minutes from the white sandy beaches, Bay Point Resort Golf Club has long been recognized as one of Florida’s most popular and respected golf destinations.

Bay Point Resort Golf Club is easily accessible, offers attractive rates and an unmatched experience preferred throughout Northwest Florida.

850.235.6950 4701 Bay Point Rd., Panama City, FL 32408 www.baypointgolf.com

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SHARK'S TOOTH GOLF CLUB

CAMP CREEK GOLF CLUB

Greg Norman designed Shark’s Tooth, features gentle hills, fairways framed by oaks, loblolly pines and acres of preserved wetlands on Lake Powell. The course, earned an Audubon Signature designative, one of five in Florida. Experience an endless challenge on the exceptional layout of the 7,200 yard, par 71 course.

Known for building courses that appeal to all levels of player skills, Tom Fazio is acclaimed for consulting with nature to bring out the best attributes of a site. Camp Creek Golf Club is a pure golf experience accentuated by a significant wetland system with a combination of a coastal dunescape and pine forests.

2003 Wild Heron Way | Panama City Beach, FL 32413 850.249.3041 | www.sharkstoothgolfclub.com

684 Fazio Drive | Panama City Beach, FL 32413 850.231.7600 | www.campcreekgolfclub.com

SANTA ROSA GOLF CLUB

REGATTA BAY

Take a break from the resorts and play where the natural vegetation frames every hole and manicured greens are surrounded by amazing wildlife. At Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club you will be treated to outstanding service and enjoy a course with two holes overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The Hank Johnson School of Golf provides quality instruction by top-ranked professionals.

Ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top Courses in North America & Top 15 Florida “Places to Play,” Regatta Bay’s championship course is one that players of all skill levels enjoy. Designed by acclaimed course architect Robert C. Walker to be as challenging to the professional as it is fun to the novice.

334 Golf Club Drive | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 850.267.2229 | www.santarosaclub.com

465 Regatta Bay Blvd. | Destin, Florida 32541 850.337.8080 | www.regattabay.com

WINTER 2010 VIEZINE.COM

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WINTER 2010 VIEZINE.COM

HARBOR RESTAURANT GROUP

W EDDINGS

The Perfect Emerald Coast Location For Every Bride

With four unique venues along the Emerald Coast, Harbor Restaurant Group provides brides with rehearsal dinner and reception sites as one-of-a-kind as they are.

Marina Cafe is an award-winning fine dining restaurant located on the Destin Harbor with breathtaking views of the Harbor and contemporary cuisine.

Fishbar is next door to Marina Cafe on the Destin Harbor and offers casual dining with beautiful views of the Harbor.

Crush Wine Bar is located in Seaside, FL. It is directly across the street from public beach access. This hot spot is ideal for smaller more intimate gatherings and provides a hip and sophisticated atmosphere with outdoor covered sidewalk dining, reminiscent of a European café.

Destin Chops 30A is located in Seacrest Beach, a short walk to the popular Rosemary Beach and Emerald Coast beaches. This trendy restaurant is 30A’s premiere steakhouse with a contemporary twist. This idyllic venue also features a beautiful green lawn where a tent and tables can be set up.

HARBOR RESTAURANT GROUP

W EDDINGS

850.502.3347 • weddings@harborrestaurantgroup.com www.MarinaCafe.com • www.FishbarDestin.com www.Crush30A.com • www.DestinChops30A.com

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THE

BUSINESS CORNER W H AT ' S N E W I N B U S I N E S S F RO M C O L A 2 C O L A

THE RESORT COLLECTION ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Respected Hotelier Mike Stange Builds his Executive Team Photograph by Lisa Comeau

The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach announced the designation of Mike Stange as chief operating officer of the organization. The Resort Collection is a property management company representing six beachfront resorts, one championship golf course, a shopping center and a real estate organization.

The decade prior to joining The Resort Collection in 2009, Stange represented Intrawest, a Vancouver-based resort management company, as Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s president and chief operating officer, and was part of the Intrawest executive management team.

MIKE STANGE

Stange, a graduate of Florida State University’s Dedman School of Hospitality, has gained thirty years of experience holding executive level positions throughout his career. Stange began his hospitality career with Marco Beach Ocean Resort on Marco Island, Florida. He spent eleven years in leadership with Renaissance Hotels, which included management positions with Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club and with Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel.

Stange has handpicked the members of his new management team, and it is as follows: Tom Sparks – vice president of association management, Heem Chee – vice president of food and beverage, John Ward – vice president of resort activities, Keith Wilt – chief financial officer, Paul Wohlford – vice president of sales and marketing, Stacey Aronson – vice president of lodging, Ric Holt – managing broker Edgewater Beach Realty, and Judy Johnson – vice president of human resources.

“It’s an honor to accept this position of leadership and to lead the company’s new vision and mission,” Stange said. “This is an exciting time for the company. The repositioning of several top-level managers and the addition of a new property has energized the organization.”

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NEWMAN-DAILEY ADDS HIDDEN DUNES BEACH & TENNIS RESORT TO PORTOFOLIO

Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort Gets Rebranded Photograph by Romona Robbins

Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc. contracts Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Inc.– The Idea Boutique®, a full-service advertising and public relations firm located in Grayton Beach, Florida, in an undertaking that will rebrand the resort management company’s newest client, Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, located in Destin, Florida.

Jeanne Dailey, the cofounder and owner of Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, said of the new business alliance, “We welcome the creative talent of Cornerstone in our marketing endeavors for Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, and we embrace their branding expertise as the force that will drive marketing for the property in the future.”

“We are proud to represent a property that so many have visited for years.

—Jeanne Dailey

Newman-Dailey was recently named the exclusive on-site property management company for Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort as of January 1, 2011. Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc. is regarded as one of the most successful property management companies in Northwest Florida, specializing in resort real estate services from vacation rentals and property management to association management and real estate sales. Celebrating its twenty-fifth year, the company has devoted itself to managing quality properties along the pristine shores of the Emerald Coast.

Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, the area’s first tennis and beach resort, opened in 1985. Tennis enthusiasts enjoy six championship clay courts surrounded by natural windbreaks, seasonal tennis activities, instructional programs taught by USPTA teaching staff, and a game matching service. Families looking for fun on the white-sand beaches will find that Hidden Dunes boasts more private beach per unit than any other resort in the area.

“The resort is an enduring symbol of the area,” Dailey said about Hidden Dunes. “We are proud to represent a property that so many have visited for years. The rebranding efforts of Cornerstone in collaboration with our team of agents will complement the history and natural beauty of this hidden gem.”

For more information regarding reservations with Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc., please visit www.DestinVacation.com. Information on Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising can be found at www.

TheIdeaBoutique.com. Also, for a full view of Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, visit www.HiddenDunesDestin.com.

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LOCAL PUBLISHING COMPANY AWARDED 2011 CONTRACT FOR SANDESTIN LIVING

Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Inc. to Merge Resort’s In-Room and Real Estate Publications Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Inc. – The Idea Boutique® announces its publishing alliance with Sandestin Real Estate to produce Sandestin Living, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s in-room and real estate publications merged into one new quarterly magazine. The new business model allows the 2,400-acre resort community to be showcased to potential buyers and sellers alike while combining resources into a more cohesive and unified publication with a broader readership base.

As the publishers of VIE – People + Places magazine—a regional quarterly lifestyle magazine, Portofino Life—the in-room magazine for the Pensacola Beach–based resort Portofino Island, and the hardcover books Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters by Sister Schubert, and Facade

by William Wade, Cornerstone has strategized a unique approach to the launch of Sandestin Living.

Cornerstone, a newcomer to the publishing arena in early 2008 with the launch of VIE, recognized that the publishing industry was in the midst of painfully sobering reformations. This enlightenment allowed the visionary publisher to react nimbly, mold and grow its new publication, while championing the quality of life in Northwest Florida.

Proposed by Sandestin Real Estate, the agreement between Cornerstone, Sandestin Real Estate and Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort to merge the resort’s two separate publications was inked in mid-August. The new Sandestin Living is a hybrid of the two—a magazine that will feature articles on the essence of life, and highlighted real estate offerings within Sandestin and its surrounding areas.

“We are happy to welcome the Cornerstone team as the creative minds behind our new quarterly magazine and to take our vision to the next level,” said Joe Bracciale, president of Sandestin Real Estate.

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Taking cues from both Sandestin Real Estate and the Resort, Cornerstone will create the editorial calendar, manage advertisement sales, and conduct an overall rebranding of Sandestin Living magazine.

Sandestin Living will be placed in each of the resort’s 1,500 guest rooms and is direct-mailed to approximately 4,300 Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort homeowners. In addition to these key means of distribution, the magazine will be found at the following area locations: Another Broken Egg Café at the Linkside Conference Center, Starbucks at The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Starbucks at The Market Shops at Sandestin, Publix at Grand Boulevard, Publix at Paradise Key, Residence Inn Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, and Courtyard by Marriott at Grand Boulevard. Also under consideration is distribution from Pensacola to Apalachicola and the vital southeastern feeder markets of Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Nashville and Washington, D.C. For more information regarding Sandestin Real Estate, visit www.sandestinrealestate.com.

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CHAMBERS, CHALLENGES, AND CHARITIES

By Brian Haugen, with David Waddle and Steve Cann During a recent lunch meeting, Lisa Burwell, owner and publisher of VIE – People + Places, said that she would like to hear some viewpoints from my unique perspective; this past year, I have served simultaneously as a Chamber of Commerce chairman, a charity board president, and a financial advisor. Those experiences allowed me to develop some remarkable insights.

In 2010, I was honored to be elected Chairman of the Board for the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce. Since the chamber runs like a finely tuned watch, I anticipated (and hoped) that my involvement would be negligible. So much for the best-laid plans. Just as it appeared that our summer could turn the tides of our fragile, but hopeful, economy for the better, the worst oil disaster in the history of the Gulf of Mexico blackened our dreams. It turns out that the only boom we ended up seeing was in the form of an oil boom. No amount of dispersant sprayed on the slicks (which thankfully did not really affect are beaches) could prevent our tourists from changing their vacation plans and, with that, our hopes for a robust and prosperous summer were dashed. As the media hype dissipated, it turned 102

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out that there were fewer tar balls than tourists.

Although the damage was done, our local promotional creativity wasn’t dead just yet.

CHAMBERS This summer, there were more than just rock concerts on the beach bringing people together along the Emerald Coast. They came here to find synergy … in business, marketing, and advertising. One example came from within the Destin and Walton County Chambers. A first for these chambers, they agreed to cosponsor each other’s largest annual events: the Destin Seafood Festival and the Walton Leadership Summit.

It was refreshing to see each chamber’s logo prominently featured as a sponsor of the other’s event. I think it speaks to the concept of synergy.

Locals doing business with locals picked up in other areas as well.

CHALLENGES With difficulty comes opportunity. As a local financial advisor, I’ve seen entrepreneurs seeking new endeavors by becoming involved in innovative businesses along the Emerald Coast. One of the largest areas of increased commerce has been in

what’s called “cottage” businesses. Those are small technology-driven companies which, theoretically, can operate from any place that provides the required technology. Why not work and live along the Emerald Coast?!

This exact topic was discussed at length at two events this summer: the Destin Economic Summit and the visit from the International Economic Development Council. Both forums were designed to identify ways to jump-start our economy, and both came to similar conclusions— one common proposal was to market technologybased businesses. Business as usual isn’t enough anymore. Diversity of the economic base is necessary. With that, I feel that our city councils, chambers of commerce, and county commissions are aligning better to meet the needs for expansion of our economy. Here again, insatiability leads to humility, humility leads to synergy, and synergy leads to new endeavors.

CHARITIES Lastly, regarding charities, it’s interesting to note how tough times can bring out the best in people.

As you may be familiar, my wife and I lost our

IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING, REALLY—SEEING CHARITABLE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH IN TOUGH TIMES. son two years ago to a tragic football accident, and we established a charitable foundation in his name. Beginning a new charitable organization is a challenge in even a good economy, but, in a bad one—well, it’s exigent, to say the least. But there were some surprising facets to this story as well.

It seems that philanthropic people maintain their philanthropy through tough times. Sure, most donors cut back on their donations, but they remain drawn to the causes in which they believe. It’s a beautiful thing, really—seeing charitable people coming through in tough times. To my way of thinking, they are the blessed. The Taylor Haugen Foundation has flourished because of those people, and I, for one, am thankful. Perhaps it means more to donate when we have less to give.

My dad used to say, “Brian, never confuse ‘genius’ with a bull market.” No truer words were ever spoken. Perhaps many of us felt blessed with a dose of “genius” during the recent economic heyday.

How quickly those feelings can be dashed and replaced with a more genuine dose of humility.

Humility isn’t such a bad thing sometimes, and can even make us better people. There’s a book that speaks of this, with certain passages written about men like Jonah, David, and Job. Locally, it appears that our humble economic times may well reshape our collective wisdom and lead us into new prosperous endeavors.

In summary, perhaps this dreary economic cycle does, indeed, have a silver lining. I caught glimpses of it this past year myself. In many ways, these difficult times have brought out the best in people and may very well be seen within our local chambers, the charities, and our economic challenges. Let’s keep it up in 2011!

Prepared by Brian Haugen, with David Waddle and Steve Cann of Emerald Coast Wealth Advisors of Raymond James and Associates, which specializes in designing personalized, diversified financial portfolios for high-net-worth investors along the Emerald Coast.

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The American Healthy Diet An Oxymoron?

Most of America assumes, as I once did, that in a country with the highest standard of living anywhere, we would also naturally enjoy the best food anywhere. In fact, the modern American diet may be the worst diet in the history of mankind in its effects on health and longevity. The problems are many but primarily revolve around processed concoctions replete with the wrong fats and simple carbohydrates. What follows are suggestions for a much healthier approach. For those eating the “typical� American cuisine, this will be a huge step towards healthier eating.

By Clark Peters

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Heart disease is the primary killer in the U.S. If you are battling an existing or suspected cardiovascular condition, even this regimen may not be enough change. Your doctor should be consulted about diet in those instances. For most, however, movement toward this regimen will be a large step toward better health through diet.

Prior articles have focused on what not to put in your mouth; the short list would strongly suggest elimination or severe reduction of the following: Sugars—especially high fructose corn syrup, but all sugars are empty calories.

Saturated fats and especially trans fats—some fats are essential, but these two categories have no redeeming qualities.

Processed grains— the list here is very long. Any processed grain (flour) should be viewed as predigested sugars. These are found in cereals, breads, pastas, etc.

Alcohol— the purest form of concentrated sugar. Cut way back.

Zero is best.

Fried anything— frying infuses fat into food. Oils heated to frying temperatures are toxic. Simple rule: eat nothing fried!

Okay, so that’s what to avoid or, at least, significantly reduce. But how do we eat healthier? As suggested in my previous article, “You Are What You Eat” (VIE Fall 2010), two fundamental rules apply: Consume all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and good fats) with every meal.

Eat these so as to maintain a stable blood sugar (glucose) level.

The alternative is a diet which promotes obesity, inflammation and disease! It’s that simple to describe, but takes some knowledge and discipline to implement.

Again, also covered in my previous article, each of the macronutrients provides items essential to good health: Proteins—provide amino acids, our basic building blocks.

Carbohydrates (direct from nature) — provide nutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, etc.

Good fats—provide essential fatty acids and promote cell wall health and strength.

As well, we have made the point that each of the macronutrients has a distinctive glycemic (blood sugar) conversion characteristic: Proteins—moderate glycemic indices (GIs). Can be eaten alone without spiking sugar.

Carbs—highest GIs, and the more processed, the higher the GI score.

Fats—the slowest to convert (also can be eaten alone).

So, if our goal is to maintain an optimal blood sugar level, the macronutrients should be eaten in combinations which accomplish this. One of the best ways is to combine about 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbs (from nature) with 20 percent good fats. Meals and snacks combined this way will sustain optimal glucose levels, thus avoiding sugar spikes and crashes and, consequently, preventing hormone imbalances, obesity, splurge eating, mood swings, and poor health.

I don’t like counting calories or measuring ounces and grams, so a simple rule of thumb may help for portion control and proper ratio. For a full meal, aim for a fist-sized portion (self-regulating since differentsized men and women have different fist sizes) of protein, a fist-sized portion of complex carbs and a handful of good fat. For example, you might choose a “fist” of broiled skinless chicken breast and a “fist” of good carbs (say, a small salad bowl of raw vegetables with a salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil—a good fat—and vinegar, or steamed fresh vegetables sprinkled with raw almond slivers—another good fat).

PROTEINS Lean protein can be the foundation of most meals/snacks. There are two compelling reasons for this: Protein promotes stable glucose levels for hours, thus avoiding the urge to snack incessantly.

Protein also promotes the release of glucagon, a hormone with the opposite effect of insulin; i.e., glucagon opens your fat cells so they can release glucose! This, of course, reduces fat while the protein’s amino acids are enhancing your lean body mass—very desirable.

So, let’s discuss good protein. Studies suggest eating about one VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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Fats may be the most misunderstood of the macronutrients. As the stable blood sugar model and the GI suggests, appropriate ingestion of good fats can, instead, provide a governor effect on blood sugar absorption which avoids fat accumulation.

gram of lean (less than 20 percent fat) protein per pound of body weight/day. So, a 200-pound man would need about 35 grams per meal, assuming six meals/snacks over the waking hours. A woman of 120 pounds would seek 20 grams per meal/snack.

Stick to vanilla or chocolate—the other flavors add too much sugar and artificial flavoring (whatever that is!). Fill the blender to 65– 75 percent capacity with water or organic skim milk. Liquefy the contents and enjoy a glass (women) or two (men) for a full meal.

GOOD PROTEINS Eggs—excellent protein source but each egg contains only 6 grams, so eat more than a couple to achieve goals.

Breakfast—start with 4–5 tablespoons of either organic no-fat yogurt or organic low-fat cottage cheese. Add a handful of raw nuts, a fist of fresh fruit, a scoop of whey powder and a little skim milk. Stir to pudding consistency and enjoy. A healthy way to start your day!

Seafood—all types (except farm-raised), including shellfish, are terrific, and many supply an added bonus in the form of omega-3 fatty acids.

Poultry—skinless chicken or turkey provides a good protein base to any meal. Many birds (ducks, geese, quail) are too fatty to meet the lean definition. Free range is desirable.

Dairy—low fat or no-fat dairy products can fill some of your protein needs. Try to get organic milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.

Wild game—any you can find and enjoy is a wonderful source. Wild animals are very lean protein, but some people dislike the “gamy” taste. Examples include elk, venison, bison, etc.

Beef—only if grass-fed and organic. Like farm-raised fish, most livestock is force-fed corn and grain, along with growth hormones. The result is meat with over 70 percent saturated fat content and unusual composition. Similarly, all pork is too fatty to be considered a good protein source.

Whey protein powder—many people are not aware that whey provides the best protein available. A byproduct of the cheese-making process, whey powder is in about the fifth generation of refinement.

The successive iterations have produced a near-pure protein. There are a number of whey products out there—the best is undenatured whey protein isolate or concentrate. The product is packaged in bins of vanilla or chocolate, and a full scoop (enclosed in the package) provides 25 or so grams of pure protein. Health food stores used to be the only source, but now most supermarkets stock this item. It’s also available online. Be sure the sugar content is 1gm or less/serving.

The whey powder can be mixed with water or skim milk for a quick snack. Two recipes for a full meal follow: Protein shake—put a handful of raw nuts in the bottom of your blender.

Add a fist of fresh/frozen fruit. Then add two scoops of whey powder.

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CARBOHYDRATES Any fresh fruit, preferably organic and direct from nature (i.e., unprocessed in any way), is a fine addition to your meals. Fresh vegetables, again preferably organic and unprocessed, are also excellent. Fresh frozen is also fine. Some guidelines: the more colorful, the better the choice; for example, a sweet potato is a healthier choice than a white potato. Cooking starts to leach out nutrients, fiber, etc., so raw is best; lightly steamed, next best; and so on. Think al dente.

FATS Fats may be the most misunderstood of the macronutrients. For the past three decades or so, food manufacturers and “diet experts” have been touting “low fat” this and “no fat” that. The implication is that eating fat makes you fat. As the stable blood sugar model and the GI suggests, appropriate ingestion of good fats can, instead, provide a governor effect on blood sugar absorption which avoids fat accumulation. Two caveats: A gram of fat contains twice the calories (9) compared to either protein or carbohydrates (about 4.5). Calories count! (See “Obesity” article, VIE Summer 2010.) So gorging on fat will indeed make you fat—the body has no other choice but to store excess calories in fat cells. Cheese, which is almost all saturated fat, is the usual culprit in most people’s diets. Used judiciously, however, a little good fat can be helpful in maintaining a healthy lean weight.

Some fats are essential (those containing omega-3 fatty acids), so the only way to get these beneficial acids is to ingest them. However, fats come in three categories: the “good” (containing omega-3s), the ‘bad” (saturated), and the “ugly” (trans fats). Good fats are a must, bad fats should be minimized, and the ugly avoided. The “ugly” or trans fats (usually identifiable by the labels hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated) are man-made creations which are so toxic

and unnatural that the body does not know what to do with them.

Your body will expend enormous nutrient resources (in the liver and through the immune system) to rid itself of these foreign substances.

Simple rule: avoid all trans fats.

GOOD FATS Raw nuts/seeds (and their oils/butters)—Any raw nut or seed is a good source of omega-3s. A handful of raw nuts (say, almonds), in fact, can be a healthy snack to get you to the next meal and is somewhat self-limiting. Usually, a handful will fill you up. Caveats: once they are cooked or coated, nuts and seeds are no longer healthy.

So roasted, salted, or sugar-coated nuts are no-no’s. Remember, too, that peanuts, despite their name, are legumes, not nuts. Peanut butter is basically junk food.

The Retreat

Avocados—an excellent addition to salad or a meal. They are very rich, however, so use sparingly.

Oils—mono- or polyunsaturated oils are good fats. Uncooked are best (salad dressings, etc). Cooking with oils is okay, but only up to the point when they start to smoke. At temperatures hot enough to make them smoke, they turn toxic. Use for light sautéing.

CONCLUSION Healthier eating is possible in America. It takes some knowledge (hopefully, you now have a few “rules of the road” to use), common sense and diligence, but it can be done and done with delicious food!

Good luck and bon appétit!

The Health Nut Clark Peters has spent much of his time since his retirement in 1997 researching health and longevity.

His purpose in writing these columns is to share his findings with readers in plain English and assist them in making accurate and informed lifestyle choices. The columns are based on the premise that we all want to live a long, vigorous life and are striving to make healthy choices.

While Mr. Peters believes these recommendations will result in better health and longevity for almost everyone, the reader is advised to consult with his or her physician before making any major lifestyle changes. You may e-mail Mr. Peters at: hlthnut@earthlink.net.

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THE ANTI-AGING PIONEER A Q&A with Dr. Rodney Soto

BY TORI PHELPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSIE SHEPARD

Dr. Rodney Soto, founder of The Younger You Institute, has combined his passion for neurology with a holistic approach that has landed him at the forefront of the anti-aging movement. The Institute specializes in aesthetic treatments you’ve heard of (Botox and fillers), as well as services you haven’t (chelation therapy and adult stem cell collection).

Here, Dr. Soto provides insights into his practice, his beliefs, and some surprising ways to tap into the fountain of youth.

VIE: Tell us about yourself and your journey to Northwest Florida.

Dr. Soto: I’m originally from Ecuador and immigrated to the United States in 1989. I completed medical training in general neurology and vascular neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, respectively. After practicing neurology and stroke medicine for several years, I wanted to offer patients better options to improve their health through a comprehensive, holistic approach to healing. I live in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with my lovely wife, Becky, and beautiful daughter, Kaleigh.

VIE: How would you describe The Younger You Institute?

Dr. Soto: The Younger You Institute was established in 2007 and is an innovative model of health care delivery, providing services to the Southeast region of the United States with the goal of promoting optimal health and wellness throughout every phase of life. This visionary approach is based on the principles of anti-aging medicine through preventive measures and holistic methods.

VIE: Have you always been drawn to neurology?

Dr. Soto: I developed an interest in science and medicine during high school. I was attracted to the way our body functions and the relationship of nature with health and well-being. I focused very early in my professional career on the study of Parkinson’s disease, dementia and related vascular disorders to develop strategies and interventions that would prevent ongoing brain damage and degeneration. Neurology and brain science are among the most exciting fields in which to be involved in the twenty-first century.

VIE: Your aesthetic services include many newer procedures. What are you excited about now?

Dr. Soto: The most recent addition to our facial rejuvenation services 112

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is SELPHYL, a simple, safe, and minimally invasive procedure during which the patient’s own platelets and fibrin are injected under the facial tissues. It promotes the regeneration of new cells and collagen to improve volume loss, wrinkles, acne scars and so on. The results last twelve to eighteen months with virtually no risk of rejection or allergic reaction. SELPHYL is an effective way to naturally promote cell regeneration.

VIE: Brain Electrical Activity Mapping is one of your anti-aging medical services. How does it work?

Dr. Soto: Brain Electrical Activity Mapping (BEAM) employs simple electrodes—similar to those used in an EEG—to provide a complete assessment of the brain’s functional status. To prevent or reverse aging, we need to control and enhance the electrical signals sent from the brain to the body. The brain controls the rest of the body, so when you have an imbalance of electrical activity in the brain, body dysfunction will follow. If you’re lacking dopamine, for example, you’ll have cravings for sweets, a lack of energy and weight gain. It can be treated with conventional medications, but then you start the cycle of

"There’s nothing more rewarding than learning that our approach has made a tremendous impact on someone’s health and quality of life."

—Dr. Soto

taking one pill for this and one pill for something else. We help people balance signals so they can produce naturally what their bodies need.

VIE: How important is it to provide kids with holistic therapies?

Dr. Soto: Children’s health is one of my dearest passions, and my own

road map to healing and empowerment so patients can take ownership of their health. There’s nothing more rewarding than learning that our approach has made a tremendous impact on someone’s health and quality of life.

daughter takes advantage of this approach for optimal health. Holistic pediatric medicine promotes an inclusive understanding of physical, nutritional, environmental, mental and emotional well-being as essential ingredients in maintaining the health of our children. The primary goal is to optimize the immune system and enhance brain development in the younger generation. Our services include natural approaches to common childhood illnesses, delayed vaccination schedule, nutritional optimization, brain development enhancement and detoxification. This program is open to children of all ages, and we welcome children with autism spectrum disorders.

VIE: What’s your best advice on staying young?

Dr. Soto: The importance of maintaining spiritual health has a significant

VIE: What kind of results do patients experience after anti-aging treatments?

Dr. Soto: Some of the greatest successes we’ve had are in dealing with

I recommend things such as Qigong, yoga, and meditation, which are the tools I use for staying “in the moment.” Most of us don’t, and this generates negative energy that ages us. So, it’s crucial to pay attention to the present moment.

gastrointestinal and immune problems. Patients experience biological rejuvenation, including improved brain and hormonal functions that affect stamina, energy and even the ability to enjoy life. Many people tell us they’re so tired that they can’t even function. And then, after treatments, they move into a fully functional state again.

The bottom line is that it’s not a quick fix; results happen over the course of weeks to months. The most important thing we provide is a

impact on the aging process. Lots of studies have found that connecting with an internal source of energy—regardless of your religion—will regenerate cells, strengthen the immune system, regenerate brain tissue and balance hormones. Research has linked spirituality and the length of telomeres, which are found on the end of chromosomes and protect them from deterioration. Spirituality lengthens telomeres. This effect has been shown in people from the Middle East who meditate often; it really does affect people at the genetic level.

VIE: What’s the main message you communicate to patients?

Dr. Soto: There are better options than conventional medicine to restore health. Anti-aging medicine is holistic: it deals with the body, mind and spirit because the body works as a whole. This is the way health care has been practiced for thousands of years, but somehow that understanding has been lost. We’re bringing that back.

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V Seen The new restaurant The V in Seagrove, Florida, is slated to open this winter in Hotel Viridian, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Hwy. 30-A and 395. Hosts Chip Haring, George Hartley, and Sean Goss introduced The V as one of 30Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest new gathering spots during their VIP Cocktail Party Preview on November 3, 2010, and again on November 4, 2010, during a special Hard-Hat Wine Tasting and Preview Dinner.

The wine dinner was a magical night as master sommelier Brian Koziol of Beringer Vineyards paired wines with cuisines prepared by

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famed executive chef David Carrier. This is going to be one hot spot!

Photography by Gerald Burwell and Brandan Babineaux

Chip Haring, George Hartley & Roger Godwin

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Karen & Steven Wagner

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Robin & Roger Godwin with Suzanne

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Photo by Brandan Babineaux

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Randy & Lil Torrey

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Barron & Nancy Strother

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Margie & Brad Zeitlin

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Hunter Harman, George Hartley, Chip Haring, Sean Goss and Roger Godwin

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George & Ann Hartley

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Chef David Carrier

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Chip & Nancy Haring Nancy & Chip Haring, Nancy McConnell, Sean Goss, and George & Ann Hartley VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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Dr. Steven Weiner

By Sallie W. Boyles

In the five years since he opened The Aesthetic Clinique, board-certified head, neck, and facial plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Weiner has gained national recognition among his peers as a leader in noninvasive and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. There’s no question that he chose to be an early adopter of cutting-edge technologies at the right time and place, but this multifaceted professional maximized his opportunities through well-calculated decisions, not luck.

So, what lies at the heart of his practice, which appears to function effortlessly? Dr. Weiner offers an inside look at the intense preparation and 120

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passion that deliver the patient-pleasing results that drive his success.

Before As an undergraduate at UCLA, Steven Weiner took a mix of courses—physics, physical chemistry, calculus—that could have placed him on an engineering or a physics track. He appreciated the disciplines that required precision, including the mathematics of chemistry. From a PBS series featuring the doctor’s craniofacial surgeries on children with cleft palates and other head abnormalities, Weiner had observed the work of renowned French surgeon Paul Tessier (1917–

2008), and he grew fascinated with skeletal features. The program made him aware of a plastic surgeon’s power to change a person’s looks and, likewise, the individual’s quality of life.

Excelling in medical school at the University of Michigan, he went to Johns Hopkins Hospital to intern and fulfill his residency requirements.

Weiner was in the right place to focus on his specialty, as Johns Hopkins ranks first in the nation for head and neck surgery.

“Interestingly, before Botox became the cure for wrinkles, we were using it at Johns Hopkins for

larynx disorders and neck spasms,” says Weiner.

“Our patients included a nationally known radio personality who suffered with a Parkinson’srelated symptom that caused her voice to get raspy.

Botox treatments helped her vocal cords relax.”

Practicing there and serving on the hospital’s faculty for two years, Weiner was grateful to work alongside the world’s most brilliant doctors, many of whom represented the “pinnacle of knowledge” regarding certain disease processes.

After seven years at Johns Hopkins, however, Weiner’s priorities shifted. He and his wife, Sandy, had started a family, and living in a safe, small town

he relies on critical observations to determine his subsequent steps. Typically holding any particular stock for two days to two weeks, Weiner explains that he is happy to earn small gains rather than risk hanging on for big killings. “Greed leads to bad decisions; it’s what caused the major problems we experienced in the housing and stock markets,” he adds. “I sold five profitable pieces of real estate in 2005, although people said I was letting them go too early.” He could have waited, but he sold well before the market plummeted.

“The stock market has taught me a great deal about calculating risks,” Weiner says, drawing a comparison

between investing and practicing medicine. “There’s no sure thing in the market or in medicine, so whether I’m evaluating a stock or a patient’s skin, I rely upon expertise, background information, and probabilities to apply an educated guess. Even then, I have backstops or assurances in place to minimize negative outcomes. As a result, I’m ever aware of the changing situation and always ready to respond. I’m constantly reassessing conditions with my eyes wide open.”

The strategy has served Weiner and a few others quite well. While in Thomasville, he managed his employees’ 401(k) accounts. “I made sure they understood the risks and asked each to sign waivers,

“Interestingly, before Botox became the cure for wrinkles, we were using it at Johns Hopkins for larynx disorders and neck spasms,” says Weiner. “Our patients included a nationally known radio personality who suffered with a Parkinson’s-related symptom that caused her voice to get raspy. Botox treatments helped her vocal cords relax.” became more important than working for a prestigious hospital. When a recruiter came along with a lucrative opportunity that would allow him to open a solo Head and Neck Surgery practice in Thomasville, Georgia, Weiner accepted.

“I practiced all kinds of medicine in Thomasville,” says Weiner, who treated a large number of cancer patients there. “Plastics were a small part of the mix.” He remained in south Georgia for ten years, all the while preparing the groundwork for his next move, which was motivated by two distinct passions: investing in the stock market and learning about the innovations changing Plastic Surgery.

Weiner came by his knack for investing quite honestly.

First, he loved practical math such as graphing and charting trends. Second, his dad dabbled in stocks, and that sparked his interest in the market. To become an educated investor, he read books and attended conferences, and when the Internet unleashed a world of trading options, he went after them.

“I’m a swing trader,” Weiner says, meaning that he makes daily and weekly buying and selling decisions relative to market volatility caused by events around the world. “I spot trends,” he adds, explaining that VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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but I always felt a huge responsibility toward them.” In the end, his decisions paid off. “The returns amounted to ten times their original investments,” says Weiner.

At the same time, his personal investments were richly rewarding. That money, however, was hard earned. “I had large amounts invested, so I was up at 2 a.m. many nights checking futures to confirm that I was buying and selling correctly.” When he was ready to cash in, Weiner chose to relocate his family to Rosemary Beach, where they most wanted to live, and launch a brand-new practice.

Along with living on the Emerald Coast, Weiner seized the opportunity to enter the field of Aesthetic Medicine, which he had been proactively researching. Weiner acknowledges that it’s extremely rare for a physician to start over, but critical factors were in his favor. Rather than viewing the move as a major risk, he recognized the strong potential that laser treatments and other innovative procedures presented to patients using his twenty-two years of laser and sixteen years of Botox experience.

After Consumer demand, coupled with Weiner’s commitment to learn and master techniques, have made him a respected go-to resource for minimally invasive aesthetic treatments. In fact, Weiner outgrew his original 800-square-foot space in Gulf Place after just six months. His primary office, a beautifully sleek yet comfortable facility in Santa Rosa Beach, is open Monday through Saturday. He also maintains a smaller satellite office situated twelve miles east in the trendy New Urbanist town of Rosemary Beach. Even in a down economy, his appointment schedule remains booked.

Across the country, the demand for laser resurfacing and Botox usage is up, while facelifts have dropped 29 percent over the past year. Meanwhile, manufacturers are generating press about all sorts of new products and treatments.

Although websites such as Realself.com can be highly informative with feedback from patients and physicians, Weiner cautions that sorting through products and procedures requires educated discernment, especially as innovations continue to expand the field of medical aesthetics. Likewise, to 122

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“Because advancements are happening so quickly, I can’t rely on medical journals for the facts I need,” he explains. “The most progressive products and procedures are shared at conferences, so that’s where I have to be.” remain in the forefront, he faces an intense challenge to keep learning and discerning every step of the way.

“Although patients trust and appreciate my expertise and results, I don’t believe they have any idea how much time and money I invest to do my job with their best interests at heart,” says Weiner. “Because advancements are happening so quickly, I can’t rely on medical journals for the facts I need,” he explains.

“The most progressive products and procedures are shared at conferences, so that’s where I have to be.”

In the three weeks prior to this interview, for instance, Weiner had attended symposiums in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, and his immediate plans included a fourth on Amelia Island.

“This year, I’ve attended three conferences featuring speaker Rox Anderson, who is the primary innovator of medical laser applications in the world and represents the forefront of laser innovations.” Gaining insights as well as passing them along to other physicians, Weiner further confers regularly with a network of plastic surgeons through e-mails and phone calls.

In addition to consulting with his professional colleagues, Weiner works closely with equipment manufacturers. “Establishing direct lines of communication with CEOs and research teams of the companies that develop this technology is essential to staying in the loop,” says Weiner. “An advantage of being an early adopter, too, is the ability to provide feedback that sometimes influences product design. I recently went back and forth with the developers of a new laser machine, and after six months of negotiations, they changed the prototype to incorporate my recommendations.”

Manufacturers additionally appreciate Weiner’s willingness to serve as a referral resource for doctors who have questions about techniques. “I traveled to three different physicians to learn the newest liposuction technique of Body-Jet® Water-Jet

Assisted Liposuction,” says Weiner. Similarly, Fraxel showcases Weiner’s before-and-after patient studies to market their lasers.

Despite his value to the manufacturers, Weiner does not get free equipment. “I’m heavily invested in my machines, which average about one hundred thousand dollars each,” he says. After the initial purchase, he continues to pay per usage. “The lasers have to be recalibrated and have a lifespan of about 2–3 years,” Weiner explains, “and disposable parts are replaced after every few applications.”

Still, he does not dispute the incremental charges.

“I’d rather buy from a business that generates healthy streams of income than from one that is strapped for cash. Revenues keep these companies on solid financial ground as well as provide funding for continued research.”

Weiner further cautions that while doctors in larger cities can reduce costs by leasing equipment that they share among different practices, he does not feel those programs are an advantage to patients. “For top-notch performance, this equipment must be used and maintained properly by well-trained personnel,” he says. “As the sole owner and operator of my lasers, I guarantee that they are functioning optimally.

I couldn’t relay that level of assurance to my patients without the controls I have through ownership.”

Similarly, Weiner assumes full responsibility for performing certain procedures—such as laser hair removal, filler treatments, and Botox—that physicians’ assistants and nurse practitioners would routinely handle in other clinics. “Patients come to my office for my expertise,” he says.

Despite how busy he is with continuing education, consulting, and practicing, Weiner also manages functions such as payroll, accounting, and marketing for The Aesthetic Clinique. As someone

who appreciates form and function, he also had a big part in designing his office’s furniture and interior spaces. “When I have a vision, I enjoy facilitating its creation,” adds Weiner, who also has overseen his billboard designs. He says, however, that his wife, Sandy—also his nurse—is his sounding board, and he relies heavily on her input.

such as Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, Russia, and Lithuania—congregate at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach. “I love that soccer has a purpose and goal, yet it’s also great exercise,” says Weiner, who was also the girls’ soccer coach for Seaside Neighborhood School until recent funding cuts eliminated the program.

All in all, Weiner appreciates variety, which is why he likes the stimulation inherent in his endlessly changing field of medicine. “My work is never boring,” he says.

He has also taken up bocce ball, which was introduced to him by a fellow Rosemary Beach friend. “Several of us were playing regularly on the beach and decided to start our own tournament in 2006,” Weiner says. “We had about forty participants the first year, and one hundred twenty players are expected this fall.” The Rosemary Bocce Ball Tournament—a biannual (spring and fall) event—has become quite a production, honoring the sport’s Italian heritage with the fanfare of flags and music, plus a celebrity to toss the first ball.

Neither is his play. First running on the soccer field at the age of five, Weiner was captain of his high school team and later practiced with UCLA’s number-one ranking team while there. “With the courses I was taking, I didn’t have enough free time to be on a college team’s roster, but I continued to play games through medical school,” he says. And despite the current demands in his life, he still finds time for sports. “I play a pickup game of soccer every weekend that I’m in town,” he says. “These are wonderful opportunities to meet people from different lifestyles who come together to take part in a sport they love.” Afterwards, Weiner and his fellow players—who are originally from countries

Another of Weiner’s interests is collecting antique medical tools, many of which he has found on eBay. “I have old amputation saws from the Civic War period that look like torture devices,” he laughs. Rare laryngeal equipment and early plastic surgery tools are equally intriguing. “Sometimes, I’ll want only one

item offered from a collection, so I’ll buy the full lot and resell the items I don’t care to keep.”

The buying and selling of antique medical tools, like the trading of stocks, might or might not take place at two in the morning but will happen efficiently.

From having to maintain rigorous schedules at Johns Hopkins, Weiner acquired the disciplined time management skills that have since helped him prioritize and pursue his interests. Thus, as passionate as he is about medical aesthetics, Weiner will continue to live a multifaceted life. Above all, he will enjoy time with Sandy and their two daughters as he attempts to interest them in his hobbies.

He doesn’t know whether his girls will choose to study medicine, but Weiner plans to teach them to spot stock market trends. “I would love to give them the background to appreciate the trading process and to notice breakout stocks,” he says.

“If I can teach them to spot trends for me, I’ll have time to focus on something new.”

Many would like to know just what the doctor has in mind.

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PEOPLE + PLACES

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Rosemary Beach Uncorked The signature culinary and wine event “Rosemary Beach Uncorked” took place on Saturday, October 23,

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from 1–5 p.m. Eight Rosemary Beach restaurants each prepared three signature dishes to pair with six selected wines, for a total of twenty-four gourmet food and forty-eight boutique wine pairings.

Participating restaurants were Amavida Coffee, Courtyard Wine & Cheese, Cowgirl Kitchen, La Crema Tapas & Chocolate, Onano Neighborhood Café, Restaurant Paradis, Summer Kitchen Café, and Wild Olives Market. Participants were invited to visit each

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restaurant in the order of their choice during the

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designated four-hour event time frame.

Photography by Kim Jameson

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Hillary Fosdyck & Briane Workman

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Lauren Carvalho & Kathy Kemp

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Restaurant Paradis’ wine and food draws a crowd

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Wild Olives' team making sure the wine is perfect for the afternoon’s festivities

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Nikki Nickerson & Jennifer Green

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Rick & Mona Pierron with Dr. Russell Richardson & wife Michelle VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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Entrance lobby of the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Gulf Breeze, Florida

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Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Gulf Breeze, Florida

A chAmpion

Among chAmpions The Doc is in The Zone by lisa burwell You don’t have to be from New Orleans to be a fan of the Saints NFL team. If you are a fan, then you probably know that the current Saints lead quarterback, Drew Brees, had badly injured his shoulder in 2005 when he played for the San Diego Chargers.

Brees’s shoulder was operated on and the determined quarterback signed with the New Orleans Saints. In the four years that followed, Brees consistently posted performance stats as a leading quarterback in the league and ultimately led the Saints to win the Super Bowl in 2009. Wow! That’s incredible!

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o

Dr. James. R. Andrews

h—you think I was talking about Drew Brees? Yes, he is an incredible athlete, but I was referring to the part about the shoulder surgery. The characteristics of Brees’s 2005 shoulder injury were so bleak that just about the entire world of sports medicine had little hope for his recovery and viable return to professional football. There was one man in particular who did not give up hope for Brees—a man of amazing stats, character, and determination of his own.

You may be asking, “Who Dat?” but maybe not. Almost everyone in the Gulf Breeze-Pensacola area knows of him, and certainly just about everyone in the world of sports medicine has heard of him. He is world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews—founder of the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine—the best of the best in his profession for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries.

To be granted the opportunity to look inside the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, and into the life of the amazing man behind it, was a great privilege for me. Its design, size, equipment, and professional staff rival any medical facility found in larger cities, although upon entering, you feel as though you’ve entered a spa for the well heeled. Physicians and nurses dressed in green scrubs briskly walked the halls, and people were coming and going with a pace you’d find in a metropolitan medical facility in Boston or New York.

On the day of my interview, before meeting with Andrews, I was invited for an extensive tour of the very impressive campus-like complex. In a nutshell, Andrews Institute is a one-of-a-kind center—a medical mecca dedicated to the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. Over forty physicians and medical experts provide quality care in specialties ranging from orthopaedics and podiatry to ophthalmology, joint care, and neurology. It is the only facility offering surgery, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, and athletic performance training all on one campus. There is an air of precision and excellence in the facility and you notice it in every nook and cranny. It’s not something you find often, so when you see it, you appreciate it that much more.

One of several divisions under the Andrews Institute umbrella is the AndrewsPaulos Research and Education Institute. This highly specialized facility maintains a Human Performance Biomechanics Laboratory with motion analysis cameras to measure baseball and golf swings, a Biodex System 3 Isokinetic Dynamometer for strength assessment, and a surgical skills lab for research and testing. It looked more like an updated film set for The Six Million Dollar Man television series than a medical facility located in Gulf Breeze. This branch of the institute also performs all the research for the Pensacola-based Baptist Hospital network.

Next, the tour took us to the 42,000-square-foot Athletic Performance and Research Pavilion, where top NFL draft picks for the past several years have been trained, including 2010’s number-one draft pick, Sam Bradford. Bradford, picked earlier this year by the St. Louis Rams, who was operated on by Dr. Andrews at the Institute’s Birmingham location but rehabbed in Gulf Breeze.

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One of the major reasons that professional athletes prefer Andrews Institute over other locations is that, in addition to this being one of only five facilities of its kind in the country, the lack of paparazzi enables high-profile athletes to concentrate on their rehab or training and not be bothered by the crazed celebrity culture in which we live.

The Andrews Institute has all the amenities an elite athlete needs to perform at an optimal level. Equipped with custom-built and prototype equipment by Keiser, Power Plate and Skiz, the complex includes HydroWorx performance pools, a performance and testing lab, a seventy-meter sprint track, a turf field, an outdoor covered agility and court area, pitching mounds and a batting cage. With all of these amenities, it is not surprising that the institute is on par with or exceeds other professional facilities across the country, but what is surprising is that everyone has access to this professional and elite care because it is open to the public.

Being enlightened to the amazing resources and qualifications of the Andrews Institute, I was somewhat anxious about meeting the man behind it all. When I finally caught up with Dr. Andrews for the interview, I was delightfully surprised to find a genuinely warm and caring person. As the interview unfolded, Andrews explained his passion and drive behind what it is that he does—and I came closer to understanding why the Andrews Institute maintains the level of excellence that it does.

Anthony Hobgood, MS, CSCS, performance specialist training Brent Callaway inside the institute’s Atheletes’ Performance

The 50-foot racing sloop, Abracadabra III, in San Francisco Bay

“Everything from the design to the ambience is intentional as I believe that a patient’s state of mind and attitude have so much more to do with the outcome of their rehabilitation than the actual surgery,” Andrews humbly stated.

“Everything from the design to the ambience is intentional as I believe that a patient’s state of mind and attitude have so much more to do with the outcome of their rehabilitation than the actual surgery,” Andrews humbly stated. A younger man would be hard-pressed to keep up the rigorous pace that Andrews maintains day in and day out. Andrews recounted that he had been to six football games in six different states the previous weekend. I asked him how he travels to so many destinations in such a short time frame.

He replied with, “My wife, Jenelle, lets me.” The unlikely response caught me off guard and I quickly realized that this superhuman was also down-to-earth with a great sense of humor. He explained the various games and how much he enjoys attending them with his family. His approachable demeanor is part of his charisma and clearly he loves what he does. “If you love what you do, and do what you love, you’ll be successful,” added Andrews.

At present, Andrews serves as Medical Director for Intercollegiate Sports at Auburn University; Senior Orthopaedic Consultant for the University of Alabama; and orthopaedic consultant for the athletic teams of Troy University,

University of West Alabama, Tuskegee University and Grambling University.

He serves on the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee and on the board of Little League Baseball, Inc. Andrews practices mainly from his office at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center located at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, and one day a week at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

In the professional sports arena, Andrews is Senior Orthopaedic Consultant for the Washington Redskins football team; Medical Director for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team; and team physician for the Birmingham Barons Double-A level baseball team, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He is also the Co-Medical Director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Traveling among sports royalty is part of a typical day for Andrews. He has consulted with Tom Brady and operated on Brett Favre. An athlete himself, Andrews won a Southeastern Conference Championship in pole vaulting while at Louisiana State University. Andrews is an avid fan as well as a fierce competitor—racing yachts VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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Of all that was discussed that day, one of the most important to Andrews seemed to be the national program he began during his tenure as president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) called STOP Sports Injuries, a program that he is emphatically championing at Andrews Institute. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, each year more than 3.5 million children ages fourteen and younger are treated for sports-related injuries. Andrews believes that “prehab” is just as important as rehab, and that is why he continues to preach education and research in the prevention of sports injuries. Research conducted thus far reveals that the number one reason for the increase in sports injuries in children is that sports are now being played yearlong as opposed to seasonally. “Parents think they’re doing the right thing for their children by having them play and practice longer, but they’re actually hurting them,” stressed Andrews. There is an epidemic of youth injuries across the country. The research has shown a 5–7 percent increase in youth sports injuries just in the last few years.

is one of his passions. His racing sloop Abracadabra III won the 1990 International 50-foot Yacht Association World Cup and was named one of the best one hundred vessels of the twentieth century by SAIL magazine.

I asked Andrews what he thought about his success with Drew Brees’s shoulder.

“Drew Brees was a little bit of a miracle. I give him most of the credit for his recovery as I’ve never seen anyone work harder in rehab,” he said humbly. The day Andrews watched as Brees led the Saints to their first Super Bowl victory, he was particularly proud: proud of his successful operation, proud of Drew’s ability and unwavering perseverance to fight through a grueling rehab, and proud to be a Louisianan.

Andrews has performed over forty thousand surgeries throughout his stellar career and he has been credited with performing some of the earliest arthroscopies. Though many of these were performed on both professional and amateur athletes, countless more were done on others—members of our military, wounded veterans, and even grandmothers—all who were in need of his gifted handiwork so that they could go on to lead happy and productive lives.

Recently, the Andrews Institute began fundraising efforts for the Eagle Fund, designed to return injured military athletes to the highest level of activity possible.

noTABLe pATienTs ** The patient list of Dr. James Andrews is a cross section of star athletes from many different sports. Some of the most notable athletes who have been treated by him: Football players • Bo Jackson: shoulder, 1984; hip, 1992 • Doug Williams: knee, 1988 • Bruce Smith: knees, 1990 and 1991 • Troy Aikman: elbow and shoulder, 1991 • Michael Irvin: shoulder, 1994 • Emmitt Smith: shoulder, 1994 • Trent Green: knee, 1999 and 2001 • Chad Pennington: shoulder, 2005 (twice) • Deuce McAllister: knee, 2005 • Daunte Culpepper: knee, 2005 and 2006 • Takeo Spikes: Achilles tendon, 2005 • Donovin Darius: ACL, 2005; shoulder, 2006 • Drew Brees: shoulder, 2006 • Byron Leftwich: ankle, 2006 • Donovan McNabb: knee, 2006 • Matt Hasselbeck: shoulder, 2007 • Joey Porter: knee, 2007 • Kenny Irons: knee, 2007 • Isaiah Kacyvenski: knee, 2007 • D. J. Shockley: knee, 2007 Baseball players • Roger Clemens: 1985, shoulder, 1985 • David Wells: 1985, elbow, 1985 • Jimmy Key: elbow, 1988; shoulder, 1994, 1995 • José Rijo: elbow, 1995; five more elbow ops, 1996–2003 • Steve Karsay: elbow, 1995; shoulder, 2003

Kerry Wood: elbow, 1999 John Smoltz: elbow, 2000 and 2003 • Carl Pavano: elbow, 2001 and 2006 • Jon Lieber: elbow, 2002 • A. J. Burnett: elbow, 2003 • Andy Pettitte: elbow, 2004 • Gary Sheffield: shoulder, 2004 • Jim Thome: elbow, 2005 • Mark Prior: shoulder, 2007 • Anibal Sánchez: shoulder, 2007 • Freddie Garcia: shoulder, 2007 • Chris Ray: elbow, 2007 • •

Basketball players • Charles Barkley: shoulder, 1990 • Michael Jordan: shoulder (therapy, not surgery), 1994 • Penny Hardaway: knee, 1996 • Randy Livingston: knee, 1996 • Scottie Pippen: elbow, 2001 • Allen Iverson: elbow, 2001 • Aaron McKie: shoulder, 2001 • Chris Webber: knee, 2003 • Shaun Livingston: knee, 2007 Golfers • Jack Nicklaus: knee, 1984 • Jerry Pate: shoulders, 1985, 1986, 2003, 2006 • Mark McCumber: shoulder, 1996 **List according to an article from ESPN.com (September 20, 2007)

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Saints quarterback Drew Brees, after the 2010 ESPY Awards at the Nokia Theater at LA Live, on July 15, 2010 in Los Angeles, Calif.

“Drew Brees was a little bit of a miracle. I give him most of the credit for his recovery as I’ve never seen anyone work harder in rehab."

—Dr. Andrews “For all of our patients, we use the pro-athlete model, which consists of three parts: expertise of physician, expertise of therapist, and the patient’s mental condition. Our physical therapists typically watch surgeons through cameras placed in the operating room and begin crafting a patient’s treatment right then,” noted Andrews.

Throughout the interview, Andrews shared anecdotes about his opinions for success in life and in business. One that struck me more than any other was “If you’re still talking about what you did yesterday, then you’re not doing that much today.” Listening to Andrews talk about his life and career was inspiring. Accompanying Andrews through the halls of the institute, it was evident that he is revered by his patients and staff alike. When staff spoke to Andrews, they did so in reverent tones and were to the point. They know

his schedule is to be guarded well and it’s unlikely anyone makes a habit of wasting his time.

At the close of our interview, Andrews was making plans to have his boat put in the water so that he could take his daughter and her friends out for a cruise that evening. For all the fame, accomplishments, success, and exhausting travel schedules, he’s just a normal father of six getting ready for a weekend with his family. WOW!

To learn more about Dr. Andrews and the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, please visit www.TheAndrewsInstitute.com.

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PEOPLE + PLACES Daddy-Daughter Date Night There is nothing like being daddy’s little girl and that held true on Thursday, October 14, 2010, as Firefly held its second Daddy-Daughter Date Night. After sipping complimentary champagne and sparkling cider, fathers and daughters of all ages dined under Firefly’s grand old oak tree. And don’t presume that

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daddy shared a child’s meal with his little princess—it

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was filet mignon, shrimp and grits, and crème brûlée!

Look for another Daddy-Daughter Date Night at Firefly around Valentine’s Day. Photography by Dave Trepanier Kyle & Grayson Wilson

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Griff Griffitts and daughters,

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Katie & Anne Claire Paul & Alex Wohlford

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Laura & David Harris

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Heart for Children Dinner The doctors of Okaloosa Heart and Vascular Center presented the Have a Heart for Children Dinner on October 9, 2010, at the gorgeous Henderson Park Inn in Destin, Florida. The evening featured live

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entertainment, live and silent auctions and an elegant

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wine dinner in view of the most beautiful beach on the Gulf Coast. Proceeds from the evening benefited the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.

Photography by Lisa Ferrick Christie & Katelyn Pendleton with Julie Hurst

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Dr. Joseph Pedone & wife Kimberly with Dr. Juan

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Carlos Zarate & wife Robin

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Mr. Bill Eddins & his wife, Lisa

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Jen Floro & Joanna McGill

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Organic Pioneers A R E T U R N T O S U S TA I N A B L E L O CA L L I V I N G

BY ALEX PEET PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARLA AND SHANE PHOTOGRAPHERS

D

uring the recent imbroglio over how—or whether—to reform our nation’s health care system, politicians from left and right found little on which they could agree.

Yet, amid all the heated rhetoric, there was one pressing issue that was not seriously in dispute: the burden placed upon our health care system and government finances by the cost of treating the chronic illnesses that Americans acquire as they age, which are often the product of a poor diet, one that reflects our fast-paced culture of convenience and commercialization. While it is undoubtedly comforting that this particular

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problem is widely acknowledged across the ideological spectrum, given the hyperpolarized times in which we live, what is perhaps more encouraging is that there exists at this moment a movement that seeks to improve our collective health by changing Americans’ eating habits. The adherents of this movement advocate the consumption of food grown locally, and organically when possible, on small family farms that sell their wares directly to consumers at farmers markets and other local venues. They believe that by in effect downsizing our food system—moving from a global to a locally or regionally based food economy—and limiting the use of chemicals and

located just a few miles north of DeFuniak Springs. Along with Charles, there is Renee Savary, owner of Twin Oaks Farm, located just outside of Bonifay. Both Charles and Renee are committed to organic production practices and to a vision of a viable, sustainable local food economy. Their motivations are manifold—environmental, health and economic—and their success has been steady, mirroring the growth in the movement of which they are a part. But before I tell you more about the efforts of Charles and Renee, perhaps some background on the organic and local food movement is in order.

The local and organic movement took early inspiration from Chef Alice Waters, whose Chez Panisse restaurant—considered a temple of gastronomy in the United States—has used organic and locally produced goods since it opened in Berkeley, California in 1971. Another influence is found in the environmental movement that sprang up from 1960s political idealism and led to a heightened awareness of the costs of environmental degradation, including an awareness of the effect a poor environment can have on public health. Perhaps the most important, and effective, catalysts of late have been the writers Michael Pollan, author of celebrated foodie tomes such as In Defense of Food, and Eric Schlosser, who wrote a fast-food industry exposé entitled Fast Food Nation and, along with Mr. Pollan, had a hand in the recent much-admired documentary Food, Inc. These writers advocate the consumption of locally sourced and organic foods and extol the virtues of meals cooked and enjoyed in the comfort of one’s own home. Pollan’s motto—“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”—has become something of a rallying cry for foodies everywhere.

additives in the food production process, we can restore our collective health, improve our economy and enhance the natural environment.

Here in Northwest Florida, we have grocery stores that sell local organic goods, such as For The Health Of It, located on Highway 30-A in Blue Mountain Beach, a bustling farmers market held every Saturday in Seaside, and, most important of all, a few intrepid farmers who count themselves part of the organic and local food movement. One of these pioneering farmers is Charles Bush, who, with his wife Shueh-Mei, operates Dragonfly Fields,

The organic and local food movement’s vitality is reflected in the everexpanding sales of organic products and in the cultural cachet the movement now has among food-conscious Americans. Retail sales figures for organic products have increased twenty percent or more annually since 1990, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the Organic Trade Association reports that sales of organic food and beverages reached twenty billion dollars in the United States alone in 2007. Also, the number of operating farmers markets in the United States, very often the main venue at which small organic farmers sell their wares, has grown from 1,775 in 1994 to 4,685 in 2008, according to the USDA. Perhaps surpassing all other indications of the mainstreaming of the local and organic food movements, however, was the recent news that First Lady Michelle Obama and White House chef Sam Kass have planted a 1,100-square-foot organic garden on the White House lawn, where they are growing fruits, vegetables and herbs for use in the White House kitchen.

The federal government’s National Organic Program regulations, which dictate the cultivation practices of farmers who seek to market their products as “certified organic,” represent an attempt to enforce the environmental and dietary views of the local and organic movement. These regulations prohibit VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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any other sector of the economy after cars, the burning of which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that are attributed to climate change. Local and organic food advocates also find fault in the fact that our increasingly globalized food system, which has the admitted virtue of enabling us to eat out-of-season fruits and vegetables shipped to our local supermarket from distant locales, assumes the continued availability of a steady supply of cheap fossil fuels. With the rise of China and India, many organic and local advocates believe fossil fuels are unlikely to remain in abundant supply, and they see a revitalization of local and regional food economies as a safeguard against an uncertain energy future and as insurance for our long-term food security. organic farmers from growing crops with the aid of the synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that conventional farmers use to fend off bugs, control weeds and spur plant growth. The regulations also prohibit organic meat producers from administering hormones and antibiotics—which conventional meat producers use to speed their animals’ growth, increase their size, and stave off illness—to livestock they market as organic.

If you ask organic farmers and consumers why they would choose to abandon the products that have made food so abundant in our nation—an abundance that previous generations could not take for granted—they will inform you that the pesticides and herbicides used in conventional farming have been cited as culprits in certain cancers, neurological disorders, and reproductive disorders. They will also point out that the synthetic fertilizers employed by conventional farmers are thought to play a role in the formation of “dead zones”—regions of water that are low in oxygen and thus cannot support life—when they escape from fields as runoff and drain into rivers and oceans. And, in case you are not yet convinced, organic advocates will offer up the fact that the antibiotics conventional meat producers give to their animals—used to eliminate the spread of disease that inevitably results when animals are raised together in closely confined spaces—have been cited as a factor in the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of certain viruses, which appear in both animal and human populations.

Another point of contention local and organic food advocates have with our current, largely industrialized food system is its need for ever more fossil fuels to keep us flush with food. They are troubled by the knowledge that our food production system currently requires more fossil fuel than 138

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You may now be asking yourself, how exactly would these food revolutionaries like to change things? What would their vision entail? If given free rein, organic and local food advocates would replace our current food production system with one in which farmers grow food in a manner that limits the use of fossil fuels—by both limiting the distance the food travels to reach consumers and limiting the inputs applied to crops to those derived from non-fossil-fuel-based sources; organic and local food advocates would also like to ensure that a healthy living environment is afforded to the animals we raise for meat, egg, and milk consumption; and, finally, organic and local food advocates seek a food culture in which a farmer-consumer relationship is cultivated and sustained. This last point—the farmerconsumer relationship—is at the core of the local ethos, an ethos that views the reestablishment of a relationship between farmer and consumer as the sine qua non of a reformed, revitalized food economy. The enthusiasm among what are termed “locavores” for the farmer-consumer relationship derives from their belief that through this relationship there develops an attention to our food, our diet, our environment, and, ultimately, our collective health, that is absent in today’s culture.

Renee Savary, who raises organic chickens and ducks for meat and eggs at Twin Oaks Farm, has ninety-four acres of land just above Bonifay on which to employ her vision of organic and local sustainability. Renee began operations at Twin Oaks three years ago, and her products were certified organic only a few months after she started the business. Yet, Renee believes her production practices and products actually improve upon the requirements of the federal government’s National Organic Program. First, Renee considers the breeds

IT IS PRECISELY THIS REGULATORY AMBIGUITY AND ITS EFFECT—THE PERMISSIBILITY OF MARKETING ANIMAL PRODUCTS AS FREE RANGE, LEADING CONSUMERS TO BELIEVE THAT THE ANIMAL SPENDS MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF ITS TIME OUTDOORS, WHEN TYPICALLY THIS IS NOT THE CASE—THAT GOES TO THE HEART OF THE IMPORTANCE LOCAL FOOD ADVOCATES PLACE UPON THE FARMER-CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP.

of chicken she raises for meat and eggs—known as heritage breeds because they have historically been bred to adapt to the local conditions in which they are raised and thus exhibit a wide genetic diversity—to be superior to the Cornish Cross breed raised by most conventional and organic chicken producers today. She grounds this conviction in the fact that the Cornish Cross chicken has been bred solely for its ability to be raised in a confined animal feeding operation—large buildings in which hundreds or thousands of chickens are kept in close captivity for five to six weeks, usually without the ability to go outdoors. Because of this breeding, Cornish Cross chickens lack legs strong enough to support their fattened frames and are thus unable to forage or escape from predators. In stark contrast with the physical limitations of the Cornish Cross breed, Renee’s heritage breed chickens— and her ducks—roam outdoors regularly and forage with abandon. On the day Renee receives her chickens and ducks, just a few days after they are born, she begins them on a diet of organic feed. Soon they are traversing her property, strutting across the organic Bahia grass that coats the expanse of land set out before her veranda, where they catch the occasional worm that makes an untimely appearance on the grass.

It is this freedom to roam that provides the second basis upon which Renee distinguishes her chickens and her ducks from even those that are certified organic and labeled “free range.” Rather than free range, her animals are, she likes to say, “free roaming.” Although the free-range designation implies an improvement upon the fate of a conventionally raised chicken, it by no means ensures that a chicken will spend significant time outdoors, as the governing USDA regulations merely require that animals raised free range have access to the outdoors. It is precisely this regulatory ambiguity and its effect—the permissibility of marketing animal products as free range, leading consumers to believe that the animal spends most, if not all, of its time outdoors, when typically this is not the case— that goes to the heart of the importance local food advocates place upon the farmer-consumer relationship. Through this relationship, it is hoped, consumers can learn directly from a farmer how he or she raises animals and cultivates crops and, in so doing, gain a level of knowledge about the food they consume that is unattainable in the grocery store aisle.

This farmer-consumer relationship is something Renee both prizes and nurtures. She has an opportunity to further this relationship every Saturday, when she sets up a booth at the Seaside Farmers Market, where she educates her customers about the virtues of her own production practices and about the benefits of what she calls “real food.” Her desire to produce “real food” for her local community was formed during her years living in Miami Beach, by way of her native Switzerland, where she tended a garden and read books about European farmers utilizing biodynamic methods—a holistic farming approach in which the farm itself is treated as a unified organism— along with books written by the current crop of “agri-intellectuals” such as Michael Pollan. Considering the passion with which Renee speaks about her quest to raise organic ducks and chickens, I feel obligated to mention the irony in the fact that she spent many years as a vegetarian. But perhaps this irony recedes when one learns of her firmly held belief that modern food production methods remove the pleasures that should come with our consumption of food. During those years as a vegetarian, Renee found nothing appetizing or pleasurable in the meat to which most of us have grown accustomed. But now, raising animals in a way that is consonant with her own environmental values and culinary preferences, Renee has rediscovered the pleasure of eating meat. This rediscovered pleasure, and the belief that it can be had while preserving human and environmental

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he plows this nutrient-dense substance back into his soil and reaps its benefits.

health, motivates Renee—to educate, to provide an enhanced product to her customers, and to profit—in spite of the challenges attendant to starting a new business in a difficult economic environment.

Charles Bush, of Dragonfly Fields, is motivated by the same passionate devotion to the local and organic ethos that propels his fellow farmer, Renee Savary. While his products are not certified organic pursuant to the federal government’s National Organic Program—only because Charles has chosen not to seek certification—everything Dragonfly Fields produces is cultivated in complete accord with organic principles. Charles grows a variety of fruits and vegetables—strawberries, onions, lettuces, beets, potatoes, collards, and tomatoes—without the synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers employed by conventional farmers. To fend off pests, increase soil fertility, and limit weeds without such products, Charles uses many different natural techniques, some sophisticated, others simply laborious. In the winter months, he plants cover crops, such as clover, winter rye and beans, which introduce nitrogen into the soil naturally—thereby increasing the soil’s fertility without the need for synthetic fertilizers— and have the added benefit of crowding out otherwise available space for weeds to grow. These cover crops also serve to introduce new insects into Charles’s farm ecosystem. While one might think that introducing new insects into a farm would be a dangerous proposition, Charles views the right insect as a blessing. Such an insect can help pollinate crops during the spring and summer months and, if Charles is lucky, it will prey upon pests that would otherwise be a threat to the crops he grows. As an additional means of improving soil fertility without synthetic fertilizer, Charles applies compost to his crops. The compost that Charles uses, which is simply decomposed organic matter, gives new meaning to the word “recycled.”

To create the compost, he collects scraps of food waste from local restaurants, which then sits in piles on the grounds of Dragonfly Fields in various stages of decomposition. Once it is suitably decomposed, 140

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Charles’s commitment to a local food economy and organic farming practices has endeared him to a select group of local chefs, who gladly purchase as much of his produce as they can use. Charles developed his relationships with these chefs through years spent in the restaurant business and in wine sales. He has also lately been seen at the Seaside Farmers Market alongside Renee Savary, where he offers his sought-after products to those lucky enough to catch him when he hasn’t sold everything he has grown to the local chefs who are his regular customers. Charles’s decision to become an organic farmer sprang from his years of travel and exposure to farmers markets in California and Europe, a well-honed environmental ethic and an innate curiosity. This curiosity motivates him to continually build upon his knowledge of organic production practices with the aim of growing fruits and vegetables that are fresh to the taste and nutritionally dense. If past is prologue, Charles’s efforts at sustainability, quality and nutritional density will continue to advance with success, to the benefit of all his loyal customers.

Thanks to the efforts of Charles Bush, Renee Savary and others, we are fortunate in Northwest Florida to have access to the bounty of the increasingly prominent local and organic food movement. We are home to business owners—grocers, restaurateurs, and farmers—who have adopted the movement’s tenets and are applying them with success. For now, it is a small but growing band of adherents propelling the movement forward in the face of entrenched ideas and practices, and it’s anyone’s guess if their efforts will result in wholesale changes to our nation’s economy and eating habits. But if organic and local advocates are able to ameliorate our nation’s health, environmental and economic woes by restoring the link between farmer and consumer and developing sustainable local food economies, we will all, irrespective of our political affiliation, be indebted to them.

If you are interested in finding out more information regarding organic farming, here are some links that I recommend: Michael Pollan – michaelpollan.com Mark Bittman – markbittman.com Politics of the Plate (site run by Barry Estabrook) – politicsoftheplate.com Alex Peet is an attorney residing in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

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BEANTOWN BABY

Story and Photography by Colleen E. Hinely

During the rapid descent into Logan Airport from high above Boston Harbor, I peered out over the beautiful skyline and the surrounding cityscape.

A little lower, I could see South Boston’s neighborhoods stacked with “three-decker” houses and basketball courts on every street corner. Just before the wheels touched down, adjacent to the runway, dozens of clam diggers were scooping soft-shelled clams out from their muddy beds. My sentimental journey home was about to begin.

As I waited in baggage claim, I watched as fellow passengers were greeted by family and friends. I listened as they exchanged greetings, recognizing the distinct Boston accent—a dialect of nasally low vowels and rolling r’s. It is one of the most unique and recognizable dialects in the U.S. I reveled in the chatter. It was music to my ears. Outside the terminal was a cacophony of car horns. In Boston, drivers are unafraid of using them. In fact, the car horn is a necessary tool for communicating with other drivers along the congested streets of the city.

After an evening with friends in town and a stay at the landmark Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, I headed north on Route 1 to Wells Beach, Maine, where I would spend the first three days of my 144

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trip at Ocean View Cottages and Campground.

I checked into cottage number twenty-four, one of the original century-old Shaker-style cottages.

Immediately upon entering the bungalow, I flung open the back door to take in the vista of Drakes Island Jetty and Atlantic Ocean pass. The familiar cool breeze brought a sense of comfort. As I sat in the Adirondack chair, I gazed down toward the marsh, looking for remnants of a footpath that I had helped pave long ago.

Ocean View is a family campground that was established around 1900. The grounds are perched high above the tidal marshes of the distant harbor and ocean pass. Maynard Trafton purchased the property in 1946, and to this day, it is still owned by the Trafton-Havens family. It was here, at Ocean View, that I spent every summer as a child. Back then, John Trafton (son of Maynard) was proprietor, the “chief cook and bottle washer,” as he would say. His children, Scott, Todd, Sherry, Micah, and Seth, were my dearest childhood friends.

Our summer days were filled with adventure, as we spent them hiking along the flattened, soggy marsh grasses and fishing for sand sharks that were swept in by high tide. We unearthed arrowheads and other artifacts from deep in the woods and told stories of the alleged sea captain who had once owned the property—countless times, we swore to seeing his ghostlike image peering out of a dormer window.

Our imaginations were boundless.

The three days that I spent in Maine were cool and crisp. The offshore approach of Hurricane Igor ushered in a convoy of surfers from Quebec. After pitching their tents, they communed around a bonfire, chirping about their plans for the morning surf. Late in the evenings, Seth, Todd, and I would gather around our own campfire to reminisce about old times: our misadventures with the campground golf cart; the times we had each been pinned by low-hanging clotheslines; and our discovery of an ancient burial mound and all of the imagined bad fortune that followed.

On the first evening we sat fireside, a menacingly dense wall of fog rolled in from the ocean, consuming everything in its path, eventually penetrating our fireside powwow and chilling me to the bone.

I retired to my cabin but laid awake, listening to a distant sea buoy; with each wave crest, a bell toll warning mariners of the approaching storm; with

each wave trough, the buoy’s solemn silence penetrated the night, mourning the infinite number of souls who have been forever lost in the dark abyss of the Atlantic.

The next day, I awoke at sunrise, nature’s alarm for the chatty birds and the joyous little chipmunks. A northerly two-hour drive landed me in Rockport, Maine—a postcard-perfect Midcoast Maine harbor. Early in my stroll through town, I wandered past the Rockport Opera House and into the adjacent park. From there, I watched as forklifts along the harbor conveyed wooden traps from the lobster boats to the neighboring lobster pound. Lobstermen, outfitted in rubber overalls and burly sweatshirts, gathered around the scales, ready to cash in on their day’s haul.

As I emerged from the park, a photographer approached me. He introduced himself as Jonathan Brand, a local freelance photographer, and asked for permission to take my picture. Though very hesitant, I agreed. He explained that he had just submitted a photo to the Center for Maine Contemporary Art for an upcoming exhibit and was returning to his home on Ship Street, a few blocks away.

A man in his late sixties, the professor-like Mr. Brand was outfitted with an ancient thirty-fivemillimeter camera. He said the old Leica camera was his “constant companion.” A former director of

the J. Walter Thompson marketing agency in New York City and published photographer, Jonathan told his humble life’s tale as we walked the main road, stopping every few feet as he pointed out some of the town’s significant landmarks. For the remainder of the afternoon, Jonathan was my gracious guide to the city of Rockport. As we strolled, we both captured pictures along the way. While mine were of historic homes and ships in the harbor; Jonathan focused his Leica on more animate subjects—people engaged in conversation, couples walking their dogs, and the crew of the sailing vessel Old Glory as they scurried to secure the schooner against the fierce running tide.

Our engrossing afternoon walk led us to a quaint colonial structure nestled high on a harbor bluff, where Jonathan invited me to a guided tour of his beautiful home. Most of the furnishings were draped in white bed sheets in preparation for his departure to his primary residence in Portland, Oregon. Jonathan shared how the home had served as a set to the 2001 movie In the Bedroom starring Sissy Spacek, and how the kitchen had once functioned as Rockport’s first general store.

In an upstairs room, two twin beds were covered in meticulously catalogued stacks of black-and-white photos. Jonathan eagerly showed me his works dating back to the ’50s and ’60s that he had spent days organizing—candid shots of his daughter, pictures of his friends as they frolicked in a European VIEZINE.COM WINTER 2010

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share how he had just received his personal copy of his father’s novel, The Outward Room (originally published in 1937), with afterword written

by New York author Peter Cameron, which had recently been rereleased. He was especially pleased with the complimentary description of his late father’s character in the biography. “The only thing is, in the afterword, it mentions that my father was the son of a Pennsylvanian fisherman, which I was at least unaware of. My father was the son of a carpenter. All in all, I am quite pleased,” he said.

After my personal whirlwind tour of Rockport, I headed back to Wells Beach, where my remaining days and nights were devoted to close friends. Before making my way back to the Florida Panhandle, I spent my final evening in Boston with my childhood friend, Michelle, who lives in a quaint Kenmore Square apartment overlooking the Charles River and its steady stream of college rowing teams.

Kenmore Square is also home to Fenway Park, where I was to attend a game that evening.

Fenway Park is Major League Baseball’s oldest and smallest ballpark, and has been home to World

Sitting high above home plate, I was hardly able to contain my excitement as a foul ball flew into my press box. Not only was I overcome with nostalgia just being at Fenway, I was now able to bring home a random foul ball to my daughters, who themselves have been inundated with Red Sox mania since birth. countryside, and other classic photography. Some of his work, such as his photo East 100th Street, New York City, Theater in the Street (1963) and his artist portrait Alice Neel (1968), had been featured in LIFE magazine. Jonathan’s artistic passions are augmented with an impressive collection of the art of the classic American painter Alice Neel. He told of the longtime friendship between his father and Ms. Neel.

When I later learned that Jonathan’s father had been the accomplished novelist Millen Brand, I phoned him at his Portland, Oregon, home to talk about his artistic lineage. Jonathan was proud to 146

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Series Champions the Boston Red Sox since 1912.

Fenway has also been home to undisputed baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ted Williams, and countless others. Scores of fans fill the stands in this beloved ballpark. Notably, the Sox recently sold out their entire eighty-one-game home schedule for the sixth year in a row and entered 2010 with a 550-game sellout streak—the longest in Major League Baseball’s history.

The Red Sox tradition runs deep within the families of New England and around the world. My father and grandfather both attended numerous games in the ’50s and ’60s. If they were not in attendance, they would spend hours listening to game coverage on the radio. I recall countless Sunday visits to my grandparents’ house as a child, my grandfather sitting in the corner chair listening to the Red Sox game, envisioning each play depicted by the sports announcers.

I was afforded with the opportunity to attend the September 21 Red Sox vs. Baltimore game. Sitting high above home plate, I was hardly able to contain my excitement as a foul ball flew into my press box.

Not only was I overcome with nostalgia just being at Fenway, I was now able to bring home a random foul ball to my daughters, who themselves have been inundated with Red Sox mania since birth.

A trip closer to the dugout brought me within arm’s reach of baseball greats like the retiring Mike Lowell, catcher Jason Varitek, and fan favorite “Big Papi” David Ortiz.

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After the game ended, I left Fenway Park and walked toward Michelle’s apartment. I caught myself smirking as I walked past the famous giant neon CITGO sign, overwhelmed by the evening’s events and reminiscing about my trip. I departed Boston the next morning filled with excitement, eager to share my adventure with my husband and daughters—and add to the volumes of beloved memories of my childhood home.

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NE W O R LE AN S

REVIVED

BY CHARLES SISKIN

W

hen I heard that Chef Adolfo Garcia, who had been named Best Chef by New Orleans Magazine for his restaurants RioMar and A Mano, would be opening his newest restaurant, Gusto, in The Theatres at Canal Place, I decided it was time to head over to New Orleans to check it out for myself.

I had planned to go to the Big Easy on several other occasions since its devastation by Hurricane Katrina, but plans were changed at the last minute. However, knowing that Chef Garcia had been a James Beard 2010 semifinalist for Best Chef of the South, I decided the perfect moment had arrived for me to follow through on those broken promises.

With New Orleans so close (only four hours by car), but far enough away (three states), I had some misgivings about what I might find. As we drove down Canal Street towards our hotel, I discovered that the city might have changed somewhat, but it has essentially remained the same. Call it a ride down memory lane—I remember the glory days of Canal Street when Maison Blanche and Godchaux’s were elegant shopping emporiums, and the Saenger Theatre showed first-run movies.

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Well, after a $4-million renovation, The Theatres at Canal Place, located within The Shops at Canal Place, a high-end shopping mall that is home to the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue, has recaptured its elegance with an updated Art Deco style, thanks to the New Orleans–based design firm Chrestia Staub Pierce. The theater complex, home to the New Orleans Film Festival, boasts five auditoriums, 350 seats, digital surround sound, and 3-D projection capabilities. The facilities more closely resemble private screening rooms with luxurious, high-back leather chairs Chef Adolfo Garcia

and personal table service. Just when you think, “Can it get any better?” it does, because with Chef Garcia’s elegant onsite café, Gusto, you also have the option of dining on one of his signature dishes, like glazed duck salad with fresh figs. I should also note that Chef Garcia was named one of the top eight Latin chefs in the country

by Hispanic Magazine.

Just up Canal Street is the granddaddy of all grand hotels, the Roosevelt, where the Sazerac cocktail was first invented. By my recollection

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it was headquarters for all those fabulous krewe balls held prior to Fat Tuesday, and for that matter, where anything of importance in New Orleans took place. Well, the Roosevelt is there in its umpteenth reincarnation, and now called The Roosevelt New Orleans | The Waldorf Astoria Collection—whatever that is all about. Shirley MacLaine aside, I’m not much of a believer in reincarnation, but that can be one more reason for returning to the Crescent City next time.

Also still visible are the boarded-up buildings that line either side of Canal as you head towards the mighty Mississippi, but as you get closer to what I consider “Convention Central,” where the Sheraton, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, etc., are located, things perk up considerably. But I didn’t come to traverse Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, although how can you help visiting the Vieux Carré, if only for a stopover at Felix’s for oysters? My goal was to see all the excitement that lay just beyond my 27th-floor room at the Sheraton on one of my favorite New Orleans thoroughfares—Magazine Street.

Magazine extends all the way from Canal Street out to Audubon Park, and includes the Warehouse-Arts District, which I discovered 150

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very near the beginning of my walk. The district comprises a number of converted former warehouse buildings that now house the studios of young artists. Some of the better galleries are just off Magazine on Julia Street, including the Louisiana Children’s Museum. However, back on Magazine, my first stop was the exquisite and well-mannered courtyard at the New Orleans Board of Trade. Occupying the former site of the 1859 St. James Hotel, the Board of Trade courtyard epitomizes what New Orleans is all about and explains my long-term love affair with this special city.

My next stop was at the New Orleans ArtWorks at the New Orleans GlassWorks and Printmaking Studio. The wow factor here begins with a look through the windows at the stunning array of glass objects inside. Being a big fan of Dale Chihuly, the renowned glass artist, I headed inside and was mesmerized by all the unusual swirls of color in the glass vases and chandeliers. One particular glass objet d’art defied classification—a cross between the Man of La Mancha and the dude from Pirates of the Caribbean—it was made out of a multitude of glass objects too numerous to name. The woman who referred to herself as the resident docent (guide) could barely contain her

enthusiasm for the art, and rightly so. The glass objects are absolutely breathtaking, much like what is found in the two Fusion gallery shops, located in Miramar Beach or Seaside, Florida.

In fact, some of the pieces in those galleries were produced in New Orleans. The cool factor takes place farther back in the store, where a door opens into the area where the glass is produced.

Unfortunately, there was no demonstration at the time of my visit. Just beyond the furnace is an area where printmaking is done as well. I learned that the gallery has been featured on NBC’s Today show—so now you know “where in the world” Matt Lauer has been.

The Warehouse-Arts District is centered between St. Charles Avenue and Tchoupitoulas (pronounced CHOP-it-TOO-luhs) Street, with Magazine dissecting the district at midpoint.

Tchoupitoulas, incidentally, is where Chef Garcia’s A Mano restaurant is also located.

Specializing in artisanal Italian cuisine, the restaurant offers house-made sausages and cured meats, and you can check out the salumi aging room right from your dining room seat. Another specialty of the restaurant is the coniglio della casa, a slow-cooked rabbit flavored with roasted garlic, thyme, and oil-cured olives.

Photo by Marta Rose

Another Magazine Street treat is the Bon Ton Café. Housed in the 1840s Natchez Building, the restaurant actually dates back to the early 1950s. The food is classic Louisiana, from the turtle soup to the redfish, shrimp étouffée, and bread pudding with the requisite whiskey sauce.

Several years ago a young chef, Donald Link, opened a restaurant over on St. Charles called Herbsaint. I learned of it by happenstance when I set out for dinner at another restaurant. I could not get a table that night and I was directed to

Herbsaint. Years before, the building had been an old haunt of mine while at Tulane, when it housed a pizza parlor. The food at Herbsaint was excellent. After Katrina, the chef remained and thrived, and now has opened a very trendy café, Cochon (French for pig), and a takeout joint around the corner called Cochon Butcher, plus an event space up top, which means he has covered all his bets.

Located several streets over from Magazine on Tchoupitoulas Street, not far from A Mano, Cochon is a keeper. While I didn’t stop to dine al fresco at one of the sidewalk tables in front of Cochon, I chose instead to head around the corner to the Butcher for a quick sandwich.

Butcher is just what you imagine it might be—a couple of deli cases filled with homemade charcuterie and shelves filled with pickled veggies packed in glass mason jars. The display was so enticing that I purchased a jar of their sauerkraut to take back to friends. While I opted for a classic muffuletta, the makings for great sandwiches or exceptional meats to grill at home are the way to go. In addition to the standard butcher coolers, there is a special cooler that hangs from the ceiling filled with cured meats.

It is a kind of up-to-date version of what you

would find in European butcheries where the cured meats are hung in the open air.

With several classic New Orleans establishments here on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, I’m never far from a bowl of gumbo or red beans and rice laced with some spicy andouille sausage but just far enough away to realize that there really is no place comparable to New Orleans. The King is not dead; long live the King!

WHAT TO SEE: New Orleans ArtWorks at the New Orleans GlassWorks and Printmaking Studio 722 Magazine Street (504) 529-7277 Louisiana Children’s Museum 420 Julia Street (504) 523-1357 New Orleans Contemporary Art Museum 900 Camp Street (504) 528-3805

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A Mano 870 Tchoupitoulas Street (504) 208-9280 Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas Street (504) 588-7675 Bon Ton CafĂŠ 401 Magazine Street (504) 524-3386 WHERE TO EAT: Gusto 333 Canal Street (Third Floor) (504) 363-1117

New Orleans Board of Trade 312 Board of Trade Place (504) 262-0415 The Theatres at Canal Place 333 Canal Street Movie reservations: (504) 522-9200 (on-site concierge) (www.thetheatres.com)

RioMar 800 South Peters Street (504) 525-3474

TOURING TIP: Exploring the entire length of Magazine Street should begin with a visit to www.magazinestreet. com, the guidebook that maps out all the great shops, restaurants and galleries along the street.

In addition, you should plan to spend several days to really enjoy all the options that Magazine Street has to offer.

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