VIE Magazine April 2020

T, D R I N K EA ,

BREAKING BREAD

FOOD IS GOOD! AN

D BE E R RY M

with Chef Kelly Welk

HOW DINNER Can CHANGE EVERYTHING

Go

o d Ti m e s &

Culinary Conversations

MAKING MEMORIES at a FARM-TO-TABLE SOIREE

FEED YOUR

SOUL

C H E F S TO R I E S & R E C I P E S April 2020

David BANCROFT • Kelsey BARNARD CLARK • Rob BURGESS • Jeff MARTIN Jack MCGUCKIN • Miriam PASCAL • Jim SHIRLEY • Kelly WELK • Tim WILLIAMS

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LOV E L AC E I N T E R I O R S .CO M

In this issue On the Cover

The table is set! VIE takes a look back at our 2013 Sea + Farm + Table dinner event featuring an incredible menu prepared by Chef Phil McDonald and wine pairings by Krutz Family Cellars.

The equestrian center at Arnett’s Gulfside Stables in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, was transformed into a rustic, magical dining room and lounge. Local band Dread Clampitt kept the party going as guests mixed and mingled before enjoying a meal together around a long family-style table. See more on page 26, and get ready to reprise the event with us later this year!

Photo by Carlo Pieroni Back row, left to right: Jim Accola, Gerald Burwell, Mike Ragsdale, and Bryan and Cindy Krutz Front row, left to right: Suzy Accola, Lisa Burwell, and Angela Ragsdale Vie is a French word meaning “life” or “way of living.” VIE magazine sets itself apart as a high-gloss publication that focuses on human-interest stories with heart and soul. From Seattle to NYC with a concentration in the Southeast, VIE is known for its unique editorial approach—a broad spectrum of deep content with rich photography. The award-winning magazine was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Lisa and Gerald Burwell, owners of the specialty publishing and branding house known as The Idea Boutique®. From the finest artistically bound books to paperless digital publication and distribution, The Idea Boutique provides comprehensive publishing services to authors and organizations. Its team of creative professionals delivers a complete publishing experience—all that’s needed is your vision.

PUBLISHED BY

46

AT BORN AND RAISED, THE CLASSIC STEAKHOUSE BY CONSORTIUM HOLDINGS HOSPITALITY GROUP IN SAN DIEGO, HAPPY HOUR MEANS FRESH OYSTERS, SPECIALTY COCKTAILS, GOURMET CHILI DOGS WITH A TWIST, AND MUCH MORE. DISCOVER CH’S ECLECTIC PORTFOLIO IN THIS ISSUE!

Photo courtesy of Born and Raised

FEATURE 26 Sea + Farm + Table Celebration: A Look

VIE BOOK CLUB: THE READERS CORNER 81

Back. A Look Forward.

82 Dinner Can Change Everything

BON APPÉTIT! 25

VOYAGER 89

28 Good Food and Giving Back

90 It’s a Beautiful Day at Sea: PONANT

32 The Evolution of Kelsey Barnard Clark

Luxury Cruise Line Goes All Out

38 Southern Traditions: Auburn’s Culinary

98 Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy: Tap into

Scene Shines

Pensacola’s Craft Beer Scene

45 L’intermission: Earthy Treats

INTROSPECTIONS 105

46 A Consortium of Culinary Magic 54 Chef Rob Burgess Shines at Firefly 58 Lifting Spirits: Sea Level Vodka 63 L’intermission: Under the Sea 64 An Epicurean Jewel: The Chef Is in the House

68 A Decadent Way to Start the Day

106 The Pasta Principle 110 Sharing Meals and Memories 115 L’intermission: Super Sweet!

116 Modern Love: A Recipe for Success

LA SCÈNE 122

72 Forging a Culinary Enterprise

THE LAST WORD: IN THE KITCHEN 131

C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION: IT’S A COLORFUL LIFE! 76

AU REVOIR! 135

TheIdeaBoutique.com info@theideaboutique.com V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 11

CREATIVE TEAM CEO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com

FOUNDER / PUBLISHER GERALD BURWELL Gerald@VIEmagazine.com

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR JORDAN STAGGS Jordan@VIEmagazine.com

CHIEF COPY EDITOR MARGARET STEVENSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SALLIE W. BOYLES, FELICIA FERGUSON, CINDY GARRARD, ANTHEA GERRIE, AUDREY JOHNSON, DON MARRS, PAIGE MARRS, MYLES MELLOR, KELSEY OGLETREE, CAROLYN O’NEIL, K AY PHEL AN, TORI PHELPS, SUZANNE POLL AK, NICHOL AS S. RACHEOTES, L AURETTE RYAN, COLLEEN SACHS, JANET THOMAS, MEGAN WALDREP

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR TRACEY THOMAS Tracey@VIEmagazine.com

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS OLIVIA PIERCE HANNAH VERMILLION

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS NICK AGRO, ZACK BENSON, MICHAEL BOOINI, JOHN DOLE, MARIANNE DUFFEY, VALERIE DURANT, KEELEY ERICKSON, ROBERT GL ADDEN, STEVEN GRAY, TAYLOR JEWELL, BRENNA KNEISS, TAYLOR LOWRIMORE, JUSTIN NICHOL AS, CARLO PIERONI, ROMONA ROBBINS, ANTHONY SMOOTS, EVAN SUNG, COLLIS THOMPSON, TODD WAWRYCHUK, KELLY WELK, BEAUTIFUL EXCHANGE PHOTOGRAPHY, BONNIE MILLER CREATIVE, EPIC PHOTO CO., GETT Y IMAGES, K AYL A NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY, KREG HOLT PHOTOGRAPHY, MEDIUM RAW ARTS, PURE 7 STUDIOS, SARAH COLEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, SHUTTERSTOCK

ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MEGHN HILL ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABIGAIL RYAN MARKETING COORDINATOR OLIVIA MANTHEY BRAND AMBASSADOR LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com MARTA RATA Marta@VIEmagazine.com

AD MANAGER OLIVIA PIERCE Olivia@VIEmagazine.com

VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2020 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published twelve times annually on a monthly schedule. 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 is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Printed magazine – One-year $29.95; Two-year $49.95. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEmagazine.com.

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Editor’s Note

LET’S BREAK BREAD

M

ore than likely, you have heard the saying, “Let’s break bread together.” One does not have to understand the Biblical reference to appreciate or understand the impressive connotation that accompanies these words. It’s one of those intangibles that you can feel in your soul. The meaning of the phrase is not limited to merely consuming a meal with one another.

It also means to connect and interact with another or others on an intimate level of fellowship.

There is something sacred about sitting down to a table with friends, family, and colleagues. It’s personal and familiar, and that is an essential part of sharing with others—to feel engaged and to relate to one another.

Breaking bread with someone you have met for the first time can be a completely transformative experience. It can also be a great healer as it’s almost impossible to be at odds with anyone that you’ve broken bread with.

It seems fitting that bread has, for centuries, been considered sustenance for both soul and body. Whatever the grain, bread has occupied an important place in almost every civilization in known history. The phrase “break bread” first began with Jesus sharing fellowship in communion with His disciples. Following His resurrection and through the years, Christians have preserved the symbol of bread as God’s ultimate gift to mankind—eternal life.

“

Lisa Burwell, VIE’s editor-in-chief Photo by Anthony Smoots

It is for this reason that breaking bread carries such a long-lasting significance—it is a time when life-giving nourishment is shared in fellowship among friends and loved ones. It’s a ritual that has been all but lost in our society—one that should to be recultivated and practiced more than ever. Let’s do our part in keeping this wondrous custom alive. Don’t let this day end without breaking bread with someone.

To Life!

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

— JOHN 6:35

—Lisa Marie Founder/Editor-In-Chief V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 15

PROJECT: VIE Magazine Headquarters, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida ARCHITECT: Gerald Burwell FURNISHINGS: Modern Interiors, Miramar Beach, Florida

A MODERN WORK SPACE

114 Logan Lane, Suite 4, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 BurwellAssociates.com | (850) 231-6377 Florida LIC AA0003613

The Creatives We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.

KELSEY BARNARD CLARK Chef, KBC – Dothan, Alabama @kelseybarnardclark

IN THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES: DO YOU USUALLY PREFER DINING IN YOUR HOME OR DINING OUT?

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND CLIENTS, WE LOVE TO HAVE PEOPLE COME TO OUR HOME FOR DINNER. WE FEEL THERE IS AN INTIMACY AND COMFORT THAT A HOME BRINGS TO OUR GUESTS. I ALSO LOVE TO COOK.

When I’m at home, I always entertain.

I love hosting and throwing a big party with friends. There’s nothing better to me than inviting people into your home and treating them to something special.

CINDY GARRARD

AUDREY JOHNSON

CAROLYN O’NEIL Writer, “It’s a Beautiful Day at Sea” @carolynoneil

There is no greater joy for me than the anticipation of dining out. Even as a child, with a bow in my hair and coloring book in tow, I knew that sitting at a restaurant table with my parents was an extraspecial event. My father would ask the chef if I could see the kitchen, and my parents never handed me the children’s menu. Even if it wasn’t a fancy place, I wanted to try something new—from the fish-and-chips in my mother’s native Scotland to the exotic dishes in New York City’s Chinatown.

Today, I love to read every line of a menu to see what ingredients are used, the cooking techniques mentioned, and even the names of the farms and farmers who produced the foods. Restaurant inspirations make me a better cook at home.

Writer, “The Evolution of Kelsey Barnard Clark” @audreyljohnson

I’ve had some amazing meals in restaurants, and I love trying to re-create them at home.

Each ingredient has a story, and, as the cook, you get to tell it. I’m a storyteller, so cooking at home feels natural to me. Growing up in Alabama, we always kept a garden. Nothing went to waste. When pecans were in season, my dad would pick up two and crack them against each other in his hands. “That’s money layin’ on the ground,” he would point out. We caught fish in our own backyard pond. When the peanut fields were turned, we would load up a trunk full and sit on the porch to pick them off the vines and toss them into a big stainless-steel mixing bowl. One time, a tuxedo cat that we slipped up and fed curled up in the bowl, sunlight glinting off the silver rim, and that’s how she got her name—Peanut.

Writer, “Sharing Meals and Memories” @cindymgarrard

We prefer to dine in our home. My husband, Jeff, and I have very demanding careers and we have the opportunity to dine at almost all of our area’s dining establishments for work outings. When it comes to our closest friends and clients, we love to have people come to our home for dinner. We feel there is an intimacy and comfort that a home brings to our guests. I also love to cook. Cooking is a form of art and expression for me and never feels like a chore. As a banker, I work with numbers all day; so when I cook, I feel I get to express my creative side. When people come to your home and you cook for them, it’s saying indirectly to them, “Relax, enjoy, and let us take care of you.” People are more themselves within a home. I feel you get to know them better when you share your space and a meal together. We love to entertain so much that when we bought our house four years ago, one major reason we loved it was because it had a formal dining room. Friendships are enriched when you break bread together in the comfort of a happy home.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 19

La conversation

HELLO THERE! WE LOVE TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT WITH OUR READERS! AND WE LOVE IT EVEN MORE WHEN THEY PROUDLY SHARE THEIR STORIES AND POSE WITH VIE FOR A CLOSE-UP! THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT: SHARING, LOVING, AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU!

@bridesbyfrancesca Beautiful @musebyberta gowns in store @bridesbyfrancesca. Photography by @jwctp | Photo editing by Stephen Wilson | Styling by @vivianlcstyle | Hair and Makeup by @tania_crawford | Published in @viemagazine.

@billy_reid Spring forward via @viemagazine | Photo @aks | HMU @aliciamariecampbell.

Get up to speed in VIE’s March 2020 issue. #billyreid #ss20

@thezoogallery Spring arrival! @elemente_clemente – German fashion designer and environmentalist Clemens Dörr teams up with @janegoodallinst. Dedicated to sustainability, a direct contrast to the big name-brand stores. Be sure to check out our new article in @viemagazine by @jordanlstaggs #standoutfromtheherd.

@lisamburwell @csiriano launched a new handbag collection the evening before @nyfw with @jungleeny! It was a fab sip and shop in the exquisite lifestyle and gift registry shop by Jung Lee NY. Check out his new Italian leather handbags there and @the.curated.nyc! They’re gorgeous! Jung Lee has also created @slowdance, a registry that is beautifully curated for people who want a flawless wedding.

This highly sought-after wedding planner is the best of the best! Photo by @mduffey001

LET’S TALK!

@q_tile We broke ground on the @viemagazine Beach House Show Home.

Keep an eye out for exciting sneak peeks!

@dodsonrealestate Fairhope, Alabama – There aren’t many gems like this town left. We are so lucky to have our office in the heart of this community, surrounded by amazing people and vendors. Check out this well-written @viemagazine article to dive a little deeper into what Fairhope is really all about! Photo by Devin Allegri Watkins

Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by emailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation!

VIEmagazine.com

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 21

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Bon appétit!

Bon appétit!

THE ESSENCE OF LIFE

Visit gestalten.com or Amazon.com to get yours.

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This book combines some of our favorite things—great food and restaurants, impressive interior design, and beautiful photography! Curated by international publishing house gestalten, Delicious Places is a sizable coffee-table book with four main sections that outline what people love about their favorite restaurants: “Bridging Cultures and Building Communities,” “What Will Be on Our Plates Tomorrow?,” “Celebrating Culinary Traditions,” and “Go Green in the Kitchen.” Grab your copy today!

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 25

s ea + fa r m + ta b l e

Celebration A Look Back. A Look Forward.

by Lisa M. Burwell photography by Carlo Pieroni

S Right: Members of the VIE team: Darby Kilpatrick, Lisa and Gerald Burwell, Ainsley Rogers, Romona Robbins, Scott Sajowitz, Tracey Thomas, Mary Jane Kirby, and Jordan Staggs Opposite, counterclockwise from top left: Chef Emeril and Alden Lagasse; Dread Clampitt performs; Chef Phil McDonald, Angela Ragsdale, Gayle Schoettle, and George Barnes; Guests toast around the table; Susan Benton, Madra McDonald, and Mike and Angela Ragsdale; Jordan Staggs and Scott Sajowitz; Darby Kilpatrick and Kyle Lage model for the 2013 Food & Fashion Issue cover shoot; Tracey Thomas and Brooke Miller

26 | APRIL 2020

ometimes in life, you have to look back and reflect on all the blessings you’ve had over the years in order to walk in continued gratitude. Creating and sharing memories with friends and loved ones is what life is all about. So, we are incredibly thankful as we marvel at the memories of VIE hosting the Sea + Farm + Table harvest dinner on February 15, 2013, at Arnett’s Gulfside Stables in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

The stables played backdrop to our 2013 Food & Fashion Issue cover photo shoot, which began with a 6:00 a.m. call time and lasted until 5:00 p.m., leaving just enough time for our team to run home and change before returning to attend the big dinner party.

Legendary international photographer Carlo Pieroni captured the images that day, including the one of our cover model, the dark-haired beauty Darby Kilpatrick.

To this day, it is one of our favorite covers.

The vast equestrian center at Arnett’s was transformed into a rustic yet intimate dining room, with long oak tables and other furnishings from Smith’s Antiques in Destin setting the scene. Decor and flowers expertly styled by Cari DeGregorio of the Central Idea Agency brought VIE’s vision to life, and custom menu art

designed by Justin Lyons added another layer, so no detail was spared. Local favorite band Dread Clampitt provided lively entertainment as guests—including a few celebrities such as Emeril and Alden Lagasse— mingled and enjoyed wine, French 75 cocktails, freshly shucked oysters, and other hors d’oeuvres before the main event.

Chef Phil McDonald, formerly of Table Five Private Chef + Catering (now known for his work as the coowner and chef at Black Bear Bread Co. in Grayton Beach alongside his business partner, Dave Rauschkolb

The vast equestrian center at Arnett’s was transformed into a rustic yet intimate dining room, with long oak tables and other furnishings from Smith’s Antiques in Destin setting the scene. of Bud & Alley’s fame), prepared an amazing dinner.

Courses included a Dragonfly Fields arugula salad, wood-grilled red snapper, and homemade buttermilk biscuits topped with Plant City strawberries, fresh vanilla whipped cream, and pecans. Flavors popped with wines paired by Krutz Family Cellars, and each course blended perfectly with the next. Winery owner Bryan Krutz and his wife, Cindy, were among the esteemed guests around the table; they shared their vino expertise as friends and family enjoyed an evening of breaking bread.

We have decided to reprise this event this year, so stay tuned for details. You don’t want to miss this evening of great food and culinary conversation!

Stay tuned by signing up for our email newsletter at VIEmagazine.com/VIEmail.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 27

Bon appétit!

food GOOD

and G I V I N G B A C K

28 | APRIL 2020

Photography by C O L L I S T H O M P S O N

A leader in the restaurant community along Scenic Highway 30-A in Northwest Florida since 1995, Café Thirty-A is a go-to spot for casual fine dining, an extensive wine list, martini specials, and memorable desserts.

O

wner Harriet Crommelin, general manager David Kessler, and executive chef Tim Williams are known for their “consistently delicious” approach that keeps locals and vacationers coming back time and again.

Whether guests stop by the bar for ’Tini Tuesday (sixdollar martinis!) or to have dinner in the expansive, airy main dining room, the food and drinks are always exceptional. The menu offers a variety for everyone, with fresh seafood, steaks, pizza, and more, along with

daily specials and a fantastic wine list. Café Thirty-A’s coastal atmosphere and beautiful decor are a great setting for private events, and they provide off-site catering.

Crommelin and Café Thirty-A are also known for giving back to the community that supports the restaurant wholeheartedly. They donate to nonprofits and charitable events throughout the year, but their most significant effort goes to the annual Café Thirty-A Christmas Charity Ball, which is a way to give back, bring the community together, and celebrate the holidays all at once. The 2019 event raised $22,530 for the year’s V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 29

Bon appétit!

The 2019 event raised $22,530 for the year’s featured nonprofit, Caring & Sharing of South Walton, which provides food and financial assistance to area families and individuals in need. featured nonprofit, Caring & Sharing of South Walton, which provides food and financial assistance to area families and individuals in need. The event included a silent auction with items donated by over eighty local and regional businesses.

“This is always a special event for us and our staff to host each year,” Crommelin says. “Seeing our friends and long-time patrons come out to support a cause that is near and dear to our hearts proves that this community believes in giving and paying it forward even when it’s the busiest time of the year.”

To learn more about Café Thirty-A, plan your visit, or contact them about donating to the 2020 Christmas Charity Ball, visit CafeThirtyA.com!

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the evolution of

BY A U D R E Y J O H N S O N | PH OTO S BY B E A U T I F U L E X C H A N G E P H O T O G R A P H Y

elsey Barnard Clark may have burst onto the culinary scene as the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 16, but to put her in a box would be to thoroughly underestimate her abilities. Clark is what my friends and I refer to as a conscious creator: someone who is in tune with what she wants and inspired to take action.

“I’m not just a chef,” Clark said to me on her back porch in Dothan, Alabama, last September. “I spend more time gardening than cooking.” The day started off hot—Alabama hot—as in sweltering. By afternoon, clouds moved overhead and brought a breeze with 32 | APRIL 2020

them to cool things down just enough for us to walk around the garden and sit for a spell on the covered back porch of Clark’s two-story Colonial Revival home in the town’s Garden District. It’s within walking distance of her downtown eatery, KBC.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN “I’ve known I was going to open my own business since I was a child,” Clark says. “I’m definitely an entrepreneurial spirit.”

After Clark’s time on Top Chef, her middle school art teacher brought her a gift. It was a logo that Clark had drawn for her future restaurant when she was only twelve years old. Wildly enough, it was Kelsey Barnard Catering, which is what her company is called today.

After culinary school, Clark found herself averaging 110 hours a week over a period of two years working in pastry at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City called Dovetail. “I was extremely burned out in New York,” she confesses. “I was working in every way, shape, and form.”

Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark Right: Clark’s son, Monroe, looks into the chicken coop at the family’s home in Dothan, Alabama.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 33

Bon appétit!

lark learned that there was a huge dearth of fine-dining caterers in Dothan and decided to go home to take a few catering orders while she leveled herself back out mentally.

Orders came flying in, and she already had several events booked before she even moved back to town. It became a homecoming of sorts; the man who later became Clark’s husband asked her on a date the first week she was back. Then her best friend moved home to Dothan. Before she knew it, she was married and raising a business and a son.

“I have never loved the South more than when I had a child,” she reveals. “I mean, you just fall in love with it all over again.”

TEN WEEKS Top Chef was a grueling ten weeks during which Clark only got to talk to her nine-month-old baby, Monroe, three times. The trade-off was spending those ten weeks being mentored by the most successful people in her field. “It is a very unique experience where you get to learn so much about yourself and just about life in general,” she says.

Between the first eight weeks filmed in Kentucky and the finals filmed in China, there was a two-week break in production. Clark had missed out on being with Monroe as he took his very first steps, so seeing him during that break sparked something in Clark—retribution. “I got to the finals then, and I was like, ‘I’m here to win,’” she says.

Just about every working mother struggles with “mom guilt”—something Clark carried with her during the filming of the entire competition. There were moments when she would break down in front of the judges, only to be met with words of encouragement from powerhouse women. Clark says they told her, “‘This is better for your child than you sitting at home.’ It really helped me to not feel guilty to be a working mom.”

IN THE GARDEN Today’s world can seem like a scary place to raise children, Clark admits. “Everything you can do to make them feel like we are back in a different time I think is really important,” she says. For her family, that means rarely turning on the TV, opting to play vinyl records, working in the yard on weekends, gathering eggs from the chicken coop, and picking veggies from the garden. “It’s important to create these healthy memories for Monroe while he is young,” she continues, “for him to have a good childhood and remember home as a place that was safe and fun.”

The garden’s summer bounty provided okra, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and more. So much more, in fact, that Clark didn’t purchase any vegetables or eggs throughout September; the raised garden beds and her chickens—except Dolly Parton, who, come to find out, was a male—produced all she needed.

An abundance of summer peppers meant gifts for friends and pepper jelly for the restaurant. “In the winter, I always have lemons to bring up to the store.

It is just little things like that that bring me joy.”

34 | APRIL 2020

"It 's important to create these healthy memories for Monroe while he is young, for him to have a good childhood and remember home as a place that was safe and fun."

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT In addition to creating an ideal environment for her son at home, some of Clark’s initiatives at work are sustainability and environmental consciousness. According to ReFED, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to reducing food waste, the US restaurant sector generates over eleven million tons of food waste annually, the full cost of which is more than twenty-five billion dollars. The benefit-to-cost ratio of food waste reduction efforts in the restaurant industry is compelling. For every dollar invested in food waste reduction, restaurants can recoup approximately eight dollars in savings.

And while the statistics are staggering, especially for someone running a business, profit is not the determining factor when it comes to reducing food waste at KBC. For Clark, there’s an emotional connection.

“I get the most upset about meat waste in my kitchen,” she says. That’s not because it is the most expensive product in the kitchen. “When you raise chickens, or any animals, you realize that there is a soul in there.

There is a life. They have personalities. You really start to respect food so much more because you know exactly what it looks like, where it came from, and what it took to get it to the point where you could eat it. If you kill an animal, eat it. You took a life, so you need to do something with it.”

MAKE YOUR OWN FUN Clark’s desire to make her home and restaurant the best they can be also extends to a desire to do good in her town as a whole. Recent data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that America’s rural population has been on the rise since 2000. Family and land values remain strong, and children in rural communities experience less poverty and tend to live with married parents. Residents enjoy low costs of living, and 44 percent of those surveyed own their land outright.

Opposite top: Kelsey Barnard Clark was the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 16.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 35

Bon appétit!

However, some problems stand out in rural areas, specifically availability of jobs and access to public transportation, good doctors and hospitals, high-speed internet, and grocery stores. Concern over racism is considered a major problem among those surveyed in both rural and urban areas, as is the condition of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.

So how is Dothan, Alabama, tackling what seems to be a daunting to-do list to attract a younger crowd in light of its aging population? It all begins in the heart.

"I always say that when you are from a small town, you have got to make your own fun."

The Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority (DDRA) is working to revitalize the heartbeat of the city. Ten years ago, the area was characterized by dilapidated historic buildings. Now, you can shop at boutiques, meditate with a sound bath, enjoy coffee in a converted warehouse at Mural City Coffee Company, learn about the contributions of African Americans at the Carver Museum, which is housed in the formerly segregated Greyhound bus station, or catch a performance at the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre.

Downtown is also home to Clark’s restaurant, KBC. After Clark’s Top Chef win, the DDRA approved a $151,000 deal to expand the restaurant in exchange for a ten-year commitment. KBC expanded its dining area, built a proper bar, and extended its hours and menu to include supper.

36 | APRIL 2020

“I always say that when you are from a small town, you have got to make your own fun,” says Clark. “When you live in the city, you go out to eat, you get drinks, or you go to a brewery; but when you live in a small town, you have to be creative.

You have to make the entertainment for yourself.”

For her, that means creating a forthcoming lifestyle book, hosting parties for friends and family, raising bunnies, and adding winter veggies like collards, broccoli, and cauliflower to the garden. Clark also secured a recent partnership with Yuengling, which includes filming cooking videos in the Yuengling kitchen; the videos can be found on the brewing company’s YouTube channel.

Sure, she’s staying busy in Dothan, but Kelsey Barnard Clark is happier than ever and keeping up the momentum. “I am probably working harder now than I have ever worked in my whole life,” she says, “because I know what I have in my hands, and if I don’t baby it and mother it, then I will lose it.”

Waste not, want not.

VISIT EATKBC.COM AND VISITDOTHAN.COM TO LEARN MORE. Audrey Johnson is a freelance journalist, copywriter, and editor based in Destin, Florida. She enjoys writing about food, travel, art, and people. See her work at AudreyLJohnson.com.

Left and opposite left: Today, Clark serves her delicious creations via KBC, her restaurant and catering business in downtown Dothan.

Photos courtesy of Kelsey Barnard Clark

Consistently delicious since 1995!

3899 E. County Highway 30A, Seagrove ∙ 850.231.2166 ∙ Open Daily At 5 ∙ cafethirtya.com

SOUTHERN TRADITIONS AUBURN’S CULINARY SCENE SHINES B y S A L L I E W. B O Y L E S P h o t o g r a p h y c o u r t e s y o f C H E F D AV I D B A N C R O F T

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38 | APRIL 2020

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fter completing his sophomore year of studying finance and accounting at Auburn University, David Bancroft revealed to his dad, “I kind of want to leave and go to culinary school.” His father, a CFO in hospital administration, offered a pragmatic alternative: “Why don’t you get in a local restaurant and let’s see.”

Today, Chef Bancroft is a four-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: South, as well as a 2017 winner of Food Network’s Iron Chef Showdown.

The executive chef and owner of two highly touted restaurants in Auburn, Alabama—Acre and Bow & Arrow—has also earned acclaim from Wine Spectator, Southern Living, and Alabama Magazine.

He never made it to culinary school.

Despite abundant recognition from peers and patrons, Bancroft is self-trained, with refreshingly down-toearth perspectives about great food. Some of his fondest memories entail big family meals lovingly served by his grandmother in plastic Country Crock and Cool Whip containers. “My favorite meal is roast beef with rice and gravy,” he attests. “It’s nostalgic and comforting.”

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Bon appétit!

egarding his dad’s “let’s see” proposal, the aspiring chef secured a job at the nearby Amsterdam Cafe.

“There were only a few local restaurant options at the time,” says Bancroft. Within the year, Amsterdam’s sous chef and prep cook both quit, allowing the college kid to move up the chain. In his senior year, when the main chef also resigned, Bancroft slid into that spot. He admits that the management’s decision boiled down to: “What about that kid? He looks enthusiastic, at least.”

In truth, Bancroft had long trained for the position, thanks in great part to spending summers in southern Alabama on his grandparents’ farm. (He grew up in Texas.) His grandfather, J.P. Kennedy, grew peanuts, cotton, and pine trees and raised cattle and chickens.

“He farmed fish,” adds Bancroft, admiring the man’s entrepreneurial spirit. One of the Southeast’s first tilapia farmers, Kennedy also established a bank and opened a restaurant.

Learning to live off the land and water, Bancroft always knew the origins of his food. He grew up hunting and still does to provide for his family. “I prefer to eat organic, free-roaming venison,” he explains, “rather than plastic-wrapped beef.”

As a boy, he also caught pompano from the shores of Grayton Beach, Florida, and later, while in college, he worked as a summer deckhand, cleaning more fish than he could count. Also, he says, “I’d watch my grandma, Momma Jean, break down everything—from shelling peas to cracking pecans. It’s funny how many people haven’t seen a vegetable growing in the dirt.”

He grew up hunting and still does to provide for his family. “I prefer to eat organic, free-roaming venison,” he explains, “rather than plasticwrapped beef.”

Bancroft says of taking over Amsterdam’s kitchen, “I immediately ditched the frozen fish and frozen pot stickers.” Furthermore, his father’s insistence on completing his business degree paid off. From delving into the restaurant’s profit-and-loss statements, he 40 | APRIL 2020

learned the establishment had been losing money. Overhauling the menu with an infusion of seasonally fresh ingredients and keeping an eye on expenditures became a priority. “We went into the black and increased revenue 18 percent each year over the next five years.” Alabama Magazine also named Amsterdam one of the top ten restaurants in the state. The elite category included Birmingham’s acclaimed Highlands Bar & Grill, owned by Chef Frank Stitt, renowned for giving credence to Southern-inspired cuisine and sparking a farm-to-table movement in Alabama.

Bancroft now considers Stitt among his mentors, but early on, he didn’t feel he could directly approach him or the other celebrity chefs he admired.

“Originally,” Bancroft explains, “I went to their restaurants and ate. I looked at their menus, figured things out.” Seeing that signature dishes were linked to local farms, he says, “I realized I needed to find some first names for my menus.” In 2007, before Google simplified matters, Bancroft turned to the printed yellow pages and found Randle Farms. “I called Mr. Randle and asked, ‘Can I come out and meet with you?’

He raised lambs and grew blueberries, and that’s where I started. Once I started putting names on my menu—Randle Farms Lamb and Randle Farms Blueberry Martini—other farmers began knocking on my door.”

Bancroft simultaneously forged a relationship with Auburn University’s beef lab, part of the College of Agriculture. Instead of absorbing the expense of obtaining USDA certification, Bancroft’s small farmers can take their livestock to Auburn for processing through their educational program. “The inspector on staff gives it a stamp,” Bancroft says. Building such connections prepared him to open Acre in 2013.

By no coincidence, Acre occupies an acre of land, maintained as an edible garden in the heart of downtown Auburn. “I got a variance from the City of Auburn that allows me to plant fruit and vegetables instead of the typical boxwoods and canopies,” says Bancroft. “I had to sit down with City Hall to explain why my leaves wouldn’t be evergreen.”

Likewise, he shares, “I had to get to know my land. You can’t bring a tractor into downtown Auburn.” Similarly, local businesses and visitors would not desire the “beautiful aroma” of cow manure or organic compost. Therefore, to replenish the soil’s nutrients, Bancroft incorporates worm castings, spread by hand. “We get an outburst of earthworms in the garden,” he says.

In addition to housing a dozen peach trees, Acre yields Meyer lemons, satsuma mandarins, apples, plums, pears, figs, persimmons, pineapple guavas, bay laurel, lemongrass, hot peppers, blackberries, blueberries, watermelons, and more, depending on the season. “Our garden’s vegetable bed is seventy-five feet long,” says Bancroft. “In the summer, we’ll have a huge hedge of Silver Queen corn, leafy greens, dill, and a lot of different edible flowers, such as violets and violas.”

Bancroft particularly values his heirloom varieties, supplied by friends and family. His collection includes Cherokee Purple tomatoes, John Haulk corn (given by the Umstead Hotel and Spa’s executive chef, Steven Greene), Cherokee White Eagle corn, Willow Leaf and speckled butter beans (provided by his wife’s family), and native African okra (sent by a missionary

Opposite top: Chef David Bancroft Above: Bancroft creates homestyle Southern cuisine at Acre in Auburn, Alabama.

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“I got a variance from the City of Auburn that allows me to plant fruit and vegetables instead of the typical boxwoods and canopies.”

pastor with whom Bancroft played soccer as a child).

A naturalist at heart, Bancroft both enjoys the hobby of collecting and swapping seeds and takes it seriously.

“I try to save what I can for preservation’s sake,” he informs. Moreover, when harvesting seeds from his crops, he compares them to the originals he received “to see if the seed size has changed.”

Granted, the single acre cannot produce enough on its own to supply either Acre or Bow & Arrow. That’s not the point. “We do it for the educational reasons and from the sustainable approach to show how much you can get from an acre,” Bancroft shares. “And we do get the crops, which is special for the guests. We sometimes allow them to pick their own produce.”

Above: Each menu item at Acre is inspired

by Bancroft’s childhood and his love of fresh ingredients from the South.

42 | APRIL 2020

Choosing from award-winning Acre’s ever-changing farm-to-table menu can place foodies in a quandary.

“I always get the oysters if we have them,” says the chef, “and I always order the beef tartare—always.”

Regarding Bow & Arrow (home to “Texas-style meets Alabama barbecue”), Bancroft says, “The brisket is so good.” For a treat, he says, “I’m having Memaw’s éclair.” The recipe is from his wife’s grandmother and calls explicitly for French vanilla. “It’s all about the homemade fudge. You tap it, and it cracks. You have to cook it with a candy thermometer.”

Guests should further keep in mind that ribs were involved in Bancroft’s win on Iron Chef Showdown. Referring to the “amazing opportunity to fulfill a dream at the tip-top of the list of goals,” Bancroft says, “Competing in ‘battle ribs’ was extremely challenging because very few rib recipes lend themselves to an hour time slot. We had to do a variety of techniques and preparations, such as raw, ground, and pressure cooked. The joy of the accomplishment was overwhelming.”

Awards aside, owning two busy restaurants just two miles apart, which has Bancroft running back and forth between them about four times a day, is a major feat. Looking ahead, the devoted husband and father of two young children says, “I plan to relax and rest a little and spend more time with my family—coaching Little League and enjoying ballet recitals. I would love to start working on a book, as I love telling stories and sharing the inspiration behind my food.”

To learn more about Chef Bancroft and his restaurants, readers should visit AcreAuburn.com and BowandArrowBBQ.com.

Bon appétit!

GOAT CHEESE GUACAMOLE Chef David Bancroft shares one of his favorite appetizers from Acre’s menu.

INGREDIENTS: 1 avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled 1/4 lime 2 ounces goat cheese 2 tablespoons pico de gallo Pinch of kosher salt

DIRECTIONS: Mash the avocado with a fork. Squeeze lime over the avocado. Fold in the goat cheese, pico, and salt.

BUTTER BEAN SALAD Chef Bancroft’s butter bean salad puts a spin on this all-time favorite Southern side dish.

INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds blanched (and chilled) butter beans Sweet corn cut from 4 ears For the dressing: 1 cup mayo 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup sour cream 5 1/2 ounces goat cheese 3 garlic cloves Juice of 1 lemon, plus the zest 10 basil leaves Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Add all dressing ingredients to a blender.

Puree until smooth. Pour dressing over the butter beans and corn. Fold and chill.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 43

L’intermission

Earthy Treats

To learn more or to make reservations, visit DirtCandyNYC.com.

Photos by Evan Sung

Clean eating starts in the dirt! New York City restaurant Dirt Candy is proving that fresh vegetables, greens, fruits, and nuts can be colorful and exciting. Get your veg on when you stop by for dinner at 86 Allen Street.

Love, VIE xo V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 45

Bon appĂŠtit!

Raised by Wolves is the stylish speakeasy-style bar and retail space in San Diego created by Consortium Holdings.

Photo by Zack Benson Opposite: Photo by Medium Raw Arts 46 | APRIL 2020

By J o r d a n S t a g g s Photography courtesy of

Consortium Holdings

Magic Whether you’re a Southern California local or just visiting,the team at Consortium Holdings is here to elevate your dining and drinking experiences to the next level in sunny San Diego. But their experiences don’t end there.

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Bon appétit!

Right: Seven-layer carrot cake from Born and Raised Photo by Medium Raw Arts Opposite top: Morning Glory is Consortium Holdings’ go-to spot for breakfast and brunch items in a colorful atmosphere like no other.

F

rom breakfast and brunch hot spots to a modern-day speakeasy, a barbershop, and retail spaces, this highly popular restaurant group’s sixteen projects offer something for just about everyone, and two more are on the way on the rooftop of the InterContinental San Diego hotel. Consortium Holdings (CH) founder Arsalun Tafazoli founded the hospitality group in 2007, intending to improve the less-thanstellar reputation San Diego had at the time when it came to dining and hospitality. Out to prove the city had much more to offer than tacos, Tafazoli and his team have grown exponentially since then, and their fan base has followed suit.

Photo by Zack Benson Opposite bottom left: Creative twists on classic drinks abound at Noble Experiment in San Diego’s East Village, with over seven hundred cocktails on the menu.

Photo courtesy of Noble Experiment Opposite bottom right: The Invigatorium takes guests back in time with its prehistoric theme, but the Modern Times coffee, delicious eats by J and Tony’s, and craft beer keep them firmly present.

Photo by Zack Benson 48 | APRIL 2020

Raised by Wolves, located at Westfield UTC, is a CH favorite. According to the group’s website, it was “a new kind of experiment for us—our first retail store, featuring a selection of highly curated, hard-to-find bar products and spirits, paired with a cocktail bar.” Upon entering, guests encounter a quaint shopping experience: curated products and ornate details reminiscent of an old-school apothecary. But take a seat by the fire underneath a gilded wolf ’s-head motif, and you’ll be transported via a spinning wall into the speakeasy, its circular bar surrounded by tufted stools and velvet lounge seating. The craft cocktail menu pleases with twists on classics such as the Island Old-Fashioned (made with coconut-washed Irish whiskey), seasonal recipes, and an extensive list of signature cocktails, cocktails on draft, beer, wine, and spirits. You’ll want to peruse the entire list, as many of the cocktail

“Our goal is deceptively simple: to contribute to the dynamic and culture of the city, elevate communication, and cultivate memorable experiences.” descriptions are delightfully irreverent—for example, the Iron Ranger says, “Bourbon gets sick of Rum’s island-tastic Instagram feed and decides to crash the party.”

“Every CH project is driven by a similar philosophy that substantive conversation and connection are at the heart of any decent society,” says the group. “We’re not interested in trends, importing or re-creating another city’s ethos, or becoming ‘the next big’ anything; our vision is neither rented nor revolutionary. Our goal is deceptively simple: to contribute to the dynamic and culture of the city, elevate communication, and cultivate memorable experiences.”

Interested in fame or not, CH has seen its projects become the talk of the town and highly sought after by locals and tourists alike.

Morning Glory, the breakfast-and-brunch dreamworld that was designed in collaboration with San Diego–based firm BASILE Studio, offers up delicious morning eats, coffee, and cocktails in a 1980s-inspired atmosphere that’s bursting with pink. It’s safe to say that CH isn’t shy. They also know that a good theme can go a long way, as evidenced by the prehistoric decor and dinosaurs surrounding the tables and bar at the Invigatorium, a collaboration with Modern Times Coffee that also houses J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse. False Idol is a unique bar project with a tropical island theme; here, you’ll find reimagined Polynesian artwork that “pays tribute to the imagined ‘false idols’ of midcentury American worship,” according to CH.

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Bon appétit!

“Down to the smallest detail, we believe in every single thing we sell.

We only share what we’re passionate about.”

50 | APRIL 2020

Above: Born and Raised is Consortium’s classic steakhouse, rooted in tradition with timeless decor and delicious food in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.

Left: Dover Honing Co. puts a new-school spin on the old-school barbershop concept with the mission to build community, one shave or haircut at a time.

Photos by Zack Benson Far left: Consortium Holdings founder and owner Arsalun Tafazoli Photo by John Dole

T

he fare at any CH experience is sure to be top-notch, as the group believes in creating an atmosphere that will foster community and connection—but restaurants aren’t the only places to build a community. Dover Honing Co. is proving that oldschool cool is still the best as CH’s hospitality-driven barbershop. Stop in for a cut or a shave and stay for the sleek yet timeless atmosphere and quality hair and beard products. “Down to the smallest detail, we believe in every single thing we sell,” says CH’s website. “We only share what we’re passionate about.”

Consortium Holdings invites all to experience those varied passions—from haircuts to high-end steaks—at locations throughout San Diego.

Ironside Fish and Oyster Bar Photo by Medium Raw Arts

Visit Consortium Holdi ngs. com to learn more.

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C H E F

R O B

B U R G E S S

shines

at

FIREFLY

By

JORDAN STAGGS

Photography courtesy of

54 | APRIL 2020

FIREFLY PCB

At Firefly restaurant in Panama City Beach, Florida, dining transforms into an exceptional experience within a relaxed yet beautiful setting. Sitting under the big tree in the main dining room, with glowing “fireflies” throughout its branches, is akin to relaxing in a charming Italian courtyard.

T

he casual fine-dining destination also includes a number of private dining rooms, the cozy and sophisticated Library Bar, and the upbeat sushi bar. But as much as patrons love the atmosphere of Firefly—which was meticulously restored to its former glory after Hurricane Michael caused the roof to collapse in October 2018—it’s the food that keeps them coming back.

Firefly’s expansive menu offers a little bit of everything, and it’s all great!

Firefly restaurant in Panama City Beach, Florida, made updates after receiving damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and brought on a new executive chef in 2019, but its delicious menu of steaks, Gulf seafood, and sushi is as tantalizing as ever.

with,” Trepanier says. “Most of the time, he is the first in and the last out. Rob is an outstanding chef—he’s also a neat freak and a stickler for detail. I just spent a bunch of money on a brand-new kitchen after the storm, and he keeps the new equipment spotless, along with the rest of the kitchen. It’s fun seeing and tasting a new chef ’s cuisine. They are all talented, but they each have their own styles and specialties.”

Burgess, who grew up on a small farm in South Carolina, spent much of his free time hunting and taking care of horses, chickens, rabbits, and goats. “My mother always made sure we had a home-cooked meal every night,” he says. “I think that’s where my love of food originated. After three years of attending Coastal Carolina University, I couldn’t find a major that really piqued my interest. I was working at a restaurant, trying to figure out life, and my general manager told me that if I was serious about cooking, I needed to consider going to culinary school. Three months later, I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta.”

On November 1, 2019, Executive Chef Rob Burgess took over the Firefly kitchen. Although the menu staples that guests know and love have remained, Burgess says he is also excited about adding some new signature dishes. “My favorite thing about the Firefly menu is the variety of items,” he says. “There are a lot of options without it being overwhelming to the customer—steaks, seafood, pasta, sushi. The abundance and availability of fresh local seafood we have are amazing, and the menu offers a mix of Southern-style food with a dash of Cajun-Creole influence and a little Italian flair.”

Firefly owner Dave Trepanier was thrilled to bring Burgess on board last year and says the transition has been even better than he could have hoped. “He’s the hardest-working chef I’ve ever been involved V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 55

Bon appétit!

B

efore starting at Firefly last year, Burgess was the executive chef of Saltwater Grill, a PCB favorite, for over seven years. He was also the chef at Panama Country Club and Laketown Wharf Resort, so his footing in the Gulf Coast culinary scene is solid, and his love for cooking hasn’t waned. “I’m thrilled to be working at Firefly,” he says. “We have an amazing staff that genuinely cares about the customers’ needs.”

Burgess is working with Trepanier and his staff to make menu updates that both first-time visitors and avid Firefly fans are sure to love. “We’ve got so many things in the works!” he reveals. “I definitely want to bring escargot back to the menu, and I’ve been working on my gnocchi recipe, which I would love to pair up with confit chicken as a take on the classic Southern chicken and dumplings. Currently, we are also working on creating a catering menu to help make it more convenient for our event customers to choose exactly what they want.”

Left: Chef Rob Burgess Photo by Michael Booini 56 | APRIL 2020

Trepanier says the Firefly sushi menu is also evolving, and those aren’t the only changes at the restaurant.

“ THE ABUNDANCE AND AVAILABILITY OF FRESH LOCAL SEAFOOD WE HAVE ARE AMAZING, AND THE MENU OFFERS A MIX OF SOUTHERNSTYLE FOOD WITH A DASH OF CA JUN-CREOLE INFLUENCE AND A LIT TLE ITALIAN FLAIR.”

“I’ve made one of our best longtime employees, Lance Vongerichten, a partner in the restaurant,” he says. “He has been our lead server and headed up our wine program for years, so we are looking for exciting changes in our wine list and more wine events coming up.”

From fresh seafood and sushi, delicious steaks, homemade pasta, and a fabulous selection of wine and specialty cocktails to a signature catering menu, Firefly is stepping up its game. There’s no doubt it will keep bringing the best of casual fine dining to Panama City Beach.

“I love that the possibilities are endless when it comes to food,” Burgess expounds.

“It’s also great having customers that are a little more adventurous with their dining choices—it really makes my job fun.”

Dining at Firefly is certainly an experience, and one best enjoyed by making a reservation in advance. The restaurant stays busy most nights, and (as with all good things) Chef Burgess’s fresh homemade dishes take time to create. Like many businesses in east Panama City Beach and Panama City, Firefly is also still feeling the residual effects of Hurricane Michael when it comes to staffing. Walk-ins are always welcome, and Trepanier and his team invite all guests to relax and enjoy an evening of endless possibilities!

Visit FIREFLYPCB.COM to learn more, view the menu, and make a reservation today.

FEED OUR SOULS FEED OUR MINDS FEED OUR WORLD 17 Uptown Grayton Circle, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 (850) 213-0000 Courtesy of New Ravenna

Q-Tile.com

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F T I NG I L

SPI r ITS

By K A Y P H E L A N

|

P ho to grap hy c o ur te s y o f S E A L E V E L V O D K A

YOU MIGHT LOVE CRAFT BEER, BUT CRAFT SPIRITS ARE THE NEXT BIG THING.

58 | APRIL 2020

Craft spirits have risen from obscurity to ubiquity over the past several years. There is even a national association representing the industry—the American Craft Spirits Association, based in Louisville, Kentucky—and there are some six hundred craft distillers now operating across North America.

W

hat exactly defines a craft spirit?

With hands-on production, craft distilled spirits are produced to reflect the vision of their principal distillers using any combination of traditional or innovative techniques, including fermenting, distilling, redistilling, blending, infusing, or warehousing. As the thinking goes, “craft” is carried out by individual people and small companies, not by large corporations.

After vacationing along the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida for many years, beginning with respective family vacations when they were children, Greg and Keri Atchley moved to Santa Rosa Beach in 2009. The couple have owned and operated Design360, a boutique design firm with a highly personal and hands-on approach to all manner of creative ventures, for almost twenty years. Their personalized style of doing business boded well for their founding the area’s first small craft spirit company, Sea Level Spirits, in 2014. They now bottle and distribute Sea Level Vodka.

To know this couple is to step back in time. It seems that Greg officially met his future wife in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when he was eleven years old, and Keri was eleven months old. Their parents worked together.

Greg says that from a young age he told his parents, “One day, when I grow up, I want two little girls just like Keri.” That’s exactly what happened; he and Keri ultimately married and had two little girls, Elizabeth and Natalie, who are now sixteen and fourteen, respectively.

Although the couple works together in all aspects of both their personal and business lives, the primary Sea Level Spirits role for Keri, a skilled graphic designer and children’s book author, is more related to design, logos, and merchandising. Greg’s role, as a landscape architect and consultant by background, is more “front of the house” with Sea Level Spirits.

“We do everything together,” Greg says. “Between Design360 and Sea Level Spirits, it’s insane the number and diversity of the tasks that we are both able to absorb into our day-to-day lives—we just do it.”

Keri adds, “We don’t have specific, defined roles; we do it all together and love what we do.”

They also are very involved in the community and serve on the boards of various nonprofit organizations.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 59

Bon appétit!

A

t first, the Atchleys were convinced that a vodka of outstanding quality could be produced from sea oats (Uniola paniculata). They also believed that this would allow them to educate the public on the critical importance of these plants. However, after consulting with commercial sea oat growers and scholars at the University of West Florida who specialize in sea oats, they determined that using sea oats would be not only unfeasible but also irresponsible, as sea oats are critical in protecting and stabilizing the coastlines on which they grow.

For that reason, once sea oats are planted on the dunes, they are protected by state law.

Our Sea Level

Vodka is absolutely handmade—from creating our own fermented mash and distilling in small batches, right down

Instead, Greg and Keri decided to make their vodka from locally sourced Florida oats, which they flake and malt with their own hands, using only pure Florida spring water for the process.

Agricultural oats are one of the key ingredients in Sea Level Vodka, making it different from any other vodka in the area.

“Our Sea Level Vodka is absolutely handmade—from creating our own fermented mash and distilling in small batches, right down to hand bottling four bottles at a time,” says Greg.

“Timber Creek Distillery in Crestview, Florida, is the facility where Sea Level Vodka is made. One of the things we are the proudest of is the fact that our craft spirits really are handmade with no source-based spirits involved. Our business truly is a labor of love!”

to hand bottling four bottles at a time.

One of Sea Level Vodka’s unique trademarks is on the label: Elevation 0.00, which is a reference to the benchmark for sea level used worldwide. Accordingly, the Atchleys developed the tagline “Everything’s better at sea level.”

60 | APRIL 2020

Left: Sea Level Vodka was founded in Northwest Florida by creative husband-and-wife duo Greg and Keri Atchley.

Here, Greg poses with barrels at the distillery in Crestview.

Republic National Distributing Company is the brand’s distributor. Currently, Sea Level Vodka can be found in Northwest Florida at Emerald Coast Wine & Spirits in WaterColor, Shunk Gulley Liquor & Wine in Santa Rosa Beach, Beach Liquors in Destin and Fort Walton Beach, NEAT Bottle Shop in Alys Beach, Carousel Supermarket in Panama City Beach, and the South Walton Publix in Santa Rosa Beach.

Customers can order a Sea Level Vodka cocktail or martini at 723 Whiskey Bravo in Seagrove Beach, Bud & Alley’s in Seaside, Cantina Laredo in Miramar Beach, and Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar in Santa Rosa Beach and in Destin at Dewey Destin’s, Jackacuda’s, and the Henderson Beach Resort. Sea Level Vodka cocktails and martinis are also served at all four Ted’s Montana Grill locations in Florida.

In addition to increasing distribution of Sea Level Vodka throughout the Southeast and nationally, the next craft spirit on the horizon for the Atchleys is Solid Ground, a whiskey that is almost ready to be bottled. It is currently aging in oak barrels, so keep an ear to the ground for more news!

For more information on Sea Level Spirits, visit SEALEVELSPIRITS.C OM .

Deb uts

2020

SPONSORS

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L’intermission

Under the Sea

Learn more or book your luxurious deep-dive escape at ConradMaldives.com.

Photo by Justin Nicholas

The luxurious escape at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has gone above (or below?) and beyond with its new undersea experiences. Guests can now book the world’s first undersea residence, the Muraka, as well as dine at the resort’s Ithaa Undersea Restaurant for lunch and dinner!

Love, VIE xo V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 63

Bon appétit!

THE CHEF IS IN THE HOUSE

In the stellar lineup of restaurants along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, Bijoux stands out with its French-Creole approach to coastal fine dining. The charming dining room and chic Bijoux lounge, along with private event room and lawn space, are tucked within The Market Shops town center in Miramar Beach, Florida. Owner Leslie McGuckin and her husband, executive chef Jack McGuckin, continually raise the bar at their award-winning dining destination.

t’s no wonder the couple chose “coastal French cuisine with a New Orleans flair” for their menu. Jack was born in the Big Easy and grew up in Abita Springs, just north of Lake Pontchartrain. “Growing up listening to my parents talk about these great New Orleans restaurants and visiting them really grew the mystique of food and dining in the city for me at a young age,” he recalls. “I remember as a kid turning off cartoons on Saturday mornings to turn on PBS instead, watching Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Justin Wilson prepare food and being entranced by them.”

Right: Chef Jack McGuckin prepares a meal for a private wine dinner at the home of Yvonne and Greg Lala as part of Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Crescendo! fund-raising weekend in February 2020.

Photo by Taylor Lowrimore Opposite: Bijoux’s lobster spring roll appetizer Photo courtesy of Bijoux Destin 64 | APRIL 2020

Growing up around the forests and bayous of southern Louisiana, Jack also developed a respect for animals through hunting and fishing, recognizing the importance of life and where food comes from. It’s a value that has stayed with him throughout his career in the culinary industry, where he started as a dishwasher in his teens. His older sister, a pastry chef at a restaurant in Mandeville, Louisiana, got him the job, and his evolution has been continuous.

“I moved to Florida in 2002 to help open Bijoux,” Jack says. “I had been working as a sous chef at a fine-dining restaurant in Covington, Louisiana, called the City Club.

I was asked to come over as just a cook, but with the opportunity to work for one of only seventy certified master chefs in the country at the time, so I jumped at the opportunity. It proved to be a great experience and it was great intensive training in French cuisine.”

t the time, Bijoux was located in The Village of Baytowne Wharf, part of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Jack spent time there honing his skills in French pastry, baking, stocks, pasta, and more. A year later, a new chef was brought on board who was an expert in integrating fresh, locally sourced ingredients in his menus. From him, Jack gained a wealth of knowledge in Southern and Low-Country cuisine; he later rose to sous chef and, in 2005, executive chef.

Leslie, an interior and floral designer by trade, bought Bijoux in 2008. It was a chance to bring her creativity to a new industry and to bring the restaurant’s atmosphere to a new level for guests. Although Jack had the opportunity to take over as executive chef of a new restaurant in Rosemary Beach at that time, he turned it down. “I wanted to stay at Bijoux with the new owner,” he admits. “Eight years later, I was lucky enough to have her take my hand in marriage.”

Leslie and Jack moved Bijoux to its current location at The Market Shops in 2014, and have owned and operated it since then with a team of dedicated employees, many of whom have worked there for years.

“Leslie designed the interior,” says Jack, “and I think it still stands today as the most beautiful restaurant in the area. She built a beautiful bar and dining room where so many people have created and will continue to create amazing memories.”

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 65

Bon appétit!

eanwhile, Jack keeps things cooking in the back of the house. Bijoux’s menu is a blend of fresh Gulf seafood, perfectly prepared steaks, seasonal local veggies, delicious appetizers, desserts, and unique daily specials with French and New Orleans influences.

Above right: Leslie and Jack McGuckin Right: Lamb lollipops with potatoes au gratin

by Chef Jack Photos by Pure 7 Studios Below: Putting the finishing touch on the filet mignon at Bijoux Photo courtesy of Bijoux Destin Opposite: Hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Jack for Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Jimmy Choo fund-raiser

“If you truly take pride in what you are cooking in the kitchen, it can provide more gratification than most jobs,” Jack says, and it’s clear he is proud of everything he creates with Leslie and their team at Bijoux. “I love making stocks that are the bases of flavor for delicious soups, sauces, and purees; I love cooking fresh vegetables—grown by someone that I actually know—to their perfect level and flavor; I love seeing fresh fish brought in from the waters that we see and dive into every day, breaking that seafood down, and seasoning it and cooking it perfectly. Putting it all together many times a night and knowing we are giving someone an excellent, delicious plate of food is so gratifying. I enjoy researching local and world cuisines to expand my knowledge, using that to come up with new dishes, and sharing that passion with my cooks, seeing them get the same gratification in a job well done! And I love seeing our managers, bartenders, and servers share that same passion and pass it on to our customers.

More than anything, the best part is seeing our guests enjoy their food, their drinks, and their company and knowing they are making great memories that we are lucky to be a part of.”

Bi jo ux’s m enu is a blend of fresh Gu l f se afo o d , pe rfe ctl y prepa red stea ks, sea sona l lo c a l ve g g i e s, de l i ci o us appetizers, desserts, a nd u n i q u e d a i l y spe ci al s wi th French a nd New Orlea ns i nfl u e n ce s.

66 | APRIL 2020

That camaraderie of breaking bread around the table and sharing life in good company also rings true in the McGuckins’ home.

creating private dinners at some of the most beautiful homes along the Emerald Coast—funds raised support Sinfonia’s music education programs in local schools.

“About once a week, we all sit down and eat a steak dinner,” says Jack. “Our kids usually help cook and set the table; our youngest knows she can come outside while I’m grilling and she usually sneaks a few small bites of steak hot off the grill before I bring all the finished steaks back into the kitchen.”

Jack adds, “Working with these charities really shows off the heart and generosity of Leslie. It’s one of her most endearing hallmarks.”

The community has also benefited from Leslie and Jack’s delicious food and kindness over the years as Bijoux has supported many nonprofits in Northwest Florida. Every April, the restaurant’s dining room fills up as patrons of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation enjoy a special vintner dinner, with proceeds going to various children’s charities in the area. Jack has also prepared many wine dinners over the years for Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Crescendo! fundraising weekend, which features vintners and chefs

tweens, womens, gi�s 104 north barre� square RO S E M A RY B EA C H , F L

850.231.1720

Whether guests come in for happy hour specials in the Bijoux lounge, a leisurely dinner, or a private event in the restaurant, on the patio, or at a private location, one thing is certain: Leslie, Chef Jack, and their team will treat each customer as family. And with an everevolving menu of seasonal items and specials, each experience at Bijoux is unique!

Visit BijouxDestin.com to learn more, view their menu, or make reservations. You can also follow along for news and specials @bijouxdestin on Instagram and @bijouxdestinrestaurant on Facebook.

Bon appétit!

Start the Day A DECADENT WAY TO

B Y J O R DA N S TAG G S

PHOTOGR APHY COURTESY OF

DECADENT COFFEE AND DESSERT BAR

“ E V E RY O N E L O V E S B R E A K FA S T, R I G H T ? ” ASKS CHEF JEFF MARTIN. “FOR ME, I F E E L L I K E I C A N E AT W H AT E V E R

I W A N T T O S TA R T T H E D AY. ”

Opposite: Decadent Coffee and Dessert Bar offers a variety of fresh baked goods, breakfast foods, and coffee selections daily.

68 | APRIL 2020

This seems like a surprising statement coming from a chef who has made his mark on the dessert industry.

You may recognize Martin from seasons one, two, and seven of Food Network’s competition series Cupcake Wars. He went on to found the delicious franchise Smallcakes Cupcakery after his first appearance on the show, and the brand has expanded tremendously to more than 220 locations worldwide. His other sweet-treat-centric projects include Southern Charm Gelato, CowLick Scoop Shop, and Decadent Coffee

and Dessert Bar, all falling within Martin’s aptly named Buttercream Dreams Hospitality Group.

Decadent Coffee and Dessert Bar, which Martin started in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, now has over ten locations in the US and has expanded its offerings past the dessert realm. In addition to sweet treats that are made fresh daily, the breakfast and lunch items—not to mention the coffee—are quickly becoming favorites among the café’s patrons.

’ve always been intrigued by coffee,” says Martin as he sits at Decadent in the 30Avenue town center in Inlet Beach, Florida, where the hospitality group is also headquartered. “Learning more about growing organic coffee beans, researching fair-trade buying, and exploring different flavors have been fun. I think coffee is something that our customers are really interested in and want to know more about, especially those patrons around the 30-A area here in Florida.” Decadent’s coffee beans come from organic farms in Honduras and are roasted at a small roastery near Kansas City that Martin has worked with for about thirteen years.

Each Decadent café location serves two house flavors, including the House Blend and the Founder’s Blend, which Martin says is his favorite. It’s a dark-roast coffee made from Honduran and Mexican coffee beans.

“What I’ve found out is that our different recipes roast a little differently each time, and they might taste slightly different depending on the batch of beans and where they were grown, but they’re always delicious,” he continues. “It’s good to have different flavors and options available; coffee is such an art.” In addition to the house flavors, each Decadent café will also have special coffee blends on rotation throughout the year.

Currently featured at the 30Avenue location is the 30A Classic blend, a consistent and smooth roast that’s light and frothy—perfect for coffee drinkers who aren’t interested in lattes or Americanos but just want a good cup of joe. “If you’re boring, like me, you’ll love it,” Martin jokes.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 69

Bon appétit! “ O U R B R E A K FA S T M E N U I S S E E I N G AN EVOLUTION LIKE OUR DESSERTS D I D — TA K I N G T H O S E FAV O R I T E I T E M S A N D MAKING THEM DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL.” meal. It prompted Martin and his team to adapt by developing a mobile app where people can order their Decadent favorites and have the items ready to pick up when they arrive. “It’s really been a game changer for us,” Martin says.

Always keeping the environment and giving back as priorities, Decadent recycles its coffee grounds by offering them to customers for composting.

As the café’s coffee menu expanded, so too did its breakfast offerings. “It isn’t just about eggs and bacon anymore,” says Martin. “Our breakfast tacos are a favorite—we hand make the tortillas, which is pretty special, and we also make all our croissants in-house. Our breakfast menu is seeing an evolution like our desserts did—taking those favorite items and making them different and special.” The 30Avenue location especially sees a rush on school mornings, when the plaza’s office workers and the students and teachers of the neighboring Ohana Institute stop by for their morning

FABULOUS KIDS’ FASHIONS & TOYS 62 main street ROSEMARY BEACH,FL gigisfabkids.com 850.231.0110

Soon, Decadent Coffee and Dessert Bar at 30Avenue will be moving to a new location at the front of the town center, offering better visibility to Highway 98 and an easier-to-access storefront for guests. The short move will not affect the café’s offerings, as it will continue to serve the same breakfast, lunch, and dessert favorites while continually expanding and evolving its menu. Martin says he is excited about the switch and can’t wait to share the new interior space with Decadent’s loyal customers. Stop by this spring to see it for yourself, and maybe grab a fresh cup of coffee, breakfast sandwich, or mason-jar milkshake while you’re at it!

Visit DecadentDessertBar.com to learn more or to find a location near you. Learn more about the hospitality group and Martin’s other projects at ButtercreamDreamsHG.com.

Bon appétit!

72 | APRIL 2020

FORGING A

By JORDAN STAGGS Photography courtesy of CHEF JIM SHIRLEY

S

troll into Farm & Fire Southern Pizzeria, and you’ll be greeted by what feels more like an industrial-chic New York City eatery than a waterfront bar and restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

The shimmering Choctawhatchee Bay at night could easily be the Hudson or East River—but the sunsets here are unobstructed by high-rises as the glowing orb slips below the horizon. That’s when the Speakeasy, the prohibition-themed bar at Farm & Fire, comes to life. Grab a seat or a booth with friends and enjoy a melon baller cocktail (the house specialty), a glass of wine, a craft beer, or other beverage of your choice and take in the ambience.

“Coastal industrial” was the vibe Chef Jim Shirley was going for when developing Farm & Fire—the latest in his collection of restaurants under Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises—along with his director of culture and operations, Dan Tinghitella.

Shirley certainly has the experience to make it authentic. He has been invited six times to cook dinner at the legendary James Beard House in NYC, an honor bestowed by the James Beard Foundation to chefs from around the US who uphold the foundation’s values of “making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone.”

Chef Jim Shirley and his team prepare dinner at the James Beard House in New York City in 2018.

Photo by Kreg Holt Photography

Shirley’s repertoire is certainly not lacking in diversity. His restaurants range from the well-known Great Southern Café in Seaside, Florida—fittingly serving Southern favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—to Farm & Fire, North Beach Tortilla Co. downstairs from the pizzeria, Ji-Shi Ki-chn sushi and wine bar, and even the Meltdown on 30A, which offers gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches from a vintage Airstream. Following in Great Southern’s footsteps is The Bay, located across the street from Farm & Fire and North Beach Tortilla Co., which serves up Southern- and Asian-inspired favorites and delicious sushi along with live music and events regularly. For specialty frozen drinks in Seaside, be sure to stop by Great Southern’s b.f.f., a chic walk-up bar with a twist!

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 73

Bon appétit!

“

JIM’S BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SUSTAINABLE FARM-TO-TABLE MOVEMENT FOR YEARS AND KNOWS SO MANY FARMERS AND FISHERMEN PERSONALLY, IT’S SECOND NATURE TO HIM.

“W

e opened North Beach Tortilla Co. in June 2019, which wasn’t the ideal time to open a new restaurant, but complications from Hurricane Michael had pushed us back,” says Tinghitella, who heads up a dedicated operations and culinary team while Shirley is busily overseeing his many irons in the fire. “It was a great learning experience, and fortunately, it’s been very successful. We wanted to create a Northwest Florida taco and tequila bar, and we’re trying to define that with fresh Gulf seafood, handmade tortillas, and more.

With Jim coming from Pensacola, there’s a lot of Spanish influence there, so you can see that at North Beach, as well.”

The upstairs pizzeria, meanwhile, centers on a pair of coal-burning brick ovens. Each delicious menu item is fired in the coals, from specialty and build-yourown pizzas to whole Gulf fish, steaks, and farm-fresh seasonal vegetables. “We wanted a totally different vibe from downstairs,” says Tinghitella. “‘Coastal industrial’ is another concept we’re still defining, with influences from Chicago restaurants we visited but still keeping our local flavor. It’s all about the ingredients and the process with these coal-fired ovens; everything is authentic and fresh. We don’t even have a freezer.”

Above: Jim Shirley Enterprises operates six restaurants in the Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, area, including Great Southern Café in Seaside. His team opened three new concepts in 2019: North Beach Tortilla Co., Ji-Shi Ki-chn, and Farm & Fire Southern Pizzeria.

74 | APRIL 2020

Situated on a small white-sand beach on the Choctawhatchee Bay at the south end of the bridge on Highway 331, North Beach and Farm & Fire have one major draw in common—the view. “These sunsets are something you won’t see in Chicago or New York,” Tinghitella says. “Last year, we had dolphins out here in the bay every evening, pods of twenty or thirty at a time. Farm & Fire opened in November when it gets dark early, so we haven’t even been able to enjoy the

sunsets from the dining room up there yet. We can’t wait to share those with our guests this spring and summer.”

Ji-Shi Ki-chn, the rebrand of Shirley’s 45 Central Wine Bar, reopened in September of last year, bringing a new superfood-centric concept to Seaside. “We wanted to offer some healthier things like acai bowls for breakfast and lunch,” Tinghitella says, “and we want to roll out fresh juices and some other things there soon while still layering in the bar element at night with sushi, paella three nights a week, and the extensive wine list everybody already loved.”

Fresh, local, and sustainable still define the Jim Shirley Enterprises brand across all its restaurants. Although native to Pensacola, Florida, Shirley’s family grew up traveling with his Navy pilot father, and the chef ’s style draws inspiration from the New Ruralism movement, celebrating the proud farming history of the South and other traditionally rural areas to help create sustainable agriculture in today’s more urban society. He has traveled the globe to learn about sustainable farm-to-table techniques and gain inspiration for his food and beverage menus. Still, his favorite dishes usually hark back to his grandmother’s traditional Southern kitchen.

In a difficult industry, it takes immense perseverance to own and operate six restaurants, but Shirley’s tapestry of culinary greatness doesn’t end there. He is also the co-owner of Great Southern Restaurants in Pensacola, which operates the Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, 5 Sisters Blues Café, and Palafox House.

Along with creating great food and dining experiences, the Jim Shirley Enterprises mission places a great deal of emphasis on giving back to the community and beyond. The chef regularly makes appearances at charity functions such as the annual Seaside School Half Marathon Taste of the Race event, which Chef Emeril Lagasse hosts as a benefit for the Seaside Neighborhood School. He is the organizer of the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s annual fund-raiser called Soundside Splendor, coming up May 3 at Portofino Island Resort in Pensacola.

Shirley is also involved with Southern Foodways Alliance, a member-supported nonprofit organization based at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Its mission is to document, study, and explore the diverse food cultures of the changing American South with the hope of “driving a more progressive future by leading conversations that challenge existing constructs, shape perspectives, and foster meaningful discussions.”

“Jim’s been involved in the sustainable farm-to-table movement for years and knows so many farmers and fishermen personally, it’s second nature to him,” Tinghitella explains. “He’s been a driving force for sustainability on the Gulf Coast for so long now that it’s very much part of who we are and everything we do.”

His efforts have not gone unnoticed, as awards and accolades have piled up over the past twenty-five years since Shirley opened his first restaurant, Madison’s Diner (named for his daughter), in Pensacola. In addition to being asked to participate in six James Beard Foundation dinners, his signature Grits à Ya Ya dish has been named Florida’s best Southern dish by Florida Travel + Life magazine, and Shirley was also invited to prepare it for over one thousand people on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, as part of Taste of the South, organized by US Congressman Jeff Miller of Florida. Last year, Shirley and his team created a four-course meal for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s inaugural celebration in Tallahassee. Most

recently, he traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, to receive the 2020 Shining Example Award – Epicurean Partner from the Southeast Tourism Society.

The reviews of the most recent James Beard dinner, which took place on January 24, were unanimously positive, with diners raving about the complex flavors of each dish. It featured modern Southern flair, including lionfish cakes with red curry sauce, heritage pork, oysters, three-cowpea succotash, and Gulf red snapper topped with a brown-butter vinaigrette. The crowd favorite, in the end, was the dessert course: blood-orange pie and cornbread pudding served with Shirley’s famous Tarnation Eggnog, which debuted at b.f.f. for the winter in 2018. The event also showcased the beverage talent of Northwest Florida, as the predinner reception featured beer from Idyll Hounds Brewing Company and Grayton Beer Company along with a delectable cocktail made with Dune Laker Vodka from Distillery 98, all produced in Santa Rosa Beach.

For those who might not be visiting the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida anytime soon, Shirley’s cookbook, Good Grits! (Southern Boy Cooks), offers a sampling of his signature recipes along with stories from his first fifteen years in the restaurant business. It is available on Amazon.

VISIT CHEFJIMSHIRLEY.COM TO LEARN MORE.

C’est la vie

IT’S A COLORFUL LIFE!

Color can make life so much more interesting! Our tip is to incorporate bold accessories into every part of your lifestyle, whether this is with trendsetting home decor or fabulously flashy fashion items. This C’est la VIE Curated Collection is sure to bring a pop of fun to your everyday activities. As this is our Culinary Issue, we’ve included some items to make mealtime magnificent as well.

After all, everyone needs a little Dolce & Gabbana in the kitchen, right?

1

Let’s Toast

Smeg x Dolce & Gabbana Four-Slot Toaster SmegUSA.com/sicily-is-my-love 76 | APRIL 2020

Turn Around, Bright Eyes 3

Oliver Peoples Georgica Sunglasses $430 – NET-A-PORTER.com

2

Cheese, Please!

Savor: Entertaining with Charcuterie, Cheese, Spreads & More $16 – Amazon.com

The Perfect 4 Summer Bag Reading Rainbow

5

Tara Wilson Designs Rainbow Mirror Bookends $300 – AnnSandra.com

Sophia Webster Emmie Raffia Shoulder Bag $395 – SophiaWebster.com

Chop Chop!

7

Sunnylife Kids Rainbow Reusable Chop Sticks $13 – Sunnylife.com

But First, Espresso 8

6

Secure the Stag

Asprey Stag Head Decanter $3,550 – Asprey.com/us

illy X7.1 iperEspresso Machine $295 – illy.com

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 77

Summer Takes It Geo! 9

PatBO Geo Print Long-Sleeve Swimsuit $495 – PatBO.com

78 | APRIL 2020

C’est la vie

10

Crystal Clear

Saerom Yoon Crystal Series Table 01 Acrylic $3,800 – 1stDibs.com

Hydrate 11 & Restore

Gem-Water Reusable Gem Straw $40 – Gem-Water.com 13

12

Shakin’ in Style

Coming in Clutch!

Iris Apfel Beaded Clutch $225 – IbuMovement.com

Anna New York Dual Salt and Pepper Shakers $150 – AnnaNewYork.com

Cooked to Perfection 14

Bertazzoni Professional Series 36-Inch All-Gas Range US.Bertazzoni.com

15

Shaken, Not Stirred

Sunnylife Luxe Shaker and Glass Set $60 – Sunnylife.com

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 79

Learn more or book your stay at B2BoutiqueHotels.com.

Photo courtesy of B2 Boutique Hotel + Spa Zurich

BOOK CLUB THE READERS CORNER

Beer-bottle chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves? We’re ready to book our stay immediately at B2 Boutique Hotel + Spa in Zurich, Switzerland! The cozy and whimsical hotel is housed in a building that was once the Hßrlimann Brewery, and some of the sixty guest rooms were part of the beer production facility. Its Wine Library offers small bites and a curated wine selection daily for guests to enjoy while they relax with a good read. B2 is also the only hotel in Zurich with a rooftop thermal spa. What are you waiting for?

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 81

The Readers Corner

Dinner Can Change Everything B y H A N NA H VE R M I L L I O N Ph o to graph y c our tesy of C HE F KE L LY W E L K

82 | APRIL 2020

I

first found out about Chef Kelly Welk from a dear friend who wanted to gather a group of friends together to cook a meal and foster fellowship over meaningful conversation and delicious food.

Instantly, I was a fan of the idea! A few weeks later, I received a special gift from that same friend: Dinner Changes Everything by Kelly Welk. With no prior knowledge of the cookbook, I skimmed its pages and learned that it not only teaches people how to prepare delicious recipes, but also supports a cause close to my heart and many others—the fight against sex trafficking. In this book, you will find recipes and tips for hosting your own Freedom Dinners, as Welk calls them. I recently had the chance to catch up with the chef herself and learn even more about her inspiration for Dinner Changes Everything and the Freedom Dinners.

VIE:

What inspired you to write Dinner Changes Everything?

Chef Kelly Welk: After we had been hosting the Freedom Dinners for a year, people were asking me more and more questions on how the dinners started, how they worked, and how individuals could host their own. It was all of these questions that gave me the courage to write the book.

I am not a traditionally trained chef. I’ve learned all of my cooking and hosting skills from hands-on experience, and the more that I invited our community in to be part of these dinners, the more I knew that this was exactly what people needed to see and hear about. The Freedom Dinners are about each of

us doing what we can. It is incredibly beautiful and powerful when we all work together offering what we have. Freedom Dinners are fully funded by donations and run by volunteers so that every penny raised from ticket sales can go directly to the women and children who desperately need freedom and hope.

The cookbook is a glimpse into our community; it features my own fresh, homegrown menus as well as stories of gardeners, flower farmers, friends stepping in to wash dishes, and others using their time and experience to help run the kitchen.

From the beautiful tables that were built and donated by a local woodworker to the photography by Saleina Marie and flowers donated from Willow and Mabel Garden Co., Dinner Changes Everything is truly a reflection of the beauty that comes from community.

VIE: What can you tell us about your first Freedom Dinner?

Above and opposite: Chef Kelly Welk founded the concept for Freedom Dinners to aid the victims of human trafficking. Her book Dinner Changes Everything tells her story, provides recipes and decor tips, and outlines how readers can host their own Freedom Dinners to make a difference.

Above: Photo by Bonnie Miller Creative Opposite: Photo by Keeley Erickson

KW:

Our first dinner was so normal. We set up a couple of tables on our back deck; they weren’t the same size or shape, and we didn’t have matching linens or dishes. It was a simple dinner with friends. I was so nervous when I sent out that first invitation. I didn’t know if anyone would come! Who invites their friends to dinner and says, “Oh, and by the way, you need to pay to eat with us this time”? Ha! V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 83

The Readers Corner

“

What I’ve realized is that we’re all looking for a way to be involved that fits what our lives are already about.

T

he thing that shocked me with that first dinner was not just that we had seven friends who said yes, but that so many other people in our community jumped at the chance to be involved. One gal donated potatoes from her garden, my parents sent us salmon they’d caught in Alaska, another local business donated wine, another brought decor from her shop, a friend bought all the ingredients for the salad and dropped them off at our house, and other friends showed up to help me prep and set the table. What started as a somewhat selfish desire to be able to donate more funds quickly turned into an opportunity for our community to use their everyday lives to be a part of something bigger. It shocked me because I was not expecting it.

What I’ve realized is that we’re all looking for a way to be involved that fits what our lives are already about.

My stepping out to use what I can do best has opened many doors for other people to do the same. It is this willingness to be involved that continues to propel the dinners.

VIE:

Tell us how you became connected with Rescue Freedom and about what they do.

KW: Above: Photo by Kelly Welk 84 | APRIL 2020

Jeremy Vallerand, the CEO of Rescue: Freedom International, is a friend that we met while in college. His career had taken off, and he was presented with the reality of human trafficking while on a business

trip to India. When he got home, he teamed up with Del Chittim to launch what is now known as Climb for Captives. Their mountain climbs raised funds to help support the safe homes in India that Jeremy had visited. As Climb for Captives grew and the funds continued to come in, he founded the nonprofit Rescue:Freedom International.

Six years ago, I heard Jeremy speaking at an event and was so moved by his stories, I knew I needed to do more than simply give the extra twenty dollars that was in my wallet. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I had anything to offer.

How could I, a mom from Bremerton, Washington, do anything to fight this global injustice? Jeremy’s story of how his love for climbing became a tool to help is what inspired me to think that maybe I could do what I already loved to do—host a dinner. That is where the simple idea for Freedom Dinners came from. Quite honestly, it still felt too small, but I knew the best thing I could do was what was already in front of me.

That first Freedom Dinner has evolved into over five hundred people hosted at our table. Our business, Ciderpress Lane, also grew from the dinners, and we donate 10 percent of all profits. Between the business and the Freedom Dinners, we’ve played a part in raising over fifty thousand dollars for Rescue:Freedom. I never would have imagined that when we welcomed friends to our table for that first dinner it would grow to what it is today.

VIE:

I’m so inspired by how you took your skills and resources and used them to help others. What words of encouragement would you give to someone looking to do the same?

KW:

Look around you at your everyday life. The things you think are small, silly, or frivolous—that’s where you need to begin. I had ignored my love of hosting.

We had people at our house and around our table all the time; it was just what I did.

But it felt so normal that I didn’t give it a second thought. I always thought that if I was going to do something that made a big impact, it would need to be outside of my norm, and that is where I was dead wrong.

When we can leverage these parts of our lives, we’re leaning in to all of the things that fill life with the joy of living, and it’s 100 percent sustainable because we want to do it! It’s this joy in doing that attracts people.

It makes it easy to find community and support when we’re tapping into the things that we all love. And when we get to do it together, it feeds our souls even more.

around the table, using what you have to help someone else, will change everything.

•

Light candles. Dim lighting makes any space feel cozy, whether you’re outside or inside.

Create a cozy space with soft lighting.

This question that you asked is one I have been asked often, and it inspired me to write my second book, Dream Catcher. It’s a guided journal to help you uncover your own skills and resources. It helps you see your everyday life from a fresh perspective and then take the steps to start living it all out. I even created a master class to go along with the book that includes twelve video sessions and additional journal pages to help you dive even deeper into this question. You can find out more at CiderpressLane.com/shop.

•

Turn on music. Background music takes the awkward quiet away and makes any space feel like it’s ready and inviting.

•

Invite people to help. Whether you’re inviting your guests to bring a dish or friends to help you host, there’s no need to do it all by yourself. The best part of any meal is the preparing and being together, so invite people in to be part of creating the ambience and food.

•

I have all sorts of tips on hosting your own Freedom Dinner on our blog at CiderpressLane.com/freedom-dinner-resource, plus a full page of invitation ideas, menus, playlists, and more!

VIE:

VIE: What is your favorite springtime meal to cook?

I can’t wait to host my own Freedom Dinner! Do you have any tips on how to create the perfect space?

KW:

Yes! Don’t wait for everything to be perfect.

Invite friends to dinner and watch how an evening

My most basic tips for creating the perfect space are:

KW:

I love cooking with the seasons, so anything involving fresh herbs and getting out to the grill would be my go-to springtime meal! This Moroccan chicken is packed full of flavor and is delicious over a chipotle salad served with fresh corn muffins and honey butter!

Above: Chef Kelly Welk Photos by Keeley Erickson V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 85

The Readers Corner

Moroccan Chicken INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch cilantro 4 sprigs fresh mint 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt Zest from 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 pound chicken tenders (You can also substitute flank steak or pork tenderloin.)

DIRECTIONS: Pulse all of the ingredients except the meat in a food processor until the cilantro is completely minced and all ingredients are well combined. Place the meat and marinade in a gallonsized plastic storage bag. Massage the bag, mixing it around until the meat is completely covered with the marinade. Chill for at least two hours or overnight. Grill and then serve!

This entrÊe is perfect atop Chef Kelly Welk’s chipotle salad with a side of fresh corn muffins! (See these recipes online at VIEmagazine.com/article/chef-kelly-welk-dinner-changes-everything.)

Photo by Kelly Welk

THE ZOO GALLERY Grayton Beach Grand Boulevard T h e Z o o G a l l e r y. c o m s t a n d o u t f r o m t h e h e r d

Sculpture by Denise Greenwood

since 1979

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Voyager

SEE THE WORLD

Visit LeosSF.com to learn more or book your table!

Photo courtesy of Leo’s Oyster Bar

The world is your oyster. But, of course, delicious fresh oysters can still be yours too! Enjoy them raw or baked in an incredibly stunning setting at Leo’s Oyster Bar in San Francisco. Created

by Big Night Restaurant Group co-owners Anna Weinberg and James Nicholas, along with executive Chef Jenn Puccio, Leo’s cops a vibe described as “1950s Beverly Hills meets Manhattan club.”

The menu features fresh seafood, clam chowder, steak, and more.

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Day at Sea IT'S A BEAUTIFUL

PONANT Luxury Cruise Line Goes All Out

90 | APRIL 2020

BY CA R O LY N O ’ N E I L P H OTO G RA P H Y C O U RT E SY O F P O N A N T

From polar expeditions to tropical isle escapes, luxury abounds on board the sleek, small ships of PONANT. he world of luxury cruising is as varied in style and focus as the choices of luxury hotels and resorts on land. With an 11 percent increase in cruise sales in 2019, there is even more excitement afloat as companies compete with increasingly unique offerings.

What sets the French line PONANT apart from the rest of the world’s cruise fleets begins eight feet below the waterline. On each of their six new Explorer-class yachts, all named for French explorers, passengers can descend into the hull of the ship to find the Blue Eye lounge.

The focal points of this multisensory observation lounge with comfy seating and subdued lighting are two whale-eye-shaped portholes presenting views to underwater life outside. Jellyfish dance and sharks speed by as guests relax with cocktails and enjoy the ever-changing show.

Specially designed hydrophones allow guests to listen to what’s going on in the water as well. Depending on the ship’s itinerary, you might hear the song of a

whale in Antarctica or the mesmerizing cry of tiny krill in a Norwegian fjord. French composer Michel Redolfi, known for his research on subaquatic music, created the acoustic sound immersion in the Blue Eye, including body listening sofas that hum and vibrate in unison with the ocean around the ship for a complete sensory experience. You feel as though Captain Nemo of Jules Verne’s fictional submarine Nautilus could appear at any moment.

Designed by real-life ocean explorer and architect Jacques Rougerie, the Blue Eye is the first of its kind in the world.

“There are eighteen layers of glass in the windows, so they’re actually stronger than the hull,” says Rougerie. “My fellow Frenchman Jacques Cousteau introduced the world to the undersea world through the voyages of his ship Calypso. Now PONANT passengers can do the same, as if they’re looking out through the eyes of a whale.”

In the Blue Eye lounge, no noisy blenders or martini shakers are allowed—to preserve the serenity of the space—but there may be the occasional pop of a Champagne cork!

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T H E O N LY F R E N C H C R U I S E L I N E The only cruise line flying the French flag, PONANT will have twelve vessels in its fleet of small-sized, five-star yachts by 2021, all with elegant design and state-of-the-art technology. Epitomizing luxury, onboard amenities include Hermès bath products, spa therapies by Sothys, and sweet treats from Ladurée.

The ships prioritize exquisite cuisine with menus curated by famed French chef Alain Ducasse, and their wine cellars boast the finest French wines. Remember the book French Women Don’t Get Fat? Indulge and enjoy! Adventures for the taste buds and the inner explorer await passengers on all of PONANT’s world voyages, from the South Pole to Sicily.

The newly launched Explorer ships have just ninety-two cabins—most with private balconies—and they feel like private yachts with beautiful decor and panoramic observation decks.

COLD IS HOT PONANT was founded in 1988 by officers from the French Merchant Navy who wanted to create a new style of cruising focused on sea travel to distant and unexplored regions. Their passion for ocean voyages led them to launch polar itineraries to the icy lands of the Arctic and Antarctica. PONANT captains are known for their expertise in navigating polar waters, having sailed to these regions over 350 times. Passengers are treated to daily adventures with science experts and naturalist guides on Zodiac landing craft. These excursions include watching a caving glacier or going ashore to photograph a colony of penguins. This year, by the way, marks the bicentennial of the discovery of Antarctica, so this may be the year to pose with a penguin!

If you’ve already been to Antarctica, PONANT is ready to serve up your next frozen adventure with two new Arctic sailings: Greenland and the Aleutian Islands.

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A WORLD TO EXPLORE Today, PONANT sails the globe with itineraries focused on luxury adventure: expeditions along the African coastline; cruises through the Great Lakes in the US and Canada; European sailings from Ireland to the Norwegian fjords; Mediterranean trips between Naples and Venice, and more. New for 2020 are sailings through the warmer waters of Central America to discover aquatic life and expeditions in the footsteps of the ancient Mayan civilizations.

Explorations for the mind are an emphasis on PONANT. They have a cruise around Japan to study the history of World War II, a culinary trip circumnavigating Sicily, and a garden tour of the British Isles.

Topic experts on board provide a deeper dive into the history and culture of each destination. Cruising has become a popular way to learn more about the far corners of the world!

Passengers are treated to daily adventures with science experts and naturalist guides on Zodiac landing craft.

These excursions include watching a caving glacier or going ashore to photograph a colony of penguins.

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“In 2020, cruisers are choosing itineraries based on destinations, and the more unusual and faraway, the better,” says Beth Butzlaff, vice president of cruise sales at Virtuoso travel network. “Passengers want to enjoy the essence of these places through interactions with local people and culture, and the industry has responded with innovative offerings to satisfy evolving preferences.”

AT H O M E O N T H E S E A There is growing concern about the health of the oceans and the possible impact the cruise industry could have on the earth’s waters. Most major cruise lines now have serious sustainability policies in place; however, PONANT was one of the first to develop and implement techniques to protect aquatic environments. Their commitment to sustainability includes advanced sonar tracking of icebergs and methods to halt the ship without dropping anchor so as not to disrupt the ocean floor. They employ low-energy and low-heat lighting systems. All water generated aboard the ships is treated to prevent the potential risk of polluting aquatic environments, and 100 percent of waste is separated and sorted for recycling.

When developing new itineraries, PONANT carries out an environmental impact study at potential points of disembarkation, which includes a biodiversity inventory of plants and animals, and access routes are planned so the land remains preserved. Giving back to the community plays a role too. When possible, PONANT buys ingredients locally, and at far-flung ports of call where provisions are limited, they leave resources for the locals. In 2018, PONANT established a foundation to preserve the oceans and promote responsible tourism to help ensure future generations can enjoy nature’s most pristine and inspiring landscapes by the sea.

94 | APRIL 2020

O N B OA R D LE CHAMPLAIN Named after Samuel de Champlain, the famous French explorer known as the Father of New France, PONANT’s Le Champlain was my fjord-exploring home for a few days in Norway. We boarded in Bergen under rainy skies but were greeted with the sparkle of Champagne to immediately brighten our horizons while exploring this luxurious new Explorer ship, which launched in October 2018.

We were bound for Geiranger, a village at the head of a majestic fjord featuring multiple towering waterfalls.

Top: Each PONANT cruise ship has the mysterious and beautiful Blue Eye lounge, where passengers can relax with a drink from the bar while they view the incredible underwater world from the lounge’s giant porthole windows.

Most major cruise lines now have serious sustainability policies in place; however, PONANT was one of the first to develop and implement techniques to protect aquatic environments.

As we passed, the incredibly tall Seven Sisters waterfall seemed to reach out and touch the ship with its misty spray. Our day’s excursion took us along the hairpin curves of the Eagle Road to the Norwegian Fjord Center to learn more about the geography-shaping power of glaciers and avalanches.

Our next port of call was the quiet valley town of Olden, an access point to the Briksdal Glacier, to learn about the plight of retreating glaciers and expanding lakes in Norway. The day’s adventure was a kayak trip paddling across the calm green waters of the Nordfjord. Our local guide kept us enthralled with stories of Vikings and Norse legends.

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The day’s adventure was a kayak trip paddling across the calm green waters of the Nordfjord. Our local guide kept us enthralled with stories of Vikings and Norse legends.

For me, the most thrilling adventure was on board at mealtime. Since we were in Norway, there was a terrific selection of local seafood, including herring and salmon. The sophisticated dining room, with views to the sea and stars at night, came alive with the buzz of hungry passengers. We were captivated by the expertly prepared multicourse meals curated by a culinary team overseen by Adeline Robert, senior chef consultant for Ducasse Conseil. Dishes are paired with wines from France, so dinner becomes an expedition to discover French viticulture.

Every day—and even every hour—on a PONANT cruise offers a new experience!

For more information or to start planning your trip, visit US.PONANT.com.

Carolyn O’Neil is an award-winning Atlanta-based food writer who specializes in culinary travel and healthy lifestyles. She believes that travel is the ultimate way to learn about the people of the world and cuisine is the most exciting way to learn about their histories and culture.

Visit her blog at TheHappyHealthyKitchen.com.

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Don't Worry,

be Hoppy!

TA P I N T O P E N S A C O L A’ S C R A F T B E E R S C E N E

98 | APRIL 2020

Voyager IF YOU LOVE CRAFT BEER, HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, OFFERS A THRIVING SCENE OF INDEPENDENT BREWERIES AND TAPROOMS. JOIN US FOR A TOUR AS WE SCOPE OUT SOME OF THE BEST STOPS FOR A GOOD BREW!

Odd Colony Brewing Company With a prime location on North Palafox Street, Odd Colony is one of the most unique places serving up local brews in Pensacola. Photo ops abound, thanks to the striking furniture, vintage accoutrements, and deer antler tap handles; this is undoubtedly an

Instagrammable interior. As stunning as the appearance is, the beer stands even taller. The lager is crisp and refreshing on a warm day, and their various sours offer something for those who wish to spend more time with their beer and appreciate nuanced flavors. The knowledgeable staff and great beer choices have everyone singing their praises. With different food trucks every day, you can enjoy your ice-cold beer with some great street food. If you find yourself needing a place to stay, Odd Colony also shares a foyer with the SolĂŠ Inn and Suites! They also give back to the community; guests can purchase any of the art in the taproom, and proceeds go to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida.

Above and left: The unique decor and the team from Odd Colony Brewing Company bring a creative flair to the beer scene.

Photos by Sarah Coleman Photography

260 North Palafox Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502; Facebook: @oddcolony / Instagram: @oddcolonybrewing V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 99

Voyager THE FIRST THING THAT YOU NOTICE UPON ENTERING THE TAPROOM IS THE ALLURING, WONDERFULLY BREADY SMELL THAT RESULTS FROM THE PROCESS OF ALCOHOL PRODUCTION. Napoleon IPA or, for a lighter, smooth sipping brew, check out the Original Pensacola Premium Lager.

PBB beers are also served in many restaurants and bars all over the Emerald Coast in Florida and along the coast in Alabama, so keep an eye out!

225 East Zaragoza Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502; PBBrew.com

A Little Madness Brewing Company

Above: The art in the Odd Colony taproom is for sale, with proceeds benefiting the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida.

Photo by Sarah Coleman Photography

100 | APRIL 2020

Pensacola Bay Brewery Still creating award-winning and consistently tasty craft beers, Mark Robertson and partners opened the doors to Pensacola Bay Brewery (PBB) in 2010 and will celebrate their tenth anniversary in November.

Located on historic Seville Square, just across from the water and next to Old Christ Church, Pensacola Bay Brewery harks back to a time in Pensacola’s past with such beer names as Conquistador and DeSoto.

The spacious patio provides a view of multiple historical sites and the square. With live music most Sundays, this has become a favorite hangout for both tourists and locals. There are frequent festivals and events in Seville Square, but this brewery alone is a reason to visit. PBB produces several styles of beer, including one of the largest selections of traditional lager beer in the Panhandle. They offer growlers, kegs, and six-packs to go. Try a Riptide Amber or a Li’l

A Little Madness is what every garage brewer aspires to be; this taproom has not lost any of the appeal of going over to a friend’s place to kick back, play classic Nintendo games, and drink a cold beer. As with all great things, bumps in the road occurred when A Little Madness first sought to open in 2015. The owners discovered that no land use code existed to develop their longtime dream of becoming a microbrewery.

This woman- and family-owned brewery strived to create a new code that allowed them (and many other craft services) to exist outside the Pensacola city limits. The Robin Williams quote that they have proudly posted on their website seems to fuel their mission: “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” The first thing that you notice upon entering the taproom is the alluring, wonderfully bready smell that results from the process of alcohol production. It’s closely followed by the striking combination of industrial, postmodern, and rustic design, which creates a delightfully eclectic atmosphere for everything from yoga to trivia nights and after-work socials.

9838 North Davis Highway, Pensacola, Florida 32514; ALittleMadnessBrewingCompany.com

Big Top Brewing Company Arguably Pensacola’s most established regional brewery, Big Top—which is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida—opened its second Florida location just off Palafox Street. Today, Big Top Brewing has three locations: Sarasota, Pensacola, and Gainesville. This brewing company is a master of all; flights, wine, food, games, merchandise, and more. Big Top’s customers love the fantastic food variety, especially the Daredevil Totchos! Look for a full menu of food and beers replete with the whimsy that befits the name Big Top. The beer list and food menu are extensive,

Left: Palafox Street is part of downtown Pensacola’s vibrant arts, culture, and restaurant scene, with several craft breweries within walking distance.

Photo courtesy of Visit Pensacola Below: Enjoy a variety of craft brews in a dogfriendly atmosphere at Pensacola Bay Brewery.

Photo by Kayla Nicole Photography

and there really is something for everyone. Add in trivia night and live music, and a boring night can be transformed into a night of excitement downtown.

21 West Romana Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502; BigTopBrewing.com

Emerald Republic Brewing A new member of the craft brewing community, Emerald Republic Brewing is here to play! Their mysteriously dark modern theme is enticing and fun. The taproom’s brooding black walls signify somewhat of a dark horse appeal as they are new to the Pensacola craft beer scene. The decor is a striking blend of jewel-toned velvet chaise longues, Steven King quotes painted in foot-high letters, and bright succulents. A huge outdoor area provides the perfect ambience for a night of fun with their collection of board games! Their variety of events, dog-friendly atmosphere, excellent beers, and great staff have earned them a multitude of five-star reviews. Emerald Republic excels in making unique craft beers, from a hazy New England IPA to an intriguing citrus saison. Their scientific brewing process and go-getter attitude show their eagerness to please all who encounter this brewery! The inspiration for their beers stems from the people who drink them and the locals who “make up the place we call home.”

1414 West Government Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502; EmeraldRepublicBrewing.com

THEIR VARIETY OF EVENTS, DOG-FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE, EXCELLENT BEERS, AND GREAT STAFF HAVE EARNED THEM A MULTITUDE OF FIVE-STAR REVIEWS. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 101

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Gulf Coast Brewery One of the local favorites, Gulf Coast Brewery, has great craft beer as well as a wine lounge and a brew house with ping-pong tables, cornhole games, and a large TV to watch all the football games! Discounts and a friendly atmosphere guarantee enjoyment for everyone. The cigar room draws cigar connoisseurs from all over the country.

With twenty-three beers on tap and many other craft beers and nonalcoholic choices, there are options for all at Gulf Coast Brewery.

500 East Heinberg Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502; GulfCoastBrewery.net

Perfect Plain Brewing Co. Perfect Plain, in the heart of downtown Pensacola, is another local favorite. This brewery is a hotbed of experimentation and an incubator of unique tastes, talents, and people. The name Perfect Plain came from Rachel Jackson, Andrew Jackson’s wife.

While on their journey to Florida she wrote: “Pensacola is the perfect plain.” This is the earliest historical description of Pensacola, so they decided to go with it! The spacious taproom is complemented by a large, dog-friendly patio area that is accessible through garage-style doors. The brew master is a fan of citrusy, funky IPAs, so one is almost always on tap, along with other revolving styles and recipes. Try and get there on a night when the Waffle House food truck is out front, and pair your beer with crispy hash browns! Garden and Grain is Perfect Plain’s new entertainment venue located in a former stable behind the brewery. It provides extra space to accommodate events and seating for busy evenings. They also use ingredients from the garden for farm-to-tablestyle cocktails. With an abundance of new cocktails on rotation, fun food trucks, and fantastic drink deals, everyone is rushing to experience the Perfect Plain.

50 East Garden Street, Pensacola, Florida, 32502; PerfectPlain.com 102 | APRIL 2020

THE NAME PERFECT PLAIN CAME FROM RACHEL JACKSON, ANDREW JACKSON’S WIFE. WHILE ON THEIR JOURNEY TO FLORIDA SHE WROTE: “PENSACOLA IS THE PERFECT PLAIN.”

Spahr Brewing Company Spahr is a new German-style brewery that produces beers for those who yearn for a taste of the old country. This father-and-son-owned taproom is unlike the other brewery destinations in Pensacola: a laid-back simplicity keeps the beer itself center stage. You’ll probably see them out and about at local festivals and fund-raisers as well.

It always feels like Oktoberfest when you have one of Spahr’s lagers in hand!

3541 West Fairfield Drive, Pensacola, Florida 32505; SpahrBrewingCompany.com

On Tap Brew Tours Want to visit more than one brewery in a day? You’re in luck! The Pensacola brewery tour by On Tap Brew Tours offers a three-hour excursion with four stops. Their fifteen-passenger shuttle is the best way to get around beautiful historic Pensacola and discover the town’s best craft beer. You drink and they drive. At each stop, guests will enjoy a flight of customized drafts, which is included with the tour purchase. Visit OnTapPensacola.com to learn more.

Opposite: In addition to its ever-evolving menu of craft beers, Perfect Plain Brewing Company offers craft cocktails (top left). Its new event space, Garden and Grain (top right), is the perfect spot to enjoy the sun while sipping your favorites. Perfect Plain got its name from Rachel Jackson, wife of Andrew Jackson, and celebrates her with a mural in the taproom (bottom).

Photos by Steven Gray

SAVE THE DATE! 2020 DI GI TAL GR AF F I T I AWARDS PARTY G U L F G R E E N // A LY S B E A C H , F LO R I D A S AT U R D AY, M AY 1 6 // 6 – 8 P M P R O S E CCO & S M A L L B I T E S D A N C E W I T H @ B E L L AT H E DJ AT T I R E : I CO N I C M O D D I G I TA LG R A F F I T I . CO M HOSTED BY

PREMIUM SPONSOR

SOLD EXCLUSIVELY AT ISIDRO DUNBAR MODERN INTERIORS

Introspections

Introspections THINK DEEPER

Reef by Elizabeth DeJure Wood

There’s something nostalgic about the colorful art of Elizabeth DeJure Wood. The New Hampshire–based illustrator creates a whole world of simplicity yet deep meaning in every work she creates. She worked as a ceramist and graphic designer before becoming a full-time illustrator and has since collaborated with national publications, organizations, and brands to tell their stories.

You can find her work online—and see it animated—at ElizabethDeJureWood.com!

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 105

Introspections

pasta The

Principle

BY SUZANNE POLL AK

HASSAN MADE PASTA LIKE AN ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER, WITH A MOUND OF FLOUR AND AN EGG IN THE MIDDLE. HE ROLLED THE DOUGH INTO SHEETS LIKE ANTIQUE LINENS, SO THIN YOU COULD ALMOST SEE THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE, WITH A TEXTURE THAT ONLY A HANDMADE OBJECT CAN OBTAIN.

Hassan was my favorite person in all of Africa. He was our cook in Mogadishu, Somalia—the only real chef we hired while living in six countries over eighteen years, and he was an expert at feeding an entire family. He was also the largest man I’ve ever seen. His kingdom was the kitchen. It lay at the back of our house, a narrow room with a single, skinny, horizontal window high on the wall. Surprisingly for such an enormous person, Hassan’s specialty was small, tender, delicate homemade pasta, and it was the best I’ve tasted to this very day. He made pasta just like an Italian grandmother because he learned the skill from the wife of a former Italian ambassador.

was a young girl when I hung out with Hassan in his kitchen, peeking around his tree-like girth and under his strong arms to watch him roll the dough, all the while absorbing lessons that lodged in my soul. He poured a mountain of flour on the counter and cracked eggs in the flour’s well, then whipped a fork to incorporate the flour and egg mess into a smooth ball. He rolled it into sheets so supple he could flip them like bedclothes drying on a line in the wind. It took no time, made easier by his substantial yet graceful weight behind the rolling pin. Out of this dough he formed shells, tubes, strips, strands, bow ties, triangles, and pillows—all as light as feathers.

Everyone, schoolchildren and their fathers alike, came home for the midday meal, then returned to school and work after eating and resting. At these meals, our family ate like Italian royalty. Hassan prepared pasta daily, and our houseman, Farah, served it. Farah was my second favorite person in Africa. When we left Somalia, he gave each of us a piece of sculpture—five presents he bought for a family he would never see again. I cried when I said good-bye to these two men who made such an impression on my young life.

Hassan lived in a room right outside the house, off of the kitchen. One morning I saw him leaning over the kitchen counter while my mother picked pieces of sharp glass from his backside. I wondered, Did he fall backwards into a plate of glass? What type of accident was this? In those days, parents didn’t give out “adult” information to questioning children, and my mother certainly didn’t believe in letting children in on any secrets, so his glass-studded behind remained an exotic mystery to me. I felt his pain, embarrassment, and vulnerability in that moment, which made me feel even closer to him—like we were a pair.

FROM HASSAN, I LEARNED THAT FOOD IS A WAY TO CONNECT TO EMOTIONS: LOVE, LONGING, COMFORT, AND SAFETY. I ALWAYS MAKE FOOD FOR THOSE I LOVE, ADMIRE, AND WANT TO IMPRESS.

From Hassan, I learned that food is a way to connect to emotions: love, longing, comfort, and safety. I always make food for those I love, admire, and want to impress.

I taught my children too. In the days when I fed four teenagers, each a sports fiend and a bottomless pit, we made pasta every night as a first course. (If we didn’t, within twenty minutes of a one-course dinner, they would ask what else there was to eat.) We cooked all the recipes in Giuliano Bugialli’s books—I met him when we were judges in a bread contest, and we were the only ones to agree on every loaf—and every pasta recipe in Marcella Hazan’s volumes too.

In those days, our kitchen looked like the Hogwarts kitchen might have, but it was years before Harry Potter existed. Broomsticks connected one counter to another, newly made pasta strips dangling over their handles to dry. The kitchen was a forest of noodles, a field of farfalle; the afternoon decoration on the counters and air space seemed magical. While I taught my children (well, at least my youngest son actually learned) how to make pasta like Hassan, I also picked up what was going on in their lives. Did you know that making pasta together is one way to get teenagers to talk?

Making pasta can entice new people into your life too. The first night Pat Conroy came into my kitchen, I wooed him with fettuccine, requiring him to make it with me. That spontaneous lesson led to writing a cookbook together. The annoying problem with “no carb” eaters in today’s world is the removal of one of my most trusted weapons in a secret seduction arsenal.

No sparks lie in substituting limp, tasteless zucchini noodles for one of the tastiest pleasures on earth. These frauds lead to nothing.

Be warned, though: when the urge arises to feed handmade pasta to a small crowd (more than four people), first courses are the only way to go. There is too much work involved otherwise, unless you are an Italian grandmother or an executive chef whose daily duty is making pasta. And if you are making it for two, how much is too much? For every three eggs, plan on feeding two people, unless you are famished.

When a recipe says “one pound serves six people,” I disagree. One pound serves three to four people in my house. I can eat a half pound myself (and sometimes I overdo it and eat three-quarters of a pound, but that’s when I start feeling sick). Pasta is easy to overeat because it’s so good.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 107

Introspections

Perfect

Dough INGREDIENTS:

3 large eggs 3 cups unbleached white flour

DIRECTIONS:

Pour flour out on a clean, dry, smooth work surface and make a well in the center of the mound. Keep the sides of the well high enough and thick enough that the eggs will not leak over or through the flour. Slowly pour the eggs into the well.

Hold a fork in one hand and lightly beat the eggs, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides while you use your other hand to keep the well from collapsing.

Gently sweep the flour up the outer sides of the well to build a thicker wall, and, at the same time, let a little flour fall from the top onto the eggs as you beat them.

You will use less than half the flour for the actual pasta dough. (If the eggs do manage to seep out beyond the wall of flour, all is not lost. Use the fork to push some flour over the puddle of eggs on the countertop and scrape the mixture back into the central mass.)

When the mass begins to resemble dough, remove excess flour from the countertop. Wash your hands to remove extra flour from them.

hen Hassan made pasta, he served small first-course portions as Italians do. Eating his homemade pasta each day was especially satisfying because I knew the very next day, I would eat something just as delicious. Isn’t that one of the ultimate treats in life—to experience simple pleasures day after day and then have memories that last forever?

Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal Mansion section and Town & Country magazine. Visit CharlestonAcademy.com or contact her at Suzanne@CharlestonAcademy.com to learn more.

108 | APRIL 2020

Now start to knead the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour (sparingly). If there is too much flour in the pasta, the dough will dry out, becoming difficult to roll. Using the heels of your hand in an under/over motion, knead the dough, rotating it frequently, until it feels smooth and elastic—at least ten minutes.

When the dough is smooth and satiny, sprinkle it with a light dusting of flour, cover the ball of dough with a clean dish towel, and let it rest for half an hour. You will need to rest, as well, because the next step is rolling out the dough!

Divide the dough into three sections (or one section for every egg used) to make it more manageable when rolling. Rolling the dough by hand instead of using

a pasta machine makes pasta that is uniquely yours because you can roll it out to the exact thickness you desire and cut it into the precise width you want.

Uncover the dough and knead it a few times. Using a rolling pin (preferably a pin about twenty inches long without handles, for better control), roll back and forth across the dough about six times. Turn the dough ninety degrees and roll back and forth again. Repeat this process until the dough is stretched to the desired thickness (about 1/8 inch or less).

Using a sharp knife, cut the sheet of dough into strips: 1/16-inch wide (tagliarini), 1/8-inch wide (fettuccine), or 1/4-inch wide (tagliatelle). Drape noodles over a thin rod (or broom handle) to dry.

If you are serving the pasta immediately, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles for less than a minute. If you decide to wait (recommended), carefully gather up the noodles and curl them into loose nests, placing them on clean, lightly floured dish

towels. (The flour will keep the pasta from sticking to the cloth as it dries.) Depending on the thickness of the noodle, the cooking time will be anywhere from fortyfive seconds to three minutes. To test: snip off the end of a pasta strand and taste.

If these directions aren’t quite clear to you, you can pay a visit to the Academy of Domestic Pursuits in Charleston, South Carolina, for a private lesson!

IF THESE DIRECTIONS AREN’T QUITE CLEAR TO YOU, YOU CAN PAY A VISIT TO THE ACADEMY OF DOMESTIC PURSUITS IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, FOR A PRIVATE LESSON!

Introspections

110 | APRIL 2020

Sharing

Meals and Memories

By CINDY GARRARD

My husband and I love to throw dinner parties. There is something special about having your friends over to your home and cooking for them. When I was growing up, my mother loved to cook for friends and share her culture with them through food.

S

he is Korean, so we would take kimbap—Korean seaweed rolls—to pool parties, and I never felt like it was out of place among all the pies and corn on the cob. Kids and adults alike enjoyed the kimbap, and I know that made my mother happy. Now, when we host dinner parties, I almost always cook Korean food for my guests. It’s a part of me that I want to share with my friends as my mother did.

Because we love to entertain, I follow my own creed for successful dinner-party planning. There is much thought put into the guest list, the menu, and the seating arrangement. These are crucial to having an

environment where people will feel at home and enjoy themselves. Our greatest hope when we host a dinner party is that our guests can relax, meet new friends, enjoy good food, and be taken care of by us for the evening.

For our parties, we choose Saturday evenings on dates when there are no large community events so that our guests will not have a conflict in their schedules. People are usually tired on Fridays from the work week. On Saturdays, they have rested and look forward to the chance to go out without worrying about cooking or spending money at a restaurant.

Making a list of invitees is something my husband and I must wholeheartedly agree on, and you should plan this carefully with your fellow hosts if you throw a dinner party together. We choose friends whose company we love and often couples whom we would like to get to know better. I always call the wife of the couple to extend the invitation. (I have learned that most wives are in charge of the social calendar for the family.) I always say, “Please discuss it with your husband and get back to me”—it allows the guests time to decide if they can come. A dinner party invitation is an opportunity to join in, but they should never feel pressured to do so. When you call to invite them, go over the attire for the evening and find out if they have any food allergies so you can plan ahead.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 111

Introspections

Our greatest hope when we host a dinner party is that our guests can relax, meet new friends, enjoy good food, and be taken care of by us for the evening.

I

f people offer to bring something, I always accept the offer, but otherwise I would never ask a guest to contribute anything to the evening. Those who offer will probably ask you what they can help with or bring. It’s best to wait until you have responses from all of your guests and know if there are any allergies before assigning an item. You should let them know what to bring at least five days before the party, and I feel it’s best to ask people to bring something they can just pick up, such as a cheese tray or a dessert. If those items are taken, you can always use another bottle of wine!

We like to invite people who work in different industries because we can all sometimes get “stuck” among our same circle of friends having the same work-related discussions. This variety among your guests can also help avoid discomfort between competitors who may not fully enjoy the evening in each other’s presence. It’s nice for people to meet others in their community whom they would not normally get to know.

Cook an entrée that you are familiar with and have cooked several times. To eliminate any day-of stress, I always prefer to make something that I can do the

112 | APRIL 2020

prep work for beforehand. One of my favorite Korean entrées to serve is a steak dish called bulgogi, which is marinated for more than twenty-four hours before cooking. This is a great dish for a dinner party, as I can just toss it in a large wok to sear the steak before serving.

When you are planning a party, it’s best to think of a menu with minimal prep and cooking time; this allows you to visit with and enjoy your guests that night. Some people make a casserole that can sit in the oven while their guests chat and get to know one another.

Everyone always migrates to the kitchen because it’s the “heart of the home,” so it’s best to have the drinks and appetizers there where people can help themselves.

One thing that I feel is vital to a successful dinner party is the seating arrangement.

I studied the Amy Vanderbilt book of etiquette, and it may seem old-fashioned, but to me, it’s a basic courtesy to arrange seating with your guests in mind. We always sit spouses across from each other so they can be face-to-face during dinner.

We also alternate women and men, which tends to allow for good conversation flow. One tip that I came up with after years of hosting parties is, if you have two alpha males, sit a couple in between them so they don’t butt heads with each other. Also, since we all have stress and there is always bad news, sometimes the conversation turns toward a “negative” topic. When that happens, it’s best for someone to change the subject immediately to something lighter; my husband is in charge of this when we entertain. This should be a time for your guests to have fewer worries and to enjoy being taken care of by their host for the night.

It may seem like a lot of thought and work go into planning a dinner party, but to us, it’s all worth it. Sharing our lives, breaking bread, laughing, and creating memories are what life is all about!

Cindy Garrard works as a freelance journalist and is the vice president of residential lending at Hancock Whitney Bank in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and enjoys sharing her life stories and successes with others. Garrard lives in Sandestin, Florida, with her two daughters, her husband, and their dog, Bella Bear.

BUILDING PE ACE OF MIND

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L’intermission

Super Sweet!

Find these recipes at VIEmagazine.com/article/intermissionmiriam-pascal-recipes.

You can also learn more or order your copy of Pascal’s books at OvertimeCook.com!

Miriam Pascal’s 2017 best-selling cookbook, Real Life Kosher Cooking, sold out its first printing in only ten days. Now she’s back with More Real Life Kosher Cooking, a collection of recipes perfect for Pesach (Passover), like these sweet potato wedges with avocado drizzle and this matbucha brisket!

Love, VIE xo V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 115

Lȶve MODERN A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

BY PAIGE

DON MARRS

Modern love isn’t for the faint of heart. In today’s nonstop society, our relationships go up against increasingly busy work and family schedules, social commitments, and even social media pressure.

Think about your relationship. Is it a deeply satisfying soul connection or simply “good enough”? If you answered the latter, don’t panic.

116 | APRIL 2020

Introspections

ur practice is dedicated to helping people achieve extraordinary love through evidence-based insights and communication strategies, not to mention our track record of thirty-three happy years together as a couple. Together we wrote Grabbing Lightning: The Messy Quest for an Extraordinary Love to serve as a road map to take your love to the next level. We want you to know you can achieve the relationship of your dreams by doing three simple things. And you can start right now.

1. SET THE BAR HIGH BY ASKING MORE FROM LOVE — NOT LESS. We see so many people who mourn the end of the honeymoon phase. Those bubbly, exciting days of bliss early on in a relationship are addictive, but it only offers a taste of what’s possible. Think of that honeymoon time as a call to embark on an amazing journey, one that offers so much more, much like a spiritual awakening. An extraordinary love expands and grows. It does not fade. If you approach your

relationship with the mind-set that it is a cocreated union of love, trust, and intimacy, you both are supported in becoming who you are meant to be. This goes for your inner lives and the practical world.

Remember, this first step is not only possible but also imminently attainable.

Think back to the journey metaphor. The beauty lies not just in the destination, but also in the road that takes you there.

2 . EMBR ACE THE MESS! Relationships are hard and often messy, ugly even. We all bring our respective inner conflicts and demons to the table, and this inevitably leads to conflict. You can’t escape it. We certainly didn’t! In Grabbing Lightning, Don shares this look into the mess factor of our relationship: “I’d sometimes feel criticized by something Paige said and would snap at her in anger—and she’d collapse into a world of hurt. We’d fight for a while, then withdraw in frustration. At other times, the hurt would hit, and we’d go straight into silence. Either way, a video camera would have found Paige in another room behind a slammed door, sharply muttering while reorganizing a drawer. And it would have captured me at my desk pummeling my keyboard or stomping out the door to walk it off.”

THE BEAUTY LIES NOT JUST IN THE DESTINATION, BUT ALSO IN THE ROAD THAT TAKES YOU THERE.

Those were dark moments, and we both saw what perils awaited us if we failed to get our fears under control and fix the disruptive patterns we had formed. If we hadn’t persisted in coming together and developing some form of self-intervention, we would have lost everything, and what a tragedy that would have been. It was trial and error, and we had some scary conversations. But, we came together to create a playbook for our relationship and its challenges.

3. IT’S NOT ALWAYS FIFT Y- FIFT Y. BE PREPARED TO STEP UP WHEN NEEDED. You may not like this, but sometimes your quest for extraordinary love requires 100 percent from you, and you alone. Relationships are a dance of shared joys and hurt. You and your beloved come together in love, and sometimes you bump into one another and drift apart. It’s natural during a rift to want a quick fix, to talk it out quickly, but doing so often backfires. You want it all better, but you can only repair yourself. That repair process is almost all solo work. Why? When we’ve lost access to that experience of loving connection, we’re also locked out of our open mind and caring heart. This must all be restored individually before you can come back together in love as a couple.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 117

Introspections This inner work can be brutal. It’s tough to look within, and even tougher to meet your partner with love as they’re doing the same thing. The antidote for us was to keep focusing on the inner work, shifting again and again from a defensive, critical flare-up back to that gentle place of trust, until our full connection was restored and we were more in love SOMETIMES than before. The beautiful result YOUR QUEST FOR was eventually reaching something more wonderful than we could EXTRAORDINARY ever have dreamed up, even during LOVE REQUIRES that blissful honeymoon phase.

100 PERCENT FROM YOU, AND YOU ALONE.

There’s no doubt about it; relationships are work. It took us a while to realize that overcoming our relationship challenges had given us access to an incredible experience: the unmistakable alchemy that arises when two people merge themselves in transcendent love.

Choosing transformative communication in relationships is a gift to you and your partner, a valuable toolbox of actionable insights and skills. Use your glitches to get closer! It all comes down to a couple’s willingness to see their challenges as an invitation, a soul nudge. Are you ready for it? It all starts with you.

ABOUT PAIGE & DON MARRS Paige Marrs, PhD, and Don Marrs have been happily married for over thirty years and have worked together since the day they joined their lives. They have coauthored two how-to memoirs, both of which teach through story. Executive in Passage: When Life Lets You Know It’s Time to Change, Let That Knowing Lead You chronicles Don’s passionate struggle to leave behind the ethical conflicts in his career in advertising and find work that would be truly meaningful for him.

The couple’s second book, Grabbing Lightning: The Messy Quest for an Extraordinary Love, reveals their “messy,” intimate journey to a love greater than either of them knew to reach for. Paige and Don have offered their relationship program, The Love Conversation, for more than a decade, helping couples and singles resolve their challenges and experience the love they yearn for instead. TheLoveConversation.com

FEED YOUR SOUL ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION FOR $29.95 V IE M A G A ZINE .C OM / S UB S CR IBE

68 Pine Needle Way | $1,899,000 Karen Holder | 850.687.1064

Bannerman Beach Homesites | Call for Pricing Marianne Grant and Blake Cooper | 850.218.0202

52 Mako Drive | $8,975,000 Blankenship Group | 405.623.5227

250 Baird Road | $1,380,000 Johnson Hatcher Team | 850.502.0126

226 Paradise By The Sea Blvd | $3,975,000 Blankenship Group | 405.623.5227

Lot 3 Redfish Lane | $1,185,000 Marianne Grant and Blake Cooper | 850.218.0202

34 N. Watch Tower Lane | $2,285,000 Blankenship Group & Johnson Hatcher Team | 405.623.5227

104 Wiregrass Way | $2,695,000 Karen Holder | 850.687.1064

4128 E. County Hwy 30A #104 | $1,749,000 Blankenship Group | 405.623.5227

Local Expertise. Global Reach. Engel & Vรถlkers.

East 30A Office 850.213.2800 | West 30A Office 850.660.1830 | 30abeaches.evrealestate.com

92ND 92 ND ACADEMY AWARDS The 92nd Oscars celebration, held on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, was a night for the books! Beautifully talented people worldwide were honored for their extraordinary work in the motion picture arts and sciences. This star-studded red carpet held the biggest names in Hollywood, from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino to ten-year-old breakout star Julia Butters! Winners included Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, RenĂŠe Zellweger, Laura Dern, and Bong Joon Ho. Photography courtesy of the Academy Awards

Janelle MonĂĄe Photo by Valerie Durant 122 | APRIL 2020

Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson

Florence Pugh

Kelly Ripa

Photo by Nick Agro

Photo by Nick Agro

Photo by Nick Agro Natalie Portman Photo by Robert Gladden

Idina Menzel

Joaquin Phoenix

Photo by Nick Agro

Photo by Todd Wawrychuk Margot Robbie Kristen Wiig

Photo by Nick Agro

Brie Larson Photo by Nick Agro

Photo by Nick Agro

Nathalie Emmanuel

Copy V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 123

La scène

Christian Siriano FW2020 Photo by Marianne Duffey

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO FW FW20 20 VIE editor-in-chief and CEO Lisa Burwell attended New York Fashion Week’s Fall 2020 runway shows, including Christian Siriano’s latest presentation.

Leslie Jones, Heidi Klum, Alicia Silverstone, Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung, Ashley Longshore, Zhavia Ward, Jackie Cruz, and Angela Sarafyan filled the front row as Siriano brought Margot Robbie’s new DC Comics Coco Rocha walks for Christian Siriano FW2020

film, Birds of Prey, Prey, to life through fashion. The inspired

Christian Siriano FW2020 Photo by Marianne Duffey

punk-rock Harley Quinn looks walked the runway with a hint of the quirky 1980s film noir–style Batman flicks.

Photography courtesy of Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano FW2020

Christian Siriano FW2020 Kristin Cavallari Jonathan Simkhai FW2020

124 | APRIL 2020

Lela Rose FW2020 Photo by Taylor Jewell

Lela Rose FW2020 Photo by Taylor Jewell

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2020 The week of February 7, 2020, was one of the most influential weeks for all fashion lovers and those in the industry! This New York Fashion Week was filled with exciting, fresh looks for Fall 2020. With so many excellent new fashion designers coming up every NYFW, there is always something new and exciting. From hot designers like Lela Rose and Jonathan Simkhai to famous fashion

Lela Rose FW2020 Photo by Taylor Jewell

houses like Oscar de la Renta and Marc Jacobs, every show in this NYFW was a show to remember!

Lela Rose FW2020 Photo by Taylor Jewell

Jonathan Simkhai FW2020

Lela Rose FW2020 Photo by Taylor Jewell

Jonathan Simkhai FW2020

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 125

La scène

Chris Abbott, Robbie Briggs, and Blake Morar

Cindy Garrard, Christina Abbott, and Stephanie Brannon

SCENIC SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 2020 AWARDS GALA On February 1, 2020, Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty hosted a celebration of its agents and staff at The Henderson Beach Resort and Spa in Destin, Florida. This annual occasion recognized the achievements of the brokerage’s team members throughout 2019. VIE VIE’’s founders, editor-in-chief Lisa Burwell and publisher Gerald Burwell, were honored to be in attendance for this great event and to get to know the team members of Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty even better. We look forward to seeing what they have Jeff and Cindy Garrard

in store for 2020!

Photography by Epic Photo Co.

Keen and Kim Polakoff

Will Maberry and Tina Newell

Wes and Laura Madden 126 | APRIL 2020

Carrie and Bill Shoaf

Carmen Konert, Blake Morar, and Gus Morar

Jonathan and Juliane Spears with Madeline and Caleb Spears

Mike and Donna Petrucci Chris and Christina Abbott with Stephanie and George Brannon

Kassi Miller, Debbie Watson, and Jessica Dobbins

Brittany and Adam Pfaff

Ron and Bailey Hefner V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 127

La scène

Penny and Judd Jackson with Stephanie and George Brannon

Sarah and Blake Svoboda

Aerial Dragons Entertainment

Bill and Pam Burden

Hannah Martin and Erin O’Leary

DJ Xplicid and Aerial Dragons Entertainment

Eddie San Juan and Julia Kate Mace

Lindsay Tobias and Emily Sewell

Julia Kate Mace, Eddie San Juan, Kristy Gustafson, Ann Delaney, Matt Provow, and Kendall Kapitanoff

Jessica Bracken and Hannah Martin

Emily Sewell and Steven Huevel

LA LUMIÈRE: MADLY GIVING Broker associate Hannah Martin of Coastal Luxury Real Estate was pleased to host her Sixth Annual Birthday Fund-Raiser on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at The WaterColor LakeHouse at WaterColor Inn & Resort. The event benefited Special Olympics Florida – Walton County and Westonwood Ranch. Presented

by Destin Plastic Surgery and Duckies Shop of Fun, La Lumière: Madly Giving tantalized guests with an afternoon that took them down the rabbit hole to an exotic yet entertaining Alice in Wonderland–inspired Wonderland–inspired dining and interactive experience.

Photography by Epic Photo Co.

Nikhil Abuvala, David Giraldo D, and Camilo Giraldo D

Christopher and Stephanie Campbell

Bryan and Stacy Pritchett with Julie and Brett Martin

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 129

The Last Word

10

Solution on next page

I N T H E K I TC H E N

BY MYLES MELLOR

ACROSS

DOWN

1 4 6 8 10 12 13 14 16 18 19 21 22 26 28 32 33 34 36 37 38 39

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 15 16 17 20 22 23 24 25 27 29 30 31 32 35

Kitchen lure Cake Boss network White wine aperitif ____ king crab Starbucks offering “Hey there!”

French for gold Chemical-free Promotion pieces Corn serving Almond liqueurs A French vineyard With 27-Down, a type of oyster Old vinyl record (abbr.)

Heavenly dessert? (2 words) Besides Lettuce center Cheerleader’s cry Taste a little, perhaps Deep-fried tortilla Lamb purchase Like a fresh cake or a perfectly roasted turkey

Edible mollusk Fish with a colorful name (2 words) Request Vodka mixer Pasta maker’s equipment Popular diet Bitter herb Tuna type ___ tip, beef cut Curry side Rainbow shape Amaze Sweet sandwich?

Coat with juice Lane (abbr.)

Very wide shoe width Cooking vessels See 22-Across Like a fashionable arrival French delicacy, ____ legs Small drink of whiskey Cuisine that features peanut sauce Fuss and bother V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 131

The Last Word

10

“

People who love to eat are 21

always the best people.

—Julia Child

”

Au revoir!

Au revoir!

BEFORE YOU GO . . .

Winter Bloom by Teresa Cline Visit TeresaClineGallery.com to see more.

Florida-based artist Teresa Cline is known for her colorful depictions of nature and wildlife, from botanicals to ocean views. Another of her projects, Painted Music, Music, is a series of abstracts picturing vivid colors and brushstrokes that show the emotions created by music. Most recently, Cline’s floral depictions have grown into a new collection that will be on display at the Gardens and Gallery at Monet Monet in Grayton Beach, Florida. Join Cline on May 8, 2020, for a reception at 5:00 p.m. to celebrate the exhibit, which is titled Power of the Flower.

Flower.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 135

The Pride of a Master Cr aftsman E. F. San Juan offers the uncompromising protection of impact resistant innovation with Premium Coastal by Weather Shield®.

To find out more visit EFSanJuan.com.

ARCHITECT: CHRIST & ASSOCIATES | PHOTOGR APHY: JACK GARDNER