Emerald Coast Magazine - December/January

Season of Toasts Make your gatherings cheery and bright

holiday fare NORTH POLE? NOT SO MUCH

Surfside Santas stay warm ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

Irresistible cookie recipes JOYFUL MEMORIES

Stories from along our coast

2018 y Holida Gift Guidee insid

Resilient.

Relentless.

Rebuilding.

Fulfilling Dreams Since 1976

#PanhandleStrong The devastation left by Hurricane Michael has left few unscathed in its wake. There is much to do, and our recovery will require a long-term commitment to rebuilding the area we love and call home. As difficult as it is to view the damage incurred, we have been heartened by the rapid response of many outsiders who are working tirelessly to reestablish our infrastructure.

We have met neighbors we never knew. We have hugged, loved, and cared for each other like never before. We have all learned what we think of most in life when everything is in peril, and it is not the things that can be repaired or replaced. Our area is hurting in many ways, but we will recover and we will be better than ever. Let’s continue to love and support one another and let’s be thankful for what we have today.

— Edward San Juan efsa nj ua n.com

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Contents

DEC 2018/JAN 2019

FEATURES

44

HOLIDAY PARTY PLANNING

Don’t overthink year-end gatherings, but thoughtfully prepare.

by ROCHELLE KOFF

52

REFLECTING ON JOYFUL TIMES

Michaelanne Lauderdale and her daughter Frankie Lou pore over a photo album that triggers memories of holidays past and relatives held dear.

photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

Holidays fondly remembered revolve around food and family.

by KARI BARLOW

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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Contents

DEC 2018/JAN 2019

57 19

65 19 PERSONALITIES For

Gulf-front Santas, Christmas is a yearround preoccupation, no matter the weather.

22 CHAMPIONS Safe

Water for Walton is a formidable protector of a precious resource.

PANACHE

27 CITIZENS OF STYLE

Kristi Rockwell and Cameron Tharp craft few-of-a-kind boots and purses.

34 FASHION

Holiday hair options include going up, going big and going blunt.

40 WHAT’S IN STORE

EXPRESSION

57 A RT Inspired by her

success in a contest, photographer Erin Mason is intensely focused on her avocation.

60 STAGE For Mattie

Kelly Arts Center head usher Audrey Bailey, the theater is a sacred space.

A BODES 85 INTERIORS When

dressing up your house for the holidays, a little can go a long way.

88 GARDENING In the

South, winter is a season well-suited to gardening.

Season of Toasts

GASTRO & GUSTO

Make your gatherings cheery and bright

65 D INING IN

Like Kris Kringle, we all like holiday treats that crumble.

70 L IBATIONS The

signature cocktail at The Old Hickory in Pensacola is smokin’.

Area merchants supply gift ideas, wardrobe enhancements and things that make you feel good.

6

12 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 14 EDITOR’S COLUMN 72 DINING GUIDE 94 SOCIAL STUDIES 98 POSTSCRIPT

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

holiday fare NORTH POLE? NOT SO MUCH

Surfside Santas stay warm ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

Irresistible cookie recipes JOYFUL MEMORIES

Stories from along our coast

2018 y Holida Gift Guide inside

27

Nice kicks: Bora Bora boots fashioned by Rockwell Tharp.

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Why settle for unadorned Champagne when you can decorate it with pomegranate seeds and infuse it with liquid gold from Honey Hutch? PHOTO

BY ALISSA ARYN COMMERCIAL, ALISSAARYNCOMMERCIAL.COM

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI (65, 57), TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY (27), STEPHAN VANCE (19)

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December 2018–January 2019

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Contents

DEC 2018/JAN 2019

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

32

BODACIOUS SHOPS

36

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Make any holiday gathering sensationally scrumptious with gourmet fare available at the Bodacious Family of Shops.

42

MCCASKILL & CO. Stock their

stocking with a piece of jewelry that dazzles and delights from McCaskill & Company.

Find something for everyone on your nice list. A variety of Emerald Coast stores suggest gifts that bring forth holiday cheer.

38

RESTORE AND REJUVENATE Just in time for the new year,

a new you! Destin Plastic Surgery offers BroadBand Light Therapy and Thermiva, two noninvasive procedures that restore and rejuvenate.

62 COUNCIL ON CULTURAL ARTS (COCA) Valerie S.

Goodwin is a talented artist skilled in making art quilts that are inspired by architectural elements. Read COCA’s Q&A with Valerie where she talks art, creative processes and superpowers.

SACRED HEART FOUNDATION “Stories from the Heart”

describes people who have been helped by the Sacred Heart Foundation and the expertise and dedication of the caring men and women who make up the Sacred Heart Health System.

90

CALENDAR A complete compiling of calendar events

throughout the Emerald Coast region. From winter wonderland activities to musical acts to theatrical performances to New Year’s Eve festivities, there’s something for everyone.

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

NEXT ISSUE

2018 “Best of the Emerald Coast” event recap and Women’s Profiles PROMOTION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF L.A. GREEN AND RICHARD BRUNCK (COCA)

75

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

9

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 19, NO. 6

DECEMBER 2018–JANUARY 2019

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL EDITOR Steve Bornhoft STAFF WRITER Hannah Burke CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kari C. Barlow, Elizabeth Goldsmith, Rochelle Koff, Laurie Einstein Koszuta, Thomas J. Monigan, Audrey Post, Leisel Schmidt, Gary Yordon

CREATIVE

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CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Mitchell, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amanda Brummet CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alissa Aryn Commercial, Bayside Design and Photography, LLC, Michael Booini, Lawrence Davidson, Desireè Gardner, Steven Gray, Scott Holstein, Erin Mason, Kevin Maya, Tom Merton, Rhonda Murray, Kate Pierson, Saige Roberts, Todd Douglas Photography, Stephan Vance, Jacqueline Ward

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS

BEST OF WINNER: 2010–2018

Outdoor Seating Full Bar Lunch menu available 11AM-3PM

Open at 11AM • Closing hours vary by season 202 Harbor Blvd., Destin • 837-7525

VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker ADVERTISING SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES MaKenna Curtis, David Doll, Julie Dorr, Margaret Farris, Darla Harrison, Jennifer Sheffield, Linda Powell MARKETING MANAGER Kate Pierson SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett SALES AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Mackenzie Ligas SALES AND EVENTS ASSISTANT Abby Crane SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS INTERN Tayler Ronco INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR Charles Shelton

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER Melissa Spear CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan CUSTOM PUBLISHING EDITOR Jeff Price STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Amber Dennard RECEPTIONISTS Natalie Kazmin, Kirsten Terhofter

DIGITAL SERVICES ts bo • Sandwiches • Steamed Seafoo d • Fried Seafood Baske Gum

...overlooking Crab Island

DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE emeraldcoastmagazine.com facebook.com/emeraldcoast twitter.com/emeraldcoastmag instagram.com/emeraldcoastmag pinterest.com/emeraldcoastmag youtube.com/user/emeraldcoastmag ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

EDITORIAL OFFICE 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. (850) 878-0554

Open 7 days a week • 11AM -‘Til 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin • 837-7575 BOATERS WELCOME! 10

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SUBSCRIPTIONS One year (6 issues) is $30. Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to emeraldcoastmagazine.com.

Single copies are $3.95. Purchase at Barnes and Noble in Destin and Pensacola and Books-A-Million in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola and Panama City Beach.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBMISSIONS Emerald Coast Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. Emerald Coast Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor.

Copyright December 2018 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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December 2018–January 2019

11

from the publisher

A TIME TO HEAL

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

“To every thing there is a season,” begins a familiar poem, “and a time to every purpose under heaven.”

There is “a time to rend, and a time to sew.”

Over the course of a few tempestuous hours in October, the lives of thousands of Northwest Florida residents were forever changed.

People from the coastline to the Alabama line were separated from their homes, possessions and livelihoods. Some lost loved ones.

Never had the region seen such a rending, but it gave way immediately to a season of sewing. People picked up the pieces, counted their blessings and began the work of stitching together new normals.

That work will continue for many, many months to come.

Much of Northwest Florida was spared the ravages of Michael, but all who call the region home are today united in a renewed and redefined sense of our vulnerability.

Fortunately, there are other powerful common denominators among us, especially at this time of year: caring, sharing, humanity, humility and love.

At Rowland Publishing, we are pleased and grateful to be among people whose passion for where they live is indestructible. To all, we extend heartfelt best wishes for a happy holiday season, and for strength and success in the year ahead.

Most sincerely,

BRIAN ROWLAND

P.S. I am often asked how stories wind up getting published in our magazine. The truth is that many of our projects begin as suggestions from readers who live in or visit communities we are pleased to serve. We intend that Emerald Coast Magazine serve as a topical and positive, even inspirational, reflection of Northwest Florida from Pensacola to Panama City. And we can only do that if we stay connected to our readers and listen to what you have to say. Maybe you are aware of an unsung hero who has not received the recognition he or she deserves. Maybe you’ve enjoyed a meal at a new restaurant that you think the region should know about. Or, you may have heard people tell fascinating stories that bear repeating in our magazine. When you do, let us know and you’ll help us stay true to our mission of being “Current, Quotable and Well-Read.” Here’s our contact information …

BRIAN ROWLAND PUBLISHER browland@rowlandpublishing.com (850) 878-0554

12

LARRY DAVIDSON CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER ldavidson@rowlandpublishing.com (850) 878-0554

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

STEVE BORNHOFT EDITOR sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com (850) 890-3583

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December 2018–January 2019

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editor’s letter

SELFLESSNESS ASKS NO REWARD

14

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Now, given her relative use of the term, “survivor,” there may have been some who took advantage of the offer. But, on the day the post went up, true survivors were consumed by matters of, well, survival. Many still are.

There were elements of insensitivity and narcissism in the post that I and others found troubling. Mind you, I am a contemporary of Neil Young, not Kanye West. The narcissism epidemic in America has been increasingly well documented. All about us are people who, in the words of author and journalist Will Storr, “are drunk on their own hollow self-esteem boosting.”

Even 10 years ago, before Instagram and Snapchat were born, two researchers, Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell — who had been mentored by a one-time Florida State University professor, Roy Baumeister — concluded that narcissism is an epidemic that is rising as quickly as obesity, resulting in “aggression, materialism, lack of caring for others and shallow values.” They equated the rise in narcissism, supported by an “overwhelming amount of evidence,” to something as dramatic as the “height of all men going up by about an inch.”

And we wonder why some people get elected. We wonder why the percentage of high school seniors ready to take on college-level math continues to plummet. (For the Class of 2018, that figure, among takers of the ACT, stood at a meager 40 percent.) To too many, the only numbers that matter are “likes” and “followers” totals.

So, as you unload for another year that box that travels between the attic and the living room, be thankful that you have decorations and a home in which to display them. Park for a time your ego in that empty box. Look for an opportunity to genuinely bend over backward for someone.

And remember the words of St. Paul (the apostle): “Let love be genuine, hold fast to what is good, love one another with brotherly affection and outdo one another in showing honor.”

SAIGE ROBERTS

Paul is a saint.

He works as a lineman for a power utility and, 10 days after Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach in Bay County, he parked his bucket truck in a shady spot intent upon eating his lunch.

My friends John and Lee Ann, whose Panama City Beach home had been roundly battered by massive toppled pines they had cherished for decades, interrupted Paul to ask if he might restore power to their home.

They explained that while they had tried for days, they had been unable to get power restored through conventional channels.

That is, they had contacted an electrician who said he could not proceed to do anything until receiving a permit from the county. And, when he did get around to repairing the line running from the power pole to the house, his work would have to be inspected before the juice could be turned back on.

Paul cut through all of that. He didn’t wait even to finish his sandwich.

I watched with my friends as Paul, toting the weight of long, draining days, ambled about as if his boots were lashed to dumbbells. He secured the connection at the house, spliced new ends onto the lines — I was intrigued by the specialized tool he carried, a combination crimper and saw; it looked like a big Dremel device — and expertly threaded his bucket through branches in completing the job. While so doing, Paul noticed that a neighboring house needed the same treatment, and he proceeded to take care of matters there, despite the fact that no one was home.

It is said that you can best gauge a person by observing how he conducts himself when he is unaware that anyone is looking.

“You’re our hero,” Lee Ann told Paul and, a study in humility, he deflected the praise. I’m sure he gets it a lot.

Compare Paul and his many brethren with those who chose to make Hurricane Michael an occasion for self-inflation and self-promotion.

There was, for example, the exercise instructor, who, branding herself a hurricane survivor, took to social media with a post dominated by a photo of herself in full backbend and a cheeky, high-rise, gymnastics-style leotard.

The post invited fellow survivors to join her for a relaxing and grounding exercise session, free of charge, at a venue located more than 50 miles from where Michael stormed the beaches.

Happy Holidays,

STEVE BORNHOFT sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

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December 2018–January 2019

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

HO, HO, HO, Y’ALL

SANTAS BY THE SEA

For the dedicated, playing the part is a year-round job

→

After retiring from Gulf Power Co., Ronnie Antone let his hair grow and, the longer it got, the more his inner Santa emerged.

by HANNAH BURKE

Mike Caldwell has a theory that we never stop believing in Santa Claus — we just spend a few years thinking we’re too cool for him.

But once you have children of your own, Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick finds his way back into your heart and home. For little ones, Santa is far more than just a tradition.

He is a moral compass.

(If I do this, will I still be on the nice list?) He is a superhero. (The Batmobile is pretty fly, but can it fly like Santa’s sleigh?)

HO, HO, HO, Y’ALL photography by STEPHAN VANCE

Santas by the Sea

|| CHAMPIONS

The Shape of Water

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

19

wave He is pure magic, and nothing beats the first time you sit on his velvet lap and share your wish list — even if the encounter all goes down at the rear of a Sears store or a Walmart garden center.

Caldwell, who has been doing his Santa thing in the Panama City Beach area since 2015, knows he has big boots to fill. The secret to doing so isn’t pulling off the look but embodying his spirit.

“If you don’t believe in yourself,” Caldwell says, “kids won’t believe you.”

He greets me with a hearty “Ho, Ho, Ho” and confirms that I am, in fact, on the 2018 nice list.

It helps that, as a Santa with real whiskers, Caldwell consistently looks every bit the part.

“You get used to hearing, ‘Hey, Santa, what are you doing here?’ everywhere you go,” he said. “I like to tell people that I’m getting a little fishing in.”

Fishing, along with Christmas music and eggnog, is listed as a personal interest on Santa at PCB’s Facebook page. There, you will discover that holiday cheer never leaves Caldwell, who posts weekly countdowns ’til Christmas and shares his favorite festive photos — with the help of his IT elves, of course.

“I like to tell kids about my IT elves, or specific stories about my reindeer because you do get a lot of skeptics,” Caldwell allowed. “I think of ‘Elf,’ when Buddy confronts a mall Santa, snaps his beard off and tells him he sits on a throne of lies. So, when kids ask me if I’m real, I let them touch my beard. I’ll say, ‘See, I’m real, and you’re real. We’re here together, so what do you think?’”

Along with appearances at parades, parties and trips to local businesses, Santa Mike offers home visits. If you have a special gift for your child that you’d like to have hand-delivered by the big man himself, Caldwell is happy to oblige. Even, or perhaps especially, on Christmas Day. “I enjoy those because they’re a lot more personal,” Caldwell enthused. “You can have me come in on Christmas Eve, when your kids can catch me putting their gifts beneath the tree. Their eyes just light up.”

But there are those children whose eyes well with tears of fear upon spotting Santa.

When Santa Ronnie Antone, also known as “Gulf Coast Santa,” senses uneasiness, he has a few go-to tactics up his sleeve.

20

↗ Dressing the part is easy, says Mike Caldwell, who has been playing Santa since 2015. Truly selling the role involves embodying Santa’s generous and jolly spirit.

“I’ll usually pull out a candy cane and ask them if they can help me open it,” Antone said. “Or, if they’re wearing a ‘Frozen’ shirt or superhero clothes, I’ll comment about the movie and get them talking. That’s actually a big part of the job. You have to study up on all the new fads and toys so you’re not at a loss for words when the kids ask about them.”

This is just one of many tips Antone picked up when, in 2014, he attended a Santa School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

About 800 Santas attend cosmetics classes and learn how to pose for photos and obtain liability insurance.

For the most part, there is genuine fellowship among Santas, who regularly join in online forums and exchange job opportunities. But, according to Antone, there is a schism in the Kringle community between real and fake bearded Santas.

Like Caldwell, Antone proudly boasts authentic bristles. He’s even a part of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS).

Antone is part of Nationwide Santas and Santas on Facebook and is a graduate of Santa Tim Cunningham’s school, where he achieved his “master’s degree” in Clausology.

But before he went to the top of his Claus class, Antone said, he was just “an average guy with a corporate look.”

Upon retiring from Gulf Power in 2013, the Pensacola native decided to let his

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

hair grow. When people started calling him Santa, Antone studied himself in a mirror and thought, “Huh, there really is a resemblance.”

He recalled his holidays as a child when his great uncle would dress up as Santa and pass out gifts to the family. Reminded of the joy those moments inspired, something clicked for Antone.

“Post retirement, I knew I wanted to do something that would help others and make them happy,” he said. “I went out, bought a suit, landed a few gigs and it all snowballed from there.”

As of August, Santa Ronnie was already booked for most of December. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t charge a thing for his services, but costs add up. When Mrs. Claus isn’t around to mend his signature suit, a new one can run anywhere from $800 to $1,000. And, since the reindeer aren’t a fan of the subtropics, Santa travels by car.

“It’s less about running a business, and more about making a difference,” Antone said. “Sure, when you first arrive, and everyone cheers and gathers around like you’re a rock star, it feels good. But, when you hear some of the things that kids are telling you, you realize that Santa — you — are a figure they trust. I’ve had them tell me their parents are getting a divorce, or that they just found out their sibling has cancer.

That’s when it gets real.” EC

PHOTO BY BAYSIDE DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC.

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December 2018–January 2019

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THE

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CHAMPIONS

THE SHAPE OF WATER Walton County nonprofit looks after precious resource

by STEVE BORNHOFT

22

↑ Safe Water for Walton board members for 2019 are, beginning at left: attorney Steve Hall, DeFuniak Springs; charter boat captain Hunter Ray, Freeport; business investor Kelly Layman, Santa Rosa Beach; and community volunteer Beth Jackson, Freeport. Major founding donors included Nokuse Education, Inc. (represented by Matt Aresco of Bruce at far right) and Randy Wise Homes, headquartered in Okaloosa County.

I

n December 2016, Waste Management Inc., facing stiff public opposition, withdrew its application for a Class I deep injection well in Broward County, population 1.91 million.

Soon thereafter, the Fortune 500 company submitted an application for such a well in Jackson County, where the population never has exceeded 50,000, the poverty rate hovers around 23 percent and political clout doesn’t often amount to more than a windblown shout.

In either case, Houston-based Waste Management sought the well as a means for the disposal of leachate, the toxic “garbage juice” that collects at the bottom

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

of lined landfills such as the Springhill Landfill near the Jackson County community of Campbellton.

It’s unlikely that the applicant anticipated the kind of opposition that has developed in a county whose chief claims to fame are caverns and Limousin cattle.

Nonetheless, the NAACP in Jackson County came out against the well, citing it as a matter of “environmental justice.”

The Jackson County Commission adopted a resolution expressing strong opposition to exploratory wells and deep injection waste-disposal wells — and then the Walton County Commission and other local governments did likewise. ›› photography by JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

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December 2018–January 2019

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Further, the application spurred the creation of a nonprofit advocacy organization, Safe Water for Walton, whose chief concern is the health of the Choctawhatchee River and Bay watershed, which encompasses all or part of six counties in Florida: Jackson and Walton and also Bay, Holmes, Okaloosa and Washington.

“We’re not opposed to the applicant,” stressed Kelly Layman, the spokeswoman for Safe Water for Walton and a founding board member. “It wouldn’t matter to us if Pope John Paul had filed the application. We are opposed to the proposed well location.”

At present, Waste Management takes leachate to wastewater treatment facilities in Sneads and Marianna. A successful application would allow the company to itself dispose of leachate by injecting it 4,000 feet beneath ground level via a well that would pass through one, maybe two, layers of freshwater aquifer.

Layman and her fellow members of Safe Water for Walton are concerned about the potential for groundwater contamination.

Leachate, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, may contain volatile organic compounds that can cause liver and kidney damage or cancer.

Layman pointed out that while “I can’t think of a permit for an injection well, if a worse place to issued, would limit responsibility for contamination to a 1-mile radius, water inject leachate. migrates underground.

Walton County “What sounds like a super hyper local has 16 spring-fed issue really isn’t,” Layman said. “That’s why we’re concerned in Walton County. coastal dune We’re at the base of the funnel. I can’t lakes that don't think of a worse place to inject leachate. exist anywhere Walton County has 16 spring-fed coastal dune lakes that don’t exist anywhere else in the world.” else in the world. We have an inordinate — Kelly Layman, the number of private drinking water wells spokeswoman for Safe in our area. Plus, every water body Water for Walton and a connected to the Floridan Aquifer is founding board member spring fed, and they're all vulnerable to the potential failure of an injection well.

Counties near and south of the landfill are home to the largest cluster of documented freshwater underground springs (80 in total) anywhere between Tallahassee and Pensacola.”

Added Layman, “The Choctawhatchee watershed is the third largest river system in Florida in terms of the volume of water discharged. That’s astounding.”

Early on, before Safe Water for Walton was even established, state Sen. George Gainer (R-Panama City) expressed concerns about Waste Management’s application.

“I have serious issues that disposal of leachate water in a new well could cause contamination to seep into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, which is the source of drinking water for most of the state,” Gainer wrote in a May 30, 2017, letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The risk is just too great.”

“You don’t know what is in the leachate unless you know what is in the landfill,” Layman cautioned.

Several times, scheduled action on the permit application has been postponed. In September, Waste Management asked that the application be held in abeyance while it explores possible alternatives to an injection well.

“Waste Management continues in efforts to secure an environmentally safe, reliable and guaranteed source to appropriately treat and dispose leachate from Springhill Regional Landfill, as an alternative to a deep well,” René Faucheux, Waste Management manager of government and community relations, said in a statement issued to Emerald Coast Magazine on Oct. 18.

“Waste Management is exploring several options that could deliver a safe and reliable solution. Regarding the deep well test application, Waste Management submitted correspondence requesting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection hold the permit application in abeyance and take no further action regarding this application through March 1, 2019.”

Serving as a point person for an advocacy organization is not something Layman ordinarily does, but she brings to that role abundant connections. Kelly is no ordinary layman.

A resident of Santa Rosa Beach, she has an intimate knowledge of the workings of state government and has relationships with key players, gained from her experience as chief of staff at the Department of Environmental Protection; legislative liaison at the Florida Supreme Court; and as a staff aide to the Senate Judiciary chairman.

Layman intends that Safe Water for Walton ultimately become an organization whose activities are proactive, positive and educational, but she promises that for as long as the injection well permit application remains pending, it will be her top priority. She doesn’t intend for people to grow complacent.

Nonetheless, Safe Water for Walton already has engaged in activities that provide clues to the constructive presence it increasingly will be.

It has brought Operation Medicine Cabinet, a national movement, to Walton County. The activity affords individuals an opportunity to discard unused or expired medications by taking them to collection points, much as a county conducts hazardous waste amnesty days. Collectors ensure that the medications, many of which wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove, do not enter the aquatic environment.

In the wake of Hurricane Michael, YOLO Board, located in Miramar Beach, reached out to Safe Water for Walton, and the business and the organization combined to help storm victims by supplying them with water, sanitation tablets and storage jugs.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, an owner of the Surge Trampoline Park in Fort Walton Beach, endorsed those relief efforts. In October, he donated a weekend’s worth of park admission fees and proceeds from a raffle of autographed sports memorabilia to Safe Water for Walton.

“We’re studious. We’re shrewd. We’re on a mission,” Safe Water for Walton says about itself on its website.

People from Marianna, Florida, to Houston, Texas, are finding that out. EC

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa February 8-10, 2019

For tickets and details visit www.hannahmartinsparty.com

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

CITIZEN OF STYLE

BACK DOWN SOUTH

↗ These knee-high boots are made for stylin’: Grey Leopard Hair, $698; and Red Milano, $498.

Kristi Rockwell and Cameron Tharp return to roots with boots

by HANNAH BURKE

FASHION photography by TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Get Your ’Do Right

|| WHAT’S IN STORE

Retail Roundup

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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panache

B

e it through divine predetermination, universal karma or plain old coincidence, fate is an inevitability.

And it was afoot when, in 2007, Cameron Tharp and Kristi Rockwell met at a business social in Maui, Hawaii.

Finding themselves adrift in a sea of formulaic conversations typical of corporate networking events, the pair simultaneously smacked into a mirror. Quickly, Tharp and Rockwell would learn that each is from Alabama and that, as kids, both had vacationed with their families on the Emerald Coast.

And, as it happened, both had ailing parents back home when the two were in Hawaii, making for distracted island stays.

The two easily could have stopped at exchanging business cards and trite “It’s a small world” observations.

But, that day, Rockwell and Tharp realized they had been placed upon a path.

Faith, not fate, would be the trailblazer.

Back home, they stayed in touch and supported one another while caring for their parents. A friendship developed, and Rockwell and Tharp discovered one another’s creative side. Both knew something about running a business, and both were keen on boots.

It wasn’t long before idle sketches came to life.

“The original boots we produced were a heavily embroidered, knee-high design,” recalled Tharp. “The TOP SHELF first time Kristi wore them, Black and Turquoise ankle boots, $498; we couldn’t get through Stingray handbag, the airport without women $1,495 stopping us to ask where they SHOP LOCAL could buy a pair. We realized 143 Fisherman’s Cove, we were on to something.”

Miramar Beach rockwelltharp.com Seemingly overnight, one pair became 100. Soon, the duo discovered that their luxe, leather designs seamlessly translated to handbags, and hundreds of boutiques in the United States and beyond began clamoring for their products.

Still, the only place in the world where one can view their full collection is at Rockwell Tharp, the company’s flagship store at The Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin. Even their website, rockwelltharp.com, doesn’t reveal the entire stock.

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“Sandestin is our home, and we feel like Baytowne perfectly encapsulates the melting pot of our clientele,” Tharp said. “We don’t judge anyone who walks in. You’ve got nicely dressed tourists who come into our store looking to take something home that their girlfriends won’t have. You’ve got people who come right off the boat in their board shorts and tees, who you wouldn’t even know are multi-millionaires.”

Kathie Lee Gifford featured two pairs of Rockwell Tharp boots on the “Today” show in 2012. Sales of those designs benefitted Childhelp, a non-profit that Gifford represents.

Rock star Jim Peterik of Survivor is fond of his grey, leopard-print Rockwell Tharp boots. Tharp and Rockwell also spend time with the members of Heart and Quiet Riot. ››

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↑ Kristi Rockwell is ready to step out in Red Milano boots, a handembroidered dress and a one-of-a-kind cameo necklace.

Cameron Tharp meanwhile sports an exclusive men’s blazer designer by Rockwell Tharp.

photography by TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

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December 2018–January 2019

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panache ← The merchandise at Rockwell Tharp, located in The Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin, is the products of ideas gleaned by the store’s owners during their travels throughout the globe.

“At the end of the day, they’re just our friends,” Tharp said. “We don’t see ourselves as an elitist brand.”

“We just want to make our customers feel loved and confident,” added Rockwell. “We want them to feel fabulous in our designs.”

From a sleek, black pair of crocodile cowboy boots, to an over-the-knee stiletto embellished with pastel brocade and bold embroidery, it’s hard not to feel spectacular in a custom pair of Rockwell Tharps.

“Eye-catching” is an understatement. Past designs have dazzled with Swarovski crystals

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and signature Savani textiles that ensure no two ladies own the same pair. Even the simplest of designs boasts more than meets the eye. Solid ankle booties are stitched with durable, dignified, stingray leather.

“We 100 percent choose every material that goes into the boot,” Tharp said. “We decide whether we want the sole to be beige, red or turquoise, if we want a classic or stiletto heel and find the print or leather that feels the best.”

The selection process is no easy feat, prompting Rockwell and Tharp to

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

biannually circumnavigate the globe. At this writing, they’re in Thailand visiting one of their leather factories — and noshing on Tharp’s favorite Thai dish, green curry.

“We keep an open mind when travelling,” Tharp explained. “We may find a leather in Italy that we absolutely love and want to design an entire boot around. We’re blessed to have the ability to travel so we can take a little spice from each country and make something beautiful.”

Though the trip will yield a more solid idea of what their winter collection will entail, Tharp said they’re keeping an eye out for trendy python leather, bright colors, heavy embroidery and statement patterns.

“Ladies want something that makes them stand out,” said Rockwell. “At the same time, you want to embody the Southern grace that a good boot can offer.”

Rockwell, a southern belle herself, often couples her boots with the array of apparel available in the Baytowne store. While some customers may be overwhelmed by the eccentric patterns of a boot, Rockwell and Tharp are always excited to showcase how their standout footwear can make an outfit pop.

No matter where your Rockwell Tharp boots take you, Tharp and Rockwell invite you to follow their company’s motto and “Walk by faith, not by sight.”

“We stepped out on faith to launch this company, without knowing what the next chapter of our lives held,” said Tharp. “That faith is what brought us together, kept us together and has made us successful.” EC photography by TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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PROMOTION

MAKE THE HOLIDAYS BODACIOUS Celebrate everything the holiday season has to offer at the Bodacious Family of Shops in the heart of Historic Downtown Pensacola. The Bodacious Olive and So Gourmet’s Kitchenry Store and Wine & Cheese Shop offer a wide selection of gourmet foods, kitchenry tools and unique items perfect for corporate gift giving or for anyone who loves cooking and entertaining.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping with these wonderful staff-curated favorites, or stop by and let us help you create custom gift baskets for everyone on your list. Holiday shopping has never been easier! SHOP IN-STORE OR ONLINE.

1.

OLIVES ($42)

Gift set includes a Jar of Imported Olives, Gold Olive Spoon and Embroidered Olive Branch Tea Towel.

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2.

VINAIGRETTE SET ($50)

Gift set includes a Medium Balsamic Vinegar, Medium Olive Oil, Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard, Oxo Salad Dressing Shaker and Vinaigrette Recipe Card.

1

3.

THE CLASSIC ($93)

Gift basket includes a Medium Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, Medium Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil, Tuscany Bread Dipping Seasoning, CMC Designs Handmade Oil Bottle, Silver Pour Spout and Gold Pour Spout.

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4.

POPCORN LOVERS ($88) Gift basket includes an innovative Lekue Popcorn Popper, Small Butter Infused Olive Oil, Small White Truffle Oil, Black Truffle Sea Salt, EVOO Sprayer and Premium Popcorn.

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GO 32

➺ A BODACIOUS FAMILY OF SHOPS 407 S. Palafox St., Downtown Pensacola | (850) 433-6505 | bodaciousolive.com | Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm | Sat 9 am–4 pm | Sun 9 am–2 pm

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS BY BLAKE HOWERTON

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TRAIL RIDES Starting at $60 Ages 6 and up Please call to schedule Private rides and lessons available

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PLACE FOR KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTY

613 South County Hwy 393, Santa Rosa Beach | (850) 208-3114 30Ahorsefarm.com | gulfsidetrailrides@gmail.com | eventsatgulfside@gmail.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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↙

Especially at the holidays, hair shines as a personal decoration, framing the face and speaking to an individual’s sense of style.

FASHION

HOLIDAY HAIR The right style turns heads, inspires confidence

by HANNAH BURKE

I

t’s a tradition at my mammy’s house that, every Christmas morning, the family poses for individual photos in front of their stocking.

A flip through a seasoned photo album reveals decades of hair horror stories: That time I chopped my own bangs and dyed my locks darker to appear edgy; when cousin Jesse rocked a solid bowl-cut; and, who could forget Poppy’s Ron Burgundy mustache?

Of course, we thought it all looked great at the time. We were victims of vanity, save for Uncle Michael, whose tresses fell out before he turned 30.

But, for those who still have locks, you want it on-point for the holiday season. Be it for Mammy’s stocking photo, an office party or New Year’s Eve out with the girls, wear a style that won’t leave you camera shy.

“This winter, expect to see a lot of warm hair colors,” said Domenica Stevens, lead stylist at Serenity by the Sea Spa at Hilton Sandestin Beach. “Blondes will transition to a creamier blond, while brunettes will go for raven-black hair. And, those who loved the dark-hair, light-root balayage look all

34

summer/fall will tone their blonde down to more of a ‘bronde’ caramel.”

As for the ladies who like to go bold, spice up the season with rich cinnamon-reds and sugarplum-purple lowlights that flatter any skin tone.

While we’re on the subject of audaciousness, have you been toying with the notion of a “new year, new you” for 2019? One of the best ways to start fresh is, quite literally, to chop away that which has been weighing you down.

“Blunt cuts are back,” Stevens said. “You can officially wave goodbye to the layered, textured look and say hello to blunt lobs and blunt bangs.”

The lob, or “long bob,” is simply an extended version of the signature bob.

Feminine, chic and versatile, the angled cut falls just above the shoulder, lending itself to plenty of creative hairstyles.

But, if you’re like me and can’t fathom parting with your lengthy locks, the blunt bang is an appealing alternative. Think Taylor Swift and Kerry Washington, whose lowmaintenance fringe is always red carpet ready.

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

“For those with long hair, loose, bohemianbraided up-dos are trending for holiday parties,” Stevens shared. “Messy buns or top-knots, which were a huge trend last winter, continue to roll into 2018 with the bun or top-knot on the crown of the head, and the rest of the hair down.”

But, now that the humidity has diminished, don’t be afraid to let all your hair down. Though winter is welcomed by gals prone to frizz, you may find the cooler air hinders your natural volume.

“Give you hair texture,” advised Laurie Martinez, owner of Trends Salon in Pensacola. “Flat irons, curling irons and wands add volume and style, but, if you’re in a hurry, fashion your hair into some loose braids beforehand. Take the braids out when getting ready and tousle with a sea salt spray, or smooth the waves with a wide-tooth comb for a classy, retro look.”

Martinez said it’s imperative to apply heat protection, such as Hot Sets by Redken, Iron Master by ColorProof or Heat protection by Moroccanoil, to shield your strands from damage.

Stevens is also on board with Moroccanoil for its restorative properties. “Products from Moroccanoil, like the Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, help infuse the hair with argan oil and moisture so it looks and feels fresh. Minu, from our Italian line, Davines, also helps preserve your new winter color and keep it looking rich and alive.”

Keep in mind that hair and makeup go hand-in-hand. If either side is lacking, your look will miss the mark.

According to Martinez, it’s time to take the plunge into false lashes … but not with the peel ’n’ stick kits you pick up at the corner drugstore. Individual lashes, which can be applied by your local salon, are an inexpensive, ingenious way to create a natural, full appearance.

“A fresh coat of mascara and the right lip color will do wonders for a fresh look, so take the time to find your lipstick for the season,” she suggested. “It’s great in a pinch, because sometimes, makeup in the car is just going to have to cut it on MOROCCANOIL MOISTURE REPAIR the way to your kid’s holiday SHAMPOO AND cookie exchange!” EC CONDITIONER

PHOTO BY FOTOIMPERIYA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND COURTESY OF MOROCCANOIL

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Tis The Season!

Located in the Village of Baytowne Wharf • Call 850.351.1800 • #SANDESTINSTYLE EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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PROMOTION

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Give the gift of holiday cheer by putting the perfect gift under the tree for everyone on your nice list. Our holiday guide features Emerald Coast stores with sensational seasonal shopping.

BEN & JERRY’S If you want a L.A. GREEN

Stack in style with this beautiful, intricate set of three metallic gold bangles.

BuDhaGirl Christian Prayers All Weather Bangles are a perfect gift for a friend or yourself!

12805 U.S. Highway 98 E., Ste. C 100, Inlet Beach, (850) 851-8952, shoplagreen.com

cake that is unique in flavor and design, Ben & Jerry’s is the place to find it! Perfect for holiday parties, special occasions and birthdays.

Our ice cream cakes serve 2 to 40 with over 25 flavors to choose from.

9375 Emerald Coast Parkway, Miramar Beach, (850) 460-8884 benjerry.com/miramarbeach

MARGARET ELLEN BRIDAL

These swoon-worthy earrings feature a shimmering mix of Swarovski crystals and pearls. Designed by Sara Gabriel, they are perfect for your next formal event. 12805 U.S. Highway 98 E., Suite N. 201, Inlet Beach (850) 641-0266 margaretellenbridal.com

SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA AT HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA CLAY GARDEN & GIFTS

Bring the outdoors in with beautiful amaryllis bulbs in a variety of colors shipped direct from Holland. Pair with a bulbshaped vase to cultivate bulbs indoors throughout the winter months. 4808 E. Scenic Highway 30A, Seagrove Beach, (850) 231-2150 clay30a.com

DIXIELECTRICAR

COASTAL SKIN SURGERY AND DERMATOLOGY

Look radiant for the holidays and start the new year glowing.

ZO® SKIN HEALTH Ossential® Growth Factor Serum Plus helps restore hydration, reduce signs of aging, repairs and protects your skin. 12469 Emerald Coast Parkway, Miramar Beach, (850) 654-3376, coastalskinsurgery.com

How about putting one of these under the tree? The 2019 E-Z-GO Express™ L6 features a 72-volt AC electric power drive or a fuel-efficient Kawasaki 4-stroke gas engine. Street legal configuration is available. 3525 W. U.S. 98, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 269-0011, dixielectricar.com

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

An AromaSense luxury shower head utilizes natural aroma oils to enhance relaxation and alleviate stress.

Treat your loved ones to a luxury spa experience at home. 4000 Sandestin Blvd. S., Miramar Beach (850) 622-9595, serenitybytheseaspa.com

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LUSTRE LOOK is first to bring the most modern techniques of softer and more natural lines in the permanent makeup industry to the Emerald Coast.

12671 HWY 98, SUITE #208 | MIRAMAR BEACH | 850.533.5250 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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SPONSORED REPORT

Dr. Richard Grisoli with Destin Plastic Surgery is often asked, “If I could only do three things to improve the health and appearance of the skin on my face, what would they be?” My response is: ▪ Protect yourself from the sun (sunscreen, hats, avoid midday exposure).

▪ Get a Broadband Light (BBL) treatment a few times each year.

RICHARD J. GRISOLI, M.D.

▪ Apply a topical vitamin A–based drug, such as Retin-A, a few times each week as tolerated.

THE SUBTLE REJUVENATION THAT TURNS HEADS

W

e can’t always help when our face begins to show our age. Thankfully, with BroadBand Light Therapy, you don’t have to be stuck with age spots, brown spots or an uneven skin texture. BBL can fix it all, reducing damage and taking years off your complexion.

Many people have heard of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy. BBL is considered by many to be “IPL on steroids.” This treatment uses short blasts of high-intensity light to produce younger-looking skin that’s firmer and more even in tone and texture. With little recovery time and no surgery, most patients see noticeable improvements in the color of their skin in seven to 10 days.

WHAT IS BBL? AND HOW DOES IT WORK? Your face is what people first notice about you. Unfortunately, it’s also a part of your body that immediately gives away your age.

Years of unprotected sun exposure, harsh cleansers and aging can do a number on your skin, making it look dull and wrinkled.

Thankfully, there’s a skin treatment that can reduce the appearance of damage and subtract years from your complexion.

BBL (BroadBand Light therapy), also known as a photo facial, uses cutting-edge technology to produce younger-looking skin that’s firmer and more even in tone and texture. With little recovery time and no surgery, BBL offers a safe, FDA-cleared option for sun damage, anti-aging and skin rejuvenation. Commonly treated conditions include: » Pigmented Lesions (freckles, age spots) » Vascular Lesions (small blood vessels) » Skin Firmness » Uneven Skin Texture HOW BBL WORKS The light energy delivered by BBL gently heats the upper layers of your skin. The heat absorbed by the targeted areas stimulates skin cells to regenerate collagen. This process restores your skin to its natural beauty, blending its natural colors and making it smoother, vibrant and younger looking. In addition, the photothermal energy eliminates fine vessels that cause redness and reduces unwanted melanin that produces pigmented lesions.

The machine is equipped with advanced cooling features, allowing the use of high-powered energy with minimal discomfort. Numbing cream can be administered on individuals who find the treatment uncomfortable, but it’s typically unnecessary. BBL is a safe, effective approach to younger-looking skin. It is recommended that individuals undergo treatment two to four times per year for optimal results.

WHAT AREAS CAN BE TREATED? Any area of your body can be treated.

Due to being most often exposed to the damaging effects of sunlight, the most popular treatments are on the face, neck, back of the hands, chest and shoulders.

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(850) 654-1194 | 4485 FURLING LANE, DESTIN | THEPLASTICDOC.COM

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

SPONSORED REPORT

REJUVENATE

WITH THERMIVA

T

hermiVa is a nonsurgical, comfortable vaginal rejuvenation procedure that Destin Plastic Surgery offers as a solution for women experiencing discomfort. ThermiVa is a trusted, reliable and convenient option for curing symptoms that can affect your overall lifestyle and confidence.

ThermiVa treatments focus on improving and eliminating vaginal laxity, vulvar/labial laxity, vaginal dryness, atrophic vaginitis, mild to moderate stress incontinence and sexual or orgasmic dysfunction. Most commonly, these symptoms are associated with vaginal atrophy, which tends to be age related or may follow childbirth. The clinic realizes that these cases aren’t always easy to talk about. Therefore, each patient is treated with the utmost compassion and sensitivity.

SALLY SURGNIER, RN

The process is non-invasive, non-surgical and requires no anesthesia. There is no downtime, and you can return to all regular activities immediately. The procedure is administered via a wand-like hand piece that transmits radio frequency in order to tighten the interior, exterior or both, depending on your needs.

“We use a small, electrode hand piece that is comfortable and uses therapeutic temperatures to ensure it’s very comfortable,” said Sally Surgnier, registered nurse and aesthetician at Destin Plastic Surgery. “It takes about 30 to 40 minutes, and results in healthier vaginal tissues both external and internal.”

Patients must receive three treatments, one month apart, and may be recommended for an additional treatment once every year. The results have been outstanding and are usually evident immediately.

“I have received wonderful feedback from women who are To learn more about very happy with the results even ThermiVa, visit after the first procedure,” ThePlasticDoc.com said Surgnier. “And by the third or call (850) 654-1194. treatment, the vaginal tissues are restored and rejuvenated.”

WILLIAM R. BURDEN, MD, FACS

D

r. William R. Burden, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is the founder and CEO of Destin Plastic Surgery and is also the founder of the Destin Surgery Center, housed in the same building.

Dr. Burden has developed highly specialized techniques for breast, face and body contouring procedures.

He has published two books that have been on the Amazon bestsellers list; the books discuss the “No Scar To learn more about on the Breast” enhancement technique and the Brazilian Butt Lift performed with advanced fat grafting Dr. Burden, visit techniques. Dr. Burden is the only plastic surgeon in the area who is a member of the speaker’s bureau for ThePlasticDoc.com the Allergan Corporation. He routinely teaches cosmetic facial procedures to other physicians, and he has presented studies nationally and internationally on breast surgery.

(850) 654-1194 | 4485 FURLING LANE, DESTIN | THEPLASTICDOC.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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panache

➸ Now servicing the

Pensacola area, IT’S JUST PERFECT offers beautiful blooms and custom gift baskets, delivered right to your door. This winter, juniper, red roses and evergreen arrangements invoke the spirit of the season.

 WHAT’S IN STORE? A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast

by HANNAH BURKE

Their slogan says it best: “Love to give?”

Shop at The Art Of Simple. Featuring tabletop accessories, handmade trinkets and an aromatic apothecary, this Seaside shop is a great source for stocking stuffers.

WINTER WARDROBE ➸ The TRIBE KELLEY SURF POST has migrated

from Nashville to Grayton Beach, sharing with us its signature Southern styles and scents. Brian Kelley of the country duo “Florida Georgia Line,” along with wife, Brittney, successfully blend their brand with a hint of the sea for the beachside bohemian.

➸ Finally, it’s the season of the smoky eye and bold

lip. BLUEMERCURY, now open in Grand Boulevard Sandestin, will equip you with designer cosmetics, fragrances and hair care for festive flair.

TRIBE KELLEY SURF POST

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➸ Now open at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, THE JEWEL is the new iteration of Destin Jewelers. With the revamped brand comes a contemporary inventory of Mazza, Misa, Hortense and Rene Escobar designs and more.

➸ Men can be hard to shop for, but at BEYOND 214 in Destin, possibilities are boundless. A veteran owned and operated business, Beyond 214 offers handcrafted woodworks, spice rubs, coffee and fashion for your guy.

New Year’s Resolutions ➸ Now that it’s time to jog off the nog, your starting point is LOVE2RUN in 30 Avenue.

Name-brand shoes, flattering athletic apparel and sleek shades ensure that you cross the finish line in style.

➸ Whether you’ve decided to go vegan or see what the paleo and keto diets are all about, PRIMAL NOSH is here to get you on track with organic, delicious meal plans. As Pensacola’s premier meal prep company, Primal Nosh offers a fresh, weekly menu available for home and business deliveries or in-store pickup. ➸ GRACEFUL REBEL

of 30A is where style meets spirituality.

Graphic apparel with phrases such as “Be Here Now” and “Do Not Feed the Fears” remind you to embrace a new outlook for 2019.

OUTSIDE THE BOX STORE & STORY shares a taste of the Mediterranean in Destin Commons with collections of Turkish lamps, towels, rugs and apparel. As suggested, each item possesses a rich and unique story that owner Ömer Han Kayhan is happy to share. // LH BEAD GALERY is celebrating 10 years of bedazzling Panama City with its extensive collection of handcrafted jewels and glass art. If you’re feeling crafty, over 40,000 strands of beads and gems are at your disposal to craft a sentimental, stylish gift. // You no longer need to scour eBbay for that limited-edition action figure that’ll make your favorite nerd’s holiday. MARTY’S COLLECTIBLES in Pensacola is your one-stop shop for vintage memorabilia, games, DVDs and toys.

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIBE KELLEY SURF POST / KEVIN MAYA (TRIBE KELLEY SURF POST), PRIMAL NOSH, ART IS SIMPLE, BEYOND 214 AND THE JEWEL

Gifts Galore

“My favorite part of being in business in Seaside for the last 20 years has been the chance to meet some of the most friendly and interesting people.”

Austin Magee Austin’s Surf School Seaside, Florida

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PARTIES with a purpose UNCOMPLICATE PLANNING FOR BEST RESULTS story by ROCHELLE KOFF photography by ALISSA ARYN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOS BY ALISSA ARYN COMMERCIAL, ALISSAARYNCOMMERCIAL.COM

T

his is the year you’ve decided to throw a holiday party, but you’ve got lots of questions: What do I serve?

Who do I invite? Where to begin?

Take a deep breath. We’ve got you, and your table, covered. We’ve asked the experts — seasoned entertainers, caterers and event planners — for ideas about how to make your holiday party fun and memorable.

In these days of Pinterest and online potluck sign-ups, you can easily get lots of ideas for every step of the process, from planning the menu to party-proofing your powder room.

Still, planning a party is also about deciding your own style, your philosophy and personal reality, as in what kind of party fits your time and entertaining skills.

← As the centerpiece of holiday gatherings, the dinner table warrants close attention. Jessica Proffitt Bracken’s table reflects a contemporary trend — gold silverware — and the success that can be achieved with a color scheme that departs from the familiar red and green.

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“The question to ask yourself is: ‘What is the point of my party?’ ” said event planner Megan Kennedy, owner of Pensacola-based Megan K. “ ‘How do I want guests to feel, or what do I want them to say about the party after it’s over?’

That’s a good place to start.”

To continue the process, consider: Do you want to have a casual gathering of a dozen besties or a formal affair for 200?

Do you want a DIY-party or one with caterers, bartenders and bands? Do you want to carry on family traditions or try something different?

“Don’t overcomplicate it,” said Laura Johnson, founding artist and CEO of Tallahassee-based Coton Colors, which creates home decor items, gifts and ornaments. “To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a large or small party. All the elements are the same, and ultimately it’s about spending time with friends, family and even new acquaintances.

Experienced entertainers agree that your attitude and approach are more important than the fanciest decorations or ingredients.

“There’s a warmth that goes with holiday celebrations, and that’s why I do it,” said Pat Braunstien, president of the Temple Beth El Sisterhood in Pensacola, which hosts yearly Hanukkah parties. It’s the kind of party where friends are family, she said.

“The most important thing is the spirit of the event,” noted chef Heyward McKenzie, owner of Fort Walton Beachbased Culinary Catering 365 and Heystack’s Shrimp Shack caterers.

To tap that spirit and get the party going, here are tips gleaned from the experts.

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Getting started

WAVE PHOTOGRAPHY

← Fine china inherited from ancestors is an option when setting the holiday table, but it’s not the only one. As long as they are festive, contemporary approaches may range from formal to disposable, depending upon the theme and mood of the get-together.

Advice from the experts “The question to ask yourself is: ‘What is the point of my party?

How do I want guests to feel, or what do I want them to say about the party after it’s over?’

That’s a good place to start.”

EVENT PLANNER MEGAN KENNEDY, OWNER OF PENSACOLA-BASED MEGAN K.

Planning is key to a successful party.

Even if you’re hosting a more casual wingding, don’t wing it.

First, pick the date. Are you celebrating a specific holiday or the season?

Keep in mind that in 2018, Hanukkah starts at sundown Dec. 2. Fridays and Saturdays book up quickly from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, so you’ll need to get the word out early.

Consider the option of a Sunday afternoon party as well.

It’s easy to sweat over the guest list.

You may want to reciprocate for every invitation you’ve ever received in your life, but don’t be overambitious. Keep in mind that a great group of guests can overcome calamities like a fallen soufflé or a rain-soaked patio.

“You don’t want to have two parties within one,” said Jessica Proffitt Bracken, owner of Proffitt PR, based in Miramar Beach. “You want to make sure that if people don’t know each other, they’re going to get along.”

In her list of do’s and don’ts in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Etiquette, author and columnist Mary Mitchell suggests inviting guests who will “make an effort to contribute to the success of the party.” But she also cautions against inviting known adversaries who “may make the party livelier than you had hoped.”

Braunstien said she makes sure to invite singles as well as couples to her dinner parties. “Single people don’t always go to the trouble of getting menorahs or making latkes for themselves,” she said.

For a large gathering, the size of your soiree is likely dictated by how many people can fit comfortably in your home and usable outdoor space. For a cozier dinner gathering, you can limit the guest list to the number of people you can accommodate at the table, or make it a buffet.

Do you need to send out invitations?

Options include email invites, personalized if possible, or snail mail. Calls work for a small, informal party.

Your invitation can reflect the theme of the party, if you want a theme, that is.

About that theme This can be another one of those party conundrums. You want to do something creative but not too weird or overdone. A piece of advice: Let someone else have the ugly sweater party this year.

For some entertainers, the theme is simply the joy of the holiday, with festive decorations that set the tone.

If you want to build on that, search the web and you’ll find ideas such as the “Nightmare before Christmas” party, the holiday movie marathon, the spiked hot chocolate-sipping gettogether and the retro soiree.

As for our experts, Bracken “loves a theme,” but whatever that theme is, it has to “hit all the senses — the sights, the scents, the sounds.”

Coastal themes are popular choices.

“We do tons of beach parties,” said Cheri Peebles, owner of Grayton Beach Catering, known for its shrimp boils and bonfires. She suggests clipping magazines and saving Instagram and Pinterest photos to help you come up with ideas.

“One thing that I’ve found works well is to have a party that supports a local charity,” said Kennedy. “During the holidays, people especially love to give and do something special. The party has more meaning than coming over for a few drinks.

“You don’t have to make it a requirement to give, but you can let people know that you’re supporting a particular cause,” said Kennedy, who, at one gathering, raised $3,000 in donations for children who have been victims of sexual abuse.

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Party Reminders

❑ R emember that when

you’re planning a party, checklists rule.

Make shopping lists for food and beverages, decorations and supplies. Make lists for what you need to do in the weeks and days before the party and your day-of schedule. And then remember to look at the lists. ❑ D o you have enough dishes, flatware and glasses? If not, you can rent them, though that can be expensive. Shop around for the best deals. ❑ C onsider traffic flow.

Provide drinks in one area and the food in another, with plenty of space around the tables.

Make decorative trash cans easily accessible. ❑ I f you expect lots of guests piling jackets on your bed, think about buying or renting an inexpensive coat rack you can put in the bedroom or near the entryway. ❑ B e realistic about how much time it takes to do things, like cook a sauce or set the table. Leave yourself enough time. ❑ “ Think of every detail from your guests’ perspective,” said Johnson of Coton Colors.

“What details will make them feel at home and ready to unwind? Have a signature cocktail or a nonalcoholic beverage waiting for them when they walk in. Pre-plan so that you can be present with your guests.”

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← Jessica Proffitt Bracken, the owner of Proffitt PR in Miramar Beach, advises hosts and hostesses to consider interpersonal chemistry when assembling a guest list. People who enjoy one another’s company serve to take a lot of pressure off the party thrower.

Johnson suggests that once a host decides on the desired feeling of the party, “then pick recipes, flowers, table settings and a playlist that sparks that feeling.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLASSIC CITY CATERING (CHEF PENNIMAN)

Need help?

Some hosts prefer to do everything themselves, perhaps supplementing their menu with premade plates. But if you’re having a large gathering, you may want to hire professionals, such as a party or event planner, a caterer and a bartender. Some hire a photographer or musicians, as well.

Recommendations from friends are most helpful, but also check online reviews and a firm’s website to see whether it’s the right match for you. The key is to book as soon as possible.

If you’re hiring a professional caterer, you’ll want to consider several issues: What will you need the caterer to bring, for instance? Most can provide everything from flatware to tables as well as servers. Will the caterer be cooking on-site?

“Some venues offer a kitchen or prep space, but if you are having a holiday party at your home, it would be good to ask how much space they will need for setting up equipment,” said chef David Penniman, owner of Pensacolabased Classic City Catering.

He also advised finding out what’s included in the per-person price. “For example, set up and cleanup, china, flatware, napkins, buffet equipment.”

What to serve You’ll likely want to include dishes to suit dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian choices, said Penniman.

Holiday menus are getting more adventurous, said the experts.

Penniman said there are options, like “easy to eat, fun-themed strolling stations. The guests

seem to interact more and try new things. We have seen holiday parties offer a menu range from a Baja taqueria to a flambé bananas Foster dessert station.”

Heyward McKenzie, of Hayward Shrimp Shack, said menus can include some traditional favorites but “you want to have dishes with a wow factor. Turkey or ham are examples of pastime parties. Today, we’re doing roasted duck and glazed pears in cast-iron skillets.”

McKenzie, also the chef at Shalimar United Methodist Church, said he has prepared some fanciful items like lobster corn dogs and cotton candy on a “stick” made of chocolate-covered bacon for a fun treat.

“Holidays are a time to splurge and do things you wouldn’t normally do,” he said.

Chefs also suggest including room-temperature dishes that can be prepared ahead of time, such as sliced beef tenderloin and smoked salmon. Other top, make-ahead choices are charcuterie and cheese boards, antipasto platters and big salads.

Tradition dictates some party fare. A Hanukkah party will typically include fried dishes to commemorate how a small amount of oil miraculously lasted eight days.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Advice from the experts “Some venues offer a kitchen or prep space, but if you are having a holiday party at your home, it would be good to ask how much space they will need for setting up equipment.”

CHEF DAVID PENNIMAN, OWNER OF PENSACOLA-BASED CLASSIC CITY CATERING

December 2018–January 2019

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Here are a few holiday recipes shared by our experts.

Aunt Goldy’s Cheesecake CRUST ➸ 1 ¾ cup crushed graham crackers ➸ ¼ cup chopped walnuts or toasted almonds ➸ ½ teaspoon cinnamon ➸ ½ cup butter Combine in a bowl, then spread into the bottom of a springform pan or 9 X 14 inch pan.

FILLING ➸ 3 well-beaten eggs ➸ 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (softened) ➸ 1 cup sugar ➸ ¼ teaspoon salt ➸ 2 teaspoons vanilla ➸ ½ teaspoon almond extract ➸ 3 cups sour cream Combine all ingredients except the sour cream and beat until very smooth. Blend in the sour cream and pour the mixture into the crust.

Bake at 375ºF. for 35 minutes or until just set and a tester comes out smoothly. If in a springform pan, run a knife around the edges of the cake, then remove the sides of the pan and plate the cake. If in a 9 X 14 inch pan, do not remove it. (This pan type is more easily portable.)

TOPPING ➸ E ither 2 cans of very good cherry pie filling that has lots of fruit (spoon out excess sauce filler) o r 2 cans of sour cherries in juice that you drain into a saucepan, sweeten, and cook until thick as per directions on the can.

Spread the fruit on top of the cheesecake. Chill 4 to 5 hours before serving.

— Submitted by Pat Braunstien

Coastal Carolina Shrimp and Grits ➸ 8 16/20 shrimp peeled and deveined ➸ 1 cup Carolina Grits or any type of yellow stone-ground grits ➸ 1 cup chicken stock ➸ 2 cups heavy cream ➸ 3 tablespoons butter ➸ ½ pound pepper Jack

cheese ➸ 1 tablespoon chopped garlic ➸ ½ cup chopped, smoked sausage (Conecuh if possible) ➸ 1 bunch green onions ➸ 2 tomatoes concassé (peeled and seeded) ➸ 1 cup white wine

Bring the chicken stock, cream and half the butter to a boil. Add the grits and slowly stir until cooked. Sauté the garlic, shrimp and sausage until the shrimp starts to cook. Deglaze with white wine.

Add the tomatoes and the rest of the butter. Add cheese to grits.

Put the grits on the plate and top with the shrimp and sausage.

Garnish with green onions.

— Submitted by Heyward McKenzie

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↑ OF COURSES: Homegrown figs (above), drizzled with the best that the Honey Hutch farm in Seagrove Beach has to offer, top a cheesecake that makes for a delightfully rich bite. (at right) Radishes work well as a colorful and seasonally appropriate garnish when added to a roasted chicken on a bed of new potatoes.

Braunstien said she prepares fried potato pancakes or latkes and jelly doughnuts as well as brisket and salad to round out the meal. She makes some of the potato pancakes herself, but also invites guests to make their own recipe in her kitchen. She provides the shredded potatoes.

“We have flour all over the floor,” Braunstien said. “Everyone gets into the spirit of it.”

She also serves her Aunt Goldie’s cheesecake. “It’s the most fabulous cheesecake,” Braunstein said. It’s a recipe she promised to keep secret but she’s agreed to share, this once.

“Don’t tell anyone,” she joked.

Potluck dinners are a time-tested way to get guests involved. Having friends pitch in also offers a greater variety of dishes and takes pressure off the host. You just want to avoid having 10 people bringing potato salad.

More people are turning to SignUpGenius, an online service to help coordinate sign-up lists.

As for beverages, spiked eggnog is a staple, but also consider a signature cocktail or two, along with wine and beer. For your teetotaling friends,

provide some options to water and soda, including hot apple cider, iced tea and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Whatever you serve, it’s important “to be a proper hostess,” said Kennedy. “You want to be there, or ask friends to be there, to greet people the moment they arrive.

“Hostessing is the No. 1 thing” that’s crucial to throwing a successful party, she said. “You can say, ‘great to meet you,’ provide conversation and show them where to have a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres.”

It helps put guests at ease from the start, Kennedy said.

Setting the table Decorating the table is one of the most creative elements of throwing a party, but first, more decisions. Do

Potato Garlic & Herb Roasted Chicken INGREDIENTS ➸ 1 chicken, about 4 pounds ➸ 5 garlic cloves, minced ➸ 5 tablespoons of butter, room temperature ➸ ½ teaspoon rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary ➸ Salt and pepper to taste ➸ 1 pound baby potatoes, peel on and washed ➸ 2 tablespoons of avocado oil, or grapeseed oil ➸ radishes as garnish Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, butter, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix until everything is combined.

Pat the chicken dry using paper towels.

Place the mixture under the skin of the chicken. Spread the butter on the thighs and drumsticks. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, refrigerate uncovered for at least one hour or overnight (this helps achieve the crispy roasted skin). Drizzle avocado oil over the potatoes, season with salt and give it a good mix with your hands.

Place chicken on top on the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, basting chicken with pan juices a few times. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

— Submitted by Jessica Proffitt Bracken

you dig out your crystal, linen tablecloths and fine silver, or do you consider disposable cutlery and plates?

“I love to be fancy,” said Bracken.

For more intimate parties, she breaks out favorite pieces, like “a piece of china from my great-grandmother.”

These items are conversation starters, she said. “Platters have stories.”

At intimate parties, Bracken often customizes wine glasses for each guest. “It’s fun and it makes everyone feel special.”

For an elegant accent, gold silverware “has become more trendy,” she said. Chargers, decorative plates placed under your dinnerware, can also dress up your table setting.

Some entertainers wrap their table with festive wrapping paper.

If you don’t have the fancy stuff or don’t want to use it for a huge dinner party, consider more greenfriendly disposable choices now on the market. Given the popularity of beach parties, keep in mind that you can’t bring glasses or wine bottles on the beach, noted caterer Peebles. Wine is served in acrylic glasses, and she uses plates made from biodegradable fallen palm leaves. Bamboo is another option.

When it comes to the centerpiece, anything goes.

One suggestion: Bring nature indoors, collecting items from the seashore or garden. It’s easy to spray pine cones and use them in a display or stacked in a tall glass.

Bracken typically turns to silver and gold and a splash of turquoise

as her accent color when decorating.

The tropical hue gives the party “that coastal feel,” she said.

Celebrate your guests “The best thing you can do as a hostess is to give your guests a handwritten note when they leave the party, telling them you appreciate them being there,” Kennedy said.

“I’ve had people tell me ‘I can’t believe you took the time to write me a note. It made me feel special.’”

Throwing a holiday party may sound like a lot of work, but don’t fret, said the experts. Any gathering is ultimately about being with friends and family.

“Just bring people together,” Johnson said. “A celebration will surely unfold.” EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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Michealanne Lauderdale, her husband Matt and daughter Frankie Lou like to join in flipping through photographs of past holiday seasons. Those looks back never fail to add to their anticipation of family festivities to come.

WarmGlow

The

of the Holidays

Locals from Pensacola to Panama City Beach share their fondest memories STORY BY KARI C. BARLOW // PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI

The air outside is (a smidge) cooler, college football is winding down, and the holiday season is on the horizon. That got us to thinking — what’s your favorite holiday? You know, the one that turns you to mush inside. The one you secretly long for when you’re feeling blue or just straight-up tired of adulting.

We posed that question to several folks along the Emerald Coast, and while the responses were varied, the common threads were food (and lots of it), family, friends and fun. Read on to see if you can relate!

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MICHAELANNE LAUDERDALE Co-owner of Salt Air 30A, Seacrest

“For me, I have so many holiday stories, but my favorite is the last holiday we ever got to spend with my dad. He was in hospice or close to it at that time. And he loved Thanksgiving! I had never cared about it all that much, but it was his favorite holiday. And my parents are divorced — and we all spent that holiday together! My mom and my stepdad came over, and my sisters and all the brothers-in-law were there, and he taught them how to smoke the turkey! And it was just such a special holiday.

It was one of those times that was just so special and big. He died two weeks later. That kind of changed Thanksgiving for me since then. It makes me feel close to my dad. It’s not sad at all. I love it so much!”

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Ricky Steele

Nathan Boyles

HECTOR SOLIS Panama City Beach City Councilman, Ward 4

Artist, Ricky Steele Designs, Panama City

“Winter holidays, specifically Thanksgiving and Christmas, have always included time around ‘the smoker’ at my grandparents’ house in Milligan (the first seat of Okaloosa County). The smoker is a homebuilt affair constructed by my grandfather and uncle.

My grandfather is a tinkerer, a trait I seem to have inherited. However, I have the benefit of the collective and iterative wisdom of the internet when I undertake some ill-advised project. I am not sure exactly when the smoker was constructed, but I am certain it was before the internet age, and there weren’t any mail-order plans involved. While I was not a witness, I am told that the roughcut cypress body of the smoker erupted in flames upon the maiden lighting and that modifications had to be made to reduce the risk of future engulfment. The brick firebox was built with scrounged brick — none of them firebrick — and has long ago ceased to be held together by anything other than gravity and a few metal pipes driven into the ground to arrest the outward lean of the walls. At this point, I’m not really sure what holds the rest of the contraption together, but there it stands ready to perform its biannual duties.

“Despite the humble appearance, I am confident in my conclusion that no manufactured alternative has ever crossed the threshold of a home improvement store that can hold a candle to Pa’s smoker. A bit of pecan wood and patience will produce heaps of smoked mullet — you hang them by tail — a bushel of beef jerky and a pile of pork chops.

Perhaps even more delicious are the enjoyable hours spent congregating around the firebox with family as the old smoker does its work.”

“The holiday I reflect on most is my family’s Thanksgiving celebrations.

It was really a time where as many of us as possible got together.

Sometimes that group would be as many as 40 or 50 people. It was such an enjoyment — and the great food didn’t hurt any. This was in Harker Heights, Texas, near Killeen. It was centered around my mom because we all wanted to be near her. Our Thanksgivings typically started in the morning because everyone would start cooking early. And we really tried to wait until everyone got there to eat. It was really important to us. … I don’t know if I had a favorite dish, but I can tell you I was the king of the mashed potatoes! My secret was a whole lot of butter.”

“I’m a Christmas guy!

It’s the season of giving.

People seem to be happy, and more people come home so you get to see a lot of old friends. From a Christian perspective, it’s a good time for fellowship. That’s just our tradition — having people stopping by the house to eat. My wife is a fabulous cook. She makes a great red velvet cake and a key lime cake, and she does this Oreo cream cake. All three of those combined is just phenomenal!

I have a great wife, and she still makes it like I’m a kid. We’ve got two stockings — one for her and one for me. She makes it a lot of fun.

And all of my kids are grown, but I have 11 grandkids and two great grandkids … and of the ones who live in town … everyone seems to flock to our house!”

Okaloosa County Commissioner, District 3

MARTHA D. SAUNDERS President of the University of West Florida, Pensacola “Hands down, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because the star of the show is food. I can relate to the late columnist Erma Bombeck who said, ‘I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.’ Our Thanksgiving feasts are lovingly made from recipes handed down from generation to generation. We still enjoy Aunt Clara’s sweet potato casserole with its liberal infusion of sherry (some of which actually ends up in the casserole), Katherine Belle’s grape and cranberry salad (that’s fresh cranberries, mind you), Aunt Jewell’s 14-day pickles, and Christine’s pecan pie, which no one seems to ever be able to replicate because Christine didn’t believe in writing down her recipes. My mother’s dressing was always most requested, and now I do the honors. Every dish conjures up memories. The memories trigger family stories we never tire of telling, because, like the food, they get better every year.”

JEAN PIERRE N’DIONE

Owner of Five Sisters Restaurant, Pensacola, and general manager of The Fish House and Atlas Oyster House, Pensacola

Nathan Boyles, left, along with his grandfather Charles Batson, inspect the family’s time-honored smoker, which caught fire when first put into service.

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“Christmas is definitely my favorite. … I was born in Senegal, but I grew up in France. … On Christmas Eve, it’s a big deal, and all of our family gets together. It’s cooking and eating, and of course, going to midnight Mass. Then all of the kids go to bed, and you wake up to all the presents. And the day is just family again. Everyone comes to the house, and it’s eating from 1 or 2 p.m. until, oh, 10 p.m. The dish I really enjoyed was a duck that my mother made. I just remember that she would prepare it for a couple of days, get it marinated and then put it in the oven and by the time it came out of the oven, the whole house would smell so good!”

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

BRENT LANE

Co-host of the “Cat Pak Morning Show” on Cat Country 98.7 FM, Pensacola

“It’s always been Christmas. We start putting up Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving. Our kids are accustomed to it.

Everybody knows that Dad goes to the storage unit and picks up all the Christmas stuff. And usually the day after Thanksgiving, we make that house become the Griswolds’. … We used to go all the way with the yard work — everything from lights in the trees to the blowups, but then my daughters got into high school and they were a little too cool for the blowups! So we scaled it back, and now I am the maestro of the laser art. Not only do we make the house come alive, we light the trees up like nobody’s business! I’m pretty sure it’s not a safe zone if you’re flying over the house! … For whatever reason, Christmas has just always made me feel warm and fuzzy. It smells like pine trees, and there’s always that soft glow of the Christmas lights. I’ve had so many happy memories around a Christmas tree. It’s not so much about the presents — it’s about family and what the day is for.”

NICOLE STACEY

Director of communications and marketing, Visit Pensacola, Inc., Pensacola “I love Halloween. My mom would do these great homemade costumes. I remember I was Catwoman, and I had this black leotard and black tights and cut-out gloves. My mom even made these black shoe covers, and there were the whiskers — it was a big to-do! And Catwoman was this strong, independent woman.

She was her own superhero, and that just intrigued me, even as a little girl. We would do all the trick-or-treating we could do … and take the neighborhood by storm. I still love Halloween. I go all-in!”

For Nicole Stacey, at center in upper photo and as Catwoman, at left, dressing up in costume never gets old.

John Holdnak PHOTOS BY DESIREÉ GARDNER (HOLDNAK), STEVEN GRAY (LANE) AND COURTESY OF UWF (SAUNDERS) AND INDIVIDUALS

President of Gulf Coast State College, Panama City “Thanksgiving has always been a big holiday in my family. No matter where we were, geographically or in phases of life, that was the one holiday we always tried to get back together for. Those holidays often ended up with a huge amalgamation of family and friends enjoying each other’s company and really getting into the spirit of the season. My mom always made everything from scratch, and just the memory of her cooking still makes me feel warm and happy.

“However, there was one particular dinner that will always remain my fondest holiday memory. My brothers and I were older at that one, and had families of our own, but the whole clan had still managed to get back together again at the family homestead. As we sat down for a true Southern feast, the adults were at the ‘adults’ table and the kids were at the ‘kids’ table. I remember that, after grace was said, my mom suggested a toast would be

in order. As we all turned to my father and raised our glasses, my 4-yearold nephew, Ricky, raised his glass of juice as well. Beating his grandfather to the punch, he blurted out in a high, clear voice, ‘Happy Thanksgettings Day, everybody!’ Right on the heels of that stage-stealer, his older sister, Morgan, blurted out with the dripping sarcasm and disdain only a preteen can really pull off, ‘Oh Ricky, it’s not Thanksgettings Day, it’s Thanksgivings Day. Thanksgettings day isn’t until next month!’

“Mom and Dad have been gone for a while now, the family homestead is just a faint memory, and our children are now having children, but that particular family tradition still lives on. And, as we gather again every November to share thanks and break bread, the youngest present has the responsibility to remind us that Thanksgettings Day will be upon us soon enough.”

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

55

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CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

ART

FOCUSED ON PHOTOGRAPHY Contest winner reclaims her passion

by STEVE BORNHOFT

PHOTO BY ERIN MASON

↙ Erin Mason photographed the “Last Echo” after she sank off Inlet Beach during a storm in October 2014.

ART

Focused on Photography

|| STAGE

Meet, Greet and Seat

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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expression

W

hen her 6-year-old grandson expressed interest in participating in the junior division of the F:/STOP North Florida Photography Competition, conducted at the Panama City Center for the Arts, Erin Mason figured she might as well enter some images of her own.

She did so without even realizing that the competition awarded cash prizes to category winners and entitled the overall “Best of Show” winner to a show at the Center. It was Damon who was leading the way.

The boy did well. Of the two pictures he submitted to the competition, his shot of a child’s “ride-on car,” as his grandmother described it, was purchased by an admirer of his work.

At that point, he was a sold artist and Mason, despite her considerable training and experience, was not.

Mason, who grew up as the daughter of bait shop owners in Englewood, south of Sarasota, never has forgotten as assignment she completed while in high school. She was equipped with a 35-mm camera and told to submit several photos of a single tree that evoked five different emotions.

So, it was fitting that Mason, the accidental entrant, won the F:/STOP competition with a photograph of a cypress tree that she shot during a downpour at Pine Log State Forest north of Panama City Beach.

Take that, Damon.

“It started to rain and the wind came up and it flattened out the water where the tree stands,” said Mason, recalling the shot. “I took maybe 15 photos of the tree and when I had the one I wanted, I immediately knew it.”

“Cypress Rain” appeals to Mason because it is “confusing,” she said. “You have a green cypress tree in what appears, at first glance, to be a snow bank.

I like it when a photo causes people to pause and figure things out.”

That likely was the experience of Atlanta photographer Joe Boris, who judged F:/STOP. In commenting on Mason’s entry, Boris noted that he

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↑ Mason’s award-winning “Cypress Rain” was shot at Pine Log State Forest. She caught up with a juvenile heron, below, in Cedar Key.

spent a lot of time with the photo and kept coming back to it.

(By the way, Boris’s online portfolio includes shots of felled and stacked pulpwood trees that resemble to a great extent work that Mason did with largediameter pipes stored at the old Panama City airport.)

“Cypress Rain” was a departure for Mason in two regards. It is a color photograph, and its subject is scenic rather than mundane. It is more like her to produce black-and-white images of bridge components or razor wire or guardrails.

“Color does a lot of the work for a viewer,” Mason said in explaining her preference for gray scales. “Black and white leaves more to your imagination.

You see a photograph in a form that is more pure.”

People rarely figure in her photos, although she has thought about taking a series of photos of women with whom she works out at the Sequence gym in Panama City Beach “so that they could see what we see when we look at their muscle development.”

Mason finds “art in ordinary objects,” she said. “I have always done that. I see things

PHOTOS BY ERIN MASON (ART) AND MICHAEL BOOINI (ERIN MASON)

Erin Mason, captured in her workspace. In the foreground is a collection of shells and other objects she calls her “toy box.”

from a perspective that is unlike that of most people. I love shadows. I will drive down the road and slam on the brakes when I see something that interests me.”

For Mason, taking a drive often means wandering the state. She may disappear for days at a time along circuitous routes that she would have a hard time retracing.

Periodically, she will shoot a road sign and send it to her family, just to give them a clue as to her whereabouts.

These days, Mason works for a custom builder and assists her husband, who is the director of operations at The Hub, a collection of restaurants in Santa Rosa Beach. But she looks forward to a day when she can devote all of her working hours to photography.

That would represent the realization of the goal she had when she studied photography and anthropology at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and was

attracted to the work of photographers, including Jay Maisel and Rodney Smith.

“I wanted to go into filmmaking or become an anthropological photographer,” she said.

In that, she may have been influenced by her experience picking tobacco alongside migrant workers while in college.

It does appear that Mason is gaining momentum in the world of photography.

Her show, held last summer at the Center for the Arts, led to the scheduling of a show for next summer at The Light Room, a center for photography education and exhibits in downtown Panama City. And, at this writing, she anticipates putting together a display of her work at the Apalachicola Center for History.

One day, she may even fulfill her dream of taking photos at the Galapagos Islands.

This much is for sure: She’s got to keep moving.

Damon may be gaining on her. EC

↑ Mason has documented damage sustained by downtown Panama City, heavily battered by Hurricane Michael, and hopes to participate as a healing artist in its recovery.

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expression

The Arts Center has become a second home for the 83-year-old Bailey, a native of England.

She knows every inch of the building — from ← the shop where sets are built to the room For Audrey Bailey, where costumes are sewn to the vast prop the theater is a sacred space not to be taken lightly, area in the building’s basement. She even when a comedy is being spends a portion of every day making performed. At the Mattie sure the theater is always in pristine Kelly Arts Center in Niceville, she is the head usher … condition. On performance days, Bailey is and much more. the first usher to arrive at the theater and the last to leave.

“I grew up in London, so I always loved the theater,” Bailey said. “And I love this place.

I’ve been volunteering here for more than 20 years. This theater and the people in it mean a lot to me. I get more out of being here than anyone realizes.”

That’s in part because Bailey’s past is filled with sadness and tragedy. Her three siblings and a nephew succumbed to either health problems or accidents at a young age. Her husband of just 15 years suffered with cancer and passed away in 1985.

STAGE “When I became a widow, I needed a way to go on,” Bailey confided. “I needed to be around people and get involved. I just couldn’t sit at home. The people at this theater are my family now.”

Bailey began her ushering duties in the old At 83, senior usher enforces respect for theater gymnasium on campus before Mattie Kelly was built.

by LAURIE EINSTEIN KOSZUTA “I was at the symphony one evening and a college employee announced a need for ushers,” said Bailey. “I came forward, and I’ve n hour before curtain time, patrons begin arriving at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center been hooked ever since. Two of us took the at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville for a scheduled performance. As lead, and we started soliciting people to work they enter, head usher Audrey Bailey jumps into action, greeting people as though as ushers at various performances. they were entering her living room. She jokes around as she directs them to the “Everyone was thrilled when Mattie Kelly theater entrance and answers questions. She points them toward the box office, restwas completed in 1997.” Bailey said. “It was a rooms, elevators and the concession stand. Whenever a disabled patron needs assistance real theater.” with seating in the front of the theater, she guides them toward a special lift.

MEET, GREET AND SEAT

A 60

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

After a period of time in the new theater, Bailey became the sole head usher when her partner moved away. It wasn’t long before she expanded her volunteer duties. She began bargain shopping for soft drinks and snacks for the concession stand, purchasing T-shirts to sell for local productions and promoting an “usher’s fund” for a student scholarship.

Soon after Mattie Kelly’s opening, Bailey was approached by Clint Mahle, the scenic design coordinator.

“He needed help painting scenery for the local productions. I figured I could do that. He told me what he needed, and I’ve done it every year for as long as I can remember. They even bought me my own ladder to use.

“I am so inspired by all the talent here,” Bailey said.

“I am constantly amazed by the technical crew and the performers.”

All who work at Mattie Kelly agree that they are just as enamored with Audrey.

“She is no ordinary volunteer,” said Suzanne Flood, Mattie Kelly’s house manager. “She is so dedicated. I really count on her. She volunteers long hours and helps solve problems as they arise.”

“She is no “I would never criticize the ordinary patrons,” said Bailey in her thick volunteer. She British accent, “but I do wish I could teach some theater etiquette to a is so dedicated. new generation. I know times have I really count changed, but theater is not a movie. on her. She It is special. Some people get irritated with me because I won’t show them volunteers long to their seats until a natural break hours and helps in the performance. And then there solve problems are the cell phone issues and unruly children to deal with. as they arise.”

“But the patrons are generally —Suzanne Flood, wonderful. I tell people when I like Mattie Kelly’s house their outfits or they have pretty manager jewelry on. It makes the theater less stuffy and more friendly.”

With pride, Bailey noted, “I have a key to this theater, which means the staff have a lot of trust in me. I’m not afraid to be here when the place is empty or dark.”

Several years ago, Bailey stayed overnight at the theater when a hurricane hit.

“I knew that this building was much safer than my own house. And, I wasn’t the only one here. The college president and a few others also stayed.

“People think that at my age and because I have a pacemaker, I should rest and slow down,” Bailey said.

“That’s not me. If I am not at the theater, then I am on the golf course. Those are two places where you find really nice people.” EC

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61

PROMOTION

PROMOTION

VALERIE S. GOODWIN The Arts Live Here

By Erica Thaler, Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) Valerie S. Goodwin is a wife, mother, author, artist and college professor who began designing and making art quilts in 1998. Her work as an artist uses architectural elements such as built forms, city grids, mapping and composition as a source of inspiration. Her pieces are part of a continuing investigation of ideas that focus on geometric relationships, patterns and ordering principles found in architecture.

What music is playing in your car? I am now listening to Senator Kamala Valerie S. Goodwin

Harris’ playlist on Spotify.

I love her selection of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, gospel and reggae. It gives me a positive connection to both the music and a powerful political figure that I admire.

What is the last book you read that had an impact on you? “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” was absolutely masterful. It connected me to my family’s own story of migration to the North in search of better opportunities for AfricanAmericans.

It’s time for dinner; what are we going to eat?

Quiche, salad, a few chips and cold brewed mint iced tea.

If you were trapped in a TV show or movie for a month, which would it be? I’d love to be trapped on the Netflix show “The Get Down.” It’s a fun, heart-warming story of the waning days of disco and the early days of hip-hop.

What superpower would you like to have? Invisibility.

There’s a lot happening in our country these days and I’d like to get first-hand knowledge of it without being detected.

What have your learned from failure? It’s all right to make mistakes as long as you make them quickly AND learn and grow from them.

What do you hope you will be remembered for? I’ve included a quote I’d read by Maya Angelou some time ago.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya says it better than I can!

Want to learn more about Valerie?

Visit tallahasseearts.org/artist/Valerie-S-Goodwin to learn more about Valerie and over 950 artists of all creative disciplines in our Artist Directory.

Visit TallahasseeArts.org for a complete list of arts and cultural events, public art, arts education and more on the Tallahassee Arts Guide.

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD BRUNCK

What is necessary for your creative process?

Thinking, planning and sketching — searching for that “aha” moment when you know you’re onto something. This process involves hard work, bravery, serendipity and going on a journey where sometimes the exact destination is not apparent. I enjoy the process of designing, improvising and finding connections.

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gastro&gusto DEC 2018/JAN 2019

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

DINING IN

SWEET SEASONAL PLEASURES Have yourself a merry little cookie

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

The holiday season is a time of merriment and of goodwill and of cheer so thick in the air that it seems you can almost touch it, smell it and taste it.

Sometimes, you can.

After all, what better manifestation of the holiday season is there than the food — from the sprawling spreads of festive holiday feasts to the vast array of candies, cakes and cookies that warm and sweeten even the chilliest of days. Their fragrances as they simmer on stovetops and warm in the oven add spice to the grayest of December days.

↖

FROSTED EGGNOG COOKIES recipe on page 66

LIBATIONS photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

The Old Hickory

|| DINING GUIDE

Find Your Next Meal

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gastro & gusto

RECIPE

Frosted Eggnog Cookies ↖ Courtney and Ashley Cook of Cook Girls’ Bakery in Panama City Beach inspect — and surely smell — a batch of freshly baked Frosted Eggnog Cookies.

While pies and cakes certainly hold their own as seasonal confections, cookies play leading roles during the holidays in iterations ranging from the simplest of sugared doughs to artfully executed and mind-boggling, complex combinations of spices and jams and icings that prove that a cookie is not just a cookie — it’s a gift for the senses.

Making cookies from scratch is an art; it takes the right proportions of ingredients mixed just so to achieve perfection. And, as anyone can tell you, the perfect scratch-made cookie fresh from the oven is a thing of beauty.

Naturally, there are ways to streamline cookie cookery. The warmer dough gets as you work it between your hands, the harder it becomes to control. When it comes to dough, the rule of thumb to remember is that the firmer it is, the better the cookie will take shape — literally.

“Chilling the dough before baking helps ensure that cookies maintain their shape and stay thicker for a softer finish,” said Justine Gudmundson-McCain, owner and head baker at Bluejay’s Bakery in Pensacola.

A professional baker for seven years, GudmundsonMcCain definitely knows which way the cookie crumbles — and how to keep them from crumbling.

“The longer you chill your dough, the more the flavor of the extracts you use is intensified, and that longer chill time will also allow the flour in the cookies to absorb the butter to cut down on that raw floury taste after the cookie is baked,” noted Shanelle Long, whose talents qualified her for her job as exclusive cookie artist and cake master at J’s Bakery in Pensacola.

A few other helpful hints to achieving baked brilliance?

66

“It’s important to cream room-temperature butter and sugar together first to make sure the butter breaks down evenly, which will prevent chunks from forming in the dough,” Gudmundson-McCain advised.

The best dough, however, doesn’t guarantee the perfect color or texture; the last proving ground is the bake, itself.

“Every oven cooks differently, so timers should be used only as a guideline — keep an eye on the cookies so they won’t over-bake,” said dynamic duo Courtney and Ashley Cook, the baking brains behind the delicious cookies and confections at Cook Girls’ Bakery in Panama City Beach.

For home bakers as well as professionals, the holiday season is the time of year when the best recipes are broken out with abandon, flipped through and studied in preparation for holiday gift-giving and party time. ’Tis the season that requires cookies in abundance, and that’s something that takes time, commitment, and the willingness to get your hands doughy and try something new.

Have fun and don’t be afraid to make a recipe your own, the Cook Girls encourage.

So, instead of sticking to traditional, unadorned shortbreads and sugar cookies, why not use warm spices, extracts and add-ins that evoke the holiday spirit? Allspice, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, peppermint, cranberries and nuts — go nuts and be creative. Even if you burn your cookies or have to trash a few failed attempts at doing something not so cookie-cutter, you’ll still end up on Santa’s good list, and you’ll have some stories to pass along with the cookie plate. EC

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Recipe courtesy of Cook Girls’ Bakery INGREDIENTS:

(Yields approx. 32 cookies)

➸ 1 cup butter ➸ 2 ½ cups sugar ➸ 1 egg ➸ 1 ½ tbsp. vanilla extract ➸ 5 cups flour ➸ 1 tsp. baking soda ➸ ¼ tsp. baking powder ➸ 1 tsp. nutmeg ➸ ¼ tsp. salt ➸ ¾ cups eggnog ➸ S piced maple icing

(recipe to follow)

➸R ed and green sprinkles

(optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add in next five ingredients. Stir in eggnog and mix until fully combined. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop two tablespoons-worth of dough from the bowl and roll into balls. Place onto parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten dough balls slightly. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. When cookies have cooled completely, spread icing and top with sprinkles or a dash of nutmeg.

Spiced Maple Icing

INGREDIENTS ➸ 1 cup butter ➸ ¼ tsp. salt ➸ 1 tsp. cream of tartar ➸ ½ tsp. nutmeg ➸ 4 cups powdered sugar ➸ 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup ➸ 1 tsp. vanilla DIRECTIONS:

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter until pale and fluffy, then add in remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

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A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brew masters and entertainers converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the four-day celebration of wine during the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival held April 25-28, 2019 throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard.

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or nearly 40 years, Chan Cox, founder of Wine World, has been impacting wine culture in Northwest Florida. In 2013, he launched the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival as an event where wine lovers could gain access to a vast array of diverse wines from around the world. The festival now stands as the Southeast’s premier wine and food event. The high caliber of wine is ensured as, each February, an international wine competition takes place at the Hilton Sandestin. Wines throughout the world are juried and judged, with the winners acknowledged at the April festival.

The integrity of the festival is further bolstered by access to winemakers, wine representatives and winery owners. Attendees are able to learn from and meet the people who have firsthand experience in the winemaking and spirits-making process. Two seminars are held during each day of Grand Tasting, allowing attendees to experience an in-depth tasting with industry notables. Winemakers and special guests at the festival include Erik Kramer, winemaker for WillaKenzie Estate, who holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Florida State — a degree he draws on when considering the relationship between terroir and wine quality. Joining Kramer will be Jackson Family Wines, Rob Samuels of Maker’s Mark and Michael Landis with Institut du Fromage. Landis promises to prepare an impressive charcuterie perfectly paired with wines.

“Our hope is that wine lovers will have an amazing experience tasting wines they might never have tasted otherwise and to be able to meet with industry professionals to glean information about what they are tasting,” said Stacey Brady, Executive Director of the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival.

The weekend kicks off with with the Friday VIP Tasting, 4–6 p.m., pouring high-end, collectible and library wines and food prepared by the variety of highly regarded restaurants in Grand Boulevard.

From 6–9 p.m. on Friday, the festival presents the Craft Beer and Spirits Jam, a true block party with craft breweries, premium spirits, tasty food and a jamming band.

Grand Tastings will occur from 1–4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and guests are

encouraged to visit the over 100 wine tents and specialty areas. The Culinary Village is a true delight, caringly curated by culinary director Scott Plumely. The Nosh Stations serve up a variety of foods that pair decadently with wine, including cheese, charcuterie, sushi and substantial offerings from the best local restaurants.

The Rosé All Day Garden debuted in 2018 and is back in high demand for 2019. In a whirl of Rosé adornments, sip on this crowd favorite wine from varieties around the world. Chill out by stopping for a frosé at one of the four machines on-site.

“We stay on top of all the major trends happening in the wine and spirits industry, which transcends into the success of the festival,” said Brady. “The festival has won countless awards because we are always ahead of the curve. But even more so, we stay on trend because attendees appreciate the attention to detail.”

Guests might come for the wine, but they leave knowing they have contributed to the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation through their ticket purchase. The festival is very proud of their partnership with DCWAF, which supports 16 charities throughout Northwest Florida.

If the clink of glasses and pop of a cork are music to your ears, and if your taste buds tingle at the thought of swilling fabulous wines, the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is your personal weekend paradise.

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is made possible by the generous support of the following founding partners: Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, Visit South Walton Tourist Development Council, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Wine World of Northwest Florida, Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals and Rowland Publishing, Inc. EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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gastro & gusto

LIBATIONS

“Buffalo Trace is a high-rye bourbon and the flavor profile holds up very well in a Manhattan,” she said. “Using both vermouths marries very well with the flavor profile that our guests like.”

But that’s not all.

“Buffalo Trace has given us a lot of support,” Blackwell said. “They were one of the very first distilleries that we established a relationship with. When they first opened, the ← owner and her husband took a visit At the Old Hickory Whiskey Bar, the signature to Buffalo Trace and they picked cocktail is smoky, smooth, out their first barrel.” a bit sultry and, says bar That has grown to seven manager Kelly Blackwell, a “whole sensory barrels in five years. experience.”

Using a smoked glass for Old Hickory simply adds to the signature of the house specialty.

“A lot of people come in and ask, ‘Is that cedar?’ But we wanted to stay with our namesake,” Blackwell said. “And after we tried a few different woods, we decided the hickory gave this unique profile to it.”

Garnishing Old Hickory calls for a little bit of fire.

“The flamed lemon zest basically releases that oil and it caramelizes,” Blackwell said.

“And you get those wonderful candied notes.

It really elevates the entire experience.”

Pensacola resident Kristopher Castillo is of the week it might be, someone can always a regular customer who enjoys the house get that cocktail,” Blackwell said. “It’s a riff specialty. on a timeless classic. It’s our version of the “It’s one of my favorite cocktails,” Castillo Perfect Manhattan, basically, and we’ve sold said. “It’s similar to a Perfect Manhattan, but 40,000 of them since our bar opened.” what sets it apart is the smoking of the glass Why so popular? on the hickory board. It’s smooth but boozy “It’s a whole sensory experience from the at the same time. A great cocktail to sip on.” time you first sit down at the bar and watch Castillo said that’s not the only reason that one of us make it,” Blackwell said. “Everyone Old Hickory is his favorite spot in town. loves when we set things on fire. It kind “It provides a unique experience that one of harkens back to our primitive self. It’s would normally find in bigger cities,” Castillo nostalgic and comforting. Even before you said. “Their bottle selection is the best in town taste the cocktail, you’re ready for this warm, and caters to any budget. Whether you’re inviting experience.” having a low-key night by yourself or a night When asked about the choice of bourbon out with friends, this bar needs to be on the top as the main ingredient as opposed to blended of your list of places to visit in Pensacola.” EC whiskey, Blackwell did not hesitate to explain.

The Old Hickory For some, it’s an upgrade to a Perfect Manhattan

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

A

ndrew Jackson had a major impact on Pensacola, ousting British forces on his way to becoming historically famous for his victory over the Brits in New Orleans.

During the past five-plus years, a unique Pensacola establishment bearing Jackson’s “Old Hickory” nickname — earned for his strength and endurance during the war of 1812 — has enjoyed considerable success in its own right.

There, the house specialty is naturally “The Old Hickory.” Located in a central downtown location on South Palafox Street, the bar boasts a gigantic display that includes nearly 700 whiskeys, other spirits and cocktail makings.

Husband and wife Tony and Katie Garrett are the owners of the Old Hickory Whiskey Bar, and Kelly Blackwell is their bar manager. During a visit in August, assistant bar manager D.C. Campbell made us their signature drink, which was developed

by Jeffrey Knott, who just happens to be Blackwell’s boyfriend.

Blackwell explained that the 10-item cocktail menu at Old Hickory changes seasonally, but the namesake offering is a permanent fixture.

“No matter what time of year or what day

70

The Old Hickory

➸ IN A MIXING GLASS, combine 2 ounces Buffalo Trace Bourbon

and ½ ounce each of Dolin Sweet and Dry Vermouth. Add three dashes of Angostura bitters. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass that has been smoked using hickory wood. Garnish with an Italian Amarena cherry and a flamed lemon peel.

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by STEVEN GRAY

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

71

dining guide AMERICAN THE BEACH HOUSE

Casual, beach-front dining. Open daily 11 am–10 pm. 4009 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-4800. $$ L D

BUFFALO’S REEF ★

Hot wings and cold beer. Tues–Sat open at 10:30 am, Sun open at noon. 116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-9463. $ L D

THE CRAFT BAR ★

Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. Open daily 11 am–midnight.

4424 Commons Dr., Destin. Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola. (850) 460-7907. $$ L D

CUVÉE KITCHEN + WINE BAR ★

Classic Italian, French and Asian-inspired dishes.

Open daily 5:30–10 pm. 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy.

W., Destin. (850) 460-2909. $$$ D

DHARMA BLUE

Atmosphere and service match expansive menu including everything from sushi to pork tenderloin. Lunch Sat–Sun 10 am–1 pm.

Dinner daily from 5. 300 S Alcaniz St., Pensacola.

(850) 433-1275. $$ L D

EVERKRISP ★

Farm-to-table salads, rice bowls and other healthfocused American bites in modern, brick-lined digs. Open daily 10:30 am–9 pm. 4463 Commons Dr. W. #10a, Destin. (850) 460-8881. $$ L D

LULU’S ★

Lucy Buffett’s funky hangout features cocktails, burgers and seafood, plus allergy-friendly menus. Open Sun–Thur 11 am–9 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm.

4607 Legendary Marina Drive, Destin.

(850) 710-5858. $$ L D

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. Open daily at 5 p.m. 535 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. Open daily 11 am–3 pm and 5–9 pm. 30 Castle Harbour Dr.,

Alys Beach. (850) 641-0017. $$ L D

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. Open Mon–Wed 11 am–9 pm, Thurs–Sat 11 am–10 pm and Sun 10 am–9 pm. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola.

(850) 432-5226. $$ L D

MAGNOLIA GRILL

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts.

Lunch Mon-Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sat from 5 pm. Closed Sun. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 302-0266. $$ L D Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads.

Open daily 11 am–7 pm, breakfast Sat–Sun 8–11 am, kitchen closed Mon–Tues. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-7778.

MARINA CAFÉ

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine.

Open daily 5–10 pm. 404 E. Hwy. 98, Destin.

(850) 837-7960. $$$ D

Steak, seafood and barbecue. Wed–Fri 11 am– close, Sat–Sun 10 am–close. 172 Harbor Blvd, Destin. (850) 650-1200. $ L D

JOHN WEHNER’S VILLAGE DOOR BAYFRONT RESTAURANT & NIGHTCLUB ★

NICK’S BOATHOUSE

Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront. Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 am–9 pm. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola. (850) 912-8775. $$ L D

THE RED BAR ★

Live music and a menu of varied options including pastas, seafood, salads and cocktails. Lunch and dinner daily 11 am–10 pm.

70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach. (850) 231-1008.

Dinner and dancing, serving barbeque and seafood. Open daily 5–9 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, 136 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. (850) 502-4590. $$ D

$L D

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

RESTAURANT PARADIS ★

A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits and Cajun seafood gumbo. Open daily from 4 pm.

775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D

Chef-inspired twists on classic dishes.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail. Open daily 7 am–2 pm. Tiki Bar open noon to sunset. Linkside Conference Center, 158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-7108. $ B L

VIN’TIJ WINE BOUTIQUE & BISTRO ★ Seafood, salad, chef specials. Open daily 11 am–midnight. 10859 W. Emerald Coast Pkwy., #103, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-9820. $$ L D

MARINA BAR AND GRILL ★

$B L D

TAILFINS SEAFOOD HOUSE & OYSTER BAR ★

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ ★

ASIAN JIN JIN 1 ★

Fine Chinese cuisine available for dine in, takeout or delivery. Open Mon–Thur 11 a.m.– 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 am–10:30 pm. 2078 U.S. Highway 98 W., No. 104, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 622-5558. $ L D

OSAKA ★

Known for its sushi but serves a variety of dishes, including chicken, steak and seafood.

Lunch 11 am–2:30 pm, dinner 5–10:30 pm.

34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 650-4688 or (850) 650-4689. $$ L D

REAL THAI FUSION RESTAURANT ★

Authentic family-owned restaurant featuring traditional Thai fare and curry. Open Mon–Fri 11 am–3 pm, Sat Noon–9 pm. 12889 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 105-B, Miramar Beach.

(850) 837-5344. $$ L D

SUSHIMOTO ★

Restaurant and lounge offers rich coastal flavors in its innovative dishes. Open Sun–Thur 5–9 pm, Fri–Sat 5–10 pm. 82 S. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach. (850) 534-0400. $$$ D

Casual eatery with a sushi bar offering up creative rolls, plus other Japanese and Asian fusion fare. Lunch Mon–Fri 11 am–2 pm, Dinner Mon–Sat 5 pm–Close. 11394 U.S. Highway 98 W., Miramar Beach. (850) 424-5977. $$ L D

Restaurant Spotlight

Sunset Bay Café A breakfast and lunch menu that’s one part coastal and one part Creole makes for scrumptious Southern goodness at Sunset Bay Café. Overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay, guests may partake in unique brunch options al fresco by the pool or indoors. Choosing the latter won’t inhibit your view of the boats breezing by, as windows surrounding the open floor seating provide an optimal vantage point.

One bite of the food, though, and you’re likely not to take your eyes off your plate.

A decadent Belgian waffle base, topped with

crispy fried chicken, molasses bacon butter, Southern gravy, syrup and chives is a guest favorite — and the winner of the Best of the Emerald Coast for Chicken & Waffles.

Patrons also dive into unconventional takes on classic dishes, such as cinnamon rolls iced with Florida orange cream cheese, and crab cake eggs Benedict.

“Our main mission is to get a smile on your

face so you’ll come back and see us again,” says co-owner Bryce Jarvis.

He and his business partner/father, Gary Jarvis, are proud that the restaurant will be celebrating its third anniversary this February.

Bryce Jarvis gives credit to the team.

“Along with an exceptional menu and scenery, our staff ’s excellent service has made that possible.”

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ 158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach | 850.267.7108 | sunsetbaycafesandestin.com ADVERTISEMENT

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

THAI DELIGHTS

GREEK

Traditional dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 821 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 650-3945. $$ L D

AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

Authentic Greek restaurant. Breakfast 8–11 am, lunch 11 am–4 pm, dinner 4–9 pm.

11225 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach (and Shalimar). (850) 460-2728. $$ B L D

BBQ 98 BAR-B-QUE

Award-winning barbecue, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take out, catering. Mon–Sat 11 am–8 pm. 5008 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-0679. $ L D

JIM ’N NICK’S COMMUNITY BAR-B-Q ★

Laid-back chain features slow-cooked bbq, burgers and classic sides. Open Sun–Thur 11 am–9 pm, Fri– Sat 11 am–11 pm. 14073 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 424-5895. $$ L D

ALA BABA GRILL CAFÉ

Casual spot for familiar Turkish and Greek recipes offered à la carte and at a buffet, plus beer and wine. 10 am–9 pm. 550 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 986-5555. L D

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

Traditional Greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 10 am–5 pm.

130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther.

(850) 302-0691. $ L

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY

IRISH JOHNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

ANDY’S FLOUR POWER CAFE & BAKERY Lively brunch/lunch destination known for its French toast, rolled omelets and cheery ambiance.

Open Tues–Sat 7 am–2 pm, Sun 8 am–2 pm.

2629 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach.

(850) 230-0014. $$ L D

ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ

Breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, patty melts, specials, soups, salads and desserts. Open daily 7 am–2 pm, closed Mondays. 979 E. Hwy. 98, #F, Destin (Also in Miramar Beach, Panama City, Pensacola, Sandestin and Grayton Beach).

(850) 650-0499. $ B

BLACK BEAR BREAD CO. ★

Neighborhood bakery, coffee shop and café. Open Mon–Sat 7 am–3 pm, Sun 8 am–3 pm. 26 Logan Lane, Unit G, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 213-4528. $ B L

BON APPETIT FRENCH BAKERY & CAFÉ ★ French pastries, croissants, crusty breads, soup, salads and sandwiches. Mon–Fri 7:30 am–5:30 pm, Sat 7:30 am–2 pm, Closed Sun. 420 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-2848. $ B L

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food. Open daily 6 am–10 pm.

635 Harbor Blvd., Destin (also in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach). (850) 837-8824. $ B

MAMA CLEMENZA’S EUROPEAN BREAKFAST ★

Old World family recipes. Multiple award winner.

Brunch Wed–Sun 8 am–1 pm. 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W, Miramar Beach. (850) 424-3157 and 8 am–1 pm on Sundays at 75 Eglin Pkwy, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0707. $$ B

MOO LA LA ICE CREAM & DESSERTS ★

Indulge in 24 ice cream flavors as well as handcrafted pastries and desserts. Open 3–9 pm. 101 Cannery Lane, Miramar Beach. (850) 654-3333.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Pick Up & Event Catering 19714 Panama City Beach Pkwy. Panama City Beach, FL 32413

$$ L D

MCGUIRE’S IRISH PUB ★

Burgers and pub grub and the famous 18-cent Senate Bean Soup. Open daily 11 am–2 am. 33 Hwy. 98, Destin (Also in Pensacola). (850) 650-0000. $$ L D

ITALIAN/PIZZA AMICI 30A

Offering authentic Italian cuisine with a flair for celebration. Open daily 11 am–11 pm.

12805 U.S. Hwy. 98 E., Suite R101, Inlet Beach. (850) 909-0555. $$$ L D

$B L D

CLEMENZA’S UPTOWN ★

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, private dining, cooking school. Multiple award winner. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 243-0707. $$ B L D

FAT CLEMENZA’S ★

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, specialty desserts, fish Fridays. Multiple award winner.

Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat 5–9 pm.

Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach.

(850) 650-5980. $$ L D

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO

Italian dishes. Open Mon–Fri 11 am–10 pm, Sat–Sun 5–10 pm. 979 Hwy. 98, #5, Destin.

(850) 460-7353. $$ L D

Destin’s newest Italian restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine such as wood-fired pizzas, pasta, calzones, salads, chef specialties and nightly specials. Mon–Thur 11 am–9 pm, Fri 11 am–10 pm, Sat 4 pm–10 pm, Sun 4 pm– 9 pm. 34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 114, Destin. (850) 974-5484. $$ L D

The restaurants that appear in this guide are included as a service to readers and not as recommendations of the Emerald Coast Magazine editorial department, except where noted.

B L D

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The Tradition Continues

PAZZO ITALIANO

DESSERT

Emerald Coast 2018 Winner

6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Authentic homemade pizza pie and Italian dishes in a casual atmosphere. Lunch and dinner daily 11 am–9:30 pm. 4005 E. Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach. (850) 231-2500.

CAFÉ SIENA ★

★ Best of the

OPEN DAILY

ANGELINA’S PIZZA & PASTA

Coffee shop located at the entrance of The Village of Baytowne Wharf, serving fresh coffee, cappuccino, specialty drinks and breakfast. Open 6 am–1 pm. 9107 Baytowne Wharf Blvd., Suite B-4, Miramar Beach. (850) 267-4488. B

THE KEY

Easygoing pub providing Irish and American eats, a game room for kids and deck seating. 11 am–2 am. 2298 Scenic Hwy. 30A, Blue Mountain Beach. (850) 267-0101.

(850) 249-0822 | backbeachbarbecue.com

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive $$$ Expensive

Best Italian 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 Best Restaurant Okaloosa County 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 Best Service, Food & Beverage 2015 Best Locally Owned Restaurant 2017

Best Brunch 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 Best Restaurant in Walton County 2017 Best Breakfast 2018

Mama Clemenza’s | 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Miramar Beach 850.424.3157 | mamaclemenzas.com Clemenza’s At Uptown Station | 75 Eglin Pkwy, Fort Walton Beach 850.243.0707 | clemenzasatuptown.com

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

73

MIMMOS

THE PIZZA BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Upscale-casual Southern seafood restaurant and bar serving oysters and po’ boys, plus steak and cocktails. Open Sun–Thur 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm. 34761 Emerald Coast Pkwy. #104, Destin. (850) 842-4788. $$ L D

TRATTORIA BORAGO

HARBOR DOCKS

Pork tenderloin or pan-seared grouper from the open kitchen. Open daily from 6 pm. 80 E. Hwy. 30A, Grayton Beach. (850) 231-9167. $$ D

MEXICAN CANTINA LAREDO ★

A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites. Sun–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm. 585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 654-5649. $$ B L D

CRAB ISLAND CANTINA

Latin-inspired Mexican cuisine. Mon–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 1 am–9 pm.

2 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7417. $$ L D

THE TACO BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Baja fish tacos, homemade guacamole, burritos and top-shelf margaritas. Open daily from 11 am (in season). 2236 E. Country Rd. 30A, Seaside.

(850) 231-4781. $$ L D

SEAFOOD BONEFISH ★ 979 US HWY 98 E

|

Destin

(in the 98 Pa lms Shopping Plaza)

850.460.7353 EatMimmos.com

Contemporary grill chain offering a seafoodcentric menu, plus steaks & cocktails. Open Mon– Thur 4–10 pm, Fri 4–11 pm, Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 10 am–9 pm. Destin, Panama City, Pensacola. $$ L D

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

CAFE THIRTY-A

Inspired by traditional waterfront dining, Captain Dave’s features American seafood cuisine infused with a contemporary Gulf Coast twist. Wed–Mon 4 pm– close. 3796 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2627. $$$ D High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines. Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection. Lunch Mon–Fri 1 am–2 pm, bruch Sat– Sun 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sun 5:30 pm–10 pm.

400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 469-9898. $$$ D

MARLIN GRILL ★

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers. Open nightly from 5 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach. (850) 351-1990. $$$ D

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ★

DEWEY DESTIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS AND SEAFOOD ★

THE FISH HOUSE

FOOW RESTAURANT

74

Fine dining coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair, Gulf seafood, prime steaks. Open daily 4–10 pm.

The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., #22, Miramar Beach. (850) 622-0760. $$$ D

Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired.

Mon–Sat 5:30–10 pm, Sun 5:30–9 pm. Silver Shells Resort, 1500 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 337-5108. $$$ D

Fresh seafood cuisine and Southern specialties in a setting overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Seville Harbor. Open daily from 11 am. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. (850) 470-0003. $$ L D

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BIJOUX RESTAURANT & SPIRITS ★

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE ★

Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. Open 11 am–8 pm. 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin.

(850) 837-7575. $$ B L D

EARN POINTS, GET REWARDS!

STEAK & SEAFOOD

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE

Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

Open daily 11 am–8 pm. 202 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-7525. $$$ L D

4655 Gulfstarr Drive 850-269-2920

RUNAWAY ISLAND

Crab, oysters and grouper sandwiches in a casual beach bar and grill with steps onto the sand. Open daily at 11 am. 14521 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach. (850) 634-4884. $$ L D

BUD & ALLEY’S WATERFRONT RESTAURANT ★

CAPT. ANDERSON’S RESTAURANT

2014-2017

OLD FLORIDA FISH HOUSE ★

Airy eatery is a family-friendly destination for seafood, with a sushi bar and frequent live music.

Open Sun–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am– midnight. 5235 E. County Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-3045. $$ L D

CAPTAIN DAVE’S ON THE GULF

Since 1967, offering traditional seafood items, flavorful salads and soups with a view of the marina. Open Mon–Fri at 4:30 pm, Sat–Sun at 4 pm. 5551 N. Lagoon Drive, Panama City Beach.

(850) 234-2225. $$$ D

FROZEN TREAT

Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches.

Open daily from 11 am. Sunday brunch at 10 am. 56 Harbor Blvd., HarborWalk Village, Destin. (850) 424-3507. $$ L D

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER ★

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Open Mon–Fri 11:30 am.

Roof bar open in summer 11:30 pm–2 am. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-5900. $$$ L D

Voted Best

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Offering the best in steaks and Gulf fare, Café Thirty-A is also available for weddings and special gatherings. Open daily 5–9:30 pm. 3899 E. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach. (850) 231-2166. $$$ D

Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Sunday brunch.

Destin Harbor, Destin. (850) 460-8900. $$$ B

Bruster’s of Destin

A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and great sushi. Open daily 5 am–11 pm.

538 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2506. $$ B L D

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. Open daily from 11 am. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7406.

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★ $$ L D

SERVING

HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE

Artisan cheese, fresh salads, antipasto dishes, homemade soups, seasonal vegetables, hearty pastas and homemade wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Open daily from 11 am. 2236 E. County Rd. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-3113. $$ L D

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair.

Open daily 5:30–10 pm. Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-5050. $$$ D

THE GRAND MARLIN ★

Featuring fresh Gulf seafood, an oyster bar, steak and signature cocktails, plus a view of Pensacola Bay. Open Mon–Thur 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 9 am–10 pm.

400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach.

(850) 677-9153. $$$ L D

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar.

Open daily from 6 pm. Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach.

(850) 622-1500. $$$ D

SLICK LIPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★ Family-friendly seafood spot located in The Village of Baytowne Wharf — with the freshest local Gulf-caught seafood and 1855 certified Angus steaks. Sun–Thur 11 am–9 pm; Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm. 140 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. (850) 347-5060. $$ L D

TAKE OUT DESTIN ICE SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI ★

Fresh fish and seafood items, pastas, salads and side dishes, Buckhead meats, decadent desserts, wines, cheeses, spices and more. Open daily 8 am–7 pm. 663 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 837-8333. $$ L D

SP O NSO R ED R E P O RT

Stories from the

Heart I NSPI R ING STOR IES OF PEOPL E H EL PING PEOPL E The life-changing care Sacred Heart Health System provides has touched the hearts of many who strive to ensure that this incredible mission of care continues for future generations. Sacred Heart Foundation is proud to be a partner in this endeavor. Please enjoy these “Stories from the Heart.”

PR ESENTE D BY

DECEMBER 2018

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Blake McComas Attitude Over Adversity

V

Blake (right) with his dad, Mark

76 December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM 2 SApril–May ACRED HEART DATIO N | GIVESACREDHEART.ORG 2016 FOUN EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

isiting with us during a chemotherapy infusion, you would never know the battles 18-year-old Blake McComas and his family have endured.

Three years after losing his older brother to cancer, Blake was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when he was 11.

Today, he’s still fighting, but it’s his laughter — not tears — that fills the halls of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

The family found their way to Sacred Heart after traveling from their home in Wewahitchka, Florida, to be seen in Panama City, where a hospital recommended our special kind of care.

Here, Blake was cared for by Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, whom he calls “one of the best doctors I’ve ever met.”

Later, when he was transferred to another hospital, his father, Mark, says, “It was a completely different scenario. Here, they will always come in and ask if we need anything. There, we were on our own. He was a number, not a patient. I don’t want him to be a number.”

Desperate to get him back, Blake’s parents got in touch with Dr. Schwartz and asked if he would take him on as a patient.

He’s been caring for Blake ever since.

“It is hard to fathom undergoing treatment of leukemia for six years. Blake was forced to grow up early and deal with challenges that no one, let alone a child, should have to face,” Dr. Schwartz says. “Despite all of his struggles, he has matured into a courageous young man who is determined to beat his leukemia. He focuses more on the people he loves than on his own challenges. I am really proud of the person he has become.”

Blake loves his family — Mom, Dad and younger brother Braedin — but he also loves the people who have come to feel

Stories

Heart from the

SPON SORED REPORT

And although he has amassed an impressive like family, among them his team of doctors, knowledge of healthcare, he doesn’t want to go nurses, chaplains and child life therapists. into the field himself. A lover of video games, As if on cue, Chaplain Frank knocks at the he plans to study computer science. door of Blake’s room.

Blake has had experiences with many of the “Usually they just say ‘hi’ and leave. He’ll Sacred Heart Health System hospitals along come in and have a conversation, which I the Gulf Coast and with every department. actually like,” Blake says. “He plays card From social workers (who Dad says have been games and video games and watches TV. very good with the paperwork that allows him I’ve even asked him if he could just sit around to take family medical leave from his job) to a little while because I was feeling down and the kitchen staff (who Blake says will make him needed someone to hang out with me.” anything he wants, even if it’s not on the menu), Others who have made a difference in Blake’s “Nothing you ask is too much trouble.” countless days here (he stopped counting at Speaking of “Trouble,” that’s one of the 100) are his nurses — especially the ones who nicknames Blake has earned during his stay joke around with him. here. Miss T in Food Services calls him “Home When he was first diagnosed, Nurse Shane Skillet,” and Miss Tequila calls him “Baby Doll.” played a funny game on the dry-erase board.

“The best part of being here is the people,” The two would write each other’s names he says. “I just love the people.” and then come up with silly acronyms, like One moment in “Shaved Hairless And particular stands out, Near Escape” for “S-Hwhen Blake had an A-N-E.” During their important procedure famous syringe fights, coming up, and his they would fill syringes parents had to travel out with water and squirt of town to visit his ailing them at each other. grandfather.

Another nurse, Bebe, “I was so scared,” would make Blake Blake recalls. “The eggrolls and lie in bed doctor told me he would with him, cuddling and care for me like I was talking. Even nurses his own son, and he who have retired or wouldn’t let anything moved away come back happen to me.” to see Blake.

– MARK McCOMAS, His advice for other On days when he kids fighting battles of struggles to keep his BLAKE’S FATHER their own is not to be trademark sense of afraid. Blake’s mother humor, the Child Life has recently been team is here to lift his diagnosed with leukemia, and Sacred Heart spirits. This special division of the Children’s will continue to be there for their family Hospital plans pizza and ice cream parties, in every way we can as Dad navigates the movie nights and other activities — and they’re struggles of being two places at once. (There’s here with a “distraction cart” when little ones even a Sacred Heart clinic in Blake’s small need IVs or other procedures. hometown of Wewa.)

Blake says he’s received journals, drawing “Don’t be afraid, and take it one day at supplies and other gifts … “things that make a time,” Blake says. “This hospital will do life brighter.” There are visits from baseball everything they can to help you get through it.” players, Blue Angels pilots and even a “It’s an amazing community of a hospital,” miniature horse, which made Dad do a doubleDad says. “It portrays what a hospital should take coming off the elevator one day. be … a home away from home.”

It’s all about celebrating the victories, big “It’s a family,” Blake adds. or small. When Blake came in for his final There’s no doubt Blake has become part of chemotherapy treatment before he relapsed, our family. He’s made a huge impact on our the nurses brought noise poppers and gave him nurses, caregivers and physicians. Now that a framed photo to mark the occasion. you know his story, we hope this brave young Even though he’s spent more time with us man has made a mark on your heart, too. than anyone would wish, Blake stays optimistic.

“It’s an amazing community of a hospital. It portrays what a hospital should be … a home away from home.”

A message from Carol Carlan As we say goodbye to 2018, I look back at the amazing fundraising activities carried out by our donors and volunteers during the year.

These events were critical to the Foundation’s role of helping Sacred Heart Health System continue its mission of bringing hope and healing to all.

Our first Story from the Heart demonstrates how much this support means to those who come to us in need. It introduces you to Blake McComas, who has been battling leukemia since the age of 11. He is now 18 years old.

While he thinks of The Children’s Hospital as “a family,” his father describes it as “an amazing community of a hospital.”

But our entire region is amazing when you consider how it embraces our annual philanthropic events. There is the highly successful Preemie Cup, which has helped us construct our Levels II and III Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the new Children’s Hospital.

There is the Cordova Mall Ball, attended by 2,500 people last year, whose ticket sales and sponsors will help us acquire a CT scanner designed just for kids.

We are grateful for the many Children’s Miracle Network corporate partners, such as Walmart/Sam’s, Pen Air Federal Credit Union and Publix for their continued support.

And there are additional examples of the efforts and contributions of our supporters featured in this edition of Stories, such as our Volunteer Spotlight piece featuring The Navy Federal Team.

There is a quotation that rings so true: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” Thank you for your gifts, continuing commitment to the new Children’s Hospital and the role you play in our community’s greatness.

Sincerely,

Carol Carlan President, Sacred Heart Foundation

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Stories

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SPONSORED REPORT

Volunteer Spotlight

Robert Hinton of Navy Federal Credit Union

A

s long as he can remember, Robert Hinton has wanted to be part of a group that gives back. Together with every employer and on his own, he has found a way to support local organizations with his time, talents and treasures.

So when he went to work for Navy Federal Credit Union, it was a perfect fit. In the summer of 2015, Hinton and his coworkers were brainstorming a team-building event with a purpose.

The more they talked about it, the more they discovered they wanted to do something for children. A high school friend led Hinton to The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, and the rest is history.

Going into their first visit, the team was a little nervous how they would react to seeing sick or injured children.

But from the moment they arrived, they realized what a big impact they could have on a child’s day.

“We saw that for a little bit of time, we could distract them from what they had going on,” Hinton says. “As we walked out that day, we knew it was something we were interested in doing long term.”

The Navy Federal Team has been visiting the Children’s Hospital ever since. They’ve organized movie days and crafts, superhero visits, holiday gifts and more. They stage an annual egg hunt, sending one lucky volunteer in an Easter Bunny suit that puts a smile on everybody’s face.

They’ve even given the hospital a car — Power Wheels, that is.

When The Navy Federal Team learned of the battery-powered vehicles that transport kids to their procedures and surgeries, they immediately set a goal to purchase one in a month’s time. (They raised the money in nine days.)

“I remember being able to drop it off, and later seeing a picture of a child with her sign on it that said ‘goodbye,’ ” Robert says. “Going to her last chemo treatment, she was looking back and smiling. That’s how you know you’ve really done good.”

According to Robert, making a difference starts from Day 1 at Navy Federal — it’s a featured topic during new employee orientation.

“We are very blessed to work for an organization where they not only allow us the time, but they encourage us,” he says. “It’s easy to be inspired to do these things when you’re surrounded by folks who are truly excited to go out and help the kids.”

He would tell anyone he meets to give volunteering a try.

“From the minute you walk away from a visit, you have a different feeling about yourself,” Robert says. “It gives you that sense of pride or accomplishment that you’ve really helped someone who needed some help that day.”

“We are very blessed to work for an organization where they not only allow us the time, but they encourage us. It’s easy to be inspired to do these things when you’re surrounded by folks who are truly excited to go out and help the kids.” – ROBERT HINTON 78 December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM 4 SApril–May ACRED HEART N | GIVESACREDHEART.ORG 2016 FOUNDATIO EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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SPONSORED REPORT

Preemie Cup A Day of Play on the Water

TWENTY YEARS AGO, Preemie Cup started with a mom’s desire to give back to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that saved her daughter’s life. Today, the event has grown to include a sailing regatta, stand-up paddle board relay, fishing tournament and silent auction pre-party. While a lot has changed, one thing has always remained the same — the NICU at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart touches so many lives in our community — your co-workers, your neighbors, your family and friends.

Preemie Cup is “A Day of Play on the Water,” raising over $93,000 to help construct our new Level II and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. The new NICUs will include 72 all-private rooms, so that for the first time in our hospital’s 50-year history, all parents are able to comfortably stay with their children overnight.

This event would not be possible without our incredible volunteers, sponsors and attendees. We thank you for generously supporting the mission of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart through your gifts of time, talents and treasures!

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Anonymous PLATINUM SPONSORS

Anonymous

Lisa & Dana Foster

DIAMOND SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

The Printing Company

Catherine Carr Hyde

Dr. Stephen & Lucy B. Trawick

Steve & Janet Burch

SILVER SPONSORS Escambia County Medical Society Foundation • idgroup • Kathryn and Jeff Hendrix Morette Company • Pensacola Pediatrics • RE/MAX America’s Top Realty • Schurr Sails Southern District CEF • William Paden and Lori Shipman

BRONZE SPONSORS Ella Floral Event Design • Sister Ellen Kron • Logo Motion Marketing Nick and Jennifer Saba • Sacred Heart OB/ GYN • Wade Wilson, CPA

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SPONSORED REPORT

Cordova Mall Ball Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

L

et the good times roll! Every year, we are thrilled to bring the community together for our largest fundraising event of the year.

The annual Cordova Mall Ball is an evening to be remembered as 2,500 friends and neighbors throughout the region come together to have a ball at the mall. It’s an exceptional night of fun for a very important reason — our children.

Your taste buds will be dancing with food tastes from more than 25 of the area’s top restaurants.

Enjoy live music from three stages featuring Journey 2 Mars, The Reunion Band and Starz.

Taste the Big Easy with Mardi Gras-inspired cocktails Revel in the New Orleans atmosphere by visiting the French Market to get your face painted, fortune told and purchase this year’s commemorative merchandise. Then visit our lively silent auction including vacation packages, jewelry, art and much more.

What’s more, 100 percent of your support will be used to purchase a new CT scanner designed just for kids! The Studer Family Children’s Hospital will be one in 11 hospitals in the nation with this life-changing, state-of-the-art equipment.

OUR 2019 EVENT WILL BE HELD AT CORDOVA MALL ON JAN. 26 AT 8 P.M.

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Heart from the

Kiwanis Club Each year, our wonderful friends at Kiwanis Club of Niceville-Valparaiso raise funds to support the children and families in the care of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. We are so thankful for your enthusiasm and commitment to our mission.

SP O NSO R E D R E P O RT

Destin Charity Wine Auction More than 250 people gathered for the 13th Annual Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) check presentation.

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (SHHEC) in Miramar Beach received a check for $225,000 to support the future operation of a 10-bed, Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We are grateful for the support from the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation over the years and for their generous donation.

Receiving the check, from left to right, are DCWAF Board member Cory Fosdyck; SHHEC President Roger Hall; SHHEC Major Gifts/ Planned Giving Director Janet Piepul; SHHEC Patient Navigator Cheryl Stacy; SHHEC Board Member Myra Williams; and DCWAF Board Member Hillary Fosdyck.

Walmart and Sam’s Club Did you know Walmart and Sam’s Club associates are helping save kids? Walmart and Sam’s Club just completed its five-week campaign to ask customers for donations in support of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. We thank our incredible friends at Walmart and Sam’s Club for helping kids live better, one dollar at a time!

A BOU T TH E SACR ED H E A RT FOU NDATION Since 1915, Sacred Heart Health System has been at the heart of healing for Northwest Florida and South Alabama. Like our founders, the Daughters of Charity, Sacred Heart is dedicated to providing quality, compassionate healthcare to the citizens of our regions, regardless of their ability to pay. This steadfast commitment to our community could not have been achieved without the support and generosity of the thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations that have donated to Sacred Heart Foundation.

Through this charitable giving, Sacred Heart Foundation has been able to provide millions of dollars of free and low-cost healthcare to the poor, uninsured, under-insured and low-income families. With the help of generous donors, we are proud to partner in Sacred Heart’s mission of care along the Gulf Coast.

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DEC 2018/JAN 2019

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

INTERIORS

SPRUCING UPHoliday THEdecorations HOUSE embellish traditions

PHOTO BY TOM MERTON / OJO IMAGES

by ELIZABETH GOLDSMITH

INTERIORS

Sprucing Up the House

|| GARDENING

Grow Vegetables and Herbs in Cool Comfort

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↙

Artificial greenery can give your bannister a spirited holiday boost.

W

hen homeowners can’t decide between leaving a house as is or going full out for the holidays, there’s a compromise: reasonable holiday décor that defines interior spaces while maximizing twinkle and fun. Decorations can add a sense of tradition and family — and a punch of color — to your house or apartment.

Begin by looking at the interior of your home and determining what is crying out for decoration. Maybe it is that plain oak staircase or the fireplace mantle.

For the mantlepiece, remove those baseball trophies for a month and replace them with holiday objects. Use a Menorah and silver for Hanukkah, or red and green for Christmas followed by silver and gold for New Year’s Eve. Now, about that staircase. Use artificial greenery to wrap around the banister. For a party, have a nursery or florists come in and work their magic. Place giant poinsettias at the base of the staircase or in the middle of a large polished coffee table. The color of the plants and the wrapping paper matters — if you have a turquoise, charcoal gray or lavender room, then white and silver work best. For most other color schemes, traditional shiny gold, evergreen or red wrapping paper stand out.

Jesse Murphy, floral designer at Fiore of Pensacola, said, “A lot of our Christmas involves going into people’s houses and using their traditional decorations and giving them a refresh. We decorate trees, mantles, tables, front doors and mailboxes. We also make centerpieces with fun fairies and ornaments.”

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Scents, Sounds and Culinary Delights Displays at area gift stores, florist shops and nurseries can inspire. Beautiful live trees smell wonderful. Historic homes and cottages open to the public such as the 1871 Greek Revival Dorr House and 1890 Victorian home in the Historic Pensacola Village provide decorating ideas and the chance to see how the original owners set their holiday tables. Combine a walk through the village with ice cream at the nearby Dolce & Gelato or shopping for gifts at the Pink Market boutique or a swig of holiday beer at the charming brick Pensacola Bay Brewery.

As to scents, gift stores carry the popular Thymes Frasier Fir line that includes diffusers, candles, room spray, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner and handwash. Nest Fragrance has three different holiday scents. Coordinate the scents with holiday table linens and decorative napkins. Don’t forget to dig into your linen closet for those festive reindeer towels and boxes of guest soaps.

The Lowly Foyer Becomes Luxurious Just like at the Historic Pensacola Village, home decorations can be pulled in and out of boxes and stored each year. If neutral enough, of course, they may be placed on permanent display. A case in point is a giant piece of crystal, perfect as a statement piece for the foyer or a formal dining room table. White quartz is often used in its most utilitarian form, serving as a base material to build countertops or other solid surfaces. But incorporating large pieces such as those by White Quartz into

design projects is a concept familiar to interior designers.

Displaying high-quality crystal in a foyer or entrance will deliver an unexpected but alluring presence to be admired as a natural and grand work of art. It can remain year-round unembellished on a tabletop or for the holidays on a mirrored finish or cloth base of red, green, bright blue, silver or gold.

For do-it-yourself foyer decorations, scavenge an evergreen branch from your backyard or make a simple arrangement from Christmas tree trimmings, real or artificial. Perhaps you already have a large clam shell. Fill it with shiny glass or silk covered ornaments or a piece of driftwood trimmed with lights or ribbons.

Another trick is to use houseplants and potted trees. Polish the leaves, and move the plants around. There’s plenty for the innovative green thumb to do during this happy time of year.

Celebrating a New Home, Family, Addition Is this your first or second holiday season in your home or with a new blended family? Traditional touches give a new abode a sense of permanence. Shoot for a delightful mix between old and new, his and hers, deep hues and drama, or light touches, classical and modern.

Finally, it’s all about twinkle and fun. Embrace the holidays, and they will lift your spirits. EC

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Capture the spirit of the season, a special wish to you from our Community Bank family to yours.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

– Luke 2:14

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abodes GARDENING

GROW VEGETABLES AND HERBS IN COOL COMFORT

Your Monthly Garden Chores DECEMBER

➸ Plant pre-chilled tulips and hyacinths early in the month.

BY AUDREY POST, MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

COOL-WEATHER VEGETABLE GARDENING IS, in many ways, much more pleasant than toiling in the soil in high summer. The temperatures are more moderate, the bugs less abundant and the diseases less likely.

Realize your cool-weather garden through these steps and guidelines: 2 PICK THE VEGETABLES AND HERBS that you and your family like to eat.

Some popular coolseason vegetables are broccoli; cauliflower; Brussels sprouts; and garden peas, also called English peas; kohlrabi; and snow peas or other ediblepod peas. Transplants are available in most garden centers.

3 LETTUCES AND

OTHER SALAD GREENS can also be purchased at nurseries, but they’re grown easily from seed. If you choose to sow seeds, sow a row or section every week to ensure a continuous crop.

The same is true for heartier greens, such as collards, mustard, turnip and kale.

4 IF YOU’RE NEW

5 BE PREPARED to cover your crop if a hard freeze is forecast. Most cool-season vegetables can take temperatures into the low 30s for an hour or two. In fact, collards taste better after they’ve been kissed by frost.

TO GARDENING FROM SEED, start with radishes, carrots and cool-season herbs such as parsley, sage, cilantro and dill. Follow the instructions on the seed packet. For radishes and carrots, make sure your soil is fine and loose so those edible roots can easily grow.

➸ If you buy or are gifted with a holiday potted plant, remember to take off the foil wrap around the plastic pot; it traps humidity and limits air flow around the soil line, encouraging mold and fungus.

JANUARY

➸ Plant your holiday Amaryllis bulbs in your yard after they’ve finished blooming. ➸ Start tomato plants from seed indoors, so they’re ready to transplant in late February.

PESKY PESTS

How can something so cute be so darned destructive?



Sciurus carolinensis, better known as the gray squirrel, will tear up your plantings to find food, to make holes to bury their purloined provisions and for fun. As humans continue to encroach on their wooded habitat, they remain savvy suburbanites.

If you’re not going to eat them, don’t kill them. Simply outwit them: Wrap your flowering bulbs in a loose bundle made from chicken wire, which will protect them and give them room to multiply. Or plant your bulbs mixed with crushed gravel (bonus: improved drainage).

Either way, don’t lay the bulbs on the ground as you prepare to plant; squirrels have a keen sense of smell, and you’re advertising the bulbs’ location.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper on and around your plants; buy it in bulk in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. Put bird netting on your vegetable garden, berry plants and small fruit trees. Lay aluminum foil over the soil in your pots, poking holes for water to get through. Place birdfeeders at least 5 feet off the ground and 10 feet away from trees or other structures that squirrels can use as a launching pad. Grease your birdfeeder pole with oil or shortening.

Or try feeding the squirrels on the other side of the yard. A well-fed squirrel GRAY SQUIRREL just might be too fat and happy to get into mischief. Well, we hope so.

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➸ Prune summerblooming trees and shrubs such as crepe myrtles. They are dormant now and have lost their leaves, so you can see where limbs are dead or diseased, or crossing and rubbing.

©2015-2019 Postscript Publishing, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll. com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com.

Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of PostScript Publishing Inc.

ILLUSTRATION BY BLUERINGMEDIA AND PHOTOS BY THE SILENT OBSERVER (GRAY SQUIRREL), LENA ZAJCHIKOVA (TULIP BULBS) AND US24 (TOMATO PLANT) / GETTYIMAGES PLUS

1 SELECT A LOCATION. While you like a bit of afternoon shade for your summer garden, you’ll want full sun now. If you’re using raised beds or large pots, clean out debris from previous gardens and add new garden soil.

If you’re gardening in the ground, get your soil tested (see Garden Chores).

➸ Remember to bring frost-tender potted plants indoors if frost or a freeze is forecast and to protect tender plants in the ground.

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PROMOTION

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Jason Isbell is one of the 175 songwriters and musicians that will be performing at 30A Songwriters Festival.

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REGIONAL

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PROPELLER PUBLICITY (30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL), LIGHTWIRE THEATER (NORTHWEST FLORIDA BALLET), OPENING NIGHTS (BÉLA FLECK AND ABIGAIL WASHBURN) AND CLAUDIA FARREN (WAKULLA COUNTY TOURISM)

JANUARY 18-21

DEC 2018/JAN 2019 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com.

JANUARY 14

30A Songwriters Festival

OPENING NIGHTS PRESENTS

More than 5,000 music lovers come together over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to attend the 30A Songwriters Festival. This unique event is a four-day music extravaganza featuring over 175 songwriters and musicians performing original songs in various genres, ranging from country and Americana to folk and blues in over 30 dedicated listening rooms on historic Highway 30A in South Walton. The festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) and Russell Carter Artist Management. All of the net proceeds benefit the CAA.

Abigail Washburn’s acclaimed debut that earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Folk Album. Fleck and Washburn will perform as part of Opening Nights in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at 7:30 pm.

‘ECHO IN THE VALLEY’ WITH BÉLA FLECK & ABIGAIL WASHBURN → Echo in the Valley is the follow up to Béla Fleck and

Tickets range from $25 to $65. Students receive a 50 percent discount.

Purchase tickets at OpeningNights.FSU.edu or call (850) 644-6500.

JANUARY 17–FEBRUARY 3

DECEMBER 21-22

EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY DANCING LESSONS

Lightwire Theater: ‘A Very Electric Christmas’

→ Follow the story of

Ever, a young man with Asperger’s syndrome who seeks the instruction of a Broadway dancer to learn enough dancing to survive an awards dinner. The dancer, Senga, is recovering from an injury that might end her dancing career permanently. As their relationship unfolds, they’re both caught off-guard by the discoveries — both hilarious and heartwarming — that they make about each other and about themselves.

Visit EmeraldCoastTheatre.org or call (850) 684-0323 for more information.

→ Northwest Florida

Ballet brings back Lightwire Theater for “A Very Electric Christmas” on Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at the Destin United Methodist Church’s Life Center. Lightwire Theater will thrill audiences of all ages with this magical and captivating tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits, including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchaikovsky.

Visit nfballet.org or call (850) 664-7787 for more information.

Visit 30ASongwritersFestival.com for tickets and additional information.

REGIONAL

JANUARY 19

WAKULLA COUNTY’S ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION

→ Wakulla County’s Arbor Day Celebration, organized by the Wakulla County Garden Club since 2005, provides over a thousand free trees for Wakulla County residents to choose from. Master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.

This annual event includes food vendors, artisan and craft vendors and live music.

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PANAMA CITY BEACH MARATHON

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’: LIVE RADIO PLAY

FORT WALTON BEACH FARMERS’ MARKET

DEC. 1

DEC. 6-23

The PCB Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the Panama City Beach Marathon, a 26.2-mile race that attracts thousands of residents and visitors as both participants and spectators. Other races include a half-marathon, 5K and Kids’ Fun Run.

Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents the beloved Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” brought to the stage as a live 1940s radio broadcast. Reconnect with familiar characters accompanied by on-stage sound effects as the story of George Bailey unfolds.

DEC. 8, 22 AND JAN. 12, 26

pcbmarathon.com

emeraldcoasttheatre.org

FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK IN SEASIDE

HOLIDAY POPS

DEC. 7, JAN. 4 First Friday Artwalk in Seaside will appeal to art lovers strolling around Central Square. Sip on a cocktail as you enjoy art, jewelry and fashion exhibits from local vendors. sowal.com

CHRISTMAS IN PANACEA DEC. 1 Get in the Christmas spirit with an afternoon of family fun featuring live entertainment, music, games, free food and children's activities including a slip-and-slide made from snow. An after-dark parade, travels down Highway 98 and features decorated and lighted boats sponsored by local businesses.

Visitwakulla.com

Fort Walton Beach’s farmers, artisan food vendors and crafters bring a variety of products to Landing Park for the FWB Beach Farmers’ Market, including fresh produce, local honey, fresh eggs and dairy products, grass-fed beef, baked goods, jams and salsas, soaps, crafts and more. downtownfwb.com/ farmersmarket

DEC. 7 Mattie Kelly Arts Center presents the sounds of the holiday season, as the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, joined by the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale, performs seasonal favorites including “The Nutcracker,” Handel’s “Messiah” and music from the movie, “Home Alone.” It’s an evening for everyone, with a special performance by Northwest Florida State College president Dr. Devin Stephenson. mattiekellyartscenter.org/events

DESTIN CHRISTMAS PARADE DEC. 8 The city of Destin’s 34th annual Christmas Parade will observe a Christmas at the Beach theme featuring floats that are decorated and full of cheer. cityofdestin.com

SAVE THE DATE

DESTIN HARBOR BOAT PARADE DEC. 9 The 32nd annual Destin Harbor Boat Parade is full of holiday cheer and festive boats. Visit with Santa Claus starting at 1 p.m. at HarborWalk Village's Main Stage, then enjoy a special performance of “The Nutcracker” from the Ballet Conservatory of the Destin School of Music & Dance. The Boat Parade will light up the harbor beginning at 6 p.m., with fireworks following the parade. destinfun.com/events/destinharbor-boat-parade

PCB ANNUAL BEACH BALL DROP DEC. 31 Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this family-friendly countdown that culminates with the lowering of a gigantic, glowing beach

ball and the showering of 10,000 beach balls on the crowd assembled at Pier Park in Panama City Beach.

The event also includes fireworks and live music. visitpanamacitybeach.com/ events/new-years-eve-beachball-drop

PENSACOLA NEW YEAR’S EVE 2019 DEC. 31 Head to downtown Pensacola to say goodbye to 2018 and hello to 2019 with live music, vendors and an impressive midnight fireworks show. downtownpensacola.com

SOLARIS NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS CRUISE DEC. 31 Cruise, dance, drink and dine the night away aboard a SunQuest Cruise SOLARIS yacht, complete with a midnight fireworks show and champagne toast. sunquestcruises.com

KINKY BOOTS JAN. 8 Mattie Kelly Arts Center presents “Kinky Boots,” Broadway’s big-hearted, high-heeled hit. With songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, “Kinky Boots” takes you from a modest

shoe factory to the catwalks of Milan. mattiekellyartscenter.org

ARRIVAL MUSIC OF ABBA WITH NFSO JAN. 12 This production has all of the features a great ABBA show needs: exciting costumes, talented musicians and breathtaking singers joined by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and maestro Devin Patrick Hughes. ARRIVAL is from Sweden and has been touted as the world's greatest ABBA tribute band, with sold-out shows all over the world. mattiekellyartscenter.org

MUTTS GONE NUTS JAN. 17 Canines and comedy collide in this performance that leaves audiences laughing and hearts warmed. From shelters to showbiz, these amazing mutts unleash havoc and hilarity in a comedy featuring some of the world’s most talented fourlegged performers. mattiekellyartscenter.org

WINTER RESIDENT HOMECOMING JAN. 23 Celebrate your return to your winter home with a special “homecoming” dance held at Laketown Wharf Resort. visitpanamacitybeach.com/ events/winter-residents

FEBRUARY 8-10

La Lumiere: Party of the Gods fundraiser — titled La Lumière: Party of the Gods — to benefit South Walton Academy, Special Olympics Florida–Walton County and Westonwood Ranch. The weekend will include a Friday night “Feast of the Gods,” Saturday night “Party of the Gods” and a Sunday “Brunch of the Gods.”

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

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Details of listings can change at the last minute. Please call ahead of time to confirm.

December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER? Send an email to ec-calendar@rowlandpublishing.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PROFFITT PR

→ Broker Associate Hannah Martin of The Premier Property Group hosts her fifth annual birthday

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Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Presents…

HAVE AN EVENT THAT NEEDS TICKETING AND MARKETING? Call Brian Rowland at (850) 878-0554 or visit 850Tix.com to learn more.

LOCAL TICKETS. ONE PLACE. January 12, 2019 7:30 p.m. | Mainstage Mattie Kelly Arts Center Tickets: $45

Call or click for tickets:

(850) 729-6000

www.MattieKellyArtsCenter.org

850Tix is your source for local events across Northwest Florida.

From the same trusted award-winning team that has published Emerald Coast Magazine for more than 19 years, our goal is to promote the community our readers know and love. From festivals and tours to sports and the arts, the event choices in Northwest Florida are endless and all on 850Tix.com.

Devin Patrick Hughes, Music Director & Conductor

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at Northwest Florida State College 100 COLLEGE BOULEVARD EAST | NICEVILLE FL 32578

Northwest Florida State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit www.nwfsc.edu.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2018–January 2019

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation Check Presentation AUG. 21 The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation presented checks totaling $2.7 million to 15 local charities at an event held at the LakeHouse in WaterColor. All of the benefitting organizations serve children in need in Northwest Florida. An additional $48,000 was raised at the event, itself, to aid in fire victim relief efforts in California.

Check recipients included AMKids Emerald Coast, Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast, Emerald Coast Autism Center, Food for Thought Outreach and Opportunity Place, along with many more.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RHONDA MURRAY

1 Teresa Horton, Janet Piepul, Roger Hall and Myra Williams 2 Nicole Valle, Carly Harmer and Ali Weil 3 Caroline Boone, Jessica Bracken and Taylor Sheekley 4 Karah Young, Kate MacMillan and Melissa Vidaurre 5 Habitat for Humanity team with their check

Sandestin Triathlon

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SEP. 8 The 32nd annual Sandestin triathlon welcomed hundreds of athletes to compete in a half-mile Gulf of Mexico swim, a 20-mile bike ride along the coast and a 4-mile run through the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The Sandestin Triathlon is a USA Triathlon-sanctioned event and one of the area’s best events for spectators.

All proceeds benefit The Sandestin Foundation for Kids, which provides funds to children and families in need.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LINDSAY STONER

1W indy Christy, Kim Carrington 2 Garrison Dykes, Phillip Henry 3 Kome Eteuati, Joseph Perez 4 Spence Cocanour, Scott Roberts, John Harrison (1st Male Masters), Billy Striepeck and Evan Malone

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JOSEPH A. PEDONE, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI, CDDR Interventional Cardiologist MICHAEL L. YANDEL, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist JUAN C. ZARATE, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist ANTHONY S. AL-DEHNEH, DO, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist ANGEL D. MORROBEL, MD, FACC Invasive Cardiologist AJIT H. JANARDHAN, MD, PhD, FACC, FHRS Cardiac Electrophysiologist MARCELLO A. BORZATTA, MD, FACS, FSCAI Endovascular Surgeon

Best Cardiologist

Providing current, comprehensive health care in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart problems, since 1991, Okaloosa Heart & Vascular Center offers a full range of integrated cardiac services, from patient education through inpatient care, including: Clinical Cardiology and Consultation, Echocardiography, Vascular Ultrasound, Exercise Testing, Holter and Event Monitoring, Nuclear Cardiac Imaging, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angioplasty, Intra-Coronary Stenting, Endovascular Surgery, Limb Salvage and Cardiac Electrophysiology. With 4 interventional cardiologists, 1 endovascular surgeon, 1 cardiac electrophysiologist, 1 invasive cardiologist and 6 local offices to serve you, the staff is committed to exploring new technologies and techniques that provide better ways to care for their patients, and to treating each patient like a person rather than a diagnosis.

Destin Niceville 36468 Emerald Coast Parkway 552 Twin Cities Boulevard Suite 1101 Suite A Niceville, FL 32578 Destin, FL 32541 850-424-5638 850-279-4426

Niceville 2600 Partin Drive Suite 110 Niceville, FL 32578 850-279-4426

Fort Walton Beach Crestview Defuniak Springs 1032 Mar Walt Drive 129 Redstone Ave. 1045 US Highway 331 S. Suite 110 Suite A Defuniak Springs, FL 32435 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 Crestview, FL 32539 850-682-7212 850-862-1753 850-682-7212

www.OkaloosaHeart.com

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December 2018–January 2019

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PROMOTION

Eggs on the Beach

SOCIAL STUDIES 1

SEPT. 28 Teams fired up their Big Green Egg smoker/grills and worked to impress tasters and judges a the fifth annual EggFest Cooking Competition presented by Bay Breeze Patio and held at Seascape Resort in Miramar Beach. The event featured live music by Austin Jennings, cocktail making demonstrations

by Knob Creek and beer seminars conducted

by Abita Beer. Plus, there were plenty of TVs supplied by ENCO Sports Zone and tuned to the day’s football games. Event proceeds benefitted the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Food For Thought.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRACY LOUTHAIN

1 The Saltwater Restaurant Group team 2 Wayne Paul and Susan Kiley (co-owners of Bay Breeze Patio and hosts of Eggs on the Beach) 3 The Rotary Club of Destin team: Skip Overdier, Derick Hill and Scott McCormick 4 Jeff, Megan, Mandy and Jaxton Weller

Bloody Mary Festival

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OCT. 6 The Market Shops’ fourth annual Bloody Mary Festival featured a seemingly endless variety of creatively crafted eyeopeners, all made with Cathead vodka.

Many of the finest restaurants and bars along the Emerald Coast participated with proceeds benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Walton County.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF 8 FIFTY PRODUCTIONS

1 T he winners: Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits, first place; Camille’s at Crystal Beach, second place; Emeril’s Coastal Italian Restaurant, third place; The Surf Hut, people’s choice winner.

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2 Shane Jump, Jay Ammons, Bryce and Miranda Jarvis, Mandy McClendon and Erica Coggeshall 3 Ehsan Mamdooh and Tim Bugas

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Get your free Energy Checkup and receive personalized recommendations and tips on how you can save money and energy.

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December 2018–January 2019

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postscript

IT’S NOT ROCKET SURGERY

FEARING MAIDS (At least that’s what I heard you say)

by GARY YORDON

Mom: Hello.

Me: Dad, Mom is answering your phone by mistake.

Mom: What? I can’t hear you. Who is this?

Me: I’m sorry, Dad. Mom: I’m very busy. Whoever this is, you need to speak up.

HELLO! WHO IS THIS?

I picture my dad with his hands on his ears thrashing from side to side like he’s standing next to the speakers at a Kiss concert.

Me: Dad, Mom forgot your hearing aids are tied into the phone. You have to go get your phone from her.

Mom: HELLO! HELLO! Me: Seriously, Dad, the yelling is not going to stop until you track her down.

I visualize my dad wandering through the house like Frankenstein’s monster, stiff-legged and stumbling over furniture, hands extended out, unable to form actual words because a 747 is landing in his head.

Mom (trying to figure out if she hit the right button on the phone): HOLD ON! LET ME LOOK AT THIS PHONE! I realize that telling my mom to stop yelling is futile because only my dad can hear me. So I use the time to try and help him find her.

Me: Dad, she may be upstairs. But don’t yell for her because she’ll yell back. You just need to go upstairs and grab your phone.

Mom: Oh, for the love of God, these new phones aren’t worth a crap.

Me: Hang in there, Dad. It’s a small house.

Mom: WHOEVER THIS IS, YOU NEED TO CALL BACK. Me: I love you, Dad. I’ll call back later.

Look, I know that hanging up was an option, but when you write a humor column, you just can’t let these moments pass.

Maybe one day, I’ll give in and get a fancy pair of hearing aids. People who have them say they are life-changing.

At least that’s what I’ve heard. EC

Gary Yordon is president of the Zachary Group in Tallahassee, hosts a political television show, “The Usual Suspects,” and contributes columns to the city’s daily newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat. He may be reached at gary@zgroup.com.

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December 2018–January 2019 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

ILLUSTRATION BY NASCHY / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY YORDON

I

was standing at the kitchen sink when, for no apparent reason, my wife Berneice asked me to please poke a carp with ham. I calmly looked at her and said, “Honey, we don’t have a carp or a ham, and why on earth would I poke it if we did?” Berneice looked at me with that special look I’ve come to appreciate and began slowly mouthing the words with increased volume, “Please open the jar of jam.”

My brother Greg is a hearing aid distributor for a big chunk of North Florida. He has for years encouraged me to have my hearing checked. My answer is usually, “What?”

He’s told me about cool new hearing aids that you can’t even see. It’s not so much about vanity for me. I’ve accepted with aging that things sometimes fall off, so I’m good with subtraction. I’m just not sure I’m at the point where I need to start adding things. Perhaps one day I’ll reconsider, but for now I don’t feel like I need hearing aids, even if they do make a fancy new model.

My brother fitted my 91-year-old father with a set that has all the bells and whistles, and apparently my dad can now hear. I thought it was a bit cruel. My dad is finally at the age where he has a medical excuse for not listening to my 89-yearold mother. It seemed grossly insensitive of my brother to fix that for Dad, but I guess it’s an acceptable trade-off to be able to hear Cubs broadcasts with more clarity.

Dad’s new hearing aids are directly synced up with his phone via Bluetooth, so when he answers his phone, they fire up and the entire call is in his ears. It’s a pretty good plan right up until Mom answers Dad’s phone. Mom occasionally forgets that only Dad can hear his calls. That’s when the fun begins.

COOL ARCHITECTURALS ~ COASTAL STYLE

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WaterColor Don’t miss this 3,300 sq. foot, Romair-built home featuring four bedrooms and four and a half baths, complete with two spacious master suites on the main and upstairs level. Additionally, this immaculate home is complete with a custom bunk room, ample storage space, a large utility room, pantry, and garage. Enjoy the amazing outdoor living area with private heated pool, screened in porch, and cabana featuring a shell fireplace.

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Brad Smith

Broker Associate (850) 598-6771 bradindestin@gmail.com www.bradsmithdestin.com

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort This newly renovated estate features stunning views of the iconic Island Green on the Raven Golf Course located within Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The grand staircase greets you upon entry into this five-bedroom, six-bath luxury home. High tray ceilings, arched windows, and crown molding top off the spacious rooms and vast living spaces. Enjoy breathtaking views from the lovely breakfast nook located within the open kitchen layout. A perfect balance of ornate and cozy, you need to see this home to understand for yourself.

1535 W Island Green Lane

1,299,000

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