Emerald Coast Magazine April/May 2021

C R E S T S , I N T E R V A L S A N D E N E R G Y: J O N A H A L L E N ’ S I N S P I R AT I O N C O M E S I N

WAV E S

PUBLIC ART IN PANAMA CITY Murals are materializing

PREVENTING TEARS AND SPRAINS Stay loose to stay fit

STANDARDS AND ORIGINALS Goldie Lahr sings out

Your Dream Home Is Our Passssiion

ARCHITECT: CHRIST & ASSOCIATES | PHOTOGR APHY: CHRIS LUKER BUILDER: DAVIS DUNN CONSTRUCTION | INTERIOR DESIGNER: CINDY ME ADOR

THE PRIDE OF A MASTER CR AFTSMAN When old-world craft meets new-world technology, an unprecedented level of quality is birthed. At E. F. San Juan, the quality and long-term function of our woodwork are the keys to creating elements that will transform a house into your dream home.

EFSANJUAN.COM

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2020–January 2021 2020

3

H OW D O YO U F O OW ?

O P E N F O R B R E A K FAST, LU N C H & D I N N E R Happy Hour 2–5 PM Daily

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Contents

APR/MAY 2021

FEATURES

58

COASTAL CREATIVES

No less than the Colorado Rockies or glacial Alaska, the Emerald Coast inspires artists who work in diverse media. With his photographs, Jonah Allen represents our shores much as they must have existed before humans ever visited them. Watercolorist Donna Burgess achieved notoriety as a poster girl; that is, she created colorful art posters used to promote coastal fishing tournaments before her artistic eye turned landward. Sculptor Jordan Aucoin carves up lengths of PVC pipe and turns them into birds more fanciful than an egret in breeding plumage and more colorful than an airbrush T-shirt.

by STEVE BORNHOFT and HANNAH BURKE

←

66

ON THE MEND

In downtown Panama City, buildings rocked by Hurricane Michael have been repaired, resuscitated and reimagined.

Larger than life honeybees, sharks and butterflies now populate exterior walls as public art. The Bay Arts Alliance has done much to nurture artistic regrowth.

At the CityArts Cooperative, belly dancers and ballerinas, the pandemic notwithstanding, safely gather and practice their moves while looking forward to the restoration of stages and the return of festivals. The Martin Theatre has debuted a new facade, which promises that one day soon, its marquis will tout coming attractions.

by STEVE BORNHOFT

photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

April-May 2021

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Contents

APR/MAY 2021

22 96 EXTERIORS Festooned

THE WAVE

19 PERSONALITY

Emily Ley is a busy woman whose simplified planners leave plenty of room in the margins for the important things in life.

22 CHAMPION Given the

PANACHE

29 FASHION The art

of tie-dye has been around for centuries and came to the fore during the

6

April-May 2021

GASTRO & GUSTO 39 DINING OUT At

Bitterroot Food and Spirits, restaurateur Brendan McMahon and chef Chad Donelson offer a never-static menu inspired by various cultures and cuisines.

34

WHAT’S IN STORE Spring renews the call for light colors and technical fabrics.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

44 GOOD EATS Soul food is

synonymous with the kind of gatherings where big bowls of farm-to-family eats are passed around a generations-old table.

EXPRESSION

49 MUSIC Throughout

.

54 BOOKS In Florida’s Lost

12 14 128 130

her travels about the country, troubadour Goldie Lahr retains a strong sense of place and pays homage to her roots.

Galleon, underwater archaeologist Roger Smith describes the discovery and cataloging of finds that offer clues to what life was like for 16th-century explorer Tristan de Luna and his charges.

ABODES

87 INTERIORS Designers

offer advice on how best to decorate walls with pieces that will complement furniture, other fixtures and features in rooms.

IN EVERY ISSUE PUBLISHER’S LETTER EDITOR'S LETTER DINING GUIDE POSTSCRIPT

C R E S T S , I N T E R V A L S A N D E N E R G Y: J O N A H A L L E N ’ S I N S P I R AT I O N C O M E S I N

WAV E S

» SOUL FOOD » EMILY LEY » LOST GALLEON

By stretching muscles regularly and avoiding long, uninterrupted stretches sitting in an office chair, weekend athletes can hope to avoid downtime.

seen as staid, rulebound and slave to tradition, is becoming more receptive to bright apparel.

Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack was just a little ahead of his time.

are discovering an appetite for hangover chasers — or eye-openers — that pair well with bacon and eggs. Craft brewers throughout the region are tapping into the breakfast beers trend.

BILL CRAMER

26 HEALTH & FITNESS

32 TRENDS Golf, often

42 LIBATIONS Suds guzzlers

test will yield the perfect prescription for a healthy lawn; judicious pruning leads to bountiful blooms; lubber grasshoppers are champion eaters.

APR–MAY 2021

decades he has spent serving the school as a trustee, visionary and fundraiser, it is hard to imagine a Gulf Coast State College without Bill Cramer.

psychedelic 1960s. Now, it’s back as a popular DIY activity that people largely sequestered by the pandemic can do at home.

39

100 GREEN SCENE A soil

PUBLIC ART IN PANAMA CITY Murals are materializing

PREVENTING TEARS AND SPRAINS Stay loose to stay fit

STANDARDS AND ORIGINALS Goldie Lahr sings out

ON THE COVER:

Photographer Jonah Allen’s fascination with water and beaches began when he discovered surfing as a boy on Seaside vacations. He goes to elaborate lengths to capture waves at their peaks and sands disturbed only by the brushstrokes of winds and high tides.

PHOTO BY JONAH ALLEN

PHOTOS BY MIKE FENDER (22), MICHAEL BOOINI (39), HYNDS DESIGNS (49) AND COURTESY OF SOUTHERN TIDES (34)

49

with greenery and removed from confining spaces, pergolas invite relaxation and seem able to capture the slightest summer breezes.

THE “BEST GOLF CLUB” IS GETTING EVEN

Better VOTED BY VISIT SOUTH WALTON

A Bill Bergin Golf Design

MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR COURSE RENOVATION COMING 2021 FOR INFORMATION ON OUR RENOVATION, PLEASE VISIT:

SANTAROSACLUB.COM/COURSE-RENOVATION EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2020–January 2021 2020

7

Contents

PROMOTION

APR/MAY 2021

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

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PLAY IN THE PANHANDLE

The Tallahassee Museum immerses visitors in history, gives them the chance to see Florida wildlife up close and invites them to try on a new perspective while channeling their inner Tarzan — its tree-to-tree zipline extends as many as 60 feet off the ground.

98

OUTDOOR OASIS McNeill Palm can help you create an outdoor space with an automated shade system, making for lazing at its best all spring and summer long.

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NICHE PRODUCTS

8

April-May 2021

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

↑ LOVELY LIVING

Lovelace Interiors has launched a second store, Lovelace Lifestyles, specializing in clothing, jewelry, accessories, home decor and furnishings.

Rowland Publishing helps clients reach their target audience with strategically tailored publications. For many years, it has worked with Visit Panama City Beach to produce and continuously update a visitor’s guide that has helped people plan some of the most memorable days of their lives.

NEXT ISSUE

105 115

MEDICAL PROFILES Meet doctors and other healthcare professionals, including the practitioners at Dermatology Specialists, who serve the Emerald Coast with care, compassion and skill.

124

CALENDAR The spring season’s outdoor and online events revolve around some of our favorite things, including art, music and wine.

“Best of the Emerald Coast” — Be on the lookout for our ballot, and cast your vote for the best businesses on the coast.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE (73) AND JACK GARDNER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LOVELACE INTERIORS (90)

BEAUTY AT THE BOULEVARD

Bluemercury at Grand Boulevard specializes in trending and trusted beauty and wellness products and provides a personalized retail experience.

56

DEAL ESTATE

A five-bedroom, three-story Panama City Beach waterfront home with staggering views has a chefworthy kitchen, elevator and custom furnishings throughout.

↑VISIT TALLAHASSEE Discover all that Florida’s capital has to offer as a destination for a quick getaway with activities and attractions for families, young professionals, retirees and, well, everybody.

A city famous for its football, canopy roads and historical sites is also home to a vibrant arts scene, outdoor adventures, and abundant dining and entertainment options.

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Meet John.

With more than a decade of banking experience and a background in business administration, John Hodges is a private banker who understands the complex financial needs of higher-net-worth clients. He is committed to a one banker, one call level of personalized service to simplify managing finances and to provide custom solutions that meet the demands of personal wealth and business.

Call John today: 850.553.0488

John Hodges Vice President Private Banker

Serving Walton County ccbg.com

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2020–January 2021 2020

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 22, NO. 2

Pharmaceuticals Built

for

You

because you are unique ...

APRIL-MAY 2021

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MCKENZIE BURLEIGH

EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Price CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marina Brown, Hannah Burke, Les Harrison, Thomas J. Monigan, Rebecca Padgett, Wynn Parks, Audrey Post, Liesel Schmidt, Liz Schold

CREATIVE VICE PRESIDENT / PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Lindsey Masterson SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Shruti Shah PUBLICATION DESIGNER Jordan Harrison GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ashley Victoria Photography, Dave Barfield, Michael Booini, Adam Cohen, Larry Davidson, Mike Fender, Glenn Hastings, Scott Holstein, Hynds Designs, Jack Gardner Photography, Kurt Lischka, Meaghan Manning, Lindsey Masterson, David Moynahan, Sean Murphy, Chanel Van Reenan, Saige Roberts, Todd Douglas Photography, Alex Workman

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS

Regina Jaquess, PharmD 10 time World Water Ski Champion

Pharmaceutical compounding allows for your medical provider to offer specialized treatment. We can formulate your prescriptions to meet your individual needs.

Anti-Aging Bio-Identical Hormones Replacement Therapy Thyroid Replacement Therapy Dental

Dermatology Gastroenterology Infertility Men’s & Women’s Health Pain Management

Pediatric

SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi ADVERTISING SERVICES SPECIALIST Tracy Mulligan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES David Doll, Julie Dorr, Darla Harrison MARKETING MANAGER Kate Pierson SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden ADMINISTRATIVE & CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST Renee Johnson

OPERATIONS

CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Amber Dennard

DIGITAL SERVICES

DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt

Podiatry Sports Medicine Veterinary And More!

1719 S Co. Highway 393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 www.eccpharmacy.com, info@eccpharmacy.com

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

OAST MAG AZ DC I AL

2020

E’S N

EM ER

Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

E

EM

of

ERALD C O

A

2016–2020

PHARMACY

10

Fax: 850-622-5802

ST

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BEST

850-622-5800

April-May 2021

Facebook.com/ECCPharmacy Twitter.com/ECCPharmacy Instagram.com/ECCPharmacy EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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

Availability may change subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

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 April 2021 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Paradise is coming

TO THE EMERALD COAST

YOUR DREAM IS CLOSER THAN EVER AT LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE WATERSOUND – COMING SOON! Sunshine and cool breezes. Palm trees and margaritas. Welcome to Latitude Margaritaville, a 55-and-better community inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, built on food, fun, music and escapism.

Escape to the place where fun and relaxation meet. Escape to island-inspired living as you grow older, but not up.

Escape to Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, coming soon to the Emerald Coast on Florida’s Panhandle.

New Homes from the $200s

Join the Paradise Club for the latest news and updates: LatitudeMargaritaville.com (866) 220-1954

Located on the Emerald Coast on Florida’s Panhandle

Opening Spring 2021

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THE OFFERINGS. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required and has not been completed. The facilities and amenities described are proposed but not yet constructed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. ©Minto Communities, LLC 2021. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored, or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. Latitude Margaritaville and the Latitude Margaritaville logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license. Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. St. Joe and the St. Joe logo are trademarks of The St. Joe Company and are used under license. CGC 1519880/CGC 120919. 2021

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

April-May 2021

11

from the publisher

THE TIME IS RIGHT

Fourteen years ago, I encountered a young woman at Rowland Publishing’s “Best of Tallahassee” event and immediately was impressed by her enthusiasm for life and her infectious energy. I soon would discover that she had a strong desire to succeed professionally in the world of publishing.

She was prepared to begin at the entry level, and I brought her on board as a parttime accounting department employee responsible for collecting past-due amounts from slow-paying customers. I was certain that she would quickly advance beyond that role.

Within a week, she saw to it that many accounts had been made current or that customers had agreed to payment plans — plans that she closely monitored.

Upon her graduation from Florida State, she came to me seeking more responsibility. I was delighted.

Without hesitation, I moved her into a full-time customer service position and soon discovered that she had a knack for sales, a field of endeavor that is in many ways an extension of customer service.

As years passed and Rowland Publishing grew, she grew with the company and became a key employee. I made her sales manager, and she helped our outstanding team of sales professionals achieve new levels of success while establishing herself as a company leader and lending me invaluable administrative support.

If I-10 or State Highway 20 between Tallahassee and points west need resurfacing, she is a big part of the reason. While a Tallahassee resident, she made countless trips between the capital city and the Emerald Coast, where she hosted events, got to know community leaders and so immersed herself in the community that many people assumed she lived there.

In Tallahassee, many of her mornings began at 5. She led classes at a fitness studio before arriving at the office to do

12

April-May 2021

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

all that she could to support fellow employees and advance the interests of the company. She devoted many evenings to attending events sponsored by Rowland Publishing or helping to stage our own events, including Top Salons and Top Singles. She traveled to wedding shows as a representative of our Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine.

Never have I seen her in a bad mood.

Our relationship always has been grounded in respect and professionalism. Several years ago, I promoted her to vice president/corporate development.

In that role, she developed and launched our digital marketing department and assembled numerous integrated marketing packages for clients, including the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation/Guy Harvey Enterprises. We are especially proud of our association with Guy Harvey, and she was an indispensable part of bringing that relationship about.

No matter the calamity that befalls us, be it a hurricane, recession, oil spill or pandemic, she is an unwavering pillar at Rowland Publishing who always sees the glass as half full. Especially over the past year, she has worked to stay in touch with our customers and to extend them the understanding they needed when their businesses were dramatically affected by COVID-19. She genuinely cares for each member of our team and all of our clients.

Like countless other businesses, we have been buffeted by the worst pandemic our country has experienced in more than 100 years, and throughout, she more than anyone else has kept our ship upright and on course.

At all levels, she has excelled — and she has more rungs to climb. She has developed and burnished a reputation as a woman of influence in the region. For many, she is the face of Rowland Publishing.

Rowland Publishing and I are immensely proud and honored to have

McKenzie Burleigh as a leader in our company and in the pivotal role as the integrator on our senior leadership team.

She is well on her way to mastering every aspect of the publishing business.

The time is right for Kenzie to become Rowland Publishing’s associate publisher and to assume an even greater role in shaping each issue of our magazines. As part of her new responsibilities, she will be writing columns that will appear in this space.

Without question, Rowland Publishing would not be the company it is today without the efforts of McKenzie Burleigh. Her future and the future of the company are bright, and the Emerald Coast will be a better place to live because of her passion and dedication.

Take good care,

BRIAN ROWLAND PUBLISHER browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN / ROWLAND PUBLISHING FILE PHOTO

A trusted and valued employee earns more responsibility

forever YOU WILL

always

BE MY

Voted the “Best Place to Pop the Question” by Destin Magazine, Vue on 30a is home to dramatic sunsets with its panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.

From its sleek, contemporary look to its inviting atmosphere, Vue on 30a offers something for everyone and can accommodate intimate weddings of 35 to large-scale weddings or rehearsal dinners up to 200 guests.

Contact us today. vueon30a.com | 850.267.2305 ext. 3 | events@santarosaclub.com

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2020–January 2021 2020

13

editor’s letter

A WELLSPRING OF WORDS Language presents limitless possibilities

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April-May 2021

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

come to be known — for real — as Mountweazels in celebration of the fictitious Lillian Virginia Mountweazel, who according to the fourth edition of the New Columbia Encyclopedia, published — truth be told — in 1975, was an American photographer who was born in Bangs, Ohio, and died in an explosion while on assignment for Combustibles magazine.

Publishers inserted Mountweazel and other Mountweazels in books and maps as copyright traps, not because they were befallen by vindictive employees.

The 1943 edition of Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary, for example, contained the following entry: jungftak, n. — a Persian bird, the male of which had only one wing, on the right side, and the female only one wing, on the left side; instead of the missing wings, the male had a hook of bone, and the female an eyelet of bone, and it was by uniting hook and eye that they were enabled to fly — each, when alone, had to remain on the ground.

Inspired by The Liar’s Dictionary, I have coined the word schmidtliesel, which I have decided will mean “a story about food written by someone who does not eat.” I know such a writer, Liesel Schmidt. I have never seen her ingest anything but tea. Too, I have arrived at paralironesis, “a tendency to lose track of repetitions when lifting weights.”

On a day in February that fell just short of turning mild, I thought about Eley Williams and the tendency to assign a word, each different, to groupings of various animal species — a tower of giraffes, a crash of rhinos, a murder of crows — after encountering

a terrific scene. I was out on my boat, the Bullpen, and West Bay was stuffed with a stew, shall I say, of countless thousands of Spanish sardines. The small silvery fish of about 5 inches in length had attracted a chaos of cormorants, a pandemic of pelicans and a damnright of dolphins.

Speckled trout season was closed, and the trip amounted to more of a shakedown cruise than a fishing trip.

But I was delighted to find that ospreys had taken to their nests, and all about were signs of the imminent expiration of winter. It occurred to me that the sardine suppers had been a reward to birds who had toughed out hard freezes brought on by the southerly tip of a polar vortex.

At day’s end, I had no complaints. The trip had been rich in winceworthliness.

Word up,

STEVE BORNHOFT EXECUTIVE EDITOR sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

British author Eley Williams’ novel, The Liar’s Dictionary, published last year and already a qualifier for lots of lists with more honors surely to come, is for a lover of words like me, a genuine delight and funny as hell.

Its story toggles between past and present and centers on two lexicographers employed by a publishing business founded in 1850 and which survives generations — until it becomes time finally to digitize its only product, Swansby’s Encyclopaedic Dictionary.

When we meet Peter Winceworth, a character so pathetic that he brings to mind Ignatius Reilly from John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces and Quoyle from Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, he has worked for five years on the inevitably and perennially unfinished Swansby’s. Dictionaries, as a matter of definition, must always be incomplete, rather like the hapless Winceworth, due to the constantly evolving nature of language.

The mostly powerless Winceworth makes an enduring and twisted mark on the dictionary he is helping to compile by introducing fake entries to the work. He arrives at agrupt, an adjective meaning “irritating as the result of a denouement ruined,” and the eponymous winceworthliness, a noun defined as “the value of idle pursuit.”

Decades later, with the effort to put Swansby’s online underway, it falls to Mallory, by now the publisher’s only staffer, to ferret out the contaminants introduced by Winceworth before the dictionary goes live.

By the time Mallory enters the employ of David Swansby, deliberately bogus Winceworthian entries had

P R I M E

S T E A K S

&

S E A F O O D

SAVOR THE CLASSIC & SOPHISTICATED One of the finest dining destinations along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood features an award-winning 600-label wine list, hand selected prime steaks and Gulf-to-table seafood dishes. With fresh, seasonally inspired ingredients, Seagar’s prides itself on providing the most decadent and indulgent meals.

SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA

The Emerald Coast’s only AAA Four-Diamond Steakhouse RESERVATIONS 888-519-1405 | 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach, FL 32550 | SEAGARS.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Since 2000 December 2020–January 2021 2020

15

PROMOTION

EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM

Hotel Effie Opening Exceeds High Expectations

Get the latest stories from Emerald Coast Magazine, exclusive offers, event invitations and more delivered to your inbox by signing up at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ Connect-with-Us.

A rooftop pool and lounge are among the amenities that have made the newly opened Hotel Effie a buzzworthy topic of conversation throughout Northwest Florida and beyond. Learn more by visiting EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/hotel-effie-openingexceeds-high-expectations.

Q&A WITH DR. DAVID CHANDLER

@EMERALDCOASTMAG What are your favorite summer activities along the Emerald Coast? From art shows in the park to watching the

Blue Angels in the skies, there are ample opportunities to get out in the sun. Tag us @emeraldcostmag for a chance to be featured.

16

April-May 2021

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

@emeraldcoastmag Emerald Coast Magazine @EmeraldCoastMag

Learn from an expert about the distinctions and advantages among breast-enhancing procedures by visiting EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ beauty-links.

PHOTOS BY SVETIKD / ISTOCKPHOTO.COMAND COURTESY OF THE HOTEL EFFIE SANDESTIN AND INSTAGRAM: SAIGE ROBERTS, EVA KOLENKO © 2016 AND JAMES STEFIUK

CONNECT WITH US

Guy Harvey’s

at Tropic Star Lodge

Twenty-five anglers will have the opportunity to join Guy and Jessica Harvey on a 5 day/5 night VIP experience at the world-famous Tropic Star Lodge in Piñas Bay, Panama.

Proceeds from this singular event will go to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to support its marine conservation and research initiatives. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that the cost of participation in the adventure will be tax deductible to you.

Total Cost: $9,800 Five day/five night all-inclusive stay at Tropic Star Lodge.

■

Two drinks per day and wine at dinner.

■

■

Five people each day will fish with Guy Harvey.

Personalized 30-minute video of your adventure.

■

Breakfast/lunch and happy hour snacks.

■

Four people each day will fish with Jessica Harvey and with a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.

■

Lodging at Tropic Star, double occupancy.

■

During the week, Guy will paint an original piece to be auctioned off on the last night.

■

Two private “arrival” and “departure” cocktail parties at Tropic Star’s mountaintop Palace.

■

■

Additional fishing days will be standard trips on a Tropic Star boat with captain and a mate.

■

A personalized Guy Harvey print for each angler.

■

■

Welcome bag with Guy Harvey Tropic Star clothing and souvenir items.

Round trip air charter from Panama City to Piñas Bay.

■

■

Lifetime subscription to Guy Harvey Magazine.

Ground transportation from airport to hotel and domestic/international airport.

■

Lifetime membership in the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Hammerhead Club.

■

■

Private dinners each night with Guy, Jessica Harvey and a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.

VIP greeting by Tropic Star representative as you depart your flight and personal support while going through customs. While waiting for transfer, admission to airport VIP lounge pending COVID restrictions.

For available expedition dates, contact browland@GuyHarvey.com

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2020–January 2021 2020

17

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 6 Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S !

T W O S T Y L I S H L O C AT I O N S T O S E R V E Y O U !

12870 U.S. Highway 98 West | Miramar Beach, FL 32550 | (850) 837-5563 Shoppes @ Inlet | 13625 Emerald Coast Pkwy East | Inlet Beach, FL 32461 | (850) 909-0435

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

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December 2020–January 2021 2020

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

wave

THE

APR/MAY 2021

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

PERSONALITY

The

Simplified Business’s success is a triumph of planning

We’ve all heard stories about successful companies that were started in someone’s garage or basement. And while many of those tales may seem like urban legends, Emily Ley is living proof that success can indeed begin in the humblest of places.

Beginning in 2008, Ley set out to design logos, monograms and stationery using her talents in graphic design. Hour after hour, she threw herself into that work in the home office she’d set up in her basement, never dreaming of what would eventually come of her little business. ↓

PHOTOS BY ASHLEY VICTORIA PHOTOGRAPHY

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

Life

CHAMPION

A College’s Best Friend

|| HEALTH & FITNESS

Condition Before You Run

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

April-May 2021

19

THE

wave

↘ WHITE SPACE

Three years later, Ley’s world, with the birth of her son, became an overwhelming list of things to do. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and Ley’s crowded schedule inspired her to do something that would become the very foundation of her company: She created a planner.

True, she could have used one of the planners found on the shelves of supply stores, but all were overly complicated.

“When I was looking for a tool to help me organize my busy life, everything I found had lots of boxes to check and so many things that needed filling out on the page,” recalled Ley, who was born and raised in Pensacola.

“There was just so much there that was unnecessary and overwhelming.”

She wanted something simple and beautiful, something that anyone could use, and so the Simplified planner was born.

Largely the blueprint for her company, the planner offered clean pages and plenty of space for writing notes. Its minimal design was intended to give users what Ley refers to as “margin” for the things that matter in life while at the same time enabling them to organize their schedules.

“In general, people are overwhelmed,” Ley said. “They’re very, very busy, and their lives are full.

They’re thirsty for not only a beautiful planner that’s going to help them organize it all, but also a tool that’s going to help them make space for the things that matter most to them. I always say that the day I own a planner company is the day I’ll say I don’t want to do this anymore because we try to offer so much more than that.”

Over the past decade, Simplified product offerings have multiplied.

There are, of course, planners with various formats that differ, and the

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Central to Emily Ley’s business is a simple, but elegant and attractive planner that helps people keep track of appointments and has plenty of room in the margins for notes about the less structured but equally important things in life.

PHOTOS BY ASHLEY VICTORIA PHOTOGRAPHY

↑ ONE SIMPLIFIED DAY AT A TIME Emily Ley, pictured with her husband Bryan, twins Tyler and Caroline and older son Brady, impresses others as a master of work/life balance.

company also produces planner accessories and other organizational tools, décor and journals — all available through major retailers, including Amazon and Office Depot as well as on the Simplified website.

Simplified customers are given access to a video coaching series that provides tips and advice on organizing everything from your home to your schedule so there is time to do the things that matter most. And while the products are beautiful in their design and every bit as simple and helpful as advertised, Simplified has become more than just a brand — it’s become a community of women who offer one another support and encouragement.

Over the past year, the 32,000 women who make up the Simplified Facebook community have become an even greater testament to what Ley and her company have been doing.

“It’s amazing how kind and positive and uplifting they’ve been, especially now,” said Ley, who has authored multiple books focused on the concepts taught by Simplified and advice, too, on finding

grace in your own life. “As much as they’re there for one another, we also try to be there for them.”

The “we” to which Ley refers are the nine women who are now members of the Simplified team, each contributing skills and talents to the workings of the business.

Surprisingly, the company has just enjoyed its strongest year of sales to date. “I was nervous because all of those memes went around about how the worst purchase made in 2020 was a planner!”

Ley said with a laugh. “But then I realized just how much more women have to manage now, so our sales have been fantastic.”

Ley is the master of a schedule that has been compounded by circumstances over the past year.

Now the mother of three, she’s had to learn how to balance work and family life, with the challenge of virtual school for three young ones all vying for her time and attention. And though she may, at times, wonder how she’ll ever get it all done, she knows that she’s doing something important, one Simplified day at a time. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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CHAMPION

A COLLEGE’S BEST FRIEND Bill Cramer views education as a community’s cornerstone

by STEVE BORNHOFT

B

ill Cramer’s father was the first Republican elected to Congress from Florida since the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War. William Cato Cramer Sr., first elected in 1954, represented the St. Petersburg area (Pinellas County) in Washington continuously until 1970.

His son didn’t get the bug.

“Because I grew up with it, I knew that I didn’t want to go into politics,” Bill Cramer said. “I knew about the pitfalls and the toll that it takes on a family.”

But, even as Cramer was disinclined to pursue elective office, he was attracted to his father’s penchant for public service. The senior Cramer was the first member of Congress ever to establish

↑ For 20 years, Bill Cramer served as a member of the board of trustees at Gulf Coast State College. In 2005, he received the National Trustee Leadership Award presented by the Association of Community Colleges.

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a local office. He was devoted to taking care of his constituents and, in his district, found himself dealing with lots of seniors who needed help with Social Security matters.

In 1979, Bill Cramer went to work at Tommy Thomas Chevrolet, a Panama City dealership owned by his father-in-law. He had married Carolyn Thomas in 1975 following his first year at Harvard Law — the two began dating when both were undergraduates at schools in North Carolina. Cramer was working for a federal judge in Jacksonville when Tommy put the arm on him.

Thomas was for Cramer a mentor like his own father — a politician, albeit unelected, who served as chairman of the Republican Party in Florida, and a community servant who made the Salvation Army a personal project.

“It was one of those 90-degree turns in life that you never expect,” Cramer said about moving from court filings to car sales, but it brought him into contact with a school that would become his Salvation Army.

Cramer earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of North Carolina and believed before entering law school that he would become a teacher. At then-Gulf Coast Community College, Cramer tried on that role, teaching trigonometry as an adjunct.

Thomas would soon see to it that Cramer was too busy to moonlight in the classroom, but a relationship had been established.

For 40 years, Gulf Coast State College, as it is known today, and Cramer have remained close.

“I have always had a keen interest in the college and the pervasive good that it does in our community,” Cramer said.

In 1987, Gov. Bob Martinez appointed him to the GCSC Board of Trustees.

“It was a way for me to get back into education and to be of service,” Cramer said. “Serving on the board of trustees was a great privilege.”

→

Bill Cramer’s association with Gulf Coast State College began when he taught trigonometry as an adjunct instructor. He would soon assume leadership roles at the college, serving as a trustee and member of the board of directors of the college’s foundation.

Dr. Larry Tyree was Gulf Coast’s president when Cramer joined the board but departed for the community college system in Dallas a few months later. Soon, Cramer was getting to know well Dr. Bob McSpadden, Tyree’s successor.

“Bob and I talked about his vision for the college and between the two of us, we thought there was an opportunity to raise money for scholarships,” Cramer recalled. At the time, the Gulf Coast Community College Foundation was 20 years old but had only a million dollars in its fund.

Cramer and others launched a Wall of Honor campaign that lasted 19 months and generated $1.1 million in community contributions. Federal and state matches brought that total to $3.8 million.

The campaign’s success, Cramer said, “wasn’t because we were such great fundraisers. The community rose to the occasion because they appreciated what the college could do for people. They had seen the results. Everyone knew someone who had been touched by the college.”

Today, the foundation’s assets, given succeeding campaigns and the passage of time, exceed $32 million.

“We’ve spent about $25 million on scholarships and other programs of the college,” Cramer said. “I can’t take the lion’s share of the credit for that. We have helped tens of thousands of students due to the efforts of lots of people.”

Cramer has been part of the foundation for 33 years. He served as a college trustee for 20; was Community College Trustee of the Year in Florida twice; and, in 2005, was named the winner of the National Trustee Leadership Award presented by the Association of Community Colleges.

The national award, Cramer said, “was one of the highlights of my life.”

Of late, the GCSC Foundation has raised more than $1 million to cover non-tuition expenses incurred by military personnel and their dependents and military veterans. It raised $1.5 million to help GCSC students and employees through the tough times brought on by Hurricane Michael.

As president of the Air Force Association at Tyndall Air Force Base, Cramer is helping to photography by MIKE FENDER

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raise funds for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camps in Bay County.

And what is now Bill Cramer Chevrolet Buick GMC annually carries on a tradition started by Tommy Thomas Chevrolet by annually contributing in a big way to the Empty Stocking Fund benefitting the Salvation Army.

Aware of Cramer’s love of numbers, I asked him for a favorite math trivium. He dropped Galileo’s Paradox on me.

Consider: For each number, there is a square. The square of 1 is 1, the square of 2 is 4, the square of 3 is 9, and so on. So, there are as many squares as there are numbers (integers), but there are lots of numbers that are not squares — numbers such as 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Ah, but the size of the two sets is the same even though one is contained within the other. For every number there is exactly one square; hence, there cannot be more of one than the other.

Capeesh?

The squares, Cramer told me, are termed a “countably infinite set.” You don’t have to be Bill Cramer to appreciate that concept, but it surely helps.

As to the man himself, his generosity and devotion to community appear to be practically limitless. I will leave it to him to determine whether those traits are countably infinite. EC

PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

↑ Bill Cramer, the president of Bill Cramer Chevrolet Buick GMC of Panama City, helped launch a Wall of Honor campaign to raise money for scholarships. A busy man, he is sometimes late for meetings whereupon he is wont to say, “I got behind another broken-down Ford.”

EMERALDCOASTMAGA EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM ZINE.COM

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HEALTH & FITNESS

CONDITION BEFORE YOU RUN

Slow and steady wins the race to fitness

I

t is easy to get excited when you finally find that a workout regimen that works for you. But too much exercise and a lack of cross-training can spell trouble if you’re not careful.

Dr. Mark Tenholder, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement and sports medicine at Orthopedic Associates in Fort Walton Beach, has seen his fair share of overzealous fledgling athletes.

“I would say probably the most common types of problems arise in those who aren’t conditioned to advance to the type of exercise they’re trying to do,” Tenholder said. “Runners, for example, frequently experience what’s called IT Band Syndrome (ITBS). This involves a tightness of the tendon that runs along the side of the pelvis to your knee.”

Most runners, he said, will attempt a challenging terrain or distance too quickly.

The weak muscles around their hips and core cause the iliotibial, or IT band, to constrict to the point it rubs against the thighbone, making for a painful few weeks of recovery.

According to Tenholder, patients with ITBS are referred to a physical therapist, who teaches them how to strengthen essential muscles and properly complete pre- and post-run stretches to loosen the tendon.

“People who love to run derive a lot of physical and mental health from it but

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often neglect to cross-train with weights or participate in any body-strengthening boot camps,” Tenholder pointed out. “But it’s important to work on your core strength and gradually increase exercise regimens so you don’t suffer overuse injuries.”

Of course, this applies to all manner of exercise. Those with poor core strength who participate in the rigorous activities of CrossFit, Pure Barr or cycling class commonly incur back and abdominal injuries.

“I think with regard to most injuries or athletic exercise-induced problems, it’s people advancing too quickly and not properly conditioning themselves for those activities,” Tenholder said. “But, for the most part, people are exercising a lot smarter than they used to.”

Tenholder said he was surprised that when CrossFit and plyometric classes caught on, he didn’t see as many repercussions as he expected.

“This may have to do with the science behind developing these routines and training the participants, but people are more educated now,” he said. “There’s more material online discussing injury prevention and better resources available for each type of exercise.”

With age comes increased vulnerability

to injury. Among men who are over 40, torn Achilles and biceps tendons are commonplace.

Younger individuals may be susceptible to microtears and full-on ruptures due to intense exercise or diving headfirst into a new routine their bodies aren’t yet accustomed to.

Frequently, people with minor injuries or strained muscles tend to try to work through them or wait until they go away.

“If it’s a minor injury and you want to give it a week or two, it’s the classic treatment of what we call RICE: rest, icing, compression and elevation,” Tenholder said. “That will treat acute injuries to muscles, ligaments and tendons and allow swelling to go down. If you do that and can gradually return to activities without too much disability, then it’s OK to treat on your own.”

But don’t ignore nagging aches and pains.

“If you have pain in a joint area that persists for more than four weeks, you need to have it evaluated,” Tenholder said. “If you let things go, the dysfunction grows worse, the pain gets worse and the muscle atrophies. The farther you let it go downhill, the harder it is to climb back up and rehabilitate it.” EC

When unstretched for extended periods, muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on them for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains and muscle damage. Sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings, which inhibits walking or running. Periodic stretching during the day is helpful. Source: Harvard Medical School EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTO BY GRINVALDS / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

by HANNAH BURKE

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ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

→

David Lowery’s tie-dye creation suggests a summer sky. While the term “tie-dye” was coined in the 1960s, the technique it describes has been around since fifth-century China.

FASHION

TO DYE FOR

DIYers craft shirts of many colors

by STEVE BORNHOFT

↓ FASHION Putt for Dough, Dress for Show || WHAT’S IN STORE Retail Roundup photography by LINDSEY MASTERSON

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Once, tie-dyeing shirts was simple, and there was no right and wrong Had I somehow as a kid independently arrived at the spiral tie-dye technique that yields a pattern not unlike that which is disclosed when a chambered nautilus is cross-sectioned, I would for some days have been the grooviest kid in the neighborhood.

The technique is simple, really, like so many things once revealed. Pinch a moistened T-shirt and twist it into a swirl. Apply rubber bands to the shirt to keep it from unfurling and to define pie-slice-shaped pieces of the whole.

Dyes of various bold colors are then applied to the wedges. A few hours later, the dye now processed, the shirt may be unwrapped, revealing a pattern like something you might find at the end of a kaleidoscope.

My childhood approach to tie-dye, however, was the basic one and random. Along with a boy named Brad, who died young, and one whose last name, Stone, was just a letter short of perfect for him, I would tightly wrap rubber bands around portions of T-shirts to create spaces that the dye would not penetrate. The shirts were then bathed in a dye solution.

Among the resulting designs, it was not possible to call one any better than the next.

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In coloring the shirts, we were not trying to emulate anyone. We were not trying to be more like Jerry or to arrive at emblems of a counterculture. Rather, we dyed shirts because it was something to do and easy to do, the very same motivations that attach to people who, upon growing tired of feeding sourdough starter, sought to tie-dye their way through the pandemic. EC

↑ Mary Madsen’s tie-dye shirt of subdued hues appropriately reflects life in a subtropical state where citrus grows.

photography by LINDSEY MASTERSON

DIY Tie-Dye WHAT YOU'LL NEED: ➺ Tie-dye kit or dye ➺G loves ➺ Metal bowl and grate (to catch excess dye) ➺ Rubber bands ➺ F ork ➺ Plastic Bags ➺ Disposable table cloth or newspaper (to protect surfaces)

1 Lay your fabric down flat and place your fork in the center and twist.

2 Make sure the fabric is

in a tight circle and secured with a rubber band.

3 Evenly space 3–5 rubber bands onto the fabric.

4 Choose 3–5 dyes.

Dampen fabric with water so dye sticks. Saturate the fabric with dyes of your choosing. Place in plastic bag, and let it sit 8 hours or overnight for more vibrant patterns.

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TRENDS

PUTT FOR DOUGH, DRESS FOR SHOW Bright colors are invading golf fashion

by HANNAH BURKE

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T

eeing up at the final hole of the 2020 Master’s Tournament with a five-shot lead, Dustin Johnson, clad in fitted navy Adidas performance wear, looked as sure as his short game.

Johnson’s style, he said in a recent interview with Golf Digest magazine, can be the difference between a good day and a bad day on the links.

Clashing colors make him “feel all messed up” and unable to focus on his game. A scuffed shoe is unacceptable.

“Black, white, grey, blue — that’s about the extent of the color palette in my closet,” Johnson said. “I’ll wear a little bit of color every once in a while, but I always have to match.”

Though his new Masters green jacket will offer a welcome pop to his wardrobe, Johnson’s penchant for the monochromatic is consistent with

much of the apparel available at your local pro shop.

“Everything in the past few years has been so muted and grayed-out,” said Alan Watson, owner and operator of Golf Plus in Panama City Beach. “But, this spring, I’m looking to see more color. We already saw some brighter patterns at the Masters, so I think we’re finally starting to lean toward the more bold and vibrant.”

Still, Watson suggests that golfers adhere to the aphorism, “a little goes a long way.” Think Tiger Woods’ signature red Nike polo, which the golfer typically pairs with a solid black pant, cap and shoes. All-over print polos and sweaters, no matter their hue, can be dressed down with traditional khaki, grey and black neutrals for a modern, sophisticated look.

PHOTO BY REUTERS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (JOHNSON) AND COURTESY OF CALLAWAY

Consistent shotmaking may be the biggest key to successful golf. Consistent also describes the oncourse wardrobe of 2020 Masters tournament champion Dustin Johnson, who doesn’t stray from black, white, gray and blue.

↑ Tonal Heather women’s shortsleeve polo features Opti-Dri stretch and cooling technology. At right, TrueScript postcard print skirt by Callaway blends retro aesthetic with the latest performance construction.

At the Scenic Hills Country Club Pro Shop in Pensacola, PGA Professional Rick Gorman, too, has seen a resurgence of flamboyant designs.

“Bold prints with splashes of color are very popular for both men and women,” he said. “And everything, from shirts to shorts, are made of performanceenhancing, moisture-wicking materials.”

So while the loud patterns of argyle sweater vests and tweed knickerbockers may be making a comeback, heavy fabrics and knitted creations are not.

“It’s all about softer, thinner, more comfortable fabrics,” Watson said.

“Most people want something that feels breathable.”

Performance fabric, Watson said, has even made its way to shorts, skirts and pants. Stretchy, sweat-wicking material supplies easy ventilation, while sticky, silicone-lined waistbands keep shirts tucked in and secure through even the most powerful tee shots.

Gorman has also noticed a significant demand for zipper-fronted tops for both men and women, as they allow for

the easy adjustment of air circulation throughout the game. Nike, Antigua and FootJoy apparel, he said, are among Scenic Hills’ best-selling brands and incorporate the latest activewear technology in their apparel.

Watson also counts FootJoy among his favorite suppliers at Golf Plus.

“Golf shoes have greatly improved in the last few years, as they’re moving toward more of a comfort, sporty trend that looks and feels like running shoes,” Watson said. “The FootJoy Flex is our best-selling shoe; it’s lightweight, offers support and is very stylish. I like to call them ‘lifestyle shoes’ because you’ll want to wear them both on and off the course.”

While only a few including Johnson have a multi-year deal with Adidas, we do have the freedom to mix and match brands that best suit our body and play.

Find which lines work for you, and don’t worry about committing any fashion faux pas with clashing logos.

“Nike and Puma are going to push for more color and style, while Peter Millar relies on quality fabric and tradition,”

said Watson. “I think a lot of people pick up fashion cues from their favorite golfers on tour, but at the end of the day, it mostly boils down to who you are and finding your own personal fashion.” EC

↑ Men’s all-over chev grid polo is made with high-gauge recycled polyester blend fabric and Swing Tech construction designed to maximize comfort and keep scores low.

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panache At the Market

➸ Now open in Pensacola,

THE BUSY BEE MERCANTILE & GENERAL STORE offers a taste

of the local food scene with fresh produce, artisanal cheese and regional gifts and goods.

➸ Destin Commons is now hosting the ARTISAN MARKET IN DESTIN. The last Saturday of each month, all are encouraged to support the local art community and shop for homemade fare, fashion and crafts.

Time to Upgrade ➸ THE FOSTER GALLERY has a new home at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin. The collective now features works available for purchase from over 30 local artists, including pottery, paintings, accessories and more. ↑

Soak up the Sun

Highbrow Beauty ➸ The Fort Walton Beachbased brow sculptors IBROW EXPERTS have expanded with a new clinic in Panama City Beach. For effortless, elegant beauty every day, treat yourself to eyebrow threading, microblading, waxing, sugaring and eyelash extension services. ↑

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

by HANNAH BURKE

The classy, coastal outfitter Southern Tide has opened a new location in Miramar Beach.

Find that perfect spring sundress or a new performance polo to keep you cool on the putting green. Seasonal apparel appeals to men and women of all ages.

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➸ As the heat rises, so may your desire for a cool, clean cut. GUY’S CUTS in Pensacola, a new, walk-in salon for men, offers trims, shaves, waxing, beard styling and color to complete your look.

➸ If your home is in need of more than a spring cleaning, swing by the CASANOAH DESIGN GROUP SHOWROOM for expert insights and inspiration. Newly opened in Panama City Beach, the showroom features fully staged living spaces to help you envision the design of your dreams. ➸ Looking to level up your Apple Watch, iPhone, or computer?

SIMPLY MAC is now open in the Destin Commons, offering repairs, trade-ups and the latest tech on the Apple market.

Summertime Sweets ➸ Born on a dairy farm in the Himalayas, T.J. Lupero has made it his mission to share his family’s recipe for “the world’s finest” ice cream. He invites you to stop by his Fort Walton Beach parlor, TJ’S CHLLIN’ TREATS, and sample flavors such as Chillin’ Avocado, Bordeaux Wine Sorbet and their famous Cookies & Cream. ➸ March brought the opening of

SUGAR WAVE 30A, Inlet Beach’s must-stop-shop for those with a sweet tooth. The HUB 30A candy counter’s decadent treats, toys and gifts make for a fun, sugary snack time.

PHOTOS BY LICSIREN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND COURTESY OF SOUTHERN TIDES, CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE (THE FOSTER GALLERY)

➸ Too busy for the beach? It’s time to ditch the orange-hued self-tanners and leave bronzing to the professionals. For that fresh-off-the-beach glow, ALOHA TANNING, now open in Pensacola, offers sunless spray tanning, red light therapy and traditional tanning beds.

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DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

DINING OUT

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gastro & gusto

T

he pink-petal bitterroot flower is a symbol of rebirth and opportunity.

It is the state flower of Montana where Brendan McMahon’s mother grew up, and he thought it an appropriate

↑ Bitterroot offers a fine, metropolitan-style dining experience with dishes including chicken and rice — a roasted half-chicken served with Ason Mills Carolina Gold Rice and miso mushroom cream.

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name for his new eatery, located at the site of his previous restaurant, Everkrisp. With the new venture, he is introducing diners to a New York-style, upscale experience unlike any other in the area.

“Where Everkrisp was a fast, casual experience, I really wanted people from the Kelly Plantation, Regatta and Bluewater Bay areas to be able to venture out for traditional, fine dining without having to drive all the way out to the Destin Harbor,” McMahon says of Bitterroot, which opened at 4463 Commons Drive this April. “We’re by no means a white-tablecloth, exclusory restaurant, but we are an accessible place where you can come off the golf course or beach for a nice meal.”

A Washington, D.C., native, McMahon grew up in the restaurant industry by way of his father’s business, and still operates a fine-dining concept and gourmet sandwich shop there today.

But McMahon says he spends most of his time in Destin with his wife Ashley, with whom he founded Bitterroot, and prefers it that way.

“I love living down here, but I realized I was really missing the fine dining aspect of the industry,” he said. “So, Ashley and I collaborated and realized this would be the way to scratch the itch and introduce a menu influenced by all different cultures and cuisines.”

Low lighting, mixed industrialmodern materials and a big-city tavernstyle bar set the stage for house-made pasta dishes, a mixologist-driven cocktail menu and an ever-changing selection of seasonal delicacies. McMahon, along with Michelin restaurant-trained chef Chad Donelson, prioritize variety and “keeping the conversation open” about ways in which to refresh their menu.

Among guest-favorite dishes is the traditional chicken and rice, a roasted half-chicken on a bed of Anson Mills Carolina Gold rice and hearty miso mushroom cream sauce. “It’s a simple Southern dish we tried to sophisticate as much as possible without messing up the heart of its flavor,” McMahon said.

Homemade flatbreads, vehicles for pecan butter, arugula, black pepper dressing, toasted shallot, aged goat gouda

↑ Bitterroot, above, has succeeded Everkrisp in its location less than a mile west of Destin Commons; restaurateur Brendan McMahon as mixologist; an 8-ounce filet bathed in demi-glace and paired with cauliflower mash and asparagus.

and pickled beets are the go-to appetizer, though many opt for a traditional charcuterie board of assorted cheeses, prosciutto and sopressata.

McMahon recommends the Osso Bucco short rib for the main course. The tender, braised meat lies atop homemade ricotta gnocchi and a pistachio pestodressed ratatouille.

A head-on Gulf prawn stir fry lends a Far East flair to the menu, while a 30-day dry-aged New York strip steak and Cape lemon-butter snapper picatta satisfies cravings for traditional fine dining fare.

Though McMahon is proud of Bitterroot’s diverse gastronomy, it’s the cocktail menu he calls his pride and joy.

“Mixology has been a passion of mine since it started catching on around 2005,” said McMahon.

“I was lucky enough to get in with some really good people and devote a lot of energy and focus into the art, so I would say that’s my biggest strength.”

McMahon’s old-fashioned Old Fashioned, made the traditional way with lemon peel instead of orange, is enhanced with demerara syrup and walnut bitters for an earthier, classic flavor. So popular are they that Bitterroot devotes their Monday nights to the cocktail, selling them for just $5.

Too, guests are infatuated with the Zapata, a tequila, lime, watermelon and basil-foamed concoction that’s as tasty as it is aesthetically pleasing, and Bitterroot’s French 75 which incorporates a rosemary-infused simple syrup that adds a burst of flavor to its lemony gin and champagne blend.

“It’s very satisfying hearing people tell me at the bar that they don’t feel like they’re in a strip center, but in New York,” said McMahon. “They tell us they were really missing something like this near them, so we’re happy to fulfill the need with something people enjoy.” EC photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

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gastro & gusto

↘

BEER, IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST To the bloody mary and the mimosa, early rising imbibers have added as an eye-opening option the “Biergarita,” made with tequila, orange juice, lime juice and Shock Top beer.

LIBATIONS

BEERS AT DAWN-THIRTY Breakfast brews are opening eyes

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

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S

heryl Crow, in her 1994 hit, “All I Wanna Do” — recall I like a good beer buzz early in the morning / And Billy likes to peel the labels from his bottles of Bud — may have unwittingly anticipated a trend.

Not so long ago, chugging suds for breakfast usually resulted from staying up all night drinking with friends.

Today, not necessarily.

Throughout North Florida, from Tallahassee to Pensacola, imbibers are quaffing cold ones with the sun in

the east. Area breweries are adding breakfast beers to their menus of craft creations, sometimes on a seasonal basis.

Here’s a sampler.

At The Craft Bar in Panama City Beach, Cody Ward touted “Toppling Goliath Nitro Mornin’ Latte,” an imperial coffee milk stout brewed with lactose and a careful blend of cacao nibs and aromatic coffee.

“With this style stout, there is a smooth and full body texture leaving just a very small head on the beer photography by ALEX WORKMAN

Reed Odeneal at Perfect Plain Brewing Co. in Pensacola didn’t hesitate when asked about his favorite breakfast beer.

“Ommegang’s American Farmhouse Ale, Hennepin, is one of the perfect beers to enjoy as a beermosa at breakfast,” he said. “Its spicy, phenolic aromas and champagne-like effervescence pair well with fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice.” The ABV is 7.7%.

The breakfast beer trend, of course, is not confined to the Emerald Coast.

Bryan Smith of Proof Brewing Co., which became Tallahassee’s first craft production brewery in 2012, described their version of what has become the popular “beermosa.”

Its main ingredient is the Strawberry Lemonade Evil Kiss, a fruited Berliner Weisse (alcohol by volume, 4.5%) “that has the tartness of lemonade with a touch of fresh strawberry sweetness.”

The rest of the recipe: “Use two-thirds beer and one-third orange juice or your favorite juice. You can add a splash of champagne to kick it up a notch or add a dash of bitters for balance.”

Elsewhere in Tallahassee, Mike Raynor Jr. of Mike’s Liquor & Beer favors Founders Breakfast Stout (8.3% ABV).

“It has notes of oats, chocolate and two different types of coffee,” Raynor said. “It’s the perfect flavor portfolio for any time of a day. It is also infused with nitrogen to give it a smooth creamy finish. It has the distinct ability to pair well with desserts, especially ice cream. I will offer a warning, though, that it tastes so smooth and full that the drinker may forget it even has alcohol in it.” EC

↓

almost looking like a fresh-brewed espresso or cold brew coffee.”

For the record, the ABV is 8.9%.

“My favorite breakfast beer depends on the hour of the day,” said Joseph Frasier Hansen at Idyll Hounds Brewery in Santa Rosa Beach.

“Right away, I would say Joe, our coffee vanilla porter. Joe is brewed with fresh coffee and conditioned on copious amounts of vanilla beans. It hits the spot with coffee aromas and sweetness from the vanilla. It’s an easydrinking porter at 7.5% ABV.” Third Planet Brewing in Niceville offers Boggy Bayou Stout. Brewed with lactose, vanilla and cacao nibs, the brew intermingles notes of roast, dark fruit and caramel with bittersweet chocolate and vanilla. This stout’s modest strength and body also provide the opportunity to enjoy more than one pint.

ABV is 5.5%.

Chelsea Taylor at Destin Brewery said its Breakfast Beer is proving popular. “It’s a light crisp ale, almost lager-like with pink grapefruit,” she explained. “Because of its low ABV of 5% and tangy citrus blast, it pairs with every meal, including of course, breakfast.”

At World of Beer in Destin, general manager Cody Knowles noted that “most breakfast beers are going to be stout, imperial stouts, porters or some other type of dark, possibly barrel-aged beer.

“What makes a good breakfast beer? The maltiness of an imperial stout that pairs with a pancake syrup? Bitter coffee flavor paired with a nice lactose stout? There isn’t a wrong answer here.”

Knowles said his favorite is DuClaw’s Sweet Baby Jesus Porter, ABV 6.2%. According to the World of Beer website, the brew features a “smooth, dry finish and just enough hops to balance aromas and flavors of roasted malt, chocolate and rich peanut butter.”

At Kelley’s Beach Liquors in Fort Walton Beach, Chuck Kelley singled out something new from Oyster City Brewing Company out of Apalachicola — the Port St. Joe Porter draft beer with an ABV of 5.7%.

“It’s a peanut butter porter,” Kelley said, “and for breakfast you can let it warm up to room temperature and just enjoy all the flavors.”

WHAT THE LOCALS RECOMMEND CODY WARD, THE CRAFT BAR, PANAMA CITY BEACH

↓

Toppling Goliath Nitro Mornin’ Latte, ABV is 8.9%

JOSEPH FRASIER HANSEN, IDYLL HOUNDS BREWERY, SANTA ROSA BEACH

↓

Joe, 7.5% ABV

PLANET BREWING, NICEVILLE

↓

Boggy Bayou Stout, ABV is 5.5%

CHELSEA TAYLOR, DESTIN BREWERY, DESTIN

↓

Breakfast Beer (Grapefruit Kölsch), ABV of 5%

GENERAL MANAGER CODY KNOWLES, WORLD OF BEER, DESTIN

↓

DuClaw’s Sweet Baby Jesus Porter, ABV 6.2%

CHUCK KELLEY, KELLEY’S BEACH LIQUORS, FORT WALTON BEACH

↓

Oyster City Brewing Company’s Port St. Joe Porter draft, ABV of 5.7%

REED ODENEAL, PERFECT PLAIN BREWING CO., PENSACOLA

↓

Ommegang’s American Farmhouse Ale, Hennepin, ABV is 7.7%

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gastro & gusto

GOOD EATS

Fellowship Fare Soul food is the stuff of heartfelt gatherings

W

hen it comes to soul food, you’ve got to have that fried chicken, collard greens, mac ’n’ cheese and cornbread.

That’s just for starters.

Stop at The Bistro Southern Cafeteria in Panama City, and you’ll also find gravy-smothered pork chops, green beans swimming in pot liquor, oxtail and fruit cobblers, all made from the heart.

For Erick Rogers, who co-owns the Bistro with Cassandra Simpson, soul food is a language punctuated by secret herbs and traditional techniques enlivened by passion.

It is a connection to his grandmother, who was taught the art of combining different types of cured meat with certain vegetables to create magic.

“Soul food is something embedded in my spirit that I didn’t even know was there until I started cooking,” Rogers said. “I went out and did everything I wanted to do with my life, but I felt this craving inside me. I started cooking and realized I was connecting people to their mothers, to their grandmothers, and that passion inspired me to get more creative.”

Rogers said he commutes from Dothan, Alabama, to his kitchen at 2900 E. 5th St. every day to prepare the Bistro’s curated weekly menu of Southern favorites. Though not your standard fare, dishes such as rabbit, BBQ pig feet and stewed chitlins sell fast.

“If anyone has a special request, we try

Seafood Macaroni and Cheese

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to honor it and cook it for them so they, too, can experience that tradition of their past,” said Rogers, who has hosted notables including comedian Rickey Smiley, the Real Housewives of Atlanta and American gospel singer Dorothy Norwood. “Maybe your grandmother taught you to make an apple pie.

Every time you make that pie, for the rest of your life, you’re going to feel something special.

That connection is what I try to create.”

Rachel Johnson understands connections.

For her, soul food is synonymous with family and fellowship.

“Eleven years ago, I started selling soul food plates from my home to create extra income for my family,” said Johnson, owner of RJ’s Tasty Plates in Pensacola. “Soul food was cooked in my home growing up, and I still cook it for Sunday dinner and the holidays for my family.”

Soul food has a rich history immersed in the African-American culture.

A style of cooking “now associated with comfort and decadence, was born out of struggle and survival,” Vanessa Hayford wrote in an article titled “Humble History of Soul Food” for the website Black Foodie.

“Soul food originated in the mid-1960s,” Johnson said. “For us, it is an expression of our Southern comfort style — well-done dishes cooked with seasonings and spices that are pleasant to taste.”

RJ’s Tasty Plates, parked at 1825 W. Fairfield Drive, is a state-certified small business restaurant on wheels. It is open Tuesday–Saturday and caters to events big and small. Johnson said popular dishes include crispy fried chicken, hog maw, potato salad and baked seafood macaroni and cheese.

For her, soul food is for everybody.

“It’s an opportunity to eat home-cooked, whether you have a busy schedule, don’t have experience in the kitchen or simply enjoy it.” EC

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTO BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: EZUMEIMAGES (MAC & CHEESE) AND REZ-ART (MEATLOAF)

by HANNAH BURKE

↙ Meatloaf ( from The Bistro Southern Cafeteria) ➸ 2 lbs hamburger meat ➸ 2 eggs (beaten) ➸ ¾ cup whole milk ➸ 1 pack Lipton onion soup mix ➸ 2 teaspoons salt ➸ 1 teaspoon black pepper ➸ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ➸ 3 slices, bread of choice SAUCE:

➸ 4 cups ketchup ➸ 4 tablespoons sugar ➸ 2 teaspoons steak sauce (such as A.1.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, onion soup mix, milk and bread.

Season with salt and pepper, form into loaf and set aside. In a separate pot, combine ketchup, sugar and steak sauce. Warm over medium heat until incorporated, and pour mixture over loaf. Bake for 90 minutes or until meat has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Seafood Macaroni and Cheese ( from RJ’s Tasty Plates) ➸ 1 box elbow noodles ➸ 2 lbs shrimp ➸ 2 lbs crab meat (or imitation crab) ➸ 2 lbs smoked sausage ➸ 2 lbs shredded cheese of choice ➸ 1 jar of Ragu creamy threecheese sauce ➸ vegetable seasoning blend (such as Pictsweet farms) ➸ 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package and combine with creamy three-scheese sauce. Sauté vegetable seasoning blend, shrimp, crab and sausage.

Salt to taste, and reserve some of the mix for topping. Meanwhile, mix together eggs, noodles and meat mixture. Spread an even layer of mixture onto the bottom of a 3-quart pan and top with shredded cheese. Repeat twice. Top layer with reserved meat and three pinches of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

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PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI

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BOOKS

Florida’s Lost Galleon

expression APR/MAY 2021

CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

→ Musician and songwriter Goldie Lahr sits on the running board of her rolling home and plays her guitar accompanied by her not-so-fat cat, Fats Domino.

MUSIC

PHOTOS BY HYNDS DESIGNS

A HEART OF GOLDIE

Life’s winds took her where she wanted to go

by WYNN PARKS

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April–May 2021

49

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S

omebody once posed a question to Goldie Lahr: “If you were offered by, say, an angel, the grace to play one song in the whole universe, perfectly, in its ultimate celestial version, what song would it be?”

She thought and finally said, “OK. I know the one that would be the go-to song for me: Pachebel’s Canon in D. That way I can be a part of many people’s happiest moments!”

In such a way, Lahr, a self-described folk-rock musician, throws a wrench into one’s preconceptions of where she comes from. A solo act, she sings everything from traditional numbers like Patsy Cline to contemporaries like Brandi Carlisle. She plays guitar, piano or fiddle, topping off standards with her own originals, like adding whipped cream and a cherry.

Lahr’s lyrics are tight with staggered rhythms that can’t be taken for granted yet still work out right. The title song in Goldie’s latest album, Hello, Oklahoma, expresses, in Lahr’s classic Country Queen vocal style, a sweet ambivalence about finding home and flying away at the same time.

PHOTOS BY HYNDS DESIGNS

Hello, Oklahoma; hello brand-new day!

Hello to all the promises coming my way.

High as a kite we’ll fly; The wind will take us where we want to go ...

In an interview, asked why she left Oklahoma where so much of her heart seemed to lay, she cryptically explained that “expectations got the best of me,” and left it at that.

A 9-year-old Goldie once portrayed Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug in her own bedroom production of a Billy Mays-style video pitch, touting a half-price sale on her collection of rag-doll dogs. The wellthought-out pitch, interrupted by a pretend phone order, was complete with a one-sided conversation worthy of a shopping channel gem jam.

It’s not hard to intuit what made Lahr blissful, even then. As a big girl, her videos can be tonguein-cheek, like “I Put A Spell On You” with its purple lipstick and skeleton hands. As part of the Belle Anchor Belles, she and at least two other Navy wives dress in sailor suits and sing Andrews Sisters-style boogie-woogie.

“The Belles always love playing at the Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola,” Lahr said. “It’s great talking to the volunteers there; they all have amazing stories of their own!”

Lahr was born in Pensacola as Rachael Aune. Her Norwegian progenitors’ gift of blonde-tudinousness made her nickname inevitable. Her father was a Navy officer, which usually guarantees that a family will

→ Goldie Lahr from time to time has used her camper’s fold-out “stage” as a performance platform. Her husband Robert restored the RV, replacing its engine and equipping it with solar panels; Goldie was responsible for interior decorating.

not be living in one berg for long. Before she left home to undertake history and religion studies at the University of Oklahoma, she grew up living outside Fort Worth, Texas. She became a Lahr upon marrying naval aviator Lt. Robert Lahr, another Norwegian scion and great, great-nephew of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. While Pensacola is her base of operations, Lahr frequents venues in

New Orleans, St. Louis and Rochester, Minnesota. But — “Hello Pensacola!”

— a majority of her engagements are around the Panhandle: Milton, Niceville and Whiting Field Naval Station, the Village Inn in Destin and Peddlers on Walton County’s Highway 30A. At home, Lahr’s menagerie includes her cats Fats Domino and Dolly Purrton, her dogs Gunner and Billie Pawliday and her chickens Linda and Louise.

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Son Billy, seven months old at this writing, loves to scatter the neighbor’s chickens but isn’t intimidating enough to deal with the tough-minded Linda and Louise, who were born and bred around dogs.

Musicians, like most artists, spend years developing their skills. If the apprentice is determined and practices, he can expect at least a year of humiliations playing before audiences and should consider himself lucky if paid in beer.

As a journeyman, he may need to fight an alcohol problem from getting too much beer, but with a pay scale that leaves him walking dogs to pay the rent.

Lahr long ago paid her dues on those first two rungs, but when the standard old question arose as to where she sees her career being in five years, she laughed and said, “I don’t know, but I like where I’m going wherever that is. I’m still happy to have made it to where I can say I’m a professional.”

She hesitated a few seconds, then grinned and added, “You know what I mean by professional, right? That means making more money playing than you’re spending on equipment!” EC

UPCOMING APPEARANCES

Goldie Lahr is scheduled to perform at the Beardless Brewhaus in Milton on April 17 and May 15 and at the Beach House at Spring Hill Suites in Navarre on May 7, May 22, June 5 and June 25.

All engagements begin at 6 p.m.

PHOTOS BY HYNDS DESIGNS

DELIVERY

hitting the road as Goldie and Robert Lahr’s travel kitty. At their home in Pensacola, the Lahrs tend to Fats and fellow feline Dolly Purrton, two dogs and two chickens.

Celebrate the joy of living, eating and drinking well.

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expression

BOOKS

FLORIDA’S LOST GALLEON Researchers uncover soul of colonists’ ship

by WYNN PARKS

54

April–May 2021

F

lorida’s Lost Galleon is an anthology that addresses the history and archaeological excavation of a shipwreck in Pensacola Bay. Its component parts add up to an investigation that brings Tristan de Luna’s 1559 landing at Emanuel Point out of the vague, legendary past in a way that archives and memorial statues cannot.

This book is bound to fire up readers’ imaginations in spite of its sometimes academic presentation. For Pensacola residents, the fruits of the Emanuel Point shipwreck will spark “ah-ha!” connections between de Luna and many of the city’s business and street names.

Galleon’s editor-cum-researcher, Dr. Roger Smith, plus his team of five underwater

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

archaeologists and a multitude of volunteers and interns, succeeded in the mid-1990s in drawing back the curtain on a perennial drama of hurricanes, politics and conspiracy theories that can’t fail to twig with latter-day Floridians.

Guided by Spanish archives, and underwritten by the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Smith and team were engaged in 1992 in a magnetometer survey of west Pensacola Bay, the outcome of which substantiated the history of the de Luna expedition beyond just another obscure New World legend.

The archaeological team, we learn, painstakingly placed a PVC grid over the excavation site; classified artifacts; removed mud and oysters from the wreck; and

PHOTOS BY MIKE FENDER (BOOKS) AND COURTESY OF STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA MEMORY (SMITH) AND UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA (ARTICFACTS)

↑ Then state archaeologist Dr. Roger Smith, in this photo from 1987, displayed artifacts curated by the state Bureau of Archaeological Research.

The bureau is responsible for objects collected on state-owned and statemanaged lands.

completed an architectural analysis of the ship’s construction — all pure Nat Geo stuff. Ditto the lab preservation of significant finds.

The colonists had originally salvaged everything they could from the grounded wreck. The types of articles left behind can be found in most homes today: pots, pans, shoe soles, roach wings and such.

But three intriguing clues to the mariners’ mindset were found at the junction of the ship’s main mast and keelson, considered to be the center of a sailing vessel’s “life force.”

In one photograph from the wreck, a crude cross is carved into the mainmast’s support. Found in the adjoining woodwork was a small, handcarved profile of a galleon, reminiscent of a “Milagros,” that protective amulet still found today in both Mexico and Spain. Smith, who found the piece himself, said, “I wondered whether I had perhaps discovered the ‘soul’ to the ship.”

Also, when “stepping” the mast for the first time, a ritual vital to the ship’s good fortune was placing a coin under

the foot of it, in the mortise. This was not a treasure ship, and over the course of the excavation, only a single coin was found. Since the colonists were likely to have hung their personal funds around their necks, one can’t help but wonder if the found coin was … .

Today, the Emanuel Point shipwreck has become symbolic of the de Luna colony overall. In an era when maps of the Gulf Coast were only awkward approximations, the fleet landed in late summer on the west side of Ochuse (Pensacola) Bay. Six weeks later, the colonists were still keeping much of their supplies on board ship, thinking them safer there than on land. Then, on Sept. 19, the cautious colonists had that most quintessential of Florida experiences: getting hit by a hurricane. Four of 11 ships sank. A fifth ended up amid a grove of trees. Most of the food stores were lost. The colonists managed to hang on until November, when the viceroy sent relief, along with the promise of another shipment come spring. But circumstances changed; instead, relief didn’t arrive until the next September.

Gradually over the next two years, the colony lost its political support. De Luna worked in growing desperation, disheartened by the growing attrition of the colony’s population and frustrated in his attempts to satisfy his patron’s mandate for an overland route to the Atlantic coast. Worse still was the growing dissent of his officers. Finally, when de Luna’s health failed and he fell delirious and calling for his wife, his subordinates remorselessly deposed him. By August 1561, the colony’s last contingent wobbled back to Vera Cruz.

Santa Maria de Ochuse would not become Pensacola for another 137 years. Too dangerous!

Since the initial excavation of the Emanuel Point wreck, two more de Luna ships have been located. It was high time, then, that in 2009 a statue of Tristan de Luna was erected on the harbor, where it stands unblinking as only bronze can be, searching for the entrance to Pensacola Bay. EC

Artifacts Collected from Shipwrecks Illuminate the Past

In 2016, the archaeology program at the University of West Florida announced the discovery of a third ship linked to the de Luna expedition. Researchers detected a magnetic anomaly, leading them to the discovery of ballast stones, Spanish ceramics and charred wood.

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PROMOTION

Entice, Excite and Expand Your Target Audience Visitors Guide captures the beauty, vibrancy and variety of Panama City Beach

R

owland Publishing has long been a partner in the evolution of the Visitors Guide published by Visit Panama City Beach, the promotional arm of the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. Today’s brilliantly illustrated Visitors Guide provides an inviting sampler of all that the home of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches offers, from events and attractions to accommodations and daytrips and, of course, the glorious white sandy beach itself. RPI has worked with Visit Panama City Beach by generating content for the magazine, selling advertising and serving as a distribution consultant. Throughout the relationship, RPI has joined in occasional redesigns of the publication to ensure that it remains fresh and consistent with Visit Panama City Beach’s latest marketing campaigns. Thousands of people throughout the United States and beyond have used the Visitors Guide to plan some of the most memorable vacations of their lives.

» DO YOU NEED HELP WITH A CUSTOM PUBLISHING PROJECT? Contact us today to learn how Rowland Publishing can help make your upcoming project a success.

For more information, visit RowlandPublishing.com.

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Over the years, Visit Panama City Beach has developed a strong working relationship with the team at Rowland Publishing.

They have been engaged every step of the way in the transition of our Visitors Guide. Together we have exponentially grown our subscriber list, created eye-catching material and visually encompassed everything the Real. Fun. Beach. has to offer! The team at Rowland Publishing is incredibly reliable, efficient and professional.

JAYNA LEACH VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

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Coastal Creatives Diverse artists are united by the source of their inspiration

STORIES BY STEVE BORNHOFT AND HANNAH BURKE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN MURPHY

The Emerald Coast is rich in artists who derive inspiration from the entrancing, changeable, energizing marine environment that surrounds us and holds us all rapt. Their work adorns coffee tables and a water tower, condos and conference rooms, backyards, public spaces and boudoirs. It may seek to emulate, capture or even spoof elements in the natural world. But all of it comes as a compliment to that world, without which it would not exist. Meet here three artists whose approaches and whose tools — jigsaws, paintbrushes and cameras — vary greatly but who share an inseverable coastal connection.

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Jonah Allen His photography captures the energy of water

↓ Photographer Jonah Allen immerses himself in his work.

He specializes in taking shots of locations where water meets land.

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The light must be right.

If it’s not, photographic artist Jonah Allen won’t bother taking his camera out of the bag.

And light is just the beginning. Other elements must align if Allen is to arrive at the kind of image that he might wait months to capture: tide, wind, wave height, wave interval and patterns in sand made by water.

To all of that, add tannic outflow from a dune lake entering a crystalline Gulf, and the shot just makes Where Waters Meet, a book that Allen is compiling.

Allen has carved out a tightly defined niche for himself in South Walton County, selling large-format prints of water in motion.

I’ll put it to you this way: He photographs energy.

“I am always photographing things that are very, very ephemeral,” Allen said. “They exist for a very little bit of time, and then they are gone.”

Allen grew up in Atlanta, landlocked hours away from saltwater. But he discovered an affinity for surfing as a boy vacationing with his family in Seaside and was, as some say, “ruint.” Never again would the city that once adopted the motto, “People Seem to Like It Here,” feel like home.

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He attended the University of Georgia in Athens where he studied marketing, art and music business and worked for Red & Black, the campus newspaper, as a photographer focused on concerts.

Still, big water pulled on him, and after college, he traveled the world surfing for a year, making stops in Hawaii, Chile, Peru and Bali. Off Kauai, he was overwhelmed by a 20foot wave that had looked manageable when he first spotted the break a half-mile off. In South America, he encountered subsistence fishermen and dramatic evidence of sea-level rise. In Indonesia, he gained an appreciation for the ancient rice-paddy irrigation system called “subak.”

All along the way, the chance that he would ever settle down away from water evaporated.

In December 2017, he moved to South Walton County from Georgia, resolved to make his living as a photographer.

“There are three ways you can learn,” Allen said. “By failing, from books and from mentors. I have a friend and mentor, David Darby, who owns a recording studio. He told me never have a fallback plan because if you do, you will fall back.”

Allen, accepting that advice, has proceeded to make waves without a Plan B. At this writing, he is installing track lighting in a space — 416 S. County Highway 393, Building 9, Unit 3, in Santa Rosa Beach — that he planned to open as a studio/gallery in February. He expected that Where Waters Meet would be published in March. He was making plans for a documentary film showing.

And, his collection of keeper images, most of them from South Walton and elsewhere in the Southeast, is steadily growing.

Allen uses the “best equipment I can afford,” but even the best of equipment cannot bring about the perfect moment.

He often prefers the perspective gained by shooting water from the air and, to do so, has employed drones, ladders and cranes and gone for helicopter rides. But, too, he takes photos from the shore and while in the water.

Most of his shots are taken in the first two hours after dawn. Then, the light is right, and he can hope to photograph a stretch of sand before it is marred by the first footprints of the day. To preserve such opportunities, he has cordoned off the beach in spots with ropes

PHOTO BY JONAH ALLEN

← Allen displays a photo of a beach scene that presents a study in blues and whites.

His photos, including one titled Peak No. 53, below, increasingly are making their way onto walls throughout South Walton.

and pleaded with early morning walkers not to intrude upon his shot.

Allen estimates that 90 percent of the photos in his portfolio — see jonahallen.com — were taken within 15 miles of his home near Eastern Lake and within two minutes of the beach. He tends to roll out of bed at the last possible moment and then sprint or bicycle to the sand in time for first light.

“I have been working on photographing all the coastal dune lakes in Walton County,” Allen said.

“They can fill up with rainwater and burst, and you have an outfall that connects them to the Gulf.

For the past two years, I have been photographing that phenomenon from the air. Where the freshwater and saltwater meet, those are my favorite places.

“The outfalls are very dynamic.

They change every hour. It’s really cool to watch.”

More of that ephemeral stuff.

Allen recognized early on that he doesn’t like to take pictures for others.

“I like to take images for me that I share with other people,” he said.

In that, he has a purpose that goes beyond making a living.

“I can’t cause people to care about the water or the environment unless they experience it firsthand,” Allen said. “But if my images inspire people to go out in the water and feel it and develop a respect for it, then they might just care about the future of it.

“We live in a very special place in Northwest Florida,” he added, and said he is concerned about the pace and planned scale of development in the region. “If I could go back and experience this place as it was 100 years ago, that’s what I’d do.”

And he’d take his camera.

— Steve Bornhoft

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Donna Burgess Her watercolor hobby became an obsession

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Donna Burgess has had a trying couple of years.

When her mother fell ill, the longtime painter moved to Panama City, leaving behind her Sandestin gallery at Grand Boulevard, where she had worked for 12 years. Her new gallery in downtown Panama City was open 11 days before Hurricane Michael hit.

And then came COVID. “After 32 years with an art gallery, I made the decision to close,” Burgess said. “The economy was so bad, it just couldn’t support brick and mortar. But, then came the silver lining.”

Burgess, who has known Susan Lovelace of Lovelace Interiors Inc. in Miramar Beach for the past 30 years, said her friend was “the safety net that caught her.”

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Lovelace designers, with whom Burgess has worked for years on commissions and murals, welcomed her into their family. Burgess said Lovelace showrooms in Miramar Beach and Phillips Inlet now serve as exclusive representations for her art.

Burgess, 64, feels that she has come “full circle.” Her mother was an artist and designer for an interior design firm in Panama City. As a child, Burgess recalls her mother working with clients to put together beautiful spaces and coming home to create a painting that would tie a room together.

“My mother was an untrained artist but the most naturally gifted person I ever knew,” Burgess said. “And not just with drawing and painting, but anything from building

to plumbing. Once, on a whim, she just decided to taxidermy a fish and made our whole house smell like formaldehyde.

That was my mother.”

But while Burgess’s mother always encouraged her to pursue possibilities, she didn’t realize her own creative potential until her late 20s when, while reading the paper, she stumbled upon an ad for a painting workshop in Shalimar.

Graduating with a degree in English, Burgess fancied herself a writer. But one class with Marie Green, a signature member of the American and Florida Watercolor Societies, had her trading pen for brush.

“That class caught me on fire, and watercoloring became a hobby turned obsession,” said Burgess. “Marie was the most wonderful, profound watercolorist, and you just wanted to learn from her. I didn’t even know how to mix color, but she would do these elaborate setups.

Since I started with an advanced group of watercolorists, I had to go back and teach myself the basics. But if I had started out painting an apple, I don’t think the passion would have stuck.”

Burgess said she entered the local art scene in about 1987, when she created her first poster for the Destin Seafood Festival. She has since created posters for the Sandestin Wine Festival for 30 years, as well as pieces for the Destin Fishing Rodeo and Silver Sands Autumn Tides.

Aptly, Burgess’s friends refer to her as the “Poster Child.”

Burgess said she encourages any young artist to gain exposure by creating posters.

“Choose an event, and put your heart into it,” she advises. “For me, poster art is the combination of your ability to interpret the event and the craft of creating its image.”

But you’ll also find Burgess’s art on canvas — in corporate buildings, homes and the Emerald Coast Conference Center, where 22 of her ethereal seascapes and whimsical depictions of local flora and fauna adorn the walls.

↑ An English major in college, Donna Burgess had plans to become a writer. Exposed to a watercolor class, she changed her artistic mind. Burgess is familiar as the creator of colorful art posters for the Destin Seafood Festival, the Sandestin Wine Festival and the Destin Fishing Rodeo.

Burgess’s subjects range from vibrant dog portraiture and architectural landscapes to detailed shell and sea life studies. She is a product of the Emerald Coast and simply paints what she loves.

If Burgess had to label herself, she would be a “watercolorist who paints in acrylic.”

“For 15 years, I painted exclusively in watercolors, so it wasn’t an easy transition from paper to canvas,” she said. “But adaptability is the key to staying fresh.

I learned to wet the canvas, salt it and spray starch it to get the look of the washes I wanted.”

Burgess sketches basic shapes and then ponders them. Taking walks helps clear her mind, as well as flipping through magazines and perusing secondhand stores. Upon returning to the painting, she creates light washes, letting the paint shape an image.

Many times, paintings have come together, and Burgess felt that she did nothing more than hold a brush.

But, for her, it’s teaching others to open themselves up and explore art that’s most rewarding.

“When you get a group of people to feel comfortable enough, you won’t believe the stories that come out,” said Burgess. “It’s very therapeutic.

“Can’t draw a stick figure? Not required. Can’t draw a straight line?

Please don’t. I have a few days to pull you through that tunnel of doubt and give you the confidence to proceed on your own. Anyone can use a brush and learn to mix colors. My biggest joy is giving you something you can use for the rest of your life for peace of mind and enjoyment.”

— Hannah Burke

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Jordan Aucoin His fanciful art appears ready to take flight

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If you lived in Destin during the early 2010s and were a frequent beachgoer, you more than likely bumped into Jordan Aucoin.

His white pickup truck, sometimes stationed near the Whale’s Tail Beach Bar and Grill and otherwise cruising Scenic Highway 98, ferried some unusual passengers.

Every weekend, Aucoin, an artist specializing in birds and other critters fashioned from PVC pipe, would fill his truck bed with colorful pelicans, toucans, flamingos and egrets, piquing the interest of tourists and locals alike.

“Back then, I had just started making my first birds and had no idea how to promote

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myself,” Aucoin said. “So, there I’d be in my swim trunks, with my phone number on my truck, just going to the beach as I normally would.”

The reception, Aucoin said, was amazing.

Birds that didn’t sell in one weekend would surely be gone the next, leaving him to hatch the next batch. Quickly, art became a fulltime gig.

“My grandfather and father were artists, and I grew up helping my parents with arts and crafts shows as a way to make some extra money,” said Aucoin, who moved to Destin from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2006. “I never saw myself as an artist. But six months after my father showed me how to make my first bird, I was quitting my job to do this.”

Aucoin said sculpting just “came to him.”

↑ Jordan Aucoin’s sculptures like the egret and pelican, above, are fashioned from PVC pipe and frequently take up positions along the Gulf shore. Aucoin keeps stencils used in painting his creatures tacked to a dartboard in his workshop.

His father, who is now retired but still produces similar sculptures in Baton Rouge, laid the foundation for the hundreds of creatures you’ll see adorning yards, homes and rental properties in Destin.

Aucoin, who has now been sculpting for eight years, has found his own creative signature.

Aucoin cuts out his birds with a jigsaw. Often, they feature vibrant, spiky crests and shimmering

plumage. Some pose on a perch, while others spread their wings and appear ready to take flight. The artist paints them in subdued natural colors or the hues of Emerald Coast sunsets and waters.

“I’m very inspired by the natural surroundings,” Aucoin said. “I can paint a bird naturally, or it can become my canvas. When you keep working with color theory, you’ll discover there are endless combinations of colors. You learn what colors can and can’t touch, and which colors make a piece flow and look good.”

These days, Aucoin is focused on egrets and pelicans. You can’t go to the beach without seeing one or the other, he said. Many go home with tourists as souvenirs. Specializing in these two species has also boosted his productivity, though you may own an Aucoin owl, flamingo, frog or butterfly.

“When you’ve been at something for as long as I have, you have to find a way to keep doing it,” Aucoin said. “I work alone out of a shed at my house. I don’t really advertise and rely on word of mouth. So, I knew I had to choose a focus going forward, something I could get a little bit better at each day.”

Aucoin produces about eight birds a week. His work can be found at Footprints Gifts in Miramar Beach, Topsail State Park and Big Mama’s Hula Gallery in Seaside, but many of his clients are from out of state.

He rarely ships his work, though, and encourages people to come spend time in Destin while they pick up their bird. That way, they can appreciate the beauty of the area that the birds represent.

“It’s still surreal to me that there aren’t very many places you go in Destin that you won’t see one of my birds,” he said. “From the beginning, the response has been wonderful. People tell me all the time that they like my birds. They don’t know why, they just do.”

In 2016, Aucoin received the People’s Choice Award at the Mattie Kelly Festival of the Arts, an honor he cherishes to this day. Though he’d like to participate in more shows and festivals, he would rather share his creativity than display it.

Aucoin keeps his work affordable, charging about $180 for a pelican or egret.

“I think back to those days I was selling the birds out of my truck, and I miss them,” he said. “I’d take my phone with me when I’d go paddleboarding just in case I got a business call. I did that for nearly two years, and people still remember seeing me along 98, selling art by the beach. Who knows, maybe I’ll do it again someday.”

He still has the truck.

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story by STEVE BORNHOFT photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

On the

Mend

THE ARTS IN PANAMA CITY ARE STAGING A COMEBACK

A

s a boy, Jayson Kretzer loved “Garfield,” the orange cat created by cartoonist Jim Davis.

Later, he would graduate to Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes,” judged by Kretzer to be the greatest comic strip ever.

“My parents wouldn’t let me buy comic books until I was 10 or 11, so I was limited to comic strips,” Kretzer said. “I used to look forward to the Sunday paper.”

To this day, Kretzer’s inner child heavily influences his personality in ways that make it ideal as he confronts challenges impinging on Panama City’s arts community.

Kretzer, a Gulf County native who came through the commercial art program at the Tom P. Haney Technical Center, is the director of the Bay Arts Alliance, the state-recognized local arts agency for Bay County.

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↙ When muralist Cameron Moberg got through touching up the Panama City Center for the Arts, it appeared ready to take flight in search of milkweed pods. Moberg, a Californian, taught a class in mural painting during his Panama City visit.

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“THERE IS SO MUCH POSSIBILITY ON THE HORIZON. DOWNTOWN LOOKS BETTER ALMOST EVERY DAY, RICH HISTORY AND MODERN ART COMING TOGETHER. THIS IS GOING TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE REALLY ENJOY LIVING.” — JAYSON KRETZER Bay Arts manages Panama City’s Center for the Arts where Kretzer once worked as the exhibitions manager. Then, it was known as the Visual Arts Center, an entity that ceased to be after its director pleaded guilty to federal wire and tax fraud charges; she had siphoned off more than $44,000 in VAC funding, converting it to items including tattoos, trips and designer handbags.

The city rebranded the center and selected Bay Arts to run the facility, given its 30-plus year history of managing the city’s Marina Civic Center.

Damage from Hurricane Michael at the Civic Center totaled more than 50 percent of that building’s value, and it will be razed.

(It may be helpful to pause and read a “Garfield” strip right about now, you know, before we get into the pandemic and its impacts.)

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“When COVID hit, we closed down for a time and strategized how to go forward,” Kretzer said.

The alliance’s staff shrank from a dozen employees down to three before a green shoot emerged from the place in the form of a drivethrough art project pickup program. Surviving alliance personnel made up hundreds of bags containing art supplies and handed them out curbside to parents who stopped by the center.

With CARES Act funding, the center hired a part-time maintenance person who kept surfaces sanitized and began to readmit people to the building while emphasizing COVID protocols. It hosted a showing of works by Panama City artist Paul Brent. At this writing, the alliance is planning to add a digital arts studio to the center.

“We’ve had a lot of people come through our doors and visiting our gift shop,” Kretzer said.

“We’ve been blessed.”

The alliance receives funding from the state and a venue management stipend from the city. It pursues grant awards and relies on the financial support of local businesses and individuals.

With that revenue, Kretzer said, it wants to do more than just manage the Center for the Arts. It has adopted a new stance line — Art on Every Corner — and is making public art an emphasis. Central to that is a mural project designed to beautify post-Michael Panama City.

Three murals have been completed on building exteriors in the downtown area so far.

The first, an outsized depiction of monarch butterflies, adorns a wall of the Center for the Arts and was painted by a Californian, Cameron Moberg. While in Panama City, Moberg conducted a free workshop on mural painting for local artists.

There is an art to the art of mural painting.

When an artist approaches a wall to do detail

work, he or she can no longer see the whole picture. Most muralists, as a result, work from sketches.

To date, local artist Heather Parker has created a honeybees mural, and another local, Jessie Jennings, has painted a mural dominated by a giant shark.

“It’s starting to look like a zoo around here,” Kretzer said. “We are going to need some murals with people in them.”

Moving about In conjunction with the downtown Panama City, city’s tourism promotion arm, Jayson Kretzer, Destination Panama City, the director of the alliance is working to establish Bay Arts Alliance, managed to avoid a mural trail. Visitors will be being stung by a encouraged to move about honeybee (painted the city viewing the art while

by Heather Parker) and nudged by learning something about the a hammerhead community’s history. shark, the work of Kretzer’s outlook is positive.

Jessie Jennings.

He believes the arts will be a great complement to the redevelopment of downtown, which will make the area more walkable and bicycle-friendly and brings about a greater residential component.

He has been part of an informal citizens’ committee that is working to ensure that a new civic center in a new location will not just be a flat-floored convention hall, but will be built to serve as a performing arts center.

Kretzer and his wife, Heather, have two boys, Jayce, 8, and Heath, 5. One is into the art, the other into tractors. Heather is the public information officer for the state Health Department in Bay County, a role she undertook as the pandemic was taking hold.

“There is so much possibility on the horizon,” Kretzer said. “Downtown looks better almost every day, rich history and modern art coming together. This is going to be a place where we really enjoy living.”

Recall with me now the “Garfield” strip in which that cool cat announces in the first panel, “Cats have many talents.”

Panel 2: Garfield sheds a pile of hair.

Panel 3: Garfield, brimming with pride, exclaims, “TA-DAH.” Kretzer, in Panama City, plans to be part of many ta-dah moments to come.

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Artsubator COOPERATIVE SERVES ARTISTS AS A LAUNCHPAD

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or months, Panama City’s Martin Theatre, ransacked

by Hurricane Michael, went couch surfing until it achieved some relative stability upon landing at the CityArts Cooperative.

The theater, a one-time movie house, is downtown’s longest-running performing arts venue. In the years since the big blow, it has received a new facade but at this writing still is not ready to receive audiences, even socially distanced ones.

The co-op, a home to aspirant and established artists, has meanwhile welcomed, too, displaced ones, forced by wind and water to decamp.

While presenting itself as “A Space to Create,” it has become a place where artists can regroup, stay tuned and wait.

Dues-paying, co-op “directors” combine to make decisions affecting the status and future of the organization and the use of its building and the common spaces it contains.

A basic directorship includes the opportunity to use common spaces for classes, events or meetings. An enhanced one includes a studio.

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story by STEVE BORNHOFT photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

ON THEIR TOES Students pose with their revered instructor from the Bobbie Massey School of Dance.

From left: Justine Sowell, Kimberly Parker, Alexis Taylor, Bobbie Massey, Kara Grippo, Alida Lewis, Alexis Geoghagan, Ria Barlup.

↖ Belly dancer Jamie Sasser has mastered the art of practicing movements of individual body parts and then assembling them into a fluid whole.

Director Margaret Webster, a partner in a video production service, The Public Eye, located at the co-op, said fellow directors include visual artists, dance troupes, even a massage therapist.

The artists, she said, operate both independently and in collegial fashion.

“We accommodate people who are doing their own thing, and at the same time, we work as a group to maintain our facility and our organization,” Webster said.

“We think of ourselves as a co-working space that is versatile enough to allow a lot of different arts and artists to co-exist.”

For some, the co-op serves as an incubator, giving them a place to hone skills and get their acts together before they launch themselves upon the world.

An artsubator, if you will.

Bonnie Tate-Woodby was a director before she opened her downtown business, The Light Room, a gallery, studio and learning space for photographers. Jayson Kretzer was a director before he became the man in charge at the

Panama City Center for the Arts and subsequently the Bay Arts Alliance. Bobbie Massey, who operates a school of dance, is among current directors.

The co-op does not maintain as a stated goal fanning artists out into the community, but such activity has resulted from the organization’s existence. Organically, artists at the co-op may come together to help create and support events such as Public Eye Soar, a 7-year-old projection art festival.

“We create things that do not just stay in the coop,” Webster said. “They go out in the community.

“The co-op was heavily damaged by the hurricane, but we were still able to function and we were able to help a lot of artists and groups who lost their space.”

Due to the pandemic, however, CityArts has been prevented from carrying out usual operations and activities. Its gallery, ordinarily open to the public on Saturdays, is closed.

“This is not an easy time for us, as it is not an easy time for everyone,” Webster said with regard to her business and the co-op. “We’re busy trying to put things together and make things happen.” EC

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JT

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Tallahassee SP ECI AL ADV ERTI SI N G SECTI ON

Visit

SPRING 2021

F L O R I D A’ S C A P I TA L C I T Y W E L C O M E S Y O U

THE PARK AFTER DARK Cascades Park has become a shining focal point and a center for activities including leisurely strolls, relaxed picnics and engaging live performances.

PHOTO BY ADAM COHEN / BLUEPRINT2000

HISTORY. PLEASURE. SPLENDOR. A storied city invites all to explore its past, experience its many tastes and attractions and delight in its exquisite natural setting EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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Four Ways to See Tallahassee

HISTORY BUFF

START YOUR DAY Fuel up for your day at the Grove Market Café. Healthy fare ranging from eggwhite and spinach omelets to carbloading waffles and French toast will get you going!

BE BRIGHT

TALLAHASSEE’S ROOTS

Located steps away from Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium in CollegeTown, the newly opened Hotel Indigo is decorated to reflect Tallahassee’s fascinating history as a railroad town with rail map motifs on the walls and rugs.

Explore the regional cuisine at The Edison restaurant, housed in the building that was Tallahassee’s first power plant. Given its handsome exposed brick walls and the picturesque backdrop of Cascades Park, this is one of the most photographed locations in town.

Located on 20 acres that were once part of a large cotton plantation, Goodwood Museum & Gardens is populated by centuries-old live oak trees and is home to carefully manicured gardens. The main house features original family furnishings and artifacts including porcelain, textiles, glassware and art.

Located within walking distance to the Midtown and Downtown districts, Hotel Duval features contemporary design, modern décor and the chic Level 8 rooftop bar overlooking the city.

STAY AND PLAY

WITH THE FAMILY

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Kayak down the Wacissa River and explore its crystal-clear springs.

Diverse wildlife abounds, so keep your eyes peeled for birds, deer, manatees and more. Kayak rentals available at Harry Smith Outdoors.

STAY

STAY

ECLECTIC

GET OUTSIDE

The Aloft Hotel in Downtown Tallahassee features everything for a family to enjoy — including adoptable puppies in the lobby for guests to play with.

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NEED CAFFEINE? Skilled coffee roasters and expert baristas can be found at Lucky Goat Coffee. Ask for a Tallyccino to kick your day into high gear.



LUNCH BREAK

The menu at Kool Beanz Cafe is as varied as the brilliant colors on its walls and is updated daily based on the availability of seasonal produce from nearby farms and fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.

TAKE A HIKE With over 700 miles of hiking, biking and paddling trails, it’s easy to spend quality time with the family exploring the outdoors. Don’t forget binoculars for wildlife viewing!

ANIMALS & ADVENTURE

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ADVENTURER

Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Environmentalists applaud this hotel’s dedication to sustainable responsibility, including its LEED certification and complimentary electric charging stations.

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STAY GREEN

See Florida fauna in natural habitats at the Tallahassee Museum and soar over cypress swamps on zip lines from up to 60 feet in the air.

GO FOR A THRILL RIDE

TAKE A BREAK

Bicyclists, test your skills on the 5.5-mile Redbug Trail featuring technical challenges, exposed roots and tight turns. Feel the need for speed? Take a few laps on the Velosolutions Pump Track at Tom Brown Park.

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THOSE WHO SERVED

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RAILROAD SQUARE

Enjoy a sweet island cocktail at Waterworks, a throwback to a classic Tiki Bar located in Midtown, serving locals and visitors for nearly 30 years.

Spend the afternoon drifting from store to store and gallery to gallery at Railroad Square Art Park.

With over 70 different galleries, studios, vintage shops and cafés, there’s no shortage of funky finds here.

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Soul Voices markers located in the Frenchtown neighborhood present the oral history of contributions made by members of the African-American community in Tallahassee. Listen to the voices of Frenchtown residents as they bring the neighborhood’s past to life.

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SAY CHEESE Mac & Cheese is on the menu at Tally Mac Shack … in fact, it IS the menu. The whole family will love trying all the variations on this classic comfort food.

Whether you are visiting Tallahassee for the first time or making a return trip, Florida’s Capital City is a short drive or flight from major destinations throughout the Southeast.

TLH AIRPORT Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) is served by four major airlines — American, Delta, Silver Airways and United — providing daily direct flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

DIVERSE EXPERIENCES

SWEET TREATS

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PHOTOS BY CHANEL VAN REENAN (ROOFTOP BAR) AND GLENN HASTINGS (RAILROAD SQUARE) AND COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE

HEAR THEIR STORIES

Visit monuments, memorials and plaques that honor men and women who served our country in the military. Throughout the city, the works of talented artists pay tribute to historic events, unselfish sacrifice and America’s commitment to freedom.

TIKI TIME

After a day outdoors, enjoy an award-winning craft beer at DEEP Brewing and sample the fare offered by local food trucks.

By Land and by Air

Watch candy being made by hand using tools from the 1800s at Lofty Pursuits.

While you’re there, learn how to yo-yo, play a board game and sample an oldfashioned malt at their soda fountain.

Visit Tallahassee has created experiences that showcase the very best that Tallahassee has to offer. Explore the outdoors. Exercise your passion for the arts. Immerse yourself in the Black cultural experience. Or do your best to tame one of Tallahassee’s golf courses.

No matter your interests, Visit Tallahassee has ideas for you. Check out VisitTallahassee.com or download the mobile app for easy access to information about attractions, events and restaurants and to build your personalized itinerary.

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Art Lives Here

THE ARTS live here. That’s more than a passing promise but rather a statement about the vibrancy, creativity and innovation of Tallahassee and the artisans that enrich its lifestyle.

Arts, culture and heritage define the community, from galleries and historic sites to classical or quirky performances, music festivals, live entertainment or the bold and sometimes subtle artistic accents found everywhere. Enrich yourself, embrace and enjoy it. The arts in Tallahassee add up to a celebration for all ages, all year-round.

Mural by Nick Napoletano

Railroad Square The hub of Tallahassee’s art and culture scene and one of the funkiest spots in town is Railroad Square Art Park. Fittingly nestled between Downtown and the two universities — Florida A&M and Florida State — the historic warehouse district has a history of transformation that spans many decades. The 10-acre site was originally a lumberyard and now is home to more than 50 artist studios, galleries and small shops.

While here, take a relaxing stroll around the square, browse vintage shops offering everything from furniture and clothing to jewelry and collectibles, dine in a real railroad caboose turned café, participate in yoga, martial arts or painting classes, take it old school at the pinball parlor and arcade — and enjoy a beer at Railroad Square Craft house, one of Tallahassee’s largest beer gardens.

Railroad Square

For a complete list of shops, galleries and businesses in Railroad Square, visit RailroadSquare.com!

ARTIST PROFILE: QUIA Z ATKINSON

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Quia Z. Atkinson, the owner of the QZ Design Gallery, specializes in modern abstract art with a focus on resins, mixed media and glass. She is also an experienced creator of contemporary handmade decor crafted from multiple media. Visit her website to view her artwork or to book a one-on-one handson experience with the artist! Qzdesigngallery.com.

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Tallahassee Museum

With 52 acres of natural wonders, historic buildings, high-flying adventure and animals on display, this is not the kind of museum that favors static exhibits.

The museum’s zip line course, pictured here, includes three obstacle courses.

Family Fun Abounds in Tallahassee

TOP 10 FREE

Florida’s Capital City is filled with fun and exciting things for the entire family to enjoy. Here are a few favorite spots:

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LACK ARCHIVES RESEARCH B CENTER & MUSEUM FAMU.edu/BlackArchives

Momo’s Pizza

Lofty Pursuits Watch candy being made by hand with tools from the 1800s, try some homemade ice cream or sample an old-fashioned malt at Lofty Pursuits soda fountain.

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BRADLEY’S COUNTRY STORE BradleysCountryStore.com

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CASCADES PARK CapitalCityAmphitheater.com DiscoverCascades.com

Bradley’s Country Store

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RAILROAD SQUARE ART PARK RailroadSquare.com

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Kids and adults alike love this local pizzeria, known for serving “slices as big as your head” and home-brewed craft beer.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE AND RAILROAD SQUARE / BOB O’LARY

Tallahassee Automobile Museum

See more than 130 rare automobiles including three Batmobiles, an 1894 Duryea and the 1860 horse-drawn funeral hearse, reputed to have carried Abraham Lincoln.

District 850

Fun for the entire family awaits

at District 850. Test your agility on the ropes course, challenge the mind in one of the three escape rooms or indulge in delicious culinary options and happy hour.

Midtown Reader

A destination for writers and book lovers alike. Midtown Reader is dedicated to diverse cultural events, family fun and good books, making it

a welcoming literary space where everyone can read, think and share.

Challenger Learning Center

Travel to outer space via the Center’s space mission simulator, hands-on exhibits, domed planetarium and the area’s largest IMAX movie screen.

↘ Wakulla Springs State Park

Reminiscent of classic Florida vacation spots, Wakulla Springs is home to one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world. Take a dip in the year-round 70-degree water and observe alligators, turtles, manatees, deer and an abundance of birds on guided riverboat tours.

This family-owned store, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has operated at the same location since 1927 and is famous for its homemade sausage and country milled grits, both of which are still made on-site.

Hangar 38

Upscale family entertainment center offers bowling, arcade games, food, drinks and more.

Wakulla Springs State Park

activities in Tallahassee!

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PROMOTION

Exploration and Education

I

at the Tallahassee Museum

magine being a bird, taking in the sights of the Panhandle region — the tops of majestic oaks, the blue waters of lakes, a settlement of buildings reminiscent of old Florida, the flash of a fox’s tail. While it might not be realistic to gain wings, the Tallahassee Museum can grant you access to all of these sights and more, even from a heightened vantage point.

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The Tallahassee Museum occupies 52 acres of scenic Tallahassee topography while offering three tree-to-tree zipline adventure courses, wildlife exhibits, an aviary, historic buildings, a Jim Gary dinosaur collection, an active farm and more. The museum opened in 1957 honing in on the history, native wildlife and cultures that are unique to the Big Bend region.

Tallahassee is perfectly situated as a day or weekend trip from anywhere in the Emerald Coast region. As one of the region’s top tourist destinations, the Tallahassee Museum is located an easy 15-minute drive from Tallahassee’s bustling downtown. Spend some time in the city and then retreat into the region’s natural beauty and rich history at the museum.

PROMOTION

“The property is relaxing and restorative because you’re surrounded by nature, which helps you to slow down and take in the beauty of it all,” said Katherine Ashler, vice president of philanthropy at the Tallahassee Museum. “Our hope is that when visitors come, they find a new way to not only connect with nature and history, but also with those in their community. By providing our visitors with the knowledge of and appreciation for our natural environment and history, we hope they will be better equipped to address the challenges they face today and tomorrow.”

Whether it’s your first time or 50th, if you’re in grade school, a grandparent or anyone in between, the Tallahassee Museum specializes in creating experiences that cater to the endless wonders that nature and history present by providing educational opportunities for children, students, adults and seniors.

With social distancing and masks in tow, guests can enjoy fresh air, whether they’re walking the paths and boardwalks to view bears, wolves, deer and other Florida wildlife, or they’re taking to the trees on one of the three Tree-to-Tree Adventures zipline courses.

Two new wildlife additions in March 2021 include the three African civets — part of the guest animal program — and a newly constructed aviary that replaces and updates the one destroyed by Hurricane Michael. The animal action continues at the Big Bend farm, which has authentic 1880’s farm buildings with a bevy of farm animals. The farm also allows a glimpse into rural industries, such as turpentining, blacksmithing, milling and syrup-making.

Continue with your journey to a bygone era by viewing Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, the Seaboard Airline Caboose, the Concord Schoolhouse, and the Bellevue House, where Catherine Murat, George Washington’s grandniece, once lived.

“We can still keep the core essence of the history of this region, but we also need to keep innovating and reinterpreting stories as times and perspectives change,” said Ashler. “We need to tell the truth of the narrative and adapt.”

To accomplish continued education of Florida’s past and to enhance its present, guests can become members of the museum, which not only grants them

special discounts, such as free admission, but also allows them to become partners in the success of this nonprofit museum.

A membership can come in handy for out-of-town visitors wishing to make frequent visits.

The Tallahassee Museum provides a bird’s eye view of the region’s natural and cultural history while encouraging continued education that will help us soar into the future.

TA L L A H A S S E E M U S E U M 3 9 4 5 M U S E U M R O A D, TA L L A H A S S E E , F L | ( 8 5 0 ) 5 7 5 - 8 6 8 4 | TA L L A H A S S E E M U S E U M .O R G

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Outdoors

HEAVILY FORESTED ROLLING HILLS

provide an ecosystem unlike any found in the state and make outdoor recreation hugely popular in the Tallahassee area. Here, you can run along wooded paths or across a flower-filled meadow; tour a challenging mountain-bike course; ride a trail on horseback; marvel at a manatee; fish in freshwater or, not far away, in salty bays; or spot a rare Carolina wren.

Stop outside and enjoy the Tallahassee area’s outstanding natural assets.

» A 700-mile trail system, including the challenging East Cadillac and Lafayette Heritage Park trails, offers top-ranked mountain biking and trail running. » Lakes and spring-fed rivers thrill canoe and kayak enthusiasts with birds, wildlife and manatee sightings.

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Located on two migratory flyways, Tallahassee is one of the top birding locations in the country.

» Seven designated canopy roads extend for 78 miles and provide scenic drives for motorists. They are also popular among bicyclists. » Tallahassee’s climate makes it a biodiversity hotspot rich in fauna and flora.

Spring is the perfect time to visit Maclay Gardens State Park, a masterpiece of floral architecture and rich history.

J.R. Alford Greenway

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BIKING

» The region is home to some of the nation’s last remnants of the great longleaf pine forests and one of the nation’s largest populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

NOT ALL OF FLORIDA IS FLAT! OK, so Tallahassee might not have mountains, but we do have amazing mountain bike trails. The unexpected hills around Tallahassee provide fun and challenging rides within minutes of downtown. With new trails being added regularly to the extensive network around the Capital City, we truly are a rider’s paradise.

Groups such as the Tallahassee Mountain Bike Association (TMBA) work with local leaders to make sure our trails keep getting better!

Munson Hills is a great place to get started as a mountain biker. Its 20 miles of smooth,

flowing trails are appropriate for beginners and families and will also keep experienced bicyclists entertained.

Riders seeking more of a challenge will find it at Tom Brown Park. The park’s Cadillac and Magnolia trails provide technical twists, turns and jumps. And before you leave, be sure to hit the world-class asphalt Pump Track for a heartpounding lap or two.

TRAILAHASSEE.COM is your personal guide to the trail system in our area with interactive maps, GPS

locations and detailed information about the more than 700 miles of fun-filled trails in and around Tallahassee.

» FIND directions to the perfect trail.

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» SEARCH our database of hundreds of trails.

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» LEARN as new trails and

connections are added regularly.

» REVIEW and share your

comments with fellow enthusiasts!

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BI FORLiz WATCH tions from

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Swallow-Tailed Kite

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BIRDING

These predators are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in Florida, with their distinctive silhouette and graceful flight.

Purple Gallinule

Tallahassee lies in one of the most biologically diverse regions of the United States, making it a perfect destination to see incredible birds and wildlife. Whether you prefer a leisurely hike in a local park or an off-the-beaten-path adventure, there is abundant wildlife to see almost everywhere you look.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is a must-visit for anyone who is birding in the Panhandle. A leisurely drive to the coast along Lighthouse Road will yield sightings of bald eagles, wading birds and flocks of winter ducks. The refuge has also seen many unexpected species over the years, with recent visitors including a vermillion flycatcher and an American flamingo! Visitors to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park can take a guided boat tour to see black-crowned night herons, flocks of white ibis and even manatees in

the cooler winter months. A drive along quiet, wildflower-lined roads will take you to Apalachicola National Forest, one of the best places in the country to see the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker among the longleaf pines.

You don’t have to travel far to see incredible wild sights — within county limits, you can visit Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park and Lafayette Heritage Trail Park. Explore miles of well-maintained trails as you look for migrating birds in the spring and fall.

Be sure not to overlook Lake Elberta Park; this small park just minutes from downtown boasts a bird list of nearly 200 species. For an in-town adventure that’s off the beaten path, explore L. Kirk Edwards Wildlife and Environmental Area, where you can see Bachman’s sparrows, wood storks and gopher tortoises.

Grab your binoculars and camera, put on your hiking boots and hit the trail — in Tallahassee, every day is a great day to go birding!

The rich purple and green plumage of this marsh bird contrasts with its startlingly bright yellow legs and red and yellow bill.

Roseate Spoonbill With their vibrant pink plumage and namesake spoon-like bills, these distinctive birds are always fun to see.

Wood Duck With their colorful plumage and distinctive crest, wood ducks are one of the most beautiful species of waterfowl around.

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PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (J.R. ALFORD), RAWPIXEL (BIRDERS) AND BKAMPRATH (WOOD STORK) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE

BY LIZ SCHOLD, GREAT FLORIDA BIRDING AND WILDLIFE TRAIL COORDINATOR, PUBLIC ACCESS SERVICES OFFICE, FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

»

Great Egret

RESOURCES The APALACHEE AUDUBON CHAPTER is the North Florida chapter of the National Audubon Society. Learn about the organization’s activities at Apalachee.org.

» GREAT FLORIDA BIRDING TRAIL. Find information organized by region at FloridaBirdingTrail.com.

Nestled in the Red Hills region of the Florida Panhandle, Tallahassee is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the U.S. Here you can spot 372 of the 497 species of birds residing in or visiting Florida.

During breeding season, this wading bird displays magnificent, showy plumage. Once hunted nearly to extinction by the hat trade, these birds have rebounded to become a common sight.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID MOYNAHAN AND MEAGHAN MANNING (PURPLE GALLINULE)

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Andrew’s Downtown

Great Things are Brewing in Tallahassee Tallahassee’s innovative craft breweries serve up award-winning creations ranging from breezy blondes to imperial reds.

The Capital City has earned a reputation in the craft brew community as a home to top brewmasters whose stories are often as compelling as their beers.

Tallahassee’s Ale Trail is a path worth exploring, one sip at a time.

PROOF BREWING COMPANY ProofBrewingCo.com Founded in 2012, Proof Brewing Co. is located south of downtown near Cascades Park and spans an entire city block. With its extensive list of award-winning pours in a modern yet intimate tasting room; expansive lawn with outdoors games; covered patio; private events room; and on-site brew pub offering tasty bites to eat, Proof Brewing is a great place to spend a while or celebrate a special occasion.

Outdoor Dining Springtime in Tallahassee provides the perfect backdrop for outdoor dining. Restaurants throughout the city provide delicious eats on patios, porches and terraces, allowing patrons to dine safely while enjoying the view, sunshine and fresh air.

As part of Proof Brewing Company, Tallahassee’s first craft production brewery featuring a 20-barrel brewhouse, Proof Brew Pub also offers a refined tasting room and outdoor beer garden.

Dine under the gazebo at Backwoods Crossing where farm-to-table cuisine is redefined with locally sourced food from the restaurant‘s own 3½ acre farm and regional farmers.

Enjoy modern dishes served with a twist of Southern flair and made from fresh, farm-grown produce.

The Edison provides an expansive patio overlooking the 24-acres of rolling hills, waterways and gardens found at Cascades Park. The restored, century-old former electric utility building is a visual feast itself, and the views of the park, sunlit by day and illuminated with color at night, complement the main course. Patrons who enjoy picnics in the park order from the take-out menu.

Proof Brew Pub, located south of Downtown, is a new culinary brewpub experience featuring a rotating seasonal menu with shareable pub favorites and freshly sourced items from local farms.

The patio at Jeri’s Midtown Café, framed by a white picket fence and patio garden, is quaint, inviting and the perfect spot for brunch or lunch. With the motto of “Love on a Plate,” Jeri’s inspiring and delicious

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LakeTribeBrewing.com

dishes are made with the highest quality ingredients.

↑ Madison Social, located on the edge of FSU campus in CollegeTown, delivers classic pub fare with a twist and a fabulous patio overlooking Doak Campbell Stadium.

Family owned and operated Lake Tribe Brewing Company was founded by Jesse Ross whose background as a mechanical engineer, amateur chef and craft beer enthusiast led him to the “ultimate craft.”

Today, Lake Tribe brews an assortment of robust beers, all individually crafted to celebrate the great outdoors in their diverse tastes, aromas and pairings.

DEEP BREWING COMPANY DeepBrewing.com

Nestled under the canopy of moss-covered oak trees in Midtown Tallahassee and located in a 1920’s restored residence, Table 23 boasts culinary and craft drink options that are as diverse as the community it calls home.

Deep Brewing Company artfully crafts the finest small-batch ales and lagers. Founded by former commercial diver and Tallahassee local, Ryan S. LaPete, Deep Brewing pays homage to historic European and American styles while diving headlong into an unknown sea of possibilities.

Located on the north side of Tallahassee, family owned Z. Bardhi’s offers authentic Italian fare, a full-service bar and a wide selection of wines. Under the Italian-style patio, meals are served on white linen-covered tables set under the lighted terrace that overlooks gardens and fountains. Buon appetito!

OLOGY BREWING COMPANY OlogyBrewing.com

Ology Brewing Co., an experimental brewery focused on reviving Old World recipes, was named to Beer Advocate magazine’s list of the “Top 50 Best New Breweries in the Country.” The brewery is the only one in the region with a barrelaging facility that produces mixed culture American Sour Ales and now distills Tallahassee’s first premium vodka.

PHOTOS BY LARRY DAVIDSON SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE) AND COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE

Andrew’s Downtown, located in the heart of Downtown Tallahassee on historic Adams Street, offers a spacious outdoor patio shaded by a pergola and a 50-year-old magnolia tree. The menu features locally sourced produce, seafood and meats, healthy and vegetarian choices, and environmentally conscious service standards.

LAKE TRIBE BREWING

MAY 15

SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE FESTIVAL SpringtimeTallahassee.com Springtime Tallahassee will hold its 53rd annual festival at the North Florida Fairgrounds. The Jubilee in the Park component of the event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature a children’s park, arts/crafts, food, boutique vendors and two entertainment stages.

MusicFest will be held Friday night. A “Breakfast Out of the Park” kickoff event leading up to the festival will be held at The Moon on March 10 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Plans for the festival’s traditional grand parade have been suspended for 2021.

Events You Won’t Want to Miss APRIL 9–18

LEMOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL ChainofParks.com Rated among the nation’s best juried art shows, the Chain of Parks Art Festival hosts 170 artists from around the country. It includes a 1560s-era live encampment; “Be the Art” photo opportunities for visitors; an art village for children; and live entertainment and food.

May 2

EDWIN MCCAIN TRIO PRESENTED BY FSU OPENING NIGHTS OpeningNights.fsu.edu Called the “great American romantic” by The New York Times, McCain has built his career over the past 20 years by balancing pop success with the year-round touring schedule of a tireless troubadour. His hit songs, authentic spirit and

affable sense of humor keep fans coming back for nights that feel more like parties with old friends than rock concerts.

He has recorded two of the biggest love songs in the history of pop music, “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask for More.”

Southern Shakespeare Festival

May 8-9 ↗ SOUTHERN

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL SouthernShakespeareFestival.org This free, open-air production and festival with Renaissance fair includes live Shakespearian performances, medievalcostumed characters, food and beverages.

June 17

AN EVENING WITH BILLY DEAN PRESENTED BY FSU OPENING NIGHTS OpeningNights.fsu.edu An American troubadour, Dean has mastered the arts

of singing, songwriting and storytelling. He morphs into the characters in his songs, brings storylines to life and captivates his audiences with musical drama. Billy’s fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing is reminiscent of James Taylor. No matter what venue he performs in, large or small, with his band or just solo, Billy’s charismatic charm and approachable personality leave his audience nourished with a renewed spirit.

Sept. 10

JJ GREY & MOFRO OpeningNights.fsu.edu From his days of playing greasy local juke joints to headlining major festivals, JJ Grey remains an unfettered, blissful performer, singing with a blue-collared spirit over the bone-deep grooves of his compositions. His presence before an audience is startling, immediate and fearless.

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Hotel Indigo Tallahassee-CollegeTown

Decorated to reflect Tallahassee’s fascinating history as a railroad town, this upscale boutique property is located in the heart of the CollegeTown entertainment district and overlooks Doak Campbell Stadium. Opened in August 2020, Hotel Indigo is within walking distance of retail shops, restaurants, bars and more.

Explore Tallahassee’s historic art district — home to creative locally owned shops, art galleries, casual dining, and colorful murals.

There’s something for everyone.

Shop local.

Experience uniqueness.

RailroadSquare.com 618 McDonnell Dr., Tallahassee, Florida

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Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol – University Escape to a peaceful retreat at the newly opened Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol – University, and discover the eclectic style of Railroad Square, the arts and creative hub surrounding this new hotel. Appropriately, local artworks adorn this property, located close to Florida State and Florida A&M universities, delicious dining options and all that Cascades Park has to offer.

AC Hotel Tallahassee Universities at the Capitol

Enjoy Tallahassee as never before at the brandnew AC Hotel Tallahassee Universities at the Capitol. Slated to open in the spring of 2021, this property, located adjacent to Cascades Park, will treat guests to cocktails in the sophisticated AC Lounge; European-inspired food and beverage options at the AC Kitchen; and panoramic views, handcrafted libations and small bites at rooftop Charlie Park.

Photo courtesy of Bob O’Lary

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT TALLAHASSEE

Stay a While

Tallahassee offers a variety of lodging options sure to include one suited to your style, budget and plans. Find the spot that speaks to you among accommodations ranging from quaint boutiques to modern, chic hotels. See some of the city’s newer properties, below.

Tallahassee Welcomes its First Hyatt

Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol-University

Escape to a peaceful retreat and discover the eclectic style of Railroad Square, the arts, and creative hub surrounding this new extended stay hotel. Stay steps away from Florida State University and Florida A&M University, the beautiful nature trails of Cascades Park, and exciting dining options and just a short drive away from the Florida State Capitol and Tallahassee International Airport.

1100 Railroad Ave. | (850) 222-0039 HyattHouseTallahasseeCapitolUniversity.com

Pet Friendly | Complimentary Breakfast & Wifi H Bar Open 5-10pm | 24/7 Fitness Center | Meeting Space EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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Abodes

APR/MAY 2021

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

INTERIORS

HANG IN THERE ↓

In decorating walls, your own instincts may be best

by MARINA BROWN

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PHOTOS BY KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Gallery arrangement of different sizes of framed art makes for a nice visual break from uniformity.

EXTERIORS

Pacifying Pergolas

|| GREEN SCENE

Meeting Your Lawn’s Needs

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abodes

→

W

hen Aunt Minnie passed on, Sara, a homeowner, was faced with what to do with the dozen family photographs Minnie had bequeathed her along with a note saying she hoped they would all go on Sara’s wall.

Next door to Sara, Betty, another homeowner, stood staring at an empty wall, while a stack of framed awards, a billboard-sized abstract painting and a swatch of tattered weaving she’d found in Tibet sat brooding at her feet. Indecision prevailed, and at this point Betty felt like dumping the whole lot in the closet with her 20 never-worn straw hats.

Both of these women — we may have made them up, but their circumstances are real enough — needed to know how to “hang” a wall.

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Designers know about furnishings and rugs. But they also know about color, volume, balance and focus — all the things needed for the task. So we asked a couple.

Jeanette Turk, owner of Decorating Den Interiors in Santa Rosa Beach, said that, “Wall hangings and art are very personal, so they don’t necessarily have to match the room.

They should be things that speak to the person hanging them. It’s helpful to have color schemes that match, but you can go a bit ‘off the wall’ with them, too.”

Art is a little bit like jewelry, she said. If you’re a vibrant person, you can have neutral furnishings and introduce some brighter colors by way of your wall hangings.

Plates, displayed singly or in groups, can make for good, eye-catching conversation starters.

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ ANDALISLUCH (PLATE)

Wall hangings are secondary to other elements in a room.

Add them after furniture is in place and a color scheme has been established.

↑ Murals add a dramatic aspect to rooms and can be applied to walls with adhesives that do not leave a mark.

Alice Flournoy-Jones, owner of AFJ Interior Design in Pensacola, believes it’s important to select wall accoutrements with colors that match the energy of the room they’re in.

“The colors that we choose to surround ourselves with influence our own energy, too,” said Flournoy-Jones. “There are areas in our house, such as the dining room and living area, that we want to be more stimulating. We don’t want people to fall asleep at the dinner table.

Energizing, colorful wall hangings perk us up and make us more animated and interesting.”

While grouping according to a theme

like “flowers” or “horse paintings” may work well, it’s also enlivening to have an eclectic wall with no theme at all. “Just make sure your wall hangings scale with the size of the wall,” Turk added. “If you have a huge wall, it needs a huge piece of art or a collage of several pieces. Art shows best when it complements the wall on which it’s hanging.”

Bear in mind, not every wall needs something on it.

“If you have something on every single wall, it becomes overkill,” Turk said.

However, on the walls you do decorate, you can make mixed sizes work well together as a “gallery” arrangement with a variety of shapes and sizes mounted together. “You don’t want an entire rogues’ gallery of personal photographs in your living room. Typically, you want your public spaces to be more generic. Framed photos can go on a bookshelf; break up a wall with a mirror, some artwork and other accessories to create a balance.”

Flournoy-Jones is careful to lay out any art before putting a hole in a wall.

“I like to use string to grid a wall and create windows,” she said, emphasizing the importance of geometry when grouping pieces. “Then, lay out your pictures and artifacts on the floor and play around with their placement as you visualize them on the wall.”

It’s fun to be bold and mix and match

things that aren’t alike. To be adventurous, deck the walls with the unexpected: Mirrors expand a room and draw in light. A wall covered in a variety of mirror sizes and shapes can be sheer art.

■ Murals can cover a wall and be mounted with removable adhesive, turning a tiny alcove into a flowered bower or a boys’ playroom into a brilliant beach.

■ Plates, especially beautifully painted or antique platters, become conversation pieces and may even capture memories of family, ancestors or even a favorite novel.

■ Basket groupings provide an organic, casual feel when wallmounted. And just for fun, they can be moved around from nail to nail or have some fresh flowers placed inside.

■ And don’t forget shelves. If your prized possessions are glass or metal, perhaps their linear display is just the dramatic focus your wall needs.

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And Betty? Betty had a crazy impulse and gathered up the hats from the floor instead. Now, scattered across her wall are the memories of dozens of summers, straw circles that seem to dance in the sun and shade. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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The epitome of luxury meets casual comfort is present in this herringbone navy-hued, velvet-textured bed with pewter nailheads.

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TWICE

As Lovely

LOVELACE INTERIORS ADDS A LIFESTYLE STORE TO AN ALREADY FLOURISHING BRAND PHOTOS BY JACK GARDNER PHOTOGRAPHY

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Textures, patterns and colorful, eyecatching artwork add personality to a room full of neutrals.

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SPONSORED REPORT

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he exterior of a home or business may be the first aspect you see, but the interior is truly where the heart and soul reside. Our interiors reflect our passions, interests, styles and inspirations in a variety of ways — from the art we choose to display to the dining room tables we pick. Whether you lean more toward modern, classic or coastal, Lovelace Interiors has always stood by their promise of creating a space that is exactly how you want it.

Susan Lovelace opened Lovelace Interiors 25 years ago and has been a leading interior design firm and furniture store along the Emerald Coast ever since. The team of 15 licensed interior designers specializes in everything from new construction, remodels and renovations to helping you select home furnishings from their 10,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse in Miramar Beach.

Statement making pieces such as large jars, intricate bowls, patterned throw pillows and unique artwork can add volume, interest and conversation to any room from dining areas to lounging spaces.

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A padded wall paired with a tranquil color palette soothes the senses and quiets the room.

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12870 U.S. HIGHWAY 98 WEST, MIRAMAR BEACH // (850) 837-5563 SHOPPES @ INLET 13625 EMERALD COAST PKWY EAST, INLET BEACH // (850) 909-0435

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!

The latest news among Lovelace Interiors is the beautiful new coffeetable book, Some Like It HOT: Inspiring Spaces by Florida’s Hottest Designers

by Beth Benton Buckley!

The book includes interiors created by 30 of the state’s best and brightest experts in the interior design field, and we’re so proud to say that Lovelace Interiors owner and principle designer, Susan Lovelace, is one of them!

PORTRAIT BY COLLEEN DUFFLEY

In March of 2019, a second location, Lovelace Lifestyles, opened at the Shoppes at Inlet. The new location features an abundance of natural light that shines in on the array of lifestyle-centric items, including jewelry, beach bags, clothing, home decor and furnishings. The new 5,000-square-foot showroom is in close proximity to the original store and is intended to service new and existing clients further east. While the new store still specializes in interior design with designers on-site, it differs in its vibe.

“It’s exactly what I dreamed and hoped it would be,” said Lovelace. “The space is relaxed and coastal cool, inviting you to stop by and enjoy a glass of wine. It’s a store where you can come in and buy a pair of earrings, but you might also see a beautiful piece of furniture that inspires you to upgrade your home.”

A benefit to the company and clients alike is the expansion of items available for design projects. Designers have the ability to procure items from both stores in order to best fulfill clients’ wants and needs.

“We have an amazing staff of designers, and our warehouse and delivery are state-of-the-art,” said Lovelace. “I am very proud of our entire operation, how they work and how every single person on staff is here to please our clients.”

From helping you select the perfect lamp to flawlessly completing a total home redesign, Lovelace Interiors is recognizable for their attention to detail, creativity and the way their stores are beautifully orchestrated to inspire.

SUSAN LOVELACE

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↗ A white, unadorned pergola helps define an outdoor dining area and adjoins a fire pit.

EXTERIORS

PACIFYING PERGOLAS

Open-air structures admit breezes, invite relaxation

by AUDREY POST

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utdoor living spaces can be many things: a patio; a deck; a covered porch — screened or not; a pavilion. A pergola, however, can transform your outdoor space into an oasis like no other.

What exactly is a pergola? At its most basic, it is a free-standing, opensided structure with a top of parallel crossbeams. But there are a lot of variations on that theme.

For example, a structure attached to a house or outbuilding on the property

is a sort of pergola, even though only three sides are open.

A seating area framed by four beams and covered with a shade cloth instead of parallel beams on top is generally considered a “hybrid pergola.” Some people consider a shade sail, a triangular-shaped cloth suspended by three hooks high above the seating area, as a form of a pergola — although purists would scoff at that idea.

So what exactly are the advantages of a pergola over other types of

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: ALABN (TOP LEFT), KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ (TOP RIGHT) AND MARKYES (BOTTOM RIGHT)

landscape shade structures? It depends on what you want.

Compared to a gazebo or pavilion — which are fully roofed, stand-alone structures in the landscape — a pergola’s “open weave” roof offers more access to breezes. Coastal areas get far more breezes than inland areas. Still, during the dog days, capturing every bit of moving air that’s out there is a blessing.

If a space that offers protection from the sun and rain is your goal, a gazebo, pavilion or a covered porch might be a better option.

However, if just reducing the amount of sunlight is your goal, while keeping as much air movement as possible, a pergola could be the answer. The parallel beams across the top don’t fully block the sun, but they block enough to reduce the heat to the seating area below. Given the additional airflow, it’s a trade-off.

While the physical attributes of a pergola are many, the mental and emotional benefits can be even greater.

A pergola helps create a quiet, intimate space that becomes a focal point and center of (chill) activity.

Pergolas also offer a place for plants to climb the vertical supports. Whether flowering vines such as honeysuckle and Confederate jasmine or edibles such as grapes and kiwis, climbing plants help create a sense of enclosure and privacy.

Some pergolas attract lots of stuff.

They are for their owners like empty closets that demand utilization. So it is that those climbing plants may be joined by plants potted and hanging and by outdoor furniture, a gas grill, a dartboard, a mini-fridge, a big sticky black ball that attracts yellow flies and one of those mesh enclosures with butterfly pupae inside.

Others may be bereft of trappings

and activity, like treehouses after the children fledge.

A pergola that lies between those extremes can slow the world down.

Given the lockdowns and social distancing necessary over the past few months because of the coronavirus, some might wonder whether the world has slowed a little too much. But it has been a slowing of an unrelaxed sort. Mental health experts find that the world’s problems are weighing on us more heavily now than ever. Our isolation offers scant distraction from them.

Perhaps a lounge chair beneath a pergola, with a soothing wind chime pealing comforting tones, can provide an antidote. EC

↑ Pergolas are like a playground apparatus for climbing plants, including flowering vines and edibles such as grapes and kiwi fruit.

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PROMOTION

McNeill Palm A SANCTUARY IN YOUR HOME

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fter a year of high anxiety, the approach of spring and summer and the possibility of spending more time outdoors are particularly exciting. Whether inside or out, nothing makes living with light and heat more enjoyable than the ability to control both.

At McNeill Palm, we are always at the forefront of automated shading systems.

Regardless of your shading needs, we continue our legacy of providing cutting-edge technology for windows and outdoor structures.

Long established as the go-to source for the latest in window-shading technology, McNeill Palm is constantly researching new products that will enhance your

living experience. To that end, we have welcomed several exciting products that are now available for your home.

One reality that has emerged the past few months is the fundamental value of our homes and outside spaces, making options of new and existing designs essential. With a talented and experienced staff, McNeill Palm can help you find the solution to any shading needs, simple or complex. With a wealth of information garnered over 47 years of experience, McNeill Palm can meet the most demanding requirements needed to provide your home with joy and comfort. We’ll help you develop a beautiful and personal sanctuary for you and your family — right in your own home.

MCNEILLPALMLLC.COM

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GREEN SCENE

MEETING YOUR LAWN’S NEEDS

Soil test dictates fertilization program by

LES HARRISON

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egin a fertilization and irrigation program in the spring to achieve a lush and enviable lawn. Every landscape is different, so take steps to ensure that the program you follow is tailored to your individual situation.

Begin by getting a soil test to determine which elements are present and which are missing. This minimizes the chances that you may apply excessive nutrients, which can become destructive runoff.

The test should determine how much of each major nutrient to apply. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (the three numbers on a fertilizer tag) are applied by weight over a specific area, usually expressed in square feet.

In Florida, it is common for soils to require

little or no phosphorus. Fertilizer products with this element missing are common in the Emerald Coast area.

When purchasing fertilizers, read the analysis tag or label. This information is required by law, and the reporting format is identical from product to product.

The pH of the soil is also reported on soil test reports. The pH measures the acidity/ alkalinity on a scale of one to 14, with seven being neutral.

Turf grasses in North Florida perform best with a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5, depending on the species. If the pH is too high, sulfur in the fertilizer will help lower the number. If it is too low, which is rare, lime will help raise the pH.

While warm-season plants are actively growing on the Emerald Coast, the winter season’s weeds have set seed and are dying. They cease to be a cosmetic problem in home lawns and landscapes, but they are setting the stage for next year’s weed invasion. The use of herbicides or mowing is completely pointless, and counterproductive. Each action speeds the process of distribution of the problem species. Several actions now will have positive results later. First, collect any seed where possible and remove from the landscape. If seeds are placed in the trash, be sure to secure the bag so that none escape. Absolutely do not place in a compost pile as some will germinate and reseed the landscape. Mark or note the areas where infestations of weeds occurred. When the weather cools next autumn and their growing season starts, begin a targeted treatment program.

GOING TO SEED

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CAROLINA GERANIUMS

Refrain from pruning for now with all the regrowth and blooming that is occurring, but be prepared. Optimal pruning times vary among species of ornamental plants.

Pruning may be undertaken to manage the form and progress of the shrub, maintain the health of the plant by removing dead or diseased parts and improve flowering by stimulating new growth.

Hybrid and native azaleas complete their blooming period in spring and should be pruned soon after the flowers are gone.

Waiting too late will reduce the following year’s flowering potential. July 4 is commonly cited as the cutoff date for azalea pruning if blooms are a consideration.

Clip to the desired shape and remove branches that are stunted and get too little light.

These stunted branches often die and can host destructive diseases and insects. Longestablished plants should have excessively long branches with little to no foliage removed.

Complete this restoration process by mulching the beds with four inches of leaves and pine straw. Add some peat moss for good measure.

Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County Extension Director.

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: DEKDOYJAIDEE (SOIL TEST), SHIHINA (CAROLINA GERANIUMS) AND MAUDIB (PRUNING)

Prune when the time is right

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DEAL ESTATE

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You have the option of using the stairs or the elevator to make your way to the second floor, where you will find one of two master bedrooms. The balcony off the master bedroom has sweeping Gulf views that make it the perfect location to watch magnificent sunrises and sunsets. The second floor also includes the laundry and two additional bedrooms with full baths.

The third floor has another master and a huge open-concept living space with a gourmet kitchen that is a chef’s dream.

SOLD PRICE: $1,350,000 ADDRESS: 19106 Front Beach Road B, Panama City Beach SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,500 BEDROOMS: 5 BATHROOMS: 5.5 YEAR BUILT: 2005

APPEAL: Enjoy unobstructed Gulf views from the kitchen, dining and living areas. The master bedroom on the third floor overlooks the private pool. This is a fantastic investment opportunity, primary home or secondary home conveniently located close to many restaurants and shopping centers. Located a short drive from Pier Park.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Alexandra Gavrilash and Ben Golden, Realtor Counts Real Estate Group, Inc. 21901 Panama City Beach Pkwy.

Panama City Beach, FL 32413 (850) 249-1414, (850) 867-5588 moccasin81@yahoo.com CountsRealEstate.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA GAVRILASH

FEATURES: Hardwood floors, custom cabinets, granite countertops and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. One-car garage. Cabana room leads to the private pool.

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STORIES from the

HEART INSPIRING STORIES OF PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE The life-changing care Ascension Sacred Heart provides has touched the hearts of many who strive to ensure that this incredible mission of care continues for future generations. Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation is proud to be a partner in this endeavor. Please enjoy these ”Stories from the Heart.”

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HEART

Introducing Ascension Sacred Heart Bay’s

Regional Clinical Education Center For over 70 years, Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (ASH Bay) has been a pillar of the Panama City community and its environs.

It was nearly destroyed when Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida Panhandle in October 2018, but despite personal challenges, its heroic staff evacuated patients and provided emergency care throughout the storm and its aftermath.

Hurricane Michael devastated this awardwinning facility. The only Level II Trauma Center between Pensacola and Tallahassee, it is a designated Primary Stroke Center of Excellence, and its cardiac catheterization laboratory received the American Heart Association’s Gold Award. It has been recognized as a “Best Hospital for Safety and Quality” among hospitals with fewer than 150 beds.

With ASH Bay’s prestigious background and historic commitment to the community, the restoration process began quickly as dedicated clinicians and caregivers continued to provide critical emergency services. The structure literally was rebuilt around them.

Ascension Sacred Heart was committed to bringing Bay back better than ever by adding new clinical services and enhancing existing ones. The rebuilding incorporated the technological infrastructure required to support the upgrades and additions that leadership envisioned.

As a result of this future-thinking planning, ASH Bay has embarked on a project that will impact the quality of nursing care for generations: the creation of a Regional Clinical Education Center (RCEC)

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that provides a comprehensive training experience for every nurse joining the Ascension Sacred Heart team in that region. It combines lectures, skills modeling and real-life simulations using computerdriven manikins.

In short, the next level of nursing care and clinical education has come to life on Bay’s campus this year.

At 5,515 square feet, the RCEC encompasses half of the newly refurbished and upgraded Medical Office Building’s second floor. It is an all-inclusive educational setting unlike any between Pensacola and Jacksonville. Its capabilities allow all nurses to have identical experiences and preparation, whether they have been in the profession for 20 years or just received their degrees. It is designed to teach and train,

S PO NS O R E D R E P O RT

providing real-time, hands-on clinical and teamwork experiences.

Traditionally, new staff at any business or organization receive a one- or two-day orientation, then go to work. The RCEC employs a holistic methodology of “onboarding,” taking into account the importance of each nurse and clinical staff member as a person.

It is at least a yearlong process, including classroom and handson involvement guided by nurse educators while also featuring the latest instructional technologies.

Mentoring is a critical part of the process.

The RCEC’s program promotes shared, identical experiences and training through simulations, small group discussions, hands-on skills practice and Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation training.

Simulations have a wide range, including falls, depression, diabetic emergencies, heart failure, strokes and end of life situations. EHRs, essential to patient care from beginning to end, ensure seamless transitions if patients need to be transferred to another Ascension facility.

A centerpiece of the RCEC are highfidelity manikins — extraordinary pieces of equipment, programmable for dozens of real-life situations and emergencies. The manikins can simulate breathing and respond to physical interventions such as CPR or the application of a defibrillator. They can also react to the administration of drugs and medications.

Completing the RCEC are two skills rooms for hands-on training, a lecture hall, computer lab, offices and break rooms for students and staff. The computer lab is designed so that it can be divided into two rooms, both with full video observation capabilities.

The RCEC has nine faculty members drawn from the educational staffs at

ASH Bay, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast and Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf. Classes also are taught virtually to take full advantage of the talents and experience of some of the best nurses on the Gulf Coast.

Technicians dedicated to the Center oversee the computer lab and all technology. Once the RCEC is fully operational, recently graduated nurses participate in a Residency Program, and those planning to specialize can apply for the Fellowship Program. Both curricula will be implemented this year.

In addition to onboarding new nurses, the Center offers continuing education for all nurses and clinical staff.

The cost for this special training facility was substantial, approximately $750,000. We are blessed to be part of Ascension, which provided $250,000 toward the technological infrastructure and construction costs.

The remaining $500,000 must be raised through philanthropy. As has been the case many times over the past 70 years, we will again ask the community to partner with us to create the RCEC. The result will impact patients and staff alike.

This impact is best described by Terrie Fontenot, MSN, RN, CENP, System Chief Nursing Officer, Ascension Florida: “Across the entire healthcare continuum, no groups have a greater impact than our nurses and clinical support staff. The care they provide every day is second to none. Our new RCEC will provide them with the skills and tools to bring an even higher level of care to our patients. New nurses will be better prepared, have less anxiety and have an established professional support network when they assume their duties. Quality and safety will be improved, turnover reduced, and the joy of our profession will rise to the fore. Therefore, every Ascension Sacred Heart patient, regardless of location, will receive the same level of superior care.”

A MESSAGE FROM CAROL CARLAN St. Francis of Assisi said, “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

The personalized, compassionate care provided by our nurses is one of the most valued aspects of Ascension Sacred Heart’s health ministry. The future of quality nursing in our communities is here with the construction of a Regional Clinical Education Center (RCEC) at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay. The RCEC offers a new, in-depth form of training, including residencies and fellowships, for many nurses new to Ascension Florida, laying the groundwork for an even higher level of patient care. Substantial philanthropic support is needed to help meet the significant costs associated with the project. Our Stories from the Heart features all the details of this exciting endeavor.

Emergency pediatric services at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast have recently been expanded, as another of our Stories explains.

This means more sick and injured children will be treated close to home; and when necessary, they have ready access to the specialized care provided by Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart.

Aaron Ball’s Story from the Heart tells of his personal experience with Ascension Sacred Heart, where his beloved grandmother received care that “really was a ministry.” Aaron is a valued member of our Foundation Board and the entrepreneurial co-founder of MediaTech Direct.

I extend my gratitude to those who made possible this year’s Virtual Mall Ball. It was a challenging feat and a rousing success. Many thanks to the presenting sponsor, Sandy Sansing Dealerships, and to the additional generous sponsors that made the event possible. We look forward to an in-person celebration in 2022.

In keeping with the words of St. Francis — and again thanks to our committed donors — we are making possible what seemed impossible for those we serve.

Carol Carlan President, Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation

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HEART

Preserving the past for a brighter future Aaron Ball recalls sitting on the sunlit back porch of his great grandmother’s farmhouse as a young boy in Andalusia, Alabama, listening intently as the old family camcorder recorded her. His father asked the good-natured matriarch questions about her life lessons from difficult times, about her fondest memories, and about the most meaningful family heirlooms. “Back porch interviews,” as Aaron calls them, are a primary technique he now uses to capture authentic and compelling stories as an archivist and communications consultant. He explains, “The term is personal archiving. It’s about capturing details that are meaningful to individuals and companies, organizing them, and preserving the best of your culture to inspire the next generation.”

Aaron is the co-founder of MediaTech Direct, Inc., a business that accomplishes this goal of archiving through consulting and publishing, using innovative technology that combines print and video. Aaron’s company, co-founded with his business partner in Melbourne, Australia, offers photo books and brochures that feature an ultra-thin video screen built inside.

Aaron has served as a member of the Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation board for two years, an involvement he considers an honor, particularly in light of his recent personal experience.

He saw firsthand the quality and depth of personalized treatment provided by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital when his beloved, 90-year-old grandmother was admitted. “Every member of her care team looked after my grandmother with genuine concern and compassion,” says Aaron. “Her care really was a ministry, and that’s what sets Ascension Sacred Heart apart.”

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Aaron is a vocal advocate for Ascension Sacred Heart. He feels it’s important to frequently remind people that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to help people in need, which is very rare: “Donors never pay for administrative costs to run the Foundation.” Aaron has published a number of personal videos online highlighting donor dollars at work — including the opening of the Studer Family Children’s Hospital. He describes his volunteer experiences with the Foundation as an invaluable opportunity to learn first-hand from the “gold standard” of area philanthropic organizations. Looking to the future, Aaron hopes the Foundation will “lean in” to even greater collaboration with causes throughout the community, saying, “We grow by helping others grow. There is no other group that has the contacts, resources and generous donor base that our Foundation has.”

When not building business, Aaron lives as closely as possible to the farming lifestyle of his heritage. He and his young family reside on a 15-acre pecan orchard and animal sanctuary in Molino, Florida, which also serves as an outdoor gathering space for weddings and private events. “Family Orchard Farms is becoming a restorative destination that welcomes people from all walks of life,” he says, “especially during difficult times like these.”

SPON SORED REPORT

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast expands pediatric emergency care Families in Walton County and Destin in need of emergency care for their children now can find it closer to home.

As of Dec. 14, 2020, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast (ASH Emerald Coast) began offering expanded pediatric services within the emergency department, closely supported by Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart. This new partnership allows for more direct connections between the expanded pediatric services in Miramar Beach and the specialists at Children’s Hospital, the region’s only state-of- theart facility dedicated to the care of infants and children.

“Each year, our Miramar Beach campus cares for more than 4,900 children in the emergency room,” said Henry Stovall, regional president of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. “We want to ensure those children have a smooth and positive experience, plus ready access to highquality, specialized care at our Children’s Hospital in Pensacola. This expansion of children’s services in our community will

help us to grow the care we are able to provide locally.”

Because children’s medical needs are vastly different from those of adults, the expansion features advanced equipment specially designed for diagnosing and treating medical emergencies in kids. Four treatment rooms and three Ascension observation rooms are staffed by boardcertified, emergency care physicians available 24/7 to deliver child-centric, life-saving services.

The ASH Emerald Coast team, which has received additional training from pediatric critical care specialists, also has been instructed in how to make the caregiving experience as child-friendly as possible.

When necessary, medical transportation services are available through the Children’s Hospital to bring the critically ill or injured to its location in Pensacola, where specialized areas of pediatrics, such as surgery, are accessible.

Ultimately, the expanded services for children at ASH Emerald Coast mean

that emergency care is available right in the community where children live, learn and play. The convenience of this improved access can make a difference in the outcome of their recovery. In addition, parents no longer face the stressful drive of an hour or more when their kids need immediate medical intervention.

Will Condon, president of Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, says, “As we continue to grow our children’s hospital services, we’re working hard to bring specialized healthcare closer to the communities we serve. With expanded pediatric services in Miramar Beach, fewer children and babies will need to be transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Pensacola for observation. They can be kept home in their community. This means greater convenience, improved access to healthcare and ultimately better outcomes for families of sick and injured kids.”

This expansion of pediatric services within the ED follows the opening of a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Emerald Coast in the spring of 2020.

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A HUGE THANK YOU SPONSORS! You made our Cordova Virtual Mall Ball Event possible & successful.

PRESENTING

PLATINUM

PURPLE

SILVER

SWAG BAG

SILENT AUCTION

IN-KIND SPONSORS PLATINUM

SILVER

GREEN Florida Blue Mickelson Construction Services Pete Moore Automotive Team Synovus Bank Studer Foundation

GREEN AT

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Evergreen Printing and Mailing Fast Signs

SPONSORED REPORT

PANDA EXPRESS 2020 TOTAL

ACE HARDWARE HOLIDAY ROUND UP Through the holidays, Ace Hardware participated in a holiday round up campaign to raise money for the kids at Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Through their monthlong efforts, Ace Hardware locations along the Gulf Coast raised over $6,484 to help children and families in our community. Thank you, Ace Hardware, for your ongoing dedication to Studer Family Children’s Hospital!

Although 2020 has been a challenging year for many, our friends at Panda Express stepped up in a big way to help sick and injured children in our community. Panda Express is a partner of Children’s Miracle Network and fundraises year-round for Studer Family Children’s Hospital.

Donations are collected at Panda Express locations along the Gulf Coast through round up, cash donations and an associate giving campaign. In 2020, Panda Express raised over $86,000 for the kids. We are so thankful to partner with Panda Express, and we can’t wait to see how they help change lives in the years to come.

ABOUT THE ASCENSION SACRED HEART FOUNDATION Since 1915, Ascension Sacred Heart has been at the heart of healing for Northwest Florida and South Alabama. Like our founders, the Daughters of Charity, Ascension 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 Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation. Through this charitable giving, Ascension 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 Ascension Sacred Heart’s mission of care along the Gulf Coast.

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STORIES

SPON SORED REPORT

from the

Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation Board of Directors HEART

2020-2021

JUSTIN A. BECK CHAIR

STEVE CLARK VICE CHAIR

MICHAEL BAGGETT SECRETARY

JAMES HOSMAN TREASURER

MICHAEL JOHNSON PAST CHAIR

CEO Beck Partners

CEO New School Selling

Senior Financial Advisor Senior V.P. Wealth Mgmt, Mazenko / Baggett Group

Market President Centennial Bank

Owner State Farm Insurance

FOUNDATION STAFF HOPE BRADFORD DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR hope.bradford@ascension.org H. WESLEY “WES” REEDER PAST CHAIR

Managing Partner Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon

AARON BALL MEMBER

AUTUMN BLACKLEDGE MEMBER

NINA HESS CAMPBELL MEMBER

President Ballpoint Communications Group

Owner Autumn Beck Blackledge, Pllc

Design Associate Aqua Décor & Design

CAROL CARLAN PRESIDENT carol.carlan@ascension.org EMILY IOAKIM CMN COORDINATOR emily.ioakim@ascension.org JANET PIEPUL DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS / PLANNED GIVING janet.piepul@ascension.org

PAMELA S. HEINOLD MEMBER

JUSTIN T. HOLMAN, ESQ MEMBER

SISTER ELLEN KRON, DC MEMBER

JANE LAUTER MEMBER

Broker Associate Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

The Holman Law Firm

Daughters of Charity

President The Kugelman Family Foundation

CORTLANDT ROCES DEVELOPMENT ANALYST cortlandt.roces@ascension.org JENNIFER SABA ANNUAL GIVING COORDINATOR jennifer.saba@ascension.org TARRA TALBERT FINANCE SPECIALIST tarra.talbert@ascension.org GILLIAN WARD EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT gillian.ward@ascension.org

RIC NICKELSEN MEMBER

Vice President, Commercial Lending Smartbank

WES PAYNE MEMBER

KERRY ANNE SCHULTZ, ESQ. MEMBER

Partner Schultz Law Group

8 E N SI O N SAC D H E A R T FO UN DATI ON | GIVESACREDHEART.ORG 112A SCApril–May 2021R EEMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

MALLORY STUDER MEMBER

Marketing & Branding Manager Bodacious Shops

LISA WAINWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR lisa.wainwright@ascension.org

MODEL GRAND OPENING

OUTSIDE LIVING. OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY. A new home designed around you, with a backyard ready for parties and fun.

A gated community that is a short bike ride or drive to everything you love about 30A and the Emerald Coast. And all of this starting from the low $400s? NatureWalk by is outside of ordinary, and now open for you to explore.

Tour 5 designer-decorated models in-person or online New Homes from the low $400s to $800s NatureWalkWatersound.com

© 2020. Prices, homesites, amenities, home designs, square footage and other information subject to errors, changes, omissions, deletions, availability, prior sales and withdrawal at any time without notice. Square footage numbers are approximate and may vary depending on the standard measurement used. Photos and/or drawings of homes may show upgraded landscaping and may not represent the lowest priced homes in the community. All renderings and floorplans in these materials are an artist’s conceptual drawings and will vary from the actual plans and homes as built. CGC1509406

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GulfPower.com/Together

At Gulf Power we are working together with the communities we serve to make Northwest Florida an even better place to raise a family and do business.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

MEDICAL Profiles

What is important to you and your family? If you say good health, you’re not alone. In this special section, Emerald Coast Magazine fills you in on dedicated health professionals, their practices and their plans for keeping you healthy. Here they discuss their specialized skills, backgrounds and how they can help you with your important health care decisions.

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MEDICAL Profiles

DR. MARK GIOVANINI NeuroMicroSpine

WHERE MATTERS OF THE SPINE ARE INVOLVED, patients of Dr. Mark Giovanini with NeuroMicroSpine can have complete confidence that he will find a comprehensive approach that caters to your needs.

Dr. Giovanini, a board-certified neurosurgeon and neuromicrospine specialist, firmly believes in putting the medical needs of his patients first in his evaluations and diagnosis.

NeuroMicroSpine primarily offers minimally invasive spine surgery, disc replacements, interventional pain management and endoscopic spine procedures at their Gulf Breeze and Destin offices. The Destin office focuses not only on MIS consultations but also wellness medicine. Both centers apply to NeuroMicroSpine in two ways: promoting a healthy lifestyle to prevent surgery and maximizing postsurgical health.

The other on-staff doctor is Dr. Jason Capra, who is board certified in anesthesiology and interventional pain management, specializing in endoscopic spine surgery. Both doctors take a conservative approach to spine conditions while offering the most minimally invasive solution to problems.

“Our success is based on patient outcome,” said Dr. Giovanini. “As a result of being in this career for over 30 years, I have honed a practice that has minimal complications and the best outcomes in the region. I am constantly improving and trying to find the least invasive approaches to best serve my patients.”

Dr. Giovanini is a premier minimally invasive spine surgeon for treatment of simple and complex spinal problems. These MIS procedures are focused on minimal tissue disruption to allow for faster healing and quicker recovery. In experienced hands, these procedures have fewer complications.

He first brought MIS to the Gulf Coast and The Andrews Institute ambulatory surgery center in 2005

in Pensacola. Since then, he has performed thousands of these procedures at many other facilities in the region and stays abreast of the changing technology by being a clinical instructor for MIS surgery nationally.

He has developed relationships with spine specialists around the country that he can readily send patients for tough problems he can’t solve. As an independent practice, not employed by a hospital, his network stems from a true alliance with physicians that he believes are the best in outsourced care.

“It is important for patients to know that we are a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery in the region and the only endoscopic program in Northwest Florida, because most people are hesitant when it comes to lumbar or spine fusion, but we can offer the highest-quality solutions and success rates that other practices don’t.”

He earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Oregon and then went on to receive his medical degree at Oregon Health Sciences University. He has since studied under renowned neurosurgeons Dr. Albert Rhoten, Dr. Arthur Day and Dr. Richard Fessler.

During his neurosurgical residency at the University of Florida, he developed treatment protocols for spinal cord injury, which resulted in the first spinal cord transplant in humans. He has published many articles on neural transplantation and methodology.

One of the primary goals of his practice is to continue promoting and educating about endoscopic spine surgery. The space of a book would be needed to encompass the expanse of his career, but his passion for the field of neurosurgery as it relates to the spine is ever-growing, which only aids in providing the most comprehensive assessment and care for each spinal patient.

9400 UNIVERSITY PKWY STE. 309, PENSACOLA | 200 CALUSA BLVD., STE. 300, DESTIN (850) 934-7545 | NEUROMICROSPINE.COM

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MEDICAL Profiles

DR. DAVID CHANDLER

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE? My practice

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? My practice is a bit

at 30A Plastic Surgery is extremely diverse. I perform the full range of cosmetic surgeries as well as complex reconstructions. During a typical week, I will devote entire days to reconstructing patients after cancer surgery or trauma, and the following day often will be devoted to patients who wish to see a return to their more youthful face or body with a facelift or tummy tuck, fat grafting, etc. Regardless of whether a patient visits me for a reconstruction or for cosmetic surgery, I know that everyone wishes to feel attractive, and I have spent decades in training and in practice to deliver upon that wish.

unusual. My surgical techniques may be more modern and advanced due to the time I spent teaching at a university hospital prior to moving to this area. But from a patient care standpoint, I have always been more of an “old school” doctor. I know my patients well and develop close relationships with them. My patients have immediate access to me 24 hours a day, and I even make house calls frequently. These things certainly are not usual or common in the medical profession today but are really appreciated by my patients, and in turn, I’m humbled and grateful to my patients for choosing me to provide their care.

PANAMA CITY | SANTA ROSA BEACH | (850) 608-1833 | 30APLASTICS.COM

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PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

Dermatology Specialists of Florida / Aqua Medical Spa / 30A Plastic Surgery

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DR. CASI STUBBS

Stubbs Orthodontics DR. CASI STUBBS is a hometown girl who always knew she wanted to open her own practice on the Emerald Coast. Her schooling took her throughout the state —beginning at Florida State University for a degree in chemistry, continuing at the University of Florida for dentistry before finishing her residency in orthodontics at Nova Southeastern University.

Her love for her hometown is apparent as she encourages her patients to give back through incentives and prizes. This includes offering raffle tickets to patients, and her practice then matches those donations. As she has expanded her practice and enjoyed a plethora of referrals, she strives for growth and treats her patients with the utmost care. “When I’m with a patient, they are the only thing on my mind,” said Stubbs. “I want them to know how special they are and that we are making true connections. I treat every patient like a family member, and that’s what drives my treatment plans.

I always go back to, ‘What would I do if this was my family?’”

4633 E. HIGHWAY 20, NICEVILLE | 11394 U.S. 98, MIRAMAR BEACH | (850) 678-8338 | STUBBSORTHO.COM

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MEDICAL Profiles

DR. KEVIN WELLS

Dr. Kevin Wells, OD, FAAO, Diplomate, American Board of Optometry, Wells Vision and Laser Eye Center WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? We provide iLASIK laser vision correction (no blades), comprehensive eye exams utilizing the most advanced electronic refraction system available, no “air puff” for eye pressure testing, and treatment for eye disease, infection and injury. We also fit contact lenses and have a large optical selection featuring the most sought-after designer brands and unique designers not found anywhere else in the Panhandle.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO THIS INDUSTRY? Vision is so important in our lives. I have always been fascinated by how our eyes work. I am very blessed I get to help people see better every day.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. This is my 23rd year in practice. I attended East Central University in Oklahoma for undergraduate studies, spent a year and a half as an Active Duty Officer in the U.S. Army and then attended Northeastern State University, Oklahoma College of Optometry. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY? I give my best to every patient. I show them all of the options available. If they have a disease, infection or injury, it is important to me that they understand what is happening and how the treatment or therapy is going to help them.

WHY IS OPTOMETRY IMPORTANT? Routine, comprehensive eye exams can detect eye disease before it has progressed enough to cause any loss of sight.

Oftentimes if a person waits until they are not seeing well to get an exam, it can be too late, and permanent damage has already taken place. I work with many great surgeons locally when tertiary care is needed.

HOW HAS THE BUSINESS EXPANDED? Wells Vision and Laser Eye Center has recently opened a second location on Highway 331 in Santa Rosa Beach.

36086 EMERALD COAST PARKWAY, DESTIN | 24700 US HWY 331 SOUTH, SANTA ROSA BEACH (850) 424-6677 | WELLSVISIONCENTER.COM

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COASTAL SKIN SURGERY & DERMATOLOGY

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE Coastal Skin Surgery & Dermatology is devoted to providing comprehensive medical, surgical and advanced cosmetic dermatologic treatments and procedures. Our focus remains on providing the highest standards of care in a private, comfortable and compassionate setting. In the past year, we welcomed the addition of two additional experienced providers: Dr. Cather McKay (board-certified dermatologist) and Sara Erdwins, PA-C (boardcertified Physician Assistant).

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? We offer an extensive variety of dermatologic services to patients of all ages and ethnicities, and we specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of all conditions affecting the skin, hair and nails. Our

providers routinely perform the most up-todate cosmetic services, including laser skin resurfacing and rejuvenation, hair reduction, and injectable fillers and neuromodulators. Our practice proudly offers fellowship-trained Mohs Micrographic Surgery, performed by Dr. David Adams. He has performed Mohs Surgery for over 15 years on the Gulf Coast and has completed more than 25,000 surgical cases. He is one of only three fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons serving the Emerald Coast region.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS? Quality is priority one. Our teams of highly trained and experienced professionals all share a passion to deliver the best quality of care within our community. We strive to make every visit a pleasant experience that exceeds expectations

from start to finish. Discover why so many in our area trust the Dermatologists of Coastal Skin Surgery & Dermatology.

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY? It is our goal to provide our community with the highest possible level of dermatology care. We make accessing our team of highly trained physicians easy and convenient with our four offices in Miramar Beach, Fort Walton, Niceville and Panama City Beach. All of our Coastal Skin Surgery & Dermatology offices are staffed with full-time, board-certified physicians, physician assistants and a caring and professional office staff. The development of long-term relationships with our patients is always our goal, and we are always accepting new patients to our practice. We welcome patients of all ages, including infants.

COASTALSKINSURGERY.COM Miramar Beach 12469 Emerald Coast Parkway (850) 654-3376

Fort Walton Beach 912 Mar Walt Drive (850) 314-7546

Niceville 4400 Hwy. 20 E, Suite 410 (850) 897-4900

Panama City Beach 12139 Panama City Beach Parkway (850) 500-3376

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MEDICAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Profiles

EMERALD COAST COMPOUNDING PHARMACY REGINA K. JAQUESS, PHARM. D. TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. I received my doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2009. I have received post-graduate training in pharmaceutical compounding, which is my passion. I am a member of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and a member of Professional Compounding Center of America (PCCA).

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY? When it comes to patient health care, I believe there should be a connection between patient, physician and pharmacist. At Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy (ECCP), we strive to develop a comprehensive plan to improve each patient’s overall health and quality of life.

Our connection with our clients has earned us for the past five years (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017

and 2016) the “Best of the Emerald Coast” award for “Best Pharmacy.”

WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER? At ECCP we formulate your prescriptions to meet your individual needs. Our facility addresses a range of medical concerns including: anti-aging, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, dental, dermatology, gastroenterology, infertility, pain management, pediatric, podiatry, sports medicine and veterinary.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WORK? I am currently a USA Water Ski team member, 10 time World Champion and 13 time World Record Holder in both Slalom and Overall. I am also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), West Florida Chapter.

1719 S. CO HWY 393, SANTA ROSA BEACH | (850) 622-5800 | ECCPHARMACY.COM

LOCAL FIRM, NATIONAL RESOURCES With 13 locations across the Southeast and over 800 employees, we pride ourselves on having the vast resources of a national firm, yet our approach is rooted in a strong local presence. Beyond tax and audit services, our advisors can guide you through every business situation. From business continuity planning to technology upgrades to managing staffing needs, Warren Averett can provide you with a broad range of innovative solutions tailored to your specific needs.

We’re here for you.

FLORIDA OFFICES | Destin | Fort Walton Beach | Panama City | Pensacola | Tampa | www.warrenaverett.com

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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 Electrophysiology IAN L. WEISBERG, MD, FACC, FHRS, Cardiac Electrophysiology

Best Cardiologist

Dr. Ian Weisberg, Board Certified Cardiac Electrophysiologist and your AFIB Specialist Now accepting new patients in our Destin office.

Providing Expertise and Patient Tailored Therapy: Catheter Ablation and Medical Management of Atrial Fibrillation Watchman Implantation for Stroke Risk Reduction Pacemakers, Defibrillators and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Diagnosis and Management of Palpitations and Syncope Catheter Ablation of SVT, PVCs, Flutter and Ventricular Tachycardia

DESTIN 36468 Emerald Coast Parkway Suite 1101 Destin, FL 32541 (850) 424-5638

NICEVILLE 552 Twin Cities Boulevard Suite A Niceville, FL 32578 (850) 279-4426

FORT WALTON BEACH 1032 Mar Walt Drive Suite 110 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 (850) 862-1753

OkaloosaHeart.com

CRESTVIEW 129 Redstone Ave. Suite A Crestview, FL 32539 (850) 682-7212

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JUNE 23–27

Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic Based out of Sandestin, the South’s No. 1 resort destination, the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic takes place at the height of the northern Gulf’s billfish season. Last year, the Mollie, a Destin-based G&S custom sportfishing vessel, took the top prize with a 660-pound blue and earned more than $500,000 in prize money.

Visit FishECBC.com for registration and tournament details.

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calendar

APR/MAY 2021 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com. compiled by JAVIS OGDEN AND

REBECCA PADGETT

EASTER EXPLOSION APRIL 3 Bounce on over to The Village of Baytowne Wharf for an Easter Explosion filled with family-friendly entertainment, lawn games, face-painting, inflatables and photos with the Easter Bunny.

BaytowneWharf.com

MADAGASCAR – A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC, EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY, SANDESTIN WINE FESTIVAL AND LEMOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL

MAY 14–23

APRIL 9–10

Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents

‘TREASURE ISLAND’

→ Stow away on the Hispaniola with Long John Silver and crew as they hunt for buried treasure on a remote island. Young hero Emily encounters mutinies, treason and double-dealing in this reinvented classic production that promises twists at every turn. For ages 6 and up.

→ The award-winning Sandestin Wine Festival, now in its 35th year, is a highlight of the South Walton events season.

Visit EmeraldCoastTheatre.org/on-stage for tickets and additional information.

Ticket and additional event information can be found by visiting SandestinWineFestival.com.

APRIL 15–18

Sandestin Wine Festival

REGIONAL APRIL 9–18

LEMOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL

→ The LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival has been expanded for 2021 and will offer new programs, including a Zerbe Zelebration, artist workshops, the FSU Opening Nights Presenting Artist event leading up to the arrival of artists in the parks on April 17 and 18.

For more information and COVID-19 safety guidelines, please visit ChainofParks.com.

The beloved children’s movie takes the stage.

Follow the whimsical and often hilarious adventures of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and, of course, the mischievous penguins.

EmeraldCoastTheatre.org

NFSO: JUST ANOTHER VARIATION APRIL 10 Led by Glen Cortese, a finalist in the North Florida Symphony Orchestra’s conductor search, the orchestra will take you on a journey of musical twists and turns with pieces based on Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Variations from “Fancy Free,” the popular “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff featuring New York pianist Philip Edward Fisher, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor.

MattieKellyArtsCenter.org

PROMOTION

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Pandemic and social distancing policies may affect gatherings.

Check websites to see if the listed events will occur as scheduled.

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER?

Send an email to sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com.

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calendar

APR/MAY 2021

‘MARY POPPINS’

SCHOONER’S CAJUN FESTIVAL

APRIL 16–17 The talented teens of the Emerald Coast Theatre Company present this beloved classic intertwining an irresistible story, unforgettable songs and crowd-pleasing dance numbers.

EmeraldCoastTheatre.org

MULLET MAN TRIATHLON

APRIL 19–25 The Cajun Festival at Schooners, located on the Gulf shore in Panama City Beach, will feature a Cajun beach party on Saturday and Sunday with daytime bands and a crawfish eating contest on Sunday. schooners.com

APRIL 17 The 24th annual Mullet Man Triathlon presented by the Flora-Bama is a delight for viewers and participants alike. The course begins with a quarter-mile swim, transitioning to a 16.5-mile bike ride and ending with a 3.9-mile run. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Florabama.com

SEABREEZE JAZZ FESTIVAL APRIL 21–25 The Seabreeze Jazz Festival combines top national smooth-jazz artists with a full weekend of fun, sun, good times and great tunes. The event attracts thousands of fans to Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach for

a performance-packed weekend of jazz.

SeaBreezeJazzFestival.com

DESTIN CHARITY WINE AUCTION FOUNDATION WEEKEND APRIL 23–24 The 16th annual auction revives some of the weekend’s most popular activities while maintaining virtual bidding to eliminate the need for large group gatherings. The 2021 auction activities will include nine intimate wine dinners slated across the Emerald Coast in private homes and popular restaurants. The live auction will be conducted virtually, allowing people the option of attending a DCWAF watch party or enjoying the broadcast from the comfort of their home.

DCWAF.org

Reserve Online at

BlueDolphinTour.com For same day reservations call (850) 236-3467

INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS & GULF COAST’S GREATEST BEACH PARTY APRIL 23–25

Motorcycle enthusiasts will enjoy vendors’ booths, demonstrations, contests, live music, food and beverages.

ThunderBeachProductions.com

One of the largest and most highly anticipated beach parties of the year happens at the Flora-Bama and revolves around the main event — the mullet toss. Participants compete in seeing how far they can toss a mullet over the state line. The weekend consists of fun, sun and live music including highenergy Nashville band, Summer 97.

RUSSIAN BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS ‘SWAN LAKE’

Florabama.com/annual-events

PensacolaSaenger.com

THUNDER BEACH MOTORCYCLE RALLY

CRESCENDO! 2021 VINTNER DINNERS

APRIL 28–MAY 2

APRIL 30

Rev your engines for the 23rd annual spring rally.

Hosted in elegant homes and venues throughout

APRIL 29 This production at the Saenger Theater will delight audiences with updated choreography by choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina, exquisite handpainted sets and dazzling costumes.

Half or full day rentals

ShellIslandBoatRentals.com For same day reservations call (850) 234-SAIL (7245)

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the region, these dinners feature some of the country’s most exclusive vineyards and culinary maestros from the Gulf Coast region and beyond.

SinfoniaGulfcoast.org

CRESCENDO! 2021 MAIN EVENT MOULIN (VIN) ROUGE MAY 2

JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT MAY 15 Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, Sinfonia Gulf Coast presents this actionpacked adventure that pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle of survival.

Multiple Best of the Emerald Coast winner since 2008

SinfoniaGulfCoast.org

Crescendo! is an exciting cultural exchange that benefits Sinfonia Gulf Coast and its music education and community programs.

This year’s theme is Moulin (vin) Rouge. Enjoy cultural and culinary arts, worldclass vintners, auctions and musical performances.

SinfoniaGulfcoast.org

BURNING UP THE BEACHES

↑DIGITAL GRAFFITI

MAY 6–8

The white walls of Alys Beach will come alive with vibrant colors, abstract images and pretty patterns all digitally projected by highly talented national and international artists. This year’s event will be an immersive drive-through experience.

Thousands of dollars in prizes are awarded to digital artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, photographers and producers.

Gearheads unite for a weekend of classic cars galore at Destin Commons and select locations throughout Destin. Enjoy the car show, vendors, parties, live entertainment, food, contests, prizes and plenty of cars to covet.

BurningUpTheBeaches.com

RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES MAY 11 In celebration of the anniversary of “Abbey Road,” “RAIN” will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to early Beatles favorites. This mindblowing performance takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is “the next best thing to seeing the Beatles.”

PHOTO BY KURT LISCHKA

PensacolaSaenger.com

JEEP BEACH JAM MAY 12–15

MAY 15–16

DigitalGraffiti.com

WHITE TIE ROCK ENSEMBLE MAY 22 Experience an evening of glamorous rock and roll as the White Tie Rock Ensemble presents a tribute to Rod Stewart, Elton John, David Bowie and QUEEN!

The original, award-winning wood-fired pizza and classical Italian cuisine Lunch M–F 11–2 · Dinner M–Sat 5–9 · 850.650.5980 12273 US Hwy 98, Miramar Beach · fatclemenzas.com

MASTERPIECES BEGIN HERE northwest florida state college

Enroll today!

Summer Term begins May 17

PensacolaSaenger.com

MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION MAY 2–30

Jam in your Jeep for four days of fun including a parade, contests, vendors and a variety of obstacle courses at Frank Brown Park.

Kick off the long weekend right with a series of live music concerts and a Memorial Day celebration at The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

JeepBeachJam.com

BaytowneWharf.com

State College

(850) 502-2895 | nwfsc.edu Northwest Florida State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Northwest Florida State College. Northwest Florida State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit www.nwfsc.edu. Materiales de la Universidad son disponibles en Española llamando a la Oficina de Admisiones de Northwest Florida State College al 850-502-2895.

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dining guide

Lobster Encrusted Grouper from Restaurant Paradis

Pandemic developments and social distancing policies and protocols may affect restaurant operations. Check websites for the latest information.

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

DHARMA BLUE

Atmosphere and service match an 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

EMERIL’S COASTAL ITALIAN

Located at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, the famed chef’s first restaurant in Northwest Florida combines Italian cuisine with the variety of fresh Gulf seafood and local ingredients. Sun–Thur 11:30 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm. 435 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 608-7040. $$$ L D

EVERKRISP ★

Farm-to-table salads, rice bowls and other health-focused American bites in modern, brick-lined digs. Open daily 10:30 am– 9 pm. 4463 Commons Dr. W. #10a, Destin.

(850) 460-8881 and 625 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 842-4504. $$ L D

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. Open daily at 5 pm. 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

GREAT SOUTHERN CAFE ★

This all-day cafe puts a new spin on classic with a mix of international cuisines, Southern cooking and local food and produce. Open daily for breakfast: 8–10:45 am, lunch: 11 am–4 pm and dinner: 4–9:30 pm. 83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-7327. $$ B 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

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits

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April-May 2021

and Cajun seafood gumbo. Open daily from 4 pm.

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

LOUIS LOUIS ★

This sister restaurant of The Red Bar has great American fare with a Gulf twist. 35 Mussett Bayou Road, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-1500. $$ D

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

ASIAN

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 Dr., Destin.

(850) 710-5858. $$ 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

MARINA BAR AND GRILL

Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads. Open Sun–Thurs 11 am–8 pm, Fri 11 am–10 pm, Sat 8 am–10 pm. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach.

(850) 267-7778. $ B L D

MARINA CAFÉ ★

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine.

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

(850) 837-7960. $$$ D

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

RESTAURANT PARADIS ★

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

SHADES BAR & GRILL ★

A 30A mainstay for over 20 years, Shades features 17 high-def TVs plus a menu of salsas, steaks, sandwiches and fish tacos.

Open daily 11–1 am. 10952 E. County Hwy 30A, (850) 231-9410. $$ L D

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ

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

THE RED BAR ★

New and improved and now reopened; get classic meals at one of the area’s most renowned locations. 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach. (850) 231-1008. $$ L D

TOMMY BAHAMA RESTAURANT, BAR & STORE ★

Savor the fresh, island-inspired fare or unwind with one of their signature cocktails. 525 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 654-1743. $$$ L D

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

BASMATI’S ASIAN CUISINE ★

Serving fresh seafood, sushi and vegetables on Scenic 30A for more than 20 years.

3295 W. County Hwy. 30A., Blue Mountain Beach. (850) 267-3028. $$$ 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

P.F. CHANG’S ★

Asian-influenced “farm to wok” chain offers madefrom-scratch dishes such as dim sum, sushi and Chinese food favorites. Mon, 11 am–9 pm; Tue– Thur, Sun 11 am–10 pm; Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, 640 Grand Blvd., Sandestin. (850) 269-1806. $$ L D

SUSHIMOTO ★

This creative sushi bar offers up a variety of rolls and Japanese fare. 12889 U.S. Hwy. 98, Ste. 103B, Miramar Beach. (850) 424-5977. $ D

THAI DELIGHTS

Traditional dishes in a casual atmosphere.

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

THAI ELEPHANT AUTHENTIC THAI CUISINE ★

Serving traditional Thai favorites that were voted the area’s best. 3906 Hwy 98, Ste. 5–6, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 660-6711. $ 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

BLUE MABEL ★

This local smokehouse features made-fromscratch dishes and is stocked with everything from smoked meats to homemade sauces.

2260 W. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 744-0040. $$ L D

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY 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. ★

Contemporary cafe for craft coffee, housebaked breads, pastries and sandwiches and all-day breakfast. 26 Logan Lane, Grayton Beach. (850) 213-4528. $ B L

BON APPETIT FRENCH BAKERY AND CAFE ★

Delicious made-from-scratch French pastries, croissants and crusty breads, along with soups, salads and sandwiches. 420 Mary Esther Cut Off NW, Fort Walton Beach. $ 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. 2273 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

DESSERT BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH CREAMERY ★

Family-owned dessert shop serves delicious ice cream, yogurt and sorbet treats. 2129 S. County Hwy 83, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 278-6849. $

GREEK 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

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

PHOTO BY TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RESTAURANT PARADIS

AMERICAN

IRISH JOHNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

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. $$ 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

Baja-style Mexican food, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. 201-B Miracle Strip Pkwy, Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 226-8016. $ L D

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

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. County Rd. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-4781. $$ L D

SEAFOOD

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

ANGELINA’S PIZZA & PASTA

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. $ 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

PIZZA BY THE SEA ★

THE BAY SOUTH WALTON ★

This family-friendly waterfront restaurant overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay features Gulf Coast cuisine, sushi, a 12-draft beer system, plus wine and crafted cocktails.

Open daily 11 am–9:30 pm. 24215 Hwy. 331, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-2291.$$ L D

BONEFISH GRILL ★

Fresh seafood in a casual atmosphere; family bundles now available for carryout.

4447 Commons Drive E., Destin. (850) 650-3161. $$ L D

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. Open daily from 11 am. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

(850) 424-7406. $$ L D

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER

Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Sunday brunch. Destin Harbor, Destin. (850) 460-8900. $$$ B

BUD & ALLEY’S WATERFRONT RESTAURANT ★

With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and a family-friendly environment, Pizza by the Sea offers handmade pizzas and other Italian favorites. Open daily 11 am–8 pm. Multiple locations. (850) 650-0015. $$ L D

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Open daily from 8 am–10 pm. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside.

(850) 231-5900. $$$ L D

PAZZO ITALIANO

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

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 4–10 pm, Sun 4–9 pm. 34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 114, Destin. (850) 974-5484. $$ L D

THE PIZZA BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

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

TRATTORIA BORAGO

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 BURRITO DEL SOL ★

This Mexican restaurant serves fresh

CAPT. ANDERSON’S RESTAURANT

at 4 pm. 5551 N. Lagoon Dr., Panama City Beach. (850) 234-2225. $$$ D

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE ★

Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

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

DEWEY DESTIN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

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

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

THE FISH HOUSE ★

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

THE GULF – FORT WALTON BEACH ★

WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 534-5050. $$$ D

Locally inspired food and beverages in a beautiful waterfront setting, alongside a curated vinyl record collection. 284 Marler Ave., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 387-1300.

HARBOR DOCKS

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

$$ L D

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE ★

High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines.

Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection. Lunch Wed–Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sun 5 pm til. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 469-9898. $$$ D

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches.

Open daily from 11 am. Sunday brunch at 10 am. 56 Harbor Blvd., HarborWalk Village, Destin. (850) 424-3507 and 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 360-2909.

MARLIN GRILL ★

$$ L D

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers.

Open nightly from 5 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach. (850) 351-1990.

OLD BAY STEAMER ★

The perfect place for quality steamed seafood, outstanding steaks and incredible ribs. 102 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 664-2795. $$ D

$$$ D

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

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

This seafood and casual fare restaurant features classic coastal cuisine and genuine Southern hospitality plus live music daily inside the panoramic bar. Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 1875 S. Hwy. 393, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-2733.

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

STINKY’S FISH CAMP ★

This seafood and wine mainstay promises Gulffresh fare. 5960 W. County Road 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-3053. $$ L D

$$ L D

TAKE OUT

STEAK & SEAFOOD

30AGRUB2GO

Located at the Henderson Park Inn, this award-winning fine dining establishment features a range of favorites including grouper Vince, pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna and seafood pasta Rockefeller. Open daily 5:30–9 pm. 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin.

(850) 650-7100. $$$ D

BIJOUX RESTAURANT & SPIRITS ★

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

CAFE THIRTY-A ★

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

CAPTAIN DAVE’S ON THE GULF

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

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS & SEAFOOD ★

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar.

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

(850) 622-1500. $$$ D

SHUNK GULLEY OYSTER BAR ★

BEACH WALK CAFE

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

Fast delivery of all the high-quality cuisine that 30A has to offer. Download their app on Google Play or the Apple Store, or visit 30agrub2go.com to get started.

(850) 260-3139.

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

JC'S GOURMET ★

A chilled mix of fresh shrimp, lime zest and vinegar-soaked cucumber, red onion and sweet pepper, this is shrimp ceviche-style.

4621 Highway 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 687-2810

KETO KREATIONS ★

Low-carb, ketogenic baked goods for the dieting sweet tooth. 114 Logan Lane, Suite 2, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 517-6379. $$

MODICA MARKET ★

Find delicious lunch specials and brews at this gourmet specialty food store. 109 Seaside Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-1214. L

FOOW RESTAURANT

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair. Open daily 5:30–10 pm. Located in the

THE KEY Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/Restaurants.

★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2020 Winner

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

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive

$$$ Expensive

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

April-May 2021

129

postscript

A MATTER OF DEFINITION Art won’t be boxed in by the usual parameters

Rowland Publishing executive editor Steve Bornhoft and writer Wynn Parks of Santa Rosa Beach dance around an elusive abstraction.

WYNN: I left out of Seagrove

on a YOLO board yesterday thinking that international waters might be a safe place to be without a mask and found myself wondering who will be the first to get to the Yucatan Peninsula on a SUP. A southeasterly wind kept me inshore, and I got only as far as Seaside before I paused for a Golden Monkey and a $15 burger. Six feet away, a couple of 30-somethings were finishing up brunch, and the fellow put out his American Spirit in the yolk of an unfinished egg. “Don’t do that!” the chick said. “Gandhi would call that a desecration.” Countered the dude, waving his hand at the tableau, “Nah, that’s art.” Back out on the emerald green, I cogitated on how a cigarette planted in food is art. I am reminded of the guy who said art is a punch line and you have to figure out the joke.

STEVE: Long ago, I took an art history class taught by a chain-smoking professor who puffed his way through lectures — slide shows, really — in which he commented on artworks displayed on the screen, including the Russian suprematist Kazmir Malevich’s “White on White,” consisting of a square of almost gray which overlays a larger square of, call it, dirty linen. “Is it art?” the professor asked rhetorically.

“It matters not that you could have done it; what matters is that Malevich did it. You are looking God right in the face.”

The prof, by the way, often left a cigarette burning on his stool and one day extinguished a smoke by sitting on it.

130

April-May 2021

WYNN: So now we add burning one’s arse to the dead possum? And, good grief, staring God in the face just makes the concept more Baroque!

STEVE: Yes, well, we should

get off our duffs and elevate the conversation. Art, for me, has within it an element of the unexpected, of surprise.

And it contains evidence of inspiration. It need not be a messenger or involve a high degree of technical skill, but it should provide an emotional experience. The other day, walking about a pond, I came within two paces of a fullgrown cottonmouth before spying it. Surprise! This specimen was mostly brown, but its face was marked by bands of black and white, and its underside over a third of its 5-foot length was given to irregular bits of the same black and white, like ticking on a spaniel. Such a beautiful pit viper, really. Art of the Creator’s hand.

WYNN: Yes! The high road is the only road for me, too!

Don’t pay any attention to Kazmir, it’s common knowledge that he probably liked alcohol, almost certainly vodka! White on White?

Bah! But his Black Square!

Now there’s a painting. Very simple but very square. And black! I wouldn’t trust that art teacher. Sounds like he’s bought into the “conceptual” art philosophy. You know, that intellectualization where the artist, in a hurry for celebrity, finds the traditional skills

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

too tedious, demanding or passé. So, he unfurls X miles of terrycloth across the Dirty Devil River and into the Henry Mountains — an impressive bit of Dadaism, hella surprising too. Somebody (me) said prehistoric art, like the cave paintings at Lascaux, is pure because there were no art agents nor academic essays on the significance of a mammoth on a wall, and no celebrity appearances on late-night talk shows. So maybe that’s where we can get transcendental about art’s basic nature. If we’re gonna start looking for definitions of art or inspiration, I’d say, go ask a caveman, dude, I’ve got to go get my tires balanced.

STEVE: The intellectualization you describe unavoidably results in much rationalization, and that moves us away from inspiration, however defined.

Art is like love. You don’t have to make excuses for it. The art/love parallel further works in that both are “where you find it,” as surely an art lover like you can appreciate. But art is not blind. If it were, we would content ourselves with dipping squiggling earthworms in paints, dropping them onto a canvas and letting them scribble. Final thought?

WYNN: Defining art invariably flies off into an elusive abstraction. What is art? What is meaning? EC illustration by LINDSEY MASTERSON

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