Emerald Coast Magazine- February/March 2017

NEW WAVE

HIGH-END sportfishing yachts test limits of speed and range

TOP CHEFS DOING HUES: CREATORS SNOWBIRDS WHO NEVER NEED COMFORT WHY NOT OF COASTAL FOODS, TOO GLOW FOR IT? COUTURE FLEW HOME

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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2017 FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL

LETTER OF

INTENT

Seminole Booster Member Florida State University Athletics has identified you as a fanatic who is skilled in many areas, has strong character and is able to contribute to the Noles on and off the field this season. You have been selected to be a part of Tribe17, our official class of Top Supporters for 2017.

Upon signing this letter of intent to join the team, you become an official member of the Seminole Boosters and a season ticket holder. The Florida State reach expands to millions of people, but you are a select member of this very special class of fans who make a difference. Your commitment to our players, the program and to this university starts here.

The official recruiting period closes on March 17, 2017 and we need your support. Please “sign” this letter today and continue to SeminoleBoosters.com to formally make your commitment for the 2017 season.

Head Coach Jimbo Fisher

Signature:

Date:

MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT TODAY 4

850.792.6671 • NoleTickets.com

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Contents

FEB/MAR 2017

FEATURES

62 STYLE ICONS

Four fashionable citizens are putting the Emerald Coast on the trend map.

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

70 SNOWBIRDS

Three transplant couples who vacationed on the coast and now they call it home.

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

DARRIS HARTMAN

Fashion designer, Cayce Collins, has sewn herself into the South Walton community with her line, CayceCol.

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FISHING YACHTS

Hit the high seas and the deep blue with the latest in sportfishing yachts.

by STEVE BORNHOFT

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Contents

FEB/MAR 2017

22 106 GARDENING Prep for garden chores, and part with pests.

51 19 AHOY MATE! Pirate

ships invade the shores of the coast.

22 DILL PICKLE

Cartoonist, Dill Beaty, has an alter ego.

24 KIDS OF LEON

Leon Walters serves as Bay Education Foundation president.

PANACHE

29 TOP IT OFF Hats

have their moment as winter wear.

32 CITIZEN OF STYLE

Laura Belsinger, Bluetique owner, weighs in on shopping and style.

34 WALLET WEAR Put

your money where your wallet is.

38 WHAT’S IN STORE

A roundup of retail happenings.

6

EXPRESSION

97

41 EN POINTE

Ballerina Dorothy Lister keeps audiences on their toes.

44 DEAR PRUDENCE

Meet the woman behind the words of The Beatles’ song.

46 WATERCOLOR

WONDERS Paul Brent paints, from canvas to home decor.

48 BEDTIME STORY

Anna Theriault talks about her book, “Goodnight Pensacola.”

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A quality, stylish and timeless wallet? Priceless.

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

GASTRO & GUSTO

51 CUISINE COMFORT

Local chefs dish up their favorite recipes.

56 ZESTY BAGUETTE

A mingling of French and Vietnamese cuisine.

58 SWILL & SIP There’s an art to partaking of brandy.

12 14 131 143 146

PUBLISHER’S LETTER EDITOR’S COLUMN SOCIAL STUDIES DINING GUIDE I T’S NOT ROCKET SURGERY

A BODES 97 LIMELIGHT Enjoy

any color with Hue lighting.

102 GOT MAIL! Give the

mailman something to ogle.

104 D IY Build a birdhouse, and they will come.

NEW WAVE

HIGH-END sportfishing yachts test limits of speed and range

TOP CHEFS DOING HUES: CREATORS SNOWBIRDS WHO NEVER NEED COMFORT WHY NOT OF COASTAL FOODS, TOO GLOW FOR IT? COUTURE FLEW HOME

ON THE COVER: The latest generation of sportfishing yachts — vessels including the Hatteras GT 70 — have made it possible for tournament anglers to range hundreds of miles in pursuit of trophies. Engines are bigger, fuel capacities are greater and the boats’ lines are as pretty as ever. PHOTO COURTESY

HATTERAS YACHTS.

PHOTOS BY JAMES STEFIUK (51), CHASE YAKABOSKI (22) AND COURTESY PHILIPS LIGHTING (97) AND HERSCHEL SUPPLY CO. (34)

THE WAVE

IN EVERY ISSUE

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W W W . S K I N A N D V E I N S . C O M EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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Contents

FEB/MAR 2017

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

108

36 SPRING STYLES

DEAL ESTATE Berkshire Hathaway celebrates a swift sale of the luxurious Costa Blanca condos. Is the harbor calling your name?

This newly renovated townhouse, for sale by Luxury Estates Realty Group, might answer.

With easy, breezy styles for spring, Vineyard Vines in Grand Boulevard provides clothing that transitions perfectly from poolside to beachside to tiki bar.

WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

WOMEN AT WORK

What better time than March’s Women’s History Month to shine the spotlight on some of the region’s most accomplished females? The U.S. Department of Labor reports that women comprise 47 percent of the national workforce — and more than 50 percent in the skilled professions. In this special section, we’re honoring female professionals and future female leaders in our area. Their dedication, determination, compassion and altruism are sure to impress.

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← WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL PROFILES What better time than March’s Women’s History Month to shine the spotlight on some of the region’s most accomplished females? In this special section, we’re honoring female professionals and future female leaders in our area.

123 SACRED HEART FOUNDATION

The “Stories from the Heart” section features heartwarming and inspiring stories from those who have been impacted by and impact The Sacred Heart Foundation. These stories revolve around people helping people.

100 HOME SWEET HOME

Are you feeling the need for something new? Refresh and update your home with key pieces from Pottery Barn in Grand Boulevard that will make it feel brand new.

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

BEST OF 138 THE EMERALD COAST CELEBRATION

We welcome comments on our efforts and gladly will share them with our readers subject to a few guidelines. When submitting a letter for publication, please supply your full name, physical address, phone number and personal email address. This information will help us verify authorship; it will not be shared with others or used for any commercial purpose. Letters, when published, will appear with the writer’s name and city of residence. We reserve the right to edit letters and to shorten them for space. Submit letters via email to letters@rowlandpublishing.com or mail them to

◆

Medical Profiles SPECIAL PROMOTION

8

Lights, camera, makeover! On April 7, the coast’s 14 top salons will each make over a model to be unveiled in a runway show benefiting charities.

FEEDBACK SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

↑ CALENDAR Events, exhibits and live performances crowd the docket of inviting things to do up and down the Emerald Coast.

Spring Gift Guide

↑ EMERALD COAST TOP SALON

When you win a Best of the Emerald Coast award, the best way to celebrate, is of course, with food, libations and music at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin.

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Next Issue

118

◆

Feedback, Rowland Publishing 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308

Northwest Florida Weddings

PHOTO BY CHASE YAKABOSKI (118) AND COURTESY OF SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL (112)

W ADVERTISEMENT

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February–March 2017

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 18, NO. 1 RESTAURANT • LOUNGE • WEDDINGS & EVENTS

INSPIRED

Perfection

FEBRUARY–MARCH 2017

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES/EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Matt Algarin SENIOR STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rebecca Padgett ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Kim Harris Thacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joni Branch, Jesse Braswell, Hannah Burke, Jennifer Ireland, Lis King, Maria Knight, Thomas J. Monigan, Audrey Post, Liesel Schmidt, Zandra Wolfgram, Gary Yordon EDITORIAL INTERNS Alexandra Pushkin, Maria Knight

CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Charles Bakofsky, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meredith Brooks, Sarah Mitchell DIGITAL PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Chelsea Moore CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Matt Algarin, Alissa Aryn Photography, Bob Barton, Bria Blossom, Michael Booini, Amanda Byers, Ian Carney, Jim Clark, Mari Darr~Welch, Lawrence Davidson, Todd Douglas Photography, Walt Hartley, Darris Hartman, Jacob Hicks, Scott Holstein, Kurt Lischka, Sarah Lyn Photography, Christine Mitchell Photography, Tracy Mulligan, Rhonda Murray, Kay Phelan, Jim Raycroft, Romona Robbins Photography, Rhonda C. Schaefer Photography, Maurice Seymour, Tim Skipper Photography, Sommer Studios, James Stefiuk, STM Photography, Shelly Swanger, Shayn Theriault, Jacqueline Ward Images, Lexi Willcoxon, Zandra Wolfgram, Chase Yakaboski, Allison Yii

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS

INSPIRED EXPERIENCES AT VUE ON 30A Named “Best Waterfront Dining” by Travel + Leisure magazine, Vue on 30a is open to the public and showcases one of the best views for dining in all of South Walton. It is a great place for lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch or special occasions with family and friends. Ask us about planning your wedding or special event today.

RSVP TODAY FOR OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER ON FEBRUARY 14, 2017.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE.

VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi ADVERTISING SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Julie Dorr, Darla Harrison, Rhonda Lynn Murray, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Sarah Scott, Brianna Webb, Lori Magee Yeaton INTEGRATED MARKETING SPECIALIST Jennifer Ireland INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Bria Blossom MARKETING AND EVENTS ASSISTANT Mackenzie Ligas SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS INTERN Alexandra Matthews

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTANT ASSISTANT Lisa Cleaves ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Lisa Snell RECEPTIONIST Alyssa Cunningham 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

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

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

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

Copyright February 2017 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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February–March 2017

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from the publisher

MAKE TIME FOR PROFESSIONAL COURTESY

» There are some people who have such an illusion of selfimportance that they feel no professional or personal obligation — certainly no duty — to respond to anyone regarding a subject that they deem unimportant. » Another group of individuals may not have the strength to simply say, “No, thank you,” when they do not feel that what you are selling is a good fit for their business. These folks just hope that the marketer will give up and go away. » There are people who are so poorly organized or such lousy managers of their time that they permit phone messages and emails to pile up for weeks. Things reach the point where finally returning a call would be inconsequential or embarrassing. » And finally, there is the executive who legitimately receives so many calls that he cannot return them all and hope to get his essential work done. Too, the boss likely has failed to find the time to set up a team of support staff responsible for professionally taking care of the overflow.

Personally, I believe that anyone in a leadership position with an organization should, as a matter of professionalism and personal respect, take steps to ensure that all inquiries are responded to in a timely fashion. (This might make for a great New Year’s resolution.)

Those same leaders should be mindful of the fact that their behavior reflects poorly or positively not just on themselves, but on the businesses that they are striving to maintain and advance.

Rrrrring, rrrrring.

Take care, if not my call,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

After 25 years in the advertising and marketing business, I am never surprised when a phone call goes unreturned. Rather than becoming offended on such occasions, I let them roll off me like water.

Recently, however, I found myself counseling someone who is new to my business and has a tendency to come unglued when a “professional” does not afford her the courtesy of either taking her call or returning it. In many cases, these people are business owners or senior management employees or their immediate subordinates.

Curious, I contacted a psychotherapist and, in an exploratory conversation, tried to uncover the underlying reasons why certain people do not return calls. Here is what I found:

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February–March 2017

13

editor’s letter

Merriam-Webster defines passion as “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.”

As a writer and media professional, the best part of my job is the day-to-day interaction with residents, business owners and all who have a close connection with the Emerald Coast. These are people who have incredible passion, whether it’s for a product they’ve created, a business they operate or the neighborhood they live in or regularly visit.

If you know me personally, you are well aware of my love for music and sports. My knowledge of ’90s alternative rock song lyrics is probably on a Jeopardy level (I’m still waiting for my phone call from Alex Trebek). Win, lose or draw, I am a die-hard fan of all teams Cleveland. Feel free to insert your Cleveland Browns jokes here.

I also love to cook, and I am passionate about creativity in the kitchen. Mind you, just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean you are good at it, which is evidenced by my cooking ability. Just ask my wife. Thankfully, I’m passionate about telling stories, which is something I happen to have a knack for.

Author and storyteller Shane Snow writes that “stories can drive our emotions.” He adds, “levels of oxytocin rise when we experience stories, especially character-driven stories.”

When our readers flip through the pages of Emerald Coast Magazine or other Rowland Publishing titles, they encounter stories not only about local characters and businesses, but about people and their passions. As storytellers, our job is to shed light on communities and people and what makes them stand out. We take great care in our approach and delivery — it’s our passion.

The Emerald Coast is home to people with a variety of passions, from artists and musicians to interior designers and distillers. As a storyteller, you’re never sure how an interview or meeting with your story subject is going to go, which is part of what makes the process fun. Some folks are naturally more talkative than others or have extensive experience being interviewed by the media. Whether they are an old pro or relatively new to being interviewed, one thing remains constant — once they start talking about their passions, their nerves subside and the pages on my notepad fill up.

What I may intend to be a quick 20-30 minute chat can easily become a two-hour conversation that ranges from business to personal and back. The best conversations are

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

the ones that ebb and flow between the topic at hand and life in general.

Recently, I drove to Crestview to interview Aaron Barnes, the master distiller at Timber Creek Distillery, for an article in 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida. I didn’t know what to expect, honestly. Handcrafting spirits is no easy task and very scientific by nature. My best friend and I used to brew our own beer at home, but by no stretch of the imagination was I a pro. Sometimes it can be a challenge to take complex topics and make them reader friendly. That’s part of a storyteller’s job. You want to capture the essence of the subject, but you don’t want to bog things down with too much technical chatter.

As soon as Barnes begins to tell his story while walking around the distillery, uneasiness evaporated, leaving only a comfortable spirit. Barnes has an incredible knowledge of his craft and, to hear him speak, one detects the same joy in his voice that young child would emit in talking about a birthday or a holiday.

It’s passion. Every detail of the distillation process begins and ends with Barnes in one way or the other. It’s specific, it’s meticulous, it’s personal and it’s an art of perfection.

But when you are passionate about something, whether crafting spirits or telling a story, only perfection will do.

That’s exactly why I continue to try new recipes and techniques in the kitchen.

Maybe one day cooking will become second nature, just like interviewing and storytelling.

Be well,

MATT ALGARIN malgarin@rowlandpublishing.com Are you passionate about Northwest Florida coastal living? Share your story by using #inspiredEC.

MATT ALGARIN

OUR PASSION IS SHARING YOURS

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February–March 2017

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM EC TOP SALON ONLINE »

WIN BIG ONLINE

EC Top Salon is in full swing, and you can view all the participating salons online. Learn more about each salon, why they chose their model and which charity they are competing for. You can even donate to the charity listed on their profile. Visit emeraldcoastmagazine.com/ top-salon to browse through the salons and to purchase your tickets to the big event on April 7 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa!

Enter to win 2 VIP TICKETS TO EC TOP SALON on April 7, 2017!

#INSPIREDEC

» The new year has brought changes and challenges to many, and that is why we want to know what inspires you to keep going. Do you love to work out? Maybe baking is what gets you up in the morning. Whatever it is that inspires you, show us by using #inspiredEC on social media.

To learn more about the InspiredEC campaign, check out our blog: emeraldcoastmagazine.com/blogs.

Exclusive tickets and prize packages for the Emerald Coast’s best events are up for grabs! Visit EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM and look for the Top of the EC logo for your chance to enter and win!

Text individual Top of the EC keywords (below) to 20673 for specific discounts and offers from those members.

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sweet Southern moments

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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CHARACTERS Inspired by Art || CHAMPION Kids of Leon

THE

FEB/MAR 2017

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

SCOTT HOLSTEIN/ROWLAND PUBLISHING FILE PHOTO

ATTRACTIONS

HERE THERE BE PIRATES

Pirate ships set sail from the Emerald Coast →

by HANNAH BURKE

Bucky, a pirate more friendly than fearsome, welcomes visitors aboard the “Buccaneer,” a pirate ship that sails out of Destin Harbor. The ship accommodates up to 149 “crew members.”

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wave

“A

hoy, Matey!” For a swashbuckling adventure you can’t miss, tour the Emerald Coast from the deck of an authentic pirate ship.

The Sea Dragon of Panama City Beach, an 85-foot-long vessel that braves the waves as an authentic replica of a vintage pirate ship, is operated out of Saint Andrew’s Bay by Captain “Fearless” Phil and his motley crew, who take adventurers on a two-hour voyage through the Gulf.

Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and landlubbers, but don’t forget that there is fun to be had on the ship, too. Kids will hit the deck and engage in “sword” fights, learn about cannons and even find their own treasure!

They’ll love getting their faces painted, immersing themselves in pirate culture, learning about pirates on the high seas and having a blast with the crew. Meanwhile, adults can relax to some music and enjoy appetizers and a cool beverage on the deck.

20

Over in Destin, even more pirates ravage the seas! The Destin Harbor is home to the Buccaneer, a large craft that holds up to 149 passengers at a time.

While a standard tour of the Gulf is available, this ship is also offered for private cruises, weddings and even field trips! You’ll find your sea legs as the Buccaneer departs from the harbor and ventures into the waters of the Choctawhatchee Bay. Children and adults alike will get the opportunity to scour the sea for buried treasure while learning what it means to be a part of Captain Cannonball’s crew.

You see, Captain Cannonball — longtime local Cliff Atwell — has been traversing the oceans since he was a young scallywag.

He marks the advent of his career all the way back to 1677, when he joined a crew to capture an infamous commodore and decided a pirate’s life was for him. Over the next few decades, Cannonball made his way from fledgling pirate all the way to captain of his

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↑ Pirates of the Caribbean transitions to pirates of the coast with

events such as Pirates of the High Seas Fest in Panama City Beach.

very own ship. With command of his own crew, he has faced-off with renowned pirates, such as Billy Bowlegs and Captain William Morgan. Now in command of the Buccaneer, Captain Cannonball and his mates always sail victorious along the Gulf, happy to share their vast knowledge of the waters they plunder.

“Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen, me hearties! Treasure awaits!” EC

FOR MORE DETAILS For details on the Sea Dragon of Panama City, call 850-234-7400.

To contact the Buccaneer of Destin, call 850-269-0896.

COURTESY OF VISIT PANAMA CITY BEACH

THE

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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THE

wave

CHARACTERS

INSPIRED BY ART D Local cartoonist, Dill Beaty, illustrates politics ill Beaty’s life and career has taken him from the Christian music scene in Nashville, Tennessee, to political cartooning in Destin, Florida, with stops in between in San Francisco and Monterey, California.

Beaty grew up near the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Tennessee, where his father, who was also a bluegrass musician, served as a highway patrolman and owned a Western Auto Supply store.

Overlooking the Destin Harbor, the 77-year-old admits he had no idea where his life would take him after high school — a time which he says reminds him of an episode of “Happy Days.”

“My mother had seen an ad in the newspaper for an art school in Nashville, so I went

22

by MATT ALGARIN

there and studied commercial art for fourand-a-half years,” he says. “I had always had a penchant for drawing and was told I had a modicum of talent.”

His studies ultimately took him to Italy for a semester, where he and his classmates studied during the day and took weekend trips to explore the art galleries and museums in Rome, Paris, Florence and Amsterdam. His travels exposed him to a variety of philosophies, writers, religions, artists and composers.

“This was a period of great influence in my life,” he recalls. “Travel is a good education.”

Travel would end up being a theme in Beaty’s life: After art school, he and a college buddy packed their bags into a VW Bus they bought for $600 and headed to San

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↑ Beaty dons his alter ego, Captain Dill Pickle.

This uniform makes its appearance when he reads to children at the Destin library.

Francisco, where they lived in a cheap hotel and survived off of peanut butter and bread.

As time passed, the crowds changed and the drug scene took over. Beaty, who had married, decided it was time for change, too. “Too many people went there for the wrong reasons,” he says. “It became an unsavory place to live.”

Enter Monterey, where Beaty worked in a factory making carpets for automobiles during the day, then drove to Carmel at night to work in a theater. As had happened in San Francisco, Monterey began to change.

It became a tourist mecca, Beaty says, so he and his wife decided to head back to the Volunteer state, where he began to work in the Christian music industry.

“You might say we were like the early explorers of Spain,” Beaty says. “We had come to find these new places in the New World, then everyone else followed.”

The time came when Beaty considered moving from Tennessee to the Gulf Coast.

Before making the move, he asked some photography by CHASE YAKABOSKI

friends who lived in Destin if they thought the community would morph into a tourist destination like Panama City Beach, where he had previously visited. He was assured that it wouldn’t happen.

Well, Destin has certainly changed since Beaty first moved there, and it has become a tourism hotspot. But tourists are a little easier to live with when you also live in paradise.

“You might For more than a decade, Beaty has shared his unique take on the say we were local political landscape in the like the early pages of The Destin Log. As the explorers of paper’s cartoonist, Beaty has created more than 1,100 cartoons. His Spain. We had work has earned him honors from come to find the Florida Press Association. these new “Over the years, I’ve maybe had, like, three to four ideas replaces in the jected,” Beaty says. new world, While Beaty has had quite a bit then everyone of creative freedom, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t ruffled a few else followed.” feathers over the years.

— Dill Beaty “At the time when Destin Commons was expanding, they changed the name of the street that’s now Danny Wuerfuell Way, and when they did that, I did a cartoon about that scene with construction and all. I had a road sign that was prominent, and it read ‘Danny Awful Way,’” Beaty says.

“A letter of complaint was sent to the editor of the paper.”

Fortunately, aside from that one experience, Beaty’s career in cartooning has been smooth sailing.

While he is definitely an artist, Beaty is also an appreciator of the arts. In particular, he enjoys reading. “Books are like old friends to me,” he says. He has shared his love of reading with his four children and eight grandchildren; but he also shared it with visitors to the Destin library when he donned a conductor’s uniform — inspired by the classic children’s book, “The Polar Express” — and became the special storytime guest, “Captain Dill Pickle.”

With more than seven decades of life behind him, Beaty says he strives to never stop learning, reading or having a good time — which is why he’ll commonly sign off from emails with “Pazzo Beaty.” Pazzo can be translated to mean “crazy,” in Italian.

As for his life, Beaty can sum it up simply by borrowing a line from the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia: “It’s been a long, strange trip.” EC

BREAKFAST & LUNCH with a

VIEW

BRUNCH

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February–March 2017

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THE

wave ← Leon Walters, a retired physicist, has

long championed the value of education. As president of the Bay Education Foundation, he helps oversee a scholarship and mentorship program that provides deserving students with the opportunity to become the first members of their families to earn a college degree.

CHAMPION

KIDS OF LEON Retired physicist champions children

by STEVE BORNHOFT

R

etired from what had been known as the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City Beach and surrounded by family members who believe strongly in “paying the civic rent,” Leon Walters was vulnerable.

Getting involved with the Bay Education Foundation would prove inescapable.

Dr. Glenda Walters, his wife, was serving as a mentor to a Foundation scholarship student, Amanda Nell Cobb, who grew up in a poor, single-parent household, but could not be separated from her passion for learning and her desire to go to college.

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One of their daughters, Lisa, an attorney, was a foundation board member who had been instrumental in bringing about the organization’s Take Stock in Children Scholarship Program.

But it was Cobb who cemented the Leon Walters/Foundation relationship.

While Glenda was Amanda’s mentor of record, Leon would emerge as a father figure in her life.

Walters, 76, was hooked and became a foundation board member and chairman of its fundraising golf tournament. At this writing, he has committed to serving the foundation as board president for a fourth year.

“Amanda was like so many of our scholarship students,” Walters said. “She had no role model and little support at home. No member of her family had ever been to college. In fact, her mother resented the foundation. She intended for her daughter to drop out of school and go to work.

“But Amanda would not be denied.”

She wished to learn, and she wished to teach.

Cobb would become the first Bay Education Foundation scholarship student to earn a bachelor’s degree, graduating from Flagler College in 2005 as an English major. She didn’t stop there. She went on to earn a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Central Florida and then embarked on international teaching tours of duty.

She taught English in China and then in Russia, where she met a dentist, Vladimir Meshcheryakov, whom she would marry. The couple now lives in Virginia, where Mrs. Meshcheryakov — she now goes by Nell — is closing in on her doctorate and working as the dean of students at Strayer University’s Henrico College Campus in Glen Allen.

Walters was a physicist by trade. A graduate of Florida State University’s main campus, he worked as a Senior Executive Service (SES) physicist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, supervising areas including underwater countermeasures, mine warfare, amphibious warfare and diving and life support.

“A lot of people don’t know what SES is,” Walters said, “but it is the equivalent of admiralty on the civilian side.”

Given his training and experience, Walters gravitated to the Science, »

This ongoing series shines a spotlight on individuals making a difference. These social champions from all walks and stages of life are equally zealous about the community causes to which they have dedicated their lives. For more champions, go to emeraldcoastmagazine.com.

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

25

THE

INSPIRED

Tradition

INSPIRED EXPERIENCES AT SANTA ROSA GOLF & BEACH CLUB Voted “Best Golf Facility” by Visit South Walton voters, Santa Rosa is the area’s only equity owned club. The club provides members and their guests access to ocean view golf (open to the public), private

wave Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) camps conducted at Florida State’s Panama City campus.

As a volunteer instructor at one such camp, Walters shadowed a reserved middle schooler, La’Fred Gibbons, who one day, surprisingly, spoke up and took on the responsibility of programming a robot.

“He excelled at that, and I made sure he received a foundation scholarship,” Walters said. “But he and his mother moved to Georgia when he was just a sophomore in high school and later moved to Ohio.”

Departure from Bay County resulted in forfeiture of the scholarship, but Walters has stayed in touch with Gibbons, who has made his way to Tuskegee University in Alabama. There, he is a junior majoring in chemical engineering and mathematics.

“He is an outstanding citizen,” Walters said, “and his situation was a lot like Amanda’s. He was a member of an itinerant family, and he had to make his own way.”

The foundation grants “2-plus-2” tuition scholarships to students who enter contracts whereby they pledge to remain “drug- and crime-free” throughout their high school years. Students living up to their end of the bargain are entitled to two tuition-free years at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City and two at the Florida public university of their choice. Should they opt for a private school, as Cobb did, they are responsible for the difference between public and private tuition costs.

Today, the foundation works to stay in touch with about 115 scholarship students who are in either high school or college.

Walters & Co. does its part that way.

“Glenda is mentoring a student and so is my son, my youngest daughter and my son-in-law,” the patriarch and foundation president said. “It’s a family thing for us.” EC

pool and beach access, and more. Golf and beach club memberships

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WINTER SAVINGS OF NEARLY $1,000 ON GOLF MEMBERSHIPS ENJOY THE FOLLOWING FREE FOR 6 MONTHS • 20 Complimentary Cart Passes • Complimentary Driving Range • 4 Complimentary Golf Guest Passes

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

MEANT TO BE A MENTOR? Mentors change lives by leading children to commit to values, establish goals, improve their academic and life skills and develop confidence.

The success of the Take Stock in Children scholarship program in Bay County is a result, in large part, of the role played by mentors — a role that appeals to people who want to have a lasting, profound impact on their community.

Weekly mentoring sessions range from 45-60 minutes in length and take place on school campuses. Take Stock in Children mentors receive training and materials that provide them with the tools they need to help students improve grades, prepare for college, plan for careers and develop life skills. Mentors, without exception, find themselves reflecting with gratitude on the adults in their own lives who groomed them for success.

To learn more about Take Stock in Children mentoring opportunities, contact the Bay Education Foundation at (850) 767-4111.

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February–March 2017

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the brands.

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SHOP . DINE . PLAY . STAY

Welcome to new, fresh style that’s GRAND. Anthropologie, Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines are what you’re looking for to enhance your sense of style and Grand Boulevard is the place to find them.

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Our exclusive retailers and restaurants include...

Altar’d State Another Broken Egg Café Billabong Brooks Brothers

Cantina Laredo Mexican Gourmet Chico’s fab’rik Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Grand Fitness Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

J. Crew-at-the-beach J. Jill J. McLaughlin L’OCCITANE Mitchell’s Fish Market The Orvis Company P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Starbucks Coffeehouse

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

...and many more! #GrandBlvdFL

Don’t forget to catch the latest blockbuster at Boulevard 10!

A HOWARD GROUP | MERCHANTS RETAIL PARTNERS DEVELOPMENT

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Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store

panache CITIZEN OF STYLE

Laura Belsinger

|| FOR HIM

Wallets

|| WHAT’S IN STORE Retail Roundup

FEB/MAR 2017

ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

↗ The floppy hat is a trendy shelter from the elements that also silhouettes any face shape beautifully, presenting a bit of mystique and glamour. The floppy hat isn’t just for summer!

FOR HER

TO TOP IT ALL OFF

Hats aren’t just for summer days at the beach; they make for winter wear, too

by ALEXANDRA PUSHKIN

photography by LAWRENCE DAVIDSON

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

29



panache ↙ Beanies, baby!

Cheerful and whimsical, beanies are a fun way to accessorize.

COLD WEATHER HEADWEAR FLOPPY HAT They aren’t just for summer! The floppy hat has quickly become a winter weather staple, because it’s the hat that seems to match with any outfit. “A great floppy hat with a flouncy top and a pair of flairs is a no-brainer,” explained Sara Becnel with Barefoot Princess.

BEANIE

30

↘ Fedoras make a modern move with arrowhead, shell and feather details.

extravagant styles, with hat makers creating larger and more ornate designs. Iconic hats, such as boaters, trilbies and bowlers, arrived by the end of the century and are now making their modern comeback.

“I love wearing hats through the year, but especially during the winter months,” said Laurie Olshefski, owner of Coastal Casuals in Pier Park. “They lock in your warmth

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

FEDORA Putting a modern twist on an old favorite is the fedora, which is not just for detectives or snazzy men in black-and-white movies. The suede texture is perfect for cool weather and is definitely up-to-date.

Pair with a brightly colored loose sweater and jeans for a modern look this chilly season.

and make you feel protected from the elements. Hats are a great finishing accessory, which serve style and purpose.”

This season is all about putting a modern twist on beloved silhouettes, and headwear is no exception. Hat materials such as suede and felt, and warm, earthy colors like olive and garnet, are both current and classic. EC

HEAD TO THESE LOCAL STORES FOR HEADGEAR Barefoot Princess/ Island Clothiers Destin and Miramar Beach Scout Pensacola Mercantile Seaside Lee Tracy’s Pensacola Coastal Casuals Panama City Beach

PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE DAVIDSON (FEDORA) AND KAPONIA ALIAKSEI (BEANIE) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A

s cool breezes find their way to the Sunshine State, Floridians begin to trade their straw sun hats for warmer winter wear. And while Florida can certainly get cold, temperatures rarely dip below the 30s, even on the chilliest of winter nights. So before you grab that hoodie, take into consideration the plethora of other types of headwear available.

Hats have been worn for thousands of years. The earliest known hat belonged to a Bronze-Age man whose frozen body was found in the Alps and who wore a bearskin cap with a chin strap — a hat that resembles the modern Ushanka, or Russian fur hat.

In the Middle Ages, hats denoted social status and ranged from simple scarves to elaborate hennins: tall, cone-shaped headdresses worn by European women of nobility.

The 19th century brought more

Perhaps the most recognizable fashion staple for the colder months, the beanie is making its modern comeback. “Beanies are fun because there are so many new, trendy ones out there right now, and they are no longer just for the ski slopes,” said Becnel.

Available in a variety of colors and finished with a fur pom-pom on top, this hat is cozy, classic and cute!

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February–March 2017

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panache FASHION ESSENTIALS

BLACK BLAZER

Rebecca Taylor, $475

HOT PINK SILK TOP Amanda Uprichar, $152

BLACK DRESS WITH LEATHER PIPING

Julie Brown, $195

ALL AVAILABLE AT BLUETIQUE 212 South Alcaniz, Pensacola.

Open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, call (850) 696-1264 or visit bluetiquepensacola.com.

CITIZEN OF STYLE

celebrate the joys of describe my personal style as classic,” she femininity. The clothing says. “I like buying pieces that I know I’ll and accessories found have for a long time. … It’s amazing how throughout the showroom many pieces I have had for over a decade, are her way of connecting and I still enjoy them!” to her customers — the For Belsinger, whose first major fashvery thing that keeps her so ion purchase was a Burberry trench, the passionate about running well-designed, beautifully constructed the store. To Belsinger, pieces produced by iconic couturiers are Bluetique is a very personal pursuit rather truly heavenly — though she does enjoy than a cut-and-dry business affair. the opportunity to throw in the unexpectHaving had her first ed: “One wildcard piece taste of running a retail in my closet is a light store while she lived in pink Ted Baker top with North Carolina, when puffy, feather-like cap Belsinger and her hussleeves in a pastel print,” band moved back to she admits with a grin.

Pensacola in 2012, she “It sounds hideous, but knew that she wanted I think it’s so much fun, to continue working and I smile each time I closely with clients, ofsee it!”

— LAURA BELSINGER fering personal service She indulges her pasand making them feel as sion for fashion with though they’d walked through the doors buying trips to New York and Paris, where into a place that was truly unique. she shops not solely with the mind of a Uniqueness is certainly something business owner, but as an adventurer to Belsinger values; but more than the trends, worlds where closets become treasureclassics seem to turn her head. “I would troves full of magic and wonder. EC

TIMELESS TRENDS The classic appeal with a coastal breeze

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

P

aris and New York may rule the Fashion Week runways, but Pensacola native Laura Belsinger is determined not to let geography limit style: She’s making her own scene at Bluetique, the coastal-inspired fashion enclave she’s created in the heart of downtown Pensacola. Awash in azure, the vintage Victorian home that she converted into a store space has become an outlet for her love of fashion, showcasing her eye for style and her deep understanding of the ways that a well-chosen piece of clothing can make a woman feel beautiful.

Much like her shop, the 37-year-old Southern lady-of-style is inviting and cheery, sophisticated yet relatable. Bluetique is a reflection of her desire to stand out, enjoy the process of dressing and

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

‘With basics in place, you can add trendier tops, statement jewelry and other accessories.’

photography by TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

A CELEBRATION OF THE BALLET RUSSE DE MONTE CARLO April 1 @ 7:30 pm ∙ April 2 @ 2:30 pm ∙ Mattie Kelly Arts Center Live Music by the Northwest Florida Ballet Symphony Orchestra

The Firebird with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Derek Reid

Scheherazade

with music by Rimsky-Korsakov and choreography by Ian Carney

Romeo & Juliet Balcony Scene with music by Sergei Prokofiev and choreography by Todd Eric Allen

Sponsored In Part By:

NFBallet.org

850.664.7787 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

33

panache

FOR HIM

UPDATING AN AGELESS ACCESSORY Wallets: Which style best fits your personality?

by MARIA KNIGHT

34

Dannreuther suggests that men keep in mind their needs when they choose their wallets. “Do you carry a lot of cash? Do you have to carry more than a half-dozen credit cards? If you’re a minimalist, go slim and sleek,” he suggests.

Men’s wallets have also gotten slimmer and slimmer because their pants have gotten tighter and tighter. If we learned anything from George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” it’s that bulky wallets are a fashion faux pas. To spare yourself the embarrassment that he went through, don’t let yours fill up with unnecessary weight. Bulky wallets burst easily, wear out your pants and create unflattering lumps on your backside. EC

↖ THE HANK LEATHER WALLET PLUS BY HERSCHEL SUPPLY CO. HERSCHEL WALLETS ARE AVAILABLE AT INTRACOASTAL OUTFITTERS.

DO Think about your ➺ daily needs when it comes to accessing credit cards or cash. If you’re prone to carrying multiple cards, Wes Dannreuther suggests a traditional, sturdy leather trifold.

DON’T Don’t let the ↗ EZRA ARTHUR (PREVIOUSLY BISON MADE) IPHONE WALLET, $85 AT EZRAARTHUR.COM. BISON LEATHER IS SAID TO BE BOTH DURABLE AND LUSTROUS.

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

➺ business or shop owner pick out your wallet for you, Kevin Karick says. You know your needs, so you’ll know which wallet is best for you.

COURTESY EZRA ARTHUR AND HERSCHEL SUPPLY CO.

I

t’s a fashion staple with a timeless, uncomplicated purpose. With less space to hold a wallet and less desire to carry one at all, men today are looking for contemporary simplicity in this accessory. Modern men’s wallets harness the traditional look of their predecessors, with refined leather; but they have also minimized their size to meet present-day needs.

“Guys tend to hang on to wallets for a while. We don’t like to switch, which tells you there’s some degree of investment there,” says Wes Dannreuther of Intracoastal Outfitters. “Like the car you drive, it doesn’t tell the whole story, but it’s revealing.”

Men today want lighter wallets, because they — especially young professionals — are carrying less. For socializing and busy lifestyles, men only want to carry the absolute essentials. The answer is to carry a wallet with a removable card-holder. This slim solution fits just a few cards and features an ID pocket.

“If you prefer to travel light, carry a slim wallet,” Kevin Karick of Hy’s Toggery confirms. “A lighter wallet won’t add as much pressure to your pants or jacket. You can also get wallets with Radio Frequency Identification to help prevent the chips in your credit cards from being scanned unknowingly.”

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES WINTER & SPRING 2017

SOLD OUT FEBRUARY 1

Shake ‘Em on Down (Film)

FEBRUARY 3

Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers

FEBRUARY 4

FEBRUARY 6

FEBRUARY 5

Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line with Kelsey Waldon

Vocalosity

PRISM

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

FEBRUARY 8

FEBRUARY 10

FEBRUARY 11 & 12

FEBRUARY 13

FEBRUARY 14

FEBRUARY 15

Twyla Tharp Dance

Richard Thompson & The Blind Boys of Alabama

MARCH 7

Rosi Golan

Lily Tomlin

Chris Botti

MARCH 23

Manual Cinema

Upcoming 2017 events – Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, MoFA Exhibit, A Movie You Haven’t Seen, & more!

FEBRUARY 12

Smokey Robinson

Mandolin Orange

FEBRUARY 23

Lang Lang

APRIL 4

Anne-Sophie Mutter

Pablo Sáinz Villegas

APRIL 13

Wayne Shorter Quartet with the FSU Wind Orchestra

850.644.6500 openingnights.fsu.edu EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

35

SPECIAL PROMOTION

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SMITH’S ANTIQUES MALL

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The Best 25,000 square feet and 90 vetted dealers has made Smith’s the favorite with decorators, locals, and tourists for 23 years.

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Antiques Shop

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EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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panache OPENINGS



PALAFOX PLACE IN PENSACOLA welcomes five new retail tenants: Gray Boutique, Wilfrid’s, Bee & The Bear, Frios Gourmet Popsicles and Badlands. Gray Boutique specializes in women’s apparel and will provide welcome additions to Pensacola closets. Wilfrid’s is a barber-and-fine-goods shop. Bee & The Bear, a cozy bar/restaurant with al fresco seating, features an ambient courtyard. Frios tantalizes taste buds with unique popsicle flavors developed by organic farmers using simple and local ingredients. Badlands bar replaces what was formerly known as Glory Dayze.

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

by REBECCA PADGETT

If you’re looking for a heartfelt gift, one-of-a-kind home décor piece or closet item that will stand out, ANN HARTLEY ALYS BEACH will not leave you disappointed.

Hartley has collected exotic statement pieces from all over the world that will delight your wardrobe and your home. Travel the world, not far from home.

SPRINKLE OF SWEETNESS

Sweeten any day with a gourmet cupcake. The SMALLCAKES franchise continues to serve up sugary sweetness with the opening of a new location in Seacrest.

Their signature item, the “Smallcakes Smash” is for those with a serious sweet tooth: A gourmet cupcake is smashed between two scoops of ice cream.

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

SIP, SHOP, SEA

RIDE IN STYLE The coast is known for its beautiful paths perfect for pedaling. You can now do so in the highest of fashion, with the opening of PEDEGO 30A, the Emerald Coast’s first all-electric bicycle shop. Cruise along at up to 20 mph on this green alternative bicycle.

Rent a bike for the day or invest in your own!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! TODAY’S BOUTIQUE in Destin celebrated 35 years of business in October. To properly celebrate, they let customers participate in a Wheel of Fashion — with giveaway items — and offered discounts of up to 35% on all merchandise.

Outpost, recently opened at 30AVENUE, offers all of your favorite things to do on the weekend. Sip on a Lineage coffee, snack on a macaroon or enjoy a glass of wine from the in-store wine+coffee bar, all while shopping through home goods, lighting, clothing, accessories, textiles and apothecary items.

Outpost is beachcentric, with a mix of globally sourced and handmade products.

PHOTOS BY WALT HARTLEY/BLUE DOORVIDEO (ANN HARTLEY), ROMONA ROBBINS PHOTOGRAPHY (PEDEGO 30A) AND ALISSA ARYN PHOTOGRAPHY (SMALLCAKES)

PLAY DRESS UP Rev up your wardrobe at MARKET SHOPS’ newest addition, The Dressing Room Boutique. This is the place where the most fashion-forward of your friends is likely to shop.

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February–March 2017

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digitalgraffiti.com

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

MUSIC

Dear Prudence: The Muse Behind the Song

|| ART

Paul Brent

|| BOOKS

Goodnight Pensacola by Anna Theriault

expression

FEB/MAR 2017

CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

STAGE

PHOTO BY MAURICE SEYMOUR, COURTESY OF RONALD SEYMOUR

STILL ON HER TOES

↗ Dorothy Lister has taken center stage for many years. This photo was taken early on in her ballet career, which has spanned more than six decades.

Six decades after dancing in the Northwest Florida Ballet, beloved Ballet Mistress Dorothy Lister shares memories of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo 

BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

41

↖ North Florida Ballet reunites with ballet’s Russian roots in a performance of “Scheherazade.”

“T



his is dance history right here,” artistic director in the worlds of dance Northwest Florida Ballet artistic and musical theater, from Alicia Alonso director and CEO Todd Eric Allen to Leonide Massine. says affectionately as he nods to his “She really has taught every major ar82-year-old mentor, teacher and pseudotistic director,” Allen says. “Nearly everymother, Dorothy Lister. In 1998, Allen inone (in the business) has a story about vited Lister to serve as NFB’s Ballet MisDorothy.” And so does Allen. At the age tress upon her return to her hometown of of 15, Allen honed his technique at the Pensacola, where her love of dance and Joffrey School of Ballet in New York, beher formal dance training began. ginning each day with Lister’s class.

Lister continued her training in New “She’s really tough,” he says. “Her York at the Swoboda School, with Baldancers are really strong, because she has let Russe de Monte Carlo. She pera lot of attention to detail. … If you make formed many of the famous pas de deuxs it through her class, you have a shot.” from various ballets across the country.

Over the course of her extensive caLister began her teaching career at the reer as dancer-turned-teacher, Lister has Brooklyn Academy of Music and joined kept hundreds — if not thousands — of the Joffrey Ballet Company, where she children “on their toes” … literally. Feet taught technique to children for 25 years. are a point of pride for Lister, who was She continued to coach dancers (includlauded for her “pretty feet” by many, ing Allen), performed on and off Broadincluding Ballet Russe choreographer way with the likes of Bernadette Peters, Frederick Ashton. But beyond good feet, Mickey Rooney, Elaine Strich and Joel Lister says a good dancer also has to have Grey and co-authored “ballet ears, eyes and a “Conversations with Choballet brain” — meaning, reographers” (1996). the capacity “to put things Lister has worked together better than any professionally in the computer … plus a pasworld of dance for more sion for doing it.” than six decades. This is After all these years, April 1, 7:30 p.m. & not typical, but neither Lister’s joy for dance still April 2, 2:30 p.m.

Mattie Kelly Fine Arts is she. Petite, fiery and sparkles like the delicate Center, Niceville funny, she has shared the diamond swan pendant Purchase tickets online stage with every notable she wears around her neck. at nfballet.org. dancer, choreographer and Dance isn’t something she

“WITH RUSSIA FROM LOVE”

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February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

does, it’s who she is. “My mother swears I was born dancing,” she quips.

Perhaps the only thing she loves as much as dancing is teaching. “I love children,” she says. “I find that children love to learn. It can be a challenge. It takes discipline and focus, and for some reason, they listen to me.”

All ballet-lovers’ ears will be tuned to Allen’s refreshing spring staging of “From Russia With Love,” which will include live orchestra accompaniment from the newly formed NFB Symphony Orchestra, led by David Ott. “It’s amazing. Ideally, it’s the way classical ballet should be enjoyed,” Allen says.

“From Russia with Love” features three of the world’s most celebrated works from the legendary Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: “Firebird,” “Scheherazade” and the pas de deux from the balcony scene of “Romeo and Juliet.” Each love story is lavishly staged with stunning sets and Dorothy Lister costumes. Lister has performed them all — including the first two in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo — which makes the show especially exciting for her Todd Eric Allen to “set.”

“It takes me back to “She really has my performing years.

Luckily, I still have taught every the capability of remajor artistic membering, and I was director. Nearly smart enough to take a few notes,” she says everyone (in with an impish smile. the business) Allen feels honhas a story ored to have worked alongside his beloved about Dorothy.” mentor and teacher — Northwest Florida for the last 18 of his Ballet artistic director total 21 years leading and CEO Todd Eric Allen the NFB. “(Lister’s) level and expectations are of the highest caliber. That’s the place she comes from,” he says. “She’s always pushing me in some way.” And surely it’s from her core: her ballerina’s heart. EC

PHOTO BY IAN CARNEY (SCHEHERAZADE) AND MARI DARR~WELCH (ALLEN) AND COURTESY OF NORTH FLORIDA BALLET (LISTER)

expression

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MUSIC

turned into a near recluse, rarely appearing from her hut. John Lennon was asked to “contact her and make sure she came out more often to socialize.” As a result, he wrote the song, “Dear Prudence.” In the song, Lennon asks Bruns to “open up your eyes” and “see the sunny skies,” re← minding her that she was “part More than just of everything.” a name, Prudence Farrow Bruns was Not surprisingly, the the inspiration song deeply influenced for a timeless song and, in many ways, defined by the iconic Beatles.

Bruns. Her award-winning memoir, “Dear Prudence: The Story Behind the Song,” offers her personal telling of the story of the iconic song written during one of America’s most tumultuous decades.

“It didn’t mean much to me at the time,” she reflects. “I was grateful and it was positive and very beautiful, but I was preoccupied.” And she still is.

It has been 48 years since The Beatles released “Dear Prudence” into the universe, but Prudence Farrow

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM Bruns, the speaker, author, scholar, actress Mia Farrow — Prudence has film producer and music muse, still never been a seeker of the spotlight. relishes time spent in reflection. She Quite the opposite, in fact, as the formed the Prudence Foundation to now-famous song laments. further support the study of yoga and Bruns’ father died when she was TM and is currently a director of the just 15 years old. At this time, she exNorthwest Florida TM Program. She perienced “a very powerful spiritual leads TM workshops near her home experience that set (her) sails.” She twice a month and at local studios began a personal quest to fill the void along the Emerald Coast several she felt with spiritual peace. At 16, she times a year. was reading “Siddhartha,” by HerShe and her husband, Albert, live man Hesse, and became “fascinated quietly in Seagrove Beach, where they and enthralled” with India, Hinduism honeymooned in 1969 and where they and Buddhism. While a student at spent their summer vacations with UCLA, she pursued her passion for their three children. “Seagrove has yoga and began practicing Transcenbeen an anchor in our lives,” Bruns dental Meditation (TM). says. “It’s a very spiritual place and Bruns had studied with Swami definitely has got something special Satchidananda for two years and had going on. We like that it attracts the begun teaching TM in a church in Boskind of people who care more about ton when she met up with The Beatles nature and less about waterslides and in India during their six-week sojourn big buildings.” to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

As for music, it’s still a “proShe was just 19 years old and one of found” influence in Bruns’ life. “It’s few Westerners who had even heard of a very powerful medium and one of Transcendental Meditation. the closest things to the spiritual we In India, Bruns became so intently have,” she says. “It reminds us that we focused on her meditation that she are connected; we are one.” EC

DEAR PRUDENCE The muse behind the song

I

t was 1968. The Vietnam War was raging. Martin Luther King was silenced by a bullet. Apollo 7 was the first aircraft to launch human life into space. Women’s Liberation groups began to target the Miss America beauty contest. And The Beatles four-member boy-band phenomenon was at its pinnacle, trying to make sense of the world through song.

The band harmonized a lot about women — which is, perhaps, one reason why they had such a strong following of female fans. In 1968 they released “Hey Jude,” “Sexy Sadie,” “Julia,” “Heather” and dozens of other songs. But it was “Dear Prudence,” written by John Lennon and recorded in London over three sultry summer days in August of 1968, that seemed to instantly intrigue a generation that was filled with angst.

The lyrical ballad was inspired by Prudence Farrow Bruns. Although she grew up in a Hollywood family — her father was film director John Farrow, her mother was actress Maureen O’Sullivan and her older sister is

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 PARTIAL LYRICS

OF “DEAR PRUDENCE” Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?

Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day The sun is up, the sky is blue It’s beautiful and so are you

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?

Dear Prudence, open up your eyes Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies The wind is low, the birds will sing That you are part of everything

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT “DEAR PRUDENCE”?

John Lennon is said to have selected it as one of his favorite songs by The Beatles. In 1987, Lennon’s original handwritten lyrics of the song, containing 14 lines and some “doodles” in the margin, sold at auction for $19,500. “Dear Prudence” is one of 17 songs recorded by The Beatles that mentions the words “sun” or “sunshine.”

English postpunk band Siouxsie and the Banshees released a cover version of the song as a single in 1983, which became one of their biggest hits. photography by CHASE YAKABOSKI

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ART

PAUL BRENT The will and wonder to watercolor

by HANNAH BURKE

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↗ Paul Brent paints primarily in watercolor and oil paints, but his hues have jumped off the canvas and onto wearable, usable and household items, which can be found at the Paul Brent Gallery in Panama City Beach.

object is broken down into tiny pieces that are individually painted,” Brent explains.

Brent’s artwork tells a story. There is detail and purpose — a precision that comes from the artist’s degree in architecture, which he received in 1968.

“People always comment that my work looks very structured, and I take that as a compliment, because it definitely does relate to my architectural background. No matter if I’m painting a floral or a landscape, there’s definition to each object I paint.”

Although Brent now focuses full-time on his art, he still dabbles in architectural design. Recently, he designed a vacation home in Oregon for himself and his family, where they spend their summers. The remaining seasons are spent in Panama City Beach, home also of the Paul Brent Gallery.

In addition to Brent’s paintings of local scenery, a trip to the Paul Brent gallery provides an exploration of work by other artists, including blown glass, ceramics and jewelry that compliment Brent’s style.

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

You’ll also find objects that feature Brent’s designs on them: dinnerware, handbags and household décor that are manufactured and shipped across the nation. Brent admits that it’s surreal to imagine his own artwork being featured in homes all across the country, but it’s gratifying, too.

“Every day I go to work, I’m doing something that I love and have fun doing.

Other people do this in other ways, but for me, it’s by making art that helps people feel good about themselves and their home, too.” EC



The PAUL BRENT GALLERY is located at 413 W. 5th St. in Panama City, Florida. For more information, visit PaulBrent.com.

SCOTT HOLSTEIN / ROWLAND PUBLISHING FILE PHOTOS

ith its vibrant blue-greens of the sea, pastel-painted coastal homes and the gradient jewel tones of the setting sun, the Emerald Coast is bursting with color just begging to be captured.

Panama City Beach artist Paul Brent does just that, immortalizing the beauty of his home with a likeness only watercolor and oil paint can render.

The 70-year-old artist first moved to Florida in 1969, when he was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City. Upon falling in love with the area, Brent rented a beach house and took the opportunity to explore the environment of life by the sea.

“I built the start of my career painting beach subjects,” Brent says. “People really connect with their area, so I was lucky to have a really good market for selling my artwork to people, by painting local subjects.”

Brent painted exclusively in watercolor until the year 2000. After having established himself as a successful watercolorist, Brent decided it was time to try something different and began experimenting with oil paint. As it turned out, Brent found a new medium he really enjoyed. Although his style has changed throughout the decades, Brent describes his current style as a marriage between his old, collage-type artwork and a more stylized technique.

“I’m experimenting with abstract, yet defined detail in watercolor. The pieces of the watercolor, put together, are like pieces of a puzzle. There’s definitely a realism that portrays specific objects, but each

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expression

BOOKS

EVERYONE LOVES BABY TURTLES A child’s-eye view of a Gulf Coast city

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

↗ Children’s book author and mental health counselor Anna Theriault shares her love of books, children and Pensacola through book readings at local bookstores.

“The illustrations appeal to the young and the young of heart who have a love for Pensacola,” Theriault continues. “Parents and grandparents who have read the book have said that they enjoy sharing a story with their children about the landmarks that they love from their own childhood, and kids seem to really enjoy the illustrations. Every time we drive over the bridge to the beach, my own kids get excited when they see our famous Beach Ball water tower.”

Theriault’s roots lie here, and her civic pride runs deep. “My grandfather was mayor for many years, and he instilled a love for this city in all of his grandchildren that I hope to pass on to the next generation.”

Theriault aims to share her love of Pensacola and of reading with other children besides her own, too. In her work over the years with at-risk youth, she’s seen first-hand the ways in which a book can open doors to a child’s heart and help that

child find true connection. Her hopes, in publishing “Goodnight Pensacola,” are that she can reach those little hearts and welcome them to the place that has long brought her joy.

“I hope that ‘Goodnight Pensacola’ can be used as a tool to develop a love for learning in the youth of our community,” Theriault says. “I also hope to write books in the future that can be used with children that are dealing with difficult life issues. I feel that books can be so therapeutic and extremely beneficial in building rapport with children, so I hope to write books for many years to come!”

As the moon climbs high in the night sky, it shines bright on Theriault, who reads “Goodnight Pensacola” to her children. And somewhere, in homes much like her own, those words are being echoed, and children are following a path down the streets of a unique and colorful city that is steeped in history — a city that is truly the stuff of dreams. EC

WANT TO READ ‘GOODNIGHT PENSACOLA’ FOR YOURSELF? Find it online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, or purchase it in person at Celebrations, Artesana, Storkland and Pizzaz, all in Pensacola. Published in 2015 by Mascot Books, ISBN 978-1-63177-143-9.

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SHAYN THERIAULT

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hen Anna Theriault wrote her book, “Goodnight Pensacola,” she wasn’t looking to make it big in the children’s literary market, and she didn’t want to make a large profit from sales; rather, she looked forward to witnessing the expressions on her babies’ faces as they listened to her read to them of some of Pensacola’s best-loved local treasures.

For Theriault, an area native and a licensed mental health counselor, the greatest rewards that have come from her book-writing experience are knowing that her children are growing to love the same city she has always loved and sharing with them a lifelong passion for reading.

“I was born and raised in Pensacola, and I’m still in awe of the beauty that surrounds us every day. I wanted to write a book that would encourage my children to explore the landmarks that make Pensacola unique,” explains Theriault. “My favorite page is the last. There’s an illustration of baby turtles making their way through the sand to the Gulf waters, and who doesn’t love baby turtles?

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gastro&gusto DINING OUT

Getting Zesty

|| LIBATIONS

Sit and Sip

|| DINING GUIDE

See Page 143

FEB/MAR 2017

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

↘

The simple Italian pasta dish Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (shown here) reminds Marina Cafe executive chef Al Massa of growing up in New Jersey.

DINING IN

DISHING UP COMFORT Local chefs share their favorite comfort foods

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

photography by JAMES STEFIUK

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Chef Al Massa, Executive Chef at Marina Café, Destin Born and bred in New Jersey, this former military man honed his culinary skills working for some of the country’s most famous chefs. Growing up in an Italian family, robust food (and red sauce) runs in his veins, and one of the dishes that still makes his heart dance is his mother’s Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.

“As with all comfort foods, it’s tied up with a sense of place and family,” says Chef Al. “This dish always reminds me of so many traditional Sunday dinners spent with extended family. … Those Sunday dinners helped anchor us as a family and gave me a great appreciation for family closeness. … My mom would make this as a special treat, because it was one of my father’s favorites, and I learned to love it from him.”

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

(Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil) Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS:

➸ 1 lb. dried spaghetti or linguine ➸½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing ➸ 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ➸ 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ➸½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped ➸ Kosher salt SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

Home cooking … it inspires memories of happy times with family, brings us comfort, instills in us a sense of being cared for and offers the rich flavors of tradition. And no matter how humble or seemingly simple the dish, the complexities of the emotions evoked with each bite of a favorite homecooked dish track personal journeys on a plate, telling tales of our histories as flavors dance across our tongues.

So what are some home cooked meals you’ll always remember? Over the next few pages, three renowned local restaurateurs offer a few of their own favorites and spill the secrets behind how to create these marvelous dishes.

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DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package time, stirring after 1 minute. When only a few minutes remain on cooking time, remove pasta from water, reserving pasta water for later use.

While noodles cook, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add parsley. Add a ladle of reserved pasta water to stop cooking process and allow flavors to combine.

Add drained pasta to saute pan. Add more pasta water as necessary to finish cooking pasta, letting liquid reduce as pasta finishes and forming a thicker sauce. Season with salt, if necessary, and transfer to a large serving dish. Drizzle with more olive oil and add additional red pepper, if desired. » photography by JAMES STEFIUK

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February–March 2017

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gastro & gusto  MARINA CAFÉ is located at 404 Harbor Blvd., in Destin. For more information, call (850) 837-7960 or visit marinacafe.com.

Chef George Lazi, Chef/Owner of George Artisan Bakery & Bistro, Pensacola Originally from the Republic of Georgia, Chef George has cooked and tasted his way around Europe; but when he moved to America, he fell deeply in love with the flavors of traditional Southern cooking. Even as he finds inspiration in the South, he never forgets his ties to his home country and the memories he has of eating his grandmother’s chicken satsivi.

“This is one of my favorite dishes,” he says, “because my grandmother and mother used to make it for me. … Every time I make it now, it reminds me of my country and my roots.”

Chicken Satsivi

GEORGE ARTISAN BAKERY & BISTRO is located at 1124 W. Garden St., in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 912-4655 or visit georgeartisan.com.

LIZA’S KITCHEN is located at 7328 Thomas Drive, Suite L, in Panama City Beach. For more information, call (850) 233-9000 or visit lovelizas.com.

CHICKEN SATSIVI (GEORGIAN CHICKEN WITH WALNUT SAUCE)

(Georgian Chicken with Walnut Sauce) INGREDIENTS:

➸ 3 cups toasted walnuts, whole or pieces, + ½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped ➸ 5 cups chicken stock ➸ 1 ½ cups cilantro, roughly chopped and divided ➸ 1 0 cloves garlic, finely chopped and divided ➸ 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped and divided ➸ 1 red chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

➸ ¼ cup olive oil ➸ 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces ➸ 3 tsp. sweet paprika ➸ 1 tsp. hot paprika ➸ 1 tsp. ground coriander ➸ 1 tsp. ground fenugreek ➸ ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ➸ 2 egg yolks ➸ 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar ➸ Kosher salt (to taste) ➸ F reshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Chef Mike Meek, Chef/Owner of Liza’s Kitchen, Panama City Beach Pensacola native Chef Mike grew up watching his mother and grandmother cook delicious meals and bake addictive desserts in the kitchen. As he matured into adulthood, he never forgot the way that great food that was cooked with love made him feel: safe and comforted.

“There’s something about time spent as a family sharing meals that’s so important, and it’s a huge part of the comfort experience of food for me,” says Chef Mike. “In particular, I remember how creative my mother was. When she came up with her pizza casserole, she blended two things that we all loved — pizza and pasta — and invented this wonderful meal that still makes me smile.”

PIZZA CASSEROLE

Serves 6–8

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, combine 3 cups walnuts and 1⁄2 cup stock and puree until very smooth. Add chili, salt and pepper to puree and half each of the cilantro, garlic, and onions. Puree until very smooth and set sauce aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook, turning as needed, until browned (about 8 minutes). Add remaining garlic and onions to pan, stirring occasionally until golden (about 4 minutes). Add paprikas, coriander, fenugreek and cinnamon and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Add walnut sauce (reserving one ladleful) and remaining stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and sauce is reduced by a third (30-35 minutes).

While chicken and sauce simmer, whisk together egg yolks and one ladleful of walnut sauce in a bowl until fully combined.

When chicken is tender and sauce is reduced by a third (see previous paragraph), pour egg mixture into pan with chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper, then ladle into serving bowls and garnish with chopped walnuts and remaining cilantro.

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Pizza Casserole INGREDIENTS:

➸ 2 lbs. ground beef ➸ ½ cup green pepper, chopped ➸ 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup ➸ 1 can pizza sauce ➸ 1 can sliced mushrooms, with liquid ➸ ¼ tsp. garlic powder ➸ ¼ tsp. oregano ➸ ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded ➸ 16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded ➸ 1 pkg. pepperoni, sliced ➸ 8 oz. pkg. wide noodles DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions, then strain.

As pasta cooks, brown beef in a large skillet on medium heat, then remove pan from stove and drain excess fat. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except mozzarella cheese and pour into a 2 ½-quart casserole dish. Top with an even layer of mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. EC

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gastro & gusto

DINING OUT

Adding Zing

Say ‘Oui!’ to the French-inspired menu at Zesty Baguette Bistro ZANDRA WOLFGRAM by

HOW TO EAT PHO LIKE A PRO

FRENCH BEEF RILLETTE

Thai basil, jalapeno peppers, lime wedges and hoisin and chili sauces.

Coffee shops are a special place in Vietnamese culture: They are where people gather to have conversations, discuss business and relax. Tran transports his patrons to his homeland with his Vietnamese Espresso poured over sweetened condensed milk (served hot or cold).

This sweet treat is the perfect ending Open daily, to any meal at the 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Zesty Baguette BisLunch — $8–$16 tro; but if you desire Dinner — $9–$25 Children’s menu, more, you can pair it Carry Out & with a slice of Asian Private Parties mocha cake, compli4418 Commons Drive E., Destin (850) 460-8797 ments of the chef. zestybaguettebistro.com “Oui!” EC



The atmosphere is contemporary-casual, with distressed driftwood-hued wood floors, neat rows of wooden tables and banquette booths that line each wall. Red lampshades suspended from exposed ductwork provide a pop of color.

Tran is there most days, welcoming and thanking patrons with his low-toned voice and warm smile.

The duality of this already-popular bistro is apparent in its diverse dishes, which include the French Beef Rillette — tender, slow-cooked French beef rillettes served with toasted bread — and the Vietnamese Banh Mi — pickled carrots, cucumbers, basil, jalapenos, cilantro and French butter served on a baguette. And, yes, Asian-inspired frog legs with olive oil and pesto are on the menu, too.

Not surprisingly, one of the most popular dishes is the Vietnamese broth-based noodle soup, pho (pronounced “fuh”).

Tran explains that the French introduced cows to Vietnam, which led to the creation of beef broth from the bones; so this popular dish is thanks to the French, as well.

Tran’s pho is a traditional recipe, made with delicate, white-rice-flour noodles in a savory, beef-based broth and served with fresh cilantro and a choice of beef, chicken or shrimp. This is a “hands-on” dish that you customize at your table, with layers of fragrant and tasty garnishes: bean sprouts,

You will be served a bowl of hot broth and a side plate piled with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, limes and sauces.

Sip the broth first, to honor it and enjoy it as it was prepared for you. Tear the herbs’ leaves to release the flavor of the herbs and chop up the jalapeño. How much of what you add is up to you. Place chopsticks in your right hand and your soup spoon in your left hand. Lean over your bowl and breathe in the aromas. This will prepare your palate. Once the noodles are gone — if you can finish them all — raise the bowl to your lips with both hands and polish the pho off. And if you slurp, so be it. Like sipping wine, tasting the broth with some air allows you to savor all of the nuances of the flavors.

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COURTESY ZESTY BAQUETTE BISTRO AND THESKAMAN306 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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ith a relationship dating back to the 17th century, the colonial architecture, lyrical music, weather-friendly fashions and many of Vietnam’s flavorful foods have been influenced by the French.

In the hopes that their passion for flavorful French-Vietnamese food would provide a delicious detour to Destin’s seafoodcentric food scene, Chef Duc Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant, in partnership with Dr. Hien Dao of Fort Walton Beach, opened the Zesty Baguette Bistro in Destin’s Paradise Key shopping plaza in March of 2016.

Zesty Baguette Bistro takes it name from the French bread that is sold in the streets of Paris from baguette (banh mi, in Vietnamese) stalls.

Before relocating to Destin to open Zesty Baguette Bistro, Tran was chef de cuisine at two successful Asian-themed restaurants in Atlanta, namely Ten and C’om.

Tran hopes the restaurant’s “innovative fusion” concept fills a void, when it comes to foods that are available in the area. And with plenty of positive buzz and a growing list of regulars, he is also filling bellies.

“We wanted to offer French cuisine with Vietnamese flair, because we see food like fashion: people want different options,” says Tran. “If you don’t know Vietnamese or French, you can realize our cultural value with our unique menu that celebrates both.”

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gastro & gusto

LIBATIONS

STOCKCREATIONS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SIT and SIP

Brandy is an after-hours favorite by JASON DEHART

A

romatic. Timeless. Classy. Brandy has been with us for centuries, and, in more modern times, has been enjoyed as a civilized, around-the-fireplace, after-dinner relaxation libation.

Brandy is made by distilling wine … and in the process, the alcohol content gets bumped up to between 35 and 60 percent. Its potency increases to 70-proof and beyond, which means that it’s not a “partying drink,” like



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beer. Brandy is strong stuff, and it’s not intended for rapid, college-game-day consumption. Brandy is meant to be taken slow and easy and is an elegant way to wind down an evening. It can be enjoyed either by itself or as a mixed cocktail. Sometimes it’s used as flavoring in certain recipes, and back in the day, it was also used medicinally to treat a variety of common illnesses. In fact, research has shown that brandy (like wine) contains beneficial antioxidants.

TOM & JERRY

There is a wide variety of brandies out there, so if one flavor doesn’t work for you, keep looking until you find the right one to suit your palate. The most famous examples of brandy are Cognac and Armagnac, which take their names from the regions of France where they’re produced. The drink is commonly served without ice in a tulip glass or in a snifter: a bowl-shaped glass that features a relatively narrow top, which traps the aroma. EC

This classic winter brandy beverage dates back to the 19th century and might seem a little complicated, but it’s worth it. It’s a social cocktail, meant to be shared in a gathering of friends. This particular recipe is from Foodandwine.com/recipes/tom-jerry.

MAKING THE BATTER: In a medium bowl, beat three large egg whites with ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat three egg yolks with ½ ounce aged rum. Gradually beat in one cup superfine sugar, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground mace, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice and a pinch of ground cloves. Gently blend in the beaten egg whites. The batter can be refrigerated overnight. Makes about 20 ounces.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: ➺ 8 ounces Tom & Jerry Batter ➺ 4 ounces Cognac ➺ 4 ounces aged rum

MAKING THE COCKTAIL: Pour the Tom & Jerry batter into a large, heatproof measuring cup. Gently blend in the Cognac and rum, and then gently stir in the hot milk. Pour the drink into four small, warmed mugs or heatproof glasses. Garnish with nutmeg.

➺ 8 ounces hot whole milk ➺ F reshly grated nutmeg

for garnish

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Four local fashion industry experts translate their tricks of the trade, trends and tips for our laid-back coastal lifestyle.

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM // photo by CHASE YAKABOSKI

It may seem like a long walk from the catwalk to your bedroom closet, but fashion is not just for the rich and famous, and it’s no longer found only on the red carpets and runways of New York, Milan and Paris. The Emerald Coast is teeming with “citizens of style” — real life trendsetters and trailblazers who own their distinctive style and sense of self. We caught up with four of our favorites, who are by no means celebrities, but who do earn their living “in style,” so to speak. We talked with each of them about their take on the world of fashion, classic favorites they love and faux pas they despise … and just how to translate those tricks of the trade, trends and tips to our lives, here on the coast.

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Dennis Reeves’ high school job in a men’s clothing store properly suited him to open his very own business outfitting the most stylish men along the coast.

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SHARP-DRESSED MAN

DENNIS REEVES FOUNDER/OWNER, DENNIS & COMPANY, FORT WALTON BEACH

IN THE ’80s, ZZ Top crooned that “every girl is crazy for a sharp-dressed man” … and for nearly 30 years, Dennis Reeves, 47, has made a living of dressing sharp.

Reeves first learned his way around a collar and cuff in high school, while on the job at Don Alan’s Men’s Store, where he worked for 20 years. In 2007, Reeves stuffed all of his retail experience in his designer pockets and founded Dennis & Company, which, at the time, was an updated full-service men’s clothing store. (Today, Amy Reeves runs women’s apparel for Dennis & Company.) Dennis explains that by “full service,” he means that he covers all of the clothing needs men may have, from a picnic on the bayou to a formal wedding on the beach.

One of the things that makes Dennis & Company special is that the owner is working on the sales floor every day, bringing all of his experience to make all of his clients look great.

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE: WHAT MAKES YOU A STYLE ICON? DENNIS REEVES: I’ve been able to grow in this community. My customer base comes here for me, and I’ve been here on the Emerald Coast for 29 Christmases helping wives pick out something for their men.

EC: DO YOU GRAB AND GO, OR DO YOU THINK THROUGH AN ENSEMBLE? DR: I try to think out my own wardrobe. I have to look like I know what I’m

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doing, so I have to look like I’m put together. I always have a sport coat to demonstrate how it’s supposed to look. I always try to represent fashion. If you’ve got something with a little edge, people do notice.

EC: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A SENSE OF STYLE? DR: It’s important that you have some leaders in fashion in your community. And these leaders have to expose their community to new fashion to keep it evolving. Fashion and what we put on is one

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of the most important things we do each day.

EC: WHAT IS FASHION, TO YOU? DR: I could do something else, but I have a love and passion for this business.

It’s more than a career, but I’ve invested my entire life in the fashion industry.

EC: HOW HAVE YOU SEEN FASHION EVOLVE OVER NEARLY 30 YEARS? DR: The Emerald Coast was always casual, but when Casual Friday hit, there was a dip in demand for dress

EC: WHAT ARE SOME CLASSIC FASHION MUST-HAVES? DR: It’s changing.

Years ago I would have said, charcoal suit, navy blazer, blue and white dress shirt and a necktie. Now, you need a soft sport coat to put on with the “bad” pair of jeans. We’re going softer and more casual.

EC: WHAT FASHION FAUX PAS DO YOU MOST DESPISE? DR: Not matching your belt with your shoes.

EC: IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, YOU WILL BE SURE TO DO … WHAT? DR: Try to dress appropriately. If the invitation says “black tie,” wear a tuxedo.

EC: IF YOU COULD EXPERIENCE A FASHION FLASHBACK, WHAT ERA WOULD YOU WANT TO EXIST IN? DR: 1988 to 1995 Tommy Hilfiger, for sure.

EC: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE NOTION THAT MEN DON’T SHOP? DR: That’s a myth.

EC: WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION FOR INSPIRED COASTAL FASHION? DR: Here you don’t have to adhere to the seasonal rules, such as no white after Labor Day, and you can wear things longer into each season.

EC: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FASHIONFORWARD TIP? DR: Don’t be afraid to wear some color.

TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAHY

CHASE YAKABOSKI

clothing. Still, there are a lot more options now.

ARTISTIC AE STHETIC

KARIN ZIMMERMAN ARTIST/BOUTIQUE OWNER, ATELIER ALCANIZ, PENSACOLA

FOR 25 YEARS, Karin Zimmerman’s studio has been located on Alcaniz Street in the Historic District of downtown Pensacola. Zimmerman, who holds an MFA in painting and mixed media from Florida State University, named her studio “Atelier Alcaniz,” which translates in French to “art studio on Alcaniz Street.”

In 2011, with encouragement from a local friend who owns an international boutique, Karin began to add select unique women’s apparel, accessories and statement jewelry from her travels to her homeland of Germany and across Europe to her studio’s offerings.

Now Karin likes to say that her Pensacola shop has evolved into a special place “where art and fashion meet.”

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE: WHAT MAKES YOU A STYLE ICON? KARIN ZIMMERMAN: I’ve found my experience in art and my art background has provided me a visual advantage for what I see and what I purchase, because I pay attention to detail and I have an eye for good design and overall aesthetics.

EC: WHAT IS FASHION, TO YOU? KZ: It is an expression of you. A woman should feel good about herself and bring out her best, and clothing can do that. For me, personally, EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

I prefer to have a little kick to things.

EC: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A SENSE OF STYLE? KZ: It’s what works well for the person and their body. A lot of times someone likes something on a rack, but it may not go with their body shape.

Personal style has to be developed.

EC: IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, YOU WILL BE SURE TO DO … WHAT? KZ: Well, it depends on the situation. For a job interview or going out to a nightclub, you make a February–March 2017

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different statement.

So the environment is important, and that dictates what you’ll wear.

EC: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESIGNER? KZ: No, but I do go back to designers who demonstrate quality in their work.

EC: WHAT INSPIRES YOU? KZ: As an artist, I take from nature, my surroundings and my environment. When you’re a painter, you deal with paint and color. The image is the starter, but the end result is often different. I have an MFA, but I often think, “I don’t know if this is going to work”; it’s a dialogue you carry on and in clothing.

There are similarities reflected, and in my case, it’s just that someone else is making the clothes.

EC: IF YOU COULD EXPERIENCE A FASHION FLASHBACK, WHAT ERA WOULD YOU WANT TO EXIST IN? KZ: I like the ’20s and the ’40s, just before the war. I like the hats and wide-legged pants and jackets. I’m not a straight-laced person, so a lot of clothing that is straight I can’t relate to. I want them to flow. It doesn’t matter if (it’s a) skirt or pant — it has to flow.

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EC: HOW DO ART AND FASHION INTERSECT, FOR YOU? KZ: I think when people come in the store, here, they say, “Oh my gosh, this is so different from any boutique.” The paintings reflect colors and are not straightforward, either. They are full of colors, vibrancy and style.

EC: DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR BALANCING BEING CLASSIC AND STAYING ON TREND? KZ: It’s a gut instinct.

We all have different personalities and different moods. It can be balanced by making a different statement with yourself. That’s a good thing about women — we should be able to do that and not have anyone stop us.

EC: WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION FOR INSPIRED COASTAL FASHION? KZ: Here, we are climate oriented.

Keep it airy, like the breeze on the beach — fresh and healthy looking.

I like fun things. You feel good and you look good, and the clothes are fun.

EC: SHARE A FAVORITE FASHIONFORWARD TIP. KZ: Just do what feels right for you.

Get out on a limb.

Express yourself.

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MOMPRENEUR

CAYCE COLLINS FASHION DESIGNER, DESTIN

CAYCE COLLINS HAS ALWAYS been creative, and she began sewing around the age of 8. After the birth of her children, Cayce began designing and sewing full-time out of her home studio. About eight years ago, she was featured as a “mompreneur” on People.com, and her line, CayceCol, went viral, which launched her name as a designer.

In 2016, Cayce was named a South Walton Fashion Week emerging designer finalist. Her love of the coastal climate, obsession with functionality and attention to detail led her to design a whimsical swimwear-and-resort line that she says is “made for sea-loving girls with sandy toes and salty hair.”

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO WOMEN IN TERROR OF THE SWIMSUIT SEASON? CAYCE COLLINS: I am a mom, and I have given birth to two children.

I say embrace your body.

Find something you’re comfortable in and enjoy the company of others.

EC: WHAT IS FASHION, TO YOU? CC: It’s so personal. I have a business degree in marketing from Florida State University.

I learned how to sell things to other people, so I feel, now, what I’m doing — fashion — it’s the complete opposite. I need to not pay attention to social norms and just feel it.

DARRIS HARTMAN

EC: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A SENSE OF STYLE? CC: I think there is a lot of confidence, a little of bucking the system and making your own way (and), at the same time, incorporating familiar elements in a creative way.

EC: WHAT ARE YOUR CLASSIC FASHION MUST-HAVES? CC: A denim shirt. It can be dressed up, down, tied, worn open. I’m a big fan of bracelets; I always have an arm party going on. I have my staple bangles — they go with everything.

EC: SHARE A CLOSET MAKEOVER MUST-DO. CC: I recently did this: I went through and chose everything that made me feel special and that I loved, and I try to wear those as often as possible. And I organize everything by color.

EC: WHAT FASHION FAUX PAS DO YOU MOST DESPISE? CC: I try to celebrate everyone’s individuality, but I’m getting closer to 40 now, and when I see ladies with leggings that are too tight or worn with a shirt that’s not long enough … Ladies I know you can do it: Put on that denim shirt.

EC: DO YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE ACCESSORY? CC: Yes, I carry a fabric bag

by Nena & Co. Proceeds help women in Guatemala. I love a garment or piece with a good cause behind it.

EC: IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, YOU WILL BE SURE TO DO … WHAT? CC: Have nice posture, be covered up and be confident.

It can outshine any kind of a bad outfit.

EC: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNER? CC: Right now, Alice McCall. She’s like a polished Bohemian.

EC: WHAT INSPIRES YOU? CC: I’m really inspired by music. My husband and I go to

see a lot of live music, and I like to see Festival fashion.

EC: IF YOU WERE A “LOOK,” WHAT LOOK WOULD YOU BE? CC: A gypsy-mermaid-mom!

EC: IF YOU COULD EXPERIENCE A FASHION FLASHBACK, WHAT ERA WOULD YOU WANT TO EXIST IN? CC: I don’t dress this way, but I love the tailored, polished look of the late ’40s and ’50s. Everyone was so well-dressed when they left the house. They looked like they were going to meet the president. Now you get on an airplane and people are in pajamas.

EC: WHAT’S HOT FOR 2017?

CC: There’s been a dissension into ’90s fashion of late, but hopefully it won’t last long.

EC: WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION FOR INSPIRED COASTAL FASHION? CC: From a swimwear stand point, people are going to be moving, so their clothing needs to be functionally fitting, so you can do your stand-up paddleboarding, surfing or swimming or even just walking on the beach.

EC: SHARE A FAVORITE FASHION-FORWARD TIP. CC: I’m really into tucked-in shirts right now. You look polished, finished and pulled together.

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SAVVY ST YLIST

KIM BRUNDAGE STYLIST, DESTIN/MIRAMAR BEACH/SANTA ROSA BEACH

NEARLY 17 YEARS AGO, Texas native Kimberly Brundage and her husband, Chris, packed up their belongings and their first-born child and moved to Destin. Kimberly, who graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in fashion design and product development, partnered with her best friend to open the first of their two women’s boutiques in Destin Commons and The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

The successful duo handled every aspect of the business, from merchandising and events to shopping for the store at every market from New York to Los Angeles. Now, the wife, carpool expert and mother of two teenaged girls has chosen to channel her passion for fashion and her 23 years of experience into another successful business of her own: Style by Kimberly, which offers a variety of wardrobe services to clients at affordable prices.

EC: ARE YOU A STYLE ICON? KB: No, I think I’m an accidental stylist. I’ve had 23 years of really listening to women of all sizes and hearing them.

So these are tips and tricks of the trade that I’ve learned, and (I’ve seen) what works and doesn’t work. We all get in ruts and need a fresh perspective.

EC: AS A CLOSET MAKEOVER EXPERT, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MUST-DO? KB: Getting real with your clothes and letting go and getting rid of all the clutter in the closet.

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Why do we have eight white T-shirts? Get it down to two.

EC: WHAT FASHION FAUX PAS DO YOU MOST DESPISE? KB: Showing too much skin. It’s so unnecessary, and it’s not flattering and unfortunately, you see it in every age group.

Right now the “cold shoulder” is in, and that’s a great area.

It’s a way to be sexy but classy.

EC: IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION, YOU WILL BE SURE TO DO … WHAT? KB: Have nice shoes.

Shoes can really make or break an outfit.

EC: WHAT WILL YOU NEVER PART WITH? KB: Cowboy boots.

Maybe it’s the Texas in me, but I just can’t give those up. Whether they are in style or not, they are always in style for me.

EC: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FASHION COLOR? KB: Black. You just can’t

go wrong. Black makes anything cool, and it’s a how-to guide to look expensive.

EC: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESIGNER? KB: Diane von Furstenberg, and the reason why is because you can be curvy, and it’s OK. She brought back and introduced the “wrap dress,” and I haven’t met one person who can’t pull off that style.

EC: IF YOU WERE A “LOOK” WHAT LOOK WOULD YOU BE? KB: I would not be a fruit! A lot of stylists tend to put people in categories of apples, bananas and pears, but that’s not what I am. I don’t want to be classified as one thing. I say, chuck all that out, because there are exceptions to everything.

EC: DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR BALANCING BEING CLASSIC AND STAYING ON TREND? KB: Jewelry. You can

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keep your classic wardrobe, and then you can introduce a trend with an accessory. It’s an inexpensive, easy way to be on-trend without investing a lot.

EC: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FASHIONFORWARD TIP? KB: I think a lot of people are intimidated, but there are great ways to wear leather for all ages and be okay. You can “leather” here, in Florida, in small pieces.

EC: WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON FASHION MYTH YOU ENCOUNTER? KB: The biggest myth to debunk is people thinking stylists are only for celebrities on the red carpet. Everyone can do it. I dress real people in real-life ways.

EC: WHAT’S HOT FOR 2017?

KB: You! Everyone’s different. We have so many designers and jewelry artists in our own backyard. Go to your local boutique and look at what they have. EC

CHRISTINE MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE: HOW DO YOUR CLIENTS FEEL AFTER A CONSULT OR CLOSET MAKEOVER? KIM BRUNDAGE: The biggest takeaway people have is a feeling of a weight lifted. I make it fun, and they are inspired again. …

(I’m) taking (away) some of the scary rules and debunking these style myths.

WANT TO BE A STYLE ICON? Start

by adding these boutiques and shops to your must-visit list. ➸ Alys Shop, Alys Beach ➸A pricot Lane, Destin

Commons/Destin

➸D estin Threads,

Destin ➸T oday’s Boutique, Destin ➸D ennis & Company, Fort Walton Beach ➸N icole Paloma (Monet Monet), Grayton Beach ➸B arefoot Princess/ Island Clothiers, The Village of Baytowne Wharf/Miramar Beach ➸T he Dressing Room Boutique, The Market Shops/Miramar Beach ➸S irens, The Market Shops/Miramar Beach ➸T eena Haven, Miramar Beach ➸W ren’s Village Boutique, The Market Shops/Miramar Beach ➸C oastal Casuals, Pier Park/Panama City ➸D éjà Vu, Seaside & Pier Park/Panama City ➸L iz and Jane Marketplace, Panama City Beach ➸L izard Thicket, Pier Park/Panama City ➸O phelia, Seacrest Beach/Seaside ➸ Mercantile, Seaside ➸W illow, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, 30Avenue/Inlet Beach ➸A telier Alcaniz, Pensacola ➸ Lee Tracy’s, Pensacola ➸ Scout, Pensacola

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The occasional visit wasn’t enough for Weldon and Barb Brinkley. They flew the coop from Mississippi to make a nest in Destin.

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THEY CAME TO

STAY

Snowbirds become sandpipers STORY BY THOMAS J. MONIGAN PHOTOS BY TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Wintertime on the Emerald Coast brings the annual migration of Snowbirds — visitors from the frozen north who come here for sun and fellowship. But, as it turns out, not all of them head back home. We recently visited with three couples who have come to plant their feet in our sugar-white sand on a permanent basis.

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WELDON AND BARB BRINKLEY

SPENCER, IOWA

The Brinkleys’ road to living in Destin’s Sandpiper Cove started in Spencer, Iowa, and ran through Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cleveland, Mississippi.

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eldon Brinkley’s study to become a Lutheran minister took him and his family to Wisconsin; his “first call” meant relocating to Cleveland, Mississippi, located about 100 miles south of Memphis.

Taking daughters Jodi and Sara and son Marc to Disney World, in the early 1980s, meant discovering Destin.

“It was not like it is now, but we were quite intrigued,” Weldon said.

“I fell in love with it the first time,” Barb said.

“Barb started coming for visits with friends, then after that, we started coming with our family for a week,” Weldon recalled.

Sometime around 2007, “the dream” took hold, so the Brinkleys rented in Chateau La Mer for the month of November.

“Just to see, long term, if we would like it,” Weldon said. “Then, four years ago this October, we bought here and moved here. We wanted to be on Scenic 98, but we couldn’t find anything we wanted until Barb found Sandpiper Cove.”

What she found had two bedrooms, two baths and 1,132 square feet of space with “a nice patio.”

When the Brinkleys first walked in, they had a special feeling.

“We got to about where we’re sitting right now and said, ‘This is the place,’” Weldon said. “We liked the looks of it, but we had no idea of all the benefits that were here. We found that out later.”

Those benefits are the nine-hole, par-three golf course laid out between the condos. “So you have to be careful,” Weldon said with a laugh.

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Sandpiper Cove also features five swimming pools, three hot tubs, six tennis courts and one pickle ball facility.

“And we’re by the beach; that’s what I wanted,” Barb said. “And there’s a lot of nice restaurants here.

Plus, we’re centrally located, and that means a lot.

“In the summer, when the traffic’s so heavy, we have Winn-Dixie, we have Target and we’re not far from HarborWalk Village. Plus, a water taxi comes here and we can take it to HarborWalk, so we don’t have to drive in that traffic.

And when the traffic is bad, all we have to do is go across the street to get what we need.”

But the Brinkleys agree that the prime benefit of living in Sandpiper Cove is the natural surroundings.

“That’s what started it,” Weldon said. “It’s an awesome sight coming over that (Marler) bridge and seeing that water.”

Moving to Destin in October meant getting involved with the Snowbirds, who proved very willing to share their local knowledge as well as play darts.

“We became real involved with Snowbirds, and it was through them that we got to know Destin, really,” Weldon said. “We would’ve gotten to know Destin, but not nearly as fast as we did, and they welcomed us just as if we were Snowbirds.”

Which made Barb smile. “Now we’re what?

Sandpipers,” she mused.

Moving here was not complicated for the Brinkleys. They sold everything but their clothes, a desk and a daybed. Their condo was furnished when they bought it.

We have people talk to us about coming here, and my advice to them is always, ‘Come down here and spend a month or two in the wintertime when the rates are low, and get the feel of it.’ Because September, October and November here are fantastic.”

— Weldon Brinkley

The Brinkleys both enjoy nature, especially the tranquility of living near water. They try to spend as much time near and on the water as possible.

“Barb had been wanting to come this way forever,” Weldon said, “and we had a big house with a big yard, and one day I came in hot from working, and I said, ‘Let’s sell and move to Florida,’ and away we went.

And they’ve been having fun ever since.

“There’s always something to do here,” Barb said. “In other places we’ve lived, there was nothing to do.”

Weldon said one of his favorite events is the Tuba Christmas concert presented at Baytowne Wharf. He also still practices ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Shalimar.

Barb’s mother, Norma Breidinger,

lives in Westwood Retirement Resort in Fort Walton Beach. Barb’s sister, Jo Albright, and her husband, Don, from Nebraska, spend the month of October here. And the Brinkleys’ three children have a total of five children who look forward to their respective annual trips to the Emerald Coast to see their grandparents.

“They all come and visit,” Weldon said.

“Everybody likes it here,” Barb added.

Individually and together, the Brinkleys are not shy when asked about living here.

“We have people talk to us about

coming here, and my advice to them is always, ‘Come down here and spend a month or two in the wintertime when the rates are low, and get the feel of it.’ Because September, October and November here are fantastic.”

“We have about five couples that we know that own condos here but just come part time,” Weldon said, “and we keep saying, ‘You need to retire completely and come here full time.’”

Not long ago, someone asked the Brinkleys where they spent their vacations.

Weldon’s reply was, “We’re on vacation 365 days a year. Why go anywhere?”

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Anne and Gary Olson, along with their black Labrador retriever mix, Molly, enjoy the welcoming community of Hammock Bay.

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ANNE AND GARY OLSON

WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS

The Olsons live in Hammock Bay, near Freeport, and both of these Illinois natives celebrated their 67th birthday in January.

T

hey met at RockfordGuilford High School, where Anne played clarinet and Gary played French horn in the school orchestra. Gary was a dentist for nearly 40 years and Anne was his bookkeeper and accountant.

“I was familiar with Florida because my grandparents had a place down at St. Pete beach,” Anne said, “but this section of Florida I really hadn’t visited until we came to see some very good friends of ours who were at Eglin Air Force Base.”

That trip occurred in the 1970s, and visits to Florida became more frequent over subsequent decades. The Olsons didn’t discover Freeport until several years ago.

That happened after their daughter, Marcella Stefani, moved to Hammock Bay with her husband, Tom, and their six children. He owns Emerald CFM (cabinet, fixture and millwork), and she is a Realtor with ERA American Real Estate.

“We were living in Washington, Illinois, … we were struck by a tornado in November 2014, and we needed to either rebuild or move on,” Marcella said.

“We used a headhunter, and the choice was either L.A., New Jersey or here,” she recalled. “It was a leap of faith, but my husband got a job running Marquee Cabinets in Santa Rosa Beach.

I had never heard of Freeport, but I was actually pleasantly surprised.”

With Marcella’s professional expertise, the Stefanis and the Olsons wound up living right next door to each other.

on a regular basis; but there’s no doubt “The transition was easier for my about where her focus lies. They remother than my father,” Marcella said cently purchased several small condos of her parents’ retirement. “He was nearby so people can come visit them. used to working 40 to 50 hours a week.”

“The beaches are a huge draw,” Anne Today, Gary volunteers at Children’s said, “and the restaurants here — this is Volunteer Health Network in Santa a foodie capital. We haven’t been to a Rosa Beach. He does school dental bad one yet.” checkups for low-income students in Recently, the Olsons were part of the Walton and Okaloosa counties.

Molly, an 8-year-old black Labrador rePrime Timers Lunch Hunt at Magnolia triever mix, is the newest member of the Grill in Fort Walton Beach.

Olson family. They live in a condomin“They just treated us like royalty,” ium that has three bedrooms, two bathGary said. rooms and measures 2,800 square feet. It “I think this is just a wonderful area,” includes a Florida room and a pool.

Anne said, “and I like the fact that it’s “The reason we wanted to not Snowstill an area where a no-chain restaurant bird is we tried it a little bit but I really or an artist can thrive. It’s a place where like the sense of belonging,” Anne said. people can come in and do what they “And I wanted to have friends and be acdo and have a shot, without having to tive in church and be part of the commube part of a big organization. Individual nity and not just a visitor. I think it’s very expression is rare in today’s world, and hard to live a divided life.”

I just really appreciate that Both Olsons are enjoying uniqueness.”

The Hammock Bay, because it is Gary mentioned being reason not far from South Walton’s able to see grandson Michael we famous beaches and there playing in Tuba Christmas wanted to not Snowbird is we are golf courses nearby. at Baytowne Wharf during tried it a little “It’s a community, and last year’s holidays. bit but I really they have lots of gather“There’s just a lot of cool like the sense of belonging. ings,” Anne said. “There’s a things happening,” Gary And I wanted lot of opportunities to meet said, “and even though this to have friends your neighbors at the pool place is growing, we’ve got and be active in church and complex. Everybody is so so many state parks and so be part of the friendly, and many of the much open land — it’s alcommunity people here are not from this ways going to be a nice part and not just area, so it’s made the transia visitor. I of Florida. You have to have think it’s very tion very easy.” both commerce and beauty, hard to live a Two of the Olsons’ three or else people might decide divided life.” they don’t need to come here children still live in Illinois, —Anne Olson for vacation.” and Anne visits “back home”

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TOM AND MARY ELLEN FRANKLIN GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA

The Franklins hail from eastern North Dakota, near Grand Forks and the Red River Valley. For the past two years, they have been leasing a condo at Seascape Golf, Beach and Tennis Resort in Miramar Beach.

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om is 69 years old and Mary Ellen is 70, and each spent nearly 35 years in elementary education. Mary Ellen is a talker, while Tom maintains a sort of classic cowboy quiet.

“Who ever thought retirement could be so wonderful?” Mary Ellen said of their present situation. “The people, the environment — it’s just hard to beat.”

Their condo has two bedrooms and two baths and measures 1,200 square feet. It is also home to Kramer, the eight-year-old border collie known to his owners as “The Seascape Dog.” It all started six years ago, when the Franklins decided to visit their daughter, Andrea Notley, who lives in Tallahassee with their grandchildren, Tyler and Nicholas.

“We were going to stay for two months,” Mary Ellen recalled, “and we were staying in an extended-stay motel. And while we were there, a high school classmate of mine, Nels Tangen, and his wife, Myra, called us.”

The Tangens were living in Seascape and invited the Franklins for the weekend.

“We just couldn’t believe how beautiful the area was,” Mary Ellen said. “So we went back to Tallahassee and said to the kids, ‘Well, what do you want? Do you want to see us for a few minutes every day (because teenagers are busy) or would you like to come to the beach every weekend?’”

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Turned out to be an easy choice, which made the Franklins more than happy. They eventually joined the Destin Snowbirds, and Tom recently served as president.

“We love it,” Mary Ellen said. “There’s so many people you can meet and so many activities that you can do. And being here year around now, we’ve met locals, too.”

Tom didn’t hesitate when asked about the best part of being involved with the Destin Snowbirds.

“The people,” he said. “They come down here to have fun, and they do. We’ve made lifetime friends through the Snowbirds. I guess that’s the best part.”

When asked about the natural challenges of adjusting to their new lifestyle by the Gulf of Mexico, both Franklins just smiled.

“Well, actually, you don’t think you have an accent,” Mary Ellen said, “and I happened to be walking the dog the other day, and I ran into some maintenance guys and we stopped and visited.”

Which led to some humorous mention of the North Dakota accent.

“And I said, ‘You all heard how you talk?’”

Mary Ellen said with a laugh.

And, of course, there’s words the folks back home might use, but locals don’t.

“The easy one is ‘soda pop,’” Mary Ellen said.

“Then there’s ‘supper’ and ‘dinner,’” Tom (continued on page 137) added.

Tom and Mary Ellen Franklin haven’t shed their Northern accents, but every other aspect of the Florida lifestyle was easy to adapt to.

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ST O RY BY ST EVE B O R NHO F T

KINGS OF THE GULF

THE LATEST SPORTFISHING YACHTS EXPAND THE STRIKE ZONE

A mate (this page) rigs lines with skirted trolling lures and a teaser designed to attract the attention of the Gulf of Mexico’s most magnificent predators — such as the blue marlin (opposite).

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COURTESY HATTERAS YACHTS / JIM-RAYCROFT

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Billfishing in the northern Gulf of Mexico tends toward long stretches of monotony interrupted by brief, unpredictable periods of pandemonium. With 30 minutes left in the OBBC’s fishing hours, pandemonium happened. The “Rise Up” was tied up with a contender.

Twenty-three minutes later, the 120-inch fish was on the deck and occasioned a celebration that was cut short by the need to immediately ready the boat for the run home. The “Rise Up” had another deadline to meet — getting to the scales before they closed at 7 p.m. — and doing so would require hauling, well, keister.

“We were running pretty hard and had boat trouble,” Hallmark said as he summoned a difficult memory. “The electronic sensors on the motors detected a problem and de-rated them,” limiting the maximum number of RPMs at which they could be run.

Hallmark had no choice but to shut the engines down, let them cool and then hope he would be able to resume normal operation. He would prove able to do so, but not for long.

Three times, the “Rise Up” would de-rate on the way in.

Capt. Jason Hallmark led angler Scott Poppell and the crew of the “Rise Up” to the first-place blue marlin of 838.2 pounds in the 2016 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic. The fish was one of 23 blue marlins caught by the tournament fleet in two fishing days.

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“If it had happened twice, we would have made it,” Hallmark sighed. The “Rise Up” reached the Intracoastal Waterway, slowed to observe “No Wake” signs and arrived at the scale 100 seconds late.

“It was a tough pill to swallow, but that’s why they have rules,” Hallmark philosophized. “The tournament officials felt bad for us, but if they had bent the rules in our favor, what would they do if another boat had come in 10 minutes late?”

The tournament weighmaster, as a courtesy, put the tardy marlin on the scales.

“Seven hundred and seventy-one pounds,” he announced.

That is, it weighed 120 pounds more than the tournamentwinning blue marlin. The “Rise Up” had missed out on $150,000 in prize and Calcutta money by a matter of less than two minutes.

Was there a silver lining?

“I guess you could say so,” Hallmark concluded. “We got more notoriety out of coming in a little bit late than we would have if we had won. It made for a good story.”

Hallmark is a member of a new generation of billfish specialists who captain a new generation of sportfishing yachts. Hallmark and his rivals, including Patrick Ivie and Miles Colley, are to big game fishing as Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson are to golf. Like big hitters who easily reach par-5s in two, Hallmark et al, cover distances previously unheard of.

“Fishing tournaments, we may run 300 miles one way,” Hallmark said. “There are a handful of captains that make those long runs.”

That is, if owners are willing. Some may not wish to ride that far or pay for the added fuel expense to get there.

“The fuel-tank capacity on this boat is 1,800 gallons,” Hallmark noted, referring to his current office, a 60-foot Hatteras, the “Gunnslinger,” berthed at The Ships Chandler marina in Destin. “And we’ve got bladders that hold another 400. We’ll run for four or five hours and then pump the fuel from the bladders into the tanks. It gives us even more range.”

Fuel supplies evaporate quickly when a boat cruising at 30 knots burns 125 gallons an hour — and Hallmark favors long runs to waters that he first fished at a time when he was piloting his own boats.

The “Rise Up” arrives (top) at the weigh-in scales at the 2016 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic.

Boating bluewater species requires the right equipment, a skilled captain and mate and a certain amount of luck. Capt. Jason Hallmark (bottom, right) is equipped with trolling lures but finds that large live baits tempt the biggest blue marlin.

PHOTOS BY STEVE BORNHOFT (BOTTOM RIGHT) AND COURTESY EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC / ALLISON YII (LEFT AND TOP RIGHT) AND HATTERAS YACHTS / JIM-RAYCROFT (RIGHT)

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HE CAPTAIN AND CREW of the “Rise Up” had what they believed would be a place-winning yellowfin tuna on ice, but had yet to boat a marlin, and time was running short. Fishing off Louisiana, the “Rise Up” was a long way from the Orange Beach (Alabama) Billfish Classic’s tournament scales. Capt.

Jason Hallmark, boat owner Rusty Skalla and the others on board had resigned themselves to the near certainty that they would be weighing in a “meat fish,” but no billfish.

Beefy engines, greater range A new more powerful, faster generation of sportfishing yachts has dramatically expanded the range that crews can cover in the course of a tournament.

Such boats, according to Capt.

Jason Hallmark of Destin, whose current “office” is a Hatteras 60GT, may travel 300 miles one way when fishing events including the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic.

HATTERAS 60GT SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall (LOA): 62 feet, 2 inches Beam: 19 feet Draft: 4 feet, 9 inches Displacement: 90,000 pounds Fuel Capacity: 1,800 gallons Water Capacity: 200 gallons Power: 2 x 1,800-hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesels Base Price: $2,500,000

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“In the winter months, after the tourist season, I would commercial fish for tuna in Louisiana from my charter boat — fishing with kites, mostly — and we would catch and release marlins, nice ones, accidentally from time to time,” Hallmark said. “I wasn’t targeting marlins, but I learned they were there.”

Large fuel capacity notwithstanding, Hallmark finds it necessary to make pit stops in Port Eads or Venice when fishing tournaments.

Speed, too, distinguishes today’s boats from their predecessors.

“Not that long ago, 18 or 20 knots was fast,” Hallmark said while relaxing in the galley of the “Gunnslinger.”

“Now, there are boats that are pushing 50 knots. This boat, we top out at 40 knots and cruise at 30 or 31. They’re making 90-footers that can do 40.”

The greater speed results from bigger engines. The “Gunnslinger” boasts two C32A Caterpillar engines, each of 1,800 horsepower. Other new-era boats feature 2,500-hp motors for a total of 5,000 horses. The Detroit 1271, once a standard among sportfishing yachts, generated maybe 1,000 horsepower. Ernest Hemingway’s boat, a 38-foot Wheeler, was powered by a 75-hp Chrysler engine (and an even smaller Lycoming motor) and cruised at 10 knots.

Does all of this mean that the little guy no longer has a chance?

“Not necessarily,” Hallmark said.

“They’re building big center-console boats — Nor-Tech is one manufacturer — that have a lot of range and — Capt. Jason Hallmark can handle big fish.” (Not that he would trade the “Gunnslinger” for an open boat.)

New fishing tactics have come along with the enlarged capacities of today’s boats.

Hallmark explained: “The older guys go maybe 50 or 60 miles offshore, put lures out and hope for a bite. We’re not looking for a bite; we’re looking for the bite.”

To attract big blues, Hallmark relies on large live baits, preferring, above all others, yellowfin tuna of up to 30 pounds. He catches them, typically at night, on metal, diamond-shaped jigs. If no yellowfin are available, he will resort to blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, bonitos or even hardtails.

Hooks of up to 22/0 in size are lashed to the tops of the heads of the baits with Dacron line threaded through the eye sockets. They are then trolled behind the boat at a speed of 1.5 to 2.5 knots — slow enough so that the baits swim naturally versus being dragged through the water. When a bite occurs, Hallmark will give the fish up to 10 seconds to

“The older guys go maybe 50 or 60 miles offshore, put lures out and hope for a bite. We’re not looking for a bite; we’re looking for the bite.”

Boats in the Hatteras GT series (left) are part of a new generation of sportfishing yachts with extraordinary range and speed. Smaller centerconsole boats, including the Nor-Tech 392 Superfish (two photos, above), also have been beefed up. PHOTOS COURTESY NOR-TECH AND HATTERAS YACHTS / JIM-RAYCROFT

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COURTESY EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC / ALLISON YII

Friendly rivals: Capt. Jason Hallmark, left, of the “Rise Up” and Capt. Patrick Ivie of the “Breathe Easy” finished one-two at the 2016 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic.

Ivie thought he had the championship sewn up when the “Breathe Easy” brought an 835.8-pound blue to the scales on the tournament’s first fishing day. He didn’t even go out on Day 2 when Hallmark knocked him down to second with a fish that was just 2.4 pounds heavier.

eat the bait (depending on the aggressiveness of the strike) before setting the hook.

All of this activity is conducted pursuant to a game plan devised by captains who are likely to consult the fishing charts available at hiltonoffshore.com or oceanographic analyses constantly updated by Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service (ROFFS). Those sources offer data on water temperatures, water clarity, tidelines, color lines, even upwellings — currents that bring nutrients to the surface that ignite food chains high in the water column where fish can be reached.

Billfishermen used to hire pilots to fly out over the Gulf and locate desirable cobalt blue water right before tournaments got under way. But the reports now easily consulted online have obviated the need for that, in Hallmark’s estimation.

Too, Hallmark monitors dock talk and consults a network of fishing associates.

“Some of the information you get, you take it with a grain of salt,” Hallmark has learned. “Some talk is just talk. But some guys you know to be reliable. I’ve got friends in Louisiana that I made during my commercial fishing days that help me out a lot. The experience I’ve had and the people I’ve met have a lot to do with my success.”

For Hallmark, the fishing experience began in Alabama where he grew up and demonstrated such passion for bass angling that his mother predicted that he would one day be a “professional just like Bill Dance.”

The family moved to Destin when Hallmark was in high school and Hallmark began working as a deckhand when he was 17. He knew about himself that he had no desire to go to college and instead ascended the fishing hierarchy, moving from mate to captain to owner of a share in a boat to outright owner. In recent years, he has made his living as a captain for hire. He joined the employ of James Adams, the owner of the “Gunnslinger” — a boat named for Adams’s son, Gunner — toward the end of the 2016 tournament season.

For Hallmark, billfishing is the apex of the fishing universe.

“This may sound arrogant,” Hallmark said, “but I got to the point where I had nothing to prove without moving to this level. I had won my share of cobia tournaments and I had won different divisions in the Destin Fishing Rodeo. I like what I am doing now. I don’t think you can ever really conquer it. You may have the best plan possible, but it doesn’t always work out.”

That having been said, Hallmark and the “Rise Up” were crowned King of the Hill in 2016, an honor that goes to the boat whose biggest Gulf marlin and biggest Atlantic marlin combine to weigh more than anybody else’s pair. (continued on page 122)

Gulf Coast Triple Crown Billfish Championship Five tournaments comprise the championship. Participating boats earn points for place-winning blue marlin in kill and catch-and-release categories and earn bonus points for taking part in all five events. The 2016 Triple Crown winner was the “Breathe Easy,” based in Orange Beach, Alabama, and captained by Patrick Ivie.

ORANGE BEACH BILLFISH CLASSIC Orange Beach, Alabama May 17–21, 2017 2016 winning marlin: “Share-E,” 651.2 pounds CAJUN CANYONS BILLFISH CLASSIC Venice, Louisiana May 30–June 4, 2017 2016 winning marlin: “Click Through,” 672.2 pounds MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BILLFISH CLASSIC Biloxi, Mississippi June 5–June 11, 2017 2016 winning marlin: “Cotton Patch,” 633 pounds EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC Destin, Florida June 21–25, 2017 2016 winning marlin: “Rise Up,” 838.2 pounds BLUE MARLIN GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP Orange Beach, Alabama July 11–17, 2017 2016 winning marlin: “You Never Know,” 806.8 pounds

Big Baits in Search of THE Bite For many years, billfish captains in the northern Gulf trolled large, skirted plastic lures as their preferred method for attracting blue marlin. But of late, the use of live baits has enjoyed a resurgence. Captains slow-troll baits that may range to 30 pounds in the case of yellowfin tuna. Other baits include blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, bonitos and even hardtails. Captains tend to jig for tuna at night, when the fish are less finicky. Lighter lines and finesse techniques are required to fool them after the sun comes up.

YELLOWFIN TUNA

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SHIPJACK TUNA

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BLACKFIN TUNA

BONITO

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MARK J. KATZENSTEIN, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist 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 Interventional Cardiologist MARCELLO A. BORZATTA, MD, FACS Endovascular Surgeon

Best Cardiologist Providing current, comprehensive health care in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart problems, since 1991, Okaloosa Heart & Vascular Center offers a full range of integrated cardiac services, from patient education through inpatient care, including: Clinical Cardiology and Consultation, Echocardiography, Vascular Ultrasound, Exercise Testing, Holter and Event Monitoring, Nuclear Cardiac Imaging, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angioplasty, Intra-Coronary Stenting, Endovascular Surgery and Limb Salvage. With 5 interventional cardiologists, 1 endovascular surgeon and 5 local offices to serve you, the staff is committed to exploring new technologies and techniques that provide better ways to care for their patients, and to treating each patient like a person rather than a diagnosis.

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W ADVERTISEMENT

WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

WOMEN AT WORK

What better time than March’s Women’s History Month to shine the spotlight on some of the region’s most accomplished females? The U.S. Department of Labor reports that women comprise 47 percent of the national workforce — and more than 50 percent in the skilled professions. In this special section, we’re honoring female professionals and future female leaders in our area. Their dedication, determination, compassion and altruism are sure to impress.

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WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

Laurie’s dress is from Coastal Casuals, activewear from The Fitness Fetish and jewelry available at Shimmering Seas.

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S PAODNV SE OR RT EI SDE M R E PNOT R T

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LAURIE OLSHEFSKI SHIMMERING SEAS — JEWELRY & GIFTS

PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

The Fitness Fetish and Coastal Casuals

Uno de 50, Alex and Ani, VSA ,Twenty-Nine Eleven and many more jewelry brands can be found at Shimmering Seas.

We are enticed by creative storefront displays and allured by stunning jewelry and stylish outfits, but it is not often that we know the inspiration and story behind a store. Laurie Olshefski is the owner of four stores, all of which contain much more than surface value.

At the age of 12, Laurie recalls her father undergoing a transformation toward healthy living, which he would pass on to his family.

He taught Laurie nutritious eating habits, encouraged exercise and ensured her daily dose of supplements. “I am so thankful Poppy has been a ‘health nut’ all these years,” smiled Olshefski.

For 26 years she has taught group fitness and yoga classes, leading countless participants to healthier lifestyles. To further encourage active living, she opened The Fitness Fetish in Seaside.

Her sport and beach shop specializes in stylish activewear and clothing that is popular with families that pursue an active lifestyle.

Laurie is the first to admit her girly fashionista side can be just as apparent as her sporty side.

Some of her fondest memories with her mother stem from afternoons spent going to lunch and shopping in unique boutiques during her childhood vacations. Her mother, Nancy, inspired her passion for jewelry.

Laurie loves to be in the business of creating special moments in the lives of her customers.

As a result, she owns two Shimmering Seas locations and Coastal Casuals — a coastal lifestyle boutique.

“I don’t even think my parents realized how much they were influencing me just by including me in their interests,” explained Olshefski. “My stores incorporate the things my parents loved and in turn I love. I’m grateful for their influence.”

She now influences her own family. Alina, her 11-year-old daughter, has shown enthusiasm for the love of shimmer since her toddler years.

For every business venture Laurie has embarked on, her parents have been supportive and fully involved. As generations often do, Laurie has upheld an affinity for traditions and takes joy in including her husband, John, and two children, Landen and Alina, in all that she holds dear.

THE FITNESS FETISH SEASIDE 850-231-5000 | SHIMMERING SEAS 30 AVENUE 850-231-5100 SHIMMERING SEAS PIER PARK 850-234-6200 | COASTAL CASUALS PIER PARK 850-234-1101 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF THE EMERALD COAST

Marissa Rollins, JLEC President

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When the Junior League of the Emerald Coast originated in 1964, it had five members. Over 50 successful years later, the League is proud to have 250 members who are committed to enhancing the Emerald Coast community.

These members are Northwest Florida women with diverse backgrounds, careers and interests. These women unify for the purpose of promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and

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improving communities through the positive action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Members work together to plan fundraisers, attend trainings, organize service projects and conduct community impact days. Every month the JLEC holds Community Impact Days where they partner with other nonprofit organizations to aid them in accomplishing a need, whether that be collecting supplies or assisting with an event. They have worked with Shelter House, Children in Crisis, Emerald

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S PAODNVSEORRTEI SD E RMEEPNOTR T

Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Habitat for Humanity, Food For Thought and many more.

An event that the JLEC started in 1979 and continues today is the Child Clothing Project. In 2016, members helped provide clothing for 350 children in need in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Each child, who had been nominated by a school guidance counselor, was given $100 worth of clothing. This event occurs every October through the continued support of generous donors, community partners and volunteers.

This year the JLEC has expanded the impact of this project by creating the Child Clothing Closets initiative in schools and nonprofits to meet a year-round need. Children who attend these schools or receive services at local nonprofits will receive access to a closet, stocked with essential items, as they need throughout the school year. Two fully stocked closets are currently available with additional locations in the works. Other beneficial projects and fundraisers include: Rock the Road 5k/10k, TouchA-Truck, The Derby Party and Planting Promise Project.

After 50 years the Junior League of the Emerald Coast is stronger than ever in its community presence, charitable endeavors and leadership achievements. To learn more on how you can contribute or join visit jlec.org.

JLEC members shopping with children for the Child Clothing Project.

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CASI B. STUBBS D.M.D., P.A. ORTHODONTIST the University of Florida for dentistry and finished her residency program in orthodontics at Nova Southeastern University.

Her dedication paid off in a big way as she not only became an orthodontist, but opened her own practice with a main office in Niceville, a satellite office in Destin and another office in Miramar Beach set to open its doors in early 2017. Through each office, her goal is to demonstrate honesty, truthfulness and patience.

“My passion for the specialty and my honesty set me apart,” Stubbs explained. “I don’t do six month smiles, in fact I do not even consider that true orthodontic treatment. It’s about knowing how each patient is growing and developing in order to create the smile they will have for the rest of their lives.”

Not only does Stubbs make an impact on those who sit in her chair but also within her community. On a rotating basis of every two months, her practice makes donations to local charities. Whether it be through donation drives or raffle ticket sales, Stubbs loves to see patient involvement and awareness.

As a self-described hometown girl, Stubbs is deeply rooted in community and family. Her own family is her greatest and proudest achievement. Her husband, Zack, is her business partner managing the marketing and financing. Her two daughters are her encouragement as she strives to be a role model to them. It’s no wonder she can’t help but smile.

STUBBS ORTHODONTICS 4633 E. HIGHWAY 20, NICEVILLE | 850-678-8338 | STUBBSORTHO.COM 11394 US-98, MIRAMAR BEACH (COMING SPRING 2017)

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SOMMER STUDIOS

The first thing you will notice about Casi Stubbs is her gorgeous smile. As an orthodontist, that is expected, but what makes it remarkable is the reason behind her smile. Every morning she wakes up and drives to an office where she gets to put her passion into practice.

“I’ve always been into teeth and smiles,” admits Stubbs. “Studies show that smiles have a huge impact on society and how society views you. Enhancing someone’s smile can improve their confidence and sense of social acceptance.

The fact that I can improve someone’s life makes me, in turn, smile.”

Stubbs knew her calling at a young age, and by college she was prepared to undergo years of schooling. She began at Florida State University to pursue a degree in chemistry, continued onto

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ANDI VONHILSHEIMER NICEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL Superior leadership, scholarship, character and athleticism are just some of the admirable characteristics Andi vonHilsheimer, a senior at Niceville High School, consistently demonstrates.

Of the 475 students in her graduating class, she currently holds the top spot. Upon her graduation in May, she will have successfully completed ten College Board Advanced Placement courses and five University of Cambridge AICE courses.

Andi has succeeded in producing outstanding projects, which range from global environmental science, architecture and medieval history to motion picture production and analysis.

One of her most significant roles is her leadership in the Natural Geography In-Shore Areas (NaGISA) project. NaGISA is a comprehensive global marine environmental project designed to establish a baseline study of biodiversity along the world’s coastlines and monitor any subsequent changes. Andi is currently the Training Coordinator of the Beach Collection and Analysis Section.

She recently represented Niceville High School in CHELCO’s 2016 Youth Tour where she participated in state and national government activities in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

As an outstanding tennis player, Andi was selected for the varsity tennis team four consecutive years and is currently the captain.

Her team has won a state championship and three district championships.

Andi plans to attend Vanderbilt University to pursue a double major in communications and film/cinema studies.

Andi vonHilsheimer hopes to inspire other females to become leaders. The teachers, staff and students of Niceville High School are proud of her and know she will succeed in inspiring countless others.

For more information visit: nicevillehighschool.org

“I never considered gender to be something that hindered my success; if anything, I feel like being a female has only further fueled my drive to succeed.”

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Abodes

FEB/MAR 2017

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

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abodes

→ Color Your Mood

Color deeply affects our moods, says the American Lighting Association; so program your lighting thoughtfully.

➺ YELLOW is sunny, and, therefore, perfect for starting the day. It could be just right for the breakfast area. ➺ RED is festive and warm, and since it’s supposed to stimulate the creative side of the brain, consider it for the home office or studio. Its lighter versions, rose and coral, are romantic, easy on the eyes and perfect for bedrooms. ➺ GREEN is restful — a nice color to come home to — and blue, which is serene and quiet, will soothe commute-weary souls. Brown, too, is earthy and comforting.

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via an app on your smartphone or tablet. This allows you to create special moods for certain times of the day. You can wake up to a sunrise glow or wind down after work with a lounge-y blue.

There is a wide range of brightness options, from “Energize” to “Nightlight,” as well as a spectrum of 16 million shades, so you can program different colors to kick in daily for such activities as homework, dinner and bedtime.

You can also choose from preset lighting “scenes” with names like Savanna Sunset, Tropical Twilight and Arctic Aurora. Because Hue is compatible with Amazon Echo and Apple Home Kit, you can even use voice commands to control the lights.

Convinced that Hue is the way to go? Many manufacturers are now producing Hue-type lighting, so Bower recommends that you Google “mood lighting” to compare products and costs before you make your purchase. EC

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↑ Seeing red, in the best way! Red lighting creates warmth and enlivens the imagination.

↓ The Hue app allows you to transport yourself to a different setting via light.

Think tropical beach or mountain escape.

➺ BEIGE AND TAUPE, along with the many shades of white and gray, suggest wideopen spaces, wind and clouds; they can enhance rooms with their pristine simplicity.

It all sounds so exciting, but Terry McGowan, director of engineering for the American Lighting Association, warns that even though people are used to seeing colored light in public places, it can seem unnatural at home.

“We don’t all react the same to color intensity,” he explains. “In the face of saturated colors, some of us may find that familiar things look distorted and even disturbing.”

COURTESY PHILIPS LIGHTING

F

eeling blue? Stressed? Tired?

Imagine banishing a gray day by turning on a lovely sunrise, a romantic glow for dinner or a musicsynced show for a party. If that sounds appealing, then you might be interested in a new web-enabled light technology, called “Hue” lighting.

First introduced by Phillips, the Hue lighting system uses 600-lumen (50watt equivalent), color-changing LED light bulbs that can replace any standard light bulbs. The starter kit, which is around $200, includes three of these color-enabled “smart bulbs” as well as a hub that connects to your Wi-Fi router.

Ron Bower, general manager of Gulf Coast Electric, Destin, says installation is a piece of cake: If you can screw in a light bulb and navigate a smartphone or iPad, you can do Hue. Here’s the way it works: After installing the Hue lighting system, you can set color preferences for your light

➺ ORANGE can sizzle and be too stimulating for most living areas, but peach, which increases the appetite, might be tempting for the dining room.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

REVITALIZE AND REFRESH YOUR HOME (Pottery Barn opens in Grand Boulevard summer 2017.)

Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, birds are singing and your house has undergone a fresh spring-cleaning. In a season of growth and renewal, it’s likely you’re looking for standout pieces that will refresh the ambience of your home. These key pieces can become focal points of your home whether it is a bright white sofa accompanied by cool blue hues or a coffee table worth gathering around.

1.

BULLOCK CART WHEEL COFFEE TABLE Reclaimed wood in a whitewash shade is eye-catching and timeless.

This coffee table is full of character. ($999)

2.

PB AIR UPHOLSTERED SOFA A white sofa is a staple for any home. Sink into the luxuriously soft cushions and you won’t want to move. ($1,799–3,299)

3.

JACE DIAMOND BAND JACQUARD PILLOW COVER Throw pillows

can completely transform a bedroom or living room. The geometric stitching pattern is versatile and globally influenced. ($29.50)

4.

BOSWORTH PRINTED WOOL RUG IN BLUE

1

PHOTOS COURTESY POTTERY BARN / GRAND BOULEVARD

There are few simple joys more comforting than sinking your feet into a cozy wool rug that looks like a family heirloom. ($499–$1,899)

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GO 100

➺ POTTERY BARN IN GRAND BOULEVARD 600 Grand Boulevard, Suite 202 | potterybarn.com February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

4

Spa Services

Welcome Dr. Steven Clark

Facials | Massage Therapy | Waxing | Microneedling Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) | Brow and Lash Shaping & Tinting

Please join the Med-Spa of Destin & Sandestin in welcoming Dr. Clark back to the area. He is practicing at both the Sandestin (Miramar Beach) and Destin Med-Spa locations.

Products Luzern | OBagi | PCA Skin | Skin Medica And our own private label line

Call (850) 267-6727 to schedule a consultation!

Common Cosmetic Surgical Procedures Face Lift | Breast Augmentation | Brow Lift | Breast Lift Rhinoplasty | Breast Reduction Brachioplasty | Liposuction Otoplasty | Tummy Tuck | Genioplasty | Body Contouring

Walk-ins welcome! MedSpaDSD.com

Destin 850.351.0600

Sandestin 850.267.6727

The Palms of Destin Resort & Conference Center 4201 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin MM35716

Sandestin Executive Health & Wellness Center 400 Audubon Drive, Miramar Beach

Do you have a true financial partner, or just another bank?

Trustmark has been a true financial partner for countless businesses throughout the South for over 127 years. With a team of experienced professionals and diverse product and service offerings designed to meet a variety of financial needs, Trustmark can give you the power to achieve your goals and operate your business with confidence.

Call or visit us today to learn more. People you Trust. Advice that works.

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abodes EXTERIORS

A MAILBOX’S MESSAGE That object by the curb can speak of order and tradition … or of something completely unique

by JONI BRANCH

BRING ON THE WILD BOXES In a neighborhood that welcomes curbside self-expression, your mailbox can look

like a barn or a fishing lure, a car or your very own breed of dog. Do make sure the receptacle is fully functional, safe, adequately marked with the house number and properly placed by the curb.

Examples of decorated mailboxes abound online, offering do-it-yourselfers plenty of ideas. Searching for “Cool Mailboxes” on Pinterest (pinterest.com/explore/coolmailboxes) will bring up dozens of mailboxes — from the kitschy to the elegant — made in the shape of peacocks, horses, cars, boats and planes, or set in the branches of metal tree sculptures. There’s even a Pinterest board for “Florida Mailboxes,” which features manatees, pelicans and Mickey Mouse, along with standard boxes mounted on salvaged ship anchors.

Prefer your curbside statement to come ready-made? Here are a few options available online or at local stores: Wraps: Magnetic mailbox covers are the fastest way to give a standard mailbox a colorful makeover. As the name suggests, these vinyl covers are simply wrapped around the box and secured with magnetic strips.

The wraps are very affordable — under $20 — and there’s one for almost every taste,

whether yours leans toward flowers, bugs, animals, flags, sports logos or holiday scenes.

The major brand is MailWraps. Wraps are sold locally, at garden centers and stores like Wild Birds Unlimited, and online by MailWrap maker Magnet Works’ studio-m (studio-m.com) and other retailers.

Animals: Charming critters are the specialty at Mailbox Ranch, (themailboxranch. com), a home-based business run by a couple “in the piney woods of South Mississippi.” Martha and Sonny Carter use wood and paint to turn standard metal mailboxes into dogs of several breeds, horses, birds and other creatures. Their creations cost $165 to $185 each.

Everything but the kitchen sink: Want a mailbox shaped like a giant red shotgun shell, catfish, bass, fishing lure or barn? Take a look at online retailer Amazon.com. EC

WRAP IT WITH VINES A traditional mailbox accented by a flowering vine makes a lovely picture. If you’d like to get one growing this spring, there are several good choices: No. 1 might be coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), which local Master Gardener Pam Sawyer calls the “perfect vine.” She writes that this native plant is “well-behaved, grows in sun or part sun with average, well-drained soil and moderate water.” It has no fragrance, but produces orange, trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring and summer and is loved by hummingbirds.

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Other readily available, pretty candidates include: ➸ Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) ➸ Confederate jasmine/star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) ➸ Clematis (Clematis)

GAONPHOTO (TOP) AND ELLEN MORGAN (BOTTOM) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

C

ould you pick your mailbox out of a lineup?

Take away the identifying numbers and letters, and most mailboxes are anonymous: neat black, gray or white receptacles in the classic shape.

That’s fine by many homeowners associations, which may enforce restrictions on mailbox appearance with the aim of maintaining home values and neighborhood character, but every now and then, in more eclectic neighborhoods, a mailbox leaps out. It’s clasped by a dolphin, disguised as a dog or covered with colorful flowers. It gets your attention, and it might even make you smile. At the very least, the sight is rare enough, here along the Emerald Coast, to make it a little landmark.

In a way, a customized mailbox is also a small leap of faith — ­ art anchored curbside and at the mercy of errant drivers and bored vandals, alike. (Anyone who has driven into a mailbox or had one run over, raise your hand.)

For the creative optimists who are ready to make that leap, more in a moment. For those who are bound by neighborhood rules, pretty can come another way: naturally, through landscaping with a flowering vine (see sidebar).

17th Annual

Chain of Parks Art Festival APRIL 15 & 16, 2017 Saturday 10am - 7pm Sunday 10am - 5pm Tallahassee, Florida Park Avenue Chain of Parks

Four Faces by Debo Groover

LET US DESIGN YOUR

NEW AND IMPROVED COMFORT You can finally say GOODBYE to ...

Temperature swings Humidity issues Oversizing issues High electric bills and Short Cycling

... Caused by conventional HVAC systems, thanks to the NEW AccuComfort Technology.

850.897.6540

www.gulfshoreair.com/AccuComfort-Technology

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abodes

Martin Facts ➸ The purple martin is the largest swallow in North America. ➸ Not only will purple martins eat insects while in flight, but they also drink water that way.

Whereas many birds will stop by a lake or a pond to drink, a purple martin will fly across a surface of water and scoop up water in its bill.

BEAUTIFUL BIRDHOUSES The winter months are the perfect time to get your summer guesthouse ready, and purple martins are eager to take up a lease. by JESSE BRASWELL

N

imble in flight, rhythmic in their daybreak singing, the purple martin is one of the most popular birds in North America.

Unfortunately, the number of martins is rapidly decreasing, due to competition for natural summer nesting areas. The birds travel to South America for the winter months, but, traditionally, have spent their summers in North America, nested in natural cavities, such as old woodpecker holes, on rock ledges or in dead trees. However, almost all martins east of the Mississippi now inhabit man-made nests.

Housing martins has a long history in North America: Native Americans reportedly hung up hollow gourds around their villages to attract these musical birds.

Becoming a martin “landlord” is all about the location of your housing. The birds are more selective of where their homes are than of the design or shape of the abode. Martins prefer their housing to be put in open areas with clear flyways for easy entrance and exit. Surprisingly, the birds are quite interested in being surrounded by human activity; so the closer the landlord can place the birdhouse to their human house, the better. While human activity is a good thing

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near a martin’s house, trees are not. The birds like to nest no closer than 50 feet from any type of timber. So plan on mounting your birdhouse on a pole.

Birdhouses can be made in a variety of styles, such as the multi-level, modern or schoolhouse designs. The way a martin house is put together is truly up to the designer. There are just a few specifics that cater directly to martins: Every design should have a “porch” attached to it that provides a landing spot for the martins. The hole that the martins enter should be about two inches in diameter and should be located approximately two inches MATERIALS NEEDED above the porch floor. The FOR THE PROJECT: inside of the house can vary ➸ Plywood ➸ Rolled roofing or in design: It could have two shingles (depending or three stories, or it could on your preference) have just one large room in➸ A power saw and drill/screwdriver side the house (More stories ➸ 2-inch woodmeans more birds.). Again, drilling bit location means more to your ➸ Screws success of attracting martins ➸ Paint (white or pastel colors are ideal) than does the design of your martin house. EC

February–March 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

➸ The oldest known purple martin lived to be 13 years and 9 months old. ➸ Purple martins do most of their feeding at altitudes between 160–500 feet (50–150 meters). ➸ Purple martins

are highly sensitive to bad weather. During long periods of cold or rain, there will be no insects to feed on, which may kill an entire bird colony.

2”

MARTIN BIRDHOUSE

2”

PAUL REEVES PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

DIY

Ginger’s

DESTIN CONNECTION Finding a new house, condo or piece of property can be more painful than a poor-fitting pair of shoes, or as comfortable as your favorite sandals. So, in choosing a real estate agent, it’s important to get the right fit from the start.

I have been shopping with clients for 29 years, listening to their needs and desires, then vigorously pursuing the market until I find the right fit, and I will do the same for you!

I t ’s A l l A b o u t

HEAL • RESTORE

RECHARGE ®

128 Eglin Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach • theposhdaisy.com • 850.244.7633

Voted Best Mortgage Lender

Three Consecutive Years!

Michael Castleberry is proud to announce his branch was chosen as the “Best Mortgage Lender on Emerald Coast” for the third year in a row. Bank of England Mortgage is here to assist you with all of your mortgage lending needs. Call or visit us today and see why we are the best.

www.BOEFWB.com 850-362-6488 348 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Ste #37 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

Michael Castleberry Branch Manager

Three Years in a Row: Best Mortgage Lender

We d d i n g F u n c t i o n s co n F e r e n c e Me e t i n g s sp e c i a l ev e n t s EmeraldCoastAV.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

850-630-3032 February–March 2017

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abodes Your Monthly Garden Chores

GARDENING

STARTING YOUR GARDEN FROM SEEDS, ON THE CHEAP

FEBRUARY

➸ Plant potatoes. Buy seed potatoes from reputable local nurseries, which sell varieties that do well in our area.

STARTING VEGETABLE PLANTS from seed opens up a world of possibilities beyond the varieties

that are available as seedlings. It also costs a lot less, and you can repurpose items from your recycling bin to sprout the seeds. BY AUDREY POST, MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

➸ Prune crape myrtles and other summerflowering trees and shrubs.

Remove branches that are crossing or growing inward. ➸ Prune roses. Cut dead and diseased canes to the ground. Remove healthy canes to achieve the desired shape. If you’re rehabilitating an overgrown rosebush, remove no more than one-third of the bush’s total canes at a time.

Repeat over the next two years to totally rejuvenate the shrub.

STEP 2: Pick your seedstarting medium: Most nurseries sell a seed-starting mix, but you can make your own with one-third pasteurized potting soil or screened compost; onethird peat moss; and one-third sand, vermiculite or perlite.

STEP 3: Fill the K-cups with the potting mix, and pat down on the mix to remove air pockets. Sprinkle two or three seeds in each cup. For large seeds, just use one seed per cup.

Press lightly to make sure the seeds are in contact with the soil and sprinkle a tiny bit more potting mix over the seeds.

Moisten the pot.

STEP 4: Make a minigreenhouse using an old deli tray and its domed lid, or a clamshell lettuce container. Put the planted K-cups inside. When the seeds sprout, remove the cover and place the tray under fluorescent lights. You can also place the tray on a heating pad to encourage growth.

STEP 5: Keep the plants moist.

When they’re a few inches tall, transplant them to plastic yogurt cups with holes poked in the bottom. Keep them under grow lights before you intend to plant them in the yard. Move them outdoors to a shady area, then gradually move them into a sunny area before planting the seedlings in your garden.

Fired Up



Fire ants are invasive insects from South America that inflict painful stings. They build mounds PESKY above ground, but their nests extend far below ground.

PESTS Unfortunately, there is no control mechanism that reliably removes ants. Most people use a combination of the “bait” treatment and the “drench” treatment. To use the bait treatment, scatter poison pellets around the mound. Several poisons (such as rotenone) are made FIRE ANTS from botanicals and are effective at reducing ant populations. The drench treatment is intended to kill the queen. Boiling water is poured onto the mound or ammonia is poured into the hole. The idea behind both methods is to take advantage of the network of underground tunnels.

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MARCH

➸ Start pruning spring-

blooming shrubs as soon as they drop their blossoms. ➸ Plant summerblooming perennial bulbs and tubers, such as ornamental gingers, daylilies and agapanthus. ➸ Sow seeds for summer annuals, such as zinnias, marigolds and torenia. ➸ Wait to fertilize your lawn until early- to mid-April. The soil is still too cool to absorb the nutrients. ➸ Fertilize citrus if you didn’t in February; finish pruning roses. ©2016 PostScript Publishing LLC, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension in Leon County. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll. com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com. Ms. Grow-ItAll® is a registered trademark of PostScript Publishing.

CALLMEROBIN (SPROUTS), TRIDUZA STUDIO (ANT), NBRIAM (DAYLILY), SARAWUT HANNARONG (CRAPE MYRTLE) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

STEP 1: Pick your containers: You can purchase peat pots and plastic seed-starter kits, but single-serve coffee K-cups work well. Toss the spent grounds in your compost pile and rinse the cups; there’s already a drainage hole in the bottom.

➸ Plant tomato seedlings late in the month. This will allow them to get established before warm weather brings pests. Be prepared to protect the seedlings from frost and freezing temperatures.

WSRE PRESENTS

ELLEN PRAGER Marine scientist and author Dr. Ellen Prager presents a fun and compelling talk about the wealth of life in the sea and the need to protect it while highlighting the oddest of sea creatures and why they matter.

Thurs, Feb 23 7pm Doors open at 6:30pm WSRE AMOS PERFORMANCE STUDIO PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE

Admission is free!

1000 COLLEGE BOULEVARD

wsre.org/speakers

WSRE is a service of Pensacola State College.

THE

WES

love

Wedding

+

Event Specialists

the untold story

In the heart of Downtown Pensacola Indie Pearl Photography

“A collective of wedding and event specialists curated by vendors for vendors, offering professional services for all of life’s occasions.”

lovepartywes.com . 130 s palafox place . downtown pensacola

19133-1216 WSRE EC Mag Feb/Mar 2017 1/4 pg ad.indd 1

12/1/16 4:30 PM

Pensacola Beach

Kidney Walk

SATURDAY

APRIL20171 800-927-9659

PensacolaKidneyWalk.org EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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SPONSORED REPORT

DEAL ESTATE

JUST SOLD

Bountiful Beachside Sale Costa Blanca condos sell before finish

by REBECCA PADGETT

A sale before completion is always an impressive feat. Royce Mitchell, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, listed the Gulf-front condominiums of Costa Blanca, and they were reserved within 45 days. The Spanish name for “White Beach,” Costa Blanca offers a private lifestyle on the whitest of sands along Scenic Highway 30A. SOLD PRICE: $1.8–$4.25 million ADDRESS: 4461 W. County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach SQUARE FEET: 2,250–4,250 BEDROOMS: 3–5 BATHROOMS: 3–5.5 YEAR BUILT: Completion early 2017

APPEAL: “Costa Blanca is a property unlike any other along Scenic Highway 30A. This exquisite, Gulffront condominium has been thoughtfully designed to provide an unprecedented level of luxury and convenience, directly on the beach.

Evident from its quick sell-out, Costa Blanca will be a timeless residence for a privileged few.”

CONTACT: Royce Mitchell, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, (850) 737-0567

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PHOTOS COURTESY BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES PENFED REALTY

FEATURES: 200 feet of private beach, oversized beachfront balconies, coastal chic design, exposed beams, 10-12 foot ceilings, choice of stone or wood flooring, quartz countertops, walkin closets, view-worthy floor-to-ceiling windows, resort-size pool, fitness center, welcoming lobby, personal storage units and underground parking

SPEND MORE TIME DOING WHAT YOU ENJOY AND LESS TIME WORRYING ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME! WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING TO SELL OR BUY, CALL LUXURY ESTATES REALTY GROUP TODAY AND LET OUR TEAM WORK FOR YOU.

Luxury Estates Realty Group 4507 Furling Lane, Suite 113 Destin, Florida 32541

850-460-8877 www.LERGRP.com Email: info@lergrp.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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SPONSORED REPORT

DEAL ESTATE JUST LISTED

A Harbored Home

Recently renovated townhouse seeks owner

by REBECCA PADGETT

For those who have an affinity for waterfront views — and who doesn’t — this townhouse, which overlooks Destin Harbor will not disappoint. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a fulltime residence, waking up to a cool harbor side breeze will always refresh and revive.

LIST PRICE: $569,000 ADDRESS: 415 Gulfshore Drive Unit 19, Destin SQUARE FEET: 2,136 BEDROOMS: 2 BATHROOMS: 2 YEAR BUILT: 1973 FEATURES: Expansive harbor views, four stories, high-quality renovations throughout, granite countertops, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances, decorative wood trim and crown molding, sliding doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the harbor, master suite, walk-in closets, covered deck on lower level, boat dock and boat lift

CONTACT: Heather and Tyler Jenkins, The Jenkins Real Estate Team/Luxury Estates Realty Group, (850) 699-1836 or (850) 685-3693, contact@ thejenkinsrealestateteam.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY THE JENKINS REAL ESTATE TEAM / LUXURY ESTATES REALTY GROUP

APPEAL: “This is one of the nicest townhouses on the Destin Harbor,” said Heather Jenkins of Luxury Estates Realty Group.

“It’s located on a protected canal with beautiful harbor views, complete with boat dock and lift. The townhouse has been renovated throughout with only the nicest finishes.”

It’s our 50th Anniversary, and we’re making a splash!

10am–2pm Saturday, March 11 Meet your favorite PBS KIDS characters!

Create, explore and play!

Discover Gulfarium fun!

Watch: 9AM Weekdays 7AM Saturdays

Ticket Information: www.Gulfarium.com A portion of the day’s Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park admission fees will be donated to the WSRE-TV Foundation. Thank you!

Sponsored in part by: 19133-1216WSRE EC Mag Feb/Mar 2017 HP ad.indd 1

EC MAGAZINE

works for us “The E.F. San Juan brand has become synonymous with quality craftsmanship as a result of the highquality advertisements we position in magazines such as Emerald Coast.”

Edward A. San Juan, Owner E.F. San Juan

12/2/16 2:04 PM

E.F. San Juan provides customers with superior craftsmanship and construction of their vacation homes or primary residences allowing them to fulfill the American dream. Since 2015, they have advertised with Emerald Coast Magazine as a means to compel clients to seek their services. E.F. San Juan is committed to investing in order to meet the needs of their customers whether it is through equipment, employees or advertising. “I believe these ads do an excellent job of personalizing the E.F. San Juan brand,” said Edward A. San Juan.

Give us a call today and discover how Emerald Coast Magazine can work for you.

(850) 878-0554

EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM

Emerald Coast Magazine Advertiser since 2015 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

February–March 2017

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

APRIL 7

EMERALD COAST TOP SALON 

One of the Emerald Coast’s most stylish charity events is back once again, gathering the Who’s Who of the Northwest Florida salon industry. The top 14 salons, nominated by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine, will go head-to-head in a fierce runway show that will display their deserving model’s transformation. The seventh annual competition, which will be held at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, will feature delicious eats, great music and lavish entertainment. The evening will kick off with a cocktail hour at 7 p.m. followed by the runway show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance and will be $50 at the door; VIP tickets are $55 in advance and will be $75 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the winning salon’s chosen charity. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at emeraldcoastmagazine.com/top-salon.

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calendar SPECIAL PROMOTION

FEBRUARY 10

LA LUMIERE

PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI (TOP SALON), JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES (CATTLE BARON BALL), KURT LISCHKA (SEASIDE MARATHON) AND COURTEY OF PROFFITT PR (LA LUMIERE) AND SOUTH WALTON BEACHES FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

A MASQUERADE AFFAIR MARCH 3

EMERALD COAST CATTLE BARONS’ BALL → This one-of-a-kind event, which will celebrate 10 years on the Emerald Coast, promises to surprise with a new look and feel while continuing to honor the Cattle Barons’ tradition as one of the premiere fundraising events in the community. This year’s theme is Guitars, Glitz and Glamour, so get ready to enjoy gourmet Western fare and the city’s best live and silent auctions in a festive, themed atmosphere. Be sure to wear your dancin’ boots so you can rock along to “Ron Adams and the Memphis Echoes Country Music Show.”

The Cattle Barons’ Ball will be held in the Linkside Center at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Jennifer Bitner at (850) 244-3813 or at jennifer.bitner@ cancer.org.

→ Broker Associate Hannah Martin of The Premier Property Group will host her 3rd Annual Birthday Bash benefitting the Special Olympics of Florida-Walton County at the St. Joe Club & Resorts LakeHouse on Western Lake in Watercolor. Presented by Destin Plastic Surgery and Duckies Shop of Fun, this event will be unlike any of the past fundraising events. Guests will enjoy dinner, drinks and entertainment from Mr. Big and The Rhythm Sisters. They will also witness live performances from Cirque du Soleil style-performers.

Tickets are $100 in advance and will be $125 at the door. The party starts at 6 p.m.

Visit hannahmartinsparty.com for more information.

FEBRUARY 17–19

WINE WOMEN AND SHOES

→ Slip on your stilettos and get ready for a “Sinsational” weekend of fabulous fashion, exclusive wines and award-winning cuisine, all within South Walton’s spectacular beachside setting.

Friday night will feature vintner dinners, including wines from some of the country’s preeminent vineyards paired with cuisine from talented local and regional chefs. Saturday’s Bubbles, Brews & Culinary Qs will be presented by Ferrari Sparkling and will feature sparkling wines at the Bubble bar, cold beer samples by local breweries, light bites and live music by Dread Clampitt. The Signature Event, the Mad Hatters' Garden Party, will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. and will include a fashion-show extravaganza by Today’s Boutique, retail shopping, wine tastings, silent and live auctions and more.

FEB/MAR 2017 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com compiled by JENNIFER IRELAND and MATT ALGARIN

MARCH 5

Seaside School Half Marathon → Vera Bradley presents the 15th annual Seaside School Half Marathon and 5K run in South Walton. This out-andback, fast and mostly flat course will take runners past quaint coastal towns, dune lakes and beautiful beaches.

All finishers will receive a Vera Bradley bag, and half marathoners will be awarded custom finishers medallions.

The post-race party will feature live music.

The half marathon will start at 7 a.m., and the 5K will start at 7:25 a.m., both at the Seaside Post Office on Highway 30A. The half marathon race fee is $125, and all proceeds benefit the Seaside School Foundation. Register online at runseasidefl.com.

This event benefits Sinfonia Gulf Coast and its music education initiatives.

Visit sinfoniagulfcoast.org for more information.

APRIL 27–30

SOUTH WALTON BEACHES FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

→ A dazzling roster of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brewmasters and entertainers will converge to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests throughout this four-day celebration of wine held at the Town Center of Grand Boulevard in South Walton. Attendees will visit such attractions as Spirits Row, Champagne Lane Tasting, Savor South Walton Culinary Village and Nosh Pavilions and will enjoy the Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, which will boast plenty of live entertainment and more than 800 wines poured by knowledgeable wineindustry insiders. Among the headliners are renowned winemaker and CEO of Jackson Family Wines, Don Hartford, and Glenn C. Salva, longtime Napa winemaker with Antica Napa Valley.

This charity event is a fundraiser for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, which benefits children in need in Northwest Florida.

Wine Spectator Magazine has placed the auction as one of the country’s “Top 10 Charity Wine Auctions.”

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FEB/MAR 2017

APRIL 1–2

‘FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’

A CELEBRATION OF THE BALLET RUSSE DE MONTE CARLO → The Northwest Florida Ballet’s final main stage production of the season will pay tribute to the famous ballet company, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, by celebrating three of the world’s most historic ballets by three of Russia’s most prolific composers. The program will also showcase new choreography of these classic ballets.

Performances will be held at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center on Saturday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, April 2, at 2:30 p.m. Each performance will feature live musical accompaniment by the NFB Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $38 for adults and $18 for children 12 and under. Emerald Coast Magazine is the proud presenting media sponsor for this production. For more information, visit nfballet.org.

REGIONAL

APRIL 15–16

17th Annual LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival

JAN 27 TO

FEB 19

→ This fine arts festival benefits the LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts in Tallahassee. Enjoy the work of more than 150 artists from around the country, live entertainment, delicious food from local vendors and craft beers, wine, mimosas and a Bloody Mary bar hosted by Aloft Hotel. Take advantage of BeTheArt photo ops and bring the kids to 10 different pop-up art stations, where they can make and keep art projects. This year, the Jacques LeMoyne Living History Encampment will share the story of the first European artist in Florida.

This event is free to the public and runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. Festivities will take place in downtown Tallahassee along Park Ave., between Monroe and Meridian streets. For more information and to learn more about the artists, visit chainofparks.com.

Performances will be at 560 Grand Blvd, upstairs.

REGIONAL

Spring on Stage This spring, Tallahassee will present Spring on Stage, with great events, festivals and shows. Springtime Tallahassee, Word of South, the Southern Shakespeare Festival and more await you all season long.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

Tickets or info, call 850-684-0323 or visit

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Ben Sollee - Word of South

Visit visittallahassee.com for a full listing of events, including dates and times.

SPECIAL PROMOTION

↑ BAYTOWNE ON ICE

HOW TO WINE AND DINE YOUR VALENTINE

FEB. 3–5

FEB. 10

After 14 years, Pensacola Little Theatre has accumulated some fondly remembered favorite productions! Join us for a night of six 1-act shows that are about love, romance and relationships. A great preValentine’s Day date night! $10–$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson Street, Pensacola. Fri-Sat: 7:30 p.m.; Sun: 3 p.m.

(850) 432-2042

Sommelier Jim Phinick, wine consultant at Destin ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, will guide guests through the world of fine wines and food pairings to help them plan a delightful Valentine’s Day celebration.

This event is sponsored by the Friends Guild of the Destin Library. FREE. Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave., Destin. 2 p.m. (850) 837-8572

FEB. 1–10

pensacolalittletheatre.com

For those who miss the cold and ice, a visit to the iceskating rink is the perfect opportunity to get into the winter spirit. The first hour of each day is reserved for “Kids Skate,” for children ages 12 and under. $14 for 90 minutes, includes skates rental ($3) and tax. The Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin, 9300 U.S. Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach. 11 a.m.– 10 p.m. (times are subject to change). (850) 267-8184

DOUBLE BRIDGE RUN

baytownewharf.com.

PHOTO BY BOB BARTON (FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE), THE WINDISH AGENCY (SOLLEE) AND COURTESY LEMOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL, THE WINDISH AGENCY (SOLLEE) AND COURTESY LEMOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS ART FESTIVAL

2017 SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE

BAKERSFIELD MIST, PRESENTED BY EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY FEB. 2–5, 9–12, 16–19 Audience members will enjoy this hilarious, inspiredby-true-events “dramedy,” in which unemployed bartender Maude and art expert Lionel Percy question the true definition of art and the authenticity of people. Run time is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. This presentation contains mature language. $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens (55 and up), $15 for students (all ages). 560 Grand Boulevard, Miramar Beach. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances: 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee: 2 p.m. (850) 684-0323 emeraldcoasttheatre.org

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

FEB. 4 The Pensacola Double Bridge Run, presented by Publix, is one of the premier 15Ks in the country. The race will start in downtown Pensacola and will pass through the historic district, along picturesque Bayfront Parkway, through Gulf Breeze and onto Pensacola Beach. Runners will cross two bridges over Pensacola Bay and Santa Rosa Sound.

Registration is open.

Pensacola Sports, 101 W. Main S., Pensacola.

(850) 434-2800 pensacolasports.org/ doublebridgerun/

FLORA-BAMA’S “SUPER” BOWL CHILI COOK-OFF FEB. 5 Teams of three, all dressed up to show team spirit, work their chili wizardry together to compete for their version of the best chili ever. Awards will be announced at the end of the day. If you don’t want to cook, come by and sample the wide variety of dishes. $2 per sample or $10 for six samples. Registration required. Tasting begins at 12 p.m. Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, 17401 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola. (850) 492-6838 florabama.com

MOVIE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS

Re-union. 0fficially renew your vows with a wedding officiant on the sandy white beach overlooking the Choctawhatchee Bay and enjoy a complimentary champagne toast, wedding cake and flowers. FREE. Lulu’s, 4596 Legendary Marina Drive, next to Legendary Marina at the foot of the Mid Bay Bridge, Destin. Registration begins at 11 a.m.; vows take place at 2 p.m. (850)710-5858 lulubuffett.com/destin

VALENTINE’S DAY SUPPER FEB. 14

FEB. 11

Your favorite movie music from John Williams, including selections from Star Wars, Harry Potter, E.T. and many other hit films will be played in concert with the Pensacola Symphony.

Special guests will include saxophonist Timothy McAllister and violinist Leonid Yanovskiy. $22–$94.

Saenger Theatre Pensacola, 118 S. Palafox Place, Pensacola. 7:30 p.m.

Treat your special someone to a memorable date night at Havana Beach Bar & Grill. You’ll receive a glass of “bubbly” upon your arrival, and your meal-for-two will include your choice of a special, three-course dinner (regular menu not available). $85 for adults, $45 for children (12 and under). Reservations preferred. Havana Beach Bar & Grill, 63 Main Street, Rosemary Beach. 5:30– 10 p.m. (850)588-2882

pensacolasymphony.com

thepearlrb.com

3RD ANNUAL PIRATES AND PRINCESSES 5K AND FUN RUN

GIRL SCOUTS’ RUN FOR THE COOKIES

FEB. 11

Join the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle for the 2017 Girl Scout Trail Run, presented by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The 5K and one-mile run/walk will take place on the beautiful trails at the University of West Florida campus and will provide a day of fun for all ages and fitness levels. University of West Florida’s Multi Purpose Field, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola. 7:30 a.m.–noon.

(850) 434-1333

Join your fellow pirates and princesses as they race to the finish line to collect their treasure. The event will include face painting and a festive pirate party for all ages. $35 for the 5K; $20 for the fun run. Fort Walton Beach Landing Park, 139 Brooks St. SE., Fort Walton Beach. 9 a.m. active.com

TROPICAL RE-UNION VOW RENEWAL FEB. 12 For all the love birds out there, make it a special Valentine’s Day and celebrate your love for and commitment to your significant other at LuLu’s Destin 2nd Annual Tropical

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

FEB. 16

the Artists at Gulf Place and the Gulf Place merchants as they host the Gulf Place Wine Walkabout. Sample wines as you visit each of Gulf Place’s quaint shops and boutiques, and enjoy live music and a plethora of raffle prizes. $20. Gulf Place, 45 Town Center Loop, Santa Rosa Beach. 5–7 p.m. gulfplacefl.com

28TH ANNUAL SANDESTIN GUMBO FESTIVAL FEB. 17-18 Prepare your palate!

Restaurants and businesses along the Gulf Coast will vie for the title of “Area’s Best” as they create and serve their own brands of a southern classic dish: gumbo! This promises to be a weekend filled with food, live music from Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, family activities and much more. Crawfish Boil: 4 p.m. on Friday; Main Event (gumbo cook-off): 12–4 p.m. on Saturday. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, 9100 Baytowne Ave., Miramar Beach. (800) 866-91-BEACH sandestingumbofestival.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH MARDI GRAS & MUSIC FESTIVAL FEB. 24–25 The two-day festival takes place in and around Pier Park and is one of the best Mardi Gras events anywhere. The event is perfect for the whole family and includes a Mardi Gras Kids Zone, parade float tours and parade, street fair and live music. 600 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach.

(850) 233-5070

gscfp.org/

visitpanamacitybeach.com

GULF PLACE WINE WALKABOUT

PENSACOLA GRAND MARDI GRAS PARADE

FEB. 16

FEB. 25

Who says you can’t have fun on a weeknight? Join

As one of the country’s original celebration sites,

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

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FEB/MAR 2017

Pensacola hosts this family-oriented Mardi Gras parade in the city’s historic downtown area. Crowds catch beads, doubloons and moon pies galore as they are thrown from floats!

FREE. Begins at Spring and Garden streets, downtown Pensacola. 2 p.m.

(850) 436-7638 pensacolamardigras.com/

some of the Gulf Coast’s top chefs and restaurants, such as Great Southern Cafe, Bud & Alley’s and more.

The VIP reception includes more foods prepared

by Chef Emeril Lagasse, Chef Jim Shirley and Chef Jim Richard as well as a special opportunity to take a photo with Chef Lagasse. VIP tickets: $300; general admission: $99. The Seaside Lyceum, Smolian Circle, Santa Rosa Beach.

VIP reception: 6–7 p.m.

Dinner: 7 p.m. runseasidefl.com

EMERALD COAST BOAT & LIFESTYLE SHOW ↑ FORT WALTON BEACH BEER FESTIVAL This event, formerly known as the Destin Beer Festival, will be hosted by Wine World at Uptown Station.

Enjoy a day tasting local craft beers and spirits — and a few nibbles from area vendors — while listening to live music. Proceeds from this event will benefit local non-profit organizations. $25. Event will be from 1-5 p.m. at the Chan’s Wine World location at Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach.(850)301-0757

The inaugural Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle Show promises to be an event to remember. Come to see the boats; stay to attend a seminar or to check out the displays of the latest and greatest in fishing and diving gear, paddleboards, bicycles, active wear and more. “Locals’ Day” will be on March 3, “Ladies’ Day” will be on March 4 and all are invited to attend on March 5. $10 for adults, kids 12 and under FREE, $5 for military personnel.

600 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach. (850) 233-5070

uptownstation.com

visitpanamacitybeach.com

ADULT COLORING CLUB

MY FAIR LADY

MAR. 2

Based on the play, “Pygmalion,” by George Bernard Shaw, this blockbuster musical has all the singing and dancing and wonderful storytelling that theatre fans love.

Henry Higgins, a renowned professor of phonetics, learns the true meaning of “proper behavior” as he endeavors to teach Eliza Doolittle, a flower peddler, how to speak and act like a London socialite. $12-$30. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St., Pensacola. Thurs–Sat: 7:30 p.m.; Sun: 3 p.m.

(850) 432-2042

FEB. 25

Enjoy a relaxing morning of coffee, conversation, and creativity at the Destin Library. Participants will be able to color their own masterpieces while appreciating the guest art exhibit hanging in the library’s Calhoun Room.

Materials will be provided.

FREE. Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave., Destin.

10 a.m. (850) 837-8572

TASTE THE RACE MAR. 3 Enjoy cuisine from two of Emeril Lagasse’s famous restaurants along with

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MAHLER SYMPHONY MAR. 4

Revel in Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony under the direction of Maestro Peter Rubardt with the Pensacola Symphony. The event will include special performances from mezzosoprano Susan Platts, the UWF Women's Chorus and the Pensacola Children's Chorus. $22–$94. Saenger Theatre Pensacola, 118 S. Palafox Place, Pensacola.

7:30 p.m. pensacolasymphony.com

LITTLE MISS MARVELOUS PAGEANT MAR. 4 Children of all ages are welcome to compete in the Pageant World Productions event in Panama City. The event is FREE to the public and will also feature a photo booth. Springfield Community Center, 3728 E. 3rd St., Panama City. 10 a.m. facebook.com/ pageantworldproductions

GULF COAST RENAISSANCE FAIRE MAR. 4-5

event: This year, proceeds from the Wine Festival will support the Children’s Volunteer Health Network, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing access to health services for children in Walton and Okaloosa counties. $300/ weekend pass, $200/ seminars and grand tasting.

Alys Beach, Scenic Highway 30A. Seminars: 1–3:30 p.m.; Grand Tasting: 3:30–7 p.m.

(850) 213-5500 alysbeach.com

EMERALD COAST CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER GALA

6TH ANNUAL 30A WINE FESTIVAL MAR. 9-12 The annual 30A Wine Festival is a must-experience event for fans of the vintner’s craft and the culinary arts.

Even more important is the reason behind the

MAR. 11 Meet your favorite PBS Kids characters and discover Gulfarium fun with WSRE. A portion of the day’s admission fees will be donated to the WSRETV Foundation. $11–$21.

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, 1010 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach. 10 a.m. gulfarium.com

MAR. 11 Help abused, abandoned and neglected kids by attending the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center Gala. This annual, signature fund-raising event will include a delicious dinner, dancing and live entertainment. $250 per couple. Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, 4000 Sandestin Blvd S., Miramar Beach. 5:30 p.m.

(850) 833-9237, ext. 283

The City of Gulf Breeze and Gulf Breeze Arts, Inc. (GBA) will present the 23rd annual “Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts” fine arts festival.

The juried festival will bring together quality local, regional and national artists. FREE. Gulf Breeze High School parking lot, 675 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

(850) 529-2051

eccac.org

gulfbreezearts.com

Thousands will gather to witness the spectacle of armored combat, the thunderous clash of jousters, the swirl of dancers’ costumes and to sample the wares of merchants who have traveled from afar. Come and meet Their Majesties, see fabulous characters and experience a historically good time! Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway, Pensacola.

(850) 434-1234 gcrf.us

WE’RE MAKING A SPLASH

GULF BREEZE CELEBRATES THE ARTS FESTIVAL



calendar

MAR. 18

MAR. 11-12

AW SHUCKS! OYSTER EXTRAVAGANZA

Celebrate the gems of the Gulf Coast: the Apalachicola Bay oyster! Oyster chefs will give shucking demonstrations and provide attendees with lots of tips for preparing oysters at home. Craft beers, oyster shooters and specialty beer cocktails will be available at the bar during the event. $45. Havana Beach Rooftop Lounge Cabanas and Deck, 63 Main St., Rosemary Beach. 5–8 p.m. (850) 588-2882 thepearlrb.com

IAKOV FILIMONOV (EMERALD COAST BOAT & LIFESTYLE SHOW), NATALYA OKOROKOVA (OYSTERS AND BEER) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM AND COURTESY NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF FLORIDA

PURSES WITH A PURPOSE

Center, 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach. 7 p.m. (850) 460-8800

MAR. 24-25

sinfoniagulfcoast.org

Friday night, enjoy cocktails and appetizers while exploring an expansive array of silent auction items, including new and gently used designer handbags, wallets, jewelry and more.

View the remaining selection of items on Saturday, at which time admission will be free and complimentary muffins and mimosas will be served. Proceeds of this twoday event will be donated to Shelter House, a nonprofit center for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Prepurchased tickets for Friday: $15 for General Admission, $25 for VIP. At-the-door tickets for Friday: $20 for General Admission, $30 for VIP. FREE on Saturday. 560 Grand Boulevard, Miramar Beach. Friday: 5:30–8 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

(850) 243-1201

BAY BREEZE PATIO ANNIVERSARY EVENT MAR. 31–APR. 1 Visitors to Bay Breeze Patio will enjoy this free anniversary event, in which experts share demonstrations on grilling (come hungry!) and on arranging the perfect fire in an outdoor fireplace. This event also includes special sale prices on Bay Breeze Patio goods. FREE. Bay Breeze Patio, 23 Forest Shore Drive, Miramar Beach. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (850) 269-4666

T W E L F T H

DESTIN CHARITY WINE

AUCTION WEEKEND

baybreezepatio.com

4/28

shelterhousenwfl.org

UNWINED: VINES TO STEINS MAR. 24–25 The Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce presents a spectacular weekend celebration of the best in aliments and libations.

“Relaxation” is definitely on the menu, taking the form of award-winning wines, craft beer and delicious local cuisine, served to the tune of live music. Aaron Bessant Park, 600 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach. pcbeach.org/unwined-panamacity-beach

BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY II

A N N U A L

PATRON DINNER

↑ PENSACOLA BEACH KIDNEY WALK

4/29

APR. 1 The Kidney Walk is the nation’s largest walk to fight kidney disease. This event is a great opportunity for families, friends and businesses to raise awareness and funds for lifesaving programs that educate and support patients, their families and those at risk. FREE. Pensacola Beach Amphitheater, Pensacola Beach. Registration: 8:30 a.m.; Walk: 10:00 a.m.

RESERVE TASTING & LIVE AUCTION

4/30

SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

kidneywalk.org

INTO THE BLUE

MAR. 25

APR. 1

Favorite classic Looney Tunes cartoons will be projected on the big screen, while Sinfonia Gulf Coast performs their exhilarating, original Carl Stalling scores, live! Presented

by Warner Bros. $45 preferred seating; $29.50 choice seating.

Emerald Coast Convention

Join the American Heart Association for the Bay Heart Ball, which is proudly chaired

by Dr. Frank and Regina Merritt. Sponsorships are available. Sheraton Bay Point Resort, 4114 Jan Cooley Drive, Panama City Beach. 6:00 p.m.

APRIL 28

-

30

2017 TICKETS

www.dcwaf.org

bayheartball.heart.org

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

TOP S LON EMERALD COAST

EMERALD COAST’S PREMIER SALON COMPETITION AND CHARITY FUNDRAISER PHOTOGRAPHER Chase Yakaboski

LOCATION 30Avenue

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hank you for your nominations! Fourteen of the most popular salons, from Panama City to Pensacola, have been selected to compete for the title of Emerald Coast’s Top Salon thanks to the community! Now the competition begins.

Competing salons — featured on these pages — will each make over a model, and the transformations will be unveiled in a runway show.

A panel of judges and all event attendees will cast votes to determine the Top Salon of the Emerald Coast, Fan Favorite and Judges’ Pick.

Emerald Coast’s Top Salon wins an advertising campaign developed by Rowland Publishing and an ad campaign in Emerald Coast Magazine. Plus, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the winner’s charity of choice! Each salon will be raising money for their chosen charities up until the night of the event. You can donate directly to the charity by visiting emeraldcoastmagazine.com/top-salon.

SPECIAL PROMOTION

AS YOU LIKE IT SALON AND SPA TO BENEFIT Children’s Home Society of

Florida’s Emerald Coast MODEL Karen Owens

AVANTGARDE SALON SPA TO BENEFIT Others of Destin Inc. MODEL Holly Garrido

LA RENAISSANCE SALON

LUX SOLIS AVEDA SALON & SPA

TO BENEFIT Special Olympics of Florida

TO BENEFIT Santa Rosa Kids House

MODEL Rebecca Steele

MODEL Kristan Williamson

PROJECT:STYLE SALON TO BENEFIT Beach Care Services MODEL Angela Olson

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

PURE & COUTURE SALON TO BENEFIT Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation MODEL Joanna Riddle

SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA

SOUTHERN ROOTS SALON & SPA

TO BENEFIT Warrior Beach Retreat

TO BENEFIT Beds for Kids

MODEL Kenesshia Scott

MODEL Amber Dobbs

SPA LA LA DAY SPA & SALON

THE CUTTING ROOM SALON AND SPA

TO BENEFIT Special Operations Wounded Warriors

TO BENEFIT Fisher House

MODEL Layla Korn

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MODEL Mallory Griffin

SPECIAL PROMOTION

THE KAT HOUSE HAIR STUDIO

THE POSH DAISY SALON SPA

TO BENEFIT Heroes on the Water

TO BENEFIT Fresh Start for Children and Families

MODEL Erin Wainwright

MODEL Heather McGee

PRESENTED BY

SPONSORS

TRAVELING CHIC

VOLUME ONE SALON

TO BENEFIT Connecting Kids Inc.

TO BENEFIT ARC Gateway

MODEL Chelsea Barnette

Jewelry & Gifts

MODEL Tasha Bronson

FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017 AT 7 P.M.

HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA

$40 GENERAL ADMISSION | $55 VIP For more information and to purchase tickets visit: EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM/TOP-SALON

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(continued from page 84) STORY BY STEVE B ORNHOF T

KINGS OF THE GULF

A mate (this page) rigs lines with skirted trolling lures and a teaser designed to attract the attention of the Gulf of Mexico’s most magnificent predators — such as the blue marlin (opposite).

850-837-6800

Safety Comfort

FISH FUN

• Coast Guard Inspected • Certified for up to 22 passengers • Captain Jason Mikel: 25+ years experience — 4th generation

• Satellite TV / Direct TV • 53' custom G&S Sportfish • Safe, clean, comfortable, air-conditioned cabin

• The deep sea fishing adventure of your life!

• All licensing, bait and tackle provided • State-of-the-art fish-finding equipment • Specializing in large groups and family fun fishing • 2 and 3 day bottom, Swordfish and Tuna fishing • Grouper, Tuna, Swordfish, Snapper, Amberjack, Wahoo, Dolphin, Shark

The best part of your family’s vacation!

CharterFishingDestin.com

FinestKindCharter.com 66 Harbor Blvd. Destin, FL 32541 Located at HarborWalk Village under the zipline

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COURTESY HATTERAS YACHTS / JIM-RAYCROFT

THE LATEST SPORTFISHING YACHTS EXPAND THE STRIKE ZONE

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But no victory may have been sweeter for Hallmark than the “Rise Up’s” triumph in last year’s Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin.

On Friday, the tournament’s first fishing day, Chad Postle, fishing aboard the “Breathe Easy” with Capt.

Ivie, cranked in a blue that weighed in at 835.8 pounds.

Ivie and team were so confident that the fish would hold up in first place that they stayed at the dock on Saturday when Team “Rise Up” and angler Scott Poppell boated a big one of their own.

Ivie, hearing about the catch, called Hallmark seeking assurances that he had nothing to worry about. Hallmark told him that he was sure the fish was bigger than the no-count marlin he had weighed in earlier in the tournament season at Orange Beach.

“It may not beat yours,” Hallmark said to Ivie, “but it for sure is gonna scare the hell out of ya.”

— Capt. Jason Ivie’s fears were justiHallmark fied. Hallmark’s blue, at 838.2 pounds, bumped Ivie to second place.

Those two blues — the 835 and the 838 — were the two largest marlins caught by boats fishing out of the U.S., including Hawaii, in all of 2016.

What will Hallmark do to top all of that this year?

He began by practicing.

The “Gunnslinger” left out of Destin for Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and Key West in January and was due back as this edition of Emerald Coast Magazine was going to press.

“It’s like spring training,” Hallmark said. EC

“I don’t think you can ever really conquer it.

You may have the best plan possible, but it doesn’t always work out.”

SP O NSO R ED R E P O RT

Stories from the

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

PR ESENTE D BY

FEB RUARY 2017

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM February–March 2017 123 FOUNDATION.SACRED-HEART.ORG | SAC RE D H E ART FO U N DAT IO N 1

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

NICU Team is Always Prepared to Expect the Unexpected B aby boy Valor Ervin was born on July 24 in a smooth delivery following a healthy, full-term pregnancy. But the first week of his life was nothing short of eventful.

Two hours after he was born, Valor was being held and snuggled by his family when his parents noticed he had turned blue. He was rushed to the nursery, put on oxygen and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in

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one of the hospital’s neonatal transport ambulances.

During delivery, Valor had aspirated, and his lungs had filled with his mother’s blood. In response, Valor’s body reverted back to fetal circulation. In other words, he was trying to breathe the same way he had in the womb.

“As horrifying as the experience was, we were so glad to be at Sacred Heart,” said Valor’s mother, Chandler. “The doctors and nurses in the NICU were incredibly empathetic,

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

“It is so reassuring to know that the staff there (at Sacred Heart) is prepared for these scary and unexpected situations.” – CHANDLER ANDERSON explained our situation so well and never got impatient with how many questions we asked. We were amazed by the care they provided every single day.”

Valor was put on a ventilator and treated for persistent pulmonary hypertension. After a week in the NICU of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, he was able to go home to his parents and two older sisters.

“In the future,” said Chandler, “I would definitely deliver my baby at Sacred Heart because — even with a healthy pregnancy — emergencies can happen. It is so reassuring to know that the staff there is prepared for these scary and unexpected situations.”

Valor’s neonatologists do not expect he will experience any long-term effects, except continuing to be snuggled and spoiled by his loving family.

Did you know?

The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart is meeting the ever-expanding healthcare needs of our communities by providing care whenever and wherever our patients need us most. The children’s hospital is expanding its Level II and Level III NICU beds to 72 private rooms in Pensacola and is adding a 10bed Level II NICU at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach. The hospital also has two custom-designed Neonatal Critical Care Transport Units that include state-of-the-art-technology and patient-comfort features. The units are stationed in Miramar Beach and Pensacola. Each unit covers an area within a three-hour radius.

More than 1,000 babies are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart each year, with about 80 percent born prematurely, as defined as being born between

two and 16 weeks early. The average length of stay for our premature and critically ill babies in the NICU is 18.77 days. During this time, these babies receive the highest level of care.

The NICU is staffed 24 hours a day by full-time neonatologists, or pediatricians with specialized training in the care of critically ill infants; neonatal nurses; developmental specialists; and other therapists and technicians.

While most pregnancies and deliveries go as planned, with few complications and mother and baby going home within two days, sometimes, in cases like Valor’s, the unexpected happens. The mother and baby may need a specialized level of care that can only be provided by an expert group of doctors and nurses. From high-risk pregnancies to unanticipated complications to premature deliveries, The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart is always prepared for the unexpected.

A message from Carol Carlan A foundation’s success is a reflection of the community it serves. Our community on the Gulf Coast is beautiful not only for its pristine beaches and emerald waters, but also for the beauty in the hearts of those who care deeply and give so generously to ensure that we all have access to the highest level of healthcare available.

One of those caring hearts belongs to Len Cobb, who is preparing to celebrate a milestone birthday.

He continues to make a difference through his gifts to Carol Carlan The Studer Family President, Children’s Hospital Sacred Heart Foundation at Sacred Heart.

You will also read about Wes Reeder, an attorney and donor who gives of his valuable time to serving as chair of Sacred Heart Foundation. Also spotlighted is Leonard Olson, Emerald Coast Director of Sacred Heart Foundation. Leonard will be retiring after 10 years of service. His contributions will be felt for years to come.

Sacred Heart Foundation also relies on the support of many others in a variety of ways — from those who devote time and energy to the coordination and implementation of events such as the annual Charity Golf Classic, Cordova Mall Ball, Preemie Cup and Radiothon.

The future offers more opportunities to partner with us to ensure that our community’s children continue to have access to quality healthcare. We are excited to announce that construction has begun on the new Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart — an amazing facility that will house all of our pediatric services in one location.

It is you — our donors, our patients and our community — who bestow your treasures of time and resources upon us to help make a difference in the lives of our patients. We are grateful and thankful for your generosity and devotion.

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Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Len W. Cobb

Countdown to a Century

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en W. Cobb, who looks forward to his 100th birthday this month, has enjoyed a long, illustrious life on both a personal and professional level.

Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Len grew up in Pensacola and graduated from Pensacola High School. He and his wife Myrtle Earnest were married for 75 years and had a son, Dr. Barry Cobb. Dr. Cobb married Jeanie Dumestre, who has been a wonderful daughter-in-law.

Much of Len’s exemplary professional career was spent in Pensacola, Florida, in the field of naval aviation. In 1937, the Navy announced the opening of a school to train young men to maintain military aircraft. They would be supervisors and executives of the future aircraft industry. Over 700 candidates, seeking admission to this new school, took a written test, but only 12 were selected — and Len was one of the 12. He served 2 ½ years in the U.S. Army before starting a new career with the U.S. Navy.

Upon graduation from this four-year technical school where he learned how to overhaul, repair and maintain the military’s aircraft, Len accepted the first of many supervisory positions.

Lenn Cobb with his wife, Myrtle

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One of the shops he supervised was flight test operations after each plane’s overhaul, which called for him to fly a number of flights to identify and correct problems.

A decision from the War Manpower Board prevented Len from accepting a commission in the Navy or Army Air Corps when he volunteered after WWII broke out. The Board declared that Len was more valuable to the war effort in his present administrative position than going into uniformed services.

Over the next years, he supervised some 3,000 people, sections of 500-800 employees who were rebuilding and overhauling military aircraft from the two-wing biplane to the modern jets of his time. He was promoted to top positions, earning many awards and letters of commendation for his contributions to naval aviation.

Upon retiring after 43 years of distinguished government service, Len began a second career as a real estate broker. He took up golfing and remained an avid golfer until he was 90 years old.

He was a Boy Scout Master; served 34

years on the Northwest Florida Blood Center’s board of directors; acted as board member and treasurer for the Kidney Association; and was twice chairman for the Federal Community Drive. He was also the Navy’s representative on Pensacola’s Naval Affairs Committee, whose members visited Washington, D.C., promoting projects for the city and the Naval Air Station.

But, throughout all his working years, Len devoted much of his time to community and church activities. He says, “Everybody has to give back. That’s what makes a community.”

Len continues his legacy of giving as he has done many times to The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart has been an important part of Len’s life, from the birth of his son at the original 12th Avenue hospital to the care that he and his wife received at the hospital on 9th Avenue. Len experienced the Daughters of Charity’s care and compassion during the hospital’s earliest of days in Pensacola, and he continues to see the hospital’s same unwavering dedication to patients more than 100 years later.

“Everybody has to give back. That’s what makes a community.” – LEN W. COBB

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Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Wes Reeder Paying It Forward

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hat most people don’t know about Wes Reeder is that he has been blessed with two professional careers.

Before law came the United States Navy.

After growing up on a farm near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Wes enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed for six years at NAS Pensacola.

During that tour he served as a crewmember with the Blue Angels. After his active-duty stint, he reenlisted in the Navy Reserves and rose in rank to become a commissioned officer. Wes retired from the Reserves after 21 years of service.

When a new law school opened in Jacksonville, he was in its very first class, attending at night and working full time during the day for the Naval Aviation Depot Jacksonville. After passing the bar exam, he returned to Pensacola, where he eventually joined Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon.

Wes possesses a lifelong love for North Carolina’s mountains, as well as one of its topranking basketball teams, the Tar Heels. An avid runner for 50 years, he recently switched to a daily routine of long-range cycling. He and his wife Carolyn, whom he credits as being strongly supportive of all that he does, are the parents of five children and four grandchildren.

Carolyn’s father, Dr. Fenner McConnell, was a well-known physician at Sacred Heart and very active in the community. “Fenner was a friend of mine and very important to my success,” said Wes. “For many years, I observed the work he and his wife Shirley did, their philanthropy and spirit of giving.” Inspired by their efforts, Wes has sought to leave a legacy of being involved in activities that make Pensacola a better place for all, and hopes his children will do the same.

As chairman of Sacred Heart Foundation, he leads efforts to raise money for the new Children’s Hospital, saying, “The services it will provide to the children and families of this community and region will be unmatched. As a health initiative, this is one of the most important, impactful undertakings I have ever witnessed.”

He sees the work of Foundation members as essential, if not vital, to providing world-class

“There are many ways to make a difference, whether by financial contributions or volunteering, and everybody needs to try to find the thing that really speaks to their heart…” – WES REEDER healthcare that will benefit generations to come throughout the entire region, including Sandestin and beyond. He looks forward to Sacred Heart’s continuing expansion and carrying on the original mission of the founding Daughters of Charity. “It’s that underlying pillar we all look to when we say, ‘This is why we do what we do.’ ”

He continues, “There are many ways to make a difference, whether by financial contributions or volunteering, and everybody needs to try to find the thing that really speaks to their heart, which they can relate to and become passionate about. That’s how we improve things for others in this community.”

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Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Leonard Olson

Devoted to the Community

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eonard Olson’s rich experience and background in medical management ambulatory care have served him well in his current role as Director of Sacred Heart Foundation serving the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach.

While most people in his former management field stayed in one location, he traveled extensively. Nationally and internationally, he was involved in healthcare and medical activities, learning from each unique situation. “My leadership style comes from being in the trenches in clinics,” he says.

His retirement after 62 years led him to Destin, where he has devoted himself to Sacred Heart and the community for over a decade now.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Leonard narrowly missed becoming a professional baseball player. His father had other plans for him and Leonard went to college instead, graduating with a B.S. degree in Marketing. That led to his career in medical management and a fellowship in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

It was this calling that took him to the Middle East, where he worked for the Royal Family at their King Faisal Hospital in Saudi Arabia, helping develop the first fee-for-service outpatient clinics in the kingdom. Over time, other professional destinations included Anchorage, Alaska; Boise, Idaho; Rochester, New York; Dallas, Texas; St. Joe, Missouri; Spokane, Washington; and Belize in Central

America. He worked with the Office of Inspector General and top attorneys in the U.S., the diplomatic quarters in Saudi Arabia and foreign military suppliers.

With him on every step of his journey was his beloved wife, Karen. Married for 52 years, they have two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren.

When Leonard decided to retire, fortuitous circumstances led to a meeting with Henry Roberts, former Sacred Heart Foundation president, who recruited Leonard for his position.

“It was a blessing to be able to come here and work with so many people in this community and help this hospital. God had his hand on my shoulder taking me through various events,” Leonard says.

Leonard himself is a strong financial supporter of the Foundation. “I decided that if I was going to be in that type of work and be able to talk with potential donors and folks about the hospital, I had to give, too.”

How does he inspire others to share? “I tell people that as part of the community, they will wish to have the best in healthcare facilities because one day everybody is going to need medical care. When they give, they help themselves and their neighbors — including those less fortunate — have access to the best doctors, the latest technology and leading-edge medical equipment.”

“Sacred Heart and Ascension are going in the direction of a regional concept,” says Leonard. “The Foundation is part of that concept, as we support the legacy of charity in our community and beyond.”

“It was a blessing to be able to come here and work with so many people in this community and help this hospital.”

–LEONARD OLSON

Leonard with his wife, Karen.

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Leonard will formally retire February 29, 2017.

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

16TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC PREVIEW May 7–8, 2017

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fter its most successful event yet, raising over $220,000 in April 2016, the Sacred Heart Charity Golf Classic is entering its 16th year with dreams of bigger and better. The 2017 event will be held on May 7 and 8, featuring the Spring Bash on Sunday evening and golf tournament on Monday. Proceeds from the event will continue to benefit Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Emergency Department expansion.

The Spring Bash will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Golf Beach Resort & Spa and feature live music, great food, live and silent auctions, chances to win prizes and more. The 2016 Spring Bash was a party to remember and raised over $30,000.

The Golf Tournament is visiting a new course this year and will be held at the newly renovated Emerald Bay Golf Club in Destin. Last year’s tournament boasted 120 golfers and golf professionals from all over the country and featured

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exciting tee busters and an awards ceremony.

The Charity Golf Classic is blessed to have an energetic and driven committee. The 2017 chairman is Bill Lavery, and other members include Wenda Bacon, Gary Bowman of Sandestin Real Estate, Joe Capers of Insurance Zone, Kathleen Hall, Marie McKenna, Sam Reda, Jon Vice, Lynn Wesson and Myra Williams, both of Howard Group, Brian Whitehead of LAH Real Estate, and Michele Auter and Jearl McCall of Emerald Bay Golf Club.

We would like to thank our 2017 Master Sponsors Howard Group, Howard Hospitality, Silver Sands Premium Outlets and Grand Boulevard. Other partnering sponsors are Wind Creek Hospitality, Hilton Sandestin Golf Beach Resort & Spa, Emerald Bay Golf Club, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and St. Joe.

For more information, please visit foundation.sacred-heart.org/charity-golf-classic.

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4 1. (L to R) Susan Davis, CEO Gulf Coast Ministry, Roger Hall, Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast president, and Carol Carlan, Sacred Heart Foundation president 2. 2016 Golf Tournament Registration and Tee Gifts at Burnt Pine Golf Club 3. Aerial Shot of Hole #2 green at the newly renovated Emerald Bay Golf Club, Destin, Florida, site of the 2017 Charity Golf Classic golf tournament 4. (L to R) Joe Baugh, Laura Jansone, Ashley Vannoy, Jon Vice, Cory Fosdyke 5. (L to R) Jeanne Marie McNellis - Charity Golf Classic committee member, Becky Fisher, Jan Rogers 6. Guests of the Charity Golf Classic dancing the night away.

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Stories

Heart from the

SP O NSO R ED R E P O RT

Making a Difference One Dollar at a Time We are grateful to Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, customers and members who generously gave during the seven-week Children’s Miracle Network Hospital campaign, supporting The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. The 29 locations from across the region held various in-store fundraisers and asked customers and members at the register to help kids live better. Thank you for making a difference, one dollar at a time!

Café Thirty-A We extend our most sincere gratitude to Harriet Crommelin for hosting the Café Thirty-A four-course wine dinner and champagne reception, and we thank the more than 90 guests who attended the evening’s festivities in support of the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Second Century Campaign. Your support is helping us meet the growing healthcare needs of the Destin community!

Radiothon The 19th annual Radiothon benefitting The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, will be held March 1–3 with a live broadcast from five Cumulus Broadcasting radio stations.

This 2 ½-day live event will happen at Cordova Mall in Pensacola to raise money for the more than 5,000 children treated each year at the children’s hospital.

Listeners will hear heartwarming stories from young patients themselves and their parents as they are interviewed on the air about their experiences, along with their doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

Listen, turn it up and call in for the kids!

(850) 416-5437

(L to R) Lindlee Dermody, Rita Montgomery, Laurie Beck, Pamela Burden, Kathy Barry and Shellie Fullenwider

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

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

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SOCIAL STUDIES John Lloyd Young Performance

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SEPT. 22 Guests enjoyed an indulgent, four-course dinner at Seagar’s in Destin followed by an exciting and impressive performance by John Lloyd Young, best known for his Tony award-winning performance as Frankie Valli in Clint Eastwood’s Broadway production, “Jersey Boys.”

PHOTOS BY KAY PHELAN

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1 Chris and Robin Wray 2 Bobbie and Jack White with Patsy and Al Richey 3 Demetrius Fuller and Whitney Lee 4 Elaine Tucker and Jennifer Howard

30A Craft Beer & Spirits Festival SEPT. 30–OCT. 1 Beer lovers converged on Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach to tap into two days of craft brew and spirits tasting and local restaurant menu sampling. Aside from the great food and drinks, highlights of this event included cocktail-themed contests and toetapping live music performances from Heritage Band and Charleston’s Dead 27s. The 30A Craft Beer & Spirits Festival, which was 30A’s first ever beer festival, was made possible by Wine World, The Craft Bar and ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals. Proceeds from the event benefited The Seaside School Foundation.

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PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI

1 Andrew Olimb with Lucy and J.D. Malone 2 Erin Ross and Jason Bazylak 3 Ryan Reed, Courtney Bailey, Nick Thompson, Trish Thompson and Matt Evans 4 Marlene and Jim Smith

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SOCIAL STUDIES Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival OCT. 14–15 Known as the “Best Beer-Fest on the Emerald Coast,” this popular event returned for its ninth year to the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. More than 200 craft beers were on site, as were expert brewers. Musicians performed live music while beer aficionados sampled domestic and international ales, beers and yet-to-be-released brews.

PHOTOS BY TRACY MULLIGAN AND MATT ALGARIN

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1 Jason and Stacy Smith 2 Vick Dicarlo and Jeremy Doinrey 3 Richard and Mary Powell with Denise and Dave Wyatt 4 Blake and Jennifer Avant

Porchfest

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OCT. 16 Locals strolled the Watersound Origins Community and paused on neighbors’ front porches and in the community’s parks to listen to live music.

Food trucks provided food for hungry guests, and St. Joe Club & Resorts hosted a cornhole tournament, the proceeds of which benefited Panama City Beach Rescue Mission.

PHOTOS BY RHONDA MURRAY

3 1 Nancy and Ronnie Stanley 2 Dannica Marie and Ben Parsons 3 Michael Lyons and Kathryn Jones

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SOCIAL STUDIES Best of the Emerald Coast OCT. 22 Winners of the 17th annual Best of the Emerald Coast awards gathered at Grand Boulevard to display their talents and to prove themselves worthy of the community’s “Best of” accolades. Guests to the event enjoyed an evening of food, fun, fashion and entertainment from the best restaurants, shopping and businesses on the Coast. This event was presented by Emerald Coast Magazine and benefited the Junior League of the Emerald Coast.

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PHOTOS BY JIM CLARK AND LEXI WILLCOXON

1 JoDeana Burgess, Sherrie Matthews, Andreah Bearinger and Kerri Papajohn 2 Adrianne and Patrick Brackett 3 Cassidy Pickens and Brooke Williams 4 Lexi Willcoxon, Jessica Bracken and Chelsea Blaich 5 Naime Morgan, Moona Joyner, Jen Perlman, Meagan Vahue

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6 Elizabeth Empson and Marty Williams

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SOCIAL STUDIES 21st Annual Festival of the Arts OCT. 29–30 More than 6,000 art lovers descended upon the Cultural Arts Village in Destin for a true celebration of art, music, food and family fun. Festivalgoers of all ages watched artists create works of art before their eyes, browsed and purchased art from dozens of emerging and seasoned artists, listened to six live-music acts, enjoyed fare from local food trucks and got hands-on at the interactive children’s art station. Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) awarded $10,000 in cash prizes to 27 local and regional artists from 16 cities for their original work in 13 different art mediums. Proceeds from the event benefitted MKAF and its cultural arts outreach programs.

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PHOTOS BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

1 Lisa Morris and Julie Hurst 2 Connor Ballasch and Marcia Hull 3 Melanie Moore and guest artist A.J. Brown 4 Michelle and Dustin Terry

Holly Fair NOV. 3–6 Attendees to the 28th annual Holly Fair in Panama City enjoyed more than just a unique shopping experience; they also participated in a holiday tradition.

This year’s event, which was presented by the Junior League of Panama City, took place at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort and featured goods from over 90 premier merchants. Shoppers stocked up on Christmas gifts that included apparel, jewelry, children’s items and more.

PHOTOS BY AMANDA BYERS

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1 Stacie Galbreath, Elizabeth Stamps, Jennifer Ross, Katie Harris and Nikki Childree 2 Tina Kennon, Tricia Berry, Jennifer Woods and Jennifer Ross 3 Shay and Frank Taylor as Mrs. & Mr. Claus 4 Michael Goodson, Erin Goodson, Scarlet Urena, Dr. Ingrid Johnson Rachesky, Art Pearce, Lauren Pearce and Jeff Riley

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SOCIAL STUDIES 26th Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival NOV. 5 Wine lovers flocked to Seaside to attend the highly anticipated four-day Seeing Red Wine Festival, which offered reserve wine tastings, dinners and brunch with celebrity-guest winemakers. Several Seaside restaurants showcased farm-to-fork and Gulf-to-table fare, paired with a variety of domestic and international wines.

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PHOTOS BY MATT ALGARIN

1 Jim Bagby, Jennie Bagby, Monty Benenhaley, Jill Cadenhead and Tim Krueger 2 Lori Leath Smith and Shaye Smith 3 Joe Passero, Leslie Passero, Jeff and Nicole Presson 4 Stephen Rose, Derek Jimenez, Betsy Murphy and Dan Murphy

Savor the Season

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NOV. 6 Guests gathered at the Caliza Pool in Alys Beach to taste delicious cuisine made by local chefs and to sip special wines while bidding on items in the live and silent auctions.

The event benefitted the Taylor Haugen Foundation, which builds and recognizes youth leaders and promotes youth sport safety.

PHOTOS BY RHONDA C. SCHAEFER PHOTOGRAPHY

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1 Ballie Stokes, Chris Camp and Vicki Alexander Stokes 2 Bernie Busovne, Leslie Dean Sheekley, Stella Geeker Verzwyvelt and Janice Huyser Busovne 3 Amanda Davidson Owens, Pamela Guidry and Mary Ann Bowman Chavez 4 Larry Snyder with Lawnene and Steve Boswell

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SOCIAL STUDIES 30A Thanksgiving 10K NOV. 24 On Thanksgiving morning, locals worked off the calories they anticipated consuming that evening by running a 10K race along 30A. Over the past five years, the race has given away more than $150,000 to local families and children in need. Hundreds of participants and their families raced into the holiday season for a good cause.

PHOTOS BY SHELLY SWANGER

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1 Christopher Gress, Carol Gress and Andrew Crawford 2 Cory and Courtney Davis with Chloe and Cooper Davis 3 Sandy and Alex Weiner 4 Valerie Calhoun, The 30A Turkey, Laura Calhoun and John Elkington

Apex Disaster Specialists’s Holiday Party

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DEC. 30 Apex Disaster Specialists celebrated 2016’s successes over food and drinks at Cantina Laredo with party favors, announcements and surprises throughout the night.

PHOTOS BY JACOB HICKS

1 Kristina and Joshua Martin with Shannon and Joshua Schilling

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2 Ken Larsen and Jeremy Neel 3 Julie and Brad Pruitt with Wendy and Joshua Neel

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THEY CAME TO

STAY

Snowbirds become Sandpipers STORY BY THOMAS J. MONIGAN PHOTOS BY TODD DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Wintertime on the Emerald Coast brings the annual migration of Snowbirds, — visitors from the frozen north who come here for sun and fellowship. But, as it turns out, not all of them head back home. We recently visited with three couples who have come to plant their feet in our sugar-white sand on a permanent basis.

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The occasional visit wasn’t enough for Weldon and Barb Brinkley. They flew the coop from Mississippi to make a nest in Destin.

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Recently, at the water aerobics class she leads, Mary Ellen ran into a mystified reaction when she used the term, “hoosegow.”

“And three-fourths of them said, ‘What is a hoosegow?’ And I said, well, ‘ jail,’” Mary Ellen said.

Overall, the Franklins are more than pleased with their decision to relocate here.

“We figured out before we came, it’s cheaper to live down here than in North Dakota,” Mary Ellen said.

“And we have the beach and we’re not driving on ice.

The first year we were here, we went to Tallahassee for Thanksgiving, and as we were driving we were saying ‘Wow, isn’t this something? We don’t have to worry about the weather. No blizzards.’”

The Franklins refer to living in Seascape as “a social event with a little bit of exercise. Tom bowls and plays golf, while Mary Ellen has her water aerobics.

“We can’t tell you how much we love it here,” Mary Ellen said with a big smile. “I wake up in the morning and pinch myself and say, ‘Yep, we’re still in Florida.’”

Which also involves a fair amount of convenience.

“We’re a mile from the outlet mall and five minutes from eating,” Mary Ellen said.

“We can even go right down the street and get groceries. EveryWe can’t thing we need is right here.” tell you how Family ties to North Dakota much we love it exist in the form of sons, Casey here. I wake up and Troy. Daughter Sasha lives in the morning and pinch on Long Island. myself and say, “It’s gotten to, ‘If you want to ‘Yep, we’re still see Mom and Dad, you come in Florida.’”

—Mary Ellen here,’” Tom said.

Franklin “The kids didn’t understand until they came to visit,” Mary Ellen said. “Now they’ve all been here. My cousin, Audrey, from New Hampshire, spent six months. And my brother, Jim, and his wife, Marlys, will be coming for six months.”

Mary Ellen recalled with a smile that people kept asking, “What do you do all day long?”

So she finally came up with, “Nothing we don’t want to do.” EC

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Celebrating The Best

ANNUAL ‘BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST’ EVENT CELEBRATES PREMIER BUSINESSES

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CONTINUUM Local favorites Continuum, who were honored as Best Musician/Vocalist/Band, provided the soundtrack for the annual celebration.

To see all the images, video highlights and a complete list of winners visit

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Junior League of the Emerald Coast accepting a check from Emerald Coast Magazine and presenting sponsors Grand Boulevard and Silver Sands Premium Outlets.

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here’s a special feeling when you get to say you are the best at something, whether it’s crafting the perfect cocktail, capturing the perfect moment through your camera lens or pampering clients at your luxurious spa.

For those honored in Emerald Coast Magazine’s annual Best of the Emerald Coast readers’ poll, they can truly say they are the best of the best, as voted upon (and verified by the team at Coastal Accounting) by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine and consumers of their products or services.

Grand Boulevard at Sandestin served as the host for 2016’s Best of the Emerald Coast celebration on Oct. 22, and the party certainly didn’t disappoint as winners pulled out all the stops to showcase their products and services for an evening of fun, food and cold beverages.

Thousands of attendees were treated to tasty eats, such as hand-rolled sushi, mouthwatering gumbo and wood oven pizzas, not to mention enough delectable treats to satisfy the biggest sweet tooth. For those who enjoyed the VIP experience, wow. Talk about a special treat.

Best of all, the evening was about more than just having a good time, as proceeds from the festivities, which totaled $49,133, benefitted the Junior League of the Emerald Coast, specifically funding the Child Clothing Project. This initiative transports over 300 children from Okaloosa and Walton county elementary schools to the local Target store. Each child shops for a new pair of shoes, socks, underwear, two short-sleeved shirts, a jacket, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of active pants — all items that they are able to pick out on their own. These items typically amount to about $100 per purchase.

The team at Emerald Coast Magazine would like to thank each and every business who came out to celebrate with us, each reader and attendee who spent the evening in grand fashion, and all of our partners and sponsors who helped make the evening a smashing success. It’s hard to beat the best, but this year’s celebration may just have been the best one yet.

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Capt.on Dave’s the

SERVING LOCAL FLORIDA SEAFOOD AND STEAKS Dinner 4pm UNTIL …

For more information visit captdavesonthegulf.com

Gulf

Casual Gulf Front Dining The locals’ favorite since 1968!

3796 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin 850.837.2627 captdavesonthegulf.com

#localsservinglocals @jackacudas #jackacudas 8 5 0

APPETIZER Harborwalk Village Destin, FL

4 2 4 3 5 0 7

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Eat Local

Enjoy cocktails on the deck for sunset Happy Hour: 4–6pm Open 6 days a week (closed Tuesdays) Live Music

dining guide AMERICAN

34940 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

850-837-1015. $ L D

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

45 CENTRAL

Enjoy big wines and small plates in an intimate atmosphere. Open daily 11 a.m.– midnight. 45 Central Square, Seaside.

850-231-4545. $$ L D

A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits and Cajun seafood gumbo. Open daily at 5 p.m. 775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D

THE BEACH HOUSE

MAGNOLIA GRILL

Casual beach-front dining. Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 4009 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. 850-267-4800. $$ L D

BUFFALO’S REEF ★

Hot wings and cold beer. Tue–Sat open at 10:30 a.m., Sun open at noon.

116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach.

850-243-9463. $ L D

CALLAHAN’S RESTAURANT & DELI Great sandwiches, seafood specials and prime rib. Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

791 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-837-6328. $L D

THE CRAFT BAR ★

Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. Open daily 11 a.m.–12 a.m. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin.

Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola.

850-460-7907. $$ L D

CUVEE DESTIN & CUVEE 30A ★

Classic Italian, French and Asian influenced dishes. Open daily 5:30-10 p.m.

36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W, Destin. (Also at 30Avenue, 12805 Highway 98 in Inlet Beach.) 850-650-8900. $$$ D

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, artisan pizzas and signature cocktails. Open daily at 4 p.m. 535 Richard Jackson Pkwy., Panama City Beach. 850-249-3359. $$$ D

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. Lunch Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Dinner Mon–Sat, open at 5 p.m. Closed Sun. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach.

850-302-0266. $$ L D

MARIE’S BISTRO & BAR ★

Seafood, steak, pasta and sushi. Serving lunch Tues–Fri 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and dinner Tues–Sun at 5 p.m. 2260 W. County Highway 30A, Blue Mountain Beach. 850-278-6856. $$ L D

Seafood, po’boys, burgers and salads.

Open daily 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Breakfast Sat–Sun 8–11 a.m. Kitchen closed Mon–Tue. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. 850-267-7778.

MARINA CAFÉ

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine. Open daily 5–10 p.m. 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 a.m.– 9 p.m. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola.

850-912-8775. $$ L D

THE RED BAR ★

$$ L D

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ ★

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. Open Mon– Wed 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Thu–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m.–9 p.m. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. 850-432-5226. $$ L D

JOHN WEHNER’S VILLAGE DOOR BAYFRONT RESTAURANT & NIGHTCLUB ★

Dinner and dancing. Serving barbecue and seafood daily, 5–9 p.m. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, 126 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. 850-502-4590. $$ D

JOHNNY O’QUIGLEY’S

Steak, seafood and barbecue. Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sun 11 a.m.–1 a.m.

THE KEY ★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2016 Winner

tom & peggy rice, proprietors

(850) 302-0266

www.magnoliagrillfwb.com

$B L D

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

fort walton beach

MARINA BAR AND GRILL

Enjoy live music and dine on a menu of varied options including pastas, seafood, salads and cocktails. Lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach. 850-231-1008. $ L D

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. Open daily 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–9 p.m. 30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach. 850-641-0017.

Magnolia Grill bridal luncheons • wedding rehearsals unique receptions

MIMMOS

Chef-inspired twists on classic dishes.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail. Open daily 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Tiki Bar open noon to sunset. Linkside Conference Center, 158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach.

850-267-7108. $ B L

VIN’TIJ WINE BOUTIQUE & BISTRO

Italian

Seafood, salad, chef specials. Open daily 11 a.m.–midnight. 10859 W. Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 103, Miramar Beach.

850-650-9820. $$ L D

ASIAN BASMATI’S ASIAN CUISINE & SUSHI

Asian dishes and full sushi bar. Open 4 p.m.

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

979 US HWY 98 E

|

Destin

(in the 98 Pa lms Shopping Plaza)

850.460.7353 EatMimmos.com

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daily. 3295 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

850-267-3028. $$ D

JASMINE THAI ★

2008 - Best Italian 2009 - Best Pizza 2010 - Best Pizza & Best Chef 2011 - Best Pizza, Best Italian & Best Chef 2012 - Best Italian 2013 - Best Pizza & Best Walton Restaurant 2014 - Best Pizza, Best Walton Restaurant & Best Chef 2015 - Best Pizza 2016 - Best Pizza

Traditional dishes in a contemporary atmosphere. Lunch Tue–Sun 11 a.m.– 3 p.m., dinner Tue–Sun 5–9 p.m.

4463 Common Drive W., Ste. 108, Destin.

850-460-7780. $$ L D

OSAKA ★

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

Lunch 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner 5–10:30 p.m.

34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

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

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

Traditional greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther.

850-302-0691. $ L

DESSERT BRUSTERS ★

Ice cream selections are made fresh on-site, daily. Noon–7:00 p.m. 4655 Gulfstar Drive, Destin. 850-269-2920. $

THAI DELIGHT The original, award-winning wood-fired pizza and classical Italian cuisine

Traditional dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Open daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m., 821 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-650-3945. $$ L D

BBQ 98 BAR-B-QUE

Award-winning barbeque, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take out, catering.

Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–8 p.m. 5008 Highway 98, Santa Rosa Beach. 850-622-0679. $ L D

IRISH JOHNNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

Easygoing pub providing Irish and American eats, a game room for kids and deck seating. 11 a.m.–2 a.m. 2298 Scenic Highway 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 a.m.–2 a.m. 33 Highway 98, Destin (Also in Pensacola). 850-650-0000. $$ L D

BUCK’S SMOKEHOUSE ★

Brisket, ribs and pulled pork sandwiches and plates in a casual, rustic atmosphere.

Open daily 11 a.m.–8 p.m. 303 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-837-3600. $ L D

JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q ★

Smokehouse barbecue, beer and wine.

Open daily 11 a.m. 14073 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. 850-351-1991. $ L D

Lunch M–F 11–2 · Dinner M–Sat 5–9 · 850.650.5980 12273 US Hwy 98, Miramar Beach · fatclemenzas.com

Be the first to know!

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ ★

Breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, patty melts, specials, soups, salads and desserts. Open daily 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed Mondays. 979 E. Highway 98, Suite F, Destin (Also in Miramar Beach, Panama City, Pensacola, Sandestin and Grayton Beach). 850-650-0499. $ B

BON APPETIT FRENCH BAKERY & CAFÉ

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Authentic homemade pizza pie and Italian dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Lunch and dinner daily 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.

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 p.m. Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach. 850-650-5980 $$ L D

GRAFFITI

Traditional, Italian house specialties, like seafood pizza. Mon–Thu 5–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 5–10 p.m. 707 E. Hwy. 98, Destin.

850-654-2764. $$ D

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE ★

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food. Open daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

850-837-8824. $ B

Pizza and cold beer in a sports bar atmosphere. Open daily 11 a.m.–4 a.m.

Locations in Pensacola, Navarre, Crestview, Valparaiso and Fort Walton Beach.

850-796-1451. $ L D

MAMA CLEMENZA’S EUROPEAN BREAKFAST ★

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO ★

GREEK

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ANGELINA’S PIZZA & PASTA

French pastries, croissants, crusty breads, soup, salads and sandwiches. Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sat 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

Closed Sun. 420 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. 850-244-2848. $ B L

Award-winning breakfast. Old World family recipes. Brunch Wed–Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Seasonal Hours Memorial Day to Labor day Mon–Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Holiday Plaza, 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W, Destin.

850-424-3157. $$ B

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ITALIAN/PIZZA

AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

Authentic Greek restaurant. Breakfast 8–11 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Dinner 4–9 p.m. 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 a.m.–9 p.m. 550 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. 850-986-5555. $ L D

HELEN BACK

Italian dishes. Open Mon–Fri 11 a.m– 10 p.m., Sat–Sun 5–10 p.m. 979 Highway 98, Suite 5, Destin. 850-460-7353. $$ 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 a.m. 2236 E. County Road 30A, Seaside. 850-231-3113. $$ L D

TRATTORIA BORAGO

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

TRADEWINDS

A cozy favorite among locals, serving heaping portions from old family recipes.

Enjoy a number of pasta variations as well as seafood, chicken, veal, steak and thin-

crust pizza. Expansive wine and beer list.

Reservations required. Open Tue–Sat 5 p.m. 205 Government St., Valparaiso.

850-678-8299. $$ D

HARBOR DOCKS ★

TUSCANY ITALIAN BISTRO

B L D

Northern Italian cuisine: meats, fresh seafood and garden vegetables. Tues–Sun 4 p.m.–close. 36178 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. 850-650-2451. $$ D

MEXICAN CANTINA LAREDO ★

A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites.

Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.– 11 p.m. 585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach.

850-654-5649. $$ B L D

CRAB ISLAND CANTINA

Latin-inspired Mexican cuisine. Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m. 2 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

850-424-7417. $$ L D

PEPITO’S ★

Authentic Mexican cuisine, delicious margaritas and weekly specials. Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 11225 Hwy. 98, Destin (Also in Niceville and Miramar Beach).

850-269-7788. $$ L D

THE TACO BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S Baja fish tacos, homemade guacamole, burritos and top-shelf margaritas. Open daily from 11 a.m. (in season). 2236 E. Country Road 30A, Seaside. 850-231-4781. $$ L D

SEAFOOD BOATHOUSE OYSTER BAR ★

Ice cold beer, raw oysters, award-winning gumbo. Open daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m. 288 B Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-837-3645. L D

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine.

Open daily at 11 a.m. 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

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Open Mon– Fri 11:30 a.m. Roof bar open in summer 11:30 p.m.–2 a.m. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside.

850-231-5900. $$$ L D

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE ★

Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

Open daily 11 a.m.– 8 p.m. 202 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-837-7525. $$$ L D

DEWEY DESTIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. Open 11 a.m.–8 p.m. 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 11 a.m. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola.

850-470-0003. $$ L D

FISH OUT OF WATER RESTAURANT

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair.

Daily 5:30–10 p.m. Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach. 850-534-5050. $$$ D

A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and the best sushi on the Emerald Coast. Open daily 5 a.m.–11 p.m.

538 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. 850-837-2506. $$

HARRY T’S ★

Enjoy seafood and American food in a roomy waterfront space stuffed with circus memorabilia. Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

46 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 850-654-4800. $$ B L D

HIGH TIDE RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ★

Casual eatery featuring an oyster bar. Open daily 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. 1203 Miracle Strip Pkwy.

SE, Fort Walton Beach. 850-244-2124. $$ L D

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches. Open daily from 11 a.m. Sunday brunch at 10 a.m.

56 Harbor Blvd., HarborWalk Village, Destin.

850-424-3507. $$ L D

The Tradition Continues

POPPY’S SEAFOOD FACTORY

Fresh seafood, steak and poultry dishes.

Open daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach.

850-351-1996. $$$ L D

TAKE OUT DESTIN ICE SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI ★

Fresh fish and seafood items, pastas, salads and side dishes, Buckhead meats, decadent desserts, wines, cheeses, spices and more.

Open daily 8 a.m.–7 p.m. 663 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin. 850-837-8333. $$ L D

Best Italian 2013, 2014, 2015 Best Restaurant Okaloosa County 2013, 2014, 2016 Best Service, Food & Beverage 2015

Best Brunch 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

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

SARAH K’S GOURMET ★

Ready-to-heat cuisine. Jumbo lump crab cakes and fresh chicken salad. Open at 11 a.m.

34940 Hwy. 98, Destin. 850-269-0044. $ L D

WENDY’S KITCHEN

Homemade meals from Wendy’s kitchen to your table. Comfort food, casseroles.

Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 14091 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. 850-837-8837. L D

STEAK & SEAFOOD BIJOUX RESTAURANT & SPIRITS ★ Fine dining coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair, Gulf seafood, prime steaks.

Open daily 4–10 p.m. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W, Suite 22, Miramar Beach. 850-622-0760. $$$ D

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE

High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines. Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection. Lunch Tue–Fri 11 a.m.–2 p.m., dinner Tue–Sat 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. 850-469-9898. $$$ D

MARLIN GRILL ★

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers.

Open nightly at 5 p.m. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach. 850-351-1990. $$$ D

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ★

Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired.

Mon–Sat 5:30–10 p.m., Sun 5:30–9 p.m.

Silver Shells Resort, 1500 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. 850-337-5108. $$$ D

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS AND SEAFOOD ★

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar. Open daily 6 p.m. Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach.

850-622-1500. $$$ D

Bruster’s & Nathan’s of Destin 4655 Gulfstarr Drive 850-269-2920 BRUSTERS.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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postscript IT’S NOT ROCKET SURGERY

THE HAMMERHEAD He gives directions, electricity grudging respect

by GARY YORDON

THE CEILING FAN As God is my witness, I thought if you turned off the wall switch, it cut the power to the fan. If I designed houses, that’s how I would do it. The idea of a breaker box never really occurred to me.

I was replacing the light kit attached to the fan over our bed.

Everything was going well with the fan project until I pinched what I thought were two dead wires together. I vaguely remember a flash of light as I was launched off the bed into our walk-in closet. Lying on my back, I smelled burning hair and saw a wisp of smoke. I was a 5 foot, 10 inch human sparkler. It was a minute before I could uncross my eyes, and I had to ask

my Aunt Mary (who had died 20 years earlier) to leave the closet.

LESSON LEARNED: Put pillows on floor of closet.

THE WAGNER POWER PAINTER I wanted to surprise Berneice by painting our family room while she was out. As usual, I wanted to complete the project with minimal effort, so the power painter was the way to go. I began by shoving furniture and everything else to the middle of the room. Certainly, there was no reason to cover anything.

It’s simple. The power painter is filled with paint, then strapped to your back like a scuba diver’s air tank. You simply flick the switch, point the handle and start spraying the walls. At least that’s the theory. Remember I mentioned that whole “read the directions” thing? They may have mentioned not to use oil-based paint because it will clog the unit.

So the motor is running and I’m pointing the spray handle at the walls but nothing is coming out. What I don’t know is the tank on my back is swelling up like a giant, paint-filled tick.

I turned to inspect things, but the tick turned with me, out of my sight line — right up until it burst. The only place there wasn’t paint was the walls.

I was gone when Berneice got home. She surveyed the damage and was able to reach me at the ER, where I was being treated for burns caused by paint thinner.

LESSON LEARNED: Strap paint tank to chest so I can see it expanding.

My friend from the sawmill would tell me not to let a few disasters get me down. He would stick one of his nubs in my chest and chide me to never give up. Then raise his hand and give me a high 2½. EC

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

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PHOTO COURTESY GARY YORDON AND ILLUSTRATION BY JENNIFER EKRUT AND STICKERAMA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

I

knew a guy who worked at a sawmill for 25 years.

He has 2½ fingers left. I totally get it.

It’s not that I’m not allowed to do home repair projects, but let’s just say the practice is frowned upon.

To me, directions are not gospel; they are more of a suggestion. Printed project directions are really some passive aggressive person’s idea of punishing us. You finish a project and there are always two screws, a bolt and three washers left over. That’s not a big deal if you’re building a birdhouse, but it’s pretty freaky if you just finished an inversion table.

The only power tool I own is a hand drill. I actually did own a chainsaw for exactly one slice. A tree had come down in our yard, and I fired it up, took one good push into the tree, and it jammed. I couldn’t get it out.

I have 87 screwdrivers and 49 pairs of pliers because, like most men, I can’t resist when the hardware store bundles a set of 10 and teasingly puts them next to the register on the way out.

I have had a few home projects go sour — OK, more than a few — OK, a lot. Here are just two in the in Yordon-Cox Failed Home Projects Hall of Fame:

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