Emerald Coast Magazine- June/July 2017

A GUIDE TO GRILLING

THE SEASON FOR LEISURELY PURSUITS HAS ARRIVED

Paddleboards are coming in waves as water-lovers find a new way to bond with the Gulf and its currents

IT’S TIME YOU GOT YOUR STAND-UP ACT TOGETHER

EXPERTS SHARE THEIR SECRETS

CREATIVE GENIUS

ARTIST HONES HER CRAFT

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2017 BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST CAST YOUR VOTE IN OUR ANNUAL READERS’ POLL!

Let us bring your vision to life.

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g. Foley’s Awaken your taste buds, break away from the ordinary and experience the extraordinary combination of flavors at g.Foley’s. We offer a comfortable atmosphere where friends and families can enjoy a night out together. Our technically trained chef is dedicated to selecting the finest courses that are carefully prepared with the regions finest ingredients guaranteed to tempt your senses and set the tone for the perfect evening out.

850-481-0354 • gfoleys.com 3212 W 23rd St, Panama City, FL 32405

Bayou Joe’s Bayou Joe’s is unlike any other waterfront dining option in Panama City. When we say we are waterfront, we really mean we are on the water. Tucked right in the heart of Massalina Bayou Marina, Bayou Joe’s is the only place that offers delicious “Old Florida” style food with a beautiful 180 – degree view of the water. Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner year round, come anytime to check out our made to order meals and unique daily specials.

850-763-6442 • bayoujoes.com 112 E 3rd Ct, Panama City, FL 32401

BOT Boutique Locally owned, BOT Boutique in Historic St. Andrews emphasizes confidence, beauty and elegance. We specialize in trendy clothing, designer accessories including Kendra Scott’s jewelry line, make up services featuring Bare Minerals and as an added bonus have a salon inside! Stop by and let us help you find your perfect outfit while enjoying a unique shopping experience.

850-215-0212 2995 W 10th St, Panama City, FL 32401

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Los Antojitos Los Antojitos has proudly been serving Bay County the freshest mexican food and the best steaks in town for over 40 years. We recently reopened in the heart of St. Andrews and are located on Lake Ware. Featuring two full service bars, a variety of fresh muddled margaritas and over 35 tequilas to choose from, we make everything fresh daily. Come check out our 5-pound burrito, award winning ceviche or bone in ribeye.

850-784-6633 • losantojitos.com 1236 Beck Ave, Panama City, FL 32401

One Thirty One Events by Trigo Take a break from the normal hotel banquet rooms and host your next event in an engaging and inspiring venue. One Thirty One is a historical building with a unique architectural style located in downtown Panama City. It is the perfect location for any type of event. Well-equipped and with access to full catering makes One Thirty One a simple and smart choice.

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June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Contents

JUN/JUL 2017

Competitive griller Josh Cooper serves up a job well done, which doesn’t have to be rare if you know the best tips and tricks.

84 ↗

GRILLING GURUS Be the envy of your neighbors with sizzling summer barbecues.

by ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

FEATURES

78

PADDLEBOARDING PARADISE

The Emerald Coast supplies a bounty of the best boards.

by KARI C. BARLOW

93 CITY OF SOUL

Jazz, jambalaya and history in New Orleans

by REBECCA PADGETT

photography by BRUCE PALMER

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Contents

JUN/JUL 2017

68 120 GARDENING

39 23 CHARACTERS Autumn Lyfe Ussery ignites a desire for fire.

26 BIOLOGY LESSON

Sturgeon leap from legends and lore onto boats.

32 CHAMPIONS Boys &

Girls Clubs enhance and educate.

36 GREAT OUTDOORS

Caring for seaward bound hatchlings.

PANACHE

39 CITIZEN OF STYLE

Local blogger Jessica Fay embraces motherhood and heels.

42 FOR HER Put your

best face forward with the latest in beauty masks.

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IN EVERY ISSUE 16 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 18 DIRECTOR’S COLUMN 59 DINING GUIDE 140 SOCIAL STUDIES 162 I T’S NOT ROCKET

44 WHAT’S IN STORE

A roundup of retail happenings

GASTRO & GUSTO

47 DINING TRENDS Toast

is popping up as the hottest trending food.

50 DINING OUT The

best pair since PB&J, Chicken and Waffles take on the coast.

54 LIBATIONS Rum is

the epitome of a summertime spirit.

EXPRESSION

65 ART Krista

Schumacher paints a message.

74 Lions and tigers and rhinos, oh my!

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

50 68 MUSIC DJ Vladi

turns up tunes along the coast.

70 STAGE Pensacola

Little Theatre isn’t so little anymore!

74 BOOKS Boots Hensel turns tragedy into inspiring tales.

SURGERY

A BODES 101 INTERIORS

Brighten and embolden your bathroom.

110 EXTERIORS Pave

the way to a sunny outdoor spot.

112 DIY Backyard fun with ladder golf

THE SEASON FOR LEISURELY PURSUITS HAS ARRIVED

Paddleboards are coming in waves as water-lovers find a new way to bond with the Gulf and its currents

IT’S TIME YOU GOT YOUR STAND-UP ACT TOGETHER

A GUIDE TO GRILLING

TIPS FOR PUTTING HEAT TO MEAT

CREATIVE GENIUS

ARTIST FINDS HER STROKE

+

2017 BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST CAST YOUR VOTE IN OUR ANNUAL READERS’ POLL!

ON THE COVER: An approach to paddleboarding can be as relaxed or as ambitious as you care to make it. Advances in equipment, many of them pioneered along the Emerald Coast, have made the sport accessible to almost anyone who can walk. For all who participate, paddleboarding provides a unique, intimate way to experience the marine environment. PHOTO BY SCOTT

HOLSTEIN / ROWLAND FILE PHOTO

PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES (39), SAIGE ROBERTS (74), DAN DARDEN (68) AND COURTESY THE HENDERSON/BY CHANDLER WILLIAMS/MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY (50)

THE WAVE

Butterfly guide and summer chores.

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INSPIRED

Tradition

Contents

JUN/JUL 2017

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

104 → THE POINTE OF PARADISE The Pointe is a premier boutique resort on Scenic Highway 30A’s swanky east end. The resort-style pool, rooftop sanctuaries, plush rooms, intimate lounges and endless amenities result in the height of luxury living.

VACATION DAY

Join as a Junior or Equity member today and enjoy your first month* of membership is on us.

Enjoy waived dues, complimentary beach chairs, practice facility access and waived cart/walking fees.

114

DEAL ESTATE

A sprawling compound with panoramic views provided by Gulf-front porches and windows recently sold in Rosemary Beach. A family-style home complete with a spacious backyard, tidy landscaping and lakefront living is on the market. Looking for a second home? A Spanishstyle stunner is for sale on Choctawhatchee Bay.

Exceptional dining with one of the best views Private pool and beach access

SACRED HEART FOUNDATION

132

CALENDAR

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

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

Social events, dining discounts and more Championship golf with ocean views

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146

BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST

Businesses work hard to maintain reputations for getting the job done right. Reward the business you most admire when you fill in the blanks of your 2017 Best of the Emerald Coast ballot.

158

TOP SALON 2017 The hair was styled, the heels were high and the dresses dazzled as 14 women represented 14 salons at the 2017 Emerald Coast Top Salon competition. The night presented a remarkable show and raised funds for 14 charities.

Contact Membership Director, Sarah Brazwell today.

850.267.2229 ext. 3 | sarah@santarosaclub.com *Offer valid April 1, 2017 – June 30, 2017. 12-month loyalty agreement required.

Complimentary offers valid only for those items listed above. Other incidental charges like food and beverage are not included. Initiation fee applies. 0317 NP

Next Issue Professional Profiles SPECIAL PROMOTION

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June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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June–July 2017

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 18, NO. 3

JUNE–JULY 2017

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES/EDITOR Steve Bornhoft SENIOR STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rebecca Padgett ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Kim Harris Thacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Algarin, Kari C. Barlow, Hannah Burke, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Elizabeth B. Goldsmith, Jennifer Ireland, Audrey Post, Liesel Schmidt, Zandra Wolfgram, Gary Yordon EDITORIAL INTERNS Kirstin Redfield

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 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Beat, Tim Black, Chelsea Blaich, Ben Campbell, Dan Darden, Tim Donovan, Scott Holstein, Jacqueline Ward Images, William Rush Jagoe V, Kayla Kimmel, Tracy McGraw, Bruce Palmer, Fran Parente, Kay Phelan, Kansas Pitts, Saige Roberts, Tyler Schrack, James Stefiuk, Chandler Williams, Laurel Woodfin, Chase Yakaboski

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS 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, Lori Magee Yeaton EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Bria Blossom SALES AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE Mackenzie Ligas

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Daphne Laurie 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

EDITORIAL OFFICE 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. (850) 878-0554 SUBSCRIPTIONS One year (6 issues) is $30. Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to emeraldcoastmagazine.com.

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

Visit NatureWalkAtSeagrove.com or call 888.405.9259

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

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KNW17_003 EmeraldCst_3-8125x10.indd 1

2/13/17 3:13 PM

FOREVER CAPTIVATING © 2017 KIRK KARA

© 2017 KIRK KARA

Wouldn't you love to try one on for sighs at McCaskill & Company?

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

June–July 2017

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from the publisher

NEXT TIME, I’LL PASS ON THE STRAWBERRY

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June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

me and hopefully thought they were hearing a horror movie prematurely started before takeoff. A flight attendant intercepted me before I could return to my seat.

I told her to summon a haz-mat cleanup team.

She told me I was going to have to leave the plane immediately.

“No way,” I respectfully responded. “It’s one in the morning and I’m hours from the nearest hotel,” I said, standing fast on my refusal while attempting to tie myself to my seat.

The attendant and I were at loggerheads.

A medic was summoned and would have to serve as an arbitrator.

He took my vital signs and asked me a series of questions through an interpreter.

My fate hung in the balance. Would I be dismissed from the plane and left alone in a foreign land with no luggage, or would I be allowed to make my way home?

At last, I was cleared for takeoff. I would be allowed to stay on the plane. In such a way, an international incident was avoided.

The woman seated next to me identified herself as a nurse. She slipped me a pill and told me to put it under my tongue. It could have been a hallucinogen or poison for all I knew, but she appeared trustworthy and she got no argument from me, not that I had the strength to raise one.

For the next six hours, I sipped ginger ale, prayed the poltergeist would not return, reflected on the comforts of home and thought about what could have made me so violently ill.

“Must have been the strawberry on the dessert,” I told myself. “I was the only fool who ate it.”

Time heals, of course. I was home for just a couple of days before the worst of my trip receded in my mind and was replaced by memories of jungles and islands and native peoples — and remind me to tell you one day about the huge whale shark, twice the length of our 40-foot tour boat, that we snorkeled with.

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

My wife, Cherie, and I count travel as one of our chief passions. Over the past 30 years, we have visited six continents and experienced many cultures, in the process learning a great deal about both others and ourselves.

When traveling, one always runs the risk of encountering unexpected twists and turns and dead ends. It is important, then, to adopt a flexible mindset and be prepared to accept and adjust to the unforeseen. Eventually, no matter the obstacle, we always make it to the other side of the river or the canyon or even the other side of the world.

In particular, we find small-group adventure travel to be fascinating and enjoyable and largely worry-free. A team leader and a driver map out these 10- to 14-day trips and navigate language barriers, unfamiliar roads and hard-to-interpret signage. As a result, we are free to develop friendships with the four to six other couples on the vacation and to share laughs and conversation with them.

Recently, we traveled to a relative no man’s land — the Amazon River basin in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. For 12 days, we biked, hiked, kayaked, snorkeled, rode horses and encountered many species of animals we had never seen before and scarcely knew existed.

All went well until our last day.

We got started early in the morning so as to arrive in the Ecuadorian city of Quito by late afternoon. The group gathered for a farewell dinner and moved on to the airport about 9 p.m. for the 1 a.m. flight to Atlanta. I passed the time watching episodes of Homeland.

About 45 minutes prior to boarding, sweat began to bead on my forehead and my stomach sent me an urgent message: “Run immediately to the nearest restroom.” I was about to erupt.

Presently, I commenced screaming at the porcelain god.

I exited the restroom and sipped Gatorade, hoping the nausea would subside. Instead, it continued to come in waves. One trip to the facility was returned by another and another.

When Cherie found me in a dazed and confused state and let me know it was time to board, I staggered down the gateway confident that there was nothing left in my stomach. Still, upon boarding, I told the flight attendant about my queasiness and she supplied me with a motion-discomfort bag about large enough to contain a small sub.

I settled into an aisle seat. Tactically, that proved to be a good move in that my sore stomach resumed talking.

I got to the restroom in two skips and screamed and projected like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. The entire plane had to have heard

Safe and Happy Travels,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

P.S. Drink bottled water. Avoid unpeeled fruit.

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director’s letter

LIVING THE SALTY LIFE NOTE: A $20 BUCKET IS NOT REQUIRED Then, people went fishing to put meat on the deck and paid for their charters by selling their catch.

“Today, it’s about the experience,” Putnam said. “If you’re a captain and you can’t tell your party about the ospreys they see inshore or the dolphins and flying fish they see offshore, you’re lost. I don’t sell fishing tackle anymore so much as I sell a lifestyle.”

A lifestyle whose signatures are Columbia guide shirts, Sperry deck shoes (and they aren’t your dad’s Topsiders), YETI coolers and titanium/steel Van Staal reels that sure do look swell, even if you aren’t catching anything.

Putnam still sells live shrimp, but he is surprised, sometimes, at the containers that his employees pour them into.

“We’ve got a plastic five-gallon bucket, here, that we sell for $19.99,” Putnam said while shaking his head. “Who would have believed that people would pay 20 bucks for a bucket? The only difference is that it has a rope handle on it that is more comfortable on your hand than a plastic strap. I saw a guy at the counter the other day who had three of them.”

You won’t catch me with a Mercedes Benz of a bucket, but I do appreciate people whose enjoyment of the outdoors or the water has more to do with the environment than the harvest.

Residents of and visitors to the northern Gulf coast are privileged to immerse themselves in some of the most beautiful settings anywhere, and we should do so respectfully, recognizing that the natural world’s capacity to persevere and adapt is not without limit.

SAIGE ROBERTS

Tom Putnam’s office is in a featureless metal building located maybe a hundred yards behind the tackle business on Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach that his father established in 1972.

There, he spends his workdays doing something that he swore, as a new college graduate 37 years ago, that he would never do: sit behind a desk. Putnam studied engineering at the University of the South in Sewannee, Tennessee, but abandoned that career path after concluding that it would be too sedentary.

He joined Capt. Put’s Half Hitch Tackle instead, working the floor, dispensing advice, spooling reels and dipping dozens of shrimp into then-papier-mâché bait buckets.

Those days are gone. Today, Putnam manages a business that employs 60 and has continued to grow following the captain’s death in 1993.

Half Hitch now comprises six storefronts — three in Panama City Beach and one each in Destin, Navarre and Port St. Joe — along with an online store and a consumer show division.

“I feel fortunate,” Putnam said recently. “Every business has its challenges, and we have had ours, but we’re doing OK.” Those challenges have included the ascendancy of big box stores and the giant outfitters, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, combined with shortened fishing seasons, reduced bag limits and stressed fisheries. Putnam’s continued success is a testament to his perseverance and adaptability and to his adherence to principles Capt. Put tried always to observe: Work hard, treat customers like good friends and charge them a fair price.

I met Capt. Put in 1985, while a reporter for the Panama City News Herald. The captain, in those days, conducted a weeklong, total-pounds shark tournament that was inspired by the movie, “Jaws.” I had been assigned to cover the carnage, which would be unthinkable today, and approached Put in hopes that he might put me on a participating vessel as an observer. He kindly did so, and I bore witness to the landing of a 325-pound hammerhead that made for good copy.

See you on the outside, STEVE BORNHOFT sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

Are you passionate about Northwest Florida coastal living? Share your story by using #inspiredEC.

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June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

One smooth wave up,

ONE ROUGH FALL DOWN.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM ‘BEST OF EC’ BALLOT

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ONLINE VOTING

Voting for 2017 Best of the Emerald Coast has officially begun, and we have four special categories exclusively for online. This year’s categories include:

BEST BREWERY BEST PERSONAL SHOPPING/ CONCIERGE SERVICE BEST PLACE TO READ A BOOK BEST SOCIAL MEDIA TO FOLLOW Let your voice be heard in 2017 by voting for your favorites at: emeraldcoastmagazine.com/Bestof-the-Emerald-Coast-2017-Ballot

EXTRA CONTENT ONLINE ONLY

Enter to win a TABLE FOR SIX of your friends and family at the MATTIE KELLY ARTS FOUNDATION’S CONCERTS IN THE VILLAGE PERFORMANCE on June 29th.

MKAF caps its 22nd annual summer concert series with The Joe Band’s powerhouse tribute to Joe Cocker, one of the greatest rock legends of all time.

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Articles, the latest news and stellar images are at your fingertips on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Snapchat!

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Introducing

THE TEAM

Dana C. Mat thews Partner

Michael A . Jones Partner

LITIGATION GROUP

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wave

THE

JUN/JUL 2017

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

CHARACTERS

↗ Autumn Lyfe Ussery has a burning love for fire. She lights up the sky with swirls and twirls of sparks, igniting interest in crowds all throughout Destin.

JUST ADD FIRE Destin woman lights up the night sky as fire spinner

by MATT ALGARIN

BIOLOGY LESSON A Fish for the Ages || CHAMPIONS Join The Clubs || GREAT OUTDOORS Watching Over Hatchlingss photography by CHASE YAKABOSKI

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THE

wave

I

mother of three who performs at private events, such as weddings, and can be seen regularly on the main stage at HarborWalk Village in Destin. Her performances along the harbor are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as on most holidays.

“I am so happy,” she says. “Life is so good to me.” EC



t’s part dance, part danger and part storytelling.

You see, when Autumn Lyfe Ussery takes the stage, she enters what can almost be described as another universe.

“I don’t hear the crowd, really,” she says.

“I can hear the fire and the drums in the background; but outside of that, I’m just focused on what I’m doing and on telling a story.”

Ussery, whose business is called Just Add Fire, tells her story through the art of Poi (a Maori word meaning “ball”). Poi’s roots are in New Zealand, where the style of performance art, which was mostly relegated to women, was used during cultural events and ceremonies. Modern day Poi can take on a variety of new interpretations and can ↗ Burning rings of fire! use fans, hoops or other equipment.

Autumn Lyfe Ussery spins and fascinates with For Ussery, fire Poi is the style of choice. flames in a fiery artform Her “rigs,” as she calls them, are chains called Poi. that have Kevlar blocks at the end that can be set ablaze using a variety of fuels.

“When you hear that fire next to your “I asked them what they were doing, ear, and the adrenaline rush you get when and I knew I had to learn it immediately,” you are performing — you really can’t she recalls. “They showed me a couple of beat it,” she says. moves; then I mostly taught myself with So where does a woman who spent her some help from a friend named Zelda.” summers along the beaches in Destin beThere were plenty of ups and downs in come familiar with the art of Poi? Well, the early days, Ussery says, adding, with that’s a story that sounds almost too good a laugh, that there was no such thing as to be true.

YouTube at the time.

Ussery’s family operated mines in Af“I remember the first time I tried to rica, which allowed Ussery the opportuspin. It was awful,” she says. “You hit nity to explore and backpack across the yourself, a lot. Once you get going and get continent and to absorb as much culture a couple of black eyes and bruises, it can and as many experiences as possible. be tough.”

On a skydiving trip with The bumps and bruises friends, Ussery found herdidn’t deter Ussery from her self mesmerized by what she Learn more desire to master the art of described as “fireflies” flickabout Ussery Poi. As cliché as it sounds, ering on the ground below on her website, justaddfire.info, for this fire spinner, practice her. What she would discover or find her on made perfect. upon landing was a group of Facebook.

These days, Ussery is a people spinning fire.

HISTORY OF MAORI POI IN NEW ZEALAND (FROM HOMEOFPOI.COM)

“Poi” is the Maori word for “ball” on a cord.

The Poi was used, many years ago, by the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand to increase their flexibility and strength in their hands and arms as well as improve coordination. Wahine (female) dancers perform the Maori Poi, a dance performed with balls attached to flax strings, swung rhythmically. The dance was originally used by the Maori women for keeping their hands flexible for weaving and by the men for strength and coordination required during battle. Poi are also used as a training aid for other ancient weapons like the Mere or Patu (a short club).

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photography by CHASE YAKABOSKI

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Ages A Fish for the

BIOLOGY LESSON

Sturgeon survived the dinosaurs and live in waterways near you

by JASON DEHART

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It’s a tough-looking, ugly fish from the dawn of time. Diamond-shaped armor plating runs the length of its body. Fleshy barbels, used to detect food, dangle in front of its siphon-like mouth. Its tail sweeps back like the blade of a scimitar. It can grow up to nine feet in length and weigh upwards of 200 pounds.

It’s adaptable to cold and warm water and moves easily between fresh and salt water. In modern times, it exists as 25 species. The Gulf sturgeon is the southernmost, and it’s found a happy home in the rivers of the Emerald Coast.

According to Frank Parauka, retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who studied sturgeon for many years, there are anywhere from several hundred to 4,000 Gulf sturgeon in our neck of the Panhandle. There are about 1,200 in the Apalachicola River, 3,300 in the Choctawhatchee River, between 1,100 and 1,200 in the Yellow River, and between 400 and 500 in the Blackwater and Escambia rivers. There’s also a small population of about 100 in the Ochlockonee River, Parauka said. These numbers pale in comparison to the 10,000 or more in the Suwannee River. ››

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Gulf Sturgeon Facts

➸ Sturgeon are a primitive fish characterized by bony plates, or “scutes,” and an extended snout. They have a “heterocercal” caudal tail that is asymmetrical; that is, the upper lobe longer than the lower. Adults range from 4–8 feet and females grow larger than males. The lifes span of Gulf sturgeon is between 20 and 42 years. ➸ They eat insect larvae, worms and other small organisms found in sand. Sturgeon feed only in saltwater during the winter after the first 9 months of life. ➸ Sturgeon swim more than 100 miles upriver in spring. Females deposit more than 200,000 eggs on gravel. Their eggs are sticky, sink to the bottom and adhere in clumps to snags, outcroppings or other clean surfaces. Juvenile Gulf sturgeon stay in the river for about the first 2–3 years.

Gulf sturgeon return to their natal stream to spawn.

NLD / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

➸ Alligators and sharks are predators. Fish eat many eggs, larvae and baby sturgeon.

To report sturgeon strikes, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922.

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“We have a healthy population in the Choctawhatchee, but not like the Suwannee,” said Winston Chester, host of the fish and game television show, “Panhandle Outdoors.”

Gulf sturgeon are “anadromous,” that is, they alternate between fresh and saltwater environThe astounding ments. Adults migrate into freshthing about water rivers in the spring to spawn this bottomand then move into the estuaries and bays of the Gulf of Mexico to dweller is its forage in the fall and winter. They penchant for are bottom feeders and graze for bursting from mollusks, crustaceans and other bite-sized aquatic critters. the surface The astounding thing about this of rivers and bottom-dweller is its penchant for landing with bursting from the surface of rivers and landing with a percussive a percussive crash that can be heard far and crash that wide. Exactly why the fish does can be heard this remains a mystery.

“Scientists don’t know why, far and wide. but it’s spectacular. It’s similar to Exactly why what a tarpon does,” Chester said. the fish does “That’s how people get injured.

They’re motoring along and (the this remains fish) hit people in the chest.” a mystery.

The Suwannee River has the most sturgeon/people meet-ups simply because it has the most sturgeon; but it can happen in the local rivers, as well.

“It happens in all of them, any time of the year — usually in the spring — and most of that jumping is in the Suwannee River because you’ve got 10,000 fish there,”

TIM DONOVAN / FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION

↑ GETTING READY TO JUMP What’s the best course of action for avoiding a collision? We recommend boaters reduce their speed to reduce the risk of impact and to give people more time to react if they do encounter a jumping sturgeon. The FWC also recommends that all boaters wear their life jackets.

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Parauka said. “That’s where most of the incidents occur, especially when your rivers are in a drought situation and the fish are concentrated. That’s when you’ll see it more often, but you’ll see incidents over here where a boater runs into a fish that’s jumping. There’s been a number of incidents on the Choctawhatchee, Yellow and Escambia rivers.”

Unfortunately, direct strikes have proven fatal in the past. In the summer of 2015, a child was killed when a sturgeon jumped into her boat running on the Suwannee River. Her mother and brother were also hurt. Parauka said he could recall another incident on the same river that claimed the life of a boater who fell overboard while trying to avoid a jumping sturgeon. He said the boater drowned for lack of a life preserver. So, the danger potential is very real. In 2007, a leaping sturgeon seriously injured a St. Petersburg woman while she was riding a personal watercraft on the Suwannee.

“There are warning signs telling the boaters to beware because it’s so unpredictable, like a deer in the road,” Parauka said.

And just like driving along a deer-infested stretch of country road, the best thing a boater can do is go slow.

You can increase your reaction time, and if a strike does occur, it’s better to hit a 100-pound armored fish at 10 miles per hour than 45. Authorities also advise boaters to wear life jackets at all times, stay off the bow when moving through waters where sturgeons are known to jump, and also be alert and aware of your surroundings.

The fish seem to prefer the deep parts of a river so boaters ought to keep close to the shore.

The Gulf sturgeon is federally listed as “threatened,” and it’s illegal to intentionally harvest them. The species has been butting heads with humans for many years. In the early 1900s, the population numbers were depleted by commercial fishing, and river (continued on page 154)

VIEW

nd Sa

KAYLA KIMMEL / U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

a Gulf sturgeon after implanting a tracking transmitter into the fish. The Gulf sturgeon is listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

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CHAMPIONS

JOIN THE CLUBS

Changing lives through youth development

by MATT ALGARIN

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↑ Children in the Defuniak Springs Club attend the Lights on Afterschool event, where they have fun with science experiments.

We want to make sure our kids are progressing on time, every year from grade to grade and are graduating high school on time with a plan for their future. Second, we want to make sure kids are eating healthy foods, are aware of their bodies and are making good decisions with their minds, bodies and souls.

Our third priority is character and good citizenship. We want to make sure our kids are morally sound and ethically sound, and that they are making good decisions at home, church, clubs and school.”

More than 2,000 kids make their way through the doors of Rassa’s clubs. “If we can make sure these kids are excelling in

these three areas, then we are achieving our mission,” Rassa says.

In Bay County, Hill and his team dedicate their focus to addressing problems they have identified in the community.

Studies show that Bay County has three times the national drowning rate.

“It’s pretty high here, so that’s something that we focus on,” Hill says.

“Kids that we serve from a lower socioeconomic background don’t get the opportunity to learn how to swim, most of the time.”

All told, more than 400 kids received swim lessons through the Bay County ››

“We have three priority outcome areas. The first is academic success. …

Second, we want to make sure kids are eating healthy foods, are aware of their bodies and are making good decisions with their minds, bodies and souls. Our third priority is character and good citizenship.”

— Shervin Rassa, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast

COURTESY OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE EMERALD COAST

rom Pensacola to Panama City, Shervin Rassa and Hank Hill have thousands of children. And day in and day out, these two men and their teams strive to make a difference in the lives of local youth.

Rassa and Hill are the chief executive officers of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County, respectively. As an organization, the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is “To enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.”

Across the state, 500,000 kids leave school at the end of each day headed for destinations that are unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. This is where area clubs, which aim to bridge the gap between school and home, step in by providing kids with a safe place to go after school. The clubs also engage kids in youth development programs such as “Power Hour” homework tutoring, sports, fitness and recreation, active listening, the Youth of the Year program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and the Keystone Club.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County, which operates four club sites, began serving area youth in 1965; the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, which operates eight clubs, was born three years later as the Boys Club of the Playground Area.

“We have three priority outcome areas,” Rassa says. “The first is academic success.

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Boys & Girls Clubs in 2016. The clubs themselves serve more than 3,000 kids annually, averaging about 400 kids on a daily basis.

“We have a great track record of turning out some really great kids and great leaders in the community,” Hill says. “There are two CEOs in Central Florida that have come through our clubs, which is a great honor.”

Whether in Bay County or along the Emerald Coast, the folks at the Shervin Rassa, Boys & Girls Clubs are committed CEO of the Boys & to changing the lives of the youth Girls Clubs of the they serve. But as non-profit orgaEmerald Coast nizations, they rely heavily on local residents, businesses and donors to support their mission. With multiple club sites, there is always a need for funds to maintain the facilities as well as funds to transport students from school to the clubs.

And these challenges don’t take into account the day-to-day obstaHank Hill, CEO cles of mentoring area youth and of the Boys & offering top-notch programming Girls Clubs of Bay County and educational opportunities.

“In this day and age, and the community stressors that are out there for kids to deal with, 58 percent of our alumni on a national level say our clubs saved their lives,” Rassa says. “We are really able to steer them in the right direction to become the humble youth we want them to be.” EC

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County and how you can help, visit BGCBAYFL.ORG. To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, visit EMERALDCOASTBGC.ORG.

COURTESY OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE EMERALD COAST AND BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF BAY COUNTY

↑ Education Director Latina Reed and a club member work on a homework assignment during a Power Hour that specializes in homework tutoring and academic success.

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GREAT OUTDOORS

WATCHING OVER HATCHLINGS Conservationists increase turtles’ chances

↗ Hatchlings head for the waves at Panama City Beach.

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support of the Bay County TourUpon hatching, baby turtles ist Development Council, Turtle are attracted to the moon, a natWatch hires special surveyors to ural beacon that guides them to mark off possible nesting sites. their new, oceanic home. HowThe rest of the work is left to the ever, along developed beaches, organization’s volunteers. baby turtles may react to light “Our volunteers come out to emitting from condos or other these markers to verify that a beachfront buildings and follow turtle has actually nested,” Watit instead. Watson stressed that son explains. “In some cases, the artificial lighting is the biggest eggs may need to be moved to a threat to hatchlings, and emphasafer location. We’ll only do that sized the importance of turtleif the eggs are vulnerable to befriendly lighting on the exteriors ing washed away by tides. In that of structures. case, the volunteers will move the Nocturnal beachgoers are eggs to a higher location in the encouraged to limit the use of same vicinity to prevent flooding. flashlights and to avoid flash phoThen, the volunteers will put up tography near nests. Another risk wooden stakes, flags and a sign to baby turtles are obstacles in indicating the presence of a sea the form of debris, litter or other turtle nest.” items that may interrupt their The markers remain in place progress to the Gulf. It is imporuntil eggs hatch. tant, then, to keep beaches clean.

The loggerhead is the turtle “My favorite thing about sea species that most often lays eggs turtles is just the sense of wonon North Florida beaches. Its der I feel when I see these hatchrelatively outsized head is among lings, so small and vulnerable, its most outstanding features. enter the ocean,” Watson said.

Loggerheads may reach three “It’s going to take them three defeet in length and cades to grow up, and live to be 50 or older. then as adults, they’ll In rare instances, be back on this very WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Visit nests of green sea beach to nest. It nevTurtlewatch.org turtles and even the er ceases to amaze or the St. Andrew endangered leatherme that after so long, Bay Resource Management back sea turtle have they’re able to naviAssociation at been found by Turtle gate back to their sabrma.org.

Watch teams. home beach.” EC

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM



eginning about May 1 and throughout the summer, they emerge from the Gulf.

Gravid loggerhead sea turtles, graceful at sea, awkwardly clamber onto Panhandle beaches, there to excavate nests with flippers turned spades and deposit upward of 100 eggs.

The sand will serve the eggs as an incubator for two months or so before hatchlings claw their way to the surface and dash madly for the water. Few will survive a gauntlet of predators and make it to adulthood, but a cadre of turtle lovers works to ensure that they at least have that chance.

In Bay County, the non-profit Panama City Beach Turtle Watch has been protecting sea turtles since 1991.

“Our mission is really focused on identifying nests in Panama City Beach and making sure they’re sheltered until the hatchlings make it safely to the water,” said director Kennard Watson. “We try to work with local residents and tourists to educate them on the need to protect the turtles of our beach.”

During nesting season, Turtle Watch members arrive on the beach at dawn, scouring the sand for any tracks made by sea turtles the previous night. Thanks to the

→

A Great Turtle Myth

The Miskito Indians of Central America clung to a belief in powers attributed to a rock that was shaped like a turtle. Jack Rudloe of the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea noted the myth in his book, “Search for the Great Turtle Mother.”

The rock, indeed referred to by the Miskito as the Turtle Mother, was regarded as an intermediary between humans and animals. When the rock pointed to the west, so went the myth, sea turtles would move to the mainland to feed and to nest. When it faced east, the turtles would disperse to deep waters around cays, well beyond the reach of humans.

The Indians, then, could harvest only as many turtles as they needed, because as soon as they exceeded that amount, Turtle Mother would turn to the east and her charges would disappear.

— STEVE BORNHOFT

COURTESY PANAMA CITY BEACH TURTLE WATCH / KEVIN NOVAK

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panache JUN/JUL 2017

ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

CITIZEN OF STYLE

Well Heeled Blogger goes to town with a finished look

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

Necessity is the mother of invention, and for Seaside resident Jessica Fay, that adage couldn’t have been more true when she launched Lipstick, Heels & A Baby in late 2012. Initially begun to serve as an online diary that would keep her husband up to date while he was deployed to Afghanistan, the catalogue of daily life at home with a new baby quickly became the creative outlet that she had lost in giving up her job as a hairstylist. 

FOR HER photography by JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

Putting Your Best Face Forward

↖ Jessica Fay knows motherhood doesn’t have to mean baggy sweatpants. Instead she promotes bold and bubbly colors, pretty prints and practical heels.

|| WHAT’S IN STORE Retail Roundup EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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my style showcases perfectly. I translate it into lots of colors and playful pieces. Overall, I want to look polished yet fun!”

Staying polished even in the midst of motherhood doesn’t come without its challenges, as Fay has learned. “You don’t have to sacrifice style when you become a mother, but you do have to keep practicality in mind,” she says. “You’re not going to catch me chasing after two little boys in stilettos! When I’m choosing shoes, I tend to go for thick heels, wedges and flats. I also wear a lot less dresses — again, for the same reason. I don’t want to pull a Marilyn Monroe in the grass of Seaside Square trying to run after the kids!”

Running after kids or running a blog, 30-yearold Fay knows the importance of looking put together. “I’m constantly having to ‘show face.’

Whether I’m doing a drop-off at school, meeting my girlfriends for lunch or going to a PR meeting, I want to always look finished,” she says with a pause and a knowing smile. “Plus, if I’m not presentable, my 4-year-old will ask me why I’m taking him to school in my jammies.” EC

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Fay is, at heart, a fashionista and a girly-girl, a lover of all things pretty and pink. Coupled with her business sense and her understanding of how to appeal to an audience, Lipstick, Heels & A Baby has become a blog that promotes products in a space that creates conversation with the reader. You’re invited in to talk to a girlfriend with great style and a desire to tell you everything about it, from where she got her socks to what she drinks in place of coffee now that she’s pregnant with her third baby.

Gaining a sense of knowing Fay and what makes her tick only requires a trip around her blog. Her fashion sense is accessible and demonstrates that you really can — and should — make it a priority to feel confident and beautiful even in the midst of a hectic life.

“Style is really defined by personality. It should represent who someone is and what they love, and that’s one thing that’s so great about it. There are no rules to follow, and you can dare to be different,” she explains. “I like to think of myself as happy, bubbly, witty and, unfortunately, slightly spastic, all of which I feel

Top closet essentials for this fashionista mom?

Here are the ones that Fay says should always make the list:

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panache ↘ Hide behind

your mask long enough for it to work its magic, and then unleash the glow.

BEHOLD A LIST OF OVERTHE-COUNTER WONDERS FOR ALL SKIN TYPES Combination ➸ Claymedix All Natural French Yellow Clay ➸ Fig + Yarrow French Green Clay Mask ➸ e.l.f. Hydrating Gel Mask

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PUTTING YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD Women seek ways to make faces smoother, fuller, fresher

Oily

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night’s barbecue, activated charcoal helps release toxins, bacteria and dirt from your face.

Smith mentions that charcoal masks can benefit those who struggle with acne or are prone to oily skin. “The activated charcoal binds to bacteria, chemicals, dirt and other micro-particles, drawing them to the surface and allowing them to be easily washed (away). Activated charcoal, when used properly, can leave the skin feeling healthier and looking brighter and more even in color.”

For Jeniffer Ward at Posh Daisy spa, getting a good introduction to what a facial can do for you helps to determine your skin type and what future masks and peels will work best for your skin.

“The pure focus facial (at Posh Daisy Spa) is the starter facial. … We take that facial and customize it to the client, whether we’re trying to treat acne or rosacea or hydrate the skin,” says Ward.

If you’re looking for products to take home, Posh Daisy Spa offers Skin-Deep Pharmaceuticals products, which are peptide-rich, and which Ward recommends for an advanced athome treatment.

Jill Johnson at Coastal Skin and Dermatology recommends an at-home routine that features a papaya enzyme mask. “(This mask) is great for brightening the complexion, and it brings the moisture to the surface,” says Johnson. She also suggests using purifying clay masks for DIY facial treatments. A good clay mask absorbs oil and other impurities from the skin’s surface and helps to maintain good elasticity. EC

➸ Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control ➸ Laneige Water Bank Soothing Gel Mask ➸ My Beauty Diary Royal Pearl Powder Mask

Sensitive ➸ Yes to Cotton Ultra-Sensitive & Allergy-Prone Skin ➸ Fig + Yarrow Rose Rhassoul Clay Mask ➸ Earth Science Gentle Skin Glycolic Peel

↑ Face painting for adults is taking the

form of charcoal and clay masks said to renew youth and release toxins.

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by KIRSTIN REDFIELD

et’s go back in time.

In Imperial China, during the Qin Dynasty, the Empress took great pride in her beauty. Her tried-and-true facial treatment involved coating her face with seaweed and jellyfish.

In the Late Middle Ages, Anglo-Saxon women hoarded chalk and other white substances in order to achieve the pale, whitened face of the wealthy woman.

In the 1920’s, American women kept Palmolive soap in their powder rooms, not their kitchens. Washing one’s face with Palmolive was believed to be an excellent regimen for maintaining smooth, clean skin.

But before you go replacing your skin cleanser with Dawn dish soap, understand that while the importance of facial care will never fade, specific routines will. So brush up on the newest and friendliest facial trends, which can be summarized in three words: mask, masks and masking.

“Facial masks offer a wide range of skin care benefits,” says Aqua Medical Spa aesthetician Morgan Smith. “They can be customized to address specific concerns, from acne to dehydrated skin. There are masks on the market that are tailored to help with a number of skin issues.”

Specifically, charcoal masks have quickly become the hot commodity, as customers are learning the benefits of charcoal. While it isn’t suggested to recycle the charred coals from last

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↑

A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

Renee Launiere, a metal-smithing jewelry designer who is certified in pearl grading from the Gemological Institute of America, has relocated her corporate headquarters and design studio from Atlanta to Destin. BIJOUX DE MER can be found in the new retail center, City Market Bayside.

Translated to mean “Jewels of the Sea,” Bijoux De Mer is a fine jewelry boutique featuring Launiere’s handcrafted edgy, yet elegant, jewelry designs. The design studio is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TRENDING NOW According to Vogue Paris, redefining a confident look is what’s hot for summer 2017. Look for pretty pinks, sunny yellows, splashes of metallics, bold geometric patterns in primary colors, romantic floral prints, ’70s-inspired patchwork patterns, jazzy jumpsuits, exaggerated lines and shoulder shapes, plucky pleats and chic lounging robes (appropriate any time of day).

GLASS GALORE

COMMUNITY FAB’RIK FAB’RIK, in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, hosted its first ever Gal’entine’s Day Social and raised $653.36 for Dog Harmony, which coordinates compatible matches between canines in need and human companions, while providing education and training to ensure devoted, lifetime unions.

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Artist Mary Hong will open a second SHARD SHOP location in Destin in the Paradise Isle Shopping Center. The make-your-own-art boutique guides guests in repurposing glass on painted canvas. The original Shard Shop, in Grayton Beach, has extended hours and offers four classes a day, six days a week. Register for classes at ShardShop.com.

Hong also has launched a new glass-art product called SURP (Single Use Resin Packs). The pre-measured resin packs, sold exclusively at ShardWorx.com, are designed to be easily mixed in a clear pouch. The 6-ounce pouch covers an 8x10-inch canvas, and the 8-ounce pouch covers a 12x12-inch canvas.

MARY HONG GALLERY also will open a second gallery in the heart of downtown Nashville, on the ground floor of the Bank of America building (corner of 4th and Union), in Spring 2017.

GULF PLACE on Scenic Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach is welcoming four new merchants: BEACH HOUSE TILE AND DESIGN; LORD & SON CONSTRUCTION; ROCK CREATIVE IMAGES; and CONERLY, BOWMAN AND DYKES LAW FIRM. THE MARKET SHOPS in Miramar Beach announces three new merchants: 30A TELEVISION, CHAPEAU & CHOCOLAT and ESCAPOLOGY. SANDESTIN FAMILY RETAIL has refreshing new reasons to lure shoppers to The Village of Baytowne Wharf, which recently renovated many of its hot spots.

PHOTO BY CHELSEA BLAICH / PROFFITT PR (DOG HARMONY ) AND COURTESY BIJOUX DE MER (PEARLS) AND THE BLUE GIRAFFE

 WHAT’S IN STORE?

Located on 30A in WaterColor and owned and operated by mother-daughter dynamic duo Debbie Taylor and Christi Sheffield, THE BLUE GIRAFFE is known as a one-of-a-kind boutique, featuring “art and gifts with heart.” Recently, the business expanded its series of Creative Classes for all ages to include Paint Like a Rock Star with artist Aaron Sutton, Paint Therapy with artist Shannon Harris, Upcycled Art with Moore Family Folk Art and Creative Writing Boot Camp with Beth Hermes.

To reserve your spot at an inspiring class, call the shop at (850) 231-5112 or register online at bluegiraffe30a.com.

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gastro&gusto JUN/JUL 2017

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

DINING TRENDS

TOAST OF THE COAST

More than just bread and butter

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

Do you smell something burning? Yes! It’s toast — a food trend so hot you may just scorch your buttery fingers picking up on it.

The carb police had just better slow their roll (pun totally intended), because any way you slice it … bread is back, baby.

↗

SWEET POTATO TOAST see page 48 for recipe

DINING OUT photography by JAMES STEFIUK

Chicken ‘n’ Waffles

|| LIBATIONS

It’s Rum, By Gum

|| DINING GUIDE

See Page 59

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gastro & gusto



The word “toast,” which means, “sliced bread singed by heat,” comes from the Latin word, “torrere” — “to burn.” Call it what you will — bruschetta, crostini, tostada or just plain “toast” — it’s roasty, toasty, finger-food goodness.

Restaurants, café, delis and bakeries across the nation have embraced toast as a comfort food.

Chalkboard menus feature artisan breads paired with flavored dairy butters and creative toppings that range from all kinds of nut butters to sweet fruit spreads and savory veggie “shmears.”

Here on the Emerald Coast, new toast-topping combinations are being created every day, and each is worth a taste.

Avocado appears to be one of the most popular toast toppers; but there are variations on this veggie-lover’s fare. The Local Market in Destin serves up their rendition on wheat toast with garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper and a side of pico de gallo ($5). Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar + Tratorria in Seaside tops country sourdough with avocado and layers of shaved radish, fresh herbs and a hint of chili ($9). If you’re craving a salty fix that will transport you to the Mediterranean, but you aren’t a fan of avocado, try Bud & Alley’s sourdough toast with sardines, lemon, herbs, Calabrian chili and oregano-butter ($11).

If you are craving old world European, the house-made bruschetta at Clemenza’s Uptown in Fort Walton Beach will transport you straight to Italy with one bite. The Caprese features fresh Roma tomatoes and mozzarella cheese finished with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil

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and a drizzling of aged balsamic vinegar. They also serve up bruschetta topped with roasted peppers and Gorgonzola, and a version with grilled Eggplant Caponata ($8).

The yearning for the taste of toast goes beyond the munching of hot bread. The Republic of Tea has introduced Cinnamon Toast Tea to its list, bringing the flavor and aroma of the popular kids’ breakfast cereal to your morning cup of caffeine. Speaking of breakfast cereals, General Mills has buttered up to the toast trend by launching Tiny Toast cereal, its first new brand since 2001. Tiny Toast comes in strawberry and blueberry flavors.

B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, based in Minneapolis, proved it was sweet on the toast trend when it launched its Buttered Toast Bites chocolate bars ($6).

You may find it jarring that even cookies are being baked to look like toast; but Almondina has this trend in the bag with its toast-shaped cookies, called, quite simply, Toasties. These sweet treats come in multiple flavor combinations, such as cranberry-almond, coconut-orange-almond, lemon-poppy-almond and sesame-almond. A variety pack allows you to sample one of each ($3.49 for 5.25 oz. bag).

For those of you who want to snuggle up to the trend with zero-calorie consequences, you can do so with an adorable plush pillow in the shape of a slice of toast topped with a pat of butter (squishable.com, $19.50). EC

Here in the Southeast, we have long loved another trending food: sweet potatoes. These marvelous vegetables are gluten-free and are a terrific source of fiber and vitamins. While you can certainly substitute cooked, mashed sweet potatoes in some bread recipes, you don’t have to use any other ingredients aside from sweet potatoes to make a simple sweet potato “toast.” Here’s how you do it: ➸ Scrub a sweet potato clean (you can leave the skin on!) and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. ➸ Pierce each slice with a fork to help steam escape during the cooking process and to improve the texture. ➸ Par-cook in the microwave for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through. ➸ Toast on the highest setting in your toaster until tender when pierced with a fork. ➸ Top with whatever sweet or savory foods you love!

Sweet potato toast topped with jalapeno, tomato, chicken sausage, egg and red pepper. photography by JAMES STEFIUK

PHOTO COURTESY BUD & ALLEY’S PIZZA BAR / ALISSA ATTINGER (RADDISH TOAST)

→

Country sourdough with avocado and layers of shaved radish, fresh herbs and a hint of chili ($9) from Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar + Tratorria in Seaside

SWEET POTATO ‘TOAST’

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gastro & gusto

DINING OUT

CHICKEN ‘N’ WAFFLES

Seems so wrong, but tastes so right

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

O

50

↘

Belgian waffle topped with country fried chicken, molasses bacon butter, white pepper gravy, bacon bits, maple syrup and chives

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Sunset Bay Café’s Chicken & Waffles, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach

COURTESY SUNSET BAY

scar and Felix, Sonny and Cher, Beauty and the Beast … these are a few classic couplings that just don’t seem right … at first. But then again, oil and vinegar is all you need to make a salad sing.

Perhaps the same can be said of Chicken ‘n’ Waffles.

If you’ve ever tried the unlikely pairing of chicken and waffles, you understand the appeal. It’s the immediate satisfaction of uniting, in one bite, the sweet and salty, the soft and crunchy, the maple and … yes, the chicken. It may sound unseemly and downright unsavory to the uninitiated, but chicken and waffles are a delicious, dynamic culinary duo.

No one knows exactly when this dish found its way into Southern cuisine, because it’s conspicuously absent in early cookbooks. Some say its origins come from the early 20th century, in the African-American community of Harlem, New York.

How ever it started, we’re just glad this unlikely pairing can easily be found on menus all along the Emerald Coast. Breaking down the dish, you have waffles (often Belgian), topped with chicken (most likely fried) and topped with syrup. In one delicious ››

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gastro & gusto Primrose Restaurant’s Open Faced Wafflewich, The Henderson, Destin

dish, you have a meal that conceivably combines breakfast, lunch and/or dinner, making it a meal that literally serves the most robust of appetites well.

And no matter what time of day it’s served, eateries all along the coast are perking up this plucky dish with creative variations.

Chicken ‘n’ Waffles has been considered a house specialty at MIKE’S CAFÉ & OYSTER BAR in Panama City Beach since it opened in 1986. Every day, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m., Mike’s serves up a basic version featuring boneless fried chicken on a waffle with butter and syrup.

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ, inside Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, serves up a traditional Southern version: a waffle topped with fried chicken strips smothered in Southern white-pepper gravy and then drizzled with molasses bacon butter and garnished with Boars Head Applewood smoked bacon and chives.

A decadent rendition is served up at PRIMROSE,

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located in Destin’s new luxury hotel, The Henderson. Called the Open Faced Wafflewich, it is a fluffy Belgian waffle and fried chicken breast that is sprinkled with aged cheddar cheese, smoked bacon and topped with three sunny-sideup, farm-fresh eggs that have been seasoned with fresh herbs.

And it’s all served with warmed maple syrup. Bring a friend, because the portion on this one may require some assistance to manage!

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI on the Destin harbor is well known for its seafood, but

↑ McDonald’s Chicken McGriddle

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

owners Chris Runyan and Tyler Jarvis have reeled in another big hit with their version of chicken ‘n’ waffles, called Nashville Hot Chicken + Waffles. It layers boneless spicy chicken atop a vanilla bean waffle, and then smothers it all in green beans and syrup.

MCDONALD’S riff on the Southern classic should quickly rise up the ranks of breakfast favorites — if it ever makes it on the menu fulltime. The chain is currently testing a Chicken McGriddle — a fried chicken patty placed between two maple syrupinfused McGriddle buns —

↑ Five Sisters Blues Café’s Chicken & Waffles, Pensacola

at select locations in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

For a real hearty, homestyle version of chicken ‘n’ waffles, head to FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ in Pensacola, which is part of the Great Southern restaurant group. Prepare to take on two big pieces of Aunt Sara’s fried chicken on top of a buttermilk Belgian waffle with maple syrup and butter on the side. This homey joint oozes with a sense of joy for food with live music, making this unexpected soulful meal combo that much more comforting. EC

COURTESY THE HENDERSON / BY CHANDLER WILLIAMS/MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY, MCDONALD’S, JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI / BY TRACY MCGRAW AND FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ / BY LAUREL WOODFIN

↑ Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi’s Nashville Hot Chicken + Waffles, Destin Harbor

Precision takes time

#somethingnewtocrave www.cuveekitchen.com

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gastro & gusto

RUM COCKTAIL RECIPES

↖ Strawberry

Daiquiri

IT’S RUM,

BY GUM A sugary libation, steeped in history and lore by JASON DEHART

I

t quenched the thirst of many a tar, and Hollywood pirates are fabled for their lavish hoarding and consumption of the Noble Spirit. It was a vital link in the “rum-molasses-slave trade” diagram we all learned in grade school. Cut it with Coca-Cola, or mix it with your coffee, and it makes a relaxing beverage. It’s also the prime ingredient in a popular holiday Bundt cake.

The beverage we know as rum today has roots in antiquity. Legend has Marco Polo tasting a

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sugary “wine” in what is now Iran in the 14th century. By the 17th century, rum was being made on sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean.

In the American colonial era, it was an integral part of a “triangular trade” system. Essentially, New England imported molasses from the Caribbean and processed it into rum that was then traded for slaves in West Africa. From Africa, the slaves were shipped to the Caribbean and sold to New Englanders for cash or molasses, and the process repeated. It was, therefore, an important unit of economic exchange. For the end consumer, especially the Royal Navy and other seafaring organizations, it was a shipboard staple and could be counted on (albeit watered down as “grog”) to slake a sailor’s thirst.

Today, there are more makes and brands of rum than you can shake a peg leg at. You can drink rum in any number of cocktails, or you can simply sip it “neat.” Cigars make an excellent accompaniment, but you might have to experiment to find the right combination to suit your taste. EC

➺ 1 cup ice ➺ 5 strawberries ➺ 2 ounces white rum ➺ 1 ounce lime juice ➺ ½ ounce triple sec ➺ ½ teaspoon

confectioners’ sugar

Blend ice, strawberries, rum, lime juice, triple sec and confectioners’ sugar in a blender at high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pour and enjoy.

Hurricane

➺ 2 ounces light rum ➺ 3 ounces dark rum ➺ 6 ounces passion fruit juice ➺ 6 ounces orange juice ➺ 2 tablespoons grenadine ➺ 2 orange slices ➺ 2 maraschino cherries

Mix the first five ingredients together in a large liquidmeasuring cup, then pour into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with an orange slice or cherry.

IVAN MATEEV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

LIBATIONS

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!

Enjoy cocktails on the deck for sunset Happy Hour: 4–6pm Open 6 days a week (closed Tuesdays) Live Music

3796 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin 850.837.2627 captdavesonthegulf.com

MIMMOS Italian

Bruster’s & Nathan’s of Destin 979 US HWY 98 E

|

Destin

(in the 98 Pa lms Shopping Plaza)

850.460.7353 EatMimmos.com

4655 Gulfstarr Drive 850-269-2920 BRUSTERS.COM

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

Restaurant Spotlight

Fat Clemenza’s partners “THE FOOD AND ATMOSPHERE TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME TO WHEN LIFE WAS SIMPLER,” said managing partner Dominic Damiano. “We specialize in providing great service and have a flair for remembering customers and taking care of their needs.”

They remember their customers because many of them are repeat offenders

visiting often to please their palates with authentic cuisine, much of which is fresh from Italy. Olive oils, plum tomatoes, sheet pasta and flour are shipped from Naples, and sausage arrives from Chicago twice a week. Maintaining quality and consistency is essential as they want customers to receive top-notch service every visit.

The staff takes great care and attention to make customers feel like a part of the community they have echoed. Family values and traditions seem to seep through the walls welcoming each guest, allowing them to relax, enjoy a sit-down meal and be transported to another time and place.

FAT CLEMENZA'S BRICK OVEN PIZZARIA 12273 US HIGHWAY 98, MIRAMAR BEACH | 850.650.5980 | FATCLEMENZAS.COM

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PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI

grew up in a bustling and vibrant neighborhood bursting with an ethnic Italian culture. While they adore the beaches and sunshine, they greatly missed the welcoming neighborhood of their youth. They sought to emulate the Italian neighborhood where they grew up in Chicago. Through warm lighting, Old-World brick ovens and black-andwhite family photos lining the walls, they have succeeded in bringing a slice of Chicago to the coast.

Consistently Delicious since 1995! www.cafethirtya.com

3899 E. Co. Hwy. 30A, Seagrove · 850.231.2166 Open Daily At 5

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dining guide AMERICAN

of Baytowne Wharf, 126 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. (850) 502-4590. $$ D

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

45 CENTRAL

Big wines and small plates in an intimate atmosphere. Open daily 11 am–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 from 4 pm. 775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D

THE BEACH HOUSE

MAGNOLIA GRILL

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

BUFFALO’S REEF ★

Hot wings and cold beer. Tues–Sat open at 10:30 am, Sun open at noon.

116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 243-9463. $ L D

CALLAHAN’S RESTAURANT & DELI

Great sandwiches, seafood specials and prime rib. Mon–Sat 10 am–10 pm.

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 am–12 am. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin.

Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola.

(850) 460-7907. $$ L D

CUVEE DESTIN & CUVEE 30A ★

Classic Italian, French and Asian-inspired dishes. Open daily 5:30–10 pm. 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Destin. (Also at 30Avenue, 12805 Hwy. 98 in Inlet Beach) (850) 650-8900. $$$ D

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, artisan pizzas and signature cocktails. Open daily from 4 pm. 535 Richard Jackson Pkwy., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. Open daily 11 am–3 pm and 5–9 pm. 30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach. (850) 641-0017. $$ L D

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. Open Mon–Wed 11 am–9 pm, Thurs–Sat 11 am– 10 pm and Sun 10 am–9 pm. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 432-5226. $$ L D

JOHNNY O’QUIGLEY’S

Steak, seafood and barbecue. Mon–Thurs 11 am–midnight, Fri–Sun 11 am–1 am.

34940 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 837-1015. $ L D

JOHN WEHNER’S VILLAGE DOOR BAYFRONT RESTAURANT & NIGHTCLUB ★

Dinner and dancing, serving barbeque and seafood. Open daily 5–9 pm. The Village

THE KEY ★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2016 Winner

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. Lunch Mon-Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sat from 5 pm. Closed Sun. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 302-0266. $$ L D

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

The original, award-winning wood-fired pizza and classical Italian cuisine

MARIE’S BISTRO & BAR ★

Seafood, steak, pasta and sushi. Lunch Tues– Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Tues–Sun from 5 pm.

2260 W. County Hwy. 30A, Blue Mountain Beach. (850) 278-6856. $$ L D

MARINA BAR AND GRILL

Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads.

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

$B L D

MARINA CAFÉ

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine. Open daily 5–10 pm. 404 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-7960. $$$ D

Lunch M–F 11–2 · Dinner M–Sat 5–9 · 850.650.5980 12273 US Hwy 98, Miramar Beach · fatclemenzas.com

NICK’S BOATHOUSE

Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront.

Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 am–9 pm. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola.

(850) 912-8775. $$ L D

THE RED BAR ★

Live music and a menu of varied options including pastas, seafood, salads and cocktails. Lunch and dinner daily 11 am– 10 pm. 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach.

(850) 231-1008. $ L D

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ ★

Chef-inspired twists on classic dishes.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail.

Open daily 7 am–2 pm. Tiki Bar open noon to sunset. Linkside Conference Center, 158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach.

(850) 267-7108. $ B L

VIN’TIJ WINE BOUTIQUE & BISTRO Seafood, salad, chef specials. Open daily 11 am–midnight. 10859 W. Emerald Coast Pkwy., #103, Miramar Beach.

(850) 650-9820. $$ L D

ASIAN BASMATI’S ASIAN CUISINE & SUSHI

Asian dishes and full sushi bar. Open daily from 4 pm. 3295 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-3028. $$ D

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

B L D

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

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive

$$$ Expensive

Magnolia Grill fort walton beach

tom & peggy rice, proprietors

(850) 302-0266

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JASMINE THAI ★

Traditional dishes in a contemporary atmosphere. Lunch Tues–Sun 11 am–3 pm, dinner Tues–Sun 5–9 pm. 4463 Common Drive W., #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 am–2:30 pm, dinner 5–10:30 pm.

34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

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

THAI DELIGHT

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

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

130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther.

(850) 302-0691. $ L

DESSERT BRUSTERS ★

Ice cream selections made fresh on-site, daily. Noon–7 pm. 4655 Gulfstar Dr., Destin.

(850) 269-2920. $

Traditional dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 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 am–8 pm. 5008 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-0679. $ L D

BUCK’S SMOKEHOUSE ★

Brisket, ribs and pulled pork sandwiches and plates in a casual, rustic atmosphere.

Open daily 11 am–8 pm. 303 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-3600. $ L D

JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q ★

Smokehouse barbecue, beer and wine.

Open daily 11 am. 14073 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 351-1991. $ L D

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ ★

Breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, patty melts, specials, soups, salads and desserts.

Open daily 7 am–2 pm, closed Mondays.

979 E. Hwy. 98, #F, Destin (Also in Miramar Beach, Panama City, Pensacola, Sandestin and Grayton Beach). (850) 650-0499. $ B

BON APPETIT FRENCH BAKERY & CAFÉ

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

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE ★

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food. Open daily 6 am–10 pm. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

(850) 837-8824. $ B

MAMA CLEMENZA’S EUROPEAN BREAKFAST ★

Award-winning breakfast. Old World family recipes. Brunch Wed–Sun 8 am–1 pm, seasonal Hours Memorial Day to Labor Day Mon–Sun 8 am–1 pm. Holiday Plaza, 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W, Destin.

(850) 424-3157. $$ B

IRISH JOHNNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

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

MCGUIRE’S IRISH PUB ★

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

ITALIAN/PIZZA ANGELINA’S PIZZA & PASTA

Authentic homemade pizza pie and Italian dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Lunch and dinner daily 11 am–9:30 pm.

4005 E. Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach.

(850) 231-2500. $ B L D

CLEMENZA’S UPTOWN ★

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

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

FAT CLEMENZA’S ★

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, specialty desserts, fish Fridays. Multiple award winner. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat 5–9 pm. Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-5980 $$ L D

GRAFFITI

Traditional, Italian house specialties, like seafood pizza. Mon–Thurs 5–9 pm, Fri–Sat 5–10 pm. 707 E. Hwy. 98, Destin.

(850) 654-2764. $$ D

HELEN BACK

Pizza and cold beer in a sports bar atmosphere. Open daily 11 am–4 am.

Locations in Pensacola, Navarre, Crestview, Valparaiso and Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 796-1451. $ L D

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO ★

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

(850) 460-7353. $$ L D

THE PIZZA BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

GREEK Private dining rooms and outdoor courtyard spaces accommodate anything from an intimate meal to an extravagant event. Our bar features an exclusive menu and drink specials. Looking for something even more unique?

Our private wine room can be reserved for your next event.

(850) 622-0760 bijouxdestin.com

AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

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

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

ALA BABA GRILL CAFÉ

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

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

(850) 231-3113. $$ L D

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 thincrust pizza. Expansive wine and beer list.

Reservations required. Open Tues–Sat from 5 pm. 205 Government St., Valparaiso.

(850) 678-8299. $$ D

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Mimmo La Innusa Owner, Mimmo’s Ristorante Italiano

How would you describe your cuisine? I would say traditional authentic Italian cuisine. We use the best and freshest ingredients. All sauces, breads, dressings, desserts, brick oven pizzas and so much more are homemade. We try to bring a little taste of Italy to every dish.

How do you measure your success? By being considered a local favorite. I love looking around and seeing a full restaurant of familiar faces and watching everyone have a great time.

What made you want to pursue this career? L ooking back, I would say I was about ten years old. Growing up in Sicily with a

What is your philosophy? With hard work and perseverance, you can make your dreams a reality. Stay humble and be grateful for your blessings.

What is the most important item in the kitchen? My team.

They make everything come together and run smoothly. Without them, 979 Hwy 98 E Ste 5 we would not be where we Destin are today.

850-460-7353

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What is your favorite dish and why? Pasta Carbonara because I love the flavor of the smoked pancetta and the richness of the cream sauce. However, a close second, is the lasagna. The Bolognese sauce reminds me of Sundays at my grandparents house cooking and enjoying time with the whole family.

huge Italian family, we spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I loved watching my grandparents, aunts and uncles creating the best meals for our family and friends. I saw how food really brings everyone together. So, I decided to watch and learn. I knew then I wanted to explore an opportunity in the culinary world.

JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

chefyi

What inspires/influences EatMimmos.com your cuisine? My family, heritage and most of all my grandmother. She taught me that the simplest ingredients can make the best meals.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST HIBACHI

HIBACHI

ASIAN | HIBACHI

HIBACHI

18 Hibachi tables | Sushi bar Private dining | Large parties welcome Open daily for lunch and dinner

DESTIN | 34745 Emerald Coast Parkway | 850.650.4688 TALLAHASSEE | 16900 Raymond Diehl Road | 850.531.0222 PANAMA CITY BEACH | 15533 Panama City Beach Parkway | 850.588.8403 OSAKAHIBACHIANDSUSHI.COM EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

chefyi

Chef Jim Shirah Executive Chef, Dewey Destin

How would you describe the cuisine?

The best way to describe the cuisine here at Dewey’s on the Harbor is a simple Southern coastal cuisine.

202 Harbor Blvd Destin 850-837-7525 DestinSeafood.com

What is the most important item in the kitchen? There is more than one important thing in the kitchen.

For instance, fresh quality food and teamwork! If you don’t have these, you may as well start from scratch.

JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

What is your philosophy? The word “can’t” is not in my vocabulary — if there’s a will there’s a way. And, always treat others the way you would like to be treated.

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What is your favorite dish and why? I have multiple favorites: crab claws, seared scallops and fresh Gulf fish fried in corn meal with cheese grits. They are never a disappointment.

How do you measure your success? I measure my success by customer satisfaction. We have regular and return customers that have been coming to Dewey’s for years. Our staff has grown, and we get busier every year. I like that I am able to educate people and our youth.

What inspires/influences your cuisine? My cuisine is inspired by my heritage and training. Having grown up on the Gulf Coast, I learned to cook many traditional Florida seafood dishes. In culinary school, I spent time in France, which

gave me exposure to European cuisine and sauces. The seasons also influence my ideas. I love traditional dishes that I can put a spin on. Sometimes, even colors inspire me. I go through different phases of inspiration, which have proven to be beneficial.

The Tradition Continues 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

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TRATTORIA BORAGO

HARBOR DOCKS ★

TUSCANY ITALIAN BISTRO

B L D

Pork tenderloin or pan-seared grouper from the open kitchen. Open daily from 6 pm. 80 E. Hwy. 30A, Grayton Beach. (850) 231-9167. $$ D Northern Italian cuisine: meats, fresh seafood and garden vegetables. Tues–Sun 4 pm–close. 36178 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 650-2451. $$ D

MEXICAN CANTINA LAREDO ★

A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites.

Sun–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am– 11 pm. 585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach.

(850) 654-5649. $$ B L D

CRAB ISLAND CANTINA

Latin-inspired Mexican cuisine. Mon– Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 11 am–9 pm. 2 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

(850) 424-7417. $$ L D

PEPITO’S ★

Authentic Mexican cuisine, delicious margaritas and weekly specials. Open daily 11 am–10 pm. 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 am (in season). 2236 E. Country Rd. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-4781. $$ L D

SEAFOOD BOATHOUSE OYSTER BAR ★

Ice cold beer, raw oysters, award-winning gumbo. Open daily 11 am–2 am. 288 B Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-3645. L D

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine.

Open daily from 11 am. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7406. $$ L D

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER ★

Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Sunday brunch. Destin Harbor, Destin.

(850) 460-8900. $$$ B

BUD & ALLEY’S WATERFRONT RESTAURANT

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Open Mon– Fri 11:30 am. Roof bar open in summer 11:30 pm–2 am. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside.

(850) 231-5900. $$$ L D

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE ★ Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

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

A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and the best sushi on the Emerald Coast. Open daily 5 am–11 pm.

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–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri– Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 10 am–10 pm. 46 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 654-4800. $$ B L D

HIGH TIDE RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR ★

Casual eatery featuring an oyster bar. Open daily 11 am–9:30 pm. 1203 Miracle Strip Pkwy.

S.E., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-2124. $$ L D

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches.

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

POPPY’S SEAFOOD FACTORY

Fresh seafood, steak and poultry dishes.

Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 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 am–7 pm. 663 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 837-8333. $$ L D

SARAH K’S GOURMET ★

Ready-to-heat cuisine. Jumbo lump crab cakes and fresh chicken salad.

Open from 11 am. 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 am–6 pm. 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 pm. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., #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 Tues–Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Tues– Sat 5:30 pm–10:30 pm. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 469-9898. $$$ D

DEWEY DESTIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

MARLIN GRILL ★

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

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

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers.

Open nightly from 5 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach.

(850) 351-1990. $$$ D

THE FISH HOUSE ★

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ★

FISH OUT OF WATER RESTAURANT

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS AND SEAFOOD ★

Fresh seafood cuisine and Southern specialties in a setting overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Seville Harbor. Open daily from 11 am. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola.

(850) 470-0003. $$ L D Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair. Open daily 5:30–10 pm. Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 534-5050. $$$ D

Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired.

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

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar. Open daily from 6 pm. Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 622-1500. $$$ D EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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expression

JUN/JUL 2017

CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

↙ “Good for My Soul,” indeed. Much like the title of this painting, Krista Schumacher’s art highlights the beautiful moments of the human experience.

BEN CAMPBELL

ART

PAINTING WITH PURPOSE Using brushstrokes to communicate

MUSIC

Dropping Beats

|| STAGE

The Show Goes On

|| BOOKS

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

This Boots Was Made for Writin’

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expression

From animals to abstracts, Schumacher’s art features colors that pop off the canvas and subjects that are composed of distinct brushstrokes.

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ART ABOUNDS

Krista’s own limitlessness is displayed well in her work — bold, vibrant strokes of oil paints applied with the hand of one who clearly is letting her mind’s eye and her heart guide the brush.

“My paintings are inspired by spontaneity, relationships and the highs of the human experience, and I love to explore the element of color,” she explains. “Explorations of color” does, indeed, describe each of her paintings, whose subject matter includes everything from abstracts, to various versions of portraiture, to animals depicted with an air of whimsy.

Recognizing the importance of encouraging children to explore their own creativity, Krista decided that one of the greatest contributions she could make in the world would be to become a teacher and to focus her talent and passion not solely on the canvas in her studio, but on the canvas-like minds of the young lives around her.

“I decided to teach art because I wanted to share my passion with others,” Krista says. “What good is being blessed with a talent that you’re unwilling to share and pass on to other people?”

After attending the University of Florida and spending time in San Antonio, Texas, where she worked with Teach for America, Krista returned to the Emerald Coast in 2015 and set her focus on pursuing a career as an artist and on teaching full-time at a local elementary school. She’s truly made a “go” of it, putting her work on display locally in addition to launching an online gallery full of her vibrant pieces and taking on clients for commissioned paintings.

Krista’s work has earned her notoriety not only locally, but nationwide, as well. In 2016, her talent was recognized in a way that far surpassed her wildest dreams: She was awarded Southwest Art Magazine’s “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Collect Now.”

Krista’s work is represented by The Foster Gallery at Grand Boulevard, a co-op art gallery run by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County. Krista’s entire portfolio of works can be viewed and purchased online at kristaschumacherart.com.

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS BY BEN CAMPBELL

C

reative genius knows no age and no boundaries, and for 26-yearold Niceville resident Krista Schumacher, that creativity became unbound at the age of 16, when her mother encouraged her to try her hand at painting. An artist herself, Krista’s mother might have had an intuition that her daughter had raw talent that was just waiting to be set free; from the very moment she took a paintbrush in hand, Krista realized that art was going to become her world.

“Art is self-expression on fire, and the most powerful art comes from the moments when you are truly at one with yourself,” Krista says. “Art heals the soul, frees the mind and empowers the heart.

It’s a way of communicating your message with the entire world. You have to allow yourself to explore, experiment and express anything and everything. Make mistakes. Art has no limitations.”

“A Girl and Her Dog,” “Indivisible,” “Lucy” and “Texas Horns” all exhibit Schumacher’s distinct style and talent for capturing her subjects in a frozen window of time, but appearing as if they could spring into motion at any moment.

→ Krista Schumacher’s claim to fame may be her paintings, but her cat, Lucy, has become pretty well known, too. In fact, Lucy has her very own YouTube channel, “Lucy Loves Art,” where Krista and Lucy post weekly art education videos that teach art history and art concepts. They even provide step-by-step instruction on various art projects.

“Finding out about the nomination was a moment of self-actualization, followed by about a million phone calls to loved ones and ear-piercing screams of excitement,” she recalls with a laugh. “Being nominated as one of the top 21 artists under the age of 31 is the ultimate achievement for a young art“Art is selfist, and it truly validated my career. My expression art is something so on fire, and personal: I’m taking a the most slab of my heart and putting it on a canvas powerful art for the world to see. comes from It was validation that, the moments yes, I am an artist. Art can be a viable career, when you are and I will be an artist truly at one for the rest of my life. with yourself.” Art is my purpose.”

— Krista Schumacher Furthering that sense of purpose is, of course, the work she does with her students every week as she gently guides the budding artists in her classroom.

“My students really inspire me because kids have such an unbridled enthusiasm for art. They’re my daily reminders of the joy we all experience when we create. Their zest, open-mindedness and creativity are qualities that we, as adults, often need to be reminded to value.”

As Krista watches the little artists in her world push past their own boundaries, she is helping to set their “self-expression on fire,” giving them their own space in a gallery where every piece is worthy of wide acclaim. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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↙ DJ Vladi bumps and pumps beats intended to get any audience mixing and moving on the dance floor.

TOP 20 MOST REQUESTED SONGS OF 2016

From djeventplanner.com 1. UPTOWN FUNK Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

DROPPING BEATS

Local DJ spins his way to success

by MATT ALGARIN

W

hen the beat drops, bodies begin to move. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, the dance floor does not discriminate, and neither does a good DJ. Whether you are a fan of hiphop, rock or country, a DJ’s job is to make you get up and dance.

As the founder of Gulf Coast Entertainment and Productions, DJ Vladi’s turntables have provided the soundtrack for weddings, special events and charity functions up and down the Gulf Coast, throughout the state of Florida and across the Southeast.

Born Vladimir Jimenez in the Dominican Republic, Vladi and his family spent time in Puerto Rico, New York and Orlando before he discovered the Emerald Coast in 2001, where he worked at The Red Bar, owned by Oli Petit, as a waiter.

“I really learned a lot working for the Petit family,” Vladi says.

“They were really good to me, and they let me do some DJ work for them, as well.”

The DJ bug bit Vladi while

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he was in high school in Central Florida.

“There was a DJ at a house party, and the movement he was doing and the attention that he was getting was really cool,” Vladi says.

“People were dancing and having a good time. I looked at him and said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”

Over the years Vladi has defined his personal style, which, unlike other DJs, isn’t based on a specific type of music or genre. Vladi is in the business of pleasing people, so he made a conscious effort to learn as many different styles and types of music as possible.

“Music has no language,” Vladi says. “That’s the beauty of it. I may be at a Russian wedding or an Indian wedding and not understand a lot of what they are saying, but I can tell when they are having a great time.”

The key, he says, is being able to read the crowd and recognize what songs and styles get them moving. Vladi plays everything from the Top 40 to rock, country, electronic dance music, funk, merengue, salsa and the blues.

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

As a DJ, Vladi’s hard work and commitment to his craft has paid off. He is regularly booked at shows up and down the Panhandle as well as in other locations, including Nashville. Vladi has also performed at celebrity weddings and for the likes of musician Zac Brown.

Now in his mid-30s, with a wife and two children, Vladi doesn’t perform in clubs as often. He still spins at The Red Bar and other special shows, but most of his attention is now on weddings, special events and giving back to the community that has given him so much.

Vladi is known to lend his talents to local organizations. Each year he helps collect toys for children through the “Stuff The Bus” program in Panama City. During the Thanksgiving season, he and his family and friends will cook dozens of turkeys with all the trimmings for anyone in need.

“My mom always said, ‘If you can help, help,’” Vladi says. “Why not wake up a few hours early and help (people) out a little bit?” EC

2. DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ Journey 3. I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) Whitney Houston 4. SHUT UP AND DANCE Walk The Moon 5. SHAKE IT OFF Taylor Swift 6. HAPPY Pharrell Williams 7. SWEET CAROLINE Neil Diamond 8. CUPID SHUFFLE Cupid 9. THINKING OUT LOUD Ed Sheeran 10. I GOTTA FEELING Black Eyed Peas 11. LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER Bon Jovi 12. MARRY YOU Bruno Mars 13. WOBBLE V.I.C. 14. YEAH! Usher 15. BROWN EYED GIRL Van Morrison 16. WE FOUND LOVE Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris 17. CHA CHA SLIDE DJ Casper 18. SUGAR Maroon 5 19. LOVE SHACK B-52s 20. PARTY ROCK ANTHEM LMFAO

DAN DARDEN

MUSIC

Destin Wedding Company Voted the 2016 “Best Wedding Planner Company” by the Readers of Emerald Coast Magazine

• Inventory of 82 different homes and 8 different resorts • The highest rated company by Wedding Wire in Northwest Florida with 4.9 out of 5.0 for 65 reviews • Six wedding planners that have over 50 years of combined experience led by our owner, Susan Parker • Photography by Destin Wedding Company

• Gallery of over 100 cinematic wedding and reception videos • All food catered by our restaurant group the Marlin Grill, a 5 Star Restaurant in Destin, Florida • Only company in Destin that provides a “Day of Planning” followed by dinner at a 5 Star Restaurant, Marlin Grill

DESTIN BEACH RESORT WEDDINGS Grayton Beach Weddings

4012 Commons Dr. W., Destin, FL • 850-685-0190 • destinweddingcompany.com

Bride’s choice 2012-2013 Couples Choice 2015-2017

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expression ↘ Singer, dancer and actress Joanna Hayes was in Pensacola Little Theatre’s very first production in 1980.

She has treasured each performance since, whether on stage or in the audience.

THE SHOW GOES ON Pensacola Little Theatre celebrates 80 years fueled by passion for the arts

by KARI C. BARLOW

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PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE is located at 400 S. Jefferson St., Pensacola, Florida.

P

ensacola Little Theatre recently wrapped its 80th season, but you won’t catch this scrappy nonprofit acting its age. As the oldest continually operating community theater in the Southeast, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

“What I love about being part of PLT is the true community,” says Kathy Holsworth, who serves as the artistic director and has held almost every position at the theater. “You meet other people who are passionate about the arts, like you are!”

That shared passion is one of the pillars that has sustained the theater since it was established in 1936. “It’s one of the things that keeps us vibrant and alive!” Holsworth says. “One of the things that makes Pensacola special is that we care enough about the vibrancy of who we are that the Pensacola Little Theatre, the symphony, the opera, the Gulf Coast Arts Festival have all this support, and they make us a better city.”

Like many other community theaters across the country, the PLT was funded

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

with money from the Works Progress Administration to speed the nation’s recovery in the years following the Great Depression. Through the years, the theater enjoyed many temporary locations — including an aging Quonset hut on E Street — before finding a permanent home in the old Escambia County Court of Record Building and Jail, built in 1911.

“It’s such a strong old building,” Holsworth says.

In 1988, the massive space was deeded ››

↗ This stately white building was built as a courthouse in 1911. It is now the Pensacola Cultural Center, housing PLT.

COURTESY PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE

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to the PLT, and after extensive renovations, the historic building opened as the Pensacola Cultural Center. In January 1996, PLT staged its first production, “The Wizard of Oz,” in the new space.

Today the Pensacola Cultural Center is home to PLT, Ballet Pensacola and the West Florida Literary Federation.

In the past four decades, PLT has changed with theSEASIDE_halfpageAD_Surf-EC times, but its mission — to educate, entertain Mag 7.875x4.875.pdf 1 4/3/2017 1:04:31 PM

↑ “The Wizard of Oz” has been a staple production at PLT. Here, the PLT artistic director, Kathy Holsworth, takes the stage as the Wicked Witch of the West.

and enrich the community — remains the same.

Its Mainstage Series, featuring popular plays and musicals, and its Treehouse productions for children are presented inside the Valerie Jones Russenberger Theatre.

“We’re actually built on a slope,” Holsworth says. “It’s a really great place for theater. There’s actually not a bad seat in the house.” This past season, PLT wowed audiences with hits like “My Fair Lady,” “On Golden Pond” and “Footloose.”

PLT’s Studio 400 features black box performances inside the old M.C. Blanchard Courtroom Theatre. “We don’t do anything in Studio 400 that children would be welcome at,” Holsworth adds.

“It’s grown-up theater.”

None of PLT’s efforts would be a reality without its tireless team of local residents, who volunteer to work as everything from ushers and costumers to actors and directors, says Ashley Simmons, who heads marketing for the theater. “We have extraordinary people,” she adds. “Each show easily logs hundreds to thousands of volunteer hours.”

The best part? There’s a job for everyone, whether a person wants to be on stage or well behind the curtain. “It’s a great way to learn new

WANT TO JOIN THE FUN? Pensacola Little Theatre welcomes all volunteers.

To sign up, go to pensacolalittletheatre.com or directly to plt.ivolunteer.com/#1.

WANT TO GO? Here are a few of the PLT’s 2017 summer productions: MainStage presents “Footloose,” showing from June 2–June 18 Acorn Theatre presents “Further Adventures of Nick Tickle,” showing July7–9 and July 14–16 Treehouse Theatre presents “CATS,” showing July 21–23, July 27–30 and Aug. 4–6 For times and ticket information, call the Pensacola Little Theatre at (850) 432-2042.

Austin Magee Austin’s Surf School Seaside, Florida

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locally-owned and operated boutiques & restaurants

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“We have amazing levels of talent in this community.

It’s professional quality.” — Kathy

COURTESY PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE

Holsworth, artistic director of Pensacola Little Theatre

↗ From the classics to modern-day movie renditions, PLT takes pride in productions that encompass a variety of themes, genres and interests. From Shakespeare to Shrek, PLT welcomes all.

things,” Holsworth notes. “We have a very open community.” Together, they strive to choose plays, musicals and other productions that will resonate with local audiences. “We have volunteer boards who make sure that whatever we are doing within these walls is speaking to all of our community,” Holsworth says. “We do a lot of play reading. We

brainstorm. We get out there and recruit. We don’t pre-cast, but we do invite people to audition.”

Joanna Hayes, a singer and dancer who appeared in her first PLT production in 1980, says the organization is a gem that should be cherished. “Being a small town, we are really fortunate,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of theater all over, and this is quality … the performances, the lighting, the sets.”

Holsworth, who continues to act and direct at PLT, agrees. “We have amazing levels of talent in this community. It’s professional quality,” she says, adding that PLT has become a home away from home for folks of all ages. “It’s where you connect to humanity.” EC

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expression BOOKS

THIS BOOTS WAS MADE FOR WRITIN’

B

by KIM HARRIS THACKER

orn two months After conducting some premature, Carol research at the Little Hensel has been Rock Zoo in Arkansas, called “Boots” all where Courtney had been her life. It started when employed, Boots prepared her doctor decided to her first manuscript, put casts on her feet to “The Zoopendous Surstraighten them. With evprise,” and began to send ery centimeter Carol grew, it to publishers. Pleasshe would receive a new ant Street Press quickly pair of “boots.” After a agreed to publish the while, the doctor began to book. The company went refer to his infant patient out of business some time by her footwear. Carol has later, but Boots was able to been “Boots” ever since. form her own publishing She’s as spunky as you company, Kimber Court would expect, given her Press, through which she nickname, and her cheerrepublished “The Zoo↑ ful disposition has served pendous Surprise” and Boots conducted character research with her well throughout her published, for the first elephants and rhinos at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas where her daughter once worked. life — at no more diffitime, her second children’s cult time than when her book, “Johari’s Joy.” youngest daughter, Courtney, passed away at Boots’ favorite part of being a children’s the age of 27 from the effects of cancer. book author is reading to kids at special author “I was devastated,” Boots says. “I thought events.

God had turned his back on me. That’s when “I have puppets that I use, and just watchmy sister-in-law called.” ing the kids’ faces and listening to the questions Boots’ sister-in-law asked if she could write they ask — they are just adorable. … We do a book about Courtney. Initially, Boots agreed, little dances, and we pretend we’re elephants or but she soon realized that she needed to be the rhinos, and they’re just the cutest little things. one to write her daughter’s story.

They don’t care one iota who’s watching and “I think God knew that writing would lead who isn’t.” me out of the dark place I was in,” Boots says.

Currently, Boots is finishing up her third Courtney had been a zookeeper, so Boots debook, “Roscoe Turner: From Plows to Planes,” cided that her first book would be a children’s which is a book for middle-schoolers. story that took place at a zoo.

“If you’re a novice at writing, you learn “My daughter was 4-11,” Boots says, “and as you go,” she says. “It’s all about your when she got the job as a zookeeper, I asked passion and your drive to see the end her, ‘Are you sure you want to take care of elproduct.” ephants?’ and she said, ‘I could be 6 feet tall, and Passion and drive brought Boots Hensel if an elephant wants to squish me, it’ll squish out of a darkness that seemed unbearable me.’ She taught me that if it’s at all possible, do and into a new phase of life in which she what you love. Not all of us get to do something is able to smile, laugh and, when the octhat we look forward to every day. But Courtney casion permits, dance without caring one had that opportunity, and I do, too.” iota who’s watching and who isn’t. EC

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BOOTS’ BOOKS

Boots Hensel is the author of three children’s books: “The Zoopendous Surprise” (2009), “Johari’s Joy” (2013) and “Roscoe Turner: From Plows to Planes” (forthcoming).

“Johari’s Joy” won the Indie Excellence book award, the silver medal for the Mom’s Choice Award and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award. Boots lives with her husband in Panama City.

THE ZOOPENDOUS SURPRISE

Illustrated by Andrea Gabriel Something exciting is happening at the zoo, and the Asian elephants are determined to find out what it is. They quiz the zoo’s other residents, but no one will tell, because it would ruin the surprise.

JOHARI’S JOY

Illustrated by Mark Wayne Adams Johari is a lonely rhino, and Joy is a lonely pig.

But can two so seemingly different animals become companions and friends?

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (BOOKS) AND COURTESY BOOTS HENSEL

Panama City author emerges from a dark time

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Paddler’s Paradise

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING ENJOYS A STRONG FOLLOWING ON THE EMERALD COAST 78

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

by KARI C. BARLOW

COURTESY OF YOLO BOARD

B

ack in the mid-2000s, the sight of a stand-up paddleboarder gliding her way across Pensacola Bay in the morning sun or navigating Destin Harbor at twilight would have had most people doing a double take. Fast forward a decade or so — particularly one in which there was a recession that drove many to set aside their gas-powered toys for less pricey modes of recreation — and this once-curious pastime is everywhere.

“It has become super, super popular, because everyone can do it,” says Rhys Sharp of Liquid Surf and Sail in Fort Walton Beach. “We tell customers every day, it wouldn’t be so popular if it was hard to do. If you walked into the store, you can paddleboard.”

Stand-up paddleboarding, or “SUP” for short, has its deepest roots in Polynesian culture, but it first gained mainstream popularity in Hawaii in

the late 1990s, when big-wave surf legend Laird Hamilton and others used it to oversee surf classes. Today, people of all ages, backgrounds and physical abilities are using SUP to pursue a wide range of adventures, from backcountry expeditions to tournament fishing to cruising their local bay. Paddleboards are sleeker, lighter, tougher and even more inflatable than ever before, and they’re also readily available at big-box stores and popular online retailers.

“Everybody’s got one,” says Sharp, who, having worked with Liquid Surf and Sail since it opened in 2005, has witnessed the SUP explosion. “Market saturation is there. … Any place that has a coastline has a paddleboard company.”

Florida’s Emerald Coast is no exception. In fact, it’s home to two major players in the SUP industry: the pioneering YOLO Board, which started in Santa Rosa Beach, and leading innovator BOTE Board, out of Destin.

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For many coastal residents, paddleboarding is more than just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle.

With the most popular brands, YOLO and BOTE, housed along our emerald shores, a SUP is a staple in most beachside households.

When YOLO Board Founder Jeff Archer describes his introduction to SUP, it makes perfect sense that he went on to build one of the most successful brands on the market.

“My first time on a paddleboard was something of a spiritual encounter,” he says.

“I paddled up on a mother dolphin teaching her young ones how to fish. It was such a powerful moment that I felt that everyone should have the chance to feel this incredible connection to nature.”

Fueled by their motto, “You Only Live Once!,” Archer and his team started YOLO Board in 2007.

“We just saw what seemed to be an obvious void,” he says. “Incredible waters, great weather, hospitable locals and visitors with active souls that craved sun, salt and beauty. I felt compelled to add paddleboarding, period. I soon realized that it was going to be a long adventure.”

Ten years later, YOLO Board has become known worldwide for paddleboards that are not only highly functional, but works of art in the eyes of their customers. Bold

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colors are paired with YOLO Board Creative Director Jake Meyer’s custom designs to reflect the company’s love of nature and adventure — whether that takes the form of touring, fishing, yoga or racing. In 2017, YOLO Board will introduce 17 new board models in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

“If I stop and think about all the people who have given so much of their time and spirit to this dream, it chokes me up a little,” Archer says. “Celebrating this year, working on new things and planning for next year and beyond really keeps me stoked every day.”

Archer’s team of employees happily spread the SUP gospel, holding beginner’s classes, offering tips and answering questions at its main retail store, YOLO Board & Beach, on U.S. Highway 98 in Miramar Beach and at YOLO Board & Bike on 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. The company also has expanded its YOLO Adventures program through which it partners with other brands, communities and resorts to provide activities such as kids’ camps and SUP yoga.

“The YOLO Tribe is how we think of our family, friends

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

» GET THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT Sample a few different boards and find the right fit for your size and strength — and don’t forget a quality paddle. » PRACTICE YOUR STANCE Feet should be shoulder-width apart when on the board, with an athletic bend in your knees. » GO OUT EASY

AND WITH A GUIDE

Start with a slowmoving body of water and work your way up to the waves.

» RELAX Live in the moment and breathe deep. It will keep you at ease on the board and more able to balance.

COURTESY OF YOLO BOARD

A Long Adventure

COURTESY OF YOLO BOARD

YOLO BOARD FOUNDER JEFF ARCHER

Tips for the SUP Rookie

» SOAK UP THE SCENERY Remember to look around once you’re out on the water.

It’s why you’re there!

Source: YOLO Board

“The YOLO Tribe is how we think of our family, friends and followers. The tribe gets together to ride bikes, paddle, workout and just hang sometimes. Everyone is welcome, which is perfect for the newbie that wants to absorb a little paddle culture!” — YOLO Board Founder Jeff Archer

PADDLE SAFE Like any water sport, SUP calls for common-sense safety measures. Here are a few key tips:

Source: U.S. Coast Guard and REI.com

» Wear a lifejacket and carry a whistle. » Take along plenty of water. » Be a competent swimmer. » Know how to self-rescue.

» Know how to tow another board.

» Know when to wear a leash.

» Know the local regulations and navigation rules.

» Be defensive – don’t go where you aren’t supposed to be and avoid other swimmers, boaters and paddleboards.

» Understand the elements and hazards — winds, tidal ranges, current, terrain.

» Use proper blade angle for efficiency.

» Take a safety course. » Wear a rash guard or wet suit, depending on season and temperature. » Wear sunscreen. » Use a waterproof sleeve to hold car keys, phone and ID.

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TIPS FOR AVOIDING SUP INJURIES » Don’t “white knuckle” your paddle. Think of your hands as hooks — connection points between your paddle and your body — as you stroke. Grasping your paddle too tightly puts unnecessary pressure on your forearms, wrists and elbows. So keep it loose! » Rotate your torso as your paddle enters the water. This produces a more efficient stroke by allowing your bigger abdominal muscles to do the majority of the work instead of your smaller arm muscles. If you don’t rotate or reach far forward when paddling, you are most likely only using your arm muscles, which can cause your arms to fatigue quickly and become more susceptible to injury.

Change It Up! Tired of your same old SUP routine?

Try one of these hot stand-up paddleboard trends to reignite your passion: » SUP YOGA OR SUPILATES Perfect your poses (and your balance) while floating. » PADDLE WITH YOUR PET Just be sure to fit your four-legged friend with a proper life jacket, and bring along plenty of water for both of you. » GO CATCH DINNER Paddle out to your favorite fishing hole and hook some grub! But remember, when it comes to gear, less is more. » EXPLORE Select a river or lake and “go native” — paddling, camping and fishing or hunting your way through a one- or two-day expedition.

Source: YOLO Board and BOTE Board

» Equalize the push and pull of your stroke. Push with the top hand as hard as you are pulling with the bottom arm. Imagine that you are pulling yourself to the paddle.

» Warm up prior to each paddle session. As with all physical activity, it’s important to warm up your muscles. Start with light paddling for 5–10 minutes before maximizing your effort.

Source: yoloboard.com

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COURTESY OF BOTE BOARD

» Find your flow. Strive for continuous fluidity as you paddle. The stroke can be technical, but once mastered, fluid movement is key.

Part of the appeal is being able to master the balancing act of SUP. Many yogis are taking their poses to paddleboards in order to further challenge their balance, stability and flexibility. Yoga and wide open water: the ideal environment for total zen.

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

and followers,” Archer says.

“The tribe gets together to ride bikes, paddle, workout and just hang sometimes. Everyone is welcome, which is perfect for the newbie that wants to absorb a little paddle culture!”

With SUP at its core, YOLO Board has grown into a fullscope lifestyle brand, thanks to those loyal and close-knit customers. “Passion draws everyone together and embodies a way of life,” Archer says.

“We’ve designed and produced bicycles, custom paddles, apparel, signature coffee — all born out of the vibe of the tribe!”

COURTESY OF BOTE BOARD COURTESY OF BOTE BOARD

Your Water Life In 2009, Corey and Magda Cooper, two water-loving Auburn graduates who fell hard for the Emerald Coast, launched BOTE Board. Their aim? To improve and customize what was out on the water.

“The stand-up paddleboard market wasn’t really, per se, a market,” Corey says. “It was essentially an off-shoot from surfing. People had started making bigger surf boards to stand-up paddle. What I really wanted to achieve was a hybrid vessel.” At the time, the country was also (continued on page 150)

BOTE BOARD C0-FOUNDER COREY COOPER

Amazing Places to Paddle in Florida Florida has many beautiful waterways where you can immerse yourself in nature.

Here are a few that are perfectly suited for SUP:

COASTAL DUNE LAKES

Want to paddle the Gulf and see sharks and turtles, or explore lakes with alligators and bass?

Accomplish both in one trip at coastal dune lakes in South Walton. After gliding through lakes, carry your board across 50 feet of sand, and voilà! — you’re in saltwater.

DESTIN HARBOR Tranquil

waters make Destin Harbor and nearby canals perfect for learning the sport of SUP. The harbor is also alive with wildlife, including stingrays, flounder and pelicans.

ST. AUGUSTINE The coolest

way to explore this historic city is via paddleboard. Cruise by the Castillo de San Marcos and listen for the firing of cannons and muskets. For an epic water voyage, the Full Moon Pub Crawl visits local hot spots.

NEW SMYRNA For a heartstopping adventure, “hang ten” paddleboard-style at the jetties. Compared to surfboards, paddleboards offer a superior view of incoming “sets.”

NAPLES BEACH Calm waters attract dolphins every day,

making Naples an idyllic place for beginners to learn and capture exceptional memories.

BLOWING ROCKS PRESERVE Once you’re up

at this Jupiter Island preserve, you’ll spot sea turtles, sharks and an amazing reef. Too windy for you? Cross the street to the Intracoastal Waterway.

ISLAMORADA Push off at mile

marker 77.5 and cruise into Indian Key Historic State Park to survey an old wrecking colony, then coast through mangroves and catch a glimpse of baby sharks and crocodiles.

BAHIA HONDA STATE PARK

Circumnavigate the park; at times, you’ll find yourself blissfully alone. As the sun drops, perhaps you’ll witness the natural phenomenon known as the “Green Flash.”

STOCK ISLAND Find balance in picturesque Key West.

Paddle through a beautiful mangrove forest, where such creatures as crabs, sea stars and plenty of colorful tropical fish abound.

Source: Visit Florida

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Light Thy

Fire Get stoked for summertime barbecues

BY ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

The Vision: Your friends are over for a cookout and, after an hour or so of adult beverages and conversation, you sit down to enjoy a bounty of tasty ribs, mouth-watering steaks and juicy hamburgers with all the fixin’s.

Never fear, the pros are here, sharing advice, tips and tools that will have you grilling like a boss this summer.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association’s (HPBA) biennial survey taken in 2015, 75 percent of us own a grill or smoker and 37 percent planned to buy a new one in 2016. The majority (61 percent) of grill owners use their grill or smoker year-round and 30 percent planned to grill more in 2016 than the previous year.

While a mack-daddy grill makes your cookout more impressive, easier and more versatile, it’s entirely possible to create delicious food using a basic charcoal grill, says Tallahassean Josh Cooper. By day, he’s a political strategist and researcher. By night and weekends, he’s an award-winning competitive grillmaster and food blogger (epicuriouscoop.com).

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CHASE YAKABOSKI

The Reality: The coals don’t seem to be getting hot, but, as time goes by, your friends are. Who knew the kitchen spatula would melt on the grill? When the food finally hits the table, the ribs are chewy, the steaks that looked so perfectly brown on the outside are mooing on the inside and the hamburgers are so burnt and dried out you could use ’em as frisbees. Not to mention, the potato salad has been sitting there so long waiting that a prudent person would give it a pass.

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BRUCE PALMER

“I would say everybody should learn how to cook on a Weber kettle grill first, because once you can cook on that thing, you can cook on anything,” he says.

The first grilling skill is heat control — and the secret to that is basic science.

“The more air, the more oxygen that hits the fire, the hotter the fire is going to be. The less oxygen that you allow to hit the fire, the lower the temperature is going to be,” Cooper says. On your basic Weber, you push those little dampers on the tops and bottoms of the grill to control the air flow. Fancier charcoal grills feature external thermometers, while others take it to the next level with thermostat-like devices that use a fan to keep the heat at a steady temperature — a lifesaver for those who want to cook “low and slow” without having to tend to the grill all day.

The other concept to understand is direct versus indirect heat.

“The idea with indirect is you’re trying to turn your grill into an oven. You’re not hitting it directly with the heat; you’re baking it, basically,” says Cooper. “If you’re cooking something indirect, you’re going to do things that take a little bit longer to cook — ribs, larger pieces of meat.

“For direct, you’re going to want to do things that cook quickly — steaks, chicken, hamburgers, pork chops, hotdogs, sausages … stuff like that, that is more of a sear than a slow cook because it’s going to be ‘hot fast,’ as they call it, rather than low and slow. It’s getting kissed directly by the heat source.”

The experts agree, a must-have grilling accessory is a meat thermometer: either an instant-read or a probe that stays in the meat — deluxe versions will send the temperature readout to your smartphone.

“You want to know what the temperature is,” says Wayne Paul, owner of Bay Breeze Patio in Miramar Beach. “It makes a big difference. Five degrees and a chicken breast can go from tender and moist to overly dry … especially on a gas grill, (which) has a tendency to dry your food out.”

Overcooking is probably the No. 1 rookie mistake he sees. “And that means if you want 160 degrees, you don’t cook to 160. A whole turkey might go up 15 degrees (after being taken off the grill) and that’s way overdone,” he says. “With steaks, if you want a medium-rare steak at 135, you pull it off at 128, 129, 130, because it’s going to raise that last five degrees.”

Once the food is off the grill, let it rest. For how long? “That’s variable. If you’re cooking a big standing rib roast, you might let that rest for 30 minutes,” Paul says. “Chicken breast, you

BRUCE PALMER

BRUCE PALMER

BRUCE PALMER

CHASE YAKABOSKI

The first grilling skill is heat control — and the secret to that is basic science. … The other concept to understand is direct versus indirect heat.

Kevin Louthain and Wayne Paul of Bay Breeze Patio love few things more than flaunting their skills at a backyard barbeque with chilled drinks in hand. They just so happen to sell the best tools in town. Josh Cooper may deal in politics by day but can be found slicing, dicing and grilling to perfection by weekend.

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BBQ Blend

Perfect for beef barbecues. Let the meat rest for several hours after you rub it and then slow roast. Makes about ⅓ cup. ➸ 2 tablespoons paprika ➸½ teaspoon

curry powder

➸ 1 tablespoon

chili powder

➸½ teaspoon

ground mustard

➸ 1 teaspoon ground

coriander seed

➸½ teaspoon

fresh-ground black peppercorns ➸ 1 teaspoon white sugar ➸½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves ➸ 1 teaspoon kosher salt ➸½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper ➸ 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed Combine the ingredients.

Use about 1 tablespoon for every pound of boneless meat.

Kansas City Dry Rub

Here’s the Rub

Blackened Steak Seasoning

Juniper Seasoning

➸ 1 tablespoon paprika ➸2 teaspoons

➸ 1 teaspoon whole

This makes enough for 4 steaks or fish fillets.

➸6 whole allspice

Combine the ingredients.

Use about 1 tablespoon for every pound of boneless meat or fish.

A classic mix to rub on fish or seafood before sautéing or grilling. It can also be added to the cooking liquid for poached or boiled seafood. Makes about ¾ cup.

Montreal Steak Blend

Rub your steaks with this popular blend. Makes about ¾ cup.

This combo creates a sweet and smoky barbecue rub. Makes about 3 cups.

➸2 tablespoons paprika ➸2 tablespoons cracked

➸2 cups white sugar ➸¼ cup paprika ➸½ cup coarse

➸ 1 tablespoon

black peppercorns

➸2 tablespoons

kosher salt

granulated garlic

kosher salt ➸2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns ➸ 1 teaspoon garlic powder ➸2 teaspoons chili powder ➸½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

➸ 1 tablespoon

Combine the ingredients.

Use about 3 tablespoons for every pound of boneless meat.

➸½ tablespoon dried

granulated onion

➸ 1 tablespoon cracked

coriander seed

➸ 1 tablespoon dried dill ➸ 1 tablespoon crushed

red pepper flakes

➸½ tablespoon dried

thyme leaves

rosemary needles

Combine the herbs and spices.

hile there’s a wide variety of seasonings to be found in the grocery store, Chef Jamil Bathali challenges us to create our own in his book, “Spice Mixes: Homemade Spice Blends and Seasoning Recipes.” It features an international variety of DIY combinations to spice up your food using the freshest, most aromatic ingredients with no fillers or unwanted ingredients like MSG. To keep mixes fresh, “think cool and dark when storing your spice creations,” he advises, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Here are a few recipes from Bathali’s book (order from Amazon or IronRingPublishing.com) that are suitable for use as rubs or marinades for grilling a variety of foods. ↗

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black peppercorns

kosher salt ➸ 1 teaspoon onion powder ➸ 1 teaspoon garlic powder ➸ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ➸ 1 teaspoon ground white pepper ➸ 1 teaspoon freshground black peppercorns ➸½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves ➸½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Homemade seasonings that are worth the effort

W

Add to marinades for game, fish, pork, lamb or steaks. Makes about ¼ cup.

berries

➸3 whole cloves ➸3 whole bay leaves ➸½ teaspoon

kosher salt

Grind the peppercorns, allspice, cloves, bay leaves and salt in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Seafood Seasoning

➸ 1 tablespoon

ground bay leaves

➸2 ½ teaspoons

celery salt

➸ 1 ½ teaspoons

ground mustard

➸ 1 ½ teaspoons

fresh-ground black peppercorns ➸¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg ➸½ teaspoon ground cloves ➸½ teaspoon ground ginger ➸½ teaspoon paprika ➸½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ➸¼ teaspoon ground mace ➸¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds Combine the herbs and spices.

OLEF / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (RUB) AND IRONRINGPUBLISHING.COM (SPICE MIXES BOOK)

← Texas

Eggs on the Beach They’re not Dr. Seuss’s green eggs

D

BIG GREEN EGG

might let it rest five or 10 minutes to redistribute the juices.”

While most seasoned grillmasters use charcoal grills and smokers, 62 percent of households have a gas grill, according to the HBPA survey.

“People like the convenience and the ease of using gas grills,” Paul says. They heat up quickly and there are no ashes to dispose of. One of his business’s specialties is designing and installing outdoor kitchens, and there are “all sorts of side accessories,” such as power burners big enough to accommodate shrimp boils and fried turkeys. Many outdoor kitchens are designed with both gas and charcoal grills as well as an array of refrigerators, storage, warming drawers and sinks.

“At our house, I have more equipment outside than we do inside,” he says. “I have more space in our outside kitchen than our indoor kitchen. … Even if your outdoor kitchen is near the house, why keep running inside for a pair of tongs, knives and wine glasses?”

Buying a gas grill built from American 304 stainless steel can be important, especially if it will be installed along the coast. They’re more expensive, but the salt air will quickly deteriorate the lesser grade of stainless used in most grills found in big box stores.

A big trend at the HBPA trade show held in March in Atlanta was pizza. “Pizzas really are the big thing happening in grills right now. Companies are doing pizza stones to fit on your current grill (as well as) pizza ovens that run off pellets for 300 bucks, all the way up to a $15,000 Italian pizza oven,” Paul says.

About those pellets.

If you want to check out the new, new thing, consider a pellet grill. While east coast grillmasters are fond of ceramic charcoal-fired grills like the Big Green Egg, pellet grills are more of a west coast phenomenon that’s working its way east, says Paul.

So far, pellets only account for about two percent of the grill market, but several manufacturers at the HBPA show were showing new models this year, and the trade group is predicting a boost in sales.

The grills use food-grade wood pellets as fuel, combining the flavor of wood fire with the ease of use and cleanness of a gas grill.

“I think the pellet grill is probably the easiest of all grilling methods, especially if

ifferent grills have their fans, but there’s no grill with more enthusiastic devotees than the Big Green Egg. Fashioned after Asian kamado cooking vessels, the charcoal-fired ceramic grills go well beyond cooking traditional barbecue, with aficionados claiming the eggs’ 250-to-750-degree temperature range can create any meal that can be made in a traditional oven — and beyond.

The Big Green Egg website is chock full of recipes, blogs, podcasts, videos, how-tos and user forums.

“It’s a cult,” said Wayne Paul, owner of Bay Breeze Patio in Miramar Beach.

On the site, “People will be talking about it on their forum, showing photographs of what they cooked last night. Twenty-four hours a day, if you have a question about something you’re doing on the Egg, there’ll be somebody somewhere in the world to answer your question. It’s on the nutty side, but it’s a great group of people.”

As a way to thank loyal customers, the company has sponsored “EGGtoberfest” at its Atlanta headquarters since 1998 and is now attracting 4,000 participants. Local and regional “EggFests” have sprung up throughout the nation, including one now entering

its fourth year on the Emerald Coast.

The next Eggs on the Beach EggFest, sponsored by local authorized Platinum Big Green Egg dealer Bay Breeze Patio, will be held Sept. 30 at the Seascape Golf, Beach and Tennis Resort in Miramar Beach.

Last year, more than 30 teams fired up their grills to compete for top prizes — while raising more than $28,000 for local charities — and about 650 “tasters” attended. Participants at the family-friendly event are invited to enjoy a bite of what the competitors are cooking. “In a traditional barbecue contest, you’re going to have 30 of the same dish,” explains Kevin Louthian of Bay Breeze Patio. “At an EggFest, you’re going to have 30 different dishes.”

At the 2016 event, competitors cooked up and offered samples of pizzas, bacon-wrapped dates, grilled oysters, tandoori chicken, even mushroom risotto topped with duck confit.

And there are no secret recipes. “All the people that cook here are very kind and stand around telling people what they did and how they did it,” says Paul.

To register a team for the competition, or to purchase tasting tickets, visit eggsonthebeach.com.

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BBQ

By far, the coolest part of the design is the bend in the handles that keeps the business end off the bench when you put the tool down. $29.95, dreamfarm.com/us/ bbq-clongs/

Tools

➸ When you’re ready to wow your friends, toss a 42-ounce Long Bone Tomahawk Steak on the grill. A Cowboy Steak with about a 12-inch bone left in, this cut of beef makes for an impressive presentation and easily serves two … or three. The USDA Prime steak is dry-aged to create a deep, rich flavor. The Steak Source is a third-generation meat purveyor offering a variety of prime cut-to-order beef as well as domestic lamb and pork chops, shipped cold-packed and never frozen. $85.50 plus shipping, thesteaksource.com

➸ When prepping and

presiding over the grill, it’s helpful to have the right turner for the job. For the big stuff, there’s an extraheavy-duty turner with a 5-inch-wide blade and a serrated edge that can be used to section ground meat for hamburgers or chop up cheese steak and onions, not to mention flipping steaks and burgers with ease. But when it comes to removing delicate fish filets off the grill without breakage, you’re well served by using a flexible, perforated server. $13.99 and $8.99, forthchef.com

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➸ Shish kebab is a practical way to cook a meal, if it weren’t for those skewers that are hard to store and unwieldy to use. The flexible Fire Wire makes the job easier. It rolls up, making it easy to marinate a shish kebab after it’s been assembled and place it on the grill. And as a bonus, each wire holds twice as much food as traditional skewers. $9.99, firewiregrilling.com

➸ Vertigo Burger & Fries Chef David Gwinn tells us making patties the same size is important for properly cooking a grill full of hamburgers. This 4½-inch diameter hamburger press creates patties quickly and consistently. The aluminum tool features an adjustable knob that allows home cooks to pick the thickness of their burger patty. $15.99, forthechef.com

➸ Everybody knows the value of a good pair of tongs in the kitchen. Now Dreamfarm has created BBQ Clongs specifically for outdoor barbecues. There’s a lot of function packed in this funky-looking tool: a flat tip to scrape the grill clean, a spike to prick sausages, a sausage skin cutter and waffle heads that make it easy to pick up even the smallest items.

➸ Wire-bristle brushes aren’t the idea way to clean a grill, according to grillmaster Josh Cooper, because the wires can break, stick to the grate and end up in your food. Consider the GrillStone cleaning block, which can be used on hot or cold grates. It’s abrasive, but safe for porcelain enamel, cast iron, stainless steel and steel grates.

Even better, the blocks are non-toxic and ecofriendly and made almost completely of “foamed” recycled glass. $4.95, earthstoneinternational. com/cleaning/grill-stone

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THE STEAK SOURCE, HARO GRILL EQUIPMENT AND FORTHECHEF.COM

And a steak built for two

you want wood flavor, because it’s sort of a ‘set it and forget it’ kind of concept,” says Kevin Louthain, whose love of barbecuing led him to leave the corporate world to join Paul at Bay Breeze Patio. “You hit the temperature that you want it to be and then you just walk away. It regulates its temperature.

Until you change it, it’s going to stay at that temperature.”

A bit boggled by all the information and choices?

Consider visiting barbecue competitions and cook-offs. Participants are often friendly and generous with their advice.

Traditional competitions feature four meats — pork butt, ribs, chicken and brisket — judged by taste, appearance and tenderness, while others feature more fanciful, but all grilled, fare.

Bay Breeze Patio has a variety of operational grills onsite, and there’s usually something cooking about four days a week.

“Part of the mystique of any grill is the confidence to work on it — and we have to show people how it works,” Paul says.

Pretty much any food you can imagine — and a few you’ve never thought of before — can be cooked on a grill, say the experts.

Cooper has made everything from Beef Wellington to cold-smoked lox. Louthian made smoked barbecued pecans. Some of the more exotic things grilled by Paul include cookies, smoked butters, smoked ice cream, even smoked water that can be frozen into cubes and used to chill whiskey.

But the joys of grilling go far beyond just cooking food or showing off one’s prowess to friends.

“I think food, more than anything else, can bring people together,” says Cooper. “I find, whether it’s around the kitchen counter or a barbecue outside, we get back to that human interaction — that social interaction — that we’ve gotten away from. Put your phones down, get off Twitter, get off social media and engage in conversation once again. In today’s society, we don’t do that enough.

“I work in politics. It’s a divisive time right now. Well, when you come to my house for a barbecue, it’s a bipartisan event,” he continues. “There’s people everywhere from all walks of life, and we’re all enjoying the same thing: a good meal and friendly conversation.” EC

Why Settle for a Humbleburger?

SCOTT HOLSTEIN/ROWLAND PUBLISHING FILE PHOTO, AFRICA STUDIO (SALT AND PEPPER) AND ELENA ELISSEEVA (HAMBURGER PATTY) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Four ways to give your patties the star treatment

By DAVID GWYNN

Ground beef was created as a way to employ the trimmings from butchering. It’s perfectly OK to use generic ground beef for tacos, meat sauce, sloppy joes and other preparations where spices and sauces are the focus. But when you’re making a hamburger, the patty is the star attraction. Treat it like a steak by following same guidelines for selecting, preparing and cooking.

2 Like a steak, you want

1 Start with a very good quality beef and cut of meat. The chuck

shoulder is very good due to its natural percentage of meat to fat.

View fat as both flavor and moisturizer. The key is to maintain an 80-20 meat-to-fat ratio with whatever you use. Other delicious cuts to use when creating a blend are brisket, short rib and sirloin.

Grinding fresh is best, but don’t fret if you can’t.

substance, so shoot for nicely formed, thick patties. Do not smash your burgers when forming or cooking. Hand form patties to warm the fat, which helps the meat become a homogenous mixture. This helps the patty stay together when cooking. Six ounces is a good overall weight. Loosely form a patty using a Tupperware or mayonnaise jar lid with a three-quarter to one-inch depth. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to be consistent for cooking reasons.

3

Keep it simple when seasoning. Salt and pepper. Dress it up with a flavorful sauce, but don’t adulterate the meat.

4 Cooking on a charcoal or gas grill

(that has briquettes/coals) adds a smoky element that meat so deserves.

The rendering fats drip on the hot coals and turns into smoke, thus flavoring the meat. A medium-high heat is needed to get a good sear. Too high of a heat can cause flare-ups that will char the exterior without cooking the interior. Once again, do not smash the burger when cooking unless you want a dry patty. Flip once the desired sear/ crust is achieved.

Use an instant-read thermometer to judge interior temperature. I prefer an internal temperature of 135 degrees, which is medium.

Cooking by time can be tricky due to a number of factors, including grill temperature, fat content of the meat and patty size. Cook by temperature, sight and touch.

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12/13/16 10:29 AM

LETTING THE

GOOD TIMES

ROLL BEYOND BOURBON: Jazz, jambalaya and a whole lot of soul

F11PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

by REBECCA PADGETT

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FRAN PARENTE TIM BLACK

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itting hunched on an overturned bucket, Ricco Rideaux used staccato motions to brush inky black paint over a canvas. Lines and strokes resulted in a picture of a skinny trumpet player emitting music into the moonlight.

As I took in the beautiful simplicity of Rideaux’s work, I listened to him tell his story to a customer. He wakes each morning and hauls his artwork to Jackson Square, where he sells jazz artists’ silhouettes on primary-colored backgrounds. He knows his market and makes enough money selling his art to support himself, financially.

Rideaux is a self-taught artist who has found success in his art form.

Like many people in New Orleans, he spends his days making everything out of what could have been nothing. Trial, tribulation and turmoil are deep-seeded in this city’s

history; but each time New Orleans rises, it is more vibrant, more resilient and more alluring than ever.

Rideaux brandished a marker and signed the painting. It’s just one way he leaves his mark on this city, which makes its own mark on every person who visits.

Acing ‘The Stay’ This was certainly not my first trip to New Orleans, but it was my first to appreciate the culture outside of Bourbon Street, which is a culture unto itself. It was also the first time my boyfriend had ventured outside of Bourbon Street. We craved an experience that spoke to the history, the culture and the arts that founded New Orleans. But before we embarked on a wider tour of the city, we partook of a “hand grenade” and strolled the length of Bourbon Street — obligatory acts when one visits the Big Easy.

Our landing place was the Ace

and served in a savory broth. It was, in fact, good for the soul. The cobia — a light-but-filling fish — didn’t disappoint this seafood lover. It was accompanied by broccoli rabe and marinated in lemon, garlic, chives and roasted chicken jus. We capped off the night with a chocolate and peanut butter concoction and a nightcap, called Leaving Through the Window: Irish whiskey, Amaro CioCiaro, Stumptown cold brew, lime and mint.

After dinner, we ascended to the rooftop bar and pool to enjoy an expansive view of the cityscape, which was pinpricked by silver light coming from the buildings all around us. It was easy to imagine bodies swaying in too-tight bars and brass beats filling the empty spaces. Tomorrow, we would embark on our exploration!

Oysters and Carousels At morning’s break, we decided to take in the same view that we had enjoyed the night before, this time with coffee. Stumptown’s coffee gave me a buzz; but to be honest, I was already excited about Seaworthy, an oyster bar on the Ace Hotel campus. Like one of my favorite

NEW ORLEANS

A juxtaposition of swamp and city, tragedy and hope, folklore and futurism, Creole and French, New Orleans provides a wealth of culture and adventure to delve into.

FRAN PARENTE

Hotel, which offered an eclectic and eccentric embrace of art. The lobby is like walking into a hotel from another time: black-and-white checkered floors; dark, wood-paneled walls; and, directly to your right, a beautiful bar with gold accents. Cozy couches and patterned rugs invite visitors to sip a libation or settle in with a coffee from the on-site Stumptown Coffee shop.

The palette for each room is black and white with standout pieces that present color and character, such as ornate oriental rugs, vivid paintings on the closet doors and a more-thanwell-stocked mini bar. Some rooms are even graced with guitars ready for strumming.

We arrived earlier than we had expected, so we took a stroll around the neighborhood, which was lined with trendy boutiques and street cafés. With smells wafting down the street and a few hours until our dinner reservation, we couldn’t resist an appetizer of calamari and, to our fortune, half-price wines. With a trolley passing by and jazz music in the background, it was a nice way to ease into the city before we fully immersed ourselves the next day.

Our dinner was much anticipated, as it was to be at the highly regarded Josephine Estelle inside of the Ace Hotel. The menu at Josephine Estelle is inspired by multiple courses, which are becoming popular at fine restaurants. First, we would enjoy an appetizer, then a pasta dish, then a protein and finally, dessert.

We began with the meatballs, which were hearty and rich in flavor.

Diners who adore cheese would do well to try the bucatini pasta. For those who crave a fancier version of Mama’s chicken soup, try the tortellini filled with roasted chicken

FRAN PARENTE

The Ace Hotel is located in the heart of downtown New Orleans, presenting soul, swank and style, giving a nod to the past and welcoming the future of this city.

The property offers 234 guest rooms, two restaurants, a coffee shop, a bar, a jazz club and partnering retail stores.

writers, Hemingway, I have an affinity for the briny bivalve.

Seaworthy was my kind of place: rustic stone walls, polished black leather upholstery, marbleized table tops, a variety of lighting fixtures, black-and-white photos in mismatched frames and a quaint and intimate courtyard where we were seated. New Orleans does know a thing or two about a good courtyard setting — something most people can appreciate.

Oysters were in order, of course, and a variety from regions of Louisiana and Alabama were EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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WILLIAM RUSH JAGOE V

WILLIAM RUSH JAGOE V

Foodies flock to New Orleans for its commingling of fresh seafood, Creole cuisine and French fancies. Seaworthy is an enclave of 1920’s-inspired design, complete with creative craft cocktails and a swoonworthy raw bar. It is easy to picture the likes of Hemingway or Capote supping here.

beautifully presented. I lifted each shining, supple morsel from its crusted shell and reveled in the varieties of subtle flavors: a tinge of sweet, a wave of briny and an undercurrent of the cold, crisp sea. Paired with Campari and in good company, I could have stayed in the moment in which I took my first bite for much, much longer. But the moment passed, as all moments do — and usually into the next enjoyable experience.

After brunch, we headed into the

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heart of the city, which was only a fiveminute drive from the Ace Hotel.

We strolled along the Mississippi River — a ribbon that connects much of our country as it flows through 10 states — and reflected on its mass.

Then we crossed the trolley tracks to Jackson Square, the pulse of the city.

We meandered, letting our eyes appreciate the talent of the painters and other artists who surrounded the square. This is where we met Ricco.

We listened to tap dancers’ handmade shoes clapping on cobblestone, teenagers collecting dollars for steady beats they percussed on buckets and paint cans, and to a jazzy “second line” passing by in their wedding day parade. We smelled the warmth of horses and gave them a nuzzle before proceeding on. To us, the city was meant to be walked.

Our next stop was at Café Dumond, which is the very best place to sample powder-dusted beignets and rich, earthy chicory coffee. Neither tastes as good anywhere else.

In the French Market, we explored stall upon stall of handmade trinkets

and edible delights. Venturing down side streets is the best way to see historic homes, with their intricate wrought-iron balconies and cheery colors, in this area. My favorite street is Royal, which boasts some of the swankiest dining, shopping and hotels in the city. Brennan’s, Mr. B’s, The Court of Two Sisters and Pere Antoine are must-visits for those who wish to be exposed to a variety of fine cuisines.

With its vast white columns and uniquely French design, the Hotel Monteleone doesn’t go unnoticed; but the real vision is the carousel bar inside, which does, in fact, slowly revolve. The hotel is steeped in history. It was a favorite haunt and source of inspiration for writers Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and more who drank, dined, slept and, of course, wrote there. By writers or others, the hotel is also supposedly one of the most haunted venues in the city.

Tours, whether of the ghost, history or horse-drawn variety, are almost

IRINAK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

essential for first-time visitors to New Orleans, as they will provide a wealth of history and facts about the city.

MURIEL'S JACKSON SQUARE

Gettin’ Down in New Orleans No matter where you choose to dine — and yes, there are plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from — eating foods specific to New Orleans is a must. Some, if not all of the following, must be sampled (which we did): gumbo, jambalaya, Andouille, crawfish etouffee, muffuletta, a po’boy, red beans and

Ricco Rideaux is one of the many artists who sells his artwork in Jackson Square.

He and others preserve the vibrancy, creativity and culture of this city.

rice, oysters, bananas foster and pralines. The food is reason enough to visit New Orleans, as it is often imitated, but never comparable to eating it in its origin city.

Eat like a local and treat your ears to live music — which is even more of a “locals’” activity. My boyfriend is a talented musician, and I am an appreciator of talented musicians. Frenchman Street was the logical choice.

We did as anyone should do on a brisk night with a starry sky: We walked. Amidst the usual street noises, as we approached Frenchman, we heard voices rising, feet shuffling and, the most comforting of all, music played from instruments, not tracks over speakers.

Before even making it inside of a club, our eyes were caught by the strings of lights illuminating an outdoor art gallery. From photography to jewelry to watercolors to books fashioned into lamps, artists of all mediums gathered at 9 p.m. to display their wares. I felt alive with the creativity of the moment — and possibly the wine from dinner. I wanted to buy it all.

I found myself most drawn to a series of works in black and white that featured members of a second line along with dancing skeletons. A man approached to tell us about the art. He then delved into his own past, which I found all the more interesting. In his past life, he trafficked drugs and served time. Now he sells art for an elderly woman who seldom leaves her house, especially after the daylight hours have passed. I studied the skeletons on the canvas and thought about how we all have them in our closets. We all have our pasts. What’s important is what we do with our futures.

With those thoughts running through my mind, we entered Café Negril and joined the throng of bodies swaying, singing and talking close in one another’s ears. Everyone there had come from somewhere, but they were there now or in the jazz club next door. We listened to an AfricanAmerican woman croon, a bass bump and drums create a rhythm. We were in the moment; we created that moment; we were experiencing all that New Orleans is. EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Jackson Square is the center of the city that pulses with life reverberating throughout the cobbled streets.

Walk through the plaza for handmade art, theatrical performances or even to pet the horses.

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Abodes

JUN/JUL 2017

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

INTERIORS

A BOLD NEW BATHROOM

COURTESY AMERICAN STANDARD



The bathroom is often considered the least stylish of rooms, but with statement-making pieces like a Lyndon freestanding tub from DXV, bathrooms are enjoying their moment in the spotlight.

Today, the latest in fixtures clean themselves

by ELIZABETH B. GOLDSMITH

EXTERIORS

Pave It Your Way

|| DIY

Ring Around the Ladder

|| GARDENING

Butterfly Gardening

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abodes ActiClean Self-Cleaning Toilet by American Standard cleans itself with the touch of a button and includes an “easy lift-off,” self-close seat at chair height, which is now the standard in new and remodeled homes. The unit requires four AA batteries and a cleaning cartridge available from Lowe’s and other home supply stores.

Consider a solid white or stone floor in the shower. For the walls, we’ve had square and horizontal subway tile for years, but what if you went vertical or herringbone? A visit to a tile store will reveal the options. ← Paired with Free-standing soaking tub or alcove tub? The whimsical answer depends on space and personal preferwallpaper, the Cade ence.

Most homes have alcove tubs in the main Contempo vanity from Hardware bathroom or kids’ bathroom, but how about a Resources makes free-standing tub for the master bathroom? for a clean, These showpieces make a statement with the contemporary look. added benefit of making the room look bigger because of the free space around it. SICIS has a line of bathtubs covered in Vetrite, which is made up of glass plates and polymer composites of metal and fabric. Their Alba tub recalls royal palaces, with mosaic tile and ancient-style details.

Couple the tub with a shower with a large showerhead and jets of water that spray from the walls. Spray settings go from strong to total relaxation. Magnetic docking allows switching between a hand held shower and Be creative in the shower head. unexpected ways: At the sink or free-standing ➸ Showerheads with tub, faucets make a statement if remote controls they are arched. A simpler, lower ➸ Contemporary design may go better with a pedestal or underdesign vanities — soft, mount sink. Find cabinets that blend seamlessly or unobtrusive, fluid create drama with a strong color. ➸ Waterfall-effect Deeper sink bowls minimalize splashing. Kohler’s faucets or arched faucets Inia Wading Pool sink features a deep basin with a ➸ High-tech, selfglass surface for easy cleaning. Try rectangular or cleaning toilet round sinks rather than conventional ovals. ➸ Strong floating shelves Don’t reserve glamour pieces for the master bathfor storage and to personalize the space room, alone. A teenage daughter may appreciate a jewel-box effect or contemporary “wow” as much as ➸ Hardware that doesn’t her parents. EC weigh down design

L

et your bathroom stand out from the rest. Be on trend with sleek comfort, convenience — and black. Yes, black paint on an accent wall or black frames on mirrors or black marble shower tiles and black-and-white floor tiles. Accent with brass, a light wood vanity, and quartz countertops.

If black is too much, try mixing it with splashes of red or cobalt blue in a predominantly white bathroom. At the 2017 International Builders Show, a slab of swirled, bright blue-and-white quartz was eye-catching — perfect for a small vanity.

The overwhelming fixture favorite is still white, but look for the occasional linen or bone. For a calm appearance, have white or silver walls, driftwoodgray floors in tile or laminate, and wood accents.

Finish the look with gleaming chrome, satin nickel or brushed nickel towel bars, double robe hoods and toilet paper holders.

Tech it up with built-in chargers → Say in the sink area. These can be stangoodbye to dard outlet configurations with both brushes and cleaners with AC outlets and USB ports or GFCI ActiClean varieties or docking drawers with cartridges special hardware that hides cords. that selfclean toilets.

Hate cleaning the toilet? The

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➸ Contrasting colors:

white and black

➸ Large patterned

wallpaper (no tiny florals)

➸ Vanity in coral or other

bright color

➸ Sinks in exciting

shapes and designs

➸ Striking mirrors and

lighting

➸ Unusual color

combinations and graphic design on towels, art and accessories

COURTESY HARDWARE RESOURCES (BOLD WALLPAPER) AND AMERICAN STANDARD (SELF-CLEANING TOILET)

How to add bold to your bathroom

Foundations Settle.

Is yours showing signs?

Repair e c a p S l w ng | Cra li e v e L e t e | Concr ir a p e R n Foundatio

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

The Pointe

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

of Paradise The Best Way to Experience Anything is from the Top

The Pointe, located at the entrance of 30A’s east end, is nothing short of extravagant.

Resting at the center is the more than 61,000-gallon resort-style pool lined with cabanas, a hot tub, a fire pit and amped with modern, upbeat music.

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An open floor plan provides ample room to relax and unwind with friends. Modern décor with beach chic touches are present throughout the condominium.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

I

magine yourself with a tropical drink in hand as a sea breeze cools you from the sunrays you’re basking in by a resort-style pool. The luxury of a plush hotel room awaits you, leaving not a worry in the world. This isn’t a dream — the boutique resort, The Pointe, awaits you at the entrance of Scenic Highway 30A’s swanky east end.

Redefining luxury, The Pointe’s design and layout boasts an exceptional eye for detail with an over 61,000-gallon resort-style pool lined by cabanas, a hot tub and fire pit. There is no lack in luxurious relaxation; watch the game poolside from the La Cava Lounge or ascend to the rooftop sanctuary to catch a sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. Regardless of where you decide to take haven, the modern and chic white and silver color scheme with dashes of natural wood awaken your senses.

The Pointe offers hotel-style rooms along with one-, two- and three-bedroom units with full kitchens featuring countertops constructed from recycled glass bottles, PVC pipe and light bulbs, which make for interesting discussion. Timeless touches like slate grey barn doors dress up the entrances. Some units include sleek fireplaces to cozy up to and private pools for an intimate setting. While there are many unit types to select from, one thing remains constant — a refined, relaxed vibe.

Enhance your stay by taking advantage of the many amenities such as beach service, bicycle service, the Pure fitness center and the on-site restaurant, Big Bad Breakfast.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

Curated for serenity-seeking couples, girlfriend getaways and those who enjoy the finer things in life, The Pointe offers limitless opportunities for larger retreats, events and weddings. Coordinate a private dinner on the rooftop with panoramic views of the ocean or a ceremony on the green with white drapery enveloping your guests, creating your own sanctuary. With the feeling of relaxation taking over, endless amenities for your choosing and the summit of sophisticated style surrounding you, you’ve reached The Pointe.

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EXTERIORS

PAVE IT YOUR WAY Enhance your outdoor living area with paving stones

by JASON DEHART

E

verybody wants to spend more time outdoors these days, and open-air patios are playing a larger role in that trend, especially when the days are longer and warmer. Whether built of treated lumber or slab concrete, patios in general are the perfect place for lounging and entertaining friends and family.

Wood patios and patios made from slab concrete are fine, but if

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you want to do something different, longer-lasting, creative and upscale, try using sectional brick or stone pavers. Paving stones come in a bewildering variety of patterns, colors, shapes, sizes and materials, including brick, concrete and even high-density resin.

You can select traditional cobblestone or brick, or you can go for a more natural look with irregularly shaped flagstones.

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ESSENTIAL TOOLS

➸ S hovel ➸ T ape measure ➸ L evel ➸P ush broom ➸R ake ➸G loves ➸ S afety glasses ➸P late compactor ➸E dging stones ➸ Mallet

➸M ason line

Whatever you choose, you’re getting a versatile and durable product useful for creating a patio, sidewalk or stepping-stone path. Certain types of paving stones or bricks can also be used as building blocks for fire pits and planters. The type, size, shape and color of the stone you select depends on your imagination and taste, but with a little care and skill, you can have an outdoor space that is welcoming and inviting.

Once you decide to use paving stones, keep in mind that the trend today is to go larger rather than smaller. Large stones can make a smaller patio look larger than it really is, and bigger patios with more square footage look nicer with oversized paving stones.

But before you buy the ingredients for that new stone patio, be sure to have a plan in mind. Visualize what you want, where it goes and how elaborate you want it. Identify the area to be paved and measure it. Your project will undoubtedly involve some digging, so check with your utility company to make sure you won’t run afoul of any underground pipes or cables. Next, calculate how many pavers the project will need for the area in question, and order the material. Mark out the boundaries and be sure to consider the slope of the deck to ensure adequate drainage. Dig to the desired depth, install forms or edging, and fill the area with gravel or other course material. Spread the gravel evenly and tamp it down.

Add up to an inch of sand. Use a rake to distribute it evenly and a board to level it. Lay the pavers starting from the edges and work inward. Use a rubber mallet to tap them in place and a hammer and chisel to modify irregular shapes.

Fill the gaps using sand and a push broom. Spray water to settle the sand into the gaps, and repeat until gaps are filled. If uneven settling occurs later, you can always remove individual sections and make adjustments. EC

OZGUR COSKUN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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abodes

RING AROUND THE LADDER DIY: Ladder golf ages 5+

by KIM HARRIS THACKER

Make It! STEP 1: Cut the PVC pipe and nylon rope to the appropriate lengths.

STEP 2: To ensure you’ve cut everything correctly, assemble the ladder and stand before gluing. In a well-ventilated area, glue the ladder pieces together using the PVC bonding adhesive, then glue the stand pieces together. Don’t glue the stand to the ladder, or you won’t be able to store the goal flat. Allow the glue to dry.

STEP 3: Place a golf ball on the

wooden block, and hold it securely with the pliers. Drill completely through the ball and into the block.

Drill all 12 golf balls.

STEP 4: Assemble the bolas: Tie a

knot into one end of a 16” piece of nylon rope. Slip one golf ball onto the rope and slide it down so it touches the knot. Tie another knot against the ball, so the ball is held securely in place. Tie another knot about six inches from the other end of the rope. Slip another golf ball onto the rope and slide it down so it touches the knot. Tie another knot against the ball, so the ball is held securely in place. Repeat to make a total of six bolas: three with Color #1 nylon rope; three with Color #2 nylon rope.

RULES

HOW TO PLAY

➸ Play one-on-one or in teams

of two or three.

➸ Players stand at a designated

distance from the ladder goal; the further the distance, the more challenging the game.(The playing area is called the “pitch.”)

➸ Players take turns tossing a

golf ball bola at the goal, with the intention of wrapping the bola around a ladder rung.

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➸ Scoring: Each rung has a

different point value: Top rung = 3 points Middle rung = 2 points Bottom rung = 1 point

➸ After all bolas have been

thrown, retrieve the bolas and continue play.

➸ The first person (or team)

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT: ❑ 20 total feet of 3/4” PVC pipe, cut to the following lengths: 5 pieces, each 2 feet long; 10 pieces, each 1-foot long. ❑ 6 PVC 90 degree elbows, 3/4” ❑ 6 PVC tees, 3/4” ❑ Small can PVC bonding adhesive ❑ 4 total feet of 1/8” nylon rope in Color #1, cut into 16” lengths (3 pieces) ❑ 4 total feet of 1/8” nylon rope in Color #2, cut into 16” lengths (3 pieces) ❑ 12 solid-core golf balls (avoid liquid-cores) TOOLS NEED FOR THE PROJECT: ❑ PVC pipe cutter or handheld saw ❑ Handheld power drill and 5/32” or 3/16” drill bit ❑ Large pliers that can open to fit around a golf ball to secure it while you drill (like Channellock tongueand-groove pliers) ❑ Wooden block (to place golf balls on while drilling through the balls) ❑ Scissors ❑ Lighter

STEP 5: In a well-ventilated area, use the lighter to seal the ends of the bolas so they don’t fray.

When you’ve finished assembling your ladder goal and gluing it together, it should have two parts: a rectangle with two rungs (the ladder) and a rectangle with no rungs (the stand that will keep the ladder upright). EC

ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES BAKOFSKY

DIY

to reach 11 points wins. As the players’ skill-level grows, increase the point goal.

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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DEAL ESTATE

JUST SOLD

Worth Writing Home About Rosemary Beach residence entices buyer

by REBECCA PADGETT

Turquoise waves fill the scene from every window; the pine floors are the color of sand; the white walls reflect the sun; and a plethora of outdoor porches, verandas and decks invite lounging. The picture-perfect beach home has earned its new owners.

SOLD PRICE: $12.5 million LIST PRICE: $14.5 million ADDRESS: 24 S. Briland Lane, Rosemary Beach SQUARE FEET: 4,520 BEDROOMS: 5 BATHROOMS: 5.5 YEAR BUILT: 1998

APPEAL: “The home is named ‘Beluga,’ after the finest caviar, because this is the ultimate Gulf-front compound on Scenic Highway 30A. It was the first Gulf-front home built in Rosemary Beach, and it provides a panoramic view that spans a 50-mile vista from Destin to Panama City Beach.”

CONTACT: Broker Linda M. Miller, Rosemary Beach Realty, (850) 974-8885, lmiller@ rosemarybeachrealty.com

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COURTESY OF ROSEMARY BEACH REALTY

FEATURES: Gulf-front, 600-square-foot carriage house, Bobby McAlpine design, private entry to secluded courtyard and loggia, hot tub, covered outdoor dining area, five porches, cabana, chef’s kitchen, antique slate roof, pinewood floors, pecky cypress-beamed ceilings, Gulf views from every room.

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JUST LISTED

Lakefront Living

Kelly Plantation home anxiously awaits new family

by REBECCA PADGETT

Away from the bustle of the beach, but still by the water sits this beautiful, family-style home. Tidy landscaping, a welcoming front porch, an expansive backyard and lakefront views await you on the exterior; the spacious interior boasts every conceivable comfort.

LIST PRICE: $675,000 ADDRESS: 222 Mattie’s Way, Destin SQUARE FEET: 3,454 BEDROOMS: 5 BATHROOMS: 3.5 YEAR BUILT: 1999 FEATURES: Very private with 50 feet of separation between property and neighbor; 576-square-foot screened-in porch with hot tub that overlooks the lakefront; spacious backyard; first-floor master bedroom; luxury, first-floor office; music/media room; second floor boasts four bedrooms with walkin closets; walk-in attic storage; Kelly Plantation amenities.

APPEAL: “This is truly a family home with room to spread out and also comfortable spaces to come together.

The lake view is relaxing, and the back porch calls to you for morning coffee and evening sunset dinners. Its location is serene, surrounded by old oaks; yet it’s centrally located, close to shopping, school and dining.”

COURTESY THE LISA SNUGGS REAL ESTATE GROUP

CONTACT: Lisa Snuggs, Broker/Owner of The Lisa Snuggs Real Estate Group, Lisa@LisaSnuggs.com, (850) 830-2331

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“Come to Play.... Stay for Life!”

Thank you to all of my loyal customers. 2016 was my best year ever! I couldn’t have done it without you. Your proven loyalty with repeat business and referrals generates the majority of my business. You know first-hand and can be assured when you refer someone to me they will get the best of the best. My expert knowledge of the area from Destin to Rosemary Beach, South of the Bay and to the Gulf helps me prepare, educate, find and fulfill my customer’s specific needs. Earning the prestigious honor of 2016 SRE-Sandestin Real Estate REALTOR® of the year award is something I’m very proud of. I work with a group of outstanding top producing agents, so being #1 is really an accomplishment.

Whether you’re looking to list, buy or have a referral, please call me!

“I sincerely appreciate your business and look forward to a successful 2017!”

GARY BOWMAN, REALTOR® 2010 & 2016 Agent of the Year SRE • Sandestin Real Estate Sales & Development Mobile: 850.217.8382 Email: GaryBowman@Sandestin.com Website: GarySellsSandestin.com

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SPONSORED REPORT

DEAL ESTATE

SECOND HOME

Nothing in the Way of the Bay

Boat from your backyard at this Choctawhatchee Bay home

by REBECCA PADGETT

This newly listed home presents limitless opportunities to sit on the dock of the bay and watch the tide roll away. Two stories of Spanish-style architecture and top-quality furnishings, along with irresistible views from multiple decks, make this home a catch.

LIST PRICE: $3,500,000​ ADDRESS: 4145 Belcourt Drive, Destin SQUARE FEET: 7,814​ BEDROOMS: 7​ BATHROOMS: 9​ YEAR BUILT: 2010​

APPEAL: “​This home represents the very best of luxury waterfront living! It’s located in The Estate at Indian Pointe, an exclusive and secluded enclave of just 13 home sites located on Choctawhatchee Bay at the mouth of Indian Bayou, just 10 minutes to the beach, dining, shopping and golfing. It is ideal for the boating enthusiast, with easy access to big-game fishing and a deep-water, 70’ boat slip that will accommodate a large vessel with a 6-foot draft.”

CONTACT: Mary Stephens, ResortQuest Real Estate, (850) 974-2709, MaryStephensTeam@gmail.com

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COURTESY RESORTQUEST REAL ESTATE

FEATURES: Grand, two-story foyer; master suite with den, sitting room, two large walkin closets and luxurious bath with walk-in shower and deep, jetted tub; fireplace; theater with stadium seating; formal living room plus family room; stone floors; custom trim and cabinetry; large, open chef’s kitchen; two floors of terraces overlooking the Bay; pool with waterfall and hot tub; screened porch with fireplace, summer kitchen and media cabinet; oversized three-car garage; and dock with 70’ deep-water boat slip.

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4 Bd | 6 Ba | 3,687 Sq Ft | $2,628,800 139 Gulf DunesLane LaneSANTA SANTAROSA ROSA BEACH BEACH 139 Gulf Dunes 6 Bd | 7/5 | 12,167Sq SqFtFt | | $13,000,000 $13,000,000 6 Bd | 7/5 BaBa| 12,167 Offered by Richard Jabbour c: 901.619.6313 | buying30a@gmail.com Offered The HollowayGroup Group The Holloway Offered byby c: 850.830.3943| |jimbo@jbhproperties.com jimbo@jbhproperties.com c: 850.830.3943 New Construction

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74 Royal Fern Way WATERCOLOR Oversized lot close to Camp WaterColor | $489,900 243 KELLY PLANTATION 243Matties MattiesWay Way KELLY PLANTATION 44Bd SqSq Ft Ft | $2,395,000 Bd| |4 4BaBa| 3,863 | 3,863 | $2,395,000 Offered by Dale Stackable c:Offered 850.699.1885 | dale@dalestackable.com The Maurer Team byby The Maurer Team Offered c:c:850.428.2217 850.428.2217| jake@theppg.net | jake@theppg.net

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5 Bd + Bunk | 6/1 Ba | 6,547 Sq Ft | $8,995,000

Unit C-2 | 4 Bd | 3/1 Ba Sq PLANTATION Ft | $699,000 THE BROWNSTONES AT| 3,071 KELLY

Unit C-2 | 4 Bd | 3/1 Ba | 3,071 Sq Ft | $699,000 Offered

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Thirty-One Unit 105 SEAGROVE BEACH 125 CRYSTAL BEACH DRIVE | DESTIN 3 Bd | 3/1 Ba | 2,458 Sq Ft | $2,150,000

Unit E128 | 3 Bd | 2/1 Ba | 1,555 Sq Ft | | $329,000 125 CRYSTAL BEACH DRIVE DESTIN

Unit E128 | 3 Bd | 2/1 Ba | 1,555 Sq Ft | $329,000 Offered

by Tracy Oliver Robbins Sweetland Offered by c: 850.533.9161 oliver@theppg.net c:Offered 850.687.0399 | |tracy@tracysweetland.com Sweetland

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65 Dune Side Lane BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH 4 Bd | 4/1 Ba | 2,729 Sq Ft | $739,000 79 Adair SANTA ROSAROSA BEACH 79 Adair SANTA BEACH

3 Bd 3| Bd 3 Ba| 3 | 3,274 Sq Ft Sq | $1,300,000 Ba | 3,274 Ft | $1,300,000 Offered by Elizabeth Bell c: 240.994.0090 | elizabeth@theppg.net GroupGroup Offered

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278 Red Cedar Way WATERCOLOR THIRTY-ONE | SEAGROVE BEACH

4 Bd | 3/1 Ba | 3,284 Sq Ft | $1,449,000

Unit 301 THIRTY-ONE | 3 Bd | 3/1 Ba | |3,285 Sq Ft | $2,850,000 SEAGROVE BEACH

Unit 301 | 3 Bd | 3/1 Ba | 3,285 Sq Ft | $2,850,000 Offered

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SEACREST BEACH | WATERCOLOR | GRAND BOULEVARD | KELLY PLANTATION

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This advertisement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, to residents of any state or province in which registration and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. This advertisement is not intended to solicit properties currently listed by other real estate brokerages. All advertised square footages should be verified by the buyer. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits of value, if any, of these properties.

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This advertisement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, to residents of any state or province in which registration and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled.

This advertisement is not intended to solicit properties currently listed by other real estate EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM June–July 2017 brokerages. All advertised square footages should be verified by the buyer. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits of value, if any, of these properties.

abodes Your Monthly Garden Chores

BUTTERFLY GARDENING

by AUDREY POST, MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

A landscape full of butterflies is both exhilarating and calming. To attract a variety of butterflies to your garden, you need to plant both larval and nectar plants favored by each kind of butterfly. Nectar plants feed the butterflies that come to your garden, which encourages them to stay and lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch into caterpillars, they munch on the larval plants you have provided.

Be aware that larval plants can look a little ragged as they sustain the caterpillars and prepare them for the chrysalis stage, so don’t despair. And don’t kill the caterpillars if you want to get the butterflies. Here are the favored nectar and larval plants for several butterflies common in the area: ZEBRA LONGWING: The Florida state butterfly is fond of lantana, Spanish needles and verbena as nectar plants. Plant them in part-shade to attract this particular butterfly. Plant larval plants, including passion vines, in part-shade, too.

GULF FRITILLARY: These butterflies are attracted to the same nectar plants as the Zebra Longwing — including lantana, verbena, zinnia and buddleia (butterfly bush) — but the plants need to be in full sun for this butterfly. Larval plants are also the same as those preferred by the Zebra Longwing — particularly passion vines — but again, they must be planted in full sun.

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES: There are many varieties of Swallowtail butterflies, including the Black Swallowtail, Yellow Swallowtail and Tiger Swallowtail. They are attracted to purple coneflowers, roses, zinnias, lantana, dill and fennel for nectar. Larval plants to feed the caterpillars include spicebush, hop tree and fennel.

MONARCH: These majestic migrating butterflies pass through the Emerald Coast area each year, feasting on various types of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias), both as a nectar plant and a larval plant.

Butterflies also need water, preferably in a sheltered place for protection from birds seeking a snack. Instead of an open container of water such as you set out for birds, fill a plant saucer with fine sand and soak it with water. A small rock or large pebble provides a landing spot.

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June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

JUNE

➸ As temperatures rise,

raise the level of your lawnmower to avoid “scalping” your grass by cutting it too short.

➸ Water only if you get less than 1 inch of rain a week, and water slowly and deeply for a longer period of time — 45 minutes to an hour.

Watering for shorter periods doesn't soak the roots and encourages thatch to form. ➸ Continue planting warm-weather vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers and squash, to extend the harvest. ➸ Mulch garden and shrubbery beds to keep soil temperatures lower and retain moisture.

JULY

➸ Pull spent early tomato plants from your garden and compost them. Plant cherry or grape tomato varieties, which can take our summer heat better than larger tomatoes. ➸ Cut back annuals and perennials that have bloomed to encourage bushiness and a new flush of blooms. ➸ Be aware that hanging baskets dry out faster than plants in the ground, so you might need to water twice a day. ➸ Move pots of herbs, such as parsley, dill and cilantro, to a shady site to extend their growing season.

Cool-season perennial and biennial herbs tend to go dormant in the heat of summer, and annuals “bolt” and go to seed.

©2017 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.

JAMES LAURIE (ZEBRA LONGWING), LEENA ROBINSON (GULF FRITILLARY), MIRCEA C (SWALLOWTAIL), PETER WATERS (MONARCH), NATTIKA (EGGPLANT) AND TIM UR (TOMOATOES) / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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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.”

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Stories

Heart from the

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Dr. Westmark

A

After Dr. Edward Westmark’s passing in March 2017, his legacy will continue for years

s the founding pediatrician of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, Dr. Westmark touched the lives of so many premature babies throughout the Gulf Coast but also created the vision that led to the lifesaving facility that exists today. The leaders and staff of Sacred Heart Health System are forever grateful for the contributions Dr. Westmark made to The Children’s Hospital and to the families of Northwest Florida.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Westmark family,” said Susan Davis, president and CEO of Sacred Heart Health System. “Dr. Westmark has left an astounding legacy in our region’s healthcare, from the thousands of sick babies he cared for in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), to the children from lowincome families he served in our Pediatric Care Center, to the next generation of physicians he trained in our pediatric residency

program. His dedication to improving the lives of Northwest Florida’s children and the kindness he bestowed on his colleagues along the way can never be forgotten.”

Dr. Westmark graduated from medical school at the University of Florida and served in private pediatric practices in Jay and Pensacola. Along with Drs. Reed Bell and John Whitcomb, Westmark pioneered the conversion of a former nursing school dormitory into the area’s only hospital dedicated solely to children’s care — a distinction that continues today. This vision became a reality under the administration of the Daughters of Charity. Opened in 1969, the hospital is now known as The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

Dr. Westmark served as the founding medical director for neonatology at The Children’s Hospital, known today as The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. In 1975, he

124 June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM 2 SApril–May ACRED HEART N | FOUNDATION.SACRED-HEART.ORG 2016 FOUNDATIO EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

became the first board-certified neonatologist in Northwest Florida.

“Dr. Westmark made it possible for us to have a first-rate NICU by giving up his practice and studying day and night to pass the first neonatal intensive care boards,” said Sr. Carol Keehan, The Children’s Hospital’s first nursing director who now serves as chief executive officer for Catholic Health Association of the United States. “He spent untold hours improving the quality of care by training physicians and nurses. He was never too busy to help and always treated the parents with incredible gentleness. He had a wonderful sense of humor and appreciated the contribution of every team member.”

In 2015, Dr. Westmark retired from medicine after 52 years of service. In addition to caring for under- and uninsured children at Sacred Heart’s Pediatric Care Center, Dr. Westmark instructed

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

resident physicians through Sacred Heart’s pediatric residency program up until his retirement.

“Dr. Westmark served as a true model for the way medicine should be practiced,” said Dr. Gary Griffin, a retired pediatrician who trained in residency under Dr. Westmark and grew to consider him a mentor and friend. “Dr. Westmark was the kindest Southern gentleman, the father of our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a credit to healthcare and to Sacred Heart.”

A Pensacola native, Dr. Westmark graduated from Pensacola High School and received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University. He spent four years as a pilot and instructor for the U.S. Air Force before attending medical school, and he remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserves for eight years while in medical school and beginning his early practice.

Dr. Westmark was a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and participated in professional organizations such as the Escambia County Medical Society, the Florida Medical Association, the American Medical Association and the Florida Society of Neonatal Perinatologists.

Dr. Jimmy Jones, a retired pediatric surgeon who worked with Dr. Westmark for decades, described him as “quiet, gentle, courteous, caring, knowledgeable and a visionary.”

“Ed Westmark was a quiet, gentle physician who never raised his voice,” Dr. Jones said. “He would listen and then quietly do what was right for his patients and the hospital. Medicine has changed a lot since Ed began, but it is physicians like him who, with tenacity, have made things better for our smallest patients.”

Considered a mentor, friend and teacher and referred to affectionately by his staff as “Uncle Ed,” Dr. Westmark will be greatly missed at Sacred Heart Hospital and by the generations of families he served. As one of The Children’s Hospital’s founders, Dr. Westmark’s portrait is displayed in the hospital lobby, along with Dr. Reed Bell, Dr. John Whitcomb and Sr. Carol Keehan.

Westmark’s death occurred just before the hospital commenced construction on Monday, March 6,

on its new four-story children’s hospital. The forthcoming hospital will be located in front of the existing building and include a pediatric emergency department and trauma center, pediatric-dedicated operating rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit, a pediatric intensive care unit, a pediatric oncology unit, medical beds, a pediatric satellite pharmacy, a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation gym and child playrooms. While our walls are expanding, the central mission of the Children’s Hospital will remain — children are at the heart of everything we do.

“He was an icon,” said Susan Davis, Sacred Heart Health System president and CEO. “Without Dr. Westmark’s vision, enthusiasm and just his creativity, we wouldn’t be building a children’s hospital today.”

“Uncle Ed’s” legacy will be forever felt in our community. We ask that you join Dr. Westmark’s legacy of care for children throughout the Gulf Coast, by making a gift today. Visit SupportSacredHeart.org or call (850) 416-4660.

A message from Carol Carlan In the words of Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further it is by standing on (the) shoulders of giants.” In this issue of “Stories from the Heart,” you will hear the stories of some of our “giants” — Bill Greenhut, Eric and Peg Nickelsen, Dr. Ed Westmark and our Mr. Paul.

Bill Greenhut’s family worked with the Daughters of Charity to help establish what is now known as Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola. Dr. Ed Westmark worked with Drs. Reed Bell and John Whitcomb to open the area’s only hospital dedicated solely to children’s care. Opening in 1969, this hospital is now known as The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. Eric and Peg Nickelsen, through their service to God, family and community, purchased and donated the property for what is now known as Sacred Heart Health System’s Miracle Camp. And, we have individuals like Mr. Paul, a Walmart people-greeter, who enthusiastically shares the miraculous work of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart every day.

At Sacred Heart Foundation, we owe much to those who have gone before us. These kind and gentle giants have passionately furthered the mission of Sacred Heart. All because they cared about others, especially the less fortunate, and they wanted to make our community better.

Carol Carlan President, Sacred Heart Foundation

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM June–July 2017 125 FOUNDATION.SACRED-HEART.ORG | SAC R ED H E ART FO U N DAT IO N 3

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Bill Greenhut

Constructing a Legacy

O

ne thing you might not know about Bill Greenhut is that he has ties with Sacred Heart Health System (SHHS) dating back to 1913! A native Pensacolan, Bill’s family history includes two Greenhuts who served as mayors of the city. And it was one of them, Adolph Greenhut, who led a delegation of 12 community leaders (each contributing $500) to Emmittsburg, Md., to ask the Daughters of Charity to come to Pensacola and establish a hospital. They accepted, and that was the birth of Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola.

Bill took over Greenhut Construction in 1985 from his father, who founded the company in 1946. While his dad had a heart for helping people, he was a workaholic who kept the company going strong 6 1/2 days a week.

“When I took over the business,” Bill says, “I was different in that family came ahead of work and community involvement was a passion away from the office. There is no greater feeling than making a difference in someone’s life.” His dedication to the community is obvious in the lengthy list of organizations he has since served, fostered or supported.

Bill joined Sacred Heart Hospital’s Advisory Board in 1977 primarily because of his appreciation for the neonatal services that helped his son. “But,” he says, “It was the spirit of the Daughters of Charity sisters who inspired me to get more involved. Their dedication to service, to the poor, healing both body and spirit, and courageous faith was awesome.”

Today he credits Susan Davis, CEO of SHHS, with being “not only a great leader but also a courageous visionary.” Sacred Heart has the only dedicated Children’s Hospital from Pensacola to Gainesville, but it was built in the 1960s. A new Children’s Hospital is needed in order to meet a number of more

Connie Greenhut with her three grandchildren.

current standards. “Susan recognized these needs and was able to steer this dream to reality, based on our ability to fund about one-third of the project with philanthropy.”

Bill and his wife Connie, who donate significantly to several worthy, local organizations, recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. They have two sons and three grandchildren. His youngest son, Ryan, is the current president of Greenhut Construction, now celebrating its 70th year in business.

“My wife and I are extremely proud of our children. We know we did our best raising them and get great satisfaction seeing how they have matured and succeeded in life.

“I hope my legacy will be that I was a caring and loving dad and husband, someone proud of his offspring and their families, someone who cared about others, especially those less fortunate, and someone who wanted to make the community better.”

“There is no greater feeling than making a difference in someone’s life.” – BILL GREENHUT

126 June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM 4 SApril–May ACRED HEART DATIO N | FOUNDATION.SACRED-HEART.ORG 2016 FOUN EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Mr. Paul

An Angel Who Lives Among Us

H

ave you ever felt as though you’ve met an angel on earth? A real life angel who is making a difference every day through their words and actions? If you’ve walked through the market entrance of Walmart #3119 at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, you may very well have!

Willy Paul Lowery is a people-greeter at the Pier Park Walmart and is lovingly referred to as “Mr. Paul” by his adoring co-workers. After spending most of his adult life in the Midwest working in the auto industry, he and his late wife, Betty, retired to the state of Florida where they grew up. They settled in the Panama City Beach area and after a few months of “retirement boredom,” they looked for something else to do with their time and asked God to provide an answer. Prayers were answered and Mr. Paul and Betty began fulfilling a dream brought on by an ardor for serving children. Mr. Paul began writing children’s books and eventually published one called “Do You Know Where Sea Turtles Go?” The book was sold at aquariums across the nation and picked up by several large literature retailers. “It was a blessing to us,” said Mr. Paul. However after Betty became ill with cancer, they put their dream on hold so Mr. Paul could care for her. After Betty passed, he began to look for another outlet for his time.

He decided to become a Walmart people-greeter and continue working to help children, but in a different capacity. Mr. Paul now sits with his Children’s Miracle Network Hospital (CMNH) decorated cart at the market entrance of the store, greeting customers and using his own special approach to raise money for CMNH, asking entering customers a simple question: “Can you spare a dollar to help sick children?” He’s been quite successful at this venture, but humbly says he is simply “making a dent in it, saving kids.”

He enjoys listening to people as they share their personal experiences with The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart and attributes his success in raising funds to God. He prays daily for and believes that God blesses his work and fills his donation bowl. “Every day when I turn in the money from my bowl I say, ‘Isn’t God great?’ ” said Mr. Paul. With the support of store manager Jennifer Ross and fellow associates Rotesia Smith and Kelly Wester who champion CMNH, Mr. Paul has helped to raise more than $200,000 for The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in the four years their store has been open.

This labor of love Mr. Paul and store #3119 share for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is heartwarming. Mr. Paul says, “God loves little children and I am here for them, storing up treasures in heaven.” He is helping to change lives one dollar placed in a bowl at a time.

“Every day when I turn in the money from my bowl I say, ‘Isn’t God great?’ ” – MR. PAUL EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM June–July 2017 127 FOUNDATION.SACRED-HEART.ORG | SAC R E D H E ART FO U N DAT IO N 5

Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Join the Fun

& Help Support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at

August 24, 2017

August 26, 2017

Preemie Cup Pre-Party

A Day of Play on the Water

Light Buffet Entertainment Silent Auction

Fishing Tournament Paddleboarding Regatta

Register at PreemieCup.com

Your support helps make miracles.

Meet one of our miracles, Addison!

A

t 2:55 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2010, my daughter, Addison Kline Bell, was born premature with no heartbeat. Everything in that room seemed to stand still at that moment. After three attempts, the nurses were able to revive Addison and quickly whisked her away into the operating room. Since she had no oxygen for an extended period of time, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) doctors at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart decided that it would be best to try the new cooling blanket on her. It was an experimental procedure that had never been attempted at the hospital and we were informed about all possible concerns. But, we knew she was in the best hands possible. Addison’s core body temperature was lowered to 91 degrees and then slowly raised back to normal. She also underwent surgery for a “ping-pong fracture” on her skull, and this procedure was completed successfully as well.

Addison was in the NICU for 14 days. Everyone — from housekeeping staff to the doctors — could not have been nicer to all of us. This was such a traumatic time for our family, and we thank everyone at the NICU from the bottom of our hearts. We hold a special place in our hearts for them. Without their care and expertise, I truly believe that our miracle baby might not be with us today.

– Stephanie Bell of Gulf Breeze

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Stories

Heart from the

SPONSORED REPORT

Eric and Peg Nickelsen The Love Language of Service

E

“It is our strong belief in the ‘love language of service’ — service to God, family and community — that guides us, and it is why the mission of Sacred Heart resonates with us.” – PEG NICKELSEN

ric and Peggy (Peg) Nickelsen have a mission of service to others that is aligned with that of Sacred Heart. “It is our strong belief in the ‘love language of service’ — service to God, family and community — that guides us, and it is why the mission of Sacred Heart resonates with us,” said Peg Nickelsen.

The two “share a very similar heart,” one that marries in their history of faith, positive family influence and where they want to be on their journey of helping people.

Yet a love for humanity and service is not always fulfilled through economic gifts, a belief Peg says that they have tried to instill in their children. “There are many ways to give back other than through financial means,” she says. “When people give of their service and time and energy, they stay more empowered by the love of others. We were in the Waterfront Rescue Mission over Thanksgiving and were so moved by the ability to serve over 350 people.”

Eric points out that Florida statistics show Escambia County is the state’s most impoverished area, which means that there are many opportunities for giving. He and Peg, who primarily focus on the needs of children and education, bought the property for Sacred Heart Health System’s Miracle Camp and donated it.

Eric comes from a sixth-generation Pensacola family. “While we weren’t wealthy, my family was hardworking and very Godbased, very generous, “ he says. “I inherited the feeling from my parents that you’ve got to give forward.”

Having been involved in Sacred Heart’s mission for some 15 years, Eric served as the hospital’s first “lay” chairman of the board, a position previously always filled by a Daughter of Charity. Since the Sisters presented what the hospital’s values were all about, he felt a lot of pressure going forward to ensure the integrity of their mission.

Eric and Peg are strong supporters of the new Children’s Hospital campaign, an $85 million investment that will fulfill a great regional need.

“There’s a lot of disadvantaged children who need really good healthcare, which Sacred Heart now provides,” Eric says, “but is willing to do better by covering markets from Jacksonville to New Orleans, and to be a well-known hospital not only for love and caring, but also for great service and treatment.

“Kids’ medical needs in particular do go unmet in this region.

So many people have to go to Atlanta for service, which will be addressed with this new hospital. That is just huge — we have the ability to save children right here with urgent treatment and to continue carrying on Sacred Heart’s original mission of serving the poor.”

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Heart from the

SP O NSO R ED R E P O RT

Cordova Mall Ball The 22nd Annual Cordova Mall Ball raised more than $458,000 for the The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

Over the next five years, proceeds from this annual event will be used to purchase a new state-of-the-art pediatric CT Scanner for the new Children’s Hospital under construction. The new CT scanner will complete a scan in 2 seconds so that children will no longer have to be sedated for the studies. Interested in helping us provide the best care for all children across the Gulf Coast? Save the date for the 23rd Annual Cordova Mall Ball on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at the Cordova Mall in Pensacola.

UWF Danced for Those Who Can’t More than 300 students at the University of West Florida (UWF) danced for 10 hours at the 5th Annual UWF Dance Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the needs of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Their generosity and enthusiasm helped raise more than $43,000 in support of the children and families in our care!

Publix Campaign Save money and Help Make Miracles for children along the Gulf Coast! The Publix Miracle Coupon campaign will be held from June 10, 2017 through July 1, 2017 at the more than 24 Publix stores from Pensacola to Panama City Beach. During this campaign, customers can purchase $1, $3 and $5 coupons to benefit The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

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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Jodi Ketchersid, J.D., Realtor/Owner

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

JULY 4

Red,White and Baytowne

Enjoy a day of fun in the sun and an evening that lights up the sky at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. This family-friendly Independence Day celebration includes a host of kids’ activities from 6–9 p.m., such as crafts, lawn games and face painting.

Live music will be performed by Donovan Keith & The Funky Feat at the Events Plaza Stage, starting at 7 p.m. The 4th of July Fireworks Celebration, which brings a spectacle of sparkle to the sky above the lagoon, begins at 9:15 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Visit baytownewharf.com for more information.

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

MAY 4–OCT. 5

CONCERTS IN THE VILLAGE

→ Voted as one of the top 10 things to do in Northwest Florida

JUNE 2–5

BILLY BOWLEGS PIRATE FESTIVAL

PHOTO BY KAY PHELAN (SMOKE ON THE COAST), KANSAS PITTS (CONCERTS IN THE VILLAGE), VILLAGE OF BAYTOWNE WHARF (RED, WHITE AND BAYTOWNE), COURTESY EC BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC AND GREATER FORT WALTON BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE / LARRY BEAT (BILLY BOWLEGS)

→ Ahoy, matey! Don your tricorn hat and

plastic cutlass and venture by land or by sea to the Landing in Fort Walton Beach, where you are sure to enjoy a treasure trove of swashbuckling fun. The Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival sets sail on Friday, June 2, with family-friendly activities and the famous pirate skirmish at 7 p.m. From 5–10 p.m., adult festival-goers can pay $20 to enter the “Pirate’s Lair” and enjoy freeflowing drafts and a special edition “Pirate’s Punch.” Come back on Saturday at 11 a.m. for more family fun, including the Billy Bowlegs Beer Tour, which is new this year and will be held from 12–4 p.m. The festival will close on Monday with a pirate parade down Eglin Parkway at 7 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and is free and open to the public. For more information, call (850) 244-8191 or visit billybowlegspiratefestival.com.

by the Florida Travel & Tourism Guide, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s (MKAF) 22nd annual multi-week outdoor concert series features a variety of music for all ages. This year, the series will be extended to 15 concerts that will be held through Oct. 5.

Local and regional touring artists will perform everything from Motown and rhythm-and-blues to disco and rock-’n’-roll during this family-friendly series. This year’s lineup includes Emerald Gold, Flow Tribe, Fountain City Players, Alter Eagles, The Embers featuring Craig Woolard, The Maxx, Tyler Kinchen and the Right Pieces, Triggerproof and The Joe Band. Bring a lawn chair, picnic and wine, or purchase soft drinks and dinner prepared by a featured restaurant or one of the on-site food trucks.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate, which opens at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $15. Foundation members and children (12 and under) are free. A limited number of VIP tables are available to MKAF members for the nine-week concert season for $950 (includes admission, reserved table and seating for up to eight guests). These are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. All proceeds benefit MKAF and its community outreach programs. Call (850) 650-2226 to inquire about membership or to purchase a VIP table.

JULY 3

SMOKE ON THE COAST → This seventh annual BBQ and fireworks festival kicks off the

Independence Day weekend with a bang! This year, 16 area charities will team up with various restaurants and BBQ aficionados and fire up their grills to compete for the best BBQ-inspired dish. Attendees can cast their votes for the coveted People’s Choice title, and the cost is just $1 per sample. In addition to great food, festival-goers also will enjoy live entertainment from local favorites, including Heritage.

Street performers and kids’ activities also will be featured.

The patriotic event begins at 5 p.m. and is capped off with one of the best fireworks extravaganzas on the Emerald Coast.

For more information, follow the event on Facebook or visit DestinCommons.com.

JUNE 21–25

15TH ANNUAL EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC AT SANDESTIN® PRESENTED BY WIND CREEK CASINO & HOTEL — ATMORE, ALABAMA → The ECBC is Northwest Florida’s most successful entry into world-class sport-fishing

tournaments. It remains the richest tournament on the Gulf Coast and attracts major players from across the globe. Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the place to be for two days of exciting weigh-ins as top anglers vie for nearly $2 million in prizes. Enjoy nightly fun with entertainment and activities; Friday night’s activities include fireworks and live music! All of the excitement, combined with Sandestin’s top-shelf amenities, truly makes the ECBC a winning premier event.

Spectator admission is free and open to the public. Weigh-ins will be June 23 and 24 from 4–9 p.m.

Other activities will take place throughout each day. Details are subject to change based on weather.

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TaSTe The modern Side of mexican cuiSine

JUN/JUL 2017

THEATRE THURSDAYS JUNE 1–AUG. 3

Every Thursday during the summer, the Emerald Coast Theatre Company will present Theatre Thursdays in Grand Park. Families will be entertained by a fun, comedic adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play, “The Taming of the Shrew.” Pre-show children’s activities will be provided by Abrakadoodle.

FREE. Grand Park, 495 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. Pre-show children’s activities: 7 pm; show time: 8 pm. (850) 837-3099. grandboulevard.com Shops. FREE. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. 5–7 pm. (850) 837-3077

WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES JUNE–JULY

themarketshops.com

The Village of Baytowne Wharf will tantalize your musical taste buds with musicians of every variety.

FREE. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. 7–9 pm. (850) 267-8117 baytownewharf.com

RED, WHITE AND BLUE HERO CELEBRATION JUNE 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 The Red, White and Blue Celebration will happen every Thursday on the Destin Harbor.

Events will include a celebration of an American hero (including a ceremonial presentation of the colors), a WWII vintage airshow, entertainment by The Village Belles and fireworks over the Destin Harbor at 9 pm. FREE. 10 Harbor Blvd., Destin. 7 pm. emeraldgrande.com/events

THE MARKET SHOPS POP & SHOP COURTESY EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY

JUNE 6 Sip, shop and shimmy to the tunes of local musicians as you “Pop & Shop” the night away at The Market

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

ADSO’S ‘CARNIVAL’ CALENDAR SHOW: ‘JUST SAY IT! THE CALENDAR SHOW’ JUNE 6–23 This show, by members of the Arts and Design Society, will reflect the theme, “Carnival.” Works from the show will be displayed in the ADSO Calendar for 2018. FREE. Art Center, 17 First St. S.E., Fort Walton Beach.

Reception held June 9, 6–8 pm.

Gallery hours: Tues–Fri 12–4 pm, Sat 1–4 pm. (850) 244-1271 artsdesignsociety.org

POWER OF NETWORKING LUNCH JUNE 7 Guests should come prepared to answer one question: “What do you need, or what goal are you looking to achieve, for your business in the coming months?” The program will hinge on this question! $15 for members, $25 for prospective members. 11:30 am–1 pm.

(850) 892-3191 waltonareachamber.com

Details of listings can change at the last minute.

Please call ahead of time to confirm.

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

Sip the finest margarita Savor fresh seafood, enchiladas and more with sauces made from scratch Join us for drinks, dinner, lunch or Sunday brunch

Grand Boulevard

Sandestin 850.654.5649 cantinalaredo.com

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Day Care • Full day or half day • Indoor and outdoor play area • Nap time in a private suite • Constant supervision • A lot of love and new friendships!

The Spa • Full grooming service • Bath/brush & maintenance • Hand Stripping • De-shedding treatment • Hair repair & more!

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST SPECIALTY PET SERVICES/PRODUCTS

Destin’s First Premium Dog Resort!

LOBBY HOURS: M-F 8-6 • Sat 9-4 • Closed Sun/Holidays 4601 Opa-Locka Lane, Destin (behind Back Yard Burgers) (850) 460-7460 • goochiepoochiesparesort.com

calendar

JUN/JUL 2017

GEOCACHING AROUND TOPSAIL HILL STATE PARK JUNE 10 Explore Topsail Hill Preserve State Park with our special 10-station geocache program. Check in at the camp store for your coordinates; because this is a special, in-park program, you will not find all the locations on geocache apps (e.g. geocaching.com). FREE with park entry fee. 7525 W. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. 9 am– 2 pm. (850) 267-8333

RECHARGE

grandboulevard.com

Boat, float or drive in for LuLu’s Annual Anniversary Party with Bands on the Bay Bar. FREE. LuLu’s, 4607 Legendary Marina Dr., Destin. 11 am–7 pm.

(850) 710-5858 lulubuffett.com/destin

30A LEARNING ACADEMY SUMMER THEATER — WHAT IS IMPROV, ANYWAY? If your children have wild imaginations and would like to tap into the creative unknown of their theatrical talents, then this is the camp for them! Your children will have the opportunity to learn great songs, play fun games and participate in hands-on activities. $90. Gulf Place, 7 Town Center Loop #C15, Santa Rosa Beach.

9 am–1 pm. (850) 291-7197

JUNE 16

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JUNE 24

JUNE 11

WINE TASTING AT WILD OLIVES

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

↑ BALLET AT TWILIGHT PRESENTED BY NORTHWEST FLORIDA BALLET

LULU’S BAY BASH

topsailparkfriends.org

30alearningacademy.com

Organic & wildcrafted color services Manicures Pedicures Facials Full body waxing

thefloridapanhandleboatshow.com

Join us for an evening of classical ballet and contemporary dance that will feature Northwest Florida Ballet and international guest artists in Grand Park. FREE. Grand Park, 495 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. 7:30 pm. (850) 837-3099

JUNE 13

HEAL • RESTORE

offered along with hands-on sailing instruction. $10. Panama City Marina, 1 Harrison Ave., Panama City. 10 am. (904) 759-2758

Each week, our chef personally selects three white wines and three red wines for tasting. A gourmet tapas plate is included. $25. Wild Olives, 104 N. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach. 5–7 pm.

(850) 231-0065 wildolivesmarket.info

THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE BOAT SHOW JUNE 16–18 This show at the Panama City Pier and Marina will feature boats, kayaks, paddleboards and more.

Boating safety seminars will be

↑ POETRY OPEN MIC: EMILY PROCTOR & RACHEL NUSSBAUM JUNE 26 Join in at open mic night for poetry and the spoken word, cohosted by local poets Emily Rose Proctor and Rachel Nussbaum.

All will be welcome to read 2–3 original poems (sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm) or you can just come and listen. FREE. 30A SR’s Music & Coffee Shop, 2078 U.S. Hwy. 98 W., Suite 108, Santa Rosa Beach.

6:30–8:30 pm. (850) 213-2882 30asongwriterradio.com/santa-rosabeach-coffee-shop

RED, WHITE & BREWS JUNE 30 Celebrate America’s birthday a night early! This family-friendly gathering offers a variety of the Sunshine State’s finest craft beers, all paired with pub-style food that will wow your taste buds.

There will be live entertainment, corn hole games and many children’s activities available.

Reservations are required. Shark’s Tooth Golf Club, 2003 Wild Heron Way, Panama City Beach.

5:30–8:30 pm. (850) 249-3015

COURTESY A SONGWRITER RADIO

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Furniture and Clothing Consignment Custom Painted and Custom Built Furniture Home Renovations

CONSIGNMENT/ RESALE SHOP

MIRAMAR PLAZA | DESTIN, FL | 850-424-6767 | MON–SAT, 10AM–5PM | LOCATED IN BETWEEN DESTIN & SANDESTIN |

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McNeese

It is your home. It matters.

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JUN/JUL 2017

ADSO WINDOW DISPLAY JULY 1–31 Drive by or stop to see the works of George Brandon, which will be displayed in the studio windows of the Art Center, fronting First Street in Fort Walton Beach. FREE. Art Center, 17 First St., S.E., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-1271 artsdesignsociety.org

INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS Title Company 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Celebrating 14 years on The Emerald Coast McNeese Title offers: Licensed Attorney on Staff Florida and Tennessee

Title Services Closing Services Title Insurance Escrow Services Professional Courier 1031 Exchange Department

Two offices to serve you: DESTIN 36468 Emerald Coast Parkway, Ste. 1201, Destin, FL 32541 P 850.337.4242 | F 850.337.4243 | Toll-free 866.337.4242 SEAGROVE 3291 E. County Hwy 30-A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 P 850.534.4242 | F 850.534.4293 | Toll-free 877.534.4242

McNeeseTitle.com 138

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JULY 4 Fireworks will be released over Santa Rosa Sound, just offshore from Quietwater Beach. The best viewing spots will be from the Portofino Boardwalk or Quietwater Beach.

FREE. Casino Beach, 7 Casino Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 8:30 pm.

(850) 932-1500 visitpensacolabeach.com

JULY 4TH RIVERFEST

without sparkling, vibrant fireworks displays. Start the day off right by shopping and eating with family and friends at Panama City Beach’s Pier Park. Then, when the sun begins to set, head down to the water’s edge and claim a front row seat for a spectacular fireworks show. FREE. Russell-Fields City Pier and MB Miller County Pier. 9 pm.

FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST JULY 7 Attendees will have the opportunity to meet one another and share ideas while enjoying a delicious breakfast. This informative and exciting function is an earlymorning-must for anyone seeking to network with other business owners and professionals. Members: $10; prospective members: $15. E.O Wilson Biophilia Center, 4956 FL-20, Freeport. 7–8:30 am. (850) 892-3191 waltonareachamber.com

JULY 4 Join us for our annual Fourth of July celebration along the beautiful Blackwater River in historic downtown Milton. Enjoy the 16th Annual Firecracker Bike Show, car show, plenty of children’s activities, food, arts and crafts, entertainment, the Great Milltown Duck Race, a veterans salute and fireworks at dark. Downtown Milton, Willing St., Milton. 10 am–approximately 9 pm.

(850) 623-2339 srcchamber.com/live

SERTOMA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION JULY 4 For the 28th year, Sertoma-area organizations will be coordinating and hosting the largest fireworks display on the Gulf Coast over Pensacola Bay. There will be activities from 11 am–6 pm in Seville Square, including a free children’s area with inflatables, pony rides, a rock-climbing wall, a “meet and greet” with characters, face painting and much more! FREE. Seville Square Park, Pensacola. Event begins at 11 am; fireworks at 9 pm. (850) 434-1234

↑ PENSACOLA BEACH AIR SHOW JULY 8 U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron the Blue Angels will perform aerial acrobatics over the Gulf of Mexico during a weekend of high-flying fun. This is an annual, must-see event along the Emerald Coast. FREE. Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach, 20 Casino Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 12 pm and 2 pm. (850) 932-2257

GULF PLACE THIRD THURSDAY WINE WALKABOUT JULY 20

JULY 4

Join us at Gulf Place for the Third Thursday Wine Walkabout.

Check in at 5 pm with the Artists of Gulf Place to receive your complimentary glass and a merchant map. $20. Gulf Place, Town Center Loop, Santa Rosa Beach. 5–7 pm. (850) 267-8458

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Hilton Pensacola Beach Tickets and event information: wsre.org/wineandfood (850) 484-1054 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Emerald Coast Cattle Barons Ball MAR. 3 It was an occasion for boots, tall hats and rhinestone-studded fashions. Five hundred guests sidled up to the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for an evening featuring live music, a live auction and generous support for an organization dedicated to prolonging lives.

The Cattle Barons Ball benefits the American Cancer Society and its research, advocacy, educational and patient-services programs. Ron Adams and the Memphis Echoes Country Music Show supplied the entertainment for an evening that was all about “Guitars, Glitz and Glamour.”

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PHOTOS BY KAY PHELAN AND TYLER SCHRACK

1 Tim Krueger and Jill Cadenhead 2 Lisa and Tom Catherall, Beth and Randy Carroll with Rachael and Black Jones 3 Troy and Christina Craig, Kathie Johnson, Denise Wood, Carmen Farias-Billot and Eric Billot 4 Diana Maldonado, Kay Phelan, Suzy Burchak and Heidi LoCicero

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The Pointe Grand Opening MAR. 8 The Pointe Grand Opening was held to celebrate its mark on the east end of 30A in Inlet Beach. Hosted by ResortQuest, the exclusive rental management company, the party led guests through the entirety of this hotel-style resort to truly experience everything it has to offer. Guests enjoyed an interactive oyster bar on the green, a charcuterie display in one of the units, and dessert accompanied by a three-piece jazz band on the rooftop while watching the sunset over the ocean.

PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI

1 Charles Rigdon, Al Branch, Mark Humphreys, Lino Maldonado and Chris Abbott 2 Brittney Newby, April Sarver, Sarah Ralph, Joyce Serina, Sarah Bailey, Kristen Cagadas, Vanessa Skelton, Melissa Matern and Steve Egli 3 Crowd enjoying the event

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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, FSCAI 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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SOCIAL STUDIES Bay Heart Ball APR. 1 The 2017 Bay Heart Ball united community members, business leaders and medical professionals in support of the American Heart Association’s mission of building healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The elegant fundraiser was held at the newly remodeled Sheraton Bay Point Resort, located on the shores of Bay County’s Grand Lagoon. Proceeds from heart balls across the country are devoted to cardiovascular research, professional and community education and advocacy efforts.

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PHOTOS BY CHASE YAKABOSKI

1 Eroica and Josh Wakstein 2 Mona and Dr. Samir Patel 3 Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Don Davis 4 Dr. Kim and Dr. Robert Bain

South Walton Beaches Food and Wine Festival APR. 27–30 Winemakers, movers and shakers converged on a “place where fun lives” — Grand Boulevard at Sandestin — for the annual South Walton Beaches Food and Wine Festival benefiting the Destin Charity Wine Foundation whose work extends support to children in need in Northwest Florida. Wine and spirits flowed throughout the four-day event, much of it poured by celebrity vintners and distillers ranging from Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey bourbon to Fred Parent of Hendrick’s gin and Fred Massolino of Massolino wines. Event sponsors included Emerald Coast Magazine.

PHOTOS BY MOON CREEK STUDIOS

1 Sarah Ralph, Vanessa Skelton, Jeramie Bates, Dawn Moliterno, Jennifer Frost, Kristen Cagadas and Denise Ingram 2 Kim Brundage 3 Dan and Kerri Parker 4 Lori Smith

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Mount ain Ret reat 30A’S FAVORITE

Located just 25 minutes from Asheville, N.C. and easily accessible from the airport and Interstate 40, Laurel Ridge Country Club remains a preferred seasonal destination for 30A residents. For decades, residents of the Emerald Coast have headed north to experience one of Western North Carolina’s timeless mountain retreats. Offering the region’s premier golf course, first-class dining in a rustic, mountain lodge style clubhouse and full service amenities designed to appeal to the entire family, Laurel Ridge delivers the complete lifestyle experience.

This season, join us for a “Discovery Visit” and experience the magic of Laurel Ridge for yourself.

laurelridgeexperience.com/discovery-visit

Call 828-452-0545 to book your Discovery Visit today.

Laurel Ridge Country Club 49 Cupp Lane | Waynesville, N.C., 28786

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Emerald Coast Top Salon APR. 7 The 2017 Emerald Coast Top Salon competition came to a dramatic conclusion with a transformation celebration in the Emerald Coast Ballroom at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Models representing the leading salons in the region took style turns on the runway, exuding the confidence that comes with discovering your best self.

Top honors went to Avantgarde Salon Spa. The Judges’ Pick award went to Southern Roots Salon & Spa. Pure & Couture Salon emerged as the Fan Favorite, and the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Lisa St. Aubin.

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PHOTOS BY EPIC PHOTO CO.

1 Maggie McCall, Savannah Lewis and Pam Hudson 2 Kristen Laurnet, Bethany Worley and Carly Harmer 3 Jessica Bracken, Amber Dungan and Amy Wright 4 Heather Ruiz, Lisa Ferrick and Hannah Martin 5 Laurie and Mike Kane

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6 John and Laurie Olshefski 7 TOP ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Elliott Simpson, Cortney Cosby, Becca Wheless, Karla Varley and Nick Fury SECOND ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Sarah Peake, Marissa Hodge, Katherine Velez and Hurst Butts BOTTOM RIGHT: Kimberly Hoag

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2017 OFFICIAL BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST BALLOT brought to you by:

THE RULES OK, get your pens ready. But first, please take note of our rules, which are designed to make the contest as fair as possible: • Only ballots printed on original magazine pages will be accepted — no copies (color or black-and-white) or facsimiles of the ballot.

• Ballots must have votes in at least 20 categories.

• All votes must be for locally owned Emerald Coast-area businesses. Locally owned and operated companies are defined by the owner or managing partner living in the Emerald Coast area or within a 30-mile radius of the Emerald Coast.

• No incentives, prizes, goods or services may be offered in exchange for votes.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Appetizer: _______________________________________________________________________________ Asian: _____________________________________________________________________________________ NEW Atmosphere: ___________________________________________________________________ Bagel Shop: _____________________________________________________________________________ Bakery: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bar/Tavern: _____________________________________________________________________________ BBQ: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Beer Selection/Craft Beer: ________________________________________________________ Bloody Mary: ___________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast: ________________________________________________________________________________ Brunch: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Cajun/Creole: __________________________________________________________________________ Chef: _______________________________________________________________________________________ NEW Chicken and Waffles: _______________________________________________________ Chinese: __________________________________________________________________________________ Coffee: ____________________________________________________________________________________ NEW Crab Cakes: _____________________________________________________________________ NEW Crawfish: _________________________________________________________________________ Dessert: __________________________________________________________________________________ Fine Dining: _____________________________________________________________________________ Food Truck/Airstream: _____________________________________________________________ French: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Gourmet/Food Shop/Speciality Food Store: ______________________________ Grouper Sandwich: __________________________________________________________________ Gumbo: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Hamburger: _____________________________________________________________________________ Happy Hour: ___________________________________________________________________________ NEW Healthy Menu Options: ____________________________________________________ Hibachi: __________________________________________________________________________________ Frozen Treat (Ice Cream, Yogurt, Gelato, Snow Cones): ______________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Italian: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Locally Owned Restaurant: ______________________________________________________ NEW Locally Made Product: _____________________________________________________ Margarita: _______________________________________________________________________________ BENEFITING

• Only one ballot per envelope is permitted.

•B usinesses may not require ballots to be turned in to a central location; ballots must be filled out independently and mailed to address listed below.

• All ballots must be mailed directly to the post office box address below: Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors c/o Best of Emerald Coast 316 South Baylen Street Suite 300 Pensacola, FL 32502 • Ballots must be postmarked by June 30, 2017.

• Obvious attempts at ballot stuffing will be disqualified.

•A ny winning business must be in good standing with Rowland Publishing Inc. in order to be promoted as a “Best of Winner.”

Once ballots are counted, all tabulations are final.

Martini: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Mediterranean: ________________________________________________________________________ Mexican/Latin American: _________________________________________________________ NEW Mojito: _____________________________________________________________________________ Onsite Catering: ______________________________________________________________________ Outdoor Bar: ___________________________________________________________________________ Outdoor Dining: _______________________________________________________________________ Oysters: __________________________________________________________________________________ Pizza: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Restaurant in Bay County: ________________________________________________________ Restaurant in Escambia County: _______________________________________________ Restaurant in Okaloosa County: _______________________________________________ Restaurant in Walton County: __________________________________________________ Romantic/Special Occasion Restaurant:____________________________________ Salad: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sandwich Shop: _______________________________________________________________________ Seafood Market: ______________________________________________________________________ Seafood Restaurant: ________________________________________________________________ Sports Bar: ______________________________________________________________________________ Steakhouse: ____________________________________________________________________________ NEW Steamer: _________________________________________________________________________ Sushi: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Thai: _______________________________________________________________________________________ NEW Tuna Dip: _________________________________________________________________________ NEW Wedding Caterer: ____________________________________________________________ Wine List/Wine Bar: _________________________________________________________________ Wings: ____________________________________________________________________________________

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Acupuncture Clinic: _______________________________________________________________ Aesthetician: _________________________________________________________________________ Airport: _________________________________________________________________________________ Architect: ______________________________________________________________________________ Electric Cart/Golf Cart Dealership: _________________________________________ Audio/Visual Provider: ___________________________________________________________ Automobile Dealership: _________________________________________________________ SPONSORED BY

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Auto Repair/Body Shop: _________________________________________________________ Bank: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Boat Sales and Service: __________________________________________________________ Builder/Contractor: _________________________________________________________________ Cardiologist: ____________________________________________________________________________ Car/Limo/Shuttle Service: ________________________________________________________ Carpet Cleaner: _______________________________________________________________________ Charity/Nonprofit: ___________________________________________________________________ Charter Boat/Watersports: ______________________________________________________ Cheerleading/Gymnastics Facility:____________________________________________ Chiropractic Practice: ______________________________________________________________ Commercial Real Estate Group: ________________________________________________ NEW Computer Services/Tech Support:____________________________________ NEW Contractor:______________________________________________________________________ Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice:____________________________________________ Credit Union: ___________________________________________________________________________ Customer Service: ___________________________________________________________________ Dance Studio/Ballet Company: ________________________________________________ Dental Practice: _______________________________________________________________________ Dermatology Practice: _____________________________________________________________ Event Planning Firm: ________________________________________________________________ Event Venue: ___________________________________________________________________________ Eye Doctor Practice: ________________________________________________________________ Family Physician/Practice: _______________________________________________________ Financial Planning/Investment Firm:_________________________________________ Flooring: _________________________________________________________________________________ Florist: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Gym/Health Club/Fitness Center/Studio: _________________________________ Hair Salon: ______________________________________________________________________________ Heating and Air Service: ___________________________________________________________ Holistic/Alternative Health: ______________________________________________________ NEW Home Cleaning: _______________________________________________________________ Homeowner’s Association: _______________________________________________________ Insurance Agency: ___________________________________________________________________ Interior Design Firm: ________________________________________________________________ Landscaping/Lawn Service: _____________________________________________________ Law Firm: ________________________________________________________________________________ Lighting Store: _________________________________________________________________________ Locksmith: ______________________________________________________________________________ Martial Arts/Karate: _________________________________________________________________ Massage Therapist: __________________________________________________________________ Media Provider (Cable, Internet, Phone): ____________________________________ Medical Center/Hospital: _________________________________________________________ Medical Practice: _____________________________________________________________________ Medical Spa: ___________________________________________________________________________ Mortgage Lender: ____________________________________________________________________ Nail Salon: _______________________________________________________________________________ New Business:__________________________________________________________________________ On-site Dry Cleaner: ________________________________________________________________ Oral Health Care Specialty Practice:__________________________________________ Orthodontist Practice: _____________________________________________________________ Orthopedic Surgical Practice: ___________________________________________________ Pediatric Practice: ___________________________________________________________________ Personal Trainer: _____________________________________________________________________ Pharmacy: _______________________________________________________________________________ Photo Booth Company:_____________________________________________________________ Photography: __________________________________________________________________________ Physical Therapy Practice:________________________________________________________

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Plumbing Fixtures/Service: ______________________________________________________ Pool Building/Service Company: ______________________________________________ Printing/Copying Services: _______________________________________________________ Property Management Group:___________________________________________________ Prosthodontics Practice:___________________________________________________________ PR/Advertising Agency: ____________________________________________________________ Real Estate Auction Company: _________________________________________________ Residential Real Estate Group: _________________________________________________ Security/Alarm System: ___________________________________________________________ Spa Services: ___________________________________________________________________________ Specialty Fitness (Pilates, yoga, etc.): _______________________________________ Specialty Pet Services/Products: ______________________________________________ Specialty Surgical Practice: ______________________________________________________ Title Company: ________________________________________________________________________ Tutoring/Learning Center:________________________________________________________ Vacation Rental Company/Service: ___________________________________________ Veterinary Practice: _________________________________________________________________ Videography: ___________________________________________________________________________ Wedding Planner Company: _____________________________________________________ Wedding/Reception Venue: _____________________________________________________ Weight Loss Facility: ________________________________________________________________

SHOPPING

Antiques Shop: ________________________________________________________________________ Beachwear Retailer: _________________________________________________________________ Children’s Clothing Retailer: _____________________________________________________ Consignment/Resale Shop: ______________________________________________________ Eyewear Store: ________________________________________________________________________ Furniture Retailer: ____________________________________________________________________ Gift Shop: ________________________________________________________________________________ Jewelry Store: _________________________________________________________________________ Locally Owned Retailer: ___________________________________________________________ Men’s Accessories: __________________________________________________________________ Men’s Apparel: ________________________________________________________________________ Men’s Shoes: ___________________________________________________________________________ Outdoor Furniture Retailer: ______________________________________________________ Sporting Goods Retailer: __________________________________________________________ Wedding Shop: ________________________________________________________________________ Women’s Accessories: _____________________________________________________________ Women’s Boutique: _________________________________________________________________ Women’s Shoes: ______________________________________________________________________

ENTERTAINMENT

Local Artist/Art Gallery: ___________________________________________________________ Best Place for Kids Birthday Party: ____________________________________________ DJ: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Golf Course: ____________________________________________________________________________ Local Attraction: ______________________________________________________________________ Local Event: ____________________________________________________________________________ Musician/Vocalist/Band: __________________________________________________________ Place for a Date: ______________________________________________________________________ Place to Go Dancing: _______________________________________________________________ Place to Take the Kids: _____________________________________________________________ Place to Watch a Sunset: _________________________________________________________ Radio Personality: ____________________________________________________________________ Resort: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tennis Facility: _________________________________________________________________________

TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR 4 ONLINE EXCLUSIVE CATEGORIES VISIT EMERALDCOASTMAGAZINE.COM/BEST-OF-THE-EMERALD-COAST-2017-BALLOT

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WITH A SMILE THIS BRIGHT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED SHADES.

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STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING ENJOYS A STRONG FOLLOWING ON THE EMERALD COAST 78

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ack in the mid-2000s, the sight of a stand-up paddleboarder gliding her way across Pensacola Bay in the morning sun or navigating Destin Harbor at twilight would have had most people doing a double take. Fast forward a decade or so — particularly one in which there was a recession that drove many to set aside their gas-powered toys for less pricey modes of recreation — and this once-curious pastime is everywhere.

“It has become super, super popular, because everyone can do it,” says Rhys Sharp of Liquid Surf and Sail in Fort Walton Beach. “We tell customers every day, it wouldn’t be so popular if it was hard to do. If you walked into the store, you can paddleboard.”

Stand-up paddleboarding, or “SUP” for short, has its deepest roots in Polynesian culture, but it first gained mainstream popularity in

Hawaii in the late 1990s, when bigwave surf legend Laird Hamilton and others used it to oversee surf classes. Today, people of all ages, backgrounds and physical abilities are using SUP to pursue a wide range of adventures, from backcountry expeditions to tournament fishing to cruising their local bay.

Paddleboards are sleeker, lighter, tougher and even more inflatable than ever before, and they’re also readily available at big-box stores and popular online retailers.

“Everybody’s got one,” says Sharp, who, having worked with Liquid Surf and Sail since it opened in 2005, has witnessed the SUP explosion. “Market saturation is there. … Any place that has a coastline has a paddleboard company.”

Florida’s Emerald Coast is no exception. In fact, it’s home to two major players in the SUP industry: the pioneering YOLO Board, which started in Santa Rosa Beach, and leading innovator BOTE Board, out of Destin.

by KARI C. BARLOW

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

June–July 2017

reeling from an economic downturn, and folks were spending less money on recreation. “This was a very simplistic and minimal way to get out on the water and enjoy what our area offers,” he adds.

After eight years in business, BOTE Board now sells to more than 350 retailers across the country and is known for simple yet groundbreaking advancements in customization.

“The idea is, the board starts off as a bare bones platform, and we make a variety of accessories to outfit your life,” Corey says. “You can pack a cooler on it. You can load it full of gear.

You can fish from it.

It’s essentially a manpowered boat.”

While rugged enough for duck hunting and flyfishing, the boards are also stylish and unique, with vibrant color schemes and wood inlays, and easier to carry than ever before.

“Honestly, it ’s becoming what we wanted it to be when —BOTE Board Cowe first started,” Founder Corey Cooper Corey says. “Paddle with your kids, paddle with your dog. Go fishing, go hunting. … Our theory was this was going to be the platform for your water life.”

The Coopers love hearing about their customers’ adventures and innovations, and like YOLO Board and so many other brands today, they showcase

“Honestly, it’s becoming what we wanted it to be when we first started. Paddle with your kids, paddle with your dog. Go fishing, go hunting. … Our theory was this was going to be the platform for your water life.”

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those stories on their company website. “That’s how you keep something going and moving forward,” Corey says.

BOTE Board, which has a retail shop on Mary Esther Cut-Off in Fort Walton Beach, also holds onwater SUP demos at its main location on U.S. Highway 98 in Destin. “People can come and we’ll have all of our board models out and they can try them,” Corey says. “We joke that it’s almost like fitting a suit to someone.

It’ll put you on the right track from the start. We don’t want you to have a bad experience on a Looking for a board that’s not fit for new place to you.”

SUP and chill?

June–July 2017 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

We asked YOLO Board Founder Jeff Archer and BOTE Board Co-founder Corey Cooper for their best recommendations.

Here’s the list:

Ultimately, for many locals, SUP has become a fun, affordable way to interact with the local environment. “It literally opens up a whole » DESTIN HARBOR new world to you,” A great place to bar hop and enjoy waterfront restaurants says Jason Kelts, a Fort Walton Beach resident » MORRISON SPRINGS in Ponce De Leon and avid paddleboard fisherman. “You can go » APALACHICOLA RIVER (Corey’s pick for a radical places where boats can’t four-day expedition via go. … It’s a therapy paddleboard!) session, honestly. It’s » CESSNA LANDING quiet. You can see oson County Road 393/ preys flying. You don’t Hogtown Bayou have a motor running » CRAB ISLAND behind you.” » Sandestin’s BAYTOWNE Stand-up paddleMARINA BEACH (Jeff’s boarding also offers an pick for awesome YOLO up-close look at maBoard Adventures!) rine life. “We’ve had » GRAYTON BEACH dolphins swim right STATE PARK/ WESTERN LAKE underneath us. We’ve gotten in the middle of » GULF OF MEXICO hundreds of ducks,” says Mark Wise, who tried SUP with his wife Anita about 10 years ago during a vacation in Blue Mountain Beach. Now the Pensacola Beach couple is out on their boards every couple of weeks in Santa Rosa Sound.

“We just love the leisureliness of the paddling,” Wise says. “You can go as slow or as fast as you want.” EC

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➸ They eat insect larvae, worms and other small organisms found in sand. Sturgeon feed only in saltwater during the winter after the first nine months of life. ➸ Sturgeon swim more than 100 miles upriver in spring. Females deposit more than 200,000 eggs on gravel. Their eggs are sticky, sink to the bottom, and adhere in clumps to snags, outcroppings, or other clean surfaces. Juvenile Gulf sturgeon stay in the river for about the first two to three years. Gulf sturgeon return to their natal stream to spawn. ➸ Alligators and sharks are predators. Fish eat many eggs, larvae and baby sturgeon.

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It’s a tough-looking, ugly fish from the dawn of time. Diamond-shaped armor plating runs the length of its body. Fleshy barbels, used to detect food, dangle in front of its siphon-like mouth. Its tail sweeps back like the blade of a scimitar. It can grow up to 9 feet in length and weigh upwards of 200 pounds.

It’s adaptable to cold and warm water, and moves easily between fresh and salt water. In modern times, it exists as 25 species. The Gulf sturgeon is the southernmost, and it’s found a happy home in the rivers of the Emerald Coast.

According to Frank Parauka, retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who studied sturgeon for many years, there are anywhere from several hundred to 4,000 Gulf sturgeon in our neck of the Panhandle. There are about 1,200 in the Apalachicola River, 3,300 in the Choctawhatchee River, between 1,100 and 1,200 in the Yellow River, and between 400 and 500 in the Blackwater and Escambia rivers. There’s also a small population of about 100 in the Ochlockonee River, Parauka said. These numbers pale in comparison to the 10,000 or more in the Suwannee River. ››

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Sturgeon survived the dinosaurs and live in waterways near you

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Gulf Sturgeon Facts

➸ Sturgeon are a primitive fish characterized by bony plates, or “scutes,” and an extended snout. They have a “heterocercal” caudal tail that is asymmetrical; that is, the upper lobe longer than the lower. Adults range from 4-8 feet and females grow larger than males. The lifespan of Gulf sturgeon is between 20 and 42 years.

To report sturgeon strikes, call the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

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dams blocked them from spawning sites. Other culprits such as pollution and loss of habitat haven’t been very good for the fish, either. But the life cycle of the species doesn’t do them any favors either, Parauka said. It has to do with their longevity. They can live up to 30 or 40 years, and females don’t mature until they are 15 years old, generally speaking.

“You’re looking at a fish that matures late, and she will lay eggs at around 15 years and may not lay again for three or more years,” he said. “So when you say the population is increasing, you see that it takes a long time to see any noticeable increase because you are looking at fish that spawn only periodically. It doesn’t help itself, let’s put it that way.”

Even though it’s illegal to intentionally harvest them, they do get hooked by accident once in a while.

This can happen mostly in the winter, when the fish are out in the Gulf foraging and feeding.

“Well, I just heard of an incident over in Pensacola Bay where a person was trolling with a lure and happened to snag one because they happened to be in the bays and inland waters this time of year,” Parauka said. “Fish have been snagged by trotlines, and now we have had incidents where smaller fish have been caught by hook and line. These fish, during the first year of life, are actively feeding in rivers, and we’ve had people catch them with bait — incidental catches.”

But back before there was a law against it, people used to freely fish for sturgeon in an almost ritualistic method, humorously coined, the “Chattahoochee Sleigh Ride.” Years ago, before the Jim Woodruff dam was built across the Apalachicola River, sturgeon would migrate into the Flint and Chattahoochee river systems. But when the dam was built, it blocked that migration and the fish congregated in one spot.

“The fish would gather below the dam, and folks would go out there and snag them,” Parauka explained. “This was a process where a person would get in an inner tube, snag a fish, and the fish would pull them around until (they tired) and they were able

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to carry them out to the shore. This was called the Chattahoochee Sleigh Ride in the early 1960s.”

Parauka advises caution when dealing with a hooked sturgeon. He’s had to capture a few for tagging and research in his day. As the “sleigh ride” nickname suggests, they are very strong and he said they can certainly put up a tussle. Once in the boat or on shore, their very anatomy warrants care and attention.

“It’s an armor-plated fish, and with all the plating on them you have to watch out,” he said. “We’ll get them on the boat, and they will thrash and you can get injured, especially on a larger fish. But once we put them in the tank, they are docile. We tag them and don’t have a problem.”

“You’re looking at So, what have we learned a fish that matures from studying these fish? late, and she will A great deal that can help us protect them. For exlay eggs at around ample, spawning areas and 15 years and may migration patterns have not lay again for been well documented, as well as the specific places three or more they congregate during the years. So when you summer. say the population “To identify these areas is important, and the is increasing, you spawning areas are imporsee that it takes tant,” Parauka said. “That a long time to see way, if there is any kind (of development), we can any noticeable protect these areas and be increase because aware that these are imyou are looking at portant sites.”

Tagging and other studfish that spawn ies show us that sturgeon only periodically. It will come down from the doesn’t help itself, Choctawhatchee River into Destin and swim east let’s put it that to Shell Island and Tynway.” — Frank Parauka, dall. Or, they’ll go west retired U.S. Fish and to Perdido and Orange Wildlife Service biologist Beach, Parauka said. They tend not to go too far or too deep into the Gulf, but prefer to stay within a few hundred yards to a mile offshore. Usually they’ll stay where the feeding is best and generally will come back to the same river to spawn.

“They have a really strong homing tendency and will come back just about every year,” he said.

“Certainly, this is a unique animal. We’ve caught them up to 200 pounds in the Apalachicola River, and nine feet in length. That’s a big fish. You don’t see a whole lot of fish that are over 100 pounds.” EC

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2017 Emerald Coast Top Salon

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Models Light Up The Stage The atmosphere was electric as the sold out 2017 Emerald Coast Top Salon event supercharged the Emerald Ballroom at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa on April 7.

The 14 salons from all along the Emerald Coast transformed their models, representing a variety of walks of life, into showstopping, runway-walking, confidence-exuding women. The physical transformations unveiled at the event were dramatic, and the models displayed plenty of spunk and sass as they took their runway turns.

“I think it’s safe to say that the model transformations left the audience speechless,” said Heather Ruiz, marketing manager for Destin Commons. “The makeovers made some of the women hard to recognize from their former selves, and the new clothing made each of them shine on the runway with self-confidence.”

Leading up to the big reveal, the models were provided with transformational services, courtesy of generous event sponsors including coaching from the amazing Marsha Doll, dental evaluations and teeth whitening were provided by 30A Smiles, fashions by Destin Commons, jewelry from Shimmering Seas, personalized fitness programs at Blueprint Health Studio, ZT Motors, Epic Photo Co. and $10,000 worth of cutting shears to the winning salon were donated by Hattori Hanzo Shears.

Among all the fanfare and excitement on display, there were awards to be presented. The accolades began as Lisa St. Aubin was honored with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. Pure & Couture Salon and model Joanna Davis took home the award as Fan Favorite. Southern Roots Salon & Spa and model Amber Dobbs were honored with the Judges’ Pick award. That left only one award to present: the 2017 Top Salon. Taking home the honor was Avantgarde Salon Spa and model Holly Garrido. “After winning the past three consecutive years, it’s become a competition with ourselves,” owner Joseph Rogers said. “We are always wanting to be better, our best. It’s a true collaboration for us, we always form a team of stylists to give us the best possible outcome, and I think that is clear after our four wins.”

The night was one of pure joy as the best salons on the coast celebrated their creativity, enhanced lives and expressed compassion toward local charities. This year, the fundraising continued with Hair That Cares week, concluding in a total of $33,216.55 raised for 14 local charities.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION SPECIAL PROMOTION

1. Models strut the stage a final time. 2. Guests got glittered up with glitter lipstick by Traveling Chic. 3. The awards kicked off as Lisa St. Aubin was honored with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award by emcee McKenzie Lohbeck and Jeniffer Ward, owner of The Posh Daisy Salon Spa. 4. Avantgarde Salon celebrates their fourth consecutive win with their model Holly Garrido. 5. (left to right) McKenzie Lohbeck with Melody Ghostley the 2016 Top Salon winner, Pamela Hudson the 2016 Top Salon Runner Up, Dayna Iscano the 2015 Top Salon winner and Trey Griffith the 2014 Top Salon winner

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All fashions provided by Destin Commons.

All jewelry provided by Shimmering Seas.

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

Models Before & After

AS YOU LIKE IT SALON AND SPA

LA RENAISSANCE SALON

MODEL: Karen Owens CHARITY: Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Emerald Coast

MODEL: Rebecca Steele CHARITY: Special Olympics of Florida

LUX SOLIS AVEDA SALON & SPA

PROJECT: STYLE SALON

SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA

MODEL: Kristan Williamson CHARITY: Santa Rosa Kids House

MODEL: Angela Olson CHARITY: Beach Care Services

MODEL: Kenesshia Scott CHARITY: Warrior Beach Retreat

SPA LALA DAY SPA & SALON

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THE CUTTING ROOM SALON AND SPA

THE KAT HOUSE HAIR STUDIO

MODEL: Layla Korn CHARITY: Special Operations Wounded Warriors

MODEL: Mallory Griffin CHARITY: Fisher House

MODEL: Erin Wainwright CHARITY: Heroes on the Water

THE POSH DAISY

TRAVELING CHIC

VOLUME ONE SALON

MODEL: Heather McGee CHARITY: Fresh Start

MODEL: Chelsea Barnette CHARITY: Connecting Kids Inc.

MODEL: Tasha Bronson CHARITY: The ARC Gateway

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TOP SALON WINNERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

PRESENTED BY

WINNER

Avantgarde Salon Spa

PHOTOS BY

MODEL: Holly Garrido CHARITY: Others of Destin Inc.

FAN FAVORITE

JUDGE’S FAVORITE

Pure & Couture Salon

Southern Roots Salon and Spa

MODEL: Joanna Davis CHARITY: Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation

MODEL: Amber Dobbs CHARITY: Beds4Kids

Chase Yakaboski SPONSORS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Lisa St. Aubin

FAN FAVORITE

Jewelry & Gifts

2017 TOP SALON WINNER

JUDGE’S FAVORITE

CELEBRITY JUDGES (Fomt left to right) Niki Walker-Kennedy, Scott Taylor, Stephanie Borras, Marsha Doll

Johnny C. Traveling Chic B-Boy Productions Sunshine Shuttle EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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postscript

IT’S NOT ROCKET SURGERY

THE ETERNAL OPTIMIST I

n the river behind my parents’ Daytona Beach home, there’s an artificial reef made entirely of blueberry pancakes.

My father always got up early on Sunday mornings and got busy in the kitchen. By the time my three brothers and I stumbled downstairs, the giant stack of pancakes had already been layered. Holding his spatula like a scepter, he would proclaim, “The world is like a mirror reflecting what you do — when you smile at it, it smiles right back at you.”

Seriously. He said it every time.

Dad making blueberry pancakes was as regular as the sunrise, and over the years I’ve come to understand the importance of the ritual, even if the actual pancakes were tough to choke down. I never had the heart to tell my dad I didn’t like his pancakes, because he got such a thrill making them. So I always slipped out and fed the fish.

Everything I know about optimism I got from Dad. He’s a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. Over the first 90-plus years of his life, the team never won a World Series, but each spring he was convinced that this was going to be the year. There never was a February when I didn’t hear, “I really like this team. I have a good feeling about this year.” His baseball heart was broken summer after summer, but by the next spring he was always 9 years old again and full of hope.

Recently, he was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room with a bleeding ulcer. When I finally was able to talk to him hours after his surgery, I nervously asked how he was feeling. “Great,” was his response, because “great” is always his response. If he had a railroad spike in his head, he would say, “Look, son, I’ve got another place to hang my shirts.” His life glass is always half-full.

Optimism was just one layer of the real lesson my father taught me. The real lesson was that being a good father was job one. Everything else in

by GARY YORDON

life fell in line after that. You would need a calculator to compute the number of parenting mistakes I’ve made, so I think we can eliminate “World’s Best Dad” from any of my future T-shirts, but I’m pretty comfortable knowing my dad’s most valuable lesson was learned. Nothing is more important to me than my boys, and it fills my heart to know they know that.

I’ve never met Steve Hart, but I’d like to. I saw on Facebook how he drove across town on a Tuesday morning to pick up Darius, his 5-year-old boy, from school.

He made the trip because a tractor was going to be digging a big hole in their backyard for a pool, and he didn’t want his son to miss the big dig. For a 5-year-old boy, a tractor digging a hole is as good as it gets. Steve wasn’t going to make the evening news, but it was a pretty cool dad move.

In 1894, on a green field in Tallahassee, David Hanselman’s great-grandfather shot a deer with his Marlin rifle. Last fall, on a green field in Tallahassee, David’s son, Trevor, shot his first deer with his great-greatgrandfather’s Marlin rifle. David understood the importance of sewing together the fabric of time and knew that one day Trevor would understand the depth of what his father had done. Connecting his son with his great-great-grandfather was a pretty cool dad thing to do.

I’ve come to understand that being a great dad isn’t about doing great things, but a collection of a thousand good ones, like making sure a tractor digging a hole isn’t missed or dusting off an old rifle.

Or maybe just waking up early to make blueberry pancakes. EC

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

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PHOTO COURTESY GARY YORDON AND ILLUSTRATION BY SABELSKAYA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

An unflappable father inspires his son

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