Key Life Fall 2024

STYLE KEYLIFE

THE BARRIER ISLANDS’ COMMUNITY, NATURE, PEOPLE

GRAB A SEAT

The St. Regis promises a new level of luxury for Longboat Key.

Nowhere but here.

From awe-inspiring beaches and captivating sunsets to vibrant world-class arts and abundant recreational activities, a luxurious lifestyle awaits on the picturesque Suncoast. For nearly 50 years, independently owned Michael Saunders & Company has been dedicated to the local real estate market, connecting with customers around the world to consistently deliver exceptional results. We are proud to be the name trusted by buyers and sellers from near and far.

Bird Key | A4601285 | $8,300,000 Barbara May | 404-822-9264

Siesta Key | A4616199 | $4,400,000 Rudy Dudon | 941-234-3991

Siesta Key | A4617570 | $2,450,000 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717

Siesta Key | A4603317 | $1,800,000 Mickey Kiernan | 941-402-9115

Siesta Key | A4586498 | $4,890,000 Jonathan Abrams | 941-232-2868

Casey Key | A4598712 | $3,725,000 Nicole Dovgopolyi | 941-356-5849

Siesta Key | A4592295 | $2,295,000 Mel & Jan Goldsmith | 941-356-6673

Longboat Key | A4609780 | $1,695,000 Douglas Parks | 941-400-9087

Longboat Key | A4599566 | $4,500,000 Robert Delaney | 941-315-3185

Key | A4590859 | $2,495,000 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717

Siesta Key | A4602092 | $2,199,000 Carol Thomas | 941-302-8157

Siesta Key | A4599994 | $1,525,000 Maurice Menager & Linn Dunn | 941-238-8119

Siesta

FALL 2024

FEATURES

POWER BROKER

When it comes to defending causes, Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has made it his pastime.

STRONG CAPTAINS

The family at the helm of Cannons Marina keep it strong after 68 years.

74

CENTER OF ATTENTION

St. Armands Circle promises plenty to do for locals and tourists alike.

Photo by Lori Sax

Lucie Capo-Miller is one-half of the team that keeps the legacy of Cannons Marina on Longboat Key alive and thriving.

34 DEPARTMENTS

20 FROM THE EDITOR

25 HOT TOPICS

Ed Chiles remains involved after the sale of his three iconic island eateries, St. Regis opens a new wealth of possibilities for Longboat Key and a decision looms for the Longboat Pass bridge’s replacement.

40 KEY PEOPLE

With his Whiteleaf Private Concert Club, Barry Weisblatt is ready to rock — and he’s looking for others to join the party.

44

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Children of all ages can experience hands-on science learning thanks to the Faulhaber Fab Lab.

48 CALENDAR

The holidays will be here before you know it, and so will all the annual events to help you celebrate.

54 STYLE

What to bring the hostess of your next party? Here are some fabulous finds guaranteed to make a good impression.

85 OASIS

This Florida cottage brings the past into a modern take on beach living.

92 ART AND ABOUT

The arts scene has plenty going on in the coming months. Here are a few of our favorites.

94 BEHIND THE MENU

The executive chef at Ophelia’s on the Bay explores his culinary curiosity.

President and Publisher Emily Walsh

EDITORIAL

Executive Editor and COO — Kat Wingert Managing Editor — Su Byron Design — Melissa Leduc and Nicole Thompson

Contributors

Marty Fugate, Nancy Guth, Mark Gordon, Elizabeth King, Robert Plunket, Lori Sax, Eric Snider and Carter Weinhofer

ADVERTISING

Chief Revenue Officer — Jill Raleigh Advertising Managers — Kathleen O’Hara, Penny Nowicki and Lori Ruth

Advertising Executives — Richeal Bair, Lexi Huelsman, Jennifer Kane, Honesty Mantkowski, Lori Mierendorf, Toni Perren, Laura Ritter and Brenda White

CREATIVE SERVICES

Director of Creative Services — Caleb Stanton Creative Services Administrator — Marjorie Holloway

Graphic Designers — Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin and Shawna Polana

CONTACT KEY LIFE

To submit story ideas or calendar listings, contact Kat Wingert at KWingert@YourObserver.com. For advertising inquiries, call 941-366-3468.

TIME FOR A COMEBACK

Spoiler alert: The picture above is the only hurricanerelated image you’ll see in this issue. It’s not because we don’t care, or we’re oblivious. We have all felt the impacts of the three storms we experienced this year. It has more to do with the long-term planning magazines require. Instead of planning in spans of days or weeks, a magazine’s life cycle is in months.

So, our planning for this issue occurred in August, well before we knew anything about Debby, or Helene or Milton. In fact, most of our stories were due by mid-September, before the last two of our hurricane-season hat-trick hit.

On the other side of those storms, after taking in the devastation, we knew some of things we wrote about for this issue had changed.

Namely, a feature we had written about St. Armands Circle and all the fun things to do there — before the majority of it faced feet of storm surge from Helene.

But what to do? Should we kill the feature? Rewrite it? Leave it as is? We know when this magazine comes out, some of these businesses will remain closed, and the Circle still might be recovering.

We had many questions to which no one has the answers. So we went with what we do know: That whenever these businesses do reopen, they will need patrons to support them. Based on that certainty, we decided to leave everything in the magazine as planned.

So, as you read the following stories, please keep in mind

the caveat that some of the businesses, places and events may have changed.

But even since making that decision, we have been enthused with stories of resilience that have defied our most optimistic expectations.

One example: After being flooded with about four feet of storm surge during Hurricane Helene, Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle was in for a complete rehaul. Rumors online swirled that the restaurant was closing for good — say sayonara to the 1905 salad and sangria in Sarasota.

But on Oct. 26, exactly a month after Helene, Columbia reopened, welcoming guests back to enjoy all the food and service that has made it one of the longest-running restaurants in Florida.

Scenes like this were happening all along the coast. Each is a little victory worth celebrating, whether it’s the reopening of a favorite restaurant or the clearing of a debris pile. As we look around, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But, knowing our community, recovery is not an “if” but a “when.”

Some may say it was naive to leave our stories as they were reported before the storm. We see it more as a matter of faith. It will take time, but we’ll be back. Together.

We never doubted it for a second.

Kat Wingert Executive Editor

Courtesy image

St. Armands Key received feet of storm surge from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, only to be blasted by Hurricane Milton two weeks later.

BRILLIANCE

HOT TOPICS

TIMELY PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS

The St. Regis experience comes packed with surprises. PAGE 30

‘Far from retired’

Ed Chiles recently sold his popular Manatee County restaurants and has been spending some time outside the area: with family in Montana and on businesses in Tennessee — including cannabis bars. But his heart, and passion for sustainability, remains on Anna Maria Island.

BY ELIZABETH KING | CONTRIBUTOR

Ayear and a half ago, entrepreneur and Anna Maria Island resident Ed Chiles says he knew he was ready to let go of his three waterfront restaurants in Manatee County. Selling the properties, while a strategic move, would represent a seismic transfer of ownership of three well-known eateries that had catered to both tourists and locals for years.

A sale came together by the end of July. The buyer, Beachside Hospitality Group of St. Petersburg, acquired the Sandbar on Anna Maria for $16.4 million; Beach House in Bradenton Beach for $9.6 million; and Mar Vista on Longboat Key for $5.4 million.

Yet Chiles, 69, says he’s “far from

retired.” He is still opening restaurants outside Florida and is looking to expand the organic farm he owns in Parrish, as well as working on other projects focused on sustainability. He also owns commercial real estate on Anna Maria and Longboat Key.

Chiles says after 45 years in the waterfront restaurant business, it was time to move on; he bought the Sandbar in 1979 with partners, including his late father, former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles. He acquired Mar Vista in 1989 and Beach House in 1993.

While Chiles says he could have stayed at the helm of the restaurants because he loved it, the idea of “one storm” or “one pandemic” on the horizon was in his mind — something that

Continued on Page 28

Courtesy photo

Ed Chiles has been in the restaurant business for more than 40 years.

Continued from Page 26

“could really diminish what I had built up and what our team had built up.” (Chiles spoke with Key Life magazine in September, a few weeks before Hurricanes Helene and Milton.)

The three restaurants were amid best-ever revenue years so far in 2024 — another motivation to sell. “Our numbers had never been better, top line and bottom line,” Chiles says. “So you know, that felt like a good time to go out.”

People had been watching their spending in the last quarter of 2023, but then “business, all of a sudden roared back” in 2024, Chiles says.

From January to July, his restaurants experienced record growth. “It all clicked, and it all really came together,” he says. The culture and menus were the best they had been, he says, and diners were coming in droves.

He asked himself what was to be gained by staying another 15 years. “My health is good, and I have a new grandson, and the restaurants are all operating at the top,” Chiles says. His grandson is 2.5 years old and lives in Montana, where Chiles spends part of the summer.

And Chiles, who has been in the restaurant industry since his first exposure washing dishes at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach in 1978, says he is not quite getting out of the kitchen.

“I’m still in the restaurant business in a big way,” Chiles says. One way is in Buds and Brews, a multilocation Tennessee cannabis bar. He is a partner in two Buds and Brews locations in Nashville and one in Chattanooga, with a fourth one opening soon in Memphis. He is also a limited partner and investor in Poppo’s Taqueria, a fast-casual concept with four locations in Manatee County and one in St. Petersburg. And, outside restaurants, but not too far, Chiles is a partner in California-based Lola Wines and Sarasota mushroom business Petrichor. (He notes he does not have any operational responsibility in the restaurants he owns.)

“So it’s far from retired,” Chiles says. “It’s not being 100% owner of three waterfront restaurants anymore, not being out there on the edge and being a little bit more nimble now. It’s going to allow me to cast my net in differ-

ent ways that I wasn’t able to do on the projects that I’m really concerned about.”

SUSTAINABLE PURSUITS

With the waterfront restaurants off his list of worries, Chiles has turned his focus to promoting sustainability, both through his farm and nonprofit work.

“We’re living on the edge of the largest gulf in the world,” Chiles says. “We have a responsibility living here to be stewards of this land and take care of it.”

When he owned the trio of waterfront restaurants, he supplied them with produce from Gamble Creek Farms, the working farm he owns in Parrish, and the establishments engaged in composting. Gamble Creek Farms also provides goods for other restaurants and community members through its on-site farm market. Its bestsellers are microgreens, leafy greens, herbs and squashes.

Chiles’ vision is to expand the 26-acre farm in northeast Manatee County into a nearby 18 acres he owns off Rye Road. He is working on securing a space in Sarasota that will enable him to “pick, pack and ship” goods from the farm around the country.

He also is a partner in Tanasi, a Tennessee-based company that sells hemp-related products. His involvement in Tennessee projects comes because his business partner has ties there, Chiles says.

O utside of his businesses, he says the top two organizations he is involved with are the Gulf Shellfish Institute and Blue Community Consortium. He is the vice president of the shellfish institute, dedicated to expanding shellfish production through research and outreach. The Blue Community Consortium, which Chiles co-founded, helps protect, restore and enhance coastal and marine environments.

His greatest accomplishments, he says, are his daughters, who are 35 and 37.

Chiles believes his legacy is in creating “great experiences for people” and teaching them about sustainability. Says Chiles, who spent childhood summers on Anna Maria before moving there as an adult: “I worked on trying to preserve the Florida that I grew up in.”

Courtesy photos

Ed Chiles, third from right, plans to continue operating Gamble Creek Farms in northeast Manatee County.

Ed Chiles bought the Sandbar in 1979 with a few business partners.

Premier Property

After a decade of twists and turns, the St. Regis Longboat Key introduces a different level of luxury for the island — with a nod to the noted property that preceded it.

BY CARTER WEINHOFER | CONTRIBUTOR

Champagne at the press of a button. A stingray feeding experience. Suites as high as $15,000 per night. Seven dining experiences to transport guests through unique culinary delights.

L ongboat Key’s town motto is: “Premier Community, Exceptional Service.”

That might be true. But the addition

of the St. Regis Longboat Key brings that to a different level.

“We think of ourselves as a premier community,” Town Manager Howard Tipton says. “This takes that up a notch.”

From the intricate custom mural hanging above the reception bar to the 20,000-square-foot spa and the two resident Aldabra giant tortoises, attendees were in awe when the resort held its unveiling ceremony Aug. 16.

The event was a celebration for the new 168-room hotel and resort that included key players such as General Manager Winfred Van Workum, Unicorp National Developments President Chuck Whittall and members of the Klauber family, who operated The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort — the famed property that previously occupied the spot, on the south end of Longboat. While the Klaubers represent the past of the property, Whittall is a symbol of what’s next, guiding the project through multiple phases and obstacles.

“It’s always a little like a surreal moment that you’ve worked so long

Continued on Page 32

The St. Regis Longboat Key opened in August during a big celebration of the long-anticipated resort.

Photos by Lori Sax

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to this point and it’s suddenly there,” Van Workum says, looking back on the unveiling. “It’s a moment of a lot of gratitude to see something special like this … It feels like the ending, but it’s actually the beginning.”

RICH HISTORY

Long before the St. Regis Longboat Key opened its doors, The Colony opened its own, in 1954.

At first, the resort had more of an emphasis on golf, equipped with a nine-hole pitch and putting green. It shifted focus to tennis about a decade later.

Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber’s story at The Colony began in 1968, when he and his family moved to Longboat. He bought The Colony in 1972 with the goal of making it the first tennis-centric resort in the United States. Over the decades it was open, The Colony earned accolades like being named the No. 1 tennis resort in the U.S. by Tennis magazine for several years.

Trouble began in 2004, though, when property owners at The Colony rejected three assessments within a two-year span. Board members audited The Colony and stopped paying operational expenses in 2006, which led to a saga of legal battles that closed The Colony in 2010.

From there, the abandoned resort fell into disrepair. Until Unicorp stepped in.

Whittall had a vision to turn what was once The Colony into a new destination resort. It took years of legal battles for Whittall to gain ownership of all the properties that owners had clenched since The Colony closed.

“Because of all the individual owners that were involved with the different units, it really took someone with a strong vision and the fortitude to see it through,” Tipton says. “It’s remarkable, and the community is so fortunate to have had Unicorp to come in and be the developer of this project.”

Continued from Page 30 opposition.

After Unicorp gained ownership of the property, the obstacles weren’t over. The plans went through a rigorous process with the town of Longboat Key, which included many departures and approvals. Namely, a last-minute parking garage pitch stirred up local

For us, we’re really positioning this resort as a glamorous sanctuary. We truly believe it’s one of the best beaches in the country. All the locals know this, they know how special it is here.

GENERAL MANAGER WINFRED VAN WORKUM

was shaping in a way that would make it a better fit for the community,” Tipton says.

A NEW LEGACY

The Colony’s deep-rooted history on the island won’t soon be forgotten by the locals — nor St. Regis management.

“Everyone is very passionate about being a part of something special,” says Van Workum. “The Klaubers said there’s ‘something in the sand.’ That hospitality, it still lives here.”

When asking local Longboaters about The Colony, many will reminisce about “Murf” or nights at The Monkey Bar. The St. Regis Longboat Key understood the power of these memories.

In many ways, the resort is paying homage to The Colony. The Monkey Bar has been resurrected as a beach bar, which also serves a “Murf and Turf” hot dog. As is St. Regis tradition to name suites after local influential women, the St. Regis Longboat Key has a Mable Ringling Suite and a Katherine Klauber Suite, the latter named after Murf’s daughter, who was also The Colony’s general manager. The Katherine Klauber Suite starts at $8,000 per night.

Though there are many ways The Colony remains alive within the St. Regis, Van Workum says he and his staff are dedicated to creating a new legacy on Longboat Key. It’s working: After a month of being in a soft-opening phase, Van Workum says the St. Regis Longboat Key already had some of the highest guest survey scores across Marriott, St. Regis’ parent company.

“We’re different from The Colony, we want to be our own legacy, our own icon,” Van Workum says. “I think we’re blending that in a nice way to honor that history.”

Van Workum also stresses that while there is an emphasis on creating a magical experience for guests, the resort wants to be like a “living room” for the local community, where people can gather and celebrate.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

The St. Regis Longboat Key boasts multiple unique features, including:

n Seven dining options, including the pillar C.W. Prime, which serves highend steak and seafood options. The steakhouse also has a private spirit room with a speakeasy feel, where guests can press a secret button for an exclusive cocktail.

n A 350,000-gallon outdoor saltwater lagoon home to about 50 stingrays and 2,800 tropical fish. Guests can enjoy unique underwater experiences like snorkeling among the fish and feeding the stingrays.

n Poolside butler service gets guests cocktail refills at the push of a button

n In the middle of the resort is the Winding River, a water feature that takes guests on a floating adventure around the middle of the resort in about seven minutes.

n Nightly turndown service and butlers trained to anticipate the needs of guests.

In the end, Unicorp and Whittall remained focused on the vision, and did so alongside the town’s leadership.

“The town commission, in many ways working with the developer, helped shape the final product, and I think it

“We really want to be a part of the community,” Van Workum says. “I think one thing I’ve been amazed with from day one is all of the memories and history The Colony has for locals. That’s exactly what we want to be for the community.”

n The 20,000-squarefoot spa leans heavily on the theme of the “healing powers of water,” with designed relaxation circuits. In one of the circuit areas, a snow shower gives guests the chance to experience snowfall in Florida.

n Two resident Aldabra giant tortoises named Rose and Jack. When fully grown, Jack will weigh about 500 pounds.

Game of Bridge

Transportation

officials are studying options for a new bridge on the north end of Longboat Key.

BY CARTER WEINHOFER CONTRIBUTOR

Longboat Key only has two entrances by road — and both are drawbridges. The future of one is up for debate.

To the north, the Longboat Pass Bridge has been determined “functionally obsolete” by the Florida Department of Transportation. Built in 1957, the bridge has slim pedestrian lanes and aging materials.

FDOT held public workshops in March to present three options to rebuild the bridge. Debate among commissioners, community members and the FDOT ensued in the following months.

The three options included two bascule, or drawbridge, options — a low-level bascule at 23 feet high and a mid-level bascule at 36 feet high. The third option was a high fixed-span bridge, which was proposed as 78 feet high. This would be a bridge tied for the fifth-tallest bridge in Florida.

The lowest build alternative is expected to cost between $147 million

Continued on Page 36

Key Life analyzed eight other bridges in the Sarasota-Manatee area as a comparison to the three options for Longboat.

BLACKBURN POINT SWING BRIDGE

Year constructed: Built in 1925, rehabbed in 1995

Location: Blackburn Point Road over the Intracoastal Waterway

Height/vertical clearance: 9 feet

Horizontal clearance: 51 feet

Length: 142 feet

Span: 142 feet

Lanes: 1

Fun fact: Was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

CIRCUS BRIDGE VENICE

Year constructed: 2005 (bridge there before was named the South Bridge)

Location: U.S. 41 and the Intracoastal Waterway

Height/vertical clearance: 25 feet

Length: 90 feet

Span: 1,169 feet

Lanes: 4

Fun fact: Bridge was chosen by the Florida Department of Transportation for the 2005 Best in Construction of Major Bridge Award, according to Southland Holdings, the parent company of Johnson Bros., which built it.

CORTEZ BRIDGE

Year constructed: 1956

Location: From Cortez in Manatee County to Bradenton Beach

Height/vertical clearance: 17.5 feet

Length: 2,616 feet

Span: 133 feet

Lanes: 2

Fun fact: FDOT has approved construction of a replacement bridge.

NEW PASS BRIDGE

Year constructed: Originally built in 1929, last reconstructed in 1986

Location: From south Longboat Key to Lido Shores

Height/Vertical clearance: 23 feet

Length: 964 feet

Span: 117 feet

Lanes: 2

Fun Fact: An unofficial history of the area around the bridge has it that the New Pass was discovered by Sarasota pioneer Willam Whitaker, who, after a hurricane in 1848 saw a spot cut out and is believed to have said, “look, there’s a new pass,” according to the New Pass Grill & Bait Shop.

Courtesy marinas.com

Courtesy marinas.com

Observer file photo

Observer file photo

J.L. Bainbridge’s Growth Benchmark: A Year of Success and Future Vision

JL Bainbridge has experienced a remarkable year of growth, with notable success attributed to investments in the equity markets. While not all areas of the Bainbridge growth portfolio have performed well, a measurable portion of the allocation is benefiting from ongoing trends in AI and energy. Secular trends for Artificial Intelligence and global electrification continue to be thematic for the investment committee.

The JL Bainbridge Team will continue to monitor market trends and companies that have strong performance and consistent earnings growth, and we will strive to adhere to our long-time company investment principles. Client retention, client referrals and the conversion of prospects to new clients as well as the growth portfolio have all contributed to reaching a milestone of having $1 billion in assets under management (as of June 30,2024).

GUIDING INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES

At JL Bainbridge, our investment principles for the growth portfolio remain steadfast:

• Invest in Great Businesses: We prioritize investing in exceptional businesses managed by outstanding leaders.

• Focus on Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns: We emphasize businesses with strong cash flow that can pay dividends or repurchase shares, signaling judgment strength and long-term potential growth.

• Aim for Double-Digit Returns: Our analysis targets companies with potential 18-month returns in double-digits. Returns are never guaranteed.

• Stay Fully Invested: We advocate staying fully invested in growth assets to harness the power of compounding and avoid market timing attempts.

• Maintain Cash Assets: Holding sufficient cash provides stability

during market volatility and prevents panic selling. We remain committed to delivering value and personalized service to our clients.

As we continue to grow, we

look forward to supporting you in reaching your financial objectives while upholding the values that have guided us for over four decades.

COMMITTED TO PERSONALIZED SERVICE

As we expand, JL Bainbridge remains steadfast in delivering

the personalized, boutique experience that has defined our firm for over 43 years. Located in the heart of downtown Sarasota, we are committed to helping you meet your financial goals with tailored advice and dedicated service. Over the years, many of our clients have grown alongside us, and we take pride in fostering long-term relationships and nurturing the growth of your financial portfolio.

This past year has been a notable success for JL Bainbridge. We are proud of our achievements and remain committed to providing exceptional value and personalized service to our clients. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue supporting you in achieving your financial objectives, while upholding the core values that have guided us for more than four decades.

Continued from Page 34

and $158 million. When building a little higher with the mid-level bridge, the cost would be around $153 million to $165 million. Finally, the fixed-span alternative would be the cheapest option at around $93.3 million, since it eliminates the drawbridge feature.

FDOT could also choose to make repairs to the existing bridge, which happened in 2005 and 2020. FDOT covers the cost, in either building or rehabbing, leading Longboaters to focus on the height options.

Residents from the Northgate condominium complex to the west of where the new bridge would be built raised concerns about the fact that any new bridge alternatives would land about 36.5 feet away from the condos.

Another factor made clear by residents and town commissioners: The high fixed-span bridge would not fit the community character of Longboat Key.

Further conversations with FDOT and community groups led the Longboat Key town commission to recommend the mid-level bridge, and FDOT worked with the town to find ways to slightly cut the width of the bridge to give the Northgate complex more space. As of early October, the project is under study; a decision is expected in late 2025.

SIESTA DRIVE BRIDGE

Year constructed: 1972

Location: From north Siesta Key to Sarasota

Height/vertical clearance: 21 feet

Length: 1,278 feet

Span: 139 feet

Lanes: 2

Fun fact: The first bridge to be built in that area, connecting the Key to the mainland, was constructed in 1917, according to Sarasota History Alive.

STICKNEY POINT BRIDGE

Year constructed: 1968

Location: From south Siesta Key to Sarasota (Gulf Gate area)

Height/vertical clearance: 18 feet

Length: 567.6 feet

Span: 116.5 feet (maximum span)

Lanes: four

Fun fact: Underwent an improvement project earlier this year that, according to the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, is designed to “extend the bridge’s service life and operational reliability.”

VENICE AVENUE BRIDGE

Year constructed: Originally built 1966, reconstructed 2004

Location: Venice Avenue over Intracoastal Waterway

Height/vertical clearance: 30 feet

Horizontal clearance: 90 feet

Length: 1,169 feet

Span: 145 feet

Lanes: 2

Fun fact: 13,200 vehicles travel the bridge a day, with 4% truck traffic.

JOHN RINGLING CAUSEWAY

Year constructed: Current iteration of bridge opened in 2003; other versions, including a drawbridge, opened in 1926 and 1958

Location: Goes over Sarasota Bay and connects downtown Sarasota with Bird Key, Lido Key and St. Armands Circle

Height/vertical clearance: 65 feet

Horizontal clearance: 100 feet

Length: 3,097 feet

Span: 184 to 300 feet

Lanes: 4

Fun fact: More than 2,400 people participated in 5K and 10K runs in August 2003 to celebrate the causeway bridge opening — after more than a decade of contentious debate about its size.

Additional reporting by Mark Gordon

HIGH TIDES

THE HEART OF COMMUNITY ON THE KEYS

This family foundation has hands-on science learning at its heart. PAGE 44

The Music Man: Barry Weisblatt

Regrets? Barry Weisblatt has had a few. Like not getting a photo with Paul McCartney when he had a chance. But the Siesta Key resident, with live music as the backdrop, has mostly lived a charmed life.

BY ERIC SNIDER | CONTRIBUTOR

Barry Weisblatt is banking on the notion that there are 275 people in the greater Sarasota market who will pay $5,750 to $8,750 to attend three private concerts a year.

Perhaps concerts is not the best way to put it. Upscale music experiences better describes what Weisblatt’s Whiteleaf Private Concerts promises to deliver.

“They’ll be like a parties,” he says, “way more than buying two tickets and

going to a show.”

The program works like this: Each Whiteleaf club member and a guest can attend a three-show season featuring big-name headliners (think Sheryl Crow, Blues Traveler, Train, although no acts have been confirmed), as well as partake in a catered pre-show cocktail party. In certain instances, meet-andgreets with the acts will be available.

During an interview in mid-August, Weisblatt says he was closing in on enough memberships to begin booking acts for a season that will hopefully

begin in “winter ’24-’25.” He has several venues in mind, all of them small and intimate.

Weisblatt, 60, who has lived on Siesta Key for five years, has been producing upscale private and corporate events for decades. But he started out in the trenches, booking B.B. King and other blues acts for a cutthroat agency in New York City. He’s been an agent, a manager (he discovered Joan Osborne), promoter and more.

Continued on Page 42

Photos by Lori Sax

Barry Weisblatt has lived on Siesta Key for five years.

Everyone should have something to smile about, especially during the holiday season. Tidewell Foundation funds a variety of programs that brighten the lives of patients and their families in the care of Tidewell Hospice. We are committed to supporting compassionate full life care for all

Continued from Page 40

Weisblatt grew up in Walden, New York, 75 miles north of Manhattan, and lived what he calls a “very idyllic childhood.” He played football, basketball and baseball in high school. At age 16, Barry was at a house party when he heard a live Eric Clapton blues tune. He became an instant blues fanatic.

While a student at University of Massachusetts, Weisblatt followed and befriended regional bands. He went to work at his father’s elevator and dumbwaiter business in Manhattan, and started booking acts on the side. Weisblatt landed a job in the mailroom at Associated Booking Corp., and from there worked his way up through the entertainment business. In 2002, he formed his own company, Whiteleaf Entertainment Group, producing mostly private events.

After moving from Westchester County, New York to Siesta Key with his wife and son, Weisblatt quickly noticed Sarasota had an elevated arts scene but could rarely draw touring pop acts at any level. That’s because the vast majority play venues north of the Skyway Bridge. He recognized a vacuum. His first idea was to establish an independent music hall of 750-1,000 seats, but “quite frankly, I haven’t been able to find the real estate,” he says.

In February, Weisblatt launched Whiteleaf Private Concerts, which he modeled after a club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He feels that Sarasota/Manatee’s population is more than affluent enough to support his concept.

Weisblatt also presents a series of open-to-the-public concerts at McCurdy’s Comedy Club.

Here are some of Weisblatt’s thoughts, reminiscences and insights about his life and career.

When I was in the eighth grade, I developed a love of disco and R&B through my two best friends, who were African-American twin brothers. We ended up hosting parties in my basement. We charged the boys to get in, and the girls got in for free. So in the eighth grade, I was basically a concert promoter.

I started booking gigs on my own in Manhattan for a band called Curtis

T & the Kick. I was booking them for $100 and making a $10 commission. But that $10 commission was the greatest money I’ve ever made in my life.

I was working in the mail room at Associated Booking Corporation in New York, the proverbial start in the business, and after three months the owner of the agency says, ‘Come here, kid.’ So I followed him down the hallway. He takes me into the office of an agent who had just quit, and says, ‘There’s your phone, there’s your Rolodex. I need half a dozen B.B. King dates booked immediately.’”

At Associated Booking, there was a lot of passive aggressiveness and a lot of shouting and a lot of screaming and a lot of name-calling and a lot of belittling. It’s probably not the greatest example, but I always felt like it was going to boot camp. I stayed a year and a half. I had to get out of there.

You have to learn how to hear, “No,” and keep moving. That’s a critical skill for anybody, at any age, in any industry.

The highlight of my career would have to be hiring Paul McCartney to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. I was in the room when he and my client, who is a billionaire, had their moment together. I just listened. I wasn’t star-struck, but I definitely knew that I was standing at the foot of greatness — and history.

My greatest regret in my career is that, as much as I wanted to ask for a photo with [McCartney], I didn’t. I didn’t want to be unprofessional. And I realized what a huge mistake that was because he was taking photos with everybody. Stage hands were calling him over — “hey Paul” — and he’d stop by for a quick photo bomb.

I shook John Mellencamp’s hand, and I don’t know how to explain this, but I am telling you — a bolt of lightning went from my hand right up my arm as soon as he and I gripped hands. I’ve never felt anything like that before or since. But I’m telling you, that happened. It was an electric charge. Some artists are just not of this planet.

I’ve worked with [the magician] David Blaine probably a half dozen times. It’s always kind of the same format when you hire him. He’ll come to a cocktail party or a dinner party and literally just wander around the room and do his hand magic right in front of you. These parties are filled with incredibly intelligent, high-networth individuals. And David Blaine is capable of turning them into babbling 12-year-olds in moments.

The thought of getting in my car, fighting traffic, traveling to St. Pete, Clearwater or Tampa to see a show, looking for parking, then having to be concerned about maybe having an adult beverage or two — it just doesn’t work.

Barry Weisblatt is working to launch his private concert series, Whiteleaf Private Concerts, within the next year.

As a manager in New York City, Barry Weisblatt discovered Joan Osborne.

INSTITUTE

A hub for research, medical education and innovation, the Institute will nurture next-generation clinicians and attract top physicians from around the world. It will ensure SMH remains at the forefront of medical excellence.

Community support is the lifeblood of the Institute.

Learn

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Spotlight on Science

The Faulhaber Family Foundation — founded by a Casey Key couple — seeks to help local students fall in love with science through hands-on experiences.

BY BETH LUBERECKI | CONTRIBUTOR

When Ping Faulhaber and her late husband, Fritz Faulhaber, looked around the community, they found so many worthy causes to support. But Dr. Fritz, as he was affectionately called, with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, saw the benefits of concentrating their efforts on a narrower focus. “Because otherwise, we’re spread out so thin that we feel like we’re not really making as much of an impact,” she says.

The couple started the Faulhaber Family Foundation, and then the Casey Key residents quickly settled on the area of science education. It was a natural fit for the two engineers — and a cause they were passionate about.

“It’s really what’s making society go forward, right?” says Faulhaber. “And there are just not enough science-related charities in the community, for whatever reasons.”

They started off by donating to area science centers and related organizations. But then they took things a step further. The couple knew not only how important science is to the world but also how fun it could be. And they were well aware of the statistics and research that showed the need for more students to enter STEM fields.

So they founded the Science Lending Library to give local students the opportunity for hands-on experiences that would hopefully encourage them to explore science-related careers.

“The way we’re teaching our students, we’re very much textbook focused,”

Continued on Page 46

Photo by Lori Sax

Ping Faulhaber has lived on Casey Key for more than 20 years.

Continued from Page 44

says Faulhaber. “And it’s really hard to really comprehend [certain things] without actual hands-on experience.”

Through the Science Lending Library, teachers across the Pinellas, Hillsborough and Sarasota County school districts could borrow experiential learning science kits to use with their students. “We wanted to make it very convenient for the teachers,” says Faulhaber, who has lived on Casey Key for more than 20 years. “There was no cost to the teachers, and then we provided delivery and pickup.”

The program was successful, but the couple wanted to do more.

After learning about the Fab Lab at MIT, a digital fabrication workshop allowing students to turn their ideas into actual prototypes and products, the Faulhabers wanted to bring that concept to the Sarasota community.

They started out with a space at the former G.Wiz science museum in Sarasota, funding the needed equipment like 3D printers and laser cutters plus the staff required to educate users. “Right away, the community just really just reacted,” says Faulhaber.

When G.Wiz closed, they didn’t want to give up on the concept. They kept the staff on the payroll and bought back the machines they had donated. Sarasota County Schools saw the benefits of having a facility like this near its Suncoast Polytechnical High School and offered the Faulhaber Fab Lab a nearby building from which to operate.

“So then we started for the second time,” says Faulhaber. “My husband was very persistent; he said we need to have this. And he convinced me to become executive director for the program.”

She’s been in that role for the past 10 years, running the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab that’s supported by the Faulhaber Family Foundation (as well as many other private donors and foundations, including Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and the Selby Foundation). The Science Lending Library still operates from there, but now just focuses on Sarasota County. Community residents can become members of the Fab Lab to gain access to its more than 30 pieces of high-tech equipment, and the

The way we’re teaching our students, we’re very much textbook focused. And it’s really hard to really comprehend [certain things] without actual hands-on experience.”

PING FAULHABER, FAULHABER FAMILY FOUNDATION CO-FOUNDER

site offers a number of programs to inspire future scientists and innovators.

High school volunteers run many of the programs, serving as near-peer mentors for younger students. “We give them space, and we give them the freedom for them to create different programs,” says Faulhaber, who has two young adult children. “They really have the opportunity to learn, to build their confidence and to use their creativity.” High schoolers gain both technical knowledge and soft skills that will serve them well in their careers.

The Faulhaber Family Foundation, which has assets of about $4 million according to public tax filings, also

supports the community in other ways. Faulhaber serves on the boards of Ringling College of Art and Design and Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which gives her insight on local needs in areas like the arts and human services.

She’s grateful that she and her late husband found themselves in a position to be able to help the community. (Fritz Faulhaber’s companies, in Clearwater and Germany, in total had more than 1,000 employees.) “My husband always said, when we leave this place, we want this place to be better than when we came here,” she says. “I think he really has done that, and I’m just continuing doing what was his vision.”

Students work on building a remote-controlled monster truck for the annual rally at the Fab Lab.

File photo

FALL 2024

Editor’s note: Some events may have been impacted by the hurricanes. Check before you go.

NOVEMBER

1

COQUINA BEACH MARKET

The new Coquina Beach Market is year-round at South Coquina Beach, 1800 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

n Visit CoquinaBeachMarket.org.

FOOD TRUCK RALLY

Enjoy yard games, music and plenty of food trucks from 5-9 p.m. at North Jetty Park, 1000 S. Casey Key Road, Nokomis. Admission is free. Continues Dec. 6.

n Visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.

2

FERRARIS ON THE CIRCLE

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ferrari Drivers SRQ will host its annual event in St. Armands Circle. Admission is free. To show a Ferrari, there is a minimum donation of $50. Money raised at the event will go to Flight to the North Pole Inc. to help critically ill children experience a holiday-season surprise.

n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

3

SIESTA KEY FARMERS MARKET

From 9 a.m. to noon at Siesta Key Village, 5104 Ocean Blvd., the Siesta Key Farmers Market features a variety of vendors selling produce, rum, bread, wellness products, artwork, natural candles and more. Continues every Sunday.

n Visit Instagram.com/SiestaKeyFarmersMarket.

SIESTA KEY DRUM CIRCLE

Siesta Beach closes out the weekends with a friendly and lively drum

circle right outside the main parking area, at 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Bring a drum and join, or stand outside of the circle and enjoy the growing beat as the sun sets. Starts an hour before sunset every Sunday. n Visit SiestaKey.com.

5

ANNA MARIA FARMERS MARKET

From 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday through May 6, the Anna Maria Farmers Market at the City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, features a focus on Southwest Florida-based goods and produce. n Visit AnnaMariaIsland.com.

9-10

ST. ARMANDS FALL ART FESTIVAL

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at St. Armands Circle, stroll through booths of fine art from 200 local and national artists. Artwork for sale includes sculpture, fine jewelry, paintings, glasswork, hand-crafted apparel and decor. Admission is free. n Visit ArtFestival.com.

11

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION

Honor the Longboat Key veterans at the Rotary Club of Longboat Key’s annual Veterans Day Celebration. Local veterans are honored with music, flags, food, gifts and guest speakers. Donations will go toward

supporting veterans. Details to come. n Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org.

14-17

ENGLEWOOD BEACH WATERFEST

The annual Englewood Beach Waterfest weekend kicks off with the PowerUp Pre-Race Party on Thursday. Enjoy food, drinks and live music while seeing the boats up close at the block party from 5-10 p.m. Friday on Dearborn Street in Englewood. Saturday and Sunday are race days, with at least 75 boats running 150 mph. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the World Championships for OPA Racing begin at 10 a.m. Waterfest will include exhibits at the Family Conservation Center, children’s activities and a food court. Tickets are $35.

n Visit EnglewoodBeachWaterfest. com.

14-24

‘A DOUBLEWIDE, TEXAS CHRISTMAS’

The Island Players, at 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, present the play “A Doublewide, Texas Christmas,” a comedy about trailer park residents of the small town Doublewide taking on the county that double-crossed them. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tues-

Continued on Page 50

File photos Ferraris filed into St. Armands Circle Park during the last Ferraris on the Circle.

Continued from Page 48

days through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $28 or $18 for students.

n Visit TheIslandPlayers.org.

15-18

SIESTA KEY CRYSTAL CLASSIC

Individual sculptors and duos will compete over the weekend for the most impressive sand sculpture. Watch the 24 artists work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and vote for your favorite sculptures with wooden tokens available for purchase. Oneday viewing admission tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and military, and $6 for children. Event parking is $55; the free Siesta Key Breeze Trolley runs to and from Siesta Key Village and Turtle Beach. The Barefoot Beach Bar Party Tent will be open each day with free admission. Live music, sand sculpting lessons and demonstrations will be throughout the festival.

n Visit SiestaKeyCrystalClassic.com.

17

JAZZ ON THE WATER

Board the Marina Jack II for an afternoon cruise to hear Jazz Club of Sarasota perform

6

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE HOLIDAY NIGHT OF LIGHTS

Kick off the holiday season at St. Armands Circle. A special performance starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the annual Christmas carol singalong at 6 p.m., which ends with Santa’s arrival. Enjoy the tree-lighting ceremony, pictures with Santa, live music and special promotions around the Circle until 9 p.m. Admission is free. Donations of new and unwrapped toys will be accepted. n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

7-8

MISTLETOE MARKET

Anna Maria Island’s annual Mistletoe Market has moved to City Field, 6001 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, browse handmade arts, jewelry, crafts and unique gifts from artisan vendors.

n Visit DaniellesBlueRibbonEvents. com.

throughout Sarasota Bay. Boarding begins at 1:30 p.m. before the cruise leaves at 2 p.m. from Marina Plaza, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Cost is $40.

n Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

30

LIGHT UP THE VILLAGE HOLIDAY PARADE

Siesta Key’s annual holiday event returns to the Village. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. at Avenida del Mare and Beach Road and travels north on Beach Road onto Ocean Boulevard into the Village. Prior to the parade, Santa will be at the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, 5223 Avenida Navarra, to greet kids and take photos from 2-4 p.m. Admission is free.

n Visit SiestaKeyChamber.com.

DECEMBER

2

THE MARKET ON LONGBOAT KEY

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, browse the wares of dozens of local vendors, including produce, art and home goods. Admission is free. Continues the first and third Mondays through April. n Call 941-316-1999, ext. 1111.

13-15

COQUINA BEACH SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL

The seafood fest comes to Coquina Beach with local restaurants, fresh seafood and plenty of music. The festival runs 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. n Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

14

SANDY CLAWS BEACH RUN

The annual Sandy Claws Beach Run returns to Siesta Beach. The 1-mile fun run begins at 8 a.m., and the 5K begins at 8:20 a.m. The participation fee is $35 for adults, $22 for youth and $20 for the 1-mile. Pre-registered participants will receive an event T-shirt.

n Visit SCGov.net.

14

PORSCHES IN THE PARK

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Suncoast Motorsports hosts its annual event in St. Armands Circle. Spectacular Porsche cars from across the state will be on display. Admission is free. n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

Continued on Page 52

Karlis Ile of Latvia works on the sculpture Hurricane Carmen at the 2023 Crystal Classic.

Consider Yourself our Primary Patient.

Don’t

Brad S. Lerner, MD | Louis M. Cohen, MD | James R. Cocco, MD | Amy M. Roth, DO | Boris Medvedovsky, DO | Daniele Mion-Bet, MD

Continued from Page 50

14

SARASOTA

HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS

Suncoast Charities for Children and Marina Jack present the annual Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on Sarasota Bay. Viewing is recommended from Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota, and Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. The parade begins at 6 p.m., and the awards presentation will be at 8 p.m. at Marina Jack. Boat registration is available online. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring a new and unwrapped toy or book for donation to Suncoast Charities for Children.

n Visit SuncoastCharitiesForChildren.org.

27

CHANUKAH DINNER

Temple Beth Israel, at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts Chanukah Dinner at 7 p.m. following the 5:30 p.m. Shabbat services, on the second night of the Holiday of Lights. Enjoy the singing of traditional Hanukkah songs, dinner and the lighting of the menorahs.

n Visit LongboatKeyTemple.org.

28-29

ANNA MARIA WINTER ART & CRAFT SHOW

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, browse jewelry, ceramics, mixed media, bath and body products, and other work from artisan vendors.

n Visit DaniellesBlueRibbonEvents. com.

31NEW YEAR’S EVE SARASOTA BAYFRONT FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

Ring in the new year with a fireworks display over Sarasota Bay. Reservations for Marina Jack are required. The best viewing is from Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota, and Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. The fireworks show, organized by Suncoast Charities for Children and Marina Jack, will begin at ap-

proximately 11:30 p.m. and is free to attend.

n Visit SuncoastCharitiesForChildren.org.

JANUARY

9-26

‘BIRTHDAY SUITE’

The Island

Players, at 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, present the comedy play “Birthday Suite,” about two adjoining hotel suites, two couples on blind dates and one enthusiastic waiter. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $18-$28. n Visit TheIslandPlayers.org

12

ANDREW MONROE 5K

The annual Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship 5K Run/Walk will be at Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Andrew Monroe was an avid soccer player, and the proceeds from the annual race go toward a scholarship fund for senior soccer players at Riverview High School, track and JROTC members. The 5K will begin at 8:15 a.m., and the 1-mile walk will begin at 8:20 a.m. Registration is $35. The first 400 registrants receive goodie bags. n Visit RunSignup.com.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH NAUGHTY MARIA VON TRAPP

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Singer and actress Donna Serio brings audiences behind the scenes of “The Sound of Music” as she relives her role as Maria Von Trapp. The program is from 3-4:30 p.m. Registration is $30 for members or $35 for nonmembers. n Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.

19

‘EINSTEIN’S COMPASS’

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a theater showcase. Created and directed by Betty Mohr, “Einstein’s Compass” dives into the early life of Albert Einstein. The staged play reading will feature Temple Beth Israel Rabbit Stephen Sniderman reading

the role of Einstein. The program is from 2-3:45 p.m. Registration is $30 for members or $35 for nonmembers.

n Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.

21

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ NIGHT

Kid Dutch returns to the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, with guest jazz artists. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is $25 for members or $30 for nonmembers. Advance registration is recommended. n Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.

25-26

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE ART FESTIVAL

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at St. Armands Circle, stroll through booths of fine art from local and national artists. Artwork for sale includes sculpture, fine jewelry, paintings, glasswork, hand-crafted apparel and decor. Admission is free.

n Visit ArtFestival.com.

Ella Bryant, Rhema Stahlmann, and Ariana Hagaman attend the 2023 Holiday Night of Lights on St. Armands Circle.

Make A Plan.

Hostess Gifts

‘Tis the season for invitations! Remember your mother’s advice: never arrive empty-handed. We’ve curated a selection of hostess and host gifts that will make your gratitude truly memorable.

BYEMILY LEINFUSS | CONTRIBUTOR

Binjara Traders Worldwide Marketplace

327 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota 941-388-1999

BinjaraTraders.com

Founded in 1994 with a global vision of cultural diversity, Binjara Traders is the perfect place to find original gifts, including bracelets by Origin Jewelry. Made from sustainable materials, these designs are contemporary yet timeless. For a fun, functional gift, consider the Champagnethemed tote by Totellini — celebratory, practical, and perfect for someone who enjoys bubbly. (And perfect for carrying your gift of something sparkling to your host’s home.)

Tote: $119.95

Driftwood Beach Home & Garden

6838 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key 941-960-0568

DriftwoodBeachHome.com

Driftwood Beach Home & Garden offers a thoughtful selection of gifts, clothing, art, jewelry and colorful goods from near and far. Transport your host to New York City’s Gilded Age with a gift of Louis Sherry chocolates. These delicious truffles, presented in iconic keepsake tins, offer a taste of luxurious indulgence. For a lighter touch, these handmade ceramic fruits and vegetables from Spain are charming and playful — simply a delightful choice for the foodie party-maker in your life.

5242 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key 941-343-7646

GidgetSiestaKey.Shop

As the name suggests, Gidget’s Coastal Provisions is brimming with treasures for those who cherish life by the water. These one-of-a-kind sea glass holiday trees embody the spirit of the holidays and add coastal sparkle to any space. For a playful touch, Gidget’s “shark chic” dinnerware collection, featuring a wooden “shark-cuterie” board, a ceramic shark chip and dip dish, and stylish glasses, will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Shark dinnerware: $67-$145

Sea glass holiday trees: $67-$145

Spanish ceramic fruit: $38-$58 each

Louis Sherry: Box of 12: $40; box of 2: $13

The Giving Tree Gallery

5 N. Blvd. of the Presidents, Sarasota 941-388-1353

TheGivingTreeGallery.com

The Giving Tree Gallery’s creatively curated collection includes inspiring gifts like this 365 Gathered Truths box. One of Oprah’s “Favorite Things,” its daily wisdom messages are stored in a wooden box reminiscent of a vintage library drawer. Another standout is a Houston Llew Spiritiles; in this case, No. 283. Handcrafted using the ancient art of vitreous enamel, this “truth” features the heartfelt quote, “Thank you for being a friend,” and can be hung on a wall or stand alone.

LlewLlew Spiritle, No. 283: $199

Schmidt and her husband, Nick, purchased this store, renaming it Casa Del Sol to reflect their love for life in the sun. This passion is evident in the golden orb design featured on Casa Del Sol’s coasters and bags. The small jewelry bag and larger makeup bag are perfect for organizing those easy-to-lose items, whether at home or while traveling. The disc-like coasters, available in three colors, add a playful mix-and-match element to any setting.

Makeup bag: $26

Coasters: $14 each

Erika Wise Borland, MA, Vice President; Susanne S. Wise, RN, MBA, CEO & Owner; Courtney Wise Snyder, MSG, CMC, President

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• Post Doctoral Instructor of Full Mouth Reconstruction

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• Accredited Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (only 550 accredited dentists worldwide)

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The People’s Champion

Hugh Culverhouse Jr., a dedicated philanthropist, has made it his mission to combat injustices affecting diverse communities and is taking on powerful institutions and causes with unwavering determination.

BY MARK GORDON | CONTRIBUTOR

Hugh Culverhouse Jr. was a young, feisty, chip-on-his-shoulder prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's office in Miami in the late 1970s when the FBI came to him with a problem: Brigade 2506, a group of Cuban exiles against Fidel Castro, had put out a hit on his life.

The FBI told Culverhouse the threats were credible, targeting him and an eyewitness to a car-bombing. They gave him two options: Buy a new car, to throw off the would-be assassins. Or buy a gun.

“I said ‘I have a 1973 Beetle, and the only option was a 1969 AM radio,’” Culverhouse recalls, and even though he would go on to become a multimillionaire, money back then was tight.

A proud native son of Alabama, Culverhouse then told the Feds that “my mom taught me to shoot when I was 6 years old.”

He chose the gun. Culverhouse, fortunately, never had

to use the weapon in a gunfight.

Yet that story is an illustrative moment for his life and career. A parttime Sarasota resident since 1997, with a home in Oyster Bay Estates, and the developer behind one of the largest master-planned communities in the region, Palmer Ranch, Culverhouse, with his words and his wallet, has fought full-time constantly and consistently against what he considers multiple wrongdoings impacting a variety of people and communities across Sarasota, Longboat and Siesta Key.

And it’s a fat wallet: Culverhouse, 75, has given away nearly his age in money, surpassing $73 million.

Sometimes these are low-six figure donations to save Sarasota programs facing government shortfalls or government decisions he thinks, at best, are reckless and misguided. Sometimes it’s mid-six-figure campaign contributions to political candidates; mostly, but not always, Republicans, such as Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Other times he’s taken out full-page advertisements in the Wall Street Journal to combat what he thinks is apathy on a national

issue. And sometimes it’s as simple as donating wine for charity, or Japanese art, to his local religious organization, Church of the Redeemer in downtown Sarasota.

“I don’t own a boat, and I don’t own a plane,” he says. “Helping people is my boat and plane.”

DIVERSE CAUSES

Culverhouse, who also has a home in Coral Gables, outside Miami, isn’t afraid to court controversy, with his donations or the words he uses to sometimes back up his money. “I’ve had a lot of lawsuits, bumps and bruises along the way,” Culverhouse admits with a wink as he sits in his Palmer Ranch office, sipping a bottle of sparkling water.

The wide variety of causes Culverhouse takes on, at first glance, seem contradictory.

One example: In June, Culverhouse, according to federal elections records, gave $500,000 to the Trump 47 Committee to elect former President Donald Trump. Culverhouse calls the donation a protest against what he considered a politically motivated case in the former president’s hushmoney trial and conviction. Less than two months later, Culverhouse, along with his wife, Eliza, donated $107,643 to the local nonprofit Embracing Our Differences, for its annual large-scale art exhibition at Bayfront Park, which

Continued on Page 62

Photos by Lori Sax

Hugh Culverhouse Jr., a former assistant U.S. attorney and trial attorney, is the developer behind one of the largest masterplanned communities in the region, Palmer Ranch.

Continued from Page 60

promotes inclusion, respect and kindness. The Culverhouse gift covered a highly publicized loss of state and county grants and, while Embracing our Differences is, in theory, a nonpartisan organization, it’s safe to say the chances of a MAGA rally breaking out at one of its initiatives are zero.

While Culverhouse’s “what” can be a paradox, his “why,” based on interviews with him and several in the Sarasota area who know him well, is much simpler: He detests bullies.

“The media portray him as a hothead and bombastic,” says Rev. Charleston Wilson, the rector of the Church of the Redeemer. “The real Hugh is very truthful, nurturing, wise and winsome, and someone who is desperately trying to bring this community together.”

Wilson, who in addition to the church shares a deep connection with Culverhouse as both are Alabama natives, confirms the anti-bully narrative. “He is passionate about underdogs,” Wilson says. “If he sees you doing something unfair, he will fight you

with every dollar in his wallet.”

Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters — Culverhouse is one of his biggest contributors — says he doesn’t believe Culverhouse seeks out controversy, but his blunt approach can lead him there. “He wants to be part of the solution to big issues,” Gruters says.

“There are a lot of people who talk. There are few people who talk and execute like Hugh does.”

RESILIENCE AND REDEMPTION

Like some other things in Culverhouse’s life, what seems glamorous on the surface has a more disruptive backstory. That starts with his father, Hugh Culverhouse Sr.

Widely known in the area for owning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 20 years, the elder Culverhouse also made millions in banking and real estate. That includes Palmer Ranch, which Hugh Sr. bought from the heirs of the Palmer family in 1974, some 12,000 acres for $12 million. But controversy often followed Hugh Sr., even after he died, in messy inheritance disputes lit-

tered with debt.

Culverhouse says his father “was addicted to debt, likely driven by insecurity and a desire to appear wealthy.” Palmer Ranch, the Buccaneers, an airplane, a boat, an orange grove and a water and sewer plant — it was all purchased, he says, with borrowed money. When he died in 1994, the senior Culverhouse owed over $300 million to multiple banks. So, the junior Culverhouse spent the next four to five years settling his father’s debts by selling off most of his assets — except for Palmer Ranch and the condo where his parents lived.

Culverhouse Jr. received approximately 10% of the Palmer Ranch property on his father’s death and 38% through gifts over the next five years from his mother, Joy Culverhouse. He then bought the remaining 52% of Palmer Ranch from her for approximately $40 million. He took on some debt to buy out his mother’s interest in Palmer Ranch — but he proudly says he’s paid it all off through land sales.

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AD MAN

Outside of Sarasota, Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has attempted to reach a national audience by taking out at least seven full-page ads in the print edition of the Wall Street Journal. Topics he’s covered in these ads in recent years run the gamut, from support for Israel to criticizing the Afghanistan U.S. troop withdrawal in August 2021 under President Joe Biden to pushing back against an Alabama abortion law. The method of reaching millions isn’t cheap: According to a Wall Street Journal rate card, a full page ad can cost anywhere from $180,000 to $260,000, depending on where it’s placed and other factors.

Hugh Culverhouse Jr.’s political donations over the past five years run the gamut of political candidates. Contributions include:

June 3, 2024: $500,000, Trump 47 Committee Inc.

June 20, 2024: $500,000, Grow the Majority (connected to U.S. House Republicans)

June 21 and June 23: $300,000 to Never Back Down, a super-PAC connected to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign

Aug. 20, 2020: $75,000 to the Biden Victory Fund (The same day he gave $5,800 to the Biden for President campaign)

Sept. 10, 2020: $10,000 to Democratic Executive Committee of Florida

Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has fought full-time against what he considers multiple wrongdoings impacting a variety of people and communities.

Chanticleer Holiday Concert

Dec 3, 2024, 7:30 pm

Sarasota Opera House Renaissance classics and holiday favorites.

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Jan 15, 2025, 7:30 pm

Riverview Performing Arts Center

Debussy’s Preludes Books I and II.

The Cleveland Orchestra

Kahchun Wong, conductor

Sayaka Shoji, violin

Jan 26, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Steven Mercurio, Music Director

Maxim Lando, piano

Feb 13, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel

Dvořák’s New World Symphony

An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma

Reflections in Words and Music

Feb 27, 2025, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel

Vivaldi Four Seasons

Les Arts Florissants

March 14, 2025

7:30 pm | Riverview Performing Arts Center

National Symphony Orchestra

Gianandrea Noseda, Music

Director | Hilary Hahn, violin

March 24, 2025, 7:30 pm

Van Wezel

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

Continued from Page 63

Culverhouse has criticized his dad publicly for some of the choices his father made, including the debt. And he admits his relationship with his mom was complicated. Even so, he can trace one trait he has today to his mother: resilience.

One story Culverhouse tells goes back to a fight he got into, at, of all places, a Boy Scout meeting while growing up in Alabama. Culverhouse says he was getting whipped. Crying, he found his mom in the crowd. She told him to get back in and fight. He did. And with a roundhouse windmill punch, Culverhouse knocked down his young rival.

Culverhouse caps the story of the fight on Alabama dirt 65 years ago with a dig: “I’ve always been against bullies,” he says, “and like most bullies, when you hit them hard, they fall apart. Just like most politicians in Sarasota County.”

Later on, when Culverhouse was a federal prosecutor, his mom, again, motivated him. This was after Culverhouse had lost his first four trials. He called his mom and told her he was going to quit. This after getting out of tax law (too boring, he says) and interviewing with 30 other U.S. Attorney’s offices for a prosecutor job before finally landing the one in Miami.

A champion college and amateur golfer, Joy Culverhouse wasn’t having it.

“She said a bunch of curse words and then said, ‘Hugh, if you ever talk about quitting again, I’m coming down to Miami, and I’m going to beat you senseless with a two iron.’”

Culverhouse didn’t quit. And his mom’s reward: His son funds a scholarship at the University of Alabama aptly named the Two Iron Club.

LOCAL HERO

Another side to Culverhouse’s giving philosophy comes down to what’s essentially his shrewd approach to life, business and decisions.

That can be traced, in one sense, to Hugh Sr. and the late 1960s when Culverhouse Jr. was thinking about college. His dad offered to pay for school — with a practical caveat: “‘My dad said, ‘You can either go to college and major in accounting, or you can go to Vietnam. But you’re not going to col-

A STEADFAST CHURCH BENEFACTOR

Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has a big spot in his donation book for the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, where he has been a parishioner for years.

Earlier this year he donated $500,000 to the church, the largest non-capital campaign donation in the parish’s 139year history. He also donated more than 300-top rated wines for an auction that brought in $88,000 for the church.

And in September, Culverhouse, a longtime art collector, donated 24 art pieces from Japanese printmaker Sadao Watanabe to the church. While the Rev. Charleston Wilson, the Rector of the church, is appreciative of the donations, he’s also moved by what he says is Culverhouse’s unheralded soft side. Wilson says he and Culverhouse talk often about the complicated relationships each had with their mothers. Then, when Wilson’s mom died in February, Culverhouse was a big source of comfort.

“He called or texted me every night for two weeks to make sure I was OK,” Wilson says. “He was ministering to me in a very profound way, instead of me ministering to him, and I will never forget it.”

Culverhouse’s giving philosophy comes down to what’s essentially his shrewd approach to life, business and decisions.

lege to major in history.’”

Ditto for the practical approach to Palmer Ranch. Culverhouse was on the boards of a few homebuilders for several years, but he learned, he says, that developing the land to sell to homebuilders is a much better way to make money.

“Homebuilders have too much risk,” he says, and are too beholden to banks. (Palmer Ranch is now a thriving master-planned community, with more than 90 subdivisions and a host of commercial, retail and assisted living facilities. Some 20,000 people live on Palmer Ranch, which is south of Clark Road and covers about 60 square miles. The community is also not yet totally built out, with more projects in the pipeline)

Some of his most recent donations in Sarasota follow that shrewd, or what Culverhouse might call his practical, common-sense, outlook on life. That’s how he connected with Embracing Our Differences, after reading that Sarasota County commissioners cut some of the organization’s funding. Cuts approved by Sarasota County commis-

sioners also led Culverhouse to give $100,000 to Legal Aid of Manasota in September and $109,000 to the United Way Sarasota in May to preserve the 211 helpline.

Some county commissioners were quoted in local media publications saying the United Way cuts were due to that organization funding groups that perform or support abortions. “When (commissioners) did that, I said, ‘All you are doing is being vindictive,’ and that’s something that I couldn’t sit with. I wasn’t going to sit still and let that happen.”

Last year Culverhouse gave $150,000 to shore up state and local funding for the Comprehensive Treatment Court in Sarasota County. Sarasota County Judge Erika Quartermaine founded the CTC in 2017, designed to deliver services to individuals who commit nonviolent offenses and suffer from severe mental health disorders.

Culverhouse had heard about the program — and its funding predicament — and reached out to Judge Quartermaine. They met for what turned into a 90-minute lunch at Medi-

BOOKS ON HIS NIGHTSTAND

Hugh Culverhouse Jr. spends a lot of his down time reading, and the books on his nightstand are an eclectic mix. The pile includes:

n “Why Don’t We Learn from History,” by B. H. Lindell Hart

n “The House of Doors,” by Tan Twan Eng n “The Poems of Dylan Thomas”

n “The Passenger,” by Cormac McCarthy

n “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro

n “The Fire Next Time,” by James Baldwin

n “Ardennes 1944: The Battle of the Bulge,” by Anthony Beavor

n “America is In Danger,” by Curtis E. LeMay

n “Iron Eagle, The Turbulent Life of General Curtis LeMay,” by Thomas Coffee

n “Strategy,” by B.H. Lindell Hart

terraneo on Main Street in downtown Sarasota to talk about it. Quartermaine was impressed by how much research Culverhouse had done and was pleasantly surprised with his optimistic outlook. “I think his intention is so pure,” she says. “And, without being trite, I really think he wants to make the world a better place.”

BY ERIC SNIDER | CONTRIBUTOR

ANCHORED IN HISTORY

In 1955, Michigan native Paul Miller traded his engineering career for the romance of Florida’s boating life and purchased Cannons Marina from Ernie Cannon. Today, under the leadership of David Miller and Lucile Capo-Miller, it’s a thoroughly modern boating enterprise.

Photos by Lori Sax

At the helm: Lucile Capo-Miller and David Miller still oversee dayto-day operations at Cannons.

On a typically toasty late July afternoon on Longboat Key, David Miller points through a window to a dock behind Cannons Marina and says, with a slight pang of excitement, “Hey, we have a rental boat going out.”

Miller, co-owner of Cannons, sits in a slatted teak chair in the marina’s store, dressed in a floral print shirt and white shorts, a Rolex gleaming on his wrist, and his tousled white hair combed forward. Beside him is his business partner and former wife, Lucile Capo-Miller.

A rental boat heading out would seem like a quotidian event in the day of a prosperous marina owner whose main product line is prestigious Grady-White boats, several of which are situated on the marina grounds, and a few of which are priced over a million dollars.

But the rental moment has historical significance for Miller, 74. As a kid in the late 1950s and ’60s, he was in charge of rentals for Cannons Marina, which his father, Paul Miller, owned. The launching dock back then was in the same place as it is now.

Cannons Marina has become an institution on Longboat Key — and so have Miller and Capo-Miller. Miller is known as a tough but fair businessman who has always emphasized top-notch service, a principle shared by CapoMiller. That commitment holds true for everything from a seven-figure boat sale to customer relationships. “We know that sells the second boat and the third boat,” Capo-Miller says. And it’s also true for a fisherman needing an oil change. “The service is not cheap, but it’s done right,” says Scott Moore, Miller’s longtime friend who runs a fishing charter business. “It’s the cleanest boat marina you’ll ever see. Have you ever been in a marina bathroom that wasn’t nasty? Cannons’ is like the one in my house.”

Cannons Marina maintains Clean Boatyard and Clean Marina designations, both awarded by the Florida De-

Cannons Marina is an institution on Longboat Key — and so are David Miller and Lucile Capo-Miller.

partment of Environmental Protection to facilities that adhere to the highest environmental standards. “We get inspected by the [FDEP] every few years,” Capo-Miller says. “For example, we pay for a waste management company that deals with our kind of waste. We don’t just put it in the dumpster.”

Miller is widely admired for his environmental stewardship. In the late ’90s, he was part of a group that prevented residential development on Sisters

Key, which is north of Cannons Marina across Millar Bay. “He cares about the seas and the oceans,” Moore says. “And he’s shown it by giving lots and lots of money to environmental groups and causes.”

AN ISLAND LIFER

Miller claims to have lived on Longboat Key longer than anyone else. “Not the

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David Miller’s goldendoodle, Charlie, joins the conversation.

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oldest, but the longest living,” he says.

“That’s very possible,” says Moore, 72, who also grew up in the area. “I don’t know of anyone else.”

For the record, Miller has lived on this 10-mile strip of an island from 1955 to present. Sixty-nine years. Capo-Miller came on board in the late ’90s. She left a good job as a nurse anesthetist, “a very difficult” decision. “We divorced, but we’re best friends,” Capo-Miller says. That’s all they care to discuss about their personal relationship. Their business partnership appears quite harmonious.

Miller is not a loquacious man. In fact, you might even call him curmudgeonly. Capo-Miller tends to fill in the blanks after Miller answers a question with a staccato sentence or two. She consistently pushes attention, praise and credit to her partner.

They’re both hard workers. CapoMiller, who declined to reveal her age, puts in six full days a week and takes off Sunday, her gardening day. Miller is at

the marina five or six days a week and feels free to come in late and leave early some of the time. He lives on the north end of Longboat with his adorable goldendoodle Charlie — who trotted in, freshly groomed, during our interview — and likes to go out fishing on his fully loaded, 28-foot Grady White with twin 300-horsepower engines. Capo-Miller lives in Sarasota, near downtown, and regularly attends the city’s cultural events. “I love the symphony,” she says. But she’s no society lady. Capo-Miller grew up in nearby Cortez as part of a multigenerational fishing family. She and Miller have been on angling sojourns around the world. One time, in the waters off Costa Rica, Capo-Miller caught a 300-pound marlin. (She’s quick to point out that the fish never left the water; no stuffed trophies for her, just photos.)

A TIGHT SHIP

In the late 1940s, Ernie Cannon opened a fishing camp and called it Cannons Marina. According to lore, Longboat Key had more wild hogs and rattle -

David Miller has lived on Longboat Key since 1955.

snakes than people. Meanwhile, Paul Miller lived in Michigan and worked as an engineer running dredging crews in the Great Lakes. His wife, Dorothy, managed the household and cared for their two children — Sally and David, who was 13 years younger.

Weary of the long hours and travel that kept him away from his family, Paul Miller sought a life reset, and in 1955 came down to the Sarasota area to scout business opportunities. As David Miller remembers it, his father was driving down Longboat Key’s main (dirt) road when he happened upon Cannons Marina toward the north end of the island. Paul Miller liked the unspoiled nature of the one-acre property and cut a deal with Cannon to buy it.

David Miller won’t divulge how much his father paid, but says, “It was less than $100,000. How ’bout that?”

Paul Miller moved his family down soon after. The property he bought also included a couple of cottages across the street, and the Millers moved into one

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A family-owned and operated boat dealership for more than 68 years, Cannons Marina is a boutique-style business.

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of them. Sally moved away soon after. Five-year-old David had the run of the family’s new digs — but no one to run with. “I was the only kid,” Miller muses. “There was nobody around.”

Young David started out counting bait at Cannons and graduated to renting boats. He did a lot of fishing in his wooden skiff with a five-horsepower motor. And he spent most of his time with his father, who occasionally shut down the marina midday to go out angling with his son.

For the first couple of years, David only attended school sporadically. “There was no bridge on the north end of Longboat Key,” he says. “And the bus wouldn’t come over the [Manatee/ Sarasota] county line, which was in the middle of the island. So, I couldn’t get where I needed to be.”

His parents did their best to drive him to school in Sarasota as many days as they could, but it was a long trek each way and they had work to do. By David’s third-grade year, however, a bridge

connecting the Key to Bradenton Beach was completed, and he was able to take the bus to Anna Maria Elementary.

In 1968, Miller graduated from The Prew Academy, a small private school in Sarasota. He tried his hand at college, attending three schools: Manatee Community College, Georgia Southern in Statesboro, and Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville. He largely skipped the party-time revelry that most college kids seek. “More often than not, I’d come home on weekends to help my dad out,” he says.

Nothing stuck in the world of academia, and Miller eventually joined the family business. He says he never considered doing anything else. By the late 1970s, Miller wanted more, and he approached his father about buying him out — and not timidly. “Well, I was increasing his wealth but not mine,” he says. “Something had to change, and either he made a change, or I left. That was the ultimatum.”

Paul Miller incorporated Cannons Marina and David Miller gradually accumulated shares of the busi-

From its modest roots as a boat rental business and bait shop, Cannons Marina has grown into one of the most respected boat dealers in the country.

Alustra®, Pirouette Charmeuse

Cannons Marina also operates a boat brokerage, along with sales and rentals.

ness. It took 12 years, but he assumed full control. “I started more sales versus rentals,” he says, when asked what changes he instituted. “And slowly the sales surpassed the rentals.”

Not long after, Paul Miller was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. David refashioned the cottages across the street and provided 24-hour in-home care for his father, who died at age 74, and his mother, who died 10 years later at 83. “For David to show that type of commitment to his parents, I think says volumes about his character,” Capo-Miller says.

These days, Cannons Marina is humming along with 19 employees. Jim Gallagher, who runs the boatyard, stops by to join the interview session for a few minutes. At 55, he’s been with the company for 38 years. “I get out on the water just about every day,” he says. “I’m staying here until I’m no longer working.”

The business has a boat brokerage to go along with sale and rentals. Although Cannons employs a general manager to oversee the day-to-day, “We trot every-

thing by David,” Capo-Miller says, then adds with a grin: “We tried not doing it that way, and it didn’t go well.”

Asked if he has an exit strategy, a plan to sail into the sunset, Miller replies: Not unless someone comes along to buy the place.

“He’s not going to sell,” Capo-Miller says, then Miller interjects, “Everything’s for sale.”

The takeaway: Anyone who wants to own Cannons Marina better approach with a fat wallet.

Miller caps off the exchange with, “As long as I own the place, I’ll be around.”

If You Go: 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-877-5381; Cannons.com.

This article was written before the devastating impacts of hurricanes Helene and Milton, which have affected many of the beloved businesses in St. Armands Circle. While some may still be in the process of rebuilding, many are reopened, and the spirit of this community remains resilient. The strength, solidarity and confidence that shaped St. Armands before the storm continue to shine as it rebuilds, ensuring that this cherished destination will thrive once again.

THE BEST OF CIRCLES

St. Armands Circle offers 360 degrees of possibility.

BY SU BYRON AND MARTY FUGATE | CONTRIBUTORS

At the dawn of the 20th century, circus magnate and developer John Ringling had big plans for St. Armands Key. He envisioned a grand shopping plaza around a European-style traffic circle. In 1926, St. Armands Circle became a reality. (The streets, that is. The shops would come later.) Nearly a century later, Ringling’s vision is alive and thriving on St. Armands Circle. This cosmopolitan enclave now boasts more than

120 shops, outdoor cafés, award-winning restaurants, spas and salons. The Circle also hosts seasonal art and crafts festivals, outdoor music series, holiday celebrations, and boat and car shows. Whether you’re window shopping, seeking the latest in Lilly Pulitzer, toasting romance, or grabbing breakfast after a beach stroll, you’ll find the perfect spot to please your tastes. It’s 360 degrees of possibility.

THE HUMAN FACTOR

The evolution of St. Armands Circle from Ringling’s early vision to its present-day vibrancy is remarkable. Throughout these changes, the heart of this gathering space has always been its people. Beyond its picturesque streets and diverse offerings, the Circle’s charm is brought to life by the local business owners and residents who pour their passion and dedication into the community. We had the privilege of speaking with several of these key figures who embody the spirit of the Circle and contribute to its unique character and charm. Each plays a part in making it the cherished spot it is today.

If You Go:

5 Fillmore Drive

Smoking hot tip: Want the best? Bennington Tobacconist’s top three cigars are Padron, Arturo Fuente and Ashton.

Bennington Tobacconist has been an iconic St. Armands Circle destination since 1965. This familyowned shop fosters deep customer loyalty with its rare blend of quality, tradition and personal attention. While it embraces modern business practices, it maintains a steadfast commitment to time-tested quality and family heritage. Many of its cigars are crafted by family-owned, independent businesses, mirroring Bennington’s values. The shop is also an oasis of memorable moments. Customers fondly recall buying gifts for special occasions or browsing with family and friends.

Co-owner Jack Bennington has his own treasured memory: the day Walter Cronkite, a famed journalist and avid pipe smoker, visited. After docking his sailboat at Sarasota Yacht Club, Cronkite came to the shop. He asked for a pipe and tobacco, with one whispered condition: “Promise me you won’t tell my wife.”

As St. Armands Circle approaches its centennial, Bennington Tobacconist nears its 60th anniversary. The shop remains in the family — co-owned by brothers Jack, Jim and Gary Bennington. Gary’s daughter, Kayte, is set to inherit the business, ensuring that this institution will continue to create great memories for decades to come.

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Photos by Lori Sax

Jack Bennington and his brothers, Jim and Gary, have upheld a cherished tradition at Bennington Tobacconist, a St. Armands Circle staple since 1965.

Continued from Page 75

The Giving Tree Gallery, a familyowned contemporary gift shop and gallery, has been a creative cornerstone of St. Armands Circle since 1994. Founded by Terry and Debi Marino, the gallery has long served as a haven for handcrafted gifts, jewelry, art, home décor and artisanal treasures. Now led by their daughter, Deb Goldberg, she reflects on her parents’ legacy and their journey from Chicago in search of a sunnier, more fulfilling life. For them, St. Armands Circle represented paradise found — a place where their carefully curated offerings could truly thrive.

They were right.

The Giving Tree’s been Goldberg’s home away from home as both a child and as an adult. And St. Armands Circle has been her neighborhood. She notes that while St. Armands Circle has evolved over the years — with improvements like the John Ringling Bridge

transformation and enhanced landscaping — the community has also faced challenges, including extreme weather and pandemic impacts. Despite this, Goldberg

remains passionate about the Circle.

“Shopping here is an experience,” she says. “Where else can you enjoy eclectic boutiques, a refreshing sangria, and the beach all in one stroll?”

Photos by Lori Sax

Deb Goldberg fills The Giving Tree Gallery with a bounty of handcrafted gifts, jewelry, art, home décor and artisanal treasures.

Since 1959, the Columbia Restaurant has been a gem of St. Armands Circle. Originally established in Ybor City in 1905, this family-owned and operated restaurant is renowned for its Spanish/Cuban cuisine, drawing visitors from around the world to savor its signature black bean soup, authentic Cuban sandwiches, paella and sangria. We spoke with Casey Gonzmart Sr., the fourth-generation owner and a board member of the St. Armands Circle Association. Gonzmart, who considers the Circle an ideal destination, shared his insights on its enduring appeal and discussed upcoming plans by the St. Armands Circle Association and the city of Sarasota to preserve its charm.

How does the Circle plan to maintain its special ambiance?

The St. Armands Circle Association is collaborating with the city of Sarasota to enhance and beautify

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Columbia Restaurant’s owner, Casey Gonzmart Sr., greets customers Cristina Arteaga, Carol Salgado and Tara Rajala. Inset: Monika Vidal prepares Columbia’s famous 1905 salad tableside.

Continued from Page 77

the natural landscape of the tropical beauty of St. Armands. We are caretakers of John Ringling’s dream. In the 1920s, he maintained the Circle as an open park. It’s always been an open space. He did not put any structures in the Circle, although he could have chosen to do so.

Are you collaborating with the city to keep St. Armands Circle lush and green?

We have ongoing projects that go hand-in-hand with those of the city’s Parks and Recreation department; they’ve been upgraded to include native species and salttolerant plants. Many things must be taken into consideration, including diminishing the use of any mulch that could impede the drainage system. We’re focusing on plants that have survivability. We’ve had to replace less tolerant species.

And the importance of subtropical nature was central to John Ringling’s vision. I assume it’s at the heart of your vision as well. His dream is both relevant and dynamic in our vision. We want our local patrons and our many visitors to Sarasota to enjoy this microclimate in the center of beautiful Lido Key. Our goal is to beautify and maintain an open space for everyone to enjoy.

How would you define the perfect meal at the Columbia?

It would begin with an original 1905 Salad and a cup of one of our house-made soups. For an entrée, I’d choose something that features our fresh Florida seafood, such as pompano en papillot, in which a boneless fillet of pompano with seafood stuffing of shrimp, crabmeat, artichoke, butter and white wine is wrapped in parchment paper and baked. Then I’d suggest that they finish it off with my grandmother’s recipe for flan and a steaming cup of Cuban coffee roasted in Tampa by Naviera Coffee Mills. And don’t forget a pitcher of sangria mixed fresh at your table.

FAR-FLUNG FLAVORS

Embark on a global culinary adventure without leaving the Circle. Whether you’re indulging in Greek delicacies, savoring Turkish sweets, or relishing French confections, each stop feels like a journey to a faraway land.

Begin your culinary journey at Blu Kouzina, where the ambiance transports you to a taverna in Santorini. The menu features both classic and modern Greek and Mediterranean fare. Savor appetizers like yellow lentil and eggplant dips, baked spinach pie, stuffed red peppers, and zucchini patties, or indulge in a more robust main course — grilled whole fish and roast lemon chicken are standout choices. Complete your Greek experience with a glass (or two) of retsina. 25 N. Boulevard of the Presidents.

After your Greek feast, head next door for dessert at Ephesus Mediterranean Delights. This shop is brimming with Turkish treasures, from wall art and rugs to clothing, shoes, jewelry, and a fine selection of coffees and teas. The real highlight, though, is dessert. Manager Kerim Dagli welcomed us with a colorful spread of Turkish pastries, paired with freshly brewed, sweet (and strong) coffee. We indulged in baklava and Turkish delights filled with pistachio, chocolate, walnut, almond and hazelnut. Each bite offered a taste of Turkey’s rich culinary heritage. 27 N. Boulevard of the Presidents.

Did you know? Turkish delights are soft, chewy confections made from starch and sugar, often flavored with rosewater, lemon or orange, and dusted with powdered sugar or coconut. Sometimes filled with nuts like pistachios or hazelnuts, these colorful treats have been cherished in Turkish culture for centuries.

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Left: The Columbia’s famous

sangria is a refreshing mix of cava, Spanish brandy and orange liqueur.

Photos by Lori Sax

Above: Lindsey Rogers takes a rest from Circle strolling at Blu Kouzina. Below: Kerim Dagli oversees a magical space filled with Turkish treasures.

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Across the Circle, Le Macaron offers delectable treats with a French accent. Not to be confused with American macaroons, these dainty, meringue-based confections feature a crisp, smooth shell that gives way to a soft, chewy interior — filled with ganache, buttercream or jam. The macaron’s vibrant hues and rich, nuanced flavors — ranging from classic vanilla and chocolate to adventurous options like pistachio and raspberry — make each bite a sensory treat. At only 80 calories each, they’re as irresistible as they are delightful. Bet you can’t eat just one! 362 St. Armands Circle.

DON’T MISS!

Holiday Night of Lights

December 6: Celebrate the 46th Annual Holiday Night of Lights at St. Armands Circle. Enjoy live performances, a sing-along, Santa’s arrival, tree lighting, crafts and family-friendly fun. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., with photos and activities lasting until 9 p.m. Free admission. Don’t forget your letter to Santa!

Porsches in the Park

December 14: Enjoy a day filled with luxury cars, friendly faces, and the vibrant atmosphere of Sarasota’s premier shops and restaurants. Free event for car enthusiasts and families alike.

St. Armands Winter Art Festival & Sidewalk Sale

January 25 and 26: Explore gallery-style booths featuring fine art, sculptures, jewelry and handcrafted decor at the St. Armands Circle Art Festival. National and local artists showcase their works in this free, two-day event.

Photo by Su Byron Le Macaron offers delectable treats with a French accent.

Photo by Lori Sax

POINTS AROUND THE CIRCLE

Sparkle!

The Circle sparkles with jewelry shops. Ask to see the inspired collection of gem-filled sea life jewelry at Jewelry by Cole (7 Blvd of the Presidents). Handcrafted from 14kt gold, diamonds, silver and a variety of gems, this enchanting selection features turtles, dolphins, starfish and flounder, and each piece is a tribute to the beauty of the ocean. Or drape her neck with a sparkly string of Mikimoto cultured pearls or make his heart go tick-tock with a Carl F. Bucherer watch at Armel Jewelers. (482 John Ringling Blvd.)

Slurp!

Sidewalk dining at Crab and Fin combines the pleasures of people-watching, stargazing, romance and brasserie-style gourmandizing. And nothing beats a starry night feast of oysters on the half shell. So, raise a refreshing glass of something cold and commence your briny journey. Where to start? The grand oyster tasting, which offers a variety of oysters sourced from across North America. 420 St. Armands Circle.

Sip!

The Blood Orange Margarita at Shore is crafted with Corazòn Blanco Tequila, Solerno Liqueur, Natalie’s Blood Orange Juice, freshly squeezed limes and agave syrup — a perfect balance of flavors. Each sip is a medley of citrusy notes and tequila’s smooth seduction. 465 John Ringling Blvd.

Rise and Shine!

You ran the Ringling Bridge this morning. Now it’s time for the true breakfast of champions at The Blue Dolphin Café. Forget the yogurt and low-fat muffins. Dig into the Breakfast Wrap, an herb tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, veggie chili, and cheddar cheese. Slather sour cream on top. You’ve earned it. 470 John Ringling Blvd.

Just Desserts

After a day of exploring the Circle, it’s time to treat the kids to something they’ll love —ice cream. Head over to Kilwins, where 40 flavors of pure delight await. And if ice cream isn’t their thing, they can still satisfy their sweet tooth with homemade fudge, peanut brittle, chocolates and a galaxy of candy. It’s their time to indulge! 312 John Ringling Blvd.

Photo by Lori Sax

The Blood Orange Margarita at Shore is a medley of citrusy notes and smooth seduction.

HURRICANE SUPPORT

We want to extend a helping hand and our support during your recovery process.

We sincerely hope that you and your family are safe and well after the recent hurricanes. We understand that this can be an unsettling time, as the impacts of such natural disasters can be deeply felt.

Our community’s resilience shines through, and we are here to support you on your journey to rebuilding your home! With over 25 years of experience in the home improvement business, we have proudly served Sarasota and Manatee counties as skilled, licensed general contractors .

OASIS

INSIDE THE ISLAND LIFESTYLE

PAGE 86

The Mermaid Cottage couples a charming past with a modern present.

A Timeless Treasure on Lido Key

The Mermaid Cottage dates to 1933 and is considered one of the very first homes built on the key.

BY ROBERT PLUNKET

Sometimes the past is hard to find in Sarasota. Brand new is the keyword these days, closely followed by bigger and better. All of which make this beach cottage on Lido such a happy find.

It dates to 1933 and is considered one of the very first homes built on the key. But if you’re expecting the lifestyle of 90-plus years ago, think again. It packs more up-to-date charm than most of its big fancy neighbors could imagine. From the outside it appears much as it did when built. It’s pure Florida beach getaway, pre-World War II. It even has a name — the Mermaid Cottage. White, wood framed, it’s built for the perfect vacation, not real life. The beach, after all, is just half a block away. There’s a charming, trellised front porch, perfect for a relaxing oldfashioned afternoon of watching families come and go to the white sands of Lido. But when you go inside, the vision switches. Now we’re in a sophisticated contemporary home, yet one with all sorts of charming details that speak to its colorful history.

It’s much bigger than it looks. You enter a proper hallway, done in shades of gray and white. Large graphic art predominates. Just beyond is the spacious, open, all-white kitchen, complete with gas stove and upgraded appliances. Next comes the living area, with comfortable white sofas sitting on a sisal rug. From here you can see everything — the pool, the fireplace, the mounted TV, the people having fun in the kitchen. This “cottage” can accommodate a crowd. There’s an informal dining area adjoining the kitchen, and a more formal one that easily seats 10, overlooking the pool.

Dawn and Ben Schwenk had been looking a place for over a year when they came across the cottage. They wanted a second home on one of Sarasota’s keys, a refuge from their lives in Denver, where Dawn is a nurse and Ben is in the energy business. When their Realtor Holly Switow heard that the cottage was coming on the market, she called them immediately. After a hurried — and exciting — tour via Zoom, the Schwenks immediately made an offer, and the place was theirs. “We came to see it the next week in person,” Dawn remembers. “It was

Photos by Coastal Home Photography and Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

The spacious entrance hallway, adorned in shades of gray and white, features bold graphic art as its centerpiece.

Perfect for those times when you don’t want or have time to cook but still crave something delicious. Morton’s kitchen offers an amazing array of gourmet entrees and comfort foods, all prepared from scratch and packaged to go.

Save time, money and effort while savoring the city’s best take-out, hands down. Don’t miss our huge selection of freshly made salads too!

love at first sight.”

The history of the home is lost in the mists of local folklore, but it seems to be one of the first four cottages built on Lido in 1933. The neighbors say it was built by the Ringling brothers to house staff. “I like to think that someone amazing lived here,” says Dawn. “Like The Flying Concellos or Clyde Beatty, the lion tamer. These are the things that drew us to the house — its history and unique attributes.”

Another big plus? The previous owners had remodeled and redecorated to such a significant degree that the Schwenks found they had little to do. “They had great taste and vision,” says Dawn. “We’ve kept everything pretty much the way they had it.”

The home has a perfect layout for vacation living. The primary bedroom is off by itself, overlooking the pool. It features high ceilings and floral accents. The adjoining bath rivals that of any McMansion, with gray marble and tile detailing, a soaking tub with separate shower and dual sinks. There are two other bedrooms at the front of the house, separated by the entrance hall and each with its own bath.

And, as a special and invaluable bonus, a separate cottage stands right next to the home. The Schwenks call it the Little Mermaid and it contains an ample, smartly decorated living space of its own, with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bath. It can be rented — the entire property is classified as a legal duplex and weekly rentals are permitted — but the Schwenks never have. “It’s perfect for guests. It will sleep up to eight people. It’s particularly fun for the teenagers.”

The home’s pool may well be its heart as well. It’s surrounded by bright green palm trees and there is always something going on. In the morning it’s coffee as the day is planned, and in the afternoon, after the beach, Dan cooks dinner while Dawn and the guests relax with cocktails and music. “The pool is heated, so we can spend year-round enjoying the outdoors.”

“We love living at the beach,” Dawn says, and indeed, life at Mermaid Cottage sounds like a Jimmy Buffett song played very mellow. “It’s so relaxing to sit and listen to the waves,

Continued from Page 87 Continued on Page 90

The history of the home is lost in the mists of local folklore, but it seems to be one of the first four cottages built on Lido in 1933.”

Left: Surrounded by bright green palm trees, the pool serves as the heart of the home.

Continued from Page 89

with that gentle Gulf breeze coming at you.” The home’s location puts all the simple pleasures of coastal living within walking distance. “My husband and son have caught many fish on the beach as well as the park at the south end of the island. We see dolphins, manatees, turtles. The mangroves are close by, and we go kayaking every time we visit.”

It’s not just nature that makes the home so appealing. A short stroll away is St. Armands Circle and all the pleasures it offers. “We fell in love with the Circle,” Dawn explains. “It’s wonderful being able to walk over to eat and shop.” Her favorite stop? “Kilwins. I go for the chocolate peanut butter ice cream and the cashew brittle. They are the bomb.”

Simple pleasures. That’s the appeal of Mermaid Cottage. An unexpected bonus was the sanctuary it provided during the pandemic lockdown. But, after four years of making wonderful family memories, the Schwenks are putting Mermaid Cottage on the market. The new owners will get a rare property with many facets — it’s historic, it’s glamorous and its location pretty much guarantees the perfect Sarasota vacation.

After all, this is pretty much where it all started.

The home has a perfect layout for vacation living.”

The Mermaid Cottage is pure Florida beach getaway, pre-World War II.

The living room offers a perfect vantage point, with views of the pool, fireplace, mounted TV, and the lively kitchen.

The home’s entrance invites you into the heart of laidback beach living, where your vacation kicks off in effortless style and coastal charm.

Falling Back into Season

The 2024-2025 arts season is packed with captivating performances and cultural experiences. These six sensational shows should not be missed.

SU BYRON MANAGING EDITOR

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

The Ringling’s “I want you to know my story” showcases new photographs from Jess T. Dugan’s “Every Breath We Drew” series. These compelling portraits, self-portraits and still-lifes grapple with issues of identity, gender and sexuality and reflect Dugan’s lived experience as a queer, non-binary person. The artist began this series in 2019 and continued it through the height of the pandemic and afterwards. Dugan’s mastery of rich textures, vivid colors and dramatic lighting evokes a Baroque sensibility, imbuing interior scenes with a deep sense of intimacy.

“My photographs function as an extended, oblique self-portrait as much as a catalogue of friends and loved ones,” says Dugan, and notes that the series of work in this exhibition, “brings our attention to one of the most powerful and complex forms of intimacy — that of seeing and being seen.” Through Feb. 25. Visit Ringling.org.

SONIC VISIONARIES

ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) is rolling up for a musical mystery tour on Jan. 13. “Visions and Miracles” will take listeners on a sonic trek through the lands of dreams and visions. The program features recent compositions for strings, flute and clarinet. These include: Anna Clyne’s contemplative “Rest These Hands” for solo violin; Chris Theofanidis’ “Visions and Miracles,” an ethereal exploration of inner and outer space for string quartet; Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Milagros,” a haunting work for string quartet; and Dai Wei’s cosmic “How the Stars Vanish” for clarinet, violin and cello. These compositions speak of things seen and unseen, of transient beauty and transcendental possibility. Get ready to blast off. Visit EnSRQ.org

FEEL THE EARTH MOVE

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” sings the praises of the legendary

singer/songwriter in this Asolo Rep production. Along with King’s charttoppers, this Broadway smash offers cool liner notes on her life story. You discover that King had wanted to be a songwriter in high school. Her mother told her, “It’s not practical! Girls don’t write music.” (We’re lucky she didn’t take her mother’s advice.) By the age of 18, she’d written hits for Aretha Franklin and The Drifters. At the ripe old age of 29, King became the voice of a generation. With anthems like “You’ve Got a Friend” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “I Feel the Earth Move,” King’s voice has moved several generations in the decades that followed. In this soaring musical, it rings out loud and clear. How beautiful is that? November 13 to January 5. Visit AsoloRep.org.

CREATIVE INTERPLAY

“Flesh and Bone” tells a tale of art, love, inspiration and obsession at Sarasota Museum of Art. The late photographer Larry Fink and sculptor Martha Posner are the protagonists. They were romantic partners and artistic co-conspirators for more than 30 years. This exhibition explores the creative interplay in the couple’s bodies of work. It’s a study in contrasts — and common obsessions. Posner and Fink shared a fascination with desire,

Courtesy images

Jess T. Dugan's “Elcid (green room)” and “Self-portrait (blue room)” are now showing at The Ringling.

“The Haircut” by Larry Fink is part of Sarasota Art Museum’s “Flesh and Bone” exhibit.

vulnerability and brutality. Posner’s sculpture reimagines heroines from assorted myths and legends; Fink’s photos capture fleeting moments of bravado in everyday life. The couple’s creations also reflect their lives on a Pennsylvania farm — a place where the boundaries of man and beast blur. Fink began photographing that patch of green in the 1970s. Posner didn’t arrive until the 1990s — and instantly found magic in the idyllic surroundings. Here, you see their work side by side. The air seems thick with artistic dialog. At times, you can almost hear them talking. November 17-April 13. Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

BRIBERY, DECEPTION, DISGUISE –AND A HAIRCUT

Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” at the Sarasota Opera is one of the most beloved comedic works in the operatic repertory. The plot itself is delightfully contrived. Count Almaviva is determined to win the heart of the beautiful Rosina. He needs to spirit her away

from Dr. Bartolo, her wicked guardian. He seeks the help of — you guessed it — Figaro, the eponymous barber of Seville. Side-splitting complications ensue, all set to the tune of Rossini’s scintillating, sprightly music. Even better? This opera has a happy ending! This production features Lisa Marie Rogali as Rosina in her company debut. Filippo Fontana (an audience favorite) will return as Figaro. February 22-March 29. Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

SONG-AND-DANCE GUMBO

Sarasota Contemporary Dance is known for its syncretistic collaborations between different artists, art forms and attitudes. Its 19th season is no exception. “The Barker Project” kicks it off — with a kick. This kinetic concert is bassist Johnnie Barker’s dazzling, improvisational collaboration with a cohort of talented musicians and SCD dancers. Do they color outside genre lines? Absolutely. Barker’s songand-dance gumbo is rooted in jazz and seasoned with a blend of funk, rock,

blues and gospel. The dancers will be equally fluid in their genre-busting moves. Don’t be surprised when this show surprises you. December 5-8. Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.

Photo by Rod Millington “The Barber of Seville” is one of the most beloved comedic works in the operatic repertory.

Nick Reddel of Ophelia’s on the Bay

This inventive executive chef is an explorer, not a settler. His culinary adventure never ends.

BY MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

Ophelia’s on the Bay combines inventive New World cuisine, a legendary wine list, desserts to die for, and one of the best waterfront views on Siesta Key (and maybe the planet). Under executive chef Nick Reddel’s leadership, it offers something more — the element of surprise. Reddel started out as a sous chef in 2015. The original executive chef, Mike Gutherie, increased Reddel’s responsibilities. In 2021, he officially stepped up to that position. In the years that followed, he’s taken Ophelia’s to new places. Reddel is an explorer, not a settler. As he sees it, that voyage is what being an executive chef is all about.

The secrets of Ophelia’s success include ...

Location, obviously. Our amazing view of Little Sarasota Bay location is second to none. Our menu is equally amazing — along with our desserts and a sommelier-curated wine list. Whatever you choose, you’re in for a treat.

My recipe for fine dining starts with …

Outstanding ingredients, always. Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients inspire me. I buy fresh produce from a farm in Myakka every week. But there’s a limit to the fruits and vegetables that grow in the region, so I don’t stop there. I also find inspiration in global ingredients, but their availability fluctuates. It’s a question of good luck and timing. If I see something great, I’ll grab it.

Once I find outstanding ingredients … … I strive to create unique cuisine without repeating myself. I want to bring an unconventional experience to each dish and just wow you with flavors. Nothing bland, nothing predictable. I want to bring some provocativeness to every dish.

Can you share some insights into your signature dishes?

We’ve kept some long-standing dishes from late ’80s. I’ve developed a few signature dishes reflecting my own culinary style. My Alaskan halibut features a persillade topping with a beautiful, sweet carrot sauce, butter and crème fraîche. But even our signature dishes keep evolving. Ophelia’s menu changes frequently, and that keeps everything exciting and fresh.

Nick Reddel is constantly reinventing the menu to offer guests new taste experiences. Here he shows off one of his signature dishes — Alaskan halibut.

Photos by Lori Sax

Ophelia’s executive chef

What should guests not miss at Ophelia’s?

Definitely the desserts! Our pastry chef is incredibly talented. It’s a shame when guests skip the final course.

I love my job because … … I have a passion for the restaurant industry. You’re constantly learning and you never hit a wall — unless you want to. You keep going, find ways to challenge yourself, and never stop creating. I love to learn, and I’m still learning to this day.

My top two culinary heroes are … Sean Brock and Marco Pierre White. Sean is a master of authentic Southern cuisine; he owns an astounding restaurant in Nashville. The story behind his career is just amazing. Marco is one of the OGs of this business. He’s a very classic, British chef with a restaurant in London — and he literally wrote the book on how to run a kitchen. These two chefs have always been a great influence on me.

Outside Ophelia’s, my favorite local restaurants are … I enjoy Yummy House for Chinese cuisine, J-Pan for sushi, and Origin Pizza for their superb pizza. They make a really great pie!

When I unwind after a long day in the kitchen … … it all begins at home. I’m a family man. When I go home at night, I spend my evenings at home with my wife and kids, sharing a meal and relaxing together. I’ll hang out with the family, eat a little food, talk about the day, and maybe watch TV. Nothing exciting — and that’s what I love about it.

Above: Cheryl and Ed Halveland celebrate their 40th anniversary with a special night at Ophelia’s on the Bay.

Sienna Hall entices guests with a Belgian chocolate tart.

IF YOU GO

Ophelia’s on the Bay 9105 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota; 941-349-2212; OpheliasOnTheBay.net.

Julia Knitel -

Photo by

Sorcha Augustine

Photos by Lori Sax

C.J. and Chelsea Agate with Sarah and Robert Rohanna

Melissa Hulian and Mitch Maley

Michele Allen, Heidi Newman and Val Miller

Martha Collins and Richard Russell, general director of the Sarasota Opera

Barbara and Joe Justiz with Pam Biladeau

CAFE GABBIANO

In this intimate dining getaway located on Siesta Key, Chef Paolo di Costanzo, hailing from Ischia Italy, brings you a diverse seasonal menu. Certified sommelier, Marc Grimaud, specializes in pairing the perfect wine with your food. Enjoy dining in one of our wine rooms, or choose outdoor seating in our climate-controlled patio.

• Open Daily at 5pm

• Locally Sourced

• Award-Winning Wine List

• Handmade Pasta

• In-House Aged Steaks

• Events & Catering Available

5104 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key 941-349-1423 | www.cafegabbiano.com

CHEF ROLF’S NEW FLORIDA KITCHEN

Restaurant, Tiki Bar, Fine Dining & Ballroom

Chef Rolf offers the perfect location at the CASEY KEY RESORTS MAINLAND for your private event and can accommodate up to 200+ people.

Enjoy all of Chef Rolf’s Amazing Dining Experiences:

• The TIKI BAR serving lunch and dinner daily from 12-9pm, happy hour & live music.

• INSIDE DINING ROOM open daily for dinner and Sunday brunch.

• CORAL ROOM FINE DINING open daily for dinner.

• THE OSPREY CAFE serving breakfast daily 8-11am and Sunday brunch 11-2pm.

21660 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey 941.966.2121 | www.ChefRolf.us

Siesta Key Oyster Bar, or “SKOB” as the locals call it, is the hangout with the laid-back, beachy atmosphere that will put you in the Island Spirit. Our food is just one of the reasons we are #1 on the Key!

From Raw Oysters and Fresh Seafood to All-Natural Burgers and Chicken Wings, there is something for everyone on the menu. With over 21 beers on tap including Local Craft Beer, Domestic and Specialty Imports plus a variety of creative Specialty Cocktails you will not go away thirsty!

We have live music every day and night with some of the best local musicians around.

So, the next time you are in the heart of Siesta Key Village and want to relax with a frosty beverage, enjoy some fantastic food, or listen to great live music, stop by SKOB, the Hot Spot in Siesta Key. You’ll be glad you did!

NOW SERVING BRUNCH 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM every Sunday

5238 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key 941.346.5443 | skob.com

KEY ENCOUNTERS

Lido Beach is an enchanting interface, where land, sea and sky blend seamlessly, and the boundaries between civilization and nature blur. Begin your journey at North Lido Beach — a peaceful refuge of towering Australian pines and shaded paths, perfect for picnics, lazy strolls and sunsets that paint the sky in psychedelic hues. Travel south, and the island’s pulse quickens at the public beach pavilion with its swimming pool, shops and

lifeguards, reminding you of human presence. But venture further to the southern tip, where South Lido Park teems with life. Here, amidst soft white sands and powerful currents, you find yourself immersed in the beauty of Big Pass. Mangrove-lined canals hum with wildlife, and nature reigns supreme. Yet, even in this tranquil moment, the gulf’s power lingers — gentle one day, but as seen during our recent storms, capable of revealing its more formidable side. It’s a reminder that nature’s serenity and strength are ever entwined.

LIDO KEY

PHOTO BY NANCY GUTH