Innehållsförteckning för July/August 2021 från Naples Illustrated

SPLATTER SAVOIR FAIRE California glassmaker Annie Morhauser collaborated with her graphic-artist son for Annieglass’ Jaxson collection, which features splatters of 24-karat gold ($88 for the dinner plate). Jett Thompson Home, Naples (jettthompson.com) CIRCLE GETS THE SQUARE Who said geometry can’t be fun? Eastern Accent’s Flossie cotton pillow ($206) plays on shapes and patterns with a lively abstract print of contrasting circles and squares. Robb & Stucky, Naples (robbstucky.com) ACE OF VASE Use LaDorada’s Almendro teardrop vase ($580) as a vessel for your floral masterpieces or feature the intriguing woodand-bone item as a curio-cabinet headliner. Arabesque of Naples (arabesqueofnaples.com) CLIFF DIVING This creased hardwood Cliff mirror from Oly Studio has an organic soul and a beguiling personality—ideal for reflecting your design vision. Linen Coast Home & Interiors, Naples (linencoast.com) POINTS OF…

We all know about endorphins, the spunky polypeptides produced by the body to stimulate feelings of immense pleasure. Eating chocolate and drinking wine are great endorphin releasers, but there’s another source of endorphin production that’s far more effective than any Godiva or Pinot Noir. Let me introduce you to the newest offering from Lamborghini, the tangerine dream machine known as the Huracán EVO RWD Spyder. The endorphins this 602-horsepower, V-10 engined beauty delivers are up there with hearing Pavarotti hit the high notes of “Nessun Dorma” or receiving a basket of kittens to cuddle. There aren’t enough superlatives in Webster’s to adequately describe the way this hurricane-force machine can slingshot itself off the line, dragster-style. Nothing prepares you for the ensuing mayhem as this rocket ship spins its rear wheels…

Hot Spot For views of the New Smyrna Beach Inlet and colorful yachts in the marina while chowing down on fresh blackened fish sandwiches with homemade remoulade, try Outriggers Tiki Bar and Grille (outriggersnsb.com). If you order the Zombie Cocktail—a tropical blend of liquors, fruit juice, citrus, and bitters—be sure someone else is driving! HIDDEN GEM JB’S FISH CAMP (JBSFISHCAMP.COM) AT CANAVERAL NATIONAL SEASHORE IS A CONSISTENTLY GREAT CHOICE FOR SOUTHERN-STYLE SEAFOOD SOURCED FROM LOCAL WATERS. AS YOU SOAK IN A HEALTHY DOSE OF OLD-FLORIDA VIBES, TRY TO SPOT A MANATEE OR TWO SWIMMING OFF OF THE DOCK. Chef-Driven Chefs Jaime and Jeanette Quintana bring a wealth of fine-dining experience to their Baker’s Table (thebakerstablensb.com) restaurant, offering everything from foie gras to warm goat cheese tart, plus a killer ceviche…

Hot Spot In the heart of Alys Beach, a pictureperfect beach town defined by its striking all-white layout, lies the hottest table in the Panhandle: The Citizen (citizenalys.com). This design-forward coastal tavern specializes in flavorful preparations of Gulf-totable riches with an Instagramworthy cocktail menu to match. Order the Andiamo!! (a tableside-prepared, vodka-spiked Aperol spritz over Japanese shaved ice), and feast on a Thai-style Gulf tuna poke, spicy and citrusy Gulf shrimp, potato agnolotti with kale pecan pesto, and local roasted grouper prepared in a savory lemonthyme sauce with tomato, capers, and bacon. Chef-Driven The Florida Panhandle solidifies its status as a foodie destination with the opening of Ovide (hoteleffie.com), the latest plot point by multiple James Beard Award-winning chef Hugh Acheson. At his chic Sandestin restaurant, the acclaimed chef, author,…

The Chef Rachid Platter at Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen gives diners a chance to sample nearly every appetizer on the menu. “Lebanese cuisine is light and healthy,” says co-owner Rachid Eido, who worked at various Four Seasons and Intercontinental properties and served as a personal chef to the Saudi Arabian royal family before coming to Naples. “We don’t cover up vegetables with spices or sauces, and nearly every dish is vegan.” The plate contains hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves, falafel, fatayer spinach, kibbeh with labneh aioli, moussaka, and eggplant salad. “Our food is meant to be shared,” he says. “This sampler is perfect for first-time customers, who can experience a range of dishes so they know what to order when they come back.” (kareemskitchen.com)…

Swimming is the perfect activity for the hot summer months in Southwest Florida. But because water is everywhere in Naples (canals, ponds, pools, the Gulf), you’ve got to be careful, especially with little kids around. “The skill of knowing how to rescue yourself and survive in the water is necessary and vital,” says Jilian Navidonski, manager of Naples Swim School (naplesswimschool.org), where she teaches swimming with her sister and the school’s director, Mary Navidonski. Read on for five important water-safety recommendations.…

NAPLES YACHT CLUB WHAT: 74th Annual Fleet Review & Commissioning Ceremony DETAILS: This tradition includes the induction of the incoming commodore, presentations by dignitaries, the Fleet of Yachts parade through Naples Bay, the blessing of the boats by past commodores, and a celebratory meal. WHERE: Naples Yacht Club NAMI COLLIER COUNTY WHAT: Charity Golf Tournament SUPPORTS: The Shelter for Abused Women & Children WHERE: Moorings Golf & Country Club Visit our website at naplesillustrated.com Naples Illustrated and Palm Beach Media Group North, LLC. retain exclusive rights to all editorial and photographic materials used, which cannot be reproduced in any manner without written consent.…

With a complement of waterfalls, ice caves, black-sand beaches, and glacial volcanoes, Iceland offers an otherworldly escape for Americans who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations. While a visit to the capital city of Reykjavik is a must-do, a two-hour drive to Iceland’s South Coast gives travelers access to some of the island’s most awe-inspiring attractions. Southern Iceland’s wide-open spaces offer plenty of room to socially distance. While the Fagradalsfjall volcano—which began erupting near Reykjavik in March—remains untamed, Iceland has kept the COVID-19 pandemic under control by meticulously tracking cases. Today, U.S. citizens can visit if they’re fully vaccinated or can provide documentation of a prior infection. Upon arrival, visitors must take a PCR test and shelter in place until negative test results are received (typically within 6 to 24 hours).…

Wes Wheeler remembers the call. It was Andy Garcia on the phone. The Untouchables star was making a movie about Ernest Hemingway and his longtime fishing captain, Gregorio Fuentes. Garcia needed to find a replica of Papa Hemingway’s beloved boat, Pilar, and was looking for suggestions. Wheeler is the great-grandson of the Wheeler Shipyard founder. Back in 1934, Hemingway took delivery of a fresh Wheeler 38 Playmate from the Brooklyn yard, paying the then-princely sum of $7,495 for the black-hulled beauty. Christening it Pilar, the nickname of his second wife, Pauline, Hemingway owned the boat for 30 years, chasing big-game fish around the Caribbean and writing most of The Old Man and the Sea from its cockpit while docked in Havana. Alas, nothing came of the movie, which was to…

Take it Home Don’t drink and drive: Grab a can of any of 60 brews (or swag) from the source of craft beer in the Keys: Islamorada Beer Company (islamoradabeerco.com). Their range of beers includes the well known Sandbar Sunday and even a coconut-key lime ale. The brewery and tasting room now features an onsite distillery, too. Locals’ Favorite As fresh as catching it yourself but with no deep-sea fishing charter required, the Fish House (fishhouse.com) in Key Largo is a family-owned spot that’s been open (and adored) since 1982. It’s one of the few remaining establishments that purchases only from local commercial fishermen and fillets everything on the premises. Order the fresh catch prepared in their signature Matecumbe style—featured on the Food Network—and prepare to be blown away by…

Locals’ Favorite Given Tampa’s youthful population (bolstered by two universities), there’s no shortage of hip brunch spots. Two of the best are Oxford Exchange (oxfordexchange.com)—an Instagramfamous boutique/resto with playful bites like poppy seed pancakes and whipped feta with toasted pistachios—and Steelbach (steelbach.com), a haven for Southern delicacies in the überpopular Armature Works food hall (armatureworks.com). WHERE TO STAY The boutique Hotel Haya (hotelhaya.com) embodies the best of new and old Ybor. The boutique property, opened last fall, spans two historic buildings: one that formerly housed Tampa’s oldest restaurant and another believed to have been a haunt of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. Tampa-based Alfonso Architects is responsible for the mid-century-meets-global-casita decor. Throughout, you’ll spot creations by local makers, including cigars by J.C. Newman Cigars (a nod to Ybor’s tobacco-steeped…

Fortunately for Naples, chef Vincenzo Betulia feels we can never have enough of a good thing. In April, he branched out from 5th Avenue South and brought a second location of his popular Italian gastropub, Bar Tulia, to Mercato. “I wanted to be in North Naples from the beginning,” he says, “but couldn’t find the right location. When Mercato offered me this intimate location, I took the op - portunity to expand and innovate.” Bar Tulia at Mercato has an eclec - tic menu focused on the cuisine of the southern Mediterranean (think Spain, Morocco, Corsica, Sicily, and Sardinia). Betulia describes it as a hybrid of his three restaurants: there’s garganelli with lamb neck sugo from Osteria Tulia, steak frites from The French, and original Bar Tulia favorites such as…

Adorable Monique captures mangroves, birds, and other flora and fauna of the Everglades with her vibrant palette and expressive strokes in acrylics. Born in Chicago and raised in Central America, the award-winning artist is now based in Southwest Florida. Her work has been shown in public installations in Broward and Collier counties and is on display in her Un Tributo al Educador mural in Intibucá, Honduras. Her paintings have been exhibited at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and on the cover of the Naples Charity Register. Her artist’s statement declares that she believes “in the mission and vision to preserve natural resources, hoping that my art may speak to the audience and create consciousness towards nature.” Check out her work in “Connections in Nature: The Art of Adorable Monique” at the Naples…

Paint is powerful. When you cover mustard, brown, and dark green ceilings and walls with icy blues, silver, and soft whites, the result is similar to opening all the doors and windows and filling a four-bedroom home with fresh air. Pops of blush further extend a breezy color palette. “I don’t think there was a surface in this house that wasn’t painted, polished, or embellished in some way,” says interior designer Beth Walker-Fenton of Jinx McDonald Interior Designs in Naples. The overhaul took nearly a year to complete, as all of the faux treatments were removed—most notably, the round yellow living room pillars—and were replaced with serene touches like custom white wood columns. The clients opted to keep the rare sunny travertine flooring running throughout. Because the home was sold…

Locals’ Favorite When it opened in 2007, The Ravenous Pig (theravenouspig.com) heralded the city’s arrival as a serious food destination. Nearly 15 years later, owners James and Julie Petrakis continue to grow their gastropub into one of the best restaurants in the South. The addition of former Dovecote chef-owner Clay Miller as chef de cuisine only solidified the Pig’s rep as the place to indulge in elevated pub fare with a Southern twang (mulard duck ham, lamb saddle, or pork burnt ends, anyone?). On tap are small-batch craft beers produced by the Ravenous Pig Brewing Co., which is situated next to the restaurant’s newly constructed family-friendly beer garden. Chef-Driven Mike Collantes, the classically trained chef who’s worked with such A-listers as Wolfgang Puck, Joël Robuchon, Eric Ripert, and Masa Takayama,…

Locals’ Favorite Walk through downtown to historic Burns Court—where 1920s bungalows dot the landscape—to Owen’s Fish Camp (owensfishcamp.com). Ask for a table under the light-strung banyan tree, a gift from Thomas Edison to the restaurant’s original owner. While you wait (they don’t take reservations), snap an Insta-worthy selfie on the nearby tire swing. Menuwise, don’t miss the local Cedar Key clams bathed in a chorizo and saffron-scented broth or the Creole fish gumbo with crawfish tails. Shrimp and grits and the Low-Country boil are staples here, but the oysters (grilled or raw) are the main attraction. Save room for the fried black cherry pie à la mode; it’s semi-legendary for a reason. Hot Spot On Longboat Key, Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub (marvistadining.com) invites you to relax under a…

LAKE KISSIMMEE STATE PARK See the 1991 film City Slickers before visiting this state park, an 1876 cow camp where cowboy heritage remains alive and kicking. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect is the living history reenactment each weekend, which transports visitors to a time when a “cow hunter’s” life was spent herding cattle between Florida’s cow camps and downtime was spent on hard ground beside a campfire. Payment in Spanish gold doubloons was a decent enough incentive, say the actor cowboys, but probably few of us city slickers would last a day. Boat, canoe, fish, stargaze, or hike more than 13 miles of verdant pathways—keep your eyes peeled for white-tailed deer and bald eagles—or venture out on horseback through well groomed trails. (floridastateparks.org/parksand-trails/lake-kissimmee-statepark) BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK Hundreds of manatees…

For wine lovers yearning to get back on the vineyard trail this summer, there’s bad news and good news: Many European countries may not be accepting visitors, but emerging wine regions in our own country still await discovery. If you’re looking to explore beyond the usual suspects in California, Oregon, and Washington State, consider these lesser-known areas: Finger Lakes, New York State: The pioneer of the region was Dr. Konstantin Frank, who emigrated from the Soviet Union in the early 1950s and found the climate to be perfect for Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Today there are over 130 wineries in the area concentrated around Lake Ontario as well as Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua Lakes. A good place to start is Dr. Frank’s winery in Hammondsport, which remains family-run.…