Gulfshore Life - May 2025

ENDURING GRACE

THE BEST OF ISSUE

REFLECTING THE GULF’S TALENTS AND VISIONS— BELOVED, EMERGING AND UNMISTAKABLY OURS

Don’t Let Perfection Pass You By.

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116 / The Vision Behind Marissa Collections

Few figures have shaped Naples’ style and spirit like Marissa Hartington, whose legacy is still unfolding 50 years in.

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Dreaming Bigger

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130 / Harold Balink’s Enduring Culinary Mission

An uncontested Fort Myers standout, the chef pours his heart into every globally inspired dish at his eponymous restaurant.

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Design Legacy: London Bay at 35

Table Art: Paristo-Naples porcelain

Debuts: New home decor shops

Stylish Finds: Lounging luxuries

Grounds: Top SWFL trainers

Beauty Fix: Nontoxic essentials

Nature Escape: Kayaking in Bokeelia

Life on the Gulf

Local Sound: Fort Myers’ next rockstars

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Agenda: Top events for May

294

Dining Guide: 150+ essential restaurants

Since

Publisher

Carin Keane

Editor in Chief

Stephanie Granada

Creative Director

Scott Glick

Editor at Large

Dorothea Hunter Sönne

Assistant Managing Editor

Addison Pezoldt

Senior Editor

Emma Witmer, Arts + Culture

Assistant Editors

Emily Flournoy

Annamarie Simoldoni

Visvajit Sriramrajan

Editorial Fellows

Jasmine Heckerman

Micaela Saad

Sydney Sakalosky

Contributing Editors

Jennifer Cole

Samantha Garbarini

ART

Art Director

Alberto Orta

P hoto Editor

Elizabeth Bankmann

ADVERTISING

National Account Director

Wendy Tooley

Marketing Consultants

Holly Baldwin

Natasha Gonzalez

Meredith Parsons

MARKETING

Director of Marketing and Events

Samantha Tobias

Digital Marketing Manager

Meagan Bonesteel

CIRCULATION

Director of Audience Development

Kerri Nolan

PRODUCTION

Production Manager

Martha Leavitt

ADMINISTRATION

Advertising Services Manager/

Reprint Sales & Distribution

Kathleen Hill

President

Jim Schwartzel

Evy Great Design

BEGINS WITH AN EVEN BETTER STORY. YOURS.

“Their extraordinary vision, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to balance creativity with functionality brought our design dreams to life.”

- Angela Scherder

Reader Services

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Gulfshore

NORTH NAPLES

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Ingrid Aielli Co-Owner, Aielli Group 2016 Woman of the Year

Dwayne Bergmann Principal Designer/ Owner, Dwayne Bergmann Interiors

Man of the Year

David Corban President, David Corban Architects

Man of the Year

Brooke Denson Real Estate Professional, Dina Marie Realty Trustee and Treasurer, SWFL Children’s Charities 2019 Woman of the Year

Rebecca Maddox Owner/Developer, Three60 Market, Three60 Wine and Celebration Park

Woman of the Year

Gail Markham Founding Partner, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company

Mary Susan Clinton Founder, Gallien Global Vision Inc. Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation

Woman of the Year

Denise Cobb Chair, Community Advisory Board Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation 2000 Woman of the Year

Ellin Goetz President, Goetz+Stropes Landscape Architects 2000 Woman of the Year

Jennifer McCurry Jewelry Buyer and Curator, G. J. G, Marissa Collections

Adria Starkey President, Collier FineMark National Bank & Trust Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation

Woman of the Year

Sandra Stilwell Youngquist Owner and CEO, Stilwell Enterprises

Woman of the Year

Kathleen van Bergen CEO and President, Artis—Naples 2012 Woman of the Year

Mark Loren Head Jewelry Designer/Owner, Mark Loren Designs

Man of the Year

Elliott H. Singer Managing Director and Founder, Fairview Advisors Trustee, Naples Children & Education Foundation Member-at-Large

Leopoldo Baccaro, MD

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On the Cover

Marissa Hartington— founder of Marissa Collections, photographed with a Richard Segalman painting in her Naples residence by Omar Cruz.

HMUA: Dani Taverna, Duality Artisty

Styling: Marissa Collections

Marissa wears a Brunello Cucinelli dress; necklaces and ring from Sylva & Cie.

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Subjectively Yours

We try not to play favorites. Really, we do. But some places— and some people—just keep pulling us back in.

Maybe it’s a kind of gravitational force. Or maybe it’s just the obvious truth: Certain groups keep shaping the cultural landscape in ways that demand a closer look. That’s how I found myself, twice in the span of a few weeks, transfixed at Artis—Naples. First, the center’s magnetic leader, Kathleen van Bergen, invited me to hear the London Philharmonic perform. From her center box seat, I had a clear view of the stage, the audience, the whole experience. I’d expected to get up at intermission to shake out my usual restless energy. I didn’t move. I was completely absorbed—held in place not by formality or etiquette but by sheer fascination.

I spent the next several nights reading about concertmasters and composers. Not long after, I joined Kathleen again to watch the organization’s new artistic and music director, Alexander Shelley, conduct works by British

composer Anna Clyne, followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 . Two very different energies, equally arresting. One institution, constantly revealing more layers. (Harriet Howard Heithaus, Naples’ definitive arts authority, traces Alexander’s debut season on p. 66.)

The same could be said of Marissa Hartington, whose name has been synonymous with Naples style for decades. I’ve long wanted to write about her, and this month, we finally had the chance. Marissa Collections turns 50 this year. That milestone opened the door— but what made the story possible was Marissa herself, lowering the veil just enough to show the woman behind the icon. I spoke with friends, family, mentees and designers. What emerged wasn’t a profile of a fashion retailer but of a Renaissance woman who reads voraciously, plays piano, cooks for friends and family, and speaks with quiet but clear conviction. A woman who’s famously particular but deeply nurturing. Who would rather talk about the work than about herself—but whose life, in many ways, is a work of art.

Our Best of the Gulf issue is built around the things we (and you) can’t stop thinking about. Every story in these pages began with a favorite: a place, a person, a dish, a design detail that someone on our team or Community Advisory

Board nominated because they genuinely love it. We looked for patterns—overlapping recommendations, curious contrasts— and built stories around the common threads.

Is that favoritism? Maybe. But lifestyle journalism isn’t about neutrality for its own sake; it’s about discernment, context, taste. It’s about knowing the difference between what’s buzzy and what endures. So yes, we’re partial—to this region, to its institutions and to the people who keep making it more layered, vibrant and fascinating. Favorites, every last one of you.

Granada Editor in Chief

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Talk of the Town

This month, we say farewell to another vibrant, event-filled season in Southwest Florida. As we embrace some welcome rest and relaxation, we also find time to reflect on our region’s great experiences. Our highly anticipated Best of the Gulfshore annual awards celebrate the best that Collier and Lee counties have to offer.

This year, we’ve reached an exciting milestone. Thanks to you, our readers, we received a record number of online votes—an outpouring of enthusiasm for your favorite local establishments. We couldn’t be more grateful for

your participation, which not only showcases your loyalty to the businesses that make this region special but also highlights the incredible diversity and vibrancy of our community. Whether you cast a vote for a favorite restaurant, builder or wellness service, your input makes a difference. We’re excited to share our picks with you, too. Each winter, we ask our staff and members of the Gulfshore Life Community Advisory Board to share their favorite spots across Southwest Florida. From new restaurants to innovative institutions that have shaped the community for decades, it’s a joy to assemble a list of what we’re currently loving. Their personal insights, gleaned from community relationships, provide an extra layer of thoughtfulness to this issue and highlight the wide range of experiences our region has to offer.

As you flip through the issue, consider it your ultimate ‘go-to’ guide. From fashion to fitness

and everything in between, these pages are filled with the very best recommendations from the people who know Southwest Florida best—insiders and engaged locals like you.

Thank you again to everyone who voted and made this year’s Best of the Gulfshore the best one yet. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Carin Keane Publisher

Gulfshore Treasures

Naples architect and Gulfshore Life Community Advisory Board member

David Corban’s new Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

boardwalk exemplifies sustainable design that harmonizes with nature. The structure draws inspiration from traditional Florida Cracker design while incorporating modern elements like 100% recycled steel, seamlessly connecting past and present. Our suggestion: Take this issue featuring our favorite people, places and moments throughout Southwest Florida to this spot, where the Gulf’s natural beauty provides an ideal backdrop for a leisurely read.

BEST OF SEASON / People, places + ideas making waves on the Gulf

Garbarini

Star Power

Contributing

editor Samantha Garbarini’s new go-to sits atop the recently opened Perry Hotel in Naples, where the perfumed flavors and communal spirit of Cantonese cuisine take center stage.

When the sizzling vegetable fried rice hits our table at Tigress Restaurant & Rooftop Bar, the four-month-old restaurant at equally new The Perry Hotel in North Naples, the people next to us stop and stare. Around the edges of the platter, the grains sputter and crackle in a savory soy sauce butter, throwing off plumes of steam scented with winter black truffle.

As the sizzle dies down, our spread still seems to be a point of fascination—maybe because our table, composed of two former Gulfshore Life dining editors, has ordered an ungodly amount of food. Two people don’t usually try to take on half the menu. Tigress has many markers to pique a food editor’s interest. The Cantonese chophouse is the latest opening from multi hyphenate celebrity chef, restaurateur and

television personality Dale Talde. Another of his Cantonese restaurants, New York’s Goosefeather, earned him a James Beard Award nomination and a coveted spot on Esquire’s 2020 “Best New Restaurants in America” list. The adjacent, open-air bar, dubbed Easy Tiger, features a modern Asian cocktail list by master bartender

Lynnette Marrero, the force behind some of New York City’s top cocktail programs. Set atop a hot new hotel, both have sweeping views of tangled mangroves that stretch toward the Gulf. Fittingly, both are also perpetually packed.

Yet somewhere around the sizzling vegetable fried rice it occurs to me that Tigress is more than the big names

behind it. It’s the rare dining experience that fosters a sense of connection with the people around the table—passing plates of sliced hamachi topped with pineapple and chili crisp, striking up conversation about whether you should order the dry-aged beef or spicy chicken dumplings with the neighboring table, mutually agreeing it’s OK to use your hands to pick the last fatty bits from the best-I’ve-had lamb chops. “Cantonese cuisine is meant for sharing,” Dale tells me a few weeks after our dinner at Tigress. “In a [screen-oriented] time when dining can feel disconnected, we wanted to create a space that naturally fosters conversation and connection.”

Broward County-based design firm

Casa Conde & Associates conceived the restaurant to encourage diners to gather in groups. The dining room has almost no two-tops—a rarity for restaurants that want to leave no seat unoccupied—opting instead for a series of horseshoe-shaped banquettes, softly lit by galvanized steel mesh chandeliers. Envisioning the restaurant as a jewel box, they filled it with little, eye-catching gems—a large mural of tropical flora with miniature tigers tucked among the foliage, vintage ginger jars and collections of Chinese opera characters. But the real treasures are meant to be consumed. Every meal should start with a drink from Easy Tiger. Lynnette has built

The hotel’s dining program advances Naples’ Asian restaurant renaissance. At the rooftop chophouse, Tigress, celebrity chef Dale Talde (bottom left) brings his acclaimed modern lens on Cantonese cuisine, while Lynnette Marrero (top right) makes Asian ingredients sing on the cocktail menu at the open-air bar, Easy Tiger.

Dale honors Cantonese cuisine’s communal spirit with shareable plates that riff on dim sum and barbecued meats, like the dry-aged crown of duck on a stack of Hong Kong-style French toast.

her reputation around tapping into varying regional identities with cocktails, garnering a James Beard Award nomination for the South American spirits program at Brooklyn Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn. For Easy Tiger, she looked to Hong Kong’s vibrant bar scene for inspiration, infusing Asian ingredients into classic cocktails, like a riff on the Gibson made with Japanese gin and pickled shiitake mushroom or a Cognac highball with Szechuan peppercorn, coconut and dragon fruit. “It’s really calling out things being used on the food menu,” she says. “We’re leaning into those Chinese ingredients [for] a surprising twist on flavors.”

Dale similarly riffs on the pillars of Cantonese cuisine through a modern, global lens. “I love the combination of dim sum, noodles and barbecue pork,” he

says. “Through technique and creativity, we bring elements together in a way that honors tradition while offering a fresh take.” Pillowy bao are stuffed with chilled lobster salad or Nashville hot chicken; the lacquered, dry-aged crown of duck teeters on a stack of Hong Kong-style French toast; and the classic char siu is made with richly marbled, heritage-breed Berkshire pork belly. Everything arrives neatly sliced or individually portioned to share.

The restaurant and bar mark the newest additions to Naples’ recent Asian restaurant renaissance, with places like Ichi Togarashi, Tong Yin and the forthcoming Blackbird Modern Asian. These establishments showcase a more nuanced, region-specific approach to the continent and its myriad flavors, with Tigress devoting itself to the dim sum, barbecue and

wok-fired traditions that define the cooking of Hong Kong and southern China.

As the evening wears on, we pack up the last of our feast to take home. But first, dessert. Tigress has only a few house-made options. Naturally, we get them all. As we taste the different items, we debate the merits of each. Do we prefer the warm mochi waffles with sweet, almost floral mango sorbet? Or is the tart, shaved calamansi and yuzu ice the perfect foil to all that buttery rice and meat? The debate never gets settled. As we pass the plates back and forth, the conversation gradually shifts away from work to discuss friends, family and, of course, food. It’s exactly as Dale intended—a genuine connection spurred by the sharing of cocktails, dim sum, sizzling fried rice and the discovery of a new favorite restaurant.

GLAMOUR & GOOD TIMES

Aged to Perfection

Senior editor Emma Witmer crowns Downtown Fort Myers as an emerging cocktail capital. We sent trusted contributor and gal-abouttown Stephanie Davis to uncover how history and craft now converge in the district.

No one would fault you for conjuring the stereotype when you think of Fort Myers nightlife: neon-soaked dive bars, bass-thumping dance clubs and beachside beer buckets. But in the past year, something more refined has emerged alongside the familiar party scene. A wave of craft cocktail establishments— at least three of which opened this past season—is reshaping Downtown Fort Myers into what might become Southwest Florida’s top address for the well-heeled and well-served.

I’ve covered downtown’s nightlife since moving to the neighborhood in the late 1990s. Back then, the area was largely abandoned after dark, save for rare exceptions like The Veranda, where after nearly 50 years, lawyers and judges still settle cases over precisely balanced martinis in the lounge, nicknamed ‘Courtroom V.’ Over the decades, European investment, the arrival of Florida Repertory Theatre and a $40 million streetscape project revitalized the neighborhood. Still, the moonlit milieu remained primarily focused on volume over craft.

Now, as Lee County absorbs a tide of metropolitan émigrés fleeing congested urban cores, downtown is answering the plea for nuanced libations and atmospheric indulgence. “[In a city like

Asheville], even the bar at the Holiday Inn does amazing cocktails,” says Nils Richter, co-owner of Sip & Sizzle, which opened in January in a 1914 Beaux Arts-inspired landmark. “Fort Myers needs more of that—and that’s what we’re aiming to do.”

The downtown setting—with century-old architectural gems clustered within a four-block radius—gives the area an undeniable edge. The patina of time, with walls steeped in decades of conviviality, offers a layered ambience modern venues can only imitate. History isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a guiding force.

Preservation is as essential as the alchemy behind the bar. Original brick and ghost stories shape the appeal as much as the artisanal bitters and house-infused syrups, creating a scene that feels both worldly and deeply rooted in place. “I didn’t come up with the theme—the space itself dictated the theme,” says Raimond

Aulen of The 86 Room, which led the way for speakeasy-style joints when it debuted inside the century-old Greystone Hotel in 2014. A member of the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, Raimond created a portal through time. Past the bar’s Patio de Leon threshold, silent films flicker on exposed brick walls as bartenders in suspenders stir up classics behind a bar of salvaged cypress from the nearby old McCrory’s building. Moonshine is a mainstay on the menu, and much of the vintage glassware comes from Raimond’s antique store down the road.

Order a Sazerac, and it arrives in an absinthe-rinsed glass, set aflame on the copper countertop, where the ‘green fairy’ can mesmerize onlookers.

Historical reverence also drives Sip & Sizzle’s Nils, part of a cadre of Germans who arrived in the 1990s and began

New and established cocktail lounges are redefining Downtown Fort Myers with a reverence for history and serious craft behind the bar. At the pink piano-adorned Escondido Lounge, nods to local legends include drinks like the Ty Cobb and Thomas Edison.

Housed in the centuryold Greystone Hotel, The 86 Room opened in 2014. The bar’s emphasis on historic preservation and speakeasystyle cocktails paved the way for the district’s newest bars.

At these spots, every detail—from the bar’s finish to the housemade tinctures—is carefully considered. The 86 Rooms’ vintage glassware, from the owner’s antique store, reinforces the 1920s atmosphere.

rehabilitating neglected architectural gems. His new restaurant strikes a balance between a chophouse (guests sear Wagyu and halibut on tableside volcanic stone slabs) and a 14-seat cocktail bar. The team preserved history by restoring the original brick and floor tile and layering in pressed tin ceilings. But they didn’t resist a touch of modern spectacle: a vertical conveyor of top-shelf spirits now draws the eye from the sidewalk.

Newcomers push the Roaring Twenties influence even further. Escondido Lounge emerged in November as downtown’s only true speakeasy, concealed behind a freezer door inside Taco Works. Head bartender Andrew Mazzarella draws from more than 20 tequilas and mezcals to craft libations that balance smoke, spice and tropical brightness. His standout Ty Cobb combines Union mezcal, housemade passion fruit purée, fresh lime and spicy bit-

ters—a nod to the legend who helped bring spring training to Fort Myers. The Thomas Edison keeps with the reverent theme and showcases the team’s inventiveness, with its cream cheese foam atop a rum-guava-lime concoction. To fuel the late-night revelry at this two-story hideaway (the bar’s open until 2 a.m.), there’s a tight menu of paninis and pizzas. The format has proved so successful that there’s a second location planned for Cape Coral. While not secreted, Hogwash captures the speakeasy spirit through its sleek Art Deco interior, which was completely overhauled and hand-finished to replicate historic elements. Owner Kevin Offerman named the bar for his grandfather, a Korean War fighter pilot. “They weren’t supposed to curse [on the cockpit radio], so he said ‘hogwash’ instead,” bar manager Austin Zajack explains. A small screen plays vintage footage of

the patriarch flying, creating a connection to the past that feels personal rather than performative.

Back in Patio de Leon, a charming brick courtyard anchoring the historic district, an outpost of Cape Coral’s 10 Twenty Five has been advancing Fort Myers’ drinking standards with its serious bar program since 2018. Spanning two floors of a Mission Revival gem, the rock-and-roll-tinged pub—with big screens, family-friendly atmosphere and sultry upstairs lounge—defies easy categorization. “We’re one of the only places downtown where you can enjoy an expertly prepared cocktail and a big cheeseburger at the bar,” says owner Chad Zollinger, who grew up exploring the surrounding streets. Head bartender Emilee Werline leads a collaborative program where staff votes on drink recipes and names, yielding playful concoctions like the Health Is Wealth, a vodka and apricot

liqueur sipper. Fortified with chamomile, turmeric and bitters, it’s presented with baby’s breath clipped to the rim with a tiny clothespin. “A cocktail without a garnish is a sin,” Emilee insists. While Fort Myers may not yet rival cocktail capitals, the scene’s rapid evolution signals a broader shift in how trends spread in our coastal enclave. What once took a decade to reach Southwest Florida now arrives at metropolitan speed. “Downtown is catching up as it transitions from dive-type bars to more elegance, professionalism and nostalgia,” Hogwash’s bartender says. With these heritage-honoring, dynamic publicans at the helm, the spirited movement continues evolving into something aspirational and authentic. Downtown Fort Myers isn’t trying to be Miami or emulate Asheville; the neighborhood is crafting its own identity, one pour at a time.

Nikki Miller-Ka

Steady Anchor

With seafood that consistently wows and a loyal following that spans decades, USS Nemo earns resounding praise as a Naples finedining essential.

On an evening at Naples’ USS Nemo, the hum of conversation rises and falls like the tide. The clink of glasses and occasional bursts of laughter carry across the dining room, where servers glide between tables, balancing plates of delicate sashimi and expertly broiled fish. Aromatic notes of brine, citrus and miso waft through the air behind the buttoned-up staff, as a couple toasts an anniversary in the corner booth and a group of friends at the bar debates ordering another round of foie gras-topped tuna Wellington.

For 25 years, USS Nemo has been an unwavering outpost in Naples’ ever-evolving restaurant landscape, beloved for its

impeccable seafood, warm hospitality and undeniable magic—virtues espoused again and again as we tapped our Community Advisory Board for their all-time favorite fine-dining institution. During a meeting, the cadre of local luminaries—including FineMark National Bank & Trust executive Adria Starkey, Artis—Naples CEO Kathleen van Bergen and acclaimed architect David Corban—delivered a chorus of endorsements for the enduring gem. “My husband and I made this an official date night when we started dating 25 years ago. The food has always been amazing,” Adria notes, speaking to the reliable excellence that keeps patrons hooked.

Tucked into a strip mall along U.S. 41, USS Nemo makes quite a first impression with its unabashedly thematic decor— ocean-blue walls, faux portholes and submarine-inspired motifs. In an era when seafood restaurants increasingly favor minimalist aesthetics and neutral palettes, Nemo’s earnest maritime look feels charmingly retro. The surroundings also serve as a clear declaration of the restaurant’s singular focus: Here, seafood is king.

After nearly 20 years at the helm, chefowner Nicolas Mercier sold the restaurant in 2018 to longtime manager Stephane

Plante and his wife, Sylvie Lafrance, who’ve retained much of the celebrated repertoire. The signature, miso-broiled sea bass (inspired by celebrity chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa’s iconic preparation of cod) remains silky and moist, accented by a bright, citrus-ginger butter sauce. The dish has such a strong cult following that The New York Times once wrote it was reason enough to visit the city.

Other specialties similarly layer flavors and global inspirations. Tuna is prepared Wellington-style, topped with a slab of foie gras and puff pastry to evoke the decadence of the special-occasion beef roast. Blackened salmon is rubbed with tandoori spices and served with yogurt-based raita, dill sauce and mango chutney. And in a dish that our editor-at-large Dorothea Hunter Sönne swears by, USS Nemo breaks the cardinal no-cheese-with-seafood rule, pairing grilled tuna with rounds of warm goat cheese, lobster risotto and balsamic vinegar. “Even though [the restaurant] feels like something comfortable that hasn’t changed much over the years, the way they prepare fish is exciting and inventive,” the longtime food writer says, commending the diverse preparations and

nuanced flavor interplays that transform a consistent menu into an ever-surprising culinary adventure.

USS Nemo bolsters its culinary offerings with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence-winning cellar. General manager and wine director Éric Blais orchestrates pairings that elevate the ocean-driven cuisine. He’ll recommend a crisp Sancerre pour to slice through the richness of miso-glazed sea bass or select a robust Burgundy that stands toe-to-toe with bold, blackened grouper. Along with the classics, Éric and fellow sommelier Piotr Lewandowski source lesser-known styles to excite wine geeks, like effervescent Txakolina from Spain’s Basque region and Uruguayan albariño with a bright, seafood-friendly acidity.

As Naples’ food scene continues to evolve, one thing seems certain: Long after the next wave of trendy openings, USS Nemo will still be here serving impeccable seafood and creating lasting memories. “I bring out-of-town guests [to Nemo] regularly,” Kathleen, of Artis— Naples, says. “The strip mall location hides a fantastic culinary experience. [Everyone I bring there] loves the meal, and without fail, they ask to return on their next visit.”

After 25 years, Naples’ USS Nemo—with its retro nautical interiors—continues to innovate, serving dishes like the blackened salmon tandoori, with yogurt-cumin and dill sauce and mango chutney. The award-winning wine list, curated by sommeliers Éric Blais and Piotr Lewandowski (top left), adds the perfect complement.

PARADISE FOUND

This project has been fi led in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Equal Housing Opportunity. Rosewood Residences Naples is owned and being developed, offered and sold by WSR NB, LLC (“Developer”). The project is not owned, developed or sold by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. or any of its affi liates (“Rosewood”). Developer uses the Rosewood marks pursuant to a license agreement with Rosewood, which may be terminated under certain conditions. Rosewood does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with the condominium. Copyright 2025 © All Rights Reserved.

Crumb Trail

Contributor Chanda Jamieson chronicles the most soulful corners of Southwest Florida culture. This month, she and her 7-year-old daughter embark on a sugar-fueled jaunt through three of the region’s enduring, old-fashioned bakeries.

The allure of a neighborhood bakeshop transcends time and place. At these community hubs, butter, sugar and eggs are transformed into pillowy doughnuts, luscious icing and delicate meringues to mark moments big and small. This spring, my 7-year-old daughter, Tilly, and I spent a weekend joining the morning rush at three longstanding institutions to capture little glimpses of daily life inside these local favorites.

Trackside

Donuts & Cafe, Bonita Springs

Bleary-eyed business folks in starched shirts queue with flipflop-wearing tourists beneath the steepled red roof of Bonita Springs’ Trackside Donuts on an early morning. The former 1960s-era Dairy Queen stands as a beacon, drawing locals who pilgrimage across counties for old-fashioned fritters and yeasted loops glossy with glaze. As the procession shuffles forward, bakers waltz trays of still-warm doughnuts out of the kitchen. Unlike bakeries that use machines to produce doughnuts in bulk, Trackside rolls, stamps and twists each pastry by

hand. The staff starts at 3 a.m. daily to fill and frost up to 36 varieties, from peanut butter and jelly to Key lime.

The honey-dipped and plate-sized apple fritters are the reigning favorites—and, consequently, first to sell out. Co-owner Dodie Pajer, who bought the 15-year-old shop in 2020, has just sold the last autumn-sweet knot as we reach the counter, so Tilly and I happily change our order to cherry. We head toward a line of turquoise tables, where two men wave their white plastic forks in the air and tip their coffee. I smile at their Friday tradition before breaking our fritter in half and taking a bite. The crisp vanilla glaze gives way to a soft, slightly sweet dough studded with tart, ruby-red fruit. My little one smacks her lips and widens her eyes. “Do you like it?” I ask, knowing the answer.

Mikkelsen’s Pastry Shop, Naples

At the North Naples bakeshop, a little girl and her brother clasp the window ledge. Co-owner Paw Mikkelsen, who grew up whipping eggs and sugar into stiff peaks, first at his parents’ bakery in

As mom-and-pop bakeshops vanish, these three institutions stand as community anchors. At Mikkelsen’s (above), co-owner Elizabeth Mikkelsen (right) greets customers as her husband, Paw, whips up bite-sized confections.

Denmark, then at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, is carving a teddy bear out of chocolate, whittling the dense mass into a lifelike cub. A trail of customers snakes from the door to the pastry case, gradually emptying it of almond croissants, chocolate eclairs, petits fours and chocolate tuxedo strawberries. Tilly and I share a slice of lemon cake blanketed in thick, bittersweet European buttercream so rich it can only be described as velvet.

For 25 years, Neapolitans have marked their milestones with one of Mikkelsen’s custom confections. Paw’s wife, co-owner and fellow Ritz alum, Elizabeth, warmly greets each customer, often conversing with families who’ve come to the bakery for generations. As the morning rush dies down, she begins tallying the cake orders: a chocolate marquis for a husband’s retirement, a Stetson-topped vanilla sponge with lemon curd and blueberries for a baby shower and pearl-encrusted tiers for a spring wedding. The bride’s parents had a Mikkelsen’s wedding cake, too, and returned to the bakery every year thereafter for their daughter’s birthday. As Tilly and I take our final bites, she

wonders aloud if she can have her own this year—an 8th birthday marked in chocolate velvet.

European-American Bakery Cafe, Fort Myers

“Do you have Kringle?” a Danish grandmother asks. The girl behind the counter at Fort Myers’ European-American Bakery Cafe (EA Bake) pulls out an array of braided dough, each revealing fruit, poppy seeds or nuts beneath a shower of icing or powdered sugar. Tilly joins the woman’s grandchildren in chanting for strawberry, eager to try what reminds her of a store-bought Danish but is something else altogether—the lighter, more delicate texture cradling bites of ripe strawberry preserve.

Part European bakery and part hash-slinging diner, EA Bake has been a community staple since 1977, when Macedonian immigrants Zlata and Sam Savich relocated her family’s European bakery from Detroit to Southwest Florida. The bakeshop is one of the city’s few remaining bastions of traditional, old-fashioned

European pastries, crafted from recipes that have been passed down through generations. Each morning, regulars file in looking for a sticky slice of baklava or a pillowy Portuguese sweet bread— finding little enclaves of their home countries along our sandy shores. Among the customer favorites are the Italian cookies, like amaretto biscotti and lacy Florentines. My daughter passes me an Italian rainbow cookie, its dense tricolor almond sponge threaded with apricot and raspberry jam. “This tastes like Nonna’s,” she says.

As we return to the car, the seats still strewn with little bags of cookies, I reflect on each bakery. What might we lose if they were to vanish as so many mom-and-pop bakeshops have? These community anchors are grounded in traditional techniques, culinary identity and personal relationships—an alchemy that’s impossible to achieve with mass-production. Tilly isn’t preoccupied with such philosophical questions. “Can we do this every weekend?” she asks with a smile, her cheeks as red as cherries.

At Trackside Donuts in Bonita Springs, the team begins each day at 3 a.m., twisting, looping and filling every pastry by hand.

Conducting Connection

Art critic Harriet Howard Heithaus reflects on Alexander Shelley’s triumphant debut season at the helm of Artis—Naples and its acclaimed philharmonic.

When Alexander Shelley answers the phone to discuss his first full season as the artistic and music director for Artis—Naples, there’s a symphony close by—one of buzzing insects and sloshing water. The British-born conductor is deep in the Everglades with his family, exploring his new musical home. For conductors like Alexander—who rotate between multiple posts around the world—home can be a fluid concept. But in Naples, Alexander has begun to lay down roots.

His adventures continue throughout Naples’ varied pocket communities: Morning runs are punctuated with neighborly conversation; post-concert receptions and community events nurture new relationships. Under Alexander’s

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baton, even the podium at Artis—Naples has become a platform for connection. That’s his mission: to connect with the spirit of Southwest Florida and deepen its residents’ connections with the music.

I first saw the conductor perform in 2023 during his auditions with Naples Philharmonic, where he performed an hour-long piece by Wagner without a score. While his musical acumen continues to impress, his mastery of audience engagement sets Alexander apart. He’s broken the monolithic image of the silent conductor, addressing audiences directly with commentary and personal insights into the music. “I try to keep it brief, but it can offer [an environment] for people to contextualize or make heads or tails out of some of these pieces,” he says. “If I can frame the ‘why’ of a composer’s choice, then the audience is forewarned and forearmed.”

Two years of regional immersion, beginning with a stint as Artis—Naples’ artistic and music director designate in 2023, have led Alexander to know and trust his audience. “There’s a great variety of people who come to the concerts. They’ve come to this place because it’s

Appointed in 2023, Alexander Shelley formally stepped into his role as Artis—Naples’ artistic and music director with a bold debut season. From Beethoven’s Ninth to socially charged contemporary works, his programming pushed the Naples Philharmonic into deeper, more daring territory.

“He’s broken the monolithic image of the silent conductor,” says local arts authority Harriet Howard Heithaus.

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got a quality which is very rare,” the conductor says. “They ask questions— they are thoughtful, inquisitive and interesting things.”

Alexander meets the call. This year, he shepherded Naples Philharmonic through a technically and thematically challenging season—a bold statement of purpose from the affable conductor. His aim is to renew the revolutionary character of work from titans like Beethoven and champion emerging composers to draw audiences into the evolving legacy of music.

Alexander’s season opus was delivered in March, with Ode to Joy—a stunning amalgamation of the conductor’s intrepid approach to challenging material and steadfast search for community bonds. Before plunging into the depths of Beethoven’s emotionally gripping score, Alexander led the philharmonic through contemporary British-American composer Anna Clyne’s Color Field . It was a sort of homecoming for the suite, inspired by Naples philanthropist and entrepreneur Melanie Sabelhaus, who served in the George W. Bush adminis -

tration and as vice chair for philanthropy at the American Red Cross.

Then, with no sheet music to guide him, Alexander introduced the pièce de résistance: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. With its behemoth scale, dynamic score, and demanding vocal requirements, it would be a daunting enterprise in anyone’s first season, but Alexander viewed the performance as a chance to pull in talents outside his institutional sphere. The Naples Philharmonic Chorus partnered with Moorings Presbyterian Chancel Choir and additional instrumentalists to reinforce

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the philharmonic’s presence. All told, some 200 musicians and vocalists commanded the Artis—Naples stage.

As he searches for ways to exalt and connect with regional culture, Alexander doesn’t shy away from sharing a piece of himself through his work. In February, he brought Songs for Murdered Sisters, a gripping new Jake Heggie composition about loved ones lost to domestic violence, to Naples audiences for the first time. Alexander led the work’s world premiere in 2023 while working as music director for Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (a position he still holds), which co-commissioned the piece in memory of Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins’ late sister. To add depth and audience understanding, Alexander invited Booker Prize-winning novelist Margaret Atwood— who wrote the score’s thought-provoking lyrics—to host an evening of discussion and Q&A in Hayes Hall several weeks before the performances.

These human links between art and audience set the tone for each performance under Alexander’s direction. Each masterpiece becomes a masterclass, immersing audiences in a sanctuary of sound and meaning that sets a new standard for classical music in Southwest Florida.

The conductor invites conversation. After a program featuring Songs for Murdered Sisters —with lyrics by Margaret Atwood, written in memory of women lost to domestic violence—he welcomed the author onstage for a dialogue on grief and creativity.

Cultural Exchange

Marco Island Center for the Arts partners with Miami’s emerging Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas to explore contemporary art’s evolving, multicultural spirit.

Southwest Florida’s cultural landscape reflects the collective influence of its Indigenous voices, Midwestern transplants, global visitors and growing Latin American community. Shining a light on the colorful tapestry and influx of diverse talent, Marco Island Center for the Arts (MICA) spotlights Hispanic artists in one of the most anticipated exhibits of the season for Gulfshore Life’s editors.

On May 5, MICA opens Miami to Marco , a two-month exhibition of works by 15 artists from the permanent collection at Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCA-Americas). Formerly the Kendall Art Center, the museum was founded by Cuban-born collector Leonardo Rodríguez to promote and preserve Caribbean, Central and South American

art. Since achieving official museum status in 2022, MoCA-Americas has been broadening its mission, engaging diverse artistic voices and enriching America’s art scene with Latin cultural narratives. The show marks the beginning of a cultural exchange between the arts centers, kindled by Naples artist Lisett Llorens, who recently discovered the Miami museum and recognized the institutions’ aligned visions. In June, a group of MICA artists—including globetrotting abstractionist Garry Scott Wheeler, Italian-born painter Giampaolo E. Curreri and South African creator Myriam Kriel—display their work in MoCA-Americas, extending the island’s blended culture to the East Coast. “We are bringing our version of multiculturalism,” MICA’s executive director Hyla Crane says.

Cundo Bermúdez

Cundo Bermúdez traveled the world in the mid-1900s, drawing inspiration and exhibiting his works. Influenced by defining Mexican painters Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, as well as Spanish master Diego Velázquez, the late Cuban Modernist explored the midcentury era’s evolving conception of color and form through scenes of Cuban everyday life. Feeling out of place in his native country—and later living in Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C. and Miami—Cundo expressed himself through his art. The Rodríguez Collection includes several pieces from his gouache work in the late 1980s and 1990s, which reflect his experience adapting to life in the United States and resonate with the Latin community’s integration into American culture.

Ivonne Ferrer

Multihyphenate artist Ivonne Ferrer explores the intricacies of gender and societal pressure through the female form. Her figures are often rendered with missing or additional limbs, split craniums or cracked torsos, symbolizing the fractured demands modern women endure. Pieces like No hay rayo que por bien no venga juxtapose classical motifs with digital-age imagery. Roman columns frame a disembodied arm—cell phone in hand—growing out from a mass of tentacles. Ancient figurative sculptures and cityscapes stand obscured by a cell phone, evoking the constancy of digital intrusion. Throughout, Ivonne reminds us that even the human experience—messy, overloaded, uniquely formed—remains shared across form, culture and time.

Carlos Enrique Prado

A Cuban ceramicist living in the United States, Carlos Enrique Prado projects Greco-Roman-style figurative sculpture work into the modern era, recontextualizing classical motifs with industrial materials and sharp-edged symbolism. In Way of Sorrows from his Stubborn collection, the University of Miami ceramics professor explores themes of struggle and grief. The marble-like figures—cracked, collapsed and struck by blunt objects—reflect a personal and cultural reckoning, bridging centuries-old iconography with the dissonance of modern immigrant identity.

Port of Call

Gulfshore Life’s Natasha Gonzalez boards a private yacht with Nautical Miles and rediscovers her hometown from the water—glasses full, playlist cued and no agenda but her group’s own.

“Growing up in Naples, I’d frequently go boating with my best friend’s family. I was your typical Florida girl—zooming across the Gulf on Jet Skis and coasting along through channels gave me an unbound sense of freedom. Some things never change. In my adulthood, I’ve chartered plenty of cruises in search of that feeling of escape on the water, but none have captured the effortless comfort of my first venture with Nautical Miles’ luxury fleet.

Last September, the sales team and I set out from Downtown Naples for a three-hour private yacht cruise through our local waters with Nautical Miles founder Justin Perun. While the entrepreneur admits he’s no sea dog (captains cover the nautical expertise), his role—and the heart of the brand—is crafting the experience around it. The fleet’s vessels range from 40 to 120 feet and includes everything from low-key day trips to over-the-top themed charters, like a recent Wine of the Sea excursion with Naples Sailing & Yacht Club featuring bottles aged underwater. This month, a tight guest list boarded a yacht docked steps from the track at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix for a VIP racing celebration that featured a catered menu and open bar—no jostling crowds required.

Nautical Miles’ 19-vessel fleet melds bespoke excursions and bar-none hospitality. Plush interiors and sleek exteriors—seen in vessels like the 95-foot Custom Line (above) and the 50-foot Galeon (center, right)—embody cruising in style.

Before we stepped aboard, the tone was set. A detailed preference sheet let us plan the day to a T—curating our food and drink setup and opting among sightseeing, dolphin-spotting and sunset routes. We chose a slower cruise through the shallows to catch sight of Port Royal and Aqualane Shores’ grand estates.

Justin greeted us with Champagne in hand at a Naples launch site—a departure spot for Nautical Miles’ 19-vessel fleet, which also operates in Marco Island, Tampa and along the East Coast, with private dock pick-up available. The wine fridge was already stocked, he assured us, and since we’d passed on the private chef service, the crew tucked our sandwiches and charcuterie into the galley. That handoff turned out to be the heaviest lift of the day.

We spent most of the afternoon on the aft deck, retreating into the cabin when we needed a blast of AC, the sliding doors open to the breeze and the Gulf views beyond. Our playlist drifted from a Bluetooth speaker we didn’t have to ask for. Those quiet conveniences—the chilled wine fridge, the music control, the ease of doing nothing—added up to something more refined than your typical sandbar Sunday. Curated but never fussy.

Our Prestige 550 yacht comfortably fit our nine-person team. At one point, a few of us climbed up to the cockpit lounge to bask in the sun while I nestled into the aft deck’s L-shaped bench by the teak table for a quieter moment. The alfresco setup gave front-row views of the coastal mansions and cerulean water.

Justin told us he likes to surprise guests with small, personal gestures that leave an impression. When one couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary, he discovered their first dance song and played the tune as guests arrived and boarded the yacht. While we didn’t have anything specific to toast, the day felt like a celebration. From the water, my hometown all looked more vivid—the architecture, the town’s growing scale, the way it opened up to the sky. And swapping a sandy beach towel for cushy seating and a gently rocking yacht? Hard to top.

Even for seasoned boat owners, there’s something indulgent about surrendering the wheel. No logistics, no cleanup—just a new perspective on familiar waters and the rare opportunity to simply kick back and enjoy the ride.”

Courting Excellence

The Grand Slam–shaping Mouratoglou method arrived in Naples last summer. We sent a tennis comeback kid to see how the performance-driven program racks up.

For decades, local tennis culture has thrived at private clubs, where the game is often more about social connection than technical refinement.

The arrival of the Mouratoglou Tennis Center last August at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, marked a shift in the landscape—from club-level camaraderie to international-caliber instruction. Founded by Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, the center introduces Southwest Florida to the coach’s proven, tour-level principles, previously only accessible at his Côte d’Azur flagship academy and other international outposts.

Unlike most traditional training, the Mouratoglou Method emphasizes strengths over weaknesses. From the outset, coaches identify what already works in a player’s game and build from there. A solid forehand becomes a weapon to build points around

Developed by star coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the academy builds on players’ natural strengths. “Confidence is everything in this sport,” says head coach Claudio Adolfssen.

in the now, while a weaker backhand is retooled over time. Confidence is earned not just from perfecting form but from making strong decisions under pressure.

Having grown up playing tennis, I’ve seen coaching styles that run the gamut, from strict technical drills to more fluid, strategy-based instruction. As I step onto the Mouratoglou courts, I wonder: Can this strategic, strengths-focused program help a player like me, decades removed from real competition, rediscover my game?

The steady voice beside me belongs to Claudio Adolfssen, the Naples center’s Chilean-born head coach. Before bringing the Mouratoglou method to Naples, Claudio played at Belhaven University in Mississippi, coached at Georgia Gwinnett College (a 35-time national champion),

and spent years developing competitive amateurs and rising juniors. “Tennis is a game of patterns and angles,” Claudio says, watching as I reset for the next shot. “Working on [your] strengths is key in order to improve confidence.”

To help players build stamina and sharpen decision-making, coaches may guide them through active drills that emphasize footwork, court awareness and situational shot-making. “While strong form is foundational, tennis confidence is often built through successful decision-making and adapting to match pressures,” Claudio says. “This includes anticipating plays, reacting quickly and selecting the right responses in the heat of the moment.”

Like other respected local academies, Mouratoglou offers programs geared

toward junior development, but it stands for its work with ambitious adult players who want world-champion training, tailored to their current game.

One of the brand’s first satellite centers in the country, the Naples locale heralds Mouratoglou’s deeper U.S. expansion. Full-scale academies in Tampa and Atlanta, as well as resortbased centers, are in the pipeline.

As we finish the lesson, Claudio nods in approval. “You’re starting to see it,” he says. “It’s about playing with intention.” At Naples’ newest tennis destination, progress isn’t about reinvention—it’s about rediscovery, tapping into your natural abilities and leveraging your experience as the foundation for what comes next. And, what’s more empowering than that?

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John & Susan Morrison Endowed Chair

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NWWF Grand Crew Party / Hosted at Campiello in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

Celebrations for the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s (NWWF) 25th anniversary kicked off with The Grand Crew Party on January 23. The intimate setting fostered a sense of camaraderie as attendees indulged in the art of fine dining, uncorked exceptional wines and mingled with the award-winning vintners, chefs and sommeliers who’ve helped the festival reach a momentous milestone—a quarter-century of transforming children’s lives in Collier County.

NWWF Meet the Kids Day / Hosted at Artis—Naples in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

1 Garen Staglin, Steve Jackson

2 Lily & Arsen Ustayev

3 Sue Bieker, Jacki Guinn

4 Ashley Gerry, Barbara Jordan

5 Barry Schneirov, Jamie Ulmer

The festival continued on Friday morning during Meet the Kids Day, where guests connected with the nonprofits and children who benefit from NCEF. After powerful presentations highlighting local success stories, guests gathered in Artis—Naples Norris Garden and sipped wines from three celebrated vintners during a luncheon catered by D’Amico’s The Continental.

NWWF Auction Day / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

1 Humphrey Butler

2 Alexandra Gerry, Sarah Keshvarizan

3 Julia Reisman, Garen Staglin

4 Brian Stock, Jennifer Rowland

5 Susan & James Pinkin

6 Karen Shiers Giotta, Taylor Reidel Agin, Korie Reidel, Shelia Davis

7 Christine Homan, Chris Freeman

8 David Jones, Marine Linard

9 Charles Schwab Jr. & Sydney Schwab, Peter & Lisa Najarian

10 Douglas VanOort, Sarah Iselin

The energy was electric as nearly 700 guests gathered on January 25 to celebrate 25 years of NCEF’s transformative work. Trustees and patrons mingled on the lawn, sipping extraordinary wines accompanied by globally inspired small bites, before making their way into the tent to bid on rare travel experiences and highly allocated vintages from some of the world’s top wineries. The event raised a record-setting $34 million as the auctioneers rang out a familiar chorus: “It’s all for the kids.”

The Celebration Brunch on Sunday concluded this year’s NWWF on a high note. Attendees fêted the weekend’s successes and solidified friendships over a decadent brunch spread—a fitting tribute to the generous spirit of community that drives the festival and the lasting impact NCEF has made on Collier County kids.

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4 Jenna Boehling, Mara Hammond

5 Morgan & Dr. Daniel Winokur

NWWF Celebration Brunch / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, in support of Naples Children & Education Foundation

6 Alexandra & Adam Gerry

7 Linda Richards Malone, Kristin Cartwright

8 Caroline Grossinger

9 Terry Haskett, Na-Ann Williams, Michael Rubenstein

10 Chad & Amy Jensen

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Guest List — Photography by AP Alexander, Emily Flournoy and Anna Nguyen

Naples Automotive Experience / Hosted at various Naples and Estero locations in support of St. Matthew’s House

The Naples Automotive Experience dazzled more than 20,000 car enthusiasts and philanthropists on February 6-8, culminating in the 10th annual Cars on Fifth. Events, including a comedy night with former The Tonight Show host and prolific car collector Jay Leno, raised funds for St. Matthew’s House, which aids those struggling with hunger and homelessness, and provides addiction recovery support.

Naples Automotive Experience / Hosted in various Naples and Estero locations in support of St. Matthew’s House

Discover

Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club offers a unique blend of golf, racquet sports, luxury, and community. Located between the upscale shops of Naples and the pristine beaches of Marco Island, our tranquil village setting is a place our members proudly call home.

Our recently completed $12 million clubhouse refresh elevates the Eagle Creek experience with modern amenities and upgraded spaces, ensuring a premier destination for years to come.

ZOObilee / Hosted at and in support of Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Nearly 1,500 guests flocked to Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens on February 7 for the 10th annual ZOObilee, which supports the organization’s conservation and education programs. Event chairs Greg Debski and Nicole Ryan curated the evening’s live music, zookeeper-led animal encounters and lineup of local chefs serving small bites. Attendees also bid on lots, like wellness packages, wildlife art and sunset cruises, raising nearly $390,000.

Where Passion Drives Performance

FGCU is more than a university — we’re a driving force behind Southwest Florida’s growth. We fuel the economy, enrich the cultural community and build innovative partnerships with local industries. Our graduates aren’t just staying in Southwest Florida — they’re building a brighter future for us all by launching businesses, educating future generations and providing healthcare. DISCOVER YOUR UNIVERSITY fgcu.edu/community

ZOObilee / Hosted at and in support of Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

1 Uberto & Batya Comunale

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4 Cedric Colyer, Jadz Nicholson

5 Nina Van Arsdale, Laura Melges

1 Kim Regenhard, Mercedes Mikalaitis

2 Dr. Troy Shell-Masouras, Dr. Ariel Pollock, Dr. Graciela Garton

3 Lana Uhrig, Sherry Hughes

4 Susy Laughlin Weaver, Rosena Marley, Mary Lou Maier

5 Nikki Audia, Pamela Dunn, Lisa Swain

6 Linda Meak, Dr. Deborah Houk, Dr. Vivian Wong, Katy Tetta

7 Rita Hoydn

Wine Women & Shoes / Hosted at Naples

Yacht Club in support of Naples Cancer Advisors

More than 300 guests gathered at the Naples Yacht Club on February 8 for an afternoon of philanthropy, fashion and exquisite wine. Top billing went to Waterside Shops’ fashion show, with local women showing off styles from Lilly Pulitzer and Peserico. Guests raised more than $260,000 for Naples Cancer Advisors, which offers free oncology consultations to local cancer patients and their families.

Secure your legacy

Are you taking full advantage of your lifetime estate and gift tax exemption?

Commerce Trust, working in conjunction with your estate planning attorney, can guide you through the in-depth conversations required to assess how the use of tax exemptions could most effectively be incorporated into your estate plan.

The holistic, team-based approach at Commerce Trust, consisting of financial and tax planning, investment portfolio management, and trust administration, is designed to guide you toward achieving your family’s goals while safeguarding your legacy.

Connect with the Commerce Trust team at commercetrustcompany.com/estatetax to secure your legacy.

Giving to Family: Tax Efficient Gifting Strategies for Your Estate Plan

By Scott LaPresta, CTFA, Senior Vice President, Director of Private Client Advisors, Commerce Trust, and Amy Stiglic, CTFA, Senior Vice President, Market Executive, Kansas City, Commerce Trust

Gifting to family members provides for their needs while advancing your estate plan. In addition to the benefits your relatives receive, strategically gifting may decrease your transfer tax liability by lowering the value of your estate. Below are five methods to maximize the value of family gifts for donors and recipients.

1. Annual gift exclusion

For tax year 2025, the IRS allows you to gift up to $19,000 tax-free to as many people as you want, and married couples can give up to $38,000 to an individual without triggering a taxable gift.

Both recipients and donors can benefit from annual gifts. In contrast to an inheritance, recipients can enjoy the gift immediately without losing any value to pay transfer taxes.

Donors can coordinate annual gifts to achieve estate planning objectives like potentially decreasing their estate tax liability by lowering the value of their estate.

2. 529 accelerated gifting

By making an accelerated gift to a qualified tuition program (QTP) like a 529 plan, you can contribute up to five times the annual exclusion ($95,000 for individuals and $190,000 for married couples in 2025) in a single year tax-free.

This strategy can provide significant value for those aspiring to attend college while lowering the value of the donor’s estate.

3. Lifetime estate and gift tax exemption

The 2025 federal lifetime estate and gift tax exemption amount is $13.99 million for individuals and is effectively doubled to $27.98 million for married couples.

This means the total value of one’s estate plus any taxable gifts can generally be transferred tax-free up to that amount. Using the lifetime exemption now, at its historically high level, may lower your eventual estate tax liability.

4. Medical exclusion

The medical exclusion is another way to give a gift to family members by paying for their medical expenses without triggering a taxable gift.

GIFT STRATEGICALLY WITH COMMERCE TRUST

Gifting to family members may seem straightforward, but care is needed to ensure the value of the gift is not diminished by taxes. If gifting is a priority for you, contact Commerce Trust at www.commercetrustcompany.com/estateplanning to learn how our tax management,* estate planning, and education planning professionals collaborate to execute a customized estate plan that is unique to you.

*Commerce Trust does not provide tax advice to customers unless engaged to do so.

The opinions and other information in the commentary are provided as of January 16, 2025. This summary is intended to provide general information only, and may be of value to the reader and audience. This material is not a recommendation of any particular investment or insurance strategy, is not based on any particular financial situation or need, and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified tax advisor or investment professional. While Commerce may provide information or express opinions from time to time, such information or opinions are subject to change, are not offered as professional tax, insurance or legal advice, and may not be relied on as such.

Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Commerce Trust is a division of Commerce Bank.

Investment Products: Not FDIC Insured | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee

FEATURES / A deep dive into the soulful stories of the region

“I’m a servant to this town, my staff and my guests. It’s what I’m meant to do, in whatever form—the charities, this restaurant, cooking, uncorking a wine, a hug. I serve.” — Chef Harold Balink

116 The Vision Behind Marissa Collections

130 Harold Balink’s Enduring Culinary Mission

On the 50th anniversary of Marissa Collections, the woman behind the name offers a rare window into her work, her vision—and why she’s not done yet.

ou don’t interview Marissa Hartington. Not really. You circle her orbit. You talk to the people who’ve worked with her, learned from her, felt a little intimidated by her. Her clients say she knows their closets better than they do. Designers she championed early on call her a seer. Everyone credits her with shaping Naples’ aesthetic culture through quiet, precise acts of taste.

Her eye and conviction have built Marissa Collections into one of the country’s most quietly influential luxury retailers. Founded in 1975 as a modest boutique, the family-run specialty store now has outposts in Naples and Palm Beach, with offerings spanning women’s fashion, menswear, fine jewelry and beauty. But the power lies in the edit. For 50 years, the store has served as a cultural salon and style barometer, anchored by one woman’s creative vision.

Marissa is perched upstairs in the three-year-old Palm Beach store, working beside me between bursts of commentary. Ambient music plays overhead. “This is putting me to sleep,” she says. “We need some reggaeton.” I laugh, thinking she’s being playful,

A woman of boundless curiosity, Marissa loves to read, cook, play piano and learn about history. Below: Her husband, Burt, gifted her a coin recovered from a 1600s Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Key West. The center necklace is Bulgari. Bottom right: Marissa wears a Brunello Cucinelli top, Brandon Maxwell blazer, Veronica Beard pants, and Manolo Blahnik pumps. Previous spread: Erdem gown with Sylva & Cie ring.

Marissa wears a Brandon Maxwell top, pants and blazer, with Manolo Blahnik pumps and David Webb cuffs. “It’s funny—people think my mom has this huge closet, but it’s probably smaller than yours,” her son, Jay, says. “Her wardrobe is very edited.” Far left: David Webb necklace. “This is from a time when women wore true statement jewelry,” she says.

nodding to my Colombian heritage. Minutes later, the driving beat drops and stays on most of the afternoon.

Later, I see her straightening a sales rack, aligning hangers and building full looks. “Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it should look cheap,” she says. Next, she’s calling out the grime on a neighboring restaurant’s windows. No detail is too inconsequential. Maintaining immaculate standards is, after all, about respect—for the designers whose work she represents, the clients who trust her judgment and the craft itself.

“What’s the word for a gentleman who’s a woman?” Burt Hartington asks, when I ask what he most admires about his wife. “Someone who’s sophisticated, a proper person of good character and responsibility,” he continues.

“A lady?” I offer. “Yes—she’s a lady.”

The word lingers, almost too simple. But taken seriously, it holds. On Marissa’s terms, a lady isn’t just poised—she’s principled, she sees clearly. She sets the tone.

“Through fires, through storms, through everything—the trials and tribulations of life and business—she always has her vision pointed ahead,” says Michael Kors, the American sportswear pioneer and a trusted friend for more than three decades.

As with any effective visionary, Marissa is equally attuned to the past. A couple months after our Palm Beach visit, we’re in Naples, sitting in the store’s Oscar de la Renta showroom—one of the heritage brand’s select store-within-a-store concepts. “Fashion has never been just the imagination of the designer. It’s always collected, connected to cultures, history,” she says. She talks about the Silk Road, Japanese embroidery, Persia, Italy, Dutch Golden Age influences. “Fashion is part of the world.”

Then she’s up, back in motion, walking toward a black cocktail dress by the British-Turkish designer Erdem, one of her favorites. “You see this and you imagine ballet in St. Petersburg—on a stage, in a story.” Her face lights up.

When she styles clients, she’s crafting stories, too. A flowing silk reveals the grace beneath their reserve, a structured jacket

amplifies their natural authority. With each selection, people step into their fullest expression, sometimes unveiling possibilities they hadn’t yet imagined. “She pushes me to take risks.”

You hear that from fashion-forward clients like Ashley Gerry, who already leans bold; from the classically elegant Kathleen Kapnick, one of many clients turned dear friends; and from Karen Van Arsdale, who first worked at the shop and starred in early fashion shoots. After four decades, Karen still finds herself surprised by Marissa’s selections. A lady keeps you on your toes. From a distance, you may presume her to be cold. She’s become more reserved after an illness claimed one of her vocal cords.

“I’m terrified to lose the other one,” she says. Rather than seem aloof, she tends to arrive at events late and leave early, reserving her energies for sacred interactions at home and in the shop. Still, it doesn’t take long to see the mother’s warmth.“She’s funny.”

“She loves to dance.” “She’s like a mama bear.” The refrains hold constant across conversations. A lady is consistent.

Born in Poland under communist rule, Marissa grew up surrounded by restrictions but never lacked access to culture. Her architect mother and research-scientist father delighted in beauty, intellect and art. A winding path—from clinical psychology studies in Kraków to pharmaceutical testing for a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary in the Northeast—led her to Naples at age 25. She felt instantly at home.

The town in the mid-1970s had the landscape—palm trees, pelicans, golden sun—but little of the culture she craved. No fashion. No flair. So she built it. A lady, after all, doesn’t chase trends. She creates the framework others follow.

Her first small boutique, on Tamiami Trail, offered a radical departure from the era’s penchant for polyester, with breathable cotton and linen in a white and creamy palette. Cooled off and liberated, people responded instantly.

Despite creating one of the country’s most influential stores, Marissa has always resisted excess. She lives quietly in the home she and Burt built 37 years ago, surrounded by books, family photos and meaningful textures. “I’m European,” she says. “We don’t decorate, we collect.”

Marissa wears a Brunello Cucinelli top with Sylva & Cie and Loree Rodkin jewelry.

A homebody when she’s not in the store or traveling, Marissa likes to design artful tablescapes. “This is someone who puts her cat in a stroller and takes it to the beach,” designer Michael Kors, a longtime friend, says. Dress by Brunello Cucinelli; necklaces by Sylva & Cie.

Burt appeared shortly after. The pair met at The Dock at Crayton Cove. Within months, they were partners in business and life. “I was mesmerized by her whole being,” Burt says. Their partnership was seamless: He built the foundation, she shaped the vision. When they moved to a locale on Fifth Avenue South, the two spent a holiday weekend building, painting and merchandising the space. When their son, Jay, came along, the back room gained a playpen. “I was an only child, but Marissa Collections was my sister,” Jay says with a laugh.

Now, with Jay as CEO, steering expansions, the business remains firmly rooted in family. “The store would not be what it is without Burt,” Marissa says. “He was the anchor

that allowed me to be the face. And, Jay has taken us to a whole other level.”

The store evolved organically, decision by decision, always rooted in what felt right. Moving to the iconic pink building on Third Street South in the late ’80s was formative. Women would come to town for a winter holiday and get their wardrobes for the year, Karen Van Arsdale explains. The lady became a destination.

Marissa didn’t come from fashion but her instincts and timing in it were uncanny. The store’s rise coincided with Downtown Naples’ evolution and the rise of American sportswear nationwide. By the early 1990s, when Andrés Duany was brought in to

revitalize Fifth Avenue South, Marissa was already shaping the city’s aesthetic future. She introduced America’s rising stars— Kors, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Donna Karan—then layered in the storied Europeans—Valentino, Prada, Gucci. “Most people who owned clothing stores in a small town like this would venture as far as New York City,” Burt recalls. “She felt very comfortable going to Europe.”

She was never chasing labels, though. To her, elegance isn’t symmetry. Taste isn’t wealth. And fashion isn’t logos. Her focus remains on what works for her clients—what fits, what flatters, what makes them feel beautiful.

Nearly everyone I spoke with could recall their first encounter with Marissa. Kathleen Kapnick was in the dressing room with her stylist when Marissa breezed by, made a single suggestion and moved on. She was right, of course. A longtime jewelry buyer for the store, Jennifer McCurry was wearing a pair of earrings she’d made herself. Marissa noticed them and invited her to do a trunk show. Ashley Gerry was looking for bridesmaid dresses and ended up finding a mentor.

None of these stories are about the transaction. Marissa recalls the garment, the moment, the person. And that becomes a kind of induction: the first encounter as a moment of belonging.

Subsequent meetings reinforce the relationships formed—and the artistry behind the woman’s vision. Each designer selection and impromptu styling session comes as second nature—an intuition born of years of scrupulous curation and an innate sense of style and composition that transcends trend. “She sees what others don’t,” says Naples-bred Veronica Beard, who started her career as a buyer for Marissa and now helms one of the world’s most successful ready-to-wear labels. Kors recalls Marissa explaining the difference between ‘Florida red’ and ‘New York red.’ “I said ‘Red is red’—and she said ‘No. Florida red is a little more coral. It looks good with sun-kissed skin and doesn’t make

with

Missoni duster and tank and Stella McCartney pants,

“I’m rock ’n’ roll one day and Chopin the next. I love boho—that’s my heart—but I also love structure. Nothing is organized, and that’s very me,” Marissa says. “The only constant I have is to work hard.” Standing by her pool, Marissa wears a

an Assael sustainably sourced coral necklace, and other jewelry by Sylva & Cie, Harwell Godfrey and Leigh Maxwell.

you feel hot.’” New York or Paris red, she explained, is a blue-red. “She was absolutely right,” he says.

If pressed, Marissa’s pragmatic inner circle will try to explain her knack: her psychology training, decades of exposure, near-perfect recall and appetite for history. All these contribute, yet don’t fully account for her talent. Watching her select the exact drape, the precise hem, or transform a simple stone on a leather cord into the perfect complement for a gown, you realize this craft transcends learning. It’s a creativity that defies logic—something innate, simply present.

That’s why she’s there in the store, not just driving from behind, but immersed in all of it, every day. “My mom works like someone’s going to take it away from her tomorrow,” Jay says.

Her work ethic represents her upbringing as much as the natural expression of someone for whom the line between passion and profession disappeared long ago. When she searches for new Latin American designers at 10 p.m., when she returns from vacation still checking inventory—these aren’t sacrifices. “It fuels her,” Ingrid Etzold, the Naples shop’s general manager, who has worked with Marissa for 12 years, says.

She expects excellence and can be intimidating to newcomers. But she’s the most demanding of herself. “She never asks someone to do something she wouldn’t do herself,” Ingrid adds. Not everyone can meet her standards. But those who remain get a masterclass in seeing what others miss and creating what most won’t. “She’s a big educator; she wants people to succeed,” Jay adds. The sentiment is repeated across her orbit. “If you ever went to her and said, ‘I need help,’ she’d be there no matter what was going on,” Jennifer McCurry says.

Her commitment is returned in loyalty. In 2015, the store suffered a fire that claimed the entire inventory and shuttered the store for three months. The team barely missed a beat. Patrons showed up with plywood for windows, snacks for contract crews and advice for navigating arduous insurance claims. Designers rushed replacement merchandise. Most of the staff stayed on. Marissa proceeded to deliver the fashion show she had been

planning with Kathleen Kapnick for Naples Botanical Garden’s Hats in the Garden. “I would have understood if she had to back out, but she didn’t even think of that,” Kathleen says. “She had made a commitment and was going to come through.”

The store’s longevity equally stems from Marissa’s ability to anticipate. As her clients got younger, she shifted the buy. As new designers emerged, she discovered them first. During a recent store visit, I saw her describing a ‘ballerina’s technique’ she’d heard of for styling a cardigan, with one button intentionally misaligned. (I have found no evidence for the trick’s existence, but have no doubt it’ll soon catch on.) She’s never clung to a look. She’s listened. And taught her team to do the same.

“She’s incredibly decisive,” Veronica says. That clarity—not ego or rigidness, but conviction—makes people trust her. A lady

doesn’t waste words. “She tells you the truth. Even if it’s not what you want to hear,” the designer adds.

Yet for all her clarity, Marissa is full of contradictions. She sells six-figure jewelry but wears little of it herself. If a heel breaks mid-shift, she bears it rather than tap inventory. She watches Turkish and Colombian soap operas—not for the drama, but for the culture. “She wants to understand how people live—all the quirks,” Jay says.

At this point, she could step back. But she doesn’t. She’s in it for beauty, for excellence, for the challenge of getting it right. And, that’s not an appetite that ever diminishes. “She says she’s going to take a break,” Jay says. “Then she’s in the store adjusting racks and rethinking the lighting.”

A lady is never done.

Born in Poland under communist rule, Marissa studied clinical psychology in Kraków before coming to the States. Left: Her parents’ wedding portrait. Right: A TWP collared shirt paired with a Carolina Bucci necklace, a gift from Jay.

Hair and makeup: Dani Taverna, Duality Artistry. All wardrobe from Marissa Collections.

Magnum Opus

Ten years after chef Harold Balink opened his eponymous Fort Myers restaurant, we peel back the layers—discovering how culinary innovation, personal loss and a deep love for community shaped one of Southwest Florida’s most celebrated dining experiences.

BY CHANDA JAMIESON

Moments before Harold’s opens for dinner, the little customs of service unfurl. Wine glasses are polished and shelved, peppercorns sifted through fingertips and silverware stacked—a culinary orchestra tuning up across the Fort Myers restaurant. Candied shallots, bay leaf and Burgundy perfume the air of the 150-seat dining room, gilded in silver and blue. Chef-owner Harold Balink emerges from the kitchen, a chef’s rag hugging his neck, its feathered blues and greens held in place as if by mere affection. Light falls through the restaurant’s bay windows in large sheets, wrapping itself around the chef’s 6-foot-4-inch frame. The hostess scans the evening’s reservations and opens the door. A party of six enters at once. “Harold!” they chant in unison, arms outstretched, welcoming an embrace. More reservations file through, and within minutes, there’s a full house, each table suddenly aglow, the edges of our lives filling in the shadows.

After elevating Gulf dining at the vanguardist, large-scale Cru in Fort Myers, Harold Balink shifted gears—opening Harold’s as an intimate love letter to farm-to-table, globally inspired cuisine.

One of Southwest Florida’s top chefs, Harold is a known man. His culinary innovation has edged and shaped the region’s gastronomic landscape for nearly 40 years, including as co-owner of Fort Myers’ acclaimed decade-defining restaurant Cru. Yet when I drop the nature of this story—a feature in the Best Of issue, driven by an overwhelming number of recommendations from the magazine’s editors and board members—the chef rolls his broad shoulders forward and tugs at the corner of his eye. “I haven’t always been the most humble, but there’s something about getting older,” he says.

On a busy night at the height of season, I camp out at a small corner table intent on rooting out the magic of Harold’s—why the restaurant and chef are firmly planted on seemingly everyone’s 'favorites' list. This year marks the 10th anniversary—a milestone for the chef’s most personal and essential culinary iteration. In 2015, he scaled back from more than 200 seats at Cru to 34 at Harold's, a shift spurred by his late wife’s battle with ovarian cancer and the pure culinary impulse to nourish. The intimate space was a closer approximation of the chef and the man, as if

Harold had turned the dial a thousand times, tightening a quarter pace with each crank, only to arrive where he started—a small kitchen, a handful of local ingredients, diners-turned-family—and recognize it’s where he belonged all along.

Our server, Heather, delivers the first course. Rock shrimp over cauliflower rice and adzuki beans is Harold’s take on the Southern classic red beans and rice. The ochre-striped tiger tails are a thing of beauty—a native delicacy considered bycatch until a Florida fisherman invented a method to split the tough carapace, introducing the world to the sweet, succulent meat. The terracotta-colored adzuki, an East Asian staple, are smaller and creamier than American red beans. Their coral juices find the cauliflower rice’s milk, turning it violet.

This riff is emblematic of the global palate that has carried Harold throughout his career. More than three decades ago, the then-26-year-old was one of the youngest to helm a local kitchen, serving as executive chef at The King’s Crown at Captiva’s South Seas Island Resort. A consummate student, he’d dog-ear pages of classic culinary reference text Food Lover’s Companion , with Japanese blades and Indian spices stretching the imagination. Then and now, Harold is tender-hearted and wildly open to the world. He grounds

Shaping local dining culture for nearly four decades, Harold draws devotees to his eclectic American cuisine, with dishes like angel hair with lobster pecorino cream and leek espuma. As the region’s only dual advanced sommelier and chef, he hand-selects each wine to complement the week’s menu.

his global sensibility in local ingredients— fish caught in our waters and fruits and vegetables pulled from our unique stretch of sand and soil. His evolved American cuisine shifts from one region to the next, a single dish, like red beans and rice, with a thousand iterations. A grilled octopus arepa is redolent of ancho peppers and toasted cumin seeds; a comforting, Hungarian-style stew features smoked paprika and a cleave of braised rabbit; and little tufts of hand-kneaded dough are shaped into dumplings, from Polish pierogi to Italian ravioli, lacing together familial traditions across continents.

The recipes find something that feels familiar, a connection between the flavors we know instinctively and the ones we encounter in cuisines other than our own. “I tell people we are an eclectic American restaurant because America is an eclectic country,” Harold says. “We have everyone from everywhere.”

Harold’s culinary ingenuity has garnered a loyal following since he opened

Harold sold his stake in Cru in 2015, when his wife, Julie, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. He stepped away to be fully present for her treatment. “I made the conscious decision to be more than I thought I could be,” he says.

What began as a two-month waitlist phenom has become an institution. In 2021, Harold’s quintupled in size from its original 34 seats. The chef remains hands-on, interpreting multicultural dishes with local ingredients—and often emerging from the kitchen to share a glass of wine with guests.

Harold’s on the Bay in 2002 in the Fort Myers River District. Seven years later, he migrated to Bell Tower Shops, partnering with the late institutional chef and restaurateur Shannon Yates on Cru. With more than 200 seats and two chef’s tables, the restaurant was an altogether different animal—a pulsating, boisterous organism and temple to unbridled, inventive cuisine.

Harold, now in a chef coat, a small square of terry cloth clasping his shoulder still, leans into a small two-person table, his broad smile another form of embrace. I would say they are friends or family, but everyone here seems to be. He leaves the table briefly, only to return with a glass of wine.

At the table next to me, a large party debates the wine list. Harold, the area’s only dual advanced sommelier and chef, keeps the list brief and intentional. Each bottle is chosen for its ability to complement a given week’s menu—the perfect bite followed by the perfect sip. Harold swings by and recommends a 2014 Gran Reserva Rioja from Hacienda LÓpez de Haro, situated at the heart of some of the Spanish region’s best terroir. Glasses clink as the table’s hosts welcome their friends to the area. “Tell everyone you’ve been to Harold’s, and they’ll believe you’re a local,” the man laughs.

Heather returns, expertly balancing an array of plates for the table: golden tilefish in a Cognac-peppercorn sauce,

togarashi-crusted ahi tuna on a Japanese sweet potato pancake, antelope carpaccio with charred heirlooms from Fort Myers’ organic 12 Seasons Farm, and house-made fettuccine with his Dutch grandmother’s Bolognese. “I learned all of the basics at a butcher block island in her kitchen, always covered in flour, always hungry for more,” Harold says. As I finish my ragu, I glance over my shoulder. Above me hangs a portrait of a boxer just after a clinch and a hang on the ropes. The last blows have been traded. He’s bent forward, gloved hands resting on either knee. Across the bar, Harold picks up his chef’s towel and wipes his brow.

In 2014, Harold’s wife, Julie, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The conversations that followed felt licked by fire, the urgency of a sudden illness paired with the mind’s inability to fathom it all—as if their lives, like photographs, were yellowing in somebody else’s album. To be more present throughout her treatment, Harold sold his stake in the wildly popular Cru and opened Harold’s, a narrow, 34-seat dining space with a pocket kitchen. “I made the conscious decision to be more than I thought I could be,” he says. “I didn’t want to keep hold of a juggernaut and be an absentee owner or be an absentee partner [to Julie].” The

restaurant had just nine tables, one chef and a two-month waitlist. “I took care of my wife and welcomed folks into my living room Wednesday through Saturday,” Harold recalls, pulling his hands to his chest. He cooked alone, night after night, focused on what nourishes and what gathers. When Julie passed in 2017, Harold, the man and the restaurant, stopped. Former News-Press food critic Annabelle Tometich met with Harold in the months that followed, penning a stunning portrait of a man in flux. The night before the story’s publication, Harold drove to Captiva, where he and Julie first met. He slept on the sand, its grains shifting beneath him. The next morning, he stopped at a small cafe for a cup of coffee, passing an older woman at a sidewalk newsstand. “This is you,” she exclaimed, holding the bundle of newsprint. “I dropped to my knees right there and cried. We talked over coffee, and I cried some more,” he says. The conversation with Annabelle, followed by the

curbside catharsis, set loose the heartstrings. “It was an accounting of Julie and me that I didn’t know I needed,” Harold says, acknowledging he had considered leaving the restaurant industry altogether. Harold leaned in, first to grief and then to service. For decades, he and Julie had donated their time to local nonprofits, with Harold serving as chef of honor at countless charity auctions and dinners for The Heights Foundation, Pace Center for Girls, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida's cancer fund and Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, among others. As he processed Julie’s passing, Harold deepened his devotion to giving back. “I’m not a chef or restaurateur. I’m a servant,” he says. “I was a servant to my wife and my kids. I’m a servant to this town, my staff and my guests. It’s what I’m meant to do, in whatever form—the charities, this restaurant, cooking, uncorking a wine, a hug. I serve.” Harold’s words float through the air like particles suspended. His life reduces to this—an empathy so thick it draws light into itself. It sizzles and hums.

After his wife passed, Harold considered leaving the industry—but instead found solace in nonprofit work and the community he’d built at the restaurant. “I’m not a chef or restaurateur. I’m a servant,” he says. “This is what I’m meant to do.”

At the stainless-steel bar (part of a 2021 expansion of the restaurant that added 100 seats and expanded the kitchen staff, alleviating the two-month waitlist and allowing Harold to be more present with diners), pastry chef Scott Kreitzer plates a chocolate cremosa. The decadent dessert is denser than mousse, made with a base of crème anglaise and bittersweet cacao. As I dip my spoon into the silken surface, I roll Harold’s story in mind. If there is one secret to this life, it is that each experience informs who we are and the things we create. At Harold’s, a life laced with love and loss shapes each dish and the embrace that comes after. Diners taste the world—our little corner of Florida flung wide open to reveal cultures and flavors converging—as Harold and his staff welcome us into their home night after night. Just then, another familiar face enters the restaurant. Harold raises his arms in welcome. “My friends,” he bellows. “You’re back.”

BEST

THE OF THE GULFSHORE 2025

READERS' CHOICE ANNUAL AWARDS

Every season, Gulfshore Life readers share their favorite things about living in paradise, and these local businesses have made the list. The Best of the Gulfshore is a write-in ballot hosted on gulfshorelife.com for two months every year. We're excited to share this year's winners and finalists—in more than 100 categories—and give them an opportunity to tell you more about their companies .

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT

ANTIQUE STORE

COLLIER Winner

Chernysh Antiques Fine Arts and Consignment

Finalists

Treasure Island Antiques, Lovejoy Antiques

LEE Winner

ParadiseVintage Market

Finalists

Dolly Archer English Antiques and Goods, Gannon's Antiques and Art Center

ART GALLERY

COLLIER Winner

Emily James Art Gallery

Finalists

Bayshore Art Gallery, PDA Gallery

LEE

Winner Center for the Arts Bonita Springs

Finalists

COCO Art Gallery, Marine Arts Gallery Bonita Springs

CONSIGNMENT:

CLOTHING + FURNITURE

COLLIER

Winner True Fashionistas

Finalists

Audrey’s of Naples, Twice As Nice

Consignment Shop

LEE

Winner

Ditto Consignment Boutique

Finalists

Consign & Design, Clothes Mentor

EVENT VENUE

COLLIER Winner

NFW Collective

Finalists

Ultimate Garages, Artis—Naples

LEE

Winner

B Hive Event Center

Finalists

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar, Center for the Arts Bonita Springs

FINE JEWELRY

COLLIER Winner

Henri Noël Fine Jewelry

Finalists

A. JARON Fine Jewelry, Bigham Jewelers, YAMRON Jewelers

LEE

Winner

Bradley's Jewelers

Finalists

Mark Loren Designs, Congress Jewelers

FLORAL DESIGN

COLLIER Winner

Kaleidoscope Floral

Finalists

Gene's 5th Ave. Florist, Botanicals on The Gulf, Flora & Fauna

LEE Winner

Signature Florals

Finalists

Wild at Heart, Flower Bar and Mercantile, Moonflower Market

FURNITURE STORE

COLLIER Winner

Clive Daniel Home

Finalists

PDA Gallery, Alison Craig Home Furnishings

LEE

Winner

Baer's Furniture Co.

Finalists

Matter Brothers Furniture & Mattress, Robb & Stucky

LUXURY CAR DEALERSHIP

COLLIER

Winner

Naples Luxury Imports

Finalists

Germain Lexus of Naples, Porsche Naples

For three consecutive years, Azure Pool and Deck Design has been recognized as Gulfshore Life Magazine’s Best Of, redefining outdoor luxury with stunning pool remodels and backyard transformations. Family-owned and award-winning, we bring craftsmanship, innovation, and elegance to every project. From breathtaking pool renovations to custom outdoor living spaces, we curate the perfect blend of beauty and functionality for your home. Elevate your oasis with Azure Pool & Deck Design.

LEE Winner

Scanlon Lexus of Fort Myers

Finalists

BMW of Fort Myers, Scanlon Acura

MEN'S APPAREL

COLLIER Winner

Hayes Haberdashery

Finalists

John Craig Clothier, Mondo Uomo

LEE Winner

Brodeur Carvell Fine Menswear

Finalists

Florida Suit Guy

MUSEUM

COLLIER Winner

Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center

Finalists

The Baker Museum, Naples Art Institute

LEE

Winner

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Finalists

Williams Academy Black History Museum, Center for the Arts Bonita Springs

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

COLLIER Winner

Artis—Naples

Finalists

Gulfshore Playhouse, The Naples Players at Sugden Community Theatre

LEE Winner Center for the Arts Bonita Springs

Finalists

Barbara B. Mann

Performing Arts Hall, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

WOMEN'S APPAREL

COLLIER

Winner

The Secret Ingredient

Finalists

Southern Sunday, SkyStruk

LEE

Winner Jo Shae's Boutique

Finalists

Vivie Boutique, Jennifer's Boutqiue

ATTRACTIONS

DAY CRUISE

COLLIER

Winner

Naples Princess

Finalists

Pure Florida, Sweet Liberty

LEE

Winner Captiva Cruises

Finalists

Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, Salty Sam's Pirate Cruise

FAMILY FUN

ACTIVITY

COLLIER Winner Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Finalists

InPlay Family Fun, Miss Lexi's Place

LEE Winner The Wonder Gardens

Finalists

Fort Rock Climbing & Family Adventures, Backyard Social

HOTEL/RESORT

COLLIER Winner

Naples Grande Beach Resort

Finalists Inn on Fifth, Naples Bay Resort & Marina

LEE Winner Tarpon Lodge

Finalists

Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa

NATURE AND WILDLIFE VIEWING

COLLIER Winner Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

Finalists

Audubon Corkscrew, Swamp Sanctuary, Naples Botanical Garden

LEE Winner The Wonder Gardens

Finalists

AMAVI SALON

Our

OVERALL ATTRACTIONS

COLLIER Winner Naples Beach Cabanas

Finalists

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, Conservancy of Southwest Florida

LEE

Winner

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Finalists

Center for the Arts

Bonita Springs, Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, The Wonder Gardens

We are a family-owned gourmet market that offers delicious cheese and charcuterie boards, highly curated wines, and beautiful gifts and gift baskets that will have a lasting impact! Only the highest quality, freshest ingredients are featured. Are you a boater or flying private? We can provision your vessel to your specifications. Choose a board from our available offerings or create your own customized version. We also offer private parties in an intimate setting—host your holiday party, birthday, etc. in our beautiful store.

SIGHTSEEING TOUR

COLLIER Winner

Elite Jets

Finalists

Naples Princess, Pure Florida, Miss Naples Catamaran

LEE Winner

Captiva Cruises

Finalists

Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, Edison & Ford Winter Estates

BEAUTY + WELLNESS

CHIROPRACTOR

COLLIER Winner

Gulf Coast Spine & Sport

Finalists

Bergtold Chiropractic, A Better Life Chiropractic

LEE

Winner

Pediatric & Perinatal Chiropractic Center

Finalists

Gindele Family Chiropractic, Spine and Joint of Southwest Florida

DAY SPA

COLLIER Winner

Spavia

Finalists

Von & Co. Medical Aesthetics Studio, Tru Glo Medspa

LEE

Winner

Spada Salon & Day Spa

Finalists

Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon, Hideout Boutique

EYEBROW ARTISTRY

COLLIER Winner

Esthetic-Lines by Alexandra

Finalists

The Makeup Nurse, Surreal Beauty Ink

LEE

Winner

Advanced Aesthetic Solutions

Finalists

Hideout Boutique, Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon

FACIAL

COLLIER

Winner

The Skin Room

Finalists

Cristina Lévon Aesthetics, Lumin Soft Esthetics

LEE

Winner

Advanced Aesthetic Solutions

Finalists

Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon, Hideout Boutique

HAIR SALON

COLLIER Winner

Amavi Salon

Finalists

Salon B, Salon Teez

LEE

Winner

Studio RK Salon

Finalists

Gateway Hair Studio, Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon

INJECTABLES

COLLIER Winner

Von & Co. Medical Aesthetics Studio

Finalists

Skin Deep Naples, Tru Glo Medspa

LEE

Winner

Advanced Aesthetic Solutions

Finalists

Face It Botox Bar, Hideout Boutique

MANICURE/PEDICURE

COLLIER Winner

Faith N' Hope Nail Studio

Finalists

Graceful Glow by Maria, PAINT Nail Bar

LEE

Winner Angel's Nails

Finalists

Spada Salon & Day Spa, Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon

MASSAGE

COLLIER Winner Back To You Therapeutics

Finalists

Spavia, Tiffany Fussell Massage Therapy

LEE

Winner

Spada Salon & Day Spa

Finalists

Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon, Urban SKN

MED-SPA

COLLIER

Winner

Von & Co. Medical Aesthetics Studio

Finalists

Tru Glo Medspa, MD Health Spa

LEE

Winner MY Self Wellness |Ketamine Therapy & Mental Wellness Clinic

Finalists

Advanced Aesthetic Solutions, Hideout Boutique, Garramone Plastic Surgery

Restoring Confidence and a Sense of Femininity.

Christina Hite, BSN, RN

• Areola Restoration

• Scar Camouflage

• 3D Bellybutton

• Permanent Makeup

RN Christina Hite, who has a backround in aesthetics, is a medical and cosmetic tattoo artist with 20 years of experience in the beauty industry.

She specializes in many highly advanced cosmetic tattoo techniques including nano realism brows, powder brows. She aims for realtistic and natural results.

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Scan the QR code to book a consultation.

The Sun Bestie Collection

Hite’s signature clean ingredient, luxury beauty brand created with the needs of the SWFL community in mind!

• The Original Sun Bestie Balm is a clear zinc based balm, which is great for every day use for natural sun protection.

• After Photo Bestie is a healing high-shine gloss, great for everyday use, and perfect for use after professional lip treatments.

MEN'S GROOMING

COLLIER Winner

Beards and Brews Barbershop

Finalists

Hammer & Nails, Blend Barber Co.

LEE Winner TwinCutZ

Finalists

Billy Nunes Studio, Masters Men's Grooming Service

PERMANENT MAKEUP

COLLIER Winner

Esthetic-Lines by Alexandra

Finalists

Iryna McCraw Permanent Cosmetics, Surreal Beauty Ink

LEE Winner Advanced Aesthetic Solutions

Finalists

Hideout Boutique, Adrian & Co. Spa and Salon

SUNLESS TANNING

COLLIER Winner

Viva La Bronze

Finalists

Glow To Go Naples, Esthetic-Lines by Alexandra

LEE

Winner

Cape Coral Spray Tans

Finalists

Perfect Glow by Nicole, Advanced Aesthetic Solutions

FOOD + DRINK

CUISINE: ASIAN

COLLIER Winner

Namba Ramen & Sushi

Finalists

Le Colonial Naples, PJK Neighborhood Chinese Restaurant

LEE Winner

MAKS Asian Kitchen & Sushi

Finalists

Bangkok Thai Restaurant, Ginger Bistro

CUISINE: BARBECUE

COLLIER Winner

FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Michelbob's Championship

Rib & Steaks, Texas Tony's Rib & BrewHouse

LEE Winner Beau's BBQ

Finalists

Smoke'n Pit Bar B Que, El Gaucho Inca Estero

CUISINE: FARM TO TABLE

COLLIER Winner

Seed to Table

Finalists

The Local Restaurant, Food & Thought 2

LEE Winner Blossom & Brie

Finalists

Artisan Eatery, Buckingham Farms, Golden Rind Cheese & Wine

CUISINE: FRENCH

COLLIER Winner

Bleu Provence

Finalists

The French Brasserie Rustique, Chez Boet

LEE Winner

Aux Delices Artisan Bakery and Cafe

Finalists

Bleu Rendezvous

French Bistro, Azure

CUISINE: GREEK/MIDDLE EASTERN

COLLIER Winner

Moura Bistro

Finalists

BHA! BHA! Persian Bistro, Kareem's Lebanese Kitchen

LEE Winner

Mythos Authentic Greek Cuisine

Thanks SWFL for Voting Us Best Farm to Table

Whether it's a fresh delicious meal and a stroll around the Farm, a breathtaking wedding, corporate event, or milestone celebration, Blossom & Brie provides the perfect backdrop for an Extraordinary Experience. Dine farmside on an 86-acre working farm, where food comes straight from the land and hospitality comes from the heart. We can't wait to welcome you to the Farm!

Finalists

Nomiki's Plakka

Greek Restaurant, Zorba's Mediterranean Grille & Bar

CUISINE: HEALTHY/ORGANIC

COLLIER Winner Food & Thought 2

Finalists

Organically Twisted, The Local Restaurant

LEE Winner BIG ENERGY Cafe

Finalists

Sage & Indigo Juice Co., Blossom & Brie, Green Cup Cafe

CUISINE: ITALIAN

COLLIER Winner Parmesan Pete's

Finalists

Osteria Tulia, Molto Trattoria

LEE Winner

Angelina's Ristorante

Finalists

The Saucy Meatball, Bruno's of Brooklyn

CUISINE: LATIN/SPANISH

COLLIER Winner Unidos

THE NEW POWER WITHIN.

Reintroducing DBX707. The supercar of SUVs.

Now, lauded and lined with an all-new technically advanced interior to match its uncompromising performance. Cut with Wireless Apple CarPlay® and a suite of connected technologies. Set with a state-of-the art infotainment system and two new high-definition screens. Made to dominate the road with the same dynamism. Punch with the same power and stamp the same authority across the sector.

Aston Martin Naples

functional We re dedicated to bringing your vision to life with unmatched precision and personalized service, making your dream home a reality.

Discover inspiration at Nicoletta + Co.'s new studio and showroom. Explore signature designs, browse materials, and discuss your next project with our team. Whether remodeling or seeking ideas, our space is designed to ignite creativity

Finalists

Fernandez the Bull Cuban Cafe, Lamoraga Restaurant

LEE Winner

El Gaucho Inca Estero

Finalists

El Basque Restaurant, Cubans Be Like Restaurant

CUISINE: SEAFOOD

COLLIER Winner

USS Nemo Restaurant

Finalists

Swan River Seafood, Sea Salt

LEE Winner

El Gaucho Inca Estero

Finalists

Tarpon Lodge, Deep Lagoon

DINING AMENITIES: BOAT ACCESS RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

The Dock at Crayton Cove

Finalists

Island Gypsy Cafe & Marina Bar, Snook Inn

LEE Winner

Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant

Finalists

Tarpon Lodge, Coconut Jack's Waterfront Grille

DINING AMENITIES: BUSINESS LUNCH

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Alexander's Garden Restaurant, The Capital Grille

LEE Winner

Shoeless Joe's Sports Cafe

Finalists

Golden Rind Cheese & Wine, Connors Steak & Seafood

DINING AMENITIES: CATERER

COLLIER Winner Moura Bistro

Finalists

Creative Catering Naples, Paradise Hospitality Group

LEE Winner

Artichoke and Company

Finalists

G3 Catering, Jamie's Cuisine

DINING AMENITIES: DATE NIGHT

RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

Alexander's Garden Restaurant

Finalists

Bleu Provence, FUSE Gastrobar

FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

The Regent Experience is absolute in its inclusiveness, providing enriching and luxurious journeys as you travel the world in search of the best life has to offer, with every luxury included, so that you can fully enjoy every moment.

Start planning an experience unlike any other.

ROYAL SCOOP

ORIGINAL BONITA LOCATION

15 8th St, Unit D Bonita Springs, FL 34134 (239) 992-2000

M&M'S CAFE AT TIN CITY

1200 5th Ave South, Unit 122 Naples, FL 34102 (239) 261-5317

ROYAL SCOOP

BERKSHIRE COMMONS

7335 Radio Rd, Unit 104 Naples, FL 34134 (239) 231-4544

ROYAL SCOOP

VANDERBILT COMMONS

7273 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Unit 25 Naples, FL 34119 (239) 331-3302

ROYAL SCOOP

PARAGON / PAVILION

829 Vanderbilt Beach Rd Naples, FL 34108 (239) 597-4043

ROYAL SCOOP

ESTERO TOWN COMMONS

10151 Estero Town Commons Pl, Unit 204 Estero, FL 33928 (239) 221-3478

ROYAL SCOOP RATTLESNAKE HAMMOCK 8590 Collier Blvd, Unit 103 Naples, FL 34114

LEE Winner Tarpon Lodge

Finalists

Liberty, Angelina's Ristorante

DINING AMENITIES: FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

Alexander's Garden Restaurant

Finalists

Moura Bistro, FUSE Gastrobar

LEE Winner

El Gaucho Inca Estero

Finalists

The Rooftop at Riverside, McGregor's Public House

DINING AMENITIES: FOOD TRUCK

COLLIER Winner

Chef Global's Kitchen

Finalists

Celebration Park Naples, Gator Creek BBQ Company, Super Smash Burger Co.

LEE Winner

Wicked Streatery

Finalists

Capeesh Italian Street Food, Backyard Social

DINING AMENITIES: HAPPY HOUR

COLLIER Winner

Nosh on Naples Bay

Finalists

Bar Tulia, Alexander's Garden Restaurant

LEE Winner

Nick & Stella's Family Sports Pub

Finalists

Angelina's Ristorante, McGregor's Public House, Backyard Social

DINING AMENITIES: KEPT SECRET RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

Alexander's Garden Restaurant

Finalists

Bicyclette Cookshop, FUSE Gastrobar

LEE Winner

McGregor's Public House

Finalists

Wisteria Tea Room & Café, Liberty

Located in the heart of Naples, The Skin Room is Florida’s premier destination for highly customized, medical grade skin treatments. We combine our passion for science wih our extensive knowledge and specialized training to deeply understand our clients skin concerns. We take skincare to the next level and we deliver life-changing results.

DINING AMENITIES: LATE-NIGHT DINING

COLLIER Winner

Old Vines Naples at Mercato

Finalists

Bar Tulia, Seventh South Craft Food + Drink

LEE

Winner

Nick & Stella's Family Sports Pub

Finalists

McGregor's Public House, Backyard Social

DINING AMENITIES: LIVE MUSIC

COLLIER Winner The London Club

Finalists

Seed to Table, The Mini Bar

LEE

Winner

McGregor's Public House

Finalists

Backyard Social, Bay Street Yard

DINING AMENITIES: NEW RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

El Gaucho Trattoria

Finalists

Le Colonial Naples, Unidos

LEE

Winner Pezzo Pizza + Bar

Finalists

Bay Street Yard, Blossom + Brie

DINING AMENITIES: OVERALL EXCELLENCE RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner Moura Bistro

Finalists

Alexander's Garden Restaurant, Nosh on Naples Bay

LEE

Winner Tarpon Lodge

Finalists

Angelina's Ristorante, El Gaucho Inca Estero

DINING AMENITIES: PLACE TO HANG WITH THE LOCALS

COLLIER Winner Moura Bistro

Finalists

Alchemist Kava Bar & Lounge, Oil Well Craft Beer

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

McGregor's Public House, Nick & Stella's Family Sports Pub

Speakeasy

DINING AMENITIES: SPECIAL OCCASION RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner

Alexander's Garden Restaurant

Finalists

Sails Restaurant, Bleu Provence

LEE Winner

Angelina's Ristorante

Finalists

Tarpon Lodge, The Veranda

DINING AMENITIES: SPECIALTY MARKET

COLLIER Winner

Seed to Table

Finalists

Wynn's Market, Ambrosi & Sons

LEE Winner Golden Rind Cheese & Wine

Finalists

DeRomo's Gourmet Market, Mario's Meat Market and Deli

DINING AMENITIES: SUNSET VIEW RESTAURANT

COLLIER Winner The Turtle Club

Finalists

BALEEN, Capri Fish House

LEE Winner

Tarpon Lodge

Finalists

Doc's Beach House, JWB Grill

DINING AMENITIES: WINE STORE

COLLIER Winner

Rebecca’s

Finalists

Bleu Provence Fine Wines, Three60 Wine

LEE Winner

Golden Rind Cheese & Wine

Finalists

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar, DeRomo's Gourmet Market

DRINKS + DESSERT: BEER LIST

COLLIER Winner

Oil Well Craft Beer

Finalists

Bone Hook Brewing Company, LowBrow Pizza & Beer

LEE Winner

Scotty's Bierwerks

Finalists

McGregor's Public House, Fort Myers Brewing Company

DRINKS + DESSERT: BLOODY MARY

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Naples’ Original Waterfront Dining

Finalists

The Dock at Crayton Cove, The Turtle Club

LEE

Winner

McGregor's Public House

Finalists

Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar, Fathoms Restaurant& Bar

DRINKS + DESSERT: CHOCOLATE SHOP

COLLIER Winner

Norman Love Confections

Finalists

Kilwins, Olde Naples Chocolate

LEE

Winner

Norman Love Confections

Finalists

Noela Chocolate & Confections, Chocolattés

DRINKS + DESSERT: COFFEE SHOP

COLLIER Winner

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Finalists

Winfield Street Coffee, Lovr Boys

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

Chocolattés, BIG ENERGY Cafe

DRINKS + DESSERT: CRAFT BREWERY

COLLIER Winner

Oil Well Craft Beer

Finalists

Bone Hook Brewing Company, Ankrolab Brewing Company

LEE

Winner

Scotty's Bierwerks

Finalists

Fort Myers Brewing Company, Point Ybel Brewing Company

DRINKS + DESSERT: CRAFT COCKTAILS

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Limon Rooftop Bar, Seventh South Craft Food + Drink

LEE Winner Escondido Lounge

Finalists

Chartreuse, Angelina's Ristorante

DRINKS + DESSERT: DESSERT (RESTAURANT)

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Ocean Prime, The French Brasserie Rustique

Where the mystique of a 1920s speakeasy meets modern luxury. Slip beyond the ordinary to savor craft cocktails, curated music, and an atmosphere steeped in elegance. Discover your hidden escape.

With cutting-edge technology and advanced techniques, we're dedicated to achieving your beauty and wellness goals. Explore a range of services and products tailored to you, including:

Facials

Injectables

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Body Sculpting

Weight Loss

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Sexual Wellness

IV Therapy And MORE!

Ryann Lavenia CRNA, APRN Founder, Master Injector

LEE Winner

Angelina's Ristorante

Finalists

El Gaucho Deli Cafe, Aux Delices Artisan Bakery and Cafe

DRINKS + DESSERT: ESTABLISHMENT WITH THE BEST BARTENDERS

COLLIER Winner

Oil Well Craft Beer

Finalists

FUSE Gastrobar, Foxboro Sports Tavern

LEE Winner

Escondido Lounge

Finalists

Scotty's Bierwerks, Angelina's Ristorante

DRINKS + DESSERT: ICE CREAM (YOGURT, GELATO, ETC.)

COLLIER Winner

Royal Scoop

Finalists

Gelato&Co. Naples, Scoops Ice Cream & Acai Bowls

LEE Winner

Love Boat Ice Cream

Finalists

Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shoppe, Scoop Me Up Homemade Ice Cream

DRINKS + DESSERT: JUICE BAR

COLLIER Winner

Juicelation

Finalists

Food & Thought, Seed to Table

LEE Winner

Sage & Indigo Juice Co.

Finalists

Rawfully Delicious, Juice Society Juicery

DRINKS + DESSERT: KEY LIME PIE

COLLIER Winner

Spanky's Speakeasy

Finalists

Hogfish Harry's, Tony's Off Third

LEE

Winner

McGregor's Public House

Finalists

Shoeless Joe's Sports Cafe, Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shoppe

DRINKS + DESSERT: MARTINI

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Ocean Prime, Sails Restaurant

LEE

Winner

Angelina's Ristorante

Finalists

Pezzo Pizza + Bar, LYNQ

DRINKS + DESSERT: WINE LIST

COLLIER Winner

Moura Bistro

Finalists

Bleu Provence, Ocean Prime, The French Brasserie Rustique

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

Angelina's Ristorante, Jordan's Wine Bar and Cellar

FOOD ITEM: BAGELS

COLLIER Winner

Brooklyn Dough

Finalists

Straight From New York Bagels, Empire Bagel Factory

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

Stuff A Bagel, The Bagel Factory

FOOD ITEM: BAKERY

COLLIER Winner

Bakery at Grappino

Finalists

Angelic Desserts, Bonta' Bakery

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

Norman Love Confections, Aux Delices Artisan Bakery and Cafe

FOOD ITEM: BREAKFAST

COLLIER Winner

Skillets

Finalists

The Rooster Food + Drink, EJ's Bayfront Cafe

LEE

Winner

Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Finalists

Artisan Eatery, Aux Delices Artisan Bakery and Cafe

FOOD ITEM: BRUNCH

COLLIER Winner

Sails Restaurant

Finalists

Jane's Cafe on 3rd, Bar Tulia Mercato, Del Mar Naples

LEE Winner

Artisan Eatery

Finalists

Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar, Skinny Dogz Brunchery

FOOD ITEM: BURGER

COLLIER Winner

Brooks Burgers

Finalists

FUSE Gastrobar, Jimmy P's Butcher Shop & Deli

LEE

Winner

Shoeless Joe's Sports Cafe

Finalists

Artisan Eatery, LYNQ

FOOD ITEM: CHICKEN WINGS

COLLIER Winner

Foxboro Sports Tavern

Finalists

LowBrow Pizza & Beer, Gator Creek BBQ Company

LEE

Winner

Nick & Stella's Family Sports Pub

Finalists

Buffalo Chips Restaurant, Shoeless Joe's Sports Cafe

FOOD ITEM: MEAT MARKET

COLLIER Winner

Jimmy P's Burgers & More

Finalists

Seed to Table, Wynn's Market

LEE

Winner

Jimmy P's Butcher Shop & Deli

Finalists

Mario's Meat Market and Deli, DeRomo's Gourmet Market, Farmer Joe's

FOOD ITEM: PIZZA

COLLIER

Winner

LowBrow Pizza & Beer

Finalists

San Giuseppe Pizza, Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza

LEE

Winner

Pezzo Pizza + Bar

Finalists

Uncle Rico's Pizza Fort Myers, Downtown House of Pizza

FOOD ITEM: RAW BAR

COLLIER Winner

The Claw Bar

Hotel/Resort

Overall

Hotel/Resort

Overall

Sightseeing

Finalists

The Bay House Restaurant, The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar

LEE Winner Rusty’s

Finalists

Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill, Deep Lagoon, Izzy's Fish & Oyster

FOOD ITEM: SALAD

COLLIER Winner FUSE Gastrobar

Finalists

Foxboro Sports Tavern, CRISP & GREEN

LEE Winner McGregor's Public House

Finalists

Artisan Eatery, LYNQ

FOOD ITEM: SANDWICH

COLLIER Winner Oil Well Craft Beer

Finalists

Moura Bistro, Yacht Club Subs

LEE Winner Vichino's Cafe & Wine Bar

Southwest Florida’s

Finalists

McGregor's Public House, Artisan Eatery

FOOD ITEM: STEAK

COLLIER Winner Jimmy P's Charred

Finalists

The Capital Grille, Ocean Prime

LEE Winner El Gaucho Inca Estero

Finalists

Jimmy P's Charred, Prime 239 Steakhouse

FOOD ITEM: TACOS

COLLIER Winner Turco Taco

Finalists

Taqueria San Julian, Tacos & Tequila Cantina

LEE Winner Tacos y Ceviches

Finalists

Dos Sabores Restaurant, El Local

HOME DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE

COLLIER Winner

MHK Architecture

Finalists

Kukk Architecture & Design, P.A., JMDG Architecture

LEE

Winner Architecture Joyce Owens

Finalists

South Florida Architecture, GMA Architects and Planners, Studio A.D.

BUILDER

COLLIER Winner

PBS Contractors

Finalists

Acadian Builders, Diamond Custom Homes

LEE Winner

Gulfshore Homes

Finalists

Frank Jenkins Custom Homes, Lombardo LuxuryBuild Group, Nicoletta + Co.

INTERIOR DESIGN

COLLIER Winner

Design West

Finalists

Harper Haus Interiors, LVD SPACES,

LEE

Winner

Gulfshore Interior Design

Finalists

Nicoletta + Co., Architecture Joyce Owens, Theory Design

KITCHEN DESIGN

COLLIER Winner

EDGE Cabinetry

Finalists

Studio A.D., Soho Design Group, KGT Builders

LEE

Winner

Cartright & Son's

Finalists

Ambiance Creations, Longley Kitchens

POOL DESIGN

COLLIER Winner

Suncoast Custom Pools

Finalists

Water Works Pools, Nassau Pools Construction

LEE

Winner Azure Pool and Deck Design

Finalists

Lombardo Luxury Build Group, Custom Pools by Design

RECREATION + FITNESS

FITNESS CENTER

COLLIER Winner

BILD by Coach O

Finalists

Pure Skill Fitness, CrossFit Naples

LEE Winner College Parkway P-Fit

Finalists

Dream Fit, Pole & Aerial Fitness of SWFL

GOLF COURSE

COLLIER Winner

Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club

Finalists

Vineyards Country Club, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon

LEE Winner Estero Country Club

Finalists

The Forest Country Club, Copperleaf Golf Club

SPECIALTY FITNESS STUDIO

COLLIER Winner

BILD by Coach O

Finalists

Wander Free Wellness, Barre Fusion Pilates Studio

LEE Winner Citrus Circus Center

Finalists

Fuego Pilates,

TENNIS PICKLEBALL FACILITY

COLLIER Winner

Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club

Finalists

Naples Lakes Country Club, Vineyards Country Club

LEE Winner The Forest Country Club

Finalists

Estero Country Club, Bonita Bay Club

SERVICES

ACCOUNTING

Finalists

Cottrell Tax & Accounting, Medrano & Cail

LEE

Winner

SWFL Tax and Accounting Solutions

Finalists

Markham Norton Mosteller Wright and Company, P.A., Hissam & Associates

Accountants

BOAT DEALERSHIP

COLLIER Winner

MarineMax - Naples

Finalists

Shiptronics, Galati Yacht Sales,

LEE

Winner

Brandon Flaherty

Yacht Sales

Finalists

Bonita Boat Center, MarineMax - Fort Myers

CAR REPAIR

COLLIER Winner

Gator Motorsports of SWFL

Finalists

Doug Brann Paint and Body Repair, My Solution Guys

LEE Winner

Lexpert Automotive

Finalists

Better Cars Service Center, Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center

CHILD CARE

COLLIER Winner

Temple Shalom Preschool

Finalists

Fun Time Early

Childhood Academy, Naples Babysitting Company

LEE Winner

Child Care of Southwest Florida

Finalists

Whiz Kids, Canterbury School

CONCIERGE MEDICINE

COLLIER Winner

Blue Concierge Medicine

Finalists

Dr. Diana M. Macian, MD, Top Doc Concierge

LEE Winner

Shine Direct Primary Care

Finalists

Alessi Family Care, (Bonita Concierge Medicine)

HOME WATCH

COLLIER Winner

Royal Home Watch

Finalists

Halo Home Watch, Nosey Neighbor Home Watch

LEE Winner

Islander Home Watch Services

Finalists

Knight Watch

LUXURY VEHICLE/ VESSEL STORAGE

COLLIER Winner

Ultimate Garages

Finalists

Naples Bay Resort & Marina, Naples Luxury Imports

LEE

Winner

The Toy Vault Fort Myers

PET RESORT

COLLIER

Winner

Imperial Paws Naples

Finalists

Gulf Groomers, Pampered Pet Resorts

LEE

Winner Your K9s Come First

Finalists

Ruffgers Dog University, Bark Place

PHOTOGRAPHER

COLLIER

Winner

Courtney Garbow Photography

Finalists

Sophia Wea Photography, Ashlee Fleming Media

LEE

Winner

Real Tours Real Estate Photography

Finalists

AdVenture SWFL, Kelley Marie Photography

PRIVATE SCHOOL

COLLIER

Winner

Temple Shalom Preschool

Finalists

Royal Palm Academy, The Village School of Naples

LEE

Winner

Canterbury School

Finalists

Summit Christian School, Southwest Florida Christian Academy

TRAVEL AGENCY

COLLIER

Winner

Preferred Travel & Company

Finalists

Megan Ptak - Marvelous Mouse Travels, Martha Good Luxury Travel

LEE

Winner Concierge Cruises and Tours

Finalists

Brightside Vacations, Laurie and Greg Shuss & Associates - Dream Vacations

TIFFANY FUSSELL

MASSAGE THERAPY, LLC

Restoring Balance One Body at a Time

TIFFANY FUSSELL

MASSAGE

Restoring

HOME / Spaces, concepts and characters for inspired design

The Impressionist

A defining work in the London Bay canon, this Old Naples estate distills the firm’s 35 years of design mastery, melding artistry, livability and long-range vision.

In this 5,500-square-foot home on Third Street North, the first impression is not about one focal point—though there’s plenty to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over—it’s about, well, the impression. There’s a glassed-in study just past the front door where Poliform builtins lend gravitas behind a desk with black-lacquer legs. A sweep through the great room reveals perfectly proportioned furniture; the touch of a button changes the lighting inside and out, drawing the eye past the pool to a well-appointed guest cabana. A slab of Calacatta marble on the kitchen wall is offset by bright-white, modern Poliform cabinets, its bronze and gold veining echoed in a chandelier here, a side table there. “The sum of the parts is better than the whole,” says Mark Wilson, CEO of London Bay. “You get the impact as you come through the front door.”

This year, London Bay celebrates 35 years in business. Mark started the company building single-family luxury homes and is now one of the region’s major builder-developers. He credits his success to his team and their integrated approach. “From the beginning, I saw myself as a sort of conductor of the orchestra of design,” he says. “We were the first in the luxury home space to step back and say, ‘What if you integrate architecture and interior design and do it all very well’?”

Mark moved to Florida from England in 1984, with an MBA and undergraduate building engineering degree in hand and a plan to work in commercial development. But, the savings and loans crisis created a difficult market, so he stepped back and looked

Mark Wilson founded London Bay in 1990 with a vision to elevate residential design in Southwest Florida. This Third Street North estate—crafted on spec but conceived with bespoke precision—exemplifies the company’s integrated, detail-driven approach.

around. “I felt there was a hole in the luxury end of the residential market,” he says. Mark found many of the area’s high-end homes leaned heavily on Tuscan tropes, with minimal indoor-outdoor flow and attention to detail.

With a European eye for contemporary aesthetics and Old World craftsmanship, Mark and his wife, Gemma, built their first spec home in Fort Myers—the most expensive model ever built in the city back then. The house sold immediately, generating new business and momentum. By the early 2000s, they’d acquired Romanza Interior Design and added an architectural division. Within the next decade, they’d become a go-to builder for master-planned communities like Mediterra and Quail Creek and expanded into multi-family developments. All the while, they kept building increasingly sophisticated homes throughout Port Royal and Old Naples.

While many high-end builders tout customization, London Bay operates in a more nuanced space. The team is quick to clar-

ify that they don’t do production housing—their communities are intentionally small in scale and spec homes, like the one on Third Street North, are conceived with a living, breathing client in mind (often, Mark himself). Architects sketch the plans, and the in-house Romanza Interior Design team conceives interiors with the same intentionality as a private commission.

Across their portfolio, a unifying aesthetic emerges: cleanlined architecture, tailored proportions, and interiors that favor warm neutrals and natural textures. For many buyers, the cohesiveness is part of the appeal. But, projects like the Third Street North estate and the upcoming The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, show the range possible when the team flexes its creative muscle.

In many ways, the Old Naples home harkens to where it all began—refining the speculative model that first put London Bay on the map into something wholly elevated, where design, architecture and lifestyle planning move in sync. This time, it

Mark remains embedded in the process, stepping in as an imagined client to shape the vision for spec designs. In the kitchen, Calacatta marble sets the tone against crisp Poliform cabinetry, while warm wood finishes carry the home’s restrained rhythm.

started with a vacant, overgrown lot that had been sitting on the market—narrow, with no water view and little curb appeal. But Mark saw potential where others didn’t. “I don’t think people appreciated how deep it was,” he says. Rather than follow convention and build a long, narrow home pushed to the rear, they flipped the script—placing a pool at the center of the lot and designing a series of outdoor living areas around it. The result feels immersive and intentional, with every part of the home engaging the outdoors.

The team worked with sought-after landscape designer Koby Kirwin to turn the central pool into a lifestyle focal point. Wrapped around it are distinct yet interconnected outdoor spaces, including a kitchen and lounge lanai with a Dekton waterfall-edge counter, Evo grill and dual TVs, and a dining pavilion with a sculptural sea fan coral screen. On one side of the pool, the home’s primary suite spills onto a terrace paved in Irish-blue limestone. In another stretch, a guest cabana stands like its own retreat, complete with a living room, wet bar, private deck and morning kitchen. “We laugh and say that you only need to bring your toothbrush to move in,” Mark says.

The interiors of the two-story, four-bedroom home were conceived by senior design director Jennifer Stevens, who has been with Romanza for 25 years. She and her team work in lockstep with London Bay’s architects to ensure visual continuity from structure to styling. In the foyer, a wall of walnut paneling with slim bronze insets rises into and across the ceiling, introducing the home’s quiet rhythm of generous proportions and restrained materiality. Underfoot, oversized 4-by-4-foot porcelain tiles extend across the great room in long, uninterrupted planes— reinforcing London Bay’s instinct for proportion, where volume serves flow, not spectacle. The tones throughout—elm, oak and walnut woods; warm metallic accents; whites and taupes punctuated with black and navy—represent design-forward taste with a universal appeal. “We don’t need to be on the bleeding edge of trends, but the leading edge,” Mark says.

Throughout the home, guest-friendly spaces are balanced with discrete nooks. “You want areas in the house to entertain, and it’s lovely to be around people, but sometimes you just want a bit of quiet or privacy. And ideally, you have that both inside and outside,” Mark says. The study off the entry, for instance: “It’s open and has tons of light coming into it, and you can see those lovely built-ins, but if someone is working and they’re on the phone, or they just want to sit and read a book and have a little peace and quiet, they can close the door.” A media nook off the great room and breakfast area near the upstairs guest suites offer similar tranquil moments.

Thoughtful details—sculptural elements, layered materials, guest-friendly nooks—reflect the builder-developer’s integrated approach. With an architectural team and Romanza Interior Design in-house, the team ensures cohesion from flow to finish.

The same orchestration—the idea that good design accounts for how people really live—extends to London Bay’s community-scale developments. Their current flagship, Saltleaf on Estero Bay, signals their most ambitious move into vertical development, where everyday life flows easily between nature, recreation and home. Walking trails connect to a golf preserve and marina, while a pair of The Ritz-Carlton Residences’ towers, rising 22 floors, offer sweeping views of mangroves and Gulf waters. The first tower is slated to open in spring 2026, and future plans call for villas and additional towers.

Here, miles away from the region’s established wealth corridors, Mark once again recognized an untapped potential. With this project, they’re not just participating in Southwest Florida’s upscale evolution but setting the pace by extending ultra-luxury living into Lee County. “We’re able to create a new waterfront luxury lifestyle in an area that no one even

Koby Kirwin collaborated on the landscaping, where the structure flows outward from a central pool to create a fluid, indooroutdoor living experience.

thought about 10 years ago,” Mark says. On Fort Myers Beach, where the company debuted Grandview at Bay Beach in 2023, the firm recently paused plans to redevelop the former Outrigger site after town staff recommended denial, citing concerns over density, scale and neighborhood fit. Instead of forcing the issue, London Bay pulled the application, opting for community consensus over confrontation—a move that speaks to the company’s long-term vision for growth that respects local context.

As Southwest Florida enters a defining era of growth and London Bay plays a defining role, Mark is reflecting on the long view. Building communities with staying power, shaped by purpose and possibility. “We’re not creating these spaces for today or tomorrow, but thinking about how they’ll fit in 20, 50 years from now—long after I’m gone,” he says. “With this opportunity comes great responsibility.”

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Feast for the Eyes

A favorite discovery for the home, this painterly French porcelain, found in Naples, turns every table into a work of art.

The table is set for breakfast. A pricked egg yolk, lush and warm, spills gently over a porcelain plate, the soft viscosity swimming across delicate green and gold floral brushstrokes. Scone crumbs scatter across a dish encircled in cerulean waves. Amid Marie Daâge’s curated tablescapes, precision and spontaneity dance in careful harmony.

The Parisian’s eponymous haute porcelain maison exalts the art of hosting by holding steadfast to France’s 18th-century traditions. Working exclusively with bright white Limoges porcelain—prized for its luminous surface and centuries-old prestige—the atelier hand-paints every charger, carafe and teacup to order. Evolving collections yield nature-inspired designs, each one a small, singular masterpiece. A laborious, three-firing process allows the artisans to apply different pigments between firings; temperature adjustments maintain each hue’s vibrancy. To finish, Marie’s dishes receive a hand-polished, 24-karat matte gold filet.

Alongside Marie’s catalog of private clients—a Rolodex spanning royal families, Michelin-star restaurants, five-star hotels, and luxury brands like Frette and Chanel—are a select number of trusted stateside retailers. A Mano, a home and gift boutique off Naples’ Third Street South, was the first. Marie and shop owner Adam Mahr met in 1994 during the porcelain painter’s first Parisian showcase, forming a lasting friendship and business partnership. Three decades later, the designer made her first Southwest Florida excursion as part of the district’s La Bonne Vie Pop-Up in February. “I was thrilled by the colors,” she says of her first visit to Naples. “It reminds me of my childhood—it has the same kind of climate as Martinique with all these exuberant plants.”

Marie’s artwork—the product of a tight cadre of painters across three ateliers who trained for a minimum of six years under the doyenne—centers on a balance of harmonious color and intentionally contrasted patterns. The brand produces more than 200 designs that can be mixed and matched. “We love it when our clients make a set. You have a charger in one

Parisian designer Marie Daâge brings handpainted Limoges porcelain to Southwest Florida collectors via A Mano, a home and gift boutique off Naples’ Third Street South.

Each piece undergoes a three-firing process to ensure vibrance and is finished with a 24-karat gold filet. Marie encourages mixing and matching her more than 200 designs to create personalized tablescapes that reflect your style.

collection, a dinner plate in another, a salad plate in another, and they all match together,” she says. In the end, you have a table that’s all yours.

Each season, the brand debuts a new painterly suite. This perpetual evolution echoes Marie’s fondness for the theater of a layered table, where every element invites conversation—a sensibility traced to her mother.

The designer’s childhood, split among Martinique, Paris and her mother’s native Austria, offers a well of inspiration. “My mother was … well known to [present] one of the best tables of Martinique,” she says with a wistful pride. The matriarch’s elaborate tableaux stirred constant anticipation in the household—what fabrics would she choose for the spring drapery? How would she set her dining table for the Christmas feast? What floral arrangements would emerge when the weekend arrived? Marie internalized each quiet lesson, rapt as her mother sorted through textile swatches and paired blooms.

In her youth, Marie gravitated toward the arts but attended business school at her family’s urging. She later returned to her passions, receiving a degree in art history and apprenticing under a third-generation master porcelain painter. “I was not meant to do this, but it was really a love story between porcelain and me,” she says.

Fueled by her classical training, Marie mastered historic techniques like putoisage—a meticulous approach to brushwork that achieves velvety, atmospheric depth. Over time, she

began inventing her own methodologies to meet her evolving ambitions and collectors’ tastes. When traditional brushwork failed to replicate the texture of the feathers her father once brought home from a work trip to South Africa, she began clipping her brushes, adjusting their shape to mimic the plume’s soft striation—a subtle but inventive shift and the genesis for a now-hallmark Marie Daâge technique.

For collectors, her porcelain is as much about intuition as precision. Unlike transfer-printed porcelain, which yields identical results, each hand-painted piece bears the subtle individuality of the artist’s gesture. “For me, it’s important that you can really feel the movement of the hand of the painter on the porcelain,” she says.

While rooted in centuries of tradition, Marie is eager to share her artistry with the next generation. Her YouTube tutorials— like those filmed in a remote corner of the Loire Valley, amid green expanses—echo the legacy she inherited: a belief that a table is never just a table but a living canvas for color, connection and collected beauty.

Painters train for years to master Marie’s techniques, including disappearing Old World brushwork methods like putoisage. Her natureinspired oeuvre attracts clients ranging from royal families to heritage brands like Chanel and Frette.

In Good Taste

Our editors and trusted insiders share their latest home obsessions—three standout newcomers where personality, purpose and style meet.

When it comes to shopping, we take our c ues from the people we trust most— longtime style-setters and local luminaries with an eye for the good stuff. This season, our inner circle is raving about three new shops with distinctive POVs and personal charm to spare. Each helmed by a familiar face—a retail legend, an adored artist, a landscape virtuoso—the spaces reflect the elevated tastes of the people and passions behind them.

STARability Home Collection

Lindsey Sablan, an anchor at Gulfshore Life sister company WINK News and frequent fundraiser emcee, has long followed STARability’s transformative work. So,

Waterside Shops visionary Anne Fleming helped launch STARability’s new consignment boutique. Proceeds from the like-new wares (think: Roche Bobois seating, Natuzzi case goods, vintage collectibles) go directly to supporting adults with disabilities.

when the organization expanded its home decor shop into a bigger space in Naples Design District last fall, she took note. “It’s one of those stores that’s a treasure trove of goods that changes constantly,” she says.

The STARability Home Collection pairs high-end secondhand finds with a powerful mission—100% of proceeds support programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After stepping down as general manager of Waterside Shops, 2024 Gulfshore Life

Woman of the Year Anne Fleming took the reins to help open the new location. She tapped into her luxury retail experience and deep Naples network to source standout donations: Roche Bobois dining chairs, a John-Richard four-door credenza, Natuzzi leather sectionals, velvet sofas, vintage books—always in top condition.

Interior designer Monica Lukas curates the ever-rotating floor displays, creating vignettes that give the goods a polished,

showroom-ready feel. “We sometimes get a full house’s worth of donations,” Anne says. —Jasmine Heckerman

41 Home & Garden

A longtime force in local landscape design, Christian Busk turns his attention indoors with 41 Home & Garden, the interiors-focused sibling to his greenhouse and garden shop. Opened in fall 2024, the Naples Design District showroom blends character-rich pieces—Art Deco Donald Deskey

originals, midcentury modern silhouettes, Sicilian ceramics—into a refined and relaxed space.

Christian built his name over nearly 50 years of transforming outdoor spaces into personal escapes, but his instincts for interiors run deep. He scours estate sales and travels widely, curating with intention and spontaneity. Some finds are years in the making—like a sculp -

tural zebrawood end table he spent four years sourcing a match for—while others simply feel right in the moment. That mix of precision and serendipity gives the store its soul.

Assistant editor Annamarie Simoldoni, who covers fashion and home, calls the shop one of the most thoughtful additions to the local design scene. “You can tell how much care goes into Christian’s

selections,” she says. “It’s a space that invites you to slow down and take it all in.” —Sydney Sakalosky

Home by Rachel Pierce

Sanibel restaurateur and Gulfshore Life Community Advisory Board member Sandy Stilwell Youngquist points to Home by Rachel Pierce as one of the island’s standout new shops.

Tucked into a compact storefront on Periwinkle Way, the boutique reflects NBC-2 anchor-turned-artist Rachel Pierce’s beach-forward spirit. Since opening last summer, the shop has earned a strong following for its breezy, welledited mix (her new, nearby pet store, Pierce’s Paw Paradise, is equally popular).

Inside, seafoam green upholstery, octopus-patterned pillows and shell decor mix with curated furnishings sourced by co-owner Lauren Speas. Rachel taps into her network of local makers to keep the shop grounded in Sanibel’s creative community. “We’re leaning into Sanibel’s nature and the beauty of what’s around us,” she says. —Visvajit Sriramrajan

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A Place to Linger

This month, our editor-in-chief selects shapely, high-design pieces that invite you to sit back, slow down and spend time with the quiet pleasure of print.

Designed by Danish architect Mikal Harrsen, the modular wall system treats storage as architecture. Panels in wood, mirrored glass or fabric mount on slim aluminum rails, with integrated power access. Floating accessories like shelves, drawers, clothing rods and desks offer myriad configurations. Integrated under-lighting provides just enough glow to show off sculptural accessories, books—or your collection of Gulfshore Life back issues.

The Palla is all gesture and gravity, with its visually curvaceous, physically grounded design. Handbuilt by New York artisans, the armchair has a deep seat, down-wrapped foam and densely tailored fabric, offering the kind of plush comfort that makes it easy to lose track of time— magazine in hand, shoes off, fully committed to the moment.

dmitriyco.com

Like a ripple caught mid-motion, the Tidal table showcases Philadelphia-based John Pomp’s signature poured-glass technique, lending each piece a distinct edge profile and thickness variation. The rippling crystal top rests on a polished, sculpted brass base. This side table holds a book, a drink, a glint of afternoon light—but mostly, it holds its own.

johnpomp.com

Bodies Chant Electric by Vincent Pocsik

If you’ve ever wished for a reading companion who stays quiet, this might be it. Vincent Pocsik’s carved wood forms are part sculpture, part light source, part imagined presence—humanlike but abstract; watchful, but not judgmental. Cast in oak, cherry or walnut and layered with resin, the Los Angeles-made lamps pulse with personality.

vincentpocsik.com

Pillars of Strength

When your calendar is packed with nonprofit board meetings, client calls and gala RSVPs, there’s no room for guesswork in the gym. These are the trainers Gulfshore Life’s power players trust to deliver results.

For our Community Advisory Board members—leaders who juggle demanding careers, philanthropic commitments and social engagements—physical wellbeing isn’t optional. Workouts provide the foundation that sustains their demanding lives, giving them the energy to show up fully for the causes they champion and the stamina to stay sharp long-term. When every minute counts, the right personal trainer becomes a secret weapon. These are the fitness pros our advisors trust to deliver results.

Adria Starkey: Jovan Milovanovic, Pure Skill Fitness

Working out at Pure Skill Fitness offers a 50-minute reset for Adria Starkey. “It’s like my little haven,” she says. The Naples studio, which offers both group and private training, uses AI-powered Technogym equipment to track performance in real-time. Group classes follow a circuit-style format—mixing

strength, cardio, mobility and endurance drills—while private sessions use the same framework, tailored to the individual.

For Adria, the draw is trainer Jovan Milovanovic. “He knows who I am and works with me from that perspective,” she says of the NASM-certified trainer and corrective exercise specialist.

As president of FineMark Bank Collier County and a trustee for the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), Adria is wired to push herself—an asset in business, but risky in the gym. “I was notorious for getting hurt,” she says. With Jovan’s help, she broke the cycle. He prioritized posture and mobility before layering in heavy weights, adjusting intensity based on her cues. A typical session includes a five-minute warmup, weight training, cardio bursts and stretching—but every day varies. If Adria shows signs of strain or fatigue, Jovan eases off. If she’s breezing through, he raises the bar.

From Pure Skill Fitness in Naples (left) to Iron DNA Fitness in Fort Myers (opposite, above), these trainer-led gyms offer efficient, fullspectrum workouts, built for highperforming schedules.

At Iron DNA Fitness, trainer Seth Hayes brings a multidisciplinary edge, with certifications in sports performance, functional strength and mind-body coaching.

With his guidance, she’s seeing the lasting results she used to chase. Now, she’s training smarter, not harder—and feels stronger for it. —Annamarie Simoldoni

Dwayne Bergmann: Josh Vogelbach, 2 The Top

A force in Southwest Florida’s interior design scene, Fort Myers’ Dwayne Bergmann is always on the go. To keep up the pace, our board member trains like an athlete, waking up at 5:30 a.m. to meet with Josh Vogelbach, owner and certified personal trainer at Fort Myers’ 2 The Top. “When you go to 2 The Top, you’re there to work out and get it done,” Dwayne says.

When he hits the jersey-lined gym, the designer has two goals: increase longevity and feel strong day-to-day. Josh’s functional fitness-focused approach delivers. A former college football player, the coach blends foundational conditioning drills, like squats, lunges and box jumps—exercises made for bodies in motion—with a balanced push-pull approach that allows alternating muscle groups to recover between sets. The result is an effective and sustainable combination of strength and cardio training that gets results without burning him out.

“The workouts are focused on building strength rather than bodybuilding,” Dwayne says. Thanks to the smart, athletic pacing and emphasis on real-world strength work, the entrepreneur’s morning grind keeps him sharp long after the session ends. —A.S.

Denise Cobb: Zachary Weidemeyer, P-Fit

Denise Cobb had never been inclined toward exercise, but 30 minutes with Zachary Weidemeyer, owner of North Naples’ P-Fit, changed her mind. The Gulfshore Life board president and NCEF trustee had dabbled in fitness classes around town. Nothing stuck until she stepped into her first HIIT (high-intensity interval training) class at P-Fit and was hooked by Zachary’s infectious energy.

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Whether you’re doing the 30-minute HIIT sessions at P-Fit or training with Sergei Fedotov (right), owner of Pure Skill Fitness in Naples, each workout is adjusted in real time during both private and small-group sessions.

At these gyms, progress is personal—but no one does it alone. Trainers and fellow trainees help push past limits, even on the toughest days. “It’s not just a workout—it’s a community,” GL board president Denise Cobb says of her P-Fit trainings (top right).

The industrial-style gym—tucked off Old 41 in a lofty warehouse, where the doors roll open to let in the fresh air—hosts 30-minute HIIT classes every 45 minutes, starting as early as 5 a.m. Sessions are small, fast-paced and constantly varied, incorporating moves like squat-to-press combinations, resistance sprints, push sleds and core-stability drills. “It’s like he’s in your head, pushing you just the right amount,” Denise says of her go-to trainer, who walks the room offering real-time cues and personalized modifications, so no one falls behind.

She also loves the community feel. Zachary knows everyone by name—from the teen athlete to the 80-something retiree. “It’s not just a workout—it’s a community,” Denise, a former CNN news anchor, says. “By the end of each session, we’re all clapping and shouting ‘FAMILY!’” —Emma Witmer

Carly Schwartzel: Seth Hayes, Iron DNA Fitness

Between serving on nonprofit committees, raising two kids and being married to Gulfshore Life president Jim Schwartzel,

Carly keeps a packed schedule. For her, fitness is about efficiency and momentum. She trains three days a week at Fort Myers’ Iron DNA Fitness with in-demand trainer Seth Hayes. Her coach brings a multidisciplinary approach, with certifications in sports performance, functional strength and mind-body coaching. “He maximizes your time and is completely focused on you,” Carly says.

Each hour-long session at the sleek, 19,000-square-foot facility starts with a 10-minute warm-up, followed by a mix of fundamentals (squatting, lunging, running) and strength-building exercises, using tools like a weighted bamboo bench press bar to challenge balance and stability. Training with Seth is less about complicated regimens or flashy equipment and more about building strength with precision; sessions are tailored to how a client moves that day. His prescription proves effective. In December, Carly was doing chest presses with 10-pound weights. By March, she’d jumped to 25s in each hand. “I know I’m going to get a good workout in [with him],” she says. —Addison Pezoldt

By Emily Flournoy

Clean Slate

After two years of testing local skincare products and treatments, our assistant wellness editor reveals her clean-beauty standouts.

When I started covering wellness for Gulfshore Life, I didn’t expect to spend quite so much time comparing soaps, decoding labels or fixating on sunscreen texture. But, the more I learned, the more I saw how, even despite all the cleanand-green marketing, beauty products are often laden with irritating preservatives, synthetic fragrance blends and hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Fortunately, across Southwest Florida, industry experts are setting a new standard for clean care, crafting and sourcing products that are as effective as mainstream options without the harsh additives. After testing countless local products and services, I’ve narrowed in on my nontoxic essentials for skin, hair and body.

It all starts with the face—the most exposed and often most sensitive part of the body, where national brands tend to tackle issues with hormone-disrupting synthetics and harsh, drying alcohols. Instead, Naples-based Envio Skin’s B.P.O. 5% Cleanser’s pharmaceutical-grade benzoyl peroxide targets blemishes

while soothing the skin with a gentle blend of root extracts, hydration heroes (like glycerin and hyaluronic acid) and skin-essential nutrients. For sun protection, I reach for Time 4 U Med Spa’s reef-and-skin-safe mineral sunscreen, developed by a former oncology nurse. I love the SPF 50-plus Shield [Primely], with skin-mimicking lipids and plant oils to help control oil and blur fine lines, while delivering a silky finish—no heavy silicones or synthetic filters needed.

For extra nourishment, Kris Organics’ face tallow taps into the national trend of using rendered beef fat for rich hydration—but with ingredients we can trust.

Founder Kristen DeMattia sources her Naples-made tallow from American-raised grass-fed and finished cows and loads the whipped concoction with soothing aloe and manuka honey (my go-to natural blemish remedy). The result is calming, brightening and surprisingly breathable.

In the shower, I’m a big fan of Vitasana’s gel-serum body wash—a silky, aromatherapeutic formula that leaves skin soft, not stripped. I follow with the Naples brand’s fragrance-free lotion, made with nourishing oils and botanicals that reinforce my skin barrier without any heaviness. Both are tested to meet Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified standards.

Though often overlooked, I’ve started giving my hair the same ingredient scrutiny I used to reserve for my face. With its rich blood supply and high absorption potential, the scalp is a direct line into our systems—especially with products left on or massaged in. I now build my haircare routine around local clean-beauty pioneer Naples Soap Company . Former nurse Deanna Wallin launched the brand 15 years ago and soon after introduced shampoo and conditioner bars that forgo the foaming agents and preservatives found in conventional, bottled formulas. Cocoa butter smooths frizz, coconut oil helps reinforce strands and red raspberry

Local purveyors deliver on clean living for at-home and in-the-spa care—from Happie Human Wellness’ botanical-and-massage-powered facials (far left) to Envio’s blemish-calming cleanser (left). At Cape Coral’s Hollis Head Spa, Toni DePaola uses botanicals grown on her family farm (above) for handcrafted scalp oils and mists.

Vitasana founders Scott and Donna Pecci created their plant-based line for their daughter’s sensitive skin. Their body washes and lotions are EWG Verified, meeting high standards for transparency and ingredient integrity.

seed oil offers a layer of UV protection. Switching to solid bars might seem like a departure at first, but they lather generously, rinse clean and travel easily in a normal soap case.

Farther north, Hollis Head Spa in Cape Coral builds on the idea of scalp-first care. Part of the growing Japanese head spa trend, their treatments focus on restoring balance at the root. Founder Toni DePaola uses oils and mists handcrafted from botanicals grown on her family farm for treatments, blending scalp cleanses (to get rid of unseen product build-up) with pressure-point massage and aromatherapeutic steam to reset body and mind.

If you’re looking to book a full cut and color, Bare Roots Salon & Apothecary in Fort Myers delivers on the clean ethos. Assistant managing editor Addison Pezoldt swears by the team’s use of products with certified-organic ingredients and ozonated water, which helps remove impurities without drying out the hair. Their plant-based color line skips synthetic dyes and sulfates, too.

There’s no need to compromise on traditional spa services, either. At Happie Human Wellness in Fort Myers, integrative esthetician Shelby Harvey delivers a high-integrity facial using chemical-free ingredients like butterfly pea legumes and bamboo extract to hydrate and boost collagen. Gentle massage subtly sculpts the face and boosts circulation for a brighter complexion. At North Naples’ Blue Zones-certified Purely You Spa, Jennifer Alvarez Linguidi—a massage therapist and functional health coach—uses biodynamic Eminence Organic Skincare oils for services, ranging from Thai to sports to prenatal massage. There are also integrative options, with red-light, infrared or cold-plunge therapies, designed to boost circulation, reduce inflammation and support recovery.

While we may not be able to avoid every questionable ingredient, these cleanbeauty pioneers make it easier to control what we can, starting with what goes on our skin and scalp. And if that means a little extra self-care? All the better.

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By Addison Pezoldt

Retreat to Recharge

Gulfshore Life creative director Scott Glick uncovers his favorite Southwest Florida escape—an off-the-grid kayak journey through Bokeelia’s quiet waters.

On the northernmost tip of Pine Island, past fruit nurseries and shrimp stands, a modest, wood-slatted building overlooks Jug Creek. Red and green kayaks stand at the ready. Next door, the team at a local fish house and marina shuffles the radio station between oldies and the latest hits.

Up ahead, Carmen’s Kayaks co-owner Lisa Perry waves down from her perch on the entryway. Lisa and her husband, Joe, have run their kayak rental operation on Bokeelia since 2022, when they took over after the original owner’s retirement. “Let’s get you on the water,” she says. Within 10 minutes, I’m climbing into a red, sit-on-top kayak, floating on the glassy, zero-wake water.

This remote corner of our coast might have remained a mystery to the rest of the Gulfshore Life team, if not for an unlikely tip from creative director Scott Glick. The quietly discerning voice behind the publication’s special brand of stylized Gulfside polish, Scott is the one most likely to veto something for feeling too quaint, too kitschy, too off-brand. In his monochrome layers, always perfectly pressed, he carries the refined posture of someone who cut his teeth in Chicago and Miami’s luxury ad scenes—seemingly more at home with sleek lines and controlled light than salt spray and sun-faded signage. Which is why Bokeelia caught us off guard.

But there, in the shallows, where red mangroves fringe the banks and anhingas dive after flickers of silver, something about the place mirrors Scott’s creative instinct. The setting could have been pulled straight from one of his moodboards: stripped back,

deeply textured, evocative in its stillness. “It’s about finding the one unique, special thing about something we cover,” he says. “Rather than just the 30,000-foot-above experience, it’s being able to carve out a few unique moments you can’t replicate in other places.”

Scott grew up boating with his family in Miami, but the East Coast, he says, always felt overdeveloped. Here, a kayak gets him closer to the wild. He’s explored much of the Gulf Coast—to him, Bokeelia and Calusa Island offer the most immersive experience.

“When you’re going around the island, you feel like you’ve left civilization,” he says. Out there, the salty breeze picks up as docks and waterfront homes disappear. Thin ribbons of white sand appear along the shoreline. Scott likes to beach his kayak and rest a moment, the crushed shells crackling underfoot.

After a quick respite among the mangroves, he’ll return to the water. Along Jug Creek, the water opens into Charlotte Harbor, the still wake giving way to a horizon framed by sailboats and motorboats. Scott sometimes sees photographers poised in nearby pedal

Carmen’s Kayaks owners Joe and Lisa Perry run their rental and tour business on Jug Creek, where Calusa Island and Charlotte Harbor offer up-close encounters with dolphins, birds and wild coastline.

boats, capturing the abundant marine life. Dolphins love to hunt for fish here, and puffs of air bubbling may give way to cresting dorsal fins as a pair of dolphins pass by. They swim at a leisurely pace that matches the paddle’s strokes: up and down, a rhythmic routine that calms. “Being in media, [I work] with all kinds of hard deadlines. Being able to contrast that with no deadlines, no agenda, just an open, blue sky in nature relieves that pressure,” he says. Back at the launch site, Lisa and Joe’s hospitality feels more like friendship than business. “They invite you to come back when you’re not kayaking to hang out,” Scott says. “It’s a bit of a community destination.” Uno, a dolphin with one pectoral fin, rescued from a crab trap by local fishermen, might make an appearance. He often returns in the evenings, happy to put on a show. Scott says it’s intimate experiences like these, where nature and people are in pure harmony, that capture Southwest Florida’s spirit. “It puts the priorities of the world in order. We’re here visiting, but this is the way nature was intended to be,” he says.

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LIFE ON THE GULF / Flavors, institutions and experiences shaping our culture

272 Best Local Sound: Fort Myers’ next rockstars

278 Agenda: Top events for May 294 Dining Guide: 150+ essential restaurants

Rocking on First

A staff favorite for good reason:

The School of Rock Fort Myers House Band stops crowds in their tracks during the city’s monthly Music Walk.

My First Street loft, with its main drag-facing windows slung open to let in the breeze, makes the perfect vantage point for Downtown Fort Myers happenings. When we hear a heartfelt rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” drift through the window on a first Friday, my partner and I know to grab our shoes and head to the cordoned-off street below for a taste of River District talent—it’s time for Music Walk.

There’s a typical cast of characters we’ve come to know and love—the soulful songstress whose speakers ring out late into the night; the swing-centric husband-and-wife duo, who bop along near Scoops on First; and the yacht-rockers on Hendry Street, holding a mic in one hand and twirling passersby with the other. The largest crowd by far gathers around the School of Rock Fort Myers House Band—the genesis of Southwest Florida’s next generation of musical talent.

The group drew me in instantly when I heard Heart’s 1977 classic “Barracuda” cut through the evening buzz back in the fall of 2023. It’s not a song taken on lightly—just getting through the first verse means sliding to the peaks and valleys of vocal range while bending between all-out belting and breathy tones. Wading through the ever-thickening crowd crammed between Downtown House of Pizza and The Lucky Screw, I kept waiting for the vocalist

to slip off-key or modify the range, for the charging bassline to miss a beat. But, the moment never came. Then, through a window between shoulders, I saw the band clearly—a mix of well-equipped teen musicians digging into their instruments with abandon. The vocalist, a 12-year-old girl, sprinted across the street-level bandstand and dropped into a knee slide while cresting the heights of the song’s crescendo.

‘Who are these kids?’ I wondered. School of Rock Fort Myers, it turns out, is the Lee County outpost of a nationwide program promoting musical instruction through performance-based learning of contemporary music. (Naples opened its branch of the program in October.) Lifelong musician Doug Harris launched School of Rock Fort Myers in 2020, offering instruction to roughly 200 students aged 3 to 73 with a variety of classes

based on age and proficiency level. Known for its lengthy sets packed with technically tough, crowd-favorite singles, the School of Rock Fort Myers House Band represents the best of the best talent from the musical incubator.

Every six months, School of Rock Fort Myers students put themselves to the test in the hopes of joining—or holding their place in—the House Band, which performs five to six professional gigs monthly. Auditions are rigorous, requiring mastery of roughly 30 songs ranging from rock to funk to R&B alongside a host of musical theory questions.

The band’s current lead bassist, 15-year-old Preston Lich, and 16-year-old powerhouse vocalist Alexa Hartley know the process well. Both work as professional musicians—Preston’s band, Shy Blossom, opened for Sister Hazel back in March, and Alexa’s duo,

Teen rockers from the Fort Myers School of Rock House Band steal the show during Music Walk with technical chops and fearless stage presence.

Kinetic Souls, performs from Naples to Cape Coral—but that hasn’t made auditions simple. “I actually failed my first House Band audition miserably,” Preston says with a laugh. “I was in House Band for six months, but the next time, I didn’t make it,” Alexa says. Doug likens the process to competitive travel sports— anyone can play the game, but moving to the next level requires uncommon skill and dedication.

While the House Band is largely self-led—appointed section leaders build setlists and manage set-up and break-down at shows—music director Devin D’Amato helps mold the band’s sound by introducing new songs to their repertoire every few months. “There’s a couple of factors that I try to hit,” he says.

“Number one is entertainment value. Do people know this song? Most important, can they dance to it?”

Students earn their spot in the house band with skill and swagger—existing members have to re-audition during the biannual casting calls to stay on the roster.

Challenging his students out of their comfort zone is equally valuable. When Devin sees a gap in one member’s musical education, he pulls songs that put that skill on display and pushes the band to perfect the timing, technicality and tone. This iterative, performance-based approach positions the House Band a cut above other performers. They don’t have to overthink the next note or verse—Devin’s instruction makes that part second nature. Instead, the rock ‘n’ roll attire-clad clan is laser-focused on bringing the energy, whether that be through power slides or twirling drumsticks. “I know most of the bands in town, and I constantly hear them say, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe [the House Band] was doing that song. We would never even think about taking that one on,” Doug says. For Preston and Alexa, it’s just another night at Music Walk, filled with high-fives, inside jokes and a steadfast audience singing along—myself included.

THE TOP EVENTS FOR MAY 2025

Spring into the month with art exhibitions, film festivals and operas. Don’t miss our top events for May.

Through June 7

The Florida House at Marco Island Historical Museum

The exhibit pays homage to Marco Island’s 60th anniversary with interactive experiences and artifacts of the island’s modern history, dating to 1965. At that time, the Mackle brothers transformed the island into a coastal retreat, with 72 ranch-style homes, marketed as an affordable slice of the Florida dream for Northern families. The exhibit traces the era with archival images, documents, publications and artifacts, along with an app

that allows visitors to design and personalize their own Mackle home. themihs.info

Through May 4

FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship at Bonita Bay Club, Naples

One of only five annual Women’s U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit tournaments in the country, this competition is where rising stars gain traction. The sport’s 250 top competitors vie for $100,000 in prize money on the newly renovated club’s 18 Har-Tru tennis courts. bbcusta.net

May 1

The Chopiniana with Eric Lu at Artis—Naples

One of the world’s most exciting young pianists returns to Artis—Naples to bring Chopin’s music to life as part of the Grand Piano Series. Since his first Naples performance in 2018 (the same year he took first place in the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition), Eric has showcased his mastery of the Polish composer’s romantic style with institutions like London Symphony Orchestra. grandpianoseries.org

Newman Art Gallery pairs the saturated works of its namesake artist with designer eyewear from Naples’ MauriGamba in honor of Mother’s Day.

May 2

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

The 1980s bad girl of rock and her longtime collaborator and husband bring their signature brand of house-shaking vocals and musical artistry to Fort Myers—the only South Florida stop on their 2025 tour. The singer—just as powerful as she was during the release of her 1980 Grammy-winning album, Crimes of Passion —and her husband joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranks in 2022. bbmannpah.com

May 3

Kentucky Derby Extravaganza at Corkscrew Weddings & Winery, Estero With the Kentucky Derby off to the races, hat-crested ladies and men in seersucker suits experience the sporting spectacle in Southwest Florida style—in lounge chairs with a drink in hand. Catering from Naples’ new culinary supergroup, The Rose House, meets elegant pours, craft brews and cocktails amid the venue’s lush

Internationally celebrated pianist Eric Lu brings his mastery of Chopin to Artis—Naples. This marks his second Grand Piano Series performance; the first marked his Naples debut in 2018.

grounds, where a bestdressed contest exalts the dapper and darling. corkscrew weddingsandwinery.com

May 4

Dance Series: Complexions

Contemporary Ballet at Artis—Naples

Once a creative home for professional ballerina and United Arts Collier CEO Elysia Dawn, the boutique New York dance collective has a reputation for attract-

ing principal dancers to its innovative ranks. Co-founded by ballet phenom Desmond Richardson, Complexions joins Naples Philharmonic for a groundbreaking interpretation of French composer Maurice Ravel’s Boléro. artisnaples.org

May 5 — July 1

Miami to Marco at Marco Island Center for the Arts

Marco Island Center for the Arts brings new heft to its programming with a first-ever

IMOGEN CUNNINGHAM

collaboration with Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCA-Americas). Works by 15 Hispanic artists from the museum’s Rodríguez Collection—such as late Cuban Modernist Cundo Bermúdez—highlight the diverse perspectives and forms of expression defining contemporary art today. marcoislandart.org

May 5 — July 31

Latin Surrealism: An Arte Viva Exhibition at the Norris Center, Naples

Arte Viva—Collier County’s ongoing celebration of Latin American culture—continues its stellar programming with an exhibition of 2D local artworks, inspired by famed surrealists like Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí. On May 22, the artists gather for a public reception, offering insights into

the works curated by United Arts Collier. unitedartscollier.org

May 6-30

Closing Group Exhibition at Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples

Gallery owner Juliana Meek’s curation showcases the gallery’s 25 represented artists, from Richard Segalman’s dreamy Naples beach scenes to bold new compositions from frequent local exhibitor Reynier Llanes. “He’s the

artist I look forward to the most because he’s always active—definitely a rising star in the art world,” Juliana says. harmonmeekgallery.com

May 7-25

The Hallelujah Girls at The Naples Players

Naples’ star community theater closes out its first season in the newly renovated Kizzie Theater with

a laugh-out-loud comedy about life, death and the power of female friendship. Updated acoustic systems soar as a host of local actors bring the ladies of SPADEE-DAH!, an abandoned church-turned-day-spa in rural Georgia, to life. naplesplayers.org

May 9

Honoring Moms with Art and Fashion at Newman Art Gallery, Naples Legacy meets style in this Mother’s Day celebration at the family-run Newman Art Gallery. Nikki Newman, daughter of the late artist and gallery namesake David Newman, curates a special exhibition, featuring works inspired by her mother Michèle—her father’s longtime muse. The evening pairs intimate paintings with a trunk show of handcrafted Italian eyewear by Naples designer Maurizio Gamba, whose MauriGamba collection offers moms a stylish keepsake. newmanartgallery.com

May 9

13th Annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, Sanibel Island

Nine hours, no outside communication—just anglers and the open water. This yearly catch-and-release tarpon tournament, held at the site of the first recorded tarpon caught on rod and reel, sees fishers compete for the

biggest catch, followed by an evening awards ceremony. dingdarlingsociety.org

May 10

Victor Wainwright and the Train at Arts Bonita

An encore doesn’t usually last 45 minutes—unless you’re seeing Victor Wainwright and the Train. After last season’s performance left the crowd buzzing and refusing to let the night end, this Grammy-nominated

blues band returns to Arts Bonita for another performance. The Savannah, Georgia, native frontman’s boogie woogie style has been compared to ’60s bluesy jazz legend Dr. John. artsbonita.org

May 14

Brit Floyd—Pink Floyd

Tribute at Hertz Arena, Estero

Another return to the Golden Age of Rock ’n’ Roll comes with the Pink Floyd cover band’s 50th anniversary celebration of

the iconic Wish You Were Here album. The international tour builds on the success of 2023’s 50 Years of Dark Side tour, which arrived at Hertz Arena in classic Pink Floyd fashion—a two-and-a-half-hour show filled with lasers, inflatables, theatrics and all the hits. hertzarena.com

May 14-18

Fort Myers Film Festival Fort Myers film buffs flock to cultural institutions throughout Lee County—from Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center to BIG ARTS Sanibel Island—for a taste of what’s new and now in the world of cinema. Now in its 15th year, the festival has built a reputation for highlighting experimental and avant-garde indie films to the big screen, supplementing viewings with insightful talkbacks from the actors, filmmakers and directors who brought the projects to life. fortmyersfilmfestival.com

May 14-18

Journey through the Americas at multiple Southwest Florida locations

After years of preparation, Gulfshore Opera launches its first-ever band show series,

Tennis’ 250 top competitors vie for $100,000 in prize money on Bonita Bay Club’s newly renovated 18 Har-Tru tennis courts during FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship.

bringing performances to five Southwest Florida cities. The company’s GO Divas and Latin Infusion ensemble showcase highly-trained local musicians blending traditional folk and soulful melodies with contemporary pop and rock influences from across the Americas. The tour features a special appearance by students from Gulfshore Opera’s afterschool music program, highlighting performers from diverse backgrounds. gulfshoreopera.org

May 16

Hauser at Hertz Arena, Estero

Croatian virtuoso Stjepan Hauser transforms classical cello into an arena-worthy spectacle, complete with pyrotechnics and rock-concert energy. The viral sensation bridges technical classical mastery with showmanship that’s earned him collaborations with Andrea Bocelli and Steven Tyler and tours with Elton John’s band. hertzarena.com

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May 16 — June 1

Prodigal Son at The Studio Players, Naples

Typically known for their slapstick comedies and farcical productions, Naples’ rag-tag theater troupe, The Studio Players, are breaking new ground with a dramatic, oneact performance of Prodigal Son. The season-ending show is led by burgeoning local theater talent, Landon Libbey, who makes his debut with The Studio Players after dazzling

audiences in The Naples Players’ productions of A Christmas Carol and 42nd Street last season. thestudioplayers.org

May 17

Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers

One of the funniest and most well-known names in comedy makes a local stop on her first major stand-up tour in six years. The veteran

We are grateful to all of the donors who made this year's Gulfshore Playhouse Gala a tremendous success! With your generous support we raised $2.58 million, enabling us to continue inspiring, educating, and entertaining through the magic of theatre.

comedian, actress and TV producer tackles topics ranging from politics to parenting with biting wit and undeniable charm. bbmannpah.com

May 23-24

Two-Day, Large-Scale Painting Workshop at Masterpeace, Naples Masterpeace owner and sculptor Alina Rubio brings Naples painter Jessie Perez into her serene studio space for an intimate and introspective painting workshop. With

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guidance from the artistic duo, participants riffle through old art books for inspiration, experiment with new mediums and form their unique artistic process, creating largerthan-life works to take home. wherecreativityflows.com

May 29 — June 1

Fringe Fort Myers at Alliance for the Arts and Broadway Palm Dinner Theater The inclusive and uncensored arts festival wades

Life Ad.pdf 1 3/21/25 12:52 PM

into uncertain waters with an unjuried selection of artistic performances, ranging from theatrical debuts to dance. Independent performers are chosen by a lottery system, ensuring a lineup filled with unexpected perspectives and unknown voices rising to the top. artinlee.org

Recurring Events We Love

With live music on the streets, nibbles at local galleries and shops, and other fun diversions, these monthly events keep us coming back.

EVENT CO-CHAIRS

HOST COMMITTEE

Jennifer

Maggie

Karen

Lynne

Mary

May 1-31

(Thursdays and Saturdays)

Open Studios in the Naples Art District

Step inside more than 50 working studios as the district’s creators host demonstrations and intimate gallery talks. naplesartdistrict.com

May 2

Downtown Fort Myers Art Walk in the River District

Fort Myers’ historic downtown

transforms into an open-air gallery, with artists displaying works along brick-lined streets. Cap the evening at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center’s rooftop social. sbdac.com

May 8

Evening on Fifth in Naples

Shops stay open late, restaurants offer dining specials and

live music fills historic Fifth Avenue South on second Thursdays. fifthavenuesouth.com

May 16

Fort Myers Music Walk in the River District

Musicians command every corner during this monthly celebration, where downtown becomes an impromptu concert hall. Keep an eye out for editor-favorite, School of

Rock and its prodigious tween talent. myriverdistrict.com

May 22

Ancient Forest Tour at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples

Majesty comes alive with history, ecology and storytelling from local nature guides who lead tours through the largest remaining expanse of old-growth bald cypress forest in the world. corkscrewaudubon.org

MAGIC UNDER THE MANGROVES

DINING GUIDE

The Dining Guide is crafted each month based on editorial discretion and may include restaurants that advertise regularly (denoted by an asterisk). Please email diningout@gulfshorelife.com to report changes in a restaurant’s location, prices or menu.

At North Naples' Namba , formally trained sushi chefs transform pristine fish into artistic nigiri presentations, showcasing the culinary mastery that defines Southwest Florida's vibrant dining scene.

COLLIER COUNTY

NAPLES

SOUTH NAPLES

Island Gypsy Café & Marina Bar

292 Capri Blvd., (239) 3941111. theislandgypsy.com

A go-to on Isles of Capri, the restaurant's alfresco, marina setting is as salty as its seafood specialties and casual ship-shaped bar (once a fishing yacht).

$$ SEAFOOD o w

Osteria Capri

387 Capri Blvd., (239) 9705721; 918 N. Collier Blvd., (239) 388-4081. osteriacapri. com. Chef AJ Black creates Italian pizza, pasta and seafood specialties from waterfront fish houses on Isles of Capri and Marco Island.

$$$ ITALIAN o p w

THIRD STREET SOUTH

Barbatella

1290 Third St. S., (239) 2631955. barbatellanaples.com.

A stunning bar and relaxed patio with casual Italian cuisine from the team behind Sea Salt. $$$ ITALIAN o p

The Bevy 360 12th Ave. S., (239) 228-4220. naplesbevy.com

Enjoy craft cocktails and New American cuisine at this favorite off Third Street South.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Campiello/The Club Room

1177 Third St. S., (239) 4351166. campiellonaples.com. A favorite for its contemporary Italian cuisine and courtyard. During season, The Club Room, a restaurant within, has its own menu and live music most nights.

$$$ ITALIAN o p v

D’Amico’s The Continental American Provisions and Craft Bar

1205 Third St. S., (239) 6590007. damicoscontinental. com. Savor top-quality cuts of steaks and the stylish indoor and outdoor settings.

$$$$ STEAK b o p v

Jane’s Cafe on 3rd 1209 Third St. S., (239) 2612253. janesgardencafe.com

Come for the lobster Benedict and stuffed French toast; stay to sit around the koi fountain on the sunny patio.

$$ CAFE b o p

Mediterrano

336 13th Ave. S., (239) 2617498. mediterrano-naples. com. Bright decor and a lush patio complement robust dishes and rich desserts.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

Ridgway Bar & Grill

1300 Third St. S., (239) 2625500. ridgwaybarandgrill.com. A quintessential Old Naples restaurant. For light bites and coffee, head to neighboring Tony’s Off Third.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Sea Salt

1186 Third St. S., (239) 434-7258. seasaltnaples.com. Loved for sophisticated seafood, monthly wine dinners and events

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o p v

FIFTH AVENUE SOUTH

Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro

865 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 594-5557. bhabhabistro.com. Iranian chef Michael Mir serves indulgent flavors in a jewel box dining room. $$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o

Bontà Bakery

824 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 2346631. bontabakery.com. Italian pastry chefs use traditional ingredients to prepare pastries, pizza, sandwiches and gelato.

$ ITALIAN o p

Bistro 821

821 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 2615821. bistro821.com. An open kitchen serves a menu filled with creativity, including its original Neapolitan pasta and seafood dishes. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Chops City Grill

837 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 262-4677. chopscitygrill.com. An elegant, Baroque-inspired steakhouse with in-house, dry-aged cuts.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Del Mar

494 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3500134. delmarnaplesrestaurant. com. Cameron Mitchell’s two-story, fine dining locale draws from various Mediterranean cuisines.

$$$$ MEDITERRANEAN b o p

Dolce & Salato

300 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3000444. dolcesalatousa.com. A tucked-away, transportive cafe with breakfast, lunch and inseason weekend brunch. $$ ITALIAN b o

The French Brasserie

365 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 315-4019. thefrenchnaples.com. Lauded chef Vincenzo Betulia serves escargot and steak frites in an elegant atmosphere. Tucked into the back is Rouge, an intimate speakeasy.

$$$ FRENCH b o p

HobNob Kitchen & Bar

720 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 101, (239) 580-0070. hobnobnaples. com. Updated takes on American cuisine inside a cool, contemporary dining room.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Ichi Togarashi

800 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 102, (239) 778-5324. togarashinaples.com. A favorite for its authentic takes on dim sum, seafood and 10 types of ramen.

$$ PAN-ASIAN

Keewaydin's on Fifth 711 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 262-5787. keewaydins.com. The approach to coastal American fare takes a global twist. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o v

La Pescheria/Molto Trattoria

474 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 316-7322 (La Pescheria). lapescherianaples.com. (239) 261-5853 (Molto Trattoria). moltonaples.com. The Neris' Italian standbys offer fresh seafood (La Pescheria) and classic comfort recipes (Molto) within steps of each other. A darling wine bar, Casa Neri, sits next to Molto.

$$$$ ITALIAN o p v

Le Colonial

457 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3729700. naples.lecolonial.com. Jaw-dropping interiors set the stage for exciting takes on Vietnamese cuisine.

$$$ FRENCH VIETNAMESE o

Ocean Prime

699 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 4300404. ocean-prime.com. Cameron Mitchell presents surf and turf, an elegant dining room and highly attentive service.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN v

Osteria Tulia/Bar Tulia

466 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 2132073. osteriatulia.com. Go for Sicilian-inspired fare in a rustic, chic setting or craft cocktails at Bar Tulia gastropub next door.

$$$ ITALIAN o p

Pazzo! Cucina Italiana

853 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 4348494. pazzoitaliancafe.com. Beautiful presentations and twists on Italian favorites.

$$$ ITALIAN o p

Sails Restaurant

301 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 360-2000. sailsrestaurants. com. This uncompromising establishment offers fine dining to the max—and a stellar Champagne brunch.

$$$$ SEAFOOD b o p v

Sendo De Cafe

534 Park St., (386) 338-7986. Ichi Togarashi owners serve boba tea, udon, onigiri, sandos and desserts at this Japanese cafe. $ JAPANESE

Sushi Thai Downtown

898 Fifth Ave. S, (239) 430-7575. sushithaidowntown.com. Find a mix of sushi and Thai dishes at locations throughout Collier and Lee counties. $$ PAN-ASIAN o p

Truluck’s

698 Fourth Ave. S., (239) 530-3131. trulucks.com.

A fine-dining locale touting seafood from the Gulf and beyond. $$$ SEAFOOD v

Veranda E

290 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 6593466. hotelescalante.com. A courtyard setting serving Asian and French influences in The Escalante Hotel.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

The Vine Room

465 Fifth Ave. S., (239) 3161202. vineroom.com. Behind an ivy-shrouded door, this cocktail lounge crafts drinks with flair, plus small plates.

$$ COCKTAIL LOUNGE

DOWNTOWN NAPLES

The Claw Bar/ The London Club

221 Ninth St. S., (239) 231-3912. theclawbar.com. The best oysters and chilled seafood are found at The Claw Bar inside the Bellasera Resort. Upstairs, The London Club serves the same menu with a sultrier vibe and live jazz. $$$$ SEAFOOD b o v

District/Staff Only/

The Mini Bar/The Alley

1200 Central Ave., Suite 105, (239) 428-3101. districtnaples. com. A culinary hub in Naples Design District, with sexy sushi bar District, speakeasy Staff Only, alfresco The Mini Bar and '90s-themed The Alley.

$$$ SEAFOOD/ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Grappino

90 Ninth St. N., (239) 331-4325. grappinonaples.com. This Aielli Group spot offers a fine selection of charcuterie and build-your-own pasta dishes.

$$$ ITALIAN o

The Lake Park Diner

944 Seventh Ave. N., (239) 228-6351; 8856 Founders St., (239) 529-1559. thelakepark diner.com. Now with a second location at Founders Square, the casual locale serves organic fare with vegan options, plus diner classics.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Limón Rooftop Bar

455 12th St. S., (239) 944-3755. limonrooftop.com. A stylish interior meets an outdoor poolside area, with lively bar drinks and Mediterranean fare with a voguish twist.

$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

LoLa 41

560 Ninth St. S., (239) 3993300. lola41.com. Influenced by the cultures along the 41st parallel north, Lola 41 excels at sushi and bistro-style plates. $$$ PAN-ASIAN o

Nosh on Naples Bay 1490 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 101, (239) 384-9208. noshon naplesbay.com. Chef Todd Johnson crafts a menu of haute small plates.

$$$ ECLECTIC o v w

PJK Neighborhood Chinese 835 Fourth Ave. S., (239) 3670300. pjkchinese.com. From restaurateur Paul Fleming, with coastal-inspired takes on Americanized Chinese fare. $$ CHINESE

The Rooster Food + Drink

600 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Suite 101, (239) 2285973. theroosternaples.com. Comforting, Southern-style breakfast and fast-casual lunch served seven days a week. $$ AMERICAN b o p

Unidos

1 Ninth St. S., (239) 3313668. unidosrestaurant. com. The likes of Peruvian ceviche, Cuban ropa vieja and Argentinian-style grilled meats come together in perfect harmony.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN b o

Warren Naples

111 10th St. S., (239) 3302611. warrennaples.com. An expansive whiskey and wine collection headline alongside

a contemporary menu.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

CRAYTON

COVE

Bleu Provence

1234 Eighth St. S., (239) 2618239. bleuprovencenaples.com.

Channel Southern France with the cuisine and Naples’ only Grand Award-winning wine list.

$$$ FRENCH o p v

The Boathouse on Naples Bay 990 Broad Ave. S., (239) 6432235. boathouseonnaplesbay. com. This waterfront restaurant dishes up fresh seafood.

$$ SEAFOOD o w

Chez Boët 755 12th Ave. S., (239) 643-6177. chezboetnaples.com. French staples paired with an impressive Scotch list. $$$ FRENCH o p

The Dock at Crayton Cove 845 12th Ave. S., (239) 2639940. dockcraytoncove.com. This laid-back spot serves Florida seafood on Naples Bay.

$$$ SEAFOOD b o p w

The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar

909 10th St. S., (239) 610-1559. syrenoysterbar.com. Located within the Naples Boat Club, this seafood-centric hotspot comes from lauded restaurateur Peter Tierney (The Claw Bar, The Turtle Club).

$$$$ SEAFOOD o w

At warmly hued Sofra , in The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, traditional Levantine flavors meet modern technique through a menu of bright, deeply spiced dishes from across the Eastern Mediterranean.

EAST NAPLES

Carole’s Place Café & French Bakery

8793 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 331-8003. carolesplacecafe.

com. French pastries with robust breakfast and lunch menus. $ BAKERY

b o

Celebration Park

2880 Becca Ave., (239) 3167253. celebrationparknaples.

com. This waterfront food truck park has a lively bar scene and boat-up slips.

$$ ECLECTIC o p w

Espíritu Peruvian Cuisine

3861 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 285-3924.

espirituperuviancuisine.com.

Don’t miss the ceviche here.

$$ PERUVIAN o

Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen

4270 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 315-4167. kareemskitchen.

com Try the shawarma wraps, salads and juicy chicken with za’atar potatoes.

$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Lima Restaurant

5047 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 280-0167. lima-restaurant.

com. Traditional Peruvian fare and a wide selection of pisco are the calling cards.

$$$ PERUVIAN o

LowBrow Pizza & Beer

3148 Tamiami Trail E., (239) 529-6919. lowbrow pizzaandbeer.com. Creative wood-fired pies are served with craft brews in a fun, art-filled space. $$ PIZZA o p

The Med

3929 Bayshore Drive, (239) 307-4755. themednaples.com.

Artfully plated dishes, intimately showcased.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o

Old Vines Supper Club

2795 Davis Blvd., Suite 1, (239) 417-4466. oldvinesnaples.com

Chef Brooke Kravetz crafts seasonal tasting menus and weekly wine dinners at this refined yet unpretentious East Naples hideaway. $$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Rebecca’s Cocktail & Wine Bar 2955 Bayshore Drive, (239) 799-1801. rebeccas naples.com. Gorgeous decor and stellar cheese and charcuterie headline the latest from the namesake Bayshore visionary. $$ WINE BAR

Rumba Cuban Café 1265 Airport-Pulling Road S., (239) 659-2996. rumbacuban cafe.com. Classic Cuban cuisine with fun twists and attentive service. $$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Seventh South Waterfront 2891 Bayview Drive, (239) 2314553. seventhsouth.com.

A new name and location for one of Naples’ top dining experiences where food and drinks earn equal acclaim.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Tacos & Tequila Cantina 4834 Davis Blvd., (239) 7328226. tacosandtequilanaples. com. Tacos with lots of clever spins, plus margaritas aplenty.

$ MEXICAN o p

MIDTOWN

Alexander’s Garden Restaurant

4077 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 262-4999. alexanders naples.com. Seafood and global flavors presented in a modern cafe and lush garden setting. Open October to May.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Andre’s Steakhouse

2800 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 263-5851. andressteak house.com. Fans of New York’s iconic Peter Luger chophouse exalt this tiny joint founded by one of its former chefs. $$$$ STEAK o

Cibao Grille

814 Neapolitan Way, (239) 434-6653. cibaogrille. com. Dishes from the owners’ native Dominican Republic mix with American classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

DiGusto

4180 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 228-9414. digustoitaly.com. Authentic Italian pasta and other specialties presented with simple elegance.

$$$ ITALIAN

Dorona

2110 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 529-2819. dorona naples.com. The Aiellis’ chic steakhouse has a menu with Mediterranean-style seafood, pasta and prime cuts. $$$$ STEAK o p

Escargot 41

4351 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 793-5000. escargot41. com. This traditional spot features a page of escargot specials alone.

$$$ FRENCH o p

Fernández the Bull Multiple locations in Collier and Lee counties. fernandezthebull.com. Classic Cuban dishes such as picadillo a la criolla and ropa vieja. $$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Fujiyama

2555 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 261-4332. naples fujiyama.com. Japanese master chefs prepare dinners with flair at your hibachi table. $$ ASIAN

FUSE Global Cuisine

2500 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 114, (239) 455-4585. fuseglobal cuisine.com. Cosmopolitan cuisine, stellar barbecue and cocktails with a creative punch.

$$$ ECLECTIC o p

Harold’s Place

2555 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 263-7254. naplesharoldsplace.com

This chickee bar serves a top-shelf charbroiled burger with poolside ambience.

$ CLASSIC AMERICAN o

Hogfish Harry’s

600 Neapolitan Way, (239) 776-7623. hogfishharrys.com.

The menu sources most of its seafood from local fishers.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Hyde N Chic Restaurant

923 Creech Road, (239) 3995756. hydenchicrestaurant.com. In his artfully appointed dining room, chef Andy Hyde crafts inspired tasting menus from Africa, Europe and the Americas.

$$$$ ECLECTIC

Jimmy P’s Charred 1833 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 643-2427. jimmypscharred .com. A casual butcher-run steakhouse specializing in Wagyu beef.

$$$$ STEAK o p

Komoon Thai Sushi & Ceviche

Multiple locations in Collier and Lee counties. komoonthai.com. Thai, Japanese and Peruvian fare come together.

$$ ASIAN

The Local 5323 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 596-3276. thelocalnaples.com. A farm-to-table restaurant with locally sourced, healthy cuisine.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Martin Fierro

13040 Livingston Road, (239) 300-4777. martinfierrorestaurant. com. At this Argentinian and Uruguayan parrillada, you’ll find grass-fed beef and other South American specialties.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

A cozy East Naples locale for breakfast or lunch, Carole’s Place Café & French Bakery serves viennoiserie, sandwiches and salads.

Moura Bistro

3369 Pine Ridge Road, (239) 738-8883. mourabistro.com.

Flavorful Lebanese fare, such as falafel, tabbouleh salad and shawarma.

$$ MIDDLE EASTERN o p

Nat Nat

3080 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 1, (239) 919-8732. natnatnaples. com. A coffee shop by day, its evening menus showcase scratch-made shareable plates and natural wines.

$$$ WINE BAR o p

Shula’s Steak House 5111 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 430-4999. shulasnaples. com. Late NFL Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s brainchild chophouse. $$$$ STEAK

Spanky's Speakeasy

1550 Airport-Pulling Road N., (239) 643-1559. spankysspeakeasy.com. The 40-year-old Naples staple serves the classics, from broiled seafood to filet mignon.

$$ SEAFOOD, AMERICAN o w

Swan River Seafood & Fish Market

3741 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 4037000. swanriverseafood.com.

A menu of Cape Cod-style seafood is complemented by a fishmonger and market.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Turco Taco 410 Ninth St. N., (239) 431-6682; 1514 Immokalee Road, Suite 116, (239) 431-6682. theturcotaco. com. Bright, comforting flavors infuse the menu.

$ MEXICAN o

USS Nemo

3745 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 261-6366. ussnemo restaurant.com. Masterful, fresh seafood at a Naples institution. $$$ SEAFOOD o

THE VILLAGE SHOPS ON VENETIAN BAY

Bayside Seafood

Grill & Bar

4270 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 649-5552. baysidesea foodgrillandbar.com. Dine with more than 200 feet of waterfront views.

$$$ SEAFOOD b o p v w

Fish Restaurant

4360 Gulf Shore Blvd., (239) 263-3474. fishrestaurant naples.com. Find seafood and a waterside breeze overlooking the bay.

$$$ SEAFOOD o w

MiraMare Ristorante

4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 430-6273.miramare naples.com. Enjoy classic Italian fare on a waterfront patio along Venetian Bay. $$$ ITALIAN o v w

M Waterfront Grille

4300 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 263-4421 mwater frontgrille.com. Organic meals served with bay views. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p v w

T-Michaels Steak & Lobster House*

4050 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., (239) 261-0622. t-michaels. com. Steakhouse dining on the water, featuring USDA Prime meats, Maine lobster and early dining. $$$$ STEAK v w

WATERSIDE SHOPS

BrickTop's

5555 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 596-9112. bricktops. com/naples. This locale draws crowds for a wellchoreographed menu of seafood and steaks. $$$ AMERICAN b

True Food Kitchen

5375 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 15, (239) 431-4580. truefoodkitchen.com. The health-driven menu caters to flexitarians but has plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. $$ CAFE b o p

NORTH NAPLES

The 239 Naples 9108 Strada Place, (239) 6311902. the239naples.com. The restaurant keeps the focus on local growers and producers.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

BALEEN

9891 Gulf Shore Drive, (239) 598-5707. laplayaresort. com. A stunning dining room and tables on the beach for dining on creative cuisine, overlooking the Gulf.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o v w

The Bay House*

799 Walkerbilt Road, (239) 591-3837. bayhousenaples. com. Southern-inspired menus, a raw bar and mangrove views. $$$ SEAFOOD o v w

Bicyclette Cookshop

819 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 514-3333. bicyclette cookshop.com. James Beard Award semifinalist Kayla Pfeiffer crafts inspired menus. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Black Forest Restaurant

2366 Immokalee Road, (239) 592-4784. blackforestnaples. com. Find classic German and Austrian fare like sauerbraten and schnitzel. $$ EUROPEAN

Bone Hook Brewing Co. 1514 Immokalee Road, (239) 631-8522. bonehook brewing.com. A microbrewery with a taproom and full kitchen.

$$ BAR BITES o p

Côte d’Azur

11224 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 597-8867. cotedazur restaurant.com. Old World French cuisine in a Provençal setting. $$$ FRENCH

The Crust 8004 Trail Blvd., (239) 244-8488. thecrustpizza.net. A sports bar with stellar pizza.

$ ITALIAN

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Fish Market

Multiple locations in Lee and Collier counties. deeplagoon. com. Naples-based Phelan Family Brands owns this popular eatery. $$$ SEAFOOD o p

Dusk/The Grill/Gumbo Limbo/Nolita/Sofra at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, (239) 598-3300. ritzcarlton. com. The resort houses private, club-like The Grill; sultry sushi joint Dusk; Italian gem Nolita; Levantine-inspired Sofra; and casual beachfront cafe and bar Gumbo Limbo.

$$$$ ASIAN, STEAKHOUSE, ITALIAN, MEDITERRANEAN, AMERICAN b o v w

Food & Thought 2

7941 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 791-3663. foodand thought2.com. The longtime organic grocer's second location has a sit-down restaurant that draws from the owner’s nearby farm. $$ AMERICAN b o p

Grain de Café

8803 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 594-8081. frenchcafe naples.com. The pain au chocolat, quiche and crepes are worth a visit. $$ FRENCH b o

Jimmy P’s Burgers & More 1201 Piper Blvd., Suite 11, (239) 514-1800. jimmypsburgers. com. Superior meats are a local tradition here. $$ AMERICAN o p

Namba

8847 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 592-4992. nambanaples.com.

Enjoy remarkable ramen, sushi and small plates from a Japanese-trained master chef. $$ JAPANESE

New York Pizza & Pasta 11140 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 594-3500; 8855 Immokalee Road, (239) 597-3800. nypp.com. Go for hand-tossed pies. $$ ITALIAN o p

Parmesan Pete’s 7935 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 992-3663. parmesan petes.com. Order large portions of eggplant, veal and chicken Parm; meatballs; and lasagna. $ ITALIAN o p

Ria at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón 2600 Tiburon Drive, (239) 593-2000. rianaples.com.

Food and cocktails inspired by Latin American street markets are served alfresco.

$$$$ LATIN o v

Simit Fresh Mediterranean 1230 Airport-Pulling Road, (239) 331-4477. simitfresh. com. Lunch is a good bet, but seafood shines on the dinner menu.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN

Tigress Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

12155 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 423-3199. perryhotelnaples. com. A modern Cantonese chophouse from celebrity chef Dale Talde sits alongside open-air Asian craft cocktail bar Easy Tiger at the new Perry Hotel. $$$$ ASIAN o w v

The Turtle Club 9225 Gulf Shore Drive N., (239) 592-6557. turtleclubnaples.com. A longtime favorite for toesin-the-sand lunch and divine seafood dinners.

$$$ NEW AMERICAN o p w

Two Fillets

10395 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 788-0222. twofillets.com. Surfand-turf restaurant and market from Phelan Family Brands.

$$$ AMERICAN o p

Cater with Crumbl!

Zen Asian BBQ 10823 Tamiami Trail N., (239) 260-7037. eatatzen.com. A pan-Asian joint with fresh sushi, ramen, bar bites and Korean barbecue. $$ ASIAN o

MERCATO

Bar Tulia

9118 Strada Place, Suite 8150, (239) 438-1031. bartulia.com. This location of the Italian-inspired gastropub features expertly crafted cocktails, pasta and wood-fired pizza. $$ ITALIAN b o p

At Cape Coral's intimate Next Door , meticulously crafted pasta becomes edible art. These Gulf sunset-hued ravioli showcase the restaurant's 'no-waste' philosophy, with dough hydrated using beet trimmings.

The Hampton Social 9114 Strada Place, (239) 202-2038. thehamptonsocial. com. A chic, rosé-all-day bar scene complemented by great seafood and noshes.

$$ NEW AMERICAN b o p

Old Vines Mercato

9105 Strada Place, Suite 3125, (239) 591-5351. oldvines.net. The parent restaurant to Naples’ top supper club also has two

stellar happy hours daily. Chef Brooke Kravetz leads the culinary team, conceiving forward-thinking menus that do justice to the sophisticated wine and cocktail lists.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Rocco’s Tacos

9123 Strada Place, (239) 5008226. roccostacos.com. Go for the roughly 500 selections of tequila and mezcal.

$$ MEXICAN b o p

GALLERIA SHOPPES AT

VANDERBILT

Alpine Restaurant

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 158, (239) 325-9499. alpineofnaples.com. The best of German, Slovak, Czech, Polish and Hungarian fare.

$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN b o p

The Cave Bistro & Wine Bar

2343 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 604, (239) 513-0095. thecavenaples.com.

A magnificent selection of wines and small plates.

$$$ WINE BAR o p

Mister

O1

Extraordinary Pizza

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 176, (239) 631-6844. mistero1.com. Extraordinary isn’t hyperbole; try the starshaped pizza with ricottastuffed crust for proof.

$$ PIZZA o p

MARCO ISLAND

844 Gulf and Prime 844 Bald Eagle Drive, (239) 544-9844. 844gulfand prime.com. Stunning spaces make an apt backdrop for shareable small plates and robust entrees.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN w Ario

400 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 642-2695. arioatjwmarco. com. At the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Ario has a sophisticated aesthetic, elevated culinary offerings and an impressive bar program.

$$$$ STEAK o v

LeeBe Fish Restaurant

350 Royal Palm Drive, (239) 389-0580. leebefish.com. A fisherman-owned seafood market and restaurant, it sells products right off the boat.

$$ SEAFOOD o

The Oyster Society

599 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 394-3474. theoyster society.com. This locale's raw bar has more than 80 oyster selections, as well as sushi.

$$$ SEAFOOD o p

Sale e Pepe

480 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 393-1600. sale-e-pepe. com. A seasonally open gem with inspired Italian dishes, a formidable wine cellar and a waterfront patio. $$$ ITALIAN o p v w

Tesoro

400 S. Collier Blvd., (239) 393-3208. tesoroat jwmarco.com. Beach views and coastal fare make for a dreamy dinner.

$$$ MEDITERRANEAN o v w

Verdi's American Bistro

241 N. Collier Blvd., (230) 394-5533. verdisbistro.com Specialties include crispy duck, rack of lamb, apple strudel and a distinguished wine list. $$$ AMERICAN

LEE COUNTY

BONITA SPRINGS

Angelina’s Ristorante

24041 S. Tamiami Trail, (239) 390-3187. angelinasof bonitasprings.com. Plush banquettes, live piano and an award-winning cellar define dining here. $$$ ITALIAN o v

The Bohemian

27975 Old 41 Road, Suite 104, (239) 451-9619. thebohemian bonita.com. The team behind Downtown Coffee and Wine Company presents a globally inspired menu.

$$$ ECLECTIC o

Chartreuse Craft

Cocktail Lounge

27313 Old 41 Road, (239) 9492776. chartreuselounge.com. Swanky and hip, with personable bartenders shaking up cocktails you’ve never had before; plus, there’s a dessert menu.

$ COCKTAIL LOUNGE

Chops City Grill

8200 Health Center Blvd., (239) 992-4677. chopsbonita. com. The sister restaurant to Naples’ elegant steakhouse.

$$$$ STEAK o p

C Level Bistro & Wine Bar

4450 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 221-7046. c-levelbar. com. An intimate locale great for steak, lamb and seafood.

$$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille

5370 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 676-7777. coconutjacks. com. A perfect stop for quick bites and water views.

$$ SEAFOOD o p v w

DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant

26811 S. Bay Drive, Suites 140 and 148, (239) 325-3583. deromos.com. A classic Italian restaurant with an adjacent market of imported goods and takeaway foods.

$$$ ITALIAN o p

Downtown Coffee and Wine Company

27546 Old 41 Road, (239) 272-6068. downtowncoffeeand winecompany.com. Light bites, specialty coffee and wine by the glass. $ CAFE b o p

El Basque Vin & Pintxo Bar

25245 Chamber of Commerce Drive, (239) 301-4973. elbasque. com. Spanish and French influences merge at this tapas-style wine bar.

$$$ BASQUE p o

The Industry Standard

28280 Old 41 Road, Suite 1, (239) 431-4912. tisbonita.com

A from-scratch, full-service kitchen and bar that also houses a ghost kitchen serving latenight pizza.

$$$ AMERICAN

Jimmy P’s Charred

25301 S. Tamiami Trail, (239) 390-0301. jimmypssteaks.com. Enjoy superior meats and shareable side dishes.

$$$$ STEAK

Lapa’s Costa Rican Bistro

26251 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 9, (239) 221-7016. lapascr.com. Our editors' favorite lunch spot serves Latin fare, like arroz con pollo, gallos and tostadas.

$$ LATIN AMERICAN

Malinche Mexican Cuisine

3250 Bonita Beach Road SW, Suite 202, (239) 301-2902. malinchebonitasprings.com.

The Salazar brothers dish up Central and Southern Mexican flavors. $$ MEXICAN

Maria's Restaurant

27080 Old 41 Road, (239) 4951868. restaurantmarias.com

Homestyle Mexican comfort food with creative twists, plus exclusive Taco Tuesday menus. $$ MEXICAN o

The Other Side Bistro

24630 S. Tamiami Trail, (239) 992-7433. otherside bistro.com. Chef Brian McCarley serves comfort dishes with modern flair.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Petar’s Restaurant

3300 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 120, (239) 249-4064. petarsrestaurant.com. Chef Petar Al Kurdi has developed a strong following for his deftly prepared cuisine.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o

Rooftop at Riverside

27333 Old 41 Road, (239) 268-0080. eatdrinkparadise. com. The rooftop craft bar overlooks a half-dozen food trucks and Old 41.

$$ ECLECTIC o p

Roy’s Restaurant

26831 S. Bay Drive, Suite 100, (239) 498-7697. roys restaurant.com. Enjoy celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Pacific and Hawaiian fusion fine dining.

$$$ PACIFIC RIM o

A Table Apart

4295 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 221-8540. atableapart. com. Fusion influences from the Pacific Rim and beyond.

$$$ PACIFIC RIM

Wolfmoon

27975 Old 41 Road, Suite 107, (601) 557-3238. wolf moon.co. Go for some of the best croissants and coffee in town. A satellite location operates out of Naples' Kaleidoscope Garden Club.

$ CAFÉ o

Wylds Café

4271 Bonita Beach Road, (239) 947-0408. wyldscafe. com. Three chefs join forces for this fine-dining experience.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

ESTERO

Divieto Ristorante

23161 Village Shops Way, Suite 101, (239) 390-2977. divietoristorante.com. The famous fettuccine Alfredo is prepared in a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel.

$$$ ITALIAN o p

El Gaucho Deli Café

22905 Lyden Drive, (239) 3172994. elgauchoinca.com. This locale intertwines South and North American flavors.

$ ECLECTIC b

El Nido

23161 Village Shops Way, Suite 113, (239) 319-1900. elnidoeats.com. A contemporary joint using local ingredients for house-made sauces and a modern spin on Latin dishes. $$ MEXICAN o p

Real Seafood Co.

8001 Plaza Del Lago Drive, Suite 116. (239) 539-4748. realseafoodcorestaurant. com. Find seafood from New England, the Great Lakes and the Gulf. $$$$ SEAFOOD

Tacos & Tequila Cantina

10952 Eagle Village Drive, (239) 330-8226. tacosand tequilanaples.com. Tacos with clever tweaks, plus margaritas.

$ MEXICAN o p

FORT MYERS

SOUTH FORT MYERS

Artisan Eatery

8951 Daniels Parkway, (239) 887-4844. artisaneatery. com. Look for outstanding specials at this stamp-sized favorite.

$ MODERN AMERICAN b

Backyard Social

16371 Corporate Commercial Way, (239) 703-7077. backyardsocial.com. One of the region’s rising food truck hubmeets-outdoor bar concepts with eight vendors.

$$ ECLECTIC o

Bellini's

13451 McGregor Blvd., (239) 270-5005. bellinisfortmyers. com. Elevated Italian favorites in a casual atmosphere with live music nightly. $$ ITALIAN o

Coldwater Oyster Market

5611 Six Mile Commercial Court, (239) 220-5918. coldwateroyster market.com. Oysters and seafood from the North Atlantic and Pacific Northwest from Chef Adam Nardis. $$$ SEAFOOD o p

Courtney's Continental Cuisine 20351 Summerlin Road, Unit 111, (239) 466-4646. courtneys continentalcuisine.com.

A hidden gem serving an eclectic from-scratch menu and wine. $$$ EUROPEAN

Cubans Be Like

13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 21, (239) 789-1869. cubansbelike.com. Cuban favorites define the menu. Don’t miss the vaca frita.

$$$ CUBAN o

Ember 7091 College Parkway, Suite 9, (239) 771-8818. emberfortmyers.com.

A gem with tabletop barbecue, fusion dishes and sushi.

$$$ PAN-ASIAN

Fancy’s Southern Café 8890 Salrose Lane, Suite 101, (239) 561-2988. fancyssoutherncafe.com. Elevated Southern favorites in a casual atmosphere.

$$ AMERICAN b o p

Flock Wine Bistro

9405 Cypress Lake Drive, Suite 1, (239) 245-7105. flockwinebistro.com. Inspired by Rome’s hipster Monti neighborhood, this wine bar offers curated wines, obsessionworthy small plates and flatbreads. $$ WINE BAR

Harold’s

15250 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 107, (239) 849-0622. harolds cuisine.com. Chef Harold Balink’s cozy, farm-to-table bistro and bourbon bar.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Lan Xang

12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Unit 133, (239) 689-8603. lanxang ftmyers.com. Popular for

takeout and dine-in, its panAsian flavors (Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian) are spot-on. $$ PAN-ASIAN

Liberty

12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 112, (239) 689-5528. eatliberty.us. Chef Bob Boye’s gem features artfully presented, progressive menus of complex small plates. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN

MAKS Asian Kitchen & Sushi

13650 Fiddlesticks Blvd., Suite 206, (239) 985-9632. maksfl.com. Masters at sushi, the Mak brothers also prepare Japanese noodle and rice dishes. $$ ASIAN

Mastello Ristorante & Steakhouse

7890 Summerlin Lakes Drive, Suite 101, (239) 936-3660. mastello.com. Upscale creations dished in a gorgeous dining room. $$$ ITALIAN

Osteria Celli

15880 Summerlin Road, Suite 308, (239) 267-1310. osteriacelli.com. Pasta and open kitchen are highlights. $$$$ ITALIAN

Sweet Melissa’s Restaurant 16230 Summerlin Road, (239) 990-6889. sweetmelissas restaurant.com. James Beard Award semifinalist Melissa Donahue returns with the same, seasonally driven, Gulf-centric cuisine she championed on Sanibel. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Two Meatballs in the Kitchen

8880 Salrose Lane, (239) 4891111. twomeatballsmenu.com

With a second location in Cape Coral, it brings classic and creative dishes to the table, including gluten-free pasta. $$ ITALIAN

BELL TOWER SHOPS

DaRuMa Japanese

Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge

13499 S. Cleveland Ave., (239) 344-0037. darumarestaurant. com. Enjoy Teppan-style tableside cooking, tempura and sushi. $$$ JAPANESE o p

McGregor's Public House

13499 S. Cleveland Ave., (239) 990-3336. mcgregorspublic house.com. Delightful interpretations of Irish cuisine made from scratch. $ IRISH o

CENTRAL FORT MYERS

El Gaucho Inca

4383 Colonial Blvd., (239) 275-7504. elgauchoinca.com.

A mix of Argentinian and Peruvian dishes with a second location in Estero.

$$$ LATIN AMERICAN o p

Farmers Market Restaurant 2736 Edison Ave., (239) 3341687. farmersmarketrestaurant. com. Southern classics and comforts at this regional mainstay. $ AMERICAN b

KJ’s Steakhouse

10950 S. Cleveland Ave., (239) 275-4745. kjsfreshgrill.com. The team prides itself on aging and searing.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

MCGREGOR CORRIDOR

Azure

15301 McGregor Blvd., Suite 1, (239) 288-4296. azurefortmyers.com

Enjoy modernized French classics with a Southern flair.

$$$ FRENCH o

Blanc

13451 McGregor Blvd., Suite 10, (239) 887-3139. blancentertainment.com. France meets Asia at Chef Jean Claude Rogé’s intimate restaurant.

$$$ ECLECTIC

Cibo

12901 McGregor Blvd., Suite 16, (239) 454-3700. cibofortmyers.com. This popular Italian spot serves stellar food and wines.

$$$ ITALIAN

Jordan’s Wine Bar and Cellar

12901 McGregor Blvd., Suite 14, (239) 313-7056. The latest venture from chef Gloria Jordan-Cabral, with novelties and next-level sandwiches.

$$ WINE BAR

Roadhouse Café

15660 San Carlos Blvd., Suite 280, (239) 415-4375. road housecafefl.com. Try a wide

range of dishes, including the steak dinners.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS

10 Twenty Five

33 Patio De Leon, (239) 2086903. 10twentyfive.net. A fromscratch kitchen adds culinary legitimacy to its rooftop and downstairs scene featuring craft cocktails, live music and clever pub fare.

$ AMERICAN b o p

Bay Street Yard

2136 Bay St., (239) 2705941. baystreetyard.com

Downtown’s new beer garden has a roster of fresh food trucks and thoughtfully curated cocktails. $$ ECLECTIC o

Bruno's of Brooklyn

2149 First St., (239) 278-0211. brunosofbrooklyn.com. Acclaimed Sicilian cuisine by way of New York City, with a new address and new lunch and weekend brunch menus.

$$ ITALIAN

The Silver King Ocean

Brasserie/Oxbow Bar & Grill/Beacon Social Drinkery*

2200 Edwards Drive, (239) 3143855. luminaryhotel.com. Inside Luminary Hotel & Co., find fine dining at The Silver King; riverfront tables at Oxbow Bar & Grill; all-day breakfast at Ella Mae's Diner; and craft cocktails

at the rooftop Beacon Social Drinkery. $$$ SEAFOOD o v w

The Standard Restaurant 1520 Broadway, (239) 2196463. thestandardftmyers.com. A from-scratch menu and craft cocktails. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b p

The Veranda

2122 Second St., (239) 3322065. verandarestaurant.com. Fort Myers’ grande dame provides top-notch service and Southern specialties.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

Wisteria Tea Room & Cafe 2512 Second St., (239) 6894436. wisteriatearoom.com

A charming historic home with several prix-fixe options for afternoon tea.

$$ TEA ROOM b o

NORTH FORT MYERS

Blossom & Brie

8250 Nalle Grade Road, (239) 385-0415. blossomandbrie.

com. This locale pulls raw materials from its on-site farm for its menu and desserts.

$$$ AMERICAN b o

Buckingham Farms

12931 Orange River Blvd., (239) 495-1868. buckingham farmsonline.com. Farm-to-table

breakfast and lunch, weekly to-go dinners and a country store. $$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

FORT MYERS BEACH

Fresh Catch Bistro

4761 Estero Blvd., (239) 488-2400. freshcatchbistro. com. Hidden behind Publix among a marina and backwater mangroves, its menu and second-story patio views win favor. $$$ SEAFOOD o w

JWB Grille

451 Crescent Street, (239) 899-4094. margaritaville resorts.com. This eatery at Margaritaville Resort offers an array of global tastes in an elevated setting overlooking the beach.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN w

SANIBEL ISLAND

Bleu Rendezvous

751 Tarpon Bay Road, (239) 565-1608. bleurendez vous.com. This restaurant is lauded for authentic French fare, such as coq au vin and cassoulet. $$$ FRENCH o p

Cielo

1244 Periwinkle Way, (239) 472-5555. cielo-sanibel. com. Elevated island fare and craft cocktails.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN v

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille Locations throughout Lee County. docfords.com. Seafood, mojitos and a namesake rum bar. $$ SEAFOOD o p

MudBugs Cajun Kitchen

1473 Periwinkle Way, (239) 472-2221. mudbugssanibel.com. Find Cajun classics here.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Rosalita's Cantina

975 Rabbit Road, (239) 9557673. rosalitascantina.com/ sanibel. Modern Mexican cuisine in a contemporary setting.

$$ MEXICAN b

The Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market

703 Tarpon Bay Road, (239) 472-3128. timbersofsanibel.com

Fresh fish off the docks and steaks comprise the old-school menu in this longtime island institution. $$$ SEAFOOD

Traders

1551 Periwinkle Way, (239) 472-7242. traderssanibel.com

A locals’ pick for lunch, dinner and happy hour, its menu adds signature twists to fish and beef dishes.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p v

Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen

1200 Periwinkle Way, (239) 966-7654. tuttipazzisanibel.com Wood-fired pizzas and Italian

favorites in a cozy farmhouse ambience. $$ ITALIAN

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant

362 Periwinkle Way, (239) 4721100. wickieslighthouse restaurant.com. Two highpowered restaurants combined to create a casual-by-day, gourmet-by-night spot in a fresh, nautically themed space.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN/ SEAFOOD b o p

CAPTIVA ISLAND

Crow's Nest Steakhouse, Old Captiva House and The Shipyard

15951 Captiva Drive, (239) 4725161. tween-waters.com. ’Tween Waters Island Resort presents refined and casual fare in its locales. $$$ STEAK, SEAFOOD

Keylime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn*

11509 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 395-4000. keylimebistro captiva.com. A colorful island spot on Boca Grande expected to reopen on Captiva this spring. $$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

RC Otter’s Island Eats*

11506 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 395-1142. captivaisland inn.com. Tropical-inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music.

$$ AMERICAN b o p

Sunshine Seafood

Cafe and Wine Bar*

11508 Andy Rosse Lane, (239) 472-6200. captivaislandinn.com.

A sophisticated, beachy cafe with beloved chef Ryan Kida at the helm.

$$$ SEAFOOD

CAPE CORAL & PINE ISLAND

Café YOU

1423 SE 10th St., (239) 6000966. cafeyou2.wordpress.com

Global and gluten-free breakfast and lunch, plus monthly fine dining menus.

$ CAFÉ

Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar

837 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 542-6622. corksoakers.net.

An irreverent tone shows in the decor and on the menu.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o p

Fathoms Restaurant & Bar

5785 Cape Harbour Drive, Suite 106, (239) 542-0123. fathoms restaurant.com. Upscale cuisine with international influences.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p w

Fish Tale Grill

By Merrick Seafood

1229 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 257-3167. fishtalegrill.com.

Overflowing seafood platters and diverse menus, plus an adjacent fish market, make this family-owned seafood spot shine. $$$ SEAFOOD b o

Front Porch Social

4721 Vincennes Blvd., (239) 347-8914. frontporchsocialcc. com. A breezy, shaded patio, small plates and fab cocktails make for a perfect date spot.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Gather

5971 Silver King Blvd., Suite 116, (239) 673-9939. gather cape.com. Celebrated chefs blend Mediterranean flavors with classics.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o w

Ginger Bistro

Multiple locations throughout Lee County. gingerbistrousa. com. Traditional Chinese fare and Cantonese barbecue.

$$ CHINESE

High Tide Social House

6095 Silver King Blvd., (239) 341-4441. hightidesocialhouse.com. Modern, nautical charm with coastal-inspired menus and live music.

$$$ SEAFOOD o w

Jungle Bird Authentic Tiki

1520 Lafayette St., (239) 471-4111. junglebirdtiki.com.

Clever Pacific Rim dishes and signature rum drinks.

$$ ECLECTIC b o p

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro

1715 Cape Coral Parkway, (239) 471-0136. lobsterlady seafood.com. In addition to lobster, find sushi and local catch. $$$ SEAFOOD o p

Sanibel institution

Cielo is a favorite for its elevated modern American cuisine, convivial atmosphere and centerpiece bar, shaking up craft cocktails.

Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro/ Nauti Mermaid

5961 Silver King Blvd., (239) 541-5000. marriott.com

Bay views make for an atmospheric experience at The Westin Cape Coral. $$$ SEAFOOD b o p w

Nevermind Awesome Bar and Eatery

927 Cape Coral Parkway E., (239) 257-9444. nevermind awesomebar.com. A legendary restaurant and bar with a history of off-grid sandwiches and cocktails.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN

Next Door

5971 Silver King Blvd., Suite 114, (239) 984-2453. nextdoorcape. com. From the team at Gather, Next Door elevates small plates with focused flair.

$$$$ ITALIAN o

Nice Guys Pizza

1404 Cape Coral Parkway E., (239) 549-7542. niceguyspizza. com. It's built a cultish following for creative pizzas like the Street Corn Named Desire.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN o p

Point 57 Kitchen & Cocktails

3522 Del Prado Blvd. S., (239) 471-7785. point-57.com.

A modern bar and dining space with a critically acclaimed menu.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Prime 239 Steakhouse 11715 Cape Coral Parkway, (239) 673-8816. prime239.com. It's known for the 40-ounce tomahawk power-hitter, but don't miss the creative side dishes. $$$$ STEAK

Sage on 47th 1015 SE 47th Terrace, (239) 542-0200. sageon47th. com. A locally grown chef returns to his roots with this buzzy space.

$$ MODERN AMERICAN b o

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, (239) 283-3999. tarpon lodge.com. Inspired menus, Old Florida charm and stunning waterfront views combine in a historic 1920s fishing lodge.

$$$ MODERN AMERICAN o w

The Waterfront Cafe

Restaurant & Marina

2131 Oleander St., (230) 9665026. waterfrontrestaurant marina.com. A favorite for well-crafted, pretense-free seafood dishes and its dockside seating.

$$ SEAFOOD o p w

Cottage Charm

Built in 1895 from native pine and tabby mortar, the Historic Palm Cottage has watched Southwest Florida evolve from a rugged outpost to a polished enclave. Pictured here in the 1990s, the home looks much the same today—its striped awnings and weathered porch a quiet throughline in an area thriving on reinvention. Commissioned by founding resident Walter N. Haldeman as a boarding house for the original Naples Hotel—later known as the Old Naples Hotel, and now set for revival—the home-turned-museum marks its 130th anniversary this year. With recent expansions and refreshed exhibits, the cottage stands as a reminder that as our region evolves, our roots remain visible, steady and proud.