Indice dei contenuti per January 2022 in Naples Illustrated

The precocious Harper Lee once said she detested introductions because, among other things, they “inhibit pleasure” and “frustrate curiosity.” No offense to Lee, but I beg to differ—and in a big way. I’ll always consider introductions essential starting points—whether they’re taking place in writing or in person. With that said, I’m honored to be the new editor in chief here at Naples Illustrated and look forward to providing you with many a good introduction, including (hopefully) this one of me. I hail from Illinois and have called 12 different cities in eight sundry states home. Naples is stop No. 12 for me, and I’m proud that this little piece of paradise has been my final destination for almost two years now. From wonderful weather to blissful beaches, it’s no wonder…

TERMS TO KNOW SLOW FASHION: Movement and approach to fashion that considers the processes and resources required to make clothing, particularly focusing on sustainability. UPCYCLING: Reusing and repurposing old items to make something new. Removes waste from the system, requires less energy than recycling, and has a better environmental impact. ECO FASHION: Products that are designed and manufactured to maximize benefits to people and society while minimizing adverse environmental impacts.…

Formerly relegated to basements, wine collections are now taking center stage in luxurious wine rooms that are designed to both showcase bottle arrays and serve as eye-catching components of an interior’s design. Donna DeSanctis, co-owner of Naples-based Coastal Custom Wine Rooms with her husband, Amedeo, has agreed to uncork the expertise she has gained in the high-end wine room design arena over the past 30 years. (coastalcustomwinerooms.com) NI: How does a wine room differ from a traditional wine cellar? DeSanctis: Simply put, a wine room is aboveground whereas a traditional wine cellar is located belowground. Needless to say, we do wine rooms and wine walls in South[west] Florida. Are wine rooms limited to those who have expansive wine collections? Not at all. So many of our clients are not wine…

BEST COCKTAIL PROGRAM: Seventh South Craft Food + Drink Mixologist Barry Larkin, who designed many local bar programs before opening Seventh South last year, uses the innovative menu of chef Jay Schrednitz to create a seasonally changing list of craft cocktails. Highlights include Dear Dad (house blend of rums, banana and bitter liqueur, and chocolate walnut bitters) and Iceberg Theory (Codigo Rosa tequila, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit, bitters, and basil), garnished with a dose of old-fashioned hospitality. (seventhsouth.com) Runner-Up: The Warehouse Cuisine & Cocktails The Warehouse’s relentlessly creative drink list contains several dozen craft cocktails, along with bourbon flights and barrel-aged versions of such classics as the Manhattan and Old Fashioned. (thewarehousenaples.com) BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN: Vegan Kitchen It’s one thing to serve a plant-based menu, and another to infuse the dishes with…

Growing up in Winslow, Maine, Darren Veilleux spent time in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother—accomplished home cooks with a French-Canadian background who eventually inspired him to attend Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. It was his internship at Manresa, the three-star Michelin restaurant in Los Gatos, California, that set him on the path toward elevated fine dining. “It was a huge moment for me,” he recalls. “I was fortunate to work with chef David Kinch, and the experience made me realize that hard work really does get rewarded. Every day I’d come to work and spend the morning shucking an entire case of peas and then shuck them again after they were blanched. It built character, and it led to better jobs in the kitchen.” Veilleux was…

The pandemic posed challenges for charities, particularly those whose events depend on human interaction in a live auction setting. The Naples Winter Wine Festival, the world’s most successful wine charity event, took place in a virtual format last year to safeguard the health of all donors, patrons, and staff. That festival raised $7.2 million—approximately one-third of the just over $20 million total in 2020, but still an impressive outcome under the circumstances. This year’s festival, the twenty-second, will be live once again. Held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, January 28–30, it will feature an impressive cast of world-class winemakers, celebrity chefs, and Master Sommeliers uniting under the theme of “Rise Up: Twenty Twenty Twogether.” Presented by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the festivities begin on Friday morning…

From a body scrub that gives back to the National Resources Defense Council to a Made Safe–certified bath soak and 100 percent biodegradable deodorant, these sustainable, conscious picks are good for you and for the planet: Papr So Hot Right Now Deodorant ($14, papercosmetics.com); EvioSkin Rejuvenating Mask & Moisturizer ($22, eviobeauty.com); Shinery Radiance Wash jewelry cleaner with plant-derived surfactants ($28, shinery.com); True Botanicals Nature Bathing Forest Bath Soak ($38, truebotanicals.com); TO112 Shampoo for Damaged Hair ($40, to112.com); C & The Moon Malibu Made Body Scrub ($38, candthemoon.com); and Saje True Dew Face Oil ($44, saje.com).…

THE BAKER MUSEUM WHAT: The Baker Museum Fall Exhibition Celebration WHERE: The Baker Museum at Artis—Naples DETAILS: An exclusive celebration of the opening of The Baker Museum’s fall exhibitions: “Baseball Heroes: Works from the Jay H. Baker Collection,” “Love in All Forms: Selections from the Art Collection of Patty and Jay Baker,” “Helen Levitt: In the Street,” and “Florida Contemporary 2021-22” with Naples residents, philanthropists, and arts patrons Jay and Patty Baker YOUTH HAVEN WHAT: Healing Youth WHERE: Sea Salt DETAILS: Luncheon to raise funds for and awareness about Youth Haven’s residential campus and programs for abused and neglected teens in Southwest Florida with keynote speaker Josh Shipp, a former at-risk foster child and youth advocate, hosted by chef Fabrizio and Ingrid Aielli CANCER ALLIANCE OF NAPLES WHAT: Celebrity Startender…

Joey and Maria are getting married! Again! Screenwriter and actress Darlyne Franklin has returned with her interactive play, Joey & Maria’s Comedy Italian Wedding, in which an over-served nonna (grandmother) makes a scene and audience members participate in the tarantella (traditional wedding dance). Franklin, a longtime local resident, brought the act back to Naples in November following a five-year hiatus. Now, it’s moving to the Bonita Springs-Estero Elks Lodge on January 6, where it will run through April. À la a real-life reception, the production includes a three-course meal catered by Artichoke & Company and full cash bar, and many attendees dress like they’re going to the real deal, though it’s not required. Franklin studied and trained in theater, sketch writing, and improvisation at Emerson College, Upright Citizens Brigade, Lee…

Each of your boutiques worldwide is designed with the local market in mind. What interior design elements influenced the overall concept for the new Naples boutique? We thought it would be great to bring the idea of a holiday setting to the Naples store—it’s simple, cool, and has a sense of journey. Something else that was important to us was that the store fitted naturally into the neighborhood but that it had little Australian touches when you stepped inside. There are artworks by Australian artists Bridie Gillman, Nell Pearson, and Amy French, which I just love, and an emphatic green storefront, which is very Zimmermann. Zimmermann is known for dreamy designs. What was the inspiration for the Spring 2022 collection? We wanted to explore ideas of strength and fragility. We…

Serendipity, the phenomenon of fining good things by chance, is a game changer we cannot plot, only appreciate. For Julie Butcher, a business owner, wife, and mother, serendipity is like a lucky penny that just keeps popping up. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Butcher is the eldest daughter of three children whose parents worked in law—her mother as a legal secretary and her father in a solo practice. Growing up, she loved going to school and excelled academically. When she was a high school freshman, she was accepted into an accelerated program that fast-tracked her to college, a situation that wasn’t for the faint of heart. In three years, she went off to the University of Puerto Rico, and though she was convinced to pursue a degree…

January 20 may be National Cheese Lover’s Day, but who needs an excuse to eat grilled cheese? Who doesn’t remember those childhood rainy days when a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup were perfect to chase the blues? No wonder the sandwich has been one of the hottest food trends of the past year. If you’re an adult who wants to re-create your youth and have an adventure in hedonism at the same time, head for the newly opened Twisted Cheesery in Naples. The restaurant is a partnership between chef Michael Voorhis (the Best New Chef in the Naples Illustrated 2018 Dining Awards, back when he was manning the stoves at The Bevy) and entrepreneur CalvinJ oiner. The two longtime friends opened Twisted Sheep Pizza & Brew…

Begin your meal with lobster tempura with chipotle-yuzu aioli and a sweet soy reduction or perhaps a bowl of steamed mussels with pommes frites. For an entrée, enjoy seared halibut in a curried coconut broth or a 14-ounce peppercorn-crusted New York strip steak. It may sound like you’re dining at one of Naples’ upscale restaurants, but you’re actually watching a movie at the new CMX CinéBistro, which opened in October at the Coastland Center mall. Guests can order food at the Stone Bar or arrive 30 minutes before a screening to dine right in their seats in the theater. The kitchen is under the direction of Andy King, vice president of culinary development, who worked previously in Tampa with the Datz Restaurant Group. “Naples is the perfect location for the…

TABLE OF CONTENTS Waylon linen Harbor stripe dress with skinny leather belt ($1,298), Bolero Icon hat ($548), Lafayette 148 New York, lafayette148ny.com PAGE 120 Double-breasted blue mohair jacket ($3,590), blue mohair pants ($1,250), blue velvet marble printed Peekaboo handbag ($6,700), Fendi, fendi.com; studded leather body chain (price upon request), Dior, dior.com. PAGE 121 Double-breasted blue mohair jacket ($3,590), blue mohair pants ($1,250), gold Fendi O’Lock hair clips ($360 each), Fendi, fendi.com; Tribute Medusa stud earrings ($375), Medusa chain necklace ($1,150), Versace, versace.com. PAGE 122 Loose knit striped saddle-shoulder sweater in KindCashmere ($798), Helena midi skirt with embroidered detail patchwork eyelet cotton ($1,998), Italian Vachetta leather double-wrap belt ($348), Bolero Icon hat ($548), Lafayette 148 New York, lafayette148ny.com; Zig Zag polka dot pumps ($348), Kira geometric sunglasses ($168), Tory Burch, Waterside…

Want to take a private jet tour through the Mediterranean, sail around Croatia on a mega-yacht, or assemble a collection of world-class wines from the planet’s best vintners—all while helping Collier County’s underserved children? More than 40 spectacular lifestyle lots will be auctioned at the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort during the January 28-30 weekend. After reducing in scope and moving to a virtual platform in 2021 due to the pandemic, the world’s premier wine charity event is back in top form. “We are extremely excited to once again host our signature event in person for what we anticipate will be one of the boldest Naples Winter Wine Festivals yet,” says Naples Children & Education Foundation Chief Executive Officer Maria Jimenez-Lara. “Our Auction Lot Committee…

Following two decades of living throughout the country in pursuit of her professional career, Jackie Nelson returned to her hometown to raise her children closer to family in an environment that’s ideal for young families. In 2020, she was named regional marketing director for Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Naples, after returning to the area in 2015 and working with an interior design firm The Barron Collier High School alumna graduated from the University of Florida and followed her marketing and business development career to Chicago, Seattle, Anchorage, and Orlando. Nelson says what ultimately drew her back to Naples was family. Her grandparents started vacationing on Marco Island in the 1980s, then her family decided to move down. They were followed by aunts and uncles— becoming a “family affair.” She…

When Jane and Ryan Wenning discovered a lot for sale with mangroves running along the back and one side of it in the gated community of Southport on the Bay in Barefoot Beach, their search was over. Today, the couple’s custom, Santa Barbara-style residence¾—bathed in gentle sea breezes and balmy nights—sits elegantly amid its lush tropical surroundings. Along with the natural beauty that many prized properties in Southwest Florida afford comes unique challenges for preserving the environment through the site plan and home design. That is where architect Jon Kukk, president of Naples-based Kukk Architecture & Design; Tom Potter, vice president of operations of Potter Homes in Naples; and Robyn Lang-Shankland, Freestyle Interiors senior interior designer turned the Wennings’ vision into reality. For two years, the design team ping-ponged details…

FOUR SEASONS RESORT SEYCHELLES, MAHÉ Given the bounty of beautiful beaches in the nearby Caribbean, it’s reasonable to ask: Why travel as far as the Seychelles for a holiday? Step into a treehouse villa at the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Mahé, and you’ll see why. Here, discover a marriage of next-level natural splendor and amenity-rich accommodations that defines the modern paradise. Etched into the mountainside above Petite Anse bay, the resort overlooks more than an idyllic duet of white sands and turquoise waters. It also grants bird’s-eye views of the dramatic granitic landscapes that make Seychelles’ beaches unlike any other in the world, distinguished by towering rippled slabs and mammoth geometric boulders punctuated by broadleaf forest. Beyond the raw beauty, the 67-key property wows with spaces designed for embracing languid…

When the Mercato location of Bar Tulia opened last January, it featured the classic Mediterranean fare and innovative cocktail program that diners have come to expect from prolific chef and restaurateur Vincenzo Betulia. A surprise addition was Kayla Pfeiffer, the restaurant’s 25-year-old executive chef. Pfeiffer grew up in a hospitality background. Her father operated restaurants and pizzerias in the New York area, and she spent her time after school in the dining room. As a student at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, she worked at The Dutch in Soho. After coming to Naples, she applied for a job with Betulia’s Campagna Hospitality Group, working her way up to executive chef at The French. Her philosophy is both inclusive and refreshing. “I like to have my…

THE LISTINGS The Naples area is packed with an abundance of great eateries, serving up food and drinks to satisfy every palate. Naples Illustrated has rounded up details on can’tmiss places for dining delights. AMERICAN ALEXANDER’S The tastes of farm-to-table American and European cuisine commingle at this fine dining establishment. 4077 Tamiami Trail N., Naples (alexandersnaples.com) ALICE SWEETWATER’S BAR & GRILLE An institution of more than 25 years, this local’s favorite serves a large array of lunch and dinner fare. 1996 Airport Road S., Naples (alicesweetwatersbarandgrille.com) BALEEN AT LAPLAYA BEACH & GOLF RESORT Dine amid elegant tropical surroundings indoors, or on the patio to soak up the view. 9891 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples (laplayaresort.com) THE BEVY Everything old is new again at The Bevy (short for beverage). Be sure to…

About 36 million falls are reported per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These spills significantly affect older Americans, with some 8 million adults over age 65 experiencing injuries annually. The Naples-based nonprofit Step Smart aims to educate adults on falls and how to prevent them. Stephanie Gomez, the organization’s executive director, emphasizes that falling isn’t a natural part of aging, but a sign that something is wrong. It may be caused by a medical issue, such as medication interactions causing dizziness or sleepiness, balance issues after a stroke, or impaired eyesight. Prevention might also be achieved via a simple fix, like reducing clutter in your home, brightening lights, or wearing different shoes. To help prevent tumbles, Gomez recommends using a single pharmacy so the pharmacist…