Barbatella, the new venture from Sea Salt chef Fabrizio Aielli and his wife Ingrid, is now open on Third Street South. The restaurant, wine bar and gelateria traverses two interior spaces and a pictureaque courtyard and fountain facing Third Street. The main dining area includes a 20-seat community table, a perfect spot where visitors can get to know the locals and vice versa. The 16-seat copper wine bar was a magnet from the minute the place opened. Barteners dispense over 30 wines by the glass along with cocktails and taste treats. Dynamic medallion designs highlight the walls and ceiling. Steps...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com There are a few places I’ve been that are so remarkable that all I need to do is close my eyes and focus and I’m instantly transported back, with sharp details etched in technicolor memory. Some I may never get the chance to visit again. Places like Machu Pichu. I climbed the Inca Trail for five days to get there. The sight of the large altar stones that were transported to this impossible location on a small pinnacle rising high above the Urubamba river was enough to inspire belief in either ancient astronauts or some rare combination of intelligence and...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com One of Naples' hottest new night spots is Burn by Rocky Patel. This is the first signature cigar and fine spirits bar by Rocky Patel himself. The cigar and lifestyle impressario lives in the Naples area and has his U.S. distribution center here as well. Burn is located in the Mercato center in north Naples, which has become a popular destination with its variety of restaurants and night spots, as well as the Silverspot luxury cinema. Burn was prominently featured in the Lounges of Distinction article in the June 2011 issue of Cigar Afficionado. For a sneak peak inside...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com Stand Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, is probably the fastest growing trend in water sports these days. The large boards provide a stable base for users to stand up and balance, and you use a long paddle to propel and steer. Along with several members of our Sports Council of Collier County, I was able to try SUP during a guided lesson and eco tour experience recently on the Cocohatchee River in north Naples. True Blue Water Sports sells and rents the boards and paddles, and you can also sign up for one...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com Naples Zoo welcomed two more giraffe this week, half brothers Bolo and Bruehler, which brings the herd up to a total of seven giraffe. Today was Bolo's first birthday, and since Bruehler's was last week, the zoo threw a party complete with tropical bouquet taste treats for the whole herd. Zoo guests gathered at the giraffe habitat at noon to watch and welcome the two newest, and I must say, cutest, giraffes to the herd. Bolo and Bruehler, half brothers, were both born last October at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The Naples Zoo giraffes are on display daily between 11...[Read More]
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary's now famous "super" ghost orchid is in bloom for the third time this year. The plant produced an early season blossom in March, followed by 14 flowers in late June and July, and now, yet another flower along with at least four more buds. The buds open in succession, so there should be blooms visible for the next three weeks. The epiphytic plant has no leaves, so is barely visible until the amazing white flowers appear. This particular ghost orchid is growing at a height of about 45 feet up on a large, old bald cypress...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com The annual Naples Winter Wine Festival celebrated its 10th year in style the last weekend in January, raising more than $8 million for children's charities in Collier County. The annual festival, recognized as the richest charity wine auction in the country, provides memorable experiences for festival attendees in return for their generous philanthropic spirit. I was fortunate to be a press liaison for the vintner dinner held at the Pelican Bay penthouse home of trustees Ron and Barbara Balser, co-hosted by Jerry and Adria Starkey. The theme was Beyond the Blue Horizon, inspired in part by the Balser's impressive Picasso...[Read More]
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For general questions email info@paradisecoast.com Painter Jo-Ann Sanborn noticed a lot of empty storefronts at the Esplanade shopping, dining and condominium community where she lives on Marco Island. So, in a flash of brilliance, she wondered if it would be possible to turn those depressing, empty storefronts into colorful artist studios. Thanks to the cooperative agreement worked out between The Art League Marco Island Center for the Arts, the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts and Lutgert Companies, her dream has become reality! The Artist Colony at the Esplanade is open and it really brightens up this center. Be sure to add this to your...[Read More]
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