Naples Illustrated January 2021

My mom’s father was in the restaurant business. I have so many great memories of him, a storytelling Greek man who loved to educate us grandkids on important things like the difference between frozen custard and ice cream. At one point, he owned a pastry shop in Brooklyn, New York. From there, he would make us the most amazing marzipan decorations to top off our birthday cakes. After dabbling in a few restaurants, he wrapped up his career by devoting several years to improving the nutritional quality (and taste) of the food served at a local all-boys Catholic high school. My grandfather’s legacy is my appreciation for those who work in the food service industry. It takes an unusual blend of optimism, grit, patience, determination, talent, and business acumen to make…

SEE CLEARLY WHO: Quigley Eye Specialists WHAT: VIP Grand Opening of the Q iLasik & Med Spa in Naples DETAILS: Special guests gathered to celebrate this new business venture, which provides advanced aesthetic services, the area’s first dry eye spa, and the new iLasik procedure. GOING SWIMMINGLY WHAT: Hogfish Harry’s VIP and Media Grand Opening Reception WHY: To introduce media, hotel concierges, and social media influencers to this new, tropical-inspired seafood restaurant DETAILS: Restaurateur Jerry Alajajian and fiancé Dayle Westover are focusing on a Southwest Florida favorite, hogfish, as the staple dish, along with classic seafood dishes and other entrees, soups, salads, appetizers, shareables, and desserts created by veteran Naples executive chef Everett Fromm. WHERE: Parkshore Resort, Naples…

Last year, Alexander’s celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in Naples. Chef Alexander Bernard grew up in Maine and graduated from Johnson & Wales culinary school in Rhode Island. His culinary journey included stints at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach and at Key Largo’s Ocean Reef Resort, where he worked with Swedish chefs and honed his appreciation for classic, old-world techniques. Upon moving to Naples, Bernard served as chef and partner at the now-defunct Margaux’s before opening Alexander’s. His devoted clientele includes many regulars who have been dining with him for three decades. He hosts frequent cooking classes during the season and is the author of Alexander’s Restaurant Cookbook. Turn the page to read our Q&A with chef Bernard. (alexandersnaples.com) NI: What are some tips for surviving 26 years in the restaurant business? Bernard:…

Mother-daughter duo Olga and Leeza Arkhangelskaya founded East West Fine Art 20 years ago, with the goal of creating a gallery that was more than just a selling space. In January of last year, East West launched a program to allow artists and clients to get to know one another in a casual setting. Initiatives like these, however, were temporarily put on pause due to COVID-19. “When the Corona crisis hit, like every small business, traffic into the gallery fell,” says Olga. “While we were temporarily stunned, we were not deterred.” Instead, they set up an online gallery and virtual studio to keep the interaction going. “This made it easier for our clients to get acquainted with Southwest Florida’s best artists—to view their new works, write to them, ask questions, schedule studio…

After you put away the holiday adornments and look at your home with fresh eyes, you may conclude that it’s time to shake things up. Since many of us are spending more time at home than ever before, we also might be taking notice of spaces in need of a refresh or rooms in need of repurposing. Homeowners’ thoughts are translating into action, with phones ringing in the offices of many Naples decorators and designers. “It is a very lively scene, and it is busier than it’s ever been,” says Sherri DuPont of Collins DuPont Design Group (collins-dupont.com). Both DuPont and her business partner, Kim Collins, graduated from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design before starting their enterprise and have since received four Sand Dollar Awards. Here’s what to consider…

Bill Charbonneau, the founder and principal of Naples Nantucket Yacht Group, grew up in Massachusetts and enjoyed summers in Cape Cod, where he slept with the windows open to hear the foghorn from the nearby lighthouse. “We had a boat anchored in front of that house, and I have an idyllic remembrance of the sea,” he says. “I always loved it and wanted to be on it.” After graduating from Connecticut College, he worked in commercial and residential construction in the greater Boston area for almost 25 years. Then, a siren song pulled him to start something new: a charter yacht business he launched in 2005. He and his partners acquired boats together, and this joint-ownership model still propels the company today; owners share the yachts as assets, as well as split…