Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News
Emeril Lagasse.
Nancy Oakes.
Charlie Palmer.
Bryan Voltaggio.
Those prominent names comprise merely four of America’s most recognizable celeb chefs secured by The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) who are heading our way for the Foundation’s 25th Naples Winter Wine Festival set for Jan. 24 to 26.
But wait, there’s more
Other top toques on this all-star power roster joining the Festival’s honorary “Chef de Cuisine” Angelo Auriana of The Factory Kitchen and Brera Ristorante include Michelin-star winners, food TV personalities and James Beard Foundation (JBF) Awards winners and finalists.
Angelo Auriana is ‘Chef de Cuisine’ for the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s 25th anniversary.
Josiah Citrin of the two Michelin-starred Citrin and Mélisse in Santa Monica, California.
“Chopped” Grand Champion Stephen Coe of Dangerous Eats and The Early Bird Café in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
JBF’s Best Chef in the Southeast Award finalist Cassidee Dabney of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee.
Read the rest of the list of power chefs who will be at the 2025 Naples Winter Wine Festival on naplesnews.com.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
For years, rumors have swirled about a second Costco in Collier County.
The wholesale club has shown interest in a forested site at the corner of Collier Boulevard and Rattlesnake Snake Hammock Road in Southeast Naples.
A map of the area on LoopNet, a commercial real estate website, even shows a Costco as “coming soon.”
Yet, there are rumblings the members-only warehouse has changed its mind. As is often the case with retailers in the exploratory or early planning stages for a new site, Costco isn’t commenting on its interest, or non-interest, in the location.
It’s never easy to track the comings and goings of retailers, as they expand, contract and evolve. They’re often a secretive bunch. This much is clear: Retailers big and small are looking to expand – or in some instances to establish a presence – in Collier County, through traditional stores.
Some stores are closing or relocating this year, making it even harder to keep up with the musical chairs of retail tenants locally.
As of May, major retail chains had announced plans to shutter nearly 3,200 stores across the country in 2024, a 24% increase over last year, according to research firm CoreSight. Experts blame the closings on several factors, including inflation and higher operating costs.
Family Dollar is among the biggest casualties, with at least 600 stores expected to close in the U.S. this year, and more over the next few years, as leases expire, due to a lackluster performance in 2023.
Here retail isn’t dying, but rather evolving.
Read the full article on naplesnews.com.
Buy a home in the evolving Southwest Florida area of Naples, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island, Florida, contact David at David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News
If only Artis―Naples could turn back time. Actually, it has for the upcoming 2024-25 Broadway season.
The five productions at the Naples venue offer a variety, from shows that pay homage to hit films to musical tributes of legends Cher and Michael Jackson.
Tickets to shows are available now with a subscription only. Then they will be sold to everyone else starting at 10 a.m. Sept. 17.
Here’s what to know about the new Broadway season.
‘Some Like It Hot’ brings movie classic to the stage
Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe co-starred in the 1959 classic film “Some Like It Hot,” and the Broadway version has won rave reviews in recent years.
The play has won four Tony Awards, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes. Set in Chicago during Prohibition, “Some Like It Hot” tells the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. They catch a cross-country train with gangsters on their heels.
See “Some Like It Hot” at various times from Dec. 24 through Dec. 29
Read about Mamma Mia!, The Cher Show, Moonwalks and Thrills, and Pretty Woman, the Musical on naplesnews.com.
Don’t miss the great entertainment in Naples, find a home in southwest Florida, contact David at David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Charles Runnells | Naples Daily News
You probably can’t think “Jimmy Buffett” without thinking “Florida.”
From his flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts to his laid-back songs about beach bums and fruity drinks, the late singer-songwriter is practically synonymous with the Sunshine State.
That’s why the Florida Legislature designated Friday, Aug. 30, as Jimmy Buffett Day. Concerts and other events are happening all over Florida to celebrate the trop-rock icon behind breezy hits such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “A Pirate Looks At Forty” and the immortal “Margaritaville.”
To mark that special day, here are 10 fun facts about the late, great Buffett — from where Parrotheads got their name to how he wrote “Margaritaville” while stuck on the Florida Keys’ Seven Mile Bridge.
The Florida House of Representatives created Jimmy Buffett Day with House Resolution 8065. The Florida Legislature adopted it Feb. 22.
The resolution decrees that Jimmy Buffett Day will take place Friday, Aug. 30. That’s almost a year — minus two days — after Buffett’s death on Sept. 1, 2023.
“Jimmy Buffett honed his art as a singer-songwriter in the bars of Key West,” the resolution states, “and the laid-back island lifestyle of the Florida Keys was the foundation on which he built his signature tropical rock sound.”
Read the full story with photos on naplesnews.com.
Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards has announced the winners of America’s best hotel amenities. Categories encompass spas, eco-friendliness, bars, swimming pools — and ta-da! — on-property restaurants.
While several prestigious hotel restaurants (think Inn at Little Washington and Blackberry Farm) might be considered the destination augmented with adjacent rooms, neither made USA Today’s list in 2024 revealed on Aug. 21.
And when considering how many high-end hotels dot our nation’s landscape, calling this category ultra-competitive is an understatement.
Consider this an opportunity to live like you’re on vacation minus the overnight stay when visiting Florida’s sole best hotel restaurant winner.
Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News
Most expensive homes sold July – Collier
A Port Royal home in Naples is No. 1 on the list for most expensive single-family property transfers in Collier County from July 1-31, 2024.
This home is located at 3787 Fort Charles Drive. It has 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. It sold for for $20.7 million. It previously sold for $9.6 million in 2020.
List price: $21,900,000
Sold price: $20,700,000
Neighborhood/Sub-division: Port Royal
Size: 7,219 square feet
Year built: 2009
Days on market: 192
Amenities: Bayfront, Boat Dock/Lift, Beach Access, Private Membership, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen
View: Bay
See the Top 10 real estate sales in Collier County recorded for July 2024 on naplesnews.com.
For more information about, and to view luxury homes Naples, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island, Florida, contact David at David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
