In a world of instant everything, there’s undeniable allure in things made slowly. Southwest Florida benefits from a cohort of artisans who elevate how we eat and drink by leaning into the singular focus on their crafts. From Naples to Sanibel, you’ll find a coffee innovator who draws out the distinct flavors of every bean; a man who exalts the simple beauty of the perfect smashburger; a former brewer who blazes new ways to unite without imbibing; and a fisherwoman who taps into the traditions of the Gulf to showcase the region’s distinct, sustainable bounties. These forward-thinkers and their passion projects step beyond responding to market demands and consumer interests to craft the thing they love in the best way they know—with unwavering integrity to process and commitment to the ingredients and flavors.
On Sundays, head out to the breezy Sanibel Island Farmers Market to track down The Fisherman’s Daughter tent. Here, writer and fisherwoman Chanda Jamieson brings the forgotten soul of the Gulf to life. A woman who knows her way around a cast net, Chanda descends from a long line of anglers and exalts indigenous seafood—such as blue crab, pink shrimp and the overlooked king of the Gulf, mullet—in the form of packaged dips, salads and soups.
Today, many regard mullet primarily as bait fish, but Southwest Florida was built on the regional specialty—with consumption records dating back to the Calusa tribe. In an age where sustainability is paramount, eating mullet is a power move for diners. The fish grow quickly and spawn yearly. There’s no bycatch. It’s the only fish with a gizzard, which helps filter water impurities and keep waterways clean. And, the catches come off a boat Chanda and her family found in three pieces near Pine Island’s Judd Creek and slowly put back together. “[There’s a] pride and respect for the fish to know when to let off, know when they’re spawning, know when they’re too small,” Chanda says.
Chanda translates the reverence to modern connoisseurs by helping work the swimmer back into our diet. She takes the mullet her family catches from Caloosahatchee and Gulf waters and hot smokes it over local buttonwood for up to six hours to render butterflied filets bursting with flavor and dripping with rich, juicy fat. Purists peel the skin back and eat the tender belly meat right out of their hand (or maybe over a cracker). She also makes a smoked mullet dip, lightly dressed with mayonnaise. The dip’s simplicity coaxes even more deliciousness out of the fish.
Like the poet, Kyle Cravo doesn’t have a culinary background, per se. He started Only Doubles in 2022 after being let go from a longtime corporate gig. But, he’s been food-obsessive since he was a child. Like anyone obsessed, he focused on one thing and how to do it perfectly, honing his focus on the smashburger (named for how the meat is pounded onto the grill to create a perfect crust).
Kyle starts with premium Australian Wagyu beef (a greatly appreciated flavor bomb), which he divides into 2- to 3-ounce balls that are smashed onto the sizzling 500-degree flattop with paper-thin slices of Vidalia onion. The outer crust caramelizes into crunchy ecstasy, and the inside remains juicy and tender.
The burger guru lists only two items on the regular menu. The ODB (Only Doubles Burger) tucks the patties—topped with gooey cheese and a secret sauce—into a supple Martin’s potato roll. The RZA adds ketchup, mustard and pickles. Kyle continuously toys with tweaks to refine and improve the formula. Maybe he’ll add an extra half ounce of meat to each patty or let the meat linger for an extra 30 seconds on the griddle, which he traveled to Los Angeles to procure. Maybe he’ll add a drizzle of more sauce. It’s a game of fine-tuning every variable. When he doubles down on off-menu riffs on smash-style interpretations of regional burgers from around the country (like the Minnesotan Juicy Lucy with peanut butter and bacon) or adds global twists (kimchi ketchup, Gochujang sauce), everyone comes out a winner.
As far as specialization goes, there’s no shortage of boutique roasters in coffee-crazed America. But not many do it as well as Caleb MacPherson and his team at Take Two Coffee. Caleb has been in the craft coffee game for years—leading the charge in bringing the quality-focused third wave of coffee to the region when he founded Narrative Coffee in Naples in 2016. Since then, he’s perfected a quasi-guru mentality when producing a stellar cup of joe. His recipe: Use a top-notch, ethically sourced primary ingredient and get out of your own way. Now tapping into coffee’s fourth wave (which considers the science of a perfect cup and the sustainability behind the beans), Take Two gets their beans from Balzac Brothers & Company, a fourth-generation coffee importer based in South Carolina that builds relationships with farmers and buys their entire crop on a 10-year basis. The relationship is key—it means farmers are compensated fairly, Caleb has direct contact with growers (he’s planning trips to visit several South American estates this year) and he consistently secures primo product. “A simple differentiator is we spend more money on the green product,” he says. “I think roasters give themselves too much credit for what we do. Our job is to bring out the best of what’s already in the seed and stay out of the way.”
Caleb’s work with coffee is akin to that of a winemaker, letting the year’s vintage dictate the direction of the final product. For example, he might work with a lactic honey processed coffee from Colombia that uses anaerobic fermentation to purge oxygen, create natural sugars and yield a bright flavor profile. He does not do dark roast. He points out that coffee is the product of a fruit, and no natural fruit has ever tasted burnt or smoky. Instead, you’ll find nuttiness, creaminess, rich molasses and hints of tropical fruit. Right now, he slings his beans and brews—and house-made donuts—at the Miromar Outlets Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, but he plans to open his brick-and-mortar location soon.
Meanwhile, Amber Cebull’s tasting room for Gather Beverage Company opened in October, brewing and serving industry-changing mixers. Amber, like many, falls under the category of folks for whom the pandemic brought many changes. She worked at an award-winning brewery, Millennial Brewing Company, and decided to open a non-alcoholic bar, Apothecary, within the space. Her idea: The craft cocktail experience doesn’t need booze to make for a memorable night out. However, she found NA (nonalcoholic) mock spirits and mixers were limited in number and some are packed with preservatives and artificial flavorings—in short, lots of chemicals. She wanted something functional and healthy that tasted great. Amber and business partner, Erik Salas, created Gather Beverage Company as a line of all-natural elixirs with adaptogenic real-food ingredients (herbs, fruit, roots) and CBD options, too. The broad-spectrum CBD in beverages can offer calming, pain reduction and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The six-product NA line has become bartenders’ new best friend nationwide. Cape Coral’s Nice Guys uses Revolution (an orange-juniper-apricot-hibiscus combo to replace Campari) in their NA Negroni. In your home bar, you might consider Drive, which is loaded with hopped citrus that pairs well with tropical flavors for an NA punch. Locally, you’ll also find the Gather bottles behind the bar at Kava Luv Social Lounge and District in Naples—plus at Chartreuse in Bonita Springs. Amber’s limited production approach mirrors the small-batch line of the spirits industry, placing a premium on excellent ingredients with health benefits. Amber and Erik moonlight at Gather; each holds a separate full-time job. But like many with a dedicated focus, they go above and beyond to make it happen. For a passion as true as theirs, nothing else would make sense.
