SYMCHAS

22 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, 305.604.0000; symchas.com.

LA GOULUE

9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour, 305.865.2181; lagouluebalharbour.com.

CRAVE

4250 Salzedo Street, Suite 1425, Miami, 305.444.4595; craveamerica.com.

With the auto market having fully recovered and back in full swing, auto dealerships are back to the business of wooing customers with incentives on deals as well as services. Potamkin’s Aventura Honda is one of those. Offering new and used Honda inventory both at the location and online (at aventurahonda.com, where potential buyers can browse inventory, details and prices without having to wait for an email response from someone in sales), the dealership has had its share of trials and tribulations lately.

Unforeseen events, such as the natural disasters in Japan and Bangkok over the past year, have made it difficult for the dealership to access as much product as it would like, but that’s not stopping them from projecting an upturn in business, which so far is still good. “Business is actually very good,” says General Manager Aurelio Rivera. “We have definitely had a difficult time getting product because of the disasters in Japan and Bangkok, so it’s been a struggle. But it’s been almost a year and we’re doing our best to resume production. By the end of the month we will already have 300 vehicles in transit to the deaership, and in March we will have stepped up and increase volume again, so we can reach our goal of 1.3 million cars in U.S. market in 2012.”

Rivera says customers can expect to see—and in some cases, are already seeing—“excellent incentives in place.” As he puts it, “There’s great motivation in the Honda organization. We have started calling the dealerships ‘stores.’ We have a Chrysler/ Jeep/Dodge franchise that will open next door by this coming fall. We’ll be turning the location into an auto mall with multiple choices available to our customers. We put ‘Aventura’ in the name because we wanted to identify this geographic location with this market, since it’s the most recognizable name in Dade County and the growth is here.” The grand opening for the new expanded dealership will take place in March and April.

In addition to expanded choices and a larger location, Potamkin’s Aventura Honda now has a concierge program in place to attend to its customers’ needs beyond the physical vehicle. “Essentially, we want to make sure any resident in Sunny Isles, Aventura, and North Miami Beach has special privileges when they purchase an automobile,” Rivera says. “So we cater to the consumer in a different and luxurious fashion, with personnel dedicated to that specific effort. It is the main responsibility of  Dana Russo, the head of our concierge service, to attend to any local business and individual residents’ requirements for transporation, including at-home delivery, so that we don’t have to inconvenience the customers by requiring them to come to us. We’ll do whatever is necessary to get them to come to our door—or we’ll go to theirs.”

Potamkin’s Aventura Honda is located at 2150 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach,  866.340.2834; aventurahonda.com.

John Buchanan

To a growing number of upscale South Florida condo dwellers, doors are more than just doors. And thanks to four-year-old, Miami Gardens-based Dayoris Doors, they’re increasingly being seen as personalized statements about style and design sensibilities. “In the past, owning custom interior doors could only be accomplished pre-construction,” says Scott Howard, a manager at the innovative enterprise founded by Melissa Ivy and several partners based on surging and previously unmet demand from contractors and interior designers. “So there was a huge void in the market because people were buying very expensive condominiums in new high-rise buildings, but they came with very plain doors.”

As a result, Dayoris Doors targeted discerning residents who wanted something better, whether that meant refacing existing doors or manufacturing new ones based on custom designs.

“For example, one of our main focuses is to re-do existing condo entry doors,” Howard says. “We take the existing doors and re-face them and make them look like beautiful custom European doors.”

As key elements of its unique Laminating Solution, Dayoris Doors imports its own line of high-quality Italian laminates and contemporary stainless steel hardware that are available in hundreds of different combinations. Hardware options include stainless steel door handles, modern door stops and contemporary door pulls.

The company offers a full line of sliding doors, modern bi-fold doors, European-style pocket doors, bypass doors and interior swing doors. “What makes us different,” Howard says, “is that our doors are custom-manufactured to individual specifications in our local facility on a job by job basis. That’s important because a lot of companies out there are importing prefabricated doors from China and those are not of the same quality that we offer.”

In addition, by listening to and working closely with local contractors and designers, Dayoris Doors has focused on a modern, fashion-forward line that reflects the tastes of its client base in tony addresses such as Aventura, Sunny Isles, Bal Harbour and Surfside. “We’ve targeted those areas because those are the areas where you have high-end, high-rise condos owned by people who want modern, contemporary designs,” Howard says. “And we carefully follow the direction of the contractors and designers who are really driving those markets. Our focus is on the contemporary market. We have in-house designers who work every day with the best contractors and interior designers to create custom designs. The array of designs that we put out is only limited by the customer’s imagination of personal taste.”

For example, he says, Sunny Isles—which has supplanted once-trendy South Beach as the new American Riviera—has become the contemporary design center of the world. “And one of the most sought-after décor items today,” he explains, “is custom-designed doors. They enhance the quality of life of the residents aesthetically and they also increase the value of the property in a very competitive real estate marketplace.”

When it comes to refacing existing doors, the key benefit Dayoris offers is convenience. “We will pick up your doors, reface them with our patented Laminating Solution process, and re-hang them to your existing frame,” Howard says. “It’s a very easy process. We don’t come in and destroy your home to get it done. No construction goes on in the home.”

Dayoris Doors also sells wall panels and custom wall units, as well as custom-designed furniture. “Wall panels have also become very in vogue with designers,” Howard says. “And they love our work. We use the same family of imported custom laminates that we use for doors and apply the same high manufacturing standards.”

The company’s entire line can be viewed in a recently expanded 3,000-square-foot showroom at its headquarters. And the more prospective clients learn about Dayoris Doors, the more they appreciate its unique role in a demanding marketplace. “We look at doors as artwork,” Howard says. “We take a lot of pride in that. Doors are no longer seen as just a slab of wood. We create them like they’re works of modern sculpture. And the goal is to enhance the look of the home, to really beautify it.”

For an in-home consultation, call 305.572.0707 or visit dayoris.com.

By John Buchanan

After suffering steep declines in the stock market and watching the local real estate market collapse, many affluent South Floridians are looking for safer investments that still yield strong returns. And perhaps there is no better—or less well-known—bet than rare gold and silver coins.

“Gold in general, and rare coins in particular, have a very well-established track record as an investment over time,” says Mike O’Higgins, the veteran proprietor of Steibs Sales East Coast, with offices in Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton. “Over time, you typically can see an increase in value of 10 to 15 percent. It’s also something that is tangible. You can hold gold coins in your hand. But the real bottom line is that rare coins have a proven track record as a safe investment. They beat inflation, especially lately. They protect savings from political and economic uncertainties. And the collector base is growing constantly, which increases demand and the size of the market.”

As a result, many financial advisors have recommended for years that investors should have 10 to 15 percent of their portfolios invested in precious metals, such as gold as a time-tested hedge.

For newcomers to the market, there is perhaps no better expert vendor than O’Higgins, a former co-founder of and partner in the country’s largest rare coin dealer, which he merged into Steibs Sales East Coast three years ago.

O’Higgins specializes in pre-1933, investment-quality rare coins that sell for between $1,000 and $250,000. Investment-quality coins are graded by one of two independent services, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), based in California, and the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, based in Sarasota. Each of the co-equal services rates coins from one to 70, with 70 representing perfection in terms of quality. Grades of between 60 and 70 are considered investment-quality. One exception would be an extremely rare coin that has a lower grade, but still holds extraordinary value based on its rarity.

Perhaps never before has there been such demand for rare coins, says O’Higgins, who also operates a 31-year-old mail order coin dealership, Gobrecht Numismatics. “The major factor driving the rare coin market now is that people are afraid,” he says. “They don’t want to put their money back into the stock market, because they’ve seen it collapse several times in recent years. And in South Florida, a lot of people started investing in and flipping real estate and they lost money in that when the market collapsed. And interest rates are next to nothing now if you invest in CDs.”

Meanwhile, he notes, gold has quadrupled in value and set new records for prices over the last several years. “So gold is the hot market now,” O’Higgins says, “and rare coins are a good way to invest in gold as a hedge against other kinds of investments.”
Just how good can a coin investment be? Last year, a Steibs Sales East Coast client saw the value of a $1 million purchase of 1,000 St. Gaudens $20 gold pieces skyrocket by $700,000 in less than 18 months, although he had bought them as individual Christmas gifts for VIP clients.

“The buyer was the owner of a large insurance company,” O’Higgins says. “He knew at the time that the price of gold was going to run up, so he wanted to buy them in advance. And he was right. When he bought them, the price of gold was about $1,000 an ounce. And now, it’s $1,720.”

If, in fact, the purchase had been a personal investment, O’Higgins says, the client would have enjoyed a whopping 70 percent return in a little more than a year.

Now that rare coins are generating unprecedented interest from new investors, O’Higgins cautions that smart buyers should do business with a highly experienced dealer such as Steibs Sales East Coast. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” he says. “We didn’t just show up in the market when it got hot. We’ve been doing this for a long, long time and we’re very good at it. And that expertise provides safety and confidence for our clients.”

Steib’s Sales East Coast, 954.491.4423, 954.491.4390 or 561.347.9140, by appointment.

Mark Nestor, MD, PhD

What’s new with toxins like Botox and injectable fillers?

There are now three approved FDA toxins on the market—Botox, Dysport and Xeomin.   Botox has certainly been on the market the longest, and Dysport was approved about two years ago. Dysport is a toxin similar to Botox with slight differences. A recent study found that Dysport appears to show effects earlier and last longer than Botox. There are no differences in side effects between the treatments.  Xeomin is another toxin treatment recently approved by the FDA. It is similar, in terms of the duration of action for giving units, to Botox and is unique in that it’s thought of as a pure toxin without any other proteins associated with the active toxin. Xeomin will be available almost immediately through your dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Injectable fillers remain popular and newly approved FDA fillers will appear on the market shortly. LAVIV has launched a unique process whereby a small piece of tissue is taken from behind the ear and the patient’s own cells are grown to be injected for collagen stimulation. Additionally, a new filler called Bolettero was just approved and should be available for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles within the next few months. Finally, Restylane, a popular filler treatment, has recently been approved for the enhancement of lips.  To date, it is the only filler approved for this purpose. For more information, please call 305.933.6716; scacce.com.

Dr. Diane Walder

What is LAVIV and what is it used for?

Imagine using your body’s own collagen-producing fibroblast cells to improve the look of your smile lines. Recently approved by the FDA to stimulate collagen in nasolabial folds (those “parentheses” wrinkles around your mouth), LAVIV is the only treatment of its kind to utilize a patient’s own cells to regrow healthy collagen in the skin. Customized for each client based on that person’s unique genetic makeup, treatment begins by duplicating the body’s collagen producing fibroblast cells and then gently injecting them into smile lines.

Fibroblast cells are responsible for collagen production in the body and when re-injected in a high concentration, they behave like younger cells, which increase the skin’s natural firmness and suppleness. By duplicating these cells, dermatologists can create an exact biological match of one’s skin type that reduces smile lines without the use of silicone or fillers.

Dubbed one of this year’s biggest beauty breakthroughs by Allure magazine, LAVIV is a revolutionary new treatment that complements conventional fillers, such as Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Juvederm, and Sculptra. What makes this anti-aging skin-care procedure unique is that it’s actually made by you, as it comes from your own skin, and one’s cells can be kept on file and used for future treatments for up to three years. Each LAVIV therapy takes 12 weeks to prepare while the client’s fibroblast cells are duplicated and refined into a unique treatment made exclusively for them. The cells are then injected into a patient’s fine lines and wrinkles over the course of three treatment sessions.

Dr. Barry Kay

Can you stave off cataracts by changing your diet?

Based on research by the National Eye Institute, in addition to countless clinical trials, studies and surveys, there is a positive correlation between good nutrition and the prevention of AMD and cataracts. Studies have suggested that eating foods rich in antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and zinc can protect your eyes from disease. Because cataracts require costly surgery and treatment options for AMD are currently limited, preventive measures play a particularly important role in maintaining good eye health. The following foods contain the six key nutrients for eye health:

• Most fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamin C, including oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers and tomatoes.
• Vitamin E is more difficult to obtain from food sources; however, good food sources include vegetable oils (safflower and corn oil), almonds, pecans, wheat germ and sunflower seeds.
• Beta-carotene is present in dark green leafy vegetables, deep orange or yellow fruits (carrots, mangos, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and peaches), vegetables and fortified cereals.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin are found together in many food sources. Dark green leafy vegetables are the primary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin (kale, collard greens and spinach), but they are also present in lesser amounts in broccoli, orange peppers, corn, peas, persimmons and tangerines.
• Good food sources of zinc include meat, liver, shellfish, milk, whole grains and wheat germ.

By John Buchanan

Executive Chef Sylvain Noel

When Pearl Restaurant & Champagne Lounge first appeared in late 1999, at the apex of the South Beach nightlife phenomenon, it immediately established itself as a favorite fine-dining venue and late night hangout among both locals and well-heeled visitors from all over the world. Now, five years after closing, it’s back with a new menu and chef—and fierce loyalty to its acclaimed and unique original style, created by owners Jack and Lucia Penrod.

“We tried to stay as close as possible to the original look and feel because Pearl was a very innovative concept when it first opened and it was so well done that to this day, you still feel it’s a fresh, brand new idea that is still pushing the envelope,” says general manager Victor Sutter, who signed on after seven years of experience in Turks and Caicos, Panama and elsewhere with the Penrods’ Nikki Beach Club dining-entertainment empire. “And today, we’re pushing the envelope even further with the mixology we do at our bars and the food that’s on our menu.”

Located on prime beachfront real estate at Ocean Drive and First Street in Miami Beach and re-opened in December, Pearl today features a brand new menu from French-trained chef Sylvain Noel, whom the Penrods discovered when they visited his celebrated St. Barts restaurant The Wall House when they were visiting the tony island on Nikki Beach-related business. Given Miami’s status as a top international food destination, the Penrods tasked Noel with the creation of a truly world-class menu. “We call it ‘the world on a plate,’” says Sutter. “We present food from every region of the world that is significant in a culinary sense. We really took the time to select items that highlight the local food cultures of each region. And we chose to do that because Miami is now a melting pot of world cultures. So when you come in, no matter where you’re from, there’s something on the menu that you will know and like.” But, he points out, everything is done in a fine-dining context. “We took the basic dishes and then elevated them by using the finest ingredients available,” Sutter notes.
Featured culinary regions include the New World, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

The New World menu boasts prime-cut steaks and chops, while Latin-flavored items include classic Peruvian-style ceviche. “It is generally considered the best in the world because Peruvians were the originators of it,” Sutter says. “So we’ve taken those basic flavors and kicked them up a lot. And our ceviche bar is one of our most popular features.” Other Latin-influenced specialties include foie gras tamales and moqueca, a traditional Brazilian seafood stew made with paiche, a popular fresh-water Brazilian fish. The European menu includes goat cheese and beef bruschetta, truffle-enhanced risotto and traditional homemade pastas of the day. Asian treats include shrimp spring rolls, tuna tartare, miso black cod and pork tenderloin. From the Middle East, Pearl features crudités with organic vegetables, hummus and Bombay chicken crafted with distinctly Middle Eastern flavors.

And for good measure, Pearl also offers Petrossian caviar.

The new menu also features delectable desserts from pastry chef Brandon Malhzan. “Our desserts are out of this world,” Sutter says. “And to really showcase them, we’re offering a ‘Sweet Saturdays’ promotion that includes a $25 tasting flight of our desserts and mixology for two, including patrons from other restaurants who want to come by after dinner.”

Although Pearl will focus first on its food, it will also soon re-establish itself as a sophisticated nightlife venue. The slightly reinvented space features a VIP area with tiered, stadium-style seating that overlooks as new dance floor, and its fabled outdoor patio that overlooks Nikki Beach Club and the ocean remains unchanged.

And finally, Pearl will also once again be a coveted location for private parties and corporate events. “We’re the only non-hotel venue in South Beach that is on the beach,” Sutter says. “And we offer a décor that is clean and sophisticated and reminiscent of classic Miami. We also have a multifaceted space that includes a lobby, the restaurant, a lounge and our outdoor patio. So we can nicely accommodate any kind of event, from a wedding to a birthday party to an event that is hosted as part of a corporate meeting or convention. We’re just a great venue for any kind of group that wants something special.”

Pearl is open for dinner only, from 7:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday
and from 7:30 p.m.-5 a.m. on Sunday.

For more information or reservations, visit pearlmiamibeach.com or call 786.515.1150.