Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! There’s been a lot of it. Here’s what I’m hearing:
First Naples, and now Estero and South Naples. Shake Shack is coming to Coconut Point and at the former Pollo Tropical on restaurant row, Freedom Square, Collier Boulevard near 41.
The chain has been actively expanding in the Sunshine State, with locations in Mercato, and further up the road in Sarasota and Tampa.
Winter Wine Fest coming in 2027
The Naples Children Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, recently announced that Chef Charlie Palmer, the name behind dozens of award-winning restaurants and notable hotels across the country, will be honored as “Chef de Cuisine” at the 27th annual event, Jan. 29-31.
Palmer “burst onto the highly competitive New York dining scene” in the mid-1980s as executive chef of Brooklyn’s The River Café. At just 28 years old, he opened his flagship restaurant, Aureole, earning multiple MICHELIN stars and two James Beard Awards.
“The Naples Winter Wine Festival is renowned as one of the world’s premier charity wine auctions, and I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the 2027 Chef de Cuisine,” Palmer said. “Having participated in the Festival five times previously as a volunteer chef, I have seen first-hand the lasting impact this event has on the most vulnerable children in the local community.”
Palmer also is co-founder and chief executive officer of Appellation Hotels, a culinary-first, approachable luxury hotel brand with a multitude of projects currently in development, including the newly opened Appellation Healdsburg, Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa, The MOHI by Appellation, Appellation Petaluma, and Appellation Pacific Grove.
Palmer is a dedicated philanthropist, having served for 25 years on the board of Citymeals on Wheels and as the founder of The Palmer Family Education Foundation, championing the next generation of hospitality and culinary professionals. His annual food and wine event, Pigs & Pinot, is a celebration of award-winning Pinot Noirs and heritage pork from Sonoma County that supports wine and culinary scholarships along with community and education organizations.
“Charlie Palmer is one of the most recognizable and influential names in the food and wine industry,” said Kelley Bailey, 2027 NWWF Chef Committee Co-Chair. “An internationally celebrated chef and restaurateur, he joins an impressive list of prestigious winemakers, chefs and sommeliers, setting the stage for a weekend of unique, one-of-a-kind food and wine experiences.”
This year’s theme “Hope Sings” together with the tagline “A brighter tomorrow takes the stage,” celebrates the idea that when a community lifts its voice in support of children, hope doesn’t just exist — it resonates, it inspires and it leads to a brighter future. Festival supporters, vintners, chefs and donors will create a chorus of generosity to transform the lives of children in need.
Ticket packages for the Naples Winter Wine Festival are sold for the entire weekend and start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience a Jeroboam package.
For further details, visit: napleswinefestival.com/about-the-festival.Live, work or play on Marco Island, South Naples or Everglades City? If so and you have something you’d like featured in Now You Know, send your information to mail@marconews.com.
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Now You Know: Shake Shack coming to South Naples; Wine Fest updates
Reporting by Will Watts, Special to the Eagle / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Will Watts, Special to the Eagle | USA TODAY Network
