Cabin Fever
When Virginia Sanchez makes up her mind, that’s it. A few years ago, she wanted a house on the river. And not just any house. She wanted a rustic log cabin where she and her husband Herman could host their…
Author: Shruti Shah
Gather ’Round
This past October, accompanied by a cake-cutting ceremony and live music, Midtown Reader celebrated its ninth birthday. But this cake day was a special one, marked by the unveiling of a brand-new addition to the independent bookstore’s classic Thomasville Road…
Distilleries Worth The Drive
The craft distillery trade in Florida has exploded in recent years in the wake of regulation changes that have paved the way for independent distilleries to thrive. Counting nearly 50 independent businesses across the state—with more ramping up—many of these…
Cats About Town
Under the bushes, around the corners, perched on branches overhead. The campus cats are everywhere. It started with a few feral cats around Florida State University and a few kind professors feeding them. It progressed when alumna Megan McEnery established…
Fabulous Fifth Walls
1 It can speak to your atmosphere and help set your desired tone. One of the goals of interior design is to create a cohesive mood, and your ceiling can be a compelling component in that mission. Painting it a darker…
Social Graces
Etiquette helps bind the fabric of our society. While social graces have always been a part of the modern world, sometimes they can be confused with stringent rules. It is not some exclusive club where only a few are invited;…
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who might strive today to make the world a better place rides the shoulders of those who positively bent what Martin Luther King Jr. called the “arc of the moral universe.” And for every admirable, transformational person we can…
New Year, New Changes
There was a time when New Year’s Eve was not one of my favorite holidays. It’s fun to gather with friends, don sparkles, and pop a bottle of bubbly, but what if I liked the old year and all its…
Which Way To The Stage?
It’s long been said that expensive Broadway musicals lose up to 80% of their initial investment, alarming dedicated theater fans. Smaller productions don’t always gain the traction to become long-running hits. However, we here in Tallahassee are awash in wonderful…
26 for '26
Lacing up your sneakers and vowing to eat healthy sounds like a good idea as a new year rolls in, but by the time the redbuds bloom, good intentions are often long forgotten. This year, challenge yourself to a resolution…
Sugar, Spice, Everything Nice
The idea for Damas—a restaurant Amanda Morrison started as a pop-up venue on the grounds of the Goodwood Museum & Gardens last March—was born over a couple of margaritas. “It’s always been important to me to support other women in…
Capsule Closets
With an influx of information coming to us from all directions, many of us face decision fatigue. This might be especially apparent at six in the morning, standing in front of your closet. The term “capsule wardrobe” came into heavy…
January-February 2026 Calendar
Jan. 10 World Athletics Cross Country Championships For the first time in over 30 years, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships return to the United States with Tallahassee as the chosen site. This prestigious competition will be held at Apalachee…
A Delicious Homecoming
Entering a room that also holds restaurateur Susan Turner is a bit like being in the presence of a strobe light. She surges with fireworks of creative ideas, innovative recipes, plans for social receptions, community good works, and an elegant…
Pulling Together
Music rises through the air at Cascades Park where vibrant fabrics, rhythmic drums, and smiling faces energize the space. This is the Harambee Festival, a Tallahassee tradition celebrating unity through African art and culture. The festival is a warm…
Paradise Perfected
Rising from 18 acres of Sarasota’s shoreline, the new St. Regis Longboat Key Resort feels less like a regional debut and more like a global statement: an escape firmly rooted in Florida sand but with the scope and polish of…
Ethically Stunning
A clean slate awaits with sophisticated vegetarian-and-vegan-friendly, cruelty- free, and naturally derived formulas: Femmue Brilliant Cleansing Oil, with antioxidant-rich camellia seed, olive, rice, and grape-seed oils, plus aromatic jasmine, lavender, and cedarwood ($54, femmue.com) Juara Candlenut Perfume Oil, with tropical…
Pressing On
Printmaker and photographer Mika Fowler’s 2,400-pound Vandercook 219 printing press has a new home: The Letterpress Studio on the grounds of LeMoyne Arts, now offering workshops for the public. As soon as you walk inside the light-filled studio, the aroma…
Walk This Way
Tallahassee is known for a number of things: the Capitol, of course; the copious ancient oaks and Spanish moss bewitching the quiet streets; the wealth of educational (and sports-watching) opportunities; the endless summer weather … but Tallahassee is not typically…
Major Impact
Celebrating 66 years of dedication this year, the Junior League of Tallahassee (JLT) is a nonprofit that empowers women to serve their community through leadership and volunteerism. What began as an organization devoted to service has grown into an inclusive…
Secret Castles
In the ninth century, the once-mighty Frankish empire of the Carolingian dynasty began to fracture, giving rise to a feudal system that reshaped Europe’s landscape. As power splintered, noble lords built the first castles—not just as homes but as symbols…
Clean Green Energy Machine
The city of Tallahassee aims to be running on 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2050, an ambition that is already in motion with increased electric StarMetro buses in the streets, high-efficiency LED lighting in municipal buildings, and other…
Renovated Resolutions
How we feel in our homes can impact our mental and physical health. If you’re feeling in a slump about your space, make it a resolution to reinvent, revamp, refresh, or renovate a room or two in 2026. Here, three…
All The Buzz
European honeybees are the most commonly known pollinators and are returning from their hives to our local landscapes as the days lengthen. While not native to this continent, honeybees are beneficial to the environment and critically important to agricultural production.…
A Chorus of Compassion
When the Tallahassee Area Threshold Singers gather, the energy in the room changes. The air slows and softens as their voices intertwine, singing in gentle harmony, not performing but offering. The songs are simple, repetitive, and tender, chosen to calm…
Strike Gold
What happens when the creative, driven, and outspoken students of Florida State University enter the fashion world? Strike Magazine happens. Strike is the nation’s preeminent student fashion publication, known for its experimental approach to garments, scenes, and photo editing. Now masterminded via independent…
World Athletics Cross Country Championships – Tallahassee 26
For the first time in over 30 years, the most prestigious cross-country race on the planet is back on American soil, and it’s chosen a spectacular stage: Tallahassee, Florida. On January 10, 2026, the world’s most formidable distance runners will…
Gifted Writers
A book is something of a perfect gift: it expresses the taste of the giver, reflects the passions of the receiver, and loops in the perspective of the author, reminding us that the world is always bigger than we see.…
Well Spotted
STYLE NOTES GET STUDDED Dotted embellishments offer an edgy spin. GO OVERSIZE Play with various print scales for a fresh take. STAY NEUTRAL Stick with black and white for a classic look. HEAD START Giselle polkadot mesh wide headband ($128),…
Where The Wild Things Thrive
When approaching the North Florida Wildlife Center in Lamont, you will begin to feel as if our region has transformed into an exotic realm. The massive oaks, pines, and trailing vines hide a place brimming with animals you might only…
Taking The Baton
Music lovers among the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra were asked to help get it right. For the full 2024-2025 season of concerts, they listened. And after five performances during which guest conductors brought their best interpretations and most charismatic moves to…
The Best Is Yet To Come
I first visited Tallahassee in March of 2020 to attend an open house for Florida State University’s graduate creative writing program. I stayed downtown on Park Avenue, ate alone at the now-closed Goodie’s Eatery, and walked to campus and back…
Love From Head To Toe
The faint scent of hairspray mixed with the sharp sweetness of nail polish lingers at Meena’s Classic Touch Spa & Salon. Blow-dryers hum, brushes clink against countertops, and the quiet buzz of conversation fills each room. At the center of…
Tallahassee Winter Festival
When Downtown Tallahassee transforms into a storybook wonderland for the thirty-ninth annual Winter Festival, it will feel as if you’re seeing the holidays once again through the eyes of a child. Lights will glow brighter. Music will ring louder. Every…
Hosting For The Holidays
If you’re hosting this holiday season, channel your inner Nancy Meyers or Martha Stewart by creating a cozy, warm, inviting space. Your home can become their home, at least for the holidays. From the privacy of the guest room to…
Cool Takes On Hot Drinks
Even the slightest shift in temperatures makes trading in our chilled cocktail glasses for a cup of the hot and soothing a decadent affair. Fire up your bar carts, and cozy up with these three winter warmers. Winter Blues If…
Holiday Happenings
Sequins and silk. Jewels and glitter. Sweaters and stockings. During the holidays, our outfits level up. Between gatherings with friends, family, and coworkers, the holidays often have our social calendars booked with dinners, gift exchanges, parties, and more. When considering…
Vision And Determination
Growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, I can remember the excitement of the 2002 Winter Olympics being held in my hometown. The International Olympic Committee selected Salt Lake seven years prior, after many failed attempts to secure the games.…
All That Sparkles and Shines
The Gem Collection, located at 3501 Thomasville Road, has been known for beautiful jewelry in Tallahassee for generations. Offering certified natural diamonds (including specialty cuts and fancy colored diamonds), lab-created diamonds, wedding and engagement rings, fine colored-stone jewelry, estate jewelry,…
Best of Tallahassee 2025
Doesn’t it feel good to do business with a crew, a collective, or an expert you can really trust—one that goes above and beyond in the services they provide and makes the time you spend with them truly worthwhile? These…
A Hand To Deck The Halls
The holidays are a wonderful, whimsical time of year when we get to transform our homes into a winter wonderland, even in the Sunshine State. We bring down boxes from attics and search stores for new pieces to add to…
Made For The Stage
In the distance, a piano throbs. Occasionally, someone sporting pink tights, a black leotard, and a tiny chignon runs by the door. Then the voice of a ballet teacher sings out, “And again … this time, higher!” But here, everything…
The Great Snowy Mountains
If you’re anything like me, seeing our snow-covered city this past January might have lit a fire under you (or frozen one). The icicles, the makeshift sledding, the cozy nights at home with a cup of tea … it’s a…
Best of Tallahassee 2025 Winner Interviews
Doesn’t it feel good to do business with a crew, a collective, or an expert you can really trust—one that goes above and beyond in the services they provide and makes the time you spend with them truly worthwhile? These…
All That Jazz
Whatever your vibe, there’s a jazz experience in Tallahassee for you. Whether it’s a classy dinner date or eating boiled peanuts and dancing to New Orleans riffs, you can find an offering somewhere in the city almost any night of…
Sleigh The Menu
When Daniel Renninger, proprietor of The Huntsman, decided to keep his doors closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, it wasn’t a decision made lightly. “Working in the restaurant industry as I have for 25 years, you never really get time off,”…
Live Like An Icelander
Some trips are mere vacations, while others invite you into a different way of life. This is the case, if you let it be, when you visit Hotel Rangá (hotelranga.is) on Iceland’s southern coast. Tucked between active volcanoes and glacial…
Poinsettias Perfected
Red and green are the traditional colors of the holiday season, and there’s one particuarly iconic way to display them. Poinsettias are the ever-popular potted plants that fit the color scheme. While they are native to Central America, poinsettias are…
