Dozens of foodies, interspersed with history buffs and architecture fans, traipsed through six elegant Coral Gables homes on Saturday, Jan. 28, to admire designer kitchens, enjoy samples from some of the community’s favorite restaurants and support a worthy cause.

The third annual Tour of Kitchens, a unique fundraiser organized by the Coral Gables Community Foundation, began at the birthplace of dream kitchens: the Snaidero Kitchens + Design showroom at 4110 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Participants enjoyed juice, coffee, mimosas and breakfast treats among the latest in kitchen appliances and décor before setting out on the tour, which concluded with a reception at the Coral Gables Museum.

“Based on the smiles on everyone’s faces, I know it was a great success,” said event chair Heather Harris. “The tour is a nice opportunity to bring together Coral Gables restaurants, vendors and other organizations to support the Coral Gables Community Foundation and the culinary arts program at Coral Gables Senior High.”

Proceeds benefitted the Coral Gables Community Foundation, which was established in 1992 to enhance the quality of life in the community, and its scholarship fund for a future chef now studying at Gables High. Besides showcasing an ample, innovative kitchen, each destination featured a chef serving restaurant samples, as well as a business vendor selling specialty merchandise.

“Not only has it been a great taste of the Gables in terms of restaurants and kitchens, but we also get to meet some of the local business owners,” said tour participant Kathleen Kauffman. “It’s a very community-oriented event.”

Participating homes (and restaurants) were located on San Antonio Street (The Local); Granada Boulevard (Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Peterbrooke Chocolatier); Castile Avenue (The Copper Box catering); South Greenway Drive (Crave); North Greenway Drive (Pardo’s Peruvian Cuisine); and Alhambra Circle (Rincón Argentino).

At the reception, kitchen design tips were provided by Julia Johnston, author of Kitchens for Cooking, and Allison Ortiz, senior designer at Snaidero Kitchens + Design.

Meanwhile, Café Abbracci chef Nino Pernetti autographed his Caffe Abbracci Cookbook, and Randy Fertel, son of Ruth Fertel of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse fame, presented his book The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak.

More than 50 volunteers pitched in, and some 60 businesses also supported the Tour of Kitchens. “We’re very grateful to our many community volunteers and sponsors,” Ms. Harris said.

While most guests were from Coral Gables or nearby, a chef from the Dominican Republic happened to be in town and made a point of attending the tour:

“I have a new appreciation of kitchen technology and recipes. For example, ceviche with ginger caramel,” said María Teresa Román of Balcones del Atlántico, a RockResorts property in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. “I also appreciate the hospitality of the homeowners who opened their homes and shared their wonderful lifestyle.”

In addition to the mouth-watering culinary aspects, tour participants savored the history of the homes themselves.

For example, the sprawling 1926 home at 1400 S. Greenway was designed by Dudley St. Clair Donnelly with some remodeling in 1929 by Phineas Paist, one of the architects behind the Gables’ Mediterranean style. A former homeowner was Greta Hughes, the opera-singing aunt of Howard Hughes. Baseball slugger Babe Ruth was among noted visitors.

Gables public relations consultant Connie Crowther was among the history buffs on the tour admiring the South Greenway manse. “Home tours are for voyeurs – we all like to see into other homes – but this house is a special treat, it’s truly one of Coral Gables historic treasures,” she said.

A legend of Florida politics – the late U.S. Sen. Claude Pepper – owned the home at 501 Alhambra Circle. A friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, Pepper was instrumental in pushing New Deal legislation through the Senate. After FDR’s death, Mrs. Roosevelt was a regular guest of Claude and Mildred Pepper, visiting for a week or two per winter for several years, said current homeowner William A. “Bill” Bonn, chair of the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

After a bitter re-election defeat in 1950, Pepper went into private law practice in Miami Beach. He returned to Congress in 1962, but when Florida legislators later re-drew district lines, Pepper was forced to move from his beloved Gables home to Miami Beach to continue representing the district until his death in 1989 at the age of 88.

“Coral Gables was carved out of his district,” Mr. Bonn explained. “Of course, I love the house, but its history is one of the reasons we bought the house, too.”

For more information visit www.gablesfoundation.org

Photos By Betty Alvarez and Matt Bokor