In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Key West local Nick Norman to talk about where he started, and where he is going. We find out how he got started with music and how he is constantly working to “sharpen the sword” of his craft. This is one of my favorite interviews so far…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Alessandra Torre, an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-two novels. We talk about how a summer project turned into her first novel, and how tweaking a couple of words on the Amazon description had her go from 10 sales per day to over…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with the CEO/ Co-Owner George Fernandez.   We talk about the more than 60 different species of butterflies and rubbing elbows (more like beaks), with Rhett and Scarlett at the Flamingle (a meeting with 2 local flamingos).   George explains how they delight all or your senses with…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Matthew Nooner and Raymond J. Vazquez, the owners of The Local, Butcher & Market. We talk about where the idea came from (hint, it was over drinks), and how Matt and Raymond went from idea to execution. If you are in a family business or work with…

In the episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Kyle Carter to talk about a whole lot of live music. We talk about his involvement in the Songwriters Sessions, Songwriters Festival, and his own creation, Mile 0 Fest. Kyle and his family were living, what most consider to be a “comfortable life,” but something was missing….

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Mark Certonio, the creator of the Key West Food & Wine Festival. We talk about when the festival was created, and what his driving force was to take on such a big undertaking. Mark also gives a great overview of what to expect as an attendee, and…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with the owner of UVA Wine Shoppe, Mark Gambuzza. We talk about why he made his move down to Key West and how he got started in the wine business. Mark provides some great insights on how being patient and putting his customer first has not only benefited…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with artist Eric Anfinson. We spoke about how the first time he picked up a paintbrush he hated the result but fell in love with the process. It was this love of “doing” that had him coming back for more, eventually creating a fan base around the world….

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Chef Ricard of the newly famed Lola’s Bistro. We talked about how he got started, working with some of the top French and Italian chefs, why he chose to only have 9 tables and how he loves chatting up his customers as he cooks right in the…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Scott Saunders, the CEO, and creator of Fury Water Adventures Key West. We discuss how Scott almost flunked out of high school, quit college (the first time), and gave up on making anything of himself. To any outsider, Scott would have been considered a “loser,” but it…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down at the Key West Theater with Brianna Gangi, the Marketing Director of the theater and of Rams Head Presents-Key West. We talk about how Rams Head Presents is adding to the ever-growing music scene down here in Key West, and how up and coming artists are using Key…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Kassy Burnette and Stuart Damon at The Art Shack, a compound of art galleries and artist studios. We talked about joining the community, getting a studio spot at The Art Shack, and why Stock Island is starting to emerge. The Art Shack We are a community of…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with artist, gallery and studio owner, Anna Sweet. We talk about how she went from photographer to artist and hit pay dirt, her humble upbringing (1 of 9 kids), and how her competitive nature keeps her humble, yet drives her harder than ever to continue to grow. More…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Rich Pesce to talk about how he started his construction management business in Lower Manhattan months before September 11th, and how he became a real estate investor in three Key West Bed & Breakfast Inns: The Inn on Fleming, Coco Plum Inn Bed & Breakfast, and Key…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with famed Chef Bill Hunt, the new head chef at the even more famous Smokin’ Tuna Saloon. We talk about big changes happening at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon when it comes to their menu and how his Boston work ethic mixed with his trust in the people that…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Jenny Lorenz, the Director of Marketing at The Perry Hotel Key West. We go over why the Hotel chose Stock Island to call itself home, all of the expansion plans happening in November (2019), and the truth about booking your hotel with an online company, compared to…

Have you ever seen the movie “Chef” and dreamed of selling it all, buying a food truck and hitting the open road? In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down, (right outside the food truck) with Amy Clarke-Van Schoor, one of the co-owners of the highly addicting, Taco Grilla. We talk about how they got started…

https://backyardsofkeywest.com

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Adam Russell, one half of the successful Key West Pottery, in his famed gallery on the doubly famed, Duval Street. The audio is a bit dodgy on this episode, but there were too many brain nuggets to not publish it. We talked about the artist journey and…