Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is all about the extras.
That’s why a stay at our Forbes Five-Star resort and spa always includes our Eau Daily Benefits — at no extra charge.
In addition to acres of private beach, Jonathan Adler-designed guestrooms, many distinct dining options, our re-imagined kids’ and teens clubs, and our world-class spa, you’ll enjoy:
• No Resort Fee
•Complimentary dog amenities (pet fee waived)
• Private beach access with complimentary use of beach chairs and umbrellas
• Complimentary bicycle rentals and use of non-motorized water sports equipment
Settle in nightly. Take advantage of all these benefits daily.
Stay two nights and get your 3rd night free.
•Unlimited access to our 24-hour fitness center and complimentary fitness classes (based on availability)
•Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the resort
•Kids 5 and under eat free (excludes in-room dining and Angle)
*Valid for travel through October 31, 2024. Blackout dates apply. Based on availability.
Private Residence Meets Private Resort
At Salato, we’ve created a first-of-its-kind living experience across from the pristine oceanfront in Pompano Beach, Florida. Our boutique, ultra-luxury development is comprised of just 40 expertly designed residences including six stunning penthouses that will rise nine stories only steps from the ocean. Features include floor to ceiling windows that provide spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, direct beach access, and an amenity deck that spans over 20,000 square feet and is designed to feel like luxury resorts from around the world. Perfectly located between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, our premiere location in Pompano Beach is one of the last in South Florida still available for new development along the shore. We invite you to be among the fortunate few to come home to Salato. Call or visit us online to learn about our newest release of ocean view residences.
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The Boca Interview
As Florida prepares to cast its votes—for everything from president to House seats to ballot initiatives—Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Wendy Sartory Link breaks down the process for tallying results for one of the biggest counties in the Southeast.
Written by JOHN THOMASON
62
Freshly Picked
While it’s harvest season in the fields, it’s gala season in the ballrooms of Boca and beyond. Look as fresh as a daisy with dazzling statement pieces from our top jewelers.
Photography by AARON BRISTOL
70
The New Guard
Meet the next wave of Boca Raton philanthropists: three couples for whom charitable giving is an essential element of their lives— and a value to be passed down to future generations.
Written by CHRISTIANA LILLY
78
Game Face
Rule changes allowing student athletes to earn money off their merchandise and to change universities have disrupted college sports and upended relationships between coaches, players and fans. How is FAU handling the tumult? Our investigative reporter burrows into the Owls’ nest to find out.
Written by RANDY SCHULTZ
24 Editor’s Letter
When confronting misfortune, some immortal advice from Mr. Rogers rings truer than ever—especially in a city as benevolent as Boca.
Written by CHRISTIANA LILLY
29 The Local
111 Backstage Pass
A Fort Lauderdale music venue celebrates its 20th anniversary as a countercultural touchstone. Plus, storyteller David Sedaris, a “Mrs. Doubtfire” musical, alt-rock pioneers Violent Femmes, and other autumn A&E highlights.
Written by JOHN THOMASON
152 Speed Bumps
In her rebooted column for Boca magazine, Editor Emeritus Marie Speed reflects on the expanding heart of a city whose drive to give continues to balance its reputation for luxury.
Written by MARIE SPEED
An entrepreneur develops a “Blissfully Better” alternative to sugar, an FAU grad student critiques stubborn patriarchies through her art, and the chairwoman of Boca Raton’s most colorful fundraiser discusses 20 years of breast-cancer awareness. Plus, discover what locals have always wanted to learn, toast Boca’s upcoming centenary in verse, and much more.
Written
by TYLER CHILDRESS, CHRISTIANA LILLY and JOHN THOMASON
38 The Look
Dress to impress for Boca’s famed social season, from sparkling handbags and glittering heels to stylish menswear.
Photography by AARON BRISTOL
121 Florida Table: Eat & Drink
See what our food critic has to say about Pink Steak and Arturo’s, and hit up the city’s gourmet chocolatiers for a grownup spin on Halloween indulgence. Plus, in recognition of National Honey Month, we tap into the hive mind with a pair of beekeepers.
Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
142 Social
Boca Raton’s favorite foodie fête concluded another outstanding event, the Hospital Ball raised millions for Boca Regional, Boca West Country Club toasted the city’s top doctors, and more notable happenings.
Written by TYLER CHILDRESS
Web Extras
Visit bocamag.com for bonus items you won’t see anywhere else—extended stories, recipes, news and more.
IN CONCERT
On page 112, Revolution Live owner Jeff John shares insights from the venue’s 20-year history—and the 100-year arc of the building itself. At bocamag.com/ september-october-2024/, Managing Editor John Thomason recalls his favorite Revolution shows.
SAFETY FIRST
Our Hometown Hero Cherie Benjoseph (page 36) has made it her mission to educate parents, teachers and camp counselors on how to keep children safe from sexual assault. At bocamag.com/september-october-2024/, she has more tips, as a social worker, survivor and mother.
BOCA MAGAZINE WINS BIG!
At this past summer’s Florida Magazine Association Charlie Awards, honoring excellence in magazine writing, design and advertising, Boca magazine collected 17 awards sweeping across 12 categories—including the first-place in eight categories, among them Best Overall Magazine in our subscription bracket. “The Boca magazine staff comes to work every day knowing they are producing the best magazine in Florida,” said Boca magazine Editor Emeritus Marie Speed. “To have the FMA agree with that assessment has always made us proud. … This year was my last awards submission to the Florida Magazine Association, and I am so happy with the recognition our magazines received.”
Launched in early 2020, Boca Goes Live is still keeping you connected to the community through conversations streamed live on Facebook with a curated roster of some of South Florida’s leading officials, entertainers and innovators. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss new reels and visit bocamag.com/live to see the full library of videos and watch them on demand.
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Don’t miss Boca on everything from FACEBOOK (facebook.com/ bocamag) to INSTAGRAM (@bocamag) and TWITTER/X (@ bocamag) for community news, retail trends, foodie updates and much more.
Best Bites
Think our dining guide is long? You haven’t seen anything until you’ve visited our digital version. We’ve got critic-reviewed restaurants from Jupiter to Miami on the web. Visit the Dining Guide tab to view the guide.
City Watch
Boca Raton is anything but sleepy, and Randy Schultz is the go-to for all the city politics, development and business news you need to know. For updates delivered straight to your email every Tuesday and Thursday, visit the City Watch tab on our website.
Phoenix performing at Revolution Live
LARRY MARANO
A New Kind of Legacy
WITH NEARLY 100 YEARS OF STORIED HISTORY, THE BOCA RATON IS AN ICONIC DESTINATION FOR MEMORABLE CELEBRATIONS.
DISCOVER EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR EVENTS BOTH INDOORS AND OUT. OUR TALENTED TEAM OF PLANNERS, DESIGNERS AND RENOWNED CHEFS COLLABORATE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
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Boca Raton magazine is published eight times a year by JES Media. The contents of Boca Raton magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Boca Raton magazine accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Boca Raton magazine reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for products. Please refer to corporate masthead.
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jointhediaper bank, covering southflorida for unbridled fun party enjoy food, drinks and the races Saturday may, 2025 3 Starting at 4:30PM the waterstone resort & marina
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Letter to the Editor
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Arts & entertainment
Where to go, what to do and see throughout South Florida. Please submit information regarding galas, art openings, plays, readings, concerts, dance or other performances to John Thomason (john.thomason@ bocamag.com). Deadline for entries in an upcoming A&E section is three months before publication.
Dining guide
Our independent reviews of restaurants in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A reliable resource for residents and tourists. For more information, contact Christie Galeano-DeMott (christie@bocamag.com).
People
A photo collage of social gatherings and events in Boca Raton and South Florida. All photos submitted should be identified and accompanied by a brief description of the event (who, what, where, when). Email images to Tyler Childress (tyler@bocamag.com)
First issue
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The Helpers
You don’t have to look far to find Boca’s helpers
Written by CHRISTIANA LILLY
henever a tragedy strikes a community, there’s a popular quote that makes its way across social media by Fred Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
In writing this, I looked up the quote online and saw some dissenting views of it—that it was meant for children, not adults. That we can’t just sit by and wait for others to step in to make change happen, whether it’s in the race to find a cure for a debilitating disease, collecting supplies for victims of natural disasters, or restocking the shelves of a food pantry.
Well, two things can be true at once. When the world becomes a scary place, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, to revert to that childlike self that needs to hear those comforting words of wisdom from everyone’s TV grandpa.
After that, we can dust ourselves off and ask,“How can I be a helper?”
This question could be the city slogan for Boca Raton, a place that has not four, but five seasons—spring, summer, fall, winter and gala. From September through May, it isn’t farfetched to say you’re attending a charity event every weekend, from luncheons and golf tournaments to black-tie galas and themed soirees. We have it all condensed in our special Charity Register insert, a guide to help you plan your calendar as well as your giving. You’re sure to discover a cause that speaks to you while learning about the great work that our community’s helpers are doing.
And for inspiration, this issue is filled with stories of helpers, from the 20th anniversary of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Go Pink Luncheon (pg. 34), our trio of giving couples (pg. 70), and this issue’s Hometown Hero, a woman who has made it her life’s work to educate children and adults about sexual assault (pg. 36). And for me, our Boca Interview subject, Wendy Sartory Link (pg. 56), is a helper, breaking down the electoral process as we count down to the next presidential election.
On those days when things seem to be too much, be comforted in the fact that there are always helpers out there, on the ground, making a change. Just don’t forget to ask yourself,“How can I be a helper?”
Keeping the Promise
Through transformational gifts from philanthropists like Rocco and Mary Abessinio, Boca Raton Regional Hospital has become one of the premier tertiary academic medical centers in Florida. The Abessinios’ recent largesse of $5 million to the Hospital will establish the Abessinio Energy Plant at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The new energy plant will reduce costs and improve efficiencies, allowing the hospital to be self-sufficient, with enough fuel to last several weekspreparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
In Keeping the Promise, we continue to ensure the finest in compassionate care in Boca Raton. To learn more about the campaign for Boca Raton Regional Hospital, please visit www.brrh.com/ KeepingThePromise
Photo: Rocco A. and Mary Abessinio
Your one stop boutique for the ultimate fashions in women’s contemporary resort, swim, activewear featuring designer pieces by Sandra Simone, and more.
Formal wear by Theia couture, ML Monique Lhuillier, Amur, Kay Unger, Halston, Mon Cheri, Posh couture, and more.
Personal shopper and stylist available by appointment.
Operating hours: Open 7 days a week Monday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Featured pieces by Baciami Couture
Fall fun at the Morikami (turn to page 30 for more)
FAU’s scheduled home games this season; the first is Sept. 7 against Army West Point
O, Boca
We’re counting down to our fair city’s 100th anniversary, and part of the festivities will come in the form of verse. The City of Boca Raton is partnering with O, Miami to create an “Ode to Boca,” with poetry collected from residents based on their zip code—each line is assigned a number from the zip code, which is the number of words to use on that line. The
Years of celebrating Labor Day
2 billion
Pounds of pumpkins produced in a year
poems will be used in public art in unexpected spaces around town. The nonprofit started the Zip Odes project in 2015 with residents from Miami and beyond, and it has received more than 17,000 zip code poems. “Arts and culture are a powerful tool in forging community, and I can’t wait to read all of the brilliant poems that the people of Boca
FOLLOW ME
Talk about a blast from the past. Frank Chesebro, a Boca Raton pioneer who moved to the area in 1903, has his own X/Twitter account sharing what he did that day a century ago. The tweets are pulled from his diary entries (he kept one from 1903 until his death in 1936), and the account is managed by the Boca Raton Historical Society.“He went to the picture show in Delray, cycled to Miami, and helped start Boca’s first school. There is so much to learn from his very short diary entries!” says Mary Csar, executive director of the museum. As a man of few words (“John & Aleck picked peppers. Meeting at school house in eve. to incorporate”), there are no worries about him going over the character count. Follow along with Frank at @FrankChesebro.
Locals sound off on issues affecting our community.
What is something you’ve always wanted to learn?
“I’ve always wanted to skateboard. I was inspired by Avril Lavigne back in the day to be a ‘Sk8tr girl’ to meet my ‘Sk8tr Boi’ (I’m married now—not to a skateboarder, though).”
Aurora Dominguez, Boca Raton Community
“I’m a pilot, so I can fly, but I want to go back and learn more and become a commercial pilot. I want to be able to go on trips and really feel safe and confident in the air, so I’d love to go back and further my aviation education.”
Brian Slater, partner, Electric Lighting Agencies
are going to craft,” says O, Miami founder P. Scott Cunningham, a native of Boca Raton. Submit your poetry to odetoboca.com.
3 Over the fence
3 avocados are escaping
4 from the neighbor’s yard.
3 I pick them
2 and run.
“I’ve always wanted to speak Italian. I spoke it as a child, but when we moved from Queens to Long Island, the school wouldn’t let us come until we spoke English fluently.
My mom said we weren’t allowed to speak Italian in the house, and I lost it after that.”
Mary Risorto, customer service, JetBlue
—Nancy Sail
Frank Chesebro
Don’t-Miss Events
SUNSET STROLL
WHEN: Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m., Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach
WHAT: Closing out the summer, the Morikami is hosting its final Sunset Stroll event. The season finale includes a Taiko drumming performance by Fushu Daiko, set against the backdrop of the serene Morikami Lake; as well as a kimono fashion show,“The Old Meets the New,” by Manami, Inc. Photography, showcasing the Wa-You Secchu style of marrying traditional kimono styles with modern fashion. Tickets are $5 for member adults and free for children 17 and younger; general admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and younger. Visit morikami.org/event/ sunset-stroll.
INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
WHEN: Sept. 21 from 8-11 a.m., Red Reef Park, Spanish River Park, South Beach and South Inlet Park
WHAT: In this summer tradition, the City of Boca Raton and the South Florida Spearfishing Club join other coastal communities to host a cleanup of Boca’s municipal beaches. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center will lead the way at the city’s three municipal beach parks, providing buckets and grabbers so that participants can help clear the sand of plastic, cigarette butts, cans, bottles and other trash. The spearfishing club invites participants to South Inlet Park, meeting at the small pavilion near the playground. Call Susan Elliott of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center at 561/544-8606 or email Joe Rossok of the South Florida Spearfishing Club at rossokj@bellsouth.net.
BOCA BOO DAYS
WHEN: Oct. 22-31, Boca Raton
WHAT: Halloween is more than just one day in Boca Raton, with the spooky festivities getting started with the family-friendly Halloween in the Garden at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center on Oct. 22. Then there’s Spooky Tennis for the kids at the city’s three courts, a splash-tastic Monster Mash at The Swim Center, an evening walk through the Haunted Hammock at Gumbo Limbo, and then Travelogues: Haunted Florida at the Spanish River Library on Halloween day, a look at the Sunshine State’s spookiest stories and places. Ticket prices vary; visit myboca.us/2073/boca-boo-days.
SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND
For the month of September, rides on the Sugar Sand Park carousel are free every Sunday. While the rides are normally only $1, when you’ve got multiple kids who want to ride again and again and again, that can surely add up. There are 30 prancing steeds for little ones to ride on, as well as two wheelchair-accessible chariots. It’s all a part of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.
Sugar Sand Park carousel
AUSTEN
From top, Morikami Lake; Fushu Daiko performers
Boca Boo Days
“THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK”
WHERE: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: Oct. 19Nov. 3
COST: $72 and up CONTACT: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
This paranormal classic, arriving just in time for Halloween, has a storied provenance. It’s based on a 1984 novel by the great John Updike, and concerns a coven of divorced and unsatisfied witches in a fictional New England town, who, in their attempt to conjure “all manner of man in one man,” end up materializing a charismatic demon who seduces them, teaches them supernatural powers, and wrecks havoc on their picturesque town. In the show’s 2000 premiere in London, Ian McShane played the handsome devil, which sounds about right. Suffused as it may seem with death and sorcery, this is a musical with Broadway aspirations, so expect a show that is heavy on humor and whimsy, courtesy of Slow Burn Theatre Company in its 2024-2025 season opener.
HERBIE HANCOCK
WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: Sept. 13, 8 p.m.
COST: $55 and up
CONTACT: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
In a career that has spanned more than 60 years, few artists have impacted as many genres as Herbie Hancock, one of the all-time titans of jazz piano who, like one of his classic cuts “Chameleon,” can easily change musical colors to fit his needs. As an integral part of Miles Davis’ seminal “Second Great Quintet” from 1964 to 1969, Hancock’s mellifluous piano runs and hard-bop precision helped develop the foundations for modern jazz, and as a bandleader in the 1970s, he helped pioneer funk through his fusion group the Headhunt ers. His 1981 electronic single “Rockit” is considered a touchstone for gener ations of hip-hop artists, and his Grammy-winning 1997 release River: The Joni Letters celebrated folk goddess Joni Mitchell. At 84, Hancock is still a warhorse on the keys, playing piano, synthesizer and even the Keytar, in his eclectic and invigorat ing concerts. For rock lovers looking for a gateway into jazz, this is it.
It’s been fashionable, since the early 2000s, to rag on Weezer, Rivers Cuomo’s prolific Los Angeles fourpiece, and for good reason: Their albums in this century have mostly been indistinguishable sessions of middle-of-the-road rock. Few would say the same of the band’s meteoric self-titled 1994 debut, known colloquially as The Blue Album, a masterful collection of 10 tuneful dispatches from Cuomo’s bedroom, garage and beachfront that galvanized nerds everywhere—and ultimately made jocks want to be nerds. On this 30th-anniversary tour, Weezer will be performing the album in its entirety, including the soaring catharsis “My Name is Jonas” and the sock-hop throwback “Buddy Holly.”And they’re bringing along two of their contemporaries and bona fide headliners in their own right, with the Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. ensuring that this is the alt-rock nostalgia fête of the season.
“SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE” IN CONCERT
WHERE: Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
WHEN: Sept. 5, 7 p.m.
COST: $35 and up
CONTACT: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
Sensory overload has seldom felt as exhilarating as in the hands of the “Spider-Verse” franchise, in which its intrepid title character navigates a kaleidoscopic, reality-bending multiverse. Every frame is so loaded with audiovisual information that it surely takes more than one viewing to process even half of it. And there’s no better opportunity to revisit this epic 2023 sequel than on this tour. With the movie projected on an enormous HD screen, a full orchestra—plus a talented ensemble of percussionists, scratch DJs, turntablists and electronic wizards—will perform Daniel Pemberton’s extraordinary soundscapes live. Pemberton’s score earned the English composer multiple award nominations, including a Golden Globe, and this immersive treatment will plant Kravis Center attendees as close as possible to the Spider-Verse of the title, no radioactive spider bites needed.
Weezer
Herbie Hancock
DANNY
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in Concert ERIC CHARBONNEAU
Being chair of this lunch has opened my eyes, that there are so many breast cancer survivors out there.”
—Carrie Rubin
Think Pink
In its 20th year, the Go Pink Luncheon goes big to celebrate survivorship
Written by CHRISTIANA LILLY
Alot has changed since 2004, when the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation hosted the inaugural Go Pink Luncheon—from our cellphones and technology to pop culture and the rise of social media. What hasn’t changed, though, is the urgency to take on breast cancer.
During the annual luncheon benefiting Boca Raton Regional Hospital, survivors and family members of survivors are asked to stand, and about 95% of the crowd rises to its feet, showcasing breast cancer’s reach.
“Almost everybody knows someone that’s been affected by breast cancer. Whether it’s a family member, a friend, you just know people,”says Carrie Rubin, the chairwoman for this year’s 20th anniversary luncheon. “The more I do this lunch, the more people I find out that are survivors, and it just affects every age group.”
community and the survivors,”Rubin explains.
She shared that the committee’s age range is cast over seven decades. The diversity in age brings in new ideas about social media and digital outreach to complement the sage advice from those with decades of service experience.“It’s good synergy,”she says.
“You have the old guard, and then you have this young group of talent that really loves the hospital and loves our mission of helping.”
Not only that, but breast cancer has been impacting younger women. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the largest increase of early onset breast cancer incidences has been found in those ages 30 to 39. (Mammograms are not recommended until the age of 40; breast exams are done instead.—Ed.)
This page: a bustier by L’Agence and a sketch for Chiara Boni. Right page from top: a work in progress by Lynn fashion students, Amanda Perna works on her piece, and the final product from Chiara Boni.
A member of the Go Pink Luncheon’s planning committee for a decade, Rubin was named chairwoman in 2023, following in the footsteps of the late Patti Carpenter, who was chairwoman for 18 years. Rubin couldn’t let the 20th anniversary luncheon go by without doing it big—no small feat, as last year’s fundraiser drew 1,300 attendees to raise $2.3 million for the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute and Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute.
This year, the committee secured as its guest speaker “Good Morning America”host Robin Roberts, who went public with her breast cancer diagnosis in 2007. Roberts was on the committee’s wish list as a speaker for years, so it was serendipity that her schedule finally aligned to participate for the anniversary.
For the last year, Rubin has been working on the Couture for a Cure, Bras for a Cause project; 17 fashion and jewelry designers have been tasked with revamping a bra or bustier to their style, which will be auctioned off at the Go Pink Luncheon. Participants include Chiara Boni, Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera, Amanda Perna, Lela Rose, jewelry designers Loree Rodkin and Siena Lasker, Cinq a Sept, L’Agence and more.“Last year was a celebration of resiliency, and this year is a celebration of survivorship, because we are celebrating 20 years of our wonderful
Before focusing entirely on philanthropy, Rubin worked in meeting planning and was the vice president of client service and retention for the Florida Panthers. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where her grandmother volunteered at a local charity and her mother was heavily involved in Hadassah, the Jewish women’s volunteer organization. Eventually, the family created a foundation to benefit the arts, children’s causes and health care.
Rubin moved to Boca more than 30 years ago, a place she describes as a“vibrant, giving community.”She currently sits on the hospital’s foundation board and board of trustees, the Boca Raton Police Foundation board, and is a member of Impact 100 Palm Beach County, which nomi nated her for this year’s Junior League of Boca Raton Woman Volunteer of the Year Awards.
“I surround myself with friends that have the same unwavering commitment as I do to philanthropy,”Rubin says. “My family’s legacy of service and philanthropy has guided me [from] a young age to do what I do today for my community, and I just love it.”
The Go Pink Luncheon is Oct. 18 at The Boca Raton. Visit donate. brrh.com/foundation-events/gopink-luncheon.
AARON BRISTOL
Carrie Rubin with a bra by artist Salvatore Principe (Shot at A Content Studio in Boca Raton)
The biggest challenge for a child to overcome in disclosing abuse is that they don’t have the language for it. They don’t understand what is happening.”
—Cherie Benjoseph
Cherie Benjoseph
Leading tough conversations about child sexual abuse
Written by CHRISTIANA LILLY
When social worker Cherie
Benjoseph started hosting workshops in the ‘90s about child sexual abuse, many schools weren’t interested. “It doesn’t happen here,” they told her. But as a survivor herself, she knew that it was happening and that people needed to talk about it. “It was so taboo; it was so difficult for people to accept. It still is,” she says.
Originally from New York, Benjoseph started a family in Boston and moved to Florida in 1996 to be closer to extended family. She got involved with her children’s school PTA, and other moms were interested in her work and asked her to create a presentation about teaching, prevention and education of child sexual abuse. She created an eight-week program for preschoolers, and soon it spread—but not without pushback.“It’s teaching children how to communicate, teaching children how to listen to their feelings, teaching children how to reach out to a trusted adult if they have a question or they’re confused by something,” she explains.”
In the summer of 2023, 75 camps implemented the workshop with their staff, meaning 8,000 camp staffers across the country were trained. Benjoseph also partnered with the Youth Services Department in Palm Beach County for training.
In 2012, she co-wrote My Body is Special and Belongs to Me and has donated 25,000 copies. It is also available in Spanish and Haitian Creole. In 2022, the KidSafe Foundation merged with the Center for Child Counseling, giving it a larger platform and greater reach. Here, Benjoseph serves as the director of National Outreach and Education. She also serves on the board of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
This page is a tribute to community citizens who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership to the city of Boca Raton and is in memory of John E. Shuff.
These Stay KidSafe! programs led to the formation of the KidSafe Foundation in 2009. The primary focus was on Palm Beach and Broward counties, but it has since expanded to online, allowing any kindergarten through fifth grade educator and social worker in the country to take the free workshops; 60,000 children and 50,000 adults have been empowered through Stay KidSafe!
Benjoseph then created Camp Safe, a workshop for those working with children in camp settings.
ABOUT DISCLOSURE: There are between 42 million and 65 million adults in the United States that are survivors of child sexual abuse. What do you think the average age of disclosure is for child sexual abuse? 52. Most people never tell, and most, if they do tell, they tell a really good friend, they tell their spouse, they tell their partner, and they’re telling it and they’re dealing with it after they’ve had their own children. The change in society is that we’re getting better at, hopefully, having disclosure happen earlier so the healing process can start earlier.
THE LINK BETWEEN ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING: The buzzword is human trafficking, but the reality is 70% to 90% of the kids who get trafficked already had a history of
child sexual abuse in their youth. Many of them are thinking—it’s not correct thinking, but it’s how the child’s mind works and how the teen mind works—that now, they are in control of what’s going on. We all know that that’s not the case, and it’s tragic, but they feel like “I’m making the choice to do what I’m doing.” … Our goal is to prevent those kids from falling into that by preventing sexual abuse in the first place.
WHAT HAS CHANGED: Think about the latest things we’ve been reading about AI and the photos that are being created of children, et cetera. So we blink our eyes, and there’s a new added issue. But familial sexual abuse and neighborhood sexual abuse in communities, in churches and other places of worship—I’m sorry, but it’s been there forever. It’s not fixed—we still walk into a certain locale, and we still have to break down the barriers each and every time. We have a conversation, but we’re now allowed to get our foot in the door to have the conversation much more frequently than we used to. And that’s huge.
Cherie Benjoseph
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Elizabeth Bennett, PRINCIPAL AND CEO
“Women need to be involved in their financial plans and have an understanding of where all of their assets are, and what they are used for,” says Certified Financial Planner™ Elizabeth Bennett.
As a woman who has reared a child, been through a divorce and is working toward her own financial future, she forges a relationship with her clients from her own personal experiences.
“You need be in control of your finances and not leave that responsibility to someone else,” she cautions. “Knowing the types of investments that you have, the log-ins for your accounts, and sharing that information with your spouse is very important. Being involved in reviews with your financial advisor and understanding how to access those assets is imperative,” Bennett says.
“Taking responsibility for your financial wellbeing, starting at a young age, is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. You should take advantage of your employer’s retirement plan, understand what your short-term savings need to look like and what your assets’ tax implications are. Be aware of your spending habits and where all of your money is going, whether you are single or married. As women, we know the value of delegating. My advice is to take one thing off of your plate and reach out to an advisor to get your financial house in order with someone you can trust. I am here for you,” she says.
Southern Exposure
The roles and rituals of the Deep South inform the subversive oeuvre of FAU graduate student Olivia Rachel Austin
Written by JOHN THOMASON
The art of Olivia Rachel
Austin can suggest the unnerving quality of a southern gothic horror story. Take a work like “I’m Fine,” in which the phrase “Send Help” is stitched, in elegant cursive, on a bed sheet in an embroidery hoop—an ominous message for a medium with a frilly and decorous history. Likewise, “Yes, Dear” partly comprises a serving tray in which the words “Make Me a Sandwich” are knifed into the wood in harsh, jagged letters.
The contrast between the pieces’ titles and the text they display is very much intentional. It’s “the juxtaposition of what you want to say versus what you do say,”
in Studio Art at FAU’s Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.“In the South, where I grew up, those social structures are still in place today,” she says.“It’s kind of … you’re forced into that mold, or you leave. Everyone that is featured in my work are people I know or people I grew up with, and didn’t get out.”
As an emerging artist, Austin, 29, is still something of a secret in the wider art world of Palm Beach County; she doesn’t have a website at the time of this writing, and her social-media presence is minimal. But group exhibitions in 2024 at FAU’s Schmidt Gallery and especially the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County have increased her exposure. Back in January, she was
as a bench jeweler here in Boca, repairing and stone setting and soldering for companies like Jared, Kay and Zales. In addition to her graduate studies, she teaches Figure Drawing at FAU as part of her tuition-free scholarship in FAU’s Graduate Teaching Assistantship program.
Her work continues to be informed by found materials with an appealing vintage. Of the flaky, peeling vent cover that frames “Weep Not, It’s Laced,” her charcoal drawing of a rippling sky, she says,“I found this on the street next door. I go in a lot of trash bins. … I found the object, sat with it, and then created the image and decided to build it out. Every time I move it, a little piece falls off.”
In the South, those social structures are still in place today. You’re forced into that mold, or you leave.”
says Austin, from her studio on the outskirts of the FAU campus. “I’m Fine” and “Yes, Dear” are the outward mirages of Stepford-style stability and servility, whereas “Send Help” and “Make Me a Sandwich” are the pleas and desires buried under the veneers.
Austin’s lineage and upbringing are vital to her practice, down to the material nitty-gritty, with its focus on textiles to which her ancestors would have had access. She grew up in the Bible Belt of Macon, Georgia, and she retains the region’s accent as well as its sense of gentility, addressing me, for instance, as “sir.”
In a way, she retains its domestic hierarchies, too, if only as a point of critique for her work, as a third-year graduate student
chosen, alongside only nine other women artists, for the Council’s memorable“She. Her. Hers.”exhibition at its Lake Worth Beach gallery.
“The materials talk about an idealized past, with a tint of nostalgia, but when you came close and examined the works, you could see something intense was going on,” says Véronique Chagnon-Burke, who curated“She. Her. Hers.” “Between a deadpan humor and criticality, her work embraces the domestic to better subvert the idea of the home as a safe place. I really like that tension in her work.”
Austin’s eclectic background includes earning her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from the University of Georgia; working at an art gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and spending three years
Women’s roles are not always the subject of Austin’s work. Her two-part altarpiece “The Creature From Jekyll Island” explores income inequality. The work clothes of “labormen,” as she calls them, have also been central to recent mixed-media pieces on capitalism’s class divisions.
But she’s cognizant of the moment we’re living in, with its restrictions on women’s reproductive autonomy. It’s why her “Domestic Daydreams” series, like “I’m Fine” and “Yes, Dear,” has proven so resonant.“I like to talk about the macro by talking about the micro,” she says.“[It] feels like we’re being pushed back to this corner, after such growth. These people I grew up with, our mothers, had more rights than we do today.”
Olivia Rachel Austin
I’m really blessed to come from the kind of family I come from and to have grown up in the way that I grew up, and I feel everybody deserves that.”
—Bonnie Boroian
The Sweet Spot
Blissfully Better founder and CEO Bonnie Boroian has turned her sweet tooth into a vehicle for serving her community
Written by TYLER CHILDRESS
As a young Broadway dancer, Bonnie Boroian practically lived off of refined sugar. A typical meal consisted of a slice of cake paired with a cappuccino, which would have to carry her through the long days and nights of rehearsals, classes and performances. “I had a sweet tooth that I kept on trying to figure out how to satisfy without the crashes that you could get,” says Boroian. But she never expected her quest to find a healthy alternative to sugar would lead to her becoming a chocolatier.
Growing up as a child of parents in show business, Boroian believed her destiny lay somewhere in the limelight. She was dazzled by tales of her mother sleeping on a cot next to Carol Burnett at the Rehearsal Club, New York City’s famed boarding house for rising starlets.“She would tell great stories about all these young girls in New York City for the first time, trying to make it in Broadway or TV or films, and all the escapades they would get up to,” says Boroian.
but when one was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, her pursuit of an alternative to refined sugar was renewed.“I was determined that she was not going to end up with full-on diabetes, and that I was going to try to … make things for her that she could bring when the doughnuts were showing up at soccer practice,” says Boroian.
Boroian would follow in her mother’s footsteps and eventually land a room at the Rehearsal Club herself and begin forging her Broadway career, performing across the country in productions of “This Was Burlesque,”“Sophisticated Ladies,”“Whoopee!” and more. But she soon found that the reality of show business was a far cry from the romantic ideal she had grown up believing in. Drug and alcohol use in the industry was rampant at the time, which put her at odds with her dream.“When you’re the only person not high on something or not really that interested in having much to drink, it can be kind of lonely,” says Boroian. Though it broke her heart, she ultimately decided to leave the business behind.
The stage door closed forever when she accepted a job at her father’s food marketing company.“When I decided I was going to leave show business, [my father] said, ‘You come and work for me … but you’re going to sign a contract, and I don’t care if Bob Fosse calls you himself and says so-and-so broke their ankle, you’re next up. … No, you have to make a commitment to this.’”
Though a fish out of water, Boroian proved adept in her role as marketing manager, and she continued working until she had her first child, at which point she decided to focus on the full-time job of motherhood. Her family eventually grew to five children,
Boroian spent years researching the perfect substitute and finally found it during a tour of coconut plantations in Bali, where she learned about the health benefits of coconut nectar. Having found her sweetener, Boroian put her years of experience in the food industry to use and set to work producing and distributing the first Blissfully Better chocolate—the decadent almond toffee—an organic, gluten-free and low-glycemic treat inspired by her mother’s Christmas candy recipe.
Blissfully Better has since won several food awards, and while new flavors have been added, each package contains the same hallmark. On the back of every box is a logo for Place of Hope, a Palm Beach Gardens nonprofit dedicated to helping kids and families break the cycles of abuse, neglect, poverty and human trafficking. Boroian has been an avid supporter for years, volunteering as an “Angel Mom” to support youths who have aged out of the foster care system. Since making the move to Boca Raton from Highland Beach two years ago, Boroian has also played an active role at Impact 100 and the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton, working to make a difference wherever one can be made.
“I just feel that there’s so many people out there who have not had the advantages that I’ve had,” says Boroian.“I’m really blessed to come from the kind of family I come from and to have grown up in the way that I grew up, and I feel everybody deserves that.”
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Ahead of a consequential voting season, Palm Beach County’s supervisor of elections brings transparency, safety and efficiency to the forefront
Link Wendy Sartory
Written by JOHN THOMASON
ike a CPA in the first two weeks of April, Wendy Sartory Link is soon to enter her busiest season.“There are a lot of moving parts,” says Link, Palm Beach County’s supervisor of elections since 2019. Those parts speak to the sheer volume of managing elections in a county that is larger than two states.
The numbers tell part of the story. There are more than 862,000 registered voters in Palm Beach County, who on Election Day (Nov. 5), will cast their ballots at more than 375 polling locations in nearly 900 precincts. (Early voting begins Oct. 21, with fewer but still copious polling places.) Link is responsible for the logistics of an efficient delivery of ballots from such far-flung regions as Pahokee, North Palm Beach and Boca Raton to the voting equipment center in Riviera Beach, where they are reviewed for irregularities and processed.“They haven’t yet given us a helicopter to get them from Belle Glade,” Link says, perhaps jokingly, perhaps aspirationally. And Link’s office recruits and trains more than 4,000 poll workers—“and of course, all the paperwork and money that goes along with that, getting people timely paid, all the temporary staff we will
bring in. We’ll have more voter registrations coming in, vote-by-mail requests, different things in different parts of our business that we’re constantly keeping up with. It gets to be quite a buzz.”
Link’s learning curve has been swift, her career path surprising. A practicing attorney in the Palm Beaches since 1994 (she earned her Juris Doctor at Duke University Law School, class of ‘89), she would be the first to admit that prior to 2019, the top position in the county’s elections infrastructure was not on her radar.“I’m not very political; I haven’t ever been, and I had no interest ahead of time in being supervisor of elections,” she says.“But the opportunity presented itself, and I agreed to take it initially for the first two years, to get us through the 2020 election. And then in doing that, I fell in love with elections, like a lot of people do, and I determined there was more that we could do to make the office better. So I ran for election, and was elected in 2020.”
Palm Beach County, of course, has a checkered past in election integrity. Most of us remember the dark days of 2000—the butterfly ballot, the hanging chad. Perhaps
more than anything, it’s Link’s job to ensure that such horror stories remain the stuff of ancient history. Which is why three words, as Link explores in our first question, have become a mantra in her office and public appearances.
Your website touts “transparent secure democracy.” Why can we trust the transparency and security of our vote in Palm Beach County?
We spend a lot of time doing voter education so that the voters can understand what we do; they can see the process. We are always looking to increase voter registration and enhance access by making sure that people know when we’re open to the public. We’ve got tours of our facility. So we are doing all we can with voter registration and explaining to people all the processes and safety procedures we have in place so they feel confident of the elections.
What happens to our ballot once we submit it through the scanner, and how is it counted?
When you’re at the polling location, and you’re putting it into the DS200, which is a precinct scanner, the machine is actually counting it. And if there’s a mistake on your ballot—perhaps you voted twice in an election that only allows you to vote for one candidate—it will give you a notification that says “You voted twice in the race for dogcatcher,” let’s say.“Do you want your ballot back, so you can correct it, or do you want to cast this ballot anyway?”And if they want to cast it again, they get a new ballot, and it will spoil the old one. Once it’s properly counted, you’ll get something that says,“thank you for voting,” and that indicates your ballot has been accepted, and each of the races for which you voted will be counted.
So if you choose not to correct it, will the ballot be spoiled?
If you choose not to correct it—if you don’t care about dogcatcher anyway, and you don’t want to deal with it—all of the other races that you voted for will be counted. But that particular race won’t be counted.
Where do these ballots go, in perpetuity?
So once the ballots have run through the precinct scanner, then that night the ballots are brought back to our warehouse, and we will keep them in case there is a recount, or if there are public-records requests to see them. And then after 22 months, if there are no open lawsuits and no open public-records requests, then we go through a procedure where we confirm with the state that they also don’t have any information that would mean someone needs to still see that ballot, and then they are destroyed.
Voting by mail was, of course, extremely popular in 2020. Is that an increasingly desirable option?
It’s yet to be determined. We currently do not have as many vote-by-mail requests as we did in 2020. So at the end of 2022, there was a statute that said that following the 2022 general elections, all vote-by-mail requests have expired. It required anybody who wanted to vote by mail to make an affirmative contact with our office in some way to request a vote-by-mail ballot. We
Link taking a question from a reporter after winning the 2020 primary for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections
JOE FORZANO/THE PALM BEACH POST VIA ZUMA WIRE
have about 160,000-plus, currently, who have made that request, but we had at least twice that number in 2020.
How can those who vote by mail confirm their vote was received and counted?
There are a couple of different ways they can do it. They can go on the website, votepalmbeach.gov. They go to the My Status button and put in their last name and birth date. It will take them to their page, which tells them everything we know about them—party registration, address, their precinct. And it will also tell them we have a vote-by-mail request on file for them. But then it will tell them what day we mailed it out, and what day we received it back from them. It will also tell them whether or not there has been a concern with their ballot; perhaps they forgot to sign it, or their signature didn’t match and they need to cure it; and it will tell them how to do that. And then it will also tell them that it’s been counted.
The other option they have is, they can sign up for BallotTrax, for free, through our website, and they can tell us that they want to get their notification by phone, by text or by email. They can even give us parameters for what hours we’re allowed to contact them. And then we will contact them that way to give them that same information.
Photo ID is required in the state of Florida. Some argue that we need photo ID to prevent fraud. Can you speak to whether voter fraud is an issue in need of addressing in Palm Beach County? If you have an ID, then [poll workers] are
Voting Deadlines
DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE: Monday, Oct. 7
EARLY VOTING: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 21 to Nov. 3
going to be able to look at that at the polling location. So there’s going to be very little fraud that occurs there. If you don’t have a picture ID with you, you are not denied the right to vote. You’re still going to be able to vote your ballot, but it’s going to be put into a provisional envelope, and you’re going
DEADLINE TO REQUEST THAT A VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT BE MAILED TO YOU: 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24
DEADLINE TO RETURN YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT TO THE MAIN OFFICE: 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5
ELECTION DAY: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5
Link, right, at an outreach event for the Wellington Chamber of Commerce
to sign it, you’re going to put all of your information there, and that will come back to our office. Our office will then do the research, just to confirm that, yes, this is the correct address for this voter. They’ll check the signature on it. They’ll present that to
get there. We have not had very many people say,“I don’t have any of these available to me.”
How are write-in votes counted? When people put down Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, we don’t even count those. We only count them if it’s a qualified candidate. In order to be a qualified candidate, you have to have submitted your paperwork before the elections. If you do have a qualified write-in candidate, then there’s going to be an oval with a blank space beside it. Then you fill in that oval, and if you write in the name of the qualified candidate, it’s going to get counted.
We’ve already seen political violence in this heated election cycle. What measures can your team take if, for instance, someone shows up to a polling place with a weapon, or acts aggressively toward a poll worker?
No weapons are permitted inside polling locations to begin with, so nobody should be bringing a gun to a polling location.
But we do work closely with the sheriff’s department, FBI, Homeland Security, to do all we can to keep voters and our election workers safe. Having a safe and secure voting process obviously is our top priority. But we have Florida statutes that make it a crime to harm the welfare of a public
the three-person canvassing board in an open meeting. And the canvassing board, looking at that provisional ballot envelope—not seeing the ballot itself, because it’s still sealed—will determine whether or not that ballot should be counted. It’s very akin to a vote-by-mail ballot at that point. It will either be counted or not, and the voter will be notified if it wasn’t counted.
Have there been specific groups of voters who have been disenfranchised by the photo-ID law?
I don’t think so, because you don’t have to have a driver’s license. You can have a Florida ID. There are 12 different types of ID you can have. It can be a number of other things, and you can even do a combination of two different ones. If you have one that’s a photo ID but that doesn’t have a signature, but you have something else that has your signature, you can combine those to
Link leads a tour for students in the Path to College fellowship program
Link joins county officials in the ground-breaking for the new Supervisor of Elections building in West Palm Beach
servant. There are a number of statutes out there—against voter coercion, voter suppression, intimidation by force—that are available for deputies to use.
If somebody becomes aggressive, our poll workers would call the local law enforcement. And all of the local law enforcement are given, in advance, what our local polling locations are. So they’re aware that if they get something to that particular address, that that’s likely a polling location issue, and they would prioritize it.
I understand that you are a registered Democrat. Should people take into consideration the party affiliation of their elections supervisor? Is it relevant?
It’s not. The position used to be a nonpartisan position. It changed with a court case in 2020. Right after I was appointed in 2019, I actually switched my party affiliation to NPA, no party affiliation, because I wanted to make it clear that this is a nonpartisan office. Everybody here takes a nonpartisan oath with the work that they do. I have staff members of the Republican and Democratic parties, and some of the minor parties as well. Some are NPA, as I was. But once the court case came out and said that you had to have a party affiliation assigned to you, then I did switch.
But my dedication to this office is completely nonpartisan, as is my staff. We talk about the big three here: integrity, accountability and service. And there’s no room for being partisan in any of that.
What percentage of eligible voters in Palm Beach County actually cast a ballot in the last presidential election?
We had 76.3% voter turnout.
I assume that’s higher than in some other parts of the state. It is. In 2022, we had the highest voter turnout compared to Broward and Miami-Dade. Because we’re contiguous and we’re all large, we sometimes will benchmark ourselves, and I do know we had a higher percentage of voter turnout than those counties did.
Is part of your job to advocate for the process—to get that number closer to 100%?
It’s our job to educate the voters, to make sure they’re aware of an election. I don’t look at it as my job to reach out to individual party members to get people out to vote. We do want to make sure that we’ve properly educated them, that they know when the election is, they know the three different methods of voting—vote-by-mail, early voting and Election Day—and we make it as easy as we can.
One of the things we had heard is that when you get into a general election, there can be long lines, and some people felt like that was inhibiting them because maybe they were older, they couldn’t stand in a line that long, or their profession dictated they couldn’t be in line for two to three hours. So that’s why we made appointments available, so that within a 15-minute time frame, you can get into a polling location if you have an appointment. We make that very easy to get; you can do it online, you can call our
office, you can come to the office. I’m not aware of any other county in the state that does appointments.
Finally, why should we vote?
Can you speak to the importance of the franchise itself?
We want everybody to take their civic duty seriously. It’s both a right and a privilege to be able to participate in the democratic process. As I remind students when we go to the schools, this right cost some people their lives. This was paid for at a very high cost by many, and I think we all owe it to ourselves to participate in the process. Whether you like or don’t like every candidate on the ticket, you can skip a race, and that’s fine. But oftentimes, the races down-ballot might have as much, or even more, of an impact on your day-today life. It’s very important we get people out to do that. If you’re participating in our elections, you’re helping shape the future of your city, your county and your country.
Link confers with Supervisor of Elections employees
Van Cleef & Arpels butterfly pin with wood set in 18k yellow gold; red coral and diamond
Van Cleef & Arpels Rose de Noel brooch and clip-on earrings; all from Yafa Signed Jewels
A busy social calendar calls for brilliant jewels
Photography by Aaron Bristol
Styling by Lori Pierino
Flower stud earrings with light pink and yellow-green diamonds; necklace with pear, marquise and round brilliant diamonds; ring with orange center stone with pink and white diamonds; tricolor diamond flower ring; pear-shaped green-yellow and white diamond halo ring; flower huggie hoop earrings in tri-color diamonds; yellow and white diamond hearts ring; all from Rosenberg Diamonds & Co.
Paraiba tourmaline and white diamond necklace in 18k white gold; white diamond bypass ring in platinum; graduated pear-shaped diamond necklace in 18k white gold; pear-shaped white diamond ring in platinum; all from J.R. Dunn Jewelers
Multicolored diamond pendant set in 18k yellow gold strung on 18k yellow gold Franco chain; oval-cut citrine ring with 18k white gold and diamond band; two 18k yellow gold bracelets with turquoise, coral and satin-polished beads; all from Jewels in Time
Necklace and kite-shaped earring set with ruby and diamonds in 18k white gold; 18k white gold diamond bracelet; pink sapphire and diamond ring set in 18k white gold; all from Cristino Fine Jewelry
Round, pear and marquise white diamond and emerald necklace set in platinum; emerald drop earrings with 18k white and yellow gold; emerald and white diamond ring set in 18k white and yellow gold; oval diamond ring; all from Altier Jewelers
Italian-made diamond bangles; diamond necklace set in 18k white gold; diamond bracelet set in 18k white gold; all from Leon Fine Jewelers
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Jessie and Alex Price, Dr. Nathan Nachlas and Councilwoman Fran Nachlas, and Brad and Haley Winstead
Brad and Haley Winstead shot at the site of an apartment that will be named in their honor, at the Schmitt Family Complex of Place of Hope in Boca Raton
Brad and Haley Winstead
The 9-5: Brad is the CEO of JR Cigars. Haley, a former wine rep, cares for their children at home.
The charities: Brad sits on the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s board of directors, YMCA of South Palm Beach County’s board of trustees, Place of Hope’s CEOs Council, and Men Giving Back’s grant committee, and is a school board member of Spanish River Christian School. Haley is on the Angel Mom Leadership Board for Place of Hope’s Boca Raton campus, the Junior League of Boca Raton’s Woman Volunteer of the Year committee, and is a member of Impact 100 Palm Beach County. The couple also volunteers with Best Foot Forward and Boca Helping Hands.
Thanks to their contributions, the Winsteads will have an apartment named in their honor at the Schmitt Family Complex of Place of Hope.
At work, Brad helped start the JR Cares initiative, giving employees the chance to volunteer and give back to local charities, such as packing backpacks or spending time at a food bank.“If you serve together, you work easier together. You get to know each other,” he says.
On getting started: Haley says inviting a friend to join you in getting involved with a charity can be a game changer. Not only will they not feel alone at an event, but it gives you the opportunity to share the mission of the charity you care about.“Where do my gifts and my talents fit into the organization’s needs and their future missions?”
Quality over quantity: Brad notes that during gala season, one could easily attend an event every weekend, but he values quality over quantity.“When you focus yourself, that means you focus your time, you focus your talent, but you also focus your dollar and you get to see impact.”
On being a role model: It’s important for the couple to include their children in volunteerism. When Brad was training for Boca’s Ballroom Battle, their son and daughter often came to practice to film and cheer him on. They also helped spread mulch at the Place of Hope campus, leading to a meaningful conversation about why they were there.“Modeling for them what servant leadership looks like, involving them whenever we can,” Haley says.“Those are all opportunities to talk to them about giving back to others and sharing your blessings.”
On Boca: Brad notes that Boca Raton is often seen as a community brimming with wealth—what needs could there be? “I remind people, yes, there is all of that here. … For all the opulence, the need is there as well. You just need to open your eyes and see it, and you need to get involved,” he says.
The love story: Married for 13 years with two children, the couple met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend in Charlotte.“I tell everybody all the time, I opened the door and I’m like, ‘I’m good. I’m settled. I’ll be marrying her,’” Brad says of first meeting Haley.
Fun fact: Haley grew up on a farm in southwest Georgia.
I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t matter how much money you make or what you have or any of that. If you set your target as giving, you’ll stay on that path for the rest of your life.”
—Brad Winstead
Boca Raton Councilwoman Fran Nachlas and Dr. Nathan Nachlas
The 9-5: Fran was a nurse for 30 years; now retired, she was elected to the Boca Raton City Council.
Nathan is president of ENT & Allergy Associates of Florida, a practice that has grown to more than 60 offices with 98 doctors throughout Florida.
The charities: With their medical backgrounds, the two co-founded the SafeSun Foundation for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. The organization got its start when their youngest child needed to create a community service project in high school, and the family has continued it by setting up sunscreen dispensers and sun shades around town as well as education about proper skin protection.
Fran has served on the boards of the George Snow Scholarship Fund and the Boca Raton Community Advisory Panel, and on volunteer committees for Impact 100 Palm Beach County, YMCA, Empty Bowls, Brain Bowl, and White Coats 4 Care through the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca Raton. In 2019, she danced in Boca’s Ballroom Battle, raising a record-breaking $183,000 in the women’s division.
Nathan is a founding member of Men Giving Back.
“About four years ago, a group of philanthropic guys in our area got together and said, ‘Okay, it’s time that men pick up the slack,’”he explains. In its first year, 80 men raised $80,000 for area charities; this year, they’ve collected more than $500,000. He also sits on the grant committee (a meeting he had to run off to after our interview). Fran says,“You have Nathan, who’s in charge of a 100-man group, sees patients all day, and then 'til 8 or 9
o’clock at night he’ll be working on Men Giving Back.”
When they’re not sitting on boards and committees, they also enjoy supporting other nonprofits such as the Faulk Center, the HabCenter, Myla’s Beleaf, Sweet Dream Makers, Milagro Center, League of Ribbons, Vets Helping Heroes and more.“There’s a lot,” Fran says. “They’re all special to us; it’s hard to pick just one.”
Getting started: The two first got involved with Connected Warriors, a nonprofit that provides trauma-conscious yoga training to certified yoga instructors and health care professionals—they helped paint their first location at BRiC. Soon the couple was introduced to the heads of charities and health care organizations around the community. The two have a system to keep each other in the loop of one another’s charity fundraisers and events to support each other.“We show up, and we just do whatever is needed,”Fran says.
On Boca: “I think we are one of the most giving communities that I’ve ever even heard of,” Fran says. “People here are so willing to give of themselves.”
The love story: Married for 26 years with four children and 1 grandchild (with another on the way), it was literally love at first sight for this couple. The retired nurse and doctor met in the operating room of Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center and could only see each other’s eyes over their face masks.“It’s all I had to see,” Nathan says.“Fran is a very sweet, giving, caring person, like when you think about nurses and that nursing spirit.”
Fun fact: Fran’s license plate is GVBCK.
We show up and just do whatever is needed."
—Fran Nachlas
Councilwoman Fran Nachlas and Dr. Nathan Nachlas shot at The Addison in Boca Raton
Jessie and Alex Price shot at the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club in Boca Raton
Alex and Jessie Price
The 9-5: Jessie worked for LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) before growing their family and has been a licensed Realtor since 2015; she’s looking forward to getting back to a corporate setting now that their youngest is starting school. After helping launch or lead the philanthropic arms of ADT, Office Depot and Burlington, Alex is going solo and founded a consulting company to help other corporations integrate giving into their programming.“This is truly where my heart is,” he says.“It’s all about taking your passions and your skills and trying to weave that into a career … as best you can.”
The charities: Alex serves on the boards of YMCA of South Palm Beach County and the FAU Research and Development Authority. Jessie is a member of the Junior League of Boca Raton and is active with Boca Helping Hands; the couple were appointed as co-chairs of its annual MONOPOLY & Casino Night gala (it feeds Jessie’s competitive streak). Last year, the two were the event’s honorary co-chairs; they also served as honorary co-chairs of the 2023 Boca Raton Mayor’s Ball. The family volunteers with Spanish River Church’s Serve the City charity campaign, an initiative that encourages volunteerism across different causes, such as foster care, women’s shelters and beach cleanups. Mark your calendars for Sept. 14, when Alex takes the dance floor for Boca’s Ballroom Battle; he says he didn’t have the guts to do it until Jessie persuaded him.
Finding balance: “You’ve got to be able to do it all. You’ve got to be able to go onstage and give the keynote, and then you’ve got to be the one who’s licking stamps, sending the thank-you notes,” Alex says. “There can be no pride or ego with it.” Jessie agrees, adding, “You really need both volunteers, right? You need someone who’s doing the down-anddirty stuff, someone who is really communicating with people, because that’s what was close to their
heart, and that means a lot to them … and that’s probably what makes us a good team.”
Keeping volunteers engaged: Jessie remembers volunteering for the Ronald McDonald House with Alex and being frustrated that she was washing dishes while he was networking. The two learned from one another that both are important, but as a leader it’s important to show gratitude to your volunteers and also let them see you in the trenches with them. “If your volunteers see that you’re only doing what appears to be the fun stuff, you’re going to lose credibility,”Alex says.
On handing down philanthropy: The couple try to involve their children as much as they can. In fact, all of their children have been on the news with WPTV’s Steve Weagle during his annual Ride for the Red Cross check presentation.“My favorite memories have been with my daughters, like painting the Boys and Girls Club of Boca Raton, [and] serving Thanksgiving meals during the pandemic at Boca Helping Hands,”Alex says. “I think that they’re growing up seeing that this is just part of the rhythms of our life. We give back, we roll up our sleeves, we get down and dirty with it.”
The love story: Married for 14 years with four children, the two Floridians met in New York City when Jessie’s couch-crashing roommate invited Alex and other friends over.“I went in my room, I’m on the phone with a girlfriend, and then Alex’s head popped around the corner, and I’m like, ‘I gotta go,’”Jessie laughs.“I was like, ‘You can invite your friends anytime, especially Alex.’” The two were smitten and got closer through nycTIES, a young-professionals charity group Alex founded.
Fun fact: Alex is a presidential history buff; all four of the couple’s children have middle names for an American president (which meant Jessie picked their first names).
We just kept getting educated on these incredible causes through the work, and our loyalty to the city became more than a home, it became something we were truly invested in.”
—Alex Price
GAME
FACE
With the transfer portal and opportunities for student athletes to make some cash, is it fair play or the end of college sports as we know it?
Written by Randy Schultz
decade ago, then-President John Kelly tied Florida Atlantic University’s future to sports. That was a challenge for FAU then, and it’s a much bigger challenge in the transformed world of college athletics.
To say that the business has changed in the last six years—and especially the last few months— is to say that Boca Raton has changed since FAU opened in 1964 as an upper-division university for commuter students. College athletes no longer must work as unpaid amateurs. Players are much more in control, and those in charge are reviewing their business models and scrambling to adjust.
FAU Director of Athletics Brian White says,“Every discussion you could imagine is going on.”
For decades, athletes were bound to the college that signed them to their team right out of high school. That all changed in 2018 when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) created the transfer portal. That means student players could change campuses every year, if they wanted.
Then in 2021 came the ability for players to make money from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. NIL money doesn’t come directly from the school; it comes from a collective—TheLinkU, in FAU’s case—but athletic directors, coaches and others can make appeals to potential donors.
And last May, the large-school conferences known as the Power 5 agreed to settle lawsuits by former athletes seeking a share of past revenue they helped to generate. The deal requires back pay of $2.7 billion and as much as $20 million in annual revenue sharing from each school starting next year. The deal officially ends the amateur status that athletes had held for more than a century. With that change comes the possibility of athletes being declared university employees, forming unions and bargaining collectively.
“We’re all navigating new territory,”White says.“We would like more clarity.”
And that was before the settlement. In early June [the deadline for this article—Ed.], officials were uncertain how the settlement
Every discussion you could imagine is going on. ... We have to adapt and be flexible.
—Brian White, FAU director of athletics
would affect FAU. The American Athletic Conference, in which FAU competes, was not a defendant in the lawsuits. Still, it seems inevitable that all schools will be paying athletes directly.
We are at this chaotic point because the NCAA refused for decades to acknowledge that the system of unpaid labor was enriching coaches, athletic directors, universities and TV networks—everyone but the laborers. To understand how much money is at stake, way back in 2009—after two national championships each in football and basketball—the University of Florida made $5 million in royalties from sports merchandise on the backs of student athletes.
Public pressure forced the issue. Florida and other states passed laws allowing NIL payments; the state also just allowed them for high school students. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a key, unanimous ruling in 2021 that colleges can’t prohibit such payments. Change overwhelmed that system like a flash flood, even affecting those at the top.
When Nick Saban retired last January after winning six national championships at Alabama—and seven overall—he cited NIL as one reason. Saban said top-tier recruits were asking first about money and not about how Alabama could make them better football players.
“All the things that I believed in, for all
ALLEN
EYESTONE/THE PALM BEACH POST VIA ZUMA WIRE
Brian White
Brian White, left, and John Jakus, new head coach for FAU men’s basketball
these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said during a roundtable on Capitol Hill in March.“It was always about developing players, it was always about helping people be more successful in life.”
Money thus becomes even more important. The largest college athletic budgets are roughly $250 million. In the June presentation to trustees, FAU’s budget for 2024-25 was $35.5 million to field 19 teams, eight for men and 11 for women.
FAU does not have an entrenched alumni network like the University of Florida, Florida State University or the University of Miami. The American Athletic Conference is one of the lower-tier Group of Five in college football. UF competes in the Southeastern Conference, and FSU and UM are in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both conferences are among the Power 5, which gets far more lucrative TV contracts than smaller conferences.
But White and FAU Football Coach Tom Herman emphasize that FAU does have Boca Raton.
The plan, White says, is to “tap into the wealth” of the city. With the NIL collective, “you can put a number” on how much it would take to finance a top-tier team in any sport. With enough financial backing,“We can win a national championship here.”
Herman also cited “the wealth” in Boca Raton while acknowledging how different the job is since he first became a head coach in 2015 for the University of Houston Cougars. Now, he says,“We’re raising money, we’re dealing with the transfer portal.” Herman was out of coaching in 2021 and 2022 after the University of Texas fired him. After a disappointing 4-8 record at FAU last season, Herman acknowledges that he is only now “finding my sea legs again.”
Speaking of wealth, White and Herman believe that the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence, which opened in 2020, offers FAU a big recruiting
“You have 85 guys on six-month contracts. This is not what I signed up for.”
—Tom Herman, FAU football coach
Tom Herman
tool. The naming donation was the largest in the college’s history.
“It is critically important,” White says. He points out that FAU’s athletes graduate at a higher rate than the overall student population. Even in this new era, almost all athletes won’t get big money and won’t go pro, so they will need a degree. Herman said the facility is “nothing like we had at Texas.”
Referring to the transfer portal, White says it’s now possible for an athlete to play at four schools in four years. “That’s not a great path to graduation.” In what sounds like an antiquated reference, White adds, “We still want to offer the
best student-athlete experience possible.”
To that end, however, coaches will have to adjust. Herman explains how difficult that can be. Football players can transfer in January and again in April, before the coming fall season.“If they’re unhappy,” Herman says of new arrivals, the roster that a coach has been building could change in three months.“You have 85 guys [the maximum number of players on scholarships—Ed.] on six-month contracts. This is not what I signed up for.”
Herman acknowledges that coaches “make poor victims.” He will make $1 million this year, and that’s a comparative pittance to Mike Norvell’s $10 million at
All the things that I believed in, for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics. It was always about developing players, it was always about helping people be more successful in life.
—Nick Saban, former University of Alabama football coach
Breaking down the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was founded in 1906 and is an umbrella organization of about 1,100 member schools across the United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada, representing more than 500,000 college athletes in 24 sports. That includes 1,080 men’s and 1,090 women’s basketball teams. For football, there are 134 teams in the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision—broken into the Power 5 and Group of 5 (where FAU sits)—and, ranking lower, 127 members of the Football Championship Subdivision and 401 non-Division 1 members.
There are 11 conferences within the NCAA, roughly based on location, size and ranking; champions from each conference rise to the ranks in hopes to eventually make the national championship of their sport. FAU is a member of the American Athletic Conference. One of the most competitive is the Southeastern Conference (SEC), home to perennial football powerhouses like the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia.
FSU and Billy Napier’s $7.3 million at UF.
But Herman also cites an aspect of college football that transfer-portal turnover may upend: the potentially life-altering relationship between coach and player.
“I was the only child of a single mom,” Herman recalls.“Coaches rescued me,” enabling him to graduate summa cum laude from California Lutheran University and embark on a coaching career that led him to be recognized as the nation’s top assistant when he was offensive coordinator for Ohio State’s 2014 national championship team.
At Ohio State University, Herman dealt with a sometimes-temperamental quarterback, Cardale Jones. He played sparingly until the team’s starting quarterback broke his ankle, making Jones the starter in the Buckeyes’ three most important games of that championship season—the Big Ten Championships and the College Football Playoff.
Jones, Herman said, told him that under
Michael DeGeorge, FAU’s deputy athletic director
1956: NCAA allows college athletes to receive scholarships for athletics.
2009: Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon sues the NCAA for using his likeness in the video game
“NCAA Basketball 09.” It becomes a class action lawsuit, and the NCAA pays $42.2 million to plaintiffs after a failed appeal.
2011: 300-plus college football and men’s basketball players sign a petition to receive a cut of TV sports revenue.
2014: Northwestern University football players petition the National Labor Relations Board to be classified as employees of the university, which would allow them to unionize. The petition fails.
2018:
The NCAA launches a transfer portal, allowing student athletes in all three divisions to alert other schools that they are interested in transferring. It becomes a more streamlined, transparent approach to an already common practice.
2019: California passes the Fair Pay to Play Act, which prevents the NCAA and schools from punishing student athletes who earn NIL compensation. It goes into effect in August 2021. Other states follow suit.
2021: The NCAA Board of Directors allows students to receive NIL funds without repercussions. However, the league itself does not participate in the practice.
the new transfer portal rules,“I would have been long gone” well before 2014.“I hated you as a freshman. But you were the only person who believed in me.” Jones starred in all three games.
The other relationship at risk is the one between the college and its fans, especially students. Constant turnover could make it hard to identify with the team, whittling away at collegiate traditions of buying the jersey of their favorite player, reminiscing on the“era”of a star quarterback, or cheering on an alum when they make it through the NFL draft. Payments to“student-athletes”could further separate them from their peers.
June 30, 2021: Pennsylvania becomes the first state to have its NIL policy go into effect. Florida and other states join in the following day.
2023: The NCAA reduces the transfer portal window from 60 days to 45 days for football and basketball players. Other fall and spring sports have a 30-day window, and winter sports have a 45-day window.
White says,“Our fan base has grown faster than ever.” In late May, Deputy Athletic Director Michael DeGeorge said “early results” for men’s basketball season tickets were “looking good” after FAU Basketball Head Coach Dusty May left for Michigan. Football season ticket renewals were up 40%. At FAU, as at most schools, those two sports generate the most revenue.
In essence, White says, winning solves everything. NIL now could become “the most important component of winning.” He believes that the transfer portal also could benefit FAU.“A lot of talent leaves South Florida.”The portal offers a way to “come back home.”
Amid speculation that the largest, richest colleges might form their own super-conference in football, there has been talk of the G5 conferences holding their own playoff. White disagrees. Under the new, 12-team format, White says, the American Athletic Conference (AAC) champion can get in.“Our focus,” he says,“is on the College Football Playoff. There is a chance” for FAU.
Before then, though, the emphasis is on winning a conference championship.
January 2024: The states of Tennessee and Virginia sue the NCAA, claiming that its NIL ban violates the Sherman Antitrust Act.
That happened in 2022-23 with men’s basketball—before the Owls’ Final Four run—and the team came in second last season. The softball team finished first in the AAC last year and made the NCAA tournament.
But the football team was ninth in the 14team conference. Herman understands that FAU fans expect more. He notes that five of the Owls’ eight losses were by six points or fewer. The transfer portal that worries Herman also brought “34 new faces” in January to change those outcomes this year.
New men’s basketball coach John Jakus also faces a challenge—sustaining the progress that began under May. Because of that transfer portal, FAU lost its top four scorers after May left. However, the Owls also gained five players through the portal. “I’m very excited,”White says,“about the talent coming in.”
Now, however, colleges will compete over money, not just talent. Those Power 5 conferences reportedly want to foist 60% of that $2.7 billion onto the Group of Five conferences.
Major schools don’t want to make hard choices. Sharing that $20 million with athletes could mean cutting expenses, such as coaches’ salaries. Athletic departments are facing scenarios that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.
And what if players unionize and threaten to strike over revenue sharing? Will colleges seek investment from private equity firms to bring in more revenue? Will coaches have to wear as many corporate sponsor logos as NASCAR drivers?
White says,“We have to adapt and be flexible.”
February 2024: A federal judge orders the NCAA to halt its NIL ban as the lawsuit is under review.
April 2024: The NCAA lifts the requirement for transfer student athletes to sit out a season before being allowed to reenter the transfer portal.
May 2024: Former University of Florida football recruit Jaden Rashada sues Head Coach Billy Napier and others for allegedly reneging on a nearly $14 million NIL deal after Rashada turned down other schools.
June 2024: NCAA approves NIL disclosure and transparency rules for Division 1 teams.
FAU men’s basketball coach John Jakus
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WHY CONCIERGE MEDICINE WORKS
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FIND YOUR CONCIERGE DOCTOR
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Richard R. Bobé, M.D.
Brian Moraes, D.O.
Deanna Weilbacher, PA-C
BOBÉ CCPHP
Richard R. Bobé, M.D., board-certified in internal medicine, received his undergraduate degree from Fordham University and his medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He cares for his patients using an integrative approach that leans heavily on behavioral lifestyle changes. His own expertise as well as that of his specialist connections provide his patients with a supportive and secure health care system.
HMS CCPHP
Brian Moraes, D.O., received his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a residency and fellowship at Tulane University. Dr. Moraes believes that less medication equates to a better quality of life. He was one of the first DOs in the country to be named a Fellow of The American College of Preventive Cardiology, and he collaborates with Flourish Research, a preeminent clinical trials site.
Deanna Weilbacher, PA-C, who trained at South University in Tampa, has extensive experience in primary care and in treating patients’ mental health and substance abuse issues. Deanna began working with Dr. Moraes in 2019; together,
they created protocols that combine traditional medicine, integrative medicine, nutrition, physical fitness, hormone optimization, muscle strength, and a strong focus on quality of life.
Learn more about their approach to wellness by listening to their podcast “Hybrid Healing Hour” or following their YouTube Channel “Hybrid Medical Solution”.
MEDPREVENT PREMIER
Dominik Chrzan, M.D., is board-certified in family medicine and is pursuing certification in lipidology. He received his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and completed a residency at the Wayne State University-affiliated Pontiac General Hospital. Through Excel Medical Clinical Trials, Dr. Chrzan participates in research related to heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver and obesity.
RODRIGUEZ CCPHP
Rolando F. Rodriguez, M.D., is board-certified in endocrinology and metabolism. He received undergraduate and medical degrees from Columbia University and completed an internship, residency and fellowship at Cornell Medical Center. In practice for nearly 30 years, Dr. Rodriguez
specializes in treating diabetes, metabolic disorders, and pituitary and thyroid diseases, as well as providing hormone replacement therapy.
VINIK CCPHP
Bryan S. Vinik, M.D., is board-certified in endocrinology and metabolism, and internal medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed an internship and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Vinik specializes in treating diabetes, metabolic disorders, and pituitary and thyroid diseases, as well as providing hormone replacement therapy.
East Palmetto Park Road
340 Boca Raton, FL 33432
Dominic Chrzan, M.D.
Rolando F. Rodriguez, M.D.
Bryan S. Vinik, M.D.
Comprehensive Reconstruction of the Jaw (CRJ)
When trauma, a tumor or osteonecrosis affects the jaw it can cause pain, loss of functionality and disfigurement. Reconstructing a jaw typically requires multiple procedures that take months or years to complete. At Good Samaritan Medical Center, our team of microvascular head and neck, plastic and oral surgeons along with medical oncologists and otolaryngologists (ENTs) take a holistic approach to perform intricate surgery to reconstruct the jaw with a microvascular tissue transfer and dental implants, allowing for better functionality and appearance of the jaw in just one day. During the patient’s recovery, we prioritize overall healing and offer a unique blend of Platelet Rich Fibrin therapy and Micro-needling to aid in the skin’s recovery.
Anastaysia Quimby, MD, DDS Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Surgery
Jeronimo Guzman, DMD, MS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
James Azzi, MD
Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgeon
S OUTH F L ORIDA’ S MEDICAL EXPERTS
Now more than ever, protecting our health has become one of our biggest concerns.
Sit back, relax and take advantage of the knowledge and advice gathered from some of the area’s top medical experts. Whether you are a tele-call away, or merely exploring ways to improve your well-being, the answers are here for the taking. Stay well and informed....and read on!
Board Certified in Periodontology and Dental Implant Surgery; Fellow, ITI
Diplomate, American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry; Fellow, ITI
LILIANA ARANGUREN, DDS, MDSc
Board Certified in Periodontology and Dental Implant Surgery; Fellow, ITI
Board Certified in Periodontology and Dental Implant Surgery; Fellow, AO, ITI; Fellow, Diplomate and Member of the Board of Directors, Academy of Osseointegration
Board Certified in Periodontology and Dental Implant Surgery; Fellow, ITI
ANDRÉ DE SOUZA, DMD
JEFFREY GANELES, DMD, FACD
SAMUEL ZFAZ, DDS
FREDERIC J. NORKIN, DMD
OVADIA CHOCRON, DMD
Board Eligible- American Board of Periodontology (ABP)
SOUTH FLORIDA CENTER FOR PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY
Periodontal and Implant
Dental Care
3020 North Military Trail, Suite 200 Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561)912-9993
Flsmile.com
The South Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is comprised of a team of highly skilled, board-certified professionals utilizing the most advanced, state-of the-art technology to treat their patients. The practice holds the distinction of being the first in the world to offer YOMI® robotic-assisted surgery, the only FDAapproved robotic system designed for dental implant surgery. In addition, the dentists utilize minimally invasive gum and bone regeneration, Piezosurgery® bone surgery, LANAP® laserassisted gum surgery, digital intraoral scanners, 3D printing, dental implant patient education software and T-scan® digital bite analysis. The doctors also provide cosmetic/esthetic procedures, including minimally invasive gum grafting, crown lengthening, lip repositioning and gummy smile correction.
Q: What is the TEETHTODAY® method that you created?
A. Our doctors pioneered and honed TEETHTODAY® more than 25 years ago. Our most popular treatment option for replacing teeth with dental implants, it is a practical solution to immediately replace one tooth, several teeth, or a full arch of teeth in a single visit. We also remove failing teeth and place implants, with patients leaving our office with teeth that same day.
Q: Why is it so important to treat gingivitis?
A. If you have been diagnosed with gingivitis, the earliest form of gum disease, special “under the gum” cleaning by our periodontal hygienists may be enough to reverse the infection. If gum disease progresses, our doctors can treat it and help you manage the disease, so it doesn’t get worse. Special cleanings, antibiotic therapies, laser treatments, gum and bone grafting and other regenerative procedures may be suggested.
Q: To what do you attribute the long-term success of your practice?
Member, International Associate of Dental Specialists (iADS)
Member, American Academy of Periodontology (AAP)
A. Since 1963, patients at our practice experience thoughtful personalized treatment options based on a comprehensive evaluation, resulting in comfortable, predictable and lasting results. Our specialized facility has state-of-the-art equipment for periodontics and implant dentistry and will continue to attract and retain the very best doctors and team members, including our newest addition, Periodontist Dr. Ovadia Chocron.
ROBERT S. BADER, MD Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
Dr. Robert Bader’s dermatology practice, R.S.B. Dermatology in Deerfield Beach, offers comprehensive skin, hair and nail treatments that include Mohs’ micrographic surgery, reconstructive surgery and dermatologic plastic surgery. Dr. Bader takes great pride in his versatile Ivy League training, board-certified expertise, and the personal connection he forges with his patients. Dr. Bader graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences with Distinction, completed an internship at Yale New Haven Hospital, served as Chief Resident in Dermatology at Hahnemann University, and completed a fellowship in Mohs’ and Dermatologic Plastic Surgery at Affiliated Dermatology, a program affiliated with Columbia University.
Q: What are the best non-surgical treatments for wrinkles?
A. Many procedures are available that do not involve “the knife.” Non-ablative laser resurfacing and Ultherapy are great skin tightening options that are completely non-invasive. Morpheus, Secret RF, fillers, toxins and threads are excellent minimally invasive options to tighten skin or reduce lines and folds. Chemical peels and fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing are still great ways to reduce fine lines and even out skin tones.
Q: Can I lose fat and tighten the skin without any surgery or downtime?
A. Yes, TruSculpt iD uses radio frequency to create heat, which destroys fat cells and tightens the skin. Treatments are painless, take 15 minutes and require no downtime.
Q. Some believe that Mohs’ Surgery leaves scars. Is that true?
A. Mohs’ micrographic surgery is a method of tumor removal which removes the least amount of non-cancerous skin. The reconstruction after is largely responsible for how the area will look after the surgery. In some cases, leaving a wound to heal by itself can have a great outcome.
Photo by
Aaaron
Bristol
RAFAEL C. CABRERA, MD, FACS Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
Dr. Rafael C. Cabrera is board-certified in general surgery and plastic surgery. He has been practicing plastic and reconstructive surgery in Boca Raton for over two decades and is on staff exclusively at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
Dr. Cabrera received his BA with Distinction from Cornell University in 1985 before graduating from New York University School of Medicine in 1989. He completed his Surgery Residency and Plastic Surgery Fellowship at the New York University Medical Center Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and the prestigious Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. Dr. Cabrera also completed the Research Fellowship in Scarless Wound Healing at New York University Medical Center.
Q. What defines a good facelift?
A. A good facelift means you look beautifully natural without anyone knowing you’ve had work done. Tightening the muscle layer and ligaments are often necessary to get a more youthful contour. Adding volume with natural tissue, like your own fat and stem cells, will augment and rejuvenate your face by replacing facial deflation associated with aging.
Q. How do you achieve natural looking results?
A. No chipmunk-cheeks or duck-lips allowed! Using the correct technique ensures natural-looking results. A multitude of tools are used to regain a more youthful appearance. Over-lasering the face or over-filling the cheeks and lips to hide every last wrinkle is not flattering. Ultimately, patients rely on my expertise, esthetic judgement, trust and integrity.
Q. What procedures are popular for men?
A. Since men now work longer, retire harder, and can maintain muscle mass by exercising, it is important to have their face match their body. Droopy eyes and a sagging neck is a stark contrast from their otherwise sharp, on-the-ball appearance and physique. An eye and neck lift can greatly improve their appearance.
Photo by
Carlos Aristizabal
JANET ALLENBY, DO Cosmetic Dermatology
Dr. Janet Allenby is an artist dedicated to harmonizing medical prowess with an aesthetic touch. With an illustrious career spanning nearly three decades in South Florida, Dr. Allenby’s approach continues to go beyond traditional dermatology, with a focus on sculpting timeless beauty that enhances both the physical and mental well-being of her patients.
“My passion lies in helping patients actualize their aesthetic goals using cutting-edge technology in injectable products, devices and skin care. Each patient undergoes a comprehensive assessment, leading to a personalized treatment plan targeting specific concerns. Our most sought-after services include skin rejuvenation, facial balancing and structural correction, with the aim of minimizing downtime and delivering efficient, effective results,” explains Dr. Allenby.
Q: What is the new weight loss solution you offer?
A. We’re excited to provide patients with semaglutide and tirzepatide—a safe, effective and affordable weight loss solution that is the compound version of Ozempic and Mounjaro. While not FDA-approved, it has helped patients lose weight utilizing hormones that turn off the “brain chatter,” erasing the thought pattern of eating excessively. It works to curb the appetite, making you feel full more quickly.
Q: What are the latest developments in laser skin treatments?
A. Data is reflecting that CO2 ablative laser treatments are “waking up” the cells and rejuvenating the cells to act younger, thereby preventing some pre-cancer and skin cancers, making the skin appear more even and less wrinkled, diminishing brown spots, and tightening the tissues by building up collagen.
Q: How do you treat the “Bar Code Lines” of the lips?
A. I use a special technique with SKINVIVE™, an injectable hyaluronic acid, typically for hydrating skin. This involves finely coating the skin under the upper lip, which fills in the vertical lip lines and brightens the skin by buffering light penetration from the skin to the muscle.
Photo by Michael Connor Photography
JONATHAN AKER, MD Cataract Surgery and Refractive Surgery
Dr. Jonathan Aker knew he had a calling for the medical field from an early age. The middle child born to physician parents, he charted his own course towards his chosen profession as an eye surgeon, fueled by his innate passion to help people.
His prestigious medical education includes degrees from Boston University School of Medicine, and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU. He then completed his ophthalmology training at the renowned Storm Eye Institute in Charleston. Dr. Jonathan Aker joined Aker Kasten Eye Center in 2023, bringing a wide range of diagnostic and surgical expertise in the treatment of ophthalmic disorders.
Q: What advancements in cataract surgery do you provide?
A. Each patient is unique, and we tailor treatment options accordingly. We use the latest technologies in cataract surgery, such as laser-assisted cataract surgery and premium lens implants, to meet each patient’s specific goals. Our surgical facility is uniquely in-house, which allows us to provide unmatched quality in patient care.
Q: What is the benefit of the Light Adjustable Lens for patients?
A. The Light Adjustable Lens is probably the most exciting advancement in premium lens implants in decades. After cataract surgery, we can adjust the prescription of your new lens implant while it is in your eye. This provides for precision customizability and allows us to guarantee the best possible result for our patients.
Q: What kind of refractive procedures do you provide for younger patients?
A. We provide comprehensive treatment options for younger patients wanting to get rid of their glasses. An exciting advancement in refractive surgery today is the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL). With ICL, we can provide superior quality vision without altering the shape of your cornea. This allows us to avoid the unwanted side effects of traditional laser procedures, such as dry eye.
Photo by
Michael Connor Photography
JOHN F. MORRISON, MD, FAANS, FCNS
The Morrison Clinic
Boca Raton Palm Beach
9325 Glades Road, Suite 104 214 Brazilian Ave., Suite 200B
Delray Beach Lake Worth Beach 4600 Linton Blvd., Suite 310 2290 10th Ave. N., Suite 401
Dr. John Morrison treats a variety of neurological conditions from head, neck, back and/ or nerve pain to aneurysms, normal pressure hydrocephalus, acoustic neuroma, head trauma and concussion management, as well as trigeminal neuralgia. He performs endoscopic spine surgery, spinal fusion, cerebrovascular neurosurgery, skull base surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, microvascular decompression, and excision of brain and spine tumors.
“My goal in founding the Morrison Clinic was to be independent and have a level of autonomy to do the cases I want and make my own decisions for my patients, while understanding the responsibility that entails. I accept most insurance policies to give access to as many patients as possible and provide health care that everyone deserves,” explains Morrison.
Q: What are some causes of neck and back pain?
A. Often back and neck pain stems from the part of the spine called the intervertebral disc, which has two parts—the gelatinous part that absorbs the shock, and the fibrous part called the annulus. If you have an annulus tear, it can cause disc herniation, which can cause inflammation, irritation and compressed nerves, leading to shooting pains.
Q: What new technology do you use to treat this pain?
A. We are the only practice performing Discseel® for this type of pain. We test each disc, use a bio glue to seal the annulus, and treat it with exosomes. The goal is healing, relief of pain, and restoration of function.
Q: What enhanced services do you provide patients?
A. We have eight convenient South Florida neurosurgery locations from Stuart to Hollywood to Palm Beach. Further, we have implemented concierge services that include direct access to your neurosurgeon, priority scheduling, pre-operative planning services, and coordination and accommodation assistance for peri- and post-operative care services, including rides to and from appointments.
VIVIAN HERNANDEZ, MD, FACS Plastic Surgery
Dr. Vivian Hernandez is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is known for creating natural, aesthetically pleasing results for her patients. With more than two decades of experience and trained by some of the world’s leading surgeons, Dr. Hernandez provides individualized treatment plans combining proven methods with the latest techniques.
Throughout her career, Dr. Hernandez has been widely recognized for her attention to every detail of patient care, and she is committed to personally help patients fulfill their goals. She has received numerous accolades for her work, and her rise to one of the top facelift surgeons in South Florida is a testament to her artistry and skill.
Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to patient care?
A. Each patient is unique to me, and I strive to care for them in the same way I would want to be treated. Therefore, evaluation is very personalized to each patient’s needs, and I spend a great deal of time getting to know my patients on a very personal level to understand what will make them happy. From that point on, I am there as their doctor every step of the way.
Q. How do you approach treatment for your patients?
A. The aging process takes a toll, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. I want my patients to feel good about themselves again, and my goal isn’t to make them look different, but help them look fresher, healthier, and more vibrant. I strive to help each individual find the right procedure to recapture a radiant self-image that reinforces their confidence and self-esteem.
Q. What services do you offer?
A. As a plastic surgeon, I specialize in surgical rejuvenation of the face. Some patients, however, are not eligible for surgery. With that in mind, I offer a variety of non-surgical options like injectables, dermal fillers, neuromodulators, laser treatments and more. Even for nonsurgical treatments, I apply the same care and artistry to make the outcomes as natural and pleasing as possible.
JOSEPH PURITA, MD Regenerative Medicine
Apioneer in orthopedic regenerative cell and PRP, Dr. Joseph Purita has lectured in more than 27 countries, sharing his four decades of expertise with fellow physicians and health care professionals. Dr. Purita lectures on a range of topics, from “inflamm-aging” to light therapies to antiinflammatory treatment protocols and more. He also serves as Medical Director of PUR-FORM.
PUR-FORM features regenerative medicine, TRT, peptide therapy, ED therapies, weight loss, IV therapy, and wellness treatments such as cryotherapy, infrared sauna, cold plunge and much more. Each treatment is designed to help patients perform at their highest level by offering access to personalized care and the latest high-tech modalities.
Q: Why is mitochondrial health a focus in your practice?
A. The mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells. Many diseases and symptoms of aging occur because your mitochondria are starting to fail you. By blending both cutting-edge regenerative medicine with traditional medicine, we are able to treat many diseases of the body’s 10 to 15 systems and leave our patients feeling better than ever.
Q: What are senescent cells, and why treat them?
A. Senescent cells (“zombie cells”) are cells that stopped dividing but are not dead. While they do provide a few positive physiological functions, including wound healing and slowing cancer progression, excessive senescence is mostly bad for healthy organ function and is believed to be one of the major causes of aging, shortening life and health span.
Q: What are the benefits of your membership plan?
A. Each of the three membership tiers offered includes a set number of core wellness treatments (cryotherapy, cold plunge, infrared sauna, red light bed, compression therapy and vitamin shots) and provides the membership holder a special discounted rate on advanced anti-aging and anti-inflammatory treatments. By becoming a member, patients can affordably do more treatments to enhance their well-being.
Photo by Michael Connor Photography
CHRISTOPHER RYAN SEPE, DDS General and Cosmetic Dentistry
With a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry from FSU, Christopher Sepe went on to graduate from the prestigious New York University Dental School and completed a hospital-based residency program at Staten Island Hospital. After years of providing patients with comprehensive dental care in Delray Beach, his reputation for excellence earned him the respect, admiration and ultimate trust of Dr. Roy Stark, a renowned dental practitioner of 39 years who chose Sepe to take over his practice upon his recent retirement.
“Dr. Sepe brings a compassionate concern for his patients. We are very confident that you will feel as comfortable with Dr. Sepe as you have been with us, and he will continue to merit your trust and referrals of family and friends at Sepe Dental,” said Dr. Stark.
Q: What scope of services do you offer?
A. My specialized education includes endodontics, surgical extractions, implant placement and restoration. At Sepe Dental I provide all aspects of modern general dentistry, restorative procedures, veneers, and all-ceramic crowns, advanced cosmetic treatments, individualized Smile Design, teeth whitening and prosthetics. We also offer preventative hygiene care with our skilled hygienists.
Q: What is your approach to patient care?
A. Just as each patient’s personality is different, so are their unique dental needs. I take the time to understand their goals, calm and address any fears, and make each person feel at ease throughout each and every procedure. I build lasting relationships with my patients.
Q: How has the transition been at the new practice?
A. I’ve been here for about eight months, and I’m starting to see repeat patients already. I am honored that Dr. Stark vouched for me with all of these people, because he was very well respected. His patients tell me, “He’s a very picky guy, so you must be a good dentist if he chose you!”
Photo by Michael Connor Photography
825 Meadows Road, Suite 111
Boca Raton, FL 33486
561-961-3005 Conciergemedicineofbocaraton.com
CAITLIN PRICKETT, DO JARON SCHAUMBERG, DO Internal Medicine
Dr. Caitlin Prickett is a board-certified internal medicine physician and the founder of Concierge Medicine of Boca Raton, providing highly personalized and proactive health care. Her approach focuses on health, wellness and longevity, utilizing unique tools to optimize patient success.
Concierge Medicine of Boca Raton is pleased to welcome a new addition to the practice, board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Jaron Schaumberg, who shares her philosophy of a proactive approach to health and wellness. “We are excited that our practice is expanding and to announce that Dr. Schaumberg is currently accepting new patients.”
Q: Why offer advanced lab testing?
A. Advanced cholesterol panels look at more than just cholesterol by utilizing biomarkers to assess the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. We also offer advanced cellular micronutrient assays to look at the six-month nutritional status of your cells with 75 different micronutrients. Micronutrient deficiencies can cause various health issues, so identifying and addressing them is crucial for optimizing your health.
Q: How do you utilize whole-body MRI?
A. The whole-body MRI option is a proactive way to assess the structures inside your body. It can detect things like early-stage cancers, aneurysms and asymptomatic issues that we need to take care of earlier, rather than waiting later for symptom development.
Q: What are other innovative tests available at the practice?
A. We are proud to offer a wide range of tests designed to provide comprehensive insights into health, including the Galleri early-cancer detection test, the PSE prostate test to differentiate benign conditions versus cancer, and the BrainCheck cognitive and brain health test.
Photo by Carlos Aristizabal
habitat
Join Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County in building brighter futures in our community. Sign up to build, fundraise, donate, sponsor, or volunteer – there are so many ways to get involved with Habitat and make a lasting impact! No construction experience is necessary.
Executive Build
Executive Build is an annual fundraising event where local business executives and community leaders leave their alongside Habitat families.
Equity Build
Women Build
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope in Palm Beach County. We build because we believe that everyone deserves a get involved today.
Gina Harrow
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2024
Town Center at Boca Raton – 6000 Glades Road (North Entrance) Boca Raton
Join the Literacy Coalition for an inspiring celebration of literacy featuring a noted speaker and benefiting nine programs countywide, including 63 sites in the south county.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
NOVEMBER 7, 2024 TO MARCH 30, 2025
Sebastián López de Arteaga, Saint Michael Striking Down the Rebellious Angels [detail], 1650-1652, oil on copper. Courtesy of the Hispanic Society of America, New York. This exhibition was organized by The Hispanic Society of America, with support from The Museum Box.
Barbara Bradshaw & Dan Leonard in The Chairs, 2008
Photo: Alicia Donelan
Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2024-25 Season
Twenty-fifth anniversaries are traditionally commemorated with a gift of silver. But when Palm Beach Dramaworks embarks on its twenty-fifth anniversary season in November, what the company has in store for its audience is pure gold. PBD will celebrate this milestone occasion with an eclectic array of invigorating plays that epitomize the notion of “Theatre to Think About.”
The season features revivals of Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser and Mark St. Germain’s Camping with Henry and Tom, two compelling plays that were performed early in the company’s history; the world premiere of Gina Montet’s Dangerous Instruments, which continues PBD’s commitment to new plays; Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Lost in Yonkers; and Stephen Karam’s Tony Awardwinning The Humans
“When PBD was founded in 2000, we believed that there were local audiences hungry for challenging work, plays that illuminate the human condition and resonate in deeply personal ways,” said Producing Artistic Director William Hayes. “We were naïve enough to think, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ It turned out that we were correct. We are so grateful to the community for their steadfast support and encouragement as we have expanded and evolved.”
That evolution is exemplified by the company’s new plays festival. Launched in 2019, it
officially became the Perlberg Festival of New Plays last season. PBD’s goal is for the festival to become a leader in fostering the future of the American theatre canon. This popular annual event, which will be held from January 17-19, 2025, features professional readings of five developing plays, each one followed by a post-performance discussion. “Playwrights have told us again and again how nurturing, informative, and invaluable the festival is for them,” said Hayes. “And our audiences love the opportunity to offer feedback to the playwrights, as it gives them a part in the development process.”
Here’s a look at each of the season’s plays:
LOST IN YONKERS
By Neil Simon
November 1-17, 2024
Set during World War II, this funny and touching Pulitzer Prize-winning memory play is both an exploration of the wounds inflicted by family, and a testament to the power of familial love and resiliency.
THE DRESSER
By Ronald Harwood
December 20, 2024 - January 5, 2025
The co-dependent – if unequal – relationship between Sir, a renowned but fading actor, and Norman, his devoted, self-sacrificing dresser, is the heartbeat of this warts-and-all, tragicomic valentine to the transcendent magic of theatre.
WORLD PREMIERE
THE HUMANS
By Stephen Karam
February 14 - March 2, 2025
“A family play that is sort of infected by my love of the thriller genre,” is how the playwright once described this Tony Awardwinning comedy drama, in which the foibles, fears, and fragilities of an American family play out with great insight, humor, and compassion.
CAMPING WITH HENRY AND TOM
By Mark St. Germain
April 11 - 27, 2025
A work of fiction inspired by an actual 1921 camping trip taken by Warren G. Harding, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison – three men with starkly different personalities and world views – the play deals with issues and ideas that remain as relevant today as they were 100 years ago.
World Premiere DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS
By Gina Montet
May 23 - June 8, 2025
Laura, a single mother, finds herself thrust into a gripping battle against a broken system when her son, Daniel, spirals into darkness. She must confront a parent’s deepest fears and sacrifice everything to rescue Daniel from the brink of becoming America’s next tragic headline.
Photo by Sharon Morgenstern - Boca Ballet Theatre’s Coppélia
BACKSTAGE PASS
Popa Chubby, performing Oct. 18 at Funky Biscuit
It was supposed to be edgy, it was supposed to be hip. ... South Beach had just popped up, and everything was glitz and glam. We were the other way.”
—Jeff John
Jeff John
You say you want a Revolution? This hospitality maven has been bringing one to South Florida’s nightlife scene for 20 years.
Written by JOHN THOMASON
For the venue at 100 S.W. Third Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale, 2024 is a doubly historic year. Not only does September mark the 20th anniversary of its current tenant, Revolution Live; this year also recognizes the centenary of the building itself, erected in 1924.
The space has housed various and sundry occupants. From its advantageous location right off the train tracks, it was first a slaughterhouse, then, during the Second World War, an ammunitions factory. It became a Cajun restaurant, a cabaret, a honkytonk, and a gay-friendly nightclub called Backstreets, where emerging artists like Boy George and Madonna would perform.
In the early ‘90s, it operated as the Edge, a youth-centered rock club that lived up to its name (a Sun Sentinel article described it as a “big, old, weatherbeaten venue”), then ran as the Chili Pepper from 1997 to 2002.
CEO Jeff John and his partners in Damn Good Hospitality (DGH) bought the property in 2002, spent about two years overhauling and modernizing it, and reopened it as the 1,300-capacity Revolution Live in 2004. Since then, they have overseen more than 200 concerts—including, as John reminds us, early performances by some of the biggest names in music—and countless community events. Revolution even made its way onto the Silver Screen. “Rock of Ages”(2012) was set in Southern California but filmed in South Florida, with Revolution starring as the film’s ostentatious Bourbon Room. DGH has grown with the club, with John also running the adjacent spaces: the open-air America’s Backyard and Stache, a Prohibition-style drinking den. He also owns Delray Beach’s Warren, the whisky aficionado’s favorite restaurant. But Revolution Live, now one year shy of drinking age itself, remains DGH’s flagship, prized by both fans and artists for its firstrate acoustics and for always having its raised fist on the musical pulse.
Why did you choose the name Revolution?
It was supposed to be edgy, it was supposed to be hip, it was supposed to be alternative. South Beach had just popped up, and everything was glitz and glam. We were the other way. That’s why we went to Shepard Fairey to do the [fist in the air] logo.
Why has it lasted 20 years?
There are various reasons. I’ve had an exclusive relationship with Live Nation for a long time, since the day I opened. I always tip my hat and give credit to the team over there. I credit our staff. Being able to treat customers right and make sure they’re serviced and safe, that’s the biggest thing. We’re trustworthy. No matter what you come to see, you’re
treated the same—it’s safe, it’s fun, you get a quality experience. Hopefully we’ve been able to bring cutting-edge bands in where we can give the marketplace something that nobody else was bringing in. With not a lot of support down here when I started, meaning radio and advertising, for these bands it was very hard to get them here for a long time. I think the fact that we’ve been able to do that and bring cool, new, unique bands on top of established names to town, and treat people the right way, it’s been a working model.
Who are some of the artists that played Revolution Live, and then became enormous stars?
The big ones were Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Lady
Gaga, Katy Perry, John Legend, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar. We had Kings of Leon twice. Another one was the Weeknd—he blew sky-high after that.
Do you personally have a favorite Revolution concert you’ve attended?
They’re all personal, they’re all passionate. Chris Cornell was unbelievable; he passed away very shortly after. He was the nicest guy. A Tribe Called Quest was awesome; Shaquille O’Neal came up by himself and hung out. The first Wu-Tang Clan reunion tour we had was absolutely epic.
What are some of the community events that have launched or thrived at Revolution?
We’ve been so entrenched in the community. We have a Day of the Dead festival that I invested in with a partner. We’ve been ranked as one of the largest and best Day of the Dead festivals in the northern hemisphere. [The Day of the Dead Celebration returns Nov. 2 to downtown Fort Lauderdale and Revolution Live.—Ed.] The Mexican consulate comes up. Jim Hammond, from the Puppet Network, is the mastermind behind it; I’m the logistics and finance guy.
One of the things that has made me the proudest is that five days after that tragic, horrible Stoneman Douglas shooting, we did an event and raised $90,000. We gave away 17 angel scholarship funds with a lot of that money. … We’ve done endless charity events and fundraisers for people in the community in need. Anything we can do to elevate and upgrade our community is important to us.
Revolution Live CEO Jeff John
Performers counterclockwise from top: P!nk, the late Chris Cornell, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry
LARRY MARANO
September-October 2024
Through Sept. 15:
“A Chorus Line” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $45; 561/2721281, delraybeachplayhouse. com. Set on a barebones stage, composer Marvin Hamlisch’s 1975 meta-musical masterpiece chronicles a demanding choreographer’s attempt to cast a chorus line for his latest show. In the process, we discover the backstories of aspiring hoofers from a broad cross-section of modern life.
Through Oct. 6:
“Musha-Ningyō: Avatars of the Samurai Spirit” at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; $10-$16 museum admission; 561/4950233, morikami.org. Musha-ningyō, or “warrior dolls,” served as a symbol for spiritual transcendence, self-development and self-sacrifice beginning in Japan’s historic Edo period. More than 50 such dolls are on display in this Morikami exhibition, representing both historic and legendary figures in Japanese culture.
Sept. 13-14:
Erica Rhodes at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7 and 9 p.m.; $38-$48; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com. A millennial comedian with a high voice and smart, deadpan material encompassing themes such as aging, gender and notoriety, Rhodes launched her career as a teenager when she voiced Garrison Keillor’s “conscience” on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Other credits include “Modern Family,” “Veep” and “New Girl.”
Through Oct. 13:
“Myths, Secrets, Lies and Truths: Contemporary Photography From the Doug McGraw Collection” at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $12-$16 museum admission; 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org. The museum’s prominent summer exhibition is really three solo exhibits that fall under similar thematic umbrellas: All deal with issues of identity, representation, and the contrast between inner and outer worlds.
“Miss
Sept. 14:
Korn at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6:30 p.m.; $32-$715; 561/7958883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com. The self-titled debut album from brooding California rockers Korn arrived like a blast furnace in 1994, all but inventing the nu-metal subgenre and appealing to a generation of alienated young listeners. The band will perform the album in its entirety, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, on a tour supported by Gojira and Spiritbox.
Sept. 19-29:
“Sidekicked” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $59-$69; 561/2721281, delraybeachplayhouse. com. Vivian Vance, who played Lucille Ball’s longtime comedic foil Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy” and its spinoffs, emerges from sidekick to solo star in this play by Kim Powers. An actress portrays Vance as she reflects on her career as “second banana” to a legend, while sharing unheard stories from the “Lucy” universe.
Anita” from “Myths, Secrets, Lies and Truths”
“A Chorus Line” “Sidekicked” ”Musha-ningyō”
Sept. 7:
Dion Kerr at Arts Garage, 180 N.E. First St.; 8 p.m.; $35-$40; 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org. An artist and composer perched on the boundary of the jazz mainstream and avant-garde, Delray Beach native Kerr is an innovative bassist touring behind his latest and most ambitious project, “eko vizion meusik,” a series of groove-based instrumentals complemented by bespoke visual projections. Kerr plays with his quartet of two guitarists and a drummer.
Sept. 7-8:
Downtown Delray Beach Craft Festival on East Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; free; 561/7466615, artfestival.com. This 28th-annual tradition on the Avenue will feature artists offering their creations in mediums including glass art, mixed media, jewelry, wood, ceramics, furniture, fiber art, photography, metal and more, at prices to meet any budget.
Sept.
12:
“The Road Scholar” with Remy Connor at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7:30 p.m.; $33; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com. From close-up magic to sword juggling and fire eating, this eclectic illusionist has myriad tricks up his sleeve. His latest production “The Road Scholar” finds Connor blending fresh magic tricks with personal stories of life as a nomadic entertainer.
Sept. 20:
Kris Allen at the Studio at Mizner Park, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 7:30 p.m.; $29.50-$39.50; 561/2033742, thestudioatmiznerpark.com. Arkansas-born singer-songwriter Allen won the eighth season of “American Idol” in 2009, upsetting expected victor Adam Lambert, and mastering a range of styles from the Beatles to Marvin Gaye to Styx. He supports his seventh LP Pole Vaulter, inspired by the music of Paul Simon.
Sept. 20:
Ali Siddiq at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 7 p.m.; $30-$125; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. Comedian Siddiq, a Houston native who grew up in his city’s projects and served a six-year sentence in the 1990s for selling cocaine, honed his craft for standup comedy while in prison. He has since become a remarkable, cross-talent success story, releasing 12 albums, establishing a speaking business, and hosting a radio show.
Sept. 13:
A Night with Zac Harmon and the Drive at Arts Garage, 180 N.E. First St.; 8 p.m.; $40-$45; 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org. Growing up immersed in the rich blues heritage of Jackson, Miss., where his musician father played harmonica for B.B. King and Muddy Waters, Harmon became a prolific songwriter for others before striking out on his own in the early 2000s. He has since established a road-tested, soulful blues-rock style over the course of eight albums.
Sept. 21:
Creed at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 7 p.m.; $40-$420; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com. Reuniting for the first time since 2012, Florida natives and post-grunge icons Creed will perform the hits that dominated rock radio at the turn of the 21st century, such as “My Own Prison” and “Higher,” with most of the original lineup intact. “Kryptonite” hit-makers 3 Doors Down and Finger Eleven will open the show.
Sept. 21:
Squeeze at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 N.E. Sixth St., Pompano Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $44.50$89.50; 561/223-7231, pompanobeacharts.org. London-born new wave institutions Squeeze, an onand-off touring concern for 50 years, have earned comparisons to the Beatles for their run of sprightly and enduring pop hits such as “Up the Junction” and “Tempted.” Boy George, the charismatic frontman of Culture Club, opens the show.
Remy Connor Zac Harmon
Kris Allen Dion Kerr
JORGE PARRA
September-October 2024
Sept.
22:
Chris MacDonald’s Jukebox Memories at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7 p.m.; $43-$53; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox. com. One of Elvis Presley’s top impersonators and the originator of “Memories of Elvis” expands his persona and vocal range to embody numerous singers from the peak jukebox era, including Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Dion and Van Morrison.
Sept. 27:
Oz Noy Trio at Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 6 and 9 p.m.; $30-$40; 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit. com. Arriving in New York City in 1996 after rising to the top echelon of Israeli jazz music, guitarist Oz Noy continues to push the boundaries of his genre in new directions, embracing rock and world music as an heir to fusion maestros Pat Metheny and John Scofield. He brings his industrious trio, with bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Anton Fig, to Boca.
Oct. 5:
Tammy Pescatelli at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7 and 9 p.m.; $38-$48; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com. Fueled by the universal comedic fodder of dating, relationships, family life and generational differences, this observational comic and self-described “verbal assassin” punctures norms with her “tell it like it is” perspective.
Sept. 27:
Violent Femmes at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 N.E. Sixth St., Pompano Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $59.50-$88; 561/2237231, pompanobeacharts.org. A mainstay of the American indie underground and college radio since their 1981 formation on the streets of Milwaukee, Violent Femmes will perform their first two albums in their entirety in honor of their 40th and 41st anniversaries, respectively; expect to dance to such multigenerational hits as “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off.”
Oct. 6:
Anthony Geraci at Arts Garage, 180 N.E. First St.; 7 p.m.; $40-$45; 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org. Perennial award-winning pianist, Hammond organist, vocalist and composer Geraci is among the most successful boogie-woogie piano players of his era, performing in the cherished style of Pinetop Perkins and recording with a who’s-who of blues luminaries, from Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry to Big Mama Thornton and Big Joe Turner.
Oct. 10-Nov. 3:
“Groucho” at The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; various show times; $94-$109; 561/995-2333, thewick.org. A dead ringer for, if not a reincarnation of, Groucho Marx, actor Frank Ferrante portrays his idol in this twoact, mostly one-man show, in which the comic actor sings, shares stories from his Hollywood career, offers his most iconic quips, and ad-libs with the audience, accompanied by a live pianist.
Tammy Pescatelli
Violent Femmes
Oz Noy
Anthony Geraci
YOSSI ZWECKER ZACKWHITFORD
Sept. 28:
Hootie & the Blowfish at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 7 p.m.; $34-$309; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com. Thirty years after their landmark 1994 debut Cracked Rear View —one of the top 20-selling albums in music history—these industrious road warriors return to their pop-rock roots, with frontman Darius Rucker taking a brief break from his successful country career.
Arrive early for Collective Soul and Edwin McCain.
Sept. 28:
Benise: “Fiesta!” at Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs; 7:30 p.m.; $36.03-$108.79; 954/3445990, thecentercs.com.
Benise, the Emmy-winning “Prince of Spanish Guitar,” and a full cast of musicians and dancers return to South Florida for a globetrotting evening of Spanish flamenco, Cuban salsa, Parisian waltzes and African drumming.
Oct. 4:
“Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 8 p.m.; $45$100; 561/832-7469, kravis. org. Scenes from the three seasons of the cult Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” will screen on a full-size projection screen, while a live orchestra will perform the show’s sweeping score, complete with its cross-cultural fusion of Taiko drums and erhus with clarinets and violins.
Oct. 18:
Popa Chubby at Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 9 p.m.; $30-$40; 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com. This renegade blues rocker cut his musical teeth in the New York City punk scene, emerging alongside artists like the Ramones and Richard Hell. Their anarchic sound continues to inspire his tempestuous, high-energy output as a solo artist whose oeuvre has been described as “The Stooges meets Buddy Guy.”
Oct. 21:
An Evening With David Sedaris at the Parker, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; 7:30 p.m.; $69.75-$88; 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org. A national treasure of American humor, award-winning author and NPR contributor Sedaris has published 15 essay collections, most of them instant best-sellers, that find the comedy and absurdity in everyday life. He returns to the stage for an evening of all-new readings and recollections, along with a Q&A and book signing.
Oct. 4-20:
“The Prom” at Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; various show times; $TBA; 561/5866410, lakeworthplayhouse. org. Composer Matthew Sklar’s witty and heartfelt musical, based on a real-life case of homophobic discrimination, follows a quartet of washed-up Broadway actors who, in an effort to re-establish their relevance, rally behind a cause célèbre: a bullied high school girl in Indiana who was barred from bringing her girlfriend to prom.
Oct. 26-Nov. 10:
“The Last Yiddish Speaker” at Theatre Lab at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton; 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun.; $35-$45; 561/2976124, fauevents.com. Set in a dystopian future following a successful insurrection against the U.S. government, playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer’s harrowing cautionary tale takes place in a Christian Nationalist surveillance state in which a family of Jews, living in hiding, must confront their heritage when they meet a clandestine Yiddish speaker.
Oct. 29-Nov. 3:
“Mrs. Doubtfire” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 8 p.m.; $TBA; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. One of the latest ‘90s cultural touchstones to enjoy new life on the Broadway stage, this musical comedy adaptation of the hit Robin Williams movie features 16 new songs, and is centered on a divorced actor who impersonates a Scottish nanny in order to remain in his children’s lives.
“Mrs Doubtfire”
Benise
Popa Chubby
“Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert”
ZDENKO HANOUT
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Executive Chef / Restauranteur Steven Botta has added the former Kathy’s Gazebo to his portfolio of high end restaurants. The 40 year tradition of excellence continues in a newly reimagined and newly renovated space.
The name and decor may have changed but the menu has all the old menu favorites with some exciting new ones which will delight the palate. From the moment you arrive you will quickly realize that you have entered a restaurant where old world service is still the norm rather than the exception.
A throwback to the days when where guests become family and a place to make new memories while reminiscing about past ones. Come join us and see what all the excitement is about. We look forward to seeing you. Yevette, Steven and Anthony.
Yevette, Steven and Anthony
Dover Sole Duck a l’Orange
Wagyu hanger steak from Pink Steak
Pink Steak
2777 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561/557-9083
Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
South Florida is the land of strip malls, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that Pink Steak was tucked into one. However, owner/chef Julien Gremaud did a standout job with its curb appeal. A bubblegum-pink lattice trimmed with flowering vines drew us in, while the emerald-green carpet lined with fiery torches and metallic lanterns ignited the glamorous allure that awaited us inside.
As our eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, we took in the pink-hued space accented with tropical murals, plush avocado-green booths, plume-like chandeliers, striking wood and marble details, a towering giraffe, and plenty of flamingoes. The whimsical design is undoubtedly a vibe, but I wondered if the food would live up to the buzzy hype. When it opened in December, it was touted as the new “it” place to see and be seen. Pink Steak is the third concept in Gremaud’s Palm Beach portfolio, which also includes Avocado Grill and Avocado Cantina, and it’s helmed by Executive Chef Aaron Black (formally of PB Catch).
As I reviewed the menu, something surprised me immediately. No, it wasn’t the sushi. (But yes, there’s sushi at this steakhouse.) It was the assortment of intriguing appetizers. I almost felt like I could happily curate a meal with its above-the-fold selections. Before the meat lovers come for me, it’s a steakhouse with plenty of choice cuts and classic chophouse dishes like the Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail and creamed spinach, but there are other noteworthy options as well.
We started with the Pink Steak Roll ($32), Tuna Cones ($22), Beef Tartare ($23) and Hamachi Crudo
($24). At first, it seemed excessive, but the portions were far from the Cheesecake Factory’s. We savored each dish without feeling like we had to be rolled out after we had also ingested the steak, wine and dessert.
The shrimp tempura rolls topped with salmon, hamachi, tuna and onyx caviar pearls swam in a delicate yuzu-soy broth that surprised me when it arrived but was deliciously citrusy, with hints of cilantro. It evoked a refreshing ceviche. The paper-thin crudo was served with a tableside pour of creamy tom kha sauce and a mélange of mushrooms, onions, cilantro and peanuts that gave each slice a nice crunchy texture. The petite cones, stuffed with tuna in a tart ponzu with avocado and topped with caviar, were straightforward and enjoyable.
Among apps, the tartare stood out because of its uniqueness. A perfectly crispy potato rosti, which reminded me of browned hashbrowns or fried latkes, supports the hand-cut filet mignon that’s layered with crunchy fennel (a wonderful surprise) and topped with Parmesan cheese and a dash of truffles. It was a beautifully balanced dish with interesting textures and layers.
I appreciated the sharp, sleek steak knife as I cut into the Wagyu hanger steak ($55) that was pink and moist inside with a nice, charred coffee rub exterior. There’s always room for dessert, so we dove into the Chocolate Fondant Cake ($14), an elevated and indulgent brownie à la mode with a macadamia nut crumble and vanilla ice cream and drizzled with salted caramel.
So, did Pink Steak live up to the hype? Absolutely.
Clockwise from bottom, tuna cones, shrimp tempura rolls, and hamachi crudo
Arturo’s Restaurant
ICHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
t’s rare to feel like you’re pulling up to a restaurateur’s home when you park for dinner. The family-owned Arturo’s is fashioned like a classic Italian villa, with its terracotta roof and late-harvest wine-hued building.
It’s like the late patriarch and restaurant’s namesake, Arturo Gismondi, wanted to transport guests back to Sora, his Italian hometown, before they savored one bite. Now, after more than 40 years, Arturo’s, which many say was the vanguard of fine dining in Boca, continues its unwavering tradition of serving Italian classics in its white-tablecloth setting.
After so many decades, this isn’t the first review this restaurant has fared. However, since our last review was published eight years ago, we wanted to revisit it to see how it was weathering the influx of new Italian concepts and mercurial dining trends. I visited on a Saturday evening and found it brimming with guests, even during the tail end of the season. The Gismondi family goes to great lengths
to take care of its patrons, who, over the years, have become honorary family members themselves. We were greeted with a smile, walked past the pasta-making room—where we peered in like kids in an ice cream shop—and were seated in the glass-enclosed patio room overlooking its terrace.
The pianist tickled the ivories while his son serenaded us as we perused the menu. Classic antipasti like beef carpaccio, prosciutto di Parma with cantaloupe, and a Caprese salad with imported mozzarella all grace the menu. We started with the fried calamari and shrimp ($22) and Arturo’s famous torta primavera ($20). The calamari were lightly fried and tender on the inside—exactly what you’d expect from the dish—but the shrimp were overcooked and dry. The torta, with its thin crepes, vegetables like artichoke and spinach and a mixture of meats like salami and prosciutto, was interesting. While it wasn’t to my taste, I could see the allure for those who enjoy that combination of vegetables and meats.
Our server shared that several kinds of pasta are made in-house, like the capellini, fettuccine, ravioli and gnocchi. So we opted for the fettuccine alla Bolognese ($32) and veal piccata ($40). As the menu offered many different preparations, it seemed this was the place to order the veal. While the fettuccine delivered on its promise of perfectly al dente pasta topped with savory meat (it’s veal, in case you’re wondering, and I would order this again and again), the piccata, on the brink of dryness and lacking a depth of flavor, fell short.
Regardless of the hits or misses, looking around the room I could feel what made Arturo’s a staple in our community. It was the love among friends celebrating a birthday, couples on a date, and families chatting around the dinner table, not a cellphone in sight.
Arturo’s brings generations of diners together with its warm ambiance, simple Italian fare that’s classic and consistent, and award-winning wine cellar with more than 1,000 bottles.
Clockwise from bottom: scaloppina vitello piccata con capperi, calamari e gamberetti fritti, and torta primavera.
FLORIDA TABLE Dining Guide
Palm Beach County BOCA RATON
388 Italian Restaurant By Mr. Sal —3360 N. Federal Highway. Italian. This family-owned outpost of its Long Island flagship prides itself on nostalgic, quintessential dishes. Pastas like alla vodka, marinara and spicy rigatoni share the menu with chicken and veal entrees in beloved preparations like masala, Milanese and parmigiana. Choose from half or whole portions to share with the table. It’s also known for its lively ambiance, so come here for an Italian feast but stay for the party. Dinner nightly. 561/794-3888. $$$
Abe & Louie’s —2200 Glades Road. Steakhouse. All Americans are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among them the right to a thick, juicy, perfectly cooked steak. At this posh, comfortable (and expensive) meatery, the USDA Prime steaks are indeed thick, juicy and perfectly cooked, also massively flavorful and served in enormous portions. Don’t miss the New York sirloin or prime rib, paired in classic steakhouse fashion with buttery hash browns and uber-creamy creamed spinach. Chased with an icecold martini or glass of red wine from the truly impressive list, it’s happiness pursued and captured. • Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner nightly. Brunch on Sat. and Sun. 561/447-0024. $$$$
AlleyCat—297 E.Palmetto Park Road. Japanese. Chef Eric Baker’s Japanese izakaya, or a casual spot for drinks and bites, is serving up dishes like sushi, dumplings and fried rice that have an unexpected whimsical element. Here you’ll find king crab tacos and hot fried chicken alongside the hamachi ponzu and spicy scallop roll. And to deliver the freshest sushi in town, he has partnered with celebrated sushi chef David Bouhadana of Sushi by Bou. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/353-5888. $$
DINING KEY
$: Under $17
$$: $18–$35
$$$: $36–$50
$$$$: $50 and up
Arturo’s Ristorante —6750 N. Federal Highway. Italian. Arturo’s quiet, comfortable dining room; slightly formal, rigorously professional service; and carefully crafted Italian dishes never go out of style. You’ll be tempted to make a meal of the array of delectable antipasti from the antipasti cart, but try to leave room for main courses like the veal shank served on a bed of risotto. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/997-7373. $$$
Basilic Vietnamese Grill —200 S. Federal Highway. Vietnamese. This popular restaurant offers satisfying food and reasonable prices. Plus, there’s bubble tea. Opened in 2014, it has a wide range of Vietnamese favorites, such as cha gio tom heo, fried shrimp and pork Imperial rolls, all kinds of pho, noodle bowls, chicken curry and more. • Lunch and dinner six days a week; closed Tuesdays. 561/409-4964. $$
Bluefin Sushi and Thai—861 N.W. 51st St., Suite 1. Sushi/Thai. Arrive early for a table at this Asian hot spot—it’s popular with no reservations for parties fewer than six. Don’t skip the tempura lobster bomb, big in both size and taste. The ginger snapper will impress both Instagram and your stomach. Try the chicken satay and pad Thai. Bluefin offers a variety of dishes from multiple cultures, all well done. • Dinner daily. Lunch Mon.-Fri. 561/981-8869. $$
Burtons Grill & Bar —5580 N. Military Trail. New American. Known for its reliable food as well as its non-gluten, Paleo and “B Choosy” kids menu, the first Florida location for this restaurant is deservedly crowded, so make reservations. Don’t miss the General Tso’s cauliflower, the pan-seared salmon (Paleo), the crab cakes or the Key lime pie. Popular half-portions are available, too. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/465-2036. $
The Capital Grille —6000 Glades Road. Steaks. This is one of more than three dozen restaurants in a national chain, but the Boca Grille treats you like a regular at your neighborhood restaurant. Steaks, dry-aged if not Prime, are flavorful and cooked with precision, while starters from the pan-fried calamari to the restaurant’s signature spin on the Cobb salad (lunch only) are nicely done too. Parmesan truffle fries are crispy sticks of potato heaven; chocolate-espresso cake a study in shameless, and luscious, decadence. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/368-1077. $$$
Casa D’Angelo —171 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian.
Chef Rickie Piper, who has mastered the menu and cuisine of this fine-dining staple for more than a decade, knows when to say when with both plating and ingredients. His dishes, including the sides and accompaniments, are visually appetizing and aromatic. A grilled veal chop easily 3 inches thick proved tender and juicy, and the wild mushrooms served alongside in a marsala added earthiness. • Dinner nightly. 561/996-1234. $$$
Casimir French Bistro—416 Via De Palmas, Suite 81. French. Take a trip overseas without leaving the city and enjoy excellently prepared traditional French dishes, such as duck l’orange or beef bourguignon, or go with Cajun chicken and veal Milanese. The comfortable dining room is a Parisian experience, as is the apple tarte tatin. This is a local favorite, and may we add they have what is as close to real French bread as anyplace in Boca?
• Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/955-6001. $$$
Chez Marie French Bistro —5030 Champion Blvd. French. Marie will greet you at the door of this nicely decorated, intimate, classic French restaurant tucked in the corner
General Tso’s cauliflower from Burtons Grill & Bar
AARON BRISTOL
of a strip shopping area. This feels like an intimate neighborhood bistro and is a welcome discovery. From escargot encased in garlic butter, parsley and breadcrumbs to a tender duck a l’orange to an unforgettable crepe Suzette, you’ll be in Paris all evening. Voila! Also on the menu: pan-seared foie gras, tasty onion soup, coq au vin, rack of lamb, salads and more desserts. French food in an unassuming atmosphere.• Dinner Mon.-Sat. (closed on Mon. in summer) 561/997-0027. $$
Chops Lobster Bar —101 Plaza Real S., Royal Palm Place. Steak, seafood. There is nothing like a classic chophouse every now and then for a special dinner. At this upscale downtown restaurant, steaks are aged USDA Prime— tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked under a 1,700-degree broiler. There’s all manner of fish and shellfish, but you’re here for the lobster, whether giant Nova Scotian tails flash-fried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with lobster. Let’s face it: Trendy menus come and go, but a great steakhouse is a win-win on all occasions. • Dinner nightly. 561/395-2675. $$$$
Corvina Seafood Grill —110 Plaza Real S, Boca Raton. Seafood. The seafood-centric menu incorporates South Florida’s varied Latin and Caribbean culinary influences into it. Peruvian and Honduran ceviches share the menu with Brazilian fish stew. You’ll also find plantain crusted corvina in a Creole curry sauce alongside Jamaican jerk chicken and island spiced pork ribs. With a focus on sourcing local ingredients, the menu spotlights several daily specials so look out for those. Then there’s the indoor/outdoor bar that invites you to come in and stay a while, especially during its daily happy hour. • Dinner & Sunday Brunch. 561/206-0066. $$
Cuban Café —3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Suite B-30. Cuban. One thing Boca needs more of is coffee windows—and real Cuban restaurants. Part of the charm of South Florida is its melting pot of Latin cultures, and Cuba is the granddaddy of them all. Which is undoubtedly why diners pack this traditional Cuban restaurant for lunch specials that start at $10.95, including slow-roasted pork served with white rice and black beans. Other highlights include the Cuban sandwich, the media noche and (on the dinner menu only) lechón asado. Full bar. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/750-8860. $
Dorsia—5837 N. Federal Highway. Continental. The simple pleasures of the table—good food, personable service, comfortable ambience—are what this modestly stylish restaurant is all about. The menu has a strong Italian bent, evidenced by dishes like a trio of fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with an airy three-cheese mousse, and a cookbook-perfect rendition of veal scaloppine lavished with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and a tangy lemon-white wine sauce. • Dinner nightly. 561/961-4156. $$
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood —201 Plaza Real. Steak & Seafood. Eddie V’s is famous for its seafood and premium steaks, but this restaurant has also perfected the art of entertaining with nightly live music and a few tableside surprises. • Dinner nightly. 561/237-0067. $$$$
Farmer’s Table —1901 N. Military Trail. American. In the pantheon of healthy dining, Farmer’s Table is a standout in Boca, one of the first restaurants to elevate natural foods to fine dining. Fresh, natural, sustainable, organic and local is the mantra at this both tasty and health-conscious offering from Mitchell Robbins and Joey Giannuzzi. Menu highlights include flatbreads, slow-braised USDA Choice short rib and the popular Ramen Bowl, with veggies, ramen noodles and shrimp. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/417-5836. $$
Everyday Favorites
For an affordable bite at any time, consider these durable chains and homegrown Boca favorites—where the attire is understated and reservations are rarely necessary.
Biergarten—309 Via De Palmas, #90. German/Pub. Part vaguely German beer garden, part all-American sports bar, this rustic eatery offers menus that channel both, as well as an excellent selection of two-dozen beers on tap and the same number by the bottle. The food is basic and designed to go well with suds, like the giant pretzel with a trio of dipping sauces and the popular “Biergarten burger.” • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/3957462. $$
Bonefish Grill—9598 Glades Road. Seafood. Market-fresh seafood is the cornerstone, like Chilean sea bass prepared over a wood-burning grill and served with sweet Rhea’s topping (crabmeat, sautéed spinach and a signature lime, tomato and garlic sauce.) • Dinner nightly. Lunch on Saturdays. Brunch on Sundays. 561/483-4949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-1310; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/965-2663; 11658 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/799-2965) $$
The Cheesecake Factory—5530 Glades Road. American. Oh, the choices! The chain has a Sunday brunch menu in addition to its main menu, which includes Chinese chicken salad and Cajun jambalaya. Don’t forget about the cheesecakes, from white chocolate and raspberry truffle offerings. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-0344. (Other Palm Beach County locations: CityPlace, West Palm Beach, 561/802-3838; Downtown at the Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/776-3711). $$
P.F. Chang’s—1400 Glades Road. Chinese. There may have been no revolution if Mao had simply eaten at the Boca outpost of P.F. Chang’s—the portions are large enough to feed the masses—and the exquisite tastes in each dish could soothe any tyrant. We particularly like the steamed fish of the day, as well as the Szechuan-style asparagus. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-3722. (Other Palm Beach County location: 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/691-1610) $$
The Sandwich Shop at Buccan—350 S. County Road, Palm Beach and 1901 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. Takeout stop. Like big sister Buccan Italian restaurant, the Sandwich Shop is full of flavor and builds your favorite sandwich with just a touch of delicious creativity you won’t find elsewhere. Owned by celeb chef Clay Conley and partners, the menu has hot or cold sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks (both alcoholic and non). Good-sized portions mean the Italian and prosciutto subs include leftovers if you have some willpower.• Lunch daily. 561/833-6295. $$
Shake Shack—1400 Glades Road. American. We’re not sure there is really any such thing as a bad burger joint and when you have a really good one—like Shake Shack— there’s a little piece of heaven just a short order away. Shake Shack in University Commons has great all-Angus burgers, non-GMO buns, and a frozen custard that makes grown men weep. Throw in some crinkle-cut fries and life is the way it should be. And the outdoor patio is a definite bonus in these times. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/923-0847. $
Tap 42 —5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 247. Gastropub. This hugely popular nouveau-Industrial gastropub is not for the faint of eardrums when packed, but don’t let that discourage you. The kitchen here executes the hell out of a short, simple all-day menu. Grilled salmon chopped salad with tomatillo ranch dressing is delightful, as is guacamole studded with fat chunks of bacon and charred corn. Same goes for decadent shrimp mac-n-cheese. The wicked-good chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel sauce would be the envy of any Big Easy eatery. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Brunch Sat.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/235-5819. $
Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen —399 S.E. Mizner Blvd. American. Natural, seasonal, sustainable. You’ll enjoy the varied menu, and won’t believe it’s made without butters or creams. Try the too-good-to-be-true buffalo-style cauliflower appetizer, the seared salmon or buffalo burger, and have apple skillet for dessert. Healthy never tasted so good. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/826-2625. $$
The French Gazebo —4199 N. Federal Highway. French. Formerly Kathy’s Gazebo, this space has been a staple in our community for 40 years, but its new owners updated the design while keeping the same French classics on the menu like escargots, crêpes, dover sole and duckling. Its vintage character still reigns but now with an airier, contemporary undertone. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/395-6033. • $$$
Fiolina Pasta House —5377 Town Center Road. Italian. Fiolina is swanky, effortlessly easing into Boca’s idyllic, sophisticated style. Playful floral prints and vibrant pops of reds are the backdrop to la dolce vita-inspired artwork, an indoor-outdoor bar, and a sprawling terrace checkered with scarlet umbrellas and plush furniture. The menu takes you on a journey through award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi’s native land, with regional dishes spanning the Italian peninsula. • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sun., weekend brunch. 561/473-9400. $$$
Gallaghers Steakhouse —2006 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Steakhouse. At this chophouse, the staff is laser-focused on service, the bar pours stiff drinks, and the kitchen dishes out perfectly cooked steaks—a pure embodiment of what you’d expect from a steakhouse. While Gallaghers proved itself a master of its craft, don’t overlook the other items on the menu, like the stuffed shrimp and veal chop. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/559-5800. $$$$
The Grille On Congress —5101 Congress Ave. American. Dishes at this longtime favorite range from tasty chicken entrees and main-plate salads to seafood options like Asian-glazed salmon or pan-seared yellowtail snapper. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/912-9800. $$
Houston’s —1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Contemporary American. Convenient location, stylish ambience and impeccable service are hallmarks of this local outpost of the Hillstone restaurant chain. There are plenty of reasons why this is one of the most popular business lunch spots in all of Boca, including menu items like Cajun trout, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$$
Il Mulino New York Boca Raton —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. From the four pre-menu bites to the after-dinner coffee from freshly ground beans, this is a white-tablecloth venue that delivers on its upscale promises. Try the langostino, the red snapper, the risotto, the pasta, or go for the ceviches, caviars and seafood tower. Save room for dessert and complimentary lemoncello. Make a night of it. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/338-8606. $$$
tail snapper Francaise and lots more), a few steak, chicken, lamb and pork options, and a quality house-made apple crisp. Your traditional choices are baked, fried, breaded, grilled, broiled, sauteed. With Provencal, Francaise, maple mustard glaze, toasted macadamia nut pesto and piccata twists. A consistent crowd for a consistent menu. • Dinner nightly. 561/995-5044. $$$
Kousine Peruvian Asian—1668 N. Federal Highway. Peruvian/Asian. Chef and owner Danny Kou shares his Peruvian heritage with a curated menu of dishes that accurately represent his country’s famous ceviche while introducing patrons to unique dishes that are just as tempting. Kousine’s space is bright and modern, with exposed industrial ceilings complemented with warm woods and greenery. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/430-3337. $$
La Condesa —3320 Airport Road. Mexican. Mexico’s bold, colorful and lively culture is reflected in its cuisine, and it’s evident at La Condesa. This family-owned restaurant’s take on Mexican fare offers a sizable menu with a wide selection of popular drinks and dishes like margaritas, nachos, street tacos and burritos. You can also opt for less mainstream dishes like the mole cazuelitas, and you won’t be disappointed. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/931-4008. $
La Nouvelle Maison—55 E. Palmetto Park Road. French. A dining experience at a French restaurant is never just about satiating your hunger. It’s about the entire experience, and La Nouvelle Maison embraces that joie de vivre from the moment you step inside. Whether you delight in the garlic-infused escargots, steak tartare or beef Bourgogne, none of the classic French dishes disappoint here.• Dinner nightly. 561/338-3003. $$$$
La Villetta —4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian. This is a well-edited version of a traditional Italian menu, complete with homemade pastas and other classic dishes. Try the signature whole yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt; it’s de-boned right at tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer). 561/362-8403. $$$
Le Rivage —450 N.E. 20th St., Suite 103. French. Don’t overlook this small, unassuming bastion of traditional French cookery. That would be a mistake, because the dishes that virtually scream “creativity” can’t compare to the quiet pleasures served here—like cool, soothing vichyssoise, delicate fillet of sole with nutty brown butter sauce or perfectly executed crème brûlee. Good food presented without artifice at a fair price never goes out of fashion. • Dinner nightly. 561/620-0033. $$
Loch and Key
Loch Bar is one of the few local restaurants with live music seven days a week—including until midnight on Saturdays.
Josephine’s —5751 N. Federal Highway. Italian. Tradition trumps trendy, and comfort outweighs chic at this Boca favorite. The ambience is quiet and stately but not stuffy, and the menu is full of hearty dishes to soothe the savage appetite, like threecheese eggplant rollatini and chicken scarpariello. • Dinner nightly. 561/988-0668. $$
Kapow Noodle Bar —402 Plaza Real. Asian. Kapow delivers an effervescent ambiance that makes you want to relax and stay a while. Its varied menu has something for every craving, from crispy rice and tacos to rolls and even Peking duck. Up your dinner game by reserving a seat at the separate omakase bar serving chef-curated bites that aren’t on the regular menu. And if you’re looking for a memorable night out, book one of the three karaoke rooms.• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/567-8828. $
Ke’e Grill —17940 N. Military Trail, Suite 700. Traditional American. In this busy dining scene for more than 30 years, you will find a lot of seafood (fried calamari, blue crab cakes, yellow-
Loch Bar —346 Plaza Real. Seafood. This sister restaurant to Ouzo Bay includes fried oysters, moules frites and Maryland crab cakes. The bar offers literally hundreds of whiskeys, a noisy happy hour crowd and live music most nights. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/939-6600. $$
Los Olivos Bistro —5030 Champion Blvd. Argentine. The family-owned bistro’s menu honors familial Argentine roots with typical crave-worthy dishes like empanadas and plenty of red meat. Still, it also honors the cuisine’s Spanish and Italian influences with its standout paellas and housemade pasta. • Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/756-8928. $
Louie Bossi’s —100 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. This jumping joint serves terrific Neapolitan pizza (thin crust), but don’t miss the other entrées. Start with a charcuterie/ cheese plate and grab the amazing breadsticks. All breads and pastas are made on the premises. Other faves include the carbonara and the calamari, and save room for house-made gelato. Unusual features: Try the bocce ball court included with the retro Italian décor. • Lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch. 561/336-6699. $$$
Salmon Chorrillano Cerca from Kousine Peruvian Asian
Buzz Bite I
Celebrating Oktoberfest
Wh ile Oktoberfest in Germany is mainly celebrated in September (confusing, we know), our local celebrations run into October with plenty of brews, brats and bands. Everyone has their favorite Oktoberfest dish. A bratwurst sausage is a classic, and so is the pretzel. These large, salty, doughy snacks pair perfectly with a dollop of mustard and maybe a side of tangy sauerkraut. Opt for a juicy roasted half chicken or tender breaded schnitzel if you’re still hungry. Before you head out the door to Boca’s Biergarten, Fort Lauderdale’s Old Heidelberg, or the American German Club of the Palm Beaches’ weekend-long extravaganza celebrating its 50th anniversary, make sure to pick up a traditional Bavarian lederhosen or colorful dirndl. And enjoy your German beer responsibly. Prost!
—Christie Galeano-DeMott
Luff’s Fish House —390 E. Palmetto Park Road. Seafood. A renovated 1920s bungalow houses this shipshape restaurant, in addition to two large, outdoor deck and patio areas. It’s known for familiar dish names with new tweaks: smoked fish-hummus dip, falafel fish fritters, crab guacamole, mussels in coconut curry broth, plus the paella on Sundays only. Don’t leave without the enormous slice of the Key lime pie, topped with meringue on a graham cracker crust. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/609-2660. $$
Maggiano’s —21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. Do as the Italians do, and order family-style: Sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, a salad, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts. The menu also includes lighter takes on staples like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$
Mario’s Osteria —1400 Glades Road, Suite 210. Italian. This popular spot features rustic Italian fare in a sleek environment. Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna and eggplant “pancakes” are on the new menu, as are butternut squash ravioli and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/239-7000. $$
Matteo’s —233 S. Federal Highway, Suite 108. Italian. Hearty Italian and Italian-American food, served in giant “family style” portions, needs no reinventing. Though there is no shortage of local restaurants cooking in that genre, it’s the details of preparation and service that make Matteo’s stand out. Baked clams are a good place to start, as is the reliable chopped salad. Linguini frutti di mare is one of the best in town. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-0773. $$
Spooktacular Chocolate Shops
Enjoy your own high-end confections this season—no trick-or-treating necessary
Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
It’s officially candy season. Halloween displays have popped up around us, luring us in with milk chocolate wonders like Snickers, Milky Way, Twix and Baby Ruth. This year, let the kids have those, and elevate your chocolate treats with the help of these local confectionery wizards.
HOFFMAN’S CHOCOLATES
The local darling has several locations throughout South Florida, including inside the Shops at Town Center. Famous for its chocolate-covered pretzels, it also carries plenty of other chocolate-dipped items, including Oreos and graham crackers. For an extra special treat, opt for its gourmet truffle box. hoffmans.com
MINDY’S MUNCHIES
What started as a hobby has transformed into
a growing, woman-owned small business with two retail locations and an online shop.You’ll find chocolates and decadent fudge here, but Mindy also curates celebration boxes, platters and baskets for endless sharing. mindysmunchies.com
PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER
Originally from Jacksonville, this chocolate shop now has stores around the state, including Palm Beach. Its original creation, the milk chocolate popcorn, now shares the glass vitrines with handmade chocolates, gourmet sea
salt caramel squares, English toffee and handdipped chocolate pretzels. peterbrooke.com
5150 CHOCOLATE CO.
Step inside a chocolate factory rivaling Willy Wonka’s, no golden ticket required. At this Delray Beach confectionery, you can take a peek behind the curtain, learn how chocolate is made, and even taste a few bites. The tour is offered on Saturdays, and if you just want to get your chocolate fix, the store carries all its house-made cacao treats. 5150chocolate.com
Hoffman’s Chocolates
Peterbrooke Chocolatier
Mindy’s Munchies
5150 Chocolate Co.
Max’s Grille —404 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. After 24 years in Mizner Park, This modern American bistro is a true local classic. The food and decor are both timeless and up to date, and the ambience is that of a smooth-running big-city bistro. Service is personable and proficient. The menu is composed of dishes you really want to eat, from the applewood bacon-wrapped meatloaf to the wickedly indulgent crème brûlèe pie. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/368-0080. $$
Meat Market — 2000 NW 19th St. Steakhouse. Meat Market has infused Midtown Boca Raton with glamour. Its posh interiors and high energy complement its diverse menu that revolves around steak but is also sprinkled with daily specials and sushi that shouldn’t be overlooked. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/245-6777. $$$$
Medi Terra —301 Via de Palmas #99. Mediterranean. Embracing western Mediterranean cuisine, the menu is seasonal and revolves around what the owners can freshly source, so make sure to wait for the specials before making any final decisions. The father-son duo bought Ristorante Sapori in Royal Palm Place and redesigned it to reflect their passion for Mediterranean cuisine. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/367-9779. $$
Morton’s The Steakhouse—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 219. Steakhouse. There’s seemingly no end to diners’ love of huge slabs of high-quality aged beef, nor to the carnivores who pack the clubby-swanky dining room of this meatery. While the star of the beef show is the giant bone-in filet mignon, seasonally featured is the American Wagyu New York strip. Finish off your meal with one of the decadent desserts.• Dinner nightly. 561/392-7724. $$$$
Narbona —5250 Town Center Circle. Uruguayan. This restaurant-market hybrid offers house-made pasta, private-label herbs and honey, fresh fish and meats, grab-and-go prepared items, and countless Narbona Wine Lodge wines. You can also opt for a sit-down lunch or dinner at its central restaurant or at one of its two bars. The menu, with Italian and Spanish influences, features its pasta alongside a selection of meat and fish dishes. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/692-3933. $$
New York Prime —2350 N.W. Executive Center Drive. Steakhouse. This wildly popular Boca meatery Monday, Monday packs them in with swift, professional service, classy supper club ambience and an extensive wine list. And, of course, the beef—all USDA Prime, cooked to tender and juicy lusciousness over ferocious heat. The bone-in rib-eye is especially succulent, but don’t neglect the New York strip or steak-house classics like oysters Rockefeller, garlicky spinach and crusty hash browns. • Dinner nightly. 561/998-3881. $$$$
Patio Tapas & Beer —205 S.E. First Ave. Spanish. Be transported to the Iberian Peninsula with a variety of tapas. Chef Bryant Fajardo, who trained under celebrated chef José Andrés, specializes in one of Spain’s most traditional and iconic cuisines and delivers both classic selections like Manchego cheese and anchovies alongside premium nibbles like seared duck and foie gras. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/419-7239. $
Prezzo —5560 N. Military Trail. Italian. A reincarnation of a popular 1990s Boca venue, this version has updated the dining room, kept the yummy oven-baked focaccia bread slices,
and added a 21st-century taste to the menu. Don’t miss the tender bone-in pork chop, thin-crust pizza and seafood specials. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are on the menu, too. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/314-6840. $$
Rafina —6877 S.W. 18th St. Greek. If you find the ambience of most Greek restaurants to be like a frat party with flaming cheese and ouzo, this contemporary, casually elegant spot will be welcome relief. Food and decor favor refinement over rusticity, even in such hearty and ubiquitous dishes as pastitsio and spanakopita. Standout dishes include the moussaka, the creamy and mildly citrusy avgolemono soup and the precisely grilled, simply adorned (with olive oil, lemon and capers) branzino. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-3673. $$
Red Pine Restaurant & Lounge —1 Town Center Road. Chinese. The menu is designed to be enjoyed family-style, with substantial portions of classic dishes like house-made vegetable eggrolls, fried rice and General Tso’s chicken, to name a few. The space is bright and lively, with floor-to-ceiling windows, an expansive bar, and several dining spaces accentuated with crimson banquettes. • Dinner Tues-Sun. 561/826-7595. $$
Ruth’s Chris —225 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 100. Steakhouse. Not only does this steakhouse favorite emphasize its New Orleans roots, it also distinguishes itself from its competitors by just serving better food. The signature chopped salad has a list of ingredients as long as a hose but they all work together. And how can you not like a salad topped with crispy fried onion strings? Steaks are USDA Prime and immensely flavorful, like a perfectly seared New York strip. The white chocolate bread
Voyage Boutique has been sharing authentic French Fashion with South Florida for over 20 years.
Voyage Boutique may be tucked away from the bustling Avenue, but it stands out as a pinnacle of fashion. Whether you’re in search of casual wear, attire for a special occasion, or an elegant ensemble for a soiree, you’re guaranteed to discover it within our unique boutique.
When embarking on international travels, setting sail on a cruise, or preparing for the holiday season, your search ends here. Allow us to
elevate your wardrobe with style and a touch of ‘je ne sais quoi.’
Voyage Boutique also serves as your European haven for handbags, belts, shoes, gifts, and more. We cater to all sizes, ranging from XS to 3X, and offer in-house alterations for a perfect fit.
Come join us for a shopping experience that transcends the ordinary and when you do, don’t forget to mention that you found us in Boca magazine.
400 Gulfstream Blvd, Delray Beach FL 33444 10:00 am to 4:30 pm • Monday - Saturday 561-279-2984
pudding is simply wicked. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-6746. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561/514-3544; 661 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/863-0660.) $$$$
Seasons 52 —2300 Executive Center Drive. Contemporary American. The food—seasonal ingredients, simply and healthfully prepared, accompanied by interesting wines—is firstrate, from salmon roasted on a cedar plank to desserts served in oversized shot glasses. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-9952. (Other Palm Beach County location: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/625-5852.) $$
SeaSpray Inlet Grill —999 E. Camino Real. American. Unobstructed views of Lake Boca Raton, soaring palm trees and coastal décor peppered with fringed umbrellas all set the mood for a relaxing experience that will make you feel as if you’re on vacation. The menu accommodates different dietary preferences with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Don’t sleep on the pear tortellini pasta starter; it’s a star item. Portions are hearty and can be easily shared. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/226-3022. $$
Six Tables a Restaurant—112 N.E. Second St., Boca Raton. American. The dimly lit chandeliers, burgundy velvet curtains and smooth Sinatra lyrics set the mood for a memorable evening that’s dedicated to fine dining without pretention. With a seasonal menu that’s ever changing, you can rest assured that whatever husband and wife chef-proprietors Tom and Jenny Finn prepare for you, it will truly be special and made with love. • Dinner Thurs.-Sat. 561/347-6260. $$$$
Taverna Kyma —6298 N. Federal Highway. Greek/ Mediterranean. Hankering for a traditional Greek meal, and a menu that offers just about everything? This is where you want to try the meze plates (cold, hot, seafood, veggie), saganaki, grilled entrees and kebobs. From the taramosalata to the branzino and pastitsio, servings are generous and good. Don’t forget dessert. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/994-2828. $$
Trattoria Romana —499 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. This local mainstay does Italian classics and its own lengthy list of ambitious specials with unusual skill and aplomb. The service is at a level not always seen in local restaurants. Pay attention to the daily specials, especially if they include impeccably done langostini oreganata and the restaurant’s signature jumbo shrimp saltimbocca. • Dinner nightly. 561/393-6715. $$$
Extra Frosting
Before opening Twenty Twenty Grille in Boca, Ron and Rhonda Weisheit ran an award-winning bakery in Massachusetts and were featured on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.”
Twenty Twenty Grille —141 Via Naranjas, Suite 45. Contemporary American. You’ve probably licked postage stamps that are larger than Ron and Rhonda Weisheit’s tiny jewel box of a restaurant, but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm, sophistication and imaginative, expertly crafted food. Virtually everything is made in-house, from the trio of breads that first grace your table to the pasta in a suave dish of tagliatelle with duck and chicken confit. Don’t miss the jerk pork belly and grilled veal strip loin. • Dinner nightly. 561/990-7969. $$$
Villagio Italian Eatery —344 Plaza Real. Italian The classic Italian comfort food at this Mizner Park establishment is served with flair and great attention to detail. The reasonably priced menu—with generous portions—includes all your favorites (veal Parmesan, Caesar salad) and some outstanding seafood dishes (Maine lobster with shrimp, mussels and clams on linguine). There is a full wine list and ample people-watching given the prime outdoor seating. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/447-2257. $$
Vino —114 N.E. Second St. Wine Bar/Italian. An impressive wine list of some 250 plus bottles (all available by the glass)
offers a multitude of choices, especially among Italian and California reds. The menu of “Italian tapas” includes roasted red peppers with Provolone, as well as ricotta gnocchi with San Marzano tomatoes. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/869-0030. $$
Yakitori —271 S.E. Mizner Blvd. Asian. This Japanese restaurant that has sat for nearly a decade in Royal Palm Place is still welcoming devoted diners and delivering consistent, premium dishes. Sip on one of its refreshing cocktails like the lychee martini or green tea mojito before perusing the vast menu that offers everything from sushi and sashimi to fried rice, ramen and entrées from the robata grill. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/544-0087. $$
WEST BOCA
Boon’s Asian Bistro —19605 N. State Road 7. Japanese/Thai. This is one of two Boon’s (the other is in Delray Beach), and it’s where the rush to eat excellent sushi started. The fast-moving staff is choreographed to deliver dishes such as shrimp pad Thai that’s light, delicate and happily filled with shrimp. The Thai fried rice is unusually delicate too, with lots of egg, and is some of the best around. The sushi rolls are as fresh and inventive (try the Daimyo roll) as they are beautifully presented. Go early or call for a reservation. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/883-0202. $$
Chloe’s Bistro —6885 S.W. 18th St. Italian. One of the few venues that’s on the water, with food to match the view. Try the seafood linguine, the large snapper filets in Marechiara sauce, and the desserts to end on a sweet note. House-made pasta and a good wine list ensure a pleasant, satisfying meal. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/334-2088. $$
City Fish Market—7940 Glades Road. Seafood. A multimillion-dollar remodel of the old Pete’s has turned it into an elegant seafood house with a lengthy seafood-friendly wine list, impeccably fresh fish and shellfish cooked with care and little artifice. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/487-1600. $$
Ditmas Kitchen —21077 Powerline Road. Contemporary kosher. This west Boca restaurant is named after a Brooklyn avenue in a district known for its food. Here you’ll find very good casual food, and no dairy products are used. Try the Hibachi salmon, all-kale Caesar salad, the shnitzel sandwich. • Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 561/826-8875. $$$
DVASH —8208 Glades Road. Mediterranean. The menu, a collection of Mediterranean fusion dishes with a variety of daily specials, caters to an array of diets, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. The Cohen family, who previously owned Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar in Coral Springs for more than a decade, now welcomes diners to this West Boca restaurant that’s tucked away in the Publix Greenwise strip mall. • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/826-7784. $$
Oli’s Fashion Cuisine —6897 S.W. 18th St. Modern American. With the unusual name comes a menu sporting lobster risotto to tuna tacos, grilled mahi and more. There are Italian, vegetarian, steak, flatbreads, salads and desserts, all pleasing to the eye and palate. Inside is a bit noisy, so try the outdoor, lakeside patio for a quieter meal. • Lunch and dinner daily, breakfast weekends. 561/571-6920. $$
Oliv Pit Athenian Grille —6006 S.W. 18th St. Modern Greek. The owners’ goal of bringing together the best of Greek cooking under one roof, much like the melting pot that is Athens, is covered here in an extensive menu. The best way to enjoy the food is to share it: the Pikilia trio with tzatziki, spicy feta and eggplant spread is a starting place. Try the mix
Tony Fries from Ditmas Kitchen
AARON BRISTOL
Mixed grill from Amar Mediterranean Bistro
Afternoon Delight
Brule Bistro is famous for its decadent and upscale weekend brunch offerings, including foie gras, crispy jumbo shrimp tacos and pork belly banh mi sliders.
grill platter and the hearty red Greek wine. End the night with a unique, velvety frappe cappuccino. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-2049. $$
Skyfin Asian Bistro —8221 Glades Road. Asian. After nearly a decade of dishing out elevated Beijing cuisine at MR CHOW inside the posh W South Beach, chef Aden Lee left his sous chef position to venture out on his own. Here, you’ll find both playfully named sushi rolls and fresh sashimi alongside protein-rich house specials, fried rice and noodles. Don’t miss the Toro Roll and Tangerine Peel Beef. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/556-1688. $$
Villa Rosano—9858 Clint Moore Road. Italian. You can be forgiven for imagining yourself in some rustic Italian hill town as the smells of garlic and tomato sauce waft through the air. Start by sopping up the house olive oil with slices of crusty bread, then move on to a stellar version of clams Guazzetto and delicate fillets of sole done a la Francese. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/470-0112. $$
BOYNTON BEACH
Driftwood —2005 S. Federal Highway. Modern American. Take food combos that sound unusual (popcorn sauce, avocado chocolate ice cream) but that taste wonderful and you’ve got Chef Jimmy Everett’s ideas on the table. They don’t last long, because they taste terrific. Try the smoked swordfish, the lobster with pickled okra, ricotta dumplings, the burger with gouda, the grilled octopus and pastrami’d chicken breast with roasted cabbage. • Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/733-4782. $$
Josie’s Italian Ristorante— 650 E. Woolbright Road. Italian. This cozy, family-owned restaurant is looking better than ever after a renovation that gave its dining room a more modern, elegant atmosphere in which to enjoy chef Mark Militello’s classic Italian fare. It’s easy to fill up on the hearty portions of its pasta and meat entrees, but be sure to save room for dessert to try the absolutely decadent sixteen layer chocolate cake. In the cooler months, opt for patio seating for waterfront views. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/364-9601. $$
Prime Catch —700 E. Woolbright Road. Seafood Waterfront restaurants are few and far between in our neck of the woods, and those with good food are even more rare. Prime Catch, at the foot of the Woolbright bridge on the Intracoastal, is a best-kept secret. The simple pleasures here soar—a perfectly grilled piece of mahi or bouillabaisse overflowing with tender fish. Don’t miss one of the best Key lime pies around. • Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. 561/737-8822. $$
Sushi Simon 1628 S. Federal Highway. Japanese It’s been called “Nobu North” by some aficionados, and for good reason. Local sushi-philes jam the narrow dining room for such impeccable nigirizushi as hamachi and uni (Thursdays), as well as more elaborate dishes like snapper Morimoto and tuna tartare. Creative, elaborate rolls are a specialty. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/731-1819. $$
DELRAY BEACH
50 Ocean—50 S. Ocean Blvd. Seafood. The former Upper Deck at Boston’s on the Beach is now the more upscale, seafood-oriented spot. The menu ranges from familiar to slightly more inventive, from a classic lobster bisque and crisp-tender fried clam bellies to rock shrimp pot pie and baked grouper topped with blue crab. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$
800 Palm Trail Grill—800 Palm Trail. American. This contemporary space is serving up American fare and classic cocktails. The menu has a steak-and-seafood-house feel to it but without any stuffiness. Instead, you’ll find dishes that entice the palate, like the loaded baked potato eggrolls and Wagyu boneless short rib. • Lunch and dinner daily, with patio dining. 561/865-5235. $$$
Akira Back —233 NE Second Ave. Japanese Chef Akira Back’s Seoul restaurant earned a Michelin star a few years ago and now he’s showcasing his talented take on Japanese cuisine at his namesake restaurant inside The Ray hotel. Born in Korea and raised in Colorado, Back blends his heritage with Japanese flavors and techniques he has mastered to deliver dishes that are unique to him. With plates made to be shared, the menu is divided into cold and hot starters followed by rolls, nigiri/sashimi, robata grill, mains and fried rice. Dinner. 561/739-1708. $$$$
Amar Mediterranean Bistro —522 E. Atlantic Ave. Lebanese. From the moment you step inside, there’s a familial feeling, a hidden gem that everyone is drawn to. Amar is a quaint bistro amidst the buzzy Atlantic Avenue that serves Lebanese food. But this isn’t your typical hummus and pita joint. Here, the proprietor’s family recipes take center stage alongside Mediterranean favorites that have been elevated with slight tweaks. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5653. $$
Angelo Elia Pizza • Bar • Tapas — 16950 Jog Road. Italian. Nothing on the menu of Angelo Elia’s modern, small plates-oriented osteria disappoints, but particularly notable are the meaty fried baby artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chicken-turkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweet-salty-earthy-pungent mélange of pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella. • Lunch Tues.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/381-0037. $
Avalon Steak and Seafood —110 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood/Steakhouse. The enticing reasons we all go to a steakhouse are present here—boozy cocktails, a diverse wine list, dry aged steaks, prime cuts, rich accompaniments, decadent sides and more. The menu is then enhanced with a selection of seafood like a raw bar medley of oysters, shrimp and crab alongside the customary octopus, fish, scallops and lobster. Don’t miss Avalon’s signature dish, the Angry Lobster. • Dinner nightly. 561/593-2500. $$$$
Bamboo Fire Cafe —149 N.E. Fourth Ave. Caribbean. The Jacobs family joyously shares its Latin and Caribbean culture through food that’s bursting with bright island aromas and flavors. Tostones, plantain fries and jerk meatballs share the menu with curry pork, oxtail and conch. A quintessential Delray gem. • Dinner Wed.-Sun. 561/749-0973. $
Beg for More Izakaya —19 S.E. Fifth Ave. Japanese Small Plates. The large sake, whisky and beer menu here pairs beautifully with the small plates full of everything except sushi. No sushi. And that’s fine. Try the takoyaki (octopus balls), the crispy salmon tacos and anything with the addictive kimchi, such as the kimchi fried rice. There are pasta, teriyaki and simmered duck with bok choy dishes—or 16 varieties of yakitori (food on skewers). You’ll be back to beg for more. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/563-8849. $$
Brulé Bistro —200 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The regular menu of this Pineapple Grove favorite always has satisfying dishes. Its specialties include crab tortellini with black truffles, chicken meatballs with coconut broth and cashews, plus signature dessert pistachio crème brùlée. Spirits and house cocktails steeped in speakeast style are paired with an ever-changing menu. Outside tables offer the best option for conversation. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-2046. $$
AARON
BRISTOL
Burt & Max’s —9089 W. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. This bastion of contemporary comfort food in west Delray is approaching local landmark status, forging its own menu while borrowing a few dishes from Max’s Grille, like the hearty chopped salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf. Other dishes are variations on the comfort food theme, including a stellar truffle-scented wild mushroom pizza. • Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$
Cabana El Rey —105 E. Atlantic Ave. Cuban tropical. Little Havana is alive and well in Delray. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue, including starters like mariquitas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$
Caffe Luna Rosa—34 S. Ocean Blvd. Italian. This multiple Delray Beach-award winning restaurant has sparkling service, comfort food taken to a higher level, and a setting just steps from the Atlantic. A success from day one, they dish up big flavors in a tiny space, so call for reservations. Try the calamari fritto misto, then the rigatoni pomodoro and leave room for dessert. Or come back for breakfast. • Open daily from breakfast through dinner. 561/274-9404. $$
Casa L’Acqua Ristorante Italiano —9 S.E. Seventh Ave. Italian. Casa L’Acqua is touted as a fine-dining establishment, and correctly so; diners can expect white tablecloths, tuxedoed staff and attentive service. The wine list is Italian-focused but does offer a variety of bottles from around the world, and each dish is expertly prepared with sizable portions. The main dining
room, with its vibey bar and wine cellar, is cozy, and so is its fully enclosed patio in the back. • Dinner nightly. 561/563-7492. $$
City Oyster —213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with a jumbo crab cake. This is the place to see and be seen in Delray, and the food lives up to its profile. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$
Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar —25 N.E. Second Ave., Suite 208. Asian. Local hospitality veterans Tina Wang and chef Jason Zheng continue to grow their restaurant empire with this concept. The extensive menu caters to any palate, dietary restriction or craving and features both traditional and creative dishes. Soups and salads lead into sushi selections and appetizers divided into cool and hot. Cooked and raw rolls are followed by rice, noodle, land and sea entrée options. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. Sunday brunch. 561/926-9434. $$
Costa By OK&M—502 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Costa takes chef/owner Coton Stine’s dedication to farmto-table fare to an elevated level with its seasonal menu. Working closely with local farms and vendors, Stine curates deliciously healthy dishes that tempt your palate while fueling your body. For those with dietary restrictions, the dishes are clearly labeled gluten-free or vegan, which adds a sense of ease to the experience. The corner space is comfortable and embraces natural elements with its wicker chairs, lanterns, greenery and expansive sliding doors. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/501-6115. • $$
Buzz Bite II
FemAle Brew Fest Returns
Craft beer lovers rejoice! The annual FemAle Brew Fest is back on Saturday, Sept. 14, hosted by Las Olas Oceanside Park in Fort Lauderdale. Get ready to sip and savor various local and national beers brewed by female brewmasters alongside educational seminars hosted by beer experts and fun activations for all. The event is also pet-friendly and will donate a portion of proceeds to Abandoned Pet Rescue Inc. Event tickets start at $45 for general admission. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit femalebrewfest.com.
—Christie Galeano-DeMott
Sweet as Honey
September is National Honey Month, so we’re chatting with two local beekeepers to learn all the sticky details about this nutritious nectar.
Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
NICK BOFILL
The Miami native has been a beekeeper for nearly a decade. His company, The Native Guy, specializes in beekeeping, honeybee education, and hive removal in the tri-county region. He also sells his honey and other products sourced from his hives, which are located throughout the state. thenativeguy.com
WHY DO YOU LOVE BEES?
Being in front of a beehive—as corny as it sounds—is so majestic and beautiful. To this day, I still can’t explain what their energy does when you’re near them.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF HONEY?
In Florida, we have a wide variety of honey, including orange blossom honey, wildflower honey, saw palmetto honey, mangrove honey, and exotic tropical honey like mango and lychee.
BESIDES HONEY, WHAT ELSE DOES A HIVE PRODUCE?
Propolis is a resin-like substance the bees create from tree sap that can be used as an antimicrobial to clean wounds. Royal jelly is what they make to feed the queen, and it’s great for anti-aging. Forget the Botox! Beeswax is excellent in candles, because it’s a natural air purifier. I also created an environmentally friendly, reusable food cover from it that can be used to preserve food instead of cellophane or aluminum foil.
FILTERED OR UNFILTERED HONEY?
The filtration process is important. You don’t want extra “friends” in your honey.
WHAT ABOUT ORGANIC HONEY?
not only beauty we can see, but we also have something we can taste.
HOW DOES THE RESORT USE THE HONEY?
Organic honey doesn’t exist. You can’t have a hive with thousands of bees and have them on a leash. There’s no control. They will go to any flower they’re attracted to, and in the process, they could land on asphalt, gasoline or chlorine. Unless you live on a mountain in Washington, then maybe. But from what I’ve seen, that’s just a cute word they put on bottles.
WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR NOVICE BEEKEEPERS?
Attend Bee College at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Just like there’s a right way of becoming a lawyer or a doctor, it’s the same idea. Learn the laws and the proper practices for becoming a beekeeper. And remember, it’s illegal in Florida to relocate a beehive unless you’re a registered beekeeper.
WHAT’S A FUN FACT YOU CAN SHARE?
It’s been estimated that as much as one-third of the world’s food production is directly tied to the pollination habits of honeybees and other pollinators like butterflies and bats.
SIERRA MALNOVE
Malnove is PGA National Resort’s resident beekeeper. The hotel is the only one in Palm Beach County that keeps bees and harvests honey as part of its sustainability initiatives. She also hosts a hands-on beekeeping experience for guests and members. Malnove started keeping bees for Broken Sound Club 10 years ago, and now, through her company Sierra’s Bees, she manages hives for more than 30 country clubs in the area. She also co-founded Palm Beach Creamed Honey in 2020. pgaresort. com, sierrasbees.com, creamedhoney.com
WHY DO YOU THINK THE HOTEL WANTED TO KEEP BEES?
It’s a beautiful property that makes you feel like you’re in paradise. That visual display they’re giving their resort guests and members is a buffet for pollinators. So keeping bees brings the experience full circle. Now, it’s
Restaurants and bars take full advantage of it by showcasing it in signature cocktails and special dishes like Honeybelle’s hot honey for its pizza and fried chicken and The Butcher’s Club’s honey butter.
HOW DOES KEEPING BEES HELP THE ECOSYSTEM ON A LARGER SCALE?
We work with gentle Italian honeybees, so when they mate with local bees, that injection of genetics helps make the wild colonies nicer and less aggressive.
WHY AREN’T MORE HOTELS KEEPING BEES?
It’s not very expensive or time-consuming. I manage the program, but it is a commitment. They must be invested in it before I come in with the program. Bees will sting and defend the colony if needed, so great care must be taken to keep bees where there are people. My top priority as a beekeeper is to give everyone a good experience—whether that’s up close, like the beekeeping experience, or just through the honey for guests and members.
Nick Bofill
Sierra Malnove
EAT & DRINK RESTAURANT DIRECTORY
Cut 432 —432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steak-house favorites make this sleek restaurant just different enough to be interesting. Starters such as ceviche (prepared Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wetaged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner nightly. 561/272-9898. $$$
Dada—52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all its own. The comfort food with a moustache menu has its quirky charms, too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner nightly. 561/330-3232. $$
Deck 84 —840 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Burt Rapoport’s ode to laid-back tropical dining is like a day at the beach without getting sand between your toes. Though the restaurant is casual, the kitchen takes its food seriously, whether the stellar flatbreads, the thick and juicy 10-ounce special blend burger or homey seasonal cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/665-8484. $
Drift—10 N. Ocean Blvd. American. Inside the Opal Grand Resort & Spa, the restaurant’s coastal décor is polished with warm woods, textured stone walls, rope detailing and living walls. The bar is spacious, and several nooks overlook the ocean and the buzzy Atlantic Avenue. The all-day menu covers all the bases. You’ll find easy dishes to snack on after the beach, or if you’re craving an extended Happy Hour experience, enjoy the cheese board, hummus, baked oysters and poke alongside casual burgers, flatbreads and salads. The entrées offer something for everyone, including chicken, steak, lamb and fish. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-3289. $$
Eathai —1832 S. Federal Highway. Thai. If you’re craving approachable and affordable Thai food, put Eathai at the top of your list. While you can expect to find curries, noodles, soups and fried rice on the menu, the dishes here aren’t the typical ones you’ll find around town. Indulge in the Thai Chicken French Toasted or Crispy Duck Breast with Lychee Curry Sauce or Oxtail Basil Fried Rice to savor the true talent of owner and chef Sopanut Sopochana. • Lunch and dinner daily, except Tuesday. 561/270-3156. $
El Camino —15 N.E. Second Ave. Mexican . This sexy, bustling downtown spot is from the trio behind nearby Cut 432 and Park Tavern. Fresh, quality ingredients go into everything from the tangy tomatillo salsas to the world-class fish tacos clad in delicate fried skin, set off by tart pineapple salsa. Cinnamon and sugar-dusted churros are the perfect dessert. And check out the margaritas, especially the smoky blend of mezcal and blanco tequila. • Lunch and dinner daily 561/865-5350. $$
Elisabetta’s —32 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. An ornate Italian spot, with classically prepared dishes including spiedini shrimp, burrata de prosciutto bruschetta, costoletta di vitello (veal), a guanciale pizza, cacio e pepe pasta, malfadine Amatriciana and gemelli puttanesca. Portions are large and that, thankfully, goes for the homemade gelati, too. The best seating outdoors is the second-floor balcony overlooking Atlantic Avenue. • Lunch and dinner daily; weekend brunch. 561/560-6699. $$
The Grove —187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The Grove, which has been tucked inside the tranquil
“Before you and your staff from Boca Nursing Services started taking care of Helen and I, we existed; now we are living again! Thank you, Rose.”
-Dr. K.D.
E. Palmetto Park Rd., Suites 1 & 2 Boca Raton, FL 33432 (561) 347-7566 Fax (561) 347-7567
Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Founder and Administrator
Pineapple Grove district for nearly a decade, continues to surprise diners with its vibrant dishes. The upscale but casually comfortable nook has an international wine list that spans the globe and a seasonal menu that’s succinct and well thought out. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/266-3750. $$
The Hampton Social —40 N.E. Seventh Ave. American. The Hampton Social is known for its “rosé all day” tagline, but it doesn’t just slay its rosé; its food is equally as tempting. It does a standout job of incorporating its casual coastal aesthetic into not just its décor but also its menu, from its seafood-centric dishes to its droll cocktail names like the vodka-forward I Like It a Yacht. • Lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch. 561/404-1155. $$
Henry’s —16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpretentious restaurant in the west part of town never fails to delight diners. Expect attentive service and crisp execution of everything—from meat loaf, burgers and fried chicken to flatbreads and hefty composed salads. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/638-1949. $$
Il Girasole —2275 S. Federal Highway. Northern Italian. If you want Northern Italian in a low-key atmosphere, and nobody rushing you out the door, this is your spot. Start with something from the very good wine list. Try the yellowtail snapper, the penne Caprese and the capellini Gamberi, and leave room for the desserts. Reservations recommended. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$
J&J Seafood Bar & Grill —634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on Atlantic Avenue—owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. This is is a bona fide local go-to spot that never disappoints. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$
Jimmy’s Bistro —9 S. Swinton Ave. International. Jimmy’s Bistro is a casual neighborhood concept serving consistently delightful dishes from a diverse menu that can transport diners to Italy with house-made pasta or Asia with its delicate dumplings and tender duck. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5774. $$$
Joseph’s Wine Bar —200 N.E. Second Ave. Mediterranean-American. Joseph’s is an elegant, comfortable, intimate nook in Delray’s Pineapple Grove, and an ideal place for a lazy evening. This family affair—owner Joseph Boueri, wife Margaret in the kitchen, and son Elie and daughter Romy working the front of the house—has all tastes covered. Try the special cheese platter, the duck a l’orange or the rack of lamb. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-6100. $$
Le Colonial 601 E. Atlantic Ave. Vietnamese French. Le Colonial radiates classic elegance that is as sophisticated as it is comfortable. Created to showcase Vietnamese cuisine and its French influences, Le Colonial has a standout method of curating classic Vietnamese dishes that appeal to various palates, from meat lovers and pescatarians to vegetarians. The space immediately transports you back to Saigon’s tropical paradise of the 1920s. Lush birds of paradise and palms line the halls that lead into intimate dining nooks throughout the 7,000-square-foot restaurant.• Lunch (on weekends) and dinner daily. 561/566-1800. $$$
Lemongrass Bistro —420 E. Atlantic Ave. PanAsian. Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination. The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/567-0442. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $
Lulu’s —189 N.E. Second Ave. American. Lulu’s in Pineapple Grove offers a relaxed ambiance with unfussy, approachable food. The quaint café is open every day and serves an all-day menu including breakfast until 3 p.m. and a selection of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and entrées that are ideal for an executive lunch, lively tapas happy hour, casual dinner or late night snack (until 2 a.m.). • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/453-2628. $
MIA Kitchen & Bar —7901 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Contemporary American. Owner Joey Lograsso and chef Jason Binder have curated a balanced choreography of fascinating yet approachable dishes. The menu travels the world from Italy to Asia and showcases Binder’s formal training with elevated dishes that are exceptionally executed. It’s vibey with a great playlist, and the design, reminiscent of a cool Wynwood bar, is industrial with exposed ducts, reclaimed wood and sculptural filament chandeliers. It’s a place that amps up all your senses. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/499-2200. $$$
The Office —201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, unless your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap and a menu that flits from burgers and fries to mussels. Don’t miss the restaurant’s winning take on the thick, juicy Prime beef burger and simply wicked maple-frosted donuts with bacon bits and two dipping sauces. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-3796. $$
Papa’s Tapas —259 N.E. Second Ave. Spanish. This family-owned restaurant will make you feel welcomed, and its cuisine will satisfy your craving for Spanish tapas. Start with a few shareable plates and then enjoy a hearty paella that’s bursting with a selection of seafood, chicken or vegetables. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., dinner Sun. 561/266-0599. $
Betwixt and Between Slept through brunch? No problem: Park Tavern’s “Between Brunch” menu features items like warm pretzels, deviled eggs and Buffalo fried chicken from 3 to 4 p.m. on weekends.
La Cigale —253 S.E. Fifth Ave. Mediterranean Popular venue since 2001, with Greek and Italian dishes and more. Highlights are seafood paella, roasted half duck and grilled jumbo artichoke appetizer. Lots of favorites on the menu: calf’s liver, veal osso buco, branzino, seafood crepes. Nice outdoor seating if weather permits. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$
Latitudes —2809 S. Ocean Blvd. Modern American. You should come for both the sunset and the food. This oceanfront restaurant is a gem tucked inside the Delray Sands resort. From the airy, bubbly interior to the raw bar, the décor is soothing and fun. Try the lobster and crab stuffed shrimp, the miso-glazed Skuna Bay salmon, the branzino or the veal Bolognese. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-6241. $$$
Park Tavern —32 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Check out the high-top seating or bar stools during an excellent happy hour menu that includes deviled eggs, pork sliders, chicken wings and a happy crowd. Entrees are generous and well executed. Try the fish and chips, one of six burgers, fish tacos and more. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 561/265-5093. $$
Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar —5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, ambience and service hit all the right notes. Oysters are terrific any way you get them; grilled fish and daily specials are excellent. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/450-6718. $$$
Pork schnitzel from Jimmy’s Bistro
AARON
BRISTOL
Rose’s Daughter—169 N.E. Second Ave. Italian. While not your traditional Italian trattoria, it is a place to find new favorites and revisit old standards updated with delicious ingredients and high standards. Try the Monet-colored lobster risotto, or house-made pasta, pizza, bread and desserts. From the mushroom arancini to the tiramisu, you will be glad Owner/Chef Suzanne Perrotto is in the kitchen. Indoor and outdoor seating. • Dinner Wed.-Sun. 561/271-9423. $$
Sazio —131 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. This long-lived venue on crowded Atlantic Avenue is a reason to sit down and take a breath. Then take up a fork and try the linguine with white clam sauce or the ravioli Sazio or grilled skirt steak or pretty much anything on the menu. Prices are reasonable; leftovers are popular. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/272-5540. $$
Taki Omakase —632 E. Atlantic Ave. Japanese. Taki Omakase, a shining example of omakase done right, has opened not one but two locations in our community (the other is at 1658 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton). It is pricy—an experience is more than $100 per person—but it’s worth it, with one caveat: You must enthusiastically love eating raw fish. Every night is different because it prides itself on importing fish, meat and seasonal ingredients from Japan that arrive daily. So, if you do pine for the delicacies of the sea, buckle in and get ready for the talented chefs at Taki Omakase to guide you through a culinary journey unlike anything else.• Dinner nightly, lunch hour Fri.-Sun. 561/759-7362. $$$$
Terra Fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian. The pleasures of simple, well-prepared Italian-American cuisine are front and center here. Enjoy the delicate, pillow-y veal meatballs in Marsala sauce; lusty chicken Allessandro with mushrooms, spinach and artichoke hearts; and a finely crafted tiramisu that’s as satisfying as it is familiar. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/495-5570. $$
Tramonti —119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. In a world where restaurants chase trends with the relentlessness of Casanova in full Viagra heat, Tramonti stands out as a classic outpost of authentic Italian cookery. Not trendy hardly means stodgy, however, as evidenced by expertly crafted, robustly flavorful dishes like the signature spiedini di mozzarella Romana, spaghetti al cartoccio and braciole Napoletana. Torta della nonna is a triumph of the highly refined simplicity that lies at the heart of true Italian cuisine. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-1944. $$$
Vic & Angelo’s —290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. People watching is a staple ingredient here, a complement to the Italian fare. The wine menu is robust, mainly grounded in Italy but with choices from around the world. Larger than personal pies, thin-crust pizzas are family-friendly, while you won’t want to share the Quattro Formaggi Tortellini, fluffy purses filled with al dente pear and topped with truffle cream. For a protein, try the traditional chicken parmigiana, a hearty portion of paper-thin breaded chicken breast topped with a subtly sweet San Marzano sauce under a gooey layer of fresh mozzarella, and a substantial side of linguine pomodoro. If you have room for dessert, the classic sweets include cannoli and tiramisu. • Dinner nightly; brunch weekends. 561/278-9570. $$
LAKE WORTH BEACH
Oceano Kitchen —512 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach. Contemporary American. Chefs and owners Jeremy and Cindy Bearman have a talent for crafting a simple daily menu of ever-changing dishes that explode with flavors and are curated with thoughtfulness and the utmost detail. Genuine hospitality is at the core of their restaurant. For newcomers, it’s cash only and it doesn’t take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait. Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/400-7418. $$$
Paradiso Ristorante —625 Lucerne Ave. Italian. A Tomasz Rut mural dominates the main dining room, and there is also a pasticceria and bar for gelato and espresso. Chef Angelo Romano offers a modern Italian menu. The Mediterranean salt-crusted branzino is definitely a musttry. Plus, the wine list is a veritable tome. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/547-2500. $$$
LANTANA
Ravish Off Ocean —210 E. Ocean Ave. International. Ravish Off Ocean is a delightful dining experience less than a mile from the powdery sands of South Palm Beach. The coastal vibes are evident here with sea-inspired options like local fish ceviche, tuna tartare, fish tacos and a daily catch. • Dinner nightly, Sunday brunch. 561/588-2444. $$
The Station House —233 Lantana Road. Seafood. If you’re hungry for Maine lobster, plucked live out of giant tanks and cooked to order, this modest replica of a 1920s train station is the place to go. Lobsters come in all sizes (up to 6 pounds) and are reasonably priced. • Dinner nightly. 561/801-5000. $$
PALM BEACH
Acqua Café —2875 S Ocean Blvd. Italian. This quaint neighborhood restaurant serves quality Italian favorites with a coastal twist. It’s part of the Al Fresco Hospitality Group portfolio, which also includes Via Mizner’s legendary Renato’s.• Lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch. 561/547-0005. $$$
Bice —313 Worth Ave. Italian. Bice continues to hold the title of favorite spot on the island. The venerable restaurant offers a marvelous array of risottos and fresh pastas and classic dishes like veal chop Milanese, pounded chicken breast and roasted rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$
Buccan —350 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Casual elegance of Palm Beach meets modern culinary sensibilities of Miami at the first independent restaurant by chef Clay Conley. The design offers both intimate and energetic dining areas, while the menu is by turn familiar (wood-grilled burgers) and more adventurous (truffled steak tartare with crispy egg yolk, squid ink orrechiette). • Dinner nightly. 561/833-3450. $$$
Café Boulud —The Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave. French with American flair. This hotel restaurant gives Palm Beach a taste of Daniel Boulud’s world-class cuisine inspired by his four muses. The chef oversees a menu encompassing classics, simple fare, seasonal offerings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard, the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • Dinner nightly. 561/655-6060. $$$
Café L’Europe —331 S. County Road. Current International. A Palm Beach standard, the café has long been known for its peerless beauty, the piano player, the chilled martinis and the delicious Champagne and caviar bar. Try one of its sophisticated classics like wiener schnitzel with herbed spaetzle, grilled veal chop and flavorful pastas. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner nightly (closed Mon. during summer). 561/655-4020. $$$
Echo —230A Sunrise Ave. Asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. The Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the sake list is
Buzz Bite III
Dining Deals Continue
Restaurant Month campaigns continue into the fall with Flavor South Florida and Downtown Delray Beach Restaurant Month. Flavor South Florida runs from September 1-30, and Delray’s dining-out deals have been extended from September 1 through October 31. Flavor South Florida, which has been working with local chefs to curate special deals for us for nearly two decades, is back with a slew of participating restaurants from the Treasure Coast to Pompano Beach. Downtown Delray also continues to invite us to support our local dining scene with unique prix-fixe menus at some of the best restaurants in town. Some concepts offer more affordable lunch and dinner menus, while others offer specific deals such as “buy one, get one.” If you’ve had a restaurant on your must-try list for a while, this is the prime time to get out there and indulge. flavorpb.com; downtowndelraybeach.com
—Christie Galeano-DeMott
Henry’s Palm Beach —229 Royal Poinciana Way. American Bistro. Part of The Breakers’ restaurant properties, this venue opened in 2020 and is an elegant addition to The Island. Try the pigs in a pretzel dough blanket, beer can corn, the lobster roll, butter crumb Dover sole and chicken pot pie. All comfort food with a Palm Beach twist, and it’s all delicious. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/206-1896. $$$
HMF —1 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Beneath the staid, elegant setting of The Breakers, HMF is the Clark Kent of restaurants, dishing an extensive array of exciting, inventive, oh-so-contemporary small plates. Don’t depart without sampling the dreamy warm onion-Parmesan dip with house-made fingerling potato chips, the sexy wild boar empanaditas, chicken albondigas tacos and Korean-style short ribs. The wine list is encyclopedic. • Dinner nightly. 561/2900104. $$
Imoto —350 S. County Road. Asian Fusion/Tapas. Clay Conley’s “little sister” (the translation of Imoto from Japanese) is next to his always-bustling Buccan. Imoto turns out Japanese-inspired small plates with big-city sophistication, like witty Peking duck tacos and decadent tuna and foie gras sliders. Sushi selection is limited but immaculately fresh. • Dinner nightly 561/833-5522. $$
tops. This offsite property of The Breakers is managed with the same flawlessness as the resort. • Dinner nightly (during season). 561/802-4222. $$$
Tacos al carbon and chips and guacamole from Banko Cantina
Not Your Everyday Za
Artisanal ingredients infuse many of the creative pizzas at Grato, including nduja and hot honey on the Diavola and bechamel and grilled asparagus on the Dak.
Meat Market—191 Bradley Place. Steakhouse “Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steakhouse but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale add-ons. Whole roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner nightly 561/354-9800. $$$$
Renato’s —87 Via Mizner. Italian with continental flair. This most romantic hideaway is buzzing in season and quietly charming all year long with Italian classics and a Floridian twist— like the sautéed black grouper in a fresh tomato and pernod broth with fennel and black olives and the wildflower-honey-glazed salmon fillet with crab and corn flan. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/655-9752. $$$
WEST PALM BEACH
Austin Republic —4801 S. Dixie Highway. Barbecue. The casual backyard atmosphere sets the scene for chef James Strine’s unpretentious barbecue with a unique Mexican flair. The menu isn’t extensive, but all the barbecue greats are there alongside its Mexican counterparts. Brisket, ribs and pulled pork share the space with tacos, burritos and enchiladas. And don’t sleep on the chicken sandwich. Trust us. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. $
Banko Cantina—114 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Northern Mexican. Start with the Adelita cocktail and don’t look back. The bacon-wrapped shrimp, the Al Carbon steak tacos and the house guacamole add up to a full-flavor dinner. The west-facing rooftop bar is a nice sunset option, and the Pan de Elote (homemade sweet cornbread with vanilla ice cream and berries) is a delightful end to the evening. • Dinner daily. 561/355-1399. $$
Café Centro —2409 N. Dixie Highway. Modern American. A cornerstone in the Northwood neighborhood, this venue draws because of a complete package: food, drinks and great nightlife and music. Take some char-grilled oysters, add shrimp pesto capellini or a marinated pork chop with polenta, plus local singing fave Tessie Porter, and you have a fun and delicious night out. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/514-4070. $$
French Corner Bistro & Rotissorie —
4595 Okeechobee Blvd. Classic French. It’s France in a tiny venue, with big-taste dishes that include all the faves: beef bourguignon, rack of lamb, duck à l’orange, frog legs Provencale, veal kidneys, tender branzino and simple desserts to end the meal. Reservations are mandatory for dinner. • Lunch and dinner Mon.Sat. 561/689-1700. $$
Grato —1901 S. Dixie Highway. Italian. “Grato” is Italian for “grateful,” and there is much to be grateful for about Clay Conley’s sophisticated yet unpretentious take on Italian cookery. Anyone would be grateful to find such delicate, crispy and greaseless fritto misto as Grato’s, ditto for lusty beef tartare piled onto a quartet of crostini. Spinach gnocchi in porcini mushroom sauce are a revelation, so light and airy they make other versions taste like green library paste. Don’t miss the porchetta either, or the silken panna cotta with coffee ice cream and crunchy hazelnut tuille. • Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 561/404-1334. $$
Leila —120 S. Dixie Highway. Mediterranean. Flowing drapes and industrial lighting complete the exotic decor in this Middle Eastern hit. Sensational hummus is a must-try. Lamb kebab with
parsley, onion and spices makes up the delicious Lebanese lamb kefta. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sun. 561/659-7373. $$
Marcello’s La Sirena —6316 S. Dixie Highway. Italian . You’re in for a treat if the pasta of the day is prepared with what might be the best Bolognese sauce ever. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. (closed Memorial Day–Labor Day). 561/585-3128. $$
Pistache —1010 N. Clematis St., #115. French. Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as coq au vin and steak tartare. All that, plus guests dining al fresco have views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Centennial Park. • Brunch Sat.–Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$
Planta—700 S. Rosemary Ave. Vegan. For those who savor every juicy, tender and flavorful bite of a well-prepared burger, patronizing a vegan establishment may seem like a sacrilegious act. But what if a restaurant served up plant-based dishes that surprised your taste buds with exploding flavors? Here vegans don’t have to worry about ingredients making the cut, and non-vegans can enjoy approachable and appetizing plant-based dishes that won’t make you yearn for a steak. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/208-5222. $$
Rhythm Café —3800 S. Dixie Highway. Casual American. Once a diner, the interior is eclectic with plenty of kitsch. The crab cakes are famous here, and the tapas are equally delightful. Homemade ice cream and the chocolate chip cookies defy comparison. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/833-3406. $$
Rocco’s Tacos —224 Clematis St. Mexican. Big Time Restaurant Group has crafted a handsome spot that dishes Mexican favorites, as well as upscale variations on the theme and more than 425 tequilas. Tacos feature house-made tortillas and a variety of proteins. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/650-1001. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/416-2131; 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/808-1100; 5090 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/623-0127) $
Table 26°—1700 S. Dixie Highway. Contemporary American. Take a quarter-cup of Palm Beach, a tablespoon of Nantucket, a pinch of modern American cookery and a couple gallons of the owners’ savoir faire, and you have Eddie Schmidt’s and Ozzie Medeiros’s spot. The menu roams the culinary globe for modest contemporary tweaks on classically oriented dishes. Try the fried calamari “Pad Thai.” • Dinner nightly. 561/855-2660. $$$
Tropical Smokehouse —3815 S. Dixie Highway. Barbecue. When you take the distinct tastes of Florida/Caribbean/Cuban dishes and pair them with barbecue, you end up with a place you visit a lot. Local celeb chef Rick Mace smokes the meats himself, and his recipes include all kinds of citrus in tasty spots (sour orange wings, pineapple carrot cake); you’ll discover new favorite flavors. Don’t miss the BBQ pulled pork, brisket and ribs. Try the hot and sweet hushpuppies or the homemade chorizo queso in this very casual spot that we can happily say is also unique—there’s nothing else like it. • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/323-2573. $$
WEB EXTRA: check out our complete tri-county dining guide only at BOCAMAG.COM
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INTERCOASTAL WEALTH PLANNING, LLC
Intercoastal Wealth Planning is a financial planning firm that focuses on guiding clients through challenging markets, understanding their risk and other Life transitions. Working with clients who are accumulating wealth as well as business owners who need to understand how to turn their life‘s work into their retirement income stream. We have a new location at 6751 North Federal Highway, Suite 400 • Boca Raton, FL 33487. Call us for an appointment at 561.210.7339.
THE ROTARY CLUB DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON FUND
Each year, proceeds from the annual Mayors Ball support a variety of local nonprofits who touch the lives of thousands of people. On May 31, nearly $80,000 was presented to 17 local organizations through the Club’s “Service Above Self” grants. Fund Chairman Jeff Weber and Club members handed out the checks to nonprofit representatives.
CP GROUP’S 9TH ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING AT BRiC KICKS OFF HOLIDAY SEASON
CP Group presents the first free and open-to-the-public community tree lighting in Boca Raton at Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC). The event includes a 40-foot Christmas tree, community choir/dance performers, LED Cirque acrobats, Santa and his live reindeer, food trucks, and more. WPTV’s Steve Weagle returns as emcee. The event benefits Spirit of Giving, Junior League of Boca Raton, and CPG Cares. Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Alternate Rain Date: Friday, Nov. 22)
WHAT: More than 130 physicians were celebrated for their dedication to providing the best patient care at this year’s Honor Your Doctor Luncheon. Presented by the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton Fund and returning for its 26th year, the luncheon brought together more than 250 guests who enjoyed a lavish lunch and a ceremony to award this year’s esteemed doctors with specially engraved crystal blue star trophies. This year’s “Doctor of Distinction” award went to Boca Raton’s own Dr. Eli Cohen of Cohen Center Dermatology & Cosmetics, who was given a gold “DOD” lapel pin custom-designed by Shaheer Hosh of Cristino Fine Jewelry. Boca Mayor Scott Singer and Councilwoman Fran Nachlas also proclaimed April 10 as “Dr. Eli Cohen Day.” Funds raised from the luncheon help provide medical and nursing school scholarships to train the next generation of caregivers at universities across Florida. Sponsors included Elaine J. Wold, Marilyn and Jay Weinberg, Boca Raton Regional Hospital/ Baptist Health, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU, and more.
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2: Co-chair Jon Kaye, Honorary Chair Janice Williams, Co-chair Alan Kaye
3: Holli Rockwell Trubinsky, Pat Thomas, Christine Lynn, Marilyn Weinberg, Terry Fedele
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26th Anniversary Honor Your Doctor Luncheon Committee
Jon Kaye, Jeff Weber, Kim Champion, Bruce Spizler, Dr. Allen Konis, Alan Kaye
Shaheer Hosh of Cristino Fine Jewelers
Jon Kaye, Janice Williams, Dr. Eli Cohen, Councilwoman Fran Nachlas, Alan Kaye, Shaheer Hosh
BOCA BACCHANAL GRAND TASTING AFTERNOON
WHERE: The Addison
WHAT: Boca Raton’s celebration of all things food and wine wrapped its series of vintner dinners with the show-stopping Grand Tasting Afternoon hosted at The Addison. Guests were treated to dishes crafted by chefs from top local restaurants including AlleyCat, Sushi by Bou, Oceans 234 and more, paired with a selection of more than 150 wines, Champagnes and spirits. The Grand Tasting Afternoon, like the vintner dinners, benefited the Boca Raton Historical Society and the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum. “This year’s Boca Bacchanal was nothing short of spectacular, showcasing the best of our community’s culinary talent while championing the preservation of our history,” said Boca Raton Historical Society Executive Director Mary Csar. “We’re immensely grateful to all who contributed to making this event a resounding success.” Sponsors included Publix, The Boca Raton, Boca magazine, The Addison and others.
WHAT: Boca Regional’s annual Hospital Ball returned for its 61st year, bringing together more than 1,000 guests who raised a staggering $2.7 million to expand and enhance services at the hospital. Attendees were treated to dinner, artfully crafted cocktails made by flair bartenders and, in the biggest highlight, a performance by Grammywinning Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker. It was a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and a whole lot of support for Boca’s community hospital.
3: Dr. Mark Rubenstein, Dr. David Taub
4: Agnes and Jeffrey Stoops
5: Mike and Amy Kazma
6: Sherrie and Brian Blechman
7: Mark and Susan Rubin, Lori Lynn Williams, Peg Anderson
8: Fern Schmidt, Beverly Altman, Debbie Lindstrom
9: Dr. Evan and Susan Goldstein
10: Darius Rucker performing
Marvin Rubin and Carrie Rubin 12: Stan and Marilyn Barry, Linda and Ira Gefen
Susan and Peter Brockway
Daniele Schachter, Mason Slaine
BOCA HELPING HANDS
2024 MONOPOLY & CASINO NIGHT
WHERE: Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club
WHAT: Boca Helping Hands’ (BHH) crowd-favorite board game night returned for another memorable evening of casino games, live music, dinner and, of course, Monopoly. This year, Keith Nassetta was crowned the Monopoly champion after emerging victorious from the marathon tournament. Chaired by Gloria Hosh and Reagan Heidelberg, the sold-out event was a huge success, benefiting the more than 35,000 children and families that make use of BHH’s services. “The room was filled with such good vibes and energy,” Heidelberg said. “The event was a resounding success and will help make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.”
1: Antonio Postorino, Isabelle Pergeaux, “Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Olivia Hollaus, Reagen Heidelberg, Heather Browne
2: Kenny and Kimberly Ackerman
3: Bill Keith, “Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Dianne Fine
4: Amanda Gordon, “Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Veronica Martinez
5: Jessie Price, “Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Alex Price
6: Andrea Chang, Olivia Hollaus
BOCA WEST CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION LUNCHEON
WHERE: Boca West Country Club
WHAT: Supporters of Boca West Children’s Foundation gathered for a sold-out luncheon to raise crucial funds for children and families throughout Palm Beach County, bringing in nearly $300,000 for local children’s charities.
Food Network celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli headlined the luncheon, preparing a wonderful meal for guests and offering a rare Q&A opportunity for attendees to learn more about her family’s cooking history and her career both in the kitchen and onscreen. The luncheon was chaired by Michelle Gluckow, and sponsors included the Mithun Family Foundation, The Buzz Agency, Sharon DiPietro and many more.
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1: Christie Bellino, Lisabet Summa, Elizabeth Kelley Grace, Sally Shorr
Jane and Richard Zenker
Neil Saffer, Sharon DiPietro
Michelle and Jennifer Gluckow
Arlene Herson, chef Alex Guarnaschelli
Marcia and Doug Mithun
FASHION SHOW LUNCHEON
WHERE: Saks Fifth Avenue in Boca Raton
WHAT: As Boca’s charitable season drew to a close, an elegant fashion show luncheon was held at Saks Fifth Avenue to celebrate women from local nonprofits who have made a difference in the Boca community over the past year. Anthony Vecchione, president of Chiara Boni, hosted the luncheon as a special thank-you to representatives from Go Pink for Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, St. Luke’s and more. “These women work vigorously to make sure that all who are in need receive,” said Vecchione.
1: Siggy Flicker, Anthony Vecchione, Maureen Fierman, Dana Grimmer
WHAT: Local nonprofit Touch A Heart Foundation’s (TAH) annual Spa Day event returned for its 20th year, inviting nearly 300 guests to enjoy a day of relaxation and shopping at The Oaks at Boca Raton. Attendees enjoyed a lunch catered by The Oak Room, as well as yoga, Pilates, tennis and pickleball clinics, and more. This year’s Spa Day was Touch A Heart’s most successful to date, bringing in nearly $100,000 to support the organization’s programs, which assist disadvantaged children and families in South Florida.
Business supporters for this year’s Spa Day included The Hindin-Bahn Team at Lang Realty, Restaurant Partners, Inc., The Oaks at Boca Raton, The Oak Room and others. Sunset Sushi, Amika hair care and The Renaissance Hotel all graciously provided goods to the luxury silent auction.
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2: TAH’s Debbie Perlman, Restaurant Partners Inc. Founder and CEO Dave Manuchia, Oak Room GM John North, TAH Executive Director Jen Kaufman
3: Cori Rose with daughter Olive, Randi Schenker, Marilyn Lundy, Stacey Lundy
GM Mary Peralta, TAH Executive Director Jen Kaufman, First Service Residential VP Ivy Montero
September/October 2024 issue. Vol. 44, No. 7. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Media, and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Media is strictly prohibited: Savor the Avenue; Tastemakers of Delray; Tastemakers at Mizner; Florida Style and Design; Delray Beach magazine; Boca Raton, South Florida At Its Best; bocamag.com; Florida Table; Boca Raton magazine. Boca (ISSN0740-2856) is published 8 times a year (September/October, November/December, January, February, March, April, May/June and July/August) by JES Media. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Telephone: 561/997-8683. Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $24.95/8 issues, $34.95/16 issues (shipping fee included for one- and two-year rates). Single copy $6.95. No whole or part of the content may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of Boca magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Boca magazine, P.O. Box 820, Boca Raton, FL 33429-9943.
Nancy King, Gwen Baldry, Beth Wagner, Valerie Rifkin, Nancy Karp, Andrea Grundt, Jill Pepia, Lori Jenis
Raton
Marie Speed
Celebrating 100 Years of Giving
Boca Raton’s reputation for philanthropy grows bigger— and more inclusive—year after year
Written by MARIE SPEED
By the time I arrived in Boca Raton 30-some years ago, people had long used the term “season” to describe the winter months snowbirds were here, as well as the growing roster of charity balls popping up in calendars between late fall and March. Young men new to their Boca Raton jobs routinely acquired their first tuxedos, women were on one ball-planning committee after another, and the old Boca News had a whole Society section, which everyone aspired to be in.
Back then, and maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed that the most popular charities were the ones celebrating pillars of the community—the hospital, the Historical Society—places that represented mainstream causes that were easy to support. Years ago, the Morikami had its gala on the grounds of the museum under a big white tent, among the pine trees. I seem to recall an early party for the George Snow Scholarship Fund outdoors on the polo grounds, which used to be on Jog Road. But most parties were held at what was then the epicenter of the community, the Boca Raton Resort & Club (known only as “the Resort”), in the old conference center.
Those days have changed, of course.“The Resort” is now a completely revamped icon of luxury, The Boca Raton, with a sprawling series of ballrooms in its convention center, and expensive price tags to match; many charities have decamped to local country clubs instead. Over the years, the number of balls and galas and extravagant luncheons has multiplied, with ticket prices quadrupling and fundraising totals in the millions for some charities—all from one event.
But more importantly, the philanthropic sector (you know who you are) appears to have tossed a wider net throughout the community. We know Boca’s style and emphasis on social currency has always been
integral to this place; even the way-back opening of the Cloister Inn in 1926 was billed as the party of the year. According to late Boca historian Donald Curl, “Addison Mizner’s opening night guests from Palm Beach society, the show business world, and the British aristocracy proved a continuing interest in the [Cloister Inn] by the fashionable.”
And Boca Raton has been fashionable ever since. Still, the charity support here has evolved in the past few decades from standard arts, health and education causes into those that are less comfortable to think about, causes that may involve homelessness and hunger, poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence— all the unpretty things that make up the world—even our world. People who once gave only to legacy private schools and community institutions now also donate to charities like Boca Helping Hands, which feeds the hungry, among a myriad of services.
And I remember when many in Boca had never heard of Caridad Center, which has been providing free medical care to the working poor for 40 years or so. Today, Caridad no longer has to rely on “miracles” to keep its doors open (although I understand they still occur) and has a comfortable endowment, provides additional services, and hosts an elegant gala every year. AVDA holds a must-attend luncheon each year to combat domestic violence. The Brice Makris Fund fights substance abuse. The list goes on.
Although the community has supported these relatively un-sexy charities for years, it seems to me that they have assumed more prominent positions on our philanthropic radar. They are integral now to our social season, and our giving. Yes, Boca will always be all about style, but I’d say another thing to celebrate this season is its heart.
Which grows bigger every year.
Authentic Italian Cuisine
Chef Rino Aprea Brings Brooklyn’s Fine Italian Fare to Boca Raton
From Angelo’s of Mulberry Street and Ponte Vecchio in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Rino’s brings fine Italian fare and a lively atmosphere to downtown Boca Raton.
ALL NEW SPECIALS
$55 PRE FIXE MENU - Daily 5pm-6:45 Choose From 9 Starters & 10 Entrees Plus Dessert and Half Off Cocktails
HAPPY HOUR in Bar Area - Daily 5pm-7pm AND All Night Wednesdays and Sundays - Bar Bites Half Off
• Private Party Room • Off-Premise Catering • Live Music Wednesday - Saturday
• Friday Nights - Come Hear Tammy Lawrence of The Edge
CALL FOR RESERVATIONS 561-244-8282 www.rinosofboca.com
