Boca Raton magazine May/June 2014

T H E P O T DE B AT E TO LEGALIZE OR NOT

SPECIAL REPORT WOMEN ’ S HE ALTH

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THE [ONLY] BOCA RATON MAGAZINE

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In your Premier playground, there’s plenty of time for after-hours and weekend socializing at the Boca Beach Club or deal-making on the golf courses or tennis courts; spa afternoons, romantic dining to casual family meals by your choice of pools; kite flying or surf lessons on a 1/2 mile of pristine beach, personal and business celebrations, and holiday festivities. You’ll only find it all here at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and Boca Beach Club, Waldorf Astoria® Resorts.

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The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills offers an exclusive collection of luxury outlets and fine dining in a refined, relaxed, open-air promenade. Services and amenities such as valet parking, SHOP N DROP storage, and personalized shopping parties, make shopping simple. With 40 luxury outlet stores and hundreds of style-defining, designer brand names, the selection and savings are irresistible. Barney’s New York Outlet, Canali, Le Creuset, Movado Company Store, Piazza Sempione, Tory Burch, Tumi and more. High style, low prices, everyday. ®

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MAY/JUNE 2014, Vol. 34, Issue 3

features

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A cyclist pedals his way through the streets of Cuba. For more on this story, turn to page 102.

CHEAP EATS

Quality cuisine in and around Boca doesn’t have to arrive with sticker shock. our food editor spotlights some of the best spots to snag top-shelf bargain bites. by bill citara

88

wHiTE HoT

summer swimwear makes a chic statement as staged and photographed by a fashion class from lynn University. photography by ellen stern and lynn students

94

THE nEEd for wEEd

Boca Raton speaks to local experts about the issues dividing the sunshine state regarding the legalization of medical marijuana. by thomas collins

102

A TASTE of forbiddEn fruiT

By embarking on travel that follows specific U.S. government guidelines, tourists can pull back the curtain on castro-era cuba. by charles and mary love

116

Top medical experts from south Florida centers weigh in on specific health challenges facing women of all ages— from bone strength to fertility issues. by lisette hilton

charles and mary love

SPECiAl rEPorT: womEn’S HEAlTH

departments

26Mail

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28 Editor’s lEttEr

By adding to its local coverage, Boca Raton charts an editorial course that, we believe, will create a much-needed dialogue about the issues that affect our community.

by john thomason

137 BackstaGE pass

Get ready for an upcoming exhibition that may seem like child’s play but actually is much more, meet the owner of Boca’s Funky Biscuit, and check out the hottest events in May and June.

by kevin kaminski

31HoMEtown

Celebrate the people, places and events that give our community its identity— including the first female CEO in the history of our county’s United Way, an instructor who knows all about riding the wave, and a bank executive who never rests on her laurels.

by john thomason

145 dininG GuidE

Don’t leave home without it—our comprehensive guide to the best restaurants in South Florida, including a new review of Fork & Knife in Boca.

by kevin kaminski, marie speed and john thomason

by stefanie cainto

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reviews by bill citara

sHop talk

Boca Raton heads to the fringe of fashion before getting readers primed for summer with beat-the-heat makeup tips and expert advice from a designer who can put you in the perfect swimsuit.

FEEl Good

Our health writer examines the pros and cons of the CrossFit phenomenon.

by lisette hilton

57

175 out and aBout 57HoME BasE

Our home editor takes a counter approach to kitchens by exploring the materials available in South Florida for island tops, countertops and backsplashes.

by brad mee

62

FacE tiME

Meet a high school teacher making a difference in the lives of students through yoga, the CEO of the county’s alwaysfascinating science center, and a Boca-based actress hitting the big screen in the summer movie “Walt Before Mickey.” by kevin kaminski and john thomason

142 On the cOver pHotoGrapHEr:

Cristina Morgado disH: Fried chicken and waffle from Fork & Knife in Boca Raton

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70 tHE Boca intErviEw

Novelist, TV host and conspiracy junkie Brad Meltzer’s passion for history continues to lead him down some strangebut-true corridors.

Readers comment on articles in recent issues of Boca Raton.

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May/june 2014 vol. 34, no. 3

You might just see some familiar faces in our snapshots from social events in and around Boca Raton.

by stefanie cainto

183 spEEd BuMps

A high school classroom encounter provides an unexpected life lesson.

by marie speed

184 My turn

A Boca-based cosmetic surgeon and his wife tackle parenting challenges with strength and dignity. by john shuff

INK P E D any L K T I C e are so mve pink

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M I Z N E R PA R K B O C A R ATO N L O R D A N DTAY L O R . C O M

bocamag.com WEB ExTRAS

Check out these bonus items unique to bocamag.com, related to stories in the May/June issue of Boca Raton or pertaining to events in our area:

FOllOw US

/ BOCAmAg

TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM: Let Boca Raton be your

guide when it comes to planning a dream wedding in your own backyard. Head to bocamag.com starting May 5—and every Monday throughout May and into June—for expert advice and resource material involving services available in and around Boca.

Each week, we’ll showcase a new category—from shopping for bridal gowns to catering options to where to find the best entertainment. We have the answers to all your wedding questions!

CITY WATCH: Boca Raton is proud to welcome Randy Schultz, former editorial page editor at the Palm Beach Post, to our online team. The esteemed journalist will report on city, county and statewide governmental and civic issues. Look for his “City Watch” blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays under the “Community” header.

LET GO OF MY LEGO: Learn more about New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya, whose exhibition of LEGO® sculptures (page 142) is coming to Hollywood starting June 7.

UNITED WE STAND: We have much more from our interview

with Laurie George (page 31), the first female CEO in the 85-year history of the United Way of Palm Beach County.

ULTIMATE DINING RESOURCE: The online version of Boca Raton’s award-winning dining guide breaks down the restaurant scene from Palm Beach Gardens to Miami.

SEE IT NOW

Boca Raton’s award-winning video team covers the hottest South Florida events, catches up with celebrities that make local appearances and gives you behind-the-scenes glimpses into stories that appear in our magazine.

Click on our “Videos” link for all the action.

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FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Keep up with the latest happenings around town, find out what’s trending locally, check out photos from events and store openings—and enter to win prizes throughout the year—by keeping tabs on our Facebook page (facebook.com/bocamag).

may/june 2014

Congratulations to our

PhysiCians on their Prestigious aChievement

Congratulations to our dedicated team of Bethesda orthopaedic institute surgeons and physicians for achieving the prestigious Certification for Hip and Knee Replacement from The Joint Commission.

Because of our physicians our patients have the ultimate patient experience that enables them to successfully return to the business of living. Congratulations, Bethesda Orthopaedic Institute physicians, and thank you for all you do to provide world-class care for our patients!

Bethesda Hospital East • 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd. • Boynton Beach Bethesda Hospital West • 9655 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. • Boynton Beach (561) 737-7733 • www.BethesdaOrthopaedics.org

bocamag.com ALOhA, hukiLAu After 13 years of bringing together “tikiphiles” from all over the country, Hukilau is raising one final mai tai glass with an era-ending bash in Fort Lauderdale (June 11–15). In the March/ April 2013 issue of Boca Raton, writer Gaspar González explored our enduring fascination with Polynesian culture. Here is an excerpt from that feature; see the story in its entirety— under “Web Extras” at bocamag.com.

I

t looks like a production of “South Pacific” run amok. Inside the Mai-Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, sailors in white uniforms are spinning Betty Grable look-a-likes on the dance floor, while guys in loud Hawaiian aloha shirts and women in Polynesian-inspired dresses cavort over huge tropical rum drinks. Both sexes show off

tattoos of palm trees, hula girls, and South Sea scenes on their arms and legs. Not the temporary kind, either; the real deal, cousins to the ones Sailor Jerry used to ink on Hotel Street in Honolulu back in the 1940s.

In a corner of the Molokai Bar, a lithe, blonde contortionist in a grass skirt and bikini top does a burlesque routine, arching her back

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until her golden locks are almost sweeping the floor, while a goateebearded bandleader with a beatnik air pounds out a jungle-tinged tune on the vibes.

Welcome to Hukilau. The event, held each spring in Fort Lauderdale, is the largest annual gathering of “Polynesian pop” devotees on the East Coast.

“This is my favorite part,” says Christie White.

“Looking at everyone that has spent their money and their time coming from all over the world to celebrate with us, and seeing them have a good time. That’s when I know I’ve done my part.” White, a buxom redhead who is, by turns, cheerful, demanding and doting—one gets the feeling she’d make a great Cub Scout den mother—is the co-founder and organizer of Hukilau, which launched in 2002. ...

From somewhere in the crowd, White hears her nickname, “Tiki Kiliki,” and she spins away.

For the uninitiated, Polynesian pop encompasses all facets of America’s 20th-century obsession with the South Pacific. It’s more than just aloha shirts, tattoos and dashboard hula girls—it’s also rum cocktails, backyard luaus, Martin Denny records and, of course, tikis, those ubiquitous carved representations of island gods. The fascination with the latter is such that popsters refer collectively to their various pursuits as tiki—or “tiki culture”—and to themselves as tikiphiles.

This near-religious fervor for paradise, Polynesian-style, might seem a bit odd, until one recalls how big a phenomenon tiki was the first time around.

BLOG CENTRAL

Stay connected to the community with our team of bloggerS: A&E: John Thomason takes readers inside the arts with concert, exhibition and movie reviews, cultural news and special profiles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Dining: Bill Citara breaks down the tri-county restaurant scene—from new reviews and dining news to kitchen gossip—every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Also, on Wednesdays, our “Boca After Dark” blogger checks out the local nightlife scene and “The Green Goddess” dishes on healthy eating.

Shopping: Discover upcoming trunk shows, store openings, moneysaving tips and fashion trends Tuesday through Thursday with Stefanie Cainto.

TrAvEl: Visit bocamag.com for local resort news, special deals, international escapes, weekend getaways and other travel updates.

CommuniTy: City Watch blogger Randy Schultz keeps tabs on issues important to residents of Boca and beyond, health editor Lisette Hilton delivers local news from the worlds of exercise and medicine, and our inhouse team keeps you on top of events and happenings in and around Boca.

FOLLOw us

/ BOCAmAG may/june 2014

the [only] boca raton magazine group editor-in-chief

marie speed

Dr. Gail Pezzullo-Burgs, MD M

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CM

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CMY

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Over 10 years experience & expertly trained in an array of cosmetic procedures designed to help you

kevin kaminski

assistant editor

john thomason

web editor

stefanie cainto

Look your best & feel your best

senior art director

lori pierino

assistant art director

nancy kumpulainen

Offering Botox & Dysport, laser hair removal, dermal fillers, facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and more.

photographer

aaron bristol

production manager

adrienne mayer

Visit DrGailObgyn.com or call 561-826-3800 for a full list of our services.

contributing writers

tom collins, lisette hilton, charles and mary love, john shuff

contributing photographers

2500 North Military Trail Suite 111 Boca Raton, Florida 33431

cristina morgado jason myers eduardo schneider ellen stern scot zimmerman

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video production

david shuff jen stone

“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.

food editor

bill citara

home editor

brad mee

group advertising director

tim schwab

senior account executives

georgette evans perri kowalsky

Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Owner and Administrator

account executives

bruce klein jr. karen jacaruso

events coordinator

sarah frank

It’s The Personal Touch That Makes The Difference

JES publishing

Offering Quality Private Duty Nursing Care and Care Management Services Since 1993 Available 24 Hours a Day • • • • •

Registered Nurses Licensed Practical Nurses Certified Nursing Assistants Home Health Aides Physical Therapy

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Serving Broward, Palm Beach, Martin & St. Lucie Counties 342 E. Palmetto Park Rd., Suites 1 & 2 Boca Raton, FL 33432

340 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite 322-B Palm Beach, FL 33480

Fax (561) 347-7567

Fax (561) 833-3460

(561) 347-7566

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(561) 833-3430

3/20/14 1:54 PM

1000 Clint Moore Road, #103 Boca Raton, FL 33487 561/997-8683 (phone), 561/997-8909 (fax) www.bocamag.com magazine@bocamag.com (general queries) kevin@bocamag.com (editorial) Boca Raton magazine is published seven times a year by JES Publishing. 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.

may/june 2014

JES publishing

president/publisher group editor-in-chief controller circulation director subscription services

margaret mary shuff marie speed jeanne greenberg david brooks david shuff

JES Publishing produces the following magazines: Boca Raton • Delray Beach • Mizner’s Dream • Worth Avenue • Boca Raton Chamber Annual • Salt Lake • Utah Bride and Groom • Utah Style & Design • The Canyons • Salt Lake Visitors’ Guide

Florida Magazine association 2013 charlie awards charlie award (first place) best overall online presence (Boca Raton) best department (Boca Raton)

silver award best overall magazine (Boca Raton) best column (Boca Raton)

bronze award best online video (Boca Raton)

2012 charlie awards charlie award (first place) best overall magazine (Boca Raton) best feature (Delray Beach) best photographic essay (Boca Raton)

silver award best overall online presence (Boca Raton) best use of photography (Boca Raton)

bronze award best in-depth reporting (Boca Raton)

2011 charlie awards charlie award (first place) best new magazine (Delray Beach) best custom publication (Worth Avenue)

bronze award best overall magazine (Boca Raton)

2010 charlie awards charlie award (first place) best overall magazine (Boca Raton) best overall design (Boca Raton)

2009 charlie awards charlie award (first place) best overall magazine (Boca Raton) best overall design (Boca Raton) best feature (Boca Raton)

2008 charlie awards charlie award (first place)

WILD AND WONDERFUL WOMENSWEAR

best overall magazine (Boca Raton) best feature (Boca Raton) best single, original B&W photo (Boca Raton)

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services [ directory ] Boca Raton magazine is published seven times a year, with February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/ October, November and December/January issues. If you have any questions or comments regarding our magazine, call us at 561/997-8683. We’d love to hear from you.

[ subscription, copy purchasing and distribution ] For any changes or questions regarding your subscription or to purchase back issues, call subscription services at 855/276-4395. To inquire about distribution points, ask for circulation director David Brooks at 877/5535363.

[ advertising resources ] Take advantage of Boca Raton magazine’s prime advertising space—put your ad dollars to work in the premier publication of South Florida. For more information, contact group advertising director Tim Schwab (tim@ bocamag.com), senior account executives Georgette Evans (georgette@bocamag.com) and Perri Kowalsky (perri@ bocamag.com), or account executives Karen Jacaruso (karen@bocamag.com) and Bruce Klein Jr. (brucek@ bocamag.com).

[ custom publishing ] Create a magazine tailored to fit the needs and character of your business/organization. Ideal for promotions, special events, introduction of new services, etc. Contact Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com).

Boca Raton

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The World’s Finest Man Made Gems

Diamond Quality Cubic Zirconia Set in Solid 14K Gold, 18K Gold & P LATINUM

Visit us today and experience Palm Beach’s best kept secret for over 35 years!

[ web queries ] Submit information regarding our website and online calendar to Kevin Kaminski (kevin@bocamag.com).

[ letters ]

Ideal Jewelry for Traveling  Customer Confidentiality  Thousands of styles available  Custom Design & Replica Specialists  Serving Jewelry Lovers since 1978 

Seeing is Believing!

Boca Raton magazine values the concerns and interests of our readers. Please submit story queries by e-mail to Kevin Kaminski (kevin@bocamag.com). Due to the large volume of pitches, the editor may not respond to all queries.

Your thoughts and comments are important to us. All letters to the editor may be edited for style, grammar and length. Send letters to the address listed below, or to Kevin Kaminski (kevin@bocamag.com).

Letter to the Editor, Boca Raton magazine 1000 Clint Moore Road, #103 Boca Raton, FL 33487

[ arts & entertainment ]

Martini Studs in 14K Gold starting at $125/pair

Halo Wedding Set in 14K White Gold

Margarita Studs in 14K Gold starting at $295/pair

[ dining guide ]

Mystique of Palm Beach

250 WORTH AVENUE , PALM BEACH FL (561) 655-3008 www.MystiqueGems.com mystiquecreatedgems_brm0514.indd 24 [ bocamag.com ]

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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 A&E editor John Thomason (john.thomason@bocamag. com). Deadline for entries in an upcoming A&E section is three months before publication.

3/19/14 11:53 AM

Our independent reviews of restaurants in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A fine, reliable resource for residents and tourists. For more information, contact Marie Speed or Kevin Kaminski.

[ 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). E-mail images to people@bocamag.com.

may/june 2014

[ directory ] tHANK yoU For SUBScriBiNG to BOCA RATON MAGAZiNe! We appreciate your business, and we want you to get the most from your subscription. This customer guide will help you contact us for all your subscription needs.

ABSOLUTE MAKEOVER REFINISH YOUR OLD PATIO FURNITURE TRANSFORM YOUR OUTDOORS

POWDER COATING • SANDBLASTING • LARGE SELECTION OF METAL FINISHES CUSTOM FABRIC CUSHIONS • SLINGING • STRAPPING

[ first issue ] Your first issue will be mailed four-to-six weeks after receipt of your order. Subsequent issues will arrive every other month and monthly in November and February.

[ missing or late issues ] Once in a while, production, transportation or the postal service may delay delivery. If you don’t get an issue, or if your magazine is repeatedly late, please call and report your problem to our subscription department at 855/276-4395, or send an e-mail to: subscriptions@ bocamag.com.

[ if you have questions about your invoice ... ] If you have already paid your bill and then receive a new bill, here’s what you should do: 1. If you have paid your bill within the past four weeks, ignore the new invoice. (The computer simply has not given your account credit quickly enough.)

2. It’s most likely that your payment and our notice just crossed in the mail; check the date on the notice to see when we mailed it.

3. If you get another bill or renewal notice, call our subscription department at 855/276-4395, or send an e-mail to subscriptions@bocamag.com, and we will straighten out the problem.

BEFORE

AFTER

[ change of address ] permanent: If you are changing your address, send us your complete old address, complete new address, including ZIP code, and the effective date of the change.

You can also leave us a message with your old and new address by calling 855/276-4395. You can also change your address online at bocamag.com. temporary or seasonal: Please send us your complete permanent address, your complete temporary address and the dates that you want your issues forwarded.

[ back issues ] If you are interested in purchasing any back issues, please call 877/553-5363, ext. 222, indicating the issue date you would like. The cost of each issue including shipping and handling is $9.95.

[ gift subscriptions ] You’ll find a subscription to Boca Raton magazine makes a thoughtful and useful gift that lasts throughout the year. If you’d like more information about giving a gift subscription, please call our subscription department at 855/276-4395.

[ online subscriptions ]

PRIVATE RESIDEN RESIDENCES NCES • HOTELS CONDOS • COUNTRY CLUBS Restore your patio furniture for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

Save money and the environment.

Receive additional savings by subscribing online. Visit bocamag.com for more information.

C ALL FO R A F RE E E STIM ATE

[ for any of the above services, please contact our subscriptions services department ] Call TOLL FREE: 855/276-4395 E-mail: subscriptions@bocamag.com Write: Boca Raton magazine Subscription Department 1000 Clint Moore Road, #103

954.917.2715 1254 N.W. 21st Street | Pompano Beach, Fl 33069 | www.absolutepowdercoat.com

Boca Raton, FL 33487

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mail

Board Certified, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery

Music to His Ears I am so incredibly grateful to [John Thomason] for writing such a clear and pointed article about the JubanoJazz concert [A&E blog, Feb. 28, bocamag.com]. I have struggled for years explaining my motivation and activities to journalists, and [Thomason] nailed it!

[Thomason is] truly talented in [his] ability to understand the complexity of the event and then transmit that information for anyone to understand—and with a kind of hip spin. I have not had that experience with any other writer down here in 17 years. Many thanks!

—Aaron Kula Director of Music Performance & Education Florida Atlantic University

Minimally Invasive Surgery & Robotics Urinary & Fecal Incontinence Bladder Pain Disorders Pelvic Organ Prolapse Overactive Bladder Linda A. Kiley, MD, FACOG, FPMRS 1601 Clint Moore Rd, Suite 210 Boca Raton, FL 33487 P: 561-701-2841 F: 561-627-0193 urogynecologypalmbeach.com

drlindakily_brm0514.indd 1

ProfilE in couragE

3/19/14 8:55 AM

Paul Mitchell • DiBi • Joe Blasco • Nioxin • Framesi • Gerda Spillman • L’Oréal

Paul Mitchell • DiBi • Joe Blasco • Nioxin • Framesi • Gerda Spillman • L’Oréal

Paul Mitchell • DiBi • Joe Blasco • Nioxin • Framesi • Gerda Spillman • L’Oréal

Full Service Salon Since 1984 Royal Palm Place Plaza 121 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 12 • Boca Raton • 561-394-2707 {walking distance from the Boca Raton Resort & Club} L’Oréal • DiBi • Joe Blasco • Nioxin • Framesi • Gerda Spillman • Paul Mitchell

lamirage_brm0314.indd 1 26 [ bocamag.com

]

3/18/14 4:02 PM

Thank you Boca Raton magazine and Kevin Kaminski for the “Behind the Biz” feature in the February issue. It took courage and tremendous strength for me to bring back the memories, but I hope it will inspire those who read it to remember to always put things in perspective—and remember that living life with gratitude is the key.

—Senada Adžem Director of luxury sales, Douglas Elliman

a PEnny savEd I am a [longtime] acquaintance of [publishers] John and Margaret Mary Shuff. I so enjoyed [John Shuff’s] “My Turn” column, “Penny for Your Thoughts,” in your March/April issue—so much so that I copied and enlarged the page. It’s sitting on my vanity mirror! Know that the message of “lightening up” will be taken to heart.

—Catherine Bishop-Temple Boca Raton

MusEuM MovEs I am shocked that [former Boca Museum of Art director Steven] Maklansky is gone [A&E blog, Feb. 7, bocamag.com]. I was just thinking of joining because the museum seemed so friendly for kids and families. It seemed the direction was just the right one in reaching out to broader audiences. Since when does a broader audience impact credibility?

I think it is a great idea to develop a culture where the communities can come out [from behind] their gates to learn about each other in the museum setting. ... Hopefully the new direction is not the old stodgy out-of-touch elitism that makes the museum just another Boca Raton “gated community.”

—Monica Bocamag.com may/june 2014

Jean Paul Gaultier rick Owens lilies

THE MAYOR’S REBUTTAL

GO silk

Editor’s note: Boca Raton mayor Susan Whelchel and the city council asked Boca Raton magazine for an opportunity to respond to an article in the March/April issue that continues to spark great discussion around town: “Does Boca Make the Grade?” As part of the feature written by Tom Collins, the editorial team, based in part on expert sources interviewed for the story, handed the city grades in areas ranging from urban planning to tourism. The mayor sent Boca Raton a four-page rebuttal. Here are excerpts from that letter. The entire letter can be found at bocamag.com, posted March 19 under the “Community” link.

The City Council and I take the operation, appearance, financial stability and reputation of the City very seriously, as have previous elected officials. Without trying to be boastful, the result is that Boca Raton continues to be a premier community by almost all measures.

The City clearly has advantages and opportunities that other communities do not have.

While we are certainly open to receiving comments and suggestions from knowledgeable people regarding the City of Boca Raton, your article unfairly assigns grades regarding the City. The grades assigned by the editorial staff do not match the comments made by the representatives quoted, and they provide an undeserved negative view of the City. The reputation of the City is important when attracting new businesses, new residents and visitors, and unnecessary and undeserved negative comments can hurt this reputation.

Although I am not providing a long analysis of each of the categories and grades that were assigned in those categories, I do want to provide a short critique of each category, and provide a grade that I feel better matches the situation.

Urban Planning: The City has spent a considerable amount of time and funds increasing walkability, availability of mass transit, and development of mixed-use developments. ... As examples, the City has improved the size and look of sidewalks in the Sanborn Square District, East Palmetto Park Road, and other areas of the City. ... The City has a number of mixed use development areas including Mizner Park and has created planned mobility districts.

These efforts, as Michael Busha notes, have put the City of Boca Raton in the top several communities in the County in urban planning.

Boca Raton’s grade: C+ Mayor’s grade: A-

l’aGence raquel alleGra MaJestic PedrO Garcia

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www.DeborahJames.com

3/12/14 4:15 PM

Our 28th Year!

continued on page 182

follow the leader

groveopticians_brm0514.indd 1

27

3/10/14 10:53 AM

[ bocamag.com ]

editor’s letter

[ by kevin kaminski ]

Starting a Dialogue

B

efore attending the University of Florida, I spent a career-changing 18 months working at a newspaper in Fort Myers, where I cut my teeth as a young sports reporter—covering everything from high school wrestling and spring training baseball to Jet Ski racing and Frisbee tournaments—while saving money to pay for college.

The week before I left to start classes in Gainesville, my writing mentor and adopted grandfather figure took me aside to impart one last bit of life wisdom. We had been talking about a fresh-out-ofcollege reporter in his news department who would fall into a deep funk over the slightest bit of criticism from his editor.

“He’ll be out of the business within a year,” my mentor said. “You need thick skin to be a journalist … and even thicker skin to be a husband.”

It took six marriages for my mentor to finally work out the latter issue. But he was spot-on about the first truth. Journalism is not for the overly sensitive.

Over the years, I’ve been dressed down by readers, by bosses, by anonymous callers—once by a drunk woman at a bar—and by an allpro collection of interview subjects. Long before his turn on “Dancing With the Stars,” Emmitt Smith got in my grill after practice at UF when I questioned him about an NCAA investigation into the program.

Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox had to be restrained by teammates in the locker room when I tried to talk to him after a loss in New York to the Jets. Then-Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer hammered me over the phone for asking about former Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson. And Dolphins coach Don Shula shredded me in front of a roomful of reporters for asking a question about a dismal draft choice—a player who was regularly falling asleep in team meetings.

I knew that Don’s fuse was short when it came to that player. I also understood, from the beginning of my career, that catching shrapnel goes with the territory. Reporters and publications that serve as more than glorified public relations outlets inevitably encounter not-sofriendly fire. More often than not, that means you’re doing your job.

Case in point: In the March/April issue of Boca Raton, the magazine put the city under the microscope in categories ranging from urban planning and political environment to financial health for a feature written by Tom Collins titled, “Does Boca Make the Grade?” The story—in particular, the grades handed out by our editorial team— did not sit well with city officials; it prompted a four-page rebuttal letter from Mayor Susan Whelchel and the city council, refuting our

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assessments and offering “Mayor’s” grades to counter ours. You can read excerpts from the mayor’s letter starting on page 27; we’ve also posted the entire letter at bocamag. com, under the “Community” link.

We appreciate the considerable feedback— supportive, critical and everything in between— that this story has generated. We also stand by the grades handed out in that feature. In addition to celebrating the community in our pages, it’s also in our DNA to hold Boca and beyond up to the light from time to time.

To that end, Boca Raton is proud to announce the recent addition of Randy Schultz to our blogging team. The former longtime editor of the editorial pages at the Palm Beach Post already is bringing a reporter’s eye to his “City Watch” columns, which debuted in March and have quickly established a following. A Boca resident since 1985, Schultz will weigh in twice a week on city, county and statewide issues.

Years ago, the major newspapers in our market battled over the Boca territory, leading to increased coverage and a watchdog approach to city politics. Those days are long gone—and Boca and similar-sized towns have suffered because of it.

We hope that the addition of Randy Schultz not only will keep city officials on their toes but will create the kind of dialogue from which a thriving community can only benefit.

Enjoy the May/June issue.

may/june 2014

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hometown [ 31 local hero • 32 boca by the numbers • 34 meet the expert • 36 what’s cooking • 38 behind the biz ]

By George!

The county’s United Way charts a new course with a history-making hire.

Visit bocamag. com and click on Web extras for the complete interVieW With laurie george. check out unitedWaypbc. org to learn about Volunteer opportunities.

—Kevin KaminsKi

Eduardo SchnEidEr

I

t started last summer as a journal entry during a retreat for the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches. Laurie GeorGe and her fellow attendees were discussing the best-seller by Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and how women should, as the book’s title suggests, “lean in” to positions of leadership when opportunity presents itself.

Even though she was serving at the time as interim president for the United Way of Palm Beach County, George had yet to apply for the top position at the organization for which she had been COO since September 2009.

“I wrote in my journal, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if United Way would hire its first female CEO?” says George, who turned 45 in May. “We had to share our entry out loud; when I read it, the group went wild. ... To have those women stand up and say, yes, it’s time, was huge for me.”

For the United Way, which supports more than 40 nonprofits throughout the county with millions of dollars in funding, naming George as CEO last November proved equally monumental. Beyond the glass ceiling it finally shattered—George, a single mother of three, became the first female in its 85-year history to sit in the president’s chair—the hire gave United Way a much-needed opportunity to reboot its brand.

Former CEO Charles Anderson had resigned last June amid internal and external grumblings that included allegations of a hostile work environment. Even during her interim period, George began reaching out to the businesses and nonprofits that work closely with United Way to mend damaged fences. At a gathering to celebrate George’s official appointment, a director of one of the nonprofits commented, “United Way is empathetic again.”

“I feel like I’m at the center of the wheel,” says George, who first joined United Way in 1998. “We have the board, staff, volunteers. My role is to lead and connect.”

George and her team are working on the multiyear strategic plan that United Way will roll out in July, but her early impact has not gone unnoticed—including at home.

“After I was named CEO, I was driving my daughter to school; she’s 8,” says George. “She looks at me and says, ‘Mommy, I’m so proud of you. Girls can do anything.’”

home town [ Boca By the NumBers ] What’s the buzz around town? These numbers tell part of the story for May and June.

6 events

37th annual

Boca Raton Road Runners didn’t need to dangle an incentive for its popular Memorial Day (May 26) Family Affair 5K and fitness challenge, but no one is complaining about the potential finish-line reward—one of 250 apple pies being given away by Publix. Visit mdfa5k.com for race-day location and information.

Miele, the manufacturer of exquisite high-end appliances, is slated to host a half-dozen events at its Southeast center (7680 N. Federal Highway) in Boca—including “Master Chef” classes and product cooking demonstrations— between May and June. Call 561/995-4637 or visit mieleusa.com/bocaraton for dates and information.

400+ Expect upward of this many attendees when the community’s economic drivers gather at the 2014 Business Awards Luncheon, May 22 at Boca Raton Resort & Club.

The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce’s annual event will honor a business leader, small business and business of the year. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 561/395-4433.

$40

Treat the woman who brought you into this world to a low-key blowout this Mother’s Day (May 11) at Cloud 10 in Boca (289 E. Palmetto Park Road, 561/465-3900) or Delray (32 S.E. Second Ave., 561/303-3000). For less than it costs to fill up the gas tank, Mom can enjoy a “Full Face” makeover or a luxury shampoo and blowout with complimentary beverages.

$444 AARON BRISTOL

Sixth-generation psychic and local resident Deirdre Abrami is hosting an “Angel Healer Practitioner” weekend workshop (June 27–29) at Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca. The fee includes instructional sessions in the use of angel cards, chakra clearing—and even starting your own spiritual business for those with “intuitive skills.” Visit psychicdeirdre.com for details.

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17th season

Catch the final two Saturdays (May 3 and 10) of the Boca Raton GreenMarket, which is wrapping up its 17th season at the south end of Royal Palm Place.

210 courses Give Dad the gift that keeps on giving this Father’s Day (June 15) and buy him the SFPGA GolfPass. For only $50, golfers receive discounted access to more than 200 courses on the southeast and southwest coasts of Florida—including a slew of private clubs. Visit sfpgagolf.com/ golfpass for a complete list of courses.

may/june 2014

home town [ meet the expert ]

catch the entire interview with morgan baer under the “web extras” link at bocamag.com.

M

organ Baer, born in Rockledge, near Cocoa Beach, comes by his love of the ocean naturally; his mother bought her first skateboard as a kid at Nomad Surf Shop near Briny Breezes, and his father got a degree in oceanography. He learned to swim at 6 and surf at 11. Baer swam competitively until he was 19, at which point he and his dad launched his career with a shop in Manalapan called Coastal Surf and Ski that ran for six years before closing in 2009.

Last year Baer, 31, and his current company, Costa del Este Water Sports, teamed with Boca Raton

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Resort & Club to run the resort’s water concessions— and start a surf school. Baer’s company offers everything from stand-up paddleboards and Jet Skis to banana boat rentals—but it’s the surf lessons that are closest to his heart.

We asked Baer to give us a few tips on surfing.

■ “Starting out, you should take at least one lesson. Go to a surf shop; get to know the area, where the best surf is. You need to have the right equipment, the right knowledge on where to go and where not to go. And stay in front of the lifeguards.”

■ “The perfect wave means very little wind on the water, and you want to see a nice line across the water—a little bit of white water and the rest smooth.”

■ “The most important thing to watch out for is other surfers. [The wave belongs to] the first person on the wave or the person closest to the peak of the wave. If you are learning, you should stay off to the side, the shoulder. Don’t go straight to where everybody is. ... There is a pecking order when you get into the ocean. There are guys out there who have put in their time, and they expect you to understand that.” may/june 2014

eduardo schneider

Wave Master

Boca’S fIRSt BoaRD-ceRtIfIeD feMale PeDIatRIc DentISt GetS neW iPluS laSeR! After having used Biolase laser technology since she opened her office in Boca Raton, Dr. Saadia has invested in the latest technology for her patients. The iPlus laser allows her to treat most of her little patients who have cavities with no shots. The laser also allows her to help gently “wiggle” teeth out rather than the old fashioned pulling.

What are the benefits of iPlus laser dentistry?

• Since, in most cases, there are no needles or any numbness, kids will not chew their lips or tongue upon leaving the office and can eat right away.

• The laser’s pinpoint accuracy allows the dentist to leave as much healthy tooth as possible, when removing tooth decay.

• The laser performs numerous soft tissue (gum) procedures with little or no bleeding and no need for sutures.

• Soft tissue healing after laser surgery is faster than surgery done with traditional scalpel blades or elector surgery. iPlus laser uses only light and water to cut, so surgical sites heal very quickly and with minimal or no bleeding.

What can be done in the dental office with iPlus laser?

• iPlus Laser results in the very conservative removal of decay resulting minimally invasive cavity preparations.

• iPlus Laser is very efficient at gum re-contouring (gingivectomy) procedures, especially during and after orthodontics (braces).

• iPlus Laser is ideal for relieving a child who is tongue-tied. Where the tongue cannot move normally because it is held by too short of a fibrous cord of a tissue in the floor of the mouth.

• iPlus Laser can relieve painful canker sores with guaranteed accelerated healing.

Saadia I. Mohamed, D.D.S. First female Board Certified Pediatric Dentist in Boca Raton Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Member of College of Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry

9250 Glades Rd., Suite 212 Boca Raton 561-477-3535 • pbpdcares.com

home town [ what’s cooking ]

Special Delivery

—John Thomason

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[ bocamag.com ]

Read what elkman has to say about food topics such as gluten, gmos, caloRie labeling and why ameRicans’ typical eating schedule is backwaRds, only at bocamag.com.

may/june 2014

Eduardo SchnEidEr

I

n 2012, Davone Bess, then wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, discovered an upstart food delivery company, called Fresh Meal Plan, through social media. He tried its meals, loved them, and spread the word to his fellow Dolphins; by the start of the 2012 football season, Fresh Meal Plan (8081 Congress Ave., Boca Raton; 855/373-7467) had inked a deal as the official meal plan provider of the Miami Dolphins, feeding the players high-protein, buffet-style meals before and after every home game.

“We’re known for feeding high-performance athletes,” says founder and CEO Marc elkMan, who launched the brand in December 2011. “That’s how we stepped foot in the market. Along with feeding those guys, we spread the word to the everyday, losing-weight population.”

A former bodybuilder and personal trainer, Elkman started Fresh Meal Plan to raise awareness about proper nutrition, just as Americans’ eating habits had begun to improve. A 2014 government report found that between 2005 and 2010, adults born between 1946 and 1985 dropped their daily caloric intake by 5 percent and ate 53 fewer fast-food calories per day.

Brands like Fresh Meal Plan, which home-delivers flavorful calorie-portioned meals for paleo dieters, vegetarians and traditional diners from the Upper Keys to Fort Pierce, have helped bring those numbers down.

Elkman says his business has doubled since the beginning of 2014, with a subscriber base of 30,000. “[When we started,] there was not a company that was offering an affordable product [with] the quality ingredients we deliver,” Elkman says. “We’re still the only company that does that. You have Jenny Craig, and Nutrisystems, but they’re diet companies; we’re talking about a lifestyle change. We’re not going to give you chicken breast, sweet potatoes and broccoli and say, ‘Eat this forever to stay in shape.’

“We’re giving you fun foods, different twists on foods. We’ll do macaroni, but with a whole wheat pasta that’s almond milk-based. You’re going to say, ‘That’s incredible,’ and you’re not going to miss [regular] mac and cheese. That’s our mission.”

Be beautiful. Be confident. Be you...only better.

Anthony n. DArDAno D.O., F.A.C.S.

not an actual patient

Excellence in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFIED 951 NW 13th Street, Suite 4D • Boca Raton, FL 33486 Phone: (561) 361-0065 • www.drdardano.com Become a fan of Dr. Dardano @DrDardano

home town [ behind the biz ]

Fabiola Brumley banking On a lOve fOr the business, One wOman wOrks her way tO the tOp.

A

s is very often the case, the best advice Fabiola Brumley ever got was from her father: “Nothing is too easy, and nothing is too hard.” It’s the kind of evenhanded aphorism you’d expect from one of South Florida’s most successful— and oddly serene—businesswomen.

As Southeast Region Business Banking executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, she is the head of business banking in a 10-state area, ranging from Maryland to Florida. She’s also bank president for Palm Beach County, serves on countless business and nonprofit boards (see sidebar) and has received all manner of accolades and honors, including South Florida Business Journal’s Palm Beach County Ultimate CEO and Top 100 Power Leaders, Sun-Sentinel’s Excalibur Award, and United Way’s Leadership Award. In short, Brumley is a big shot, although she’d never say so herself.

Brumley in action at the bank is not remotely imperious; she is a trim, attractive woman in a tailored gray pantsuit, impressive stilettos and a manner so disarming you’d think she was about to roll up her sleeves and start making cookies at her desk.

But there is something else too, a sense of resolve.

A polite but purposeful accounting of what it has taken to come this far.

Now 50, Brumley worked her way up the banking ladder from a part-time position at a small community bank near Fort Lauderdale during college.

With a bachelor’s in accounting and an M.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University, she says simply that she “fell in love with banking.”

Throughout the 1980s, as banks were acquired, changed names and got bigger and bigger, Brumley moved up to controller, then chief financial officer, eventually landing in her current position.

She credits some of her success to a work ethic

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inherited from her parents, who immigrated to South Florida from Lebanon in 1971 to start a life of greater opportunity.

“What I really like about banking is that it is about financial solutions. My father taught me well.

He was a very disciplined accountant—and he was also very ethical. In banking, the element of trust, and really understanding the client, is very important. Maybe it’s my background—we’re very social people. These relationships mean a lot, so banking is an opportunity to put together what you know about numbers with the relationships you build.”

Brumley’s fascination with entrepreneurs is evident, but it becomes a passion when you factor in those facing formidable odds. Which is how she feels about the work she does as Global Ambassador in partnership with Vital Voices, a global nonprofit established by former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

“I participated in the program in São Paulo, Brazil last year,” she says. “We worked with women entrepreneurs there who are interested in changing public policy and improving the country. There is a real disparity in the earning power of women vs. men for the same jobs … I was amazed by years and years of—I don’t mean to say oppression—but traditional values that held women back. I thought, ‘What do I have to offer?’ And then I realized that they are just like the women here—they are highly successful, but they need financial advice. So we put together this impromptu financial literacy seminar for these women. It was so hands-on, so fulfilling. It was an eye-opener.”

It’s that kind of help Brumley likes to give. It’s what has made banking come alive for her, and why she has become one if its stars.

“I have always been interested in people, so I care about what they care about,” she says.

On career gOals and aspiratiOns: “I do not set aspirational professional goals—I think they get in the way. We limit ourselves when we say, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I think we do the very best at what we are asked to do right now. I love that. How can I make the job better? Why can’t I do even more? Contentment is a very important factor here. You’ve got to be content.”

On giving back: “Today, for me, it’s looking at the bigger picture—at anything that’s going to drive improvement in the community. Economic development, arts and culture, something as basic as food and shelter. It’s really hard with my time, so for me, it’s my financial commitment that no one needs to know about.”

On balancing wOrk and family: “I start each day with quiet time—I meditate, I pray, I read. I do it in the morning because that is when I need it.

I think we choose what is important. I don’t blame anybody if I don’t find the time to do something I am supposed to do. It’s my own fault. I’ve been asked if I thought working made me a worse mom or a better mom. It made me who I am to my children. (She has two girls and a boy, and a husband, Dean.) As long as you have your real moments with your kids, I think that’s what counts.”

On the rOle Of wOmen in the wOrkplace Over the years: ”It has changed so much, and I am so proud of that. My mother was a feminist of her day—she was not allowed to go to college, not because they did not have the means, but because she was going to get married and raise a family. So what she and my father did was to move us here and give their girls that opportunity. We need to pay that forward. I need to do that with my girls, and we need to just continue to take those steps.”

—Marie Speed may/june 2014

Community involvement

■ Executive committee and most recent past chair of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County ■ Executive board, Economic Council ■ Member and chair, governing board, West Boca Raton Medical Center ■ Member and chair, Board of the Palm Beach Black Business Investment Corporation ■ Board positions, Gulfstream Boy Scouts of America, the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce ■ Member, Women’s Exchange ■ Executive sponsor, South Florida chapter, LGBT

AAron Bristol

■ Management adviser, Team Bank of America’s Diversity Network

follow the leader

[ bocamag.com ]

39

TM

TM

[ by stefanie cainto ]

shoptalk suiting up

Though Florida weather provides year-round opportunities to break out the beach wear, summer still reigns supreme when it comes to swimsuits.

Having trouble shopping for the perfect two-piece statement? Check out our expert advice from a Florida Atlantic University grad-turnedentrepreneur (page 46).

Fringe is in!

This L*Space Audrey bikini top ($78, available at Jessie, Boca Raton) hits the right style notes in more ways than one. Turn the page for more on the fringe trend that is bringing fashion and accessories to life.

for more style tips, visit bocamag.com.

follow the leader

[ bocamag.com ]

41

shop talk [ fashion ]

[2]

[3]

Fringe Benefits

Thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 theatric interpretation of “The Great Gatsby,” fringe is back. Be that as it may, save the flapper costume for Halloween—and consider these fringed favorites instead.

[1]

[4]

[6]

[5]

1. The chevron effect on this BCBGMaxazria necklace turns the almost industrial feel into art; throw it on to add edge to any outfit. ($78, Lord & Taylor, Mizner Park) 2. A cascade of clear beads and rhinestones envelop this Roberto Cavalli dress, which is sure to be a conversation starter. ($8,015, see Saks Fifth Avenue for availability, Town Center at Boca Raton) 3. The beaded fringe hemline on this Montia sequin encrusted jacket makes it a statement piece. ($595, Calypso St. Barth, Worth Avenue)

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4. Hit two birds with one stone with this orchidcolored side satchel; it employs both the fringe trend and Pantone’s color of the year. ($2,500, Gucci, Town Center) 5. The U-shaped cutout on the back of this black boxy Tibi tank ensures that the fringe detailing pops. ($365, Alene Too, Boca Raton) 6. Add a chic complement to your wardrobe with Boston Proper’s Parisian jacket. The fringe embellishments soften the piece’s metal accents. ($159, Boston Proper, Town Center)

may/june 2014

Be in the

CENTER of it all!

BOCA CENTER’S NEW CENTER STAGE!

MAY

Events, Music, Movies & More this Summer!

Sat. May 3rd 7:00-9:00pm Polynesian Proud Productions Presents Aloha Saturday in the Courtyard with a FREE authentic Polynesian performance!

Sun. May 4 4:00-5:30pm Frozen Fourth in the Courtyard— come celebrate a spectacular winter wonderland event filled with special princess visits, snow flurries, crafts and fun for your little ones! th

Mon. May 5th 12:00pm-Close Rocco’s Tacos 4th Annual Cinco De Mayo event at Boca Center – festivities Noon to Close!

Sun. May 11 10:00am-Close Mother’s Day at Boca Center—don’t forget Mom this Mother’s Day! Treat her to brunch at BRIO Tuscan Grille, Hibachi at Sushi Ray, or a delicious steak dinner at Morton’s the Steakhouse! All restaurants now taking reservations! th

F ine d ining

h ome & d écor

h ealth & B eautY

S erviceS

Brio Tuscan Grille Café 5150 English Tap & Beer Garden Morton’s Steak House Rocco’s Tacos Sushi Ray Uncle Tai’s

Duxiana Beds Oggi Murano Vertu Fine Art

Grove Opticians Spalano Salon & Spa

F aShion

Accenture Bank AT&T Wireless Marriott Hotel Verizon Wireless

McDonald’s Panera Bread Starbucks Vegetable K’s

F ood & W ine Joseph’s Classic Market Hoffman’s Chocolates Total Wine & More

Allen Edmonds Boutique A La Mode Bella Boutique Chico’s En Vogue Guy LaFerrera Jos. A Bank

Q uick B iteS

J eWelrY Silver’s Fine Jewelry

Sizzling Summer Saturdays and Sundays —Join us as Boca Center presents Be sure to stop in and

WISH UNCLE TAI’S A VERY HAPPY 27TH ANNIVERSARY

c hild & Y outh

in the month of May!

FREE ENTERTAINMENT

on the first weekend of every month May-August. For more details, visit bocacenter.com or The Shops at Boca Center on Facebook to stay tuned to for the latest events schedule at Boca Center!

5150 Town Center Circle Boca Raton, FL 33486 For more information, please call (561) 361-9804 or visit us on the web at www.bocacenter.com.

Rooms for a Prince & Princess

Follow us on Facebook or www.bocacenter.com to stay tuned to the latest the Courtyard has to offer!

shop talk [ beauty ]

Summer-proof Makeup As temperatures soar into the 90s, it’s time to start a makeup regimen that keeps your face looking fresh in the summer heat. Boca Raton sat down with makeup artist Daphney Antoine, who explained that it’s the prep work that makes all the difference.

Start with a clean Slate: “If a painter is painting, they need a nice clean canvas,” Antoine says. “Otherwise, they can’t create that masterpiece.” The same goes for putting on makeup. Always start with a good facial cleanser. For drugstore products, Antoine recommends St. ives, Olay, and for older woman, Ponds. For higher-end skin care, her favorites are Shiseido (pictured), laura Mercier and lancôme.

MakeuP dOeSn’t “Melt OFF”: It separates, Antoine says. The higher the makeup quality, the less likely separation will happen once perspiration hits. A simple way to determine quality is to perform a sniff test. Makeup is supposed to be made of minerals, but a lot of companies mix plastic additives into their products. Luckily, you can smell the plastic. It smells cheap, Antoine says.

“

“Makeup is about accentuating what you want and diminishing what you don’t like.”

“

FOrgO FOundatiOn: There’s no need to add that extra layer onto your skin. Instead of masking your face in thick cream, stick to tinted moisturizer or a light powder. Then move on to a good concealer and highlighter. Use a product like First Base from URCosmetics, Antoine’s own cosmetics line, to prep your face for the rest of your makeup.

—Daphney Antoine

the cOlOr teSt: “Not to say cheap stuff can’t be nice,” she says. There are ways to test that too. See if the color pigments rub off. If they do, your makeup is true to its mineral composition. If not, there are elements added that shouldn’t be there.

Back tO BaSicS: Arm yourself with a bottle of moisturizing face mist (like Repêchage’s Algo Mist, pictured). When the heat becomes unbearable, spray it on, and see how it refreshes the face. Bonus: Use it after applying your makeup to get a more natural look. It gets rid of that layer of residue from your makeup applicator, like particles from your brush or sponge.

Boca Raton presents: The Wedding guide MUñOz phOTOgRAphy

After the question has been popped and the date has been set, some couples with local ties scan the country—and even the globe—for the perfect place to exchange vows. But don’t forget about our own backyard.

Starting Monday, May 5—and available only at bocamag. com—Boca Raton will present standout vendors, expert

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advice and first-person insights involving the stellar services available to couples planning their Big event in and around Boca. each Monday throughout May and into June, we’ll showcase a new category jam-packed with wedding information—from unforgettable venues and jaw-dropping gowns to invitation tips and “Top Chef”-worthy cuisine.

See for yourself why everything you need to stage a dream wedding is right here in South Florida!

may/june 2014

shop talk [ InspIratIon ]

Under the Sun

On paper, Jessica Garcia would not have made a good Musketeer. The founder of Ola Feroz swimwear in Boca Raton (805 E. Palmetto Park Road, olaferoz.com) is anything but a one-for-all designer, tailoring each hand-created piece to the individual. Here, the graduate of Florida Atlantic University (with Venezuelan ties) discusses what’s most important when hunting for the perfect bathing suit.

Fabric first: “You’re going to have different fabrics that look good on you—[based] on your skin tone and your features. Fabric choice is No. 1.”

“

“

GET THE LOOK:

“Shopping for a suit isn’t like grocery shopping.”

–Jessica Garcia

Petite

Zimmermann Verano Layered Frill Bikini, $250 (with bottom), Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton

Flor Couture Top, $145, Ola Feroz, Boca Raton

Lifestyle: “We pick styles that go with what they’ll be using the suits for. If [customers] are going to be mostly lounging, there are certain styles for that—[compared to the more athletic person] rolling around in the sand or water skiing.”

Body type: For bigger busted women, try a wrap top that’s supportive and doesn’t put strain on your neck. For those with wider hips, make sure your bottom isn’t hipaccentuating. If you’re small-busted, look for 3-D detailing. [See product sidebar for examples.]

AAron Bristol

Personal touch: “Find a place that’s going to cater to you and give you the time. ... My customers are here for almost an hour. They want to try on the suits. They want to hear my opinion. Go to a place that isn’t going to rush you, that’s going to give you that one-on-one attention.”

Big HiPs

Letarte One Piece Lingerie Strap Tank, $194, Letarte, Worth Avenue, Palm Beach

Big Bust

Sunsets Underwire Twist Bandeau, $78–$82, Everything But Water, Boca Raton

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Shoshanna Cobalt Ruffle Brief, $84, Nordstrom, Town Center at Boca Raton

Twist Bandeau Top, $39.50, Victoria’s Secret, Town Center at Boca Raton

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[ by lisette hilton ]

feelgood the crossfit craze

eduardo schneider

CrossFit is taking America by storm. Fitness seekers in South Florida and the nation are flocking to boxes (CrossFit gyms), lured by the brand’s close-knit athletic community.

The exercise approach promises visible physical results, increased strength and energy—all in compact, high-intensity training sessions in a fraction of the time of traditional gym workouts. But the CrossFit phenomenon is not without its detractors.

Learn both sides of the story, and check out some common CrossFit exercises.

Adriana Grassi-Mosley and Lance Mosley run the CrossFit locations in Boca.

follow the leader

[ bocamag.com ]

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feel good [ fitness ]

eduardo schneider

Why CrossFit Works Two local trainers/co-owners share the secrets of their HardCore success.

I

n its Jan. 20, 2014 issue, Time magazine reported that CrossFit expects its affiliated boxes/gyms to exceed 10,000 this year— that’s double the number in late 2012.

South Florida is part of that expansion.

Personal trainers Adriana Grassi-Mosley and Lance Mosley opened their first CrossFit HardCore box in 2007. Today, they have three locations in Boca Raton and are opening their 10th South Florida location, in Parkland. The Active Times rated CrossFit HardCore sixth in its 31 Best Gyms in America; local HardCores beat out well-known chains including Equinox and LA Fitness.

Adriana and Lance say that CrossFit embodies what they have always taught in their 20 years of personal training: community and a high-intensity, whole-body, functional approach to fitness.

why crossfit is dangerous Not all local personal trainers agree with the CrossFit approach to fitness.

Some, in fact, say it’s just plain reckless.

Juan Carlos Santana, founder of the Institute of Human Performance (IHP) and an adjunct professor in exercise science at Florida Atlantic University, believes there are several inherent risks associated with CrossFit. Among them: • “[CrossFit] training is not geared as a progressive methodology, which means they will routinely stick people

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“It’s not the community outside the gym, per se, but the community within the gym,” Lance says. “It doesn’t matter what fitness level you are at—whether you are a beginner, an intermediate or one of our top-tier athletes.

We all work out together.”

Another thing that makes CrossFit different is its use of compound exercises, which impact several body parts or the whole body.

“We focus more on intensity, versus time spent in the gym,” Adriana says. “For example, you can be in a regular gym for an hour and a half doing your cardio and weights. ...

In here, basically, you get a lot more out of your workout because the intensity level is a little bit higher—and you get the work done within 20 minutes.”

So why is CrossFit getting such a bad rap

in training programs they are not ready for,” Santana says.

• CrossFit uses high-skilled lifting techniques, which are not appropriate for most people coming off the street. And CrossFit, Santana says, uses

Juan Carlos Santana

with publicized injuries? One is CrossFit’s growth, but that doesn’t mean everyone who teaches it is qualified. Anybody can open a facility and train people, according to Lance.

Another problem has to do with CrossFitters’ egos. CrossFit sessions are timed. People get competitive and push through workouts, going too far, he says. Some clients, Adriana says, don’t tell trainers about injuries, because they don’t want to have to do modified exercises.

Good communication and honesty between the trainer and CrossFitter can fix that problem, she says.

CrossFit HardCore locations in Boca: “The Headquarters,” 1121 Holland Drive, No. 1, 561/241-3077; “The Garage,” 10018 Spanish Isles Blvd., #A51, 561/477-7977; HardCore Kids and Teens, 1050 N.W. First Ave., #1-2, 561/395-5701

Olympic lifts in a fatigued state, putting untrained lifters at risk.

The trainers at IHP, according to Santana, see former CrossFitters with shoulder injuries from performing Olympic lifts, knee pain from full squats and body aches from doing too much, too quickly.

“The main problem with CrossFit is misapplication,” Santana says. “Most coaches are not qualified to teach some of the lifts they are teaching.

Most people are not suited for the lifts. Heck, we got rid of our Olympic weights since we barely use them anymore—and I am a Level II coach

with USA Weight Lifting and competed at the national level!”

Santana calls CrossFit a “cult-like movement,” which glamorizes injury and recklessness. For safety, he recommends that people go to a gym where trainers are certified and degreed in what they teach. People should look for gyms that have achieved third-party recognition (by, for example, a fitness/ health organization or fitness magazine), Santana advises.

The Institute of Human Performance is at 1950 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd. For more information, call 561/620-9556 or visit ihpfit.com.

may/june 2014

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feel good [ fitness ] Top to bottom: Adriana GrassiMosley demonstrates the basic steps of the clean and jerk.

CrossFit Basics

Five common CrossFit exercises—and advice on playing it safe ment starts with the bar on the ground. Bring the bar to your shoulders and press it overhead.

[ 2 ] deadlift: Start with the bar (and weights) on the ground. Don’t round your back or look down. Use good posture. Reach down, pick up the weight, stand up and lower the weights. [ 3 ] Squat: Start with feet shoulder-width apart. Maintain posture. Look straight ahead.

Squat down, keeping in that upright position, and stand back up. [ 4 ] Pull-uPS: CrossFit trains men and women to do pull-ups using a variety of techniques, including jumping pull-ups, using assistance or using rings. [ 5 ] BurPee: There are variations. Here’s one: Drop down to the ground in the push-up position, bring your feet back to your hands and jump up into the air. Repeat. avoiding injury The owners of HardCore say people who want to pursue CrossFit should seek out experienced trainers who focus on technique. The moves, many which include weights, can make

inside the numbers

Researchers studied injury rates among CrossFit athletes during routine CrossFit training by distributing an online questionnaire. They collected 132 responses, and 73.5 percent (or 97 people) said they had sustained an injury during CrossFit training. In all, 186 injuries were reported—nine required surgery.

73.5% 54

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people vulnerable to injury. Instructors should do more than give participants basic guidelines, according to Adriana Grassi-Mosley.

“The way we differentiate our facility: We focus a lot on breaking down the movements, making sure your form is proper and correct, and making sure that the trainer knows if you have any previous injuries, so we can modify the exercises based on your abilities,” Adriana says.

CrossFit HardCore boxes in Boca Raton take a different approach than many boxes affiliated nationally, Lance Mosley says. The local CrossFits don’t use the national workouts of the day, known as WODs in CrossFit language.

Local demographics—including many members who are 40-plus—necessitate a modified approach to, let’s say, a national WOD that calls for 30 reps of an Olympic lifting move.

But even in Boca, the functional movements at CrossFit are not for weaklings. They include deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups and more—regardless of gender.

“I don’t care who you are, every day you will be deadlifting something from the ground,” Adriana says. “Even if it’s your child ... that’s a functional movement. We do it here, at CrossFit, as a deadlift. A lot of women are scared of Olympic lifting. But, if you travel—and [lift] your suitcase [to store it in the overhead] compartment—that’s a ‘clean and jerk.’”

eduardo schneider

[ 1 ] Clean and jerk: This move-

The authors concluded, “Injury rates with CrossFit training are similar to that reported in the literature for sports such as Olympic weightlifting, power lifting and gymnastics, and lower than competitive contact sports such as rugby union and rugby league.” (Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Nov. 22, 2013)

said they had sustained an injury during CROSSFIT training. may/june 2014

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homebase

[ by brad mee ]

counter culture

Calcutta marble brightens a warm, modern kitchen with its white, elegantly grained surface.

follow the leader

[ bocamag.com ]

57

scot zimmerman

Is there a harder working surface in the home than the kitchen countertop? Not a chance. Countertops not only have to stand up to sharp knives, hot pans and unavoidable spills, but they also have to do it all with beauty and ease. Making the correct decision requires equal parts information and inspiration, so we offer both to help you make the perfect choice for your kitchen.

home base

surface area, part I

scot zimmerman

What are the pros and cons of various countertop materials? Boca Raton breaks it down.

Bright light gleams across thick Calcutta marble countertops with matching backsplash.

Concrete countertops complement white cabinets and wood accents to shape this kitchen’s upbeat farmhouse style.

White Caesarstone provides a chic, lowmaintenance countertop for a family’s kitchen.

MARBLE

CONCRETE

ENgiNEEREd quARTz

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

■ Timeless beauty ■ Heatproof ■ Waterproof

■ Expensive ■ Easily stained unless sealed ■ Scratches

■ Broad range of colors, forms and finishes ■ Scratch- and heatresistant ■ Easily customized

■ Heavy ■ Possible cracking ■ Must seal to protect from stains and scratches ■ Can be expensive

■ Cleans easily ■ Low to no maintenance ■ Stain-, heat- and scratch-resistant ■ Broad range of colors, textures and patterns

■ Relatively expensive ■ Less natural looking than stone

COuNTER ATTACk

Don’t let a countertop search weigh you down—bring a little know-how to the selection process.

1 For starters: Begin with

your most important element—a granite slab, white oak flooring or rich cherry cabinets—and build your material palette from there. Make certain one element dominates while others play supporting roles. Because countertops often unify a kitchen’s design, choosing your material early in the design process can make the selection of other elements much easier.

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2 Come together: The

pattern, texture and color of a countertop material should complement other key elements in the kitchen. For example, pairing visually active granite with a mosaic tile backsplash or boldly grained oak cabinets can create pattern overkill.

3 Be yourself: Determine 4 Variety is the spice: your lifestyle when choosing countertop materials. Busy families, active cooking and frequent entertaining demand more durable and carefree countertop materials than those suitable for lesser-challenged kitchens.

Don’t restrict yourself to one material. Using multiple materials can add character and functionality to a kitchen.

A granite-topped island pairs perfectly with a nearby woodtopped chopping area and marble-topped baking center.

5 The finish line:

Consider optional finishes to change a material’s look. Honing granite softens the stone’s appearance and makes it less reflective—therefore, it’s less difficult to keep looking clean.

Similarly, troweling concrete and distressing nickel add character. Ask professionals about the choices available.

may/june 2014

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home base

surface area, part II

scOt zIMMERMAN

BENJAMIN MOORE

Here are three more popular countertop choices—with pluses and minuses for each material.

Stainless-steel countertops and anodized aluminum cabinets create a decidedly modern edge for this spacious kitchen.

The eye-catching granite countertops of this double island add color and pattern to the white, airy kitchen.

The island’s wood countertop adds a natural element to the bright, modern kitchen.

STAINLESS STEEL

GRANITE

WOOD

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

■ Resists heat and stains ■ Antibacterial ■ Durable

■ Can scratch and dent ■ Can be expensive unless sealed

■ Durable ■ Heat-resistant ■ Natural beauty with endless patterns and colors available

■ Requires sealing and regular maintenance ■ Expensive

■ Accommodates cutting and chopping without dulling knives ■ Less noisy than stone ■ Long-lasting

■ Requires regular wiping, disinfecting and oiling ■ Susceptible to stains, moisture, heat and acidic elements

Get It Here

Check out these local sources for high-style countertop surfaces.

■ Casale Marble IMports (750 S.W. 17th Ave., Delray Beach, 561/2727600): Inventory includes granite, marble, onyx, travertine, soapstone and other exotic slabs in hundreds of color configurations.

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■ Marble systeMs (2010 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach, 954/979-9530): Countertop selections for indoor and outdoor rooms, including metal, marble, quartz and much more.

[ bocamag.com ]

■ Keys GranIte (1147 Gateway Blvd., Boynton Beach, 561/3758887): Cut-to-size slabs in a variety of material, from limestone and granite to marble and onyx.

■ DIstInGuIsheD KItChens anD baths (178 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/278-3000): The Design Center works with specialists in cultured stone, granite, marble and more.

■ preMIuM KItChens (7400 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/465-2539): The Boca showroom features a wide variety of chic, modern collections.

■ ultIMate KItChen anD bath (1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 105, Boca Raton, 561/998-7711): Services include granite and solid-surface countertops, as well as backsplashes.

may/june 2014

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facetime [ by kevin kaminski ]

Stefanie Gross A meditAtive diScipline findS A cAptive Audience inSide thiS cuttinG-edGe clASSroom At BocA hiGh.

W

hen workers needed to paint the walls this summer inside her classroom at Boca Raton High School, the problem for Stefanie Gross wasn’t clearing out all the desks and chairs.

There are none. The challenge was removing an ever-expanding tapestry of images—hundreds upon hundreds of them—that hints at the impact the only full-credit high school elective of its kind is having on students.

The photos, celebrations of the Move Through Yoga curriculum that Gross initially introduced as a simple stress buster some five years ago, have a pay-itforward quality. One girl is teaching her family yoga in the backyard. There are groups of students striking poses at the beach. Yet another is having a moment of Zen in front of people at Whole Foods.

“People who have no idea about yoga probably think that we sit here and chant ‘ooooommmmm’ all class,” says Gross, who turns 32 in June. “But we’re creating lifelong advocates for the [connection between] mind and body.

“I see the physical, mental and emotional changes that are happening. The energy in here is so uplifting.”

When Boca High hired the University of Pennsylvania grad in 2008, it wasn’t to espouse the benefits of vinyasa. But a year later, as she was teaching Siddhartha by Herman Hesse in her AP English class, Gross could feel the pressure of looming exams weighing on the students. As a complement to the Hesse novel, she sought parent permission to offer an in-class meditation and yoga session. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

That spring, as FCAT testing drew

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near, Gross received the green light from principal Geoff McKee to stage a free two-week yoga course with certified local instructors. Students and faculty filled the cafeteria.

Gross knew she was onto something.

She approached McKee about generating a curriculum and then completed her own 200-hour instructor certification in 2010. That fall, some 85 students signed up for a yoga elective that had roughly 40 available spots. Over the past few years, that one class has expanded to five 50-minute periods each day.

The weekly schedule includes “Meditation Monday,” advanced yoga in the disciplines of hatha (emphasizing physical and mental strength), vinyasa

following a tumultuous period that included the suicides of two close friends, she sought help from a therapist who recommended yoga.

“It would have been nice if she had suggested which kind,” Gross says. “My first encounter with yoga was in a Bikram studio, where the temperature was 110 degrees, and the instructor yelled and told us when to move, how to move and when to drink water.”

When she gave yoga a second chance, this time trying the more accessible vinyasa discipline, Gross was hooked.

“I began to feel the shift in my body and mind,” she says. “Before long, I felt happy again and at peace.”

Gross has seen yoga have a similar

“We’re creating lifelong advocates for the [connection between] mind and body.” (postures and breathing techniques) and yin yoga (which releases what’s stored in the connective tissues of the body), as well as Friday lectures. Written tests, just like every exercise in the class, are taken on the yoga mats and in front of a wall-length mirror. (“That definitely cuts down on cheating,” Gross quips.)

“I have students who’ve said to me that they don’t like school, but they love yoga,” says Gross, an eight-year Boca resident who also teaches at yoga studios and for private clients around town.

“For this to be a pull to come to school ...

I feel like we’re giving them something to look forward to—and tap into.”

The faith that Gross places in yoga to merge left brain and right brain is born of her own experiences. A decade ago,

impact on her students going through the often-turbulent teen years.

“I have a student who used to cut herself all the time, and she hid that because she was so ashamed,” Gross says. “[After taking her class] she told me, ‘I don’t cut myself anymore. And I don’t hide it. I want people who are also doing it to recognize that you can overcome it. ... And the only reason I’ve overcome it is because of yoga.’

“This program is about creating an environment where the students provide a support network for each other. ... The yoga room has become a safe haven, even for students who aren’t taking the class.

“I’m changed and inspired every day by the 200 students taking this course.” may/june 2014

The Yoga Wave

eduardo schneider

Some 1,500 students packed the football field at Boca High this winter for the annual festival that promotes health, wellness and the benefits of yoga. As part of the festivities, which this year included local and national vendors— as well as an appearance by former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams—students participated in a “yoga wave” that familiarized them with various postures and movements. “The part about yoga that I love is that it’s for anyone, anywhere, anytime,” Gross says. To prove that point, on Monday and Friday mornings, Gross invites the school’s male-dominated NJROTC platoon to practice yoga.

Stefanie Gross and her students during yoga class

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facetime [ by john thomason ]

eduardo schneider

“We said we wanted to broaden our audience ... and that’s what we’ve done.”

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may/june 2014

Lew Crampton CEO, SOuth FLOrida SCiEnCE CEntEr and aquarium

F

or the past three years, Lew Crampton has steered the ship of the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, acting as president and CEO during the museum’s most dramatic evolutionary steps. Last summer, the 34-year-old West Palm Beach institution unveiled a much-anticipated expansion to its Dreher Park facilities, funded by a $5 million capital campaign, and resulting in a cosmetic overhaul and some 6,000 new square feet of exhibition and aquarium space.

It may be Crampton’s crowning achievement as a museum director in Florida, but it’s impossible to forecast what he’ll do next: His career has taken too many unpredictable detours.

“I’m probably the only person here who has found a dinosaur, sung backup to Andrea Bocelli (as a member of the Master Chorale of South Florida), held an important position in the federal government, and coached a national championship basketball team (for an AAU team in North Carolina),” says Crampton, 75.

“It’s just a lot of energy, and pushing forward, and having very high standards.”

In the 1970s and ’80s, those standards helped to catapult Crampton, a self-described skilled schmoozer, to a state cabinet position in Massachusetts and then to a directorship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. He then joined the George H.W. Bush campaign, eventually rising to top EPA positions within the Bush administration.

After the president lost his re-election bid, Crampton relocated to Illinois and joined the nonprofit education sector to oversee a $30 million expansion of the Chicago Academy of Science’s Nature Museum. It was in the early 2000s in Rockford, Ill., as CEO of the Burpee

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Museum of Natural History, that his career took a major turn.

“The first thing I said to the board and staff when I got there officially was, ‘Why don’t we go find a dinosaur?’” Crampton recalls. “I thought it would be a great way to get us thinking outside the box.”

So Crampton and his team, stationed at Camp Needmore in southeast Montana, started to dig. “We go out, and we’re finding stuff—a hydrosaur femur and T-Rex teeth. On the day before the exhibition is about to pack up, [we] went around the bend, and there’s a bone sticking out the side. We dug around it, and we could see that the bone was articulated, meaning that it was connected to another bone.”

Without a permit, they couldn’t completely extract their discovery. Concerned that poachers would get to their skeleton first, they covered the site and “bribed” surrounding ranchers

If You Go What: The Science Center’s current exhibition is “Mazes,” a 9,000-squarefoot sprawl of twisting, turning experiences that Crampton calls “possibly the most interactive exhibit we have ever hosted.” Brain-teasers, 3-D puzzles and full body games are among the 60 different activities in “Mazes.”

When: May 3 to Sept. 14 Admission: $14 adults, $12.50 seniors, $10.50 children Contact: 561/832-1988, sfsciencecenter.org

with a few cases of beer. They returned next spring, permits in hand, to uncover “Jane,” one of the most important finds in paleontological history. The third-most-complete T-Rex specimen on record, Jane’s discovery was adapted into a documentary for the Discovery Channel and has been cloned and displayed in several other museums across the globe.

Crampton retired from Burpee in 2007 and expected to stay that way. But after the Palm Beach Daily News ran an article about his role in the Jane saga, the South Florida Science Museum contacted him in somewhat dire straits. It had returned capital-campaign contributions for a new building that never panned out, top staff had jumped ship, and the board was divided into factions.

This was in the summer of 2010. In a year’s time, Crampton was able to convert a $150,000 deficit into a $150,000 surplus, in part by raising admission by 30 percent—a counterintuitive decision amid an economic recession. “I waited for the backlash to come,” he recalls. “I wasn’t doing a lot of sleeping at that time. But more people came!”

The rest is (recent) history: beefed-up weekend programming, the massive 2013 expansion, and the inclusion, for the first time in the museum’s history, of blockbuster traveling exhibitions like the recent “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” complete with its own hulking iceberg.

Funded by a generous grant from the Quantum Foundation, the exhibit has seen the Science Center gaining new audiences. Adult admissions have risen by 250 percent, and ticket prices for seniors have increased by more than 600 percent.

“We said we wanted to broaden our audience and become a destination for the entire county, and that’s what we’ve done.” [ bocamag.com ]

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facetime [ by kevin kaminski ]

Sheena Colette

W

hen established Hollywood actors note that “it’s all about the work,” they can come off as sincere as the athlete who “takes it one game at a time.” But after listening to a reporter read through some of her early roles as described on a popular Internet database, Sheena Colette makes it abundantly clear that, for her, it was entirely about the work.

Any work.

Between 2010 and 2012, the Boca resident scored bit parts on TV and in films, playing everything, according to her IMDb Web page, from “hot girl” and “fit model” to “stunning girl” and “bikini babe.” On paper, it reads like the credits from a “Baywatch” episode. But in an industry littered with trampled dreams, Colette was intent on staying busy and making her own breaks.

“You can’t sit around and assess every acting opportunity, especially in the beginning,”

“Walt Before Mickey.”

Also on tap this year: Colette is set to star in an indie film with the early title “Black Widow,” which is being shot in Central Florida; she’s wrapped up work on a comedy called “Slaphappia” that likely will debut on the film-festival circuit; and she’s shopping a TV pilot about the Cuban mob that she also produced.

For someone seemingly on the brink of catching a wave that could take her career to the next level, Colette is steady as she goes.

She’s done little press, choosing instead to remain “a bit of a mystery.” But her belowthe-radar approach can’t hide the passion she clearly has for a profession Colette began to pursue in earnest four years ago, after earning a degree in biological sciences from FAU. “I was sending my résumé out after graduating and cringing at the same time,” says Colette, the oldest of five siblings (one sister and three brothers). “There I was applying for

“You put yourself out there over and over and [hope that] someone takes the bait.” says the New York native. “You put yourself out there over and over and [hope that] someone takes the bait. You have to if this is what you want to do. ... Yes, I had to be ‘bikini girl.’ But I had to showcase myself.

“No one is going to invest in you until you invest in yourself.”

Don’t look now, but that investment is starting to pay dividends. This summer, the graduate of Florida Atlantic University shares the big screen with Jon Heder (of “Napoleon Dynamite” fame) and Thomas Ian Nicholas (from the “American Pie” movies) in the feature film

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a pharmaceutical rep position, when all I really wanted to be was creative.”

Colette had done enough modeling—including a 1999 shoot with renowned photographer Philip-Lorca DiCorcia that appeared in W magazine as “The Perfect World”—to know that she loved the collaborative energy on a set. But she also didn’t want to be stereotyped as a model-turned-actress.

“If I need to look ‘drug-addict chic,’ and I have a modeling photo to back that up, great,” she says. “But I don’t put modeling on my résumé. ... I’m an actress, and that’s an impor-

tant distinction. There is a prejudice against models trying to be actresses. The [vibe is that] you’re either a serious actress or not.”

To that end, Colette is fiercely proud of never having to take a “regular” job to pay the bills. She calls the national commercials she’s landed— from Home Depot and McDonald’s to a Nike campaign with LeBron James—“an actor’s best friend” because of the pay. Such work gave her the means to plug away and eventually earn bit roles on “White Collar,” “The Glades” and “Burn Notice”—as well as parts in several short films.

But it was her work on a pilot that she describes as a “catastrophe” which led to Colette’s recent breaks.

“I worked with [director/cinematographer] Bernard Salzmann on this pilot that was just a financial mess,” she says. “We became friends, got together with a writer, and did a pilot about the Cuban mob that I’m producing. One of the people I cast for my pilot is Frank Licari, a great actor who is based in South Florida. It turned out that he was a co-producer and doing casting for ‘Walt Before Mickey.’

“Had I not been open to doing the catastrophe, these doors wouldn’t have opened.”

In a perfect world, Colette says her career would trace the indie-darling-turned-mainstream arc of her favorite actress, Julianne Moore. But for now, she’s content knowing that she’s earned her opportunities on her terms.

“When I first started, I remember building myself up for three days to read two lines at an audition that was over in two seconds,” she says. “I watched a woman make an audition tape [recently] for a part that required a glance.

No lines. Just a reaction. She spent 30 minutes working on it. Some of the things you do in this business ... just crazy. “ ... [But] you have to be open to the possibilities.” may/june 2014

eduardo schneider

PerSeveranCe PayS off for a BoCa-BaSed aCtreSS whoSe Career iS heating uP.

And ... Action!

AAron Bristol

“One of the actors in ‘Walt Before Mickey’ is David Henrie from the Disney Channel show ‘Wizards of Waverly Place.’ He shot for about a week,” Colette says. “At the end of the day, there would be this line of teenage girls who were dying to get their picture taken with David.

“So my second day, it’s 6 a.m., and I’m half asleep—and I see this mob of screaming people running toward me.

I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding me? Six in the morning and these teenage girls are here to see David? This poor kid!’

“It turned out to be an early morning yoga boot camp; they were running and yelling as part of the class.”

shot on location at the Movie studio, Fort lauderdale

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may/june 2014

theBOCAinterview [ by john thomason ]

The Write Side of History

Best-selling author brad melTzer has staked his reputation on exploring the hidden history of our nation—But don’t call him a conspiracy nut.

A

ll journalists are trained to ask the basic questions: The who, what, when, where and why of any situation. Brad Meltzer goes further. As host of the History Channel’s “Decoded,” which ran from 2010 to 2012, he and his investigative team—a mechanical engineer, a U.S. Army Reserves major and an English professor—asked far more complicated questions. Questions that don’t have official answers. Questions liable to get the asker in trouble with important people.

Questions like: Was the Statue of Liberty secretly built as a totem for Freemasons?

What really goes on in Bohemian Grove, where the world’s (male only!) power brokers gather annually in a redwood forest in California? What really lies inside Fort Knox?

These are just a few of the sensational topics that Meltzer’s often-riveting show explored, to say nothing of UFO sightings, the suspicious deaths of Pope John Paul I and Harry Houdini, and, yes, that 2012 paranoia we all managed to survive. It’s no surprise Meltzer has been labeled by his detractors and, sometimes, his supporters as a conspiracy theorist, but he didn’t necessarily believe everything he put on the air. Like a good muckraker, if there happened to be a story hidden underneath all the insinuations and apocalyptic bluster, he just wanted to discover it.

As a successful author of reality-based thrillers, Meltzer had been plumbing the mysteries of history long before he inked the deal for “Decoded.” In his nine published novels, his hero is inevitably an ordinary person—a presidential aide, a congressional staffer, a meek archivist—thrust into extraordinary worlds of presidential corruption and secret government codes. Actual U.S. presidents have written to Meltzer praising his accuracy, and in 2006, he was even enlisted by some of this country’s security agencies to brainstorm ways in which terrorists might attack the U.S. Lately, Meltzer’s interests seem to have shifted; his nonfiction books Heroes For My Son and Heroes for My Daughter are comprised of Meltzer’s quick, informative takes on role models for his children, and his brand-new Ordinary People Change the World series of inspirational children’s books launches in June with I Am Rosa Parks.

But as the 44-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident shares with Boca Raton, all of his work essentially comes from the same place.

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When did you knoW you Wanted to be a Writer?

I had no idea I wanted to be a writer. I came down from Brooklyn; my dad lost his job there, and he had $1,200 left to his name. He had no job, no place to live, no plan, and he moved everything down to Florida when I was 13. He was almost 40 years old, and he said it was his do-over of life.

I had a teacher named Sheila Spicer, my English teacher in ninth grade (at Highland Oaks Middle School). She said to me, “You can write.”

She was the first person who took a chance on me. She tried to put me in the honors class, but she had some conflict … she said, “You’re going to sit in my class the entire year. You’re going to ignore everything I do at the blackboard, ignore every homework assignment I give. You’re going to do the honors work here for me, and you’re going to thank me later.”

A decade later, when my first book was published, I went back to her classroom, knocked on her door, and said, “Thank you—I wrote this book for you.”

She was the first person who told me I could write. But it wasn’t until I was in a job in Boston, after college, that somebody took me in and said, “I’m going to be your mentor and teach you everything.” I moved to Boston, with all my stuff, and the week after I got to Boston, he left the job. may/june 2014

The Meltzer File • Graduate of North Miami Beach High School • Co-wrote the original swearing-in oath taken by AmeriCorps members, which has been delivered by presidents Clinton and George W. Bush

• Nine published novels, from 1997’s The Tenth Justice to 2013’s The Fifth Assassin, with a 10th due in 2015 • Played himself in Woody Allen’s 1998 film “Celebrity” • Co-created “Jack & Bobby,” the short-lived but beloved WB drama series • Created comic book story arcs for Green Arrow and The Justice League of America

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Copyright EriC MCNatt photography aNd a&E ENtErtaiNMENt.

• Worked sales for Games magazine while writing his first novel by night

theBOCAinterview So were you adrift there?

I was completely adrift. I thought I had wrecked my life. I had deferred law school, the person I went to work for wasn’t there anymore; it was a disaster. I did what anybody would do in that situation, when they think they wrecked their life; I said, “I’m going to write a novel.”

i read that your firSt book received two dozen rejection letterS, iS that right?

Yes, I got 24 rejection letters, and there were only 20 publishers I tried!

what kept you going?

when putting together “decoded,” you muSt have been flooded with propoSalS, Some of which were kookier and more unSubStantiated than otherS. how did you Separate the wheat from the chaff?

It’s like the Supreme Court definition of pornography, which is, “You know it when you see it.” The truth is, we didn’t take submissions. I certainly get them on my Facebook page every day. But so many came from what I collected for years. I always try to put them in a book or use them here or there; it’s my own fascination with history that drives it. If it’s a good story,

society that has more access to information than any society before it. The hardest thing to find today on the Internet is the truth. Put in the word “Freemason” into Google, and you will have to wade through hundreds of pages before you can find one that actually can give you facts, as opposed to regurgitated nonsense.

it muSt make the job for Someone like you even harder.

It does. With the Internet, we’re burying ourselves under falsehoods. Put in “9-11” and “Pentagon,” and you can’t even find the original Pen-

Copyright EriC MCNatt photography aNd a&E ENtErtaiNMENt.

During the year that it took me to write that first book, I just fell in love with the process of writing. [I felt] if they don’t like that book, I’m going to write another, and if they don’t like that one, I’ll write another.

waS that firSt book ever publiShed?

No. It still sits on my shelf, published by Kinko’s.

what do you think of it now?

I love that book, because it’s me falling in love with the process of writing. But my goal is to always put out my best work. I can take what I know now and tune up that old book, but it’s kind of like putting a new muffler and a new sound system and new windshield wipers and automatic seats in an old ’68 Mustang. You can try and update it, but when you do, you rob it of its soul.

where did the intereSt in Secret SymbolS and conSpiracy begin for you?

It’s just a life I know. I could tell you that when I was in 11th grade, my history teacher brought into my class a video one day—a JFK conspiracy movie. And it wasn’t one of those crazy ones that blames everyone and their mother for killing JFK; it asked logical, real questions: How does Lee Harvey Oswald get past an entire police station full of cops, who were supposedly guarding the most important man in the universe? For me, it was like the foundations of my brain were kicked that day. Just the thought that there was another story out there; that began my love of history.

A lot of people will ask me, are you a conspiracy theorist? Which is code for saying, are you a nut job? And I think that anyone who believes in every conspiracy is ridiculous. If you say that the government is always responsible, you’re just being reckless. I’m not someone who believes in every conspiracy; what I believe in is the truth. And my goal is to find the truth. The best story of all is the true story.

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Meltzer (second from left) and the cast of “Decoded”

let’s do it. If it’s nonsense that people make up, and we can set the record straight, then to me, that’s worth doing too—as long as we’re giving people a true story. … I think it’s why “Decoded” took off in a way people never expected it to, because so many shows out there just try to go out and fear-monger.

iS there a particular caSe you’ve inveStigated that haS the moSt validity?

In the Bohemian Grove episode we did, there is, factually, a secret society that exists in Northern California that almost every president has been a member of, and they don’t allow any women. And to me, it doesn’t mean that the government is trying to eat your babies and steal your car. But it does mean that it’s happening, and there needs to be some accountability. You can’t have the most powerful men in the world meet and say, “No girls allowed.”

But again, the real problem is that we’re a

tagon footage on YouTube, because you have to get through all the conspiracy theories first.

do you conSider your tv Show and your bookS to be different tentacleS of the Same octopuS? I think the thrillers, the TV show and even the children’s books are all the same thing to me, which is my core belief: I believe ordinary people change the world. I don’t care where you went to school, or how much money you make. That is nonsense to me. I believe in regular people and their abilities to effect change.

If you read my novels or watch the show or you read the kids’ books, you will see that that is exactly what they’re all about. And it took me a decade to figure that out.

you Saw the letter that buSh 41 left in the oval office for preSident clinton—what did it Say? may/june 2014

Reagan had famously left a letter in the desk for 41, who left one for Clinton, who left one for W., who left one for Obama. It’s the greatest secret tradition of the modern presidency. And Bush 41 had written me one of the great fan letters I’d ever gotten, years ago. I had gotten a couple of letters from Clinton too. And those are really fun letters to get, when presidents write to you.

But I had written back to him, and he invited me to come to Houston and spend some time with him, to see what his life was like for research for The Book of Fate, which was about a former president. I was asking him about the letter that Reagan left for him, and that he left for Clinton. I said, “Could you move secret information in them?”

Soon after that, my e-mail pops up, and it says, “The president wants you to have this.”

And I open it up, and it’s the letter he left for Clinton—he had saved a copy of it.

I, of course, checked it for secret codes—is there a Freemason code in here? Does the third letter of every word spell out, “I hate you, Bill?” But the truth is, it was one of the most

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“To me, history is a giant game of telephone. And our job is to find that first whisper.” generous, amazing letters I’d ever read in my life, and it was exactly what you’d want one president to write to another, which is, “I’m rooting for you, and the country is cheering for you all the way.”

The alphabeT agencies in The U.s. governmenT enlisTed yoUr help, in 2006, To brainsTorm aboUT poTenTial TerrorisT TacTics.

WhaT Was ThaT experience like for yoU? First, I thought, if they’re calling me, we have bigger problems than anybody thinks. But the truth is, I was honored to be part of it. They were collecting “out-of-the-box thinkers.” I

guess they had read my novel and seen that I [wrote about] a secret tunnel below the White House; they showed me the real ones.

They basically would give me a target—a major city—and pair me with a Secret Service agent and a chemist, and they would ask us to destroy that city. And we would destroy that city within an hour. It’s one of those days where you don’t go home feeling good; you go home feeling terrified, because you see how easy it is to kill us.

anyThing ever come oUT of Those meeTings?

Absolutely, because I didn’t just do it once— they had me coming back over and over, and they’d send me different targets at different points in the year. And I eventually said to them, ‘Why me, of all people? Why a regular, ordinary citizen?’”

I traced it back to George Washington.

Washington, as you know now, had his own secret spy ring of regular ordinary citizens, and the reason he picked ordinary people is continued on page 182

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3/26/14 1:28 PM

may/june 2014

EVERT Tennis Academy

Grand slam winner, Chris Evert and world-renowned coach, John Evert immerse students in the prestigious coaching methodology pioneered by their father, Jimmy Evert. Taught wth a low student-to-coach ratio, the program ensures each student receives the individual attention needed to reach their full potential.

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True's Frank Hawkins with his Maryland crab cakes

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may/june 2014

^

Boca Raton for a tour of local cuisine that's as appealing to the palate Join

as it is to the wallet.

Cheap Eats by

Bill Citara

photography by

Jason Myers*

ou don’t have to be cheap to like cheap eats.

After all, everybody likes a good deal. The problem is that “cheap,” “deal” and “value” are thoroughly subjective. What’s inexpensive to Bill Gates might be out-of-this-world pricy to those not born with a black Amex card in their cribs.

As we live in one of the most worldly and affluent areas in the country, what constitutes cheap eats here gets pretty complicated too. Most of us aren’t likely to revisit the kinds of restaurants that got us through college. Nor are we likely to be happy with a steady diet of discount burritos, pizza and burgers.

That’s where we come in. Boca Raton has turned the local dining scene upside down, shaken it and come up with a list of restaurants that meet our exacting but affordable standards. Think high-quality dishes that provide the best bang for your culinary buck—and in a variety of categories.

You can’t put a price tag on that.

* unless otherwise noted

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More Cheap American

TRUE

147 S.E. First Ave., Boca Raton, 561/417-5100 Baltimore has a tough rep; ask anyone who’s seen “the Wire.” But Baltimore also has a reputation for more than just mean streets. and Frank hawkins is proving it, one crab cake at a time. six months ago, the Charm City native opened true, a cozy indoor-outdoor café promising “good, honest food” and fat, succulent maryland-style crab cakes. of course, fresh blue crabmeat—the only kind hawkins uses—is not cheap. and he uses a lot of it. “only backfin and jumbo lump,” says hawkins, 54. “Very little binders—a little egg and a tiny bit of bread. [and] there’s a certain set of seasonings that [is] really distinctive to the region.”

What that means for your wallet is that at dinner a pair of hawkins’ unabashedly crabby crab cakes (plus two sides) can run close to $30.

But here’s the deal. You can get your fill of sea-sweet crab-a-liciousness for half the price by ordering true’s crab cake sliders. two golden-brown, golf ball-sized nuggets come with house-made tartar sauce for $12—or $14 if you add one side (like an unctuous mac-n-cheese). up the crabby ante with a bowl of indecently rich and creamy, sherry-fortified crab soup for $8. or, for the turf-minded, there’s half a roasted chicken with a pair of sides for $17 or pesto-drenched vegetarian lasagna and a salad for $16. that’s a rep you can live with.

✓ Granger’s (215 N.E. Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, 561/276-7881): Specialty sandwiches, like the Black & Moo (blackened meat loaf with applewood smoked bacon and blue cheese), starting at $9 ✓ Sybarite Pig (20642 State Road 7, Boca Raton, 561/883-3200): Meat board items, like Korean-style short ribs or Hellswine II sausage, starting at $10 Wagyu duck fat burger, Sybarite Pig

GREG SCHNEIDER

Spotlight On:

✓ The Backyard (511 N.E. Fourth St., Boynton Beach, 561/740-0399): Turkey, pulled pork, chicken sandwiches and flatbreads, starting at $8.99

Crab Cake Sliders

$12

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may/june 2014

5 Cheap Dishes We Love

From top: “Og” chicken from Rebel House; Papa‘s Tapas‘ Olivia‘s Cazuelita

1 “OniOn SOup” dumplingS Where: Burt & Max's, 9089 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/638-6380 What: A whimsical riff on the classic French onion soup, this light but savory dish features plump little pastry pouches filled with Gruyere and caramelized onions floating in a golden, brandy-spiked veal broth, delivering all the traditional onion soup flavors without the heft. price: $9

cristina Morgado

2 Ollie Burger Where: Flashback Diner, 1450 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/750-2120 What: This half-pound disc of mozzarella-topped certified Angus beef recreates the famed burger developed by Miami Beach resident Oliver Gleichenhaus—who spent almost four decades assembling a recipe that includes 23 herbs and seasonings—resulting in a burger that tastes like no other. price: $7.99

3 BBQ pOrk Belly Where: 13 American Table, 451 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/409-2061 What: The lusciously fatty belly of pig is trendier than Instagram, and here it’s worth every wicked calorie. Roasted crisp-molten in the exotic Josper oven, it’s gilded with a piquant barbecue sauce and vinegary slaw that both cut and enhance its richness. price: $13

4 “Og” Fried ChiCken Where: Rebel House, 297 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/353-5888 What: This funky-artsy joint fries chicken as well as any spot in town— crunchy and golden on the outside, moist and tender within. Of course, the accompanying cheddar-jalapeño biscuit and candied bacon syrup don’t hurt either. price: $13

5 Olivia’S Cazuelita Where: Papa’s Tapas, 259 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/266-0599 What: What could possibly improve a bowl full of fresh, tender shrimp, scallops, calamari, chorizo and mushrooms? White wine, good olive oil and prodigious amounts of garlic, that’s what. This hearty stew/soup is a Spanish classic for reasons obvious at first bite. price: $14

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El Chicharron

$4

Spotlight On:

EL JEFE LUCHADOR 27 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, 954/246-5333

El Jefe Luchador's El Chicharron (crispy glazed pork belly) with guacamole, salsa and cabbage slaw

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Imagine your favorite Mexican street foods with a chef’s creativity, a rock-n-roll attitude and a whimsical lucha libre theme. That’s this colorful purveyor of south-of-the-border street eats from Michael Saperstein and Evan David, whose creativity, ’tude and whimsy are reflected in their other restaurants, Charm City Burger Company and Rebel House.

At El Jefe, the smallish strip mall space celebrates the exploits of Mexico’s luchadors, professional wrestlers in the mode of our own fantastical WWE body slamming soap opera. There’s a wall of wrestlers’ gaudy masks, of animated posters advertising matches and even lucha libra (“free wrestling”) wallpaper.

Though El Jefe does offer several variations of the tortilla-stuffed-with-stuff theme, traditional and nontraditional tacos are at the heart of its menu.

Priced from $2.75 to $4 apiece, the former come with queso cojito and pico de gallo, and protein choices ranging from roasted pork to grilled chicken to mushrooms and veggies.

More inventive offerings include the vaguely Korean Ultimo Dragon (carnitas with hoisin salsa and kimchee slaw), the gringo-fied El Don Hamburgueso (burger blend with cheese sauce, spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato and onions) and, my personal favorite, the El Chicharron (crispy glazed pork belly, guacamole, salsa and slaw).

You’d have to wrestle that last one away from me. may/june 2014

Guacamole from Cabo Flats

More Cheap Mexican

photo courtsey of cabo flats

✓ Cabo Flats (14851 Lyons Road, Delray Beach, 561/499-0378): Fajitas starting at $13, flatbreads starting at $9 and quesadillas from $9 to $16. ✓ Tacos al Carbon (4420 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/432-8474): Tortas for $7.99 each, tostadas for $4.99 each ✓ Taco Prince (180 S. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/750-1113): Burritos starting at $5.25, taco salads starting at $5.25, ground-beef tacos for $4.75 each

5 Cheap Happy Hour Eats & Drinks 1 City Fish Market Where: 7940 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/487-1600 When: Sunday to Friday, 4–7 p.m. the dish: The bar at this lakeside restaurant is almost always packed with diners happy to gorge on $5 wines and $6 cocktails while noshing on appetizers priced from $4 to $9. Don’t miss the deep-fried rock shrimp tossed with spicy mayo.

2 Morton’s Where: 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/392-7724 When: Monday to Saturday, 5–11 p.m.; Sunday, 5–10 p.m. the dish: Seats often are scarce at this clubby steak house, but where there’s a will there’s a way to snag select beers, wines and cocktails that range from $5.50 to $8 and bar bites—like tasty little cheeseburger sliders— that start at $6.

3 truluCk’s Where: 351 Plaza Real, Mizner Park, Boca Raton, 561/391-0755 When: Monday to Saturday, 4:30–7 p.m.; all night Sunday; seating in the Stone Crab lounge

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the dish: Half-priced cocktails, starting at $6, aren't the only draw at this popular early evening hang. A hearty roster of powerhouse appetizers—also 50 percent off—includes salt-and-pepper calamari ($7.50), mini bacon cheeseburgers ($8) and jumbo lump crab cake ($9). No wonder some patrons turn happy hour into dinner hour.

4 50 oCean Where: 50 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, 561/278-3364 When: Monday to Friday, 4–7 p.m. the dish: The view is free and the deals are good at this second-story oceanfront restaurant, where most beers, wines and cocktails are 50-percent off; small plates, which run from $6 to $12, include inventive choices like duck confit quesadillas.

5 Brio tusCan Grille Where: 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/392-3777 When: Monday to Friday, 3:30–6:30 p.m., 9 p.m. to close the dish: Belly up to the bar for a taste of modestly priced ($4 to $6) drinks and bites, from crispy eggplant “fries” to an Angus beef burger. Select martinis are $5 on Wednesdays; wines are $5 on Thursdays.

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Escarole with Sausage

$12.95

Spotlight On:

Top: Tucci‘s escarole, beans and sausage Right: One of Tucci‘s coal-fired pies

TUCCI’S

50 N.E. First Ave., Boca Raton, 561/620-2930 Pizza is a cheap eater’s delight. If you’ve ever nickeled and dimed your way through college, you’ve probably had the dubious pleasure of crummy takeout pizza for dinner, cold crummy takeout pizza for breakfast and microwaved crummy takeout pizza for lunch.

Tucci’s does not serve crummy pizza, though you certainly can get any of its thin-crusted, wood oven-baked pies to go. It’s not the cheapest pizza in the world, but as a 14inch pie ranges from $13 to $25 and is easily meal enough for two, it offers value as well as sustenance. As proprietor Albert Aletto says, “We’re not your regular pizza joint,” Aletto says. “It’s a less-expensive dining experience.”

But what really sets Tucci’s apart from your average pizzeria is its white tablecloth-quality non-pizza dishes and ambience that’s more stylish Roman osteria than cheesy suburban pizza joint.

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Daily pasta specials start at $10 with rigatoni or cavatappi in pomodoro sauce—not, by the way, the same sauce that goes on Tucci’s pies—which you can customize from the same roster of add-ons available for pizzas.

Then there are dishes like a pair of meaty meatballs topped with herbed ricotta ($7.95) and a terrific sauté of escarole and cannellini beans with red onion, whole cloves of roasted garlic and coins of fennel-scented sausage ($12.95) that will transport you to that Roman osteria without ever leaving Boca.

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5 Fast- Casual Cheap Spots 1 Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

More Cheap Italian ✓ Agliolio (2258 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/509-6486): Create your own 10-inch hand-tossed, thin-crust pizzas—or create your own pasta dishes— starting at $10 ✓ Giovanni’s Pizzeria (175 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, 561/826-1822): Calzones and strombolis, starting at $12.95 ✓ Sazio Express (1136 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/276-2637): Meatball Parmigiana and chicken Parmigiana for $9.50; wraps, starting at $8.50

Where: 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/395-5500 the dish: Greek and Middle Eastern fare—DIY stuffed pitas, wraps and plates, plus chicken and steak kabobs and entrée salads, with prices starting at $6.99.

2 italio Where: 1658 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/392-7778 the dish: Fill a bowl or wrap with pasta or salad greens, then add the protein of your choice (steak, chicken, sausage, shrimp or veggies), a sauce or dressing, cheese and garnishes, priced from $6.98 to $8.98.

3 Pizza rustica Where: 1155 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/279-8766 the dish: Enjoy fat squares of hearty Roman-style pizza—more than two-dozen varieties, priced from $3.50 to $5.50—also in medium and extra-large, thin-crusted rounds and large trays.

Evan Sung

Shake Shack burger

4 shake shack Where: 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/923-0847 the dish: All-natural Angus beef burgers, single and double patties, along with beef and chicken hot dogs, fries, shakes and “concretes,” can be customized to order.

Burger prices start at $4.95.

5 zona Fresca Where: 1705 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, 561/901-9662 the dish: Fresh-made Mexican burritos and tacos in various guises with various proteins, from shredded beef to beer-battered fish, are all under $10. Check out the enchiladas, quesadillas and tostadas as well.

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Right: Whale‘s Rib manager John Keener Left: The legendary Key West sandwich

Spotlight On:

WHALE’S RIB 2031 N.E. Second St., Deerfield Beach, 954/421-8880

Dolphin Key West sandwich

$10.99

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It took more than 30 years for Whale’s Rib to become an overnight sensation. Not that it had been flying under the foodie radar; savvy locals and lucky visitors knew all about the cheery, ramshackle fish shack just an oyster’s throw from the ocean. Still, there’s nothing like being featured on the Food Network’s wildly popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” to vault a restaurant from local institution to national prominence.

Three years later, “Triple D” is still bringing people in, though the Rib’s popularity is due as much to its extensive array of impeccably fresh fish and shellfish as to Guy Fieri’s endorsement.

“We bring in 150 pounds of fresh mahi every day,” says general manager John Keener. “I get all my shellfish—clams, oyster, live Maine lobster, stone crab— every morning as well. I can’t keep rock shrimp in stock; I get 100 pounds on Monday and 180 pounds on Friday.”

Those rock shrimp are a beloved signature, steamed and ready to dunk in lemon butter (typically $15.99 per pound). Vying with rock shrimp for diners’ favor is another signature, the Dolphin Key West sandwich ($10.99), a riff on the classic Reuben—only slightly smaller than a manhole cover. Get it with a mound of positively addictive Whale Fries ($4.99), house-made potato chips served with equally addictive honey mustard sauce called Whale Juice.

Sensational, even if not overnight. may/june 2014

Wagyu beef sliders from HMF

More Cheap Seafood

Michael Pisarri

✓ Decks Fish Market (700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach, 561/822-9988): Decks’ “sushi” rolls—think fish-n-chip, oyster po' boy, “Atomic” lobster—starting at $11 ✓ Hurricane Alley (529 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/364-4008): Fried baskets—from fish and shrimp to clams and oysters—starting at $9.95 ✓ Mussel Beach (501 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/921-6464): 1.5 pounds of mussels, prepared in broths ranging from French onion and lobster bisque to Florentine and Parmigiana, starting at $16

5 Cheap Dishes at Not- So- Cheap Restaurants 1 Veal Meatballs Where: Terra Fiamma, 9169 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/495-5570 What: These delicately seasoned, plush-textured orbs of meaty deliciousness are a sophisticated counterpoint to the hearty beef meatball, refinement taken further when napped with a deeply savory demiglace given sweet-earthy nuances by Marsala and sliced mushrooms.

Price: $12.50

2 tiraMisu Where: Arturo’s, 6750 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/997-7373 What: Though this now-common Italian delicacy has gone from obscurity to ubiquity faster than you can say, “Ciao bella!,” keep your mind and mouth open for Arturo’s version. The elegant melange of ladyfingers is soaked in four different liqueurs and mascarpone whipped to a frothy cloud.

Price: $9

3 Fresh Mozzarella salad Where: Butcher Block Grill, 7000 W. Camino Real, Boca Raton, 561/409-3035 What: Mozzarella so fresh it didn’t exist until minutes before you ate it is prepared tableside by your very own mozza-fella (sorry), then pinched into

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little balls and paired with heirloom tomatoes, microbasil and verdant olive oil for the ultimate a la minute salad.

Price: $14

4 Fingerling Potato ChiPs & diP Where: HMF, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561/290-0104 What: Junk food becomes haute junque cuisine at this mink-lined, barlounge-tapas joint in the tony Breakers hotel, where gossamer-thin discs of crisp, golden, greaseless potato are made even more irresistible when dragged through unctuous warm onion-Parmesan dip.

Price: $14.50 bonus item: The sliders may seem pricey at $23; then again, it’s Wagyu beef.

5 oyster steW Where: Rack’s Fish House + Oyster Bar, 5 S.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/450-6718 What: Channeling the signature of New York’s famed Grand Central Oyster Bar right down to the giant stainless steel steam kettles is this luscious but light “stew” of succulent bivalves as pleasingly plump as Lena Dunham in a spicy, gently cream-enhanced broth.

Price: $13

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Cheesecake spring rolls

$7

Inset: Chef Caleb Holman Right: Kapow!‘s cheesecake spring rolls

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Spotlight On:

KAPOW! NOODLE BAR

More Cheap Asian

431 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561/347-7322

For comforting your stomach as well as your pocketbook, it’s hard to beat a bowlful of noodles. Though noodles are more commonly associated with Italy, it is said that Marco Polo actually brought them back to his native country from China (a tale almost surely apocryphal).

Whatever. Fast forward several centuries, and a generation of young chefs has brought its talents and inspiration to bear on the noodle dishes of countries throughout Southeast Asia. At Kapow!, chef Caleb Holman is turning out an array of Asian fusion noodle dishes, pairing slowroasted pork with Chinese-style ramen, slices of kamaboko (Japanese fishcake), slivers of nori and soft-boiled egg in an intensely concentrated broth made from pork, beef and chicken bones simmered for two days.

Other dishes pair sesame-crusted tuna with udon noodles and rice noodles with shrimp, steak or tofu in the restaurant’s signature take on Pad Thai. Priced from $13 to $18, they’re a complete meal in a bowl. “Just about everybody at some point in their life has eaten a bowl of ramen noodles,” Holman says. “Now, there are just people out there who can make it really good.”

There’s more to Kapow! than just noodles. Like tea-cured salmon ($12) and Vietnamese-style chicken wings ($9.50) and wicked-good cheesecake spring rolls with an even more sinful banana-caramel dipping sauce ($7). Too bad Marco Polo missed that.

✓ House of Cheung (499 N.E. 20th St., Boca Raton, 561/3922626): 23 different selections, including General Tso’s chicken, priced between $5.50 and $5.95 ✓ Ninja Spinning Sushi (41 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/361-8688): Sushi offerings starting at $6, signature rolls starting at $13 ✓ Thai Shokun (6346 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, 561/641-8810): Stir-fried dishes starting at $12.95, Japanese-style noodle dishes starting at $13.95

Staff Selections

The staff of Boca Raton magazine weighs in with a few of its own favorite “Cheap Eats” dishes under $15.

John Shuff, contributing writer: The margherita pizza at Villagio (344 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561/4472257), $10.95 on the lunch menu: ”The pizza is huge, and the service is great. ...

Also, check out the portion on the spaghetti and meatballs ($13.50); it easily feeds two.“

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Kevin Kaminski, editor: Hong Kong Dumplings & Roast Pork Noodle Soup at 5 Spice Asian Street Market (1200 Yamato Road, #A1, Boca Raton, 561/9891688), $7.99: “Name another soup that calls your knife, fork, spoon and chopsticks all into action.”

Marie Speed, group editor: Tacos de Carne Asada— grilled steak soft tacos with tomatoes, onion and lettuce—from the truck at Tacos al Carbon (4420 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/4328474), $2.49 each: “These are divine food pods—as good for breakfast as they are on the way home after a night out.”

John Thomason, A&E editor: Triple Treat Sampler at Cheddar‘s (925 S. State Road 7, Wellington, 561/3452880), $7.99: “Cheddar‘s innovative take on beef, bean and cheese nachos is cheaper than the price of an appetizer at most restaurants—and as hefty as any entrée.”

Lori Pierino, art director: The guacamole and the brisket quesadilla at El Camino (15 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/8655350), each $4: “These offerings are part of the happy hour menu from 4 to 7 p.m. daily. And don‘t forget about the $5 margaritas!”

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Make a chic poolside statement this summer with head-turning swimwear as captured by the fashion photography class at Lynn University.

Shot on location at Boca Raton Resort & Club

On her: Red Carter swimsuit, from Everything But Water; Tom Ford sunglasses, from Neiman Marcus; Jeffrey Campbell shoes, from Nordstrom. On him: Swim trunks, from Boss Hugo Boss; Tom Ford sunglasses, from Neiman Marcus*

Photo by Lynn University student Lasakan Cholayil

All fashion courtesy of Town Center at Boca Raton (6000 Glades Road) * All prices upon request

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On her: Red Carter swimsuit, from Everything But Water; shoes, from Aldo; bangle, from Bebe.

On him: Swimwear, from Michael Kors

Photo by Ellen Stern

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Red Carter swimsuit, from Everything But Water; sunglasses, from Anthropologie; necklace, from Bebe

Photo by Lynn University student Celeste Nash

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About the Lynn teAm The fashion photography class, offered through the College of International Communication at Lynn University, ran for nearly three weeks during the January term. The experiential learning course gave students an opportunity to study the history of fashion photography, view the work of current fashion photographers and produce an actual fashion shoot—from scouting locations and hiring models to conceptualizing and executing the shoot. Ellen Stern, who taught the course, worked as a fashion photographer for 10 years; she’s an assistant professor of photography at Lynn.

Male Model: Deive Garces, from MC2 Model Management/Miami FeMale Model: Aksana Samy, from Next/Miami location: Boca Raton Resort & Club; 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton, 888/543-1277, bocaresort.com

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On her: Red Carter swimsuit, from Everything But Water; shoes, from Aldo; necklace and bracelets, from Macy’s.

On him: Swimwear, from Michael Kors

Photo by Lynn University student Hassna Boukdair

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With a statewide vote to legalize medical marijuana on the horizon, experts on both sides of the issue debate the merits of Florida going to pot.

By Thomas Collins

eff Kennedy showed up to his first appointment with a cancer doctor already knowing exactly how he was going to treat his chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a potentially fatal blood cancer.

There are many FDA-approved treatments, including chemotherapy, that are available. But Kennedy, who is in his mid50s and lives in Boynton Beach, wasn’t interested in those.

His choice was Rick Simpson Oil, derived from marijuana plants.

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Through YouTube, chat rooms and websites like cureyourowncancer. org, people with cancer and other illnesses are offering testimonials to the masses about the oil slowing down and even curing their disease.

The way Kennedy sees it, it’s far cheaper than chemotherapy, and chemotherapy can be far more lethal than marijuana. Plus, smoking pot for his severe back pain already has allowed Kennedy (who was diagnosed last July) to stop taking the opiates that made him feel lousy.

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“It's just taking the time to do the research and [get] rid of this brainwash that the government‘s instilled in you over the last 80 years.“ —Jeff Kennedy

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When he showed up to the oncologist’s office late last year, his white blood cell count—a barometer of the cancer’s onward march—already was three times normal. He was brashly wearing a T-shirt that said, “I’m a Patient Not a Criminal,” a reference to his organization and website that sells hats, shirts and beer cozies to raise money for awareness of marijuana’s medical benefits.

When his doctor opened the exam room door, she asked about the shirt.

He told her about the Simpson oil.

“This is how I’m going to treat my cancer,” Kennedy told her. Then, she “freaked out” and asked him to leave.

“When your numbers hit 50,000, you come back and see me,” he recalls her saying, referring to his everclimbing white blood cell count.

At press time, Kennedy had not had additional blood work—but he was feeling good. He just wishes there was more awareness.

“It’s just taking the time to do the research and [get]rid of this brainwash that the government’s instilled in you over the last 80 years—it’s like, what a flippin’ lie,” says Kennedy, who gets his oil in California, where it’s legal. “I would not be fair to myself if I did not … try this first because I know from the stories I’m reading this is a successful drug.”

The People’s Court

Kennedy seems to be in the majority; polls show heavy support for medical marijuana. But the only vote that matters comes Nov. 4, when Floridians will have the chance to weigh in on a constitutional amendment that would make medical marijuana legal in the state. The effort to put the initiative on the ballot was successful largely due to the financial and political heft of Orlando-based personal injury lawyer John Morgan. He chairs United For Care, the campaign run by People United for Medical Marijuana, which is the aptly sounding PUFMM for short.

Already, 20 states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes. As of early March, another 15 states (including Florida) had pending legislation involving legalization of medical marijuana.

The train, it seems, is leaving the station. Will Florida hop aboard? We’ll know more in a few short months.

In January, the state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the ballot language for medical marijuana was legal, over the arguments of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and the St. Petersburg-based group Save Our Society from Drugs, a Drug Free America Foundation-linked group that’s campaigning against the initiative.

Under the law, doctors would be able to issue a “physician certification” to someone with a debilitating medical condition when they believe “the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks.” Patients would then take those certificates to a licensed “dispensary” to get their pot.

If the initiative succeeds, activists on both sides of the issue say, Florida will be better positioned to go the way of Colorado and Washington state, where marijuana also is legal for recreational use. follow the leader

Where they differ is whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing.

To Calvina Fay, executive director of Save Our Society From Drugs and the Drug Free America Foundation, the initiative would be folly, particularly under the ballot language that will go to the voters.

“It’s a veiled attempt to legalize marijuana, plain and simple,” she says. “If this were about medicine, the whole thing would have been structured in a much different way and in a much more restrictive manner. The wording of this initiative is wide open.”

The “caregivers” of the patients do not have to have any medical training, she notes. “Essentially they can be drug dealers that basically get a get-out-of-jail-free card because they can label themselves as a caregiver,” she says.

Also, Fay notes, the ballot language does not spell out rules requiring that the doctor have any real history of seeing the patient over time—giving rise, she says, to the likelihood of easy doctor-shopping, “not unlike the pillmill situation that we had” that led to widespread abuse of pain-killers. The language does require that the doctor complete a physical exam and review the patient’s medical history.

“We will never support smoking a raw plant material that has hundreds of compounds in it—many of which are very harmful and some of which are cancercausing when they’re smoked,” Fay says.

Calvina Fay of Save Our Society From Drugs

Medical Benefits

Marinol, an FDA-approved drug with a synthetic version of the THC found in pot plants, is being used for nausea relief related to chemotherapy and as an appetite stimulant for HIV patients. The clinical research on marijuana’s medical benefits in other diseases is limited, but it does exist. Here is a snapshot of some of the findings for three medical conditions.

EpilEpsy: In a 2004 study out of Canada, researchers did a telephone survey of patients at an epilepsy center and found that 21 percent of them had used marijuana in the past year. The majority of those reported beneficial effects on seizures.

In 2007, researchers reported the case of a 45-year-old man with cerebral palsy and epilepsy who showed “marked improvement” with the use of marijuana. lou GEhriG’s DisEasE (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis): In 2001, researchers reviewed literature and concluded that marijuana had strong antioxidative and neuroprotective effects and that, “in areas where it is legal to do so, marijuana should be considered in the pharmacological management of ALS.” In 2004, researchers conducted an anonymous survey of ALS patients, and 13 of them said they’d used marijuana in the past 12 months. “Results indicate that cannabis may be moderately effective at reducing symptoms of appetite loss, depression, pain, spasticity and drooling,” researchers wrote. pain rEliEf: A 2006 study of 30 patients with chronic, severe pain in a Canadian medical marijuana program found that 93 percent reported a six-points-or-better improvement on an 11-point pain scale.

A 2008 study of 38 patients with neuropathic pain found that “cannabis may be effective at ameliorating neuropathic pain. …

However, the use of marijuana as medicine may be limited by its method of administration (smoking) and modest acute cognitive effects, particularly at higher doses.”

—Source: pubmed.gov and Marijuana Policy Project

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Rush to Treatment

Fay, who says she had a loved one who fell victim to a litany of drugs including marijuana, is quick to point out that she isn’t against the use of marijuana-based products that go through the usual Food and Drug Administration channels, as all other drugs must. History is replete with examples of otherwise harmful plant products being refined through a careful process to produce a useful medication. The yew tree has deadly components but, through science, yielded the drug Taxol, used to treat breast cancer patients. The willow tree produced aspirin.

And don’t forget mold-derived penicillin.

“But we don’t … scrape mold off the bottom of a water fountain and lick the mold,” she says.

There is one FDA-approved medication derived from marijuana—Marinol, a drug that can be used for nausea due to cancer treatment. However, legalization supporters say that Marinol is not sufficient to treat a variety of other illnesses that have been helped, according to anecdotes, through other marijuana forms.

Another drug, Sativex, is a cannabis-derived spray approved in at least four countries, though not in the U.S., for treatment of multiple sclerosis symptoms. Still another, a liquid form called Epidiolex, is being investigated for use in epilepsy.

“As much as we all like to villainize the FDA—they have their faults—this process was put in place years ago for a very good reason,” Fay says. “We can’t just have anybody declaring anything medicine.”

It’s no secret that the ballot initiative is essentially an end-run past FDA-approval channels, basically putting medicine in the hands of the voting populace rather than regulators—and making it an issue of campaign stump speeches rather than clinical trials.

But supporters of the initiative say research has been too slow because the federal government has not supported it, and that there is a stigma that many researchers haven’t wanted to touch. Even according to the pro-marijuana-legalization group the Marijuana Policy Project, the research on medical marijuana is full of only small studies that have found varying degrees of benefit for maladies like intractable pain, Lou Gehrig’s Disease and Alzheimer’s. They include mostly a couple dozen patients—a far cry from the advanced studies that lead to FDA approval, which can include thousands. Most of the studies end with researchers concluding merely that the findings merit more research.

The most recent evidence has centered on how a variety of marijuana plants high in cannabidiol (CBD, which doesn’t cause a high) but low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the compound that brings on the high) can bring seizures nearly to a halt in children with severe epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome. A family who discovered this effect was featured on a Sanjay Gupta CNN special, prompting a frenzy of recent interest in the treatment.

Other individual cases, with stunning results, present compelling arguments in favor of legalization. But is that enough? may/june 2014

Substance abuse, Gross says, follows a predictable pattern: cigarettes, pot, harder drugs.

David Gross, a Delray Beach psychiatrist who works with Drug Free America

Chain Reaction

Jeff Clemens was in front of this story long before the recent publicity. As a state representative in 2011, he filed bills for legalization of medical marijuana, much to the dismay of his political advisers and Democratic colleagues.

He’s now a state senator based in Lake Worth. With other states passing marijuana initiatives and popular support on the rise here, his pie-in-the-sky pet issue might have become one of his biggest political assets.

He filed a bill in the most recent legislative session that would have essentially made the ballot initiative into law without the need for a popular vote.

The opposition is using scare tactics, he says. But Clemens contends that people won’t fall for it like they fell for “Reefer Madness” hysteria in the mid-20th century.

“So many people realize that this is not the great social evil that it was sold to be back in the ’50s and ’60s,” he says.

It will be up to the legislature to create safeguards, such as keeping the pot out of the hands of teenagers; the licensing and security of marijuana dispensaries where patients would take their doctor certificates to obtain pot; setting limits on the amount of marijuana that can be produced; and carefully monitoring that production. That’s what his bill sets out to do. California, where a 1996 medical marijuana law has led to rampant overavailability of pot, might be a cautionary tale. But that shouldn’t halt progress, Clemens says.

“There are 19 other states that have been able to enact medical marijuana and do it in a way that makes sense and is thoughtful,” he says. “And I would hazard a guess that follow the leader

many Floridians have visited one of those other states and had no idea that there was medical marijuana available.”

But David Gross, a psychiatrist in Delray Beach who works with Drug Free America, thinks a disaster is a distinct possibility if marijuana becomes legal medically here—and then, perhaps, recreationally. He has been treating people who struggle with the effects of substance abuse for decades. His walls are decorated with “Best Doctor” plaques, and his bookshelf includes a figurine of Sigmund Freud. Frequently, he says, abuse follows a predictable pattern: cigarettes, pot, then harder drugs.

“My concern is the detritus that results from substance abuse and addiction,” Gross says. “I see families torn apart and destroyed.” He’s seen several episodes of psychosis, plus paranoia and other problems.

State senator Jeff Clemens from Lake Worth

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how do you feel about the potential legalization of medical marijuana? visit web extras at bocamag. com and weigh in. we may run your comments in the magazine!

This is the scenario he fears—but predicts—if the initiative passes: “The 18-year-old is going to go in with migraine headaches, get a prescription for medical marijuana, and give it to his or her 17- or 16-year-old buddies.”

Bridge to Where?

Marijuana-legalization advocates sometimes say that it’s not addictive, that deaths due to marijuana are practically nonexistent, and that the “gateway drug” theory is disproven.

Karen Goldstein, president of the Florida chapter of the

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), points to numbers from the National Study on Drugs: 18.9 million people 12 and older reported in 2012 having used marijuana in the previous month. But just 1.6 million reported using cocaine; 1.1 million reported using hallucinogens, and 300,000 reported using heroin. If marijuana were a bridge to other drugs, wouldn’t there be just as many harder-core drug users as marijuana users?

“Most people who do heroin or cocaine or meth or whatever probably did smoke marijuana first, but a clear majority of the people who smoke marijuana never go on

The Road to the Ballot Box

Key dates leading up to Florida’s pending vote on the legalization of medical marijuana:

R 1996

California, by ballot measure, becomes the first state to allow medical marijuana.

R Nov. 2012

R 2000

Voters in Colorado and Washington state approve marijuana for recreational use. It had already been approved for medical use in those states.

R 2009

People United for Care, an organization linked to PUFMM, surpasses the necessary number of signatures required for a ballot initiative on medical marijuana.

Hawaii becomes the first state to enact a medical marijuana law through an act of the state legislature. At the time, it was the eighth state to decriminalize medical marijuana.

A campaign, run by People United for Medical Marijuana (PUFMM), begins for a ballot initiative on a constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana in Florida, but the effort fails.

R March 2011 Rep. Jeff Clemens,

a Democrat from Lake Worth, files a joint resolution that would have let voters weigh in on a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana. It does not get passed.

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R JaN. 24, 2014 R JaN. 27, 2014

Florida Supreme Court rules that the ballot initiative is legally sufficient and should go to voters.

R Nov. 4, 2014

Voters in Florida go to the polls to vote on constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana.

may/june 2014

to anything else,” she says. “So one does not open the door to the other.”

Andrew Carpentieri might have to chuckle a little at that.

At age 15, a friend in high school introduced him to marijuana. Carpentieri didn’t think much of it—everybody he knew smoked weed anyway. From then on, he smoked pot almost every day, until he started using cocaine, then crack cocaine, years later.

“It definitely led to other drugs—for sure, 100-percent gateway drug,” says Carpentieri, 43, who is in recovery and living in Sanford but who still struggles with memory loss from smoking so much pot. “What happens is your mind opens up to, ‘Well, I’m already getting high, might as well try something else.’ So I tried a line of cocaine.”

With pot, there was no fear about its effects; with cocaine, there was. But once he started on pot, the fear of cocaine lessened, and the chain reaction had begun.

“You have to look at the big picture—are you really wanting to open up the whole country to smoking marijuana?” he says. “You think your drug problem’s bad now?

It’s going to be way worse.”

Barbara Krantz, medical director at The Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, also worries about changed perceptions. She points to Monitoring the Future, the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s ongoing 38-year study of U.S. youths’ drug use and attitudes toward drugs. One of its findings is that if kids see a drug as less harmful, they’re more likely to use it.

She also points to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that says 9 percent of those who try marijuana become addicted, complete with withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, irritability, insomnia, depression or worse.

“It acts on specific receptors in the brain that actually reinforce that drive,” she says, referring to the brain’s “reward pathway.” “It reinforces it because of the neurochemicals that are released to give you a feeling of well-being.” It takes awhile for the brain’s natural chemical production to get back to normal, she says, and in the meantime, the addict feels horrible.

Both Sides Now

The passions surrounding marijuana legalization are many. In part, it’s a matter of government intervening in people’s lives in ways that legalization supporters say is unwarranted. Also, for many, there is a strong basic belief that pot is just not harmful enough to be outlawed.

Even though Goldstein of NORML would like to see cannabis become legal for recreation, it’s the medical aspect that seems to be so important and haunting to her.

The morning after the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the medical marijuana initiative, her phone rang. It was a woman whose husband was about to have surgery for aggressive brain cancer. He had months to live, and the woman wanted to try marijuana oil.

She asked Goldstein, “How much time will I have to spend in jail if I’m caught making the oil for him?”

“How does that not tear you up?” Goldstein asks. “My heart breaks.” follow the leader

Just as ardently, on the other side, there’s a fundamental distrust that any medical marijuana laws will be regulated closely enough to prevent the drug from getting into the wrong hands for the wrong reasons. There is profound worry that there will be new legions of drug users. More than anything else, they are worried about kids being emboldened by the medical legalization—a formal stamp of approval by society at large that might tip young people on the fence toward pot-smoking rather than away from it.

“For whatever reason, marijuana has been glorified,” Fay says. “It has been turned into a counterculture.”

Gross, the Delray-based psychiatrist, says he can’t conceive of a safe way for marijuana to be used outside the FDA system—it’s just too difficult to monitor. That said, he’s eager for more medical options that include marijuana compounds.

“I look forward to the day as a psychiatrist where we have lots of cannabinoid-containing medications that I can prescribe to my patients for anxiety, depression, et cetera, done the proper way—under FDA regulations.”

Karen Goldstein, president of the Florida chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

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From the fortress of El Morro, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Havana.

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Dancers from the Cabaret Parisién take the stage at Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

A Taste of Forbidden Fruit Through travel windows such as “people-to-people” tours, Americans are pulling back the curtain on Castro-era Cuba.

Story and photography by Charles and Mary Love

O

ur taxi pulled up to a crumbling, white mansion in Centro Habana, one of 15 municipalities in the capital city of Cuba, as afternoon eased into night. Adorned with ornate moldings and weighty balustrades, the building whispered “faded glory.” This was La Guarida, Spanish for “the lair,” arguably the most famous of Havana’s new breed of small, privately owned restaurants called paladares.

A hefty man opened the cab door. “Buenos noches,” he said. Then, detecting we were English speakers, he asked, “From where do you come?”

“Estados Unidos,” we replied.

“Welcome! Did you know Beyoncé and Jay-Z were here not long ago?”

We knew. The music industry’s first billionaire couple had ruffled feathers in the United States with their April 2013 visit to the Communist country; several members of Congress would denounce the trip as a thinly disguised tourist jaunt, violating U.S. restrictions on tourism.

But Beyoncé and Jay-Z had come to Cuba legally, as had we, under a U.S. government-sanctioned program that allows licensed travel companies and select institutions follow the leader

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out and about in cuba = dining Cuba’s culinary roots are in Spain, France, Africa and the Caribbean. Flavors of garlic, onions, green pepper, citrus and bay leaf liven up typical dishes such as rice and beans, yucca, roast chicken or pork, and fresh seafood. Privately owned paladares offer some of the best dining in Cuba. Favorites include La guarida, doña Eutemia and San cristóbal in Havana and Sol ananda in Trinidad.

Diners enjoy a taste of Old Havana at Doña Eutemia, a family restaurant.

=

MuSic/dancE Popular cabaret shows may be seen at the tropicana and the cabaret Parisièn in Havana. For local music and dancing, visit casa de la Música, El gato tuerto, El tablao de Pancho or La Zorro y El cuervo (Latin jazz).

Cabaret Parisién

= ShoPPing You cannot bring back rum, cigars and antiques to the United States. Cultural items such as books, music CDs, visual art and handicrafts are allowed. Certain purchases must be documented at the point of sale, so be sure to ask before you buy. Ask your tour company about limits on what a U.S. citizen can spend.

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(museums, universities and other nonprofits) to offer “people-to-people” trips with educational and cultural itineraries.

We stepped through a small carriageway and up two flights of curving marble stairs.

The first landing opened to an empty room with marble tiles; in the middle stood a row of Corinthian columns. Up the next flight, past a headless marble goddess, we found La Guarida and its three small candlelit rooms.

Large mirrors and photos of celebrity clientele competed for space on ochre-colored walls. The diners, mostly Spanish-speaking, were relaxed and talkative.

Despite elegant details (white linens, crystal chandeliers), the restaurant’s furniture might have been collected on sporadic shopping sprees to an antiques mall. Each chair was different. No glass or plate matched. Yet, somehow, it managed to hang together—a metaphor for today’s Cuba where industrious people are “making-do” to overcome years of economic hardship.

And what about our entrées of fresh seafood? Let’s just say it was clear why many people say the best cuisine in Cuba is in her paladares. La Guarida’s Cuban fare was decidedly more sophisticated than any we’d sampled in restaurants in South Florida. Fish was a specialty. Grouper arrived on a bed of cooked greens in a light, white-wine garlic sauce. Also on the menu: seafood boiler with Indian curry and swordfish with vanilla sauce.

For dessert, we chose an airy guava mousse.

Over the next seven days, our trip adhered to U.S. government requirements that the focus be on “educational exchange activities” that result in “meaningful interactions.” Five days in Havana and two in Trinidad, a beautiful United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, allowed us to explore both cities and

the countryside in between.

Although people-to-people trips have strict itineraries with limited flexibility, many travelers find them enjoyable and make repeat journeys. They usually include visits to historic sites, arts organizations, schools, farms and model communities. Evenings are free to dine, dance, attend a cabaret show—or simply relax on your own.

The growing interest in visiting Cuba has partly to do with its status as “forbidden fruit.” Prohibited from visiting for many years, Americans are now seizing any opportunity to see Castro-era Cuba before it becomes more commercialized. As one of our travel companions confessed, “I just wanted to see Havana before it becomes another Miami Beach!”

A Bygone erA After all, a visit to Cuba is a nostalgia trip. High rises are nearly absent from skylines. McDonald’s and mega-chain stores haven’t invaded.

Billboards are few. And 1950s-era American cars—not collectibles, but functional family vehicles and taxis—cruise the streets.

But Cuba’s welcoming people are the biggest attraction. As British-born novelist and longtime Havana visitor Pico Ayer wrote, “I couldn’t resist the effervescence, the beauty, the spirited sophistication of the place ... the people I met could hardly have been more sparkling.”

Accompanying our group was a knowledgeable local guide who seemed objective, not a conduit for government propaganda. She was open about government control of the media, poverty (the average wage is around $20 per month) and the depressed Cuban economy.

She also mentioned positive, widely acknowledged facts: Cuba has the second highest literacy rate in Latin America (99 percent); education is free, even for medical students; a respected medical system sends many wellmay/june 2014

Street vendors are a common sight in Old Havana.

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trained doctors to help in other developing countries; and private enterprise is on the rise.

What’s most surprising about Cuba to a first-time American visitor? We found no cult of Castro (Fidel never encouraged this). But pictures of the revolutionary Che Guevara were everywhere—on walls, billboards, posters, key chains, even sprinkled in nutmeg on our cappuccinos. Although the country is poor by international standards, there’s little to no begging in the streets. The friendly atmosphere in urban areas, by day and night, made us feel as safe, or safer, than in many U.S. cities. Everything, from hotel rooms to public restrooms, was remarkably clean. The hotels, in fact, offered better amenities than we’d expected—comfortable rooms, Internet service (though very slow), large breakfast buffets and more.

In Havana, our accommodation was the government-owned Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the favorite of visiting statesmen and celebrities since the 1930s. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, a New York architectural firm, the Italian Renaissance-style hotel sits on a bluff overlooking Havana’s four-mile-long promenade, the Malecón. Under its colonnaded arcades, guests puff Cuban cigars and down Mojitos while a band on the lawn plays songs from earlier times. Here, we settled into a late-afternoon routine of sipping drinks while enjoying the live music and watching international guests come and go.

SiteS to Behold The Old City of Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is built around several plazas, most bordered with colonial-era buildings, churches, former palaces and sidewalk cafés.

It features one of the largest concentrations of Spanish Colonial architecture in the New World, plus styles ranging from Baroque to contemporary. After a few walks about town, we wished we had more time to explore. After all, where else can you see, in the same morning, a 16th-century Spanish fortress and an exact replica of the U.S. Capitol building (it houses Cuba’s National Assembly)? Or compare the spare lines of a simple colonial-era porch with the flamboyant ornamentation of a neoclassical town home?

A highlight on Havana’s waterfront is the Castillo de la Real Fuerza. Built between 1558 and 1577, it was the first Spanish fortress in the New World. It overlooks the Malecón, the waterfront promenade and social venue dubbed the “world’s longest couch.” Throughout the day and night, lovers

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Right: A cyclist looks for a fare in Trinidad.

Inset: Fishermen and swimmers share the waters beyond the Malecón (Castillo de la Real Fuerza is in the background).

Americans are now seizing any opportunity to see Castro-era Cuba before it becomes more commercialized. may/june 2014

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If You Go • Tours: It’s not difficult to find a tour to Cuba. For starters, check out Friendly Planet (friendlyplanet. com), Insight Cuba (insightcuba. com), Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com), Smithsonian Journeys (smithsonianjourneys. org) and National Geographic Expeditions (nationalgeographicexpeditions. com). If you have a special interest, like photography, architecture or medicine, look for specialty tours organized by associations, universities or museums.

• Flights: Your tour operator will book a charter flight for you. It takes less than an hour to fly from Miami to Havana.

• Entry documents: American visitors need a valid passport.

Tour companies will provide other necessary documents and licenses.

• Lodging: Hotels in Cuba range from high-end lodging to budget rooms, but most tours book the better ones. Popular Havana hotels include Hotel Nacional de Cuba (hotelnacionaldecuba.

com), Hotel Saratoga (hotelsaratoga.com), Hotel Santa Isabel (hotelsantaisabel. com) and Hotel Telegrafo (hoteltelegrafo-cuba.com).

• Health: Cuban medical insurance, included in the price of the tour, is required. The Cuban health care system is considered to be very good.

• Money: U.S. dollars, credit/ debit cards and traveler’s checks are not accepted in Cuba. Dollars must be converted to Cuban convertible pesos (CUC$) and are subject to a commission of up to 13 percent. Take cash, then convert to CUC$ as necessary.

Place your cash in a concealed money belt and/or in your hotel’s safe deposit box.

• What to take: Visitors may bring personal belongings, camera gear, tape recorders, sports equipment and personal computers. You are not allowed to take GPS equipment, narcotics and pornography. U.S. cellphone service does not extend to Cuba. Bring casual clothing and comfortable walking shoes.

Cathedral de San Cristobal

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stroll or entwine on perches along the sea wall, revelers perform, fishermen cast lines and boys dive off large boulders into the sea.

No architectural tour would be complete, however, without a visit to Trinidad, the third oldest settlement in the country (founded in 1514) and the capital of the former sugar trade.

A grand church and 18th- and 19th-century pastel-colored houses border Plaza Mayor, Trinidad’s main square. Narrow cobblestone streets lead to shops, art galleries and private residences, some of them now museums.

Ordinary folks occupy many of these historic buildings, which have large central courtyards and Moorish-style tiles. They sell piña coladas from their windows or invite passersby inside to dine at their paladares.

At night, public squares and small clubs come alive with music. Strolling through the narrow streets after dinner, we usually checked out several bands, then lingered in a club featuring the driving rhythms of Afro-Cuban music—a genre that became our favorite.

FroM SALSA To CHE Few if any countries the size of Cuba possess such an embarrassment of musical riches. As Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson has written, “Through all Cuba’s bipolar, historical lurches, two things have been constant: music and dance. From decade to decade, Cuba has been a land of music, and Cubans have danced as if their lives depended on it.”

The country’s music results from a potpourri of influences—African, Spanish, French, Haitian and others—and has inspired many types of dance: salsa, son, rumba and mambo, to name a few. Its daily presence in people’s lives is evident on street corners, in dance halls and in all-night clubs like Havana’s Casa de la Musica, where visitors can salsa all night with the locals.

While it’s illegal to bring back alcohol and cigars, imports of cultural items are allowed. Accordingly, we couldn’t resist purchasing music CDs from nearly every band we heard. may/june 2014

One afternoon, our group visited Prodanza, the ballet school directed by Laura Alonzo, daughter of Cuba’s most famous ballerina, Alicia Alonzo, who with her husband, Fernando, founded in 1948 the predecessor of the renowned Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Laura coached a pair of dancers through a sensuous pas de deux on an outdoor stage. Afterward, she came over and said with a mischievous smile, “In Cuba, flirting is the national sport!”

As we left, she added with pride that her graduates have gone on to perform with top companies around the world.

Another highlight on our itinerary was a visit to the Che Guevara Memorial, completed in 1988 just outside the town of Santa Clara.

The size of the complex, which includes a 22foot bronze statue of Che, reflects the interest people around the world (millions of foreigners have visited from more than 100 countries) have in this revolutionary, who teamed with Castro to overthrow the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, in 1959.

In addition to housing the remains of Che (he

was killed in Bolivia in 1967) and 29 of his fellow combatants, the complex displays many of his possessions, as well as the iconic image of Che taken by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda.

Lessons Learned We were told that the organic farm cooperative on our itinerary, just east of Havana, was similar to others around Cuba. Such farms were born of necessity in the 1990s by starving Cubans after the Soviets abandoned the country and stopped financing equipment and fertilizers. Today, many of these farms are models of private enterprise and sustainable agriculture.

Isis Salines Milla, daughter of the farm’s founder, spoke with us. She was passionate about the benefits the farm was providing its workers: relatively high wages, daily meals, even haircuts. Just as important, she explained, it was giving them a sense of working for themselves— as well as for the broader community. We saw this as a curious convergence of free enterprise and Communist values.

A small solar oven near the fields prompted

Above, from left: A performer poses in front of a mural in the Callejon de Hamel; a mural of Che Guevara; a vintage car in Trinidad. Left: A rooftop view of Trinidad

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our guide to comment that developing renewable energy is a priority in Cuba. She added that the country is currently building a large, solar energy complex to help reduce dependence on oil, imported primarily from Venezuela.

On our last evening in Havana, a small group of us went dancing at a high-energy nightclub. The band was rocking. Dancers—a mix of locals, Americans and Europeans— crowded a tiny floor as candy-colored spotlights illuminated arms and legs in perpetual motion. When the band reached a fever pitch, everyone clapped to the beat. One Cuban singer after another took the stage then strolled around the packed room crooning as if his or her life depended on it. Eugene Robinson’s words resonated again, “Cubans live to dance ... and dance to live.”

Upon returning, quite exhausted, to our hotel, we thought about all we’d learned. Despite poverty, lack of free speech, dependence on food and oil imports and the negative effects of an ongoing U.S. trade embargo, Cuba struggles onward in fits and starts. Historic, urban neighborhoods are gradually being restored.

Cubans now start their own retail businesses.

They buy and sell homes privately. Tourism, plus exports of nickel and human capital— along with financial remittances from Cubans living abroad—provide revenues that sustain the economy. Through it all, Cubans exude a resourcefulness and contagious joie de vivre.

Peggy Goldman, president of Friendly Planet, the company that led our tour, spoke of the value of people-to-people tours: “There’s never been a time in history when we’ve had an opportunity to send thousands of ambassadors of our way of life to Cuba ... it’s a very direct and positive connection.”

It had become clear why these cultural tours are growing in popularity. Such educational travel fosters mutual understanding and goodwill. Just as important, it provides a window into a country whose complexities are endlessly fascinating. [ bocamag.com ]

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Unraveling the HRT Dilemma

By Martin G. Bloom, M.D., Medical Director, the biostation™

T

oday’s women are caught in a medical crossfire. On one hand, many women find hormone imbalances threaten the very quality of their lives. On the other hand, they’re hesitant to treat the fatigue, diminished sex drive, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, weight gain, night sweats and hot flashes because of what they’ve heard about hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

As a cardiologist for some 40 years, I’ve seen how hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc on a woman’s health and have long been amazed how common hormone imbalances are among women. It became apparent that by reaching women earlier in the aging process—before disease takes hold—I could do so much more to address Martin G. Bloom, M.D. wellness, quality of life and disease prevention. That’s why I’ve transitioned my practice to one focused on functional medicine.

The specialty shifts the traditional disease-centered practice to one focused on the patient—the whole patient—and what that person needs to feel great.

I’ve shared this with you because hormone replacement therapy is integral to my ability to restore women of all adult ages to optimal wellness. Does every woman need hormones? Absolutely not. But for the right candidate, HRT is one of the most powerful therapies we have to help people feel well, strong and vital.

There have been safety concerns with HRT, as well as important studies showing hormone replacement’s value in the big picture of women’s health.

A study done in the 1990s called the Women’s Health Initiative shook the foundation of HRT, suggesting the therapy did more harm than good. What many women don’t know is that researchers have since uncovered multiple faults in that study. They’ve also discovered more HRT benefits. For example, researchers in Denmark found younger women taking estrogen replacement therapy experience cardiovascular health benefits compared to women who are not on this type of HRT. They studied women after 10 years

of HRT and concluded when HRT is initiated in women early after menopause, women have lower risks of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Perhaps the most important thing about HRT is what it does to restore a woman’s mood, body composition, skin elasticity, bone density, sleep quality, body temperature (counteracting hot flashes and night sweats) and more. It really works to diminish the symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

Having said this, it’s important for women to know that HRT involves much more than listening to a list of symptoms and prescribing estrogen and progesterone or estrogen-only. It requires extensive blood testing to determine whether hormones are indeed the problem.

It requires a customized treatment approach. It requires monitoring for hormonal levels and symptom relief. It requires looking beyond hormones at a woman’s levels of important nutrients and how lifestyle might impact the way she feels. It takes a lot of time. But that’s well worth it, because the result is a safe approach to achieving optimal quality of health.

If you are wondering if your hormones might be out of balance and causing symptoms, take the biostation’s free hormone imbalance quiz on the biostation’s website: www. thebiostation.com.

the biostation™ Martin G. Bloom, M.D., Medical Director 3100 South Federal Highway, Suite J Delray Beach, FL 33483 561-257-2511 thebiostation.com

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Boca Raton magazine presents:

Women's HealtH: A Special Report by lisette Hilton

I

t turns out that our parents were right: What’s on the inside really does count.

That’s why living a healthy life should be more than just a wistful New Year’s resolution. Keeping the human body running on all cylinders is serious business. It takes discipline, dedication and awareness, as well as plenty of good old-fashioned curiosity.

This is especially true for women, who face more than their share of unique health challenges compared to men. To that end, knowledge can be empowering.

That’s why Boca Raton called on specialists from the top hospitals, institutes and college medical centers in South Florida to assemble this special editorial report dedicated to women’s health issues.

Renowned medical experts from Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Delray Medical Center, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and other notable establishments weigh in on female-specific issues involving everything from bone strength and depression to fertility, sleep disorders and matters of the heart.

Here’s to your health.

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Skeletal Strength Because women are at high risk for osteoporosis, it’s doubly important that they know their bones.

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ake no bones about it: Women have less bone tissue than men. Throw in hormones, and you have the perfect storm for bone loss.

So perfect, in fact, that an estimated one in two American women older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. That’s compared to about one in four men, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Why do women bear the brunt of skeletal challenges?

It doesn’t start out that way. Bones engage in a healthy building process through age 20. But women, especially, experience a dramatic decline in bone mass as they age. When menopause hits, bone mass plummets, according to Anele Manfredini, a family practitioner who specializes in women’s health.

Declining estrogen levels at menopause is a leading contributor to the loss of bone strength associated with osteoporosis, says Manfredini, who practices at Holy Cross Hospital’s Dorothy Mangurian Comprehensive Women’s Center in Fort Lauderdale. But the aging process isn’t the only risk factor for women.

Smoking, excessive alcohol conAnele Manfredini sumption, being a couch potato, and even taking certain medications—such as prednisone, chemotherapy and tamoxifen, to treat breast cancer—can diminish bone mass. Caucasian women, as well as women with small body frames, also are more likely to have osteoporosis.

know your t-Score Doctors generally recommend that women undergo a bone-mineral density test at age 65. Women at higher-than-normal risk may need testing earlier. The gold standard testing to diagnose bone health is dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, which is painless, noninvasive and only takes 10 to 20 minutes. may/june 2014

aboUt aLcoHoL Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol is a bone killer. But, interestingly, researchers have found that women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol—a glass or two of wine, several nights a week—tend to have higher bone density than women who don’t drink or drink too much.

One of the most valuable pieces of information to come out of that test is the T-score. This score tells patients if their bones are healthy, on a slippery slope (osteopenia) or weakened to the point of being diagnosed with osteoporosis.

A T-score of -1.0 and above is normal. Women who score between -1.0 and -2.5 are thought to have osteopenia (a less severe, general reduction in bone mass); those who score below -2.5 are considered osteoporotic, according to Manfredini, with porous bones that are at risk for fractures.

How to figHt back That’s why it’s important that women work on improving and maintaining good balance and strength. To that end, regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, is good for the bones, Manfredini says.

But even workouts come with a caveat for women. Overtraining can put young women at risk for low bone density. That’s especially true when women lose too much weight or miss periods from intense exercise regimens, according to the National Institutes of Health.

What you eat, of course, also builds or breaks down bones. Eating a diet rich in certain nutrients, like calcium, will help you maintain healthy bones.

Manfredini and several other doctors recommend that women get 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, through food and supplements. They should also take 800 to 1,000 units of vitamin D2 or D3, she says. While there is no official recommendation for women younger than 50, Manfredini says it doesn’t hurt to take a daily multivitamin, in addition to following a healthy diet.

Some women with osteopenia and others diagnosed with osteoporosis should consider medicines that can prevent and reverse bone loss, Manfredini says. While doctors in the past might have prescribed hormone therapy to prevent bone loss among women around menopause, doctors like Manfredini are more inclined to prescribe a class of medications called bisphosphonates as first-line therapy. “[Research has shown that] hormone therapy can increase your risks of heart attack, stroke, invasive breast cancer and pulmonary embolism,” she says. “Since we have other options nowadays, we try not to use HRT.”

Did You Know?

• By 2020, half of all Americans over age 50 are expected to have low bone density or osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

• Women can lose up to 20 percent or more of their bone density in the five to seven years after menopause, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

ResouRces to leaRn moRe: • The national osteoporosis Foundation offers information about healthy bones, bone loss, risk factors, prevention and more at nof.org.

• The national Institutes of Health information on bone health and osteoporosis: niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/ fitness_bonehealth.asp • mayo clinic’s tips for healthy bones: mayoclinic.org/bone-health/art-20045060 • cDc’s calcium recommendations and information about bone health: cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/calcium.html • anele manfredini: Holy Cross Hospital (1000 N.E. 56th St., Fort Lauderdale); 954/229-8660

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The Big C A growing number of preventive measures

gives women more avenues than ever when it comes to cancer awareness.

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he numbers don’t lie. One in three women will develop cancer in her lifetime, according to the Women’s Cancer Research Fund. In addition to the three most common cancers with which they must contend (not counting certain skin cancers)—breast, lung and colorectal—women also are susceptible to cancers specific to their gender, including ovarian and cervical.

While many women worry most about breast cancer, lung cancer actually is today’s biggest killer in men and women, according to Louise Morrell, medical director at the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

“Lung cancer is the number one in cause of death, [followed by] breast, uterine, ovarian and cervical,” Morrell says. “Lung cancer was never a leading cause of death among women—until [they] started to smoke.”

As intimidating and frightening as talk of cancer can be, there is good news to report: Cancer prevention has come a long way.

PrevenTive oPTions Most women, Morrell says, can prevent cervical cancer by having the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) types that cause the cancer, or through regular pap smears identifying the precancerous conditions associated with HPV. Beyond that, one of the biggest advances in prevention has been individualization. Breast screenings, for example, have become more tailored to catch early cancers in women at risk.

“A very important advance in the last few years of screening for breast cancer is identifying that mammography, while effective, is not as effective in women with dense breasts,” Morrell says. “Ultrasound [in addition to mammography] is now the recommended tool in every woman who has dense breasts. It will pick up cancers that are not otherwise seen on a standard mammogram.”

Louise Morrell Molecular imaging is another tech-

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Did You Know?

nological advance in screenings for women with dense breasts. It’s a tool, Morrell describes, that allows physicians to “look at whether something biological is going on, meaning if the cells are very busy or having extra blood supply.”

Another area where cancer specialists can personalize screenings is through genetics. Advances in that arena are such that institutes equipped to do so, like the Morgan Pressel Center for Cancer Genetics at Boca Regional, can readily identify risk percentage, over the course of a lifetime, based on testing and comprehensive family histories.

While most women should start mammogram screenings at age 40, some women—because of family history, genetic mutations or personal health history—should have mammograms as early as age 25, according to Morrell.

“We can identify who is at higher risk for diseases and design a personal approach for them,” she says.

• In 2010, the last year for available statistics according to the CDC, 206,966 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer; 40,996 women died from the disease. In that same year, 93,980 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with lung cancer; 70,550 women died from it.

ResouRces to leaRn moRe: • american cancer society: cancer.org • national cancer Institute: cancer.gov • Boca Raton Regional Hospital: brrh.com; 561/955-5966 (Lynn Cancer Institute)

Be your advocate It’s important to review information about cancer from several credible sources, digest it and decide, on a personal level, what makes sense to you. The good news is that much of the information makes sense.

“Most sources are going to tell you that having adequate vitamin D and calcium is good for everything,” Morrell says. “It’s good for your bones, your heart; it’s good for cancer. [Same with] exercise.”

Obesity is a risk factor for multiple cancers, including breast cancer.

That’s one area that deserves a woman’s close attention, Morrell says. “[Obesity] definitely affects overall rates of female cancers. I think as a society we really need to be concerned, probably because of what it does to the estrogen stores and estrogen metabolism in women.”

As far as key cancer screenings for women, ages 40 and older, the following general schedule is recommended (guidelines are different for women determined to be at-risk): • Annual physical exams, including clinical breast and pelvic exams • Annual mammography, beginning at age 40 • Colonoscopy, beginning at age 50. If there are no polyps, screenings can be every 10 years. If there are findings, screenings should be more often.

• A pap and HPV test every five years, or a pap test alone every three years, between ages 30 and 65.

• Also, don’t forget about your skin, especially in Florida. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); yet, there are no standard guidelines for screening recommendations. Your best defense: Watch for abnormalities on your skin—changes in the size, color, shape and texture of moles—and see a dermatologist if you find anything. follow the leader

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Making BaBies Boost your fertility with the following

strategies and myth-busting information.

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bout 15 percent of couples don’t conceive after a year of having unprotected sex. The infertility can be traced to women about a third of the time, according to government statistics.

Gostal Arcelin, an OB/GYN who practices in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach, says fertility issues are more prevalent these days because women are trying to have babies later in life—and as women age, of course, their chances of being infertile increase.

While infertility is usually defined as failure to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse, women older than 35 often are diagnosed as infertile if they haven’t conceived in half that time, he says.

“Several factors have to work for conception to occur,” Arcelin says.

“On the men’s side, the sperm count and sperm quality have to be adequate. On the woman’s side, every month, ovulation has to occur [typically, two weeks after getting her period]. ... [Also], there can’t be any abnormalities in the lining of the uterus. And the fallopian tube has to be open so both the sperm and the egg can meet.”

iMproving the odds That said, there are lifestyle factors that experts believe can impact a woman’s fertility. For starters, it’s important to be at a healthy weight.

Women who are significantly overweight or underweight are more prone to ovulatory dysfunction.

Arcelin also recommends that women should start taking folic acid before they start trying to conceive. Why? By doing so, you decrease your chances for neural tube defects and an unsuccessful pregnancy.

If you smoke, stop. Women who are smokers tend to have greater issues with fertility. Heavy alcohol consumption also can have a negative effect on fertility.

To increase your chances of getting pregnant, determine if you’re ovulating regularly, as well as when you ovulate. You can do this by taking your temperature daily and looking for temperature rises.

The spikes in temperature might indicate that you’re ovulating.

There are also at-home urine tests for ovulation detection.

After a year of unsuccessful attempts, see your OB/ GYN for a basic evaluation. Treatment might be as simple as taking a medication, Arcelin says. One such drug is a pill that promotes ovulation.

“Fertility options have changed dramatically over the last 20 to 30 years ... with the advent of vitro fertilization,” Arcelin says. “Now, the chances of success are much higher. In fact, a large number of patients who are unable to conceive are now able to conceive with a little medical help.”

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Did You Know?

• Approximately 1.5 million married women in the United States (ages 15 to 44) are unable to become pregnant after at least 12 months of unprotected sex with their husbands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• About 6.7 million U.S. women, ages 15 to 44, have problems getting pregnant or carrying babies to full term, the CDC reports. (Data collection from 2006–2010)

Gostal Arcelin

Setting the record Straight What is fact and what is myth when it comes to fertility? Arcelin answers a few common questions.

ResouRces to leaRn moRe: • american congress of obstetricians and Gynecologists: acog.org • american society for Reproductive medicine: ASRM.org • asRm’s consumer website: reproductivefacts.org • Gostal arcelin: Women’s Health Partners, myobgynoffice.com, 561/368-3775

Does having a miscarriage lower your ability to conceive in the future? Miscarriages are common and generally do not impact a woman’s chances of conceiving. Having said that, it’s a different situation if a woman is with the same partner and has had [three or more] miscarriages. One or two miscarriages over the lifetime of a woman is not uncommon.

Do the food and supplements you take affect whether or not you are likely to get pregnant? Diet and supplements have not been shown to improve chances of pregnancy. But it is important to have a healthy, well-balanced diet and to take folic acid to promote pregnancy health.

Is exercise a fertility preserver? The quality of a woman’s eggs declines with age regardless of how healthy she is. So, youth (not fitness) is the big fertility booster.

Will women who took the birth control pill have a harder time getting pregnant when they get off the pill? There’s no data to support this, but it’s easy to understand why women would think it’s the case.

Women often take the pill to regulate their periods. Many of those women have trouble ovulating. Years down the road, when they get off the pill to get pregnant, they still have trouble ovulating but blame their infertility on the pill.

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matters of the heart Given their vulnerability to heart disease and stroke, it’s vital that women pay attention to the warning signs.

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any women are dangerously in the dark when it comes to heart disease and stroke. Women are more likely than men to suffer from heart disease and stroke—yet they are less aware of heart disease and stoke symptoms compared to their male counterparts, according to Nils Mueller-Kronast, director of the neurointerventional program at Delray Medical Center and regional stroke director for Tenet South Florida.

“About 55,000 more women per year suffer strokes than men,” Mueller-Kronast says. “Death from heart attack within a year of suffering a heart attack for women is higher than for men. And since women tend to live longer, we now have more women disabled from strokes than we have men.”

The risks go up for women after menopause. But that doesn’t mean young women don’t fall victim to heart attacks and strokes.

“Each decade after age 55, women’s risks of heart disease and stroke double,” Mueller-Kronast says. “Menopausal hormonal changes unfavorably affect your cholesterol panel. Your bad cholesterol goes up and good cholesterol goes down, and that’s why women are catching up

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with stroke and heart disease after menopause.”

Perhaps most striking is the estimated 25 percent to 40 percent increase in strokes among younger women, Mueller-Kronast adds. “Unfortunately, young women are often misdiagnosed because people are not thinking of stroke as a disease of women [that age].”

Why is this happening?

A woman’s vulnerability to heart disease and stroke is probably due to a myriad of things, Mueller-Kronast says, but a few stand out.

“The one that is most powerful—and most treatable—is high blood pressure,” he notes. “If we reduced high blood pressure and took it out of the equation, we would probably get rid of half the strokes in the U.S.” Obesity is another strong and modifiable risk factor, as is smoking.

“About one-third of women in the U.S. are considered obese,” Mueller-Kronast says. “And there is a history of smoking in women that probably started in the 1950s, 1960s and ’70s. We’re now seeing the tail end of smoking’s effects for many women.”

The classic symptom description for a heart attack is the elephant may/june 2014

on the chest, but, in women, shortness of breath is a more common symptom. “The pain of a heart attack can be distributed in different locations,” Mueller-Kronast. “So, it’s more common for a woman not to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack.”

With strokes, symptoms like dizziness or near fainting are often overlooked. And women have a higher frequency of migraines with strokes; so the headache that is associated with the condition can be trivialized as just another migraine.

If possible, seek care at a hospital with a good track record in treating heart attacks and strokes. The faster a woman or those around her recognize the symptoms of either condition, the better her chances of making a full recovery. Studies have shown, for example, that stroke patients who are treated with a clot-busting drug within three hours of stroke onset are less likely to suffer long-term disability.

Delray Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in Palm Beach County that has achieved honor roll status with the American Heart Association’s “Target: Stroke” initiative. To meet the challenge, hospitals have to treat at least 50 percent of all stroke patients within an hour of arrival to the emergency department.

Did You Know?

• Only 55 percent of women realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer among women, according to the American Heart Association.

• Cardiovascular disease kills nearly 500,000 American women each year, according to the American Heart Association.

• “Stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer every year,” according to the National Stroke Association.

Preventive measures If you’re being treated for heart disease and stroke, it’s already too late.

That’s why it’s imperative that women monitor and act on traditional risk factors, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

But that’s not all.

“Diet is probably the most powerful risk factor that is misunderstood,” Mueller-Kronast says. “We’re going away from red meat, toward chicken and fish. We’re going toward the South Beach or Mediterranean diet with a lot of unsaturated foods, vegetables. We’re going away from heavy-duty processed refined carbohydrates to whole grains, nuts. I think, of all things, a healthy diet [throughout life] is the most important.”

The second most important part of prevention is exercise.

“When you exercise 30 minutes a day, or a 150 minutes a week, you significantly reduce your risks of stroke and heart disease,” he says.

“And it often improves your cholesterol panel.”

Sometimes, women can maintain healthy cardiovascular systems with lifestyle and diet; others need the help of medications. But pills alone can’t do the job.

“The majority of risk reduction occurs not in the doctor’s office but in the home. Women are uniquely positioned because they don’t just affect their own risk, but they traditionally affect the risk of all the other family members,” Mueller-Kronast notes.

Nils Mueller-Kronast

ResouRces to leaRn moRe: • american Heart association: heart.org (multiple resources on this site) • national stroke associationDelray medical center

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battling hormonal changes A surprising recommendation may provide relief to the rollercoaster ride of menopause. over their bodies when they begin to miss their regular periods. The onset of hot flashes, for example, can trigger severe sleep disturbances; the ensuing fatigue, in turn, can lead to moodiness and other issues.

“Many women eat because they are tired and stressed about menopause,” Bone says. “Their metabolism may slow down a little bit, and they may gain a few pounds. No matter how hard they work on their diets, or exercise, yoga, stress management, meditation, they can’t stop it.”

Women can tough it out, or they can seek treatment to ease their symptoms. And what is Bone’s favorite way to treat hormonal symptoms for women between ages 45 to 55?

Believe it or not, she recommends the birth control pill.

Why the pill?

According to Bone, the birth control pill greatly diminishes—even eliminates—common symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, dry skin, vaginal dryness and more.

The specific treatment she recommends is Lo Loestrin Fe, a pill almost identical in estrogen and progestin to traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women taking Lo Loestrin Fe will continue to have a light period; by age 55 or so, those who want to remain on hormones can transition to HRT. Bone prefers the pill for perimenopause, versus synthetic or bioidentical HRT, because women’s ovaries are still working during perimenopause.

“Women taking the bio-identicals during perimenopause do well when their own ovaries are not working well,” she says. “But [they] end up with too [many] hormones in their system when their ovaries work, and they start getting symptoms … bleeding, breast tenderness, bloating, all kinds of problems.”

risk factors

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ormones are a woman’s friend and foe. On one hand, these natural regulatory substances are vital to life, influencing activities from metabolism to reproduction. On the other, hormonal changes can wreak havoc on how women feel.

One of the most hormonally challenging times in a woman’s life is in her 40s as menopause draws near.

“Periods become irregular as hormone levels go up and down, often erratically,” says Melanie Bone, a gynecologic surgeon practicing in Atlantis. “I would say for most women, perimenopause is the single most difficult time in their life.”

Women, she says, struggle because they feel like they’re losing control

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Hormone treatment overall has changed since the well-known study, the Women’s Health Initiative, found serious health risks associated with HRT—including heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer. Bone says the risk profile should be better for women on lower-dose alternatives and hormones that are not given orally.

Though Bone prescribes Lo Loestrin Fe, she “hate[s] that the best available alternative for [perimenopause] is oral.” The problem with oral estrogen is that it goes to the liver, which breaks it down and produces estrogen metabolites that enter the bloodstream. This causes a potential increase in blood-clotting factors—and a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke.

Bone prescribes transdermal estrogen in the form of patches, topical creams or gels. She also recommends dissolving tablets that go under the tongue and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. “It would may/june 2014

patient beware As far as other hormone therapy options, Bone suggests that women exercise caution.

For example, testosterone therapy, often used to increase female sex drive in later years, remains an iffy approach.

“As women go through menopause, their estrogen goes down and native testosterone goes up,” she says. For a subset of women, testosterone therapy works. For others, it’s a bust because of side effects, such as aggression and unwanted hair growth.

Progesterone is another hormone some prescribe as part of an antiaging regimen.

“The whole reason our bodies make progesterone is for pregnancy, and most women do not love the way they feel when they are pregnant,” Bone says. “Progesterone is needed in HRT to offset the effects of estrogen on the uterus. As long as you have a uterus, you need progesterone.

“I am not a fan of high doses of progesterone. Be careful. More is not better.”

Did You Know?

• About 75 percent of women experience hot flashes in perimenopause, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

• Perimenopause can last six or more years, according to the North American Menopause Society.

be nice if a drug company would come out with a transdermal ultra low-dose option. It’s one of the contradictory aspects of my job.”

What about the risk of breast cancer from taking hormones? If a woman already has breast cancer, there is evidence, Bone says, that estrogen therapy can accelerate it. As a breast cancer survivor, she’s also quick to point out that researchers have not established that estrogen causes cancer.

“I had a terrible breast cancer as I was turning 40 [stage three],” Bone says. “I’m [now] 53, 13 years out from a late-stage breast cancer.

You would think I’d be anti-hormones in general and anti-estrogen in particular, but I am not.”

making the call Women have to weigh the potential risks with quality of life and health benefits, Bone says.

“I think almost every gynecologist believes there are benefits to using estrogen for women who are symptomatic,” she says. “[Women] suffering from hot flashes and vaginal dryness should consider about five years of non-oral estrogen, near to the time of menopause. Reasonable caution should be exerted in women with high-risk factors.”

The real question is whether doctors should prescribe hormones to people who don’t have symptoms. The gynecologic literature says no, Bone says. But she started taking estrogen again 10 years after her breast cancer and feels dramatically better. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she says.

The reality is that while hormone therapy can help some women, it doesn’t fix everything and there can be drawbacks.

“Women want hormones to ... answer every problem,” Bone says.

“They have to learn to be happy with imperfection. I do think we’re blaming too much on hormones. ... There’s nothing more important than being resilient and hopeful. And I believe people who have mastered the ability to be resilient when things aren’t going right and remain hopeful about the future, can get through anything.” follow the leader

Melanie Bone

ResouRces to leaRn moRe: • american college of obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): acog.org • north american menopause society: menopause.org • melanie Bone: Women’s Health & Healing of the Palm Beaches (5301 S. Congress Ave., Rothman Fourth Floor, Atlantis); 561/548-8600

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mind fields Depression and anxiety can be crippling for women—but there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.

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omen are twice as likely as men to suffer depression or anxiety, according to Charles B. Nemeroff, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

“Up until puberty, men and women are equally vulnerable to depression and anxiety disorders,” he says. “But after puberty, women become much more vulnerable. Part of that has to do with the whole phenomenon of postpartum depression. Then, there’s another increase around the time of menopause.”

More than one in five women will experience a depressive episode in their lives, according to Nemeroff—winner of countless awards for his work, including honors from the American College of Psychiatrists and the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression.

Symptoms of depression, however, go beyond a few days of feeling blue.

“The only way I can describe [depression] is to think about the worst day in your life,” he says, “and think about feeling this way every day and not knowing why.”

Warning signs Women should look for the following signals that a depressive episode is happening or about to happen: • Feelings of sadness and hopelessness that last for at least two weeks; women often cry a lot, but don’t know why.

• Difficulty sleeping—or sleeping too much • Appetite changes that cause either significant weight gain or weight loss • Difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions • And the symptom doctors worry about most: When someone begins feeling that life isn’t worth living—and entertains thoughts of suicide.

Anxiety is another mental health issue that can, and does, debilitate women. It comes in many forms—from panic disorder and obsessivecompulsive disorder to post-traumatic stress disorder and socialanxiety disorder. For example, generalized anxiety prompts sufferers to worry about virtually everything.

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Did You Know?

“These waves of anxiety sort of come over them, and they’re always anticipating the worst,” Nemeroff says.

According to the National Institutes of Health, anxiety disorders strike more than 18 percent of U.S. adults. They also often occur along with depressive disorders or substance abuse.

The chances of being diagnosed with depression peak at age 44, and more than 15 percent of women ages 45 to 64 have frequent depression, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Reclaim youR mental health Depression and anxiety disorders are treatable, often with psychotherapy and medication. But there are steps women can take in their everyday lives to maintain better mental health—and even avoid bouts of anxiety and depression.

Nemeroff outlines the following strategies for optimal mental health: • A generally healthy diet makes you feel not only physically but also mentally better.

• Exercise to get those endorphins going. A fit body often equals a fit mind.

• Maintain a social network, and have good friends.

• Be in a healthy relationship—either with your spouse or significant other.

“You have to work at your relationships, including friendships,” Nemeroff says. “Women, thank goodness, are much better at this than men are. Isolation and loneliness help to promote depression.”

Nemeroff is not a fan of over-the-counter remedies (vitamins and botanicals) for depression and anxiety. He was among the authors of a large study on St. John’s wort, which was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The herb is used to treat mild depression, but Nemeroff and others showed in the study that it was ineffective when treating major depression.

While there are things you can do to make yourself mentally healthier, depression and anxiety that begin to impact your quality of life are by no means simple disorders with simple fixes. Chances are, you’ll need professional help from a family doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist.

Charles B. Nemeroff

ResouRces foR moRe info: • national institute of mental Health: nimh.nih.gov • Anxiety and Depression Association of America: adaa.org • American foundation of suicide Prevention: AFSP.org (crisis line: 800/273-8255) • university of miami miller school of medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: psychiatry.med.miami.edu follow the leader

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nutritional values Make an improved diet and a better understanding of food the foundation of a healthy, new you.

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or women of any age, diet and health go hand in hand. There are essential elements to a woman’s diet that don’t change over time, according to Cindi Creighton-Reis, a registered and licensed dietician and nutritionist at Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Diabetes Center. “[Women of all ages] need those two to three low-fat dairy products, several servings of fruit and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, and that sprinkle of essential oils from nuts, seeds, olives and avocados,” Creighton-Reis says. “What does change over time is your calorie needs. Basically, as women age, they need to do more with less—more nutrition with less calories.”

Food labels are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, which is too many calories for most women beyond age 40, unless they are extremely active, according to registered dietician Nicole Marchand of West Boca Medical Center.

“Realistically, I think [women in their 40s and older need] between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day,” Marchand says. “I don’t go under 1,100 calories because, at that point, your body goes into starvation mode.”

easier said than done The problem is that hormonal fluctuations can influence what a woman wants, which might not be what she

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Cindi Creighton-Reis

needs. For example, women naturally have carbohydrate food cravings just before their periods.

“If you give in and grab a processed carbohydrate, like a cupcake, this often leads to continued non-hunger eating and weight gain,” Creighton-Reis says.

Instead of the cupcake, try a piece of fruit, some nuts, popcorn, half a sweet potato or some hummus and carrots. They’ll satisfy the cravings, without causing weight gain, Creighton adds.

After 40, women experience a natural decrease in growth hormones and leptin—hormones that regulate fat storage and appetite. As they decline, the tendency to store mid-body fat rises. After age 50, a woman’s estrogen continues its decline. If a woman suffers from mood swings and decreased sleep quality as a result, she’s prone to make poor food choices.

It doesn’t help that by the time a woman reaches her 50s or 60s, her taste buds might be less sensitive, which could lead to even greater cravings for sweet and salty foods.

expert advice So how do women fight the good fight when it comes to nutrition? Creighton-Reis recommends the following, for starters: • Stay well hydrated: The body is 60 percent to 70 percent water. When women are dehydrated, everything can suffer, including the rate at which they burn calories.

supplemental strategy West Boca’s Marchand suggests that women should consider calcium and vitamin D supplements since it’s difficult to collect necessary vitamins and minerals from food alone. In fact, the two work together; vitamin D helps with calcium absorption in the body.

However, the body can only absorb so much of the vitamins and minerals at one time. If you’re taking a multivitamin and a calcium supplement together, you’ll only absorb about 500 milligrams of calcium.

Solution: Take them separately.

Nicole Marchand

“Research has shown that even mild dehydration can result in a 3 percent drop in your calorie burn,” Creighton-Reis says. “Mild dehydration can also result in headaches, lethargy and brain fog. So, you can make a big difference in your health and vigor by just adding a 12-ounce to 16-ounce glass of water to your morning repertoire. For fun, add a slice of lemon, lime or cucumber, and pour it over ice in a crystal glass.”

• Chew ... a lot: Chew each bite of food to a liquid before swallowing. “Digestion starts in your mouth,” Creighton-Reis says. “When you chew more, you get more joy and satisfaction out of two bites than you would have out of 30 bites—and far less calories. Also the act of chewing aids digestion. This sends a message to your brain to tell you when to stop eating.”

Here’s more on which to chew: Researchers have found that people who chew each bite of food 40 times reduce their food intake by 12 percent, according to Creighton-Reis.

Five Fab Foods For women Nicole Marchand recommends that the following five foods (or food groups) become part of every woman’s diet (if not already).

• Berries: Blueberries and other berries are high in antioxidants and have been known to reduce risk of disease. “The great thing about berries is the serving sizes are bigger than a lot of other foods, so ... I tell my weight-loss clients they get more bang for the buck with a cup of berries versus half a banana,” Marchand says.

• Quinoa: You can use this high-protein, high-fiber whole grain in a wide variety of ways, including as a salad ingredient.

• Greek yogurt: Women need calcium for bones and protein for muscle. Greek yogurt offers both. Compared with the other yogurts, it’s low on sugar.

• Kale: It’s chock full of iron, calcium and vitamin C. • Food with omega 3s: They fight inflammation, which prevents arthritis, heart disease and more. Foods high in omega 3s include coldwater fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring, as well as flax seed and canola oil.

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Did You Know?

It’s no secret that sodas and juices are high in sugar. But soda also is high in phosphorus—which can cause kidney stones. Worse still: High phosphorus in your blood can leak calcium from your bones and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

So cut out the soda—and replace that juice in the morning with a whole piece of fruit.

ResouRces foR moRe info: • The government’s nutrition website, nutrition.gov, offers a section for women: nutrition.gov/life-stages/women • The national institutes of Health, MedLine Plus page on nutrition: nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutrition.html • The American Heart Association offers a “nutrition center” at heart.org.

• Academy of nutrition and Dietetics: eatright.org • Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Diabetes Center: brrh.com, 561/955-4624 • West Boca medical center: westbocamedctr.com, 561/488-8000

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sleepless in south florida Stop tossing and turning and try these strategies for a peaceful rest.

A

t age 29, Jennifer Diaz de Villegas wasn’t getting enough sleep.

“My restless mind would prevent me from falling asleep,” the Miami resident says. “Once I was asleep, I would wake up easily. My mornings were dreadful. I would wake up tired. Throughout the day I felt delirious and cranky.”

Lack of sleep was a constant source of stress for Diaz de Villegas.

Despite trying different remedies on her own, her nighttime woes persisted until she sought advice from a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. Enter Alexandre Rocha Abreu, co-director of the UHealth Sleep Center at the University of Miami.

“One of the ways he helped me was to place me on a consistent sleep-and-wake cycle,” Diaz de Villegas says. “In addition, he helped me realize that the bed was a place for sleep; if I was tossing and turning, I needed to get out of bed. Being in bed and not sleeping was enabling my anxiety about sleeping.

“I’ve used these strategies and, thankfully, I am making progress.”

Diaz de Villagas isn’t alone. Women report more sleep disturbances than men, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In one of the Foundation’s polls, two-thirds of women said they had disturbed sleep at least a few nights each week—and up to half reported waking up feeling anything but refreshed.

Abreu cites data suggesting that women between ages 30 and 60 sleep an average of 6 hours and 41 minutes each night during the workweek—but that’s not enough. Women in that age group need seven to eight hours a night.

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Alexandre Rocha Abreu

may/june 2014

What’s the problem?

“Women are now more engaged as being the provider in association with the husband,” Abreu says. “But in a lot of families, women are still the ones in charge of the house, cleaning and helping the kids with homework. [Many women] are overwhelmed because they have to wake up at 6 a.m. to get the kids ready—but they can’t get to bed before midnight. From Monday through Friday, they are almost sleepdeprived on a regular basis.”

With hormones and anxiety at the root of many sleep problems, women’s sleep often suffers throughout their lives.

How do you know if sleep problems are affecting your life and health? Answering yes to any of these questions may indicate that you’re suffering from insomnia (or lack of quality sleep): • Are you having difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep?

• Are you staying in bed for 30 minutes or so without falling asleep?

• Are you waking up in the middle of the night and having the same issues?

Some people who think they are sleeping but continue to feel tired throughout the day have a condition called sleep apnea. Symptoms include snoring, nightly bouts where you actually stop breathing, night choking and sleepiness (regardless of how much one sleeps).

Why worry? Sleep is the restorative phase of our lives, Abreu says. A lack of quality sleep can elevate inflammation in the body and depress the immune system’s ability to fight infection. Those potential health issues are in addition to the damper a lack of sleep puts on quality of life.

tips for better sleep Try any or all of the following suggestions at home to improve your sleep patterns. If these don’t work, consider going to a sleep center accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Did You Know?

• About three in 10 women reported using sleep aids at least a few nights a week, according to a 2007 poll by the National Sleep Foundation.

• More than 40 percent of postmenopausal women reported using sleep aids during the week, according to the same poll.

• Twelve percent of women polled said sleep problems interfered with their relationships with spouses or partners—and also affected their job performance.

ResouRces foR moRe info: • national sleep foundation: sleepfoundation.org • American Academy of sleep medicine’s consumer site: sleepeducation.com (consumers can find accredited sleep centers at this website.)

• uHealth sleep medicine: uhealthsystem.com/sleep-center

1. Ideally, wake up at a regular time—regardless of when you go to bed. People often make the mistake of trying to sleep in if they go to bed late. It’s more important, Abreu says, to establish and maintain a regular sleep schedule.

2. Exercise on a regular basis—but not right before bedtime. Try to create a regular exercise schedule, with plenty of time between when you finish the workout and when you go to bed. Exercise too close to bedtime, and you’ll be too wired to fall asleep.

3. Keep the television out of the bedroom. Keep the computer out the bedroom. The bedroom is for the bed and your sleep.

4. Avoid taking sleep aids without a doctor’s advice. They have side effects and some can actually disrupt sleep.

5. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and nicotine before bedtime. You might think a glass or two of wine will help you sleep, but alcohol triggers insomnia hours after you fall asleep.

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advertisement

Less Sweat by Summertime!

We have been very fortunate to have such a beautiful winter, but we all know the sweltering months are upon us. Although most people are not open about sharing their sweat problems, approximately 3% of the population suffer from excessive sweating. US consumers spend almost $3 billion per year on deodorants and anti-perspirants. Excessive underarm sweat is a daily struggle for many, and it can interfere with nearly every aspect of life.

Whether it’s anxiety at work, embarrassment in relationships and social settings, or frustration over constantly ruining clothes, excessive sweating can have devastating effects on a person’s emotional well-being and self-image.

Underarm wetness can impact how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you. In fact, when asked to rate how embarrassing certain conditions were, people rated underarm sweat as more embarrassing than being overweight, having acne, cold sores or dandruff. And, sadly enough, people perceive those who sweat to be nervous, unhealthy or out of shape.

Up until now treatments have included prescription strength anti-perspirants and iontophoresis, neither of which work very well. Surgical procedures either remove the sweat glands or cut the nerves that serve the sweat glands. Botox® works well but is temporary and expensive due to the need for repeated treatments. Finally there is an answer that is incredibly effective and permanent. The MiraDry® procedure involves the use of a handpiece which delivers electromagnetic current to the skin housing the sweat glands. The area is anesthetized first with local injections. After a single treatment there is a 70% response rate, which goes up to over 90% after the second treatment, done three months after the first. The armpits may be tender and swollen for up to a week after the treatment, and if numbness occurs, it is always temporary. The procedure takes about 90 minutes in our office, and is not covered by insurance. Think of all the money you’ll save on drycleaning and new clothes – and you’ll be able wear colors other than black again!

Laura E Skellchock, MD, FAAD, PA INTEGRATIVE DERMATOLOGY 6100 Glades Road, Suite 304 • Boca Raton, FL 33434 561-488-2689 • drskellchock.com

Opening 2015 A centralized address for comprehensive women’s health, made possible through the generosity of our community

T

Like so many of the nationally recognized services at

Institute is dedicated to advancing compassionate and

Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the services of the

innovative care for women. Our comprehensive, award-

Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute

winning array of specialized services will soon be housed

are supported by gifts from the community. We invite

in the spacious and inviting new Debbie-Rand Memorial

you to join us as we build a new center for sophisticated

Service League Pavilion at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

and innovative care for the women we love – our wives,

he Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness

Centers of Care include: • Phyllis Sandler Center for Living Well • Center for Breast Care • Jean & David Blechman Center for Women’s Specialty Care and Preventive Cardiology • Center for Imaging • Center for Pelvic Health

daughters, mothers, ourselves. Please call the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation at 561-955-4142 to find out how your gift will make a difference.

745 Meadows Road, Boca Raton www.brrh.com • 561-955-4142

Boca Raton's

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May 13

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"Waking Up, Living Present and Letting Go” is Barb Schmidt’s signature.

Her easy-to-implement, three-part daily routine will help readers cultivate a peaceful mind and live their best lives filled with happiness, love, mindfulness, and purpose. The author's net proceeds from sales will benefit the mission of the nonprofit Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life. Join Barb on May 13 at Florida Atlantic University for a lecture and book signing. peacefulmindpeacefullife.org

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Introducing an iconic contemporary sanctuary by the famed architects of One Thousand Ocean and the Siemens Group, renowned developer of The Polo Club Boca Raton—a place where every conceivable amenity has been thoughtfully designed for the most demanding including valet, concierge and resident services. Starting at $1 million.

Sales Office: Boca West Sports center, Boca Raton 561/362-2719 • akoyabocawest.com

Visit bocamag.com/events for more information.

backstagepass [ 138 hot list • 140 take 5: funky biscuit • 142 spotlight: lego art ]

[ by john thomason ]

The Blue Man Group When: May 13–18 Where: Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami About: Forget little green men: The Blue Man Group is an alien invasion with genuine rhythm and soul. Conceived in Manhattan in 1987 by a trio of eccentric performance artists, The Blue Man Group has become crosscultural icons, mounting productions off Broadway and on cruise ships, in Vegas and at Universal Studios Orlando, at opera houses and on “The Tonight Show.” Wherever they land, the basic formula remains the same: Three guys painted a bright cobalt and wearing bald caps, combining wordless comedy, percussive music and technological wizardry into a stage show with more moving parts than a mad scientist’s mousetrap. This brief Miami engagement marks the Group’s first national tour appearance, a collection of newly conceived stunts and favorite numbers from its archive. Expect to see neon light shows, massive inflatables and drums that shoot sparks.

Cost: $16–$96 ContACt: 305/949-6722, arshtcenter.org

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More A&e coverAge At bocAMAg.coM Visit bocamag.com for all your local A&E coverage, including John Thomason’s Monday breakdown of the upcoming week’s cultural events; movie, concert and theater reviews; interviews with local entertainers—and much more.

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backstage pass

hotlist

Paula Bloom

TEDx Boca RaTon When: May 9 Where: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton About: A year ago, Delray Beach hosted its first TEDx event—an independent offspring of the nonprofit conference dedicated to spreading new ideas in the fields of “Technology, Entertainment and Design.” Since then, other mini TEDs have sprouted in Coconut Grove and Jupiter, along with a special women-centric TEDx, once again in Delray. It’s about time Boca joined the ranks, with FAU serving as an ideal backdrop for an event residing on the border of education and entertainment. At least 12 speakers will address a variety of important subjects over the course of this daylong conference.

Speakers include Pascal Depuhl, an adventure photographer who recently shot a documentary film in Afghanistan; Paula Bloom, a doctor, author and media pundit with a passion for self-development; and Heidi Olinger, a social entrepreneur dedicated to enriching girls’ interests in the STEM fields.

Cost: $100 general admission, $30 students ContACt: facebook.com/tedxbocaraton

afghan WaR Rugs: ThE MoDERn aRT of cEnTRal asia When: May 3–July 27 Where: Boca Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton About: You don’t need to visit Afghanistan to know that it’s an intense place full of intense people. Even its knitting societies are intense. Judging by this eye-opening exhibition of rugs, its artists don’t see much purpose in weaving images of flowers and trees and bowls of fruit, the pleasant still-lifes so often stitched into Western decor. The more than 40 Afghan rugs on display in this show, which date from the pre-Soviet invasion 1970s to the present day, turn the reality of nearly perpetual war into therapeutic creativity. Planes, tanks, guns, bombs, deposed dictators, a childlike but chilling depiction of 9-11—these images recur time and again in these intricate rugs, crafted with tightly knitted wool that was handspun and dyed. As the exhibit’s supplemental materials suggest, one imagines that even without the War on Terror, this sort of iconography would still turn up in the beleaguered nation’s art; violence and tribalism are in its blood.

Cost: $6–$14 ContACt: 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org

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may/june 2014

Vanya and sonia and Masha and spike When: May 17–June 15 Where: GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables About: No, it’s not “Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice” redux; this play by absurdist maestro Christopher Durang is a modern narrative inspired by the dramas, and characters, of Russian master Anton Chekhov. In a Chekhovian setting—a cherry orchard in a country house—the unstable relationship between dysfunctional siblings comes to a head.

Vanya and Sonia have lived in the lavish estate their entire lives without needing employment; their Hollywood sister Masha pays the bills by starring in vacuous thrillers. But she soon brings news—along with a new beau, a thickheaded preener named Spike—that she’s going to sell the house and leave her kin in a lurch. The characters are named from tortured protagonists in the Chekhov canon, but knowledge of the great Ruskie’s work is not required to enjoy Durang’s Tony-winning contemporary spin; though, judging by the plot’s wild developments and references, you might want to freshen up on your voodoo, Snow White, Armageddon theories, and Spanish ventriloquist Señor Wences.

Prepare for a wild ride.

Cost: $40–$55 ContACt: 305/445-1119, gablestage.org

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Thais When: May 15 and 17 Where: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale About: The rubber of religious asceticism meets the road of carnal lust in this rarely performed opera by French composer Jules Massenet. Florida Grand Opera, which last presented Thais in 1976, closes its season of provocative gems with this fable of faith, love and a tragic reversal of roles. Athanael, the purest of a group of Cenobite monks, resolves to travel to Egypt to track down Thais, a courtesan and priestess of Venus, whom he aims to convert to Christianity. Thais acquiesces to the monk’s request, but as they journey together through the harsh desert, he is consumed by a physical love that causes him to repudiate his vows, with tragic results. Elaborate feasts, erotic visions and deathbed confessions punctuate this three-act masterwork, whose challenging title role has, in the past, been played by Renee Fleming. In our production, two sopranos, Eglise Gutierrez and Angela Mortellaro, will share the part in their FGO debuts.

Cost: $36–$200 ContACt: 954/462-0222, fgo.org

The hukilau When: June 11–15 Where: The Mai-Kai, 3599 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, and other Fort Lauderdale locations About: We know that all good things—from the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra to “Breaking Bad”— must eventually come to an end, but this one is especially hard to accept. After 13 years, the nation’s most prominent celebration of Polynesian culture is calling it quits with this “Final Aloha.” “I am focusing on different aspects of my life and career,” says Christie White, aka Tiki Kiliki, the event’s producer and cofounder. “The Hukilau can be all-consuming, even with the great team that I have to help me, and it’s time I dedicate that time to my family and work.” UnderstandTikiWhite Kiliki able, but it’s surprising that none Christie of the tiki throngs who make the annual pilgrimage to the Hukilau decided to carry the torch. At any rate, White promises a gangbusters send-off, starting Hukilau 2014 a day earlier than usual. Entertainment includes seven live bands from as far away as California and Belgium; a tiki cruise aboard the Jungle Queen; an appearance from Medusa the Fire-Eating Mermaid; and symposia on everything from “Tiki’s Dark Ages” to Hemingway’s favorite cocktails.

Cost: $15–$150 ContACt: thehukilau.com

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backstage pass

take5

Al Poliak owner, the funky biscuit

I

n 2011, Al Poliak had a decision to make. the musician, booking agent and investment banker needed to come up with a name for the intimate club he’d just leased at royal Palm Place (in the spot that formerly housed bar 303). it would serve food and offer top-shelf live music—and he wanted a name that encapsulated both. “there’s the funky buddha up the street, and there was a dueling piano bar called funky nuts up here before,” he says. “the last thing i wanted to do was have any association with a place that was already here. [but] one day i was driving with my daughters, and i said, what about funky biscuit? they didn’t like it, but i kept coming back to it. “then i Googled it, and the urban dictionary definition for ‘funky biscuit’ came up, and it [read]: ‘a beat or bass line that rocks the membranes of your brain and brings about a feeling of hedonism and ecstasy and puts a smile on your face.’ so that’s got to be it.” the funky biscuit (303 s.e. Mizner blvd., 561/395-2929) has since become an elegant and acoustically precise venue for national acts the stature of Johnny winter, tab benoit and two members of the celebrated Allman family—not to mention countless local bands and independent touring acts. it’s a haven for music lovers, with portraits of eric clapton, ray charles, Jerry Garcia and many others lining the walls. even its signature “funky biscuit” appetizer—housebaked buttermilk biscuits served with honey bourbon whipped butter—arrives in the shapes of guitars.

Q1

What was your original vision for this place?

At first, I was just looking at it as a side project: I would invest a small amount of money to get it kicked off, and we’d have some music on the weekends. As I started getting more into it, I discovered that running a blues bar or a jazz club or something that’s specific to one genre of music is a failed model.

But if you pull up other venues that do pretty much every genre seven nights a week—one night it’s a smooth jazz act, one night it’s a country act, another night it’s a blues artist, another night it’s someone like Delbert McClinton or John Hiatt—with that type of model, you’re now going out and appealing to a huge demographic [of potential] entertainment dollars.

And, from a selfish standpoint, I happen to like many different genres of music.

Q2

Did it take awhile for your business model to become lucrative?

Absolutely. Let’s look at it from an entertainment standpoint. You can’t just open a club and call “ABC Agency” and say, I want this band. “Well, why would I send it to you? We’ve been sending it to this other place for the past five years. If I send it to you, and you guys are out of business in six months, then I’ve upset the guy down the street.”

So it’s taken every bit of the three years to gain some confidence with the booking agencies and the musicians.

Q3

I feel like the Funky Biscuit has a “best-kept secret” status to it.

Is that a vibe that you’ve cultivated?

We’d like as many people to know where we’re at as possible. We’re in the backside of the plaza; we’re not on Federal Highway.

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If we were sitting where Biergarten was, everybody would know we’re there. So we’re kind of in our little nook, and that inherently is one reason people don’t know we’re here.

Q4

What’s the concept behind the food menu?

Originally, the idea was to have dishes that had my signature on them. I come from a family of cooks and chefs, and I learned how to cook very early. If I was able to spend my existence in the kitchen, in my humble opinion, it would be every bit as good as the music we bring in here.

But I can’t do everything.

I needed the food to be at the same level as the entertainment, and thankfully, I was introduced about a year ago to a fellow named Lindsey Williams; he is the grandson of Sylvia from Sylvia’s Soul Food in Harlem. I said, “How about if we take some of your experience with Sylvia’s, mix it with some of my experience with New Orleans food, and come up with a New Orleans soul food type of thing.”

That’s what we’re in the process of doing right now.

Q5

Do you take negative Yelp reviews into account?

Of course. I think one of my biggest faults is that I’m personally involved with everything here. I take every phone call. I want to be the first point of contact with every customer. I do take it personally when I get criticized on Yelp by someone who came to my club one time and was upset because someone was standing in front of them. But I’ve come to find out that it is what it is; you’re not going to make everybody happy.

may/june 2014

AAron Bristol

“You can’t just open a club and call ‘ABC Agency’ and say, I want this band. ... It’s taken every bit of the three years to gain some confidence with the booking agencies and the musicians.”

Al Poliak with a plate of his club’s signature guitar-shaped “Funky Biscuits”

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backstage pass [ SPOTLIGHT ]

Sawaya and his “self-portrait”

Toy Story

In the hands of a record-settIng “brIcklayer” wIth a specIal south florIda connectIon, your favorIte chIldhood buIldIng blocks become masterful works of art.

W

hen Jane Hart, curator of exhibitions at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, began her tenure there seven years ago, she was tasked with a project outside of her wheelhouse: creating a family-friendly art exhibition for the summer.

Hart was long accustomed to curating exhibits of provocative emerging and blue-chip artists from South Florida and beyond.

The ages 8-to-15 demographic was never much of a concern.

“I had never had to put together a show that specifically tailored to children and families, so

it was challenging. I kept procrastinating,” she recalls. “We’re not like the Museum of Discovery and Science (in Fort Lauderdale), or a museum that could put on a show of toy trains. That’s not really our thing. It should have an intersection with contemporary art in some way.”

After a survey of Japanese kites fell through, Hart happened to be visiting a nephew who, at around age 12, still played with LEGO® toys. “In hanging out with him and seeing how much he enjoyed them, I thought, maybe there’s something to that,” Hart says. “I said, let me Google ‘LEGO’ and ‘art’ and see what comes up, just on the off chance. Of course, Nathan’s website

erica ann photography

“Yellow”

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came up right away.”

That would be Nathan Sawaya, a New Yorkbased artist specializing in towering, lifelike sculptures made entirely of LEGO bricks. At the time, Sawaya’s work had only enjoyed a couple of gallery showcases. Much of the art world did not take him seriously.

“It was a big risk,” Sawaya says. “When I started creating large-scale sculptures, no one was doing it. Museums and galleries laughed at me for a while. Most museums at the time were like, ‘You do what? LEGO art?’ I think, in their minds, they pictured cars and trucks, or little castle sets that you see at the toy store.

And I would say, ‘No, I’m putting some emotion into this. I’m using these toys, yes, but hopefully in a way you haven’t seen before.’

“So when we talk about Hollywood taking a chance on me, there’s a lot of truth to that.”

In 2008, the Art and Culture Center presented “Nathan Sawaya: The Art of the Brick,” a blockbuster exhibition in its main gallery. It drew more than 7,000 visitors to the Center, breaking all attendance records in its 33-year history. Two years later, the Center brought Sawaya back for an exhibit of new work; that time, attendance rocketed to 14,000. may/june 2014

Kids’ stuff

As we heAd into summer, check out these locAl purveyors of children’s infotAinment.

8 Boca Raton childRen’s MuseuM

where: 498 Crawford Blvd., Boca Raton child’s play: Celebrating 30 years, the museum educates youngsters on pioneering life in Florida, including replicas of Boca Raton’s first grocery and the city’s first house on the Intracoastal. There is also an outdoor pirate ship, a Multicultural Room with international clothing, books and musical instruments, and daily activities ranging from prenatal yoga to hula and Tahitian dance. contact: 561/368-6875, cmboca.org

8 sol childRen theatRe tRoupe

where: 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton child’s play: Now in its 11th season, this company, founded by Rosalie Grant, has produced more than 60 plays and musicals for the local community while fostering the next generation of stage talent.

In June and July, it will host a performing arts summer camp at Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, followed by public performances of its campers’ productions of “Mulan” and “Hairspray.” contact: 561/447-8829, solchildren.org

8 Boca MuseuM of aRt

where: 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton child’s play: The museum becomes a hands-on art school on certain weekends, with the Saturday afternoon “Art-E-Ology” program exploring a different master artist each month; and “Artful Adventure Sundays,” featuring workshops taught by seasoned art educators—and centered on a theme from the museum’s current exhibitions. contact: 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org

8 childRen’s science exploRiuM at sugaR sand paRK

where: 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton child’s play: This year-round addition to the expansive park offers exhibits, programs and summer camps that delve into the physical sciences. The current traveling exhibition “OceanBound” explores man’s impact on our seas, and includes the option of “piloting” a submersible. On one Friday each month, the Explorium stays open for a night movie, pizza and a fun science experiment. contact: 561/347-3912, scienceexplorium.org

8 puppetRy aRts centeR of the palM Beaches

where: 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach child’s play: Palm Beach County’s premier marionette playhouse features 140 black box theater seats and houses original shows created by the center’s Dreammaker Puppeteers. Check out the magic and ventriloquism of four-time Florida State Magic Champion “The Amazing Mr. A,” along with his smoke-breathing dragon, on select mornings. contact: 561/243-4330, facebook.com/ puppetcenter

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“Dog” and “Dress”

“We have a special bond with him,” Hart says. “There’s no other institution, out of all of the places he’s shown, where he’s been back. We feel a great privilege that we have this longstanding relationship with him now, more so than any other institution.”

On June 7, the Art and Culture Center will be opening “The Art of Nathan Sawaya Featuring In Pieces,” its fourth exhibition of his work, and his first collaboration with hyperrealist photographer Dean West. In the six years since his relationship with the Center began, Sawaya’s art has exploded, along with the popularity of LEGO in general: He has appeared on CNN, David Letterman and “Today”; on “The Colbert Report,” he designed a LEGO sculpture of the titular host. He’s completed commissions for everyone from Tony Hawk to Donald Trump.

if you go

What: “The Art of Nathan Sawaya Featuring In Pieces” Where: Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, 1650 Harrison St. When: June 7-Aug. 17 admission: $7 adults, $4 children, students and seniors ContaCt: 954/921-3274, artandculturecenter.org

His work remains whimsical and kid-friendly—one promotional photo shows him lying in a bathtub reading a book, with a shampoo dispenser and ducky on either side, everything including the water made of LEGO bricks—but it’s also grown in sophistication. The centerpiece of his new show will be “Dress,” a flowing red garment suspended from the ceiling and breaking off into dozens of tiny fragments. Iconic works like “Hands” and “Yellow”—averaging about 20,000 bricks apiece—address philosophical concerns about artistic expression and emotional vulnerability. In the latter, a yellow torso pries open its chest, letting countless LEGO entrails spill forth.

“Those are the pieces where I really enjoy my work, because I get to express myself,” Sawaya says. “Doing a replica of a large crayon is fun and cute and can be brightly colored, but it’s not really expressing what’s on my mind all the time. “‘Yellow’ is an important piece for me in many ways. It’s about opening oneself up to the world. It’s interesting how many people connect to it.

“And, of course, kids like it because there’s guts spilling out of it.”

for much more with nAthAn sAwAyA, visit bocAmAg.com.

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r i s tO r a N t e

For 31 years the family tradition continues...

distiNguished restauraNt Of NOrth america

Authentic itAliAn cuisine New elegaNt OutdOOr PatiO available perfect for After dinner drinks + cigArs

Open daily for dinner and lunch (M-F) and special events for parties of 6-150. Live music nightly.

6750 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton | 561-997-7373 | www.ArturosRestaurant.com

diningguide [ 146 d’angelo pizza review • 148 fork & knife review • 154 the boca challenge • 160 deconstructing the dish ]

for starters bamboo fire

149 N.E. Fourth Ave., Delray Beach, 561/749-0973

T

he tony restaurants lining Atlantic Avenue may be the face of downtown Delray dining, but get off the beaten eatin’ path and you’ll find a place that swings to a totally different and unique rhythm.

It’s Bamboo Fire, the 5-year-old labor of love of Beverly and Donald Jacobs, natives of Guyana and restaurant neophytes who beat more odds than a Las Vegas bookie to make a success of their small, modest and utterly charming pan-Caribbean café.

Donald runs the front of the house and does most of the business-end heavy lifting, while Beverly—who somehow also manages to hold down a full-time job as a paralegal in Miami—(wo)mans the kitchen, turning out lusty, home-cooked Caribbean fare with a chef’s eye for detail. There’s spicy (but not fiery) Jamaican jerk; vibrant curries of chicken, pork, goat and tofu; piquant fish done escovitch style (pan-fried and then given a tart, chili-infused marinade); plus a roster of daily specials that reflect whatever’s in the market and piques Beverly’s inspiration.

Whatever that is, it’s got a good beat, and your taste buds can dance to it.

cutline

cristina morgado

—Bill Citara

Clockwise, from top: Donald and Beverly Jacobs, Bamboo Fire ceviche, and bass in a banana leaf

IF YOU GO PrIce ranGe: Caribbean entrées $12–$20 HOUrS: Wed.–Thurs. 6:30– 11 p.m., Fri. 6:30 p.m.–12 a.m., Sat. 5:30 p.m.–1 a.m.

PHOne: 561/749-0973

follow the leader

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dining guide for starters D’ANGELO PIZZA, WINE BAR AND TAPAS 16950 Jog Road, Delray Beach, 561/381-0037

S

IF YOU GO PrIce ranGe: Small plates $8–$18 HOUrS: Sun. 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Mon. 4–10:30 p.m., Tues.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m. to midnight WeBSITe: dangelopizza.com

the bank. It’s also one of the best-looking restaurants around, with a cool, clean design in various shades of white and pale earth tones that gives it a spacious, airy feel when jammed to capacity.

The menu is equally well-designed—extensive, accessible, and perfect for grazing and/or sharing, though with dishes like Elia’s stuffed zucchini blossoms and baby artichokes you may be more inclined to hoard. The Few restaurants blend comfort and style quite so well as this. former presents a trio Designed by Davie-based Alfredo Leon, the dining room sets off cool white quartz countertops, Gobi stone walls and silver travertine of gossamer flowers floors with dark-wood furnishings, dozens of olive oil bottles stuffed with a mix of displayed on the wall like art and a chalkboard over the bar scrawled mozzarella and Parwith the day’s specials. Display cases show off colorful arrays of mesan cheeses, then house-made gelati and appetizers; in back, a small counter fronts battered and fried, twin wood-burning pizza ovens. A spacious, temperature-controlled emerging from the covered outdoor patio gives the benefits of al fresco dining with hot oil just the tiniest none of the drawbacks. bit greasy but with an irresistible tempuralike crispness. The artichokes are earthier, more substantial and even better, fistsized nuggets packed with breadcrumbs and speck (smoked prosciutto), fried and waiting only a swipe

Designed to Dine

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A wood-fired pie Inset: Angelo Elia

through mildly spicy chili-tinged aioli.

Pizzas arrive from the wood-burning oven with thin crusts more pliable than crackercrisp, in guises ranging from basic margherita to more elaborate offerings like the terrific Cremona, a contrapuntal barrage of sweet-saltyearthy-pungent flavors by way of thin-sliced pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella.

Pastas are notable for their relative scarcity, in direct contrast to most of the area’s other Italian restaurants. Still, the kitchen here serves up an admirable gnocchi, lighter and more pillow-y than most, napped with a sprightly San Marzano tomato sauce and smoked mozzarella.

Other worthy items include another contrapuntal exercise—a salad of meaty raw tuna with cubes of sweet watermelon, salty feta, pungent olives and mint in a tangy lemoncaper vinaigrette—and a pair of surprisingly delicate chicken and turkey meatballs with escarole and white beans in a copper-y broth enhanced by heels of Parmesan.

Gelato is made in-house and displayed like colorful, creamy jewels in a refrigerated glass case. It’s well worth the calories to sample a few, whether the bracingly tart limoncello or tropically luscious coconut. While cannoli are second in dessert ubiquity only to tiramisu, these fresh, crunchy shells piped full of furiously whipped ricotta and studded with chocolate chips are a fine end to an equally commendable meal.

You can count on it.

—Bill Citara

may/june 2014

cRISTINA MORGADO

ome things you just know you can count on. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Water is wet. Summer is hot. Politicians lie. The other line always moves faster. And Angelo Elia doesn’t do bad restaurants.

That last is no exaggeration. Whether an elegant ristorante in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, midscale trattoria in Delray Beach (which Elia is no longer involved with) or more casual, small-plates oriented osterias in Fort Lauderdale, Weston and west Delray, the Italian native, 51, has shown an uncanny ability to meld all aspects of the dining experience—food, service, decor, ambience—into a seamless, satisfying whole. In the you’re-only-as-good-as-yourlast-meal restaurant industry, that kind of consistency is worth its weight in foie gras.

As its name implies, the west Delray D’Angelo (and its two siblings) is not a foie gras kind of place. Rather, it’s a stylish, contemporary take on the Italian osteria, a modest neighborhood spot where you can get a bite or a drink or a full meal without breaking

“I F YOU M A K E GR E AT FOOD T H E Y W I L L COM E ” Walking distance from the Boca Resort Dinner nightly 5:30 - 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday • 5:30 - 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday Private Rooms Available for Parties of 6 - 45 499 East Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton • 561-393-6715 www.trattoriaromanabocaraton.com

dining guide cutline

review fork & knife

99 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, 561/405-6542

IF YOU GO

F Top: Fork & Knife’s signature burger with hand-cut Parmesan and truffle fries Above: Greek salad

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ork & Knife. As a name, it tells you pretty much all you need to know about this sleek new spot in a starcrossed Mizner Boulevard location that’s been reborn more often than Pat Robertson. Simple, direct, unpretentious. Which is just what Fork & Knife promises: honest, modern comfort food that makes you feel good.

Fork & Knife delivers as much, albeit served in the kind of sexy, rustic-chic package that style-conscious Boca diners have come to expect. After all, just because you’re serving Buffalo-style chicken wings and shrimp-n-grits doesn’t mean you have to lay off the Prada.

Those wings, by the way, are as good as wings can get, upgraded from your basic pub grub by frenching only the drumettes and substituting Sriracha for bottled wing sauce. There is, of course, a Caesar salad, a comfort food staple here made mostly with pale, crispy inner leaves of romaine tossed with a garlicky dressing as thick as home-made mayonnaise.

As for the shrimp-n-grits, they could roll the good times on Bourbon Street any day of the

week. The deeply savory sauce—neither tomato-based nor particularly spicy—gets its meaty heft from big chunks of tasso. Add plump shrimp and rich, creamy grits, and you’ve got one of the best renditions of this Southern classic around.

Speaking of Southern classics, just say “chicken & waffle.” It’s half a bird, impeccably fried—crisp and greaseless, moist and tender— plus a golden waffle and sweet potato fries.

Fork up some chicken and a square of waffle, drag them through a tiny ramekin of maple syrup, then through another of Sriracha, and you’ll be whistling Dixie all night long.

Just don’t let the night end without inhaling an order of banana pudding, a dreamy custard with the texture of pure cashmere, flecked with vanilla wafers and sliced banana, and indecently gilded with whipped cream and more vanilla wafers. You may have to eat it with a spoon, but it’s one more thing to like about Fork & Knife.

—Bill Citara

may/june 2014

cristina Morgado

PrIce ranGe: Entrées $21–$32 HOUrs: Mon.–Wed. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Thurs.–Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.– 11 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. websIte: forkandkniferestaurant.com

The names will bring you in… but the food will bring you back!

Vic & Angelo’s serves up delectable, rustic Italian cuisine, including soul-satisfying house-made pastas, crispy, thin-crust pizzas, refreshing salads, fresh fish and seafood, and enticing veal and chicken dishes, in a warm and welcoming setting.

The Office is a modern American gastropub that serves delicious, gourmet comfort food, in a setting reminiscent of a luxurious home office. Menu favorites include an array of juicy burgers, inventive salads, swell sandwiches, wonderful appetizers and mouthwatering seafood, chicken and beef entrees.

• Lunch & Dinner Served Daily • • Early & Late Happy Hour at Indoor & Outdoor Bars • • Brunch Served Saturday & Sunday • • Indoor and Outdoor Dining •

• Lunch & Dinner Served Daily • • Early & Late Happy Hour at Indoor & Outdoor Bars • • Dine Indoors or on the Patio •

290 E. Atlantic Ave. • Delray Beach • 561-278-9570 4520 PGA Blvd. • Palm Beach Gardens • 561-630-9899 vicandangelos.com

201 E. Atlantic Ave. • Delray Beach • 561-276-3600 theofficedelray.com

dining guide Dining Key

$ Inexpensive: Under $17 $$ Moderate: $18–$35 $$$ Expensive: $36–$50 $$$$ Very Expensive: $50 +

n ext sta r sau r a n ts st to r e h e gu ide: n in t rato B o c a l l of Ha r e m fa

palm beach county boca raton 13 american table —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. contemporary american. This cozy, artfully rustic and modern eatery is one of the few restaurants in the U.S. that has a Josper oven, a pricy, charcoal-fired grill-oven hybrid that cooks foods quickly at high heat to retain maximum flavor and texture. It works like a charm on chicken, resulting in remarkably crisp skin and tender meat, as well as on fist-sized shrimp you can customize with one of several sauces.

Don’t miss house-made potato chips with cheddar fondue and feather-light profiteroles filled with caramel and pumpkin mousse. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/409-2061. $$

abe & louie’s —2200 W. Glades Road.

age Before Beauty

corn-fed steaks at Abe & Louie’s are aged more than six weeks on the bone.

Steaks. This outpost of the Boston steak house cooks up slabs of well-aged, USDA Prime beef like nobody’s business. Two of the best are the bone-in ribeye and New York sirloin. Start with a crab cocktail, but don’t neglect side dishes like steamed spinach and hash browns. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/4470024. $$$

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 giant shrimp with tomatoes, cannellini beans, rosemary and an exceptionally well-done risotto. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/997-7373. $$$ biergarten—309 Via De Palmas. 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

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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 an upscale burger featuring Florida Wagyu beef, knockwurst, cheddar cheese and more. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/395-7462. $

bistro provence—2399 N. Federal Highway. French. With the convivial ambience and hearty good food of an authentic Parisian bistro, this inviting, unpretentious restaurant deserves its local popularity. Mussels are a specialty, and roasted duck is excellent too. • Dinner nightly.

561/368-2340. $$ bonefish grill—21069 Powerline 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. 561/483-4949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-9142; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/965-2663; 11658 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/799-2965) $$ brio tuscan grille—5050 Town Center Circle. Italian. The Boca outpost of this national chain of 100-plus restaurants does what it set out to do—dish up big portions of well-made, easily accessible Italian-esque fare at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for bruschetta piled with fresh cheeses and vegetables, house-made fettuccine with tender shrimp and lobster in a spicy lobster butter sauce, and a creditable version of the classic tiramisu, you’ll be one happy diner. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/392-3777. $$

butcher block grill—7000 W. Camino Real. Steak house/contemporary american.

This casual steak house with a Mediterranean twist and a local, seasonal, sustainable ethos gives the stuffy old-fashioned meatery a swift kick in the sirloin. Beef here is all-natural and grass-fed, delivering big, rich, earthy flavor; the New York strip is 12 ounces of carnivorous pleasure. Seafood, whether raw (tuna crudo) or simply grilled (wild-caught salmon), is

palate-pleasing as well. Don’t miss the fresh mozzarella, made and assembled into a salad at your table. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/4093035. $$$

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 Wagyu beef carpaccio to a lighter version of the hardy chopped salad 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 daily. 561/368-1077. $$$ casa d’angelo —171 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. Angelo Elia’s impeccable Italian restaurant is a delight, from the stylish room to the suave service to the expansive wine list, not to mention food that’s by turn elegant, hearty, bold, subtle and always delicious. Dishes off the regular menu make excellent choices, like fat prawns wrapped in pancetta and grilled. But pay attention to specials like pan-seared snapper and scallops in a spicy, garlicky cherry tomato sauce. • Dinner nightly. 561/338-1703. $$$ the cheesecake factory—5530 Glades Road. american. Oh, the choices! The chain even 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, 561/8023838; Downtown at the Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/776-3711) $$

chops lobster bar—101 Plaza Real S., Royal Palm Place. Steak, seafood. 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 Australian tails flashfried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with crab. • Dinner nightly. 561/395-2675. $$$$

may/june 2014

dining guide cuban café—3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd.

Cuban. Diners pack this traditional Cuban restaurant for lunch specials that start at $7.95, including slow-roasted pork served with white rice and black beans. Other highlights include the Cuban sandwich and (on the dinner menu only) lechón asado. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/750-8860. $ grand lux cafe—Town Center at Boca Raton. American. The Cheesecake Factory’s sister brand is an upscale take on the original formula, with an atmosphere inspired by the great cafes of Europe. The menu offers a range of international flavors, and the specialty baked-to-order desserts are always a big hit. • Lunch and dinner daily; breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. 561/392-2141. $$

This revered restaurant was a later incarnation of Le Truc, a Boca mainstay for years. La Tre owners Binh and Toi Duong wrote a respected cookbook in the 1990s called Simple Secrets of Vietnam Cooking.

Ave. American. Dishes range from tasty chicken dishes and main-plate salads to seafood options like pistachio-crusted snapper or simply grilled yellowfin tuna. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.– Sat. 561/912-9800. $$

houston’s—1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. American. With rustic features like butcherblock tables and comfy padded leather booths, Houston’s has created a “nonchain” feel, although there are more than 40 nationwide.

The menu is straightforward—big burgers on sweet egg buns, Caesar salad, roasted chicken, filet mignon—but it’s not lacking in ingenuity.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$

la tre—249 E. Palmetto Park Road. Vietnamese. For almost two decades, this elegant little spot has been celebrating the delicate, sophisticated flavors and textures of traditional and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. A house signature, shrimp tossed with coriander curry pesto, is an inspired riff on Vietnamese classics.

Service and wines match the refinement of the cuisine. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-4568. $$

josef’s table—5030 Champion Blvd.

Continental. Josef’s touts itself as offering “the slightest dash of nostalgia,” and that’s a good thing. Though the kitchen does have a timid hand with sauces and seasonings, there’s no quibbling about the execution, whether a light, refreshing “tower” of lump crabmeat with mango, cucumber and tomato; rosy-rare double-cut lamb chops with port wine-mint sauce; pan-seared hogfish with orange beurre blanc; or the richly decadent half-moon chocolate tart. • Dinner daily. 561/353-2700. $$$

la villetta—4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian.

This is a well-edited version of a traditional Italian menu, complete with homemade pastas. Try the signature whole yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt, deboned tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer). 561/362-8403. $$

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 three-cheese eggplant rollatini and chicken scarpariello. • Dinner nightly.

561/988-0668. $$

kapow noodle bar—431 Plaza Real.

Pan-Asian. This wickedly stylish Asian-inspired gastropub delivers a delicious and inventive punch to the taste buds. Among the hardest hitters are green tea-cured salmon with micro and fried basil and longan berries stuffed with yuzu kosho gelee, and cheesecake springrolls with a banana caramel dipping sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/347-7322. $

kathy’s gazebo café—4199 N. Federal Highway. Continental. This local stalwart smoothly rolls along with its signature blend of French and Continental dishes. The ornate, formal dining

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Buzz BiteS i

kee grill—17940 N. Military Trail.

American. The attraction here is carefully prepared food that is satisfying, flavorful and reasonably priced. The fist-sized crab cake is a good place to start, followed by sea bass with a soy-ginger-sesame glaze. • Dinner nightly.

561/995-5044. $$$ la rosa nautica—515 N.E. 20th St. Peruvian. Expect no ambience, no pretensions, low prices and food that satisfies on a very high level. Good starters include antichuchos, chunks of grilled beef heart, and causa, a terrine-like layering of mashed potatoes and chicken salad. Ceviche and the lomo saltado are among the best in South Florida. • Lunch daily.

Dinner Tues.– Sun. 561/296-1413. $$

the grille on congress—5101 Congress

Simple Secrets

room and equally formal service are anomalies these days but are comforting nonetheless. Classic dishes like creamy lobster bisque, house-made duck paté, broiled salmon with sauce béarnaise and dreamy chocolate mousse are as satisfying as ever. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/395-6033. $$$

le rivage—450 N.E. 20th St. 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. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/620-0033. $$ maggiano’s—21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. It’s the neighborhood spot where families congregate for great food and a good time. Do as the Italians do and order family-style, sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrées, two vegetables and two desserts. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$ mario’s osteria—1400 Glades Road. Italian.

This popular spot is swanky in its reincarnation, but the rustic Italian and Italian-American fare keeps with an osteria’s humbler pretensions.

Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna and eggplant “pancakes”—basically deconstructed

New to DeLRAY: The already blazing-hot Delray restaurant scene is even hotter with the debut of El Camino (15 N.E. Second Ave., 561/865-5350), the upscale, ambitious Mexican restaurant by Brian Albe, Brandon Belluscio and Anthony Pizzo, the folks behind two other Delray hotspots, Cut 432 and Park Tavern.

Bringing the fresh-local-seasonal mantra and some serious culinary chops to the oft-abused cuisine of Mexico, El Camino may help change the common perception of that country’s cookery as cheap filler produced mainly from a can.

The look of the place is certainly unique. This former vintage garage (circa 1939) is wrapped in a giant mural by local artist Ruben Ubiera, who incorporates everything from a larger-than-life-sized Emiliano Zapata to skulls, cacti and an old Chevy El Camino pickup truck into the decor. Beneath the original 28-foot barrel ceiling are such artsy-funky touches as light fixtures custom-made from old pulley systems and tables made from reclaimed ceiling lumber. Giant garage bays are fitted with sliding-glass doors that open the entire restaurant to the street.

The menu features everything from housemade guacamole and chips to Berkshire pork tamales, squash blossom quesadillas and smoked brisket enchiladas—plus salads, burritos and fajitas. Tacos come three to an order and range from Gulf shrimp to carne asada.

There’s an extensive list of boutique, small-batch tequilas too, plus wines priced at either $9 a glass or $39 a bottle.

may/june 2014

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dining guide the boca challenge

eggplant parmesan

B

ack in the Dark Ages of dining, when vegetarianism was a vaguely shameful activity, practiced only furtively in darkened rooms, like watching porn, the one meat-free dish you could always count on finding was eggplant Parmesan.

Today, even with vegetarianism as mainstream as “American Idol” and tony restaurants bragging about the quality and provenance of their vegetables, you can still count on the ubiquity of eggplant Parmesan.

This now-classic casserole of sliced and fried (or grilled or sautéed) eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese is thought to have originated in Southern Italy—Naples, to be exact—in the late 18th or early 19th century. eggplant

sauce

overall

That it’s endured this long likely has to do with eggplant’s renowned ability to soak up other flavors, not to mention the soulful, comforting nature of the dish itself. After all, what isn’t improved with the addition of tomato sauce and cheese?

So in this issue, we put eggplant Parmesan to the Challenge, comparing the versions of three local restaurants. Judging totals were based on the quality and preparation of the eggplant and sauce, overall flavor and composition, and value.

No need to be furtive about it. Let your veggie flag fly high!

value

—Bill citara

total

the dish

cannoli Kitchen

Thick-sliced, heavily breaded eggplant has such a firm, meaty texture it could stand in for real meat. In red sauce-joint fashion, there’s plenty of sauce and lots of molten mozzarella; a real Hungry Man meal.

Comes with side of pasta or veggie. $13.95

giovanni’s

Crispy breading on thinly sliced rounds of eggplant is a nice touch, as is tomato sauce that tastes fresher than most. Alas, there’s just not enough of either to justify the sky-high price tag, even with an enormous pile of spaghetti. $21

villagio

The lightest and most minimalistic preparation of the bunch. You can really taste the eggplant and good-quality tomatoes, even if you might wish both were more assertively seasoned. Even in appetizer portion it’s pretty filling. $7.95

ratings:

fair

good

Cannoli Kitchen: 2001 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/338-2929

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very good

Giovanni’s Pizzeria: 175 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Royal Palm Place, Boca Raton, 561/826-1822

excellent

Villagio: 344 Plaza Real, Mizner Park, Boca Raton, 561/447-2257

may/june 2014

eggplant Parm—are on the new menu, as are posh veal osso buco ravioli in truffle cream sauce and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/239-7000. $$

South Florida’s Top Seaside Italian Restaurant

matteo’s—233 S. Federal Highway. 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 daily. 561/392-0773. $$ max’s grille—404 Plaza Real, Mizner Park.

Contemporary American. Though its signature Californiainfluenced cookery and “American bistro” ambience are no longer furiously trendy, this stylish restaurant is as popular as ever due to consistently tasty and well-prepared food. Dishes run haute to homey, from seared-raw tuna to meatloaf wrapped with bacon. And don’t miss the luscious crème brûlée pie for dessert. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/368-0080. $$

Readers’ Choice Winners: 2012 Best ItalIan Best sunday Brunch Best WIne lIst 2013 Best ItalIan

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morton’s the steakhouse—5050 Town Center Circle. Steak house. 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. The star of the beef show is the giant bone-in filet mignon, which trumps with unusually deep and meaty flavor. The side of Grand Marnier soufflé is a cloud of luscious, citrus-y beauty that says while beef may be what’s for dinner, I am what’s for dessert. • Dinner daily.

561/392-7724. $$$

34 S. Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach • 561-274-9404 caffelunarosa.com • facebook.com/caffelunarosa Open 7 days, serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Weekend Brunch.

Live Entertainment • Valet Parking Available

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new york prime—2350 N.W. Executive Center Drive. Steak house. This wildly popular Boca meatery 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 daily. 561/9983881. $$$$ nick’s new haven-style pizzeria—2240 N.W. 19th St. Italian. Cross Naples (thin, blistered crust, judicious toppings) with Connecticut (fresh clams and no tomato sauce), and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the pies coming out Nick Laudano’s custom-made ovens. The “white clam” pizza with garlic and bacon is killer-good; Caesar salad and tiramisu are much better than the usual pizzeria fare. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/368-2900. $ ninja spinning sushi bar—41 E. Palmetto Park Road. Japanese/sushi. “Whatever floats your boat” isn’t just a saying at this hipster sushi bar. Your sushi really does float on a boat, one of many bouncing along a channel cut into the top of the restaurant’s large, square sushi bar. High notes are the Mexican roll with tempura shrimp and avocado, and the sneakily fiery jalapeño-laced tuna tartare. If sushi doesn’t float your boat, gingery gyoza and crispy fried shrimp with a drizzle of spicy mayo probably will. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. 561/361-8688. $$ pellegrino’s—3360 N. Federal Highway. Italian. The bold, brash flavors of New York-style Italian-American cuisine are as in your face as a Manhattan cabbie at this low-key favorite of chef-owner Bobby Pellegrino, nephew to the clan that owns the legendary Rao’s in East Harlem.

Pungent smells of garlic, anchovies, tomatoes and peppers follow the leader

3/21/14 8:41 AM

HOMEMADE ITALIAN BAKERY

Cosa Duci

TM

Life’s Short...Eat Cookies!

Italian Artisan Bakery & Café

We carry all natural ingredients, gluten-free, pastries, espresso, cappuccino, Italian imports, daily lunch menu and so much more!

141 NW 20th Street B-21 Boca Raton • 561.393.1201 Baking for a good cause: A portion of our proceeds will benefit research for Multiple Sclerosis.

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dining guide your choice of 15 zesty sauces. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/367-9779. $$

ristorante saporissimo—366 E. Palmetto Park Road. Tuscan. This little restaurant is making culinary magic. Here, a taste of Italy is brought to life with rabbit cacciatorá (Tuscany style), veal ossobuco, homemade pasta with wild boar sausage, and a tasty rack of venison. Homemade desserts, including tiramisu, panna cotta and zuppa ingles, will take your breath away. Service is out of this world. • Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/750-2333. $$$

ruth’s chris steak house—225 N.E. Mizner Blvd. Steaks. This is a refreshing departure from the ambience common to many steak houses; the room is comfortable, and conversation is possible. Naturally, we come here for the steak (they are sublime), but the lobster and fish are great. All your favorite sides are here, too. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-6746. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 661 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/863-0660; CityPlace, West Palm Beach, 561/514-3544) $$$ seasons 52 —2300 Executive Center Drive.

Contemporary American. The food—seasonal ingredients, simply and healthfully prepared, accompanied by interesting wines—is first-rate, 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) $$

Calorie Count

cristina Morgado

discover guiltfree dining at seasons 52; no single item on the menu is more than 475 calories.

Tanzy

fill the air; dishes like the rarely seen spiedini alla Romana, chicken Scarpariello and seafood spaghetti in Fra Diavolo sauce fill your belly. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/368-5520. $$$

p.f. chang’s—1400 Glades Road. Chinese.

There may have been no revolution if Mao had simply eaten at 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) $$

piñon grill—6000 Glades Road. Contemporary American. The menu seemingly lists every recent trendy dish to come out of modern American restaurant kitchens, but Piñon succeeds with spot-on execution, mammoth portions and reasonable prices. Try the grilled artichokes with a zippy Southwestern-style rémoulade, a pair of giant crab cakes with more of that good rémoulade or a chocolate-peanut butter pie that is the irresistible definition of lusciousness. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/391-7770. $$

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racks downtown eatery + tavern—402 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. Though the menu generally falls under the heading of modern American comfort food, that can mean anything from elegant presentations like the jaw-dropping lobster cobb salad to homier offerings like burgers and pizza, fiery Buffalo-style calamari, succulent chicken roasted in the wood-fired oven and an uptown version of everyone’s campfire favorite, s’mores. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/395-1662. $$

renzo’s of boca—5999 N. Federal Highway.

Italian. The buzzword is fresh at Renzo’s. Fish is prepared daily oreganata or Livornese style, sautéed in white wine with lemon and capers or grilled. Homemade pasta is artfully seasoned, and Renzo’s tomato sauce is ethereal. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/994-3495. $$

ristorante sapori—301 Via de Palmas, Royal Palm Place. Italian. Sapori features fresh fish, veal and chicken dishes imbued with subtle flavors. The grilled Italian branzino, the veal chop Milan and the zuppa di pesce served over linguine are especially tasty, and the pasta (all 17 kinds!) is available in full and half orders, with

sushi ray—5250 Town Center Circle. Japanese/Sushi. Impeccably fresh and exactingly prepared sushi and other Japanese specialties are on display. The Nobu-esque miso sea bass gives a taste of this modern classic at a fraction of the price of the original, while the chef’s sushi assortment offers a generous arrangement of nigiri and maki for a reasonable $20. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/394-9506. $$ table 42—399 S.E. Mizner Blvd. Italian. A contemporary Amer-Italian osteria with pizza describes Gary Rack’s reborn Coal Mine Pizza.

The menu is compact but offers mix-and-match opportunities done with great attention to detail—like irresistible honey balsamic chicken wings with grilled onions and blue cheese; and linguine in deliriously rich and creamy pesto. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/826-2625. $$

tanzy—301 Plaza Real. Italian. Part of the swanky iPic Theater complex (though it does not service the theater), this handsome spot relies on quality ingredients and careful preparation instead of culinary special effects and car chases. The Parma Bar, a sort of sushi bar for meat and cheese fanatics, also does terrific ricotta-stuffed fried squash blossoms. Panseared branzino and massive bone-in veal chop are excellent, and the ethereal rosemary beignets with rosemary-olive oil gelato are luscious and cutting edge. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/922-6699. $$$ taverna kyma —6298 N. Federal Highway. Greek/Mediterranean. Few present may/june 2014

ate !

D e h t e Sav

presents

Tastemakers 2014

of Delray

Beach

thursdaY, august 7 + fridaY, august 8

5 -10 p. m . {Plus, get 3 months of exclusive dining deals! } You’ve heard of a pub crawl … how ‘bout a restaurant crawl?

Visit approximately 20 restaurants in downtown Delray Beach and sample delicious food paired with wine, beer or a cocktail. Buy your dining passport for access to these special tastings and drink pairings which are available only during the exlusive two-night event. Plus, use it as often as you like for 3 months (July 1 – Sept. 30, 2014) of dining deals before and after the event.

dining guide Greek cuisine better. Expertly prepared dishes cover the spectrum of Mediterranean cuisine, from cold appetizers (dolmades; grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs) to hot starters (spanakopita, baked phyllo with spinach and feta cheese) to mouthwatering entrées like lamb shank (slow-cooked in a tomato sauce and served on a bed of orzo), massive stuffed peppers or kebobs. • Lunch and dinner daily.

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 cozy dining room is a welcome respite from the outside world, and service is at a level not always seen in local eateries. Pay attention to the daily specials, especially if it includes impeccably done langostini oreganata and the restaurant’s signature jumbo shrimp saltimbocca. • Dinner daily.

561/393-6715. $$$

Just for the Halibut

Save the cod and Idaho trout for summer at Truluck’s; through May 15, it’s allyou-can-eat stone crabs on Monday nights.

truluck’s—351 Plaza Real. Seafood. This stylish and sophisticated Mizner Park restaurant applies the steak house formula of classy, clubby ambience, formal service and an extensive wine list to seafood from across the nation, with great and consistent success. Crab is the specialty here and there are myriad versions—stone, Dungeness, Alaskan, soft-shell and more. Crispy soft-shells stuffed with crab and andouille are very good, if served without a drizzle of ketchupy sauce on top. • Dinner nightly. 561/391-0755. $$$ uncle julio’s —449 Plaza Real, Mizner Park. Mexican. Taking Tex-Mex cuisine gently upscale with better-quality ingredients and more skillful preparation, this colorful eatery offers more than the usual suspects. You can get frog’s legs and quail, as well as beef and chicken fajitas, and one of the only palatable tamales around. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/300-3530. $ uncle tai’s —5250 Town Center Circle.

Chinese. In an area with more cookie-cutter Chinese restaurants than cookies, Uncle Tai’s stands out for the elegance of its decor, the professionalism of its service and its careful preparation of familiar and less-familiar dishes. The “specialties” section of the menu has exciting dishes, like the Hunan vegetable pie, finely minced veggies sandwiched between sheets of crispy bean curd skin, and Hunanstyle lamb, whose seared and succulent meat shows off the kitchen’s skill in the use of wok qi.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/368-8806. $$$ villagio italian eatery—344 Plaza Real. Italian. The classic Italian comfort food at this Mizner Park establishment is served with flair and great attention to detail. The reasonably priced menu—with generous portions— includes all your favorites (veal Parmesan, Caesar salad) and some outstanding seafood dishes (Maine lobster with shrimp, mussels and clams on linguine). There is a full wine list and ample people-watching given the prime outdoor seating. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561447-2257. $$

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Salad from Caffé Luna Rosa in Delray

vino —114 N.E. Second St. Wine Bar/Italian.

An impressive wine list of some 300 bottles (all available by the glass) offers a multitude of choices, especially among Italian and California reds. The menu of “Italian tapas” includes breaded and fried artichoke hearts, and ravishing ricotta and fig-stuffed ravioli with prosciutto, balsamic syrup and brown butter.

• Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/869-0030. $

WeSt BoCa 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 daily. 561/487-1600. $$

sybarite pig—20642 State Road 7. Contemporary american. A labor of love, pork and beer, everything at the Pig but the coarse-grain mustard is made in-house, from the bread for sandwiches to the eclectic sauces to the variety of terrific sausages. Creamy cotechino, savory duck and subtly spicy “Hellswine” are among the standouts. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. Brunch Sun. 561/883-3200. $

tempura house —9858 Clint Moore Road, #C-112. Japanese/asian. Dark wood, rice paper and tiles fill the space. An appetizer portion of Age Natsu, fried eggplant, is a consummate Japanese delicacy. Don’t miss the ITET roll with shrimp tempura and avocado, topped with spicy mayo, tempura flakes and eel sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/883-6088. $$ 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 daily. 561/470-0112. $$

Boynton BeaCh bäd ragaz—1417 S. Federal Highway.

Bavarian. The Swiss municipality of Bad Ragaz is known for the healing powers of its thermal waters. This Bäd Ragaz is known for the healing powers of a different liquid: beer, some two dozen on tap and another 50 or so by the bottle. The suds-centric food has its hits and misses, but is generally on target more than not. Good choices are the Black Forest ham-stuffed mushrooms, generously portioned smoked trout salad, and that crispy, golden (and big!) pretzel. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/336-3297. $$

bar louie —1500 Gateway Blvd. eclectic.

Attempting to split the difference between happening bar and American café, Bar Louie mostly succeeds, offering burgers, pizzas, fish tacos and a variety of salads, all at moderate prices and in truly daunting portions. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/853-0090. $

china dumpling—1899-5 N. Congress Ave. Chinese. The dim sum basket is an absolute must-try. A choice of signature steamed dumplings are likewise spot on. The steak kew is delicious, and the clay pot casseroles are enticing. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/737-2782. $ prime catch —700 E. Woolbright Road.

Seafood. Simple pleasures soar—full-belly clams, fried sweet and crispy, or a perfectly

may/june 2014

MIAMI

|

MIAMI BEACH

|

AVENTURA

|

FORT LAUDERDALE

|

BOCA RATON

|

PALM BEACH

|

NEW YORK

© 2014 Douglas Elliman Real Estate. All material presented herein is intended for information purposes only. While, this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. All property information, including, but not limited to square footage, room count, number of bedrooms and the school district in property listings are deemed reliable, but should be verified by your own attorney, architect or zoning expert. Equal Housing Opportunity.

MEDITERRANEAN MASTERPIECE 1261 Spanish River Road | Boca Raton | $9,975,000 This magnificent Intracoastal estate commands a majestic setting with a gated area walking distance to the ocean.

Spanning over 16,000 total sf it affords a distinct lifestyle.

Melissa Johnson 561.325.0012

BOATER’S DREAM RESIDENCE IN GOLDEN HARBOUR 591 Silver Lane | Golden Harbour | $4,650,000 Mediterranean inspired estate situated on a cul-de-sac in Golden Harbour. Well-known builder’s personal residence features over 6,700 sf of living space. Tracy Roddy 954.383.7555 | Jennifer Dardano 561.352.7479

MANSION IN THE SKY 2494 S Ocean Boulevard, A-8 | Boca Raton $3,295,000 | Over 5,000 sf, this exquisite award winning oceanfront condominium at the Aragon features outstanding one-of-a-kind interiors and design. Available furnished or unfurnished. Leo Goodman 561.310.1243

FIELDBROOK ESTATES 17837 Fieldbrook Circle W | Boca Raton | $2,950,000 Built in 2001, this sprawling 11,500 total sf, 6 bedroom, 7 full and 2 half bathroom estate is sited on a prime lakefront, 1 acre lot within a private guard-gated community. Steve Solomon 561.289.3609

OLD WORLD ELEGANCE 1210 Southways Street | Delray Beach | $2,800,000 Custom built, this Tuscan inspired beach area dream home is built to the absolute highest standard. A must see, the level of detail and handcrafted luxury cannot be matched.

Melissa Johnson 561.325.0012

MERIDIAN - LUXURIOUS PENTHOUSE 1 N Ocean Boulevard | Boca Raton | $1,699,000 Breathtaking penthouse residence with private elevator located in the extraordinary Meridian situated in the heart of Boca Raton. Meridian melds beauty and architectural perfection. Arlene Rampulla 561.716.8888

CUSTOM BUILD YOUR DREAM RESIDENCE 8375 Del Prado Drive | Delray Beach | $1,695,000 ’’Brand’’ new Tuscan Harvey estate in Mizner Country Club. Call for new renderings, plans & dimensions by builder and architect. Golf Equity Membership included with purchase. Tracy Roddy 954.383.7555

BREATHTAKING OCEAN AND INTRACOASTAL VIEWS 3740 S Ocean Boulevard, 1109 | Highland Beach $1,295,000 | This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, 11th floor unit has 2,522 sf of air conditioned living space and 2 spacious terraces, 2 garage spaces in a pet-friendly building. Steve Solomon 561.289.3609

5 PALMS - CITY LIVING AT ITS FINEST 455 E Palmetto Park Road, 7-E | Boca Raton $1,099,500 | Manhattan comes to Boca. A sophisticated full service building. This residence features private elevator, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, two terraces with extraordinary oceanviews. Arlene Rampulla 561.716.8888

ASKELLIMAN.COM

dining guide

deconstructing the dish

classic meatball courtesy of: meatball Room

P

retty much every culture has some sort of meatball, from the traditional beef-based Italian to the highly seasoned lamb kofta of the Middle East to Mexican albondigas, which often blend chorizo and ground beef, to the giant Chinese Lion’s Head meatball made with pork.

As you might expect from a place called the Meatball Room (3011 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, 561/409-4111), they’re all over this humble yet delicious sphere, with a dozen different variations served with an array of sauces. Owner John Hanley gives us a peek inside his meatball methods.

—BIll CItara

Get the RecIpe

Learn how to make John Hanley’s classic meatball by clicking on the Web Extras link at BocamaG.com.

It’s In the Blend: “Coming from an Italian family, we used a blend of beef, veal and pork. It gives you a sweeter flavor than just beef; the sweetness and tenderness of the veal and pork stands out,” Hanley says. “[Our meatballs are] handmixed; we don’t like using a machine.”

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Fat Really Is FlavoR: “Our meatballs are an 80-20 blend (meat to fat) of Certified Angus beef.

It gives you that sweet taste. We experimented with every single cut of beef you can think of, like filet mignon. Filet is one of the most tender cuts of meat, but it also has the least amount of fat, which means it has the least amount of flavor.”

BRead and WateR: “We use the Italian bread we serve in the restaurant. We remove the seeds, soak it in water and put that in the meatballs. It gives them enough density so they stay nice and firm when you cook them.”

seaR and sImmeR: “You want to sear the meatball for about 30 seconds on each side, until it’s nice and brown.

You don’t want to cook it fully.” Finish cooking the meatball in the sauce, “that way you get the best of both worlds—the crispy outer crust and tender on the inside.”

heaRty, not heaRtBuRn: “Our marinara is different from any other restaurant in town. We use a nonacidic tomato; it doesn’t give you any heartburn.

It’s not distributed anywhere else in this area. You can’t get it retail.”

may/june 2014

MIAMI

|

MIAMI BEACH

THE

MANNARINO & PEROTTI

|

AVENTURA

|

FORT LAUDERDALE

TEAM

Š 2014 Douglas Elliman Real Estate. All material presented herein is intended for information purposes only. While, this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. All property information, including, but not limited to square footage, room count, number of bedrooms and the school district in property listings are deemed reliable, but should be verified by your own attorney, architect or zoning expert.

Equal Housing Opportunity.

5550 Coastal Drive | Boca Raton | $3,295,000 | This Tuscan inspired residence is richly appointed emphasizing custom craftsmanship throughout. Outstanding features include elevator, 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and gourmet kitchen.

DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON

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PALM BEACH

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NEW YORK

TROPIC ISLE - DELRAY BEACH

$2,095,000 | Designed to entertain, this elegant Mediterranean-style waterfront residence is situated on 64 ft of a protected yacht-basin canal off the Intracoastal Waterway between two ocean inlets.

$1,849,000 | Spectacular ocean and city views from this 3 bedroom 9th floor penthouse. Features include double door foyer entry, large great room, dining area and gourmet kitchen.

ANTHONY MANNARINO

561.289.7690 | anthony.mannarino@elliman.com 561.860.5869 | robin.perotti-torres@elliman.com www.TheMPTeam.com

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LUXURY COLLECTION

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HIGHLAND BEACH TOWNHOMES

$749,000 | Expanding over 2,200 sf, this 2 story townhouse features floor to ceiling windows that showcase some of the best city views in all of Highland Beach. Pet friendly community. Call us today to schedule your private showing.

dining guide 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 —1614 S. Federal Highway.

Japanese. 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 3rd & 3rd—301 N.E. Third Ave. Gastropub. John Paul Kline’s quirky, individualistic, obscurely located little place is one of the most important restaurants in Delray. The menu changes frequently, but hope the evening’s fare includes plump scallops with caramelized mango sauce, shrimp and chorizo skewers with corn puree, stunning delicious roasted cauliflower with Parmesan mousse and bacon, and wicked-good espresso panna cotta on it at your visit. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/303-1939. $$

32 east—32 E. Atlantic Ave. contemporary american. At a time when chefs and restaurants seem to be constantly shouting their own praises, Nick Morfogen and 32 East go quietly about their way of serving thoughtfully conceived, finely crafted dishes with a minimum of fuss and artifice. The menu changes daily, but recent examples of Morfogen’s culinary expertise include plump scallops given an elegant bouillabaisse treatment and fork-tender venison with a terrific Asiago-fig risotto. When the food is this good, you don’t need to shout. • Dinner daily. 561/276-7868. $$$ 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 duck confit egg rolls and well-executed potato-crusted grouper. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed.

• Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$

atlantic grille—1000 E. Atlantic Ave.

See and Be Seen

Did you know that City Oyster remains one of the foremost power-lunch spots in Delray Beach?

162

Seafood/contemporary american. This posh restaurant in the luxurious Seagate Hotel & Spa is home to a 450-gallon aquarium of tranquil moon jellyfish and a 2,500-gallon shark tank. Savor inventive cuisine that takes the contemporary to the extraordinary. Bold flavors, inspired techniques and the freshest ingredients make every meal a culinary adventure. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/665-4900. $$

buddha sky bar—217 E. Atlantic Ave. Pan asian. Don’t miss a meal at this stylish Asiameets-industrial chic spot with a view of the Delray skyline. Chinese-influenced dim sum is inspired, while rock shrimp tempura and Wagyu tenderloin skewers with twin chimichurri sauces touch the heart and the taste buds.

[ bocamag.com ]

Veggie fried rice is exemplary thanks to the kitchen’s application of wok chi. • Dinner daily.

561/450-7557. $$

burt & max’s —9089 W. Atlantic Ave. contemporary american. Burt Rapoport and Dennis Max have struck gold with their first collaboration in years, bringing an accessible and affordable brand of contemporary comfort food to the underserved denizens of west Delray. A few dishes from Max’s other eatery, Max’s Grille, have made the trek, like the hearty chopped salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf.

Other dishes are variations on the comfort food theme, from crispy potato and taro chips with ranch dipping sauce to a stellar trufflescented wild mushroom pizza. Dinner daily.

Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$$ cabana el rey—105 E. Atlantic Ave. cuban tropical. Little Havana is alive and well in Delray Beach. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue.

Mariquitas (fried banana chips) are a tasty way to start your meal. For dinner, seafood paella is a winner, with mussels, shrimp, conch, octopus, scallops and clams. And the churrasco is terrific. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$ caffé luna rosa—34 S. Ocean Blvd. Italian.

This favorite is always lively, and alfresco dining is the preferred mode. Entrée choices are enticing, but we went with the penne alla vodka with pancetta, tomato and basil. Also delicious was the costoletta di vitello, a center-cut 14-ounce veal chop lightly breaded and served either Milanese or parmigiana. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the cheesecake imported from the Carnegie Deli. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9404. $$ casa di pepe —189 N.E. Second Ave. Italian. A welcoming staff, familiar Italian dishes done right and moderate prices define this cozy spot with a spacious outdoor patio. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/279-7371. $$ ceviche tapas bar & restaurant—116 N.E. Sixth Ave. Spanish/tapas. With more than 100 different tapas, plus paellas and entrées, this cozy, bustling eatery in the old Falcon House location has all the small platesgrazing bases covered. There’s also an equally expansive wine list. Among the best dishes to pique your palate are the well-made house ceviche and cooling gazpacho. The towering tres leches cake is merely divine. • Dinner daily.

561/894-8599. $$

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 crab-stuffed shrimp with jalapeño cheddar grits, bacon, shiitake mushrooms and warm vinaigrette. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining.

561/272-0220. $$

cut 432 —432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steak house.

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

Buzz BiteS ii Back to the future: A modern take

on the old-fashioned diner has come to Boca with the opening of Flashback Diner (1450 N. Federal Highway, 561/750-2120). The third outlet of the Hallandale Beachbased mini-chain takes over the posh space once home to Bova Ristorante and Vivo Partenza, dishing all the usual old-fashioned culinary suspects along with a handful of Mediterranean dishes. Also like the diners of old, it’s open 24/7, a full 365 days a year.

Though the concept may be old-fashioned, the space itself is nothing like yesterday’s downscale greasy spoon. There are lots of big, comfy booths (with TVs) and posh furnishings, a big bar and outdoor patio, walls lined with photos of celebrities and celebrity chefs, even free Wi-Fi. If you’re in the mood for typical diner grub, there are all manner of egg dishes and pancakes, along with classic sandwiches and burgers, meatloaf and fried chicken, and rather less-typical diner fare like Cajun blackened rib-eye, spanakopita and moussaka.

Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wet-aged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner daily.

561/272-9898. $$$

d’angelo trattoria—9 S.E. Seventh Ave. Italian. Don’t go expecting the tired old “Italian” culinary clichés at this wickedly stylish spot. Open your palate to more authentic and exciting Roman-style cuisine, like roasted veal bone marrow with brisk caper-parsley pesto, creamy-dreamy burrata with roasted fava beans and watercress salad, the classic tonnarelli cacio e pepe (“cheese and pepper”) and the best gelato this side of a real Roman trattoria. • Dinner daily. 561/330-1237. $$ 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 steallar flatbreads, the thick and juicy 10-ounce special blend burger or homey apple cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better.

• Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/665-8484. $ may/june 2014

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dining guide dig—777 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. This organic-healthy-sustainable eatery is all about “Doing It Green” with dishes like plump pan-seared diver scallops with pineapplemango salsa. The different greens mixes at the salad bar are crisp and pristinely fresh. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. 561/279-1002. $$

fifth avenue grill—821 S. Federal Highway. American. Since 1989, this upscale tavern has been a Delray favorite. The straightforward menu focuses on entrées, especially the famed Allen Brothers beef; choose from numerous cuts and preparations—and add a lobster tail for good measure. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/265-0122. $$

greek bistro —1832 S. Federal Highway.

Greek. Flaky, overstuffed spanikopita and light and delicate beef meatballs should be at the top of your appetizer list, and though entrées don’t always reach those heights, both a long-braised lamb shank and grilled whole snapper are certainly satisfying. And the baklava is great. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/266-8976. $

the grove—187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Chef-partner Michael Haycook and chef Meghan O’Neal change their menu biweekly, turning out dishes exhilarating in their freshness, creativity and elegant simplicity. An appetizer of octopus with sundried tomato tapenade is merely terrific, as are rosy slices of gum-tender duck with cauliflower gratin and nickel-sized coins of crisp-chewy shiitake mushroom. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/266-3750. $$

henry’s—16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpretentious restaurant from Burt Rapoport 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. $$

Indulge

Sometimes all you need is Office love—as in some of this restaurant’s comfort apps: warm baked pretzel bread, “grown up” tator tots and truffle deviled eggs.

house of siam —25 N.E. Second Ave. Thai. The normally riotous flavors of Thai cuisine are muted at this family-friendly downtown spot, but that seems to suit diners just fine. Dishes, well-prepared and generously portioned, include steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings with sweet soy dipping sauce and crisp-fried duck breast in a very mild red curry sauce. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/330-9191. $$ il girasole —1911 S. Federal Highway.

Northern Italian. This South Florida classic is not trendy, but it offers a level of comfort and consistency that has been bringing people back for 30 years. The food is fine hearty Italian, with excellent service. Try the veal Kristy or the frogs legs. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/2723566. $$

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

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menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3390. $$

Park Tavern

jimmy’s bistro —9 S. Swinton Ave. Eclectic.

Best bets are a lovely salad of ripe tomatoes and fresh, milky house-made mozzarella; a rich, elegant version of lusty Cajun etouffee; and caramelized bananas in puff pastry with silken vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. • Dinner daily. 561/865-5774. $$ la cigale —253 S.E. Fifth Ave. Mediterranean. True culinary professionals turn out gently updated and classically oriented dishes notable for the quality of their ingredients and careful preparation. Sweetbreads in chanterelle cream sauce are glorious; a barely grilled artichoke with mustardy remoulade is gloriously simple. Watching your server skillfully debone an impeccably fresh Dover sole is almost as satisfying as eating it. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$

lemongrass bistro —420 E. Atlantic Ave. Pan-Asian. 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. 561/2785050. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/7331344). $ max’s harvest—169 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Dennis Max, instrumental in bringing the chef and ingredientdriven ethos of California cuisine to South Florida in the 1980s, is again at the forefront of the fresh, local, seasonal culinary movement.

Max’s Harvest soars with dishes like plump Cedar Key clams with house-made tasso, savory bourbon-maple glazed pork belly, and crispyskinned wild sockeye salmon with yuzu-truffle vinaigrette. • Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/381-9970. $$

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. 561/276-3600. $$

park tavern—9 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The guys from Cut 432 have done it again with this hip, casual modern American tavern. The menu is tightly focused and tightly executed, whether Maryland crab cake featuring fat chunks of succulent crab or crisply sautéed pork belly with apricot mostarda. Don’t miss the behemoth slab of tender, juicy prime rib for a near-saintly $29—or the decadent soft pretzel bites, perfect for the cocktail hour munchies. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/265-5093. $$

prime—110 E. Atlantic Ave. Steak/Seafood.

Prime is aptly named for its heart of the action location, classy neo-supper club decor, extensive wine list and roster of designer steaks.

Starters and desserts fare better than entrées, especially plump, crabby Maryland-style crab cakes and indecently luscious chocolate bread pudding. Service is a strong suit too, so with a bit of work this good-looking restaurant will fully live up to its name. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/865-5845. $$$

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. $$$ sundy house—106 S. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. It’s fine dining served in arguably the most beautiful restaurant and gardens in Delray. Menus are seasonal and imaginative. Try the crispy whole branzini, the roasted bone marrow or any of the fresh local fish dishes. • Lunch Tues.–Sat. Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-5678. $$ terra fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian. The pleasures of simple, hearty, wellprepared Italian-American cuisine are front and center at Wendy Rosano’s latest venture.

Among the pleasures you should enjoy are 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. 561/4955570. $$ tramonti—119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. With its roots in New York’s Angelo’s of Mulberry Street, this venue is always packed. Homemade may/june 2014

Buzz Bites iii

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If you want to dance on tables, ogle belly dancers and shout “Opa!” while downing shots of ouzo—without ever leaving downtown Delray—then get your inner Greek on and head over to the latest Taverna Opa (270 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/303-3602).

The restaurant takes over the space once home to 75 Main, the younger sibling of the Hamptons’ celebrity magnet that, despite a late-in-the-game boost from top toque turned consultant Mark Militello, never managed to find much of a footing in the always-competitive Delray restaurant market.

The Delray Opa leverages the chain’s patented combo of raucous, party-hearty atmosphere, live entertainment and moderately priced Greek culinary favorites.

Expect the ubiquitous belly dancers and plenty of table dancing, napkin throwing, plate breaking and “Opa!” shouting.

To go along with all the usual Greek culinary suspects are a handful of Mediterranean-style steaks and chicken dishes, four different family-style complete dinners, and an extensive selection of appetizers.

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stuffed manicotti is aromatic and glorious. Tramonti’s platter for two, containing fillet marsala, veal cutlet with prosciutto, fried zucchini and potato croquettes, is terrific. • Dinner daily. 561/272-1944. $$

tryst—4 E. Atlantic Ave. Eclectic. It’s tough to beat this hotspot with the lovely outdoor patio, well-chosen selection of artisan beers and not-the-usual-suspect wines, and an eclectic “gastropub” menu of small and large plates. Try the crisp-fried rock shrimp with chipotlemayonnaise sauce. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly.

561/921-0201. $$

union —8 E. Atlantic Ave. Pan-Asian. This purveyor of “Asian comfort food” has brought in wacky-maki expert Candyfish Gourmet Sushi as a restaurant-withina-restaurant. Salt-and-pepper calamari, pot stickers with panang curry sauce and “volcano” chicken wings are well-prepared. Candyfish’s sushi rolls blend all manner of fish and shellfish with cream cheese, fruits and veggies. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/330-4236. $$

vic & angelo’s —290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. God is in the details at this upscale trattoria, and He doesn’t miss much, including stellar service and an outstanding wine menu. Ingredients like Buffalo mozzarella, house-made pastas and San Marzano tomatoes are first-rate, and execution is spot on. Try the “Old School” meatball to start, the whole-wheat tagliatelle with garlic and chili-infused olive oil and the perfectly cooked veal chop. Portions are substantial, so expect leftovers. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-9570. $$$

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dining guide couco pazzo —915-917 Lake Ave. Italian.

Despite the name, there’s nothing crazy about the cooking at this homey eatery. It’s the hearty, soul-satisfying Italian cuisine we’ve all come to know and love. Spaghetti Bolognese is a fine version of a Northern Italian classic; house-smoked mozzarella—breaded, fried and presented with a tangy tomato-basil fondue— is equally tasty. • Dinner nightly. (Tues.–Sun. during summer). 561/585-0320. $$

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 sea bass branzino is definitely a must-try. Plus, the wine list is a veritable tome. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/547-2500. $$$

safire asian fusion—817 Lake Ave. Panasian. This stylish little restaurant offers food that gently marries East and West, plus a roster of more traditional Thai dishes and inventive sushi rolls. Menu standouts include tempurafried rock shrimp or calamari cloaked with a lush-fiery “spicy cream sauce.” Expect neighborly service and reasonable prices. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/588-7768. $

LaNtaNa 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 8 pounds) and are so reasonably priced that getting a taste of one without reservations is highly unlikely. • Dinner nightly.

561/547-9487. $$$

PaLM BeaCh 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, sautéed chicken breast and stuffed rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$

C’est Magnifique

Since it opened in 2003, Café Boulud has earned four stars in Forbes Travel Guide, and the Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence.”

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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 daily.

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

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encompassing classics, simple fare, seasonal offerings and dishes from around the world.

Dining is in the courtyard (not available during summer), the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 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. $$$

chez jean-pierre—132 N. County Road.

French. Sumptuous cuisine, attentive servers and a see-and-be-seen crowd are hallmarks of one of the island’s premier restaurants. Indulgences include scrambled eggs with caviar and the Dover sole meunière filleted tableside. When your waiter suggests profiterolles au chocolat or hazelnut soufflé, say, mais oui! • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/833-1171. $$$ cucina dell’ arte—257 Royal Poinciana Way. Italian. The wide range of items on the menu and the great quality of Cucina’s cuisine, combined with its fine service, ensures a fun place for a casual yet delectable meal—not to mention being a vantage point for spotting local celebs. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/655-0770. $$

echo —230A Sunrise Ave. asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. Crispy jumbo shrimp with soybean plum sauce is delectable, the Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the Mongolian beef tenderloin is perfection. Sake list is also tops. This offsite property of The Breakers is managed with the same flawlessness as the resort. • Dinner nightly (during season). 561/802-4222. $$$ 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, Korean-style short ribs and terrific butterscotch panna cotta. The wine list is encyclopedic.

Dinner daily. 561/290-0104. $$ 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. The mille-crêpe cake is 20 layers of lacy, mango-sauced goodness. • Dinner daily.

561/833-5522. $$

Buzz Bites iV CityPlaCe Gets Busy: They’re not letting any

arugula grow under their feet at CityPlace, with a lengthy roster of new dining spots taking their place amid several established restaurants. Here’s a quick rundown of recent openings: • Revolutions Bowling, Bar & Grille (477 S. Rosemary Ave., 561/203-6188): The posh entertainment center took over virtually an entire block, cramming into its 35,000 square feet some 20 bowling lanes, a games arcade, a stage for live music, pool tables, a VIP room, and a restaurant and bar. The lengthy menu is chock full of crowdpleasing dishes from burgers, pizzas and pastas to lobster ceviche, fish tacos and grilled steaks.

EpidE Chong

Lake worth

• Decks Fish Market (700 S. Rosemary Ave., 561/822-9988): The upper-level seafood spot has something of a New England focus, with dishes like clam chowder, lobster roll and fried clam strips sharing menu space with more Florida-y type dishes like conch fritters, coconut-crusted shrimp and grilled mahi.

• Tequila Cowboy Bar & Grill (550 S. Rosemary Ave., 561/249-2749): This restaurant and country music venue has a neo-honky-tonk vibe.

Food wanders all over the culinary map, with such Southern-tinged specialties as shrimp-n-grits, barbecue and buttermilk biscuits sharing space with burgers, pizzas, tacos and prime rib.

• Four new fast-casual spots are Moe’s Southwest Grill, the Chipotle-esque fast-casual neo-Mexican eatery; Auntie Anne’s, purveyor of sweet and savory pretzels (and dipping sauces) and pretzel-wrapped hot dogs; 100 Montaditos, a Spanish import offering tapa-sized sandwiches that sell for $1 to $2.50; and another outpost of BurgerFi, the local challenger to Shake Shack.

may/june 2014

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dining guide

Peking duck tacos from Imoto in Palm Beach

leopard lounge and restaurant — The Chesterfield Palm Beach, 363 Cocoanut Row. American. The restaurant offers excellent food in a glamorous and intimate club-like atmosphere. In fact, it’s advisable to make early reservations if a quiet dinner is the objective; the place becomes a late-night cocktail spot after 9. The menu is equally decadent. • Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner daily. 561/6595800. $$ nick & johnnie’s —207 Royal Poinciana Way. Contemporary American. Expect flavorful, moderately priced California-esque cuisine in a casual setting with affordable wines and young, energetic servers. Try the short-rib or jerk chicken quesadillas as appetizers, and don’t miss the four-cheese tortellini as a main course. • Lunch and dinner Mon.–Sat. Breakfast Sun. 561/655-3319. $$

renato’s —87 Via Mizner. Italian with

Dance Fever

In addition to fine Middle Eastern fare, enjoy the belly dancing every Friday and Saturday night at Leila. FYI: The term “belly dance” orginated at the 1893 Chicago World Exposition.

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. $$$

ta-boó —2221 Worth Ave. American. This self-described “American bistro” is less typical “American” restaurant or classical French “bistro” than it is posh-casual refuge for the see-and-be-seen crowd in and around Palm Beach. The eclectic menu offers everything from roasted duck with orange blossom honey-ginger sauce to dry-aged steaks and an assortment of pizzas. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/835-3500. $$ trevini ristorante —290 Sunset Ave. Italian. Maitre d’ Carla Minervini is your entrée to a warm experience, complemented by a

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stately but comfortable room and excellent food. We love the crispy fillet of herb-crusted sole in a rich, buttery sauce and the veal scallopini in a lemon caper Chardonnay sauce.

• Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/8333883. $$$

pAlm beACh gArdens cabo flats—11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. mexican. Mexican cuisine often has more personas than Madonna. This highly stylized cantina adds another—that of California’s Chicano culture. All your favorite Mexican dishes are there, as well as enormous margaritas, but also niftier items like the terrific tuna ceviche in “tomatillo broth.” • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/624-0024. $

café chardonnay—4533 PGA Blvd. Contemporary American. This longtime stalwart never rests on its laurels. Instead, it continues to dish finely crafted American/Continental fare with enough inventiveness to keep things interesting. The popular herb-and-Dijonmustard rack of lamb, regular menu items like duck with Grand Marnier sauce, and always superlative specials reveal a kitchen with solid grounding in culinary fundamentals. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/627-2662. $$

west pAlm beACh b.b. king’s blues club —550 S. Rosemary Ave. American. The restaurant at this club-dining spot won’t leave you singing the blues, but it will leave you wishing for more than a spoonful of the lusty flavors of its Southern/New Orleans cuisine. Punch up the flavors of pan-fried catfish and shrimp with jambalaya sauce and chicken-fried chicken on a bed of mac ’n’ cheese, and you could let the good times roll. Buffalo wings, fried pickle chips and luscious banana bread pudding are good bets.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/420-8600. $

cabana las palmas —533 Clematis St. nuevo latino. With its bold, vibrant decor and flavors, this colorful restaurant is a treat for the palette and palate. Must-orders include mariquitas, thin, crispy plantain slices that are the irresistible Cuban answer to potato chips; cookbook-perfect ceviche of shrimp, octopus and calamari that shows how chili heat can be both fiery and subtle; and the signature “Coco Cabana,” a habanero and coconut milkinfused curry with a wealth of veggies, tubers and fat, succulent shrimp. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-4773. $$

café centro —2409 N. Dixie Highway.

Italian. There are many things to like about this modest little osteria—the unpretentious ambience, piano nightly after 7 p.m., the fine service, the robust portions and relatively modest prices. And, of course, the simple, satisfying Italian cuisine. The kitchen breathes new life into hoary old fried calamari, gives fettucine con pollo a surprisingly delicate herbed cream sauce, gilds snowy fillets of grouper with a soulful Livornese. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. 561/514-4070. $$ 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. Take your Turkish coffee to the patio for an arguileh (water pipe) experience. • 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. Another top choice is the chicken breast, pounded thin and filled with fontina and prosciutto. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. (closed Memorial Day–Labor Day). 561/5853128. $$ may/june 2014

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dining guide pistache —101 N. Clematis St. French.

Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as mussels mariniere, coq au vin and steak tartare. • Brunch Sat.–Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$ 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 some 150 tequilas. Tacos feature house-made tortillas and a variety of proteins. Made-to-order guacamole is a good place to start, perhaps followed by a grilled yellowtail (an occasional special) with mango-pineapple salsa. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/650-1001. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/416-2133; 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” or the fist-sized pair of Maryland crab cakes with irresistibly crispy sweet potato fries. • Dinner daily. 561/855-2660. $$$

Yo Cuz!

South Philly Italian meets reality tV when Steve Martorano’s place is featured on “the Real Housewives of Miami.”

He is also giving online coooking lessons!

browArd county CoCoNUT CrEEK nyy steak—Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 5550 N.W. 40th St. Steak house. The second incarnation of this New York Yankees-themed restaurant swings for the fences—and connects—with monstrous portions, chic decor and decadent desserts. The signature steaks, dry-aged for 21 days, are a meat lover’s dream; seafood specialties include sautéed sea bass, Maine lobster and Alaskan king crab. Don’t miss the NYY Steak 151 volcano for dessert. • Dinner daily. Brunch Sun. 954/977-6700. $$$$

dEErFiEld bEACh tamarind asian grill & sushi bar —949 S. Federal Highway. Asian. Quiet and soothing, this multicultural venue serves sushi, sashimi, yakitori and wide-ranging Japanese appetizers, but Tamarind also presents a full menu of Thai classics and a sake lounge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/428-8009. $$

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Marcello’s La Sirena in West Palm Beach

ForT lAUdErdAlE 15th street fisheries—1900 S.E. 15th St. Seafood. Surrounded by views of the Intracoastal, this Old Florida-style restaurant features seafood and selections for land lovers. Entrées come with soup, salad, a sorbet course and fresh breads.

We love the prime rib. • Lunch and dinner daily.

954/763-2777. $$ 3030 ocean—Harbor Beach Marriott Resort, 3030 Holiday Drive. American. The menu is heavy on seafood and changes several times a week. We recommend the sautéed Florida red snapper or the indulgent butter-roasted Maine lobster. For dessert, try the popular roasted banana crème brûlée. • Dinner nightly. 954/765-3030. $$$

bistro 17—Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel, 1617 S.E. 17th St. Contemporary American. This small, sophisticated restaurant continues to impress with competently presented food. The menu is surprisingly diverse, with everything from seafood chowder, burgers and pizza to cherry-glazed breast of duck. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 954/626-1701. $$

bistro mezzaluna—1821 S.E. 10th St. italian. The bistro is all Euro-chic decor—mod lighting, abstract paintings. It also has good food, from pastas to steaks and chops and a wide range of fresh seasonal fish and seafood. Don’t forget the phenomenal wine list. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/522-6620. $$ bongusto ristorante—5640 N. Federal Highway. italian. This is a well-kept secret, featuring dishes that will meet the standards of those

who savor authentic Italian. Involtini capricciosi—tender-rolled veal stuffed with spinach, prosciutto and fontina cheese—is satiating, while the yellowtail snapper oreganatta melts in your mouth. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 954/771-9635. $$

café martorano—3343 E. Oakland Park Blvd. italian. Standouts include crispy calamari in marinara sauce and flavorful veal osso buco. Our conclusion: explosive flavor, attention to all the details and fresh, high-quality ingredients. Waiters whisper the night’s specials as if they’re family secrets. • Dinner daily. 954/561-2554. $$

canyon—1818 E. Sunrise Blvd. Southwestern.

Billed as a Southwestern café, this twist on regional American cuisine offers great meat, poultry and fish dishes with distinctive mixes of lime, cactus and chili peppers in a subtle blend of spices. The adobe ambience is warm and welcoming, with a candlelit glow. • Dinner nightly. 954/765-1950. $$

casablanca café—3049 Alhambra St. American, Mediterranean. The restaurant has an “Arabian Nights” feel, with strong Mediterranean influences. Try the peppercorn-dusted filet mignon with potato croquette, Gorgonzola sauce and roasted pepper and Granny Smith relish. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/764-3500. $$ casa d’angelo —1201 N. Federal Highway. italian. Many dishes are specials—gnocchi, risotto and scaloppine. The veal chop is grilled and blanketed in a thick layer of Gorgonzola.

A delightful pasta entrée is the pappardelle con porcini: thick strips of fresh pasta coated in a light red sauce and bursting with slices of porcini mushrooms. • Dinner nightly. 954/5641234. $$ may/june 2014

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dining guide chima—2400 E. Las Olas Blvd. Steaks. The Latin American rodizio-churrascaria concept—all the meat you can eat, brought to your table—is done with high style, fine wines and excellent service. The prime rib, sausages, filet mignon, pork ribs and lamb chops are very good. • Dinner daily. 954/712-0581. $$$ eduardo de san angel—2822 E. Com-

Conch Out

It’s only open weekdays, but Calypso offers summer tropical fusion flavors at their best—island spices and rotis and grilled conch the way it was meant to be.

mercial Blvd. Mexican. Try master chef Eduardo Pria’s pan-sautéed Florida blue crab and yellow corn cakes. As far as soups go, there’s the pasillachile-flavored chicken broth with fresh “epazote” (fried corn tortilla strips, sliced avocado, sour cream and homemade cheese). The pan-seared beef tenderloin filet mignon is sublime. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 954/772-4731. $$$

sublime —1431 N. Federal Highway.

Vegetarian. Not only does the menu offer an alternative to animal agriculture, the company’s profits support animal welfare. The haute vegetarian cuisine delivers with dishes like mushroom ravioli and the Tuscan quiche.

• Dinner Tues.–Sun. 954/539-9000. $

emunah café —3558 N. Ocean Blvd.

Kosher, organic. Don’t let the New Age “spirituality” throw you off. Focus on the fresh, organic ingredients that are incorporated into inventive sushi, soups and salads and (mostly) Asian-influenced entrées. • Lunch and dinner Sun.–Thurs. Sat. late evening hours. Closed Fri. 954/561-6411. $

sunfish grill—2775 E. Oakland Park Blvd.

il mulino —1800 E. Sunrise Blvd. Italian.

This modest, unpretentious Italian restaurant doesn’t attempt to reinvent the culinary wheel.

Instead, it dishes up big portions of simple, hearty, flavorful food at extremely reasonable prices. Zuppa de pesce is a wealth of perfectly cooked seafood over linguini in a light tomato-based sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily.

954/524-1800. $

timpano italian chophouse —450 E. Las Olas Blvd., #110. Italian. Sink yourself into oversized booths with elegant white tablecloths and prepare to dive into excellent signature bone-in steaks. The menu includes chops and a diverse array of fresh fish and pasta dishes. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily.

954/462-9119. $$

indigo —Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. Seafood. Enjoy delightful alfresco dining while sampling fresh seafood and exotic specialties. Dependable choices like ahi tuna is joined by more intriguing dishes like sea bass and salmon, and landlubbers will enjoy a selection of steaks and chops. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 954/467-0045. $$

johnny v—625 E. Las Olas Blvd. American. Johnny Vinczencz made his mark at Boca’s Maxaluna and Max’s Grille and (the former) De La Tierra at Delray’s Sundy House. Now in his own restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard, Vinczencz has evolved. As for the impressive wine list, Johnny V has more than 600 selections. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 954/761-7920. $$

sea watch —6002 N. Ocean Blvd. Seafood.

For a right-on-the-beach, welcome-to-Florida dining experience, there’s Sea Watch. Decked out in a pervasive nautical theme, this is definitely tourist country, but it’s pretty and on the beach. The perfect entrée for the indecisive: Sea Watch medley, with lobster tail, jumbo shrimp and scallops broiled in butter, garlic and white wine. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/781-2200. $$ shula’s on the beach—Sheraton Yankee

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Trader, 321 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.

Steaks. This steak house on the beach provides what could be the best ocean view in two counties. Meat is the focus, with a compact menu of all your faves, as well as your new favorite steak, Mary Anne: two mouthwatering 5-ounce filets in a creamy cognac and shallot sauce. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

954/355-4000. $$

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Seafood. Think inventive, sophisticated food, the kind that made the original Pompano Beach restaurant a major destination. Its take on tuna tartare is still the gold standard, and you can’t go wrong with entrées like onioncrusted salmon or the grilled Atlantic swordfish. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 954/561-2004. $$

HOllywOOd lola’s on harrison —2032 Harrison St. New American. Chef-owner Michael Wagner reinvigorates quintessentially American dishes with exacting technique and inventive flavor combos. Short ribs braised in CocaCola come with thick-cut onion rings and indecently rich, tarragon-laced creamed corn.

• Dinner Tues.–Sun. 954/927-9851. $$ taverna opa —410 N. Ocean Drive. Greek.

Bring all your friends here and order a million mezes (Greek appetizers). Try the keftedes, Greek meatballs, and the lamb chops or snapper, which is filleted at the table. Don’t be surprised when your waiter pulls you up on the table to dance. • Dinner nightly. 954/9294010. (Other location: 270 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/303-3602). $$

lAUdERdAlE By THE SEA blue moon fish company—4405 W. Tradewinds Ave. Seafood. This is one of the best spots in Broward County for waterside dining; and the two-for-one lunch special makes it one of the most affordable. Choose from a raw bar and fish nearly every which way, as well as daily, seasonal fish specials. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sun. 954/2679888. $$$

lIGHTHOUSE POINT le bistro—4626 N. Federal Highway. Global.

This eclectic menu has French, Moroccan and Indian influences. Michelin-trained chef/owner Andy Trousdale prepares everything to order. We love beef Wellington (for two) and the yummy napoleon. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 954/946-9240. $$$

seafood world—4602 N. Federal Highway.

Seafood. This seafood market and restaurant, more suited to a pier, offers some of the freshest seafood in the county. Its unpretentious atmosphere is the perfect setting for the superb king crab, Maine lobster, Florida lobster tails and much more. Tangy Key lime pie is a classic finish. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sun. 954/942-0740. $$$

POMPANO BEAcH calypso restaurant—460 S. Cypress Road. caribbean. This bright little dining room and bar (beer and wine only) has a Caribbean menu that is flavorful, imaginative—and much more. Calypso offers a spin on island food that includes sumptuous conch dishes, Stamp & Go Jamaican fish cakes and tasty rotis stuffed with curried chicken, lamb or seafood. • Lunch and dinner Mon.–Fri. 954/942-1633. $

darrel & oliver’s café maxx—2601 E. Atlantic Blvd. American. The longstanding institution from chef Oliver Saucy is as good now as when it opened in the mid-1980s. The peppered sea scallops appetizer is a must, as is Café Maxx’s cheese plate. Main courses offer complex flavor profiles, such as the sweet-onion-crusted yellowtail snapper on Madeira sauce over mashed potatoes. Parts of the menu change daily. • Dinner nightly. 954/782-0606. $$$

romantico ristorante —1903 E. Atlantic Blvd. Italian. This is the perfect setting for good conversation, a glass of wine and delicious food. Fettuccine alla Romantico is hot homemade fettuccine poured into a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano. • Lunch and dinner Mon.–Sat. 954/946-9100. $$

wESTON cheese course—1679 Market St. Bistro.

Locals love the made-to-order bistro sandwiches on fresh baguettes, daily quiche selections and cheese plates. Favorites include the applewoodsmoked bacon with goat cheese brie sandwich and the Spanish salad with manchego, orange slices and black olives. • Lunch and dinner daily.

954/384-8183. (Other location: Mizner Park, 305 Plaza Real, #1305, Boca Raton, 561/395-4354.) $

check out our complete tri-county dining guide only at bocamag.com.

may/june 2014

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LARGEST FREE HEALTH AND DENTAL CARE CLINIC IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND HOW YOU CAN HELP AT CARIDAD.ORG OR CONTACT OUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AT 561-853-1638 caridadcenter_brm1213.indd 1

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out&about

[ by stefanie cainto ]

dOwnTOwn phOTO

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woman volunteer of the year

where: Boca Raton aBout the event: The Junior League of Boca Raton celebrated local women who serve the community during one of its signature events, hosted this year at Boca West Country Club. The 26th annual Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon, which included a fashion show by Neiman Marcus, attracted some 650 guests. Peggy Jones of Boca Helping Hands was named Woman Volunteer of the Year. Patricia Thomas, nominated

by Caring Hearts Auxiliary and Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League, received a lifetime achievement honor.

[ 1 ] Back row, from left: Mimi Meister, Kascey Frank, Bill Marrocco, Joanne Butcher, Tandy Robinson, Louise Glover and Carrie Young. Seated: Amy Brand, Elizabeth Kelley Grace, Carolyn Kelley North and Jane Kucera

follow the leader

More event coverage Visit bocamag.com for photo galleries from social events, store openings, charity fundraisers and other community gatherings in and around Boca Raton. To submit images for Out and About, e-mail appropriate material to people@bocamag.com.

[ bocamag.com ]

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woman volunteer of the year (cont.)

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downtown photo

[ 2 ] Jamie Rosemurgy, Kimberly Rosemurgy, Crystal McMillan and Jennifer Rosemurgy [ 3 ] Kirsten Stephenson and son [ 4 ] Jamie Sauer and Lou Ann Such [ 5 ] Melinda DeHoff, Nancy Dockerty, Suzanne Bower Frias and Kristen Ross

may/june 2014

[6]

woman volunteer of the year (cont.) [ 6 ] Sharon DaBrusco, Nikki Seltzer and Melissa Van Putten-Henderson [ 7 ] Crystal McMillan, Jan Kucera, Jan Savarick, Peggy Jones and Linda Gunn [ 8 ] Christine E. Lynn and Patricia Thomas [ 9 ] Louise Glover, Jan Kucera, Dick Pollack, Linda Gunn and Charlene Rowe [ 10 ] Holly Meehan and Allison Lane

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hope bash boca

WHERE: Boca Raton ABOUT THE EVENT: Thirty-four striking images of foster children were on display at Boca Raton Resort & Club during the Place of Hope at the Haven’s jeans-and-jewels-themed gala, an event that raised funds for the organization’s new campus in west Boca. There was live entertainment, dancing, and live and silent auctions for more than 300 guests.

[ 1 ] Mark and Janean Mileusnic [ 2 ] Denise Day, Jennifer Lentoski, Michelle Ferretti and Michele Bloder [ 3 ] Hillel Presser, Stephan Kontos, Sean Caplen, Marcia Caplen, Ruia Kontos and Ashley Martini [ 4 ] Alain and Karyn Troadec [ 5 ] Marcie Butters and Laura Frione [ 6 ] Debbie Dingle, Scott Dingle and Cindy Rine

[2] [3]

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ren dittfield

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may/june 2014

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out&about [2]

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[4]

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a princely affair

Where: Boca Raton About the event: It was all about poise and grace during Boca Ballet Theatre’s 22nd annual “A Princely Affair,” a fundraiser that marked the beginning of the company’s 2013-2014 season. More than 400 guests enjoyed lunch and a performance from local dancers—as well as members of the New York City Ballet.

[5]

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silvia pangaro

[ 1 ] Irene Herrmann, Abby Cauff-Brown, Judy Lorenzani, Giuliano Lorenzani, Crystal Green and Maria Scherer [ 2 ] Carrie Gibbons, Kim Lazarus, Stephen Lazarus and Lisa Franklin [ 3 ] Seth Marmor, Marleen Forkas, Jane Tyree, Holli Rockwell and Dan Guin [ 4 ] Valentina Martinez, Becky Forster, Gary Kovacs and his daughter, Susan Fedele, Lisa Franklin and Clare Winkel [ 5 ] Back row: Gigi Gilcrease, Gloria Aranki, Glenda Tobar, Rhoda Olchak, Marta Guerra and Cindy Surman front row: Patti Kabram

may/june 2014

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theBOCAinterview continued from page 73

because no one looks twice at an ordinary person. And I said to my friend at Homeland Security, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you found out George Washington’s spy ring still existed today?” And he said to me, “What makes you think it doesn’t?” That’s when I said, “OK, I’ve applied for the inner circle.” That’s where the idea for The Inner Circle came from.

put Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in another. … I will say that I think there were only five people that repeated in both books, and, of course, one of them was my mother.

Do you feel that having chilDren took your career in Directions that surpriseD you?

We better—that’s what I hope people come to me for! To me, history is not a bunch of dates and facts you memorize. History is a selection process, and it chooses every single one of us every single day. The question is, do you hear the call?

Of course. The only reason those books exist are because I became a father. And I was just tired of my kids looking at loudmouth athletes and reality TV show stars and thinking that’s a hero. I tell my kids all the time, that’s fame. Being famous is very different than being a hero.

how DiD you whittle Down the lists in Heroes for my son anD Heroes for my DaugHter?

The hardest part was, there were so many heroes to choose from. I could do another book and still not hit them all. So it was just a matter of finding a balance, and it’s why Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin are in one book, and I

continued from page 27

Economic Development: The City has a thriving and diverse business community. Over half of all of the large office space in Palm Beach County is located in Boca Raton. The FAU Research and Development Park is about 85 percent leased. And although due for some updating, the 850-acre Arvida Park of Commerce remains one of the premier office parks in the State, and is home to dozens of corporate headquarters. ...

Boca Raton’s grade: B Mayor’s grade: A Political Environment: Part of the lack of large emotional debates at City Council meetings noted by Craig Agranoff is the continued high level of performance of City operations, and the continued financial performance of the City. Unlike other communities in which there is significant attendance at City Council meetings, Boca Raton does not have the issues that generate this participation such as crime, trash collection, water quality, flooding, fire protection, taxes [or] corruption. ... The City Council meetings are professionally conducted, and without community-wrenching issues, the meetings are generally pretty mundane. ...

Boca Raton’s grade: F Mayor’s grade: B

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DiD you Do reporting for these books as well? was it important to Dig up information about these heroes that wasn’t the well-known wikipeDia synopsis?

you spoke at the literacy coalition of palm beach county’s annual love of literacy luncheon. what brought you to that cause?

They’re a terrific cause, and mutual friends brought us there. Any writer is a fool if they don’t promote literacy; beyond that, the reason I love the cause is because I’m a beneficiary of it.

When we were growing up in Brooklyn, we didn’t have hardcover books sitting around

Cultural Offerings: The City of Boca Raton and its residents and businesses support the arts better than most other cities. As a result, the City has a significant number of cultural organizations. ... Within the City are a number of excellent cultural facilities and venues, including the Boca Raton Historical Society and Museum, the Boca Museum of Art, the Mizner Park Amphitheater [and] the Boca Raton Children’s Museum. ... The City took over operation of the Mizner Park Amphitheater several years ago, turning an empty venue into a active, thriving entertainment center with over 80 concerts, performances and events each year with over 100,000 visitors.

Boca Raton’s grade: B+ Mayor’s grade: A Environmental Preservation: The City had one of the first landscaping ordinances in the nation.

It has received Tree City USA certification for the last 32 years. There are almost 380 acres of environmentally sensitive land within the City. The City has the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and a nationally acclaimed sea turtle program. It has developed the largest reclaimed water program in Southeast Florida, implemented a program to implement LED lighting [and] created the Green Living Advisory Board. ...

Boca Raton’s grade: AMayor’s grade: A-

all over the place. We didn’t have that kind of cash. But my grandmother had a library card.

And that library card changed my life. I suddenly got to go to London with Agatha Christie, and I got to go on a train called the Orient Express, and I suddenly got to see places that I never knew existed. The world became bigger for me, just through books.

To me, that is the benefit of literacy.

For more oF our interview with Brad meltzer, visit bocamag.com.

May/June 2014 issue. Vol. 34, No. 3. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Publishing Corp., and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Publishing Corp. 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 seven times a year (September/October, November, December/January, February, March/ April, May/June and July/August) by JES Publishing Corp. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 5455 N. Federal Highway, Suite M, 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: $14.95/7 issues, $19.95/14 issues. Single copy $5.95. 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.

Tourism: In addition to the miles of beautiful public beaches, beachside parks, golf courses, tennis courts and boating, the City of Boca Raton has everything that visitors are looking for, including ... quality hotels, a large number and variety of restaurants and dining opportunities, and significant shopping venues. ...

Boca Raton’s grade: B Mayor’s grade: AFinancial Health: ... The City’s financial position remains extremely strong. Arguably, the City of Boca Raton maintains the highest quality of services of all of the communities in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, yet it has the lowest tax rate, the lowest water and sewer rate, and the lowest fire services assessment of these same communities. The City has earned a AAA rating from all three financial rating agencies, something that few communities have been able to accomplish. The City has developed and maintained financial reserves for future projects and possible emergencies. ...

Boca Raton’s grade: CMayor’s grade: A+ I appreciate the opportunity to respond, and I hope the information ... provide[s] your readers with the many ways we are one of the most sustainable and best run cities in the nation.

—Susan Whelchel may/june 2014

speedbumps [ by marie speed ]

Kid Stuff

The women of Tomorrow can be a Tough acT Today.

E

very Mother’s Day, a few of us who have lost our mothers and who do not have children treat ourselves to a nice dinner in honor of our moms. It takes the sting off a little and becomes a small ritual we look forward to now. We all still miss our mothers, but not having children is something I think we came to terms with years ago; I almost never think about it anymore.

That is, until a recent trip to Belle Glade.

Barb Cambia had talked me into going with her to be her guest at a mentoring program she is doing once a month at Glades Central High School called “Women of Tomorrow,” a nonprofit group designed to “inspire, motivate and empower at-risk young women to live up to their full potential,” according to the literature. Cambia, director of corporate relations at Lynn University, is always putting people together, networking, making connections. I’m used to it, and I was up for it—a nice drive through the cane fields, an hour of enthralled 15-year-old girls hanging on my every word.

So there we were in the classroom, the girls in a big semicircle before us, and I began explaining what I do at the magazine, making sure to use language they could relate to.

I talked, I gestured, I dropped names—but nothing. A half circle of polite faces with completely blank expressions. I was explaining how the best interviews were always the most personal ones when Cambia, who is always looking for an angle, suggested the girls interview me, just for fun.

“That’s a great idea,” I said.

A hand shot up.

“Do you have kids?” the girl said.

I was wondering what this had to do with magazines, but maybe it was a career question, the issue of family-work balance.

“No,” I said.

“Why not?” follow the leader

“Well, it just never worked out,” I said, thinking that would be the end of it.

“Why not?”

“Well, I’ve been married twice but it just never happened.” The room was still. “I mean, I always wanted kids, but maybe it was timing … they say you should live life without regrets, but well, maybe, that might be a teeny regret,” I said. Suddenly, I could not stop talking. All eyes were on me, and I swear the room was getting smaller.

“So does it make you sad?” another one asked. “Like, when you go to the park and you see parents playing with their kids, does it make you feel bad?”

“Well, no ... well, maybe a little, maybe at Christmas time,” I said, starting to squirm in my chair.

Another hand shot up.

“So do you still love your husband?”

“Love.” I cleared my throat, which was starting to close a little. “I don’t think you ever stop loving people you loved,” I began.

By now, Cambia was nervous and teary-eyed and the kids were smelling blood. “I mean sometimes life just turns out differently than how you thought it might,” I trailed off …

Another hand.

“So if you don’t have kids, when you die, who’s going to get your money?”

“What money?” I almost said, and then I decided enough was enough. “Let’s talk about magazines,” I said, as Cambia exhaled.

“Let’s talk about proofreading.”

A week after the talk, Cambia called and said we had been a hit at Glades Central High School. The Women of Tomorrow people wanted to know if I could go visit another school.

They wanted to know if I would be a mentor.

So there it is. Maybe I’ve been wrong all these years. Maybe I do have kids. Maybe I just haven’t met them yet. [ bocamag.com ]

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my turn

[ by john shuff ]

And Then God Made a Parent

One family faces its challenges head-On—and becOmes strOnger in the prOcess.

“The most important ingredient in parenting is unconditional love.

There is no substitute for it. Not money, not time. A child has to know they are loved first. It’s not questioning who they are or what they are, it’s accepting them for what they are and who they are—and helping them become the best people they can be. There is a place in society for everyone, and we just want them to take their rightful place.”

—Dr. Rafael Cabrera

A

ccording to my mother, the first words my dad said right before each of us was born were: “I hope this baby has two eyes, two arms, two legs, two hands, ten fingers and ten toes.”

I’m sure down the road he harbored other expectations, knowing each of us represented the future—a link to a new generation. And it was partly his responsibility to prepare us for the life ahead. Like all parents, he came to realize that as his children traversed life’s roads there would be bumps along the way; at times he would feel as if he was riding on the rims. All parents have been there, but not all of them can face adversity with the grace and wisdom of Dr. From left: aaron, Rafael Cabrera and his wife, Lori. chloe, gabby, Cabrera is a successful and welllori and rafael cabrera respected cosmetic surgeon (he removed a cancer from my right shoulder) in Boca Raton. As an undergraduate at New York University he met Lori. They were married while he attended Cornell Medical School and subsequently interned at Bellevue Hospital in New York.

Life always has been pretty good for the Cabreras, but they have encountered more than a few bumps in the road—challenges that easily could have tanked a weaker marriage.

Their first child, Gabrielle (Gabby), now 20, didn’t speak until kindergarten age. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. “She didn’t talk for her first five years, but she was in an exceptional

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[ bocamag.com ]

student education program until high school where she managed her schoolwork and social life on her own,” Cabrera says. “Based on how my daughter was doing, Lori and I stopped talking about her as having anything different from anyone else. She is now a freshman at the University of Tampa where she studies hard, drives and holds a job.”

Then along came the twins, Aaron and Chloe, now 17. Aaron was diagnosed early on with autism. Cabrera says his biggest fear is that Aaron is going to be in a situation “that is not ideal for him.”

“The reality is that as a person ages, the problems become more complicated, not less complicated. Aaron is going to need more support over time, and that requires the right situation as well as money.

He needs a residential living environment in which he can survive and live independently.”

Enter the Unicorn Village Academy, the Boca-based high school (and, starting in 2014-15, a middle school) connected to the Unicorn Children’s Foundation for youths facing neurological learning challenges.

“I joined their board in 2007, and I’m now the president,” Cabrera says. “[The Academy] helped us when we first arrived in Florida to find services and the right people to talk to about our children.”

Cabrera doesn’t dwell in the world of what-ifs. He and his wife do not shy away from family challenges; they embrace them.

“We had no children for a few years while we were studying,” he says. “When we had children with disabilities it made us stronger and closer as a couple. That’s not everyone’s experience. Many marriages collapse under the stress and pressure of having a child with a disability. We have always been united in our goals and vision. You don’t choose—you accept, and you do your best. We are not all born with the same tools, but we all deserve to use the tools we have.”

Happy Mother’s and Father’s Day. For information or questions about Unicorn Village Academy, call 561/826-9156 or visit unicorn villageacademy.org. may/june 2014

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