Boca Raton magazine July/August 2016

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Our2016 Roundup $5.95

JULY/AUGUST 2016

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WHAT HAPPENED, WHO ROCKED & WHY WE LOVE BOCA

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YOUR SUMMER RETREAT DESERVES A SPLASH OF CHIC

RECEIVE A $100 RESORT CREDIT * PLUS KIDS EAT FREE ** THIS SUMMER. A modernized Mediterranean Resort Village spanning over 300 acres, Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, has every imaginable amenity to offer today’s luxury traveler. This summer enjoy the half-mile private beach, 13 bars & restaurants, and award-winning spa while the kids enjoy Quest Club Camp, the FLOWRIDER, and endless beach and water activities.

Book the Best of Waldorf Package with rates starting from $274/Night.

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For reservations, call 561.447.3000 or visit BocaResort.com. *Best of Waldorf includes $100 resort credit per two paid nights. **Kids eat free promotion available at select restaurants for stays at the Boca Raton Resort & Club between 5/1/16 - 9/30/16.

Must be accompanied by one adult. Additional restrictions apply. Visit www.bocaresort.com for complete terms and conditions.

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@bocaresor t #bocaresot #bocasince1926

BOCA RATON RESORT & CLUB · BOCA BEACH CLUB®

13 DI N I NG OPTI ON S • 1 / 2 MIL E PRIV ATE BE ACH • 6 S W I M M I NG P OOLS • A W A RD-W I NNI NG S P A • TWO FITNESS CENTERS • QUEST CLUB FOR KIDS KIDS ARCADE • TWO 18-HOLE GOLF COURSES • 18 TENNIS COURTS • MARINA • BOUTIQUE SHOPS • FLOWRIDER WAVE SIMULATOR

B O C A R E S O R T.COM

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© 201 6 Hilton Worldwide

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Authorized Dealer A. Lange & Söhne • De Bethune • FP Journe • Harry Winston • IWC • Jaeger LeCoultre • Van Cleef & Arpels Mizner Park, Boca Raton • 561.361.2311 • Town Center, Boca Raton • 561.362.9660 • lesbijoux.com

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ELLIMAN BOCA RATON

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2016 Collection

One Thousand Ocean | 406 Boca Raton | $6.35M

6021 Le Lac | Boca Raton RX-10146368 | $14.5M

840 S Ocean Blvd | Manalapan RX-10134593 | $24.5M

One Thousand Ocean | 102 RX-10070008 | $4.3M / $30K Monthly

Š 2016 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 veri ed by your own attorney, architect or zoning expert. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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DEMAND EXCELLENCE GLOBAL INSIGHTS | REAL ESTATE STRATEGIES WEALTH CREATION AND PRESERVATION | INTERNATIONAL NETWORK Acquiring and selling your home requires sophisticated representation and expert perspective. CNBC asks this of me every time I appear on Power Lunch and Squawk Box. “Secret Lives of the Super Rich” features preeminent properties I represent and asks for the global perspective on prime property and wealth. Put the power of Senada, Douglas Elliman and Knight Frank to work for you.

One Thousand Ocean, Signature Penthouse 2 | Offered at $6M or $35,000 monthly.

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Senada Adzem | Director of Luxury Sales | 561.322.8208 | 917.913.6680 | 444 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL thesenadateam.elliman.com

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INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS. NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICES. With a network of buyers from around the world, selling your Boca Raton home begins with a conversation…

Stop by to say hello.

For the full list of Douglas Elliman locations, visit elliman.com/offices/florida

KNOWN GLOBALLY. LOVED LOCALLY

With 16 South Florida offices and 6,000 agents nationwide plus the international scale and scope of Knight Frank Residential, the world’s largest independent property consultancy, the Douglas Elliman network reaches across 58 countries and 6 continents. Chances are, your buyer has worked with us before.

1111 LINCOLN RD, PH-805, MIAMI BEACH, FL 33139. 305.695.6300 © 2016 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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AWARDS

JULY/AUGUST 2016 VOL. 36, ISSUE 6

A selection from New York Grilled Cheese Co., a “Best of Boca” honoree

features

AARON BRISTOL

64 BEST OF BOCA

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We celebrate another year in paradise, complete with inspiring entrepreneurs, funky biscuits, rabble-rousing activists and much more. by marie speed, taryn tacher and john thomason

78 CAPONE IN MIAMI

America’s No. 1 gangster lived and died in the 305, shaking up law enforcement and country clubs alike. by sally ling

DECKED FLORIDA’ 86 ALL 92 ‘ALL OUT ALL STARS Summer shines with luxurious outdoor home accessories highlighting silver and gold. photography by aaron bristol

After 65 years, the Boca Museum’s summer exhibition is getting a facelift.

We look at five artists invited to the transformation—one of whom really is the bees’ knees. by john thomason

5/27/16 4:33 PM

JULY/AUGUST 2016

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VOL. 36, ISSUE 6

39 FEEL GOOD

Stretch into the most meditative yoga poses you’ve ever experienced, enjoy the superpowers of eight superfoods, and discover fitness apps that shrink personal trainers and nutritionists into the palm of your hand.

by lisette hilton

45 FLORIDA STYLE & DESIGN

Make the bathroom a serene, streamlined sanctuary by eliminating noise, clutter and unneccesary color.

by brad mee

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Readers comment on articles from recent articles and blogs in Boca Raton.

Each year we are reminded why we love living here—and it’s about way more than where to find a great pizza. by marie speed

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HOME TOWN

What’s the summer buzz in and around Boca? We open the book on the best beach reads, toss a few questions at an awardwinning baton twirler, salivate over the area’s best Brisket Blend Burger and more.

By dorothy macdiarmid and taryn tacher

31SHOP TALK

Look chic and sheltered with our retailers’ hottest sunglasses.

Also, become the envy of the beachfront with the best accessories for sand, sea and sun.

by lindsey swing and taryn tacher

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CITY WATCH

By breaking down the numbers, our investigative columnist cuts through the heated rhetoric on both sides of the downtown development debate.

by randy schultz

54 FACE TIME

Meet a showbiz offspring with a head for numbers and feet on a deck, the woman helping to rebrand Boca from a “Seinfeld” punch line to a diverse city, and a pair of soulful publishers making Palm Beach County a better place.

by eric barton, allison bowsher and john thomason

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THE BOCA INTERVIEW

An oceanographer and former Cousteau Society CEO hopes to stay above water by helping us adapt to sea level rise.

by frank stephenson

45 107 BACKSTAGE PASS

Our A&E department spotlights the summer’s hottest happenings. Also, we go behind the lens of a top concert photographer—and we Take 5 with the man turning Shakespeare into a horserace. by john thomason

115 DINING GUIDE

Don’t leave home without it! Our comprehensive guide to the best restaurants in South Florida includes new reviews of Grato in West Palm Beach and Kapow! in Boca Raton.

reviews by bill citara

145 OUT & ABOUT

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

by taryn tacher

159 SPEED BUMPS

So let the unbelievers leave town; we know where summer is the best—and it’s right here. by marie speed

160 MY TURN

The author celebrates the benefits of keeping one’s head in the clouds.

by john shuff

COVER PHOTO

Spanish River Park in Boca Raton Photography by Kim Seng/captainkimo.com

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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a new

to u c h s ton e f or w om e n ’s h e a lt h It serves as a new touchstone for women’s health.

Redefining how care can be – and should be – delivered.

The new Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital provides women in South Florida with a continuum of care that addresses a woman’s unique medical needs, from young adult through menopause and beyond. It features the latest imaging technology, the expertise of renowned physicians and a host of clinical programs, such as breast health, cardiac care for women and pelvic floor conditions. A focus on wellness is also a key component of the Institute, with offerings in integrative medicine that include massage therapy, acupuncture, lectures and support groups. All in a stunningly beautiful facility that was designed by women…for women.

The Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. An environment of care that is complete, connected and comforting.

690 Meadows Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486 561.955.4HER (955.4437) | BRRH.com

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bocamag.com WEB EXTRAS Check out these bonus items unique to bocamag.com, stories in our July/August issue of Boca Raton or events in our area this summer: REAL DEAL VEAL: Chef Wilman Rodriguez at Matteo’s breaks down a delicious dish—Veal Chop Valdostana—in this issue’s “Deconstructing the Dish” segment (page 130). Visit Web Extras for all the step-by-step details.

Meghan Trainor at SunFest

BOOZE ON BOARD: Al Capone, one of our country’s most infamous gangsters, used to smuggle illegal alcohol into Florida with the help of a few locals. Check out Web Extras for details.

OCEAN COMMOTION: Sea level is on the rise in Florida, and Boca oceanographer John Englander has something to say about it. Visit Web Extras for a Q&A with the man who’s making waves.

CAN’T BE BEAT: Catch the view from the front row concert seats with photographer Ron Elkman, who delivers up-close shots of the biggest shows.

Click on the “Concert Photos” link under the A&E tab for day-after images.

RON ELKMAN

DINNER IS SERVED: Blogger Lynn Kalber has the lowdown on the latest restaurant news under the Dining link at bocamag.com every Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

CITY WATCH: Randy Schultz keeps our readers in the know when it comes to the news, issues, controversies and debates that most affect our community. Check out his “City Watch” blog every Tuesday and Thursday.

WINNING FORMULA

Boca Raton’s social media platforms are the place to be when it comes to special giveaways this season. Check our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages for alerts and instructions—and you may be one of our lucky winners.

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t miss Boca on everything from Facebook (facebook. com/bocamag) to Instagram (instagram.com/bocamag) and Twitter (@bocamag) for community news, retail trends, foodie updates—and much more.

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. Also, check out our catalog of South Florida concert images, courtesy of Ron Elkman.

DINING: Lynn Kalber breaks down the tri-county restaurant scene every Monday, Tuesday and

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Friday. On Wednesdays, look for Alina Z., aka, “The Green Goddess,” who brings you the latest on healthy eating options. Also, check back every other Thursday for coverage of foodie events all over town, courtesy of Shaina Wizov.

HEALTH & BEAUTY: Lisette Hilton delivers local news from the worlds of exercise and medicine every Wednesday in her “Fit Life” blog.

SHOP: Discover upcoming trunk shows, store openings, moneysaving tips and fashion trends throughout the week with our style specialists, including the ladies from LLScene.

COMMUNITY: Randy Schultz brings a reporter’s eye to Boca and beyond every Tuesday and Thursday with his “City Watch” blog; Michelle Olson-Rogers explores

the family scene with “Boca Mom Talk” every other Wednesday; and our in-house team keeps you on top of local events and happenings—including our popular “Staff Picks” each Friday to kick off your weekend.

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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Boca Like Never Before Via Mizner, offering a luxurious lifestyle complemented by sweeping ocean and golf course vistas, boutique shoppes and restaurants, and access to Via Mizner Golf & City Club – all anchored by the legendary Mandarin Oriental and The Residences at Mandarin Oriental.

Live above it all.

561.571.0330 | moresidencesbocaraton.com

The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton (The Residences) are not developed, sponsored, owned, offered or sold by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group or any affiliate thereof (MOHG), and MOHG makes no representation, warranty or guaranty of any kind regarding The Residences.The developers and owners of The Residences use the Mandarin Oriental name and trademarks subject to the terms of revocable licenses from MOHG which may expire or be terminated.

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. Branding and Marketing by Conway + Partners

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THE [ONLY] BOCA RATON MAGAZINE

T H E T ALK O F

TWO TOWNS

group editor-in-chief

marie speed

managing editor

john thomason

senior art director

lori pierino

assistant art director

valentine s. fracassi

RESORT’S NEW TOP GUN JOHN TOLBERT, ACT II

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DELRAY ARTS UPDATE FIVE LOCAL SOUL MATES KEEPING THE FAITH NOW ✦ CRISIS IN FUN CITY?

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Home Design Issue Natural Beauties TODAY’S MUST-HAVE

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mandy wynne

RESORT CASUAL DELRAY-STYLE

ELEMENTS FOR YOUR HOME

contributing writers PLUS:

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Luxe Resorts SUMMER GETAWAYS WITHOUT THE DRIVE

THE ELDERS

THE PEOPLE GUIDING WEST DELRAY 3

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THE NEW SAIL INN, OLD SCHOOL ITALIAN & OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST IN NEW YEAR DIVERSIONS

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Boca Raton magazine is published nine 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.

D E L R AY M A G . C O M

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president/publisher margaret mary shuff group editor-in-chief marie speed

controller jeanne greenberg

circulation director george agoglia s ubscription coordinator

kat algeo

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)

On Pineapple Grove, angle Atlantic Avenue 25 NE, 2nd Ave. #110, Delray Beach, FL 33444 Right Beside El Camino! (561) 266-3538

JES Media produces:

Boca Raton magazine Delray Beach magazine Mizner’s Dream Worth Avenue Boca Raton Chamber Annual Salt Lake magazine Utah Bride and Groom Utah Style & Design Salt Lake Visitors’ Guide

FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION 2015 CHARLIE AWARDS charlie award (first place) best department (Boca Raton) best column (Boca Raton) best feature (Boca Raton) best feature design (Boca Raton) best overall use of photography (Boca Raton) best custom publication (Worth Avenue)

silver award best feature (Boca Raton) best public service coverage (Boca Raton) best overall design (Boca Raton)

bronze award best overall online presence (Boca Raton) best editorial/commentary (Boca Raton)

PAST FMA HONORS (2008 to 2014) charlie awards (first place awards) 2014: best overall magazine (Boca Raton) 2014: best overall writing (Boca Raton) 2014: best overall use of photography (Boca Raton) 2013: best overall online presence (Boca Raton) 2013: best department (Boca Raton) 2012: best overall magazine (Boca Raton) 2012: best feature (Delray Beach) 2012: best photographic essay (Boca Raton) 2011: best new magazine (Delray Beach) 2011: best custom publication (Worth Avenue) 2010: best overall magazine (Boca Raton) 2010: best overall design (Boca Raton) 2009: best overall magazine (Boca Raton) 2009: best overall design (Boca Raton) 2009: best feature (Boca Raton) 2008: best overall magazine (Boca Raton) 2008: best feature (Boca Raton) 2008: best single, original B&W photo (Boca Raton) Plus: 11 silver awards (2008-2014) 11 bronze awards (2008-2014)

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“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.

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

Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Founder and Administrator

[ subscription, copy purchasing and distribution ] For any changes or questions regarding your subscription, to purchase back issues, or to inquire about distribution points, call circulation at 877/553-5363.

It’s The Personal Touch That Makes The Difference

[ advertising and event resources ]

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Offering Quality Private Duty Nursing Care and Care Management Services Since 1993 Available 24 Hours a Day Companions Live-Ins Homemakers Speech Therapy Occupational Therapy

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

255 Sunrise Avenue, Suite 200 Palm Beach, FL 33480

Fax (561) 347-7567

Fax (561) 833-3460

(561) 347-7566

(561) 833-3430

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DYNAMIC DUO

Get 1 year (9 issues) of BOCA MAGAZINE plus 1 year (6 issues) of DELRAY MAGAZINE for

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S U B S C R I B E T O D AY O N L I N E To subscribe by phone, please call 877-553-5363, ext. 233.

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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).

[ story queries ] Boca Raton magazine values the concerns, interests and knowledge of our readers about the community.

Please submit story and profile ideas by e-mail to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com). Due to the large volume of pitches, the editor may not respond to all queries.

Boca Raton does not accept unsolicited, ready-for-print stories.

[ web queries ] Submit information regarding our website and online calendar to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com).

[ letters ]

[ arts & entertainment ] Where to go, what to do and see throughout South Florida. Please submit information regarding galas, art openings, plays, readings, concerts, dance or other performances to A&E editor John Thomason (john.thomason@ bocamag.com). Deadline for entries in an upcoming A&E section is three months before publication.

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

[ people ]

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[ custom publishing ]

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 Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com).

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

Boca & Delray magazines boast South Florida’s most compelling stories and people, the hottest events and restaurants.

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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 Rebecca Valenza at rebecca@bocamag.com.

Interested in partnering with Boca Raton on a community event? Contact Bianca Romano at bianca@bocamag.com.

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.

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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.

MARSELL

[ first issue ]

AVANTOI

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

ENZA COSTA RICK OWENS

[ 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 877/553-5363, or send an e-mail to: subscriptions@bocamag.com.

PAS DE CALAIS OFFICINE CREATIVE VIVE LA DIFFERENCE

[ 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 877/553-5363, or send an e-mail to subscriptions@bocamag.com, and we will straighten out the problem.

[ 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 877/553-5363. 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.

ROYAL PALM PLACE BOCA RATON 561-367-9600

LAS OLAS FT. LAUDERDALE 954-524-2585

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[ 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.

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

[ 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 877/553-5363.

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

[ for any of the above services, please contact our subscriptions services department ] Call TOLL FREE: 877/553-5363 E-mail: subscriptions@bocamag.com Write: Boca Raton magazine Subscription Department 1000 Clint Moore Road, #103 Boca Raton, FL 33487

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BIG EVENT? WE HAVE YOU COVERED! Boca Raton magazine covers the hottest events in South Florida.

Visit bocamag.com for exclusive videos, pictures and blogs of the following events and much more!

Allianz Championship Boca Bacchanal Boca Ballroom Battle Caribbean Cowboy Ball Delray Beach International Tennis Championships Festival of the Arts Junior League of Boca Raton’s Woman Volunteer of the Year Mixology South Beach Wine & Food Festival Savor the Avenue Tastemakers of Delray Beach Tastemakers at Mizner Park

For help with your event, contact

Events@bocamag.com

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mail GROWING PAINS Mr. Schultz, I believe you have mislabeled the group as the “no-growth crowd” when evidence shows that this group should be labeled as the “close the door behind me” gang [Randy Schultz, “The No-Growth Crowd Keeps At It and Other Issues of Note,” Community blog, April 12]. They always profess how long they have lived in Boca Raton and long for the days when nobody knew how nice it was to live in Boca.

Tony Puerta bocamag.com The increase in Boca Raton home prices is DIRECTLY related to the smart growth and development all over the city, but particularly in the downtown [“Boca Charts a Plan…,” Randy Schultz, Community blog, May 3]. Amenities such as new hotels (Hyatt) and high-end condos/rentals are helping to drive the market citywide. Retail rents are up and new stores (Clive Daniel and the new Robb & Stucky) are popping up everywhere—providing a lot of shopping choices for new residents. Tear-downs in the Golden Triangle are going at a feverish pace because of the proximity to the vibrant new downtown. There is still a lot of value in many areas such as Palm Beach Farms; the time to buy is now, as product will be at a premium for the rest of the cycle.

Glenn E. Gromann bocamag.com Pittsburgh recently started attracting tech companies and working professionals to an unattractive area. We have an attractive area, so we

have a leg up, thus we just need to market ourselves as a more desirable place for young people to live...

It’s not good enough in its current iteration or they already would [“Boca Charts a Plan…,” Randy Schultz, Community blog, May 3].

In general millenials, young professionals and entrepreneurs want recreation activities, nonchain restaurants, craft breweries, walkable areas (or good public transportation), great public parks (a place where people go just to “hang out,” not to watch their kids play soccer) and, obviously, affordable housing.

For instance, 20th Street is an excellent opportunity to bring in more craft breweries and socialization opportunities, since it appeals to college students too. We could build lofts and mixed-use businesses—create an actual nightlife scene that Boca lacks.

Boca Owl bocamag.com It’s so curious to me as to why these NIMBYs don’t understand the basics of business and microeconomics [“New Opposition to the Wildflower Plan …,” Randy Schultz, Community blog, May 5]. If they’re so concerned with green space, perhaps they should pool their monetary resources in the amount of $7.5 million (plus equity and interest) and offer to buy the property back from the city. Their argument is transparent and flawed, as

the City of Boca Raton is the largest landowner in the city. It has more land than it knows what to do with, and yet another park is not the answer. That’s a tired, beat-up argument, and quite frankly, anyone with half a head is sick of hearing it.

Move on.

Jamie Acernese bocamag.com

COLLECTION CONNECTION I wanted to thank you for the wonderfully incisive review of my collection at the Norton [“Still/Moving Plumbs Collector’s Eclectic Psyche,” John Thomason, A&E blog, April 1]. It was so amazing what I learned.

I always have a hard time discussing my collection and articulating why I collect what I do, so thanks for helping out.

Beth DeWoody West Palm Beach

SPILLING THE BEANS Thank you so much for this recipe [“Deconstructing the Dish: Tucci’s escarole and beans with sausage,” MayJune Web Xtras]! I’ve been trying to make it forever!

“Tucci’s Obsessed” bocamag.com

CORRECTION Dr. Robert Norton’s credentials were misrepresented in our last issue. He is Robert P. Norton, MD.—Editor

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23 luxury waterfront CONDOMINIUMS for the privileged few

Sunrise to Sunset Views • 2,600 to 3,800+ SQ. FT.

f r o m $2 m i l l i o n

2 - 3 Bedroom • 2.5 - 3.5 Bath Private Yacht Dockage • Skyview Lounge Located in North Beach Village

Sales Center Location

Building Location

2400 E. Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

321 N. Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

844.331.0422 • 321FortLauderdale.com

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. Plans, elevations, specifications, features, colors, designs, dimensions and materials are all subject to availability, and subject to change or substitution at any time and without notice. 321 Birch, LLC expressly reserves the right to make modification, revisions and changes as may be required for lot fit or by governmental bodies and law, or other reasons as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Illustrations of elevations and plans are artist’s depictions only. Plans are only for illustrative and conceptional purposes, are not to scale, and may be the reverse (mirror image) of those shown. The drawings and floor plans in this brochure should not be relied upon, express or implied, for the final detail, feature or dimensions of any home. All measurements, including, but not limited to, room dimensions, balconies, porches and ceiling and wall heights are approximate and may vary from those shown as a result of, among other things, (i) the elevation and home-site selected, and/ or (ii) construction materials, construction practices, field conditions and flooring thickness. Square footages are approximate and are measured from the outside of exterior walls. In production, plans and elevations may vary in precise details and dimensions, and may not actually be constructed as shown. The fixture shapes shown are graphical in nature and are not necessarily indicative of a particular style or model. In addition, some features shown in the model homes may not be included in the purchase price of the home as quoted. Please consult your sales representative and refer to the Purchase Agreement in order to determine which features, specifications and elevations are included in any home you may purchase. Stock photography includes stock images and is used to depict the spirit of lifestyle and not for specific references. Map is for illustration purposes, not to scale and for approximate location only. For exact locations consult a sales representative. CBC017578

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Exclusively Offered by

Developed By 321 Birch, LLC

5/23/16 6:51 PM

editor’s letter

[ by marie speed ]

The Best of Times

IN THIS ISSUE WE EXPLORE THE CHANGES IN BOCA RATON—AND ARE REMINDED WHY WE LOVE IT HERE.

I

t’s that time of year again—our annual Best of Boca issue— when we take a look at the past year: what’s new, what’s news, who did what and what everyone is talking about. In the old days we used to cover the basics—the best burger, pizza, steakhouse—but the truth is, that got old. There were too many good places, and we didn’t want to leave anyone out, and pretty soon the whole magazine was a vapid list of places where we loved to have dinner. Enough.

These days we like to have fun with this article by reviewing the spirit of the times—the way the last year played out in terms of people, politics and new developments, from restaurants to civic issues. Our readers already know where to get a good burger—but they may want to be reminded of what the year brought to Boca. One issue that struck a chord with our panel of irreverent city watchers was the whole downtown development issue. We had people who were firmly convinced that the community was being ignored and a cartel of developers was calling the shots—in cahoots with the city leadership. Others wondered what the fuss was all about as projects coming online are all within what the downtown master plan has called for all along. Despite differences in opinion, the rapid change downtown has most people on edge, and a little concerned. Between traffic worries and design woes, the dramatic transition from a sleepy little collection of storefronts to a series of soaring towers is a big sea change for downtown Boca Raton—and most are uneasy. It’s an issue we will continue to monitor.

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The flip side of growing pains is the annual reality check this issue brings on: the sheer quality of life we enjoy in Boca Raton. There are miles of undeveloped coastline, a park system that is unparalleled in the region, first-class shopping and dining, stringent landscaping and signage guidelines and a growing cultural base. Most of all, there is a philanthropic community that just keeps on giving—year in and year out—to everything from our hospitals to our universities to our nonprofits and underserved communities. It is all those things that compose the real best of Boca—the life we are privileged to enjoy here every day.

With that, I’ll sign off and invite you to enjoy this fun summer issue —and count your blessings to be living here. We’re happy to have you as a reader, and we welcome your feedback on this as well as all our issues. As the song says, I’ll see you in September!

Marie Speed Group Editor-in-Chief

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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1. comScore, Jan.-Dec. 2015. 2. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is ranked number one in closed residential buyer and/or seller transaction sides in Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Pensacola/Panhandle, and number one in residential sales volume (calculated by multiplying number of buyer and/or seller transaction sides by the sales price) in Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Pensacola/Panhandle, according to data submitted to REAL Trends by NRT LLC, 2016. One unit equals one side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered service mark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. 12391FL-5/16

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hometown [ 22 boca by the numbers • 24 my favorite dish • 26 boca chatter • 28 the next big thing ]

INTO THE WILD “There is no life here. What we see is a

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

construct of [Amy] Gross’ observations, ruminations, sense of irony and penchant for detail. It is fascinating— both familiar and mysterious.” So says Fiber Art magazine, in a spring 2016 national profile of this Delray Beach artist, who uses common craft-store materials to create lifelike sculptures of nature’s boundless flora. Read about Gross, along with four more invitees to this year’s All Florida exhibition at the Boca Museum, on page 92.

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home town [ BOCA BY THE NUMBERS ] SPECIAL SUMMER EDITION

July and August are the hottest months in South Florida—and we’re not just talking about temperature. There’s a ton you can do to soak up the sun, from summer camps to sea turtle spotting and more.

87°F

This is the average high temperature in Boca Raton during the months of July and August. Summer days can reach temperatures in the high 90s, and summer nights can dip down into the 70s.

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There are this many parks in Palm Beach County. These parks are home to tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, bicycle rentals, equestrian trails, camping grounds and more.

For a full listing, visit pbcgov. com/parks/locations/all.htm.

There are this many miles of coastline in the state of Florida, and 663 of those miles are beaches. Grab some sunscreen and a towel, and spend some lazy summer days by the ocean—like everyone in the rest of America wants to do.

50,000

Approximately this many sea turtles visit the Florida coast during summer months—making it the most important location for nesting in the country.

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There are this

many summer camps in Palm

Beach County—ranging from every-

day summer activities like swimming,

sports and arts & crafts to specialized camps centered on dancing, acting, horseback riding and more. Check them all out at pbparenting.com/ summer-camp.

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Elevate your experience. Play your favorite Las Vegas style slots, enjoy the thrill of live Blackjack, indulge at the world-class NYY Steak and live it up at Legends Lounge.

LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. casinococo.com Must be at least 21 years old to play Slots and Table Games or to receive Player’s Club benefits. Must be 18 or older to play Live Poker. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1.888.ADMIT.IT.

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home town [ MY FAVORITE DISH ]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

AARON BRISTOL

Do you have a favorite local restaurant dish? Send it to editor@bocamag.com—and we may feature you in an upcoming issue!

Brisket Blend Burger Sliders and Truffled Bistro Fries SAYS WHO: Kirsten Stanley WHERE TO FIND IT: M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom WHY IT’S HER FAVORITE: “There are so many wonderful dishes in Boca that it’s very hard to select just one. But something that can’t be replicated at home is a Brisket Blend Burger Slider and Truffled Bistro Fries from M.E.A.T. I try to have a very healthy diet, but every once in awhile, a slider and fries is just the perfect dish at the end of a long day.“

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ABOUT KIRSTEN: Kirsten Stanley currently serves as the 2015-2017 president of the Junior League of Boca Raton and as the executive vice president at Meisner Electric in Delray Beach. Although she ventured north to attend college at Duke and work for a few years in New York City, this Boca native returned to her roots in 2001.

ABOUT THE RESTAURANT: M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom, 980 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/4192600, meateatery.com

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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home town [ BOCA CHATTER ]

Summer Reading List

Time to kick back a little—now that you finally have time to crack some spines. Try these suggestions from a few local bookworms.

THE TEAM AT BARNES & NOBLE BOCA RATON: • The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney The Nest is a real page-turner about the power of family and the possibilities of friendship.

• Hamilton: The Revolution by Jeffrey Seller and LinManuel Miranda Dive into the fascinating backstory of Alexander Hamilton, who defended the Constitution and helped to found the United States.

• Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt An Emmy Award-winning CNN anchor and his aging socialite mother talk about their lives, their losses and their loves.

ANN M. NAPPA, MANAGER OF LIBRARY SERVICES, CITY OF BOCA RATON • Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick “I love history and am a huge Philbrick fan. I met him a few summers ago, and we talked about hockey, not history!”

• Summer of ‘49 by David Halberstam “For the Boca Raton Public Library’s

annual summer reading initiative, the national theme this year is sports, so I am looking forward to reading this classic in sportswriting. I’m a Red Sox fan with lots of Yankee fan friends—plus, Halberstam was a genius.”

• Christodora by Tim Murphy “I don’t know much about this book, but a friend who works for the American Booksellers Association told me that I had to read it. She read an early copy (it doesn’t come out until August), and since I trust her recommendations completely, I added it to my summer list.”

KIRSTEN STANLEY, 2015-2017 PRESIDENT, JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BOCA RATON • Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff “It’s about living with a terminal cancer diagnosis when young, and it really resonated with me since I have stage 4 breast cancer. A college friend who works in publishing in New York City recommended it to me.”

• Against the Wind: An Ironwoman’s Race for Her Family’s Survival by Lee DiPietro • Alice & Oliver by Charles Bock

SUMMER TREAT

JOYCE DEVITA OF THE JOYCE OF COOKING SHARES HER SON’S FAVORITE ICE CREAM

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM Yield 10 ½ cup servings INGREDIENTS: 1 cup whole milk, well chilled 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups heavy cream, well chilled 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Vanilla bean (optional) 1 cup mini chocolate morsels, frozen DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and granulated

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sugar until dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

Scrape vanilla bean into mixture.

Pour mixture into freezer bowl. Turn on the ice cream maker. Allow to churn until thickened, for about 25-30 minutes. Add the frozen mini chocolate morsels during the last 5 minutes of mixing.

The ice cream will have a soft, creamy

texture. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.

JOHN MULHALL, LAWYER

• Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion “I read an article about the author recently and downloaded this 1960s classic.”

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman “This Newberry Medal winner was recommended by a friend.”

• Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes “Who doesn’t love Tom Petty?”

3 DON’T-MISS EVENTS [ 1 ] FIREWORKS

Monday, July 4, 6:30-8 p.m., free family activities and a live band, 9 p.m. fireworks display Spanish River Athletic Facilities at De Hoernle Park, 1000 N.W. Spanish River Blvd.

Free trolley service from Boca Corporate Center & Campus Contact: 561/393-7995

[ 2 ] BOCA’S BALLROOM BATTLE

Saturday, Aug. 20, 6-10 p.m. at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real Eight prominent community leaders compete in a local spinoff of “Dancing with the Stars.” Paired with professional dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studio, community dancers train

for more than four months to perfect a dance routine while fundraising for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Dancers perform and compete for the grand prize at an elegant cocktail reception.

This event sells out quickly!

Contact: ballroombattle.com

[ 3 ] BOCA CHAMBER

FESTIVAL DAYS

Nonprofit chamber members join forces with for-profit chamber members for fun-filled events during the month of August. All month long, hop from events each day at local businesses that raise awareness and funds for nonprofits while celebrating everything that is great about Boca Raton.

Contact: 561/395-4433, bocachamber.com

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW

BY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER MARISSA HAGMEYER

WARDROBE SWITCH: It is a great time to start thinking about switching your wardrobe over for fall. Get ahead of the curve and make a list of the items you would like to purchase for fall as well as the storage containers that might be helpful in order to store your summer favorites that you really won’t wear again until next season.

BACK TO SCHOOL: A good purge is always great to do prior to back-to-school shopping. Clean out the clothes that no longer fit and make a list of what you need to purchase before the year starts. Also, don’t forget to clean out any schoolwork or supplies from last year that your child no longer needs.

HURRICANE PREPARATION: With hurricane season in full swing, it is important to make sure you have everything you need in case of an emergency. Make sure the supply kit is stocked and that each member of the family knows where those items are located.

TOY ASSESSMENT: If you have children, you know that a summer of endless play dates and camp activities can leave behind quite a mess. Before the craziness of the school year begins, have each child take some time to create a box or bag of toys that either they didn’t play with all summer or that have just been a little well-loved. Then donate anything that is in good shape to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL PLANS: It never hurts to think ahead and start planning your holiday travel. When the temperatures are at an all-time high, it can make planning your holiday getaways quite motivating.

FAMILY PLANNING CENTER: Prior to the school year begining, it is great to make sure a family planning center has been created. You will want to include a large calendar and an inbox for each member of the family so that nothing is missed.

ABOUT NEAT METHOD Marissa Hagmeyer is the South Florida Home Organizer for NEAT Method, a lifestyle service committed to providing a more luxurious and smartly appointed living space. With locations all across the U.S., NEAT Method recognizes that life gets hectic and that maintaining an organized home can become a challenge. NEAT Method will design a customized solution that is not only effective but sustainable.

Best summer must-haves A GREAT SNORKEL AND MASK: Boca Surf & Sail carries the line of Scuba Max double lens silicone dive mask and snorkels in an assortment of colors and styles. $24-$50

A COOL OVERNIGHT BAG: Add some fashionable flair to your next out-of-town excursion with the Henri Bendel Weekender Bag. Crafted with canvas in the signature Bendel pink-andchocolate stripe, the tote features a removable cross-body strap and plenty of pockets and compartments to keep your essentials organized during any spontaneous getaway. $98

A NEW TRAVEL APP PEOPLE LOVE: Reid Travel recommends TripCase. It sends you a notification anytime your flight changes, gate changes, etc. Also, you can input hotels, dinners and more so you have everything in one place.

BEST UNISEX WALKING SHOES:The Waldlaufer, a lace-up oxford for $155; and the ECCO Yucatan sandal—think of it more as a topless sneaker—available in five colors, for $130, at Walk’n Shoes, 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton

DAY-TO-NIGHT WRINKLE FREE SUMMER DRESS: Here’s two options—one with sleeves and one without—from Fashion Scoop the Boutique.

This ¾-sleeve dress (pictured) from Veronica M. mixes boho and funk in a multipurpose shift dress. Wear this dress with sexy heels for a night out or with booties for a rock ‘n’ roll look. Great for traveling, this dress has a slight sheen lightweight fabric that doesn’t wrinkle. $92.95 Also from Fashion Scoop, the everywhere nautical-inspired dress by Press is a versatile spandex-blend travel dress that can be worn dressed up with wedges and edgy jewelry or dressed down with sandals and a floppy hat.

Wherever you are headed this summer, it’s the perfect travel companion. $59.95

BOCAMAG.COM follow the leader

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home town [ NEXT BIG THING ]

Curt Burrows THIS ESTABLISHED TWIRLER IS READY TO PASS THE BATON TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

C

urt Burrows balances more than just schoolwork and an aftercare job at an elementary school. He balances a baton (or four!) as well. The 22-yearold member of the South Florida Dynamics, an Amateur Athletic Union-affiliated team based at St. Vincent Ferrer Family Life Center in Delray Beach, is the only male on the baton squad, and he’s making a name for himself in the female-dominated sport.

Burrows was practically born with a baton. His older sister, Rachel, was teaching him to twirl long before he ever stepped on a competition floor. But it wasn’t until Burrows was 12 that he began to practice baton competitively. Luckily for the tween, he had been building his repertoire of skills for years at home.

He had the basics down, but joining a competition team still held its challenges. At such an impressionable age, Burrows felt the need to keep his hobby a secret from his middle-school peers.

“I would get teased about it a lot,” he says. “It really took a toll on me, and it wasn’t until high school that I got over that fear.”

Those old social stigmas have long disappeared, and Burrows’ baton career has flourished. He practices for about two hours each day—as evidenced by the cracks in the chandeliers throughout his home. “I don’t like to over-practice, but I definitely have a baton in my hand every single day,” he says.

And with good reason—Burrows attends baton competitions twice each month from January through April. State competition happens in May, regionals in June and nationals in July. This nimble competitor touts three Grand National Championship titles across two different organizations. He is a gold medalist in Canada for three-baton twirling, a silver medalist for solo (one baton) and a bronze medalist with his South Florida Dynamics group. Yet Burrows says he still gets stage fright. “I think what calms my nerves while I’m on the floor is smiling,” he says.

Though most twirlers remain serious when focusing on their choreography, Burrows boasts a smile as he manipulates the baton around various parts of his body—his pride for the sport evident as he twists and twirls.

Hoping to instill the same love of baton in children, Burrows teaches twirling to Pat’s Brats in Lantana and Jewels Twirling Academy in Opa Locka. Cognizant of the perception of males competing in a primarily female sport, Burrows aims to serve as a role model for young male twirlers. “You just can’t let what other people say hinder your opportunities,” he says.

—Taryn Tacher

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TM

RO AL PALM PLACE TM

Your Style For Life

TM

PETS WELCOME!

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[ by taryn tacher and lindsey swing ]

shoptalk PRETTY IN PINK Battle the summer heat

waves in style with sophisticated pinks, patterned two-piece sets and an array of modish sunglasses (more on page 32). You’re going to love your new Resort Wear wardrobe this season.

Christian Siriano Resort 2016 Collection at Neiman Marcus at Town Center at Boca Raton

BOCAMAG.COM follow the leader

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shop talk [ FASHION ] ANN TAYLOR BUNGALOW SUNGLASSES, $48, Ann Taylor, Town Center at Boca Raton JIMMY CHOO ANDIE SUNGLASSES, $281, Bloomingdale’s, Town Center at Boca Raton

RAY-BAN COCKPIT FLASH LENSES, $170, Sunglass Hut, Town Center at Boca Raton

JIMMY CHOO ANOUK AVIATOR, $365, Nordstrom, Town Center at Boca Raton

DIOR CD MOHOTANI, $335, Sunglass Hut, 328 Plaza Real, #1328, Boca Raton

9 SHADES OF SUMMER

Inspired by the fabulous street style during New York Fashion Week, we’re taking a walk on the wild side with these trending sunglasses. Expect reflective to gradient-tinted lenses that come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

WILDFOX GEENA MIRRORED SQUARE SUNGLASSES, $375, Lord & Taylor, 200 Plaza Real, Boca Raton

DIOR SO REAL MIRRORED SUNGLASSES, $560, Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton

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WILDFOX MIRRORED SUNSET DELUXE SUNGLASSES, $189, Bloomingdale’s, Town Center at Boca Raton

ROBERTO CAVALLI GEOMETRIC OVERSIZE SUNGLASSES, $250, Solstice, Town Center at Boca Raton

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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shop talk [ GADGETS ] SUNNYLIFE ‘BEACH SOUNDS’ PORTABLE WATER-RESISTANT SPEAKER & RADIO

DETAILS: This vintage device isn’t short on style or sound. Listen to the radio, or hook up your phone or MP3 player inside the speaker to keep it safe from all the splish-splash as you jam out to your favorite tunes.

PRICE: $49 WHERE: Nordstrom, Town Center at Boca Raton

TOY TIME

SUPER SOFT LAZY BUNZ POOL SADDLE

YETI TUNDRA 45 COOLER

Let this summer be a month of Sunday Fundays with these fun (and fashionable!) pool and beach accessories.

DETAILS: You never have to worry about tipping your raft again. This pool saddle is easy to balance, and it’s comfortable. Just sit back, relax and soak up the sun.

PRICE: $49.99 WHERE: Bed Bath & Beyond, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton

DETAILS: Keep your summer snacks and drinks cold all day in a YETI cooler. With twice the insulation and a rack to hold dry foods, the YETI cooler is the epitome of functional. You’ll never have to worry about a leaky cooler or a soggy sandwich again.

PRICE: $349.99 WHERE: Dick’s Sporting Goods, 515 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach

THE BEACH PEOPLE TULUM ROUNDIE BEACH TOWEL

DETAILS: Keep the sand at bay with this trendy round towel.

PRICE: $110 WHERE: Bloomingdale’s, Town Center at Boca Raton

6 SHORE ROAD BY POOJA SUNSET CROCHETED BEACH BAG DETAILS: Grab your sunglasses and your sunscreen, your wallet and your headphones, and stow them in this crocheted beach bag. The nylon/spandex lining and the zipper will keep your items from falling out as you relax poolside or stroll along a sandy beach.

PRICE: $154 WHERE: Neiman Marcus, Town Center at Boca Raton

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shop talk [ BEAUTY ] PROTECTING YOUR SUMMER SKIN This is the season you will finally take control of your skin and perfect that summer glow—without undue sun and wind damage. Here are the frontrunners for the most powerful—yet protective—skin care products on the market right now.

SOTHYS AFTER SUN ANTI-AGING TREATMENT, $55, Belly Love Spa, 3420 N.W. 62nd Ave., Margate

KERASTASE SOLEIL MASQUE UV DEFENSE, $40, Peter Mark Salon, 12 N.E. Fourth Ave., Delray Beach

Here Comes the Sun

NEUTROGENA ULTRA SHEER SUNSCREEN, $10.19, Target, 5650 Camino Del Sol, Boca Raton

LA PRAIRIE CELLULAR SWISS ICE CRYSTAL SERUM, $320, Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton

ESTHETICIAN LESLIE FASULO TALKS SUMMER WE LIVE WHERE YOU VACATION—a statement Boca

COOLA CLASSIC FACE SPF 30 MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY, $36, Ulta, 9882 Glades Road, Boca Raton

Ratonians love to casually repeat to out-of-towners. That being said, it’s easy to assume we know a thing or two about sun protection, but when it all comes full circle, we don’t always practice what we preach.

As a true pioneer in the field, Belly Love Spa’s lead esthetician, Leslie Fasulo, has flown all around the world to train and share her expertise on the best ways to safeguard your skin from our inevitable harsh summer rays. ✹ THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO DO TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER: Reapply, reapply, reapply.

Putting on sunscreen in the morning is not going to cut it.

Your skin is regularly exposed to the sun, whether you realize it or not. Invest in an SPF30+, and consistently cover your skin throughout the day.

LA PRAIRIE CELLULAR SWISS UV PROTECTION VEIL SPF 50, $185, Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton

✹ WHAT’S THE UV INDEX? You must proactively shield your skin under any temperature condition. Understanding UV radiation is crucial to protecting skin as well: UVA (A stands for aging), UVB (B stands for burn) and UVC (C stands for cancer).

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LA PRAIRIE CELLULAR SWISS ICE CRYSTAL TRANSFORMING CREAM SPF 30, $195, Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton

ST. TROPEZ SELF TANNING BRONZING MOUSSE, $35, Ulta, 9882 Glades Road, Boca Raton

✹ SPECIFIC SKIN CARE TREATMENTS THAT PREVENT OR REVERSE SUN DAMAGE: The majority of the time, I will recommend a chemical peel. Chemical peels improve and smooth the texture of the skin by removing the outer layers of skin. I’m able to customize chemical peels based on the severity and needs of the skin. Each peel is made for individuals with hyper-pigmentation, uneven skin tone, acne, acne scarring and rosacea, as well as fine lines and wrinkles.

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[ by lisette hilton ]

feelgood

In the Spotlight:

YOGA NIDRA

AARON BRISTOL

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE YOGA TO THE NEXT LEVEL, INTO A SORT OF A WAKING MEDITATIVE SLEEP? You have yoga nidra, the latest craze in relaxation. Julie Murphy, a Gulf Stream resident and yoga instructor at Simply Yoga in Delray Beach, describes yoga nidra as “not quite meditation, and yet it brings you to a meditative state and prepares the subconscious mind to receive your positive messages.”

According to Murphy, the conscious mind tends to analyze and apply logic and judgment to statements it receives. But the subconscious mind, when it’s taken through the yoga nidra stages, is prepared to receive a positive, life-affirming statement about what you would like more of in areas such as relationships, health and well-being. “The subconscious mind doesn’t argue with what you say; it accepts your affirmation as truth,” Murphy says. “So these statements are said in the present tense, such as, ‘I am happy and healthy, in body, mind and spirit,’ rather than, ‘I would like to be …’”

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feel good [ FITNESS ]

8 Super Foods

YOGA NIDRA Mind-body benefits: Yoga nidra can reduce stress, quiet the mind and bring clarity to your thoughts. It can improve your sleep, clear negative beliefs, change destructive habits and create a platform for personal transformation by planting positive affirmations in the subconscious mind. Murphy says her students have told her yoga nidra helped them ease depression, anxiety, insomnia and more.

Getting started: You can take a class at a local yoga studio. All you’ll need is your positive affirmation and maybe a blanket or cushion for comfort, Murphy says. “The best news about this type of yoga is that it is accessible to everybody. Anyone can do it, as long as you can lie on the floor. Some people are more comfortable sitting up, but for most people it’s easier to relax completely by lying down. And then all you do is follow the guided instructions, as you become aware of various parts of the body, and use gentle breathing and visualization techniques.”

You can also start your own yoga nidra practice at home. There are plenty of available yoga nidra downloads and CDs. Simply Yoga, at 2275 S. Federal Highway, Suite 150, in Delray Beach offers yoga nidra one Sunday a month, from 4 to 5 p.m., for $20. Visit simplyyogadelray. com for a schedule or call 561/7357172. Murphy’s yoga nidra CALM CD is available at Delray Beach businesses Shining Through, The Nutrition Cottage and Simply Yoga. Or you can email Murphy at julie@yogaressa.com.

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Discover what foods can take your body—and your health—to the next level

5

achel Novetsky knows her superfoods. The in-house health and nutrition expert at jugofresh, which is in Whole Foods Market in Boca Raton as well as the company’s other stores, shares her top eight, and suggests how to make them part of a delectably healthy lifestyle. These foods can all be found at Whole Foods stores and—aside from the mushrooms—at 4th Generation Organic Market in Boca Raton.

[5] Goji berries. These complete protein-packing red berries contain 19 different amino acids, 21 trace minerals, vitamins B1, B2, and B6 and vitamin E—and four times the antioxidants of blueberries, making them an excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-aging remedy. Sprinkle on smoothie bowls, salads or chia pudding, or soak them in tea.

[1] Hemp seeds. These tiny green-and-white seeds are one of the highest plant protein sources—not to mention they’re rich in essential amino acids and have more essential fatty acids than any other plant source. Simply sprinkle hemp seeds on a smoothie or salad. Another tip: Try hemp cream or hemp milk. Blend hemp seeds with water on high in a blender at a ratio of 1 cup seeds to 3 cups H2O. Add less water for cream.

[6] Moringa. This spicy green is rich in in protein, iron, vitamin C, potassium and calcium. (It contains four times more calcium than milk!) Moringa contains all the essential amino acids and is a naturally energizing anti-inflammatory that boosts your immunity and beautifies your skin.

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[2] Chlorella. This complete protein genus of single-cell algae is a perfect whole food. Word is it bolsters the immune system, improves digestion, detoxifies metals in the body and helps with pound shedding. Add chlorella to cold water, juice or a smoothie.

[3] Reishi mushrooms. This medicinal mushroom known as the “queen healer mushroom” balances stress within the body and boosts immunity. Typically sold in powder or capsule form, this mushroom’s earthy taste is perfect when mixed with hot water, coffee or cacao.

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[4] Bee pollen. The jugofresh pros like to blend bee pollen with coconut oil and coconut palm sugar. Bee pollen is a complete protein and contains 18 vitamins, including nearly all B vitamins as well as C, D and E and all 22 essential amino acids. It’s excellent for preventing colds and flus and can be taken as a homeopathic allergy reducer.

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[7] Açaí. This superfood super-berry from the Amazon is rich in vitamin C, helping to prevent colds and allowing our bodies to regenerate faster. It’s also packed with 19 different amino acids and is an excellent endurance and energy booster. jugofresh’s sunset harbor bowl and açaí verde bowl are perfect for breakfast or a snack.

[8] E3Live blue-green algae. E3Live is sourced from Oregon’s Klamath Lake and is packed with 65 vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

The algae have been shown to increase endurance and stamina, reduce stress and lift and balance mood. E3Live comes in both powder and liquid form and must be kept frozen until ready for use. jugofresh uses E3Live in its “Back to Basics” green juice. You can add it in powder form to any smoothie or bowl.

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feel good [ HEALTH ]

THE BIG THREE FITNESS APPS

Boca Raton asked Rio Santana, who manages the Institute of Human Performance (1950 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Boca Raton), which fitness apps the local gym’s personal trainers recommend to their clients. Santana says these are their top three.

Put down that phone!

Bogus blood pressure readings

Using your smartphone to measure blood pressure might not be smart, according to recent research. Sales were stopped last year for Instant Blood Pressure, a mobile blood pressure app by AuraLife, when Johns Hopkins’ researchers concluded the app gave inaccurate readings in four of every five people. Researchers estimated that about 148,000 versions of the app had been sold in a year’s time. Scary thing is, the app was known to dangerously underestimate blood pressure readings. Yikes!

and eating times. It’s cool stuff, Santana says.

• Fitbit’s app (fitbit.com/app) is designed to work with Fitbit activity trackers and smart scales. It counts your steps. IHP trainers recommend that people use Fitbit to track activity on off-exercise days to see how many calories they burn, how many steps they take and how far they’ve gone, as well as their average heart rates, when they’re not working out. There are Apple and Android versions of the free app. This fitness app tracks daily goals and progress in steps, distance and calories burned. It also logs food intake.

• FullFitness, downloadable from iTunes, is an exercise workout trainer. This one isn’t free. The day we checked, it was on sale for $2.99 a month. But you plug in what you’re looking for, like weight loss. It offers nearly 30,000 exercises, and you can customize and time workouts. So if you say you want to work out three days a week and only target your lower body, back and chest, FullFitness will give you a plan, according to Santana. The app offers videos and pictures, including a skeleton to show you which muscle groups you’re working. Santana believes it’s a good jumpstart to fitness.

And as a local addition to these fit-friendly apps, Miami-based Spafinder Wellness AARON BRISTOL

• MyFitnessPal (myfitnesspal.com) is a free mobile calorie counter that tracks your food intake. You can add to your food diary with just a few clicks from anywhere with an Internet connection. With more than 5 million foods in its database, MyFitnessPal gives you calorie counts on just about everything you eat and drink. You can also look up calories burned with specific exercises. The coaches at IHP love it because clients can email their trainers what they ate on any given day, in a PDF or Excel spreadsheet. The trainers can see clients’ calorie consumptions, food intakes

Rio Santana

launched The Wellness App for iOS and Android this past March. The free app allows users to find, book, pay for and earn rewards points when they use a global network of more than 25,000 wellness businesses, including yoga studios, spas, fitness clubs and wellness travel destinations. Other features include notifications of nearby deals, descriptions of businesses and reviews. It’s available in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play. Visit spafinder.com/thewellnessapp.

The American Heart Association gives its thumbs up to these mobile health apps: Fitocracy • Strava • Nike Training Club • Runkeeper • Daily Yoga • Charity Miles For more about each of these, visit heart.org.

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[ by brad mee ]

floridastyle&design

SCOT ZIMMERMAN

SERENITY PLEASE Forget loud, overworked and oversized. This

More interesting than plain white subway tile, the room’s powder blue Ashbury mosaic tile by Walker Zanger adds subtle pattern to the walls without overwhelming the space.

small bathroom proves clean design and simple details can soak a private sanctuary in calm, comforting and ultra-cool style.

How do you create serenity within the confines of a small bathroom? Simple. Play on its strengths. As demonstrated by this featured bathroom, an absence of clutter, lack of excessive space and dearth of unnecessary detail creates total tranquility.

Keep in mind, however, when you have less in a room, each element counts even more.

Design wisely.

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floridastyle&design

SMALL SPACE, BIG IDEAS

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Savvy design and less-is-more thinking make a splash in this modestly sized sanctuary.

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[ 1 ] A quartz-topped, walnut-faced cabinet appears to float on a wall of powder blue tile that spans the entire wall, even below the vanity and into the shower. The wall-mounted vanity helps promote a sense of openness by allowing light and space to flow freely below it. [ 2 ] A built-in tub suits the room’s rectangular shape and adds to its function-forward design. Easier to clean around than a freestanding model, this built-in version allows for a bettersized tub and fits the simple geometry of the room. Marble tile adds a classic element to the unmistakably modern space.

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[ 3 ] Replacing a distracting towel rod, a simple towel hook serves the space while enhancing the room’s straightforward, uncluttered design. [ 4 ] A glass wall and door allows the roomy shower to visually become part of the room’s overall open space. The accent wall’s blue tile flows seamlessly into the shower area, preventing any choppiness that can occur when multiple surface materials are incorporated.

SCOT ZIMMERMAN

[ 5 ] Glass and reflective finishes accentuate the room’s light and visually expand its space. Enclosing two walk-in closets, frosted glass barn doors flank a short hallway leading into the bathroom while reflecting its colors and light-like mirrors.

BATHROOM DESIGN BY WARREN LLOYD, LLOYD-ARCH.COM

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floridastyle&design

Claudia stool, starting at $672, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, mgbwhome.com

Lynn wall light, $378, Aerin, aerin.com

SOAKED IN SERENITY

Adelaide bath rug, $20, Bed Bath & Beyond, Boca Raton

Creating calm in the bathroom can be as simple as selecting the right accents and accessories.

Tissue box cover, $36, Marye-Kelley, marye-kelley.com

Rococo mirror, $750, Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler.com

Lotus soap dish, $25, Crate & Barrel, Boca Raton

Uchino Gauze Dot towels, starting at $18, ABC Carpet & Home, Delray Beach

Wrapped Agate knob, $18, Anthropologie, Boca Raton

Dixon Bamboo bathroom scale, $50, Crate & Barrel, Boca Raton

Peace studded candle, $98, Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler.com

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SignatureEvents Boca Raton Regional Hospital 2016 – 2017

19th Annual Golf Tournament Monday, October 17, 2016 Sponsored by JM Lexus Our fun and challenging tournament kicks off the season, led by Chairs Terry Fedele and Richard Schuller. This popular event features the championship courses of Boca West Country Club along with superb dining, including an extraordinary Awards Dinner. Every golfer will receive a one-of-a-kind premium amenity package. Last year’s tournament was a sell-out, so plan today to reserve a foursome to support the Hospital’s nursing team and the Ron & Kathy Assaf Center for Excellence in Nursing.

13th Annual Go Pink Luncheon Friday, October 21, 2016

We’ll be announcing our nationally known celebrity speaker soon, and you won’t want to miss this year’s event! You’ll enjoy a delectable luncheon, fabulous “pink” favor, the amazing Pink Daisy Pick Raffle and so much more! All proceeds benefit breast cancer programs and services at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. Email us at Foundation@BRRH.com to receive informational emails about this annual sell-out.

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55th Annual Hospital Ball Saturday, January 21, 2017 The first Ball was held in 1962 to raise funds to build a hospital for our community, which opened in 1967. Now, 55 years later, we’ll be commemorating the historic 50th Anniversary of the opening of Boca Raton Regional Hospital and celebrating its dazzlingly bright future. The evening will be filled with incredible surprises, and is sure to be the most talked about event of the season!! Seating will be limited, so start planning your tables and sponsorships today!

Information will be forthcoming, but be sure to mark your calendar today!

745 Meadows Road Boca Raton, Florida

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561-955-4142 www.brrh.com

5/23/16 10:44 AM 5/23/16 5:12 PM

city watch [ by randy schultz ]

How Downtown Happened

A REVIEW OF PAST ACTIONS THE CITY TOOK SHOWS HOW TODAY’S DEVELOPMENT CAME ABOUT—AND RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE.

I

s there a limit to downtown development in Boca Raton? Yes. Will the city hit that limit? If so, what happens? Those are the interesting questions.

As in 2014, downtown development will be an issue in Boca Raton’s March 2017 election. Mayor Susan Haynie is up for re-election. So is Councilman Scott Singer. Councilman Mike Mullaugh is term-limited. Three seats form a council majority. Most people who follow Boca politics expect that groups critical of downtown development will back a slate of candidates for those seats.

Some of the council’s most caustic and least informed critics blame Boca Raton’s current elected officials for what they consider to be downtown overdevelopment. In fact, Boca crafted the city’s plan three decades ago in a document called the Downtown Development Order (DDO). The plan first went to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, which asked for changes. Then the state had to approve it.

The city council significantly amended the DDO in 1992 by passing Ordinance 4035. It altered the schedule for transportation improvements, based on the Visions 90 plan begun two years earlier to finance downtown infrastructure improvements and beautification. Voters amended and clarified Amendment 4035 in a May 1993 referendum that added about 3 million square feet of development.

The city has since amended Ordinance 4035 several times—sometimes helpfully, occasionally not. Ordinance 5052, which the council approved in 2008, raised the downtown height limit from 100 feet to 140 feet for projects that follow architectural guidelines. The council wanted to create a system of “congenial, pedestrian-oriented streets and public spaces.”

Nevertheless, successive councils continue to follow that development order. It’s the law.

The key number in that plan is 8 million.

That’s how much development, in square feet, Boca Raton wanted in the roughly 350 acres that make up downtown. That number, however, isn’t so simple.

That 8 million is “office equivalent” square feet. Why? Adherence to the development order means having adequate roads and other services to support the new development.

Offices generate the most traffic—more than stores or apartments. The 8 million presumes that if only offices were built, the city’s roads could handle the traffic.

Obviously, Boca Raton never was going to have an office-only downtown, although no one 30 years ago foresaw the boom in downtown apartments. So the development order contains a conversion formula. Example: 1,000

square feet of office space gets a developer 2.4 residential units or 1,265 square feet of medium retail, such as a Houston’s-type restaurant.

When Boca Raton gets a downtown development application, city planners calculate how much “office equivalent” square footage the project would take up. If the council approves the application, that square footage is applied toward the 8 million.

As of Dec. 31, roughly 1.4 million square feet—or 17.4 percent—remained available.

One-third of that 8 million existed when Boca approved the Downtown Development Order.

Another 38 percent has been approved and built. The other 11.4 percent has been approved but not built. If some of that isn’t built, it doesn’t count against the 8 million. The formula varies a bit depending on whether the project is disBOCAMAG.COM follow the leader

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city watch placing an older one or is new. Downtown Manager Ruby Childers says the question she hears most is, “How much is left in the pot?”

Boca Raton has until October 2032 to fill that pot. That’s when the Downtown Development Order expires, unless it goes on hold for a building moratorium. Note to conspiracy theorists: The city council couldn’t unilaterally raise the 8 million limit in some backroom deal with developers if Boca filled the pot well before 2032. “You can’t just lift it,” Haynie says.

Because the state had to approve the DDO, the state would have to review any request for such an amendment. Boca Raton must file a report every other year to show that the city remains in compliance with the order.

Admittedly, Gov. Rick Scott has gutted the Department of Community Affairs, the state’s former land planning agency. But more enlightened governors could restore the agency’s status. Even if Boca did attempt to raise the limit prematurely, there would be much public scrutiny and no doubt a public outcry.

The city also probably couldn’t decrease the cap prematurely. During the April discussion of the downtown open space rules, Haynie

noted that any attempt to decrease the limit from 8 million would be challenged as an illegal “taking” of property rights.

Eventually, however, downtown Boca will hit that development ceiling or reach October 2032 without doing so. When that happens, Charlie Siemon told me, “Somebody will have to do something.”

If Siemon can’t define that “something,” no one can at this point. Siemon is a land-use lawyer who regularly represents clients before the city council. In the late 1980s, he was one of “about 25 regulars” who met in a City Hall conference room to craft the Downtown Development Order. “There was a push and pull,” he recalls, between developers and residents.

“Everybody did their very best.”

Events were so uncertain that the framers drew up two plans: one with Mizner Park and one without. “Mizner was perceived then,” Siemon recalls, “as a big money-loser.”

In 1988, the city divided downtown into seven sub-areas, each with its own development target. Those allocations, Siemon says, “were based on what was there. It was a shot in the dark. We wanted flexibility.” Developers can

MORE CITY WATCH Randy Schultz, former editorial page editor at the Palm Beach Post and a Boca resident, reports on city, county and statewide issues twice a week at bocamag.com. Catch his popular “City Watch” blog every Tuesday and Thursday for the latest buzz about Boca and beyond.

transfer rights within districts, but only up to a point. The city wanted redevelopment to spread, not be clustered.

The city’s most recent downtown report, issued last March, gives a fairly reliable forecast of where things will happen. Most of what’s left in the 8 million includes the section in and around Royal Palm Place (Subarea D), the faded shopping center north of Camino Real and west of the FEC tracks (Subarea G) and the City Hall section (Subarea A).

Haynie believes that the proposed Mizner 200 condo project north of Townsend Place would CONTINUED ON PAGE 158

FOR THE REST OF THE STORY… GO TO www.

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facetime [ by eric barton ]

Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III THE SCION OF A FAMILY OF ENTERTAINERS HAS TURNED NUMBER CRUNCHING INTO ITS OWN ART FORM.

T

here was a moment when Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III realized he didn’t have a gene that everyone else in his family seemed to possess. He was maybe 12, sitting at his family’s piano, practicing basic scales.

Nearby was his grandfather, Efrem Zimbalist Sr., the Russian violin virtuoso. The older Zimbalist had nearly lost his hearing by that point, and so instead of listening to his grandson play, he flipped through a manuscript. It was a Rachmaninoff, and Zimbalist Sr. could hear the instruments in his head—the violins, the pianos, the oboes, the entire concerto.

“As I was struggling to remember ‘every good boy deserves fudge,’ I realized I was never going to have what my grandfather had,” said the younger Zimbalist.

It was more than just what his grandfather had. His grandmother was opera singer Alma Gluck. And if you’re of a certain age, you might recall his father Efrem Zimbalist Jr., the actor best known for starring in TV’s “The F.B.I.” and “77 Sunset Strip.”

But Zimbalist III says there was never really pressure that he must continue his family’s artistic roots. “The pressure was more to be great at whatever you did,” he recalls. “You come to know that being an assistant branch manager at the local pharmacy is not on the agenda.”

Instead Zimbalist would become a virtuoso with numbers, first as a publishing executive with the Times Mirror Co. Then he struck out on his own, starting a company of niche media magazines and then buying the company that produces behemoth boat shows in several cities.

“I’m innately good at numbers, but it’s not what I love,” Zimbalist says. “I have a love of building businesses.”

Right from the start in business, he had the knack to see the mathematical relationships between things, he says. At Times Mirror, which used to publish newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Newsday, Zimbalist began as a strategic planner. He rose up to CEO before founding Active Interest Media, Inc. (AIM) in 2003. The simple idea behind the new company was to create publications covering industries and sports with avid enthusiasts, people who will read them loyally and use the ads to research products. It’s hard to imagine a more eclectic mix of interests than what the AIM magazines cover, with titles including American Cowboy, Black Belt, Vegetarian Times, Woodshop News, Yachts International and Backpacker.

In 2006 Zimbalist bought Show Management, producer of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Maybe for most, the connection wouldn’t be clear, but Zimbalist saw how the multiple boating magazines he publishes could work to promote the boat show—and how the show could work to advertise the magazine to an ideal target audience.

Since then, the Fort Lauderdale show has not only grown dramatically (seven venues and more than 3 million square feet of space), but the company now stages shows in Miami, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It has also hosted one in Panama.

The growth came in part because Zimbalist is a details guy, because he scrutinizes and studies the numbers. When he bought Show Management, he quickly added a system to sell tickets online. He added a point-of-sale system for food and beverage, not only to make transactions easier but to better track how vendors were doing. And now he’s added a system where people walking into the show swipe their IDs, giving the boat shows and the magazines marketing info on their key demographic.

The synergistic connections keep growing.

Three years ago, Zimbalist bought Warren Miller Films, most famous for its skiing movies, to help cross-promote his snow sport magazines. And he most recently acquired the World Series of Team Roping, a Texas rodeo that’ll help promote his equine magazines.

At 68, however, Zimbalist is backing off from the daily running of the company. He’s now executive chairman, after handing the presidency to his No. 2, Andrew W. Clurman. He lives now in a $1.9 million canal-side mansion he bought in Delray Beach and spends time in his favorite getaway, St. John. That’s where he can do what really gets him fired up: sailing into quiet coves, undeveloped islands, little slices of the Caribbean with nobody for miles. “Just the beauty of being on the water, in nature, it’s spectacular,” he says.

He also has this goal of being remembered, just like his dad. In explaining what he means by that, he recounts a story of going to visit his father on the Warner Brothers set during the filming of “77 Sunset Strip.” When he told the security guard who he was, the man said: “Are you Zimmy’s kid? You know he’s the nicest man on the lot.”

Zimbalist Jr. died in 2014 at 95, and the stories Zimbalist III now tells of his father usually revolve around something just like that. “We would go to restaurants and he could barely eat, because he’d have people lined up for autographs,” his son recalls. “Wouldn’t it be nice to be remembered that way?”

“You come to know that being an assistant branch manager is not on the agenda.”

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The Famous Zimbalist Family ›› Zimbalist’s grandfather, Efrem Zimbalist Sr., was considered one of the world’s greatest violinists. ›› As a soprano for the Metropolitan Opera, grandmother Alma Gluck’s recording of “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” in 1916 sold a million copies. ›› Father Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was a close friend of FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, which might explain why Zimbalist ended episodes of “The F.B.I.” with descriptions of wanted fugitives. ›› Sister Stephanie Zimbalist studied at Juilliard before becoming an actor, best known for the role of Laura Holt in “Remington Steele.”

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

›› Oldest daughter Kristina Zimbalist is a fashion journalist in New York and has worked for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Time.

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facetime [ by allison bowsher ]

Jessica Del Vecchio THIS CITY ADVOCATE IS BUILDING A BETTER BOCA, BRICK BY ECONOMIC BRICK.

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ake a trip anywhere in the United States during the winter months and you’ll quickly be reminded why calling Florida home is often met with looks of envy, jealously and possibly the question, “have an extra bedroom?” Life in the Sunshine State has a number of benefits, and for Jessica Del Vecchio, selling Boca Raton on these benefits is now her job.

In April 2015, Del Vecchio left her position as director of operations after more than seven years at Harr Capital Management to try an entirely new role both for her and the city. In order to keep Boca Raton competitive in attracting new companies to the area, the city created the Development Fund with Del Vecchio as its first economic development manager. Up until now, Boca has relied on county representatives to entice big businesses to the area. But with 38 municipalities within the county, Boca Raton is one of many cities moving toward an economic development fund in order to stay competitive.

A Boca resident since 1991, Del Vecchio is the perfect tour guide for the city. She completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Lynn University and has spent her professional career working in finance in Boca Raton. She describes herself as “a lifer,” and her love for the city is evident.

Del Vecchio wears many hats in her new position, including finding and working with companies that are expanding or relocating and showing them why Boca Raton is the best place to do both. “Attracting and relocating new companies is a competitive business; this fund will allow us to compete with other states and counties and cities that the company is considering,” she says.

The fund follows the state’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund outline and allocates funding to companies who expand within or relocate their businesses to Boca as long as they hire and retain the number of jobs stated in their contract with the city. Boca Raton’s main industry is corporate headquarters, with companies like Office Depot, ADT, Garda, Tyco and Cancer Treatment Centers of America all housing their head offices in the city. IBM set up shop here in the 1970s and

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started the trend for high-tech and medical companies relocating to the area, with Boca now boasting 27 life science companies who call the area home.

While “Seinfeld” provided iconic pop-culture references from “the big salad” to “Festivus,” it also stereotyped Boca Raton as an enclave of elderly retirees who rush to local diners for the blue plate special at 4 in the afternoon. One of Del Vecchio’s biggest hurdles in her new role is discrediting this picture of Boca Raton and instead displaying its young, vibrant makeup.

With a population of 90,000 and an average age of 46, the city is a far cry from a geriatric ground zero.

Extolling Boca’s virtues of more than 11 million square feet of Class A office space is one thing, but another is convincing the people who make up companies why they should move their families to the city. This is another area where Del Vecchio’s enthusiasm for Boca shines. “They factor in that we’re a safe city with high-rated schools and colleges, with a top-notch medical center, great dining and nightlife, world-class shopping and beautiful parks and beaches,” she says.

Once the companies have made the move to Boca, Del Vecchio’s role continues as she works tirelessly to make the transition as smooth as possible. “There’s a lot to moving corporate headquarters. It’s not just, ‘oh, it’s sunny, let’s do it,’” says Del Vecchio. The department has launched a Facebook page and a newsletter in an effort to help spread its message. “We’re here to help, we’re approachable, and we have a lot of resources [companies] may be unaware of.

“Anytime that they’re not in business, they’re losing money,” she adds. “We want to get rid of all those distractions and let them get back to building their business.” And that means building a better Boca Raton.

Boca Touches Down Del Vecchio has recently taken up golf.

During a game earlier this year, she recalls pausing her search for her ball to watch the private planes of the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants fly overhead into the city for an NFL conference. “It’s unbelievable what goes on in our ‘little’ city,” she says. “It’s not so little.”

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facetime [ by john thomason ]

Peter & Anne Vegso THANKS TO HAPPENSTANCE AND SOME SOULFUL SOUP, THESE GENEROUS BOOK PUBLISHERS HAVE MADE SOUTH FLORIDA A BETTER PLACE.

H

ad serendipity not intervened, Peter and Anne Vegso never would have met each other, and organizations like AVDA and the Junior League wouldn’t be what they are today.

On Aug. 12, 1969, Peter should have been out of town making sales calls for Johnson & Johnson, where he sold tampons, of all things. But instead he attended a party with a friend in Toronto.

Anne Selbie’s younger sister knew one of Peter’s friends and received an invitation to the same party. At first, Anne declined the opportunity to tag along: She didn’t like to stay out late on Tuesday nights. But she ultimately relented, and when Peter saw her across the room, it was the love-at-first-sight cliché from too many movies to name.

“I remember when Anne walked in with her sister,” Peter recalls.

“I saw her, and I just knew that that was it. One of my other friends was hustling her that night. I had to push him aside.”

Anne was dating somebody else at the time, but it didn’t deter Peter. “I had a date that Friday night with my boyfriend,” she recalls. “Peter had my work phone number, and he called me around 4:30 on Friday afternoon. And he said something like, ‘what do you want to do tonight?’ I said, ‘I have plans.’ So he said, ‘cancel your plans. I’m picking you up at 6.’ And he put the phone down.

And that was it. He picked me up at 6 o’clock, and he’s been picking me up ever since.”

Peter and Anne married in 1971. Kismet has continued to guide them forward, though it took a little longer career-wise. The Vegsos moved to South Florida in 1976 to launch the U.S. Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a tabloid monthly directed at professionals in the addiction industry. It was a three-man operation, with Anne working as an unpaid secretary (she was born in England, and hadn’t yet acquired her green card). Progress was slow, and for a while, Peter didn’t collect a salary.

“The first couple of years, we didn’t know if we were going to make it,” he recalls. “We had to find other things to do. We started another bimonthly feature magazine, but that wasn’t going to do it either. Then we got into the conference business, [and] that wasn’t enough either. So we got into the book business, publishing books in the addictions area.”

Recovery guides, wellness manuals and self-development handbooks are the rage now, but when the Vegsos founded HCI Books in 1977, they discovered a then-untapped niche. When their breakthrough book,

Janet Woititz’s Adult Children of Alcoholics, became a New York Times best-seller, it surprised even the Vegsos. “We didn’t know what the hell we were doing,” Peter admits. “We were selling it to professionals to give to their patients, and all of a sudden stores were calling us, wholesalers were calling us, asking, ‘How do we get this book?’”

Successes like these paid the bills and brought the Vegsos to Boca in 1985, but HCI remained a boutique publisher—that is, until the Vegsos met Jack Canfield. The motivational speaker offered Peter a co-authored collection of inspirational real-life stories that had been rejected by 133 publishers: Chicken Soup for the Soul. Peter remembers reading the manuscript for the first time in an airport. By the fifth story, he was weeping.

Chicken Soup has sold more than 8 million copies and spawned more than 200 sequels and spinoffs. Until 1998, all were published by HCI, which had to expand its facilities to accommodate the printing demands.

By the time Chicken Soup flew the coop for another publisher, the Vegsos had acquired enough of a fortune to begin to give back. They started a family foundation and gifted the Junior League of Boca Raton with its Community Resource Center. They’ve also supported Delray’s Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, contributing the funds to expand its facilities in 2003.

And the Vegsos have fundamentally improved Equine Assisted Therapies of South Florida (EATSF) in Deerfield Beach, which connects therapy horses with children and adults with disabilities. In 2008, they provided the cost to create a covered arena for the organization, and in 2015 their financial support led to EATSF’s first permanent office building. “[EATSF] is the sort of place where you can see a child sit on a horse for the first time,” says Anne, who has been board president for four years. “And maybe they’re not even verbal. Maybe they sit in a wheelchair all day long. But you put them on that horse and you see their first smile. There is such a connection between the kids and the horses.”

The Vegsos have enough touching stories from their time at each of these South Florida nonprofits—not to mention other recipients of their largesse, such as Place of Hope and Bethesda Hospital—to fill their own Chicken Soup book. Expect more where that came from.

When asked to what he credits his philanthropy, Peter replied, “It’s called giving back. We’ve been blessed.”

“We’re in such a good place right now—who can we share this with?” adds Anne. “Whose life can we improve? That’s our mission.”

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EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

“Who can we share this with? Whose life can we improve?

That’s our mission.”

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Healing Tomes HCI Books is still a prolific, Deerfield Beach-based publisher of books in the health and wellness realm, with a catalog well into the thousands.

Here are a few of the imprint’s 2016 offerings. ›› Seed to Supper (home gardening manual) ›› Leave This Song Behind (teen poetry collection) ›› Stopping the Noise in Your Head (anxiety prevention guide) ›› Inkspirations Animal Kingdom (adult coloring book) ›› Miracles We Have Seen (collection of inspirational medical anomalies)

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theBOCAinterview [ by frank stephenson ]

Rising Tides

WITH FLORIDA GROUND ZERO FOR SEA LEVEL RISE, BOCA OCEANOGRAPHER JOHN ENGLANDER IS MAKING WAVES.

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WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO BOCA? I grew up in the New York suburbs and went to Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Upon graduating I moved to Freeport to work as an instructor at a large scuba diving operation, UNEXSO— the Underwater Explorers Society. One thing led to another, and eventually I became the CEO and owner. I lived there some 25 years. Then in 1997, Capt.

Jacques Cousteau asked me to become CEO of the Cousteau Society. My wife and I moved to Virginia, which was their primary U.S. office. Sadly Cousteau died that same year. In 1998 we decided to move to Florida and chose Boca Raton because my wife had lived here previously and liked it. It’s a great town with good airport access—a real asset with all the traveling that I do for my consulting and speaking business now.

GIVEN ALL YOU’VE WRITTEN ABOUT RISING SEA LEVELS, ARE YOU STILL COMFORTABLE LIVING IN FLORIDA? Well, I lecture nationally and internationally. People overseas are surprised I live in Florida because they think it’s going to go underwater quickly, which is not true. Rising sea level does not yet make me uncomfortable about living here partly because I live about eight feet above sea level in Boca Raton. Low lying areas further south and west are more vulnerable.

WHAT ABOUT EROSION, WHICH FLORIDA KNOWS SO WELL, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SEA LEVEL RISE? IS IT WISE FOR FLORIDA TO KEEP SPENDING MILLIONS ON BEACH RESTORATION?

It’s always been naïve to think the structures we built on our beaches would be there forever. Beaches migrate naturally, but sea level rise will make that worse.

Pumping sand back onto beaches is wishful thinking and is likely to get more and more expensive. Sea level rise is really a secondary factor in the loss of beaches, but as it gets worse, erosion will worsen because of it.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE IN FLORIDA? People don’t understand that sea level rise isn’t going to hit at the coastline first.

The lower land along the Intracoastal will flood first and then toward the Everglades. It’s one of the things nobody thinks about. Also, another thing people don’t understand is that sea level rise isn’t a short-term event like a storm or a high tide. It’s going to take us awhile to process that. Storms come and go and you can start rebuilding next week.

Tides recede in hours, but sea level rise won’t recede in a thousand years. Nine out of 10 people don’t know that yet.

Finally, people don’t understand that sea level rise is irreversible. We’re not going to stop it no matter what we do. But we can slow it, and we should try.

SO, BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES ALREADY IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THE SEA WILL CONTINUE TO RISE FOR A LONG TIME, JUST NOT AS FAST IF WE SLOW DOWN THE PRODUCTION OF THOSE GASES, RIGHT? That’s correct. As I detail in my book, if we try, we can slow it. We have to do two things: Slow the warming to give

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

J

ohn Englander may not be a native Floridian, but like so many who’ve escaped from northern climes, he knows a good home when he finds it. The native New Yorker has lived in Boca since 1998, moving here with his wife Linda from Virginia, interestingly by way of Freeport, Grand Bahama, where he lived for more than two decades.

In the islands, Englander became a successful entrepreneur in the scuba industry, establishing and running a large diving business that eventually opened doors to worldwide underwater exploration, and a stint as CEO of the Cousteau Society. Englander has become a sought-out evangelist on sea level rise. Trained in geology and economics at Dickerson College in his native state of Pennsylvania, he’s parlayed a lifelong interest in paleogeology, marine science and ocean exploration into a thriving career as a writer, consultant, entrepreneur and public speaker. After visiting Greenland in 2007 and witnessing firsthand what a rising sea was doing to that iceberg of a country, he became focused on the phenomenon and what it means for the planet, logging hundreds of dives under polar ice caps and leading numerous field trips and expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica.

His book, High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis (2012, second edition 2014), is an easily digestible, layoriented primer on global sea level rise. Today, Englander’s best known as a popular speaker and author whose message on sea-level rise resonates with audiences around the world.

Englander’s most recent initiative is The International Sea Level Institute, a nonprofit group he helped found with a mission to educate policymakers, architects, engineers and financial institutions on the real threat of sea level rise and how coastal communities everywhere can best adapt to it.

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theBOCAinterview Englander on expedition in Antarctica

with sea level rise. But when water is five or 10 feet higher than it is today, technology is not going to solve that. I tell people that the only real answer to high water is to elevate or move.

INTERESTING THAT IN YOUR BOOK YOU DON’T POINT TO BIG CORPORATIONS AS THE ARCHENEMY IN CLIMATE CHANGE. No. Most power companies are just giving us the power we want and trying to give their investors a good return. I get that. My only argument is when companies put out propaganda that they know is false. Just like the tobacco companies lying about the dangers of smoking and lung cancer. That’s where I draw the line.

us more time to adapt, and then we have to begin adapting to higher sea level because it’s unstoppable. We have to do both things in parallel—not one, then the other, but in parallel. Slow the warming as much as possible, and even if we take all the right steps to do that, we still must adapt to sea level rise. That’s my key point.

CAN TECHNOLOGY SAVE US? There are many innovative technologies for energy production that can help slow warming. And better technologies in architecture and engineering can help us deal

“We don’t need to panic, but we do need to plan for the future, and we’re running out of time.”

IN YOUR BOOK YOU ASSURE US THAT IT’S NOT TIME TO HIT THE PANIC BUTTON IN FLORIDA OVER THE ISSUE OF SEA LEVEL RISE. We don’t need to panic, but we do need to plan for the future, and we’re running out of time.

The problem is that because sea level rise is so

Florida: Ground Zero Despite a steady rise in headlines spinning off a common theme—namely that Florida is now widely recognized as “ground zero” in the U.S. for sea-rise calamity—construction has roared back to pre-bust levels, real estate prices are arcing to the stratosphere and there seems to be no end to the influx of newcomers clamoring for rooms with a seaside view.

Florida’s latest coastal “gold rush” comes in the face of ironclad scientific evidence that the peninsula is slowly returning, inch by sandy inch, to Mother Ocean from whence it sprang eons ago. That the sea is rising, and at an alarming rate, is no longer in serious question among most scientists the world over. The rise started roughly 20,000 years ago as Earth thawed from the last Ice Age. Since then, sea level has jumped some 400 feet, is still climbing and shows no sign of letting up.

Few states—or even whole countries—have as much to lose to a rising sea as does Florida. By most criteria, the state ranks No. 1 in its vulnerability to sea level rise in the entire continental U.S. This dubious distinction may never be a source of daily news in the state, but it’s nonetheless already making a lot of people living below Orlando nervous. As just one example, to rid itself of seawater from monster tides that routinely flood the lowest sections of Dade County, the City of Miami is busy installing a brand-new $400 million pumping system. Projections say the city may have to spend upwards of $1.5 billion more on flood control in the next decade or so just to maintain the status quo.

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ENGLANDER SNAPSHOT Family: My wife Linda and I have a 15-year-old daughter who attends high school here in Boca.

Favorite weekend diversion: We often go to the movies and local restaurants. There are so many fantastic ones here. I also like to bike-ride and take long walks on the beach. With a teenage daughter, we often take weekend trips around the state. We all enjoy the Keys, the west coast and of course the Orlando attractions. My daughter and I are roller coaster junkies.

Last time you went diving: The last time I dove was on a wreck off Boynton Beach a few years ago. My daughter is considering becoming scuba-certified, which would certainly get me back underwater.

Bucket list: While I don’t really have a “bucket list,” I would like to do a big ocean crossing in a sailboat. My major vision and passion is to grow the nonprofit International Sea Level Institute into a global center and network to help communities adapt to the new era of rising sea level.

slow, the tendency is to put off thinking about it. It’s kind of like getting older. Getting older is a problem, and at some point you need to plan for it—change your lifestyle, the kind of house you’re in, that sort of thing. The issue of rising sea levels is the same thing. You can put off thinking about it and planning for it, but the change is coming, period.

BY ANY MEASURE, IT’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT SEA LEVEL RISE ISN’T A TOP PRIORITY OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TODAY AND MAY NOT BE ANYTIME SOON. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO STATE REGULATORS THAT WE SHOULD DO NOW THAT WE’RE NOT DOING? We know that sea level is going to rise foot by foot, so we should take the time to think bigger. Let’s look at building codes, for example.

Instead of building for a one- or two-foot rise [by mid-century], I would announce that [codes] are going to be raised several feet—but over time, so that people can plan. The idea is to try to get ahead of this. We need to recognize that this is a really profound change and hopefully we will slow it, but we need to start planning for [at least] three feet of rise or more.

It’s time to think about a new future in Florida, one with a longer horizon.

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YES! It’s here! Our annual look back at the

past year in our favorite city in the sun in all its glory: the hits, the misses, the triumphs and failures. Boca may not be perfect, but it’s ours.

And WE LOVE IT. Let us show you why.

BY MARIE SPEED, TARYN TACHER, JOHN THOMASON AND A TWISTED POSSE OF HIGHLY INFORMED BUT COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS SOCIAL OBSERVERS.

BEST OF B

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PEOPLE DEEP IMPACT

BRAINIAC KID OF THE YEAR Devin Barkey (pictured), a Delray Beach senior at American Heritage School, is one of 12 students worldwide to make a perfect score on his Advanced Placement Calculus AB test.

Only 305,532 other students took the test last spring when he did.

WACKADOODLE WINNER OF THE YEAR Conspiracy theorist and FAU professor James Tracy is fired from the university after a series of public missteps—including claiming the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax—and ultimately harassing Lenny and Veronique Pozner, whose son, Noah, was one of its victims. Hoo boy. And now Tracy is suing FAU for unlawful firing. Undoubtedly yet another conspiracy.

LIFESTYLE IN

OUT

Outdoor living areas

Grass

Bar carts

Entertainment centers

Servers paid above minimum wage

Tips

Boca West for raising $1 million for the Community Foundation at its gala (with Patti LaBelle)

Boring black tie events

Clothes that button, zip and fit

Pajamas as outerwear

Green markets

Trader Joe’s

Micro gyms

CrossFit

Walking and working

Desk-sitting

IV therapy for hangovers

Advil

Dunkin’

Complicated coffee orders

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The upstart Impact 100 organization (only five years old and comprised of 532 women) upped its annual donation to $500,000—$1,000 at a time.

This year the lucky $100,000 winners were The American Association of Caregiving Youth, Delray Students First, Alzheimer’s Community Care, Inc., The YMCA of South Palm Beach County and Camelot Community Care, Inc. Florida Atlantic University Foundation and Flamingo Clay Studio of Lake Worth, each received a $16,000 grant to further their missions.

EXECUTIVE PAY WE WISH WE HAD The Jarden golden parachute package to CEO Martin Franklin is $180 million when Jarden is sold to Newell Rubbermaid—and it includes a cute little office in Aspen.

JOHN KELLY GETS AN A FOR EFFORT In one year, FAU climbs from the bottom to the middle of the state university ranking system—and is now eligible for millions of extra dollars. FAU tied University of West Florida (UWF) as the sixth-highest-performing of 11 public universities in factors such as how well schools retain and graduate students, how well low-income students are being served and how many grads find jobs.

Eric Glasband

BROKER HONORED Eric Glasband, the managing director of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Boca Raton, was recognized on Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America list for the fifth consecutive year— and ranked as the No. 1 Financial Advisor in Boca Raton. Glasband is involved in numerous charitable organizations and sits on the Florida Atlantic University Medical School Board.

BEST ATTENDANCE Robert Weinroth has not missed one single event in 365 days, day and night, east and west, from funerals to ribbon cuttings to the opening of an envelope.

FAU prez John Kelly, standing

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From left, Hartofilis and Zietz

TOP SOCCER STAR Soccer star Kristy Hartofilis is inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. In her senior year at Spanish River, Hartofilis was named Sun-Sentinel’s Player of the Year and earned All-State honors.

At Duke, she earned AllAtlantic Coast Conference honors every season. Hartofilis made the Olympic Development Program for the U.S. Women’s Youth National Soccer team and later played pro soccer in Denmark, taught soccer at Spanish River and was drafted by the New York Power WUSA soccer team (the league later folded).

Hartofilis received another perk: the keys to the city this April in recognition of her rock stardom.

BEST ENTREPRENEUR UNDER 21 Rachel Zietz is pretty good at lacrosse, but it turns out she’s even better at business. She’s only 15 years old, and she’s running a successful business manufacturing and selling lacrosse equipment to the tune of $2 million as of this year. Zietz developed the business plan for her company, Gladiator Lacrosse, during her time with the Boca Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, and she’s continued to ramp up the profits and expand her line ever since. She even landed a spot on the ABC reality series “Shark Tank” that aired on May 13.

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FOOD & DRINK DESSERT SO GOOD YOU CANNOT FEEL GUILTY Delray: Chocolate Bomb at 50 Ocean Boca: Chocolate Hazelnut Dacquoise at Nouvelle Maison

Cheese fondue at The Little Chalet

 Papa Hughie’s wahoo bits  Eggplant meatball at Pinon Grill  Buffalo chicken spring rolls at iPic

 Grilled octopus with olive caper tapenade at 13 American Table  Deviled eggs at Max’s Harvest

BEST NEW RESTAURANT The Little Chalet opens in a cozy, elegant-yet-rustic space downtown, with a stellar menu and exceptional fondue. Not to mention Richard Conway at the piano, like old times. The latest in a highly successful upscale Brazilian chain of restaurants, the Little Chalet delivers big in Boca.

BEST NEW LIFE IN AN OLD LOCATION Pat’s Wine Bar and Grill in Royal Palm Place (where the Rustic Cellar used to be) is a civilized retreat (people go there and actually talk, as opposed to tapping on small screens) serving all manner of fine wines and tapas, and a very merry Happy Hour Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m.

BEST FAST CASUAL WITH REALLY GOOD FOOD El Jefe Luchador in Deerfield Beach, complete with wacko Mexican wrestling masks, is your stop for Mexican street food, including $2.75 tacos. If you’re less adventurous, try the Charm City Burger blend taco to experience the best of both worlds.

BEST TWO REASONS TO DRIVE OUT WEST FOR DINNER La Ferme is the biggest good surprise in a west Boca strip center we’ve yet to find. Go here for a modern spin on

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any manner of other things, but can we just breathe one word? The B word?

Casimir serves real French bread, the kind that makes you want to be an art student and sketch paintings at the Louvre. And sing like Edith Piaf. And smoke Gauloises cigarettes and wear a beret. Sigh. Merci, Laurent and Doris.

A cocktail from Kapow!

BEST HAPPY HOUR We have to vote for the DublinerKapow! combo here, which gives you a shared courtyard, or the ability to drift back and forth from convivial Irish brews and bites (the shepherd’s pie has its own fan club) to Kapow!’s ramen noodles and signature Austin Mule cocktail. Both offer half-price drinks during happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

MOST UNDERRATED RESTAURANT Casimir French Bistro in Royal Palm Place is our go-to neighborhood restaurant when we are jonesing for the mother lode of great cuisine, the Gallic genius, the legacy of Julia. We could rhapsodize about the mussels and the duck à l’Orange and the foie gras and

AARON BRISTOL

TOP 5 APPS WE HAVE TO HAVE NOW

French and Mediterranean classics, including mussels and frites, cassoulet, lamb tagine and hanger steak. And all in a very cool contempo glam dining setting complete with quilted boots and funky signage. The Sybarite Pig calls its food grub, but we call it delish, from the Wagyu duck fat burger to roasted bone marrow and handmade killer sausages.

Serving craft beer and craft food, it’s a gastropub that went to college.

Casimir’s Laurent and Doris Di Meglio

BEST CULINARY EVENT WITH THE LONGEST DINING ROOM TABLE Savor the Avenue in Delray Beach hosts more than 1,000 diners at 18 gourmet restaurants at a five-blocklong table down the center of Atlantic Avenue. It’s charming, convivial and a night to remember.

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AARON BRISTOL

STILL CRAZY GOOD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS There is a triumvirate of places we never stop loving in Boca—that have been here longer than most of us. Topping the list is Max’s Grille, the first California-American food pioneer in the city—which has continued over the years to offer top-quality food and service in a contemporary atmosphere. We love the changing menu (but the classics too), the bar, the seared tuna app, the chopped salad. Don’t get us started; we married Max’s years ago. Then there is Uncle Tai’s, with its white linen service, its old-fashioned elegance and its ultimate destination food item: Uncle Tai’s Chicken. The last oldie-but-goodie we have to salute is Tom Sawyer’s, for people who are deadly serious about breakfast. Oh, lunch is rib-sticking good too, but we go here for the breakfast skillet and the biscuits and gravy. Yes, we said gravy.

Tom Sawyer’s breakfast skillet

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FOOD & DRINK

The New York Grilled Cheese Company has a starring lineup of waffle-style grilled cheese and god-knows-what-else sandwiches that are the next best thing to a mother’s love.

We like the Broadway Classic, an American and Swiss toasted gooey kind of deliciousness tailor-made to fill up that hole in your heart—and your stomach.

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AARON BRISTOL

BEST NEW COMFORT FOOD WORTH THE CALORIES

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MENU ITEMS WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF  The gnudi at Brule  Flatbreads  Lobster bites at Chops  Eggplant pie at Trattoria Romana  Seared tuna A Swank Table dinner

 Real custard

BEST CULINARY EVENT OF THE YEAR The vintner dinners at Boca Bacchanal, hosted in beautiful private homes every year, offer a gracious and intimate setting for Bacchanal guest chefs to whip up a multicourse dinner (accompanied by a selected vintner’s wines) for a limited party of very special guests. This is Boca’s luxury dining event—and it never disappoints.

BEST LATE-NIGHT HIPSTER CATCHERS’ MITT WITH A TOTALLY INNOVATIVE MENU AT ALL HOURS Rebel House is aptly named—a refreshing departure from most main-

 Mac and cheese

FOOD TRENDS WE ARE OVER Truffled anything Kale ■ Pork bellies ■ Eggs on everything ■ “Farm to table” restaurants that aren’t ■ Drinks that end with a “tini” ■ No salt and pepper shakers on the table ■ Craft cocktails ■

BEST CULINARY EVENT HELD ON A FARM The Swank Table dinners hosted by Darren and Jodi Swank at Swank Farm in Loxahatchee routinely sell out their seasonal farm dinners, which feature fresh farm foods, top regional chefs, handcrafted cocktails, wine, music, the works—all in a bucolic farm atmosphere.

stream restaurants with an imaginative menu and a crazy and eclectic through-the-rabbit-hole atmosphere.

There’s popcorn on every table and a menu that runs all over the place, from a pickle jar to seared foie gras to fried chicken and shrimp and lobster dumplings. You want it? They got it.

■

Rebel House’s Evan David, left, and Michael Saperstein

FOOD TRENDS WE ARE READY FOR The whole animal—snout to tail Fries, not chips ■ Low country cuisine ■ Oysters and more oysters ■ Coffee-flavored everything ■ Hawaiian island bites, like poke bowls ■ ■

BEST MEALS UNDER $20  Offerdahls’ lemon quinoa entrée  The Inside-Out Juicy Lucy burger at M.E.A.T. (recently featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” TV show)  M&M Thai Café’s chicken panang curry

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CITY BEST REASON TO FILE A LAWSUIT—BY BOTH SIDES Building a Chabad on the old La Vieille Maison site leads Rabbi Ruvi New to a federal lawsuit—led by plaintiffs Gerald Gagliardi and Kathleen MacDougall, who live in the Por La Mar and Riviera neighborhoods, respectively, and maintain the city “unconstitutionally established” a religion last year by allowing the Chabad to build its new facility on the East Palmetto Park Road site. The lawsuit accuses the city of backroom deals by secretly conspiring with the Chabad after the group tried unsuccessfully to build on six properties along Mizner Boulevard across from Mizner Park.

The Chabad’s rabbi hints at antiSemitism.

And we’re just getting started.

BEST BUSINESS NEWS BRAINIAC BUSINESS PLAYERS Charles and Robin Deyo build Cendyn into a digital marketing powerhouse but are smart enough to install the best burger place in the city—M.E.A.T.—in its lobby.

Brilliant.

BEST REASON TO WEAR FLAK JACKETS AT COUNCIL MEETINGS The soaring downtown development spawns a small but vocal opposition group, led by the Boca Watch website and Al Zucaro and other citizens who accuse Boca Raton city officials of conspiring with developers to develop the downtown, regardless of the concerns of city residents. Mizner Park all over again, or valid outrage?

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Office Depot looks like it is staying after all. Now to get it off and running again!

BEST NEW DEVELOPMENT NEWS The Mandarin Oriental announces it will build one of its signature boutique luxury hotels and residences at Federal Highway and Camino Real. The property is expected to open in late 2017 and will have 158 hotel rooms and suites in one tower with an adjacent tower of 100 residences connected by a sky bridge.

WORST NEW DEVELOPMENT NEWS The County Commission once again ignores a 1999 bond issue voters approved to help preserve a farm-friendly ag reserve of 22,000 acres by limiting commercial development—by voting to allow three landowners to change their land use from agricultural to commercial, so they could make more money by selling for development.

NEW FACES BRINGING NEW LIFE TO BOCA FAU president John Kelly is turning the university around—and bringing new perspective to the Boca establishment.

Chrissy Biagiotti Gibson, named communications director for Boca Raton, is a breath of fresh air—opening up channels of communication between the city and its constituents.

BEST EXAMPLE OF A BUILDING THAT GOT BEAT WITH AN UGLY STICK The Mark—the poster child for design guidelines that do not go far enough.

IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME The creation of a student district anchored by 20th Street east of Florida Atlantic University can’t happen soon enough.

BUSINESS IDEA WE WISH WE’D HAD The Downtowner, a free service that ferries passengers throughout the city in golf carts (tips expected), which started in Delray, is sheer genius—and who doesn’t like the idea of a fleet of golf carts?

BEST BOCA PERKS (OUR PARKS!) Boca Raton has more than 40 parks and a coastline that is pristine—including three great beach parks: Spanish River Park (on cover), Red Reef Park and South Beach Park. So— who’s better than us?

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12 GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED OVER THE PAST YEAR [1] The new Welcome Center at Old Town Hall

[2] Uber service is approved by the Palm Beach County Commission.

[3] The FAU/UM game is a sellout.

[4] Delivery Dudes and The Downtowner come to Boca.

[5] Publix debuts its home delivery service Shipt.

[6] Town Center adds a new valet.

(There can never be too many!)

[7] Sunshine Music Festival at Mizner Amphitheater Red Reef Park

[8] No hurricanes [9] Boca High and Spanish River High are ranked again by US News & World Report as among the 50 top high schools in the country.

[10] The Phoodie app comes online to make it even easier (and more obnoxious) for everyone to take pictures of their food at restaurants.

[11] The Spanish River I-95 exit is ahead of schedule.

FIVE THINGS WE’RE STILL WAITING FOR

[12] The foot spa is invented.

FIVE GREAT PLACES TO TAKE THE KIDS [1] Bedner’s at Halloween [2] Summer days at Coconut Cove [3] We Rock the Spectrum Boca Raton (19635 FL-7, werockthespectrumbocaraton.com) is an indoor

gym that caters to autistic kids, as well as those not on the spectrum.

The gym has sensory equipment like tunnels, swings, a zip line, a trampoline and more. Finally, a place where

you never have to say you’re sorry.

[4] Sugar Sand Park—especially when the much-anticipated redo is complete [5] Daggerwing Nature Center

[1] For certain downtown developers to step up to the plate and give back to Boca (you know who you are)

[2] Food trucks.

OK, Just now and then.

[3] Bike paths [4] A private bookstore, like Liberties (Did someone steal the recipe here?)

[5] A vibrant downtown From left: Sugar Sand Park, We Rock the Spectrum and Daggerwing Nature Center

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BEST WAY TO WATCH INDIANA JONES SAVE THE WORLD Let’s not kid ourselves: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” seems a bit dated in 2016. But it was impossible not to be roused at its opening night screening at Festival of the Arts Boca, with Constantine Kitsopoulos leading a full orchestra through every suspenseful quiver and triumphant crescendo of John Williams’ iconic score. We were right there with Indy, through every improbable escape.

5 BEST ART EXHIBITIONS (BESIDES WARHOL): [1] “Streetwise Revisited” at the Norton [2] “Revolution of the Eye” at NSU Art Museum

BEST LITTLE VENUE WITH BIG TALENT Mid-level touring bands in genres like funk, blues, jam and classic rock can always park their vans behind Royal Palm Place’s Funky Biscuit, which celebrates its five-year anniversary in July with performances by Butch Trucks and Leon Russell.

Regardless of who’s playing, the owner already has us thanks to the venue’s titular menu item: guitar-shaped buttermilk biscuits with signature bourbon butter sauce, an app that’s truly amplified.

[3] “History Becomes Memory” at Boca Raton Museum of Art [4] “Wild” at Cornell Museum [5] “Tàpies: From Within” at Perez Art Museum Miami

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Funky Biscuit owner Al Poliak

BEST NEW LOCAL PLAY IN YEARS

BIGGEST LOSS:

South Florida playwright Michael McKeever’s world-premiere dramedy “Daniel’s Husband,” about the necessity of gay marriage at a time when LGBT partners now have a choice, was performed first in Fort Lauderdale and then west Boca—and won three Carbonell Awards a few months later. Next up? Its much anticipated Off-Broadway premiere in New York, in 2017.

Jazziz Nightlife, the short-lived jazz destination in Mizner Park, brought marquee names like Macy Gray, Rick Springfield and Molly Ringwald to an unusually intimate Boca stage, leaving behind a cultural vacuum the size of Tower of Power’s horn section. Truth be told, we’re not terribly surprised: Jazz clubs thrive better in smoke-filled dives than restaurants serving caviar and gourmet burgers.

BEST REASON TO HIT THE BEACH THIS PAST WINTER Climate change, terrorism, drugs and income inequality may plague our divided nation, but if there’s anything that can make America great again, it’s the return of “Baywatch.” Film crews closed off areas of Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton to shoot a movie adaptation of the ‘90s popculture relic, with stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron, drawing throngs of onlookers. No word on whether any ladies needed surf rescues during the Rock’s tenure in lifeguard togs.

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BEST SURREAL CASTING The Wick made American theater history when it cast a man to play the iconic role of Dolly Levi in Jerry Herman’s “Hello, Dolly!”

Directing himself, Lee Roy Reams played it as straight as he could in his second consecutive Wick role in a dress (he played Albin in “La Cage,” remember?).

Next up, we’d like to see him take a crack at “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grille.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

From left: Matthew Farmer, Keith Garsson and Jeff Davis

5 BEST CONCERTS: [1] Kraftwerk at Olympia Theatre [2] Taylor Swift at AmericanAirlines Arena [3] Jesus & Mary Chain at Olympia Theatre [4] Bruce Springsteen at BB&T Center

NEW FACES IN THE ARTS ■ Matthew Farmer brought big ideas and a bigger voice to his first year as Delray’s Old School Square’s artistic director, re-branding a mostly dormant building—the Vintage Gym—into the youth-attracting JAMnasium@the Fieldhouse. April’s lineup included a comedy jam, a “Gospel Revolution” showcase and a brewery night for young professionals. The blue-hairs that populate the Crest’s lecture series are welcome to attend … at their own peril!

■ Speaking of new Delray faces, Keith Garsson earned one of the quickest promotions we can think of, graduating from co-artistic director of the Theatre at Arts Garage to the embattled venue’s entire director of operations in less than a year. He earned it, thanks to a season of fearless, uncomfortable plays like “Reborning” and “Smoke.”

■ And Jeff Davis faithfully took over the reins of the Palm Beach International Film Festival, ushering the fest through its first year in its permanent new home: Manalapan’s versatile Palm Beaches Theatre.

[5] Madonna at AmericanAirlines Arena

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Part of Warhol’s “Reigning Queens” series

LONGEST 15 MINUTES OF FAME The Boca Raton Museum of Art outdid itself with its three-pronged tribute to Pop Art god Andy Warhol.

Iconic large-scale masterpieces, a gallery full of his groundbreaking album covers, and a section of black-and-white candids of Warhol and friends offered a comprehensive immersion into the man, the myth and the legend.

That we also had the pleasure of listening to Velvet Underground and the Stones while perusing the record art only sweetened the deal.

BEST NEW ART FAIR Art Boca Raton attracted 14,000 attendees to its inaugural event at FAU’s Research Park, with 42 national and international galleries participating.

Founder David Lester called it “one of our most successful contemporary art fair launches in the past 20 years.”

Our response? Duh! Boca rocks.

BEST FESTIVAL OF BANDS YOU DIDN’T KNOW STILL EXISTED The ‘80s Rockfest at Markham Park featured acts like Ratt, Night Ranger, Warrant, Firehouse, Winger and Se-

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5 BEST THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS:

From left, top productions “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “Billy Elliot,” “Passion” and “Constellations”

bastian Bach—guitar shredders still slapping on the spandex and spraying their bounteous curls some 30 years after their primes. None of these rockers of a certain age appeared to need walkers to make their way to the microphones at this Sunrise festival—but we can’t speak for hip replacements.

[1] “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” at Palm Beach Dramaworks [2] “Billy Elliot” at Maltz Jupiter Theatre

OUR FAVORITE NEW JAM

“Keeping live music alive” is the tagline of Music Jam Productions, which debuted two festivals at west Boca’s Sunset Cove Amphitheater: the rustic Southern Jam, with featured Lucinda Williams and Kris Kristofferson, and the Jazz and Blues Jam, whose lineup of Buddy Guy, John Mayall and Lee Ritenour has won a combined 13 Grammys. Here’s hoping each becomes an annual tradition.

Joe Gillie in his former stomping ground

[3] “Passion” at Zoetic Stage at Arsht Center [4] “Spring Awakening” at Slow Burn Theatre at Broward Center

Kris Kristofferson performs at the inaugural Southern Jam

BEST CAMEO OF AN ARTS LEADER IN FLIPPERS Before he became Old School Square’s artistic director for a quarter-century, Joe Gillie was a Carbonell-nominated thespian, with performance credits at the Caldwell and Royal Palm Dinner Theatre. At his unforgettable farewell tribute at the Crest, he evoked his previous career by taking the stage in flippers and putting his signature spin on “Singin’ in the Rain.” Note to casting directors: He’s available again.

[5] “Constellations” at GableStage

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in M iami It may have been Al Capone’s final refuge, but not even Miami Beach could save America’s Number One gangster. By Sally J. Ling

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The name Al Capone

still conjures up considerable fascination—even decades after his death. His character was larger than life during the Prohibition era, and he remains to this day one of America’s most infamous gangsters.

All over Florida there are claims that Al Capone once “stayed here,” or delivered bootleg liquor or shot up a farm house, but his time living in Miami has been well documented—after a relentless rise to infamy.

Alphonse “Al” Gabriel Capone spent his early years in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was there he learned to be a fast-thinking, hard-fighting young lad. At age 12, he joined the James Street Boys, a gang headed

by Johnny “The Fox” Torrio, 17 years his senior. After Torrio was called to Chicago to work with “Big Jim” Colosimo, whose criminal empire included gambling, racketeering and hundreds of brothels, Capone became employed by Torrio’s associate, Frankie Yale, who owned a Brooklyn saloon called the Harvard Inn. Capone worked as a bartender and bouncer. It was there he is said to have received his nickname “Scarface” when he insulted Lena Galluccio and was slashed across the left cheek and neck by her brother, Frank.

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Capone assaulted a rival gang member to the point of near death, after which Yale sent him to work with Torrio in Chicago.

Torrio eliminated Colosimo in a power struggle over whether to add prohibited booze to their vast criminal enterprise, and Capone subsequently rose to become second in command of the Chicago Outfit.

His savvy criminal mind and ability to “take care of business” by eliminating the competition became his prime assets.

When Torrio was almost killed by a spray of bullets from a rival gang, he turned in his top mobster hat for life in southern Italy and relinquished control of his empire to Capone for a share of the profits. With the accidental gunning down of prominent prosecutor William “Billy” McSwiggin by Capone’s henchmen, Chicago authorities turned up the heat. Capone’s businesses were raided. He was incessantly hounded by the authorities, and he was told in no uncertain terms to get out of town. This, coupled with several attempts on his life, prompted him to seek the sunny shores of Miami.

H

e headquartered his business in the penthouse suite of the Ponce de Leon Hotel on Flagler Street in Miami in 1927. According to miami-history.com, Capone had long been enamored of Miami, and once referred to it as “the garden of America, the sunny Italy of the new world, where life is good and abundant, where happiness is to be had even by the poorest.”

Local establishments were more than happy to service Capone, his large roll of cash and his entourage, which many times included the likes of Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn, Capone’s No. 1 gunner; Roy “Crane Neck” Nugent, also a gunner; and

Ponce de Leon Hotel

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“

Local establishments were more than happy to service Capone, his large roll of cash and his entourage."

Frank “The Enforcer” Nitti, the Outfit’s second-in-command.

While headquartered there, Capone and his outfit frequented local restaurants, shopped at Burdines and Sewell Brothers’ haberdashery, and regularly played golf. On one such outing, Capone’s henchmen were playing on the Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course when a most unusual event occurred. The men were just lining up their putts on the fifth green when they noticed a car filled with men driving on the road adjacent to the green. When the car came to a stop, the men immediately dropped their putters, grabbed their golf bags, and dove into the bunker. Quickly pulled from their bags were their corporate means of defense—sawed-off shotguns. While there was no attack, this proved too much for several of their caddies, who resigned their posts on the spot.

In 1928, Capone bought a home on Palm Island in Miami Beach, a 14-room, two-story, Spanish-style white stucco home built in 1922. He quickly renovated it by adding a seven-foot concrete wall, a two-story lodge house at the entrance, mosaic walkways, fountains, a large dock, a 30-by-60-foot pool—the largest in the state—and a pool house.

According to miami-history.com, Capone was highly involved in the renovation—and very solicitous of his employees: “Capone was also very good to his contractors and workers. While working outside, a group of tile layers took a lunch break only to find their lunch pails missing. Capone had one of his men gather their lunches and then summon the workers to enjoy an enormous feast in his home. One of the workers later recalled that ‘Mr. Capone wanted to make sure we were treated like kings because he wanted a good job on his house.’”

Affluent islanders weren’t amused. For Sale signs immediately

Top: The mobster and his entourage Below: Capone's Miami Beach compound

went up, and property values plunged. For starters, there was already the fallout from the Depression, and locals further worried he would bring his nefarious associates and enterprises with him, corrupting the greater Miami area.

Local businessmen and prominent civic and community leaders including Miami Beach developer Carl Fisher, Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Pancoast and Burdines President Roddy Burdine, along with Palm Island residents John Orr Sr. and Clarence Busch (no relation to the Anheuser-Busch family) called for his ousting. They were backed by the Miami Daily News, owned by newspaper mogul James Cox. All this despite the fact that Miami and Miami Beach were already a hotbed of illegal gambling, prostitution, corruption and rum running long before Capone came to town.

In fact, gambling was introduced to the state when well-respected business tycoon Henry Flagler built his “high-toned” gambling houses along with his hotels—Bacchus Club in St. Augustine, Beach Club in Palm Beach and Seminole Club in Miami. Only tourists were allowed inside, as they were considered “respectable, necessary parts of a rich man’s resort.”

From these beginnings, gambling permeated the very fabric of greater Miami. Soon, the poor accompanied the wealthy in being BOCAMAG.COM follow the leader

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From left: Clarence Busch, John B. Orr, Carl Fisher Far right: Al Capone ready for a dip

enticed by the opportunity to get rich quick—so much so that by 1929, gambling had become a way of life, even though it was illegal.

Residents, including city officials and high-profile businessmen, ran these enterprises with the knowledge of the local authorities.

The governor sent a decree to all sheriffs to "arrest Capone if he steps foot in Florida!"

But it wasn’t just gambling. Many of these same individuals made cathouses and illegal booze part of their business plans. Correspondence to and from Carl Fisher, an early pioneer, indicated that liquor and beer flowed constantly between him and his friends as early as 1921 and included instructions on how to avoid detection. And Thomas Pancoast admitted he housed illegal slot machines in his own Pancoast Hotel. Could it be that all the ruckus over Capone was because he represented competition to Miami’s good-ol’-boy network?

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C

apone continued to run his Chicago outfit from his home on Palm Island and was seen often on the streets with his bodyguards. So frequent were these sightings that the citizenry began to wonder how a local should react if they encountered one of Capone’s men and unknowingly angered him.

Chief of Police Guy Reeve, who had served in the Department of Justice before coming to Miami, answered such questions as: What is a bodyguard? Are bodyguards allowed to carry weapons? How would a bodyguard act in case of trouble? Isn’t it true that a person employing a bodyguard without police sanction and who roams through the streets endangers the lives of citizens?

During this time, the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre took place in Chicago in 1929. Everyone suspected Capone was behind the killings, but because he was in Miami at the time, he was never charged. It wasn’t much later, however, that he was arrested outside a Philadelphia movie theater on a concealed weapons charge. After serving a year in jail, Capone scheduled his return to Miami Beach.

Florida governor Doyle E. Carlton, however, had different plans.

He sent out a decree to all Florida sheriffs to “Arrest Capone on sight if he steps foot in Florida!”

In defense of his right to return to his residence, Capone hired two Miami attorneys, Vincent Giblin and James Francis “Fritz” Gordon, who were successful in getting a judge to stay the governor’s order.

Outraged that Capone would return to Miami, local politicians, civic

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“

Once I looked at his eyes. Ice-gray, ice-cold eyes. You can’t anymore look into the eyes of Capone than you can look into the eyes of a tiger.”

leaders and law authorities, supported by the Miami Daily News, embarked on a robust campaign to try to change his mind.

Edgy disparaging front-page editorials and articles—which referred to the gangster as Scarface, the beer and brothel baron and aliases A. Costa and Al Brown—reported the disreputable gangster’s every move. One such editorial noted, “There is no surprise in Capone’s defying the spiritual sense of the people of Florida. He laughs at law, he gives it no respect; through the organized forms of criminal operation, he has with one exception escaped, up until this day, anything beyond arrest or detention upon suspicion …”

All the while, Capone desperately tried to fit into the community by hosting parties at his home for sportswriters and Miami’s elite.

Seventy-five children and their parents attended a pool party for his son’s classmates from St. Patrick’s. One sportswriter wrote, “Al Capone now is a stout man with coal black hair which is beginning

to recede from his wide, sunburned forehead. To watch him moving light-footedly among his guests in his crowded living room, with a word and a smile for everyone and the injunction to ‘make yourself at home,’ one loses sight of his background.”

Cissy Medill Patterson, who ran the Washington Herald for newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, was in Miami in January 1931 when, on a whim, she decided to drive up to Capone’s estate on Palm Island and interview him. She described Capone: “He has the neck and shoulders of a wrestler. One of those prodigious Italians, thick-chested, close to six feet tall. The muscles of his arms stretched the sleeves of his light brown suit, so that it seemed to be cut too small for him.

“Once I looked at his eyes. Ice-gray, ice-cold eyes. You can’t anymore look into the eyes of Capone than you can look into the eyes of a tiger.”

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“

Some spoke with utter respect for the ganglord. ... Others spoke of him with contempt for ending up a 'chump.'"

Above: A typical cell at Alcatraz Right: Capone's mug shot

One of Patterson’s questions dealt with the subject of Prohibition—did he think it would be repealed?

“Yes, I do, and I’m all for that time to come. Prohibition has made nothing but trouble—trouble for all of us. Worst thing ever hit the country,” he told her.

Local law enforcement arrested Capone numerous times for having illegal liquor in his home, vagrancy, being a nuisance to the community, and for merely stepping foot inside Miami city limits.

In each case, the seemingly Teflon-coated mobster was able to beat the charges. Yet the constant harassment took its toll. He had his associates assault several locals, and he brought charges against city officials for conspiracy and false imprisonment. These were eventually dropped.

Seeking a respite from the harassment in Miami, Capone had his attorney Vincent Giblin purchase a triangular piece of land in Deerfield Beach. The 50-plus-acre parcel, sandwiched between a canal and the Intracoastal, was nothing more than sand and scrub oak bordered by mangroves. It was here Capone planned to build a large home at a cost of $375,000.

Dubbed Capone Island by locals, the property was never developed and reverted back to the original owner when Capone went to prison and was unable to pay the taxes. Today it is a Broward County park called Deerfield Island.

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nited States Treasury agent Eliot Ness was designated to “Get Capone,” and he did his best. But it was an obscure accounting ledger confiscated in a raid of Capone’s businesses that eventually brought down the Chicago kingpin. After serving nine of 11 years of his federal sentence for income tax evasion and failure to file a tax return—most of them at California’s infamous

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Alcatraz—Capone returned to his Palm Island estate. By that time, however, the syphilis that he contracted in his late teens had ravaged his mind. He spent much of his time in his pajamas sitting by the pool, fishing from his boat, or playing cards with old friends.

Capone’s mental capacity had deteriorated so badly that the family had to devise two “trick” telephone numbers for him to call should he be out of the house and become separated from his bodyguards. After celebrating his 47th birthday at his Palm Island estate, his condition worsened as he succumbed to pneumonia and heart failure. Media gathered outside the front gate in a sort of death watch, awaiting even a scrap of news regarding his deteriorating condition. Louie, one of Capone’s crew, dutifully guarded the compound and opened the door only after inspecting and approving the caller through a slit in the front portal, a scene that conjured the former speakeasy days when his boss was king.

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Dr. Phillips, Capone’s personal physician, periodically fed the media his patient’s latest condition. Headlines followed, except in the Miami Daily News. Cox proclaimed that Capone’s death would be treated like any other obituary. “I don’t want that son of a bitch on my front page,” he said.

At Hialeah Race Track and among the bookies and racketeers that gathered at 23rd Street near Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, talk turned to Capone. Some spoke with utter respect for the gang lord who had Capone's death certificate amassed such a vast em-

pire. Others spoke of him with contempt for ending up a “chump.”

Less than a year later, Capone died from a stroke on Jan. 25, 1947, at age 48. His remains first rested at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago’s far South Side, between the graves of his father, Gabriele, and brother, Frank. In March of 1950, however, all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery on the far West Side.

Capone’s wife Mae retained the 6,100-square-foot home on Palm Island until she sold it in 1952 for $64,000. She remained in Miami and lived an unremarkable life until her death in 1986. The home changed hands and was renovated several times over the decades and was purchased in 2014 for nearly $8 million. The current owners offer the home for photo and film shoots, weddings, private parties and events.

Sally J. Ling is the author of Al Capone’s Miami: Paradise or Purgatory? For more about Capone in Miami, visit bocamag.com and read the tale of one of his daring local Miami rumrunners, Robert Hanley.

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style

All Decked Out

Summer shines with these luxurious home accessories.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON BRISTOL

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Cowhide rug, $1,120, gold glasses, $65 each, gold leaf bowl, $395, gold peacock, $1,039, white placemats, $55 each, small gold plates, $31, salt and pepper shakers, $169, all from Clive Daniel Home; dinner plates, $12.95 each, black glasses, $5.95 each, from Z Gallerie; chair cushions, $43.99 each, from Fortunoff Backyard Store; oyster dish, $273, from Our Boat House

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style

Egg bowl, $799, mirror pillow, $310, both from Clive Daniel Home; Green and blue pillow, $115, navy towels, $74, white towels, $96, from Grand Interiors International; sea glass ball, $85, from Our Boat House; lounge chair cushion, $133.99, from Fortunoff Backyard Store

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Ice bucket, $189, snakeskin tray, $299, both from Clive Daniel Home; blanket, $185, Tibetan wool pillow, $230, from Our Boat House; black and white pillow, $79.95, rhino cork stopper, $19.95, Champagne flutes, $12.95 each, all from Z Gallerie; gilded coasters, $155, from Grand Interiors International, apples, $45 each, from Sklar Furnishings

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style Large tray, $389, lucite tray, $239, gold plate, $31, all from Clive Daniel Home; decanter, $48, from Our Boat House; skewers, $55, flamingo napkins, $7.50 per pack, chain napkins, $160 set of four, all from Grand Interiors International; Champagne glasses, $9.95 each, from Z Gallerie; lizard, $299, from Sklar Furnishings

STYLIST: JENNA DEBRINO FOR HOT PINK STYLE ASSISTANT STYLIST: AMANDA MILLER FOR HOT PINK STYLE ART DIRECTOR: LORI PIERINO

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Kartell lucite chair, $720, from Sklar Furnishings; large pillow, $295, small pillow, $97, Cartier book, $39, Dior book, $49, all from Clive Daniel Home; stool, $129.99, rugs (priced by size) all from Fortunoff Backyard Store; set of six lemons, $14.95, from Z Gallerie

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A L L

F LORI DA A L L

S TARS

By John Thomason

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he All Florida juried exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art turned 65 in 2014. But instead of retiring, the venerable survey of the state’s best art simply took a yearlong sabbatical, and now it’s back—refreshed, re-energized, reborn.

Its new incarnation, which runs July 16-Sept. 25 at the museum, is now an invitational show perched on the cutting edge. Instead of one juror selecting all the work from countless submissions, executive director Irvin Lippman asked five established Florida artists, each representing a different area of the state, to invite five of their favorite emerging artists. The resulting 25 artists comprise the eclectic showcase exhibiting this summer.

“I think it will be a strong, exciting exhibition representative of what’s happening today throughout the state,” Lippman says.

In the spirit of the venture, we invited five of this year’s exhibitors to discuss their work with us—which took us from spores to bees, and from cabinets of wonders to landscapes of ghosts.

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Gainesville-based artist and ecological activist Michelle Kelly Rogers at the University of Florida’s bee yard

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“Swarm Phone”

Michelle Kelly Rogers | Eco-art

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entomology department, and photographing bees under the microscope opened up another world that hadn’t been revealed to me. And also just having the experience of opening up the hive and seeing how the bees all function as one organism—that was amazing, too.”

Of the threats to honeybees, she adds, “A lot of the media focus on Monsanto and the pesticides, but it’s such a complex issue. The loss of habitat, fragmentation, diseases—there’s so many things that contribute to the declining population.”

That said, she’ll occasionally employ humor to bolster her message.

Her video “Interview with a Bee,” which will be exhibited at All Florida, addresses colony collapse disorder through a Q&A between a beekeeper and a bee puppet, recorded on a “miniature bee spy camera” and interspersed with images of pirate radio signals and switchboard operators attempting to forge a connection.

Career highlight: “Through my job and being an artist, I’ve been able to travel to a lot of different places and talk about both honeybees and native bees, including going to the Caribbean. I’ve been speaking to beekeepers and nonbeekeepers alike.”

Where she hopes her work will go in the future: “I’ve started to work with apitherapy, which is using products of the hive to treat different illnesses.”

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here’s always plenty of buzz around the work of Michelle Kelly Rogers. That’s because bees figure prominently into her work, from sculpture and photography to video and mixed media.

A former painter, she discovered the issues facing honeybees circa 2008 and, two years later, penned her University of Florida postgraduate thesis on her projects synthesizing activism and art.

Her oeuvre consists of at least 25 such projects, from microscopic close-ups of honey to honeycomb-shaped furniture. When she discusses her work, it can be hard to distinguish her passion from that of an ecologist or an apiologist.

“The more I started to learn about [bees], the more fascinated I became,” recalls Rogers, who in her day job studies Africanized honeybees as a lab technician. “Immediately I started volunteering at the

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“Bee Collection” is among the works Rogers is bringing to All Florida.

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Stills from Tiffany’s video “Too Ugly Too Prostitute”

Carmen Tiffany | Digital media

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ne day, outside her studio in Wynwood, Carmen Tiffany encountered a beggar holding a cardboard sign with an unorthodox message. It read “too ugly to prostitute.”

“I thought I was in a David Lynch film or something,” she recalls. “The other thing that was strange about it was that it was a middle-aged male. The way he looked, I would never guess that that would be an option. And for him to write that on the sign, what thought process has to go on? Is it a joke? Is he really that ugly?”

The sign helped inspire the latest video by this FIU instructor and multidisciplinary artist. “Too Ugly Too Prostitute” is one of two works she’ll be exhibiting at All Florida. A figure in a cloth horse head (played by one of her students) carries the sign and embarks on a surreal voyage of self-development, death and rebirth, in which he connects with other “animals”—more pupils in headgear—who address his lack of upward mobility and escort him to an interstellar rollercoaster and a secret disco.

Influenced by mainstream children’s TV and adult cartoons alike— from “Yo Gabba Gabba” and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” to “Beavis & ButtHead” and Liquid Television—Tiffany’s work can feel like Nickelodeon

programming on acid. Another of her videos, “Ghost Tongue,” is a recut version of “The Little Mermaid” in which Ariel has been replaced, in all 118,000 frames, by a swirling black mass.

“When I started, I just wanted to see what it would be like to watch a Disney film without the princess,” she says. “It kind of presented itself as being terrifying as the process went on.”

For Tiffany, who was raised in a secluded Wyoming town, the pop nostalgia of her work speaks to a past she still can’t escape.

“A lot of my work has to do with where I grew up,” she says. “It’s not specifically Wyoming but a rural landscape, places where there are very few people and a lot of land. I think about that and about how low-quality, mass-produced objects [represent] my sentimental relationship with my identity there. I try to break out of it, but I just cannot get the landscape out of my head.”

Best part about being an artist in Florida: “The people in the art community down here are really great. Also, the weather’s really nice. I know it’s such a cliché, but I’ve lived in some pretty cold places.”

Where she hopes her work will go in the future: “I had a little girl two years ago, and it’s been really busy, but my beautiful daughter is going to daycare. So I want to make something that’s episodic. I’m just waiting for that moment when I just have a couple of months to develop it.”

TIFFANY IS ALSO EXHIBITING THIS SUMMER AT THE ART AND CULTURE CENTER IN HOLLYWOOD. READ OUR REVIEW OF HER SHOW AT BOCAMAG.COM.

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“Silver Bees (h. miserables), Adapting” Inset: “Spora Mutatus”

Amy Gross | Fiber art

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he small studio in Amy Gross’ Delray home looks, at first glance, like an experimental terrarium. Butterflies and bees rest on the spores, fungi, leaves and cavernous plants sprawled on her workstation and snaking around the corners of the room.

But it’s all an illusion of nature’s untamed bounty.

Gross’ most stringent rule is that none of her sculptures can be made of anything that once lived. The works she’s bringing to All Florida, the nearly 8-feetlong “Spora Mutatus” and “Silver Bees (h. miserables), Adapting” are entirely made of materials sold at Michael’s: embroidery thread, fabric, beads, wire, paper, half-domes, resin and Styrofoam. The leaves of “Silver Bees” were based on actual leaves—which Gross then scanned, photographed and manipulated to simulate the real McCoy. “They do feel alive to me,” she says. “I have trouble letting go of them. If I accidentally knock into a leaf, I feel as bad as if I accidentally cut a living thing outside.”

Gross is captivated by the idea of finding the natural through the commercial—of taking raw material designed for one thing and transforming it into another, like sweater yarn that becomes a fern. These

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pieces of “flora” frozen in mid-growth represent her desire to stop time.

“I started making things when people I loved in my life were getting older, and I was starting to see things that happen to the body as you age,” she says. “All of a sudden I had this desire to slow things down. And the only way you can ever really do that is the conceit that an artist can make something that never dies. It’ll eventually wear out and change, but it won’t die like a living thing dies.”

Career highlight so far: Gross’ work was featured on the cover of the spring 2016 edition of Fiber Art magazine, along with a lengthy article about her work. “This was an out-of-body experience. They contacted me, and I started crying, because I can’t ask for this kind of thing.”

Best part about being a working artist in Florida: “If I hadn’t moved here [from New York], I wouldn’t be making work like this at all. In states where there’s four seasons, everything grows to a certain point, and then the weather takes over, and it dies. But here, things keep on going, until you stop them. I love that although everything’s so manicured in this part of Florida, if you let it go for about a year, the jungle will take over. That idea made me want to start making stuff again.”

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“Flatlands”

Jill Lavetsky | Graphite

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about it. It’s seeing it as a thing that’s beautiful and kind of wretched at the same time.”

She doesn’t need to travel far to get a sense of the natural world. She lives on the wildest property on her Lake Worth street. Her house barely accommodates a living room and studio, and she sleeps in an outdoor bedroom built from plaster. There are mango and pineapple trees, a chard garden, a fire pit and a pile of plywood awaiting its next project.

Sometimes, though, her drawings arise from an unusual genesis. A news article about woolly mammoth bones discovered under a football stadium in Oregon influenced her All Florida selection “Turf and Tusks.” The central, converging strips of white in her other selection, “Passing Over,” represent the cluster of highways that meet around Davie, where she teaches art at FAU’s Broward campus. She’ll typically begin a drawing without much calculation, letting instinct and intuition carry the piece where it needs to go.

“It’s really about experimenting with materials, and the content comes out of that,” she says. “I don’t even know if I have content first.

It’s almost like I’m messing with the material, and then the ghosts start coming out.”

Where she hopes her work will go in the future: “I think it’s going to evolve in a performative way. I’m not naturally a performer—I’m a shy introvert. It’s not my comfort zone, and that’s why it interests me.”

Worst thing about being an artist in Florida: “The transient population is difficult. Everything has to happen between November and April [to be noticed]. But I love the summer here, honestly. It’s hot as hell, but it’s quieter.”

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

poet friend of Jill Lavetsky’s once described her drawings as representing the collision of light and ghosts. The latter, with their traditional black eyes staring soullessly from white sheets, do seem to imprint themselves in her semi-abstract landscapes, particularly “Among the Sabals.” With or without them, Lavetsky’s stark, frenzied visions of a greyscale wilderness verge on the nightmarish.

Inspired by the untamed regions of Florida that still exist—she canoes out to them most weekends, on a homemade vessel, where she sketches ideas and snaps photos—Lavetsky begins with real places and distorts them to fit the dark psychological undertone she’s seeking. The resulting drawings are a far cry from the colorful oils she painted as a graduate student at FAU four years ago.

“It’s not so much a scary darkness as honoring the mystery of it,” Lavetsky says. “It’s not all this pristine, beautiful landscape I can wander through. There’s bugs and swamp muck, and all the stuff I love

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“Passing Over”

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ROB WITZEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Sean Miller Interventionist Art/installations

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or the past 12 years, Gainesville artist and university professor Sean Miller has presided over an art museum you’ll never find on Google Maps. That’s because the John Erickson Museum of Art (JEMA), which Miller founded and curates, is not a brickand-mortar building with an address and a board of directors and an endowment. Instead, it’s a tiny to-scale museum that actually fits in an aluminum carrying case designed to fit into the overhead compartments of airplanes. Yet when you open the case, this diminutive institution contains its share of galleries (scaled at 1/4-inch equaling 1 foot), a gift shop and its own guards. World-renowned artists, including Yoko Ono, have exhibited at JEMA, which has traveled, like a ventriloquist’s prop box, across the world with Miller.

“I started thinking, how small a museum can you have where the museum is still operational and treated in the same way any other museum would get treated?” recalls Miller. “The thing I like about it is that the exhibition can be invited or it can happen in a covert way, and

The artist and his “Mobile Wunderkammer;” images of some of his “curiosities.”

just open in different places. It plays around with what’s officially sanctioned in art.”

Miller’s work tends to reference museums past, present and possibly future. His “Art Museum Dust Collection” is a series of beautiful microscopic close-ups of dust particulates surreptitiously sampled from museums including the Louvre, the Tate and New York’s P.S. 1. Miller’s latest project, “Mobile Wunderkammer,” which will be exhibited at All Florida, is an homage to cabinets of curiosities—the kind of traveling exhibits once popular in Renaissance Europe. He sees these fascinating exhibitions as precursors of the contemporary museum. His interpretation—a bicycle outfitted as a makeshift “cabinet”—will include insect specimens from the University of Florida’s entomology department.

“I hope it will instill a sense of curiosity and wonder,” he says.

Career highlight: a celebration of JEMA’s 10th anniversary, at Fort Myers’ Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, in 2014. “For the first time, I got all the galleries back into one place. Being able to look at everything I’d worked and have all those people contributing … was a big honor.”

Best part about being an artist in Florida: “Being close to so much great research here [at UF]. And the fact that you can go out into nature and see so many different types of animals is really incredible.”

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Boca Ballet Theatre presents

Photo by Norman Gorback

Giselle, with its haunting blend of ethereal beauty, vibrant emotional intensity and its mesmerizing interplay of love and the supernatural, has epitomized romantic ballet for over a century and a half.

Artistic Directors Dan Guin & Jane Tyree

Fri., July 29, 2016 at 7:30pm Sat., July 30, 2016 at 7:30pm Sun., July 31, 2016 at 2:00pm

Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River High School 5100 Jog Rd • Boca Raton

Boca Raton’s Ballet Company - bocaballet.org COMMUNITY PROGRAMS BBT4PD [Parkinson’s] • First Step [at risk youth] • School of Boca Ballet Theatre

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Dept. of State, Div. of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Performances and dates subject to change

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backstagepass [ 108 hot list • 110 spotlight: ron elkman • 112 take 5: kermit christman ]

[ by john thomason ]

LEON RUSSELL

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.

WHEN: July 22-23 WHERE: The Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton ABOUT: To say that Leon Russell is a musician’s musician is an understatement. As a session player, he is as dependable as rain in July, and in terms of genre, he’s as versatile as a jukebox. In his 50year career as a songwriter, singer, pianist, bandleader and guitarist, he has crossed paths and performed alongside everyone from Dean Martin, Barbra Streisand and Jerry Lee Lewis to John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.

His musicality encompasses pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, standards, gospel and surf records, and just a few years ago, he saw his album “The Union,” co-written and performed with Elton John, peak at No. 3 on the Billboard chart. In other words, Russell is a major “get” for the Funky Biscuit, the intimate restaurant-club in Royal Palm Place, which celebrates its fifth anniversary with a weekend of concerts by Russell. At 74, the distinctively voiced chameleon still plays marathon set lists, from his own material to his signature takes on Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry hits.

COST: $50-$70 CONTACT: 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com

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backstage pass

hotlist FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS WHEN: July 16 WHERE: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton ABOUT: Like many a punk band before them, the guys in Flight of the Conchords began their music career with a rudimentary knowledge of three chords; their first song, “Foux du Fafa,” needed only two. The group, founded in 1998 by nerdy New Zealand besties Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, has since grown in its sonic ambition, but its cult audience doesn’t listen for intricate musicianship.

The Flight of the Conchords, whose act flowered into a two-season run on HBO in the late 2000s, is a deadpan comedy duo whose songs take subversive aim at mainstream music and culture. Parodies of romantic R&B, brash hip-hop, folky earnestness and Beatlesesque pop thrive on the irony of their creators’ calculated lack of rock-star charisma and bedroom acumen. For their first tour since 2013, expect to see plenty of ferocious key-tar solos and elaborate costume changes.

COST: $39.50-$55 CONTACT: 561/750-1668, myboca.us/pages/mizneramphi

CIRQUE ELOIZE: “CIRKOPOLIS” WHEN: July 7-31 WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami ABOUT: Filmmakers have long dreaded the emergence of metropolitan cities, with their monolithic skyscrapers filled with endless offices of worker drones anonymously pushing paper, their souls crushed by the machines of progress. Think “Metropolis,” think “Brazil,” think “1984.”

Or think “Cirkopolis,” the latest touring production from Montreal’s Cirque Eloize, a company operating in the nexus of theatrical imagination, choreographic inspiration and circus showmanship. It begins in just such a totalitarian world, with office functionaries sequestered at desks with stacks of paper piling inexorably in front of them. But their future is hardly a bleak one: This summer spectacular is a veritable rage against the machine, thanks to the joys of movement, light and color. The workers rebel against the monotony of their existence by juggling bowling pins, performing impossible aerial splits, enjoying romantic duets with anthropomorphized objects, and dangling magisterially from the sky, while gears and cogs grind behind them. An original musical score and high-def video projections enhance this death-defying escape from the drudgeries of the modern world.

COST: $49-$89 CONTACT: 305/949-6722, arshtcenter.org

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THE DIXIE CHICKS

“1776”

WHEN: Aug. 20 WHERE: Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach ABOUT: Natalie Maines, Emily Robinson and Martie Maguire, the native or adopted Texans behind Dixie Chicks, have been making music since 1989. Purveyors of quality, sentimental country songs about heartbreak, love, cowboys and wide open spaces, the Chicks became unlikely soldiers on the front lines of the culture wars in March 2003, when Maines, performing in front on a London audience, denounced George W. Bush during the run-up to the Iraq War. This proved heretical to the group’s corporate sponsors and largely conservative country-music listenership: Their Billboard dominance disappeared within two weeks of the remark, and they became Target No. 1 in conservative media. But not only did the controversy not kill the Dixie Chicks, it made them stronger: Bolstered by the unapologetic “Not Ready to Make Nice,” the group won five Grammys in 2007, including Album of the Year.

Its members have pursued solo and side projects in the years since, and this muchanticipated tour marks its first headlining jaunt in 10 years. Whether Maines will manage to keep mum on Trump remains to be seen.

COST: $35-$129 CONTACT: 561/795-8883, livenation.com

WHEN: July 1-24 WHERE: Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach ABOUT: Perhaps it’s the overwhelming success of “Hamilton” on Broadway, or the patriotic fervor of the Fourth of July, or the blood-sport volatility of the 2016 election cycle. Whatever the reason, we’re happy Dramaworks has chosen “1776,” Sherman Edwards’ offbeat musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as its timely-slash-timeless summer production.

The Founding Fathers here are no saints; they are presented as threedimensional humans, petty and irritable as much as noble and charming. Studded with songs about Congressional inaction (“Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve”), conservative staunchness in the face of opposition (“Cool, Cool Considerate Men”) and legislatorial hypocrisy (“Molasses to Rum”), “1776” is surely the wonkiest of American musicals until Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to rhyme “abolitionists” with “ammunition is.”

Break out the waistcoats and periwigs.

COST: $65 CONTACT: 561/5144042, palmbeachdramaworks.org

THE NAKED MAGIC SHOW WHEN: July 22-24 WHERE: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale ABOUT: If you’re of the opinion that the only thing movies like “The Full Monty” and “Magic Mike XXL” are missing is wands, card tricks and grand illusions, then the R-rated “Naked Magic Show” is your steaminghot cup of tea. At this raunchy crossover hit, buff Australian magicians Christopher Wayne and Mike Taylor ensure that their clothes vanish along with their playing cards and bunny rabbits. With more than 200 shows a year under their (loosened) belts, these 30-year-old entertainers are experts in sleight of hand, mentalism and comedy hypnosis as well as large-scale illusions. And needless to say, their Chippendale’s-style wardrobes (or lack thereof) will offer audiences plenty of opportunities for a magician’s favorite tool: distraction. The duo’s tagline says it best: “Sleeves up, pants down.”

COST: $45-$65 CONTACT: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org

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backstage pass [ SPOTLIGHT ]

Ron Elkman

BOCA MAGAZINE’S CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHER OFFERS A PEEK INTO HIS ALL-ACCESS LIFE.

›› Every day before I shoot, I have to decide what it is that I’m there to shoot. If it’s sports, am I there to shoot the running backs or the receivers catching the ball? Am I there to get the quarterback at the snap and turning? Am I there to get cheerleaders jumping in the background or fans screaming? I’ve got to decide what I want to know what equipment to bring. ›› And most importantly, when I shoot concerts, I go to Wikipedia and I read everything I can about the band to understand who’s a new member, who’s a founding member, who I really need to concentrate on. And more importantly, I’ll Google the band’s name to look at their last few concerts on their tour to see their light-

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ing, their backgrounds, their coloring, if they ever come together during their show or if they’re all spread across the stage. So I do my homework. I don’t just show up. ›› If you want my best photos, you need to let me go where my eye sees the best angle. Most photographers like to shoot from the photo pit in front, whereas I want to shoot back from the soundboard with a long lens, so I can get all the stage graphics behind them, and the entire group. ›› Editing and cataloging is equally as important, or more important, than the actual image. Typically I’ll come home with 3,000 images, and I’ll probably delete—gone forever—2,600 of them. And I’ll be left with 400. I’ll leave them in a folder untouched. Then I’ll go through and pick out what I believe to be the best and most unique ones. Normally, it’ll be about 35 to 50.

Then I import them into [Adobe’s] Lightroom. I use Lightroom only to crop, and I have cropping dimensions. You can’t crop to a square. It’s got to be a vertical or a horizontal. And I’m allowed to lighten or darken or sharpen up to 10 percent—that’s it. And then because I shoot for USA Today, I shoot for the Intercom Radio Network, I shoot for Boca Raton and I shoot for my agent, I have to export those 25 photos into four different folders. There’s a lot of post-work that needs to be done, and I do that 300 days a year. ›› I grew up on classic rock n’ roll. I like the Springsteens, Tom Pettys, all of that. But when I shoot, I put in earplugs, because I don’t want to hear the music. I want to be in a vacuum where it’s me and my images. I don’t want to be distracted by noise. I’m there to work.

People say to me, how lucky are you, shooting 150 concerts a year and knowing all these artists and shooting backstage, and having dinner with them? I say, yeah, that’s fun—but I’m there to work. ›› After I’m done shooting, I can stay for the rest of the concert if I want. It depends if I know the artists. I can go to the green room and eat and wait for them to finish. I can just stand by the sidewall or grab a folding chair and watch the show. But to be honest with you, because I do so many of these and shoot a lot of these artists every year, I want out. I want to go home, edit and go to sleep, because I’ve got another one the next day.

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

R

on Elkman’s relationship with photography began when he was a teenager, shooting black-and-white film and developing it in a makeshift darkroom in the kitchen of his Philadelphia home. But it wasn’t until after he had conquered a plethora of other careers—advertising, screenwriting, television production—that he was able to devote his career to it. In 2010, ABC Miami hired him to shoot sports and entertainment. The Miami Dolphins called him their “shooting machine,” and soon other outlets, including ESPN, began to take notice.

Nowadays, Elkman’s calendar is perpetually packed.

He estimates that he shoots 500,000 images a year, photographing approximately 150 concerts and 150 sporting events. More than 35,000 of the Coral Springs resident’s images have been published in Newsweek, USA Today, Forbes, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly … and now this magazine, which hired Elkman this year as its official concert photographer.

On any given night, the man who considers Phil Collins and Dwyane Wade his friends can be found in the “photo pit” under the stage or positioned near the soundboard at venues ranging from the Kravis Center to AmericanAirlines Arena, shooting everybody from Tony Bennett to Beyoncé. The best photos from each shoot can be found under the “Concert Photos” link at bocamag.com.

So what does the average photo shoot entail? Elkman walks us through his process—before, during and after each big night.

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” set during the Kentucky Derby WHEN: July 7-17 WHERE: Carlin Park, 400 Florida A1A, Jupiter COST: Free CONTACT: 561/762-8552, pbshakespeare.org

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backstage pass

take5 Kermit Christman FOUNDER, PALM BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

W

hen the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival began in Jupiter’s Carlin Park 26 years ago, founder Kermit Christman repeated a particular buzzword so many times it became a mantra among the staff: accessible.

This is understandable. As masterly as Shakespeare is, he can be anathema to some modern audiences.

His nonplussed Danes and tempestuous kings are the stuff of five centuries past, and Elizabethan English in iambic pentameter can easily flummox today’s Tweeters.

So Christman, a veteran actor and writer who trained with Maggie Smith at England’s Royal Shakespeare Company, decided to mostly eschew doublets and jerkins for his Jupiter productions. In its second year, in 1991, the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival produced a “Richard III” inspired by the urban look and feel of “Miami Vice.” Christman would later produce an underground version of “Hamlet” with characters clad in black leather; launch “Coriolanus” into outer space, with the stage bare except for a glowing monolith a la “2001: A Space Odyssey;” and mount “Hamlet,” once again, in contemporary plainclothes. “In the end Hamlet killed everybody with a handgun,” Christman recalls. “It was like ‘Scarface!’”

Along the way, the festival has evolved from a makeshift stage on Jupiter scrubland to the biggest summer draw in the touristy North County region.

An average of $100,000 goes into each large-scale production, with county grants and benefactors ensuring that it is always free to the public.

In 2013, the festival suffered an artistic blow when Kevin Crawford, a founding member and Shakespeare scholar who participated every year as an actor and eventually director, died at 43. His absence is still felt, but Christman’s company soldiers on, with its 2016 selection, “The Taming of the Shrew,” running in July (see box on opposite page for details).

As Christman reveals, he is still innovating in his ongoing quest to “accessorize” the Bard.

Q1

What’s the inspiration for your “Taming of the Shrew?”

They want to be in their car at 10 minutes to 10.

We’re doing it at the Kentucky Derby.

It’ll be the wildness of the derby, the horse race itself and the costumes— the ladies must have hats, as they wear at the Derby so famously. I announced that idea to the press, and they went, “that’s the best idea I ever heard.” Why? Because it’s accessible.

Everybody knows the Derby. It’s always about rethinking the show— newer, fresher, better.

Anything you haven’t staged yet, that’s on your Shakespeare bucket list?

Q2

Do you still find new things in the text?

Always. And you know how you find it? Experience. What you read when you’re 10 is different than when you’re 70, and that is the brilliance of Shakespeare—that, as Ben Johnson said, he wasn’t for an age, he was for alltime. And if you take that statement and twist it around, you see how it is always speaking to you. It’s almost, if you like, a spiritual experience.

Q3

Do you edit these works for length?

We do, and that’s because of our precious modern media age. People will not sit for a very long time. I give [directors] a time signature. With “The Taming of the Shrew,” I said, I want it done in 90 minutes. I don’t want to go through, even with “Lear” or “Hamlet,” four and a half hours.

It’s not going to work. [People are] coming out to have a jolly good time!

Q4

I think the one we would like to stage that we’re warming up to is “King Lear.” We’ve waited to do it, not only to find the appropriate people but, quite literally, we’ve waited to do it to make sure our reputation is solid so that when we announce it, people will come out and look at it. In the early days of building a business, you may not want to do “King Lear.” Perhaps you should do “Romeo and Juliet” to bring the people in, mature your audience, then go off to do the big ones.

Q5

What did Kevin Crawford bring to the festival that can’t be really be filled by anybody else?

It’s a tough act to follow, because he brought a tremendous amount of energy and heart. His intelligence was enormous, and his talent grew until he became literally a force to be dealt with. He just had the ability, through being earnest and disciplined, to fulfill a lot of different tasks within the Shakespeare Festival. Where are you going to find those kinds of people, who are triple-hitters?

You could only imagine where we would have gone together, and the new things we would have done. But life is strange.

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5/26/16 2:48 PM

diningguide [ 116 grato review • 118 kapow! review • 124 the boca challenge • 130 deconstructing the dish ]

For starters

BREEZE OCEAN KITCHEN 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, 561/533-6000

CAPEHART PHOTOGRAHY

T

hree years after the former Ritz-Carlton resort on A1A in Manalapan became Eau Palm Beach, the new owners are putting their stamp on the sprawling, seven-acre oceanfront resort.

First came a redo of the resort’s 300-plus rooms, given a bright, colorful, casual-elegant look by New York designer Jonathan Adler. And now a long-awaited makeover of the resort’s culinary program has been accomplished, an effort that began late last year with the hiring of Josh Thomsen as executive chef.

Thomsen’s resume reads like a travel guide to some of the country’s best restaurants, including Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Joachim Splichal’s Patina. A particular focus of Thomsen’s is on the resort’s casual poolside bar-cafe Breeze, renamed Breeze Ocean Kitchen.

Adler’s sunny design touches are evident in Breeze too, which was basically rebuilt from the ground up to capitalize on its stunning ocean views, especially from the “lookout” bar that floats over the resort’s private beach. Breeze’s menu, developed by Thomsen and chef de cuisine Kevin Knieriemen, continues the beach-y South Florida theme, with Cuban-style tacos featuring Berkshire pork, Swiss cheese and house-made pickles and locally caught pink shrimp tricked out with a mojo marinade and side of avocado aioli.

“The cuisine at Breeze Ocean Kitchen is really a celebration of flavors influenced by Latin, Caribbean, Asian and American cooking,” says Knieriemen. “I like to use as much local seafood and seasonal produce as possible, [creating] dishes that are light, vibrant and fresh, which fits perfectly with our ocean-side location.”

—BILL CITARA

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dining guide

review GRATO

1901 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561/404-1334

“G

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Grato’s “Sunday Gravy,” chef Clay Conley

LIBBY VOLGYES

IF YOU GO HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 4:30-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4:30 p.m.-12 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

PRICES: Entrees $16.50-$35

ROB WOODHAM

rato” means “grateful” in Italian.

And, truth is, we have much to be grateful for.

We’re grateful Clay Conley decided to start his restaurant mini-empire in our neck of the woods instead of staying in Miami.

We’re grateful for Buccan and its easygoing yet sophisticated take on American bistro fare, for Imoto and its miraculously un-clichéd Asian fusion cookery, for the Sandwich Shop because, well, who doesn’t love a killer sammie?

We’re grateful Conley actually lives and works here—A chef! In the kitchen! Cooking!—instead of parachuting in once a month to anoint the peasants with the balm of his TV celebrity before fleeing back to Midtown or Wynwood or wherever is this week’s hot new restaurant destination.

And we’re really grateful Conley decided to turn his prodigious talents to Italian cuisine by opening Grato, a brilliant ray of highly evolved but utterly unpretentious culinary light cutting through a palate-numbing fog of red sauce, white sauce, meatballs, fried calamari and— Please, God, no!—chicken Parm.

We’re grateful for the kitchen’s skilled hand at the deep fryer, which turns each piece of fritto misto—green beans, zucchini, artichokes and lemon slices, all given a quick bath in a light, tempura-style batter—into crisp, delicate, greaseless paeans to the magical properties of cooking in hot oil.

We’re grateful for beef tartare crostini, as lusty as a politician in a cathouse, cubes of plushtextured steak in a tart, mustardy dressing that cut through the beef’s richness while letting its bold, brassy flavor shine. We’re not quite so grateful that the edges of the crostini were charred a bitter black, but we’re still savoring that tartare and are too happy to hold a grudge.

We’re grateful for Grato’s ricotta gnocchi, ethereal little pillows dyed a verdant green with spinach, so feather-light and airy they could only have been held down on the plate by a sauce that was every bit their equal. We’re stupid-grateful for that sauce too, a dusky affair based on porcini butter with seemingly

WEBSITE: gratowpb.com bottomless flavor, loaded with crisp-tender fava beans, sugar snap and English peas and roasted porcinis, tweaked with sliced garlic and mint.

We’re grateful for porchetta, easily one of the finest things you can do with a pig, a slab of herb-flecked pork shoulder that falls apart under the mere threat of a knife, wrapped in a sheet of pork belly that showers it with delicious fat and leaves behind a crunchy baconesque jacket. We’re also grateful for the rest of the plate, pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe, insanely rich polenta, a tart wine-y sauce, tangy pickled onions and peppery arugula.

We’re grateful for Grato’s blessedly different preparation of bronzino, that mild-tasting Mediterranean fish that’s gone from obscurity

to ubiquity faster than you can say “tiramisu.”

Are we more grateful for the perfectly cooked fish with its melty flesh and potato chip-brittle skin than for the bronze, vaguely tomato-y broth shot through with chickpeas and plump little Florida clams? Or the delightfully outsidethe-box garnish of thinly shaved fennel, radish and celery leaves? All of the above, I think.

Speaking of tiramisu, we’re grateful indeed not to have it for dessert, but instead to dig into a shallow pool of panna cotta so smooth and creamy it has the texture of edible cashmere. What we’re saying, I guess, is that we’re grateful for Grato. That’s Italian for “really great food.”

—BILL CITARA

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“IF YOU M A K E GR E AT i ta l i a n FOOD T H E Y W IL L COM E ” Offering Complimentary Transportation To & From Area Hotels Open For Dinner Nightly Private Rooms Available for Parties of 6–45 499 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton • 561-393-6715 www.trattoriaromanabocaraton.com TrattoriaRomana_brm1115.indd 1

5/25/16 7:14 PM

dining guide review KAPOW!

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

Kapow!’s steak ramen and its chef, Chuck Gittleman

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broth, noodles, veggies and egg, plus a cavemanish length of bone whose marrow you scrape into the mix for the ultimate in carnivorous decadence.

Of course, there’s more to Kapow!’s menu than ramen, including plenty of small plates like sesame and garlic-scented charred edamame, tasty but greasy duck confit spring rolls, nifty Korean-esque sliders with a thimble-sized beef burger, teriyaki sauce and kimchi slaw folded into a pillowy white bun, and for dessert, housesignature cheesecake spring rolls with caramel dipping sauce, which should keep that hipster cred going for at least a few more years.

—BILL CITARA

IF YOU GO HOURS: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-midnight., Fri.-Sat. 11:30-2 a.m.

PRICES: Entrees $13 to $24 WEBSITE: kapownoodlebar.com

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

K

eeping your hipster cred is a whole lot tougher than getting it. Today’s hot new thing is tomorrow’s cliché, next week’s old news and next month’s barely remembered nostalgia.

So the fact that after five years Kapow! is still pulling the hungry hipster hordes to mainstream Mizner Park is nothing to be sneezed at. It does help that the style is more Brooklyn than Boca, from Kapow!’s hard-edged neoindustrial design and giant, cartoony mural by

local artist Michael “Pooch” Pucciarelli to the now-requisite selection of craft beers and inventive mixological cocktails.

But as it usually does in the restaurant biz, it all comes down to the food. And while Kapow!’s food is no more cutting-edge than Boca is Brooklyn, it is consistently flavorful, well-made and just edgy enough to claim some of that hipster cred. Kapow! appends its exclamatory moniker with the tag “Noodle Bar,” and there’s no better place to start than with ramen, the comfort food equivalent of a hug from mom.

Though proteins and garnishes vary, the success of ramen begins and ends with the broth, at Kapow! an almost religiously savory affair the color of burnished mahogany that’s the result of a meticulous three-day process. Pork ramen gilds that savory broth and slippery, spaghetti-sized noodles with tentacles of gumtender pulled pork, half-moons of kamaboko (aka, surimi), nori, bean sprouts, bok choy and a just-set soft-boiled egg.

Even better is the steak ramen, which adds slabs of shoyu-marinated skirt steak to the

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for a St ep 1

3-COURSE PRIX FIXE MENUS Starting at $20 p.m.

Deck 84: Monday–Friday, 4–6 Henry’s: Daily, 5 p.m.–close Step 2

KIDS EAT FREE! Sunday–Thursday With an adult entrée purchase ALL LOCATIONS

Step 3

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3/30/16 10:41 AM 5/25/16 7:07 PM

dining guide DINING KEY

$ Inexpensive: Under $17 $$ Moderate: $18–$35 $$$ Expensive: $36–$50 $$$$ Very Expensive: $50 +

PALM BEACH COUNTY BOCA RATON 13 american table —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. Contemporary American. This cozy, artfully rustic spot 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 feather-light profiteroles filled with caramel and pumpkin mousse. • Dinner nightly. 561/409-2061. $$

abe & louie’s —2200 W. Glades Road.

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 rib-eye 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. 561/447-0024. $$$

Family Affair

Boca’s oldest Italian restaurant, Arturo’s, offers three private dining rooms for special-occasion events.

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 fresh jumbo shrimp grilled in hot marinara sauce. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/997-7373. $$$ biergarten—309 Via De Palmas, #90. German/Pub. Part vaguely German beer garden, part all-American sports bar, this rustic eatery offers menus that channel both, as well as an excellent selection of two-dozen beers on tap and the same number by the bottle. The food is basic and designed to go well with suds, like the

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giant pretzel with a trio of dipping sauces and the popular “Biergarten burger.” • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/395-7462. $

boca landing—999 E. Camino Real. Contemporary American. No Hollywood celebrity has gotten a better face-lift than Boca’s aging Bridge Hotel, now the sleek, contemporary Waterstone Resort & Marina. The hotel’s new signature restaurant, Boca Landing, is equally stunning, showing off its prime waterfront location and views. The mostly small-plates menu features Asian-inflected tuna tartare, green curry mussels and fried calamari. Probably the best dish, though, is the thoroughly continental filet mignon with crab and béarnaise, with wickedly luscious house-made hazelnut gelato coming in a very close second.

• Dinner daily. 561/368-9500. $$

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. Lunch on Saturdays. 561/4834949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-9142; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/9652663; 11658 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/799-2965) $$ brio tuscan grille—5050 Town Center Circle, #239. Italian. The Boca outpost of this national chain does what it set out to do—dish up big portions of well-made, easily accessible Italianesque fare at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for bruschetta piled with fresh cheeses and vegetables or house-made fettuccine with tender shrimp and lobster in a spicy lobster butter sauce, you’ll be one happy diner. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/392-3777. (Other Palm Beach County locations: The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd., 561/622-0491; CityPlace, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., 561/835-1511) $$

butcher block grill—7000 W. Camino Real, #100. 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 palatepleasing as well. Don’t miss the fresh mozzarella, made and assembled into a salad at your table. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-3035. $$$

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 char-grilled jumbo prawns with artichoke, arugula, lemon and olive oil. 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

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THERE’S ONLY ONE PLACE TO

EXPERIENCE SOUTH FLORIDA There is only one

North of Hillsboro Blvd, directly on the ocean • Deerfield Beach • Oceans234.com • 954.428.2539

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dining guide 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 flash-fried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with lobster. • Dinner nightly. 561/395-2675. $$$$

plenty of reasons why this is one of the most popular business lunch spots in all of Boca, including menu items like crab cakes, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/9980550. $$$

cuban café —3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd.

josef’s table —5030 Champion Blvd.

Continental. 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 nightly. Lunch Mon.–Fri. 561/353-2700. $$$

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. $

davinci’s of boca—6000 Glades Road.

Italian. Expect carefully prepared Italian fare that will satisfy both traditionalists and the more adventurous. The former will like crisp, greaseless fried calamari and hearty lasagna made with fresh pasta. The latter will enjoy creamy burrata with prosciutto, tomato jam and arugula and a branzino served with spinach, clams and shrimp. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/362-8466. $$ dorsia—5837 N. Federal Highway. Continental.

The simple pleasures of the table—good food, personable service, comfortable ambience—are what this modestly stylish restaurant is all about.

The menu has a strong Italian bent, evidenced by dishes like a trio of fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with an airy three-cheese mousse, and a cookbook-perfect rendition of veal scaloppine lavished with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and a tangy lemon-white wine sauce. • Dinner nightly 561/961-4156. $$ farmer’s table —1901 N. Military Trail.

Chocoholic Alert

At Ke’e Grill, try a dessert martini: Van Gogh double chocolate and vanilla vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur and a splash of Baileys.

American. Fresh, natural, sustainable, organic and local is the mantra at this both tasty and health-conscious offering from Mitchell Robbins and Joey Giannuzzi. Menu highlights include flatbreads, slow-braised USDA Prime short rib and the popular Buddha Bowl, with veggies, udon noodles and shrimp. • Breakfast Mon.–Fri. Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly.

Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/417-5836. $

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. $$ the grille on congress—5101 Congress Ave. American. Dishes at this longtime favorite range from tasty chicken dishes and main-plate salads to seafood options like Asian-glazed salmon or pan-seared yellowtail snapper. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/912-9800. $$

houston’s —1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Contemporary American. Convenient location, stylish ambience and impeccable service are all hallmarks of this local outpost of the Hillstone restaurant chain. There are

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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. PanAsian. This wickedly stylish Asian-inspired gastropub delivers a delicious and inventive punch to the taste buds. Among the hardest hitters is tuna poke with sesame citrus soy-marinated ahi tuna, crispy wontons and habanero cucumber cream—not to mention 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 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. $$$

ke’e 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. $$$

BUZZ BITES I FARM TO TOWN If you’re serious about farm to table dining—farm to your table, that is, not some restaurant’s—then the folks behind Bedner’s have a new and more convenient outlet for you.

It’s the second Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market (381 N.E. Third Ave., 561/501-5177), this one in Delray’s burgeoning Pineapple Grove neighborhood, the first sibling of the original West Boynton Bedner’s and what may be only a precursor of more Bedner’s Markets to come.

The 3,000-square-foot Delray Bedner’s is the result of popular demand, another sign of the growing sophistication of South Florida diners and People of Food in general. Like the Boynton parent, the new Bedner’s features all the same locally grown fruits and veggies, many from companyowned farms in Boynton and further north in Martin County. Some produce and specialty items, like herbs and honey, are sourced from other local producers.

If you’re interested in farm to table without the interim stop in your own kitchen, you can also pick up lunch or dinner to go at the market’s soup ‘n’ salad bar, along with a bottle of wine from an eclectic collection.

la ferme—9101 Lakeridge Blvd. French/ Mediterranean. Classic style and classically oriented French cuisine come together at this elegant yet comfortable restaurant in a west Boca shopping mall. Though there are a few Asian and Italian-inflected dishes on the menu, at its heart Le Ferme (“the farm”) is as French as the Eiffel Tower. Start with gougères, cheesy pastry puffs filled with béchamel; don’t miss the unconscionably savory cassoulet; and finish with a tux-n-tails version of pineapple upsidedown cake that takes a classic one better. • Dinner daily. 561/654-6600. $$$

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451 E. Palmetto Park Rd. · Boca Raton · 561-409-2061 Open Daily at 5pm

FOOD & DRINK FOR ALL! Find us on Facebook Badge

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dining guide the boca challenge

Frozen Custard

N

othing says summer like the noonday sun frying your face like an egg in a white-hot skillet, humidity so thick the air feels like wet concrete, thunderstorms of Biblical savagery exploding overhead, washing away …

Wait a minute. Let’s try that again.

Nothing says summer like a mouthful of thick, rich, creamy frozen custard, a cool, soothing antidote to the season’s blazing heat and mind-numbing humidity, the dark luxury of chocolate or plush bite of vanilla washing away …

Wow. That’s much better. So much better, in fact, that we couldn’t resist making frozen custard—both chocolate and vanilla—the subject of this issue’s Boca Challenge. Think of it as ice cream’s posher, more upscale cousin; egg yolks and a higher butterfat content give it a creamier, more luxurious texture while still offering ice cream’s sweet, cool relief to South Florida’s brutal summertime weather.

It’s almost enough to make you wish that summer came around more often.

—BILL CITARA

TASTE

TEXTURE

VALUE

TOTAL

THE DISH

BOARDWALK

Chocolate and vanilla custards displayed good flavor but were thinner and more ice cream-like than super-dense, rich and creamy like the other two challengers’. Chocolate was grainy and icy. $3.50

BURGERFI

The clear winner here, though the vanilla custard seemed more sweet than vanilla-y. Still, both chocolate and vanilla were rich, creamy, dense and silken smooth, and the chocolate had great milk chocolate flavor. $3.97

SHAKE SHACK

A close second to BurgerFi’s custards, these two weren’t quite as rich and dense and silken smooth, and the vanilla custard was gritty with tiny particles of ice, though it did have a pronounced vanilla flavor. $3.59

ratings:

fair

good

Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery, 209 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561/600-9593

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very good

excellent

BurgerFi, 6 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, 561/278-9590

Shake Shack, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/923-0847

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MADE BY SOMEONE IN A CHEF’S APRON. NOT A LAB COAT. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. OR FREEZERS, OR HEAT LAMPS FOR THAT MATTER. JUST JUICY NATURAL ANGUS BURGERS THE WAY NATURE INTENDED.

DEERFIELD BEACH 2009-C NE 2ND ST 954.531.6168

SUN - THURS • 11AM - 10PM FRI - SAT • 11AM - 11PM

DELRAY BEACH 6TH S OCEAN BLVD 561.278.9590

SUN - THURS • 11AM - 11PM FRI - SAT • 11AM - 1AM

©2015 BURGERFI International, LLC.

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dining guide yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt; it’s de-boned right at tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer). 561/362-8403. $$

le rivage —450 N.E. 20th St. French. Don’t overlook this small, unassuming bastion of traditional French cookery. That would be a mistake, because the dishes that virtually scream “creativity” can’t compare to the quiet pleasures served here—like cool, soothing vichyssoise, delicate fillet of sole with nutty brown butter sauce or perfectly executed crème brûlee.

Good food presented without artifice at a fair price never goes out of fashion. • Dinner nightly.

561/620-0033. $$

CRISTINA MORGADO

the little chalet —485 S. Federal Hight-

Lamb chops at Le Rivage

Cured Fish Aplenty

There are 11 different ceviches at La Rosa Nautica—a stellar Peruvian restaurant that knows its way around seafood.

la nouvelle maison—455 E. Palmetto Park Blvd. French. Elegant, sophisticated French cuisine, white-glove service and a trio of (differently) stylish dining rooms make Arturo Gismondi’s homage to the Boca’s storied La Vieille Maison the home away from home to anyone who appreciates the fine points of fine dining. The cuisine showcases both first-rate ingredients and precise execution, whether a generous slab of silken foie gras with plum gastrique, posh lobster salad, cookbookperfect rendition of steak frites and assortment of desserts that range from homey apple tart to bananas Foster with chocolate and Grand Marnier. • Dinner daily. 561/338-3003. $$$

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 and dinner daily.

561/296-1413. $$ 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. $$ la villetta—4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian. This is a well-edited version of a traditional Italian menu, complete with homemade pastas and other classic dishes. Try the signature whole

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way. Continental/Steak house. This clubby faux chalet touts both its pricy pedigreed beef and that once-hip culinary staple of the 1950s and ’60s, fondue. The latter offers a unique taste experience, especially if you go for the three-course prix fixe fondue dinner for two. It starts off with a choice of cheese fondues; we suggest trying the Parmesan, cherry tomato and fresh basil. Entrée fondues feature beef, chicken and shrimp cooked in a burbling consommé, to be dabbed with any of seven different sauces. Dessert fondues are all about the chocolate; try the decadent chocolate-peanut butter. Dinner daily. 561/325-8000. $$$

madison’s —2006 N.W. Executive Center Circle. American. This location is something of a Bermuda Triangle for restaurants, with at least four eateries preceding this local outpost of a Canadian chain that styles itself a “New York grill and bar.” What Madison’s has going for it is an exceedingly handsome and capacious space, as well as service that is as professional as it is personable. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/994-0808. $$

maggiano’s—21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. Do as the Italians do and order family-style, sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrées, two vegetables and two desserts. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$

BUZZ BITES II TWISTED BUT OPEN One of the coolest spots in Boynton Beach has gotten a new lease on life, and let’s hope it lasts longer (or doesn’t deteriorate as quickly) as its predecessor.

The Twisted Fish (511 N.E. Fourth St., 561/806-5441) swims into the mostly open-air space in an industrial area of Boynton off Federal Highway that for a time was home to The Backyard, an obscure location with a laid-back, Keys-y vibe that started off promising but degenerated into a raucous, party-hearty joint where the food took a backseat to getting hammered and acting out.

Proprietors are the fatherand-son team of Timothy Collins senior and junior; senior is the owner of the nearby Fish Depot, one of the best-known seafood markets in the area, which supplies the fish and shellfish for their new “twisted” venture.

The seafood-oriented menu features everything from smoked fish dip and conch salad to pesto shrimp po’ boy, whole fried yellowtail and grilled local swordfish.

Landlubbers can chow down on spicy sesame chicken wings, Black Angus burgers and grilled filet mignon.

mario’s osteria—1400 Glades Road.

Italian. This popular spot is swanky in its reincarnation, but the rustic Italian and ItalianAmerican fare keeps with an osteria’s humbler pretensions. Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna and eggplant “pancakes” are on the new menu, as are butternut squash ravioli and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/239-7000. $$ matteo’s —233 S. Federal Highway. 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. $$

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Parlez-vous Franรงais?

located in the 5 Palms Building | 455 E. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton (561) 338-3003 | LNMbocaraton.com we offer Complimentary Transportation To & From Area Hotels Private Rooms Available for Large Parties

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dining guide

merlino’s —39 S.E. First Ave. Italian. Promising to bring a little South Philadelphia swagger to the local dining scene, this handsome but not ostentatious restaurant got its initial buzz from the sometime involvement of reputed Philly mob boss Joey Merlino. The more long-lasting buzz should be about its first-rate Italian/Italian-American cuisine, which can satisfy both delicate (cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms, simply roasted whole branzino) and hearty (classic pasta fagioli, lusty veal South Philly). • Dinner daily. 561/756-8437. $$$

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. $$$ new york prime—2350 N.W. Executive Center Drive. Steak house. This wildly popular Boca meatery packs them in with swift, professional service, classy supper club ambience and an extensive wine list. And, of course, the beef— all USDA Prime, cooked to tender and juicy lusciousness over ferocious heat. The bone-in rib-eye is especially succulent, but don’t neglect the New York strip or steak-house classics like oysters Rockefeller, garlicky spinach and crusty hash browns. • Dinner daily. 561/998-3881. $$$$

Big Fat Greek Dip We Love

Our resident staff Greek swears

by Rafina and loves the dips— especially the melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant with garlic).

Opa!

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nick’s new haven-style pizzeria—2240 N.W. 19th St., #904. 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 Yorkstyle 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 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 the Boca outpost of P.F. Chang’s—the portions are large enough to feed the masses—and the exquisite tastes in each dish could soothe any tyrant. We particularly like the steamed fish of the day, as well as the Szechuan-style asparagus. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-3722. (Other Palm Beach County location: 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/691-1610) $$ 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 waffle with raspberry sauce that is the irresistible definition of lusciousness. • Lunch and dinner daily.

Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/391-7770. $$ 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. $$

BUZZ BITES III DINING AT DOMUS You can never be too rich, too thin or have too many Italian restaurants. Or at least that’s the way it seems in our little corner of paradise.

The latest entrant in the local Italian restaurant wars is Domus Restaurant & Lounge (187 S.E. Mizner Blvd., 561/419-8787), which takes over the stylishly contemporary space in Boca’s Royal Palm Place vacated long ago by another Italian eatery, Piattini.

Domus bills itself as an Italian steakhouse, albeit one with a healthy bent that extends to light sauces and natural ingredients, with live entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights thrown in for good measure.

In addition to a roster of USDA Prime steaks (and the requisite pricy domestic and Italian red wines to wash them down), the menu is a reprise of tried-and-true Italian favorites, from mussels in white wine sauce and pappardelle Bolognese to zuppa di pesce and chicken cooked under a brick. The restaurant is also open for lunch, serving salads, sandwiches, burgers and lighter fare.

rafina—6877 S.W. 18th St. Greek. If you find the ambience of most Greek restaurants to be like a frat party with flaming cheese and ouzo, this contemporary, casually elegant spot will be welcome relief. Food and decor favor refinement over rusticity, even in such hearty and ubiquitous dishes as pastitsio and spanakopita. Standout dishes include the moussaka, the creamy and mildly citrusy avgolemono soup and the precisely grilled, simply adorned (with olive oil, lemon and capers) branzino. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-3673. $$

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 Milanese and the zuppa di pesce served

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max’s grille —404 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. After 24 years in Mizner Park, Dennis Max’s modern American bistro is a true local classic. The food and decor are both timeless and up to date, the ambience is that of a smooth-running big city bistro. Service is personable and proficient. The menu is composed of dishes you really want to eat, from grilled artichokes with rémoulade to wild Alaskan salmon with citrus beurre blanc to the wickedly indulgent crème brûlèe pie. It’s a classic.

Just like Max’s Grille. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/368-0080. $$

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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, mouthwatering seafood, chicken and beef entrees.

Vic & Angelo’s serves up delectable, rustic Italian cuisine, including soulsatisfying 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.

• Lunch & Dinner Served Daily • Early & Late Happy Hour at Indoor & Outdoor Bars • Dine Indoors or on the Patio

• Lunch & Dinner Served Daily • Early & Late Happy Hour at Indoor & Outdoor Bars • Brunch Served Saturday & Sunday • Indoor and Outdoor Dining

201 E. Atlantic Ave. • Delray Beach • 561-276-3600 theofficedelray.com

290 E. Atlantic Ave. • Delray Beach • 561-278-9570 4520 PGA Blvd. • Palm Beach Gardens • 561-630-9899 vicandangelos.com

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dining guide deconstructing the dish

veal chop valdostana Chef Wilman Rodriguez, Matteo’s

I

talian cooks have a way with veal. Piccata, Sorrentino, Parmigiano, Francese and Milanese are just a few of the ways this mild-flavored meat is dressed up for dinner.

One of the most popular veal dishes at Matteo’s in Boca is yet another Italian variation on a veal theme, Veal Chop Valdostana. “Valdostana” means in the style of Valle d’Aosta, a small region in northwest Italy bordered by Switzerland and France. It’s a region known for its dairy products, hence the use in this dish of cheese and butter.

Pick up the recipe at bocamag.com, and follow these tips to perfect your chops Matteo’s-style.

If you don’t like veal or want a less expensive alternative, boneless, skinless chicken breast or pork chops are a perfectly acceptable substitute.

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Don’t cheat on the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs process.

The flour helps bind the egg to the veal chop, and the egg binds the breadcrumbs, so you won’t get chunks of breading falling off during cooking.

If you’re not using a nonstick sauté pan, be sure to heat the pan first, then add the oil.

Have the chop at room temperature and don’t move it around in the pan until a crust forms on the bottom. All of those will help keep the chop from sticking to the pan.

You can use any kind of mushrooms you like in place of ordinary buttons—porcini, portobello, shiitake, chanterelle, etc.

Though most of the alcohol in marsala is cooked off in the cooking process, you can substitute alcohol-free red wine for the marsala.

The flavor of the finished sauce, however, will be much different.

GET THE RECIPE: Visit bocamag.com, under

Web Extras, for Rodriguez’s Valdostana recipe.

AARON BRISTOL

—BILL CITARA

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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“The Italian Restaurant on the Beach” –proudly serving you for 20 years!

BEST ITALIAN READERS’ CHOICE AWARD 2009, 2012, 2013 BEST WINE LIST BOCA RATON MAGAZINE 2008, 2012 BEST BRUNCH BOCA RATON MAGAZINE 2006, 2012 BEST OCEANFRONT DINING READERS’ CHOICE AWARD 2005, 2010 WINE SPECTATOR AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2003-2014

34 South Ocean Boulevard, Delray Beach • 561-274-9404 • caffelunarosa.com •

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dining guide over linguine are especially tasty, and the pasta (all 17 kinds!) is available in full and half orders, with your choice of 15 zesty sauces. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/367-9779. $$

ruth’s chris —225 N.E. Mizner Blvd. Steak house. Not only does this steak-house favorite emphasize its New Orleans roots, it also distinguishes itself from many of its competitors by just serving better food. The signature chopped salad has a list of ingredients as long as a hose but they all work together. And how can you not like a salad topped with crispy fried onion strings. Steaks are USDA Prime and immensely flavorful, like a perfectly seared New York strip. The white chocolate bread pudding is simply wicked. • Dinner daily. 561/392-6746. $$$$

Tanzy

sapphire indian cuisine —500 Via de Palmas. Indian. Raju Brahmbhatt’s modern, sophisticated restaurant will smash any negative stereotypes of Indian cuisine or the restaurants that serve it. It’s sleek and stylish, with a well-chosen wine list and a staff that’s eager to please. The food is elegant and refined and alive with the complex blend of spices that makes Indian cuisine so intriguing. Try Bagarey Baigan, plush-textured, thumb-sized baby eggplants in a lush coconut-curry sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/362-2299. $$

seasons 52 —2300 Executive Center Drive.

Contemporary American. The food—seasonal ingredients, simply and healthfully prepared, accompanied by interesting wines—is firstrate, from salmon roasted on a cedar plank to desserts served in oversized shot glasses. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-9952. (Other Palm Beach County location: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/6255852) $$ sushi ray—5250 Town Center Circle. Japanese/Sushi. Impeccably fresh and exactingly prepared sushi and other Japanese specialties are on display. The Nobu-esque miso sea bass gives a taste of this modern classic at a fraction of the price of the original, while the chef’s sushi assortment offers a generous arrangement of nigiri and maki for a reasonable $20. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/394-9506. $$

simple all-day menu. Grilled salmon chopped salad with tomatillo ranch dressing is delightful, as is guacamole studded with fat chunks of bacon and charred corn. Same goes for decadent shrimp mac-n-cheese. The wicked-good chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel sauce would be the envy of any Big Easy eatery.

Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/235-5819. $

taverna kyma —6298 N. Federal Highway.

Greek/Mediterranean. Few present 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. $$ trattoria romana—499 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. This local mainstay does Italian classics and its own lengthy list of ambitious specials with unusual skill and aplomb. The service is at a level not always seen in local eateries. Pay attention to the daily specials, especially if it includes impeccably done langostini oreganata and the restaurant’s signature jumbo shrimp saltimbocca. • Dinner daily. 561/393-6715. $$$

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 quattro formaggio fiocchi and spiced pear.

Savory grilled skirt steak and massive bone-in veal chops are excellent, as are the braised Angus beef short ribs with toasted pearl barley and collard greens. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/922-6699. $$$

truluck’s —351 Plaza Real. Seafood.

tap 42 —5050 Town Center Circle. Gastro-

Contemporary American. You’ve probably licked postage stamps that are larger than Ron and Rhonda Weisheit’s tiny jewel box of a restaurant, but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm, sophistication and imagina-

pub. This hugely popular nouveau-Industrial gastropub is not for the faint of eardrums when packed, but don’t let that discourage you. The kitchen here executes the hell out of a short,

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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 ketchup-y sauce on top. • Dinner nightly. 561/391-0755. $$$

twenty twenty grille—141 Via Naranjas.

tive, expertly crafted food. Virtually everything is made in-house, from the trio of breads that first grace your table to the pasta in a suave dish of tagliatelle with duck and chicken confit. Don’t miss the jerk pork belly and grilled veal strip loin.

• Dinner daily. 561/990-7969. $$

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 restaurant offers more than the usual suspects. You can get honey chipotle chicken fajitas, as well as beef 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 Hunan-style 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. 561-447-2257. $$

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 roasted red peppers with Provolone, as well as ricotta gnocchi with San Marzano tomatoes. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/869-0030. $

The Bar Nuts Alternative

Don’t forget about the yummy antipasti bar bites at Trattoria Romana: $5 veggies, $7 salumi and $6 cheeses— in addition to nightly specials a mile long.

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Flavors “ M IAM I WITHOUT THE DRIVE

105 E . AT L AN T I C AV E. DEL RA Y B E A C H , F L | 5 6 1- 2 7 4 - 9 0 9 0 | C A B A NA RE ST AURANT . COM

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dining guide prices and in truly daunting portions. In South Florida’s world of trendy and expensive bistros, this is a welcome relief. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/853-0090. $

prime catch—700 E. Woolbright Road.

JERRY RABINOWITZ

Seafood. Waterfront restaurants are few and far between in our neck of the woods, and those with good food are even more rare. Prime Catch, at the foot of the Woolbright bridge on the Intracoastal, is a best-kept secret. The simple pleasures here soar—a perfectly grilled piece of mahi or bouillabaisse overflowing with tender fish. Don’t miss one of the best Key lime pies around. • Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. 561/737-8822. $$

Smashed beet salad from Apeiro

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. $$

Master Class

32 East chef Nick Morfogen teaches occasional popup cooking classes when his schedule permits; call the restaurant (561/276-7868) to see when the next one is!

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. Roasted bone marrow and wagyu duck fat burgers, along with 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 bar louie—1500 Gateway Blvd., #100. Eclectic. Attempting to split the difference between happening bar and American café, Bar Louie in the sprawling Renaissance Commons complex mostly succeeds, offering burgers, pizzas, fish tacos and a variety of salads, all at moderate

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sushi simon—1614 S. Federal Highway.

Japanese. It’s been called “Nobu North” by some aficionados, and for good reason. Local sushi-philes jam the narrow dining room for such impeccable nigirizushi as hamachi and uni (Thursdays), as well as more elaborate dishes like snapper Morimoto and tuna tartare.

Creative, elaborate rolls are a specialty. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/731-1819. $$

DELRAY BEACH 3rd and 3rd—301 N.E. Third Ave. Gastropub. This 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, stunning delicious roasted cauliflower with Parmesan mousse and bacon, and wickedgood espresso panna cotta on it at your visit. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/303-1939. $$ 32 east —32 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. There are trendier, flashier, more celebrated restaurants than this beacon of vibrant modern American cuisine in downtown Delray, but there are no better restaurants anywhere in South Florida. Thank chef-partner Nick Morfogen, who turns out food that’s consistently as inspired, inventive and up-todate as it is thoroughly delicious. The menu changes weekly, but still look for items like the sublime black truffle-Gruyère pizza and the venison-wild boar sausage duo, which is the stuff of carnivorous fantasies. For dessert, the chocolate-peanut butter semifreddo is truly wicked in its unabashed lusciousness. • Dinner daily. 561/276-7868. $$$ 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 crisptender fried clam bellies to rock shrimp pot pie and baked grouper topped with blue crab. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$ angelo elia pizza • bar • tapas— 16950 Jog Road. Italian. Nothing on the menu of Angelo Elia’s modern, small plates-oriented

BUZZ BITES IV CANTINA MAX Mexican and South American cuisines with a side order of upscale panache are what’s on the menu at the newish Cantina Max (6450 N. Federal Highway, 561/6092426), a spacious, stylish Latin restaurant that’s the latest restaurant tenant in an east Boca space that has been reborn more often than Jerry Falwell.

There’s more on the menu than just food, too—live music, DJs, dancing and a thriving bar scene fill out the entertainment bill. If it’s food you’re interested in, though, Max delivers all the usual Mexican culinary suspects—tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas—as well as a handful of dishes from South America: empanadas, churrasco steak and paella among them.

Of course, there’s also a burger (even a vegetarian patty), plus desserts like margarita Key lime pie and churros.

osteria disappoints, but particularly notable are the meaty fried baby artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chickenturkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweet-salty-earthypungent mélange of pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella. • Lunch Tues.–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/381-0037. $

apeiro kitchen & bar—14917 Lyons Road. Mediterranean. West Delray diners have another reason to stay in their neighborhood with this stylish, contemporary Mediterranean eatery. Apeiro’s menu spans the entire Mediterranean, with dishes like Moroccan-spiced lamb ribs, 14-ounce double-cut pork chops, and fluffy meatballs adorned with tomato sauce, ricotta and pesto. The apple crostata, baked in a wood-burning oven, is one of the best desserts in town. • Dinner daily. 561/501-4443. $$ atlantic grille—1000 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood/Contemporary American. This posh restaurant in the luxurious Seagate Hotel & Spa is home to a 450-gallon aquarium of tranquil moon jellyfish and a 2,500-gallon shark tank. Savor inventive cuisine that takes the contemporary to the extraordinary. Bold flavors, inspired techniques and the freshest ingredients make every meal a culinary adventure. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/665-4900. $$

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buddha sky bar—217 E. Atlantic Ave. #3. Pan Asian.

Don’t miss a meal at this stylish Asia-meets-industrial chic spot with a view of the Delray skyline. Chinese-influenced dim sum is inspired, while rock shrimp tempura and Tokyo beef skewers with twin chimichurri sauces touch the heart and the taste buds. 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 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, including a stellar truffle-scented wild mushroom pizza.

• Dinner daily. Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$$

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 seasonal cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/665-8484. $

cabana el rey—105 E. Atlantic Ave. Cuban tropical.

Little Havana is alive and well in Delray. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue, including starters like mariquitas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/274-9090. $$ cabo flats—Delray Marketplace, 14851 Lyons Road.

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 crispy tuna tacos. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/499-0378. $

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 housemade pasta with pancetta, tomato and basil.

Also delicious was the costoletta di vitello, a center-cut 14-ounce veal chop lightly breaded and served with San Marzano tomato sauce. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the cheesecake imported from the Carnegie Deli. • Dinner daily. Brunch Sunday. 561/274-9404. $$ city oyster—213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with jumbo crab cake and jalapeño cheddar grits. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$

TRADITIONAL GREEK CUISINE

WITH A MODERN FLAIR

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 Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wet-aged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner daily. 561/2729898. $$$

dada—52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all its own. The comfort food with a moustache menu has its quirky charms too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner daily. 561/330-3232 $$

rafina greek taverna

Located at the Boardwalk (formerly Wharfside)

6877 SW 18th Street | Boca Raton 561.409.3673 | rafinaonline.com Lunch, Dinner and Takeout Daily

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dining guide el camino —15 N.E. Second Ave. Mexican.

This sexy, bustling downtown spot is from the trio behind nearby Cut 432 and Park Tavern. Fresh, quality ingredients go into everything from the tangy tomatillo salsas to the world-class tacos of fish clad in crisp, delicate fried skin and set off by tart pineapple salsa. Cinnamon and sugardusted churros are the perfect dessert. And do check out the margaritas, especially the half-and-half blend of smoky mezcal and blanco tequila. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/865-5350. $$

fifth avenue grill—821 S. Federal High-

Classic Dining

The brunch at Fifth Avenue Grill has it all— including oysters Rockefeller.

way. 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. $$

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 olive oil, crushed potato aioli and lemon is outstanding.

• Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/266-3750. $$

KITCHEN

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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. $$ house of siam—25 N.E. Second Ave., #116. Thai. The normally riotous flavors of Thai cuisine are muted at this family-friendly downtown spot, but that seems to suit diners just fine. Dishes, well-prepared and generously portioned, include steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings with sweet soy dipping sauce and crisp-fried duck breast in a very mild red curry sauce. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner daily. 561/330-9191. $$

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 more than three decades. The food is fine hearty Italian, with excellent service. Try the veal Kristy or the calves brains. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$

j&j seafood bar & grill—634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on

Atlantic Avenue—owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$

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

BAR

Lunch | Happy Hour | Dinner Weekend Brunch | Late-Night Dining

From Morocco and Italy to Greece and Portugal, the menu at Apeiro will take you on a trip through the Mediterranean.

“★★★★”

— John Tanasychuk

Visit our website

March 27, 2015

Delray Marketplace 14917 Lyons Road Delray Beach, FL 33446 For Reservations and Group Special Events: 561-501-4443 @ApeiroDelray

Midtown Miami

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3252 NE 1st Avenue, Suite 101 Miami, FL 33137 For Reservations and Group Special Events: 786-800-5389

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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. 561/278-5050.

(Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $

mastino —25 N.E. Second Ave. Italian/pizza. While pizza from the restaurant’s oak-fired oven may be the focus, Mastino also dishes an array of small plates, from an achingly rich mac-n-three cheeses to a hearty “Old School” meatball with tomato sauce and ricotta to plump littleneck clams in a garlicky white wine-olive oil broth. • Lunch Fri.–Sun. Dinner daily. 561/921-8687. $ 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 savory bourbon-maple glazed pork belly.

• Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/3819970. $$

max’s social house—116 N.E. Sixth Ave. Gastropub. Dennis Max has hit on a winning

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formula at this residence-turned-restaurant that has seen its share of incarnations. Expect inventive farm-to-fork small plates, artisan cocktails and craft beers, and a hip, urban vibe. Highlights include house-made pimento cheese with pickled tomatoes, the Wagyu beef hotdog, thick and juicy all-American burgers, and gum-tender braised short rib with killer mac-n-cheese. Banana cream pie is so ridiculously luscious you’ll wish they served it in a gallon bucket instead of a mason jar. • Dinner daily. 561/501-4332. $$

One of Mastino’s coal-fired pizzas

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. $$

out of denmark—2275 S. Federal Highway. Danish/Continental. Reprising the restaurant he closed in 2006 to care for his ill wife, chef-owner Jorgen Moller is back with his signature brand of Danish-inflected and continental dishes. The look, feel and menu remain very old school, the way his loyal patrons

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dining guide like it. The restaurant is perhaps best known for its Danish koldt bord, an array of small bites served on a three-tiered stand. Entrées are more familiar; both rack of lamb and Wiener Schnitzel are well-prepared and flavorful. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/276-2242. $$$

park tavern —32 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 cakes featuring fat chunks of succulent crab or the behemoth slab of tender, juicy prime rib for a near-saintly $29. Don’t miss the decadent soft pretzel bites. • Dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/265-5093. $$

Established 1991

the porch—85 S.E. Sixth Ave. Italian. The concept is

7 DAYS

6:00 am to 10:00 pm

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

prime—29 S.E Second Ave. Steak/Seafood. Prime is aptly

80 S. Federal Highway • Deerfield Beach, FL • (954) 480-8402

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simple: fresh, honest, inviting food. The husband-wife team of Heinrich Lowenberg and Pamela Lomba delivers with classic and creative dishes, alike. Highlights include house-made capellini and the cocoa-dusted tiramisu. • Dinner daily. 561/303-3647. $$

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. • Dinner daily. 561/865-5845. $$$

racks fish house + oyster bar—5 S.E. Second 4/14/16 2:00 PM

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. $$$

smoke —8 E. Atlantic Ave. Barbecue. With famed pit master Bryan Tyrell manning the smoker, this joint smokes every other barbecue spot in South Florida.

Pretty much everything that comes out of Tyrell’s threewood smoker is good, but his competition-style ribs are porky-smoky-spicy heaven, the Sistine Chapel of ribdom. Crisp-greaseless house-made potato chips, meaty baked beans and plush-textured banana-coconut pudding are also excellent. The ambience is an inviting blend of Southern hospitality, urban chic and sports bar. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/330-4236. $$

Early Dinner

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5-6pm • 3 Course Menu

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 any of the fresh local fish dishes. • Lunch Tues.–Sat. Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.– Sun. 561/272-5678. $$

$21.90

also try our $10

lunch

Polo Club Shoppes 5030 Champion Blvd. #D3, Boca Raton, FL 33496

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taverna opa—270 E. Atlantic Ave. Greek. Yes, you can order a side of belly dancing and napkin tossing with your moussaka and baklava at this chain. But the moussaka and baklava also are very good; so is the rest of the food at the downtown Delray outpost. Also worth your while (and appetite) are appetizers like melitzanosalata, whipped eggplant with orange zest and roasted red pepper, and tarama, a creamy emulsion of bread, olive oil and salmon roe. Whole grilled bronzino is finished with lemon and orange juices for a citrusy flavor boost, while tongue-tying galaktoboureko goes baklava one better by adding vanilla-scented custard to golden, flaky phyllo. Dinner daily. 561/303-3602. $$

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terra fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian. The pleasures of simple, hearty, well-prepared ItalianAmerican 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.

561/495-5570. $$

tramonti—119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. In a world where restaurants chase trends with the relentlessness of Casanova in full Viagra heat, Tramonti stands out as a classy, classic outpost of authentic Italian cookery.

Not trendy hardly means stodgy, however, as evidenced by expertly crafted, robustly flavorful dishes like the signature spiedini di mozzarella Romana, spaghetti al cartoccio and braciole Napoletana. Torta della nonna is a triumph of the highly refined simplicity that lies at the heart of true Italian cuisine. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner daily. 561/272-1944. $$$

WINE AND DINE

38

$

PER PERSON

Three-course prix fixe dinner for two, plus a bottle of wine.* Now through August 31

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 fried green tomato caprese. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/921-0201. $$

vic & angelo’s —290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. Giving old-school Italian eateries a modest jolt of more contemporary cuisine and more youthful ambience has proved a winning formula for V&A. Best bets include succulent little baked clams, lusty and hugely portioned rigatoni with “Sunday gravy,” and lemon and caper-scented chicken cooked under a brick. Tiramisu is delicious, as is the Italian version of doughnut holes, zeppole. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner daily. 844/842-2632. $$

LAKE WORTH 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. • 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 salt-crusted 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. Pan-Asian.

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 tempura-fried 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

OPEN FOR DINNER DAILY | HAPPY HOUR 4:00 – 7:00 P.M. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY – SUNDAY

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Tuesday: 8:00 – 10:30 p.m.

Doo-wop Wednesday: 8:00 – 11:30 p.m.

Orson Whitfield Thursday: 8:00 – 11:30 p.m.

Atlantic Blues Band Friday: 8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Orson Whitfield Saturday: 8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Orson Whitfield Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Acoustic Guitarist

For reservations, visit TheAtlanticGrille.com or call 561-790-8568.

Gift cards are available at TheAtlanticGrille.com/GiftCards Located at The Seagate Hotel | 1000 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach *The prix fixe menu changes monthly and includes a bottle of house wine. Does not include tax and gratuity.

you’re hungry for Maine lobster, plucked live out of giant tanks and cooked to order, this modest replica of a 1920s SHG 41839_Boca Magazine_July-Aug_2ThrdsPg_AtlanticGrille_MECH.indd 1 SeagateGrill_brm0716.indd 1

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dining guide train station is the place to go. Lobsters come in all sizes (up to 6 pounds) and are so reasonably priced that getting a taste of one without reservations is highly unlikely.

• Dinner nightly. 561/547-9487. $$$

French Continental

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, pounded chicken breast and roasted rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$ buccan—350 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Casual elegance of Palm Beach meets modern culinary sensibilities of Miami at the first independent restaurant by chef Clay Conley. The design offers both intimate and energetic dining areas, while the menu is by turn familiar (wood-grilled burgers) and more adventurous (truffled steak tartare with crispy egg yolk, squid ink orrechiette). • Dinner daily. 561/833-3450. $$

café boulud—The Brazilian Court, 301 Australian

Rediscover the classic

4199 N. FEDERAL HWY. s BOCA RATON s 561.395.6033 s KATHYSGAZEBO.COM KathysGazebo-interior_brm0116.indd 1

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Defining the South Florida Experience.

Ave. French with American flair. This hotel restaurant gives Palm Beach a taste of Daniel Boulud’s world-class cuisine inspired by his four muses. The chef oversees a menu encompassing classics, simple fare, seasonal offerings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard (not available during summer), the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • 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-beseen 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. $$ echo —230A Sunrise Ave. Asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. The Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the sake list is tops. This offsite property of The Breakers is managed with the same flawlessness as the resort. • Dinner nightly (during season). 561/8024222. $$$ hmf—1 S. County Road. Contemporary American.

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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

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HOMEMADE ITALIAN BAKERY

plates. Don’t depart without sampling the dreamy warm onion-Parmesan dip with house-made fingerling potato chips, the sexy wild boar empanaditas, chicken albondigas tacos and Korean-style short ribs. The wine list is encyclopedic. Dinner 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. • Dinner daily. 561/8335522. $$ jové kitchen & bar—2800 S. Ocean Blvd. Contemporary Italian. Jové is named for the Italian god of the sky, and when the folks at the tony Four Seasons decided to remake their premier restaurant, they reached high to offer the kind of food, service and ambience that would appeal to both their affluent older clientele and a younger, hipper, foodie-oriented crowd. Mission accomplished with dishes like the inventive take on octopus marinated and grilled with baby fennel, red pepper sauce, artichoke and olives. Desserts sparkle too. • Dinner daily. 561/5333750. $$ 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. 561/659-5800. $$ meat market —191 Bradley Place. Steak house.

“Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steak house but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale addons. Whole roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner daily.

561/354-9800. $$$$

Cosa Duci

TM

Life’s Short...Eat Cookies!

Italian Artisan Bakery & Café In Italy all roads lead to Rome In Boca Raton all roads lead to Cosa Duci!

INTRODUCING

BRUNCH Now Available On Saturdays Only!

Indulge in a unique artisan spread of homemade nostalgic dishes from an authentic Italian trattoria without the airline fees, eat firstclass and enjoy the ambiance.

Call early for further details and reserve your seat for early check-in.

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. • Lunch and dinner Mon.–Sat. Breakfast Sun. 561/655-3319. $$

renato’s —87 Via Mizner. Italian with continental flair. This most romantic hideaway is buzzing in season and quietly charming all year long with Italian classics and a Floridian twist—like the sautéed black grouper in a fresh tomato and pernod broth with fennel and black olives and the wildflower-honey-glazed salmon fillet with crab and corn flan. • Lunch Mon.– Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/655-9752. $$$ ta-boo—2221 Worth Ave. American. This selfdescribed “American bistro” is less typical “American” restaurant or classical French “bistro” than it is poshcasual refuge for the see-and-be-seen crowd in and around Palm Beach. The eclectic menu offers everything from roasted duck with orange blossom honeyginger sauce to dry-aged steaks and an assortment of pizzas. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/835-3500. $$

We change change our We our menu menu daily daily!

Visit our site to see what mamma is cooking today: www.cosaduci.com Visit our site to see what mamma is cooking today: www.cosaduci.com

141 NW NW 20th 20th Street 141 Street B-21 B-21 Boca Boca Raton Raton ••561.393.1201 561.393.1201 BB aa kk ii nngg ffoorr aa ggoooodd ccaauussee: : AA ppoorrt ti ioonn oof f oouur r ppr rooc ce ee edds s w i l l b e n e f i t r e s e a rr c h f o r M M uu ll tt ii pp ll ee SScclleerroossiiss..

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dining guide trevini ristorante —290 Sunset Ave. Italian. Expect a warm experience, complemented by a stately but comfortable room and excellent food. • Lunch Mon.– Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/833-3883. $$$

PALM BEACH GARDENS 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-andDijon-mustard 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 café centro —2409 N. Dixie Highway. Italian.

There are many things to like about this modest little osteria—the unpretentious ambiance, piano Thursday through Saturday during season, 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. $$

and the chocolate chip cookies defy comparison. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/833-3406. $$

leila—120 S. Dixie Highway. Mediterranean. Flowing

Restaurant Group has crafted a handsome spot that dishes Mexican favorites, as well as upscale variations on the theme and more than 200 tequilas. Tacos feature house-made tortillas and a variety of proteins. Madeto-order guacamole is a good place to start. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/650-1001. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/416-2131; 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/808-1100; 5090 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/623-0127) $

drapes and industrial lighting complete the exotic decor in this Middle Eastern hit. Sensational hummus is a musttry. Lamb kebab with parsley, onion and spices makes up the delicious Lebanese lamb kefta. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sun. 561/659-7373. $$

marcello’s la sirena—6316 S. Dixie Highway.

Italian. You’re in for a treat if the pasta of the day is prepared with what might be the best Bolognese sauce ever. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. (closed Memorial Day–Labor Day). 561/585-3128. $$

pistache —1010 N. Clematis St., #115. French. Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as coq au vin and steak tartare. All that, plus guests dining al fresco have views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Centennial Park. • Brunch Sat.–Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$

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

rocco’s tacos—224 Clematis St. Mexican. Big Time

table 26°—1700 S. Dixie Highway. Contemporary American. Take a quarter-cup of Palm Beach, a tablespoon of Nantucket, a pinch of modern American cookery and a couple gallons of the owners’ savoir faire, and you have Eddie Schmidt’s and Ozzie Medeiros’s spot.

The menu roams the culinary globe for modest contemporary tweaks on classically oriented dishes. Try the fried calamari “Pad Thai.” • Dinner daily. 561/855-2660. $$$

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE TRI-COUNTY DINING GUIDE ONLY AT BOCAMAG.COM.

HOST YOUR PRIVATE PARTY AT OUR TABLE The Farmer’s Table private dining room, the Oak Room, is Boca’s perfect venue for private parties ranging from 40-120. Overnight guests have the added convenience of staying at the adjacent Wyndham Hotel.

Information & Reservations: Amy Hoodack 561-417-1892

@FarmersTableBoca

@FarmersTableFL

1901 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431 561.417.5836 | FarmersTableBoca.com

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5/16/16 11:55 AM

6/1/16 9:17 AM

F L O R I D A ’ S P R E M I E R G O U R M E T C AT E R I N G A N D B E V E R A G E S E R V I C E C O M PA N Y

Mobile Bars • Gourmet Catering • Liquor Promotions • Full Service Event Printing 532 NW 77th St, Boca Raton, Fl 33487 •1-877 PARTYNIGHT • 561-989-8879 • gotdrinks@gmail.com WWW.GOTCOCKTAILS.COM

Celebrating 11 Years L i c e n s e d & I n s u re d

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SOUS CHEF CHEF “TRIPLE D” DANNY DITZEL

5/10/16 2:12 PM

Save the Date

Hosted By:

SIXTH ANNUAL WHITE COATS-4-CARE™ RECEPTION Presented and Co-chaired by Bonnie and Jon Kaye, Kaye Communications

Monday, August 1, 2016 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Magazine Sponsor:

Waterstone Resort & Marina 999 E Camino Real Boca Raton, FL Join us as we build our innovative Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and invest in the next generation of doctors

Newspaper Sponsor:

To attend this prestigious event, a gift to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University is required.

It can be a single gift or a combination of the following: $125 $300 $500 $750 $1,000

$5,000

White Coat Sponsor Student Community Outreach Program Fund In Memory of Dr. Michael L. Friedland – Medical Student Scholarships* Family/Corporate Medical Student Scholarship Award* Named Seat in the Medical Education Auditoriums (a personalized donor recognition or tribute plate will be placed on the back of each seat) “Named” medical student scholarship fund* For more information visit med.fau.edu or contact: Joanna Duran Development and Special Events Coordinator Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Office: 561-297-2097 Email: duranj@health.fau.edu

Valet Sponsor:

In conjunction with:

Benefiting:

*based on need

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out&about

[ by taryn tacher ]

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DOWNTOWN PHOTO/FORT LAUDERDALE

BOCA REGIONAL HOSPITAL 54TH ANNUAL “SNOWBALL”

WHERE: Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton WHAT: The “SnowBall” raised more than $1 million to benefit the Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute and honored philanthropist Elaine J. Wold. Dick and Barbara Schmidt presented guest emcee Goldie Hawn.

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.

[ 1 ] Dick Schmidt, Goldie Hawn and Barbara Schmidt

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BOCA REGIONAL HOSPITAL 54TH ANNUAL “SNOWBALL” (CONT.) [2]

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Mark and Judy Larkin and Marilyn and Jack Pechter Elaine Wold and Dr. Sandy Scheen Christine Lynn, Goldie Hawn and John Gallo Michael and Amy Kazma and Paul and Kathy Adkins Jo Ann and Philip Procacci

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BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART’S ANNUAL GALA & AFTER PARTY

WHERE: Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton WHAT: The Boca Raton Museum of Art’s Annual Gala & After Party took a page from Warhol’s book with brightly colored décor and disco backdrops. The event raised $575,000 for the museum and its art school.

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Marlene Silver, Bunny Forman, Rehea Hallihan and Tamara Morgenstern Valerie and Dan Landis and Nancy and Martin Mallinger Marc Bell, Tobi Petrocelli and Marc Leder Michael Israel and Richard Kendall Irvin Lippman, Nathalie Diamantis and Sherry Kelly Dr. Evan and Stacey Packer

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out&about SAVOR THE AVENUE

WHERE: Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach WHAT: Savor the Avenue is known for having Florida’s longest dining table—spanning more than five blocks and 1,300 feet down Atlantic Avenue. This year, 18 restaurants participated in this foodie event that benefited the Delray Beach Historical Society.

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[ 1 ] Emcee Steve Weagle and DDA chief Laura Simon [ 2 ] Prepping 50 Ocean’s Mardi Gras winning table [ 3 ] Sunset over Savor [ 4 ] Stephanie and Steve Miskew [ 5 ] A Mardi Gras band played for 50 Ocean [ 6 ] Table decor judges and sponsors Sally Sevareid, Mo Foster, Victoria

DeSilvio, Nicole Biscuiti, Jackie Rodriguez and Todd Wilson [ 7 ] Lindsey Swing and Lilly Robbins [ 8 ] Prepping The Office table [ 9 ] Susan and Ed Diener, Mike and Cindy Krebsbach [ 10 ] A model wearing fashion from Margaux Riviera boutique [ 11 ] One table blooming with flowers [3] [2]

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BOB HARTMANN

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CARL DAWSON

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PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS: 32 EAST 50 OCEAN CABANA EL REY CAFFE LUNA ROSA CITY OYSTER CUT 432 GARY RACK’S FAT ROOSTER RACK’S FISH HOUSE & OYSTER BAR LEMONGRASS ASIAN BISTRO MAX’S HARVEST MAX’S SOCIAL HOUSE ROCCO’S TACOS SALT 7 SOLITA DELRAY TAVERNA OPA THE OFFICE TRYST VIC AND ANGELO’S

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CARIBBEAN COWBOY BALL

WHERE: Red Reef Park, Boca Raton WHAT: The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s 23rd annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball raised more than $88,000 for higher education scholarships and scholar support services. The event featured a gourmet buffet dinner, live music, line-dancing and live and silent auctions.

[ 1 ] Gloria Hosh, Joseph Biase, Patrica Burdett and Donna Biase [ 2 ] Jason Reeves, Jackie Reeves, Melanie Deyo and Joe Higgins [ 3 ] Robin Trompeter, Rick Murdoch, Tim Snow and Andy Scott [ 4 ] Glenn Glazer, Tasha Glazer, Paige Kornblue Hunter, Andrew

Hunter and Ron Collins [ 5 ] Mary Ann Crabb and Pat Thomas

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TIMOTHY SNOW

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out&about [1]

HEART AND STROKE BALL

WHERE: The Great Hall at Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton WHAT: The American Heart Association hosted the Heart and Stroke Ball to raise awareness for cardiovascular diseases and strokes and to further the mission of building healthier lives. Mary Wilson of the Supremes performed for the 230 guests in attendance, and CBS12 News Anchor Liz Quirantes was the emcee.

[ 1 ] Alan and Brenda Ferber, Judy and Naren Gursahaney [ 2 ] Mary Wilson [ 3 ] Miguel and Denese Brito [ 4 ] Barbara and Bobby Campbell [ 5 ] Terry and Jerry Fedele [ 6 ] Sharon and Mark Warren

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MARK HAWORTH

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Linens so amazing you’ll want to take them home!

WWW.ATLASPARTYRENTAL.COM | INFO@ATLASPARTYRENTAL.COM | 561.547.6565

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adv e r t is e m e n t

KING DAVID SOCIETY ENJOYS DINNER WITH DERSHOWITZ About 60 of the Federation’s foremost donors enjoyed a private dinner on March 24 with renowned Harvard Law School professor and author, Alan Dershowitz.These generous members of Federation’s prestigious King David Society heard the professor address key issues related to Israel.They also heard from Campaign Chair, Larry Feldman, and President & CEO, Matthew C. Levin. For more information, contact Jennifer Koenig at 561.852.3129 or jenniferk@bocafed.org.

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from left: Judi Schuman, Larry & Diane Feldman from left: Marlene & Gad Janay from left: Ellie & Mar tin Lifton from left: Myrna & Norman Ricken from left: Dick & Jane Rober ts from left: Cynthia & Ar thur Schechner from left: Sandy & Jeffrey Perkins from left: Ruth Gelfenbein & Cliff Seresky

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adver ti semen t

AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN CHAI ENOUGH FOR FEDERATION Nearly 300 dedicated leaders gathered for dinner at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County’s 2016 Annual Meeting on April 12. With spirit and commitment, they commemorated the passing of the gavel from outgoing Board Chair Albert W. Gortz to Anne Jacobson, and rededicated themselves to Federation’s vital work now and in the future, in the local community, in Israel and in more than 70 countries overseas. Learn more at www.jewishboca.org.

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from left: Arthur & Hedy Goldberg,

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from left: Albert W. Gortz, Etta Gross Zimmerman,

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from left: Matthew C. Levin, Anne Jacobson, Larry Feldman

Anne & Norman Jacobson Ellen R. Sarnoff, Cindy Orbach Nimhauser from left: Richard Steinberg, Matthew Kutcher, David Pratt from left: Anne Jacobson, April Leavy from left: Eydie Holz, Dale Filhaber, Barbara Lewin, Judi

Schuman, Emily Grabelsky, Ilene Wohlgemuth, Helene Paul

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H A V Z T I M

OUR Y L L A R S! FO D E E N Y T TEEN PAR

• Elegant Floral Design • Props & Backdrops • Themed Centerpieces • Music, DJs, Bands & Dancers • Exciting Entertainment from A-Z • Fun Favors with Logo Design • Balloon Decor • Sign-In Boards & Custom Signage • Dance Floor Wraps & Monograms •Coordinating Invitations & Place Cards •Candle Lighting Displays •Ceiling Treatments •Furniture Rental •Grand Entrances •Candy Bars •Mitzvah Project Selection •Bema Arrangements •Yarmulke Baskets & Programs •Kiddish Luncheons

fringeandcompany.com • 561-361-4918 fringe_brm0316.indd 1

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Boca Raton magazine's

insider ADVERTISING • PROMOTIONS • EVENTS

Oc t . 6 13-116 20

MAYORS DIAMONDS COLLECTION

FOOD NETWORK & COOKING CHANNEL NEW YORK CITY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

Don’t miss New York City’s biggest and best wine and food festival! Tickets are on sale now for NYCWFF on October 13-16.

Visit nycwff.org to learn more and buy your tickets today!

For more than a century, Mayors has been defining luxury by bringing the world’s most exclusive selection of iconic brands to connoisseurs of fine jewelry and timepieces. The Mayors Diamonds collection consists of uncompromising quality, inspiring beauty and impeccable craftsmanship. Mayors has 18 stores across Florida and Georgia.

Town Center at Boca Raton 6000 Glades Rd #1119, Boca Raton, FL 33431 561.368.6022 • mayors.com

nycwff.org

May-Sep. 2016

SHAINA WIZOV

NEW YORK GRILLED CHEESEBOCA LOCATION NOW OPEN!

DECK 84'S SUMMER PRIX FIXE

The New York Grilled Cheese Co. has arrived in Boca! The new location is across from Mizner Park and the iPic Theater. The menu includes all items from the Wilton Manors location, as well as new breakfast items and vegan options! Follow us on Facebook for updates and announcements.

Catch a deal at Deck 84 with their 3-course prix fixe menu, available throughout the entire summer every Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm. Starting at $22 per person, this tempting summer dining deal comes with your choice of starter, entrée and dessert. Visit Deck84.com to view the full menu of options.

493 N. Federal Hwy. Boca Raton, FL 33432 newyorkgrilledcheese.com • facebook.com/NYGCBoca

840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483 561/665-8484 • Deck84.com

Visit bocamag.com/events for more information.

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6/1/16 3:42 PM

city watch CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

take much of the allocation for that section of downtown. There’s been talk of another residential tower at Royal Palm Place, but no plans have gone to the city. Residential also could rise on the shopping center. The city is reviewing its properties. One can envision a new City Hall by 2032.

Last April, city staff presented a review of how Boca Raton has enforced the rule that 40 percent of downtown projects must be open space.

The staff undertook the review after no-growth council critics claimed that a 2003 memo on how to apply the rule revealed a sinister conspiracy between the city and developers.

The review went far beyond the memo and its application and was a history of downtown, from creation of the Community Redevelopment Agency in 1980 to the present.

Example: For all the recent complaints, the period since the Great Recession hasn’t brought unprecedented downtown development. The big wave of approvals came between 1993 and 2001. Development leveled off through 2006— just two approvals per year—and then cratered.

Between 2007 and 2010, Boca approved only

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one downtown project: Comerica Bank.

Example: For all the complaints about traffic, the number of rush-hour trips generated by new development is less than half of what the city projected in 1988. As a 2014 consultant’s report stated, new residential projects have cut the number of trips and made many of them shorter, balancing out the longer trips related to office and retail projects.

The city also has spent $20 million on downtown traffic projects ( there’s a two-page list) including improvements for trouble spots like Palmetto Park Road and Northeast Fifth Avenue—even if traffic on Palmetto Park east of Federal Highway is half what planners projected in 1986.

Example: Boca Beautiful, which took out a series of deceptive newspaper ads critical of the council and downtown development, claimed ithe city has done “absolutely no planning for our future.” Whatever one thinks of downtown, it hasn’t lacked for planning, down to the types of plants. The history of Ordinance 4035 runs to 860 pages.

Nearing completion of that 1988 plan, however, residents can begin to see the results. At the

April open space meeting, Councilman Scott Singer wondered aloud “if the voters knew what they were voting on in 1993.” They likely knew as much as they could at the time. Eight million square feet might have seemed unattainable.

Yet Boca Raton can see 8 million from here.

You can’t predict recessions or consumer tastes, but few would doubt that downtown will reach that destination. So as Boca debates how the rest of the trip should go, Boca had better debate about what to do when the city gets there.

July/August 2016 issue. Vol. 36, No. 6. 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 nine 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: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487.

Telephone: 561/997-8683. Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $19.95/9 issues, $29.95/18 issues (shipping fee included for oneand two-year rates). 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.

5/25/16 6:09 PM

5/31/16 11:21 AM

speedbumps [ by marie speed ]

Summertime Blues WE’RE ALONE AGAIN IN THIS MEAN SEASON OF OURS—AND WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER.

L

ike most of South Florida, the few snowbirds in my neighborhood clear out soon after Easter, leaving summer to us full-timers. These people—the ones who pack up and leave Douglas Drive—live across the street from me and are from deep in the heartland, a place of ice hockey and bad haircuts and tuna casseroles. Over the years I have noted that they do not mix with the locals and never—and I mean never— step foot on the beach, which is about 100 yards east of their winter apartments. In fact, I am not sure what they do all winter aside from erecting No Parking signs, going on Wal-Mart runs and planting an occasional shrub (which takes about 12 of them).

Still, I kind of hate it when they go. I miss the comings and goings, the occasional wave, the sound of ice clinking in their glasses every day around 5. When they leave, it means we are all in for summer, and we are on our own.

At first, this is a daunting prospect. The street is quiet, the sun is brighter, the days go on forever and hurricane season looms like a bad memory. But then you flip that switch in your sunbaked Floridian head and realize the world is just beginning. It means you know all the morning people, walking along Old Ocean Boulevard just as the sky starts glowing lavender and pink. There is Bob, who hands out

dog biscuits, and Ron, who pedals down to the beach with his fishing rod to see what’s running. Kenny and Debbie are usually out on their paddleboards, and the Seaside Deli is frying bacon for its breakfast sandwiches.

But it’s not just the comfort of locals—it’s our whole big shared discovery that summer is better here than almost anywhere else. Check out Gainesville in August, when the cicadas are so loud you can’t hear yourself think and the heat descends like a thick green blanket of kudzu. Or Manhattan on a blistering sidewalk at noon, or L.A. during a sickly yellow inversion layer when the heat index hits 116.

Nope, we have afternoon storms that cool us down, turning the sky a theatrical black, thunder rattling the windows. We have soft little trade winds and swim in water the color of Glacier Mints. We wear white clothes. Sometimes all we do is count turtle nests, track wind shear and dodge coconuts. We drink Mount Gay and tonics. This is not a bad life.

So I say we should just keep things quiet. If anyone from up north asks, just tell them it’s been brutal. Complain about the humidity; throw in some wailing about the mosquitos. If you have to, mention a shark sighting.

But don’t tell them how much you love summer here. Let that be our little secret.

BOCAMAG.COM follow the leader

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159 6/1/16 10:06 AM

my turn

[ by john shuff ]

Dreamin’

SOMETIMES REALITY BURNS BRIGHTER THAN ANY DREAMS WE HAVE.

I

’m a dreamer. Always have been.

In fact, my daydreams are about as close to trances as you can have in ordinary life, from as far back as I remember. I can still recall my teachers calling on me from a distant galaxy as I stared out the window in geography class, pulling me rudely back from a ninth inning homer as I rounded the bases for the N.Y. Yankees to some stupid question about the origins of the Nile. Even today, I find myself drifting off during boring meetings (and most meetings are) to other times, other places. Most recently I was revisiting May, 1980, the last time I danced with my wife, Margaret Mary.

I vividly recall that evening at the Waldorf. Marg and I danced until early morning to the music of Lester Lanin at the Madison Square Boys Club Gala. It’s been 36 years, but I still remember that evening— the smell of her hair, her head cradled against my shoulder and the kiss I would occasionally steal as we moved through our own little world.

Dancing was how we spent the night of our first date, and it continued to be something we loved to do as a couple. Those nights when we were teenagers dancing to the music of Stan Kenton and Buddy Morrow at Moonlight Gardens in Cincinnati. The intimacy, the focus on just one another is something that’s difficult to forget.

Dancing at the Waldorf is more than a memory now; it’s a recurring dream rooted in happiness and the hope that one day I will walk and, yes, dance again. Those dreams are now just that—dreams—as MS took my legs a long time ago. But that does not stop me from having them.

In August we celebrate our 53rd anniversary. We’ve come to un-

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derstand that love has no limits, that enduring love is non-negotiable. Lasting love is based on commitment and the recognition that nothing ever stays the same. The late writer William Somerset Maugham said it best when he wrote: “We are not the same person this year or last, nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.” As all of us grow older, we are going to encounter situations that will test our love and affect our ability to act with the strength that enduring love requires.

Living with MS has strained our relationship. I’m not the same guy she married, physically or emotionally. But, over the years, we have adjusted to this reality and have worked at keeping the spark burning. I will never dance again, but just the thought still tingles my spine.

Today, we laugh about the plate of food she tossed in my lap early on in our marriage after I made a comment about her cooking. We howl about the time she pushed me and my wheelchair into the pool one night when she’d had enough of my complaining. These days, we look back and realize that’s the small stuff.

The bigger picture has been the journey—and the navigation for decades over circumstances that are uncertain and challenging and heartbreaking at times. The only way we’ve made it is through the kind of love we both embraced from the start, the kind that is as delicate as a spin on the dance floor but as strong as two people can will it to be. We understand that “there are three things that last forever—Faith, Hope and Love—and that the greatest of all of them is Love” (Corinthians 13:4–7).

And that is what real dreams are made of.

BOCAMAG.COM july/august 2016

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