Boca Magazine July/August 2020

Home & Design Section

BOCAMAG.COM

THE ONLY BOCA RATON MAGAZINE

CELEBRATING OUR HEROES, HITS & 2020 HIGHLIGHTS

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T. PE A RE

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DINE

Boutique A La Mode | Chico’s | En Vogue Boutique

Café 5150 | Copperfish Kitchen | Giano Gelato

Grove Opticians | Guy La Ferrera | Hoffman’s Chocolates

Just Salad | McDonald’s | Morton’s | Rocco’s Tacos

Jos. A. Bank | Joseph’s Classic Market

Starbucks | Sushi Ray | Tap 42

Total Wine & More | Vertu Fine Art

RELAX Marriott Boca Center | Namaste Nail Sanctuary

COMING SOON Peter’s Place Salon | Vivo’s Pizza

5150 TO WN CENTER CI RCLE

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MILITARY TRAIL • JUST NORTH OF PALMETTO PARK BocaCenter.com

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In her compulsively readable debut memoir, longtime newspaperwoman Leslie Gray Streeter chronicles the dark aftershocks and comic absurdities of premature widowhood.

Our annual send up of the food, people and culture of 2019/2020 Boca took a special turn as a pandemic hit: here's to the frontline workers, big givers and other hometown heroes who brought our community together in perilous times.

The Boca Interview

By JOHN THOMASON

Best of Boca

By JAMES BIAGIOTTI, MARIE SPEED and JOHN THOMASON

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From business to arts to health care, we shine a spotlight on four figures that have spent upwards of a half-century making our region a better place— from the grande dame of South Florida theatre to a compassionate pastor who leads by example.

Our special home-design section takes a deep dive into the infinty-edge pools, lush horticulture and Edenic grottoes of Miami landscape architect Orlando Comas. Plus, elevate your patio and backyard with the summer’s best outdoor-living trends.

Gold Standards

By MARIE SPEED and

Garden Variety

By ROBIN HODES

JOHN THOMASON

Comas elevates the nighttime energy in this phenomenal backyard by incorporating a color-changing light system to the infinity-edge pool. The fountains in the shallow ends on either side, plus a pair of blazing fire bowls at the outer portion, generate further excitement.

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14 Editor’s Letter

26 The Look

117 Eat & Drink

“Best of Boca”took on a new meaning this year—which the editor witnessed everywhere from her front porch to the front pages.

This summer goes big and bold with jungle chic, high-style bathing suits, splashy gemstones and more.

Our review-driven guide to the finest dining in South Florida spotlights the Sandwich Shop at Buccan. Plus, a local restaurateur’s inspiring response to the temporary shutdown of his restaurant empire, a star chef’s scrumptious take on stuffed tomatoes and more.

By MARIE SPEED

17 The Local A devoted playwright creates a nonprofit to combat sex trafficking, FAU grads form a startup with an ocean of possibilities, and the former president of the Boca Resort reflects on the local landmark’s storied history. Plus, a pop star’s prolific third act, what we’ll take away from the COVID-19 crisis, the best summer beauty products and more.

By MARIE SPEED and JOHN THOMASON

42 Feel Good Wary of returning to your favorite gym?

Home workouts can still help you achieve your optimal fitness goals, according to a longtime Boca trainer. And in a time when managing stress and eating healthy have never been more important, a physician and a dietician share how to keep our immune systems robust.

By LISETTE HILTON

114 Backstage Pass In a year that has been filled with wartime-style sacrifices, it’s only fitting that the Victory Dolls—a choral group of South Florida theatre’s top leading ladies—has revived the patriotic soundtrack of the Greatest Generation.

By JOHN THOMASON

By LYNN KALBER

132 Social In those halcyon pre-pandemic days, Uptown Boca celebrated a construction milestone, Unicorn Children’s Foundation toasted a quarter-century of giving, and the Boca Bacchanal brought food, wine and art to the Boca Resort.

By JAMES BIAGIOTTI

136 My Turn As we honor another Independence Day in a time of deep political rancor, it’s ever more important to remember what unites us.

By JOHN SHUFF

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8 Web Extras

Visit bocamag.com for bonus items you won’t see anywhere else—extended stories, recipes, news and more.

FIND US ON SOCIAL

MOURNING IN AMERICA

MEDIA

We continue our conversation with this issue’s Boca Interview (page 46), Leslie Gray Streeter, whose untimely widowhood has resulted in an affecting, and even amusing, debut memoir. Visit bocamag.com/july-august-2020.

Don’t miss Boca on everything from FACEBOOK (facebook.com/bocamag) to INSTAGRAM (@bocamag) and TWITTER (@bocamag) for community news, retail trends, foodie updates and much more.

Best Bites COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER

Boynton resident and Jay and the Americans’ vocalist Kenny Vance, featured on page 22, reveals more insights from a showbiz life that has spanned 60 years. Visit bocamag.com/july-august-2020.

City Watch

Boca Raton is anything but sleepy, and Randy Schultz is the go-to for all the city politics, development and business news you need to know. For updates delivered straight to your email every Tuesday and Thursday, visit the City Watch tab on our website.

bocamag.com

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••••

Think our dining guide is long? You haven’t seen anything until you’ve visited our digital version.

We’ve got critic-reviewed restaurants from Jupiter to Miami on the web. Visit the food tab to view the guide.

Join the Club: Be a Member We’ve curated a brandnew membership program tailored just for our loyal readers! We’re redefining what it means to be a subscriber by introducing experiences that go beyond the pages of our magazine. Register at bocamag.com to join this exclusive group and start enjoying a wide array of special discounts, events, giveaways, and more throughout South Florida.

July/August 2020

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Now on view through January 3, 2021 In Mizner Park 501 Plaza Real Boca Raton, FL 33432 BOCAMUSEUM.ORG Edward Steichen, In Exaltation of Flowers [detail], ca. 1910-1913, Tempera and gold leaf on canvas. Collection of Art Bridges

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Tired of cooking?

Here’s your fixe.

MANAGING EDITOR

John Thomason WEB EDITOR

James Biagiotti SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Lori Pierino GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PHOTOGRAPHER

Summer Prix Fixe TWO, PLUS A BOTTLE OF WINE

Marie Speed

Oscar Saavedra

AVAILABLE FOR DINE-IN OR TAKEOUT

THREE-COURSE DINNER FOR

GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Aaron Bristol

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$

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PRODUCTION MANAGER

Joanna Gazzaneo

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lisette Hilton, Robin Hodes, Margie Kaye (promotional writing), John Shuff VIDEO PRODUCTION/CUSTOMER SERVICE

David Shuff FOOD EDITOR

Lynn Kalber DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Nicole Ruth DIRECTOR OF HOME & DESIGN

Sherry Goodman-Ash DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RESEARCH AND SALES SUPPORT

Bruce Klein ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Elise Benson Karen S. Kintner Tanya Plath SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Gail Eagle MARKETING DIRECTOR

Sai Lo DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Olivia Hollaus

Boca Raton magazine is published eight times a year by JES Media.

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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

*Offer valid Sunday – Thursday through September 30, 2020. Prix fixe menu changes weekly and includes a bottle of house wine. Does not include tax and gratuity.

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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.

July/August 2020

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1000 CLINT MOORE ROAD, #103, BOCA RATON, FL 33487 561/997-8683 (PHONE) • 561/997-8909 (FAX) BOCAMAG.COM MAGAZINE@BOCAMAG.COM (GENERAL QUERIES) PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Margaret Mary Shuff GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Marie Speed CONTROLLER

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••••

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DIRECTORY

Sweet Summer Splendor

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.

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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, or to partner with Boca Raton on a community event, call 561/997-8683 ext. 300, or email nicole@bocamag.com.

Custom publishing

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

Story queries

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

Please submit story and profile ideas by email 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 james@bocamag.com.

Summer Splendor Spa Package $282 | value $353 | 3 hours Escape to the Seagate Spa this summer and restore your body, mind, and spirit with decadent treatments served with a complimentary margarita.* Hot Shell Massage 50 minutes ESPA Pink Mud Sublime Scalp Massage 25 minutes ESPA Advanced Foot Ritual Pedicure 80 minutes Gift cards available at the Spa, or online at TheSeagateSpa.com/giftcards.

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

To book your appointment, call 561-510-2842 or visit TheSeagateSpa.com

Dining guide

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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

Arts & entertainment

*Must be 21 and over to consume alcohol.

Package valid July 1-30, 2020. Prices do not include 20% gratuity.

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Letters

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 Lynn Kalber (lynn@bocamag.com).

People

A photo collage of social gatherings and events in Boca Raton and South Florida. All photos submitted should be identified and accompanied by a brief description of the event (who, what, where, when). Email images to people@bocamag.com.

July/August 2020

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The Perfect Escape in Palm Beach.

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NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT’S OK TO ASK FOR HELP Dr. Robin L. Goldstein Licensed Psychologist Can help you with: • Stress • Anxiety • Depression • Loneliness • Relationships

Online subscriptions

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FROM THE EDITOR

Moments of Grace Just when you think it can’t get any worse, the best in humanity seems to bubble right up Written by MARIE SPEED

here is always plenty to write about every year in our Best of Boca issue, but 2020 took things to a whole new level. Oh, we started out talking about city politics and people and the best burgers in town, but that gave way to what everyone really wanted to explore—and that was how all of us stepped up in the face of this pandemic to pitch in. Those stories of innovation and generosity and compassion just keep coming—and although we included a lot of business as usual, we couldn’t help highlighting the ways people reached out to one another.

I saw this in my own life over the past couple of months.

Although I am used to being alone and, happily, am pretty good at it, even I could feel some vague sadness creeping up inside me as the quarantine days turned into weeks. I remember thinking at one point that it had been six weeks since I had touched another human being. I slept more, I cried easily (OK, more easily). And then the little things started happening. Joyce Shelfo showed up in my driveway with a pot of red sauce and the Sunday New York Times. Lisa Ocker sent me a funny shirt in the mail, Dorothy MacDiarmid dropped off a bag of mint chocolate Oreos on the front porch; Pati Maguire brought me a piping-hot homemade dinner out of the blue. My neighbor Kenny Emerson left a white rose on my porch (and all of ours), just, he said, as a little sign of “hope.” Lisa Mulhall and Kerry Cooper sent me mushy cards for no reason at all. Lynn Eick left me goodies on her porch table.

And it’s not over yet, even as we find ourselves getting back to “normal.”

It seems that every time I turn around, someone is doing one small thing to remind me that we are not as alone as we sometimes feel, that the world never stopped dead and that people will offer a hand—even if you can’t exactly take it right now. I have seen it in people like Rodney Mayo, who launched a movement to feed people, and I see it in our health care providers and our everyday workers and in my friends and my neighbors. Maybe this is one of the things we were supposed to learn right now. Maybe we can take a little of that with us as the world contimues to crack open once again.

I think it’s a lesson worth passing along.

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The people you’ll love.

The place you’ll love to call home.

At St. Andrews Estates, an Acts Retirement-Life Community, it’s not just the 80 acres of gorgeous campus in the heart of Boca Raton, the chef-prepared meals and on-campus healthcare professionals that make this place so special. It’s the exceptional staff and wonderful friends who can’t wait to welcome you into their fun and loving community. Best of all, St. Andrews’ residents enjoy Acts Life Care®, which provides a full continuum of care while protecting their nest eggs as needs change. Call today to find out how you can keep company with all the good folks who love calling St. Andrews Estates home.

(561) 609-0010 AboutActs.com/BocaMagazine

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17 THE LOCAL B O C A C H AT T E R E N T E RTA I N M E N T LO C A L C O LO R R I S I N G S TA R T H E LO O K BEAUTY GAME CHANGERS E X P E RT DRINK

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AARON BRISTOL

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels flew over Boca in May to honor local frontline workers

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THE LOCAL

BOCA CHATTER

All Day Alba Randa Front $118

LOUNGE LIZARD

All Day Alba Sonja Tee Front $108

O “In a crisis, don’t hide behind anything or anybody.

They’re going to find you anyway.”

K, let’s get real: Most of us who were quarantined were not looking like our best selves, nor were we sporting loungewear as much as ancient cargo shorts and a T-shirt. However, in the spirit of pretending this is how all of us live, we are giving you a few examples of what you should have been wearing throughout this time, whether working out at home or just binging on Netflix.

Loungewear courtesy of alldayalba.com.

All Day Alba Kerri Wrap Front $148

—COACH BEAR BRYANT

All Day Alba Nadia $178

All Day Alba Alisson Short $128

All Day Alba Althea Legging $178

Locals sound off on issues affecting our community.

“What is one takeaway you learned from going through this COVID19 period?”

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“I learned that even a publicist can be of help during a pandemic by getting the word out to the media, on a pro bono basis in many cases, on what our clients, friends and others were doing to help during the pandemic.”

“What a strong community we have. It’s amazing how the worst things can bring out the best in people. … We have all slowed down, and while that can’t last forever, it has been kind of a good thing. If that makes any sense.”

—DEBBIE ABRAMS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC RELATIONS, THE BUZZ AGENCY

—JOHN BREWER, COMMERCIAL REALTOR, CO-FOUNDER, SOCIALLY DISTANCED SUPPER CLUB

“Not so much learned, but I reassured myself that I can pretty much adapt to most situations. Or that I’m even tougher and more resilient than I thought I was.”

—MICHELE EVE SANDBERG, FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

July/August 2020

6/2/20 1:39 PM

19 SEX ON THE MOON ROLL, Yakitori, 271 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, 561/544-0087 James Biagiotti

GET OUT!

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e’ve all been hunkering down, but when social distancing is over, it’s time to help get our restaurants back on their feet. Here are some places you can go to get your summer comfort food on, courtesy of Boca magazine staff: HAND-CUT SPAGHETTI, Driftwood, 2005 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561/733-4782 Marie Speed

CHICKEN CURRY WITH NAAN BREAD AND A GREEN SALAD, Punjab Fine Indian, 1801 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/392-8000 Joanna Gazzaneo BROOKLYN-STYLE PIZZA AND A COLD BEER, Primanti Brothers, 901 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/565-0605 Oscar Saavedra

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP, Legends Tavern & Grille, 1391 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, 754/212-2655 John Thomason SWEET CORN AGLONOTTI, Buccan, 350 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561/833-3450 John Thomason CHICKEN SOUP from Toojays, multiple locations Gail Eagle

STEAK WITH CREAMED SPINACH AND MACARONI AND CHEESE (and tuna tartare to start!), Abe and Louie’s, 2200 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/447-0024 Anjelika Laskawska EGGPLANT ROLLATINI, Dominic’s, 8177 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 561/487-3186 Jeanne Greenberg FAJITAS ALL THE WAY (with a cold margarita), Las Fajitas, 2298 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, 561/620-1981 Olivia Hollaus

12 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE CORONAVIRUS

NEXT THINGS WE ARE GOING TO DO WHEN WE CAN

R Spend eight continuous hours on the beach, staring at the water or neck deep in it.

R Organize a happy hour with all our friends in a very crowded bar.

R Go out to dinner. Lunch. And breakfast. And leave big tips.

A fresh roll of paper towels is a thing of beauty.

Buy wine by the case.

TCM is a gift from the movie gods.

As dogs already knew, a long walk is the best part of the day.

Nail technicians deserve their own national holiday.

People under 33 still believe they are immortal.

Home cooking is the best. For about nine days.

Things are better without traffic.

Anthony Fauci is the perfect man.

People who have children are the reason for the Book of Job. Meatloaf is not as good as you remember.

The rules apply to everyone else.

R Go to Trader Joe’s, Macy’s shoe department, Barnes & Noble and any damn place else we please.

R Book a trip to Anywhere USA or nearby that is open and beautiful—Grand Canyon, Colorado, Santa Fe, the Bahamas.

July/August 2020

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THE LOCAL

ENTERTAINMENT

The Shows Must Go On?

That idiom holds true for just a fraction of COVID-19’s cultural casualties Written by JOHN THOMASON

B

efore we lost our beaches and our schools and our churches, we lost our theaters, our museums and our festive gatherings. One after the other, they fell like dominoes, and within a week everything was canceled. We won’t see many of our favorite events again until 2021, if we get to see them again at all; at the time of this writing, most institutions were still in a “wait and see” limbo. Here are a few events and tours that adapted the quickest to the new paradigm, announcing rescheduled dates that, barring a second coronal “wave,” will bring a long-needed escape.

OTHER RESCHEDULED EVENTS: ••••

JOYWAVE, Sept. 5 at Culture Room ••••

“NUNSENSE,” Sept.

10-Oct. 4 at the Wick Theatre ••••

“IN THE HEIGHTS,” Sept. 18-19 at Arsht Center ••••

COMEDIAN TOM PAPA, Sept. 26 at Boca Black Box ••••

“TOVAH IS LEONA,” Oct. 3-4 at Mizner Park Cultural Center ••••

“THE MUSIC OF CREAM,” Nov. 5 at Broward Center ••••

THE SMITHEREENS WITH MARSHALL CRENSHAW, Nov. 14 at Boca Black Box

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••••

DELRAY AFFAIR:

Rescheduled for Oct. 17-18 and rebranded as the Fall Affair, this event will once again welcome dozens of eclectic artists and crafters from around the world to exhibit and sell their artisanal, funky and cutting-edge work across 10 city blocks in downtown Delray Beach.

This time, however, a harvest theme will generate a fresh seasonal ambience, which will tie into the October re-launch of the CRA’s GreenMarket. Indeed, the city is coming together to make this Affair a community-wide morale boost: Arts Garage is booking special concerts for the occasion, local Delray musicians will perform, and beer enthusiasts can partake in a Beer Fest inside Veterans Park. delrayaffair.com

“THE PRICE IS RIGHT” LIVE: We can all use

a brand-new car, or a refrigerator, or at least maybe a blender. The live stage version of the long-running TV game show has rescheduled its spring date at Adrienne Arsht Center to Aug. 22. arshtcenter.org

TORTUGA: Fort Lauderdale Beach wasn’t exactly ready for thousands of toes in the sand in midApril, so the founders of this country-centric festival rebounded quickly to move the event to Oct. 2-4 and maintain its lineup. KISS-FM radio staples dominate the proceedings, along with dollops of hip-hop, pop and reggae. Expect to see Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Pitbull, Barenaked Ladies and Toots & the Maytals. tortugamusicfestival.com.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: The spring date for

the alternative rock icons has been postponed to Oct. 14 at Hard Rock Live. myhrl.com III POINTS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL:

Originally scheduled for the first week of May, the organizers of this eclectic and cutting-edge Miami music festival have rescheduled for Oct. 16-17 with a modified lineup that carries over three of its powerhouse headliners: the Strokes, Robyn and Wu-Tang Clan.

Also still on board: indie and electronic favorites Caribou, Kaytranada, Tycho and Amon Tobin.

New bands added since the date change include Rufus Du Sol, Peaches and Chromatics. iiipoints. com

ABBY WAMBACH: The No. 1 leading scorer in international soccer history, Wambach will bring her postponed Broward College Speaker Series appearance to the Broward Center on Sept.

8. browardcenter.org FOOTLOOSE: Slow Burn Theatre’s production of the musical“Footloose,” originally scheduled for June, will now run Aug. 21-Sept. 6. browardcenter. org CHER: The ageless diva’s “Here We Go Again” tour, in support of her new ABBA tribute album, will now bring the dancing queen and her touring musicians to AmericanAirlines Arena on Dec. 5. aaarena.com

July/August 2020

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“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

- Warren Buffett

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.”

- Leonard Bernstein

The urgency to plan isn’t new. It’s now.

Estate Planning | Trust Planning

561.347.1700 | redgraveandrosenthal.com | Boca Raton | Delray Beach

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LOCAL COLOR

Pop Artist “[Jay and the Americans] remained true to our sound.

We didn’t try to copy any trends in music that were going on at the time, like the Beatles or the Stones.”

—Kenny Vance

Jay and the Americans

Kenny Vance’s journey from the Brill Building to Boynton Beach Written by JOHN THOMASON

K

enny Vance is a renaissance man of the entertainment world. He has been a pop singer since the age of 15, when he formed the Harbor Lites and, soon after, co-founded Jay and the Americans, a hit-making vocal group that holds the rare distinction of opening for both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones on their first U.S. tours. Following Jay and the Americans’ dissolution, some 11 years later, Vance transitioned to the back-of-the-house side of the music business, where he would compose, supervise and produce scores and soundtracks for films like “Animal House,”“The Warriors”and“Eddie and the Cruisers.”He became the musical director on “Saturday Night Live,”

and even started acting, appearing in four Woody Allen films. In 1992, Vance’s career came full-circle: He formed a new band, plying a brand of blue-eyed soul and doo-wop not unlike the kind perfected by Jay and the Americans.

In the 2010s, Vance moved to Boynton Beach, and though a tragic event brought him here—as he explains below—he is by no means a retiree.

The 76-year-old still tours the country with his five-piece group the Planotones, and he just released his 17th album, For Your Love.

Mike Stoller. They were the two biggest record producers in the world at that time. They signed us up, and we made a record, and when I was 18 or 19, we had a No. 1 record with a song called “She Cried.”Then, for the next 10 years, we basically had hit records. Even when the Beatles and Rolling Stones and British Invasion happened in 1964, somehow we had a big hit with“Come a Little Bit Closer.”Then in 1965,“Cara Mia.”

ON DISCOVERING MUSIC AS TEEN

When we got to Washington, D.C., we hung out with [the Beatles], and we basically took a train back with them on the same car, to Penn Station in New York. And when we got there, it was like a scene out of“A Hard Day’s Night,”looking out the windows of the train. And when the door opened, there was a mob of people, [until] they said,“Oh, it’s just Jay and the Americans,”and they created a pathway, and we walked through it. I said,“what just happened?”My god—I was a witness to history.

When we were about 13, we started to hear this rhythm and blues music on the radio. Alan Freed started to play the music in New York. We were captivated by it. Adults had their world, and they had their music, and kids were removed from that.

But when we heard this music, it gave us our identity. So one of the things we started to do was buy these 45s that [Freed] was playing on the radio, [and] we started to imitate them, and sing along with them.

ON FORMING JAY AND THE AMERICANS

Four of us got an audition with Jerry Leiber and

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ON BEING MISTAKEN FOR ANOTHER FAB FOURSOME

ON FORMING THE PLANOTONES

I had worked for the next 14 years in the film business. ... I thought I was getting old! I was in

my late ‘40s. I said, I’m going to start a group again, because this is why I got into the business in the first place. I started a group naively thinking that, oh boy, if the group is great, it’s going to work.

That wasn’t the case, because … even though a lot of guys, including myself, were known in the business, it didn’t translate to a marquee.

Nobody showed up.

We hung in there, because we loved what we were doing, for about 10 years, and then slowly, through word of mouth and really being good, and“Looking for an Echo”all of a sudden catching on with small radio stations, it became the anthem of doo-wop.

We started to get more jobs, and traveling the country. It’s amazing, because the audiences still show up. We just played at the Parker Playhouse to a sell-out crowd. It’s a blessing to be able to do what you love.

ON MOVING TO BOYNTON BEACH

I lived in Rockaway ... and [Superstorm] Sandy washed my house out to sea. Compared to New York, [moving here] was like being in the witness protection program. But I’ve grown to love it.You make your own way.You make your friends.You discover things that, as a tourist, you never see. So now I call it home.

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WEB EXTRA: For more of Kenny Vance’s stories and insights, visit BOCAMAG.COM/JULYAUGUST-2020.

Kenny Vance July/August 2020

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RISING STAR

Stopping Traffic

A visit to a Mexican safe house charts a new path for an FAU student Written by JOHN THOMASON

HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY THE NUMBERS

4,585 Human trafficking cases reported in 2019

466

Trafficking cases in Florida in 2019

3,736 Females trafficked in 2019

545

Males trafficked in 2019

OVER

246

AARON BRISTOL

thousand

Contacts to the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007

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T

here was a time when Abigail Howard’s knowledge of human trafficking was limited to sensationalist Hollywood movies like “Taken.” That changed in 2017, thanks to a life-altering mission trip she took on behalf of Sojourn Collegiate Ministries, an interfaith organization that fights for international justice.

The FAU undergraduate joined nearly two-dozen of her peers on a trip to Tijuana, Mexico. A late addition to the trip—she accepted the last available spot—she was unaware of its purpose, and what she saw opened her eyes to a criminal underworld she didn’t know existed.

Like her fellow-missionaries, she gazed through their van’s windows at the city’s red light district,“where you see young adults and children in these insane heels, and tourists walking around looking to use them,” Abigail, 20, recalls.“Here’s 22 of us in the van seeing this unravel before our eyes.”

At their final destination, a safe house sponsored by the California nonprofit International Network of Hearts, Howard met victims of trafficking face-to-face, and listened to their horrifying tales of surviving a life of 21st century slavery. She connected most profoundly with Guadalupe, a 4-year-old girl who had been trafficked for drugs and exploited in pornography by her own mother.

“I’m opening the door, and she’s just standing there, smiling, and runs over to me and gives us the biggest hug,”Howard says.

“It’s so cool, this connection that happens.

She’s speaking Spanish; she knew a little bit of English. I’m speaking English, knowing only a little bit of Spanish. But the connection throughout the week was phenomenal.”

Back home, she says,“I’m bawling my eyes out because I experienced so much down there, and here I am back in America, and people are just wanting things that don’t even matter in this world—the latest smartphone, or their Wi-Fi is not working.”

Howard’s newfound passion led her to discover other safe houses around the world, and to develop a charity that would fund their efforts. So, on the cusp of her

18th birthday, she Googled“how to start a nonprofit.”“I played a little joke with God or the state: ‘Listen, if you’re really out there and you want this to happen, let everything be provided.’When you create a nonprofit, you have to go through so many hurdles. … But the whole process took three months. I really think God wanted this to happen.”

Her resulting venture, Project Micah 6:8—the Bible verse was inscribed on a bracelet gifted to Howard in Tijuana—celebrated its third anniversary in April. The nonprofit has raised approximately $15,000 in its efforts to vet international safe houses, separate the legitimate ones from the fraudulent, and support those that are helping survivors of human trafficking. Additionally, Howard, a former theatre student at Pennsylvania’s Messiah College before she transferred to FAU, penned an original play,“Only One,” that premiered at FAU this year. Named after the statistic that only 1 percent of trafficking victims are rescued, it dramatizes the journeys of three survivors.

Audience members at the two (free) showings of the play contributed $1,500 in support, which goes directly to the cause. This arrangement applies across the board: Neither Howard, as Project Micah’s CEO, nor her staff of seven collects a salary for their work. She says she’s contributed “millions of hours” to the nonprofit, balancing her time with her coursework as a Criminal Justice student seeking her master’s this fall, and working as a caregiver for families of children with special needs. In 2019, Soroptimist International honored Howard as one of its Women of Distinction.

“I say my life is built on this,”she says.

“I’m always on the phone, going to networking events. But to me, the hours aren’t even worth calculating. This is my passion, and this is what I love. And even if I’m not getting paid, it’s so cool.”

July/August 2020

6/2/20 2:03 PM

Your inspiration for design

5999 N. Federal Hwy #2 Boca Raton, FL 33487 561.465.3618 patioandtable.com patioandtable

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THE LOOK

JONATHAN SIMKHAI Irving Ruffled Off-TheShoulder Swimsuit, $345, bloomingdales.com

Suiting Up This summer’s newest bathing suits are making waves in design

TORY BURCH Lipsi Swimsuit, $258, saksfifthavenue.com

MARYSIA Santa Monica Maillot Swimsuit, $334, neimanmarcus.com

MOSCHINO Mesh Swimsuit, $420, saksfifthavenue.com

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CELINE 55MM Studded Sunglasses, $550, saksfifthavenue.com

Headed to the beach?

Don’t forget the sunnies.

BADGLEY MISCHKA SWIMWEAR, Jackie Bow High-Leg Two-Piece Bikini Set, $329, neimanmarcus.com

July/August 2020

6/2/20 2:07 PM

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THE LOOK

18-karat rose gold diamond and sapphire ring, $10,500, GREGORY’S FINE JEWELRY, Delray Beach Novella drop earrings in Hampton Blue topaz and aquamarine with diamonds, $1,550, DAVID YURMAN, Town Center at Boca Raton Dew drop pendant with aquamarine slice and diamond bubbles, $1,950, JAY FEDER JEWELERS, Boca Raton

Ring Tone

Summer colors find their way into gemstones and classic diamonds

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••••

July/August 2020

6/4/20 1:45 PM

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THE LOOK

1. BURBERRY Animal Portraits Silk Scarf, $420, saksfifthavenue.com 2. SALONI Cobblestone Animal Pleated A-line Shirtdress, $495, saksfifthavenue.com 3. VERSACE Girl’s Jungle Print Pleated Skirt, size 8-14, $390, neimanmarcus.com

2

4. CHIARA BONI LA PETITE ROBE Wilderness Cloth Face Covering, $59, saksfifthavenue.com

4

5

5. BOTKIER Ross Snake-print Mules, $158, neimanmarcus.com 6. LOEWE Elephant Phone Cover for iPhone X/Xs, $490.00, neimanmarcus.com 7. MOLO, Girl’s Carli Woven Jungle Animals Print Dress, size 2-12, $99, neimanmarcus.com

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Jungle Fever

6

3 7

Tropical motifs and animal prints bring a wild finish to summer

July/August 2020

6/2/20 2:07 PM

WATERFRONT NEW CONSTRUCTION

933 ALLAMANDA DRIVE DELRAY BEACH, FL

Coconut Palm Estate is an exquisite coastal masterpiece designed and constructed by multiple award-winning firms Richard Jones Architecture, David Shoultz of Beachfront Builders, Jerry Mazo of Sklar Interiors, and KH Developments. Situated in the exclusive waterfront community of Tropic Isle, this one-of-a-kind and thoughtfully designed contemporary boasts over 4400 sq ft of openconcept living space with 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and nearly 1/4 acre of luxury outdoor amenities for the most discerning of buyers. Thoughtfully designed with an active lifestyle in mind, Coconut Palm Estate offers 6 luxurious light-filled bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, European kitchen, butler’s pantry, and a 3 car garage.

Key Features: This energy efficient smart home has been built to the latest hurricane code and will withstand the test of time.

Premium level Miele appliances, 12’ waterfall island in a leather textured stone, open concept great room with 11’ ceiling, second level features a lofted living room between 3 bedroom suites, complete home back-up generator ready, ground floor master suite on east wing with 11’ ceiling, fully equipped summer kitchen, 12’x40’ pool and infinity spa, a custom Tropical Landscaping Design.

BR: 6 | BA: 6 1/2 | 5,744 SQ. FT. | $3,600,000 David Shoultz

Ivana Shoultz

Karina Heidersberger

(561) 501-1904

(561) 990-6916

(954) 646-3889

Owner/General Contractor Beachfront Builders info@beachfrontbuilders.us beachfrontbuilders.us

Owner/Broker Beachfront Properties info@beachfrontproperties.us beachfrontproperties.us

Real Estate Agent Beachfront Properties

karina.floridarealtor@gmail.com KarinaFloridaRealtor.com

Beachfront Properties • 27 NE 4th Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33483

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THE LOOK

Belting It Out Men’s belts go big and go bright

FROM TOP: NOKONA Patent Leather Show Belt, $205, neimanmarcus.com CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Fluorescent Leather Belt, $420, neimanmarcus.com BALLY B Buckle Reversible Logo Belt, $350, saksfifthavenue. com VALENTINO Camouflage Buckle Belt, $575, saksfifthavenue. com

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July/August 2020

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SOS BEAUTY

Save Our Skin Whether you are a die-hard tan bunny or just need some serious hydrating, these products will help save face.

Written by MARIE SPEED

1. We like anything that touts anti-aging (especially this time of year!), and Formulyst is on the front lines of that claim, honing in on “everything from wrinkles to dark spots and dry skin.”The formula is science–based, using hyaluronic and ferulic acids, ceramides, and vitamins B3, C and E. Product literature says the line is designed to “harness the power of plant and citrus extracts as well as gold-standard workhorses such as retinol.”

We found it highlighted in several dermatology sites, too. Available at formulyst.com.

2. Drunk Elephant should be the name of a rock band, but it’s actually a “biocompatible” skin care line devoid of parabens and minerals and sulfates but full of stuff like—are

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you ready—pygmy waterlily stem cell extract. Who knew? And there is more, of course, all designed to moisturize and firm up the face.

Available at sephora.com.

3. You’ve washed your hands enough to last about a decade now—forgo the soap for your face this summer and use Fresh’s Soy Face Cleanser with natural rosewater and cucumber extracts and the anti-inflammatory borage seed oil. Plus, it works for all skin types. Available at fresh.com, Walmart or Sephora stores.

4. Summer is, finally, all about sun protection, and we love Skinceuticals Light Moisture UV Defense, a light, oil-free moisturizer that also protects skin from those villainous UVB

rays. Available at skinceuticals.com.

5. Chanel says the name Blue Serum in this skin care line is derived from the planet’s “blue zones,” or those areas in the world where people tend to live longer, like Costa Rica, Sardinia and Greece. Another anti-aging formula, Blue Serum is designed to “increase hydration, soften wrinkles and firm up skin.” Available at chanel.com or at Nordstrom at Town Center mall.

6. There are women who swear by Kiehl’s for entire lifetimes, and one of its classic formulas is still Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, your secret weapon for summer-long hydrating and moisturizing— the keys to that glowy skin thing.

Available at Kiehl’s at Town Center.

July/August 2020

6/2/20 2:11 PM

LEVIS JCC RESALE BOUTIQUE—

TALK ABOUT

Our boutique has been a mainstay for savvy bargain shoppers in East Boca Raton for more than 30 years.

But we're so much more than great fashion finds, home furnishings and hidden treasures.

During these uncertain times, we remain committed to making a difference in our community. With your support we continue to enrich the lives of countless people in our area by: •

Funding scholarships for vital programs at our JCC

•

Assisting families in times of hardship by outfitting individuals re-entering the workforce

•

Collecting and donating items to other organizations that serve populations in need

Shop with us, donate your new or gently used treasures or volunteer your time.

However you choose to help, your support for our family truly makes a difference.

(561) 368-3665 levisjcc.org/resaleboutique We are located in The Shops at University Park, 141 NW 20th Street, F5-F7 in Boca Raton Follow us on Facebook at Levis JCC Resale Boutique (levisjccresale) for hours, information and special sales and promotions.

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GAME CHANGERS

New Wave

For two FAU grads, a surf trip inspires a record-breaking eco-business Written by JOHN THOMASON

“When we first started, our mission was just to clean up the dirty beach we were standing on.

Now that we’ve been a part of the entire movement, we’ve realized that cleaning the ocean will never end the ocean plastic crisis ... We want to leverage our social media platforms to bring awareness to ocean plastic, and to try and create change across the board.”

—Alex Schulze

I

t was supposed to be a relaxing vacation full of waves and sun—a graduation gift that FAU alumni and surfing buddies Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper gave themselves.

But their trip to the legendary surf breaks of Bali, Indonesia, in 2015 ended up catalyzing a career combining entrepreneurial spirit and environmental activism.

“We pretty much saw trash in the ocean from the sky,”recalls Cooper.

“I walked off the plane, walked straight to a lifeguard and said, ‘How come nobody’s cleaning up this trash?’ And he simply responded, ‘It’s 3:30 in the afternoon.

This is what happens when the tides change.

We clean it every morning, and the trash just gets pushed back up shore.’ And that was the first time it opened our minds up to the ocean plastics problem.”

Schulze and Cooper put their business degrees to use.“The Bali locals are incredibly hard workers,” Schulze says.“And Andrew and I saw these guys working all day, all

night in these areas, and fishing these waters, pulling plastic into their nets and throwing it back into the ocean. That’s when we said, how do we connect the dots? Why don’t we pay these guys to collect plastic instead of catching fish?”

So the two friends launched 4Ocean as a global ocean cleanup effort that has grown, in five years, to encompass 300 paid staff—many of whom head into the water on boats, six days a week, removing plastic and other harmful debris.

Schulze and Cooper, who run the corporate headquarters from Boca Raton, invested“their life savings”to fund the initial capital. But the retail

side of the business has kept it afloat. Inspired by Kickstarter campaigns, the founders designed the 4Ocean Bracelet made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled materials; they’ve since added apparel, drinkware and cleanup gear, the sales of which fund their operations.

The purchase of one $20 bracelet equates to the removal of one pound of ocean plastic.

“Scientists estimate more than 16 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean every year,” Cooper says. The plastic entangles marine life, or degrades into microplastics that wind up in the stomachs of fish, turtles and seabirds, accelerating their deaths.

The trash that 4Ocean employees haul in is processed and dispersed to recycling centers or sustainable alternatives such as thermal treatment plants; as a last resort, some of it goes to landfills.

In February, the

organization announced it had collected 8 million pounds of trash from our oceans. Publications from Newsweek to Forbes have recognized 4Ocean’s work, and in 2019 it set the Guinness World Record for the Largest Underwater Cleanup, when 633 people dove into the seas off Deerfield Beach to hunt for plastic.

At the time of this interview, Schulze and Cooper were dealing with coronavirus-related setbacks; they had to lay off 70 percent of their staff.“But we are determined to hunker down, maintain the business, and get through this,” Schulze says.“Everybody is ready to rock and roll.”

4Ocean bracelets; Alex Schulze (left) and Andrew Cooper

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MEET THE EXPERT

Suite Notes

Retired Boca Resort President Michael Glennie offers a peek behind the pink curtain Written by JOHN THOMASON

H

ospitality has long been a part of Michael Glennie’s cosmopolitan bloodline. A Briton who grew up in Kenya, Glennie was fascinated by the stories of his grandmother, who managed reservations for Nairobi’s Norfolk Hotel, once a social nexus for legends Karen Blixon and Lord Delamere and later, the luxury lodging of choice for safari-going celebrities like David Niven and Deborah Kerr.

After a stint in boarding school, Glennie studied the hotel business at university, and in 1974 alighted to the United States to join Rock Resorts, the preeminent hotel brand founded by Lawrence Rockefeller. In the more than four decades since, he has worked in the Caribbean and New York and Hawaii,

Japan and Canada and Switzerland, running hotels for the industry’s gold-plated brands. This included an influential stint at our own Boca Raton Resort & Club. Glennie managed the resort from 1987 to 2001, a time of creativity and expansion highlighted by the launch of the Premier Club, the opening of the Mizner Convention Center, the building of the Waldorf Astoria Spa and the spearheading of the Yacht Club.

Glennie retired in 2016 and moved back, full-time, to Boca Raton. A married father of two adult children and a “keen golfer and fly fisherman,” Glennie still enjoys visiting the resort. In a conversation with Boca, he shares insights gleaned from his time managing the city’s most iconic landmark.

I remember my wife and I walked into the main dining room, which is currently the Palm Court off the Cloister, and there’s a full orchestra of about 20 people. There were more people in the orchestra than were sitting in the dining room. I said to my wife,“something’s got to change here.”This obviously isn’t working.

I was fortunate to follow Scott Morrison, a legend in the resort business. He was extremely helpful in introducing me to the community, and I shared a lot of my thoughts and ideas with him. The key thing you have to avoid is to do something that’s just a passing trend. …

If you cater to a fad, that will only last as long as the fad.You’ve got to have something that’s going to be sustainable.You’re obviously going to tweak it here and there, but you’ve got to keep true to the core. I think one of the fads right now is these boutique-y hotels that in many cases are an excuse for creating minimal facilities, really small rooms, and then having some sort of avant-garde décor, maybe a great bar and that’s it. I think customers eventually see through that.

Part of that was doing the research and realizing that in those days, most of the time you sold a room, you didn’t just buy the room only. You had to buy breakfast, lunch and dinner—what they called the full American plan. Or you could buy breakfast and dinner, a modified American plan. So there were these built-in meal plans, and nobody wanted those anymore. That was a big change.

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The theory at the time was that the big resorts just ran all their own restaurants. And we had about 11 restaurants. I thought, as good as our food and beverage team is, it’s very difficult for them to run something that’s totally different, and compete with an independent restaurant. So I brought in some independent restaurant guys, and this was ahead of the day of the celebrity chef. … This was back in 1988. I brought in a guy, Nick Nickolas, who started Nick’s Fishmarket up in Chicago. I had him do one in the Beach Club, and he did an Italian restaurant at the top of the tower. It was extremely successful, and it provided a competitive influence to our food and beverage team—they had to up their game.

There was a tremendous appetite for convention business. … And it made a tremendous difference to our year-round business and profitability. Probably the most famous was General Electric. Jack Welch used to bring in all his top global leaders from all over the world, and take over most of the resort in the first week of January. … Even to this day, you think of any segment, whether it’s pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, any major financial firm, Boca would be in their top 10 properties.

I always made the point that Boca is a brand. Going back to the original days, the name Boca, meaning Boca the town, or Boca the hotel, resonates, and has always stood for great luxury. And that continues.

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AARON BRISTOL

John Tolbert’s doing a great job, and under the new ownership, I think he’s got the vision and leadership to take the resort to new heights.”

July/August 2020

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DRINK

Fork it Over

Freezer, fork, fun! 3 easy steps for making granita, summer’s coolest dessert.

Or snack. Or intermezzo. Or anytime.

C

ool and crunchy, easy-to-make granita is a semi-frozen summer treat. We’re going with watermelon, but when it comes to choosing a granita flavor, the sky’s the limit. Whatever flavor you favor, it’s all about the right recipe—and, of course, the freezer and fork.

HAVE IT YOUR WAY: TASTY WAYS TO CHANGE IT UP

WATERMELON GRANITA ALL YOU NEED: 4 cups seedless watermelon chunks 1/2 cup sugar Juice of one lemon Easy as 1,2,3 1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into a shallow pan and let freeze.

3. Rake a fork through the frozen mixture to break it up into snowlike consistency. Repeat this twice more, freezing and raking, then rake it one final time, spoon it into cups, and garnish.

• Use yellow watermelon.

• Sprinkle some chile powder into the puree.

• Add some mint leaves to the puree.

• Garnish with a sprinkle of chile flakes.

• Squeeze a lime wedge over it just before serving.

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July/August 2020

6/2/20 2:21 PM

WE ARE BACK & STRONGER THAN EVER! The latest concept from entrepreneur Jason Savino, owner of Potions in Motions Catering.

Offering our new TO GO Pick-Up & Delivery Service, Social Distancing Events Catering Services and much more! All our products are fresh and under the stringent guidelines of the CDC and Health Department.

HOT MEALS, FRESH RAW PRODUCTS, COCKTAILS, SUSHI, ONLINE MARKET For more info: 877-727-8964 • gotdrinks@gmail.com

www.DinnersInMotion.com

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FEEL GOOD

WELLNESS

Harnessing the Body’s Defenses Now more than ever, our immune systems are the best medicine

Dr. N. Anton Borja

Written by LISETTE HILTON

We have a powerful, innate tool against the novel coronavirus. That tool is our immune system."

— Dr. N. Anton Borja

A

t the time of this writing, the coronavirus pandemic was leaving many feeling helpless. But maybe we’re more powerful than we know.

“We have a powerful, innate tool against the novel coronavirus. That tool is our immune system,”says Dr. N. Anton Borja, director of FAU Medicine’s Institute for Integrative Health and assistant professor of integrated medical science.“We know from the global data about COVID-19 that the vast majority of people infected by the virus will be either asymptomatic or will develop only mild symptoms. While we are not certain about all the factors involved in why one person becomes severely ill and [the] other remains without symptoms, we do know a weakened immune system will increase your risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19.”

So, how does one harness the body’s defenses to fight viruses and more? Borja says these are the things to think about to keep the immune system functioning as well as it can.

STRESS Studies show that stress weakens the immune system. And the longer stress lasts, the weaker one’s immune system becomes. The COVID-19

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pandemic put people in a constant state of stress. The good news, according to Borja, is there are scientifically supported recommendations that can decrease stress and keep the immune system functioning to its full potential.

These include mind-body activities such as meditation, deep breathing, contemplative prayer and yoga.

“When these activities are practiced, the body undergoes multiple physical changes which decrease stress and strengthen the overall health of the body, including the immune system,”Borja says.

Mind-body activities help turn off the fight-or-flight nerve response, or sympathetic nervous system.

They turn on the relaxation nerve response, or parasympathetic nervous system.

“This is accompanied by a reduction of stress hormones including lactate, cortisol and epinephrine,” Borja says.“Blood pressure and heart rate decrease, oxygen levels increase, while carbon dioxide is released. Blood flow to the brain increases, and brain function improves.”

SLEEP Many find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep when they’re stressed.

“Sleep is an essential tool your body uses to heal and rejuvenate,”Borja says.“Sleep is also a time when your immune system makes and releases more cytokines, which is a type of protein which responds to infection and inflammation. Sleep deprivation can start to weaken your im-

mune system right away, and make you more susceptible to infections like COVID-19 or the flu.”

Getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night helps keep the immune system functioning at peak ability. Borja says meditation and deep breathing can help. Regular exercise can, too.

HEALTHFUL EATING When stressed, the body requires more energy—a need best met with nutritious food sources.“Unfortunately, stress tends to trigger within many of us a desire for comfort foods such as sugary, highly processed foods,”Borja says.“The simplest recommendation for eating healthy, nutritious foods is to follow a predominantly plant-based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.”

SOCIAL INTERACTION Researchers have found social support, in particular positive social interaction, protects against stress. If social distancing isn’t an issue, that social support might come from meeting with friends for coffee or going to a church or synagogue. Positive social interactions are possible even when social distancing is a must, with video chatting and online group activities, talking with friends and family by telephone and more.

The FAU Medicine Wellness Hub offers free health and wellness activities, including yoga classes, meditation activities and lectures, at faumedicine.org.

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43 Work (Out) From Home You don’t need a gym or in-person trainer to inspire the movement your body needs Written by LISETTE HILTON

S

tay-at-home orders like with the coronavirus pandemic make exercise more challenging, but not impossible. Continuing to exercise is arguably more important than ever during a pandemic, according to a local personal trainer.

Studies show that exercise not only strengthens the body but also increases lung capacity and heart muscle strength, according to Fotis Papamichael, previous owner of Michael’s Body Scenes in Boca Raton and now a personal trainer and coach who owns DIYFit.“You’re actually creating a healthier environment within your body, making yourself less susceptible to getting sick,”Papamichael says.

The pandemic taught exercisers that while gyms closed down, alternatives like workout apps could fill the gap. Outdoor exercises on one’s street, driveway or backyard are great options, according to Papamichael. Fresh South Florida air is extra-invigorating when people spend time cooped up in their homes, and the sun offers much-needed vitamin D. Whether exercising inside or out, there are things to keep in mind and ways to make exercising in isolation effective and safe.

Get exercise programs from a trusted source.

During the pandemic, local personal trainers took to

the internet to train clients one-onone, in their respective homes. Local gyms, like Planet Fitness, offered free online workouts. There also are plenty of apps, some free, that show people what to do and how to do it.

Papamichael offers tips and exercises on his webpage and social media pages for DIYFit.net.“You don’t have to have a ton of equipment or expertise. You just follow along,”Papamichael says.

Drink up. Stay hydrated by having plenty of water close by—whether you’re inside or out.

Don’t worry about heavy weights or fancy equipment. “As far as the workouts go, even light weights are resistance on the body,” Papamichael says.

Recover, mix things up. People who do strength training need to give their bodies time to recover.

Working out a muscle group to fatigue usually requires 24 to 48 hours of recovery time. So exercisers doing a full-body weight-training workout would rest for a day or two. Or they could break up the training by body part, like back and biceps one day, chest and triceps another day and legs and shoulders the third.

Fotis Papamichael

80

million Americans who fall into the “inactive” category (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

80% People who join a gym for a New Year’s resolution and quit within 5 months (Credit Monkey)

4%

Amount daily exercise has increased over the past few years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

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FEEL GOOD

DIET

Can Foods Boost Immunity?

An expert breaks down the best sources for immune health Written by LISETTE HILTON

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oor nutrition can influence the body’s performance and affect the immune system. But it’s difficult to say whether specific foods can boost immunity, according to registered dietitian Brandi Thompson, of the Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Brandi Thompson

Berries, those tiny sweet red, purple and blue fruits, do pack more of a concentrated punch when it comes to antioxidants that help boost the immune system.”

— Brandi Thompson

BEST BETS Phytochemicals and antioxidants can help to diminish free radicals produced by stress, environment and more.

Deficiencies in some vitamins and minerals affect the immune system, according to Thompson. So it makes sense to ensure you’re getting those vitamins and minerals with a nutritious diet.  Best sources of zinc include vegetables, legumes, nuts, yogurt, whole grains and beef.  Best sources of selenium are nuts, tuna, beef and chicken, tofu, shrimp and mushrooms.  Best sources of iron are beef, chicken, turkey and fish.  Best sources of copper are leafy greens, nuts, seeds and mushrooms.  Best sources of vitamins A, C and E are fruits and vegetables.  Best sources of B6 are eggs, fish, beef, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, bananas, avocadoes and beans.  Best sources of folic acid are leafy greens, citrus fruits, beans, asparagus, nuts, papaya, banana and avocado.

Probiotics can help to feed the good bacteria and support a

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healthy immune system, according to Thompson.“Foods rich in probiotics include those that are fermented and or have probiotics added,”she says. These foods include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, some pickles, sauerkraut and kimchee.

“Incorporate plain yogurt with fresh berries into your breakfast, pickles or sauerkraut on your grass-fed burgers, and 8 ounces of kombucha with your nighttime meal,”she says.

Plant-based proteins include nut butters, nuts, soy, seeds and beans. Animal-based protein sources include fish, chicken, beef, pork, eggs and dairy products. Reap the benefits of fruits and veggies.“Berries, those tiny sweet red, purple and blue fruits, do pack more of a concentrated punch when it comes to the antioxidants that help boost the immune system. And sprinkle in the orange, yellow and green fruits that each add their piece of the diverse phytochemicals that support the immune system,”Thompson says.

Vegetables are packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals.“Add fresh greens to a smoothie or eat them raw in a salad. Roast peppers and fill them with quinoa and lentils for a meatless meal, or grill zucchini, mushrooms and eggplant to serve as a side dish with hummus,”Thompson suggests.

July/August 2020

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Boca Raton magazine's

insider Horton Photography

ADVERTISING • PROMOTIONS • EVENTS

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POTIONS IN MOTION

Jason Savino Owner of Potions In Motion catering for 15 years was hit overnight with a dilemma, how to survive in the event world as a caterer when there are no more events. He quickly put his wheels in "motion” and turned his East Boca Commissary into a market and dinner delivery service. Utilizing almost 3/4 of his unemployed workforce, he called them back in and launched "Dinners In Motion" & "SexZmarket". Both sites have been up for 2 months and running smooth through the transition. He credits the success to always trying to be ahead of the curve and trying to find where the future demand will be.

BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART The Boca Raton Museum of Art encompasses a creative campus that includes the Museum in Mizner Park and Art School. As the “Official Art Museum of the City of Boca Raton,” it has provided seven decades of cultural and artistic service to the community, and to visitors from around the world.

501 Plaza Real • Boca Raton bocamuseum.org

1.877.727.8964 dinnersinmotion.com

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AARON BRISTOL

Leslie Gray Streeter and Scott Zervitz

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47

THE BOCA INTERVIEW

Humor and sorrow share real estate in the Palm Beach Post columnist’s moving, unorthodox memoir of grief

Written by JOHN THOMASON

s one of the Palm Beach Post’s

most dexterous reporters and columnists, Leslie Gray Streeter is as comfortable writing about fundraising galas and music festivals as she is covering homicides and interviewing chefs. This is how it is in a skeleton-staffed 21st century newsroom, where versatility is the new specialization.

But whether she’s blogging about the royal family, interviewing Smash Mouth or alerting readers to the latest fast-casual restaurant, the commonality linking Streeter’s work is that she’s the storyteller, not the subject. That changed on a July day in 2015, when Scott Zervitz, Streeter’s husband of more than five years, died of cardiac arrest.

As Streeter would bluntly recall it in her debut book, Black Widow, released this spring, Scott “dropped dead in front of me while we were making out.”

Suddenly, Streeter was the focus of local news articles, navigating a narrative she couldn’t control.

This past March, this deft interviewer again found herself on the other side of this equation, promoting Black Widow on venues as large as“CBS Sunday Morning,” with its 6 million viewers, and as small as Delray’s Murder on the Beach, where she read and signed books for a crowd of 23. A memoir of her time with Scott and the painful year following his sudden passing, Black Widow merits this attention: It’s a brave, wrenching book that, conversely, isn’t afraid to strike comic notes when warranted.

Peppered with the snappy prose, pop-culture references and everywoman relatability that have long been a hallmark of Streeter’s newspaper work, it examines grief with a combination of raw honesty and absurdist distance. Of the moment Scott’s heart stopped beating, she“saw [his] head shaking, kind of like a blender that keeps rumbling three seconds after you turn it off.”

She compares a visit to a mausoleum “like car shopping.” Noticing that she cried off a pound in the immediate aftermath, she muses, “Is it wrong to be happy about that?”

The timing of Scott’s death couldn’t have been worse in the sense that the couple was in the years-long process of adopting a child, Brooks, who had been living with them but was not yet officially theirs—and who would now have to be raised by a widowed single mother, should she win legal custody. She explores this and much more—including her formative years, how she met Scott, and the possibility of dating again, in the memoir’s 262 pages.

We caught up with Streeter just prior to her signing this spring at Murder on the Beach.

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THE BOCA INTERVIEW

Have you had total strangers, after reading this book, just want to come up and hug you?

Yes. The last three days have been really funny. Mothers in the drop-off line at my school, who I didn’t know knew who I was, have come up to hug me. I’ve always been a person, since I’ve been at the Post, that people recognize. After Scott died, it was a weird thing—people would stop by the office. I was redefining my boundaries at first; it was kind of startling. And people would walk up to me in the grocery store and just hug me.

People walk up to me and say,“I lost my husband five years ago, or two weeks ago;”there are people that say, “I lost my dog yesterday.”And it’s not the same thing, but their heart is broken today, and they need to talk to someone who would understand. If that’s me, I’m super-honored that you chose to do that.

The subtitle of your book is “for people who normally avoid books with ‘journey’ in the title.” What kind of books are those, and why was it important that yours was different?

If you’re a person whose healing is helped by things that are very serious and full of super-emotional sincere language, and are very much about journeys and feelings—the Marianne Williamson sort of thing— then that is fantastic. I know many people who have been moved and changed and healed by those things.

That is not me. … You [might] feel there’s something wrong with you if you laugh, or if you’re pissed off at the person who died. And I just wanted to say, your life is your life. If it’s a journey, it’s a journey. But here is a thing for people who just want to read about someone who didn’t know what they were doing,

I’ve always processed my emotions through writing, whether it’s in the paper or blogs or otherwise. Probably two months later [after her husband died] I bought a computer so I could write something, and I didn’t want it to be on the Post computer. And I just started writing.”

How did you come to decide that you should write a book about your experience?

The day Scott died, I was in my kitchen with a friend of mine, Scott Eyman, who used to be the books editor at the Post. For years, I would bother him with, “I wrote five pages of what’s going to be the next best novel!”And he would read it and go,“what else you got?” He said to me,“You will finish the book you have to finish.”So I was in my kitchen, and it was maybe 5 o’clock, 12 hours after Scott had died, and I said to Eyman,“I think this is my book.” It just came out. But when you’re in grief, you don’t know what the hell you’re saying. I probably offered people money that they were kind enough not to collect on.

I’ve always processed my emotions through writing, whether it’s in the paper or blogs or otherwise.

Probably two months later, I bought a computer so I could write something, and I didn’t want it to be on the Post computer. And I just started writing.

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and stumbled through this ridiculously awful thing that happened, and hope that they got through the other side.

And it’s not a how-to book. It’s not something you’d find at a bookstore with a pink cover and butterflies on it. It’s not a journal. Maybe Little, Brown will want me to do the Black Widow Journal, and it’ll be full of curse words and ink stains—that’s a really good idea! But it was never meant to be a how-to, because there are no how-tos in grief. It was just my story.

I was taken by the humor in this book, even in moments of demonstrable sadness. Is that just your personality?

Yes. I’m funny. And funny is really hard. If you try to be funny, you fail. It’s not “slipping on a banana peel onto the gravesite” funny. It’s like, you’re hungry at the wrong time, or you hug the wrong person. I’m sure funny things happen to people all the time, and they don’t notice them. I noticed them because I needed to remember that stuff. I needed to be human.

And yet, how genuinely painful was it to relive these experiences in a literary form?

The funeral was surprisingly easy to write about. As you could imagine, the chapters that were hardest

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49 BLACK WIDOW (EXCERPT):

I don’t remember everything that happens in the first week or so after Scott died. Grief doesn’t break just your heart—it breaks your brain. It dents your body, hobbles your ability to take full breaths. I ask my sister to make sure I don’t lose it on anyone but remind her that as the Widow Zervitz, I am allowed to talk shit about those people when they’re not there. Grief. My brain, you know.

I feel bad for my family and friends and even all the people across the country who leave stunned, lovely tributes to Scott on various Facebook pages because no one knows what to say. Nothing is really going to be comforting other than the hospital made a huge mistake and we’re driving Scott back to your house, but everyone is trying. For the next few days I will note what makes me sort of smile and what makes me stabby. I mostly like when people post “Oh, no!” or “Leslie, I loved Scott and am so sorry for your loss.” What isn’t helpful is any suggestion, especially in the first day or so, that Scott is now an angel or that he is in a better place or that, as one person writes, Scott has completed his cycle on Earth. Gross.

Look, I know that these people are trying to make sense of a senseless thing, offering a nice blanket statement of comfort to cover me. But I can still smell Scott’s aftershave on my blanket. The place he was in just hours ago, where he’s supposed to be now, is this old recliner, not Heaven. Heaven is probably better, décor-wise. But he’s supposed to be here with me. Not anywhere else. It’s not fair, but I suspect that when people say, “Well, he’s happy in eternity,” it’s about making themselves feel better. I hope it works for them, because it’s not working for me.

to write were the chapter in the emergency room and the one about the custody hearing to terminate Brooks’ birth parents’ rights. I pored over that, because I wanted to make sure I got everything right.

I took everyone’s name out, and sent the chapters to the social workers to make sure that I had gotten the process right. The ER thing was obviously horrible, because it was a horrible day—the worst day of my life.

Was writing the book therapeutic in the sense that it brought up some insights that you may never have thought about if you weren’t forced to explore them in this way?

Absolutely. I went back to therapy six months ago to prepare for this [media tour], because I knew I was going to be bringing up things and reading the book again. And I did the audio book. It was honestly great. I thought, nobody else could do it but me. It has been incredibly therapeutic, mostly because it makes it easier to do things like this, and to talk to people and not burst into tears when we have these conversations.

My uncle said to me once,“you never get over it, but you get through it.” I’m not grieving like I was five years ago. The pain is not what it was. He’s still not here, I still cry occasionally, but writing this, and writing the funny parts, makes me happy. The cool part of it is that five and a half years of marriage leading up to that day were pretty good. … It sucks

Leslie Gray Streeter and Scott Zervitz

because it won’t happen again, but it happened. And I got a thing that a lot of people don’t get. I want to remember that.

You write at length about how difficult it was to tell Brooks the full truth about what happened to Scott. Now that Brooks is old enough to understand death, has it fully hit him?

Yes. He’s 6, and [Scott’s] not here. And he has an unfortunately solid grasp on grief that 6-year-olds shouldn’t have. … And I wish he didn’t. But I think that maybe, subsequent things will be easier to explain to him. I never have to say,“so-and-so went to a farm, or they went away,” or whatever. He doesn’t super want to talk about this, but he loves giving people the books.

Who do you most hope to help with the publication of this book?

People who have been told that their grieving is weird, or that they’re doing it wrong. People who love those people and don’t know what to say to them. In this society we talk about our poop and our sex lives and our boobs and everything else.

We don’t want to talk about death. It happens to everybody. And I just want to get a conversation going about how grief is normal and everybody grieves. Everyone will lose someone. And I want people to know that it’s OK to talk about death.

WEB EXTRA: For more of our conversation with Leslie Gray Streeter, visit BOCAMAG.COM/JULYAUGUST-2020.

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a c o B N THO ND JOH ) A D E E RS SP INSIDE MARIE LOCAL IOTTI, F G O A I L B E N JAMES CIAL PA EN BY UR SPE WRITT (AND O

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MASON

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52 food & drink BEST RESTAURANT NEWS

Hometown restaurants reinvent their business models overnight to function as takeout places to try to survive the COVID lockdown. And their customers rally behind them.

DISHES WE’D WALK A MILE FOR

1

Wahoo bites from Papa Hughie’s Raw Bar, 4610 N. Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, 754/307-5034

2 3 4 5

Orange dragon roll from Sushi Yama, 7050 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/362-6416 Flaming saganaki from Rafina, 6877 S.W. 18th St., Boca Raton, 561/409-3673 Porcini ravioli from Josie’s, 1602 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561/364-9601 A V&S Italian sub, 2621 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/395-5206

• Uncle Tai’s • Maxwell’s Chophouse • Rack’s at Mizner, especially that lobster salad

TAKEOUT HEAVEN DURING THE CORONA CRISIS

• The complimentary brownies from Houston’s • El Jefe Luchidor’s spicy corn on the cob and its quesadillas • Everything at Farmer’s Table Express

MOST CREATIVE USE OF RESTAURANT AFTER CLOSINGS

Shortly after

restaurants are ordered closed, Oceans 234 in Deerfield Beach becomes a togo market for food, produce and household staples, and the elusive paper goods.

Prime Island, the new Prime Catch bar

MOST UNUSUAL CONCEPT

Rex Baron opens at Town Center, featuring fine dining in a handsome atmosphere, a special virtual reality room— and a dystopian backstory that no one understands. But never mind, we’d go here for the hot lava table alone, or the steakhouse chips.

PAPP PHOTOGRAPHY

5

PLACES WE STILL MISS

Farmer’s Table tacos

V&S Italian sub

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••••

Cocktail pouches to go

Weird variations on the Old Fashioned

Family-style meals to go

Bowls.

Any kind.

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Dover sole from Kathy’s Gazebo

IL WE COCKTLA ING ARE EOV AYS se.

THErSantinD o i, f cour

GO-TO LOCAL FAVES SEAFOOD WORLD, still the place to go for hog snapper, 4602 N. Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, 954/942-0740

The Quaelse did we get f ths o How two mon through olitary? s

FOOD MECCA(S) WE ARE WAITING FOR

Crocker Partners’ “Restaurant Row,”on the northeast corner of Town Center and Butts Road next to Town Center at Boca Raton, will have several restaurants and is scheduled to be under construction by

Deviled eggs

Beets

WHALE’S RIB, for bloodies and rock shrimp and whale fries, 2301 N.E. Second St., Deerfield Beach, 954/421-8880 TIN MUFFIN, the original Lades Who Lunch spot, 364 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/3929446

now—and the new downtown Delray City Market food hall, purportedly the largest in Florida with 35-plus vendors, scheduled for a 2021 opening.

BEST MAKEOVER

Prime Catch at Woolbright and the Intracoastal in Boynton Beach

Tableside guacamole

is transformed into a sleek and bright upscale seafood venue— complete with offshore bar and tie-up for boats.

In a place where you can count the number of waterfront restaurants on one hand, this is mega news.

MAX’S GRILLE, still the best seared tuna, radiatore pasta, wings, etc., etc., 404 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561/368-0080 ARTURO’S, for the antipasti cart, the veal, the wine, the everything, 6750 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/997-7373 KATHY’S GAZEBO, because Old World fine continental dining never sounded so good, 4199 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/395-6033 TUCCI’S, for neighborhood pizza and Italian we love, 50 N.E. First Ave., Boca Raton, 561/620-2930 TRATTORIA ROMANA, bring on the Bolognese, bring on the noise—we’re ready for a table NOW, 499 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561/3936715

Sliders

OLYMPIA FLAME DINER, when a vast diner menu—with all the bases covered (including yummy Greek specialties)—is all that will do.

And how can you start the day better than with an Alexander The Great omelet? 80 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, 954/480-8402

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54 lifestyle & arts

EVENTS WE LOVED

The Boca Pumpkin Patch Festival, the Mayor’s Ball, the Battle of the Bands—and the Cowboy Ball reimagined at the Resort. And the next question is: Can we do all these again? What will they look like? Here’s hoping the New Normal looks a whole lot more like the old one next year.

HOME TOWN HOME RUN OF AN EVENT

The YMCA Corporate Cup Challenge, which will celebrate 10 years this November, was a field day for grown-ups, with 26 business teams competing.

The net result?

A lot of great team-building and $58,000 raised for the YMCA.

BEST PLAY

South Florida’s regional theatre scene was abruptly cut short in mid-March, just when it was scheduled to be at its peak. But recent productions like New City Players’ blistering “A Raisin in the Sun” have managed to sear themselves into our memories.

An astute direc-

tor and exemplary cast of allstars—especially Carolyn Johnson, who delivered the most emotionally moving speech in any production this season—spilled their guts on the stage, leaving themselves, and all of us in the audience, properly drained.

BEST ARTWORLD SNAPSHOT

At this year’s Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary art fair, stunning work bombarded the eye from all directions.

Op art, lenticular art, 3D works and LED-enhanced art hung in countless galleries. Many pieces had moving parts, and they were not what they initially seemed, suggesting the art of the 2020s may be defined

by razzle and dazzle.

Amy Walter

FESTIVAL HOME RUN

Amy Walter, a regular contributor to PBS NewsHour, was the wonky standout at Festival of the Arts Boca. Walter addressed a packed Amphitheater house just two days after Joe Biden shocked the pundit class on Super Tuesday.

She admitted she had to rewrite her presentation based on the new data, and cautioned that it would be“unwise to think that there won’t be another seismic shift” in the race for the nomination.

Sure enough, the coronapocalypse landed a week later.

PAUL RICHARDSON

Cowboy Ball shenanigans

“Breeze,” by Dan Dailey, from Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary

BEST FUNDRAISER

The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Ball is sold out and raises more than $3.5 million.

With Rod Stewart as entertainment.

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55 BEST ART EXHIBITION

Maren Hassinger’s “Tree of Knowledge,” created last summer at Boca Raton Museum of Art with help from local schoolchildren, consisted of countless tendrils of newspaper spiraling

BEST CONCERT

Post-punk icons New Order played the Fillmore Miami Beach for its first-ever North American residency in a two-hour show that showed the spirit of the New Wave decade is alive and well.

New Order

ENTERTAINMENT TRENDS WE ARE LOVING

P

KARAOKE—LIVE AND TECH-FORWARD: Fearless fans of

this bar staple have evolved beyond the bygone days of flipping through laminated songbooks the size of the Yellow Pages. At the Tin Roof’s Tuesday night event in Delray, singers enter their selections into an app. At Rockstar Karaoke, on Sundays at the Silverball Museum, also in Delray, you tell a versatile trio of musicians what you want to sing, and they’ll make—or fake—their way through it for a raucous good time.

Live karaoke at Silverball Museum

P

from the ceiling to the floor, hanging among strips of readable newsprint billowing under fans. There was a sense of perpetual motion in “Tree of Knowledge,” and with it the illusion of a pulse. The work ached to be physically explored, illuminating Hassinger’s status as a compassionate social ecologist whose materials are the embodiment of sustainability.

NEEDS A REBOOT

SunFest 2020 was a sad casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic—an unprecedented cancelation for this annual fixture of the Palm Beaches. While organizers surely hemorrhaged money from this decision, at least it will give them another year to shore up the festival’s ailing brand, whose 2020 “headliners”were its weakest in more than 20 years.

Here’s hoping for a bigger and better 2021.

TRIVIA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: The quirky, laid-back trivia night known as Think & Drink features three rounds of general-knowledge questions in a variety of categories both traditional and eccentric, with answers ranging from multiple-choice formats to“name that tune.”Hosts provide an unusually generous gap between question and answer, all the more time to argue amongst your fellow-players or grab another beer—which is the main reason you’re there, after all. Check it out Mondays at Mad Robot Brewing Company in Boca, and Tuesdays at Death or Glory in Delray.

P

BREAKING THE MOLD: If any unorthodox business should have been deemed “essential” during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s Wreck it Fort Laudy, a “rage room” whose participants have 35 minutes to destroy a selection of objects—dead computer hardware, housewares, beer bottles—with an array of blunt objects. In case you were wondering, you wear supplied PPE the entire time, making this stress-relieving diversion safer than a trip to Publix!

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HOLE IN ONE: You needn’t be skilled on the links to have a great time at the golf-themed Drive Shack, which opened in West Palm Beach last year after months of anticipation. The venue’s chief attraction is its sprawling field of green, on which circles of varying size and proximity have been strategically designed. It’s the visitor’s job, from a rented bay overlooking the space, to land golf balls in these targets. The green space is really just the physical canvas for a handful of virtual layouts, like Monster Hunt, where players attempt to strike the “creatures”residing in the circles. Drive Shack also includes a patio with lawn games, retro arcade games indoors, and a full-service restaurant and bar, with delivery service to the golf bays. Indeed, imbibing while “driving” is encouraged.

Drive Shack

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56city news & notes

1 2 3

3

THINGS THAT NEVER END

SUSAN HAYNIE’S

trial is postponed yet again. The latest date is July 27, but will virus restrictions delay it again?

BOCA NATIONAL is still a golfer’s dream. But only a dream.

No word yet on what will be next in this ongoing issue.

The WILDFLOWER/SILVER PALM PARK still has no site plan. After two years.

GOOD MOVES

BY THE CITY

• The school board approves a new elementary school by Don Estridge Middle that will alleviate crowding at Calusa Elementary, and work is on schedule for new Verde and Addison Mizner K-8 campuses.

• The city (finally!) opens Hillsboro El Rio Park South, a waterfront park that features a playground, basketball courts, pickleball courts

and beach volleyball area.

• The Beaches and Parks District approves the Intracoastal-to-ocean Ocean Strand property for public use, after 30 years of limbo, dedicating $75,000 to the land, installation of benches, and creation of walking trails.

Eventually the project could include kayak launches and restrooms.

BAD MOVES

BY THE CITY

• With one delay after another, the city scuttles the ambitious Midtown project designed to renew an aging Boca shopping center and its environs—by the same

group, Crocker Partners, that transformed Boca Raton’s downtown 30 years ago with the pioneering Mizner Park.

Lawsuits ensue, and Boca gets the award for Myopic Leadership.

Hillsboro El Rio Park

your Zoom is eting e new m and it option—ajama allows p ms. botto

NOTES FROM A QUARANTINE 1. Happy Hours can be virtual.

2. Working from home works.

3. Schools turned out to be rock stars, moving on a dime to roll out virtual learning almost immediately.

4. The world of delivery became our oyster, from Shipt and Instacart to Delivery Dudes Bodega.

5. People innovated. SA made face

shields, Mecca Farms started delivering boxed produce directly to the consumer, Rodney Mayo launched a charity (page120) to feed laid-off hospitality workers and people in need, schools got breakfast and lunches to kids who needed them.

6. Hand washing became our new obsession.

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7. “Tiger King” was our new low point on Netflix. And Carole Baskin is now a household name, all you kittens.

8. Every animal in

one Palm Beach County shelter got adopted.

9. The world looked a little refreshed:

We saw the skies in L.A. turn blue, dolphins return to Venice canals, and a kangaroo bounded through Adelaide, Australia.

10. Drive-by celebrations became the

norm, with events like birthdays to graduations commemorated by neighborhood caravans of friends and family in a time when loved ones remained at arm’s length.

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PEOPLE TO WATCH

AARON BRISTOL

• Lincoln Mendez starts his new job as CEO of Boca Regional, and is faced with a double whammy: dealing with the virus and completing a capital campaign.

• New FAU football coach Willie Taggart has big shoes to fill. When football resumes, can he continue what Lane Kiffin started?

Lincoln Mendez

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Boca Regional merges with Baptist Health South Florida, the largest health care organization in the region with nearly 23,000 employees, more than 4,000 physicians and more than 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities

and physician practices.

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For the first time since its inception, the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl is aired on a national TV channel—ABC.

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A Brightline station is approved for Boca, although

some think the $12 million price tag is excessive, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 uncertainties related to mass transit. (Oh, that’s right, those trains are mostly empty anyway.)

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The COVID-19 virus

strikes, and Boca is the first Palm Beach County city to shut down. A state of emergency is declared.

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The Park at Broken Sound, aka Arvida Park of Commerce, is nearly built out for residential.

IPIC theater in Delray and its parent company file for bankruptcy.

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Sears at Town Center Mall closes.

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Michael’s Body Scenes, an iconic Boca gym, is sold.

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The lavish

The 2020 census will show that Boca Raton has a population of

100,000

Coach Taggart

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58 best from the lockdown

Rodney Mayo

P

Restaurateur Rodney Mayo, owner of Subculture Group, has to fire 650 employees after closing all his 17 locations due to the ending of dine-in operations from the coronavirus. He promptly forms a new community group, Hospitality Helping Hands, with local nonprofit Living Hungry, to feed his employees and other out-of-

work restaurant staff and the hungry at Howley’s Restaurant in West Palm Beach.

In a matter of weeks, other donors join in and multiple locations are added. By April, 110,000 meals had been served and $250,000 raised—including $14,000 from Delray Beach-based Delivery Dudes, and $25,000 from Boca City Councilman

Andy Thomson’s war chest—for relief efforts.

P

Delray’s Tin Roof hosts live music and webcasts the concerts, with all donations directly benefiting the artists.

P

FAU’s Theatre Lab launches an online original monologue fundraising festival called Stories of Hope, where local writers submit Chris and Yvette Palermo

P

Global Communication Networks CEO Chris Palermo and his wife Yvette donate enough money to Fit Food Fresh, a home delivery meal service, to provide 1,000 meals to first responders. Fit Food Fresh matches it, doubling the meals provided. A movement is ignited to pay it forward.

short monologues, and out-of-work actors perform them as part of a three-hour online festival; supporters donate directly to the artists.

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Delray residents John Brewer and Iain Paterson launch a social media initiative called the Socially Distanced Supper Club, in which diners get together virtually each time they“meet”by getting takeout from different restaurants that post special menus. More restaurants start getting in on the action, more people sign up,

TIPs 0 0 0 , 0 r 1 $Just before restaounyamntous

d, an an ip are closeves a $10,000 tin a t le n diner lets restaura at a Skil s, which allows Naple orker to get a every w 0 share. $50

and it spreads like wildfire; in April there were 28,331 “members” in seven different cities.

Some restaurants credit this “flash mob” initiative for saving them from certain ruin.

P

Future 6, a nonprofit that offers a surf program for kids, has to cancel its program due to

COVID-19, but instead teams up with Driftwood restaurant in Boynton Beach to contribute up to 500 meals for Boynton Beach first responders and city workers.

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Spirit of Giving, a network that creates alliances with nonprofit organizations in Palm Beach County, joins

GIFT OF LIFE MARROW REGISTRY AARON BRISTOL

donates 10,000 swabs to Boca Raton Regional Hospital to assist in coronavirus testing.

Socially Distanced Supper Club founders John Brewer and Iain Paterson

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59

LETTY SANCHEZ

Students at the THOS Fashion School of Design in Boca design face masks and distribute them to local hospitals to help offset shortages.

forces with Boca Raton Interfaith Clergy Association and Bocahelps. com to provide support as well as unified responses to challenges faced by the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

P

On April 1, The Addison in Boca Raton begins donating 700 meals per week to Boca Helping Hands to aid in its efforts to feed the homebound and other clients most in need of help.

Drivers deliver to 30 homebound clients three times a

week, enabling those clients to have hot cooked meals every day.

P

Neighborhoods throughout South Florida organize “thank you” rituals to publicly honor health care workers and first responders, from the “Clapping Hands of Thanks” that originated in Prospect Park, West Palm Beach, to a convoy of residents’ cars at Wellington Regional Medical Center blinking lights and clapping as health care

workers leave the building after their shifts.

P

Delray’s Achievement Centers for Children and Families teams up with restaurants like 3rd and 3rd and Caesar’s Famous Ribs to distribute thousands of free meals to those in need.

The organization also set up a COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

providers and vulnerable families in need.

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The Junior League of Boca Raton distributes 100,000 diapers to 19

different nonprofit agencies, helping parents to stay stocked on the supplies they need most when stores are struggling to keep

essentials in stock.

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Boca's Ascend Properties contributes to the Palm Beach County Food Bank in

an effort to assist people facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Offerdahl’s Hand-Off Foundation solicits donations used to deliver emergency food relief meal kits to first responders, health care

The Addison lends a helping hand.

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60 best from the lockdown the community and remind locals that the pandemic can’t stop them from growing, enjoying life and staying connected during the pandemic.

Nicholas Horowitz and Matthew Russo

HEROES

P

Saint Andrew’s School juniors and top AP

chemistry students Nicholas Horowitz and Matthew Russo make and sell

their own hand sanitizer, called Purificate, to local businesses and individuals affected

by COVID-19, donating profits to charities, including 211 and The Red Cross.

AARON BRISTOL

P

Luke Lynch and Jordan Hernandez, a student and teacher from Boca Raton Community High School, start the #CoronaCant movement to promote positivity within

Jordan Hernandez and Luke Lynch

10

THINGS WE MAY NEVER DO AGAIN

Shake hands Go to a rave Use a salad bar Vacation in Wuhan Province Get on a crowded elevator Travel without hand sanitizer Go on a long cruise Rent bowling shoes Share a straw Run out of toilet paper

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As food shortages worsened, the Palm Beach County Food Bank doubled its normal output, and nonprofits expect increased demand to keep up for 12 months or more in the wake of the widespread layoffs that have resulted from the pandemic.

P

The City of Boca Raton led the way with its early issuances of emergency orders to slow the spread of

G MISSINIES R s miss MEMoO l senior t

os ho High sc some of the m their in n o ents out nt mom m to significa lives, from prograduyoung ht” trips and . s “grad nigion ceremonie at

COVID-19. In many cases, the city was one step ahead of county and state leadership in implementing measures such as closing nonessential businesses, adopting social distancing guidelines, and recommending the use of cloth face coverings.

The city was also an early adopter of virtual council meetings.

P

Medical workers and first responders who put their lives on the line deserve our praise, appreciation and support now more than ever.

GOING ROGUE

Jeremy Rodgers joins protests to reopen the county (despite his role as a Boca city councilmember), prior to the city council making its decision as a group.

July/August 2020

6/4/20 3:32 PM

THOMAS CORDY/THE PB POST VIA ZUMA WIRE

61 SA CO.,

LANNIS WATERS/THE PALM BEACH POST VIA ZUMA WIRE

a Boca Raton-based retailer of outerwear, distributes 100,000 free Face Shield® tubular bandanas.

AARON BRISTOL

AARON BRISTOL

Clockwise, from upper right: Palm Beach County prepares food packages that will be distributed to students throughout the county; Alex Stevens of Catholic Charities loads food in Riviera Beach; Boca Regional medical staff go outside to watch the Blue Angels fly over in a tribute; People cheer on health care workers; the Blue Angels; COVID patient Mr. Levy is released from Boca Regional with much fanfare.

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STA

These longtime personalities and business owners are at the heart of the Boca Raton community Written by MARIE SPEED & JOHN THOMASON

JAN MCART arrived in Boca Raton, in 1977, having

established herself as a performer of international renown and uncommon dexterity: a rich career in both opera and musical theatre; concerts with Liberace, Jack Jones and the Boston Pops; engagements from Thailand to Saudi Arabia.

But McArt’s Boca origin story is all too ordinary:“I came to Florida like everybody else to visit my mother,”she recalls.“I certainly wasn’t ever going to live there, because that was for old people. I thought, I’ll start a little business and have somebody else run it, and I’ll come down from New York and check in on my mother and look in on my business. But that’s not what happened.”

That business, the Royal Palm Center Production Company, would go on to have a seismic impact on the performing arts in South Florida. Its flagship institution, the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre in Royal Palm Place, would run for nearly 25 years and rack up 278 Carbonell nominations.

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The venue broke the mold in more ways than one. At a time when her competitors only produced plays in season, McArt ran shows 52 weeks a year. And if the phrase“dinner theater”typically conjures images of amateur thespians, cardboard sets and meals of dry steak and potatoes, McArt’s was“anything but. It was an Equity dinner theater.

The patrons here in Boca are very particular about their dining. [We had a] backstage lounge and a café outside in the garden area, for 160 people. It was a big operation.”

This operation included three separate companies—the main dinner theater; the 100-seat Rooftop Cabaret Theatre, which brought in vocal talents from prominent supper clubs; and the Little Palm Children’s Theatre, which hosted family productions on Saturday mornings. Its alumni include Frankie and Ariana Grande. McArt would go on to“break”performers like then 17-year-old Rachel Bay Jones—star of Royal Palm’s first“Gigi”—who would go on to win a Tony Award for Broadway’s“Dear Evan Hansen”in 2017.

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64 I DO FEEL LIKE I’VE CONTRIBUTED SOMETHING..

“The memories of that operation are amazing, because I meet people all over that tell me they were there, and they loved it, and they wish it was still there,”McArt says.

The theater had expanded into a million-dollar complex by the time it shuttered in 2001 from insurmountable debt and a crippling lack of public-sector financing; part of its real estate is occupied today by the Funky Biscuit concert venue. But McArt’s contributions were so significant that she earned the sobriquet“First Lady of Florida’s Musical Theatre”by two governor’s decrees.

Most importantly, her work didn’t end with Royal Palm’s folding. In 2004, she accepted the title of director of theatre arts program development at Lynn University, a position created specifically for her, in an effort to boost the private college’s performing-arts pedigree.

McArt was instrumental in the development of Lynn’s Wold Performing Arts Center, which she programs with cabaret singers, American Songbook

performances, a main stage series of dance companies, choral groups, magicians and other entertainers, and a New Play Reading Series that offers local playwrights staged readings of works in development.

Two of these, Stuart Meltzer’s“The Goldberg Variations”and Michael McKeever’s“Daniel’s Husband,” would later receive full, Carbonell-winning productions; the latter even made it to Broadway.

“I think it’s very important [to present new works], because if you look in the Sunday Times, you’ll see there are maybe 10 or 11 revivals,”McArt says.“How long can you keep doing revivals? You have to be giving it new blood.‘Hamilton’ is not like anything anybody ever saw before.”

McArt is proud of her legacy in Boca. Theatre continues to give her a“thrill,” and she still acts occasionally, appearing in Lynn play readings.“I’ve been actively involved in theatre and music, as a performer, producer, director and entrepreneur,” she says.“I do feel like I contributed something, and hope to contribute more!”

ED LUNDGREN'S first experience with

physical therapy was an inauspicious one. Long before he opened his own clinic, he was a physical therapy patient recuperating from a knee operation, under the care of a Fort Lauderdale specialist.

“The physical therapist told me to hold my leg up,” Lundgren recalls.“And she let go, and my leg bounced on the table. So the next day the doctor comes in, unwraps my leg and says,‘what happened to you? It’s swollen about three times as big.’ He says,‘I’m going to aspirate it.’ I didn’t know what that word meant at the time. He brought in a big needle and took out the fluid in my knee. I didn’t go back to that physical therapist.”

Despite this negligent introduction to the field, as a practitioner Lundgren has emerged as one of the top physical therapists in Boca Raton, where he has

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helped patients from all ages and walks of life recover from pain and injury for the past 50 years.

He developed an interest in the profession while enrolled in pre-dentistry at the University of Florida.

At the encouragement of a colleague—and after touring UF’s amputee clinic, where he withstood the sight of infected, sutured knees—he switched his major, graduating in 1969 with a B.S. in physical therapy.

The same year, the Broward County resident landed his first job, at the then-fledgling Boca Raton Community Hospital, which had only opened two floors at the time.“I said, sure—it was close to Fort Lauderdale, and why not?” he recalls. Three years later, he joined Boca Raton Orthopedic Group, where he remained for 15 years before opening his own clinic, Physical Therapy of Boca Raton.

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At the office of his solo practice, off Northwest Second Avenue near FAU, Lundgren’s patients run a gamut from back pain and sciatica to post-surgical rehab, neurological disorders, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries and other conditions. Many arrive at his office in a depressed emotional state, and Lundgren endeavors to raise their spirits as well as their physical health, and to listen to their problems.

“A lot of times, doctors don’t listen to their patients,” he says.“But I think physical therapists are more compassionate to the patients, and understand their needs more than other professions. A doctor may see them once a week. … We see them two or three times a week, and that makes a difference. I think we’re more kind to the patients.”

Lundgren’s clinic has evolved with the times, integrating modern holistic therapies when appropriate. These include NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques)—a non-invasive method to desensitize allergens through a blend of energy balancing, acupuncture, allopathy and other disciplines—and TensCam, an energy-based, touch-free healing device that works with scalar energy, quartz crystals and “Earth’s resonant frequency.”It may sound woo-woo, but some of Lundgren’s most dramatic success stories have benefited from it.

“We have a paraplegic that’s interesting,”he says.

“About 15 years ago he was in a bicycle accident. A truck hit him and paralyzed him from above the waist down. He became independent in a wheelchair; it took him a year. I was treating his parents, and they said they were taking him for acupuncture. I said,‘Why don’t we try the TensCam?’ Now he has sensation all the way down to his feet, and he’s starting to move his legs. He’s got hip movement. The strangest thing is, he can get a stomachache now, which he never had before—because he has sensation into his stomach.”

This 21st-century approach is a long way from the brutally primitive treatments Lundgren encountered at UF’s amputee clinic more than 50 years ago. Now, he says,“we get people well quicker than we used to, which is nice.”

Whatever the next medical advancement turns out to be, Lundgren may well be around to embrace it: He has two years remaining on his lease, with no retirement plans just yet.

AARON BRISTOL

I THINK PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE MORE COMPASSIONATE TO THE PATIENTS..

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LOU MIRANDA'S

But even a scared 20-year-old knew opportunity was knocking, so he accepted the offer, and as he puts it,“from thence we’ve built and grown and built and grown and maintained the family business.”

That was 1960. Miranda recalls the early days when Dixie Highway was two lanes, Sample Road ended at Third Avenue, and the North Broward Medical Center wasn’t built yet.

“There was no home delivery for the newspaper,” he says.“I had to run up to Shopper’s Haven to get a newspaper every morning; there was just nothing.

There were a couple of restaurants. On a Friday night we’d go out to eat in Margate at a place called Norris’s Catfish Restaurant and have maybe a beer and a catfish and that was it.”

Miranda lives in Lighthouse Point these days. He was married for 34 years before getting divorced, and has three kids. His daughter-in-law owns Olympia Flame Diner. He is about to turn 80 this year, but he still comes to work every day. His competitors today are the big stores—the Pep Boys and the Tire Kingdoms. But he knows OK Tires offers something they do not—old-fashioned customer service and longevity. He has people who have worked with him 30, 40 years, plus his two sons.

“What makes my business different is that when you come back here, you see the same faces all the time.

And we treat our people fair, our prices are fair, the quality of work has got to be best. So we try to make it all good the first time; if it’s our responsibility, we take care of it. We’re honest with people—that’s all.”

As for the future, Miranda doesn’t plan on hitting a golf course or retiring anytime soon.

“I have to keep myself occupied,” he says.“I can’t just sit around and watch TV; I get crazy. That’s the way I am. I have no regrets, I can’t complain.”

WHEN YOU COME BACK HERE, YOU SEE THE SAME FACES ALL THE TIME. AND WE TREAT OUR PEOPLE FAIR. . bocamag.com

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AARON BRISTOL

business may be called OK

Tires, but its track record is a lot better than OK; in fact, it’s rolling into its 60th year in Pompano Beach this year.

It’s one of the old family businesses—a dying breed—that everyone knows and uses and depends on, year after year. Many Boca people have been going there for decades for car repairs and maintenance, tires, you name it. And much of that’s undoubtedly due to Lou Miranda, who started it when he was pretty much still a kid.

Miranda was born and reared in Miami, where his father was a successful bootlegger in the 1920s, selling whiskey to Al Capone on Star Island among other clients before the family entered the wholesale plumbing business.“Then my brothers—who have all died—were all plumbers, working on the Eden Roc and Fountainebleu back in those days.”

Miranda took a different path, working parttime in high school up in Fort Lauderdale for a man who owned a tire business. After he was married at 19, he worked for him in Sunrise and West Palm before taking over the business when they moved it to Pompano.

“We ran the West Palm store for a little bit and then we closed it and moved the equipment to Pompano. [Back then] he’d had five stores and decided to sell them, and he gave me an option to buy the Pompano one,” he says.“Because I was a worker.

I worked my butt off all the time. He said, ‘you’re paying the bills, you’re doing fine, you can make it,’ and I said, ‘what if I don’t?’ And he said, ‘if you don’t, you’ve got nothing to lose. I’ll take it back. You don’t have to put anything down, just give me $500 a month for four years at 10 percent.’ I was scared. I was 20 years old and I didn’t have a nickel.”

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68 MY CALLING IS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO GOD—AND EACH OTHER.

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PASTOR BILL MITCHELL is a third-generation Boca

man, and he’s not planning on living anywhere else anytime soon. Now 62, he says he loved it back in the 1960s and ‘70s, and he loves it now, admitting that he’s a“cheerleader”for Boca more than he waxes nostalgic about the past.

Having reared five children here with his wife Elizabeth, he remembers the other times when he was a boy—when there was no air conditioning, and people went to Miami for a nice dinner, Fort Lauderdale for a suit. Today, he says he loves Boca’s “incredible downtown,”the refreshing tolerance of its different religious groups and its sense of community.

And he should know about community; his grandfather, J.C. Mitchell, came to Boca at its outset—in 1920—later becoming its mayor and one of its leading citizens—and started a real estate company on the corner of Dixie and Palmetto after World War I. His father followed suit, and Mitchell himself joined the family business, J.C. Mitchell & Sons, after college in 1979, eventually going on to Arvida Realty and Coldwell Banker as regional director for commercial real estate.

But that changed when he turned 45, and he looked at the rest of his life.“Going into the second half of my life, I knew at one point or another I would be doing something in Christian ministry, nonprofit, pastoring.

Or out somewhere in the third world. So I decided to do this.”“This” is his position as senior pastor of Boca Raton Community Church and Boca Raton Christian School, and charismatic founder of the popular BocaLead business lunches. Mitchell knew from the time he was 14 that he was a committed Christian; he even recalls the date, which was Oct. 4, 1972. With theology degrees from Moody Bible Institute, business courses from FAU and a seminary degree later on, he was well positioned to do ministerial work, and he sees it as his calling. Mitchell’s theology

is conservative and Christian, but he is committed to the notion of peaceful and respectful coexistence with others, despite their religious or political beliefs, their nationalities, their income brackets or skin colors.

“There is a verse, Jeremiah 29,Verse 7, that says: ‘Seek the welfare of the city, for in its welfare you shall find your welfare.’There’s a sense of common good that all of us—believer, nonbeliever, Jew, Muslim, atheist, agnostic, all of us—have the same issues at hand: Are we going to be kind and generous? These are universal principles that Jesus spoke of. Treat others as you would like yourself to be treated. That is the 80 percent.”Mitchell thinks the other 20 percent, which he calls the greater good, is your particular set of beliefs, and fighting about those is what gets people into trouble—when they should be seeking common ground.

“My calling is to help people, first with their relationship to God and second, their relationship to each other—in a spirit of generosity,” he says, noting that is how BocaLead was launched.

BocaLead, a monthly luncheon Mitchell leads around a business issue or theme such as team building, started six years ago as a way to get the business community more engaged. Today, the events are a sell-out, with attendance at more than 400, chapters in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, 20 around the country and a WorldLead program underway in 40 countries.

Mitchell says the future looks bright.“The growth of Boca Raton and where we are located in downtown Boca Raton—that it’s our 70th anniversary— makes us uniquely placed to really work in the city of Boca and help people in their lives,” he says.

“If I stripped everything else away, and if I had helped people pursue God, build community and engage the world, I would have done what I think God has called me to do.”

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SECTION

SUBSECTION

JONATHAN MURPHY

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71 To achieve a beautiful outdoor living space in South Florida, it’s important to look beyond Sabal palms and St. Augustine grass. Award-winning landscape architect Orlando Comas—widely recognized for his unique and breathtaking landscape projects—gives us the lay of the land.

Written by ROBIN HODES

With a glamorous design that rivals that of the most exclusive luxury resort, Comas blurs the line separating the infinity-edge pool from the ocean, creating a visual illusion where the water seems to flow endlessly into the horizon.

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Above, using a multi-tiered approach to the landscape site design of this home’s magnificent rear exterior, Comas creates a large entertainment area at the pool level, provides a play area at the mid-level with an expanse of lawn, and then, just a few coral-constructed steps down, offers lakeside leisure with a wood deck appointed with color-matched Adirondack chairs and a fire table; right, realizing both visual interest and privacy, Comas’ “floating” green garden uses large specimen encephalartos and other tropicals.

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Orlando Comas is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and a director of the American Society of Registered Architects- Florida / Caribbean Council. He was named the AIA – Miami Chapter “2010 Landscape Architect of the Year” and has received state, national and international awards from various other organizations.

LIFESTYLE PRODUCTIONS GROUP

irtually anyone with a green thumb and a good eye can plant and design a garden, but in the industry of landscape architecture, a state-regulated profession that requires passing a rigorous exam plus several years of practical experience, few are as distinguished as Orlando Comas, ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects).

After owning a commercial nursery and practicing landscape architecture for 10 years in South America, Comas moved his studio to Miami, where he continues to create magnificent environments for private residences, luxury resorts and public spaces throughout South Florida, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.“Who would imagine it all started with a vegetable garden at my aunt’s house when I was 9 years old,”says Comas, contemplating the illustrious career he’s enjoyed since then.“Creating outdoor spaces has always been my passion, and forever will be,”he says.

Aside from realizing a beautiful aesthetic, there’s space planning and placement, grading and drainage, privacy and security, and the shape of the overall site to consider… among other factors.“Landscape architecture is more than just pretty flowers,” says Comas.“It’s creating outdoor environments that seamlessly blend softscapes and hardscapes while meeting the clients’ distinct needs for their spaces.”

Whether Comas’ design is casual, formal, eclectic, modern and edgy or natural and wild, it is always well thought out and one-of-a-kind.

“A unique landscape architecture project is one that evokes a powerful emotion,”he explains. And his role in designing swimming pools, spas, sitting areas, fountains and other usable spaces is vital, because, as Comas appreciates as well as anyone,“tropical living is as much about outdoor spaces as indoor. That’s what South Florida is all about.”

In the following pages, Comas shares with us some of his favorite projects.

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Above, carefully spaced tall trees and purposefully arranged low-profile plants frame—but do not obstruct—the view of the tranquil waters flanking this lakeside residence.

Accent epidendrum ground orchids color the picture-perfect scene. Below, bubbling fountains bring liquid luxury, as does a water wall—an enclosure element Comas conceived to transform what was once an open landscape space into a private courtyard.

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Grand palms placed alongside the pool enhance the ambience and bring welcome shade. Their counterparts in the background effectively integrate the pool area with the lake and remaining rear yard landscape.

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MILLER PORTER

Right, a rustic wood trellis with climbing vines brings verdant, shaded beauty to this dockside conversation area.

Below, fusing landscape architecture with the classical architecture of the residence, Comas uses artfully groomed trees and hedges to showcase the homeowner’s outdoor sculpture.

BARRY GROSSMAN

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“A large water feature is the welcoming element as you approach this residence’s main entry,” says Comas. “Round planters holding tall palms create a ‘green top’ to the reflecting pool while offering a sense of human scale.”

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FLORIDA STYLE & DESIGN

TRENDS

Summer Outdoor Trends

Outdoor entertaining will be more popular than ever this year; here’s how to do it in style Written by ROBIN HODES

Socialite-turnedproduct designer Aerin Lauder’s cream-colored Alma linen tablecloth with botanical print, $375 (not shown), coordinating Alma dinner napkins, $35 each, and large raffia basket, $95, aerin.com

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ummer is here, and one of the best ways to live your best life this season is in a decked-out, spruced-up outdoor living environment. Whether you’re lounging poolside, grilling and entertaining on the patio, strolling through the garden, indulging in a frozen cocktail, playing lawn games or just enjoying a siesta in the shade, the intel and inspiration found in these pages will help you do anything you want—or nothing at all—in optimal summer style.

Bunny Williams for Ballard blue Melamine set of four dinner plates, $36.75, and four accent plates, $29.25, ballarddesigns.com

OUTDOOR DINING

Dining al fresco is a delight for the senses: Combine with a stylish table setting, handsome seating and your best (unbreakable) tableware, and you’re ready to fire up your top-of-the-line barbecue—and kiss the chef.

Tiffany Collection from Fratelli Guzzini acrylic low tumbler sixpiece set, $29.99, tall tumbler six-piece set, $35.99, pitcher, $34.99, bedbathandbeyond.com

Laguna dining set, $2,630, Modani Furniture, 7720 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/717-7711, modani.com bocamag.com

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Indoor/outdoor simple string lights in brass finish, $49, from West Elm, westelm.com

Simple 52-inch ceiling fan in brushed nickel wet finish, by Minka Aire, $319.95, available at Capitol Lighting, 7301 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/994-9570, 1800lighting.com

LANAI LUXURY

Lake City swing chair in spruce with taupe cushion, $720, available through AllModern, allmodern.com

The lanai is the perfect place to relax outdoors with all the comforts of the indoors: plush furniture, attractive lighting, stylish spinning fans and soft, beautiful rugs underfoot.

Woven cast aluminum fire table finished in antique bronze from Oakland Living, $1,140, from Lowe’s, Boca Raton, lowes.com

The first choice in pergolas for architects and interior designers, StruXure (formerly Arcadia) offers a unique pivoting profile where interlocking louvers rotate a full 170 degrees and channel rainwater into a patented pass-through gutter system, making theirs the most water-tight on the market. Somfy MyLink™ technology can be integrated into most home automation systems.

Visit struxure.com to find your local dealer. Prices vary.

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Chameleon sculpture handblown by the world-renowned art glass studio Borowski, from Sklar Furnishings, Boca Raton, 561/862-0800, sklarfurnishings.com

Intimate balcony garden styled by Christophe Poyet and Emil Humbert, partners at the Monaco-based architecture and design studio Humbert & Poyet. humbertpoyet.com

Succulents are having a moment right now, and it’s no surprise; varietal in color and shape, easy to maintain, and sturdy to work with, they make for the perfect plant for any outdoor environment. antoniocabrera.com

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Triple-tier cast stone Platia fountain by Campania International available in a wide selection of earth-toned finishes, $1,080, from Perigold, perigold.com

SECRET GARDEN

Summer doesn’t have to be when our Florida gardens retreat from the heat; cascading fountains, sculptures, painterly stools and whimsical benches can make a garden flourish with style all year round.

Israeli-born artist Boaz Vaadia sculpture, available through Sponder Gallery, the Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton, 561/447-0321, spondergallery.com

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Natural, hand-wrapped rattan and glass hurricanes, $29.99 (small), $79 (large), from westelm.com

Winnoby’s sienna planter with leather strap, set of three, $138, winnoby.com

ACCESSORIES With trends and looks like boho, retro and enviro chic, there’s something for everyone in outdoor style.

Senegalese oversized oval basket, $148, winnoby.com

Teal and multi indoor/outdoor color-blocked pillow, made in India, $69.99, burkedecor.com

Seabrook outdoor ottoman, customizable in an array of luxury performance fabrics (here in Coastal Blue), $1,298, serenaandlily.com

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TRENDS

The Others statue, Lika outdoor floor lamp by Stephen Burks for Dedon, prices upon request, available through CLIMA HOME, Miami. climahome.com Ensombra parasol

by Odosdesign for Gandia Blasco, price upon request, available through CLIMA HOME, Miami. climahome.com

Capri Fouta reversible beach towel, assorted colors, $48, available at Serena & Lily, Palm Beach, serenaandlily.com

PATIO CHIC Today’s outdoor furnishings, lighting and accessories have never been more sophisticated.

Dala lounge chair (left), Nara Sunlounger by Louis Benech for Royal Botania, umbrella with teak pole by Royal Botania, Blow occasional table

by Gloster, prices upon request, available through CLIMA HOME, Miami. climahome.com

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Faces of Home & Design

Their talents amaze and inspire. They share their resources and expertise to transform our homes and lives with style, color, comfort and functionality.

Discover new ways to surround yourself in the beauty of it all through their visions.

Cover photo provided by Eloise Kubli, ASID NCIDQ. Photo by Sargent Sponsored Content

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THOUGHTFUL INTERIOR DESIGN DAWN CAUSA Causa Design Group

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igh-end luxury interior designer Dawn Causa has been “designing the art you live in” since 1986. She considers herself an artist and an interior designer—a curator for the home.

“I start with a blank canvas and pull inspiration from the homeowner and the surrounding environment. There is so much beauty in Florida from our million-dollar ocean views, lush golf courses and tropical landscapes,” Dawn explains.

“Then there’s my design role, where I interpret my clients’ desires and transform their homes, creating a beautiful, modern style that embodies elegance, functionality and harmony. A lot of focus is given to what I call ‘thoughtful design,’ as each client’s lifestyle is different. In some cases, that requires me to consider things like environmental sensitivities, medical equipment, mobility and handicap accessibility.

“There’s an intimate side to this profession. By developing close relationships with my clients it makes it easier to help with very personal needs.

I’ve worked with a paraplegic client, people with neuropathy, and some so sensitive to their surroundings that special mortars, glues, grouts and paints are used.

“What it all comes down to is that I truly care about people,” she refl cts. “I’m fortunate to be spreading joy through design. It’s a pretty amazing job having the chance to impact people’s lives in such an artistic and meaningful way.”

954.652.1714 Causadesigngroup.com

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The Face of the HEALTHIEST BEDS IN THE WORLD

JACK DELL’ACCIO Essentia Natural Memory Foam Mattresses

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ack Dell’Accio, founder and CEO of Essentia, developed the world’s only natural memory foam mattress, inspired by two family members who had suffered from cancer. Sleep is the most important contributor to building and strengthening your immune system. Today, people may unwittingly limit their immune recovery due to the effects of a poor mattress.

Knowing a third of your life is spent sleeping on what can be the most toxic item in your home is why Jack stepped in to develop Essentia’s patented natural memory foam, made using only the highest quality natural and organic ingredients to ensure that you are not being exposed to the toxic chemicals.

“I also ensure that Essentia mattresses perform better than any mattress on the market, being the only mattress to offer all six key elements needed for the body to truly kick into recovery mode. These include sleeping cool, enhanced pressure relief, increased blood circulation, and now our latest has a grounding and barrier formula protecting from the effects that EMF (Electronic Smog) and data signals (5G) have on blood oxygen fl w. The credibility of the quality and performance of our mattresses is unmatched; Essentia is a founding member of the Mayo Clinic’s Well Living Lab, and receives many accolades from leaders in the wellness space,” Jack explains.

561.571.9300 Myessentia.com

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MULTICULTURAL AND GLAMOUR INTERIOR DESIGN PERLA LICHI Perla Lichi Design

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t the age of 6, Perla Lichi’s innate talent was already evident as she arranged her collection of dolls from around the world, each dressed in their native garb, and nailed them over her bed to create a feature wall. A selfproclaimed multicultural designer, her passion is fueled by her love of people, intuitive sense of balance and feng shui, astrology, numerology, and her Mexican, Mediterranean and Turkish roots.

Spirituality plays a tremendous role in her award-winning work, and she has designed (or simply “glamorized”) everything from synagogues to mansions.

“When you go to my house, you can see my soul and my history. My clients have their own unique souls, and I refl ct theirs in every job I do,” explains Perla.

One look at her online videos, and one has to wonder why her talents and effervescent personality have not landed her her own reality television series. “I’m ready! Just do my hair and makeup and I’m on,” she laughs.

Perla Lichi has had her game on in the luxury interior design world since 1984, from magnifice t turnkey residential and commercial projects to those just needing a touch-up or updating—quickly, reasonably and artistically. “I know where to put the money so it looks expensive,” she says.

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954.726.0899 Perlalichi.com

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EAST BOCA LUXURY AND WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE ALINA SCHWARTZ ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

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uxury Real Estate Advisor Alina Schwartz fell in love with East Boca nearly 20 years ago. As a resident, she became enchanted with the luxury waterfront lifestyle she was living.

“Beautiful homes and interior design have always been a passion of mine, so I pursued the best of both worlds as a luxury agent at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. As a RomanianAmerican, I am proud to be a top producer in our Boca Raton offi . I am very passionate about what I do, and I believe that is what drives my success,” Alina explains.

It is also her belief that customers are not just in search of a home, but a lifestyle as well. Her mission is to unite extraordinary people with the lifestyle they are seeking here in the Boca Raton area with its beaches, boating, country clubs, golf, tennis, great schools and a thriving business environment.

“As the luxury market evolves, I stay one step ahead with a variety of creative digital and social marketing strategies that captivate and engage our affluent clientele. When you work with me you are presented with a white-glove, concierge-level service, extreme dedication, professionalism, confide tiality and, of course, the best knowledge of the East Boca luxury and waterfront lifestyle,” Alina says.

For those living here or seeking the beauty of Florida’s East Coast, as pictured in this Boca Villas property at 301 N.E. Fifth Street in Boca Raton, Alina is here to represent you.

561.789.1676 Aschwartz@onesothebysrealty.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

PERSONALIZED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DESIGN JASON ALEXANDER J. Alexander Interiors

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ason Alexander is more than happy to have his design work for luxury residential and commercial clients associated with his name, but the real gratifi ation for him comes from knowing how well he captured their visions.

He is secure enough in his talents to reveal that he is not a degreed designer. “I am a hands-on, self-taught designer, constantly overcompensating to make sure that I am considered just as relevant as degreed designers.

As I was recently working on closing a big deal, I was challenged for my lack of formal education.

I told the client, ‘I am not going to B.S. you. I don’t have that fancy education. But what I do have is 20 years of hands-on experience and a love of design. So, if you fi d truth, integrity and hard work valuable, then I am your guy,’” he proclaimed. Jason was hired for his talent, and even more so for his honesty.

Th oughout the last two decades, Jason has instituted the five-step approach to the design process starting with a consultation; exploring inspiration; working on design development; procuring materials and selections; and the actual creation of the design.

“J. Alexander Interiors is a combination of my life experiences that I share along with three talented designers, whom I couldn’t do my craft ithout. Our energy translates into what we create. Together as a team, we’re all in,” Jason says.

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954.366.1817 Jalexanderinteriors.com

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CONTEMPORARY FINE ART GALLERY KAVEH ABRISHAMI ABRA (Art By Renowned Artists) Gallery

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f the many featured artists whose works grace the walls of his pristine ABRA Gallery, one in particular taught Kaveh Abrishami art appreciation from a very early age: his father, Hessam Abrishami. A world-famous painter whose vibrant abstract expressionism comes from a soulful place of unbridled emotion, his painted strokes of heartfelt genius have evolved from canvas to metal.

Hessam currently has countless private collectors worldwide and has exhibited in more than 150 solo gallery shows, more than 30 international exhibitions, and multiple museum exhibitions across the globe.

From his Persian-Iranian roots to the gallery Kaveh designed to allow an everyday admirer to become a lifetime collector of fi e art, Hessam has been an influential artist for more than 40 years. “Each painting I create carries a part of my soul with it wherever it goes,” he explains.

When you visit the ABRA Gallery on Las Olas, Hessam is often with his son Kaveh, warmly engaged with art enthusiasts and potential buyers. Kaveh invites them to take advantage of the home viewing program, in which a piece of his art from the gallery is delivered safely to a client’s house to live with for a week before deciding to purchase. “Then, we will come pick it up or, most likely, leave it with you to enjoy for a lifetime,” Kaveh says.

954.999.5557 Abragallery.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

LUXURY SILK FLORAL AND ACCESSORIES JOHN ECKHARDT Creative Collection

by Petal Pushers

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eticulously choosing from a curated selection of occasional furniture, wall décor, mirrors, art glass, sculptures and silk fl ral creations, designer John Eckhardt has been bejeweling homes with high-end, luxury modern, contemporary and traditional accessories from his design emporium, Creative Collection by Petal Pushers since 2015.

John’s love of fauna and fl ra, the foundation of his award-winning style, blossomed early in his life while attending an agricultural high school and later earning a degree in horticulture. “I worked in fresh fl wers for many years and then got into the silk business in South Florida. No watering required with these beauties,” he chuckles.

By staying current with the market pulse and incorporating his astute design sense cultivated over the last 30 years, John is able to cater to any clients’ environment and tastes. “I try to work with what the clients have and love, and provide museum quality display placement and mixtures of elements,” he explains. ”I’m not into trendy. People tend to get caught up in that but it has a shelf life. My décor is intended to be timeless, no matter what season it is acquired.”

From choosing an individual statement piece, to a room full of artistic touches from his 5,000 square foot Boca Raton showroom, John and his team of designers strike the perfect balance between sophisticated elegance and dramatic flair to create unique spaces that truly capture the essence of each client.

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561.994.0505 Petalpushersplus.com

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INTERIOR HOME STAGING AND DESIGN ROBERT MACKILLIGAN Florida Stage Hands

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obert MacKilligan and his design team work pure magic with their home staging.

“The fact is when you walk into a vacant home, it has zero personality. We perform our staging with resources that are locally inspired as well as with pieces from around the world.

Our projects range from new construction to renovations, model homes and investors who are fl pping homes,” Robert explains.

“The results of our efforts are realized with an amazingly short average sell time of only 47 days. We have been operating since 2009 and we are South Florida’s No. 1 home staging company.

We have two warehouses, but my designers prefer not to use the same inventory all the time.

So we sell that inventory for a little above cost at our retail store at 1438 N.E. 26th St. in Wilton Manors, open 12-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.

Then, I am able to shop for new pieces that constantly freshen up the inventory.

“I also travel the world shopping for furniture, acquire showroom pieces from Miami’s Design District as well as High Point in the Carolinas.

Also, my ‘pickers’ go out and fi d unique treasures throughout Florida. We create staging themes, which include Mid-Century, Traditional and Transitional (part Traditional and Modern).

Often, buyers come in and fall in love with everything we’ve used to stage a property, so they buy it all. Immediate gratifi ation is a wonderful thing,” Robert laughs.

954.234.8759 Floridastagehands.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

EXCLUSIVE ITALIAN TILE AND MARBLE

MICHAEL HUMMEL Just Tile & Marble

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or the last 33 years, Michael Hummel has immersed himself in the latest styles and trends in tile, marble and glass. His exquisite variety of artistic and unusual offerings has earned him a prestigious standing in the industry. Just Tile & Marble offers an exclusive line of imported porcelain slabs and other beautiful natural stones, as well as unique glass and metallic tiles from around the world.

“I pride myself on offering only the best to my clients. Every time we do selections for a home, whether it is a 3,000- or 30,000-squarefoot project, I treat it as if it was my own, and create an environment that my clients would love to live in,” explains Michael. Just Tile & Marble specializes in the use of porcelain slabs for exterior cladding, main fl oring and bathrooms. Whether you want to add a stunning kitchen backsplash or a dramatic feature wall, Just Tile & Marble offers countless styles of book-matched slabs that add a luxurious element to any project.

Michael strives to bring only exclusive products to the forefront of the marketplace.

Eighty-five percent of Just Tile & Marble imports are from Italy’s fi est factories, including the premier Sicis Art Mosaic Factory in Revenna. He offers boutique quality service at wholesale prices. With unmatched diligence, Michael collaborates with his clients and their designers to achieve incredible custom spaces.

Just Tile & Marble is South Florida’s premier supplier for designers, builders and developers looking for the highest quality materials.

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561.272.4900 Justtilenmarble.com

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GLOBAL INSPIRED FURNISHINGS AND INTERIORS

MICHELINE HOLLAUS Robb & Stucky Furniture | Interiors

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icheline Hollaus’s international background and exotic travels have inspired her design style since the ‘80s, when her career took fli ht. Her passport to success was multifaceted, earning her early recognition in her Montreal hometown when she was named among the Top 10 Business Women of The Year after only three years at her interior design fi m. Along with sharing her pearls of design wisdom with clients, she amassed a captive audience of followers and fans with a weekly newspaper column and radio talk show segment about interior design tips and temptations.

When her marriage to her hotelier husband took her to Cairo, Egypt, her design influences parlayed into his arena where Micheline offered her input into every aesthetic—from the restaurant designs to the polished uniforms of the staff.

Boca Raton’s Robb & Stucky at 1353 Federal Highway is where Micheline is immersed with a roster of design projects that range from a spacious Royal Palm home to a luxurious Singer Island Amrit Ocean Resort and Residences model condo. Exclusively with the support of Robb & Stucky’s ultimate shopping experience, Micheline’s services include space planning, furnishings, window treatments, cabinetry, tile and fl oring—whatever her clients need to bring a “happy” sense of home to their environments.

Micheline shares that throughout her career, referrals have been abundant and consistent, a testament to the work she does and the impact it has. Five years ago, she received a call from a French-Canadian woman who wanted to furnish her second home beachfront condominium. It was the editor from the newspaper that featured Micheline’s column some 30 years ago. ... Or, “What goes around, comes around.”

561.716.0000 Mhollaus@robbstuckyintl.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

ARTISTIC ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STACY LEVINE Stacy Levine Interiors

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ever one to sit idle—especially when the pandemic left er homebound—30-year residential and commercial interior design veteran Stacy Levine found inspiration in the “new normal.”

By implementing exciting new specialized software programs to give clients a “Before and After” visual journey into their next dream space, Levine was able to overcome the constraints of quarantine, while adding a new level of flex bility to her design services.

“I was trained with pen and paper, sketching fl orplans by hand,” explains Stacy. “That doesn’t exist anymore. By addressing the challenges many people face by not being able to ‘see themselves’ in a particular space or style of home, I can now make it possible for them to virtually walk into a room, turn around 360° and then go into the next room, to feel a sense of connection. If they don’t, it’s my job to generate the vision for them.

“Oftentimes a client is attracted to a particular property by virtue of the location, square footage and certain built-in features and structures. With this new program, we can keep all the attractive aspects they like and change all the others that the past owners had into perfectly personalized specifi ations right before their eyes; seeing is believing!”

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561.702.5128 Stacylevinedesigns.com

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FULFILLING INTERIOR DESIGN DREAMS

KEN GOLEN Ken Golen Design

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or the past 20 years, Ken Golen’s clients have hired him because they have learned they can trust him. In fact, in some cases, clients meet Ken for the fi st time when they walk through the door of their newly renovated home for the fi st time. Similar to home design cable shows on HGTV (where Ken ha appeared), the big reveal brings shrieks of delight and amazement. Ken prides himself on overdelivering understated contemporary design by using natural stone and wood and subtle, earthy tones. He’s not big on over-the-top glitz and glam, though he will adapt to a client’s wishes and taste, incorporating sophistication into whatever style they choose.

“We can start with one room and then the ‘bug bites’ and it doesn’t stop, extending from home to home for clients who have multiple residences and businesses. It’s a relationship that grows when they know I am their go-to guy for all things design,” says Ken. At his Weston fi m, or in their homes or businesses, clients can meet to discuss their goals, examine samples and peruse the multitude of resources Ken offers. Ken works his magic to pick out the fin shes, fl oring, tile, countertops and fabric. “We can do the entire project while they are away. We buy the furniture, set everything up, and they just move in with their toothbrushes,” assures Ken. “Their reactions are priceless, and most claim the results are beyond their wildest expectations,” he adds.

954.217.7388 Kengolendesign.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

(THRIVING) TOTAL HOME DESIGN CONCEPT DANIEL LUBNER Clive Daniel Home

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s the CEO of Clive Daniel Home, Daniel Lubner is humbled by the creativity that fl wed from the front of the house to the back of the showroom, each and every day the store was in lockdown. “From the time we entered into this crisis, our focus was not about fi hting to survive; it’s been about knowing how to thrive. That’s what our team has been doing,” Daniel explains.

“We kept 100 percent of our design team intact, made possible by the team bringing their immense talents and dedication to our organization, supported by this amazing management team that we have put together.

And we fi alized this feat by the incredible logistics and delivery team that we have in place,” Daniel says.

“We were able to bring people into our shop with confide ce because of the efforts, energies and talents that every member of our team has given us since 2011 in our Naples location, and from 2016 in our Boca Raton store.

“While we were dark, we challenged our personal growth and development with webinars to fi ht mental atrophy; we reinvented our 70,000-square-foot showroom with amazing, new inspiring products; we invested in our people with business coaches, and in our brand with a new website. We’ve also made a concentrated effort to manufacture and carry more ‘Made in America’ collections than any other local big-box company I know of. ... Just another way to say: Together we thrive; now and always,” he says.

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561.440.4663 Clivedanielhome.com

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FINE ART OF KITCHENS AND BATHS

BARBARA GELLER, ACSD, PKBD The Place For Kitchens and Baths

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t’s not enough to have a kitchen or bath just look good. If they don’t function, they have no purpose in the home,” explains Barbara Geller, president of The Place for Kitchens and Baths. Her undergraduate and graduate education in Fine Arts provided her the aesthetic foundation to visualize the potential beauty in her clients’ spaces. Her decades of expertise as a Certifi d Kitchen and Bath Designer has enabled her to meticulously decipher every detail of how she is going to use that space.

“In these changing times, kitchens have evolved from a gathering place for meals into a home office nd often a classroom. When I go to the client’s job site I am focused fi st on delivering a functional fl orplan for the lifestyle they lead now—and will—in the future of the home.

Then, the style choices come into play, from modern clean lines to the gold tone hardware and faucets that are making a comeback.

“The same applies to bath design: function fi st.

I want my client to be able to reach the on and off c ntrols in the shower without having to get wet. With a movement toward freestanding tubs, I often have to design a deck so they can enjoy the ambiance without mobility issues.

After all functionality considerations are mastered, the beauty evolves from my arsenal of endless design possibilities,” Barbara explains.

“My work is very gratifying. Making my clients happy is what I love to do.”

561.338.7171 Th placeforkitchensandbaths.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

INTERIOR DESIGN AND HOME REMODELING

NANCE ARCÉ, AKBD, CAPS Naturally Creative, Inc.

N

ance Arcé is grateful that since graduating from FSU with a bachelor’s degree in interior design, her 46-year career has been dedicated solely to her craft. he considers it a privilege to be able to do what she loves for a living while sharing her “Naturally Creative” gift ith others.

Nance Arcé has grown Naturally Creative throughout the years to include an 1,800-square-foot Kitchen and Bath showroom, which she opened in 2004. Her showroom includes cabinetry, countertops, fl oring, plumbing fix ures, tile for bathrooms and backsplashes, custom window treatments, wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings—everything you need for your remodeling project.

Specializing in home renovations, Nance is certifi d as an Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer (AKBD) and Certifi d Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). With these distinctions and her own personal multi-generational home environment as inspiration, she evolved into universal design, providing her clients’ homes with comfortable, simple ideas and functional concepts for all stages of their lives so they can age in place safely and conveniently, without the need to seek nursing homes or facilities when/if health or mobility becomes an issue.

No matter the project size or scope, from building a new home to total renovating and decorating, Nance’s right-hand business manager and daughter, Jessica, is with her at the helm to assist with all of the ordering, scheduling and budgeting. “Our focus is creating unique customized designs that are stylish and functional, while refl cting our clients’ personal style,” says Nance.

Bristolfoto

954.772.7979 Naturallycreativeinc.com

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FINE SCANDINAVIAN CUSTOM FURNISHINGS KAI MAKELA Design NS

T

he intoxicating aroma of sumptuous fullgrain leather permeates the air at Design NS, a full-service factory showroom and custom design furniture manufacturer in Boca Raton. Luxurious hides, draped in rich colors and natural textures, provide professional designers with exquisite selections for their discerning clients’ homes and businesses on land and sea.

Masterfully fashioned to exact specifi ations, sprawling sofas, loveseats, sectionals, home theater seating, Euro sleepers and ottomans are all handcrafted with custom-built hardwood frames, interchangeable customizable features and motorized seating, executed in the fi est leather and fabrics for truly unique statement pieces. Each meticulous creation is steeped in fi e Scandinavian crafts anship—and made in America!

For residential and commercial furnishings to stunning yacht interiors, complete home theaters, custom kitchens and artistic woodworking, Design NS and Nordic Group offers a wide range of products and inspiration for designers, builders and architects. The Makela family prides itself on strong customer service and a professional sales team that has taken its time to deliver the fi est experience, from start to fin sh, for 4 generations.

From Boca’s full-service factory showroom to the one in High Point, North Carolina, fashion and comfort go hand in hand at Design NS. “So, let us inspire you and turn your vision into a reality. Contact us to set up an appointment and you’ll see why ‘More Comfort Everyday’ is our motto,” says Kai.

561.338.5545 Designns.com Bristolfoto

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The Face of

FRAMELESS SHOWER AND DIGITAL GLASS DESIGN STEPHEN MARTUCCI Alexandra Glass Designs

S

tephen Martucci learned the art of “slinging glass” from his dad in the 1970s.

Back in the day, they worked mainly with mirrored walls and glass shower enclosures. He began photographing his fin shed projects and including his beautiful then-3-year-old daughter Alexandra as part of his marketing efforts. With her signature presence complementing his brand, Stephen’s business fl urished in the late ‘80s as the pioneer in the clip and hinge design and innovator of seamless glass enclosures, a feature which has now become universal in most modern homes.

Stephen’s glass is always “half full”—and then some—as president of one of the nation’s largest and most respected custom glass and shower door companies. His offerings include high-end, state-of-the-art large glass digital wall art, decorative backsplashes, double-layer glass countertops, LED lighted glass and unique applications acquired from his relationships with glass artisans around the globe.

At Alexandra Glass Designs, clients have the benefit of a trusted local resource 30 years in the making, where Stephen and his team handle every nuance of the job, from design to manufacturing to installation. In as little as four to six weeks, what once was a bare wall, ordinary shower or kitchen lacking personality can transform into a custom showplace of distinctive artistic style you’ll be proud to call home.

954.200.3212 Alexglassdesigns.com

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The Face of

ESTHETIC AND FUNCTIONAL CLOSET DESIGN LORI HOYT California Closets

O

ne of the main features people care about in a home is ample closet space and storage. And even when it is limited, with expert organizational tools and spacial design provided by Lori Hoyt and her family team at the California Closets’ franchise serving Broward and Palm Beach, there’s a place for everything!

“As you grow with your home, and the world changes as it recently has, we are reinventing our spaces to suit or new reality. We rely on our customers understanding our expertise to create organization that matches their unique settings and lifestyles,” explains Lori.

“There are certainly better prices out there, but there’s no real competition. I am proud to say that California Closets is the prototype people try to duplicate. What we do sets us apart with proprietary products only available to California Closets. Our designers have a design background, go through rigorous systematic training and must know organization down to a science, which will benefit the client for years to come. Spacial design knowledge is key and by us utilizing the latest 3-D technology, clients can see every detail before the project begins.”

Lori says that people now want a furniture look.

“Since you visit your closet more than any place in your home, why not have beautiful functional furniture surround you instead of your closet looking like a jumbled Tupperware drawer with things scattered all over the place?” she asks.

Bristolfoto

954.946.2218 Lhoyt@calclosets.com

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The Face of

EXQUISITE CUSTOM CABINETRY JACQUES NORMANDIN Canam Cabinet Corporation

B

y happenstance, several years ago Jacques Normandin visited a showroom of designer cabinets and fell in love with the business. He soon realized that with his advanced degrees and knowledge in engineering from North Carolina State University, combined with his innate artistic talents, he would be satisfi d by creating these new products as his next venture.

His satisfaction has been more than realized over the last 26 years as president of Canam Cabinet Corporation in Boca Raton, where the exquisite high-end custom cabinetry is designed and manufactured, utilizing the fi est wood, medium-density fiber board and acrylic.

“I have never done the same design twice, and never will. People come to me because they want unique creations specific o their needs. I personally handle 80 percent of the job on my own because I am the one who has sat down with my clients, asking questions like a therapist would to gain insights into their deepest design and function desires. I have never met such wonderful people who are delighted to pay for my services, thrilled with the outcome, and have become my friends for life,” Jacques says.

“From contemporary to classic and Old World styles—cabinets, libraries, restaurants and hotels—I do it all for every taste, space and budget.” When asked if he would consider adding yacht interiors to his portfolio, Jacques replies, ”When approached by the right people, some challenges are hard to refuse!“

Bristolfoto

561.750.3177 Canamcabinet.com

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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE DEDICATION MATTHEW H. MASCHLER Signature Real Estate Companies

M

atthew H. Maschler’s tireless 24/7 work ethic makes him a perfect fit for the award-winning Signature Real Estate Companies, the largest independent real estate brokerage fi m in Florida.

The enthusiastic and laser-focused real estate broker, agent and investor recruits and coaches other agents as broker of Signature Real Estate Finder, LLC. Matthew works his business with a combination of traditional and cutting-edge marketing tools, including magazines and other print, social media, video, Facebook and Google and keeps his market knowledge current with the latest technology to support it.

“Real estate is not only my full-time job, it’s my calling. I’m very knowledgeable about the market and the inventory in all of South Florida,” Matthew says. “I have a team of agents who work with me to ensure we can accommodate showings any time of day. When the buyer calls, I’m going to get that person to see that property, no matter what,” he says.

Matthew will tell you that he will happily sell a multimillion dollar mansion or a onebedroom condo with the same dedication. “I deal with people; I deal with real estate, and I deal with all price points; nothing is too small for me. It all boils down to the fact that I love my job, and I love helping people by getting them the results they are looking for,” says Matthew. “It’s just that simple.”

561.208.3334 RealEstateFinder.com Bristolfoto

Bristolfoto

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SOUTH FLORIDA’S PREMIER ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY GROUP

DANCE DANCEAGAIN. AGAIN. COOK COOKAGAIN. AGAIN. PLAY PLAYAGAIN. AGAIN. • SuperPATH & anterior replacement • SuperPATH & anterior hiphipreplacement • Robotic knee surgery • In-office Kyphoplasty procedures • MAKOplasty partial kneesurgery surgery • MAKOplasty partial knee • Adult/pediatric spine & deformity surgery • Adult/pediatric spine & deformity surgery • Hand & upper extremitysurgery surgery • Hand & upper extremity • Endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery • Endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery • Arthroscopic knee & shoulder surgery • Arthroscopic knee & shoulder surgery • Sports medicine • Sports medicine • Conventional & reverse shoulder replacement • Conventional & reverse shoulder replacement • Minimally invasive hip & knee replacement • Minimally invasive hip & knee replacement

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www.ortho-surgeon.com • 561-734-5080 2828 S. Seacrestwww.ortho-surgeon.com Blvd • Boynton Beach // 1601 Clint Moore Road • Boca Raton • 561-734-5080 2828 S. Seacrest Blvd, Ste. 204 • Boynton Beach // 1601 Clint Moore Road, Ste. 125 • Boca Raton

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The following promotional section presents helpful information provided by prominent private schools in Palm Beach County.

All listings include a brief synopsis of the school’s achievements, curriculum highlights and many more important details all families look for when choosing the best school for their children.

This section is designed to help you make informed decisions at a glance.

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Nurture Your Child’s S-STEAm at St. Joe’s

Spirituality – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math

Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School Early Childhood Academy

Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School

(Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade)

(Infant through Age 2)

3300-B South Seacrest Boulevard Boynton Beach, Florida 33435

2515 North Swinton Avenue Delray Beach, Florida 33444

561-732-2045

561-278-7735

Visit www.sjsonline.org to learn more about St. Joe’s

Your School for Educational Excellence!

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What’s your #CommonThread?

A love for Lynn is ours

Education demands bold, persistent experimentation. This philosophy and our love for learning have carried us through and provided common comfort in uncommon times. We look forward to welcoming students back to campus in fall 2020. As a four-time Apple Distinguished School that has been ranked among the nation’s most innovative colleges by U.S. News & World Report, we are ready to take on whatever comes our way. lynn.edu/common-thread

Lynn University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call +1 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lynn University. © 2020 Lynn University Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy or parenting status, veteran status or retirement status in its activities and programs. In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Inquiries concerning the application of the non-discrimination policy may be directed to the University Compliance Officer/Title IX Coordinator at 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431; via email at titleixcoordinator@lynn.edu; by phone at +1 561-237-7727 or to the U.S. Dept. of Education OCR.

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EVERGLADES UNIVERSITY BACHELOR’S

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Everglades University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

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2020

Private Education & Summer Camp Guide

Monthly Memberships

CALL TODAY

NOW OPEN! INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND UNIQUE SPACES FOR TEENS AND TWEENS

• Open seven days a week – until 10pm on weekends!

• Constant Adult Supervision and Homework Help • Tutor Sessions and Accredited SAT Prep Courses Available • Educator Owned and Operated • Café and Variety of Snacks and Beverages • Special Programming including Academic Prep Classes, Weekend Movie Nights, Yoga and More!

561.822.6018 • Info@TheStudyLounge.com TheStudyLounge.com

ADVENT SCHOOL

EVERGLADES UNIVERSITY

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- Grades: Infants - 8th - Tuition Range: $4,400 - $14,000 - Students: 400 - Student-Teacher Ratio: Varies - Virtual Classes: If necessary - Denomination: Christian At Advent, your child will become a CONFIDENT, CAPABLE, CHRISTIAN LEADER making a difference in the world! Advent combines rigorous academics with character development in a safe environment.

Our Transitional Kindergarten program gives the Gift of Time. Call for information! Other innovative programs include PreK Dual Language and Emergent Reader groups, Elementary STEM enrichment, a competitive robotics program for Middle School, 1:1 Technology, Spanish and more. Advent also provides opportunities in spiritual growth, fine arts, and athletics. Aftercare/camp programs offer engaging activities. The Early Childhood School offers VPK and Summer VPK. Infants to 8th Grade – you can grow with us! Virtual classes will be offered if in-person classes are not allowed due to governmental guidelines. Your child’s health and safety is of the utmost importance to Advent.

300 E. Yamato Road • Boca Raton • 561.299.5155 • AdventSchoolBoca.org

- Grades: Undergraduate and graduate - Tuition Range: $30 per credit hour, $8,760 per semester undergraduate; $800 per credit hour, $9,600 per semester graduate - Students: 1498 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1 - Virtual Classes: Yes - Denomination: Non-denominational The mission of Everglades University is to provide quality education to adult learners of diverse backgrounds in a collaborative environment where each individual has the opportunity to achieve personal growth. The University seeks to accomplish its mission by combining small class sizes and innovative programs with traditional academic values. The University supports the academic endeavor and service, to deliver graduate and undergraduate programs both on campus and online.

5002 T-Rex Ave #100 • Boca Raton • 561.912.1211 • evergladesuniversity.edu

GRANDVIEW PREPARATORY SCHOOL

LYNN UNIVERSITY

- Grades: PreK - 12th - Students: 270 - Virtual Classes: Yes

- Grades: Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral - Tuition Range: $9,100 – $37,600 - Students: 3,247 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1 - Virtual Classes: Yes - Denomination: Multifaith

- Tuition Range: $12,500-$22,000 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1 - Denomination: Private Independent

Grandview Preparatory School is an independent college preparatory, nonsectarian, coeducational day school founded in 1997. Student enrollment is offered for PreKindergarten through Grade 12. Grandview redefines ‘Preparatory’ with innovative learning experiences and focus on character and values. In class and beyond, Grandview students discover their talents, create their own path, engage in meaningful activities, and contribute to the community. Nestled in a residential neighborhood in Boca Raton located on Spanish River Boulevard, east of Florida Atlantic University, west of the Atlantic Ocean, we welcome you to visit with us and experience our community.

336 Spanish River Blvd. NW • Boca Raton • 561.416.9737 • grandviewprep.net

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Lynn University is an independent college based in Boca Raton, Florida, with approximately 3,000 students from nearly 100 countries. U.S. News & World Report ranks Lynn among the most innovative and international universities. Lynn’s NCAA Division II Fighting Knights have won 25 national titles, its Conservatory of Music features a world-renowned faculty of performers, and its nationally recognized Institute for Achievement and Learning empowers students with learning differences. The university’s Dialogues curriculum and award-winning iPad program help graduates gain the intellectual flexibility and global experience to fulfill their potential in an ever-changing world.

3601 N. Military Trail • Boca Raton • 561.237.7000 • lynn.edu

6/5/20 4:47 PM

2020

Private Education & Summer Camp Guide

PINE CREST SCHOOL BOCA RATON

PINE CREST SCHOOL FORT LAUDERDALE

- Grades: PreK - 8th - Students: 2,664 - Virtual Classes: Yes

- Grades: PreK - 12th - Students: 2,664 - Virtual Classes: Yes

- Tuition Range: $23,960 - $32,330 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1 - Denomination: Independent

- Tuition Range: $23,960 to $35,150 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1 - Denomination: Independent

True to tradition and inspired by innovation, Pine Crest School offers a researchbased, challenging curriculum complemented by arts and athletics. We believe that building social and emotional competencies in a safe, secure, and inclusive learning environment is fundamental to our students’ success. Pine Crest classrooms foster creativity and innovation, giving students opportunities to practice ethical thought leadership and to become curious, adaptable learners. Our goal is to send our graduates out into the world as leaders who know their strengths and who have the courage to challenge norms, break barriers, and move forward with confidence. #PCFutureReady

True to tradition and inspired by innovation, Pine Crest School offers a researchbased, challenging curriculum complemented by arts and athletics. We believe that building social and emotional competencies in a safe, secure, and inclusive learning environment is fundamental to our students’ success. Pine Crest classrooms foster creativity and innovation, giving students opportunities to practice ethical thought leadership and to become curious, adaptable learners. Our goal is to send our graduates out into the world as leaders who know their strengths and who have the courage to challenge norms, break barriers, and move forward with confidence. #PCFutureReady

2700 St. Andrews Boulevard • Boca Raton • 561.852.2800 • pinecrest.edu

1501 NE 62nd Street • Fort Lauderdale • 954.492.4100 • pinecrest.edu

SPACE OF MIND SCHOOLHOUSE

SPANISH RIVER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

- Grades: 1st - 12th - Students: 50 - Virtual Classes: Yes

- Grades: PreK3 – 8th - Students: 525 - Virtual Classes: Yes

- Tuition Range: $29,000 - $31,000 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 3:1 - Denomination: Non-Denominational

- Tuition Range: $3,732 - $9,964 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1 - Denomination: Presbyterian

Students learn best when they feel safe, loved and celebrated. Space of Mind is a fulltime, part-time or afterschool experience for 1st - 12th graders and gap year students that is thoughtfully curated to personal learning styles, interests and skills. Our interdisciplinary curriculum engages students through project-based learning that is informed by state standards, inspired by current events, individually paced and socially collaborative.

Preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, offering full and half days. Kindergarten- 8th grade program with challenging academics, robust technology, leadership skill building, fine arts and performing arts programs, critical thinking and project-based learning. High schoollevel honors Algebra 1, Geometry, and Spanish I for middle school students. Accredited

by CSF and MSA. Before and after-school programs. Interscholastic Sports program: Participate in Gold Coast League offering sixteen sports (8 for boys; 8 for girls). After school enrichment for elementary. State-of-the-art technology: in 3-D printing, video productions, coding, competitive robotics. Lunch program. Clinic with full-time nurse.

Uniforms required. Parent-Teacher Fellowship. Summer Camp Program.

102 N. Swinton Ave • Delray Beach • 561.894.8772 • myspaceofmind.com

2400 Yamato Rd • Boca Raton • 561.994.5006 • spanishriverchristianschool.com

ST. JOSEPH’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL - Grades: Infant - 8th - Tuition Range: $11,453 - $16,058 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:8 - Students: 200 - Virtual Classes: If necessary - Denomination: Episcopal

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL - Grades: PreK-8th - Students: 370 - Virtual Classes: No

- Tuition Range: $4,430 -$11,135 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1 - Denomination: Lutheran

Nurture your child’s S-STEAM at St. Joe’s - the only independent school that nurtures and enlightens the whole child. By focusing on Spirituality, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/language arts and Math, we encourage collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, and 21st century skills promoting educational excellence. All this in an inclusive, Christian environment. Call for a tour today.

For over 50 years, St. Paul has been an accredited traditional Christian school in east Boca Raton. St. Paul offers leveled reading and math groups, art, music, band, advanced technology, physical education, Spanish as well as STEM in grades 6-8. Our extra -curricular sports programs often excel to state and national levels. Our Early Childhood Program is nurturing and provides flexibility with days and times. After school care and summer camp are available. Our Parent Teacher League offers many opportunities for parents to be involved. We would love your family to join our family!

3300B S. Seacrest Blvd • Boynton Beach • 561.732.2045 • sjsonline.org

701 W. Palmetto Road Park Road • Boca Raton • 561.395.8548 • cyberfalcon.com

THE GREENE SCHOOL

UNITY SCHOOL

- Grades: Early Childhood - 8th Grade - Tuition Range: $21,000 - $31,000 - Students: 135 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1 - Virtual Classes: Yes - Denomination: Non-denominational

- Grades: Toddler – 8th - Students: 300 - Virtual Classes: Yes

Our students from Early Childhood through Eighth grade are bright, curious, and joyful learners whom we prepare to navigate a dynamic world.

2001 South Dixie Highway • West Palm Beach • 561.293.2888 • greene.school

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- Tuition Range: $9,700 - $21,300 - Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1 - Denomination: Non-Denominational

The mission of Unity School is to empower children and inspire learning by educating the whole child: mind, body and spirit. The Montessori Preschool Program and progressive Elementary and Middle School programs empower children to be lifelong learners who believe they have unique contributions to give and they can be a powerful influence for bringing forth substantial and needed change throughout the world. Unity School teaches the ‘whole’ child in a 21st century high-tech environment offering rigorous academics, expansive fine arts programs and unique character development while promoting a philosophy of self-worth and understanding that lasts a lifetime.

101 NW 22nd Street • Delray Beach • 561.276.4414 • unityschool.com

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Join us on Facebook @bocamag for live chats with special guests speaking candidly on a variety of topics.

To watch previous episodes go to bocamag.com/live Get social and follow us @bocamag for the latest on these chats and more!

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SB EA C TC IKOSNT A G E S PU AB S S E C T ITOANK E 5

The Victory Dolls

An all-female vocal troupe injects much-needed harmony in troubled times Written by JOHN THOMASON

F

or the World War II generation, the honeyed harmonies of the Andrews Sisters brought rhythm and swing, whimsy and optimism to a beleaguered nation. Their music was the spoonful of sugar amid a daily news cycle of rough medicine, and their songs—like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Rum and Coca-Cola”—have been covered by countless artists drawn to their tight, sublime, foot-tapping melodies.

Kevin Barrett is hoping his contemporary homage to the Andrews Sisters, the Victory Dolls, can similarly bring comfort and unity to a nation facing a common

an all-star cast of South Florida theatre’s top leading ladies, many with Carbonell wins and nominations to their credits—among them Leah Marie Sessa, Sabrina Lynn Gore and Ann Marie Olson. They developed a 21-song concert full of standards from the era, from the aforementioned“Boogie Woogie”to“White Cliffs of Dover”and“When the Lights Go On Again,”and supplemented it with a live band—musical director Phil Hinton developed custom arrangements tailored to the singers’ talents—WWII-era videos projected behind the band, costume changes and a narrative through-line.

“One of the things we’ll be doing more of this year is going to hospitals, veterans’ homes, condo communities and maybe festivals, and making appearances for 15 or 20 minutes to —Kevin Barrett spread some cheer to the older folks.” enemy. Should their concerts, July 2-4 at Mizner Park Cultural Center, proceed as planned, they’ll be a welcome return to normalcy after a virus-plagued spring.

Barrett, a longtime South Florida theatre veteran whose company provides management and programming for mid-sized regional theaters, officially launched the Victory Dolls last fall. After enlisting singer/actress Shelley Keelor as company manager, the two impresarios have attracted

1

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE VICTORY DOLLS?

NOTE:

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, which was ongoing at the time of this writing, July/August events were still uncertain.

For the latest on A&E events during this time, visit our website at BOCAMAG.COM.

I’d been wanting to do this for a very long time. There are groups like this around the country, but there was no premier group in the State of Florida. I thought to myself, this is the perfect market for an Andrews Sisters-style show that’s a harmony group.

—Ed.

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••••

The Victory Dolls’ debut concerts in Boca and Delray sold out months in advance, and Barrett has gone on to develop new concepts for his triple-threat actors—a rock-tinged show of early jukebox hits, and a Christmas special. But for the Independence Weekend run in Boca Raton, the Dolls will return to their bread and butter, evoking USO tours, Rosie the Riveter, draft cards and, of course, the all-female vocal group that started it all. Barrett tells us more.

THE NAME VICTORY DOLLS IS A REFERENCE TO THE PATRIOTIC ENTERTAINMENT OF THE WORLD WAR II ERA?

Yes. Part of our mission, besides doing shows, is to give back to veterans. We have several ways.

During the show, we honor them, and ask them to stand up at certain points in the show and be recognized. We’ve also partnered with Honor Flight. They are a pretty big nonprofit around the country. There’s a chapter in South Florida. They raise money and send veterans up to Washington, D.C. [to] visit the monuments.

3

WHAT DO THESE MILLENNIAL AND GENERATION X ACTRESSES APPRECIATE ABOUT PERFORMING THESE NUMBERS—SINCE THE NOSTALGIA ASPECT DOESN’T NECESSARILY APPLY TO THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE?

They really love singing the music. That is what really attracted them—also the opportunity to do something for veterans, because a lot of them have veterans in their families. They love the costumes, the hairdos, the whole look of it.

And the harmony—singing harmony is so difficult. I didn’t really

July/August 2020

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know how difficult it was. But if you get it right, it sounds beautiful. Putting three girls—soprano, mezzo-soprano and alto—in a trio format and singing is really pretty.

They know how hard they work to sing those songs, and when they do it all together, there’s a bonding that goes with that.

HAVE YOU FOUND THAT THE ACTRESSES HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS THAT LEND THEMSELVES TO CERTAIN NUMBERS OVER OTHERS?

Yes. We found that out in the

rehearsal process. We’d move them around. Some girls are in between ranges, so we mixed and matched who blended the best. For booking purposes, the girls have to be flexible, to work with these two girls one night, and two others the next night.

WHAT ABOUT AUDIENCES WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO KNOW WHO THE ANDREWS SISTERS ARE?

It’s funny you say that. Some people we talked to about booking the show thought no one would

care about this music anymore. But what we have found is that while grandpa, who served, might have passed away, his son and grandson want to keep the memory alive. And the younger generations, especially kids that are in musical theatre, enjoy it. I can’t say that a generic 25-yearold millennial is going to care, but people that have any relationship to that music via their grandfather or great-grandfather or even their parents—those people seem to really like it.

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The Victory Dolls

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Parlez-vous Franรงais?

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private parties up to 50 People top 100 Restaurants for foodies in america

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The “Wednesday Burger Special” from the Sandwich Shop at Buccan

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REVIEW

Beef carpaccio at the Sandwich Shop

The Sandwich Shop at Buccan 350 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561/833-6295 Written by LYNN KALBER

E I F YO U G O PARKING: On the street.

HOURS: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily PRICES: $12-$15 WEBSITE: buccanpalmbeach.com

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veryone knows where their favorite sandwich shop is, how long it takes to get there, how long it takes for an order to be finished. It’s the place where you can almost taste your sub while you’re listing all the toppings.

The tiny sandwich shop with a big reputation on Palm Beach is a fairly unassuming place with a simple name: the Sandwich Shop at Buccan. As it implies, the name comes with a heavy reputation to uphold, because multiple James Beard Award nominee Clay Conley owns this little shop next to Buccan and Imoto.

And like the offerings at its loftier relatives, taking that first bite makes you pause and then dive back in for another bite.

Building the best sandwich means using the best tools, and layering flavors like layering bricks.

The Italian sandwich ($13) is a good example. On the fresh baguette is mortadella, salami, ham, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickled peppers, which supply a little heat and a lot of flavor. The balance between bread and meat is crucial, and this time, the harmony is perfect—one of the best Italian subs I’ve ever tasted.

There are hot and cold sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks (alcoholic and non). The prosciutto sub ($14) with pesto spread, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula is another well-built mouthful. Well, many mouthfuls that spread to having leftovers.

(The portions are generous.)

The shaved vegetable salad ($12) includes paper-thin zucchini strips, carrots, cherry tomatoes, mixed baby greens and a beautifully mixed white balsamic vinaigrette. The dressing is effective when drizzled on the Italian sandwich, too. The hot Cuban sandwich ($11) with pit ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and a nicely tart-ish mustard aioli is a worthy contender but doesn’t match the Italian sandwich’s five stars. While the meat is tender, the bread topnotch and the aioli memorable, the combination just misses having an authentic flavor.

This Sandwich Shop just moved to the top of my list, and the Italian concoction is calling my name again.

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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

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RESTAURATEUR PROFILE

Rodney Mayo The owner of a dozen dining and nightlife staples still fed the hungry—even with his businesses shuttered Written by LYNN KALBER

R

odney Mayo had a lot of plans for his restaurant empire in 2020. He was going to open five more venues to join more than a dozen already operating in his Subculture Group.

And then the coronavirus changed everything.

While Mayo had successfully traveled the not-so-smooth restaurateur road during his almost 35-year career in South Florida, the recent roadblocks stopped him cold. For exactly one day.

On a Friday in March, he had to let everyone in his venues go. That was a hell of a day. But on Saturday, he was standing outside his Howley’s restaurant in West Palm Beach, where he started a pop-up food distribution center feeding hospitality workers who were out of a job.

That speedy response was the start of Hospitality Helping Hands (H3), a nonprofit that distributed more than 12,000 free meals in just the first days alone.

The most surprising thing: “The immediate demand to feed people. I never anticipated we’d have a line the first day we opened. And it just kept getting longer each day. … Our mission now is to sit here bored, with no people to feed.”

Where did you start in the business? “I worked in my uncle’s restaurant one summer as a waiter, in a Mexican restaurant.

(Then) I was in the construction business, renovating older properties. I found a building (that became Respectable Street in 1987) that was going to be condemned, and I just jumped in and was lucky. Started in the nightclub at night and restaurant during the day. Built it out myself over two and a half years. So it was trial by fire.”

When did your relief efforts start in your career? “We’ve always tried to do as much as possible. We always fed the homeless during Thanksgiving, then donated all our proceeds during Thanksgiving to Meals On Wheels. The first organized one was the Bahamas Relief Cruise after Hurricane Dorian.

“The private donations have been amazing. People who can’t afford it are coming up with donations.”

Any ideas of what the future will hold?“I’m skeptical of opening with 50 percent of the seating taken away. If you take away 50 percent of our seating, we can’t survive.

“It’s going to be a very gradual acceptance for people to be OK sitting next to someone who might sneeze once.”

Mayo operated venues in Boca Raton (Kapow!, Dubliner), Delray Beach (Dada, Subculture, Honey), West Palm Beach (Subculture, Lost Weekend, Respectable’s, Camelot, Howley’s), and Miami Beach (Lost Weekend, Kill Your Idol).

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RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

DINING GUIDE Palm Beach County BOCA RATON Abe & Louie’s —2200 Glades Road. Steakhouse.

All Americans are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among them the right to a thick, juicy, perfectly cooked steak.

At this posh, comfortable (and expensive) meatery, the USDA Prime steaks are indeed thick, juicy and perfectly cooked, also massively flavorful and served in enormous portions.

Don’t miss the New York sirloin or prime rib, paired in classic steakhouse fashion with buttery hash browns and ubercreamy creamed spinach. Chased with an ice-cold martini or glass of red wine from the truly impressive list, it’s happiness pursued and captured. • Lunch/brunch Sun.-Fri., dinner nightly. 561/447-0024. $$$$

Arturo’s Ristorante—6750 N. Federal Highway.

AARON BRISTOL

Italian. Arturo’s quiet, comfortable dining room; slightly formal, rigorously professional service; and carefully crafted Italian dishes never go out of style. You’ll be tempted to make a meal of the array of delectable antipasti from the antipasti cart, but try to leave room for main courses like the veal shank served on a bed of risotto. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/997-7373. $$$

Escargot at Casimir French Bistro

Bluefin Sushi and Thai—861 N.W. 51st St., Suite 1. Sushi/Thai. Arrive early for a table at this Asian hot spot— it’s popular with no reservations for parties fewer than six. Don’t skip the tempura lobster bomb, big in both size and taste. The ginger snapper will impress both Instagram and your stomach.

Try the chicken satay and pad Thai. Bluefin offers a variety of dishes from multiple cultures, all well done. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/981-8986. $$ Boca Landing —999 E. Camino Real. Contemporary

DINING KEY $: Under $17 $$: $18–$35 $$$: $36–$50 $$$$: $50 and up

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American. The Waterstone Resort & Marina’s signature restaurant, Boca Landing, offers the city’s only waterside dining and shows off its prime location and views. Heavy on small plates, the menu features tuna crudo, fried calamari and a killer cheese and charcuterie board. Probably the best dish, though, is the charred filet mignon with a red wine bone marrow reduction, with wickedly luscious house-made hazelnut gelato coming in a very close second. • Dinner nightly.

561/226-3022. $$$

Burtons Grill & Bar —5580 N. Military Trail.

New American. Known for its reliable food as well as its non-gluten, Paleo and “B Choosy” kids menu, the first Florida location for this restaurant is deservedly crowded, so make reservations. Don’t miss the General Tso’s cauliflower, the pan-seared salmon (Paleo), the crab cakes or the Key lime pie.

Popular half-portions are available, too. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/465-2036. $$

Butcher Block Grill—7000 W. Camino Real. Steakhouse/Contemporary American. This casual steakhouse with a Mediterranean twist, an all-kosher menu, 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. Seafood, whether raw (tuna tartare) or simply grilled (wild-caught salmon), is palate-pleasing as well. • 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 the pan-fried calamari to the restaurant’s signature spin on the Cobb 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 nightly. 561/368-1077. $$$

Casa D’Angelo —171 E. Palmetto Park Road.

Italian. Chef Rickie Piper, who has mastered the menu and cuisine of this fine-dining staple for more than a decade, knows when to say when with both plating and ingredients.

His dishes, including the sides and accompaniments, are visually appetizing and aromatic. A grilled veal chop easily 3 inches thick proved tender and juicy, and the wild mushrooms served alongside in a marsala added earthiness. • Dinner nightly. 561/996-1234. $$$ Casimir French Bistro —416 Via De Palmas, Suite 81. French. Take a trip overseas without leaving the city and enjoy excellently prepared traditional French dishes, such as duck l’orange or beef bourguignon, or go with Cajun chicken and veal Milanese. The comfortable dining room is a Parisian experience, as is the apple tarte tatin. This is a local favorite, and may we add they have what is as close to real French bread as anyplace in Boca? • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/955-6001. $$$

Chez Marie French Bistro—5030 Champion Blvd.

French. Marie will greet you at the door of this nicely decorated, intimate, classic French restaurant tucked in the corner of a strip shopping area. This feels like an intimate neighborhood bistro and is a welcome discovery. From escargot encased in garlic butter, parsley and breadcrumbs to a tender duck a l’orange to an unforgettable crepe Suzette, you’ll be in Paris all evening. Voila! Also on the menu: pan-seared foie gras, tasty onion soup, seabass Bouillabaisse, coq au vin, rack of lamb, salads and more desserts. • Dinner nightly. 561/997-0027. $$

Chops Lobster Bar—101 Plaza Real S., Royal Palm Place. Steak, seafood. At this upscale downtown restaurant, steaks are aged USDA Prime—tender, flavorful

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123 and perfectly cooked under a 1,700-degree broiler. There’s all manner of fish and shellfish, but you’re here for the lobster, whether giant Nova Scotian tails flash-fried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with lobster. Let’s face it: Trendy menus come and go, but a great steakhouse is a win-win on all occasions. • Dinner nightly.

561/395-2675. $$$$

Everyday Favorites For an affordable bite at any time, consider these durable chains and homegrown Boca favorites—where the attire is understated and reservations are rarely necessary.

Cuban Café—3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Suite B-30.

Biergarten—309 Via De Palmas, #90. German/Pub. Part vaguely German beer garden, part all-American sports

Cuban. One thing Boca needs more of is coffee windows—and real Cuban restaurants. Which is undoubtedly why 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. $

bar, this rustic eatery offers menus that channel both, as well as an excellent selection of two-dozen beers on tap and the same number by the bottle. The food is basic and designed to go well with suds, like the giant pretzel with a trio of dipping sauces and the popular “Biergarten burger.” • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/395-7462. $$

Domus Italian Restaurant—187 S.E. Mizner Blvd. Italian. The “Best Spaghetti & Meatballs Ever” dish is pretty darn close to being just that. Who says we have too many Italian restaurants? The burrata with tomato carpaccio, melt-in-yourmouth Dover sole almondine, orecchiette con sausage and linguine vongole are part of a very good menu. From Sicilian fish salad to veal piccata, a light calamari fritti to chicken Parmesan, you can find something for all appetites. Save room for the tartufo. • Dinner nightly. 561/419-8787. $$$

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. 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 Choice short rib and the popular Buddha Bowl, with veggies, udon noodles and shrimp. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

561/417-5836. $$

Frank & Dino’s —39 S.E. First Ave. Italian. The

Bonefish Grill—21065 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. Brunch on Sundays. 561/483-4949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-1310; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/965-2663; 11658 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/799-2965) $$ The Cheesecake Factory—5530 Glades Road. American. Oh, the choices! The chain has a Sunday brunch menu in addition to its main menu, which includes Chinese chicken salad and Cajun jambalaya. Don’t forget about the cheesecakes, from white chocolate and raspberry truffle offerings. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-0344.

(Other Palm Beach County locations: CityPlace, West Palm Beach, 561/802-3838; Downtown at the Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/776-3711). $$ Nick’s New Haven-Style Pizzeria—2240 N.W. 19th St., Suite 904. Italian. Cross Naples (thin, blistered crust, judicious toppings) with Connecticut (fresh clams and no tomato sauce), and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the pies coming out of Nick Laudano’s custom-made ovens. The “white clam” pizza with garlic and bacon is killer-good; Caesar salad and tiramisu are much better than the usual pizzeria fare. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/368-2900. $$ 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) $$

Shake Shack—1400 Glades Road. American. We’re not sure there is really any such thing as a bad burger joint and when you have a really good one—like Shake Shack— there’s a little piece of heaven just a short order away. Shake Shack in University Commons has great all-Angus burgers, non-GMO buns, and a frozen custard that makes grown men weep. Throw in some crinkle-cut fries and life is the way it should be. And the outdoor patio is a definite bonus in these times. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/932-0847. $ Steve’s Wood Fired Pizza—9180 Glades Road. Italian. With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and rigorous preparation—the hand-rolled dough rises for three days before use—this reliable purveyor offers varieties of ‘za that are both familiar and novel, from BBQ chicken and veggie primavera to Mom’s White Roasted Garlic and the Mupsa (mushroom, pepperoni and sausage) . • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sat., dinner Sun. 561/483-5665. $$

Rat Pack is alive and well here in both décor and soundtrack.

So, too, are traditional Italian dishes such as Dentice oreganata, capellini Pomodoro and tiramisu. But you may want to get there early for one of the longest happy hours around (11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays) for Damiano meatballs, filet mignon sliders or antipasto misto between lunch and dinner. • Lunch Mon.-Fri.; dinner nightly. 561/218-4636. $$$

Tap 42—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 247. Gastropub. This hugely popular nouveau-Industrial gastropub is not

Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen—399 S.E.

small, unpretentious venue reminds us of a Key West food shack. The food is fabulous. Try anything with crab (crab dip, crab soup, crab sliders), but don’t miss the bacon-wrapped dates, beef brisket sliders and Fetacomply salad.• Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/417-5100. $$

Mizner Blvd. American. Natural, seasonal, sustainable. You’ll enjoy the varied menu, and won’t believe it’s made without butters or creams. Try the too-good-to-be-true buffalo-style cauliflower appetizer, the seared salmon or buffalo burger, and have apple skillet for dessert.

Healthy never tasted so good. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/8262625. $$

for the faint of eardrums when packed, but don’t let that discourage you. The kitchen here executes the hell out of a short, simple all-day menu. Grilled salmon chopped salad with tomatillo ranch dressing is delightful, as is guacamole studded with fat chunks of bacon and charred corn. Same goes for decadent shrimp mac-n-cheese. The wicked-good chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel sauce would be the envy of any Big Easy eatery. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Brunch Sat.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/235-5819. $

True—147 S.E. First Ave. American. True is the only place in South Florida to eat authentic Baltimore crab cakes. This

Grand Lux Cafe —6000 Glades Road, inside

The Grille On Congress—5101 Congress

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; brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

561/392-2141. $$

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

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Houston’s —1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Contemporary American. Convenient location, stylish ambience

and impeccable service are hallmarks of this local outpost of the Hillstone restaurant chain. There are plenty of reasons why this is one of the most popular business lunch spots in all of Boca, including menu items like Cajun trout, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$$

Il Mulino New York Boca Raton —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. From the four pre-menu bites

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TABLE TALK

You Say Tomato …

One of SoFla’s top chefs on how to stuff a perennial crop with seasonal favorites

“The street filled with tomatoes, midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets.”

– From “Ode to Tomatoes,” by Pablo Neruda

T

omatoes are a year-round Florida crop. While SoFla summers have gardens with zucchini, eggplant, okra, peppers, sweet potatoes and more, tomatoes are summer-grown in northern Florida. Then, like snowbirds, tomatoes come south to roost in gardens during the season.

Rice is planted here from late March to early June, with harvesting starting in July. South Florida is the only part of the state that grows rice, where the crop typically is rotated with sugarcane crops.

These local crops are what led chef Lindsay Autry, co-owner of the Regional Kitchen & Public House in West Palm Beach, to devise her Florida stuffed tomatoes with local rice, zucchini and herbs.

Lindsay Autry Says Autry:“My grandmother is Greek and loved to make these growing up, so this has a bit of a Mediterranean twist. This dish utilizes ingredients that are grown here in the summer, and not only is it super healthy, it’s also filling. You can add feta cheese if you like, or leave it out to keep it vegan.

“What’s more, you can make this ahead of time and reheat for a couple of days. Pair with your favorite salad, and you’ve got a great meal!”

FLORIDA STUFFED TOMATOES with local rice, zucchini & herbs SERVES 4-6 INGREDIENTS 6 large, firm tomatoes 1 small zucchini, grated on a box grater kosher salt 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill and/or parsley 1/2 cup long-grain rice, uncooked Freshly ground pepper 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

SOUTH MOON PHOTOGRAPHY

Written by LYNN KALBER

handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a bowl with the tomato pulp.

Add the garlic, mint, parsley or dill, and rice or bulgur.

Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and let sit for 20 minutes. Mix in the crumbled feta if desired.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate all the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes almost to the top with the stuffing, and replace the caps. Place in the oiled baking dish. Drizzle on the remaining oil. Place in the oven, and bake 30 minutes until the tomatoes are almost collapsing. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool to room temperature or serve hot.

Prepare the tomatoes. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the tops of the tomatoes as you would a jack-o’-lantern, leaving them intact so that you can replace them when you bake the tomatoes. Cut away the woody core, and reserve the tops. Using a small spoon, preferably a grapefruit spoon, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes. Finely chop the pulp.

THE REGIONAL KITCHEN & PUBLIC HOUSE, 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561/5576460, eatregional.com

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Season the tomato shells with salt and place them upside down on a rack set on a baking sheet, and let drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Toss the shredded zucchini with a generous amount of salt, and let drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Take up

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E AT & D R I N K RESTAURANT DIRECTORY to the after-dinner coffee from freshly ground beans, this is a white-tablecloth venue that delivers on its upscale promises.

Try the langostino, the red snapper, the risotto, the pasta, or go for the ceviches, caviars and seafood tower. Save room for dessert and complimentary lemoncello. Make a night of it. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/338-8606. $$$

Jimmy’s Fries to Caviar —6299 N. Federal Highway. Contemporary American. Going one better than soup to nuts defines Jimmy Mills’ Boca restaurant, an easygoing, affordable bistro in the old Darbster space that really does offer fries, caviar and more. Four varieties of fish eggs are shown off nicely crowning a quartet of deviled eggs, while the thick-cut fries complement a massively flavorful, almost fork-tender hanger steak in the classic steak frites.Try the seasonal soups as well. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/617-5965. $$

Established 1991

Josephine’s —5751 N. Federal Highway. Italian.

Tradition trumps trendy, and comfort outweighs chic at this Boca favorite. The ambience is quiet and stately but not stuffy, and the menu is full of hearty dishes to soothe the savage appetite, like three-cheese eggplant rollatini and chicken scarpariello. • Dinner nightly. 561/988-0668. $$

Kapow! Noodle Bar —431 Plaza Real. Pan-Asian.

This Asian-inspired gastropub delivers an inventive punch to the taste buds. Among the hardest hitters is its angry shrimp dumplings and the char sui pork belly bao bun. The Saigon duck pho is yet one more reason to go. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/347-7322. $$

OPEN DAILY! BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER 80 S. Federal Highway • Deerfield Beach, FL • (954) 480-8402

www.olympiaflamediner.com

Kathy’s Gazebo Café —4199 N. Federal Highway.

Ke’e Grill —17940 N. Military Trail, Suite 700. Traditional American. In this busy dining scene for more than 30 years, you will find a lot of seafood (fried calamari, blue crab cakes, yellowtail snapper Francaise and lots more), a few steak, chicken, lamb and pork options, and a quality house-made apple crisp. Your traditional choices are baked, fried, breaded, grilled, broiled, sauteed. With Provencal, Francaise, maple mustard glaze, toasted macadamia nut pesto and piccata twists. A consistent crowd for a consistent menu. • Dinner nightly. 561/995-5044. $$$ La Nouvelle Maison—455 E. Palmetto Park Blvd.

French. Elegant, sophisticated French cuisine, white-glove service and a trio of stylish dining rooms make Arturo Gismondi’s homage to Boca’s storied La Vieille Maison the home away from home to anyone who appreciates the finer points of elegant 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, cookbook-perfect rendition of steak frites and an assortment of desserts that range from homey apple tart to bananas Foster with chocolate and Grand Marnier. • Dinner nightly. 561/338-3003. $$$ La Villetta —4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian. This is a well-edited version of a traditional Italian menu, complete with homemade pastas and other classic dishes. Try the signature whole yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt; it’s de-boned right at tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer).

561/362-8403. $$$

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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.

Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Founder and Administrator

It’s The Personal Touch That Makes The Difference

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

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

• • • • •

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

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Traditional French. Elegance, civility and very good food meet here for dinners that last at least two hours, and it’s worth it.

Try the Dover sole (pricey, but it won’t disappoint), the escargot, coq au vin if it’s a nightly special, gazpacho, duck, veal, lobster and more. Don’t forget the rich, well-crafted desserts. Classical dining at a longtime standard; jackets recommended. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/395-6033. $$$

(561) 833-3430 July/August 2020

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Drink in the Summer

These locally crafted cocktails are perfect for warm-weather indulgence Written by LYNN KALBER

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rightly colored drinks with umbrellas in them. Crushed ice and the slurp of a piña colada.

Summertime cocktails and mocktails refresh us even before we take the first sip because, let’s face it, looks are everything. So are fresh ingredients like tasty greens, ginger and sugarcane (mojito, anyone?).

Add a dash of habanero, and the sizzle becomes a pop of heat inside your cool-down drink. Opposites do attract.

ROSEBERRY COCKTAIL

Farmer’s Table 1.5 ounces Misunderstood Ginger Whiskey 2 ounces Essential Batch (recipe follows) 1/2 ounce elderflower 1/4 ounce agave 1/4 ounce lemon juice 1 ounce Champagne Sprig of rosemary, blackberry (garnish) ESSENTIAL BATCH 3 ounces Rooted Beginnings Juicera 1 and 1/4 ounce pomegranate juice 2 ounces aloe vera water 3/4 ounce lemon juice Rosemary sprigs To make Essential Batch: Mix all ingredients together, add ice and shake for 5 seconds.

“When it comes time to create a new cocktail emulsion, we opt for seasonal herbs and flavors,”says Kris Szenes, general manager at Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton.“In the selection for summer cocktails, we showcase mint, rosemary and even thyme, all of which are procured from our garden.”

Grocery stores, liquor stores and online shopping, not to mention your own gardens, can bring you the fresh herbs, fruits and veggies needed for these lip-smacking drink recipes.

WHAT’S UP DOC MOCKTAIL

From Farmer’s Table 2 1/2 ounces organic carrot juice 2 1/2 ounces pineapple juice 1 1/2 ounces aloe vera water 1 teaspoon organic agave syrup 1/4 ounce ginger juice 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 dash pressed turmeric juice 1/2 teaspoon organic agave 1 carrot curl 6-8 cilantro leaves

To make: Mix all ingredients together.

Add ice. Shake for 5 seconds and pour into glass.

TANTEO TEQUILA SIZZLING CITRUS MARG

From Cutwater Spirits 2 ounces Tanteo® Habanero tequila 2 ounces fresh tangerine juice 1 ounce fresh lime Juice 1/2 ounce light agave nectar (or simple syrup) To make: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a tangerine slice.

To make Roseberry cocktail: Pour all ingredients except Champagne into shaker. Fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain and pour into coupe glass and top with Champagne. Garnish with rosemary sprig and blackberry.

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E AT & D R I N K

Le Rivage —450 N.E. 20th St., Suite 103. French. Don’t overlook this small, unassuming bastion of traditional French cookery. That would be a mistake, because the dishes that virtually scream “creativity” can’t compare to the quiet pleasures served here—like cool, soothing vichyssoise, delicate fillet of sole with nutty brown butter sauce or perfectly executed crème brûlee. Good food presented without artifice at a fair price never goes out of fashion. • Dinner nightly. 561/620-0033. $$

Loch Bar —346 Plaza Real. Seafood. This sister restaurant to Ouzo Bay includes fried oysters, moules frites and Maryland crab cakes. The bar offers literally hundreds of whiskeys, a noisy happy hour crowd and live music most nights. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/939-6600. $$

Louie Bossi’s—100 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. This jumping joint serves terrific Neapolitan pizza (thin crust), but don’t miss the other entrées. Start with a charcuterie/cheese plate and grab the amazing breadsticks. All breads and pastas are made on the premises. Other faves include the carbonara and the calamari, and save room for house-made gelato. Unusual features: Try the bocce ball court included with the retro Italian décor. • Lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch. 561/336-6699. $$$

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

ning big-city bistro. Service is personable and proficient. The menu is composed of dishes you really want to eat, from the applewood bacon-wrapped meatloaf to the wickedly indulgent crème brûlèe pie. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/368-0080. $$

Morton’s The Steakhouse—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 219. Steakhouse. There’s seemingly no end to diners’ love of huge slabs of high-quality aged beef, nor to the carnivores who pack the clubby-swanky dining room of this meatery. While the star of the beef show is the giant bone-in filet mignon, seasonally featured is the American Wagyu New York strip. Finish off your meal with one of the decadent desserts.• Dinner nightly. 561/392-7724. $$$$

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

Luff’s Fish House—390 E. Palmetto Park Road.

Seafood. A renovated 1920s bungalow houses this shipshape restaurant, in addition to two large, outdoor deck and patio areas. It’s known for familiar dish names with new tweaks: smoked fish-hummus dip, falafel fish fritters, crab guacamole, mussels in coconut curry broth, plus the paella on Sundays only. Don’t leave without the enormous slice of the Key lime pie, topped with meringue on a graham cracker crust. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/609-2660. $$

Prezzo —5560 N. Military Trail. Italian. A reincarnation of a popular 1990s Boca venue, this version has updated the dining room, kept the yummy oven-baked focaccia bread slices, and added a 21st-century taste to the menu. Don’t miss the tender bone-in pork chop, thin-crust pizza and seafood specials. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are on the menu, too. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/314-6840. $$

Madison’s —2006 N.W. Executive Center Circle.

American. This location is something of a Bermuda Triangle for restaurants, with at least four restaurants 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, and service that is as professional as it is personable. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/994-0808. $$$

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. $$

Maggiano’s —21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. Do as the Italians do, and order family-style: Sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, a salad, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts. The menu also includes lighter takes on staples like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$

Rebel House —297 E. Palmetto Park Road. American Eclectic. As wild visually as it is in the kitchen, this place rocks on all points. Start with the popcorn flavor of the day (instead of bread) and don’t miss the cauliflower Caesar salad, Uncle Pinkie’s Fried Rice, the lobster meatballs or whatever duck option is on the menu. You can’t miss with these dishes. • Dinner nightly, brunch Sat.-Sun. 561/353-5888. $$

Mario’s Osteria—1400 Glades Road, Suite 210. Italian.

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 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. $$

This popular spot is swanky, but the rustic Italian 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, Suite 108. Italian.

Hearty Italian and Italian-American food, served in giant “family style” portions, needs no reinventing. Though there is no shortage of local restaurants cooking in that genre, it’s the details of preparation and service that make Matteo’s stand out.

Baked clams are a good place to start, as is the reliable chopped salad. Linguini frutti di mare is one of the best in town. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-0773. $$ Max’s Grille —404 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. After 24 years in Mizner Park, This modern American bistro is a true local classic. The food and decor are both timeless and up to date, and the ambience is that of a smooth-run-

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Rafina—6877 S.W. 18th St. Greek. If you find the

Ruth’s Chris —225 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 100.

Steakhouse. Not only does this steakhouse favorite emphasize its New Orleans roots, it also distinguishes itself from its competitors by just serving better food. The signature chopped salad has a list of ingredients as long as a hose but they all work together. And how can you not like a salad topped with crispy fried onion strings? Steaks are USDA Prime and immensely flavorful, like a perfectly seared New York strip.

The white chocolate bread pudding is simply wicked. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-6746. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561/514-3544; 661 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/863-0660.) $$$$

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Seasons 52—2300 Executive Center Drive. Contemporary American. The food—seasonal ingredients, simply and healthfully prepared, accompanied by interesting wines—is firstrate, from salmon roasted on a cedar plank to desserts served in oversized shot glasses. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-9952.

(Other Palm Beach County location: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/625-5852.) $$

Six Tables a Restaurant—112 N.E. Second St., Boca Raton. American. Chef/owner Jonathan Fyhrie has a unique, elegant, one-seating, prix-fixe dinner and only six tables. The decor reflects the food, which is innovative in unexpected but attractive ways. Open since 2004, this restaurant’s staying power proves the pull of a beautiful space, amazing food and special attention from a talented staff. The velvety lobster bisque is a signature dish. The night’s options can include rack of lamb, filet au poivre, wild Scottish king salmon, crispy duck and more, all done beautifully. Plan on a two-to-three-hour dinner. It’s worth it. • Dinner nightly.

561/347-6260. $$$$

Sushi Ray —5250 Town Center Circle, Suite 111.

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 $22. • Lunch Mon.–Fri., dinner nightly.

561/394-9506. $$

Tanjore Indian—500 Via de Palmas. Indian. Six different kinds of naan bread let you know this isn’t your usual Indian menu, and the naan itself is a light bite of heaven. House-roasted and ground spices help make the seafood, chicken, lamb and vegetarian dishes memorable. Try the Angarey tandoori chicken and the side dish of aromatic white rice with cumin seeds. Smooth rice pudding with candied almonds and raisins let you end the meal with a sweet light bite. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/288-5800. $$ 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. The scarletta pepper steak and bone-in pork chops are excellent, as are the braised Angus beef short ribs with toasted pearl barley and collard greens.

For dessert, try the red velvet bread pudding and your choice of a trio of sorbets. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/922-6699. $$

Taverna Kyma—6298 N. Federal Highway. Greek/ Mediterranean. Hankering for a traditional Greek meal, and a menu that offers just about everything? This is where you want to try the meze plates (cold, hot, seafood, veggie), saganaki, grilled entrees and kebobs. From the taramosalata to the branzino and pastitsio, servings are generous and good. Don’t forget dessert. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/994-2828. $$ Trattoria Romana—499 E. Palmetto Park Road.

Italian. This local mainstay does Italian classics and its own lengthy list of ambitious specials with unusual skill and aplomb.

The service is at a level not always seen in local restaurants. Pay attention to the daily specials, especially if they include impeccably done langostini oreganata and the restaurant’s signature jumbo shrimp saltimbocca. • Dinner nightly. 561/393-6715. $$$

Twenty Twenty Grille —141 Via Naranjas, Suite 45. Contemporary American. You’ve probably licked postage stamps that are larger than Ron and Rhonda Weisheit’s tiny

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jewel box of a restaurant, but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm, sophistication and imaginative, expertly crafted food. Virtually everything is made in-house, from the trio of breads that first grace your table to the pasta in a suave dish of tagliatelle with duck and chicken confit. Don’t miss the jerk pork belly and grilled veal strip loin. • Dinner nightly. 561/9907969. $$$

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 200 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. $$

AARON BRISTOL

WEST BOCA Boon’s Asian Bistro —19605 N. State Road 7.

Japanese/Thai. This is one of two Boon’s (the other is in Delray Beach), and it’s where the rush to eat excellent sushi started.

The fast-moving staff is choreographed to deliver dishes such as shrimp pad Thai that’s light, delicate and happily filled with shrimp. The Thai fried rice is unusually delicate too, with lots of egg, and is some of the best around. The sushi rolls are as fresh and inventive (try the Daimyo roll) as they are beautifully presented. Go early or call for a reservation. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/883-0202. $$

Tony fries from Ditmas

City Fish Market—7940 Glades Road. Seafood. A multimillion-dollar remodel of the old Pete’s has turned it into an elegant seafood house with a lengthy seafood-friendly wine list, impeccably fresh fish and shellfish cooked with care and little artifice. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly.

561/487-1600. $$

Lunch for Less

Josie’s Ristorante recently added new specials to its lunch menu: a $5 Wagyu cheeseburger, and a $5 chicken Caesar salad.

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ern Greek. The owners’ goal of bringing together the best of Greek cooking under one roof, much like the melting pot that is Athens, is covered here in an extensive menu. The best way to enjoy the food is to share it: the Pikilia trio with tzatziki, spicy feta and eggplant spread is a starting place. Try the mix grill platter and the hearty red Greek wine. End the night with a unique, velvety frappe cappuccino.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-2049. $$

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 nightly. 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 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. $ Driftwood—2005 S. Federal Highway. Modern American. Take food combos that sound unusual (popcorn sauce, avocado chocolate ice cream) but that taste wonderful and you’ve got Chef Jimmy Everett’s ideas on the table. They don’t last long, because they taste terrific. Try the smoked swordfish, the lobster with pickled okra, ricotta dumplings, the burger with gouda, the grilled octopus and pastrami’d chicken breast with roasted cabbage. • Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/733-4782. $$

Ditmas Kitchen—21077 Powerline Road. Contemporary kosher. This west Boca restaurant is named after a Brooklyn avenue in a district known for its food. Here you’ll find very good casual food, and no dairy products are used.

Try the Hibachi salmon, all-kale Caesar salad, the shnitzel sandwich. • Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 561/826-8875. $$$

Josie’s Italian Ristorante—1602 S. Federal Highway. Italian. Famed chef and South Florida culinary godfather Mark Militello is back at Josie’s after a brief stint at Boca’s Prezzo, and his magic in the kitchen of this cozy, old-school Italian restaurant is duly noted. His influence is evident in the daily specials, but old favorites like beefy short rib meatballs, an upmarket version of the classic San Francisco cioppino, and Josie’s signature veal Bersaglieri (veal medallions with artichokes, olives and roasted peppers in lemon-white wine sauce) don’t fail to satisfy either. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/364-9601. $$

La Ferme—9101 Lakeridge Blvd. French/Mediterranean.

Prime Catch—700 E. Woolbright Road. Seafood.

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 the foie gras terrine and proceed to lamb rack or pan-seared salmon with braised baby artichokes. C’est délicieux. • Dinner nightly. 561/654-6600. $$$

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. $$

Oli’s Fashion Cuisine —6897 S.W. 18th St. Mod-

Sushi Simon—1628 S. Federal Highway. Japanese.

It’s been called “Nobu North” by some aficionados, and for good reason. Local sushi-philes jam the narrow dining room for such impeccable nigirizushi as hamachi and uni (Thursdays), as well as more elaborate dishes like snapper Morimoto and tuna tartare. Creative, elaborate rolls are a specialty. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/731-1819. $$

ern American. With the unusual name comes a menu sporting lobster risotto to tuna tacos, grilled mahi and more. There are Italian, vegetarian, steak, flatbreads, salads and desserts, all pleasing to the eye and palate. Inside is a bit noisy, so try the outdoor, lakeside patio for a quieter meal. • Lunch and dinner daily, breakfast weekends. 561/571-6920. $$ bocamag.com

Oliv Pit Athenian Grille—6006 S.W. 18th St. Mod-

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129 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 wicked-good espresso panna cotta on it at your visit. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/303-1939. $$ 50 Ocean—50 S. Ocean Blvd. Seafood. The former Upper Deck at Boston’s on the Beach is now the more upscale, seafood-oriented spot. The menu ranges from familiar to slightly more inventive, from a classic lobster bisque and crisp-tender fried clam bellies to rock shrimp pot pie and baked grouper topped with blue crab. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$

Angelo Elia Pizza • Bar • Tapas— 16950 Jog Road. Italian. Nothing on the menu of Angelo Elia’s modern, small plates-oriented osteria disappoints, but particularly notable are the meaty fried baby artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chicken-turkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweet-salty-earthy-pungent mélange of pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella.

• Lunch Tues.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/381-0037. $

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 nightly. 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. $$

The Banyan—189 N.E. Second Ave. American.

the crispy salmon tacos and anything with the addictive kimchi, such as the kimchi fried rice. There are pasta, teriyaki and simmered duck with bok choy dishes—or 16 varieties of yakitori (food on skewers). You’ll be back to beg for more. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/563-8849. $$

Brulé Bistro —200 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The regular menu of this Pineapple Grove favorite always has satisfying dishes. Its specialties include crab tortellini with black truffles, chicken meatballs with coconut broth and cashews, plus signature dessert pistachio crème brùlée. Spirits and house cocktails steeped in speakeast style are paired with an ever-changing menu. Outside tables offer the best option for conversation. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-2046. $$ Buddha Sky Bar —217 E. Atlantic Ave. #3. Pan Asian. Don’t miss a meal at this stylish Asia-meets-industrial chic spot with a view of the Delray skyline. Chinese-influenced dim sum is inspired, while rock shrimp tempura and Tokyo beef skewers with twin chimichurri sauces touch the heart and the taste buds. Veggie fried rice is exemplary thanks to the kitchen’s application of wok chi. • Dinner nightly. 561/450-7557. $$

Burt & Max’s —9089 W. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. This bastion of contemporary comfort food in west Delray is approaching local landmark status, forging its own menu while borrowing a few dishes from Max’s Grille, like the hearty chopped salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf.

Other dishes are variations on the comfort food theme, including a stellar truffle-scented wild mushroom pizza. • Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$

Cabana El Rey—105 E. Atlantic Ave. Cuban tropical. Little Havana is alive and well in Delray. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue, including starters like mariquitas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$

Caffe Luna Rosa—34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach.

Italian. This multiple Delray Beach-award winning restaurant has sparkling service, comfort food taken to a higher level, and a setting just steps from the Atlantic. Open since 1993, and a success since then, they dish up big flavors in a tiny space, so call for reservations. Try the calamari fritto misto, then the rigatoni pomodoro and leave room for dessert. Or come back for breakfast.

• Open daily from breakfast through dinner. 561-274-9404. $$

Snuggled under its namesake banyan tree in Pineapple Grove, this modern restaurant boasts a bright pink neon bar with bright cocktails, too. Try the purple Aviation gin cocktail paired with the Maryland crab bites or the Yum Yum Shrimp with spicy-sweet sriracha aioli. Sliders, tacos, mac trios and flatbreads do not disappoint. Order the crème brûlée cheesecake if it’s available. • 561/563-8871. $$

City Oyster —213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with a jumbo crab cake. This is the place to see and be seen in Delray, and the food lives up to its profile. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$

Batch Gastropub —14813 Lyons Road. Gastro-

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 nightly. 561/272-9898. $$$

pub. Definitely try the homemade batches of cocktails on tap, which give this west Delray gastropub its name. The artisanal mixes boast ingredients such as H.M. Tonic No. 22—the crisp, tangy part of a very good gin and tonic. The heirloom tomato and feta salad is a highlight with Champagne vinaigrette dressing. Also popular are the brisket and short rib burgers, the avocado toast and the chicken Caesar. But the drinks are what you’ll remember. • Brunch Sat.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/877-0000. $$

Beg for More Izakaya —19 S.E. Fifth Ave. Japanese Small Plates. The large sake, whisky and beer menu here pairs beautifully with the small plates full of everything except sushi. No sushi. And that’s fine. Try the takoyaki (octopus balls),

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Cut 432—432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a

Dada—52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all its own. The comfort food with a moustache menu has its quirky charms, too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner nightly. 561/330-3232. $$

Deck 84—840 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American.

Burt Rapoport’s ode to laid-back tropical dining is like a day at the beach without getting sand between your toes. Though the restaurant is casual, the kitchen takes its food seriously, whether the stellar flatbreads, the thick and juicy 10-ounce special blend burger or homey seasonal cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/665-8484. $ El Camino —15 N.E. Second Ave. Mexican. This sexy, bustling downtown spot is from the trio behind nearby Cut 432 and Park Tavern. Fresh, quality ingredients go into everything from the tangy tomatillo salsas to the world-class fish tacos clad in delicate fried skin, set off by tart pineapple salsa. Cinnamon and sugar-dusted churros are the perfect dessert. And check out the margaritas, especially the smoky blend of mezcal and blanco tequila. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/865-5350. $$

Elisabetta’s —32 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. An ornate Italian spot, with classically prepared dishes including spiedini shrimp, burrata de prosciutto bruschetta, costoletta di vitello (veal), a guanciale pizza, cacio e pepe pasta, malfadine Amatriciana and gemelli puttanesca. Portions are large and that, thankfully, goes for the homemade gelati, too. The best seating outdoors is the second-floor balcony overlooking Atlantic Avenue.

• Lunch and dinner daily; weekend brunch. 561/650-6699. $$ The Grove—187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Chef and sommelier Michael Haycook and Dining Room Manager Paul Strike change their menu biweekly, turning out dishes exhilarating in their freshness, creativity and elegant simplicity. An appetizer of octopus with olive oil, crushed potato aioli and lemon is outstanding. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/266-3750. $$ Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar—1841 S. Federal Highway. American. You don’t have to worry about calories (most dishes are under 500), you don’t have to worry about finding something you haven’t tried before (new items are added every three months) and freshness is the silent ingredient throughout. Try the pesto Caprese flatbread, the supergrain salad and the steak or salmon or chicken. Desserts offer big tastes in small jars. • Lunch and dinner daily; brunch on weekends. 561/266-3239. $$

Henry’s—16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpretentious restaurant in the west part of town never fails to delight diners.

Expect attentive service and crisp execution of everything—from meat loaf, burgers and fried chicken to flatbreads and hefty composed salads. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/638-1949. $$

Il Girasole—2275 S. Federal Highway. Northern Italian.

If you want Northern Italian in a low-key atmosphere, and nobody rushing you out the door, this is your spot. Start with something from the very good wine list. Try the yellowtail snapper, the penne Caprese and the capellini Gamberi, and leave room for the desserts.

Reservations recommended. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$ J&J Seafood Bar & Grill—634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on Atlantic Avenue—owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$

Jimmy’s Bistro —9 S. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. This small gem off noisy Atlantic Avenue is big on taste and ambience, and has been busy since 2009. You can travel the world with dumplings, conch fritters, pork schnitzel, rigatoni Bolognese, étouffée and more. Reservations are recommended at this laid-back, comfortable venue. • Dinner nightly.

561/865-5774. $$

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Joseph’s Wine Bar —200 N.E. Second Ave. Mediterranean-American. Joseph’s is an elegant, comfortable, intimate nook in Delray’s Pineapple Grove, and an ideal place for a lazy evening. This family affair—owner Joseph Boueri, wife Margaret in the kitchen, and son Elie and daughter Romy working the front of the house—has all tastes covered. Try the special cheese platter, the duck a l’orange or the rack of lamb.

• Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-6100. $$

L’Acqua —110 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. You’ll get what you pay for here: very good Italian food in an upscale, modern, cool gray and white restaurant that is a refreshing change from busy Atlantic Avenue. The antipasti (bread, balsamic/honey dipping sauce, Parmesan chunks, bruschetta) are so good, they could be dinner. But save room for the pollo Parmigiana, the scallopine piccate al limone, the four kinds of risotto, and dessert. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/563-7492. $$$ La Cigale —253 S.E. Fifth Ave. Mediterranean. Popular venue since 2001, with Greek and Italian dishes and more. Highlights are seafood paella, roasted half duck and grilled jumbo artichoke appetizer. Lots of favorites on the menu: calf’s liver, veal osso buco, branzino, seafood crepes. Nice outdoor seating if weather permits. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$ Latitudes —2809 S. Ocean Blvd. Modern American. You should come for both the sunset and the food. This oceanfront restaurant is a gem tucked inside the Delray Sands resort. From the airy, bubbly interior to the raw bar, the décor is soothing and fun. Try the lobster and crab stuffed shrimp, the miso-glazed Skuna Bay salmon, the branzino or the veal Bolognese. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-6241. $$$

AARON BRISTOL

Lemongrass Bistro—420 E. Atlantic Ave. Pan-Asian.

Grilled artichoke from La Cigale

Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination.

The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-5050. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/5448181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $

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. $$

Missing Happy Hour

Rack’s Fish House, in Delray’s old VFW building, always had the best happy hour combos; here’s hoping for a rebound on that tradition!

Park Tavern —32 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Check out the high-top seating or bar stools during an excellent happy hour menu that includes deviled eggs, pork sliders, chicken wings and a happy crowd. Entrees are generous and well executed. Try the fish and chips, one of six burgers, fish tacos and more. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.Sun. 561/265-5093. $$ Prime—29 S.E Second Ave. Steak/Seafood. Prime is aptly named for its heart of the action location, neo-supper club decor, extensive wine list and roster of designer steaks. Starters and desserts fare better than entrées, especially the Maryland-style crab cakes and luscious chocolate bread pudding. Service is strong so with a bit of work this restaurant will fully live up to its name. • Dinner nightly.

561/865-5845. $$$

Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar—5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, bocamag.com

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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. $$$

Salt7—32 S.E. Second Ave. Modern American. All the pieces needed to create a top-notch restaurant are here: talented chef, great food, excellent service. From the pea risotto to the crab cake to the signature steaks and a lot more, this is a venue worth the money. Thanks goes to Executive Chef Paul Niedermann, who won TV’s notorious “Hell’s Kitchen” show, and his talent is displayed here on the plate. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. Brunch Sunday. 561/274-7258. $$$ Sazio —131 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. This long-lived venue on crowded Atlantic Avenue is a reason to sit down and take a breath. Then take up a fork and try the linguine with white clam sauce or the ravioli Sazio or grilled skirt steak or pretty much anything on the menu. Prices are reasonable; leftovers are popular. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/272-5540. $$

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. $$ Taverna Opa—270 E. Atlantic Ave. Greek. Yes, you can order a side of belly dancing and napkin tossing with your moussaka and baklava at this chain. But the moussaka and baklava are very good; so is the rest of the food at the downtown Delray outpost. Also worth your while (and appetite) are appetizers like melitzanosalata, whipped eggplant with orange zest and roasted red pepper, and tarama, a creamy emulsion of bread, olive oil and salmon roe. Whole grilled bronzino is finished with lemon and orange juices for a citrusy flavor boost, while tongue-tying galaktoboureko goes baklava one better by adding vanilla-scented custard to golden, flaky phyllo. • Dinner nightly. 561/303-3602. $$

Terra Fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian. The pleasures of simple, well-prepared Italian-American cuisine are front and center here. Enjoy the delicate, pillow-y veal meatballs in Marsala sauce; lusty chicken Allessandro with mushrooms, spinach and artichoke hearts; and a finely crafted tiramisu that’s as satisfying as it is familiar. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/495-5570. $$ Tramonti—119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. In a world where restaurants chase trends with the relentlessness of Casanova in full Viagra heat, Tramonti stands out as a classic outpost of authentic Italian cookery. Not trendy hardly means stodgy, however, as evidenced by expertly crafted, robustly flavorful dishes like the signature spiedini di mozzarella Romana, spaghetti al cartoccio and braciole Napoletana. Torta della nonna is a triumph of the highly refined simplicity that lies at the heart of true Italian cuisine.

• Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-1944. $$$ Veg Eats Food—334 E. Linton Blvd. Creative Vegan. This is comfort food for everyone; the dishes will impress carnivores, too.

Smell the fresh coconut vegetable curry soup, which tastes as good as it sounds. Try the grilled brawt sausage, the Ranch chixn, the banh mi and a Ruben—all from plant-based ingredients that will fool your taste buds. You’ll want to take home some of the prepared meals after you’ve visited, too. • Lunch daily. 561/562-6673. $

WEB EXTRA: check out our complete tri-county dining guide only at BOCAMAG.COM.

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BOCA BACCHANAL GRAND TASTING WHAT: The 18th-annual Boca Bacchanal culminated in yet another fantastic Grand Tasting on March 7, with guests coming together at the Boca Raton Resort & Club’s Great Hall to enjoy libations and gourmet food, and participate in a silent auction. World-renowned vintners offered tastings of fine wines and spirits, and local chefs and restaurants served delectable bites of their signature dishes.

WHERE: Boca Raton Resort & Club

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1. Hundreds of guests came together to enjoy this year’s Grand Tasting.

2. A selection of fine libations from Quintessential Wines 3. Thomas Arvid at work in his pop-up art installation 4. Vintners from Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine displaying their products 5. Al and Joanie Goldberg, Thom and JoyceDaVita

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10 6. Delectable selections from the bakers at J&D Cakes 7. The team from Pukara Peruvian Cuisine 8. Guests had the opportunity to bid on more than 100 items in a silent auction.

9. Hank and Francis Jawhari with Mandy Rodgers and Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers 10. Bill Gilberson and Thomas Arvid

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LAUGH WITH THE LIBRARY

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WHAT: The Delray Beach Public Library hosted its annual Laugh With the Library event at the Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort and Spa on Atlantic Avenue, inviting hundreds of guests to enjoy live comedy and support the library’s programming and outreach efforts. It was the event’s 14th year, with a headlining standup comedy set by local comedian Sarge Pickman and a “Call to the Heart” outreach by J.D. Dickenson in honor of the late architect Robert Currie.

WHERE: Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort and Spa

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5 1. Paula Humber, Dwayne Randolph and Remona Rey 2. Judy and Jess Sowards 3. Cassidee and Ryan Boylston with Jordana Jarjura and Danille Rosenberg 4. Becky Walsh and Heidi Sargeant 5. Brenda Medore and Ginny Barbary

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THE ADDISON TEAMS UP WITH BOCA HELPING HANDS WHAT: The Addison in Boca Raton donated 700 meals per week to Boca Helping Hands in an effort to support the community during the coronavirus crisis. Its support of the beloved local charity allowed BHH drivers to provide homebound clients with hot meals each week, and helped to stock the charity’s facility with meals for walk-up clients.

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1. Jim Pratt, Max Mikhailau, Jessica Rind, Ken Panapasa 2. Alfredo Juarez, Executive Chef Patrick Duffy, Jose Hernandez, Angel Acevedo 3. Max Mikhailau, Jessica Rind, Ken Panapasa 4. Max Mikhailau, Greg Hazle, Ken Panapasa 5. Sonja Harman

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6. Alfredo Juarez July/August 2020 issue. Vol. 40, No. 6. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Media, and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Media is strictly prohibited: Savor the Avenue; Tastemakers of Delray; Tastemakers at Mizner; Florida Style and Design; Delray Beach magazine; Boca Raton, South Florida At Its Best; bocamag.com; Florida Table; Boca Raton magazine. Boca (ISSN07402856) is published 8 times a year (September/ October, November/December, January, February, March, April, May/June and July/August) by JES Media. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Telephone: 561/997-8683.

Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $24.95/6 issues, $34.95/12 issues (shipping fee included for one- and 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.

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MY TURN

America’s Birthday It’s time to pay attention and salute our flag Written by JOHN SHUFF

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n July 4 we celebrate America’s 244th birthday. This is the day we proudly raise the American flag and pray for our country here and abroad, for the young republic once forged from tyranny, and for all the men and women returning from war whose coffins are draped by “Old Glory.”

In every case we pay special tribute to a life sacrificed to preserve and defend our freedom, a quality I believe is taken for granted by the majority of people in this country. Most don’t understand what America stands for.

a free society there there would be political division and rancor. However, the current status of our cities, states, Washington and the country’s infrastructure is derelict. Is this the legacy we want left to our children and grandchildren?

If America is truly the model of freedom—of tolerance, love, compassion and understanding of peoples of all races, faiths and colors—then we better start living up to our press clippings. It’s time to walk the walk and talk the talk. If we don’t, we will make a sham out of our Constitution and its intentions. Our

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

—Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson principal author

I doubt most people could name the framers who painstakingly wrote our Declaration of Independence.

They are ignorant about American history and the foundation upon which the republic was built. Look at our public schools, where civics classes—the study of government and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship—are virtually nonexistent these days. When it comes to how our government works, America’s youth has been dumbed down; I wonder how many even think about the people who have sacrificed their lives to preserve the freedom they so casually enjoy.

Our Constitution has sent a message of freedom to the world. It’s a document that has served our republic for 244 years. However, America is slowly being torn apart and divided. Democrats and Republicans rail at the sight of each other. Washington’s leadership is nonexistent. Rich and poor, black and white, English and non-English speakers are choosing sides, and it’s getting ugly.

Is this what our framers envisioned when they crafted the foundation of our democracy, the Declaration of Independence? I’m sure they knew that in

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acts of indifference and discrimination toward our fellow Americans are appalling. To recite the words of the Declaration of Independence without living up to them makes us hypocrites.

I believe that if the men who framed our constitution could see America today, they would bow their heads in sorrow and weep for the country for which they held so much hope. Presently, our country is mired in political scandals, never-before-experienced partisan politics, rampant lying, cheating and a winat-no-cost attitude.

The symbol of our freedom and independence is the American flag, Old Glory. On July 4 proudly display our stars and stripes. It has been torched, stamped on, torn in shreds and ignored by some in the National Football League. But it has survived and always will, just as our Constitution does, define our behavior as Americans and capture the essence of our human dignity and independence. It is America’s legacy to the world, our message of freedom.

Happy Birthday, America!

April 2020

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