Boca magazine September/October 2021 by JES Media

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Better. For You. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence.

Unparalleled compassion and clinical expertise. From the moment you receive a cancer diagnosis, we are by your side, treating you with compassionate, individualized care. Our team of subspecialized physicians at Lynn Cancer Institute will develop a targeted treatment plan that is best for you.

Leadership Team

Louise E. Morrell, M.D. Medical Director Breast Cancer, Genetics

Michael E. Kasper, M.D., FACRO, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology Genitourinary Cancer, Skin, Head and Neck

Stephen A. Grabelsky, M.D., Medical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancer, Gynecological Malignancies, Hematology

Maureen Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, Assistant Vice President

Albert Begas, M.D. Breast Cancer, Lung

Lloyd D. Berkowitz, M.D. Genitourinary Cancer, Gynecological Malignancies, Melanoma

Medical Oncology

Howard A. Adler, M.D. Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies

Spencer H. Bachow, M.D. Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies, Genitourinary Cancer, Gynecological Malignancies

Warren S. Brenner, M.D. Gastrointestinal Cancer, Multiple Myeloma

Edgar Castillo D’Andreis, M.D. Lung Cancer, Genitourinary Cancer, Hematology

Liat Dagan, M.D. Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies

Teresa G. Decesare, M.D. Breast Cancer, Hematology

Neuro-Oncology

Hilary I. Gomolin, M.D. Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies, Head and Neck Cancer, Melanoma

Alan J. Koletsky, M.D. Genitourinary Cancer

Radiation Oncology

Rashmi K. Benda, M.D. Breast Cancer, Lung

Samuel Richter, M.D. Lung Cancer, Breast, Central Nervous System Cancers

Matthen Mathew, M.D. Head and Neck Cancer, Lung, Hematology

Harold Richter, M.D. Lung Cancer, Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies

Alka Sawhney, M.D. Hematology, Hematologic Malignancies

Jane D. Skelton, M.D. Breast Cancer

Angelina S. The, M.D. Breast Cancer, Hematology, Lymphoma, Chronic Leukemia

S. Forrest Dodson, M.D. Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

Kerry-Ann McDonald, M.D. Breast Cancer Surgery

Supportive and Palliative Medicine Surgical Oncology

Patricia W. Jacobs, M.D.

Bruce M. Brenner, M.D. Melanoma

Joseph A. Colletta, M.D. Breast Cancer Surgery

Sajeel A. Chowdhary, M.D. Neurology

Learn more at BRRH.com/LCI or by calling 561-955-LYNN (5966). Thomas P. Morrissey, M.D., FACOG, FACS Director of Gynecologic Oncology

John Roberts, M.D. Lung Cancer Surgery

Hilary Shapiro-Wright, D.O. Breast Cancer Surgery

Ari Silverstein, M.D. Urological Cancer Surgery

David A. Taub, M.D. Urological Cancer Surgery

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Arts & entertainment

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

Dining guide

Our independent reviews of restaurants in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A reliable resource for residents and tourists. For more information, contact Christie Galeano-DeMott (christie@bocamag.com).

People

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

September/October 2021

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8/10/21 9:07 AM

FROM THE EDITOR

Notes on a Pink Lady From our own backyard to South Florida as a whole, change is spinning us into a new era Written by MARIE SPEED

don’t remember the first time I walked into the Resort, but it was well before a Boca Raton civil war broke out over painting the lobby white. Back then there were huge parrots in a courtyard behind the Cloister, and the Logo Shop was in the lobby, and seafood buffets were held every Friday night over at the Beach Club. That was decades, of course, after the beloved Cabana Club closed, and many decades after an eccentric architect named Addison Mizner declared the Boca Raton Club the finest hotel of its day. It’s been almost a century now that the sprawling pink resort has served as a cornerstone for our city, from its ancient kapok trees and elegant golf course to the classic launch shuttling guests back and forth to the Beach Club. It has produced a thousand spun sugar desserts at every gala in town, showcased flamboyant flower arrangements in the Cloister lobby, and entertained guests by a real magician at Malone’s Magic Bar. And for all of this time it has been our resort, our history, despite the steady changes and renovations that accompanied each new owner—again and again and again. This time, the new owner, MSD Partners L.P., led by Michael Dell, is not simply making changes and reorienting things; the new owner is engaged in a sweeping transformation that will fundamentally alter the entire waterfront of the Cloister—and that’s just for starters. It is redoing the latest redone bits, and it has changed its name to The Boca Raton. Although none of us has learned all the specifics (communication has been noticeably sparse), we do know the resort has a new man in charge who believes in the property—and wants to return it to its former grandeur as one of America’s great resorts. We talked to new president and CEO Daniel Hostettler (page 60), who told us how he thinks about the Resort—and a little of what’s ahead for it. Speaking of change, we also take a look at the ongoing and massive migration of New Yorkers and others to our area—and what it means for South Florida (page 68). The communities of Delray and Boca, and the larger tri-county region, are undergoing a seismic shift in home values, business relocations and sheer numbers—and the sleepy days of off-season are one of the first casualties. Change is here, at home and all around us. It’s a little tough to take sometimes, but it may also signal an exciting new future. I think I’m going with that.

bocamag.com

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September/October 2021

8/5/21 4:43 PM

“First Republic is firmly rooted in the community. That’s what first attracted us.” S U S A N K E E N A N W R I G H T, Director, Palm Beach Civic Association; Executive Vice President, Suzanne Wright Foundation B O B W R I G H T, Chairman, Palm Beach Civic Association; Founder, Suzanne Wright Foundation

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THE LOCAL B O C A C H AT T E R H OT L I S T ROCKET MAN E D U C AT O R T H E LO O K M OV E R I N S P I RAT I O N A RT I S T

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For more on artist Hubert Phipps, please see page 32

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THE LOCAL

SCARY STATS

BOCA CHATTER

SCHOOL ESSENTIALS 2021

10% of people dress up their pets for Halloween

180 million

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Locals sound off on issues affecting our community.

Live events are being scheduled again. What are you most looking forward to this season? “I’m really looking forward to a James Taylor and Jackson Browne concert... Something so wonderful and comforting about those songs that we grew up with ... can’t wait!”

—Molly Reynolds, senior director of sales, Keurig Dr. Pepper

“Going to the liquor store without a mask … Seriously, though, attending the symphony or opera—any live cultural music venue would make me extremely happy!” —Gregg Beletsky, director, Worth Avenue Association

AARON BRISTOL

—Tracy Tilson, president and founder, Tilson PR

“I am really looking forward to traveling for work again. I have missed the interaction with my team and having live meetings with customers.”

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FALL IS….

When stone crabs come back October 15

AND FALL FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW…. • In the early 1600s, the rural population started to form cities, and the term“harvest,” which was previously used as a seasonal term, shifted to“fall of the leaf,” which, over time, became simply “fall.”

• Children born in the fall may be more likely to live longer and do better in school.

• Global warming may put the kibosh on leaf peeping. Scientists say that because leaf colors are highly affected by temperature, light and water supply, escalating temps can delay the leaves from turning.

• Gaining that extra hour during the autumn equinox may be good for us. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Americans have fewer heart attacks following the end of Daylight Saving Time.

When “season” for the working people really kicks in

When college football starts—with real fans at real games

—Redbook

Ghost Stories … In Our Backyard Before West Palm Beach City Manager Karl Riddle owned it, his house, ca. 1905, was originally a West Palm Beach funeral home that was moved generations later to the South Florida Fairgrounds in 1995. The Riddle House is said to be haunted by one of Riddle’s former employees named Joseph, who committed suicide by hanging in the attic, despondent over financial problems. His ghost is said to not like men, and to have attacked them on occasion. This house was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures”in 2008.

“I had to walk to the front of the building and all the way through the dark theater to a side hall to go outside to turn the meters off. … About the fourth or fifth trip outside, something touched my arm. I stopped and heard in a child’s voice, ‘Do not go back there!’ meaning the hall to the dressing rooms. I told whatever it was, ‘Don’t worry, I won’t!’ When it was time to get the check for payment, I met the director upstairs in her office, and she said, ‘We would like you to make you our regular plumber.’ We? She was the only one there…”

The Lake Worth Playhouse was built by brothers Lucien and Clarence Oakley in 1924, and it is rumored that Lucien now haunts the place. His ghost has appeared in mirrors, and he has been blamed for moving things around as well as footsteps heard along an empty catwalk. Other testimonials include one by a plumber who was hired to work on a dressing room and had to first shut off the water meter. The account is as follows:

Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in Royal Palm Beach is rumored to have strange fogs settling in and disappearing, with strange things moving in the fog. There are sudden temperature changes and reports of “uneasy feelings, as if someone or something is right behind you while you are alone.” —floridahauntedhouses.com

When the Witches of Delray ride again When it’s the best time of year to go out to restaurants, visit Disney, buy a car and make airline reservations

When Halloween returns—and you can actually pass out the candy rather than eat it all yourself When you’re almost out of the woods when it comes to hurricanes but it’s still summer crazy hot

When pumpkin spice takes over the world, annoying cinnamon brooms are everywhere and Home Depot starts slipping in Christmas trees between the LED skeletons

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HOT LIST

THE LOCAL

“MACHU PICCHU AND THE GOLDEN EMPIRES OF PERU”

“ALMOST, MAINE”

WHEN: Oct. 16-March 6 WHERE: Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton COST: $10-$12 CONTACT: 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org

WHEN: Oct. 15-Pending WHERE: Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach COST: $79 ($94 for opening night) CONTACT: 561/514-4042, palmbeachdramaworks.org Dramaworks’ 2021/2022 season will mark the venerable playhouse’s 20th anniversary. To honor this milestone—and a year of new beginnings—the company will focus, for the first time in its history, solely on plays written in the 21st century. The season opens with “Almost, Maine,” John Cariani’s touching and reflective suite of nine short plays all set around the fictional town of the title. A chance encounter in a laundry room, the majesty of the aurora borealis, and other tender stories of connection and loss have made Cariani’s play something of a genre-hopping institution well beyond its northeastern origins.

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In what is likely his biggest coup as a museum director since bringing“Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs”to Fort Lauderdale in 2005, Irvin Lippman is working with World Heritage Exhibitions (WHE) to premiere“Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru”in Boca. The immersive and multisensory exhibition will encompass both floors of the museum and feature 192 priceless artifacts—objects never seen before by the public—and one of the largest gold collections to ever tour the globe. In the words of WHE President Anthony Tann, the exhibition will allow museum guests to“see, hear and smell”the ancient region, from among the clouds atop the Andes Mountains to the Amazon rainforest—all to“push the limits of what is possible.”Sign up for tickets early at bocamuseum.org/golden.

Rüfüs Du Sol

Incan art from “Machu Picchu”

THE MONKEES FAREWELL TOUR

WHEN: Oct. 12, 8 p.m. WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts,

III POINTS FESTIVAL

WHEN: Oct. 22-23 WHERE: Mana Wynwood, 2217 N.W. Fifth Ave.,

Miami

COST: $189 for two-day pass CONTACT: iiipoints.com

The innovative, tech-forward and thrice-postponed event with one of the most curated lineups in the music-festival business looks as though it will finally commence, a full 19 months after most of its headliners were originally scheduled. Hip-hop, indie rock and electronica gel with fluid ease throughout the sleepless Wynwood festival, with alternative chartbusters the Strokes, rap royalty Wu-Tang Clan, Down Under electro powerhouse Rüfüs Du Sol and electrifying Swedish DJ Eric Prydz at the top of the ticket. We’re especially excited about some of the more esoteric artists down the bill, including world-music revisionists Khruangbin, avant-folk hero Devendra Banhart, experimental Miami native Yves Tumor and constructivist composer William Basinski. Watch it all go down on six stages supplemented by immersive murals and an eclectic food court.

••••

201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale COST: $53-$83 CONTACT: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org Here’s a fun fact: Primary Monkees vocalist Micky Dolenz used to play celebrity polo, which brought him routinely to Boca Raton.“When I got into it in the ‘80s, I discovered that [Cream’s] Ginger Baker played polo,”Dolenz told Boca magazine last year.“And so did a friend of mine, Kenny Jones, who started drumming for the Who after Keith Moon died. Drummers seem to get into playing polo!”This fall, though, Dolenz will be returning to South Florida under the auspices of his day job: belting classics from“I’m a Believer”to“Last Train to Clarksville”to“Pleasant Valley Sunday.”He’ll be joined by fellow Monkees guitarist Mike Nesmith, allegedly for the last time as a duo, to perform not only the hits but a treasure trove of deep cuts and rarities spanning some 55 years—not a bad run for a fictitious “band”created for a sitcom. Micky Dolenz

September/October 2021

8/5/21 5:07 PM

Mimi Bengio Mimi Bengio

Senior Vice President Senior Vice President

Stephen LaForte Stephen LaForte

Senior Vice President Senior Vice President

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ROCKET MAN

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To the Stars

Hubert Phipps’ space-age sculpture expands Boca’s public-art footprint Written by JOHN THOMASON

I’m just thrilled it’s here. The architecture works really well with the sculpture; the sculpture works really well with the architecture.” —Hubert Phipps

s you motor toward the parking lot of Boca Raton Innovation Campus, you can’t miss it: the towering, gleaming, three-pronged “Rocket” levitating off a concrete pad just outside the semicircle of former IBM property. After more than two years of design, build and transport, this 30-foot high, 22-foot wide sentinel of polished stainless steel has lifted off. “Rocket”is a landmark for Boca Raton’s Art in Public Places program, a joint effort between BRiC, the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the artist, Hubert Phipps. A Virginia-based sculptor with ties to a Palm Beach pioneer family, Phipps conceived of “Rocket”as almost a doodle in his sketchbook, long before he inked a deal for the largest work of his career.

“It appealed to me, and ideas that appeal to me I take a little step further,”he says.“I made a maquette, worked with clay, and then brought it into the computer. [Eventually] I made a 27-inch model of the sculpture in a matte finish. It was on display at an exhibition at Coral Springs Museum of Art. And Irvin Lippman came by, and saw the exhibition.” A fellow artist connected Phipps with Lippman, and the idea hatched to expand“Rocket”into its enormous present form. Phipps contracted a foundry in China to build the piece, and the final work, in three pieces, bounced around South Korea, Japan, Mexico and Texas before being off-loaded in New Orleans and trucked to Boca Raton. Its construction at BRiC involved assembling the three panels

with 12 flanges and 96 bolts. “It was a great learning experience that I’m just one little cog here,”Phipps says.“I don’t even know how to calculate how many people were involved. When I think about my small team in my studio, the digital artists I work with, the foundry that made the small maquette, the foundry in China, the shipping people and the trucking company, and the BRiC team with the multiple engineers and the marketing people and lawyers to work out the legal documents for the loan.” [“Rocket”is on loan for five years, after which BRiC has the option to purchase.] After all of this,“I’m just thrilled it’s here. The architecture works really well with the sculpture; the sculpture works really well with the architecture.” As with the iconic “Bean” sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park, visitors are encouraged to walk under and around“Rocket,” enjoying their distorted reflections off its surface. Like many of Phipps’ previous works in steel, it evokes a certain retro-futurism: a sleek ‘60s sci-fi dispatch from the frontiers of engineering. At the time of this interview, parts of “Rocket” still needed to be tweaked, curbing Phipps’ enthusiasm.“I’m still obsessing over all the detail work,” he says.“That’s this OCD thing. It takes time, but I get over it.” This drive toward perfectionism has accompanied Phipps throughout his past pursuits, and it runs in his family. His paternal great-grandfather, entrepreneur and investor Henry Phipps, once owned one-third of the Town of Palm Beach. At around age 11, Hubert moved to the island with his uncle, Michael Phipps, a 10-goal

Hubert Phipps

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easy life. And then that whole guilt trip about, ‘I’ve got money, so I’m supposed to be happy?’ I believe I’ve overcome that.” For part of his adult life, Phipps raced cars professionally, and flew planes like his uncle; their aerodynamic forms were an influence on“Rocket.”But his success as an artist developed after he tried to follow his kin into big business.

“I continually eschewed my art talent to go into businesses that failed,”he says.“I had to justify my financial position by being financially successful, and it was a disaster.” As for the Phipps surname that emblazons a plaza and oceanfront park in Palm Beach? “It’s a name,” he says.“Henry’s not there. It’s a story; it’s interesting, and then it’s not interesting.”

The “Rocket” sculpture at Boca Raton Innovation Campus

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MICHAEL STAVARIDIS

polo player who would fly helicopters into the backyard of their 22-acre property—“James Bond stuff,” Hubert says. “I found out quickly about how people reacted: ‘Oh, you’re a Phipps,’”he recalls.“I felt, as an adolescent, ostracized. I just wanted to be one of the rest of the guys and gals. I was buying into this whole myth about money and the

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EDUCATOR

THE LOCAL

Ellen Birkman

For more than 40 years, this local teacher and author has worked to brighten and enlighten the community through her work Written by JAMES BIAGIOTTI

Everybody has received their own gifts. And I’m teaching high school kids that they need to be figuring out what their gift is, what their strength is, and how they can use it for their careers and for the greater good.” —Ellen Birkman

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“I come here to have fun and have a good time,”she says of the extra work she puts into creating an engaging classroom experience. “I get the job done, but it’s very important to me that we’re all having a good time. … I try because I think they deserve it. That’s my basic philosophy. If anybody deserves every break you can give them, it’s high school kids, for a million reasons.” Even the more difficult aspects of the job can’t bring Birkman down. “Whenever there’s a parent who’s upset about something, I only see how much they love their kid,”she shares.“They got all dressed up, left work, and came to school just to yell at somebody. They’re really just doing that because of how much they love their kids.” Outside of teaching, Birkman spends much of her free time working on a series of self-published novels in “The Sunbuckle Series,” which has been her outlet since the untimely death of her husband Arland years ago. Named for cookies called“sandbakkels” that she grew to love while studying abroad in Norway in her youth, Birkman uses the sanguine novels as a way to connect with her students and the community around her. Readers of the series range in age from her close friend Isabelle Paul to 24-year-old former student Sarah King, both avid fans.“It makes me feel great that I’ve got a book that appeals to all ages,”she says,“not just old ladies.” To date, Birkman has finished eight installments of the series, with four more on the way, and she uses them to offer a creative outlet to her students as well. The covers of the novels—which are set in Boca Raton—were de-

Ellen Birkman

signed by two of her former Boca High students, and even the photo that accompanies this story was taken by one of her students. The books, which are informed by Birkman’s optimistic worldview and incorporate genial stories that she picks up from friends and family, exist to “take the reader to a very happy place,” she says. When she’s not in the classroom or working on her manuscripts, Birkman runs a successful side business as an SAT/ACT tutor, helping high schoolers to prepare for the notoriously taxing college entrance exams. And while this pandemic-informed school year has been a difficult one for her, she loves her profession enough to have already signed on to teach again next year, despite the fact that her retirement was initially planned for 2018. “I do think—and I stress this with my kids—that everybody has received their own gifts,” she says. “And I’m teaching high school kids that they need to be figuring out what their gift is, what their strength is, and how they can use it for their careers and for the greater good.”

PIERCE HERRMANN

“T

here are a lot of teachers who are really motivated by the kids, and those people give a hundred percent every day,” Ellen Birkman says while praising her colleagues in the education field. But she could just as easily be describing herself. Birkman, a teacher in South Florida for more than 40 years, exemplifies the ideal. Beloved by her students and coworkers alike, and boasting a warm smile and chronically sunny disposition, Birkman has been a mainstay at Boca Raton Community High School since 2003. Born in Olmsted Falls outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Birkman and her family relocated to South Florida when she was in her early 20s. An early attendee of Florida Atlantic University—she boasts of the school’s ascent since her time there decades ago—Birkman quickly acclimated to South Florida through her faith, which is what eventually pushed her into teaching. After beginning her career as an educator by teaching Sunday schools and acting as music director at two churches, she eventually branched out into public schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties, where she has taught music, English, speech and debate, and now AP human geography. A mother of three and in her 18th year at Boca High, Birkman still works to improve her students’ experience in the classroom. She moves the desks around each day, meticulously plans out class periods to ensure variety, and invites speakers into the curriculum to connect her coursework to the real world.

September/October 2021

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THE LOCAL

LOOK

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: BECK chocolate crossbody, $325, Filly & Colt GLEN ARTHUR lizard belt bag, $759, Wish and Shoes PROENZA SCHOULER fringe clutch, $2,295, Neiman Marcus

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THE LOCAL

LOOK

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LOOK

THE LOCAL

Boot Camp These boots are made for slogging—with a militant spin on fashion

VALENTINO GARAVANI ATELIER cutout combat boot, $1,690, Neiman Marcus

AARON BRISTOL

CHRISTIAN DIOR ankle boot, $1,650 PAPUCEI ribbon boot, $260, Filly & Colt RENE CAOVILLA boot, $1,580, Neiman Marcus

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LOOK

THE LOCAL

s p o P Ice

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Brooches, top $75, below, $80, from Filly & Colt Coin necklace, $275, from Wish and Shoes Yellow Diana bracelet, $895, Diana necklace, $895, Diana earrings, $199, Diana yellow ring, $199, Victoria pink ring, $199, all from Anna Zuckerman Luxury

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September/October 2021

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LOOK

THE LOCAL

SAINT LAURENT bag, $2,490, Neiman Marcus BOTTEGA VENETA bag, $2,950, Neiman Marcus VALENTINO bag, $3,350, Neiman Marcus

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These soft bags are all about a cushy look this fall

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September/October 2021

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LOOK

RALBA leaf shirt, $215 and medallion print shirt, $195, Ralba Luxury Menswear Boutique BLAKE KUWAHARA sunglasses, $650, Grove Opticians ANNA-KARIN KARLSSON sunglasses, $1,400, Grove Opticians ALEXANDER MCQUEEN shoes, $620, Neiman Marcus

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Boy Toys The look is bright, multi-colored and full of fun this season

AARON BRISTOL

THE LOCAL

September/October 2021

8/3/21 5:18 PM

Timeless Design

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Vi Design is an awardwinning interior design firm, specializing in turnkey interior design projects and construction management, as well as the go-to destination for wallpaper and textiles. From conception to completion, Vi Design manages each project from A to Z, with an attentive and personalized approach, so clients can truly enjoy the design experience. Violetta Ustayev—founder and principal designer—has brought incredible concepts to life for more than a decade. She has a keen eye for detail and infuses her own global experiences and personal eclectic style in each design. Ustayev has collaborated with clients from around the world, creating designs that complement their individual lifestyles and vision for their homes. Her philosophy is that great design is forever, and she, and her entire team, bring life to timeless designs that her clients have been dreaming about.

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8/8/21 1:20 PM

MOVER

THE LOCAL

If You Build It …

In just a year and a half, West Coast transplant Craig O’Keefe has helped create a culinary empire in Delray

raig O’Keefe cares about the minutia. “There’s a thought behind everything,”he says, sitting in a corner booth at Lionfish, the table set for the evening’s 4 p.m. opening.“Behind this napkin, behind this silverware, the glassware. It’s not just the food, or the materials you’re using. It’s everything. There’s intention behind all of it. And we have to deliver all of that, all the time.” O’Keefe, the 37-year-old managing partner of Clique Hospitality, may be a recent import to Delray Beach, having only moved here in the summer of 2019. But his firm’s reputation precedes him, having built an empire in the West Coast with some 17 restaurants, nightclubs and lounges in the San Diego and Las Vegas markets. Clique’s venues, from the décor to the menu to the house music, are designed with Gen-X and millennial diners in mind, and O’Keefe is not shy about trumpeting his company’s record.“We changed the entire food and beverage landscape in Las Vegas,” he says. He’s hoping to accomplish much the same in Delray. “There’s so much potential here, and I think most people in this area can feel this emerging market coming out of the Delray area,”he says.“I think it’s right in line with the type of atmosphere, service, food quality, drink quality that our company delivers.” Much of Clique’s expansion in Delray Beach is thanks to developer Craig Menin, who enlisted O’Keefe as the food and beverage director on Menin Development’s The Ray, a 141-

“We’re not a company that usually retreats. We continue to move forward, and I’m confident we’re going to keep doing so.” —Craig O’Keefe

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room hotel in Pineapple Grove that opens this fall. O’Keefe designed its three restaurants, lobby bar and grab-and-go market. Opportunities mushroomed from there, most visibly the Delray Beach Market, the massive four-story food hall that has set the region abuzz since its opening in the spring. Clique was originally hired to develop just a handful of the two-dozen stalls in the market, but Menin ultimately tapped O’Keefe to oversee the market’s entire operations—from New York-style pizza to Japanese hand rolls, authentic barbecue to elevated vegan. The Market’s second-floor mezzanine, with its ping-pong table, cornhole game, bar/lounge and show kitchen, has particularly taken off with visitors, evoking what the Clique team has described as a“Starbucks meets SoHo”gathering place, and fulfilling one of O’Keefe’s desires for the building.“There’s no central meet-up spot [in Delray],”he says.“I see the market as an incredible place to meet with groups of people.” Last but certainly not least are the two restaurants O’Keefe runs across the street from the Delray Beach Market: Johnnie Brown’s, which has seen upgrades to its menu and live entertainment since Clique took over in December 2019, and Lionfish, its adjoining fine-dining restaurant with a hyperlocal“dock to dish” ethos. Lionfish, which serves its invasive namesake whole, among other seafood, carnivorous and vegan delicacies, is upscale but approachable—and prides itself on its sustainable mission.

“Almost everything we use produce-wise is from local farms here,” O’keefe says.“We get all of our microgreens made specifically from hydroponics people here. When you’re ordering the swordfish, we can tell you who’s fishing for it. To be able to literally trace the lineage of the food you’re eating is a really cool concept.” If all of this pressure—the market, the hotel, the restaurants—is weighing down on O’Keefe, he doesn’t show it. He’s laser-focused on the job, which he credits in part to not having children (he moved to Delray with his wife and three dogs, which he says are “hilarious and more than I could handle”). He arrived in culinary management from another competitive industry, the film business, where he worked as an actor, cameraman and production assistant. This included five years under the direct employ of Sylvester Stallone, a time that included traveling to Brazil to watch things blow up on the set of “The Expendables.” O’Keefe has enjoyed a go-go lifestyle in which one gig has snowballed into another, and a new opportunity is forever on the horizon. So when asked if there are still more projects to come in Delray Beach, his answer of “not at the moment” came with qualifications. “Right now our focus is on making sure our venues are successful in this market, as we continue to grow here,” he says.“We’re not a company that usually retreats. We continue to move forward, and I’m confident we’re going to keep doing so.”

AARON BRISTOL

Written by JOHN THOMASON

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INSPIRATION

THE LOCAL

The Good Fight

Zoe Lanham is not taking cancer lying down. Period. Written by MARIE SPEED

oe Lanham just thought she was tired. It was the early days of COVID and Lanham, vice president of The Addison for the past 15 years, had quickly made her staff “portable”—or able to work from home—in anticipation of impending lockdowns. There were the 600 brides with weddings scheduled that she and her team had to reach, and about $40,000 of perishable food to contend with. (The Addison ultimately

cancer fueled by hormones and difficult to detect in a common mammogram until it is already well advanced. Lanham says the entire lymphatic system under one arm was removed, and then she underwent a bilateral mastectomy. “And I was back at work two weeks later, drains and all,”she says. In fact, Lanham hasn’t missed much work, despite the 18 weeks of brutal chemo and her ongoing radiation (she’s doing it daily for at least seven weeks). Even when she

cided I wanted to share that blog with them so they were part of the journey. And I write it with humor, with my emotions, but I always try to bring it to them in a way that there is hope.” Lanham says the Pink Fight Club has grown from a “communication bulletin” to a “movement” as it has begun fundraising for the American Cancer Society ResearcHERS.“I became an ambassador for ResearcHERS. … we fund female brilliance … female

launched a meal delivery program through Helping Hands that lasted 18 weeks, augmented by staff delivery of meals to people marooned at home.) It was enough to wear anyone out, but Lanham, now 50, had always had lots of energy. A tireless UK transplant and cheerleader, she had dedicated herself to developing a committed team and a thriving wedding and special events venue. The Addison was magic—and Lanham waved the wand. So when she started falling out every day by 8 p.m. exhausted, she knew something was up. The first trip to the doctor showed she was seriously anemic. But then she saw signs on one breast that grew more troubling, and by the time she got in for a diagnostic mammogram, she says,“my breast literally lit up. It wasn’t just one tumor. Eighty percent of the breast tissue was infected. And I had a little on the left-hand side, too.” A biopsy showed three tumors and a diagnosis of lobular carcinoma, an invasive kind of breast

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knew her hair was about to go, she decided to be proactive. “I did a little fundraiser here [at The Addison],”she says.“I sat with my mother side by side in the courtyard [her mother had dyed her hair bright pink for the occasion], and we shaved our heads together. We raised $4,000 by doing that.” That was the first step in Lanham’s decision to take charge of the fight. “I decided right at the beginning I’m going to do something good with this cancer. It’s become fundraising and awareness. I don’t want cancer to define me.” Enter the Pink Fight Club, a blog Lanham launched to keep people up to speed in her cancer battle, but also to allay the fears of other patients. “When I realized how sick I was, it was very traumatic for some of my employees, [my family]. I wanted to create as much of a positive environment for them as I could so they could see me deal with cancer in a positive way. I de-

doctors and their clinical trials to find cures for cancer.” Lanham says the problem is that “by the time you have cancer, the treatments are taking away parts of your body, poisoning you with chemotherapy and then burning you with radiation. We need to find a cure at the beginning of cancer.” She has already spearheaded four events at The Addison for the group, and more are planned. As for her own future, she says she doesn’t know. “But what I do know … is that I am going to fight with every ounce of my being. And I feel in my heart I’m going to get better. I just feel the universe is taking care of me and putting the right people here. … Whether I have a year or five years or 10 years, it doesn’t matter. I am going to fight every day—because I’m fighting for cures for my nieces, my daughter, my future grandchildren and that’s important. “No matter what time I have left, I want it to be good. It’s about giving back, about raising awareness and empowering women.”

AARON BRISTOL

But what I do know ...is that I am going to fight with every ounce of my being. And I feel in my heart I’m going to get better. I just feel the universe is taking care of me and putting the right people here. ... I’m going to fight every day. — Zoe Lanham

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LOCAL

ARTIST

Renaissance Artist

Inside grant-winner Ates Isildak’s eclectic journey through music, film and photography Written by JOHN THOMASON

I would have thought I would make a lot of stumbles and falls learning editing software, having no clue what to do with lighting or the gear I had. Instead, I caught something magical.” —Ates Isildak

n one of his most recent videos, Ates Isildak describes navigating the global tumult of 2020 as “a lesson in dialectics—thesis/antithesis.” In March of last year, he lost his job of seven years running social media for nightlife guru Rodney Mayo’s Sub-Culture Group and found himself, as a freelancer, ineligible for employment. As the plague year dragged on, he lost one friend to suicide, another to COVID complications. “I got to spend a lot of time thinking about the importance of art,”says Isildak, 36.“We went from having the whole world to having whatever was in our house. For me it was art.” Not only did Isildak spend quarantine rejuvenating his visual art, completing unfinished projects and recording new music; 2020 also happened to be his most lucrative year as an artist. Last September, he won a $15,000 South Florida Cultural Consortium fellowship, and was the only grantee in the Palm Beaches. Fort Lauderdale’s NSU Art Museum, which exhibited his work alongside other Cultural Consortium recipients, would go on to purchase two of his works for its permanent collection. It was a heady period for an artist

Ates Isildak

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who hadn’t thought of his work as a commodity. More than anything, Isildak sees the Consortium grant as a peer-reviewed affirmation that he’s on the right track—an important validation, given that he’s spent the past decade-plus juggling various creative endeavors. A child of Turkish immigrants (his first name is pronounced ah-tesh), he graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2010 with a bachelor’s in English literature. He taught English for a while, and played in two revered Florida bands: The Strangers, a psych-rock collective out of Orlando, and the Band in Heaven, a West Palm Beach dream-pop quartet he led for five years before the project dissolved in 2015. “It felt like no more doors were opening,”he says. “As an artist, there was nothing I was so curious to try. I thought, I still have this desire to make in me, but I don’t feel like I’m fulfilling it through music.” At some point during the latter days of Band in Heaven, Isildak picked up a camera and“was amazed at how fulfilling it felt immediately.”Local band Symbols hired him to direct a music video for its song “Death Valley,”and Isildak’s contribution functioned almost as an independent film—a disturbing short about teens banding together to bury a predator that went viral and was picked up by horror distributors Fangoria and Troma.“I would have thought I would make a lot of stumbles and falls, learning editing software, having no clue what to do with lighting or the gear I had,”he says. “Instead, I caught something magical, and it gave me a lot of encouragement.” Isildak has directed more than 20 music videos since, and along the way has developed a retro visual language, his work often conjuring the analog feel of worn-out VHS tapes and staticky tube televisions. “I watched everything on a square television growing up on MTV, with bad reception, and scratchy VHS tapes you’d watch a thousand times,”Isildak recalls. “And at some point, you’d upgrade to DVD or digital, and something would feel like it’s missing.You end up trying to find ways to get that feeling back from when you first fell in love with something.” Lately, Isildak has expanded his creativity into photography. What started as atmosphere shots of events and parties at Rodney Mayo’s nightlife venues led to a passion for portraiture—of “people in my life, that I’m close with, or maybe even want to get close with, or get to know.”Many of these portraits include members of the LGBTQ community, exhibiting the sort of gender fluidity that might have felt provocative to patrons a decade ago.

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“I’m really interested in that, and I’m curious about it in myself,”Isildak says.“I think there are parts of myself that I know I did not let out at an early age, with having slightly Muslim parents, [and attending] private school. “I would experiment with things like painting my nails, and glitter. … I was beat up a lot. So I am now a white-passing, and for the most part heterosexual male. But I see parts of myself that I didn’t get to explore, and I’m almost exploring vicariously through other people. And I know we’re living in a time and age where anyone would be comfortable with me exploring it in any way I want, but some of those feelings and ideas have been pushed down so deep that they really only come out while working with others and through others.” Isildak doesn’t know what his next artistic venture will be; if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to let things happen and see where they lead.“I don’t know if it has to be more photography or video; I might end up going back to music. For a while I was just a musician, and then I was doing video work, and then I was a photographer. Now I feel comfortable just saying I can do all of it.”

Isildak photographs, clockwise from top left: “Leaf Closeup,” “Macula Jan. 5,” “Mumbi Jan. 5” and “Kevin Jan. 5.”

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Andy Marc Rose

7712 Glendevon Lane Delray Beach, FL 33446 561.507.1615 palmbeachappraisalgroup.com

wning several businesses in the past— including two restaurants—has inspired Andy Marc Rose to discover his real passion for art, collecting and appraising clients’ treasures. “I used to go to flea markets and auctions to buy antiques to decorate my New Jersey restaurants,” Rose explains. “When I sold my restaurants, I was looking for a new career. I was in the nursing home business for seven years. I decided to follow my passion and I heard about the school at NYU that taught me personal property appraisals.” While at NYU, Rose bought, and still owns, a flea market business called “The Catalog Kid,” a hardcopy auction catalog company, indispensable to appraisers, that lists the appraised value/past sales results of artwork and antiques. “I took that little (pre-Internet) business and turned it into the largest post-auction catalog business on the internet called auctioncatalogs.com,” Rose points out. Rose relocated to South Florida from New Jersey in 2019, and opened Palm Beach Appraisal Group, a company that appraises residential contents, antiques, collectibles, and fine art, and is often hired by estate planning and divorce lawyers. “Realtors comprise the bulk of my calls,” he says. “They have homes to list and need to get them ready. They call me to sell the contents.”

“My key to success is consistency, honesty, and working hard for my clients,” Rose adds. “I love appraising.”

A member of the International Society of Appraisers and USPAP certified, Rose upholds the highest standards in an unlicensed industry.

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#LOVE BOCA

Guests enjoying Mixology 2021

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MIXOLOGY

#LOVEBOCA

Mixology 2021 What: In early May, guests gathered at the brand-new Delray Beach Market in Downtown Delray for Boca magazine’s annual Mixology, South Florida’s premier craft spirits event. Attendees enjoyed cocktails crafted with more than 20 different types of spirits and light bites from each of Delray Beach Market’s food vendors. Sponsors included Delray Beach Market, Republic National Distributing Company, PEDEGO Electric Bikes, South Florida Golf Carts, Anna Zuckerman Luxury, Baciami, Basis Medical, Dash Medical Spa, Just Tile & Marble, SaVi H2O, Scott Jeffries Art, and Space of Mind Schoolhouse.

Where: Delray Beach Market 4

1. Delray Market entrance

2. Caitlin Fitzgerald and Sara Fox

4. DJ Oleg Nikitin performing at the event 5. Michele Kerrigan, Grego Coker, Lisa Golitz 6. Reps from Bribón and Dos Maderas preparing to serve up

cocktails for guests

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AARON BRISTOL

3. Destiny Beck, Maggie Hanson, Meredith Watkins

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2 3

1. Guests were treated to live music from AA Musicians 2. The team from Basis Aesthetics 3. Grilled cheese from Dad’s Favorite

4. Reps from South Beach Syrup and Prescribed Spirits 5. Danny Bollitt, Amber

Clark, Shaina Wizov, Roger Brown Esq.

6. Priscila Sales and Dominique Shim models from Baciami

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MIXOLOGY

#LOVEBOCA

1. Copies of Boca magazine ready for guests to enjoy

2. The team from Pedego Bikes 3. Rebecca Gollin, Karlie

Friedman, Lara Brown 4. Samuel Kuhneu 5. Lindsey Swing, Angela DiGiorgio 6. Kaitlyn Rhoda, Lauren Guagno

8. Scott Jeffries of Scott Jeffries Art

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AARON BRISTOL

7. Guests mingling and enjoying cocktails made with Bribón Tequila

September/October 2021

8/6/21 2:35 PM

THE ROTARY CLUB DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON PRESENTS THE 2021

Proceeds Fund Health and Wellness Needs of Boca Raton Nonprofits Fulfilled Through Club’s Service Above Self Grant Program

SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 13, 2021

6:30 PM 6:30 • BOCA PM • THE RATON BOCA RESORT RATON & CLUB HONORING THE 2021 GEORGE LONG AWARD RECIPIENTS:

OFFICE DEPOT • ARLENE HERSON BOCA RATON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Co-Chaired by Ingrid fulmer & Jonathan Whitney Honorary Chairs: Marilyn & Mark Swillinger Producer: Kaye Communications, Inc., PR & Marketing Underwriting Opportunities and Premier Reserved Tables of 10 now available. Individual Tickets at $350 per person will go on sale on September 1.

tinyurl.com/RCDBRMB

For more information and underwriting opportunities call 561.392.5166 x 2 Visit RotaryDowntownBocaRaton.org or e-mail MayorsBall@RotaryDowntownBocaRaton.org

THAN K YO U TO O UR SPO N SO RS

E.M. LYNN FOUNDATION

MARILYN & MARK SWILLINGER

*Sponsors listed as of date of publication

Proceeds from the Boca Raton Mayors Ball are used to further the mission of the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton as well as fulfill grant requests approved through the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton’s Service Above Self formal Grant Program open to all Boca Raton-based nonprofits with needs for health and wellness services and programming. THE ROTARY CLUB DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON FUND QUALIFIES AS A CERTIFIED, FEDERAL TAX EXEMPT, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION UNDER SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE WITH EIN# 46-0790021

BOCA INTERVIEW

DANIEL HOSTETTLER

New Boca Resort President and CEO Daniel Hostettler wants to bring the golden days back

The Boca Raton (rendering)

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AARON BRISTOL

Written by MARIE SPEED

September/October 2021

8/9/21 1:00 PM

Daniel Hostettler

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BOCA INTERVIEW

DANIEL HOSTETTLER

ne of the biggest stories of the last two years has been the sale of the Boca Raton Resort & Club to MSD Partners, Michael Dell’s company, and its subsequent sweeping renovation (and we’re on only in “phase one”) that is changing the face of the property’s waterfront entirely. Boca Raton is used to new owners at the resort, new changes and multimillion-dollar re-dos, but this time around, the change is big. Very big.

The MSD ownership has played it close to the vest in terms of what’s coming, releasing only a rendering of the new waterfront—called Harborside—early on, and rolling out a campaign this summer heralding a new “golden era” of the resort. But perhaps the most important development was the naming of a new president and CEO of the resort this spring. He is Daniel Hostettler, 52, married father of two and a longtime luxury hospitality leader. Hostettler comes to Boca Raton from the Northeast, after 12 years as president and group managing director of the Ocean House Management Collection (all Relais & Chateaux properties) that includes the five-star Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the three-star Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, Rhode Island, as well as the Watch Hill Inn in

Rendering of the Resort’s new Harborside pools

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The Lake Boca waterfront, from the view at the Yacht Club (rendering)

Watch Hill, the Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences, in Richmond, Rhode Island. Before that, he worked at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort in New Mexico, Meadowood Napa Valley in California, and The Peninsula Beverly Hills. In addition to his job at the Resort, he will continue his role as North American President of Relais & Châteaux, promoting and working with 88 properties in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Hostettler agreed to grant us his first interview in Boca Raton, and give us an idea of who he is—and what his priorities are.

Where he’s from and why he does it I was born in Switzerland (both my parents are Swiss), but I grew up Los Angeles. My father was CEO of an international electronics company, so he traveled all the time, and I would spend all my summers in Switzerland, so I went back and forth a lot. I enjoyed being in airports and hotels, and meeting new people every day; I found it very appealing. [As for the Swiss part], ‘everything in its place, and a place for everything,’ and I’m always on time. I’m stereotypical that way.

His general philosophy when it comes to directing a fine luxury resort I’m probably more hands-on than my predecessor. I’m a lead-from-the-front person. He was probably much more

engaged with guests, and I am much more engaged with the staff. My philosophy in leading a luxury team is that it really comes down to human resources. You hire the very best people and then you train them and then you constantly support them, because those are the leaders that then are supporting the line level staff that have to take care of the guests and the members. Bringing a fivestar level of service to a property this big depends on the servers and the housekeepers and all those people.

Values he imparts A culture of service—we hire for personality, and we train them for skills. In the old days you hired a waiter who had been a waiter for as long as you could [remember]. I prefer to hire for people with personality. I think I can teach you to carry three plates and serve from the proper sides and make the bed if you are a housekeeper, but you can’t teach someone to smile and want to be in the service business. That is something you really have to look for. We don’t hire anyone on the supervisor and above level without them having a final interview with me. It’s my name on the door, so I want to make sure human resources are the most important thing I can do. We’re adding an entire training division—we are hiring a director of training and three training managers underneath him. We’ve taken human resources from a team of five to a team of 15 in the last five weeks. … You have to take care of the team. They’re not going to take care of the guests if we don’t take care of them.

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BOCA INTERVIEW

DANIEL HOSTETTLER

Harborside pool (rendering)

We are going back to be an independent luxury property with the goal to be one of America’s top five resorts by 2026—which is our 100th birthday.” How the new team is different Two relative weaknesses in this hotel [have been]the level of service and [a] focus on hotel rooms—not hospitality, on real estate development over membership. To me it’s a club, and if you’re a hotel guest you’re a member for a short period of time while you’re in residence. I think that’s a complete shift from [when] it was all about the convention guests, and the members were over here—it’s a club, and if you stay in one of our hotel rooms you can join the club for two or three days while you are here.

New Resort focus This was very much a convention hotel. The positioning [at other times] was that this was a really nice Hilton that happened to be by the water. … We are going back to be an independent luxury property with the goal to be one of America’s top five resorts by 2026—which is our 100th birthday.

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That shift only happens if we look at it like a club and a place people come to on vacation that happens to do some conference business as opposed to being a convention hotel that happens to take guests and members. [Conventions] were the big cash cow because of the volume, but when you start looking at smaller meetings and delivering a higher level of service it’s the same. Instead of a convention of 800-900 rooms a night taking the entire property and overwhelming the members and the leisure guests, we are looking at conferences of 200-400 rooms a night at a higher quality and a higher rate—that can be in The Cloister and not overwhelm membership.

The new business model It used to be you were either at The Beach Club or you were over at what we [now] call Harborside, which are the other 800 rooms. [Our] business model says the resort is really five hotels.

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The New Golden Era DISTINCT LODGING EXPERIENCES

When the resort’s first phase is unveiled this winter, the sprawling campus will be redefined as having five distinct experiences:

Flamingo Grill (rendering)

Beach Club: The oceanfront luxury escape features three pools set on a private stretch of golden beach. The hotel’s Mediterranean dining concepts, Marisol and the Lounge, were recently launched in partnership with notable lifestyle guru Colin Cowie. Bungalows: Ideal for extended stays, this residential hideaway features two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and furnished terraces or balconies. Yacht Club: Embodying refined lakefront leisure, the adults-only luxury hotel features elegant suites with private balconies offering views of Lake Boca Raton and its yacht-lined promenade. The hotel’s private Commodore Lounge offers exclusive benefits and refreshments. Cloister: An iconic landmark with grand architecture and expansive grounds, the historic property is being revitalized and will reopen with immersive new experiences, from rotating art collections to fashion brand collaborations. Tower: Providing elevated perspectives for sophisticated travelers, the 27-story Tower is being reimagined to showcase contemporary accommodations, artful touches, bespoke amenities and butler service.

DINING

Shrimp cocktail at The Flamingo Grill

Although the list of upcoming dining venues is still under wraps, the new Flamingo Grill (which was previously 501 East Bar & Grill) opened this summer, the first in a series of trendy, successful restaurants from Major Food Group (MFG). Over the next eight months, MFG—the company behind names like Carbone and Parm—will collaborate with the resort to launch signature dining concepts.

ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCES

THOMAS HART SHELBY

Guests can choose from a curated selection of one-ofa-kind excursions, including a supercar racing adventure, a bespoke shopping day with a personal stylist, and private boat outings complete with snorkeling and live entertainment. Additional experiences will be introduced, including a speaker series with today’s thought leaders, aptly named ThinkBoca.

SPA RECHRISTENED

The Lounge at the Beach Club

The Boca Raton’s 40,000-square-foot wellness oasis has unveiled a new name, Spa Palmera, and new treatments and services. This winter, Spa Palmera will also showcase a refreshed design and additional programming.

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BOCA INTERVIEW

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• If you want the Four Seasons experience and you are in the 30-50-year-old range and want that very high contemporary level, you are going to go into the Tower, which is undergoing a multimillion renovation that is extraordinary; it’s a beautiful high-end product. • If you’re a little bit older than that, but don’t want children underfoot, you are going to go into the Yacht Club, which is 110 rooms, and it’s going to be five stars and butlers on every floor and no children under 16 and every room has a patio facing Lake Boca. That’s a different kind of experience.

understand what the vision is and where we’re going. And then you divide and conquer.You had a general manager over here that was responsible for the 800 rooms, and the reason he left us is that I don’t think anyone can do 800 rooms well. With the new model, there’s a general manager coming for the Yacht Club, there’s a general manager just for the Tower, a general manager for the Cloister and there will be a general manager for the Bungalows, and that way each of these general managers is responsible for their hotel within a hotel.You carve it up into small bites. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I want the property to be much more involved in the community. By that I mean tree lightings at Christmas and Easter egg rolls at Easter—that you come to visit for a holiday.” • And if you are the convention guest, or maybe you’re a history buff, you are going to stay at the Cloister, because that’s 400 rooms connected to the conference center and the spa. You are in the core of the resort. • And then the Bungalows—which were maybe an afterthought before—are now being redecorated into all two-bedroom suites (60 total) with a kitchen, living room and dining room, and that’s going to be your long stay, because we’ve gotten requests from people who want to winter in Boca but they’re not ready to buy a house. They want to stay for two or three months.You are behind your own gates; you have your own swimming pool, your own lobby, your own staff. • The Beach Club I compare to the Faena (in Miami Beach) or a One hotel—it’s sort of something young, hip, patterned after the French Riviera or St. Barth’s. That way you choose your lodging product, but you get use of the [entire] club no matter where you’re staying. Even pre-COVID, I don’t think anyone wanted to go to an 800-room hotel anymore. That’s not an experience. That’s why places like the giant Ritz-Carltons and Four Seasons are having challenges, because people want the boutique hotel. All I am doing is installing five lodging products and saying each one of them is a boutique hotel.

Benefits/drawbacks of managing such a large property The benefit and the challenge is that it’s a very large management team. You have the benefits of a large hotel and you have a manager for everything, but you have the challenges of disseminating your vision when it’s that big. You do that one bite at a time. I’ve been here five weeks now, [as of this writing—Ed.] and I spend three to four hours a day meeting individually with three or four managers until I’ve met all 175 of them to make sure they

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His community outreach? The resort has always been part of Boca—it’s the reason Boca exists, as it were, so I think community is important. I think I will be less out and about than my predecessors because I am focused on delivering the level of service and the culture that we want. But I want the property to be much more involved in the community. By that I mean tree lightings at Christmas and Easter egg rolls at Easter—that you come to visit for a holiday. … How do we involve the community in some of these and open the ballrooms more to community events? I always think when you are running a resort in a community there are only two things that happen: If you are not part of that community and your guests go into that community to shop at a store or restaurant and they get, ‘Oh that place, I’ve never been beyond the gates of the place,’ or ‘They’re all snobs there.’ Or you can take the approach I’ve always taken that you really need to be woven into the fabric of the community, and the community has to have several days of the year when they can come to this place. Because they should be proud of what they have in their community.

And the members? From a member standpoint, we are bringing back all the programming that disappeared under the last ownership. For the last few weeks I have held a series of town halls with all the members—it was tough to listen to, but their questions and their comments were not out of line. I [was told] I was the first president in 25 years of membership that had ever had a meeting with members. They said, ‘Nobody knows my name. I dine in the restaurants with my friends, and nobody knows who I am.’They were an afterthought. They just want to be recognized. They are a huge part of the fabric of this club. They want to bring back the Friday night seafood

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buffet, the father-daughter dinner dance. I thought to myself, ‘I want all those things, too, for myself and my kids.’That’s why you join a country cub—for Memorial Day and Fourth of July and all these signature events that you hang out at your club for. … I want to bring all of that back. Members are looking for experiences, too. We are all looking for the way it was in the day here, because that’s what a lot of these members bought into, and what a lot of new, younger members are also looking for. That old genteel South Florida. This was the place…

And the new golden era We have to absolutely honor the legacy of what’s been here for 95 years. My favorite conversation was with a gentleman (who is a billionaire now) but he was telling me about the days when he came from nothing. He started a sales company and would go every year to a sales retreat—a Holiday Inn or a Marriott—but when they

finally made real money they came down the mountain from North Carolina to Florida to have a sales conference, and they stayed at The Boca Raton. And he said it was the height of elegance and the height of sophistication and it was the place in America you wanted to go and see—it was on everybody’s bucket list—and that’s what I want to bring it back to.

What he thinks he’s good at I suppose I eat, sleep and breathe what I do. I really am one of those people who believe if you have a job you love it’s not work, and you’ll never work a day. … I love coming here and involving myself with the staff. I want to make sure I am every day in the trenches with them, articulating the vision and leading from the front—and explaining to them why this is going to be America’s greatest resort again in the next three or four years. That’s what success looks like.

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THOMAS HART SHELBY

Dining at The Beach Club

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BOOM The South Florida market is hot, hot, hot—in business and in real estate—but what does it mean? And will it last?

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TIMES Written By RANDY SCHULTZ

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elray Beach-based Menin Development maintains a separate phone line for businesses seeking to lease space. In mid-March, company founder Craig Menin said calls had “quadrupled” over the previous year. Most were from 917—the area code for New York City cell phones. Scott Agran is president of Lang Realty in Boca Raton. Early this year, Lang listed a house in West Boca that is “20 years old with no major upgrades.”The $750,000 listing attracted 54 showings—most of them virtual—in two days and sold for $60,000 more than the asking price. Charen Marek is an agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. In late March, she closed on a small home in

were favorable for the South Florida market. Interest rates remained low. So did inventory. Because of the 2017 tax bill, residents of metropolitan New York and Chicago could deduct only $10,000 of their local and state taxes. Florida, which has no income or estate tax, looked tempting. Then the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns stripped away amenities of urban life that had compensated for the high cost of living. Broadway went dark. Streets lost their vibe. Life stopped. At first, however, South Florida Realtors and business groups were as worried as anyone. Would mass layoffs start a wave of foreclosures, as happened during the 2007-08 financial crisis? How would drastic cutbacks in travel and restaurant closings affect the wider economy? “Last March and April was DEFCON-1,” Agran says, referring to

As June 2020 approached, one Realtor who specializes in Boca Raton said the market was“on fire.” COVID-19, he said, had become “the new buzzword.” Buyers who might have wanted four bedrooms now wanted five, using one as an office. Lower taxes had been drawing wealthy buyers. Now the upper-middle class began coming. Cities and developers began exploiting every possible advantage. Boca Raton touted the city’s airport, now with U.S. Customs facilities. Who needs to risk infection at Palm Beach International? Higher-end properties stressed amenities such as private gyms. It was all working. Home sales in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties doubled year over year in September. Then they doubled in October and November. In February, the median single-family

MARINA LARENZ

On the NBC Nightly News to talk about Delray Beach, Menin said, “We’re being recruited now, not the other way around.” “Florida,” the network correspondent said, “is creating its own recipe.”

Craig Menin

East Boynton Beach at a“top-dollar price.”It had been on the market for eight days. The buyer, from Chicago, never saw the house in person. Meanwhile, the sellers want to spend about $500,000 on a new home, and the closest Marek can put them to their old neighborhood is west of Lake Worth. Each anecdote illustrates part of a real estate market that, as Agran puts it,“couldn’t be any hotter.”South Florida real estate booms aren’t new, of course, but this one is different, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because it could transform this area. In early 2020, conditions already

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the Defense Department’s maximum state of readiness. But by mid-May, things had dramatically shifted for the better. “The velocity of the initial surge,” Agran says,“was the result of living in a COVID world.” People in the Northeast and Midwest hardly could go out even in good weather. They envisioned a bleak winter. Meanwhile, Agran says, they saw pictures of Floridians“jogging, boating and living their lifestyle. So they figured, ‘We have to live our life.’”If they had been considering a move, “COVID was the last straw.”

home price in Palm Beach County hit a record—$450,000. Prices for homes and condos increased roughly 25 percent between February 2020 and February 2021. Local buyers not offering cash risked getting shut out. The pandemic also energized job recruitment. The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County started its Wall Street South Initiative in 2011, aimed at financial services companies. The program drew Wealthspire and Colony Capital to Boca Raton. Boca Raton ran ads in Chicago and San Francisco. The city encouraged

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Charen Marek, an agent with Douglas Elliman, says she closed a small home in late March In East Boynton Beach at a “top dollar price.” It had been on the market for eight days. The buyer, from Chicago, never saw the house in person. Charen Marek

Californians to“trade sunsets for sunrises and keep your money in your pocket.” Interest has been especially strong in West Palm Beach, where a lot of office space has opened. Kelly Smallridge, the business board’s executive director, believes that the 200,000-square-foot 360 Rosemary project near Rosemary Square will be fully leased when it opens this year. Even before the pandemic, technology enabled certain businesses to work from almost anywhere. The development board’s Wall Street South Initiative argued that a Manhattan address didn’t matter the way it did 20 years ago. If that argument hadn’t sunk in, the pandemic gave it new heft. In the last year, Smallridge says, interest has “picked up significantly. Bigger names. Bigger leases.” Menin made that shift long before the pandemic. He started his company in New York 36 years ago. He moved to South Florida in 1996 and eventually

settled in Palm Beach. Six years ago, he bought a home in Delray Beach, and his company paid roughly $50 million for three major retail properties on East Atlantic Avenue. These days, Menin Development opened the 150,000-square-foot Delray Beach Market in April and plans to open The Ray Hotel in Pineapple Grove soon. In addition, the city commission in January approved The Linton, a Menin project that will convert part of a retail complex on Linton Boulevard to residential. Restaurateurs are fleeing lockdown states for Delray Beach. Host Restaurants, which had eight locations in Manhattan, opened Avalon Steak & Seafood in Menin’s property at 110 East Atlantic Avenue. Clique Hospitality has locations in San Diego, Vegas and now Delray Beach. Menin appeared recently on the NBC Nightly News to talk about Delray Beach. As those incoming phone calls show,“we’re being recruited,”

People in the Midwest and the Northeast saw people “jogging, boating and living their lifestyle. So they figured, ‘We have to live our life’ ... COVID was the last straw.”

he said, not the other way around. “Florida,”the network correspondent said,“is creating its own recipe.” Menin pointed out a related aspect of the technology trend that has benefited Delray Beach and Boca Raton, which can sell themselves on lifestyle—and lower taxes. Even if the cities can’t draw an entire company, they can draw CEOs who want to live here and have enough clout with their board to receive that perk. Rather than lease a large space, Menin says, executives will take 50,000 square feet for“family offices.” His company signed one such deal for 110 East Atlantic Avenue.“It’s a mix,”Menin explains. Such people work in that space when they’re in town.“What they have in Delray Beach is not their only home.”

Scott Agran

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eith O’Donnell is a commercial real estate broker with Boca Raton-based Avison Young. He also sees the early shift as large firms establish local branches“in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach. They’re mostly small, a lot of private equity.” Though many are from the Northeast, there also are “more from Chicago than I might have thought.” O’Donnell notes two other aspects of this regional shift. “These families in their 40s that are coming are bringing a lot of education with them. There’s new talent coming in.”It’s a transfusion of intellectual capital. More recently, O’Donnell has received inquiries“about development deals. Mostly from Manhattan. They’re just starting to learn the market.”Serious investor money would mark a new stage in the pandemic-influenced market. Every major institution in Boca Raton and Delray Beach is helping to exploit this moment. Example: Smallridge said Florida Atlantic University touts the local workforce emerging from FAU’s regional-aligned course offerings. Smallridge said President John Kelly attends recruitment meetings. Boca Raton officials emphasize the Research Park at FAU and Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Backers of the pro-

Every major institution in Boca Raton and Delray Beach is helping to exploit this moment. Smallridge said Florida Atlantic University touts the local workforce emerging from FAU’s regionalaligned course offerings. posed performing arts center at Mizner Park point to the new arrivals, who expect cultural offerings that match those in New York and Chicago. As Boca Raton and Delray Beach look for new jobs, this boom also may establish Delray’s attractiveness to high-end residential buyers. During the Great Recession, Delray Beach suffered because so many lower-end homes went into foreclosure. Some of them became

Kelly Smallridge

badly run sober houses that churned patients and dumped them onto the street, creating the city’s opioid overdose epidemic. Perhaps fittingly, the city is especially benefiting from this boom.“Delray Beach is exploding,”Marek says, and that includes new luxury projects. In late March, all but three units in the 19-unit Ocean Delray had been sold. The unsold units were named for famous artists—Matisse, Picasso and Calder. The developer, U.S. Construction, had just launched its next project in the city—1625 Ocean. Ocean Delray replaced the Wright by the Sea Hotel, the family-run inn that catered to middle-class tourists. In contrast, prices at Ocean Delray and 1625 Ocean range from $3.9

WANG YING/XINHUA VIA ZUMA WIRE

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, an investment company that manages nearly $9 trillion in assets, acknowledged the pandemic in a recent letter to shareholders, but said climate change remains the greater long-term danger. Larry Fink

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million to $10 million. Residences at 1625 Ocean are named for famous musicians, such as Bruce Springsteen and Janis Joplin. U.S. Construction says owners can ride their golf carts to East Atlantic Avenue and the city’s nightlife. But will this run last? Bob Graham, the state’s former governor and U.S. senator, once called Florida“the mistress state.”Though people have homes here, their hearts remain elsewhere. Is this moment just another fling? A recent Bloomberg News headline read,“Wall Street A-Listers fled to Florida. Many now eye a return.”The article stated that, with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccinations, “ebullient talk of South Florida drawing Wall Streeters en masse is already beginning to fade.” Jason Mudrick runs Mudrick Capital Management.“New York,”he says,“has the smartest, most driven people, the best culture, the best restaurants and the best theatre. Anyone moving to Florida to save a little money loses out on all of that.” Then there’s the general craziness. Carl Hiaasen has used actual news to write books satirizing South Florida. The state ranks second in the number of hate groups. Most important is the environmental threat. In December, a study by America’s Trust for Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health rated Florida the most vulnerable to public health damage from climate change. Warming oceans can produce more frequent and more powerful hurricanes. Homeowner insurance rates went up between 20 and 25 percent this year. Owners of expensive homes may be able to absorb ever-rising costs, but others may not. A second hit could come if Congress allows flood insurance rates to rise. Floridians may face billions in costs to protect roads from rising seas. The author of a 2018 study on regional infrastructure and sea level rise rated his worry at eight on a scale of 10. A Wall Street Journal headline in March reported that even as many homebuyers come here, almost

as many are moving out. In 2020, Florida’s population growth was the lowest since 2014. Some émigrés cited hurricane fears. Even if the Florida Legislature refuses to act on climate change, cold-eyed financial types understand what’s at stake. Larry Fink is CEO of BlackRock, the investment company that manages nearly $9 trillion in assets. In his recent letter to shareholders, Fink acknowledged the pandemic. But he stressed that climate change remains the greater long-term danger. Fink said of BlackRock’s investors, “They have begun to see the direct financial impact as energy companies take billions in climate-related write-downs on stranded assets and regulators focus on climate risk in the global financial system. … No issue ranks higher than climate change on our clients’ lists of priorities. They ask us about it nearly every day.” Despite the challenges and lure

Agran says home prices will reach a point at which “buyers will pause.” It will take “three or four listing cycles for equilibrium, and prices will come down. I’ve seen this many times. The question is when.” Marek watches interest rates. Keith O’Donnell

“These families in their 40s that are coming in are bringing a lot of education with them. There’s new talent coming in.” of a reopened Manhattan, Menin believes much of the corporate shift will be permanent.“You’re moving companies,”he says.“That can be expensive to unwind. As for going to New York, people still have plenty of opportunities. Maybe someone buys a small place there, but the work stays here.” O’Donnell agrees. Taxes and high construction costs elsewhere, he says, will keep South Florida more attractive. He notes that private clubs in the area have waiting lists. Newcomers will get involved with charities. “One friend comes, then another, and soon you have a party. Get a studio in Manhattan and visit.”

When we spoke in March, she guessed that the current market has “about three years to run”before rates rise enough to cool things. For all of the dramatic growth in the last half-century, South Florida has struggled to be taken as seriously as New York and California. Boca Raton is an emerging technology startup hub, but can it be another Silicon Valley? Will the pandemic make enough people give this area a longer, more thoughtful look? We won’t know for a while. This wave was unexpected, and developments are still sorting themselves out.“Nobody,” O’Donnell says,“could have guessed it.”

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PALMETTO PARK PUNCH

Ingredients: 5 lemons (zest and juice) 1 orange (zest and juice) 2 cups fresh pineapple juice 5 cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 1/2 cup green tea 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 2.5 cups Rebel House rum blend (Barbados rum, dark Jamaican rum and overproof rum) 1 ounce absinthe 2 cups whole milk Directions: Dissolve the sugar in the water. Combine all ingredients except whole milk. Add mixture to the whole milk and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain though coffee filter. Pour 4 ounces in a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a lemon twist.

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September/October 2021

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Cocktail Culture

At area bars, tart and spicy scotches, tequila-infused fruit concoctions, and quarantine-inspired drinks are on the menu Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT Photography by AARON BRISTOL

his summer, quench your thirst by sliding onto a stool or into a shaded outdoor table at one of these local bars. Their bartenders are eager to welcome you in, with fresh new cocktails to pour for you. Regardless of your spirit preference, there’s something for every palate.

MICHAEL DEMAHY

BAR: The Rebel House, 297 E. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton; 561/353-5888;

rebelhouseboca.com COCKTAIL: Palmetto Park Punch PET PEEVE: When customers don’t give him any direction on what they want to drink

Michael deMahy

A veteran of the hospitality industry, deMahy has been in the trenches since he was 15 years old. He’s done it all, from busing tables and dish washing to cooking and bartending. A few years ago, as the craft cocktail phenomenon grew, he was drawn to the creativity it allowed him, and he focused on perfecting his trade. Today, he’s the bar manager at one of the coolest establishments in town, where everyone can come as they are and rock out to a variety of old-school jams as they savor their meal. During the quarantine, deMahy, like the rest of us, had time on his hands, so he started to tinker with the idea of creating a silky clarified milk punch cocktail. Almost like a science experiment, it took him a lot of trial and error to perfect the blend. “Rebel House is the only place you can find a drink like this.”

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FLORIDA SUNPASS

Ingredients:

1 ounce Tromba tequila reposado 1 ounce El Camino Tromba blanco tequila 1 ounce passion fruit juice .5 ounce lime juice .5 ounce agave 1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur (for the floater) Directions: Shake and strain; serve over ice in a double rocks glass with a lime wheel and a cordial cherry.

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September/October 2021

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Amanda Rosetti (Shown unmasked for photo purposes only)

AMANDA ROSETTI

BAR: Park Tavern, 32 S.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 561/265-5093; parktaverndelray.com COCKTAIL: Florida Sunpass PET PEEVE: Wet, soggy napkins on a bar Rosetti created this passion fruit cocktail as a“riff on a margarita meets a hurricane” using an exclusive Tromba blanco tequila only found at Modern Restaurant Group’s family of restaurants, including El Camino and Park Tavern. The hospitality company worked with the tequila brand to create this smooth signature spirit with hints of pineapple. Using that as her inspiration, Rosetti combined the sweet tropical and tart flavors in a hurricane with the fun floater of a margarita in this balanced and bouncy drink. The name is a fun play on words, she says: “The Florida SunPass is meant to get you there quicker, and the drink definitely will get you there quicker.” Rosetti’s managers strive to make the staff feel like valuable family members, and that vibe radiates out to the customers. Her goal is simple: Give them the best possible experience.“Your customers are your best friends.”

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SEAN IGLEHART

BAR: Sweetwater, 1507 S. Federal

Highway, Boynton Beach; 561/509-9277; sweetwater33.com COCKTAIL: Safe Word PET PEEVE: When patrons move their wine glass while he’s trying to refill it Iglehart took the creativity that drew him to study web development and print design and implemented it into his new career when he decided that working behind the bar was better than any corporate gig. In 2011 he opened Sweetwater, “the county’s first cocktail bar,” followed by Pour and Famous, which he’s been operating since 2019. Creating a space that evokes an emotion through design is what excites him, and it’s apparent when you step into either bar. Plus, Iglehart prides himself on the bar team he’s cultivated, with some colleagues working with him for nearly a decade. Fellow bartender Erwin Pierre created Safe Word, a cocktail with a great flavor combination that was balanced and in no need of any tweaks. Sweetwater derives its heart and soul from being run by locals, for locals. “We’re one of the last authentic small brands out there.”

Sean Iglehart

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September/October 2021

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SAFE WORD

Ingredients:

1 ounce Scotch 1 ounce dark rum .5 ounce passion fruit syrup or chinola passion fruit liqueur .5 ounce ancho chili .5 ounce lime Directions: Shake and strain; serve in a martini glass with a mint garnish.

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STOP MAKING SENSE

Ingredients:

1 ounce Copalli white rum 1 ounce Plantation pineapple rum 1 ounce pineapple juice .75 ounce orgeat .75 ounce fresh lime juice 5-6 cucumber slices 2 dashes Angostura bitters Pinch of sea salt Directions: Shake and strain, serve over ice in a pearl diver glass and garnish with a cucumber flower and mint.

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September/October 2021

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KRISTEN SHANEYFELT

BAR: Death or Glory , 116 N.E. Sixth Ave., Delray Beach; 561/808-8814; deathorglorybar.com COCKTAIL: Stop Making Sense PET PEEVE: When customers put their hands into the garnish container Hailing from Alaska, Shaneyfelt appreciates our Florida sunshine more than the rest of us, who probably have never experienced minus-70-degree winters. As the lead bartender at the Delray Beach watering hole, she now enjoys creating refreshing cocktails that pair perfectly with our warm weather. With this drink, Shaneyfelt hopes to introduce her patrons to funkier rums, like Copalli, which goes well with the classic citrus and cucumber flavors in this summery cocktail. She’s also focused on supporting sustainable brands. Copalli, headquartered inside Belize’s rainforest, is an advocate for its preservation, and supports the community through its job opportunities. This summer, Shaneyfelt’s team is curating new programming to complement the holiday pop-ups the bar is famous for. “We always, first and foremost, make sure that we’re sticking to classic recipes and that we’re putting the best thing we can in everyone’s glasses.”

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B AC K S TAG E PA S S

TAKE 5

Ghislain d’Humières The Norton’s new director is ready to launch the museum into a post-pandemic boom Written by JOHN THOMASON

he Norton Museum of Art had yet to fully reopen on the late spring afternoon when its new director, Ghislain d’Humières, sat down with Boca magazine in the museum’s Great Hall. Only the occasional staffer wandered about the capacious, lightfilled atrium. But d’Humières, a gregarious Frenchman with a personality big enough to fill that space, managed, for a short time, to bring back the echoes of its past, and foretell its future, as a community hive. In contrast to the Norton’s more reticent previous director, Elliot Bostwick Davis, who left the post after just 15 months, this man exalts in talking, filling the conversation with observations both grand and mundane: the way he sees the“music”in an abstract Miro painting just outside the Great Hall, on a caterpillar that had sneaked into the museum, on the on-site Restaurant at the Norton’s attempts to make a perfect caffè macchiato just for him. More substantively, he has big ideas planned for the Norton in the months and years ahead, from expanded use of the museum’s outdoor spaces for movies, concerts and yoga (an initiative that began this past summer) to free vouchers for underprivileged communities to visit the museum, to blockbuster exhibitions that will bring the Norton out of the pandemic with much fanfare. He discusses these and more.

“The product we’re selling is creativity, art, beauty, education, outreach. … I manage a business, and I’m selling culture.” —Ghislain d’Humières

What are some of your earliest memories of art? My grandmother took me to my first opera; I was 5 years old. My first museum, I was 5 years old. My first auction, I was 6 years old. For me, very importantly, it was a mix of visual art and performing art. You’ll hear me talking about the museum as a place [where] visual art and performing art can merge; I’m talking about music and dance and opera. I’m talking about poetry, improvisation, creative writing—all the different aspects of

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making your mind work, connected with the visual aspect. You held top positions at museums in Kentucky and Oklahoma before taking this position in January. Did those experiences inform your plans for the Norton? Every job snowballs to the next one. There’s not a single day I’m not thinking, I had that situation before, this is a different context, how do I answer the question? I try with my staff to not say,“in my previous job…”But if you’re intelligent, you will use

your experience and your wisdom to avoid making the same mistakes.

Rothko, on Ed Ruscha, on fashion photography and street fashion.

Is this a job where you need both sides of the brain—the creative as well as the analytical/numbers side of things? Absolutely, a director is like a CEO, an entrepreneur.You have to understand the product we’re selling is creativity, art, beauty, education, outreach … but all of that is managed like a business. You have a budget, you have deficits, you have fundraising, you have HR. I manage a business, and I’m selling culture.

How do you see the Norton evolving on the other side of the pandemic? Two things. First of all, I’m an admirer of Mr. Norton himself. He was a visionary—someone who came from an industrial background, no art, no creativity, and really built the collection. He decided to have the Norton Museum with a school of art next door where people, whatever their social background, were able to learn art-making for free. And I really believe our mission is the same; it’s just on steroids of the 21st century. It’s no point to collect art if it’s not used as a medium for the community at large. The point is to be relevant. For me a museum is a hub of creativity, where you have a dialogue between generations about art from around the world. This generation of children is global, and not necessarily with the right tools. ... If we don’t give them the responsibility to understand beauty, art, differences in people through performing and visual arts, we are missing a way to help the younger generation understand how to move forward into the future. … We have a big role there.

How far ahead do you think about exhibitions? Usually in the world of museums, it’s three to five years in advance. We have a fabulous exhibition in October on Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. And we’re going to do a lot of programming around it, including getting high school kids to be trained as bilingual docents to be able to give tours to the public. We have five categories in the museum: contemporary art, photography, European art, American art and Chinese art. We try always to balance the different aspects of the collection on the programming. We’re going to have something on Mark

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Ghislain d’Humières

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Joseph J. Ricotta, MD, MS, DFSVS, FACS National Director for Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy for Tenet Healthcare, and Chairman of the Department of Vascular Surgery at Delray Medical Center

Advanced Care for Every Vascular Condition. Prime Vascular Institute offers a full spectrum of advanced vascular care, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and abnormalities of the blood vessels. Services • Office-Based, Full-Service Vascular Laboratory and Ultrasound • Cutting-Edge Minimally-Invasive Endovascular Therapy • Endovascular Robotic Surgery • Aortic and Peripheral Aneurysms-Endovascular and Surgical Treatment • Carotid/Cerebrovascular Disease-Endovascular and Surgical Treatment • Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)-Endovascular and Surgical Treatment • Pulmonary Embolism Treatment • Venous Disease-Varicose Veins, Spider Veins, DVT, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome • Limb Salvage • Wound Healing • Renal and Mesenteric Disease-Endovascular and Surgical Treatment • Arterial and Venous Thrombolysis, IVC Filter Placement and Retrieval • Dialysis Access

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outh Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is one of the country’s most highly respected periodontal practices, with a team of Board-Certified doctors offering the highest standard of care and advanced treatment. Patients can call directly to see a doctor without needing a referral. Q. What are the strengths of your practice? A. “Radiant smiles reflect confidence and health, and our mission is to preserve and restore smiles. Each doctor is Board-Certified in Periodontics and Dental Implant Surgery and we keep current on the latest procedures and technologies.” – Dr. Jeffrey Ganeles, DMD, FACD Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to patient care? A. “We believe that people should have fixed teeth for life. Our doctors control or reverse problems that can lead to tooth loosening or loss, and permanently replace teeth, transforming smiles and changing lives.” – Dr. Liliana Aranguren, DDS, MDSc Q. What kind of services do you offer? A. “We manage periodontal (gum) disease, correct esthetic gum problems and replace failing or missing teeth, focused on regenerative procedures. Everything we do is centered on patient experience and we focus on minimally-invasive techniques, optimizing healing and reducing recovery time.” – Dr. Samuel Zfaz, DDS Q. How do you implement the latest technology in your practice? A. “We utilize today’s most sophisticated dental technologies. This includes LANAP dental lasers, in-house cone beam and intraoral scanners, Yomi® Robotic Implant surgery and sedation options. We are committed to integrity and share collective wisdom and resources.” – Dr. Frederic J. Norkin, DMD Q. How do you manage patient comfort and safety through sedation? A. “We use anesthesia to be able to safely treat patients with complex medical problems or those requiring deeper sedation for their treatment. I also work with special needs patients, dentistry-phobic patients and those requiring extensive treatment in order to ensure the best possible experience with us.” — Dr. Eitan Gross, DMD

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ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES, INC

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or nearly 40 years, the world-class trained team of physicians at Orthopaedic Surgery Associates have been providing head-to-toe orthopaedic care for teens to seniors, athletes to weekend warriors, patients who have experienced failed surgeries elsewhere and those seeking the latest techniques in minimally invasive procedures. All physicians are Board Certified and Fellowship trained with specialties including hand, knee, hip, spine and sports medicine. Services include comprehensive evaluation and testing procedures; total knee, hip and shoulder joint replacement, spinal surgery including Kyphoplasty, arthroscopic knee surgery; repair and reconstruction for torn knee ligaments and cartilage; hand and wrist surgery; and a full scope of physical and occupational rehabilitation and pain management ancillary services.

Q. How does the telemedicine appointment option work? A. Patients can go online or call to schedule a telemedicine video consultation and may be asked to download an app and install it on their phone, tablet or computer. For reference, essential health documents should be handy. Depending upon the case, the patient may be seen for pre-op and post-op visits online or may be advised to visit the office in person if the situation requires. Q. What are the newest procedures patients are seeking? A. The minimally invasive spinal procedure, Kyphoplasty, is used to treat back pain from compression fractures, osteoporosis or trauma. It is done under local anesthesia in the office, using the precision C-arm computer navigation device, and allows patients to get back to their active lives within days. Q. Are all services available at both office locations?

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r. Robert Bader’s dermatology practice, R.S.B. Dermatology, in Deerfield Beach provides his patients with a wide range of comprehensive treatments from Mohs’ micrographic surgery to aesthetic cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. The practice name bears his initials, a testament to the pride he takes in his versatile Ivy League training, Board-certified expertise, and the personal connection he forges with his patients. Dr. Bader graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences with Distinction and is completed a fellowship in Mohs’ and Dermatologic Plastic Surgery at Affiliated Dermatology, a program affiliated with Columbia University. Q. How do you juggle the many hats you wear in your practice? A. It is my pleasure to offer my patients a one stop solution for their total skin care needs. Along with comprehensive, full-scope dermatologic care, I am able to perform both Mohs’ and reconstructive surgery in my office setting during one appointment, thus saving my patients time, travel, and money as they do not need to pay different specialists and facility fees. Q. What is the popular Secret RF treatment you perform? A. Using radiofrequency (electricity) sent down microneedles creating heat, this new treatment tightens the skin and reduces wrinkles with minimal to no down time.

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Q. What is truSculpt iD, and how does it differ from CoolSculpt? A. The truSculpt iD procedure utilizes heat to reduce fat and tighten the skin. Six heads can be used simultaneously in a 15-minute treatment anywhere on the body: abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, back, and the arms are the most popular sites treated. CoolSculpting utilizes cold temperatures to reduce fat, but one needs to have enough skin and fat to suck into the machine’s head. Treatments often takes up to 6 hours and does not tighten the skin. With Trusculpt iD, you can have the procedure and immediately hit the gym--no downtime!

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ROBERT P. NORTON, MD, FAAOS ORTHOPEDIC SPINE SURGERY

killed in the most advanced surgical techniques and emerging technologies, Dr. Robert Norton specializes in all aspects of comprehensive spinal care. His expertise and excellent surgical outcomes have earned him the nickname “Miracle Worker.” His prestigious academic training combined with a passion for teaching and research allows him to take an individualized approach to every patient. His high-quality care is backed by research and evidence-based medicine, with proven and expected results. Dr. Norton has authored multiple publications on a variety of topics related to spine surgery in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. He has also received several research grants and has presented his research at both national and international conferences.

A. Yes, it is my true passion and the future of spine surgery. With this new technology I am able to perform minimally invasive spinal decompression or fusion in an outpatient surgical facility and have patients walk out an hour later in amazement at how functional and pain-free they are. Disc degeneration, herniations of the neck and back, or spondylolisthesis can all be fixed with just a small one-inch incision. Patients recover at home and are often walking several miles just a week post-op! Q. How do you treat a painful compression fracture? A. As the author of the book teaching surgeons how to perform a Kyphoplasty, I can gently do the procedure in about 10 minutes. After numbing the area, a small needle is placed into the broken bone under x-ray guidance. I then inject a small amount of bone “glue” to stabilize the broken bone. This permanent fix serves to relieve broken bone pain and prevent further collapse of the bone so patients don’t become deformed and hunched over.

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Q. Do you perform minimally invasive spinal surgery?

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DR. LEONARD BERKOWITZ

PRIMARY CARE / FAMILY MEDICINE

r. Leonard Berkowitz is the lead primary care physician at FAU Medicine in Boca Raton and board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. As part of a team of university faculty, Dr. Berkowitz is dedicated to improving the wellbeing and longevity of his patients through compassionate and personalized care. Previously, Dr. Berkowitz served at Heart and Vascular Associates and Primary Care Medical Associates in New Jersey and at Medical Associates in New York. He is a graduate of Cornell University and New York College of Medicine. Q. What makes FAU Medicine unique? A. FAU Medicine physicians, teachers, and researchers at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine are up to date with the latest clinical innovations. FAU Medicine offers on-site diagnostic services, including full laboratory, EKG, and vaccinations. Services include adult preventive care, routine check-ups, management of acute and chronic health problems, and geriatric care. Recently, we launched the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, and now occupy the entire fourth floor of the Galen Medical Building. Together, FAU Medicine’s Primary Care practice and Marcus Institute of Integrative Health provide complete health and wellness under one roof, combining evidence-based, patient-centered approaches.

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DR. LEONARD BERKOWITZ FAU Medicine Primary Care Galen Medical Building 880 N.W. 13th St., 4th floor Boca Raton

A. FAU Medicine’s 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility offers patients both primary and integrative healthcare to oversee all aspects of adults’ healthcare. In addition to a conventional clinic setting, the Marcus Institute houses a demonstration kitchen, community wellness activity space, and infusion suites. We spend quality time with our patients, focusing on prevention, and coordinating specialized care to keep you healthy.

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MEDICAL EXPERTS

PLASTIC SURGERY

r. Vivian Hernandez, MD, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is known for creating natural, aesthetically pleasing results for her patients. With more than two decades of experience and trained by some of the world’s leading surgeons, Dr. Hernandez provides individualized treatment plans combining proven methods with the latest techniques. Throughout her career, Dr. Hernandez has been widely recognized for her attention to every detail of patient care, and she is committed to personally help patients fulfill their goals. She has received numerous accolades for her work, and her rise to one of the top facelift surgeons in South Florida is a testament to her artistry and skill.

Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to patient care? A. Each patient is unique to me, and I strive to care for them in the same way I would want to be treated. Therefore, evaluation is very personalized to each patient’s needs, and I spend a great deal of time getting to know my patients on a very personal level to understand what will make them happy. From that point on, I am there as their doctor every step of the way. Q. How do you approach treatment for your patients? A. The aging process takes a toll, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. I want my patients to feel good about themselves again, and my goal isn’t to make them look different, but help them look fresher, healthier, and more vibrant. I strive to help each individual find the right procedure to recapture a radiant self-image that reinforces their confidence and self-esteem. Q. What services do you offer? A. As a plastic surgeon, I specialize in surgical rejuvenation of the face. Some patients, however, are not eligible for surgery. With that in mind, I offer a variety of non-surgical options like injectables, dermal fillers, neuromodulators, laser treatments and more. Even for nonsurgical treatments, I apply the same care and artistry to make the outcomes as natural and pleasing as possible.

VIVIAN HERNANDEZ, MD, FACS Plastic Surgery

4799 N. Federal Highway Boca Raton (561) 750-8600 DrHernandez.com Sponsored Content

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DR. SAADIA MOHAMMED, DDS PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

s the first female board-certified pediatric dentist in Boca Raton, Dr. Saadia Mohammed recognized the need for a modern approach to pediatric dentistry. At Palm Beach Pediatric Dentistry, she has combined advanced technology, prevention, and education with a compassionate approach for more than 15 years. Highly trained and experienced, Dr. Saadia is passionate about the connection of oral health on overall health. She has been featured in the news and spoken both nationally and internationally on her unique perspective. Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to patient care? A. Our goal is to create a better patient experience. We transform our patients’ lives by addressing the root cause of dental disease and restoring balance, harmony and function. Practicing through the pandemic reinforced my commitment to serve. Our children need a safe space to receive much needed dental care, and we combine latest technology with a heartcentered approach to restoring healthy smiles.

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ARTS, CULTURE & LEARNING

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EAT & DRINK

AARON BRISTOL

YA K I TO R I R E V I E W P L A N TA R E V I E W D I S COV E R I E S BOCA CHALLENGE

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Tuna pizza from Yakitori

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E AT & D R I N K

Yakitori Sake House

271 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 561/544-0087 Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

Out of Control rolls

IF YOU GO PARKING: Lot and valet parking HOURS: Sun., Noon to 10:15 p.m.; Mon.–Thurs., 11:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m.; Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.; Sat., Noon to 11:15 p.m. PRICES: Entrees $25 - $125 WEBSITE: yakitoriboca.com

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line of guests runs out the door and into the courtyard as we arrive—testimony to the fact that this Japanese restaurant that has presided for nearly a decade on a Royal Palm Place corner is still welcoming devoted diners and delivering consistent, premium dishes. The evening’s cocktails, a lychee martini ($12) and green tea mojito ($12), were both refreshing and balanced. I have found it hard to find a suitable lychee martini that allows the aromatic flavors of the fruit to come through, but this one succeeded. I’ve also had excellent mojitos and terrible ones, and Yakitori’s hit both minty and citrus notes without being overwhelmingly sweet. As you would expect, the restaurant also has an extensive sake collection in addition to Japanese beers, dessert drinks like the chai tea with a splash of RumChata, and popular shots like a lemon drop. Take time to peruse the vast menu, and don’t forget to wait for the chef’s daily specials and fresh catch of the day. We started with a spicy tuna pizza ($14); a generous amount of scarlet red tuna topped with tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, spicy mayo and eel sauce was a well-seasoned opener. We also enjoyed the yellowtail carpaccio special ($17); the thinly sliced fish sprinkled with crunchy garlic and a light soy drizzle was both simple and enticing. The third sushi

appetizer, the salmon sashimi new style ($14), featured the fish hugging small pieces of Asian pear so that two textures—both soft and crunchy—flourished with a hint of truffle oil, sea salt and dry miso powder. With such a variety of rolls, including raw, cooked and cucumber-wrapped, it was hard to choose, but we decided on the Tsunami ($16) and Out Of Control ($15). The former came with spicy yellowtail, asparagus and jalapeño wrapped in soft, plump rice and topped with spicy tuna, avocado and tempura flakes that delivered a kick. The latter was a delightful combination of tuna, salmon and yellowtail wrapped in soy paper and finished off with thin slices of creamy avocado, smoky eel sauce and crunchy tobiko, or fish roe. For both protein and vegetable entrées, check out the robata grill menu along with the kitchen selections. The Mongolian beef ($17) served up sweet and tender stir-fried meat tossed with carrots, onions, scallions and a spicy chili Mongolian sauce that gave it just a slight hint of spice. While I’ve had my share of basic fried rice, the Yakitori Signature Fried Rice ($15) was anything but that. Instead it was a savory dish of al dente black rice mixed with chicken, crunchy peas, broccoli, zucchini, carrots and egg. Desserts here are fried, for the most part: Think tempura banana, fried ice cream and tempura cheesecake ($7), which was a warm and crunchy way to end our satisfying meal.

September/October 2021

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NO MATTER THE DISTANCE, we work together to support our community in South Palm Beach County

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REVIEW

E AT & D R I N K

Planta

700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 142, West Palm Beach; 561/208-5222

Clockwise from above, brownie sundae, Hawaiian pizza and udon noodles

IF YOU GO PARKING: Garage HOURS: Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (brunch until 4 p.m.) PRICES: Entrees $18.25$24.50 WEBSITE: plantarestaurants.com

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or those who savor every juicy, tender and flavorful bite of a well-prepared burger, patronizing a vegan establishment may seem like a sacrilegious act. Plus, perhaps you’re not ready to venture down the path of faux meat. But what if a restaurant served up plant-based dishes that woke up your senses, surprised your taste buds with exploding flavors, and delighted your eyes with vibrant plate presentations? Planta is bringing just that to West Palm Beach’s Rosemary Square. Taking over the former Panera Bread space, Planta sits on that sizable corner bookended by shaded al fresco banquettes and a swanky outdoor bar with plush courtyard seating. Regardless of your choice of spirit, you’ll find a cocktail on the menu to suit your craving. The Charcoal Bourbon Sour ($12), made with lemon, activated by charcoal syrup and topped with a thin layer of fluffy aquafaba, had a balanced smoky and sweet flavor. If you enjoy a little kick in a cocktail, try the Herb Your Enthusiasm ($12), the Thai chili-infused tequila perfectly matched with orange liqueur, lime, pineapple and herb syrup. Our plant-based journey began with the Dragon Roll ($15.75), sans fish, of course. In my first bite, my mind and eyes fought to understand: It looked like sushi, and it tasted like some sort of tempura protein topped with thinly sliced avocado, but from reading the menu I knew it was broccoli and spinach instead. It was cheeky to try, but the entrées were the true headliners of this expedition.

This West Palm Beach location is the seventh in Planta’s upscale vegan empire, and its signature burger ($19.95) explained the restaurant’s popularity in one bite. Once again, Executive Chef David Lee’s visual presentation of the dish made me think twice about whether there really wasn’t animal protein in it. A combination of mushrooms, brown rice, lentils, black beans, oats, tempeh and a few other seasonings, this burger had a suitable consistency and a powerful flavor accentuated by its stack of trimmings. Plus it came with crunchy truffle fries. For even more truffle delights, we ordered the udon noodles ($24.50) in a creamy mushroom sauce made from coconut cream and sprinkled with a generous amount of shaved truffles. It was our table’s favorite. If you also order a pizza, make sure to dip your crust into the noodle sauce for a special indulgence. The Hawaiian pizza ($19.50) was both savory and sweet. The barbecue sauce and sliced jalapeños added a spicy undertone, while the big pieces of pineapple and ranch dressing drizzle balanced it out. Make sure to save room for dessert. The maple custard is small but packs a sweet punch. But the brownie sundae took the spotlight away with its warm gooeyness. For those who choose to eat vegan, Planta serves elevated dishes where you don’t have to worry about the ingredients. And for those who love meat, Planta offers approachable and appetizing plant-based dishes that don’t make us yearn for a steak.

AARON BRISTOL

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

September/October 2021

8/9/21 9:55 AM

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

E AT & D R I N K

DINING GUIDE Palm Beach County BOCA RATON

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. $$$

Abe & Louie’s —2200 Glades Road. Steakhouse.

Burtons Grill & Bar —5580 N. Military Trail.

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. $$$$

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. $

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. $$$

Roasted Buffalo cauliflower from Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen

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

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Basilic Vietnamese Grill—200 S. Federal Highway. Vietnamese. This popular restaurant offers satisfying food and reasonable prices. Plus, there’s bubble tea. Opened in 2014, it has a wide range of Vietnamese favorites, such as cha gio tom heo, fried shrimp and pork Imperial rolls, all kinds of pho, noodle bowls, chicken curry and more. • Lunch and dinner six days a week; closed Tuesdays. 561/409-4964. $$

Bluefin Sushi and Thai—861 N.W. 51st St., Suite 1. Sushi/Thai. Arrive early for a table at this Asian hot spot— it’s popular with no reservations for parties fewer than six. Don’t skip the tempura lobster bomb, big in both size and taste. The ginger snapper will impress both Instagram and your stomach. Try the chicken satay and pad Thai. Bluefin offers a variety of dishes from multiple cultures, all well done. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/981-8986. $$ Boca Landing —999 E. Camino Real. Contemporary 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

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

September/October 2021

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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 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. $$$$ Cuban Café—3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Suite B-30. Cuban. One thing Boca needs more of is coffee windows—and real Cuban restaurants. 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. $

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 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. $$$

Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen—399 S.E. Mizner Blvd. American. Natural, seasonal, sustainable. You’ll enjoy the varied menu, and won’t believe it’s made without butters or creams. Try the too-good-to-be-true buffalo-style cauliflower appetizer, the seared salmon or buffalo burger, and have apple skillet for dessert. Healthy never tasted so good. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/826-2625. $$

Grand Lux Cafe —6000 Glades Road, inside 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. $$

Everyday Favorites For an affordable bite at any time, consider these durable chains and homegrown Boca favorites—where the attire is understated and reservations are rarely necessary. Biergarten—309 Via De Palmas, #90. German/Pub. Part vaguely German beer garden, part all-American sports bar, this rustic eatery offers menus that channel both, as well as an excellent selection of two-dozen beers on tap and the same number by the bottle. The food is basic and designed to go well with suds, like the giant pretzel with a trio of dipping sauces and the popular “Biergarten burger.” • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/395-7462. $$

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, 561/9652663; 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. 561/3682900. $$ P.F. Chang’s—1400 Glades Road. Chinese. There may have been no revolution if Mao had simply eaten at the Boca outpost of P.F. Chang’s—the portions are large enough to feed the masses—and the exquisite tastes in each dish could soothe any tyrant. We particularly like the steamed fish of the day, as well as the Szechuan-style asparagus. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-3722. (Other Palm Beach County location: 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/691-1610) $$

The Sandwich Shop at Buccan—350 S. County Road, Palm Beach. Takeout stop. Like big sister Buccan Italian restaurant, the Sandwich Shop is full of flavor and builds your favorite sandwich with just a touch of delicious creativity you won’t find elsewhere. Owned by celeb chef Clay Conley and partners, the menu has hot or cold sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks (both alcoholic and non). Good-sized portions mean the Italian and prosciutto subs include leftovers if you have some willpower.• Lunch daily. 561/833-6295. $$

Shake Shack—1400 Glades Road. American. We’re not sure there is really any such thing as a bad burger joint and when you have a really good one—like Shake Shack— there’s a little piece of heaven just a short order away. Shake Shack in University Commons has great all-Angus burgers, non-GMO buns, and a frozen custard that makes grown men weep. Throw in some crinkle-cut fries and life is the way it should be. And the outdoor patio is a definite bonus in these times. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/932-0847. $ 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. $$

Tap 42—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 247. Gastropub. This hugely popular nouveau-Industrial gastropub is not for the faint of eardrums when packed, but don’t let that discourage you. The kitchen here executes the hell out of a short, simple all-day menu. Grilled salmon chopped salad with tomatillo ranch dressing is delightful, as is guacamole studded with fat chunks of bacon and charred corn. Same goes for decadent shrimp mac-n-cheese. The wicked-good chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel sauce would be the envy of any Big Easy eatery. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Brunch Sat.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/235-5819. $

The Grille On Congress—5101 Congress

Houston’s —1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Con-

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. $$

temporary 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 September/October 2021

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DISCOVERIES

E AT & D R I N K

Leave it to the Experts

Consider these private spaces next time you want to throw a hassle-free dinner party Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

LE BILBOQUET This French bistro includes a second-floor space that can accommodate up to 30 guests. Interior designer David Lucido focused on a French Art Deco-inspired style that exudes a subtle elegance while still feeling comfortable. Whether you’re looking to host a ladies lunch, corporate dinner or holiday party with a DJ, Le Bilboquet can offer a memorable experience that’s catered to all your needs. 245a Worth Ave., Palm Beach; 561/812-2363; lebilboquetpb.com FLORIE’S Tranquil ocean views are the backdrop to your private space at this Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach on-site restaurant. Here, you can host up to 24 guests for breakfast, lunch or dinner while overlooking the resort pool and sprawling sea; make sure to take advantage of the covered outdoor terrace. Linking the inside and outside, interior designer Martin Brudnizki created a neutral color palette highlighted with muted blush and turquoise hues that give this space a glamorous yet relaxed Palm Beach vibe. 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach; 561/5333750; floriespb.com

Upstairs at Delray Beach Market

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GYORGY PAPP

or some of us, hosting a gathering at home is exhilarating, while for others it’s exhausting. These restaurants give you the option of celebrating a festive occasion with loved ones in an intimate space while being pampered by expert staff members and celebrated chefs in a relaxing atmosphere.

Farmer’s Table

PISTACHE FRENCH BISTRO Transport your guests to Paris in this private dining room that can host up to 70 for lunch or dinner and 85 for passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Choose from French favorites like steak tartare, croque monsieur, quiche Lorraine and steak frites. There are prix-fixe menu and bar packages for every price point, and the room offers audiovisual capabilities including a screen and projector. 101 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach; 561/833-5090; pistachewpb.com

FARMER’S TABLE With two locations in Palm Beach County, you have several options to enjoy the seasonally inspired menu and “feel good food.” Its Boca Raton location has six private spaces, from the Grand Ballroom and charming Oak Room to an outdoor space overlooking the pool and smaller breakout boardrooms. In North Palm Beach, you’ll find a conference room for up to 12 guests and the Grand Ballroom, which overlooks the verdant golf course, and can host up to 350. 1901 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton; 561/4175836 951 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach; 561/691-3430 dinefarmerstable.com THE DELRAY BEACH MARKET Host a buzz-worthy private dinner in the upstairs mezzanine. The space, complete with private bar, ping-pong table, demo kitchen and a spacious outdoor balcony, can accommodate up to 175 of your closest friends. The unique draw here is that you can offer your guests more than 20 cuisine options by giving them Market Cards and letting them sample the vendors downstairs before heading back upstairs to the party. 33 S.E. Third Ave., Delray Beach; 561/5627000; delraybeachmarket.com

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E AT & D R I N K RESTAURANT DIRECTORY of Boca, including menu items like Cajun trout, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$$

Il Mulino New York Boca Raton —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. From the four pre-menu bites to the after-dinner coffee from freshly ground beans, this is a white-tablecloth venue that delivers on its upscale promises. Try the langostino, the red snapper, the risotto, the pasta, or go for the ceviches, caviars and seafood tower. Save room for dessert and complimentary lemoncello. Make a night of it. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/338-8606. $$$ Jimmy’s Fries to Caviar —6299 N. Federal Highway. Contemporary American. Going one better than soup to nuts defines Jimmy Mills’ Boca restaurant, an easygoing, affordable bistro in the old Darbster space that really does offer fries, caviar and more. Four varieties of fish eggs are shown off nicely crowning a quartet of deviled eggs, while the thick-cut fries complement a massively flavorful, almost fork-tender hanger steak in the classic steak frites.Try the seasonal soups as well. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/617-5965. $$

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. $$

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

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 September/October 2021

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Tuna Poke Bowl Four takes on a sprightly and adaptable Hawaiian staple

ailing from Hawaii, poke (which is Hawaiian for “to slice into pieces”) was created by fishermen who diced up their raw reef fish or ahi tuna for a quick meal. Since it exploded on the mainland, it has become a sensation: a simple dish transformed into a rainbow of vivid colors, bold textures and infinite array of flavor profiles easily personalized to every palate. —CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

TUNA

RICE

TOPPINGS TOTAL There are a wide variety of proteins, toppings and sauces. Tuna was premixed with spicy mayo that gave it a tantalizing kick without being overpowering. The sushi rice elevated the dish alongside the masago and bold flavors of the mango and ginger. Regardless of whether you choose a signature or custom bowl, the price is the same. $12.95.

SOVEREIGN: POKE, BOBA, ASIAN KITCHEN

All fish protein here is sushi grade, and it’s filleted in-house, ensuring that only the best ends up in your bowl. The Thai berry brown rice made it stand out, and the hearty scoop of avocado wasn’t an upcharge. Tuna was tender and coated in a house-made kimchee sauce and then topped with crispy shallots and bright masago. $14.

SOVEREIGN: POKE, BOBA, ASIAN KITCHEN

1345 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561/617-1253 eatsovereign.com

POKE JAY

110 N.E. Second St., Boca Raton 561/409-4283 pokejayboca.com

The assortment of proteins, bases, sauces and toppings exceeded any other visited venue, including poached shrimp and kohlrabi noodles. White rice was warm, and seasoned with a mixture of seaweed, sesame seeds and salt, while the tuna was firm yet tender. The house-made lava sauce packs a punch. $12.95 or $15.95.

PIPELINE POKÉ CO.

TANUKI AT DELRAY BEACH MARKET

33 S.E. Third Ave., Delray Beach 561/562-7000 instagram.com/ tanukidelray

PIPELINE POKÉ CO.

310 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 300, West Palm Beach 561/899-3288 pipelinepokeco.com

TANUKI

RATINGS: fair

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Choose from a sizzling, custom or signature bowl. Custom bowl fixings offer options like watermelon, zucchini noodles and hamachi. The tuna pieces here were larger, but there seemed to be fewer of them. The white rice had a hint of vinegar that was startling, but the fried onions, cucumber and sesame seeds gave it a satisfying crunch. $15.88. good

very good

excellent

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homemade pastas and other classic dishes. Try the signature whole yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt; it’s de-boned right at tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer). 561/362-8403. $$$

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

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

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. $$ Madison’s —2006 N.W. Executive Center Circle. American. This location is something of a Bermuda Triangle for restaurants, with at least four restaurants preceding this local outpost of a Canadian chain that styles itself a “New York grill and bar.” What Madison’s has going for it is an exceedingly handsome and capacious space, and service that is as professional as it is personable. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/994-0808. $$$ Maggiano’s —21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. Do as the Italians do, and order family-style: Sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, a salad, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts. The menu also includes lighter takes on staples like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$ Mario’s Osteria—1400 Glades Road, Suite 210. Italian. This popular spot is swanky, but the rustic Italian fare keeps with an osteria’s humbler pretensions. Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna and eggplant “pancakes” are on the new menu, as are butternut squash ravioli and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/239-7000. $$

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. $$

Buzz Bite I Morelia Gourmet Paletas Arrives to Boca

teve Jobs once said, “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream.” But what if you could be a leader in selling ice cream? That’s what Alex Kassab is striving for. As one of the founders of Morelia Gourmet Paletas, he has helped create something unique that he’s termed “the best ice cream experience.” Our ears perked right up when hearing this motto: Who wouldn’t want to indulge in the best ice cream experience? But what is it? Ice cream on a stick isn’t new or groundbreaking, but Morelia’s Mexican paletas aren’t your ordinary popsicles. Stepping into its Royal Palm Place shop, a neat glass display of prismatic sweet treats awaits you. Choose from 16 signature flavors like pineapple mint, strawberry cheesecake, the ever-popular cookies and cream, or the new chocolate fudgy Cookies and cream paleta from Morelia’s brownie. Some paletas are even filled with gooey extras like condensed milk, dulce de leche or Nutella. Handcrafted in small batches every day in Morelia’s Hollywood kitchen, each one is made from fresh natural fruit or high-quality ingredients (think creamy imported Belgian chocolate or crunchy Sicilian pistachios), is Kosher certified and is free of artificial coloring or dyes. Once you’ve chosen your flavor, you then get to decide what to dip it in. Choose from options like dark or white chocolate, crunchy hazelnut or cookie butter. The finale comes with the toppings. With choices like Oreos, Nutella, peanuts, almonds, coconut or the extra special s’mores (marshmallow lightly torched and then topped with graham crackers), there are about a million paleta flavor combinations you can enjoy. 125 Via Naranjas #45A, Boca Raton; 561/672-1055; paletasmorelia.com —Christie Galeano-DeMott

Max’s Grille —404 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. After 24 years in Mizner Park, This modern American bistro is a true local classic. The food and decor are both timeless and up to date, and the ambience is that of a smooth-running big-city bistro. Service is personable and proficient. The menu is composed of dishes you really want to eat, from the applewood bacon-wrapped meatloaf to the wickedly indulgent crème brûlèe pie. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/368-0080. $$ Morton’s The Steakhouse—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 219. Steakhouse. There’s seemingly no end to diners’ love of huge slabs of high-quality aged beef, nor to the carnivores who pack the clubby-swanky dining room of this meatery. While the star of the beef show is the giant bone-in filet mignon, seasonally featured is the American Wagyu New York strip. Finish off your meal with one of the decadent desserts.• Dinner nightly. 561/392-7724. $$$$

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. $$$$

Prezzo —5560 N. Military Trail. Italian. A reincarnation of a popular 1990s Boca venue, this version has updated the dining room, kept the yummy oven-baked focaccia bread slices, and added a 21st-century taste to the menu. Don’t miss the tender bone-in pork chop, thin-crust pizza and seafood specials. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are on the menu, too. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/314-6840. $$ Rafina—6877 S.W. 18th St. Greek. If you find the ambience of most Greek restaurants to be like a frat party with flaming cheese and ouzo, this contemporary, casually elegant spot will be welcome relief. Food and decor favor refinement September/October 2021

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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. $$

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. $$ Ristorante Sapori—301 Via de Palmas, Royal Palm Place. Italian. Sapori features fresh fish, veal and chicken dishes imbued with subtle flavors. The grilled Italian branzino, the veal chop Milanese and the zuppa di pesce served over linguine are especially tasty, and the pasta (all 17 kinds!) is available in full and half orders, with your choice of 15 zesty sauces. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/367-9779. $$

Ruth’s Chris —225 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 100. Steak-

AARON BRISTOL

house. 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.) $$$$

Melitzanosalata from Oliv Pit

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

Home Run

Warike Peruvian Bistro’s catering platters can feed 10-12 people and offer everything from ceviches to salads to entrees and apps.

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. $$

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

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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 jewel box of a restaurant, but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm, sophistication and imaginative, expertly crafted food. Virtually everything is made in-house, from the trio of breads that first grace your table to the pasta in a suave dish of tagliatelle with duck and chicken confit. Don’t miss the jerk pork belly and grilled veal strip loin. • Dinner nightly. 561/990-7969. $$$

Villagio Italian Eatery—344 Plaza Real. Italian. The classic Italian comfort food at this Mizner Park establishment is served with flair and great attention to detail. The reasonably priced menu—with generous portions—includes all your favorites (veal Parmesan, Caesar salad) and some outstanding seafood dishes (Maine lobster with shrimp, mussels and clams on linguine). There is a full wine list and ample people-watching given the prime outdoor seating. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561-447-2257. $$

Vino —114 N.E. Second St. Wine Bar/Italian. An impressive wine list of some 250 plus bottles (all available by the glass) offers a multitude of choices, especially among Italian and California reds. The menu of “Italian tapas” includes roasted red peppers with Provolone, as well as ricotta gnocchi with San Marzano tomatoes. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/869-0030. $$

Warike Peruvian Bistro —2399 N. Federal Highway. Peruvian. Classic dishes, such as aji de gallina, and classic drinks—Warike Sour—make this small restaurant a place to remember. Modern, clean décor and a menu that includes well-prepared seafood, meat or vegetarian meals means it’s a busy venue, so reservations are recommended. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/465-5922. $$

WEST BOCA Boon’s Asian Bistro—19605 N. State Road 7. Japanese/Thai. This is one of two Boon’s (the other is in Delray Beach), and it’s where the rush to eat excellent sushi started. The fast-moving staff is choreographed to deliver dishes such as shrimp pad Thai that’s light, delicate and happily filled with shrimp. The Thai fried rice is unusually delicate too, with lots of egg, and is some of the best around. The sushi rolls are as fresh and inventive (try the Daimyo roll) as they are beautifully presented. Go early or call for a reservation. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/883-0202. $$ Chloe’s Bistro —6885 S.W. 18th St. Italian. One of the few venues that’s on the water, with food to match the view. Try the seafood linguine, the large snapper filets in Marechiara

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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. $$ Burt & Max’s —9089 W. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. This bastion of contemporary comfort food in west Delray is approaching local landmark status, forging its own menu while borrowing a few dishes from Max’s Grille, like the hearty chopped salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf. Other dishes are variations on the comfort food theme, including a stellar truffle-scented wild mushroom pizza. • Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$

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. $$

Casa L’Acqua—9 S.E. Seventh 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. $$$ City Oyster—213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with a jumbo crab cake. This is the place to see and be seen in Delray, and the food lives up to its profile. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$ Cut 432—432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steak-house favorites make this sleek restaurant just different enough to be interesting. Starters such as ceviche (prepared Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wet-aged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner nightly. 561/272-9898. $$$

Dada—52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all

its own. The comfort food with a moustache menu has its quirky charms, too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner nightly. 561/330-3232. $$

Deck 84—840 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Burt Rapoport’s ode to laid-back tropical dining is like a day at the beach without getting sand between your toes. Though the restaurant is casual, the kitchen takes its food seriously, whether the stellar flatbreads, the thick and juicy 10-ounce special blend burger or homey seasonal cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/665-8484. $ 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

So fresh it ought to be slapped!

7959 West Atlantic Delray Beach, Florida 33446

Curbside take-out and delivery available

Tuesday - Sunday / 5:00PM - 9:00PM Friday - Saturday / 5:00PM - 10:00PM

561-501-6391 www.yellowtail-sushi.com

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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. $$

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. $$$

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. $$

Lemongrass Bistro —420 E. Atlantic Ave. Pan-

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, unpreten-

CRISTINA MORGADO

tious 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. $$

Diver scallops from the Grove

Il Girasole—2275 S. Federal Highway. Northern Italian. If you want Northern Italian in a low-key atmosphere, and nobody rushing you out the door, this is your spot. Start with something from the very good wine list. Try the yellowtail snapper, the penne Caprese and the capellini Gamberi, and leave room for the desserts. Reservations recommended. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$ J&J Seafood Bar & Grill—634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on Atlantic Avenue—owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. This is is a bona fide local go-to spot that never disappoints. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$

Jimmy’s Bistro—9 S. Swinton Ave. 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. $$

Joseph’s Wine Bar —200 N.E. Second Ave. Med-

Sunday at Sundy

The old-school tradition of a lavish Sunday brunch buffet is alive and well at Sundy House these days.

iterranean-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. $$

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

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Asian. Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination. The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-5050. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $

The Office —201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, unless your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap and a menu that flits from burgers and fries to mussels. Don’t miss the restaurant’s winning take on the thick, juicy Prime beef burger and simply wicked maple-frosted donuts with bacon bits and two dipping sauces. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/276-3600. $$ Park Tavern—32 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Check out the high-top seating or bar stools during an excellent happy hour menu that includes deviled eggs, pork sliders, chicken wings and a happy crowd. Entrees are generous and well executed. Try the fish and chips, one of six burgers, fish tacos and more. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 561/265-5093. $$ Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar —5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, ambience and service hit all the right notes. Oysters are terrific any way you get them; grilled fish and daily specials are excellent. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/450-6718. $$$ Rose’s Daughter—169 N.E. Second Ave. Italian. While not your traditional Italian trattoria, it is a place to find new favorites and revisit old standards updated with delicious ingredients and high standards. Try the Monet-colored lobster risotto, or house-made pasta, pizza, bread and desserts. From the mushroom arancini to the tiramisu, you will be glad Owner/Chef Suzanne Perrotto is in the kitchen. Indoor and outdoor seating. • Dinner Wed.-Sun. 561/271-9423. $$ 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. Set in a lush, tropical garden, the outside tables here are the most coveted, second only to the tastes and combinations in the shrimp and grits, or the eggs Benedict, Taru burger, Nutella French toast and prime rib roast. This is a place to sit and savor your meal and the surroundings. • Brunch Sat.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/272-5678. $$$

September/October

8/4/21 2:39 PM

E AT & D R I N K RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

Buzz Bite III Restaurant Months Are Here

his month brings us a wide variety of dining deals to take advantage of. Whether you want to support your local Palm Beach haunt or discover a new restaurant in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, now is the time to do just that. FLAVOR PALM BEACH Choose from more than 40 restaurants that span the entire county. Regardless of what you’re craving, you’ll find it on the specially prepared three-course menus at each of the participating businesses. flavorpb.com DINE OUT LAUDERDALE As part of LauderDeals, this campaign runs through September and allows diners to enjoy Greater Fort Lauderdale’s expanding dining scene. sunny.org/ restaurants MIAMI SPICE Offering locals and visitors alike an opportunity to indulge in some of Miami’s best restaurants, this culinary program offers a multitude of three-course lunch, brunch and dinner options. miamiandbeaches.com/offers/temptations/miamispice-months

Owner & Boca Resident John Moore serving Northern Italian Classic & Bistro Fare. Wine down Tues, Wed and Thurs night with 25% off all bottles under a $150

w w w. p a r k s o u t h w i n e b a r. c o m Park South Food & Wine Bar 1/3SQ B0921.indd 1

8/9/21 12:37 AM

Come enjoy our delicious cuisine! We believe that good times deserve great food!

—Christie Galeano-DeMott

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. $$

8221 Glades Rd #5&6 Boca Raton, FL 33434 561-556-1688

Located in Piccadilly Square, just west of the Turnpike skyfi n a si a n bi st r o. co m

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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. $$$

Cocktail Culture

At HMF at The Breakers, if you opt out of a “bespoke” cocktail, you’ll still have 2,000 wine selections from which to choose.

Veg Eats Foods—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. • Lunch daily. 561/562-6673. $

LAKE WORTH BEACH Couco Pazzo—915-917 Lake Ave. Italian. There’s nothing crazy about the cooking at this homey eatery. It’s the hearty, soul-satisfying Italian cuisine we’ve all come to know and love. Spaghetti Bolognese is a fine version of a Northern Italian classic. • Dinner nightly. (Tues.–Sun. during summer). 561/585-0320. $$ Paradiso Ristorante —625 Lucerne Ave. Italian. A Tomasz Rut mural dominates the main dining room, and there is also a pasticceria and bar for gelato and espresso. Chef Angelo Romano offers a modern Italian menu. The Mediterranean salt-crusted branzino is definitely a musttry. Plus, the wine list is a veritable tome. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/547-2500. $$$

LANTANA The Station House —233 Lantana Road. Seafood. If you’re hungry for Maine lobster, plucked live out of giant tanks and cooked to order, this modest replica of a 1920s train station is the place to go. Lobsters come in all sizes (up to 6 pounds) and are reasonably priced. • Dinner nightly. 561/547-9487. $$$

PALM BEACH Bice—313 Worth Ave. Italian. Bice continues to hold the title

LIBBY VOLGYES

of favorite spot on the island. The venerable restaurant offers a marvelous array of risottos and fresh pastas and classic dishes like veal chop Milanese, pounded chicken breast and roasted rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$

Margherita pizza from Grato

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Café L’Europe —331 S. County Road. Current International. A Palm Beach standard, the café has long been known for its peerless beauty, the piano player, the chilled martinis and the delicious Champagne and caviar bar. Try one of its sophisticated classics like wiener schnitzel with herbed spaetzle, grilled veal chop and flavorful pastas. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner nightly (closed Mon. during summer). 561/655-4020. $$$ Echo—230A Sunrise Ave. Asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. The Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the sake list is tops. This offsite property of The Breakers is managed with the same flawlessness as the resort. • Dinner nightly (during season). 561/802-4222. $$$

Henry’s Palm Beach—229 Royal Poinciana Way. American Bistro. Part of The Breakers’ restaurant properties, this venue opened in 2020 and is an elegant addition to The Island. Try the pigs in a pretzel dough blanket, beer can corn, the lobster roll, butter crumb Dover sole and chicken pot pie. All comfort food with a Palm Beach twist, and it’s all delicious. • Lunch and dinner daily. 877/724-3188. $$$

HMF—1 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Beneath the staid, elegant setting of The Breakers, HMF is the Clark Kent of restaurants, dishing an extensive array of exciting, inventive, oh-so-contemporary small plates. Don’t depart without sampling the dreamy warm onion-Parmesan dip with housemade fingerling potato chips, the sexy wild boar empanaditas, chicken albondigas tacos and Korean-style short ribs. The wine list is encyclopedic. • Dinner nightly. 561/290-0104. $$ Imoto —350 S. County Road. Asian Fusion/Tapas. Clay Conley’s “little sister” (the translation of Imoto from Japanese) is next to his always-bustling Buccan. Imoto turns out Japanese-inspired small plates with big-city sophistication, like witty Peking duck tacos and decadent tuna and foie gras sliders. Sushi selection is limited but immaculately fresh. • Dinner nightly. 561/833-5522. $$ Leopard Lounge and Restaurant—The Chesterfield Palm Beach, 363 Cocoanut Row. American. The restaurant offers excellent food in a glamorous and intimate club-like atmosphere. In fact, it’s advisable to make early reservations if a quiet dinner is the objective; the place becomes a late-night cocktail spot after 9. The menu is equally decadent. • Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner daily. 561/659-5800. $$ Meat Market—191 Bradley Place. Steakhouse. “Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steakhouse but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale add-ons. Whole roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner nightly. 561/354-9800. $$$$

Buccan—350 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Casual elegance of Palm Beach meets modern culinary sensibilities of Miami at the first independent restaurant by chef Clay Conley. The design offers both intimate and energetic dining areas, while the menu is by turn familiar (wood-grilled burgers) and more adventurous (truffled steak tartare with crispy egg yolk, squid ink orrechiette). • Dinner nightly. 561/833-3450. $$$

Renato’s—87 Via Mizner. Italian with continental flair.

Café Boulud—The Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave. French with American flair. This hotel restaurant gives Palm Beach a taste of Daniel Boulud’s world-class cuisine inspired by his four muses. The chef oversees a menu encompassing classics, simple fare, seasonal offerings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard, the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • Dinner nightly. 561/655-6060. $$$

Ta-boo —2221 Worth Ave. American. This self-described

This most romantic hideaway is buzzing in season and quietly charming all year long with Italian classics and a Floridian twist— like the sautéed black grouper in a fresh tomato and pernod broth with fennel and black olives and the wildflower-honey-glazed salmon fillet with crab and corn flan. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/655-9752. $$$

“American bistro” is less typical “American” restaurant or classical French “bistro” than it is posh-casual refuge for the see-and-be-seen crowd in and around Palm Beach. The eclectic

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8/4/21 2:39 PM

menu offers everything from roasted duck with orange blossom honey-ginger sauce to dry-aged steaks and an assortment of pizzas. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/835-3500. $$

WEST PALM BEACH Banko Cantina —114 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Northern Mexican. Start with the Adelita cocktail and don’t look back. The bacon-wrapped shrimp, the Al Carbon steak tacos and the house guacamole add up to a full-flavor dinner. The west-facing rooftop bar is a nice sunset option, and the Pan de Elote (homemade sweet cornbread with vanilla ice cream and berries) is a delightful end to the evening. • Dinner daily. 561/355-1399. $$

Café Centro —2409 N. Dixie Highway. Modern American. A cornerstone in the Northwood neighborhood, this venue draws because of a complete package: food, drinks and great nightlife and music. Take some char-grilled oysters, add shrimp pesto capellini or a marinated pork chop with polenta, plus local singing fave Tessie Porter, and you have a fun and delicious night out. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/514-4070. $$ French Corner Bistro & Rotissorie —4595 Okeechobee Blvd. Classic French. It’s France in a tiny venue, with big-taste dishes that include all the faves: beef

bourguignon, rack of lamb, duck à l’orange, frog legs Provencale, veal kidneys, tender branzino and simple desserts to end the meal. Reservations are mandatory for dinner. • Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/689-1700. $$

Grato —1901 S. Dixie Highway. Italian. “Grato” is Italian for “grateful,” and there is much to be grateful for about Clay Conley’s sophisticated yet unpretentious take on Italian cookery. Anyone would be grateful to find such delicate, crispy and greaseless fritto misto as Grato’s, ditto for lusty beef tartare piled onto a quartet of crostini. Spinach gnocchi in porcini mushroom sauce are a revelation, so light and airy they make other versions taste like green library paste. Don’t miss the porchetta either, or the silken panna cotta with coffee ice cream and crunchy hazelnut tuille. • Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch. 561/404-1334. $$

Leila—120 S. Dixie Highway. Mediterranean. Flowing drapes

Pistache —1010 N. Clematis St., #115. French. Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as coq au vin and steak tartare. All that, plus guests dining al fresco have views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Centennial Park. • Brunch Sat.– Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$ The Regional Kitchen & Public House —651 Okeechobee Blvd. Southern with Mediterranean twist. Across from the PBC Convention Center and next to Kravis Center for the Performing Arts means it’s a shoein for an excellent pre-theater meal. Or a post-theater drink and nosh. Executive Chef/Co-owner Lindsay Autry’s version of pimento cheese (prepared tableside), fried chicken, pickled shrimp and tomato pie are dishes you thought you knew, until you try these. Memorable, delectable comfort food, and bartenders who know what they’re doing. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/557-6460. $$

and industrial lighting complete the exotic decor in this Middle Eastern hit. Sensational hummus is a must-try. Lamb kebab with parsley, onion and spices makes up the delicious Lebanese lamb kefta. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sun. 561/659-7373. $$

Marcello’s La Sirena—6316 S. Dixie Highway. Italian. You’re in for a treat if the pasta of the day is prepared with what might be the best Bolognese sauce ever. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. (closed Memorial Day–Labor Day). 561/585-3128. $$

WEB EXTRA: check out our complete tri-county dining guide only at BOCAMAG.COM.

Executive Chef / Owner Suzanne Perrotto

561-271-9423 • rosesdaughterdelray.com 169 NE 2nd Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33444 in Pineapple Grove

561-274-2046 • brulebistro.com 200 NE 2 Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33444 in Pineapple Grove nd

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INAUGURAL MOMS & PUPS “BARK & BRUNCH” WHAT: To kick off Mother’s Day week this year, more than 125 animal advocates gathered at The Addison in Boca Raton for the inaugural Moms & Pups “Bark & Brunch” benefiting Tri-County Animal Rescue. Funds were allocated to the “Together Fur-ever” Medical Fund, which subsidizes low-cost vet care, surgeries, x-rays, ultrasounds, dental care and more for local pet owners who are experiencing financial difficulties. WHERE: The Addison

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1. Suzi Goldsmith and honoree Marta Batmasian with pup Tamar 2. Honoree Andrea Kline and Sharon DiPietro 3. Elaine & Barry Kay with pup Harley

4. Teresa Katz and Nanette Saraga with pups Cooper and Casey 5. Suzanne Klein and Edna MeyerNelson with pup Beau 6. Olivia Hollaus and Robin Trompeter 7. Casey Cole Ray, Peg Anderson, Timolin Cole Augustus 8. Patti Carpenter, Arlene Herson, Ingrid Fulmer, Jon Kaye, Marilyn Swillinger 9. Randy Nobles, Veronica Nobles and Patti Nobles with pup Dakota 10. Jay DiPietro, Robert Weinroth, Jeri Caprio (seated), Sharon DiPietro, Pamela Weinroth, Francesca Daniels (seated)

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AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND ART IN THE GARDENS WHAT: This spring, supporters of West Palm Beach’s Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens came together to celebrate philanthropy, music, art and nature at the Gardens Conservancy’s seventhannual Evening of Music and Art in the Gardens. At the event, Palm Beach resident Audrey Gruss was presented with the Ann Norton Award for Philanthropy, which is bestowed each year to an individual who supports the Gardens and the legacy of Ann Norton. WHERE: Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens 4

2. Cynthia Sulzberger and Steven Green 3. Melinda and Tom Hassen 4. Bill and Christine Aylward

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5. Sam Carroll, Bob Bishop and Perri Brenner 6. Audrey Gruss, Susan Wright, Frances Fisher and Diane McNeal 7. Shelly Newman, Lauren Kesselman and Patricia McLaughlin

CAPEHEART

1. Eleanora Kennedy and Robyn Joseph

September/October 2021

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WALK LIKE MADD 2021 WHAT: Nearly 1,000 walkers and runners participated in this year’s Walk Like MADD and MADD Dash 5K, either inperson at Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Plaza or virtually. Altogether, more than $215,000 was raised to benefit Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. The event was sponsored by the Salah Foundation, UKG, UBS Financial Services, the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County and Memorial Healthcare System.

WHERE: Huizenga Plaza in Fort Lauderdale

DOWNTOWN PHOTO

1. BSO DUI Task Force: Brittany Armstrong, Jose Guzman, Scott Popick, Heather Geronemus, Robert O’Dor and Ryan Clifton 2. Tracy and Jonathan Gulbranson

3. Meredith Clements and Ben Sorenson 4. Team Miami Dolphins: Katie Navas, Katharina Nowak, Sloane and Javier Sanchez, Brett Brecheisen 5. Heather Geronemus and

Vice Mayor Udine 6. Trooper John Gresheimer, Auxiliary Captain Dwight Clodfelter, Joy Clodfelter, Lt. Yanko Reyes 7. Bella, Keith and Jennifer Staffen

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JLBR DIAPER BANK GIVES AWAY FIVE MILLIONTH DIAPER WHAT: Since 2011, the Junior League of Boca Raton has used its Diaper Bank to distribute diapers to families in need in Palm Beach County. The program is aided by Boca Raton Innovation Campus, which donates space for storage. In spring 2021, the initiative gave out its five millionth diaper, having since reached 5.2 million distributed. More than 15,000 local families have received aid from the Diaper Bank since its inception, and in 2022 it will become a standalone nonprofit organization. WHERE: Boca Raton

3 1. Giana Pacinelli, Samantha Eckhart and Jamie Sauer at BRiC 2. Dre Garcia, Margi Cross, Alexis Lannan and Ashley Craig 3. Colleen Tuttle and Jennifer LaMont 4. Bailey Harfmann and Jamie Sauer

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September/October 2021

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DELRAY BEACH PICKLEBALL OPEN WHAT: This spring, for the second time, the Delray Beach Tennis Center hosted the APP Delray Beach Pickleball Tournament. The event hosted players of all ages—more than 800 in total, including more than 100 professionals— from all over the world, and was aired on CBS Sports. Boca Raton resident Abe Grohman won the gold medal for both singles and doubles in the 60+ age group. WHERE: Delray Beach Tennis Center

1. Professional player Dekel Bar

2. Anna Leigh Waters, the tournament’s youngest professional player 3. Professional player Simone Jardim 4. Abe Grohman 5. Professional player Zane Navaratil 6. Spectators at the tournament

BIONIC PICKLEBALL

September/October 2021 issue. Vol. 41, No. 7. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Media, and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Media is strictly prohibited: Savor the Avenue; Tastemakers of Delray; Tastemakers at Mizner; Florida Style and Design; Delray Beach magazine; Boca Raton, South Florida At Its Best; bocamag.com; Florida Table; Boca Raton magazine. Boca (ISSN0740-2856) is published 8 times a year (September/October, November/December, January, February, March, April, May/June and July/August) by JES Media. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Telephone: 561/997-8683. Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $24.95/6 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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HOMETOWN HERO

Marie Hester

Who said you can never go home again? Marie Hester has come home— and is bringing new life to Pearl City. Written by MARIE SPEED

D Fear is a terrible thing. A lot of people can’t get past it, so they say nothing. ... DISC (Developing Interracial Social Change) is a voice for the people here.” —Marie Hester

This page is a tribute to community citizens who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership to the city of Boca Raton and is in memory of John E. Shuff.

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Marie Hester at Allen’s Place Pearl City Community Garden

residents with fresh fruit and vegetables—along with education about good nutrition and fostering both community spirit and cultural enrichment. ON COMING HOME AGAIN: “I found that if you do not leave here, and experience things in other parts of the United States, then you stay in a rut. ... You are caught up in the ‘back door’ thing. ... I went through a lot with my mother (now 93), telling her ‘you can go anywhere you want to go, and you can go through the front door.’ It’s hard when a ‘slave mentality’ is embedded in you ... and sometimes things happen and it reminds you of it and you revert

back to the same way of thinking. … it [comes from] generations of being ‘enslaved.’” HER MESSAGE: “We are trying to show people how to overcome some of the negativity about this area. … to stand up for themselves and voice an opinion.” ON BEING A VOICE: “Fear is a terrible thing. A lot of people can’t get past it, so they say nothing. ... DISC is a voice for the people here. Many of these people do not know the history of Pearl City. … they do not know how they got here, or do not know about everything that happened. We were here before the city of Boca Raton.”

AARON BRISTOL

oris Marie Hester (she goes by Marie) was born in Pearl City [originally platted in early maps of Boca Raton as “colored town”] and is descended from one of its first families, William and Belle Demery, who bought the property she lives on today—for $5—back in 1915. Hester, their great-granddaughter, moved from her sheltered childhood in Boca Raton (her grandfather was a minister of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church) after high school graduation to attend college at Grambling State University, after which she had a long career in human resources in the Washington, D.C./Maryland area with the Department of Army, NASA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Library of Congress. Now 73, she moved back to Pearl City in 2015 and encountered a kind of culture shock in the small community that helped build Boca Raton—a sense of isolation, widespread poverty and a tentative connection to its place in the world of 2021. Hester became the president of DISC (Developing Interracial Social Change) in 2019 upon the death of its president, Allen Willis. (The group began in 1993/1994 as“an intentional fellowship of five African-American members of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church and 5 Caucasian members of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church”to promote justice and help the poor, while lifting the quality of life in Pearl City.) She also sits on the board of the Boca Raton Historical Society, and is seeking state and federal approval to combine the three communities of Dixie Manor, Lincoln Court and Pearl City as one historic area. Her latest passion is Allen’s Place Pearl City Community Garden to help supply

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