BOCA Magazine July/August 2023

FLORIDA STYLE & DESIGN: SUMMER ISSUE

Welcome to the Warmer Side of Care.

There are many sides of care at Baptist Health. And each one stays true to our values. Bringing humanity, warmth and understanding to every person that comes through our doors. Which is why we’re here to stand by you, through all of life’s moments.

We’re committed to improving the health and wellness of each member of the community — by getting to know the person beyond the patient. By listening, supporting and guiding them on their journey towards wellness. And by delivering the most advanced treatment and innovation, close to home.

Welcome to Baptist Health.

44

The Boca Interview

Florida-raised Charles Fishman, a global water expert, best-selling author and recent Festival of the Arts speaker, says Boca is “crazytown” when it comes to our use of H20. He explores his findings and more in this wide-ranging conversation.

By JOHN THOMASON

48 Best of Boca

Our extensive chronicle of the past year in our favorite city captures the highlights and lowlights of another tumultuous spin around the sun—from turtle drama and environmental setbacks to the hottest new restaurants, exciting cultural happenings and a historymaking achievement for FAU basketball.

By TYLER CHILDRESS, MARIE SPEED and JOHN THOMASON

61 Special Section: Florida Style and Design

Whether it’s a striking infinity pool or a serene fountain, water features are making a splash in the Palm Beaches’ most stylish homes. Step into liquid with these suggestions and tips from local designers—and explore the trending products that can transform your outdoor space into a luxury oasis.

By CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

AMANDA MESA

and

Meatballs from American Tapas, featured in Best of Boca (page 48)

18 Editor’s Letter

With negative news stories about Florida compounding like so much interest, there’s never a better time than the summer slowdown to stop doomscrolling and remember why you love living here.

By MARIE SPEED

21 The Local

Meet a TV personality who always knows which way the wind blows, a compassionate couple who have transformed the lives of more than 20 foster children, and one of the intrepid stewards guarding our local beaches. Plus, locals share their ideal summer getaways, the season’s trendiest swimsuits, and more.

By TYLER CHILDRESS, MARIE SPEED and JOHN THOMASON

30 The Look

Summer accessories are full of texture, island-y raffia and bright colors.

Photography by AARON BRISTOL

101 Backstage Pass

Celebrating 10 years at the helm of the esteemed NSU Art Museum, author and curator Bonnie Clearwater discusses her uncompromising vision for the Fort Lauderdale institution. Plus, the Smashing Pumpkins, Dave Matthews Band, Jackson Browne and Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the headliners of a music-filled summer calendar.

By JOHN THOMASON

109

Florida Table: Eat & Drink

See what our food critic has to say about Los Olivos Bistro and Le Colonial, and in this international travel season, discover the best spots to enjoy worldly cuisine without leaving the 561. Plus, we talk summer vino with one of Miami’s preeminent wine bloggers.

By CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

JULY/AUGUST 2023 VOL. 43, ISSUE 6

130

Social

Boca Helping Hands rolled the dice on its 25th anniversary gala, a Hanley Foundation fundraiser welcomed a literal rock star and other recent charity happenings.

By TYLER CHILDRESS

136 Hometown

Hero

Eleanor Baldwin, aka the FAU Owls’ “good luck charm,” reflects on her wealth of support for the university—above and beyond its hoops glory.

By MARIE SPEED

* Citi Mortgage Relationship Pricing A Citibank deposit account is required to receive the interest rate discount or closing cost credit.

Automated monthly transfers of the mortgage payment from a Citibank Deposit Account using automated drafting will be required. Actual interest rate discount or closing cost credit will depend on the level of the Citi Eligible Balances, which will be verified after final loan approval.

Deposit Account Balances must be in the account five (5) Business Days following final loan approval and Investment Account balances must be in the account six (6) Business Days following final loan approval. Citi eligible accounts include a personal, consumer Citibank Deposit Account in which the borrower is a direct signer, Citibank IRAs, and Investments held in linked Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”) accounts. The borrower must be an account holder on investment accounts. IRA and annuity positions shown on linked CGMI Account statements are eligible (except tax qualified annuities under sections 401, 403, or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code). Balances from Citibank Business / Commercial accounts, ERISA accounts, Keogh accounts, Bank Collateral accounts, Foreign accounts, Fiduciary accounts, and Trust accounts where the borrower is only listed as the Beneficiary are excluded. All Custodial type accounts are excluded with the exception of Custodial IRA accounts through Citibank or Pershing LLC where the borrower(s) is the beneficiary, which are eligible unless otherwise noted. Citibank IRAs that are not linked to a Citibank Deposit Account are excluded.

If you are interested in Citi’s banking account relationship offers, please contact your Home Lending Officer or Mortgage Representative. Speak to your loan officer about whether the relationship offer is best for you.

Citibank Mortgage Relationship Pricing for Citibank account holders can only be applied prior to loan closing and is subject to account and balance validation. Citibank Mortgage Relationship Pricing is subject to change without notice.

Glossary of terms for this offer: Business Day means Monday through Friday and does not include federal holidays; Eligible Balances means total funds showing in the account at the time we verify the balances less any funds we determine you will need for a down payment or closing costs; Deposit Account means a Citibank personal checking and/or savings account as well as certificates of deposit and money market accounts; Investment Account means IRAs and investments held in Citigroup Global Markets Inc. accounts. Terms, conditions and fees for accounts, programs, offers, products and services are subject to change without notice at any time. Offer may be modified or withdrawn at any time without notice. Offer cannot be combined with other offers, except when applied with specific Community Lending Programs. Offers are not applicable on Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit. This is not a commitment to lend.

This offer contains information about U.S. domestic financial services provided by Citibank, N.A. and is intended for use domestically in the U.S.

Web Extras

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

THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICES

On page 44, our Boca Interview subject, Charles Fishman, shares everything you didn’t know about water and space exploration. At bocamag.com/july-august-2023, Fishman discusses his influential book The Walmart Effect and the inner workings of the retail giant.

COOL IT

In this continuation of “Boca Chatter” (page 22), our editor offers her picks for the best ways to enjoy summer—without having to leave our blessed air conditioning. Read them at bocamag.com/july-august-2023.

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

Best Bites

Think our dining guide is long? You haven’t seen anything until you’ve visited our digital version. We’ve got critic-reviewed restaurants from Jupiter to Miami on the web. Visit the Dining Guide tab to view the guide.

City Watch

Launched in early 2020, Boca Goes Live is still keeping you connected to the community through conversations streamed live on Facebook with a curated roster of some of South Florida’s leading officials, entertainers and innovators. Follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss new entries, and visit bocamag.com/ live to see the full library of videos and watch them on demand.

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

Charles Fishman

We sell clothing from Paris, as well as accessories, hats, purses and gifts for every occasion.

Voyage Boutique might be off the Ave, but we are on top of fashion! From casual to elegant, cocktail or dinner party…you are sure to find your next favorite outfit in our large specialty shop.

If you are the mother or grandmother of a bride, you will find something very special too…if it doesn’t fit perfectly, our in-house seamstress will make sure it does. Weekly shipments arriving from Paris and Italy. Have some fun – come shop with us - and be sure to mention you saw us in Boca magazine!

400 Gulfstream Blvd, Delray Beach FL 33444

10:00 am to 4:30 pm Mon-Sat

561-279-2984

GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Marie Speed

MANAGING EDITOR

John Thomason

WEB EDITOR

Tyler Childress

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Lori Pierino

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Rafael Quiñones

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Aaron Henderson

PHOTOGRAPHER

Aaron Bristol

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christie Galeano-DeMott, Margie Kaye (promotional writing),

Amanda Mesa

VIDEO PRODUCTION/CUSTOMER SERVICE

David Shuff

FOOD EDITOR

Christie Galeano-DeMott

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

Nicole G. Ruth

DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION AND SALES SUPPORT

Bruce Klein

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Gail Eagle

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Daisy Abreu

Karen S. Kintner

Jenna Russo

Boca Raton magazine is published eight times a year by JES Media. The contents of Boca Raton magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Boca Raton magazine accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Boca Raton magazine reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for products. Please refer to corporate masthead.

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2022 CHARLIE AWARDS

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Through October 22, 2023

Sri Prabha: Resonator - Reanimator

Sari Dienes: Incidental Nature

Matthew Schreiber: Orders of Light

Benn Mitchell Photographs: Hollywood to NYC

November 15, 2023 - April 14, 2024

Smoke & Mirrors: Magical Thinking in Contemporary Art

MEMBERS ENJOY MORE

More Fun - Invitations to exclusive member parties and previews

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More Connection - Free or discounted talks, concerts, family activities, and more

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2021 CHARLIE AWARDS

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

Story queries

Boca Raton magazine values the concerns, interests and knowledge of our readers about the community. Please submit story and profile ideas by email to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com). Due to the large volume of pitches, the editor may not respond to all queries. Boca Raton does not accept unsolicited, ready-for-print stories.

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Submit information regarding our website and online calendar to tyler@bocamag.com.

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Letter to the Editor

Boca Raton magazine

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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.

“Before you and your staff from Boca Nursing Services started taking care of Helen and I, we existed; now we are living again! Thank you, Rose.”

-Dr. K.D.

Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Founder and Administrator

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SKIF TRUNK SHOW JANUARY 15 & 16, 2016

Heat Waves

Summer is our chance to pretend everything is just fine.

Written by MARIE SPEED

have no idea why summer here tends to ground me like no other season. Oh, I hate the relentless heat, I’m terrified of hurricanes and I dread opening that FPL bill every month. But I also find a certain calming effect in the sweet heavy mornings as the sun comes up, the gathering afternoon storms. There are fewer cars whistling down A1A near my neighborhood, and our little beach is quieter, with fresh turtle treads from the night before. It’s as if a thick warm curtain has fallen around us for a few months—just those of us who live here year round, and we are left to navigate the season the way we always have, with no Happy Hour crowds packing every single restaurant, no crazy horn honking the second a light changes, no loud voices talking into phones, no lines at Publix.

It’s a respite from a busy year—as this issue highlights. Our Best of Boca feature (page 48) long ago ceased to be a focus on best this and best that and has morphed into more of a Year in Review—and what a year it’s been. The onslaught of people from the Northeast and the West Coast to Florida has continued to the tune of almost 600,000 in 2022. We became the fastest-growing state in the nation last year, with Palm Beach County adding more than 13,000 new residents, according to a Palm Beach Post article.

There is a lack of affordable housing, insurance rates have skyrocketed, and weather’s become its own issue, with storms predicted to be more frequent and stronger. Locally, some of the turmoil in Delray has calmed, while Boca is in the throes of its development woes again (see Aletto).

The county commissioners completely caved on the Ag Reserve, allowing GL Homes to build on land that was earmarked for preservation by the voters themselves in 1999. Up and down the coast, the pressure to build appears to win out over anything else—and preferably luxury housing even fewer people can afford. And don’t even get me started on our crazy political environment; who ever thought we’d miss Flori-Duh Man?

So no wonder summer feels like a warm bath. It’s a welcome illusion in my life. A chance to pretend things are really OK, are really just as they‘ve always been: too hot, a little lazy, full of ocean days and milky skies and endless possibility.

Or, as Hemingway once said,“wouldn’t it be pretty to think so?”

America’s PasTime

Goldsmith & Complications and Berd Vay’e have partnered to create America’s PasTime, a limited series of 30 mini-baseball bat sculptures. Wooden bat pieces are suspended inside transparent Lucite alongside vintage watch parts, bridging the worlds of sports and horology.

America’s PasTime is available exclusively at Goldsmith & Complications. View this piece and our entire collection of watches, clocks, and jewelry at our boutique on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida.

66 thousand

How many jobs tourism supports in Palm Beach County

Don’t-Miss Events

JULY 6-9; 13-16; 20-23: THE PALM BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, Seabreeze Amphitheater, 750 S.R. A1A, Jupiter, and Commons Park Amphitheater, 11600 Poinciana Blvd., Royal Palm Beach. The Shakespeare by the Sea XXXIII production of “Measure For Measure” runs at 8 p.m. July 6-9 and July 13-16 at Seabreeze Amphitheater in Carlin Park, 750 South S.R. A1A Jupiter. The Shakespeare by the Palms III production of Shakespeare’s “Measure For Measure” runs at 8 p.m. from July 20-23 at Commons Park Amphitheater, 11600 Poinciana Blvd., Royal Palm Beach. These events are presented free of charge to everyone, with a suggested $5 donation. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to bring a beach chair, blanket and picnic basket. Food concessions will be available on site.

TUES., JULY 4: BOCA’S “FABULOUS FOURTH” will take place at Countess de Hoernle Park from 5:30-9:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and features live music, amusement rides, video game trucks, interactive musical instruments, strolling entertainers, kids’ DJ and games, food trucks and vendors and mainstage music by Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Bring your reusable water bottle. (The city’s mobile water unit will supply free filtered water at the event.) Free parking and shuttle service will be available nearby at Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC). Blankets and lawn chairs are permitted.

AUGUST 4, 7 P.M.: The third-annual BATTLE OF THE BANDS competition at Mizner Park Amphitheater is back. In addition, a special Teen Marketplace, featuring young entrepreneurs ages 13-19, will take place during the competition from 6-9 p.m.

Locals sound off on issues affecting our community.

Money is no object. What is your idea of the perfect summer getaway?

“I would be going on a 16-day Getaway Private Jet Experience with the Four Seasons to Asia to restore mind/body/soul and explore the cultures of Asia.”

—Sarah Martin, CEO & Founder, Experience Epic Events

“My wish trip would be a week in Paris doing nothing but being in Paris.”

—Scott Simmons, Editor, Florida Weekly, Palm Beach County and Key West editions

“As a self-proclaimed homebody, the perfect summer getaway for me would be something out of the ordinary. I’d love a physical activity that allows me to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Biking through the vineyards of wine country would top my list of activities for the trip.”

—Pam Casanave, dance instructor

Number of public and private golf courses in Palm Beach County 47

Miles of shoreline in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach Shakespeare’s “Measure For Measure”

JEN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY

SWIMSUIT TRENDS

OK, we are not sure who swimsuit trends are for. Maybe 20-yearolds who are size 0 who are already getting Botox as a preventative measure. (I have heard them say this, for real.) For the rest of us, the trending swimsuit is one we can actually fit into without feeling like

we’ve entered an iron lung, and that forgives us as much as a polyester/spandex combo can. If you are one of the lucky women who voluntarily ventures into a dressing room to try on swimsuits every summer, this is what is trending this year. Knock yourself out.

ROSETTE SWIMSUITS

We have no idea where this came from, but it appears to echo the frilly thing popping up this year; rosettes are blooming on everything from handbags to clothing—and now bikinis.

RUCHED SWIMSUITS

Ruched swimsuits are a longtime classic look, but 2023 is showcasing more colors this summer. Ruche never looked so good, and high-cut legs and plunging necklines go the extra mile for sexy and sleek.

5 THINGS THAT SAY SUMMER

• The smell of ozone, right before it rains

CHAINEMBELLISHED SWIMSUITS

Think of it as swimsuit jewelry—sparkle at the beach—as chain link, pearls and o-rings adorn swimsuits this summer, as well as beach bags and more.

SPLICED CUT-OUT SWIMSUITS

The cut-out trend is not going anywhere. In fact, it is even showing up at the beach this summer, livening one-pieces from all kinds of interesting angles.

CROCHET

A little ‘60s, a little boho—but soft and natural crochets and knits are making a comeback in 2023.

RUFFLES

Ruffles are yet another sign—like rosettes—that girly-girl is trending this summer, a refreshing pivot from the graphic with-athong-in-your-heart look we’ve seen for so long. Ruffles are everywhere, from dresses to bags to bikinis.

—Fashionista.com

• Skinny dipping somewhere, at night. Yes, people still do this, and more of us should.

• A day so hot you watch back-to-back “Jaws” movies (even the bad ones) all day on a Saturday.

• Counting the turtle tracks in the morning.

Chiara Boni La Petite Robe strapless onepiece, saks.com $395

SAME gold chain one-piece, samelosangeles.com $285

Valentino Swimsuit, saks.com $1,500

Gucci crochet top & short, gucci.com $1,400 ea

Zimmermann ruched one-piece, saks.com $320

Frankies Bikinis Eyelet one-piece, frankiesbikinis.com $185

• Grilled Florida lobster. With homemade coleslaw.

“LITTLE MONTGOMERY”

WHEN: July 5-16

WHERE: New City Players, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors

COST: $20-$35

CONTACT: 954/376-6114, newcityplayers.org

New City Players’ summer production has a quintessentially 21st century origin story: It started as a podcast. Seeking a way to produce distanced entertainment during the 2020 quarantine, New City Players Artistic

Director Timothy Mark Davis worked with playwright

Stephen Brown to develop a scripted podcast series called “Little Montgomery.”

The six-episode narrative followed a pair of felonious teenage girls who decide to steal the expensive guitar of a pill-popping country music singer—which turns into an act of kidnapping, with the captors and their quarry being pursued by inept cops. A comedy with heart, “Little Montgomery” is still available as a free podcast, but if you don’t enjoy spoilers, just attend the story’s premiere as a fully produced play and bask in its many surprises.

BLINK-182 WITH TURNSTILE

WHEN: July 11, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: FLA Live Arena, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise

COST: $85 and up

CONTACT: 954/835-7000, flalivearena.com

During the early 2000s heyday of MTV’s “Total Request Live,” Blink-182 was virtually the only rock act seriously competing against hip-hop, boy bands and Britney Spears for the ears of the youth of America. Adapting the three-chord formula of ‘90s punkrock forbears like Green Day and Rancid with a slicker sheen and a proudly puerile sense of humor, the variously pierced and tattooed trio inspired a generation of fans and bands, establishing pop-punk as a commercially viable genre through hits like “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” In 2022, founding guitarist Tom DeLonge returned to Blink-182 for the first time since 2015. This year’s tour marks the reunited band’s first jaunt since the pandemic, and they’re bringing along the innovative, genre-mixing rockers Turnstile—one of the hottest young acts on the planet—whose latest release Glow On was widely received as one of the best albums of 2021.

4BIDDEN CONSCIOUS AWARDS

WHEN: July 30, 5 p.m.

WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscyane Blvd., Miami

COST: $99 and up

CONTACT: 305/949-6722, arshtcenter.org

GEORGE STRAIT

WHEN : Aug. 2, 8 p.m.

WHERE: Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood

COST: $355 and up

CONTACT: 866/502-7529, seminolehardrockhollywood.com

Even the best music critics can be wrong.“He’s so unassuming I’m afraid he’s destined to remain a minor pleasure,” said Robert Christgau, dean of American rock critics, about George Strait’s 1981 debut. Strait, unassuming though he may be, is third only to Elvis Presley and the Beatles with the most gold and platinum singles in music history, and he has accrued a staggering 60 No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts. Moreover, he’s no legacy act—he continues to record inspiring new music, releasing his 30th album Honky Tonk Time Machine in 2019. It’s a fitting title for an artist who has consistently trumpeted the virtues of traditionalist country music even when his peers were embracing crossover pop. Remaining doggedly consistent after more than 40 years in the genre, Strait continues to exemplify country’s best attributes: uncluttered arrangements and a tenderness of tone and spirit that cuts right to the heart.

Broward County’s Billy Carson is an entrepreneur in the wide tent of all things woo-woo. A contributor to Rolling Stone who has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines, Carson is an expert on ancient civilizations, alternative space technology and other arcane areas, and he created 4Bidden Knowledge TV to spread his insights. But his inaugural event at the Arsht Center isn’t so much to celebrate Carson’s own work as to honor fellow change-makers in the conscious-life space. Twelve honorees, from categories such as “health and wellness,”“space anomaly hunter” and “field researchers/archaeologists,” will receive awards, with Jimmy Church, host of the nation’s preeminent UFO radio show, Fade to Black, presenting the awards in a red-carpet, black-tie fete. The evening also features live music from Havoc, from rap duo Mobb Deep, and others.

PEGGY SIROTA

Blink-182

Billy Carson

George Strait

Photo by: Silvia Pangaro

Artistic Directors: Dan Guin & Jane Tyree

Emma Von Enck Soloist Dancer Anthony Huxley Principal Dancer

*name changed

Fostering Care

Foster parents Jeff and Gay Gordon have been giving foster kids a safe and loving home for more than 12 years

Written by TYLER CHILDRESS

Jeff and Gay Gordon had been licensed as foster parents for less than a month when they got the call about a little girl who had just been removed from her home. Rosita* was charged with supervising her younger siblings as they played outside when her 3-year-old brother was struck and killed by a passing car. She was 5 years old, spoke no English, and was sitting in the backseat of a car as the call was made that would determine whether she would have a home or go to an emergency shelter. “That’s pretty much all we hear,” says Jeff, “and we have to say yes or no while [she’s] in the car.” And that night, Rosita found a home.

Rosita was the first of more than 20 girls the Gordons would foster over the past 12 years, when their youngest daughter, Rayna, became the only child after the couple’s oldest three kids left home. The Gordons saw a chance to finally let Rayna be a big sister—while giving back to the community.

When Rosita arrived at their house, she had little more than the clothes on her back. She had lived in Florida her whole life and had never seen the ocean, never eaten at a restaurant or even been to a movie. She spent a year and a half with the Gordons, where she was able to experience so many firsts that are second nature to most kids.“She saw what it’s like to have a parent who cares,” says Jeff. And the experiences they give to their foster children are no different than the ones they gave to their “bio” kids.

“These kids are innocent; they’ve done nothing wrong,” says Gay.“They’ve been born into a sad circumstance, so every one of these children deserve what our

children got.” It all starts with a bath, says Gay.“From the first time I give them a bath, which is usually the first night, I feel like they’re my child.”

From there, they introduce the kids to their bedroom, an idyllic space with book-stocked shelves, a closet stuffed full of toys and a collage on the wall with pictures of every child the Gordons have fostered. The next step is enrolling the kids in school and signing them up for local sports. The Gordons have received a lot of help from the Boca community, from teachers to coaches. And all have the same question: how do they let them go?

“You have to think about it from a different mindset,” says Gay.“It’s so hard for the children to leave; it’s not about you. We really went into it saying that no matter how many days we have had them, we are making a difference in their lives.” But parting isn’t always easy.“We had one child who was very abused, who didn’t know how to sit at a table and eat,” says Gay.“It took us so long to get her comfortable with school and our house that we did resist having her removed.”

Acclimating the children to their new environment can be a particular challenge for children with behavioral issues. Jeff recalls a child who came from a food-insecure home; she would take bananas and hide them under her bed. The biggest challenge, says Gay, is navigating the foster system itself. While Jeff’s background as an attorney removes the anxiety from court appearances, adhering to the strict rules of foster care can prove difficult. From making it to court-mandated appointments and managing the strict requirements

for travel, to occasionally being harassed by the kids’biological parents, navigating the system is an exercise in patience—and, at times, futility. But overall, the Gordons believe the struggles are worth it. “I think we’ve gotten out of it more than we’ve given,”says Jeff.

The Gordons still keep in touch with many of the kids whose lives they’ve fostered, including Rosita, who found a loving home with a relative and is now a successful high school student. Whenever a child leaves their house, Gay gives them a photo album with their phone numbers and emails written in. No matter how long the kids stay with them or where their next home is, the Gordons want them to remember they have one there, too.

Lately, the Gordons have taken a slight step back from fostering kids to focus more on their work with foster youth organizations, including Champions Empowering Champions, a nonprofit that provides assistance to foster kids that go to college; Jeff is the chairman of its board. Gay also recently became a guardian ad litem, representing the best interests of children during court proceedings But with their youngest daughter now out of the house, the Gordons hope to soon start fostering teens, the demographic most difficult to place in the foster system. Whether through nonprofits or by offering their home to foster kids in need, the case for helping children in the foster care system is unequivocally clear.

“Every child deserves love,”says Gay.“They’re so easy to love, it doesn’t matter what they look like or what their background is. They’re just really easy and deserv-ing of love.”

“Every child deserves love. They’re so easy to love. It doesn’t matter what they look like or what their background is. They’re just really easy and really deserving of love.”

—Gay Gordon

Gay and Jeff Gordon

Steward of our Beaches

Lifeguard Ramon De-Lleguas-Torres never has his head in the sand.

Written by JOHN THOMASON

Puerto Rican native Ramon

De-Lleguas-Torres, 28, has been swimming since the age of 6, a passion that has helped make him one of the top lifeguards/EMTs for the City of Delray Beach’s Ocean Rescue. Athletic and personable, De-Lleguas-Torres has been teaching competitive swimming, and subsequently lifeguarding, since 2015, the year he moved to the United States, first in Pompano Beach and then in Delray.

ON

EXPECTING THE UNEX-

PECTED: “Running and swimming and the medical training, you can prepare for that. But the situations just come out of the blue. There’s no schedule that says, today at 9, someone’s going to drown. You have to be on your toes for the whole shift, because they say when it’s the most calm is when things usually happen. You just can’t let your guard down in this sort of environment.

was face down, already blue. It started out as a rescue, but it ended up being a recovery. We did chest compression, CPR. We never got a pulse back. That was for five minutes, and Fire Rescue was already there. We transferred care. It was an older person. They had a past history of heart complications. We did the best we could do. It was outside of our guarded area. … I was lucky that I had the ATV, because it would have been a run if I had to do it on foot.

“If I’m not in water, it just feels weird,” he says. As he shares in this conversation with Delray, his day job gives him plenty of opportunities to make waves.

ON HOW A LIFEGUARD SEES

THE ENVIRONMENT: “To be a great lifeguard, your awareness has to be on point. You’re sitting at the tower, looking straight at the water, but you have to be aware of what’s happening in the sand, what’s going on to your left, to your right; if something happens in the tower next to you, you have to be paying attention to them. If anything happens behind you, a car crash … it’s happened here that cyclists get hit by cars. So you have to be aware of all of that.”

ON STRONG SWIMMING SKILLS: “If something happens in front of my tower, I’m going to have to respond, and if you’re not efficient, you could become the second victim, you could say. You don’t have to be a world-class swimmer, but you have to be able to defend yourself.”

“… When you think you can relax, someone can get a little cut. They can get stung by a jellyfish, and it turns into anaphylaxis. If we have waves, you could be watching people surf the whole day, and when you’re about to close the tower, someone falls and gets hit by the board.

“Prevention is the main thing. If you can stop something before it happens or right as it’s happening, it’s better. You’re looking for different things—people could be running. Let’s say they’re working out, and it’s a hot day, and all of a sudden they just drop. I tell people, running and screaming are the things that get my heart going. Because if you’re running at the beach, and you’re not exercising, that means something’s happening. If you’re yelling at the beach, and you’re not at the shoreline having fun at the waves, something is happening. Your senses adapt to things like that.”

ON A

DAY THAT HAS STUCK

WITH HIM: “I went out and the person was … I don’t want to say he passed away, because we can’t really declare anyone dead. But the person

“It stayed with me. It was my first experience handling that. I had gone before a couple times to help people and bring them back to shore, but it was the first time I had to work a person. All that training and education that comes with the CPR and being an EMT, putting all of that into a real-life scenario, that was my first time. So it did have an impact.”

ONLY IN FLORIDA: “We picked an alligator out of the ocean. I think it was 11 feet. It was after a hurricane happened, and it ended up here.”

ON HIS MOST SATISFYING

DAYS AT WORK: “When nothing happens. You know you did your job. When I first started here, someone told me, a good lifeguard is a dry lifeguard. That means, if you can catch anything before it happens, you’re doing a good job.

“It’s fun when stuff happens, because it breaks the routine of just being there. It’s a good day also. But even if someone is having a heat stroke and you just get an umbrella and some cold packs on them, and they feel better after five minutes, that’s a great day. You did something.”

There’s no schedule that says, “today at 9, someone’s going to drown.’ You have to be on your toes for the whole shift, because they say when it’s the most calm is when things usually happen.”

Ramon De-Lleguas-Torres

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Local Color

Say goodbye to greige; this season is light and bright

Straw Vote

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WENTZEL ON THE 2023 HURRICANE SEASON

“The forecast out from Colorado State and NOAA, the two leading models, both are calling for a slightly below-average season,” Wentzel says. “El Niño is set to return. It can produce more wind shear that can tear apart hurricanes. Typically our numbers are lower in an El Niño year. But the big thing we always hold on to is, it’s not really the numbers. It really matters what happens in your neighborhood. It’s not about how many we see; it’s about where they hit, and how powerful they are when they hit.”

Weathering Heights

Channel 5 Meteorologist Kate Wentzel is everywhere, from TV studios to the top of a 200-foot thrill ride

Written by JOHN THOMASON

For WPTV Meteorologist Kate Wentzel, only part of her workday—specifically the 11 p.m. weekend slot on Channel 5—is spent in front of a green screen, reporting on South Florida’s ever-mercurial weather. But during her other shifts, she’s often out in the field, popping up at local events. “Our management team here really wants us to get out and interact—to talk to the people we’re broadcasting to. You don’t want it to be like, we’re behind this glass wall, and they’re out there. No, we want to be out in the community.”

As a result, the affable reporter—and very good sport—has appeared at nearly every major gathering from South Palm Beach up to Vero Beach. In the past year, Wentzel sat in the cockpit of an F-18 Hornet at the Palm Beach Air Show, rode a monster truck at the St. Lucie Fairgrounds, and posed with an oversized (and heavy) tennis racquet at the Delray Beach Open. She has conducted interviews at the Palm Beach Interna tional Boat Show, spoken about her job at educational institutions like the Learning Center in Palm Beach Gardens, and plummeted 200 feet down the Drop of Fear at the South Florida Fairgrounds on live television.“You think, ‘this will look good for the boss!’” she recalls, of the latter experience.“You get this courage when you’re on TV.”

(Wentzel is also active outside her day job—participating in sprint triathlons, playing pickleball and paddleboarding. Each year, as part of an inter-relay team, she paddles from Bimini to the Palm Beaches for the charity Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis.)

Wentzel has worked in television news for more than 25 years, in a full-circle career that has sent her ping-ponging between the U.S. coasts. Born in San Diego and raised largely in Northeastern Ohio, Wentzel harbored a fascination for the weather from a young age, when she would watch the local news every night with her parents.“My dad said to me, ‘you should think maybe about a career in that.’ It just planted a seed, when I was 13 or 14 years old,” she says.“I went to a seminar in high school with Cleveland broadcasters. It’s funny; meeting those local newscasters, to me, was like meeting celebrities.”

A longtime “summer girl,”Wentzel moved to the Palm Beaches for our warm climate, and to attend Palm Beach Atlantic University. As a junior in college,

she joined Channel 5 as an intern. Work took her to a Tallahassee station after college, then Miami, then Santa Barbara, then Los Angeles, then West Palm Beach, then Tampa, then back to where it all began, Channel 5, which she rejoined in 2021.“I’m at a point now where I would like to call this my home,” she says.“I’m glad I did what I did in my 20s and moved around and saw a lot.”

Like most South Florida meteorologists, Wentzel has survived the combination of fear and excitement whenever a monster storm barrels into the region. She remembers filming from the Donald Ross Bridge during Hurricane Irma, and the 60-mph winds briefly lifting her off the ground.“It’s hectic, stressful but exciting,” she says.“I don’t want to see destruction. I will broadcast it and try to warn people, to prepare them the best I can, but I am never rooting for a storm.

“I show more personality when the weather’s nice,” she adds.“But when it’s severe, I don’t mess around. Then I’m giving you facts, and I’m not joking. Because when you’re talking severe weather, there could always be fatalities. If I’m out at a fair, I hope my personality shines through, and I want to have fun.”

Kate Wentzel

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Charles Fishman

WRITTEN BY JOHN THOMASON

s soon as he deplaned for his March 2023 lecture at Festival of the Arts Boca, Charles Fishman made a beeline for the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.You know, as tourists do.

“I find them highly entertaining,” Fishman told the audience, referring—yes, indeed—to wastewater treatment plants. Of course, it’s a good thing somebody finds treatment plants interesting, and there is no better advocate for them than Fishman. The prizewinning journalist and author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water came away from his visit with some quietly alarming statistics.

To wit, the average American uses 83 gallons of water per day. A Boca Ratonian uses 254 gallons per day, more than triple the national average—a figure owing largely to our immaculately maintained golf courses and, most especially, our lawns, which we over-water. Fishman, only half-joking, referred to Boca as“crazytown”for our profligate consumption of H20.

Fishman cares about water, and he cares about Florida. He’s essentially a native of the state—he moved to what is now Pinecrest as a first-grader, and attended all of public school in Miami-Dade County. Later, he moved to Central Florida to work for the Orlando Sentinel. Now living in Washington, D.C., the Harvard-educated investigative reporter has written four books, among them One Giant Leap, about the space race.

“I consider myself a Floridian, even though I haven’t lived there since 1993,”he says.“And I have a very vivid sense of the power of water in the Florida landscape.”Weeks after his Festival of the Arts presentation, Fishman joined us via Zoom to continue the discussion.

What were your takeaways from exploring Boca’s water distribution?

Boca residents use two-thirds of their water watering their lawns. And the water utility supplies 33 million gallons a day and only gets back 13 million gallons a day at the wastewater treatment plant. So the math there is very easy. They send out 20 millions gallons a day—almost 1 million gallons an hour—that they don’t get back.

The water is incredibly cheap, and that’s not good, because it sends the message that, why shouldn’t I turn my sprinklers on from midnight to 3 a.m. if I can afford the $60 a month it’s going to cost me? Then there’s this quick argument that, well, it’s going into lawns, so it’s going back into the ground. But the water that you’re using is coming from a kind of deep aquifer. And the water you’re putting back in goes into what’s called the surficial aquifer, near the surface, and not the deep aquifer.

The deep aquifer is the Biscayne aquifer, and it’s the water that supplies Miami up through Palm Beach and the Space Coast. But it’s keeping the seawater out of the aquifer. You don’t want just a little bit of salt in the water you’re watering your tomatoes with, or your grass, or showering, or cleaning your clothes. Saltwater is bad news, and it is challenging and expensive to take out. And once it’s seeping in, there’s no good accessible mechanism for keeping the ocean out. The way you keep the ocean out is the freshwater aquifer is powerful and stable enough so that there’s literally a kind of barrier, a place where they come together.

And in the midst of everything, sea level rise literally increases the pressure on the freshwater aquifers. That’s more ocean pushing against the lake.

The people who run the Boca Raton water utility are really smart.

An expert on water nationally and globally takes a deep dive into Boca Raton’s original streaming service

& BEYOND

CITY NEWS

hockey and kids’ birthday parties. It fills a much-needed gap, as ice enthusiasts in the southern Palm Beaches no longer need to make the schlep to Lake Worth Beach or West Palm Beach to lace up their blades.

But maybe the best offering at Boca Ice is the Ice Bumper Cars, in which you patrol the slippery surface in round neon-lit vehicles, Mad Maxing it with your fellow reckless drivers. Ah, to be 14 again.

HEROES

In a Cinderella story that had Boca beside itself, FAU made college basketball history when it advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Owls were the first No. 9 seed to reach the Final Four since Wichita State in 2013, and the ninth seed or lower to make it this far since 1979. In fact, when FAU entered the tournament, it was given 300-1 odds of winning. There were zero NCAA Tournament wins in Florida Atlantic college history, but the Owls won their first game in the first round to advance to the round of 32, taking down No.

4 Tennessee in the

Sweet 16, Kansas State in the Elite Eight, and facing the San Diego State Aztecs in the Final Four—which they lost by one point in a heartbreaking Aztec buzzer beater, losing the national semifinal by a 72-71 final score. It was a dream season and a run that brought Boca together as a community— and shot FAU to stardom. For 2023, Coach Dusty May and the FAU Owls are our real-life hometown heroes. Thanks for the memories.

FAST TRACK TO MIAMI

The yellow ribbon has been cut, and it’s official: Boca Raton has its very own Brightline

station. Following its December debut, Brightline Boca has been a smash hit with locals who can finally enjoy a trip to Miami without the indescribable agony of getting there via I-95. Luckily for Miamians, that track runs both ways for those times when Miami gets to be too much, well, Miami. Also deserving a special shout-out is the Northwest First Avenue beautification project that was completed with Brightline’s Boca debut, giving pedestrians a gorgeous palm-lined walkway to and from the station to Palmetto Park Road, steps away from Downtown Boca’s hottest dining and shopping destinations.

BEST NEW AMENITY

The new Boca Ice and Fine Arts Center north of Midtown has become the new go-to destination for figure skating, competitive

The winning Owls competing against Kansas State at Madison Square Garden

Ribbon cutting at Brightline

Bumper cars at Boca Ice and Fine Arts Center

TRAVIS HEYING/TNS VIA ZUMA PRESS WIRE

CITY NEWS & PEOPLE

and turtle tanks are now empty. However, Coastal Stewards says the turtles will be back as soon as a new permit is granted by the FWC. Stay tuned.

SLOW BOAT TO CHINA

Inquiring minds what to know: What’s taking so long with the Mandarin Oriental project?

THE TURTLE FILES: WHAT’S UP WITH GUMBO LIMBO?

It depends on whom you talk to, but all was not roses at sweet little Gumbo Limbo Nature Center this year. A combination of internal politics and perhaps a

little mission creep combusted into an all-out coastal skirmish. The turtles were moved to other facilities, the veterinarian resigned

all in the transition of the turtle rehab program to the nonprofit Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, accused by one of the terminated staffers as having “unstable toxic leadership.” An internet petition was launched, battle lines were drawn

TOO BIG TO SUCCEED?

After stalling for more than two years, the Aletto Square development is now moving forward. The project drew sharp criticism last year from residents arguing that the development was too large for the down-

NEW AT TOWN CENTER

Cartier recently opened its newly expanded store; Anna Studio is a great new option for gala glam; Vila Kids, a fine baby and children’s boutique (featuring Pima cotton baby clothes with embroidery, shoes, accessories and toys from around the world) just opened; luxury Milan fashion brand Marni and a trendy South Moon Under boutique are opening as we speak; and over-the-top candy store Sugarfina also opened.

town space and would clash with the neighborhood’s lowrise atmosphere. Not to mention traffic nightmares. But in April 2023, newly appointed City Council member Marc Wigder pushed for quicker review of projects by city officials, and within a month, the project was approved by the city council. Aletto Square will include two office buildings plus restaurant and retail space spread across seven properties between Palmetto Park Road and Boca Raton Road.

WHAT BOCA NEEDS MORE OF:

✔ Affordable housing

✔ Pizza by the slice

✔ Bike lanes

✔ Rooftop bars

✔ Waterfront dining

✔ Event spaces

✔ Raw bars

✔ Parking

WHAT BOCA NEEDS LESS OF:

✘ Traffic

✘ Cash buyers

✘ Black-tie galas

✘ Athleisurewear

✘ People (especially at the beach)

✘ Honking

KUDOS

• Greg Malfitano marks 50 years at Lynn University.

• YMCA holds its 50th anniversary gala.

• Mark Larkin and the Boca Raton Regional Hospital attain their $250 million fundraising goal for a new and expanded hospital.

• The Boca Raton receives five stars from Forbes Travel Guide for the Boca Raton Beach Club and Spa Palmera.

• The Boca Raton Library marks 75 years.

Sugarfina, Marni and Cartier at Town Center

Rendering of Aletto

Greg Malfitano

The Y’s Jason Hagensick

Mark Larkin

TOP 3 GALAS

The Mayor’s Ball: The first big blacktie party of the season is ostensibly an homage to past and present Boca Raton mayors, but it’s the debut of social season, complete with big dresses, tall heels and lots of sparkle.

Boca’s Ballroom Battle: This is arguably the most entertaining event of the year, featuring eight community dancers (a la “Dancing With the Stars”) performing for friends, supporters and everyone else to benefit the beloved George Snow Scholarship Fund.

The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Ball: This gala is sold out within days despite its steep price, because it always features a headliner people want to see. (In the past, we’ve seen Rod Stewart, Earth, Wind & Fire and

Sting.) This year’s Diamond Jubilee 60th ball featured Lionel Richie, and raised more than $4.2 million.

BEST TGIF PLAN

One of our seasonal faves from the city was Food Truck Fridays, held monthly between February and May from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various locations, including Wildflower Park, Patch Reef Park, Sugar Sand Park and Lake Wyman. These lunches were a food truck bonanza, with music

and great food from places like Heavenly Churros, Cucina Bambina, Dr. Big Jerk, Best French Fries, Tacos Veracruz and many more.

TAKING ON CITY HALL

When plans for a new Chick-fil-A on Federal Highway went to the Planning & Zoning Board

last year, residents of the Harbour East neighborhood bordering the site showed up in force—with their lawyer. The main objection from residents was that the popular restaurant’s drivethrough would create traffic, and the emissions from idling cars would affect the

neighborhood’s air quality. Months of back-and-forth followed between developers, the city and Harbour East residents. Compromises were made. By October it seemed all but a sure thing that the project would be approved. And then it wasn’t. During an October city council meeting, residents sounded off and the city listened. Within two months, by a unanimous council vote, the Chick-fil-A project was defeated by the Harbour East neighborhood.

DOWNTOWN PHOTO

Lionel Richie with Christine Lynn

Jon and Bonnie Kaye, who started the Mayor’s Ball

VIVIANA GARCIA

Boca’s Ballroom Battle

Food Truck Fridays

CITY NEWS & PEOPLE

the addition of pickleball courts, landscaping and more. Players and visitors to the 18hole course can also now enjoy dinner with a view overlooking the greens at SW Grill, which offers up light bites, entrees and all the amenities you’d expect from a premium golf club.

BEST TRANSFORMATION

HEARTBREAK VOTE

The Palm Beach County Commission gave preliminary approval to a proposal by GL Homes that would allow the company to build nearly 1,300 homes in the Agricultural Reserve Area that current rules don’t allow. Five of the seven commissioners voted yes. Marci Woodward, who represents Boca Raton and Delray Beach, voted no. So did Maria Sachs, who represents the reserve, which is west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Conservation groups opposed the swap of land outside the reserve for the right to build within it.

They believe that the precedent will allow similar swaps that will eventually undermine the public vote in 1999 to preserve farming. Public comment since the vote has been irate, and the general view is that this marks the end of the Ag Reserve— against the wishes of Palm Beach

County voters. This is a dark day for the region, for the community and for the concept of elected officials listening to their constituents. Shame on them.

BEST CITY INITIATIVE

The transformation of the private Boca Country Club to the public Boca Raton

Golf and Racquet Club may have been a controversial change two years ago, but this year, Boca’s golf course has never looked better. The city continues to invest more than $7 million on improvements including course upgrades, clubhouse and cart barn remodeling,

The former Mizner Park Cultural Center entered its second life this past winter, complete with a new name— The Studio at

Mizner Park—new leadership, new street-side signage, a redesigned interior and a fresh approach to programming. Dance and art classes, children’s activities, live music and standup comedy now occupy the space, which had often been dormant in the past; even Tony-winning musical-theatre titan Alan Cumming performed a solo show in its intimate space. The Studio’s tagline—“Broadway Lights, Boca Nights”—speaks to its renewed ambitions.

Ag Reserve ALLEN EYESTONE/THE PALM BEACH POST VIA ZUMA WIRE

Boca Raton Golf and Racquet Club

The Studio at Mizner Park

PEOPLE TO WATCH

Kate Cotner, the new External Affairs Manager for Florida Power & Light Company, has worked for FPL for about five years, and credits her background as an attorney as the key to making her an “effective community partner.”“I am focused on exploring new and exciting ways for Florida Power & Light Company and its parent company, NextEra Energy, to partner with the community to make this area the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Zack Bihr, Municipal Services Director, has made a meteoric rise through the ranks of the city from an engineering position to a department head responsible for transportation management, coastal management, capital projects, engineering and more. A colleague says,“He’s running the department with an eye to the future, truly implementing technology to improve the way the city operates in a resilient and sustainable manner.” Bihr says a job highlight so far is the chance to build “a great diverse team in the municipal services department to serve the public.”

MOST ORIGINAL FUNDRAISERS

• Golden Bell Battle of the Bands: Watch the biggest names in Boca’s business scene lose the suits and pick up the guitars for the annual Golden Bell Battle of the Bands. Created by the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, the Golden Bell Education Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Boca schools.

• Boca Helping Hands MONOPOLY® Event & Casino Night: It was 17 years ago that Boca

Helping Hands had the ingenious idea to merge board games with cocktails at a luxury venue, and every year since, the MONOPOLY® Event & Casino Night has been one of Boca’s most entertaining events. Guests enjoy live music, casino gaming, dinner and, of course, the ultimate tournament to crown the champion of the classic capitalistic board game.

BOCA HIDEAWAY EVERYONE LOVES TO GO TO

In Royal Palm Place, Strikes has amassed

a cult following of cigar aficionados and those with a taste for elevated craft cocktail offerings. The walk-in humidor is stocked with more than 500 cigars from dozens of luxury brands, and the bar’s selection of whiskeys is enough to make any connoisseur swoon. Whether you enjoy your stogie on the patio or indoors, there are TVs lined up for the big game and live music to entertain on weekends. Strike a match and kick back—this is one man cave you won’t want to crawl out of.

Karly Parsons, Development Director, Baptist Health Foundation at Bethesda Hospital, is a member of Impact 100 Palm Beach County, a volunteer with Spirit of Giving network, a member of the Boca Chamber’s PULSE and was in Leadership Boca, Class of 2023.“I am so fortunate to be able to give back and serve a community that has given me so much,” she says.

Zoe Lanham, vice president of The Addison, has been very involved in the community, serving on the boards of Boca Helping Hands as well as the Boca Raton Historical Society. Other groups she serves include Tri-County Animal Rescue, Ambassador for ResearcHERS (American Cancer Society), Great Plains Conservation and the George Snow Scholarship Fund.“As far back as I can remember, serving my community fueled my heartbeat,”she says.

Carly Sumner founded Flamingo Flea, a pop-up market that alternates between Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. Vendors range from handmade soaps and candles to jewelry and clothes, all with a “Support Local” edge.

“I love that The Flamingo Flea connects community and small business in a really obtainable way with pop-up shops and live music in a brunchy atmosphere; people can really feel the vibe,” she says.

Guests at this year’s Monopoly & Casino Night

Rock stars at Battle of the Bands

GINA FONTANA

EVENTS & ARTS

CONCERT

Despite its self-deprecating name, Slightly Stoopid proved to be completely engaging during the Southern California band’s performance last summer at Sunset Cove Amphitheater. A hippie vibe of “peace, love and music” rippled

MUSICAL

The Wick Theatre’s dynamite season-closing performance of the jukebox rock musical “Million Dollar Quartet” captured the show’s synergy with an almost voyeuristic verisimilitude. Never forgetting that the concept arose

Cash and Elvis Presley—director Zachariah Rosenbaum generated an atmosphere of anything-can-happen looseness, or at least the illusion of it. Amid the wafts of cigarette smoke, the muttered rejoinders and the interstitial bass noodling, the script all but disappeared. And the central cast members, who collectively have played their parts more than 9,500 times, never missed a note, lick, gyration or sneer.

SPECIAL EVENT

SHOWTIME AT LYNN

People are still talking about the annual fashion show, and now Celebration of the Arts has moved into must-see programming in Boca. More than an opportunity for Lynn University’s talented performing-arts graduates to showcase their skills at the end of the academic year, the school’s Celebration of the Arts once again dazzled audiences, this time for two sold-out nights at the Wold Performing Arts Center. Opening with an elaborate musical number that started in the aisles of the venue, and ending with a shower of confetti, the production, spearheaded by Lynn Associate Professor Carrie Simpson, managed to exceed expectations once again. Classics from musical theatre and pop and rock music—Sondheim to Joan Jett,“Singin’ in the Rain” to “I Will Survive”—made for the most eclectic Celebration program yet.

through the comfortable outdoor venue, as the eclectic group performed a 20-song romp that conjured the Grateful Dead one minute, Bob Marley the next, and Prince the next; the band even threw in a couple of rap covers. The amphitheater was packed, with the best audience members sprawled out on the lawn with their blankets, relaxing and grooving and dancing with unselfconscious abandon. No drama, no fuss—it was just a great time.

from an off-the-cuff 1956 jam session between four proto-rock legends— Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny

The Boca Raton Museum of Art’s exhibition on “The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop” was a blockbuster to begin with, but it was made all the more special with a surprise December cameo from Ben Mankiewicz, who graced attendees

Carrie Simpson

The Wick’s “Million Dollar Quartet”

Slightly Stoopid

RICK MUNROE

with his presence for a couple of hours at the museum before appearing for a discussion at a fundraiser at The Boca Raton. The scion of Hollywood royalty— he’s the grandson of“Citizen Kane” scribe Herman J. Mankiewicz and the grand-nephew of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz—Ben is also the primetime host on Turner

art-house releases: Living Room Theaters at FAU and Regal Shadowood out west. Neither demise was a shocker, but both were debilitating for the apparent minority of moviegoers interested in seeing grown-up fare. With Cinemark Palace picking up only some of the slack, the amount of independent, for-

ripples of slavery across generations, and the ability of African-Americans to forge community and identity in spite of institutional racism. The centerpiece of “Passages,” consuming an entire gallery space, was the site-specific “Deep River.”As water rushed on projected screens on three sides of the room, and

PLAY

In Boca Stage’s superb production of Alessandro Camon’s drama “Time Alone,” in which the isolated stories of an inmate serving a murder charge in solitary confinement and a mother mourning the loss of her son unexpectedly intersect, director Genie Croft and a marvelous twosome discovered new depths of shared compassion, empathy and forgiveness. In Rio Chavarro’s performance, the pain and trauma seemed to reside in the actor’s bones, while Karen Stephens presented a master class in the architecture of grief—a slow-burning blueprint of its nooks and crannies. Yet she still found her character’s sense of humor—evidence that, for all her considerations of suicide, this is someone whose joy for life still exists, albeit deeply buried.

Classic Movies, film buffs’ cable channel of choice.“It was lovely,”he said a couple of weeks later, about his time in Boca.“The hotel is beautiful, and the museum—so impressive. I was blown away by both.”

LOSS

The decline of the American movie theater, initiated by streaming and accelerated by COVID, drove stakes into the hearts of two cinemas in Boca Raton that have long specialized in

eign-language and documentary films receiving distribution in Boca Raton promptly plummeted—leaving Miami as the only vibrant destination for adventurous cinema in the tri-county area.

ART EXHIBITION

“Whitfield Lovell: Passages” landed at the Boca Raton Museum of Art this past spring with a shattering impact, at once intellectual and immediate. Lovell’s work reckons with America’s original sin, the

the sound of a running stream and seabirds placed us in the scene, visitors stepped around and among wooden discs, on which Lovell drew portraits of Black people whose identities have been lost to history.“Deep River” suggests a graveyard in a ghost town, a space still trafficked by these anonymous souls. It was art for the head, the heart and the gut—and it ranked among the museum’s most urgent exhibitions in years.

Boca Stage’s “Time Alone”

Whitfield Lovell (inset) and his “Passages” exhibit

Ben Mankiewicz at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

FOOD & DRINK

at very un-Boca prices. This may be the new wave we’ve been waiting for: smaller portions, easier prices and anything under the sun you’d feel like eating—right here downtown, where the energy is kicking in.

BEST REIMAGINED SPOTS

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Well, you can’t go wrong here, because you can go anywhere. The new Medi Terra at Royal Palm Place decided to gather up the best of everything from the western Mediterranean culinary map and throw it all on a menu. Then you get to decide if you’re feeling Moroccan, got a hankering for Spanish tapas and just want full-out Italian. Imagine a Moroccan tajine dish next to linguine and clam sauce. Or braised oxtail pappardelle cozying up to jamón serrano croquettes. Mussels Provencal, a whole range of seafood, lamb chops—your taste buds are in for an imaginative menu and a happy new addition to Boca’s dining landscape.

American Tapas

is just as adver tised—tapas, but all-American style. This eclectic menu has all our faves, from oysters and salads and bacon-wrapped dates to pulled pork and filet mignon sliders, wings, lobster-truffle mac and cheese, the works. And all

Ka-pow expands, moves across the street and offers a contemporary Asian wow factor, from its eye-popping interior design and seating areas to its menu. It’s also action-central for holidays—large, small or made up— and has killer food.

• Waterstone has raised its game in the last year or so, with the new waterfront SeaSpray patio restaurant, amped-up amenities and programs

SeaSpray at the Waterstone

• 60 Vines (the old Brio at Boca Center) is a sleeper hit. It has 60 (changing) wines on tap in either 2.5-ounce, 5-ounce or 8-ounce carafe pours. But the food might be the real star, with fresh seasonal choices and a wide variety of options, from the fried chicken and

ought to be slapped.

• When the legendary Kathy's Gazebo was sold, Boca’s collective gasp ruffled palm trees up and down the coast. But not to worry: The same menu and chef carry on, dazzling as always (the Dover sole is still legendary), and the dated

Medi Terra

ANNA JACQUES

AARON BRISTOL

Ka-Pow

FAVORITE DISHES

Lobster bisque at Chop’s

Caviar pie at Café Maxx

Mushroom ravioli at Maggiano’s Fish tacos at Luff’s

Bone broth at Farmer’s Table

Chicken meatballs at Mario’s Duck at Eathai

STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

When it comes to English pubs, Lion & Eagle gives the U.K. a run for its pounds. With live music six nights a week, a TV screen for every Premier League game, and beers that are thankfully served cold (no offense, Brits), Lion & Eagle’s mantra of “try before you trust” has been winning over patrons for more than 14 years. We may never warm up to black pudding, but we raise a pint and salute this Boca staple.

BEST DRINKING EVENT

The Grand Tasting at Boca Bacchanal 2023 at The Addison topped past years with elevated food offerings and great vintners—not to mention a cash bar if you were on a vodka diet. But we also loved the Junior League’s “Raise The Bar” event at Boca Center, which celebrated the 17th anniversary of the Junior League of Boca Raton Endowment Fund, Inc. and raised more than $30,000 for the Junior League. Local celebrity bartenders included Victoria Matthews and Dorothy MacDiarmid (who raised the most money at the event), Victoria Jones, Kevin Ives, Niki Knopf, Cliff Viner, Pamela Weinroth, Christina Irving, Dennis Gavin, Kevin Rafferty, Paige Kornblue, Andrea Virgin, Linda Gunn-Paton and Mark Nadzam. Nothing like a fun charity event to get the drinks flowing …

In four short years, Crazy Uncle Mike’s has woven itself seamlessly into the fabric of Boca nightlife to the point that we can’t imagine our city without it. Part craft brewery, part scratch kitchen and part live music venue would be enough to send any lesser establishment into an identity crisis, but founder Mike Goodwin continues to deliver the best of all three with old-school style and prickly humor.

It was touch-and-go during the COVID years, but we’re happy to report that Funky Biscuit has grooved back with a vengeance, thanks in no small part to the eclectic mix of acts that grace the stage on any given night. The Funky Biscuit Allstars (featuring owner Al Poliak on Hammond organ) have cured many a Monday for us, and we’ve lost count of the tacos we’ve downed while jamming to Crazy Fingers on Taco Tuesday. Whether it’s New Orleans funk, smooth jazz or just melt-your-face rock ‘n’ roll, the Biscuit always delivers.

Crazy Uncle Mike’s

Funky Biscuit

The Grand Tasting at Boca Bacchanal

FOOD & DRINK

DATE NIGHT

Boca and surrounding areas have no shortage of up-your-game date-night spots. Here are a few that always delight:

• Trattoria Romana: Great Italian in a lively atmosphere in the heart of Palmetto Park Road’s action-central restaurant district

• La Nouvelle Maison: Romantic white-linen-table French restaurant on Palmetto Park Road

• Latitudes: Twinkly, contemporary oceanfront room— with a dazzling view—just a few minutes north of Boca on A1A at the Delray Sands resort

• Chops: Down-

town steakhouse that does it right— and has all your favorites

• Arturo’s: Classic Italian on Federal Highway in north Boca with a dressfor-dinner vibe and tinkly piano in the background

HOW THE WEST WAS WON

West Boca and West Delray have come into their own when it comes to great dining in recent years. Warren, in Delray on West Atlantic, is still the big dog (with its own whiskey concierge), but Boca has easy favorites like D’Vash (Mediterranean with lots of vegan options) on Glades

Road, and Rafina in the Wharfside shops for Greek cuisine. Uptown

Boca is a mecca for new quality casual dining and even has Lynora’s, an Italian restaurant that originated in West Palm and has a dedicated following.

PLACES WE ARE WAITING FOR

✔ Restaurant Row at Town Center Road, which will include El Camino, Filomena and Pubbelly

✔ Gallagher’s steak house in the old Madison’s location

✔ Vicky Bakery at Lyons Road and Kimberly Boulevard

✔ Maggie McFly's at Town Center

Le Nouvelle Maison

Arturo’s

D’Vash

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER AARON BRISTOL

OLDIES THAT ARE STILL GOODIES

• Having lunch at the Tin Muffin on Palmetto Park Road has been the peoples’ choice for decades. No brunch, no bottomless bloodies, just sandwiches, soups and salads (the chicken salad is legendary), seasonal muffins and treats (peppermint bark ice cream cake springs to mind) and the best decorated bathroom in Boca.

• You don’t have to go to the 305 to get an afternoon pickme-up; for more than 21 years we’ve been stopping right in and ordering a cafecito at Cuban Café on Second Avenue—along

with croquetas, empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, picadillo, ropa vieja and all the other Cuban dishes that are part of our lives now.

• The Irishman on Second Avenue has been a home away from home for some people we know, and that’s been the case for years and years. It may be the shepherd’s pie or the bangers and mash, or perhaps the fact that it has Happy Hour virtually all day, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Fran’s Chicken Haven on Federal Highway just north of Glades has been making takeout fried chicken and sides since 1964 (the batter is a

secret recipe), and we are hoping for 50 more years.

• Las Fajitas on Dixie has been around for many years, but it still feels like a secret gem; great Mexican food with all the

usual suspects at highly affordable prices (and a full bar). The mole verde burrito is a fan favorite, and don’t pass up the sangria.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD/ CONCEPT

Eric Baker’s popular

Wagyu dumplings from AlleyCat

TRENDS WE

Rebel House made way for an expansion of his highly regarded AlleyCat, formerly at Royal Palm Place. AlleyCat serves innovative izakaya—Japanese bar food—as well as main plates and sushi. If our beloved Rebel House had to go, we know AlleyCat is a sound replacement.

TRENDS WE ARE SICK OF

More plantbased vegan options on menus

Tequila

Culinary travel tours

Truck Fridays Martini Mondays at Louie Bossi

Tin Muffin

CAMILLA 5PC SECTIONAL

Take It Outside

Summer is here, and the lure of the pool, patio and waterfront is irresistible. Go ahead, dive right in.

The Brown residence (see page 64)

Just Add Water

South Florida celebrates outdoor living yearround. Water makes a splash in lavish landscapes, whether it’s with a sparkling pool, trickling fountain or waves at the beach. For proof, check out these style-soaked properties.....

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

COASTAL CONTEMPORARY ▲

In a collaborative effort, designer Angela Reynolds worked with the home’s development team to create a harmonious space inspired by the ocean’s beauty that also complemented its modern transitional style. The home’s sleek columns, clad in sterling limestone, add to the exterior’s soft grey and white palette of understated elegance. The pool cabana, which echoes the home’s architecture, also enhances the space’s functionality with an air-conditioned retreat allowing the owners to continue soaking up the sprawling views. Reynolds’ favorite aspect of this Highland Beach backyard is the lower firepit space that provides an intimate, comfortable setting serenaded by the relaxing sound of the pool’s cascading waterfall.

Architect: Smith Architectural Group/Contractor: Davis General Contracting/Landscape Architect: Nievera Williams Design

OLD WORLD PANACHE▲

This traditional home exudes old-world grandeur with its impressive terraced yard, serene pool, guesthouse and multiple seating areas. Designer Jackie Armour’s clients wanted the spaces to feel comfortable and inviting for their multigenerational family. The two-bedroom guest house features a lanai from which guests can enjoy a poolside breakfast or afternoon snacks. Relaxing and functional seating quads surround the resort-style pool and feature a crisscross floor design that mirrors the terrace’s vine lattice overlooking the gardens. Armour dressed the interior in a soft palette that harmonizes with the extraordinary grounds. The home’s open plan, with the kitchen and family room effortlessly blending into the outdoor spaces, creates the ultimate free-flow setting for entertaining.

Architect: Patrick Segraves, SKA Architect/Builder: Edgewater Custom Homes/Landscape Architect: Parker-Yannette

A FRENCH REVIVAL

The home, designed by Gil Walsh, showcases a formal, symmetrically classic French Regency design with timeless elements and understated details. Its elegant, museum-like façade of a royal estate complements the homeowner’s passion for art that includes a variety of collected pieces adorning the home’s walls and even extends out to the pool’s centerpiece bronze horse sculpture. The French-inspired estate evokes a sense of royal gardens while maintaining its contemporary tropical allure. With more than an acre of land in Boca’s St. Andrews Country Club, the grounds of the 12,162-square-foot home boast more than 50 varieties of native and exotic plants.

Architect: Randall Stofft/Landscape Architect: David Font

BRANTLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Amalfi in Vert Jaune, casamance.com

Razors Edge in Pool, kravet.com

Palm in Coastal Blue, serenaandlily.com

Decor Imperial in Corail, pierrefrey.com

Briza in Rosa, christopherfarrcloth.com

Fancy Beast in Safari Green, schumacher.com

Sultan Suzani in Saffron, martynlawrencebullard.com

TROPICAL PLAYGROUND

When the homeowners were looking to breathe new life into their tired backyard, they looked to TV personality Lucas Congdon of Lucas Lagoons. Known for creating over-the-top outdoor spaces on “Insane Pools: Off the Deep End,” Congdon and the team delivered a unique spin on this new grotto pool that overlooks the Indian River. Lead designer Ross Hirdes dedicated himself to creating an impressive natural stone grotto that doubles as a privacy screen while camouflaging the slide their clients insisted on having for their grandchildren. Hirdes, inspired by the plant palette and the client’s desire for a functional tropical haven, incorporated a grand tiki hut as an extension of the home along with several seating alcoves—including multiple sun shelves—to accommodate large family gatherings.

SEASIDE SANCTUARY ▲

With an expansive, nearly 5,000-square-foot outdoor living space, this Manalapan home’s centerpiece is its stunning oceanfront views that can be enjoyed from the several sitting nooks in the loggia and around the infinity-edge pool. Marc-Michaels Interior Design Director of Interior Detailing Tara Kaufmann and Senior Project Manager Melissa Adair designed the exterior to feel like an extension of the 15,000-square-foot home. They worked to create a space for their clients where the large family could come together for some fun in the sun while also having quieter areas for reading and relaxation. The gorgeous seaside pool is not the only one on the property; the lot also features a three-bedroom guesthouse with its own dreamy pool and loggia. Architect: Benedict Bullock Group / Builder: RWB Construction

LAWRENCE MOENS

YACHT PARTY

Landlocked? No problem. Bring streamlined luxury and sleek sophistication to your outdoor space with classic nautical motifs, bold navy and red and silhouettes that would be at home on any superyacht.

1. Crosby teak chaise with Sunbrella border frame, $2,798 each, Serena & Lily, Palm Beach, serenaandlily.com. 2. Rockmere coffee table, $1,498, Serena & Lily, Palm Beach, serenaandlily.com. 3. Island jars, starting at $158, Jayson Home, jaysonhome.com. 4. Calas white ceramic lights, starting at $39.95, Crate & Barrel, Boca Raton, crateandbarrel. com. 5. Trant and Luwin beach towels by Ralph Lauren Home, $100, Neiman Marcus, Boca Raton, neimanmarcus.com. 6. Baccarat pool float, $75, Neiman Marcus, Boca Raton, neimanmarcus.com. 7. Navy anchor pillow and red mariner striped pillow, $85, Sea Bags, seabags.com.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Transform your pool deck or patio into a bohochic oasis with an eclectic mix of rich textures, vibrant hues and natural materials that evoke images of Tulum, Menorca and Mykonos.

taco platter, $24.95, 3-section

$19.95,

$9.95, all from

Table,

1. El Mar melamine serving collection:

tray,

taco holder,

Sur La

Boca Raton, surlatable.com. 2. Saratoga hammock, $148, Anthropologie, Miami, anthropologie.com. 3. Turk outdoor sideboard, $2,799, Williams-Sonoma, Boca Raton, williamssonoma.com. 4. Medium rope chandelier, to the trade, Fisher Weisman, fisherweisman.com. 5. Bowden pillow cover in Coastal Blue, $158, West Beach pillow cover in white, $98, Serena & Lily, Palm Beach, serenaandlily.com. 6. Shaspura resort towels by John Robshaw, $95, Neiman Marcus, Boca Raton, neimanmarcus.com. 7. Pacifica double chaise, $4,198, Serena & Lily, Palm Beach, serenaandlily.com. 8. Grove chair, $695, Jayson Home, jaysonhome.com.

MAKE IT MINIMAL

Sensuous curves, sleek lines and soothing patterns harmonize with a neutral color palette teamed with admiral blue to create chic and contemporary outdoor spaces.

1. Crate & Barrel outdoor space, Crate & Barrel, Boca Raton, crateandbarrel.com.

2. Open weave pendant light, starting at $339.15, West Elm, West Palm Beach, westelm.com. 3. Sphere small light grey indoor/outdoor planter, $179, Crate & Barrel, Boca Raton, crateandbarrel. com. 4. Alto dining table, $2,795, Jayson Home, jaysonhome.com. 5. Magis spun chair, $845.75, Design Within Reach, West Palm Beach, dwr.com.

Doctors of Distinction

From left: Boca Raton

Mayor Scott Singer, Dr. Jeffrey Stein, Dr. David Taub, Dr. Jeffrey Miller

HONORED DOCTORS 2 23 Congratulations to the

Dr. Christine Adams

Dr. Steven Alman

Kettia Alusma-Hibbert, DPN

Dr. Patricia Anastasio

Dr. Neophetos Apostolopoulos

Dr. Aaron Applebaum

Dr. Amy Elizabeth Armada

Dr. Michael Aronsohn

Dr. Bilga Attar

Dr. Aymen Atalah

Dr. Andrew Barsky

Dr. Thomas Bartzokis

Dr. Kanwal Bawa

Dr. Scott Beede

Dr. Brent Bellotte

Dr. Jonathan Berger

Dr. Joseph Biase

Dr. Steven Birnbach

Dr. Frederick Boltz

Dr. Scott Braun

Dr. Ralph Breslaw

Dr. Nicolas Breuer

Dr. Thomas Stephen Breza Jr.

Dr. Bo Brooks

Dr. Alan Brustein

Dr. Michelle Y. Bruzzo

Dr. Jennifer Caceres

Dr. Ben Carter

Dr. Carmen Casanova Enriquez

Dr. Sanda Cebular

Dr. Attica Chang

Dr. Gitanjli Channan

Dr. Glenn Charles

Dr. Lisa Clayton

Dr. Lawrence Clewner

Dr. Carlos Coello

Dr. Karen Coello

Dr. Eli Cohen

Dr. Joshua Cohen

Dr. G. Richard Cohen

Dr. Gregory Cohn

Dr. Adam Colavito, DC

Dr. Frank Crisano

Dr. Barry Davis

Dr. Lesley de la Torre

Dr. Bradley Douglas

Dr. Joanna Drowos

Dr. Michael Dubnick

Dr. Todd Eisner

Dr. Melania Elsner

Dr. Ehsan Esmaeili

Dr. Patricio Espinosa

Dr. Blake Evans

Dr. Steven Fagien

Dr. Rachel Fellman

Dr. Allison Ferris

Dr. Joseph Forstot

aDr. Jennifer Foster

Dr. Renee Freedman

Dr. Dennis Frisch

Dr. Kristi Funk

Dr. Mushfeka Golawala

Dr. Charles Gelfman

Dr. Garry B. Gewirtzman

Dr. Randy Goldfarb

Dr. Hilary Gomolin

Dr. Stephen Grabelsky

Dr. Lorin M. Graef

Dr. Charles Graubert

Dr. David Gross

Dr. Geraldo Guarch

Dr. Gerardo Guarch

Dr. Arthur Handal

Aliana Handal RN BSN

Dr. Edgar Handal

Dr. Han Ming Du

Dr. David Hervert

Dr. Tanya Hlinka

Dr. Doug Hua

Dr. Sameea Husain Wilson

Dr. Robert Johnson

Dr. Kathryn D. Jones

Dr. Chad Kaplan

Dr. Mitchell Karl

Dr. Samuel Kaufman

Dr. Matthew D. Kay

Dr. Jennifer Kazamias

Dr. Robert Klein

Dr. Jaclyn Klimczak

Dr. Esteban Kloosterman

Dr. Allen Konis

Dr. Kevin Kosco

Dr. Ivanka Kovalyshyn

Dr. Joshua M. Larned

Dr. Brazelia Lazzari

Dr. Elizabeth Lebrun Nestor

Dr. Raymond Leville

Dr. Leslie Levine

Dr. Sara Levine

Dr. Michael Lewis

Dr. David Lubetkin

Dr. Thomas Lubin

Dr. Chere Lucas Anthony

Dr. Angelos Manganiotis

Dr. Lisa Martinez

Dr. Gladys Martinez

Dr. Matthen Mathew

Dr. Merna Matilsky

Dr. Marissa Matthews

Dr. Marcus Mayer

Dr. Elizabeth Meador

Dr. Daniel McGuire

Dr. Sabrina Mia

Dr. Steven Milan

Dr. Jeffrey Miller

Dr. Stephen Miller

Dr. Steven Morris

Dr. Allan Moskow

Dr. William Munoz

Dr. Nathan Nachlas

Dr. Anjali Noble

Dr. Frederic Norkin

Dr. Rosane Nunes

Dr. Philip Oranburg

Dr. Ernest Orphanos

Dr. Evan Packer

Dr. Marshall Pepper

Dr. Claudia V. Perdei

Dr. Barry Peskin

Dean Dr. Julie Pilitsis

Dr. Martin Polin

Dr. Carly Polin

Dr. Julian Prosia

Dr. Willam Rand

Dr. Theodore Raptis

Dr. Benjamin Ravaee

Dr. Samarth L. Reddy

Dr. Marc Richards

Dr. Tobi Richman-Steinhardt

Dr. Douglas Rolfe

Dr. Kenneth Rosenthal

Dr. May Rosenzweig

Dr. John Rubin

Dr. Joshua Rubin

Dr. Ronald Rubin

Dr. Jane Rudolph

Dr. Lon Sadowsky

Dr. Ashish Sahai

Dr. Alan Saitowitz

Dr. Bruce Salz

Dr. Jamie Saltz

Dr. Mark Saltzman

Dr. Alan Saperstein

Dr. Robert Sarro

Dr. Lori Sarvis LCSW

Dr. Andrew Savin

Dr. Heidi Schaeffer

Dr. Jordan Schapiro

Dr. David Schwartzwald

Dr. Bruce Segal

Dr. Jean Senyshyn

Dr. Stephen J. Servoss

Dr. Robert Shelling

Dr. Harold Siegel

Dr. Stephen Silverstein

Dr. Ari Silverstein

Dr. Leor Skoczylas

Dr. Zarinna Staller

Dr. Jennifer Statler

Dr. Jeffrey Stein

Dr. Robert Steinberg

Dr. Caroline Stella

Dr. David Taub

Dr. Marc Taub

Dr. Charles Toman

Dr. Gjorgji Trnovski

Dr. Thomas Tzikas

Dr. Claudia Valderrama

Dr. Gabor M. Veszelovszky

Dr. Gregory Weatherford

Dr. Noah Kawika Weisberg

Dr. Neal Weisman

Dr. Joshua Weiss

Dr. Matthew Weiss

Dr. John Westine

Dr. Thomas Wiernicki

David Witt, PT

Dr. Sarah K. Wood

Dr. Joanne Yi

Dr. Jose Yeguez

Dr. Geoffrey Zann

From left: Alan Kaye, Christine E. Lynn, Janice Williams, Shaheer Hosh

Their talents amaze and inspire. They share their resources and expertise to transform our homes and lives with style, color, comfort and functionality. Discover new ways to surround yourself in the beauty of it all through their visions.

Cover photo courtesy of: J. Alexander Interiors, Inc. jai.design

The Face of MODERN STONE SCULPTURE

Scot Buccina South Florida Stone Sculptor

Scot Buccina was born of Tuscan-Calabrese parents, who fostered his intense passion for the arts. Buccina studied art at the University of Maine, followed by completion of his Master’s in Studio Sculpture and Art History at Florida State University. Believing that his passion for stone derives from his Tuscan artistic roots, the home of stone masters Michelangelo and Donatello, he has maintained that inspiration for stone sculpture for nearly 40 years.

Buccina located his business inWest Palm Beach in 1985, where he began working alongside a master sculptor from NewYork’s SOHO art district in the ‘70s, who later operated a successful sculpture school near the Armory Art Center. A master sculptor in his own right, Buccina’s talents have passed to his many students, who have won awards for their sculptures. In 1996, Buccina moved his studio to Hobe Sound, where he continues his South Florida sculpture business.

Having traveled the country extensively exhibiting his works in galleries and juried art shows, receiving numerous awards and acclaim, his works exist in client collections all over the world. Commercial clients also sell his works, including Tommy Bahama Home Stores in Newport Beach and Texas. Sculptures range in size from tabletop and pedestal pieces to large, freestanding pieces in marble, alabaster, wood with stone, and his favorite medium, translucent yellow calcite. Buccina maintains an ever-changing collection, also commissioning unique designs to client specifications. Buccina also works with interior designers. Buccina’s works are diverse and suitable for home, office or yacht, whether indoors or outside.

561.758.0041

ScotBuccina.com

Jason

Nuttle

The Face of EUROPEAN-INSPIRED INTERIOR DESIGN

Laetitia Laurent Principal Designer and Founder Laure Nell Interiors

Laetitia Laurent is an expert in the field of interior design, with 20 years of experience, a thoughtful approach to each project, and a keen eye for selecting curated pieces that defy trends and withstand the test of time. Laetitia earned her master’s degree from the Sorbonne in Paris, where she studied art and history.

“Scale, proportion and quality were always the guiding principles of my studies, and today I instill those same qualities in the homes I design,” she explains.“I get to know our clients on a deeper level, and craft environments that truly work for them.”

Laetitia takes a simple and unfussy approach to design, where less is more, and where striking sculptural pieces stand on their own and remain classic for years to come. She gleans inspiration from her travels to France and beyond, where she’s always on the hunt for unique treasures by emerging and established artists and brands.

As the principal and creative director of Laure Nell Interiors, Laetitia has grown the firm over the years but has deliberately kept it a boutique size of seven designers.

“This allows us to be very intentional about the projects we take on. We make sure that we are the right fit and can give each project personal attention,” she points out.

Laure Nell Interiors enjoys many repeat clients, where Laetitia is often working on a third or fourth home— the sincerest testament to the level of care and trust she brings.

561/621-4358

laurenell.com

The Face of CUSTOM CLOSETS & STYLISH STORAGE

Lori Hoyt

Owner and President of California Closets of Broward/Palm Beach

The closet is one of the first rooms you visit each morning, which is why Lori Hoyt of California Closets says it’s essential for the space to elicit a sense of serenity. “You don’t want to walk into something where your clothes are falling all over, your shoes are underneath your clothes and you can barely see anything,” Hoyt says.

Achieving a calming closet isn’t just for aesthetics; it can save you the headache and time it takes to get dressed in a disheveled space. The key to organization is creating designated places for everything—hampers for dirty clothes, built-in storage for jewelry and customized shelving with specific sections for short sleeves versus long sleeves.

Hoyt doesn’t just know a thing or two about beautifying closets—she’s a business woman through-and-through. Since she stepped in as president 25 years ago, the company’s yearly revenue has grown from $1 million to $12 million. A true family affair, Hoyt works alongside her brother Scott Schiff and sister Patti Schiff.

With a staff of about 40 designers and installers, California Closets also extends its expertise into garages, offices and pantries alike. Projects range from $2,500 to upwards of $400,000, depending on each client’s budget and vision.

954.946.2218

californiaclosets.com

Bristolfoto

The Face of PERSONALIZED DESIGN

Jason Alexander J. Alexander Interiors

At J. Alexander Interiors, clients receive our time, our attention to detail and the intention to co-create a space where they feel at home. It’s a simple concept that is often overlooked in the industry,” says Jason Alexander, who emphasizes that working with him and his design team is a very intimate relationship, yielding the most personalized results.

“I’m not a one-look designer.That’s why my team and I spend a great amount of time learning about my clients’ lifestyle and how they want to live in their home.We take the time to ask in-depth questions so we can understand their personalities and deliver the utmost in comfort and beauty throughout their space, whether it be an oceanfront mansion or financial office.”

Alexander laughs, remarking that what sets him apart is that he “gives good flow,” as his expertise creates a positive vibe and seamless transition from room to room.

“I am also proud to say that my clients tell me that the most recent homes I have completed with them have become their all-time favorite; a place where they truly feel they belong. Frankly, it’s not rocket science. Most designers can create beautiful rooms.What I do with my team is to transform a home into a place of awe as well as comfort,” explains Alexander.

A recent example is a $2 million renovation Alexander completed in Addison Reserve that has garnered a flurry of praise and buzz for its grand appearance combined with a luxurious, welcoming vibe that invites you to sit back, relax and take it all in.

(954) 366-1817

jai.design

Emiliano Brooks

SUMMER ESCAPES

Indulge in world-class amenities on land and sea this summer. Whether lounging in peaceful bliss poolside at some of our area’s most enticing resorts or sailing into the sunset on a chill/thrill-filled Caribbean cruise, it’s the perfect time to get away on a Summer Escape or Staycation! Peruse through this special section to see what wonderful destinations await you throughout our favorite season to get away from it all, in the Sunshine State and beyond.

INTO SUMMER AT THE BOCA RATON MARRIOTT!

Celebrate the season with our Splash into Summer offer. Enjoy a refreshing stay with the following enticing inclusions:

Breakfast for up to two guests

daily at Sonrisa

15% discount on poolside dining

2 Complimentary Cocktails at Drift

Late checkout at 1pm

Don't miss out on this irresistible Splash into Summer offer!

Book now and experience a sensational summer vacation filled with relaxation, delicious dining, and unforgettable memories.

BOOK YOUR SUMMER BOOK YOUR SUMMER

VACATION TODAY! VACATION TODAY!

LET’S COAST

Golden Bear & Tiger. Two

The first ever Nicklaus Heritage Course. A 10-hole Tiger Woods Playground Course. Jack’s Bay Club is the first and only residential community in the world with courses by both The Golden Bear and Tiger. 15 holes will be directly on the azure seas and pink sands of Eleuthera, Bahamas.

Our Founder’s Program is offering select Beachfront and Oceanview Homesites, ideally located along Eleuthera’s prime stretch of iconic pink sand beaches, and priced from under $1M to over $2M.

IN THE CARIBBEAN, THE BEACH IS JUST THE BEGINNING

ISLAND-HOP LIKE NEVER BEFORE WITH EXCLUSIVE AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

Experience the world’s most beautiful places on a Relaxed Luxury resort at sea. From verdant mountain peaks to dazzling coral reefs teeming with tropical fish, the Caribbean is a never-ending show of nature’s wonders. Every island has its own personality, from sleepy to bustling, and on a Celebrity Cruise, you can experience it all. This season is our most exciting yet with our next Edge® Series Ship, Celebrity Ascent SM, debuting in the islands for a total of eight stunning ships there. We have the Caribbean covered with 3–12-night sailings that include Belize, St. Lucia, Grand Cayman, the ABC Islands, Bahamas and Mexico. There is no better time than now to plan your escape to paradise!

561-483-4220

SCAN TO SEE CARIBBEAN

©2023 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

CRUISES

Ocean Home Rentals

For more information follow us on Instagram

Oceanfront Point lot 2bed/2bath plus sleeper couch pool home with a 176ft dock. (Sleeps 6) Pool looking at the ocean. Hot tub overlooking the blue waters of vaca cut. Open layout, bright and airy with the most amazing ocean views. Completely renovated!

Lindsey Howell . 305-304-8973

Luxury Yacht Rental

This Luxury Yacht Charter is based in Boca Raton, FL, and the Florida Keys. Offers great entertainment with deployable balconies, 16 speakers, 3 subwoofers and much more!

For more information follow us on Instagram @GODSPEED_YACHT

Capt. Vinny Focaracci . 954-258-8322

This 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath Pool Home is stunning! Ocean views of Boot Key Harbor from every room, 200ft of shoreline. The entire property was beautifully renovated. This home boasts an open floor plan, a private pool, and ample dockage.

Leslie Christensen . 305-743-6881

The place with everything you’ve been looking for

Whether you want to get a great workout at Meso Fit, lounge by the saltwater pool and poolside bar, enjoy award-winning cuisine at Farmer’s Table, listen to wonderful music under the stars on our Garden Terrace or simply enjoy a great cup of tea with friends in the TrendTeaLounge... just know that our dedication to your well-being will show daily.

At the Wyndam Boca we focus on healthy minds, spirts and bodies. Here you will find all of this as well as an amazing community-oriented staff that is proud to treat you like an old friend.

Private dining available for that special family or business occasion.

561-368-5200 | WyndhamBoca.com

1950 Glades Road | Boca Raton

TALK ABOUT LEVIS

Our boutique has been a mainstay for savvy bargain shoppers in East Boca Raton for more than 30 years. But we're so much more than great fashion finds, home furnishings and hidden treasures.

We are committed to making a difference in our community. With your support we continue to enrich the lives of countless people in our area by:

• Funding scholarships for vital programs at our JCC

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

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

Help us make an IMPACT— shop, donate or volunteer.

(561) 368-3665

levisjcc.org/resaleboutique

The Shops at University Park, 141 NW 20th Street, F5-F7 in Boca Raton

For hours, information and special sales and promotions. @levisjccresale

Leaders in real estate

Nothing defines the luxury lifestyle like the place you call home. From waterfront estates to chic downtown condos, these expert real estate professionals help buyers and sellers make the best deals in paradise.

First-class service and rewarding experience

Recognized as one of the most respected names in Manhattan real estate dating back to the beginning her career in 1997, Aileen Grossmann is committed to providing the most comprehensive and distinguished real estate services to her valued clients. As she proves time and again, her understanding of the current regional trends provides her clients with excellent opportunities, whether they are interested in a small one-bedroom or a $25 million luxury property. Through her comprehensive knowledge and experience as a specialist in the acquisition, marketing and negotiation of residential and luxury homes, co-ops and condominiums, you can trust in Aileen’s expertise and accurate assessment. Calling her a true powerhouse, her clients continuously rave about her upbeat energy and first-class service as well as her extensive knowledge and constant communication. Licensed and active in both New York and Florida, Aileen specializes in the distinct communities of Manhattan as well as Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties—and excels at facilitating a smooth sale and financially rewarding experience for her clients.

917-750-7580

aileen@lotusrealtyfl.com | lotusrealtyfl.com

“Selling homes is not a volume play for me, it is about helping people navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives, which is why I love what I do!”

Just Listed in Old Floresta

6

| 5 BATHS | 4,225 SF | OFFERED AT $5,350,000

Rare Gem! Privacy, charm, and distinction blend seamlessly in this Historic estate built by Addison Mizner in desirable Old Floresta. Sited on a half-acre corner lot, this completely renovated home preserves the historic features and character of the original design. Pecky cypress ceilings, Chicago brick walkways, a wood-burning fireplace, hardwood floors, and arched windows are a few of the characteristics that make this home special. The entire home has impact-resistant glass windows and newly renovated bathrooms. The chef’s kitchen has been modified and remodeled with custom cabinetry, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and an oversized island with seating for six. This magnificent tropical oasis is beautifully landscaped with flowers, tropical plants, and a loggia with a spacious backyard and resort-inspired pool.

BEDS

888 OLEANDER STREET, BOCA RATON

Bonnie Clearwater

NSU Art Museum’s uncompromising director continues to honor the past while nurturing the next generation

Written by JOHN THOMASON

There has never been a time when Bonnie Clearwater wasn’t involved in the arts. “There are photographs of me painting in diapers,” she recalls. She came from a family of musicians and designers, and her father ran an arts council in her native New York.

Though an artist of distinction by age 8, Clearwater had begun gravitating toward the cultivation side of the art world when, at 15, she launched a teen arts program—a harbinger of a career in visual-arts scholarship, discovery and curation that continues in her present post, as director of Fort Lauderdale’s NSU Art Museum.

Clearwater brought an impressive resumé to the position. She has been Leonard Lauder’s private curator, has curated the Mark Rothko Foundation in New York, and formed a successful art book publishing company. Cognizant of the emerging art scene here, she moved to South Florida in 1990 and would spend 16 years at the helm of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in North Miami.

She joined the NSU Art Museum in 2013, where she has exhibited solo or paired exhibitions of Frank Stella, Keith Haring, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol; wide-ranging showcases of African sculpture and Latin American surrealism; and “Lux et Veritas,” a deep dive into the celebrated artists of color who have attended Yale School of Art. Some of Clearwater’s shows have inspired lines around the block, but, she says,“in the selection of a show, it’s never with this idea that it’s going to be a blockbuster. In fact, I’ve looked at this throughout my history, and realized that many times, when an institution thinks they’re going to be doing a show because it’s a blockbuster, it backfires.”

When you moved to South Florida, what did you see here in terms of potential for the visual arts?

[In 1990], I came to visit Miami; my father was living here, and I had lunch with Craig Robbins, who by that time was developing South Beach. He said,“why don’t you and your husband move your compa-

ny here?” … I knew there was something really interesting to tap into ... A generation of young artists were coming up, new people were coming in. Everybody just sort of clicked, and things were happening.

What are some of the shows you’re most proud of at NSU Art Museum?

I’m proud of every single one of them... Everything comes out of things I’ve done before. One of the first shows I did was on Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism. It was about access. My first boss was Bob Littman, and he was the head of the Gelman Collection, which had all the Riveras and Kahlos. I had shown the whole collection at MoCA in 1998. So when I came here, Bob said, right away, “do you want to show the collection again?” I said, “I’ll take the Riveras and the Kahlos, but we have our own Mexican Modernism collection, and we’ll use it to bring attention and new scholarship to our art collection.”

Then there was the “Happy” show, which wasn’t about happiness. It was actually about death! If I’d called the show “Death,” no one would’ve come to see it.

Does your partnership with Nova Southeastern affect what you do curatorially?

We find ways of connecting … I have lunch with board members of the university. They love the museum. But it is all laissez-faire with programming.

Are there commercial considerations in the shows you program?

Do you crunch the attendance numbers? No, I’m dead set against doing that kind of quantifying, because that’s where a lot of museums got into trouble. If we go that route in the museum and look at how many people are coming for this show or that show, you’re not going to do the shows that have to be done.

What are the trends you’ve been seeing in contemporary art?

I’m seeing a very strong emergence of new work. In July, [Curator] Ariella [Wolens] and I are doing seven solo exhibitions of South Florida artists for whom this will be their first solo museum show. They’re a little bit beyond what I would call truly emerging; some of them have commercial galleries already, and have national exposure and have won prestigious awards. But it’s also about creating community among them. We have artists in Broward and Miami that don’t know each other. Part of it is to have all of them at one time, simultaneously, so that we form this community.

“It’s so important to be an incubator, to be [an artist’s] first solo museum show … At MoCA, I used to say, ‘even when you don’t know the artist, you will.’ Consequently, you want to build an audience that comes because they know that whatever they’re going to see here is going to stimulate them.”

Bonnie Clearwater

IF YOU GO

WHAT: NSU ART MUSEUM

WHERE: 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues.Sat., noon to 5 p.m. Sun.

CONTACT: 954/525-5500, nsuartmuseum.org

BACKSTAGE PASS CALENDAR

Now-July 16:

“At the Dawn of a New Age: Early 20th Century Modernism” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15-$18 museum admission; 561/832-5196, norton.org. This exhibition draws from the first 30 years of the 1900s—a watershed period in American art, as traditional notions of realism in painting and sculpture gave way to an increasing embrace of experimentation and abstraction of color, form and subject matter.

Now-Oct. 6:

“Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii” at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; $9-$15 museum admission; 561/4950233, morikami.org. A Japanese American incarcerated in a detention camp after the outbreak of World War II, Fujii kept an illustrated diary of more than 250 ink drawings and more than 130 paintings, capturing detailed visions of the camps and the daily routines of his fellow-inmates.

Now-Oct. 22:

Sri Prabha: “Resonator –Reanimator” at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $12-$16 museum admission; 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org. An artist who creates interactive installations in the Fluxus tradition, Prabha’s site-specific exhibition at the Boca Museum invites attendees to climb in and around it, while considering its relationship to the video projections, wall sculptures and archaeological fossils surrounding it.

July 7:

Matchbox Twenty at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $50 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com. Orlando’s chart-topping pop-rock exports return in support of their fifth album Where the Light Goes, Matchbox Twenty’s first release in 11 years. Opening act the Wallflowers, still fronted by Bob Dylan’s singer-songwriter offspring Jakob, support their latest LP, 2021’s Exit Wounds.

July 9:

Psychic Medium Bill Philipps at Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; 3 p.m.; $25; 561/8331812, palmbeachimprov.com. At this gallery reading, psychic medium Philipps, who purports to have seen dead people since age 14, will deliver messages from past loved ones. A HuffPost contributor with a national profile, Philipps’ gentle and direct communication style has won over believers and skeptics alike.

July 16:

“Lu Over the Wall” screenings at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; $5 with paid museum admission; 561/495-0233, morikami.org. A Sundance Film Festival selection in 2018, this visionary anime feature from director Masaaki Yuasa lends a modern, hallucinogenic spin on a classic fairytale about a mermaid who swims ashore and joins a middle-school rock band, forming a bond with its lonely but talented keyboardist.

Matchbox Twenty

“At The Dawn of a New Age”

Bill Phillipps

Now-Oct. 22:

“Benn Mitchell Photographs” at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $12-$16 museum admission; 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org. Gifted with an eye for composition and detail from the time he could hold a camera, Benn Mitchell sold his first photograph to Life magazine, in 1926, at the ripe age of 16. He is perhaps most notable for his candid street images of quintessential New York City—its architecture, its bustle, its kinetic denizens.

Now-Oct. 22:

Sari Dienes: “Incidental Nature” at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $12-$16 museum admission; 561/3922500, bocamuseum.org. In a career spanning 60 years, the late Dienes helped bridge gaps between the Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s and the Pop Art of the 1960s. “Incidental Nature” focuses on the Austrian-born artist’s “Sidewalk Rubbings,” in which she appropriated urban symbols such as manhole covers and subway gratings into geometric compositions.

July 4:

July Fourth Celebration at East Atlantic Avenue and State Road A1A, Delray Beach; 5 to 9:30 p.m.; free; 561/2437000, delraybeachfl.gov. A 50-year tradition that draws upwards of 80,000 revelers to Delray, this beachfront bonanza begins with a flag-raising ceremony, complete with honor guard, and continues with friendly contests, food trucks, vendors and live entertainment, culminating in a spectacular 9 p.m. fireworks display over the ocean.

July 6-16:

Shakespeare by the Sea

XXXIII at Seabreeze Amphitheater at Carlin Park, 400 Florida A1A, Jupiter; 8 p.m.; free with suggested donation; 561/762-8552, pbshakespeare.org. Now in its 33rd year, this summer Shakespeare-in-the-park tradition will perform its first-ever production of “Measure for Measure,” the Bard’s lesser known dark comedy about a heroic duke’s efforts to expose his power-abusing, autocratic deputy.

July 21:

C4 Trío at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 8 p.m.; $37-$47; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox. com. Now working with bassist Roger Padilla—making this “Trio,” in fact, a quartet—the string players of C4 perform on the cuatro, the national instrument of Venezuela, generating sounds that span from traditional merengue to jazz and world music. They will play evocative tunes from their seventh album, Back to 4.

July 21:

Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6:30 p.m.; $37 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre. com. Like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan before them, southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd join the ranks of “un-retiring” talent, hitting the road again despite calling it “quits” in 2020. Uncle Cracker and the distinctively bearded blues rockers ZZ Top, still fronted by founding member Billy Gibbons, open the show.

July 24:

Fall Out Boy at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6:30 p.m.; $39.50 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre. com. Blessed with enough earworms to form a new entomological genus—“Dance, Dance” and “Centuries” among them—Fall Out Boy has made hooky alternative megahits look easy. Its tour, supporting 2023’s So Much (for) Stardust, also features Bring Me the Horizon and Royal & the Serpent.

July 24:

“Jinkx Monsoon: Everything is at Stake” at Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs; 8 p.m.; $56.04; 954/344-5990, thecentercs. org. Winner of the fifth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” actor and comedian Monsoon this year became the first drag queen to perform on Broadway, in “Chicago.” Their new touring show will be backed by a full rock band, with originals and covers performed in Monsoon’s signature “witchy,” bombastic style.

C4 Trio Fall Out Boy

Lynyrd Skynyrd

July 26:

Goo Goo Dolls and O.A.R. at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 7 p.m.; $59.50-$137; 561/393-7890, mizneramp.com. Staples on the Hot 100 chart for much of the 1990s, Goo Goo Dolls’ slick and anthemic sing-alongs, from “Iris” to “Slide” and “Black Balloon,” married sensitive lyrics with tuneful melodies and an orchestral sensibility. The band is supporting its 14th album Chaos in Bloom, with support from veteran heartland rockers O.A.R.

July 28-29:

Dave Matthews Band at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $74 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com. The jazz-inflected jam band returns to its longtime South Florida venue for another two-night residency of hits, deep cuts and elaborate interpretations of fan favorites. Expect a different set list each night from these generous spelunkers of their impressive back catalog.

July 29:

Start Me Up! A Tribute to the Rolling Stones at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $35-$40; 561/450-6457, artsgarage.org. Complete with Jagger swagger, costume changes, a saxophone player and multiple percussionists, this eight-piece tribute act re-creates the look, sound and spirit of Britain’s longest-running rock powerhouse, with hits spanning every era.

Aug. 11:

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa: High School Reunion Tour at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6 p.m.; $53 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com.

Snoop Dogg, hip-hop outlaw of yore, cannabis enthusiast and unlikely BFF to Martha Stewart, co-headlines this old-school bill with hard-hitting rapper Khalifa. Impressive openers include Too $hort and Warren G.

Aug. 11-27:

“Grease: The Musical” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $42; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. A record-breaking eight-year run on Broadway helped solidify the enduring popularity of this iconic and nostalgic musical, with its slate of sing-a-longs (“Summer Nights,” “We Go Together”) inspired by proto-rock ‘n’ roll.

Aug.12-Oct. 29:

“Between Drawing and Painting: Pastels from the Collection” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15-$18 museum admission; 561/832-5196, norton.org. One of the most versatile mediums in the visual arts, pastels rose to prominence in the 18th century, as a way to combine the fine lines of pencil with the rich saturation of paint. This exhibition captures innovations in pastel through the ages, from old master portraits to contemporary abstraction.

“Between Drawing and Painting” “Start Me Up”

Dave Matthews Band

Aug. 1:

Jackson Browne at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 8 p.m.; $49.50$99.50; 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org. Ranking among Rolling Stone ’s top 40 songwriters of all-time, this pioneer of literate folk-rock is also the recipient of a Gandhi Peace Award and a John Steinbeck Award for his environmental and social activism. His latest release is 2021’s Downhill From Everywhere.

Aug. 3-Sept. 3:

“Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story” at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors; various show times; $40-$55; 954/9289800, islandcitystage.org. A slice of dark life this sunny season, this chamber musical from Stephen Dolginoff takes as its subjects the closeted gay men Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb—also depicted in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope”— whose killing of a 14-year-old boy in 1924 has become a true-crime touchstone.

Aug.10-13:

Tony Rock at Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; various show times; $25-$35; 561/833-1812, palmbeachimprov.com. The younger brother of Chris Rock—one of nine Rock siblings, in fact— has established a formidable standup career on his own, balanced with acting roles on BET’s “Black Card Revoked” and CBS’ “Living Biblically.” Squint, and you’ll think you’re watching Chris.

Aug. 11:

Hot Pants de France at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $35$40; 561/450-6457, artsgarage.org. Inspired by the gypsy jazz music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, this innovative collective interprets hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s—from artists such as Queen, Soundgarden, Talking Heads and Pixies—in classic swing, samba and hot jazz styles.

Aug.12:

Jason Mraz and his Superband at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 7 p.m.; $50.50; 561/393-7890, mizneramp. com. From roadie duty and coffeehouse gigs to Grammy wins and amphitheater tours, Virginia native Mraz is an embodiment of the perseverance of talent. He’ll play ubiquitous hits like “The Remedy” and “I’m Yours” alongside peppy selections from his latest and eighth LP, Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride.

Aug.19:

Smashing Pumpkins at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6:30 p.m.; $57 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre. com. Billy Corgan’s enduring alternative standard bearers, whose equally crunchy and twinkly sound has influenced art-rock musicians for generations, tour in support of ATUM, their newly released three-act rock opera. Interpol, the brooding Manhattan postpunks, and Rival Sons open the concert.

Aug.27:

Freaks on Parade Tour at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 6 p.m.; $42 and up; 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre. com. Shock rockers from two generations co-headline this legacy bill. Equal parts heavy and theatrical, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie have led metal—or at least metal-adjacent—bands for decades, acts that prize elaborate makeup, lyrics inspired by horror fiction and double kick drums. Arrive early for openers Ministry and Filter.

Aug.31:

The Australian Pink Floyd Show at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 8 p.m.; $39.50-$80.50; 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org. Continuing this year’s many celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Dark Side of the Moon, the Australian Pink Floyd Show will feature a note-for-note re-creation of the progressive rockers’ seminal concept album, complete with a laser light show and high-definition LED projections.

Jackson Browne

Smashing Pumpkins

Hot Pants de France

Executive Chef / Restauranteur Steven Botta has added the former Kathy’s Gazebo to his portfolio of high end restaurants. The 40 year tradition of excellence continues in a newly reimagined and newly renovated space.

The name and decor may have changed but the menu has all the old menu favorites with some exciting new ones which will delight the palate. From the moment you arrive you will quickly realize that you have entered a restaurant where old world service is still the norm rather than the exception.

A throwback to the days when where guests become family and a place to make new memories while reminiscing about past ones. Come join us and see what all the excitement is about. We look forward to seeing you. Yevette, Steven and Anthony.

Yevette, Steven and Anthony

NEIL JOHN BURGER

Le Colonial chicken curry

IF YOU GO

PARKING: Valet (on Northeast Seventh Avenue)

Parking garage (also on Northeast Seventh Avenue)

HOURS: Lunch Sat.-Sun, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Dinner Sun.Wed., 5-10 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.

PRICES: $14-$95

WEBSITE: delraybeach. lecolonial.com

Le Colonial

601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561/566-1800

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

e Colonial’s opening this past February was highly anticipated, and that’s an understatement. Its debut soiree attracted hundreds of glitterati, all eager to experience Le Colonial’s French-Vietnamese cuisine at the new Atlantic Crossing. The space immediately transports you back to Saigon’s tropical paradise of the 1920s. Lush birds of paradise and palms line the halls that lead into intimate dining nooks throughout the 7,000-square-foot restaurant, vibrant wallpaper and artwork adorn the walls, and cozy banquettes invite you in to stay a while. Le Colonial radiates classic elegance that’s as sophisticated as it is comfortable.

The brand opened its first location 30 years ago, and Delray’s outpost is its fifth, with several other cities in the pipeline, including Naples and Scottsdale. Created to showcase Vietnamese cuisine and its French influences (France ruled the country for decades), Le Colonial has a standout method of curating classic Vietnamese dishes that appeal to various palates.

Settling into our corner booth, we started with a lychee martini ($15) and the First of the Last gin cocktail ($15). For someone who adores lychee, especially when it’s drenched in vodka, this drink was disappointing. To start, it appeared that there was no actual lychee juice present. It’s made with a lychee liqueur that was then doused with lime juice. Too much lime and bitters overrode the gin’s soft juniper notes.

As the appetizers arrived, I was sanguine. The Bahn Uot ($16), or sesame beef ravioli, is a signature dish shaped as sizeable rice noodle pillows stuffed with grilled beef. I loved how the softness of the ravioli and beef played off the crunch of the cucumbers and lettuce that top it. The basil and the lime garlic sauce with hints of sweetness and spice tie the dish’s flavors up nicely for a satisfying opening to our meal. Our waitress quickly glossed over the soup section, and I’m here to tell you: Don’t sleep on the curry. I’m certainly glad we didn’t. We shared the Cari Ga ($29), or yellow chicken curry, and it was

the star of the evening. Creamy, flavorful and well balanced, it delivers everything you want in a curry. Plus, the jasmine rice we ordered with it was perfectly cooked.

Our two entrées were the Ca Chim ($36), or halibut with “La Vong” scent, and Bo Luc Lac ($45), or shaking beef. The former, cured with galangal, a Southeast Asian root in the ginger family, is a beautiful saffron hue on the outside and snowy white, soft and flaky on the inside. It’s bright and citrusy with delicate spicey notes and topped with dill, mustard seed and red peppers. The beef has hints of sweetness, and again I enjoyed the balance of its tenderness with the crunchiness that came from the pickled onions and snow peas.

We ended with la noix de coco ($14), Le Colonial’s take on a traditional Vietnamese frozen banana dessert. It is a dainty chocolate cup filled with banana and coconut cream and topped with coconut flakes and toasted peanuts. It was a wonderful way to finish the meal in Delray’s new swanky, tropical oasis.

Clockwise from bottom, beet salad, bo luc lac and crispy red snapper

NEIL JOHN BURGER

TUESDAYTHURSDAY

SOCIAL HOUR 4PM-6PM

50% Off Wines By The Glass

50% Off Signature Cocktails

Social Hour Bites Menu

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

50% Off Bottles of Wine Up to $300 Only Eligible with purchase of entrée*

THURSDAY SPECIAL

THURSDAY

50% Off Giant Grilled Prawn with Green Garlic Scampi Sauce & Shoe String Potatoes

UNLIMITED BRUNCH

SUNDAY BRUNCH

$25 Unlimited Mimosa's, Bellini's, Bloody Mary's & Spicy Watermelon Margarita's. Brunch available from 11:30am- 2:30pm. Only Eligible with purchase of entrée*

SUNDAY

DINNER

SUNDAY SUPPER MENU

$49.95 per person, fixed menu,choice from 3 appetizers, 3 entrees &2 desserts

AVALON LOUNGE

PRIVATE DINING

The Avalon Lounge is a hidden gem in Delray Beach. With more than 1,500 Sq ft of event space, the lounge is available for meetings, specialty events and private dining. Call to book today!

IF YOU GO

PARKING: Parking lot

HOURS: Mon.-Wed., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

PRICES: $3.50-$59

WEBSITE: losolivosbistro. com

Los Olivos Bistro

5030 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton; 561/756-8928

CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

Homestyle cooking reigns supreme here. The family-owned bistro’s menu honors familial Argentine roots with typical crave-worthy dishes like empanadas and plenty of red meat, but it also honors the cuisine’s Spanish and Italian influences with its standout paellas and housemade pastas.

The owners do a top-notch job of making every guest feel welcome. Whether you’re a first-timer or regular, a customary warm welcome awaits you here. I also heard Argentine Spanish with its distinct accent spoken alongside English among diners, a good indication Argentinians approve of the food at Los Olivos. Buenos Aires natives opened Los Olivos two years ago, struggled through the pandemic but gratefully made it through, and have seen an uptick in business in recent months.

Embracing the family’s Argentine culture, the wine menu is Mendoza heavy with sprinkles of France, Italy and the U.S. It also offers red and white sangria, Clerico (Uruguay’s signature effervescent sangria) and a few beers.

As for appetizers, you can journey to Spain with pulpo a la Gallega, chorizo (sausage) or tortilla (omelet with potatoes and onions), or you can travel to Argentina with its empanadas and canastitas. We chose to order the ham and cheese empanada ($3.50) and the Humita canastita ($3.50). The empanada’s dough was crisp on the outside but warm and soft on the inside, with gooey cheese oozing out as I bit into it. I do wish there had been more ham, but overall, both appetizers tasted fresh and housemade. The canastita, or open empanada that looks like a little basket (hence its name in Spanish) looked and tasted like something mom would make at home, down to its lopsided edges and rustic sliced peppers in varying sizes. I loved every bite of the large corn kernels, caramelized onions, tomatoes and peppers I discovered under the cheesy top. The paellas can be ordered in one or two portions. The one-person serving comes in an adorable, personalized pan bursting with rice and your selected toppings. Choose from chicken, vegeta-

bles, seafood or a combination. We opted for the seafood paella ($30), which arrived with a hearty portion of clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp mixed with onions, peas and peppers. I wished the saffron was more prominent, but overall, it was a satisfying dish. Since we were in an Argentine restaurant, I was eager to try a steak, so we ordered the 10-ounce skirt steak ($31), and I was not disappointed. The tender, flat piece followed the true Argentine technique of not marinating or over-seasoning. It was perfectly salted and cooked, and came with a side of citrusy chimichurri that I could have eaten alone with a spoon. It’s also a filling portion, with a side of smashed potatoes that were chunky, soft and, again, tasted like mom’s cooking.

If you like dulce de leche, save room for dessert and order the panqueque de dulce de leche ($10). The sugary scent hit me before I even tasted it. It’s two rolled crepes stuffed with the caramel-like sauce. They’re warm, with crispy edges and a sweet (but not too sweet) way to end the meal.

Clockwise from bottom, ham and cheese empanada, grilled skirt steak, humita canastita and seafood paella

Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County

DEEPEST THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS CORPORATE PARTNERS

It is our privilege to recognize our business partners throughout the community. Their compassion, generosity and commitment make a vital difference for those in need every day in our community, in Israel and around the globe through the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.

For more information on becoming a corporate partner, please contact Jodi Faden at jodif@bocafed.org or 561.852.6034

FLORIDA TABLE Dining Guide

DINING KEY

$: Under $17

$$: $18–$35

$$$: $36–$50

$$$$: $50 and up

Palm Beach County BOCA RATON

Abe & Louie’s —2200 Glades Road. Steakhouse. All Americans are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among them the right to a thick, juicy, perfectly cooked steak. At this posh, comfortable (and expensive) meatery, the USDA Prime steaks are indeed thick, juicy and perfectly cooked, also massively flavorful and served in enormous portions. Don’t miss the New York sirloin or prime rib, paired in classic steakhouse fashion with buttery hash browns and ubercreamy creamed spinach. Chased with an ice-cold martini or glass of red wine from the truly impressive list, it’s happiness pursued and captured. • Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner nightly. Brunch on Sat. and Sun. 561/447-0024. $$$$

AlleyCat—297 E.Palmetto Park Road. Japanese. Chef Eric Baker’s Japanese izakaya, or a casual spot for drinks and bites, is serving up dishes like sushi, dumplings and fried rice that have an unexpected whimsical element. Here you’ll find king crab tacos and hot fried chicken alongside the hamachi ponzu and spicy scallop roll. And to deliver the freshest sushi in town, he has partnered with celebrated sushi chef David Bouhadana of Sushi by Bou. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/353-5888. $$

Arturo’s Ristorante —6750 N. Federal Highway. Italian. Arturo’s quiet, comfortable dining room; slightly formal, rigorously professional service; and carefully crafted Italian dishes never go out of style. You’ll be tempted to make a meal of the array of delectable antipasti from the antipasti cart, but try to leave room for main courses like the veal shank served on a bed of risotto. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/997-7373. $$$

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

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

Burtons Grill & Bar —5580 N. Military Trail. New American. Known for its reliable food as well as its non-gluten, Paleo and “B Choosy” kids menu, the first Florida location for this restaurant is deservedly crowded, so make reservations. Don’t miss the General Tso’s cauliflower, the pan-seared salmon (Paleo), the crab cakes or the Key lime pie. Popular half-portions are available, too. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/465-2036. $

The Capital Grille —6000 Glades Road. Steaks. This is one of more than three dozen restaurants in a national chain, but the Boca Grille treats you like a regular at your neighborhood restaurant. Steaks, dry-aged if not Prime, are flavorful and cooked with precision, while starters from the pan-fried calamari to the restaurant’s signature spin on the Cobb salad (lunch only) are nicely done too. Parmesan truffle fries are crispy sticks of potato heaven; chocolate-espresso cake a study in shameless, and luscious, decadence. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/368-1077. $$$

Casa D’Angelo —171 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. Chef Rickie Piper, who has mastered the menu and cuisine of this fine-dining staple for more than a decade, knows when to say when with both plating and ingredients. His dishes, including the sides and accompaniments, are visually appetizing and aromatic. A grilled veal chop easily 3 inches thick proved tender and juicy, and the wild mushrooms served alongside in a marsala added earthiness. • Dinner nightly. 561/996-1234. $$$

Casimir French Bistro—416 Via De Palmas, Suite 81. French. Take a trip overseas without leaving the city and enjoy excellently prepared traditional French dishes, such as duck l’orange or beef bourguignon, or go with Cajun chicken and veal Milanese. The comfortable dining room is a Parisian experience, as is the apple tarte tatin. This is a local favorite, and may we add they have what is as close to real French bread as anyplace in Boca? • Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/955-6001. $$$

Chez Marie French Bistro —5030 Champion Blvd. French. Marie will greet you at the door of this nicely decorated, intimate, classic French restaurant tucked in the corner of a strip shopping area. This feels like an intimate neighborhood bistro and is a welcome discovery. From escargot encased in garlic butter, parsley and breadcrumbs to a tender duck a l’orange to an unforgettable crepe Suzette, you’ll be in Paris all evening. Voila! Also on the menu: pan-seared foie gras, tasty onion soup, coq au vin, rack of lamb, salads and more desserts. French food in an unassuming atmosphere.• Dinner Mon.-Sat. (closed on Mon. in summer) 561/997-0027. $$

AARON BRISTOL

Burtons’ General Tso’s cauliflower

Chops Lobster Bar —101 Plaza Real S., Royal Palm Place. Steak, seafood. There is nothing like a classic chophouse every now and then for a special dinner. At this upscale downtown restaurant, steaks are aged USDA Prime— tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked under a 1,700-degree broiler. There’s all manner of fish and shellfish, but you’re here for the lobster, whether giant Nova Scotian tails flash-fried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with lobster. Let’s face it: Trendy menus come and go, but a great steakhouse is a win-win on all occasions. • Dinner nightly. 561/395-2675. $$$$

Corvina Seafood Grill —110 Plaza Real S, Boca Raton. Seafood. The seafood-centric menu incorporates South Florida’s varied Latin and Caribbean culinary influences into it. Peruvian and Honduran ceviches share the menu with Brazilian fish stew. You’ll also find plantain crusted corvina in a Creole curry sauce alongside Jamaican jerk chicken and island spiced pork ribs. With a focus on sourcing local ingredients, the menu spotlights several daily specials so look out for those. Then there’s the indoor/outdoor bar that invites you to come in and stay a while, especially during its daily happy hour. • Dinner & Sunday Brunch. 561/206-0066. $$

Cuban Café —3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Suite B-30. Cuban. One thing Boca needs more of is coffee windows—and real Cuban restaurants. Part of the charm of South Florida is its melting pot of Latin cultures, and Cuba is the granddaddy of them all. Which is undoubtedly why diners pack this traditional Cuban restaurant for lunch specials that start at $10.95, including slow-roasted pork served with white rice and black beans. Other highlights include the Cuban sandwich, the media noche and (on the dinner menu only) lechón asado. Full bar. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/750-8860. $

Dorsia—5837 N. Federal Highway. Continental. The simple pleasures of the table—good food, personable service, comfortable ambience—are what this modestly stylish restaurant is all about. The menu has a strong Italian bent, evidenced by dishes like a trio of fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with an airy three-cheese mousse, and a cookbook-perfect rendition of veal scaloppine lavished with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and a tangy lemon-white wine sauce. • Dinner nightly. 561/961-4156. $$

Farmer’s Table —1901 N. Military Trail. American.

In the pantheon of healthy dining, Farmer’s Table is a standout in Boca, one of the first restaurants to elevate natural foods to fine dining. Fresh, natural, sustainable, organic and local is the mantra at this both tasty and health-conscious offering from Mitchell Robbins and Joey Giannuzzi. Menu highlights include flatbreads, slow-braised USDA Choice short rib and the popular Ramen Bowl, with veggies, ramen noodles and shrimp. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/417-5836. $$

Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen —399

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

The French Gazebo —4199 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton. French. Formerly Kathy’s Gazebo, this space has been a staple in our community for 40 years, but its new owners updated the design while keeping the same French classics on the menu like escargots, crêpes, dover sole and duckling. Its vintage character still reigns but now with an airier, contemporary undertone. Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/395-6033. • $$$

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—9598 Glades Road. Seafood. Market-fresh seafood is the cornerstone, like Chilean sea bass prepared over a wood-burning grill and served with sweet Rhea’s topping (crabmeat, sautéed spinach and a signature lime, tomato and garlic sauce.) • Dinner nightly. Lunch on Saturdays. Brunch on Sundays. 561/483-4949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-1310; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/9652663; 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. $

Fries to Caviar —6299 N. Federal Highway. Contemporary American. Going one better than soup to nuts defines this Boca restaurant, an easygoing, affordable bistro 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. $$

Summertime Wine Down

Uncorking the season’s best—with insights from an expert

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

Long, sultry days are ideal for exploring bright, refreshing new wines. Our guide, Alexa Ferra of the lauded wine guide Alexa’s Wine Diary, has an outstanding ability to create content that’s both engaging and educational for everyone from novice drinkers to wine cognoscenti. We sat down with the Miami-based wine blogger, content creator, podcaster and writer to chat about the best summer wines to pop open this season.

SPARKLING WHITES ROSÉS

REDS

FRANCIACORTA BRUT MAJOLINI

2018

This highly overlooked and underrated sparkling wine is fresh, bubbly and easy to sip, with notes of yellow apple, lemon, white stone fruit, Rainier cherries and baked bread.

PAIR WITH: sushi and sashimi

CATTIER BRUT PREMIER CRU

This brand re-emerged in the United States and has been worth the wait. This wine is made from a pinot-heavy blend with more than four years of aging in the cellar, enhancing its elegance and complexity.

PAIR WITH: oysters and stone crabs

TRIMBACH RIESLING 2020

There is a common misconception that Riesling is sweet, so I like to prove people wrong with Trimbach. This classic Alsatian producer creates a deliciously dry wine packed with citrus, pear and peach notes.

PAIR WITH: shrimp cocktail or crab cakes

JOSE PARIENTE VERDEJO RUEDA

This is an excellent alternative for Sauvignon blanc drinkers.

PAIR WITH: fried artichoke hearts dipped in aioli or a buttered-up tuna melt

LUSTAU FINO

JARANA SHERRY

This dry Sherry from Jerez will transport you directly to Spain. It’s fresh with notes of baked apple, almonds and salty pretzel.

PAIR WITH: croquettes or a steaming pot of mussels

LUNE

Sometimes I like my rosés to have an edge, and I get that with this one. It has more of a backbone but is still crisp and flavorful, with notes of red berries, grapefruit, spice and minerality.

PAIR WITH: Caesar chicken salad or fresh cheese

MCKAHN FAMILY CELLARS ROSÉ OF GRENACHE 2021

This rosé screams, “Drink me near a body of water in a bikini!” It’s from California but is made in the Provençal style. It jumps out of the glass with notes of strawberries, raspberries and peaches.

PAIR WITH: lobster roll overlooking the water

FIRRIATO LA SABBIE DELL’ETNA ROSSO 2019

Made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, this wine is an excellent alternative for those who love sipping on pinot noir. This Sicilian wine makes you want to sit back and pretend you’re at the White Lotus Sicily.

PAIR WITH: antipasti

LOUIS JADOT BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES

Grown just east of central France, this red wine is the perfect addition to any boat or beach day. Just chill it and enjoy the light and fruity flavors.

PAIR WITH: salmon

Alexa Ferra

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

Houston’s —1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle. Contemporary American. Convenient location, stylish ambience and impeccable service are hallmarks of this local outpost of the Hillstone restaurant chain. There are plenty of reasons why this is one of the most popular business lunch spots in all of Boca, including menu items like Cajun trout, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$$

Il Mulino New York Boca Raton —451 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. From the four pre-menu bites to the after-dinner coffee from freshly ground beans, this is a white-tablecloth venue that delivers on its upscale promises. Try the langostino, the red snapper, the risotto, the pasta, or go for the ceviches, caviars and seafood tower. Save room for dessert and complimentary lemoncello. Make a night of it. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/338-8606. $$$

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 —402 Plaza Real. Asian. Kapow delivers an effervescent ambiance that makes you want to relax and stay a while. Its varied menu has something for every craving, from crispy rice and tacos to rolls and even Peking duck. Up your dinner game by reserving a seat at the separate omakase bar serving chef-curated bites that aren’t on the regular menu. And if you’re looking for a memorable night out, book one of the three karaoke rooms.• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/567-8828. $

Ke’e Grill —17940 N. Military Trail, Suite 700. Traditional American. In this busy dining scene for more than 30 years, you will find a lot of seafood (fried calamari, blue crab cakes, 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. $$$

Kousine Peruvian Asian —1668 N. Federal Highway. Peruvian/Asian. Chef and owner Danny Kou shares his Peruvian heritage with a curated menu of dishes that accurately represent his country’s famous ceviche while introducing patrons to unique dishes that are just as tempting. Kousine’s space is bright and modern, with exposed industrial ceilings complemented with warm woods and greenery. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/430-3337. $$

La Condesa —3320 Airport Road. Mexican. Mexico’s bold, colorful and lively culture is reflected in its cuisine, and it’s evident at La Condesa. This family-owned restaurant’s take on Mexican fare offers a sizable menu with a wide selection of popular drinks and dishes like margaritas, nachos, street tacos and burritos. You can also opt for less mainstream dishes like the mole cazuelitas, and you won’t be disappointed. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/931-4008. $

La Nouvelle Maison —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

More is Better

a generous slab of silken foie gras with plum gastrique, posh lobster salad, cookbook-perfect rendition of steak frites and an assortment of desserts that range from homey apple tart to bananas Foster with chocolate and Grand Marnier. • Dinner nightly. 561/338-3003. $$$

La Villetta —4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian. This is a well-edited version of a traditional Italian menu, complete with homemade pastas and other classic dishes. Try the signature whole yellowtail snapper encrusted in sea salt; it’s de-boned right at tableside. Shrimp diavolo is perfectly scrumptious. • Dinner nightly. (closed Mon. during summer). 561/362-8403. $$$

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. $$

Maggiano’s —21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian. Do as the Italians do, and order family-style: Sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, a salad, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts. The menu also includes lighter takes on staples like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$

Mario’s Osteria —1400 Glades Road, Suite 210. Italian. This popular spot features rustic Italian fare in a sleek environment. Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna and eggplant “pancakes” are on the new menu, as are butternut squash ravioli and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/239-7000. $$

Matteo’s —233 S. Federal Highway, Suite 108. Italian. Hearty Italian and Italian-American food, served in giant “family style” portions, needs no reinventing. Though there is no shortage of local restaurants cooking in that genre, it’s the details of preparation and service that make Matteo’s stand out. Baked clams are a good place to start, as is the reliable chopped salad. Linguini frutti di mare is one of the best in town. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-0773. $$

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. $$

Medi Terra —301 Via de Palmas #99. Mediterranean. Embracing western Mediterranean cuisine, the menu is seasonal and revolves around what the owners can freshly source, so make sure to wait for the specials before making any final decisions. The father-son duo bought Ristorante Sapori in Royal Palm Place and redesigned it to reflect their passion for Mediterranean cuisine. Lunch and Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/367-9779. $$

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

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

Patio Tapas & Beer —205 S.E. First Ave. Spanish. Be transported to the Iberian Peninsula with a variety of tapas. Chef Bryant Fajardo, who trained under celebrated chef José Andrés, specializes in one of Spain’s most traditional and iconic cuisines and delivers both classic selections like Manchego cheese and anchovies alongside premium nibbles like seared duck and foie gras. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/419-7239. $

Prezzo —5560 N. Military Trail. Italian. A reincarnation of a popular 1990s Boca venue, this version has updated the dining room, kept the yummy oven-baked focaccia bread slices, and added a 21st-century taste to the menu. Don’t miss the tender bone-in pork chop, thin-crust pizza and seafood specials. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are on the menu, too. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/314-6840. $$

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

Ruth’s Chris—225 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 100. Steakhouse. Not only does this steakhouse favorite emphasize its New Orleans roots, it also distinguishes itself from its competitors by just serving better food. The signature chopped salad has a list of ingredients as long as a hose but they all work together. And how can you not like a salad topped with crispy fried onion strings? Steaks are USDA Prime and immensely flavorful, like a perfectly seared New

AARON BRISTOL

Max’s crème brûlée pie

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.) $$$$

Seasons 52 —2300 Executive Center Drive. Contemporary American. The food—seasonal ingredients, simply and healthfully prepared, accompanied by interesting wines—is firstrate, from salmon roasted on a cedar plank to desserts served in oversized shot glasses. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-9952. (Other Palm Beach County location: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/625-5852.) $$

SeaSpray Inlet Grill —999 E. Camino Real. American. Unobstructed views of Lake Boca Raton, soaring palm trees and coastal décor peppered with fringed umbrellas all set the mood for a relaxing experience that will make you feel as if you’re on vacation. The menu accommodates different dietary preferences with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Don’t sleep on the pear tortellini pasta starter; it’s a star item. Portions are hearty and can be easily shared. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/226-3022. $$

Six Tables a Restaurant—112 N.E. Second St., Boca Raton. American. The dimly lit chandeliers, burgundy velvet curtains and smooth Sinatra lyrics set the mood for a memorable evening that’s dedicated to fine dining without pretention. With a seasonal menu that’s ever changing, you can rest assured that whatever husband and wife chef-proprietors Tom and Jenny Finn prepare for you, it will truly be special and made with love. • Dinner Thurs.-Sat. 561/347-6260. $$$$

Taverna Kyma —6298 N. Federal Highway. Greek/ Mediterranean. Hankering for a traditional Greek meal, and a menu that offers just about everything? This is where you want to try the meze plates (cold, hot, seafood, veggie), saganaki, grilled entrees and kebobs. From the taramosalata to the branzino and pastitsio, servings are generous and good. Don’t forget dessert.

• Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/994-2828. $$

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

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 dish-

Buzz Bite I

Restaurant Months

It ’s officially the peak of summer, and that means restaurant months are here. From July 1-31 Bon Appétit, Boca’s Restaurant Month campaign, is showcasing a plethora of restaurants, bars and breweries and their specially curated menus. If you want to venture south on the Brightline, Miami Spice takes place throughout two months from Aug. 1-Sept. 30. Maybe you have a restaurant in Miami you’ve been dying to try or just want to switch up your dining scene? Regardless of the reason, restaurants down south will be treating you to three-course menus for a fraction of the price. Learn more at bocarestaurantmonth.com and miamiandbeaches. com/deals/miami-spice-months.

—Christie Galeano-DeMott

Meatball Mondays

Josie’s has innovative specials all summer long— and a rewards program—but Meatball & Martini Mondays come with $2 meatballs and $3 off your martini (dine-in only).

es (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. $$

Yakitori —271 S.E. Mizner Blvd. Asian. This Japanese restaurant that has sat for nearly a decade in Royal Palm Place is still welcoming devoted diners and delivering consistent, premium dishes. Sip on one of its refreshing cocktails like the lychee martini or green tea mojito before perusing the vast menu that offers everything from sushi and sashimi to fried rice, ramen and entrées from the robata grill. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/544-0087. $$

WEST BOCA

Boon’s Asian Bistro —19605 N. State Road 7. Japanese/Thai. This is one of two Boon’s (the other is in Delray Beach), and it’s where the rush to eat excellent sushi started. The fast-moving staff is choreographed to deliver dishes such as shrimp pad Thai that’s light, delicate and happily filled with shrimp. The Thai fried rice is unusually delicate too, with lots of egg, and is some of the best around. The sushi rolls are as fresh and inventive (try the Daimyo roll) as they are beautifully presented. Go early or call for a reservation. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/883-0202. $$

Chloe’s Bistro —6885 S.W. 18th St. Italian. One of the few venues that’s on the water, with food to match the view. Try the seafood linguine, the large snapper filets in Marechiara sauce, and the desserts to end on a sweet note. House-made pasta and a good wine list ensure a pleasant, satisfying meal. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/334-2088. $$

City Fish Market—7940 Glades Road. Seafood. A multimillion-dollar remodel of the old Pete’s has turned it into an elegant seafood house with a lengthy seafood-friendly wine list, impeccably fresh fish and shellfish cooked with care and little artifice. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/487-1600. $$

Ditmas Kitchen —21077 Powerline Road. Contemporary kosher. This west Boca restaurant is named after a Brooklyn avenue in a district known for its food. Here you’ll find very good casual food, and no dairy products are used. Try the Hibachi salmon, all-kale Caesar salad, the shnitzel sandwich. • Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 561/826-8875. $$$

DVASH —8208 Glades Road. Mediterranean. The menu, a collection of Mediterranean fusion dishes with a variety of daily specials, caters to an array of diets, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. The Cohen family, who previously owned Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar in Coral Springs for more than a decade, now welcomes diners to this West Boca restaurant that’s tucked away in the Publix Greenwise strip mall. • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/826-7784. $$

Oli’s Fashion Cuisine —6897 S.W. 18th St. Modern American. With the unusual name comes a menu sporting

lobster risotto to tuna tacos, grilled mahi and more. There are Italian, vegetarian, steak, flatbreads, salads and desserts, all pleasing to the eye and palate. Inside is a bit noisy, so try the outdoor, lakeside patio for a quieter meal. • Lunch and dinner daily, breakfast weekends. 561/571-6920. $$

Oliv Pit Athenian Grille —6006 S.W. 18th St. Modern Greek. The owners’ goal of bringing together the best of Greek cooking under one roof, much like the melting pot that is Athens, is covered here in an extensive menu. The best way to enjoy the food is to share it: the Pikilia trio with tzatziki, spicy feta and eggplant spread is a starting place. Try the mix grill platter and the hearty red Greek wine. End the night with a unique, velvety frappe cappuccino. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-2049. $$

Skyfin Asian Bistro —8221 Glades Road. Asian. After nearly a decade of dishing out elevated Beijing cuisine at MR CHOW inside the posh W South Beach, chef Aden Lee left his sous chef position to venture out on his own. Here, you’ll find both playfully named sushi rolls and fresh sashimi alongside protein-rich house specials, fried rice and noodles. Don’t miss the Toro Roll and Tangerine Peel Beef. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/556-1688. $$

Villa Rosano —9858 Clint Moore Road. Italian. You can be forgiven for imagining yourself in some rustic Italian hill town as the smells of garlic and tomato sauce waft through the air. Start by sopping up the house olive oil with slices of crusty bread, then move on to a stellar version of clams Guazzetto and delicate fillets of sole done a la Francese. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/470-0112. $$

BOYNTON BEACH

Driftwood —2005 S. Federal Highway. Modern American. Take food combos that sound unusual (popcorn sauce, avocado chocolate ice cream) but that taste wonderful and you’ve got Chef Jimmy Everett’s ideas on the table. They don’t last long, because they taste terrific. Try the smoked swordfish, the lobster with pickled okra, ricotta dumplings, the burger with gouda, the grilled octopus and pastrami’d chicken breast with roasted cabbage. • Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/733-4782. $$

Josie’s Italian Ristorante—1602 S. Federal Highway. Italian. Famed chef and South Florida culinary godfather Mark Militello is back at Josie’s after a brief stint at Boca’s Prezzo, and his magic in the kitchen of this cozy, old-school Italian restaurant is duly noted. His influence is evident in the daily specials, but old favorites like beefy short rib meatballs, an upmarket version of the classic San Francisco cioppino, and Josie’s signature veal Bersaglieri (veal medallions with artichokes, olives and roasted peppers in lemon-white wine sauce) don’t fail to satisfy either. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/364-9601. $$

Prime Catch —700 E. Woolbright Road. Seafood. Waterfront restaurants are few and far between in our neck of the woods, and those with good food are even more rare. Prime Catch, at the foot of the Woolbright bridge on the Intracoastal, is a best-kept secret. The simple pleasures here soar—a perfectly grilled piece of mahi or bouillabaisse overflowing with tender fish. Don’t miss one of the best Key lime pies around. • Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. 561/737-8822. $$

Sushi Simon 1628 S. Federal Highway. Japanese It’s been called “Nobu North” by some aficionados, and for good reason. Local sushi-philes jam the narrow dining room for such impeccable nigirizushi as hamachi and uni (Thursdays), as well as more elaborate dishes like snapper Morimoto and tuna tartare. Creative, elaborate rolls are a specialty. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/731-1819. $$

AARON BRISTOL

Hand-cut spaghetti (carbonara) at Driftwood

Boca Raton Insider

ANTI AGING CENTER OF BOCA

Nina Presman is the owner and founder of the newest, most advanced noninvasive technology that replaces plastic surgery and delivers permanent, immediate results with no pain or downtime. Since 2013 she has developed her newest technology that tightens and lifts skin, removes wrinkles, fat, cellulite, and other signs of aging including crepey arms, sagging neck and jowls.

Nina Presman (561) 654-0177

www.AntiAgingCenterOfBoca.com

LANDMARK COLLEGE

Landmark College is a global leader in integrated teaching methods for students with learning disabilities (including dyslexia), ADHD, autism, or executive function challenges. The College offers bachelor's and associate degrees, and online programs such as dual enrollment courses for high school students, online associate degrees, College START for post-graduate/gap year students, professional development for educators, online postbaccalaureate certificates for educators and professionals, and summer programs for neurodivergent students.

19 River Road South, Putney, VT 05346 802-387-6718

admissions@landmark.edu

www.landmark.edu

CALIFORNIA CLOSETS OF BROWARD/PALM BEACH

Lori Hoyt, Owner

From simple to intricate designs, California Closets systems are custom designed specifically for you and the way you live.

FORT LAUDERDALE

302 S. Federal Hwy.

BOCA RATON

1904 N. Federal Hwy. 954.946.2218

californiaclosets.com

Have Palate Will Travel

If you can’t get away this summer, our local restaurants offer a variety of international culinary destinations without having to travel too far from home

Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

SPAIN

Embrace the country’s love for sharing small plates at Patio Tapas & Beer. Choose from a wide selection of montaditos, or open-faced sandwiches, and bite-size portions like the chorizo, octopus and Spain’s beloved gambas al ajillo. The typical dish may be simple with its wildcaught shrimp, but it’s packed with flavor, and its sauce will have you dunking the toasted baguette repeatedly to ensure you get the very last bits of sliced garlic marinated in brandy.

205 S.E. FIRST AVE., BOCA RATON; 561/419-7239, PATIOTAPASANDBEER.COM

FRANCE

At Pistache, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the land of warm baguettes, bright wines and endless cheese varieties. Its classic French bistro aesthetic complements its menu that offers diners options like onion soup, escargot and steak frites. But it’s the famous duck a l’orange that will truly make you feel French. The crispy duck is served with an orange chili glaze, haricots verts and a side of rice.

101 N. CLEMATIS ST., WEST PALM BEACH; 561/833-5090, PISTACHEWPB.COM

ITALY

Chef Lisabet Summa of Elisabetta’s proudly showcases her housemade cacio e pepe at both her Delray and West Palm Beach locations. The classic Roman dish is a hearty portion of spaghetti chitarra blended with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper, and it will have you longing for la dolce vita.

32 E. ATLANTIC AVE., DELRAY BEACH; 561/560-6699

GREECE

While Almond’s nod to French bistros is apparent in its design, chef Jason Weiner’s culinary team explores new dishes each season by pulling from its travel experiences and marrying them with locally sourced ingredients to create its unique spin on classic dishes. As you bite into Almond’s summertime spanakopita, or spinach pie, close your eyes and you’ll almost feel a salty Aegean Sea breeze.

207 ROYAL POINCIANA WAY, PALM BEACH; 561/355-5080, ALMONDRESTAURANT.COM

JAPAN

Kapow Noodle Bar does a standout job of honoring traditions while putting its stamp on its dishes. That’s apparent with its tonkotsu ramen that transports you to Japan. Starting with its dashi broth, made from Japanese mushrooms and seaweed, and housemade bone broth, it simmers for 48 hours and is served with fresh ramen noodles, ramen egg, marinated pork belly, mushrooms, preserved bamboo shoots and sauteed bok choy.

402 PLAZA REAL, BOCA RATON; 561/567-8828, KAPOWNOODLEBAR.COM

Patio Tapas small plate

Kapow’s tonkotsu ramen bowl

Almond’s spanakopita

Pistache duck a l’orange Elisabetta’s cacio e pepe INHOUSE

DELRAY BEACH

3rd and 3rd —301 N.E. Third Ave. Gastropub. This quirky, individualistic, obscurely located little place is one of the most important restaurants in Delray. The menu changes frequently, but hope the evening’s fare includes plump scallops with caramelized mango sauce, stunning delicious roasted cauliflower with Parmesan mousse and bacon, and wicked-good espresso panna cotta on it at your visit. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/303-1939. $$

50 Ocean—50 S. Ocean Blvd. Seafood. The former Upper Deck at Boston’s on the Beach is now the more upscale, seafood-oriented spot. The menu ranges from familiar to slightly more inventive, from a classic lobster bisque and crisp-tender fried clam bellies to rock shrimp pot pie and baked grouper topped with blue crab. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$

800 Palm Trail Grill—800 Palm Trail. American. This contemporary space is serving up American fare and classic cocktails. The menu has a steak-and-seafood-house feel to it but without any stuffiness. Instead, you’ll find dishes that entice the palate, like the loaded baked potato eggrolls and Wagyu boneless short rib. • Lunch and dinner daily, with patio dining. 561/865-5235. $$

Akira Back—233 NE Second Ave. Japanese Chef Akira Back’s Seoul restaurant earned a Michelin star a few years ago and now he’s showcasing his talented take on Japanese cuisine at his namesake restaurant inside The Ray hotel. Born in Korea and raised in Colorado, Back blends his heritage with Japanese flavors

and techniques he has mastered to deliver dishes that are unique to him. With plates made to be shared, the menu is divided into cold and hot starters followed by rolls, nigiri/sashimi, robata grill, mains and fried rice. Dinner. 561/739-1708. $$$$

Amar Mediterranean Bistro —522 E. Atlantic Ave. Lebanese. From the moment you step inside, there’s a familial feeling, a hidden gem that everyone is drawn to. Amar is a quaint bistro amidst the buzzy Atlantic Avenue that serves Lebanese food. But this isn’t your typical hummus and pita joint. Here, the proprietor’s family recipes take center stage alongside Mediterranean favorites that have been elevated with slight tweaks. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5653. $$

Angelo Elia Pizza • Bar • Tapas — 16950 Jog Road. Italian. Nothing on the menu of Angelo Elia’s modern, small plates-oriented osteria disappoints, but particularly notable are the meaty fried baby artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chicken-turkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweetsalty-earthy-pungent mélange of pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella. • Lunch Tues.-Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/381-0037. $

Atlantic Grille—1000 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood/Contemporary American. This posh restaurant in the luxurious Seagate Hotel & Spa is home to a 450-gallon aquarium of tranquil moon jellyfish and a 2,500-gallon shark tank. Savor inventive cuisine that takes the contemporary to the extraordinary. Bold flavors, inspired techniques and the freshest ingredients make every meal a culinary adventure. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/665-4900. $$

Avalon Steak and Seafood—110 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood/Steakhouse. The enticing reasons we all go to a steakhouse are present here—boozy cocktails, a diverse wine list, dry aged steaks, prime cuts, rich accompaniments, decadent sides and indulgent desserts. The menu is then enhanced with a selection of seafood like a raw bar medley of oysters, shrimp and crab alongside the customary octopus, fish, scallops and lobster. Don’t miss Avalon’s signature dish, the Angry Lobster, and for an unusual surprise check out the kimchi fried rice. • Dinner nightly. 561/593-2500. $$$$

Bamboo Fire Cafe —149 N.E. Fourth Ave. Caribbean. The Jacobs family joyously shares its Latin and Caribbean culture through food that’s bursting with bright island aromas and flavors. Tostones, plantain fries and jerk meatballs share the menu with curry pork, oxtail and conch. • Dinner Wed.-Sun. 561/749-0973. $

Bar 25 Gastropub —25 S.E. Sixth Ave., Delray Beach. American. Taking inspiration from the Northeast, the menu boasts staples like Philly cheesesteak, Rhode Island clams, pierogis, Old Bay fries and plenty of mootz (aka mozzarella). Loyal to its gastropub DNA, dishes here aren’t complicated or complex but satisfying, interesting takes on the familiar without being boring. • Lunch and dinner daily, weekend brunch. 561/359-2643. $

Beg for More Izakaya —19 S.E. Fifth Ave. Japanese Small Plates. The large sake, whisky and beer menu here pairs beautifully with the small plates full of everything except sushi. No sushi. And that’s fine. Try the takoyaki (octopus balls), the crispy salmon tacos and anything with the addictive kimchi, such as the kimchi fried rice. There are pasta, teriyaki and

Home Cooking Boost

The popular Eathai restaurant now offers its own sauces for sale, including Chili Lime sauce and Stir Fry sauce to help home cooks who want to try Thai—with a little help from their friends.

simmered duck with bok choy dishes—or 16 varieties of yakitori (food on skewers). You’ll be back to beg for more. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/563-8849. $$

Brulé Bistro —200 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The regular menu of this Pineapple Grove favorite always has satisfying dishes. Its specialties include crab tortellini with black truffles, chicken meatballs with coconut broth and cashews, plus signature dessert pistachio crème brùlée. Spirits and house cocktails steeped in speakeast style are paired with an ever-changing menu. Outside tables offer the best option for conversation. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-2046. $$

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

Cabana El Rey —105 E. Atlantic Ave. Cuban tropical. Little Havana is alive and well in Delray. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue, including starters like mariquitas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$

Caffe Luna Rosa —34 S. Ocean Blvd. Italian. This multiple Delray Beach-award winning restaurant has sparkling service, comfort food taken to a higher level, and a setting just steps from the Atlantic. A success from day one, they dish up big flavors in a tiny space, so call for reservations. Try the calamari fritto misto, then the rigatoni pomodoro and leave room for dessert. Or come back for breakfast. • Open daily from breakfast through dinner. 561/274-9404. $$

Casa L’Acqua Ristorante Italiano —9 S.E. Seventh Ave. Italian. Casa L’Acqua is touted as a fine-dining establishment, and correctly so; diners can expect white tablecloths, tuxedoed staff and attentive service. The wine list is Italian-focused but does offer a variety of bottles from around the world, and each dish is expertly prepared with sizable portions. The main dining room, with its vibey bar and wine cellar, is cozy, and so is its fully enclosed patio in the back. • Dinner nightly. 561/563-7492. $$

City Oyster —213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with a jumbo crab cake. This is the place to see and be seen in Delray, and the food lives up to its profile. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$

Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar —25 N.E. Second Ave. Asian. Local hospitality veterans Tina Wang and chef Jason Zheng continue to grow their restaurant empire with this concept. The extensive menu caters to any palate, dietary restriction or craving and features both traditional and creative dishes. Soups and salads lead into sushi selections and appetizers divided into cool and hot. Cooked and raw rolls are followed by rice, noodle, land and sea entrée options. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. Sunday brunch. 561/908-2557. $$

Costa By OK&M—502 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Costa takes chef/owner Coton Stine’s dedication to farmto-table fare to an elevated level with its seasonal menu. Working closely with local farms and vendors, Stine curates deliciously healthy

dishes that tempt your palate while fueling your body. For those with dietary restrictions, the dishes are clearly labeled gluten-free or vegan, which adds a sense of ease to the experience. The corner space is comfortable and embraces natural elements with its wicker chairs, lanterns, greenery and expansive sliding doors. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/501-6115. • $$

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-turnedrestaurant 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. $

Eathai —1832 S. Federal Highway. Thai. If you’re craving approachable and affordable Thai food, put Eathai at the top of your list. While you can expect to find curries, noodles, soups and fried rice on the menu, the dishes here aren’t the typical ones you’ll find around town. Indulge in the Thai Chicken French Toasted or Crispy Duck Breast with Lychee Curry Sauce or Oxtail Basil Fried Rice to savor the true talent of owner and chef Sopanut Sopochana. • Lunch and dinner daily, except Tuesday. 561/270-3156. $

El Camino —15 N.E. Second Ave. Mexican. This sexy, bustling downtown spot is from the trio behind nearby Cut 432 and Park Tavern. Fresh, quality ingredients go into everything from the tangy tomatillo salsas to the world-class fish tacos clad in delicate fried skin, set off by tart pineapple salsa. Cinnamon and sugar-dusted churros are the perfect dessert. And check out the margaritas, especially the smoky blend of mezcal and blanco tequila. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/865-5350. $$

Elisabetta’s —32 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. An ornate Italian spot, with classically prepared dishes including spiedini shrimp, burrata de prosciutto bruschetta, costoletta di vitello (veal), a guanciale pizza, cacio e pepe pasta, malfadine Amatriciana and gemelli puttanesca. Portions are large and that, thankfully, goes for the homemade gelati, too. The best seating outdoors is the second-floor balcony overlooking Atlantic Avenue. • Lunch and dinner daily; weekend brunch. 561/650-6699. $$

Ember Grill —233 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The Ray Hotel’s modern bistro is helmed by Joe Zanelli, who has created a variety of globally inspired dishes. Seafood, steaks and house specialties like the duck pancakes share the menu with delectable desserts like the baked Alaska ablaze on your table or the refreshing frozen pineapple. • Dinner nightly. 561/739-1705. $$

The Grove—187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The Grove, which has been tucked inside the tranquil Pineapple Grove district for nearly a decade, continues to surprise diners with

AARON BRISTOL

Brulé’s pan-seared halibut

Buzz Bite II

Not Your Average Avocado

Su mmer brings avocados to our table. As Floridians we’ve been watching the trees bloom and grow their tear-shaped fruit all winter, anxiously waiting for t he mature dark green bounty to drop. Now that they’ve arrived, there are endless options to enjoy them. Many love avocado toast, spreading the creamy fruit over toasted bread and topping it with an egg, cheese or both. Others sprinkle it on salads or mash it into guacamole with diced onions and tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. But what about using it to replace cream in a dessert? Chef Julien Gremaud of Avocado Grill knows a thing or two about incorporating the versatile fruit into his deliciously creative menus. His ideal way to eat an avocado: mixing it with Nutella for a silky chocolate mousse dessert. It was one of his first desserts on the Avocado Grill menu and successfully made the jump over to its sister concept, Avocado Cantina’s menu. “It is always a favorite and is the perfect way to get your nutrients in and sweet tooth satisfied,” he says. Avocado Grill is at 125 Datura St., West Palm Beach; Avocado Cantina is at 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Palm Beach Gardens.

—Christie Galeano-DeMott

its vibrant dishes. The upscale but casually comfortable nook has an international wine list that spans the globe and a seasonal menu that’s succinct and well thought out. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/266-3750. $$

Henry’s —16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpretentious restaurant in the west part of town never fails to

Nutella chocolate mousse dessert

Classic Winner

Jimmy’s Bistro, with its chalkboard menu and its small bar (the best place to sit), is a Delray treasure. Still. There are wide-ranging choices—all excellent—but the shrimp étouffée is a hallmark. Make rezzies, as it’s full, night after night.

delight diners. Expect attentive service and crisp execution of everything—from meat loaf, burgers and fried chicken to flatbreads and hefty composed salads. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/638-1949. $$

Il Girasole —2275 S. Federal Highway. Northern Italian. If you want Northern Italian in a low-key atmosphere, and nobody rushing you out the door, this is your spot. Start with something from the very good wine list. Try the yellowtail snapper, the penne Caprese and the capellini Gamberi, and leave room for the desserts. Reservations recommended. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$

J&J Seafood Bar & Grill —634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on Atlantic Avenue—owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. This is is a bona fide local go-to spot that never disappoints. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$

Jimmy’s Bistro —9 S. Swinton Ave. 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. Mediterranean-American. Joseph’s is an elegant, comfortable, intimate nook in Delray’s Pineapple Grove, and an ideal place for a lazy evening. This family affair—owner Joseph Boueri, wife Margaret in the kitchen, and son Elie and daughter Romy working the front of the house—has all tastes covered. Try the special cheese platter, the duck a l’orange or the rack of lamb. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-6100. $$

La Cigale —253 S.E. Fifth Ave. Mediterranean

Popular venue since 2001, with Greek and Italian dishes and more. Highlights are seafood paella, roasted half duck and grilled jumbo artichoke appetizer. Lots of favorites on the menu: calf’s liver, veal osso buco, branzino, seafood crepes. Nice outdoor seating if weather permits. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$

Latitudes —2809 S. Ocean Blvd. Modern American

You should come for both the sunset and the food. This oceanfront restaurant is a gem tucked inside the Delray Sands resort. From the airy, bubbly interior to the raw bar, the décor is soothing and fun. Try the lobster and crab stuffed shrimp, the miso-glazed Skuna Bay salmon, the branzino or the veal Bolognese. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-6241. $$$

Lemongrass Bistro —420 E. Atlantic Ave. PanAsian. Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination. The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-5050. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $

Lionfish —307 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. Focusing on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, Lionfish’s menu is diverse while its coastal décor is both stylish and comfortable. Choose from oysters, octopus, specialty sushi rolls, fresh catches and, of course, the namesake white flaky fish in a variety

of preparations including whole fried and as a bright ceviche. Make sure to save room for the Key lime pie bombe dessert. • Dinner nightly, brunch weekends. 561/639-8700. $$$

Lulu’s—189 N.E. Second Ave. American. Lulu’s in Pineapple Grove offers a relaxed ambiance with unfussy, approachable food. The quaint café is open every day and serves an all-day menu including breakfast until 3 p.m. and a selection of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and entrées that are ideal for an executive lunch, lively tapas happy hour, casual dinner or late night snack (until 2 a.m.). • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/453-2628. $

MIA Kitchen & Bar —7901 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Contemporary American. Owner Joey Lograsso and chef Jason Binder have curated a balanced choreography of fascinating yet approachable dishes. The menu travels the world from Italy to Asia and showcases Binder’s formal training with elevated dishes that are exceptionally executed. It’s vibey with a great playlist, and the design, reminiscent of a cool Wynwood bar, is industrial with exposed ducts, reclaimed wood and sculptural filament chandeliers. It’s a place that amps up all your senses. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/499-2200. $$$

The Office —201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, unless your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap and a menu that flits from burgers and fries to mussels. Don’t miss the restaurant’s winning take on the thick, juicy Prime beef burger and simply wicked maple-frosted donuts with bacon bits and two dipping sauces. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/2763600. $$

Papa’s Tapas —259 N.E. Second Ave. Spanish. This family-owned restaurant will make you feel welcomed, and its cuisine will satisfy your craving for Spanish tapas. Start with a few shareable plates and then enjoy a hearty paella that’s bursting with a selection of seafood, chicken or vegetables. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., dinner Sun. 561/266-0599. $

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. $$$

AARON BRISTOL

MIA Kitchen’s wild shrimp pasta

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. $$

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. 561/4955570. $$

Tramonti —119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. In a world where restaurants chase trends with the relentlessness of Casanova in full Viagra heat, Tramonti stands out as a classic outpost of authentic Italian cookery. Not trendy hardly means stodgy, however, as evidenced by expertly crafted, robustly flavorful dishes like the signature spiedini di mozzarella Romana, spaghetti al cartoccio and braciole Napoletana. Torta della nonna is a triumph of the highly refined simplicity that lies at the heart of true Italian cuisine. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-1944. $$$

Veg Eats 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. $

Vic & Angelo’s —290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. People watching is a staple ingredient here, a complement to the Italian fare. The wine menu is robust, mainly grounded in Italy but with choices from around the world. Larger than personal pies, thin-crust pizzas are family-friendly, while you won’t want to share the Quattro Formaggi Tortellini, fluffy purses filled with al dente pear and topped with truffle cream. For a protein, try the traditional chicken parmigiana, a hearty portion of paper-thin breaded chicken breast topped with a subtly sweet San Marzano sauce under a gooey layer of fresh mozzarella, and a substantial side of linguine pomodoro. If you have room for dessert, the classic sweets include cannoli and tiramisu. • Dinner nightly; brunch weekends. 561/278-9570. $$

LAKE WORTH BEACH

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. $$$

Buzz Bite III

Boca Burger Battle

On July 15 the annual competition celebrates its 10th anniversary. Returning to Sanborn Square Park, the event invites the community to sample unlimited burger bites alongside beer, wine and spirit tastings. Tickets range from $65 for presale to $125 for VIP, which gives you early access to all the fun. Competitors will battle for the Best Grill Master and Best Burg er titles by presenting their masterpieces to a savvy group of judges. Previous participants include M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom, Chef frey Eats Food Truck and Throw Social. Will Burtons Grill & Bar, last year’s winner for Best Grill Master AND the people’s choice for Best Burger, be able to protect its dual titles? You’ll have to attend to find out. For additional information and tickets, visit bocaburgerbattle.com.

—Christie Galeano-DeMott

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

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

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

Café L’Europe —331 S. County Road. Current International. A Palm Beach standard, the café has long been

known for its peerless beauty, the piano player, the chilled martinis and the delicious Champagne and caviar bar. Try one of its sophisticated classics like wiener schnitzel with herbed spaetzle, grilled veal chop and flavorful pastas. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner nightly (closed Mon. during summer). 561/655-4020. $$$

Echo —230A Sunrise Ave. Asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. The Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the sake list is 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. $$

Still The One

After 35 years on Antique Row, this eclectic and yummy cafe is an icon. Orginally a 1950s pharmacy (the counter is a bar now), and festooned with memorabilia, Rhythm Cafe’s quality and charm marches on. And don’t forget the chocolate chip cookies or the Caesar salad.

Meat Market—191 Bradley Place. Steakhouse. “Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steakhouse but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale add-ons. Whole roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner nightly. 561/354-9800. $$$$

Renato’s—87 Via Mizner. Italian with continental flair. This most romantic hideaway is buzzing in season and quietly charming all year long with Italian classics and a Floridian twist—like the sautéed black grouper in a fresh tomato and pernod broth with fennel and black olives and the wildflower-honey-glazed salmon fillet with crab and corn flan. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/655-9752. $$$

WEST PALM BEACH

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

Café Centro —2409 N. Dixie Highway. Modern American. A cornerstone in the Northwood neighborhood, this venue draws because of a complete package: food, drinks and great nightlife and music. Take some char-grilled oysters, add shrimp pesto capellini or a marinated pork chop with polenta, plus local singing fave Tessie Porter, and you have a fun and delicious night out. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/514-4070. $$

French Corner Bistro & Rotissorie

4595 Okeechobee Blvd. Classic French. It’s France in a tiny venue, with big-taste dishes that include all the faves: beef bourguignon, rack of lamb, duck à l’orange, frog legs Provencale, veal kidneys, tender branzino and simple desserts to end the meal. Reservations are mandatory for dinner. • Lunch and dinner Mon.Sat. 561/689-1700. $$

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

Leila—120 S. Dixie Highway. Mediterranean. Flowing drapes and industrial lighting complete the exotic decor in this Middle Eastern hit. Sensational hummus is a must-try. Lamb kebab with parsley, onion and spices makes up the delicious Lebanese lamb kefta. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sun. 561/659-7373. $$

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

Pistache —1010 N. Clematis St., #115. French. Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as coq au vin and steak

tartare. All that, plus guests dining al fresco have views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Centennial Park. • Brunch Sat.–Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$

Planta —700 S. Rosemary Ave. Vegan. For those who savor every juicy, tender and flavorful bite of a well-prepared burger, patronizing a vegan establishment may seem like a sacrilegious act. But what if a restaurant served up plant-based dishes that surprised your taste buds with exploding flavors? Here vegans don’t have to worry about ingredients making the cut, and non-vegans can enjoy approachable and appetizing plant-based dishes that won’t make you yearn for a steak. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/208-5222. $$

The Regional —651 Okeechobee Blvd. Southern. “Top Chef” alum and James Beard Foundation semifinalist Lindsay Autry embraces her southern roots while adding a dash of her Mediterranean heritage (her grandmother was from Crete) onto the menu. You’ll find traditional southern ingredients and dishes like collard greens, tomato pie, okra, fried chicken and shrimp & grits alongside smoked burrata, Greek salad, octopus and bucatini. • Dinner nightly. 561/557-6460. $$$

Rhythm Café —3800 S. Dixie Highway. Casual American. Once a diner, the interior is eclectic with plenty of kitsch. The crab cakes are famous here, and the tapas are equally delightful. Homemade ice cream and the chocolate chip cookies defy comparison. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/833-3406. $$

Rocco’s Tacos —224 Clematis St. Mexican. Big Time Restaurant Group has crafted a handsome spot that dishes Mexican favorites, as well as upscale variations on the theme and more than 425 tequilas. Tacos feature house-made tortillas and a variety of proteins. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/6501001. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/416-2131; 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/808-1100; 5090 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/623-0127) $

Table 26°—1700 S. Dixie Highway. Contemporary American. Take a quarter-cup of Palm Beach, a tablespoon of Nantucket, a pinch of modern American cookery and a couple gallons of the owners’ savoir faire, and you have Eddie Schmidt’s and Ozzie Medeiros’s spot. The menu roams the culinary globe for modest contemporary tweaks on classically oriented dishes. Try the fried calamari “Pad Thai.” • Dinner nightly. 561/855-2660. $$$

Tropical Smokehouse —3815 S. Dixie Highway. Barbecue. When you take the distinct tastes of Florida/Caribbean/Cuban dishes and pair them with barbecue, you end up with a place you visit a lot. Local celeb chef Rick Mace smokes the meats himself, and his recipes include all kinds of citrus in tasty spots (sour orange wings, pineapple carrot cake); you’ll discover new favorite flavors. Don’t miss the BBQ pulled pork, brisket and ribs. Try the hot and sweet hushpuppies or the homemade chorizo queso in this very casual spot that we can happily say is also unique—there’s nothing else like it. • Lunch and dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/323-2573. $$

Broward County DEERFIELD BEACH

Chanson —45 N.E. 21st Ave. Contemporary American/ French. A little bit of Palm Beach, a little bit of Italy comes to Deerfield Beach in the form of this elegant, sophisticated restaurant in the oceanfront Royal Blues Hotel. Service is as stellar as the views from the cozy, modestly opulent dining room, notable for the 1,500-gallon aquarium embedded in the

Planta dragon roll

ceiling. Consistency can be an issue with the food, but when it is good it is very good. • Breakfast and lunch daily, dinner Tues.-Sat., brunch Sun. 954/857-2929. $$$

Oceans 234—234 N. Ocean Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Contemporary American. One of the only oceanfront (as in, on the beach) options in South Florida, this familiar-with-a-twist venue is fun to both visit and eat. Try the Infamous Lollipop Chicken Wings, a starter that could be an entrée. Seafood is definitely top-shelf, as are the desserts. A true Florida experience. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/428-2539. $$

Tradition —626 S. Federal Highway. French. This is a petite place with a large following, for good reason. Owners Eric and Anais Heintz start meals with an amuse-bouche and a menu that spans the length of France. Order a creamy Caesar salad with a light anchovy-based dressing. Try the coq au vin (sauce cooked for two days), and if you like calves’ liver, this is the best you’ll find in the area. End with a Grand Marnier soufflé (worth the 15-minute wait), and make your next reservation there before going home. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. 954/480-6464. $$

LIGHTHOUSE POINT

Cap’s Place 2765 N.E. 28th Court. Seafood. Eating here requires a boat ride, which is very SoFla and terrific for visitors. This is one of—if not the only—family-run, old-Florida seafood restaurants you’ve never heard of, open since the 1920s. The heart of palm salad is the best and purest version around. Seafood abounds; fish can be prepared nine ways and much

more. (There are non-seafood dishes that are done well, too.) Go for the short boating thrill and for the food. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 954/941-0418. $$

Le Bistro —4626 N. Federal Highway. Modern French. The menu is modern and healthy—98-percent gluten-free, according to chef Andy Trousdale and co-owner Elin Trousdale. Check out the prix-fixe menu, which includes pan-roasted duck to beef Wellington. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 954/946-9240. $$$

Seafood World —4602 N. Federal Highway. Seafood

This seafood market and restaurant offers some of the freshest seafood in the county. Its unpretentious atmosphere is the perfect setting for the superb king crab, Maine lobster, Florida lobster tails and much more. Tangy Key lime pie is a classic finish. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/942-0740. $$$

POMPANO BEACH

Calypso Restaurant—460 S. Cypress Road. Caribbean. This bright little dining room and bar (beer and wine only) has a Caribbean menu that is flavorful, imaginative—and much more. Calypso offers a spin on island food that includes sumptuous conch dishes, Stamp & Go Jamaican fish cakes and tasty rotis stuffed with curried chicken, lamb or seafood. • Lunch and dinner Mon.–Fri. 954/942-1633. $

Darrel & Oliver’s Café Maxx —2601 E. Atlantic Blvd. American. The longstanding institution from chef Oliver Saucy is as good now as when it opened in the mid-1980s. Main

courses offer complex flavor profiles, such as the sweet-onion-crusted yellowtail snapper on Madeira sauce over mashed potatoes. Parts of the menu change daily. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sunday. 954/782-0606. $$$

COCONUT CREEK

NYY Steak —Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 5550 N.W. 40th St. Steakhouse. The second incarnation of this Yankees-themed restaurant swings for the fences—and connects— with monstrous portions, chic decor and decadent desserts. The signature steaks are a meat lover’s dream; seafood specialties include Maine lobster and Alaskan king crab. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 954/935-6699. $$$$

FORT LAUDERDALE

15th Street Fisheries —1900 S.E. 15th St. Seafood. Surrounded by views of the Intracoastal, this Old Florida-style restaurant features seafood and selections for land lovers. We love the prime rib. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/763-2777. $$

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

BOCA HELPING HANDS’ MONOPOLY® EVENT & CASINO NIGHT

WHERE: The Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club

WHAT: Boca Helping Hands “passed GO” for its 25th anniversary with the MONOPOLY® Event & Casino Night and collected funds to assist more than 27,000 South Floridians through the organization’s vast array of support programs. Event Co-chairs Rochelle LeCavalier and Zoe Lanham presided over the evening’s festivities, which included live music, casino gaming, cocktails and, of course, a tournament of the classic capitalistic board game. Boca Helping Hands Board President Gary Peters served as mediator for this year’s MONOPOLY® tournament, which saw Alain Troadec crowned as champion. “Think about how you loved Monopoly as a kid,” said Peters. “This annual event is a way to enjoy the game and give back to our community. If you missed it this year, we hope you will join us next year.”

1: Catalina Molnar, Mike Wohl, Gary Peters

2: Grace O’Bear and Dana Brillante

3: Haley Peters & Michael Smith

4: Zoe Lanham, “The Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Rochelle LeCavalier

5: Kim and Kenny Ackerman

6: Greg Hazle and Alain Troadec

7: Jesse and Alex Price

8: Harry Siedman

9: Lacey Little, Lola Feltrop, “The Monopoly Man” Leonard Wierzbowski, Lexy Reed, Kerry Hanan

HANLEY FOUNDATION’S 18TH-ANNUAL PALM BEACH DINNER

WHERE: Sailfish Club in Palm Beach

WHAT: More than 250 supporters of the Hanley Foundation were treated to a surprise guest at the organization’s 18th-annual Palm Beach Dinner when legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi showed up to help auction off a case of his signature wine, Hampton Water, as well as a signed guitar. Chaired by Kelly Williams and Andrew Forsyth, the event raised more than $500,000 for the Hanley Foundation’s vital programs, which are aimed at providing critical care for those suffering from substance abuse disorders. “Addiction robs people of their futures, and we want people suffering to know there IS a solution,” said Forsyth.

1: Jon Bon Jovi and Jan Cairnes

2: Sylvia and Rick Hubbard

3: Rob Thomson and Victoria Grace

4: Bryan Doane, Rebecca and Randall Doane

5: Peter McKelvy, Liza Calhoun, Turner Benoit

6: Anthony Ceccarelli, Sasha Kraver, Dave Aronberg

7: Michelle Noga, Beth Neuhoff, Tamra FitzGerald, Sherrye Sammons

8: Andrew Forsyth, Kelly Williams, Jan Cairnes

9: Mo Maynor and Bill DeMott

10: Hampton and Abigail Beebe

11: Chris Ramsey, Shalimar Lavonia

25TH ANNIVERSARY “HONOR YOUR DOCTOR” LUNCHEON

WHERE: Boca West Country Club

WHAT: The Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton presented a recordbreaking “Honor Your Doctor” luncheon this year, with the most attendees and funds raised in the event’s history. More than 300 guests and doctors attended the awards ceremony, where Palm Beach County’s finest physicians were honored with crystal globes engraved with their names. This year’s luncheon also had an overwhelming nomination response that resulted in a three-way tie for the 2023 “Doctor of Distinction” between Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Dr. Jeffrey Stein and Dr. David Taub. In recognition of the three doctors, Mayor Scott Singer declared the day as “Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Dr. Jeffrey Stein and Dr. David Taub Day’’ in Boca. Downtown Boca Rotary Club founding members Alan Kaye and Janice Williams served as co-chairs for this year’s luncheon, with support from honorary chair Christine E. Lynn. Sponsors for this year’s luncheon included Boca Raton Regional Hospital/Baptist Health, Advanced Pediatrics of Boca Raton, Rapoport Restaurant Group and more.

1. Mayor Scott Singer and Doctors of Distinction Dr. Jeffrey Stein, Dr. David Taub, Dr. Jeffrey Miller

2. Standing from left: Kathy Aman, Barb Schmidt, Christine E. Lynn, Pat Thomas, Terry Fedele, Debbie Leising; seated: Elaine J. Wold

3. Dr. Jaclyn Klimczak, Jon Kaye, Zeynep Elshaer

4. Dr. Julie Pilitis, Dr. Jennifer Caceres

WAG YOUR TAIL OFF CHARITY GALA

WHERE: Boca Lago Golf & Country Club

WHAT: Wag Your Tail Off Charity Gala returned for its third year to raise funds for cats and dogs at Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. Guests enjoyed a delightful evening of live music and dance from Fred Astaire Dance Studio and a full-course dinner as more than $40,000 was raised through donors, auctions and ticket sales. Theory Royal Poinciana also generously supplied swag bags for each guest, and sponsors included Pet Supplies Plus-Royal Palm Beach; Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa; J.B. Excavation Company; and Horses & Hounds Charitable Foundation.

1. Gala Committee: Thofa Moonsammy, Beth Cook, Janet Pelosi Diamond, Elizabeth Debbie Aiu

July/August 2023 issue. Vol. 43, No. 6. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Media, and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Media is strictly prohibited: Savor the Avenue; Tastemakers of Delray; Tastemakers at Mizner; Florida Style and Design; Delray Beach magazine; Boca Raton , South Florida At Its Best; bocamag.com; Florida Table ; Boca Raton magazine. Boca (ISSN07402856) is published 8 times a year (September/October, November/December, January, February, March, April, May/ June and July/August) by JES Media. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Telephone: 561/997-8683. Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $19.95/8 issues, $29.95/16 issues (shipping fee included for one- and two-year rates). Single copy $6.95. No whole or part of the content may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of Boca magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Boca magazine, P.O. Box 820, Boca Raton, FL 33429-9943.

2. LoLa and Ava Lapore

3. Peter and Sandi Mezey, Peter Torres

4. Troi and Melissa Stoessel, Krista and Neal Noel

All the fans started calling me the good luck charm of the team, because after the donation was announced, the basketball team won 20 games straight, which is the highest number of consecutive games won by any team.”

—Eleanor Baldwin

Eleanor Baldwin

Eleanor Baldwin is big on basketball—as in the FAU Owls, where her donation of $7.5 million to build a new arena may have set off a lucky streak—or so people say.

Written by MARIE SPEED

Eleanor Baldwin estimates she’s lived in South Florida close to 60 years, having moved here from Chicago when she was in college, and when her parents retired. She obtained her master’s from Northwestern and returned to South Florida, teaching social studies for about 30 years, primarily at Deerfield Beach High School and Coral Springs Middle School.

She’s not sure where her connection to FAU started. (She has given more than $9.5 million to the school, in addition to serious donations to Boca Raton Regional Hospital, theYMCA and Sweet Dream Makers, among others.) It might have been following the post-retirement years she supervised student teachers at FAU. But the connection was forged, and her first major gift gave the president’s campus house its name, followed by the Presidential Suite at FAU Stadium, the Eleanor R. Baldwin History and Traditions Hall and, most recently, the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, now known as the“Elly.”

HOW SHE BECAME FAU’S NO. 1 BASKETBALL FAN:

“I just got excited about their sports … I got in with it, and the more I was in it, the more I did. [The basketball arena] is the best donation I ever gave. All the fans started calling me the good luck charm of the team, because after the donation was announced the basketball team won 20 games straight, which is the highest number of consecutive games won by any team. And after that, all the fans and the announcer for the radio show came to start calling the arena the “Elly.”Whenever I was in a group of fans—like when I entered the pregame pep rally, or the NCAA game in NewYork— everyone started chanting‘Elly-Elly-Elly,’ and they still do that. So it’s really been exciting.”

ANY SPECIAL RITUALS FOR A BASKETBALL GAME:

“I wear a certain red FAU jacket. I wear a certain T-shirt … I sit up in the second floor of the arena—it’s a box upstairs, rather than sitting in the chairs along the side of the court. I’m afraid I’ll get hit by a basketball, so I like to sit up there.”

WHY FUNDING THE ARENA HAS BEEN SO SPECIAL: “[The season] was just thrilling, and I was really sorry

when they lost that game in Houston. We got to go with the team to New York and to Houston. I’ve gotten to know the boys really well … This [gift] has been really fun; I never had that much fun when I gave to the president’s house or any of these other things, but this one has just been so exciting.”

WHY SHE GIVES BACK:

“There are many institutions in our community that do so much for so many, and it brings me great pleasure to be able to help these institutions financially. And that’s why I do that.”

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.

Eleanor Baldwin

JEFFREY THOLL

YOU NEVER ACTUALLY OWN A PATEK PHILIPPE.

YOU MERELY TAKE CARE OF IT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.