Delray magazine November/December 2022

DAVID ROSENBERG

UNWIND ON ISLAND TIME

Celebrity BeyondSM the Yucatán peninsula to the lush mountains

Puerto Rico to the pristine beaches

the

islands. With an array

exciting itineraries ranging from to nights, you’ll find the

And, when you’re not exploring

ruins,

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from the source, or kicking back

a ship that’s as breathtaking as the

a white-sand beach, you’ll

Exclusively Listed By Engel & Völkers Delray Beach

12 editor’s letter

We deserve to light up our lives a little—and celebrate the season.

BY MARIE SPEED

15 hot list

Daniel Hartwell makes Monkee business at the second Beatles on the Beach Festival, Tiki Taxis debut and Delray’s newest crystal shop is a retail gem. Plus, how to shop local on Small Business Saturday, where to celebrate the holidays and more.

BY CHRISTINA WOOD

21 snapshots

We spotted you around town this summer and fall, from an early Kwanzaa at the Spady to the return of the Morikami’s Obon Festival to the dining tables of Restaurant Month.

22 top 5/calendar

The jury is out on Palm Beach Dramaworks’ courtroom drama, Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s life story congas into the Kravis Center, and comic John Mulaney is ready for his second act. Plus, Truman plays Truman at Delray Playhouse, Lewis Black goes “off the rails” and more.

BY JOHN THOMASON

28 style

While most of America bundles up this season, Delray’s winter apparel is cozy coastal chic.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON BRISTOL

34 up close

Meet the Florida entrepreneur creating a whole new space for adventure travel, and a philanthropic real estate agent who’s bullish on Delray.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

40 dine

Michelin-starred chef Akira Back’s long-awaited Asian fusion restaurant in Pineapple Grove lives up to the hype.

BY CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

From a Santa-themed bar crawl to jingle-bell jazz to the interactive 100-Foot Christmas Tree, our snowless winter wonderland is the best place to hang your stocking.

BY CHRISTIANA LILLY

In this exclusive roundtable conversation, the faces behind three of Delray’s most prominent Facebook Communities discuss local news, politics and community—the good, the bad and the ugly— amid the fragmented world of 21st century social media.

BY JOHN THOMASON

Do look up during the holidays, as chandeliers of all shapes and sizes bring functionality and aesthetic grandeur to family gathering places.

BY CHRISTIE GALEANODEMOTT

Locals hit the lanes to bowl for charity, the arts and PR sectors unite to support an injured colleague, and Palm Beach Symphony patrons and musicians break bread at an awards dinner.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

103 dining guide

Our review-driven

group editor-in-chief marie speed

managing editor john thomason web editor tyler childress senior art director lori pierino graphic designer oscar saavedra

photographer aaron bristol production manager rafael quiñones

contributing writers christie galeano-demott, margie kaye (promotional writing), christiana lilly, rich pollack, randy schultz, christina wood

director of advertising and marketing nicole ruth

advertising consultants karen kintner, bruce klein jr., tanya plath

special projects manager gail eagle

customer services/video editor david shuff

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[ calendar ]

Where to go, what to do and see in Delray Beach. Please submit information regarding fundraisers, art openings, plays, readings, concerts, dance or other performances to managing editor John Thomason (john.thomason@boca mag.com). Deadline for entries in an upcoming calendar section is three months before publication (e.g., to list an event in March/April, submit info by December 20).

[ dining guide ]

Our independent reviews of restaurants in Delray Beach. A fine, reliable resource for residents and tourists. For more information, contact Marie Speed.

[ out & about ]

A photo collage of social gatherings and events in Delray Beach. All photos submitted should be clearly identified and accompanied by a brief description of the event (who, what, where, when); photos will not be returned. Email im ages to people@bocamag.com. Or mail photos to:

“Out & About”

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Holidays & High Hopes

This season, let’s take a break and count our blessings

Between turbulent city politics, hurricane threats and a steamy summer full of sea weed and drought, the world seems to have lurched into the upside-down over the past several months. So this year the holiday season feels especially welcome: Trees will be lit, parades will march, windows will be opened and tur keys will be roasted. I like the order in all of that, even if it’s an illusion, and the idea that we can find a way to embrace the season and rediscover all the good things we have here. Between our Hot List and Holiday Guide to Delray, we’ve got you covered this season, and we hope you dive in to our local events and restaurants with all the joy you can muster.

We also chat with three people administering three hugely popular Delray Facebook groups to see what it’s like at the center of burning local issues—like where to get great Chi nese food. But we also get a sense of the kinds of problems you can have monitoring the behavior of a passionate and diverse number of voices, and how keeping it real—and real polite—matters.

There is so much more to explore in this issue—and in this season—as we stare down a brand New Year; I say let’s give ourselves the gift of celebration.

We’ve earned it.

GREG LOVETT/THE

PALM BEACH POST

VIA

ZUMA WIRE

400 Gulfstream Blvd. Delray Beach 561-279-2984

BY CHRISTINA WOOD

Daniel Hartwell

SLICE OF LIFE

As the old saying goes, happiness shared is doubled, while troubles shared are cut in half. Those who think such deep thoughts have not, however, weighed in on what might happen when sharing one of the crispy flatbreads that are a spe cialty at Bar 25. Sharing the Heaven on a Flat topped with granny smith apples, arugula, crumbled blue cheese and fig jam could be a wonderful experience that brings you closer to someone. Then again, having to watch someone else take that last slice could be downright painful. Does the question become any clearer when considering the Mushroom & On ion Pierogi, Short Rib Quesadilla or any of the other shareable plates on the menu at the recently opened (and beautifully renovated!) gastropub? Only you can decide. 25 S.E. Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, 561/359-2643, bar25.com

ROCK ON!

Go Small or Go Home!

Whether you’re looking for something special for your someone special, fun stocking-stuffers for the kids or a gift certificate from your BFF’s favorite restaurant, there are lots of great reasons to shop local this holiday season. Small Business Saturday, which falls on Nov. 26 this year, is definitely one of them. You’ll not only get the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting local businesses but, if you spend $200 or more at qualifying small businesses downtown, you can take home an official 2022 Delray Beach Commemorative Ornament, featuring a hand-painted holiday scene created by local multimedia artist Jen Fisher. To get yours, bring your receipts to any of the Downtown Development Authority booths set up downtown on Small Business Saturday (restrictions apply; the DDA has all the details). As Laura Simon, executive director of the DDA, says, “There has never been a more important time to shop local and be local.” 350 S.E. First Ave., Delray Beach, 561/243-1077, downtowndelray.com

Throughout history, people have turned to crystals to bring heal ing, strength and beauty into their lives. Ancient Egyptians believed obsidian could alleviate pain. Leonardo da Vinci appar ently was a fan of amethyst, because he believed it “dispels evil thoughts.” More recently, actor Debra Messing is said to favor malachite, which is believed to protect from negativity and help you tap into your own in nate power. Fashion icon Victoria Beckham, on the other hand, is said to have a preference for the stress-relieving properties of the humble white howlite. You don’t have to believe in the healing properties of crystals—which can be found at the recently opened World Crystal—to appreciate them, though. They are lovely to look at—and they make great gifts (hint-hint!). 47 S.E. Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, 954/663-8771

JUPITER COMPASS

Flatbread from Bar 25

STICK TO IT!

Did you know that trying something new can be good for your mental and emotional health? (It’s true! Experts at the University of Washington School of Medicine tell us that new experiences can stimulate the reward centers in the brain and trigger the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine.)

So, if you could use an antidote to the stress of the season, make plans to visit Mounts Botanical Garden to participate in the community build of a new, site-specific work by award-winning eco-artist Patrick Dougherty. During a three-week period in December, volunteers are needed to help Dougherty shape 30,000 pounds of live willow branches into a one-of-akind monumental Stickworks sculpture. (Bet you haven’t been there, done that!) And if your dog has seemed a little down lately, you can broaden your furry friend’s horizons with a mood-boosting stroll on a Dog’s Day in the Garden, held the second Sunday of every month. 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach; 561/233-1757, mounts.org

LET IT SHINE!

The holidays sparkle brightly in Delray Beach. These tradi tions, brought to you by the City of Delray Beach, are a big part of the reason:

LIGHTING OF THE 100-FOOT CHRISTMAS TREE Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Old School Square Park

Featuring musical entertainment, family activities and a visit from Santa BONUS: The DDA purchased a 50-foot tree in 1993, as a way to celebrate the holidays and bring shoppers down town. In 1995, an additional 50 feet were added to the tree to commemorate the city’s centennial. A new tree—which has since been named one of the best Christmas trees in the country and the “Best Tree in the State of Florida” by Travel + Leisure —was purchased by the City of Delray Beach in 2015.

ANNUAL BOYNTON BEACH & DELRAY BEACH HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE

AFTER DARK:

TIKI TAXI & CRUISES

You don’t need a yacht to cruise the waters of the Intracoastal! If you have just $10 in your pocket, you can climb aboard the Tiki Taxi—for an hour or a day. If you can dig a little more out of the cushions of the sofa, you can also enjoy a beer, wine or cocktail as you ply the scenic waters and listen to music. The Tiki Taxi, which now operates out of the Boynton Harbor Marina (next to Two Georges restaurant) as well as locations in Stuart and Jupiter, is also available for private parties. 728 Casa Loma Blvd., Boynton Beach, 772/521-0024, tikitaxiandcruises.com

Friday, Dec. 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Lantana on the Intracoastal Waterway

DELRAY BEACH HOLIDAY PARADE Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. on Atlantic Avenue

MENORAH LIGHTING Sunday, Dec. 18 at sunset, Old School Square Park

NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS Saturday, Dec. 31, Old School Square Park

For more information on holiday hap penings downtown, visit https://downtowndelraybeach.com/holidays.

The Tiki Taxi

SPOTLIGHT:

DANIEL HARTWELL

DanielHartwell was living and working in his native Boston when he first visited friends in Delray Beach. “I really fell in love with Delray Beach,” he says. “It felt like every time that I came here, a weight was off of my shoulders.” So, about 15 years ago, he made the move to Delray, where he is now drawing on his background in producing music festivals to present the annual International Beatles on the Beach Festival.

HIS FAVORITE THING TO DO IN DELRAY BEACH: I’m an avid beach goer, and I love to run the beach during sunrise in the morning. Usually you can catch me running the beach three or four times a week, or should I say a “Fab Four” times a week.

WHERE HE LIKES TO HANG: I really do love to go to Tin Roof and Johnnie Brown’s, and there’s a Mexican restaurant, a little one over on Federal, Señor Burrito.

WHAT MAKES DELRAY SO SPECIAL? I think Delray is special because of how eclectic it is and how diverse it is with many different cultures collaborating. And we all believe in the power of sun and fun-loving music.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BEATLES ON THE BEACH FESTIVAL: Imagine Beatles music, a full orchestra and holiday music with the beautiful Delray Beach Christmas tree right next to the stage. It’s going to be magical. Old School Square is where the main performances will be, with Micky Dolenz on Friday night and, on Saturday night, Liverpool Live with the Academy Orchestra … And what’s really exciting is that Beatles on the Beach is more than just concerts. This jamboree includes everything from a Penny Lane Scavenger Hunt and Beatles Bar Crawl to a wonderful art show.

WHAT’S NEXT WHEN THE FESTIVAL IS OVER: Start plan ning the next International Beatles on the Beach Festival! Plus, I am working on a Pink Floyd festival to descend upon beauti ful Delray Beach, Florida.

COME TOGETHER

Enjoy an entertaining lineup of musical performances and eclectic activities at the 2022 International Beatles on the Beach Festival, Dec. 15-18 in Delray Beach. Headliners include Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, who takes the stage at the Old School Square Pavilion on Friday, Dec. 16, and Liverpool Live performing with the Acad emy Orchestra in a multimedia extravaganza on Saturday, Dec. 17. A variety of Beatles-inspired bands from near and far will perform at various venues. The fun also includes activities such as the costume contest at BeatleCon, Beatles Bike Tours of Delray, Penny Lane Scavenger Hunt and Beatles Bar Crawl, Breakfast with the Beatles, Beatles Art Exhibit, Bark with the Beatles (a pet costume contest), Beatles on the Beach Cleanup featur ing an acoustic jam session and beach cleanup, and more. beatlesonthebeach.com

AARON BRISTOL

Micky Dolenz

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Better. For You.

Hot off the heels of Palm Beach and Boca, Delray celebrated its own restaurant month for all of September. With multi-course prix fixe lunches and dinners, happy hour specials and unique culinary experiences, Delray reminded foodies why it deserves recognition as a premier South Florida dining destination. Pictured: Patrons enjoying a meal at a local Delray restaurant.

More than 100 attendees came out to a town hall meeting at Arts Garage and generously sponsored by Atlantic Grille, Rocco’s Tacos and Rose’s Daughter. The event was an opportunity for Delray residents and business owners to speak about what they would like to see in Delray’s Village by the Sea. Pictured: BJ Sklar, Marusca Gatto, Suzanne Boyd, Laura Simon, Lilliana Fino—the Delray Beach DDA Team

The Morikami Gardens celebrated Obon Weekend on Aug. 13-14 in a serene yet festive fashion. Guests were invited to stroll through the gardens, fill out tanzaku slips to honor lost loved ones, and enjoy live taiko drum performances. Pictured: Taiko drummers performing.

The Spady Museum, in partnership with Sankofa Study Group and Kwanzaa 365 Live, brought the community to gether for a day of family fun to celebrate Kwanzaa in July. Guests took part in children’s games and donated supplies for the new school year, and vendors sold handmade art work to commemorate the cultural holiday. Pictured: Malik Shabazz (left) with a customer at Kwanzaa in July.

Delray charity organization Kindness Angels launched a cereal drive and collected enough cereal boxes to send one box home with every child in the entire Achievement Centers for Children & Families summer camp program. Pictured: Kindness Angels at the ACCF cereal drive.

Members of the Delray City Commission, Community Redevelopment Agency and Housing Authority broke ground on the Island Cove Apartments, an affordable housing option for low-income Delray residents. The apartments will provide a much-needed resource as South Florida continues to struggle with an affordable housing crisis. Pictured: Delray city officials breaking ground.

Top 5

Spice up the holidays with Shakespearean ballet, classic theatre, Latin love

“Hard Bodies: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture”

WHEN: Dec. 3-Jan. 22

WHERE: Society of the Four Arts, 100 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach

COST: $10

CONTACT: 561/655-7226, fourarts.org

This sculpture exhibition showcases 33 works, mostly from this century, by 16 Japanese artists who explore lacquer in novel ways. This lustrous coating, which is most commonly associated with ornamental bowls and boxes, is a polymer distilled from the sap of a particular tree. For an artistic material, lacquer is unusually precious; a single tree produces only a half-cup of lacquer per year. And lacquer artists who apply it to their sculptures often spend six months to a year on a single work; such is the delicacy and duration of the finishing process. Each piece is a resplendent labor of love, an inherent testament to the discipline and the rigor of countless hours of shaping, slathering and shining raw material into forms both familiar and imaginative—from whimsical figurative sculptures to abstract monoliths, and often inlaid with gold, silver or mother-of-pearl.

“Twelve Angry Men”

WHEN: Dec. 9-24

WHERE: Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach COST: $84

CONTACT: 561/514-4042, palmbeachdramaworks.org

The one “classic”—i.e., a play not written in the 21st century—in Dramaworks’ 2022/2023 season may end up being its most timely and potent selection; such is the enduring insight and compassion of Reginald Rose’s 1954 TV drama turned stage play. You probably know the story: Twelve jurors—traditionally all white—are tasked with deciding the guilt or innocence of a Black youth accused of murder. Only one juror is unconvinced of the child’s guilt, and he’ll spend the play’s duration attempting to sway his colleagues, in turn exposing their inherent biases. Henry Fonda, perennial voice of calm and reason, famously starred in the awardwinning original film adaptation, and the play is often revived on Broadway with sterling results. Nearly 70 years after it was written, “Twelve Angry Men” remains both a crackling piece of stagecraft and a paean to how our judicial system is supposed to work.

“On Your Feet!”

WHEN: Nov. 15-20

WHERE: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach COST: $31-$78 CONTACT: 561/832-7469, kravis.org Gloria and Emilio Estefan may be the closest people Miami has to royalty. Cuban-born and Miami-bred, they personify the American dream: fleeing Communist oppression, forging a legacy in the city’s burgeoning Latin pop scene, and winning 26 Grammys between them. So it’s wholly appropriate that just a couple of counties north, “On Your Feet!,” the zesty and heartfelt musical based on their vertiginous life, has been slated for a return engagement at the Kravis Center as a highlight of its new Kravis On Broadway season. The tunes the Estefans immortalized, including “Conga,” “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You” and “Get on Your Feet,” complement a narrative that addresses their uphill battle in an Anglo-centric music industry as well as the car accident that nearly ended Gloria’s career. With the creators of “Kinky Boots” and “Jersey Boys” behind the scenes, this power couple’s story is in good hands … er, feet.

“Twelve Angry Men”

“On Your Feet”“Hard Bodies”

November/December 2022

John Mulaney: “From Scratch”

WHEN: Dec. 3

WHERE: iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach

COST: $39 and up

CONTACT: 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com

It’s fair to say that comedian John Mulaney had a rough go of the pandemic. He’s spoken openly about his divorce, as well as his struggles with alcohol and drug abuse that he sought treatment for last year. Now, freshly sober and having recently welcomed into the world his first child with actress Olivia Munn, Mulaney is touring with new material drawn from overcoming a year of deeply personal hardships. While Mulaney’s past comedy tours featured material ranging from the absurd to the acerbic, “From Scratch” is a candid dive into his personal life and struggles, offering a glimpse past the naive, bright-eyed charm to which audiences have grown accustomed and seeing a side of him that is more vulnerable and intimate. At its heart, “From Scratch” is a new beginning forged from the rubble of grief.

Miami City Ballet: “Romeo and Juliet”

WHEN: Nov. 11-13

WHERE: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach

COST: TBA

CONTACT: 561/832-7469, kravis.org

An unimpeachable source material, a sweeping and iconic score, and innovative choreography from a modernist master: Miami City Ballet’s adventuresome season premiere has all the ingredients for a sterling night of performing arts. The composer is Sergei Prokofiev, who infused every moment with the convulsive drama and sprightly pageantry it deserves. The choreographer is South Africa’s late John Cranko, who imbued the story with intimate rendezvous and spectacular set pieces alike, among them a harvest festival that turns contentious as the show’s warring factions deploy produce as weapons, and a pas de deux with its title characters dancing in the moonlight. Much of the ballet’s power, of course, goes all the way back to Shakespeare, whose timeless and transcendent tragedy continues to expand and rend hearts.

John Mulaney

Miami City Ballet’s “Romeo and Juliet”

November/December 2022

NOW-NOV. 13: “JERSEY BOYS” at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; various show times; tickets TBA; 561/575-2223, jupitertheatre.org. One of the foundational productions in the era of the jukebox musical, this four-time Tony winner charts the historic rise of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons through two decades of the vocal group’s indelible hits, including “Sherry” and “Walk Like a Man.”

NOW-JAN. 22: REGINALD CUN NINGHAM: “BLACK PEARLS” at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $10-$12 museum admis sion; 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org. Washington, D.C.-based photographer and activist Cunningham traveled to Pearl City, Boca Raton’s first settled district, to honor the majority-Black residents of this historic community. “Black Pearls” highlights these contributions, including 10 to 20 large-scale photographs and collected oral histories in audio form.

NOW-FEB. 3: “A PERSONAL VIEW ON HIGH FASHION & STREET STYLE: PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE NICOLA ERNI COLLECTION, 1930S TO NOW” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15-$18 museum admission; 561/832-5196, norton.org. Making its museum debut, this collection from devoted enthusiast Nicola Erni includes more than 300 works documenting the intersection of fashion and street photography, by artists such as Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon and more.

NOV. 4-20: “THE THIN PLACE” at Boca Stage, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; various show times; $40-$50; 561/447-8829, bocastage.net. In celebrated playwright Lucas Hnath’s supernatural drama, a self-described psychic, medium and spiritualist forms a friendship with a younger client who fervently believes in portals connecting the physical and spirit worlds—a dynamic that comes to a head in the show’s spooky and nerve-wracking final act.

NOV. 11-12: TITO PUENTE JR. at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $50-$55; 561/450-6457, artsgarage.org. The son of legendary mambo musician Tito Puente—and a South Florida resident—carries on his father’s legacy through his music and repertoire. The Billboard Music Award winner’s latest album, Got Mambo?, features a bevy of guest stars singing alongside Puente’s exuberant and precise Latin percussion rhythms.

NOW-JAN. 15: “JOSEPH STELLA: VISIONARY NATURE” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15-$18 museum admission; 561/832-5196, norton.org. Fusing natural settings with a spiritually transcendent sense of surrealism, painter Stella’s bold interpretations of flora and fauna were places where the quotidian and the magical shared bucolic real estate, and where familiar imagery took on an aching beauty. His legacy, as this touring exhibition indicates, is ripe for rediscovery.

NOV. 1-6: D.C.’S REFLECTING FOOLS at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; various show times; $45; 561/8327469, kravis.org. The pandemic may have made a casualty out of the beloved political satirists the Capitol Steps, but this new collective, founded by some of the performers and a co-writer from the Capitol Steps, keeps alive the group’s nonpartisan political humor in a divided time. Expect to hear song parodies in spired by recent headlines, impressions of top politicos and more.

NOV. 5: SVETLANA & THE NEW YORK COLLECTIVE at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $45-$45; 561/450-6457, artsgarage. org. Sultry and sophisticated Russianborn vocalist Svetlana leads her classic jazz band the New York Collective through a program called “Swing Makes You Sing,” in which she reinterprets 20th century standards from the golden age of swing, as well as modern tunes reimagined in a swinging style.

NOV. 9-13: “WIESENTHAL” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $45; 561/2721281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. In this one-man play, writer and actor Tom Dugan embodies Holocaust survivor and preeminent Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, whose heroic efforts brought more than 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice. Moving and surprisingly humorous, the touring production returns to the Playhouse by popular demand.

NOV. 19-20: “GIVE ‘EM HELL, HARRY” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; $45; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse. com. Samuel Gallu’s crackling one-man play charts the life and times of Presi dent Harry Truman, from his childhood to his pivotal Missouri judgeship to his monumental two terms as president.

Actor Clifton Truman Daniel, Truman’s grandson, plays the title character, marking the first time a president has been portrayed by a direct descendent.

NOV. 23: “DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $35-$95; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. In this unique fusion of film and performing arts, a live band and a talented group of “dirty” dancers will perform in front of a digitally remastered screening of the movie. The live entertainers will con tinue the fun with a post-movie concert in which audience interaction is encouraged.

DEC. 2-11: “VILLAINOUS COM PANY” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $42; 561/272-1281, delraybeach playhouse.com. In this serpentine mystery by Victor L. Cahn, a shopper abandons her purchase of an expensive clock at the store, only for the shop’s clerk to show up moments later with the piece of merchandise—and the strong suspicion that the buyer is a thief. This sets in motion a Hitchcockian study in lies and deception powered by a compelling all-female cast.

DEC. 5-6: THE VICTORY DOLLS HOLIDAY SHOW at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 12:30 p.m.; $49; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. A collective of top South Florida actresses performs glorious, Andrews Sisters-style harmonies, this time with a holiday twist. Expect to hear “White Christmas,” “Let it Snow” and other seasonal favorites alongside the Victory Dolls’ familiar WWII-period anthems.

DEC. 10: OTIS CADILLAC AND THE EL DORADOS at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $45-$50; 561/450-6457, artsgarage. org. Nonagenarian roots-rocker Cadillac performs classic R&B and vintage rock ‘n’ roll, emulating musical revues of the ‘50s and ‘60s with assistance from his 11-piece band, the El Dorados, and his female vocal quartet, the Sublime Seville Sisters.

DEC. 11: “BELLE” SCREENING at Mori kami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; 11 a.m. or 2 p.m.; $5; 561/495-0233, morikami. org. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosada’s 2021 animated feature follows shy high schooler Suzu, who finds fame and community as a virtual singer within the massive online world known as “U.” When one of her concerts is disrupted by a mysteri ous creature, her attempts to find the beast cause her real and digital worlds to blur.

DEC. 18: GIANNI ORGAN TRIO: “GOT THE HOLIDAY SOUL” at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 7 p.m.; $50-$55; 561/450-6457, artsgarage.org. Dr. Gianni Bianchini, a virtuoso of the Hammond B3 organ, is one of the most sought-after players of his iconic instrument, having shared stages with Arturo Sandoval, Warren Wolf, Joshua Redman and other jazz luminar ies. On this tour, his trio plays a set of bluesy and “funkified” covers of seasonal classics.

DEC. 28-30: GEORGE BAL ANCHINE’S “THE NUTCRACKER” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; various show times; tickets TBA; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. Miami City Ballet will once again present George Balanchine’s iconic take on Tchai kovsky’s timeless ballet, with its dancing snowflakes, sugar plum fairies and heroic toy soldiers, casting a wintry spell over the lukewarm Florida holidays.

NOV. 26: “ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 8 p.m.; $25-$90; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. Singer-songwriter Gary Mullen marries Freddie Mercury’s range, pitch and onstage flamboyance with an already uncanny resemblance to the late rock icon. The result is the closest thing we’re likely to get to a Queen concert circa 1985, with all the hits turning up in the two-hour concert.

DEC. 2-4: “CALENDAR GIRLS” at Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; $38; 561/586-6410, lakeworthplayhouse.org. Set in a small vil lage in the United Kingdom, playwright Tim Firth’s touching and offbeat comedy follows a widow who decides to raise money in her late husband’s honor by inviting women from his hospital to pose nude for an “alternative” calendar. When the story goes viral, the attention strains the relationship between the widow and her best friend.

DEC. 9: LEWIS BLACK: “OFF THE RAILS” at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 8 p.m.; $35-$100; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. Rage, rage against the dy ing of the light. And against everything else, really. It’s the emotion that has propelled Lewis Black’s comedy career since his ascension on “The Daily Show” in the mid-’90s; he even played “Anger” in Pixar’s “Inside Out.” Luckily, the news cycle continues to supply the artfully outraged comic with an inexhaustible supply of new material.

DEC. 16: DICK LOWENTHAL’S BIG BAND at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $50-$55; 561/4506457, artsgarage.org. This eclectic program from Lowenthal, bandleader and founder of the Jazz Program at the Manhattan School of Music, will feature arrangements from such big-band staples as Buddy Rich, Benny Good man and Duke Ellington for a genre-hopping slate of Broadway, blues, jazz and holiday favorites, with vocalist Lisanne Lyons singing selections from the Great American Songbook.

DEC. 18: ANTHONY RODIA: “THE ROAD RAGE TOUR” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 5:30 and 8 p.m.; $69.50-$89.50; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. Italian-American comedian Rodia left a lucra tive career in auto finance in 2019 to explore his first love of standup full-time. He has since built a formidable track record for his cutting and observational humor on marriage, parenthood and human psychology, recording 86 weekly videos during the pandemic and attracting 22 million YouTube views.

DEC. 30-JAN. 1: “FEELIN’ GOOD: A MICHAEL BUBLE TRIBUTE” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; $45-$125; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. Bolstered by a talented band and backup danc ers, actor and singer Rome Saladino performs hits popularized by the 21st century crooner Buble, along with compositions he has performed in many Broadway musicals, includ ing “A Chorus Line” and “West Side Story.”

Delray Beach has an unlimited supply of sun, sand, shopping and entertainment just steps away from the surf. You’ll never run out of things to do in our charming Village by the Sea.

MOMENTS ARE

Upgrade date night

PREMIUM

Jacket, $248, blue cashmere sweater, $495, both from Periwinkle; multicolored sweater, $387, scarf, $138, both from Wish & Shoes; necklace, $395, from Unique Boutique

White gauze shirt and pants, $198 and $202, navy linen romper, $240, all from One Door North; navy suede flats, $385, from Isabella Kron; white shirt, $135, belt, $35, both from Voyage Boutique; hat, $160, from Periwinkle

the holidays with the easy sand-and-sea vibes of South Florida winter.

BY AARON BRISTOL

ISABELLA KRON, 522 N.E. Second St., Delray Beach, 561/865-5224, isabellakron.com

ONE DOOR NORTH, 253 N.E. Second Ave., 561/450-6535, 1doornorth.com

PERIWINKLE, 339 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/279-9699, periwinkleonline.com

WISH & SHOES, 16850 Jog Road, #112, 561/638-7700, wishandshoes.com

UNIQUE BOUTIQUE, 204 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/272-6654, uniqueboutiquejewelry.com

VOYAGE BOUTIQUE, 400 Gulfstream Blvd., 561/279-2984, voyageboutique.com

Sweater dress combo, $260, pearl necklace, $196 and $245, all from Periwinkle; rattan shell bag, $90, white leather hobo bag, $115, scarf, $75, all from Unique Boutique; hat, $325, from One Door North; scarf (on hat), $165, from Wish & Shoes; shoes, $59, from Voyage Boutique

The Final Frontier

Space Perspective Co-founder and CEO Jane Poynter is on a mission to show the world from a stratospheric view

When the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong walked across its surface and uttered his famous line (you know the one), Americans witnessed the dawn of a new era of possibilities. Now, more than 50 years later, Space Perspective Cofounder and CEO Jane Poynter is on a mission to take us on another small step from our home planet. Poynter, whose company will be launching up to eight travelers nearly 20 miles above the Earth’s surface from Kennedy Space Center in 2024—at $125,000 a seat—to see our planet from “the space perspective.”

Space tourism may sound like an industry pulled straight out of sci ence fiction, but the same can be said for Poynter’s entire career. In 1991, she was part of the Biosphere 2 mission, the first attempt at a humanmade biosphere that was used as a laboratory for understanding how our planet’s ecosystems work, as well as a prototype space base. Poynter

gas, with no g-force and no spacesuits required. As the capsule ascends, the “astronauts” will be able to enjoy a full bar and Wi-Fi in the “space lounge,” and a 360-degree panoramic view from the largest windows ever flown to space. When the capsule reaches its full altitude, the thin blue line of the atmosphere, our bright swirling Milky Way galaxy, and the enormity of our sun against the backdrop of black space will be in view.

Those onboard will be able to marvel at the magnificence of our world and the vast, glittering starscape that sur rounds it for two hours, and then the descent will begin. A small amount of gas will be released from the balloon, and the capsule will slowly lower back to Earth, where it will land safely in

says that the experience was akin to what astronauts feel when looking at Earth from space.

“They [astronauts] connect with this incredible idea that here’s this planet, our spaceship Earth, that we’re all crew members on,” says Poyn ter, and that “instead of seeing our world from the outside in, we saw this little tiny world from the inside out.”

Then, in 1993, she got one step closer to Mars when she co-founded Paragon Space Development, the company that would go on to drop former Google exec Alan Eustace nearly 136,000 feet from above the planet’s surface. Eustace free-fell for almost five minutes, broke the sound barrier, and still holds the record for the highest skydive. Today, Paragon has technology on every human-piloted spacecraft in America.

Poynter says that the cutting edge of innovation is “the river she swims in,” but that human space flight in particular has an “outsized ability to inspire.” And when tourists board the Spaceship Neptune capsule in 2024, they’re in for more than just a breathtaking view.

“When astronauts go to space and see our beautiful planet from that vantage point…they speak about it as almost like a consciousness change, like it really changes their perception of our world,” says Poynter.

The tour itself lasts about six hours, with guests boarding a capsule that is gently lifted at 12 mph via a balloon filled with lighter-than-air

the ocean and be lifted onto a boat for everyone to disembark.

Poynter believes that travelers today are looking for more in their travel experiences, yearning for adventure that is “with purpose” or “transfor mational,” which she hopes will be what those who take a Space Perspective tour will feel. While the price point may be high now, Poynter says that as demand increases, a trip to space will become more affordable for all.

“It’s very difficult for us to imagine now, at the very begin ning of this, how it’s going to change all our lives, but it will.”

Jane Poynter

When astronauts go to space and see our beautiful planet from that vantage point...they speak about it almost like a consciousness change, like it really changes their perception of our world.”

Michael Stamm

A Philadelphia-based real estate developer brings his luxury style and community spirit to Delray Beach

For luxury real estate developer Michael Stamm, Delray Beach was never too far out of mind. He’d spent the bet ter part of 20 years vacationing in the Palm Beaches, all the while learning what’s where, who the biggest players in the real estate game are, which restaurants you just can’t miss. But in Delray, he says, he found something unique.

“I love Delray because it checks off both spectrums from a nightlife perspective all the way down to a casual beach town, and I don’t think there’s anywhere else in Palm Beach County that can say the same thing,” says Stamm, whose Philadelphia-based development company, Stamm Development Group, will soon be opening the doors of its Florida headquarters right in the heart of Atlantic Avenue after expanding operations to South Florida three years ago. With our region’s red-hot real estate market, he knew there would be a demand for the luxury homes developed by his company.

Stamm’s professional career started in corporate America, working in real

Stamm has decided to take a more active role in the Delray Beach community. The Stamm Development Group (SDG) Foundation, a nonprofit he founded in 2019 to serve the Philadelphia community, has already made inroads to the philanthropic scene of South Florida. So far, the organization has worked with Adopt-A-Family, various homeless shelters and some of the area’s feeding organizations in an effort to uplift those in need. “There’s a huge necessity,” says Stamm. “I know we build high-end homes ... but that’s not the only reality in [Delray] nor in Palm Beach County. The spectrum of wealth and everything that comes along with it is just as drastic here as it is in Philadelphia.”

Stamm says that continuing the tradition of community service that began in Philadelphia is simply part of his company’s entrepreneurial spirit. Over the next year, he plans to donate more than $200,000 to the Palm Beach County community. As the company continues to grow, so too will the amount that it gives back.

estate valuation and structuring right out of college. Stamm always thought of himself as an entrepreneur and always had a passion for real estate; after two years of assessing values and trends, he decided he wanted to try his hand at the development and construction side of the business. This transition, he says, was not without its challenges. “It was definitely difficult. The first couple of years were like riding a bike with training wheels,” he says. Now, as one of the most active luxury residential developers in the city, he’s fully hit his stride.

“It’s fun to create an investment opportunity and then be standing on the completed rooftop deck looking at the city and knowing the years of work that went behind the scenes to get there,” Stamm says.

Whereas many big-time developers would just parachute into a new area, throw up some developments, rake in the cash and move on to the next big thing,

“We’re excited as we get more and more open [in Palm Beach County] to show the community the way that we can touch families and change the youth and the existing properties and set people up to be successful,” he says, and that part of being a market leader in an area means more than just making money; it means helping out.

Stamm currently splits his time between Philadelphia and South Florida, and while moving down here full-time isn’t in the cards quite yet (he has two young children in school), he sees in Delray Beach what so many are also seeing: a potential home.

“[Delray]’s got a lot of flair, a lot of momentum, a lot of uniqueness to it that I think is really starting to appeal to people as they go there,” Stamm says. “You’re seeing more and more people fall in love with it, and it’s exciting.”

“We’re excited as we get more and more open in Palm Beach County to show the community the way that we can touch families and change the youth and the existing properties and set people up to be successful.”

Michael Stamm

AKIRA BACK

233 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 561/739-1708

PARKING: Hotel valet, street and garage parking

HOURS: Tues.-Thurs., 5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.

PRICES: $8- $160

WEBSITE: akirabackdelray.com

Yellowtail Serrano

Akira Back

The Ray’s trending new restaurant is living up to the hype

The Michelin Guide has taken Miami by storm, but we’re fortunate to have a chef right in our own backyard who has also achieved that star-studded accomplishment. Chef Akira Back’s Seoul restaurant DOSA earned a Michelin star a few years ago, and now he’s showcasing his talented take on Japa nese cuisine at his namesake restaurant inside The Ray hotel.

An imposing door leads into a contemporary dining room that’s punctu ated with pops of vivid colors. While the décor is minimalist, Back breathes life into it by incorporating his mother’s artwork into the mural that adorns the sushi counter, the plush banquettes and even the dishware. Massive windows flood the room with natural light (and make for great peoplewatching) while greenery suspends from the ceiling, lending the space a warm, lush feeling.

Born in Korea and reared in Colorado, Back blends his heritage with Japanese flavors and techniques he has mastered to deliver dishes that are unique to him. But his path didn’t always lead to the kitchen. Back was a professional snowboarder for years before he discovered his passion for cooking. Trading in his board for knives, Back now has 18 restaurants around the world in his portfolio.

The restaurant’s ambience is laid-back, and while the menu’s price points do lean toward upscale, there are options on both sides of the spectrum. But if you’re ready to splurge, order the $160 chef’s signature mystery box. We saw the smoke-exhaling coffret hit several tables around us, and I must say that the bites looked incredible.

The menu is divided into cold and hot starters

followed by rolls, nigiri/sashimi, robata grill, mains and fried rice. Dishes are made to be shared (even the entrées), and our waiter suggested about four to six plates per couple. We had six and it was plenty. We started with the AB Tuna Pizza ($28) and Yellowtail Serrano ($28). While the former is a chef specialty— a crunchy, slim tortilla topped with tuna and white truffle oil—it was the yel lowtail that won us over. Floating in citrus soy, the paper-thin slices topped with serrano salsa and a petite slice of the pepper delivered a delicate bite that

For the mains, we opted for the Hot Mess roll ($25), Seared Halibut ($42) and Wagyu Short Rib Fried Rice ($31). The roll hit the table, and I was im mediately struck by the tuna’s gorgeous spectrum of pinks as it overflowed from the crab tempura wrapped in rice paper (this roll is for you if you don’t like the customary seaweed). It’s topped with a spicy ponzu aioli, but the heat doesn’t linger; it simply awakens the palate. The halibut—pearly white, tender and cut into a perfect square—sits in a soy beurre blanc that I could have easily eaten by the spoon ful. Butter really does make everything better. We enjoyed that with a side of the fried rice, which I smelled even before it arrived. It was garlicky and perfectly cooked with the right amount of seared grains; I had just hoped for a bit more meat.

We finished the meal with a yummy Chocolate in a Cup ($14)—layered Nutella and vanilla ice cream in a small cup.

For a hotel restaurant that had quite the hype surrounding its arrival, I must say the meticu lous service and rich flavors we encountered throughout the menu elevated our evening and made us excited to return.

Akira Back

Wagyu short rib fried rice

Chocolate in a cup

ERIC GEORGE

20 things we love this season, in Delray Beach and beyond

By Christiana Lilly

e may have traded in snowflakes for seashells, but that just makes the holiday season all the more magical in Delray Beach.

From the glittering 100-foot Christmas Tree in Old School Square to shopping for gifts in downtown boutiques, themed libations at the Miracle pop-up bar, and cruising with Santa aboard a yacht, these traditions are the star atop the crown of our pineapple town.

GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST VIA ZUMA WIRE

1TURKEY AND MASHED POTATOES ANTIDOTE

Get out your running shorts and stretch those hamstrings! As we enter a season of indulgence, it doesn’t hurt to get outside and move your body. Delray Beach’s 36th-annual Turkey Trot 5K Run and Health Walk is scheduled for the weekend before Thanksgiving on Nov. 19, and partic ipants can enjoy a run, walk, skip or jump along breezy A1A. No matter how you make it to the finish line, all participants receive a finisher medal, race bib and event shirt.

2 LIGHTING UP

One of the most magical traditions in Delray Beach is the 100-foot-tall Christmas tree, serving as a beacon through the holiday season for nearly 30 years. Heck, it’s even been named

the “Best Tree in the State of Florida” by Travel + Leisure magazine. On Nov. 29, head downtown to watch it light up the night sky during the city’s annual lighting ceremony. The festivities also include a holiday village tricked out with a carousel, ice skating, food and craft vendors and other activities. You can enjoy the tree through Dec. 31.

3 GIVING BACK

There’s so much to be grateful for, including having a full pantry and access to nutritious meals. But not everyone is so lucky, which is why Debra Tendrich founded Eat Better Live Better. Right here in Delray Beach, the food bank not only pro vides healthy food to the public but also educates the community about healthy eating habits. Those inter ested in supporting Eat Better Live Better can help out during their Tuesday and Thursday packing days, as well as drop off food dona tions. Although many are moved to

give back during the holiday season, remember that volunteers are needed all year round—food banks are especially in need of donations and your time during the summer months. eblb.org

4

ONE IF BY LAND…

Delray Beach hosts its own street parade Dec. 10, when more than 70 groups from around the city will be marching on Atlantic Avenue to usher in the holiday season. A special guest will be in attendance: The Del ray Beach Fire Department has an in with Santa, and he’ll be riding down The Ave by fire truck. No word on if Rudolph will be making an appear ance as well. delraybeachfl.gov

5

THE FALCON SOARS

Death or Glory may be no more, but The Falcon (which is co-owned by one of the Death or Glory owners!) is continuing the Miracle pop-up bar holiday tradition! The historic home-turned-restaurant is decked out each December with Christmas decor

Festive cocktails are all part of Delray’s holiday cheer.

made for Instagram, all to get you in the mood for its menu of specialty holiday-themed libations. Think a Christmaspolitan, Snowball Old Fashioned, Bad Santa, and Yippeeki-yay, Motherf***er (“Die Hard” is a Christmas movie, after all). We’ll meet you at the bar. falcondelray.com

Left and below, the Carousel at Old School Square Park

7

JINGLE & JAZZ

There’s always something happening at our very own arts center in down town Delray. Arts Garage plays host to poetry slams, drag shows, jazz nights and even works by emerging artists in the exhibition space. Check it all out during the First Friday Art Walk each month from 6 to 8 p.m. If you want to hear some holiday-inspired tunes, the Gianni Organ Trio is scheduled for its show “GOT the Holiday Soul” on Dec. 18. artsgarage.org

8 PIE EYED

It’s that time of year for extravagant home-cooked meals, and the pièce de résistance are holiday pies. If you run out of time or just aren’t great at baking, our friends at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market have got us covered. All its locations, including the Delray Beach store, carry pies by the Upper Crust. Whether your favorite is pumpkin, apple, Key lime or coconut cream, you’ll find it here. While you’re there, load up on farm-fresh vegeta bles, fruits and flowers for that dinner you’re going to impress friends and family with. bedners.com

9 SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

Downtown Delray Beach might be known for its buzzy bar and dining

scene, but it’s also a shopping destination. Find gifts for everyone on your list from big-name stores like Urban Outfitters, Chico’s and Tommy Bahama, or wander into locally owned businesses such as Isabella Kron, Biba, Vintage Tess or Excentricities. Delray Beach Market also has jewelry, clothing and accesso ries vendors alongside its food stands. Does your loved one have an eye for art? Check out the pieces at DeBilzan Gallery or Blue Gallery. downtown delraybeach.com

10 SANTACON

What’s better than Santa? A whole crowd of them. Don your festive red and white and make your way through the streets of Delray Beach

for this annual bar crawl tradition. Your costume is your ticket to plenty of photo ops and drink specials at various bars downtown, and many watering holes are collecting toys to donate to worthy causes. Date TBA; visit Santacon.info.

6

ALL ABOARD FOR THE HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE

Mark your calendars for Dec. 9, when the Christmas navy arrives for the annual Holiday Boat Parade! The decades-long tradition is a team effort between the city of Delray Beach and Boynton Beach CRA, with a winding parade of boats down the Intracoastal Waterway decked out in extravagant light displays, carolers and decora tions—all vying for prizes. The party on the water starts at the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana and sails down to the C15 canal in Delray Beach. The public can enjoy the show from Veterans Park or Knowles Park in Delray Beach starting at 7 p.m., or make reservations at Meso Beach House or Deck 84 to view while dining. delraybeachfl.gov

Delray and Boynton Boat Parade

Worth the Trip

WINTERFEST BOAT PARADE, FORT LAUDERDALE

The king of all boat parades, Winterfest has been dazzling Fort Lauderdale’s New River and Intracoastal for more than 50 years. And with the show televised up the eastern seaboard, this parade of awe-inspiring vessels is viewed by millions in South Florida and beyond. If you want to see it up close and personal, there are watch parties along the waterways as well as VIP spaces to purchase tickets to be right up at the action. Each year, a celebrity emcee is chosen—in the past, the honor has gone to Dan Marino, Kim Kardashian, Pitbull, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and others. winterfestparade.com

ZOO LIGHTS AT THE PALM BEACH ZOO, WEST PALM BEACH

A newer tradition to South Florida, the Palm Beach Zoo lights up for the fourth-annual Zoo Lights. On select nights from Nov. 18 to Jan. 1, visitors can wander the zoo awash in more than 1 million eco-friendly lights, as well as holiday music, food stations throughout the zoo, seasonal cocktails and treats, a s’mores pit and even a North Pole dance floor. Santa will also be making stops at the zoo for photos through Dec. 23. palmbeachzoo.org/zoolights

INDULGE AT THE BREAKERS, PALM BEACH

During the holiday season, The Breakers is transformed into a winter wonderland of thousands of lights, ornaments, ribbon and bows surrounding soaring ever green trees and a menorah. Make reservations for a fine holiday brunch, dinner or tea at the resort’s HMF, Flagler Steakhouse or The Italian Restaurant, as well as spaces transformed into impressive buffet spreads. There’s plenty of gift shopping to be done, too, at the resort’s slew of boutiques, including Guerlain, Absolutely Suitable, Mix, and Match. thebreakers.com

“THE POLAR EXPRESS” ON THE BRIGHTLINE, MIAMI

The iconic children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg comes to life for the fourth year aboard the Brightline train, leaving from Miami Central in downtown Miami. Deco rated for Christmas, riders aboard The Polar Express from Dec. 3 to 29 will be served hot cocoa and shortbread by dancing chefs and greeted by the characters from the story, topped off by a visit from the big man himself, Santa Claus. Don’t forget your golden ticket, and if you believe in the spirit of Christmas, you should be able to hear the chime of the jingle bell at the end of the hour-long ride. miamithepolarexpressride.com

“THE NUTCRACKER” AT THE KRAVIS CENTER, WEST PALM BEACH

“The Nutcracker” is quintessential Christmas fare, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has not one but two performances of the storied ballet. From Dec. 3 to 4, Ballet Palm Beach will be performing the story of little Clara as she battles the Mouse King in a whirlwind of sugar plum fairies, international dancers and the Nutcracker Prince’s army. From Dec. 28 to 30, Miami City Ballet makes the drive up to West Palm Beach to keep the holiday spirits alive with a perfor mance of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker.” kravis.org

MICHAEL JAMES

“The

While it might feel like summer all year round, the weather gods usually grace us with some cooler days at the end of the year. Enjoy those lower temperatures by walking through the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a peaceful getaway with twisting bonsai trees, towering bamboo and bright florals. You can also partake in one of its many cultural classes, including tea ceremony, shibori indigo dyeing, bonsai trimming, sumi-e ink painting and flower arranging. It’s a great opportunity to create handmade holiday gifts! morikami.org

12 NEW YEAR AT OLD SCHOOL

Usher in 2023 with a kiss at Old School Square. The event includes an ice-skating rink, music, dancing, plenty of food and drink along Atlan tic Avenue, a last glimpse of the 100foot Christmas Tree and, of course, fireworks. delraybeachfl.gov

13 LIGHTS AND LATKES

The eight days of Hanukkah kick off at Old School Square, with Delray Beach leadership and local rabbis gathering to light the first candle of the menorah. This year the festival of lights begins on Dec. 18, and revelers

young and old can partake in arts and crafts, dreidel games, and plenty of latkes, sufganiyot and gelt. Even after the party is over, the candles of the menorah will continue to be lit, one by one. delraybeachfl.gov

14 KWANZAA AT THE SPADY MUSEUM

A gem in Delray Beach, the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is a celebration of African-, Caribbeanand Bahamian-American culture and contributions. The museum introduced a Kwanzaa celebration in 2020, and it’s returning this year on Dec. 26 with a Kuumba Village. Here, guests can make gifts, dance to live music, partake in arts and crafts and indulge in Pan-African dishes, while children can enjoy storytelling. Although the holiday is celebrated over the course of a week, the team at Spady is condensing the fun into an afternoon while never forgetting the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. spady marketplace.org

15 SANTA CRUISE

We do things a little differently here in South Florida, so it only makes sense that Santa travels by yacht around these parts. Hop aboard Delray Yacht Cruises’ vessels for the Santa Cruise, where good boys and girls (young and old, naughty or nice) can hang

with the jolly old man himself and sail down the sparkling Intracoastal. Delray Yacht Cruises also hosts Thanksgiving dinner cruises, breakfast and dinner cruises throughout the holidays, and a New Year’s Eve dinner and dancing cruise to ring in 2023. For dates and details, visit delraybeach cruises.com

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Santa cruise

Delray’s biggest Facebook groups sound off

BY JOHN THOMASON

ou never know what you’ll discover on Delray Raw, Delray Beach Community Forum and Best of Delray Beach. Each of these Facebook groups offers an eclectic bulletin board of community recommendations, reviews, images and concerns both monumental and picayune.

Recommendations for a stylist or a bathroom remodel or a vetted endocrinologist exist in the endless scroll, tucked among photographs of sunrises over the beach, promotional posts from restaurants and nonprofits, and news stories about the Brightline station, the housing crisis and that most polariz ing of topics, the Old School Square debacle. Citizens use these platforms to express their opinions, hopefully without bile; the Delray Beach Police Department uses them to post about miss ing children. Want to discover the best waters for paddleboard ing? You can find them, or if you can’t, simply post about it, and you’ll have your answer within the hour.

These are just three of a dozen or so Facebook Communities that exist in Delray Beach, but they’re the ones with the widest influence. Gregg Weiss, an investment banker, and Kellee Ray, a massage therapist, hashed out the idea for Delray Raw (24,000 members), the grandaddy of the local forums, around 2010. Weiss splintered off from Raw in 2014 to form his own group, Delray Beach Community Forum (23,000 members). Real estate agent Stephen Dickstein launched Best of Delray Beach (just under 10,000 members) a year ago as a corollary to a smartphone app of the same name that specializes in a curated guide to restaurants, entertain ment and services in the city.

Similar in their objectives to 21st century town squares—if differing on some of the subject matter and ground rules—the forums have become vi tal information sources, replacing community newspapers, Craigslist and in some cases city commission meetings. In this spirited conversation, Weiss, Ray and Dickstein sat with Delray magazine to discuss the inspirations for their forums, their appeal and longevity, Delray’s needs and much more.

From left, Gregg Weiss, founder of Delray Beach Community Forum; Kellee Ray, co-founder of Delray Raw; Stephen Dickstein, founder of Best of Delray Beach

On why their groups are important:

WEISS: I think that in the age we’re in, communi cation is so critical to quality of life in small towns like Delray Beach. In the old days we would get news through traditional media, and it was pas sive. In other words, you were reading what was. It still serves a great purpose, but … the reason we founded Delray Raw originally was to create a space where people could talk in real time about real issues that were happening in Delray.

DICKSTEIN: We provide a safe space. Anyone can say anything and not feel they’re going to be criti cized unfairly. We don’t let people say, “don’t go to this restaurant.” That’s unfair. What we do say is, “I ate at that restaurant, and the veal Parmigiana was really dry, the portions were small, the service stunk.” But you can’t tell other people what to think, because 10 people might have a fantastic experience at that same restaurant. Let them tell their experiences.

On the shifting media landscape:

WEISS: When you go to the community section of the Palm Beach Post or Sun Sentinel, there are one or two articles, if you’re lucky, about Delray. They let go of the beat reporters. Ten years ago, you’d find six or seven articles; you knew what was going on in the community.

DICKSTEIN: In the ‘50s there were only a couple of TV stations, and there were only a couple magazines. Everybody had a subscription to Life magazine. What happened was—and this is the way all technology goes—is that it leads to smaller and smaller affinity groups. Delray Beach now is an affinity group. It’s a group of like-minded people that have a shared interest. What you’re trying to do with these groups is give people a way to connect with like-minded people.

On the inspiration for Delray Raw:

RAY: At the time my children were a lot younger, and whenever I went to Veterans Park to play with my kids, half of the playground was boarded off, had caution tape, and was literally burnt. This is directly across the street from The Seagate hotel, where we’re trying to bring all these people … yet the community itself was being neglected.

WEISS: I stopped taking my kids there, because of all the hypodermic needles.

RAY: We could put up a million-dollar Gateway, and we don’t have a playground for children? It was trying to get people together and get on the same page and say, ‘hey, what’s going on in this city?’ Let’s create a community so we know what’s going on. With that, the playground eventually did

get changed. At First Avenue, there was no traffic light. There was an accident pretty much daily. They put in stop signs, and then they ended up putting up a light. It was trying to make the com munity better for the people that lived here.

On the meaning of Delray Raw:

RAY: I wanted something catchy. “Raw” means Raising Awareness Weal. It basically means a group of people coming together for a common good. … I wanted people to be real. Be raw, tell it like it is, but be respectful.

On how Delray Raw became a breeding ground for meanness:

WEISS: My goal when starting it was to just let people speak their minds, without a whole lot of quality control. Obviously we had certain rules— no profanity, no nudity—but we pretty much wanted a forum where it could be left alone. In 2013, three years after we launched Delray Raw, it got real ugly. That’s when Delray started under going a real shift in how politics was viewed and dealt with on a commission level. You had a big divide and split that caused a lot of contention. It got out of control, and I was a little unprepared for it, because I had been used to people, for the most part, playing nice in the sandbox.

IPIC was a big area of contention, and the Arts Garage building [which a law firm had been work ing to acquire circa 2012—Ed.]. People weren’t behaving nice about it. They were superimposing pictures of commissioners doing bad things. It got a really ugly feel, and I didn’t like it. It only got worse.

DICKSTEIN: In our world, one or two trolls, people that just are troublemakers, can go in there and … change the course of conversation with one comment.

WEISS: I had a big decision to make: I could sit here and try to rein everything in from what the members of Delray Raw were used to from that three-year period it was in existence, or I could go off and create what I really wanted, which was more of a community forum.

On the differences between Delray Raw and Delray Beach Community Forum:

WEISS: I took it back a notch. I dialed it down. I said, you can talk local politics. You can talk about any subject as long as it’s related to Delray. But I put very tight controls. Businesses can only post once per week. Charities can post as often as they want, because I really wanted it to be a forum where the nonprofits in the city could communi

cate with potential donors and supporters. I added things like no bullying, no harassing. You can’t message individuals without permission. We put a zero tolerance policy on that, to the point where they’re instantly blocked.

We are able to control the temperature. They can still talk about Delray politics and planning and zoning, and proposed buildings, elections. Everybody is allowed to speak their voice, as long as they do it with a little bit of civility and class and grace.

On the toxicity of Delray politics:

WEISS: People got very polarized with saving the “village by the sea.” The mood has shifted to little pockets of silos. There’s this small but very vocal group that wants to go back to where we were 25 years ago, but you can’t put toothpaste back in the tube. But if you’ve noticed, the people that talk the loudest aren’t exactly making plans to leave Delray.

DICKSTEIN: They’re buying second homes in North Carolina.

On the impact of their groups:

WEISS: During the pandemic … we were the only Delray Beach group out there, consistently, putting out information as we were getting it from the county and from the city. We monitored every thing very closely, and—good, bad or indiffer

ent—we put data out there to help people. We told them where they could get their vaccines, we kept databases of who had vaccines and boosters in stock. This was when people couldn’t even find anywhere to get an antibody test. So we were able to mobilize it and help a lot of people.

Another example: This is happening as we speak because of the rental crisis in Delray. Every day now, we’re getting people with prop erties and people looking for properties to rent that are affordable, because so many people are getting displaced.

DICKSTEIN: With us … we revel in the fact that a CRA-backed restaurant that’s brand-new, that when we write glowing reviews on our site, they get a line out the door in two days. [This happened with] Conch Craving. And with Gremla Bakery. We’re not trying to be influencers necessarily, oth er than in the food business. We love to celebrate new places.

On how their forums change lives:

DICKSTEIN: There’s an older lady at the Wednesday Night Drum Circle at Old School Square. She must be 85. And she dances. Her son is one of the percussionists. And she’s delightful. She’s dancing on air amongst all these kids and hippies. And I just focused on her in a video on our page. I got a call, through the group, from a senior care center

In my group it’s all happiness. There’s no negativity, as opposed to some non-moderated groups that just get out of control and become hate groups and misinformation groups.

—Stephen Dickstein

that asked me if I could connect them to the drum circle so they could do that for their people. Those are the little things that I most appreciate. We believe we touch people’s lives all the time.

RAY: My daughter was living in Key West, and took a sailboat with friends to Provincetown, Mass., for the summer to work there. They got about halfway there, and the motor broke. You’ve got a boat with five kids, ages 18 to 22, leaving Key West to work in Cape Cod on a little sailboat, and we were able to put it out [on Raw]. They were able to get $1,500. They were able to get the boat fixed in North Carolina.

Another family had lost their housing, and we helped get them new furniture, get in a new situ ation, hooked them up with community services. There’s a lot of generosity.

On how their forums have fueled movements:

WEISS: There is no doubt that we helped with the Old School Square situation to bring aware ness out there. When we started promoting the Change.org petition … we ended up getting 11,000 signatures from people in support of the organization. We weren’t taking a position in Delray Beach Community Forum, even though I’m a board member [of OSS]. All we wanted to do for that petition was to get the sides together

to talk. Forget about the litigation. Forget about animosity. Forget about personalities. And that’s what brought a lot of people together.

On the civic leaders who follow the groups:

WEISS: Commissioner Ryan Boylston has been really good at responding to people. He’s the best of the commissioners at utilizing social media to reach out to citizens and those who live, work and play in Delray. Juli [Casale] uses our site, but very sparingly, and usually when there’s a disagreement. Once in a great while, the mayor will weigh in. But … Ryan has got it. He realized that he can have more direct communication via social media than he could in almost any other forum.

DICKSTEIN: You’re missing a lot if you’re a public servant and you didn’t engage with these groups. Because there is so much information about the community that they can gather and poll from. This is a closer connection than they’re going to get with 90 percent of the peo ple they’re dealing with.

On handling personal attacks from group members:

DICKSTEIN: I have a really thin skin. I can be really snarky. If someone says something nasty, my first instinct is to be snarky back to them. But I usually call Gregg or Mike Mayo [the former Sun Sentinel food critic, who contributes

You become a part of these people’s lives. It’s almost like being a newscaster. We have that more anonymously, because it’s not about us personally. But people get a relationship with the group, and they really feel a part of something.

—Stephen Dickstein

Bustling downtown Delray

—Kellee Ray

copious food content to Best of Delray Beach— Ed.], and they talk me off the ledge. Usually you can find a way, if you remove your ego—which you have to do many times in a position as an administrator or monitor—to come back with something that actually advances the conversa tion in a positive or constructive way. But you have to suck it up.

RAY: I’m not as sensitive. I do have a bit of a thicker skin. … The thing is to remain impartial, and understand that they don’t know me. I don’t know where they’re coming from, what issues they have going on, and I just look at it wide open and impersonally.

WEISS: Of the three of us, I have the thickest skin. Nothing permeates me. I view the admin role as half HR manager, half middle school teacher. You’ve got to recognize the fact you’re going to have good actors, bad actors … you’re going to have people that want to get under your skin intentionally, and they’re going to find every way to do it. I’ve been called everything under the sun in Instant Messenger. I’ve had threats levied against me. It doesn’t bother me. The only time it would ever cross the line is if there was a threat to my family.

What Delray needs more of:

WEISS: More citizens getting involved on the community level. It’s easy to sit and complain and make observations behind the keyboard, but to go out there and impact change, you need to make more effort. That is what built Delray.

DICKSTEIN: I’m a newcomer, so it’s hard for me to have a wise opinion about where things are going. To me, this is a fantasyland. It’s an absolute perfect playground. But if there’s anything that would benefit in the long run, it’s a real effort at historic preservation. I would like to see more of that—re ally engaging the past—especially here, where you have an ethnic community that is the base of the city, that provides a lot of the backbone of where we are and why it looks the way it does.

What Delray needs less of:

RAY: It needs less corporate. I miss the mom-andpops. Downtown has become one big strip mall, and I know a lot of Delray residents are disappoint ed in that. There could be more zoning to help protect families and the integrity of the community. The city has to issue all these permits; be mindful of how many permits you offer. How many houses can you tear down from a beautiful historic neighbor hood and make it into a concrete square block?

On the “secret sauce” that made Delray what it is:

RAY: Back in the day, when the Avenue wasn’t what it is now … it was very Old Town America. It was very much a family community, with that small-town feel, where you knew your neighbors. Across the country, we’ve lost that small-town feeling, that Mayberry feel, and that’s how Delray was to me when I first got there.

On where to get good Chinese food in Delray:

DICKSTEIN: That’s worth a drive. You have to go Silver Pond, in Coral Springs.

RAY: I don’t think there is any. It’s really hard to find good Chinese food anywhere. … Grand China on Southern Boulevard. I drive all the way to West Palm.

WEISS: That question has become the running joke in Delray Beach. It’s a South Florida thing from all the New Yorkers; it is what it is.

[Delray] needs less corporate. I miss the mom-and-pops. Downtown has become one big strip mall, and I know a lot of Delray residents are disappointed in that. There could be more zoning to help protect families and the integrity of the community.

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Their names may be familiar but their talents, expertise and occupations remain a source of information and inspiration.

Find out more about these Faces that grace our community with their contributions, and teach us a few things along the way.

The 561 Face of ELITE Diamonds

Rosenberg Diamonds & Co.

David Rosenberg,

President, Diamantaire

Known fondly as the international iceman, diamantaire David Rosenberg has certainly earned the title and has risen from self-taught entrepreneur to renowned diamond expert. At his elegant Boca Raton boutique, Rosenberg has spent the last two decades curating a collection of some of the world’s rarest and most soughtafter diamonds. From designs worn by royalty and precious heirlooms to important D Flawless and natural fancy color diamonds, Rosenberg Diamonds & Co. is dripping in some of the world’s most exquisite pieces.

While these past couple of years have certainly disrupted the normal daily life, Rosenberg’s dR brand continues to grow, which he attributes to the strong relationship with his worldwide clientele and the emotional connection that jewelry and diamonds evoke. He says over the last year, he’s had a flurry of clients arrive to his boutique or jump on a zoom call from a remote location, seeking that special token of gratitude for that special someone who deserves it.

“The past couple of years have taught us, if nothing else, to cherish our loved ones,” Rosenberg says with a smile. “We’ve overcome incredible challenges together both as a community and globally, and we continue to see that there is no better way to show appreciation than with a timeless symbol of love, a natural diamond!”

The display cases of Rosenberg’s boutique are carefully curated. With a mind-blowing selection of the world’s rarest and most unique diamonds and high jewels, the boutique offers items fit for both the novice to the most astute and experienced buyers. Rosenberg’s eye for detail and artistic touch have made him a favorite amongst elite connoisseurs and collectors who are looking for the bespoke one-of-a-kind experience.

“We house some of the world’s finest and best treasures,” he adds. “When a sophisticated buyer walks into our boutique, they know they’re home.”

Even more than the transaction, he takes pride in the relationships he builds with his clients and the handshakes behind every sale. According to Rosenberg, this is what matters most.

JASON NUTTLE

LILIANA ARANGUREN, DDS, MDSc

JEFFREY GANELES, DMD, FACD

FREDERIC J. NORKIN, DMD

JASON NUTTLE

The 561 Faces of Board Certified Dental Excellence

SOUTH FLORIDA CENTER FOR PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY

Maintaining good oral health is critical to maintaining good general health. Yet surprisingly, about 47 percent of Americans have some degree of periodontal disease, even though many already see a dentist. Treating and managing these problems early is vital, according to the team of board-certified periodontists at South Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, who excel at managing periodontitis (gum disease) or permanently replacing teeth with dental implants. In 2002, they trademarked TeethToday® to immediately reverse years of dental problems, allowing patients to predictably leave the office with new, fixed, implant-supported teeth. Their motto is “No one leaves our office without teeth!”

The dentists are known for implementing technology to improve results and minimize healing time. One example is they helped create, test and obtain FDA approval for the world’s first robotic system for precise implant placement. They use lasers, advanced imaging, digital bite analysis and other technology, and offer sedation.

While the office has always been meticulous about infection control through universal precautions, they recently redoubled those efforts and implemented new measures to protect against the spread of airborne diseases like coronavirus. Their multi-tiered approach to minimize droplet and aerosol production and pathogenesis also includes regular hospital grade sanitization and fogging, use of antiseptic rinse and irrigation, high powered aerosol and droplet vacuums, meticulous surface decontamination, air filtration and significant attention to scheduling for social distancing.

With all these measures in place, they are able to provide the full scope of services for which they are renowned, and provide patients with the confidence to have all their dental needs met. Now, more than ever, optimizing dental health is important for maintaining dental health. New information suggests that people with gum inflammation (periodontitis) may be predisposed to worse complications with COVID-19.

don’t need a referral to call the office for an evaluation or periodic maintenance.

Jeffrey Ganeles, DMD, FACD

Liliana Aranguren, DDS, MDSc Frederic J. Norkin, DMD Samuel Zfaz, DDS

SAMUEL

The 561 Face of Custom Home Building BELLA HOMES

Stephen Petrucci

Building beautiful, quality custom homes is what Stephen Petrucci, managing partner at Bella Homes, does best.

Bella Homes in Delray Beach is a full-service real estate development company with a progressive focus on eco-luxury initiatives for residential sale and rental communities, and has been constructing stately, impressive homes since 2014.

“What makes us different is our attention to details in the architecture, building materials and design, which is second to none, and our one-ofa-kind craftsmanship,” Petrucci says. “I show up at the job site every day to make sure everything is going smoothly, which is why people want to work with us.”

Bella Homes designs eco-luxury homes and is always on the forefront of the latest and greatest design trends and smart technology. Every home is built differently, from the architecture to the finishes. Petrucci collaborates with the best contractors and vendors, which allows him to put together his masterpieces.

He started out in finance and quickly moved into building custom homes, so he’s well versed in all aspects of home building.

He built his career from the ground up with decades of experience in home building. His track record of constructing thousands of homes started with the company building mid-level homes, and transformed into building high-end luxury residences. Bella Homes is currently constructing homes in the best locations—in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Ocean Ridge.

“We have a great team that puts their hearts and souls into every home we build, and makes sure we provide the very best product on the market.”

The 561 FaceS of BUZZWORTHY PUBLIC RELATIONS

JULIE MULLEN AND ELIZABETH KELLEY GRACE Co-founders of The Buzz Agency

In 2009 amid the great recession, Julie Mullen and Elizabeth Kelley Grace were working from their dining room tables on their own public relations consulting practices when they decided to combine forces. The duo can remember going into the bank to open a business account together with just 500 dollars to invest.

Now with 13 years under their belts, the cofounders of The Buzz Agency run the largest public relations firm in Palm Beach County, according to the South Florida Business Journal’s 2022 “Book of Lists.”

One of the agency’s key attributes is that even as they’ve scaled to include seven team members, Mullen and Grace continue to oversee management of clients directly. “Liz and I are so hands-on with every client,” Mullen says. “We truly love what we do, and know our clients appreciate having the co-founders involved in servicing their PR needs.”

What brings Mullen and Grace joy is working one-on-one with their consumer-facing and business-to-business clients, providing media relations and community outreach for nonprofits and corporate clients. “Nothing makes me more excited than seeing positive news coverage about our clients,” Grace says. “We love being a part of moving the needle for them.”

JASON NUTTLE

The 561 Face of Philanthropic Women Impact 100 Palm Beach County

Kelly Fleming, President

“All it takes is one woman, one check and one vote,” explains Kelly Fleming, president of Impact 100 Palm Beach County. Impact 100 PBC inspires women to improve their community by collectively funding multiple $100,000 grants to nonprofit high-impact initiatives in southern PBC.

Impact 100 PBC has provided $5.25 million in grants to local nonprofits. With 61 Impact 100 chapters around the world, Impact 100 PBC is the second largest, with 727 women members. Fleming describes the organization’s model as “efficient philanthropy,” which allows women to support nonprofit programs that create transformational change while leading busy lives with family and careers. Women invest knowing Impact 100 has thoroughly vetted the programs for sustainability and achievability.

Fleming has reviewed grants for seven years and understands their intricacies. She also understands their benefits. Each member contributes $1,000, all contributions are aggregated, and in 2021, $727,000 was awarded through seven $100,000 grants and three merit grants.

Nonprofit programs are considered in five categories: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation; Family; Environment and Animal Welfare; Education; and Health and Wellness. Through a rigorous nomination and interview process, including multiple site visits, nonprofit finalists are selected. The year culminates at the Grand Award Celebration, where each member casts one vote to determine which finalists receive $100,000 grants.

“It’s exciting that the organization aspires to grow to 1,000 members, enabling Impact 100 PBC to give $1 million a year to our community,” says Fleming.

The 561 Face of a Personal Luxury Real Estate Advisor Pierce Luxury Real Estate Group, Douglas Elliman

Michael Pierce

A Boca Raton native, Michael Pierce was always enamored by the beautiful homes that surrounded Lake Boca, and the wealthy friends he grew up with who owned them. He reveled in the experience of living vicariously through their good fortune and chartered a plan for his own. Becoming a REALTOR®, and selling high-end homes became a means of achieving his lifestyle goals as well as those of his clients’.

With a business degree from University of Central Florida and a strong sense of discipline rooted from playing college football and hitting the gym daily, he did his due diligence by learning all of the luxury Boca Raton communities from the opulent country club communities to charming hideaways.

“Times are changing,” he says with a sigh of relief. “We are no longer in a state of emergency brought on by Covid. The market is softening with more inventory and a lot more room for negotiation.”

Pierce prides himself on his negotiation skills and finding exactly what his clients are looking for. “My clients and I end up becoming friends, and they have my contact information, forever.

I’m a very busy individual. I love my work, my work out, golfing, boating, playing football and basketball. I easily connect with people everywhere I go. When the time is right, I have the opportunity to sell or list their home for them,” he says.

561.927.5011

PIERCE LUXURY

The 561 Face of Financial Freedom Intercoastal Wealth Planning

Elizabeth M. Bennett, MBA

Principal and Certified Financial Planner™

When the state of the market isn’t the best news, you can count on Certified Financial Planner™ Beth Bennett to “talk her clients through volatility,” with sound advice and personal concern for their fears. More importantly, her decades of experience provide clients with a breadth of solutions for their wealth management and a voice of calm to help forge a plan together, in good times and bad.

“Traditional asset allocation and core portfolio construction is being challenged at the moment. Staying invested in the market is very important for the growth of your wealth. You cannot time the market. What is more important is time IN the market. According to JP Morgan’s analysis, if you had invested $10,000 in the S&P 500 on January 1, 2002, and stayed the course, you would have $61,685 as of December 31, 2021. However, if you missed the 10 best days in the market, you would have $28,260. All this being noted, it is very important to have a cash buffer to weather these markets,” says Bennett.

Bennett’s new Florida office, Intercoastal

a division of Chesapeake

Planning, is now open at 6751 N. Federal Highway, fourth floor, in Boca Raton. “Please call or stop by,” she says.

The 561 Face of STATE-OF-THE-ART HAIR RESTORATION

Bauman Medical

DR. ALAN J. BAUMAN Founder, CEO and Medical Director of Bauman Medical

When Dr. Alan J. Bauman started his surgical residency in New York, he met a patient whose hair transplant not only transformed the way he looked but also the way he felt. Nearly 25 years later, Bauman still says, “changing people’s lives is the part of my profession I enjoy the most.”

As South Florida’s go-to physician for hair restoration, Bauman has treated more than 33,000 patients over the span of his career. Drawn to Boca Raton for its healthconscious community, Bauman identified a gap in local care, noting that while there were plenty of dermatologists and plastic surgeons, no one was exclusively treating the hair and the scalp.

A Board-Certified Hair Restoration Physician, Bauman artfully uses Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), a minimally invasive transplant technique that doesn’t leave linear scars and allows patients to recover quickly. Other all-natural and effective drug-free restorative solutions include PRP, PDOgroTM, Topical Exosome Therapy and Low-Level Laser Therapy.

Beyond helping patients, Bauman is also the medical director and a founding board member of the Grey Team, which provides active U.S. military and vets with a holistic health and wellness program. “I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the sacrifices that our military personnel and their families make,” he says.

PHOTO BY BAUMAN MEDICAL GROUP

The 561 Face of Boca’s Newest Sports Medicine Specialist orthopedic surgery and sports medicine

Drew Stein, MD, PLLC

After practicing orthopedic surgery and sports medicine in New York City for 20 years, Dr. Drew Stein recently opened his solo practice in Boca Raton, treating sportsrelated shoulder, knee, and ankle injuries.

“The active lifestyle we enjoy year-round in South Florida, with sports like tennis and pickle ball, allows a sports medicine specialist the gratification of keeping people in the game,” says Stein.

“Even though my specialty is shoulder and knee surgery, I try to be thoughtful about non-surgical options. My patients and the physical therapists who see them are extremely appreciative that my first inclination is not to operate. It really depends on the type of injury, the patient’s activity level, and pain at the time I see them. I believe that many injuries can heal with proper guidance, supplemented with injections and physical therapy as the first round of treatment before going straight to surgery.

When a person comes in with knee arthritis and a meniscus tear, most of the time the symptoms they are experiencing are more from the arthritis rather than the tear. Likely, they will improve from treating the arthritis instead of operating on the degenerative meniscus tear, not the primary cause of their pain. I would prefer taking a more evidencebased approach and proceeding with surgery when it is absolutely indicated, assuring the best possible outcomes for my patients,” Stein explains.

The 561 Face of EXPERT INVESTMENTS & BANKING

RENEE E. JOHNSON

Vice President, Banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Renee Johnson does more than help her clients build wealth; she also gives them back their time. “I have the ability to monitor with my New York trading team so my clients can enjoy things like sunsets instead of having to worry about their portfolios,” she says.

retired CEOs, to family offices, to active private equity partners, Johnson’s clients receive advice that could result in millions of dollars in tax savings. “I am a collaborative partner,” she says. “We examine the problem in great depth before a solution is enacted. That pause makes us smarter and more disciplined in our approach.”

Johnson started her career in New York City, where she worked in the offices of billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, a pioneer of the modern-day hedge fund and founder of the Robinhood Foundation. “I saw the balance of what I refer to as the intersection of money and meaning,” she says. “Working at J.P. Morgan Private Bank affords me the opportunity to make an impact in my community.”

back to South Florida—where she and her husband raised their three children—

sits on the advisory board of the Boca Raton libraries and the executive board of The Stranahan House, and she volunteers with groups like Soroptimist, Junior League and Habitat for Humanity.

The 561 Face of the World’s First 5G TV Service SuperCloud International, Inc.

Jim Devericks, Founder, Chairman and CEO

A dynamic industry pioneer and a gifted serial entrepreneur, SuperCloud International’s Jim Devericks has combined his passion for entertainment and his progressive vision for technology to create and launch UMAXX.TV, the world’s first 5G TV service in the United States. This premium technology--with in-home service for Internet-connected smart TVs--is the result of over fifteen years of research and development.

Devericks notes that UMAXX.TV’s 5G home Internet service is military grade, which is faster, stronger, and far superior to traditional 5G Internet service. This also allows his company to support their alliances, fostered with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and to provide consumers with a rich, multidimensional and personalized TV experience.

Devericks states, “No more satellite dishes, no more cable boxes, no more unsightly wires-this is the revolutionary future of TV and home entertainment. We have integrated traditional cable TV, IPTV, and streaming, into one powerful gamechanging solution.”

Consumers throughout the country, who sign up for UMAXX.TV Internet and TV service, may choose the UMAXX.TV package that suits them best. UMAXX.TV customers may enjoy over 270 TV channels, over 20,000 movies, over 2.6 million ebooks, over 90 million songs, and a roster of live, pay-per-view events.

The future looks bright for Devericks and his company--they will also be offering Green Power on Demand (GPOD) to power 5G cell towers all over the world. This is no surprise to the man who launched the world’s first live mobile TV service, in the United States, in 2016.

The 561 Face of the Sustainable Office Building and Campus

The Greenhouse

Marc Wigder

Starting and growing a business is challenging, but The Greenhouse corporate office building and campus in Boca Raton makes the process much, much easier.

Founder Marc Wigder is a real estate corporate business attorney by trade, and a New York native who has made South Florida his home, together with his wife, Fran, and family, over the last 17 years.

In 2012, he acquired an east Boca Raton distressed office building out of foreclosure that was largely vacant. “We renovated the building, and what I noticed was that it had many small office spaces of multiple sizes, generally from 500 to 1,500 square feet. Small businesses were naturally gravitating to this building, because there simply aren’t many buildings with small office solutions,” explains Wigder.

“I worked with a marketing firm, and we came up with the idea of branding this office building The Greenhouse, where we grow businesses in a sustainable way, organically.”

In addition to its eco-friendly setting, The Greenhouse has a large atrium with plants and waterfalls—a relaxing, tropical setting that creates a spirit of collaboration—and a downstairs café.

“And, we have flexible leasing, so tenants can move into larger spaces as they grow,” Wigder adds.

In the last 10 years, he’s expanded The Greenhouse into commercial and residential assets on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and in several other cities countrywide.

Raton has been a great place for us not only to start a business, but help others do the same.”

AARON BRISTOL

The 561 Face of Compassionate Nursing Care Boca Nursing Services

Rose Glamoclija, RN

As the COVID vaccination has taken place, for the majority of our clients and staff, we are still following all precautionary measures as we did pre-vaccine.

When the quality of life you’ve known is compromised by illness, you want the highest caliber of care. And since none of us know when that time will come, we are often overwhelmed when it does. At times like these, you need to rely on the comfort and connection to people who will be there for you when you need it most.

Rose Glamoclija, RN, the founder and Administrator of Boca Nursing Services, and a Registered Nurse for more than 30 years, understands. She knows the chemistry between caregivers and patients is paramount, especially when patients are vulnerable and out of their elements. With compassion and concern for every person Boca Nursing Services serves in the surrounding four counties, Rose provides guidance and resources for families needing in-home support and nursing care. Patients are treated with the highest level of respect for their rights, personal beliefs, and privacy.

Rose oversees and supervises the entire operation and personally reviews all qualifications and experience prior to selecting each Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, home health aide, live-in caregiver, and therapist for hire. The concierge private duty nursing care is made available in the comfort of home, a hospital room, during facility stays and while residing at assisted living or rehabilitation facilities. Rose prides herself on the community support she receives and the generations of patients who recommend her services to their friends and families, year after year.

The 561 Face of the Art of Practicing Law

Zappitell Law Firm

David Zappitell Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer

Attorney David Zappitell limits and restricts the number of cases that he takes on at his personal injury law firm in Delray Beach, so that every client is treated like a “big fish in a small sea.”

Zappitell considers his firm to be an Old School law practice, achieving great results for people by treating them the way they deserve to be treated. “My people-first strategic approach of practicing law yields excellent results for my clients. Other lawyers seek my advice frequently. It is as much about the process as it is taking care of people and consoling them; part of my job I take very seriously,” he explains.

“Each day, I encounter very painful wrongful death cases and am constantly grieving with families who have lost loved ones. And through all of that, what I take away is gratitude for health, and the chance to be happy and able to enjoy all life has to offer. Art is a tremendous part of my life. It gives me a more human, less lawyer-like perspective. The true work of art in my life has actually been raising my three kids. They have been a huge part of my grounding, and who I am as a person,” Zappitell reflects.

MICHELE EVE SANDBERG

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.

We believe “home” extends beyond our front doors. That it encompasses our people, community and connections.

We have redefined the process of buying and selling to provide a true experience that moves you—and our community forward.

10 years, we’ve contributed more than $175,000 to our community, proving that small actions make big impacts.

TRUE support during and beyond your transaction, contact us today.

266-3119

NE 5th Avenue

Beach, FL 33483

Who YOU work with MATTERS!

Wendy Kupfer is a seasoned professional drawing on decades of experience guiding clients through complex financial decisions, both as a former private banker with Citigroup Private Bank, and now as a real estate agent with Balistreri Real Estate.

She specializes in helping her clients navigate Palm Beach County’s luxury real estate market. Originally from Philadelphia, Wendy has lived in South Palm Beach County for 35 years, raising her children and serving on multiple non-profit boards.

Wendy first seeks to understand her clients’ unique goals and then leverages her negotiating skills and neighborhood expertise to give her clients a leading edge. Her reputation for integrity and exceptional client experience has grown through her concierge approach to buying and selling homes—and working tirelessly to serve her buyers’ and sellers’ best interests.

Wendy Kupfer’s local expertise is complemented by a global reach—and she always exceeds expectations!!!

Wendy Kupfer, Realtor® Balistreri Real Estate

561-654-8680

WendyKupfer.realtor@gmail.com Wendykupfer.com

Originally from Connecticut and New York City, Julia began working as a professional stage actress and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with an MFA. Throughout her career she has traveled extensively, from South Africa, Australia, Japan, Korea, the United States, Canada, the Islands, and to most of Europe. She credits her empathy and understanding of people to the many journeys she has experienced in life.

Her business is based on trust, communication, understanding, dedication and deter mination. She represents buyers and sellers on a day to day basis. She always goes the extra mile and thinks outside of the box. She will find you your home or sell it, no matter what. She takes chances and does not miss opportunities. Her strong negotiating skills are an asset to her clients. Each day is a day to make it happen. She has a deep respect and appreciation for the clients she works with. Julia’s real estate transactions include Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin Counties.

Julia is driven by the love for her husband John, family and friends. Her goals and interests include living a healthy lifestyle, swimming, the beach,

reading, writing, learning, the outdoors and self improvement.

speaks fluent Polish, yet she was born in Connecticut. She taught herself how to read and write Polish at the age of 5. Her passion is Real Estate.

Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach presents the 4th Annual

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2022 | ST. ANDREWS CLUB

CO-CHAIRS

Jennifer Coulter • Virginia Costa • Jorgette Smith

For more information, contact Nicole Miranda at (561) 676-5472 or at nmiranda@bgcpbc.org or visit www.bgcpbc.org

UNIQUE BOUTIQUE JEWELRY

cabachon

in

Boutique’s

E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444

Third Street South, Naples, FL 34102

Cape Cod,

02649

EVENTS

GOLDSMITH & COMPLICATIONS

GOLDSMITH & COMPLICATIONS welcomes horological enthusiasts to our Atlantic Avenue boutique on November 11th and 12th for a two-day watch fair. Join us for cocktails, charcuterie, and an up-close look at the incredible artistry and ingenuity achieved by today’s most-exciting watchmakers. Visit our website for more information and to RSVP.

411 E. Atlantic Avenue Suite 200W 561.332.3747

ZAPPITELL LAW FIRM

David Zappitell is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and a National Trial Lawyer Top 100 in the State of Florida who restricts his practice to serious injuries or death. Mr. Zappitell feels privileged to have represented families throughout Florida for almost 30 years and provides personal attention to every client. He does the same for local charities.

200 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 103 Delray Beach, Florida 33445 561.330.6330 florida.law

BOCA HELPING HANDS’ BOWLING FOR BREAD

WHAT: Boca Helping Hands’ (BHH) annual Bowling For Bread (BFB) event returned after a two-year COVID hiatus for an afternoon of fun and bowling to benefit the BHH Backpacks weekend meal program and the 12 participating children’s charities, including 4KIDS of South Florida, Inc., Achievement Centers for Children & Families, Adopt a Family and more. The event attracted 250 guests who were treated to pizza, wings, barbecue sandwiches, and chips and salsa donated by Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs, Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ, Miller’s Ale House, Bru’s Room Sports Grill and Rocco’s Tacos.

WHERE: Bowlero in Boca Raton

Sponsor Verizon: Taylor Hylton, Jodi Hylton, Rosemarie Hylton Sophia Calderon, Yulianny Cabrera, Mike Ashbaugh, Heidi Brenner, Kayla Figueroa

Sponsor and team tournament winner Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s Pat McCarthy, Silva Alexandrov, Trisha Saffer, Claudia DuBois

Katie Pomeroy, Hilary Tutman, Mark Schrieber, Teresa Woodside, Jen Yemeniciler

GINA FONTANA

Volunteers Leonard Wierzbowski, Jean Ross, Terry Blackman and Mavis Miller

BFB high scorer Ed Sethness with Greg Hazle

Andy and Diana Eisele, event sponsor Lee Steinberg, Shane Brown, Amanda Eisele

GINA FONTANA

COASTAL

STAR

Dan Brede, Paul Casto, Katie Brede, Dave Currier, Debbie Rapka

BFB team champions: Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s Claudia DuBois, Greg Hazle, Michael Miller

Volunteers Janean Mileusnic and Yoli Brennan

HE DID SURVIVE: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR GARY SCHWEIKHART

WHAT: Delray’s Arts Garage partnered with The Buzz Agency and Pollack Communications to deliver a benefit concert for local PR legend Gary Schweikhart, who sustained life-threatening injuries after a vehicle smashed into his home office on July 11. The sold-out event drew in a crowd of nearly 200 guests, including friends and colleagues who joined in supporting South Florida’s “Godfather” of PR. Featured at the concert were performers Rich & Jill Switzer, Deborah Silver, Anthony Nunziata and Avery Sommers, with accompaniment from Phil Hinton and a special prerecorded message from Rob Russell. Schweikhart himself even took the stage to give thanks to all in attendance, whose proceeds went toward aiding in Gary’s recovery.

WHERE: Arts Garage

Mary Ann and Barry Seidman

Deborah Bigeleisen and Sharon Koskoff

Vince Abrams and Jeanne Epstein

Avery Sommers

Jill Switzer

Anthony Nunziata, Jill Switzer, Gary Schweikhart, Deborah Silver, Avery Sommers

JACEK GANCARZ/PHOTOS

JACEK

John and Debbie Calabria, Mary Lewis-Moews and Steve Moews

Carol Kassie, Laura Zele, Ralph Kassie, Jennifer Sardone Shiner, Amy Woods

Rich Pollack, Gary Schweikhart, Julie Mullen

Joyce Sullivan, Debra Chandler, Keeter Martinson

Deborah Silver

JACEK GANCARZ/PHOTOS

BY JACEK

Deborah Bottorff, Rich Pollack and Julie Mullen

PALM BEACH SYMPHONY APRÈS CONCERT DINNER

WHAT: Supporters of the Palm Beach Symphony celebrated a record-breaking season with a lavish après concert dinner at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion. The dinner followed a spectacular season finale performance that featured violin virtuoso Midori in a program under the baton of Maestro Gerard Schwarz. This year’s awardees of the prestigious Randolph A. Frank Prizes were also announced, and included cellist Claudio Jaffé as the winner of the performing artist category, Stefanie Katz Shear in the category of performing arts educator, and Wesley Lowe, Jr., in the category of emerging arts educator. This season’s finale concert was sponsored by the Lachman Family Foundation.

WHERE: Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Randolph A. Frank Prize awardees Claudio Jaffé, Stefanie Katz Shear, Wesley Lowe, Jr.

Gerard Schwarz, Jody Schwarz, Peter Gottsegen, Felicia Taylor Gottsegen

The Lachman Family

Sandra and Paul Goldner

Evija Ozolins and Alfredo Oliva

COCKTAILS FOR JARC

WHAT: JARC Florida broke a fundraising record during this year’s Cocktails for JARC event, chaired by Justin and Kate Tompkins. The gathering raised more than $30,000 in support of the organization’s mission of educating and empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. All of the proceeds benefited JARC Florida and its programming, which “helps extraordinary people lead ordinary lives.” “JARC is very important to my wife Kate and I, and we are proud to be able to support a worthy cause while showing all that JARC does for the community,” said Co-Chair Justin Tompkins.

WHERE: Crazy Uncle Mike’s

Linda and Ivan Gefen

Chairs Justin and Kate Tompkins, Jennifer Tompkins, Jeff and Jill Tompkins

Casey and Jeremy Olsher, Sean Casper, Jill and Jaren Strasser

Michael and Sherry Brennan, Monica Reiner, Ronni Sommer

Judy Rosen, Jerry Kaplan, Carin Friedman, Corey Kaplan, Wendy Talpalar, Claudia and Keith Dickman

Perfect Pairing at The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar:

Chef Driven Food & World Class Wine

411 E. Atlantic Avenue Suite C Delray Beach, FL 33483 (561) 243-9463

Happy Hour 7 days a week, Lunch, Sunday Brunch, Ladies Night every Wednesday, Wine and Cheese pairings, Chef Tasting Dinners and Spirit Classes

Chef Blake Malatesta, holder of the South Florida Food and Wine Top Chef Award, has been bringing the beauty of local ingredients to South Florida for the last 10 years.

“Last year The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar welcomed Chef Blake Malatesta with open arms. Local Food with Global Flair was always Chef Malatesta’s approach to his culinary journey and now it is flourishing under the Barrel Ceiling of this Delray Beach Gem” says Owner Bruce Simberg. What can be better than Food and Wine together? Malatesta says: “It’s a no brainer! Dozens of champagnes to choose from-of course we have caviar on the new menu, Delicious Burgundies yearn for a Coq Au Vin (a French Classic of roasted Chicken), Big Cabs demand our signature 50 oz Tomahawk (butchered exclusively for The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar). A crisp white Chablis is my pick for our new Escargot dish.”

A plethora of small plates with a diversity of flavors will appeal to any taste. Charred

Octopus, Hand Cut Steak Tartare or Brussels Sprouts are only a few delicious choices. As you explore the new menu, you will be pleasantly surprised by Fresh, Sustainable Local fish that changes daily, Free range Poultry, Heritage Pork and Game along with Grass Fed, Grass Finished Beef and unique vegetables, all sourced from our Sunshine State.

Lunch and Brunch dishes follow the same fresh approach to the ingredients: from Brunch Staples like Steak and Eggs and WRKB Benedict to Lunch favorites such as Crispy Chicken Sandwich & 10 oz Triple-Cut WRKB Burger. “What can be more enjoyable than a chilled glass of Rose with Shrimp n’ Grits under the Florida Sun on a Sunday!”, Malatesta says.

When asked what the Chef’s plans are for the future of The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar, he humbly responded: “We

are already living it. I spent my first six months here building a cohesive restaurant family. One person does not make a restaurant successful, it’s a collective effort that requires dedication and commitment from the whole team. Now that we’ve built a great one, we can focus on enhancing our guests’ experience through Our Chef’s Wine Pairing Dinners. It is a completely unique culinary journey for our Patrons, during which they can expand their knowledge of Wine and Local Ingredients.

Look out for unique Chef Collaborations, Roof Top Gardens and Secret Speak Easy Menus…Shh, don’t tell anybody. Malatesta says; “We are not here to cook pretentious food; We are here to present delicious and unique dishes that highlight the World of Wine. The goal is to make it evident that there is Love, Dedication and Care in every tasty bite.”

There is always something new for you to discover every day at The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar in Delray Beach.

dining guide

resource for Greater

Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar 25 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 561/908-2557

Local hospitality veterans Tina Wang and Chef Jason Zheng continue their winning streak by growing their restaurant empire with their newest concept, Coco Sushi Lounge & Bar. The owners of Boca’s Yakitori Sake House, SaiKo-i Sushi Lounge & Hibachi and Koi Sushi Lounge took over the ex pansive space in Pineapple Grove, which once housed a slew of now-shuttered restaurants like Kyoto, Avant and SoLita. Sprinkling their culinary magic, they’ve transformed it into another sushi haven. Where others have failed, this husbandand-wife team is thriving.

The venue is spacious, with several dining rooms from the covered patio to the sushi counter, if you’re in the mood for a standout omakase experience. Its roomy bar borders the patio and serves refreshing signature cocktails, beer, wine and more than 20 sakes. For an off-menu treat, ask for the house sake ($10). It’s cloudy, semisweet, silky and chilled, offering a refreshing way to kick off an evening. The Kiss My Coco cocktail ($13) evokes a Caribbean vacation with every sip of the vanilla vodka, pineapple rum, coconut rum and coconut milk elixir that was topped with toasted coconut shavings. (Though this drink is not on it, Coco Sushi hosts two daily happy hours with plenty of discounted cock tails, beer, wine, sake and bar bites.)

Take your time exploring the menu. It’s extensive. Catering to any palate, dietary re striction or craving, the menu features both traditional dishes and creative ones within each category. Soups and salads lead into sushi selections and appetizers divided into cool and hot. If you like cooked or raw rolls, you have plenty to choose from, and if you want hot entrées there’s fried rice and noodles alongside

land and sea options.

We started with the crispy baby bok choy ($12), airy bites that have a sweet undertone. The spicy tuna bis cuit ($15) was a table favorite. Crispy rice is topped with a hearty portion of spicy tuna, paper-thin jalapeño, multicolored cav iar for added texture and wasabi mayo at the finish. The chu chu lobster ($20) was rec ommended, and while it sounded interest ing on the menu—Maine lobster wrapped in seared tuna and topped with mango coconut sauce—the flavors didn’t come together.

Among the signature rolls, we chose the lobster sea bass roll ($31) and out of con trol roll ($16). The former is a seaweed roll topped with avocado and tender sea bass that balances out the crunch of the tempura lobster and crisp cucumber. The latter,

finest

IF YOU GO

PARKING: Street and garage parking HOURS: Sun.-Wed., 4 p.m.-midnight; Thurs.-Sat., 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; weekend brunch, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

PRICES: $5-$38

WEBSITE: cocodelray.com

wrapped in soy paper, was stuffed with three fish varieties, but the tuna did overpower the salmon and yellowtail. The pillowy roll was topped with avocado and a kaleidoscope of tobiko that gave it a lovely light crunch.

Tinted in a red glow, the main dining room’s contemporary design is peppered with stunning spiral chandeliers, hanging sculptures resembling wooden sushi boats, and luminescent orbs reflecting in mirrored ceilings. It all sets the scene for a modern and exciting take on Japanese fare.

—Christie Galeano-DeMott

Spicy tuna biscuit

AARON BRISTOL

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. • Lunch Wed.-Fri., Brunch Sat. and Sun., Din ner 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 lob ster 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 amaz ingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$

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. 561/278-3364. $$

Angelo Elia Pizza • Bar • Tapas— 16950 Jog Road. Italian. Nothing on the menu of Angelo Elia’s modCern, small plates-oriented osteria disappoints, but particularly notable are the meaty fried baby arti chokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chicken-turkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweet-salty-earthypungent mélange of pears, pancetta, Gorgonzola, sun-dried figs and mozzarella. • 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 con temporary 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. $$

Bamboo Fire—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. $

Beg for More Izakaya —19 S.E. Fifth Ave. Japa nese 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 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 speak east 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. Contempo rary 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 varia tions 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 mariqui tas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$

Caffe Luna Rosa—34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. Italian. This multiple Delray Beach-award winning restaurant has sparkling service, comfort food taken to a higher level, and a setting just steps from the Atlantic. Open since 1993, and a success since then, they dish up big flavors in a tiny space, so call for reservations. Try the calamari fritto misto, then the rigatoni pomodoro and leave room for dessert. Or come back for breakfast. • Open daily from breakfast through dinner. 561-274-9404. $$

Casa L’Acqua—9 S.E. Seventh Ave. Italian. You’ll get what you pay for here: very good Italian food in the cozy converted house that is a refreshing change from busy Atlantic Avenue. The antipasti (bread, balsamic/ honey dipping sauce, Parmesan chunks, bruschetta) are so good, they could be dinner. But save room for the pollo Parmigiana, the scallopine piccate al limone, the four kinds of risotto, and dessert. • Lunch and din ner daily. 561/563-7492. $$$

Florida’s

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

Cut 432—432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steak-house favorites make this sleek restaurant just different enough to be interesting. Starters such as ceviche (prepared Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wet-aged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner nightly. 561/272-9898. $$$

Dada —52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all its own. The comfort food menu has its quirky charms, too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory but terscotch 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 Ameri can. 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 sea sonal 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 toast 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 Wed.Mon. 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 mar garitas, especially the smoky blend of mezcal and blanco tequila. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/865-5350. $$

EVERYDAY FAVORITES

Big T’s Deli at the Delray Beach Market—33 S.E. Third Ave. American. This is the real deal, a New Jersey/Philly/NY deli run by two bona fide award-winning chefs (Tony “Big T” G and his son Michael) who were successful restaurateurs in the Northeast before joining the carefully curated Delray Beach Market team. This is your catcher’s mitt for all-day breakfast, hand-crafted sandwiches made from top-quality deli meats (try Nana’s hand-rolled meatballs on a torpedo roll, the Philly Steak, the legendary pastrami). Go ahead. Swoon. It’s like coming home. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 561/247-1860. $

Flybird—335 E. Linton Blvd., #B-13. American. Celebrity Chef Michael Salmon (yes, that’s his real name) has cooked in fine restaurants in New York (and for people like Jackie O), starred on the Food Network and more—and it shows in this low-key chicken place that specializes in char-grilled chicken (and chicken pot pies on occasion) as well as downhome sides like mac and three cheeses, mashed potatoes and gravy and Peruvian corn. A hit since it opened, Flybird is still soaring. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/243-1111. $

Over the Bridge Café—814 E Atlantic Ave. American. True to its name, this favorite brunch spot is just to the west of the bridge on East Atlantic Avenue. It offers both traditional favorites and unique spins on brunch cuisine, and dishes like the sunrise crabcake will help you get out of bed in the morning. Frozen cocktails like the Orange Creamsicle are a particular favorite on hot days, and affordable snacks are available for canine guests joining outdoor diners. Breakfast and brunch daily. 561/403-5581. $

Ramen Lab Eatery—25 N.E. Second Ave., # 114. Asian. Offering traditional Japanese ramen dishes alongside more contemporary favorites like poke bowls and bao buns, this sister restaurant to the Boca location of the same name has become an Asian food staple just off of Atlantic Avenue. Don’t miss happy hour from 3-6 p.m. every day, with half off all drinks and select appetizers. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/455-2311. $

Sandwiches by the Sea—1214 E. Atlantic Ave. Deli. Without a website to tout its menu, this definition of a hole-inthe-wall deli has nonetheless built a 40-year word-of-mouth reputation on the quality craftsmanship and lightning-speed service of its subs, hoagies and burgers. Pop in after a beach day for an unsurpassed potato salad or Italian combo. Breakfast and lunch daily. 561/272-2212. $

Sazio Express—1136 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian/American. This baby sister restaurant to the popular Sazio in central downtown Delray has a loyal following for casual lunching and early bites from a menu designed to dangle your favorites before your eyes. Pizzas by the slice or whole (including grandma pizza), heroes (roast beef and gorgonzola, anyone?), wraps, salads, wings, cheese fries, chicken tenders. OK, just stop. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/276-2657. $

Veg Eats Foods—335 E. Linton Blvd. Vegan. This is delightful sanctuary for plant-based foodies has generated a loyal following for its seasonally changing menu of locally sourced comfort-food favorites, which work meatless magic on your taste buds. Try the smothered mushroom burger and the banh mi, made with pea protein-based sausage. Lunch daily. 561/562-6673. $$

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 refreshing frozen pineapple. • Dinner nightly. 561/7391705. $$

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 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. $$$$

Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar—1841 S. Federal Highway. American. You don’t have to worry about calories (most dishes are under 500), you don’t have to worry about finding something you haven’t tried before (new items are added every three months) and freshness is the silent ingredient throughout. Try the pesto Caprese flatbread, the supergrain salad and the steak or salmon or chicken. Desserts offer big tastes in small jars. • Lunch and dinner daily; brunch on week ends. 561/266-3239. $$

Henry’s—16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpre tentious restaurant in the west part of town never fails to delight diners. Expect attentive service and crisp execution of everything—from meat loaf, burgers and fried chicken to flatbreads and hefty composed salads. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/638-1949. $$

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

J&J Seafood Bar & Grill—634 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This local favorite on Atlantic Avenue— owned by John Hutchinson (who is also the chef) and wife Tina—serves up everything from burgers and wraps to a menu brimming with seafood options. Don’t forget to inquire about the stunning array of 10 specials—every night. • Lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/272-3390. $$

Jimmy’s Bistro—9 S. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. This small gem off noisy Atlantic Avenue is big on taste and ambience, and has been busy since 2009. You can travel the world with dumplings, conch fritters, pork schnitzel, rigatoni Bolognese, étouffée and more. Reservations are recommended at this laid-back, comfortable venue. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5774. $$

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 Jo seph 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. Popu lar 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 Ameri can . 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. 561/2785050. (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. $$$

The Office—201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, un less your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap. Don’t miss the restaurant’s winning take on the thick, juicy Prime beef burger and simply wicked maple-frosted donuts with bacon bits and two dipping sauces. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/276-3600. $$

Park Tavern—32 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Check out the high-top seating or bar stools during an excellent happy hour menu that includes deviled eggs, pork sliders, chicken wings and a happy crowd. Entrees are generous and well executed. Try the fish and chips, one of six burgers, fish tacos and more. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 561/265-5093. $$

Prime—29 S.E Second Ave. Steak/Seafood. Prime is aptly named for its heart of the action location, neo-sup per club decor, extensive wine list and roster of designer steaks. Starters and desserts fare better than entrées,

especially the Maryland-style crab cakes and luscious chocolate bread pudding. Service is strong so with a bit of work this restaurant will fully live up to its name. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5845. $$$

Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar—5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, 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 standbys updated with delicious ingredients and high standards. Try the Monetcolored lobster risotto, or housemade pasta, pizza, bread and desserts. . • Dinner Wed.-Sun. 561/271-9423. $$

Salt7—32 S.E. Second Ave. Modern American. All the pieces needed to create a top-notch restaurant are here: talented chef, great food, excellent service. From the pea risotto to the crab cake to the signature steaks and

a lot more, this is a venue worth the money. Thanks goes to Executive Chef Paul Niedermann, who won TV’s notorious “Hell’s Kitchen” show, and his talent is displayed here on the plate. • Dinner Mon.-Sat. Brunch Sunday. 561/274-7258. $$$

Sazio—131 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. This long-lived venue on crowded Atlantic Avenue is a reason to sit down and take a breath. Then take up a fork and try the linguine with white clam sauce or the ravioli Sazio or grilled skirt steak or pretty much anything on the menu. Prices are reasonable; leftovers are popular. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/272-5540. $$

Sundy House—106 S. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. It’s fine dining with a new chef and rave reviews here, served in arguably the most beautiful restaurant and gardens in Delray. Menus are seasonal and imaginative. Try any of the fresh local fish dishes. • Lunch Tues.–Sat. Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-5678. $$

Taverna Opa—270 E. Atlantic Ave. Greek. Yes, you can order a side of belly dancing and napkin tossing with your moussaka and baklava at this chain. But the moussaka and baklava are very good; so is the rest of

the food at the downtown Delray outpost. Whole grilled bronzino is finished with lemon and orange juices for a citrusy flavor boost, while tongue-tying galaktoboureko goes baklava one better by adding vanilla-scented custard to golden, flaky phyllo. • Dinner nightly. 561/303-3602. $$

Terra Fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian. The pleasures of simple, well-prepared Italian-American cuisine are front and center here. Enjoy the delicate, pillow-y veal meatballs in Marsala sauce; lusty chicken Allessandro with mushrooms, spinach and artichoke hearts; and a finely crafted tiramisu that’s as satisfying as it is familiar. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/495-5570. $$

Tramonti—119 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. In a world where res taurants 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. $$$

Vic & Angelo’s—290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. People watch ing 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. If you have room for dessert, the classic sweets include cannoli and a tiramisu. • Dinner nightly, brunch weekends. 561/278-9570. $$

Yellowtail—7959 W. Atlantic Ave. Asian. Chef and partner Andrew Marc Rothschild has cooked in notable international kitchens including France’s Michelin-starred Au Crocoile and Palm Beach’s the Breakers—and he’s bringing that elevated experience and cuisine to Delray Beach. What sets Yellow tail apart from the plethora of other sushi joints is its fully customizable menu with its impressive variety of not-so-basic proteins. Yes, there is chicken and shrimp for your pad Thai or curry, but there’s also duck, lobster, squid and scallops. You can also ramp up your maki with eel, prawns and sea urchin, to name just a few. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/501-6391. $$

LAKE WORTH BEACH

Couco Pazzo—915-917 Lake Ave. Italian. Despite the name, there’s nothing crazy about the cooking at this homey eatery. It’s the hearty, soul-satisfying Italian cuisine we’ve all come to know and love. Spaghetti Bolognese is a fine version of a Northern Italian classic. • Dinner nightly. (Tues.–Sun. during summer). 561/585-0320. $$

Paradiso Ristorante—625 Lucerne Ave. Italian. A Tomasz Rut mural dominates the main dining room, and there is also a pasticceria and bar for gelato and espresso. Chef Angelo Romano offers a modern Italian menu. The

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Mediterranean salt-crusted branzino is definitely a musttry. Plus, the wine list is a veritable tome. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/547-2500. $$$

PALM BEACH

Bice—313 Worth Ave. Italian. This venerable restaurant of fers 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 Miami at this hot 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 of ferings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard (not available during summer), 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. $$$

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 onionParmesan dip with house-made fingerling potato chips, the sexy wild boar empanaditas, chicken albondigas tacos and Korean-style short ribs. • Dinner nightly. 561/290-0104. $$

WEB

Jeanne Romer

Volunteer at Delray Beach Visitor Information Center

THEN: Jeanne Romer remembers that Christmas many decades ago when, as a 4-year-old, she asked Santa Claus for a baby sister. She got sneakers in stead. Two years later, however, her wish came true. For Romer, that Christmas and all that followed have always been special. “Christmas was a time when everyone was happy,” she recalls. The mother of three boys, and the wife of a police officer, Romer always made fam ily the priority, but she found time to start a same-day delivery business. She ran the successful enterprise for more than 40 years.

NOW: A frequent visitor to Delray Beach since she was a child, Romer and her husband Lewis started making frequent trips to the city in the early 1980s to care for an aging aunt. A short time later they bought a house in town but remained snowbirds until 2001, when they became permanent residents. The two stayed active in the commu nity, joining the local Elks Lodge, the VFW and the American Legion. After her husband’s death in 2006, Romer helped with citywide events including Art & Jazz on the Avenue, First Friday Art Walk and the Delray Affair. For the past dozen years, she has volunteered at the Visitor Information Center on State Road A1A, helping guests learn more about the town she calls home. “Delray is an amazing Village by the Sea— paradise,” she says. “It’s a world-class destination.” While she enjoys all that Delray has to offer year-round, the holi day season—with Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all celebrated here—is, of course, one of her favorite times to be in Delray. She makes it a point to attend the annual tree lighting, take a ride on the carousel and, of course, pay a visit to Santa. “I just love the atmosphere. Everyone is in such a good mood.”

“Christmas is a wonderful time, because it’s a chance to be with family and to feel the joy of being together. It’s also a time to put your troubles aside for a few days.”