Delray Magazine Summer 2023

TRANSITIONAL

A blend of new and old, the Transitional model reflects the subtle detailing and sophisticated nature of a restored London Townhome. The Transitional model reflects a bespoke aesthetic, warm in nature, inviting by design.

MODERN

Simplicity at its best, the Modern model captures a tailored elegance that only modern design can. The Modern model reflects a clean, exacting aesthetic, showcasing the innate beauty of natural material.

COASTAL

Through the use of neutral materials and subtle textures, a sense of calm and relaxation are created for the Coastal model. The Coastal model reflects a tranquil retreat space, uniquely detached from the outside world.

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©2023 Marriott International, Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Aloft and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

Welcome to the Warmer Side of Care.

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

14 editor’s letter

In Delray, as usual, the only constant is change— and as we close the chapter on another Season, we’re focusing on the positive.

BY MARIE SPEED

17

hot list

The long-awaited Atlantic Crossing is our new foodie mecca, a beloved beauty salon celebrates 10 years, and Tin Roof is your antidote for a case of the Mondays. And did we mention Delray has an app for that? Plus, Pride Fest, Art & Jazz and more sizzling summer happenings.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

23 snapshots

Local officials broke ground on Sundy Village, the Cornell Museum’s reopening hung 10, Achievement Centers anointed a new CEO, and other news of note you may have missed.

24 top 5/calendar

An alt-rock goddess makes a rare Palm Beach County appearance, the Morikami exhibits a WWIIera “witness to wartime,” and to coincide with Father’s Day, this year’s Juneteenth Think Tank celebrates “Black Kings” in the community. Plus, Dave Matthews Band, Nikki Glaser, “Grease: The Musical” and more A&E highlights.

BY JOHN THOMASON

30

style

Brighten up your summer table with these charming and functional home goods from Delray’s most stylish retailers.

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY AARON BRISTOL

38 up close

Meet the service population advocate providing a leg up to Delray’s most vulnerable populations, and a longtime lifeguard whose eagle eyes and fast responses keep us safe while we enjoy the salt life.

BY JOHN THOMASON

42 dine

Locally sourced and nutritionally conscious, the eco-friendly Costa by OK&M is farm-fresh and full of flavor.

BY CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

46 50 things we love about delray

With new commissioners in office, a contentious issue resolved, and a city manager whose tenure has surpassed a lunar cycle, Delray was an oasis of (mostly) good news over the past year. Our annual roundup of the city’s noteworthy people, places and events recaps all of it and much more.

BY MARIE SPEED AND JOHN THOMASON

58 the new psychedelic wave

Once deemed a menace by the federal government’s war on drugs, psychedelic compounds from ketamine to psilocybin have enjoyed a second life as holistic, non-addictive medicines for a range of common ailments. In this special report, South Florida advocates, patients and practitioners weigh in.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

65 home

For the countertop-starved and culinary-minded, kitchen islands have become attractive and essential elements in today’s trendiest residences.

BY CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

98 out & about

This past season, Delray notables helped fill “empty bowls” for the food-insecure, the Spady Museum’s Dr. King brunch honored local African-American leaders, and Le Colonial hosted an unforgettable grand opening.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

105 dining guide

Our review-driven dining guide showcases great restaurants in Delray and beyond.

BY CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

112 community connection

From riding the waves to advocating for beach conservation, the ocean has long been a recreational and career passion for the Surfrider Foundation’s Evan Orellana.

BY RICH POLLACK

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

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

group editor-in-chief

marie speed

managing editor

john thomason

web editor

tyler childress

senior art director

lori pierino

production manager

rafael quiñones

assistant production manager /graphic designer aaron henderson

photographer aaron bristol

contributing writers

christie galeano-demott, margie kaye (promotional writing), rich pollack

director of advertising and marketing nicole ruth

advertising consultants

karen kintner, bruce klein jr., jenna russo

special projects manager

gail eagle

customer services/video editor

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DIRECTORY

Delray Beach magazine is published five times a year, with bi-monthly issues in-season and combined issues in the summertime. If you have any questions or comments regarding our magazine, call us at 561/997-8683. We’d love to hear from you.

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Take advantage of Delray Beach’s prime advertising space—put your ad dollars to work in our award-winning publication. For more information, contact our sales department (nicole@bocamag.com).

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

[ story queries/web queries ]

Delray Beach magazine values the concerns and interests of our readers. Story queries for the print version of Delray Beach should be submitted by email to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com) or John Thomason (john. thomason@bocamag.com). Submit information/queries regarding our website to tyler@bocamag.com. We try to respond to all queries, but due to the large volume that we receive, this may not be possible.

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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@bocamag.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 images to people@bocamag.com. Or mail photos to:

“Out & About”

Delray Beach magazine

1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103 Boca Raton, FL 33487

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margaret mary shuff

group editor-in-chief

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customer services/video editor

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publishers of Boca Raton

Delray Beach

1926

Worth Avenue

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2022 CHARLIE AWARDS

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2021 CHARLIE AWARDS

charlie award (first place)

best public service coverage

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best special theme or show issue

silver award

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best custom publication (Worth Avenue)

bronze award

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2020 CHARLIE AWARDS

charlie award (first place)

best overall writing

best in-depth reporting

best public service feature

silver award

best commentary

best overall design

best overall magazine

best website

Delray Rising

Summer in the city this year may usher in a new Delray—for everyone

I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to being an armchair quarterback—especially when it comes to local politics, city planning, and any other number of disciplines for which I am utterly unqualified. And we all get much better at this the older we get, the more we stay at home, surrounded by our comfy biases on TV, or talking with friends, or scrolling through social media. This is how I have managed to build a very compelling case for the Good Old Days, especially when it comes to Delray. I get nostalgic for the usual suspects: Hand’s, the old Colony Liquor store, Ken & Hazel’s, but more for the ‘90s when Delray was awakening from its Big Sleep—but not crazy, like now.

And then we have 2023. And our summer issue, with the major feature based on a meeting with plugged-in Delray people who have known the ins and outs of the city for decades. Our “50+ Things We Love About Delray” feature, both irreverent and affectionate, is our annual year in review—the good and the bad—but it always ends up on a high note, and this year was no different.

We had an election that may help heal the division in the city, including perhaps a new reconciliation with Old School Square. We saw the beginnings of a very cool artsy warehouse district and some great new restaurants. Some signature events were dazzling, like Savor the Avenue; even the bed race made a great goofy comeback. The more we talked about Delray, the more everyone found themselves talking about the great things, the selfless volunteers, a police department people actually like, and hope for a future that might retain the small-town magic Delray has always had.

I was downtown the other night for dinner on a Saturday. It was early summer, so the twilight was barely fading as we walked down the street, under the trees by Old School Square, the lights coming on all around us, people drifting in twos and threes on the sidewalks, music wafting out of this doorway or that one. The air was soft and there was something else, too, some sense that it was Saturday night and time to be out, strolling a pretty little town after dinner, a sense of expectancy on the breeze. This is fun, I remember thinking. This is the place I want to be. And maybe this year is the turning point.

FIVE (MORE) THINGS I LOVE ABOUT DELRAY

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[

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From top, Crest Theatre, Colony Hotel, the old Hand’s and the old beach pavilion

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hot list

AND NOTES FROM DELRAY BEACH

Summer

in the City

Delray Beach is getting its summer sizzle on with returning events, new dining options and a local beauty staple celebrating its 10th anniversary.

BY TYLER CHILDRESS

NEWS

Gio Bo Spicy Beef Carpaccio Salad from Le Colonial

AT ATLANTIC CROSSING: THE FRENCH-VIETNAMESE CONNECTION AND ROSÉ ALL DAY

Ten years of planning and development and $300 million later, Atlantic Crossing has finally opened in Delray Beach. Taking inspiration from Delray’s history as a “Village by the Sea,” this sprawling enclave weaves together retail, dining and public spaces, all within walking distance along the lively streets of the Crossing’s two-block stretch. Recently, Atlantic Crossing welcomed two new dining concepts that are already generating a buzz among local foodies, Le Colonial and The Hampton Social

Le Colonial, an upscale French-Vietnamese concept, left an indelible first impression with its lavish grand opening ceremony in February and has since lived up to all the hype. The vibe is that of a palm frond-lined tropical oasis that evokes nostalgia for the sultry colonial lounges of old—think “Casablanca” or Old Saigon meets Key West—with a strict dress code. Leave the ballcaps, jerseys, hoodies and sweats at home and dress to impress!

As for the food, Le Colonial’s menu was developed by award-winning chef Hassan Obaye and Vietnamese chef and cookbook author Nicole Routhier with a focus on using the freshest locally sourced vegetables and seafood. If you stop in, be sure to try the Cá Chiên Saigon (fried fish), a crispy South Florida red snapper carved tableside and paired with freshly tossed greens, dill, pickles and toasted garlic chili lime dipping sauce. You’ll thank us later. 601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/566-1800, delraybeach.lecolonial.com

The premise at Atlantic Crossing’s The Hampton Social is simple—rosé all day—and it’s got the goods to deliver. Stop in and sample any of the 15 rosés on tap and enjoy coastal living at its finest. On days where a summer breeze cuts through the Florida heat, opt for seating on the spacious outdoor patio and take your pick of fresh seafood offerings including oysters, crab cakes and fish tacos. Or spend Sunday brunch sipping on a signature cocktail in The Hampton Social’s swanky Rosé Lounge and snacking on sweet and sticky monkey bread. Also be on the lookout for daily specials throughout the week, which usually include half-off pizzas and select rosés. 40 N.E. Seventh Ave., Suite 100, Delray Beach, 561/404-1155, thehamptonsocial.com/delray-beach

JAZZED-UP NIGHTLIFE

Delray’s most swingin’ event, Art & Jazz on the Avenue, returns for the second year since its reboot by the Downtown Development Authority, to add an extra sizzle to the city’s summer nightlife. Enjoy a stroll down Atlantic Avenue and take in the summer breeze while listening to live jazz performances and looking at some of the incredible works on display from local artists. This vibrant event is free to the public and is a great chance to explore the musical and artistic culture that defines Delray Beach. Plus, don’t miss out on the many local vendors setting up shop on the Ave, and enjoy a meal at tables set up along the street. downtowndelraybeach.com/artandjazz, July 26, 6-9 p.m., West Atlantic Avenue from Swinton Avenue to Federal Highway

Art & Jazz on the Avenue

Cá Chiên Saigon from Le Colonial

Seafood tower from The Hampton Social

MORGAN IONE PHOTOGRAPHY

NEIL BURGER

SNAP, CRACKLE, POP

Delray is once again pulling out all the stops to celebrate America’s birthday. A beachside patriotic staple of Delray for more than half a century, this free event draws in more than 80,000 attendees each year, and this Fourth of July is shaping up to be another huge bash. East Atlantic Avenue from the Intracoastal bridge east to A1A will be closed down for the celebration, which kicks off at 5 p.m. with the singing of the National Anthem and an honor guard presiding over the raising of a 60-foot flag, after which guests can enjoy contests, games, children’s activities, food trucks and vendors. Then at 9 p.m., Zambelli Fireworks will once again light up the night sky with its show-stopping fireworks display over the ocean. delraybeachfl.gov/our-city/things-to-do/4th-of-july, July 4, 5-9 p.m., East Atlantic Avenue and A1A, Delray Beach

Cloud 10 Celebrates its 10-year Anniversary

Local beauty staple Cloud 10 Blow Dry Bar & Beauty Salon was one of the early local pioneers of blow dry bars, and this year the salon is celebrating a decade in downtown Delray. Featuring luxury shampoo brands like Davines and Kevin Murphy and the world’s most advanced hair dryers from Dyson, Cloud 10 never settles for anything less than the best when it comes to hair, makeup and blowouts. This year’s anniversary is extra special because Cloud 10 is offering a 50-percent discount on its newly reissued signature Cloud 10 Heavenly Haircare brand nourishing oil through June 15. Stop in and get yours fast, as this hair care elixir sells out quick, and the waitlists for it fill even quicker! 32 S.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/303-3000, cloud10usa.com

DELRAY AFTER DARK:

DELRAY’S TIN ROOF is injecting Mondays with some much-needed soul with its weekly “Motown Mondays.” The go-to Atlantic Avenue live music joint kicks off every week with a live performance by The Memory Lane Band from 6-9 p.m., playing tributes of classic rock, pop and soul acts ranging from Stevie Wonder and the Blues Brothers to Van Morrison and the Eagles. Seating for Motown Mondays is at a Miami club-level premium ($80 to reserve a table for four!) but regularly sells out, so be sure to book your tickets online ahead of time. Also be sure to get there early from 4-6 p.m. and take advantage of Tin Roof’s Happy Hour menu that includes half-off appetizers and discounted drink specials. 8 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/265-5310, tinroofdelraybeach.com

Tin Roof

Cloud 10 founder Jodi Dery

ORGANIC MOMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY

SPOTLIGHT: BEST OF DELRAY APP

Delray resident Stephen Dickstein had a problem. As a local Realtor and foodie, he was constantly asked about the best restaurants around town and couldn’t find a reliable database for them. So he made one. Looking for a better way to spotlight a city’s blossoming economy and local businesses, Dickstein founded Best of Ventures Inc. and set to work on his first hyper-focused smartphone app: Best of Delray Beach.

Launched mid-2022, the multifaceted app features more than 2,000 local businesses from jewelry stores to dentists, but its pièce de résistance is its more than 300 restaurants and bars that are carefully vetted just for you.

Enter Mike Mayo. The former Sun Sentinel food critic and local foodie personality still runs the paper’s Let’s Eat, South Florida Facebook group (at publication it has nearly 100,000 members), and so Dickstein reached out with a proposal to team up on his new app.

As its content director, Mayo painstakingly curates the restaurant list for the app, emphasizing that restaurants don’t pay to play. His goal: to create a useful and comprehensive guide for locals and visitors alike. The Eating section is divided into 30 categories including coffee shops, Italian, pizza and vegan/vegetarian alongside specialty markets, local favorites and the app’s selection of the year’s Best of the Best. Plus, if you’re venturing outside of Delray, Mayo spotlights neighboring restaurants within the Worth the Drive subsection.

With an aim to support local restaurants and be accurate for diners, Mayo explains that the app is agnostic because it lists the restaurant’s preferred reservation or delivery platform regardless of what it is. He also heads the Best of Delray Beach Facebook group (13,000+ members at publication time) to encourage conversation within the community.

“We want to make it a convenient, easy-to-use, easy-onthe-eyes, attractive site that has all the touch points,” he says. “Everything you want—whether it’s going out to a restaurant or finding a plumber—is here.”

SHOW YOUR PRIDE

Delray Pride Fest returns for its third year on Saturday, June 10 for a day of festivities to celebrate and support Delray’s LGBTQ+ community. The free event will begin in the Pineapple Grove district, where attendees can grab food truck bites and enjoy live music and dance as they make their way to the Pavilion at Old School Square, where Elton John tribute band Rocketman will be performing. The event kicks off early in the day, rain or shine, and the free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. downtowndelraybeach.com/events/delraybeach-pride-fest-concert, all day June 10, Pineapple Grove neighborhood to the Pavilion at Old School Square

LIVIN’ LA VIDA YOGI

In recent years, yoga has been enjoying a renaissance, with the number of practitioners nearly doubling in the past decade. It’s easy to see why. Yoga has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, increased strength and flexibility, weight loss and more. Delray Beach is a hotbed for yoga studios, but ATHA Yoga Shala is the one local yogis swear by. With classes every day of the week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., there’s openings to fit any schedule. Looking for a dynamic yoga workout? Try one of its Vinyasa classes. For those looking for a more passive and relaxing yoga experience, ATHA’s Raja class is designed with stress relief in mind. Also, don’t miss out on some of ATHA’s outdoor class offerings, taught in its gorgeous patio space. 2219 Seacrest Blvd., Delray Beach, 561/857-1157, athafoundation.org

Mike Mayo

Stephen Dickstein

ATHA Yoga Shala

snapshots

The Delray Achievement Centers for Children & Families partnered up with local beer hall Hopportunities to host the second-annual Cornhole for the Kids Tournament. Thirty pairs competed in the tournament, which raised $6,500 to benefit local kids and families. Pictured: Ben Hopfinger, Eric Nabrezski, Steven Murphy

The Cornell Art Museum hosted a grand reopening celebration with two new exhibits: Surfing Florida, which celebrates Palm Beach County’s rich history of surfing, and the #LoveDelray exhibit, a collection of works from local artists. The reopening comes on the heels of the Downtown Development Authority being tapped by the City to manage the Old School Square campus.

Delray’s Achievement Centers for Children & Families has appointed Adamma DuCille as its new CEO. Bringing years of experience in assisting families across South Florida, DuCille says she will “lead the organization by spearheading long-term funding objectives, impact efforts and growth initiatives.” Pictured: Adamma

DuCille

The Morikami, Delray’s beloved cultural gem, hosted a demonstration of the kimono, a Japanese symbol of longevity and good fortune. Attendees were treated to a history of the traditional Japanese garb as well as instruction on how to wear and style kimonos for both men and women. Pictured: kimono culture demonstration

Pictured: guests at the Cornell reopening celebration

Real estate investment firm Pebb Capital hosted a ground-breaking ceremony to launch the construction of Sundy Village in Delray Beach. The ceremony was the culmination of three years of efforts between Delray Beach and Pebb Capital to redevelop the southwest corner of Atlantic and Swinton avenues. Pictured: Pebb Capital and Delray city officials breaking ground at Sundy Village

Top 5

JOHN THOMASON

A classic car show with a Delray twist, a touring alt-rock goddess, a Juneteenth celebration and much more are on tap this summer

Summer 2023

Freaks on Parade Tour

WHEN: Aug. 27, 6 p.m.

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

COST: $42 and up

CONTACT: 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com

Shock rockers from two generations coheadline this legacy bill. Equal parts heavy and theatrical, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie have led metal bands for decades, prizing elaborate makeup, lyrics inspired by horror fiction and double kick drums. Cooper, now 75 and an elder statesman of a subgenre he all but created, fronted his original eponymous band for seven enormously influential albums in the 1970s, followed by a solo career of more than 40 years; hits such as “School’s Out” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” have transcended genre and era. Rob Zombie, in some ways Cooper’s immediate heir, makes movies and music that take B-movie schlock to levels of feverish hysteria; “Living Dead Girl” and “Thunder Kiss” are among his iconic favorites. Arrive early for bands that are legendary in their own right: Ministry, one of the foundational industrial bands of the 1980s, and Filter, the Midwestern rock band marrying heavy riffs with occasionally dreamy atmospherics.

Concours d’Elegance

WHEN: June 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Old School Square Great Lawn, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach

COST: Free

CONTACT: 561/927-8605, delrayconcours.com

Boca Raton has long enjoyed its own Concours d’Elegance, a winter showcase of, and competition for, lovingly preserved vintage automobiles. If Boca’s version is haute, Delray’s Concours is hot, and decidedly more laid-back. Launched last year by Max Zengage—an automobile buff, Delray native and FAU graduate who became the youngest member of the city’s Public Art Advisory Board in 2021—the second-annual event is described as a “classic car garden party with a Delray flair.” More than 100 cars and motorcycles dating earlier than 1975 will be on display, vying for the gold in more than 15 judged classes, including American Prewar (and Postwar), Italian Best in Show, Porsche Best in Show and the possibly dubious “What Were They Thinking?” award. Four handpicked judges arrive with expertise from organizations such as Ford Motors, the Rolls-Royce Owners Association and Ferrari. There will be live music and vendors throughout the day, and the event will benefit five local nonprofits.

“Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fuji”

WHEN: May 6-Oct. 6

WHERE: Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach

COST: $9-$15

CONTACT: 561/495-0233, morikami.org

It is the artist’s responsibility to create, even in— especially in—times of existential strife. Takuichi Fuji was a living embodiment of this urge to portray life as he saw it, in all of its historical ugliness. Fuji, a Japanese American, was 50 years old and living in Seattle when World War II broke out between the U.S. and his native country. He became one of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in detention camps, first in Washington and later in Idaho. All the while, he never stopped making art, keeping a diary and supplementing it with illustrations, to the tune of more than 250 ink drawings and more than 130 paintings. An artist of innate skill and boundless compassion, Fuji wrote and painted like a historian, capturing detailed visions of the camps and the daily routines of his fellow-inmates that were never seen until the publication of the 2017 book The Hope of Another Spring. This traveling exhibition celebrates his legacy while shedding light on this shameful period of America’s past.

Concours d’Elegance

Rob Zombie

KRYSZAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Juneteenth Think Tank

WHEN: June 18

WHERE: Pompey Park, 1101 N.W. Second St., Delray Beach

COST: Free

CONTACT: 561/243-7356

Following the racial-justice protests of 2020 and the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday a year later, this celebration acknowledging the date, in 1865, when the last of America’s slaves were freed, has grown in national relevance. Last year’s inaugural Juneteenth Think Tank, spearheaded by Kenya Madison of Healthier Delray, recognized the increasing importance of the holiday, and this year’s second-annual gathering will continue to provide both learning opportunities and cultural celebrations. In partnership with up to 30 community organizations, including the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, the Think Tank will fall on Juneteenth Eve, and will be centered on a theme of “Black Kings.” In addition to live entertainment, food and vendors, “we’re looking at organizing with male leaders in our community, as we talk about fathers and father figures, and what does leadership look like in 2023 and for the foreseeable future,” Madison says. “We’ll have different pillars or anchor areas for our community engagement and conversations. … There will be deep intention embedded for the day.”

Tori Amos: Ocean to Ocean Tour

WHEN: June 17, 8 p.m.

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

COST: $39-$149

CONTACT: 561/832-7469, kravis.org

Any tour by this reigning lioness of adultalternative music is a big deal, but we Floridians have extra-special reasons to be pumped for this one. After all, Amos hasn’t performed in the Sunshine State in nine years, and this appearance, in support of her 2021 release Ocean to Ocean, will be the first show in a nationwide jaunt through the United States. A child piano prodigy at the age of 5, Amos was the youngest person to ever be admitted to the esteemed Peabody Institute conservatory in Maryland, only to be forced out at age 11 due to “musical insubordination”— effectively establishing her punk cred even as a prepubescent. Amos emerged as one of the leading women in rock with her instant-classic 1992 debut LP Little Earthquakes. Fifteen diverse and musically sophisticated releases have followed, wedding the rigor of classical training with socially conscious lyrics; the songs on Ocean to Ocean, for instance, were inspired by life during the COVID lockdowns and the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fuji”

Tori Amos: Ocean to Ocean Tour

Juneteenth Think Tank

JOHN THOMASON

Summer 2023

Now-June 11:

“New York Vanguard: Promised Gifts from Stephen and Madeline Anbinder” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15-$18 museum admission; 561/832-5196, norton.org. The 10 cutting-edge artists featured in this exhibition—including Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Adolph Gottlieb—worked in New York in the mid-20th century, forming a new international vanguard to compete with Paris’ post-WWII dominance.

Now-July 16:

“At the Dawn of a New Age: Early 20th Century Modernism” at Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; $15$18 museum admission; 561/8325196, norton.org. This exhibition draws from the first 30 years of the 1900s— a watershed period in American art, as traditional notions of realism in painting and sculpture gave way to an increasing embrace of experimentation and abstraction of color, form and subject matter.

June 5:

Founders’ Day at Flagler Museum, 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach; noon to 5 p.m.; free; 561/655-2833, flaglermuseum.us. In honor of its anniversary, the historic former home of Henry Flagler opens its doors to the public at no cost, allowing visitors to tour the museum’s first floor, view its permanent collection of Gilded Age art, and hop aboard Flagler’s private railcar.

June 5-13:

Celebrating Ziegfeld’s “Clown Royal”—a Musical Memories

Concert at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; various show times; $42; 561/2721281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. This original production celebrates the legacy of versatile comic actor Eddie Cantor, who conquered film, television, radio and vaudeville over a distinguished 40-year singing career. Expect to hear songs he popularized, from “Making Whoopie!” to “Ain’t She Sweet.”

July 2:

The Victory Dolls: July Fourth Spectacular at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 2 p.m.; $34-$49; 561/2721281, delraybeachplayhouse. com. In celebration of America’s Independence Day, an all-star cast of South Florida theatre’s top leading ladies performs a concert of standards from the World War II generation, from “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” to “Rum and Coca-Cola.”

July Fourth Celebration

July 4:

July Fourth Celebration at East Atlantic Avenue and State Road A1A, Delray Beach; 5 to 9:30 p.m.; free; 561/243-7000, delraybeachfl. gov. A 50-year tradition that draws upwards of 80,000 revelers to Delray, this beachfront bonanza begins with a flag-raising ceremony, complete with honor guard, and continues with friendly contests, food trucks, vendors and live entertainment, culminating in a spectacular 9 p.m. fireworks display over the ocean.

July 9:

Psychic Medium Bill Philipps at Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; 3 p.m.; $25; 561/833-1812, palmbeachimprov. com. At this gallery reading, psychic medium Philipps, who purports to have seen dead people since age 14, will deliver messages from past loved ones. A HuffPost contributor with a national profile, Philipps’ gentle and direct communication style has won over believers and skeptics alike.

July 16:

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

Psychic Medium Bill Philipps

“Lu Over The Wall”

“New York Vanguard”

June 8-9:

“One Funny Mother” at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St., Delray Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $32-42; 561/272-1281, delraybeachplayhouse.com. YouTube personality—and mom of three— Dena Blizzard tours her Off-Broadway comedy “One Funny Mother,” a frank account of the joys and stressors of motherhood in the 21st century.

June 10:

Nikki Glaser at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 7 p.m.; $29.75-$39.75; 561/8327469, kravis.org. Comedian Glaser’s star has been on a consistent rise since her debut Netflix comedy special, “Perfect,” in 2016. Her everywoman observations on modern life have been heard across three hosted podcasts and celebrated tours like this one.

June 15:

Authors Speak: Dr. Marquis Bey at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 6 p.m.; free with online registration; 561/4506457, artsgarage.org. The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum’s ongoing speaker series on the impact of race on American society welcomes Dr. Marquis Bey, a professor at Northwestern University, whose book Black Trans Feminism explores the radical possibilities of these three identifiers.

June 17:

“Grave of the Fireflies” screenings at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; $5 with paid museum admission; 561/495-0233, morikami.org. Far from kids’ stuff, this universally acclaimed animated feature from Isao Takahata follows two war orphans and their struggle to survive the tail end of World War II.

July 28-29:

Dave Matthews Band at iTHINK

Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; 7:30 p.m.; $74 and up; 561/7958883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre. com. The jazz-inflected jam band returns to its longtime South Florida venue for another two-night residency of hits, deep cuts and elaborate interpretations of fan favorites. Expect a different set list each night from these generous spelunkers of their impressive back catalog.

July 29:

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

Aug. 11:

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

Aug. 11-27:

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

Dr. Marquis Bey Hot Pants de France

Dave Matthews Band

Nikki Glaser

Elizabeth Bennett, PRINCIPAL AND CEO

“Women need to be involved in their financial plans and have an understanding of where all of their assets are, and what they are used for,” says Certified Financial Planner™ Elizabeth Bennett.

As a woman who has reared a child, been through a divorce and is working toward her own financial future, she forges a relationship with her clients from her own personal experiences.

“You need be in control of your finances and not leave that responsibility to someone else,” she cautions. “Knowing the types of investments that you have, the log-ins for your accounts, and sharing that information with your spouse is very important. Being involved in reviews with your financial advisor and understanding how to access those assets is imperative,” Bennett says.

“Taking responsibility for your financial wellbeing, starting at a young age, is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. You should take advantage of your employer’s retirement plan, understand what your short-term savings need to look like and what your assets’ tax implications are. Be aware of your spending habits and where all of your money is going, whether you are single or married. As women, we know the value of delegating. My advice is to take one thing off of your plate and reach out to an advisor to get your financial house in order with someone you can trust. I am here for you,” she says.

A division of:

Summer Table

Take it easy this summer with simple entertaining— indoors or out—with cool blues, natural textures and a pop of color to spice things up.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY AARON BRISTOL

Wood accent bowl with lid, $140, incense holder, $26, Palo Santo Citronella Incense, $36, round glass tray, $195, glass oil lamp, $49.50, all from Vee Merklen; pillow, $350, rattan tray, $110, both from Our Boat House; bone shell spreaders, $88 (set of 4), from Spice; vase, $69, blue dish, $39, tribal print throw, $343, from Excentricities

EXCENTRICITIES, INC. DELRAY BEACH, 117 N.E. Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, 561/278-0886, excentricities.com

OUR BOAT HOUSE, 2050 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, 561/245-8192, ourboathouse.com

SPICE, 521 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561/562-8869

VEE MERKLEN INTERIOR DESIGN, 800 Palm Trail, Suite 3, Delray Beach, 561/542-8848, veemerklen.com

STYLIST/ART DIRECTOR: LORI PIERINO

Ranunculus silk flower, $135, aqua small square plate, $39 each, aqua square platter, $362, lattice stemless wine glass, $65 (set of 4), herringbone throw, $236, all from Excentricities; teal tea cups, $16 each from Vee Merklen; Jill Rosenwald dip bowls, $88 each, Jill Rosenwald cocktail tray, $230, Jill Rosenwald tapas tray, $268, Pagoda napkins, $58 (set of 4), all from Spice; seashell napkin rings, $400 (set of 4) from Our Boat House

Vietri white bowl, $55, clamshell dish, $60, teak cellar, $45, all from Spice; kitchen towel, $18, mugs, $49 each, cream and sugar, $64, small rectangle stoneware dish, $8 each, medium blue stoneware plate, $39, large blue stoneware plate, $58, all from Vee Merklen; square cheese board, $129, Jade marble round tray, $127, and Jade marble cheese knife set, $60, rug, $74, blue bayou plate and bowl set, $330 (for 12 pieces), all from Our Boat House; hydrangea votive, $15 each from Excentricities

Business SPOTLIGHT

David

Zappitell,

Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer

Zappitell Law Firm

200 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 103

Delray Beach, FL 33444

561.330.6330

Florida.law

Each day in his boutique personal injury law firm in Delray Beach, David Zappitell encounters very painful wrongful death cases and is consumed with consoling grieving families who have lost loved ones. 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 comforting them—a part of my job I take very seriously,” he explains.

The most credentialed Civil Trial Lawyer practicing personal injury south of West Palm Beach and north of Fort Lauderdale, Zappitell has been in practice for more than 30 years. Along with his passion for his profession and philanthropy, art has always been a tremendous part of Zappitell’s life.

“Art gives me a more human, less lawyer-like perspective”, he says. “I have recently expanded my talents on a grand scale with a company I started, Zappitell Projects, featuring a stunning modern industrial home that I built as an extension of my creativity, and another way of thinking outside the box. This incredible one-of-a-kind-home in Delray Beach is just a two-minute walk from the beach and a block from Atlantic Avenue, offering the best of all worlds.”

Zappitell reflects, “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.”

Photography: Benjamin Rusnak

Ramon De-Lleguas-Torres

This vigilant steward of our beaches never has his head in the sand

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

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

ON HOW A LIFEGUARD SEES THE ENVIRONMENT:

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

ent things—people could be running. Let’s say they’re working out, and it’s a hot day, and all of a sudden they just drop. I tell people, running and screaming are the things that get my heart going. Because if you’re running at the beach, and you’re not exercising, that means something’s happening. If you’re yelling at the beach, and you’re not at the shoreline having fun at the waves, something is happening. Your senses adapt to things like that.”

ON A DAY THAT HAS STUCK WITH HIM: “I went out and the person was … I don’t want to say he passed away, because we can’t really declare anyone dead. But the person was face down, already blue. It started out as a rescue, but it ended up being a recovery. We did chest compression, CPR. We never got a pulse back. That was for five minutes, and Fire Rescue was already there. We transferred care. It was an older person. They had a past history of heart complications. We did the best we could do. It was outside of our guarded area. … I was lucky that I had the ATV, because it would have been a run if I had to do it on foot.

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

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

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

“Prevention is the main thing. If you can stop something before it happens or right as it’s happening, it’s better. You’re looking for differ-

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

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

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

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

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

Yazmin Salguero

The Delray P.D.’s service population advocate is on the front lines of homelessness prevention

Benevolence has been in Yazmin Salguero’s blood for as long as she can remember. “I wanted to help people. It’s always what I wanted to do,” she says. “I’ve always had that motherly instinct in me.”

Salguero’s job provides her with daily opportunities to nurture that instinct. As the service population advocate for homeless prevention in the Delray Beach Police Department, she tends to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, and is tasked with helping to fulfill the mission statement of the department’s community outreach team: “to connect and provide alternative diversion services to those who are dealing with mental illness, experiencing homelessness and battling addiction.”

For the people under her care, largely seniors, this can mean providing them with everything from utility-bill assistance and home essentials to helping them apply for government aid. “I can help them apply for food stamps, or if they’re home-bound individuals who aren’t able to go to the store for

to treatment, to feel good about themselves,” Ciancio says.

“The work we are doing, social service-wise for the city and the population, is probably an entire department somewhere else,” Ciancio adds. “[Salguero is] in this door at 7 in the morning, and it doesn’t stop. What she’s doing should be modeled in every city in Palm Beach County.” (It’s important to note that their services are strictly limited to residents of Delray Beach; it’s common for the community outreach team to field requests from people all over the country who discover their program through articles like this one, but only Delray locals are included in their remit.)

Salguero owes her position in the department to a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Foundation, requested by the City of Delray Beach and its Task Force to End Homelessness, to address the city’s burgeoning un-housed and at-risk populations. The second person to hold the position, Salguero started full-time in July 2022 after a 10-month internship with the department. She’s putting her degrees—an

themselves, I can set them up with homebound meals—get them meals delivered throughout the week,” she says. “I can help them with budgeting.”

For Salguero, who is supervised by Ariana Ciancio—the police department’s first service population advocate, hired in 2017, and now the manager of the community outreach team—the demand for her services can be overwhelming, as an increasing number of residents are on the precipice of homelessness. The affordable housing crisis and the economic impact of global inflation, coupled with Delray’s lingering history as a rehab-andrecovery capital, has led to an influx of residents in need, even if we don’t necessarily see them panhandling downtown or sleeping on park benches on Atlantic Avenue. This, in fact, is a testament to Ciancio’s team of four, which, among its many initiatives, facilitates a shower truck twice a week.

“We do our very best to keep everybody healthy, dressed nicely … which, in turn, motivates someone to do better, to go to a doctor, to go

undergrad in criminal justice and especially a master’s in social work, both from Florida Gulf Coast University—to good use.

She has been named an employee of the month from the Delray P.D., and believes that the patience and empathy she brings to her work has something to do with the Golden Rule—“being able to put myself in their shoes, seeing their perspective, being able to see both sides of the story,” she says. “I’ve never experienced homelessness myself; I’ve had family members that have experienced it. I’ve had family members experience mental health issues, substance abuse issues. I want to do what I hope someone would do for my family member, when they were in that position. That’s how I see it.”

“I can show a chart that shows the productivity from last year to this year just based on the people she’s helped—how much it’s improved just by putting in another body,” Ciancio adds. “That is what the grant was all about— funding this position to make what we do here even greater.”

“I wanted to help people. It’s always what I wanted to do. I’ve always had that motherly instinct in me.”

CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

COSTA BY OK&M

502 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561/501-6115

PARKING: Street parking, nearby parking lots

HOURS: Sun., 8:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Mon.-Tues., 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wed.-Thurs., 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Fri., 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sat., 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

PRICES: $14- $56

WEBSITE: costabyokm.com

Petite Filet from Costa

Costa By OK&M

This stylish farm-to-table restaurant is a new Delray fave

If you’re familiar with Boynton Beach’s OK&M café, then you’ll be pleased to know that the team has expanded into Delray Beach with Costa by OK&M. The original Organic Kitchen & Mercantile, just a few blocks from the beach, is a casual breakfast and lunch spot popular with locals for its fresh, organic salads, juices and deli. Its sister concept, Costa, takes chef/owner Coton Stine’s dedication to farmto-table fare to an elevated level with its seasonal menu.

Working closely with local farms and vendors, Stine curates deliciously healthy dishes that tempt your palate while fueling your body. The corner space is comfortable and embraces natural elements from its wicker chairs, lanterns and placemats to its greenery and expansive sliding doors that lead out to Fifth Ave. Keeping true to its DNA, Costa is open for breakfast every day and brunch on the weekends in addition to its lunch and dinner service.

The first part of the menu, designed to be shared, is divided into small starters, salads and boards (think cheese, flatbreads and spreads). Most, if not all, the selections looked interesting and called to me, so it was difficult to narrow down my order. For those with dietary restrictions, the dishes are clearly labeled gluten-free or vegan, which adds a sense of ease to the experience. Entrees and shareable sides include a variety of options like steak, pasta, seafood and vegetables.

I usually prefer to dip my bread in olive oil, but I couldn’t get enough of the whipped butter (made with avocado oil) that kicked off our dinner. It was followed by the beets and burrata ($24), a beautifully presented dish

highlighting tangy beets resting on pesto that begged to be slathered on both the beets and creamy cheese. The beets were drizzled with housemade granola and a hint of honey that gave this appetizer layers of flavor. I would happily eat this every day.

I also tried the crab boulet ($24), which were aesthetically reminiscent of hush puppies or conch fritters. I could taste the fresh crabmeat in the lightly fried balls that sat on an enjoyable sweet corn husk puree. The heritage pork belly ($22) was small pieces of the premium pork coated in a turmeric caramel glaze. Each slightly seared, tender morsel that I popped into my mouth hit my palate with an addictive balance of sweet and savory.

The waitress touted the chef’s affinity for the freshest seafood, so I ordered the fresh catch ($44). The hearty potion of several yellowtail filets reflected Latin and Caribbean influences with the savory coconut lemongrass broth and crispy tostones.

The grass-fed petite filet ($56) was recommended, and for steak lovers it won’t disappoint. The classic cut is veiled in a burgundy demi-glace and shares the plate with a smoked gouda fonduta for an extra indulgence. The a la carte dishes can be paired with one or more sides like the asparagus or truffle air fries ($14). I didn’t really taste any truffle, unfortunately, and wished they were slightly crispier, but I did appreciate that they were air-fried.

The best way to tackle the menu next time will be to curate an evening of shareable dishes. The variety of intriguing small plates and boards would make a fun evening of tapas. And if you’re still hungry, opt for sharing an entrée and dessert.

Beets and burrata; bottom, heritage pork belly AARON BRISTOL

Shoshana Davidowitz Dr. Patricio Espinosa

Caroline Johnson

Lawrence Levy Danielle Rosse

Jamie Sauer

Rick Versace Brad Winstead

Wendy & Matthew Maschler

Hancock

Batmasian Family Foundation Bonnie Halperin & Family Mary & Bill Donnell

Wendy & Vince Sadusky

Amy & Mike Kazma Robin & Charles Deyo

THINGS WE L VE ABOUT DELRAY

It was a year of division—and healing—and an explosion of both new residents and tourists alike. We weathered tourist season and election season, and managed to have some fun in between. As we look toward the next year, the mood is upbeat, and Delray is still our favorite place to be.

WRITTEN BY MARIE SPEED AND JOHN THOMASON

DINE & DRINK 50 THINGS WE LOVE

Hotel in Palm Beach—is here now. We ain’t too proud to beg that the cover charges decrease—$40 for two people, $120 for eight—but Delray is getting more expensive as demand (and wallets) expand. Old-timers long for the days of rockabilly at Elwood’s—and we second that emotion.

Best fancy cocktail

The Perfume daiquiri at Le Colonial.

TOP 5 REASONS TO GO DOWNTOWN

1 First Friday Art Walk every month

2 The Delray GreenMarket

3 Showing off the vibe to out-of-town guests

4 Live music at Tin Roof, Johnnie Brown’s or 3rd & 3rd

5 Savor the Avenue

Best new restaurants

Le Colonial in the newly opened Atlantic Crossing is stunning—with the kind of romance we’d associate with Rick’s Place if Rick’s Place was in Delray, and offered exquisite Vietnamese-French cuisine in addition to Sam’s piano. We also love the dress code, even if it falls short of Bogart’s white dinner jacket.

Our other new crush is Costa, with its fresh and flavorful menu, its clean contemporary tropical vibe, its inventive selections and reliance on local artisanal greens and suppliers. Don’t let the organic-gluten-free-vegan-options scare you away—this is fresh fine dining at its best in an elegant but easy coastal restaurant. You’ll never know it’s good for you.

Antidote to the Monday blues

Motown Nights on Mondays at Tin Roof from 6 to 9 p.m. have become huge in Delray. The band Memory Lane—which used to have a longstanding show on Friday nights at the Polo Lounge at the “old” Colony

Still crazy after all these years

The Sail Inn is a bit more civilized compared to the old days (pictured here), but it’s still the last standing neighborhood bar.

Le Colonial

Sail Inn owner Rick Jankee

Motown Nights

NEIL JOHN BURGER

Happy Hour redefined

Who needs happy hour when you can have rosé all day? The newly launched Hampton Social at Atlantic Crossing is a home run, especially with the demographic that tends to gravitate toward (sweeter) craft cocktails, and things like pizza, Caesar salad, avocado toast and truffle fries. But there are several seafood options as well as a great-looking brunch—which millennials singlehandedly reinvented in the past decade. It’s bright and beachy and, best of all, you can have your cocktail served in a large seashell.

Best new food app

The Best of Delray app (page 20) launched by Stephen Dickstein and Michael Mayo provides a communal and upbeat guide to great dining in and around Delray. Don’t tap into it before lunch or you are doomed.

Oldies that are still goodies

♥ Sande’s still offers a legendary American diner breakfast and lunch. Cash only. Fast service. Hot coffee.

♥ Luna Rosa is across from the

ocean, is open all day long and everyone loves chef/co-owner Ernie DeBlasi. Still packed, after all these years.

♥ Tramonti has been a standard for Italian food in Delray for years—and still is.

♥ Delray Hideaway (formerly Pepe’s Hideaway) tucked downstairs in the basement about two blocks from the beach has it all: bingo on Tuesday nights, poker on Wednesday nights, karaoke every Friday night, darts, pool, live music, TVs.

And a great burger.

♥ J&J Seafood Bar and Grill is a locals’ favorite, with stellar food and an expansive menu from chef/owner John Hutchinson. Most of us have the signature dishes memorized. This is Delray at its core. This is us.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

♥ Grangers changes hands.

♥ The arches on the exterior of the Hands building are removed.

♥ The Falcon closes. Again.

♥ Atlantic Crossing opens, long regarded as the missing link between the beach and central downtown.

♥ Captain Clay’s moves nine blocks north to a beautiful new space. And there’s always a line.

♥ Delivery Dudes is sold, and its new name is ASAP. We miss the Dudes.

♥ Beloved Ellie’s 50s Diner closes and, in record time, The Bees Knees diner opens in its place.

♥ Real estate and private equity investment firm Pebb Capital breaks ground for Sundy Village, which will include ownership of Sundy House. Stay tuned.

Ernie DeBlasi at Caffe Luna Rosa

Hampton Social MORGAN IONE PHOTOGRAPHY

DINE & DRINK 50 THINGS WE LOVE

Best drinking event

It used to be St. Paddy’s Day when you could actually walk around with a beer, like most cities during a St. Patrick’s Day parade (try telling Chicago they can’t sip a beer at the parade, and watch what happens), but these days, as Delray has ramped up its gentrification, we’d have to say brunch. The bottomless Bloody and mimosa is offered with brunch at many spots on the Avenue, including Elisabetta’s, City Oyster and Dada. Sunday never looked so good. Or, as someone said, “For Delray, brunch is its polo.”

Secret bar where the cool kids go

Avalon’s speakeasy is a small, dimly lit and tasteful lounge with a full bar, waitress service and an emphasis on Champagne bottle service. Tucked away and exclusive, it’s the kind of place you feel like you need to put your name on a list in advance if you want to get in. Or know someone. No velvet ropes here, but it definitely feels “private.” Proper dress mandated, as in leave the shorts and flip-flops at home.

Underrated Date Night spot

The entire Avenue is a Date Night spot, but we love the intimacy and vibe of Jimmy’s Bistro, the elegant and impeccable cuisine at The Grove—described by some as “the new 32 East”—and the longstanding exuberance and local appeal at J&J Seafood Bar and Grill

BEER AND WINGS THAT NEVER DISAPPOINT

Beer and wings rarely disappoint, anyway, but here are a few places you can take to the bank: Beer Trade Co. Bru’s Room

Johnnie Brown’s

THREE TRENDS WE LOVE

1 Tapas for dinner

2 Mezcal

3 Asian food

What we are waiting for

When celebrity chef Pushkar Marathe sweeps in to manage Doc’s, a burger and soft-serve joint that was open in Delray for 70 years before it closed in 2021, we are trying to fathom how the James Beard Award-nominated semifinalist chef will transform it. Suffice to say Marathe—who runs Stage and Ela Curry Kitchen in Palm Beach

Gardens—has more complicated plans than a burger and chocolate shake …

LIBBY VOLGYES

Jimmy’s Bistro

Pushkar Marathe

Quickest rebranding

Delray Beach Market, the much-heralded food market that opened with fanfare in April 2021, had an uphill battle, between the COVID pandemic, vendor turnover and a somewhat lukewarm patron age. It was a dazzling venue, but cus tomers complained about pricing, vendors were charged 30 percent of their revenues to be there, and some even said the location was not the best. At the end of January 2023, the market was closed to undergo a “temporary construction closure” and renovation to accommodate two new main anchors: Bounce Sporting Club and Lefkes Estia torio, a New Jersey-based Greek restaurant. It’s unclear whether any of the former tenants will still be in residence, but stay tuned. Reopening may happen this summer.

How the West was won

Delray Marketplace has a nice walkabout feel and some great restaurants (Burt & Max’s

FAVORITE DISHES

♥ Beet salad at Bar 25

♥ Anything at Costa

♥ Le Colonial snapper for two

♥ Shrimp and grits at Driftwood

♥ Yellowtail Serrano at Akira Back

♥ Oysters at the outdoor bar at Rack’s

♥ Hot dogs from Killer Dog

♥ Short rib papardelle at Rose’s Daughter

Akira Back’s yellowtail serrano

Oysters here, there and at Rack’s

AARON BRISTOL

AARON BRISTOL

Warren whiskey concierge John Fitzpatrick

CITY NEWS 50 THINGS WE LOVE

Issues that divide us

♥ The ongoing Old School Square controversy

♥ Development vs. non-development: The most recent flare-up was The Delray Golf Course.

♥ Downtown overcrowding: Is success too much of a good thing?

♥ Development of the Ag Reserve (which should not even be an issue since we all voted to preserve it with a bond issue referendum in 1999), which comes up like clockwork before the Palm Beach County Commission. The latest outcome with GL Homes spells curtains for future preservation.

♥ Golf carts on city streets (Especially when they are going 10 mph on A1A and you can’t pass them). Having said that, we are dying to own one...

Biggest turnaround

Delray’s municipal election in March of this year upended the formerly highly divided city commission, bouncing out Juli Casale, who famously helped terminate the lease at Old School Square in August 2021 alongside Mayor Shelly Petrolia and commissioner Shirley Johnson (who was term-limited). The move was controversial and divisive for the city and resulted in a lawsuit brought forth from Old School Square against the city for “allegedly breaching the lease,” violating the Sunshine Law and even “civil conspiracy.” With the election of Angela Burns and Rob Long, now serving as deputy vice-mayor, the shift in power on the commission has changed the direction and tenor of the body. In fact, in one of its first moves, the new board voted 4-0 to accept Old School Square’s settlement offer, hold a workshop with Old School Square and chart a course for the future. Al-

though the Downtown Development Authority currently operates the Old School Square campus, the idea, according to Commissioner Ryan Boylston, is to “mend the fences”— and figure out how to move forward in collaboration. It’s a new day in Delray, and a long-awaited one.

Longevity award

Since Delray City Manager David Harden retired in 2013 after 23 years, Delray has had eight city managers, four of them on an interim basis. Of the non–interim city managers, terms have ranged from six months to 24; Terrence Moore, the current city manager, is coming up on 24 months.

We may be looking at a Delray record.

Best new neighborhood(s)

Osceola Park is on a gentrification upswing.

The Andre Design District off Congress north of the Tri-Rail station is an innovative and artsy cluster of shops and warehouses. There are murals everywhere, and small businesses that have moved in include Pixelworx, Zuke’s Refillery, Rose Marcom, GOAT, the Spark Boutique, Prima Tanning, Butterbelly (bakery) and others. Also, Old School Square relocated its beloved 6x6 painting exhibition and sale there this year, and there are also open house/art walks the first Saturday of the month. designdelray.com

Mayor Shelly Petrolia

Shirley Johnson Juli Casale

Deputy Vice Mayor Rob Long

Commissioner Angela Burns Commissioner Ryan Boylston

Terrence Moore

Andre Design District

Do gooders

Best city service

Unlike most cities we read about, Delray Beach has a virtual love affair with its police department. After the city’s “rehab capital of the world” was cleaned up, the department also became known for its innovative programs like reaching out to the city’s homeless population, and its youth and community programs such as Teen Center, its after-school programs, baseball camps and more. The department is an integral part of the community— not its adversary.

The never-ending promise

The “redevelopment” and addition of a grocery store in a West Atlantic Avenue “opportunity zone” is still a pipe dream, mired in litigation and delays.

WHAT DELRAY NEEDS MORE OF

♥ Affordable housing

♥ Parking

♥ Civility and collaboration in local government

♥ More retail, fewer restaurants

♥ Meeting space

♥ Real socializing as opposed to social media trolls

♥ The addition of a service population advocate, Yazmin Salguero, to the Delray Beach Police Department’s community outreach team has provided invaluable assistance to many locals facing the threat of homelessness. Working under the team’s manager, Ariana Ciancio, Salguero has made it her life’s mission to help those in need, and the seniors under her care have seen their quality of life restored. Read more about her on page 40.

♥ After a troubled childhood and adolescence, Emanuel “Dupree” Jackson Jr. founded the EJS Project named in honor of his father, Emanuel Jackson Sr., who he credits with giving him the tools to turn his life around. The organization, now a force of nature in Delay Beach, is focused on empowering young people from the community.

♥ Joycelyn Patrick has done it all, including serving as president of the 120-year-old General Federation Women’s Club of Delray Beach; on the boards of Roots and Wings, Leadership Council and Church of the Palms; as past president of Delray Beach Sunrise Rotary Club; and as a member of the Delray Beach Planning and Zoning Board. But it’s more than a resume: It’s a long history of integrity, common sense and a love for the city.

♥ Former teacher Ted Hoskinson moved with his wife Anne to Delray in 2002. After her death in 2016, he started Roots & Wings, a nonprofit that rewards teachers and offers after-school programs focused on improving reading skills. Project UpLift started with

one class at Pine Grove Elementary in Delray (with 30 students) and has grown in breadth and influence far beyond its modest origins. It now helps 765 students

in 10 public elementary schools in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray, tutoring students in grades one through five.

Yazmin Salguero

Ariana Ciancio

Emanuel “Dupree” Jackson Jr.

Joycelyn Patrick

Ted Hoskinson with his “kids”

A&E 50 THINGS WE LOVE

Party of the year

The annual Laugh With the Library event is always one of Delray’s best parties, but this year it outdid itself at the private home of Angelo and Mari Bianco in Lake Ida. There were, it seemed, miles of shaded lawns, elegant food stations, a pool area to die for with a massive outdoor bar, a tented stage area and quite literally, everyone you know looking very Town & Country

The comedian is always hilarious, even if he isn’t, and the crowd is welcoming. This year, the Library snagged James Austin Johnson of “SNL,” who won the hearts of all its guests. Again.

Opening you did not want to miss

It doesn’t hurt that Le Colonial is drop-dead gorgeous, with white linen and exotic inlaid tile and a vintage tropical quality we should have co-opted years ago. A little Casablanca, a little Havana, a little Old Saigon with great lighting and handsome patios, it’s a formidably elegant restaurant, and the opening cocktail party orchestrated by the Buzz Agency was big. Very big. Again, it was one of those nights that everyone was there, and looking glam, and reveling in the romance and sophistication of what is a Delray first. Magnifique.

Concert

Max Weinberg is the drummer who never sleeps. On Feb. 7, the Delray Beach resident and former member of the city’s planning and zoning board was once again behind the kit for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s tour appearance at Hard Rock Live, backing the Boss on a 28-song marathon. The following night, Weinberg, not Bruce, took center stage at the Old School Square Pavilion, tearing through another 24 songs, all curated from audience requests, as part of his Max Weinberg’s Jukebox side project. The packed audience danced and grooved and sang along to decades of hits, from “A Hard Day’s Night” to “Highway to Hell” to “Cinnamon Girl” to Bruce’s own “Pink Cadillac.”

Museum hit

In December, the Cornell Art Museum, under the auspices of the Downtown Development Authority, opened for the first time since the city parted ways with Old School Square Center for the Arts in 2021. Showcasing boards and other memorabilia from the Surfing Florida Museum, the grand reopening exhibition was accompanied by little fanfare, and made more of a ripple than a splash. Well curated and aesthetically attractive, the exhibit didn’t have the cutting-edge cachet the museum had been cultivating for some 10 years prior. But its spring exhibition (on view through June 25), “The World of Water,” whose artists explore issues of conservation and sustainability, already harkens to the venue’s creative glory days.

Laugh With the Library

Le Colonial

Bronze from “The World of Water” exhibit

CAPEHART PHOTOGAPHY.

Downtown event we still love

Having put year number 14 in the books in March, the annual Savor the Avenue produced by the DDA (from an idea submitted to them initially by Boca and Delray magazines) is now a city culinary legend. The sold-out event attracts more than 1,000 guests every year who dine al fresco on the longest dining table in Florida, stretching five bocks down the center of Atlantic Avenue, from Swinton to U.S. 1. Tables are decorated to the nines, and there is music and tinkling glasses and party lights in a communal dining experience that is both elegant and imaginative. People meet new friends, dine on exquisite four-course dinners paired with wine from participating local restaurants (where they have reserved their seats) and enjoy the distinct feeling that they may be in Europe, after all. This Delray favorite captures the magic of the city like no other—and now has a life of its own.

Art exhibition

The color pink is rife with contradictions: It has symbolized the feminist and anti-feminist, and its pale, neon and candy-coated variants conjure everything from flamingos and spoonbills to antacid medication.

Many of these associations were present in Arts Warehouse’s wide-ranging exhibition “Pink,” a group show featuring the title color in its myriad permutations. Politics and social commentary undergirded many of the pieces in “Pink,”

including a number of show-stopping, room-sized installations. But the exhibition’s most frequent denominator was humor: Seldom do we laugh out loud in an art gallery, but here we could count these instances on more than one hand.

Arts Warehouse “Pink” exhibition

Savor the Avenue

A&E 50 THINGS WE LOVE

Weekly vibe maker

“It’s fun, and basically free, it’s open, it’s outside, and there’s nothing like rhythm.” So summarizes Michael Teller, organizer of Palm Beach County’s drum circles for the past decade or so. And there’s no regional drum circle more popular than the Wednesday night bash at Old School Square, a raucous tradition that can attract up to 250 attendees drumming, dancing or just enjoying the positive vibes. Teller starts each rhythm on his set of dundun drums, and his fellow-musicians endeavor to follow along, or perhaps go in their own direction. Some bring other forms of percussion, such as washboards and tambourines, and some play wind instruments like flutes and didgeridoos. It’s a place where grooves are born and friendships are struck. Cardio has never been this fun.

Best comeback

Its plans quickly scuttled in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pan-

demic, the second Beatles on the Beach festival finally took its bow in December, with founder Daniel Hartwell managing to rebook most of the previously scheduled talent—including headlining Monkee Micky Dolenz. Framed by the 100-foot Christmas Tree, the holiday ambience only enhanced its genial “come together” atmosphere: On the closing night of the two-day event, Delray locals, including drum circlers, joined a professional Beatles tribute band and a full symphony orchestra, sending us home in style.

What Delray is missing

Not since the dissolution of the Theatre at Arts Garage, circa 2017, has Delray Beach had a professional theatre company to call its own. Yes, we have the historic Delray Beach Playhouse, which has been producing handsome community theatre for more than 65 years strong, and has been presenting one-person shows from touring

performers. But as a destination where new and established plays are mounted with award-winning talent, one needs to venture to Boca or West Palm Beach. It’s high time a producing company set up a

shingle in Delray Beach. As far as a performance space suited for such a venture? It’s a fair question, and one we don’t have an answer for, at least until the Crest Theatre roars back to life.

MORE THINGS WE LOVE TO DO

COCO MARKET: In addition to the monthly art walk in the Andre Design District, the wellness-inspired Coco Market is another growing event held at Veterans Park the first Sunday of the month.

CRAFTED ON THE AVE: This market at the Libby Wesley Plaza the first Saturday of the month, from 1 to 5 p.m., is organized by the CRA and highlights micro-businesses that create handmade products/art.

SPADY MUSEUM WEST SETTLERS WALKING TOUR: In addition to its longtime Ride and Remember Trolley Tours, Spady is now offering walking tours to explore one of Delray’s most historic African-American neighborhoods. spadymarketplace.org/historical-tour.

Drum circle

Beatles on the Beach

Special event

Just six weeks after a reckless driver drove straight through public-relations professional Gary Schweikhart’s home office, burying him in the rubble and destroying portions of his house, he was back— not behind a stage, per his usual bailiwick, but in front of one. After emergency surgeries and two weeks in rehab, Schweikhart was not only communicative but characteristically jokey as he addressed an audience of supporters at Arts Garage (arranged largely by Rich Pollack and Julie Mullen), in a special program titled “He DID Survive.” A-list South Florida stars took to the stage, including Avery Sommers, Deborah Silver, Rob Russell, Jill and Rich Switzer, Phil Hinton and Anthony Nunziata, all of whom donated their time and talent to what would become the feel-good event of the year.

Holiday event

The lighting of the 100-foot Christmas tree in Delray at Old School Square has long been a trademark family event for the city, with a surprise appearance by Santa, of course, and a “campus” that includes a carousel, Santa’s workshop and more. This massive and glorious tree is a Delray landmark and the official opening of the holiday season.

Fundraiser for Gary Schweikhart

JACEK GANCARZ

Written by Tyler Childress

nxiety, depression and doubt had been pushing him closer to the edge for years. Then the final nudge came. For Ross (he declined to use his last name), the devastating end of a long-term relationship was what throttled his descent through the darkest depths of despair, and if he wanted to claw his way back out, he knew he would have to try something radically different than the talk therapy he had grown cynical of and the strenuous weightlifting and CrossFit regimen that served as more of a distraction than a solution. With nowhere else to turn, he took the suggestion of a concerned friend and began researching ketamine, a popular anesthetic with a notorious reputation as a party drug that is now being medically accepted as a treatment for combating everything from anxiety to PTSD.

Many suffering from mental health issues are finding a trippy alternative to traditional medicine.

Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 and approved as an anesthetic by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970. The drug proved to be an effective anesthetic, and was even used by Vietnam War soldiers to treat battlefield injuries, but it soon became infamous when its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects made ketamine a popular rave drug throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. In 1999, ketamine was listed as a Schedule III substance under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act. The following year, researchers began examining the drug’s benefits as a treatment for depression.

THE KETAMINE EXPERIENCE

After doing his research, and after all else had failed him, Ross was eager to give ketamine a shot He found a local clinic which provided intravenous ketamine sessions, and after being evaluated and meeting with a physician’s assistant, he was ready for his first session.

Ross expected an experience similar to ones he had in the past with other psychedelic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms. In that way, he was disappointed. “It’s pretty subtle; it’s not a psychedelic trip,” says Ross. “You feel very in control, but it did stimulate [my] mind in a way that I wasn’t used to.”

For each of the three infusions (administered over the course of a few weeks), Ross describes feeling his thoughts race and his mind scatter initially, before settling into a deep meditative state. From there, he was able to look at his life from a “macro perspective” and observe events and thought patterns through a wider lens. “There’s some things that it helped me shed some light on and look at a little bit

differently,” he says. After each session, Ross felt no lingering side effects.

Ross’s shift in perception allowed him to see that in order to truly be a participant in his own life meant accepting the uncertainty and anxiety that came with it. Valuable though this insight was—and continues to be to him—ketamine wasn’t a magic bullet that wiped away his anxiety. But it did serve as a catalyst for change.

“Sometimes all you need is to shift your perspective a degree and then over the course of a year, two or three years that degree has these compounding effects,” Ross says. “For me, I find those degree shifts in perspective to be extremely helpful in the long run.”

ADOPTION IN MEDICINE

Ketamine’s appeal as a therapeutic for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety is becoming more mainstream in the medical community. In 2020, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the FDA’s approval of Spravato, a form of ketamine that is more potent and can be absorbed through a nasal solution. Researchers at both Yale and Harvard have published studies revealing the efficacy of ketamine in treating depression. There are now more than a dozen clinics across South Florida that specialize in intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy.

Khali Reed is the co-founder of Ketamine Clinic South Florida, a clinic which provides ketamine infusions and therapy services to patients suffering from various mood disorders including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each room of the clinic is fitted with blood pressure and heart rate monitors, at which a camera is pointed to give a live feed of the subject’s vitals to clinicians. Occasional side effects of ketamine include hypertension and tachycardia (irregular heart rhythms), but these issues are quickly remedied by staff once spotted on the monitors.

Since opening its doors in 2019, Ketamine Clinic South Florida has treated more than 200 patients with ketamine therapy. “It [ketamine]’s more successful than other modalities right now,” Reed says, noting that 80 percent of those treated at the clinic no longer rely on antidepressants or other mood stabilizers after undergoing ketamine sessions in conjunction with other therapeutic services. Like Ross, Reed stresses that ketamine is not a panacea. “It’s not a cure; it’s patients who are willing to make the changes themselves, and that’s when we see amazing results.”

Reed herself has undergone ketamine sessions, believing that it’s important for providers to understand exactly what their patients will experience. “I just felt love,” says Reed, for her husband and daughter as she drifted through a serene

John Giordano and Khali Reed, owners of Ketamine Clinic South Florida

AARON BRISTOL

meditative state. According to Reed, ketamine shouldn’t be viewed as a last-resort measure when all other treatments fail. “It [ketamine] should be the first line of treatment, because if you have depression, then something happened to you, and you need to find a root cause,” Reed says. “The medication is basically a Band-Aid, only treating symptoms and not the root.”

Despite showing great promise in treating mental illness, ketamine has a long way to go to becoming the go-to treatment for mental healthcare providers. The drug in its generic form has not been FDA-approved for treating depression or PTSD, it can only be prescribed off-label, which most insurance companies don’t cover. There is also a profit motive for pharmaceutical companies to favor their patented brands over a generic drug like ketamine, which anyone can produce. But for those suffering from mental illness, ketamine offers an alternative to the "Band-Aid" of traditional pharmaceuticals.

Ketamine functions essentially by putting a barrier between the frontal lobe of the brain, responsible for reasoning and executive function, and the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls emotional response. The patient is effectively dissociated from the negative emotions tied to a certain event and is able to process them logically. John Giordano, an expert in addiction and trauma treatment and part owner of the Ketamine Clinic South Florida, likens the effects of ketamine on the brain to a computer. “If you erase stuff on your computer, it’s not gone; it’s on your hard drive. It’s the same thing with trauma,” he says. “What ketamine does, it gets to the hard drive.”

TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT

Ketamine is just one of several psychedelic compounds currently being researched for their physical and psychological benefits. Drugs such as MDMA (aka ecstasy), LSD (acid) and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are making their way into the burgeoning industry of psychedelic medicine. The only obstacle is the lingering stigma surrounding them.

While psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, ayahuasca (a powerful psychedelic that instills vivid hallucinations) and mescaline have been used as religious sacraments by cultures dating as far back as 9,000 B.C., their use didn’t become controversial until the 1960s when the sacraments of old world religions

became synonymous with the antiwar and anti-consumerist stances of the politically rebellious youth. Famed psychologist and psychonaut Timothy Leary gave his celebrated “turn on, tune in, drop out” speech to a crowd of tens of thousands of Flower Children during the 1967 Summer of Love, and Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters canvassed the nation in bright Day-Glo hosting LSD-spiked Kool-Aid parties. The hippie movement’s dissent to “traditional” America was palpable, and drew the ire of the federal government. While there was no way to criminalize the gatherings and ideology of the social phe-

“IF YOU ERASE STUFF ON YOUR COMPUTER, IT'S NOT GONE; IT'S ON YOUR HARD DRIVE. IT'S THE SAME WITH TRAUMA. WHAT KETAMINE DOES, IT GETS TO THE HARD DRIVE.”

Zappy Zapolin

Psychedelic Law

The topic of legalizing psychedelic substances is one that is garnering nationwide attention. Oregon led the charge for the legalization of psilocybin when voters approved a ballot measure that helped create the framework for physicians to administer the drug in a medical setting. Since then, Colorado, California, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Colorado and more states have either proposed or passed their own laws pushing for psychedelic reform.

In January 2021, Rep. Mike Greico introduced a bill, H.B. 549, that would have legalized psilocybin-assisted therapy in Florida. The bill was drafted in part by Fort Lauderdale lawyer and founder of Mr. Psychedelic Law, Dustin Robinson, Esq., who modeled the legislation after the Oregon ballot measure. Ultimately, H.B. 549 was killed in committee, but Robinson said it “got the conversation started.”

Robinson founded Mr. Psychedelic Law in 2019 to promote the legal reform of psychedelics on the local, state and federal levels. Robinson admits that he didn’t really expect the ambitious bill he helped draft would be passed, but that the “strategy was to ask for everything up front and then kind of tailor it back in future bills.” After H.B. 549, two more bills concerning psychedelics were introduced to the Florida House and Senate, respectively. H.B. 193 and S.B. 348 would have directed the Florida Department of Health and the Board of Medicine to study the therapeutic applications of MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine in treating mood disorders. Both died in subcommittees.

For Robinson, the case for legalizing psychedelics is clear. “We’re in a global mental health crisis; over a billion people are suffering,” he says. “We don’t have time to wait.” His organization is currently working on another bill that he hopes to have filed by the next legislative session.

The new bill focuses on preparing Florida for the eventual approval of MDMA and psilocybin by the FDA, rather than legalizing or decriminalizing substances. If passed, the bill would give the attorney general a window of time to reschedule a drug that has been reclassified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). If the attorney general doesn’t act within that window, the drug will be automatically

“Florida has a lot of veterans that are suffering from PTSD, so Florida is a state that could very much benefit from this approval,” says Robinson. “Our goal is to make sure that veterans and others suffering with PTSD have access to this medicine as soon as possible once it’s approved.

nomenon, there was a way to criminalize the substances which, in part, helped fuel the movement.

The War on Drugs began in earnest in 1971, when President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act into law. Under this new federal drug policy, nearly every psychedelic compound was declared as having no medical value and a high potential for abuse under the Schedule I designation. Now, mental health advocates across multiple fields including business, law and medicine are advocating for a change in how these drugs are classified and for their use in combating mental health crises.

THE BOCA PSYCHONAUT

Boca Raton-based entrepreneur, filmmaker and futurist Zappy Zapolin found out firsthand the benefits of psychedelics, and has since become one of their most vocal advocates. Dubbed the “Psychedelic Concierge to the Stars,” Zapolin has produced and directed two documentaries on the subject, including the upcoming “Lamar Odom Reborn,” wherein Zapolin delivers the basketball star a “psychedelic intervention” that helps pull Odom out of a years-long struggle with addiction and mental illness. Prior to his current psychonautic status, Zapolin earned hundreds of millions of dollars during the dot-com boom of the late ‘90s by selling domains such as music.com and beer.com, but in 2010 experienced what he refers to as a “spiritual midlife crisis.”

“I had done everything society had told me to do to be fulfilled,” says Zapolin, but the promise of fulfillment never came to fruition. Having had positive experiences with psychedelics in the past, he decided to try them with a new intent to expand his consciousness and “look deep” within himself. After taking part in a traditional South American ayahuasca ceremony, he developed a renewed sense of peace and purpose and now hopes to help others achieve the same. “Real people are having real issues in their family,” Zapolin says. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have or who you are, your family can get hit with depression, PTSD or addiction, and you have to solve that.” The solution, Zapolin says, can be found in psychedelic medicine.

Zapolin is currently the Chief Visionary Officer of Psycheceutical, a company that aims to integrate psychedelics with traditional medicine. By educating the public, Zapolin hopes to remove the stigma surrounding psychedelics so that they can be adopted by doctors as a treatment alternative to antidepressants and other medications for mood disorders. “These [psychedelics] are more effective than the traditional medicines we have, but they don’t have the side effects,” says Zapolin, who believes that “if there’s anything that could instantly enhance your life, it’s psychedelics.”

Dustin Robinson

Beyond the therapeutic appeal of psychedelics, Zapolin also believes in the potential of the growing psychedelic economy. “We’re in the early innings of the psychedelic medicine industry, which I’m predicting is going to be over a trillion-dollar industry,” says Zapolin. While this may seem like a stretch, Zapolin believes his prediction will become a reality when psychedelics become the dominant form of mental health treatment. But such a monumental paradigm shift in mental health hinges on whether these substances are legalized for medicinal use.

BYPASSING BUREAUCRACY

For some, legalizing psychedelic substances for medical purposes (see sidebar) can’t come soon enough.

Nicholas Levich is the co-founder of Psychedelic Passage, a service that links psychedelic-curious clients with experienced facilitators who “trip sit” their psychedelic experience. “There’s a lot of people out there that aren’t able or willing to wait for the legislation to change, and they need help now and there’s very few other routes to get professional support,” says Levich. Trip sitting entails watching over and guiding an individual who is under the influence of a psychedelic drug. The caveat for the Psychedelic Passage service is that clients must provide their own substances, which is how the company is able to operate within the confines of the law.

To date, Psychedelic Passage has linked more than 300 “journeyers” with facilitators in its network, all of whom undergo a rigorous vetting process before being approved as guides, which includes background and education checks, multiple interviews, past client reference checks, and internal requirements such as having prior personal experience with psychedelic compounds. As there is currently no certification for those practicing psychedelic treatment, this screening process is imperative. Clients also must undergo a vetting process to see if they are fit for the experience. “It’s definitely not for everyone,” says Levich, and that those suffering from certain mental or physical conditions such as schizophrenia or heart issues are prone to adverse effects when experimenting with psychedelics.

Levich himself feels he has benefited greatly from the use of psychedelics. From overcoming childhood and family challenges and learning self-love to developing a sense of self-confidence, Levich attributes changes in nearly every aspect of his

life to experiences he’s had with psychedelics. For Levich, the argument for allowing others the same opportunity is simple; “I believe it’s a fundamental human right to be able to explore your own consciousness.”

While exploring his own consciousness didn’t “cure” Ross, it helped him to break the cycle of his negative thought patterns. The shift in perception he experienced with ketamine left him with valuable insights that he continues to try and incorporate into his everyday life. “It [ketamine] helps you look at certain events in your life from a different perspective,” says Ross, “and for me I found that to be very useful to heal and move on and grow from certain life events that previously I had found myself stuck in.”

“I BELIEVE IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE YOUR OWN CONSCIOUSNESS.”

Nicholas Levich

Island Fever

Kitchen islands are hardworking and good-looking

Islands are the workhorse of today’s kitchens, but their designs are elevating them to be showstoppers as well. Working triple duty as a furniture piece, cooking prep station and a dining spot, islands are fashioned to be functional, but who says they can’t be stunning too? Designers are packing in the pretty with interesting materials, posh details

and dramatic color palettes. And in homes designed to be enjoyed and lived in, today’s kitchen islands often serve as hubs where homeowners entertain their guests. For home chefs who also want to be a part of the action, nothing facilitates a lively cooking experience more than an island where guests can pull up a chair and enjoy a cocktail with the cook.

Marc-Michaels curated this home’s updated Georgian classic style. Created for a Delray Beach client who craved a casual dining setting, the team designed an extended walnut table that overlooks the kitchen and its sleek island. The extra space invites guests into the kitchen and offers another option for entertaining. marc-michaels.com

DUNAGAN DIVERIO DESIGN GROUP ▲

In a family room with limited space for a freestanding dining table, the design team turned a challenge into an opportunity by transforming the kitchen’s island into a multifunctional feature by integrating a custom oak extended tabletop from the sink-based island. The room’s tropical modern design includes floor-to-ceiling Boffi wood cabinets that add eye-catching contrast with the island’s white marble. That same marble, which was sealed to ensure its durability and low maintenance, repeats on the countertops and backsplash for a continuous streamlined appearance. Beautiful as well as functional, the island features hidden cabinets on the outer and interior sides to house the owner’s beloved dinnerware. dunagandiverio.com

HOUSE OF ONE

This transitional kitchen was designed to feel warm and inviting with its combination of compelling colors, materials and textures. The Opustone vintage Calacatta marble used throughout delivers timeless pattern and movement to the space and draws inspiration from the base cabinets painted in Rosemary by Sherwin Williams. In contrast, the island’s cashmere-hued wood slats give the room a more contemporary profile. To establish the island as the anchor of the kitchen, the designers located the range on the island as opposed to a nearby countertop. Promoting the room’s open look and feel, open shelving replaces upper cabinets and displays the owner’s cookware and family photos. houseof1.com

“Our designs are known for their timeless understated elegance. The waterfront and city views made us want to create a sophisticated yet relaxed ambiance.”

“I wanted to make the entire home have this new-old feel. The main focus of doing that was making sure the balance of materials was well executed.”

Brittany Farinas

Charlotte Dunagan and Thomas Diverio

JIM DOVE DESIGN

The oversized island, which features a double sink, plenty of counter space and storage overlooks the impressive accent wall created with De Gournay wallpaper and museum-grade glass functioning as the backsplash. The West Palm Beach home’s wood island, accented with decorated panels bookended with rounded columns, is topped with Cambria quartz. The kitchen’s design nods to both the past and present by teaming modern vernacular architecture with hints of glamour sprinkled to reflect the Florida of yesteryear. jimdovedesign.com

When I design kitchens, I think of the space as a living room and the cabinetry as its furniture.”

Jim Dove

NICHOLAS MELE

KRIS TAMBURELLO

RESERVENOW RESERVENOW

Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker

Meet Noelle K. McIntyre, a third-generation South Floridian, mompreneur and philanthropist. For more than a decade, this True Floridian has been moving South Florida real estate—and life—forward.

True Floridian Realty sponsors Beach Bucket Foundation buckets across South Florida. Noelle and her son Nicholas collect trash during an organized True Floridian Realty outing.

South Florida connection runs deep.

As the daughter of a well-known waterfront home builder and granddaughter of a construction materials business owner, Noelle inherited more than a love for all South Florida has to offer: She gained a passion for building, expanding and helping others experience the lifestyle.

These experiences inspired her to establish True Floridian Realty over 12 years ago.

Today the boutique real estate brokerage celebrates an outstanding reputation and has nearly 40 associates serving South Florida’s tri-county area and Southwest Florida. The team’s three specialized groups support commercial real estate development, homes for local heroes, and homes for families with pets.

But, it’s work beyond the transactions for which Noelle is most deeply proud.

Dedication over a decade+

Noelle believes real estate is about more than buying and selling homes. It’s why she created a give-back program for every qualifying transaction the team closes.

To date, True Floridian Realty has contributed over $200,000 to local businesses and nonprofits. Yet, their community connection expands beyond that.

“We know realty and real life.”

As realtors, homeowners, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, community leaders, business owners, and more, True Floridian Realty associates genuinely care about what their clients care about.

“Homes symbolize our livelihoods,” she said. “They reflect our choices, care for our loved ones, and help launch dreams. They’re full of the real life.”

“Real life” is the centerpiece of the team’s new campaign, which celebrates what it means to know realty and real life: from first-time homebuyers, sellers and flippers, to first love, loss, family expansions, business dreams, and more.

So, what is real life for Noelle?

Like many True Floridians, Noelle’s memories include early morning rides to the beach or pier to go fishing with her dad. She recalls the excitement of rushing to the shoreline to feel the warm ocean water pour over her toes or baiting up the line anticipating that first bite.

Today, she remains infinitely connected to the South Florida waterfronts, enjoying early morning beach walks, beach cleanups with her husband and 6-year-old son, or simply waiting for a reel to scream.

“I’m in my 40s now, so when I have quiet moments, early mornings, or carefree beach days, they make me grateful to be a True Floridian,” she said. “I am so incredibly blessed to offer camaraderie and expertise to locals and transplants as we help bring their dreams to life. That’s real life.”

She paused and added, “Plus, I learned early on how healing the beach can be. You can sit in the sand and soak it all in, or in the same spot, sit there and let it all out. It’s a lifeboat and a launching pad, all at once. That’s real life, too and why I cherish calling this place home.”

12 years 12 pillars of

Noelle’s “reel life” annual birthday fishing trip.

Noelle includes her son in her team’s photoshoot.

Why I Give: Mike and Pam McCarthy with granddaughters Ellis and Nora

A commercial real estate executive, Mike McCarthy has plenty of experience in development. These days, as the chair of the Baptist Health Foundation council at Bethesda Hospital, he’s set his sights on helping the facility develop its Emergency Department. “I think emergency rooms are really important,” he says. “I particularly like understanding what’s needed, and then seeing improvements take shape. It’s challenging, but rewarding.”

Emergency care has a special significance to Mike and Pam, who often enjoy visits from their grandchildren, including Ellis and Nora. “Something can always happen,” says Mike. “You’re doing this not just for yourself, not just for the good of the community, but also for them.”

Mike is enthusiastic about Bethesda Hospital’s affiliation with Baptist Health. “The quality they’re providing is pretty breathtaking,” he says. “I had an experience with Miami Cancer Institute, and was really blown away at how good they were. It’s comforting to know everybody involved is at the top of their game.”

“It’s good to know that there’s a place with a high level of care when something unexpected happens.”

Photo by Capehart Photography

Top Doctors spotlights select physicians who have been carefully chosen for their standing and contributions to the medical communities in which they serve.

Florida Magazine Association

Award-winning section 2020

Silver Award

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES, INC

For head-to-toe orthopaedic care for teens to seniors; athletes to weekend warriors, patients who have experienced failed surgeries elsewhere and those seeking the latest techniques in minimally invasive procedures, the board- certified and fellowship-trained team of physicians at Orthopaedic Surgery Associates have been providing world-class care for more than 40 years.

With prestigious training from the nation’s top medical institutions, the collective areas of the physicians’ expertise include hand, knee, hip, spine, and sports medicine. The comprehensive scope of services includes comprehensive evaluation and testing procedures; total knee, hip and shoulder joint replacement, spinal surgery, arthroscopic knee surgery; repair and reconstruction for torn knee ligaments and cartilage; hand and wrist surgery and a full scope of physical and occupational rehabilitation and pain management ancillary services.

One of the newest and highly requested procedures is the minimally invasive spinal procedure, kyphoplasty, which is used to treat back pain from compression fractures, osteoporosis or trauma. It is done under local anesthesia in the office, using the precision C-arm computer navigation device and allows patients to get back to their active lives within days.

With an expert physician staff including two orthopaedic sports surgeons, two total joint reconstruction surgeons, two hand surgeons, a spine surgeon, a podiatrist and full on-site x-ray and rehabilitation services, patients can conveniently schedule appointments to see their desired specialist within a few miles of each other at either OSA’s Boca Raton, Boynton Beach office, and their new West Boynton office location at 9868 State Road 7, Suite 225, Boynton Beach, FL 33472..

OSA would like to welcome Jonathan C. Hersch, M.D. to its prestigious medical group. Dr. Hersch is a board-certified, fellowshiptrained (Cleveland Clinic) orthopaedic surgeon who has served the Palm Beach County area for over 10 years. Dr. Hersch specializes in Hip, Shoulder and Knee Surgery.

Eric Shapiro, M.D. Sports Medicine - Arthroscopy Surgery and General Orthopaedics

Rodrigo Banegas, M.D. Hand And Upper Extremity Surgery

Brandon Luskin, M.D. Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery

Daniel J. Leizman, M.D. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Pain Management)

Elvis Grandic, M.D. Total Hip and Knee Reconstructive Surgery

Matthew J. LaVelle, M.D. Adult Reconstructive Surgery and Total Joint Replacement

Daniel Baluch, M.D. Spinal Reconstruction Surgery

Dominic Kleinhenz M.D. Non Operative Orthopedic Surgery

Jonathan Courtney, M.D. Total Hip and Knee Reconstructive Surgery

Jonathan C. Hersch, M.D. Arthroscopic Surgery, Joint Preservation, Hip, Shoulder and Knee Surgery

Alan J. Bauman, MD, ABHRS, IAHRS, FISHRS

Founder, CEO & Medical Director, Bauman Medical

SPECIALTIES: Hair Transplant and Hair Loss Treatments

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: B.S., Psychobiology, University of California

MEDICAL TRAINING: M.D., w/Cor Et Manus Award, New York Medical College

FELLOWSHIP: Hair Transplantation, Eastwood Medical, Garden City, N.Y.

RESIDENCY: Surgery, Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City

Dr. Alan Bauman changes lives, one hair follicle at a time. Since opening Bauman Medical in 1997, he has transformed the appearance of more than 33,000 men and women and performed more than 12,000 hair transplant procedures. His patient base is equally split between men and women, although their hair loss patterns and causes differ. “Instead of seeing the receding hairline men often experience as they get older, with thinning in the crown, women experience diffuse thinning in the top and front, typically caused by stress, heredity, childbirth, menopause or other medical issues,” Dr. Bauman says.

A new, minimally invasive hair transplant procedure, VIP|FUE™ No-Shave Hair Transplant offers patients all the advantages of traditional minimally invasive FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), including no staples, no stitches, no linear scars, and a more comfortable and less restricted downtime when compared to outdated invasive linear FUT “strip” harvesting. The addition of a new state-of-the-art extraction tool and advanced microsurgical techniques for VIP|FUE™ involves extracting hair follicles directly from the donor area without trimming or shaving any hair, providing a HUGE bonus for patients looking to discreetly treat their hair loss, because there’s NO telltale change to their hairstyle.

TransEpidermal Delivery (TED) is another breakthrough non-invasive, needle-free, pain-free procedure offered to quickly and easily treat hair shedding, hair loss and thinning utilizing lowfrequency ultrasonic sound waves and air pressure to drive a proprietary topical hair growth formula deep into the scalp, without the need for local anesthesia.

Rafael C. Cabrera, MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery

SPECIALTIES: Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery; Facial Rejuvenation/Reconstruction

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION:

B.A. with Distinction, Cornell University, NY

MEDICAL TRAINING: New York University School of Medicine

RESIDENCY AND FELLOWSHIP: General and Plastic Surgery Residencies, Wound Healing and Microsurgery Fellowship, New York University Medical Center, Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery; Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital

Board-certified in general and plastic surgery, Dr. Rafael C. Cabrera has been practicing plastic and reconstructive surgery in Boca Raton for more than two decades. He is on staff exclusively at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and is renowned for the natural looking results he achieves for his patients. Cabrera attributes using an array of tools and techniques to regain a more youthful appearance. “No chipmunk cheeks or duck lips are allowed in my practice. Over-lasering the face or over-filling the cheeks and lips to hide every last wrinkle is not flattering. Ultimately, patients rely on my expertise, esthetic judgment and integrity,” he assures.

Facelifts are among the most requested procedures Cabrera performs and are an effective way to achieve a refreshed and renewed appearance. He explains the intricate procedure he has perfected over decades in simple terms: A good facelift means you look beautifully natural without anyone knowing you’ve had work done. “Tightening the muscle layer and ligaments are often necessary to get a more youthful contour. Adding volume with natural tissue, like your own fat and stem cells, will augment and rejuvenate your face by replacing facial deflation associated with aging,” he says.

Men are equally as interested in aging gracefully and benefit from Cabrera’s expertise. “Since men now work longer, retire at an older age and can maintain muscle mass by exercising, it is important to have their faces match their bodies. Droopy eyes and sagging necks are in stark contrast from their otherwise sharp, on-the-ball appearances and physiques. Eye and neck procedures can greatly improve their appearance,” Cabrera explains.

Thomas G. Lang, M.D., M.Sc. FACOG, FMIGS

Obstetrics and Gynecology

SPECIALTIES: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

UNDERGRADUATE: B. S., Florida International University, Miami, FL

GRADUATE: M. Sc., Biomedical Science, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL

MEDICAL TRAINING: M.D., St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies

RESIDENCY: Baylor College of Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Texas Medical Center, Houston; Awarded “Special Resident in Minimally Invasive Surgery”

FELLOWSHIP: Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, University of Louisville, Kentucky, under world-renowned gynecologic surgeon, Resad Pasic, MD, PhD.

Dr. Thomas Lang became an OB/GYN because he wanted to answer women’s questions, relieve their symptoms and solve their problems. He also became one of only two fellowship- trained physicians specializing in minimally invasive GYN surgery in Palm Beach County. He prides himself on performing minimally invasive procedures using the smallest, least amount of ports possible with a cosmetic approach to the ports’ placement.

Dr. Lang treats a variety of conditions from uterine bleeding to sexual dysfunction, fibroids and pelvic pain. His Nurse Practitioner, Jennifer Iorio lends her hormone therapy to the practice. His patients range in age from the teens to women well into their 90’s. From puberty to prenatal care to delivery, and all the way to menopause and beyond, he listens to his patients and guides them on a journey of holistic wellbeing each step of the way. Pregnant women are not the only ones with that special “glow,” as Dr. Lang is also passionate about treating all patients’ skin care needs.

“I always sit with the patient in my office to talk and get to know one another before entering the exam room, where they don’t experience pain with my gentle exams. I want them to be comfortable to remain my patient, so I can take care of all their lifelong healthcare needs,” he says.

Charlton Stucken, MD, FAAOS

Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine

UNDERGRADUATE: Cornell University

MEDICAL SCHOOL: Boston University School of Medicine

INTERNSHIP: Boston Medical Center

RESIDENCY: Boston University

Orthopaedic Residency

FELLOWSHIP: Rothman Institute at Jefferson University, Sports Medicine Surgery

Dr. Charlton Stucken is a Double Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and Shoulder surgery. Stucken trained with world-renowned surgeons in prestigious programs in Boston and Philadelphia, and he is now joining the Hospital for Special Surgery Florida. Dr. Stucken is joining the Sports and Shoulder Division, anchored by Drs. David Altchek, Ryan Simovitch, and James Carr.

“Many of my patients have already experienced failed surgery elsewhere, and are often reluctant to undergo a corrective revision procedure, but these are some of my best outcomes: taking people who are at their worst and giving them their life and lifestyle back. The athletes whom I care for vary from high-school and collegiate athletes to weekend warriors to seniors looking to stay active.”

“While it may be intimidating to visit a surgeon’s office, most knee and shoulder pain can be resolved with non-operative treatment and guidance. For those patients that do need surgery, our newer techniques such as computer navigation allow faster recovery with minimally invasive surgery. The same personalized and innovative treatments that we use on our professional athletes I also recommend for the rest of my patients,” Stucken explains.

“My goal is that patients choose my practice for their surgical care, knowing that I am guided by the belief in providing the most exceptional care, without exception.”

John F Morrison, MD

Neurosurgery

SPECIALTIES: Endoscopic brain and spine surgery, brain tumors, cerebrovascular neurosurgery, hydrocephalus surgery, vagus nerve stimulator implantation and peripheral nerve surgery

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin

GRADUATE SCHOOL:

Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska

MEDICAL TRAINING:

Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska

INTERNSHIP: General Surgery, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA

RESIDENCY: Chief Resident, Neurosurgery, Brown University / University at Buffalo

FELLOWSHIP: Cerebrovascular, University at Buffalo

With a five-generation family lineage and a childhood spent experiencing firsthand his father’s care for his critically ill patients, Dr. John F. Morrison realized he wanted to forge his own path into the medical field, choosing neurosurgery as his specialty. “I believe in helping others and treating every patient as if they were my family. Having that connection makes an impact on me and guides my decision of helping others, above and beyond,” says Morrison.

At the Morrison Clinic, Dr. Morrison treats a variety of neurological conditions from head, neck, back and/ or nerve pain as well as aneurysms, normal pressure Hydrocephalus, Acoustic Neuroma, head trauma and concussion management. He performs endoscopic spine surgery, spinal fusion, cerebrovascular neurosurgery, skull base surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, microvascular decompression, and excision of brain and spine tumors.

“My goal in founding the Morrison Clinic was to be independent and have a level of autonomy to do the cases I want and make my own decisions for my patients, while understanding the responsibility that entails. I accept most insurance policies to give access to as many patients as possible and provide healthcare that everyone deserves.’’ explains Morrison.

EMILIANO BROOKS

Melanie Rosenblatt, MD

Pain Management

SPECIALTIES: Anesthesiology, Pain Management and Addiction Medicine

MEDICAL TRAINING: Stony Brook University School of Medicine, New York

RESIDENCY: Anesthesia, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse, New York

Board-certified in anesthesiology, pain management and addiction medicine, Dr. Melanie Rosenblatt has been offering comprehensive medical and interventional pain management at Pain Management Strategies since 2002, providing patients with many options for safe and effective therapies to relieve pain. For patients who suffer from pain despite medication and other conventional treatments, she offers numerous advanced interventional treatments that target the nerves responsible for pain, including nerve blocks, epidural injections, and spinal cord stimulation. She also has extensive experience performing minimally invasive procedures such as kyphoplasty, which stabilizes spinal fractures and relieves pain.

Her team at Pain Management Strategies specializes in addiction medicine, providing medication-assisted detox using Suboxone® which helps patients detox from opioid addiction while preventing withdrawal symptoms. Medical detox is also combined with counseling to support ongoing recovery.

Among the comprehensive treatment options to assist patients with the highest quality medical care, patients have access to medical marijuana as Dr. Rosenblatt is a qualified ordering physician. Dr. Rosenblatt served as the Medical Director of Pain Management for Broward Health North, a level II trauma center from 2002 to 2017 where she was the chairperson of the Credentials and Qualifications Committee and was on the Medical Executive Board. She serves as a medical expert in the national opioid litigation and has testified extensively about appropriate opioid prescribing and how doctors make prescribing decisions, and is also a consultant for the DEA, FBI, and many hospital systems in evaluating opioid prescribing patterns. Dr. Rosenblatt lectures nationally about safety and risk assessment in the treatment of chronic pain and opioid dependency.

Jonathan Kamerlink, MD

Interventional Pain Management

SPECIALTIES: Interventional Pain Management and Anesthesiology

UNDERGRADUATE: BA Finance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

MEDICAL TRAINING: MD, Rush University, Chicago, IL

FELLOWSHIPS: Spine Surgery Research, NYU Medical Center and Hospital for Joint Diseases; Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital

INTERNSHIP: Internal Medicine, St. Francis Hospital

RESIDENCY: Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

As a Harvard-trained, board-certified anesthesiologist and board-certified pain management physician, Dr. Jonathan Kamerlink provides treatment for patients suffering from chronic pain, spinal conditions, and spinal deformities.

Dr. Kamerlink’s superior training and passion for ongoing research, combined with his down-toearth demeanor and personalized patient care has made him a valuable member of the Florida Spine Associates’ team. One of only 4,500 board-certified pain specialists in the country, Dr. Kamerlink is nationally renowned in his field, sharing his expertise as a prominent author and lecturer.

Day to day, Dr. Kamerlink encounters patients suffering from various pain ailments for a variety of reasons, each requiring a thorough assessment and honest discussion of their expectations.

“My ultimate goal is to enhance patients’ quality of life,” he explains. “If I can get patients back to doing what they love—being with their friends and family and enjoying activities without feeling debilitated—I have succeeded. There are no quick fixes or promises of cures for pain. Many times, patients wait until their pain is unrelenting and interfering with their daily activities rather than seeking my help when needed.

“I want my patients to partner with me in their overall health to achieve the optimum results. They need to talk to me about their lifestyle activity, exercise and diet regimen as well as their pain,” he adds. “This is where our relationship begins.”

Natalia Star Hegedosh, MD, MRO

Aesthetic Medicine

SPECIALTIES: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Aesthetic Medicine

MEDICAL TRAINING: Medical Degree, and Board Certification in Internal Medicine from State University, Uzhorod Medical School, Uzhorod, Ukraine

RESIDENCY: Internal Medicine in Ukraine, Family Medicine, at St. Joseph’s Hospital Yonkers, affiliated with New York Medical College. Internal Medicine at Graduate Hospital affiliated with Drexel University College Philadelphia, PA

Double board-certified physician Dr. Natalia Hegedosh’s love of medicine began as a young woman studying in the Ukraine. At the age of 23 she graduated medical school, having treated a broad range of patients in rehabilitation centers to hospital emergency rooms; the injured, the poor, the homeless and mentally ill.

“I came to the United States and established my Family Medicine practice, with interest in treating infants to geriatrics. It was an extremely rewarding profession. My passion for aesthetic medicine and cosmetology later became the foundation for my latest venture, Elite Med Spa in Boca Raton, where I provide patients with the latest techniques and procedures to look and feel their best. From diet and weight loss to non-surgical face lifts, RF micro-needling and Botox, there are many options I offer my patients. I also educate people on the importance of genetic testing, which looks at a patient’s specific genes to disclose vital information about their health,” Dr. Hegedosh explains.

Skin care holds a special place in Dr. Hegedosh’s practice, born out of a tragedy she experienced as a victim of Chernobyl in the Ukraine, where she and her family suffered skin cancer as a result. She spent 15 years developing a special cream and skin care line that has evolved into various luxurious skin care products and creams under the label of Dr. Star, (her middle name) New Skin Secrets.

An avid researcher, Dr. Hegedosh also dedicates her time and expertise as a Principal Investigator/SubInvestigator for various clinical research studies on such topics as general medicine, depression, bi-polar disorder, and women’s health.

Stewart G. Eidelson, MD

Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon

SPECIALTIES: Surgical and non-surgical spine solutions

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: B.A. Biology, Drew University, Madison, NJ

MEDICAL TRAINING: Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, graduated 1976

INTERNSHIP: New York Medical College

Metropolitan Hospital, NY, NY

ORTHOPAEDIC RESIDENCY: Orthopaedics, U.S. Public Health Service, aka: Bailey Seton Hospital, Staten Island, NY

ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINING: Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA; Alfred I duPont Institute, Wilmington, DE

FELLOWSHIP: Spine Fellowship, Cleveland Spine and Arthritis Center under Dr. Art Steffee, one of the fathers of modern spine surgery

Fellowship-trained, board-certified (and re-certified)

Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon Dr. Stewart G. Eidelson has spent 25 years in practice, commuting between offices in New York and Delray Beach. He has performed more than 5,000 spine surgeries utilizing the most advanced technologies and is a leader in minimally invasive procedures to remedy disc disorders (degenerative disc disease), herniated discs and treatment for spinal stenosis.

“My practice features a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to spinal conditions with a team that includes pain management, acupuncture, physical therapy and chiropractic. I have a particular interest in the elderly patients, although the whole world has spinal stenosis,” he laughs. “As the spine ages and the canal closes, the nerves get compressed. Luckily, I can treat 90 percent of this without surgery. Experience is key when seeking a spine surgeon.” he advises.

Eidelson has authored three books used worldwide as training manuals, featuring outcome studies that determine the most effective treatments for cervical and lumbar spine problems.

In 2000 he founded SpineUniverse.com—the largest website focused on spinal condition education in the world with more than 20 million views.

“There are no barriers between me and my patients. I personally see every patient and I give them my cell number. I offer concierge service without any of the fees,” he explains

PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS CENTER OF BOCA RATON 951 N.W. 13th Street, Bldg. 5-E Boca Raton, FL 33486 561-392-1818

ParkinsonsCenter.org

Stuart H. Isaacson, MD, FAAN

Neurology

SPECIALTIES: Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: BS, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

MEDICAL TRAINING: MD, Northwestern University School of Medicine

INTERNSHIP: Columbia University St. Luke’sRoosevelt Hospital, NYC

RESIDENCY: Mount Sinai Medical Center, NYC

FELLOWSHIP: National Institute of Health; Mount Sinai Medical Center, NYC

Dr. Stuart H. Isaacson, is an internationally recognized expert in Parkinson’s disease, with more than 200 scientific publications and a history as lead investigator in global research programs. A board-certified movement disorder neurologist, Isaacson established the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton in 1999, a non university-based academic center. Along with movement disorder specialists Dr’s. Sagari Betté (Harvard, UMiami) and Richard Dewey (Dallas, Southwestern), Isaacson directs a team of clinicians, nurses, research coordinators, and social workers, combining a holistic clinical approach to treatment with access to one of the largest Parkinson’s clinical research centers in the U.S. For accurate diagnosis, the Center provides no-cost gene testing, skin biopsy, and DaTscan. Patients and families are educated about newly FDA-approved therapies for Parkinson’s. Expert medical care is integrated with options to participate in ongoing research programs for persistent symptoms and to slow progression in recently diagnosed. Research also focuses on two genes that cause Parkinson’s in Ashkenazi Jewish patients, and the preventPD program was recently launched for those at higher risk of developing Parkinson’s.

The Parkinson’s Wellness Center complements clinical care and research, offering daily lectures, therapy, counseling, and exercise. These are available at no cost to the community, supported by the Parkinson’s Research and Education Foundation, whose mission is to support local research, education, services, and outreach for those living with Parkinson’s disease.

EHSAN ESMAEILI, MD

Orthopedic Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery

SPECIALTIES: Hand, Wrist, and Microvascular Surgery

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: University of Florida

FELLOWSHIP: Hand and Microvascular Surgery: University of Connecticut

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS: Orthopedic Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, Microsurgery

Dr. Ehsan Esmaeili is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon with the South Florida Hand & Orthopaedic Center in Boca Raton, where he has practiced for 10 years.

Dr. Esmaeili brings to the center his expertise in the care of hand, wrist, and soft tissue of the elbow injuries, and has published and presented his research at local and national meetings, including the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the New England Hand Society.

“Living here in South Florida, most of my patients are seniors, so I treat fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger fingers, and arthritis,” Esmaeili points out. “I want to get them back to their daily activities, either through conservative management, such as injections and splinting, or minimally invasive procedures.”

Other than being a great surgeon, his patients say that he’s easy to talk to, compassionate, and pleasant. His reviews support this testimony.

“My patients are my main priority and remain extremely important to me. I take pride in helping them return to happy, fulfilling lives.”

SOUTH FLORIDA HAND & ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER

1905 Clint Moore Road, Suite 105 Boca Raton, FL 33496 561-241-4758

sflhandandortho.com

CONCIERGE MEDICINE OF BOCA RATON 825 Meadows Road, Ste. 111 Boca Raton, FL 33486 561-961-3005

conciergemedicineofbocaraton.com

Caitlin Prickett, DO Internal Medicine

SPECIALTIES: Concierge Medicine, Internal Medicine

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: B.S., Chemistry, Biology; University of Alabama

MEDICAL TRAINING: William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Hattiesburg, MS

RESIDENCY: Internal Medicine, University of South Alabama Medical Center, Level 1, Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center

Dr. Caitlin Prickett is revolutionizing the primary care physician relationship with her concierge internal medicine practice in Boca Raton. “I’m going above and beyond general primary care. Concierge Medicine of Boca Raton encompasses the entire aspect of patient care. I practice wholebody medicine, not just sick medicine. I spend time with patients and actually listen to their concerns and health goals - this is what sets me apart from your typical primary care physician. The beauty of concierge medicine is that we have the time to spend with one another. We can sit down and discuss a full personal medical history and family medical history evaluation; this gives us an idea as to what a patient is at risk for in the future. This way, we can take action now to prevent disease, or at least early detect it,” she explains.

Dr. Prickett holds her board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine. Her concierge practice offers true concierge medicine with unlimited appointments, guaranteed sameday and next-day visits, and 24/7 direct access via phone, text and email, in addition to innovative testing such as early-cancer detection testing, whole-body MRIs and genetic testing.

“I do a great deal of advocation and coordination of care for my concierge patients, as I understand that it can be very difficult navigating the health care system. My advice to everyone is to invest in your health now for the future. It’s much easier to prevent disease and stay on top of your health as opposed to chasing your health once you are sick. The best way to do this is to have an action plan. I personalize health and wellness plans for every single one of my patients. All in all, I am their partner in health,” she says.

Friedman Dental Group®

Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

Eli M Friedman, DMD, FICOI

Founder and CEO of Friedman Dental Group®, OneSolution® Dental Implant Centers and Palm Beach Dental Specialists

SPECIALTIES: Teeth in a day, Cosmetics and Dental implants

DENTAL SCHOOL: Tufts University, Boston, MA

SPECIALTY TRAINING: Specialty Certification in Prosthodontics, Nova Southeastern University; Chief Resident

Vincent Avallone, DDS

SPECIALTIES: Cosmetic and Advanced Dentistry

DENTAL SCHOOL: NYU College of Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentistry with Honors

RESIDENCY: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center; SPEAR dental education continuum and hands-on training in the Aesthetic and Restorative dental continuum, NYU Rosenthal Institute

With a strong sense of “Dentalpreneurship,”

Dr. Eli Friedman founded Friedman Dental Group® and OneSolution® Dental Implant Centers, which includes advanced aesthetic dental specialists offering an array of services from cosmetic dentistry to one-day dental implants; prosthodontics to oral surgery.

“We create patients’ smiles in our state-of-the-art in-house laboratory, with eight master ceramists on staff, utilizing a fully digital process and enabling us to deliver high-quality restorative dentistry that caters to the patients’ total comfort and satisfaction,” Friedman explains.

Friedman’s practice includes cosmetic dentist and fellow Delray resident Dr. Vincent Avallone, whom he refers to as a “skilled practitioner who delivers the ultimate dental experience to his patients.” Avallone describes the team’s treatment approach as comprehensive dentistry that addresses preventive care, diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions, cosmetic and restorative dentistry, Invisalign and maintenance of overall dental health and well-being.

“With a world-class team of cosmetic dentists, prosthodontists, periodontists and oral surgeons, Friedman Dental Group® is a premier destination where you feel part of our family,” says Friedman.

FRIEDMAN DENTAL GROUP® 601 N Congress Ave., Ste. 401 Delray Beach, FL 33445 844-826-5560

friedmandentalgroup.com onesolutionnow.com

private education camp guide 2023

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

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

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

High Expectations

Extraordinary Futures

From kindergarten through high school, DKJA students dive into an exciting curriculum of unparalleled opportunities and individualized learning experiences. Faculty balance high expectations with nurturing support to encourage the best out of each student. College-preparatory academics prepare graduates for admission to the best colleges and universities, while Judaic studies instill the wisdom and values to navigate a complex world and the passion to make a difference. It all adds up to an education of extraordinary power and purpose.

For admission inquiries or to schedule your personal campus tour call: (561) 852-3310 or email: admissions@dkja.net.

The Most Personalized Summer School in the World

SPECIAL SUMMER PRICING!

Does your child need to make up a grade? Get a tough class out of the way before the fall? Or build some confidence in a fun, personalized environment? Fusion offers classes for credit, tutoring, and college/post-secondary counseling in a one-to-one environment (just one student and one teacher per classroom).

A great school year starts this summer! Connect with us today to build your perfect summer program at Fusion.

Private Education & Summer Camp Guide

TRINITY DELRAY LUTHERAN SCHOOL

ADVENT SCHOOL

- Grades: Infants - 8th - Tuition Range: $5,000 - $15,000

- Students: 450

- Student-Teacher Ratio: Varies by class

- Denomination: Christian

At Advent, your child will become a CONFIDENT, CAPABLE, CHRISTIAN LEADER making a difference in the world! Advent combines rigorous academics with leadership development in a safe environment. Innovative programs include Elementary & Middle School STEM enrichment, 1:1 technology, Spanish for K -8 th grade as well as Dual Language and Emergent Reader groups in the Early Childhood School. Advent also provides opportunities in spiritual growth, fine arts, robotics and athletics. Aftercare and camp programs offer engaging extra-curricular activities. We accept VPK vouchers and state scholarships (FTC, FES-EO and FES-UA). Need based tuition assistance is available. Advent serves Infants to 8th Grade – you can grow with us!

300 E. Yamato Road • Boca Raton • 561.395.3631 • AdventSchoolBoca.org

DONNA KLEIN JEWISH ACADEMY

- Grades: K - 12th - Tuition Range: $26,450 - $29,840

- Students: 652

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1

CONFIDENT RESPONSIBLE REFLECTIVE INNOVATIVE ENGAGED

Trinity Delray is a Cambridge International School. Our students develop thinking and learning skills –ready to tackle the demands of tomorrow’s world, capable of shaping a better world for the future. We encourage students to become confident, responsible, innovative, and engaged- equipped for success in our fast changing modern world.

Ages 1 through 8th Grade, Schedule your private tour today!

- Denomination: Jewish

Donna Klein Jewish Academy (DKJA) provides an education of extraordinary power and purpose for each of its students through a rigorous curriculum designed to meet the individual needs of a diverse student population. DKJA offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities including JV and Varsity sports, and an extensive fine arts program including music, dance, drama, and visual arts. Our students are provided with the skills and knowledge required for success in college and beyond.

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

- Grades: K - 8th

- Students: 100

- Virtual Classes: Optional

- Tuition: $12,500

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 16

- Denomination: Non-sectarian, Co-educational

The French American International School (FAIS) offers a bilingual dual curriculum, satisfying American and French academic standards. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school, FAIS offers the PYP to all primary school students. Students not only become proficient in a second or third language but have access to an array of enrichments courses. Program available in-person and on-line. Call us for a visit: (561) 479.8266. Merci!

2500 NW 5th Avenue • Boca Raton • 561.479.8266 • Faisbr.org

FUSION ACADEMY

- Grades: 6th - 12th

- Students: 149

- Tuition Range: Customized

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:1

- Denomination: Independent

Fusion Academy is an accredited middle and high school where classes are oneto-one: one teacher and one student per classroom. This allows us to completely personalize the education experience for each student, from curriculum to scheduling. This summer, we’re offering special pricing on classes for credit, tutoring, and college/post-secondary counseling. Summer is a great time to catch up, make up a grade, get ahead in a tough class, or build confidence before the school year starts. Connect with us today to learn more about our Boca Raton and Palm Beach Gardens campuses.

866.751.0535 • fusionacademy.com

400 N. Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444 561.276-8458 trinitydelray.org

9701 Donna Klein Blvd • Boca Raton • 561.852.3310 • DKJA.net

Private Education & Summer Camp Guide

GRANDVIEW PREPARATORY SCHOOL

- Grades: EC 3 - 12th - Tuition Range: $15,800 - $26,300

- Students: 400

- Virtual Classes: Yes

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1

- Denomination: Independent

Founded in 1997, Grandview is a small, diverse community committed to the philosophy that education is a personal endeavor. Grandview pairs timeless ethics with modern thought with an emphasis on developing durable and transferable skills designed to lead to success in college and life beyond. Our students (prekindergarten - grade 12) are encouraged to be curious and active learners who seek real world opportunities in and out of the classroom.

LEVIS JCC BETTY & MARVIN ZALE EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER

- Ages: 2-PreK - Price Range: $4,496 - $21,387

- Students: 235

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:4, 1:5, 1:6

- Denomination: Jewish

At the Levis JCC Betty & Marvin Zale Early Childhood Learning Center we provide an enriching multi-faceted early childhood program designed to foster your child’s imagination, curiosity and intellect. Our fundamental goal is to provide the highest quality preschool education in a warm and nurturing environment. Zale teachers work closely with each child to provide innovative experiences that help build a strong foundation in language, math and early literacy while instilling a love for learning that will truly last a lifetime.

PINE CREST SCHOOL FORT LAUDERDALE

- Grades: PreK - 12th - Tuition Range: $33,015 - $42,040

- Students: 1,815

- Virtual Classes: No

LANDMARK COLLEGE SUMMER PROGRAMS

- Ages: 16-22

- Students: 200-225

- Virtual Classes: Yes

- Tuition Range: $1,850 - $8,500

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1

Landmark College offers summer programs to assist a wide range of students with learning differences, including high school students, graduating high school seniors, and students enrolled at colleges around the country. All of the programs are designed to enable students to identify their learning strengths and differences. Students learn specific strategies to be successful in formal academic settings and grow personally and academically in an intentional and supportive academic community. A diagnosed learning difference (such as dyslexia, ADHD, or autism) is not required to participate in these programs.

19 River Road South • Putney, VT • 802.387.6885 • www.landmark.edu/summer

PINE CREST SCHOOL BOCA RATON

- Grades: PreK - 8 - Tuition Range: $33,015 - $38,670

- Students: 868

- Virtual Classes: No

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1

- Denomination: Independent

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

SPANISH RIVER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

- Grades: PreK3 – 8th

- Students: 540

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1

- Denomination: Independent

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

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

TRINITY DELRAY LUTHERAN SCHOOL

- Grades: Age 1 – 8th

- Students: 425

-

Tuition Range: $4,910 - $11,690

- Student-Teacher Ratio: Varies

- Denomination: Lutheran

Trinity Delray, Excellence in Christian education since 1948. For over seventy years, Trinity Delray Lutheran School has been providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. Trinity Delray is committed to providing the best instructional environment for students. Trinity Delray is a Cambridge International School. Cambridge International helps students become confident, responsible, reflective, innovative, engaged, and ready to tackle the demands of tomorrow’s world, capable of shaping a better world for the future. We offer class sizes that give students the opportunity to have curriculum differentiated to their needs. Trinity Delray students develop critical thinking skills that are needed to be successful after elementary and middle school.

- Tuition Range: $4,444 - $11,864

- Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1

- Denomination: Presbyterian

Preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds (Gold Seal Quality Care Program). Academic program K-8th with high quality, challenging academics enhanced by robust technology innovation in the classrooms; leadership skill building; strong fine arts and performing arts programs; critical thinking and project based learning. High school-level honors Algebra 1, Geometry, and Spanish I for middle school students. Accredited by CSF and MSA. Before and after-school programs. Interscholastic Sports program. After school enrichment for elementary. State-of-the-art technology, including 3-D printing, video productions, coding. Competitive robotics. Stanford Achievement Test. Lunch program. Clinic with fulltime nurse. Uniforms required. Parent-Teacher Fellowship. Summer Camp.

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

TWISTERS GYMNASTICS BOCA RATON

- Ages: 5 - 10 - Pricing: From $479/Weekly

- Dates: June 5th - Aug 4th

- Denomination: Gymnastics

Whether your child spends a session, a day, a week or the whole summer at Twisters, their time here will be filled with loads of fun! Our professional and safety certified staff will lead your children in gymnastics instruction, games, organized activities, fitness, arts & crafts, and supervised play in our fun, clean, safe, and fully air conditioned facility! Dates may vary at each location.

FEMCITY BOCA DELRAY HOSTS AN AFTERNOON OF NETWORKING

WHAT: Local networking organization FemCity Boca Delray hosted a January Connection event at Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca Raton as part of its ongoing efforts to support women in business. More than 45 women enjoyed a delicious lunch as guest speaker Amanda Perna, founder and CEO of House of Perna, shared tips for focusing on their “vision for the year.” The event also served as the official partnership launch between FemCity and Diaper Bank Covering South Florida to support women and mothers in Palm Beach County

WHERE: Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca Raton

Michelle Balaun and Roshini Singh

Jessica and Candice Brinkman

Julie Allyson and Andrea Trout

Amanda Perna

FemCity Boca Delray President Melanie DeVito showcasing Kapow’s staple dishes

Tamara Aristy, Olivia Hollaus and Anthea Walker

Destiny Beck, Maru Acosta and Shera Bishop

GRAND OPENING OF LE COLONIAL

WHAT: Delray’s dining scene got a new glamorous addition with the opening of Le Colonial on the corner of Atlantic and Northeast Sixth Avenues downtown. More than 600 dressed-to-impress guests were treated to delicious light bites, Le Colonial signature cocktails, and tons of danceable tunes from DJ Olivier Meiji. Le Colonial’s menu features a mouth-watering array of upscale French-Vietnamese fusion dishes developed under the leadership of acclaimed Vietnamese chef and cookbook author Nicole Routhier.

WHERE: Le Colonial in Delray Beach

Darrah Wahlstedt and Chef Nicole Routhier

Le Colonial Co-owners Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King Barbara Boyd and Emma Howard

Mimi Meister and Louise Glover

Tracey Taylor Prescod, Mimi Meister, Karen Prescod, Dan Meister

Caron and Bob Dockerty

EMPTY BOWLS DELRAY

WHAT: Empty Bowls Delray returned for its seventh year to support those in Palm Beach County who are struggling to put food on the table. Familiar faces from the community, including Shelly and Billy Himmelrich, Ali Kaufman, John Brewer and many more, helped serve up bowls of soup prepared by 30 local restaurants to the hundreds of attendees who “ate simply so others can simply eat.” This year’s event was chaired by Stephanie Dodge and Billy Himmelrich and honorary chairs Ali Kaufman and John Brewer, and all proceeds from ticket sales benefited event host Palm Beach County Food Bank to assist in its mission to alleviate hunger in the county.

WHERE: Trinity Delray Lutheran Church

Matt Savarick, Jan Savarick, Julie Peyton, Don Tolep

Fran and Nathan Nachlas

Judi and Mark Larkin

Patty Jones and Julie Giachetti

Colleen Gallagher and Eileen Acello

Ali Kaufman

Marti LaTour and George Elmore

John Brewer

Stephanie Dodge, Laura Reiss, Marla Garchik

Billy Himmelrich and Brenda Medore

Jeff and Julia Kadel

SPADY CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM HOSTS DR. KING BRUNCH

WHAT: The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum welcomed more than 300 guests to a soldout brunch honoring local heroes Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler and former Delray Beach Police Chief Javaro Sims for their service to the community. This year’s brunch featured guest speeches from local pastor Isaac Lane, Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker, and Atlantic Community High School student Daniyah Straghn. The Spady Museum also announced its new board appointees, and guests were treated to a performance by the St. John Primitive Baptist Church Praise Team. The event was sponsored by The EJS Project, The Set Coalition and The Set Alliance, the City of Delray Beach and many more.

WHERE: Indian Springs Country Club

Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker

Museum Director Charlene Farrington with award recipient Javaro Sims

Spady Museum Board President Elizabeth Burrows performing as part of the St. John Primitive Baptist Church Praise Team

Daniyah Straghn

Spady Museum Board Trustee Clarence Vaughn

St. John Primitive Baptist Church Pastor Isaac Lane

Kenya Madison, accepting award on behalf of Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler

Broke the record with the highest sale to date at

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 determination. 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,

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, boating, gym, cooking, reading, writing, learning, the outdoors and self improvement. Julia 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.

Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin Counties.

10031 Vestal Place in Coral Springs - Broke the record with the highest sale to date at $1,800,000.

Newport Cove - All-age gated community in Delray Beach with lake views, clubhouse and amenities. (gym, tennis courts, & saltwater pool)

$625,000.

Realtor®

Pompano Beach - Condo with ocean views, across from the beach and walking distance to the Pompano Beach pier. Offereded at $410,000.

Julia Amsterdam

TUESDAYTHURSDAY

SOCIAL HOUR 4PM-6PM

50% Off Wines By The Glass

50% Off Signature Cocktails

Social Hour Bites Menu

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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

THURSDAY SPECIAL

THURSDAY

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

UNLIMITED BRUNCH

SUNDAY BRUNCH

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

SUNDAY

DINNER

SUNDAY SUPPER MENU

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

AVALON LOUNGE

PRIVATE DINING

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

dining guide

Your resource for Greater Delray Beach’s finest restaurants

Carnivores Who Care

Delray-based Red Meat Lovers Club supports local charities

In this staff pick, we wanted to salute a locally-based dining club that’s doing good, here in Delray as well as other cities. While the scent of sizzling steaks lures hungry members in, it’s the sense of camaraderie and philanthropy that has made the Red Meat Lovers Club a standout. (Meals really do bring us together.)

“It’s the greatest business networking club,” says founder Evan Darnell. “And the way that we do it is through eating, philanthropy and coming together to be united in causes.”

Darnell created the club for red meat enthusiasts like himself while attending Tulane decades ago. During his successful 20-year stint in Manhattan’s hospitality industry, which included a partnership with “Top Chef” celebrity chef Carla Hall, he paused the club until he moved to Delray Beach six years ago. Darnell looked to transform his collegiate red meat brotherhood into a professional and inclusive network when he restarted the club within weeks of his move in 2017. The first 14-person dinner has organically grown into a nation-

wide membership of 5,000 meat lovers.

“I truly believe it’s better to do business with people you like. It just feels better,” he says. “The business networking that has come out of our club is incredible.”

The following year, the club began raising money for local charities, and to date it has raised more than $1 million for community causes. Darnell partners with businesses that support the club through corporate sponsorships and defers to them to handpick the event’s beneficiary. It raises proceeds through live and silent auctions and raffles. Events are hosted mainly throughout Palm Beach County at unique venues from car showrooms to boxing clubs.

To date, there isn’t a membership fee for the club, except for ticket purchases made for the monthly dinners or events. Plus, members are invited to monthly “meat” at sponsors’ complimentary lunches. Darnell also hosted his fifth kosher dinner earlier this year and hopes to organize a few more in the coming months.

The club has grown into a nationwide orga-

nization in part due to its partnership with cigar brands like Montecristo and cigar shops. The Red Meat Lovers Club even has its own line of cigars, which will be available nationwide later this year. Darnell and several of his South Florida-based members organize and host about eight out-ofstate events, each benefiting a charity working within that specific community. Past cities include New Orleans, Austin and Paramus.

For Darnell, affectionately known as the “secretary of steak,” his hope is for his son, Tyler, to take over the club one day. For now, the sixth-grader is his father’s muse and the club’s “commander-in-beef.” At home the family enjoys cooking rib-eyes on the cast-iron pan Darnell has had for 20 years.

“I’m a salt, pepper guy. I keep it simple. But I am a fan of spending money on butter, and Maldon sea salt goes on everything.”

For more information and upcoming events visit rmlc.com, or join its private group on Facebook.

— Christie Galeano-DeMott

Evan Darnell

Selections for a Red Meat Lovers Club “meat”-ing

DINING KEY

$ Inexpensive: under $17

$$ Moderate: $18 to $35

$$$ Expensive: $36 to $50

$$$$ Very expensive: $50+

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., Dinner Mon.-Sat. 561/303-1939. $$

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

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

Akira Back—233 N.E. Second Ave. Japanese. Chef

Akira Back’s Seoul restaurant earned a Michelin star a few years ago, and now he’s showcasing his talented take on Japanese cuisine at his namesake restaurant inside The Ray hotel. Born in Korea and raised in Colorado, Back blends his heritage with Japanese flavors and techniques he has mastered to deliver dishes that are unique to him. With plates made to be shared, the menu is divided into cold and hot starters followed by rolls, nigiri/sashimi, robata grill, mains and fried rice. Dinner nightly. 561/739-1708. $$$$

Amar Mediterranean Bistro—522 E. Atlantic Ave. Lebanese. From the moment you step inside, there’s a familial feeling, a hidden gem that everyone is drawn to. Amar is a quaint bistro amidst the buzzy Atlantic Avenue that serves Lebanese food. But this isn’t your

typical hummus and pita joint. Here, the proprietor’s family recipes take center stage alongside Mediterranean favorites that have been elevated with slight tweaks. • Dinner nightly. 561/278-3364. $$

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 artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and speck, delicate chickenturkey meatballs in Parmesan-enhanced broth, and Cremona pizza with a sweet-salty-earthy-pungent 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 contemporary to the extraordinary. Bold flavors, inspired techniques and the freshest ingredients make every meal a culinary adventure. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/665-4900. $$

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casa L’Acqua—9 S.E. Seventh Ave. Italian. Diners can expect white tablecloths, tuxedoed staff and attentive service at this fine-dining restaurant. The wine list is Italian-focused but does offer a variety of bottles from around the world, and each dish is expertly prepared with sizable portions. The main dining room, with its vibey bar and wine cellar, is cozy, and so is its fully enclosed patio in the back. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/563-7492. $$

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

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

Costa By OK&M—502 E. Atlantic Ave.. Contemporary American. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steakhouse 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. $$

Cut 432—432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steakhouse 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 butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner nightly. 561/330-3232. $$

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

• Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/665-8484. $

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. $

EVERYDAY FAVORITES

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. $$

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

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

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

The Grove—187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The Grove, which has been tucked inside the tranquil Pineapple Grove District for nearly a decade, continues to surprise diners with its vibrant dishes. The upscale but casually comfortable nook has an international wine list that spans the globe and a seasonal menu that’s succinct and well-thought-out. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/266-3750. $$$$

Henry’s—16850 Jog Road. American. This casual, unpretentious restaurant in the west part of town never fails to 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 Joseph Boueri, wife Margaret in the kitchen, and son Elie and daughter Romy working the front of the house—has all tastes covered. Try the special cheese platter, the duck a l’orange or the rack of lamb. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/272-6100. $$

La Cigale—253 S.E. Fifth Ave. Mediterranean. Popular venue since 2001, with Greek and Italian dishes and more. Highlights are seafood paella, roasted half duck and grilled jumbo artichoke appetizer. Lots of favorites on the menu: calf’s liver, veal osso buco, branzino, seafood crepes. Nice outdoor seating if weather permits. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$

Latitudes—2809 S. Ocean Blvd. Modern American. You should come for both the sunset and the food. This oceanfront restaurant is a gem tucked inside the Delray

Sands resort. From the airy, bubbly interior to the raw bar, the décor is soothing and fun. Try the lobster and crab stuffed shrimp, the miso-glazed Skuna Bay salmon, the branzino or the veal Bolognese. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-6241. $$$

Lemongrass Bistro—420 E. Atlantic Ave. PanAsian. Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination. The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/2785050. (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. $$$

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

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

The Office—201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, unless your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap. 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. $$

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

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

Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar—5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, ambience and service hit all the right notes. Oysters are terrific any way you get them; grilled fish and daily specials are excellent. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/450-6718. $$$

Rose’s Daughter—169 N.E. Second Ave. Italian.

While not your traditional Italian trattoria, it is a place to find new favorites and revisit old 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. $$

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

Veg Eats Foods—334 E. Linton Blvd. Creative Vegan. This is comfort food for everyone; the dishes will impress carnivores, too. Smell the fresh coconut vegetable curry soup, which tastes as good as it sounds. Try the grilled brawt sausage, the Ranch chixn, the banh mi and a Ruben—all from plant-based ingredients that will fool your taste buds. • Lunch daily. 561/562-6673. $

Vic & Angelo’s—290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. People watching is a staple ingredient here, a complement to the Italian fare. The wine menu is robust, mainly grounded in Italy but with choices from around the world. Larger than personal pies, thin-crust pizzas are family-friendly

while you won’t want to share the Quattro Formaggi Tortellini, fluffy purses filled with al dente pear and topped with truffle cream. If you have room for dessert, the classic sweets include cannoli and a tiramisu. • Dinner nightly, brunch weekends. 561/278-9570. $$

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 Mediterranean salt-crusted branzino is definitely a must-try. 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 offers a marvelous array of risottos and fresh pastas and classic dishes like veal chop Milanese, pounded chicken breast and roasted rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$

Buccan—350 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Casual elegance of Palm Beach meets modern culinary 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 offerings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard (not available during summer), the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • Dinner 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. $$

Imoto—350 S. County Road. Asian Fusion/Tapas. Clay Conley’s “little sister” (the translation of Imoto from Japanese) is next to his always-bustling Buccan. Imoto turns out Japanese-inspired small plates with big-city sophistication, like witty Peking duck tacos and decadent tuna and foie gras sliders. Sushi selection is limited but immaculately fresh. • Dinner nightly. 561/833-5522. $$

M.E.A.T. Market—191 Bradley Place. Steakhouse. “Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steak house but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale add-ons. Whole roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner nightly. 561/354-9800. $$$$

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

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

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Evan Orellana

Founder, Delray Surf Club

Surfrider Foundation Regional Director for Florida and Puerto Rico

Marine biologist and conservationist

THEN: For 12 straight years, Evan Orellana was a fixture on a beach somewhere in Florida, his longboard in tow, waiting to catch the next wave. But it wasn’t always that way; Orellana grew up about as far away from the beach as you can get in Broward County. Although he knew from an early age that he wanted to be a marine biologist, Orellana remained a weekend surfer until he attended Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Oceanographic Institute, where he met a roommate who helped him make surfing a part of his daily routine. “Just being in the water is special,” he says. “You’re embracing a force of nature. It’s a whole other feeling.” An advocacy for the ocean and marine life led Orellana, who volunteered at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca and later became a part-time sea turtle biologist, to a career in environmental conservation and education. He was an education coordinator at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach and spent nine years as the director of education at the Sandoway Discovery Center in Delray Beach.

NOW: The Florida and Puerto Rico regional manager for the Surfrider Foundation, a national nonprofit group founded by surfers and focused on ocean-, wave- and beach-conservation, Orellana remains a driving force behind the Delray Surf Club, an organization he founded six years ago with the idea of keeping the area’s surfing community strong. Mostly a social organization, the club hosts movie nights, featuring surfing films and often a few boxes of pizza, as well as other gatherings including beach cleanups. The club also hosts two big events: a surfing competition in Jupiter and its “Surf Swap,” featuring surfer-vendors for music and a surfboard swap. “Our goal is to bring surfing back to what it used to be,” Orellana said.

“The surfing culture is an important part of Florida. We want to make sure the torch is passed on to the next generation of surfers to keep that culture and way of life afloat.”