Lighthouse Point Magazine, August 2024

Bass Fishing in the Everglades

WITH JOHN TRUDEL

t the outset of 2024, I would be highly remiss if I did not express my deep gratitude to my esteemed clientele for your ongoing suppor t Thanks to all of you, my career sales now exceed $450 Million… including over $200 Million in sales since 2021 It is my extreme pleasure to act as your trusted advisor in the purchase or sale of million dollar-plus proper ties.

With the advent of the current buyer’s market, this year promises to be more challenging for sellers A market that necessitates my extensive buyer connections in feeder markets both at home and abroad, as well as my time-tested multi-media marketing program and proven negotiating acumen

Over the past decade I have helped countless affluent buyers, sellers and investors achieve their best result in all market conditions I invite you to be one of them…and look for ward to your call.

Kevin R Kreutzfeld

Lighthouse Point Resident

Kevin R. Kreutzfeld

Direct: 954 449 7883 Mobile: 954 895.1300

kevin@premierestateproper ties com

AD DESIGN BY PHOTO GRAPHIC PRESS, INC. (954) 816-3148

CARDINAL GIBBONS HIGH SCHOOL

SALUTES THE TOP TEN PERCENT OF THE CLASS OF 2024 AS THEY CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE!

Other college acceptances for the Class of 2024 include: Barry University, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, Clemson University, Colorado State University, Columbia University, East Carolina University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Georgetown University, Georgia Southern University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Howard University, Louisiana State University, New York University, Northeastern University, Nova Southeastern University, Princeton University, Saint Joseph’s University, St. Thomas University, The Catholic University of America, The University of Alabama, The University of Tampa, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Kentucky, University of Miami, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Georgia, University of Oregon, University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, University of South Florida, University of Virginia, Villanova University, Wake Forest University

James Abril Clemson University

Tyler Armbruster University of Florida

Anthony Avello University of Florida

Alexis Battoo Florida State University

Samantha Handyside University of Florida

Camila Gomez de la Vega University of Florida

Samantha Fuini University of Florida

Lauren deRochemont University of Florida

Caden Denahan University of Florida

Vincent Caporella University of Central Florida

Sebastian Lescher University of Florida

Henry Lescher University of Florida

Ana Lago Boston College

Mackenzie Kurtz University of Florida

Alexander Ingram Florida State University

Victoria Hickox Almengor University of Florida

Elizabeth Smith Florida State University

Devyn Sherfield University of Central Florida

Vincent Perez University of Florida

Christian Paton University of Florida

Ava Nudelberg University of Florida

Evelyn McCawley Florida State University

Anna Willson University of Florida

Miguel Villareal Rojas Pennsylvania State University

Charles Tolar University of Florida

Marcus Szabo Florida State University

Jesse Hay University of Florida

Garrett Weadock Florida State University valedictorian salutatorian

Lowest Waterfront Home in Palm Beach

Beautiful 4BR | 3 BA Waterfront home on a 150+ foot wide canal in the prestigious GATED community of Pelican Harbor. This residence is less than 500’ from the intracoastal & features all impact windows and doors, Private Dock with TWO 50’ slips, one with a 25k lift. The primary bedroom is on the first floor with vaulted ceilings, 3 bedrooms upstair and a spacious loft. Enjoy a spacious chef’s kitchen with self-close wood cabinets and granite countertops. The marble pool deck includes a saltwater pool and spa. Full house wired and wireless camera system, streaming music throughout. Pelican Harbor offers 24-hour manned security, a marina, 2 heated pools, lighted tennis/pickle-ball courts, a fitness center, a yacht party room, a tiki hut bar with tv. Offered at $2,395,000

Casting Memories

One can drive for less than 30 minutes and stand on the edge of the great “river of grass” known as the Everglades. Long time resident and freshwater fisherman John Trudel takes us for a little adventure close to home, but far from our normal realties.

The Secret IRS Files

ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little income tax compared to their massive wealth— sometimes, even nothing.

Frozen

We ate a ton of Target’s Good & Gather brand frozen appetizers, so you don’t have to. Read our take on these morsels and see which ones we might serve to company and which ones you should skip.

Dr. Jessica Wyatt

22 Creatively Speaking

We’re more connected than ever, but many feel increasingly isolated. This column explores the paradox of connectivity in our modern world.

24 The Lowdown

Check out the diverse range of activities in town, from engaging classes to outdoor concerts.

28 City Beat

An update on the McNab House in Pompano Beach.

30 Personal Development

Life lessons learned from the concept of stoicism.

34 Financial Fitness

Leveraging Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs).

38 Legal Matters

Comparing life estate deeds and revocable living trusts.

40 Relationships

How to stay happily married.

42 Fish Tales

A summer fishing report.

44 Try the Wine

From buttery to oaky, the many flavors of chardonnay.

48 Creatively Cooking

Pulled pork sliders for the gang.

62 Local Flavor

Discover the best dining spots in town, from cozy cafes to upscale eateries.

72 Staff Pick

Dinner at La Perla Di Pompano.

CONTRIBUTORS

David Ehrenfried • Gregory Edwards

Craig Haley • Michelle Hays

Mrs. Kossenfloffer • John Piotrowski

James Terlizzi • Martin Zevin

PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Graves

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jay Petkov

WEBS

Pavel Mohajon

PUBLISHER

Richard Rosser

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Susan Rosser advertising Call 954-299-5592

Chris Peskar

chris@pompanomagazine.com 904-881-1573

Sam Rosser

sam@pointpubs.com 954-629-5163

Lisa Spinelli lisa@pointpubs.com 954-818-0266

content submissions

Does your organization have an event you want people to know about? Has your event already happened? Send us your photos and we’ll put them in our upcoming issue! Email editor@pointpubs.com.

Please include the name and location of the event, the names of those pictured and a brief description.

JASON LEET REAL ESTATE

PRINT MAGAZINES

• Lighthouse Point

• Pompano!

• Deerfield Beach!

• FTL! Fort Lauderdale’s To-Do Magazine

• South Florida Family Life

ANNUAL PRINT VISITOR GUIDES

• The Official Pompano Beach Visitor Guide

• The Official Deerfield Beach Visitor Guide

ONLINE

• Coastal News (e-newsletter)

• Family Fun (e-newsletter)

• pointpubs.com

• southfloridayfamilylife.com

circulation

Lighthouse Point magazine is published monthly by Point! Publishing and delivered free of charge to residents of Lighthouse Point and selected homes in Deerfield Beach. Copies of Lighthouse Point magazine are available at UPS in The Shoppes of Beacon Light.

e-newsletter & social media

Coastal News is Point! Publishing’s complimentary semimonthly e-newsletter. Join the mailing list at pointpubs.com/newsletter. Like us on Facebook to receive hyper-local news on your feed.

letters to the editor

Drop us a line and let us know what you’re thinking. Lighthouse Point magazine is all about community. Your ideas and comments are important to us. All letters to the editor may be edited for grammar and length. Send letters to:

Editor, Lighthouse Point magazine 2436 N. Federal Hwy. #311

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 or email editor@pointpubs.com

Deadlines for camera-ready art and prepayment of ads are due on the first day of the preceding month of publication. All on-going ads must be canceled by the first day of the month preceding publication.

Lighthouse Point and Deerfield Beach! magazines are owned and published 12 times per year by Point! Publishing, LLC. Copyright 2024 by Point! Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Point Publishing, LLC. Requests for permission should be directed to: editor@pointpubs.com.

The Sound of Silence

BY SUSAN ROSSER

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the United States Surgeon General, has declared social media a crisis for the country’s youth, calling for warning labels to appear on platforms to highlight their dangers.

In a recent New York Times editorial, Dr. Murthy wrote, “The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.”

Few people have escaped the hazards of social media. Even as an adult, I have felt the tentacles of jealousy while scrolling through endless feeds of seemingly perfect lives.

Despite knowing that people curate the best moments to post, there have been times when social media has made me feel inadequate. I am confident and well-acquainted with my strengths and weaknesses, but I shudder to think of the impact on a child or adolescent.

My husband Richard and I skipped our usual summer vacation a few years ago to save money (can you say two kids in college?). Every time I went online, it seemed like the entire population of Earth was vacationing in exotic locales while staying at five-star resorts — and, guilelessly, posting impossibly fabulous photos. I suppose it’s only natural to feel jealous, but all that jealousy can eventually morph into outright sadness. I constantly reminded myself that skipping a summer vacation wasn’t the end of the world or proof I was a complete failure. Yet, there were moments when that’s exactly how I felt. Had social media not been around, I might have felt a touch deprived that year, but I never would have felt like a failure.

When my son started college, he shared an observation with me. He is sociable and easily makes and maintains friendships, but he described how, before classes started, everyone would sit in silence, staring at their phones. He found it disheartening and not what he imagined college would be like.

His description reminded me of Simon and Garfunkel’s famous song, “The Sound of Silence.”

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share No one dared

Disturb the sound of silence.

Obviously, Paul Simon wrote these lyrics long before the advent of social media. The truth is the adolescent and teen years can be difficult, and at times, kids can feel isolated, different, and ultimately alone. Now, throw social media into the mix, with kids stuck in a constant vortex of teenage comparisons.

I don’t know if Congress will heed Dr. Murthy’s call for warning labels on social media platforms. However, as Dr. Murthy notes, most parents raising children in a world of social media did not grow up with these distractions and often don’t know how to navigate this complex new terrain. Of course, a warning label will never be a panacea, but it could be a step towards addressing this complicated and urgent issue. Y

Harry Pollack is a passionate real estate agent in South Florida, specializing in luxury waterfront properties. He is deeply involved in the offshore boating community and is also a pilot who enjoys flying around the Bahamas and South Florida. Harry is known for his authen-

ticity and down-to-earth approach, and he takes the time to show clients the waterfront lifestyle he enjoys. Whether by land, air, or sea, Harry provides a unique experience for his clients, finding properties that truly embody their lifestyles and make their dreams a reality.

THE LOWDOWN

Saltwater Showdown

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 10 | Lines in at 7pm

WHERE The Cove, 1754 SE Third St., Deerfield Beach

COST: $475 per boat, $575 per boat after Jul. 24

DETAILS: Tensions are running high as teams converge for the final leg of one of the Southeast’s most prestigious fishing circuits. The Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Showdown marks the culmination of the PBSC series and stands as the last major tournament of the summer in South Florida.

Teams are competing for a cash purse exceeding $100,000 and preparing for a strong finish in pursuit of the circuit’s most coveted award: The Showdown Crown. This prestigious honor comes with a $2,500 prize and a custom set of championship rings for the top overall team in the series — a challenging accomplishment.

The kickoff Party is on Thursday, Aug. 8, at 6pm at The Charlotte J. Burrie Community Center, 2669 N Federal Highway, Pompano Beach. The Captain’s Meeting is at 7pm.

The awards ceremony is Sunday, Aug. 11, from 2 to 5pm at The Pompano Beach Civic Center located at 1801 NE Sixth St., Pompano Beach.

Backyard Jam Summer Concert Series

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 2 and 16 | 6 – 10pm

WHERE Old Town Pompano, 41 NE First St.

COST: Free

DETAILS: If you enjoy Pompano Untapped, you’ll love the Backyard Jam Summer Series with live music, Southern bites, craft cocktails, and good vibes.

AUG. 2 - RYAN ADAM South Florida’s Ryan Adam is an emerging artist and singer/songwriter who combines southern soul, rock energy, and pop hooks with powerhouse vocals and a magnetic stage presence.

AUG. 16 - BIG MEDIZEN An acoustic jam band that plays pleasant and powerful classic rock and originals with a heavy dose of The Band, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, The Beatles, Neil Young, Dave Mathews, Pearl Jam, and more.

Fun Fair Frenzy

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 2 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm

WHERE Herb Skolnick Center | 800 SW 36th Ave., Pompano Beach

COST: Free

DETAILS: Ages 13+ with developmental disabilities are invited to enjoy a night of dancing, games, snacks and more! Registration is required — email TRec@copbfl.com or call 954 -786-7841. Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in programs, services, and activities must contact the Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at 954-786-7841 at least five business days before the scheduled program.

Straight No Chaser & O-Town

Creative Artmaking Workshop

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 17 | 12:30pm

WHERE Ali Cultural Arts Center, 353 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Pompano Beach

COST: $25

DETAILS: Explore your artistic side and build new friendships! Creative Artmaking Workshops are back! Calling all crafters, head to the historic Ali Cultural Arts Center, where instructors will introduce you to exciting creative craft projects and provide intro ductory and intermediate techniques to enhance your skills. Learn how exciting creating can be! The next class is Sept. 21.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 3 | 8pm - 11pm | Doors open at 6:30pm

WHERE: Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 NE Sixth St., Pompano Beach

COST: $39.50

DETAILS: Straight No Chaser & O-Town w/ Chris Kirkpatrick If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers and khakis — think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced. They have emerged as a phenomenon with a massive fanbase and a long list of accomplishments, including over 1.5 million concert tickets sold and over 2 million albums sold worldwide. Straight No Chaser showcases captivating sound of nine unadulterated voices to make extraordinary music that is moving people fundamentally and with a sense of humor.

Drawing Human Anatomy

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 3 | 2pm – 5pm

WHERE Bailey Contemporary Arts (BaCA), 41 NE First St., Pompano Beach COST: $30

DETAILS: Drawing Human Anatomy is a monthly three-hour workshop series taught by 2022-2023 Artist in Residence(AiR) Leonardo Montoya. The class explores every aspect of drawing the human form while understanding the harmony and mechanics of movement and expression. It is recommended that students take various workshops to enhance the technique aspects of each lesson, though students have the option to take workshops independently. Each session is designed to work autonomously, reviewing basic elements of drawing human anatomy.

Please Note: Sessions vary in terms of using dummies and/or an actual life model. Adults. Intermediate to Advanced. Three or more “Introduction to Drawing and Art History” sessions are needed as a pre-requisite or demonstration of basic drawing skills.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 3 | 10am – 1pm

WHERE Bailey Contemporary Arts (BaCA), 41 NE First St., Pompano Beach

COST: $25

DETAILS: This class is a monthly workshop series that explores the history, terminology and practice of various color theories and techniques using watercolor and acrylics. Learn the properties of color, including hue, saturation, and value; composition of palettes; and the use of mediums to alter the chemistry and texture of paint. While it is recommended that students take various workshops, students have the option to take sessions independently, for each workshop is designed to work autonomously.

Available, Under Contract and Just Sold

Newly Priced | Lighthouse Point | 4011 NE 25th Avenue | $1,953,000 3 BR, 2 BA | Approximately 90ft of waterfront with no fixed bridges and minutes to

For Rent | Boca Raton | 6381 Via Rosa

$13,500/Month | 5 BR, 4 BA | Pool Furnished seasonal rental staring Jan 2025 for a min of 4 months in Boca Pointe Country Club. Web# F1043811

Under Contract | Lighthouse Point | 3150 NE 48th Court, 105 | $299,000 1 BR, 1.5 BA | Condo with Intracoastal views. Ready to move-in and enjoy the Florida lifestyle. Web# F10419083

For Rent | Deerfield Beach | 1683 SE 8th Avenue

$4,200/Month | 3 BR, 2 BA Annual unfurnished rental with optimal backyard living. Web# F10441957

Rented | Deerfield Beach | 1530 SE 14th Street

$6,000/Month | 3 BR, 2 BA | Pool Annual unfurnished rental in the Cove neighborhood. Web# F10432783

“Julie is very helpful and hard-working for her clients! She goes above and beyond for her buyers and sellers, and I give her my highest recommendation! ” - James N. Buyer

Connect with Julie today to receive a market update and start a conversation on how she can help turn what you love into where you live.

2024 Ellie Gold Award Recipient (Top 15%)*

Julie Adler Mahfood, GRI

Executive Director of Luxury Sales Sales Associate

M 954.304.4424

julie.mahfood@elliman.com

Hillsboro Inlet. Web# F10403035

CITY BEAT

McNab House and Botanical Gardens Project Takes Root

After analyzing feedback from multiple public meetings, the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has chosen Bermello Ajamil & Partners (BA) to initiate the major site plan process for the McNab House and Botanical Gardens Project. The CRA has also enlisted the expertise of renowned placemaking consultant Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV) to provide guidance on programming, amenities, and events aimed at creating an inviting atmosphere for both residents and visitors.

“We are thrilled to have these two outstanding firms working in concert to create a stunning destination for our City,” said Nguyen Tran, CRA Director. “Throughout the next year, as we finalize the master plan and enter into the site plan process, there will be more opportunities for public engagement before the construction phase commences.”

The CRA’s ambitious plan aims to transform the underutilized McNab Park into a lively destination featuring a restaurant, event pavilion, and botanical garden. BA has been engaged from the outset, developing the conceptual plan, which also includes a classroom/ multipurpose building, a children’s garden and playground, a modest water feature, along with associated infrastructure, lush landscaping, and other elements.

To ensure a successful and comprehensive project, BA has assembled a team of experts, including Kravit Architectural, who will lead the design of the McNab House and Garage conversions, including the kitchen, restaurant restrooms, and event pavilion.

BA Architecture will focus on the classroom, restroom, and maintenance buildings.

To achieve a cohesive design aligned with programming goals, BRV has joined the team at this stage. They’ll analyze and optimize the plans, fostering collaboration between all elements to streamline operations and maximize revenue potential while minimizing unnecessary capital and operational costs.

BRV is a well-known placemaking consulting firm that creates, redevelops, and operates parks, public spaces, neighborhood streetscapes, and the public realms of mixed-use developments. Some of the firm’s key projects include Bryant Park in New York City, Mission Rock in San Francisco, California, Fair Park in Dallas, Texas and many others.

The CRA recently had its first architectural meeting to review the master plan, fine-tune the square footage of the buildings, and review the operational structure. The next milestone in this transformative project will be the announcement of the restaurant operator, which is anticipated in the coming months.

ABOVE McNab House and Botanical Gardens Project site plan.

Life Lessons from Stoicism

More and more, I continue to hear about the terms “stoicism” and “the stoic.” I have been studying a few speakers and authors who focus on this area.

What exactly is Stoicism?

Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The Stoics believed that the practice of virtue is enough to achieve eudaimonia, which is a welllived life.

The Stoics identified the path to achieving it with a life spent practicing the four virtues in everyday life: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. It was founded in the ancient Agora of Athens by Zeno of Citium around 300 BC.

It is like looking at life from a very simple perspective, and focusing on the basics. Many of the legendary people from sports had that mindset of constantly drilling the basics because they knew that would lead to success.

BY CRAIG HALEY

Vince Lombardi was known for saying we will repeat certain plays over and over again until our opponents know a play is coming and they can’t stop it.

Coach John Wooden, the most winning coach in sports history, having won 10 NCAA national titles in 12 years, was known for starting every season by teaching players how to put their socks on and tie their shoes so they could avoid blisters.

I remember my first martial arts instructor saying that the best Black Belts have very strong basics. My Jiu-Jitsu instructor says simply, “The basics always work.”

Virtue #1: Wisdom

Stoics view wisdom as knowing what is good, evil, and indifferent, as well as what to choose, what to avoid, and what is irrelevant.

Wisdom can be attained by reading books, talking to mentors, studying past events, attending seminars and workshops, and coming to your own conclusions based on everything you have learned.

As the late, great author Jim Rohn said, “Get all the information that you can and then sort through it all on your own. Then you decide what is valuable and applies to your life.”

Virtue #2: Courage

Stoics define courage as a virtue that goes beyond dealing with fear and involves facing unpleasant or dangerous situations when something more important is at stake.

This could be something as drastic as saving someone from a fire to doing the right thing for a customer when that right thing will cost your business a lot of money.

Courage an admirable quality because you are acting bravely for a greater good, for something much bigger than yourself.

Amazon did a courageous thing a few years ago. They noticed that the streaming speeds when people rented movies from their Prime account were slower than they wanted. Instead of letting it go (since no one complained), they sent all their customers who rented movies that day an email that said they were getting a full refund since the speeds were not up to their standards. Wow!

PLAY HARD WORK HARDER

CARDINAL GIBBONS STUDENT-ATHLETES HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE FIELD. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HARDWORKING AND COMMITTED CHIEFS AS THEY CONTINUE TO COMPETE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL.

COLTON HEINRICH: FOOTBALL, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA / CASEY ETIENNE JR.: FOOTBALL, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ: FOOTBALL, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY / ZACK BOEHLY: FOOTBALL, EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

DEVAN TAYLOR: FOOTBALL, WAGNER COLLEGE / JULIANA TORRES: SOCCER, LYNN UNIVERSITY / RICHARD LIN: TENNIS, ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE / AUSTON FRANCIS: FOOTBALL, UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT / ZACH THOMPSON: FOOTBALL, WAGNER COLLEGE / MIKE MERDINGER: FOOTBALL, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA / JEREMIAH CHALMERS: FOOTBALL, UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY / MIKE KASS: BASEBALL, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA / CHRIS WILLIAMS: FOOTBALL, CONCORD UNIVERSITY

IVAN PAGAN: FOOTBALL, WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY / ANTHONY NOWELL: FOOTBALL, HAMLINE UNIVERSITY / BRAEDEN SERNA: FOOTBALL, ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY / ROMAN REID: FOOTBALL, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY / PAT ANDERSON JR: FOOTBALL, CONCORD UNIVERSITY / BRANDON TOBIAS: FOOTBALL, WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY / GUY EDMOND: FOOTBALL, IOWA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE / DANIEL MINCEY: FOOTBALL, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY / TEYHLOR THOMAS: VOLLEYBALL, UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD / ANTONIO LINDSAY: FOOTBALL, LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY / BRYCE WEBB: TRACK, FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY

GEORGE STRINGOS: BASEBALL, BARRY UNIVERSITY / VYNN BUEROSSE: BASEBALL, KEISER UNIVERSITY / BRANDON KERRY: BASEBALL, BARRY UNIVERSITY / GAVIN HOOTEN: RUGBY, ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY / JACKSON PAVLISH: RUGBY, ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY

MIGUEL VILLARREAL ROJAS: RUGBY, PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

|

They acted courageously by giving up tens of thousands of dollars in revenue now to let their customers know they are the priority and their loyalty was of the utmost importance to them. Their gamble worked!

Virtue #3: Moderation

The Stoic definition of moderation is acting with self-control, discipline, and restraint and regulating emotions instead of being swept up in the moment.

Everyone knows someone who has let one area of their life get out of hand. Perhaps that is drinking too much, cheating on their significant other, abusing drugs, cheating on their taxes, etc.

If we are all honest, we have all gone overboard on several occasions. I know I have. My father was an alcoholic, and that is what led to his death in 2022.

Moderation does not mean that you can never have a drink or go out and have fun. It means that many things are OK to do from time to time, but just make sure they do not become a consistent habit that eventually controls you. In the end, you want to be in control of all your habits.

Author Darren Hardy says his three vices are coffee, wine, and ice cream. To ensure that his vices don’t ever control him, he picks one vice every few months and stops it for 30 days. This way, he can ensure that he is always in control and not the other way around.

Themes like “Dry January” and “Sober October” are great movements that help people control their habits.

Virtue #4: Justice

Marcus Aurelius said that justice is “the source of all the other virtues.”

Author, Ryan Holiday in his book “Right Thing, Right Now” says that discipline can feel constraining, like it’s telling you what you can’t do. Justice is something different. It is an ideal to aspire to. It gives you something higher to aim at. Justice becomes your north star in life. Justice is something that we all continue to reach for, something on the horizon, lifting our focus up instead of down.

I have a mentor, Jeffrey Gitomer, who has become a good friend. He is a 15-time New York Times best-selling author and the author of the best-selling book on sales of all time (The Little Red Book of Selling). He told me that if you want to come up with a new idea or strategy, you should read and study something old. Stoicism is that something old for me.

It has a way of simplifying life and reminding you to keep the main thing the main thing! It breaks life down to the bare essentials that will allow you to think clearly, not get overwhelmed, and make good decisions.

It is exactly what many of us need right now! Y

Master Shihan Craig Haley is the Seventh Degree Black Belt instructor at Elite Force Martial Arts, eliteforcemartialarts.com.

Maximizing Your Estate Plan

Leveraging Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs)

BY GREG EDWARDS

One of the most powerful tools in our estate planning arsenal is the Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). With the upcoming changes to estate tax exemptions, now is the perfect time to consider how an ILIT can benefit you and your loved ones.

What is an ILIT?

An ILIT is a specialized trust designed to hold a life insurance policy. Once established, the trust owns the policy, and you, as the grantor, relinquish control over the assets within it. This strategic move removes the policy’s cash value and death benefit from your taxable estate, providing significant tax advantages and ensuring your wealth is efficiently transferred to your beneficiaries.

Key Benefits of Using an ILIT

1. MINIMIZING ESTATE TAXES With the estate tax exemption set to be cut nearly in half in 2026, from $13.61 million to around $7 million, utilizing an ILIT becomes even more crucial. By transferring ownership of your life insurance policy to an ILIT, your life insurance death benefit is no longer part of your taxable estate (taxed at up to a 40% rate). This not only reduces the estate tax burden but also ensures that the life insurance proceeds provide liquidity to cover any remaining estate taxes without inflating your estate’s value.

2. MINIMIZING GIFT TAXES A properly drafted ILIT allows you to make annual contributions to cover life insurance premiums without triggering gift taxes, as long as these contributions fall within the annual gift tax exclusion amounts. In 2024, this exclusion is $18,000 per individual or $36,000 for married couples, per

beneficiary. Depending on the number of beneficiaries named in your ILIT, you could gift substantial amounts to the ILIT annually, leveraging the gift tax exclusion and preserving your lifetime exemption, which is currently set at $13.61 million per individual.

3. ELIGIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT BENEFITS-SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN By removing the assets from your direct ownership, an ILIT can help you or your beneficiaries qualify for means-tested government benefits, such as Social Security or Medicaid.** This is particularly beneficial for special needs individuals, as it allows them to receive necessary government assistance without being disqualified due to asset ownership.

4. ASSET PROTECTION Once the policy is transferred to an ILIT, it is protected from creditors and other legal claims. This

Representatives of AIC/AAS do not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax advisor or attorney regarding your situation. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Gregory Edwards offers products and services using the following business names: Lawless, Edwards & Warren – insurance and financial services | Ameritas Investment Company, LLC (AIC), Member FINRA/SIPIC – securities and investments advisory services. AIC and AAS are not affiliated with Lawless, Edwards & Warren.

FINANCIAL FITNESS

is especially important in scenarios like divorce, where the trust ensures that your beneficiaries receive the intended assets without them becoming part of legal disputes.

5. INCENTIVE CLAUSES ILITs can include incentive clauses that set specific conditions or milestones beneficiaries must meet to receive distributions. This feature allows you to guide beneficiary behavior, ensuring that the wealth is used responsibly. Common conditions might include graduating from college, purchasing a home, or achieving certain personal or professional milestones.

6. LEGACY PLANNING ILITs, especially dynasty trusts, help in long-term legacy planning. They can be structured to avoid generation-skipping transfer taxes (GSTT), which apply to transfers to beneficiaries two or more generations below the grantor. By allocating assets towards a GSTT exemption, you can ensure that your wealth benefits future generations while working to minimize tax obligations.

Types of ILITs

Depending on your specific needs, various types of ILITs can be established:

• SPOUSAL LIFETIME ACCESS TRUST (SLAT): Allows your spouse to access income and principal while keeping the assets outside the taxable estate.

• SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST: Provides for individuals with disabilities, ensuring they receive the necessary care and maintain eligibility for government benefits.

• DYNASTY TRUST: Benefits multiple generations, preserving wealth over a long period, potentially hundreds of years, depending on state laws.

Considerations and Next Steps

While ILITs offer numerous advantages, they come with some considerations. While ILIT’s are “irrevocable”, with proper planning additional flexibility can be drafted into these trusts. Additionally, choosing a reliable trustee is crucial, as they will manage the trust’s assets and ensure compliance with its terms. Y

Let’s work together to maximize your wealth and provide for your loved ones in the most tax-efficient manner possible. Please reach out to Greg and his team at 561-361-8140 Ext. 229 or gwe@lawlessedwardswarren.com to discuss how a properly drafted and funded ILIT might make sense as part of your estate plan.

** Medicaid eligibility is a complicated process and may vary by state law. Care must be taken to ensure any trust is properly drafted to meet the client’s needs.

What’s Better: Life Estate Deed or Revocable Living Trust

BY MARTIN ZEVIN, ATTORNEY

There are several ways to avoid probate on your home when you die. If you are single, there will be probate when you die unless you choose one of the following options. If you are married and own your home together, your surviving spouse will not have probate; however, there will be probate when the second of you passes away, unless one of these options is done.

Let us assume that you own your home jointly with your spouse and that you have one child. Both of you desire to have your child inherit your home when you both pass away.

The first option would be to add the name of your child to the deed as a joint tenant with right of survivorship. This is not a good idea. It would affect your ability to claim your full homestead exemption. In addition, you lose control of your property and can only sell it if your child agrees and signs all closing documents. If you wanted to take the child off the deed, you would be unable to do so. If your child files for bankruptcy, has an adverse judgment or files for divorce, your property could be subject to liens or other legal action. Therefore, I recommend against a Deed with your child as a joint tenant with right of survivorship.

Even with the enhanced life estate deed, there are risks, particularly if either of your children has a bankruptcy, outstanding judgment or undergoes divorce. The worst risk, however, is if, God forbid, your children die before you or with you in a common accident. Your children’s estates would then become the owners of the property once you died, which would result in probate being required. Thus, the main purpose of the life estate deed is not accomplished.

The second option is a life estate deed. There are two types of life estate deed: regular and enhanced (also referred to as Lady Bird). The regular life estate deed requires that your children join in any sale or other changes on the deed; therefore, you have lost control and cannot take your children’s names off the deed if you choose to do so. The enhanced life estate deed gives you the sole right to sell the property during your lifetime or make any other changes to the deed without the permission of your children. The enhanced life estate deed has very specific legal language in order to be effective; therefore, do not attempt to do this on your own.

The best way to avoid probate on your home is to do a revocable living trust. When you sign the trust, you also sign a deed transferring the property to you as trustees of your trust. You are able to keep your homestead exemption, maintain complete control of the property during your lifetime and make amendments to your trust without changing the deed. There are no risks involved, since your children’s names do not appear on the deed. The only disadvantage of the trust is that it will cost more money in attorney’s fees. When you discuss the options with your attorney, you should discuss the difference in fees between the trust and the life estate deed. You can then determine whether it is worth saving the money and taking the risks involved in the life estate deed. Y

Martin Zevin is available to discuss wills, trusts, estates, probate and is available for free consultation regarding personal injury claims or car insurance coverage. For more information call 954-569-4878 or visit martinzevinpa.com.

How to Stay Happily Married

Is being married to the same person year after year unfulfilling and boring? Many people think so, yet if you ask most people, they will tell you they still want to get married. They still believe in love. Getting married is the easy part. Staying married and doing it with a happy heart is another story.

Studies show that many factors determine whether a marriage will last or not. Everything from the age we are when we get married to whether we thank each other. For example, studies show that

women have a 57% chance (men have a 60% chance) of celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary if they dated for three years and maintained their own living space before getting married. My husband, Brian, and I dated for only two years before we got married, and we moved in together only eight months after we met. I hope we are not doomed! I find statistics so interesting, don’t you? We all know that sustaining love in our marriages can certainly be challenging, but there are proven behaviors and thought patterns that go hand in hand with staying happily married.

Couples that stay married consistently choose to see their partners through the eyes of love. They look for the good in their partners and they are also interested in them; they support them through challenging times and make their happy moments even happier.

BY MICHELLE HAYS

Talking to each other also makes for a happy marriage. Nobody wants to be that couple sitting across from each other at a restaurant with nothing to say and just staring at their phones. What about you? Are you two talking to each other? Do you speak to each other with loving kindness and patience for the most part? Sharing dreams, asking questions, and talking about things other than the kids, the weather, and whose mom is sick certainly matters. I have been working on my listening skills, and instead of looking at my phone, I look into my husband Brian’s eyes when we are speaking to each other. I will pause the TV or put my phone down when Brian speaks. I want him to know that what he is saying is important to me because it’s important to him. Do you get my drift? I am not perfect, but I am certainly more mindful than I have ever been, and I can see a difference in how he listens to me. Successful couples talk — a lot.

Learning to resolve conflicts is a crucial skill in any successful marriage. If we don’t learn this, we’re only deceiving ourselves. The frequency of disagreements is not the issue; it’s how we handle them that truly matters. Remember, once we know better, we can do better, and our marriage is worth it! Effective conflict resolution promotes understanding and strengthens the bond between partners.

Appreciation and gratitude in a marriage is another must. If we want to elevate our marriages almost immediately, let’s consider making more of an effort to express appreciation and gratitude to our spouses. Our spouses do more for us than we give them credit for. Keep an eye out for opportunities to express yourself. Say, thank you. Often.

Unsurprisingly, making quality time for each other increases our chances of creating a fulfilling marriage. We get married to share life with our spouses and increase our joy. Regularly making time to do something fun together keeps things exciting and is the key to connection.

We stay married by fully committing to each other no matter what life throws at us — always knowing that together, we got this! Imagine creating a deeper connection, a sense of security, unwavering trust, and true love. All things are possible if we believe in our love for each other. Y

The Mid-Summer Report

BY JOHN PIOTROWSKI

It’s hard to believe it is already August. 2024 has just moved so quickly. It seems like yesterday we were chasing the next sailfish tournament leg, and man, was it a great sailfishing year! To have boats catching 40 – 50 sailfish in a day — that’s something special. I guess we all should stock up on sailfish flags for next year! Spring was pretty good too! The wahoo bite has been really strong all the way through July. I really can’t remember a year when more wahoo were caught as consistently.

The yellowfin tuna bite in the channel has also been consistent. The sharks are around, but skilled anglers are managing to get some nice tuna past them. Several of the Lighthouse Point fishing club boats managed to get a boat full of 40 – 60 lb. fish to the docks. The swordfishing remains strong. Lots of boats are getting fish both at

day and at night. The reef fishing has been pretty good, and some decent to large hogfish have been around. It always makes a good lobster scouting trip when you find a few big hogs, and you happen to have your spear gun with you! Last year was a great lobster year.

As of this writing, the lobster season has yet to open, but we are confident that we will have a report for you in the September article. When we think about fishing in South Florida in mid summer we usually think of dolphin off shore and blackfin tuna near the outer reefs. While the blackfin tuna have been large and in charge the dolphin this year have been inconsistent and small. We’re not sure what’s going on with the dolphin fishery but we haven’t seen many large fish being caught and we are finding allot of 3 – 6 lb. fish in pretty large schools. I saw a report recently of an angler releasing his dolphin catch for the day — although his fish were legal to keep they weren’t exactly gaffers. Kudos to that boat for letting a few

grow up. We’ll do some research as to what is going on with the dolphin populations and movements and see if we cant report back to you in the fall. All in all, the fishing has been pretty good. You must get out there and wet a line. We are so fortunate to have a number of great tackle stores around that are full of great stuff and people with great advice.

RJ Boyle’s Studio, Big Dog Tackle, Custom Rod and Reel, Chaos are just a few of the great places to shop and learn.

So many of our local boaters and fisherman are traveling to the Bahamas this time of year. The Abacos are really back and going strong again. So good to see that. I hear rumors that folks may be lining up to rebuild Treasure witch would be great. The Exumas have been just full of boats and people. Don’t forget to look for your friends boat stickers or burgee flags! Take a picture and send it to them — we all love that. Please be safe diving for lobsters! Look carefully for people and stuff in the water. The boats are getting bigger and faster and it makes it harder to adjust and see a small flag or kayak when your running 50 miles per hour through choppy seas. Those aren’t the stories we want to read! Y

John Piotrowski is president of The Lighthouse Point Saltwater Sportsmans Association .

The Many Faces of Chardonnay

BY DAVID EHRENFRIED

It’s safe to say that most Americans who like wine have had at least a sip of wine made from chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay is far and away the bestselling white wine in the United States. Many of us have had wine without realizing it that was made with chardonnay. If you raised a glass of French Champagne or California sparkling wine on New Year’s Eve — it was probably made with chardonnay. Yet, if we ask our wine-drinking friends how wines made from chardonnay taste or how they expect them to taste, we’ll get many different answers such as, “It’s too dry.” “It’s too sweet.” “I like its creaminess and nutty flavors.” “I like its crisp apple and citrusy flavors.”

Try describing chardonnay yourself. Would you describe them as tasting buttery and bold, steely and crisp, or something else entirely?

There are myriad styles of chardonnay wine made in nearly every wine region worldwide. It’s often hard to know how any particular one will taste without having had it before. One thing is for sure: If you like wine, good chardonnay is generally delicious and fun to try in any style. It can be casual or serious, and it pairs well with many foods, such as poultry, seafood, pork, or vegetable dishes, as well as cheese and fruit.

Chardonnays of Many Styles and Flavors

I’ve written this before, but I’ll say it again. When it comes to wine, especially chardonnay, I urge people to be curious. Try tasting wines made in different styles and places and by different vintners. There are literally thousands of chardonnay producers and brands, so you could easily try a different chardonnay wine every week or month and never exhaust the possibilities. Hopefully, most of what you taste will be rewarding, and some will be truly special and memorable.

Try and resist the temptation to purchase those familiar and inexpensive brands that are in virtually every supermarket and wine store. These frequently are mass-produced wines, each made by the hundreds of thousands — sometimes millions — of cases, typically from low-cost, lower-quality grapes and using many additives to make them palatable. Try something different, ideally a wine made in more limited quantities or by a smaller producer. A knowledgeable wine salesperson may be able to help you pick.

Chardonnay wine styles range from lush and unctuous with all manner of fruit and other flavors and aromas to steely and austere with an intense but narrower spectrum of fruit and other flavors. There are two main reasons for this variability. First, chardonnay is a remarkably adaptable grape varietal. It acclimates exceedingly well to different soil and climate conditions, such that its grapes grow and ripen to reflect the earth’s endless combinations of these conditions. The second reason is that chardonnay responds almost magically to different winemaking methods, such as malolactic fermentation and aging in oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation creates lactic acids, giving wine a soft, creamy texture. Aging chardonnay in oak barrels gives it toasty vanilla, nutty, and other flavors and aromas. However, many chardonnays are made more simply without such techniques, yielding leaner, more austere, and minerally wines, often with crisp apple, pear, and citrus flavors.

The Chardonnays of Burgundy

Nowhere are these variations more evident than in Burgundy, France, where chardonnay originated over a thousand years ago. It has remained the Burgundy region’s principal white wine grape for centuries as well as the source of what many consider

Celebrate

For three decades, P.J. Rossi Jewelers has been your premier destination for custom jewelry in South Florida. Our award-winning designer has been crafting unique, personalized pieces that turn your dreams into reality using state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology. As an Antwerp Diamond Importer, we ensure the highest quality and brilliance in every piece we create.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Join us for special weekly jewelry events through August 20th and register for a chance to win our 30th anniversary jewelry giveaway at www.pjrossijewelers.com!

P.J. Rossi Jewelers 217 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (954) 492-9133 • www.pjrossijewelers.com

the world’s finest dry white wines. Consistent with French wine conventions, a glass or bottle of chardonnay is seldom called “chardonnay.” Rather, it is referred to by the names of the dozens of towns, villages, vineyards, or subregions where each wine’s grapes were grown, such as Chablis, Muersault, Montagny, and PouillyFuissé. (Wines labeled simply Bourgogne are made with grapes that might come from anywhere in the region.) Soil and other growing conditions vary considerably among these places, as do winemaking methods.

Consequently, styles and flavors range from the very pricey, lush, and exquisitely flavored whites of the Côte d’ Beaune region in central Burgundy to the dry, minerally, and often racy whites of Chablis in Burgundy’s north. In Burgundy’s south, the regions produce more modestly priced, round, and fruit-driven, medium-bodied wines. The furthest south is the Beaujolais region. Though best known for red wine, the region also produces a few inexpensive but good chardonnays. Unlike the white wines of central and southern Burgundy, Chablis wines are rarely exposed to aging in oak and never to malolactic fermentation.

The best way to experience these different Burgundy styles is

to try wines from these different areas. There are many reliable producers. The least expensive Chablis wines cost between $20 and $35. (Some notable producers are Fevre, Laroche, Moreau.) Chardonnays from Côte Chalonnaise (e.g., Rully and Montagny) and Mâconnais (e.g., Macon, Montagny, and St.-Veran) generally cost between $15 and $40, with top wines priced above that. (Look for Jadot, Latour, and LeFlaive, among other producers.) Unfortunately, few white Côte d’ Beaune wines cost less than $35. Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and similar village wines now cost over $50 a bottle at retail and easily twice or more in restaurants. But if you want to live it up, pair Meursault or another Beaune village wine with a lobster or other favorite seafood dinner.

A World of Chardonnay

Until about 80 years ago, it was unusual to find wines made solely from chardonnay produced outside France. Fortunately, chardonnay has since been planted enthusiastically in practically every wine region around the world. In good wine stores, you’re bound to find many

good chardonnays, in many styles, made in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and Israel—not to mention other regions of France, such as Languedoc. You might also see a few chardonnays made in Spain, Austria, and Greece. In the United States, California, Oregon, and Washington State lead in chardonnay production. California and Oregon are hotbeds for outstanding chardonnay. However, winemakers in Virginia, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and many other states also produce chardonnay. The best chardonnay wines in California come overwhelmingly from Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. Sonoma County alone has multiple subregions, some along the coast (Fort Ross-Seaview and Sonoma Coast) and others more inland at varying elevations (Carneros, Russian River, Chalk Hill, etc.) that yield different styles. To get a sense of the different styles, try wines from grapes grown in specific areas of the state rather than a chardonnay made from grapes that likely came from many parts of the state. The front labels of these wines will state the vineyard, AVA (American Viticultural Area), or county names. Sometimes, the back labels provide clues to the style or winemaking process. Coastal wines tend to be leaner and inland ones fuller. Also, note the alcohol content. It’s a clue to the wine’s weight and fullness. California chardonnay’s may have ABV’s of 14% or more, compared to Burgundy’s typical 12-13.5%. The priciest tend to be the most robust and complex, but some of the best (and most costly) can be elegant and austere. Some moderately-priced brands ($15-$35) include Auteur, Bernardus, Cambria, Chalk Hill, Carol Shelton, Crossbarn, Diatom, MacRostie, Morgan, and Neyers. You can, of course, spend considerably more for generally better wines.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has a climate and conditions similar to many parts of Burgundy, and its chardonnays share much in common as well. Many are crisp and steely with lower alcohol but bright, delicious fruit and floral characteristics. Look for Evening Land, Hyland, Walter Scott, Resonnance, Solena, and Stoller, among many others.

Chardonnay is very popular in Australia and New Zealand, where winemakers now make it in great abundance. From Australia, my wife’s favorite is “Ladies Who Shoot their Lunch” made by Fowles, but there are many others made by Leeuwin, Tyrell, Penfolds, Haines, and Yalumba, to name several. These tend to have apple, pear, and citrus flavors, in contrast with many New Zealand Chardonnays the have tropical fruit flavors. Some New Zealand brands include Craggy Range, Kumea, Dog Point, and Cloudy Bay.

Don’t overlook South Africa and South America which make both a rich and leaner styles. The best from South Africa is Hamilton Russell, although Mulderbosch and Kara-Kara are also very much worth a try. You’ll likely see Argentinian and Chilean whites grouped together in stores. Look for Viña Cobos, Kaiken, Luca, Bosca, Bosquet, Lapostolle, Viña Santa Rita, Concha y Toro and 1896. Finally, Italy produces a variety of chardonnays, depending on the region. The Alto Adige region, more closely associated with pinot grigio, produces lean chardonnays, while Tuscany and Sicily to the south produce full versions. Consider Terlano, Alois Lageder, Tiefenbrunner, Nozzole, Antinori, and Planeta. Y

Sliding into Pulled Pork

BY MRS. KOSSENFLOFFER

Sliders are universally loved, and this recipe will surely be a hit at any summertime gathering. I’ve included a homemade barbecue sauce recipe, but you can easily use your favorite store-bought brand. This will make enough sliders to feed a crowd of 8 to 10 adults, and the sauce yield is generous enough that you’ll probably have some left over. As an added bonus, the pork freezes beautifully for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Pulled Pork Sliders

For the Barbecue Sauce

Yeild: 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

1/2 cup neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, grated

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

For the Pulled Pork Serves 8

Ingredients

1 pork butt (about 4 pounds)

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 t easpoon freshly ground black pepper

1 12-ounce bottle of good quality beer

Barbecue sauce (see recipe above)

Slider buns

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes until they are translucent, being careful not to brown them.

2. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, molasses, ketchup, smoked paprika, chili powder and red pepper flakes.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You can add more salt, sugar, or vinegar to suit your taste.

5. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Suit your tastebuds by adjusting the sauce ingredients to your liking. For a less sweet sauce, use less sugar. For more spice, add extra red pepper flakes. Adjust the vinegar for desired acidity.

Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

3. If the pork is tied, untie it. Score any fat layer with a knife. Season the pork all over with the spice mixture. For best results, season the pork and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

4. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the pork and brown on all sides.

5. Add the beer and 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce, making sure the meat is just barely covered.

6. Cover and cook in the oven for about 4 hours until the meat is fork-tender.

7. Remove the meat from the pot and shred it using two forks. Mix in as much of the sauce as you like. For crispy bits, place the shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 1 or 2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.

8. Pile the shredded pork onto the bottom half of each slider bun. Top with pickles, pickled red onions or coleslaw. Place the top half of the bun on each slider and enjoy.

Everglades Bass with John Trudel

BY RICHARD ROSSER

Ihad never fished for largemouth bass — in the Everglades. I imagine a good percentage of all South Floridians have also not done this, but as a sixth-generation Floridian, I thought it was time to check this bucket list item.

John Trudel, a retired 40-plus-year veteran staff member at the City of Lighthouse Point and a very long-time resident, told me ten years ago about his passion for bass fishing in the Everglades. I reminded him of that conversation a few times over the years, and he recently took me on this exact adventure.

Catching the fish was never really the point, but we did catch a lot of fish. Catching up with John was great, but seeing this fundamental component of our environment from inside a small fishing boat early in the morning with mirror-like still water was a true adventure.

John’s devotion to his pastime is meticulous. He is a total pro. His boat fits precisely into his garage, and his vehicle is the perfect size to tow it. His gear is clean and organized. John is a study in purity and focus.

“None of that live bait fishing for me,” John tells me during the dark morning drive to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. This means he only uses artificial lures and baits, which is considered more sporting. John also releases all his fish.

We drove west from John’s house to Parkland, then headed north on 441 to the National Park entrance, which took us about 25 minutes. The drive masked the transitions from the urban channels of Lighthouse Point through many miles of our dense South Florida metroplex, and then we miraculously arrived at a very different and very wild new landscape.

For readers new to Florida, the Everglades is essentially a massive river that is very shallow with a lot of vegetation. And a tremendous density of wildlife. Birds, turtles, panthers, boas, boars, alligators and of course, dozens of fish species. The fish can be freshwater or saltwater, depending on the distance from the ocean. Some species can survive in “brackish” water between fresh and salt, but that is a story for another time.

The quiet and stillness of the morning were certainly worth the effort to get up early. The sun slowly shed a bit of light on the scene, making all manner of birds more visible. The boat engine hummed and roared as we scooted to the spot John had selected for us to try first.

My fishing skills are nothing to brag about in a region filled with professional and avid anglers, but I have been doing it for a long time, most of it in Florida. The trick is being in the right place with the right gear and bait. John had all that covered. All I had to do was copy his fishing technique, which mostly involves a plastic worm set up in a “wacky rig.” “Just let it settle and bump it along the bottom like this,” as he demonstrated.

Trust me my non-fisher readers, if a 5-year-old drew a picture of a fishing rig, this rig is what you would see. Simple, but we caught fish all morning long.

The Loxahatchee Nature Refuge is a popular park with a visitor center that describes the plants, geology and wildlife. I had been to the visitor center with out-of-town guests many months back, but being out in the Everglades and actually with the wildlife is much better, and it is only a mile or so from the center.

Seeing an alligator in a pen at the visitor center is not the same as seeing one swim toward the fish you are fighting while a large osprey flies by. Y

LEFT “I get sea sick so I took up bass fishing as a kid,” according to John who grew up and lived so close to the ocean but prefers fishing inland. OPPOSITE Everglades habitat at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Photo Courtesy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public Domain

IF YOU GO

We caught only largemouth bass but many other species are there. The peacock bass and clown knifefish have become prized catches in the last couple decades as these and other invasive fish species spread throughout the ecosystems.

“March and April are the best months,” according to John.

A valid fishing license is required. Get online for $17/year for residents. Three, 7-day and annual non-resident permits can also be purchased. https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/ freshwater-fishing/ (Editor’s note: Permit is a nice word for tax but the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission uses these fees to

improve and maintain Florida public lands for recreation and conversation.)

Private charter captains can be hired for fishing like this. Search “fishing guides Loxahatchee Florida.”

The boats and canals are small so one to three fishers plus the guide.

For more information on the park: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ arthur-r-marshall-loxahatchee

The Secret IRS Files

Trove of Never-Before-Seen

Records Reveal

How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax

BY JESSE EISINGER, JEFF ERNSTHAUSEN AND PAUL KIEL

ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing.

In 2007, Jeff Bezos, then a multibillionaire and now the world’s richest man, did not pay a penny in federal income taxes. He achieved the feat again in 2011. In 2018, Tesla founder Elon Musk, the second-richest person in the world, also paid no federal income taxes.

Michael Bloomberg managed to do the same in recent years. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn did it twice. George Soros paid no federal income tax three years in a row.

ProPublica has obtained a vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data on the tax returns of thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people, covering more than 15 years. The data provides an unprecedented look inside the financial lives of America’s titans, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. It shows not just their income and taxes, but also their investments, stock trades, gambling winnings and even the results of audits.

Taken together, it demolishes the cornerstone myth of the American tax system: that everyone pays their fair share and the richest Americans pay the most. The IRS records show that the wealthiest can — perfectly legally — pay income taxes that are only a tiny fraction

of the hundreds of millions, if not billions, their fortunes grow each year.

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, amassing little wealth and paying the federal government a percentage of their income that rises if they earn more. In recent years, the median American household earned about $70,000 annually and paid 14% in federal taxes. The highest income tax rate, 37%, kicked in this year, for couples, on earnings above $628,300.

The confidential tax records obtained by ProPublica show that the ultrarich effectively sidestep this system.

America’s billionaires avail themselves of tax-avoidance strategies beyond the reach of ordinary people. Their wealth derives from the skyrocketing value of their assets, like stock and property. Those gains are not defined by U.S. laws as taxable income unless and until the billionaires sell.

To capture the financial reality of the richest Americans, ProPublica undertook an analysis that has never been done before. We compared how much in taxes the 25 richest Americans paid each year to how much Forbes estimated their wealth grew in that same time period.

We’re going to call this their true tax rate.

The results are stark. According to Forbes, those 25 people saw their worth rise a collective $401 billion from 2014 to 2018. They paid a total of $13.6 billion in federal income taxes in those five years, the IRS data shows. That’s a staggering sum, but it amounts to a true tax rate of only 3.4%.

It’s a completely different picture for middle-class Americans, for example, wage earners in their early 40s who have amassed a typical amount of wealth for people their age. From 2014 to 2018, such households saw their net worth expand by about $65,000 after taxes on average, mostly due to the rise in value of their homes. But because the vast bulk of their earnings were salaries, their tax bills were almost as much, nearly $62,000, over that five-year period.

No one among the 25 wealthiest avoided as much tax as Buffett, the grandfatherly centibillionaire. That’s perhaps surprising, given his public stance as an advocate of higher taxes for the rich. According to Forbes, his riches rose $24.3 billion between 2014 and 2018. Over those years, the data shows, Buffett reported paying $23.7 million in taxes.

That works out to a true tax rate of 0.1%, or less than 10 cents for every $100 he added to his wealth.

In the coming months, ProPublica will use the IRS data we have obtained to explore in detail how the ultrawealthy avoid taxes, exploit loopholes and escape scrutiny from federal auditors.

Experts have long understood the broad outlines of how little the wealthy are taxed in the United States, and many lay people have long suspected the same thing.

The Ultrawealthy by the Numbers

Wealth, income and taxes for the four riches people in the country from 2014 to 2018.

But few specifics about individuals ever emerge in public. Tax information is among the most zealously guarded secrets in the federal government. ProPublica has decided to reveal individual tax information of some of the wealthiest Americans because it is only by seeing specifics that the public can understand the realities of the country’s tax system.

Consider Bezos’ 2007, one of the years he paid zero in federal income taxes. Amazon’s stock more than doubled. Bezos’ fortune leapt $3.8 billion, according to Forbes, whose wealth estimates are widely cited. How did a person enjoying that sort of wealth explosion end up paying no income tax?

In that year, Bezos, who filed his taxes jointly with his then-wife, MacKenzie Scott, reported a paltry (for him) $46 million in income, largely from interest and dividend payments on outside investments. He was able to offset every penny he earned with losses from side investments and various deductions, like interest expenses on debts and the vague catchall category of “other expenses.”

In 2011, a year in which his wealth held roughly steady at $18 billion, Bezos filed a tax return reporting he lost money — his income that year was more than offset by

investment losses. What’s more, because, according to the tax law, he made so little, he even claimed and received a $4,000 tax credit for his children.

His tax avoidance is even more striking if you examine 2006 to 2018, a period for which ProPublica has complete data. Bezos’ wealth increased by $127 billion, according to Forbes, but he reported a total of $6.5 billion in income. The $1.4 billion he paid in personal federal taxes is a massive number — yet it amounts to a 1.1% true tax rate on the rise in his fortune.

The revelations provided by the IRS data come at a crucial moment. Wealth inequality has become one of the defining issues of our age. The president and Congress are considering the most ambitious tax increases in decades on those with high incomes. But the American tax conversation has been dominated by debate over incremental changes, such as whether the top tax rate should be 39.6% rather than 37%.

ProPublica’s data shows that while some wealthy Americans, such as hedge fund managers, would pay more taxes under the current Biden administration proposals, the vast majority of the top 25 would see little change.

The tax data was provided to ProPublica after we published a series of articles

scrutinizing the IRS. The articles exposed how years of budget cuts have hobbled the agency’s ability to enforce the law and how the largest corporations and the rich have benefited from the IRS’ weakness. They also showed how people in poor regions are now more likely to be audited than those in affluent areas.

ProPublica is not disclosing how it obtained the data, which was given to us in raw form, with no conditions or conclusions. ProPublica reporters spent months processing and analyzing the material to transform it into a usable database.

We then verified the information by comparing elements of it with dozens of already public tax details (in court documents, politicians’ financial disclosures and news stories) as well as by vetting it with individuals whose tax information is contained in the trove. Every person whose tax information is described in this story was asked to comment. Those who responded, including Buffett, Bloomberg and Icahn, all said they had paid the taxes they owed.

A spokesman for Soros said in a statement: “Between 2016 and 2018 George Soros lost money on his investments, therefore he did not owe federal income taxes in those years. Mr. Soros has

long supported higher taxes for wealthy Americans.” Personal and corporate representatives of Bezos declined to receive detailed questions about the matter. ProPublica attempted to reach Scott through her divorce attorney, a personal representative and family members; she did not respond. Musk responded to an initial query with a lone punctuation mark: “?” After we sent detailed questions to him, he did not reply.

One of the billionaires mentioned in this article objected, arguing that publishing personal tax information is a violation of privacy. We have concluded that the public interest in knowing this information at this pivotal moment outweighs that legitimate concern.

The consequences of allowing the most prosperous to game the tax system have been profound. Federal budgets, apart from military spending, have been constrained for decades. Roads and bridges have crumbled, social services have withered and the solvency of Social Security and Medicare is perpetually in question.

There is an even more fundamental issue than which programs get funded or not: Taxes are a kind of collective sacrifice. No one loves giving their hard-earned money to the government. But the system works only as long as it’s perceived to be fair.

Our analysis of tax data for the 25 richest Americans quantifies just how unfair the system has become.

By the end of 2018, the 25 were worth $1.1 trillion.

For comparison, it would take 14.3 million ordinary American wage earners put together to equal that same amount of wealth.

The personal federal tax bill for the top 25 in 2018: $1.9 billion.

The bill for the wage earners: $143 billion.

With the costs of the Civil War looming, Congress imposed a national income tax in 1861. The wealthy helped force its repeal soon after the war ended. (Their pique could only have been exacerbated by the fact that the law required public disclosure. The annual income of the moguls of the day — $1.3 million for William Astor; $576,000 for Cornelius Vanderbilt — was listed in the pages of The New York Times in 1865.)

By the late 19th and early 20th century, wealth inequality was acute and the political climate was changing. The federal government began expanding, creating agencies to protect food, workers and more. It needed funding, but tariffs were pinching regular Americans more than the rich. The Supreme Court had rejected an 1894 law that would have created an income tax. So Congress moved to amend the Constitution. The 16th Amendment was ratified in 1913 and gave the government power “to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived.”

In the early years, the personal income tax worked as Congress intended, falling squarely on the richest. In 1918, only 15% of American families owed any tax. The top 1% paid 80% of the revenue raised, according to historian W. Elliot Brownlee.

But a question remained: What would count as income and what wouldn’t? In 1916, a woman named Myrtle Macomber received a dividend for her Standard Oil of California shares. She owed taxes, thanks to the new law. The dividend had not come in cash, however. It came in the form of an additional share for every two shares she already held. She paid the taxes and then brought a court challenge: Yes, she’d gotten a bit richer, but she hadn’t received any money. Therefore, she argued, she’d received no “income.”

sets are taxed. But if a taxpayer hasn’t sold anything, there is no income and therefore no tax.

Contemporary critics of Macomber were plentiful and prescient. Cordell Hull, the congressman known as the “father” of the income tax, assailed the decision, according to scholar Marjorie Kornhauser. Hull predicted that tax avoidance would become common. The ruling opened a gaping loophole, Hull warned, allowing industrialists to build a company and borrow against the stock to pay living expenses. Anyone could “live upon the value” of their company stock “without selling it, and of course, without ever paying” tax, he said.

Hull’s prediction would reach full flower only decades later, spurred by a series of epochal economic, legal and cultural changes that began to gather momentum in the 1970s. Antitrust enforcers increasingly accepted mergers and stopped trying to break up huge corporations. For their part, companies came to obsess over the value of their stock to the exclusion of nearly everything else. That helped give rise in the last 40 years to a series of corporate monoliths — beginning with Microsoft and Oracle in the 1980s and 1990s and continuing to Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple today — that often have concentrated ownership, high profit margins and rich share prices. The winner-take-all economy has created modern fortunes that by some measures eclipse those of John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie.

The idea of a regular tax on income, much less on wealth, does not appear in the country’s founding documents. In fact, Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits “direct” taxes on citizens under most circumstances. This meant that for decades, the U.S. government mainly funded itself through “indirect” taxes: tariffs and levies on consumer goods like tobacco and alcohol.

Four years later, the Supreme Court agreed. In Eisner v. Macomber, the high court ruled that income derived only from proceeds. A person needed to sell an asset — stock, bond or building — and reap some money before it could be taxed.

Since then, the concept that income comes only from proceeds — when gains are “realized” — has been the bedrock of the U.S. tax system. Wages are taxed. Cash dividends are taxed. Gains from selling as-

In the here and now, the ultrawealthy use an array of techniques that aren’t available to those of lesser means to get around the tax system.

Certainly, there are illegal tax evaders among them, but it turns out billionaires don’t have to evade taxes exotically and illicitly — they can avoid them routinely and legally.

Most Americans have to work to live. When they do, they get paid — and they get taxed. The federal government considers almost every dollar workers earn to be “income,” and employers take taxes directly out of their paychecks.

The Bezoses of the world have no need

to be paid a salary. Bezos’ Amazon wages have long been set at the middle-class level of around $80,000 a year.

For years, there’s been something of a competition among elite founder-CEOs to go even lower. Steve Jobs took $1 in salary when he returned to Apple in the 1990s. Facebook’s Zuckerberg, Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Google’s Larry Page have all done the same.

Yet this is not the self-effacing gesture it appears to be: Wages are taxed at a high rate. The top 25 wealthiest Americans reported $158 million in wages in 2018, according to the IRS data. That’s a mere 1.1% of what they listed on their tax forms as their total reported income. The rest mostly came from dividends and the sale of stock, bonds or other investments, which are taxed at lower rates than wages.

As Congressman Hull envisioned long ago, the ultrawealthy typically hold fast to shares in the companies they’ve founded. Many titans of the 21st century sit on mountains of what are known as unrealized gains, the total size of which fluctuates each day as stock prices rise and fall. Of the $4.25 trillion in wealth held by U.S. billionaires, some $2.7 trillion is unrealized, according to Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, economists at the University of California, Berkeley.

Buffett has famously held onto his stock in the company he founded, Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate that owns Geico, Duracell and significant stakes in American Express and Coca-Cola. That has allowed Buffett to largely avoid transforming his wealth into income. From 2015 through 2018, he reported annual income ranging from $11.6 million to $25 million. That may seem like a lot, but Buffett ranks as roughly the world’s sixth-richest person — he’s worth $110 billion as of Forbes’ estimate in May 2021. At least 14,000 U.S. taxpayers in 2015 reported higher income than him, according to IRS data.

There’s also a second strategy Buffett relies on that minimizes income, and therefore, taxes. Berkshire does not pay a dividend, the sum (a piece of the profits, in theory) that many companies pay each quarter to those who own their stock. Buffett has always argued that it is better to use that money to find investments for

Berkshire that will further boost the value of shares held by him and other investors. If Berkshire had offered anywhere close to the average dividend in recent years, Buffett would have received over $1 billion in dividend income and owed hundreds of millions in taxes each year.

Many Silicon Valley and infotech companies have emulated Buffett’s model, eschewing stock dividends, at least for a time. In the 1980s and 1990s, companies like Microsoft and Oracle offered shareholders rocketing growth and profits but did not pay dividends. Google, Facebook, Amazon

giving his enormous fortune away and ultimately plans to donate 99.5% of it to charity. “I believe the money will be of more use to society if disbursed philanthropically than if it is used to slightly reduce an ever-increasing U.S. debt,” he wrote.

So how do megabillionaires pay their megabills while opting for $1 salaries and hanging onto their stock? According to public documents and experts, the answer for some is borrowing money — lots of it.

For regular people, borrowing money is often something done out of necessity, say for a car or a home. But for the ultrawealthy,

and Tesla do not pay dividends.

In a detailed written response, Buffett defended his practices but did not directly address ProPublica’s true tax rate calculation. “I continue to believe that the tax code should be changed substantially,” he wrote, adding that he thought “huge dynastic wealth is not desirable for our society.”

The decision not to have Berkshire pay dividends has been supported by the vast majority of his shareholders. “I can’t think of any large public company with shareholders so united in their reinvestment beliefs,” he wrote. And he pointed out that Berkshire Hathaway pays significant corporate taxes, accounting for 1.5% of total U.S. corporate taxes in 2019 and 2020.

Buffett reiterated that he has begun

it can be a way to access billions without producing income, and thus, income tax.

The tax math provides a clear incentive for this. If you own a company and take a huge salary, you’ll pay 37% in income tax on the bulk of it. Sell stock and you’ll pay 20% in capital gains tax — and lose some control over your company. But take out a loan, and these days you’ll pay a single-digit interest rate and no tax; since loans must be paid back, the IRS doesn’t consider them income. Banks typically require collateral, but the wealthy have plenty of that.

The vast majority of the ultrawealthy’s loans do not appear in the tax records obtained by ProPublica since they are generally not disclosed to the IRS. But occasionally, the loans are disclosed in continued on page 70

The Secret IRS Files

continued from page 59

securities filings. In 2014, for example, Oracle revealed that its CEO, Ellison, had a credit line secured by about $10 billion of his shares.

Last year Tesla reported that Musk had pledged some 92 million shares, which were worth about $57.7 billion as of May 29, 2021, as collateral for personal loans.

With the exception of one year when he exercised more than a billion dollars in stock options, Musk’s tax bills in no way reflect the fortune he has at his disposal. In 2015, he paid $68,000 in federal income tax. In 2017, it was $65,000, and in 2018 he paid no federal income tax. Between 2014 and 2018, he had a true tax rate of 3.27%.

The IRS records provide glimpses of other massive loans. In both 2016 and 2017, investor Carl Icahn, who ranks as the 40th-wealthiest American on the Forbes list, paid no federal income taxes despite reporting a total of $544 million in adjusted gross income (which the IRS defines as earnings minus items like student loan interest payments or alimony). Icahn had an outstanding loan of $1.2 billion with Bank of America among other loans, according to the IRS data. It was technically a mortgage because it was secured, at least in part, by Manhattan penthouse apartments and other properties.

Borrowing offers multiple benefits to Icahn: He gets huge tranches of cash to turbocharge his investment returns. Then he gets to deduct the interest from his taxes. In an interview, Icahn explained that he reports the profits and losses of his business empire on his personal taxes.

Icahn acknowledged that he is a “big borrower. I do borrow a lot of money.”

Asked if he takes out loans also to lower his tax bill, Icahn said: “No, not at all. My borrowing is to win. I enjoy the competition. I

enjoy winning.”

He said adjusted gross income was a misleading figure for him. After taking hundreds of millions in deductions for the interest on his loans, he registered tax losses for both years, he said. “I didn’t make money because, unfortunately for me, my interest was higher than my whole adjusted income.”

Asked whether it was appropriate that he had paid no income tax in certain years, Icahn said he was perplexed by the question. “There’s a reason it’s called income tax,” he said. “The reason is if, if you’re a poor person, a rich person, if you are Apple — if you have no income, you don’t pay taxes.” He added: “Do you think a rich person should pay taxes no matter what? I don’t think it’s germane. How can you ask me that question?”

nine of the 25 wealthiest Americans reported more than $500 million in income and three more than $1 billion.

In such cases, though, the data obtained by ProPublica shows billionaires have a palette of tax-avoidance options to offset their gains using credits, deductions (which can include charitable donations) or losses to lower or even zero out their tax bills. Some own sports teams that offer such lucrative write-offs that owners often end up paying far lower tax rates than their millionaire players. Others own commercial buildings that steadily rise in value but nevertheless can be used to throw off paper losses that offset income.

Michael Bloomberg, the 13th-richest American on the Forbes list, often reports high income because the profits of the private company he controls flow mainly to him.

Skeptics might question our analysis of how little the superrich pay in taxes. For one, they might argue that owners of companies get hit by corporate taxes. They also might counter that some billionaires cannot avoid income — and therefore taxes. And after death, the common understanding goes, there’s a final no-escape clause: the estate tax, which imposes a steep tax rate on sums over $11.7 million.

ProPublica found that none of these factors alter the fundamental picture.

Take corporate taxes. When companies pay them, economists say, these costs are passed on to the companies’ owners, workers or even consumers. Models differ, but they generally assume big stockholders shoulder the lion’s share.

Corporate taxes, however, have plummeted in recent decades in what has become a golden age of corporate tax avoidance. By sending profits abroad, companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple have often paid little or no U.S. corporate tax.

For some of the nation’s wealthiest people, particularly Bezos and Musk, adding corporate taxes to the equation would hardly change anything at all. Other companies like Berkshire Hathaway and Walmart do pay more, which means that for people like Buffett and the Waltons, corporate tax could add significantly to their burden.

It is also true that some billionaires don’t avoid taxes by avoiding incomes. In 2018,

In 2018, he reported income of $1.9 billion. When it came to his taxes, Bloomberg managed to slash his bill by using deductions made possible by tax cuts passed during the Trump administration, charitable donations of $968.3 million and credits for having paid foreign taxes. The end result was that he paid $70.7 million in income tax on that almost $2 billion in income. That amounts to just a 3.7% conventional income tax rate. Between 2014 and 2018, Bloomberg had a true tax rate of 1.30%.

In a statement, a spokesman for Bloomberg noted that as a candidate, Bloomberg had advocated for a variety of tax hikes on the wealthy. “Mike Bloomberg pays the maximum tax rate on all federal, state, local and international taxable income as prescribed by law,” the spokesman wrote. And he cited Bloomberg’s philanthropic giving, offering the calculation that “taken together, what Mike gives to charity and pays in taxes amounts to approximately 75% of his annual income.”

The statement also noted: “The release of a private citizen’s tax returns should raise real privacy concerns regardless of political affiliation or views on tax policy. In the United States no private citizen should fear the illegal release of their taxes. We intend to use all legal means at our disposal to determine which individual or government entity leaked these and ensure that they are held responsible.”

Ultimately, after decades of wealth accumulation, the estate tax is supposed to

serve as a backstop, allowing authorities an opportunity to finally take a piece of giant fortunes before they pass to a new generation. But in reality, preparing for death is more like the last stage of tax avoidance for the ultrawealthy.

University of Southern California tax law professor Edward McCaffery has summarized the entire arc with the catchphrase “buy, borrow, die.”

The notion of dying as a tax benefit seems paradoxical. Normally when someone sells an asset, even a minute before they die, they owe 20% capital gains tax. But at death, that changes. Any capital gains till that moment are not taxed. This allows the ultrarich and their heirs to avoid paying billions in taxes. The “step-up in basis” is widely recognized by experts across the political spectrum as a flaw in the code.

Then comes the estate tax, which, at 40%, is among the highest in the federal code. This tax is supposed to give the government one last chance to get a piece of all those unrealized gains and other assets the wealthiest Americans accumulate over their lifetimes.

It’s clear, though, from aggregate IRS data, tax research and what little trickles into the public arena about estate planning of the wealthy that they can readily escape turning over almost half of the value of their estates. Many of the richest create foundations for philanthropic giving, which provide large charitable tax deductions during their lifetimes and bypass the estate tax when they die.

Wealth managers offer clients a range of opaque and complicated trusts that allow the wealthiest Americans to give large sums to their heirs without paying estate taxes. The IRS data obtained by ProPublica gives some insight into the ultrawealthy’s estate planning, showing hundreds of these trusts.

The result is that large fortunes can pass largely intact from one generation to the next. Of the 25 richest people in America today, about a quarter are heirs: three are Waltons, two are scions of the Mars candy fortune and one is the son of Estée Lauder.

of the most lucrative for billionaires. They added $1.2 trillion to their fortunes from January 2020 to the end of April of this year, according to Forbes.

That windfall is among the many factors that have led the country to an inflection point, one that traces back to a half-century of growing wealth inequality and the financial crisis of 2008, which left many with lasting economic damage. American history is rich with such turns. There have been famous acts of tax resistance, like the Boston Tea Party, countered by less wellknown efforts to have the rich pay more.

One such incident, over half a century ago, appeared as if it might spark great change. President Lyndon Johnson’s outgoing treasury secretary, Joseph Barr, shocked the nation when he revealed that 155 Americans making over $200,000 (about $1.6 million today) had paid no taxes. That group, he told the Senate, included 21 millionaires.

“We face now the possibility of a taxpayer revolt if we do not soon make major reforms in our income taxes,” Barr said. Members of Congress received more furious letters about the tax scofflaws that year than they did about the Vietnam War.

Congress did pass some reforms, but the long-term trend was a revolt in the opposite direction, which then accelerated with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Since then, through a combination of political donations, lobbying, charitable giving and even direct bids for political office, the ultrawealthy have helped shape the debate about taxation in their favor.

One apparent exception: Buffett, who broke ranks with his billionaire cohort to call for higher taxes on the rich. In a famous New York Times op-ed in 2011, Buffett wrote, “My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.”

Rule. It would have raised income tax rates on people reporting over a million dollars a year. It didn’t pass. Even if it had, however, the Buffett Rule wouldn’t have raised Buffett’s taxes significantly. If you can avoid income, you can avoid taxes.

Today, just a few years after Republicans passed a massive tax cut that disproportionately benefited the wealthy, the country may be facing another swing of the pendulum, back toward a popular demand to raise taxes on the wealthy. In the face of growing inequality and with spending ambitions that rival those of Franklin D. Roosevelt or Johnson, the Biden administration has proposed a slate of changes. These include raising the tax rates on people making over $400,000 and bumping the top income tax rate from 37% to 39.6%, with a top rate for long-term capital gains to match that. The administration also wants to up the corporate tax rate and to increase the IRS’ budget.

Some Democrats have gone further, floating ideas that challenge the tax structure as it’s existed for the last century. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has proposed taxing unrealized capital gains, a shot through the heart of Macomber. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have proposed wealth taxes.

Aggressive new laws would likely inspire new, sophisticated avoidance techniques. A few countries, including Switzerland and Spain, have wealth taxes on a small scale. Several, most recently France, have abandoned them as unworkable. Opponents contend that they are complicated to administer, as it is hard to value assets, particularly of private companies and property.

During the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Americans died from COVID-19, while millions were thrown out of work. But one of the bleakest periods in American history turned out to be one

Buffett did something in that article that few Americans do: He publicly revealed how much he had paid in personal federal taxes the previous year ($6.9 million). Separately, Forbes estimated his fortune had risen $3 billion that year. Using that information, an observer could have calculated his true tax rate; it was 0.2%. But then, as now, the discussion that ensued on taxes was centered on the traditional income tax rate.

In 2011, President Barack Obama proposed legislation, known as the Buffett

What it would take for a fundamental overhaul of the U.S. tax system is not clear. But the IRS data obtained by ProPublica illuminates that all of these conversations have been taking place in a vacuum. Neither political leaders nor the public have ever had an accurate picture of how comprehensively the wealthiest Americans avoid paying taxes.

Buffett and his fellow billionaires have known this secret for a long time. As Buffett put it in 2011: “There’s been class warfare going on for the last 20 years, and my class has won.” Y

Doris Burke, Carson Kessler and Ellis Simani contributed reporting.

Frozen

A CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH TARGET’S GOOD & GATHER TREATS

My happy place is in the kitchen. Yet, there are times when cooking is pure drudgery. This precise sentiment explains the continued success of restaurants since the first one opened its doors thousands of years ago.

When even entering the kitchen feels like sinking in quicksand, I typically turn to take out — but that gets pricey fast. So the last time I was meandering around in Target, I decided to throw in boxes upon boxes of frozen treats — way cheaper than takeout. I hesitate to buy frozen food because I know I can make a better and cheaper version. But the point of prepared frozen food is that you don’t have to do any work. So, with our readers on my mind, I decided to try a whole bunch of Target’s Good & Gather foods. Here’s the scoop.

BY MRS. KOSSENFLOFFER

The chicken and Thai basil spring rolls were a personal favorite. I must admit, I have a soft spot for spring rolls, but these Good & Gather spring rolls truly impressed me. We heated them up in the oven using the convection setting, and they came out with a satisfyingly crispy exterior. Unlike many frozen spring rolls, these had a generous amount of chicken, making them a delightful treat.

The bao buns were the simplest to prepare as they only required 1 minute in the microwave. I was skeptical of this claim, so I tested the interior temperature with a food thermometer, and the interior registered over 170. These were doughy little treats that didn’t have much flavor. But we dipped them in chili crunch, which provided some heat and a bit of texture to contrast the soft dough and interior.

The potstickers were a big surprise. Too often a frozen potsticker has chewy thick exterior. But these babies were wrapped in a surprisingly delicate dough. And the filling had plenty of flavor as opposed to a bland mystery.

The beef empanadas were good but they should be renamed bean empanadas as the filling was very beancentric. Still, the pastry was better than expected and the filling, although packed with beans, did have plenty of flavor from herbs and spices.

The mini crab cakes weren’t too bad either. I would never serve them to company, but they were good enough for a little treat for the family, or on top of a salad for an easy lunch. Squeeze a little lemon to ramp up the zing.

The spincach spanikopita were the stars. The phyllo dough was made up of delicate, crispy layers, and the filling had a lovely spinach flavor and wasn’t too salty. These were the most authentic of the bunch, and I actually think they are good enough for company. Beware, I pulled them out before the filling leaked out of the dough.

LOCAL FLAVOR

IN THE NORTH BROWARD BEACHES

Email us with any additions, closings, or corrections at editor@ pointpubs.com. We try to be accurate, but it’s always a good idea to call first before heading out on your dining adventure.

KEY

$ Inexpensive (under $25)

$$ Moderate

($26-$50)

$$$ Expensive

($51-$75)

$$$$ Pricey (over $75)

Lighthouse Point

Bonefish Mac’s Sports Grill AMERICAN ““Where You’re Eating with Friends.” Lighthouse Point’s popular spot for all ages with an extensive menu featuring large portions including seafood, steaks, appetizers, burgers, their famous Key Lime pie and more. Enjoy happy hour all day every day at the indoor and patio bars. Specials include Monday prime rib night, Tuesday kids-eat-free, weekday lunch specials and an early lite menu 2002 East Sample Road, 954-781-6227 $$

Cap’s Place SEAFOOD Lighthouse Point’s own hidden seafood joint dating back to prohibition. Take the short boat ride over to the restaurant. 2765 NE 28th Court, 954-941-0418 $$$

Fetta Republic GREEK Traditional Greek offerings close to home. 2420 N. Federal Highway, 954-933-2394 $-$$

Fish Shack SEAFOOD This restaurant used to be a “best-kept secret.” But now that they have moved into the Shoppes at Beacon Light, the word is out. The Fish Shack keeps it simple, serving fresh fish prepared in several ways. There is more to the menu, but it is called The Fish Shack. 2460 N. Federal Highway, 954-586-4105 $$

Le Bistro CONTINENTAL Classically-trained chef Andy Trousdale serves up classics and inventive new dishes at this little neighborhood gem. Fresh and local produce is always used, and vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free menu items are available. A note to the wise; the porcini mushroom soup is worth every calorie. The restaurant also offers cooking classes and wine tasting dinners. More than worthy of a special occasion. Reservations are recommended. 4626 N. Federal Highway, 954-9469240 $$$

Lighthouse Thai Sushi THAI • SUSHI This casual spot in the Shoppes of Beacon Light hits the spot when you seek a casual sushi or Thai dinner. The rolls are fresh, fun and tasty and the various Thai curries will leave you craving more. 2476 N Federal Highway, 954-532-6342 $$

Manta PERUVIAN A new Peruvian restaurant in The Shoppes at Beacon Light. Review coming soon. 2410 N Federal Highway, 954-400-9859

The Nauti Dawg Marina Café AMERICAN Nestled at the Lighthouse Point Marina, the Nauti Dawg is a local favorite. Start with the tuna wontons—crispy fried wonton wrappers topped with tuna tartare, seaweed salad, red pepper mayo, wasabi and a hit of sriracha. You can’t go wrong with the fresh fish sandwich—ask what the catch of the day is. They are a dog-friendly restaurant. 2830 NE 29th Ave. (at the Lighthouse Point Marina), 954-941-0246 $$

Papa’s Raw Bar SUSHI • SEAFOOD While the fresh food is the real star, the Keys-inspired decor accounts for part of their charm. The menu goes beyond typical raw bar offerings with inventive tacos and sliders. Papa’s also offers an impressive array of sushi and sashimi. And to wash it all down, they have about a zillion craft beer options and a good wine list too. 4610 N. Federal Highway, 754-307-5034 $$-$$$

Rocca Trattoria ITALIAN This classic and cozy Italian trattoria exudes warmth and charm. The menu showcases authentic Italian cuisine, with a focus on traditional recipes. Each dish is crafted with care and attention to detail, from pasta dishes bursting with flavor to pizzas topped with fresh ingredients. The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring that every visit is memorable. Whether you’re savoring a leisurely meal with

friends or simply stopping by for a quick pizza, this charming Italian restaurant offers a taste of la dolce vita in every bite. 2014 E Sample Road, 954876-1733 $$

Deerfield Beach

Baja Cafe MEXICAN Locals flock to this long-established favorite for a Mexican dinner or just drinks. They are known for their margaritas and entrées, including their bandito honey bean burritos and many taco options. You’ll also enjoy their endless fresh chips served with two types of salsa. 1310 S. Federal Highway, 954-5961304 $$

Barracuda Seafood Bar & Grill SEAFOOD • BRAZILIAN This spot by the sea serves seafood with a touch of Brazilian flare, such as the bobo de camarao — shrimp sautéed in coconut milk, saffron, palm oil and yucca cream baked in a cast-iron skillet. 123 NE 29th Ave., 954531-1290 $$

Casa Maya MEXICAN Start with a margarita, and it only gets better from there. This is not your typical Mexican joint — it’s better. Try gobernador tacos: a combination of shrimp with diced poblanos, onions, tomatoes and cilantro on a crispy corn tortilla topped with melted cheese. 301 SE 15th Terrace, 954-570-6101 $$

Chanson at the Royal Blues Hotel SEAFOOD • SEASONAL Chanson offers fine dining with an ocean view. 45 NE 21st Ave., 954-8572929. $$$$

Deer Creek Grille AMERICAN Enjoy the club atmosphere with gorgeous views of the lush gardens and waterfall. The restaurant offers daily lunch and dinner specials, a Sunday breakfast buffet and covered patio dining so you can dine al fresco. 2801 Deer Creek Country Club Blvd., 954-421-5553 $$

JB’s on the Beach SEAFOOD The restaurant boasts glorious beach views and a private glass room perfect for business or family affairs. 300 N. Ocean Way, 954-571-5220 $$$

Le Val de Loire Restaurant FRENCH • STEAKHOUSE The menu at this cozy French bistro includes many classics. So next time you crave sole meunière, filet mignon au poivre or beef bourguignon, you don’t have to go further than the Cove. The steakhouse menu includes a New York strip and a rib eye, among other cuts. Le Val de Loire is a French restaurant, so they offer three sauces with the steaks — including a mushroom cream sauce. Classic steakhouse sides like creamed spinach are also available. 1576 SE Third Court, 954-427-5354 $$$

Little Havana CUBAN Little Havana has fantastic lunch specials, and most of their dinner plates will feed two. Their masas de puerco frita and their Little Havana steak are two of the standout menu items, aside from their zesty chimichurri. 721 N. Federal Highway, 954-427-6000 $$

Luigi di Roma ITALIAN The atmosphere is always lively at Luigi di

WITH MRS. KOSSENFLOFFER

Roma — mainly if you arrive during happy hour! Naturally, you will find all your favorite Italian dishes on the menu, with everything from eggplant Parmesan to shrimp scampi and everything in between. You can also order take-out online. 718 S. Federal Highway, 954-531-6151 $$-$$$

Ocean’s 234 SEAFOOD Amazing views of Deerfield Beach and the pier with gluten-free options are available. 234 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-4282539 $$$

Patio Bar & Grill CONTINENTAL Enjoy cocktails just feet from the sandy beaches of Deerfield. This relaxed spot at the Wyndham serves casual fare. You can stick to the classics like wings or a shrimp cocktail. Or be more adventurous and enjoy an order of volcano spring rolls stuffed with crab and served with sriracha mayo and wakame slaw. They also serve burgers and plenty of fresh salads and savory entrees. There is often live music contributing to the energetic vibe. 2096 NE Second St., (at the Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort) 954-596-8618 $$

Patrizio of NYC ITALIAN At Patrizio, you will find all the classic Italian dishes we all love. The vibe is lively and the food is tasty. What more do you need? 1544 SE Third Court, 954-751-9797 $$

Tijuana Taxi Co MEXICAN Perhaps it’s the all-day happy hour (Mon.-Fri., 11am-7pm) with $6 El Jimador margaritas, but as soon as you enter, the day’s weight lifts off your shoulders. There is outdoor patio seating available and a large U-shaped bar inside. The portions are generous — certainly enough for a doggie bag. And for the little ones there is kids night on Sunday: kids eat for $1.99 from the $6.99 kids menu. 1015 S. Federal Highway, 954-708-2775 $$

Whales’ Rib SEAFOOD Locals know it well, and tourists know it from “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Whatever you do, don’t skip the whale fries. 2031 NE Second St., 954-421-8880 $$

Pompano Beach

And Fish Kitchen + Bar SEAFOOD Located at the Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, diners will enjoy a modern take on fresh seafood. The restaurant sports a contemporary and breezy ambiance. 1200 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-782-0100 $$

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza ITALIAN • PIZZA • WINGS You can credit this place with bringing the whole “coal-fired pizza craze” to South Florida. Pizza and chicken wings — do you need any more? Try the cauliflower pizza — good and good for you. 1203 S. Federal Highway, 954942-5550 $$

Aromas Del Peru PERUVIAN With several South Florida locations, the folks at Aromas Del Peru are bring Peruvian favorites to Pompano Beach.1 N Ocean Bvd., 954-354-2323 $$$

The Beach Grille AMERICAN Delicious eats near the beach with the capability to order online. 3414 E Atlantic Blvd., 954-946-6000 $

Beach House AMERICAN • CRAFT COCKTAILS This is the perfect place to take out-of-town guests. Snag one of the stadium seating style booths overlooking the Atlantic. Enjoy the casual and relaxed ambiance with a rooftop deck on the second floor. 270 N Pompano Beach Blvd. 954607-6530 $$

Brew Fish BAR AND GRILL Dine outside in the tiki hut overlooking a canal right in Pompano Beach. They have a comprehensive bar/pub-style menu. 200 E. McNab Rd., 954-440-3347 $$

Briny Irish Pub IRISH • BAR FOOD At the end of East Atlantic Boulevard stands Briny Irish Pub. There is a large beer selection plus the regular and, dare we say unique mixed drinks. The kitchen offers an array of bar food and some classics like bangers and mash and fish-n-chips. The casual atmosphere is created by an immense array of nautical artifacts and

oddities that fill every inch of the pub. Music plays constantly, often live with a dance floor if one is inclined. 3440 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-942-3159 $

Bru’s Room Sports Grill AMERICAN This spot is home to the Florida State Booster Club of Broward County. Wings and plenty of bar food is available. 235 S. Federal Highway, 954-785-2227 $

Calypso Restaurant and Raw Bar CARIBBEAN Since they opened their doors in 1990, Calypso has been a local favorite. This gem of a restaurant is known for its fresh, wild caught fish, Bahamian conch dishes, Jamaican jerk and American favorites all served with an island flair. Try the house special cutter (sandwich) — sautéed shrimp with garlic butter, mushrooms and cheddar all stuffed into a hollowed-out kaiser roll. For island comfort food, don’t miss one of their curries or rotis. Fresh oysters and clams are also available. Wash it all down with a draft beer, a glass of wine or choose from over 40 different bottled beers. 460 S. Cypress Road, 954-942-1633 $$

Checkers Old Munchen GERMAN For a traditional German meal, try the wiener schnitzel — it’s divine — a lightly breaded veal cutlet sautéed in lemon butter and topped with homemade brown gravy. The spaetzle (German noodles) are a real homemade treat and not to be missed — throw a little of that brown gravy on them, and they could be a meal unto themselves. The red cabbage is both classically sweet and sour and there are other side options too including potato dumplings, potato salad and even hot potato salad. Imbibe to your heart’s content with their vast assortment of German beers. 2209 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-785-7565 $$

Chef Dee’s SUSHI • SEAFOOD A small neighborhood place with plenty of charm. Impressive sushi rolls and a varied menu with something for everyone. 3919 N. Federal Highway., 954-582-4444 $$

Dangerous Minds Brewing Co., BREWERY • ARTISINAL PIZZA Dangerous Minds is more than just a brewery. This spot at Pompano Citi Centre offers artisanal pizzas made from scratch. Their specialty is a Scotch egg, a soft-boiled egg wrapped in homemade sausage and then fried until crispy on the outside. But back to the brewery — all the beers are brewed on-site, and owners Adam and Andre hale from Germany and England — two countries steeped in beer tradition. 1901 N Federal Highway, 954-657-8676 $-$$

Darrel & Oliver’s Cafe Maxx INTERNATIONAL This restaurant is an anchor of the South Florida fine dining scene. 2601 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-782-0606 $$$$

Deep Oceanfront Dining & Bar AMERICAN Beach front dining at the Beachcomber Resort — go for the view. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 1200 S. Ocean Blvd. 954-941-7830 $$$

Deccan Spice INDIAN Enjoy the contemporary decor and take your pick from classic dishes like chicken tikka and biryani and curry dishes to some Indo-Chinese twists like crunchy stir-fried noodles. There are plenty of vegetarian options on this menu and many variations on naan — Indian flatbread. 1149 S. Federal Highway, 954-366-1847 $$

Di Farina Pasta Factory & Restaurant ITALIAN We all know that fresh-cut pasta is superior to the dried variety we have become accustomed to. But making pasta from scratch is a process. But what if you could just pick it up nearby or even have it delivered. Dreams do come true. Di Farina offers a variety of freshly made pasta to go. And if you can’t be bothered to make a sauce, they’ve got 19 from which to choose. The restaurant also has a full menu of Italian favorites. 1915 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-953-6771 $$

Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill SEAFOOD • AMERICAN Enjoy a deal every day. 2500 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-943-3762 $$

The Foundry AMERICAN Known for its artfully crafted dishes, The Foundry offers a fusion of contemporary flavors with a happening dining experience. 2781 E. Atlantic Blvd., 754-205-6977 $$

Galuppi’s AMERICAN What could be more entertaining than watch-

ing golfers swing and blimps ascend as you sip a drink at an outdoor bar? 1103 N. Federal Highway, 954-785-0226 $-$$

Gianni’s Italian Restaurant ITALIAN Gianni’s is practically a Pompano Beach landmark. Enjoy traditional Italian fare at this family-owned and operated establishment, serving everything from pasta to specialties like Chicken Gianni’s and fresh seafood. Don’t skip the romaine salad with the blue cheese. Pair your dish with a bottle of wine or cocktail from their full bar. They also offer daily lunch specials Monday – Friday. 1601 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-942-1733 $$$

Greek Taverna Ammos MEDITERRANEAN All of your favorite Greek foods, plus a few burgers for good measure. 2201 E. Atlantic Blvd., 718-600-2236 $$

Houston’s AMERICAN Enjoy this contemporary eatery for lunch or dinner. An outdoor bar and seating on the Intracoastal are available. 2821 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-783-9499 $$$

J Mark’s AMERICAN A relaxing, modern restaurant and bar with food and service to match. 1490 NE 23rd St., 954-782-7000 $$$

Kin Asian Street Food ASIAN • SUSHI Enjoy everything from inventive takes on ramen soups with pork belly and a jammy egg to rice bowls and dumplings. We swooned over the shiitake buns, mushrooms with pickled sour mustard, ground peanuts and cilantro, all on a steamed rice bun. The gyoza was also a star — the dough was light and tender with a flavorful pork and vegetable filling. The restaurant has a comprehensive sushi menu, but this is a place to order outside your comfort zone. After all, isn’t sushi the new pizza? 143 SW Sixth St., 954-532-4567 $$

La Perla Di Pompano ITALIAN This small and intimate Italian eatery offers a wide selection of Italian dishes, including four different risotto dishes alone. 420 N. Federal Highway, 754-222-9174 $$$-$$$$

La Veranda ITALIAN The atmosphere is elegant, yet comfortable and warm. Inside or out, one can enjoy a special evening in the Tuscany-inspired surroundings. There is an extensive selection of pasta, entrées and traditional dishes, with new favorites to be discovered that the wait staff will happily explain. Taste the love in their homemade desserts. If you’re looking to celebrate, La Veranda is an excellent choice. Reservations are suggested. 2121 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-943-7390 $$$

Las Orquideas COLOMBIAN For an authentic Colombian meal, you don’t need to go any further than Atlantic Boulevard. Not only can you find all of your Colombian favorites, but the restaurant has a full bar with fun cocktails. 900 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-772-7272 $$-$$$

Legends Tavern and Grille AMERICAN Enjoy gastropub fare, including sandwiches, burgers, wings, salads and a huge choice of appetizers. 10 SW Sixth St. $-$$

Lucky Fish Beach Bar + Grill AMERICAN It’s places like Lucky’s that make you happy you live in South Florida. This tiki bar by the sea (just south of the pier) offers simple eats, some top-notch people watching all with an ocean view. The menu includes classic snack foods like coconut shrimp and fish dip to tuna poke nachos. There are also salads, sandwiches and smash burgers. You can also order to go for a picnic on the beach. 222 N Pompano Beach Blvd. $

Mora Grill MEDITERRANEAN This cozy yet modern spot is open for lunch and dinner. The menu includes a range of Mediterranean favorites, from kebobs to gyros. They offer lunch specials and family-style platters for six people served with appetizers, salads, kebobs, rice and vegetables. 3428 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-933-2003 $$

Nonna’s Bistro & Cafe ARGENTINEAN • BAKERY • CAFE Some of Nonna’s offerings include pasta frola cake, American keto salad, and a charcuterie board for two. Carryout and delivery are available. 2608 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-532-9920 $$

Oceanic AMERICAN • SEAFOOD Along with stunning ocean views, the

Gianni’s

restaurant offers a comprehensive menu emphasizing seafood. If you are looking for a standout salad, the watermelon arugula salad with grilled shrimp is a perfect choice. The shrimp and grits were prepared traditionally and packed with flavor. The baby back ribs were melting off the bone, and there was enough for a doggy bag. The restaurant boasts dazzling architecture inspired by the great ocean liners of years past. 250 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., 954-366-3768 $$-$$$

Peking Duck CHINESE Peking Duck is back and under new ownership with reimagined traditional homestyle Chinese cuisine. More info to come soon. 1200 E Atlantic Blvd, 954-946-0436 $$

Pho Ocean VIETNAMESE If you have never had Vietnamese food, you are missing out. This spot will delight you. Everything is so fresh. Go and have some pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), you’ll thank us. 3321 N. Federal Highway, 954-280-8709 $$

Ruby’s by the Sea ITALIAN Tucked away in a small strip mall near the Hillsboro inlet is Ruby’s, serving classic Italian fare. 2608 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-933-7154 $$

Rusty Hook Tavern AMERICAN Located on the Pompano Intracoastal, sit inside or outside; just keep in mind that the word tavern means a local place to gather around the table. 125 N. Riverside Drive, 954-941-2499 $$

Saito Japanese Steakhouse JAPANESE This Japanese steakhouse offers a wide variety of entrees, including teriyaki dishes, tempura and sushi. Diners can choose to sit at the sushi bar, or they can enjoy hibachi-style dining. The restaurant has a comprehensive cocktail menu and 20 different kinds of martinis. 2101 N Federal Highway, Suite 208, 954-945-8888 $$

Sands Harbor Patio Restaurant AMERICAN Located in the Sands Harbor Hotel and Marina on the Intracoastal, you can dine poolside or waterside; either way, you better know how to swim. 125 N. Riverside Drive, 954-942-9100 $$

Seaside Grill SEAFOOD • AMERICAN Enjoy a view of the Atlantic while enjoying fresh seafood and an icy cold cocktail. Don’t worry if you’re not a fish lover — there are plenty of entrée choices from the land. Located at Lighthouse Cove Resort on the ocean. 1406 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-783-3193 $$

Shishka Lebanese Grill MIDDLE EASTERN It’s not easy to make a good falafel, but the ones at Shishka are worth every calorie. There are plenty of other choices, too, from the classic hummus to baba-ghanouj to chicken and meat shawarma. 1901 N. Federal Highway, 954-943-2999 $$

South Bar & Kitchen CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN South Bar & Kitchen offers an array of Southern comfort foods with a heavy Louisiana influence. 165 NE First Ave., 954-890-2000 $$-$$$

Spanx the Hog BBQ BARBECUE Spanx uses natural ingredients and offers dine in, take out, and custom catering. 147 S. Cypress Road. 954-590-8342 $

Sushi Lab JAPANESE • AMERICAN Don’t be fooled by the name, Sushi Lab, offers plenty of options for the sushi averse. But if you are a fan, the restaurant has a plethora of rolls and sashimi. Plus the omakase experience where the chef chooses. Also, be sure to try one of the hand-crafted cocktails. 1350 N. Ocean Blvd., (inside the Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach/Oceanfront) 954-937-7366 $$-$$$

Take Sushi JAPANESE • SUSHI Fresh, authentic Japanese fair delivered to your door? Yes, please. 2714 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-785-2442 $$ Valentino’s Italian Cuisine ITALIAN • PIZZA An abundance of Italian fare served for lunch or dinner. If you can’t make it over to dine in, fret not; they offer free delivery. 427 S. Federal Highway, 954-943-5387 $$

Wings N’ Things WINGS • BARBECUE It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s worth trying. 150 S. Sixth St., 954-781-9464 $

Yamu Thai JAPANESE • THAI A small spot by the sea with your favorite sushi and Thai and Japanese dishes. 2608 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-532-7901

Zuccarelli ITALIAN • PIZZA This place is more than just a pizza joint. From eggplant Parmesan to shrimp fra diavolo, you will leave quite satisfied. The portions are generous and come with a house salad. Bring your breath mints because their garlic rolls are on point. 1340 N. Federal Highway, 954-941-1261 $

FAST & CASUAL

Lighthouse Point FAST & CASUAL

Jugo Boss SMOOTHIES • WRAPS Take a break with cold pressed juices, acai bowls, wraps and sandwiches. The menu is all-natural. 2438 N. Federal Highway, 954-586-4037

Offerdahl’s BAGELS • SANDWICHES • SALADS If you are in search of a decent bagel, this is the spot. But the menu goes far beyond bagels with tasty, inventive and healthy salads, satisfying sandwiches, and entrees. 2400 N Federal Highway, 954-788-3464

Packy’s Sports Pub SPORTS BAR If you are looking for a local spot to watch the game, Packy’s always pack them in. 4480 N. Federal Highway, 954-657-8423

Red Fox Diner DINER Treat yourself to one of the daily specials at the Red Fox and you might be able to skip dinner. But if you are in the mood for some comforting diner food, Red Fox never disappoints. Breakfast and lunch are served daily. 2041 NE 36th St., (Sample Road) 954-783-7714

Whit’s Frozen Custard ICE CREAM If you’re looking for a sweet treat close to home, Whits is serving up frozen custard made fresh daily. Quarts and pints available to go. 4850 N Federal Highway, 954-531-6950

Deerfield Beach FAST & CASUAL

Charm City BURGERS From the moment they opened their doors, Charm City became a local favorite. If burgers aren’t your jam, fear not — they have plenty of options for non-carnivores. Try the emperor — an American Kobe beef patty with aged Swiss, truffled aioli and sautéed mushrooms — a burger fit for a king. 1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd., 954-531-0300

El Jefe MEXICAN For a genuinely inventive take on Mexican street food, this bright and cheery taco joint is full of surprises. There is a plethora of proteins from which to choose. Pick one and have it in a taco, a bowl, a salad or even a burrito. The vegetarian salad is one of the best salads in town — perfect for a satisfying lunch. 27 N. Federal Highway, 954-246-5333

Gelateria GELATO Gelateria offes more than 26 flavors of gelato. Take a stroll on the beach with a cone. Open daily. 2096 NE Second St. (at the Wyndham Hotel), 694-428-2850

The Pickle Barrel DELICATESSEN Get in touch with your inner New Yorker at this old-style deli, complete with friendly guys behind the counter filling your sandwich with enough pastrami to feed a family. 33 E. Hillsboro Blvd., 954-427-0650

Olympia Flame DINER With a traditionally huge diner menu, you can’t go wrong at the Olympia Flame. For a real treat, try the turkey pot pie. The friendly staff makes you feel like a regular — even if you aren’t — but you should be. Open for breakfast and lunch. 80 S. Federal Highway, 954-480-8402

EYE SPECIALIST

DALIA GIRGIS, MD,

The Sticky Bun DELI • BAKERY Everyone will find something to munch on, whether their flourless chocolate cake or a short rib panini with fontina cheese and pickled red onions… yum. We’re still dreaming about the BLT. 1619 SE Third Court, 754-212-5569

Pompano Beach FAST & CASUAL

Anne Marie’s Pizza and Wine Co PIZZA • ITALIAN Whether you are looking to grab a quick slice or enjoy a much-needed date night, Anne Marie’s fits the bill. Enjoy a cheesy slice of New York-style pizza, bruschetta or classic chicken Francese. 2313 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach 954-590-2100.

Athena Greek Street Diner DINER Formerly known as Jukebox Diner, this spot offers classic seating, jukeboxes, and that old-school diner feel. 2773 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-960-5882

Bakery Fusion CAFE • BAKERY This spot at Pompano Citi Centre is a handy spot to grab a coffee and a fresh-baked good. The menu also includes many different sandwiches, soups, salads and smoothies. You can also find fresh bread such as baguettes, ciabatta and other daily selections and a wide selection of coffee drinks, from cappuccino to an affogato 1901 N. Federal Highway (Pompano Citi Centre), 954-532-7383

Bella Monte Italian Deli SANDWICHES 2688 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-946-0333

Brendans BAR AND GRILL Burgers, wings and more — you get the picture. 868 N. Federal Highway, 954-786-0033

Big Louie’s ITALIAN • PIZZA A South Florida chain offering classic Italian dishes. 2190 N. Federal Highway, 954-942-5510

Borogodo Brazilian Grill BRAZILIAN Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11am-4:30pm; Saturday 11am-5:30pm. 7 SE 22nd Ave., 954-782-8040

Cafe Brie SANDWICHES • SALADS A little gem of a place that serves fantastic sandwiches, salads, quiche and desserts. 2765 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-532-7800

Cafe Sportivo CAFE Cash only, but don’t let that stop you. They are family-owned and operated with a variety of espresso drinks. 2219 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-782-6672

Cannoli Kitchen ITALIAN • PIZZA The Cannoli Kitchen has been a staple for fast-casual Italian fare in Boca Raton since 1996. Now, lucky for the folks in Pompano, they are open at a new Pompano Beach Fishing Village location. Try one of their many pasta dishes, calzones, subs, stromboli and other Italian classics like shrimp fra diabolo, chicken or veal marsala, and many more. 255 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., 954-737-3737

Carlucci’s Brick Oven Trattoria & Pizzeria ITALIAN Italian favorites and brick oven pizza at the beach. Open lunch and dinner Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 12-10pm. 3420 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-946-3150

Chez Cafe COFFEE • BAKERY A warm and cozy place to grab breakfast, lunch or a latte. 1631 S. Cypress Road, 954-933-3453

Chill-N ICE CREAM The folks at Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream blend and flash-freeze your custom ice cream or frozen yogurt right in front of you. Enjoy a bowl of made-to-order frozen goodness with about a zillion mixin options for maximum imaginativeness. 1170 N Federal Highway, 754 205-7222

Dandee Donut Factory BAKERY • PASTRIES From the classic old-fashioned sour cream to Boston cream, these babies are just begging to be dunked. Bagels, breakfast and lunch are also available. 1900 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-785-1461

Jet’s Pizza PIZZA Try one of the specialty pizzas such as Philly cheese steak with Alfredo sauce or the BLT. 437 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-782-5387

Lester’s Diner DINER American comfort fare in a retro setting. 1924 E. Atlantic Blvd., 954-783-2109

Lighthouse Cove Tiki Bar AMERICAN Seaside eats and happy hours. 1406 N. Ocean Blvd., 954-784-2804

Mini Pita MEDITERRANEAN The comprehensive menu includes plenty of salads, pita melts, sandwiches, gyros, shawarma, kebabs, falafel, and entrees that include lamb chops and mousaka. 2555 E. Atlantic Blvd. 954-532-9595

Nelson’s Diner DINER Nelson’s diner is a cute, hole-in-the-wall 50s diner with Elvis memorabilia on the walls, baseball flags on the ceiling, friendly servers and classic red vinyl booths. 438 S. Cypress Road, 954785-3646

Pascal & Cathy French BAKERY • CAFE For fresh French baked goods, you can’t beat Pascal & Cathy. In fact, you can watch through a window as the croissants, eclairs and baguettes are prepared and baked right on the premises. The small shop also offers breakfast, sandwiches, salads, coffee and more. The croque monsieur was positively sinful and worth every calorie. 998 N Federal Highway, Suite 4-5, 954-756-1496

Rocket at Valentino’s PIZZA This family-owned pizzeria is an excellent alternative to the big chains. Order an authentic Italian pizza and taste the love! 427 S. Federal Highway, 954-943-5387

Stingers Pizza PIZZA • AMERICAN Dine in or order delivery. They will bring your pizza to the beach—a million minds making the world a better place. 1201 S. Ocean Blvd., 954-782-2344

The Bite Eatery FOOD HALL This European style food hall is the perfect spot when your group can’t decide where to go. Whether it’s Mexican, deli, pizza, Italian, Cuban, lobster rolls, ceviche or burgers, you can find it at the Bite Eatery. Plus there is a full bar in the center. 2715 E Atlantic Blvd., 954-361-7702

The Chicken Box & More SOUTHERN This small spot with just a couple of tables serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and does a robust take-out business. Have your fill of southern comfort food, including shrimp and grits with scrambled eggs, fried pork chops, classic potato salad, meatloaf and collard greens. The greens were stellar — they were juicy and perfectly seasoned with bits of pork supplying a pleasing heft. 204 N. Flagler Avenue, 954-781-7400

The Gyro Joint MIDDLE EASTERN Eat in or carry out. It’s all Greek to me. 165 S. Cypress Road, 954-946-9199

The Poké Company POKÉ Build your own bowl by choosing a base of rice or greens, then add a protein such as ahi tuna or steamed shrimp, then go to town with the mix-ins and sauces. Then top your bowl with everything from pickled ginger to tempura flakes. There are an infinite amount of choices. If bowls aren’t your thing, you can build your own poké burrito. 1154 N. Federal Highway, 754-220-8933

The Rabbit Hole VEGAN This small spot serves up elevated vegan comfort cuisine. If you are trying to eat less meat, but still crave chicken wings, The Rabbit Hole serves boneless and meatless chicken wings in a plethora of flavors. Other dishes include shrimp po’ boy sandwich, a southern barbecue platter, hot dogs, stir-fry and more. Remember, it’s all vegan. 2659 E Atlantic Blvd., 954-419-4899

Tortillería Mexicana MEXICAN If you’re looking for a taco that goes beyond ground beef and toppings? Not only will they supply you with fresh, unique tacos, but the corn tortillas are made from scratch daily. Who does that? 1614 E. Sample Rd., 954-943-0057 Y

A Cozy Trattoria in our Midst

La Perla Di Pompano

La Perla Di Pompano has been a cherished spot on Federal Highway for several years now, continuing to thrive with a dedicated following. You might have driven past its unassuming exterior, but those in the know understand its appeal. During the busy season, weekend reservations are in high demand, so planning ahead is essential.

The service at La Perla Di Pompano is exceptional, with seasoned professionals who bring both friendliness and expertise to your dining experience.

The gnocchi della nonna, served in a zesty tomato sauce, with mushrooms, and peas, and delectable mini meatballs are a taste treat, though not quite the heavenly pillows of carbs one might hope for. On the other hand, the pappardelle with creamy mushroom sauce is truly decadent and delicious. For seafood lovers, the tagliatelle nera all pescatore is a must-try, featuring salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp, and calamari over squid ink pasta with marinara sauce. The peach panna cotta is a light dessert with just the right amount of peachiness, and the profiteroles are light, creamy, and utterly delightful.

BELOW gnocchi della nonna BOTTOM pappardelle with creamy mushroom sauce

523-0840

Pompano