PHOTOS: RCC ASSOCIATES AND CHARLYNE V. SCHAUB
Racks Downtown Eatery + Tavern has a Happy Hour that is getting rave reviews.
Addison Mizner, who was responsible for Boca’s Mediterranean architecture, sits atop this monument with his pet monkey, Johnnie Brown.
Mizner Park is also a good place to stroll among the fountains and vegetation. In keeping with the city’s plan to draw people downtown, the Mizner amphitheater offers everything from concerts by Procol Harum and Bonnie Raitt to a screening of the classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Restaurant heaven A few blocks south on Federal Highway is Royal Palm Place, the other prime downtown destination that has become one of South Florida’s hottest “lifestyle” downtown location. It has evolved from the days it was a neighborhood shopping center, dubbed the “Pink Plaza,” into a 14-acre mixed-use development that includes rental units, shops and restaurants. The shopping center is anchored with an 11-foot tall statue of Addison Mizner holding his pet monkey, Johnnie Brown, atop a 65-foot monument on the southeast corner of Southeast Mizner Boulevard and Federal Highway. Not sure what kind of food you are in the mood to eat? This is the place to decide. Diners can choose from Irish pubs, German, Italian, Asian, Greek and French cuisines. Some favorites are the coal-fired pizza at Table 42, gnocchi with clams and lobster and scallops at Ristorante Sapori. On a recent luncheon visit, we also enjoyed Casimir Bistro, a French restaurant where we ate the French onion soup and Capri Ciabatta tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic, extra virgin olive oil.
Boca Resort & Club Just down the Camino Real is another city attraction, the Boca Raton Resort & Club. To visit the club, you either have to be a member, be invited by a member or book a room. Thanks to the Blackstone Group, which bought the property in 2004 and did $120 million in renovations in 2009, the experience is better than ever. No wonder it has been named one of Travel + Leisure’s “Greatest Hotels in the World.”
92
cityandshore.com
Upcoming Downtown Boca events Downtown Boca always has something happening. Here are highlights of what’s going on just in October.
Oct. 5: A Community & Culture Expo will feature groups performing around the theme “American Stories as Told Through the Cultural Arts,” at 6 p.m. Live music, art, film and literature at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Free. The Boca Museum of Art also will give free admission to Boca residents before 7 p.m.
Oct. 12: Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, shown at 8 p.m. at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. It will open with a historical and political perspective by Dr. Robert Watson,
professor of American studies at Lynn University. Free.
Oct. 21: Bonnie Raitt, in concert with special guest Mala Sharp, at 8 p.m. Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000. Oct. 26-27: The second annual Meet me on the Promenade: Downtown Boca celebrates the Halloween spirit, with a children’s and doggie costume competition, themed photo stops, trick or treating at the shops, early family dining specials and after hours at pubs and clubs. It begins at 5:30 p.m. with entertainment at Sanborn Park and Saturday with a 7:30 a.m. registration for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast cancer walk, which begins at 9 a.m. Free. For more and updated information, see
www.downtownboca.org.